South Africa: FSCA urges caution when doing business with Global Investors Choice The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has warned the public to be cautious when doing any financial services business with Global Investors Choice. In a statement, the FSCA said of the terms of the Global Investors Choices website, the entity trades in forex, binary options and in crypto assets through their automated platforms. Global Investors Choice further claim that they are registered as financial services providers (FSP) with the FSCA as well as with various other international regulators, including the Financial Services Commission (Mauritius), the Financial Conduct Authority (United Kingdom) and the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (Cyprus), said the FSCA on Thursday. The FSCA warned that Global Investors Choice was not registered as an FSP. The company was also not authorised to provide any financial advisory and intermediary services as defined in the various financial sector laws of South Africa. It said the false information that Global Investors Choice was an FSP could be misleading to unsuspecting investors. The FSCA has advised the public to exercise extreme caution. Attempts were made to obtain a response from Global Investors Choice to the allegations, however to date the FSCA has received no response. Should you have had or are currently engaging with Global Investors Choice, please contact the FSCA urgently to provide it with information and details of your transactions to enable the FSCA to assess the matter further and to determine if any further action is necessary. The public should always ensure that an entity or individual is registered with the FSCA to provide financial advisory and intermediary services and what category of advice it is that the entity is registered to provide. In addition, customers who wish to conduct financial services with an institution or person have been reminded to check beforehand with the FSCA on either the toll free number (0800 110 443) or on https://www.fsca.co.za/Fais/Search_FSP.htm to ascertain whether such institution or person was authorised to render financial services. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: NPA notes charges laid against prosecutor Advocate Downer The National Prosecuting Authority says it is concerned with the timing of charges laid against senior State prosecutor, Advocate Billy Downer, by former President Jacob Zuma. Zuma laid charges against Downer on Thursday afternoon in Pietermaritzburg. The charges relate to Downers alleged breach of sections of the NPA Act ,which prohibits the disclosure of information without the approval of the National Director of Prosecutions. Downer stands accused of leaking the former Presidents medical records to the media during his arms deal corruption trial involving French arms manufacturer Thales. The prosecutorial authority expressed concern at the fact that the charges come less than a week before judgment is delivered in the former Presidents court application to have Downer removed as a prosecutor in the case. While the law must be followed to its full course, the NPA is concerned about the context within which these charges have been laid and the timing in light of the pending judgement of the High Court. We also note that these charges are laid as this matter is subject to judicial determination by the High Court in Pietermaritzburg and judgement is expected to be delivered on October 26, the prosecutorial body said. According to the NPA, Downer remains a respected litigator. Advocate Downer is a highly respected prosecutor, who has carried himself with integrity throughout his career in the NPA. His reputation speaks for itself. All NPA prosecutors are required to act without fear and favour, and should feel confident to deliver on their mandates without fear of intimidation. However, we will allow the Director of Public Prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal to deal with the matters as and when she receives the case docket from the police. The NPA is committed to due process and the rule of law, and will assess the merits of the charges in an objective manner. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Households urged to apply for free set-top boxes ahead of digital migration deadline As South Africa continues to prepare to migrate to digital broadcasting by 31 March 2022, the South African Post Office has called on qualifying households to apply for their free set-top boxes ahead of the deadline. Homes that apply before 1 November, will receive a decoder before the analogue television signal is switched off. Those who apply after 1 November 2021 will only receive a decoder later, the SAPO said in a statement on Thursday. Qualifying households are urged to visit their local Post Office as soon as possible to apply for a free government-subsidised decoder (set-top box). The set-top box is free. During the 2021 State of the Nation Address in February, President Cyril Ramaphosa, announced that South Africa should complete the migration to digital broadcast by 31 March 2022. The analogue television signal will be switched off and only digital television transmissions will be broadcast. Analogue television sets will then only work if they are connected to a decoder. Qualifying households that apply before 1 November 2021 will receive a decoder before the analogue television signal is switched off. Those who apply after 1 November will only receive a decoder later. The SAPO said all South African households with an income of R3500 per month or less and a working television set, qualify for a government subsidised set-top box. Qualifying beneficiaries must visit their nearest Post Office branch as soon as possible with the following documentation: A South African identity document Proof of address An affidavit to confirm that the family has a working television set A bank statement or affidavit to confirm that the family income is R3 500 per month or less. If you receive a SASSA grant, you do not need to bring proof of income. Proof that you receive a SASSA grant is enough. Post Office branches have standard affidavits that applicants can use to declare their income, to confirm that they own a working television set, and to confirm their residential address. You do not need to visit a police station to do an official affidavit before you go to the Post Office. Once an application has been approved, the information is given to Sentech to appoint a local installer to install your set-top box, said the Post Office. The Post Office is aware that some families registered for a set-top box at the beginning of the campaign, but the installation is yet to be done. Installations are done per province and appointment of local installers is done by Sentech via local municipalities. There is no need to re-register to make sure you receive a set-top box. Even if your local Post Office is very busy with grant payments, rest assured, if you apply for a subsidised set-top box, you will go into a separate queue. If you are a SASSA beneficiary and you have a working television set, remember that you qualify for the subsidised set-top box, said the SAPO. The quality of digital television broadcasts is better than an analogue signal. The subsidised set-top box also gives a much bigger selection of channels: Television channels: SABC 1 SABC 2 SABC 3 SABC Sport SABC Education SABC Encore SABC News Parliament Africa Magic Epic Mzanzi Bioskop M Movies 4 Mzanzi Wethu S Sport Blitz SS Select sport Discovery TLC Disney JNR Nick Toons Mzanzi Music Channel O Dumisa Mnet Go 790 CSN Radio stations: Radio 2000 Metro Good Hope RSG 04 Channel Africa 5FM Lesedi Fm Lotus Ukhozi SAFM Umhlobo Thobela Metsweding Munghana Lonene Phalaphala Ligwalagala Ikwekwezi Tru FM X K FM - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Free online portal for Grades R-12 launched The Department of Basic Education, in partnership with MTN, has launched an online school portal to address the 21st century learning needs of South Africas children. Launched on Thursday, the MTN Online School is a free online portal that provides a comprehensive digital curriculum for Grades R-12 and includes additional features including video lessons, assessments and extra-tuition lessons for Grades 10 to 12 learners. The solution is aimed at closing the gap in access to quality education among the youth, and increasing access to curriculum-aligned educational content, as endorsed and provided by the Department of Basic Education for Grades R-12 and for Learners with Special Education Needs. Delivering the keynote address at the launch, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said governments vision for the schooling sector is anchored in the National Development Plan (NDP), which recognises that education is the cornerstone upon which a nation that provides opportunities for social mobility, equity, social justice and democracy will depend. The MTN Online School is a fit-for-purpose digital tool to take our basic education to the next level. The online portal is agile, innovative and modern. Together with the innovation and commitment to societal change by MTN, todays launch of the MTN Online School is a significant leap forward for education and ushers in positive change for communities across South Africa, Motshekga said. MTN SA CEO Godfrey Motsa said digital transformation takes place within a huge information and communications technology (ICT) ecosystem, and for that ecosystem to flourish, young people must be able to access quality teaching and learning, which is essential if they are to play their part in changing the world. COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the urgent need in South Africa for accessible and approved online curricula and we are delighted to deliver the MTN Online School to do just that. Our aim is to enable the youth to access educational fundamentals to tackle the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in a manner that allows them to access future opportunities, Motsa said. He said the launch is a product of great partnerships and shows how together, we can do more, be more and achieve more. We believe in the future of South Africa and the education of the future generation, which needs to accelerate its recovery from the economic and personal devastation of COVID-19 to embrace future opportunities made available through quality education and learning. The MTN Online School has been developed hand-in-glove with the Department of Basic Education and we are so proud to deliver this portal that will immediate start creating value, for South Africans. This initiative is in line with MTN Groups overarching Ambition 2025 strategy to become Africas leading provider of digital solutions by contributing towards society through ICT, advancing digital education, skills and jobs, he said. MTN SA's Executive for Corporate Affairs, Jacqui O'Sullivan, said MTN is extremely excited to welcome South Africas youth to its new e-learning portal. We intend to ensure it is underpinned by continuous innovation to stay at the forefront of world class education. It also exemplifies our ambition to accelerate digital transformation through building exciting, innovative and solution-oriented platform businesses in South Africa. MTN Online School is specifically focused on using the power of the digital world to supplement and support the physical classroom, OSullivan said. To enhance and attract more learners to the virtual world at their fingertips, the portal will also focus on areas including financial skills, entrepreneurship, arts and culture, as well as career guidance content, with a focus on key careers where there are skills shortages in South Africa. Among the key innovations, video lessons will be provided with a sign language interpreter to accommodate deaf learners. The portal also includes an introduction to the early childhood development curriculum and African storytelling, with over 2 000 stories to equip children with good reading skills and improve confidence, enabling them to learn and read independently. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Department addresses concerns of fishing community The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has noted the concerns raised by the fishing communities regarding the reduction in the West Coast Rock Lobster Total Allowable Catch (TAC). The department said in a statement on Thursday said it is acutely aware that fishing communities, especially small-scale fishers, are more vulnerable to the impact of the recently announced reduction in the catch quota. The West Coast Rock Lobster fishery has been experiencing challenges of rapidly declining stocks in recent years. Besides the sector being faced with increasing demand from fishing communities and the broader public for access to the resource, illegal fishing and the effects of climate change have also contributed to the vulnerability of the species. The TAC announced annually has been based on scientific and operational information since 1997. A TAC of 837 tons has been determined for the 2020/21 fishing season taking in to account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry, the highly depleted status of the WCRL resource, and lower-than expected resource status indicators, said the department. It said COVID-19 had a negative impact on market demand for the majority of the 2019/20 season, with losses being incurred by the West Coast Rock Lobster fishing sector. The 2021 updated assessment indicates that West Coast Rock Lobster number have decreased more than expected in the past two years. Rather than being at 90% of its 2006 level as estimated in 2019, the resource is now estimated to be at only 70%. In recent decades WSRL populations have been at about 2.5% of the accepted pristine level in 1910. However, the numbers have dropped to about 1.5% of the pristine level of late. In determining the 2020/21 season allocation and the recommendation for 2021/22, all relevant data required to produce a comprehensive assessment was collected and analysed. The updated assessment, said the department, makes it clear that the status of the resource is now appreciably worse than thought to be the case 12 months ago. A meaningful reduction in the TAC is therefore necessary to rebuild the resource from its current 2021 level by 2025. Among the measures being considered by the department to address existing challenges are: - increasing compliance-related efforts to combat poaching and over-fishing; - improving the collection and processing of poaching and local market sales statistics; - piloting of a live traceability system; - the deployment of catch data monitors along the South African coastline and - increasing the capacity and scope to monitor landings in the commercial, small-scale, and recreational fishing sectors. In addition, the department has met with community-based organisations and leaders in fishing communities to discuss improvement plans related to the Interim Relief Dispensation. One of the announcements made by the department is to avail additional fish species that can be harvested by fishing communities under the Interim Relief Dispensation. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Business sector urged to play role in fight against GBVF Police Deputy Minister Cassel Mathele has urged the business sector to play a role in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). The Deputy Minister said men in the business sector can no longer turn a blind eye to the battle against the countrys vulnerable citizens. He made the remarks during the opening of a new Victim Empowerment Centre, donated by Anglo American Platinum, at the Thabazimbi police station, in Limpopo, on Thursday. The mining conglomerate donated the centre as part of its social responsibility to the community in the fight against GBVF. We must rise and say: No! Not in my name, enough is enough!. As the police service, we have vowed to treat crimes against women, children and vulnerable groups sensitively, professionally and effectively. This facility that Anglo American is handing over today, gets us closer to achieving our vision. It is our collective responsibility as the community to protect women and children and to protect each other. I therefore call upon each and every one of us to commit in doing everything in our power and within the law to fight the scourge of GBVF. The centre was opened during a community engagement led by Mathale. The Deputy Minister was accompanied by MEC for Transport and Community Safety Mavhungu-Lerule Ramakhanya, MEC for Social Development Nkakareng Rakgoale and the Provincial South African Police Service (SAPS) Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe. In a statement, the SAPS said the facility, which is situated at Group 5 section, will cater to all victims and survivors of crime and violence, so that the police can deal with the impact of incidents in full. The SAPS was the leading department in the countrys fight against crime in general including the scourge of gender-based violence. This includes addressing a number of key objectives such as strengthening the capacities of the existing prevention programmes, focusing on development and implementation of prevention and intervention programmes to help the fight against this phenomenon and assist the victims, he said. The Waterberg District and Anglo American Platinum gave messages of support and committed their unconditional support for the police in their endeavours to fight against criminal activities, and in particular GBVF. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Maloti-Drakensberg range part of global research on climate change The Maloti-Drakensberg range in the Free State has been earmarked for a research project aimed at understanding the ecological drivers of range-expanding plant species at high altitudes. The deepening effects of climate change on the environment have had devastating consequences for communities in recent months, with changing weather patterns giving rise to major floods and droughts globally, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) said on Friday. To mitigate such impacts, the department said countries are increasingly pooling resources and collaborating on initiatives such as the Maloti-Drakensburg range research project. The initiative was officially launched on Tuesday, 19 October 2021, with a site visit to the summit of the Maloti-Drakensberg. Here, at 3 100 metres above sea level, the researchers will seek to determine whether typical range-expanding species might colonise the alpine zone above 2 800 metres under simulated warmer conditions such as might exist in the not-too-distant future. Titled "RangeX", the project is being undertaken by a multi-institutional research consortium under the Mountain Invasive Research Network (MIREN), with Switzerland leading the research. In addition, the DSI is funding South Africa's participation, which is being led by the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) based at the University of the Free State's Qwaqwa Campus. The research leader, Dr Vincent Clark, explained that little is known about the alpine zone in the Maloti-Drakensburg. "We could be 100 years behind Switzerland with alpine research, in terms of what we know about the ecosystem. Yet, this system is critical for water security for two countries, Lesotho and South Africa," Clark explained. With climate change and increasing human pressure, he added that it is not known what the system will look like in several decades whether or not ecosystems will collapse, resulting in total alpine desertification. "We are using RangeX as a pilot to see if we can establish a 50-year research traction and understand the system holistically and provide solution-oriented research for this whole environment, including social interventions and geopolitical discussions." The alpine zone is said to be an extremely harsh environment, with winter temperatures dropping to minus 20 degrees Celsius and winds reaching up to 100 km/hour, where only highly specialised species occur as a result. However, with climate warming, it is expected that many lower-elevation plants might begin to climb the mountain and invade the upper reaches, which could heavily impact the ecology and livelihoods of endemic alpine species. While not expecting the plants to survive the harsh winter temperatures at 3 100 metres, Clark said two summer seasons will allow the researchers to explore dispersal limitations, plant-plant interactions, soil abiotic and biotic conditions, pollinations and temperature limitations. The DSI's Director for Earth Systems Science, Leluma Matooane, said that anticipating and responding to environmental challenges and opportunities required both a process-based understanding of range expansions. "This and other knowledge, with science-based evidence, is expected to lead to improved policy and management of shifting species and biodiversity," Matooane explained. According to the department, it is the first time that such experiments will be undertaken in the alpine context of the Maloti-Drakensberg. Meanwhile, the ARU will use the project to promote the establishment of an ambitious, long-term alpine research centre in the Mont-aux-Sources region, where the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho meet. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: SA to lobby for more investment for developing countries at COP26 South Africa will use the upcoming international climate change talks to lobby for more investment for developing countries to assist them in implementing their plans for a transition to low carbon emission economies. Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, said this ahead of the talks known as the 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from the end of this month. Low carbon emissions economies require countries to transition from dependence on the use of coal-fired energy to the use of green energies such as solar and wind power. Creecy said developing countries such as South Africa are unable to implement their climate change mitigation targets or fulfil their energy transition plans without sustainable, cost effective financing from more wealthier countries and other institutions. This, she said, required those developed nations to make good on their financing commitments to lower income countries both now and into the future. COP 26 must re-establish trust between developed and developing nations by ensuring existing financing commitments are honoured. Equally important is to start the process for determining a new and more ambitious post 2025 finance mobilisation goal from developed countries for developing countries from a floor of US$ 100 billion per year, Creecy said at briefing in Pretoria on Friday. The Minister acknowledged that talks regarding financing will not be easy, bearing in mind differences in what both developed and developing nations believe is required to finance climate change mitigation plans. Although countries have committed to open and transparent discussionsthe greatest challenge is expected to be finance issues where huge differences exist between developed and developing countries on the finance required for developing and [the] least developed countries to meet the challenges posed by climate change, she said. The Minister, however, warned that the transition is expected to be a just transition, which takes into account the impact, which the reduction on coal dependency will have on communities and some businesses. [A] transition to a low emissions economy and a climate resilient society must be based on just principles. The wellbeing of workers and communities in the transition is an absolute non-negotiable. Vulnerable workers and communities across the globe, who bear no responsibility for the historical accumulation of carbon emissions, must be protected against the risks, and benefit from the opportunities presented by this transition, so no one is left behind. Investment in climate change She announced that South Africa, together with three other countries, has been selected to take part in the Accelerating Coal Transition Investment Programme, formulated by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF). The CIF has made an indicative amount of between $200 million and $500 million available to the country in grant financing to assist in the transition towards cleaner energy. The actual funding, Creecy said, will be dependent on the kind of investment plan the country can present to the CIF. She revealed that the plan would focus on the States power utility, Eskom. Our government is in the process of setting up a high powered Finance Workstream, focusing on our Just Transition, which will develop this investment plan. We see the decision by the CIF as a small but important first step towards laying the foundation work for the broader financing programme of our Just Transition. The focus of this investment plan [will] be the Eskom energy transition, including repowering and repurposing of retiring coal plants and investment in new low carbon generation capacity, the Minister said. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: SA makes a mark at Dubai EXPO In the month of October 2021, our team has been knocking off after midnight at South Africas pavilion at the Dubai EXPO2020. One night in particular on 15 October 2021, we hit our highest ever tourist visits to the pavilion since our arrival. Yes, indeed South Africa has a good story to tell and on that day, we had 3150 visitors set foot inside the pavilion at the Expo. The timing of this achievement is momentous with exactly three weeks since we first opened our doors as South Africa to the world. This is a true example that the world has opened its doors for us to meet again. A massive queue of people stood in line daily to come and learn more about what South Africa has to offer. Moreover, they come to the South Africa pavilion to get their expo passport stamped that indeed they too have travelled to our beautiful pavilion. This was the closest thing to being in our country and the feedback received is that indeed they wish to travel to South Africa. With our countrys borders fully open and the vaccination programme underway, South Africa is one of the countries that has eased travel restrictions. The Expo has demonstrated that the world is back to business and both locals and tourists have taken advantage of the 193 countries present at the World Expo 2020 to restart tourism, business, cultural and social interaction. It is still unimaginable that just a year ago, millions of people were confined to their homes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, precautions were still being taken with officials ensuring that those visiting the Expo wear their masks while surfaces were also constantly sanitized. The world has received South Africa well as we started October with our arts, music, and cultural showcase that started conversations with new friends, potential business and tourists who visited the pavilion to be inspired by our story of excellence. What has been amazing to see is how we as Team South Africa have presented ourselves to the world as one. We also thank all private and non-state sectors that contributed to amplifying South Africas presence at the expo. We truly have reasons to believe that through the Team South Africa approach, we are Inspiring New Ways to ensure that we attract trade, investment, tourists, arts and culture enthusiasts to look to South Africa. It truly has been 21 days of greatness with emerging artists collaborating with world-renowned artists including the likes of Volley Nchabeleng and Master KG. Equally so, we have seen one of a kind artistic talents such as Percy Miamela who is the only artist able to use salt and sand to create artistic images. South African Grammy Award winner Wouter Kellerman also rendered an item with Mafikeng guitarist Lesego Nkoyane. A showstopper was the One Night with Mzansi event on Sunday, 17 October 2021 where South Africa shared the stage with 200 dignitaries from across the world at the Dubai Opera House. Hosted by our very own Nomzamo Mbatha, the event included performances by Mi Casa, Blaq Diamond, DJ Maphorisa, Ami Faku and Daliwonga. The Mzansi Youth Choir, Drakensberg Boys Choir, along with Sho Madjozi and Khuzai Mpungose also graced the stage. Most South Africans may wonder why our approach to the Expo started with a cultural and artistic showcase. The answer is simple, in meeting the world we must be able to introduce ourselves and build relationships. The best way to do this is through music, arts and culture as this stimulates conversations on what we have to offer from a trade and investment position. As Team South Africa our mandate is clear, we need to open doors for Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises ( SMMEs) looking to access new markets and to facilitate investment into South Africa. In November, we will deploy an aggressive approach to achieve this. We also encourage the South African private and non-state sector to play their part and join Team South Africa as we reintroduce ourselves to the world. We know that the journey ahead of us will be demanding, but we remain resilient. We have done it before, and we can do it again. We have so much potential with a team of young men and women from the public and private sector working together as part of Team South Africa. We ask that you walk this road with us South Africa. *Fuziwe Kubheka is Team South Africas Expo 2020 Pavilion Director This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: FS joins online APEC session Financial Secretary Paul Chan today took part in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers' Meeting 2021, which was convened online. Participating ministers exchanged views on the use of fiscal policy and budget management to address ongoing challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic for a sustainable and inclusive recovery. Mr Chan spoke on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's fiscal strategies for addressing the pandemic and the opportunities and challenges presented by the pandemic for the global economy. Sharing Hong Kong's experience, he underlined the importance of timely expansionary fiscal policy coupled with effective anti-epidemic measures. Hong Kong's real gross domestic product rebounded strongly by 7.8% year on year in the first half of 2021, and the unemployment rate fell significantly from the peak of 7.2% to 4.5% in recent months. With the local epidemic situation under control in the past few months, we are now adopting measures to promote steady economic recovery. In line with the goal of relaunching the economy, we have implemented an electronic consumption voucher scheme, giving each eligible Hong Kong resident electronic consumption vouchers of about US$650 for local spending. Noting the voucher scheme has markedly improved local consumption sentiment and stimulated the economic recovery, Mr Chan said he is optimistic that Hong Kong's economy will remain on track for recovery. The Financial Secretary also said Hong Kong strives to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through increasing investment in green projects. We will issue green bonds totalling around US$23 billion to support the implementation of green projects in the coming five years, he added. The session concluded with a statement in which finance ministers reaffirmed their commitment to adopt fiscal and budget policy to tackle long-standing challenges, encourage digital transformation, and continue multilateral co-operation in supporting strong and balanced recovery. This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: GD med scheme extended The special support scheme for the Hospital Authoritys chronic disease patients living in Guangdong Province will be extended to May 9 next year, the Government announced today. An additional RMB1,000 subsidy will also be granted to each patient. Given that the compulsory quarantine measures in both Hong Kong and the Mainland are yet to be relaxed completely under the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government decided to further lengthen the scheme for another six months. Eligible people may continue to get medical consultation at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) before May 9 next year or until the lapse of the quarantine requirement in both Hong Kong and the Mainland, whichever is earlier. In light of the update, the Government will provide an additional RMB1,000 subsidy on top of the original RMB2,000 subsidy to eligible patients who submit a valid application for the scheme on or before November 9 and have the application subsequently verified. The subsidy cap will hence be increased to RMB3,000. For those who submit a valid application on or after November 10 and have it verified, the subsidy cap will be RMB1,000 for the six-month extension period. Patients who have their follow-up appointments at the authoritys specialist outpatient clinics or general outpatient clinics scheduled between February 17, 2020, and May 9, 2022, may submit an application to HKU-SZH along with the required supporting documents. The schemes scope of service and subsidy will remain to cover anaesthesiology (pain clinic only); cardiothoracic surgery; clinical oncology; ear, nose and throat; eye; gynecology; medicine; neurosurgery; obstetrics; orthopaedics and traumatology; paediatrics, and surgery. Episodic illnesses, inpatient or day inpatient, and accident and emergency department services are not included. As of October 10, the HKU-SZH has scheduled about 31,300 medical appointments for eligible patients. About 26 000 attendances have received medical consultation. For enquiries, call the authority at 2300 7070 or the HKU-SZH at (+86) 0755-86913101. This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: South Africa to host 10th annual UNESCO MIL Week South Africa is set to host the 10th UNESCO Global Media Information and Literacy Week (MIL Week) from the 25th to 29th October 2021. On behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, responsible for UNESCO relations, will officially open the MIL Week and give an opening address on Monday. As part of the programme, Motshekga will also present at the Plenary Session: State-linked response on media and information literacy policies and strategies. Launched in 2011, the Global MIL Week seeks to empower people to develop themselves and their societies through enhanced capacities in communication and information. This year, MIL Week will be held under the theme, Media and information literacy for the public good. Local speakers will also include the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who will address a session titled Media and information literacy for global citizenship and addressing digital transformation on Wednesday 27 October. The seeds of Global Media and Information Literacy Week were planted in 2011 in Fez, Morocco, and captured in the Fez Declaration on Media and Information Literacy. This was long before the exponential rise in disinformation, political polarisation, increasing influence of digital platforms as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, which in itself has seen a plethora of fake news stem up, particularly across social media, the Department of Basic Education said in a statement. South Africa is the first sub-Saharan African country to host MIL Week and the country takes its place amongst nations across the globe that continue to advocate for a more informed media and citizenry. The five sub-themes for the 2021 Global Media and Information Literacy Week are: 1) Positioning media and information literacy in the post-pandemic world; 2) Enhancing co-operation among stakeholders to sustain media and information literacy development; 3) Promoting the second edition of UNESCOs Media and Information Literacy Curriculum for Educators and Learners; 4) Increasing funding opportunities, and 5) Advancing media and information literacy research and knowledge. Together they aim to ensure tangible advances in the role of media and information literacy to uphold the vision of information as a public good, as the world slowly begins to move towards a new post-COVID normal. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: NSFAS warns prospective applicants against fake news The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has advised prospective applicants to be aware of fake websites and social media platforms advising them to apply for funding, share their personal information and/or unlock their NSFAS wallet accounts. The warning follows a fake Circular Notice 22 circulating on social media platforms regarding the NSFAS allowance increase for the 2022 academic year. NSFAS can confirm that the circular is fake and consists of false information, NSFAS said in a statement on Friday. NSFAS said it is disturbed by the increasing disinformation in recent weeks, where false information that is spread deliberately to deceive. We encourage our students to be vigilant. We identified all the bogus platforms that masquerade as NSFAS, and we have reported them to the relevant authorities for further investigation, NSFAS said. Students, prospective applicants and the public are urged to report suspicious messages or calls from fraudsters posing as NSFAS officials or any fraudulent activities to the Vuvuzela Hotline on 0860 247 653. Should students require assistance regarding their NSFAS funding, the NSFAS contact centre is fully functional and can be accessible on the details provided. Applications for 2022 academic year funding not open Meanwhile, NSFAS announced that the applications for the 2022 academic year funding are not open yet, and the opening date would be communicated soon. Students are encouraged to constantly monitor our social media platforms for updates. Any circular or information that is released to the public through unofficial communication should be regarded as disinformation. NSFAS circulars are released following a vigorous process on stakeholder engagement and can only be released through approved channels, NSFAS said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: Govt rejects foreign statements The Government today said it strongly rejects and condemns individual foreign politicians' biased and groundless statements on so-called issues relating to human rights, freedoms and political participation in Hong Kong. It said the statements issued by individual foreign politicians, including those from the US, the UK, the European Union and Australia, are flagrant and unsubstantiated attacks on Hong Kong and provocative interventions of China's internal affairs. In its response, the Government noted that the oath-taking of district council members was conducted in full compliance with the Basic Law. It strongly deplored and condemned the smearing and unfair comments by foreign governments of this legitimate oath-taking process and the rightful decisions to disqualify some district councillors whose oaths are invalid for failing to meet the legal requirement to uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Government also pointed out that the implementation of the National Security Law and the improved electoral system are the turning points for Hong Kong. With stability restored, Hong Kong has got back on the right track of "one country, two systems". Citizens can once again go about their normal lives and are looking ahead with renewed confidence in the future. In addition, the city's financial market has remained steady since the implementation of the National Security Law. The banking sector is as robust as ever, financial services remain promising and development opportunities, both in Hong Kong and on the Mainland, continue to open up. The Government stressed that the National Security Law has been implemented in full accordance with national and local laws. The National Security Law states that freedoms of speech, of the press and of publication are among rights and freedoms explicitly protected in accordance with Hong Kong laws. It also ensures the resolute, full and faithful implementation of the "one country, two systems" policy that Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy will not be changed and the legitimate rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people under the Basic Law will not be undermined. Any claims of politically motivated prosecutions are factually incorrect, nonsensical and misguided, the Government noted. It reiterated that all prosecutorial decisions are based on admissible evidence and applicable laws. Cases have never been or will never be handled any differently owing to the political beliefs or background of the people involved. The Government said: Following a long period of acrimonious political stalemate, the operation of our Legislative Council has returned to normal after the implementation of electoral reforms. People from all walks of life with different opinions about government policies are able to participate in the political system, as long as they uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong SAR. People are free to vote and stand for election, regardless of their political affiliation. We urge foreign politicians to stop their blatant interference in Hong Kong matters which are the internal affairs of the People's Republic of China. This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: 'Heart is broken' after fatal shooting: Alec Baldwin Hollywood star Alec Baldwin on Friday said his "heart is broken" after he fatally shot a cinematographer with a prop gun in a shocking tragedy on the set of a Western he was filming in New Mexico. The US actor said he was fully cooperating with a police investigation "to address how this tragedy occurred". "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours," he tweeted. He added: "My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna." The rest of the cast and crew of "Rust" where Baldwin is playing the lead in a film based in the 19th century were "devastated" by the incident, they said in a statement to US media, and production has been suspended. Hutchins and director Joel Souza "were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin," the sheriff in Santa Fe said in a statement. Hutchins, 42, was transported to hospital by helicopter but died of her wounds, while Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance and was receiving treatment. Souza was later released from hospital, "Rust" actress Frances Fisher tweeted, citing a text from him. "Mr. Baldwin was interviewed by detectives," Santa Fe sheriff spokesman Juan Rios told AFP. "He provided statements and answered their questions. He came in voluntarily and he left the building after he finished his interviews. No charges have been filed and no arrests have been made." Rios told the New York Times that the shooting happened in the middle of a scene that was being rehearsed or filmed. The Santa Fe New Mexican published pictures of a distraught-looking Baldwin which it said were taken in the parking lot of the sheriff's office after the tragedy. The paper said its reporter had seen the 63-year-old actor in tears after he had been questioned by investigators. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: US scion Robert Durst charged with wife's 1982 murder US real estate mogul Robert Durst, already serving a life sentence for killing his best friend, has been charged with his wife's 1982 murder, officials said on Friday. The District Attorney's office in New York's Westchester County said that a complaint charging the 78-year-old Durst with the murder of Kathleen Durst had been filed on Tuesday. Kathleen Durst disappeared in January 1982. Her body has never been found. She was 29 years old at the time. Durst, an estranged member of one of New York's wealthiest real estate dynasties, was sentenced to life in prison in California last week for the 2000 murder of his friend Susan Berman to keep her from talking to police about his wife's disappearance. A multi-millionaire, Durst was the subject of an explosive HBO documentary entitled "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst". In its stunning finale, Durst is heard muttering to himself: "Killed them all, of course" apparently unaware that a microphone he was wearing during the recording of that episode remained switched on while he was using the restroom. The docuseries also delved into the 2001 death of Durst's neighbour in Texas, Morris Black, who was found dismembered. Durst claimed the killing was self-defence. He was acquitted. Durst's attorney Dick DeGuerin told the Los Angeles Times over the weekend that his client has been hospitalised and put on a ventilator after catching the coronavirus. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: 'Biden and Macron discuss stronger European defence' US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed strengthening European defences in a telephone call on Friday, the White House said, as Washington seeks to mend ties after a bitter row over submarine contracts. The two leaders "discussed efforts to enable a stronger and more capable European defence while ensuring complementarity with Nato," the statement said. Biden will meet Macron in Rome later this month, and the statement said he looked forward to the chance to "take stock of the many areas of US-France cooperation, and reinforce our shared interests". The two last spoke on September 22 for their first conversation since the furious spat over selling submarines to Australia severely strained relations. Specifically, Australia agreed to acquire US nuclear sub technology and in doing so scrap a huge, already existing deal with France to buy conventional submarines. The new accord infuriated the French. Macron recalled France's ambassador to Washington and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian compared Biden's unilateral methods to ex-president Donald Trump's but "without the tweets". Although Biden did not apologise for secretly negotiating to sell nuclear submarines to Australia, he did acknowledge that the issue "would have benefitted from open consultations among allies," according to a statement afterward. US officials have since sought to patch up ties, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visiting Paris earlier this month and holding a one-to-one meeting with Macron. In their September call, Macron secured what he saw as a significant commitment from Biden to respect French-led efforts to boost European defence and autonomy. US Vice President Kamala Harris will also hold talks with Macron in Paris next month, the White House announced. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2021-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Another 11 people will face life imprisonment; at least five minors at the time of the events received sentences of between 10 and 12 years in prison. For the authorities, they committed "terrorist acts", causing the death of three people and the wounding of dozens. Documented 187 fires in 280 towns and villages in less than two months. Damascus (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The government of Damascus has executed 24 people, sentenced to death for having deliberately set a series of fires in the country last year. According to the Syrian Ministry of Justice, another 11 will have to serve life imprisonment for the same crime, while five minors at the time of the events have been sentenced to between 10 and 12 years. For the Syrian authorities, the perpetrators are criminals who have committed "terrorist acts", which have caused "damage to state infrastructure and public and private property" as well as the death of at least three people and dozens of injured. The arsonists acted between September and October 2020, at various points in the mountainous areas overlooking the coast, rich in vegetation. "They confessed that they had started fires at several locations in the three provinces and they also confessed to convening meetings to plan the fires" that occurred intermittently in September and October 2020, according to the justice ministry. It said it documented 187 fires affecting 280 towns and villages last year. The suspects, the ministry said, were identified late last year in an interior ministry probe into wildfires in the provinces of Latakia, Tartus and Homs. When the fires broke out, experts blamed the anomalous heat wave that had hit the country at that time of year, combined with hot winds from the east and dry vegetation after a long period of drought. In the last decade, fires have become a common and recurrent phenomenon in the eastern Mediterranean due to climate change, which increases the risks of repeated heat waves and dryness that are among the determining factors in causing (or fueling) fires. Since the beginning of the industrial era, the planet's temperature has increased by 1.2C and the rise is set to continue unless governments around the world intervene with drastic cuts in emissions. By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman The 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar is just two weeks away, which means the prospective fields are coming into focus and early handicapping can begin. The last time the Breeders' Cup took place at Del Mar, longshots reigned supreme, with seven of the 13 winners starting at double-digit odds. I think there's a chance we'll see similar results in 2021, which is why I'm already thinking outside the box with my handicapping. Here are three longshots I'll consider playing at the 2021 Breeders' Cup: Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1): Jasper Great Two years ago, Japan-based trainer Hideyuki Mori sent an unheralded two-year-old named Full Flat to compete in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The son of Speightstown had never run on dirt, and his lone victory had come in a 1,200-meter turf sprint. Yet Full Flat arguably exceeded expectations in the Juvenileafter racing off the pace early on, he gained some ground to finish fifth out of eight at odds of 89-1, beaten only a neck for fourth place while finishing ahead of the two favorites. Why am I recapping Full Flat's Breeders' Cup foray? Because Mori is set to return to the Juvenile with Jasper Great, who appearsat least on paperto bring significantly better credentials to the table. Jasper Great was sensational in his debut racing 1,800 meters at Hanshin on Oct. 9. Facing nine rivals, the son of 2016 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Arrogate led from start to finish and trounced his rivals by 10 lengths. His final time of 1:54.7 was decent for a juvenile racing on dirt in Japan, as was his :38.1 clocking for the final 600 meters. As a front-runner, it's possible Jasper Great's running style will clash unfavorably with the similarly speedy styles employed by American Pharoah S. (G1) winner Corniche and Champagne S. (G1) hero Jack Christopher. But if Jasper Great is able to show a new dimension and rate in the Juvenile, who knows? He might just capitalize on a destructive pace to rally and spring a surprise. Don't forget, Jasper Great's half-brother Power Broker was an early-maturing juvenile who won the FrontRunner S. (G1) at age two. Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1): Dunbar Road I'll be the first two admit the Breeders' Cup Distaff contains three highly formidable favorites. Front-running Letruska has been a standout this year, securing four Grade 1 wins. 2020 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil has picked up a pair of Grade 1 wins this season and beat Letruska in the Azeri S. (G2) during the winter. And Malathaat has been a star among the sophomores, launching strong stretch rallies to win the Kentucky Oaks, Alabama S. (G1), and Ashland S. (G1). But Letruska and Shedaresthedevil are both speedsters who figure to lock horns not only with each other, but also with Zenyatta S. (G2) winner Private Mission and 2020 Beldame S. (G2) heroine Horologist. And Malathaat has never stepped outside her own age group, so it remains to be seen how she'll stack up against older rivals. So why not consider Dunbar Road as a live longshot? The stretch-running five-year-old was only beaten 2 1/4 lengths when third with a troubled trip in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), proving her ability to compete at the highest level. Dunbar Road has been struggling this season, going 0-for-4, but her efforts have gradually gotten better. She put up a gallant fight against Letruska in the Personal Ensign S. (G1) at Saratoga this summer, unleashing a big rally around the far turn before settling for fourth place by less than one length. Then in a slow-paced renewal of the Spinster S. (G1) at Keeneland, Dunbar Road gained ground with determination to finish just 1 3/4 lengths behind Letruska in second place. If Dunbar Road gets a fast pace to work with in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, I believe she can outrun expectations at a big price, and perhaps even vie for victory. Breeders' Cup Classic (G1): Idol In case you haven't noticed, there's a staggering amount of speed in the prospective Breeders' Cup Classic field. Woodward S. (G1) winner Art Collector, Pennsylvania Derby (G1) hero Hot Rod Charlie, 2020 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Knicks Go, and Awesome Again S. (G1) victor Medina Spirit have all achieved their signature victories in gate-to-wire fashion. Max Player, a runaway winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), has also done his best work when up and on the pace. All this speed may produce a scenario where the Classic unfolds at a blazing tempo and falls apart late, setting the stage for victory by a late runner. One candidate is the versatile Belmont S. (G1) winner Essential Quality, who has tasted success in eight of his nine starts. But if you want to think outside the box with a longshot, why not consider Idol? Idol was in fine form during the winter, parlaying placed efforts in the San Antonio S. (G2) and San Pasqual S. (G2) into a stretch-running score in the Santa Anita H. (G1). The stoutly bred son of Curlin clearly relished racing 1 1/4 miles, gaining three lengths in the final furlong to beat multiple graded stakes winner Express Train by half a length. Idol subsequently spent time on the sidelines before returning to action in the 1 1/8-mile Awesome Again on Oct. 2, where trailed early before passing a couple of rivals to finish sixth. It wasn't exactly an inspiring performance, but Idol's work tab leading up to the Awesome Again was a bit on the light side, and I suspect he'll improve a lot off his comeback effort. Depending on how Idol trains leading up to the Classic, I can envision a scenario where he capitalizes on a perfect setup at Del Mar to gain a ton of ground down the lane and threaten for a top-three finish. And maybejust maybehe can spring an upset at odds of 30-1 or higher. Which Breeders' Cup longshots do you have your eyes on? ***** Want to test your handicapping skills against fellow Unlocking Winners readers? Check out the Unlocking Winners contests pagethere's a new challenge every week! (Please note: older contest entries can be found here.) J. Keeler Johnson (also known as "Keelerman") is a writer, videographer, voice actor, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. mysql not available We do not expect access to our scanning and lightcurve database until the campus reopens. Please monitor Plan for a Safe Campus Reopening for the latest information concerning the return of faculty, staff, and researchers to campus. Project Status There are over 500,000 glass photographic plates in the Harvard Plate stacks, exposed in both the northern and southern hemispheres between 1885 and 1995. This 100 year coverage is a unique resource for studying temporal variations in the universe. Because there are so many plates, our first plan was to use commercial flatbed scanners instead of the traditional scanning microdensitometer. Because that method was also too slow, we have built a specialized scanner. A Microsoft WMV format video (9.4 MB) shows the scanner in operation. We have currently performed 419,139 plate scans of 413,314 unique plates. Click on the thumbnails to the left to view the current sky coverage in equatorial and galactic coordinates. These plots are truncated to 12,000 plates at the galactic North Pole because 30,673 plates include the North Pole Sequence for photometry calibration. We have successfully performed accurate World Coordinate Systems (WCS) fits for 390,578 of these plates. Multiple exposure fitting provides us with 398,708 sets of WCS coordinates. As of June, 2008 the WCS fitting procedure procedure was upgraded to use the astrometry.net software in conjunction with Jessica Mink's WCSTools. Professor Grindlay states that releases DR7 through DR12 will be combined into a single release which includes the entire Southern galactic hemisphere. The anticipated date for this release is in mid-2021. This additional delay will give us time to ensure the completeness of the collection, improve the photometry of plates affected by CCD camera systematics, and improve the astrometry of our widest field meteor patrol plates. In addition to building the scanner, the NSF grant enabled development of pipeline algorithms that allow photometry across a variety of emulsions and telescopes. From 361,469 plates, our photometry pipeline has generated approximately 26,849,000,000 magnitude estimates covering a span of 106 years. These magnitudes have been matched with 247,865,000 ATLAS refcat2 stars to generate over 81,792,000 lightcurves with at least two good points. A parallel effort required digitizing the key logbook information necessary for processing the plates. In May, 2007, the late George Champine completed imaging 79,470 pages from 813 logbooks and unbound sheets. More recently, the imaging department at the Widener library brought the total of logbook images to 81,646 pages from 842 logbooks. Volunteers locally, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, the Astronomical League, and the Smithsonian are now helping us transcribe these images. When combined with previous work to transcribe the card catalog and experiments with commercial transcriptions, we now have plate centers for 549,797 exposures. We have low resolution images of 373,764 plate jackets and of the ink markings from 412,796 plates. This site will eventually provide access to all of this data. We regret that access to the database and scanned data is not yet fully implemented. The initial set of approximately 600 scans was concentrated in the region of the sky around M44 because the photometry of this cluster is well known and the results are being used to develop the photometric pipeline. This image is of plate ir12723 of M44 taken on February 15, 1974 from Oak Ridge with the 8-inch Ross Lundin. The exposure was 15 minutes centered on 08h36m07s R.A. and +20h51m57s Declination. The next set of 1413 plates scanned were of 3c273 in order to improve the existing long-term photometry of this quasar. The set included the 1000th plate scanned by the project on October 25, 2007. The 3c273 quasar is at the center peak of the "w" asterism in this extract from plate mf16956 taken on June 23, 1932 from Bloemfontein with a 45 minute exposure using the 10 inch Metcalf Triplet. The next set of 868 plates covers the region of Baade's window where we are testing our photometry pipeline in the region of one of the densest star fields in the Milky Way and we hope to obtain rates of novae and other burst phenomena near the center of our galaxy. This set includes the 2500th plate scanned by the project on February 28, 2008. The cluster NGC6520 is near the center of this image extracted from plate rb16468 taken on August 28, 1949 from Bloemfontein with a two hour exposure using the 3 inch Ross Fecker. We scanned plates for the quasars PG0844+349, PG2130+099 and PG1211+143. Scanning for the quasar PG2130+099 included the 4000th plate scanned on January 8, 2009 and for quasar PG1211+143 included our 5000th plate scanned on April 23, 2009. We completed scanning the field of view region of the Kepler satellite. The image on the left is NGC6819 which is one of the more prominent clusters in the Kepler field. This image comes from plate mc36426 taken with the 16-inch Metcalf Doublet at Harvard, Massachusetts with a 60 minute exposure on July 4, 1949. Thanks to Dave Latham, we are using the Kepler Input Catalog to refine the colorterm processing of our photometry pipeline. From 9011 Kepler field plates, we have 731,512,000 magnitudes and 1,408,000 lightcurves with at least two good points from the 4,678,000 stars matched to the Kepler Input Catalog. The more accurate photometry in this catalog has simplified our task of identifying unusual stars. We scanned plates of the Large Magellanic Cloud. The image on the left was extracted from plate dsb00978 taken from Mt. John, New Zealand with the 0.042 m Damon South Blue patrol telescope on December 8, 1982 using a 30 minute exposure. Our 10,000th DASCH plate scan occurred on July 8, 2010 while scanning in the region of the Large Magellanic Cloud. In September, we took time out from the LMC project to fill in our coverage for the Baade's window and to scan plates of Tc 1, a planetary nebula in which C60 and C70 fullerines have recently been detected. We also took time out to scan plates for interesting stars discovered with Sumin Tang's data mining algorithms. On May 19, 2011, we completed the move of our photometry pipeline to three nodes on the Odyssey cluster. We completed scanning our first batch of the large 8"x14" A series plates for the above fields . These plate scans produce 2GByte mosaics. This switch from the 8"x10" plates which make up the bulk of the collection required a number of procedural changes and slowed the scanning rate by nearly a factor of three. We scanned our 20,000th plate on January 26, 2012 after switching back to 8"x10" plates to scan some candidate stars in Scorpio. We scanned our 80,000th plate on Nov 13, 2014 following a shutdown to repair and upgrade the plate loader mechanism and control box. Our data release page explains our scanning and release strategy. We are currently working on Data Release 7. We resumed scanning on September 16, 2016 after recovery from a flood. We recently shut down from March 13 to July 16, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We scanned the 410,000th plate on January 1, 2021. At the start of the project, the best available catalog was the Hubble Guide Star Catalog Version 2.3.2. From 359,460 plates, our photometry pipeline has generated approximately 24,740,000,000 magnitude estimates covering a span of 106 years. These magnitudes have been matched with 247,865,000 GSC2.3.2 catalog stars to generate over 57,566,000 lightcurves with at least two good points. The availability of the APASS Catalog provided us with a new source of calibration stars in the magnitude range of our plates. Release 8 of this catalog became available in December, 2014 with nearly full sky coverage. From 346,206 plates we have 23,308,000,000 magnitudes. We have matched 247,747,000 stars from the combined APASS, GSC2.3.2, and Tycho-2 catalogs to generate over 49,758,000 lightcurves with at least two good points. The combined catalog allows matching with stars missing from the APASS catalog, but for best accuracy, magnitude calibration uses only APASS magnitudes. We are currently waiting for the release of APASS DR11. Special Scanning Projects We scanned 42 plates taken by the Palomar 5m telescope of the Cas A supernova remnant from 1951 - 1989 to facilitate a study of the expansion of optical knots in the SNR: Patnaude and Fesen (2014) A Comparison of X-ray and Optical Emission in Cassiopeia A . This was a ~half-day intrusion on our scanning schedule. We scanned 840 plates (a 3 day effort) taken by the 40 inch reflector at Lowell Observatory from 1930 - 1951 of the planet Pluto at the request of the New Horizons mission for the Pluto Flyby. A report on the results of this effort appears in Jet Propulsion Laboratory Memorandum IOM 392R-14-003 , 30 Apr 2014. Acknowledgements The DASCH project at Harvard is grateful for partial support from NSF grants AST-0407380, AST-0909073, and AST-1313370; which should be acknowledged in all papers making use of DASCH data. We acknowledge the one-time gift of the Cornel and Cynthia K. Sarosdy Fund for DASCH, and thank Grzegorz Pojmanski of the ASAS project for providing some of the source code on which the DASCH web-interface is based. The ongoing AAVSO Photometric All-Sky Survey (APASS) has improved DASCH photometric calibration and is funded by the Robert Martin Ayers Sciences Fund. In order for DASCH to proceed efficiently to scan the entire plate collection as soon as possible, it is essential that we scan plates in the order they are contained in the progression of Data Release regions for DR1 - DR12. Thus no requests for "advanced" scanning of a particular region or field can be accommodated. However two special requests were granted to scan NON-Harvard plates for scientifically compelling reasons: Hanoi to vaccinate children from three years old next year Hanoi has announced a Covid-19 vaccination plan for 2022 when the vaccines will be given to children from three years old. Hanoi has announced a Covid-19 vaccination plan for 2022 when the vaccines will be given to children from three years old. Illustrative photo Speaking at a meeting held on October 21, vice director of the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control, Khong Minh Tuan reported that so far more than 95% of the city population aged from 18 have received the first Covid-19 vaccine dose and over 40% got the second dose. "Besides completing the second dose for the adult population by the end of this year, we are gathering lists of children in age groups of between 3-11, 12-15, and 16-17 for more vaccination campaigns next year," he said. Director of Hanoi Department of Health, Tran Thi Nhi Ha, said that the recent Covid-19 outbreak has basically been brought under control in Hanoi but it may reoccur anytime as some clusters are still being reported in the community. "Well also have to be careful with the reopening of many activities, and services, especially interprovincial transportation," the official said. "The vaccination rate in many localities in Vietnam is still low which is posing a big threat. Well have to continue speeding up the vaccination work." Statistics showed that Hanoi has confirmed 4,463 Covid-19 cases including 45 deaths since the beginning of this year. Australia announces additional support for Vietnam's human resource development The Australian Embassy in Vietnam and Vietnams Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) have launched the second phase of the Vietnam Australia Human Resource Development program (Aus4Skills), valued up to AUD50.1 million from 2021 to 2025. Through the program, the Australian Government will offer Australia Awards Scholarships for Vietnamese citizens to undertake fully funded studies at Australian universities, deliver Australian alumni professional development activities and grants that support Vietnams development, and implement higher education capacity building activities with university leaders. Vietnam and Australia continue to be strategic partners in education and training, which is essential to our human resource development and economic goals. We are thankful for Australias continued support for Vietnams education priorities and sustainable socio-economic growth. said H.E. Prof Dr Nguyen Van Phuc, Deputy Minister of MOET. Australias Aus4Skills program remains highly relevant to supporting Vietnams future human resource development priorities, especially as it navigates the challenges presented by COVID-19. Over the decades, education has created many enduring partnerships between Vietnamese and Australian people and organisations. Through these partnerships, Australians and Vietnamese have contributed to Vietnams continued socio-economic development across a wide range of priority sectors, such as governance and economic growth, infrastructure and transport, water and sanitation, education, gender equality, and agriculture and rural development. said H.E. Ms Robyn Mudie, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam. From 2016 to 2021, over 105,000 Vietnamese students have benefitted from improved teaching, curriculum and management supported by Australias Aus4Skills program. Some of the programs many results include funding 240 Australia Awards Scholarships for Vietnamese citizens to study at Australia universities; delivering over $1m in grant funding for 95 Australian alumni-led development projects in Vietnam; running 162 professional development events attended by over 7,500 Australian alumni in Vietnam; strengthening the teaching practices of 339 Vietnamese university and vocational education and training (VET) lecturers; partnering logistics businesses and VET colleges to improve logistics workforce skills and training; renewing 147 VET and university course curricula; generating 11 formal partnerships between Australian and Vietnamese universities and VET colleges; and supporting improved gender equality training for over 59,000 Vietnamese government officials. Vietnam expected to achieve five SDGs by 2030 Vietnam is expected to achieve five out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, including no poverty, zero hunger, quality education, climate action and global partnerships, according to the National Report on the five-year-implementation of Vietnam Sustainable Development Goals. Farmers in northern ien Bien Province check quality of macadamia nuts after harvest. Growing macadamia trees is one of effective models helping to reduce poverty in the province. VNA/VNS Photo The report was released by the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Hanoi on Thursday. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc said the SDG National Report 2020 was drafted to evaluate the progress of the five-year implementation of the SDGs in Vietnam and to anticipate the possibility of achieving SDGs by 2030. The report has made important contributions to the SDG database and SDG implementation monitoring and evaluation process. Throughout the drafting process, the ministry received constructive inputs from relevant ministries, sectors, national and international organisations, and United Nations agencies in Vietnam, and technical support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the Hanns Seidel Foundation from Germany. Le Viet Anh, Director of the Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said Vietnam would be likely to achieve five out of 17 VSDGs by 2030 but it would face multiple challenges to achieve the remaining 12, particularly SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 14 - Life Below Water. The remaining 10 SDGs that will still face difficulties in completion include Goal 3 on healthy life and well-being; Goal 5 on gender equality; Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation; Goal 7 on affordable and clean energy; Goal 8 on economic growth and decent work; Goal 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure; Goal 10 on reduction of social inequality; Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities; Goal 15 on protection and sustainable development of forest and biodiversity conservation; and Goal 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions. He said the possibility of achieving SDGs by 2030 had been forecast based on official statistics collected up to the end of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the pandemic's significant and adverse impacts on social and economic development, it may undermine or even reverse the achievements to date and change all forecasts, according to Anh. As such, Vietnam should strive to turn challenges into actions and opportunities, and better engagement of relevant stakeholders to maintain the successes achieved to date and ensure the achievements of the remaining SDGs by 2030. The report provides a foundation for relevant ministries, sectors and local entities, as well as important inputs for strategic directions of development partners in their support to Vietnam's SDG implementation. At global level, Vietnam's ranking on the SDGs performance has continuously improved in the period from 2016 to 2020. In 2020, Vietnam was ranked 49th out of 166 countries in the Sustainable Development index, which is five places up compared to the 2019 ranking. HCM City-Con Dao flights reopened Flights from HCM City to Con Dao Island in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung have been resumed after a long halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This morning, October 22, Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO) under national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines conducted a flight from HCM City to Con Dao Island in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau. The air route has a frequency of two return flights per day. The flight on HCM City-Con Dao route AfD starts Bundestag career with multiple scandals under its belt The party set to become one of the largest opposition groups in the German legislature - perhaps even the official opposition to the governing coalition - has one of the more colourful histories of any party to ever make it into the Bundestag. GALLERY Berlin (dpa) - The Alternative for Germany (AfD) sprang to life as a eurosceptic party focused more on economic questions. Debate about whether Germany should be bailing out Greece propelled it to within a few percentage points of entering the Bundestag in 2013.After that, interest in the party waned until Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germanys doors to a wave of refugees in 2015. That move sparked rage among the German right and helped turn the AfD into a party marked by its anti-immigrant bent.But, cobbled together as the party is - with many of its members new to politics - the AfD has made headlines not so much for its policy proposals, but rather for a string of gaffes and shocking statements.Leading AfD member Bjoern Hoecke caused a stir in January when he gave a speech attacking the legitimacy of Berlins Holocaust memorial.Even for many AfD members, his comments - referring to the memorial as a "monument of shame" and calling on the country to stop atoning for its Nazi past - were seen as a step too far, and the party tried to remove him. However, that effort has so far failed.Using language harking back to Nazi Germany, the firebrand politician had told the partys youth wing that the countrys ubiquitous culture of remembrance left Germans feeling like "a brutally conquered people."Alexander Gauland, the AfDs 76-year-old leader, is facing possible charges of racial incitement after he called for a Turkish-German politician to be "disposed of" in Anatolia.Germanys political establishment railed at Gaulands comments about Aydan Ozoguz, a German-born government commissioner for migration, who had said in an interview that there was no evidence of a specifically German culture beyond the common language."Thats a statement by a German-Turk. Lets invite her to Eichsfeld and tell her whats specific to German culture. After that, shell never come here again, and well be able to, thank God, dispose of her in Anatolia," Gauland responded.Even Merkel, who usually remains mum on the AfDs day-to-day controversies, condemned Gaulands comment as "racist."Gauland says that he stands by his remarks.Gaulands co-running mate, Alice Weidel, has also come under fire for allegations that she is the author of a racist email.In the email dated February 24, 2013, Weidel reportedly alleged that Merkels government was attempting to "destroy Germanys bourgeois society by flooding [the country] with Arabs, Sinti and Roma" and that Germany needed to retain its "genetic unity.""These pigs [in the government] are nothing more than marionettes of the victors of World War II," she allegedly wrote in the email.Gauland and others said the coverage was a concerted effort by the media and government to discredit Weidel ahead of the election.However, Die Welt newspaper has stuck by its source, stating that the recipient of the email - a former acquaintance of Weidels - had provided a statement under oath as to the emails authenticity.At the same time, Weidel was slammed with reports that she had employed a Syrian refugee illegally as household help. Weidel denies the charges, and Weidels lawyer said that she had "friendly contact" with a Syrian woman, who had also been a guest in her house.Several AfD members found themselves in hot water in June after instant message transcripts filled with nationalistic messages and a plan to clamp down on the media came to light.At one point in the chat, Andre Poggenburg, a state AfD party leader, used the phrase "Deutschland den Deutschen" (Germany for the Germans), an expression generally associated with the extreme-right National Democratic Party.At another point, an AfD member, who is also reportedly a federal police officer, talked about the need for strict controls on the media should the AfD ever take power."We have to undercut the media, otherwise it will be hard. Along with taking power, we have to set up a committee to review all journalists and editors, and sift through them. Bosses have to be fired. Media that is against the people has to be forbidden."Poggenburg has stood by his "Deutschland den Deutschen" comment, saying there was nothing problematic about it."Obviously a country should belong to those people who have lived there a long time, who have spent decades or even generations putting down roots there and become members of society." Xi inspects Yellow River estuary Xinhua) 08:12, October 22, 2021 Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, checks the Yellow River's waterways and learns about the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin at a dock as he inspects the estuary of the Yellow River in the city of Dongying, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) JINAN, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Wednesday inspected the estuary of the Yellow River in the city of Dongying, east China's Shandong Province. Xi visited a dock at the estuary, an ecological monitoring center and a national-level nature reserve of the Yellow River Delta. He checked the river's waterways, the ecological environment of the wetlands in the river delta, and learned about the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) China vows closer ties with Pacific Island countries: FM Xinhua) 08:23, October 22, 2021 Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chairs the first China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting held via video link on Oct. 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that China is willing to work with Pacific Island countries for a closer comprehensive strategic partnership. Wang made the remarks while chairing the first China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting via video link. Wang said the relations between China and Pacific Island countries have set a good example of friendly exchanges, solidarity and cooperation between countries of different regions, sizes and systems. He called for further deepening policy communication, promoting mutual understanding and support on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, and establishing a mechanism for regular foreign ministers' meetings between China and Pacific Island countries. Wang said that China will continue to provide vaccines and various anti epidemic materials to island countries, establish a China-Pacific Island Countries reserve of emergency supplies, and inject additional capital into the fund which provides support to China and Pacific Island countries to fight against the pandemic. China will continue providing economic and technical assistance to island countries with no political conditions attached, Wang said. A forum on fishery cooperation and development between China and Pacific Island countries will be held within the year, and a cooperation center on poverty reduction and development will be established to help the island countries accelerate their independent and sustainable development, he added. On climate change cooperation, Wang said China has decided to establish a cooperation center for China and Pacific Island countries on climate change, supports the island countries' blue Pacific initiative, and will continue to fund the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. China calls for an open, transparent and responsible manner to prudently deal with the disposal of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, and the discharge shall not be started until an agreement is reached with all stakeholders, Wang said. He said China will also expand exchanges and cooperation with Pacific Island countries in the fields of education, culture, health and sports. Wang noted that the nuclear submarine cooperation between the United States, Britain and Australia will bring nuclear proliferation risks, trigger an arms race, and undermine regional peace and stability. China is willing to work with the island countries to jointly uphold the international non-proliferation regime with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as its cornerstone and the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone. Foreign ministers and representatives from Kiribati, Fiji, Tonga, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Samoa, as well as Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, attended the meeting. Representatives of participating island countries expressed their gratitude to China for its long-term help and support, congratulated the Communist Party of China on its founding centenary and reaffirmed their firm adherence to the one-China principle. They also expressed their willingness to support China's Global Development Initiative, deepen cooperation on the Belt and Road, and promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides to a new level. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, China's new economic engine Xinhua) 08:30, October 22, 2021 -- China issued a master plan on Wednesday for the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, demonstrating its determination to foster a key growth pole in western China. -- The Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle is another important regional development strategy, following the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. CHENGDU/CHONGQING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- China issued a master plan on Wednesday for the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, demonstrating its determination to foster a key growth pole in western China. The Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle is another important regional development strategy, following the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. NEW GROWTH POLE Covering about 185,000 square km, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle takes up 1.9 percent of the country's total land territory. In 2019, the economic circle had a permanent population of around 96 million and a GDP of 6.3 trillion yuan (about 984.7 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 6.9 percent and 6.3 percent of the national total, respectively. "The new economic circle is expected to drive the development of China's vast western region, and effectively solve the long-term problems of unbalanced and inadequate regional development in China," said Yao Shujie, a professor at Chongqing University. "The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, all in the country's east, have become the main drivers of China's economy. But the western region has lacked a national-level economic circle," Yao added. Photo taken on Sept. 30, 2021 shows the night view of Chongqing. (Xinhua/Liu Chan) The plan aims to turn the Chengdu-Chongqing area into an economic circle with its own strengths and distinctive features, as well as a new driver and an important growth engine of the country's high-quality development, according to the document. "China's western region is the domestic market with the most potential. Only by activating this market of about 400 million people and promoting the rise of the western region can high-quality development be promoted across the country," said Tang Jiqiang, an expert with the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics. For a long time, the weak transport infrastructure of the Chengdu-Chongqing region has been one of the main stumbling blocks in its development. To solve the problem, the two cities have invested heavily in transport infrastructure in recent years. "Developed transportation system is an important symbol of a world-class metropolitan area. It will also be the key to building the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle," said Tang. Passengers check in at the Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Kun) HIGHLAND OF OPENING-UP The intended reach of the inland Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle is not limited to China. By 2035, the economic circle will become an active growth pole and a powerful driver with international influence, the plan says. As a new land-sea passage, China's southwest has a unique geographical advantage that helps it better connect with Europe, Southeast Asia and South Asia. So far, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, with Chongqing and Chengdu being the key operation centers, has expanded its reach to more than 300 ports worldwide. The corridor is a trade and logistics passage jointly built by Singapore and provincial-level regions of western China. The two cities are also major providers of China-Europe freight-train services. The China-Europe freight trains from the two cities have made more than 3,500 trips so far this year, over 30 percent of the country's total. The freight service became a lifeline to help stabilize the global trade supply chain last year when sea and air transport was severely disrupted amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. "With the help of the China-Europe freight-train service and the new international land-sea trade corridor, the Chengdu-Chongqing region will grow into a major supply chain hub for the Belt and Road countries and regions," said Tang. A China-Europe freight train bound for Duisburg of Germany prepares for departure at Tuanjiecun Station in Chongqing, Jan. 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Tang Yi) "The economic circle will help build a smoother and more efficient international logistics corridor for western China, which can also boost the economic recovery of Europe and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the post-COVID-19 era, and facilitate global trade and investment," said Ji Shouwen, a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University. Liu Zimin, a professor at Southwest University, said the building of a new engine for regional development and a highland for opening-up in the southwest is a reflection of China's new opening-up pattern, which features the interconnection of the land and sea, and mutual support between the east and west. The potentiality of this area of China is still to be discovered, the launch of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle opens up many more opportunities, said Massimo Bagnasco, vice president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China Executive Committee (EUCCC) and chair of the EUCCC's Southwest China Chapter Board. (Reporting by Li Yong, Chen Qingbing, Zhao Yufei, Hui Xiaoyong, Jiang Yi, Yang Di, Xia Xiao, Li Baojie; video reporters: Zhang Haizhou, Li Aibin, Yang Hua; video editors: Yang Zhixiang) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) World's "most resilient" economy leverages financial tools for better development Xinhua) 08:36, October 22, 2021 -- China's super-large economy boasts strong resilience and the country can achieve its full-year economic target with this resilience underpinning its development. -- In tackling COVID-19, China has prioritized the task of maintaining the vitality of the real economy. -- To meet the country's carbon peaking and neutrality goals, China's financial policymakers have placed the transition to a low-carbon economy high on the agenda, despite COVID-induced growth challenges. -- While steering more funds to the real economy and green development, China has also kept a cautious eye on lurking financing risks at home and abroad, stepping up supervision and striving to stabilize development. BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- While major economies are pondering when to withdraw their ultra-loose monetary policies, China's policymakers have a different issue in mind: how to better leverage financial tools to restructure the economy and secure high-quality development. At the ongoing 2021 Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum, China's policymakers have shrugged off concern over the country's slower economic growth in the third quarter, with full confidence about where the Chinese economy is heading. China's super-large economy boasts strong resilience and the country can achieve its full-year economic target with this resilience underpinning its development, said Chinese Vice Premier Liu He when addressing the opening ceremony of the forum Wednesday. In the opinion of Central Bank Governor Yi Gang, China's economic system is "the most resilient one in the world," as the country has successfully coped with the ravage of COVID-19, becoming the first economy to grow last year and logging 9.8 percent growth in the first three quarters compared with the year's target of over six percent. Combing through speeches delivered by policymakers at the forum, one might find that the real economy, green transition, and risk control are among China's financial policy priorities to boost economic recovery and secure more sustainability. Delegates attend the opening ceremony and plenary session of the 2021 Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) FUELING THE REAL ECONOMY When the economy is battered by external shocks, market entities often face severe competition or even live-or-die tests. That's when the financial sector helps secure financing for those in need, Yi said. In tackling COVID-19, China has prioritized the task of maintaining the vitality of the real economy. Last year, China's central bank rolled out three monetary and credit policy packages totaling 1.8 trillion yuan (about 281.7 billion U.S. dollars) targeting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, followed by another 300-billion-yuan re-lending fund this year. These monetary and credit measures, along with fiscal policies, have directly supported millions of market entities. So far, over 40 million entities have benefitted from inclusive small and micro-loans, said the governor. Vice Premier Liu He stressed that China has adopted a prudent monetary policy that is flexible, precise, and appropriate, with a focus on key areas in its economic structure. Meanwhile, the multi-level capital market system has further improved with the establishment of the Beijing Stock Exchange to increase financing support for innovative small and medium-sized enterprises. He encouraged the financial sector to take a more proactive approach to better serving the real economy, channeling more funds to small firms, and scaling up science and technological innovation support. Deeming the manufacturing industry key to deepening supply-side structural reform, China's lenders have been funneling more funds to the sector. For instance, outstanding loans granted by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to the manufacturing sector exceeded 2 trillion yuan in the first half of the year, said Liao Lin, head of the bank. Visitors view electric cars during China (Tianjin) Auto Show 2021 in north China's Tianjin, Sept. 29, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Ran) FINANCING A GREEN FUTURE To meet the country's carbon peaking and neutrality goals, China's financial policymakers have placed the transition to a low-carbon economy high on the agenda, despite COVID-induced growth challenges. As one of the first countries to develop green finance, China has, over the past five years, picked up pace in establishing a green finance framework. Shifting focus from anti-pollution to climate change mitigation, the country's financial authorities revised the country's green bond project catalog, raising green-bond project standards and clarifying environment-related information disclosure specifics for financial institutions. To date, China's outstanding green loans and stock of green bonds are near 14 trillion yuan and 1 trillion yuan, respectively, both ranking among the top globally. With zero green bond defaults reported, the country's green financial assets remain generally solid. In 2020, the country's energy consumption per unit of GDP continued to drop, while the share of clean energy in the total energy consumption mix rose 1 percent compared with 2019, showing the country's resolve to reboot the economy without sacrificing the environment and ecology. Aerial photo taken on July 20, 2021 shows a floating solar farm in Panji District of Huainan City, east China's Anhui Province.(Xinhua/Huang Bohan) China, together with the European Union and other economies, launched the International Platform on Sustainable Finance to push global cooperation. The platform is expected to release unified green finance standards for China and Europe soon, a move expected to effectively promote green and low-carbon development among more countries and regions. China's central bank has also jointly initiated the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System. With over 90 members on board, this network aims to analyze climate change-triggered risks and accelerate the scaling up of green finance, representing part of China's efforts in the sector. WARDING OFF RISKS While steering more funds to the real economy and green development, China has also kept a cautious eye on lurking financing risks at home and abroad, stepping up supervision and striving to stabilize development. Vice Premier Liu He urged efforts to defuse risks of small and medium-sized financial institutions through reforms and appropriately handle default risks of a few large enterprises. Noting that there are individual problems in the real estate market, Liu said the risks are generally controllable. "Reasonable financing demand of the sector is being met, and the overall trend of a healthy property market will remain unchanged," Liu said. Pan Gongsheng, deputy governor of the central bank, said financing behavior and market prices of the real estate and relevant financial markets have gradually returned to normal, with excessive financialization of the housing market under control. Dismissing concerns over external financial risks, Pan said that the impact of the U.S. Federal Reserve policy shift on China's foreign exchange market is controllable. "Cross-border capital flows will continue, and the exchange rate of Chinese currency renminbi will remain stable at a reasonable and balanced level," Pan said. The country's solid economic fundamentals will guarantee that China's foreign exchange market can cope with external shocks, Pan said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) 1st light rail line of Israel's Tel Aviv completes test run with China-made electric train Xinhua) 08:41, October 22, 2021 A train is seen during an official test of Tel Aviv light rail Red Line project in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 20, 2021. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) The light rail line will pass through five cities in the most congested areas of Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area in central Israel. JERUSALEM, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The first light rail line of Israel's Tel Aviv underwent its first full test drive on Wednesday night, Israeli state-owned company NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System said. The test drive was carried out with an electric train developed and manufactured by the Chinese company CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., which won an Israeli government tender for supplying the carriages. Photo taken on Oct. 20, 2021 shows the interior of a train during an official test of Tel Aviv light rail Red Line project in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) The first carriages arrived in Israel in November 2019, after the CRRC successfully tested the model in China's northeastern city of Changchun earlier in April. The test drive in Israel was made along the Red Line, the first of the three lines in the Tel Aviv light rail project. The Red Line is scheduled to start operating in November 2022. This line will pass through five cities in the most congested areas of Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area in central Israel. A train is seen during an official test of Tel Aviv light rail Red Line project in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 20, 2021. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) The length of the line is 24 km, 11 km of which is in tunnels. It includes 34 stations along its route, with 24 above ground and 10 underground. The frequency of travel planned on the line will be a train in every 3.5 minutes, and each train is expected to carry up to 500 passengers. A train is seen during an official test of Tel Aviv light rail Red Line project in Tel Aviv on Oct. 20, 2021. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) The construction of the tunnels, stations and tracks on this line, as well as the electrical and communication systems, were carried out by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and its Chinese partnership CRTG-EEB, together with the Israeli companies Solel Boneh and Danya Cebus. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Chinese poverty eradication experience shared at South-South cooperation seminar Xinhua) 08:42, October 22, 2021 BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and foreign experts and scholars held in-depth discussions on China's experience in poverty eradication and international cooperation on poverty reduction at a seminar on Thursday. The seminar was jointly hosted both online and offline by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). China's practice of eliminating absolute poverty represents a major contribution to the sustainable development and the advancement of the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity, said CASS President Xie Fuzhan. Representatives from international organizations including the United Nations Development Program and state-level think tanks in several developing countries shared views on the poverty reduction and development experience of different countries, among other topics. At the seminar, CASS and the UNOSSC signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a formal cooperative partnership. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) China warns against AUKUS, to make meetings routine with Pacific island countries, enhancing ties to higher level Global Times) 08:46, October 22, 2021 Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned of nuclear spill from the tripartite alliance AUKUS, during a meeting with foreign ministers of Pacific island countries on Thursday. Observers said those countries mirrored China's concerns about AUKUS, as the deal of AUKUS will push the region from the "heaven of peace and happiness" to the "brink of war." Speaking at the first China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting by video link, Wang pointed out that AUKUS will jeopardize the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, introduce an arms race and damage regional peace and stability. China is willing to work with the Pacific island countries to safeguard the international nuclear non-proliferation system with the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty as the cornerstone and the nuclear free zone in South Pacific. By joining AUKUS, Australia will officially become a nuclear-armed country, which would stir up the peaceful atmosphere in the region, and push the region from the "heaven of peace and happiness" to the brink of violence, Chen Hong, a professor of Australian Studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Thursday. Such situation worries the islands that have a delicate and fragile ecological environment and are unable to defend themselves, Chen noted. "In contrast to China bringing peace and improvement to local people's lives, Australia's move shows its negligence of its neighbors' concerns and a lack of respect for these sovereign countries, as it is willing to be a pawn of the US in its Indo-Pacific strategy to secure US hegemony," he said. China will establish a climate change cooperation center with Pacific island countries to support their call for building a blue Pacific, and China will continue to sponsor the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Wang said. Wang also proposed establishing a routine meeting mechanism between foreign ministers of China and Pacific island countries, which received the approval of participating ministers, read a press release by Chinese Foreign Ministry. Observers hailed such a development as it shows that relations between China and Pacific island countries have been raised from trade cooperation to a higher diplomatic level, and we could see more comprehensive cooperation among them. The scope and depth of cooperation between China and the island countries have continued to expand, said Yu Lei, chief research fellow at the research center for Pacific island countries in Liaocheng University, East China's Shandong Province. From trade and investment to infrastructure cooperation, the two sides have accelerated their cooperation in areas such as safeguarding regional peace, tackling climate change, securing the sovereignty and independence of island countries, and protecting the legitimate interests of island countries in the international community, Yu told the Global Times. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry website, attending ministers of the Pacific island countries spoke highly of China offering vaccines as an international common commodity, and said they are willing to work with China in areas such as adhering to multilateralism, responding to climate change and other international issues, and jointly safeguarding the common interests of developing countries. They also reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding the international nuclear non-proliferation system and the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Lunar samples brought back by Chinas Change-5 probe help decode secrets of moon 09:00, October 22, 2021 By Wu Yuehui ( People's Daily When did lunar volcanism stop? How did the moon sustain magmatic activity? How much water exists in the interior of the planet? The latest findings released by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on Oct. 19 gave answers to such questions. Visitors watch exhibits about Chinas Change-1 and Change-2 lunar missions at the National Museum of China in Beijing, Feb. 28, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/Chen Xiaogen) The CAS, which has been researching a portion of the lunar samples brought back by Chinas Change-5 probe, dated the youngest basalt on the moon at around 2 billion years in age, extending the lunar volcanism duration by 800 million years from previous findings. Source regions of late magmatic activities on the moon dont have concentrations of radioactive elements, and water barely exists in the source regions of the lunar mantle, according to CAS researchers. Relevant research results have been published in Chinese academic journal National Science Review and British weekly scientific journal Nature in the past week. On Dec. 17, 2020, the returner of Change-5 probe landed in Siziwang Banner, north Chinas Inner Mongolia autonomous region, bringing back 1,731 grams of lunar samples. It marked the first time that China retrieved samples from an extraterrestrial body and represented mankinds first lunar sample return mission in 44 years. Lunar basalts were formed when lava produced by partial melting of the lunar mantle was brought to the surface of the planet by volcanic eruptions and then crystallized after cooling. Visitors watch exhibits about Chinas Change-3 and Change-4 lunar missions at the National Museum of China in Beijing, Feb. 28, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/Chen Xiaogen) Volcanism is an emblem of the endogenic forces of the moon, and its end means that the planet lacks endogenic forces and dies geologically. Therefore, research into volcanic rocks can help reveal the moons chemical composition and thermal evolution. Previous lunar samples and research into lunar meteorites indicated that magmatism on the moon, a symbol of the planets activity, dates back to at least 2.8 billion and 3 billion years ago, and dark basalts produced by ancient magmatic activities have formed lunar maria. However, there have always been controversies among scientists over issues including how late igneous activities on the moon were formed and when exactly these activities stopped. In their latest research, CAS scientists analyzed over 50 minerals rich in uranium (including baddeleyite, perovskite zircon and tranquillityite) of the debris of lunar basalts with a super-high spatial resolution uranium-lead dating technique and concluded that the basalts were formed about 2 billion years ago. It means that magmatism still existed on the moon about 2 billion years ago, 800 million years later than the time determined through study of previous lunar samples. The accurate chronological data on the basalts of the Change-5 moon samples provides a key foundation for dating curves of statistics for impact craters, and will significantly increase the accuracy of dating statistics for impact craters on the surface of inner solar system planets, according to Li Xianhua, a CAS academician and a research fellow at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the CAS. We found that the lunar soil retrieved by Change-5 has basically the same features as that brought back by the U.S. Apollo missions. But it seems smaller in terms of particle size, which is 49.8 micrometers on average. The average particle size of flour is 75 micrometers, which means lunar soil is finer than flour, said Li. CAS researchers also discovered that the lunar basalts studied are rich in iron content but very low in magnesium content, and that they belong to a new type and came from the same magmatic eruption. Photo taken on Feb. 28, 2021, shows visitors watching life-size models of the ascender and lander of Chinas Change-5 lunar mission at the National Museum of China in Beijing. (Peoples Daily Online/Chen Xiaogen) Accurate chronological research results showed that lunar basalts collected by the Change-5 probe were formed around 2 billion years ago, nearly 1 billion years later than the previously known ending time of lunar magmatism, raising new questions and providing new research directions concerning causes of young igneous activities on the moon, pointed out Audrey Bouvier, a professor at the University of Bayreuth in Germany and a world-renowned planetary scientist. The lunar sample research results published by Chinese scientists have provided evidence that magmatism existed on the moon between 3 and 1 billion years ago, once a gap in the records of volcanic eruptions on the planet, said Yin Qingzhu, a professor at the University of California, Davis, and a well-known researcher in isotope geochemistry and cosmochemistry. Yin believes the new discovery is of great significance for the calibration of the absolute ages of meteorite craters on the surface of planets in the solar system and further study of the thermal history of the moon. The CAS is actively pushing ahead international cooperation in lunar sample studies, and has already reached a preliminary consensus with the French National Centre for Scientific Research about joint research into moon samples, said Zhou Qi, vice president of the CAS. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) China considers raising teacher qualification requirements Xinhua) 09:02, October 22, 2021 Zhu Senlin teaches a lesson at Longxi primary school in Xianxia Township of Yudu County, east China's Jiangxi Province, Aug. 31, 2021.(Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi) BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- China is considering raising the standard of qualifications required for teachers in a proposed revision to the Teachers Law, Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng said on Thursday. Teachers will have higher education requirements, Huai stated when delivering a report to the ongoing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. An assessment process will be established to examine teachers' professional qualifications, Huai added. The draft revision proposes establishing a system of salary distribution according to work and performance, and improving the award and discipline system for teachers, he said. Ethics are highlighted as the most important criteria for assessing teachers in the draft, according to the report. The draft revision also specifies teachers' rights and obligations. They will enjoy greater autonomy in teaching, have the right to discipline students, and the intellectual property rights to their innovations, it noted. At the same time, teachers are required to play their part in protecting and assisting minor students. The draft revision to the law will be submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for review after being further improved, the minister said. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Traditional Kaihua papermaking craft sees revival in E Chinas Zhejiang People's Daily Online) 09:14, October 22, 2021 Once almost extinct, the traditional skills of making Kaihua paper are now regaining vitality in Kaihua county, east Chinas Zhejiang province. Photo shows the opening ceremony for the Kaihua Paper Artworks Exhibition in Hangzhou, capital city of east Chinas Zhejiang province. (Photo/Zhang Bin) In recent years, we have attached great importance to restoring the traditional handicraft and expanding the use of Kaihua paper, said Lu Xiaguang, Party chief of the county. With a refined and stiff texture and jade-like gloss, Kaihua paper was among the most expensive court-book paper found in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Lu added. Kaihua involves adopting a combination of modern technology and traditional craftsmanship as the major approach to reviving the paper, said Zhang Guoyou, a local official, adding that the county will put into use semi-automatic devices to produce Kaihua paper so as to reduce costs and increase production capacity. Photo shows an artwork at the Kaihua Paper Artworks Exhibition in Hangzhou, capital city of east Chinas Zhejiang province. (Photo/Zhang Bin) The revival of Kaihua paper is also inseparable from the unremitting efforts of Huang Hongjian, a local inheritor of the traditional handicraft, and other experts. Huang started to study how to make Kaihua paper in 2011. After reading historical materials about Kaihua paper, Huang visited paper makers to collect information about the traditional paper-making skills, while searching for raw materials and conducting repeated tests to discover how best to make the Kaihua paper. Huangs story soon caught the attention of the local government. With the support of the local governments matchmaking efforts, Yang Yuliang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and dean of the Institute for Preservation and Conservation of Chinese Ancient Books of Fudan University, set up a dedicated Kaihua workstation to assist with Huangs task. A visitor takes photos of an artwork at the Kaihua Paper Artworks Exhibition in Hangzhou, capital city of east Chinas Zhejiang province. (Photo/Zhang Bin) Following years of hard work, they finally achieved breakthroughs in the core technology and realized the standardized breeding of a specific plant from one of the wikstroemia species, a plant that is used as the main raw material for making Kaihua paper. We have created paper that weighs as little as 1.6 grams per square meter, said Yan Yueer, Yang Yuliangs assistant, noting that the new Kaihua paper is capable of surviving for 2,825 years. Kaihua paper has been used in woodblock watermarking, copperplate gravure and antique book restoration. In 2019, a Kaihua paper-made gravure engraving artwork made its debut at Stockholmia, a world stamp exhibition held in Stockholm, Sweden. Photo shows a sheet of Kaihua paper. (Photo/Wang Xuying) Recently, over 100 famous Chinese artists used Kaihua paper to create over 200 calligraphy, woodblock painting and traditional Chinese painting works, demonstrating that Kaihua paper has won market recognition. Some of these artworks are being displayed at the Kaihua Paper Artworks Exhibition, which lasts from Oct. 18 to 24 in Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang. Kaihua paper is mainly used for ancient book restoration. We hope to expand the use of Kaihua paper and facilitate its revival through this exhibition, Huang Hongjian said. Photo shows an ancient book made from Kaihua paper. (Photo/Wang Xuying) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) DPP's collusion with external forces for "Taiwan independence" doomed: spokesperson Xinhua) 09:16, October 22, 2021 BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- A mainland spokesperson Thursday lashed out at Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority for colluding with lawmakers in several countries to create Taiwan-related bills. Any attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" by colluding with external forces is doomed to fail, said Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. Ma made the statement in response to a query on the adoption of a so-called report by the European Parliament on the political relations and cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Taiwan. The report is a gross violation of the one-China principle and the commitments made openly by the EU on the Taiwan question. It sends erroneous signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, Ma said, stressing that China strongly condemns and resolutely opposes it. Ma reiterated that there is only one China and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory, adding that the Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affair that brooks no foreign interference. The spokesperson urged the EU institution to earnestly abide by the one-China principle, correct its wrong actions, and prudently and properly handle the Taiwan-related issues. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) China's top legislator calls for closer China-Uganda relations Xinhua) 09:17, October 22, 2021 Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with Ugandan parliament speaker Jacob Oulanyah via video link at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Li Zhanshu held talks on Thursday with Ugandan parliament speaker Jacob Oulanyah via video link, calling for a closer relationship between the two countries. Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said China stands ready to work with Uganda to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two states, take the opportunity of the upcoming session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to strengthen unity and coordination, and jointly address challenges to further benefit the two peoples. Li made three proposals on the development of bilateral relations. Calling on the two countries to continue enhancing political mutual support, Li said China stands ready to work with Uganda to jointly uphold true multilateralism and safeguard the interests of the two countries and the developing countries. On deepening practical cooperation, Li said China welcomes Uganda to positively implement the Global Development Initiative, calling on the two countries to enhance cooperation on infrastructure and manufacturing. On COVID-19 response, Li said China is committed to the pledge of making COVID-19 vaccines a global public good and promoting a fair and equitable distribution of vaccines. Li said the NPC stands ready to work with the Ugandan parliament to promote greater development of bilateral relations. He called on the two sides to enhance legislative exchanges on investment, tax and industrial parks, and to share experiences on poverty alleviation and rural vitalization. For his part, Oulanyah expressed gratitude for the Chinese people's aid and support, and said that the Ugandan parliament is willing to enhance exchanges with the NPC to promote bilateral relations and enhance cooperation in various fields. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Fuzhou, Honolulu forge sister-city ties Xinhua) 09:22, October 22, 2021 Aerial photo taken on July 10, 2021 shows a view of the historical and cultural block of Sanfangqixiang (Three Lanes and Seven Alleys) in Fuzhou, east China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong) FUZHOU, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Fuzhou, capital city of east China's Fujian Province, on Thursday forged the sister-city relationship with Honolulu, capital city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The two cities' mayors signed an agreement on the establishment of a sister-city relationship via video link. Documents were also signed for developing friendly links between the cultural bureaus of the two cities, as well as between Fuzhou No. 3 High School and Iolani School in Honolulu. Since 2019, Fuzhou and Honolulu have increased exchanges in fields such as trade, culture, education and health, according to Wu Xiande, mayor of Fuzhou. After the COVID-19 outbreak, the two cities provided assistance to each other in the fight against the epidemic. Wu said the industries of the two cities are highly compatible, and there is great potential for further cooperation in the future. Rick Blangiardi, mayor of Honolulu, said he hoped for much more than just a ceremonial relationship. "We are most interested in pursuing a wonderful cultural and economic relationship with Fuzhou," Blangiardi said. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) China remains world's second-largest importer for 11 years: MOC Xinhua) 09:23, October 22, 2021 A truck carrying a container of exhibits for the fourth China International Import Expo leaves the container dock of Shanghai Yangshan Port, east China, Oct. 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe) BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has been the world's second-largest importer for 11 consecutive years, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday. In the January-September period, China imported goods worth nearly 2 trillion U.S. dollars, up 32.6 percent year on year, the ministry's spokesperson Shu Jueting said at a press conference. In the first half of the year, China's imports of goods accounted for around 12 percent of the world's total, and the country also contributed to 15 percent of the increase in imports worldwide during the period, said Shu, citing World Trade Organization data. China will consistently push forward high-level opening-up, expand imports and turn its market into a global one, a market shared by all, and accessible to all, Shu said. The country will continuously improve trade liberalization and facilitation and optimize its business environment to promote global recovery and growth, Shu noted. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) MOU signed to boost fintech regulation in Greater Bay Area Xinhua) 09:38, October 22, 2021 File photo shows a citizen walks past the headquarters of the People's Bank of China in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua) BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The People's Bank of China (PBOC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) jointly announced on Thursday that they have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Fintech Innovation Supervisory Cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). By signing the MOU, they have agreed to link up the PBOC's Fintech Innovation Regulatory Facility with the HKMA's Fintech Supervisory Sandbox. The move aims to advance cooperation on fintech innovation on the basis of law and regulations, improve the quality and efficiency of financial services in the GBA and increase financial support for its development, said the PBOC. In the next step, the two sides will, under the cooperation framework, adhere to the principles of mutual trust, mutual understanding and mutual respect, provide efficient fintech innovation testing services, and inject new impetus into the high-quality financial development of the GBA, it said. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) More Chinese cities report new confirmed COVID-19 cases Xinhua) 09:42, October 22, 2021 BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- More Chinese cities have been hit by new locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to local authorities. -- Beijing reported one new confirmed COVID-19 case between midnight on Wednesday and 2 p.m. on Thursday, local health authorities announced at a press briefing. The new case is the wife of the confirmed COVID-19 case reported on Tuesday in Beijing, and she was under quarantine as a close contact on Tuesday, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of Beijing's center for disease control and prevention, told reporters. The woman received a positive nucleic acid test result on Wednesday and was transferred to a designated hospital on Thursday where she was diagnosed as a confirmed but mild COVID-19 case. A total of 128 close contacts have been traced and Pang has urged people not to leave Beijing unless necessary. -- Northwest China's Gansu Province reported six new cases in the provincial capital Lanzhou and the city of Zhangye on Thursday, most of whom are close or sub-close contacts of previously confirmed cases, the provincial health commission said. The province has registered a total of 15 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and one asymptomatic case since new local infections were reported on Tuesday. All of the above cases have been transferred to designated hospitals for treatment. On Wednesday, local authorities temporarily closed three popular grottoes including the Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to visitors in an effort to contain the spread of infections. -- Yinchuan, the capital city of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region that borders Gansu, reported one new confirmed COVID-19 case on Thursday, according to the local COVID-19 prevention and control headquarters. The case, surnamed Wei, was a close contact of a previously confirmed infection and returned a positive result from the routine nucleic acid testing of those under quarantine. Wei was later diagnosed as a confirmed COVID-19 case and sent to a designated local hospital for treatment. Local authorities have traced all of the individual's close and sub-close contacts, and taken related control measures to prevent further infections. As of 4 p.m. Thursday, Yinchuan had three confirmed COVID-19 cases. -- The city of Wuzhong in Ningxia reported two new confirmed COVID-19 cases at 9 a.m. Thursday, both of whom are now receiving medical treatment at a designated hospital, according to the local COVID-19 prevention and control headquarters. The two cases are related to previously confirmed cases in Ningxia. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Wuzhong had five confirmed COVID-19 cases. -- Ejin Banner of Alxa League in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Thursday reported eight new locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, who are now receiving medical treatment, according to the local COVID-19 prevention and control headquarters. So far, Ejin Banner has 13 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases in medical treatment. -- The city of Baoding in north China's Hebei Province reported two asymptomatic cases on Thursday, according to the local COVID-19 prevention and control headquarters. The two carriers are a couple who traveled to Inner Mongolia and Gansu Province from Oct. 5 to Oct. 16. All close contacts have been traced and placed under quarantine. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) China's poverty eradication efforts create new wonders in human history: Bangladeshi minister Xinhua) 09:48, October 22, 2021 DHAKA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's poverty eradication efforts have created new wonders in human history, a Bangladeshi minister said. Addressing a webinar titled "Poverty Eradication: Experiences from Bangladesh and China" Wednesday, Bangladeshi Education Minister Dipu Moni said, "China has achieved new wonders in raising (more than) 700 million people out of poverty." Since its reform and opening up in 1978, China has lifted 770 million rural residents out of poverty, showed official data. According to the World Bank's poverty line, poverty reduction in China represents 70 percent of the world's total, achieving the target set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. "While other countries can't copy everything, we can learn from Chinese experiences at least," Moni said at the webinar, which was organized by Association of Bangladesh-China Alumni (ABCA) and attended by scholars from the two countries. On the traditional friendly relations between China and Bangladesh, Moni said, "Our friendship now encompasses all spheres of life." She said China is immensely contributing to Bangladesh's socioeconomic development. "China is now our very, very important development partner." The minister said poverty eradication is important to the whole world, therefore it is among both the millennium development goals and the sustainable development goals. Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming said at the webinar there are currently about 700 million people living in extreme poverty in the world, which means that their daily living expenses are less than 1.90 U.S. dollars. He said China actively carries out international cooperation in poverty reduction, provides assistance to developing countries within its capacity, and is a powerful promoter of poverty reduction in the world. Over the years, China has assisted 120 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbeans and Oceania in the construction of farms, agricultural technology demonstration centers, and other projects. Binayak Sen, director general of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), said 2000-2020 is an important period in China's poverty eradication. "We have to study this remarkable poverty eradication period of China," he said. China's success in economic development and poverty eradication offers new lessons to rest of the world, said the expert. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) China's top legislature firmly opposes report on EU-Taiwan ties Xinhua) 09:51, October 22, 2021 BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, on Thursday said it firmly opposed a report on the so-called political relations and cooperation between the European Union and Taiwan, which was adopted by the European Parliament recently. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the NPC said in a statement that the report had seriously violated the one-China principle, which is an international consensus and the political foundation for China's diplomatic relations with the EU. There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is a part of China. China always opposes any form of official interactions between the Taiwan authority and countries that have established diplomatic ties with China, said the statement. As one of the most important EU institutions, the European Parliament should have honored its commitment to the China-EU relations. The adoption of the report is an erroneous and dangerous move concerning Taiwan-related issues, and will seriously damage the mutual political trust and the foundation for mutual exchanges between China and the EU, the statement said. No one should underestimate the strong resolution, determination and capability of the Chinese government and people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the statement said. "We strongly urge the European Parliament to understand the high sensitivity of the Taiwan issue, abide by the one-China principle, immediately correct its erroneous words and deeds, and play an active and constructive role in promoting the healthy development of China-EU relations," it said. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Chinese medics provide free healthcare services at South Sudan orphanage Xinhua) 09:52, October 22, 2021 JUBA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The ninth batch of the Chinese medical team in South Sudan on Wednesday visited a children's home to provide psychosocial support and free medical care services. Members of the Chinese medical team also brought milk, biscuits, and bottles of purified drinking water to 61 disadvantaged children at the orphanage. Ding Zhen, head of the ninth batch of the Chinese medical team in South Sudan, said they visited the orphanage to express love and solidarity with the disadvantaged children. He said the medics are delighted to offer free treatment to all South Sudanese citizens irrespective of age, gender or social status. Angelo Kenyi Samuel, director of the Juba Orphanage Center, thanked the Chinese medics for the overwhelming support they rendered to the center since the arrival of the first batch in 2013. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) China to unveil layout plan for national park system Xinhua) 09:59, October 22, 2021 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) BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- China is drawing a layout plan for building national parks, according to the country's national park institute Thursday. The plan will classify the country's land area into various ecological regions based on their natural features and ecological functions, said Tang Xiaoping, head of the institute, at a press conference. He added that future national park nominees will be selected from such regions. The country will prioritize regions with vital ecological functions such as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins for setting up national parks, Tang said. China officially designated the first group of national parks earlier this month, a move aimed at further improving the national park system amid the country's nature conservation efforts. With a protected land area of 230,000 square kilometers, the national parks are home to nearly 30 percent of key terrestrial wildlife species in the country. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Chinese ambassador calls for fair, open business environment in Romania Xinhua) 10:02, October 22, 2021 BUCHAREST, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Romania Jiang Yu has called on the Romanian authorities to adhere to market economy principles and provide a fair, open and transparent business environment for Chinese companies. In her speech at an online economic and trade forum on Wednesday, Jiang fully affirmed the good results of bilateral economic and trade cooperation in the time of pandemic, and pointed out that the bilateral trade continued to reach new highs, hitting a record level of 6.78 billion euros (7.89 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020. The ambassador expressed her hope that the Romanian authorities will follow the trend of globalization, adhere to the market economy principles and provide a fair, open and transparent business environment for all foreign enterprises, including the Chinese ones. The representatives with the Romanian Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism said in their speeches that there is still much room for bilateral economic and trade cooperation, given that China became Romania's first major trading partner outside the EU in 2020. The Romania authorities will continue to cooperate with the China Customs and other departments to actively promote the scale exports of Romania's high-quality agricultural products and food into the Chinese market, they added. More than 80 local officials, representatives of the national and bilateral chambers of commerce and industry, leaders of bilateral friendly organizations as well as entrepreneurs of both countries participated in the online forum. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) China to hold 5th textile cultural heritage conference in Nov. Xinhua) 10:05, October 22, 2021 A woman works on an embroidery at a workshop in Shibing County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jan. 21, 2021. (Photo by Lei Guangjie/Xinhua) GUIYANG, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The 5th China Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage Conference is scheduled to kick off on Nov. 11 in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, local authorities said on Thursday. Themed "Develop the Miao embroidery industry, support the rural revitalization," the event will include industrial research activities, field surveys for designers, symposiums, project negotiation, clothing presentations and the like. Over 200 experts, scholars and entrepreneurs in the field of textile intangible heritage will be invited to the conference. Miao embroidery has a history dating back more than 2,000 years and was listed by the Chinese government in 2006 as a national Intangible Cultural Heritage. First held in 2017, the conference has become one of the textile industry's highest-level platforms for development and exchange on the country's textile intangible cultural heritage. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Development strategy supports burgeoning chicken breeding industry to take flight in Tibet People's Daily Online) 13:28, October 22, 2021 Photo shows a modern chicken farm in Shannan, southwest Chinas Tibetan Autonomous Region. (Peoples Daily Online/Li Haixia) By developing chicken breeding as a pillar industry, Shannan city in southwest Chinas Tibetan Autonomous Region has managed to consolidate the outcomes of poverty alleviation and further increased farmers and herders incomes. Under the joint efforts of Shannan and Hubei province in central China, which provides pairing assistance to Shannan, a research institute on chicken breeding was established. Hubei tailored a development strategy for Shannan, which set a goal to establish a pillar industry, a leading enterprise, a number of smaller enterprises providing support services, a scientific research institute and an industrial chain. Based on this development strategy, the research institute was expected to play an important role in the protection of chicken species, the selection and breeding of high-quality chicken species, the development of food products, animal nutrition, and high value-added food processing, among other areas. In 2020, an agricultural and animal husbandry company based in Wuhan, capital city of Hubei province, signed an agreement with Shannan on the construction of a smart chicken breeding company. Upon its completion, the project, with a total investment of 500 billion yuan, will become the largest smart chicken breeding company in all of Tibet, as well as the largest in southwest China in terms of single-unit capacity. At present, major production facilities have started operations, with more than 300 people having taken part in the construction of the project. Moreover, 120 people have secured jobs after the initiation of the project, with an average monthly salary of about 6,000 yuan. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Hainans Sanya city plans to build a germplasm base storing wild rice seed resources People's Daily Online) 14:01, October 22, 2021 Sanya city in south Chinas Hainan province has unveiled plans to build a germplasm base for storing wild rice seed resources that will be able to preserve some 10,000 samples of rice seeds by 2022, Hainan Daily reported on Oct. 19. A researcher works in a field of a saline-alkali tolerant rice research base in Sanya, Hainan province on April 6, 2021. (Photo/Xinhua) Representing Hainans latest drive to push for the rejuvenation of the seed industry and innovations in the agricultural sciences, the base will focus on the preservation of wild rice seed resources, R&D on storing and breeding technologies for rare wild seed species, the identification and exploration of high-quality germplasm resources, and research into the natural breeding and evolution of ancestral wild rice species. Hainan has rich wild rice resources and the local environment is very suitable for the preservation of wild rice, said Sun Tan, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). With assistance from various departments, the CAAS has intensified its efforts towards the preservation of wild rice species, striving to bring the number of wild rice seed samples to 30,000 over a period of two to three years. According to a survey jointly carried out by the Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the CAAS, Hainan has 154 natural communities of wild rice species. Due to a variety of reasons, the number of places where wild rice can be found and the extent of the land on which wild rice plants can grow are both decreasing, which has led to wild rice being classified as a wild plant under key state protection in China. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Autumn foliage adorns Mount Emei in SW China's Sichuan People's Daily Online) 15:41, October 22, 2021 Autumn is the best season to visit Mount Emei in southwest China's Sichuan Province, when the mountain is clad with trees in abundant varieties of colors. As one of the four sacred mountains for Buddhism in China, Mount Emei has been placed on the World Heritage list by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee. Every autumn, it is among the best places for tourists to take in sights of the autumnal foliage. Photo/People's Daily Online) (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Liang Jun) Think tanks forum calls for closer China-Africa cooperation Xinhua) 15:50, October 22, 2021 HANGZHOU, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Attendees advocated closer cooperation between China and Africa at a forum for China-Africa think tanks in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province. The 10th China-Africa Think Tank Forum was held both online and offline from Wednesday to Thursday. It was attended by more than 200 Chinese and African scholars and journalists. Participants called for cooperation in areas such as health, trade and investment, climate change, and digital economy to enhance China-Africa cooperation and boost economic recovery and growth in the post-pandemic world. Ever since the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000, trade between China and Africa and China's direct investment in Africa have increased 20 and 100 times, respectively, according to Xu Bu, president of the China Institute of International Studies. Anil Sooklal, deputy director-general for Asia and Middle East at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, said that China has never lost its confidence in Africa even when Africa was called "the disappearing continent." Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Culture and Communication of Senegal, said that China and Africa have similar development goals and visions, and Africa has seen China's sincerity and efficiency in areas such as trade and investment and cultural communication. The China-Africa Think Tank Forum, an important forum under the FOCAC framework, was initiated by the Institute of African Studies of Zhejiang Normal University in 2011. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Xi pledges sustained Chinese support for UN, multilateralism Xinhua) 16:33, October 22, 2021 BEIJING, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a commemorative meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the restoration of People's Republic of China's lawful seat in the United Nations here next Monday, when he will deliver an important speech at the event, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Friday. Over the past 50 years, China has greatly enhanced its cooperation with the United Nations and made notable achievements. On various occasions, President Xi has reiterated China's support for the UN-centered international system and pledged greater contributions to advancing the noble cause of the United Nations. The following are some highlights of his remarks in this regard. Oct. 14, 2021 Addressing via video link the opening ceremony of the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, Xi said China will continue to hold high the banner of true multilateralism, and stay connected with the world and abreast with the times. "This way, we will contribute more to global development while pursuing our own development," he said. China will not change course in its pursuit of a new system of open economy of higher standards, and China will not waver in its resolve to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, Xi said. "China's door of opening-up will only open wider, and will never be closed," he added. Oct. 12, 2021 Addressing via video link the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Xi called on the international community to enhance cooperation, build consensus and pool strength to build a community of all life on Earth. Noting that 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. Sept. 21, 2021 China is always a builder of world peace, contributor to global development, defender of the international order and provider of public goods, Xi said in his statement delivered via video at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. "We must improve global governance and practice true multilateralism," Xi said. "In the world, there is only one international system, i.e. the international system with the United Nations at its core. There is only one international order, i.e. the international order underpinned by international law. There is only one set of rules, i.e. the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," he added. Sept. 22, 2020 China is the largest developing country in the world, a country that is committed to peaceful, open, cooperative and common development, Xi said while addressing the general debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly via video. "We will never seek hegemony, expansion, or sphere of influence. We have no intention to fight either a Cold War or a hot war with any country," Xi said. China firmly upholds the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, he said. "Global governance should be based on the principle of extensive consultation, joint cooperation and shared benefits so as to ensure that all countries enjoy equal rights and opportunities and follow the same rules," he said. Jan. 18, 2017 China is a founding member of the United Nations and the first country to put its signature on the UN Charter, Xi said in his speech at the United Nations Office at Geneva. China's support for multilateralism will increase as the country continues to develop itself, Xi said. "China is ready to work with all the other UN member states as well as international organizations and agencies to advance the great cause of building a community of shared future for mankind," Xi said. Sept. 28, 2015 Addressing the general debate of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, Xi said China will continue to contribute to global development. "We are ready to share our development experience and opportunities with other countries and welcome them to board China's express train of development so that all of us will achieve common development," Xi said. "China will continue to stand together with other developing countries. We firmly support greater representation and say of developing countries, especially African countries, in the international governance system," Xi said. "China's vote in the United Nations will always belong to the developing countries," he said. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) JINAN, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Wednesday inspected the estuary of the Yellow River in the city of Dongying, east China's Shandong Province. Xi visited a dock at the estuary, an ecological monitoring center and a national-level nature reserve of the Yellow River Delta. He checked the river's waterways, the ecological environment of the wetlands in the river delta, and learned about the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. Enditem Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe holds talks with Argentina's Minister of Defense Jorge Taiana via video link on October, 21, 2021. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei) BEIJING, Oct. 22 -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe held talks with Argentina's Defense Minister Jorge Taiana via video link on Thursday. Wei said China and Argentina are good friends and partners that trust each other. The two heads of state have exchanged phone calls and letters for many times, reaching important consensus on developing bilateral relations and strengthening anti-epidemic cooperation, which have guided the continuous development of the China-Argentina comprehensive strategic partnership, he said. The Chinese military is willing to work with its Argentine counterpart to deepen and expand pragmatic cooperation in the fields of high-level exchanges, personnel training, medical care and international peacekeeping, so as to further advance the ties between the two militaries, said Wei. Jorge Taiana reiterated Argentina's firm commitment to the one-China principle. He said that the Argentine side is willing to join hands with China to continue deepening pragmatic cooperation between the two countries and the two militaries in various fields to better benefit the two peoples. Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe holds talks with Argentina's Minister of Defense Jorge Taiana via video link on October, 21, 2021. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during the Ministerial Conference on Migration at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Bogota, Colombia on Oct 20, 2021. [Photo/Agencies] For all the recent changes in the international political landscape, the United States appears stuck in the Cold War-era and still under the thrall of spheres of influence. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's ongoing visit to Ecuador and Colombia is widely perceived as a fresh attempt by the Joe Biden administration to make sure that what the US regards as its backyard stays safe and secure from what it considers pernicious Chinese influence. Yet compared to the less-than-polite approach of the Donald Trump administration, which tried to bully countries into siding with the US against China, Blinken sounded more restrained. "We're not asking countries to choose between the United States and China," said the US state secretary. And in contrast with the Donald Trump government's outright China-bashing, Blinken openly conceded trade with China is "usually beneficial". Of course the milder approach doesn't mean Washington isn't worried about Beijing's outreaches in the Americas gaining traction, or that it is willing to accept increasing Chinese influence in the region. As he cautioned on many previous overseas trips, Blinken warned of the need to make sure that investments, particularly those in sensitive areas "get the scrutiny that they deserve", which is merely another way of saying that Chinese investments constitute national security threats, an unsubstantiated claim that his grin-and-tell predecessor was fond of making. But not only did Blinken give the Trump administration's mantra a softer, friendlier tone, he also tried to promote a fresh facet of US foreign policy, promising to go beyond its traditional comfort zone of "training and equipping security forces". "We focused too much on addressing the symptoms of organized crime, like homicides and drug trafficking, and too little on the root causes," he said. "We're working to correct that imbalance." US intervention in international affairs has had a notorious obsession with military means and the use of force, most obviously in its high-profile campaigns against terrorism in which it has ignored the root causes. It is therefore quite refreshing to hear Washington promising to "also be more attentive to economic concerns such as improving labor standards, healthcare and education". Should its foreign policies honor such promises, the US will find its leadership more warmly welcomed elsewhere. If Washington is sincere in what it says, it should see Beijing's appeal for and offer of cooperation instrumental in advancing such policy goals. The prism of Cold War-style major power rivalry is a key obstacle to a healthy China-US relationship and the world order. Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a session of the annual Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, Russia October 21, 2021. /Reuters Russia-China relations are "not directed against anyone," and are in the interests of both countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Thursday in Sochi. "We have talked about this many times. We are friends with China in mutual interest, and (our relations) are not directed against anyone," the president said at the plenary session of the 18th annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, a Russian think tank. "Unlike NATO countries, we are not trying to form any closed military alliance; there is no military bloc between Russia and China. We have no such intention," he added. Source(s): Xinhua News Agency President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a memorial hall in a memorial park dedicated to the Battle of the Xiangjiang River during the Long March in the 1930s, in Caiwan, a town in Quanzhou county in the city of Guilin, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, April 25, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua] BEIJING -- During the Long March of the Red Army led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the 1930s, a major battle was fought along the Xiangjiang River in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. In 1934, the Kuomintang (KMT) army had blockaded stretches of the Xiangjiang River. The battle that ensued saw the Red Army successfully breach the KMT's massive deployment, but not without sacrifice. More than 50,000 of the Red Army's 86,000 troops died on the battlefield. This bloody confrontation would go down in the annals of history as the Battle of the Xiangjiang River. Eighty-seven years on, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, is encouraging the people of China to channel the courage and determination of those revolutionary soldiers on a new march, one toward national rejuvenation. During an inspection in Guangxi in April this year, Xi visited the Battle of the Xiangjiang River memorial park in Quanzhou county. He described the clash as a "life-or-death event" for the Chinese revolution, and for this reason, he has singled it out as the one Long March battle that impressed him the most. The Red Army soldiers stayed true to their ideals and convictions so that they could break the enemy's blockade with courageous sacrifice, he said during the inspection. "Heroic! Chen Shuxiang is one of the heroes who sacrificed their lives," Xi explained when viewing a painting depicting the Red Army officer's death on the battlefield. Chen was just 29 when he led his rearguard division battling against the KMT army. Chen was wounded during the fierce battle and seized by the enemy. Rather than surrender, he killed himself and died a heroic death. This year marks the 85th anniversary of the victory of the military maneuver of the Red Army -- the Long March. From October 1934 to October 1936, the Red Army trekked 12,500 km across the country, repelling more than 1 million enemy troops bent on pursuing and blocking it and eventually establishing a revolutionary base in northwest China. "Every generation has its own long march, and every generation must see that march through," Xi said. "The long march of our generation is to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation." BRAZZAVILLE, Oct.22 -- The commander of the Sector South of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) spoke highly of the contributions made by the 25th Chinese peacekeeping force to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on October 20. The commander met with the commanding officers of the Chinese engineering contingent and medical contingent in the city of Bukavu, South Kivu province on October 20, fully affirming their rapid transition to performing tasks after entering the mission area. The officers of the Chinese peacekeeping force expressed that they will follow the instructions and requirements of MONUSCO and make greater contributions to the maintenance of world peace. The 25th Chinese peacekeeping force to the DRC consists of 218 peacekeepers, including a 175-member engineering contingent and a 43-member medical contingent. The first echelon arrived at the "China Peninsula" camp in Bukavu on September 12 and completed the rotation and handover with their predecessors on September 28.The second echelons 94 members arrived at the camp of the Chinese peacekeeping engineering contingent in Bukavu, South Kivu on October 2. By Liu Decheng The Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship was recently sent with a Long March-2F carrier rocket to the pre-set orbit, taking Chinese taikonauts to the space station Tiangong again. Some say that the 14th Five-year Plan period and the way toward the second centenary goal signify a new Long March. Long March has always had profound connotations, either spiritually or historically. October 22 marks the 85th anniversary of the victory of the Long March undertaken by the Red Army. Eighty-five years ago, the CPC led the Red Army to march thousands of kilometers across more than ten provinces, during which they defeated strong enemies, crossed billowing rivers, climbed the snow mountains and passed the grassland, before they finally joined with other Chinese troops in an incredible reunion that astonished the world. The Long March, a phenomenal revolutionary feat, was a grand epic written by the CPC and the Red Army, and it set up a magnificent monument in the course of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. As Edgar Snow said, the spirit, strength, desire and passion they couldnt have been created by a writer that made these people invincible represented the richest and most glorious of human history. The great victory of the expedition not only preserved China's revolutionary forces, but also helped the Party find a new foothold for the survival and development of those forces, and a new starting point from which the Chinese revolutionary cause can proceed till it succeeds. The victory of the Long March is the beginning of a string of victories later in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, in the War of Liberation, in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and the numerous other victories and miracles on our adventure of national rejuvenation. Every generation has its own Long March, and every generation must see that march through. For the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), succeeding in its new Long March means to ensure the achievement of the military's centenary goal by 2027, and then, to achieve the Party's goal of building a strong military in the new era and build the people's army into a world-class force in every respect by the middle of this century. Compared with the Red Army's Long March 85 years ago, the Long March today differs wildly in the general environment, conditions, missions and strengths, but they are both ground-breaking, arduous and complicated causes. At present, with profound changes never seen in a century and COVID-19 raging around the world, China's national security is facing high risks and great pressure. There are many more snow mountains and grasslands that we must climb and cross, and many more difficulties and challenges that we must overcome. All service members of the Chinese military should follow in the steps of Red Army members, stay true to the original aspiration and founding mission, remain adamant in the belief and ideal, and dare to fight and strive to win that's the only way we can succeed in the new Long March and achieve new and greater glory. To strive for greater glory, we must strongly promote the Long March spirit, the most valuable spiritual legacy that this marvelous expedition left to us. As long as we carry forward this spirit, work hard and aim high, we are sure to score many more victories and build a strong military for the new era. To strive for greater glory on the new Long March, action speaks louder than words. Being in the middle of establishing a new system, only through innovative ideas and proactive actions can we perform our duties well. We should bear in mind the goal of building a strong military and winning battles in all the work we do, dare to make innovations and think out of the box, and pursue excellence tirelessly. Thus, we can achieve high-quality development of the armed forces and make greater contributions to war preparedness and combat readiness. Eighty-five years have passed. The Long March goes on. We are always on the way! By Jun Sheng The US Navy Submarine USS Connecticut (SSN-22) has returned to Guam for assessment and repair after the collision incident, but the US side has neither clarified the details about the incident nor explained the possible consequences. In face of general concerns in the international community about whether the incident has caused a nuclear leak or damaged the local marine environment, and whether it will impact the navigation safety and fishery in the area where it took place, the US side has not given a clear, definite answer in a responsible spirit. The US is the worlds largest nuclear state with the most powerful nuclear arsenal, yet its series of irresponsible acts have shown the world too clearly that it is also the biggest source of risks to international nuclear security. Americas nuclear tests overseas have caused grave nuclear disasters. Public information shows that the US conducted 67 nuclear weapon tests at the Marshall Islands from 1946 to 1958, leaving a painful memory for the local area. In particular, the hydrogen bomb test conducted by the US on Bikini Island in 1954 resulted in the most serious nuclear contamination on the Pacific Ocean. Before the test, the US military didnt timely ask the nearby residents to evacuate, nor did it disperse the fishing ships operating in nearby sea areas. As a result, many people were exposed to nuclear radiation and suffered from various diseases. From 1946 to 1982, the US and the UK dumped huge amounts of nuclear wastes into the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. America even transported 130 tons of nuclear-contaminated soil resulting from nuclear tests in Nevada to the Marshall Islands and dumped it there. These nuclear tests and wastes have severely damaged local ecology and environment, ruined the life safety and physical health of local residents, and inflicted catastrophic consequences upon regional countries and people. Americas sloppy nuclear administration leads to frequent nuclear accidents. The US Navy and Air Force have deployed nuclear forces overseas extensively, which have seen frequent accidents such as loss of nuclear weapons, weapons catching fire and collision of nuclear submarines due to poor management and operational failure. According to media reports, there were 233 major nuclear weapon accidents in the US military from 1965 to 1983. In 2007, a US Air Force B-52 strategic bomber mistakenly transported six cruise missiles with nuclear warheads and flew across half America, creating one of the most serious violations of nuclear security protocols in US military history. Americas nuclear security policy increases risks of nuclear proliferation, and its modernization of nuclear weapons escalates global nuclear arms race. For its selfish interests, the US has consistently upheld the Cold War mentality and double standards in its nuclear security policy and adopted different policies for itself and other countries. Its selective support and discriminatory suppression towards different countries have kept increasing the risk of nuclear proliferation. Washington signed the Protocols 1, 2, and 3 to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty in 1996, but still hasnt approved the treaty to date, making the US the only one of the five nuclear states that hasnt approved it yet. Not long ago, the US and the UK decided to transfer nuclear submarine technology to Australia. This move violates the spirit of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), adds to the risk of nuclear proliferation, sends shock waves through the international non-proliferation system, undermines the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, and destroys ASEAN countries efforts to create a nuclear-free zone in Southeast Asia. In recent years, the US has shifted the focus of its foreign strategy to major-country competition, attempting to seek the so-called absolute advantage through the modernization of its nuclear forces, and maintain its global hegemony and absolute national security. While arbitrarily quitting the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Treaty on Open Skies, and other multilateral arms control treaties to free itself of the restrictions, the US has also accelerated the development of tactical nuclear weapons, running ahead down the wrong path of making nuclear weapons smaller, more intelligent and more combat-oriented. Facts have proven that although the US claims to be the leader in international nuclear non-proliferation, it is in fact the biggest source of risks to international nuclear security. Big conglomerates cut 6,300 jobs amid the coronavirus pandemic as their earnings dropped. Analysis of the business reports of 74 of Korea's top 100 companies shows that their permanent staff stood at 686,205 as of the end of 2020, down by 6,297 from a year earlier. Offline retailers were hit especially hard. Lotte Shopping cut 2,350 jobs, while Shinsegae's superstore chain E-mart 565 workers. Doosan Heavy Industries, which was hit by the nuclear phase-out, laid off 1,232 people. But Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix's business boomed thanks to high demand for memory chips, so they hired 4,275 and 775 new staff. Six out of 10 major conglomerates cut back on new hires last year, and their permanent staff dwindled. The job losses are mainly due to deteriorating earnings and the main force of Korean industries shifting to the IT sector, which employs fewer people. Although the combined sales of the top 100 declined 5.5 percent to W1.5 quadrillion, their operating profits edged up 2.5 percent on-year to W82 trillion. But without Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, combined operating profits plunged almost 18 percent. Reliance on the semiconductor industry stretched to jobs. Thirty big companies hired 8,131 new workers, but Samsung hired 4,274 of them and SK Hynix 775, accounting for 62 percent. Internet companies and game developers, which benefited from the increased time people spent at home in lockdown, also boosted hiring. Although not included in the country's top 100 companies, Naver, Kakao and NCsoft hired a combined 1,214 workers last year. Kim Jung-sik at Yonsei University said, "We desperately need to nurture the service industry, which has a huge impact on job growth." According to the Federation of Korean Industries, the country's top 100 businesses account for 63 percent of total sales generated by companies here. Cho Kyeong-yeop at the Korea Economic Research Institute said, "We need to create conditions for key domestic businesses to recover their earnings and make new investments." Those donations have come rapid-fire in a matter of months, with large tranches going out recently to lower-income nations. Last week, the White House announced it was donating 17 million doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the African Union, bringing the total donation to the 55-state body to 50 million doses. The U.S. Agency for International Development said it is also working to help provide nations in need with related items and support such as testing, treatment and protective equipment. "Americans have 200 million reasons to be proud," read a statement from USAID Administrator Samantha Power. "USAID is honored to be at the forefront of this global vaccination effort unprecedented in scale, speed, and complexity, to counter the worst pandemic in modern history." White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this is just the start. In September, Biden announced plans to donate more than 1 billion vaccines to low- and lower-middle-income nations. "Donating vaccines is one urgent effort we are taking to tackle this pandemic globally, and we've committed to donate 1.2 billion [vaccines], along with lifesaving assistance to countries in need to enhance their ability to get shots into arms," she said Thursday. "We also reiterate support for an intellectual property waiver and bolstering manufacturing here at home and abroad." The United States on Thursday marked the successful distribution of 200 million COVID-19 vaccines to more than 100 countries, a move the White House says fulfills President Joe Biden's vow to become "the world's arsenal of vaccines." But critics note that beating the pandemic is far from a fait accompli. "The U.S. is far and above the leader in global vaccination efforts, and these doses are helping save lives and stop the spread of COVID," said Sarah Swinehart, senior communications director at the ONE Campaign, an anti-poverty group. "But if the vaccine isn't everywhere, this pandemic isn't going anywhere," she said. "Only 16 percent of the doses pledged by G-7 countries have been delivered. Wealthy countries must step up and show urgency to get these doses out the door and into arms." And even as donations have increased, the White House has faced criticism over its push for already vaccinated Americans to receive boosters when many people across the globe have yet to receive a single dose. Administration officials dismissed it as a false choice, saying they can protect the already vaccinated U.S. population while also sharing with the world. On Wednesday, theFood and Drug Administration authorized the use of booster shots for those who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines -- a move that Tom Hart, acting CEO of the ONE Campaign, said could imperil the Biden administration's ambitious donation goals. The group noted that as of this week, 84 percent of the vaccine doses promised to low- and lower-middle-income countries have not been delivered. "While some argue that we can both administer boosters and vaccinate the world, the simple fact is that boosters divert supply from an urgent area of need -- administering first shots around the world," Hart said. "Wealthy countries are already woefully off track in delivering the vaccines they have promised to share to date, and it will take significant ambition, funding, and speed to reach the goal of 70 percent of the world by September 2022." Globally, the coronavirus has killed 4.9 million people in under two years, according to World Health Organization data. At the height of the AIDS pandemic, in the years 2005 and 2006, just under 2 million people died of that virus each year. India celebrated the milestone of administering one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday, marking a key turnaround in a drive that got off the ground slowly earlier this year. India is the second country after China to reach the one billion mark in its immunization program. "India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of [1.3 billion] Indians," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a Twitter post Thursday. "Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat." He visited a government hospital to mark the occasion. However, with only about 30 percent of the population fully inoculated, India still needs to administer tens of millions of doses to those who have only received one dose. Amid concerns over the wide gap that needs to be bridged between those fully and partly inoculated, officials say they aim to inoculate the adult population of 944 million by the year end. Still, the billion doses mark significant progress in the country that has counted more than 34 million infections -- the second highest in the world. "I think it's a morale booster," said K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India, a public-private partnership. "Because it sort of gives us the confidence that we can get on with a vaccination program without getting resistance from the people and a machinery that is reasonably efficient reaching out in different parts of India." There was a scramble for vaccines in India earlier this year when tens of thousands fell sick or died as it reeled under a deadly second wave fueled by the delta variant. The government was criticized for failing to ensure adequate supplies even though India is the world's biggest vaccine distributor. But authorities bolstered the inoculation program in recent months and vaccine supplies have surged as the government helped companies increase production lines. Officials are urging those who are not vaccinated to come forward -- some 70 million Indians have still not received a single shot. Coast guards are searching for the missing crewmembers of a fishing boat that capsized in waters northeast of the Dokdo islets. The Korea Coast Guard said the accident occurred on Wednesday, but only two of nine crewmembers could be rescued at the time and one was found dead the following day, with six unaccounted for. The rescued are Chinese and the dead is unidentified. The nine-member crew consisted of three Koreans, four Chinese and two Indonesians. The Nuri is a three-stage rocket designed to place a 1.5-ton satellite in orbit at an altitude of 600 to 800 km. Korea spent W1.96 trillion developing the rocket since March of 2010 (US$1=W1,178). The Nuri was launched at 5 p.m. from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Gyeongsang Province and reached its targeted trajectory of 700 km. But the 7-ton engine in the third-stage rocket shut off 46 seconds faster than planned, and the payload therefore failed to attain a speed of 7.5 km/s necessary to stay in orbit. Korea succeeded in launching its first homegrown space rocket on Thursday, but failed to place a dummy satellite into orbit. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute and 300 civilian companies participated in the development of the Nuri, which has 370,000 components and stands 15 stories tall. The launch was delayed by an hour because more time was needed for last-minute inspections. During the flight of 16 minutes and seven seconds, the first, second and third-stage boosters ignited successfully and the fairing or nose cone of the rocket separated without hitches. Experts said the Nuri's performance on its maiden launch was a credit to Korea's space technology. "The U.S.' SpaceX program failed three-straight times in test-launches," said Huh Hwan-il at Chungnam National University. "The test launch of the Nuri was almost a success." The average success rate of space launch vehicles is only 30 percent. The second launch is scheduled for May of next year with a 200 kg test satellite and a 1,300-kg dummy satellite. Korea plans to conduct four more test launches until 2027 with actual satellites. President Moon Jae-in watched the launch at the space center and said, "Although the Nuri failed to complete its mission, the first launch was a great achievement." But fans are watching the dystopian series with VPN or by illegal downloads, and hundreds of "Squid Game"-themed video clips have been uploaded on TikTok. Korea's hit series "Squid Game" has swept China even though Netflix is officially banned there. "Squid Game" has been searched more than 2 billion times on Weibo, China's version of Twitter. The Chinese government is increasingly restricting the influx of foreign content, citing its "chaotic" influence on youth and culture. Korea on Thursday succeeded in launching its first fully homegrown Nuri space rocket which separated without any hitches as it flew along its trajectory, but failed to place a dummy satellite in orbit. This is still an enormous achievement with scientific, industrial and security implications, even if the final goal of placing a satellite in orbit remains elusive for now. The Naro, Korea's first space launch vehicle, used a booster engine from Russia, but the Nuri was made with 100-percent Korean technology over a period of 11 years. Around 300 companies took part in the development, which cost W1.96 trillion (US$1=W1,178). Naro is the name of an island off the southwestern coast that houses Korea's space station of the same name, while Nuri means "the world." The new rocket can carry a payload of 1.5 tons, which is 15 times heavier than the Naro, and can fly to a maximum altitude of 700 km, or more than twice as high as the predecessor. At present, only the U.S., Russia, France, Japan, China and India are capable of launching a rocket carrying a satellite weighing more than a ton. Thursday's failure to accomplish the whole mission should not discourage anyone working on the space program. The success rate of the first rocket launches is only around 30 percent, so by any count Korea did exceptionally well. Now work begins on discovering why the third-stage engine cut out and the dummy satellite lost propulsion, so that the second launch next May can be a success. Advanced countries have already begun an era of private space travel that drastically cuts costs through the use of reusable launch vehicles. This is a very difficult technology to master, but Korea too should get to work it. The space program will not only secure future technology but also strengthen the country's defense capabilities. Space is turning into a battleground between the U.S. and China, and a new space race is just around the corner. Although Korea lags far behind, the government must provide active support so that budding scientists can delve into the space industry and create companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin. If they meet the challenge, Korean companies will be able to shine in the aerospace industry just as they have done in the semiconductor and shipbuilding sectors. IBLAC members contribute wisdom for Shanghais future By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2021-10-22 19:22 I am very pleased to integrate into this community [of IBLAC] of global leaders and interact with the municipality of Shanghai, to make sure we share our views regarding the challenges and solutions which can be developed to make Shanghai a leading city in the world, said Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, chairman of ENGIE, during the 33rd meeting of the International Business Leaders Advisory Council (IBLAC). At the meeting, 40 global business leaders shared their insights and pitched ideas for the development of Shanghai. With a favorable location and a distinct oriental flavor, Shanghai has attracted a lot of foreigners. It mixes very well the Chinese root, the Chinese culture, but also some Western flavor. This is probably what makes Shanghai a unique place to work, commented Jean-Pierre Clamadieu. I used to describe Shanghai as the New York of China, but maybe I should call New York the Shanghai of America, said Sir Martin Sorrel, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital PLC. His connection with the International Business Leaders Advisory Council (IBLAC) dates back to 30 years ago and he enjoyed those years when he was chairman of the Council, so his affinity with Shanghai goes a very long way. Over the past three decades, Ive witnessed the growth and transformation of Shanghai and China. Im delighted to see that despite the pandemic, Shanghai has met its goals in the 13th Five-Year plan. The city is not just continuing to grow and becoming more commercially important, but it is extremely safe and public health is at a high level. So, Shanghai has emerged, or is emerging, from the pandemic in a strong and successful state, added Sir Sorrel. In addition to that, Shanghai has been improving in a number of things: the financial sector, the regulations and the rule of law, the credit facilities and the capital markets. That explains to a large degree why many multinational companies are looking at Shanghai as a center for their Chinese operations but also for APAC and the region as a whole. Across several matrixes, such as smartphone penetration, online retail penetration, O2O penetration, number and importance of digital native insurgent brands, China is at the forefront of digitalization really around the world, said Orit Gadiesh, chairman of Bain & Company. As she also said, digital talent is probably the most critical element in an organization going through digitalization. As Shanghai is home to some top universities and top talents in the country, it is an ideal location for large organizations. No one can ignore Shanghais economic strength in China, in Asia and even in the world. Shanghai itself presents opportunities for our core businesses and as a risk transfer specialist, said Sergio Ermotti, chairman of Swiss Re Group. Swiss Re Group believes that a well-defined global-facing insurance and re-insurance market are vital for a sustainable and resilient future for Shanghai, so the re-insurance sector can contribute to Chinas and Shanghais net-zero [greenhouse-gas] emission targets by participating in sustainable long-term infrastructure investments. For Shriti Vadera, chair of Prudential Plc, Shanghai is one of her favorite cities around the world. According to her, the city connects international investors to China and Chinese investors to the world, and a key part of this will be green finance. Shanghais new development paradigm aims to support China in reaching its target for net carbon neutrality by 2060 and peak carbon emissions by 2030, noted Shriti Vadera. This requires the government and the regulators to work together with financial market participants to ensure the capital markets are able and incentivized to drive the transition to a new economy. Choosing Shanghai is choosing a brighter future, said Jean-Paul Agon, chairman and CEO of L'Oreal. As he said, L'Oreal is keen to contribute to setting the city as a new global benchmark for consumption for good and a strategic center of dual circulation, encouraging green economy, and co-creating an innovative beauty eco-system. As Robert (Bob) E. Moritz, global chairman of PwC, looks forward, Shanghai has a great opportunity. In his words, the more Shanghai is seen as a sustainable city, with investors, supply chains, employees, and citizens embracing the idea of decarbonization and creating opportunities for a cleaner supply chain, the more talents, investment and companies will be attracted here. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. A major meeting of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) board recently culminated in a concrete step toward alleviating local traffic around the I-93/I-95 interchange. PRESS RELEASE 12500 N.E. Tenth Place Bellevue, WA 98005 JPFO.org 800-869-1884 info@jpfo.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct 22, 2021 Contact: Floyd Neeland Bearing arms encourages real responsibility, is a net benefit to society The Bill of Rights once again proves more valuable than many people realize One drawback of the mass media's overt bias and lack of objectivity is the negative cast it puts on gun ownerswomen, people of color, poor people, disadvantaged of every description, in fact, all good decent citizens who choose to exercise their natural right to be legally armed. By refusing to report on all the good that guns docrimes stopped, lives saved, rapes preventedAmericans have lost a critical perspective. People who bear arms are far safer and more judicious than the general gunless population. It's true. The enormous responsibility of owning and bearing arms, even without a lot of formal training, forces these citizens to take crime-avoidance steps, act responsibly, treat arms with the respect they deserve, learn more about the vast social utility of firearms and stay on the good side of the law. Gunless people in contrast, often harboring blind terrifying untreated medical-level fear of firearms, act irrationally about weapons and people who exercise their rights. In a comfortable halo of ignorance and exposure, they have a net deleterious effect on the social fabric. They quell their fears by attacking people who exercise civil rights, push for unconstitutional laws, and most of all, have zero concept of gun safety. With schools refusing to teach that, and pushing an agenda of helpless disarmament, they hurt the very heart of our nation. Gunless people are dangerous, more dangerous that those who are armed and help deter crime and incivility. Statistics bear this out. Citizens justifiably shoot more criminals in the act than police. The public, true first responders, are at the scene when it happens, instead of responding later to pick up the pieces. Real heroes, moms and dads and even kids, are all around us, but this is hidden by hoplophobic mass media. That will and must change. ##### You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Donald Trump was desperate to star in 'Dynasty', according to Dame Joan Collins. The 88-year-old actress starred as Alexis Colby in the hit TV series, and she's revealed that the former US President did everything he could to join the cast. She told 'The Jonathan Ross Show': "He pretended to be [taken with me] - I don't think he was. "I was a great friend of [his ex-wife] Ivana's. Then he called up one of the producers from 'Dynasty' and said, 'I want to be in 'Dynasty'.' He said, 'I'm sorry we're all cast.' Trump said, 'But, I am 'Dynasty'!' And he said, 'No you're not. We have all these other people.' "Trump said, 'Look, I'd be great to play one of Alexis's lovers.' He said, 'I think those parts there was a few! have been cast.' A few weeks later, [the producer] spread this story around Hollywood, he [Trump] denied it. Trump said, 'I would not want to be Joan Collins' lover on or off screen.' Which I thought was rather rude!" Joan starred on the hit show between 1981 and 1989, and previously admitted to loving the role. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute The actress also confessed to knowing nothing about the soap before the idea was put to her. She shared: "First of all, Id never heard of it. "My agent said, 'They want you to be in 'Dynasty',' and I said, 'What is that, a Chinese restaurant?' But I loved the role. "One of the only things that upset me about playing Alexis is that so many people thought that I was just like that. Even some of the cast would say, 'Oh, my God - that sounds so real. Did you really mean it when you yelled at me like that?' I said, 'No, darling. Its called acting.'" 'The Jonathan Ross Show' airs on Saturday (23.10.21) at 9.30pm on ITV and ITV Hub. Poultry production in the Corn Belt is still a relatively minor industry compared to beef and pork, but it is at least holding its own, and may even be on the move. I think its increasing, said John Bryan of the Poultry Federation. When Im talking to the Tyson fellows or Cargill, theyre expanding and people want to be growers. The federation represents growers and processors in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma. While layers and broilers are only a small part of the industry in the Midwest, turkey production is big business. According to USDAs National Agricultural Statistics Services, Missouri is fourth in turkey production, with 640 million pounds in 2018. Iowa is sixth with 477 million pounds. Indiana is third with 768 million pounds. The other I State has a much smaller footprint. We do have a turkey industry, said Ken Koelkebeck, a University of Illinois Extension educator who heads up the Illinois Poultry Industry. We raise about 5 million birds. That sounds like a lot, but compared to the rest of the industry its not. And broilers are basically a non-existent industry compared to Arkansas. Missouri ranks 12th in broiler production with about 290 million animals earning more than $800 million annually. Iowa and Illinois are not in the top 20. Nationally, poultry is big business. The industry contributes nearly $600 billion annually to the U.S. economy, according to the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association. That represents nearly 3% of the countrys gross domestic product. Two major turkey processing plants operate in Missouri in Carthage and the Moniteau County community of California. Bryan isnt aware of any new processing plants coming online. Theyre swamped right now getting ready for Thanksgiving, he said. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute Lack of processing is a major impediment in expanding the poultry industry in Illinois. ADM, through its MoorMan brand, launched a major turkey processing venture in Quincy about 20 years ago, but it lasted only a couple of years, according to Koelkebeck. The stumbling block in the turkey and broiler industry is that it is very expensive to build a processing plant, he said. The cost of a plant may be $30 million to $50 million, or whatever. That company ended up losing about a million dollars a day. Thats the problem in the meat-bird industry. Its more cost-effective to ship the grain to Arkansas and have that company ship back product to Chicago and St. Louis. Bryan pointed to the employment problem exacerbated by the pandemic. Like other meat processors, poultry plants are challenged when seeking workers. Right now its hard to get people to work, he said. I talked to the Cargill folks the other day at California, Missouri. Hes 99% full. Theyre all saying that $300 extra the government has been giving away kept everyone on the porch. The retro-ag trend has brought poultry production to the forefront in many areas as more niche farmers are getting into business. Koelkebeck said that in Illinois there is a concentration of independent growers in the Peoria-Morton area, along with a couple of USDA-inspected processing plants. About 40 farmers grow turkeys on contract for Perdue. The biggest contribution by the I States to the poultry industry may come from grain farmers. All the corn and soybeans we raise in the state is very important to the poultry industry because thats where they get their feed, Koelkebeck said. Thats 60% to 79% of the cost of production. Press Release October 22, 2021 De Lima calls DOJ matrix on 52 cases on drug war deaths as evasive theatrics, 'too little, too late'; says time has come for Duterte to face 'truth and consequences' Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima called the Department of Justice's (DOJ) recently-released matrix on 52 cases of drug war deaths as a desperate move to deflect public attention from the ongoing process of the International Criminal Court (ICC) involving Mr. Duterte. De Lima, a social justice and human rights champion, said the DOJ matrix is "too little, too late" and amounts to practically nothing. "Kung inaakala ng Malacanang na magagamit itong DOJ report para makalusot si Duterte sa kaniyang kaso sa ICC, nagkakamali sila. Lalo pa nitong ipinakita na walang ginawa ang administrasyon na ito upang pigilan ang malawakang pang-aabuso ng ating kapulisan sa ilalim ng madugong War on Drugs ni Duterte," she said in her Dispatch from Crame No. 1163. "The DOJ report on its investigation of the 52 cases submitted by the PNP-IAS looked at the cases separately and independently of each other. A glaring pattern was that the respondents used the 'nanlaban' defense, claiming that the victims used unlawful aggression to justify the killings. Then and now, we know it's a sham narrative," she added. It may be recalled that the ICC approved last Sept. 15 a formal probe into Duterte's signature anti-narcotics campaign, including the extra-judicial killings (EJKs) in Davao linked to the Davao Death Squad (DDS). Out of around 7,800 people killed by the police in anti-drug operations since 2016, the DOJ's review has examined only about 400 cases, releasing a matrix on 52 of these last Oct. 20. The matrix showed several lapses in protocols by the police, like skipping documents and tests, and, in some cases, "excessive force" by shooting a suspect 15 times. Notably, the Philippine National Police (PNP) was only willing to share the case folders of these cases because the PNP Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) had already established administrative liability in those cases. Instead of working with the Senate to come up with a solution to the contagion of EJKs, De Lima recalled how Duterte fabricated cases against her to stop her investigation and send a warning to those who would dare to continue it. De Lima was the very first to sound the alarm on EJKs being committed in the guise of Duterte's drug war, via her privilege speeches and Proposed Senate Resolution (PSR) No. 9, directing the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights to investigate the rampant summary executions of suspected criminals, which she filed last July 2016. "Simula pa lamang ng aking termino ay nag-ingay na ako sa nangyayaring malawakang patayan kung saan ang mga pulis ay pinapalabas lamang na nanlaban ang mga suspek upang pangatwiranan ang lantarang pagpatay. Kung maaga pa sana ay nakinig na ang mga kinauukulan sa ating babala, ilang libong buhay sana ang nailigtas natin mula sa karahasang nangyari," she said. She also submitted a communication to the Office of the Special Prosecutor of ICC last October 2017. If anything, De Lima maintained that the present Administration's accountability goes beyond just culpable inaction as Duterte actively promoted and exacerbated the killings by words and by deeds. "It's the Davao Death Squad (DDS) phenomenon all over again. He trivialized the killings, using his presidential platform to encourage more violence from the law enforcement units to ordinary citizens against whoever they want to label as drug fiends," said De Lima. "Too little, too late... This DOJ investigation is not meant to give justice to the family of the victims of EJK. It is a mere theatrical performance to avoid criminal liability and accountability on the part of the foremost culprit, and, ultimately, to forever deny these families true justice." "Barya-barya lang itong ginagawa ng DOJ. Neither the ICC nor the Filipino people will be fooled again. Panahon na para singilin lahat ng inutang na buhay ng 'War on Drugs' ni Duterte. The time for Duterte's delaying tactics and evasive theatrics to end has come. It is now time for truth and consequences," she added. Press Release October 22, 2021 Drilon takes up cudgels for unvaxxed workers Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon, a former labor secretary, took up the cudgels for workers who may not be allowed to report to work or whose wages may be withheld because they are not vaccinated. "Let us be more reasonable. Most of these workers are not yet vaccinated because there is no sufficient supply of vaccines. It is not their fault that the rollout of the COVID- 19 vaccination program is slow," Drilon said on Friday. Drilon pointed out that even Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. admitted that the government's vaccination program is facing logistical challenges and there are regions including Metro Manila that are still below the target vaccination rate of 70 percent of their eligible population. "In defense of workers who are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19, it is not their fault that there is no sufficient supply of vaccines. While an employer owning restaurants and establishments offering in-person services can require vaccination of its employees to comply with IATF guidelines and protect both the workers and customers going into these privately-owned establishments, it is unreasonable to terminate employment or withhold salary when the employee remains is unvaccinated through no fault of his own," Drilon stressed. Drilon called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to ensure that the IATF resolution will not be abused by employers owning restaurants and establishments that offer in-person services who may unreasonably terminate employees or unlawfully withhold their wages. "Let us not pass the burden on employees. Employers should facilitate the employees' vaccination if they can. They will get vaccinated once the vaccines are available. Until such time, let us be more reasonable and understanding of their situation," Drilon said. "The DOLE should not be rash in saying that the employer can resort to termination of employment in these cases. Termination of employment is the ultimate penalty that employers can impose. It should not be easily resorted to," he said. Drilon also cited Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III's statement that he will not favor a mandatory vaccination for all workers until we have a sufficient supply of vaccines. "I support Sec. Bello's statement that there should be no mandatory vaccination for all workers until we have addressed the supply side and the logistical challenges," Drilon said. The former labor secretary said that the employee can be placed on leave without pay until he is vaccinated. For those employees who were allowed to work despite not being vaccinated, Drilon reiterated that refusal to pay wages or salaries for work or service that has been rendered is illegal. "That is illegal. If work has been rendered, it is illegal to withhold salary regardless of the vaccination status of the worker," Drilon in response claims by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) that there are companies engaging in the so-called "now vaccine, no pay" scheme. He cited that Section 12 of Republic Act 11525 or The Covid-19 Vaccination Program clearly emphasized that "vaccine cards shall not be considered as an additional mandatory requirement for educational, employment, and other similar government transactions and processes." Press Release October 22, 2021 PRRD keeps promise to return coco levy funds to coconut farmers while Bong Go pushes for increased support for agriculture sector Senator Christopher "Bong" Go commended President Rodrigo Duterte for fulfilling his campaign promise to return the coconut levy fund to the nation's coconut farmers during a meeting by the Joint National and Regional Task Forces on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City, Quezon province on Thursday, October 21. During the meeting, President Duterte, Go, and other officials witnessed the handover of a copy of Republic Act No. 11524, also known as the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act, which provides for the creation of a trust fund for the country's coconut industry and its workers. The funds were recovered by the government nearly ten years ago after decades of litigation. "Napakatagal hinintay ito ng ating mga coconut farmers. Napakaraming administrasyon ang nagdaan at ngayon lang ito napirmahan. Patunay ito sa malasakit ni Tatay Digong sa ating mga magsasaka," said Go, who served as a co-author of the law in the Senate. "Malaki ang maitutulong nito sa tuluy-tuloy na paglago ng coconut industry ng Pilipinas na isa sa pinakamalaki sa mundo. Maiaangat din nito ang kalidad ng produksyon at pamumuhay ng ating mga magsasaka. Patuloy sana natin suportahan ang ating mga magsasaka at tulungan natin silang malampasan ang paghihirap na dulot ng pandemya dahil ang sektor na ito ang bubuhay sa ating bansa," he added. Go participated in the deliberations of the proposed measure in the Senate plenary. The bill was finally passed and signed by President Duterte on February 26. The new law specifically directs the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to craft the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan which will set the overall direction and policies for the development and rehabilitation of the industry within 50 years. The programs will cover such subject areas as the development of hybrid coconut seed farms; training and capacity building; scholarships; research, marketing, and promotion; crop insurance; empowerment of coconut farmer organization and their cooperatives; credit programs; infrastructure development; and a health and medical program for farmers and their families, among others. To finance the programs and projects to be implemented, the law mandates the Bureau of Treasury to transfer PhP10 billion to the trust fund in the first year; PhP10 billion in the second year; PhP15 billion in the third year; PhP15 billion in the fourth year; and PhP25 billion in the fifth year. The PCA is also reconstituted to ensure the participation of the coconut farmers in the crafting and implementation of the Plan. The composition of the PCA Board is amended to be composed of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Finance, Budget and Management, Science and Technology, and Trade and Industry; Administrator of the Authority; and three members of the coconut farmers sector to represent Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. A Trust Fund Management Committee will likewise be created to set the investment priorities and annual allocations of the Trust Fund and approve the financial requirements of the Designated Disposition Entities, which refer to the Land Bank of the Philippines, Social Security System and Government Service Insurance System, etc. As the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the senator once more called on the Department of Agriculture to increase access to training and financing opportunities for the agricultural workforce sector to address the issues of unemployment, poverty and unequal economic growth. "Marami pong nawalan ng trabaho at kabuhayan dahil sa krisis. Maraming mga Pilipino ang napilitang umuwi sa kanilang probinsya kung kaya't dapat bigyan natin sila ng oportunidad pang-livelihood na akma sa kanilang lugar," continued Go. "Karamihan ng ating probinsya ay agriculture-driven ang lokal na ekonomiya. Magiging primary source ng kabuhayan ang agrikultura ng mga magbabalik probinsya kaya palakasin pa natin ang mga programang pwedeng magturo at sumuporta sa mga nais magsaka, mangisda, at iba pang kabuhayang pang-agrikultura," he appealed. The meeting was also attended by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Department of Public Works and Highways Acting Secretary Roger Mercado, 2nd District Representative David Suarez, Governor Danilo Suarez, and Sariaya Mayor Marcelo Gayeta, among others. Earlier that day, Go also joined President Duterte in witnessing the inauguration of the Sariaya By-Pass Road in the same city. Running an estimated length of 7.4 kilometers, the road project begins at the Manila South Road - Daang Maharlika Road and ends at the Quezon Eco-Tourism Road. It lessens the traffic volume in the Daang Maharlika by a significant 70%, benefits at least 15,000 daily commuters and reduces the travel time from Sariaya to Lucena City from 45 minutes to 10 minutes. Press Release October 22, 2021 Gordon welcomes gov't findings on 'false positive' COVID-10 test cases Senator Richard J. Gordon today welcomed the result of the investigation by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) on the reported 48 "false positive" patients tested at the laboratory clinic of Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chapter in Subic. Gordon said it has always been clear that the accusation levelled against PRC, which he chairs, is meant to distract him from the Senate investigation into the alleged corruption in the government procurement contracts for COVID-19 response. "We commend the RITM for its objectivity in conducting its investigation. Clearly, the accusation of 'false positive' cases in PRC's testing was just used to cast doubt on the integrity of the PRC and to distract the Senate investigation," he said. Last Sept. 21, Mr. Duterte ordered Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to investigate a complaint that 44 of 49 fully-vaccinated health personnel tested positive for COVID-19 after taking their first RT-PCR test at PRC's laboratory clinic in Subic. However, in a letter sent to PRC last Oct. 13, Health Assistant Secretary Nestor Santiago Jr. maintained that the investigation he conducted found no evidence of contamination for the 48 cases tested by PRC and their results were found valid and reliable. In his 28-page report, he also affirmed that there was no evidence found to suggest that there was a contamination of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to the 48 samples, where 45 tested positive. He also added that PRC-Subic passed the proficiency test conducted by the government investigative panel, obtaining a 100 percent score since the laboratory followed all procedures expected of them. According to him, the negative results in a re-test three days later in another laboratory might be due to the natural decline in detectability of the virus. Gordon, however, lamented how some officials, including Mr. Duterte's allies at the House of Representatives, were quick to make wild accusation and jump into hasty conclusion in order to gain brownie points for their political patrons. "The PRC has conducted more than 4.6 million tests since March 2020 and has led in saving thousands of lives for early detection of this deadly virus through the assistance of our 14 molecular laboratories," he said. "I thank the hardworking volunteers of PRC, especially our laboratory technicians and medical technologists for their conscientious performance of their duties despite the daily risks to their lives and that of their families," he added. To date, the PRC, the country's premier humanitarian organization, has conducted more than four million swab and saliva tests, which is 21 percent of the COVID-19 tests conducted in the entire country. During the initial months of the pandemic in March 2020, the government has asked PRC to establish the molecular laboratories across the country to address the backlog of testing to stem the further spread of the new coronavirus. Apart from the 14 molecular laboratories it has established, PRC has also assisted the government vaccination program through its Bakuna centers and Bakuna buses, vaccinating over 332,271 doses and having 134,669 people fully vaccinated. It has also served 4,101 patients in its isolation facilities, while 51,723 patients were provided medical care in its emergency field hospitals and medical tents. PRC has provided poor families with hot meals through its Hot Meals on Wheels program as it continues to aid and comfort those people who have been affected by disasters, the most recent was those hit by tropical storm Maring. Pangilinan: Pharmally conspiracy cost billions of public funds, caused loss of jobs, lives THE apparent conspiracy involving the company Pharmally and some government officials has cost billions of public funds, loss of jobs and lives, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said Friday. "Napakalungkot dahil nga habang maraming namamatay, nagkakasakit, at walang maliwanag o sustained na support sa ating frontliners, eto ang nangyayari," Pangilinan said in a media interview. "Clearly, there was conspiracy to defraud government of billions of pesos worth of COVID funds," he said. The opposition leader and aspiring vice president highlighted the many criminal charges Pharmally executives and government conspirators will have to face following the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation. The Senate committee earlier this week released its preliminary report recommending charges versus Michael Yang, Pharmally executives, and officials from the Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service (PS-DBM). "Unang-una, ang ating mga batas sa procurement, hindi sinunod. Violation of our procurement laws, even Bayanihan I and Bayanihan II laws. Anti-graft laws din and plunder cases kasi giving unwarranted benefits sa isang kompanya that has caused injury to the government," Pangilinan said, noting also criminal negligence for testing kits that have expired in storage. "Nag-expire sa kanilang mga storage facilities habang kulang na kulang ang testing. Ginastos natin ang kalahating bilyon tapos tinapon lang natin dahil nag-expire na," he said. It was Pangilinan who revealed purchases of testing kits that were left to expire or were purchased near-expiry in direct violation of PS-DBM's own technical requirements. These deals potentially cost the public P1.25 billion by paying in full for COVID test kits that are near-expiry, and P550 million for test kits that have expired. With local jobs lost reaching 25,000 by failing to support local manufacturing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), Pangilinan said that the government has favored Pharmally over and above. "Mga kompanyang foreign na para bagang showing that they are above Philippine laws by refusing or failing to pay taxes sa mga transaction nila. Ni walang permit to operate at wala nang business permit... Inuna yung mga foreigners, yung imported na mga produkto kesa sa mga local," he said. While Malacanang continues to deny allegations of overpricing and violation of contracts, the Commission on Audit launched a special audit on the government deals with Pharmally. As of October 21, COVID death toll has reached 41,237. Press Release October 22, 2021 Poe seeks suspension of excise tax on gas, diesel Sen. Grace Poe urged Malacanang to consider temporarily suspending the collection of excise tax on gasoline and diesel to ease the burden of rising oil prices on jeepney drivers, delivery riders and those transporting farmers' harvests to the market. The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law passed in 2017 imposed excise tax on petroleum products beginning 2018. The excise tax on diesel started at P2.50 per liter in January 2018, increased to P4.50 in Jan. 1, 2019, and to P6 per liter in Jan. 1, 2020. For gasoline, the excise tax was at P8 per liter in January 2018, went up to P9 in January 2019 and to P10 per liter in January 2020. "Domestic oil prices have been increasing for eight consecutive weeks. The government can alleviate this heavy burden by suspending the collection of the excise tax for now," Poe said. Food and transportation account for a big chunk of spending by majority of Filipinos. "Suspending the excise tax on fuel meantime will help stave off hunger, assist PUV drivers and delivery riders, and bring down the cost of transporting goods," Poe said. If we can lower the income taxes of companies that rake in millions in earnings, temporarily suspending the collection of excise taxes on fuel products should not be that difficult. According to budget documents, excise tax collection from fuels and oils amounted to P42.7 billion in 2019 and was programmed to amount to P41.6 billion in 2020. It is projected to amount to P47.9 billion this year. Income tax collection from companies and enterprises amounted to P586.16 billion in 2019 and was programmed at P329.89 billion in 2020. It is projected to amount to P304.83 billion this year. Poe cited that the government had also lowered tariffs on pork and rice this year even if the farmers and hog raisers begged it not to because it will wipe out their livelihood. "If the Department of Finance can move for the lowering of tariffs to bring down the price of pork and rice, it should also move for the suspension of excise tax on fuels in looking after the most vulnerable," Poe said. _______________________________________________ [FILIPINO TRANSLATION] Poe, nanawagan sa Palasyong suspindehin ang excise tax sa gas, diesel Nanawagan ni Sen. Grace Poe sa Malacanang na ikonsidera ang pagsususpinde ng koleksyon sa excise tax sa gasolina at diesel para mabawasan ang pahirap sa mga tsuper ng jeep, delivery rider, at sa mga nagbibiyahe ng ani ng mga magsasaka sa palengke sa gitna ng patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng langis. Naipasa ang Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law noong 2017 na nagpapatong ng excise tax sa mga produktong petrolyo umpisa noong 2018. Nagsimula ang excise tax sa diesel sa P2.50 kada litro noong Enero 2018, tumaas sa P4.50 noong Enero 1, 2019, at sa P6 kada litro noong Enero 1, 2020. Para sa gasolina, nag-umpisa ang excise tax sa P8 kada litro noong Enero 2018, tumaas sa P9 noong Enero 2019, at sa P10 kada litro noong Enero 2020. "Patuloy ang pagtaas ng presyo ng langis sa walong magkakasunod na linggo. Mapapababa ng pamahalaan ang pabigat na ito sa ating mga kababayan sa pamamagitan ng pagsuspinde sa koleksyon ng excise tax sa ngayon," saad ni Poe. Nabatid na pinakamalaking gastusin ng mga Pilipino ay nakalaan sa pagkain at transportasyon. "Makakatulong ang suspensyon ng excise tax sa petrolyo sa paglaban sa gutom, pagtulong sa mga PUV driver at delivery rider at pagbiyahe ng mga produkto," ayon pa kay Poe. Kung napababa natin ang income tax ng mga kumpanyang kumikita ng milyun-milyon, dapat hindi maging mahirap ang pansamantalang pagsuspinde sa koleksyon ng excise tax sa produktong petrolyo. Base sa mga budget document, ang koleksyon sa excise tax sa petrolyo at langis ay umabot sa P42.7 bilyon noong 2019 at nakaprograma na umabot sa P41.6 bilyon noong 2020. Nakikita na aabot ito sa P47.9 bilyon ngayong taon. Ang koleksyon sa income tax mula sa mga kumpanya at enterprise ay umabot sa P586.16 bilyon noong 2019 at nakaprogramang maging P329.89 bilyon noong 2020. Inaasahan na aabot ito sa P304.83 bilyon ngayong taon. Sinabi pa ni Poe na binabaan rin ng pamahalaan ang taripa sa karne ng baboy at bigas ngayong taon sa kabila ng pagmamakaawa ng mga magsasaka na huwag itong gawin dahil mawawalan sila ng kabuhayan. "Kung ang Department of Finance ay nagawang ibaba ang taripa para mabawasan ang presyo ng karne ng baboy at bigas, dapat kumilos rin sila sa suspensyon ng excise tax sa petrolyo para sa kapakanan ng mga pinakaapektadong mamamayan," giit ni Poe. Your browser does not support the video tag. Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Notice body President Biden issued Executive Order 14042 on Sept. 9, 2021, requiring that federal contractors provide adequate COVID-19 safeguards for their workforce. The Order and the subsequent Sept. 24 Guidance outline the broad applicability and scope of required workplace safety protocols for a federal contractors workforce. One of the workplace safety protocols included in the federal requirement is COVID-19 vaccination of covered contractor employees. As a public research institution, Auburn is among hundreds of U.S. universities considered to be federal contractors. Currently, Auburn maintains approximately $200 million in federal contracts that are expected to be impacted by this Order, including contracts with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), among others. Federal contracts are also a major revenue source for communities across Alabamathis is one way tax dollars paid to the federal government come back to the state to benefit all Alabamians. In fiscal year 2020, Alabama contractors were awarded approximately $12 billion from 98,147 federal contracts or subcontracts. Auburn Universitys mission includes a commitment to improving the lives of the people of Alabama through life-enhancing research. To sustain and advance the universitys research enterprise, Auburn is compelled to comply with the Executive Order and the Guidance to the extent that those have been incorporated into our federal contracts. Those contracts include the requirement that covered employees be vaccinated for COVID-19. To ensure that Auburn can certify compliance with current and future federal contracts, the universitys vaccine policy has been modified to require that all Auburn employees must be fully vaccinated no later than Dec. 8, 2021, except in limited circumstances where an employee is legally entitled to a medical or religious accommodation. An individual is fully vaccinated two weeks after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series, or two weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine. This policy applies to all full-time and part-time employees (including those working remotely), undergraduate and graduate student employees and TES employees at Auburn University, Auburn University at Montgomery, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Employees who are not already fully vaccinated will need to start the vaccination process by the dates listed below to be able to achieve full vaccination by the Dec. 8 deadline. Moderna: First dose by Oct. 27, 2021, and second dose by Nov. 24, 2021. Pfizer: First dose by Nov. 3, 2021, and second dose by Nov. 24, 2021. Johnson & Johnson: Dose needed by Nov. 24, 2021. By Dec. 8, all employees must submit proof of full vaccination or receive an exemption. Failure to comply with this policy constitutes a Group I offense. Employees who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8, 2021, are subject to termination, in accordance with applicable university policies. Further guidance and more information, including FAQs, are available on the COVID-19 Resource Center website. Hello, we are Bulgarian company and we are looking to buy 3 trucks pellets for Bulgaria. Please send me your offer - price EXW. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Termination of bankruptcy proceedings against ex-Promsvyazbank owners wife upheld RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 11:04 22/10/2021 MOSCOW, October 22 (RAPSI) The Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals has dismissed a motion of PJSC Promsvyazbank (PSB) seeking to terminate the bankruptcy proceedings against the wife of the former owner of the bank Dmitry Ananyev, Lyudmila, the court records read. The Moscow Commercial Court on September 9 ruled that the PSB's petition lacked grounds and terminated the proceedings. The bank indicated that Ananyeva had not yet paid it 17.3 million rubles (about $250,000); however, the respondent could provide evidence that the said debt was paid. The Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals declared Ananyev bankrupt on June 15, 2020 at the request of Nastyusha Grain Company, and a debt restructuring procedure was introduced with respect of that person The board of appeals canceled the determination of a first instance court of November 25, 2019, by which the proceedings on the banker's insolvency sought by the company were terminated. In also worth noting that in September 2019, the Russian Supreme Court dismissed Ananyevs move to cancel the decision on the initiation of the respective bankruptcy case. Earlier, in June 2019, the Moscow Commercial Court dismissed a request to seize Ananyevs property worth 2.8 billion rubles ($36 million) when examining his bankruptcy case. At that time the court established that the applicant had not presented evidence proving that the failure to take interim measures could complicate or make impossible the execution of the respective judicial act. However, on May 29, 2019, the Moscow Commercial Court satisfied an application of Promsvyazbank seeking to seize the property of the former owners of the bank, Alexey and Dmitry Ananyevs, in the amount of 282.2 billion rubles ($3.6 billion) in the framework of a claim to recover losses in the amount of 282.2 billion rubles from twelve former top managers of the bank. On December 15, 2017, the Central Bank of Russia introduced a temporary administration for the management of Promsvyazbank. The functions of the provisional administration were entrusted to the Management Company of the Banking Sector Consolidation Fund. As a measure aimed at improving the financial stability of the bank and ensuring the continuity of its activities in the banking services market, it is planned that the Central Bank will participate as an investor using the funds of the Banking Sector Consolidation Fund. In October 2019 the Moscow City Court upheld the arrest of Alexey and Dmitry Ananyevs in absentia in a criminal case over embezzlement on an especially large scale, as the press service of the court informed RAPSI. Probe into ex-Khabarovsk Governor Furgal completed Russian Investigative Committee RAPSI, Eugeny Varlamov 17:49 22/10/2021 MOSCOW, October 22 (RAPSI) The Russian Investigative Committee has completed the investigation of the criminal case against ex-Governor of the Khabarovsk Krai Sergey Furgal, who stands charged with organizing murders, the press service of the body informs on Friday. Investigators could collect a sufficient evidence base, established all the circumstances of the crime committed, carried out the necessary examinations. The criminal case is ready to be transferred to courts if such a decision is approved, the Committee said in its statement. Furgal was charged with committing such crimes as attempted murder of two or more persons committed by an organized group, murder of two or more persons committed by an organized group, and illegal acquisition, storage, carrying of firearms, ammunition and explosive devices. According to investigators, Furgal is the organizer of a criminal group that attempted the murder of Alexander Smolsky, Yevgeny Zorya, and Oleg Bulatov in 2004-2005. It is alleged that the decisions to commit the murders were made in order to promote commercial interests of Furgal and his accomplices. The involvement of Furgal and other members of an organized criminal group in murders and attempted murders is confirmed by numerous testimonies of victims, witnesses and the charged persons themselves, the conclusions of forensic examinations, as well as other evidence in its entirety, the statement reads. According to the Investigative Committee, the other members of this organized group, Nikolay Mistryukov, Marat Kadyrov, Andrey Karepov, Andrey Paley, were charged depending on the degree of participation and the roles assigned to each of them in especially grave crimes. Russian Civic Chamber member urges legal ban on public campaigning against vaccination Moskva city news agency, Igor Ivanko 13:17 22/10/2021 MOSCOW, October 22 (RAPSI) People engaged in public campaigning against COVID-19 vaccination must be held accountable before the law, Deputy Chair of the Civic Chamber Commission on Demography, Protection of Family, Children and Traditional Family Values Pavel Pozhigailo believes. In the opinion of the civic activist, in the case where a person publicly, through the media, starts campaigning against vaccination, such a person violates the law. If the legislation does not envisage that such a campaigning is a violation, lawmakers need to fill the gap by adopting measures permitting to punish such people. From the point of view of the state, calls against vaccination are akin to terrorism, Pozhigailo told RAPSI. The expert believes that in emergency situations the state has the right to take a very tough and sometimes very tough position. Pozhigailo lamented that at present certain groups of people are beginning to employ anti-vaccination views as a means to usurp the functions of the state and even, in his mind, to start a rebellion or revolution. The civic activist alleged that the current anti-vaccination campaign is far from normally expected public reaction to the pandemic. The Civic Chamber member also said he sees ulterior motives, like gaining personal popularity, of those engaged in the anti-vaccination campaigning. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on October 22, 2021 2021/10/22 Reuters: US leader said when asked if the US would come to the defense of Taiwan that the US has a commitment to do so. The White House later said there is no change in US policy on Taiwan. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affairs that allow no foreign interference. On issues that bear on China's sovereignty, territorial integrity and other core interests, no one shall expect China to make any compromise or trade-offs. No one should underestimate the resolve, the will and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Do not stand on the opposite side of the 1.4 billion people. We urge the US to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and stipulations in the three China-US joint communiques, be prudent with its words and actions on the Taiwan question, and avoid sending wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, lest it should seriously damage China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Xinhua News Agency: Would you share more information on the Conference Marking the 50th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Lawful Seat of the PRC in the UN? Wang Wenbin: This year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the China in the UN. Over the past 50 years, China has been upholding the banner of multilateralism, firmly defending the UN-centered international system, the international order underpinned by international law, and the central role of the UN in international affairs. For 50 years, China has deeply engaged in the cause of the UN, safeguarded world peace, promoted common development and continuously expanded cooperation with the UN. With a view to reviewing the glorious journey of China has travelled with the UN, taking stock of valuable experiences of China's participation in global governance reform and development, and starting a new course of cooperation between China and the UN, China will host the Conference Marking the 50th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Lawful Seat of the PRC in the UN in Beijing on October 25, and President Xi Jinping will attend and deliver important remarks at the conference. Representatives from relevant sectors in China, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, diplomatic envoys and representatives of international organizations in China will physically and virtually attend the meeting upon invitation. TASS: Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that "unlike NATO countries, we are not creating any closed military alliance or any military bloc between Russia and China. There are no grounds for such a conversation". Do you have any comments on this? Wang Wenbin: We highly appreciate President Putin's positive remarks on China-Russia relations at the plenary session of the annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia. During the past two decades, the two sides, under the leadership of our heads of state, have always worked to develop long-term good-neighborliness and mutually-beneficial cooperative relationship on the basis of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third countries. Our two countries have always been advocates of world peace, contributors to global development and defenders of international order, setting an example for a new type of international relations. China and Russia are not allies but closer than allies. The world belongs to people in all countries. The difficulties and challenges facing the world need to be addressed by all together. It is the overriding trend and people's aspiration to have openness rather than isolation, cooperation rather than confrontation, win-win results rather than zero-sum games. China stands ready to join hands with Russia and the rest of the international community to practice the philosophy of win-win cooperation, foster a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, equity, justice and win-win cooperation, advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and compose a new chapter of international relations for the 21st century. China News Service: We noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a position paper on China-UN cooperation today. Could you provide more information? Wang Wenbin: This year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the PRC in the UN. Over the past 50 years, China has always upheld multilateralism and insisted that international affairs should be handled with the consultation of all stakeholders and that the future of the world should be decided jointly by all countries. We've always firmly rejected unilateralism, protectionism and bullying practices as well as pseudo-multilateralism in all its manifestations. We've always worked actively for reform and improvement of the global governance system to make it more just and equitable. We've always made development a top priority, stayed committed to a people-centered development philosophy, and endeavored to build a global community of development with a shared future. The world is undergoing profound changes, with the world economy experiencing an arduous recovery due to incessant waves of COVID-19 outbreaks. In the meantime, peace and development remain the trend of our times. There is an overwhelming call in the international community to uphold multilateralism, strengthen solidarity and cooperation and jointly meet challenges. The position paper on China-UN cooperation exemplifies China's outstanding contribution to UN's work in various fields in the past 50 years. It also sets forth China's positions and propositions on important international issues such as upholding multilateralism, promoting global development and rallying against the epidemic. Looking ahead, China is ready to work with other countries to build the UN into a core platform for all countries to jointly safeguard security for all, share development achievements and decide on the future of the world. China will continue to practice true multilateralism, be an advocate of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of international order, and a provider of public goods. We will shoulder our responsibility to safeguard the common interests of human development and progress, and make unremitting efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind. CCTV: On October 21, the first foreign ministers' meeting of China and Pacific Island Countries was held via video link. Can you share more on the outcomes and what's your comment on cooperation between China and Pacific Island Countries? Wang Wenbin: Yesterday, the first foreign ministers' meeting of China and Pacific Island Countries was held via video link and was chaired by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. President and Foreign Minister Taneti Maamau of Kiribati, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama of Fiji, Prime Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa of Tonga, Premier and Foreign Minister Dalton Tagelagi of Niue, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Soroi Eoe of Papua New Guinea, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade Marc Ati of Vanuatu, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Kandhi Elieisar of Federated States of Micronesia and Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Jeremiah Manele of Solomon Islands, representative of Samoa's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Strickland and Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Henry Puna attended the meeting. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out that the deepening relationship between China and Pacific Island Countries is enabled by mutual respect and equal treatment, the joint fight against challenges, win-win cooperation and common development as well as mutual understanding and mutual learning. The relations have set an example of friendly exchanges, solidarity and cooperation for countries in different regions, of different sizes and with different systems. Representatives of the Pacific Island Countries at the meeting thanked China for its selfless help and support for the development of Pacific Island Countries for a long time. They expressed their support for the Global Development Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping, and their hope for strengthening exchanges on governance with China, deepening Belt and Road cooperation, enhancing solidarity in fighting COVID-19, and stepping up communication and coordination on multilateralism, climate change and other global issues, so as to jointly defend common interests of developing countries. Six-point consensus was reached at the meeting. First, we need to enhance mutual trust and continue to understand and support one another on the issues concerning each other's core interests. Second, we need to continue enhancing anti-pandemic cooperation, ensuring people's health and safety, and achieving complete victory over the pandemic together. Third, we need to support the Global Development Initiative, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and promote shared development and revitalization. Fourth, we need to work together to tackle global challenges, and expand and deepen cooperation on climate change, marine environment protection and other issues. Fifth, we need to uphold and practice multilateralism, and safeguard the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on international law. Sixth, we need to establish a regular meeting mechanism of China-Pacific Island Countries foreign ministers and promote the long-term and steady operation of the mechanism. Concrete outcomes were achieved at the meeting, which include the establishment of a China-Pacific Island Countries reserve of emergency supplies, a poverty reduction and development cooperation center, and climate action cooperation center as well as the convening of a China-Pacific Island Countries fisheries cooperation and development forum. The meeting also put forth and focused on the discharge of the nuclear contaminated water, and reiterated the commitment to maintaining the international non-proliferation system and the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone. After the meeting, the Joint Statement of China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting was published. Looking ahead, China is ready to continue close communication with Pacific Island Countries, cooperate in good faith, and jointly build a closer comprehensive strategic partnership to deliver more benefits to the people and create new highlights in regional cooperation. Bloomberg: The US is aiming for a video conference between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping in November, according to reports. Can you give an update on that? Wang Wenbin: My colleague has answered relevant questions. I have no further information to offer. Associated Press of Pakistan: On October 20, a spokesperson of the NDRC said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has made a significant progress as highways, technical training schools and power plants funded by China have been put into operation in Pakistan. Do you have any comment on it? Wang Wenbin: As you said, the press conference of the NDRC the other day shared the latest progress of CPEC. We are happy about what has been achieved. This is a reflection of China-Pakistan friendship and a vivid example of how Belt and Road promotes development and prosperity of countries concerned. China is ready to jointly implement the important consensus of leaders of the two countries, build CPEC into a model program of high-quality development under the Belt and Road Initiative, and contribute to building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era. CCTV: Arab states envoys just wrapped up an exchange tour to Qinghai. Do you have more on the visit? Wang Wenbin: From October 16 to 19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized an exchange tour for diplomatic envoys of Arab states to the beautiful province of Qinghai. Ambassadors, charge d'affaires and diplomats from 17 Arab states and the League of Arab States joined the trip. In Xunhua Salar Autonomous County, the delegation was invited to the homes of Muslim villagers for a chat and visited Ethnic Unity Exhibition Hall, Folk Culture Park, and Islamic Institute, seeing with their own eyes the harmonious coexistence of different ethnic groups, rural vitalization and development, and the fully protected freedom of religious belief in Qinghai. They learned in detail about the ecological and environmental protection in Qinghai and saw the achievements in ecological conservation and green development. They also learned through on-site visits about the inheritance and protection of the intangible cultural heritage Tibetan carpet. Second-hand knowledge is often not enough to convince people. Through the field trips, the envoys got a first-hand experience of the tremendous efforts Qinghai has made as well as the fruitful outcomes thus achieved in promoting green, innovative and livelihood-oriented development, enhancing ethnic solidarity and protecting the ecological environment. They all spoke highly of this, saying that many Arab states could emulate Qinghai's development experience and they look forward to strengthening exchange and mutual-learning and expanding practical cooperation with Qinghai. The delegation also commended China's ethnic and religious policies after having in-depth exchange with Muslim residents in Qinghai and noting their happy life of abundance and freedom of religious belief. In the future, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide more opportunities to foreign friends, including Arab envoys, to visit more Chinese localities so that they could get a panoramic and multidimensional view of the real China. In recent years, China-Arab relations have enjoyed robust development. Our solidarity in combating COVID-19 has been exemplary. China-Arab friendship between governments and peoples and at national and sub-national levels has been growing deeper and stronger. China stands ready to work together with Arab states to inherit and carry forward this friendship, jointly advance the BRI and deepen mutually-beneficial cooperation to deliver more benefits to the people. CRI: It is reported that 14 people died and many injured in Syria after a terrorist bomb attack of an army bus in Damascus on October 20 local time. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: The Chinese side strongly condemns this terrorist attack in Damascus. We mourn for the victims and express sympathy to the bereaved families and the injured. China opposes all forms of terrorism and support the Syrian government's counter-terrorism efforts. We will continue to work with the international community for an early restoration of peace, stability and lasting security. Anadolu Agency: Yesterday during the UN Third Committee meeting in New York, some Western countries said that there is oppression against and violation of human rights of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Do you have a comment on that? Wang Wenbin: Let me brief you on the meeting. On October 21, Cuba delivered a joint statement on behalf of 62 countries at the Third Committee of the 76th Session of United Nations General Assembly, stressing that issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet are China's internal affairs that brook no interference by any external forces and expressing support for China's implementation of One Country, Two Systems in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The joint statement emphasizes that the 62 countries oppose politicization of human rights and double standards, unfounded allegations against China out of political motivation and based on disinformation, and interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights. Besides, more than 30 countries voiced their support for China in their separate statements and sending joint letters. After the 48th session of the Human Rights Council, nearly 100 countries have once again spoken up for justice at the UN, voicing their explicit support for China's legitimate position, which fully shows that justice always prevails. A small number of Western countries, based on disinformation, rumors and lies, keep attacking and maligning China on issues relating to Xinjiang and other matters and interfering in China's domestic affairs with human rights as a disguise. China firmly rejects this. Our determination to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests is steadfast. Their plotting will come to nothing. We urge these countries to earnestly reflect upon their serious human rights issues at home, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and basic norms governing international relations, and contribute to the healthy development of the international human rights cause through concrete deeds. Global Times: The US has repeatedly expressed concerns over China's development of hypersonic missile technology. However, we noticed that the US Department of Defense said in a statement yesterday that the US successfully tested hypersonic weapon component prototypes and will conduct a flight test of the hypersonic missile in fiscal year 2022, which began on October 1. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: The US is the first country in the world to conduct the research and development of hypersonic weapons. It is now still developing and even spreading hypersonic missile technology and investing trillions of dollars to upgrade its "nuclear triad" force. We have noted that the US expressed concerns over China's normal spacecraft test and play up the "China threat" theory. Can the US explain to the international community what it intends to do with its development of hypersonic weapons? And for what reason does the US worry about others? Does that mean the international community has every reason to express concerns over US moves? We urge the US to fully respect other countries' right to develop normal defense capacity, and stop seeking military buildup by hyping up the so-called "military threat" of others. Shenzhen TV: On October 21, the US State Department issued a statement to express the concerns over the "continued erosion" of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong. The disqualification of some district councilors by Hong Kong authorities prevent people in Hong Kong from participating meaningfully in their own governance, the statement said. On the same day, the British Foreign Secretary said she was deeply concerned about the disqualification. Do you have any response? Wang Wenbin: The Hong Kong SAR government disqualified relevant district councilors in accordance with the Basic Law and relevant stipulations of the SAR. The decision is legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach. Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong and its affairs are purely China's internal affairs. No foreign country has the right to make irresponsible remarks on China's internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs. In fact, neither the US nor the UK has ever really cared about democracy and freedom in Hong Kong. During a century and a half of British colonial rule in Hong Kong, all 28 governors were appointed by the UK. There was no election or democracy in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong people never really enjoyed freedom. Since Hong Kong's return, its people have enjoyed unprecedented democratic rights and extensive freedoms. But the US and the UK scrambled to assume the role of "saviors". Instead of caring about the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people, what they are really up to is disrupting Hong Kong's rule of law, destabilizing the SAR and stirring up trouble there. Facts speak louder than words. Since the earnest implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong and the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong", the violent and chaotic situation in Hong Kong has been completely reversed, the lawful rights and freedoms of the Hong Kong people have been better protected, and Hong Kong's unique strengths and development potential have been fully demonstrated. China urges relevant countries and institutions to earnestly respect China's sovereignty and stop interfering in China's internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs. Beijing Youth Daily: On October 21, China and Pacific Island countries held a foreign ministers' meeting and released a joint statement, which called on relevant country to prudently handle the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea, and have full consultation with stakeholders and relevant international institutions. Can you share more information? Wang Wenbin: Just now, I shared some information about the first China-Pacific Island Countries foreign ministers' meeting. Let me also add that the two sides exchanged views on and expressed concerns over Japan's handling of nuclear contaminated water of Fukushima. The release of the joint statement fully shows the handling is not Japan's private matter, but a major international issue that bears on public health of Pacific-rim countries and global marine environment. The joint statement also sends a clear signal to Japan, which is China and Pacific Island Countries and other major stakeholders are highly concerned about Japan's plan to discharge Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea. We hope Japan can earnestly listen to the appeals of neighboring countries and the international community, prudently address the handling of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water in an open, transparent and responsible manner and refrain from starting the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea before reaching consensus with stakeholders and relevant international institutions. Hubei Media Group: It is reported that US, British and Australian officials made remarks on the AUKUS trilateral security partnership on October 21. They said that Australia joined AUKUS only to develop its own nuclear submarine capability and it does not, and will not use nuclear weapons. They said that AUKUS did not undermine the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and it was not a threat to regional peace. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: I noted that the US, the UK and Australia had to justify themselves in the face of the suspicion and opposition of regional countries and the international community over their trilateral security partnership. However, their feeble argument cannot address the concerns of regional countries and the wider international community. This Anglo-Saxon "clique" created by the three countries is a typical military bloc that smacks of obsolete Cold War zero-sum mentality. It is a reflection of the three countries' obsession with force, an extension of the US and the UK's nuclear deterrence policy, and a product of the US philosophy of "position of strength". The trilateral security partnership between the US, the UK and Australia is a stark reminder that the rules the three countries believe in are still the rules of the jungle where might is right. The US and the UK export nuclear submarines to Australia out of geopolitical and economic considerations. They did so in violation of the object and purpose of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), creating risks of the proliferation of nuclear materials and technology. Their moves have a huge impact on the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. This fully shows that the three countries are typical rules-breakers. The nuclear submarine cooperation between the US, the UK and Australia involves transferring weapons-grade uranium of over 90 percent fissile purity to Australia, which constitutes a grave nuclear proliferation risk and violates the object and purpose of the NPT. Besides, the US will also export Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads to Australia. The threat posed by such moves to regional peace and security is self-evident. The three countries couldn't just deny this and explain the threat away. The trilateral cooperation is also bound to undermine efforts to build a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ) in Southeast Asia. Where is their respect for ASEAN centrality? We once again urge the three countries to redress the mistake, abandon Cold War zero-sum mentality and stop putting together small cliques. They should uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation system and safeguard regional and world peace, stability and development, rather than the opposite. CNR: It is reported that the spokesperson of the Taiwan region's foreign affairs department said that the head of the agency Joseph Wu will visit the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Previously, China took countermeasures on Lithuania's announcement of allowing the Taiwan authorities to set up a "representative office" in the country under the name of Taiwan. Will China take countermeasures on the Czech Republic and Slovakia? Wang Wenbin: There is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. China is firmly resolved in upholding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We firmly oppose all forms of official interactions between the Taiwan region and countries having diplomatic ties with China. We are watching closely the visit of the relevant personnel in the Taiwan region and will take legitimate and necessary measures to firmly uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity. No one should be under any illusion about this. New images have revealed detailed clues about how the first stars and structures were formed in the Universe and suggest the formation of the Galaxy got off to a fitful start. An international team of astronomers from the University of Nottingham and Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB, CSIC-INTA) used data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), the so-called Frontier Fields, to locate and study some of the smallest faintest galaxies in the nearby universe. This has revealed the formation of the galaxy was likely to be fitful. The first results have just been published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS). One of the most interesting questions that astronomers have been trying to answer for decades is how and when the first galaxies formed. Concerning the how, one possibility is that the formation of the first stars within galaxies started at a steady pace, slowly building up a more and more massive system. Another possibility is that the formation was more violent and discontinuous, with intense, but short lived bursts of star formation triggered by events such as mergers and enhanced gas accretion. "Galaxy formation can be compared to a car", explains Pablo G. Perez-Gonzalez, one of the co-authors of the paper, affiliated to the Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB/CSIC-INTA) in Spain, and principal investigator of the international collaboration behind this study. "The first galaxies might have had a 'diesel' star-forming engine, slowly but continuously adding up new stars, without much acceleration and gently turning gas into relatively small stars for long periods of time. Or the formation could have been jerky, with bursts of star formation producing incredibly large stars that disrupt the galaxy and make it cease its activity for a while or even forever. Each scenario is linked to different processes, such as galaxy mergers or the influence of supermassive black holes, and they have an effect on when and how the carbon or oxygen, that are essential for our life, formed." Using the gravitational lensing power of some of the Universe's most massive galaxy clusters with the exceptional GTC data coming from a project entitled the Survey for high-z Red and Dead Sources (SHARDS) the astronomers searched for nearby analogs of the very first galaxies formed in the Universe, so that they could be studied in much more detail. Dr Alex Griffiths from the University Nottingham was one of the lead UK researchers on the study, he explains: "Until we have the new James Webb Space telescope, we cannot observe the first galaxies ever formed, they are just too faint. So we looked for similar beasts in the nearby Universe and we dissected them with the most powerful telescopes we currently have." The researchers combined the power of the most advanced telescopes, such as HST and GTC, with the aid of "natural telescopes". Professor Chris Conselice, from the University of Manchester is a co-author on the study, he said: "Some galaxies live in large groups, what we call clusters, which contain huge amounts of mass in the form of stars, but also gas and dark matter. Their mass is so large that they bend space-time, and act as natural telescopes. We call them gravitational lenses and they allow us to see faint and distant galaxies with enhanced brightness and at a higher spatial resolution". Observations of some of these massive clusters acting as gravitational telescopes is the base of the Frontier Field survey. The study showed that the formation of the galaxy was likely to be stop-start with bursts of activity followed by lulls. Dr Griffiths from the University of Nottingham said: "Our main result is that the start of galaxy formation is fitful, like a jerky car engine, with periods of enhanced star formation followed by sleepy intervals. It is unlikely that galaxy mergers have played a substantial role in the triggering of these bursts of star formation and it is more likely due to alternative causes that enhance gas accretion, we need to search for those alternatives. "We were able to find these objects due to the high quality SHARDS data coupled with imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope to detect hot gas heated by newly formed stars in very small galaxies. This hot gas emits in certain wavelengths, what we call emission lines, just as a neon light. Analysing these emission lines can provide an insight into the formation and evolution of a galaxy.". "The SHARDS Frontier Fields observations carried out with GTC have provided the deepest data ever taken for discovering dwarf galaxies through their emission lines, allowing us to identify systems with recently triggered star formation", adds Perez-Gonzalez, one of the co-authors of the paper and principal investigator of the GTC SHARDS Frontier Fields project. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. The uncrewed Russian Progress 78 spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station's Poisk module at 7:42 p.m. EDT today and will arrive at the station's Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module for redocking tomorrow. Progress 78 will back out to a distance of 120 miles from the space station for a period of just over 24 hours to allow for station keeping. The cargo spacecraft will then make an automated docking at 12:23 a.m. Friday, Oct. 22, to the new module. The maneuver will position Progress 78 to conduct leak checks of the Nauka module's propellent lines before they are used with the new module's thrusters for orientation control of the station. Progress 78 arrived at the station in July and will depart in late November. Life support, spacesuits and botany work filled Wednesday's schedule for the Expedition 66 crew aboard the International Space Station. The orbital residents are also gearing up for a Russian resupply ship backing away from the station tonight and switching docking ports just over a day later. Astronauts Megan McArthur of NASA and Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) were back in the Tranquility module today replacing components inside the oxygen generation system (OGS). The duo started the work on Tuesday flushing OGS parts of contaminants. They closed out the work today and reactivated the U.S. life support device. Commander Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency) spent the afternoon in the U.S. Quest airlock working on a U.S. spacesuit. The two-time space station resident verified the resized suit is fully functional ahead of an upcoming spacewalk planned for later this year. NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei serviced a pair of science freezers during the morning. Afterward, he cleaned debris around the Advanced Plant Habitat then photographed the condition of the botany research facility. Station Flight Engineer Shane Kimbrough of NASA, who is also commander of the SpaceX Crew-2 mission, is now packing cargo and turning his attention to early November's return to Earth of he and his Crew-2 crewmates McArthur, Hoshide and Pesquet aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour. On-Orbit Status Report Payloads: Plant Habitat-04: A crewmember removed plant litter (detritus) from the growth chamber and photographed the plants/peppers. Numerous healthy peppers have been reported and the crew has been watching the plants with interest. Microgravity Growth of New Mexico Hatch Green Chile as a Technical Display of Advanced Plant Habitat's Capabilities (Plant Habitat-04) demonstrates using the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) by growing peppers in space for the first time. An excellent source of Vitamin C, peppers are more difficult to cultivate than many possible space crops because they take longer to germinate, grow, and develop fruit. The investigation includes microbial analysis to improve understanding of plant-microbe interactions in space and assessment of flavor and texture, which vary based on the growth environment and care such as amount of watering. Polar-4: The crew inspected and took photos of the front sealing face of POLAR and the door seal to check for any damage or anomalies. Polar is a Cold Stowage managed facility that provides transport and storage of science samples at cryogenic temperatures (-80C) to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Polar operates on 75 W supplied power and uses air cooling as its heat rejection method. Polar can accommodate up to 12.75 liters of sample volume and 20 lbm including sample support equipment. Probiotics: The crew collected saliva samples and filled out an experiment questionnaire. Some species of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella grow stronger and more virulent in the microgravity environment of space. At the same time, the human immune system is weaker in space, leading to increased health risks. The objective of the Probiotics investigation is to study the impact of continuous consumption of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) on immune function and intestinal microbiota in astronauts in a closed microgravity environment. The results of this investigation may be used to support improvements in crew members' intestinal microbiota and their immune function on long-duration space missions. Space Automated Bioproduct Lab-4 (SABL-4): The crew performed an activation and checkout of SABL S/N 4 located in EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments for Space Station Racks (EXPRESS) Rack 8. SABL supports a wide variety of investigations in the life, physical and material sciences with a focus on supporting research of biological systems and processes. It has over 23 liters of temperature-controlled volume with LED lighting for scientific hardware and investigations. It can be fitted to provide 5% CO2 (or any required concentration of CO2) for cell cultures or other types of investigations and has two USB 2.0 ports and two Ethernet LAN connections. It also has switchable 28vdc and 5vdc power supplies for investigation use. SpaceDuino: The crew installed the SpaceDuino hardware in the Columbus module starboard endcone area, and then activated the investigation. SpaceDuino studies the technical capabilities and economic benefit of off-the-shelf hardware and open source software in microgravity. Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and other single board computers have increased in computational power, reliability, and availability while decreasing in cost. Paired with features such as low-voltage sensors and wireless communication, these systems can provide low-cost data acquisition and control, increasing opportunities for microgravity-based research and allowing for more efficient use of resources. Toilet: The crew checked the cover on the Toilet Conductivity Sensor inlet and outlet for any pretreated urine leaks and filled out a questionnaire. The Toilet System is an Exploration Tech Demo that has evolved into a permanent USOS system. The Toilet has the same basic design as the Orion Universal Waste Management System (UWMS). The Toilet System will be the primary WMS for USOS for up to 90-crew-days and interfaces with the Urine Transfer System (UTS) to allow concurrent WHC/Toilet operations. Touching Surfaces: The crew performed a periodic touching of the five Touch Arrays which are deployed in different locations in the US segment of ISS. Previous space research conducted during short-term flight experiments and long-term environmental monitoring on board orbiting space stations (such as MIR or the International Space Station) suggests that the relationship between humans and microbes is altered in the crewed habitat in space. This interdisciplinary project Touching Surfaces aims to investigate novel, laser-structured antimicrobial surfaces onboard the ISS. The realistic testing of the tailor-made nanostructured antimicrobial surface in space allows for the determination of the most suitable design for antimicrobial surfaces for terrestrial applications such as public transportation and clinical settings, as well as future human space mission and habitation design. Systems: Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) Checkout: Today, the crew performed a checkout of EMU 3004. This checkout is nominally completed to verify that the reassembled EMU is fully functional following the Hard Upper Torso (HUT) R&R that was completed last week. Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Hydrogen (H2) ORU R&R: The crew performed an R&R of the OGA H2 sensor and cleaned the associated Avionics Air Assembly (AAA) inlet. The H2 sensor R&R is a routine maintenance activity and is necessary due to the nominal degradation of the H2 sensor materials over time. Completed Task List Activities: None Today's Ground Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Mobile Servicing System (MSS) PowerUp Video Distribution Subsystem (VDS) Robotics Ground Configuration Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Walkoff to Lab PDGF Crew Dragon System Checkout Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Powerdown Look Ahead Plan Thursday, October 21 (GMT 294) Payloads: Actiwatch Plus setup/stow Advanced Nano Step CIR FOMA Calibration prep Food Acceptability JAXA Water Recovery system Gastrap module install Pilote science session Plasma Kristall-4 disk audit and experiment campaign fam RFID label apply SABL activation and checkout Soret Facet Cell removal Toilet Daily Questionnaire and photo survey VR headset troubleshooting Systems: EMU Resize KCU Cable Pin Fix OGA ORU Stow Friday, October 22 (GMT 295) Payloads: Actiwatch Plus setup/stow ELC1 shell swap Express Rack Bulb Replacement Food Physiology GITAI Node 3 valve open, camcorder setup and Hardware remove HRF GDS tank photo JAXA Mission data recorder HD replace NanoRacks Airlock temp stow replace RFID label apply Ring Sheared Drop-2 sample install Toilet Daily big picture word review, questionnaire, dose check, and leak check Systems: COL WOOV8 R&R N3 Endcone Stowage Replace NRAL Stowage Replace CASA Outfitting EVA HUT Stow Saturday, October 23 (GMT 296) Payloads: HRF urine setup LIDAL re-install (WOOV8 cleanup) MELFI icebrick insert Toilet daily questionnaire Systems: Crew Day-off Today's Planned Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Probiotics Saliva Operations Probiotics Saliva Sample MELFI Insertion Probiotics Question Environmental Health System (EHS) - Coliform Water Sample Analysis 44 +/- 4 hours post processing SSIPC Management Conference Oxygen Generation Assembly Hydrogen ORU R&R Part 5 MERLIN 3 Desiccant Swap MERLIN 3 Icebrick Insert Virtual Reality Headset charge PERSONAL CO2 MONITOR - IPAD DATA COLLECTION AND STOW Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth Photo/TV SAW MAST Setup SpaceDuino Install and Activate Acoustic Monitor Data Transfer and Stow SpaceDuino Hardware Activation Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Battery Operations Terminal File Transfer Terminate Photo/TV Node 3/Cupola Camcorder Setup ESA Weekly crew conference Public Affairs Office (PAO) Config JEM Setup NOD3A5 Avionics Air Assembly (AAA) Cleaning PAO Preparation Countermeasures System (CMS) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Quarterly Maintenance Photo TV SAW MAST port Survey Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) - JEM Toilet System Pretreat Dose Check Solar Array Survey Equipment Stow Touching Event for the Touching Surfaces experiment PR Photos for Touching Surfaces Extravehicular Mobility Unit Orbital Replacement Unit Checkout Polar Door Inspection Radio Frequency Identification Label Application Environmental Health System (EHS) - Formaldehyde Monitoring Kit (FMK) Deployment Operations Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Oxygen Generation System (OGS) Activation Environmental Health System (EHS) Grab Sample Container (GSC) Sampling Operations Plant Habitat-04 DEBRIS Hardware Gather Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT) Plant Habitat-04 Debris Remove Crew Dragon Tablet Sync Node 3 Toilet Leak Inspection Crew Dragon Tablet Stow Toilet System Daily Questionnaire Dragon/ISS Undock Crew Conference ISS HAM Kenwood Radio Power Down in Columbus USOS Window Shutter Close Photo T/V (P/TV) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Exercise Video Setup ISS HAM Radio Power Down in Service Module Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation CDM Check Crew Alternate Sleep Accommodation (CASA) Keep-Out Zone (KOZ) & Door Stop Check Photo/TV Camcorder Setup Verification Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Ontario sired two-year-olds were in the spotlight Thursday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park as the oval hosted the opening round of the Harvest Series for male trotters and pacers. Four divisions two for trotters and another two for pacers carried a purse of $17,000 per division, and Kipper Whipr Snipr got things underway with a popular triumph in the first division for trotters. Louis-Philippe Roy guided the colt to the lead from Post 5 and together they led the group through fractions of :29.2, 59.1 and 1:28. A :30.3 final frame was all he needed to win by 9-3/4 lengths over Ima Standup Guy in 1:58.3. CM Savewill GL was third. Kipper Whipr Snipr was sent off as the 1-9 favourite and he didnt disappoint for trainer Rob Fellows. The son of Royalty For Life-New Years Day has assembled a 3-2-1 record from nine tries for owner/breeder Edward Wilson. The youngster has banked $114,583 to date. Angels Express also used front-stepping tactics to take home top prize in the second division for driver Phil Hudon and trainer Tom Durand. Hudon had the son of Archangel-Daylon Mistress on top through fractions of :29, :58.2 and 1:27. He then used a :30.3 final quarter to win by a pair of lengths over Lenis. Taking home third prize in the six-horse affair was Sir Ballykeel. June Durand of Puslinch, Ont., owns the maiden-breaking gelding who owns a 1-3-0 record from nine starts this season. Hes managed to rack up $35,140 along the way. Sports Advisor took down a new lifetime mark of 1:54.3 in the first pacing division for driver Doug McNair and conditioner Rick Zeron. The son of Sportswriter-Shark Tail got away sixth before steadily advancing on the outside. He kept chipping away through fractions of :27.1, :55.2 and 1:24.3 and then spurted home in :29.4 to win by a neck over St Lads Sterling. Fox Valley Carlin rounded out the Trifecta ticket. Rick Zeron Stables and John Donato own the two-time winner. Hes managed to bank $26, 647 during his first 11 starts. Ron went gate to wire in the other pacing division for driver Phil Hudon and trainer James Friday Dean. The son of Sportswriter-Doubelieveinmagic rolled along on the lead through panels of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:24.4 before using a :29-second final frame to win by 4-1/4 lengths overRidinlukeyastoleit. Dont Poke The Bear rounded out the top three finishers in the $17,000 event. Wilma and James MacKenzie of Ennismore, Ont. own the rookie who is now a two-time winner from 12 lifetime starts. The $8,500 payday bumped his career earnings to $36,725. To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results Woodbine Mohawk Park. The Friday (Oct. 22) session of qualifiers at Woodbine Mohawk Park featured six dashes contested under sunny skies but chilly temperatures. Four-year-old Cold Creek Cabo uncorked the fastest mile of the morning in his return to action. A sick scratch from his last entry on Oct. 9, Cold Creek Cabo made every call a winning one for driver Trevor Henry. After fractions of :29.3, :57.1 and 1:25.1, Cold Creek Cabo came home in :28.4 with eight lengths on his closest competitor to trip the timer in 1:54. A homebred of Daniel Walker's Cold Creek Standardbreds, Cold Creek Cabo (Dali - Tymal Black Satin) boasts $134,749 in earnings and is poised to post his best seasonal bankroll with a few months remaining on the calendar. Bil Slack handles the training. To view the results from the Friday session, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk park (Qualifiers). By Trend Russian business representatives are planning several working trips to Azerbaijan by late 2021, Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, Trend reports with reference to TASS. "The previous visit took place on July 23, 2021, a business mission was in Baku to determine promising areas of cooperation. On November 17-18, a group of domestic companies plans to visit Azerbaijan again," Zakharova said. Zakharova noted that Russia is interested in expanding its business presence in Azerbaijan. "We regard such joint work as an important component of relations between Moscow and Baku and we will do our best to promote this," she stressed. By Trend Interest of investors in the Azerbaijani lands liberated from Armenian occupation [in the 2020 Second Karabakh War] has grown, Vice President of the International Business Forum (IBF) Gazi Misirli told Trend on Oct.21. According to Misirli, IBF was established 25 years ago in Lahore (Pakistan) and is held annually in different cities of Pakistan and Turkey. "As to date, the International Business Forum has been held in Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Cairo, Morocco and a number of other cities and countries. The holding of the next forum in Baku is no coincidence, since the capital of Azerbaijan is the center of Asia for us," he said. Another reason for holding the IBF in Baku is the economic importance of Azerbaijan. He stressed that not only members of Turkeys Independent Industrialists and Businessmens Association (MUSIAD), but also businessmen from Europe and other countries will take part in the International Business Forum in Baku. "I believe that the forum will play an important role not only for establishing ties between businessmen, but also in terms of strengthening cooperation between the Turkic-speaking states," the vice president said. According to him, the forum to be held on November 14-17 in Baku will bring together some 500 investors. "During the meetings, signing of various documents is also expected," said Misirli. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan's State Oil Company President Rovnag Abdullayev and Norway's Equinor Vice-President for Exploration Tore Loseth have discussed the Karabakh field's development, implemented by the companies on the basis of equal shares distribution. During the meeting, the parties also discussed the implementation of the next stages of exploration projects carried out at the prospective structures "Dan Ulduzu", "Ashrafi" and "Aypara". It was noted that the preliminary positive results have been achieved in an exploration project with Equinor. Equinor representatives expressed their determination to continue their activities in all joint projects with SOCAR in Azerbaijan. The parties also exchanged views on existing exploration drilling opportunities at Aypara and Gunduz structures. It should be noted that Equinor and SOCAR are cooperating in Azerbaijan in developing the Karabakh field and organizing exploration and production in the promising areas Ashrafi- Dan Ulduzu - Aypara. The companies also have a stake in the Azeri-Chirag and Deepwater Guneshli (ACG) oil field development project. In May 2018, SOCAR Karabakh and Equinor signed a Risk Services Agreement for the development of the Karabakh oil field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. According to the agreement, the companies have equal shares. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan and the United Nations have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote corporate sustainability. The document was signed between the UN (office) in Azerbaijan, the Entrepreneurship Development Fund, and the Small and Medium Business Development Agency on October 22. "UN in Azerbaijan has signed today a Memorandum of Understanding with the Entrepreneurship Development Fund and the Small and Medium Business Development Agency of Azerbaijan to promote corporate sustainability and resilient businesses through the UN Global Compact," UN in Azerbaijan wrote on its official Twitter page. UN Resident Coordination in Azerbaijan stated that the memorandum aims to strengthen relations between society, business, and state to achieve five national priorities of socio-economic development aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. It should be noted that the UN and Azerbaijan's Economy Ministry signed the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2021-2025 in March. The Cooperation Framework, fully compliant with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is based on the principles of human rights, gender equality, sustainable development, resilience, and responsibility, including socio-economic development priorities, and will cover entire Azerbaijan. The UNSDCF is the fifth UN-Azerbaijan cooperation framework and is based on an analysis of Azerbaijans progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The implementation of the cooperation framework puts the UN development system reform into practice, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and joint action in the delivery of all development results. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan and the UK have discussed specific steps taken towards the implementation of the signed memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of transition to clean energy. The discussion took place during the meeting between Azerbaijans Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and UKs Exports Minister Mike Freer, who co-chairs the joint intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation. At the meeting, Shahbazov and Freer focused on issues arising from bilateral cooperation after the intergovernmental commission meeting held in May 2021. They underlined the importance of strengthening cooperation in the energy field and exploring opportunities for solving climate change problems. Moreover, the two ministers expressed confidence that the document signed between the Energy Ministry and BP on solar energy cooperation will expand the collaboration with the company in the renewable energy field, and contribute to the successful continuation of the long-term energy partnership between the two countries. The officials also discussed the acceleration of work on arranging the Azerbaijani-UK partnership and cooperation agreement project. Azerbaijans Energy Ministry and BP signed an Implementation Agreement to build a 240MW solar power plant in liberated Zangilan and Jabrayil regions. Earlier, Shahbazov noted that 30 years of successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UK in the oil and gas sector entered a new stage of development in line with the global energy sector challenges. The energy sector accounts for $ 28.8 billion out of $ 30.6 billion of the UK investments in Azerbaijan's economy. The UK is also the biggest investor in Azerbaijan. It should be noted that the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $550.6 in January-September 2021. Of the total turnover, Azerbaijani exports to the UK amounted to $336.7million while import was $213.9 million. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the UK resulted in $454.4 million in 2020. By Trend The Badamly Mineral Water Plant plans to increase its export capacity, Director of the plant Humbat Gahramanov told Trend. According to Gahramanov, Badamly mineral water will be exported to Europe, and licensing process is currently underway. Weve already entered the markets of Uzbekistan and Ukraine. Recently, we have exported products to Canada. At present, our mineral water is mainly exported to China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Iraq, and the UAE. The priority is the Chinese and Russian markets, stressed the plant director. He noted that Badamly's share in the Russian market is growing every year. The Russian market is not alien to us. The Badamly products were presented there until the end of the 1980s, it is a fairly well-known brand, said Gahramanov. He stated that the plant produces 150 million bottles of mineral water a year. Until the end of the 1990s, the plant produced up to a million bottles of Badamly mineral water every day. In the future we plan to expand the offered assortment, Gahramanov added. The Badamly mineral water has been produced since 1947. Currently, the plant has around-the-clock production. By Azernews By Vafa Ismayilova On September 27, 2020, in response to a large-scale provocation of the Armenian armed forces along the frontline, the Azerbaijani army launched a counter-offensive operation, later called the "Iron Fist". The 44-day war put an end to nearly 30 years of occupation, ensured the liberation of Azerbaijan's lands and the restoration of the country's territorial integrity. Chronicle of 44-day Second Karabakh War: October 22, 2021: - On Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's official Twitter page, a publication was posted on ensuring full control over the state border (bordering with Iran). - A publication was posted on Aliyev's official Twitter page, due to the liberation from the occupation of three villages of Fuzuli region, four villages of Jabrayil region. - President Ilham Aliyev received the Turkish ombudsman. - Azerbaijani First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva gave an interview to Trend New Agency. - The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry disseminated information about the latest situation at the front. Volunteers in the Armenian armed forces fled, leaving their combat positions. Information was disseminated about the wounding of the commander of the Armenian armed forces regiment, the killing of his deputy, and the battalion commander. - The Armenian armed forces fired three ballistic missiles at Siyazan, two at Gabala and one at Kurdamir. A 17-year-old civilian was wounded in an Armenian missile attack on Gabala. - Armenian servicemen refused to fight. Video footage of another captured military equipment of the Armenian armed forces was distributed. - Another tactical UAV of the Armenian armed forces, which attempted to fly in the direction of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, was destroyed. The Azerbaijani artillerymen continued to deliver precise strikes at the firing points of the Armenian armed forces. - The Azerbaijani flag was hoisted in the village of Aghband, Zangilan region. - The Defence Ministry presented video footage of the destruction of a significant number of servicemen and equipment of the Armenian armed forces. A Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal that Baku and Yerevan signed on November 10, 2020, brought an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s. The peace agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions and urged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centres, and historic Shusha city. First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has posted a footage from the visit to Zangilan on her official Instagram page. The post says: Homeland. By Trend The EU provided 9.1 million euros to Azerbaijan as part of humanitarian aid, following the post-Karabakh conflict situation, Trend reports referring to the statement of Peter Michalko, appointed head of EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, at the EU for Azerbaijan event in Baku. The EU provided around 17 million euros on humanitarian assistance in the entire region, from this amount 9.1 million is allocated to Azerbaijan, which includes 2.5 million euros for de-mining activities, he said. I want to assure you that we are going to continue our cooperation to build the strong partnership, Michalko added. By Trend The creation of green zones in the liberated lands of Azerbaijan is part of the UN program to combat climate change, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Rauf Hajiyev said at an event dedicated to the upcoming 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Trend reports. According to Hajiyev, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan closely cooperates with the UN in the field of combating climate change. "Climate change is a very serious problem, which manifests itself in Azerbaijan by sharp changes in the weather," Hajiyev said. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev has called on the Turkic world to jointly fight against the fake news campaign against Azerbaijan at the international level, local media reported on October 22. Hajiyev made the remarks at the media forum of the Turkic Council held in Istanbul, Turkey. "Unfortunately, such campaigns against our country are still being carried out. The best way to combat them is to present correct information about the existing realities. For delivering this truth, our joint, coordinated work and mutual support are very important, Hajiyev stressed. He noted disinformation and fake news campaigns launched against the Turkic countries. Hajiyev stressed that Azerbaijan has become the target of similar campigns since the first day of its independence. Its also extremely important to closely monitor new tendencies in social media and exchange experience. Thus, we'll protect our countries and citizens from the pressure and influence of a speculative nature. During the 44-day war [ with Armenia in 2020], we witnessed such attacks on Azerbaijan," he added. He stressed that 2020 had become a particularly significant period for the Azerbaijani nation, when Karabakh was liberated from Armenia's 30-year occupation. "The Azerbaijani people, closely rallying around President Ilham Aliyev, rose for the Patriotic War and liberated their lands from occupation, following the call Karabakh is Azerbaijan!," he stressed. Hajiyev thanked Turkey, reminding its political and moral support to Azerbaijan during last year's war. "The countries of the Turkic Council also made every effort and provided support to the Azerbaijani people during the 44-day war. I would like to emphasize the support that the Turkish media provided to Azerbaijan. Fighting shoulder to shoulder, we won the information war as well," Hajiyev said. Hajiyev described Karabakh's restoration as Azerbaijan's main post-war period goal. He reminded that Armenia had totally destroyed the Azerbaijani cities and villages over 30 years of its occupation. It is impossible to imagine such destruction in the 21st century. Our goal is to call for peace and to prevent such incidents in the future, the presidential aide said. He added that Armenia severely damaged the Azerbaijani cultural heritage in the previously occupied territories. As many as 67 mosques were destroyed. Livestock was kept in mosques, which is an insult to Islam, Hajiyev stressed. Armenia's aggression and illegal occupation caused irreparable damages to Azerbaijan's cultural heritage, which includes thousands of cultural values, including monuments of the world and national importance, mosques, temples, mausoleums, museums, art galleries, sites of archaeological excavations, libraries, and rare manuscripts. More than 900 cemeteries were destroyed and vandalized by Armenia. The evidence of illegal "archaeological excavations" and so-called "restoration work" was found on the liberated Azerbaijani territories, confirming previous reports of Armenia's attempts to hide and falsify cultural, historical, and scientific evidence. In its official statement in May 2021, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said that hundreds of cultural institutions, 927 libraries with a book fund of 4.6 million, 22 museums and museum branches with more than 100,000 exhibits, 4 art galleries, 8 culture, and recreation parks, as well as one of the oldest settlements in the world in Fuzuli district - Azikh Cave, Shusha State Historical and Architectural Reserve has become a victim of Armenian vandalism. The books presented by Azerbaijan at the traditional Moscow International Book Fair have caused fury in Armenia. It was said there that the books openly promote racial intolerance toward Armenians. This was stated in the video posted on the YouTube channel VMedia, created to ensure information and education support to the Armenian society and expose fakes of a historic plan. The authors of the video point out that Armenia's dissatisfaction is understandable. The book fair held in Moscow on September 24-27 is considered to be the largest and oldest book forum in Russia and Eastern Europe. Hence the facts listed in the books will have a serious audience. Azerbaijan presented a wide range of books, including such relevant topics as the history of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and exposing numerous Armenian historical fabrications and fakes. The book "Destroyers of fraud" by political scientist Fuad Akhundov, published in Baku in 2012, is worth mentioning in this regard. Armenia claimed that it presented facts that distorted not only the history of the Armenian SSR but also the history of Russia. Meanwhile, there is not a single Azerbaijani author or source in this book. "At a book exhibition in Moscow, Armenians displayed a book glorifying the Nazi criminal Garegin Nzhdeh. Russia has already dismantled a monument to Garegin Nzhdeh of this kind. A question could have been raised as to why the propaganda of the Nazi criminal Nzhdeh was going on in Russia. There were statements from the Armenian side that Azerbaijan allegedly promotes literature with hate content against Armenia. And there they listed my book "Destroyers of fraud". Here they are right off the mark. Because I collected [facts] only and only by foreign authors in this book. Not a single Azerbaijani author was represented in the book," Fuad Akhundov stated. Azernews presents the full video: By Trend Iran and Oman are planning to expand cooperation in the field of tourism, the head of Iran-Oman Joint Chamber of Commerce Mohsen Zarrabi told Trend in an interview. Tourism has become a priority for Oman in the past several years, so this could be an opportunity for Iran to capitalize on, he said. The number of Omani tourists visiting Iran has increased to 85,000 in 2019 - mostly due to medical and religious tourism, generating about $250 million revenue for Iran. Meanwhile, the Iranians have invested in establishing of several health care clinics in Oman, and Iran seeks to attract more health tourists from Oman by offering good quality services. The visa requirement issue has been resolved between the two countries to boost tourism. Iranians can obtain one year multi visa upon arrival at Omani's airports while Iran has lifted visa requirement for Omanis. Zarrabi said following cooperation in tourism, Oman has recently approved to lift visa requirements, to allow for increase of Iranian tourists visiting the country. Iran's trade with Oman is also on the rise, as Zarrabi said. Iran's exports to Oman reached $177 million over the first four months of current Iranian year (started March 21,2021) with 48.7 percent growth compared to same period last year (started March 20,2020), he noted. Furthermore, the bilateral trade of these two countries is forecast to reach $1.1 billion by the end of current year, said the official. Zarrabi noted that the bilateral steps taken by the two countries in 2020 when most borders were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic showed the value of ties. Talking the dynamics of bilateral trade, Zarrabi noted that the trade volume between the two countries was $221 million in 2013 and showed an upward trend increasing to $1.1 billion in 2018. Iran's exports to Oman increased from $146 million in 2013 to $728 million in 2017. Consolidating its position as the best connected country in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has improved its performance on the United Nations Conference on Trade and Developments (Unctad) Liner Shipping Connectivity Index for the third quarter of 2021. Recording the highest increase in the region on the index, the Kingdoms rating increased to 70.68 from 70.13 in the corresponding quarter last year as a result of its sustained efforts to strengthen its logistics competitiveness and bolster its position in international maritime transport networks, a statement said. Under the supervision of the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), Saudi Arabia has sharpened its focus on further developing its ports and transportation infrastructure and expanding line shipping connectivity besides improving border and customs procedures and reducing trade costs. To meet the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, the Authority has been promoting and supporting logistical and operational capacity-building efforts in the Kingdoms nine ports. Mawani launched five new shipping routes over the past two years, including the IO3 line that was launched in January this year to link Jeddah Islamic Port with the Indian Ocean and northern European ports. The new lanes have contributed to the increase in the total volume of containers handled by 116% to reach 418,462 TEUs between January and September 2021. Commenting on the announcement, Omar Hariri, President of the Saudi Ports Authority, said: Saudi Arabias continuing solid performance on Unctads index since 2019 signifies its distinguished position as a country increasingly connected to the world and global economy. Through infrastructural upgrades and operational capability enhancements, our national ports have significantly improved the Kingdoms maritime connectivity and competitiveness. At Mawani, we take pride in our contributions to these remarkable accomplishments and would like to extend our deepest gratitude to H.E. the Minister of Transport and Logistics Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser for his leadership and extensive support of our ongoing endeavors. Hariri added: We remain committed to furthering our efforts to reach new successes as envisaged in Vision 2030 by bolstering our ports capabilities. We are keen on capitalizing on the Kingdoms opportunistic position at the crossroads of three continents to position it as a leading global logistics hub and contribute to the growth of the national economy in general and the local ports sector in particular. The Unctad index measures a countrys level of integration into global liner shipping networks every quarter and aims to help nations identify challenges and find opportunities to develop and improve their performance in logistics services. The Liner Shipping Connectivity Index consists of six components including the number of scheduled ship calls per week in the country, total deployed capacity offered at the country in standard units, and the number of regular liner shipping services from and to the country. --TradeArabia News Service Help India! Speakers make 3-city tour to question platforming of HSS by local governments. Pieter Friedrich | TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles I dont think Mr Friedrichs here anymore he was very vocal on Twitter, said Troy City Mayor Ethan Baker in response to my outraged 11 October 2021 remarks about his citys recent platforming of the Hindu Swayamesevak Sangh (HSS) the international wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) paramilitary. I certainly am amazed at the lack of information and knowledge I have about the issues going on in India as it relates to RSS; how that plays out with HSS here in Michigan, in the City of Troy especially. I will be more careful in the future. Mayor Baker was responding to a coordinated effort by myself and residents of the region to draw attention to the City of Troys recent platforming and praising of the HSS. As I questioned in public comments at the Troy City Council: How could you have known that the HSS aside from its commendable nonprofit charitable work serves as an international propaganda mouthpiece for the RSS and its genocidal Hindu nationalist agenda? India is in deep trouble, added Vijayalakshmi Nadar, Bureau Chief of The India Observer, at Troy City Council. If ignored, it can have deadly repercussions not just for India, Asia, Europe, but the USA as well. Attempts are on to cover up the extreme degradation of the country, and its democratic institutions under Modi, to ensure that the international community as well as the Indian diaspora in the US, keep the focus away from all that is wrong in the country. As a born Hindu myself, living in the US, I feel compelled to reveal the larger gameplan of not just the Indian government under Modi but also its supporters here in the US. Prime Minister Modi is the product of the RSS, a right-wing paramilitary group inspired by the Nazis. What Im about to say affects this great city of Troy, Michigan and the multitude of residents, in this city, that have close family and relatives back in India, said local area-member Shujat Khan of the Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India (CAPI). If you have read history, an assassin from the organization that was highlighted by the speaker before me the RSS killed Gandhi, the father of the nation of India. HSS happens to be the international wing of RSS. It was the first of three city council speeches in two states to warn locals about the HSS-RSS link. From Troy, we went to the neighbouring Canton Township. Troy Mayor Baker had recently met with the local HSS chapter to celebrate a traditional Hindu festival with them, subsequently promoting the meet on his social media. Canton, however, despite serving as home to a local HSS chapter, had not yet platformed them and we hoped to preempt it by offering educational presentations at their Board of Trustees meeting. The HSS, with nearly 250 branches around America, habitually seeks to get its foot in the doors of city councils and many other governmental bodies in order to normalize itself as a legitimate religious or cultural organization which it is not, I explained at the 12 October Canton Township Board of Trustees meeting. The HSS is the international wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (or RSS), a quite literally Nazi-inspired paramilitary in India. The RSS and the HSS do not represent all Hindus, but rather a small but extremely organized and vocal minority of Hindus who belong to a specific family of organizations that promotes a vicious, xenophobic ideology for which the fascist RSS paramilitary in India serves as the fountainhead. Speaking as a Canton resident and local Ambedkarite, Vivek warned, Organization[s] like HSS in America dwells on the ideology of RSS. RSS is the fundamentalist Hindu organization, just like Nazis in Germany [or] KKK in America. Current Hindu [Bharatiya Janata Party] government takes the direction from RSS to run the country, and the outcome is nothing but unrest in the society. Nadar additionally explained, The international wing of the RSS, the HSS, and its allies, including the World Hindu Council of America, Hindu American Foundation, Hindu Students Council operating in several US universities supposedly to celebrate Hindu culture are doing exactly the opposite. Modi and his ministers are using Hinduism to spread extreme hate against the minorities, whether its the Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, or Dalits. Speaking about what compelled him to present at Canton, Khan added, Only about 20 per cent of the Hindu population of India subscribes to this ideology of racial and religious supremacy. The vast majority of Hindus that Ive grown up with within India were very tolerant, and inclusive, hard-working, smart, honest, and humble people I can say the same for my many friends here from the Hindu community. But there is an issue, and that is, for now, they remain silent observers, and that is what pains our hearts. That theyre mute to this injustice that is going on in India against religious minorities. From Michigan, I travelled to the City of Irving in Texas to speak against the Irving Police Departments recent embrace of the local HSS branch. While I was there, Canton Board of Trustees Clerk Michael Siegrist called me, asking: Did we do something wrong? I assured him that no, Canton had done nothing wrong yet but we wanted to preemptively visit the town to inform them about the possibility that they might be approached by HSS. Apparently relieved, Siegrist promised me that he would connect with the local community to discuss the issue in greater depth. The police are with us, I declared at the Irving City Council on 14 October. That was the bone-chilling chant raised by the stormtroopers of the RSS as they streamed out into the streets of Gujarat, India in 2002 to systematically slaughter thousands of Indian Muslims raping, dismembering, and burning them alive while police either stood by passively watching or else actively joined in the carnage. The RSS, however, is not confined to the boundaries of India. It has an international wing called the HSS. Three weeks ago, the HSS was here, in the City of Irving, where the local police department welcomed and honoured them. Speaking after me, Nadar warned that many rightwing Hindu groups in the US, supporting Modi, are infiltrating US politics at every level. Calling out Irving PDs platforming of HSS, I asked, When Irving police officers allowed the HSS to tie Rakhi bracelets on their wrists in a sincere effort at multicultural outreach, how could they have known that this celebration of the traditional Hindu ritual called Raksha Bandhan symbolized the acceptance of a bond of protection or that the bond they were making was with the international wing of a fascist paramilitary which seeks to eradicate diversity in India by, ultimately, exterminating all non-Hindus? Nadar added, HSS and its allies need to be investigated, not legitimized by falling prey to their seemingly innocent ploys to celebrate Hindu festivals with them. India is fast transforming into a deep police state under Modi, using brutal tactics to suppress all criticism against his policies, which is pushing India into a deep crisis. Tying the sacred thread to police officers in Irving and other parts of the US, ostensibly to celebrate Raksha Bandhan by members of the HSS, is a cover-up for all this and more. Despite the positive feedback from the City of Troy and Canton Township, there was no response from the City of Irving. This HSS, here in the United States, is the subsidiary of RSS in India, Masood Raab of CAPI said at Troy City Council. The RSS onslaught against the minorities in India including Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and Dalits is very, very, I would say, alarming. And Im saddened by learning that this respected organization has platformed and praised HSS in Troy City Council. Over ten local community members joined each of the meetings in support of speeches against HSS in Troy, Canton, and also Irving. Pieter Friedrich is a freelance journalist specializing in analysis of South Asian affairs. He is author of Saffron Fascists: Indias Hindu Nationalist Rulers and co-author of Captivating the Simple-Hearted: A Struggle for Human Dignity in the Indian Subcontinent. Post-election Controversy Over Seats Reserved for Christian Candidates in Iraq Baghdad -- A few days after the Iraqi parliamentary elections, which took place on Sunday, October 10, the foreseeable post-electoral controversies over the distribution of the 5 parliamentary seats reserved by the electoral system for Christian candidates returns. The most explicit objections to the results relating to the quota of seats guaranteed to politicians belonging to the local Christian communities, were expressed by former Christian Mp Yussef Juseph Sliwa, who went so far as to state in an interview broadcast by the Kurdish network Rudaw that the five new MPs who won the seats in this quota do not really represent Iraqi Christians, given that 90% of the votes in their favor did not come from Christian voters, according to him. The accusation, which also emerged on the occasion of the Iraqi political elections of 2018, calls into question major political groups, of Shiite and Kurdish origin, who allegedly diverted part of their votes to candidates running for Christian seats, in order to place MPs there, fully aligned with their political strategies. In his interview, Sliwa reiterated that politicians belonging to local Christian communities - Syrians, Chaldeans and Assyrians - should not get involved in conflicts between the Shiite and Shiite parties and Kurdish groups against other Kurdish political groups. Evan Faeq Yakoub Jabro, former minister for Refugees and Migration in the outgoing government led by Mustafa al Kadhimi, who was elected with nearly 11,000 preferences to the new parliament from the ranks of the "Babylon Movement", after competing to occupy the seat reserved for Christian candidates in the city of Baghdad, was quick to respond to Sliwa's accusations. In an interview published by the Rudaw media network, the former minister defended the transparency of the electoral process, stressing that, in the distribution of seats reserved for Christians, there was an eloquent affirmation of women candidates (two out of five), sign that "our society has started to take steps towards a certain intellectual opening". Evan Jabro also dismissed the accusations of electoral manipulation expressed by Sliwa and Christian politicians as an understandable reaction of political acronyms that had been defeated by the electoral confrontation. The "Babylonian Movement", as reported by Fides (see fides, 12/10/2021), obtained 4 of the 5 seats reserved for Christian candidates by the national electoral system. The fifth seat, in the district of Erbil, went to independent candidate Farouk Hanna Atto. The Babylon Movement was born as the political projection of the so-called "Babylon Brigades", an armed militia formed in the context of military operations against the jihadists of the Islamic State (Daesh) that led to the reconquest of areas of northern Iraq that had fallen into the hands of jihadists in 2014. Led by Ryan al Kildani (Ryan "the Chaldean"), the "Babylonian Brigades" had always claimed to be a Christian militia, although it connection to pro-Iranian Shiite militias such as the Popular Protection Units (Hashd al Shaabi) was documented. The political acronym of the "Babylon Movement" is also considered close to the "Badr Organization", a political movement that, in the elections, merged with the Fatah Alliance, a cartel that grouped the acronyms and pro-Iranian Shiite organizations, who were beaten in the October 8 elections. The results of the Iraqi elections, in addition to the defeat of the Fatah bloc, also registered the growth of the Sadrist Party, led by the Shiite leader Muqtada al Sadr, which controlled 58 seats in the previous parliament and which will sit as the first force in the new parliamentary assembly, having won 73 of the 329 seats in Parliament. The Fatah coalition won just 15 seats, compared to 48 controlled by the same coalition parties in the previous parliament, and did not recognize the results of the vote, calling on its supporters to take to the streets. In Baghdad, protesters gathered near the "Green Zone", an area where government offices and embassies are concentrated. Similar protests have also taken place in recent days in Basra, Kerbala and Kirkuk. Only 41% of those eligible to vote went to the polls, the lowest figure in six general elections held in Iraq since 2003, after the end of Saddam Hussein's regime. The election, scheduled for 2022, was brought forward after popular protests in autumn 2019 showed widespread discontent with all Iraqi political leaders, accused of corruption and mismanagement. Iraqi election results recorded an important affirmation of the presence of women in Parliament. 97 women parliamentarians were elected, well above the 25% quota allocated by law (83 out of a total of 329 seats). Assyrian Patriarchs Meet in North Iraq The condition of the indigenous Christian communities in the delicate historical phase crossed by Iraq and the future that awaits them in the lands of their millenary roots were at the center of the visit made on Thursday, October 21 by Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako to Mar Awa III, newly elected Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East. Cardinal Sako, at the head of a small Chaldean delegation, was received by Patriarch Mar Awa at his residence in Ankawa, a predominantly Christian suburb of the city of Erbil, capital of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. In addition to expressing his congratulations on the patriarchal appointment, the Chaldean Patriarch wished his Assyrian counterpart to be able to serve the ancient Assyrian Church of the East with dedication and joy, also working for the unity of the baptized. The Iraqi cardinal - - according to the official sources of the Chaldean Patriarchate - also brought a ring and some liturgical books as a gift to Mar Awa. Mar Awa, born David Royel, was elected the 122nd Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East on September 8, succeeding Patriarch Mar Gewargis III Sliwa, who already in February 2020 announced his resignation from the patriarchal office for health reasons. In the first congratulatory letter that Cardinal Sako had sent on September 9 to Mar Awa from Budapest - the city where he was taking part in the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress - Patriarch Sako had expressed the full willingness of the Chaldean Church "to cooperate with you" in common service to the baptized and to all Iraqi citizens. The new Assyrian Patriarch, Mar Awa, as previously reported by Agenzia Fides (see Fides 9/9/2021), comes from the USA and studied in Catholic academies, including the Pontifical Oriental Institute. Before being elected Patriarch, he was Bishop of the Assyrian diocese of California (USA) and Secretary of the Holy Synod. Born 46 years ago in Chicago, and therefore the son of the Assyrian diaspora in the USA, David Royel was ordained a deacon at the age of 17, and later earned degrees in sacred theology from Loyola University in Chicago (founded in 1870 by the Jesuits) and at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, also known as "Mundelein Seminary", a historic institute in charge of the theological and spiritual formation of Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Subsequently he obtained a licentiate in Sacred Theology and a doctorate from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. He was ordained bishop by the then Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV in 2008, taking the name of Awa (which means "father" in the Assyrian language) and became the first bishop of the Assyrian Church born in the US. The Assyrian Church of the East has never had direct dogmatic conflicts with the Bishop of Rome. The official theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East started in 1984, and led to the common Christological declaration of 1994, which confessed the faith in Christ shared between Catholics and Assyrians. Now, this fraternal theological dialogue is continuing on the theme of the sacraments and the sacramental life of the Church. Since 2001, the Assyrian Church of the East has authorized experiences of Eucharistic hospitality with the Chaldean Church, in pastoral situations that require it. A future joint document between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East could officially attest to the mutual recognition of the validity of the sacraments celebrated and administered in the two Churches. The theology and spirituality of the Assyrian and Chaldean Churches strongly emphasize the human nature of Christ. This spiritual perspective could not be more valued as a fruitful way for the Christian proclamation in the present time. In September 2013 Louis Raphael Sako, who had just become Patriarch of the Chaldean Church, had addressed an official invitation to the then Assyrian Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV to begin together a journey of dialogue to restore full ecclesial communion between the Chaldean Christian community - united with the Bishop of Rome - and the Assyrian one. "I take this opportunity" the Chaldean Patriarch wrote to the Assyrian Patriarch at the time "to express the desire of the Chaldean Church to begin dialogue for unity, which is the desire of Jesus. The beginning of this dialogue is urgent today, in the face of great challenges that threaten our survival. Without unity, there is no future for us. Unity can help safeguard our presence" (see Fides, 16/9/2013). The proposal has not had any developments, even if at the beginning of October 2013 Patriarch Mar Dinkha had responded positively to the appeal of the Chaldean Patriarch, suggesting the creation of a "Joint Committee" as a tool to address together the urgencies shared by the two sister Churches, which share the same liturgical, theological and spiritual patrimony. by Sumon Corraya Since 13 October, sectarian violence has intensified and now minorities feel endangered. Catholic man sees no room for minorities, and is ready to leave to protect himself and his family. Investigations are ongoing into the clashes in Chandpur which caused seven deaths. Dhaka (AsiaNews) After several recent attacks against Bangladeshs Hindu community by Muslim radicals, many members of religious minorities feel insecure and want to leave the country. We have a secular country where people of every faith have always lived together in religious harmony but the recent violence against us has shown that we are no longer safe and the government has failed to protect us from Islamic radicals, said Sujon Roy, a young Hindu. Robin Costa, a 45-year-old Catholic, shares the same opinion. I never thought of leaving Bangladesh; this is my homeland. Here I have my home and my roots, but recent attack against Hindus has shown that there is no place for minorities in this country. Speaking to AsiaNews, Costa explained that to protect him and his family, he is planning to go away to any Christian country, perhaps in Europe or Canada. Whilst the costs of emigrating are quite prohibitive for him, at the moment he sees no other alternative. Muslim radicals will continue to persecute us and will succeed. We will leave the country and they will grab our land, he lamented. The violence has escalated since 13 October when a group of Muslim extremists attacked a Hindu temple in the southern district of Chandpur after news of the profanation of a copy of the Holy Quran spread. Over the past week, clashes between the two groups have continued and seven people (two Hindus and five Muslims) have lost their lives. Special law enforcement units have joined the ongoing operations to investigate the incidents and arrest the perpetrators. Yesterday the police arrested Iqbal Hossain, believed to be responsible for the profanation of the Quran in the Hindu temple in Cumilla. Police said the man was a local drifter, a claim Rana Dasgupta, secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, finds hard to swallow. A drifter would never do such a thing of his own free will, he said. There is someone behind this, someone who wants to undermine religious harmony. The authorities must do everything possible to stop and punish those who are truly responsible. Violence by Islamic extremists is on the rise and all minorities now feel under attack. "On behalf of all Christians, we express our sympathy to Hindus for the attack against them," said Nirmol Rozario, president of the Bangladesh Christian Association. We are facing constant aggression against minorities and this undermines the foundations of religious harmony. At this point, we demand exemplary punishment for those involved in the violence. Ain or Salish Kendra, a Bangladeshi human rights organisation that documents attacks against minorities, estimates that 3,679 anti-Hindu attacks have taken place in the country since 2013. As a result of these attacks, 11 Hindus were killed and 862 were injured. by Mathias Hariyadi The anniversary was celebrated a few days ago with a Mass, whilst a film retracing the history of their presence in the country was screened. For Bishop Mencuccini, the missionaries have experienced many ups and downs, but with the spirit of St. Paul of the Cross, they were able to cope with them. Jakarta (AsiaNews) Celebrations were held recently in Sekadau, West Kalimantan, to mark the 75th anniversary of the presence of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christs (Passionists) in Indonesia. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Passionist priests gathered to celebrate Mass led by Bishop Giulio Mencuccini of Sanggau. For the occasion, the 25 years of priesthood of Fr Gabriel Asun, an ethnic Dayak, were also celebrated. "Our works around the world date back 300 years. We have been in Indonesia for 75 years and have experienced many ups and downs," said Bishop Mencuccini in his homily. But with the spirit of Saint Paul of the Cross we were able to carry out our service in this country. The local district chief praised the works of the clerics. During the celebrations, a film that traced the history of the missionary presence in the country was screened. The first members of the Congregation of the Passion arrived in Ketapang from the Netherlands in 1946. At the time, the remote areas of West Kalimantan where ethnic Dayak lived could only be reached by boat from the city of Pontianak. The then Apostolic Nuncio to Dutch Borneo promoted the presence of the missionaries since the Capuchins of Pontianak were no longer able to carry out their pastoral service in Ketapang. In 1952, two missionaries drowned while crossing the Pesaguhan River. The following year, Fr Gabriel Sillekens arrived to replace them; he later became the bishop of Ketapang. Five Augustinian Sisters also arrived in 1949 and developed their mission in the field of education together with Passionist priests. In the years following Indonesias independence from the Netherlands, Indonesian President Sukarno forced missionaries to give up Dutch citizenship or leave the country. In the 1960s, the first Italian missionaries arrived, including Bishop Giulio Mencuccini, the only foreign prelate in Indonesia. In a letter marking the 30th anniversary of the Patriarchs election, Francis speaks about their fraternal friendship. He goes on to say that the way of dialogue, in charity and in truth, [is] the only possible way for reconciliation between believers in Christ and for the re-establishment of their full communion. To this end, he notes that he shares with Bartholomew the understanding of our common pastoral responsibility in the face of the urgent challenges confronting the entire human family today. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis addressed a letter today to Bartholomew I on the 30th anniversary of his election as Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch. In the missive, the pontiff cites their shared commitments to ecumenism, to the protection of creation, and to the need for the spiritual conversion of humanity. ! Ad multos annos! writes the Pope, expressing hope that the Lord will grant you health, spiritual joy and abundant grace to sustain every aspect of your lofty service. It is with gratitude to God that I reflect on our own profound personal bond, from the time of the inauguration of my papal ministry (Mass on 19 March 2013), when you honoured me with your presence in Rome. Over time, this bond has become a fraternal friendship nurtured in many meetings not only in Rome, but also at the Phanar, in Jerusalem, Assisi, Cairo, Lesvos, Bari and Budapest, and finally Rome, on 4 October, during the meeting Faith and Science, Towards COP26. I share with you the understanding of our common pastoral responsibility in the face of the urgent challenges confronting the entire human family today. In particular, I assure you of my appreciation for your commitment to safeguarding creation and for your reflection on this issue, from which I have learned and continue to learn much. This is a reference to a statement Francis made about the light coming from him and from the Church of Constantinople was strong when he was speaking about his encyclical Laudato Si. The Holy Father goes on to say that, With the outbreak of the pandemic and the ensuing grave health, social and economic repercussions, your testimony and teaching on the need for the spiritual conversion of humanity have acquired enduring relevance. I sincerely thank you for ceaselessly indicating the way of dialogue, in charity and in truth, as the only possible way for reconciliation between believers in Christ and for the re-establishment of their full communion. With Gods help, this is the path along which we will most certainly continue to walk together, for the closeness and solidarity between our Churches are an indispensable contribution to universal brotherhood and social justice, of which humanity is so urgently in need. With sentiments of deep fraternal affection, I exchange with Your All Holiness a holy embrace in the love of Christ the Lord. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which monitors detentions and killings in the country, gave the news. Some have been returned to prison on new charges. Several journalists and activists remain imprisoned. Yangon (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Myanmar's junta has re-arrested more than 100 anti-coup protesters who had been released in recent days, reports the humanitarian group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Aapp), which records the detentions and killings in the country. The former Burma is plunged into chaos since February 1 when the army seized power in a coup d'etat and then violently repressed the anti-golpe protests. According to Aapp, so far more than 1,100 people have been killed by the military junta and more than 8,000 have been arrested. On October 18, the military announced that it would release some 5,600 political prisoners on the occasion of the Thadingyut Buddhist festival. International agencies were unable to confirm the exact number of people released, but many were required to sign a document stating that they would refuse to be involved in political activities once released. According to Aapp, some people previously released were arrested again as soon as they arrived home. "Others who were told they were on the released list were taken to the entrance of the prison, only to be brought back in on further charges." By June, the military junta had released more than 2,000 protesters, but many activists and journalists, including U.S.-based Danny Fenster, who was arrested on May 24, are still detained. The country's former leader Aung San Suu Kyi also remains in prison and continues to face a number of junta charges in court, which could potentially keep her in prison for decades. The recent amnesty had been granted due to international pressure. Last week, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), abandoning its line of non-interference in a member country's internal affairs, had decided to exclude junta leader Min Aung Hlaing from a regional summit to be held later this month. A lot of people worked really hard to get it, and it just shows what happens when you get the right group of people working together for good, said Bettina Tebo, president of the Greater Arbutus Business Association. Upon arrival, they located a man who had been shot in the head. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene by medics. Fire department spokeswoman Blair Adams said she didnt know what call the fire engine was responding to, but the Baltimore Firefighters union said the truck was heading to a reported building fire in the 3600 block of Hineline Road that turned out to be a pot of food left burning on the stove. U.S. authorities say Jonathan Toebbe had tried to pass secrets about sophisticated Virginia-class submarines to someone he thought was a representative of a foreign government but who was actually an undercover FBI agent. Diana Toebbe is accused of serving as a lookout on three separate occasions in which her husband deposited memory cards containing sensitive information at several dead-drop locations. After the shooting, production was halted on Rust. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. Some Republicans believe that the path to achieving a majority in Congress is to defend Donald Trumps refusal to concede the results of the 2020 presidential election and accuse President Joe Biden of dividing the country with a radical socialist agenda. Ironically, in years gone by, Republicans supported governmental activism that was considered radical by opponents. These initiatives included the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the enactment of the Clean Air Act, equal rights for women embodied in an amendment to the Constitution and other transformative proposals that were relevant to the needs of most Americans. Baltimore is one of more than a dozen cities and counties from across the country that have signed on to participate in a collaborative effort led by Biden to reduce gun violence that will be paid for with coronavirus relief money. The Senate-passed version contained several provisions of specific importance to Marylanders, but it is unclear how many of those provisions will remain when the final details of the deal are hammered out. That version included five years of funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Chesapeake Bay program, and language allowing the Red Line a planned Baltimore light rail system rejected by Gov. Larry Hogan six years ago to be revisited. UBs chair of surgery is inducted into the Academy of Master Surgeon Educators Schwaitzberg has implemented new initiatives at the Jacobs School from after-school programs designed to inspire local students to pursue STEM careers to an interdisciplinary medical device startup boot camp for UB students. Schwaitzberg has taken a leading role in educating and inspiring surgeons to tackle challenges that arise not just in the operating room, but throughout all of health care, including addressing health disparities in Buffalo. BUFFALO, N.Y. Steven D. Schwaitzberg, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, was inducted into the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators earlier this month in a virtual ceremony. The academy recognizes surgeon educators who have devoted their careers to surgical education. Individuals are selected to join following stringent peer review. The academys mission is to play a leadership role in advancing the science and practice of education across all surgical specialties, promoting the highest achievements in the lifetimes of surgeons. A Jacobs School faculty member since 2015, Schwaitzberg has promoted the use of minimally invasive surgery skills around the world. His research has focused on methods of improving clinical outcomes to lessen recovery times, and he has contributed to the clinical use of robots in surgery. Schwaitzberg, who also is president of UBMD Surgery, has been active in the national discussion on improving the delivery of health care. He has taken a leading role in educating and inspiring surgeons to tackle challenges that arise not just in the operating room, but throughout all of health care, including addressing health disparities in Buffalo. During the past year, he was responsible for the Department of Surgerys launch of a new Anti-Racism and Health Care Equity initiative designed to address and mitigate the effects of systemic racism and inequality in health care. Last summer, under Schwaitzbergs leadership, the department implemented several new programs; they include a mentorship program that gives underrepresented future surgeons increased opportunities to work closely with established local surgeons in the operating room; a virtual learning mentorship program to spark the imaginations of high school students in Western New York and to recruit them into STEM and medical careers; and the establishment of meaningful partnerships with the residents and organizations of the neighborhoods where UBs affiliate hospitals are located, Buffalos Fruit Belt and the Delavan-Grider communities. Long an advocate for physicians and surgeons learning about the connections between business and health care, Schwaitzberg launched in the Jacobs School a competitive, medical device startup boot camp called UB BLAST (Business, Law and Surgical Technology). Over an intense five days, the program challenges teams of UB students studying medicine, business, law and engineering to work together to develop a new product to address a specific surgical problem and then create a startup to manufacture and market it. Prior to coming to UB, Schwaitzberg was professor of surgery at the Harvard Medical School, chief of surgery at the Cambridge Health Alliance and associate professor of surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine. He also served in Iraq as director of intensive care at the 365th Evacuation Hospital. Duluth, MN (55816) Today Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 29F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 29F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Rev. Voma Simon Montoh Facebook Rev. Voma Simon Montoh, Presbyterial Secretary of the Bali Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) has spoken out 56 days after an incident at Presbyterian Church Ntanfoang left him injured and Grace Titalabit death. The army had denied responsibility for the August 22 church shooting. In fact, on August 23, army spokesman, Navy Captain Atonfack Guemo Cyrille Serge denied claims that soldiers killed the worshipper and injured the parish pastor. He indicted militiamen in Bali Subdivision, fighting for an independent state referred to as Southern Cameroons or Ambazonia. Back in August, Navy Captain Atonfack Guemo said an explosion that preceded the gunshots came from a separatist-planted improvised explosive device. He said it was during the shootout between the separatist fighters and soldiers that the woman was killed but immediately denied claims the uniform officers fired at the church. Rt. Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, reported that on Sunday, August 22, 2021, they were duly informed that: "Church Service was in session at the Presbyterian Church Ntanfoang in Bali Sub-division, the seat of the Bali Presbytery when it was interrupted by gunshots. The Pastor of the congregation who doubles as the Presbyterial Secretary for Bali Presbytery, the Rev. Voma Simon Montoh was on duty ministering to the Christians in Church when suddenly there was a loud explosion outside close to the Church House, followed by random gunshots. It was in the course of this reckless shooting we learnt that bullets were rained on the Church house injuring the Rev. Voma Simon Montoh on the arm and killing a female Christian of the PCC by name Grace Titalabit instantly in Church. I was shot by the militarythey also killed Mrs. Numvi Grace In a chilling account of what happened on August 22, 2021, Rev. Voma Simon Montoh said he was shot by soldiers, the same soldiers who also killed a female worshipper, Grace Numvi Titalabit. Given that the preacher is still convalescing, his message was read to Christians by Elder Tafrey Patrick, Presbytery Chairman for Bali on Sunday, October 17, 2021, during a church service to cleanse Presbyterian Church Ntanfoang after the August 22 bloody incident. Rev. Voma Simon Montohs epistle read: Dear people of God, I greet you all in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For sure, for more than a month now, we have not seen ourselves. Permit me to thank all who have supported me both materially and spiritually. I apologize for the many phone calls I could not pick due to my health situation. Many called to interview me but my health situation could not permit me. My wife tried to answer some of the calls but it was difficult to answer all. We thank God that His healing mercies are accompanying us each day. We both fell sick and had to go out for treatment. My health began to deteriorate too fast after being shot by the military during which our sister Mrs. Numvi Grace was shot by the same military and she died right in the church. Thus, blood was spilled in the church. By the time the Christians were carrying me to the hospital, I insisted that I will like to talk to the military. So, the Christians lifted me and brought me closer to them at Ntanfoang. Knowing that they might not understand what Presbyterial Secretary means in French, I used a title that goes closer in meaning to it. I said to them Vous avez tue sur leveque deglise. Je vais fais quoi? They answered that they will get a car and take me to the hospital. The Christians rushed back to church and got what is used to bring in corpses during funeral services and used it to push me to the Bali District Hospital where I was given good care. I thank the Christians and hospital staff of the Bali District Hospital for their care. This wicked act done in the church while at worship has kept me so broken since that day. My health began to deteriorate rapidly since that day. Although the wound was healing fast, the pains still prolong. The trauma was so heavy in my heart and pushed me into depression. I had never seen a Christian shot dead in the church until that fatal day. The bullet that passed through me has kept me troubled each day. I was thus rapidly moved to a hospital out of Bali for more intervention. After some medical care, I fell into depression and I am now following post-traumatic counseling by some specialists. But during all these periods, I pray for Bali as a whole and for the Christians of Presbyterian Church Ntanfoang. Things happened, and most of them were actually propelled by anger. I pray that we all who were angry at this time have our hats down and having wronged one another, let us pardon one another and be pardoned also by our God. Let forgiveness and reconciliation be in our hearts. Today, we are here to cleanse and rededicate the house of God and birthplace of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon. We thank God for his new beginning. I was supposed to take the lead because of the strategic capacity of the church house as the mother church of the presbytery and also indisputably the unchangeable birthplace of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon. It has not been very feasible for me to be physically present. I will be with you when God permits. I have therefore delegated the Presbyterial Treasurer to be in the service and I pray that all will go back specially blessed as we look up to a new worshiping spirit in Bali. I pray that this service concluding the three-day special retreat brings a new atmosphere of joy until we meet again. I join my voice to condemn all the killings that are taking the lives of many. While I am still suffering from the pain of many who have died in this war, and especially our sister Nah Numvi Grace, my pain was worsened again by the shooting and killing of a little kid being taken to school in Buea. For how long shall we keep on suffering like this? May those who can do anything to stop this not to continue to carry it out and stop the senseless war. All life is sacred. I pray that an effective and inclusive frank dialogue be organized by those who are expected to do so so that this war will end effectively. God bless you all, The Presbyterial Secretary for Bali. Aerial view of the University of Bamenda UBa Facebook page Lecturers of the University of Bamenda have said they will go on strike to protest incessant kidnappings by militiamen leading to the payment of incalculable ransoms. In a strike notice dated Monday, October 18, 2021, Professor Michael Kpughe Lang, President of the University of Bamenda Chapter of the National Union of Teachers of Higher Education (SYNES-UBa), on behalf of his peers, calls on state authorities to optimize security along the road linking Bamenda to the university campus in Bambili on or before October 29 without which they will go on strike. His words: Given the consequent sequel of abduction of lecturers and staff of the University of Bamenda in general and mindful of the determination and resilience we have thus far exhibited for close to five years to adapt our working situation to ramified circumstances of the current but enduring socio-political crisis in the North West and South West Regions; Considering the need to optimize security strategies to minimize some of the risks associated with the incessant kidnappings and payment of incalculable ransoms as a measure to get released from irrational detention in places where lecturers lives are in the balance of death and life; The General Assembly of the University of Bamenda Chapter of the National Union of Teachers of Higher Education (SYNES-UBa), reviewed the very disturbing wave of insecurity faced by academic staff especially on their way to and from campus during an Extra-Ordinary Session on Tuesday 12 October 2021. The emergency crisis meeting was presaged by the whisking at gunpoint of three of our colleagues by unidentified gunmen along the Bambui-Bambili axis. They were arraigned mano-militaris and later charged for teaching in a so-called proscribed context and territory. These three colleagues are just a negligible percentage of the number of university teaching staff abducted and/or trapped in targeted shootings. We are not indifferent of all the measures that the university hierarchy and the regional administrative authorities by extension have been taking to minimize the daily risks that we have been resiliently managing. We note however that a new risk has been generated by the abandoned Bambili-Bambui road stretch. The potholes now serve as easy traps for informal gunmen to surrender at gunpoint and kidnap university staff. We think that if the road is completed and rendered fluid, it shall greatly reduce the possibility of the gunmen skipping onto the road extemporaneously to intercept cars. We are already envisaging a new abduction zone along the dilapidated feeder road linking the A Road and the CCAST campus of the University that hosts three main faculties. The General Assembly, in light of the foregoing, resolves to issue this notice which serves at the same time as our resolve to share ideas on how to tackle the security concern and also as a notification of intention by the University of Bamenda of the National Union of Teachers of Higher Education, on behalf of teachers serving at the University of Bamenda, to embark on a strike action if solutions are not initiated to minimize the security challenge university lecturers are currently facing on the Bambili-Bambui road stretch. Viewing the emergency of the matter at hand, this strike notification has a lifespan of ten working days beginning from Monday 18th to Friday 29th October 2021. A lot of focus is on a frictionless experience, Ritchey said. As people go back to the stores, if the products arent available, having them shipped to their home, either from a fulfillment center or from another store, is quite popular. We see a continued focus on providing options to the customer to interact with the retailer in the way that theyre most comfortable. Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement that the new guidelines will help the state as it works to vaccinate Marylanders and maintain their immunity against the virus, which has killed 10,554 people in the state. On Friday, 650 people were being treated for COVID-19 in Maryland hospitals, and all told, more than 50,000 people in the state have been hospitalized with the virus during the pandemic. The good news is that seniors who were enrolled can switch to traditional Medicare and have access to virtually all doctors and hospitals or choose among several other Medicare Advantage plans for 2022, Neuman said. The bad news is that the change could disrupt the continuity of their care, if it means having to change doctors and other providers. I understand the frustration of being in Western Maryland, sometimes feeling that you know, out of step, neglected or forgotten by an increasingly progressive legislature that doesnt somehow relate to some of the folks out in rural areas. But I dont think thats the way to go about it, said Hogan, a Republican. I think it was a publicity stunt that worked well because you guys are going to ask about it. But its not really going to happen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thanked world leaders for their wishes on India crossing the 100 crore vaccinations mark. India attained the milestone of administering 100 crore COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday morning. Several world leaders congratulated India on this achievement. In reply to a tweet by Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister Modi said: "Thank you Lyonchhen Lotay Tshering for your kind words on this historic occasion. We deeply cherish our friendship with Bhutan! India remains committed in our fight against COVID-19 together with the region and the world." Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih took to Twitter to congratulate India for administering 1 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines. "Congratulations to PM @narendramodi and the government of India for administering 1 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines, displaying the innovation and solidarity of the Indian people. Thank you also, India, for supporting Maldives' Covid-19 recovery and vaccination efforts," he tweeted. In reply to a tweet by Maldives President, the Prime Minister said: "Thank you President @ibusolih for your kind wishes. I am pleased to see the progress of the vaccination drive in the Maldives. As neighbours and close friends, our partnership to overcome COVID-19 has borne fruit." Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett lauded Prime Minister Modi on leading India's successful COVID-19 vaccination campaign. "Congratulations to @narendramodi on leading India's successful COVID-19 vaccination campaign that has now administered more than 1 billion vaccines to the Indian people. These life-saving vaccines are helping us all defeat the global pandemic," Bennett said in a Twitter post. In reply to a tweet by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the Prime Minister said: "Thank you, PM @naftalibennett. Appreciate your warm words. This milestone has been made possible by India's scientists, health workers and innovators who are also, along with their Israeli counterparts, building the foundations of our knowledge-based strategic partnership." A total of 100 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far to eligible beneficiaries, as per the CoWIN portal at 9:47 am today. India's COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched on January 16, 2021. Initially, the vaccination was opened for Health Care Workers (HCWs) only. From February 2, front line workers were made eligible for vaccination. These included state and Central Police personnel, Armed Force Personnel, Home Guards, Civil Defence and Disaster Management Volunteers, Municipal workers, Prison Staff, PRI Staff and Revenue workers involved in containment and surveillance, Railway Protection Force and election Staff. The vaccination drive was expanded from March 1 to include persons above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with associated specified 20 comorbidities. It was further expanded to all people above 45 years of age from April 1. From May 1 all persons above 18 years of age were made eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. (ANI) Also Read: Karnataka BJP MP Hegde says, ad featuring Aamir Khan creating 'unrest among Hindus' Germany's outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday called for dialogue between EU member states and Poland to settle a row over the rule of law issues. Speaking to journalists upon her arrival in Brussels for probably her last show at an EU summit, Merkel insisted that member states needed to discuss political differences. "We need to find ways and possibilities to come back together," she said. "An avalanche of legal disputes taken before the European Court of Justice is not a solution to the problem," she said, in a reference to the legal action the European Commission was preparing against Poland in front of the EU's top court. Poland's rule of law topped the agenda of the summit of EU leaders on Thursday, with the European Commission expressing growing concern over judicial independence, which was exacerbated with the Polish constitutional court decision this week which ruled that Polish laws enjoyed supremacy over EU laws. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told journalists as she arrived at the EU summit that "the core question is the independence of the judiciary in Poland." "This is not new...but with the recent ruling of the (Polish) constitutional court, this has taken a new dimension," she added. Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki came under heavy criticism during a tense debate with Von der Leyen in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The EU chief warned that the Commission will use one of the tools at its disposal, either an infringement procedure, or an EU probe into the ruling, or the new tool of rule of law conditionality which could lead to the suspension of EU funds, or the Article 7 sanctions procedure. Poland and the Commission have not agreed on the 23.9 billion euros in grants and 12.1 billion euros in cheap loans that Poland can receive from the EU's COVID-19 recovery fund. The global energy crisis also topped the leaders' agenda but the Polish situation took precedence, with many leaders arriving at the summit calling for dialogue to diffuse the situation before it ballooned into a much larger political crisis that could threaten the EU's own foundations. "It's very clear that a red line has been crossed," said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, with Austria's Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg warning that Poland cannot "cherry-pick" EU laws. Morawiecki said he was "ready for dialogue" but warned that they would not "act under the pressure of blackmail." He defended the controversial Oct. 7 ruling by his country's Constitutional Court that declared EU law could only apply in just a few specific areas, and that Polish law prevailed in all other national matters. Meanwhile, in a resolution adopted on Thursday with 502 votes for, 153 against, and 16 abstentions, MEPs emphasized that the Polish Constitutional Tribunal lacks legal validity and independence, and is unqualified to interpret the country's constitution. The MEPs "deeply deplore" the decision which they described as "an attack on the European community of values and laws as a whole," and said that the Tribunal has been transformed "into a tool for legalizing the illegal activities of the authorities." (ANI) Also Read: Pentagon chief may have 'overplayed' role in promoting Ukraine NATO bid US President Joe Biden on Thursday (local time) said that the United States would come to Taiwan's defence if it came under attack by China. Addressing a CNN town hall meeting, the President said: "Yes, we have a commitment to do that." He made these remarks when asked if the United States would defend Taiwan if China attack the country. Biden had been asked by an audience member about China's recent testing of hypersonic missile and questioned him about whether or not the United States would stand up to China. "Don't worry about whether they are going to be more powerful," Biden said after reaffirming that the rest of the world "knows" that the United States has the most powerful military in the world, reported Fox News. The President also dismissed the idea that he wants to start another cold war with China. "I don't want a cold war with China," Biden said. "I just want China to understand that we are not going to step back and we are not going to change any of our views," Fox News added. The support of the US to Taiwan has been irritant to Beijing as China claims sovereignty over Taiwan. The Chinese leaders have expressed their desire to "reunify" the country. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, President Xi Jinping had said that "solving the Taiwan question and realising the complete reunification of the motherland are the unswerving historical tasks of the Chinese Communist Party and the common aspiration of all Chinese people", said Newsweek. (ANI) Also Read: Pentagon chief may have 'overplayed' role in promoting Ukraine NATO bid I am inspired this week by an assignment my wife is doing for a Law in Education class. Her assignment was to write about religion in school and particularly release time for religious classes. It is an interesting assignment for her because, unlike most of her class, she grew up in a state From Left to right: PPD Sgt George Simpson, PPD Officer Matt Timm, Director of DEC Network Development Stacee Read, DEC Director of Training and Development Eric Nation, Detective Lieutenant Fredrick Cornelius of Caygua Co Sheriffs Office NY, Chris Cooper MDT Coordinator for Cayuga Counseling Center NY, Sarah VanDoren Associate Director Cayuga Counseling Center NY, Heather Petrus Executive Director Cayuga Counseling Center NY, James Slayton Chief of Auburn Police Department NY Shortly after the polls closed, there was a loud banging on the doors. When it seemed like whoever was making it wasnt going to stop, an election official let him in. A Black 30-something construction worker, he had a gig in Milwaukee. As soon as he could get away, he jumped into his car and floored the gas pedal to make it home to vote. Mitsos encourages parents and kids to plan ahead for these possible side effects. That might mean asking children if theyd prefer applying heat or cold to a sore arm, or asking what movies or books theyd like if they feel sick for a little in the aftermath. Packing a bag in advance with stuffed animals, books or other activities can help too, she said. That is the question at the heart of Elastic Arts annual Afrofuturist Weekend, which brings together artists of many stripes to envision and manifest their unique visions for a world driven by Afrofuturist principles. A term first coined in the early 1990s, Afrofuturism explores the intersection of Afro-diasporic art and culture with technology. Although the term is relatively new, Afrofuturistic ideas have been explored through various mediums for decades, including through the art of musicians like Sun Ra, the novelist Octavia Butler and even in comics like Black Panther. Nussbaum does none of that crude stuff. There are no greasepaint lines on his face. His Freud is sprightly and smart but intensely irritated that his own body is failing him. And that's exactly, it feels, like what the man himself would have been in this difficult moment. Nussbaum understands that the key to this part is not about acting old and sick. It is about shaking all that off at every possible moment and carrying on. And at this point in his own life, he is free so to do. Sex-trafficking cases come with their own complexities that involve issues typically not associated with traditional fraud and corruption investigations. One area of expertise that the Washington prosecutors are bringing to the Gaetz case is dealing with children who have been exploited but may not see themselves as having been victimized, which can complicate trials if they are called as witnesses. As for the school districts statement, it said: A recording of one of our teachers has been widely circulated on social media. These behaviors are completely unacceptable and an offensive depiction of the vast and expansive Native American cultures and practices. Her actions do not represent the values of our district. The teacher has been placed on leave while the District conducts an investigation. What I love is when I look at this data, this is such a different district than when I was here in the 80s, said Martinez, who graduated in 1987 from Benito Juarez Community Academy. Its amazing when I look at the improvements that we have. Look at the trajectory since 1999, but even look at it for the last 10 years. The five-year graduation rate was 56.9% in 2011, according to CPS. Although Harvey has not responded about the water crisis, Preckwinkle said, This isnt about assessing blame. Its about trying to fix a problem thats a result of the fact that we have real infrastructure needs, not just here in Cook County but across the country. Dixmoor residents, left without a reliable water source, have expressed dismay since Oct. 16 when the towns water supply was first affected. Roberts has said the problems stemmed from leaks in the pipes, but the village had been unable to fully diagnose the problem. The dog was reported to be in surgery and his condition was not released as of Thursday. Beth said that the dog is expected to survive. The sheriff said he had spoken to the K9 deputy and said he was very emotional. Born in 1924, Frankie Wiemerslage, along with his brothers, Roland and Harold, and sister Audrey grew up in River Grove when it was populated by the families of early German settlers, who had flocked to the area. The family had long ties to the community, and their grandfather, Frank, was a longtime police chief known to ride his bicycle around the village until a motorcycle and sidecar were purchased. Even though the boot is adorable, I dont know if you ever drank out of it and got a little bit of a kickback at the end or gotten splashed in the face a little bit? You get a little Gluhwein shower if you dont hold it the right way, Biester Priebe said. The little boot has a little bubble in the front and, therefore, theres an air pocket that pushes the rest of the wine out and some people get splashed. So, thats not always popular. This cup doesnt have that problem. Amid high-profile deaths at the hands of police officers around the country, the incident exemplified the kind of small, typically undocumented interaction that can erode a communitys trust in the Chicago Police Department, critics have said. The encounter highlighted, yet again, a decades-old code of silence an unwritten understanding that officers protect one another at all cost that has led to federal oversight of the department in recent years, they said. Police officers, firefighters and other first responders are extremely good at mitigating risk. It has become second nature to many of us, and we often use this skill in our personal lives. We are also intimately aware of the inherent risks that lifes routine activities present and understand that risk cannot be entirely eliminated in our lives. Doing so would paralyze our society with fear, and, hopefully, no one wants that. In the world of social media, though, this issue manifests itself as our willingness to allow our every movement to be tracked. Most of us have come to accept that the likes of Facebook and Google are going to push us ads based on what they know about our lives: where we are, who we are, for what we are searching on a regular basis. It can be creepy at times, especially since ads sometimes arrive based on our phones proximity to other people. But we gave our permission long ago by clicking some box somewhere. It takes a lot more energy, because of the weakness you have on one side of the body, to do simple activities, he said. One of the things that I realized is that even though studies show the more therapy you do, the better you get, your body also needs to rest. Its probably not something that I realized as much as a physician. Timuel was a person who could speak at the podium of Americas most prestigious universities while never losing his ability to talk to people in the community or young people on the block, Pfleger said. He sat in the circles of the most wealthy and powerful of the world, but unlike many who get in those circles, he never forgot his role. His role was to be their conscience and their moral compass. The bottom line is, it has to start somewhere, Villegas said. This is our start. Weve been communicating with our colleagues. And weve been talking to them, mapping with them, working with them to try to get to a point, those that want to work with us. Malkin noted that none of the seven penthouse units has been publicly listed since 2006, when the 61st-floor penthouse sold for $7.86 million to billionaire auto parts mogul and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan. The penthouse that Griffin bought in 2012 for $15 million never was listed publicly, and Griffin gutted it after he bought it, Malkin said, while the penthouse that Lucas and Hobson bought in 2015 for $18.75 million also was a private-market deal and sold for well over her clients current asking price. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) jointly announced on Thursday that they have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Fintech Innovation Supervisory Cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). By signing the MOU, they have agreed to link up the PBOC's Fintech Innovation Regulatory Facility with the HKMA's Fintech Supervisory Sandbox. The move aims to advance cooperation on fintech innovation on the basis of law and regulations, improve the quality and efficiency of financial services in the GBA and increase financial support for its development, said the PBOC. In the next step, the two sides will, under the cooperation framework, adhere to the principles of mutual trust, mutual understanding and mutual respect, provide efficient fintech innovation testing services, and inject new impetus into the high-quality financial development of the GBA, it said. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, held a plenary meeting on Thursday to hear and deliberate multiple reports. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, attended the meeting. At the meeting, lawmakers deliberated a comprehensive report on the management of state-owned assets in 2020. The report outlined plans for work in the field, including deepening reforms of state capital and state-owned enterprises, adjusting the management system of state-owned financial capital, and improving the natural resource assets management system. For the first time, lawmakers heard a special report from the State Council on the management of state-owned natural resource assets in 2020. Efforts are needed to strengthen the protection of natural resources, improve the efficiency in using natural resources, and promote the quality and stability of the ecological system, the report said. Lawmakers also heard a research report on the management of state-owned natural resource assets in 2020, which was submitted by a research group of the NPC. The report noted some shortages in the management of state-owned natural resource assets and put forward suggestions, including promoting the implementation of the ecological conservation concept. A report on improving teachers' performance and enforcing the Teachers Law was submitted to the meeting for review. A proposed revision to the law was highlighted in the report. Lawmakers heard a report on adjudication of intellectual property cases by courts, and a report on the handling of complaint and petition cases by procuratorates. The meeting also reviewed a report on the enforcement of the Law on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste and a research report on strengthening germplasm resource protection and breeding innovation. A mainland spokesperson Thursday lashed out at Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority for colluding with lawmakers in several countries to create Taiwan-related bills. Any attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" by colluding with external forces is doomed to fail, said Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. Ma made the statement in response to a query on the adoption of a so-called report by the European Parliament on the political relations and cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Taiwan. The report is a gross violation of the one-China principle and the commitments made openly by the EU on the Taiwan question. It sends erroneous signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, Ma said, stressing that China strongly condemns and resolutely opposes it. Ma reiterated that there is only one China and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory, adding that the Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affair that brooks no foreign interference. The spokesperson urged the EU institution to earnestly abide by the one-China principle, correct its wrong actions, and prudently and properly handle the Taiwan-related issues. Flash Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that China is willing to work with Pacific Island countries for a closer comprehensive strategic partnership. Wang made the remarks while chairing the first China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting via video link. Wang said the relations between China and Pacific Island countries have set a good example of friendly exchanges, solidarity and cooperation between countries of different regions, sizes and systems. He called for further deepening policy communication, promoting mutual understanding and support on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, and establishing a mechanism for regular foreign ministers' meetings between China and Pacific Island countries. Wang said that China will continue to provide vaccines and various anti epidemic materials to island countries, establish a China-Pacific Island Countries reserve of emergency supplies, and inject additional capital into the fund which provides support to China and Pacific Island countries to fight against the pandemic. China will continue providing economic and technical assistance to island countries with no political conditions attached, Wang said. A forum on fishery cooperation and development between China and Pacific Island countries will be held within the year, and a cooperation center on poverty reduction and development will be established to help the island countries accelerate their independent and sustainable development, he added. On climate change cooperation, Wang said China has decided to establish a cooperation center for China and Pacific Island countries on climate change, supports the island countries' blue Pacific initiative, and will continue to fund the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. China calls for an open, transparent and responsible manner to prudently deal with the disposal of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, and the discharge shall not be started until an agreement is reached with all stakeholders, Wang said. He said China will also expand exchanges and cooperation with Pacific Island countries in the fields of education, culture, health and sports. Wang noted that the nuclear submarine cooperation between the United States, Britain and Australia will bring nuclear proliferation risks, trigger an arms race, and undermine regional peace and stability. China is willing to work with the island countries to jointly uphold the international non-proliferation regime with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as its cornerstone and the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone. Foreign ministers and representatives from Kiribati, Fiji, Tonga, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Samoa, as well as Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, attended the meeting. Representatives of participating island countries expressed their gratitude to China for its long-term help and support, congratulated the Communist Party of China on its founding centenary and reaffirmed their firm adherence to the one-China principle. They also expressed their willingness to support China's Global Development Initiative, deepen cooperation on the Belt and Road, and promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides to a new level. NEWS PROVIDED BY The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Oct. 22, 2021 NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue (photo) comments on a Biden nominee who is a threat to public safety: If credentials were sufficient grounds for holding a position in the Biden administration, Atul Gawande would merit a unanimous vote. He is a Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, a Rhodes Scholar, a distinguished author, and the former CEO of a healthcare organization. This is surely why President Biden has nominated him to be assistant administrator of the Bureau for Global Health at the U.S. Agency for International Development. There are very good reasons, however, why Senator Marco Rubio sounded the alarm on Gawande. He is a defender of infanticide, a reflection, no doubt, of his crass utilitarian philosophy. In short, credentials, no matter how stellar, tell us nothing about the ethics of the person. Rubio, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, centers his objection to Gawande on a 1998 essay he wrote for Slate, the left-wing media outlet. It was a full-throated defense of partial-birth abortion. Gawande casually describes what partial-birth abortion entails. "The fetus is delivered feet first. To get the large head out, the doctor cuts open a hole at the base of the fetus's skull and inserts tubing to suck out the brain, which collapses the skull. Often, but not always, the fetus is injected lethally beforehand." Gawande knows how normal people react to this monstrous procedure, and he has a ready answer for them. "If partial-birth abortion is too gruesome to allow, however, it is hard to see how other late abortions, especially D and Es [dilatation and evacuation], are any different." He's right about that. "About 80 percent of late-term abortions are done by D and E," Gawande says. "A couple of days ahead, small, absorbent rods are put in the pregnant woman's cervical opening to expand it gradually. Then, for the actual procedure, she--and the fetus--are given heavy sedation or general anesthesia. The doctor breaks her bag of water and drains out the fluid. The opening won't let the fetus out whole. So the doctor uses metal tongs, physically crushes the head, and dismembers the fetus. The pieces are pulled out and counted to confirm that nothing was missed." Not even a toe. Gawande speaks with clinical detachment about the most Nazi-like practices. "What makes abortion disturbing is that the fetus is big now--like a fully formed child. Two of my obstetrician friends, both strongly pro-choice, told me that, even when it is a mother's life at stake and abortion is absolutely necessary, doing the D and E feels 'horrible.' We imagine, as we look in the fetus's eyes, that there is someone in there." Imagine that. A big unborn child, who miraculously resembles a "fully formed child," inspires those who look into his eyes that there really is someone there! Hooman Noorchashm is an M.D. who also holds a Ph.D. He worked with Gawande at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), a Harvard-affiliated entity, in Boston. On December 11, 2018, he wrote a letter to Gawande commenting on his appointment as the new CEO of Haven Healthcare. Noorchashm raked Gawande over the coals for going mute on a serious scandal that took place at the hospital when they worked there. A surgical tool was used during hysterectomies that spread a dangerous cancer in some of the hospital's patients. The device is called a morcellator. It is used to cut up and remove tissue to treat fibroids. While these growths are usually benign, they sometimes cannot be detected before surgery. As described by the Wall Street Journal, which covered the scandal, "Morcellation can send pieces of malignant tissue into other parts of the abdomen, significantly reducing a woman's chance of long-term survival, the FDA said." One of the women treated at BWH died after a hysterectomy with morcellation in 2012. She was 52. When Noorchashm spoke to Gawande about this issue, he was struck by his cowardly silence. What makes this so disturbing is that Gawande has a reputation as the guardian of public safety. Moreover, he was fully aware of a critical analysis of what was going on at BWH. Noorchashm said in his letter to him that "you failed to rise up, at all, to defend a surgical and ethical critique and position [of this dangerous operation] you knew was absolutely correct--I know your silence was for the sake of internal politics, or perhaps it was because of the ethically imbalanced utilitarian philosophy your writings seem to promote." Noorshashm didn't mince words. "Maybe you believe that the majority benefit and cost/revenue advantages somehow justified the minority subset of women whose cancers were being spread and upstaged by GYNs using their 'meat-grinders' through small holes." He called Gawande's selection as CEO of Haven Healthcare "monumentally frightening." Surely the Biden administration can find someone who has a more humane record than Gawande. It does not exaggerate to say that he is a direct threat to public safety. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. This painting was inspired by a series of paintings in which I was focusing on the 4 face angel known as the Seraphim found in Ezekiel in Chapter 1 verse 10. This angel has 4 faces that are symbols that God uses throughout the Scriptures. These symbols often have a teaching or character trait that is associated with them. In this particular painting 'Soar' is the painting of the face of a wedge-tailed eagle painted on a base of Yellow. This painting was my first of the 4 series and was a painting that came out of a prayer time which rapidly came together. I only painted this painting for about 2 hours from inception to finish. I feel that this painting is a message for this hour for God's Children to rise up on wings like Eagles and soar as Isaiah Chapter 40 verse 31 says. With a world that is in turmoil, chaos and filled with metaphorical storms this is the call to rise up and soar about the storms of life and to see from a new perspective, a God perspective, a Heavenly seated place perspective. So be encouraged as you look into the eye of the Eagle and be inspired to Soar again in your life. If youre like me, you can relate when I say it feels like were living in crazy times. The world seems to be moving and changing at speeds that are unprecedented in history. Just in my life time, we have gone from playing Pac-Man video games to having the world at our fingertips (or thumbs) with smart devices and 5G. I have raised children who are young adults and have younger children as well, so I have seen first hand these affects on human development. Now we are raising our children in a Pandemic and things just seem to move faster and become even crazier. The news cycles are clogged up with dramatic events that would previously taken weeks or months to digest, but theres no time, theres the next dramatic event. We are also faced with decisions that could be life altering and feel pressured or that we are not fully informed. I have followed news and current events quite closely from around the world and from multiple and alternative news sources. I have done this from a deep conviction that we need to know our world in order to love and intercede for it. I can say that I have been down some rabbit holes and have felt compelled to seek truth in a world of disinformation and misinformation. I am not going to discuss anything of that nature other than to share general spiritual truths from which we can operate from, and find common ground with other Christians and people in our lives. Overcoming fear Whether you believe that we are in a Pandemic or a Plandemic, weather you only follow mainstream media narratives or youve been down the darkest rabbit hole of conspiracy theory, you will not be untouched by the effects of FEAR. Fear seems to be the key motivation for numerous actions and decisions for millions of people. If youve read your bible and been a Christian for a while, you will know that is a very common theme throughout the whole scriptural narrative. It has influenced significant decisions of both individuals and nations. The people of God have been continuously encouraged to have courage and not operate in fear, from Adam right through to the Apostles. How does fear effect us? A very basic reaction is what is termed the Flight, Fight or Freeze response. This is something that is biologically wired into our brain stems and will produce a powerful response within us both physically, emotionally and spiritually. If youve had any experience with trauma, whether in yourself or others you would have some experience to relate. I will not explore this any more deeply other than to conclude that fear is a powerful force that most people are effected by this in some form or another at this moment. The secondary effects of fear, is that of worry, anxiety and stress. These are universal things that all people experience in their lives, and are not necessarily destructive or negative given that are proportional and not long term. The long term effects of worry, anxiety and stress can be very destructive to an individuals physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. As a Christian, I am reminded of the scripture For the Spirit God have us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self discipline. It is very clear that God does want us to have fear as our default setting in our lives. We are to know its effects on us and others, and to fight against it by being surrendered to the Spirit and Word do God, which supersedes any outward calamity. Look at the story of Elisha in (2 Kings ch 6) where he was surrounded by an army that had come to seize him. Elisha saw in the Spiritual realm that Gods army was there, and he prayed for his servants eyes to be opened to this reality. I believe that this is where we need to be living in these particular times. To have vision beyond the news, the natural circumstances and the opinions of others. Fear used to control Fear is the primary way evil and darkness controls and destroys people, cultures and countries. A common experience of this is in abusive relationship. Fear is used to control by using threats, violence and manipulation. People feel anxiety, worry and stress and their ability to make free and informed decisions are hindered. People feel trapped and disempowered, it causes people to self medicate, live in denial and even self harm and suicide. Gods spirit frees us, it empowers us to see clearly. It gives us hope and courage to face down our giants. Another example of fear being used by evil and darkness is the rise of Hitler and the 3rd Reich. This is a much longer and complex example, but it needs To be understood so that history does not repeat itself. In a simplistic overview, Hitler utilised the suffering of the German people from WW1 and the following years of economic and social struggles. He pointed the German peoples fear outward, away from their immediate situations, and focussed it on external enemies. By harnessing fear of the Jews and the Bolsheviks, he united them in a common cause and directed them down a horrible road of destruction. By Hitler was someone who undertook the power of harnessing peoples collective fear and weaponising it. Fear is weaponised today You had better believe that years of research and billions of dollars have been spent on trying to harness fear to influence and control your life. A common practice that well known for example is the sales technique of keeping up with Joness. Sales people in much more complex ways are taught how to manipulate and trigger a fear response in the person they are trying to sell to. Sales people are highly trained in numerous techniques to try and push their sales and many of them do consist in triggering the fear response. Young people have been influenced by FOMO or the fear of missing out. They are glued to their social networks through their devices and are subject to extremely advanced systems and algorithms to keep them scrolling. Mainstream media news also know that Fear Sells with their deliberately crafted headlines attempting to tap into our fear. I know myself I will click on an article or buy a newspaper because the headlines invoke a fear response. I feel compelled to find out whats happening in case it affects my world negatively. Every click and every headline generates some kind of revenue. So our world is saturated with the power and influence of fear, in its varying degrees and effects. These things can live in our heads rent free and be terribly hard to shake. God is our deliverer in this. Only His truth and perspective can break us of illusion and captivity. Stay strong in your church attendance, your prayers and bible reading. We are in a war and this is a complex and multidimensional war. October 22, 2021 A massive rocket topped with a spacecraft bound for the moon is now standing in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the first time in 49 years. The space agency completed stacking the components of its first Space Launch System (SLS) rocket just after midnight (EDT) on Thursday (Oct. 21). The integration of the core stage, twin solid rocket boosters, a propulsion stage and the Orion spacecraft marked a major milestone towards the launch of the uncrewed Artemis I mission to loop around moon as soon as February 2022. "It's taller than the Statue of Liberty," Tom Whitmeyer, NASA's deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development, said in a call with reporters on Friday. "I like to think of it as the Statue of Liberty because it is a very engineering-complicated piece of equipment and it is very inclusive and represents everybody." "The rocket itself was built using people from every state in the United States of America and it also involved a partnership with the Europeans. We're very proud of that," said Whitmeyer. "Like the Statue of Liberty, I think it really represents what this country is about." Towering 322 feet tall (98 m) just 41 feet shorter than NASA's last moon rocket, the Apollo-era Saturn V the SLS will now undergo a series of verification tests in the VAB's High Bay 3 ahead of being rolled out to Complex 39B for what NASA calls a "wet" dress rehearsal. This final test will run the rocket and its launch team through the loading of propellant into the SLS and conducting a countdown to just before ignition at about T-10 seconds. Assuming a successful rehearsal, the stack will then be rolled back into the VAB for its last checks and a target date for launch will be set. Artemis I Orion lift and mate. Click to enlarge and view video in pop-up window. (NASA) San Francisco, 22 Oct 2021: The Report Micro-mobility Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Vehicle Type (Electric Kick Scooters, Electric Skateboards, Electric Bicycles), By Battery, By Voltage, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028 The global micro-mobility market size is expected to reach USD 69.32 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 13.7%, from 2021 to 2028, according to a study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. The growing carbon emission by traditional fuel-based vehicles has been a key concern for government authorities. The sustainability move toward smart cities is one of the key factors responsible for the adoption of eco-friendly and cost-effective transportation. Since the electric kick scooters, electric bicycles, and electric skateboards run on batteries, there are no carbon or gaseous emissions from these vehicles. This mode of transportation is gaining popularity amongst environmentally conscious commuters. Adopting such eco-friendly vehicles not only reduces the carbon and sulfur emissions in the atmosphere but also decreases fuel consumption. Furthermore, these vehicles use ultra-quiet chains for operating the electric motor, thereby facilitating noise-free rides. The market growth can be attributed to the growth of the shared micro-mobility service industry across the world, which has spurred the demand for electric kick scooters, electric bicycles, and electric skateboards. Companies such as Bird Rides, Inc.; Lime; Spin; and Uber Technologies Inc. offering electric scooter-sharing services, are procuring electric kick scooters mainly from manufacturers such as Ninebot-Segway, Yadea Technology Group Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Xinri E-Vehicle Co. Ltd., and Xiaomi. Furthermore, the penetration of electric kick scooter-sharing services is witnessing an exponential adoption rate since 2016. Companies such as YoBike and Pony Bikes; Urbo Solutions and Bleeper Bikes; and Bykeare offering electric bicycle-sharing services across Europe. The growth of the market can be attributed to the increasing adoption of scooters and bicycles as the preferred mode of transportation, especially from the time when electric kick scooters and electric bicycles entered this market space. The Asia Pacific region is expected to emerge as the prominent region with China as the largest electric kick scooters market owing to the presence of several electric kick scooter manufacturers such as JIANGSU XINRI E-VEHICLE CO., Air wheel Holding Limited, Yadea Technology Group Co., Ltd., LTD., and Xiaomi in China. The country accounted for the largest share of the market in 2020. Moreover, the regional market growth can be attributed to the increasing need for reducing carbon emissions and developing technologically advanced and fast-charging stations. Access Research Report of Micro-mobility Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/micro-mobility-market-report Micro-mobility Market Report Highlights The electric bicycle segment dominated the market in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 62.52 billion by 2028 The sealed lead-acid battery segment dominated the market in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 36.68 billion by 2028 Asia Pacific is projected to account for the largest market share and is expected to reach USD 32.01 billion by 2028 Some of the prominent participants in the industry are Yadea Technology Group Co. Ltd.; JIANGSU XINRI E-VEHICLE CO., LTD.; Xiaomi; SEGWAY INC.; SWAGTRON; Boosted USA; Airwheel Holding Limited; YAMAHA MOTOR CO. LTD.; Accell Group; and Derby Cycle List of Key Players of the Micro-mobility Market Yadea Technology Group Co., Ltd. JIANGSU XINRI E-VEHICLE CO., LTD. Xiaomi SEGWAY INC. SWAGTRON Boosted USA Airwheel Holding Limited YAMAHA MOTOR CO., LTD. Accell Group Derby Cycle Access Press Release of Micro-mobility Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-micro-mobility-market Bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy are usually performed on the back of the hipbone, or posterior iliac crest. An aspirate can also be obtained from the sternum (breastbone). For the sternal aspirate, the patient lies on their back, with a pillow under the shoulder to raise the chest. A trephine biopsy should never be performed on the sternum, due to the risk of injury to blood vessels, lungs or the heart. The need to selectively isolate and concentrate selective cells, such as mononuclear cells, allogeneic cancer cells, T cells and others, is driving the market. Over 30,000 bone marrow transplants occur every year. The explosive growth of stem cells therapies represents the largest growth opportunity for bone marrow processing systems. Europe and North America spearheaded the market as of 2018, by contributing over 74.0% to the overall revenue. Majority of stem cell transplants are conducted in Europe, and it is one of the major factors contributing to the lucrative share in the cell harvesting system market. Get An Exclusive Sample Of the Research Report at: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/3374 In 2018, North America dominated the research landscape as more than 54.0% of stem cell clinical trials were conducted in this region. The region also accounts for the second largest number of stem cell transplantation, which is further driving the demand for harvesting in the region. Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness lucrative growth over the forecast period, owing to rising incidence of chronic diseases and increasing demand for stem cell transplantation along with stem cell-based therapy. Japan and China are the biggest markets for harvesting systems in Asia Pacific. Emerging countries such as Mexico, South Korea, and South Africa are also expected to report lucrative growth over the forecast period. Growing investment by government bodies on stem cell-based research and increase in aging population can be attributed to the increasing demand for these therapies in these countries. Buy Now report with Analysis of COVID-19 at: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/checkout/3374/Single Major players operating in the global bone marrow processing systems market are ThermoGenesis (Cesca Therapeutics inc.), RegenMed Systems Inc., MK Alliance Inc., Fresenius Kabi AG, Harvest Technologies (Terumo BCT), Arthrex, Inc. and others. Get Impressive Discountat at: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/3374 Join Edith Salas of Salas Properties & host Jenn Barlow as they visit the Coronado Shores community. The towers have amazing views including the world famous Hotel del Coronado, downtown San Diego, San Diego Bay, the City of Coronado, Point Loma, and the Pacific Ocean. Leaving is the most dangerous time for victims and we encourage anyone with concerns about their own safety or that of a loved one to reach out to Safe Connect or one of CCADVs 18 member organizations, said Meghan Scanlon, president and CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence. When a victim takes steps to end a relationship, this is the precise time that an abuser may begin to escalate violence in an attempt to regain control of the victim. Certified domestic violence advocates across the state are available to provide options and resources for staying safe at this critical time. The father of three adult children was a local cop for 15 years from 1986 to 2001 and also worked in the insurance industry as a financial manager and in internal audits. Currently a territory manager for ADT Security Services, Griffin also has served on the East Hartford school board, town council and many other public panels. Its not clear what percentage of parents will get their kids vaccinated, Deshpande said. The proposition is a little different for younger kids. COVID tends to be a little less severe, and there is a concern for myocarditis that we saw with some of the other age groups. And the other thing is, parents are just more conservative with their kids, while they may be willing to take more risks for themselves. Gabe Rosenberg, a spokesman for Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, said the office had not received an official letter of resignation from DiMassa as of late Friday afternoon. We dont have it, and our office is closed for the day, Rosenberg said at 5:50 p.m. Friday. Ohio Vietnam Veteran Judge Featured on PBS A retired Ohio judge will be featured in a new documentary detailing the lives of military veterans from their enlistment to life after their service. Retired Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Jackson will share his experiences in a four-part Public Broadcasting Service series, The American Veteran, broadcast once weekly beginning Tuesday Oct. 26. His journey is depicted from combat in the Vietnam War to his work on the bench when he developed a special docket called a veterans treatment court. My hope is that veterans in and out of treatments courts watch this series to spark conversation and reflection toward healing their trauma, Judge Jackson said. Judge Jackson will be featured in the first, second, and the fourth and final episodes. Additional digital content is currently available on the PBS website. The series will follow 42 veterans from as far back as World War II. Segments include enlistment training, tours of duty, and returning home while grappling with questions of veteran identity, culture, and the dynamic between the military and civilian worlds. As a Marine lieutenant, Judge Jackson was awarded four medals of valor and the Purple Heart, granted those wounded or killed in combat. As a practicing attorney for 40 years, he said he avoided the judiciary, wanting to distance himself from the kinds of decisions he was forced to make commanding platoons at age 23. When I left the service and went to law school, it became clear to me that I did not want that kind of responsibility for someones life, again, Judge Jackson said. His ambition to start a specialty docket for veterans changed that. In 2012, he was elected judge and three years later started the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Veterans Treatment Court. The court offers veterans charged with a felony unique alternatives that utilize their military service experience to aid in their rehabilitation. Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen OConnor was the inaugural guest speaker at the specialized dockets first meeting. When Judge Jackson retired from the bench in 2019, the program had grown into the largest veterans court in the state with more than 100 active participants and 60 graduates. Judge Jackson received two national awards on behalf of the court for his work connecting justice-involved veterans with benefits and treatment. The whole community spirit of veterans helping other veterans while holding them accountable is the key that makes veterans treatment court special, he said. Its challenging but rewarding. Ohio Bar Exam Pass Rate: 73.4% Of the 964 aspiring lawyers who sat for the latest Ohio Bar Examination, 708 or 73.4% passed the test, the Ohio Supreme Court announced today. Among the 824 first-time test takers for the July exam, 82.3% earned passing scores. The exam, held in July, was the third remote Ohio bar exam due to COVID-19 restrictions. The successful applicants who meet all other admission requirements will be sworn in at a special session of the Supreme Court on Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. using remote technology. The bar exam is administered by the Court, which regulates the practice of law in Ohio, including the admission of new attorneys, the biennial registration of current attorneys, attorney discipline in cases of misconduct, and the administration of continuing legal education. McDermid also touches on misogyny that ran rampant inside and outside the newsroom. The editors are amazed that not only can Allie handle the complicated stories but also is a better writer than her male colleagues. McDermid mined her own background as a journalist in Glasgow in 1977. Only six months before she started were women allowed to wear pants in the office and work the night shift. Music is a marker for many of us a song can bring back a certain moment or event. McDermid has included a playlist of her personal top 40 from the year 1979 to help the reader further remember. Dave Ress Staff writer Dave Ress covers the military. He's been a reporter in Virginia since 1990 and before that for Reuters in Canada, Britain and Africa. Dave has a PhD in history from the University of New England (Australia) and is the author of 4 books on U.S. and Australian history. Early on in the Wilderness conflict, the Confederates had the upper hand. They knew the territory, which was made up chiefly of scrubby, stubborn oaks, and low-limbed, disordered, haggard pines (and) here and there scattering clumps of alien cedars, explained Morris Schaff in his 1910 book on the battle. Also there was underbrush so thick that soldiers often had to crawl through it or under it. Bill Thomas shudders at the thought to this day. The tone of his parents voice signaling something was wrong. The realization that his sister, Cathleen Thomas, was murdered on a scenic Virginia roadway. The understanding, years later, that his parents had to make three separate phone calls to him and his two brothers; one, in New York at the time, took an entire day to reach. The two localities, JCC and York County, reported that they have had a small number of absentee ballots come back without a witness signature. In the 2020 election, Virginia did not require voters to have a witness sign their ballot, while this year they have brought back the requirement. Both localities said they are actively reaching out to those voters. Chennai: Searches were held on Friday by vigilance sleuths here and in Salem in connection with a case of Rs 27.22 crore disproportionate assets against C Vijayabaskar, who was the Health Minister in the previous AIADMK regime. In Chennai, the searches were held in the residence of a former personal assistant to Vijayabaskar, in the office of a property developer, and another person. The raid was conducted in a hospital in Salem, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption said. The searches were carried out after obtaining a warrant from a court in Pudukottai, the agency added. A case was filed by the DVAC on October 17 against Vijayabaskar, for possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 27.22 crore. The following day, searches were held in 50 locations in the state. India has not yet committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, considered a vital goal in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. (PTI) NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, the environment minister said on Thursday, in a boost for efforts to agree steeper emissions cuts to tackle global warming. India is the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the United States, and Modi's participation in the COP26 summit, which runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12, was seen as critical amid uncertainty over whether Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend. Both India and China, which have not yet made stronger pledges to cut emissions, known as nationally determined contributions or NDCs, face pressure to do so at the conference. "The prime minister is going to Glasgow," Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said in an interview, adding that India was doing its bit to help tackle climate change. Summit host Britain welcomed Modi's decision to attend. "India plays an important role in this and the prime minister has had a number of conversations with Modi on the importance of climate change, so we look forward to discussing it with them further," Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman told reporters. Growing public pressure for action on climate change has spurred promises by countries and companies worldwide to contribute to the effort, which will be reviewed and amended at Glasgow. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry has visited India twice in the past few months to urge the Modi government to raise its climate ambition and consider a net zero commitment as scores of other countries have done. Net zero means balancing out greenhouse gas emissions with actions such as planting trees, restoring soil and using technology to prevent emissions reaching the atmosphere. But energy-hungry India, which still relies heavily on fossil fuels, says it should not be expected to make deep carbon cuts like rich countries because it is a developing economy. INDIA WEIGHS GLASGOW STANCE India's Cabinet, chaired by Modi, will decide the position to be taken at COP26, most probably within a week, an environment ministry spokesperson said. Yadav said India was doing its part to cut emissions. "India's NDCs are quite ambitious," he said. "We are doing more than our fair share. Our NDCs are more progressive than major polluters." The country is on track to increase green energy capacity to 450 GW by 2030, he said. It has installed more than 100 GW of renewable energy, which accounts for more than 25% of overall capacity. India has not yet committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, considered a vital goal in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Government sources have told Reuters that India is unlikely to bind itself to that goal, as tougher deadlines would hit demand growth that is projected to outstrip that of any other nation over the next two decades. Last month, India's chief economic adviser K.V. Subramanian said rich nations should commit much more than $100 billion to help poor countries fight climate change, due to their high historical share of emissions. "Even today, India's per capita greenhouse emission is one-third of the world average," Yadav said. About 120 countries have submitted revised NDCs, but there is a lack of consistency with no common timeframe for meeting pledges. Hyderabad: In the modern world of paradoxes, globalisation is creating opportunities and wealth for both nations and individuals and yet is seemingly floundering a panacea, yet a menace. As income and socio-political inequalities are ever-increasing, the philosophy of equality as preached by Sri Ramanujacharya over 1,000 years ago has greater relevance to the modern world today, and for the future, says Sri Sri Tridandi Chinna Srimannarayana Ramanuja Jeeyar Swami. With the inauguration of the 216-foot-tall Statue of Equality by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February next year at his ashram near Hyderabad international airport, the dream of Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami to take the profound wisdom and theological as well as social reformative contributions of Sri Ramanujacharya to the mankind at large, and especially to the younger generations on a really big in scale, is all set to become a reality. Chinna Jeeyar Swami is one of Indias greatest living scholars and teachers of Vedic and Sanatan wisdom, who is known for his simplicity as also for his kindness and accessible nature. Sitting on the floor at his small kuteer, an ordinary structure without the trappings of pomp that is commonplace with contemporary spiritual gurus, the Swami shared his views on the philosophy of equality, on the insights from the Vedas, the globalisation, Hinduism and the perceptible threats to the Sanatana dharma from the large-scale and organised religious conversions. He also spoke about the historic and spiritually inclined ethos of the people of Telangana and the re-building of the Yadadri Temple, among other matters, in an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle. Here below are excerpts from the interview. Q: What is the relevance of Rama-nujacharyas philosophy in todays world? How do you wish to take his message to the present and future generations? Technology, situations, attitude and financial status of a people may change but they will always breathe, eat, drink and sleep these are eternal human truths. In a similar vein, the philosophy Ramanuja offered to the world, like a natural phenomenon, is relevant even after a thousand years. What we see in todays world is selfishness, a fight for domination and craving for possessions. The expansionist tendency is seen equally strongly in individuals and nations in this era of globalisation. Q: But, globalisation is the order of the day. Nothing explains globalisation better than the concept of Vasudaika Kutumbakam (all living world is one family) as is preached in our Vedas. We have always had an Indic tradition of globalisation. In Ramayana, we see that Rama never tried to establish his rule over other kingdoms though he had an opportunity to do so whether in Kishkinda after killing Vali, or Lanka after killing Ravana. He left it to the populace to continue with their rule aligned to their own culture and traditions. It was this texture of globalisation that India offered to the world. We need to understand, cherish, and protect Sanatana Dharma so that we may pass it on to the coming generation in the spirit of truth, knowledge and a legacy. Q: Whenever Sanatana Dharma is in question, critics refer to the biggest problem the Hindu society suffers from, the caste system, a reflection of inequality? Again refer to Ramas philosophy of working with humans in Ayodhya, apes in Kishkinda and demons in Lanka if you like to see them as diversities of caste, race, colour, attitude, ethos and cultural norms. Yet, there was coexistence, a way to help each other, cohabit, in a sustainable way. Caste system was referred to in the Vedas but not meant to be misinterpreted to be used politically to oppress a particular section. It was to share responsibilities and live cohesively. This is where Ramanujas core philosophy of co-existence of sareera (body) and sareeri (soul) has to be understood properly to understand the world. There are, and must be, opportunities for everyone, and an equal chance has to be made available for all to gain. If we consider the universe as one body, no limb tries, or should try, to dominate another; yet, each organ has its difference, its specific function; none superior, yet each vital for larger harmony. Q: A section of the people fear that Hinduism is under threat, mainly due to religious conversions. What is your view, you being one of the most influential modern day Hindu saints, on conversions? A proper ideology and philosophy, not influenced by politics, but professing and inculcating values and showing the purpose of life is crucial. The Vedas preached such a philosophy. Unfortunately, the Vedas too were either misinterpreted or partly interpreted. Ramanuja integrated their wisdom and preached them in their entirety. There are other philosophies that fight to dominate but Indic philosophy shares pain and joy and leads a person to a fair goal of union with Brahma, to experience divine joy. Q: But why a statue? In olden days, temples were built as part of propagating the religion or ideology. What does the Statue of Equality signify? Even during Ramanujas days, when mantra, (a mode of communication), was highly restricted, it was not an ordinary task to propagate his philosophy. He toured the entire country and tried to enlighten other rulers and the ruled. He showed the relevance of this wisdom not as an esoteric indulgence but in a common light. In the days of Google people are looking for the exceptional (a large smile lights up his face impishly) the biggest, tallest, strongest, highest. The statue is a physical marvel which will attract people to this place; but once here, it is the wisdom that they will remain glued to. Q: So, is it a sort of adaptation for better sustenance? Yes. If a person clicks on the tallest statue, finds the statue of equality and visits this place, he will start wondering, looking at each component and trying to understand the philosophy behind. We are building 108 temples around the statue. Each one conveys the message of equality based on events that took place during different ages. Even if one among a thousand people gets inspired, our effort would have been worthwhile. Q: We talk of development of Hyderabad in the context of infra, IT, pharma, real estate. But a large-scale spiritual development can be seen with the Statue of Equality and the revival of the Yadadri temple. You have been a guiding force for both This land, which we refer to today as Telangana, has a great legacy of spirituality. People respect traditions very much. Normally, mostly women attend spiritual gatherings in large numbers but when we came to Karimnagar for the first time in 1981, we found a large number of men. Spiritual activities are taken up in large numbers here. People are the foundation which makes such initiatives possible, besides the blessings of God. Jagan Mohan Reddy said they are trying to brand the youth of Andhra Pradesh as drug addicts despite the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Andhra Pradesh DGP, and Vijayawada Police Commissioner clarifying that Andhra Pradesh has no links with drug cases. However, he said some vested interests are publicising this flawed narrative only to conspire against the state government. This, the chief minister said, is a serious crime. DC Image/C. Narayana Rao VIJAYAWADA: For the second day in a row, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday once again accused Opposition parties of conspiring to create a rift among people in the name of castes and religion. Participating in the Police Commemoration Day programme on Thursday, the Chief Minister said crime is taking new forms, of late, with political elements trying to stall welfare activities, using swear words, and becoming antisocial. He stated that political elements are trying to create unrest in the state by destroying idols and burning chariots in temples to create a rift among castes and religions. He also criticised a section of the media for doling out lies and distortions. Jagan Mohan Reddy said they are trying to brand the youth of Andhra Pradesh as drug addicts despite the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Andhra Pradesh DGP, and Vijayawada Police Commissioner clarifying that Andhra Pradesh has no links with drug cases. However, he said some vested interests are publicising this flawed narrative only to conspire against the state government. This, the chief minister said, is a serious crime. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the opposition parties have gone to the extent of using vulgar words against the Chief Minister, who is the head of the government, and questioned if it was correct to use such words. He uttered the cuss word used by the TD leader, explained its meaning and called the use of such a word is highly objectionable. Is this correct? I urge you to think. They are trying to provoke the followers of the Chief Minister and are conspiring to unleash unrest in the state. This is unjust and unrighteous, and is an attempt to spread vicious lies, the Chief Minister said. Further, the Chief Minister accused the opposition parties of trying to defame the state in a pre-planned manner out of vengeance. "Is it justified to create unrest in the state? The people have voted for the ruling party and won all the municipal elections because of our good work. Just because people close to them have not won, they are conspiring against the state," he observed. He pointed out that the opposition leaders are trying to trigger crimes in the state while staying in other places and are spreading blatant lies about the presence of drugs in the state. After a series of telephonic conversations that were recorded and released in the social media, Sasikala started issuing regular statements with her photograph in the newspaper Dr Namadhu MGR, which was once the official organ of the AIADMK. (PTI) Chennai: Having ruffled the feathers of AIADMK head honchos through her parallel celebrations to mark the partys 50th year of founding, the ousted general secretary of the party, V K Sasikala, is all set for the next course of action, which would be a roller coaster ride through the terrain of grassroots workers. Her bid to mobilize her supporters, disgruntled AIADMK proponents and reclusive party exponents and make them rally around her with a view to overwhelming the present leadership and reclaim her lost position is likely to begin next Monday from her home town of Mannargudi in Thiruvarur district. After having a brief discussion with family members in Mannargudi, Sasikala will be attending the wedding reception of TMMK founder T T V Dhinakarans daughter at Poondi on October 27. Starting her meetings with grassroots workers on October 28 in Tirunelveli, she would travel to Ramanathapuram the next day, take part in the Muthuramalinga Thevar anniversary at Pasumpon and then go to Thanjavur. Though AIADMK head honchos had been expelling party cadre who were in touch with Sasikala as she launched the first phase of her operation to storm the party, by striking conversations with people over telephone, open support for her has not waned, which was evident from a MGR Youth Wing office-bearer in Ramanathapuram district writing to the Collector seeking protection for her when she visits Pasumpon. After a series of telephonic conversations that were recorded and released in the social media, Sasikala started issuing regular statements with her photograph in the newspaper Dr Namadhu MGR, which was once the official organ of the AIADMK but now under the control of her family members. The parallel golden jubilee celebrations was the first time Sasikala came out of her cloister and visited the memorials of M G Ramachandran (MGR) and J Jayalalithaa with jostling crowds of supporters accompanying her. But the visit to the MGR memorial in T Nagar, which was marked by the installation of a plaque identifying her as the general secretary of the AIADMK, earned the wrath of AIADMK leaders, who have filed a police complaint against her for falsely claiming to be the general secretary when the courts and Election Commission have approved her removal. Piqued by Sasikalas antics, AIADMK co-coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami launched a scathing verbal attack, in which he referred to a common Tamil maxim on barking at the sun, which in turn is said to have angered Sasikala. Having realized the party honchos are in no mood to let her in otherwise, she now wants to go for the do or die battle by mobilizing her supporters and those who are disillusioned with the present leadership. Meanwhile, Sasikalas another nephew V N Sudhakaran, who, too, was imprisoned in Bengalurus Parappana Agrahara prison along with his two aunts Sasikala and her sister-in-law Ilavarasi in the disproportionate assets case, in which J Jayalalithaa was the first accused, has come out of jail and is waiting to join the brigade. TRS leaders attack a police official who tried to stop them from heading towards BJP activists, during a poll campaign meeting of Union minister G. Kishan Reddy in Sirisedu village in Ellanthakunta mandal of Huzurabad constituency in Karimnagar district on Friday. DC Karimnagar: TRS leaders manhandled an assistant sub-inspector of police, holding his collar and attacking him, during the bypoll campaign of Union minister G. Kishan Reddy along with BJP candidate Etala Rajendar at Sirisedu village of Ellanthakunta mandal on Friday. Sources said the BJP rally reached Sirisedu when TRS leaders were holding a meeting. On seeing the rally, the TRS leaders started raising slogans against the BJP. In response, BJP activists started sloganeering against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao. At this, some TRS leaders moved towards the BJP activists but were stopped by the police who were deployed there. Some TRS leaders entered into an argument with an assistant sub-inspector and held him by his collar. When the ASI warned him of severe action, they started attacking him. Other TRS leader moved in and rescued the police official. Kishan Reddy expressed his ire against the police who failed to provide security to a Union minister. What is the position of common people, he asked and warned of lodging a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI). Reacting to the incident, BJP state chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar and party vice-president D.K. Aruna, the Huzurabad election in-charge, condemned the behaviour of TRS leaders in the presence of a Union minister. Sanjay alleged that sensing that a defeat, the TRS leadership is inciting its workers to attack the BJP leaders. Is there any democracy in the state or is it Nizam rule, he asked. Whenever they cannot win in an democratic manner, KCR will draft cruel plots to stop the elections, Sanjay said and claimed that the TRS had planned to attack Kishan Reddy. He demanded that the Election Commission take immediate action against those responsible for the fracas, and provide tight security for conducting the October 30 Huzurabad byelection in a peaceful atmosphere. Dhaka: At least four persons were killed in violence after some Hindu temples in Bangladesh were vandalised by unidentified Muslim bigots during Durga Puja celebrations, prompting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to deploy paramilitary force in 22 districts on Thursday and promise to bring to justice the culprits behind the incident. A home ministry spokesperson said that the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) troops have been deployed in 22 districts across the country to stop the spread of violence. The elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the armed police were also ordered to be on guard with the BGB in 22 of the 64 administrative districts and elsewhere to contain any violence, he said. Three people were killed and several others injured during clashes between Muslim bigots and the police at Hajiganj sub-district in Chandpur, bordering Cumilla on Wednesday while the fourth one succumbed to his wounds later. Prime Minister Hasina promised to bring to justice the culprits behind the violence, saying anyone involved in the attacks on Hindu temples and Durga Puja venues in Comilla will not be spared. "The incidents in Comilla are being thoroughly investigated. Nobody will be spared. It doesn't matter which religion they belong to. They will be hunted down and punished," she said while exchanging greetings with the Hindu community members during an event at Dhakeshwari National Temple in Dhaka on the occasion of Durga Puja. She joined the program from from her official Ganabhaban residence through a video-conference. "We are getting a large amount of information. This is an era of technology and those involved in the incident will definitely be tracked down with the use of the technology," Hasina said. She also urged India to remain vigilant against escalation of any communal violence. "We expect that nothing happens there (in India) which could influence any situation in Bangladesh affecting our Hindu community here," she said. Authorities enforced a ban on rallies in Haziganj where officials confirmed the deaths of four people in gunshots, adding that two others were critically injured in the clashes. The police said that a couple of their officials were injured as the mob attacked them and vandalised their and local administrators' cars. They, however, did not explain if the casualties were caused due to the police actions but media reports said that the police opened fire on a mob of over 500 people. According to the officials, the police were alerted about an alleged blasphemy incident at a Durga Puja pavilion in Cumilla, about 100 kms from here, after which a probe was launched. However, violence erupted as bigots attacked temples in parts of Cumilla, neighbouring Haziganj, northwestern coastal sub districts of Hatia and Banskhali while social media was used largely to instigate the communal tensions. Hindu religious leaders called the violence as part of a plot to upset the Durga Puja celebrations and demanded action against the bigots and protection of Hindu temples and establishments. A particular group committed the blasphemy at the pavilion to stop the Durga Puja by staging protests, secretary of Cumilla district puja celebration committee Nirmol Pal said. The police said that they have so far detained 43 people in connection with the violence. People who posted the first video on the Cumilla puja venue on social media were also under custody. "Investigations are underway and we are identifying the culprits also using security camera footage," police's deputy inspector general Anwar Hossain told the media in Cumilla. Ruling Awami League general secretary and road transport minister Obaidul Qader said that "fanatic elements" staged attacks on Hindu temples at 10 to 12 places with a political motive. "But our government led by (Prime Minister) Sheikh Hasina will not let them proceed with their evil design," he told reporters visiting a Puja pavilion at the Ramkrishna Mission here. He cautioned people against spreading rumours to sever the interfaith harmony in the country, adding that Hasina has ordered stringent actions against the communal elements. "We will remain alert," the minister said. The religious affairs ministry issued an emergency notice, urging members of the public not to take the law into their hands as it reiterated calls to maintain communal harmony and peace, it said. Hindus make up some 10 per cent of the Muslim-majority Bangladesh's 169 million population. In the past several years, there have been reports of sporadic violence, mostly sparked by rumours spread on social media. Elk Grove, CA (95624) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Emporia, KS (66801) Today Some clouds. Low 36F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 36F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Written by ACM *Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- As the forthcoming EU Heads of State/Government's Summit of 21-22 October is due to Deal also with "Digital Transformation", including "Global Partnerships", a relevant "Eurofora"s Proposal for the Creation of a "European Green SmartPhone", was Welcomed by a Top EU Official as "a Great Idea", pending a more detailed examination, in Response to Our Question at a Video-Press Briefing with Brussels, under condition of Anonymity and "off the record", because of the delicate character of such a matter, Obviously Linked also with the Ecological/Green orientation of EU's current Big Economic ReVival Plan. The Full, Detailed Proposal was made Initialy as Early as, Already Since July 2020, in an "Eurofora" Publication aiming to Help Bypass a Deadlock Risk during Harsh Negotiations, then, among EU Leaders at an Exceptionaly Long and "Hot" Summit in Brussels, apparently Divided on the EU's Big Socio-Economic ReVival Plan : By Creating strong Common Interests, through Ambitious and Popular Big Projects Innovating and Strengthening all Europe, such Sterile Divisions Could and should be easily ByPassed, "Eurofora" Believed then, as Also Nowadays..., (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/eurevivalsummitneedseuropeanvision.html, in fine). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "Angelo ! It's been a while... Don't make it Too Long, if you can." ------------------------------------- "Eurofora": - "Dear Sir : 2 Questions, if you can : - One, about the Energy... and ...Foreign Policy..." (See: + + And an absolutely Other (Topical)Issue : You spoke yourself about the (EU) Interest there is in order to <> to the Digital aspect of the Economy, which EU Planned, as you know, Both on Ecology and Green : => Why not Find Ideas for Projects that could Link (precisely) the Digital and the Green ? - I think, f.ex., at the Creation of a European SmartPhone, which Could be a "European Green SmartPhone", with Lower Radiations, and Other aspects, f.ex. Independent or New O.S., (even China Wanted to Cooperate with us on this Global Issue), etc. - "In order to have something Concrete for the (EU) Citizens, But also very Important for the Economy, and Important for Europe's Sovereignity". ----------------------------------------- - "OK, You made your Point"... -"I can Answer Any Question, But Not Sure that I can give a Satisfactory Answer". .... + "dOn Your ("Eurofora"'s) .. Question : - "There is an Answer : I have My Limitations on the Topic..." -'I See the Link one may make between the Digital, Green, and Possible <>, which seems to be a Great Idea !". - "But, to be Frank, I am Not as Good to Answer, (Because) I am Not Aware of the Debates", between EU Member States on such Issues. => -"May be, we can Find someone to give you a Clear Answer, and Provide you with the Right FeedBack on this", he wished. - Indeed, "I think that this 2nd Question could be More Appropriate for someone who is Working for the (EU) Commission", concretely Suggested anOther EU Official. ------------------------------------ + In order to Facilitate things, "Eurofora" Re-Publishes, here, anew, the Full Abstracts concerning Our relevant Initial Proposal, as it had been presented Already since that Crucial EU Brussels' 7/2020 Summit : ------------------------ << ... => Indeed, Europe and its People mostly Need Ambitious and Far-Reaching, Common Big PanEuropean Projects, able to trigger the Enthousiasm of EU Citizens, and Satisfy Vital Needs of Wide Impact, Bringing Together, in Close Cooperation, Efficient Coordination, Unified Planification, and Joint Action, Firmly Uniting as Many as possible among EU Member Countries. >>> In other words, Big and Important PanEuropean Projects, Intelligently Designed, so that they Can Include also Poor and/or Devastated Areas and Populations, Hardly Hit by any Hazards, Natural or Man-made Catastrophes, as well as Normally Functioning EU Member Countries, and some Pioneer, Ultra-Performant Champions, Able to Imagine, Organize and Lead, a productive Dynamic Union, capable to Create Operational, Fundamental Common Interests, (See, f.ex.: ... + ..., etc). This Obviously is a very Different View, from that of Mere "Help", allegedly given mainly by Some Countries, to certain Other, Poor and/or Devastated, Foreign Countries, Elsewhere, withOut Any other Link between them, and/or Any such kind of "Distributing" Money and/or Assets among Separate Entities, acting Disparately, Each one on Its Own, in Separate, National, or even Regional, Independent and UnRelated Mini-Projects, practically Ignoring Each-Other... The First Case, can Create Real "Cohesion"; (seeked also by EU 2020 Chair, German Chancellor Angie Merkel : See .., etc), and even Unity of Interests, Common Aspirations, Joint Purpose. But the Second Case, Inevitaby Risks to Provoke, on the Contrary, Division, Opposition, Different Interests, Separation, even more or less Conflicts ! => In Consequence, f.ex., Mr. Rutte, from the point of View of his North-Western Netherlands, he speaks about ..."the South" (Comp. Supra), where, he's Afraid, (Rightly or Wrongly), that, soon, They might, Even ..."Not See" Anymore his Country, (f.ex. if Unanimity was Lifted inside EU Council : Comp. Also Supra). And Austrian Prime Minister Kurz, is Concerned about How to "Explain to Our (Austrian) TaxPayers", according to "Which Criteria", and "Where Will Go" the EU Money, (f.ex. in Italy's "Messogiorno" or in Spain, etc., i.e. Far Away, and withOut Any real Connexion)... On the Contrary, let's take, f.ex., an Entirely Different Case, (currently still Hypothetic, But Topical, Possible and Useful to Realise Nowadays), like the Invention and Production, in and by Europe, of what could be Named as a ..."Green (Smart) Phone" ! I.e. a Possible PanEuropean Project, Concerning Both "Digitalisation", "Environment" and Human Health, as well as "Europe's Role in the World", (Comp. Supra, and: ..., etc), and, Obviously, Economy and Jobs. Such an Innovative Product, could Fill a Gap among Ordinary Current Smart-Phones, First of all, by Aiming to Create a Modern Phone withOut Too Much Electro-Magnetic Waves on the Human Body and/or Head, (something which, Unfortunately, does No More Exist among Most, if not All, Recent SmartPhones, Currently at the Global Market), f.ex. as Finland's "Nokia" and/or France's former "Alcatel" had reportedly Planned to do, just a Few Years Ago, But were, apparently, Hindered to realize, for UnKnown Reasons. Many People and Medical Doctors, Reearchers, etc., Notoriously Believe that such "EMW" Might be, more or less Dangerous for Human Health, and Official Data, either in the USA, or Even in the WHO, Recently Lack, about the Exact Levels of Anodyne or, on the Contrary, potentialy Dangerous "EMW"s... + In Addition, Europe has the Means, (and even the Need : f.ex. for "Digital Sovereignity" : Comp. Supra), to Add also an Original, Independent "Operation System" Software, ("OS"), for such a New, European SmartPhone, which would Make it a Rare, if not Unique Nowadays, such product, which would Not be Obliged to be Submitted to the Notorious Oligo-Monopolistic OS of Americans "Android" (of "Google" Giant) or "Apple", which currently Dominate the World, with various Abuses. Indeed, already, China has Recently Proposed to Europe to Help it Financially to Create (by the EU) such an Independent, Brand New OS for SmartPhones, (in order to Face Hostile Pressure and Bullying from USA's "Android") ! In this regard, Probably, inter alia, f.ex., a Europe-Oriented French Company, based at Grenoble, which Currently Develops and Operates a "Lin-Phone", Based on "Linux" European Independent OS, (to whom German mainstream Medias as "Die Welt" had Refered, Already since 2013, when the Edouard Snowden's Global Scandal about US Mass Spying at the Web had emerged, Including Even Chancellor Merkel's own 2 Smart-Phones [sic !]), may be Practicaly Useful... In addition, Perhaps, it could be Interesting, (also as a Landmark Commercial PanEuropean"Plus" in Global Competition), if EU Associated, here, something as the Recently Created ... "Immune System", New OS for Smart-Phones, just Designed by Famous Russian "Kaspersky" Company's CEO himself, in order to Protect it from Web "Virus" and/or various Other "Cyber-Attacks", as he Announced in a landmark INTW published by "TASS". And, concerning such a Multi-Innovative "Green Phone", it would Certainly be Useful and Logical to Even Add anOther, Recently Invented, relevant Capability : That of a Smart-Phone with ...2 Screens, (Independently Operating Both or Each), One of which Serves particularly in case of Lack of Sufficient Electricity, (f.ex. at the Country-side, or After Intense Use DownTown, etc), since it Consumes Only a Small, Tiny Quantity of Electricity ! This was Initially Created by a Russian Company, linked to Nearby Frankfurt in Germany, as a PanEuropean tool, Used f.ex. Even throughout ...Siberia (sic !), and was Later, further Developed also by a Chinese Company, with European Links, which First Presented it at a recent ...Berlin's Annual Digital Fare, often Inaugurated by Merkel, (See, f.ex.: ..., etc). => All this Could Timely Result into a Landmark, Innovative and Unique, PanEuropean "Green Phone", Able to Join 4 relevant useful Digital Innovations (Comp. Supra), and, Eventually, Associate Interesting Cooperation with Russia and/or China (Comp. Supra), for the Design, Production and Commercialisation of which, the Best would be "NOKIA" of Finland, (i.e. anOther EU Country, Often Associated to the "Frugal 4" Critics of EU's "Recovery Fund" : Comp. Supra), which Notoriously was the Historic European ... Pioneer Birthplace of Smart-Phones, the First in the World ! But the Most Interesting thing, for EU's "Recovery" Plans, is that, Currently, "NOKIA" was reportedly Obliged, After the Virus' Crisis, to just Announce the Imminent Shut-Down of several among its Factories in France, Affecting Many Thousands of Workers, Technicians, etc., (including those Formerly of "Alcatel" and anOther ex-French Company, also Near Strasbourg, in Brittany, etc, that the Finnish had, meanwhile, Bought) ! >>> So that, such a Move, could Obviously result into a very Interesting European Project, of Both Social, Economic, Innovative, Ecological, Digital, and EU "Sovereignity" in the World, Policies, precisely Supported by EU's "ReVival Fund" and the InComing German EU Presidency's priorities, as they were recently presented by Angie Merkel at EU Parliament in Brussels, earlier This Month (See: ..., etc) ! >>> As a Consequence, inter alia, f.ex., Northern Scandinavian EU Member Country Finland, could No More speak about those Factories currently Threatened to Close Down in France, (Comp. Supra), as if they might Concern Only a so-called ..."South", (i.e. Contrary to what the Head of "Frugal" Countries, Dutch Prime Minister Rutte, just did at EU Summit in Brussels : Comp. Supra), since those Smart-Phone Factories are, precisely, ...Its Own Network's Properties, (Controled by Finnish Company "NOKIA") ! + Then, Even Mr. Rutte himself, Might, perhaps, Start to Find it somehow Difficult to Continue to Separate the "North" from the "South" of Europe, inter alia, Also by the Fact that, by a Coincidence, His Own Phone reportedly is a Finnish ..."NOKIA" (Comp Supra)... >> ---------------------------------- (../..) ("Draft-News") Contact: Communications Office NewsMedia@flhealth.gov 850-245-4111 The County's illegal employee vaccine mandate results in 714 counts of violating law Tallahassee, Fla. Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) has issued a notice of violation to Leon County Government assessing fines totaling $3,570,000 for its blatant violation of the law relating to the ban of vaccine passports in our state. This fine has been assessed for 714 instances of violating Florida's ban on vaccine passports. Leon County Government ultimate fired 14 employees. A copy of the Notice of Violation to Leon County can be found here. "It is unacceptable that Leon County violated Florida law, infringed on current and former employees' medical privacy, and fired loyal public servants because of their personal health decisions, said Governor Ron DeSantis. "We will continue fighting for Floridians' rights and the Florida Department of Health will continue to enforce the law. We're going to stand up for Floridians' jobs, stand up for Floridians' livelihoods, and stand up for freedom. "Firing hard working employees over vaccine passports has real and lasting consequences. It leads to resentment in the workplace, and loss of employment impacts individual and public health, said State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo. "Individuals have every right to choose how to best protect themselves and their families, and the Department will continue to enforce this law. On July 28, Leon County Government mandated that its employees provide verification of vaccination to its human resources department no later than October 1. On October 4, Leon County terminated 14 employees for their refusal or failure comply with this requirement. Leon County Government required 700 of their employees to provide this proof in order to keep their jobs. While Leon County has broken the law and received notice of a multi-million dollar fine, other local governments have reversed course. Last week, after alerting the City of Gainesville of their possible violation of the vaccination passport ban in Florida, the Florida Department of Health received a response indicating the City of Gainesville rescinded its employee vaccine mandate. This reversal also follows an Eighth Judicial Circuit Court temporary injunction preventing vaccine mandates for city employees. Last month, Governor DeSantis held an event to reinforce Florida's commitment to defend public servants against government vaccine mandates. This past May, Governor DeSantis signed landmark legislation to ban vaccine passports in Florida. Senate Bill 2006 specifically bans governmental entities in Florida from requiring any person, including an employee, to provide proof of vaccination or post-infection recovery to gain access to, entry upon, or service from their operations. The law imposes a $5,000 fine per violation. About the Florida Department of Health The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov. This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. The Space agency, NASA's Orion spacecraft, will be ready by 2022 to go to the moon. The first uncrewed mission to the earth's moon in preparation for the actual manned visit since the final Apollo flights. Planners say the spaceship will be flying in the moon's orbit before the actual landing on the surface. It will be the jump-off point for the Mars mission to follow years later, establishing a permanent moon base and other activities related to space utilization. NASA's first steps to re-visit the moon with the Orion spacecraft The cost of the ship is $12.2 billion, as the lunar spacecraft Orion can be linked to a booster rocket, and start it on the way to the moon in 2021 or 2022, reported the Daily Mail. Programming for the lunar mission will include reconnoitering orbits as preparation for the final steps to send humans anytime later in the decade. Sources say the vehicle was moved to Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Monday and mounted on the Space Launch System (SLS), the biggest rocket. If plans pan out correctly, the goals of the Artemis program will be on track for the start of colonizing the moon by 2028, with the Orion spacecraft as a component of the initial uncrewed mission. Read Also: Moon Landing: NASA Planning Artemis Project for Next 'Apollo' Mission The Artemis program will travel unmanned to the moon Artemis-1 is the first vehicle to travel farthest into space, and an important function would be a trail of the SLS and the Orion module that houses the astronaut. Findings of this stage will determine if the Artemis-2 will go for an orbit around the moon by 2023, with no crew on board, citing the BBC. It is understood that getting to the moon or Mars has difficulties to overcome. Doing the planning for all aspects is crucial to avoid mishaps and successfully conquer space. The ship meant for Artemis-1 was moved into the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) before storing it in another building at the Cape Canaveral site. Universe Today noted that a system called the launch abort system would be used in an emergency separation. It will eject the manned craft from the rocket in an emergency. The SLS rocket is about 322-feet high, and the Orion will be connected to it. Three Artemis crafts will be built for the astronauts to access the moon since the last Apollo 17 was in 1972. It will be the first mission with a woman on board to land on the lunar landscape, and this program will have the first person of color to travel in space and to the moon. Last August, the space agency reported setbacks and budget problems but will push for the 2024 date of the moon landing. This historic mission will have four astronauts on the ship, and two will land the SpaceX Human Landing System (HLS) on the lunar landscape. The landing will be in the south polar region and a stay of 6.5 days, with a scheduled four moonwalks. The Human Landing System is the design of Elon Musk's Starship, which is under trial in South Texas. He beat the Blue Origin of Jeff Bezos, who is protesting the decision. The Orion spacecraft is just an unmanned mission until the big one, which will be a landmark for humanity. Related Article: Artemis Accord: The Outer Space Treaty for Peace on the Moon @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia stated on Thursday that he considered leaving the Democratic Party and caucusing with Democrats as an independent if his centrist views become an "embarrassment." His Democratic colleagues, on the other hand, were uninterested in his offer. According to another report, Manchin and Bernie Sanders fought behind closed doors in the Capitol on Thursday. Manchin raised his fist to warn his liberal colleague he could live without any of President Joe Biden's social spending proposals. The incident, which occurred Wednesday in the Capitol building during a luncheon for Democratic committee chairmen, was due to a disagreement of opinion, Democratic Senator Jon Tester of Montana told Axios. Joe Manchin was offered to leave the Democratic Party The moderate centrist informed associates he planned to leave the party if the budget reconciliation package discussions did not go his way. He wants the social expenditure package's cost reduced from $3.5 trillion to $1.75 trillion. "If I'm an embarrassment to my Democrat colleagues, my caucus, the president being the leader of the Democratic Party," Manchin told reporters on Thursday, he might consider becoming an Independent, Daily Mail reported. If Manchin follows through on his proposal, he will leave the Democratic Party and become an Independent. According to reports, the senator has a two-part departure strategy. First, he would write to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, requesting that he be removed from the leadership of the Senate Democrats' policy and communications committee, which he now leads. "I'm comfortable with zero," making a "zero" with his thumb and index finger, Manchin said to Sanders. According to Tester, it means Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, can live without any of Biden's proposed spending cuts. Manchin says he'll wait to see whether it signals to Democrats that he's serious about departing if talks don't go his way. He'd then switch his voting registration from Republican to Democrat after approximately a week. Read Also: Donald Trump Slams Mark Zuckerberg For Ability To Change Course of Election, Says $400 Million Funding For Local Offices Is Illegal Exchange between Manchin and Sanders gets tense Manchin and Sanders, who are on different sides of the Democratic Party, have met in secret to figure out a topline figure for Biden's trillion-dollar social welfare spending proposal. Manchin is advocating for a budget of about $1.5 trillion, while Sanders is asking for a budget of $3.5 trillion. The brawls suggest that tensions are rising as moderates and progressives near Biden's deadline to strike an agreement at the end of the week. Throughout the week, the two men had met and argued. On Monday, they posed for the cameras, following another squabble over the budget. During a Democratic senators' meeting on Monday afternoon, Manchin said he could support the plan's provision for free pre-kindergarten but not for free community college. Senator Joe Manchin said he doesn't believe Democrats will achieve an agreement on a reconciliation framework by Friday, the target set by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer just a few days ago. The reconciliation bill, a core of President Joe Biden's Build Back Better domestic program to extend the social safety net and combat climate change, has been in the works for weeks. Democrats will be able to pass the bill without the help of Republicans due to the legislative procedure. They can't afford to lose any support from their caucus in the Senate's evenly divided chamber, including Manchin's and Kyrsten Sinema's. After a "spirited discussion" with members on Tuesday, Schumer expressed optimism that a compromise might be struck as soon as this week, as per Newsweek via MSN. Related Article: Democrats Disappointed as Joe Biden Fails To Get Sinema's Vote on $3.5 Trillion Social Spending Bill @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Should you spend the extra money and hire a property manager? This is a tough question for some real estate investors. On one hand, you want to save as much money as possible. On the other hand, outsourcing your landlord tasks can be a huge relief. Is it worth the money just to get more time to yourself? Absolutely. Property managers are professional landlords Few people get into property management in order to become a landlord. However, there's no way to escape your landlord duties - unless you hire a property manager. Property managers are professional landlords. They have chosen to take care of both tenants and property owners at the same time. Property managers work with landlords to manage their tenants according to the terms of each individual lease. Property managers are prepared to deal with difficult situations Being a landlord doesn't seem that hard at first. Although, as time passes, you'll end up dealing with all kinds of situations you never thought would happen to you. Situations like the following can drive an investor crazy: Tenants who don't pay rent on time Tenants who withhold rent for petty reasons Tenants who argue and fight with each other until someone calls the cops Tenants who leave trash outside their front door until animals shred the bags to pieces Intentional property damage Hoarders who collect trash, animals, and rotten food Discovering water leaks after they've destroyed the roof and drywall Intentional lease violations Finding out your property is being used as a meth lab Investors know these situations are a possibility, but never expect to experience them directly. Investors just want to turn a profit and don't usually want to deal with severe tenant issues. This can create tension when an investor has to deal with problematic tenants on their own. Property managers, however, are always prepared for - and sometimes expect - these scenarios to unfold. Property managers want to be landlords When you love your job, you'll be more effective and efficient. Effective landlords may not enjoy dealing with problems, but being a landlord in general is rewarding to them in some way. Maybe they enjoy working with people. Whatever makes someone want to be a landlord is the factor that will drive their success. When you don't love being a landlord, you risk slipping into a combative state when your tenants cause problems. Being combative with your tenants will escalate situations and can create more chaos. There is a difference between the investor mindset and a property manager's mindset. Although both are professionals, investors don't want to be bothered with the daily grind of being a landlord. Investors don't want to field phone calls in the middle of the night or walk into a trashed apartment they have to figure out how to clean. Property managers don't necessarily enjoy dealing with trouble, but they're willing and prepared to deal with any situation they encounter. Property managers do most of the work When you're short on time, or you have better things to do, having a property manager is like having a reliable business partner. Your property manager will handle most of the work while you collect the profits. You'll still need to do some work, but it will be minimal. Most of your duties will involve checking in with your property management team, going over lease agreements and amendments, discussing evictions, and getting the scoop on how your properties are doing. Legal problems can be a nightmare Most investors hope they never have to deal with any legal problems, but that's never guaranteed. You can do everything right as a landlord and still end up in court battling a tenant. Having a property manager means not having to deal with legal problems. Whether it's a disturbance at the residence or an eviction lawsuit, your property manager will handle everything for you. Unfortunately, legal problems are common between landlords and tenants. Sometimes landlords earn lawsuits brought by tenants, but not always. Sometimes tenants file frivolous lawsuits in retaliation for rent raises and lease amendments. Property managers know the law and will deal with problematic tenants legally to protect you from getting sued. Do you need help managing your tenants? Hire a property manager Are you feeling stuck managing disruptive tenants? Do you want to file an eviction lawsuit, but you aren't sure how to keep it legal? A property manager will handle evictions and any other tenant issues within the confines of the law. They'll help you remove bad tenants and fill your vacancies with respectful, reliable people. With reliable tenants, you can return to being an investor just like you planned from the start. @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new vaccine mandate that will require all city workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus infection or risk being placed on unpaid leave and offers a $500 incentive for some of the first to get inoculated. The lawmaker announced the mandate on Wednesday and said that city employees owed it to their families and the people they serve to protect themselves and those around them from the coronavirus. The New York City mayor's requirement is the strictest in the country and would affect about 160,000 employees who have not yet been mandated to get the vaccine. New York's Vaccine Mandate In his announcement, de Blasio said that the mandate now affected all city agencies and encompassed all city workers. He noted that it was time for people to get vaccinated against the virus because public employees would be the ones to lead them out of the "COVID era." On Wednesday, de Blasio pushed the broadest vaccine mandate that has been implemented for all municipal employees, including police officers, firefighters, and EMS. During his announcement, the New York City mayor said about 46,000 city workers have yet to get their first vaccine shots, CBS Local reported. Read Also: Trump Plans Roll Out of New Social Media Site 'Truth Social' Early 2022 After Being Banned From Facebook, Twitter The mayor's previous vaccine mandate affected teachers and healthcare workers and resulted in a massive surge in vaccinations. However, de Blasio's recent implementation has caused concern for many because of its potential to create a staffing shortage at a time when the city is still reeling from the pandemic. In a news conference, de Blasio, who has less than three months left in office, said they needed to save lives, and vaccinations were the best way to do it. He revealed that his goal was to end the era of the coronavirus once and for all, arguing they have to keep pressing on. Strict Implementation The mandate has made New York one of the first major American cities to require vaccination among its entire municipal workforce without a secondary option of regular testing. Other areas include San Francisco that implemented similar mandates for its 35,000 city workers, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The latter two have been urging public workers to get inoculated, the New York Times reported. The mayor's latest mandate also includes a $500 incentive that would be given out to municipal workers who get their vaccination shots between now and Oct. 29 at a city-run site. Mayor de Blasio praised the efficacy of the vaccines in fighting the infection and said about 96% of the city's educators and healthcare workers have already been vaccinated. While other regions offered a secondary option of getting tested regularly, New York City did not give its workers that opportunity. "Then we said, get vaccinated or get tested -- we tried that for a while. It helped. It didn't get us far enough. Now we say, here's a mandate," de Blasio said during his announcement. The New York City mayor added that medical and religious accommodations were still in effect, CNN reported. Related Article: Sen. Joe Manchin Allegedly Plans to Quit Party if He Doesn't Get His Way on the Build Back Better Bill @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. North Korea has tested seven different types of missiles in the previous month. One carried a hypersonic glider, another was launched from a train, another was launched from a submarine, and still another was a missile capable of striking any location in the United States. These missiles haven't been manufactured in substantial numbers by North Korea, in most cases, any number. They haven't loaded any of them with nuclear bombs and haven't shown that they can manufacture a nuclear warhead small enough to fit in the nose cone of a missile. Pyongyang claims US, UN tamper dangerous time bomb They haven't developed any submarines that can carry ballistic missiles, save for an experimental type. To put it another way, there's no need to seek refuge in a shelter just yet. North Korea is ramping up its nuclear-weapons development, presumably in retaliation to the United States' missile-defense program. Per Slate via MSN, there are two things about a missile launched from a North Korean submarine that are very alarming. First, attaching a missile to a submarine extends its range, making it simpler for North Korea to attack the United States-assuming it ever develops the missiles and a submarine capable of reaching that far. Second, a submarine may swim straight up to an adversary's shore and fire a missile with little or no notice. Officials in Japan are particularly concerned about this, prompting some to consider constructing a missile defense system or developing its own offensive nuclear weapons, both of which might encourage North Korea to develop additional offensive missiles. Pyongyang warned the US and the UNSC were "tampering with a dangerous time bomb" during an emergency meeting over North Korea's last ballistic missile launch. On Tuesday, North Korea conducted a successful test of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SBLM). The missile has "advanced control guiding technology," which might make it difficult to monitor, as per Republic World. The UN Security Council convened a closed-door meeting on Wednesday to address North Korea in the aftermath of the test. North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed on the margins of the conference that the US had made "provocative steps" by asking for an emergency UNSC meeting. Read Also: Taliban Executes Interpreter Who Worked With Australian Defense Forces; Australia Vows To Save Afghans Who Helped the ADF North Korea says US overreacts to its nuclear missile test Pyongyang is also "very concerned" about the US' "abnormal" response to a legitimate use of its defense rights, according to the statement. The North Korean ministry informed the state-run media source that during the latest test-firing, Pyongyang did not have the US in mind nor was it directed at it, but that it was work that had previously been planned exclusively for the country's defense. Per Washington Times, the Biden administration reacted to North Korea's test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile this week by complaining that the UN is "not doing its job" in enforcing and executing Security Council sanctions imposed on Pyongyang years ago. While the White House continues to issue an open invitation to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's government to have discussions on the country's nuclear weapons programs without restrictions, the administration has begun to show signs that its tolerance with Pyongyang's recent provocations is running out. The current spate of North Korean ballistic missile launches has been "unlawful" and "unacceptable," according to US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who spoke to media at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday. Related Article: China Denies Testing Hypersonic Nuclear Missile; Beijing Claims It Is Spacecraft Technology @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Three hypersonic weapon component prototypes were successfully tested by the US Army and Navy on Wednesday. However, the United States has lost ground in the race to develop hypersonic weapons with China and Russia. Navy-Designed Missile Hypersonic Missile Tailored To Be Launched From Sea or Land In a recently published article in MSN News, the experiments were carried out at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia by the Sandia National Laboratory. According to the Navy's announcement, the findings of the three precise sounding rocket launches will guide the development of the Navy's Conventional Prompt Attack (CPS) and the Army's Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) offensive hypersonic strike. This is a stage in the development of a Navy-designed hypersonic missile that comprises a Common-Hypersonic Glide Body and booster that can be fired from either the sea or the land. Delivering hypersonic weapons is described as one of the Department of Defense's top objectives in the Navy's statement. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden expressed worry about China's hypersonic weapons capability the same day the test took place. Chinese military authorities reportedly denied testing a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile earlier this year, according to a published article in Reuters. Read Also: North Korea Joins Race For Hypersonic Missile; Iran, China, Russia Chastised For Helping The Country To Test New Weapon Pentagon Unable To Test the Hypersonic Glide Body The test of the projectile, the hypersonic glide body, was halted due to the failure of a booster stack, which is the rocket used to propel the projectile to hypersonic speeds. The Pentagon was unable to test the hypersonic glide body, which was a critical component in developing a hypersonic weapon since the rocket failed. Officials have begun an investigation into the reason for the rocket failure, which occurred on Thursday at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska. A Pentagon spokesperson, Lt. Cdr. Tim Gorman, said that successful and failed trials and testing are the backbones of creating extremely complex, essential technologies at breakneck speed, as the department is doing with hypersonic technology. In a published article in CNN News, the Pentagon has prioritized the development of hypersonic weapons, especially because China and Russia are working on their own versions. Following a failed test in April, the failure is another setback for the US endeavor, coming just days after China successfully tested a hypersonic glide vehicle. China Successfully Tests Hypersonic Glide China successfully tested a hypersonic glide vehicle capable of delivering a nuclear bomb over the weekend, according to CBS News. The glide vehicle was launched from an orbital bombardment system, according to them. China, however, disputed the story on Monday, claiming that the test was just a "regular spacecraft experiment." Defense experts are particularly worried about China developing hypersonic weapons because they might allow Beijing to launch an assault over the South Pole while avoiding US missile defenses, which are mostly aimed at missiles approaching from the North Pole. Despite this, the Pentagon claims it is on pace to deploy offensive hypersonic weapons in the early 2020s, a timetable that seems more pressing given the Russian and Chinese demonstrations of hypersonic technology. Related Article:China Researches Blackout Bomb Warhead on Hypersonic Missile to Knockout Communications and Power to Disable Enemy Cities in Non-Nuclear Attack @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. When questioned about keeping up militarily with China and protecting Taiwan, President Joe Biden pledged to protect Taiwan from any Chinese invasion. Biden Vowed To Protect Taiwan In a recently published article in MSN News, a Republican college student questioned Biden about China's denial of a hypersonic missile launch and if he would pledge to defend Taiwan. "Yes and yes," said the president. The issue arose amid increased concerns over the island's relationship with China's mainland communist leadership. After stopping to gather his thoughts, Biden said that China, Russia, and the rest of the world are aware that the United States has the most powerful military in history. If those nations grow stronger, Biden said. These nations should be concerned if they participate in actions that may jeopardize their status. Biden reiterated his assertion that he had had more conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping than any other global leaders. Biden wants China to realize that they are not going to back down, that they are not going to alter their minds, according to a published article in the Washington Examiner. Read Also: Taiwan Refuses To Bow To Pressure From China as President Tsai Ing-wen Pledges To Do "Utmost" To Defend The Country China Has Long Sought To Bring Taiwan Under Its Control Taiwan is an autonomous democratic island country off the coast of mainland China known as the Republic of China. It gets American military assistance, but the U.S. government has not officially recognized it since diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, the mainland's communist government, were restored. Taiwan has long been under the authority of the Chinese Communist Party, but it has remained a distinct, self-governing state. "Strategic ambiguity" has been characterized as the official US position on what would happen if China invaded Taiwan, according to a report published in FOX News. White House Spokesperson Releases a Statement White House spokesperson said that there was no change in policy announced by the President, and there is no change in policy. The Taiwan Relations Act governs the United States' defense relationship with Taiwan. The United States will honor its commitment under the Act, continue to assist Taiwan's self-defense, and reject any unilateral changes to the status quo. The inference has always been that the United States would oppose any Chinese invasions into Taiwan but would refrain from making any formal defense commitment to the island nation. This problem has already arisen during Biden's tenure when US obligations to allies were questioned after the departure from Afghanistan. Chinese Incursion in Taiwan In a published article in The Guardian, China deployed a record number of military planes into Taiwan's air defense zone, the fourth day of such intrusions by Beijing amid mounting concerns of further escalation. At least 52 flights were detected during daylight hours, according to Taiwan's defense ministry, including 36 fighter jets, 12 H-6 bombers, two transport planes, and two observation planes. It was reported that four more fighter aircraft had crossed into the zone after nightfall. It came after a string of flights that included a then-record 38 aircraft during China's national day, 39 planes a day after, another 16 planes. The intrusions within the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) - a buffer zone outside a country's airspace - occurred only hours after the US State Department asked Beijing to "stop" its "provocative" and "destabilizing" activities. Related Article: China Violates Airspace of Taiwan Nearly 150 Times; Biden Administration Warns the Communist Country @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. United States President Joe Biden recently vowed to protect Taiwan in case China opts to conduct any incursion on the former's territory during a CNN town hall on Thursday night amid rising tensions with Russia. When asked whether or not the United States would deploy forces to defend Taiwan in case Beijing ordered an attack, the Democrat said, "Yes, we have a commitment to do that." During the event, Biden had been asked about the country's stance regarding China's recent testing of hypersonic missile technology. Growing International Tensions In response, the Democratic president reassured the public not to worry whether or not the Chinese arsenals were powerful. Biden argued that everyone around the world knew that America had the strongest military force of any nation. When asked regarding a potential new cold war with China, Biden dismissed the idea that the United States was seeking to start another confrontation with Beijing. He argued that he did not want another cold war with China, saying he only wanted officials from the Asian country to understand that America would not back down or change its views, Fox News reported. The situation comes as European Union legislators voted unanimously in favor of trade talks with Taiwan and other measures that flout China's claims to sovereignty over the island nation. This has left Beijing officials in discontent with the tension between Western democracies and the communist regime. Read Also: Nearly 100 Afghan Refugees Arrive In Arkansas After Gov. Asa Hutchinson Allowed Them To Build Homes in the State On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the recent announcements were "vile in nature" and had an "egregious impact." The official gave a warning to other authorities, saying they should not underestimate the Chinese people's" determination, will, and capacity to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity." In recent months, the relationship between China and the European Parliament has deteriorated as the latter continued to criticize Beijing's alleged human rights abuses against minority Uighurs. In response, China has stopped a major EU-China investment deal, Yahoo News reported. Russia Under Threat? Additionally, Biden's show of support for Taiwan against China comes as the United States is facing backlash from Russia for backing military development in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin considered the act as a serious threat to Russia, two days after the U.S. defense secretary staged a show of support for Kyiv and encouraged its aspiration to join NATO. Putin said that Lloyd Austin's visit to Ukraine on Tuesday effectively paved the way for Kyiv to join. The Russian president said that whether it did or not, his country's interests were targeted. "Formal membership (of Ukraine) in NATO may not take place, but military development of the territory is already underway. And this really poses a threat to Russia. We are aware of that," Putin said, Reuters reported. Since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, the United States has been Ukraine's most powerful supporter. It was also the same year when a war between Russian separatists and government forces in eastern Ukraine began which resulted in the death of 14,000 people. This week, Russia effectively severed all diplomatic relations with NATIO after eight members were kicked out of its mission for alleged espionage. On Thursday, NATO defense ministers agreed on a new master plan to defend against any possible Russian attack. Related Article: Several Members of the European Union Condemn North Korea's Recent Missile Test; Ambassadors Want To Enforce Sanctions @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. After Meghan Markle penned a letter to Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushing for paid family leave on Thursday, Republicans are advising her to "stick to acting" and daring the royal family to strip her of her title. To push for the national paid family leave program tucked into Democrats' budget reconciliation plan for social spending, the duchess wrote a lengthy note detailing times in her childhood when she was forced to participate in middle-class activities like getting a job as a teen for gas money and eating at a salad bar. Meghan Markle uses royal title in political letter In a 1000-word letter sent on the Sussexes' own headed paper, Meghan Markle allegedly used the "tactics of an aspiring politician" to push two top Washington officials on Joe Biden's proposed parental and sick leave legislation. Prince Harry urged people to reject hate speech in statements made about the election at the end of September, when several states began early voting, while Meghan dubbed November 3 the "most important election of our lives." Per Daily Mail, royal experts have also questioned if Americans will be pleased "by her story of how she had to suffer" on $4.99 Sizzler salads when her divorced father Thomas put her through private school from kindergarten and she now lives in a $14 million LA house with a $100 million wealth. The Duchess of Sussex's letter was written as an "engaged citizen, a parent, and a mom," but it is being viewed as her most overtly political intervention in US life yet, following speculation that she aspires to be a Democrat politician or even run for President of the United States. Meghan Markle, who took a break from work in June after the birth of her daughter Lilibet, claimed millions of women have left the job at an alarming pace to care for their children. On the other hand, the duchess appears to have forgotten the cardinal rule of being a member of the Royal Family: remain above the fray and shun party politics at all costs. Read Also: Report: Prince Andrew To Use "Royal Technicality" To Overturn Jeffrey Epstein Lawsuit Duchess of Sussex speaks about women's right Fans on social media, however, are seeing the letter as confirmation that the former actress intends to run for President of the United States, despite her lack of political experience. According to The Scottish Sun, Meghan has now been asked to take on a new job with American Heart Advocacy as a result of her appeal. In the final Build Back Better Act, the non-profit organization joined more than 20 patient and caregiver organizations in urging federal lawmakers to "preserve paid family and medical leave." Following her request for paid leave, some urged the Duchess of Sussex to join the organization. Meghan's open letter was hailed by California Congressman Eric Swalwell, who described her sentiment as "powerful." Meghan Markle said that paid leave should be a "national right" like it is in many other nations. It comes at a time when members of the Royal Family have generally been politically neutral and have avoided publicly expressing their views on political issues. Meghan and Harry have delved into politics since stepping aside from royal responsibilities in 2020, urging Americans to vote in the US presidential elections in November. This comes only months after it was reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be taking a five-month maternity leave after the birth of their daughter. Marlene Koenig, a royal expert, compared it to American moms and stated that it is "not the norm," as per Express.co. Related Article: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Have Not Finalized Plans for Lilibet Diana's Christening Despite Claims Event Will be Held in the US @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Alec Baldwin accidentally killed the cinematographer and injured the director of his movie, "Rust" after he discharged a prop firearm on set in Mexico. According to reports, Baldwin was shooting a scene that involved holding a prop firearm when the actor accidentally fired it at around 2 p.m. local time on Thursday. Cinematographer pronounced dead, director receiving treatment Officials responded to the scene and immediately transported cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. "Rust" director Joel Souza, 48, is still receiving treatment for his injuries at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe. "We received the devastating news this evening, that one of our members, Halyna Hutchins, the Director of Photography on a production called 'Rust' in New Mexico died from injuries sustained on the set. The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild's family," John Lindley, the president of the guild, and Rebecca Rhine, the executive director said via the Huffington Post. Alec Baldwin has not been charged after the shooting A spokesperson for the film also confirmed that production has been halted while investigation is still ongoing. They added that the safety of the cast and crew is their top priority during this time. According to Deadline, detectives are still investigating how the prop firearm was used and what type of projectile was discharged. The incident is still considered an active investigation, but no charges have been made. A rep for Baldwin has not also responded to request for comments. Read Also: North Carolina Police Arrest Student for Fatal Shooting; School Goes Into Lockdown What is Alec Baldwin's new movie about? "Rust" follows the life of Harland Rust (Baldwin), an infamous Western outlaw who has had a bounty on his head for a really long time. Harland's 13-year-old grandson, Lucas (Brady Noon) is convicted of accidental murder so he decides to travel to Kansas to break him out prison. The two characters then become figutives who need to outrun the U.S. Marshal, as well as the bounty-hunter in charge of catching them. "Rust was written and directed by Souza. CAA Media Finance is handling the domestic sales of the movie together with Highland Film Group. Baldwin also serves as a producer for the film under his El Dorado Pictures banner. Alec Baldwin involved in a parking slot dispute The recent accident is not the only controversy that Baldwin has been involved in recent years. In 2019 the actor sued a man that he got into a spat with while at the parking lot month after the incident took place. At the time, Baldwin claimed that Wojciech Cieszkowski exaggerated a parking spot dispute so that he could profit off the actor. According to ABC News, the Nov. 2, 2018 dispute landed the "30 Rock" actor in handcuffs. Cieszkowski claimed that Baldwin punched him during their parking slot spat. However, the actor claimed that the man exaggerated his complaints against him. Related Article: 5 Celebrities Rumored to be Running for President @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Joe Biden officially ended his bid for two years of free community college for now. On Thursday, the POTUS appeared at a town hall in Baltimore. He gave attendees an update regarding the social spending package that the Senate Democrats debated for weeks. Biden said that the Democrats are down to negotiating four to five more matters. And he hopes they will make a deal before he leaves for a global climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. Joe Biden still in negotiations with Democrats While speaking with Anderson Cooper, Biden confirmed the Democrats' decision to leave out some components of the social spending package after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin fought to shrink the budget from $3.5 trillion to around $2 trillion. According to NBC News, one of Biden's agenda that will no longer move forward for now is his plan to offer free community college to Americans. But even if he couldn't pass the agenda right now, the POTUS said that he hopes it will become a law in the future. The president revealed that his wife, Jill Biden, is a major supporter of the plan. And he also joked that he would be sleeping alone for a long time if free community college won't be offered in the coming years. No free dental coverage for senior citizens Biden also talked about the free dental coverage that Sen. Bernie Sanders wanted to offer to senior citizens, but Manchin opposed the idea. As such, this was also dropped from the Democrats' social spending package. Additionally, Biden confirmed that he's still negotiating with Manchin and Sinema over the hearing and vision coverage plan. Read Also: Joe Biden Tries To Break Deadlock Over Multi-Trillion Economic Agenda; Psaki Admits President Will Not Get Full Spending Proposal Tax hikes won't take into effect The POTUS also said that hikes to corporate tax rates, which the GOP slashed to just 20 percent in their 2017 tax law, won't happen either. After all, Sinema voted against the cut. There have been ongoing discussions regarding raising the tax rates for corporations and wealthy persons in the country. As of press writing, Biden and Senate Democrats are still thinking of ways how to raise revenues. "Senator Sinema has agreed to provisions in each of President Biden's four proposed revenue categories - international, domestic corporate, high net-worth individuals, and tax enforcement - providing sufficient revenue to fully pay for a budget reconciliation package in the range currently being discussed," a source told Reuters. According to Biden, his initial plan to offer 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents or people suffering from illnesses will be lowered to just four weeks. Joe Biden, Joe Manchin still negotiating child tax credit As of press writing, Biden and the Senate Democrats have not yet decided with regards to the child tax credit. Manchin initially wanted to add a work requirement to the tax child credit to prevent an entitlement society. However, Biden said that he's opposed to the idea. According to the Huffington Post, Manchin may soon back down from his demand on the tax child credit. Following the town hall, Manchin said Democrats are not yet close to agreeing on Biden's social spending package. Related Article: Democrats Disappointed as Joe Biden Fails To Get Sinema's Vote on $3.5 Trillion Social Spending Bill @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. President Joe Biden gave additional insight into his continuing discussions with Democrats on Thursday, spelling out in the most explicit words yet what will and won't be included in a compromise budget bill that comprises the majority of his broad domestic agenda. The bill aims to strengthen the social safety net, address climate change, and boost taxes on the rich. During a CNN town hall in Baltimore, Biden stated categorically that he would oppose a work condition for the Child Tax Credit, which is being pushed by moderate West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin as part of the Democrats' big social spending plan. Biden's lukewarm answer about Southern border According to town hall moderator Anderson Cooper, the President also acknowledged that a paid parental leave provision in his social safety net proposal had been reduced from 12 weeks to 4 weeks, as per WICZ. Including dental, vision, and hearing coverage in Medicare, a key demand for progressives, would be a "reach," the President said, adding that Manchin opposed the proposal and that he felt Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona Democrat, was against it as well. Instead, he claimed he was working on including a $800 dental voucher and that vision coverage was still being negotiated. Meanwhile, Biden said he "guesses" he should go check out the southern border for himself, days after fresh data revealed that a record number of migrants were brought into US custody this year, Daily Mail reported. During a CNN town hall in Baltimore hosted by Anderson Cooper, Biden highlighted his accomplishment in reducing the number of children in Border Patrol custody. According to the president, the number of children detained decreased from 5,000 to 504 in his first year in office. However, fresh data acquired by the Washington Post indicates that between October 2020 and September 2021, the US arrested more than 1.7 million migrants along the US-Mexico border, the largest amount since 1986. Because of high levels of the virus in Latin America, the commander-in-chief revealed that he had left Title 42 in place, a Trump-era order that empowers the administration to unilaterally deport migrants due to COVID-19 concerns. The president, 78, also claimed that he was required by the court to continue Donald Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy. In 2019, Trump implemented the Migrant Protection Protocols, often known as the "Remain in Mexico" strategy. Asylum applicants are forced to wait in Mexico for asylum hearings in the United States. Read Also: Donald Trump Slams Mark Zuckerberg For Ability To Change Course of Election, Says $400 Million Funding For Local Offices Is Illegal Immigrants crossing the border increased during Biden's presidency According to Reuters, Trump said that many asylum claims were false, and that those who were permitted into the country may wind up staying illegally if they skipped court appearances. Biden, a Democrat, promised a more compassionate approach when he took office in January, but Texas US District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk decided in August that he had to retain the policy. Biden addressed a series of questions from Megan Crawford, a Republican law student at the University of Baltimore, at Thursday's town hall. Illegal border crossings spiked in the months following Biden's presidency, and while the government first blamed Trump's policies, some migrants say they came to the US in the hope that the new administration would let them remain. Another factor, according to migrants, was labor shortages in the United States, which demonstrated a demand for employees. Biden previously dismissed the escalating issue, saying that the spike in spring 2021 was in line with seasonal trends. However, this did not hold true during the hottest months of the year, July and August, when the largest numbers of illegal crossings occurred. Every month, more than 200,000 migrants are apprehended by CBP. More than 25,000 Haitian migrants landed in Del Rio, Texas, last month, swiftly overwhelming local officials and resulting in chaotic images of border patrol officers using horse reins that resembled whips near the refugees. According to two DHS officials, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas questioned top officials if the border was prepared for a worst-case scenario of 350,000 to 400,000 people crossing the border this month. Related Article: Biden Administration Hides Border Policy Consequences, Secretly Flying Hundreds of Minor Migrants to New York at Night @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Barbados just elected its first-ever female president, who will officially replace Queen Elizabeth as the head of state on November 30. November 30 is the day when Sandra Mason will be sworn in, and this is coincidentally the 55th anniversary of the country's independence from Britain. Barbados won't condemn its British past Mason's election as the first female president of Barbados serves as a decisive step toward shedding the Caribbean island's colonial past. However, this doesn't mean that Barbados is condemning its British past. Wazim Mowla of the Atlantic Council said that they are looking forward to continuing their relationship with the queen. According to reports, Mason was elected president after receiving two-thirds of the votes during a joint session of the country's House of Assembly and Senate. Read Also: Volcano Erupts for Second Time at St. Vincent on Caribbean Island Queen Elizabeth still head of state in several countries The queen served as the head of state in Barbados until 1966, when the country gained independence. Prior to this, several Barbadians have expressed their desire to remove the queen's status together with the lingering symbolic presence of imperialism over its governance, according to CNN. Other countries in the Caribbean that became a republic include Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Dominica, according to the BBC. Several other countries have also dropped the queen as the head of state in years. Barbados was the first country to do so, and Mauritius was last in 1992. As of writing, Queen Elizabeth is still the head of state in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, and more. Following Mason's election, Prime Minister Mia Mottley said it was a seminal moment in the country's journey. "We look forward, therefore, to December 1, 2021. But we do so confident that we have just elected from among us a woman who is uniquely and passionately Barbadian; does not pretend to be anything else; reflects the values of who we are; [and] has been able, in spite of her achievement of many firsts, to maintain a humility that is so admired by our people," Mottley said in a statement via the Government Information Service website. Who is Sandra Mason? Mason is the current governor-general of Barbados. She has been serving her post since 2018. She used to work as a jurist for the Caribbean nation that has a population of approximately 258,000. Before joining politics, Mason worked as a teacher at the Princess Margaret Secondary School between 1968 and 1969. Mason also worked as a clerk at Barclays Bank DCO, Barbados, between 1969 and 1970. In 1975, she became the Trust Administrator at the bank until 1976. In the same year, Mason assumed the same position at Barclays in Jamaica, and she became a member of Barclays Finance Corporation of Barbados a year later. Mason has also received a slew of awards because of his contributions to the political climate of Barbados. The queen previously conferred her the honor and dignity of Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (GCMG). After she became Governor-General, under the Order of the Dame of Saint Andrew, Mason also became the Chancellor and Principal Dame of Saint Andrew (DA), according to the Caribbean Elections. Mason has a son named Matthew, who works as an attorney in Barbados. Related Article: First Celebrity Cruise Ship Departs from the Caribbean, Bringing Hope and Fears Amidst Pandemic @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine booster shot has shown remarkable results after phase 3 trials revealed that it has very high efficacy at 95.6%, the company, along with its partner, BioNTech, announced on Thursday. Officials noted that the efficacy showed by the booster shot was consistent regardless of the patient's age, sex, race, ethnicity, or comorbid conditions. The pharmaceutical company's trial included more than 10,000 fully vaccinated people who were aged 16 years and older. Pfizer Booster Shot Efficacy The people for the trial were chosen randomly and were given either the 30-microgram booster dose of vaccine or a placebo. The companies noted that 11 months was the set median time between completion of the initial two-dose regimen and receiving the booster shot or placebo, CNN reported. The two pharmaceutical companies reported that during the trials, they recorded 109 cases of coronavirus infections among participants who received a placebo and five cases among those who got the booster shot. Authorities revealed that the efficacy they observed was primarily due to the booster shots. "These results provide further evidence of the benefits of boosters as we aim to keep people well-protected against this disease. In addition to our efforts to increase global access and uptake among the unvaccinated," said Pfizer's chairman and chief executive officer, Albert Bourla. Pfizer's results of booster shot efficacy come after a day when the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized booster shots from the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines. Authorities said that Americans had the option to get a booster shot from a different vaccine brand, Reuters reported. Read Also: NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio Announces New Vaccine Mandate With $500 Incentive For Municipal Workers A similar recommendation was made on Thursday by a panel of expert advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The decision paved the way for final approval from the agency's director that would allow the booster shots in the following days after the recommendation. Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine booster shot was previously authorized to be given at least six months after the initial two-dose regimen and only for people aged 65 and older, those at risk of severe disease, and those who are commonly exposed to the virus due to the nature of their work, such as healthcare workers, Yahoo News reported. Recommendation of Booster Shots The recommendation was made by CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on Thursday and will allow millions of United States residents to start getting their booster shots for the coronavirus vaccine. Walensky also noted that Americans can mix and match vaccines and booster shots, choosing whichever one they wanted that was available. The CDC released a recommendation revision to place Pfizer and Modernas booster shots in the same category. Members of the CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices had previously agreed that people who received the coronavirus vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson should get another dose. The CDC later announced that a recommendation for booster shots for all three available COVID-19 vaccines was available. Authorities noted that some people may have a preference for their initial vaccine brands while others may want to receive shots from a different manufacturer. Related Article: NFL Agrees to End Race-Based Adjustments in Dementia Testing; Black Players Now Qualified for Monetary Awards in Settlement of Concussion Claims @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This article is sponsored. Are you seeking to increase the availability rate of your website's content in China? The task of making your website perform properly or even function at all is far from straightforward. Long loading times, a result of distant delivery routes between two servers can be a considerable hindrance to businesses delivering content across borders, in particular between Europe and the China-APAC region. To increase your content availability rate for China-based users, Content Delivery Network (CDN) helps to eliminate long load times, improve your website's overall performance and increase the traffic to your website in general as a result. Why CDN is key to connecting Europe and China Whether a user in China wants to access your European server-based content or vice-versa, long content loading times is a typical struggle. Public internet connectivity between Europe and China can often be highly unreliable due to the long travelling time between servers and your personal computer device. Therefore, using private lines like a CDN is key for creating a high-performing website regardless of where in the world your website is based. A CDN intelligently works around the common issues of long loading times and poor quality of the delivered content by storing a cached version of all your content in various geographical locations via local servers. These local points of presence (PoP's) ensure that the visitor can access the content within their proximity and thereby maintain a high image and video quality of the delivered content as well as seamless loading times. Acquiring an ICP license is mandatory For any business that wants to make its website available in China, acquiring an ICP license issued by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is mandatory. This means that if you have a Chinese domain for your website, having an ICP licence is required. This is regardless of whether your website is hosted on a server in mainland China or delivered from abroad via a CDN. Which types of websites need a content delivery network? Are you considering investing in a CDN solution to aid your content delivery performance, especially in countries far from your server's location? The good news is that you don't have to be a large enterprise to benefit from CDN. Issues with underperforming content delivery is especially a significant risk if your website is heavy with content and stores countless product pictures or include videos and video games. If you also have a large number of files only accessible on a single server hosted outside China, for example, chances are that it can quickly be overloaded and cause issues with delayed response during peak periods. What to do next? Your best bet is to partner with a leading China-based CDN provider. China Telecom has a robust terrestrial and submarine cable backbone and a large network of PoP sites distributed between Europe and the China-APAC region, ensuring high quality content delivery speeds at all times. @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Right now, many smartphone makers, especially Apple, are integrating advanced security features that would prevent hackers and other malicious actors from accessing their consumers' handsets. In the case of the iPhone, Apple is offering Touch ID, Face ID, 4-digit, as well as 6-digit passcode security features. Although all these functions are quite advanced when locking your smartphone, consumers still need their Face ID if they change their hair color, get a piercing, or make other changes on their face. On the other hand, security experts suggested that iPhone users also need to update their 4-digit and 6-digit passcodes every now and then since there are some instances where their friends and other people know these passwords. Because of this, they tend to forget the latest passcodes, which would definitely lock them out. Meanwhile, some iPhone users usually forget their Apple IDs. Aside from them, there are those who are purchasing second-hand Apple smartphones that use another Apple ID. They are the most common iPhone users who would need help in unlocking their devices. iToolab UnlockGo can solve this issue since it can easily unlock iPhone's iCloud and Apple ID activation locks, as well as 4-digit and 6-digit passcodes. It can remove various locks on iPhone/iPad in minutes. What iToolab UnlockGo offers Is iToolab UnlockGo Free? Actually, no. But iToolab is currently offering a free trial version of its UnlockGo so that new users would see the actual features of UnlockGo and check if these capabilities would suit their daily needs. And its price is affordable. Is UnlockGo Safe? iToolab already received a 4.0 TrustScore from Trustpilot, a Danish consumer review platform, which hosts reviews of various businesses across the globe. As of the moment, Truspilot offers TrustScores from 1 star (Bad) up to 5 stars (Excellent). TrustScores from 3.8 to 4.2 are tagged "Great" scores. This already shows that UnlockGo is already secured. Does UnlockGo Support iPhone 13/13 Pro Max? As of the moment, iToolab's UnlockGo supports iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. When it comes to Apple smartphones, it is specifically compatible from iPhone 5s until iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Additionally, UnlockGo works from iOS 7 until the latest version, iOS 15. This allows more consumers to use the service. Why Choose iToolab iToolab is a software provider that specifically offers services for iOS users. As of the moment, it has been tested by various leading tech publication companies across the globe. These include Cult of Mac, Tech Advisor, LifeHacker, TechRadar, SoftPedia, and more. Because of the advanced features that its software models offer, iToolab has been recommended by different tech news sites. The current CEO and CTO of iToolab are both professional programmers. They are using their years of developing experience to create different kinds of tools that can help fix annoying iOS issues for common Apple users. The company's tech team spends a lot of time researching to identify their clients' problems, which would allow them to offer unique and effective solution tools. Right now, it offers FixGo, AnyGo, and its popular UnlockGo. Overview of All iToolab UnlockGo Features iToolab reassures consumers that UnlockGo is 100% safe. If you are hesitant, you can look at the tool's efficiency by visiting TrustPilot's official website. Aside from this, it also supports the latest iPhone models, especially iPhone 13 lineup, as well as the newest Apple smartphone system version, iOS 15. The advance UnlockGo tool of iToolab solves one of the common issues that Apple smartphone consumers suffer from: an unexpectedly locked handset. It can be quite frustrating, especially if you don't remember the security questions and answers you input into the device after setting it up. Thanks to UnlockGo, consumers purchasing second-hand iPhone models no longer need to visit a repair service just to unlock the device. They also don't need to contact the recent owner for their credentials to open the smartphone. UnlockGo is an iPhone password unlocking expert which can unlock any type of passcode. It can easily delete an Apple ID account on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad without the use of passwords. UnlockGo can remove iCloud activation, which is one of its latest features. iToolab's UnlockGo can bypass MDM, as well as remove MDM profiles. UnlockGo can change your iOS smartphone's Screen Time Passcode. Here are the following features that UnlockGo offers, allowing you to open a locked iPhone in no time: Unlock Screen Passcode Unlock Screen Passcode is one of the most useful features of UnlockGo since it works with an iPod Touch, iPad, or iPhone. It comes in handy when you are trying to remove an iCloud activation lock, Apple ID activation lock, as well as 6-digit and 4-digit passcodes. iToolab UnlockGo's Unlock Screen Passcode specifically works in the following situations: Passcode expire Broken screen Forgot iPhone password iPhone is disabled Second-hand iPhone Face/Touch ID is not available Unlock iCloud Activation Lock Since iToolab's UnlockGo is quite advanced, it also works with iCloud Activation Lock, allowing you to bypass this feature without the need for a password. You can use this feature in the following scenarios: Remove activation lock after restore Could not activate iPhone Remove activation lock of lost iPhone Unable to activate Thanks to UnlockGo's iCloud Activation Lock feature, you can easily create a new Apple ID for your Apple Store and iTunes Store, as well as prevent the previous owner from tracking your device, permanently removing Activation Lock and other benefits. Unlock Apple ID If you are one of the iPhone users who tend to lose their Apple ID passwords, then UnlockGo is the perfect tool for you. Why? Because it can delete your Apple ID account with no restrictions at all. After that, all you need to do is create a new account so that you can access your Apple ID features and iCloud services once more. Here are its specific benefits: Switch to another Apple ID or set up a new one. Easily switch off Find My iPhone/iPad. Remove the previous Apple ID's tracking. Take advantage of all iCloud and Apple ID functionality. Turn Off FMI UnlockGo can easily remove FMI (Find My iPhone) activation. It would benefit you when you don't know your Apple ID account password. Another great thing about this function is that it would permanently disable your activation lock after restarting or factory resetting your iOS device. On the other hand, your Apple smartphone's FMI would also be disabled, preventing the recent owner from tracking your handset. Thanks to this feature, your second-hand iPhone could be used just like a brand new device. Unlock Screen Time Passcode iToolab's UnlockGo could also fix your issue with a forgotten Screen Time Passcode. This problem is currently pestering various iPhone and iPad users since it limits them from accessing their devices. With UnlockGo's Screen Time Passcode removal feature, you no longer have to worry about time limits. Moreover, it can reset your Screen Time Passcode without using a password. It can also remove STP while maintaining your current data. Bypass MDM Aside from the mentioned features above, UnlockGo can also bypass MDM (Master Data Management) without any supervision. It means that iToolab's software can easily bypass MDM and remove MDM profiles in a few minutes. In addition, it can breach Remote Management without relying on a password or username. Jailbreaking is no longer needed as well. How To Use UnlockGo Using UnlockGo is easier than you think. All you have to do is follow these simple steps. Now, we take the "Unlock Screen Passcode" as an example. The first thing you need to do is download and install UnlockGo. After that, you must click the "Unlock Screen Passcode" located in the main window. Then, click the "Start" button and connect your iPhone using a USB cable. To unlock the iPhone screen passcode, you need to download the latest firmware package. Just click download and wait for completion. Everything is ready; click "Unlock Now," and your screen passcode will be removed in a few minutes. NOTE: Don't remove your iPhone for a few minutes until the smartphone is unlocked. Is iToolab UnlockGo Worth To Buy? Yes, definitely. Without compromising the security of your devices, you can be assured they remain accessible even if you need to change your customized security details often. If you already tried UnlockGo's free trial and wants to use it more, here are the following packages you can choose from: 1-Month Plan: $35.95 (Original price is $49.95) Automatically renew, cancel any time 5 devices and 1 PC License valid for 1 month 1 Year Plan: $39.95 (Original price is $79.95) Automatically renew, cancel any time 5 devices and 1 PC License valid for 1 year Lifetime Plan: $49.95 (Original price is $99.95) One-time fee 5 devices and 1 PC License valid for lifetime 1 Year Business Plan: $399.95 (Original price is $999.50) Automatically renew, cancel any time Unlimited devices and 1 PC License valid for 1 year Based on the prices offered above, UnlockGo's service is currently cheaper compared to other unlock tools in the market. Also, iToolab offers a 30% OFF Coupon (PLAB30S) for those reading this article right now. Thanks to the efforts made by iToolab to enhance its UnlockGo service, you can easily open your accidentally locked iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch in minutes. You also don't have to worry about security since it is one of the trusted services featured in Trustpilot. So what are you waiting for? You can try it now for free! The NASA Hubble Space Telescope recently captured the death of a star after a supernova explosion. With the help of the Hubble data and observations from space- and ground-based telescopes, astronomers witnessed the star's demise. In addition, this incident could help astronomers develop an early warning system for the dying stars. NASA Hubble Images: Space Telescope Captures the Star's Death For background information, NASA stated that the supernova is called SN 2020fqv, and it is found in the interacting butterfly galaxies about 60 million light-years away from the Earth in the constellation Virgo. In April 2020, astronomers discovered the supernova through the Zwicky Transient Facility in the Palomar Observatory in San Diego, California. Aside from this discovery, astronomers realized that the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) also discovered the supernova. This satellite is intended to search for planets outside the solar system, but it also observes stars as well as uncovering exoplanets, per RemoNews. After their discovery, astronomers used Hubble and other ground-based telescopes to observe the supernova. The combination of these observations provided a complete view of the star's earliest stage of destruction. Since NASA Hubble was intended to observe the supernova, it discovered a circumstellar material near the aging star after the explosion. Get your ringside tickets ready! Hubble witnessed the first moments of a star's death after a supernova exploded inside the Butterfly Galaxies. This will help give researchers better insight into what was happening to the star just before it died: https://t.co/m2Np1Wsr7y pic.twitter.com/IpFXne0qdy Hubble (@NASAHubble) October 21, 2021 This circumstellar material was released by the star last year before its death. NASA Hubble's discovery gave astronomers a clear explanation of the star before it died. According to the Postdoctoral Scholar in Astronomy at the University of California Santa Cruz, Samaporn Tinyanont, the circumstellar material is only visible for a very short period and their observation will only start after the supernova's explosion. "For this supernova, we were able to make ultra-rapid observations with Hubble, giving unprecedented coverage of the region right next to the star that exploded," Tinyanont furthered, per NASA. Read Also: iPhone 14 Leak Reveals Major Screen Change; Render Shows Revamped Design NASA Hubble Discovery: An Early Warning System? Because the NASA Hubble gave astronomers a glimpse of the star before its death, University of California Sta. Cruz Ryan Foley expressed belief that this could be an early warning system. He also thinks that the stellar outburst should be taken seriously. "So, if you see a star start to shake around a bit, start acting up, then maybe we should pay more attention and really try to understand what's going on there before it explodes. As we find more and more of these supernovae with this sort of excellent data set, we'll be able to understand better what's happening in the last few years of a star's life," Foley told NASA. In a previous report, there are also supernovas that occurred in 2014 and 2019. The 2014 supernova was still active but faded from its former look, which is now a normal star in the busy galaxy. The 2014 faded supernova is located on the NGC 4666 galaxy. Meanwhile, the 2019 supernova is said to be 19 times gigantic as the Sun, but Northwestern University's Charles Kilpatrick said that they did not expect it to have a massive burst. Kilpatrick added that the 2019 supernova is a big unsolved mystery since they saw the star as completely normal. In relation to what Foley said, his claims of understanding the star's previous life could be an early warning system may not be 100 percent accurate, especially since the star from the 2019 supernova was completely normal few years before its explosion. Related Article: NASA Hubble Images: Space Telescope Celebrates Moon Night With Stunning Galactical Photos Microsoft made a valiant attempt at introducing a smaller Android device called the Surface Duo last year that brought the software leader into the smartphone space. It was eagerly anticipated among Microsoft fans, who had expected the company for years to make that grand entrance into the smartphone market, especially during the time it acquired the erstwhile handset leader Nokia. Surface Duo offered a foldable display that Microsoft likened to other similar smartphones in the market such as those from ZTE and Samsung, fusing the two screens using a hinge. After years of Surface tech that produced a respectable line of laptops and tablets, Microsoft indeed introduced a far more elegant, eye-catching solution. But similar to the ZTE Axon M, the Surface Duo did not meet the high expectations of users. Users complained that the device had insufficient features to justify its $1,400 tag. An external camera was lacking, software riddled with bugs and the absence of 5G support were just some of the Surface Duo's massive setbacks, Tech Crunch noted. Yet this would be understandable and acceptable, given that the Surface Duo was a first generation device. Microsoft Surface Duo 2 With Snapdragon 888, 5G Support, Triple Camera Setup But when Microsoft introduced a second generation of the Surface Duo, users would expectedly anticipate enhancements to the device that would address its failures in the original. With the addition of a Snapdragon 888 System on a Chip (SoC), 5G and NFC support with a seemingly futuristic, head-turning design, rear-facing triple camera setup, narrower gaps between dual screens, and the continued enhancement of software, the Surface Duo 2 looked promising, The Verge observed. Read Also: Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 Gets Mostly Positive Reviews: Stronger Battery, Special Ryzen Chip Hyped-Gaming Disappoints However, reviewers have noticed that the Surface Duo 2 is still not the device that will directly compete with the leaders in the market, much less fulfill the expectations of users. First off, the software still has a lot of bugs as you switch displays, and this means Microsoft should find ways to refine this further. Next is the Surface Duo's triple rear-facing cameras-a 12-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel telephoto and 16-megapixel ultra-wide setup. Certainly, this improves on the original Surface Duo, but the device's camera app seemingly offers mere basic features--with the picture quality appearing sub-par when you compare it to even less expensive devices. The Duo 2 grappled in mixed and low light, which is definitely a letdown when you shell out $1,500 for it, Tech Crunch added. Clearly, Microsoft has not given much interest or investment on upscaling mobile camera features, just like how Google, Apple or Samsung have made considerable effort. But as reviewers notice the Duo 2's camera misgivings, a more basic issue is uncovered. The original Duo depended on an internal camera for a reason. It's due to a clear-as-day issue of form factor, that is, a user gets to flip open with the camera on one side and the second display serving as a viewfinder on the other side. Microsoft truly made a decent work on the camera bump, allowing the rear of the displays sit alongside each other at a slight angle. However, using the setup is difficult. It may be convenient to have the second screen show the camera shots as they are captured, but the process is cumbersome, which is like taking a picture of someone using a tablet. Surface Duo 2 Strengths: Pen Support, Dual-Screen Gaming Despite these unpreventable faults, the Duo 2 is still a satisfactory offering, with the addition of Microsoft Pen support and dual-screen gaming as among its strengths. There is also a Glance Bar, which gives users a glimpse of notifications in the gap between screens when the device is shut. This shows that Microsoft is continuing to do its work on improving the Duo 2's form factor. However, the remaining issues that beset the Duo 2, and the steep price tag of $1,500, the Duo 2 is not still something an ordinary, everyday user would want to purchase. Related Article: Microsoft Confirms Impending Release of New Foldable Duo Smartphone in Surprise Announcement Journalist-turned-director Lee Won Jin-young interviews writer Gary Pak, a third-generation descendant of Korean immigrants to Hawaii, in this scene featured in the documentary project, "Words of Wisdom from the Rainbow State" / Courtesy of Now Production By Park Han-sol The official poster for the documentary, "Words of Wisdom from the Rainbow State" (2021) / Courtesy of Now Production By Lee Kyung-min Kakao Pay, the payment subsidiary of IT giant Kakao Corp, is coming under stock overhang pressure, due to the possible release of up to over 37.12 million shares held by Alipay, an online payment platform operated by China's Ant Financial upon Kakao Pay's planned initial public offering (IPO) next month. Overhang is whereby a sizeable block of shares released for sale leads to a steep decrease in the stock price, mostly triggered by institutional investors with a large holding. A recent report by Kakao Pay showed that over 11.67 million shares and 2.22 million shares both held by Alipay will be locked up from sales for six months and one year, respectively, upon the IPO. The combined 13.89 million shares account for 10.65 percent of Kakao Pay's total shares. They are part of over 51 million shares, or 45 percent, held by Alipay, following an equity financing of $200 million (235 billion won) from Ant Financial in April 2017. Market watchers say Alipay could offload the remaining 37.12 million shares, immediately after the payment subsidiary's KOSPI listing. This together with over 13.6 million shares to be publicly subscribed will lead to a plunge in the firm's share price, since they account for a combined 38.91 percent of Kakao Pay's total stock. Further complicating the issues is the firm's overvaluation, a reason why the Financial Supervisory Service ordered a pricing revision and postponed approval of the firm's initial IPO plan in August until after September. The revised publicly offered per-share price is in the range between 60,000 won and 90,000 won, down from 63,000 to 96,000 won. The estimated amount raised from the public offering is expected to be at least 1.2 trillion won, or up to 1.53 trillion won. This will translate into a market capitalization of between 7.8 trillion won and 11.7 trillion won. Kakao Pay will receive requests for public stock subscriptions from individual retail investors from Oct. 25 to 26, following book-building with institutional investors. It will be listed Nov. 3 Younger Koreans break job stereotypes, value manual work By Park Han-sol Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning at 5 a.m., Kim Ye-ji, 32, starts her day as a janitor. After waking up, she rushes to an office building and arms herself with a broom and a mop. Her day working at multiplex housing complexes, hospitals and other facilities comes to an end in the early afternoon when most people are thinking about what to eat for lunch. Bae Yoon-seul, 28, is another millennial who starts her day early in the morning. Waking up also at 5 a.m. to the sound of her alarm, she spends more than an hour travelling to a construction site where she joins a crew of workers putting up wallpaper in newly built apartments. In the past, it was considered "improper" for university graduates to even consider taking on blue-collar jobs such as cleaning and hanging wallpaper. "At work, several people used to come up to me and ask, 'Young people do this stuff?' or 'Is this your part-time job?' Sometimes, they would think I'm a young mother in need of money. I'm just doing my job, but they would come up with all these stories as to the reasons for my choice of occupation," Kim told The Korea Times. "But I've been a cleaner for over seven years now. I've achieved and gained a lot through this profession more than in terms of finance so I've learned not to give them much thought." Bae overcame the initial physical and psychological hurdles that come from working at construction sites by telling herself, "Let's just get through this week, then this month, then until the next payday." It's already been two years since she began her "profession" and Bae is starting yet another day, hoping to be recognized as a veteran wallpaper hanger one day. The career decisions of these two people, however, actually aren't unheard of among the country's Millennials. In 2020, Jinju and Changwon cities in South Gyeongsang Province announced job openings for the city's street cleaners. Nearly half of the applicants were in their 20s and 30s 64 out of 111 candidates in Jinju and 341 out of 727 candidates in Changwon. Writer and illustrator Kim Ye-ji, left, and her essay collection, "Yes, I Am a Cleaner" (2019) / Courtesy of the author and Book21 Publishing Group, respectively And there also is a growing interest in hearing the tales behind the younger generation's choices of unique occupations. In fact, Kim and Bae's heartfelt, autobiographical essay collections about their jobs "Yes, I Am a Cleaner" (2019) and "The Story of a Young Wall-paperer" (2021), respectively have been included in the bestseller list in the essay category of YES24, a leading online bookstore. To this day, the two authors continue to be invited to book talks or lectures to present their stories to others, especially to middle and high school students who are standing at a crossroads in their lives. This trend of Millennials choosing a wider array of jobs that diverge from ones typically considered by the older generation as more "prestigious and profitable" has become more prominent in recent years. Some experts say that the volatile labor market plays a partial role in their job selection. Although Korea has a high proportion of 25- to 34-year-olds with college degrees 69.8 percent in 2020, much higher than the OECD average of 45.5 percent, according to the Ministry of Education they still have a tough time finding work due to the high youth unemployment rate. "What added fuel to the fire were the decisions of multiple conglomerates to suspend their regular, massive recruitment of young jobseekers fresh out of college," Suh Yong-gu, a professor of business management at Sookmyung Women's University, said. "With the doors to traditionally well-paying jobs seemingly closed, some started seeking for other sources of income that are more stable and are becoming more promising." Jobs involving swift mobility and non-routine, physical labor like cleaners and wall-paperers have been reevaluated in recent years as a valid alternative, he said, especially in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) that poses a threat to many existing professions. But the professor added that young people's choice of "unconventional" jobs is not the sole result of their economic frustration. Instead, it reflects their changing attitudes toward careers, not as an end in itself, but as a means to explore their other life goals and passions. Such is the case for Kim. After majoring in Western painting in college, her passion lies in illustrations. But her unsuccessful attempt to promote her work through blogs, social media and fairs left her discouraged for years. For her, a cleaning job has not only become a stable source of income, but also a topic of her successful book, "Yes, I Am a Cleaner" written in a graphic novel format that eventually created a sizable demand for her illustrations. Writer Bae Yoon-seul, left, and her essay collection, "The Story of a Young Wall-paperer" (2021) / Courtesy of the author and Kungree Press, respectively gettyimagesbank A North Korean delegation is expected to attend a U.N. climate conference slated to kick off in Britain later this month, a Seoul official said Friday. Officials at the North Korean Embassy in London will participate in the 2021 U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, which will run from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12 in Glasgow. "As far as I know, the North Korean mission in Britain is sending a delegation," a foreign ministry official said. South Korea's first locally-developed space launch vehicle, known as Nuri, lifts off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, Thursday, Yonhap By Kwon Mee-yoo South Korea's launch of its first-ever, locally developed space launch vehicle, Thursday, was a partial success. While South Korea vows to succeed in a second launch scheduled for next May, there are increasing concerns that the move might prompt North Korea to develop and test-fire more advanced inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), while claiming it was pursuing a "balance of power on the Korean Peninsula." Space launch vehicles and intercontinental ballistic missiles share most of the same technology, but the difference is whether they are carrying a satellite or a warhead. While developing ICBMs which could reach the continental U.S., North Korea test-fired missiles in the past under the pretext of attempting to place satellites in orbit, including its Kwangmyongsong-3, and Kwangmyongsong-4 rockets. But the international community did not accept the claim and North Korea was banned from conducting any ballistic missile activities under multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. Pyongyang has continuously demanded an end to Seoul's "double standards," saying it is unfair for the South to describe its own weapons development, tests and military drills as "deterrence," while describing the North's activities as "provocations." Following the South's launch of the Nuri space rocket, the Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported Friday that South Korea's rocket development might provide an excuse for North Korea to develop more weaponry including ICBMs. The BBC also mentioned a possible arms race on the Korean peninsula in its report on the Nuri's launch. "South Korea is locked in an arms race with North Korea, with both recently test-firing new weapons. The North put a satellite in orbit in 2012," the BBC reported. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency released a photo Oct. 20 showing a new type of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) being test-fired from waters the previous day. Yonhap President Moon Jae-in will meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican next week to discuss peace on the Korean Peninsula and efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic, the presidential office said Friday. The Oct. 29 meeting will take place as Moon is scheduled to visit Rome to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit before traveling to Glasgow to join the global summit of the COP26 climate change gathering, according to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. It will be Moon's second meeting with Pope Francis since October 2018, Park said. Moon and Pope Francis are expected to exchange wisdom to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and resolve pending global issues, such as the pandemic, poverty and climate change, Park said. The pope has called for peace on the peninsula and expressed a willingness to visit the North. During a meeting with the pope in 2018, Moon delivered a verbal invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the pope said at the time he was willing to visit the North if Pyongyang sends him an official invitation. No further progress, however, has been made amid a deadlock in talks between the North and the U.S. (Yonhap) Lyeo Woon-ki, right, president of the Korea-Africa Foundation, poses with Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway during his visit to Ghana earlier this month. Courtesy of the Korea-Africa Foundation By Kwon Mee-yoo Lyeo Woon-ki, president of the Korea-Africa Foundation (KAF), visited Ghana to strengthen cooperation between Korea and Africa earlier this month. Lyeo picked Ghana where he had served as Korea's ambassador from 2014 to 2018 as his first destination after taking the post at the foundation in March. During his six-day trip from Oct. 6 to 11, Lyeo met political, economic and academic figures of Ghana, promoting the role of the KAF as well as the upcoming Korea-Africa Forum (KOAF), slated for December. The KOAF is a ministerial-level conference launched in 2006 to boost partnerships between Korea and African countries. Alongside the KOAF, the KAF also holds the Korea-Africa Business Forum, the Seoul Dialogue on Africa and the Korea-Africa Youth Forum. Lyeo met Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, and the minister showed high expectations for the KAF's role in promoting Korea-Africa relations. Lyeo invited Ghanaian businessman Samuel Jonah, executive chairman of Jonah Capital, to the business forum to enhance networking among Korean and African entrepreneurs and to advise Korean companies wanting to advance into the African market. "Jonah mentioned that he expects cooperation with Korea's IT and game industries, as he recognizes the importance of economic innovation, and wants to learn from Korea's rapid growth from a developing country into a developed one," Lyeo told The Korea Times. Lyeo, who emphasized the importance of networking in Africa upon his appointment, said that this visit opened up opportunities to create networks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Lyeo also met with Lifeforms CEO Kwasi Atuah and Institute of Economic Affairs Chairman Charles Mensa, to discuss economic trends in Ghana and Africa and vowing to boost Korea-Africa relations. In a meeting with Fred Binka, a professor of clinical epidemiology at the School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana, Lyeo listened to a discussion of Ghana's and Africa's COVID-19 responses and shared thoughts on cooperation in medical and healthcare between Korea and Africa. Lyeo's first itinerary in Ghana was meeting with Korean residents there, to show support for them as they have been going through difficult times amid the pandemic. He also met with Choi Seung-eub, also known as Kojo Choi, CEO of Ghanaian alternative payment processing services company PaySwitch, and encouraged him to expand his business. Choi is one of the notable young entrepreneurs in Ghana, having been selected as one of the country's 25 most influential fintech leaders in 2018. Men wait for a physical examination prior to conscription at the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, in this Feb. 3, 2020, photo. Korea Times file By Jung Da-min Calls are growing for the government to discuss how to deal with an upcoming personnel shortage in its armed forces, as the country is facing a demographic cliff, a major drop in the working population amid low birthrates. The military has already been reducing the armed forces to counter the demographic cliff as well as pursue a change in the method of warfare by switching its previous "troop-intensive" structure to a "technology-intensive" one. The number of troops has been cut from 618,000 in 2017 to 530,000 this year, and the military is planning to reduce it further to 500,000 next year and maintain it at that level. According to the government's statistics, about 330,000 of the current 530,000 active service members are conscripts enlisted for their mandatory military service. To maintain the armed forces around 500,000 every year when the service period for the enlisted is about 18 months, the military needs about 222,000 new conscripts every year. Currently, all able-bodied men of Korean nationality over 20 years old must carry out mandatory military service. Considering that about 10 percent of those subject to conscription are unable to perform military service due to health or other issues, the male population of the age group needs to be at least over 247,000 for the military to recruit active service members stably. Men listen to the explanation regarding physical checkups for conscription at the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, in this Feb. 3, 2020 photo. Korea Times file However, the prospects look dim as the population in the relevant demographic is expected to drop below 240,000 starting in 2025. The military would still be able to manage to keep the number of active service members at 500,000 by utilizing the existing surplus manpower or reducing the demand for alternative service members. But further measures will be needed, as the demographic segment is forecast to drop to less than 200,000 by 2037. A fundamental solution is needed by then, as the situation will quickly get worse, with the demographic segment being expected to drop to 120,000 to 146,000 in 2041. Debates underway over conscripting women, moving to volunteer military system Debates have already been started as to how to deal with the projected shortage in military conscripts. Among the suggested solutions are introducing mandatory military service for women or making the move to a volunteer military system. Such debates have actively been made in in the political sphere, especially starting earlier this year ahead of the next presidential election slated for next March. Among those who made their bids for the presidential race, some relatively young politicians, including 50-year-old Rep. Park Yong-jin of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and 53-year-old Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), have claimed that the current conscription system needs to be changed to encompass both men and women, although they differ in the details, such as the service period. Noncommissioned officers joining the Republic of Korea Army in the second half of 2021 attend their induction ceremony at the Korea Army Non-Commissioned Officer Academy in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, Aug. 27. Courtesy of the Republic of Korea Army. But their proposals for mandatory military service for women faced criticism that the two politicians were trying to draw support from young men while instigating a gender conflict by saying that it is to reduce the "negative impact of forcing young men to spend a year and a half in mandatory military service." Critics also said that the military is not yet ready to embrace more female service members, as seen in recent high-profile sexual assault incidents in all branches of the military. Following criticism that the military's macho hierarchical culture is to blame for past and ongoing sex crimes against women in the military, debates on mandatory military service for women have lost momentum. Reps. Park and Ha also failed to advance in their respective parties' primaries. But the matter is still considered an issue for the next presidential election. While the presidential hopefuls are divided over the issue of introducing mandatory military service for women, many of them say they would consider a partial or full-scale move to a volunteer military system. However, the Ministry of National Defense has kept a cautious stance on the issue. As to a volunteer force system, the ministry says that there are some preconditions, such as drawing a social consensus, securing enough in terms of finances, and guaranteeing peace on the Korean Peninsula. It also said a prudent approach is needed because the transformation, once done, would be irreversible. Members of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces give a demonstration of a joint landing operation during the 73rd Armed Forces Day Ceremony in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Oct. 1. Pohang was the location where the United Nations forces made their first landing operation during the 1950-53 Korean War. Korea Times file Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, center, pays his respect during the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju, Friday. Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung is struggling to gain united support from his own party, which is still divided in the aftermath of the party's primary. Lee is striving to win the endorsement of Lee Nak-yon, a former prime minister who was his main rival during the primary. Meeting his main rival in person and getting his support officially is deemed customary before the candidate meets President Moon Jae-in and is recognized as his successor, but the former prime minister is yet to make a public appearance, casting doubt on the ruling DPK's unity before the presidential election. As of Friday, Lee Nak-yon had not been seen since his defeat in the DPK primary, Oct. 10. Though Lee uploaded a critical posting about the opposition party candidate on Friday, he refrained from dropping hints about a meeting between him and Governor Lee. A day earlier, a number of news outlets reported that Lee Jae-myung had phoned the former prime minister and they shared their thoughts on the presidential election. However, the two sides had different interpretations of the call. The candidate's camp said former Prime Minister Lee promised his "full support" for Governor Lee, while the former prime minister's aides said "they only shared their opinions on mutual consultations to recreate the (DPK) administration." The two Lees exchanged fierce criticism of each other during the primary. After Lee Jae-myung won more than 50 percent of the votes in polls in the primary and became the party's single candidate, Lee Nak-yon reluctantly accepted the result, but his supporters filed for an injunction to nullify it with the Seoul Southern District Court, Oct. 14, and are awaiting a decision. Democratic Party of Korea presidential contender Lee Jae-myung, left, walks past former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, right, during a round of the party's primaries in Gwangju, in this Sept. 25 photo. Joint Press Corps Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung, the presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), is likely to announce his resignation from the governorship next week, officials here said Friday. "Lee has decided to step down from the governor position on Oct. 25 and will soon tender his resignation to the provincial council chairman," an official with the Gyeonggi provincial government told Yonhap News Agency. Lee will work as the governor of the populous province surrounding Seoul until Monday midnight, meaning he will officially give up his governorship Tuesday, according to the official. Lee earlier announced he would step down from his post after completing the parliamentary audit on his province, which was on Monday and Wednesday. His party has been asking Lee to give up his governorship early so that he can focus on campaigning for the March 9 presidential election. Under an election law, a presidential candidate holding a government position must resign from the post 90 days prior to the election date. Lee, former Seongnam mayor, was elected the governor of Gyeonggi Province in June 2018. His remaining eight-month term will be carried out by a lieutenant governor. (Yonhap) a leading opposition presidential contender / Yonhap Strenuous efforts needed to become global aerospace powerhouse South Korea reached a brilliant achievement in its aerospace history Thursday, by launching a domestically developed space rocket to its targeted altitude. But it was an "incomplete success" as the launch vehicle failed to place a dummy satellite into orbit. Nuri, or the Korean Satellite Launch Vehicle II (KSLV II), blasted off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung off the southern coast and flew to an altitude of 700 kilometers. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the rocket's first and second stages separated appropriately. But the third stage's engine burned out 46 seconds earlier than designed, thus failing to reach the speed of 7.5 kilometers per second that would give the payload enough momentum to enter orbit. South Korea plans to test-launch another satellite launch vehicle in May next year. In many senses, the launch was more than a "half success" as it moved the country a step closer to ranking among the world aerospace powerhouses, and boosted its national prestige. There is no need to be disappointed, given the less than 30 percent average success rate for initial attempts to launch satellites. We hope the government and relevant sectors will push ahead with their efforts toward making the nation an aerospace power, learning a lesson from the partial success. President Moon Jae-in in a statement after watching the liftoff said the test was an "excellent achievement" and expressed hope that the country will be able to see a perfect success in the second Nuri test set for May 2022. "Once we sharpen our technological prowess we can secure our own independent aerospace transport capability, opening a new era in the sector," Moon said. The KSLV I, jointly developed with Russia, was successfully launched in 2013 after the setbacks of four failures and postponements. Given this, the recent test proves the nation's technology has been upgraded phenomenally. Now a complete success seems to be in the offing. Including the second test, the Naro Space Center plans five more launches by the year 2027. Some 300 companies including the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and more than 1,000 people participated in the project. The country's much-touted drive toward a locally developed space rocket will have far-flung benefits for diverse industries aerospace, electronics, communications and materials as well as military applications. Korea will be able to launch its own satellites without depending on other countries, as it is set to launch around 100 satellites over the next decade. Domestic telecommunications companies preparing for the launch of 6G satellite communications will be able to boost their competitiveness in the global market. The government should expand assistances to nurture the aerospace industry. First of all, it needs to increase the relevant state budget considerably as it now stands at only one third that of Japan. There should be more support to nurture and provide human resources. We urge the Moon Jae-in administration to consider setting up an independent institute that will be in charge of overall control and management of aerospace development and the relevant industries. Battery packs manufactured by Samsung SDI / Courtesy of Samsung SDI By Kim Yoo-chul Samsung SDI, the battery affiliate of Samsung Group, said Friday that its first joint venture (JV) in the United States will start production in the first half of 2025 at the earliest. In a statement, Samsung SDI said that its battery JV, the result of a collaboration with Stellantis of the United States, will have an initial annual production capacity of 23 gigawatt per hours (GWh) and could increase to 40 GWh. "The Samsung SDI-Stellantis battery JV will manufacture battery cells and modules. Regarding the location of the battery JV in the United States and its name, an announcement will be made once the review process is completed," Samsung said in its release. "Batteries to be manufactured from the JV will be supplied to Stellantis' factories in the United States, Canada and Mexico for use in its upcoming plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicle (EV) models." The Korean company was hoping that the JV will support Stellantis' goal of having more than 40 percent of its North American sales consist of EVs by 2030. At a recent EV event, Stellantis had named various U.S. brands slated to join its electrification drive. Stellantis owns the Jeep, Dodge and Ram brands in the U.S., among others. An aerial photo shot using a drone shows the Fiat Chrysler Assembly Plant near Belvidere, IL., the United States, Oct. 18. EPA-Yonhap Samsung SDI said it recently signed a deal with Stellantis to construct the JV plant. "Because Samsung SDI has been supplying EV batteries for Fiat's 500e and Jeep's Wrangler 4xe models, the agreement will help the two entities further strengthen their already solid partnership," it added. The release came after Samsung's chief crosstown rival LG Energy Solution (LGES) said it had also signed an agreement with Stellantis to operate a separate battery JV in the United States, which will start production by the first half of 2024. Investors are eyeing which type of batteries will be manufactured at the LGES-Stellantis and Samsung SDI-Stellantis factories. Sources said that the LGES-Stellantis JV is focusing on the production of pouch-type batteries, while the Samsung SDI-Stellantis JV will roll out rigid-type batteries. But the Samsung statement did not say whether the batteries produced by the JV will be supplied only to Stellantis. Samsung SDI is also supplying batteries to EV maker, Rivian. LGES, for example, operates a battery JV with General Motors in the U.S. state of Ohio and recently announced a plan to build a second battery factory in the U.S. state of Tennessee. South Korea's first homegrown space launch vehicle, known as Nuri, lifts off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, 473 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 21, 2021. South Korea said Friday it will set up a committee to closely look into what went wrong in a mission to put a dummy satellite into orbit with its first homegrown space rocket. The committee to be composed of researchers of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and other aerospace experts will comb through data to fix technological glitches ahead of a second launch in the coming months, officials of the state-run institute said. Nuri, also known as the KSLV-II, flew to a target altitude of 700 kilometers but failed to put the dummy satellite into orbit, as its third-stage engine burned out 46 seconds sooner than expected. Aerospace experts said a possible malfunction in the valves or the pressure system may have led the third-stage engine to burn up sooner than planned but stressed that determining the exact cause requires further data analysis. "It's possible the valve that controls the fuel shut down sooner than expected for various reasons, like a sensor malfunction," Kong Changduk, professor of Aerospace Engineering at Chosun University, said. "But if we can analyze the problems in the launch and fix them, I believe we'll have no problem launching the Nuri next year." South Korea plans to launch the Nuri rocket in May next year as part of its four other scheduled launches until 2027. President Moon Jae-in has called the launch "a very creditable achievement," though it did not perfectly reach the goal. Aerospace experts described this week's mission as a major advancement in South Korea's space program, which began in 1990. They said the Nuri rocket marked significant progress from South Korea's rocket launches in recent years, noting Nuri successfully completed all flight sequences using domestic technology. In 2010, South Korea's two-stage Naro-1 rocket exploded about 137 seconds after liftoff following a failure in 2009. In 2013, South Korea successfully launched the Naro rocket, but the key first-stage rocket was built in Russia. "I believe the launch was a remarkable success as we succeeded in the clustering, separating the fairing and all other sequences up until the last steps. ... I'd say we succeeded up to 80 to 90 percent," Kong said. Nuri uses a clustering of four 75-ton liquid engines in its first stage, propelling the rocket forward with a 300-ton thrust. The clustering of the engines requires advanced technology, as each of them must ignite simultaneously at exactly equal thrusts to ensure the rocket flies along the intended trajectory. So far, only six countries Russia, the United States, France, China, Japan and India have developed a space launch vehicle that can carry a more than 1-ton satellite and have the technology to develop 75-ton liquid engines. KARI said the success rate for newly developed rockets on the first attempt is 30 percent to date. Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at Korea Aerospace University, also hailed the development and successful testing of the 75-ton engine as a "remarkable achievement." "The problem was at the end when the satellite had to reach a speed of 7.5 kilometers per second at an orbital altitude of 700 kilometers, but the rocket only gave a thrust of around 6.7 kilometers per second," he said. Chang said researchers will now analyze all data that the ground controllers received from the rocket, including pressure and temperature, to find the exact cause, a process that could take as little as a week or up to several months. "Since the rocket did not explode and successfully reached the target altitude, I think it's unlikely to be a serious problem, and the analysis won't take long," he added. South Korea, a relative latecomer to the global space development race, has recently ramped up efforts in its space program, with plans to launch its first lunar orbiter next year. South Korea has invested nearly 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion) in building the three-stage Nuri since 2010. The whole process of the launch of Nuri was carried out with domestically made technology on its own soil, including design, production, testing and launch operation. (Yonhap) A delivery driver picks up an order from a local convenience store in Seoul on May 6. Korea Times file By Kim Jae-heun Quick commerce has emerged as a new growth engine for local retailers that deliver online orders in less than an hour. Currently, major supermarket operators and food delivery firms sell only groceries through their quick commerce platforms, but they plan to boost sales by expanding their product variety. However, such plans are facing a strong backlash from mom-and-pop stores in small towns that are accusing the big players of encroaching into their turf. A coalition of small retailers urged lawmakers to protect their business rights and provide systematic regulations against the large retailers. The Ministry of Trade and Industry and Energy has decided to hire a private research organization to study the impact on small businesses of quick commerce pursued by retail giants. The case study will start as early as next month and finish by March 2022. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea intends to adjust the Distribution Industry Development Act based on the study and propose a revised bill to the National Assembly in the first half of next year. Concerns over the growth of quick commerce and its influence on small retailers were raised during a National Assembly audit this month. Rep. Lee Dong-ju of the ruling party pointed out that food delivery services such as Baedal Minjok and Coupang have been competing fiercely to reduce the time it takes to fulfill orders, which had an impact on mom-and-pop stores in small towns. Quick commerce is classified as an e-commerce business. But because its service targets customers in smaller towns, the business overlaps with those of mom-and-pop stores. A group of small retailers fighting against Coupang also plans to ask the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership to ban major companies from operating businesses in small towns. If the request is accepted, Baedal Minjok's "B Mart" and GS Retail's "Yo Mart" will not be able to offer quick commerce services in designated areas. Meanwhile, demand for quick commerce has displayed explosive growth along with e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic. The domestic quick commerce market is expected to surpass 5 trillion won in size by 2025. Woowa Brothers and Coupang are not the only ones that have launched quick commerce businesses here. Lotte Shopping, Shinsegae, Homeplus and GS Retail have started their own services utilizing their distribution channels established in smaller towns. In particular, GS Retail's quick commerce business saw daily sales surge 269 percent in just four months. McDonald's Korea Managing Director Antoni Martinez answers lawmakers' questions at the National Assembly audit held in Yeouido, Seoul, on Oct. 21. Korea times file By Kim Jae-heun McDonald's Korea allegedly owes 50 billion won in back pay to its workers. According to its part-time employee union, "Crew," the Korean branch of the U.S.-owned and managed fast food restaurant chain has been excluding work hours when its 15,000 workers were changing into uniform that amount to 14 billion won in unpaid wages. Also, McDonald's Korea counted work hours as lower that those stated in original contracts signed by part-time employees. Crew says that the company owes them 36 billion won for those hours. However, McDonald's Korea Managing Director Antoni Martinez denied the claim, saying instead that employees had agreed to take part in a flexible work program and that their wages had been paid correctly. "We settled our part-timers' work hours based on the flexible work system and they said they agreed and that they want it," Martinez said at the National Assembly audit held Oct. 21. However, Crew argued that they hadn't consented to it. "By the Labor Standards Act, the time used to change into uniforms and prepare for the opening and closing of restaurants should count as work hours. And part-time workers must be paid accordingly," a union official said. In addition, the union alleged there had been bullying by a manager at one restaurant in Seoul for four years and that some disabled workers at the store had been exploited. The managing director said that he is confident that McDonald's Korea's employment policy does not discriminate between workers based on sex, age or disability. "I will see if there can be improvements made in this case," Martinez said. Crew filed a complaint with the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Administration, Oct. 20, to request an investigation. "McDonald's Korea is undermining the legal order despite its presence as a major company, in which it is obligated to comply with social responsibilities and legal norms. We want Managing Director Antoni Martinez to make a public apology," a Crew official said. Martinez was also questioned about an incident in which McDonald's Korea used expired buns for certain burger products last year. Police are still investigating a possible breach of the Food Sanitation Act. In August, McDonald's Korea admitted its responsibility in the error and punished the part-time employee who used the expired buns as well as the manager at the particular restaurant involved. However, the restaurant staff argued that the part-time worker had actually been told to use the buns, and that the headquarters should take full responsibility. The managing director agreed that a part-time employee cannot make decisions alone concerning using expired buns, but did not comment further. The logo of China Evergrande Group is seen on the company's headquarters in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, Sept. 26. Reuters-Yonhap China Evergrande Group has supplied funds to pay interest on a dollar bond, a source told Reuters on Friday, days before a deadline that would have plunged the embattled developer into formal default. The source corroborated a story in the state-backed Securities Times on Friday that the company had remitted $83.5 million in coupon payments to a trustee account at Citibank on Thursday, allowing it to pay out to all bond holders before the grace period expires on Oct. 23. News of the payment will bring some relief to investors and regulators worried about the wider fallout from a messy default and contagion hitting global financial markets elsewhere, although the company will still need to make payments on a string of other debts due. "They seem to be avoiding short-term default and it's a bit of a relief that they have managed to find liquidity," said a Hong Kong-based restructuring lawyer representing some bondholders. "But still, Evergrande does need to restructure its debt. This payment might be a way for them to get some sort of buy-in with stakeholders before the heavy work needed on the restructuring." Evergrande did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Citi declined to comment. The wired payment comes a day after financial information provider REDD reported on Thursday that the company had secured more time to pay a defaulted bond issued by Jumbo Fortune Enterprises and guaranteed by Evergrande. A string of Chinese officials in recent days have sought to reassure investors, saying that creditors' interests would be protected. Market participants nevertheless expressed shock at news of the payment. "This is a positive surprise," said James Wong, portfolio manager at GaoTeng Global Asset Management, adding many had expected a default. The news would boost bondholders' confidence, he said, as "there are many coupon payments due ahead. If Evergrande pays this time, I don't see why it won't pay the next time." Evergrande missed coupon payments totaling nearly $280 million on its dollar bonds on Sept. 23, Sept. 29 and Oct. 11, starting the clock on 30-day grace periods for payment. Non-payment of interest for 30 days would result in a formal default by the company, and trigger cross-default provisions for other Evergrande dollar bonds. Evergrande's next payment deadline falls on Oct. 29 with the expiration of the 30-day grace period on its Sept. 29 coupon. A man uses an escalator in front of a housing complex by Chinese property developer Evergrande in Beijing, Oct. 21. AFP-Yonhap The live Rocky Horror Picture Show isn't happening this year. Here are some alternatives When will this end? A need for accountability in Greek life AI/ML - Manager: Software Engineer, Information Intelligence Seattle , Washington , United States Machine Learning and AI Summary Posted: Oct 20, 2021 Role Number: 200303392 Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, great ideas have a way of becoming great products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Do you want to make Siri and Apple products better for our users? The AI/ML Information Intelligence teams are building groundbreaking technology for algorithmic search, machine learning, natural language processing, and artificial intelligence. The Search Infrastructure team is seeking an exceptional engineering manager who can partner with leadership and other teams to drive experiences from definition to release. The team will be responsible for building petabyte-scale data processing systems, generating insights to power Apple's amazing range of products and experiences. The successful candidate will manage a software engineering team to deliver scalable, reliable search infrastructure. Key Qualifications 5+ years of hands-on software development experience, a strong grasp of computer science fundamentals, and love learning new technologies. 3+ years of engineering management experience. You have a track record demonstrating the ability to build and lead a team, including hiring, mentoring, motivating and elevating the performance of a team. Excellent critical thinking, planning, prioritization, and organization skills. Ability to establish strong partnerships and manage complex cross-functional relationships. Exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Experience in building highly scalable and distributed systems on cloud platforms, preferably AWS or GCP. Experience with web crawling is a plus. Description In this role, you will build and lead a diverse, hardworking team of experienced and thoughtful engineers to build innovative features in order to power Apple Safari, Siri, and Spotlight Search. This role will work closely with a large number of cross-functional partners including Apple product domains, product managers, operations, quality assurance, and other software engineering teams to build and support product experiences. You will build the capabilities for measuring and improving quality of our web crawl, defining and executing a multi-year technical roadmap. To support your team, you will motivate and mentor them, and dedicate a good part of your time to developing talents, identifying a goal for each team member to grow and contribute to their full potential performance. You will be successful by proactively engaging your team, identifying and resolving broken processes and encouraging a respectful, high performing team culture. Education & Experience BS or MS degree in Computer Science/Engineering, or equivalent industry experience. We will be at home during the Thanksgiving holiday. We will make a brief trip away from home. We will spend most of the Thanksgiving holiday away from home. Vote View Results This Isnt Sci-Fi: How AI Is About To Disrupt This $11 Trillion Industry TikToks nearly 700 million users seek medical advice from random individuals and charlatans, since anyone can claim to be a medical expert on this raging social media machine. Dr. Google is also working overtime, receiving more than one billion healthcare questions every day. Web MD is recording over one billion searches a year, too. When you combine this voracious hunger for digital diagnosis, symptom checkers and immediate medical assistance, with a global mobile app market whose revenues had already hit $365 billion in 2018, and are now on track to generate over $935 billion by 2023 ... You get one of the best bets on disrupting the virtual medicine industry to date. You get Big Tech built by doctors for doctors in the Global Library of Medicine (GLM). You get Cara, the new, sophisticated AI, powered by the unique Global Library of Medicine, that has been trained by hundreds of doctors to think just like them. Cara will be launching at the end of November, marking the first time in our medical history that we can check our symptoms online, at the touch of a button, and truly trust what we are being told. Over the past five years, Treatment.com ( CSE: TRUE ; OTC: TREIF ) has been developing the worlds next-generation AI symptom checker, picking up where the billions of requests were left hanging by Google and WebMD and certainly by TikTok. Now, the app is about to launch as Treatment Mobile with an intelligent digital assistant, Cara, with over 400 diagnoses by a global team of hundreds of doctors who are adding more every day. A Digital Fix for a Broken Healthcare System An overwhelming majority of Americans find the healthcare system impossible to navigate. Nearly three-quarters have no idea how they will afford their healthcare. Those two facts have led to a shocking increase in at-home health solutions. Need a healthcare big tech vendor who knows North American Healthcare From 2019 to 2020--even before the COVID-19 outbreak--telemedicine grew by 46%. In 2020 alone, wellness apps were downloaded 1.2 billion times . Major investment into the telemedicine space combined with a massive increase in uptake and rapidly rising favor among consumers has seen telehealth increase 38X so far in 2021 from pre-COVID levels. In April 2020, right at the start of the pandemic, telehealth use was 78X higher than in February 2020, according to McKinsey. Total VC investment into the digital health space in H1 2021 was $14.7 billion. Thats more than VC investment for all of 2020, and twice the amount for 2019. That leads McKinsey to project that 2021 could see total investment in the sector hit $30 billion. The bottom line is this: American healthcare is broken, and digital offerings are a major element of the fix. Cara steps in at exactly the right time to provide the first sophisticated AI that can help bring it all together. This is where big money is going in the healthcare sector. The Digital Doctor Is In Working with the University of Minnesota Medical School, Treatment.com (CSE: TRUE; OTC: TREIF) has gathered the best doctors and tech engineers that built the Global Library of Medicine (GLM) from around the world to teach Cara to do two things that no other digital health platform has been able to do successfully: Think like a real doctor Provide consumers with a personalized health assessment and full-on health management Cara integrates everything by providing consumers with a bridge to wellness, telemedicine, pharma and health products ... Cara asks you questions about your symptoms and then sorts through millions of pieces of information that include historical medical cases, demographic data and advances in medical knowledge. The end result is a more accurate recommendation than any other digital tool in the world. Cara helps you understand what your symptom could be. It helps you monitor and track health changes and understand your general health and prevent illness. It gives you personalized support and follow-up and even allows you to track and manage your entire family. And it can all be integrated with Apple Health Kit, Apple Watch and FitBit. Treatments AI has been so effective, in fact, that the University of Minnesota Medical School licensed it to test medical students. How Does Cara Make Money? Treatment.com ( CSE: TRUE ; OTC: TREIF ) plans to leverage its healthcare AI to build a multi-billion-dollar business. The initial app will be free, but there is an impressive scalability here. This is how the wildly lucrative world of apps works. Once the upfront costs of development and AI learning are paid for, its all revenue, all the time. And app revenue streams are recurring, which is exactly why the mobile app industry continues to surge. Consumers will pay for recommendations through premium app subscriptions, and Treatment.coms next move with Cara will be to add a series of paid plugins for everything from dermatology specialty segments, to cardiology. Additionally, Treatment.com will seek health and wellness partners to integrate to access qualified referrals and improve efficiencies, while simultaneously reducing costs. There are three revenue-generating avenues here: corporate licenses, health and wellness products and university medical school training. But the biggest value here is that Cara is a goldmine of data Caras access to individualized health trends will help insurance providers and governments to provide better health services. In healthcare, big data like this helps avoid preventable diseases by detecting them in their early stages. The market for big data analytics in healthcare could be worth an astounding $68 billion by 2025, and Treatment.com will have a major advantage with Cara. WebMD--a private company--is valued at $2.8 billion, and it doesnt even have any AI to back it up. Treatment.com, ( CSE: TRUE ; OTC: TREIF ) which listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange on April 19th, 2021, is about to launch a healthcare app that could completely change the way we view and access healthcare. Global Medical and AI Expertise Founded by John Fraser and Dr. Kevin Peterson, Treatment.com International Inc. (CSE: TRUE)(OTC:TREIF) is a sophisticated big-tech setup from the roots up. Fraser is a computer scientist and entrepreneur with a background in healthcare technology. Hes a 20-year IT software veteran who has done this before. He sold his first unicorn--Vision Share (now Abilities Network)--for over $1 billion. Dr. Peterson is a leading doctor and tenured professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He was also the architect of an international disease surveillance and research system, the first such in the world. Add to this a global team of doctors in the United States, Canada, Singapore, India, Ethiopia and South Africa and you have the makings of the most intelligent AI symptom checker and health care management platform on the planet. Again, thats why its been licensed to train medical students at the University of Minnesota. The Next Healthcare Wave The healthcare industry is overripe for disruption, and its being disrupted in waves. The most recent wave saw Babylon Health , valued at $4.2 billion in its latest funding round, explode on the scene with an AI-powered platform for virtual clinical operations. Babylon is about to go public via a SPAC deal through a $4.2-billion merger with Alkuri Global Acquisition Corp., led by former Groupon executives. Its also been disrupted by Teladoc Health, the $25-billion telemedicine behemoth that has nicely rewarded investors. Investors who jumped in on this in early 2018 could have seen gains of over 1,500% by January this year. When we miss one wave, we move on to the next because the healthcare industry is set to see wave after wave of disruption, and Cara comes next. Set to launch by the end of October, Cara is about to go mainstream, and because of the global experts behind it, it stands a good chance of becoming the next app to go from zero to hero--and perhaps to billions. Treatment.com International Inc. ( CSE: TRUE ; OTC: TREIF ) has: unfettered access to a data goldmine A Global Library of Medicine (GLM) that is continually updated and referenced by its AI engine that will eventually scale up to all ~10,000 diseases known to man Proprietary IP that could one day be worth billions of dollars Massive growth runways The next healthcare disruption is about empowering consumers to take better care--and control--of their health, and early-in investors may have a unique opportunity here with a new app that puts another big patch on a broken healthcare system. By. 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The Publisher is not affiliated, connected, or associated with, and is not sponsored, approved, or originated by, the trademark holders unless otherwise stated. No claim is made by the Publisher to any rights in any third-party trademarks. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Its been an amazing start to the new academic year for the MSF, with thousands signing up to Marxist societies across the country, participating in meetings and reading groups, and organising on campus. Join the Marxists! Join the revolution! This years freshers period has come to an end. And what an incredible success it has been! The Marxist Student Federation (MSF) has taken campuses by storm, signing up a record-breaking 3,487 people to Marxist societies at 48 universities. The current crisis of capitalism is the deepest in history. The Tories are relentlessly attacking the working class. Young workers have been hit the hardest during the pandemic, leading to the highest youth unemployment rate in over five years. The scourges of racism, sexism, and LGBT oppression continue to run rampant in society. And on top of this, the planet is hurtling towards catastrophic and irreversible damage to the climate. All the while, Keir Starmer and the Labour right wing are spending more time fighting the left and expelling the Marxists than fighting the Tories. All of this has contributed to a massive radicalisation amongst students and youth, who are looking for an explanation for todays crisis-ridden system. Electric mood The results from the MSFs activities over the last month show that thousands are looking to fight for change and organise around revolutionary ideas. The excitement and enthusiasm seen at Marxist society freshers stalls and meetings has been electric. And this has translated into a greater presence of the MSF across UK universities than ever before. Over the last few weeks, Marxist societies have seen huge numbers of sign-ups notably at Cambridge (with 360) and at KCL (with 280). And this year the MSF was present for the first time at 12 new universities, including UEL, UAL, Nottingham Trent, Leeds Beckett, Lincoln, and Westminster. #ReadMarx Many of those signing up already call themselves Marxists and revolutionaries. Theyve arrived with a thirst for theory and ideas, and are eager to join the reading groups that the societies are hosting as part of the #ReadMarx campaign. As Marx himself said; Philosophers have interpreted the world in various ways, the point however is to change it. Any worker, any student is able to read and understand Marxism. That is the point of it. It is time to #ReadMarx for yourself. Join one of our reading groups NOW! pic.twitter.com/rkJxyqlHhK Marxist Student (@MarxistStudent) September 20, 2021 In Oxford, comrades reported that people were specifically looking for us at the freshers fair, with students mentioning that they already knew about Socialist Appeal and the International Marxist Tendency. Many were specifically asking about plans for reading groups on classic Marxist texts. Comrades from the Cambridge Marxist Society reported something similar: It is clear that many students are turning towards more revolutionary conclusions. Freshers have been eager to join. Our first meeting was packed, with over 40 in attendance, and over 15 people signing up to a reading group on the Communist Manifesto. This is the best start to the term in the history of the Cambridge Marxist society, and will pave the way for an amazing year of revolutionary education and action! Education in the Marxist societies includes thorough discussions on texts by Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky. And the passion for theory has been evident from sales of our books, pamphlets, and papers, with over 1,000 of material being sold across the country in recent weeks. All this will go towards financing the production of more educational resources. The MSF takes to heart what Lenin said: that without revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary movement. Marx was right! All of the Marxist societies have had their first meetings by now. Most of these have been on the topic of What is Marxism? or Why Marx was right. Comrades have reported incredible turnouts of 40-70 people at many of our meetings, with excellent political discussions covering a range of questions. Overall, the result has been almost one thousand students attending MSF events across Britain. In Glasgow and KCL, comrades reported 50 people at their first meeting. In Leeds, attendance was even higher, with 70 people coming to the Marxist societys opening event of term. The Glasgow comrades also reported on the success of their Red Clydeside crawl: We had advertised the start time and location separately, so we were met with another crowd of people when the main group arrived! We filled the streets on the first stop of the tour, and over-filled the pubs. Thanks to everyone who came along to our freshers meeting and sub crawl last night! It was a really good discussion and a great tour around the city. Your generosity raised 50 for the society and we hope to see you all at our next meetings. pic.twitter.com/1rGLGO39Au Glasgow Marxists (@GlasgowMarxists) September 17, 2021 Unite and fight! And this is only the beginning. Marxist societies across the country have many more political discussions, reading groups, and activities planned for the rest of term. We are currently celebrating Black History Month not in a liberal, tokenistic form, but rather by discussing concretely how to unite and fight against racism. In Cambridge, for example, a recent meeting on Marxism and black liberation saw over 60 people in attendance, with Fiona Lali (national organiser of the MSF) speaking on why the struggle against racism must be a class struggle. Marxism and Black Liberation was another huge success. Thank you @rubanga_a for the incredible talk. pic.twitter.com/kjYHA55NM5 Cambridge Marxists (@camsocialist) October 17, 2021 And in November we will celebrate the Russian Revolution, discussing the inspiring events of 1917, and their relevance to today. The MSF will also be linking up with staff on campuses to support their strikes, organise student-worker solidarity, and defend education. This month, the UCU is balloting for strike action. In the likely event that higher education staff vote for action, the Marxist societies will be mobilising students to support workers and defend the strike. We will also be organising students from schools, colleges, and universities to attend the COP26 climate protests on 6 November in large numbers. And next Friday, each and every Marxist society will be travelling to London for the biggest and most important event in the calendar: Revolution Festival 2021. This years in-person festival taking place from 29-31 October at the Friends House will provide an incredible opportunity to meet Marxists from across Britain and Europe, and to participate in lively discussions on theory, history, and the most pressing issues facing socialist activists. Theres never been a better time to be a Marxist. So get involved today: Join your local Marxist society! Join Socialist Appeal! Join the revolution! Originally published 21 Oct 2021 at socialist.net | The Tory government is on a collision course with the European Union over the question of trade and the North of Ireland. The capitalists on both sides are losing control of the situation. An explosive cocktail is being prepared. In 2019, Boris Johnson promised that he would Get Brexit Done, ending the dither and delay of negotiation and renegotiation with the European Union, so that Britain could get on with the job of establishing a new relationship with Europe and the world. Two years later, however, the Brexit affair continues to drag on and on, with European relations in tatters over the Northern Ireland Protocol. British and EU diplomats continue to try to find a workable solution after the UK all but jettisoned its agreements over customs checks and the North of Irelands place in the Single Market. The Tories are now demanding a totally different settlement one that goes against many of the fundamental red lines of the EU. Brussels representatives, meanwhile, insist they will not renegotiate what was agreed. Boris Brexit bluff Whether an honest agreement is even possible has been thrown into question by yet more bombshell revelations from Boris Johnsons maverick former adviser, Dominic Cummings. Speaking like a mobster, Cummings tweeted that the original Withdrawal Agreement and Get Brexit Done sloganeering was chiefly about trying to whack Jeremy Corbyn in the 2019 general election. According to Cummings, Boris Johnson had little clue what the Agreement meant, or how the NI Protocol worked and he didnt care. The intention was to pull together anything that seemed final, and dump it once the threat from Labour and Parliament had been dealt with. Then negotiations could begin to get the bespoke deal the Tories had promised. In short: Boris Johnson did what was best for Boris Johnson and to hell with the consequences for British capitalism. Holes in the border The backtracking over the Withdrawal Agreement angered many in the EU, exposing the current crop of Tories as cheats and dishonest negotiators. Irish Tanaiste (Deputy PM) Leo Varadkar questioned whether Britain can be trusted in any sphere of international law or trade a warning to the British capitalist class that it is burning its bridges. Irish Tanaiste (Deputy PM) Leo Varadkar questioned whether Britain can be trusted in any sphere of international law or trade a warning to the British capitalist class that it is burning its bridges / Image: public domain The Tories essentially want to have their cake and eat it too, with the North of Ireland remaining in the Single Market, thus ensuring an open border between it and the South of Ireland, but with no customs checks between Britain and Ireland. On the contrary, the EU insists that the open border in Ireland is conditional on the UK working with the EU to enforce Single Market customs rules for goods crossing the Irish Sea. The stubborn refusal of the British government to implement border checks between the North of Ireland and Britain is a serious problem for the EU. It leaves a gaping hole in the border protecting the single market. This is completely intolerable for the European capitalist class. As European Commission Vice President, Maros Sefcovic described it: The Protocol is a unique solution that the EU has never offered before. We are outsourcing the control of part of our border to a third country. But Britain is the last country that the EU would consider handing over the protection of its border to! Crisis of Unionism Precisely this customs arrangement which the EU says is unavoidable, and which the UK itself had indeed agreed to has caused political crisis and unrest in the North of Ireland. Loyalists, including former paramilitaries, condemn the Irish Sea Border as an affront to their status as part of the United Kingdom. Intimidation of customs staff and street protests culminating in sectarian riots in April have been unleashed to try and force the NI Protocol to be abandoned. The question of a new Irish Sea Border has also further fuelled the crisis of Unionism, and the Democratic Unionist Party specifically, with the partys politicians removing two leaders Arlene Foster, then Edwin Poots in quick succession earlier this year. The latest leader, Jeffrey Donaldson, has struggled to take the reins and contend with Loyalist anger over the Protocol. Political bogeyman The whole crisis is keeping the pot of instability in the North of Ireland boiling. The power-sharing Assembly is once again teetering on the verge of collapse, and the economy is being throttled by ongoing disruption to supply chains. Ireland has effectively been caught as the piggy in the middle between the self-interests of the EU and Britain. Precisely this customs arrangement which the EU says is unavoidable, and which the UK itself had indeed agreed to has caused political crisis and unrest in the North of Ireland / Image: public domain But this schism over the Protocol is not going to be resolved any time soon, and could very well escalate. The Tories core demand that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) should not have the power to rule on customs disputes is unacceptable to the European Commission. The UK has already de facto annulled many of the NI customs rules it agreed to, with the EU powerless to enforce them without the ECJ. Although the NI Protocol effectively subcontracts management of a segment of the EUs border to Britain, Boris and the Tories have no interest in enforcing it. They regard it as an expensive technical headache that disrupts trade, and which inflames other political headaches in the North of Ireland. On the other hand, theres no harm for Boris in having a situation of permanent Brexit: an open sore that would give him a permanent political bogeyman (in the shape of the EU) to shore up his own position and appease his partys frenzied ranks. Trade war threat Under no circumstances can the European Commission back down, however. The Tories have threatened to trigger Article 16 the article giving Britain and the EU powers to unilaterally suspend the NI Protocol. But should they do so, the EU would have no choice but to show its teeth and attempt to force Britain to close the hole it has created in the border of the Single Market, out of fear of the economic consequences if it fails to do so. In short, the whole thing has the potential to spiral into a trade war between Britain and the EU. Tit-for-tat tariffs and special regulations could be imposed by both sides in an attempt to recover any losses and bully the other into submission. The UK government is continuing with the bluff and bluster that we are used to. Already British negotiators are talking about a deal done by Christmas. But this is a sham. The EU has other pressing problems to deal with, besides giving the UK special treatment. Polands recent rejection of EU law has enraged the European Commission, which has accused Poland of violating the rule of law and setting the country on a Polexit trajectory. Similar divisions have opened up between the Commission and Hungary. Combustible cocktail Whilst a trade war between the UK and EU would be costly to both, of the two it would be the UK that would come out worse. The fact is that the capitalists on both sides desire to avoid such a scenario. But their grasp on the situation is loosening, with national tensions becoming inflamed and political stability slipping into oblivion as capitalism sinks further into a historic crisis. And with shortsighted politicians of the calibre of Boris Johnson at the helm politicians whose egotism and short-termism reflect the same qualities in the class they represent the result is a toxic mixture with explosive potential. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. At its October 2021 Plenary, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has decided to remove Mauritius from its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring. The FATF has welcomed the significant progress made by Mauritius in further improving its AML/CFT regime, and in addressing related technical deficiencies to meet the commitments in its action plan regarding the strategic deficiencies identified by the FATF in February 2020. This is a major development for Mauritius in its sustained fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. It further enhances confidence and trust in our banking sector and the jurisdiction as an international financial centre. The Bank of Mauritius remains committed to continuously engage with all stakeholders to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the AML/CFT system. Bank of Mauritius Governor Harvesh Seegolam said: The announcement made by the FATF today on the removal of Mauritius from the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring reaffirms the commitment of Mauritius as a trusted jurisdiction for banking and financial services. The delisting will lead to a boost in the trust that international investors have in Mauritius, hence leading to more investment in the country. At the same time, it also addresses the challenges that the economy was facing since last year following the listing of Mauritius by the FATF. This announcement could not be more timely for the banking industry, especially as we are seeing trade and investment picking up and that we are well on track as regards our economic recovery. This development can only further improve ease of doing business in the country by catalysing confidence in our jurisdiction and by contributing to more financial stability. As the Head of the Mauritius delegation, I must put on record the tremendous efforts that have been put in by all competent authorities in the country since last year to achieve these laudable results. Mauritius is indeed one of the very few countries to have completed the FATF action plan well before the agreed timeline. The proactiveness and adaptability of all competent authorities have been pivotal in this journey. Moreover, mechanisms which were put into place have been instrumental in achieving implementation of the action plan. The Honourable Prime Minister himself chaired an inter-ministerial committee to ensure that implementation was on track. Furthermore, the Core Group under the chairmanship of the Financial Secretary, the Subcommittee of the Core Group under the chairmanship of the Director General of the ICAC and the Interagency Coordination Committee under my chairmanship, have all contributed to achieving the successful implementation of the action plan. The high level political commitment, teamwork, close collaboration amongst competent authorities and stakeholders, and the dedication of our professionals have made it happen. It is now important for us to ensure that measures which have been put in place not only remain in place but that they are further improved, in line with the FATFs concept of sustainability. In that respect, we shall leave no stone unturned to foster the sustainability of our AML/CFT framework. The ICC, which regroups all regulatory and supervisory bodies with an AML/CFT mandate will also see to it that all its members are staying abreast with ongoing requirements on the front of capacity building, outreach initiatives as well as exchange of experience and expertise in AML/CFT matters. With respect to the banking industry, an ongoing dialogue has been established with stakeholders to ensure seamless monitoring of AML/CFT matters. As a forward-looking organisation, the Bank of Mauritius has already rolled out a Graduate Programme in collaboration with the Financial Services Commission to prepare the necessary pool of AML/CFT talents for the country. The Bank also looks forward to exchange of experience with other countries. Les membres du gouvernement ont pris note du retrait de Maurice la liste grise du GAFI, de la presentation du Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Bill au Parlement. 1. Cabinet has taken note of the Public Statement issued by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) with regard to Mauritius after its Plenary that ended on 21 October 2021, wherein Mauritius significant progress in improving its AML/CFT regime has been highlighted. The FATF has indicated that Mauritius has strengthened the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime and addressed related technical deficiencies to meet the commitments in its action plan regarding the strategic deficiencies identified in February 2020. Mauritius is therefore no longer subject to the FATFs increased monitoring process. Mauritius will continue to work with ESAAMLG to further improve its AML/CFT system. Cabinet has also taken note of the congratulations extended to Mauritius by several fellow countries upon Mauritius successfully completing the FATF Action Plan ahead of the timelines despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and for the significant progress achieved within the short period of time and, in turn, expressed its special thanks in respect of the technical support lent by international agencies and friendly countries. Cabinet has further taken note of the appreciation expressed by the Prime Minister, as Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on FATF Listing, to all officials, enforcement agencies/institutions, stakeholders and relevant actors of the financial services industry who have contributed to Mauritius success. 2. Cabinet has agreed to the introduction into the National Assembly of the Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Bill. The main object of the Bill is to repeal the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act and to replace it by a new legislation to provide for: (a) increased compliance with the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime through the provision of additional criminal offences related to cybercrime and cybersecurity, improved investigation techniques and increased international cooperation; (b) the implementation of a Critical Information Infrastructure Protection policy; (c) the establishment of the National Cybersecurity Committee; and (d) international cooperation and mutual legal assistance in cybercrime matters. 3. Cabinet has agreed to the setting up of a dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle to fast track the implementation of the National Flood Management Programme, which was announced in the Budget Speech 2021-2022 in order to mitigate flooding problems in various regions across the island and to build resilience to flash floods and cyclones. A new company in the name of Drains Infrastructure Construction Ltd, which shall be fully owned by Government, will be incorporated. The Drains Infrastructure Construction Ltd will initially be called upon to implement urgent major drain projects across the Island in highly vulnerable areas identified by the Land Drainage Authority. These projects comprise mainly cut-off drains on mountainous slopes, major swales and flood attenuation basins in order to evacuate floodwater and protect impacted localities. An estimated sum of Rs10.4 billion will be spent over the next three years to implement the projects. 4. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent Meeting of the High Level Committee on the Elimination of Gender Based Violence which was held under the chairpersonship of the Prime Minister to look into, inter alia, the progress made in the implementation of the National Strategy and Action Plan on the Elimination of Gender Based Violence in Mauritius (2020-2024) which was launched on 25 November 2020. 5. Cabinet has taken note of the latest developments regarding the OECD/G20 proposal for the adoption of a Global Minimum Tax for large multinational enterprise groups. Cabinet has further taken note that a Tax Technical Working Group has been set up at the level of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development under the chair of the Solicitor General. The Technical Working Group has been tasked to carry out an assessment of the implications of the Global Minimum Tax for Mauritius and to make appropriate recommendations to Government. 6. Cabinet has taken note of the status of major infrastructural projects which are being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, including the New Cancer Hospital at Solferino, the New Flacq Teaching Hospital, the New Moka Eye Hospital, the Renal Transport Unit, Mediclinics and Area Health Centres. 7. Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the Education (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2021 and the Private Secondary Education Authority (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2021. The purpose of the amendment is to allow a student who is born between 2000 and 2015 and who attains the age of 21 during the period starting 01 January and ending 31 May in a school year to remain at a secondary school up to the end of that school year. As a result, students whose school year have been extended by six months in view of the modified school calendar induced by COVID-19 and who would have attained the age of 21 years before the end of their last academic year would be able to remain in school up to the end of that year. 8. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius joining the Commonwealth Blue Charter Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Action Group. The Commonwealth Blue Charter was launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April 2018 in London. It is an agreement by all 53 Commonwealth countries to actively cooperate for addressing ocean-related issues and meet commitments for suitable ocean development. The Action Group will collaborate with partners at national, regional and international levels, in addressing identified priority ocean issues specifically related to MPAs of its member countries. Its stated objectives are, inter alia, to: (i) establish a network for exchange of experiences, expertise and information amongst Commonwealth countries; and (ii) promote the need for establishment of new MPAs and expansion of existing MPAs. 9. Cabinet has taken note of the release of the Digital Quality of Life Index 2021 Report by the private Cybersecurity firm Surfshark, in which Mauritius is ranked second in Africa, and 74th globally, based on a first time assessment by Surfshark. For the 2021 report which was released in September this year, the research concerned 110 countries or 90 percent of the global population, including Mauritius and other African Countries. The research ranked countries based on five fundamental pillars that define the quality of digital life, namely internet affordability, internet quality, e-infrastructure, e-security, and e-government. 10. Cabinet has taken note of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevailing across the world. Some 242.9 million cases have been reported globally, of which 220.1 million persons have been successfully treated. With regard to Mauritius, as at 21 October 2021, there were 528 active cases of COVID-19, out of which 31 were admitted at New ENT Hospital. Over the period 14 October to 20 October 2021, 18 deaths were attributed to COVID-19. Cabinet has also taken note that there were five active cases in Rodrigues and all were asymptomatic. Cabinet has further taken note of progress in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. As at 22 October 2021, 899,632 persons had received a first dose of vaccine (representing 71.1 percent of the population). 841,458 persons had been fully vaccinated (representing 66.5 percent of the population). 14,707 persons had received a booster dose. 27,900 adolescents aged between 15 to 17 years had received a first dose of vaccine. 11. Cabinet has taken note of the postponement of the annual Civil Service Kermesse and the Public Service Excellence Award 2021 to next year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. 12. Cabinet has taken note that the Mauritius Ports Authority, in collaboration with the International Bunker Industry Association and its local representative Celero Group would organise a conference and training on Bunkering on 18 and 19 November 2021 at Ravenala Attitude Hotel, Balaclava. The objective of the Bunkering Conference and training is to showcase Port Louis Harbour as a Bunkering Hub as well as an important maritime logistics and transport hub in the region. Around 100 participants, including foreigners, are expected to attend the Conference. 13. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, Minister of Tourism to France in the context of the 42nd Edition of the International French Travel Market (IFTM) Top Resa, which was held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. op Resa is a leading annual event for the international travel and tourism industry, providing a platform for over 35,000 tourism professionals, decision-makers and opinion leaders, as well as 1,700 exhibitors from around the world, to discuss tourism and travel-related topics, analyse trends, accelerate business networking and formulate strategies for the next season. During the Top Resa event, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, Minister of Tourism had a series of meetings with key stakeholders to obtain direct feedback from the travel trade and to explore strategies for sustainable tourism growth in the COVID-19 pandemic context. 14. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the 15th Session of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD 15), that was recently held virtually and of the intervention of the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade during the Plenary of the Conference. The UNCTAD Conference is held every four years and is the highest decision-making body of the organisation. During the Conference, member states assess current trade and development issues, and formulate global policy responses. The UNCTAD 15 Conference dealt extensively with the COVID-19 pandemic and deliberated on the capacity of developing countries and least developed countries to respond and recover from it. During his intervention, the Minister, inter alia, emphasised on the systemic deficiencies highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the multilateral system whether be it in trade and development, international finance, investment, cooperation or technology transfer. He also underscored key actions taken by Government to sustain the economy by providing several types of fiscal support, including a wage assistance scheme to preserve jobs. 15. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation in Dubai where he attended the Global Business Forum on Africa 2021. The Global Business Forum on Africa 2021 which had as theme Transformation through Trade aimed at analysing synergies that exist between the United Arab Emirates and Africa, and how this relationship between the two regions could drive progress to realise a shared vision for the future. In the sidelines of the forum, the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation discussed issues of collaboration with Ministers from various African countries. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn To enter the 21st century in force, SPES has decided to set up an eProgram aimed at protecting the environment and highlighting renewable energies. Thus, SPES imported the first electric bus whose batteries are recharged by solar panels installed on the roof of its buildingwith excess of production sent to the grid. This eBus is configured in Training mode with tables, computers, and screens for 20 people. It can thus provide training in several underprivileged areas, moving from one to the other. The piece de resistance was the design and construction of a ZERO POLLUTION eBoat (Air, Sea and Sound) which would also serve to promote are for the environment, history, and culture in general. FOLKLORIC EXPLORER ZERO POLLUTION eBoat This boat was conceived by Marcel Lindsay Noe, one of the Honorary Directors working voluntarily with SPES for the past 35 years. The elaboration, according to the well-established specifications, and the construction were entrusted to the patriarch of the Mauritian boat builders. At the age of 87, Pierre Seneque, has put more than 300 boats on the water during his long career. The first, aged 57, is still operational. Helped by his brother Herve, both retired from the engineering side of the sugar industry but also mad lovers of the sea, having grown up in Mahebourg where their ancestor Fabien Rault had fought in the French squadron that had defeated the English in the historic battle of the Grand Port in 1810. Their nephew, Robert Rault, of Bob Boating Solutions Ltd, was the builder assisted by Gervais Lamarque, an artisan builder of traditional pirogues/canoes. Given a new purpose in life, Pierre, despite severe health problems, produced in a few weeks a scale model 1:20 and the project was launched after approuval by Gaetan Langlois who unfortunately passed away before the project could be concretised thanks to a generous donation from him. His wife, Helena, of Portuguese origin but deep rooted in Mauritius, for many years, carries the torch as president of the NGO.: SPES. Meanwhile, Pierre Seneque, had found a new lease of life. Possessed, he had set aside the oxygen device that helped him breathe.in total immersion into the project. He was the first on the job site every morning and among the last to leave, sharing his vast experience and meticulous rigidity with the new generation. He had found a way of producing his Magnum Opus! July 25, 2020, a date that will remain forever engraved in the memories of the residents of the southeast coast, when the WAKASHIO, a Japanese tanker, carrying tons of crude oil, came aground on the reefs of Pointe dEsny, Mauritius, causing horrible damage to a beautiful marine environment. Faced with this Oil Spill, SPES, in a burst of energy and despite the effects and restrictions of COVID that were beginning to be felt, put the boat under construction as soon as the country emerged from the first confinement. The project, which was supposed to take three months, was realized at the end of a yearon the first anniversary of the disaster. July 25, 2021. The eBoat is therefore a gesture of defiance to the polluting oil industry and proves that the technology and the means exist to do without it by using renewable energies graciously offered by God. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Her body was found Sept. 19 on the edge of Wyomings Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. The coroner there concluded she died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks. Gechter was working alone in the field on Browns Mill Road on Thursday morning, using a farm tractor equipped with a forklift to move the large bales, estimated to weigh 800 to 1,000 pounds each. He then put the bales in a truck, Hollenbach said. The grand jury was empaneled last week and has started hearing witness testimony, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press this week. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and did so on condition of anonymity. The grand jury process is expected to take several weeks and could also produce an indictment on top of the town charge. The first sign was installed over the building in 1907 with the slogan: Watch Scranton Grow, according to a Sept. 21, 1937, edition of The Scranton Tribune. Six years later, the sign became Scranton, The Electric City. In 1937, crews replaced the sign after it sustained damage from the elements, keeping the same design and phrase, according to The Scranton Tribune. The sign went dark for six weeks at the time, according to the 84-year-old news article. Kachmar served as the Lehigh County administrator from 1986-93. He then worked as a government administrator for municipalities across the country, returning to the Lehigh Valley four years ago. Kachmar has built his campaign around Bethlehems finances. Even though taxes have gone up three of the past four years, hes warned voters more hikes may be on the horizon as the citys pension fund is underfunded by $64 million. Hes pointed to his experience leading local governments, saying hell take a firm hand to the city budget and refocus on essential services. Betty Tibaldi, 54, of the first block of Holly Forest Road in Mount Pocono, had refused to take prescribed medication when she and her husband, Nello Tibaldi, 77, led police on a 10:40 p.m. chase from the American Candle Shoppe on Route 611 in Pocono Township, an affidavit states. The Tibaldis fled north on Route 611 and were forced to stop minutes later, just north of Shine Hill Road, when police used stop-sticks to puncture their pickup trucks tires. We received the devastating news this evening, that one of our members, Halyna Hutchins, the Director of Photography on a production called Rust in New Mexico died from injuries sustained on the set, John Lindley, the president of the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600, and Rebecca Rhine, the executive director, said in a statement, Variety reported. There is a lack of transparency. We lives in a data-driven culture, Gillen said, citing quality measures of automobiles, hospital services and the like. The state, in failing to report, is making itself an exception to what has become commonplace in any other arena. Why are our state and Senate Republican leaders doing this? she asked in an interview. The only reason I can think is because theyre terrified Donald Trump will [support a challenger against them]. They need to get over their fear of keeping their job and think about what their job actually is. Kane said he would not comment on other claims in the lawsuit, which alleges that the reason given for terminating or forcing the former employees to resign was pretextual. County officials said in January 2020 that the supervisors and dispatchers were fired for drinking alcohol on the job when they took part in a New Years Eve toast with coquito, an eggnog-like drink that typically contains rum. One key difference between last winter and this winter is that some of the forecast guidance is signaling warmer conditions this year across the eastern seaboard and the Great Lakes. That guidance appears to be a little more robust than it was last winter, Gottschalck said. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder outside the steps of Main Hall, more than a 100 Students gathered on the Oval calling for the resignation or firing of University of Montana computer science professor Rob Smith. Smith stepped down from his teaching position Friday afternoon. The announcement comes after Kaimin reporting on his blog Upward Thought which sparked controversy and condemnation from UM and across Montana. International Key suspect held for inciting violence on Hindus in Bdesh to be interrogated Combo photo of Iqbal Hossain. (File) DHAKA, OCT 22 (PTI) | Publish Date: 10/22/2021 11:49:40 AM IST A 35-year-old Bangladeshi man, the key suspect who was arrested overnight in connection with a slew of violence against Hindus and mob attacks on temples in the country during Durga Puja festivities, would be interrogated by security agencies, police said on Friday. Iqbal Hossain was arrested from Coxs Bazar sea beach area on Thursday night after a massive hunt and is suspected to be the one who placed a copy of the Quran at a Durga Puja venue in Cumilla, some 100 km southeast of Dhaka. Attacks on Hindu temples have been reported in Bangladesh since last Wednesday after an alleged blasphemous post surfaced on social media during the Durga Puja celebrations. On late Sunday night, a mob damaged 66 houses and set on fire at least 20 homes of Hindus in Bangladesh. We have arrested (eastern) Cumillas Iqbal Hossain, who is the key suspect of the one weeks of widespread communal unrest from the Coxs Bazar beach, a police headquarters spokesman said. He added that police and other security and intelligence agencies would now interrogate Hossain, whom the police earlier described as a vagabond. TV footage showed Hossain was brought under heavy security escorts from Coxs Bazar to Cumilla by road while officials said after initial interrogation he would be produced before a court seeking him to be placed under police remand for next several days. We expect the court to order him to be remanded in our custody when several other security and intelligence agencies would interrogate him as well, another police officer in Cumilla said. The violence erupted on October 13 after a copy of Islams holy book of Quran was found at the feet of a Hindu goddess in Cumilla ahead of the Hindu communitys Durga Puja. Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council said over 70 temples, makeshift puja pavilions and many Hindu households were burnt or damaged across Bangladesh in subsequent violence which drew sharp international concern. Social media was widely used to spread the unrest, forcing authorities to briefly suspend Facebook and internet connectivity to contain the violence. Police said they had launched a massive manhunt for Hossain based on the clue from the security camera footage at the Cumillas puja pavilion. Their initial investigations indicated he was a vagabond while family members claimed he was a mentally imbalanced person. However, police said even if the claim was true some vested quarters could have used him to instigate the violence. This could not be mere a task of a vagabond; somebody is definitely there behind the incident to instigate the attacks, Hindu rights activist Rana Dasgupta said. Local media reported that six Hindus were killed in separate attacks, but the figures could not be confirmed independently. The attacks on the Hindus have been condemned by the United Nations. Mia Seppo, the UNs resident coordinator in Bangladesh, said in a Twitter post on Monday that the attacks on Hindus are against the values of the Bangladesh constitution and need to stop. On Monday, the Ministry of Home Affairs transferred seven police officials from troubled areas for failing to control the violence. On Tuesday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina instructed her home minister to initiate immediate action against those who incited violence using religion as she asked the people not to trust anything on social media without fact-checking. Hasina earlier promised to expose perpetrators of violence to stern punitive actions while police said nearly 600 suspected temple attackers were arrested so far in different parts of the country and a manhunt was underway to track down more. The Foreign Ministry in a statement underlined that the Government of Bangladesh unequivocally condemned those incidents and took serious note of the reactions from within and outside the Hindu community. Hindus make up some 10 per cent of the Muslim-majority Bangladeshs 169 million population. International Pak FM Qureshi, ISI chief in Kabul for talks with Taliban ISLAMABAD, OCT 21 (PTI) | Publish Date: 10/21/2021 2:12:27 PM IST Pakistans Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi travelled to Kabul on Thursday along with spy agency ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to hold talks with Afghanistans interim government led by the Taliban. During the day-long visit, the Pakistani delegation will hold talks with Afghanistans Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and call on leadership of the interim government in Kabul and other Afghan leaders, according to Foreign Office. Muttaqi welcomed the Pakistani delegation at the Kabul International Airport. The talks between the two sides will cover the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and focus on ways and means to deepen cooperation in diverse areas, the Foreign Office said. The Foreign Minister will also share Pakistans perspective on issues of regional peace and stability, it said. As a close fraternal neighbour, Pakistan has always stood by Afghanistan, keeping the border crossing points open for trade and pedestrian crossing under COVID protocols, it said. Facilitative visa regime for Afghan nationals and border crossing procedures for trade and cargo have been instituted, while in recent months Pakistan has also provided humanitarian aid and assistance in the form of food stuffs and medicines. The Foreign Ministers visit reflects Pakistans consistent policy of supporting the brotherly Afghan people, deepening bilateral trade and economic relations, and facilitating closer people-to-people contacts, according to FO. The visit is taking place after the recent meeting of officials from China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Russia in Moscow and ahead of an upcoming meeting of foreign ministers of neighbours of Afghanistan plus Russia in Tehran next week. The interim government of the Taliban has failed to win recognition of the world. On September 4, Lt Gen Hameed, in a surprise move, dashed to Kabul as the Taliban struggled to finalise and install an inclusive government in Afghanistan. Three days after his visit, the Taliban announced an interim government. It is believed that Pakistan enjoys a clout over the Taliban and played a key role in their peace talks with the US that resulted in the Doha agreement of 2020. Pakistan was often accused by the Afghanistan government led by President Ashraf Ghani of giving the Taliban military aid, a charge denied by Islamabad. The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US complete troop withdrawal on August 31 after a costly two-decade war. National Poultry farm worker assaulted near farmers protest site Chandigarh, Oct 22 (PTI) | Publish Date: 10/22/2021 1:19:39 PM IST Close on the heels of a lynching incident, a man was arrested for allegedly thrashing a poultry farm worker who refused to give him a chicken near the farmers protests site at Delhis Singhu border, police said on Friday. The accused identified as Naveen from Karnal, who calls himself a Nihang Sikh, was arrested hours after the incident on Thursday, police said. Recently, a Dalit labourer from a village in Punjabs Tarn Taran was brutally killed near the Singhu border and his body was tied to a metal barricade with a hand chopped off and multiple wounds caused by sharp-edged weapons. Four Nihangs were arrested by the Haryana Police in connection with the lynching incident. About the fresh incident, police said Manoj Paswan had some chickens loaded on a cart for delivery. The accused asked Paswan to give him a chicken and when he refused, he was allegedly thrashed with a rod-like object. SHO Kundli in Sonipat, Ravi Kumar, said Paswans leg was broken in the incident. We have arrested Naveen, who calls himself a Nihang, he said over the phone. After Paswan was injured in the incident, some people recorded his videos in which the victim can be seen narrating his ordeal. In one video, which has surfaced on social media, Paswan is heard telling people that he was transporting chickens from a poultry farm when the accused demanded that he give one. Despite Paswan telling the accused that all chickens were counted and he could not take out even one from the lot, he was thrashed. Regional SC panel asks Assam to remove construction in Kaziranga corridors Guwahati, Oct 21 (IANS) | Publish Date: 10/21/2021 1:52:58 PM IST The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), set up by the Supreme Court, has asked the Assam government to take immediate action to remove illegal construction undertaken in nine identified wildlife corridors of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. An Assam Forest Department official said that the CECs Member-Secretary Amarnatha Shetty, in a letter to Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah, asked for an action taken report within four weeks. It is requested that immediate action be taken to remove all constructions made in violation of the SC order of April 12, 2019 and not to permit any new constructions along the nine identified animal corridors, the letter said. The CEC has also referred to the inspection report submitted on September 10 by Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministrys Integrated Regional Office, Guwahati, head Hemen Hazarika, which enclosed the report of Deputy Inspector General of Forest (Central) Lactitia J. Syiemiong, on Violation of the Supreme Court order of April 12, 2019. The official said that the Supreme Court earlier barred new construction on private lands that form part of the nine identified animal corridors of Kaziranga, which is home to more than 2,400 one-horned Indian rhinos. The apex court had also disallowed all kinds of mining on these animal corridors. Accompanied by Kaziranga Director, Karmashree P. Sivakumar, Syiemiong had studied the construction activities on eight of the nine corridors in August. The CEC letter said that inspection was done at the field level after traversing the entire eight of the nine stretches of the animal corridors, where it was found that there has been illegal construction all along. Apart from illegal constructions, the greatest eye-sore and also a threat to the animals of KNP & TR is the presence of trucks, etc. In the recent past it has been observed that trucks, tankers and other vehicles are stopping to park in road sides from Jakhalabandha to Bokakhat and creating unnecessary hindrance to wild animal movement from the national park to Karbi Anglong Hill side. Because of this, the number of hotels and dhabas are increasing day by day and during checking, it found that these dhabas are chopping firewood from the trees of Karbi-Anglong Hill side illegally, the letter said. It also said that there were more than 500 trucks and vehicles, during the inspection, that were utilising water from streams and rivers and rivulets originating from Karbi-Anglong Hill ranges for bathing by drivers and handymen and washing of vehicles, polluting the water flowing into the Kaziranga national park. Oil and grease from automobiles garages, waste water from vehicle washing stations, sewage water coming from dhabas and hotels is entering into the Diffalo River which is the lifeline of Kaziranga. Dumping of garbage on the animal corridors and noise pollution due to movement of vehicles is deteriorating the environment of the park. As per the Central Empowerment Committees 2019 report submitted to the Supreme Court, parking of all types of vehicles on the nine animal corridor areas of NH-37 of Kaziranga National Park is strictly prohibited, the letter said. It also said that in the Haldhibari Corridor in Golaghat district, there is a temple and adjoining shops have sprouted and a private hotel is running. A government property belonging to Karbi-Anglong District Council has also been constructed in violation of Supreme Court order. There was a particular house near an old tea garden that was newly constructed after 2019. Also, earth seems to have been dug by an excavator to increase the tea garden area. It was informed that this place was owned by a Minister. A little ahead a new restaurant was also being constructed, the CEC letter said. Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-21 22:37:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A pedestrian wearing a face mask walks on a road in Peshawar, Pakistan on Oct. 21, 2021. (Photo by Saeed Ahmad/Xinhua) by Raheela Nazir ISLAMABAD, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Talha Hashmi, a medical practitioner at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi, has spent comparatively quiet and peaceful days at his workplace as fears of the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic subside in Pakistan with a substantial decrease in the number of new daily infections recently. Hashmi said there were times when he was working extra hours and night shifts in the isolation ward of the hospital reserved for COVID-19 patients after the outbreak. "It was extremely challenging for us (healthcare workers). It was not only the deadly virus we were fighting, but also the fear and anxiety surrounding the disease as health experts were not sure how it behaves exactly due to its novelty... and there was no vaccine, inciting severe panic among people." "Hospitals were overwhelmed with coronavirus patients throughout the country. There was a chaotic situation. At one point, my hospital even stopped taking more patients due to the unavailability of beds and shortage of oxygen. Turning down patients who needed urgent medical assistance was the most painful and unforgettable moment of my life," Hashmi said. As Pakistan continues to see a downward trend in new COVID-19 cases, Hashmi said the burden on healthcare facilities has been largely reduced, urging people to carry on by following standard operating procedures (SOPs) to save themselves and loved ones from the virus. Over the last several days, the country has been reporting less than 1,000 cases. The daily count in the country fell to its lowest level in a year with only 554 fresh cases on Tuesday. Pakistani health experts and officials believe that a number of COVID-19-related restrictions including smart lockdowns in the virus hotspots and an aggressive vaccination drive have helped the country to bring down coronavirus cases and to be able to gradually reopen businesses and institutions. Last week, in light of the spread of the disease slowing down and the ongoing vaccination campaign, Pakistan further eased COVID-19 restrictions by opening cinemas and shrines for fully vaccinated citizens. The one-day weekly closure of businesses was abolished, and the number of guests allowed to attend indoor and outdoor weddings was increased, according to a statement issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the nerve center of Pakistan's COVID-19 response. Meanwhile, with the launch of the school vaccination program recently, all the educational institutions in the country had been allowed to start normal classes from Oct. 11. However, experts and officials said the threat of another wave of the pandemic is not yet over and the risk of the spread of the virus is real with the arrival of winter, urging the public to get vaccinated at the earliest. "To ensure there is no fifth wave of COVID, we have to meet vaccination targets set. Otherwise, despite a sharp decline in cases, we remain vulnerable if a large number of people remain unvaccinated," Chairman of the NCOC Asad Umar said in a tweet on Thursday. Pakistan has set a target of vaccinating at least 70 million people in the country by the end of this year, and officials believe that the government is moving fast to achieve it. As of Wednesday night, the country has administered 98,607,708 doses of vaccines, with 37,468,751 people fully vaccinated. Muhammad Khalid, a Lahore-based public health expert, said any kind of laxity in terms of coronavirus safety procedures is not favorable since cold weather is just around the corner and the rates of transmission and mortality are higher in cold seasons. "We have to stick to the safety measures and should not lose vigilance against the invisible enemy. We should continue to take precautions including social distancing and wearing masks." Pakistani people should not act like they have already defeated the disease as the fight is far from over, Khalid said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 09:37:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a commemorative meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the restoration of People's Republic of China's lawful seat in the United Nations here next Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Friday. Xi will deliver an important speech at the event, Hua said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 21:22:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Many of the world's ancient civilizations developed in or around river basins. In China, that river is the Yellow River. For more than 3,000 years, the Yellow River basin had been the political, economic, and cultural centers of the country. It witnessed the birth of the four era-defining inventions in ancient China, including printing techniques, papermaking, gunpowder and the compass. It is also the place where the Book of Songs and other ancient Chinese classics were written. Today, more than 400 million people live in the Yellow River basin, which plays a crucial role in the nation's ecological and food supply systems. Yet, the river had experienced soil erosion, sand and silt invasion, floods, river course changes, and bank collapses for millennia. Little wonder then that Chinese President Xi Jinping has given the river a tremendous amount of attention. On Wednesday, Xi, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspected the estuary of the river in Shandong Province. During the inspection tour, Xi visited a dock, an ecological monitoring center and a national-level nature reserve of the Yellow River Delta. He also checked the river's waterways, the ecological environment of the wetlands in the river delta, and learned about the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. The Chinese president has visited all provincial regions the Yellow River runs through, and has been to river banks on multiple occasions. An often-used word by Xi in these inspections is "protection." To Xi, who has underscored the notion that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," the river's environmental protection must follow a holistic approach. Mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, and grasslands must be conserved, and industry must develop in harmony with the natural environment. Following this principle, the central authorities issued a development outline in October, setting the course of conservation and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin to 2030 and beyond. Xi has also personally seen to it that all the regions in the river basin take up their due responsibilities in protecting the river's ecological system. His instructions spurred the regions to initiate a series of programs to restore the environment and eco-system of the river basin. In 2020, when Xi visited Shanxi, he set aside time for a walk by the Fenhe River, the second-largest tributary of the Yellow River. Deeply impressed by the profound changes of the environment, which was once heavily polluted, he congratulated the locals for their efforts. In recent years, such efforts have become common sights along the river basin, and the effects are remarkable. By the end of 2020, soil erosion has been brought under preliminary control in more than 250,000 square kilometers in the Yellow River basin, while the area of soil erosion decreased by 48 percent from that of 1990. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 21:56:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of the European Union (EU) member states have endorsed a package of measures to deal with the immediate effects of the spike in energy prices, the European Council said on Friday. In the conclusions of the two-day EU summit that started on Thursday, the leaders called for medium- and long-term measures that would contribute to affordable energy prices for households and companies. The toolbox, which the European Commission launched last week, contains measures to tackle the rising energy prices in the short and longer term. The leaders called on the member states to "urgently make the best use of the toolbox to provide short-term relief to the most vulnerable consumers and to support European companies," especially those struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. They said that the European Investment Bank should "look into how to speed up investment in the energy transition." The summit participants also discussed the pandemic and the vaccination rates across Europe. They noted the significant progress made in the fight against the pandemic but voiced concern that the situation in certain countries remains "very serious." "In light of the development of the epidemiological situation, the European Council called for further coordination to facilitate free movement within, and travel into, the EU," and encouraged the European Commission to "accelerate its work regarding mutual recognition of certificates with third countries." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-23 00:34:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, chairs a symposium on ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) JINAN, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged notable progress in ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while addressing a symposium in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province. Xi called for unremitting efforts to ensure that the Yellow River will always benefit the Chinese nation. Despite new progress, there are still major problems and difficulties facing ecological conservation and high-quality development of the basin, Xi said. He said provincial-level regions along the Yellow River should stick to putting the environment first and being committed to green development. Calling attention to water safety risks and the profound impacts brought by climate change, Xi said the capability to deal with disasters must be improved to better protect people's lives. Local officials were urged to put overall interests above everything else when dealing with major issues and bear in mind the long-term goal to avoid the short-sighted pursuit of quick payoffs, Xi said. He also demanded a stable supply of coal and electricity to ensure smooth economic and social order. Xi stressed the implementation of major tasks for promoting ecological conservation and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Accelerated efforts should be made to put in place preventive measures against natural disasters, he said, while urging meticulous utilization as well as strict and careful management of water resources. Better work should be done to control soil erosion and desertification in the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River, and strengthen coordinated environmental overhaul of the lower reaches' waterways and flood plain, Xi said, adding that biodiversity in the river delta should be enhanced. He also called for expediting the creation of a new pattern of protecting and utilizing national territorial space. Xi pointed out that the CPC Central Committee had made a comprehensive plan on promoting ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin and the key lies in implementation with unified thought. He encouraged market entities and social forces to take an active part. Some regions of the Yellow River basin suffered rare flooding in recent months, Xi said, calling for effective measures in post-disaster reconstruction, and in particular, efforts to help the people in need. Attending the symposium, Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, underlined the need to study Xi's speech and instructions to ensure the implementation of all major tasks of ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. Xi conducted field research before convening the symposium. On Wednesday afternoon, he inspected the estuary of the Yellow River where he said solid progress in protecting the river is an important task of state governance. At a national-level nature reserve, Xi said that the nature reserve of the Yellow River Delta plays a key role in ecological conservation. He encouraged building a national park of the river estuary. When visiting the Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Area of the Yellow River Delta Thursday, Xi said the comprehensive use of saline-alkali soil is of strategic importance to national food security. Visiting a residential community of relocated residents, Xi called for coordination in relocation settlement, industry development, employment, and the provision of public facilities and community services. Xi later visited a research institute in the Shengli Oilfield. "To meet the core demand of oil and gas is an important task for us," he said, adding that exploration must be boosted to improve self-reliance capacity. Resources should be pulled together to achieve breakthroughs in core and key technologies and promote cleaner and more efficient development and use of energy, Xi said. When visiting a drilling platform in the Shengli Oilfield, Xi extended sincere greetings to oil workers as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the oilfield. Xi also fully acknowledged the work of the province since the 19th CPC National Congress and urged Shandong to continuously improve people's living standards and promote common prosperity. Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 10:06:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ABUJA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian railway authorities on Thursday halted train operations on the Abuja-Kaduna corridor following a blast on the rail track along the route. The blast ruptured the track when a train was in motion on Wednesday, Fidet Okhiria, head of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), said in a statement. "Until the team that is investigating the matter comes with its report, we cannot confirm whether it is a bomb or not. But there was a blast," Okhiria said. No passengers or train crew members have been reported injured in the incident. The NRC head dispelled rumors of a terrorist attack on the moving train, saying that contrary to local media reports, there were no gunshots aimed at the train driver and the tank of the train. Rail technicians have been deployed to do a proper inspection and assess the extent of damage, he said. "Efforts are currently ongoing to ensure full train services are restored along that route," he added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 18:01:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YAOUNDE, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cameroonian security forces repelled a separatist attack in the war-torn English-speaking region of Northwest on Thursday, killing seven militants and injuring dozens of others, the military has said. One soldier was injured in the encounter in Shuk, a village in the region, and significant quantities of weapons were recovered by government forces, the army said in a statement Thursday night. It said dozens of separatist rebels, armed with guns and heavy weapons, ambushed and attacked a military convoy. The insurgency by separatists in the central African nation broke out in 2017, after separatist leaders declared "independence" of the two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 22:09:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JUBA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Xu Qingtian, a 35-year-old Chinese medical doctor, is using his smartphone connected to his endoscope to detect ear, nose and throat (ENT) diseases among patients in South Sudan's Juba Teaching Hospital. Xu, who is a member of the ninth batch of the Chinese medical team, is the first ENT specialist to be sent to South Sudan. He told Xinhua in Juba that he and his South Sudanese counterparts have been able to instantly examine and detect tonsils, and otitis media, also known as middle ear infection, among patients. "Ear diseases are largely caused by inflammation of water entering into the ear. Other diseases like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occur when stomach acid frequently flows back into the tube connecting mouth and stomach," Xu said after examining a patient. "We carry out endoscopy using a smartphone to scan all parts of the body, we can use it to detect nose bleeding, itching, middle ear infections, and tonsillitis," Xu said. He revealed that about 20 patients turn up at his office every morning, adding that most of the children he examines suffer from middle ear infections. Xu, a graduate of Wannan medical college in Anhui province, said many of his elderly patients suffer from Gastric reflux, fungal infection in the ear and nose bleeding. "We do give the patients medicine to treat the disease, but for some people with thyroid disorders who require to undergo further examination, we send them to the laboratory," he said. Francis Sooka, a South Sudanese ENT specialist working with Xu, said the medical department set up last year is helping to treat local patients, adding that Xu's modern equipment has been supportive. "We have a lot of children who turn up with foreign bodies in the ear, nose and as you know our environment is so dusty, we have a lot of allergies, sinusitis, and cases of thyroid disorders," said Sooka. "He (Xu) has helped us in diagnosing patients. We have our own instruments and he also has his own instruments, some of which are very modern, especially the autoscopy which has helped us to put the right diagnosis," he added. Sooka said that before carrying out diagnosis on any of their patients they first consult each other to come up with the final diagnosis. The ENT department within the main referral hospital in Juba is run by four staff members. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-23 00:15:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Airways said Friday it has inked a codeshare agreement with British Airways, making it easier for customers to fly to 26 destinations across Europe. The Kenyan carrier said in a statement that customers flying from Nairobi with Kenya Airways will be able to connect to European destinations such as Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Dublin, Aberdeen, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Paris, Amsterdam and Barcelona. In the reciprocal agreement, customers flying with British Airways from London will now be able to connect onto 20 destinations in Africa, including Douala, Zanzibar, Lusaka, Mombasa, Addis Ababa, Entebbe, Mauritius and Seychelles, that Kenya Airways serves. Julius Thairu, chief commercial and customer officer at Kenya Airways, said the codeshare agreement will increase choices for thousands of passengers and will allow for smooth connectivity to a significant number of new destinations, particularly throughout Africa and Europe. "By harnessing our complementary strengths, it will also provide benefits to aid the recovery of international travel and meet the increasing demand," he added. Kenya Airways now offers five flights a week from Nairobi to London Heathrow, every day except Wednesdays and Fridays, operated on Boeing 787 Dreamliners. British Airways Head of Alliances Christopher Fordyce said: "We are really pleased to be able to offer our customers access to even more destinations across the region thanks to our new codeshare agreement with Kenya Airways, making that bucket list trip even easier to plan." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-23 00:34:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Kenya plans to promote film exports in order to boost the country's foreign exchange earnings, a government official said on Friday. Timothy Owase, CEO of Kenya Film Commission (KFC), told Xinhua in Nairobi that the country will rely on co-production of films with foreign partners in order to ensure local films can find an audience among international viewers. "We will also expand the market for domestic films through exhibiting our films in international film festivals," Owase said. According to the film agency, Kenya has many authentic stories that are appealing to other African countries as well as countries in other regions of the world. Owase noted that through enhanced promotion, Kenyan films have the potential to become internationally recognized. He observed that Kenya is also prioritizing film exports because it will increase exposure of the country's rich cultural heritage to foreigners. "Domestic films will also be translated into key foreign languages so that they are consumed internationally," he added. Owase said that a vibrant film sector will have numerous socio-economic benefits to the country. "When Kenyan film locations are seen on movie screens, it will also boost the number of foreign tourists visiting the country," he added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-23 02:07:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday said 127 illegal immigrants were voluntarily deported from Libya to their country of origin. "The IOM has received clearance from the Government of National Unity in Libya to resume humanitarian flights from Libya, and safely returned the stranded Gambian immigrants who are among thousands of immigrants waiting to return home through IOM's Voluntary Humanitarian Return programme yesterday, with financial support from the European Union," the IOM said in a statement. These immigrants, including seven women and five children, departed from the city of Misurata to the Gambian capital of Banjul, said the statement. Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 19:54:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SOFIA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian customs inspectors have seized 41.6 kg of smuggled gold jewelry at Danube Bridge checkpoint near Vidin at the border with Romania, the largest shipment in 17 years, authorities said Friday. The items, split into 64 packets and boxes, were found on Wednesday afternoon in a car with German registration, which was traveling from Bulgaria to Germany, the National Customs Agency (NCA) said in a statement. The driver and his companion, both Bulgarian citizens, said they were carrying only personal belongings. However, a detailed inspection of the vehicle revealed two secret compartments under the floor filled with jewelry made of 14-carat gold. The items, priced at 1.3 million U.S. dollars, were confiscated, the statement said, adding that the two Bulgarians were arrested. According to the NCA, this was the largest shipment of smuggled gold seized at Bulgarian borders since 2004, when 55 kg of gold jewelry were captured at the Danube Bridge checkpoint near Ruse en route from Turkey to Poland. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 20:19:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIEV, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine saw record-high COVID-19 infections and deaths in the past 24 hours, data from the country's health ministry showed on Thursday. Some 22,415 people have tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, marking the highest daily tally of newly confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic last year, according to a statement released on the ministry's website. Besides, 546 Ukrainians have died of COVID-19 complications in the past 24 hours, exceeding the previous record of 538 fatalities reported on Oct. 19. Earlier this month, Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko urged local officials to speed up the pace of vaccination to help prevent further spread of the disease. Ukraine, which has a population of some 42 million people, has recorded more than 2.7 million COVID-19 cases and 62,389 deaths during the pandemic. According to official data, more than 6.7 million Ukrainians have been fully vaccinated so far. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 21:29:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ANKARA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu on Friday said the decision of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental body tasked with combating money laundering and terrorist funding, to add Turkey in the so-called "grey" monitoring list is a political move. "We all know that this decision is not a just and appropriate decision, but a political decision," he said at a press conference. "It is Europe and the West that finances terrorism and gives it strength and direction. We are the ones who pay the price and struggle of this, but it is Turkey that they blame," he said. Along with Turkey, the FATF also put Mali and Jordan on its increased monitoring list. Turkey needs to address "serious issues of supervision" in its banking and real estate sectors, and with gold and precious stones dealers, FATF President Marcus Pleyer said at a news conference on Thursday. "Turkey needs to show it is effectively tackling complex money laundering cases and show it is pursuing terrorist financing prosecutions in line with its risks and prioritizing cases of UN-designated terrorist organizations such as ISIL and al Qaeda," he said. Turkish treasury and finance ministry on Friday said downgrading Turkey to the grey list despite coordination work with the watchdog has created an unwarranted result, noting that Ankara has taken steps considering the report of FATF. "Our country introduced on Dec. 27, 2020, a law preventing the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction," it said in a written statement noting that Turkey has made notable progress under FATF standards during the pandemic. Ankara will continue to take necessary steps in cooperation with FATF and it will ensure that Turkey will be removed from this list as soon as possible, the ministry said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 21:33:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- AUKUS, a security partnership among Australia, Britain and the United States, carries the risk of undermining international and regional security, a Russian diplomat said Friday. "We are carefully studying the possible consequences" of the creation of the AUKUS partnership, the Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large Grigory Mashkov said in an interview with the RIA Novosti news agency. Within the AUKUS framework, the territory of a non-nuclear state could be used to deploy military infrastructure of nuclear states, Mashkov warned. "This can create potential risks of destabilizing the situation in the field of international and regional security," he said. The trilateral security pact was announced on Sept. 15, under which Washington and London will support Canberra in building nuclear-powered submarines. Russia has repeatedly voiced concerns over the new bloc. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 22:14:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has been taking measures against the global gas supply shortage and hikes in energy prices, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez announced on Friday. Speaking at an event in Turkey's southwestern Denizli province, Donmez said, "We took our steps fast so that the gas supply shortage in the world would not affect us." Last week, Turkey signed an additional trade agreement with Azerbaijan for 11 billion cubic meters of natural gas. "We are still negotiating to supply gas from different sources," the minister stressed, noting that currently three quarters of Turkey's underground natural gas storages are full. "Hopefully, we will reach full capacity in the coming months," he said. Donmez said the world has been going through an energy bottleneck. According to the minister, Turkey's installed capacity based on renewable energy sources is now at the level of 53 percent. "Together with other domestic resources, our installed capacity based on domestic and renewable energy is 65 percent," he added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 15:56:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Thursday announced that it has reached a deal with Austria, Britain, France, Italy and Spain on digital services taxes (DSTs) during the interim period prior to the implementation of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) global tax agreement. The OECD announced in July that over 130 countries and jurisdictions have joined a two-pillar framework to reform international corporate taxation rules, which has recently been endorsed by G20 financial leaders. The so-called Pillar One of the framework aims to re-allocate some taxing rights over multinational enterprises from their home countries to the markets where they have business activities and earn profits, an attempt to settle the longstanding battle between the United States and European countries over DSTs. "In coordination with Treasury, we will work together with these governments to ensure implementation of the agreement and rollback of existing DSTs when Pillar One enters into effect," United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement. "We will also continue to oppose the implementation of unilateral digital services taxes by other trading partners," Tai added. Under the deal, in defined circumstances, digital services taxes liability that U.S. companies accrue during the interim period will be creditable against future income taxes accrued under Pillar One under the OECD agreement, according to the statement. In return, the United States will terminate the currently-suspended additional duties on goods of the five countries that had been adopted in the DST Section 301 investigations. The statement added that Turkey and India, the other two countries covered by the DST investigations, have not joined the deal. Enditem THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) this week arrested Anglican Diocese of Manicaland bishop, Eric Ruwona, members of the churchs standing committee, and four principals for collecting unsanctioned levies from their schools. Bishop Ruwona (51), Walter Majoni (35), Daphine Mudarikwa (45), Danisa Muchichwa (40), and Promise Kunyongana (30), who constitute the churchs standing committee, were on Wednesday jointly hauled before Mutare magistrate, Ms Prisca Manhibi, facing charges of contravening Section 21(1) (a) (b) of the Education Act, Chapter 25:04. They were each granted $60 000 bail, and ordered to report once every Friday at CID Mutare, and not to interfere with State witnesses. Allegations were that in May, the churchs standing committee ordered principals at St Augustines, St Mathias Tsonzo, St Faiths, St Davids Bonda and St Marys Magadalene to collect unapproved mission funds from pupils intending to enrol at these schools. Mutare District Area public prosecutor, Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira said the suspects resolved that parents, and guardians of pupils were to pay a pre-conditional mission fund of US$500 for Form One, and US$900 for Form Five pupils before they could be enrolled in the Anglican Diocese schools. The court heard that there was no option of payment plan for the mission funds as it was supposed to be paid once-off. Those without the required amounts would not secure the places, said Mr Mutyasira. As a result, the court heard, the parents and guardians were forced to pay US$276 250 at the five schools as mission funds. The respective school principals were also dragged to court for demanding and collecting the mission funds. St Davids Bonda Girls and St Mathias Tsonzo high schools principals Tafadzwa Matanhire (30) and Loveshaw Mupondi (27) appeared separately before Mutare provincial magistrate, Mr Langton Mukwengi, facing extortion charges over the mission funds. They were granted $40 000 bail each with reporting conditions. Apart from reporting once every Friday at CID Mutare, the principals were told not to interfere with the parents and guardians of pupils who were allegedly arm-twisted to pay the levies. St Marys Magadalene principal, Bazel Matikiti (53), and St Faiths Daniso Muchichwa (40) appeared before Ms Manhibi over the same case. They were also granted $40 000 bail each. The complainant is the State represented by Manicaland Provincial Education Director, Mr Edward Shumba. The Anglican schools are registered in terms of the Education Act and Section 21 of the same Act, Chapter 25:04 which governs the fees and levies payable at non-Government schools. St Davids Bonda is a school registered in terms of the Education Act, and Section 21 of the same Act, Chapter 25:04 governs the fees and levies payable at non-Government schools, said Mr Mutyasira. It is alleged that sometime in May, Mr Shumba received a report that the accused persons were collecting unapproved mission fund from pupils intending to enrol at their schools. The pupils were selected on the online platform for Form One places which is managed and operated by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. Sometime in February, the Responsible Authority allegedly exerted pressure on parents and guardians to pay a pre-conditional mission fund of US$500 with no option of paying in local currency (RTGS) for Form One enrolment to the Anglican Diocese before they could be formally enrolled at the schools. Form Five pupils were ordered to pay US$900. The court heard that the suspects had no right to charge pupils mission funds as it had not been approved by the Ministry, thereby contravening Section 21(1) (a) (b) of the Education Act Chapter 25:04. The cases will go for trial on November 4, and the State is in possession of receipts which were issued to the parents after paying the unauthorised mission funds. Those who paid the pre-conditional mission funds were duly given offer letters which will be produced in court as well as evidence. Manica Post PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday took a swipe at the countrys detractors and their local lackeys who thrive on the suffering of the people but said despite their machinations, Zimbabwe will be great again. In an impromptu address to Zanu PF supporters who gathered just a few kilometres from Eureka Gold Mine, which he was commissioning, the President said only Zimbabweans can develop their nation. What we want is unity and peace. If we are united in the party Zanu PF, we shall take our nation to greater heights, the President said speaking in Shona. He said no amount of negativity from the oppositional forces will stop the countrys development, which has gathered pace. Hongu kungava nezvimbwamupengo zvinowanikwa apo neapo, kana mwana mumba akaita benzi hamumurashe munogara naye, kana mabika sadza momupa onovata, kana anzwa nzarazve momupa, mazuva achingofamba achipenga hake asi musha uchienda mberi. Dont lose hope with those who want their country to suffer, who have sleepless nights when they see developments taking place in the country, said the President to multitudes of Zanu PF supporters. The President, however, said the rotten apples are in the minority and their voices will be drowned by the power of the masses who want to see development in their country. President Mnangagwa took a swipe at nations that would want to dictate terms to Zimbabwe especially because the country is now in the hands of its people with the land reform programme that corrected colonial land inequities now irreversible. They destroyed our currency during the First Republic and we started to use their currency. However, no country can develop using other peoples currency, so we brought back our money. We are building the economic fundamentals, however, we have crooks in our midst, we are targeting the big fish, we want to build our country, he said. Ahead of the SADC Anti-Sanctions Day, the President said sanctions imposed by Western countries as punishment for the land reform are indeed targeted. The sanctions are indeed targeted and they are targeting areas that will make the countrys economy collapse but they have failed dismally for two decades because we remain united. They wanted us to starve to death but we came up with programmes such as Pfumvudza that have seen the country recording a bumper harvest. The President said this year his administration would avail more inputs to the people to secure food security, while every village will have a borehole to ensure access to clean drinking water. He explained the Second Republics desire to arrest rural to urban migration through modernisation and industrialisation of rural areas. He assured young people of Governments support in skills development and innovations. During the First Republic we used to deliberate and give you projects but as the Second Republic we are saying come up with your projects and we will give you the resources, he said much to the applause of the supporters who had thronged to be addressed by their leader, a man who has consistently exemplified his servant leadership. Herald IN a decision that resonates with Governments stance of curbing corruption, the Supreme Court has confirmed the forfeiture of a Ruwa house belonging to former Parirenyatwa Hospital pharmacy stores controller Russell Tatenda Mwenye, which is believed to have been built from proceeds of sleaze. Mwenye is facing corruption charges after he ordered supplies at inflated prices from a company he was connected with. The High Court, a year ago found there was a probable chain of links connecting the acquisition of the property to the inflated prices of the successful supplier before ordering its forfeiture to the State. Parirenyatwa Hospital reportedly lost US$500 000 and more than $600 000 after Mwenye allegedly flouted the tender procedures and offered Silksilver Investments (Pvt) Ltd the tender to supply medical sutures on many occasions. He then allegedly used the proceeds generated by the awards to build a house in Mabvazuva, Ruwa. The High Court granted an application for civil forfeiture brought by Prosecutor-General Kumbirai Hodzi against Mwenye and his wife Rutendo Vera. Mwenye and Vera appealed to the Supreme Court seeking to save their property from forfeiture. Supreme Court judges Justices Susan Mavhangira, George Chiweshe and Felistus Chatukuta yesterday unanimously dismissed the appeal after hearing arguments from both parties, putting an end to the forfeiture issues. The head of the Asset Forfeiture Unit at the National Prosecuting Authority, Mr Chris Mutangadura, successfully crashed the grounds of appeal, resulting in the three judges dismissing the challenge. The Supreme Court being the highest court of appeal, the house is now indisputably the property of the State. The forfeiture application was made in terms of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act. In a civil action, proof is based on the balance of probabilities, a lower hurdle than the proof beyond reasonable doubt required in a criminal trial. In granting the order for civil forfeiture, High Court judge Justice Benjamin Chikowero traced Mwenyes hidden hand starting with the corrupt placement of the order to procure the medical sutures from Silksilver. Government, through the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), emphasises the importance of promoting good governance and its key principles of transparency and accountability. A corruption-free Zimbabwe attracts investors and makes the country a safe investment destination with a view to achieve an upper-middle class status by 2030. Asset forfeiture is at the centre of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy launched by President Mnangagwa in July last year. Mwenyes link to Silksilver, its decision making structure, control of its finances and the property in question became manifest once Parirenyatwa Hospital terminated his employment. The court noted that Mwenyes wife occupied the position of administration officer at the company. Flancon Investments (Pvt) Ltd had initially won the tender to supply the sutures at a cost of US$37 844 on the basis that it was the cheapest bid that met the tender specifications. Silksilver Investments (Pvt) Ltd participated in the bidding process and lost, so in the lawful course of things, Parirenyatwa Hospital should have bought the medical sutures from Flancon, which had won the tender, but this was not the case. For reasons which the court said could only be attributed to corruption, Silksilver, the losing bidder, supplied the sutures at a cost which was more than double what Flancon had charged. Parirenyatwa Hospital paid US$86 381 for the sutures and the money was paid into Silksilvers CABS account. Silksilver allegedly supplied the hospital group on 98 separate occasions and was paid US$477 801 and $621 554 in local currency. Charges against Mwenye arose in March 2016 when Parirenyatwa Hospital flighted a tender requesting bids for the supply and delivery of surgical sutures. After the hospitals tender committee carried out due processes, it awarded the tender to Flancon Investments (Pvt) Limited, the cheapest of the bidders. Order forms were then reportedly raised by the procurement department and forwarded to the pharmacy department for recommendations by Mwenye before they were to be passed to the hospitals chief pharmacist for approval. But Mwenye allegedly did not action the papers and waited until surgical sutures stocks went critically low, creating an unnecessary emergency in the process. Mwenye then assigned Yvonne Mudimu, a section head in the surgical and sundries department, to make a direct purchase of the sutures from Silksilver Investments for US$86 381 without going to tender. Silksilver Investments had bid for the tender, but failed to meet the specifications required. A surgical suture is a medical device used to hold body tissues together after an injury or surgery. Herald A NIGERIAN man, who married his Zimbabwean sweetheart, promised his in-laws that he will fly lobola cattle from his home country. Adewale Yusuf Olayiwola married his fiancee Nunurai Colleta Mudarikwa, daughter to legislator Simbaneuta Mudarikwa and his wife Verna Muromba Mudarikwa in Mutoko. Adewale, who is from Nigerias Osun State Province paid at least US$10k cash. Adewale, who is in Real Estate and Logistics entrepreneurship in both Nigeria and South Africa, was represented by his fathers brother, Ishmael Olayiwola, two men and a woman all from Nigeria. H-Metro spoke to Nunurai: I am excited, because today is my birthday and I am getting married to Adewale. We met about five years ago through mutual friends at a friends house. In fact, we started off as friends and we eventually started dating, she said. I do not tolerate cheating and it helped me in my relationship. I do not have the emotional capacity, so I cannot stay with a cheating man, even if I get that my husband is cheating on me, I wont stand it. However, cultural differences made the marriage a bit of a challenge: The only challenge that I faced is that my husband is Nigerian, so cultural differences were kind of a challenge for both families at some point. However, we managed to have a mix of both and we ended up with our own culture, she added with a smile. She also hinted on a wedding. Our wedding bells might be sometime later next year due to Covid-19 restrictions. We are going to have a very big wedding because we both come from very big families. He is from a family of four, but in terms of his extended family, they are very closely netted into a very big family, she said. On food, I like Nigerian food because I adopted it during dating, I am able to cook many of the dishes and I no longer eat food without chilli due to its deliciousness, confessed Nunu. Adewale, through his uncle Ishmael acknowledged the Mudarikwas hospitality. We are happy after getting married to a Zimbabwean, so far so good, we are very happy, they took care of us, we acknowledge the Mutoko hospitality. Everything went well even though they charged us a lot of money but I know, diamonds are found under the sand, anything that is nice, you work hard for it, so everything went well. They have been together for some time now and you can see they complement each other very well; we are really happy. Zimbabwean men who want Nigerian girls, you can also come. Nigerian girls are pretty and cultured, said Adewale. Nunus mother, Mrs Mudarikwa was ecstatic. It is exciting to witness my daughter getting married to a Nigerian, but what excited me most was their humility. Nigerians are very good people, I witnessed it today, imagine they were sitting on the floor for almost the whole day, respecting even a child on the fathers side. About my Nunu, wherever she is going to be, I know my daughter is going to be a good wife anda mother. They paid around US$10K but as for the herd of cattle they promised to deliver from Nigeria very soon. Nunu graduated with a masters in ICT. She married at 27, do your schooling first then steadily decide on your life time friend to marry, God first, said Mrs Mudarikwa. Hon Mudarikwa was equally pleased. Firstly, to me this marriage was a Zimbabwe-Nigeria cultural-exchange celebration. Secondly, as Africans, let us always unite our families during celebratory times, not to wait for them to flock in after a death. It takes the whole village to bring up a child, that is why all my relatives, old and young came for this dream come true in our clan. It was not about money but about my daughter finding a life time partner from God. They said they want to fly my herd of cattle from Nigeria, I said ok vanangu (my children), but if the government animal movement logistics and protocols get tough, we will just let them buy from Zimbabwe like we had proposed, because vana vedu, these are our children. We must help them for life, said Hon Mudarikwa. H Metro As the show went on, though, not all of Lears fights were with the network. OConnor would often argue fiercely with him, almost always over the scripts. Occasionally he would threaten to walk; lawyers would get involved. At one point, during the fifth season, the actor briefly quit, and the writers began thinking of ways to kill off the character. Between July 1 and October 17 of this year, before the recent rash of gun seizures, three firearms were recovered in city schools, compared to one each during the same period in 2019 and 2018, according to NYPD statistics. The five guns found this week bring this school years total to eight. After decades of trying to pin him down for his wifes murder and disappearance, authorities are making another run at Durst, this time with a criminal complaint that cites evidence in the files of the Westchester district attorney, the New York State Police and the Los Angeles district attorney, who successfully convicted him on the other murder charge. By then, the staff had locked the doors so Field went next door to a market attached to the cafe and demanded a mask, said Scotty Cochran, the worker stationed there. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Accra, Ghana (PANA) - Ghana's minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Usif, has described Africa's youth as her greatest asset, and urged the continent's leaders and policymakers to assign them strategic roles in their developmental planning activities, local media reported here Friday If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Those of you who read what I write know what I have written about the political conundrum in Malaysia these last many months. You know I have written not... 3 months ago The senior officer said Hossain, who was earlier accused of keeping the Islamic holy book Quran at a Durga Puja venue, was nabbed from the Shugandha beach area of Cox's Bazar around 10.10pm. Comilla Superintendent of Police (SP) Faruk Ahmed said Iqbal was arrested from the Shugandha beach area around 10:10pm on Thursday. Weve sent him to Comilla right away, Coxs Bazar Additional Police Superintendent Md Rafiqul Islam told Dhaka Tribune. Police identified Iqbal as the prime suspect on Wednesday after scrutinizing the CCTV footage. Family members of Iqbal claimed that he was mentally unstable and someone might have taken advantage of his condition to make him place the Quran. In response to heavy poaching by armed forces during the 20-year Mozambican civil war, populations of African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Gorongosa National Park declined by 90%; as the population recovered after the war, a relatively large proportion of female elephants were born tuskless. The selective killing of species that bear anatomical features such as tusks and horns is the basis of a multibillion-dollar illicit wildlife trade that poses an immediate threat to the survival of ecologically important megafauna worldwide, said Dr. Shane Campbell-Staton, a researcher at Princeton University and the University of California, Los Angeles and colleagues. Megaherbivores are especially vulnerable to overharvesting because of their large habitat requirements, small population sizes, and long generation times. As ecosystem engineers, these species also behaviorally regulate ecological processes; anthropogenic selection on phenotypes that influence these behaviors may, therefore, have cascading effects on ecosystem functioning. However, most work that details human-driven selection has focused on smaller species in which evolutionary change is more readily studied. It remains unclear to what extent, at what rates, and through what mechanisms harvest-induced phenotypic change occurs in the worlds largest land animals. In the study, the researchers investigated the impacts of ivory hunting on the evolution of African savanna elephants in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, during and after the Mozambican civil war (1977 to 1992). During this conflict, armed forces on both sides heavily relied on the ivory trade to finance war efforts, which led to a rapid population decline of more than 90%. Using historical field data and population modeling, the study authors show that intense poaching during this period resulted in an increase in the frequency of complete tusklessness in female elephants from the region. The stark lack of tuskless males suggested a sex-linked genetic origin for the pattern. Survey data revealed tusk-inheritance patterns consistent with an X chromosome-linked dominant, male-lethal trait, the scientists said. Whole-genome scans implicated two candidate genes with known roles in mammalian tooth development (AMELX and MEP1a), including the formation of enamel, dentin, cementum, and the periodontium. One of these loci (AMELX) is associated with an X-linked dominant, male-lethal syndrome in humans that diminishes the growth of maxillary lateral incisors (homologous to elephant tusks). This study provides evidence for rapid, poaching-mediated selection for the loss of a prominent anatomical trait in a keystone species, they said. The findings were published in the journal Science. _____ Shane C. Campbell-Staton et al. 2021. Ivory poaching and the rapid evolution of tusklessness in African elephants. Science 374 (6566): 483-487; doi: 10.1126/science.abe7389 Page Content On behalf of the Council of Ministers, we extend our condolences to the family and supporters of Mr. Colin Powell. The U.S. and the world by extension have lost a dedicated statesman whose impact will remain for generations to come," stated Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs. On Sunday, October 18, the world learned of Mr. Colin Luther Powells passing due to complications of COVID-19. Mr. Powell was a pathbreaker who shaped U.S. National Security. He was the first African-American Secretary of State and served as the United States National Security Advisor and as Joint Chiefs of staff in the U.S. military. Bangladesh was created in 1971 for people of all religions or sects of religions to live to together in peace, and I had been to the battlefield in 1971 for the same purpose, but these perpetrators are now combat-ready to annihilate people of other religions or sects of religions who want to live with us to together in peace. by Anwar A. Khan Some so-called Muslims made a mighty onslaught on 15th October last and thereafter to our hard-earned secularism in 1971 which graved the two-nation theory of 1947. The mayhem and carnage carried out against the Hindu community in Bangladesh over the last few days in Bangladesh is deplorable and outrageous. It seems that humanity and earth are doomed. But beneath the surface something very positive is happening. The mass awakening of humanity has increased because of these enormous violations of human rights and lockdown that allowed people to reflect on and research topics that they wouldnt usually do. Having keen interest about the third-rater felons - Jamaat-e-Islami since my boyhood, I visit the holy places by choice on a regular basis to assess their actual activities and I am compelled to say these are all hellish creatures so-called Muslims, sub-humans anti-Islamists anti-humanity and so on. In other words, they are nothing, but the worst criminals. They teach their students according to their own constructed religion to become violent terrorists to implement their own so-called agenda in Bangladesh. But Bangladesh was created in 1971 for people of all religions or sects of religions to live to together in peace, and I had been to the battlefield in 1971 for the same purpose, but these perpetrators are now combat-ready to annihilate people of other religions or sects of religions who want to live with us to together in peace. Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), the mass-murderers of 1971, is the wealthiest business organisation in Bangladesh. It has many killing squads under so many fictitious names which are working under the cloak-and-dagger of NGOs. Hefajat-e-Islam is one of the murdering progenies of JeI which uses the name of our holy religion Islam to allure people to come to their flexure to make Bangladesh, once again, with so many public places of execution of our people, as they did to us in 1971. Pakistans horrendous killing outfit ISI has got a very strong ties with JeI to carry-out dreadful activities using Islam to destabilize Bangladesh according to their volition to impose their own and deceitful brand of Islam on us which shall have to be sent to the outfall at a far-off grime place. Pakistan High Commission (PHC) in Dhaka is also involved in all badly activities in collusion with JeI in Bangladesh. PHC is the den of ISI and JeI. Bangladesh government should immediately put PHC + ISI under their strong scanner to catch those malefactors to face virile punishment. The government should also break-down their money channels, confiscate all their properties and take full control of their business entities to block up these perpetrators eternally. We are human beings and freedom is our birthright. In the spectral realm, we are all at war and the enemy is fierce. Reality is that our enemy, the devil, is a formidable one. We had so many years of experience in tempting, destroying and taking people out of our presence. But as big as our enemy is, we are even bigger. And one thing is for sure: we are now on the winning side. Because of what we did on the cross for us, we now share in its victory and can fight the enemy with a determination to win. We fight for us and equip us to win. In times of battle for the just cause, temptation, accusation, deception and condemnation, we must equip us with our kind words to fight against the forces of evil and push back the plans of the enemy. Chances are that you are in some form of ugly battle today. And your means of fighting is knowing what we have to say about this battle in the world of Bangladesh. He who dwells in the shelter of the highest will abide in the shadow of humane Bangladesh which we attained in 1971. Our refuge and our fortress are our country in whom we must trust. For that glorious Bangladesh of 1971 will deliver us from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. It will cover us with its pinions, and under its wings we will find refuge; its faithfulness is a shield and buckler. We will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day." Put on the whole armor of the 1971 Bangladesh, that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the religious bigotries, against the communal forces, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the anti-Bangladesh liberation forces of evil in the country. Be watchful. Our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. So much of the history of the struggle between good and evil can be explained by Edmund Burke's observation. Time and again those who profess to be good seem to clearly outnumber those who are evil, yet those who are evil seem to prevail far too often. Seldom is it the numbers that determine the outcome, but whether those who claim to be good men and women are willing to stand up and fight for what they know to be right. There are numerous examples of this sad and awful scenario being played out over and over again in countries after countries including Bangladesh. When good men or women do nothing, they get nothing good done. To be good, one must do good. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. We have no chance to stand idle by and mere spectators. The evil forces sit on the sidelines instead of actively participating and working for the good. If good wins, they join in the celebration though they did nothing to produce the victory. If evil wins, they will complain long and loud though their own apathy helped produce the undesirable result. When good men and women do nothing, evil triumphs. Evil, sin and sinful men and women must be opposed. People must command those who are good, not just to avoid evil but actively oppose it. We are to not only to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but also reprove them. Those who do nothing about sin and evil, help the sin and evil to prevail. One who is silent when there are those around him in sin becomes a partaker with them. The silence of the people speaks volumes of their indecisiveness and inaction. Their failure to stand up, speak up and speak out permitted wicked and evil people like anti-Bangladesh liberation forces to run rampant. Those who are not actively and vigorously fighting against evil are helping evil to triumph. When good people do nothing, they are no longer good. Many have the mistaken notion that good is merely the absence of doing that which is wrong. Not so! One is good not merely because he does no evil, but because he is actively working for what is good. Today, there are preachers who fail and refuse to meet the real foe, refute error and fight the enemy. Instead, they have turned to viciously savaging their own people. They are filled with bitterness and hatred and they maliciously attack, slander and misrepresent people of other religions. While the conduct of some so-called Muslims is shameful, what about those supposedly good people who do nothing? Those stand on the other side and do nothing but watch as their brothers and sisters of other religions are being slandered, slaughtered and devoured, they cease being innocent bystanders and idle spectators. Their failure to act not only allows evil to triumph, but makes them just as guilty as the spiritual cannibals they refuse to reprove and rebuke. Be not deceived; we are not mocked; for whatsoever a man or a woman soweth, that shall he or she also reap. Those who fail or refuse to do good in the face of evil are sowing some dangerous seeds. They are doing nothing good as we are commanded to do; they are helping evil to win and have ceased being good and have become partakers of the evil they did nothing to stop. Do not allow evil to triumph. Do not sit by and do nothing. Stand up and be counted, speak up against evil and speak out against evil people and their sinful deeds. Its time to rise up and stand up against these evil and communal forces anti-Bangladesh liberation forces. Bangladesh believes itself exceptional, the greatest and noblest nation ever to exist because of its long-standing struggles for upright cause, a lone champion standing between the capital of democracy and the terrorists, barbarians, and other enemies within and outside the country. One cannot, at once, claim to be superhuman and then plead mortal error. I propose to take our countrymen's claims of Bangladeshs exceptionalism seriously, which is to say I propose subjecting our country to an exceptional moral standard. This is difficult because there exists, all around us, an apparatus urging us to accept Bangladeshs innocence at face value and not to inquire too much. And it is so easy to look away, to live with the fruits of our history and to ignore the great evil done to us using the name of Islam. The evil components of our shadow are the part of us that we deplore, the part of us that we prefer not to admit. One must set themselves free from all inhibitions in order to initiate close encounters with their innermost monster. By standing toe-to-toe with the part of ourselves that we most detest, a person is in a position to slay their fiendish sense of self and, by doing so, undergo a soulful transformation. The world in which we live would benefit greatly if men and women everywhere would exercise the pure love of people to people, which is kind, meek, and lowly. It is without envy or pride. It is selfless because it seeks nothing in return. It does not countenance evil or ill will, nor rejoice in iniquity; it has no place for bigotry, hatred, or violence. It refuses to condone ridicule, vulgarity, abuse, or ostracism. It encourages diverse people to live together in Bangladeshs love regardless of religious belief, race, nationality, financial standing, education, or culture. Standing up for what's right is always the best thing to do. Transformed people transform the culture while standing boldly against evil. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is to co-operate with evil, and in some small way to become evil oneself. One's standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. As long as someone remains standing with a noble heart, there will always be a way for good to triumph over evil. Bangladesh is best when we are actually standing up to evil in our world. And when the morally reprehensible axis of ISI-Jamaat-Hefazat-Jamaat-e-BNP, make no mistake about it, is an evil in the world of Bangladesh. We are standing face to face with the barbarians. The enemy is no longer outside but inside the country and paralysed, is incapable of spotting the real enemies. It stammers, overcome by its own moral disarmament, and is giving up: this is the time to seize the reins. Present society is an accomplice to the evil that is devouring it. Sometimes standing against evil is more important than defeating it. The greatest heroes stand because it is right to do so, not because they believe they will walk away with their lives. Such selfless courage is a victory in itself. We have lost too much, but we have not lost everything. And we have certainly not lost Bangladesh, for we will stand with you for as many tomorrows as it takes. -The End The writer is an independent political analyst based in Dhaka, Bangladesh who writes on politics, political and human-centred figures, current and international affairs David Barnea warned Iran the long arm of Mossad isnt finished with it. by Jonathan Broder David Barnea is going to walk softly and carry a big stickor so hes been saying to Mossads workforce and alumni. The new head of Israels storied foreign intelligence agency recently sent a stern directive to its former senior intelligence officials: Keep your mouths shut until I say you can open them. Il Primato Nazionale According to Yossi Melman, a veteran intelligence reporter for the independent Israeli daily Haaretz, Barnea warned former senior Mossad officials that he would punish anyone who speaks to the media, either on or off the record, about current or past Israeli spy operations without his prior permission. Which he probably wont grant, Melman told SpyTalk. In Israels closely-knit society, directives from the head of the Mossad apply to anyone in the agencys orbit, including the so-called formers. Barneas omerta order most likely means the details of past Mossad operations will remain shrouded in secrecy under his leadership. It also suggests that the agencys background briefings for reporters about current operationsrare in the best of timesalso will be cut. Since taking the helm of Mossad in June, Barnea has rejected all requests for media interviews. He plans to bring Mossad back to the old days when silence was golden, Melman says. The order also represents an abrupt pivot away from the high public profile of Barneas predecessor at the Mossad, Yossi Cohen, who frequently briefed reporters on current intelligence matters and gave public speeches. Cohen even allowed himself to be photographed as he met separately last year with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan to negotiate what eventually became their diplomatic recognition of Israel. Unlike Cohen, whose dark good looks and penchant for tailored suits invited comparisons by the Israeli media to James Bond, Barnea, 56, prefers to remain in the shadows. In the few photographs of him that have appeared in the Israeli media, the graying, slender spymaster has bland, unremarkable facial features that make for the ideal spywhat former CIA Director William Colby once called a face a waiter would forget. But like Cohen and the late Meir Dagan, another former Mossad chief, Barnea is aggressively action-oriented, which sets him apart from most previous Mossad directors, says Ronen Bergman, author of Rise and Kill First, a book that details the Mossads history of assassinations. Those previous spymasters saw the Mossads main mission as the collection of intelligence and the preparation of capabilities to be used in special operations as a last resort, Bergman told SpyTalk, whereas Barnea focuses more on the collection of more immediate intelligence that can be translated into tactical operations aimed at achieving strategic change. Translation: assassination and sabotage operations against the key figures and facilities of Irans nuclear program, which Israel regards as an existential threat. Holocaust DNA David Barnea was born in 1965 in Ashkelon, an Israeli port city on the Mediterranean a few miles north of the Gaza Strip, to a moderately religious family. His father was a toddler when his family fled to British-Mandate Palestine from Germany in 1933 following Hitlers rise to power, changing the family surname from Brunner to Barnea, after an ancient town in biblical Israel. Barnea grew up in middle class surroundings outside Tel Aviv, where his father, a retired army lieutenant colonel, directed a communications company. His mother, a Holocaust survivor from Europe, worked as a school teacher. Nearly all young Israelis are obligated to sign up for military service, three years for men, about two years for women. In a sign of things to come, Barnea was assigned to the Sayeret Matkal, the Israeli equivalent of the U.S. Armys Delta Force. Service in the special ops unit has been a highly respected credential among top Israeli political and national security figures, Ilana Dayan, a prominent Israeli investigative reporter and military veteran herself, told SpyTalk. To help prepare for the units rigorous physical and mental requirements in 1982, Barnea and a blind army veteran rode a tandem bicycle from Eilat, Israels Red Sea port, to the resort town of Sharm el Sheikh on the southern tip of the then-Israeli-occupied Sinai peninsula and then back, a roundtrip of roughly 310 miles. After finishing his active duty army service in 1986, Barnea came to America to study economics and finance at the New York Institute of Technologys School of Management, which was followed by an MBA from Pace University. Returning to Israel, he worked for several years as an investment banker in Tel Aviv. But according to people familiar with his background, Barnea grew bored with banking, and in 1996, shaken by a series of terrorist bombings and the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a rightwing Jewish extremist a few months earlier, he joined the Mossad. Barnea trained as a case officer, or spy handler, for a year and half before Mossad sent him to Europe, where he excelled in recruiting agents, according to friends. He spent more than a decade in human intelligence operations, rising to become Mossads European station chief, the agencys busiest operations station. Barneas experience as an investment banker boosted the quality and scope of his intelligence work, helping him set up front companies in Europe and South East Asia to infiltrate spies into Iran, says Melman, co-author with Dan Raviv of Spies Against Armageddon, a history of Mossad. Barnea returned to Israel to serve several years as the deputy chief of Mossads Keshet unit, whose highly trained technical teams specialize in surveillance, break-ins, bugging, safe-cracking and sabotage operations in both hostile and non-hostile countries. In 2019, Barnea was tapped to head all of Mossads operations worldwide, which made him the agencys principal deputy director under Yossi Cohen. In that capacity, he assisted his CIA counterparts in the U.S. operation that targeted Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, fabled leader of the elite Quds special operations forces of the Revolutionary Guard Corps. Soleimani had built the network of pro-Iran Shiite militias responsible for attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq and against Israel from bases in Lebanon and Syria. On January 3, 2020, an American drone, reportedly guided by Israeli agents on the ground, killed Soleimani and an pro-Iranian Iraqi militia leader in a missile strike at Baghdad International Airport. David was an exceptionally supportive partner in important joint work then underway by the U.S. and Israeli services, Stephen B. Slick, a 30-year veteran of the CIA who knows Barnea personally from his stint as the agencys station chief in Tel Aviv, told SpyTalk. He characterized Barnea as an impressive intelligence professional with deep experience in field operations. He declined to share any additional details. Likewise, other CIA formers contacted by SpyTalk declined to venture beyond generalities when asked about Barnea. "He is a serious officer, retired senior CIA operations official and Iran specialist Norman Roule said. Experienced, a good manager, and capable of leading Mossad well as it confronts regional challenges." Shadows Man Unlike some of his predecessors, Barnea had no public profile before he was named Mossad chief, notes former Mossad officer Avner Avraham. He operated over the years in secrecy, and his name was revealed to the public [only] after his appointment, Avraham told SpyTalk. But the media landscape today is far different than just a few years ago, he says, when Israelis were told little about their national security agencies, much less the name of their chiefs. Now, they have an official website through which you can contact them, said Avraham, founder and chairman of the international agency Spylegends.com. Still, Barnea has already amassed a legend. As Mossads operations chief, Barnea is also credited with supervising the November 2020 assassination of Irans top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh as he drove his car in small resort town just east of Tehran. According to a recent account of the assassination in the New York Times, the operation used a computerized machine gun tricked out with artificial intelligence to acccount for gun sight recoil, plus multiple cameras to positively identify Fakhrizadeh and keep watch for any interference. The weapons computer was linked via satellite to a sniper in Israel, who remotely squeezed the trigger more than a thousand miles away. Three bullets to Fakhrizadehs spine killed him instantly, according to the account. The accuracy of the weapon left Fakhrizadehs wife, who sat beside him in the car, untouched. Fakhrizadehs high-tech assassination exemplified what Barneas colleagues call his out-of-the-box approach to Mossad operations. It also underscored his fascination with technology and gadgets and his determination to upgrade Mossad operations with more use of them. Though hes only been in the directors chair for four months, Barnea has already begun to create new units that place a heavy emphasis on cyber and high-tech, Melman said. In that, hes much like the bosses of the CIA and other spy services worldwide. Fakhrizadeh was the sixth and highest ranking Iranian nuclear scientist to be killed by the Israelis since they began their ruthless shadow war against Iran and its nuclear program more than two decades ago. Barnea also directed the sophisticated cyber attack on Irans primary uranium enrichment facility in Natanz in April of this year. That attack knocked out a power station some 150 feet underground, destroying or damaging thousands of centrifuges. Only the Beginning When Barnea took up the Mossad directors post in June, he warned more attacks were coming. The Iranian nuclear program will continue to be met with the full power of the long arm of the Mossad, Barnea said in a statement at his induction ceremony, which was released to the press. We are very familiar with the different components of the nuclear program, and we are very familiar personally with the officials involved in it and also with the officials who direct them. Barneas muscular approach, which is shared by Israels current government and defense establishment, has highlighted a gap between the Israeli and U.S. strategies for dealing with the Iranian nuclear program. The Biden administration seeks a return to the 2015 nuclear agreement, negotiated during the Obama administration, under which Iran curtailed its nuclear program in return for a lifting of international sanctions. Israel opposed the accord, arguing it did not provide Israel with enough security from the possibility Iran could still develop a nuclear bomb after the accords provision expired in 10 years. Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus vociferous public criticism of the accord, his collaboration with Republican lawmakers to kill it in Congress, and his efforts to drag the United States into a war with Iran deeply angered and alienated the Obama White House. In 2018, President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord, and at Netanyahus urging, implemented a so-called maximum pressure policy of crippling economic sanctions in an attempt to force Iran to abandon both its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and end its support for its proxy militias across the Middle East. At the same time, the Mossad stepped up its shadow war against Iran, attacking its uranium enrichment facilities and killing its nuclear scientists. But Iran refused to buckle and stepped up its nuclear program, advancing its uranium enrichment closer to the 90 percent level needed for weapons grade nuclear fuel. Iran also cited the Israeli attacks as a pretext to halt United Nations nuclear inspections. Shifting Down With Joe Bidens 2020 election victory, U.S. policy shifted to a diplomatic effort to return to the 2015 nuclear accord. The U.S. and Iranian officials appeared close to a deal after six rounds of indirect negotiations in Vienna. Meanwhile, Israels leadership also changed earlier this year as a national unity government comprised of rightwing and leftwing parties took power. The new government also opposes the 2015 nuclear agreement, but it has agreed to voice its objections in private while retaining the right to act independently against Iran. Thats where Barnea comes in. In June, Irans leadership changed as well as President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline cleric and former head of Irans judiciary, was elected. So far, his new negotiating team has not said when it will return to the Vienna talks. According to U.S.officials, it is also unclear whether they will accept what was previously agreed upon. In Washington earlier this month, senior U.S. and Israeli officials held strategic talks about Irans nuclear program, which is now enriching uranium to the 60 percent level, a short step away from weapons grade nuclear fuel. Meanwhile, Barnea, who takes his orders from the prime minister, appears to be holding off on further operations against Iran while the officials try to reach agreement on a common approach. With the Vienna talks stalled, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has told U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan that Israel fears Iran is becoming a nuclear threshold state and has urged the Biden administration to intensify sanctions and sabotage operations against Iran before its too late. Israel also has asked the administration for a deadline for its decision on what policy its going to adopt. The administration is now weighing its policy options. While it recognizes the need to counter Irans latest nuclear advances, U.S. officials say theyre concerned the kind of pressure Israel is proposing could backfire, provoking Iran into further expediting its nuclear program. So for now, joint U.S-Israeli working groups are assessing Irans economy to identify vulnerabilities and which pressure points could end up being counterproductive. Jerusalem has told the administration it understands its position. We know they are looking for the right balance, but we want to know how long it's going to take, an Israeli official told Axios Barak Ravid. But with Irans nuclear clock ticking, thats a question that Barnea and his superiors arent likely to leave unanswered for very long. Jeff Stein also contributed to this story. Courtesy: Spy Talk System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fde4539c8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fde40a7f0)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fde4539c8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fde40a7f0)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fde414538)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fde40a7f0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fde40a7f0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdda953a8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fde4586d8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fde4586d8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fde37d810)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fde39ed50)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fde37d810)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fde39ed50)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fde3eee50)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fde39ed50)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fde39ed50)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdda95798)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fde3e9a88)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fde3e9a88)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 Im just like you - Florida City Police hold assemblies to have students get to know them as both officers and neighborhood friends. A Miami produce business has decided to require masks in its offices and warehouses rather than mandate vaccines. Even that requirement has been challenging to enforce. If your desk is 6 feet from another, you can take the mask off while you are working, said Ana Royster, human resources director at Mr Greens Produce, a 480-person company. When you get up, you have to wear your mask. Also, on the chef-driven menu, meatballs for a good cause. The restaurant is competing against Cafe Vico in Fort Lauderdale for the best meatball as a charity fundraiser for Joe DiMaggios Childrens Hospital and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County. Just go to both restaurants from now until to December, order a meatball appetizer and post which one you liked better on #MeatballchallengeFTL on Instagram. The disagreement continued as both entered I-75. As the drivers approached Sheridan Street, the pickup truck pulled up next to the car and the pickup truck driver fired several shots into the passenger side of the car. The cars driver returned fire. We have to consider the litigation, said Commissioner Steve Glassman, who represents the neighborhood. We have to follow the law. If we dont follow the law, we will spend a lot of money and still lose. When I look at this project youd love to find a reason to say no, but there really isnt [one]. In January, lawyers announced that plea deal was made only to have that deal scuttled and a trial date set. Then in September just before trial, lawyers announced another deal was struck, effectively canceling the jury trial and setting Friday as the date for the deal to be announced. Now, that deal is off the table at least for now and another trial date has been set for Jan. 25, 2022. He later returned to the scene at the request of her concerned family, who drove up from South Florida and encountered Caballero, who claimed he came after hearing Marcano was missing. However, multiple paragraphs of the report, including sections that seem to describe Marcanos bedroom and part of the deputys encounter with Caballero, are redacted. The first day of testimony began with some counter-intuitive arguments. Lawyers for the districts said COVID-19 cases were falling significantly Sept. 22 when the rule was passed, and there was no health emergency warranting the action. If the Health Department passes a rule in non-emergency times, it requires public notice and the ability for the public to comment, neither of which happened. Neighbors told deputies Bliss has had numerous confrontations with people who live near him over their cats and dogs, and that he was known as a troublemaker and a hot head, according to the report. Of the two biggest systems, E-PASS and SunPass, which is better? That depends on where and how much you drive, several intangibles and what you might think of the two agencies providing the transponders. Browards Joe Scott told poll workers that they must be vaccinated for COVID-19 if they wish to work during the special primary and the special general election. He said the directive, which he vetted with the offices legal counsel, was designed to enhance public safety since poll workers can come into close contact with hundreds of voters, some of whom will be unmasked and unvaccinated. In order to gain influence with American politicians and candidates, they illegally funneled foreign money into the 2018 midterm elections with an eye toward making huge profits in the cannabis business, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement following the verdict. Campaign finance laws are designed to protect the integrity of our free and fair elections unencumbered by foreign interests or influence and safeguarding those laws is essential to preserving the freedoms that Americans hold sacred. Who can be against freedom? Jewett asked. Campaign 101 strategy is come up with a catchy slogan or short phrase that generically most people like. Its probably as good as the next one. The Great American Experiment, our cherished democracy, is under threat. Our nation is only as strong as the faith our citizens have that their voice, their vote, has a say in our government. In this hour, public trust in our elections is being systematically undermined, to the detriment of all Americans, the Florida Supervisors of Elections association said in a document distributed Wednesday. Then Donald Trump ruined their pretense by appointing three very conservative Supreme Court justices known to be skeptical of Roe v. Wade. Last month, the reconstituted court signaled that the debate over abortion rights was no longer political theater. A 5-4 majority refused to block a draconian Texas law that the Biden administration argued in a brief filed last week virtually eliminated access to abortion in Texas after six weeks of pregnancy. (Six weeks in, women often have no idea theyre pregnant.) Iowa Falls is one of 59 cities in the state whose water will be tested by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for "forever chemicals." Benefit, a key fintech and electronic financial transactions services firm in Bahrain, said it has won the Smart Finance Award for one of its key application at the recently held Smart Cities Summit Bahrain 2021. The 5th edition of the summit was held under the patronage of the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Engineer Essam bin Abdullah Khalaf at the Gulf Convention Center, Manama. The Bahrain Smart Cities Awards were first established in 2018 to recognise the best practices for smart and sustainable solutions implemented in the Kingdom of Bahrain and encourage others to follow this lead. The two-day event was attended by more than 250 representatives from public and private sector entities, international organizations, including the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Benefit said it had won the Smart Finance Award for the BenefitPays rollout of several cashless initiatives within the kingdom that have supported in nourishing sustainable growth in several ways by building a safer and more inclusive economy with less reliance on cash. The app has streamlined payments, allowing users to access all their utility Bills and pay them in one place through Fawateer which includes Telecoms, Electricity and water, charity and several other categories. These solutions established a modern system for the country, with simplified access and modern tools for quick payments. BenefitPay has also supported in digitising parking and improving urban living by activating BenefitPay for parking services, for more convenient options available to pay for parking in the Kingdom. The application has also introduced several diverse features for online payments including QR code payment, Fuel payments throw Sadeem service, and Tap and Go, reducing our impact on the environment by paying bills electronically which saves time, money, and environmental costs. Furthermore, BenefitPay developed e-commerce seamless payment options to simplify and encourage business, which was critical during the pandemic, such as cashless payment options for in-App and Web checkout for E-commerce merchants which allows businesses to conduct seamless business operations and easily accept payments from consumers wherever they are. On the top honours, CEO Abdulwahed AlJanahi said: "At Benefit, we realise that digital payment solutions in smart cities are kickstarting an important evolution in human living spaces. With BenefitPay, we have contributed to creating a sustainable economy and payment ecosystem in a major way." "Digital payments can make cities more liveable, enable a cash economy, and seamless experiences for everyday tasks such as bill payments, parking, and online services for individuals and businesses," he added.-TradeArabia News Service The Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development, one of Dubai's economic institutions, has announced that BITS Pilani Dubai Campus has joined the list of accredited business incubators in free zones. In a statement, the Foundation stated that the students' joining the business incubator provides an opportunity to transform their ideas and inventions into successful companies in various economic sectors and enhance their abilities in creative and innovative thinking at an early age. Students registered in the business incubator will be able to benefit from the Dubai Next platform, which is the first integrated digital platform for young people and people with creative and ambitious ideas of different nationalities in Dubai, with the aim of presenting their ideas to attract the necessary capital to start implementing them from Dubai based on the concept of crowdfunding. Abdul Baset Al Janahi, Executive Director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development, said: "The Foundation assumed the responsibility of leading innovation and entrepreneurship in the Emirate of Dubai. It developed well-studied strategies to support the entrepreneurship journey over the years and worked to promote creative thinking methods to come up with innovative products that solve real problems. or ideas for entrepreneurial projects. It is noteworthy that the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development is supervising the Dubai Network of Business Incubators, so that the Corporation oversees the implementation of projects, initiatives and ideas that are launched within the framework of the network, in addition to developing policies and operational plans and studying proposals and opportunities for the network to support entrepreneurs Business in the emirate, and cooperation with government and private agencies and educational institutions to supervise the launch of startups. We are proud to be partners with BITS Pilani Dubai in supporting ambitious talents. Co-operation between government agencies and academic institutions is vital to moulding entrepreneurial talent in accordance with the global best practices in nurturing innovation, added Al Janahi. Prof Srinivasan Madapusi, Director, BITS PIlani Dubai Campus emphasised on the role of Universities to make students market ready by providing hands on training in technical as well as non-technical skills. He said, Entrepreneurial skills are gaining importance not only for those who are interested in start-ups, but also in the corporate and industry sectors. BITS Pilani with its vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem works in line with the vision of the UAE government to encourage innovation and start-ups. He further added: BITS Pilani alumni have been at the forefront in wealth creation through start-ups. Today our entrepreneurial ecosystem is taking a leap forward by joining the Dubai Business Incubator Network (DBIN) through our partnership with Dubai SME as a certified business incubator. This partnership will transform the university into an entrepreneurial hub by supporting students with access to mentors, business experts and legal advisors, thereby creating new opportunities for our student entrepreneurs to make significant contributions to the intellectual capital and wealth of Dubai and the UAE. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Dr Aman Puri, Consul General India, Dubai, Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI and Merzi Sodawaterwala, Chairman, World Sustainability Business Forum (WSBF and Founder, International Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce (IFIICC). BITS Pilani on the same day announced its partnership with World Sustainability Business Forum for jointly working in sustainability and with the International Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of commerce (IFIICC) to enable multilateral collaboration between the UAE, India and Israel. Established in 2000, more than 5,000 students have graduated from BITS Pilani Dubai Campus and are either working in leading global firms such as, Microsoft, Oracle, Siemens, L&T, Emirates, Honeywell, Petrofac and Schlumberger, or pursuing post-graduation across premier universities, including Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Cornell, Monash, and the National University of Singapore. Alumni of BITS Pilani Dubai Campus have also excelled as entrepreneurs with more than 20 startups to their credit this year. The establishment of the Business Incubator aims to encourage tech start-ups and transform the university into an entrepreneurial hub, which aligns with the sixth article of the Fifty-Year Charter of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai to transform Universities into free economic and creative zones.-- TradeArabia News Service New Delhi, Oct 22 (UNI) Frans Timmermans, European Commission Executive-Vice President (EVP) for the European Green Deal, during his three-day India visit focused on preparations for COP 26 and on strengthening EU-India cooperation against climate change and biodiversity loss. During his visit, the EVP held bilateral meetings with Indian counterparts, participated in the opening session of the International Solar Alliance Assembly and met stakeholders, including think tanks, business associations and youth, an EU press release said. The EU and India are strongly engaged in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, having established a Clean Energy and Climate Partnership in 2016. As agreed at the last leaders meeting earlier this year, the EU and India have been working closely together to speed up the deployment of renewable energy, promote energy efficiency, collaborate on smart grid and storage technology, and modernise the electricity market. The EVP met with Indian ministers, including Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, New & Renewable Energy Minister R.K. Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Petroleum Minister Hardeep S Puri. Timmermans expressed his strong appreciation for Indias action with regard to climate change, the massive investment in renewables and the leadership taken in starting global initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. He also discussed how best the EU and India can together address the climate crisis, transition to low carbon pathways and secure a successful outcome at COP 26, with a renewed sense of ambition and urgency. He reiterated that -as part of a global effort- the EU will continue to take the lead in mobilising climate finance from a wide variety of sources, instruments and channels and a variety of actions. The EU is already the largest climate finance donor, contributing over $ 25 billion in 2019, nearly one-third of total public climate finance, it said. The EVP congratulated India for joining the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People. During his meeting with Minister Bhupender Yadav, the two reflected on the recent extreme events, such as the floods in different parts of India and Europe and the strong scientific evidence, which requires strong signals of commitment at COP26. They also held detailed discussions on the progress on adaptation, closing the mitigation gap, climate finance and on outstanding negotiation items for the rules governing the Paris agreement, including international carbon markets. They also discussed how to further strengthen EU India cooperation on climate action, biodiversity and circular economy. During his meeting with Minister RK Singh, he reiterated the EU commitment to intensify its collaboration with India to achieve its Renewable Energy targets. Both further agreed to accelerate cooperation on energy efficiency, renewables and grid integration, green hydrogen, and mobilising sustainable finance. Economic recovery post COVID-19, ensuring successful outcome of COP26 including financial commitments, green hydrogen, biodiversity, commitment to Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure & sustainable finance was discussed in detail with Finance Minister Sitharaman. With EAM Jaishankar, the two had an insightful discussion and on expanding the EU India strategic partnership, including on trade and investment, climate action, clean energy, connectivity and the Indo-Pacific. They also exchanged perspectives on COP 26 and Afghanistan. Recognising the solid cooperation under the EU-India Partnership on Smart and Sustainable Urbanization, Minister Hardeep Puri and EVP discussed the energy transition in the EU and India, the role of electrification of road and rail, green hydrogen, energy costs, smart cities, urbanisation and EU-India cooperation in these areas. Confirming EUs support to the International solar Alliance during his address at the opening session of the International Solar Alliance Assembly, the EVP announced the imminent launch of a project, worth around 1 million Euro, funded by the EU, aiming at further strengthening the engagement of EU, EU Member States, and EU academic, business and financial communities with ISA. He also met with the Kamal Kishore, Member, National Disaster Management Authority and Indian Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and reiterated EUs alignment with CDRI and its objective. He also reinforced the need to invest in both adaptation and mitigation, as they are two sides of the same coin. The EVP interacted with young climate activists at an in-person session on Youth, Science and Climate Action organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in collaboration with the European Union Delegation. The EU-India strategic partnership is underpinned by the shared values of democracy, freedom, rule of law and respect for human rights. The EU and India are stepping up their cooperation on the world stage and in multilateral fora and have a collective voice on global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, environment, clean energy, trade among others. The EU aims to be climate-neutral by 2050 an economy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. This objective is at the heart of the European Green Deal and enshrined in its climate law, and in line with the EUs commitment to global climate action under the Paris Agreement, the statement said. UNI/RN Colorado Chamber Players Concert Tonight at UW The Colorado Chamber Players will present a free public concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, in the UW Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts recital hall. The quartet is, back row, from left, Paul Primus and Barbara Hamilton; and front, UW Department of Music faculty members Beth Vanderborgh and John Fadial. (Colorado Chamber Players Photo) The Colorado Chamber Players (CCP) will perform a free public concert at 7:30 p.m. tonight (Friday, Oct. 22) in the University of Wyomings Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts recital hall. The CCP is composed of UW Department of Music Professor John Fadial and Paul Primus, Denver Symphony principal second violinist, both on violin; Barbara Hamilton, the artistic director and violist/violist dAmore with the CCP; and UW Associate Professor Beth Vanderborgh, cello. UW Department of Music Lecturer and double bassist August Ramos will join the ensemble for the concert. Music will include Quintet for String Quartet and Double Bass, D major, G339 by Luigi Boccherini; String Quartet in G minor by Joseph de Bologne; and Quintet for String Quartet and Double Bass, G major, op. 77 by Antonin Dvorak. Named one of the top five chamber groups in Colorado by The Denver Post, the CCP celebrates its 28th season presenting both live and virtual format programs this season. The ensemble has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Chamber Music America Residency Awards (2000 and 2008). The CCP has received awards from the Argosy Foundation, Denver Mayor's Fund, Colorado Creative Industries, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Energize Colorado, Xcel Energy Foundation, and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. The chamber players have a core of string quartet, double bass, piano, harp, clarinet and flute. To learn more about each of the CCP musicians, go to the UW Department of Musics upcoming concerts page, locate The Colorado Chamber Players concert and click on Get the Program link. For more information, call Kathy Kirkaldie, UW Fine Arts coordinator, at (307) 766-2160 or email kirisk@uwyo.edu. Martha Manzo drops off Christopher at his school, the Blind Childrens Center, in the East Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. The center is a free preschool for children who are blind or visually impaired. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. In the end of July 2021, the Secretary Seneral of the WCO, Dr Kunio Mikuriya, had a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Mr Jurgen Stock, within the margins of the first G20 Culture Ministerial that took place in Rome, Italy. Apart from other topics, the two heads of organizations discussed plans to enhance the capacities of Customs and Police officers to fight against illicit trafficking of cultural objects. One of the agreements reached during the meeting was to organise a series of webinars in order to disseminate the newest INTERPOL app, ID-Art, to the frontline Customs officers. As a result, on 20 and 21 October 2021, a joint series of three WCO-INTERPOL webinars on the use of the ID-Art app took place in English, French and Spanish. In total, almost 300 Customs officers from over 50 countries participated in these webinars. The ID-Art app provides instant access to the INTERPOLs Stolen Works of Art database, which contains more than 52,000 objects reported as stolen and still missing from 134 member countries. It can be downloaded on any Apple or Android device, and some of its functionalities are available offline. Searches against the database via the app can be carried out by taking or uploading a photo, or by entering search criteria manually. The app also provides a possibility to record the geographical location in cases when officers want to register information about looting or destruction discovered during the field controls. Another important functionality of the app allows officers to record the information on the detained object in accordance with the international standard Object-ID, which can serve as a critical piece of evidence used to identify cultural objects in cooperation with other governmental agencies. In combination with the WCO's ARCHEO secure communication platform, the ID-Art app is another important tool for the frontline officers allowing them to enhance their capabilities in the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural objects. More information about ID-Art is available here. Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 09:18:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- One man was killed and several others injured when a fire erupted in a beverage factory in Pakistan's east Punjab province on Thursday, local reports said. The fire was caused by the explosion of the factory's boiler due to some technical fault, the reports said. The killed man was a passer-by whereas the injured were the factory's staff including its manager. The injured people were shifted to a nearby hospital. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 09:36:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, New Zealand's population growth slowed down with the largest city Auckland recording a population decline for the first time ever, the country's statistics department Stats NZ said on Friday. New Zealand saw slowing population growth in all regions, population estimates and projections manager Hamish Slack said in a statement. COVID-19 international travel restrictions continued to curb population increases from international migration in the June 2021 year, Slack said. Nationally, the population growth rate dropped from 2.2 percent in the June 2020 year to 0.6 percent in the June 2021 year, the lowest it has been since the June 2012 year, statistics show. The population decreased in the Auckland, West Coast, and Southland regions, and other regions experienced lower growth, Slack said, adding in contrast, all regions had population growth in the June 2020 year. While the population decrease in the Auckland region was just 1,300 or 0.1 percent in 2021, this was still a significant change, he said, adding the Auckland region has averaged population growth of 1.8 percent a year over the previous 20 years, higher than the national average growth of 1.4 percent a year. Auckland's population is provisionally estimated as 1.72 million at 30 June 2021, statistics show. The fastest growing regions in the June 2021 year were Northland with a growth rate of 1.9 percent, and Tasman and Bay of Plenty, both growing at 1.5 percent. The population growth in these three regions was mainly driven by people moving there from other areas of the country, Slack said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 10:20:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SYDNEY, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Australia's biggest airlines Qantas plans to launch a new route from Sydney to Delhi in December with three return flights per week, building to daily flights by end of the year. The plan is subject to discussions with the Indian authorities to finalize necessary approvals, according to the company's announcement on Friday. If approved, it would be the first commercial flight for Qantas between Australia and India in almost a decade. The flights would initially operate until at least late March 2022, with a view to continuing if there is sufficient demand. Flights from Sydney to Delhi would operate via Darwin, while flights from Delhi to Sydney would operate nonstop. The new route is among an array of movements as Qantas and Jetstar gear up for accelerated border opening. Qantas flights between Sydney to Singapore will resume on Nov. 23 this year, four weeks earlier than scheduled, operating three days per week. Jetstar will fly from Melbourne and Darwin to Singapore from Dec. 16 this year. Qantas flights between Sydney to Fiji will be brought forward to Dec. 7 with four return flights a week. Jetstar flights to Fiji will resume on Dec. 17. Qantas flights from Sydney to Johannesburg will resume on Jan. 5, 2022, three months earlier than scheduled with three return flights a week. Qantas flights from Sydney to Bangkok will resume on Jan. 14, 2022, more than two months earlier than scheduled with five return flights a week. Jetstar will also resume flights from Sydney to Phuket on Jan. 12, 2022, more than two months earlier than scheduled with three return flights a week. Flights to Honolulu, Vancouver, Tokyo and New Zealand are still scheduled to commence from mid-December this year, with other destinations to restart in the new year. Due to the current border policy, all these flights are limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families and parents, but Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said he expects tourists from Singapore, South Africa and India to take advantage of these flights once borders reopen to international visitors. He also hailed the scraping of hotel quarantine for arrived international travelers by the state of New South Wales, where Australia's largest city of Sydney and biggest international airport locates. "The decision by the NSW government to join many cities from around the world by removing quarantine for fully vaccinated travelers means we're able to add these flights from Sydney much earlier than we would have otherwise," said Joyce. For domestic routes, Qantas and Jetstar are also preparing to ramp up capacity between Melbourne and Sydney as quarantine-free travel is set to resume between Australia's two largest cities. With all these decisions, the Group's 22,000 employees that have been stood down are able to return to work in December. "This is the best news we've had in almost two years and it will make a massive difference to thousands of our people who finally get to fly again," Joyce said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 10:22:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- International students will be able to return to Australia's capital for the start of the 2022 academic year. Andrew Barr, the Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), on Friday announced that Canberra will welcome back international students who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 early in 2022. Under the plan, students who have been inoculated with a vaccine recognized by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will not have to quarantine on arrival in the ACT but will be subject to federal testing requirements. "Higher education institutions provide a considerable social and economic contribution to Canberra. The return of international students will be very welcome news for our city," Barr said in a media release. The international education industry, which was worth an estimated one billion Australian dollars per year to the ACT economy prior to the pandemic, has been crippled by Australia's strict border restrictions. According to peak body Universities Australia, universities lost 1.8 billion Australian dollars in revenue and cut 17,300 jobs in 2020. Paddy Nixon, vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra, said the return of international students would have major benefits for the city. "Our international students become nurses in Canberra hospitals and the allied health professionals that will be supporting Canberrans in their everyday lives," he said. "As our economy starts to rebound, we will need the talents, our international students bring, and we all benefit from the vibrancy they bring to our campus and our city." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 10:40:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Trade Minister has urged his colleagues to support a 2050 net zero emissions target to protect trade, with the Glasgow Climate Summit less than a fortnight away. Dan Tehan, the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, declared that Australia cannot afford to be left behind as the world rapidly moves to "decarbonize". "There is no doubt that when I've been in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, the US or Europe, the world is moving to decarbonize," he said, according to the Guardian Australia on Friday. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that he will travel to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, also known as the COP 26 which begins on Oct. 31 and runs until Nov. 12 in Britain. While he is expected to take a 2050 net-zero emissions target to Glasgow, the Liberal and National parties, which together form the governing Coalition, haven't reached an agreement over the issue. Morrison, leader of the Liberals, has been working towards a net zero commitment since Joe Biden became the U.S. president and brought his country back to the Paris agreement. But the Nationals have expressed concerns that such a target will jeopardize regional jobs. Tehan said that committing to net zero will allow Australia to be "at the table" to push back against "protectionist forces" or countries, who may disrupt the global efforts to address emissions reductions. "My concern is if we're not at the table, signing up to net zero by 2050, then we're not there making sure that this is going to be done the right way and that those protectionist forces can't disrupt the approach that we think should be taken to addressing emissions reductions," he said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 14:12:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Oct. 21, 2021 and released by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry shows Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi (2nd R) receiving Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi upon his arrival at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Pakistani Foreign Ministry/Handout via Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan Taliban have assured that no terrorist organization will be allowed to use the Afghan soil for carrying out terror activities against Pakistan, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said here on Thursday. Addressing a press conference following his day-long visit to Kabul, Qureshi said that the Taliban responded with clarity that "neither the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan nor outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army" will be allowed to use the Afghan soil to harm Pakistan. He said that the visit was intended to create space and generate a coordinated regional approach for Afghanistan. Qureshi said that the Taliban were informed about how Pakistan is advocating globally to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and urging the international community to save the possible economic collapse of the country. On behalf of Pakistan, the foreign minister announced humanitarian assistance worth five billion Pakistani rupees (over 28 million U.S. dollars) to Afghanistan during the press conference. A high-level delegation made up of representatives from different ministries and institutions was accompanying the foreign minister on his Afghan tour, which worked out different plans and initiatives to address the issues of trade and travel between the two countries. Qureshi said that the Pakistan-Afghanistan border will now remain 24/7 operational for trading purposes, adding that Afghan traders will be given an on-arrival visa. On the Taliban's request, the procedures at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossings have been made easier for the Afghans entering into Pakistan, he said, adding that passengers having health or any other emergency will also be given an on-arrival visa. "They will no longer be required to follow the long procedures which were in place earlier." The foreign minister said that fresh vegetables and fruits could be imported duty free to Pakistan to give benefits to Afghan farmers. It will be further worked out "which sectors could be given zero-ratings and in which areas a reduction in taxation could be provided," he added. Qureshi said that a delegation from Afghanistan would also come to Pakistan in the follow-up of this visit in order to finalize the details agreed upon by the two sides. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 14:32:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- APEC finance ministers agreed on Friday to continue working together to respond to the effects of COVID-19 and ensure a sustainable and inclusive recovery while capitalising on the opportunity to build a more resilient future. The New Zealand Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson chaired the virtual Finance Ministers' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) from Wellington. "While economic activity in the region has rebounded and vaccination rates are rising, the recovery from COVID-19 has been uneven. Some sectors, such as tourism, small and medium-sized businesses, and some groups, such as women and indigenous peoples, continue to be disproportionately impacted by the pandemic," Robertson said. Finance ministers had constructive discussions on the actions and policies APEC economies have implemented to combat the pandemic and the need for a balanced approach to preserve long-term fiscal sustainability while supporting wellbeing, targeting support to where it is needed most and tackling long-standing issues of climate change and biodiversity loss, he said. Attendees included finance ministers from all 21 APEC economies, APEC Business Advisory Council Chair Rachel Taulelei, among others. In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the APEC finance ministers agreed to use all available policy tools to address COVID-19 and support a strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive recovery; maintain macroeconomic and financial stability and refrain from competitive exchange rate devaluations. They also agreed to step up efforts to expand vaccine manufacture and supply and support global vaccine sharing efforts; reiterate the importance of a free and fair trade and investment environment with the WTO at its centre; and accelerate the digital transformation. The ministers also agreed on the refreshed Cebu Action Plan strategy, which encourages economies to pay due regard to APEC's new guiding document, the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040, and APEC's new structural reform agenda, the Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform. "It was a privilege to join with fellow APEC finance ministers to strengthen our bonds and to reflect on our collective progress to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meeting has reinforced that we have strategies and tools available to us that can continue to drive recovery while also tackling climate change and improving the wellbeing of people across all APEC economies," Robertson said. The Cebu Action Plan was agreed by finance ministers during the Philippines' 2015 host year and sets out the 10-year high-level work programme of the Finance Ministers' Process. 2021 marks the year of a mandated mid-point review of the plan, which gives an opportunity for economies to consider the impact of COVID-19 and the recently agreed Putrajaya Vision 2040. To refresh the plan, New Zealand has recommended the adoption of a Champion Economies model which would allow individual economies to volunteer to run multi-year work programmes on specific policy issues. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 15:24:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least seven persons were killed and seven others injured in clashes between two rival factions of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar at a camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district early on Friday. Shihab Kaiser Khan, a senior Armed Police Battalion (APBn) official, told journalists that "the bodies of the seven Rohingya refugees including several bullet-ridden have been recovered following the early Friday morning clashes." He said a Rohingya refugee has already been detained with weapons in this connection. Law enforcers were conducting raids in the refugee camp to arrest culprits responsible for the incident, he added. He could not immediately confirm the cause of the clash. The incident occurred weeks after a Rohingya leader was killed in a Cox's Bazar refugee camp. Mohib Ullah, chair of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in Cox's Bazar's Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp on Sept. 29. The displaced Rohingyas are living in extremely congested conditions in Cox's Bazar, some 300 km southeast of capital Dhaka. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-22 19:12:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SUVA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said on Friday that the country will reopen clubs, bars, taverns and gaming venues from Nov. 11 as over 80 percent of the adult population have been fully vaccinated, according to a government statement. The venues will reopen for business in accordance with the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport's protocols, said the statement. Given that these businesses involve high customer interaction and close contact, they are only available for persons who are fully vaccinated. Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport Faiyaz Koya stressed the importance of creating a safe environment for businesses to re-open amid the pandemic. "At the end of the day, what we want and what we should strive towards is sustainability and resilience. How we invest in our workplaces and in our people today will reflect on our development in years to come," the minister said. The ministry, together with the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission, has deployed "COVID-safe ambassadors" who will closely observe and advise businesses on mandatory minimum parameters for safe operation. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-23 00:17:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Two soldiers and a terrorist were killed during an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an army statement said on Friday. The security forces conducted an operation in the North Waziristan tribal district of the province on receiving a tip-off regarding the presence of terrorists in the area, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement. "During intense exchange of fire, a terrorist got killed. Weapon and ammunition also recovered from the killed terrorist," the statement added. The military did not reveal the name of the group against whom the operation was conducted. A surge in terrorist attacks on security forces has recently been witnessed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwest Balochistan provinces, with terrorists carrying out small but frequent attacks on security forces. The security forces have also intensified operations against militants to restore peace in the country. Enditem analysis In Nigeria, military personnel are deployed for internal operations to combat terrorism, armed banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity. This means frequent relocations, and sometimes even international assignments, brings consequences to the families of personnel. However, there is scant information in Nigeria on how families manage their family, work and time with a breadwinner who is frequently absent. Our study probes the strains and benefits associated with military postings on their families. Using in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interviews, we obtained data from officers, non-commissioned officers, wives and children of deployed officers in the Nigerian army. The participants for the focus group discussions consisted of a total of four officers, six other ranks, five wives and five children who willingly took part in the group discussion. A total of four focus group discussions were conducted with six people in each session. Oral interviews were conducted to complement the focus group discussions data. These participants were interviewed to obtain in-depth information about their experiences, interactions and opinions on the research focus. The Nigerian military strength was about 223,000 as at 2018. Although the sample for the research was small, we believe the study provides insights into the contextual strains that families encounter. Posting benefits and downsides Military postings are regular exercises carried out within the Nigerian army to reinvigorate the system for greater performance. They are also done as part of peace operations nationally and internationally. The length of postings range between six months and two years depending on the mission. Our findings indicate that military officers preferred international peacekeeping missions to national postings, because they expected to be treated better and earn foreign currency. Participants also reported language and culture gains. On the negative side, they reported the risks of loneliness, neglecting their homes, infidelity, unmet emotional needs, and worries about their children's education and behaviour. Posting in the army - being sent away from home - gives officers valuable military experience and may lead to promotion. A female army colonel we interviewed said: You have the advantage of learning the traditions of that particular place and you are able to associate with "new environment". But deployments take a toll on families as soldiers seldom return to their original base after prolonged posting. And postings are often unplanned. The family as a system must manage both the absence and the presence of a member. That can be an emotional strain. A major said: Then the issue of not being there for the family will also come up. And in that case, you will be at the mercy of God except the wife has been trained and such a woman is very responsible and industrious, or she has good neighbours ... at least, if she lacks, she could get things from the neighbours. A spouse may also have established a business in their former place of posting before the new posting came, and runs the risk of losing the business and customers. Even if the new posting affords new business opportunities, it may take time to build a community of clients. Some spouses who decide to stay at home and manage their businesses risk communication problems with the absent spouse. Care of children The study revealed some concern about military barracks as an environment for children. Drug use and unsafe sexual practices were mentioned. One participant said: Leaving your family behind with your wife poses a big challenge because your wife alone will not be able to take care of the children you left behind especially the male child. In this barrack, boys in their tender ages smoke India hemp ... Again, educationally, posting could bring setbacks to the education of the children. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Arms and Armies By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Another participant mentioned the case of a man whose wife had died while he was posted to another location, leaving their children in the care of neighbours. Most respondents cited the absence of the father and non-fulfilment of his role as a disciplinarian as the reason for a rise in problem behaviour among children in the barracks. This has created a stigma - "barracks boys" are seen by those outside the military as uncultured because their absent parents haven't socialised them correctly. Solutions The disruptions and strains which can result when army personnel are deployed away from home need a systemic solution. The first part would be strict adherence to the army manual's rule governing posting of officers. This would help to create stability in the home and reduce negative effects on families. Oludayo Tade, Researcher, Communication Consultant, Impact Evaluator, Safeguard Specialist, University of Ibadan As #EndSARS protesters commemorate the first anniversary of the protest that erupted from Ughelli, Delta State, to other parts of the country over police brutality and extra-judicious killings, three victims of the protest have sued the Federal Government at the ECOWAS Court for justice. This was revealed by lawyers from three chambers on Thursday, in a document signed by four lawyers including Bolaji Gabari, Mojirayo Ogunlana-Nkanga, Gaye Sowe, and Nelson Olanipekun, and made available to Vanguard during a virtually held press conference on the matter. According to the lawyers their service is purely pro-bono to the three applicants who approached them, and also explained why the applicants approached the ECOWAS Court, which is a regional court that adjudicates cases within its jurisdiction of member states in West Africa sub-region, and it is known for its neutrality and adherence to international standards in adjudicating cases. They also pointed out that justices that comprise the panel at the ECOWAS Court are judges with various international experiences, and not one judge that will adjudicate on the matter brought to them, which that the court has lived up to its name as it would analyse the issues and facts before it, would give an international standard judgment, and has the boldness in determining cases without being influenced, and its judgment will have a ripple effect. They also stated that the three applicants who approached them are seeking justice, and have declared that the Nigerian State has violated her obligations under the Nigerian Constitution, International laws and most especially the African Charter. They said: "Three Applicants who witnessed and were victims of the military and police onslaught that occurred in the event popularly known as #EndSARS protests which took place on the 20th of October 2020 at Lekki Tollgate have filed an action before the ECOWAS Court seeking the enforcement of their fundamental rights. "The Applicants, who continue to suffer untold psychological and mental trauma and threat to life, from that day, have approached the ECOWAS Court, known for its neutrality and adherence to international standards in adjudicating cases, to consider and hold that the rights of the Applicants and other peaceful protesters have been grossly violated by the Nigerian State and its agencies. "The Applicants seek amongst others, the declaration that the Nigerian State has violated her obligations under the Nigerian Constitution, International laws and most especially the African Charter; failed and fails to protect the lives of the Applicants and citizens; protect its citizens from extrajudicial killings, police brutality and to promote and provide security for its citizens; that the State persistently tolerates and promotes a climate of impunity in the country as a result of its systemic failure to condemn, effectively identify and secure accountability for a series of grave attacks against the Applicants and people of Nigeria and failure to convict perpetrators of human rights violations in the years preceding the 20th and 21st of October 2020 Lekki Tollgate Shooting and till date. "All of these constitute a gross violation of fundamental human rights guaranteed by Sections 38 and 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and Articles 9 and 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. "Given this disregard for the rights of Nigerian people, we are commencing litigation against the Federal Government of Nigeria at the ECOWAS Court of Justice to seek redress for the victims and accountability against the Government who through her agents were involved in the rights abuses that led to the #EndSARS protests and its aftermaths. "We will pursue our demands through the ECOWAS Court to ensure that the government of Nigeria is held to account for the killing of Nigerian citizens and the abuse of their rights as enshrined in the Nigeria Constitution, the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights and other International Human Rights instruments that Nigeria is a signatory to." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines West Africa Nigeria Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. They also lamented that, "Today, victims of police brutality are yet to be adequately compensated, and justice has yet to be served either for their families or on the perpetrators. "Post the proscription of the protests by President Muhammadu Buhari, the online and offline attacks on human rights defenders, the arrests and illegal detention of protesters, the deregistration of organisations and blanket tag of terrorism on bank accounts belonging to protesters, etc. were some tactics the government and its agencies employed, presumably to silence the dissenting voices." The lawyers also added that the choice of ECOWAS Court is the fact that this strategic litigation is to push against that wave of clampdown of citizens across Africa, "So we are not just fighting for Nigeria but we are fighting for Africa." Vanguard News Nigeria The IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, contends that the charges are incompetent. The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, fixed November 10 to hear an application filed by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, challenging the competence of the treasonable felony charges filed against him by the federal government. He is, via his fresh application, asking the court to dismiss the newly amended charges of seven counts. The judge, Binta Nyako, fixed the date after the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) filed the amended charges. Mrs Nyako also made an order that three people of Mr Kanu's choice should be allowed to visit him every Thursday. However, Mr Kanu's request that he be transferred to Kuje Correctional Centre was rejected by the court. Earlier, the State Security Service (SSS) brought Mr Kanu to the courtroom on the fifth floor of the Federal High Court edifice in Abuja around 9:45 a.m. surrounded by heavily armed security agents. PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier that many journalists and lawyers were denied entry into the court premises. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had, on Monday, filed fresh amended charges of seven counts against Mr Kanu. Among the charges are treasonable felony and acts of terrorism which he is accused of perpetrating through his separatist activities. NAN also reports that there was pandemonium earlier at the main entrance of the building as lawyers clashed with the SSS personnel over refusal to allow them access into the court premises. The separatist, who was granted bail in April 2017, fled the country after the invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, by the military in September that year, a situation one of Mr Kanu's lawyers, Alloy Ejimakor described as the "rule of self-preservation." Mrs Nyako subsequently revoked his bail for ditching his trial, and ordered his trial to be separated from the rest of the co-defendants'. While the trial of the rest of the defendants has made some progress, Mr Kanu's has been stalled since 2017. On June 29, 2021, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, announced that Mr Kanu had been rearrested and brought back to Nigeria to continue facing his trial. He said the IPOB leader was "intercepted" days earlier but did not give details. Although there has been no official disclosure about where and how Mr Kanu was arrested, relatives and lawyers to the IPOB leader, have described how he was "kidnapped" in Kenya under controversial circumstances. Rapper Brian Ouko, known to his fans by the stage name Khaligraph Jones, is battling accusations of being a deadbeat dad. Khaligraph's baby mama Cashy, also a rapper, and whose real name is Karimi Muriungi appeared to finger his former bae for not supporting their child. Cashy suggested in a Facebook post that his baby daddy would use the dawn to dusk curfew imposed by the government as reasons for not providing. The curfew was lifted by President Uhuru Kenyatta on October 20, 2021. "I am actually happy the curfew has been lifted because artists can go back to earning from night gigs!" she pointed out. "In fact, help me pray for an overflow of events so that your fave rapper will have zero reasons to claim he can't afford child maintenance its been so hard bana," she added. In a tweet, Cashy wrote a similar message, saying she wants her child to go to an expensive international school. Last year, Cashy again accused Khaligraph of failing to support his child. "Meanwhile, I'm not smart enough to win some battles on my own, and so I learn and I get stronger. The law is uneven, but some aspects of it have to be fair if not immediately, then one day. She has also accused him of being verbally and physically violent. By intentionally growing crops among trees in a way that each crop does not inhibit the growth of the other, farmers in the Nigerian capital promote sustainable ecosystems that support efficient biodiversity. In 2019 when Samuel Kwasari introduced agroforestry practice to smallholder farmers in Dama-kusa village, the farmers said it was a waste of time and energy, believing that crops planted would die off in a couple of days. Two years later, local farmers in the village and surrounding communities were amazed by the profound level of transformation and vegetation restoration that had occurred in the bare land area they had known, which now harboured over a hundred different species of essential staple crops and exotic plant species. "The farmers thought this (agroforestry) will not be possible in this area because they are only used to mono-cropping systems of farming which has destroyed the existing vegetation in this area," Mr Kwasari, the founder of Be the Help Foundation (BHF), told PREMIUM TIMES. Without applying any form of inorganic fertiliser, herbicides or pesticides, Mr Kwasari said the agroforestry models have created an all-year round atmosphere for healthy food production and green vegetation that exhibits rich biodiversity. "This system has helped reduce the negative impacts of climate change, boost healthy food production and has improved the soil microorganisms availability on the farm and surrounding environment," he added. Dama-kusa village is a small farming settlement in Yangoji, an agrarian community in Kwali area council tucked along the Abuja-Lokoja road of the Federal Capital Territory. Subsistence farming is the major occupation of the Dama-Kusa people. The crops grown majorly by farmers of this settlement are maize, groundnut and sorghum, on a small scale. However, the agroforestry model being practiced within the community still remains strange to many, while some are already developing interest, Mr Kwasari said. "Uniqueness of agroforestry" Agroforestry is one of several climate smart models of farming being practised by some Nigerian farmers in Abuja in order to mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change on food production and biodiversity. According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), agroforestry is a dynamic, ecologically based and natural resource management system that, through the integration of trees on farms and in the agricultural landscape, diversifies and sustains production for increased social, economic and environmental benefits for land users at all levels. The food organisation said that agroforestry systems are multifunctional systems that are crucial to smallholder farmers and other rural people because they can enhance a wide range of economic, sociocultural and environmental benefits. It is a sustainable system of farming whereby farmers intentionally grow several crops among trees in such a way that each crop does not inhibit the growth of the other, thus promoting healthy food production and sustainable ecosystems that supports efficient and effective carbon sequestration and biodiversity. Some farmers under the BHF initiative explained that the switch from the common traditional system of farming to agroforestry systems has significantly improved not only their livelihood,but also the species richness of the environment. Mr Kwasari said they had adopted two major agroforestry systems so far-- the Brazilian system which they referred to as Modern Brazilian System(MBS) and the Indian system which they also referred to as the Vetri system (named after the partner from India that helped set it up). The farm manager said both models entail a land use management system in which trees, shrubs and herbs are grown among crops and pastureland. He noted that the concept is to practise agriculture with trees as the basis, and that the Brazilians are the ones famously known for agroforestry but that they practise the alley farming. "In the Brazilian system, the target is to get the rural or smallholder farmers to practise the system of agroforestry without disrupting their traditional ways of farming," he said. He said smallholder farmers can easily grow their crops in the alley, while tree lines are situated 4.8 meters apart. He said trees are grown in a straight line and that trees need minimal care once they are planted and have been established. "... We have about 23 varieties here; guava, bitter kola, mahogany, cashew, eucalyptus, shea butter tree," Mr Kwasari said, "We had about 10 thousand seedlings in this farm, we have planted over 4000, currently raising some more. Last year we raised about 50,000 trees. We made use of about one third of it on the farm then we sold some out. Now we are getting rid of all the old seedlings to raise another 60,000," he added. On each hectare of land, he said they have a minimum of 2,500 trees planted and that currently, they have nursed and planted 75,000 - 100,000 trees so far on nine hectares of land. In the MBS model, he said crops that do not require much water are usually planted alongside trees with similar characteristics in a definite pattern, while the Indian system is irrigated and it bears crops that are mostly vegetables, spices and herbs all year round. Mr Kwasari said fast growing food crops - bananas, pawpaw, chili peppers, turmeric, castor plants, rice, beans, hibiscus and trees (Eucalyptus, moringa etc), among many others - were deliberately planted because they wanted a situation whereby once a farmer sets up a farm, after 60 days the farmer would be harvesting food crops for the rest of their lives. "In this system, for 12 months for sure, you will have one or two crops that are produced every month. It is not like the traditional system of farming where you grow crops for five months, after harvesting, the farmers will now sit at home for another six months, while they keep selling what they have harvested instead of having multiple streams of income," he added. The farmer said: "Now, we are telling them(farmers) that , look, there is a better way of doing this thing, and that when you plant once, all through 12 months in a year you are still harvesting and making more money." Joyce Brown, an Abuja-based environmentalist with Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), said agroforestry is an important agroecological practice that should be supported and encouraged in the Nigerian farming system. She said it plays a key role in climate change resilience and that agroforestry reduces atmospheric carbon, improves soil structure, reduces soil erosion as well as pest and diseases "Agroforestry helps to boost nutritional diversity and also diversify income for the farmers," she added. "Forest model" The forest is one one of the several subdivisions of the MBS system being practiced by the farmers. It encourages the planting of trees alongside staple crops like maize, pepper, sunflowers among others. Abang Pius, one of the farmers who embraced the agroforestry model of farming two years ago, said the system of farming has significantly improved his standards of living these past years. "Before I was a boy, but now I can satisfactorily call myself a man. To be candid, it has really impacted my livelihood in a positive way because I was not doing well before,but now I am better," he added. Mr Pius, who heads the unit in the agroforestry system called the Forests, said the main reason for the model is to reduce desert encroachment. He said he decided to plant trees artificially (man-made forest) that he specifically planted six different types of trees - Gmelina, Mahogany, Teak,Eucalyptus, Neem and Gliricidia on a hectare of over nine hectares of land currently being cultivated by the farmers. After a year, the graduate of agriculture said the forest trees had developed to form shape (canopy), after which he decided to plant crops in between the furrows "The yield was perfectly good and we have harvested some crops this year, then we still have our pepper and sunflower perfectly alright," he said. Asked about the difference between the forest model and the traditional system of farming, he said in the latter , farmers make use of chemical inputs while the former is strictly organic farming. "We don't use chemicals here," he reiterated. He said one of the main challenges they faced in the course of setting up the model was erosion and shade from trees grown which prevented other sun loving crops from sprouting well. "I had a challenge in water, that is erosion and where the tree canopies are much, crops around the area may not do well," the farmer said. More farmers speak Mustapha Yusuf, who heads the nursery at the farm, said the agroforestry system of farming has clearly shown that with a farmer's little capital he or she can effectively and efficiently grow as many crops as they deem fit. "As I am now, with my little capital, I can raise a nursery, organise my farm and plan my future," he said. He said two years ago, he started with 40,000 seedlings, but that this year he has raised 60,000 seedlings of 25 different species of plants. Peter Ikwu, another agroforestry farmer at Damakusa village, said he is currently practising an agroforestry model called MBS II that enables him to grow tree crops and assorted vegetables simultaneously, and that it has turned his life around significantly. "This is an organic farm and in this farm we do not use inorganic chemicals. We weed off grasses, then make use of the weeds and banana leaves to cover the soil(mulching) which on decay adds more nutrients to soil," he said. Iwan Barnabas, who heads the Vetri system unit, said the model has clearly shown that farmers can grow significant numbers of plants on a hectare of land. He said the system has helped improve his thinking on plant combinations, because he now knows plants that can be grown beside each other that will not suppress the growth of the other. With this model a farmer can improve the soil texture and nutrients by planting other leguminous crops, thereby saving cost of manure," he added. "Blooming pastureland" While the devastating impacts of climate change has been linked to be one of the root causes of the perennial farmer-herder clashes in Nigeria due to the imminent scarcity of pastureland, Nathan Abel, another agroforestry farmer, decided to use agroforestry models to grow varieties of nutritious grasses for livestock. He said he is using the MBS III model to grow over 16 varieties of pasture grasses and trees mainly for feeding animals. He said the pastures are situated on a hectare of land, and that on the hectare, in between every 4.8 meters marked out for planting of grasses, 1.2 meters are used for planting fruit trees and timbers in a row simultaneously. "On one hectare, we have sixteen 4.8 meters - portions where different grasses are grown and 17 tree lines (1.2 meters) where we planted 16 different grasses," he added. He said they have successfully planted nutritious livestock grasses like Napier grass, Ruzi grass, Gamba grasses among others, and that the main challenge is how farmers will get the source of the grasses before propagating them. "Even me, I got to know these grasses when I started working here, " he said. He said by growing these grasses, it has helped him improve his livelihood and sources of income, and that an interesting part of the grasses is that they are all drought tolerant, thus they remain evergreen during the dry season. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Climate Nigeria Environment By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Key challenges Mr Kwasari said the main challenge they are facing is the lack of unity and awareness amongst farmers, and that most farmers do not know how to propagate or store seeds for subsequent farming seasons which they are already trying to resolve. "We have set up a demo plot solely for this community in order to show them how Agroforestry works, and they are beginning to see that with a small plot of land, a farmer can grow enough crops that will sustain him or her for life," he said. Mr Yusuf said another challenge they are faced with is the difficulty in acquiring some tree seedlings due to insecurity in the country. He said it will take a farmer over two months to get some seedlings because they usually travel into the forest to acquire some seedlings then try to propagate these seedlings effectively. "Now everyone is afraid of going into the Forests because of kidnappers, especially in Kaduna and Niger states. It is difficult for us to enter the forests there to find seedlings, except we use the local hunters there," he added. Roland Frutig, a Swiss agroforestry consultant at the farm said the farmers under their supervision as well as other community members can all see that they are having much more yields than the existing traditional system of farming in the community. "Smallholder farmers can secure their future with this system of farming, because it helps them to benefit from the different crops planted all year round non-stop," the Sexagenarian told PREMIUM TIMES during a visit to the farm. Mr Frutig explained that agroforestry systems are multifunctional systems that can provide a huge range of economic and sociocultural benefits to not only the livelihood of smallholder farmers but also to the environment. "Nigeria can feed other West African countries with this because they have the potential," he said. The agroforestry expert explained that trees like Gliricidia commonly referred to as "quick stick or mother of Cocoa" are very easy to multiply once it grows up, and that it helps to enrich the soil with all the necessary Nitrogen required for plant growth. Studies have shown that Gliricidia sepium is a legume that is able to fix Nitrogen, and that it produces a lot of litter and the half-life of gliricidia leaves is about 20 days. Hence, the plant is thus considered as a good soil improver. Because of its deep roots and quick growth, it is used as a windbreak, and because it thrives on steep slopes, it may be used to reclaim denuded land as practiced by these farmers at Dama-kusa village. This story was produced under the 2021 Solution Journalism Africa fellowship of the Solution Journalism Network. Bassey Eyo, a mother of three, living in Cross River State was delighted that she and her child could receive the COVID-19 vaccine and the novel Oral Polio Vaccine (nOPV2) respectively at a health center in Big Qua. She had travelled 5 miles to get to Big Qua town with the hope of accessing both vaccines. "I am happy that I had the opportunity to receive the COVID 19 vaccination and polio vaccine for my eligible child within the same health facility. We do not have access to the services in the village where my family lives. It was my husband who directed me to Big Qua Town (his hometown). I received the COVID-19 vaccine, and my child got his polio vaccination, and we are both doing well," she said. For Joan Ewah, an N-Power staff, the availability of both vaccines at the health center where he took his COVID-19 jab encouraged him to take his children to receive the polio vaccine. "I am excited that both vaccines are accessible as they would encourage many people who bring their children for the Polio vaccine to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As a parent, I would not like to have a child that is deformed," he said. To encourage the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination, the Cross River State Government, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), leveraged the polio vaccination campaign by integrating the Covid-19 vaccination. On 25 August 2020, Nigeria and the WHO Africa region was certified polio-free after achieving the wild polio virus-free status. However, Nigeria is still combating the Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus Type 2 (cVDPV2), and as a result, necessitated sustain nOPV2 vaccination across the country. From January to September 2021, 22 states reported 327 confirmed cases of cVDPV2. However, Cross River State has not reported any case. Nevertheless, for preventive measures, the Cross River State Government, supported by partners, implemented a four-days outbreak response (OBR) as a proactive measure to protect all eligible children (0-59 months). Also, Nigeria is currently combating the COVID-19 pandemic, with 209 546 cases reported and 2838 death as of 19 October 2021. Of which, Cross River state has reported 614 cases. At the vaccination campaign flag-of, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu, said the concept was to provide service to the eligible children and their parents in an integrated manner to ensure that the parent gets access to the COVID-19 vaccine. The 4-day exercise (02 - 05 October 2021) targeted to reach 887 162 children with the nOPV2 vaccine in the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs). At the end of the campaign, 926732 children had received the nOPV2 vaccine, and 124,524 and 59,843 eligible persons received the first and the second dose of COVID 19 vaccines. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Nigeria Polio By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Speaking on the importance of the integration of the vaccination campaign, Dr Edu said the approach would avail parents who bring their children for nOPV2 vaccination to obtain the COVID-19 shot. Both polio and COVID 19 vaccines are available across the health centers. We have advised that the service should use an integrated approach to reduce missed vaccination opportunities. In her remark, the Director-General, Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency Dr. Janet Ekpenyong, said prevention of infectious diseases is a fight everybody must join. To ensure that we do not record any case of cVDPV2 in Cross River state, all hands must be on deck. We are currently responding to COVID- 19 outbreak, and we would not like to combat any other vaccine-preventable diseases. We have introduced the high impact interventions to bridge existing vaccination gaps, and we encourage eligible persons to present themselves for vaccination, she said. Representing the WHO Acting State Coordinator, Dr Biniam Getachew reiterated the importance of the OBR campaign and implementation of routine immunization to interrupt vaccine-preventable diseases in Nigeria. Appreciating the vaccination teams for their coordination, he said, "WHO will continue to provide the necessary support to scale up provision of integrated service delivery towards the achievement of Universal Health Coverage." Technical Contacts: Famiyesin, Olubowale Ekundare; Email: famiyesinw [at] who.int; Tel: +234 802 3094 026 Emeka, Chisom; Email: cemeka [at] who.int; Tel: cemeka [at] who.int Popular Ghanaian artiste, Ay Poyoo has set social media ablaze with his persistent love advances for local Hip Hop star Kikkybada$$. Ay, who appears determined to win over the songbird, took to Kikky's Instagram expressing his willingness to spend money on her. He wrote, "Hi, how are you? You're fine! Okay goodbye. Thank you I don't even know what I'm typing. You're beautiful come and spend my money," to which Kikky responded, "do I need to come and spend it ?I can be here and spending it. No problem." Poyoo then left many in stitches writing, "okay. How much is Zimbabwe? Lemme buy the country and everything in it for you. The rest can migrate to Jupiter." This is not the first time a popular figure has attempted to win over a girl through social media. Not so long ago, rapper, Holy Ten made waves after he openly shot her shot for fellow musician Tamy Moyo. Though he went as far as recording a song "Ndanzwa Nekunga" to woo the songstress, Holy Ten failed to win her over. While Holy Ten was targeting Tamy Moyo, socialite and ZBC TV Presenter Yahya Goodvibes was also shooting her shot at the Mwana Ndakubirai hitmaker resulting in a brief affair that did not last longer than two weeks. Ay PoyooKikky Bada$$ Self acclaimed leader of the Indegenious People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on Thursday pleaded not guilty to the seven-count criminal charge preferred against him by the federal government. Kanu is also challenging the court's jurisdiction to hear the matter on the grounds that the alleged offences were committed in the United Kingdom and not in Nigeria. His lawyer, Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor, made the disclosure shortly after his re-arraignment before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Kanu was in June re-arrested in Kenya and extradited to the country to face his trial. He was first arrested in a Lagos Hotel in 2015 by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and was arraigned alongside four others in 2016. At Thursday's re-arraignment, Kanu was sported wearing a white Fendi designer's cloth and was ushered into the courtroom at exactly 10am by security operatives and took his fresh plea to the amended charge at about 10:45am. Just like the earlier charge, Kanu also pleaded not guilty to the fresh charge, although his lawyer had requested that he be transferred to the custody of the Correctional Service Centre, but the judge declined to grant the request on the grounds that it would be in the interest of Kanu to remain with the DSS. The court had ordered that the IPOB leader be kept in custody of the DSS pending his arraignment and commencement of trial. Meanwhile, Justice Nyako had adjourned to November 10 for hearing of Kanu's application challenging the court's jurisdiction to try him as well as the competence of the charge. Among the issues raised in the Notice of Preliminary Objection are that the said charge has not in anyway link the defendant to the charge; the alleged offences were also said to be committed in the United Kingdom, amongst others. In a related development, the Ohaneze Indigbo has accused the federal government of conducting a secret trial on the issue of Kanu. Chief Ralph Uwazurike, who spoke alongside former Anambra Governor, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, said that the socio-cultural group condemns the trial in its entirety because they were barred from covering the proceedings. Similarly, the senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Ifeanyi Uba, also condemned the action of the federal government, claiming that as a senator of the Federal Republic he ought not to be barred from witnessing the proceedings. He lamented that even after filing a case in the matter, he was still denied access. Meanwhile, as the trial gets underway, journalists covering the court, although allowed entry into the court premises, were however prevented from entering the court room. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The judiciary correspondents, in a bid to give a detailed coverage of the proceedings, had got to the court as early as 6am to ensure easy access but their efforts turned out to be unrewarding. This was despite the fact that the journalists had forwarded their names to the court and DSS for coverage of the proceedings. At the last adjournment on July 27, there was altercation between the operatives of the DSS and journalists, following their refusal to allow journalists access to cover the proceedings. One of the DSS operatives, whose identity could not be ascertained, had claimed that they are awaiting directives from the trial judge, Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, on how many journalists should be allowed into the court and cover the proceedings. "The instruction we have is that journalists should stay in their press centre from where they would be screened to go in to cover the proceedings after getting clearance from Justice Nyako, the trial judge," he had said. While the trial was going on in the fifth floor, journalists were not allowed to move out of their press centre. Houses destroyed during battles with Boko Haram in Kousseri, Cameroon on June 11, 2019. Maroua, Cameroon A top U.N. official for central Africa recently visited the Lake Chad Basin to assess living conditions in the area. Years of attacks by Boko Haram have left much of the infrastructure there in ruins. Francois Lounceny Fall, the U.N. Secretary General's special representative in central Africa, says attacks by the jihadist group have diminished over the past five months. Fall says the U.N. is mobilizing the international community to support the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a regional military alliance, as it fights against the extremist group for a lasting peace to return. He says he is visiting Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and Niger to assess ways to start rebuilding and focus on reducing poverty. Those four countries contribute troops to the MNJTF, along with Benin. Fall said the U.N. Development Program is raising funds to build roads linking Cameroon, Nigeria and Chad to facilitate movement of people and goods. He said the UNDP is also helping villagers to plant trees. He said the U.N. refugee agency is helping displaced persons return to their villages, establishing lost documents like birth certificates, and providing funds for women to open businesses. The U.N. reports that a majority of the estimated 40 million people in the Lake Chad Basin live in poor conditions, partly due to Boko Haram's attacks. Civilians need assistance and are asking Cameroonian authorities and the U.N., to help them create better conditions, notes Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of Cameroon's Far North region on the border with Nigeria and Chad. Bakari says that economic activity is picking up gradually after more than 10 years of inactivity due to instability caused by Boko Haram attacks. He says within the past 5 months, civilians and merchants have been travelling freely with their goods between Cameroon, Nigeria and Chad. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Cameroon Legal Affairs Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He also said although there is apparent calm, Cameroonian troops fighting terrorism on the northern border with Nigeria are on standby to protect civilians, should there be a large-scale attack by jihadist groups. Cameroon's government says it has allocated 300 million dollars to reconstruct infrastructure destroyed by Boko Haram. It says that in some of the relatively calm areas, construction of schools, water wells and toilets and dozens of markets and hospitals has begun. Officials from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria met in Cameroon's capital Yaounde on October 8 and agreed to work together to rebuild areas destroyed by Boko Haram. The officials said the Lake Chad basin is gradually returning to normalcy since Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau was declared dead in May. Still, they said unemployment may be pushing young people to join the jihadist group, which continues to recruit in the area. The ruling party says Nigerians have realised that the APC-led federal government means well for them and will deliver infrastructure to them despite the global economic downturn. The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it will win the forthcoming governorship elections in Anambra, Osun and Ekiti States as well as the 2023 general elections "convincingly" because of its huge membership across the country. Interim National Secretary of the ruling party, John Akpanudoedehe, stated this while inaugurating its state congresses appeal committee on Thursday in Abuja. The state congresses of the party were held nationwide last Saturday. In some states there were parallel congresses while in others the exercise was characterised by violence. The governorship election in Anambra State will hold on 6 November while those of Ekiti and Osun will be conducted in July and September next year. While Anambra is currently ruled by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the APC governs Osun and Ekiti. Mr Akpanudoedehe said the process of recalibrating the party into a winning "functional machine" towards retaining power at the centre was on course. He said with membership of 40 million, the ruling party would not only achieve that but also win in the three states. "With the huge membership strength we have recorded during the last registration and revalidation exercise, there is no doubt that Nigerians still trust us and that we will win all the upcoming elections convincingly, starting from the Governorship elections in Anambra, to Osun, Ekiti and to the 2023 general elections," he said Mr Akpanudoedehe said Nigerians had now realised that the APC-led federal government of President Muhammadu Buhari meant well for them and would do everything possible to deliver infrastructure to them despite the global economic downturn. He urged party members to stay united so that they could defeat the agents of destruction who had vowed to set the country backwards. He said: "Nigerians by now have realised that the APC led-government of President Buhari means well for Nigerians and is doing everything possible to deliver infrastructure to Nigerians amidst difficult economic times, globally. "We must stay united so we can defeat the agents of destruction who have vowed to set Nigeria backwards. Just this morning, an Abuja-Kaduna passenger train was attacked by criminals, depriving Nigerians the services it provides. This is so despicable, but together we shall overcome them." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Business Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Therefore, there is a greater need to sustain the trust of our party men and women and indeed all Nigerians. " The interim secretary said in a bid to provide development to Nigerians, the ruling party had afforded many of its faithful the platform to attain various positions, either elected or appointed, adding that it would do so for many others in the future. Mr Akoanudoedehe urged APC members to "see dissensions within the party as family disputes and should not seek to destroy the platform which helped them in times past. "As a party, we shall ensure that channels of communication are kept open, as in the instant case and as dictated by the constitution of our party.," He explained that the appeal committee was part of the internal mechanisms any member of the party could approach to ventilate their grievances. "The Appeal is part of the internal mechanisms, so that those who may feel dissatisfied with the States Congresses can approach the Committee and ventilate their grievances through this avenue. "It is elementary law that he who alleges must prove, so instead of taking issues to the media space, let them put forward their case before this Appeals Committee," he said. Mr Akpanudoedehe urged all the members of the committee to ensure that fair hearing and justice guide their assignment. He reminded them that they were all selected based on their proven track record of integrity and capacity to bring to bear on the assignment. Government says 30 students were released but the bandits are still holding an undisclosed number of others Students of the Federal Government College, Yauri in Kebbi State abducted four months ago by bandits have been released. Yahaya Sarki, the spokesperson to Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, confirmed the release of the students in a statement on Thursday. PREMIUM TIMES reported how bandits abducted an undisclosed number of staff and students of the public secondary school in June. Mr Sarki said 30 of the students have regained freedom but an undisclosed number remains with the kidnappers. "Today Thursday, the 21st of October, 2021 thirty (30) students of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri have arrived Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital following their release, while efforts are still continuing to secure the release of the remaining. "They shall undergo medical screening and support while being re-united with their families. "We thank all those who have helped in securing the release, while congratulating Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari for the success," the governor's spokesperson said Details will be provided later. 15:00 | Lima, Oct. 21. These are the most prestigious awards in political communication, electoral and government campaigns. They are aimed at digital media, as well as technological and academic efforts, print media, as well as leaders committed to freedom, democracy, and above all excellence. The Washington Academy Chairman Mauricio Jaitt pointed out that this edition once again broke the record in the number of applications. Besides, it reflected a considerable increase in the quality of works presented before the select jury, which was made up of exponents whose trajectory transcends borders. San Marcos pride San Marcos University graduate Ana Isabel Fiafilio who currently works at Peru's Education Ministry in the Investments Department has received a recognition for the work she has been doing in promoting Open Government among youth and public servants in Latin America through talks, conferences, and in the dissemination of knowledge on sustainable development in the areas of education, environment, and innovation in Government. Fiafilio has been a fellow of various programs such as Leading Education, sharing experiences in terms of education with young people from Latin America and experts in the region. It should be noted that Fiafilio will travel to the United States to receive the award. This event will be held at George Mason University (Arlington Campus) on November 17. "I recommend that young people have a much more interdisciplinary vision in their different careers, so that they can access more opportunities at the international level," Fiafilio said in dialogue with San Marcos al Dia. ?? En su 196. aniversario, felicitamos al equipo del @DiarioElPeruano por brindar informacion veraz y de calidad en todas las regiones del pais. ???? Destacamos su contribucion en la difusion de los avances y servicios del Estado, en favor de los peruanos.#ElPeruano196Anos pic.twitter.com/WAfhQysFBr Gracias a S.E. @PedroCastilloTe Presidente @presidenciaperu por sus palabras durante el evento de @AACCLA_USCC #FOLAC2021 por compartir su vision sobre las oportunidades en America Latina y el Caribe. Cuente con nosotros como un aliado estrategico. https://t.co/4YNZ61kYe6 " " The eastern coral snake (Micrurus fulvius) is highly venomous and lives in a variety of habitats throughout the southeastern United States. The scarlet snake (Cemophora coccinea) and scarlet kingsnake (Lampropeltis elapsoides) have similar color bands, but are harmless mimics. Mark Kostich/Getty Images In late 2018, Florida news outlets reported a troubling rash of reptilian attacks in a surprisingly short time span: Four people sustained coral snake bites in just two weeks. In all four cases, however, the victims were bitten after they'd "picked up the snakes for either photos or to look at them more closely." One victim specifically "took a photo of the snake, posted it to Facebook and then got bit while still holding it." While it's nice to imagine most people would have better judgement around potentially venomous creatures, it's worth wondering whether coral snakes are blood-thirsty biters or if they're just hermits who snap when they don't have enough space. Advertisement Are Coral Snakes Venomous? "Coral snakes are in the family Elapidae, which is the same family as cobras, mambas and kraits," says Coleman M. Sheehy III, Ph.D., who works in the division of herpetology at the Florida Museum of Natural History, in an email interview. "So, they have strong venom that is dangerous to humans and other animals. However, they are not aggressive and prefer to hide most of the time. Thus, bite cases in humans are relatively rare throughout most of their distribution. Safety includes things like leaving them alone when one is seen and not trying to catch or kill them." That may sound like common sense behavior, but, well, we just discussed what happened in Florida. The Sunshine State isn't the only home for coral snakes, though. "There are coral snake species found all over the world," Sheehy says. "Over 80 species live throughout the Neotropics (North, Central and South America). The various species live in a wide variety of habitats ranging from wet forests to deserts." Coral snakes are separated into two groups: Old World (found in Asia) and New World (found in the Americas). "New World coral snakes are found from southern Arizona continuously through to Florida along the southeastern U.S.," says Ian Recchio, curator of reptiles and amphibians at the Los Angeles Zoo, by email. "There are three species that occur in the U.S.: the Arizona (or Sonoran) coral snake, Texas coral snake and Eastern coral snake. But coral snake diversity reaches its apex in Latin America, which has well over 100 species!" While most species of coral snakes are tri-colored combinations of red, black and yellow (or white) rings, there's a lot of variety among the three U.S. species. "The Sonoran coral snakes are very secretive and more nocturnal, but also more commonly encountered during and after heavy rains," says Brett Baldwin, animal care supervisor at the San Diego Zoo, in an email. "Sonoran coral snake venom is likely the most toxic snake venom in the U.S. Texas coral snakes are secretive, slender, fossorial [burrowing] and usually encountered in the early morning or evening but also at night. They are often more active during and after heavy rains and inhabit wooded areas and rocky areas, hills and canyons. Their venom may be slow acting so may take several hours before there is any reaction. Eastern coral snakes commonly are encountered during early mornings. They occur in a variety of habitats piney forests, wet areas around ponds and lakes, and in open sandy areas." "All coral snakes are slender, shiny skinned with small eyes," Recchio says. "They are all highly venomous and possess a neurotoxic venom. Many are brightly colored and banded in pattern. Red is a common color of many coral snakes, and most are small under 12 inches (30.48 cm), but a few can reach over 24 inches (61 centimeters)." But the biggest question most people have is whether these bright, cylindrical bodied creatures are on a mission to kill. They are but they're not on the hunt for human flesh. Advertisement What Do Coral Snakes Eat? "Coral snakes mostly feed on lizards and other snakes, which they kill using their venom," Sheehy says. "All coral snakes possess a highly potent neurotoxic venom and should never be touched," Recchio says. "Some species of coral snakes are so small that it's believed their fangs are too small to penetrate human skin though handling a coral snake is never recommended regardless of its diminutive size!" In the event that you do manage to find, irritate and incite a coral snake to sink its fangs into your skin, get help ASAP (aka don't wait around and post about the event on Facebook first). "Take all bites seriously and get medical attention immediately," Baldwin says. "Coral snake antivenom is very effective. There has only been one reported death from a coral snake bite in the U.S. since the development of the antivenom in the 1960s, in 2009 when an eastern coral snake bite victim did not seek medical attention." Now That's Interesting Outdoorsy folks may be familiar with a creepy nursery rhyme of sorts often used to quickly identify snakes on sight: "Red Touch Yellow - Kills a Fellow/Red Touch Black - Venom Lack/Yellow Touches Red - Soon You'll Be Dead/Red Touches Black - Friend of Jack." But, perhaps unsurprisingly, shorthand rhymes aren't your most solid source when it comes to life or death. "The popular rhyme about 'red on yellow, kill a fellow' for coral snakes and 'red on black, venom lack' only holds true for coral snakes in the United States," Sheehy says. "As soon as you get into Mexico or anywhere further south, you start finding exceptions to that rule!" YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS. It is necessary to create conditions for the long-term settlement in the South Caucasus, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the discussion at the Valdai Club, in response to the question of one of the participants. The Russian leader said that first of all the political wisdom of the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan should be appreciated. In any case, despite the tragic outcome of the incidents, they managed to stand above the current conjuncture policy and make a very responsible decision. I know that there are complaints in both countries, even statements are made addressed to their leaders. There are always some political forces which are not satisfied with anything or think that it could be done better. But a response always comes try to do better. In any case, both Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Aliyev managed to stop the bloodshed. But the problem is not in this, although there isnt and cant be more important than saving human lives. There is an important aspect overall, it is necessary to create conditions for long-term settlement in the region. These conditions could be created only when the two sides accept the agreements reached, the two sides also need to assess the advantages. I want to highlight this, that is the advantage of peaceful coexistence. And here all are interested in. Azerbaijan is interested in having a normal communication with Nakhijevan and is also interested in unblocking of communications. For Armenia, the establishment of an effective economic life, the mutual cooperation in the region, including with Azerbaijan in the future, are a priority task. Armenia is interested in all these. To normalize the relations with Turkey, give them a modern nature, Putin said. According to him, all these should lead to the primary goal to the secure coexistence of the two states and the creation of conditions for economic development. Whether this is possible or not? Its possible. We have done the utmost to stop the bloodshed, but not only this. Our peacekeepers are fulfilling their duties with an honor. More than 50,000 refugees have already returned to their places. Overall, the situation in the conflict zone remains as it is. There are no major military operations. Yes, unfortunately, incidents are taking place. Yes, unfortunately, sometimes even people are being killed, but probably its difficult to imagine a completely perfect picture after so many years of resistance. The most important now is the final solution of the situation on the border. And here, of course, nothing can be done without Russias participation. We probably do not need anyone else here expect the two sides and Russia. Why? There are very simple pragmatic things, the maps which are in the General Staff of the Russian Amy. These maps show how the borders of Soviet republics were passing. Based on these documents, it is necessary to sit calmly with the two sides, there are issues here which require mutual concessions, to equalize something somewhere and exchange something somewhere. But only if that it is recognized, understandable and acceptable for both sides. Whether this can be done or not? Yes, it can be. But, of course, we support also finding a multilateral format, including the activation of works of the Minsk Group. We work on this, including with our partners, Putin said. He added that the most important is to achieve the main goal that is to create a secure situation and build relations in the future with a positive perspective. But for now what we have put before us as a goal, we are managing to do it in general. And of course, we need to look at the future, see what will happen, he said, adding that the problem is in establishing relations between the two countries. This is the most important. And I hope we will manage to do that, Vladimir Putin said. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS. The unified formation of the Armenian and Russian troops are holding tactical military exercises in Armenia. The drills kicked off on October 22, the commander of the formation Lt. General Tigran Parvanyan told Sputnik Armenia. The Special Army Corps troops of the Armenian Armed Forces and the special units of the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri are taking part. The general said that similar drills are held several times a year as planned. Large numbers of equipment, including tanks and infantry fighting vehicles and artillery are involved in the drills. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS. 620,400 doses of Spikevax vaccine manufactured by Moderna will be donated to Armenia, Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan said. Yesterday we signed a trilateral contract between Armenia, Norway and Moderna. I would like to thank the Kingdom of Norway and Moderna for the efforts to overcome the pandemic, she said. The Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations will assist in transferring the new batch of the vaccine to Armenia. Armenia is already using Moderna vaccine since early October when it received the 50,000 doses as a donation from Lithuania. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received the delegation led by the Vice President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Gilles Carbonnier, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press servic eof the MFA Armenia. Highlighting the work done by the ICRC, Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the organization's uniqueness as a neutral, impartial body that has been active in both Armenia and Artsakh since 1992. The Armenian FM stressed the readiness of the Armenian side to continue supporting the implementation of the ICRC mission in Armenia and Artsakh, in accordance with the three-decade-old agenda. During the meeting, in the context of providing assistance to the population of Artsakh affected by the Azerbaijani aggression, the activities of the ICRC was stressed as the only international organization present in Artsakh. Minister Mirzoyan stressed that the issue of immediate return of prisoners of war and civilian hostages remains a priority. In violation of the Geneva Convention and the requirements of the November 9, 2020 declaration, Azerbaijan continues to create artificial obstacles for the return of the captives. Ararat Mirzoyan also noted that despite the evidence presented by the Armenian side, Azerbaijan hides the real number of captives and places of their detention, which creates serious grounds for assuming that there are cases of forced disappearance. The ICRC delegation expressed its readiness to continue its assistance to the Armenian authorities in overcoming the humanitarian problems created in the post-war situation. 620,400 doses of Spikevax vaccine manufactured by Moderna will be donated to Armenia, Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan said, Armenpress reports. October 22, 2021, 17:44 Over 600,000 Doses of Moderna Vaccine To Be Donated to Armenia STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 22, ARTSAKHPRESS: "Yesterday we signed a trilateral contract between Armenia, Norway and Moderna. I would like to thank the Kingdom of Norway and Moderna for the efforts to overcome the pandemic", she said. The Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations will assist in transferring the new batch of the vaccine to Armenia. Armenia is already using Moderna vaccine since early October when it received the 50,000 doses as a donation from Lithuania. Thailand is the latest tourist paradise to set a holiday date for Aussies. From November 1, fully-vaccinated Australians will be allowed to skip Covid-19 quarantine when visiting the Southeast Asian country. Australia was among 46 countries announced by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday to be included in new quarantine-free travel arrangements. Prayuth said the visitors could skip mandatory quarantine as long as they arrive via air, have been fully vaccinated and have a document to show they are virus-free. Thailand will reopen the capital Bangkok and other key tourist destinations, including Hua Hin and Pattaya, where curfews will be lifted at the end of the month. From next month, Thailand will let vaccinated Aussies visit without quarantining. Source: Getty Images Covid hits tourism hard The Southeast Asian country is seeking to revive its vital tourism industry after losing about $50 billion in tourism revenue last year, an 82 per cent plunge. It started with a pilot reopening that began on July 1 on its most popular island, Phuket, which has been vaccinating most of its local population. Just 100,000 foreign visitors are expected this year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Thailand lost about $50 billion in tourism revenue last year. Source: Getty Images Qantas launches flights to Thailand It comes as Qantas and Jetstar bring forward planned international flights to Thailand, out of Sydney. The faster ramp-up follows the federal and New South Wales governments confirming international borders will reopen from 1 November 2021. The NSW government has also decided to remove quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated arrivals. Qantas said this would significantly increase travel demand. The updated international schedule includes: Sydney to Bangkok: Qantas flights will resume on 14 January 2022, more than two months earlier than scheduled. Sydney to Phuket: Jetstar flights will resume on 12 January 2022, more than two months earlier than scheduled. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. A woman has died and a man has been injured after actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a New Mexico film set for the 19th Century western Rust. Halyna Hutchins, 42, was shot while working on the set as director of photography. She was flown to hospital by helicopter but died of her injuries. The man, 48-year-old director Joel Souza, was taken from the scene at Bonanza Creek Ranch by ambulance. Police said they were investigating and that no charges had been filed. A spokesman for Mr Baldwin, best known for his role as Jack Donaghy on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock and for his portrayal of Donald Trump on sketch show Saturday Night Live, said the incident had involved the misfiring of a prop gun with blanks. In a statement to AFP news agency, a Santa Fe sheriff spokesman said Mr Baldwin had spoken to detectives. "He came in voluntarily and he left the building after he finished his interviews," the spokesman said. Police are trying to establish what type of projectile left the prop gun and how. Mr Baldwin was seen outside the sheriff's office in tears, local media reported. The actor is a co-producer of the film and plays its namesake, an outlaw whose 13-year-old grandson is convicted of manslaughter. The eldest of four brothers, all actors, Mr Baldwin has starred in numerous TV and film roles since the 1980s. Ms Hutchins was from Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle, according to her personal website. She studied journalism in Kyiv, and film in Los Angeles, and was named a "rising star" by the American Cinematographer magazine in 2019. She was the director of photography for the 2020 action film Archenemy, directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer. "I'm so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set," Mr Mortimer said in a tweet. In a statement, the International Cinematographer's Guild said Ms Hutchins' death was "devastating news" and "a terrible loss". Story continues "The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event," said guild president John Lindley and executive director Rebecca Rhine. Police say sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Bonanza Creek Ranch, a popular filming location, at around 13:50 local time (19:50 GMT) after receiving an emergency call about a shooting on the set of Rust. Incidents such as Thursday's fatal shooting on the Rust film set are extremely rare, but not unheard of. Real firearms are often used in filming, and are loaded with blanks - cartridges that create a flash and a bang without discharging a projectile. In 1993, Brandon Lee - the 28-year-old son of the late martial-arts star Bruce Lee - died on set after being accidentally shot with a prop gun while filming a death scene for the film The Crow. The gun mistakenly had a dummy round loaded in it. Responding to Thursday's news, Brandon Lee's sister Shannon tweeted: "Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on 'Rust'. No-one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period." Many artworks in this years "Quilts=Art=Quilts" exhibition at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn tell a story. The story that Lena Meszaros tells in her piece, Heritage, is intensely personal. Her quilt shows someone in a coat moving swiftly, one arm holding a suitcase. The coat is covered with small patches of different materials, some drawn on and others showing advertisements and canceled stamps. Tiny bags, boxes and suitcases dangle from an arm and the back of the coat. One small box lies on the ground beneath. The suitcases and boxes represent the nomadic life of Meszaros family throughout Europe. Her father, a Jew whose family is of Polish origin, survived World War II in the ghetto of Budapest, Hungary. Her Russian mother had lived in Siberia before marrying him and moving to Hungary. Meszaros moved to France after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and two of her three daughters have moved to Belgium. Why a coat? A coat is the most practical item when you have to leave your house, much more than a suitcase, Meszaros said in an interview. You wear it on yourself. It can protect you from the cold. It can serve as a blanket. In the inside pockets, you can bring some food. You can hide valuable things in the lining: papers, photos, money or precious stones, she continued. These objects are to be sewn inside at the level of the chest, possibly protecting you from bullets when you get shot. A coat like this represents all your history and experience. Quilts=Art=Quilts is the Schweinfurths annual art quilt exhibition, which draws entries from around the world and from central New York. This year, the 40th anniversary juried show includes 71 quilts from 61 artists, including three from Australia, three from Canada and one each from France, Ireland and Northern Ireland. The exhibit opens Saturday, Oct. 23, with free admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day. The Schweinfurth is expanding its opening to avoid hosting large crowds during a short window of time. All attendees are required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status. The exhibit runs through Jan. 9 along with Marks Made, an exhibition of fiber art by Christine Mauersberger. In year two of the COVID-19 pandemic, the disease is still having an impact on peoples lives and influencing their art. So its no surprise that the virus shows up in at least 11 pieces selected for this years show. Among them is CELL-fie, a 2021 quilt that Kathy Suprenant of Lawrence, Kansas, made from a lab coat she wore when conducting research as a cellular and molecular biologist at the University of Kansas. Suprenant grew up in Hudson Falls, near the Adirondacks, and became a first-generation college graduate. She began making traditional quilts for friends and family as a hobby while teaching and researching at the University of Kansas. Most of my research, funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, involved the study of how normal cells divide in order to understand what goes wrong during abnormal cell division, such as cancer, she said. In addition to research, I taught around 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students, and was the chair of the Department of Molecular Biosciences for several years. If you go WHAT: "Quilts=Art=Quilts" WHEN: Opens 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, and continuing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays through Sunday, Jan. 9 WHERE: Schweinfurth Art Center, 205 Genesee St., Auburn COST: Admission free on opening day, and afterward $10 per person and free for members, participating artists and children 12 and younger INFO: For more information, including a virtual tour that will be available Oct. 28, visit schweinfurthartcenter.org or call (315) 255-1553 Trunk shows As part of this year's "Quilts=Art=Quilts" exhibit, the Schweinfurth will release a video series of trunk shows with featured artists on schweinfurthartcenter.org, YouTube and social media on the following Sundays: Nov. 20: Fuzzy Mall Nov. 27: Helen Geglio Dec. 4: Kevin Womack Dec. 11: Irene Roderick After taking classes with Alice Kettle, Jane Sassaman, Ruth McDowell and Sian Martin, Suprenant began making art quilts. In 2016, she retired early to begin a new career as a full-time artist. I left academia simply because I wanted and needed to make art full-time, she said. Now my art studio is my place of thinking and making. It is where I ask open-ended questions, ponder the big picture, and learn from failure and celebrate success. I am very happy with this new career path. Suprenants piece is made from three lab coats with different textures. It features drawn and stitched cells, and DNA strands in shades of blue. Months of COVID-19 isolation led to a disorienting array of drawing, painting and stitching directly onto the quilt surface, she said in her artist statement. Kevin Womack of Forest, Virginia, makes broader social commentary in his piece, Lament. Its his version of a storm flag, which is hung at military bases facing a major storm. In 2020, the USA saw constant strife, inequality, increasing sickness and death, he said in his artist statement. We were mired in misinformation and bombarded by hateful rhetoric in the midst of a storm brewing for more than four years. The stoking of discord, lack of empathy and promotion of division during that time may have left deep wounds to our union, he continued. Lament is my 2020 storm flag my cry for help and expression of grief at what we have become. Its mourning veil attempts to conceal the damage done, but contains stains, which I fear are permanent. Some quilts offer uplifting messages. Bill Stearman of Picton, Ontario, Canada, began working on his quilt, Finding Comfort in the Unknown, in the two weeks before his liver transplant. I was filled with so many thoughts, feelings, emotions, scenarios and I just decided that I needed to find a way to be rid of all of that, and to focus on finding comfort, he said in his statement. Making this piece brought comfort, and it continues to bring me comfort as I settle in with its softness. The quilt is now a pleasant reminder that he is cancer-free. Maria Welych is marketing director for the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, a multi-arts center that opened in 1981 thanks to a bequest from Auburn-born architect Julius Schweinfurth. The center's programs include more than a dozen exhibitions each year and educational programs for children and adults, which feature local, national and international artists. For more information, call (315) 255-1553 or visit schweinfurthartcenter.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A document provided by the Cayuga County Health Department details its COVID-19 vaccination efforts since the first clinic was held in January. From Jan. 11 through September, 15,284 vaccine doses have been administered at health department-run clinics. For the majority of that time, Fingerlakes Mall has served as the main location. But department staff have gone to other sites, including businesses, housing complexes and schools. Kathleen Cuddy, the county's public health director, explained at the Cayuga County Board of Health meeting on Tuesday that the document was prepared for Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement claims. The Citizen reviewed the spreadsheet, which includes a column titled "site type." This, Cuddy said, is a FEMA descriptor. FEMA uses a numbered system to differentiate between larger and smaller vaccination sites. There is a separate category for mobile clinics. Beyond its usefulness for helping the county navigate the federal bureaucracy, the breakdown of vaccination clinics shows to what extent the health department was willing to go to ensure residents got their immunizations. After the health department received its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in January, it held 11 clinics at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES in Aurelius. But once in-person classes resumed, the department needed a new location. Fingerlakes Mall offered space its event center to host clinics. Of the 15,284 doses administered, 6,041 shots were dispensed at Fingerlakes Mall, including a single-day record of 708 on March 26. Mobile clinics organized by the county did not draw the largest crowds, but they brought the vaccine to people who would otherwise need to drive to Auburn, Syracuse or elsewhere to get vaccinated. There have been multiple vaccine clinics at schools outside of Auburn, with Port Byron and Southern Cayuga being popular locations. Roughly 3,500 shots were administered at the school clinics. The county's tally includes vaccination clinics held at Cayuga County schools in May and June before the summer break. Many of the health department's vaccination clinics have already been reported, but there were lesser-known clinics included in the summary. The department went to Dickman Farms and Owens-Illinois to administer vaccinations. There were a pair of clinics at a food pantry in Auburn. Shots were given to residents at the Boyle Center in Auburn and Hillside Children's Center in Sennett. "We were very deliberate in trying to reach various areas throughout our long county once we went mobile," Cuddy wrote in an email to The Citizen. "We also made concerted and repeated attempts to reach out to specific populations of people. Our community partners have been, and continue to be, critical to the success of our outreach and engagement of people." Cuddy praised her staff and partners for their "truly amazing dedication and impressive cooperation." She said that collaboration "continues onward focused on the purpose of vaccinating our community members to help stop the spread of COVID-19." The data also shows how demand for the COVID-19 vaccines has changed over time. The number of doses administered at health department clinics topped 1,000 each month from January through May. The high was 3,959 in February. After 779 shots in June, there were 159 in July. According to the document, the county had nine clinics that month. As COVID-19 cases began to surge in August, there was a slight increase in doses administered at health department-run clinics (233). The county dispensed 169 shots in September. The health department's clinics have played a vital role in the county's vaccination effort. COVID-19 vaccines are available at other locations, including pharmacies. But the health department is one of the few entities in Cayuga County that has held larger vaccination clinics. So far, Cayuga County's overall vaccination rate is 53.3%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate among eligible residents ages 12 and older is 61%. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Seward House Museum and Cayuga Museum of History & Art in Auburn have recently been awarded grants. The Seward House has been awarded $500,000 from the National Park Service through the Historic Preservation Fund and Save America's Treasures program. The money will support the rehabilitation of the South Street museum's barn and carriage house. Once complete, the barn will become a multipurpose space for programming or private events, while the carriage house will display the original carriage of the museum's namesake, Secretary of State William H. Seward. The second floor will become office space for museum staff. "We are thrilled to receive acknowledgement by the National Park Service and the Historic Preservation Fund of the significance of these buildings. The Seward House Museum is truly one of America's treasures," museum Executive Director Billye Chabot said in a news release. Museum Facilities Manager Mitch Maniccia added, "These historically meaningful buildings provide a rich environment for the stories we share, and their rehabilitation will help sustain the museum as it continues to achieve national acclaim. 'A lot of needs': Inside the Seward House projects up for Auburn's $10M grant Those with projects up for pieces of Auburn's $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant are waiting to see how the money is spent w The Seward House is one of 49 institutions across the country that received $15.5 million in the current round of Save America's Treasures funding. For more information, visit sewardhouse.org. The Cayuga Museum, meanwhile, has received $15,000 from Humanities New York to support its operations this fall. The SHARP Operating grant will help the museum and its small staff during one of its busiest times of the year. The grant will help the staff accommodate the installation and opening of the "Memory Through Tradition" exhibit in November, the third and final part of "The Memory Project." The exhibit will look at the ways memory is shaped through religious and cultural traditions in Cayuga County. It will open Nov. 27 and continue through Jan. 8. The grant is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the federal American Rescue Plan Act. For more information, visit cayugamuseum.org. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The boil water advisory for Cato and water customers on Route 370 between the Village of Cato and the Village of Meridian has been lifted. The Cayuga County Health Department on Friday said that drinking water samples collected on Wednesday, Oct. 20, and Thursday, Oct. 21, from Cato's public water system were satisfactory and residents no longer need to boil their water. The health department had issued the advisory after the disinfection system malfunctioned Tuesday, potentially allowing harmful microbes to enter the drinking water. For additional information, call the following numbers for village of Cato officials: (315) 626-2397, (315) 447-6089 or (315) 350-9648, or call the county health department at (315) 253-1560. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 City Michael C. Ely, 20, 9797 Powers Road, Cato, was picked up on a bench warrant Oct. 18. Steven A. Strecker, 31, 43 Pulaski St., Apt. 4, Auburn, was charged Oct. 19 with endangering the welfare of a child. Shyann J. Barnes, 24, 13 Easterly Ave., 3, Auburn, was charged Oct. 19 with resisting arrest and second-degree harassment. Shawn A. Currier, 34, 104 Wall St., Auburn, was charged Oct. 19 with petit larceny. Danny R. Ladisair, 34, 9 Dayton St., Auburn, was charged Oct. 19 with resisting arrest and second-degree harassment. Randi L. Session, 27, 142 S. Fulton St., Auburn, was picked up on a bench warrant Oct. 19. Aaron T. Hendershot, 25, 8088 Route 90, Montezuma, was charged Oct. 20 with second-degree menacing. Brian C. Rowley, 24, 541 Stolp Ave., Syracuse, was charged Oct. 20 with criminal mischief. Vicki L. Telvock, 22, 19 Franklin St., Auburn, was picked up on a bench warrant Oct. 20. Jamar J. Ward, 29, 47 Pulaski St., Auburn, was charged Oct. 20 with second-degree aggravated harassment. Christopher G. Yantch, 61, 5151 W. Lake Road, Fleming, was charged Oct. 21 with first-degree driving while intoxicated. County Brian D. Lawrence, 25, 109 Washington St., Apt. 1, Auburn, was charged Oct. 18 with second-degree criminal contempt. Kristina M. Parker, 58, 87 East Seneca St., Oswego, was picked up on a bench warrant Oct. 20. Alyssa J. Foster, 28, 5 Teds Way, Moravia, was charged Oct. 21 with torturing/injuring/not feeding an animal. State Teresa M. Crane, 66, Skaneateles, was charged Oct. 18 with first-degree driving while intoxicated. Shiane M. Schuster, 25, Martville, was charged Oct. 19 with petit larceny. Timothy B. Wilbur, 35, Syracuse, was charged Oct. 19 with second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and second-degree criminal contempt. Robert A. Janas, 52, Auburn, was charged Oct. 20 with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content level of at least .08% and driving while intoxicated-first offense. Damian V. Brantley, 31, Oswego, was charged Oct. 20 with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content level of at least .08% and driving while intoxicated-first offense. Erick T. Martin, 25, Newark, was charged Oct. 20 was charged with first-degree criminal contempt and aggravated family offense. Craig J. Kilbourne, 58, Auburn, was charged Oct. 20 with petit larceny. Devin D. Daly, 31, Skaneateles, was charged Oct. 20 with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content level of at least .08% and driving while intoxicated-first offense. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 A hopeful in the Auburn City Council race has racked up an endorsement. Democrat Ginny Kent has been endorsed by Eleanor's Legacy, according to a news release from the Friends of Ginny Kent group. Eleanor's Legacy is a group that has been "supporting pro-choice Democratic women running for state and local office in New York State" for 20 years, the release said. The group was founded in 2001 by Judith Hope, the first woman to chair the New York State Democratic Committee, and is "inspired by the dynamic legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt and her dedication to expanding the role of women in government, the news release continued. "We know that Ginny Kent is the right person to serve the City of Auburn as City Councilor during these challenging times," Sophie Nir of Eleanor's Legacy said, according to the news release. "I am proud and grateful to be among the women candidates for local office across NYS that have been endorsed by Eleanor's Legacy," Kent said in the release. Kent, the associate development director for the Cayuga Community College Foundation, is a newcomer to running for municipal office, although she has been elected to the Auburn school district board of education. She has also been endorsed in her city council bid by Auburn Fire Fighters Local 1446, the firefighters union in the city, and the Cayuga County Labor Council. Those two organizations are also backing Democrat Terry Cuddy, who is running for reelection. Two four-year terms are up for grabs this year. Councilor Debby McCormick said earlier this year that she didn't intend on pursuing another term. Republicans Robert Otterstatter and Tim Lattimore, a former Auburn mayor who is in his third and final term with the Cayuga County Legislature, are also seeking council seats. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Oct. 22, 1996 OWASCO Local officials hope the deteriorated images of the Owasco Lake seawall stay in the mind of one of the most powerful men in Washington. Congressman Bob Livingston, R-Louisiana, stood within a footstep of plunging into the Owasco Inlet while he spoke to local officials about the seawall. He stood within inches of a 12-foot segment of the seawall that had fallen into the inlet. Livingston, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, toured the seawall yesterday. He was here at the request of area Congressman Jim Walsh, whose 25th District includes Auburn. "We can't exist without water projects," Livingston said in reference to the area he represents in Louisiana. Livingston heads a committee with jurisdiction over all discretionary expenditures of the federal government, according to a press release from Walsh's office. County Chairman Ralph Standbrook, R-Fair Haven, said Livingstone was the most powerful man he has met since he has been the county chairman. "At least he has seen the project and has some hands-on knowledge," Standbrook said. "I think this is the best thing that could have happened for the project." Compiled by David Wilcox Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 ALBANY A state trooper who could be charged in a pursuit on the Thruway that led to the death of an 11-year-old girl had been involved in two similar collisions on the highway, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul. Hochul said in an executive order signed Wednesday that a grand jury will be asked to consider charges against Trooper Christopher Baldner for his role in a Dec. 22, 2020, crash that killed Monica Goods, of Brooklyn. The order also said Baldner "engaged in prior similar conduct on two occasions" that led to collisions on the Thruway north of New York City in 2017 and 2019. The executive order authorizes state Attorney General Letitia James, who is the special prosecutor in the 2020 case, to investigate and potentially seek charges related to the previous incidents. All three collisions were on stretches of the highway in Ulster County in the Hudson Valley. A spokesperson for the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers, which is providing legal representation for Baldner, said Friday it would not comment until the grand jury is finished. Goods' father was driving his wife and two daughters to visit relatives when the trooper stopped him for speeding in the town of Ulster, about 95 miles north of New York City. State police have said the father fled shortly after the traffic stop, resulting in a chase. Baldner allegedly struck the Goods' SUV from behind before it hit a guardrail and flipped. Monica Goods was ejected from the SUV and pronounced dead at the scene. Details about the previous episodes in 2017 and 2019 were not included in the executive order. State police say Baldner is on active duty, but not on patrol. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 The Stars and Stripes Gala honors all who have served as well as celebrating the 75th and 45th anniversaries of the end of WWII and the Vietna ALBANY Voters statewide in November will get their say on five proposals to amend the New York Constitution, becoming the final deciders on matters involving redistricting, new environmental protections and absentee voting rights. New York, unlike some states, does not have direct initiative and referendum procedures that would permit constitutional changes to start with voters. That means the ballot items up for consideration this fall have already been vetted and argued over in Albany by state legislators. With history as a guide, most of these items will pass, and many voters may not even cast a yes or no vote on the ballot measures. But each proposal would make a change not in state law, but the states constitution, a multiyear process that, according to Ballotpedia, has successfully happened 15 times since 1996. Five proposals are on the ballot. Ballot Proposal 1: Amending the Apportionment and Redistricting Process. This proposal would make minor and major changes to more than a dozen separate provisions of the New York Constitution. The proposed changes come from Democrats, and Republicans say the proposed changes are aimed at further cementing the minority status of the GOP in both Albany and who gets sent to Congress to represent New York. The amendment freezes at the current level of 63 the number of State Senate districts. Republicans, when they were in control of the Senate, maintained their power, in part, by growing the number of districts as a way to try to blunt the increasingly blue politics of New York. The proposal also requires that district maps redrawn every 10 years based on the census count all people living in a congressional or state legislative district, regardless of their citizenship status. It would also enshrine in the constitution a provision that a state prison inmates address, for the purpose of drawing political districts, is his or her last place of residence, not the correctional facility where they are locked up. New York Common Cause said the plan makes common sense changes to redistricting language. The New York League of Women Voters, though, say the proposal would disempower minority party members of the Independent Redistricting Commission as well as minority Republican state lawmakers. If, for instance, the Legislature is controlled by one political party, like it is now by Democrats, the commission's redistricting plan could be approved by the Legislature by a simple majority vote of the two houses, instead of the current two-thirds vote required. Also, it would be easier for the Legislature to block map plans that the commission finalizes a route most Albany observers believe is one of the more likely scenarios by lawmakers in the majority who want to draw their own district lines. The proposed constitutional change would do away with a provision that now requires the commissions plan to be approved by at least one member appointed by the legislative leaders, including those appointed to the panel by the GOP leaders in the minority in the Assembly and Senate. Power is also eliminated for GOP members of the commission in the process to name co-executive directors of the commission. Common Cause says the plans will decrease party influence on mapmaking, while the League of Women Voters say they increase the power of the political party in power while changing a process approved in 2014 that has not had a chance yet to fully play out. New district lines for the State Legislature and Congress will be in place for the 2022 elections either by the commissions hand, Democrats who control the Legislature or a panel of judges that might have to step in if decisions arent in place in time. The first ballot proposal also speeds up by two weeks to Jan. 1, 2022, the timetable for when the commission must present its first redistricting proposal to lawmakers. A second, and final, plan, if rejected by lawmakers, would then be due two weeks later instead of the end of February. That timetable is a bow to New Yorks earlier June primary contests and the earlier time period for when candidates gather signatures to get onto ballots. I Earlier this year, the measure was given final approval in the Legislature with the backing of nearly all Democrats and opposition from Republican lawmakers. Government watchdog groups are split. The New York Public Interest Research Group supports it, while it is opposed by Citizens Union, which this week said the proposal would remove the protections that ensure no one political party could dominate the redistricting process. Ballot Proposal 2: Right to Clean Air, Clean Water and a Healthful Environment Following in the footsteps of several other states, including Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, New York voters are being asked to change the state constitution to declare that each person shall have a right to clean air and water, and a healthful environment. A legislative memo accompanying the constitutional change, given final approval in February by the Legislature, states that additional environmental protections, in the form of a constitutional right for all New Yorkers, are needed following ongoing air quality concerns and problems in some communities with water contamination issues. Making the 17-word change to the constitution would ensure, lawmakers said, that clean air and water are treated as fundamental rights for New Yorkers. The change is supported by environmental groups who say the constitution is a powerful and guiding document to lay out such supreme air and water protections for future generations of New Yorkers. The amendment was opposed by 39 lawmakers earlier this year out of 213 state legislators. Opponents, including some business groups, say the ballot changes wording is so vague as to guarantee one certain outcome: lots of lawsuits on many different environmental matters for decades to come. Ballot Proposal 3: Eliminating 10-day advance voter registration requirement This item, practically speaking, sets up New York State to legalize what is called same-day voter registration, which is a process by which voters can register as a New York voter and vote on the same day: Election Day. Presently, the constitution requires people to register to vote at least 10 days prior to an election. If approved by voters, the change means the Legislature could as already supported by many Democratic lawmakers in the two houses enact enabling legislation to permit voter registration fewer than 10 days, including on Election Day. Proponents say the measure will boost voter participation. The measure was given final approval this year in the two houses with Democrats voting as a bloc in favor and Republicans against. Ballot Proposal 4: Authorizing No-Excuse Absentee Ballot Voting The constitution now allows people to vote via absentee ballot if they give a valid reason for not being able to vote in person, including they expect to be absent from their county of residence on Election Day and that they cant vote in person because of an illness or physical disability. Absentee voting during the Covid pandemic was especially popular in 2020, when in-person voting was not required if people felt they could be put at a health risk by having to cast their votes at polling places. Some 2 million New Yorkers cast absentee ballots in the 2020 presidential contest. As we have seen in the most recent election, voting by mail is becoming the norm, not the exception, states a Democratic legislative memo in support of the constitutional change. It states that in view of the impressive array of pro-democracy legislation OK'd in New York since 2019, voters should be able to cast ballots in whatever way each finds most comfortable, whether that be in a voting booth on election day or in the comfort of their own home prior to election day. Republicans, pointing to problems many election boards had in 2020 in timely verifying absentee ballots were properly distributed, said the states early voting laws largely took care of the need for people to be able to register as late as on Election Day. Ballot Proposal 5: New York City Civil Court Claims The fifth ballot measure would double to $50,000 the jurisdictional limit of claims brought before the New York City civil court system. It was last raised in 1983 from $10,800 and is depicted by supporters as easing backlogs for such cases in the State Supreme Court system. It was the only ballot proposal to be passed unanimously earlier this year in the Senate and Assembly. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Once upon a time, Carlos Ghosn was considered as a maverick leader in the global automotive world before his career came to a tumultuous halt due to charges of financial misconduct in Japan in 2018. The former Nissan boss fled Japan in dramatic fashion and reached Lebanon from where he is now determined to work his way back to a clean reputation and of a fight against the allegations against him. At the pinnacle of his career, Ghosn was the man-in-charge of Nissan. He was also the chairman of France's Renault and the boss of a three-way alliance between Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi. He was credited for various cost-cutting measures which many feel helped Nissan survive through tumultuous times but the congratulations soon turned into brickbats when he was accused of financial misconduct. He had to spend varying periods in custody in Japan before making a dramatic escape from the country. Ghosn said and says he is innocent. In a recent interview to the Associated Press, the 67-year-old vowed to fight back. I'm going to be there. I'm going to defend my rights as long as I have the energy to do it," he reportedly said. Ghosn has also previously said that there is a power tussle within Nissan and that he was made a victim of it. "The only way I can qualify them are: Thugs, inside Nissan," he said. And while he may be a wanted fugitive, Ghosn believes that there is enough in him to prove that the charges against him are baseless. Charges against Carlos Ghosn File photo: Former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn leaves the Tokyo Detention House in Tokyo. (REUTERS) The main thrust of the charges against him come from the fact that an internal inquiry at Nissan had found that Ghosn had underreported his compensation to the Japanese government. The car maker accused its former boss of misrepresenting his salary, an offense which invites harsh penalty - with jail time - if proven in a court of law. Prosecutors in Japan also suspect several others of having either been part of the financial misconduct, aided Ghosn's eventual escape, or both. How did Carlos Ghosn escape from Japan Ghosn made a dramatic escape from Japan in what many regard as a perfect script for a Hollywood thriller. Despite being under constant surveillance, Ghosn is believed to have managed to take a bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka on December 29 of 2019. Here, it is reported that a 60-year-old former US soldier called Michael Taylor smuggled Ghosn into a private jet in boxes labelled for musical instruments. The jet then took off for Beirut. (Also read: American duo sentenced to jail for helping ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn escape) Why did Carlos Ghosn choose Lebanon Ghosn reportedly was also a citizen of Lebanon and has a home in the country. But most important factor may have been that Lebanon does not have an extradition treaty with Japan. Lighting and electronics expert HELLA established the Nanjing R&D Center in China in 2011. The aim was to further promote local development activities and developing automotive lighting and electronic products that meet the specific needs of the Chinese market. Today, it is the largest R&D center of HELLA in China and currently employs almost 500 people. It is planned to increase the number of employees even further to support HELLAs future business growth in China. Our strategy is: in China, for China. For ten years now, the Technical Center in Nanjing has been making a decisive contribution to this, says Didier Keskas, who is responsible for the lighting business of HELLA in Asia/Pacific. The establishment and continuous growth of our Nanjing Technical Center not only demonstrates HELLAs far-reaching commitment to the Chinese market, but also helps us respond to the needs of local customers more quickly and to provide them with innovative technologies. China is the largest single market in the world and has become a key driver of comprehensive industry change in recent years. In order to adapt to the local development speed and to market trends such as electromobility, software and autonomous driving, we require high-performance, local R&D centers, says Binyi Bai, head of HELLAs electronics business in China. Against this background, our Technical Center in Nanjing is well equipped and provides project management, design and development, simulation and validation. Combined with the production facilities we have in China, we provide customers with state-of-the-art products and clear added value. HELLA Nanjing Technical Center has comprehensive design & development capabilities in both automotive lighting and electronic products. It can provide customers with localized services across the entire development process. The development portfolio of the site includes a large number of essential product groups of the company. This includes, among other things, headlamps, rear combination lamps, interior and car body lighting as well as energy management, driver assistance systems, lighting electronics and advanced engineering. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese intelligent driving solution provider JIMU Intelligent announced on Oct. 21 it has banked 200 million yuan ($31.257 million) in a Series C1 funding round. The fresh round was led by Forebright Capital and SDIC Unity Capital, and also involved such institutions as AVIC Pingshan, Founder H Fund, MY Tsinghua Capital, UMC Capital. Photo credit: JIMU Intelligent The company said the capital raised will allow JIMU Intelligent to further strengthen its investment in the R&D of intelligent driving, connectivity, and autonomous driving in specific scenarios, continue to expand its client base, and expedite the volume production of high-level smart driving technologies. Founded in 2011, JIMU Intelligent has been dedicated to providing global OEMs and tier-1 suppliers with in-house developed leading intelligent driving solutions based on multi-sensor fusion and domain controllers. Its smart driving products have been applied in batches to around 100 vehicles models of nearly 30 OEMs at home and abroad. Up until now, JIMU Intelligent has obtained quite a few passenger vehicle ADAS projects, supplying 80%+ leading bus makers and 60+ leading truck manufacturers in China. The company tapped the passenger vehicle in 2020 and has won a slew of Level 1-Level 2 new energy passenger car projects. Its Level 2+ domain controller solution will be completed at the end of this year. JIMU Intelligent said it would continue to expand passenger car market after this financing, expecting to enter supply chains of at least five leading automakers over the next two years. What's more, the company is actively exploiting overseas markets. It has formed in-depth cooperation with many global leading tier-1 suppliers and has taken the lead in exporting intelligent driving solutions to countries like Japan and South Korea. With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. CPCA projects 1.72 million PVs sold in October Photo credit: NIO China Passenger Car Association reported an 11.9% retail discount rate in mid-October among passenger vehicles, down 0.5 percentage points compared to the end of last month. Estimated passenger vehicle retail volume is at roughly 1.72 million vehicles this month, dropping 13.7% year on year. JAC Group: Q1-Q3 profit to quadruple JAC Group reported an estimated net profit of RMB195 million for the first three quarters this year, indicating a 360% increase from a year ago. Net loss after non-recurring deduction would amount to RMB700 million. Zhongtong Bus Holding loses RMB221 million YTD According to Zhongtong Buss announcement, the company saw a 29.92% year-on-year decline in revenue to RMB2.28 billion in the first nine months of this year. Net loss of the company amounted to RMB221 million in the reporting period, while it saw a profit of RMB11 million last year. Huawei HarmonyOS intelligent cockpit powered vehicle to be launched soon Today, during the HUAWEI DEVELOPER CONFERENCE 2021 (HDC), Richard Yu disclosed that a new HUAWEI technology powered Sokon SERES SUV is expected to launch soon. Intelligent driving solution provider JIMU Intelligent bags 200 million yuan in Series C funding Chinese intelligent driving solution provider JIMU Intelligent announced on Oct. 21 it has banked 200 million yuan ($31.257 million) in a Series C1 funding round. HELLA celebrates 10th anniversary of R&D center in Nanjing, China Lighting and electronics expert HELLA established the Nanjing R&D Center in China in 2011. The aim was to further promote local development activities and developing automotive lighting and electronic products that meet the specific needs of the Chinese market. CATL teams up with Sichuan Energy Investment for lithium supplies CATL forged a strategic partnership earlier this week with Sichuan Energy Investment, a Sichuan-based stated-owned provider of power investment and development services, as part of efforts to shore up supply of lithium mineral resource. Chery Auto said to file for IPO in 2022 Chery Auto is reported to pursue an IPO in Chinas A share market in 2022, for it is projected to gain profit over RMB1.3 billion this year. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- CATL forged a strategic partnership earlier this week with Sichuan Energy Investment, a Sichuan-based stated-owned provider of power investment and development services, as part of efforts to shore up supply of lithium mineral resource. Sichuan Energy Investment, CATL signing agreement; photo credit: CATL Based on Sichuan Energy Investment's advantages in the mining of lithium ores and the production of lithium salts, both parties will carry out extensive cooperation in new energy industry to share resources and deliver win-win outcomes, said Qu Tao, Assistant to the Chairman of CATL. Wang Cheng, Vice Chairman of Sichuan Energy Investment, noted the in-depth partnership with CATL is formed under Chinas strategy for peaking carbon emission and achieving carbon neutrality, and is an important measure to speed up new energy industry deployment for both parties and jointly build an industrial cluster of green energy in Sichuan province. CATL is striving to build a controllable supply chain of lithium resource, a key battery ingredient. CATL announced in late Sept. it had agreed to buy out Canadian mining company Millennial Lithium for C$376.8 million ($297.3 million). Millennial Millennial Lithium has two non-producing lithium brine projects in northern Argentina, with a combined 4.12 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in measured and indicated resources. Last month, CATL became a new shareholder of a private investment firm Suzhou CATH Energy Technologies, according to the company information inquiry platform Tianyancha. The latter has signed an agreement with Australia's AVZ Minerals and Dathcom Mining to get a 24% stake in the Manono lithium and tin project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Long lines of vehicles park up and down Highway 89A through Oak Creek Canyon as hundreds flock to enjoy the water. Its a common site throughout the summer, and increasingly in the off-season as well, but its one that conservationists and state officials say has created some real ecological problems for the Oak Creek corridor. This week, a group of Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC) members completed the second phase of a project that officials hope will rehabilitate many areas along the corridor that have been hit hard by visitors, improve water quality in the creek and protect habitat for the threatened narrow-headed garter snake. The project, a collaboration between countless groups including the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, National Forest Foundation, Coconino National Forests Red Rock District and the AZCC, seeks to close hundreds of unofficial social trails that crisscross the area between the highway and the creek. Sporting their hard hats and tan AZCC uniforms, half a dozen young people unloaded large rocks from the bed of a pickup truck Wednesday morning. As employees of nearby Slide Rock State Park waved traffic by, the crew stacked the rocks under the state park's fence in areas where visitors have previously used to scramble through and descend to the creek. Over the last year, AZCC crews have addressed nearly 200 social trails along the creek corridor, said Ron Tiller, a scientist with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality who has been working on Oak Creek for about three years. Tiller said in April of 2020, he and Jake Fleischman with Natural Channel Design -- which has also been brought on to assist with the effort -- cataloged and mapped close to 340 social trails within Oak Creek Canyon. We pretty much walked the whole thing, Fleischman said. The trails largely cut directly from the road to the creek, often down steep escarpments causing significant erosion issues, and through patches of poison ivy, as visitors seek the fastest route to the water after parking along the road. In one area, Tiller said, they cataloged 47 individual trails that visitors had cut to the creek within just a quarter-mile stretch. The trails and foot traffic only increase erosion of sediment into the creek, and often contribute to outbreaks of E. coli in the creek as human waste left by visitors is swept into the water. Last year the Arizona Department of Transportation also sought to limit where visitors could park along the stretch of 89A, installing new guardrails in several areas. The agency cataloged close to 600 parking pull-offs along the road, meaning that for about every two parking spots, visitors had cut a new trail to the creek. In response, AZCC teams have installed low fencing and placed thick blankets of cut juniper limbs along the edge of pull offs, not only covering the unofficial trails from view but make the areas more difficult to navigate, and give new vegetation time to grow in. On the right path At the same time, the crews are also making improvements to other trails with the intention of leaving those open so there are still some ways to get to the creek. So far, close to 40 of the 200 trails they have worked on will remain open. On those trails, Fleischman said, crews are largely stabilizing the trails to reduce erosion and at times working to make them safer. All that doesnt guarantee that the unofficial trails wont continue in the area, said Sasha Stortz, Arizona program manager for the National Forest Foundation. But it does give visitors the opportunity for to recreate responsibly, she said. People mostly want to do the right thing, so we can help people do that, Stortz said. Protecting this place that people adore. Additionally, Stortz said if they are successful they believe the work will prevent about 30 tons of sediment, or about three dump trucks, from being eroded into the creek each year. Teller said he also believes the work will impact the likelihood of E. coli outbreaks in the creek, allowing people to recreate safely without getting sick. Snaky situation On top of that, by concentrating the use in fewer areas, they hope to reduce the overall impact to the ecosystem and improve habitat for the narrow-headed garter snake. Emma Carlson, assistant crew lead for the AZCC team that has been working on the project, said they have seen several of the snakes as they have been working in just the past week. Carlson added that it has been a good feeling to know the work their doing is actively part of protecting the species habitat. Nonetheless, the project has not been without its challenges. Working within Oak Creek Canyon has proven to be logistically difficult and traffic is never not a concern. On top of that, with the second phase of the project coming to an end, they are now looking at ways to fund the third phase of the project. So far, funding has been coming from a variety of places including the state, the National Forest Foundation and REI Co-op. Teller said depending on the funding they get, they hope to have crews back to work in spring or fall of 2022. Adrian Skabelund can be reached by phone at (928) 556-2261, by email at askabelund@azdailysun.com or on Twitter at @AdrianSkabelund. Love 23 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A new Northern Arizona University program will host a series of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workshops for Native American students at K-12 schools in the Four Corners region. The purpose, according to an initial project leader Greg Caporaso, is to build a pipeline to get Native American students engaged in scientific computing. Those with the program are currently in the process of developing a plan and curriculum for 18 months of workshops and hope to start bringing them to schools in early 2022. Though they're just getting started (funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Institute (CZI) was granted in August), the team has some definite ideas of what they want to do. Im hoping that we can build something that will build interest in the field of scientific computing for Native students, Caporaso said. Both to get them into lucrative and rewarding careers, and also bring new perspectives and ideas to the field of scientific computing to help advance...human health research, environmental science and sustainabilities research." Caporaso added: "Native Americans tend to be underrepresented in the field, but there are really excellent career opportunities and lots of ways to do very impactful work. Other principal investigators of the project include Regents professor of chemistry Jani Ingram, NAU associate chemistry professor Naomi Lee and Fort Lewis College chemistry professor Joslynn Lee. According to a press release from NAU on the project, .5% of students in STEM programs and .4% of STEM professionals in the United States are Native American. Mansel Nelson, who works for the Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP), said he became involved in the project because of his experience with regional tribal-serving schools and because of his children, who are heavily involved in science and computing. I see it as another opportunity to bring another STEM field to the students and teachers Ive been working with for decades now, he said. He said the project could have an impact on more than just the students. With our Native students, theres a strong connection to their communities, tribes and families, he said. If we create a clear path for them to realize they can obtain these career goals, that obtaining these goals will allow them to support their family but also in the greater sense even the tribal nations. ...Wed like to create opportunities for more of our Native students to be able to both serve the tribe and bring new technologies and new opportunities to the tribe itself. The workshops will be a combination of hands-on work and teaching about scientific computing. Part of the CZI grant will fund bringing Raspberry Pi computers to the schools to use for a variety of projects with both soft- and hardware. Caporaso had received a previous CZI grant to develop a microbiome software known as QIIME 2. He said the program might be used as an example in the workshop presentations. Microbiomes are very important in human health but also important in environmental science. Really, in many very different areas, so its a good example to use to show how work in scientific computing can have very broad impacts, he said. Growing up The workshops will also incorporate local environmental science, taking data on things like air, water and soil quality. The students will be collecting data near their school sites and using the computers to understand and communicate that data. Nelson said this approach would make the program more engaging, because students tend to be more interested in applying information than abstract ideas. As a brand-new teacher, I was teaching the models and theories of science and that wasnt very engaging, he said, but when I started working with my students on 'Is my water safe to drink, is our air safe to breathe, whats going on with that uranium mine down the street?' the students became very engaged in learning science and in doing science. I hope we can take advantage of that in doing this project as well. The hope is for the workshops to focus a lot on building awareness of this field, talking about career opportunities and paths for getting involved, Caporaso said. They are seeking to work with K-12 students. Nelson cited his 9-year-old granddaughter's interest in computing as an example. Shes had a Raspberry Pi for several years already, he said. We know that children at pretty young ages, if theyre curious and interested, are able to learn about these technologies and actually start using them in meaningful ways, Nelson said. The plan is to finish with an event at NAU for students at the schools visited by the workshops and Native American students studying scientific computing at the university. Caporaso hoped the program would create a long-term relationship with the schools they visited, mentioning ideas such as creating computing clubs and holding internship or career fairs. He also hoped they would be able to provide training opportunities for teachers at schools that primarily serve Native American students. The idea there would be training teachers on some of these areas and that they could then take that back and ideally impact students at the grade level they teach for multiple years, he said. Nelson emphasized the potential long-term impacts, saying that he was seeing his students from 30 years ago take positions of responsibility, leading projects and schools and work on environmental issues for the Navajo Nation. My vision as I look at this opportunity is to continue creating those opportunities for students, not only for themselves, but for the tribal nation as a whole. To be able to take these new technologies and take advantage of them to both protect the environment and to provide economic opportunities for the citizens of the tribe, he said. One of the main goals theyve been working on so far is how to extend the project past the initial two years of funding. Caporaso said he viewed the current grant as seed funding, saying, I hope that over this two-year period well be able to use this funding to grow the project into something that can sustain itself beyond this initial funding. He invited anyone involved in similar work or interested in teaching or hosting one of these events to reach out to the team. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 After being threatened with a collective $51 million in claims from property owners, the City of Flagstaff will waive the enforcement of a high-occupancy housing land use law for dozens of local properties. The Flagstaff City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution precluding 70 land parcels from zoning code changes brought by the High Occupancy Housing amendment adopted by the council in November of last year. The amendment placed stricter restrictions on density and the maximum number of bedrooms that can be built on a property. For example, if 20% or more of the apartments in a large development have four or more bedrooms, it is automatically considered high-occupancy housing. In some cases, the designation requires developers to obtain a special use permit for high-occupancy land use -- which some claim can be costly. Other provisions, such as parking requirements, are considered by some to be additional challenges for future land developments. In the claims made to the city, the property owners argued these types of zoning code changes reduced their rights to use their property, and subsequently, reduced the fair market value of the land. The claims were filed under Arizona Proposition 207, passed by state voters in 2006, that requires the government to reimburse land owners when regulations result in a decrease in a propertys fair market value. Christina Rubalcava, senior assistant city attorney, defined fair market value as the most likely price which the land would bring if exposed for sale in the open market by a purchaser who buys with knowledge of all the uses and purposes to which it is adapted and for which it is capable. Proposition 207 requires property owners to submit a written demand for monetary compensation based on the fair market value. The government, or in this case the City of Flagstaff, then has 90 days to either pay the compensation, amend the law or waive the enforcement on the property owner's parcel. When asked, city officials did not indicate whether there has been any consideration to amend or repeal the related zoning code. A discussion on the city's High Occupancy Housing Plan, however, is scheduled for the upcoming city council meeting Tuesday, according to Flagstaff Interim Public Affairs Director Sarah Langley. If the city failed to act on the claims, the property owners would have been permitted to file for compensation in the superior court. Rubalcava said the city received Proposition 207 claims on behalf of the 70 parcels of land beginning in July. Adoption of the resolution waiving the enforcement for the 70 properties will moot the pending claims for just compensation, according to the citys public meeting agenda. Councils decision comes after the Goldwater Institute, a conservative public policy think tank, announced in July that it had filed more than $23 million in claims against the City of Flagstaff on behalf of property owners. At the time, the group said the bill against the city was only expected to grow as thousands more may have claims under state law. A total of 87 Proposition 207 claims have been filed with the City of Flagstaff in response to the High Occupancy Housing Zoning Code amendment, Langley said. Love 5 Funny 6 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 12 The Museum of Northern Arizona will host a Celebraciones de la Gente event this weekend, to "celebrate the history and culture of Mexican, Mexican American and LatinX communities in northern Arizona." This is the 18th year this event has run, in partnership with Nuestras Raices of Flagstaff. The celebration is also known as Day of the Dead. Ofrendas have been set up in the museum's courtyard to tell the story of Hispanic pioneer families in Flagstaff and to welcome past loved ones to the party, according to the museums website. Tickets are available from the Museum of Northern Arizona, which charges a general admission of $20, free for kids younger than 9. Archuletas Mexican Food is the vendor for the event. Many of the weekends events are scheduled to take place on both Saturday and Sunday. An artists market and kids craft activities will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A couple of workshops will start off the morning: on sugar skulls from 10 a.m. to noon on the patio and on ofrendas at 11 a.m. Pre-registration is required for the sugar skull workshops. Performances for both days will include the Ballet Folklorico de Colores at noon and Alena Chavez at 1:30 p.m. Saturday will feature mariachis at 3 and 6 p.m., and on Sunday, Los Alambrados will perform at 2:30 p.m. The courtyard will stay open until 8 p.m. Saturday evening for viewing of the ofrendas, Mexican food and mariachis. More information about the event and a complete schedule is available on the Museum of Northern Arizonas website. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) The FBI on Thursday identified human remains found in a Florida nature preserve as those of Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the death of girlfriend Gabby Petito while the couple was on a cross-country road trip. The remains, a backpack and notebook believed to belong to Laundrie were discovered Wednesday in a Florida wilderness park, according to the FBI. The area where they were found had been under water during earlier searches. The FBI's Denver office said in a news release that a comparison of dental records confirmed that the remains were Laundrie. The discovery of the remains concluded a massive search involving federal, state and local law enforcement that began shortly after Laundrie disappeared Sept. 14, two weeks after the 23-year-old returned alone to his parents' home in North Port, Florida. Petito's family reported her missing Sept. 11, launching a search that garnered worldwide media attention and focused largely on the Carlton Reserve wilderness park near the Laundrie home. It is a densely wooded, swampy area that's home to alligators, coyotes, bobcats, snakes and numerous other creatures. The intense focus on Petito's case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing Indigenous women and other people of color. The body of Petitio, 22, was found Sept. 19 on the edge of Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. The coroner there concluded she died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks. The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no charges were filed. Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the Ford van the couple took on their trip. He was reported missing after telling his parents that he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve, a nature preserve that was a key area in the search. The activity Wednesday focused on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found. Laundrie was charged in a federal Wyoming indictment with unauthorized use of a debit card, which alleged Laundrie used a Capital One Bank card and someone's personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000. It does not say to whom the card belonged or what type of charges were made. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 TUCSON -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has six months to develop new language in its Mexican gray wolf recovery plan, after a judge ruled it does not adequately address the illegal killing of wolves. The judge's ruling was in response to a lawsuit by conservation groups, including Defenders of Wildlife. Wildlife officials estimate there are currently only about 180 of the endangered lobos in Arizona and New Mexico. Defenders' Southwest Program Manager Bryan Bird said one of the highest sources of wolf mortality is poaching by humans, and protections are needed for that. "Poaching is especially nefarious," Bird said. "The person that's killing a wolf illegally doesn't have any idea whether that wolf is important, genetically, to the population in the wild." The group's 2018 lawsuit claimed that the federal agency's plan failed to meet basic requirements of the Endangered Species Act. Mexican grey wolves became one of the most endangered mammals due to federally sanctioned hunting, trapping and poisoning. The wolves range from southern Mexico into the Southwest, but the recovery plan specifically covers sections of southeastern Arizona and southwest New Mexico. According to Bird, the centuries-long coexistence conflict between wolves and humans -- especially over territory and livestock -- has nearly led to their extinction. "You're never supposed to shoot a wolf unless you're under extreme threat for personal safety or property," said Bird. "And when you lose a wolf to poaching, it's very likely it could be highly valuable from a genetic perspective." Bird said genetic diversity has decreased dramatically among the Mexican gray population and a proper recovery plan is needed to save the wolves from extinction. Officials say 105 gray wolves are known to have been poached, or killed unlawfully, between 1998 and 2019 following their reintroduction. Bird said they need better protection. "Whether that's increased law enforcement, or increased education of the public," Bird said. "They have to put those in their recovery plan, explicitly." Other plaintiffs include the Center for Biological Diversity, Endangered Wolf Center, Wolf Conservation Center and David Parsons - former Mexican Wolf Recovery Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez told a Senate panel Wednesday that special protections are needed to reverse the very disrespectful treatment of Native Americans who face extraordinary challenges in the voting process. Nez joined others urging a Senate Judiciary subcommittee to support the Native American Voting Rights Act, which would set minimum federal requirements for voting on tribal lands, including early voting, mail-in balloting, ballot collecting and ID standards. Its not about Democrat or Republican, Nez said. Its about doing the right thing. This includes addressing the many voting barriers that are unique to Native Americans, such as the lack of voting locations on reservations, which makes it difficult for them to vote, Nez said. Traveling to polling places can be particularly burdensome, he said. But critics at the hearing said the bill goes too far and would open tribal voting to abuse and fraud. I agree that we should vigorously protect every Americans right to vote, said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. But unfortunately this bill would expand voter fraud rather than combat it. Cruz accused Democrats of using voting rights as a cover for election reforms aimed at seizing power and ensuring Democrats stay in power for the next 100 years. The hearing came less than an hour after Senate Republicans blocked debate Wednesday on the Freedom to Vote Act, a voting rights bill aimed at all Americans that would expand voter registration, increase early and mail-in voting and make Election Day a national holiday, among other measures. That bill was a slimmed-down version of the House-passed For the People Act, which Senate Democrats had amended in hopes of getting some Republican support. But all 50 Senate Republicans voted against it Wednesday, denying Democrats the 60 votes needed to end a filibuster and proceed on the bill. The Native American Voting Rights Act was introduced in August by Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., and has 17 co-sponsors, all Democrats. One of those co-sponsors, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif, said the bill is needed to ensure that Tribal communities are not denied equal participation in our democratic process. The bill would allow tribes to specify locations of voter registration sites, ballot drop boxes and polling locations on reservations and requires states to accept tribally issued ID cards as valid voting identification. It would also make it harder for states to cancel polling places, set minimum standards for early voting and require that states allow voters to give their ballot to someone else to deliver even in states, like Arizona, that otherwise prohibit such so-called ballot harvesting. Sara Frankenstein said the bill is too broad and takes control over elections out of the hands of the election administrator, for which he is trained and elected. This raises several legal and practical concerns. Frankenstein, a South Dakota attorney who represents election officials and handles election law cases, pointed to the bills requirement that Native American voters can have their absentee ballots sent to a public building, since many homes on reservations do not have street addresses. Having hundreds of ballots arrive at a public building and with no person in charge can lead to fraud because there is no way to know the ballot was received by the correct owner, she said at the hearing. This is a solution in search of a problem, Frankenstein said. That was echoed by Wyoming Secretary of State Edward Buchanan, who said that the measures would not increase security or confidence in the vote but would only lead to doubt in the election process. You cannot have an election that people dont believe in, Buchanan said. Because if they dont believe that the result has integrity, you will drive down election participation. He pointed to the ballot harvesting requirement, which said states may not allow any limit on how many voted and sealed absentee ballots any designated person can return. That would lead to fraud because there would be no way to know that absentee ballots were delivered to a registered voter. There is no way it cant happen, and the hard part is that you wont even know that it is happening, Buchanan said. But supporters said ballot collections, drop boxes and absentee ballots address very real problems on tribal lands. In the 2018 election, Navajo voters in Arizona had to travel up to 236 miles round trip to participate in early voting, Nez said. Tribal members may not own a vehicle that will let them make that trip on their own, and many may not have mailing addresses needed to get a mail-in ballot. Jacqueline De Leon, staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, said the difficulty Indigenous voters face also communicates to Native Americans that their vote is unwelcomed. What is being communicated is that your vote doesnt matter and that youre not part of the American system, she said. De Leon said the lack of home addresses on tribal lands and requirement of an ID in some states are examples of ongoing discrimination and governmental neglect. Many Native Americans live in overcrowded homes that do not have addresses, do not receive mail, and are located on dirt roads that can be impassable in the wintery November, De Leon said. De Leon and Nez rejected the fears of fraud raised by critics, saying protections are still built into the law and election fraud would still be illegal. They pointed instead to the rights that are being denied under the current law, which is why the new law is needed. We need to make sure the rights of Indigenous peoples are protected, Nez said. There should be a responsibility to fight for Indigenous peoples rights. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 [Photo: VCG] China's national parks project has moved from pilot to construction phase with the establishment of its first batch of parks, Tang Xiaoping, head of China's research institute for national parks said on Thursday. On October 12, 2021, President Xi Jinping announced on the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) the formally establishment of the first batch of five national parks, including the Sanjiangyuan (the Three-River-Source) National Park, the Wuyi Mountain National Park, the Giant Panda National Park, the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park and the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park. According to Tang Xiaoping, these national parks meet the three standards of national representation, ecological importance and administrative practicability. The parks also cover typical natural ecosystems and precious natural landscapes as well as cultural heritages in the area and offer protection to the most important flagship species. He said, the five first national parks play an exemplary and leading role to the further construction of national park systems in China. Tang also addressed how to balance local people's livelihood and ecological protection in the national parks. He emphasized, areas in national parks would be divided into different sections based on functions. For core protected areas including ecologically sensitive areas and high biodiversity areas, no farm and tourism are allowed; for other parts of the national parks, authorities would encourage and lead the locals to remodel into green industries including under-forest economy and tourism. Source: CGTN The Nebraska Association of School Boards and Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday that they disagree that federal assistance is needed to stop threats and acts of violence against school officials. Ricketts urged members of the Nebraska State Board of Education to "push back" against what he called "overreach" that threatens the First Amendment rights of parents. On his monthly radio call-in show and again at an afternoon news conference, Ricketts called the Department of Justice action an absolute outrageous abuse of federal power. This will have a huge chilling effect, and its meant to, to browbeat those parents into not going to school board meetings, he said. Its just beyond the pale. We dont live in the old Soviet Union here. The Nebraska association said it had no part in drafting the letter sent by the National School Boards Association to the Biden administration requesting help from federal law enforcement. The Sept. 29 letter has drawn criticism from conservatives who feel that it equates parents upset over mask policies and critical race theory with terrorists. "We did not approve of the letter and had no role in its drafting," the Nebraska group said. The national group, in its letter, asked for the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service to investigate and prevent threats and acts of violence against school officials. The letter cites several incidents at school board meetings nationally. On Oct. 4, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland directed the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Offices to meet with federal, state, tribal, territorial and local law enforcement leaders to discuss strategies for addressing such incidents. Garland cited an increase in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school board members, teachers and workers in public schools. The Justice Department said it will launch a series of efforts to address the rise in criminal conduct directed toward school personnel, including the creation of a multiagency task force to determine how federal enforcement tools can be used to prosecute such crimes. The department also indicated that it would create specialized training and guidance for local school boards and administrators. The training, it said, would help potential victims understand the type of behavior that constitutes threats. Ricketts said threats and other illegal activity directed against school board members and school officials absolutely should be dealt with by local law enforcement, not the federal government. Ricketts accused the Justice Department of directing the FBI to investigate parents who are showing up at school board meetings to ask about their childrens education. He also accused the department of calling such parents domestic terrorists, although neither the department's memo nor a news release use the term. Questioned about the source of that accusation, the governor said he had read it in news reports about the controversy. It was in the letter from the national school boards group. Ricketts noted that education groups in some states have pushed back on the federal intervention. For instance, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association cut ties with the national group. Maureen Nickels, president of the Nebraska State Board of Education, said that she had no comment and that the governor should direct his concern to the Nebraska school board group. The state group said it "will be reevaluating its membership in the National School Boards Association at the appropriate time." It said it supports school districts "coordinating with local law enforcement to immediately address all threats to safety and security. "We agree with a call for civility in public discourse and a desire to protect school board members and school leaders from violence," the group said. Sen. Deb Fischer is among a group of Republican lawmakers calling for Garland to clarify the circumstances under which a parent's speech would be prosecuted. It is not the job of the federal government to institute a witch hunt against parents effectively penalizing them by investigating dissent," she said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In court documents and in evidence presented at trial, the government alleged that beginning in about August 2017, McConnell, along with others, misappropriated federal grant funds to give cash payments to others, to buy purses and earrings as door prizes, to meet in Las Vegas, a trip that cost $31,744, and to receive double payments for meals. Prosecutors alleged that during a four-month period, McConnell was responsible in the misappropriation of more than 10 percent of grant funds designed to help victims of domestic violence Montanas Indian reservations. The thefts occurred four months after McConnell and other board officials participated in training about conflicts of interest, whistleblower policies, ethics and financial oversight. The training came after the Coalitions previous executive director, Toni Plummer, was convicted of fraud in March 2017 for stealing approximately $246,000 from the organization. The Coalition is a Lame Deer-based organization that helps Native American victims of domestic and sexual violence. The Coalition receives funding from the U.S. Department of Justices Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), which provides grants for victim services. OVW awarded the Coalition $318,008 from October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018. Images of the 63-year-old actor known for his roles in 30 Rock and The Hunt for Red October and his impression of former President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live showed him distraught outside the sheriffs office on Thursday. Guns used in making movies are sometimes real weapons that can fire either bullets or blanks, which are gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but no deadly projectile. Even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. That proved to be the case in the death of an actor in 1984. In another on-set accident in 1993, the actor Brandon Lee was killed after a bullet was left in a prop gun, and similar shootings have occurred involving stage weapons that were loaded with live rounds. Gun-safety protocol on sets in the United States has improved since then, said Steven Hall, a veteran director of photography in Britain. But he said one of the riskiest positions to be in is behind the camera because that person is in the line of fire in scenes where an actor appears to point a gun at the audience. Caro began The Power Broker more than 50 years ago, but has completed just five other books since the Moses biography came out in 1974: his first four Johnson books and the relatively brief Working, a compilation of essays and speeches released in 2019. His most recent Johnson biography, The Passage of Power, was published in 2012, and he answers the inevitable question about the fifth and presumed last volume by saying no release is likely in the near future. Some artifacts here help explain why. Caro points out a handwritten list he compiled in the early 1970s when he was trying to show that Moses had plotted to keep people of color out of Jones Beach State Park, which opened in 1929. Caro knew that Moses had worked to limit mass transportation to Jones Beach, but he wanted tangible evidence of the results. So Caro and his wife and collaborator, Ina Caro, stood near the entrance to the beach, tracked the people coming in and determined that the overwhelming majority were white. Republican commissioners objected to looking at past presidential elections to determine the partisan lean of proposed districts. The method used to measure the political lean is known as the Cook Partisan Voting Index, or PVI, which gauges how much a district leans Democratic or Republican based on how the district voted in the last two presidential elections. National lean of the past two elections is the baseline from which district-level strength is measured. Using the PVI ... it uses the President's election numbers which he lost in 2020, former President Trump's numbers, and then uses that to expel on Republican strength so you start at a disadvantage, which would then add percentage points to Republican leans here in Montana so PVI is probably not the best thing to use, said Commissioner Dan Stusek. We think that our opponents, or our colleagues, their maps unduly favor the Democratic Party in the West, by having a tortured approach to reach the discretion or criteria of competitiveness," Stusek said. "We think our maps are fair. They think their maps are fair, we think theirs unduly favor their political party they think, certainly ours unduly favored our political party, we're much closer than where we were a couple of weeks ago, and I look forward to where we go from here. The story of Billings-native Linda Tokarski Glantz, who was raped by an intruder at age 8, and Jimmy Bromgard, who was wrongly convicted of the crime, will be told in an upcoming podcast series. The seven-part true crime podcast called An Absurd Result is hosted by University of Montana journalism professor Jule Banville. Available beginning Oct. 27 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most other podcast services, An Absurd Result will feature first-hand stories and experiences from both Glantz and Bromgard alongside Banville's deep research and interviews of those involved, including more recent developments revealed in the series. What happened with Linda is that she changed. She went from never talking openly about what happened to her, even through all the twists, to answering every question and wanting listeners of this podcast to know everything, said Banville in a press release. Banville met Linda in 2015 and has been thinking about how to tell her story ever since. An Absurd Result chronicles the fallout after a Billings home invasion and sexual assault. In 1987, a man broke into Glantzs house through a bathroom window. She was 8. There were seven people home during the attack, but the man left without being caught. Keep in mind we have one political party that is threatening to cause a national economic crisis and another that is having difficulty getting its act together to govern. In Montana we are implementing laws and policies that are adding to COVID-19 illness and death and overloading our medical facilities. Given this situation, it is not too early for voters to begin preparing for the 2022 mid-term elections. One of the first things a responsible voter should do is assess a candidates suitability to represent us in Congress, the state legislature, or other public office. Discovering how they understand a few key areas, such as those listed below, will help determine his/her suitability. Does the candidate you are evaluating think each statement below is correct, or substantially correct, or largely incorrect? This is a simple true or false test. (Substantially and largely are included only because politicians like to hedge their answers.) For every right answer, the candidate gets ten points. A candidate who gets one hundred points clearly understands what is going on and is suitable as a representative. The next step is to examine what policies he/she supports and whether you are satisfied with those positions. Remember that it is unusual to find a candidate with whom you agree on everything. We know the damage Ms. Lhamon would do at the helm of OCR because she held that very same position under President Obama. She believes that any statistical disparities in school discipline rates must be attributed to some kind of racial discrimination--even when there is zero evidence of actual discrimination. Her OCR combed through statistics and threatened schools that disciplined higher numbers of minorities students with investigations and loss of federal funding. The U.S. Department of Educations 2018 Federal Commission on School Safety determined that Ms. Lhamons policies made schools significantly less safe. Bullying and violence against students and teachers was out of control in many places as teachers and staff across the country felt helpless to respond. One uber-progressive district in St. Paul, Minnesota voluntarily adopted the practices coerced by Ms. Lhamon. This resulted in an alarming increase in violence against teachers and staff so drastic that the local district attorney labeled it a public health crisis. In Syracuse, New York, schools became so violent that a high school teacher was stabbed when the teacher tried to break up a fight between two female students. The district attorney subsequently called for an end to Ms. Lhamons discipline policies. So if the federal government now wants to prosecute parents who speak up at a school board meeting, what is the basis for federal jurisdiction? Attorney General Garlands directive lists several possible federal charges, such as: Conspiracy to Deprive Person of Civil Rights, Interference with Federally Protected Activities, Interstate Extortion, or Interstate Threat to Kidnap, as well as others. Nonsense. Pure nonsense. Parents have a right to direct the upbringing and education of their children. That is not a right granted by the government, that is a right granted by God. If parents have concerns that a school is imposing illegal or unworkable COVID restrictions, trans-gender mandates, or Critical Race Theory, upon their children, the parents have a right to speak up and get involved. Local control and parental involvement always produce the best educational environment for kids. The federal government has no right to stifle dissent by threatening parents as domestic terrorists or inter-state criminals. Rest assured, this local prosecutor will oppose Washington, D.C.s attempt to bully parents in Broadwater County. And I dont know a single County Attorney across Montana who feels differently. A North Dakota Highway Patrol trooper escaped injury when the trooper's parked squad car was sideswiped on Interstate 94 at Jamestown. The trooper was assisting a stranded motorist along the left eastbound lane shortly before 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14. The trooper had emergency lights activated, including an amber arrow board directing traffic to move to the right, the patrol said. The trooper was seated and seat belted in the squad car when another car approached, slowed and then sideswiped the patrol vehicle before continuing on, authorities said. The trooper followed, stopped the car and arrested Angela Fickert, 51, of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, for driving under suspension and on an outstanding Morton County arrest warrant for failure to appear on a previous driving under suspension charge. Fickert also was cited for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and driving without liability insurance. She was not injured. The patrol did not name the trooper. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Canadian man facing the possibility of life in prison for the death of a Bismarck man two years ago has entered into a plea agreement that would send him to prison for 25 years and leave decades more time over his head if he violates probation. Earl Howard, 43, on Friday morning pleaded guilty to arson and three conspiracy charges -- murder, arson and tampering with evidence. If a judge accepts the agreement, Howard will be sentenced before the co-defendant in the case, Nikkisue Entzel, 40, goes to trial. Howard, of Bellwood, Ontario, and Nikkisue Entzel were arrested nearly two years ago in connection with the late 2019 death of Chad Entzel, 42, Nikkisue's husband. His body was found Jan. 2, 2020, after emergency workers responded to a call of a house fire in northeast Bismarck. An autopsy showed he died of a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators say the killing stemmed from a love triangle and involved plans to cash in on a life insurance policy. The two suspects are accused of plotting Chad Entzels death and trying to start the house on fire in an attempted cover-up. Howard has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Canada. He turned himself in and was arrested Jan. 9, 2020, on the Blue Water Bridge connecting Port Huron, Michigan, with Ontario, Canada. Howard, shackled and in a prison jumpsuit, entered the pleas just three days before his and Nikkisue Entzels joint trial was scheduled to start Monday. South Central District Judge Douglas Bahr at Friday's hearing tentatively accepted the pleas pending the outcome of a presentence investigation. He noted the timing of the pleas so close to the trial date, which left him little time to consider further information. Howard, his attorney Richard Sand and Burleigh County States Attorney Julie Lawyer agreed to the tentative acceptance. Lawyer at an afternoon hearing asked Bahr to reschedule Nikkisue Entzel's trial after Howard is sentenced. Howard in the past has requested that the two be tried separately, and though Howard's attorneys have assured her that his guilty plea is not a ploy to get his own trial, Lawyer is being cautious. "The state still has reservations regarding coming to the sentencing hearing after Ms. Entzel has had her trial, and then Mr. Howard withdrawing his plea, which he is allowed to do, and then having to have that separate trial with Mr. Howard," she said. Lawyer said she also needs more time, in light of Howard's plea, to update the state's witness list and prepare for trial with a single defendant. Nikkiesue Entzel is charged with murder conspiracy, arson conspiracy and evidence tampering conspiracy charges. Her attorney, Justin Balzer, said he reluctantly would not oppose the motion for a continuance. His client wants to proceed to trial. "Obviously our focus would change as well as far as how to prepare for trial," he said. The judge granted the continuance "with great reluctance," noting Nikkisue Entzel had been in custody for 22 months. The agreement by Lawyer and Howards attorneys calls for a 50-year prison sentence with 25 years suspended on the murder conspiracy charge; 10-year suspended sentences on the arson and arson conspiracy charges; and a five-year suspended sentence for evidence tampering conspiracy. It wasn't immediately clear if the deal requires Howard to testify in Nikkiesue Entzel's trial. Bahr earlier denied a request that would have allowed Howard to introduce evidence of Nikkisue Entzels alleged criminal past. The judge on Friday gave members of Chad Entzels family -- about 10 were present in the courtroom -- time to object to the plea agreement for Howard. None did. If Bahr doesnt accept the plea agreement, Howard could withdraw the guilty pleas and proceed to trial. Should that happen, the information from the presentence investigation could not be presented at trial. The agreement also stipulates that Howard spend five years on supervised probation. Bahr cautioned him that a probation violation could send him back to prison for the full terms outlined in the agreement. Bahr in May dismissed a Class AA murder charge against Howard. Lawyer asked the court to drop the charge, saying in a motion that an evaluation of the firearm did not show evidence as to which defendant allegedly shot Chad Entzel. Without that the state couldnt corroborate Nikkisue Entzels statements to law enforcement that Howard shot Chad Entzel, Lawyer said. Class AA murder and murder conspiracy both carry the possibility of life in prison without parole. A joint trial, had it been held, would have proceeded differently than most because its two trials combined into one, Lawyer said. Each defense attorney would have had the opportunity to cross-examine prosecution witnesses. Likewise, when a defense attorney called a witness to the stand, the prosecution and the other defense attorney would have been allowed to cross-examine. Bismarck attorney Jackson Lofgren, whom the Tribune interviewed for an independent analysis of joint trials, said its possible a jury could find one defendant guilty and one not guilty but its tougher with a conspiracy. Conspiracy "means they agreed and one took a substantial step to complete it, he said. The jury could convict the one who took that step and acquit the other, but generally its both or neither," said Lofgren, 41, who has worked as both a prosecution and defense attorney. North Dakota is no stranger to murder conspiracies. Chase Swanson and Madison West, both of Bowman, in 2016 were accused of conspiring to kill Nicholas Johnson, who was found dead in a Bowman motel room. Swanson is serving a life sentence with a chance of parole. West was given a 50-year sentence with 15 years suspended. Cynthia Wilder and Richie Wilder were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the 2015 murder of Richie Wilders ex-wife in Minot. Reach Travis Svihovec at 701-250-8260 or Travis.Svihovec@bismarcktribune.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The military on Sunday is formally honoring a Bismarck-based North Dakota National Guard unit that served nine months in the nation's capital. Seventy soldiers with Company C, 2nd Battalion of the 285th Aviation Regiment were deployed last November to the Washington, D.C., area. The unit flies the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, and the mission was to transport personnel and light cargo within what's known as the National Capital Region. The Charlie Company soldiers began returning home in August, flying on commercial flights and on Black Hawks or driving, over the course of several weeks. A ceremony to officially welcome home the soldiers and thank them for their service is set for 2 p.m. Sunday at the Army Air Support Facility south of the Bismarck Airport. It is not open to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions. Families will watch the ceremony online. The public also can watch the livestream at https://www.ndguard.nd.gov/. The unit has been deployed overseas twice in recent years -- to Kosovo in support of peacekeeping operations from November 2013 to December 2014, and to Iraq from October 2009 to September 2010. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Eleven more North Dakotans with COVID-19 have died, adding to a recent surge amid spread of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the state's top immunization official on Friday offered more guidance on vaccine booster shots. The new deaths were reflected on the Health Department's virus dashboard Friday, raising North Dakota's pandemic death toll to 1,714. The state no longer publicly reports the county, sex and age range of newly confirmed deaths. The dashboard death total for Morton County increased by one, to 114. Burleigh County's total remained unchanged, at 230. There have been 149 virus-related deaths confirmed statewide in September and October, compared with 137 in the previous seven months combined, according to state data. Thirty-four deaths have been reported in just the past four days. Deaths in the state aren't expected to begin tailing off for a couple more weeks, according to modeling by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A rise in COVID-19 cases during the recent surge has begun waning, and CDC modeling indicates that will continue. The state still reported 571 new cases on Friday, and 3,600 active cases statewide, including 647 active cases in Burleigh-Morton counties. The delta variant is still present in North Dakota, according to data provided by Kirby Kruger, head of the Health Department's disease control division and forensic pathology section. Confirmed delta cases in the state rose by 172 over the past week, to 1,686, and the variant continues to out-muscle others -- there were no new cases of the five other variants that have been previously confirmed in the state: alpha, beta, gamma, epsilon and mu. North Dakota's state lab has identified 3,082 cases of the six variants, though the actual number is almost certainly higher than the data indicates, since only a fraction of virus test samples undergo the more complex process through which variants are determined. There have been 246 hospitalizations and 31 deaths linked to variants in North Dakota; more than half of each are linked to delta. The Health Department has confirmed 144,088 COVID-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, with 138,774 recoveries and 5,771 hospitalizations. COVID-19 hospitalizations remained high on Friday, at 183. About 8.5% of staffed inpatient beds statewide were available. A little more than 6% of intensive care unit beds were available. The most recent state data showed 179 available staffed inpatient beds and 15 available ICU beds statewide. In Bismarck, neither Sanford Health nor CHI St. Alexius Health had any available beds listed in either category, for a third straight day. Deaths and hospitalizations are the "later consequences of disease," so declines in those categories typically lag a couple of weeks behind sliding case numbers, according to Kruger. Boosting boosters The CDC on Thursday expanded the nations vaccine booster campaign, announcing that specific Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients qualify, and that the agency is allowing people to mix vaccine brands for their booster dose. Pfizer boosters have been underway since last month. More than 120 million Americans will become eligible for a booster in the coming months, or about 2 out of every 3 vaccinated adults, according to The Associated Press. But whos eligible -- and when -- differs depending on which vaccine you got first. North Dakota Health Department Immunization Director Molly Howell on Friday said people who are 65 or older, have an underlying health condition, or live or work in certain institutional or occupational settings are able to receive a booster dose. "Effectiveness is waning against mild to moderate infection, which is why booster doses are recommended for certain individuals," she said. Booster doses for those who previously received the Moderna or J&J vaccine may not be available in North Dakota until later next week, according to Howell. Nearly 37,000 North Dakotans have already received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. For more details, go to https://bit.ly/2XH7tfq. More information The state's vaccine dashboard shows 54.8% of eligible North Dakota adults and 32.8% 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 CDC. 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 of North Dakota's 53 counties but Cavalier, according to the CDC's COVID-19 data tracker website. The CDC recommends people in those risk categories wear masks in public indoor settings. The transmission risk in the Bismarck-Mandan region is considered high. 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. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Bismarck-Mandan residents can dispose of unwanted or unneeded prescription and over-the-counter drugs during the 21st National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration hosts the event that offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at more than 4,000 local drop-off locations nationwide. The goal is to eliminate the drugs and also educate the public about the potential for medication abuse. A majority of people who misuse a prescription medication obtained it from a family member or friend, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Take Back Day has removed more than 7,000 tons of medication from circulation since its inception, according to the DEA. Its unfortunate that in our line of work, weve seen too many cases where a persons drug addiction began by abusing prescription medications, said Justin King, special agent in charge of the DEA's Omaha Division. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides a way to safely and anonymously dispose of your unneeded medications. More importantly, it prevents medications from falling into the wrong hands." Sue Kahler, a coordinator for Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health, said "Now is the time to go through your house and collect unused medication and properly dispose of them at a local Take Back site. Those sites are the Bismarck Police Department, at 700 S. 9th St., and the Mandan Police Department/Morton County Sheriff's Office, at 205 1st Ave. NW in Mandan, according to the state Attorney General's Office. The Take Back program accepts both prescription and over-the-counter medications. There also are numerous MedSafe drop-off sites at pharmacies. Those sites accept only prescription medications. A list can be found at: attorneygeneral.nd.gov/public-safety/take-back-program/take-back-program-locations. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Here is a very basic fact: People tend to like getting stuff for free. Ask most people, "Do you want a fancy new Mercedes?" and they'll likely respond, "Yes." But ask them to pay full price for it and demand drops dramatically. Hold that thought. Sen. Bernie Sanders is very upset that the Democrats' "Build Back Better" package is stalled. "Poll after poll shows overwhelming support for the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better legislation," Sanders said in a statement, "and the need to lower prescription drug costs, expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing and vision..." and so on. But as National Review's Charles Cooke wrote, Sanders' statement refutes itself. In the next paragraph, the Vermont senator says, "polling also shows that despite President Biden having introduced this proposal five months ago, a majority of Americans have very little knowledge as to what is in this bill." Sanders adds, "It is hard to ask people to have faith in their government when they have little understanding of what their government is trying to do." As Cooke rightly notes, it's odd to simultaneously claim a bill is overwhelmingly popular and that a majority of Americans have no idea what's in it. But Sanders thinks that's proof the mainstream media is failing to educate the public. Individual elements of the bill poll well, hence the claim it's popular. "The foundations of American democracy are threatened not only by extremism, but by ignorance and lack of knowledge," he exclaims. I'm all for dispelling ignorance, but Sanders is perpetuating a myth that harms democracy, too -- specifically, that massive social welfare spending is wildly popular with American voters. In 2016, Vox polled Bernie Sanders' proposals for nationalized health care and free college tuition. They didn't poll the general public; they polled Bernie Sanders' own supporters. Not surprisingly, respondents favored single-payer health care. But when asked if they'd be willing to personally pay more for it, support dropped. Two-thirds said the most they'd be willing to pay in additional taxes for "free" health care was $1,000 per year, about $83 per month. This number includes the 8% of Sanders supporters who said they wouldn't be willing to pay anything for universal health care. Cheap socialists aren't the story here. Americans in general don't want to pay much of anything -- out of their own pocket -- for the stuff progressives constantly say America is demanding. A Washington Post poll in 2019 found that 68% of Americans supported taxing "wealthy families" to pay for fighting climate change. But when asked if they would agree to pay an extra $2 a month on their electric bills, support fell to less than 47%. That same year, an AP-NORC poll asked people if they'd be willing to spend $10 more a month in their energy bills to fight climate change. Some 68% of respondents said nope. This is where the truly dangerous ignorance begins. For years now, voters have been told that the rich as well as greedy corporations are an untapped renewable resource that can pay for everything and anything. That's false. You could confiscate all of the wealth of the top 1% and it wouldn't come close to covering the bill for, say, the Green New Deal or Medicare for All. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may turn heads by scrawling "tax the rich" on her ball gowns, but the truth is we already do -- at a remarkably progressive rate. There's no room here to explain why I think Biden's promise that his $3.5 trillion package won't be "free" for everyone making less than $400,000 per year. So, let's just pretend it's true. In the market, popularity is determined by what people are willing to pay for with their own money. However, in progressive politics -- and in much of the mainstream media -- popularity is determined by what people are willing to have other people pay for. Defining public support this way is misleading. But even if the rich could pay for it all, democracy isn't enriched when voters think one very small class of people is greedily standing in the way of economic salvation. When populist politicians promise it would be easy to deliver that salvation but then fail to do it, voters feel betrayed and the politicians shift blame to sinister and corrupt forces (the "one percent," special interests, evil corporations) or allegedly outdated obstacles to progress like the filibuster or even the Constitution itself. That sense of betrayal doesn't foster healthy politics. It leads to "extreme" demagogues promising to deliver what they claim the corrupt establishment could not. Jonah Goldberg writes for the Los Angeles Times. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Gaining inbound links from other websites is one of the best ways to improve your websites rankings on search engines. However, link building can require a significant investment of time and resources and it may be tempting to take shortcuts. However, following bad link building practices could land you in Google jail and cost you traffic and sales. Most times, you might even have to bear the extra cost of hiring professionals to help you recover your website. In this post, well cover what bad link building practices are and what to do instead. Bad Link Building Practices Buying Links Targeting Domain Authority Over Website Relevance Not Personalizing Your Outreach Email Not Creating Link-Worthy Content Borrowing Links Using the Wrong Tools Having Only One Link Building Strategy Begging for Links Link Bartering or Trading Poor Internal Linking Bribing Disregarding Broken Links 1. Buying Links Several sites and services help you buy text links on other sites that pass SEO credit. However, there is also a black market in link buying that is much less formal, more secretive, and less organized. We wouldnt recommend either one. This is probably the most tempting bad link building strategy because you get to control what sites you are getting links from and analyze these sites to ensure youre not placing links in bad neighborhoods. You can also place links within relevant content and use anchor text for the keywords you are trying to rank for. But and its a big but Google explicitly states that exchanging money for links to manipulate PageRank may be considered part of a link scheme and a violation of Googles Webmaster Guidelines. So maybe youll get away with it, maybe you wont. Either way, we dont advocate buying links. What to do Instead Buying links is not only a black hat SEO practice its an expensive one. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on links that could bring you trouble, you could invest the money by hiring a writer to help you create quality content or getting more traffic to existing content through paid ads. 2. Targeting Domain Authority Over Website Relevance Although Domain Authority (DA) gives a good idea about how likely a website will appear on the search engine result page (SERP), it shouldnt be your number-one factor to consider when looking for backlinks. If you focus on DA, youd only be getting backlinks from a limited number of websites, and this could cause you to have an unnatural link profile. What to do Instead Build links with as many relevant websites as possible, irrespective of their domain authority. You can think of these links as the connections or relationships we build in real life. Some of these connections grow stronger with time. We might outgrow some. We might need some for only a particular chapter of our lives, and so on. The same can be said of inbound links. Also, a backlink is relevant when its from a site that covers subjects similar to yours, not because of its domain authority. 3. Not Personalizing Your Outreach Email Gone are the days when you could hit up editorial teams with the I was reading your piece on xxx and loved it so much. We just created an article that talks about xxx. It would be a valuable resource for your audience. Can you link to it? request, and expect them to reply. Not only are these templates old-fashioned, but they also show a lack of effort on your part. Website managers see these types of emails in their inboxes every day and are more than willing to send them all into the junk folder. What to do Instead Personalize your outreach emails so that each one of them is unique. It might take you more time to do this, but its usually more rewarding. Using the recipients name in the email isnt the only way to personalize your outreach email. For example, you could mention something you read in the news about the company youre pitching, or show how you can be of unique value to their business. Image Source 4. Not Creating Link-Worthy Content The simple truth is that if there are no valuable blog posts or pieces of content on your website, it will be hard to get backlinks. This is often the case for websites that prioritize quantity over quality. What to do Instead Instead of creating a ton of articles that nobody wants to read, you should focus on creating fewer pieces that are carefully aligned with your business and supported by keyword research. When creating new pieces of content, you should also think about how to make them different from articles that already rank for your target keywords. A great way is to conduct original research and studies to uncover new stats and findings that your audience would find helpful. 5. Borrowing Links Most websites today no longer allow people to comment on their posts. Why? Because many people leave a link to their website in the body of their comment. This practice is known as link borrowing. These link borrowers often resort to inserting their keywords where their name is supposed to go. And many people automate or just cut and paste such comments all over the web. Image Source If you allow comments on your website, its essential to have a spam filter that catches these comments. Link borrowing might get you a short-term burst in rankings. But these are not high-quality links and wont provide long term advantage. What to do Instead You could volunteer to become a case study and get a backlink once the study is published. Another option is to create an updated version of an existing guide or report. 6. Using the Wrong Tools No one sets out on a mission to fell a tree with a pack of razors well, unless they want to waste their time and effort. The same can be said of your link building efforts. Its possible to do everything manually, but youd be wasting a ton of resources. What to do Instead You need the right tools to make your link building efforts worthwhile. While some of these tools might be expensive, theyre usually worth it in the end. For starters, youd need to invest in project management, SEO, and blogger outreach tools. 7. Having Only One Link Building Strategy Although you might be experiencing a bit of success with a particular method of link building, its never the best choice to put all your eggs in one basket. The online world changes every time, and a single link building method can quickly become less effective. What to do Instead If you have the resources, its better to look for alternative link building strategies that can work for your business. For example, have you been having success with guest blogging? Then, you can complement that strategy by becoming a source for journalists looking for experts to feature in their articles. 8. Begging for Links Beggars send emails to people they dont know asking for links. I recently received a really creative email. The person introduced himself as a big fan of my writing and suggested that based on reading what I write, I should check out this new social networking site. First, he wrote about how awesome the site was (without any explanation why). Then, he suggested that I write about it because everyone else who did it received floods of traffic. Finally, he got very offended when I responded that I wasnt interested and that he should be more upfront about his link begging intentions. Of course, begging comes in many forms. Not all are as creative as this guy. Most people just send emails to web admin asking them to link to them. While begging is one way to build links, it is ineffective and the fastest way to annoy a web admin. What to do Instead Instead of begging for links, create content your target audience would find valuable and share without being asked. And if you ever need to email web admins to ask for a link, ensure your email is personalized and your article is better than the one they already link to. 9. Link Bartering or Trading Ill link to you if you link to me. Ill buy your services if you buy mine. Ill show you mine if you show me yours. How much easier do you think you can make it for Google to detect that you didnt earn that link? Googles power is that it detects patterns. This is a pretty easy pattern to catch: Site B links to Site A. Site A links to Site B. Of course, bartering or trading links gets more creative by saying, Ill link to you if you link to him, and Ill link to this other guy if he links to you, etc. There are even networks you can join to facilitate this process. Participating in these link building rings is even riskier than regular bartering. Its believed that Google labels websites into neighborhoods, and there are bad neighborhoods that you dont want to live in. By interlinking with websites in a bad neighborhood, Google will think you, too, are bad. What to do Instead Build meaningful relationships with other web admins in your niche. First, get on their radar by linking out to helpful content and resources that they create. Then, as time passes, theyll likely return the favor by linking to your website too. 10. Poor Internal Linking You cant expect people to link to your content when you dont link to it yourself. Not only does poor internal linking make it hard to get backlinks, but it also makes it difficult for search engines to rate your web pages. Poor internal linking also doesnt let you get the most of your backlinks link juice across to other relevant web pages on your website. What to do Instead Create a proper internal linking strategy. Start by sketching your website to identify your major pages and topics. Next, look at the most common topics you write about and find how to connect them to your websites major pages. Finally, think of any other page that could link to your ranking page. 11. Bribing Many companies try to bribe web admins and bloggers for links. Basically, companies offer to send them stuff if they link to the company. Although harder for Google to detect, this isnt a great practice. In fact, the FTC frowns upon this. What to do Instead Do everything else but bribe web admins or bloggers. Instead, you could build a free tool, become a source to journalists, create new content, and so on. 12. Disregarding Broken Links Broken links reduce a websites value. The 404 message can also cause visitors who are excited to read an article to become easily frustrated. Unfortunately, many website owners dont pay as much attention to broken links on their websites. Paying attention to broken links, especially on your competitors website, can help your link building efforts. What to do Instead Reach out to websites with broken outbound links and ask them to replace them with a link from your website. Your content would add value to the webmasters website and help fix the broken link error. Say Goodbye to Bad Link Building Practices Theres no point in trying to build links if youre not going to do it the right way. So, if youve been engaging in any of the bad link building practices mentioned above, its time to stop. Instead, test the alternative strategies and see what tactic works best for you. Editor's note: This post was originally published in July 2009 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. There are many great reasons for businesses to blog, but one stands out increasing your keyword rankings and growing your organic search traffic. The number of terms that a website can rank for is related to the size of the site. That is, more indexed pages mean more opportunities for ranking. For most small and medium-sized businesses, there is a limit to the number of pages that can fit onto the site before it becomes bloated and hard to navigate. Once youve reached your limit for services, products, case studies, etc., its time to get serious about creating blog content. More often than not, the difference between a 50-page website and a 500+ page site is a blog. Because of this, blogging is an essential practice for SEO and traffic building. The biggest objection I typically hear when I bring up the idea of blogging is, what am I supposed to write about? The short answer: write about your keywords. Since youll be using your blog to write about your industry and niche, it will be a natural place to create content around the long-tail keywords you want to rank for. In this post, well walk through the steps of how to use a blog to grow your organic traffic. How to Use a Blog to Increase Organic Traffic Know your target audience. Identify keywords. Optimize your post around your keyword. Create new, quality content. Boost your content quality and credibility with links. Publish regularly. 1. Know your target audience. Im sure youve heard the phrase you catch bees with honey. Thats because bees like honey. Now, imagine trying to sell oranges to a customer on the hunt for apples. Could you probably sell them a few oranges? Yes. Would it be more difficult? Definitely. Understanding the needs of your customer puts you in a great place to make a sale or establish a relationship. If a customer is looking for apples, give them apples. Presenting them apple-based products like juices and pies wouldnt be a stretch either. Knowing your audience is key to creating content that they want. The first step is to establish your buyer persona. A buyer persona represents your ideal customer and will shape and guide your strategy as you dive deeper into the process. You can create a buyer persona from a combination of market research and examining data from existing customers. Essentially, youre identifying your target audience and understanding their wants and needs to better attract them like bees with honey. Keep in mind that your target audience can change and will likely evolve over time. Make sure you periodically evaluate your target audience to better cater your content to them. 2. Identify keywords. Lets face it. Unless youre Blogger, Wikipedia, or WordPress, youre not going to take the top search engine result for the term blog anytime soon. And thats okay. You can still get crafty and take a sizable chunk of traffic by thinking about how people search. Most experienced Google users understand that using general terms isnt going to get them where they want to go. Instead, people typically search for keyword phrases, for example, how to use a blog. If you were to use a keyword research tool to compare blog and how to use a blog, youd find that the difficulty in ranking for the former is more than the latter. To put it simply, this means that there is a better chance to rank for the keyword phrase how to use a blog. Note that your selected keyword might not have a high search volume, but if you can rank for a dozen or more long-tail keyword phrases related to the term blog, youll end up with a significant amount of traffic. Long-tail keyword phrases help boost search engine rankings, but how do you identify which ones to use? Keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush, and Arel="noopener" target="_blank" hrefs Keywords Explorer are well-known tools among bloggers and marketers. These programs take a seed keyword, typically one or two words, and produce a list of relevant long-tail keywords. For example, a Google Keyword Planner search for blog provides keyword results that include starting a blog, best blogging platform, and blog post ideas. When selecting which keywords to use, consider the following: search volume, keyword difficulty, and intent. Search Volume For a clear indication of how many people enter your keyword into a search engine, evaluate search volume. Often referred to as Monthly Search Volume (MSV), this metric can help you anticipate how much traffic is available; however, this information is not enough to predict the potential success for your keyword. Keyword Difficulty Keyword research tools such as HubSpots Keyword Grader tell you keyword difficulty how hard it is to rank on the first page for a particular keyword search. The higher the assigned difficulty, the harder it is to rank in the search results. Evaluate keyword difficulty with search volume. As of September 2021, Googles Keyword Planner shows MSV results for blog and how to use a blog at 100K-1M searches for the former and 100-1K for the latter. Ahrefs Keyword Difficulty Checker assigns blog a keyword difficulty of 98 and how to use a blog a difficulty of 84. Both keywords are hard to rank for, but your best bet, as previously mentioned, would be how to use a blog. While the search volume for blog is significantly higher, the difficulty is equally high. Chances are youd have a better opportunity of ranking with the long-tail keyword. Although the search volume is lower, the difficulty makes it easier to rank than blog. Intent Why are people searching for specific keywords? Understanding the reason behind a search helps you decide which keywords to use. With a search as vague as blog, its impossible to know the true intent behind it. One could assume that the person is looking for a definition or a blogging platform at least thats what Google assumes. The difference from blog to how to use a blog makes the intent behind the search more clear, and gives you a better chance at solving for that intent. The person searching is looking for a solution to a problem theyve identified and will be more receptive to the information, resources, and tools made available to them. 3. Optimize your post around your keyword. Once you have your target keyword, you need to optimize your post around it. Your keyword should appear in the following: SEO Title Tag URL Meta Description Article Title Subheadings Image Titles & Alt Text Body Content SEO Title Tag If and when your content appears on a search engine results page (SERPs), the SEO Title Tag is often the first thing noticed. The title tag appears as the name of the webpage and is clickable to the link destination. There is no limit to its length; however, Google only shows up to 70 characters in its SERPs. If your SEO title tag is longer than 70 characters, rearrange the wording to include the keyword in the beginning. URL The URL is not the most critical location for keywords, but it is one of the first places your keyword appears. It is another indicator to Google and your blog visitors of your content subject. Not only does the URL appear at the top of a webpage in the address bar, but it appears beneath the SEO Title Tag on SERPs. Meta Description Your selected keyword should appear in the meta description. Also featured on SERPs, the meta description is the text found beneath the URL. It combines using the keyword and enticing your readers with a description worthy of a click. Article Title The title of the page after readers click through to your content is the article title. Aim to use your keyword here as naturally as possible. If youre still coming up with an awkward variation, rephrase your title while keeping as much of the keyword intact. Subheadings Before a reader commits to all of the content on a webpage, theyre going to skim through. Using subheadings makes it easier to digest information in a short amount of time. Include keywords in subheadings to help visitors evaluate how relevant your content is to them. Image Titles & Alt Text Dont downplay the importance of optimizing images with keywords. Images are one way that people find your content. When saving images for your blog posts, use your keywords in the title. The second image-related place to use your keyword is in alt text. Alt text describes your image and is used to help make your content accessible for people with disabilities. Yes, your alt text should use your keyword, but it should be descriptive enough in case your image cant be viewed. Body Content Keyword density is the number of times your keyword appears in the content and is often represented by a percentage. There is no target number for this. Instead, create your content with both your reader and keyword in mind. Afterward, revisit your content and see if you can naturally add your keyword without keyword stuffing. For a place to start, aim to include your keyword every 100-200 words. 4. Create new, quality content. Ranking in search engines is all about competition. You might ask, how do I rank higher, but your real question is how do I rank higher than others? Appealing to your target audience and optimizing your post based on your keywords need to be done in conjunction with creating quality content to beat out your competition. Hundreds, if not thousands, of ideas, are recycled on the internet today. The problem isnt necessarily the idea but the execution. Writing content on how to use a blog isnt a problem, but shaping it to look like every competing blog post is. Search engines prioritize fresh, quality content. Generate a few blog ideas and write something new. If the subject is not new, bring new ideas and perspectives to boost its quality. 5. Boost your content quality and credibility with links. The proper use of links can boost your content in SERPs and your credibility as a resource. When creating content, pay attention to interlinks and backlinks. Interlinks When you create content, think of it as drawing a map. You direct your readers to where they should go next. Direct them with interlinks. Interlinking is when you link to other relevant articles on your site. The most significant benefit of this is keeping visitors on your website longer. It also boosts your content quality by providing readers with extra resources to round out their knowledge. When setting up interlinks, pay attention to your anchor link text. It appears as clickable text highlighted as a link. Using identical text for a particular inbound link on your site could negatively affect your SEO. Vary your use of words and phrases when interlinking to the same webpage. Backlinks Backlinks boost credibility. A backlink is a link from one website to another, and the more backlinks you have, the more credible your website seems to others and search engines. If your content links to another website, that company has a backlink from you. If another website links to your content, you have a backlink from them. How do you prime your website for backlinks? Create linkable content. There will always be a need to link to quality content, and this can be a blog post, infographic, video, survey, or more. 6. Publish regularly. Finally, publish your post. Depending on how frequently Google and other search engines scan your site, it could take a few days or longer for your pages to be indexed and appear in a Google search. A simple tip to get your pages into search engines faster is to publish more often. When Google notices that a site is getting updated daily, it will scan the site more regularly. Ready to grow? Blogs dont experience organic growth overnight. One blog post isnt going to make you a leader in your industry, but consistency will. The repeated application of the best practices listed above will strengthen your relationship with your target audience, boost your credibility as an online resource, and improve your sites SEO factors that will lead to increasing your blogs organic traffic. Editor's note: This post was originally published in May 2010 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. The "Nellie Bly" is an automated tugboat from the Boston-based company Sea Machines, and it just finished its first trial run of 1000 miles navigated purely on software. The 16-day nautical journey took it around the coast of Denmark, through the Kiel Canal in Germany, around the Danish islands in the Baltic Sea, and along the Jutland peninsula, before docking in Hamburg. From The Boston Globe: Two mariners were on board the ship in case human intervention was needed. In addition, the Bly could be remotely controlled from Sea Machines' Boston headquarters. The ship stayed within 11 miles of the Danish coast and stayed in touch with the company through a Danish 4G wireless network. However, Sea Machines chief executive Michael Johnson said the ship steered itself for almost the entire voyage, using radar, radio beacons, and cameras to automatically detect and avoid navigational hazards, including other ships. At the Boston control center, the voyage was overseen by sailors belonging to the American Maritime Officers, a union representing officers working on US merchant ships. The partnership between Sea Machines and the AMO is aimed at ensuring that human sailors still will have roles to play even if seagoing craft become increasingly automated. From the most awful thing I've heard today files: In Santa Monica, California, police are looking for a man suspected of setting a homeless person, asleep in a park, on fire. This horrifying act left the victim hospitalized with burns covering 50% of their body. SM Mirror: Santa Monica police are searching for a suspect wanted for inflicting serious burns on a person sleeping in a Santa Monica park over the weekend. According to Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) Lieutenant Rudy Flores, the incident occurred on October 16 around 11:35 p.m. "A homeless male was asleep in Ozone Park when he was doused with an unknown liquid then set on fire," Flores said in a press release. The victim, whose identity was not released by police, was transported to a local hospital to be treated for his burns. In addition, according to the SMPD, he had a two-inch laceration on top of his head from possible blunt force trauma. "He suffered burns to approximately fifty percent of his body," Flores said. The startup says it wants to make college counseling services available to all students, not just those from affluent backgrounds, and created a platform blending technology and one-on-one counseling. The company's name stands for "access, knowledge and achievement leading to admission." BetterMynd Buffalo BetterMynd is an online therapy program for college students, giving students access to licensed mental health counselors from their computers and mobile devices. BetterMynd received a $75,000 investment from Launch New York in 2020, when founder Cody Semrau moved the business to Buffalo from Rochester. On BetterMynd's website, Semrau said he was inspired to start BetterMynd by his own struggles with mental health while he was attending college. "There are too many students struggling on their own, too many students put on counseling center waiting lists, and too many students who drop out of school or take their own lives because they arent able to get the help they need," he said. Big Wheelbarrow Austin, Texas We hope they enjoy it, but we work hard not just to create a singular performance but to make something the public can engage in we are creating for people who are fundamentally looking for an experience, who want to broaden their idea of what theater can be. One thing that will be new for all Remnants audiences is a fresh look for the historic Adam Mickiewicz building in the heart of Buffalos old Polonia neighborhood at 612 Fillmore Ave. The classic wood-frame social club, built in 1895, has been completely renovated, with an updated performance space, new courtyard and reclaimed greenspace on its once-neglected corner. The restoration is just one highlight from the unexpected and happily successful collaboration of the experimental theater company and the enduring Polish organization. It all happened by chance. The library, best known for its part in the annual Dyngus Day celebration, was suggested to Shanahan by a friend years ago as a place his new theater group could do a show. They did one show, Shanahan said, and it just kept going. (The library) has been crucial to the development of us as a theater company. Years later, using money from public arts grants and private foundations, Torn Space was able to return the favor by funding the capital improvements. Scientist Rosalind Franklin was not a woman to suffer fools lightly. She also didnt have much use for collaboration, humor, taking orders or making friends. She was, in a word, prickly. She also was brilliant. But she is no longer, as once was feared, forgotten. The story of Franklins key role in parsing out the structure of the DNA molecule has been told many times since her name was left off the Nobel Prize awarded to James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins in 1962. (Franklin died in 1958.) Now, playwright Anna Ziegler introduces us to the woman behind the research in the well-crafted character study Photograph 51. The play is onstage at Jewish Repertory Theatre through Nov. 14, and it is a show worth seeing. Kristen Tripp Kelley strides through the role of Franklin with the confidence of a young woman who knows absolutely knows she is always right. There is no arguing with her. In fact, it can even be touchy trying to agree with her. Still, one cannot help but be impressed with her. At this time, piecemeal litigation against some parishes will further entangle an already knotty situation and threatens to impair efforts to achieve a global resolution of claims for child abuse, Bucki said. As long as the debtor shows a continuing effort to address these complexities in good faith, we ought to avoid needless impediments to the development of a confirmable plan. The CVA plaintiffs cases against parishes and other Catholic affiliates will remain on hold, and Bucki left open the possibility for the 36 plaintiffs to request that the extended stay be limited or modified. The committee of unsecured creditors seven people with child sex abuse claims against the diocese who represent the interests of more than 900 sex abuse claimants in the bankruptcy supported the dioceses request for a stay extension, albeit for a shorter time, 90 days. Without it, their lawyer warned that there would be a race to the courthouse that would result in large awards for a small number of victims and quickly deplete parish and insurance assets. The committee made a deal last year to support stay protections for parishes and other Catholic entities, as long as the diocese turned over tens of thousands of pages of internal documents. Five months after a dispute with Niagara University over a graduation ceremony for the Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy, the county has decided to build a permanent home for the academy. The County Legislature this week voted to allocate up to $3 million from the county's American Rescue Plan funds for the construction project on the Niagara County Community College campus in Sanborn. "It shows a commitment by the county that they value law enforcement," Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti said. "More and more, people are looking at us to increase our levels of training and increase the education that we get. This building will allow us to do that." The remainder of the building's estimated $4.54 million cost is expected to come from the State University of New York system, although NCCC has yet to apply for that aid, Filicetti said. He said he expects the money from the SUNY building fund to be appropriated in the state budget to be adopted in April. Besides the construction, the plans call for spending about $400,000 to repave a parking lot near the building site. "Obviously we still have to put it out to bid and see where we land," Filicetti said. In the Buffalo mayoral race, much of the money flowing to the two candidates campaigns has come from outside of the city ranging from a $1 donation sent by a teacher in Nebraska to a $7,700 check from a developer in Washington, D.C. Just over one-half of the $1.5 million that incumbent Byron W. Brown raised in the first nine months of this year came from supporters inside the city, according to filings with the New York State Board of Elections. India Walton, who raised about $760,000 through the end of September, reported only about one-third of her money coming from Buffalo residents. But Walton did not itemize another one-third of her contributions, so it is likely that city residents account for more of her funds. Exactly how much more, though, is unclear. Candidates are not required to itemize donations under $100. "It is normal not to itemize small cash donations, of which our campaign, being driven by grassroots, working-class Buffalo Democrats, has received an uncommonly large number," said Jesse Myerson, a spokesperson for Walton's campaign. When you say 'Go Bills!' so many times it's exhausting In Hebrew, the word "shalom" has several meanings. It's how one says "hello" and "goodbye." It is also an offering of peacefulness. In Buffalo, the closest we have to that is "Go Bills." From September to the dead of winter, it is our city's all-purpose salutation, and even a sarcastic rejoinder: "Oh, great. The city gave me another parking ticket. Go Bills." But what happens when you're surrounded by 50,000 or so fellow Bills fans in a foreign city? That was the case in Nashville last week, as Bills Mafia descended on the Music City. In addition to crowds breaking into the occasional impromptu rendition of the "Shout" song, fans couldn't walk more than a few feet down Broadway before encountering a fellow fan. +4 'Call this Nash-Bill': Bills Mafia takes over Music City for 'Monday Night Football' Tens of thousands of Bills fans headed to Nashville this weekend to cheer on their team for another prime-time performance. Needless to say, our ubiquitous greeting was on the tip of everyone's tongue. So much so that it almost became exhausting. "This is crazy," said Kristin Brown of Cheektowaga, speaking to a Buffalo News reporter who had made the trip. "I might actually be sick of saying 'Go Bills' by the end of the weekend." It was the first time in decades that shed seen his glow. At the California foundry that fired a bust of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey Percy Newton, his widow supervised as a bronze caster put finishing touches on what is to become the first permanent public art piece honoring the party in the city of its founding. It just glowed, like he did, Fredrika Newton said. His skin just glistened. The unveiling is scheduled for Sunday at Dr. Huey P. Newton Way and Mandela Parkway, near the spot where Newton was murdered in 1989. It comes as Panther alumni, descendants and others gathered to mark the 55th anniversary of a party that has long been both celebrated and vilified. Newton remains a divisive figure. Many people still dismiss him as the leader of a band of beret-wearing, gun-toting hustlers -- and no doubt would deplore the prospect of an American city memorializing him with a statue. Others say his failings were a drag on the Black Power movement. Still, many love him to this day, venerating him as a man who, with Bobby Seale, sought to unite all Black, impoverished and oppressed people against what they considered Americas racist, capitalistic and unjust interests. His influence on the Black Lives Matter movement is undeniable. But neither the Marcus Alert law, named after her brother, nor the reforms went far enough for Blanding. She said it was then that she decided to start the new Liberation Party and run for governor as a third-party candidate. It was the continuous failure of the two-party system, especially the Democratic Party, Blanding said in an interview with The Associated Press. She rails against Democratic lawmakers who she says passed weak reforms after Floyd's killing and rejected a bill that would have eliminated qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that shields police from most lawsuits that stem from work performed in the line of duty. Phil Wilayto, a community organizer and activist with the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality, says Blanding's style is passionate, at times, dramatic." Shes motivated by an intense desire for justice for the people who have been denied justice, historically and in the present. That's what her strength is; people see that. She's the real thing," Wilayto said. Running for political office was not something Blanding envisioned for herself. Raised by an aunt in Newburgh, New York, Blanding was one of 16 siblings and grew up wanting to become a pediatrician. Buffalo made international news recently for the efforts undertaken by workers at Starbucks to join a union. On Aug. 30, workers at three Starbucks locations (Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo, Camp Road in Hamburg and Genesee Street in Cheektowaga), petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election so that workers could vote on whether they wished to be represented by Workers United. Each store employs about 25 workers. Instead of agreeing to allow a vote at each store, Starbucks hired high-priced lawyers from Ohio, New Jersey and Long Island to launch an all-out war against the workers. The stated goal is to prevent unionization at all costs. Because the National Labor Relations Act has not been meaningfully updated to protect workers since it was created in 1935, its antiquated procedures allow employers to delay an election for weeks and game the system in many ways, including surveilling, intimidating, cajoling and dividing and conquering workers. First, Starbucks argues that instead of three stores, 20 stores in the Buffalo region, totaling 400 employees, should be included in a vote whether to organize or not. Starbucks makes this argument despite losing the same argument at the NLRB in the past. The law is clear that a single store is allowed to have its own election. Constanta Bunea (MPS) An abusive husband who murdered his wife by plunging a pair of scissors into her back after a row over a haircut has been jailed for life. Vasile Bratu, 40, was high on drugs when he attacked 49-year-old Constanta Bunea in the bathroom of their flat in Plumstead, southeast London. When police arrived in the early hours of April 4, Bratu said they had been arguing because his wife wanted to cut her hair and he insisted it would not suit her. The killer claimed Ms Bunea had been fatally injured by accidentally falling on to the scissors, but Met Police detectives uncovered a pattern of abusive and controlling behaviour in the marriage. Bratu denied murder but was convicted by a jury at Woolwich crown court, and has now been jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years. Constanta Bunea was a loving mother and grandmother who moved to the UK to provide a better life for her family back home in Romania. Vasile Bratu forced her into an unhappy lifestyle, said Emma Currie, from the CPS. He controlled her and used her for the money she made. Tragically, she could never admit to her plight and told her family she was content working in a Romanian bakery in London. Vasile Bratu (MPS) The prosecution case included strong testimony from the daughter of Ms Bunea who was able to tell the jury about the jealous, possessive and aggressive behaviour displayed by Bratu when he had visited Romania with her mother. She was also able to speak about the concerning bruises she had seen on her mother in video calls in the weeks before her death although her mother had been at pains to suggest that Bratu was not responsible. The court heard how the couple met online and had been together for around three years, with Ms Bunea moving to the UK from Romania in August 2019 to find work. Bratu, a father-of-three who had worked as a translator in Romania, relied on her income. When questioned by police, he denied knowing how the fatal wound had been inflicted and attempted to hide behind a language barrier, said the CPS. Story continues Domestic violence can have a devastating impact, added Ms Currie. The CPS is dedicated to holding perpetrators of domestic abuse to account by bringing these cases to court. I hope this conviction provides some sense of justice for the family and friends of Constanta Bunea. Our thoughts remain with them at this time. Read More Sarah Everard: 5 police officers face sack over social media messages Mother and teenage son remain critical after Ayr explosion Police seek help to identify fan who made racist gesture at Newcastle game Gen. Colin Powell Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage Colin Powell A memorial service for Gen. Colin Powell is planned for Nov. 5 at the Washington National Cathedral. "There will be very limited seating and it will be by invitation only," spokeswoman Peggy Cifrino said in an emailed statement to the Associated Press. State funerals for four presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush have been held at the church. The cathedral has also hosted prayer services for newly sworn-in presidents following their inaugurations. Powell, the first Black U.S. Secretary of State and first Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, died Monday from complications of COVID-19 at 84. His family said Powell, who was 84, had been fully vaccinated. However journalist Bob Woodward said that Powell had told him in an interview that he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer that suppresses the immune system, and that he had Parkinson's. RELATED: Remembering Former Secretary of State Colin Powell's Lengthy Career: 'A Great American' washington-national-cathedral.jpg Raymond Boyd/Getty "We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American," the Powell family said in a statement announcing his death. "Having repeatedly broken racial barriers, blazing a trail for others to follow in Federal Government service, Colin was committed throughout his life to investing in the next generation of leadership," President Joe Biden said in his own statement. "Above all, Colin was my friend. Easy to share a laugh with. A trusted confidant in good and hard times." RELATED: Colin Powell's Life in Photos Powell served in former President George W. Bush's Cabinet from 2001 to 2005 as the nation's top diplomat. "Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of Colin Powell," Bush, 75, said in a statement on Monday. "He was a great public servant, starting with his time as a soldier during Vietnam. Many Presidents relied on General Powell's counsel and experience. He was National Security Adviser under President Reagan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Under my father and President Clinton, and Secretary of State during my Administration." Cifrino did not immediately respond to an email request for comment on the planned services for Powell. The FBI confirmed Thursday that it had found the remains of Brian Laundrie near a Florida nature preserve, bringing a grim end to the weeks-long manhunt for the 23-year-old fiance of Gabby Petito and the only person of interest in her death. The case has garnered widespread national media attention as well as criticism of news outlets for not covering similar cases involving people of color. Below is a timeline of how we got here: Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito in an undated photo. (North Port, Fla., Police/Handout via Reuters/File) July 2, 2020 Gabby Petito announces her engagement to Brian Laundrie on Instagram. The couple met in high school on Long Island. July 2, 2021 The couple departs Petitos hometown of Blue Point, N.Y., on a planned four-month cross-country journey in her white 2012 Ford Transit van, documenting the trip on social media. According to Petito family attorney Richard Stafford, the pair had postponed their wedding plans because of the coronavirus pandemic and decided to take a road trip instead. July 4-29 Per Petitos Instagram posts, the couple makes stops in Monument Rock in Kansas; Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado; Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Mystic Hot Springs and Canyonlands National Park in Utah. A police video shows Brian Laundrie with an officer after he and Gabby Petito were pulled over near the entrance to Arches National Park on Aug. 12. (Moab Police Department via AP) Aug. 12 Police in Moab, Utah, pull the young couples van over near Arches National Park following a report of a domestic problem between the pair outside a natural food store. Body camera footage shows Laundrie with scratches on his face and a visibly distraught Petito wiping away tears while speaking to one officer. Im sorry, she tells the officer. Weve just been fighting this morning. Some personal issues. According to audio from a 911 call, a witness tells police that he saw Laundrie slap Petito multiple times in the parking lot of the store. After questioning the couple separately for more than an hour, officers conclude that Petito was the aggressor in the incident, but decline to charge either of them. I do not believe the situation escalated to the level of a domestic assault as much as that of a mental health crisis, the officers conclude in their report. Story continues They instead decide to separate the couple for the night. Laundrie is taken to a motel and Petito is allowed to stay in the van. The pair reunite soon after and continue on their trip. Gabby Petito as seen on Aug. 12 in police bodycam video. (Moab Police via YouTube) A National Park Service ranger who also responded to the call later says she warned Petito that her relationship with Laundrie was toxic. I was imploring her to reevaluate the relationship, asking her if she was happy in the relationship with him, and basically saying this was an opportunity for her to find another path, to make a change in her life, ranger Melissa Hulls tells the Deseret News in September. The city of Moab launches an independent investigation into the police departments handling of the incident. Aug. 17 Laundrie flies home to Florida from Salt Lake City in order to obtain some items and empty a storage unit to save money, as they contemplated extending the road trip, according to Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino. Aug. 19 An eight-minute video, titled Beginning Our Van Life Journey, is posted to the couples YouTube page. Aug. 23 Laundrie flies back to Salt Lake City to rejoin Petito, according to Bertolino. Aug. 24 Petito FaceTimes with her mother, Nichole Schmidt, and tells her she is leaving Utah and heading to Wyoming. Aug. 25 A photo posted to Petito's Instagram page shows her smiling and holding a knit pumpkin in front of a butterfly mural. It is the last post made on her account. Aug. 27 A Louisiana couple vacationing in Wyoming say they saw Petito and Laundrie involved in an argument as they were leaving a restaurant in Jackson Hole. Nina Angelo, who was at the restaurant with her boyfriend, says in an Instagram post that Petito was in tears and Laundrie was visibly angry, going in and out of the restaurant several times and showing anger toward the staff around the hostess stand. Schmidt, Petito's mother, says she receives an odd text message from her daughter, and is unsure if it was her daughter who actually sent it. The message reads: Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls. Stan is Petitos grandfather, but according to Schmidt, she never calls him by his first name. Aug. 29 Another couple say they saw Laundrie hitchhiking in Wyoming and gave him a ride. In a series of videos posted on TikTok, Miranda Baker says she and her boyfriend picked up Laundrie, who told them he had been camping alone along the Snake River outside Grand Teton National Park while Petito was back at the van working on social media posts. Baker says that once Laundrie found out she and her boyfriend were going to Jackson Hole instead of Jackson, he got agitated, asked that the vehicle stop and got out near the Jackson Dam. Aug. 30 Schmidt says she receives another text from her daughters phone that reads no service in yosemite. It is the last text Schmidt receives from her phone. Sept. 1 Laundrie returns to North Port, Fla., where the couple had been living with his parents, in Petitos van without her. Sept. 11 Petitos parents report her missing to police in Suffolk County, N.Y. Sept. 15 Laundrie is officially named a person of interest in Petito's disappearance by North Port police, who say he is not cooperating with investigators. Joe Petito pleads for help finding his missing daughter while North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison listens. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images) Sept. 16 At a press conference with police in North Port, Petitos father issues a plea asking for the publics help in finding his daughter. What I need from everybody here is help, because the goal is still not met. And that goal is to bring Gabby home safe, Joe Petito says. There is nothing else that matters to me now." At the same press conference, North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison is asked by a reporter if he knows where Laundrie was. Yes, Garrison replies. (A spokesperson for the North Port Police Department later says that officers believed Laundrie was at his North Port residence at the time.) At a separate press conference, Stafford, the lawyer for the Petito family, reads aloud a letter to Laundries parents in which the Petitos urge them to help find their daughter. We understand that you are going through a difficult time and that your instinct is strong to protect your son, the letter reads. We ask you to put yourself in our shoes. We havent been able to sleep or eat and our lives are falling apart. Sept. 17 Laundries parents report him missing, telling police they last saw him on Sept. 14, when he left their home to go hiking in the nearby Carlton Reserve, a 24,565-acre nature preserve in Sarasota County. Sept. 18 Authorities begin scouring the vast reserve, using drones, boats, ATVs and search dogs. Meanwhile, in Wyoming, a ground search for Petito continues in the mountainous area where her family believes she was last seen. A park ranger parked at the entrance of Spread Creek camping area near Moran, Wyo. (Natalie Behring/Getty Images) Sept. 19 A body is found in the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area, near Grand Teton National Park. Sept. 20 FBI agents execute a search warrant and remove evidence from the Laundries home. Sept. 21 A coroner in Wyoming confirms that the body is that of Petito. Teton County Coroner Brent Blue, who conducted a preliminary autopsy on Petitos body, initially rules that the manner of death was homicide. FBI agents remove evidence from the family home of Brian Laundrie in North Port, Fla., on Sept. 20. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images) Sept. 23 A federal arrest warrant is issued for Laundrie, charging him with unauthorized use of a Capital One debit card and several bank accounts belonging to Petito from about Aug. 30 through Sept. 1. While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr. Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petitos homicide, FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider says in a statement. Sept. 26 Funeral services for Petito are held in Holbrook, N.Y., where family, friends and strangers gather to mourn the 22-year-olds death. Her father, Joe, tells those in attendance that his daughter touched the world. When you leave here today, be inspired by what she brought to the table, because the entire planet knows this womans name now. And shes inspired a lot of women and a lot of men to do whats best for them first, he says. Put yourself first and do it now while you have the time. I couldn't be more proud as a father. Her stepfather, Jim Schmidt, offers a similar message: Its OK to mourn for Gabby, and its OK to feel sorrow and pain. But we want to celebrate her and how she lived her life. Gabby Petito. (via Facebook) Sept. 28 At a press conference in Bohemia, N.Y., Stafford, the lawyer for the Petito family, says they have no reason to believe that Laundrie's parents will help authorities find him. The Laundries did not help us find Gabby, Stafford says. Theyre sure as not going to help us find Brian. He also urges Laundrie to turn himself in. Oct. 12 Brent Blue, the Teton County coroner, announces that Petitos death was caused by strangulation. Blue initially ruled the manner of death a homicide pending final autopsy results. After a detailed investigation by our forensic pathologist, our anthropologist and local law enforcement, with assistance from the FBI, the Teton County Coroners Office is filing the following verdict in the death of Gabrielle Venora Petito. We hereby find the cause and manner of death to be: the cause, death by strangulation, and manner is homicide, Blue says. He says law enforcement took DNA samples from Petitos body and determined that she was not pregnant. The time of death is estimated to have been three to four weeks before Petitos body was found, Blue says. FBI Agent Michael McPherson announcing that human remains were found at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida on Oct. 20. (Thomas O'Neill/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Oct. 20 The FBI says that apparent human remains, as well as a backpack and other items belonging to Laundrie, have been found near the Florida nature preserve where officials had been searching for him. The remains were found in an area that until recently was under water, the FBI says. It's unclear whether the remains belong to Laundrie. Earlier today, investigators found what appears to be human remains as well as personal items such as a backpack and notebook belonging to Brian Laundrie, Michael McPherson, special agent in charge of the Tampa field office of the FBI, tells reporters. Our evidence response team is on scene using all available forensic resources to process the area. Its likely the team will be on scene for several days. Steven Bertolino, attorney for the Laundrie family, says Brians parents went to the park to search for their son that morning, and met with North Port police and the FBI. After a brief search of a trail that Brian frequented, some articles belonging to Brian were found, Bertolino said in a statement. As of now, law enforcement is conducting a more thorough investigation of that area. Oct. 21 The FBI says dental records confirm that the human remains found the day before were those of Laundrie. NBC News reports the remains were skeletal and included part of a human skull. A view of Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on Oct. 20, after human remains were found. (Mark Taylor/Getty Images) ____ Read more from Yahoo News: JUNEAU A 71-year-old Horicon man was found guilty on Thursday of intentionally starting a fire in a Horicon home in 2016 that he owned and rented to his son. Michael Hansen pleaded no contest to a felony charge of arson to a building with the intent to defraud. Hanson was found guilty by Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Martin De Vries who withheld sentencing and placed Hansen on probation for five years. He must serve 240 days in jail. According to the criminal complaint, the fire occurred at 412 W. Lake St. on July 6, 2016. At the time, another family was planning to move into the home in August. Hansens son was to move out July 15. Hansens son told authorities that they left the house around noon that day to visit a relative. Six area fire departments battled the blaze that was reported at 2:44 p.m. The house was heavily damaged. Neighbors of the house noticed Hansens truck at the scene around the same time as the house was on fire. One neighbor said Hansen had asked him to buy the house at one point for $100,000 and said his son had wrecked it. Hansen also allegedly told the neighbor, I can always burn the house down and get the insurance money. According to the criminal complaint, Hansen was questioned the day of the fire and said he had owned the house for about a dozen years. He said his son, who lived in the house, did not pay him rent for about a year. Hansen admitted to driving by the house, but denied going into it. During the investigation of the fire, firefighters noticed the fire seemed to be localized in a utility/laundry room. The fire pattern showed that fire moved out of the utility room into the kitchen. A large red plastic gasoline container was found in the weeds near a neighbors garage. According to the criminal complaint, the fire originated near the floor level of the northeast corner of the utility/laundry room. It was believed to be caused by the intentional application of an open flame to combustible fuels. Hansen was questioned again in 2018 and continued to deny any involvement, but did say he had flashbacks to Vietnam that left him with memory problems. He agreed that it was possible he had set the fire, but did not recall it, according to the complaint. A restitution hearing is scheduled for Nov. 30. The golden spatula is coming home to Wisconsin. Blake Sykora, an Indianhead Insurance agent and Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce representative, is the winner of the nationwide 2021 Blackstone Great Griddle Off cooking competition, taking home the golden spatula award for his creation, the Wisconsin cheesesteak. This is a community win, Sykora said. This is a win for Wisconsin, a win for the Chippewa Valley and this was a win for everyone in this area. The support I received from the community, and people I didnt even know, makes me feel blessed, humbled and honored. Im glad to have helped put Wisconsin on the map in this competition. Sykora took home the win Friday after a final fan vote had his then top-four entry ascending over the hump, The Blackstone Great Griddle Off is a cooking competition put on by industry-leading griddle manufacturer Blackstone Products, aiming to find undiscovered cooking prodigies who utilize Blackstone products in their creations. The Wisconsin cheesesteak he won with includes locally sourced bratwurst, peppers/onions, beer cheese, sauerkraut and peppers served up on a hoagie. Of 180 entries in the lunch/dinner category, Sykora came out on top and then defeated the winners of the three other categories to remain the last man standing in the competition. Sykoras winnings include a prize pack featuring Blackstone accessories, a spot in the Blackstone cookbook, a virtual cooking session with a to-be-determined celebrity chef and now the golden spatula award (a spatula coated in 24K gold). My desire to continue to cook has been sparked again, Sykora said. This may lead to some other cooking ventures in the future and it shows me I do have what it takes to compete against some of the great chefs we have in this nation. With the golden spatula award in tow, Sykora said he plans to continue pursuing his passion of cooking in addition to continuing his career in insurance and raising a family. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Area schools should not drop their mask mandates yet, said Chippewa County Public Health Director Angela Weideman. COVID-19 cases are declining, but so is testing, she said. In a letter to parents last week, Chippewa Falls Schools Superintendent Jeff Holmes wrote that there is promising evidence that we are on the back side of the Delta surge in Chippewa County, and said the district is planning to move back to a mask-optional system as of Nov. 1. Weideman said that may be early. I would still highly, highly recommend masks across schools, because we are seeing breakthrough infections, Weideman said Thursday during her weekly COVID-19 press conference. The school district saw a drop from 38 students infected a week ago to 23 sick as of last Friday. In the past week, 179 Chippewa County residents tested positive from 417 tests, for a 42.9% positivity rate; a rate that high indicates high levels of the virus in the community. Also, 27.8% of all active cases are among children ages 0-18, down from recent weeks, but much higher than it was throughout the 2019-20 school year. Both the Chippewa Falls and New Auburn school districts have created a voluntary quarantine system. Weideman said she is still working with attorneys representing the county and the state on if this policy should be allowed. A week ago, 305 county residents tested positive from 685 tests, which was a 44.5% positivity rate. Two weeks ago, 421 people tested positive from 904 tests given (46.5% positivity rate). We are seeing test numbers and case numbers decline, Weideman said Im disappointed testing numbers arent higher. I would hesitate to say we are on the back end of the Delta variant. Weideman said her office is still recommending quarantines for those who were exposed to COVID-19-positive people, and she also stressed that more testing is needed. Thursday afternoon, another county resident died from the virus, bringing the countys total to 113 deaths. The county is now averaging 174.8 deaths per 100,000 residents, much higher than the states average of 142.8 deaths per 100,000 residents. There are currently 13 Chippewa County residents hospitalized with virus-related symptoms; including one younger than the age of 18. Roughly 84% of hospital beds in northwestern Wisconsin are now in use, including 94% of ICU beds. Also, 18% of ventilators are in use. In the past week, the county gave 320 vaccine doses, which now includes people who are getting a third booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine. That is down slightly from the 418 doses given last week, and down from 434 two weeks ago and 509 doses given three weeks ago. Weideman said her office doesnt have a report from the state that says how many of the shots given in the past week were considered to be booster shots. Weideman said her office is waiting from direction from the state on when it may begin distributing third doses of the Moderna vaccine and second dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Because of the high number of new cases in the county in recent weeks, Chippewa County remains at a severe risk level, with a recommendation of limiting indoor gatherings to 15 people and outdoor gatherings to 50 people. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) An assistant director unwittingly handed Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, court records released Friday show. Cold gun, the assistant director announced, according to a search warrant filed in a Santa Fe court. Instead, the gun was loaded with live rounds, and when Baldwin pulled the trigger Thursday on the set of a Western, he killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, was wounded, the records said. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office obtained the warrant Friday so investigators could document the scene at the ranch outside Santa Fe where the shooting took place. They sought to examine Baldwins blood-stained costume for the film Rust," as well as the weapon that was fired, other prop guns and ammunition, and any footage that might exist. The gun was one of three that the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, had set on a cart outside the wooden structure where a scene was being acted, according to the records. Assistant director Dave Halls grabbed the gun from the cart and brought it inside to Baldwin, unaware that it was loaded with live rounds, a detective wrote in the search warrant application. It was unclear how many rounds were fired. Gutierrez removed a shell casing from the gun after the shooting, and she turned the weapon over to police when they arrived, the court records say. Halls did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment. The Associated Press was unable to contact Gutierrez, and several messages sent to production companies affiliated with the film were not immediately returned Friday. The films script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, said she was standing next to Hutchins when she was shot. I ran out and called 911 and said Bring everybody, send everybody, Mitchell told The Associated Press. This woman is gone at the beginning of her career. She was an extraordinary, rare, very rare woman. Mitchell said she and other crew members were attending a private memorial service Friday night in Santa Fe. Baldwin described the killing as a tragic accident." There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. Im fully cooperating with the police investigation, Baldwin wrote on Twitter. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna. No immediate charges were filed, and sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios said Baldwin was permitted to travel. Hes a free man, Rios said. Images of the 63-year-old actor known for his roles in 30 Rock and The Hunt for Red October and his impression of former President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live showed him distraught outside the sheriffs office on Thursday. Guns used in making movies are sometimes real weapons that can fire either bullets or blanks, which are gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but no deadly projectile. Even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. That proved to be the case in the death of an actor in 1984. In another on-set accident in 1993, the actor Brandon Lee was killed after a bullet was left in a prop gun, and similar shootings have occurred involving stage weapons that were loaded with live rounds. Gun-safety protocol on sets in the United States has improved since then, said Steven Hall, a veteran director of photography in Britain. But he said one of the riskiest positions to be in is behind the camera because that person is in the line of fire in scenes where an actor appears to point a gun at the audience. Sheriffs deputies responded about 2 p.m. to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 calls described a person being shot there, Rios said. The ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western News of the World. Hutchins, 42, worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film Archenemy starring Joe Manganiello. She was a 2015 graduate of the American Film Institute and was named a rising star by American Cinematographer in 2019. Im so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set, said Archenemy director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film. Manganiello called Hutchins an incredible talent and a great person on his Instagram account. He said he was lucky to have worked with her. After the shooting, production was halted on Rust. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. Lee, son of martial arts star Bruce Lee, died in 1993 after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series Cover Up. Such shootings have also happened during historical reenactments. In 2015, an actor staging a historical gunfight in Tombstone, Arizona, was shot and wounded with a live round during a show that was supposed to use blanks. In Hill City, South Dakota, a tourist town that recreates an Old West experience, three spectators were wounded in 2011 when a re-enactor fired real bullets instead of blanks. Associated Press writers Jake Coyle and Jocelyn Noveck in New York; Lizzie Knight in London; Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine; Ryan Pearson in Los Angeles; Walter Berry in Phoenix; and Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has asked a Dane County Circuit Court judge to prohibit former Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman from enforcing subpoenas he filed with the state elections commission as part of an ongoing investigation into how the 2020 election was conducted. Kauls request for a restraining order, which was filed Thursday, alleges Gablemans special counsel has issued numerous subpoenas to state and local election officials in furtherance of an unlawful investigation focused on debunked theories about the November 2020 Election. The motion for a restraining order relates to subpoenas issued to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which Kaul represents, and its administrator, Meagan Wolfe. Kauls motion comes about one week after the state Department of Justice and Gableman, who was hired by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, to lead the probe, reached a mutual agreement to reduce the special counsels overall request for election-related documents. Gableman also agreed to hold off on his initial demand to have Wolfe and the mayors and city clerks in the states largest cities testify in private meetings last Friday, though he did reserve the right to request interviews in the future. In Thursdays motion, Kaul said Gablemans subpoenas suffer multiple legal defects and should be invalidated on those legal bases. He added that subpoenas requesting depositions have no basis in statute and exceed the scope of legislative authority. Kaul said Wolfe and Elections Commission officials stand ready to provide testimony and additional documents for the investigation, but only to the state Legislature or one of its committees. But the current Subpoenas, infected with the numerous legal flaws discussed herein, cannot be lawfully enforced and must therefore be immediately enjoined, he wrote in the motion. Kaul earlier this month questioned the legality of the subpoenas, while calling on Vos to call off the fake investigation that he said has been irrevocably tainted by bias. Vos responded earlier this month that Gablemans investigation would continue. Gablemans special counsel and Vos office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. During an interview with Wisconsin Public Radios The Morning Show, on Tuesday, Vos said the investigation, which had originally been planned to be complete by the end of October, will now be finished before the end of the year. Vos did not say if the investigation could cost more than the $676,000 in taxpayer dollars allocated to the effort in June. In the interview, Vos said the goal of the investigation is to shine a light on all of the problems that occurred in 2020 so we dont see them happening again in 2022 and going forward. If theres nothing to hide, why are there all these Democrats literally now working with liberal lawyers to try to ensure that nothing becomes public and that nothing sees the light of day? They obviously have something to hide, Vos said. The one-party investigation 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. A recount and court decisions have affirmed that President Joe 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. The nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau is also reviewing the 2020 election. That review was also ordered by Republicans and is expected to be completed this fall. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 James Thomas, 57, was in a supermarket in the Westgate Mall when gunmen reportedly belonging to Somalian Muslim extremist group Al-Shabaab started shooting shoppers at random. St Peter's Church, Mowbray, where he was a warden, confirmed that Thomas had died of a gunshot wound. Pastor David Meldrum was quoted by The Times Live as saying Thomas's wife, two children and foster son were "in shock". "He was an extreme extrovert, fun-loving, a people's person who liked to see the best in others to help them develop their potential," said Meldrum. "He wanted people to be the best they could be. He could not tolerate unemployment for himself or for others and wanted people to find their purpose and their calling. ''He had a real vision to see people, through their own potential and ability, work their way to something better." At least 62 people have been killed and over 170 injured since the attack started on Saturday. Smoke was billowing at the mall today after blasts were heard. According to the BBC, security forces have launched an assault to break the grip of the militants and rescue remaining hostages. Three Britons are among the dead. Victims also include Ghanaian poet Kofi Awoonor, 78, and President Uhuru Kenyatta's nephew, Mbugua Mwangi and fiancee Rosemary Wahito. The Anglican Communion Office said it was praying for an end to the hostage crisis. On a cool weekend in mid-October the place to be is Palisade High School, as they hosted the first of three CHSAA Student Leadership Summits. The Summits are a series of regional Student Leadership events, designed to create opportunities for high school student leaders to share best-practices for event planning, exchange leadership content, hear from motivational speakers and network.The student leaders at Palisade High School did a great job of putting together an agenda that was full of the aforementioned. As we filed into the gym for the opening session, music filled the morning air. Students were on the floor dancing to songs that made it feel more like a high school dance than a traditional leadership event. Palisade senior and current CHSAA State Representative, Micah Frahzo, did a fantastic job as our lead host and moderator for the day. Her humor, relaxed demeanor, and passion for leadership was evident from the moment we walked into the building. Frazho was joined in the hosting duties by fellow Bulldog Desi Lopez (11grade), who enjoyed the event because all of their student staff was prepared and ready for any big issues.Students from Manitou Springs High School led the crowd in silly songs, which brought back so many memories of pre-pandemic CHSAA leadership events. It was hard not to just laugh out loud as I watched students navigate the milk song. Alice Stoneback, the CHSAA Student Leadership Advisory Chair and Manitou Springs Leadership adviser, led the group in teambuilding activities.The day went very well for both students and advisers. Throughout the day, advisers were able to gather and share in some of the great things going on in their schools as well as some of the areas they were finding concern. In both student and adviser meetings, there was a great deal of talk about how activities were going, post-COVID. With much of the talk centered around how activities were giving students opportunities to belong, grow, and learn, this was information that was received well by all in attendance.In talking with the student leader from Palisade after the Summit, it was clear that they were well-prepared for this event and that it helped their council to come together in a way that they might not have without hosting. Students talked about how relying on each other for a larger event meant so much and how this was the first fall leadership event for many students in their program.We also talked about how important it was for one of our summit locations to be on the Western Slope. While Palisade students talked about the importance of hosting CHSAA events on their side of the state, they also talked about the fun times they look forward to as they come to the Denver metro area or anywhere along the Front Range. According to them, there is still something fun involved with a hotel stay, eating a meal at a local restaurant, and networking with students from other schools.Overall, the Summit was a great opportunity for us to have Colorado student leaders in the same building. Thanks to Dave Carlo (the Palisade High School Student Leadership adviser), and the Palisade High School administration for hosting the first Summit of the 2021-2022 school year.If your school is interested in hosting or attending a Student Leadership Summit, please email Rashaan Davis ( rdavis@chsaa.org ) or Sandra Williamson ( swilliamson@chsaa.org ) for information. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) AirAsia Philippines is looking to rehire former employees by the second quarter as it expects operations to fly high to pre-pandemic levels by early 2022, its top official said Friday. In a media briefing, AirAsia Philippines chief executive officer Ricky Isla said 2022 will be a year of recovery for the aviation industry, both for domestic and international air travel. To support the expected demand recovery in the sector, the executive said rehiring is the group's "top priority." "As a matter of fact, hopefully by second quarter [2022] tignan natin papunta tayo diyan [we see that we will be moving in that direction]," he said. "There will be more aircraft, more destinations, additional destinations or flights so thats the first thing we will [do] to rehire pilots, cabin crews, engineers, and maintenance people," Isla said. As the coronavirus crippled air travel operations last year, local airlines were forced to let go hundreds of employees. The low-cost carrier had to lay off over 600 workers. Ray Berja, AirAsia Philippines chief financial officer, said in the same briefing the group has been recording improvement in passenger load factor across its destinations. He added this will further be boosted as the government allowed seniors aged 65 and older, and minors from Metro Manila to travel to areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ. "This December, coming from that recent OCTA research, hopefully we will be able to implement Alert Level 2," Isla said. "We are looking to a very strong, bright Christmas," the chief added. By the first quarter of 2022, AirAsia Philippines hopes its domestic passenger volume will rebound to 90% of pre-COVID levels. Before the pandemic, its passenger volume stood at 7-8 million. AirAsia Philippines' international performance, meanwhile, is expected to recover by the second half of 2022, Isla noted. The company is eyeing to reopen its regional routes from Manila to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore by December 1. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) The Philippines remains in the global money laundering watchlist in October. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), however, noted progress in the government's fight against any cash gained through illegal means. The FATF, the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, again released its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, with the Philippines still on the roll. Last June marked the Philippines' return to the grey list, four years after global regulators removed the country from the watchlist following the enactment of Republic Act 10927, putting physical and internet-based casino operators under the coverage of the Anti-Money Laundering Council or AMLC. The Philippines previously dropped in the FATF's blacklist in 2000. "Jurisdictions under increased monitoring are actively working with the FATF to address strategic deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing," it said. "When the FATF places a jurisdiction under increased monitoring, it means the country has committed to resolve swiftly the identified strategic deficiencies within agreed timeframes and is subject to increased monitoring," the report added. Joining the Philippines in the grey list are Albania, Barbados, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Haiti, Jamaica, Jordan, Mali, Malta, Morocco, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Uganda, Yemen, and Zimbabwe. However, in the same report, the FATF also noted improvement in the Philippine government's approach in AML/CTF (anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing). "Since June 2021, when the Philippines made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and APG to strengthen the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime, the Philippines has taken steps towards improving its AML/CFT regime, by developing and implementing guidance on delistings and the unfreezing of assets for targeted financial sanctions related to PF (proliferation financing)," it said. The FATF said the Philippines should work on the implementation of its action plan, which includes demonstrating effective risk-based supervision of Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions or DNFBPs; ensuring that supervisors take advantage of necessary controls to cushion risks associated with casino junkets; implementing new registration requirements for money or value transfer services, and slapping sanctions to illegal remittance operators; demonstrating increased usage of financial intelligence; and strengthening financial sanctions framework for terrorism financing and proliferation financing cases. The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLAC) said the country needs to comply with 17 action plan items set in different timelines, the earliest on January 2022 and the latest on January 2023. "These action plans items must be implemented by supervisors, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, prosecutors, and other relevant government agencies, within the timelines provided by the FATF. It must be understood, however, that demonstrating effectiveness, which is measured through sustained actions, takes time," AMLAC executive director Mel George Racela said in a statement. Racela also praised the country's improvement in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing efforts amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "Nevertheless, the Philippines is committed to the timely implementation of the remaining action plan items to sufficiently address all 18 Action Plan items," he added. When the Philippines was included in the list last June, the FATF said the government needed to submit progress reports thrice a year. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) With Metro Manila and other areas shifting to Alert Level 3, SM Supermalls and Tom's World hope to draw back customers with the unique experiences their cinemas and amusement stores have to offer. "There are movies you would want to watch in the comfort of your homes but some things can't be replicated as watching them in the big screen, the likes of Marvel movies, James Bond movies. It's a different kind of experience eh," SM Supermalls president Steven Tan told CNN Philippines' The Exchange. SM Supermalls will be gradually reopening their cinemas in areas under the Alert Level 3 by batches - this November and December, and by early next year - according to Tan. Meanwhile, Tom's World has already started accepting customers as early as Oct. 16 when the capital region eased from Alert Level 4 along with Calabarzon. "We always wanted it to be experiential for them: the experience that they have to play our 3D machines or drive our driving machines. To be able to feel that they're really engaged into something, not just in the phones, tablets," Tom's World vice president for corporate management Oliver Co said. As mandated by the government, all customers and employees in these establishments must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and only certain capacities are allowed. The premises also undergo frequent disinfection, along with the usual temperature checks upon entry, and minimum public health standards must be observed at all times. Face masks and face shields must always stay on, particularly in SM Supermalls' theaters, where eating and drinking will not be allowed. Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal are currently under Alert Level 3 until end-October while Batangas is under the less stricter Alert Level 2. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) The country is set to launch its first-ever mental health and self-care mobile app, in the hopes of giving Filipinos a "chance and choice to seek help." "Lusog-Isip," which was developed by the Department of Health (DOH) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to provide self-help tools for users. DOH Chief Health Program Officer Frances Prescilla Cuevas said the app's features and interventions were especially "contextualized according to the needs of Filipinos." "It's going to help you come out with your current mental health status, and it will tell you kung anong next na pwede mong gawin (what you can do)," Cuevas told CNN Philippines on Friday. "So, it's basically a self-care app, [....] not a diagnostic tool." The USAID earlier said the platform was developed "in response to the growing need for mental healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic." "We hope that Lusog-Isip will provide access to self-help materials for improving clients' mental health and address substance use," it added. The app will be accessible to the public starting Oct. 27. It can be downloaded for free on Android and iOS devices through the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The USAID said the app will first screen individuals to get a sense of their overall well-being and how they cope with stress. It will then suggest self-help tools, including workbooks, exercises, audio guides, journals, and even self-care reminders. The app will also provide a list of online or nearby mental health and psychosocial support service providers, the USAID added. Aside from these, the DOH said it was working with local governments to ramp up mental health services across the country. Medications for common conditions will also be made available for free in various access sites. Meanwhile, individuals who need to be admitted to hospitals can avail of certain patient packages. They will be provided assistance through PhilHealth reimbursements. Cuevas reassured users that their personal information will be kept confidential. "We won't even know the identity of those logging in to the app, so there's data privacy in that regard," she said partly in Filipino. "It's just [about] giving the Filipinos a chance... a choice where they [could] ask for help," Cuevas added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) The country received additional doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines on Friday. A shipment carrying 698,600 doses of the vaccine made by the British-Swedish firm arrived in the morning. This brings the total number of vaccines procured by the private sector close to four million doses, according to presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion. He added the deliveries from AstraZeneca will accelerate towards the Christmas season and may be completed before the second quarter of 2022. Meanwhile, a total of 1,014,390 Pfizer shots procured by the national government were delivered to different locations. Some 914,940 doses arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City Friday night. Luzon will get 813,150 doses while the remaining 101,790 will be flown to Davao Saturday morning. Cebu also received 101,790 more doses of the American-made vaccines. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the country's total vaccine supply is expected to breach 100 million doses by the end of the month. He earlier said supply is no longer an issue, but admitted that logistics woes continue to hound the government's national vaccination program. Despite these challenges, the government recalibrated its vaccination strategy to hike the target shots administered daily to 1.5 million. Over 25 million individuals have received full protection from COVID-19 since the start of the vaccination program in March. However, this is still far from the revised 90% target to achieve the so-called herd immunity. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) Presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. visited Cebu on Friday the first time since he declared his candidacy to meet with Governor Gwen Garcia. Marcos paid a courtesy call on Garcia, who he said he has not seen in a long time. "I'm very happy to see her again [....] Nagtsismis lang kami dalawa kung anong bali-balita (We just talked about news) of what's going to happen," he said. Asked if he sought endorsement from the governor, Marcos only answered: "I'm seeking endorsement for everyone, and an endorsement from Gov. Gwen is going to be for a presidential candidate." He said Garcia's endorsement would be "extremely important," but "that's not what we talked about because there's still time." "I know everybody is waiting for at least Nov. 15 when the list of candidates is final," Marcos said. "Baka may mangyari pa. Mahaba pa ito. In the last few weeks, ang daming development na hindi natin inasahan." [Translation: Anything could still happen. We're still far from that date. In the last few weeks, there have been a lot of developments that we did not expect.] Nov. 15 is the deadline set by the Commission on Elections for the substitution of party candidates. Marcos said he also "informed and consulted" Garcia about his campaign in the vote-rich province. "This is Cebu. It is very, very important because [it] is very much a leader in opinion generation in this part of the country in fact, second only, perhaps, to Manila, to the rest of the Philippines," he said, adding it was still "the economic center of the Visayas." Marcos also met with some of his supporters at the old Mactan-Cebu Bridge, which was built in the 1970s during the term of his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. In an earlier interview, the presidential hopeful said he has yet to announce his running mate as he's still waiting for the end of the substitution period. It's the same thing for his senatorial slate, although he said he has already come up with an initial lineup. Meanwhile, presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte confirmed that she was also in Cebu on Friday. She said she had a meeting with her cousin, Cebu 5th District Board Member Red Duterte. It's unclear, however, if Marcos and Mayor Duterte who is being pushed to run for president met in the province. Cebu is a known bailiwick of opposition leaders and critics of the former senator's father, who placed the country under martial law from 1972 to 1981 and ruled for almost 21 years. It was also where the late president Corazon Aquino took shelter before the People Power Revolution in 1986. CNN Philippines' Correspondent Rex Remitio and stringer Dale Israel contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has said Metro Manila may be placed under the lowest alert level by December if the encouraging COVID-19 trend continues until the end of the year. "We hope that this will continue and a downward trend becomes more definitive so we'll be able to deescalate from our current alert level three down to alert level two, and hopefully alert level 1 by first week of December," he said on Thursday. Duque, however, warned that another surge is likely in the next four to six months due to the crowding in public spaces, such as the high volume of people visiting the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach. "These are superspreader events," the health chief said. "This is a potential for a possible surge in the future, maybe four to six months." "But hopefully we continue to discipline ourselves and comply with the minimum public health standards," he also said. Philippine College of Physicians president Dr. Maricar Limpin, meanwhile, urged the government to look "very closely" at the data and ensure their accuracy when looking into placing the region under looser alert levels. "I think we need to be very strategic and very calculating when we do changes in the alert level system...let us, number one, monitor the data very closely and then number two, not try to do things, make any changes so drastically," Limpin told CNN Philippines' The Exchange. She also emphasized the importance of a "massive" information campaign when alert levels are downgraded. Metro Manila is under Alert Level 3 until the end of October, but DOH is confident the capital region may ease to a lower level in the coming weeks if the cases continue to decline. Aside from the improving situation in Metro Manila, the University of the Philippines COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team also said that daily cases, hospitalization rate, and positivity rate continue to improve across the country. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) - Local authorities on Friday said they may consider easing travel restrictions by next month for fully vaccinated local tourists heading to Boracay Island. Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores told the media that the provincial government will no longer require local tourists to present negative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results, once all tourism frontliners and eligible adult population on the island get fully vaccinated by November. Miraflores said this would allow the economy to recover from the impact of reduced tourist arrivals due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "By the end of the month or early next month, we will issue already the necessary executive order scrapping the requirements for RT-PCR tests," the governor said. "We need all the tourists to come. We're barely scratching the surface," he added, noting that only 700 tourists arrive in Boracay per day - way below its pre-pandemic daily average of 6,000. Once the directive becomes official, fully vaccinated local tourists will only need to present a vaccine certificate from the Department of Information and Communications Technology VaxCertPH website, along with their Aklan QR code once they land at the Caticlan Airport. The QR code requires a confirmed hotel booking and flight information, and is used for entry, exit, and contact-tracing purposes during the tourist's stay. The negative RT-PCR result requirement will still be retained for those who only got one dose of a two-dose vaccine, as well as for unvaccinated local tourists. The island is one of three destinations in the Philippines awarded with a Safe Travel Stamp by the World Travel and Tourism Council for adopting globally-recognized COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said based on data from their office in Region VI, 11,668 out of the 12,809 tourism frontliners have already been fully vaccinated. She and other local officials said they are confident they will reach complete vaccination by the end of October due to the arrival of over 35,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on the island. "Mabilis magpadala ng bakuna sa Boracay kaya mabilis din sila mag-vaccinate [Delivery of vaccines to Boracay is fast that's why vaccination is also quick]. I think Boracay will be the first tourist destination that will have 100% vaccination of not only tourism workers but residents," Puyat said. The Tourism department added that 299 accommodation establishments have been accredited by the agency as of October 18, bringing the total available rooms on the island's hotels to 12,452. Aklan is one of several provinces in the Philippines still under community quarantine classifications - with the province under General Community Quarantine as of October 16. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) The Department of Energy (DOE) said Friday talks are underway with lawmakers on adjustments in fuel excise tax as motorists deal with one oil price hike after another. "Ang concept na gusto gawin ni Sec. [Alfonso] Cusi, by the time na nag-increase ang price, kung pwedeng magbawas ng excise tax," said DOE Asec. Gerardo Erguiza, noting they recently wrote to Congress to provide leeway to address the issue. [Translation: The concept that Sec. Cusi wants is that excise tax will be reduced by the time the price (of fuel) will increase.] Erguiza said the agency already discussed the matter with the House Committee on Transportation. "This matter on excise tax has already been put on the table," he further explained. While calls have mounted for the suspension of excise tax on fuels, the Department of Finance has already said the government might lose over 131 billion in revenues with its implementation. RELATED: Moreno, Marcos present similar proposals to curb effects of rising oil prices DOF Usec. Antonette Tiokno's memorandum to DOF Sec. Carlos Dominguez III dated Oct. 20 also stated that the TRAIN Law cannot be invoked to suspend the imposition of petroleum excise taxes. Under the said measure, suspension may only be permitted from 2018 to 2020 once crude oil prices hit $80 per barrel. Immediate responses pursued Erguiza likewise listed measures the department has been taking to immediately mitigate the impact of higher oil prices. These include meeting with oil companies and appealing for the issuance of discounts, and seeking higher operational capacities for jeepneys. "Everybody agreed on that. The DOTr is doing the framework. DOTr has the authority. It will be submitted to the IATF," he said. Earlier this week, the Department of Transportation said it will recommend to the IATF the raising of maximum passenger capacities in public utility vehicles with Metro Manila easing to Alert Level 3. The increase in capacities from the current 50% will "not only help commuters but also PUV drivers and operators as well," the agency noted. The DOTr also said it is pushing for assistance for affected public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers instead of fare hikes, which transport groups have been clamoring for a while now. "Naiintindihan namin ang sitwasyon ng ating mga drayber at tsuper, ngunit naiintindihan din namin ang hirap ng ating mga commuter," said DOtr Secretary Arthur Tugade, stressing that increasing fares isn't timely as Filipinos are still dealing with job losses or recently restored livelihoods. [Translation: We understand the situation of our drivers, but we also understand the struggle of our commuters. Motorists saw fuel prices go up for the eighth straight week this week. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will look into the proposal to make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory for economic frontliners and other selected workers. Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said he wrote a letter to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III asking the agency to require workers who directly interact with customers such as those in hospitality, tourism, retail, and personal care services and those who engage in labor-intensive work like construction, automotive, wearables and manufacturing, electronic semiconductors and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) to get vaccinated against COVID-19. "I don't think it's correct na bakunado na ang customers namin exclusively and yung empleyado namin ay hindi pa bakunado," he said on Friday. "So that's where we're also recommending that they impose that." [Translation: I don't think it's correct that our customers are vaccinated, but our workers are not.] In response to his letter, Concepcion quoted Bello as saying, "We will study your suggestion." While the government is not mandating vaccination for all workers, Bello told CNN Philippines this is already being observed in restaurants that are only accepting fully vaccinated customers to avail of dine-in services. The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines earlier reported that some employers are implementing the illegal "no vaccine, no salary" scheme. However, Concepcion and DOLE have denied receiving any complaints. (CNN) The Florida Department of Education on Thursday sent a letter to the Centner Academy, a Miami private school with a controversial policy for students who get vaccine shots. Centner Academy has asked parents to keep their children home for 30 days if their child has received a COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to a letter sent to parents and obtained by CNN affiliate WSVN. The letter cites false and disproved claims about the impact of the inoculation. The school had previously made unsubstantiated claims about adverse reactions non-vaccinated people could have by "interacting with people who have been vaccinated" that have not been identified in or supported by research by the Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, or World Health Organization. All four agencies, backed by extensive research, have confirmed that vaccines are the best method of defense against the spread of the coronavirus and severe illness and death from COVID-19. In their letter, the Department of Education said it had recently come to its attention that the school "may employ attendance policies which require parents of recently vaccinated students to quarantine their children for an unreasonable, unnecessary, and unduly burdensome amount of time before returning for in-person instruction." Senior Chancellor Jacob Oliva reminded the school that while the Department of Education is still investigating the matter, Centner Academy has "various obligations under the law specifically, both attendance and health, safety and welfare requirements." Oliva encouraged school officials to review their policies and conform them to Florida law. Failure to abide by the state's requirements would jeopardize the schools' scholarship eligibility, now and in the future, Oliva wrote. Oliva said the academy has until Friday to show its policies are in compliance with relevant laws. "Should our investigation reveal that your schools' policies fail to comport with these lawful rights and obligations, understand that the action that follows up to and including revocation of your schools' scholarship eligibility and funding will be both swift and decisive," the letter said. CNN has reached out to Centner Academy for comment regarding the department's letter. Centner letter makes claims of vaccine shedding The letter from Centner Academy to parents, read in part, "If you are considering the vaccine for your Centner Academy student(s), we ask that you hold off until the summer when there will be time for the potential transmission or shedding onto others to decrease," WSVN reported. "Because of the potential impact on other students and our school community, vaccinated students will need to stay at home for 30 days post-vaccination for each dose and booster they receive and may return to school after 30 days as long as the student is healthy and symptom-free," the letter added, according to WSVN's reporting. Centner Academy co-founder David Centner said in a statement earlier this week the policy is a "prudent precautionary measure." "To be clear, the school leadership does not believe that one who is vaccinated can infect another person with COVID," he added. "Further, the school is not opining on whether a vaccinated person can negatively impact others." "However, due to voluminous anecdotal reports in circulation on this latter topic, we must err on the side of caution when making decisions that may impact the health of the school community. Until there are definitive and scientifically proven studies that refute these reports, we need to do what is best for our students and staff," Centner said. CNN reached out to Centner Academy requesting a copy of the email sent to families but didn't hear back. The CDC, on its page dedicated to Myths and Facts about vaccines, says: "Vaccine shedding is the term used to describe the release or discharge of any of the vaccine components in or outside of the body. Vaccine shedding can only occur when a vaccine contains a weakened version of the virus. None of the (COVID-19) vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. contain a live virus." The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is approved for people ages 16 and older and has emergency use authorization (EUA) for children 12-15. Pfizer is seeking an EUA for a lower dose vaccine for children 5 to 11. The vaccines of two other US makers Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen are authorized for people 18 and older. These are being studied in younger ages. Teachers warned in April In April, the Centner Academy asked its employees to wait until the end of the school year to get vaccinated, but still cautioned that if they did, they wouldn't be allowed to return for the next academic year. The school's CEO and co-founder, Leila Centner, sent a letter to faculty and staff at the Centner Academy, citing unsupported assertions about COVID-19 vaccines that contradicted a large body of evidence of the vaccines' safety and efficacy from health experts. Centner, the wife of David Centner, claimed in the letter that "it will be years before we have reliable information regarding the short- and long-term effects of the COVID-19 vaccines." Extensive testing has shown the three vaccines are safe and effective, according to federal regulators. When it opened in 2019, the Centner Academy described itself as the "first happiness school," with an emphasis on mindfulness. Nearly 300 students attend the school, which offers preschool through middle school, with tuition peaking at $29,850 before fees, according to the school website. This story was first published on CNN.com "Florida education agency to investigate private school ordering pupils who get a vaccine shot to stay home" (CNN) Britain's doctors' union has accused Boris Johnson's government of being "willfully negligent" in its handling of the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, as ministers refuse to introduce mitigation measures despite the country recording more than 50,000 new infections on Thursday. The United Kingdom has recently registered far more cases than most of Europe, and its rates of hospitalizations and deaths have failed to substantially decline since the summer, when the country lifted almost all of its remaining restrictions. On Thursday it reported 52,009 new infections, the highest mark since July. The government has nonetheless ruled out moving to its "Plan B" approach, which would see the introduction of vaccine passports and mandates in line with many European countries. "We are sticking with our plan," Boris Johnson said Thursday. "The numbers of infections are high but we are within the parameters of what the predictions were." But in a scathing intervention on Wednesday, the British Medical Association (BMA) said Johnson's government "has taken its foot off the brake, giving the impression that the pandemic is behind us and that life has returned to normal." "It is willfully negligent of the Westminster Government not to be taking any further action to reduce the spread of infection, such as mandatory mask wearing, physical distancing and ventilation requirements in high-risk settings, particularly indoor crowded spaces," it said. "These are measures that are the norm in many other nations." Britain's Health Secretary Sajid Javid admitted on Wednesday that cases could reach 100,000 a day this winter, but said the government would not implement its Plan B measures "at this point." The number of patients admitted to hospitals in the UK has been steadily increasing since the beginning of October, though it remains far below the wave of infections last winter that forced a lengthy nationwide lockdown. "Thanks to the vaccination program, yes the link between cases and hospitalizations and deaths has significantly weakened. But it's not broken," Javid said at a news conference on Wednesday. "This pandemic is not over," he added. But the BMA said the country is "rapidly approaching a position where, yet again, the Government is delaying for too long, and equivocating over taking action." "This is the time to learn the lessons of the past and act fast, or else we will face far more extreme measures later," the body said. Its warning followed a similar message by the NHS Confederation, which represents providers of the country's National Health Service (NHS). Last month was the busiest September in the history of the service, according to official figures, and there are fears that the winter months will again push its hospitals towards capacity. Almost 140,000 people have died due to COVID-19 in the UK, according to official figures, the worst death toll in western Europe and the eighth highest globally. In July, Prime Minister Johnson controversially ended England's remaining pandemic restrictions. Pubs, bars and large events have been able to operate as normal there since, without a vaccination requirement or a requirement that people wear masks. But infections have failed to decline markedly since then and now are spiking. Despite a swift start to vaccinating its population, the UK now has the 13th highest vaccine rate in Europe and the government has faced criticism over the speed of its booster shot program and the availability of vaccines for 12 to 17-year-olds. This story was first published on CNN.com "UK government accused of being 'willfully negligent' as Covid cases mount" LONDON (AP) Britains Queen Elizabeth II was back at Windsor Castle on Friday and in good spirits after revelations that she spent the night in a London hospital earlier this week. Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old British monarch went to the private King Edward VIIs Hospital in London on Wednesday for preliminary investigations. She returned to her Windsor Castle home at lunchtime on Thursday and was understood to be back at her desk by afternoon, undertaking light duties. The queen underwent the tests after she canceled a scheduled trip to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, and the palace said she had reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for a few days. The matter was not related to COVID-19. The palace does not normally offer a running account of the monarch's health, citing her privacy. However, in this case it confirmed the queens hospital stay after The Sun newspaper reported the news. On the whole, there is a rule of thumb is that if a senior member of the royal family undergoes a procedure or an operation, there is a medical bulletin, royal expert Robert Hardman told the BBC. But that doesn't apply to tests. The attention paid to the development merely reflects the great affection the global community has for the monarch, said Hardman, author of Queen of the World, which chronicles the monarchs influence and stature around the globe. She hates people making a fuss of her in general but particularly to do with health,'' he told the BBC. And I think theres a concern to sort of maintain the dignity of the office, and I know that one reason why nothing was said about yesterdays trip to hospital was that they sort of didnt suddenly want sort of huge banks of cameras and 24-hour news setting up outside the hospital.'' The long-secretive monarchy faces struggles similar to those of other leaders and celebrities who face a voracious appetite for details on their personal lives and health status. For comparisons sake, the Vatican issued daily bulletins about Pope Francis 10-day hospital stay in July after he had a chunk of his colon removed. The Vatican had kept the hospitalization and Francis condition secret until the pope was already admitted and was about to go into surgery. But the Vatican has long been notoriously secretive about the health of popes, most significantly when it refused to even acknowledge the obvious signs that St. John Paul II suffered from Parkinsons disease. The Vatican has cited the popes medical privacy in limiting information flows, but the vacuum of information often serves to fuel speculation about an eventual papal death and conclave to elect a successor. There has been some disquiet this week about Elizabeth's health. Only days ago, she was seen using a walking stick at a Westminster Abbey service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion, an armed forces charity. Though she had used a cane in 2003, it was after she underwent knee surgery. Focus then turned to her hectic schedule, which has in recent days included audiences with diplomats, a reception at Windsor Castle for global business leaders, and attending the horse races at Ascot Racecourse. In less than two weeks she is due to host world leaders at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland a big engagement cited as one reason why she might want to rest up in advance. Though Elizabeth has enjoyed robust health throughout her life, she is Britains longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch. She is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee 70 years on the throne next year. Elizabeth has ruled since 1952 and was widowed this year when Prince Philip died at age 99 in April. She has cut back on her workload in recent years but still keeps a busy schedule of royal duties. She recently declined the honor of being named Oldie of the Year by The Oldie magazine. Her office said that Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel, as such The Queen does not believe she meets the relevant criteria to be able to accept. Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Progress appears to be stalled for the long-awaited East 29th Avenue viaduct project. City and county officials gathered for the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerces Transportation Committee meeting held Thursday afternoon, during which an update on the project had been shared. Platte County Highway Department Administrative Assistant Jane Cromwell said she received a status update last week. They (state officials) indicated that NDOT, environmental and the engineers had met for the final time they hoped with federal highway and it appears that federal highway has concluded the final (evaluation) of that project, Cromwell said. Now were just waiting on them to put their stamp of approval on it and then theyll obligate their funds for the right-of-way appraisals. After the appraisals are done, then theyll start the right-of-way acquisition. The letting date is fall of 2022, but it was so noted on the release that I got that its subject to change. But, the project has been in the works for a number of years. A 2013 Columbus Telegram article reported that the first phase in the East 29th Avenue viaduct the environmental review had been started, with the gathered data being submitted and approved by the end of 2014. That same article reported the estimated $6.6 million project beginning in 2016, with cost being split between Platte County, the Nebraska Department of Transportation, Union Pacific Railroad and the Federal Highway Administration. In 2016, the Telegram reported that the project has been in the works since a feasibility study was conducted in 2008. In that same article, it was estimated that the viaduct would be completed in 2020. In February 2020, then Platte County Board Chairman Jerry Engdahl wrote in the Telegram that final design approval and right-of-way purchasing should be completed in 2020 with construction to start in 2021. Now, things appear to have been pushed back another year. As noted during Thursdays meeting, the East 29th Avenue viaduct cant proceed until that final stamp of approval is given by the federal government. By the time we cut the ribbon on that maybe itll be a full 20 years, said Dennis Hirschbrunner, a transportation committee member. Hirschbrunner added that the cost of the project continues to raise the longer its delayed. The cost to the county and the cost to all these taxpayers continues to go up, he said. Construction costs increase somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15% a year, compounded. Cromwell said the estimated cost has increased from $6 million to over $15 million throughout the years. In other county highway news, Cromwell provided updates on the countys bridges. About half of Platte Countys bridges are up for inspection this year inspections are done every two years with no major issues found, she reported. Also, officials are continuing to apply for and use grant funding to replace the small, wooden bridges in the county. Were continuing to replace some of those smaller bridges with culverts, but it probably wont surprise any of you, the price of culverts lately, Cromwell told the transportation committee. She noted that the county went out for bids in September for a culvert project, and the costs had increased and there were estimated delivery delays. Its going to continue being a problem, she added. Around the county: The construction portion of the 53rd Street and Third Avenue paving project is completed. It should be restriped this week; Cromwell is coordinating a meeting of the interlocal steering committee for the 30/64 connector project following the completion of a recent traffic study; The Platte County Highway Department is preparing for its next round of resurfacing, a major project of which will be 12th Avenue and 17th Street down to BD; and Cromwell reported that the highway department is 25% understaffed; Columbus Chamber President Dawson Brunswick said the organization has been busy trying to recruit more people to come work in Columbus. Hannah Schrodt is the news editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach her via email at hannah.schrodt@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Nebraska State Patrol identified two people killed Thursday in a workplace shooting at a Superior, Nebraska grain elevator. The victims were Sandra Nelson, 60, of Formoso, Kansas, and Darin Koepke, 53, of Hadar, Nebraska. Nelson was pronounced dead at the scene. Koepke was flown to Bryan Health's west campus in Lincoln, where he later was pronounced dead. A third victim was treated for injuries at the hospital in Superior and released Thursday afternoon. According to the patrol, Max Hoskinson, 61, opened fire on his former co-workers at the Agrex elevator in Superior not long after being fired from his job. The patrol said Hoskinson returned to Agrex with a handgun shortly before 2 p.m. and opened fire, striking three people. A worker then retrieved a shotgun from an office and returned fire, striking Hoskinson, according to the patrol. At a press conference Friday afternoon, patrol Capt. Jeff Roby, commander of Troop C in Grand Island, said the worker's actions likely prevented more people from being killed. Roby said authorities do not expect to file charges against the worker, who was not identified by the patrol. "In consultation with the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office and the Nuckolls County Attorneys Office, no charges are anticipated in relation to the employee who returned fire in protection of himself and other innocent parties present at the time of the incident," the patrol said in a press release. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 MEDIA The narrative that passengers watched a man rape a woman on a train in suburban Philadelphia last week and filmed it for their own gratification instead of calling the police is false, the prosecutor handling the case said Thursday as he asked witnesses to come forward. Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer made the assertion during a news conference in which he also said any witness to the Oct. 13 attack should share information without fear that they would be charged. He said Wednesday that Pennsylvania law does not allow for the prosecution of someone for simply witnessing a crime. The news conference comes after days of police and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority officials saying multiple passengers were present for the assault, with some appearing to hold their phones in the direction of the attack as police allege Fiston Ngoy, 35, raped the woman in a train seat. Authorities initially expressed dismay that most passengers did not call 911 or report the attack, even if they didnt understand the seriousness of what was happening. Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt told reporters over the weekend there were passengers present who should have done something, in his opinion. Nevertheless, the narrative that there is a group of people callously filming and didnt act, is simply not true, Stollsteimer said Thursday in his plea for witnesses to come forward, adding that surveillance video shows two passengers holding phones up. One of those people gave video to authorities as part of the investigation, he said. Requests by the Associated Press for surveillance video from the Oct. 13 attack on the Market-Frankford line have been denied by SEPTA, citing the ongoing criminal investigation. In an arrest affidavit for Ngoy, police said he boarded the train shortly after the woman, quickly sitting next to her, and repeatedly tried to touch and grope her over the next almost 40 minutes. Investigators say surveillance video also shows the woman pushing Ngoy away several times. Ngoy, who told police he had seen the woman before and that the sexual encounter was consensual, is charged with rape and several related offenses and is being held on $180,000 bail. The woman, who was taken to the hospital, said she had never met Ngoy and did not give him permission to touch her. A public defender assigned to represent Ngoy declined to comment, saying it was still very early in the case. A hearing is scheduled for Monday. SEPTA Police Chief Thomas J. Nestel IIIs best estimate was there were about 10 passengers in the close vicinity of Ngoy and the woman during the rape, which started about 9:52 p.m. and ended when SEPTA police pulled Ngoy off of the woman about 10 p.m., authority spokesman Andrew Busch said Wednesday. An off-duty SEPTA employee was one of those 10 people. That employee alerted SEPTA police because he believed something wasnt right with the interaction, Busch said. He praised the employees actions, saying he likely prevented Ngoy from being able to walk off the train and escape arrest. Three minutes after the employee reported the assault, SEPTA officers stationed at the 69th Street terminal responded to the train car and stopped it. Both Busch and Stollsteimer said the other passengers were not present for the entire 40-minute interaction and may not have understood they were witnessing a rape. People get off and on at every single stop, Stollsteimer said. That doesnt mean when they get on and they see people interacting that they know a rape is occurring. Bernhardt also spoke at the news conference Thursday, but stuck to information about a second arrest Wednesday night for a sexual assault at the 69th Street terminal. Bernhardt said a woman had missed her stop and asked the suspect how to get to the platform to go in the opposite direction. As he showed her, Bernhardt said he groped the woman and pushed her into a seclude area. A passenger on the platform heard her screams for help and intervened. SEPTA police stopped the attack and took the man into custody. A month full of Halloween activities hits full stride next week with parades in Newville, Shippensburg, Camp Hill and Carlisle as well as trick-or-treat activities in Cumberland County municipalities. The path to this last week of what has become Halloween month in recent years was paved by last weekends Halloweekend in Carlisle, an event hosted by Destination Carlisle that includes the traditional Spooky Saturday downtown trick-or-treating event, and Mechanicsburgs Streets of Treats. In this weeks data dump, we take a look at the numbers behind the popular holiday. 65% The percentage of Americans who intend to celebrate Halloween or participate in Halloween activities, according to the National Retail Federation. $10.14 billion The National Retail Federations estimate on how much consumers will spend on Halloween this year, which is an increase from last years spending of $8.05 billion. $102.74 The amount each person plans to spend on Halloween according to the federation. 1 in 5 The number of pet owners who intend to dress their pets up for Halloween this year, according to the federation. The most popular pet costume? A pumpkin. Curiously, though, 4% of those who dress up their pets put them in a cat costume. We have questions. 1.8 million The number of children who plan to dress as Spiderman this year, according to the federation. The most popular costume for adults is a witch. 41 million The number of potential trick-or-treaters between the ages of 5-14 across the United States, according to the Census Bureau. More than 45,000 The number of people employed by businesses that produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2017, according to the Census Bureau. 239,081 The number of pounds of Hersheys Miniatures sold over the past 14 years, according to CandyStore.com. M&Ms were in second place at 215,637 and Skittles in third at 199,727. Email Tammie at tgitt@cumberlink.com. Follow her on Twitter @TammieGitt. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The state Department of Health reported 103 cases of COVID-19 and no additional deaths for Cumberland County Friday. The county has reported 41 deaths in October, the highest total since 113 in January. The county reported 21 COVID-related deaths in September. The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 decreased to 110 in Friday's report, down four from Thursday. There are 17 adults in intensive care (down one from Thursday) and 16 on ventilators (up one from Thursday). Thirteen adult ICU beds remain open of the 112 currently staffed across the county, and 32 of 95 ventilators in the county are in use. Friday's report included 267 test results, with 42 probable cases. Comparing just the number of negative tests (164) and confirmed positive tests (61), the county saw 27.1% of its tests come back positive. The countys seven-day average of cases now sits at 93.86. Its 14-day per capita rate sits at 549. The southcentral region reported 820 cases and 16 new deaths Friday, with 252 cases and two deaths in York County, 90 cases and five deaths in Dauphin County and 75 cases and two deaths in Blair County. Franklin County reports 70 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Friday (down 12 from Thursday), with nine of 26 currently staffed ICU beds available in the county and 14 of 34 available ventilators in use. There are 11 adults in intensive care and eight on ventilators. Dauphin County reports 117 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Friday (up one from Thursday), with 29 of 198 currently staffed ICU beds available in the county and 73 of 177 available ventilators in use. There are 28 adults in intensive care and 15 on ventilators. School-age children In its weekly update for the eighth week of the school year, the department reported another 118 cases among children aged 5-18 in Cumberland County during the week of Oct. 13-19, the same number of cases as was reported last week. That brings the total number of cases in Cumberland County for this school year to 1,189. Statewide, the number of cases among 5- to 18-year-olds decreased for the fourth week in a row with 5,877 cases reported. The state said the total number of cases in that age group for the school year is 54,503. Early Warning Dashboard Cumberland County saw a decrease 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. Its percent positivity decreased to 11.1% for the week of Oct. 15-21, down from 11.8% the previous week. The incidence rate per 100,000 people decreased to 158.3, down from 213.1 the previous week. Philadelphia County, which includes the city of Philadelphia, had the second lowest percent positivity in the state for the week of Oct. 15-21 at 4.5% and the lowest incidence rate per 100,000 people at 89.5. Forest County has the lowest percent positivity for the week at 3.1% Penn State Health update (Oct. 20) 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. Wednesday's update shows 118 total cases (116 adults, 2 pediatrics) in the health system's four hospitals 27 are fully vaccinated (22.8%) with one in an ICU and no one on a ventilator, 76 are nonvaccinated (64.4%) with 26 adults in an ICU and 10 adults on a ventilator, and 15 are unknown status patients. Both children hospitalized are unvaccinated, with one in an ICU and one on a ventilator. Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill has 27 COVID patients. Nine are fully vaccinated adults (one in ICU and no one on a ventilator) and 18 unvaccinated adults (four in an ICU and two on a ventilator). Hampden Medical Center has 10 COVID patients. Seven are not fully vaccinated (two in an ICU) and three 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 Thursday evening, the CDC says Cumberland County has seen 61.9% of its total population of 253,370 become fully vaccinated. For the county's vaccine eligible population of people ages 12 and older, 71.4% have been fully vaccinated. County numbers in the southcentral region (for Oct. 22): Adams County (pop. 103,009): 50 new cases; 13,026 total cases (10,683 confirmed, 2,343 probable); 43,792 negatives; 218 deaths (+1); 49.4% of county population vaccinated 50 new cases; 13,026 total cases (10,683 confirmed, 2,343 probable); 43,792 negatives; 218 deaths (+1); 49.4% of county population vaccinated Bedford County (pop. 47,888): 33 new cases; 6,662 total cases (4,520 confirmed, 2,142 probable); 12,340 negatives; 167 deaths (+1); 34.4% of county population vaccinated 33 new cases; 6,662 total cases (4,520 confirmed, 2,142 probable); 12,340 negatives; 167 deaths (+1); 34.4% of county population vaccinated Blair County (pop. 121,829): 75 new cases; 16,945 total cases (13,361 confirmed, 3,584 probable); 46,718 negatives; 378 deaths (+2); 45.8% of county population vaccinated 75 new cases; 16,945 total cases (13,361 confirmed, 3,584 probable); 46,718 negatives; 378 deaths (+2); 45.8% of county population vaccinated Cumberland County (pop. 253,370): 103 new cases; 27,699 total cases (21,715 confirmed, 5,984 probable); 100,477 negatives; 608 deaths; 61.9% of county population vaccinated 103 new cases; 27,699 total cases (21,715 confirmed, 5,984 probable); 100,477 negatives; 608 deaths; 61.9% of county population vaccinated Dauphin County (pop. 278,299): 90 new cases; 34,227 total cases (29,400 confirmed, 4,827 probable); 126,906 negatives; 634 deaths (+5); 57.8% of county population vaccinated 90 new cases; 34,227 total cases (29,400 confirmed, 4,827 probable); 126,906 negatives; 634 deaths (+5); 57.8% of county population vaccinated Franklin County (pop. 155,027): 67 new cases; 21,442 total cases (17,548 confirmed, 3,894 probable); 63,924 negatives; 450 deaths (+3); 44.8% of county population vaccinated 67 new cases; 21,442 total cases (17,548 confirmed, 3,894 probable); 63,924 negatives; 450 deaths (+3); 44.8% of county population vaccinated Fulton County (pop. 14,530): 10 new cases; 2,189 total cases (1,086 confirmed, 1,103 probable); 4,928 negatives; 28 deaths; 30.5% of county population vaccinated 10 new cases; 2,189 total cases (1,086 confirmed, 1,103 probable); 4,928 negatives; 28 deaths; 30.5% of county population vaccinated Huntingdon County (pop. 45,144): 28 new cases; 6,731 total cases (5,553 confirmed, 1,178 probable); 20,193 negatives; 155 deaths; 46.1% of county population vaccinated 28 new cases; 6,731 total cases (5,553 confirmed, 1,178 probable); 20,193 negatives; 155 deaths; 46.1% of county population vaccinated Juniata County (pop. 24,763): 11 new cases; 2,837 total cases (2,578 confirmed, 259 probable); 6,572 negatives; 115 deaths; 39.4% of county population vaccinated 11 new cases; 2,837 total cases (2,578 confirmed, 259 probable); 6,572 negatives; 115 deaths; 39.4% of county population vaccinated Lebanon County (pop. 141,793): 50 new cases; 20,308 total cases (17,374 confirmed, 2,934 probable); 62,467 negatives; 327 deaths (+2); 50.1% of county population vaccinated 50 new cases; 20,308 total cases (17,374 confirmed, 2,934 probable); 62,467 negatives; 327 deaths (+2); 50.1% of county population vaccinated Mifflin County (pop. 46,138): 35 new cases; 7,091 total cases (6,702 confirmed, 389 probable); 17,418 negatives; 192 deaths; 48.2% of county population vaccinated 35 new cases; 7,091 total cases (6,702 confirmed, 389 probable); 17,418 negatives; 192 deaths; 48.2% of county population vaccinated Perry County (pop. 46,272): 16 new cases; 5,206 total cases (4,015 confirmed, 1,191 probable); 13,088 negatives; 119 deaths; 46.3% of county population vaccinated 16 new cases; 5,206 total cases (4,015 confirmed, 1,191 probable); 13,088 negatives; 119 deaths; 46.3% of county population vaccinated York County (pop. 449,058): 252 new cases; 61,118 total cases (49,788 confirmed; 11,330 probable); 192,457 negatives; 953 deaths (+2); 54.5% of county population vaccinated ZIP code-level counts (updated Oct. 22): 17013: 3,339 positives, 15,459 negatives - +45 since Oct. 15 17015: 1,998 positives, 7,598 negatives - +46 since Oct. 15 17050: 3,166 positives, 15,855 negatives - +68 since Oct. 15 17055: 3,544 positives, 18,085 negatives - +65 since Oct. 15 17011: 3,282 positives, 15,148 negatives - +50 since Oct. 15 17007: 477 positives, 1,930 negatives - +8 since Oct. 15 17065: 343 positives, 1,348 negatives - +4 since Oct. 15 17324: 377 positives, 1,402 negatives - +12 since Oct. 15 17241: 894 positives, 3,405 negatives - +12 since Oct. 15 17257: 2,298 positives, 7,692 negatives - +36 since Oct. 15 17240: 216 positives, 689 negatives - +4 since Oct. 15 17025: 1,511 positives, 6,133 negatives - +29 since Oct. 15 17070: 1,409 positives, 5,836 negatives - +35 since Oct. 15 17043: 484 positives, 2,216 negatives - +9 since Oct. 15 17019: 1,653 positives, 5,982 negatives - +37 since Oct. 15 17266: 27 positives, 136 negatives - +1 since Oct. 15 School district and college case counts (updated Oct. 22) The Sentinel's case counts for Cumberland County school districts and colleges or universities are updated Fridays. 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): 14 student cases and 5 staff cases as of the sites last update on Oct. 20. (reports active cases in past 14 days with school exposure): 14 student cases and 5 staff cases as of the sites last update on Oct. 20. Carlisle Area School District (reports cases as they occur and updates a chart): 13 new cases since Oct. 14; 154 cases this school year (started Aug. 25) according to the charts last update on Oct. 18. (reports cases as they occur and updates a chart): 13 new cases since Oct. 14; 154 cases this school year (started Aug. 25) according to the charts last update on Oct. 18. Camp Hill School District (posts chart that includes total case count): 7 student cases and no new staff cases since Oct. 18; 61 student cases and 7 staff cases this school year (started Aug. 25.) (posts chart that includes total case count): 7 student cases and no new staff cases since Oct. 18; 61 student cases and 7 staff cases this school year (started Aug. 25.) Cumberland Valley School District (reports weekly and total number of cases with school exposure): 13 cases since Oct. 18; 180 cases this school year (started Aug. 31.) (reports weekly and total number of cases with school exposure): 13 cases since Oct. 18; 180 cases this school year (started Aug. 31.) Mechanicsburg Area School District (chart lists total cases actively being monitored, updated Tuesday and Friday): 13 positive and presumed positive cases being monitored as of Oct. 22. (chart lists total cases actively being monitored, updated Tuesday and Friday): 13 positive and presumed positive cases being monitored as of Oct. 22. Shippensburg Area School District (reports weekly and total confirmed case counts involving school exposure): 6 new cases since Oct. 18; 145 cases this school year (started Aug. 19.) (reports weekly and total confirmed case counts involving school exposure): 6 new cases since Oct. 18; 145 cases this school year (started Aug. 19.) South Middleton School District (posts notices as cases occur, updates table of case counts weekly on Fridays): 68 cases this school year (started Aug. 25) as of the charts last update on Oct. 15. (posts notices as cases occur, updates table of case counts weekly on Fridays): 68 cases this school year (started Aug. 25) as of the charts last update on Oct. 15. West Shore School District (reports active cases with school exposure within past 14 days): 35 student cases and 5 staff cases as of Oct. 22. (reports active cases with school exposure within past 14 days): 35 student cases and 5 staff cases as of Oct. 22. Dickinson College : 3 student cases and 1 employee cases since Oct. 18; 32 student cases and 23 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 30.) : 3 student cases and 1 employee cases since Oct. 18; 32 student cases and 23 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 30.) Messiah University : 4 new student cases and 1 new staff case since Oct. 18; 50 student cases and 17 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 7.) : 4 new student cases and 1 new staff case since Oct. 18; 50 student cases and 17 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 7.) Shippensburg University: 6 new student cases and 1 new staff case since Oct. 18; 150 student cases and 17 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 - 9.4% last 7 days (9.7% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 173.4 (202.6 previous 7 days) Adams County: Percent Positivity - 15.8% last 7 days (16.6% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 241.7 (220.4 previous 7 days) Cumberland County: Percent Positivity - 11.1% last 7 days (11.8% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 158.3 (213.1 previous 7 days) Dauphin County: Percent Positivity - 12.7% last 7 days (12.8% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 204.5 (226.7 previous 7 days) Franklin County: Percent Positivity - 12.4% last 7 days (14.1% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 162.6 (176.7 previous 7 days) Lebanon County: Percent Positivity - 13.1% last 7 days (14.4% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 200.3 (249.7 previous 7 days) Perry County: Percent Positivity - 15.8% last 7 days (20.0% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 175.1 (237.7 previous 7 days) York County: Percent Positivity - 14.7% last 7 days (16.5% previous 7 days) last 7 days (16.5% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 247.4 (289.5 previous 7 days) Email Jeff at jpratt@cumberlink.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelPratt. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. HARRISBURG In a stalemate with lawmakers over raising the minimum wage or requiring companies to have paid sick leave, Gov. Tom Wolf said Thursday he will impose those requirements on companies getting loans, grants or tax breaks from the state. The minimum wage that incentives-receiving companies must pay is $13.50 an hour, rising to $15 an hour on July 1, 2024, under an executive order signed by Wolf. State contractors already must pay that amount, under a prior executive order Wolf signed in 2016. The sick pay requirement has no required time frame attached to it. The state annually budgets for tens of millions of dollars in grants, loans and tax breaks for companies that make certain promises to expand in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvanias minimum wage has been set to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour since 2009, when Congress last increased it. Since Wolf took office in 2015, he has urged the Republican-controlled Legislature to increase the minimum wage, without success. Currently, 29 states have set minimum wages above the federal minimum, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Thirteen states have enacted laws to require paid sick leave, the NCSL said. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have approved their own ordinances to require it of companies doing business in those cities. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died Thursday after Alec Baldwin fired a loaded weapon that was handed to him by an assistant director who mistakenly believed it was safe to use on the New Mexico set of Rust. Director Joel Souza was also hit and injured but has since been released from the hospital. While many things still aren't known police are investigating the AP looks at the use of firearms on film and television productions and the safety protocols in place. WHAT IS A PROP FIREARM? Its a loose definition and could apply to anything from a rubber toy to a real firearm that can fire a projectile. However, if it's used for firing (even just blanks) it's considered a real gun. Chris Burbank, a former police chief in Salt Lake City who has consulted on several TV productions, said firearms for simulations during police trainings or film productions are often made so that they can only be loaded with blanks. WHAT ARE BLANKS AND CAN THEY KILL? A blank is a type of gun cartridge that contains gunpowder but no bullet. Still, it can serious hurt or kill someone who is close by, according to the Actors' Equity Association. Film firearms-safety coordinator Dave Brown wrote in a 2019 piece for American Cinematographer that, Blanks expel gunpowder and hot gases out of the front of the barrel in a cone shape. This is harmless at longer ranges, but the explosion can seriously injure someone if its too close. IN THIS INSTANCE, WERE BLANKS FIRED? The gun was loaded with live rounds, court records released Friday show. According to the records, the gun was one of three that the films armorer had set on a cart outside the wooden structure where a scene was being acted. Assistant director Dave Halls grabbed the gun from the cart and brought it inside to Baldwin, unaware that it was loaded with live rounds, a detective wrote in the search warrant application. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WEAPONS ON SET? Generally, a weapons master or armorer oversees all weapons that are used on a production. This can mean anything from selecting the correct items for a certain period in history, to taking care of the weapons on set and making sure they are being used safely and properly by actors and stuntpeople. It's a fairly new position in the history of film production, going back only to the 1980s. Before that, the prop master handled everything. Recently, its become more common to enlist specialists. WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR FIREARMS ON SET? The weapons master is required to be on set whenever a weapon is being used. The Actors' Equity Association's guidelines state that, Before each use, make sure the gun has been test-fired off stage and then ask to test fire it yourself. Watch the prop master check the cylinders and barrel to be sure no foreign object or dummy bullet has become lodged inside." Further, All loading of firearms must be done by the property master, armorer or experienced persons working under their direct supervision. HOW DOES ONE BECOME A WEAPONS MASTER? According to Backstage magazine, theres no formal path but it is common to have internships and apprenticeships or a background in stunt work, the military, police or security. Weapons masters are required to abide by state and federal laws and hold proper operating permits. WHY WOULD THE GUN HAVE BEEN POINTING AT THE CINEMATOGRAPHER? We dont know what happened on the set of Rust, but it is fairly common to have a gun pointed at the camera, and by extension the cinematographer, to get a certain angle. Weve all seen the very famous shots in films where you get that dramatic effect of a gun being pointed at you, the audience, and of course, its being pointed towards the camera, explained Steven Hall, a veteran second unit director and cinematographer who has worked on films like Fury and Thor: The Dark World. To minimize that, one would put a remote camera in that place, or at least if someone does have to operate the camera, Im normally protected by safety goggles, a safety visor and often a PERSPEX screen that withstands pretty much anything. Obviously, it wouldnt withstand a real shot from a gun, but it would certainly withstand a blank. GIVEN THE MANY REGULATIONS, HOW COULD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN? While the specific circumstances of the Rust shooting are still unknown, professionals in the business say that sometimes the crew and production are encouraged to speed things up for any number of reasons which can sometimes lead to relaxed safety protocols. DOES IT MAKE IT MORE COMPLICATED WHEN ITS A PERIOD PIECE? Rust is set in the 1880s and according to Hall, when period weapons are used you have to use actual historic period weapons and to check the safety of those weapons. I have known live rounds to be fired out of revolvers, certainly, to make sure that they do function in a way that when you put a blank in, it isnt going to blow up or explode in the actors hands. WHY DO PRODUCTIONS EVEN USE REAL GUNFIRE WHEN SPECIAL EFFECTS ARE AVAILABLE? It is becoming more common to add in gunfire in post-production when working on the visual effects. But visual effects can be expensive and it can be easier, and cheaper, to use props. Also, Dormer says that there can be advantages to using props and blanks, like getting an authentic reaction from an actor. HOW IS HOLLYWOOD RESPONDING? There has been an outpouring of dismay and anger from all levels of the industry that something like this could have happened. Director James Gunn tweeted that his greatest fear is that someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets. Alex Winter tweeted that, Crew should never be unsafe on set and when they are there is always a clearly definable reason why. - AP reporters Lizzie Knight and Adam Egan contributed from London and Lindsay Whitehurst from Salt Lake City. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 NEW YORK (AP) Jerry Pinkney, a prize-winning children's book illustrator known for his richly textured images of Black life, fables and fairy tales in works ranging from The Lion and the Mouse to The Sunday Outing, has died. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers announced that Pinkney died Wednesday at age 81 after a brief, non-COVID related illness. Further details were not immediately available. Jerry was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather whose impact influenced the creative endeavors of so many in our family, his wife, the author Gloria Jean Pinkney, said in a statement. Pinkney was a Philadelphia native who struggled with dyslexia but showed such talent for fine arts that he received a full scholarship from the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts). He dropped out after 2 1/2 years to marry and start a family. He was soon hired by a greeting card company in Dedham, Massachusetts, and went on to illustrate books for more than 50 years, beginning in 1964 with The Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales. He worked mostly with watercolors, while also using pencils, colored pencils and ink. His other credits include The Little Mermaid, John Henry, Black Cowboy and A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation. Valerie Flournoy, Virginia Hamilton and Julius Lester were among the writers he collaborated with. In 2010, his wordless adaptation of the Aesop fable The Lion and the Mouse led to his receiving the Randolph Caldecott Medal for outstanding illustration. He was a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for best work by a Black artist, served on the U.S. Stamp Advisory Committee and designed the first Black Heritage stamps, including those honoring the King, Harriet Tubman and Jackie Robinson. In 2016, he received two lifetime achievement awards: the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (since renamed the Childrens Literature Legacy Award) and the Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton Award. His work has been displayed at the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library and the Norman Rockwell Museum among other locations. Picture books would become my way to make my artistic gifts useful, he said in his acceptance speech for the Hamilton award. "I thought of the book as a vessel that could hold my interests, passions, desires, and hopes for my children and their children. Between its covers, it would hold histories as well as futures, truths and flights of fancy, my mothers smile and my fathers pride. Books also enlarged and enhanced my interest in Black culture, allowing me a way to express my artistic impulses while sharing the adventures of John Henry and the courage of Harriet Tubman. According to Little, Brown, Pinkney and his wife had been working on a memoir at the time of his death. Jerry Pinkney had teamed with Gloria Jean Pinkney, whom he had known since high school, on The Sunday Outing" and Back Home," both based on Gloria's childhood. He is survived by his wife, daughter Troy, sons Brian, Scott, and Myles Pinkney, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Justin Hamm has been writing poetry since he was 11 years old. It wasnt until college that he became interested in writing fiction. He earned a masters degree in fine arts from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and continued to write. As he continued his writing, he found that he could write and complete poems much easier than fiction. I could write and finish poems around the demands of teaching in a way I couldnt with fiction, he said. Hamm, of Mexico, Mo., is a K-12 librarian for the North Callaway R-1 School District in Kingdom City, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from St. Francois County. He said hes found a lot of carry over with poetry. Ive been writing since I was a kid, but writing seriously for about 20 years, he said. Really, though, the training has been reading great poets and writers. Hamm feels reading is by far the best education for any writer. When he writes poetry, he prefers to write poems which arent too cryptic and poems that people can understand. I think that is possible to write poetry well without obscuring all sense and meaning, he said. I dont like poems that make me feel numb. I also want to write poems that have an emotional center [because] heart is tremendously important. Hamm won the Stanley Hanks Memorial Poetry Prize several years ago and has had some of his poetry selected for numerous anthologies including the New Poetry from the Midwestern series. In addition, he has been nominated for both the Pushcart Prize and The Best of the Net award many times during the last 10 years. In 2019, he had a poem that was selected to be included in the World Scholars Cup curriculum. About 50,000 students worldwide studied the poem, and the WSC flew Hamm to Manila to discuss his poetry with students during one of their rounds of competition. In addition to his poetry, has written a variety of works including three full-length books titled "Lessons in Ruin," "American Ephemeral" and "The Inheritance." He has also published two chapter books, and hes had work regularly included in literary journals and magazines. He tries to stay active in the live reading scene. His interest in photography came later when he realized he wanted to write about the Midwest. So, he started taking photographs so he could write better descriptions. Eventually I got interested in making the pictures better and more interesting as well, he said. Hamm said hes inspired by old things, broken things, gritty things. Americana has always been a big inspiration [for me], he said. In my photos, I try to depict a rustic, weathered version of the Midwest. In my poems, I populate that setting with the human element. He received formal training in photography from a friend who is a photographer. He learned the basics of how a camera works, from exposure, depth of field and more. From there, he said it was very similar to writing. I look at a lot of photographs to try and understand composition, mood, visual metaphor and so on, said Hamm. His art photography is mostly landscapes and details of those landscapes. Although he photographs portraits and events, he considers that a side job more than a personal artistic pursuit. Hamms work that appears in his book "Midwestern" and his traveling photography/poetry show, which is also called Midwestern, focus mainly on rough or ghostlike landscapes. His goal is to take photos to invite someone else to make up a story. His works have traveled throughout the Midwest region for three years and appeared in numerous galleries over a two-year period. I love it when people who wouldnt normally come to a poetry reading or a photography exhibit decide to see Midwestern because of the subject matter, he said. Ive had some great conversations with farmers about some of the barns and corn cribs Ive photographed, and theyll often mention a poem I read too. Theres not much better than that. His photographs have appeared in many literary magazines and on the cover of numerous books and magazines. When Hamm was a Missouri Arts Council Featured Artist in 2020, Mineral Area Council on the Arts Director Scottye Adkins discovered his work and invited him to visit the Parkland. Two events will take place Saturday in the Mineral Area College Fine Art Gallery (theater foyer). Hamms photography exhibit opens at 2 p.m. Saturday followed by his creative writing workshop that also includes public readings of the winning entries from MACOAs Creative Writing Contest at 3 p.m. After a break, Hamm will begin his photography seminar at 6 p.m. These events are free to the public and are made possible with public support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. During his writing workshop, Hamm plans to encourage attendees to tap into their emotional reserves. Im also going to talk about where we can find inspiration or motivation to write when it seems futile or indulgent, he said. We are also going to have a chance to do some writing this will be a generative workshop. He plans to talk about scouting locations, the element of surprise and how photography and poetry relate to one another. Ill share some poems that came out of photography, he said, and Ill also talk about having a thought-out perspective and vision and how that helped me sort of break through with gallery shows. Hell also share tips on how to overcome writers block. He said writers block isnt about being short of ideas. Instead, its about how your internal censor bullies you into thinking your ideas arent worth the time. Im going to talk about that. As for ideas on how writers can get their work published, Hamm said they should not allow that desire to override their desire to write because publishing has nothing to do with the writing part of being a writer. He said, It is a completely different animal. There are good processes you can follow for submitting your work. Although Hamm plans to share some of those ideas at the workshop, he said the biggest tip he can offer is to eliminate any thoughts of publication while doing the writing. As for photography tips, Hamm said people who have an eye for proper perspective can really turn almost any photograph into something good. There are obviously technical problems that occur from not understanding a camera or light, he said, but if a photographer has enough imagination, even flawed images can be turned into something interesting. For more information, visit JustinHamm.net. Pam Clifton is a contributing writer for the Daily Journal Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Instead of relying on Hollywood-style visual effects to share the story of George Bailey and the Christmas Eve when he learns what a difference his time on earth has made in the lives of his friends, family and hometown, Moran's cast and Foley artists are drawing on the wonder of old-school radio dramas to tell the tale in a new way for pandemic-weary audiences. Images of the 63-year-old actor known for his roles in 30 Rock and The Hunt for Red October and his impression of former President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live showed him distraught outside the sheriffs office on Thursday. Guns used in making movies are sometimes real weapons that can fire either bullets or blanks, which are gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but no deadly projectile. However, even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. That proved to be the case in the death of an actor in 1984. In another on-set accident in 1993, actor Brandon Lee was killed after a bullet was left in a prop gun, and similar shootings have occurred involving stage weapons that were loaded with live rounds. Gun-safety protocol on sets in the United States has improved since then, said Steven Hall, a veteran director of photography in Britain. But he said one of the riskiest positions to be in is behind the camera because that person is in the line of fire in scenes where an actor appears to point a gun at the audience. Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Souza, 48, who was wounded in the collarbone area, was taken by ambulance to a medical center. Thurston will be sentenced Jan. 31, 2022, according to the release. Thurstons federal trial was delayed earlier this year in order to give the defense more time to prepare. This case serves as a perfect example of when federal, state, and local law enforcement work together to help address violent crime, U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said in the release. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Virginia is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting the most violent offenders in our communities. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case along with the Albemarle County Police Department, the City of Charlottesville Police Department, the City of Charlottesville Commonwealths Attorneys Office, and the Stafford County Sheriffs Office. Before Thurston was arrested, ATF joined the investigation and had offered a $5,000 reward. This investigation is a great example of law enforcement collaboration at its best, ATF Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson said in the release. ... The ATF Washington Field Division will continue to stand alongside our partners to ensure our communities are protected against people that commit acts of violence. I have been blessed with the opportunity to work in the public sector for over 30 years, and my time with Albemarle County Public Schools has been among the most enjoyable of my professional life, Letteri said in a statement. It has been a privilege to work with an outstanding team so focused on meeting their responsibilities on time and with high quality. In the transportation department, Foley works with more than 220 bus and van drivers, assistants, technicians, and office staff. His team is responsible for regularly transporting more than 8,000 students to and from school each year, driving more than 12,000 miles and more than 500 bus routes daily. During Foleys tenure, the school system improved compensation and benefits for bus drivers and implemented several safety measures such as stop-arm cameras to discourage motorists from driving by a stopped bus. For more than 10 years, it has been a privilege to serve our students, families and staff, working alongside you, Foley wrote in a message to staff members. You are incredibly talented and dedicated professionals, serving the highest interests of our community, the safety and education of our children. I especially am proud of how you have preserved through this pandemic and remained focused on our core mission of getting our students to school safely during one of the most challenging times of the past 100 years. A great deal has been asked of you and you have never failed to deliver. More than 95% of UVa employees are currently vaccinated, according to school officials. Those who are not vaccinated must apply for a medical or religious exemption to the mandate before Oct. 28. If you do not intend to apply for such an exemption and are not yet vaccinated, we encourage you to make your appointment for a vaccine as soon as possible in order to ensure that you meet the deadline, Davis and Magill wrote. Employees who opt to receive the Moderna vaccine should get the first shot by Oct. 27 and the second by Nov. 24, according to UVa officials. That would make them fully vaccinated by the Dec. 8 deadline. Employees who receive the Pfizer vaccine should get their first shots by Nov. 3 and their second by Nov. 24. Those who receive the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine need to get their shots on or before Nov. 24. According to the National Law Reviews analysis of decisions made by several federal agencies that must interpret the presidential order into rules, colleges and universities that receive any federal funds must comply. McAuliffe said himself Biden is unpopular in Virginia, so its got to hurt knowing he is reduced to relying on him to save his sinking campaign, Youngkin spokesman Matt Wolking said in a statement, referring to remarks McAuliffe made on a video call that surfaced earlier this month. Many Republicans say the shifting winds may boost Youngkin and the rest of the GOP ticket. Also on the ballot this year are races for attorney general, lieutenant governor and all 100 seats in the House of Delegates. The Youngkin campaign has previously not responded to questions from The Associated Press about whether former President Donald Trump, who lost to Biden in Virginia by 10 percentage points, has been asked to campaign with Youngkin or on his behalf. Election Day is Nov. 2, and early voting runs through Oct. 30. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Ive never hid from nobody. Ive always stood to tell the truth, Parnas said as he emerged from the courtroom. His lawyer, Joseph Bondy, promised an appeal Parnas said it was not the end of the story. Im sad. But at this time, I just want to get home to my wife and kids," he said. A co-defendant, Ukraine-born investor Andrey Kukushkin, was convicted of being part of the effort to use Muravievs money for political contributions. He had also denied any wrongdoing. Kukushkin and his attorney left the courthouse without speaking to reporters. The case had drawn interest because of the deep involvement of Parnas and a former co-defendant, Igor Fruman, in Giulianis efforts to get Ukrainian officials to investigate Joe Bidens son during Bidens campaign for president. Giuliani remains under criminal investigation as authorities decide whether his interactions with Ukraine officials required him to register as a foreign agent, but he wasnt alleged to have been involved in illegal campaign contributions and wasnt part of the New York trial. Lebanon Fire District has chosen Emerick Construction as a construction manager/general contractor for the new Station 31 project. The company joins the project alongside Rice Fergus Miller, the architectural firm hired late last year. While any of the top applicants would have done a great job, Emerick Construction had the breadth of relevant and timely fire construction experience that fit our needs," fire Chief Joseph Rodondi said in a LFD news release. The construction manager/general contractor method allows for more cost savings and more opportunities for success than a design-bid-build process, according to the fire district. By adding Emerick in this way during the design phase, it can collaborate with Rice Fergus Miller on design development to provide additional value and risk reduction. We understand the amount of work and dedication it takes from the community to get to this point in the process, and are proud to be part of this project team, Jordan Fell, special projects director with Emerick Construction, said in the news release. We look forward to building a facility that will serve the fire district and the citizens of Lebanon for years to come. Emerick will also submit a guaranteed maximum price which will provide an extra layer of fiscal responsibility, according to the district. A significant benefit of the process is close interaction and collaboration between project team members. The collaboration already kicked off with representatives from Emerick, Rice Fergus Miller, and the district meeting on Monday to discuss the project. I am pleased that Lebanon Fire District had the foresight and patience to change procurement methods for this project, Gunnar Gladics, principal architect with Rice Fergus Miller, said in a statement. With all the uncertainty and risk that has occurred in the last year, this process will help mitigate commodity fluctuations and supply chain issues. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Lebanon Express. By postponing some of the construction processes, the district said it has successfully avoided an extreme cost increase in building supplies. The biggest hurdles the project will face now are large lead times, which are currently being felt across the globe. Demolition is projected to begin in spring 2022, with the target completion date of summer 2023 remaining the same. The district had originally planned for demolition this past summer. The estimated cost of the Station 31 project is $13.6 million. Lebanon voters approved a 26-year, $16-million bond for Lebanon Fire District in November 2019. It was a close vote, with 3,177 (52.14%) in favor and 2,916 (47.86%) against, for a margin of just 261 votes. The bond replaced a previous one that was approved by voters in 2006. The original bond was set at 20 cents per $1,000 in assessed value. Those funds were used to build new fire stations at Cheadle Lake and on Berlin Road and for three new fire-fighting vehicles. The new bond was estimated at 34 cents per $1,000. For a home assessed at $225,000, the annual cost would be $76.50. 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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 Individual modules can be taken offline for service or refueling while the others continue operating. The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), an industry organisation that represents the interests of mobile network operators worldwide, announced the formation of the Asia Pacific (APAC) 5G Industry Community. The new ecosystem is established for those seeking opportunities to deliver Industry 4.0 and digital transformation from 5G networks, edge-cloud services, enterprise IoT and AI. The Community has been designed for stakeholders across the value chain including government and agencies, industry associations, mobile network providers, enterprises and industry players, solution providers, analysts, and consultants. The APAC 5G Industry Community comprises 12 contributing members across the mobile value chain as well as the existing IoT and 5G emerging market community, which has some 500 members in more than 30 countries. APAC 5G Industry Community contributing members include AIS, Axiata, DEPA, DHL, Globe, Huawei, Kominfo, Maxis, MDEC, Schneider Electric, Telkomsel and, Viettel. GSMA forecasts 5G will contribute $2.2 trillion to the global economy by 2034, with key industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, utilities, retail, financial services, and public sector benefitting the most from the new technology for digital transformation, Industry 4.0 and enterprise 4.0. APAC is a huge market and fragment with pioneer 5G in North Asia and Oceania. The rest of APAC needs more support for education to industries, ecosystem development, innovation, and appropriate advocacy. Philippines telecoms giant PLDT has announced plans to build its largest and most powerful data centre. The aim, according to local news reports, is to attract global technology giants and cloud service providers to the Philippines. The PLDT Group already operates the largest network of data centres in the country with its VITRO data centre facilities in different strategic locations. PLDT said during the announcement earlier this week that the data centre described as the first hyperscaler data centre facility in the country would have more capacity in one facility than all of its ten VITRO data centres combined. The Data Centre Dynamics website points out that the existing portfolio of PLDT data centres roughly accounts for 72MW of capacity. The actual location and size of the new facility were not disclosed. PLDT said the new data centre will be telco neutral and will use green technology to make operations more sustainable. It added that the facility will be Tier-3 certified and Tier-4 ready once it starts operations, although it is not yet clear when that will be. This is a significant announcement, not least because, as we reported just over a month ago, it has been strongly rumoured that PLDT is considering selling its existing data centres, with a potential value estimated to be in the region of half a billion dollars. However, in its announcement the company also said that it is planning to improve its existing data centres, adding more power capacity per rack and enhancing the reliability and energy efficiency of the facilities. It said it is also looking for ways to deliver renewable energy to the centres to help them towards carbon-neutral operations. Emirates Telecommunication Group Company (Etisalat) and Microsoft have joined forces to unlock new 5G scenarios with Azure Multi-access Edge Computer as part of their strategic partnership. The Emirati-based telecommunications services provider said in a press release that the new collaboration with Microsofts digital crime unit (DCU) will further strengthen digital security in the region to meet the fast-growing demand for threat intelligence. The partnership leverages the capabilities of Etisalat Core Orchestration and Azure ARM to create a 5G edge computing plug-and-play infrastructure for enterprises to run industry solutions. Edge computing technology aims to revolutionize many industries, reduce latency, and enable the entire hosting of applications to deliver fast and secure 5G, IoT, and AI applications. Etisalat Edge Computing solutions will help customers transform the way they operate, especially transportation, smart manufacturing, logistics, and Oil & Gas, said Khaled Al Suwaidi, vice president Fixed and Mobile Core at Etisalat. This drastically increases the value for traditional networks to transition into 5G to develop intelligent and autonomous next-generation technology that unlocks potential opportunities to our customers. Azure MEC offers service providers and customers the same set of tools to build and manage their cloud infrastructure. Our customers can maximize their efforts by employing a build once and deploy many strategy to optimize their investments, said Naim Yazbeck, regional director, Enterprise and Partner Group (EPG), Microsoft UAE. According to the release, this latest collaboration is a continuation of last years successful partnership, when Etisalat teamed up with Microsoft to drive a public cloud-first strategy through a digital transformation program that enabled the telecommunications provider to build a platform infused with automation and AI. Bosnia-Herzegovinas HT Mostar has signed new equipment deals with Croatias Ericsson Nikola Tesla (ENT) worth over HRK31 million (USD4.8 million). ENT will supply equipment to upgrade and expand HT Mostars LTE RAN and transmission networks. CommsUpdate reported that the vendor will also implement a system expansion and software upgrade for the operators fixed network. Vilim Promorac, president of the management board of HT Mostar, said: Owing to the newly contracted equipment, and by respecting the highest security standards, HT Mostar will increase the coverage and capacity of 4G/4G+ network. For our users, this specifically means better user experience, greater speeds, and the possibility to use new, advanced services, based on LTE technology. This means the latest and most efficient radio technology in the market, and a step closer to 5G network. Africell has confirmed plans for an ambitious expansion of its network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Agence Ecofin reported that the firm, which is headquartered in the UK, plans to double the size of its network footprint in the market, quoting Chief Investment Officer Ian Paterson as saying that it would constitute a huge expansion of our network. Paterson added that the build-out would largely take place in the east of the vast country, but that some areas of central and western regions including Bandundu, Kasai and Kikwit would also see new deployments. NEW YORK A new rocket designed to launch humans to the moon, Mars and beyond will launch next year from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On board, will be a familiar fuzzy figure Snoopy. The Alabama Farmers Federation is planting seeds for a healthy future by awarding $133,250 in scholarships to Auburn University (AU) students seeking degrees in agriculture, forestry and related industries. Eighty students were honored during the organizations scholarship reception at Lazenby Farms in Auburn Sept. 27. During the event, Federation President Jimmy Parnell encouraged students to make connections with fellow students and future colleagues during their time at Auburn. While I was at Auburn, I built a network of friends all across this state, said Federation President Jimmy Parnell, an AU alumnus in agricultural business and economics. That was probably the most important thing I got at Auburn. I encourage each of you to build that network. Were excited to recognize an outstanding group of young people who have a very bright future in front of them. Were glad to be a little part of that. A matching program with the Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation (AFAF) and county Farmers Federations funded 57 scholarships worth $1,750. Local Federations in Baldwin, Chilton, Covington, Dale, Henry, Houston, Jefferson, Lee and Madison counties provided 21 additional scholarships. A hearing officer for the NLRB found in August that Amazon potentially interfered with the election. And the RWDSU is now waiting for a decision from an NLRB regional director to see whether the hearing officers guidance will be sanctioned. But even with a second election, labor experts say a union victory is a long shot. The unionizing effort in Staten Island differs from the one in Alabama in part because of who is leading the charge and where. Wong noted that organizers in Staten Island face a less hostile union environment than Alabama a right-to-work state that allows employees to decline union membership and not pay union dues. Moreover, there may be more sympathy and better response to the independent worker-run campaign that Smalls is spearheading versus the one led by the RWDSU. There is a certain David and Goliath quality to this campaign, Wong said. At the same time, there are downsides to going at it alone versus teaming up with a national retail labor union. They dont have the same staff and resources, and that makes it challenging, Wong said of the Staten Island effort. This is an uphill battle. At one point, the man exits the tunnel and waves for more of the crowd to join the protesters in attempting to breach the building. The videos from both protestors and from Capitol security then show the man making his way to the front of the mob inside the tunnel to get inside the building. The government alleges Manley reached the front, using his body trying to force open the last door to the Capitol while law enforcement tried to hold back the rioters. He was leading the charge, so to speak, the judge said. Manley was not an innocent bystander or a member of the crowd that didnt enter the building, Scoble said before detaining Manley. He came to fight, the judge said. Manley intently watched the videos on either a monitor on the defense table or projected onto a wall, sometimes with a furrowed brow. His federal public defender, Samuel Eilers, unsuccessfully argued for conditional release, saying Manley didnt own guns, didnt post about the riots on social media and didnt have a substance abuse problem. Among the factors in the judges decision to detain him was that breaching the Capitol by itself was a threat to society, and Manley could be a flight risk since he didnt have any close ties to Anchorage. Were confronting the stains of what remains a deep stain in the soul of the nation: hate and white supremacy, Biden said, describing what he said is a line in American history from slavery to the present day. In a violent, deadly insurrection on the Capitol nine months ago it was about white supremacy in my view, he said. Biden, who had previously said the Justice Department should prosecute those who ignore congressional subpoenas, apologized Thursday for appearing to interfere with the agency's decisions in comments last week. I should have chosen my words more wisely," Biden said during a CNN town hall. "I did not, have not and will not pick up the phone and call the attorney general and tell him what he should or should not do. Even if the Justice Department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation. There's still considerable uncertainty about whether the department will pursue the charges, despite Democratic demands for action. It's a decision that will determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation but also the strength of Congress power to call witnesses and demand information. The selection of 12 primary jurors and six alternates is scheduled to begin Nov. 4, with opening statements set for Nov. 29. In selecting primary jurors, the defense will have 10 peremptory challenges and the prosecution will have six, Nathan said. For alternates, each side will get three challenges. Maxwells lawyers argued for questioning prospective jurors behind closed doors because they may be asked to divulge sensitive information, such as if they have been sexually abused. Nathan said she would make adjustments on a case-by-case basis to ensure juror candor and project juror privacy. Maxwell lawyer Bobbi Sternheim said letting the public see the blank version of the questionnaire, which is used to screen the jury pool for biases, hardships, personal connections and awareness of the case, will lead to people lying their way into the jury process. She equated it to a take-home exam in which jurors could fill in answers they think will best position them to be selected. Nathan, who will conduct one-on-one follow-up questioning Nov. 16-19 with prospective jurors who survive the questionnaire phase, responded: If a juror is going to lie and be dishonest, we will smoke that out. And the fact of this questionnaire being publicly documented is not going to increase or decrease any such likelihood. However, we must all now reflect on who we have as leaders and how we select them because our Congress exhibits a profound inability to cooperate and to solve the problems that the people of this country are waiting to be solved. We see the government being bullied by elected representatives who are not grounded in our Constitutional values and who are more than willing to eliminate them from our culture. The values in our First Amendment are being diminished daily by students who have been indoctrinated by faculty members at some universities to demand free spaces and who no longer cherish the meaning of a university and who are willing to shout down speakers with whom they disagree and to keep their universities from inviting those people as speakers because the students disagree with the positions of the speakers. A family is seen on a motorbike in Da Nang City after traveling from the southern province of Binh Duong, October 10, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong Central provinces are struggling to convince workers to stay back even as labor demand rises in the south, where factories are reopening after the pandemic-induced hiatus. Nguyen Thi Duong has been living in her hometown in Quang Nam Province for two months, having returned from HCMC where she has lived for 10 years as it went through a prolonged lockdown as epicenter of the latest Covid-19 wave to hit the country. She is planning to return as the city opens up further. "Im used to the life there. My work was stable. It was only disrupted by Covid," said the 37-year-old woman, who used to run an eatery that was the main source of income for her family of four. As Quang Nam does not have a lot of industrial parks, and there is limited area to farm rice, people like Duong and her husband are unable to find suitable jobs in the central province. She can work at a textile company in her hometown, but the salary of VND68 million ($263350) per month is lower than what she can make in HCMC. Duong is among 1.3 million workers who left major localities in the south for their hometowns between July and September; but as the country looks to kick-start its economy in the new normal, she and many others are looking for ways to return to the south to find work. Another Quang Nam resident, Le Quoc Nhat, 29, is waiting to get the second Covid-19 vaccine dose to return to work in HCMC. Nhat, who returned to Vietnam after studying abroad in Israel, finds HCMC a vibrant city where he and his friends can easily discuss and follow up on business opportunities. Many of his friends have worked hard and secured positions with a company there, which give them stable income, he said. "There are jobs in my hometown, but the salary and positions are not as good as before. Many people are too old to learn new skills to find a different line of work." Quang Nam has recorded more than 10,000 people returning from HCMC and other southern localities during and after the fourth Covid-19 wave. Of 6,500 returnees who responded to a recent survey, only 15.5 percent said they plan to stay back and work in the province. Most of the rest said they had not made up their mind. Nguyen Qui Quy, deputy director of Quang Nams Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that 100 big companies in the province are looking for nearly 17,000 workers. However, most workers seem to be looking to return to HCMC and other southern localities instead of staying in the province. This is because since 20 years ago, when there were few industrial parks in Quang Nam, people have been leaving for the south to find jobs. Many have settled down there. They only returned to Quang Nam now to protect their lives, he said. "People have got used to the life in the south, and they have high salaries. Citizens have the right to make their choices," Quy said. But this also means that companies in the provinces nine industrial parks and 22 industrial clusters are having trouble recruiting people, he added. Greener pastures The central province of Thua Thien Hue is also experiencing similar difficulties in retaining its returnees. Of 25,160 people of working age who returned, less than half (44.6 percent) want to stay back and work in the province, while the rest want to go back to the south or find work abroad. Chairman Nguyen Van Phuong said it was a challenge to arrange enough jobs for over 25,000 people, even though it is the desire of provincial leaders. The province will continue to expand its industrial hubs and call for more investment to create more jobs in the future, he added. Another central province, Nghe An, has seen 52,000 people of working age return during the fourth wave, and its labor department estimates that at least half of them want to return to the south for work. The department said 84 companies in the province have registered to recruit just 29,000 workers. In the south, the Mekong Delta region is recording the highest ratio of labor shortage at 30.6 percent, according to a recent study by the General Statistics Office. Meanwhile, there is high recruitment demand in the southern localities that are already established industrial hubs. Industries in dire need of workers include leather, textiles, garments and electrical equipment. HCMC alone needs 57,000 workers in the last three months of this year in trading, garments, footwear, restaurants and hospitality establishments Nguyen Si Dung, deputy head of the National Assembly Office, said the majority of workers will return to the south after local outbreaks are brought under control. The recent reverse migration has shown the need for southern localities to improve the quality of life for migrant workers, providing them with housing and education for children, he said. Hoang Van Cuong, vice principal of the National Economics University in Hanoi, said it would take a long time for southern localities to regain in full their pre-pandemic labor pool after the en masse departure of workers. In the long run, the government needs to re-distribute labor nationwide to avoid the overcrowding in major cities where contagion risks are high, he added. Nhung Kate will play an assassin in the John Wick prequel series, The Continental. Nhung will appear as Yen, an assassin playing an important part in the series. The actress has not revealed details of her work in The Continental, only saying she will have a lot of action scenes. She is waiting for her visa before going to Budapest, Hungary for filming in November. Nhung said she learned about the project three years ago when American director Oliver Stone contacted her manager in the U.S. after watching a movie featuring Nhung. Getting an invitation to take part in a project, Nhung later learned it had been postponed, and was encouraged to improve her acting skills. Several months ago, she got an invitation to join The Continental cast. After filming some videos for casting, she was given the role of Yen. Actress Nhung Kate. Photo courtesy of Nhung Kate The actress feels no pressure from playing action scenes since she has practiced martial arts in the last two years. Her boyfriend, actor Johny Tri Nguyen, has helped her improve her English, martial arts, and working with international crews. Nhung, birth name Duong Hong Nhung, was born in northern Hai Phong City in 1989. She learned acting at Hanoi College of Art and has starred in many local movies and series. In 2016, she played the main role in Co Hau Gai (The Housemaid), a thriller directed by Vietnamese-American filmmaker Derek Nguyen. Apart from Nhung, four other stars will join The Continental, including Hubert Point-Du Jour, Jessica Allain, Mishel Prada, and Ben Robson. The Continental will explore the origin behind the hotel-for-assassins, increasingly the centerpiece of the John Wick universe. The John Wick trilogy has grossed almost $600 million worldwide. The films have been scripted by Derek Kolstad and directed by Chad Stahelski. John Wick: Chapter Four is currently shooting in Germany, France and Japan with American actor Keanu Reeves reprising his assassin character. Boys play football on Thanh An Island Commune in HCMC's Can Gio District, October 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran The HCMC Department of Health has called on its education counterpart to draw up the list of students aged 12-17 for Covid-19 vaccinations. The city is awaiting guidelines from the Ministry of Health on what kind of vaccine to use for them. But the list should be completed before Sunday, the health department has told the Ho Chi Minh City Steering Committee for Covid -19 Prevention and Control. An expected 780,000 children aged 12-17 will be immunized. Those that attend school will be immunized at their school, and those that do not will be vaccinated at sites identified by district authorities. Those with underlying conditions will be given the shots at hospitals along with those currently undergoing treatment at city hospitals, regardless of where they reside. People aged 16-17 will be vaccinated first, and authorities will then work their way down. The ministry had on Oct. 14 approved the administration of vaccines for children aged 12-17, prioritizing those aged 16-17. The vaccine for age group has to be approved by the ministry. All vaccines have to be administered in two doses, with both being of the same kind. Parents or legal guardians must give consent to the vaccination. The Pfizer vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this particular age range, India has approved the emergency use of the Zydus Cadila vaccine for those aged from 12 while China has approved Sinovac for children from three. During his visit to Cuba last month, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc had asked his hosts to soon dispatch documents on vaccines for children for Vietnam to evaluate. Vietnam signed a contract to buy 20 million doses from Pfizer to immunize children and adolescents. HCMC has given the first shot of vaccines to more than 99 percent of its populace aged over 18, and both doses to 77 percent. A project to conserve coastal habitats in Vietnams Mekong Delta has been launched with financial support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). With a planned budget of up to $2.9 million, the three-year project aims to increase the sustainability of fisheries, enhance climate change adaptation, and improve biodiversity conservation, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi said in a statement Thursday. The project, called the Mekong Delta Coastal Habitat Conservation project, was announced during U.S. Vice President Kamala Harriss visit to Vietnam in August. It will be implemented by the USAID, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Directorate of Fisheries of the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Mekong Delta and its islands are home to 70 percent of Vietnams mangroves and 90 percent of its seagrass beds. Fed by the sediment and nutrients from the Mekong River, the targeted habitats support Vietnams richest fishing grounds, but they are under growing threats. The deltas mangrove forests, which provide nursery habitat for sea bass, snapper, and other commercially important species, and important protection for coastal communities from storm surges, are declining due to various reasons including rising sea levels. The deltas crucial fishery habitats are threatened by environmental pressures including prolonged droughts, rising temperatures, and aquaculture demand for groundwater, not to mention intensive near-shore fishing which has depleted fish stocks, causing cascading ecological damage. By partnering with businesses, provincial governments, the management board of Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Phu Quoc National Park and fishing communities, the project will work to mitigate threats to coastal biodiversity and fisheries, and enhance coastal resilience in the Mekong Delta. Geographically, the projects activities will focus on the deltas lowest lying and most vulnerable coastlines along the regions East and West Seas, Phu Quoc MPA, and three small island clusters in the West Sea. The main components of the project include: strengthening the management of Phu Quoc MPA for more effective habitat and species conservation; establishing a network of locally managed marine areas to protect coral reefs, seagrass beds in three island clusters; and exploring solutions to conserve and expand mangrove forests to increase fish nursery habitat and coastal biodiversity. The Mekong Delta is the final destination of the Mekong River, which flows through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam before reaching the sea. Formed by sediment and sand following the flow of the Mekong over 6,000 years, the delta has an area of almost 40,000 square kilometers, making up 12 percent of the nations total, according to the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research. The regions fertility, however, is under severe threat because of upstream dams that block the rivers flow, intensive aquaculture, climate change impacts and other factors. Aviation authorities have outlined a detailed four-phased plan to resume international commercial flights starting later this year to help reboot the tourism industry. In a draft plan sent to the Ministry of Transport on Friday for approval, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam proposed launching pilot flights to carry foreign tourists to some tourist destinations like Phu Quoc, Khanh Hoa and Quang Ninh during the first phase scheduled to start this quarter. Kien Giang, Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam, Da Nang and Quang Ninh, home to a number of famous tourist hotspots, will be allowed to welcome foreign tourists starting November as part of Vietnam's roadmap to gradually resume international tourism. Visitors need to furnish a certificate showing they were fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to arrival or recovered from Covid. All tourists must show a negative Covid certificate using the PCR method within 72 hours before departure and are required to book a tour package with designated travel agencies. There would be one daily flight, with around 4,000 to 6,000 tourists allowed to visit the country in the first month, with the flight frequency increased to two in the next months. In the second phase from next January, aviation authorities want to resume regular commercial flights that only carry passengers who have been fully vaccinated or recovered from the disease. CAAV eyes the resumption of commercial flights with mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, France, Germany, Russia, Australia and other markets not included in the list of restricted entry. Each side would operate four flights a week. Passengers are only allowed to commence check-in procedures when they are confirmed to have paid the cost of seven-day quarantine at a designated hotel in Vietnam. Based on vaccine coverage and herd immunization threshold after mass vaccination, aviation authorities would consider launching regular commercial flights in the third phase from next April that would allow passengers with vaccine passports approved by Vietnam to be exempt from quarantine upon arrival. Vietnam currently accepts Covid-19 vaccine passports from 72 countries and territories, and is discussing the issue with 80 others, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday. From July, aviation authorities would operate regular international flights based on travel demand at that time. Vietnam Airlines currently operates one-way flight to carry passengers from Vietnam to Asian and European destinations. Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, Vietnams biggest feeder tourism markets, have controlled the pandemic and boast high vaccine coverage. Vietnam closed its doors to foreign tourists and canceled all international flights in March last year to contain Covid, allowing only Vietnamese repatriates and foreign experts and highly-skilled workers to enter. 8 million One of the things users love about Roblox is that anyone (teenager or older) can develop games (which Roblox refers to as "experiences"), and even get paid for it. As of May 2021 the company has paid out more than $329 million to community developers though that went to just 4,300 out of the 8 million developers. ELKO Eighty-four doses of the monoclonal antibody therapy have been administered at the Great Basin College so far, and a snag when doses ran out was remedied when more were found the afternoon of the same day. We will send someone to Lovelock tomorrow to pick up 41 more doses at Lovelock, Elko County Emergency Manager Lee Cabaniss said on Oct. 20. The clinic scheduled for Oct. 21 had to be delayed a day because the doses ran out, but he said the county was in discussions with the college to have one on Oct. 22 instead. Normally, the clinic is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Elko County Health Officer Dr. Bryce Putnam said none of the 84 people receiving the antibody therapy have been hospitalized for COVID-19 since their treatments. He said the shortage of dosages is a supply chain snafu. Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital also administers the antibody therapy, and Cabaniss said the county sometimes shares doses with the hospital. Cabaniss also told the health board this week that Elko County has been asked to share what we are doing here with the antibody clinic with other counties in the state. The clinic at GBC was organized and running in just two weeks. The antibody clinic is another feather in the cap for Elko, Putnam said, and Elko County Commission Chairman Jon Karr gave kudos to Cabaniss and all those involved in arranging for the clinic. County commissioners make up the health board, along with Putnam and Sheriff Aitor Narvaiza. Putnam also reported there is good news that hospitalizations are going in the right direction downand active cases have dropped from a high of above 700 to roughly 450. The last two months have been absolutely brutal. He commended medical workers and Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital. The hospitals chief executive officer, Steve Simpson, told the health board over the past month, weve witnessed the largest surge of patients our hospital has ever seen, with 182 admissions of COVID-19 patients from Sept. 17 to Oct. 20. Of those admitted, 62 were treated in the intensive care unit. Elko County statistics show that there were 32 hospitalizations as of Wednesday, down from 36 a week ago, and there were 456 active cases in Elko County, down from 511 one week ago. The death toll in Elko County from COVID-19 for October as of Oct. 21 was 15, while there were 25 deaths in September. All total, 109 Elko County residents have died from COVID-19. Simpson said that in the last 34 days there were 32 deaths at the hospital from COVID-19, and that number doesnt count any deaths at other facilities or at home. Let me tell you that each of these deaths has hit our staff hard, he said. Simpson said the average age of patients admitted with COVID-19 has been 53, and more than 92% of these patients had not been vaccinated against COVID-19. Of those admitted to ICU, 97% had not been vaccinated. He also told the health board that when COVID-19 cases were so high, the hospital was limited in what it could do for other patients, and he had questioned how long can we maintain this daily level of intensity. With the drop in COVID-19 patients in the past two weeks, the hospital is slowly reopening for elective procedures, however. Simpson said that since Sept. 17, the hospital had admitted 119 patients who were not COVID-19 cases, and the combined total of 301 admissions is historic for the hospital. He also urged people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The county statistics show that 36.38% of Elko Countys population age 12 and over is vaccinated. Tammy Baumann of Nevada Health Centers reported to the health board that in the last quarter Nevada Health Centers provided 537 COVID-19 vaccines and since Jan. 1 of this year provided 5,103 within Elko County. Putnam said those who have been vaccinated have significantly less symptoms if they still get COVID-19, but each individual has the right to choose whether to get the shots. Elko County Commissioner Cliff Eklund asked Putnam about new CDC reports that mixing up the boosters provides better protection. In other words, a person who has had two Pfizer vaccines could get a Moderna vaccine as a booster, and the same with those vaccinated with Moderna who then get a Pfizer booster. Putnam said the mix and match has been found to provide a very robust immune response, but he still wants to see the full study. Putnam additionally reported that the biggest COVID-19-related problem now for the county is finding enough testing supplies. He said when the pandemic first started there were problems obtaining enough tests and long lines for testing, and a year later we are in the same predicament. There is a shortage at the manufacturing level, and the county has received only a couple of cases. Thats a drop of water on a fire, Putnam said. The tests are especially important as the flu and cold season approaches, he said. The tests can show whether an individual with symptoms that can be like the flu, or a cold, is positive for COVID-19. Simpson said the hospital provided 701 free flu shots on Oct. 16 in a Drive-Thru Flu Shot Clinic that netted 1,557 pounds of canned food for FISH and GBC food banks from those driving through to get their shots. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 RENO (AP) A Salvadoran immigrant agreed Thursday to plead guilty to all crimes in the killing of four Nevada residents as part of a deal with prosecutors that will spare him from two death penalty trials and put him in prison for the rest of his life with no possibility of appeals or parole. Wilber Ernesto Martinez Guzman, 22, pleaded guilty after intense questioning by Washoe County District Court Judge Connie Steinheimer in Reno to two counts of first-degree murder in the January 2019 deaths of Gerald and Sharon David in their Reno home. Steinheimer acknowledged the plea took the death penalty off the table and told Martinez Guzman he will have to enter formal guilty pleas in Douglas County to the killings of two women in Gardnerville during his two-week string of crimes. In addition to four consecutive life terms with no possibility of parole, Martinez Guzman faces a minimum of another 214 years in prison for multiple burglary, larceny, weapons and possession of stolen property charges under the plea agreement outlined in court. He will never be free, Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks said about the deal unveiled just before a status hearing was scheduled Thursday morning. Hicks told reporters after the two-hour hearing that the decision to drop pursuit of the death penalty came as a result of a direct appeal from families of the victims who didnt want the case to continue for years longer. They shared a collective request for closure and finality in the case, Hicks said. As a result of his pleas, there will not be decades of appeals that have become common in death penalty litigation. Douglas County District Attorney Mark Jackson added: They want this nightmare to end. They want justice. Martinez Guzman told police he committed the series of break-ins, thefts and shootings over a three-week stretch because he needed money to buy methamphetamine. Steinheimer told Martinez Guzman on Thursday if he fails to plead guilty in Douglas County, prosecutors there and Washoe County can void his plea deal and again seek the death penalty. Martinez Guzman also has agreed to plead guilty to multiple burglary and possession of stolen property charges in Carson City. The judge tentatively set sentencing for Feb. 28. Speaking through a Spanish interpreter, Martinez Guzman responded to dozens of questions from the judge intended to establish that he was making an informed decision to plead guilty based on his own choice and understanding of the law. I spoke with my attorneys and understand after I plead, I will spend the rest of my life in prison, Martinez Guzman said. I believe it is the best way to close my case ... It makes it so they remove the death penalty. Public defender John Arrascada assured Steinheimer Martinez Guzmans decision was his own. Hicks and Jackson initially planned one death penalty trial for Martinez Guzman in Reno, but the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Sept. 30 that the defendant would have to be tried separately in the two county jurisdictions. Authorities said Martinez Guzman stole a .22-caliber handgun from the Davids southwest Reno home on Jan. 4, 2019; shot and killed Constance Koontz, 56, and Sophia Renken, 74, in separate attacks in their Gardnerville homes several days later; and returned to the Davids house to rob and kill them Jan 15. Gerald David, 81, and his 80-year-old wife were prominent in the Reno Rodeo Association and had employed Martinez Guzman as a landscaper the summer before. Martinez Guzman was arrested in Carson City during a manhunt that had investigators track an Apple watch stolen from Koontz to Martinez Guzmans mother. Martinez Guzman has been held without bail at the Washoe County jail in Reno. Washoe County sheriffs Detective Stefanie Brady told a grand jury several weeks after Martinez Guzmans arrest that he initially denied wrongdoing but later acknowledged through an interpreter he had done something thats unforgiveable. He said he needed the money for the meth, Brady testified. The case drew attention at the time from then-President Donald Trump, who said it showed the need to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Authorities said he was in the country illegally but they didnt how or when he arrived. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 In the hours before the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, members of the camera crew on the set of the Alec Baldwin-produced movie reportedly walked off set to protest unsatisfactory working conditions. The LA Times reports that six people, thought to be camera operators and their assistants, were unhappy with the on-set conditions, complaining of excessive hours and delayed paychecks. The Times also quotes someone close to the production team who warned that the prop gun used on set had misfired three times in the last two weeks. A crew member claims that the team had arrived on set as usual at 6:30am on Thursday morning, but soon began gathering their equipment and personal belongings. Around six hours later, actor Alec Baldwin accidentally discharged the prop gun, fatally wounding Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza in the process. Trouble on set for production of Rust Shooting for the film began on 6 October, but right from the off there were disputes after members of the production team were led to believe that they would have fully-paid for hotel rooms in Santa Fe, where most of the film was being shot. However they were told that they would actually be staying in Albuquerque, giving them a 50-mile commute every day for filming. Tensions on set appear to have worsened and Hutchins, according to one crew member, had been forced to push for safer working conditions for her team. On the morning of the tragic incident the camera crew, who were members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, began packing up their gear and several non-union workers soon turned up to take their place. Corners were being cut and they brought in non-union people so they could continue shooting, the on-set source told the LA Times, and added: there was a serious lack of safety meetings on this set. A statement from Rust Movie Productions LLC, released in the wake of the incident, said: "Though we were not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapon or prop safety on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down. We will continue to cooperate with the Santa Fe authorities in their investigation and offer mental health services to the cast and crew during this tragic time. Multiple countries praised China's trading policy and its active role in supporting a multilateral trading system on Wednesday as the World Trade Organization (WTO) started the eighth trade policy review of China in Geneva, Switzerland. Russia commends China for its important leadership role in the WTO. "We highly appreciate and share Beijing's continuous support for multilateral trading system as embodied in the WTO," the Russian delegation to WTO said in a statement. Russia strongly supports China's efforts in combatting protectionism and emerging forms of discrimination, especially in the form of unilateral measures, the statement added. The Saudi delegation said that China plays a leading role in the rules-based multilateral trading system and regional trade agreements (RTAs) to continue its development and growth. China is a politically and economically significant player in global trade, said the Philippine delegation, adding that despite the COVID-19-induced economic slowdown, the Chinese economy continues to be a major driver of global growth. The delegation of Vietnam to the WTO acknowledged China's active contribution to the WTO and the world trade through its active and consistent participation in various ongoing processes in the organization, including the discussions of WTO reform, negotiations on fisheries subsidies, among others. Not only has China's development strategy benefitted Chinese people, but its open and unique approach of pursuing "shared prosperity" and "trade for peace" through regional connectivity has opened new channels for trade and investment, the Pakistani delegation said in a statement. This year marks the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the WTO. Over the past two decades, China has fully fulfilled its accession commitments, actively participated in the work of the WTO, and made great contributions to upholding the multilateral trading system, China's Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday. At the handover ceremony (Photo: VNA) Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Do, Director of Vietcombank Laos, said that despite being affected by COVID-19, Vietnamese businesses have joined hands with Lao authorities and people to support those in need to overcome the challenges caused by the pandemic. According to the pandemic prevention regulations of the Government of Laos, all gifts will be handed over to overseas Vietnamese branches to distribute to the poor households as soon as possible. Over the past time, various activities have been organized by the Vietnamese community in Laos, including raising funds and donating cash and necessities for COVID-hit people./. The assessment was put forth during a workshop held by the Ministry of Planning and Investment on October 21 to publish the national report on the progress of the five-year implementation of the SDGs. By 2030, Vietnam is likely to achieve the sustainable development goals of poverty eradication, hunger eradication, quality education and climate protection actions. (Photo: baodauthau.vn) Implementing international commitments, Vietnam has issued the National Action Plan to implement the 2030 Agenda in Decision 622/QD-TTg, dated May 10, 2017. Accordingly, the Plan set out 17 SDGs with 115 specific goals on the basis of the nationalization of global SDGs to suit Vietnam's development conditions and context. With the high determination and efforts of the whole political system, Vietnam has achieved encouraging results. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, Head of the report development team, said that Vietnam is likely to achieve 5 of 17 SDGs by 2030. They are goals on poverty eradication, hunger eradication, quality education, climate protection actions and global partnerships. Besides the achieved results, according to Le Viet Anh, Director of the Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam needs to make great efforts to achieve the remaining 12 goals by 2030, and it will be especially difficult to achieve the two goals of sustainable production and consumption; conservation and sustainable use of ocean, sea and marine resources. Regarding the policy directions for the next 5 years, a number of recommendations were made in the report. Accordingly, it is necessary to continue to perfect the system of policy institutions and improve the efficiency of policy implementation; increase awareness, promote coordination and cooperation among stakeholders to create spillover in SDG implementation; mobilize and use financial resources effectively; improve the quality of human resources in association with promoting innovation and strongly apply science and technology; strengthen resilience against uncertain risks from climate change, natural disasters and pandemic; and strengthen international cooperation and enhance the role and position of the country./. Nicolae Ciuca (L), Romania's defence minister in the caretaker cabinet, attends a ceremony with President Klaus Iohannis at the Cotroceni presidential palace in Bucharest, Romania, Oct. 21, 2021. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday nominated Nicolae Ciuca as candidate for prime minister to form a new government. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua) BUCHAREST, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday nominated Nicolae Ciuca, defence minister in the caretaker cabinet, as candidate for prime minister to form a new government. "This crisis lasted too long," Iohannis said when announcing the nomination at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. "We have the pandemic, winter knocks at the door, energy prices grow," he said, stressing that there is a need for a government with full power to handle all of these issues. Ciuca, 54, proposed by the centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL), is the second nominee made by the head of state, after his predecessor failed confidence vote in Parliament on Wednesday. "I understood this mandate as a gesture of responsibility in order to overcome the crisis in which we are," Ciuca said after the designation made by Iohannis, adding that "we will negotiate with all the responsible forces, so in the shortest possible time, we can form the government." Under the country's constitution, the prime minister-designate has ten days to form a government and win a vote of confidence in Parliament. The coalition government led by PNL Chairman Florin Citu collapsed on Oct. 5 in a censure motion initiated by the main opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) and supported by most other parties in Parliament. Enditem Editor: Zhang Zhou A green picture of the harmonious coexistence of humans and birds in Haizhu National Wetland Park in Guangzhou, Guangdong. (Photo by Xie Huiqiang/Guangming Picture) Biodiversity is relevant to human well-being and is an important foundation for human survival and development. According to a latest survey conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 80% of Chinese people think that the ecological environment has improved in the past 10 years, and most people are unwilling to increase their income at the expense of the environment. On October 14, at the forum of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, themed "Green Mountains are Mountains of Gold and Silver: From Concept to Practice", Zhang Yongsheng, Director of the Institute of Ecological Civilization of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the fundamental purpose of development is to improve peoples well-being. China is one of the countries with the richest biodiversity in the world. How to improve the natural ecosystem by protecting biodiversity, enhance ecological services, increase the supply capacity of ecological products, and realize the virtuous cycle of the natural ecosystem, so as to continuously meet people's growing demand for a beautiful ecological environment? Recently, our reporters walked to the green mountains and river valleys, to the countryside and urban areas, trying to find the answers. Red River Valley Breeds "Mountain Future" Baobabs, Indian acacias, horned melons... Plants from different countries and regions thrive in the sun on the hillsides of the dry and hot valleys - this is the Red River Valley Mountain Future Innovation Center of the Kunming Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, located in the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province (hereinafter referred to as "the Innovation Center"). Many years ago, when Xu Jianchu, chief scientist of the World Agroforestry Center and director of the Innovation Center, came here for the first time, what he saw was only "bare, dry-hot river valley and muddy water of Honghe River flowing". Here, there is an often-mentioned word "Sawangna", which means "savanna" in the African language. "Sawangna" is mainly distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Africa, South America, northern parts of Australia, India and Myanmar, and the dry-hot river valley of Yunnan, China. Xu said that the dry-hot river valley has high temperature and little rain, with very fragile ecology, but the red soil means the future of mountain development and revitalization. According to the research of phytocoenology, the Red River Valley has the most typical river valley-type "Sawangna" vegetation in Asia. It is rich in biological resources and is a unique representative of biodiversity. In 2017, based on the global issue of ecological restoration in dry-hot valleys, Xu and his team carried out germplasm resource innovation and circular agricultural innovation, successively selected tropical economic forests and fruits such as mango, lychee and Javanese kapok, and developed new feeds such as Stylosanthes guianensis and mudar. New plant resources have formed a three-dimensional planting model of "trees, shrubs and grass" covering the surface with tropical economic forests and fruits and plant-based protein feeds. Driven by the "Mountain Future" project, the mango-planting area in Honghe County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture currently exceeds 110,000 mu, with 7 mango varieties such as "Guifei" and "Tai Nong" planted. Shanghai-Yunnan Cooperative Litchi King Industrial Base in Dayangjie Township of the Red River Valley is also under construction in full swing. "The residents of the Red River Valley are changing from the past development model of using biological resources for money to a new model of green, low-carbon and recyclable ecological economy ,Xu said. Take Care of Snow Leopards to Increase Income With an average altitude of 4,000 meters, Angsai Township, Zaduo County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, belongs to the hinterland of Lancang River Source Park in Sanjiangyuan National Park. Here, the mountains and valleys are crisscrossed, the Lancang River flows rapidly, and the big cats, snow leopards, live here. The villagers of Niandu Village in Angsai Township, who have been grazing for generations, have seen their lives intersected with snow leopards in different forms. In recent years, this intersection has been given new meanings due to the "Angsai Grand Canyon Snow Leopard Nature Experience Program" carried out by the Shanshui Nature Conservation Center. As one of the first national parks, the Sanjiangyuan National Park has public management positions with the coverage expanded to "one household, one post". Cairen Nima, who lives in the second community of Reqing Village, Angsai Township, is one of them. This not only gives him a stable income of 1,800 yuan per month, but also offers him more opportunities to observe and understand nature. Now, he can distinguish different wild animals through feces and footprints. In 2017, the Lancang River Source Park of the Sanjiangyuan National Park cooperated with Beijing Shanshui Nature Conservation Center to carry out nature experiencing pilots with cooperatives and train herders to act as nature experience guides, drivers and host families, who lead nature experiencers to observe and record rare wild species such as snow leopards. Thus, Cairen Nima has another identity-a nature experience guide. After discussion and negotiation by all members of the cooperatives, Angsai Natural Experience began to adopt the collective income distribution system in the community at the end of 2018. Of the total income of the program, 45% is given to the host family, 45% goes to the community fund, and 10% is used for local ecological protection. "The community is deeply involved in the whole process, and the benefits are given back for the community's development," said Li Yuhan, the first director of the Angsai Workstation of the Shanshui Nature Conservation Center. In 2019, the Angsai Nature Experience Program was approved by the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, among the first batch to receive the pilot franchise in the national park. According to Lv Zhi, a professor at Peking University, the nature experience program has formed a mutually beneficial relationship between people and national parks, enabling locals not only to obtain economic income, but also to enhance their ability to participate in the construction of national parks and their sense of pride. Birds Return to Soothe the Soul In his book "Last Child in the Woods", American writer Richard Louv put forward "Natural Deficiency", that is, children who grow up in the environment of electronic products spend less and less time in nature, which then triggers a series of behavioral and psychological problems. "Humans are part of nature, and children should be encouraged to go outdoors, to the natural environment, and to meet birds through human senses." Zhao Xinru, a bird expert at Beijing Normal University, regards bird watching as a "good medicine" to soothe the soul. In fact, if you want to watch birds, you don't have to go to the suburbs, mountains and forests on purpose. In the city parks and green spaces, we can meet these smart "notes" of nature. Xuanxuan, a primary school student who lives in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, is a "bird fan." A nature observation class in the city park organized by the school has planted the seeds of bird watching in her heart. White-headed bulbul, magpie robin, heron... At the age of 11, she can already recognize more than a dozen kinds of birds. Recently, she has a new place to go-Haizhu National Wetland Park that covers an area of 1,100 hectares. This "urban green heart" is less than 5 kilometers away from Guangzhou's landmark Canton Tower, but it has attracted 180 species of birds to inhabit and multiply here. "Birds are indicative species of the natural ecological environment and are sensitive to the environment. They must at least have nests, food, and a sense of security before they are willing to stay," said Hu Huijian, a researcher at the Institute of Zoology of the Guangdong Academy of Sciences. Since 2020, Guangzhou has actively promoted the construction of waterfowl ecological corridors in the Pearl River Delta, and expanded the distribution space of water birds through protection of waterfowl gathering areas, construction of related ecological environment, and habitat restoration, so as to build "bridges" for birds to enter the city. Birds that once disappeared in Guangzhou gradually return. The restored and reconstructed wetland will not only stop the degradation of urban biodiversity, but also become a green leisure space for citizens to enjoy the urban "slow life". Zhang Yongsheng told reporters that a good life not only refers to an increase in income, but also includes a wealth of spiritual life, physical health and a beautiful living environment. Obviously, good ecology provides citizens with a livable environment and allows more birds to "fly into the homes of ordinary people." Doesn't it satisfy people's yearning and needs for a better life? Contributed by Xu Tan Translated by Wu You Editor: Zhang Zhou Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Denys Monastyrsky calls on Ukrainians to inform law enforcement officers about cases of falsification of certificates of vaccination against coronavirus. "Almost 800. This is a number of criminal proceedings initiated on the fact of falsification of vaccination certificates. At the same time, the highest mortality rate from COVID-19 is recorded in Ukraine. Therefore, I appeal to everyone! Report the facts of certificates forgery to the cyber police hotline 0800505170 or at 102", the press service of Internal Affairs Ministry quotes Monastyrsky on Friday. The minister also said that the responsibility of all citizens involved in such crimes "will be inevitable." The Verkhovna Rada on October 21 ratified the guarantee agreement "Development Project of JSC Ukrposhta: Logistic Network and Rural Branch" between Ukraine and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), according to the website of the parliament. Relevant bill No. 0123 was supported on Thursday by 280 MPs with the required 226 votes. The adopted document ratifies the guarantee agreement, according to which the EBRD will finance the project for the development of the logistics network and rural branches of Ukrposhta, providing EUR 63 million. "Exactly a year ago, we signed a EUR 63 million loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which will go to mobile branches, IT upgrades and robotic equipment for new sorting centers. And now, exactly one year later, the loan agreement was ratified by the Verkhovna Rada. I would like to thank the President's Office and 280 MPs for their support," Ukrposhta CEO Igor Smelyansky wrote on his Facebook page on Friday morning. He also noted that this year the company managed to bring into operation most of the mobile branches and begin construction of sorting centers. The implementation of the Rural Branch project is expected to ensure the renewal of the model of operation of post offices in villages with a population of less than 1,000 people. As reported, the guarantee agreement "Development Project of JSC Ukrposhta: Logistic Network and Rural Branch" was signed between Ukraine and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in November 2020. Cameraman Halyna Hutchins, who died while shooting a film in the United States, had Ukrainian citizenship, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko has said. "The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has received confirmation that Halyna Hutchins, who died during the shooting of the film in the United States, has Ukrainian citizenship. The Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco is clarifying the circumstances and interacting with American law enforcement officers in the context of the investigation," he told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday. Nikolenko noted that the consuls are also establishing contact with the relatives of the Ukrainian woman in order to provide the necessary consular and legal assistance. Earlier, the media reported that during the shooting of the film in the United States, cameraman Halyna Hutchins died after Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin fired a shot at her from a props weapon. Prime Ministers of the Associated Trio countries (Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia) will hold an online meeting on Friday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said. "We devoted most of the conversation to synchronizing and pooling efforts on the path of European integration. Today, the Prime Ministers of the Associated Trio will hold an online meeting," Kuleba said at a press conference following talks with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova Nicolae Popescu. The minister noted that he agreed with the Moldovan Foreign Minister to actively prepare and coordinate actions in preparation for the Eastern Partnership summit. "Yesterday I publicly stated that I believe that the countries of the Associated Trio will be in the next wave of EU enlargement. Today I was especially glad to hear that Nicu [Nicolae Popescu] is even more ambitious than me in this matter. Therefore, we are united not only by a common reality, but also by common ambitions for the future," Kuleba said. In turn, Popescu added that he and the Ukrainian minister held substantive negotiations on what they are doing to bring Moldova and Ukraine closer to the EU. "At the bilateral level, within the Associated Trio with Georgia, we are jointly promoting some goals regarding the EU. The first is to strengthen our partnership and dialogue with the EU on politics and security. The second is to continue to implement our Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the EU, and also to expand our cooperation with the EU in new areas on such issues as environmental cooperation, digitalization, and even greater integration of our countries into the EU internal market," he said. The Moldovan Foreign Minister also expressed hope for the liberalization of roaming prices between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries. Popescu also stressed that Ukraine and Moldova "will speak with one voice" and promote the same goals at the Eastern Partnership summit. Russia should not be afraid of Ukraine's future NATO membership, nor should it try to prevent it, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg said. On Friday in Brussels, at the end of a two-day meeting of the defense ministers of the organization's member states, commenting at the request of journalists on the statements of Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine's membership in the alliance would pose a threat to Russia, the Secretary General said that Russia does not need to be afraid of Ukraine joining the Alliance. Partly, because NATO is a defense alliance, and also partly because it is Ukraine and NATO allies who will decide when Ukraine is ready to join the alliance. No other country has the right to interfere or say no to this process. Stoltenberg said that Ukraine is a sovereign, independent state. And a sovereign independent state has the right to decide its own path. Therefore, it is only Ukraine that will decide whether it wants to be a NATO member, and it is up to thirty allies to decide when Ukraine will meet NATO standards, he explained the position of the alliance. However, the organization's Secretary General said the expansion of NATO over the past decades has only brought peace and stability throughout Europe. Therefore, there is no reason for Russia to fear or have the right to use a veto or stop a sovereign state from joining the Alliance, Stoltenberg said. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk announced the termination of the powers of MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak as head of the Holos faction at the request of the majority of its members. "Today, a letter was received with the signatures of 11 out of 20 MPs, members of the Holos parliamentary faction, in which they ask to declare a violation of the requirements of part 4 of Article 6 of the law on the committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to MP Zhelezniak Yaroslav Ivanovych regarding illegal occupation positions of the first deputy [head of the committee on finance, tax and customs policy] and the head of the parliamentary faction [Holos], which was recorded by the letter of the committee on regulations, parliamentary ethics and organization of work of the Verkhovna Rada dated September 24, 2021. Then, the termination of powers of the head of the Holos parliamentary faction in the Verkhovna Rada of the ninth convocation Zhelezniak Y.," Stefanchuk said at the plenary session on Friday. However, part of the Holos faction asked to provide deputy Oleksandra Ustinova with the opportunity to temporarily perform the duties of the head of the faction until his official election. Zelensky decides on possible candidate for post of Defense Minister in case of Taran's resignation President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has already decided on a possible candidate for the post of defense minister in case of resignation of the incumbent head of the department, Andriy Taran, head of the Servant of the People faction David Arakhamia said. "There are already candidates for the post of defense minister, and there is already a final decision by the president, but I still cannot voice it," Arakhamia told reporters, asked by an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent. When asked whether MP Iryna Vereschuk could head the Defense Ministry in the event of Andriy Taran's resignation, the head of the Servant of the People faction did not answer directly, but said "we are for the equality of all citizens." In addition, he added that the issue of Taran's resignation could be considered "within two to three weeks." Russian-occupation forces violated the ceasefire in the area of the Joint Force Operation (JFO) nine times from the beginning of the day to 17:00 on Friday, one of which used weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements. "As a result of hostile actions, one soldier of the Joint Forces was wounded, another was injured in combat. The soldiers are in a hospital. The health of both is satisfactory. To force the enemy to stop their fire activity, our defenders opened fire without using the weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements," the Joint Force Operation said on the Facebook page. The enemy fired from large-caliber machine guns, mortars of 120 mm caliber, artillery of 100 mm caliber, grenade launchers of various systems, anti-tank missile systems and small arms. As of 11:00 Friday, Russian-occupation forces reportedly violated the ceasefire in Donbas three times. One wounded soldier of the Joint Forces was provided with pre-medical care, he was evacuated to a hospital in a moderate condition. KYIV. Oct 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) Head of the Supervisory Board of the Charitable Foundation for the Defense of Freedom of Expression Hanna Herman considers it normal that the authorities are afraid of a free press. "Every government is afraid of a free press, and this is understandable, this is almost normal. The government should be afraid. But only the criminal government closes the channels, only the criminal government beats journalists, only the criminal government commands journalists: what guests they should invite to the broadcasts of TV programs, what subjects they should broach, and which not," she said at the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency at a press conference on Friday. She also noted that for six months of work, the Foundation for the Defense of Freedom of Expression has recorded that the situation with freedom of speech in Ukraine is deteriorating. As reported, on October 20, journalist, host of the Zvorotny Vidlik (Countdown) talk show on the UA: Pershy public television channel Myroslava Barchuk, accused the President's Office of exerting political pressure on the journalists of the show's editorial board. According to her statement on the Facebook page, this pressure is carried out in the form of control by the President's Office over the presence of MPs from the Servant of the People on the air of the program, as well as in putting forward ultimatums regarding their participation. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called Barchuk's accusations of controlling the presence of MPs from the Servant of the People faction on the air by the President's Office a "hype". On February 2, 2021, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky put into effect the NSDC decision, which actually blocked the activities of three TV channels - 112 Ukraine, Newsone and ZIK, which are associated with Viktor Medvedchuk. KYIV. Oct 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Kharkiv Heating Networks have already connected over 90% of houses to heating, director of the municipal company Vasyl Skopenko said. "Since October 6, we have connected the entire social sphere. Since October 14, we have begun to connect residential buildings. As of today [October 21], we have already supplied heat to 91% of houses. It is clear that there are problems with air removal and defects, but I think that 3-4 days - and we will fully provide everyone with heat," he said during a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency. Skopenko specified that the company provided an advance payment for natural gas for October and will be able to pay for November gas. At the same time, he predicted that due to low payments from the population, the company will not be able to accumulate the necessary funds to pay for gas in December-January, its accounts will be seized and the money will be automatically debited. "I think everyone will have such a situation. Whatever memorandums we sign, given the gas price that exists, with a cash gap and the population's ability to pay, it will be like this," he said. According to him, the difference in tariffs between the cost of heat supply and bills for the upcoming heating season for Kharkiv will be about UAH 2.4 billion, since tariffs for the population were not revised, and the price of gas increased. The head of the company also said that in preparation for the heating season, the enterprise this year has replaced more than 100 km of heating networks, installed about 300 individual heating points with weather regulation in residential buildings, overhauled 24 boilers with a capacity of 30 to 100 Gcal. In addition, within the framework of the program with the World Bank, 11 frequency-controlled pumps were put into operation. "By the way, it is very economically profitable. In winter mode, one such pump gives energy savings in the range of UAH 1 million," Skopenko said. Also, within the framework of the program with the World Bank, six new small boiler houses were installed instead of the demolished 60-70-year old ones. Ricky Gervais (Photo : Thomas Atilla Lewis, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons) English humorist entertainer author, Ricky Gervais, will accept his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As per reports, the 60-year-old comic will be respected for his commitments to media outlets in the course of the most recent twenty years. Advertisement 'Existence in the wake of death', the entertainer's Netflix series, has been the most seen British parody on the streaming site for over two years. He has additionally won 25 Emmy Awards, 11 Baftas and nine Golden Globes. Alongside Gervais, the Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2022 incorporates entertainer Michael B. Jordan, 'Home Alone' star Macaulay Culkin, pop star Avril Lavigne, 'Trainspotting' entertainer Ewan McGregor, the late Carrie Fisher, who passed on in 2016 and was most popular for her job as Princess Leia in 'Star Wars', and DJ Khaled. Gervais, who as of late declared that the impending third period of 'Afterlife' will be the series' last, has discussed his pleasure in individuals moving toward him in the road and letting him know how the program has helped them. Gervais said that, in spite of the fact that he has delighted in chipping away at the program, he trusts the time has come to tap out after the third season. "I love this more than anything I have done at any point ever, yet I am getting more established, and I am menopausal. Individuals do an awful film because of their grandson - I am at that level now," he said. The previous 'Office' entertainer proceeded to say that he trusts Series 3 is the best up to this point. As indicated by Daily Mail, Gervais said that the idea for the series came because of rising up to drop culture, with a person that said and did anything he needed unafraid of culpable anyone. Nonetheless, the third series has been finished, however, the joke artist has stayed quiet with regards to the delivery date, just expressing that it would be 'not far off.' Prince William Of Cambridge & Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (Photo : Prince_William_of_Wales_&_Prince_Henry_of_Wales.jpg: Staszek99derivative work: Greenshed, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons) One newspaper's main story asserts the duke chose to slice all connections to England after an awful showdown with Prince William. This week, Woman's Day reported that things are frigid between Prince Harry and Prince William's sibling. While everybody anticipated that Prince Harry should get back to England for the festival of the Princess Diana sculpture, late reports say he has no designs to join in. "William needed his sibling to be there, notwithstanding everything, "an insider dishes. "Yet, he turned out to be progressively worried that Harry and Meghan may utilize the occasion for business gain ". Advertisement While William is no more odd to Harry's "streak temper, "the newspaper demands this is more significant than their ordinary altercation. "It appears now that if Harry doesn't put on a unified form in memory of their mom, there's no returning," the Insider trusts. William is supposedly encouraging Harry to denounce what he said to his benefit. William fears that as Meghan Markle loses her regal advantages, she will begin to take her disappointments out on Harry. "If she leaves him, he'll have nobody. William doesn't need Harry to live to lament betraying his family, yet there's just such an excess of discourtesy that he, as the more seasoned sibling and future lord, can stand, "the source closes. Furthermore, since Harry was a pivotal piece of the sculpture disclosed recently, he presumably feels like he's done his part, and it would cause more pressure than whatever else to go to the late festival. There's not much or even dubious about Harry's non-appearance, and we question whether any of his family members think there are all things considered. It's conspicuous that the newspaper simply needed to extract a show from the most recent illustrious news, regardless of whether it is pretty much as unremarkable as a postponement. This is a long way from whenever Woman's Day first has been off-base regarding the Sussexes. Recently, the magazine guaranteed Harry was getting back to London to seek retribution on the royals - which is challenging to do if he's never returning to the UK. Thomas Markle in Dismay with Royal Couple About First-Born (Photo : REUTERS ) Since the introduction of the regal couple's firstborn, Archie, Thomas has openly begged - and some of the time compromised - them to permit him to meet his grandkid. Presently, after Harry and Meghan invited their little girl, Lilibet Diana, Thomas has strolled back his past assertions about suing them to get appearance freedoms to his grandkids. Advertisement It's an obvious fact that there's a fracture among Thomas and Meghan Markle so wide that a whole sea could fill it. As he's kept on conversing with the media about his little girl and child in-law, his analysis has become progressively negative. In a new meeting with Good Morning Britain, Thomas indeed impacted his repelled little girl, calling her and her significant other "adolescent" for removing contact with him. "At last she'll begin conversing with me. This is too adolescent, this is somewhat senseless," he grumbled to secures Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid. "It's an ideal opportunity to converse with one another, we're family. The children will grow up without realizing they have two families". "So it's an ideal opportunity to accomplish something. To talk." This is an altogether unexpected tone in comparison to the one Thomas utilized recently when he recommended he might actually sue his little girl to see his grandkids. However he demanded in this most recent meeting that he'd been reached by "a few attorneys" in California who said he'd have a decent shot at winning the case, he currently said it was a course he was reluctant to take. "Individuals have proposed in California I could sue to see my grandchildren," he clarified, "Yet I think in the event that I did that I'd do exactly the same thing Meghan and Harry are doing." This last remark may have been regarding Harry and Meghan's new claims, some of which have been very effective in court. He proceeded to remark, "I would prefer not to incorporate my grandkids in the present circumstance, I need to see my grandkids with well disposed guardians and fellowship for what it's worth." Thomas added that he'd chosen to stand by prior to making any kind of extraordinary court move since he didn't "need antagonistic guardians when seeing my grandkids". He might have a point there, particularly since he's kept on impacting his little girl and child in-law, even in a similar meeting where he argued to have the option to see his grandkids. A worker collects a crude oil sample at an oil well operated by Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA in Morichal, Venezuela (Photo : REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo) Oil tumbled on Thursday as a forecast for a warm U.S. winter put the brakes on a rally that drove prices to a three-year high above $86 a barrel early in the session on tight supply and a global energy crunch. Winter weather in much of the United States is expected to be warmer than average, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released Thursday morning. Advertisement "The report, indicating drier and warmer conditions across the southern and eastern U.S., is putting pressure on the complex," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho. Brent crude fell $1.21 to $84.61, after reaching a session high of $86.10, highest since October 2018. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled down 92 cents to $82.50. Prices had rallied on Wednesday when the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported tighter crude and fuel inventories, with crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma storage hub falling to a three-year low. [EIA/S] "Traders who had set $86 as their selling threshold took the opportunity to already pocket some profit," said Louise Dickson of Rystad Energy. "Oil prices took a dive as a result." The price of Brent has risen over 60% this year, supported by a slow ramp-up in supply by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies known collectively as OPEC+, and a global coal and gas crunch that has driven power generators to switch to oil. Oil also came under pressure from a drop in coal and natural gas prices. In China, coal fell 11%, extending losses this week since Beijing signalled it might intervene to cool the market. "With coal and gas prices easing and with the relative strength index technical indicators still in overbought territory, the odds of a sharp, but material fall in oil prices are rising," said Jeffrey Halley, analyst at brokerage OANDA. Still, some analysts are calling for oil to rally further as OPEC+ is likely to stick to its plan for gradual output increases while demand is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels. Rystad said the outlook was bullish for the rest of the year and Giovanni Staunovo of Swiss bank UBS said in a report he expected Brent to trade at $90 in December and March. Analysis-Tesla looks to pave the way for Chinese battery makers to come to U.S A Tesla logo is seen at the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory in Shanghai, China (Photo : REUTERS/Aly Song) Tesla Inc wants to shift to a less expensive battery for its electric vehicles but first needs to figure out how to overcome political tensions to get a Chinese partner to build the iron-based batteries near its U.S. factories. The world's two biggest economies have yet to resolve disputes over tariffs, intellectual property rights and Chinese incursions into Taiwan's air defense identification zone. And China's sweeping regulatory crackdown, aimed largely at the technology sector, could pose yet another hurdle. Advertisement China adopted the technology early and makes 95% of the world's Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries, but key patents expire soon and Tesla said it plans to adopt LFP batteries in its fleet of standard-range vehicles globally and move battery production closer to its factories. "Our goal is to localize all key parts of the vehicles on the continent," Drew Baglino, senior vice president of powertrain and energy engineering at Tesla, said on an earnings call on Wednesday. Tesla is building factories in the United States and Germany. "We're working internally with our suppliers to accomplish that goal, and not just at the end-assembly level but as far upstream as possible." Tesla currently uses LFP batteries from China's CATL in some China-made Model 3 and Model Ys, and in the United States it started sales of entry-level Model 3 sedans with LFP. The company did not respond to a request for comment. LFP technology is considered to be cheaper and safer than nickel-based batteries, although they lack the same energy density as nickel-based ones to allow cars to travel farther on a single charge. The technology has garnered interest from EV makers and Reuters reported in June that Apple Inc is in early stage talks with China's CATL and BYD to get LFP batteries for its planned electric vehicles and wants them to build factories in the United States. But CATL is reluctant to build a factory in the country due to political tensions between Washington and Beijing as well as cost concerns, people said at that time. "You cannot discount the whole geopolitical aspect of it," Sanjiv Malhotra, founder of battery startup Sparkz and former U.S. Department of Energy executive, told Reuters. "Our customers, they do not want to be caught in this political crossfire," said the U.S. startup, which is looking at setting up LFP production lines in the United States to challenge China's dominance. CATL is probably better off manufacturing in China, where they have access to the world's lowest-cost materials, Roth Capital analyst Craig Irwin said. "A U.S. facility would need a better U.S. supply chain to get similar to the low cost available in China." 'PRIDE AND JOY OF CHINA' President Joe Biden has made it a priority to support the rollout of electric vehicles to combat climate change, but battery constraints could remain a key hurdle to his ambitious plan. China is the largest global EV market and dominates the supply chain for the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries, including the processing of minerals and raw materials. "I call LFP the battery of China, because you really only have CATL and BYD. So these are really the kind of pride and joy of China," said Taylor Ogan, chief executive of Snow Bull Capital. Electric Last Mile Solutions Inc (ELMS), a commercial electric vehicle company which currently imports CATL'S battery packs, is in talks with the company about the possibility of sourcing batteries at CATL's potential U.S. factory. CATL said, "We plan overseas investment based on factors including market demands, investment environment, supply chain, human resources and cost." A BYD spokesperson said the company has battery packing production facilities in the United States but does not currently make cells there. Last year, CEO Elon Musk said Tesla would use LFP batteries for its China-made Model 3, saying the move would free up battery capacity for the Semi truck and other vehicles that require higher-density, long-range batteries based in nickel. Since then, Musk has pledged to use the tech in more vehicles and energy storage systems. A Houston energy project will use LFP batteries. The company is facing higher costs primarily due to cobalt prices rising around 70% so far this year, with nickel up around 20% and aluminum up around 50%. Tesla uses these materials to make its batteries. Alec Baldwin Kills Lady by Discharging Prop Weapon in Movie Set of 'Rust' (Photo : REUTERS ) Alec Baldwin is at the focal point of a police examination in the wake of shooting and killing his overseer of photography with a prop firearm on the arrangement of a film in New Mexico in what had all the earmarks of being an inadvertent discharge failure. An assertion from the Santa Fe sheriff's office said Baldwin, who is acting in and delivering the movie Rust, had shot the prop firearm in an occurrence on Thursday, which additionally injured the film's chief. Advertisement Appointees were dispatched to the arrangement of the Western at around 2pm in Bonanza Creek Ranch when a 911 guest revealed a shooting, the assertion added. "The sheriff's office affirms that two people were shot on the arrangement of Rust. Halyna Hutchins, 42, head of photography, and Joel Souza, 48, chief, were fired when a prop gun was released by Alec Baldwin, 68, maker and entertainer," it said. "Ms Hutchins was shipped, by means of helicopter, to University of New Mexico emergency clinic where she was articulated dead by clinical work force. Mr Souza was shipped by rescue vehicle to Christus St Vincent provincial clinical focus where he is going through treatment for his wounds". "As indicated by examiners, apparently the scene being recorded involved the utilization of a prop gun when it was released," Rios told the Albuquerque Journal. "Criminal investigators are researching how and what kind of shot was released". Creation has been ended on the movie, which was being coordinated by Souza with Baldwin delivering and featuring in it. Hutchins, 42, was head of photography on the 2020 activity film Archenemy, featuring Joe Manganiello. Brought into the world in Ukraine, and a 2015 alumni of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, she was named a "rising star" by American Cinematographer in 2019. This week, she posted a few pictures from the film's set, including a short video cut shot two days prior. The entertainers and group had severed from recording to communicate fortitude with the amusement association IATSE, which has requested better compensation and conditions, she posted. As per her site, Hutchins experienced childhood with a Soviet army installation in the Arctic Circle encompassed "by reindeer and atomic submarines". She took an advanced education in worldwide reporting from Kyiv National University in Ukraine and functioned as an insightful columnist with British narrative creations shot in eastern Europe. She chose to commit herself to film-production and moved to the US. Hutchins started with creation right hand occupations and "fiddled" in style photography, prior to chipping away at significant provisions. The previous summer, she was in Dublin for a long time shooting a period dramatization set in a ranch style home. "I'm so pitiful about losing Halyna. Thus goaded that this could occur on a set," said the Archenemy chief, Adam Egypt Mortimer, on Twitter. Ellen Pompeo (Photo : lukeford.net, CC BY-SA 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons) Grey's Anatomy is one of TV's most famous shows and has been since its introduction in 2005. For 18 seasons, fans have watched Dr. Meredith Gray, and the other cherished specialists experience every one of the highs and lows inside and outside the medical clinic. The show, as of late, returned for season 18, with many fans contemplating whether this season could be the last. Advertisement Ellen Pompeo has never been modest about recognizing that the show will conclude; it's simply an issue of when. As of late, the show's eighteenth season debuted with remarkable returning characters returning into the overlay, and fans are contemplating whether that is an indication that the end is close. Potential season 19, Ellen has said about the show finishing, and that's just the beginning. While in Minnesota, Meredith encounters Dr. Scratch Marsh, played by new series standard Scott Speedman. He was most recently seen in season 14 when he had a kidney relocation. Stars quickly began flying among Meredith and Nick after they had their large get-together. Like season 17, which included the profits of a few fan faves in Meredith's seashore dreams, there have effectively been various natural appearances in season 18. Ellis Gray returned in the initial snapshots of the period 18 debut in one Meredith had always wanted. There have been multiple gestures to Gray's Anatomy's prior seasons, including Meredith re-wearing a similar shirt she wore on her first day at Seattle Grace. Grey's Anatomy is, as of now, in its eighteenth season. ABC has not authoritatively affirmed if the show will be restored for season 19. The choice with regards to prepare 18 was uncovered in May 2021, so it could be some time before we find out about a likely nineteenth season. Grey's Anatomy will end when Ellen chooses she needs to bid farewell to Meredith Gray. Ellen initially began to honestly examine the finish of the long-running clinical dramatization in 2016. "I consider it a great deal. Furthermore, I can't actually discuss my likely arrangements, yet indeed, Shonda and I talk about it," she told Cosmopolitan. "We feel like we're in the same boat, and I figure we would prefer not to do the show without one another. I think when both of us is prepared, when we feel like it's an ideal opportunity to wrap it up ," she uncovered. "When she feels like it's an ideal opportunity to wrap it up, I'm glad to, and if I somehow happened to feel as such, she would presumably be OK as well. We have a decent relationship in that manner, and ideally it's a choice we'll come to together". Queen Elizabeth II of England (Photo : Joel Rouse/ Ministry of Defence, OGL 3 , via Wikimedia Commons) The royal residence added that the 95-year-old ruler Queen Elizabeth got back from the private emergency clinic in focal London at noon on Thursday and is "feeling great", the royal residence added. The Queen had dropped a visit to Northern Ireland on Wednesday. She was offered clinical guidance to rest for a couple of days after a bustling timetable of public commitment. Advertisement PM Boris Johnson said, "everyone sends Her Majesty our incredibly all the best". He added he was "given to comprehend that really Her Majesty is naturally once again at her work area at Windsor at this very moment". In an assertion on Thursday night, Buckingham Palace said: "Following clinical counsel to rest for a couple of days, the Queen went to the medical clinic on Wednesday evening for some starter examinations, getting back to Windsor Castle at noon today, and stays feeling great." The Queen headed out via vehicle to the King Edward VII's Hospital in Marylebone, around 19 miles (32km) from Windsor, where subject matter experts saw her. Her permission is perceived not to be identified with Covid. The short term visit was supposed to be intended for down to earth reasons, and the Queen embraced light obligations back at Windsor on Thursday evening. Whenever the Queen first remained in a medical clinic beginning around 2013, she endured indications of gastroenteritis. The King Edward VII's is a private medical clinic utilized by senior royals - including the Queen's better half, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who got therapy there recently. The news on Wednesday that the Queen would need to drop an excursion to Northern Ireland was continually going to cause concern. Despite looking well overall and glad at the various occasions she has gone to over the previous week, it can't be faulted to remember that she is 95 years of age. It is an exciting equilibrium for the castle to deliver sufficient insights regarding the Queen's wellbeing to keep people informed while keeping up with the security to which she is entitled. Therefore, the news that she had been taken to the emergency clinic for tests was not declared until a report on the Sun paper's first page constrained the royal residence's hand. Individuals will be concerned; however the consoling direction stays that she is "feeling great" on her return from the medical clinic and is all around ok to attempt some light obligations. It has been a bustling time of genuine commitment for the Queen. An authority record of the Queen's journal displayed something like 16 conventional occasions during October. There had been the most ideal designs for her to set out on the two-road trip to Northern Ireland this week. She was envisioned facilitating a Global Investment Summit at Windsor Castle on Tuesday evening close by Mr Johnson. In any case, on Wednesday, a Buckingham Palace representative said the ruler had "hesitantly acknowledged clinical counsel to rest for the following not many days". He said the Queen was "disillusioned that she can presently don't visit Northern Ireland" - which would have involved a short term visit. Debate has arisen around whether the newly restored colossus of Ramses II at Luxor Temple has been placed in the correct location and has the right body position to accord to the original temple layout With the last colossus of Ramses II restored and erected to rejoin its five counterparts at Luxor Temple, ferocious debate on its location and restoration has broken out among Egyptologists. Some oppose the placement of the colossus before the first pylon of the temple. They say the colossus has the Osirian position (crossing the hands on the chest), which contradicts with neighbouring colossi, who have their left legs before the right. The latter, opponents assert, are the original colossi that stand before the facade of any temple. The colossus of Ramses II is in its original location, as restorers have just restored the colossus and re-erected it in the location where its blocks were found, asserted Ahmed Arabi, director of Luxor Temple. Arabi told Ahram Online that the facade of Luxor Temple had two original architectural designs. The first was drawn during its construction at the beginning of King Ramses IIs reign, and the second was drawn during the end of the monarchy of King Ramses II. The original design, Arabi continues, is drawn behind the eastern pylon on the left entrance and it shows the facade with two seated colossi of the king and two obelisks, which is the characteristic design of all temples of the New Kingdom. The newer design is drawn on the southwestern side of the facade and it shows six colossi and two obelisks. From the later, the facade had two colossi originally and then four other statues were added at the end of King Ramses IIs reign to extend the number to six colossi, Arabi pointed out. He asserted that the restored colossus is the one that whose blocks were uncovered by Egyptologist Mohamed Abdel-Qader along with the blocks of other colossi of the Luxor Temples facade between 1958 and 1960. All these statues were destroyed due to a destructive earthquake that had hit the country in antiquity. Abdel-Qader was able to collect all the blocks and pieces of the colossi and put the ones of each colossus on a wooden base in its original location to ensure its protection. In a scientific newsletter, of which Ahram Online obtained a copy, Abdel-Qader wrote that one of the statues he found before the temples facade was in the Osirian position. Arabi suggested that the statue could has been transferred from another place inside the temple, maybe at the end of Ramses IIs reign, to decorate the facade of the temple. He explained that several Osirian statues decorate the facade of ancient Egyptian temples. The western facade of Luxor Temple has two Osirian colossi. In the first court of Karnak Temple there is a gigantic colossus of King Rames II in Osirian form. Ahmed Al-Emari from Luxor Temple said that American Egyptologist Ray Johnson, director general of the Chicago House mission, witnessed restoration work on the colossus, as the statue was restored by an Egyptian-American mission. Johnson shared his opinion on the restored colossus with Ahram Online and said that the reliefs of the Luxor Temple pylon facade at the back of the first court, that depicts the pylons, two obelisks, flagpoles, and statues, were carved before the statues were put in place and reflect the original plan that was never completely carried out. The original plan seems to have been for all the pylon colossal sculptures to be original grey granodiorite statues of Ramses II, striding and seated. But, he continued, for some reason that plan changed, perhaps to meet Ramses II's deadline for completion, and two earlier red granite statues were brought in and inscribed for Ramses II, one for the far east side and one for the far west side. The westernmost colossus, still standing, was originally Amenhotep III, and is also different: it had a white crown, not a double crown, and is also red granite. The easternmost red granite colossus, that was just reassembled with the financial support of Chicago House and the US Embassy, was a late 18th Dynasty colossal statue, possibly of Horemheb (the face is reworked), Johnson said. He continued that the pieces of the statue that survive indicate that it was in the Osirian pose. The base of the statue that was still in situ was too small for a striding statue, which indicates that the statue was standing and not striding. The reconstruction, and original position, are 100 percent correct, Johnson confirmed, adding that sometimes plans change, even in ancient Egypt. Inside the first court, Ramses II's colossal statues, inscribed with the early form of his name (Ra-ms-ss), were placed alongside Amenhotep III's statues (the original Ramses II statues do not have bull tails between their legs, while the original Amenhotep III statues all have bull tails between their legs). When Ramses II erected the statues there, the original names of Amenhotep III were left intact, because Ramses II wanted to be associated with the glorious king who built third of Luxor Temple. Later, Johnson continued, just before Ramses II's first jubilee, he changed his mind and erased Amenhotep III's names and re-inscribed the colossi with his own name, in the later form (Ra-ms-sw), taking over their identity. All of Ramses II's original statues in the first court are inscribed with the early form of Ramses' name, while the original Amenhotep III statues are inscribed with Ramses II's later name. This tells us that he didn't appropriate the Amenhotep III statues until many years after he placed them in the court, Johnson said. Another change of plan. Johnson asserted that the outermost colossal statues in red granite on the far eastern and far western sides of the pylons were both part of a revised plan for the pylon facade, and that the reconstruction is correct. Egyptian restorers have done an extraordinary job, he said, and have brought the Luxor Temple pylon facade back to glorious life. All Egyptian temples of the New Kingdom were decorated in a similar manner, but Luxor Temple is now the only temple in Egypt that has all six of its original colossal sculptures in their original places. Congratulation to the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the Ministry of Antiquities, and to Egypt for this wonderful work." For her part, Egyptologist Horig Sourouzian, whose doctoral dissertation from the Sorbonne was on monumental statues of the New Kingdom, told Aham Online that the newly restored colossus has been in this place since its creation and was added during the expansion phase of the temple carried out by King Ramses II. Sourouzian said the restoration work on the temple has been carried out correctly and this was the first phase, and the second will be completed soon. French Egyptologist Christian Leblanc confirms that statues in Osirian position are found in several temples, among them Luxor Temple at its western facade. Former Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass told Ahram Online that criticism that the statue in Osirian position means it does not belong to the facade is untrue. He explained that the original plan of the temple of the first pylon of Ramses II has only two seated statues and two obelisks; one is standing now, and the other is in Concorde Square in Paris. Then, the four standing statues were added later, but we do not know exactly when this happened. Inscription of the first court show six statues: two seated and four standing. The style of sculpting this scene is different than the style of the wall that belongs to Ramses, and this can mean that these are additions from a period we are yet unsure of. Moreover, Hawass continued, the scene inscribed on the southwestern wall of the court of King Ramses II illustrates the shape of the first pylon, which is preceded by two sitting statues, four statues standing, with striding left feet, as well as two obelisks. This is stylistically different than the rest of the reliefs adjacent to it on the same walls. This inscription dates back to the reign of King Ramses II. We see an example similar to this, in the Temple of Medinet Habu built by Ramses III, Hawass pointed out, adding that the king built the facade. Then Ramses IV made more scenes, but the style of carving the scenes is different from the scenes made during the reign of Ramses III. The Osiride style of this statue is not a surprise because, on the west entrance, we see the upper parts and the lower parts of the Ramses statues made of red granite, which are also in Osiride style, Hawas asserted, adding: I think that there are people in the field of antiquities who are keeping a record of any mistake that the ministry is making. Instead of gratitude and thanking the ministry for all its efforts, I have noticed critics. Now, Hawass said, for the first time, we can see that the facade of the first pylon of the temple of Luxor is shown with the two seated statues and the four standing statues. It is also a fact that we do not know who and when the four standing statues were erected in this location. I think that this is a good time to invite the French to return the obelisk from the Concorde to be standing in front of the temple once more, Hawass said, adding that he makes such a call because the obelisk is completely neglected in Concorde Square and also, this is following President Macrons promise to return miscellaneous artefacts to their original countries. Macron specified that many artefacts taken out of African countries during times of colonisation and imperialism can be returned. If the French do return this obelisk to Luxor Temple, the whole world will celebrate France for the gesture, recording its name in gold and ensuring it goes down in history, Hawass said. Search Keywords: Short link: During the solar alignment, sun rays enter the temples sanctum to light three of four statues Foreign tourists, Arab and Egyptian visitors gathered at dawn on Thursday at King Ramses II temple in Abu Simbel in Aswan to watch the sun alignment, an astronomical phenomenon that takes place biannualy - on the 22nd of October and 22nd of February. During the solar alignment, sun rays enter the temples sanctum to light three of four statues. The three statues belong to King Ramses II and the deities Amun-Re and Re-Hur-Akhty, leaving the God of Darkness Ptah in shadow to symbolise his connection to the underworld. The head of the antiquities sector in Aswan and Nuba, Abdel-Moneim Said, said that the alignment phenomenon took place at around 5:52am and lasted for nearly 20 minutes. He asserted that all hygiene safety precautionary measures were taken, social distancing was kept and visitors wore masks. Search Keywords: Short link: I have always been astonished at the absence of archaeological evidence showing relations between Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula during the Pharaonic era, and one reason for this is that when I travelled to Yemen on a trip to record some archaeological sites, I found that there was a lot of archaeological evidence showing relations between Yemen and Egypt in ancient times. However, today there is great interest in Saudi Arabia in archaeological digs, and there is more need for cooperation between Egypt and Saudi Arabia on such digs and in training young archaeologists from the kingdom in the arts of excavation. There is in fact much evidence showing that the kings of ancient Egypt established trading relations with other countries during the old and middle kingdoms, that is about 5,000 years ago, when Egypt imported oils from Syria and Palestine and cedarwood from Lebanon. The Pharaohs also began about 3,000 years ago to expand the borders of Egypt and to conduct military campaigns in the eastern and southern regions of the country. Among the reasons for carrying out these campaigns was the fact that the Hyksos had entered Egypt through the Sinai Peninsula, later living in Egypt for about 150 years and taking the capital of Awaris in the Delta as their headquarters. They wrote the names of their kings inside cartouches and lived like the Pharaohs, having come to Egypt with their own horses and chariots. When planning his military campaigns, the ancient Egyptian king Seqenenre gathered his advisors around him in his palace in Thebes and asked for advice on how to expel the Hyksos from the Delta and pacify the south of the country. This great king then started the liberation war against the Hyksos and died as a martyr in the first military battle to liberate Egypt. Recently, Sahar Selim, a professor of radiology at the Al-Qasr Al-Aini Medical School in Cairo, and I placed the Seqenenre mummy in a CT scan. We found through studying the mummy that the king had been captured by the Hyksos and stabbed seven times, his hands tied behind his back. We studied the weapons in the Egyptian Museum and compared them to the wounds that had befallen the king, concluding that he had been stabbed by the Hyksos. After his death, the king was transferred to Thebes so that he would be embalmed. His two sons, Kames and Ahmose, then expelled the Hyksos from Egypt using the same Hyksos weapons, the most important of which were chariots and horses. The Pharaohs then secured Sinai and seized cities in what are now Syria, Palestine, and Iraq, but we have no evidence that they had any commercial relations during the Old Kingdom with Arabia. There is also no record of any military campaigns on the peninsula. However, a recent find bearing the name of king Ramses III from the Tabuk region of the Tayma governorate in Saudi Arabia now shows evidence of commercial relations between Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula. The find is a hieroglyphic inscription found on a rock bearing a royal signature (cartouche) from 3,000 years ago. Saudi archaeologists have also discovered a trade route that once connected the Nile Valley with Tayma and northwestern Arabia during the reign of king Ramses III, the last great king of the 20th Dynasty. It turns out that this was used by the ancient Egyptians to trade with the peninsula, including in goods such as incense, copper, gold, and silver. The route once passed from the Nile Valley to what is now the port of Qulzum and the city of Suez. Then it went by sea to Serabit Al-Khadim near the port of Abu Dhuneima on the Gulf of Suez today, before crossing the Sinai Peninsula and the Wadi Abu Ghada near the Nakhl Oasis. The route then headed to the head of the Gulf of Aqaba through the Nahl River site and then to the Tameneh site. In these locations, cartouches of king Ramses III have been found similar to those found in Tayma in Saudi Arabia. There are thus some Pharaonic remains in the Arabian Peninsula, notably the hieroglyphic inscription on a rock in Tayma. Research has also indicated that King Ramses III also sent expeditions to bring copper from a neighbouring country. This instruction is recorded on a piece of papyrus from his era, and this neighbouring country has now been revealed to be Arabia. The discovery of the Tayma trade route should now reveal new information about its use during the ancient and pre-modern eras, as well as other ways in which the two countries were once linked. Excavations are being carried out to uncover evidence of ancient Egyptian kings who sent missions to Arabia more than 3,000 years ago. Other Pharaonic antiquities have been found in the peninsula, including an important group of scarabs, and these are an indication of the existence of economic relations between Egypt and Arabia in ancient times. Studies indicate that the site of Tayma is one of the most important located in the north of the kingdom and one that has seen many different civilisations pass through it. It has been announced that a German team will work on the site to shed light on the other archaeological sites in the area and to clarify relations between Egypt and Arabia in the ancient period. *A version of this article appears in print in the 27 May, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: He described Egypt as a pivotal and important state to all Arab states. Qatar's foreign minister said Tuesday that relations with Egypt have been moving in a positive direction since a reconciliation deal was signed earlier this year to end a year-long diplomatic rift. In January, Egypt, along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, signed an agreement in the Saudi city of Al-Ula that restored ties with Doha and ended a boycott by the Arab quartet that started in mid-2017. There is a mutual desire by the two countries to upgrade bilateral relations and for the return of brotherly ties, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told a press conference following a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Doha. "We are looking forward to having firm steps towards improving ties," added. He said many outstanding issues between Doha and Cairo have been resolved through meetings of follow-up committees formed by the two countries. He pointed out to recent developments in the bilateral relations, which included exchanged visits by the two countries' top diplomat and letters between Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. He described his talks with the Egyptian foreign ministers on Monday as 'positive' and 'constructive', and Egypt as a 'pivotal and important state' to all Arab states. Tuesday's meeting of Arab foreign ministers discussed the crisis of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), amid worries over Addis Ababa's plan for a second filling of the dam without an accord. Negotiations between Ethiopia and downstream countries Egypt and Sudan stalled in April after Addis Ababa refused the two countries' request to include the U.S., the EU, and the UN in mediation talks. Tensions are running high over Addis Ababa's plan to go ahead with the second filling of the GERD's reservoir with or without a legally binding instrument with Cairo and Khartoum. The Qatari foreign minister said the meeting asserted the need of signing a legally binding deal on the dam that preserves the rights of all involved parties. The Arab foreign ministers called for mediation to ensure that no unilateral steps that could harm Egypt or Sudan are taken, he added. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said there was a clear and strong Arab support to Egypt and Sudan given that the security of both countries is a part of Arab national security. Ethiopia plans to hold 13.5 billion cubic metres of water during the second filling of the GERDs reservoir in July, despite the objections of Egypt and Sudan to the move in the absence of a legally binding agreement. Egypts 100 million-plus population depends on the Nile for over 95 percent of its fresh water. Sudan fears the GERD will put the operation of its Roseires dam and the lives of 20 million Sudanese citizens at a very high risk if an agreement regulating the operation and filling of GERD is not reached before the second filling. Search Keywords: Short link: The meeting discussed means to enhance bilateral relations in the coming period A follow-up committee formed by Egypt and Qatar to develop the recently-resumed ties between Cairo and Doha convened in Cairo on Tuesday for a new round of bilateral consultations following the Al-Ula declaration. Today's meeting saw a review of a number of issues on the committee's agenda as well as a discussion on enhancing bilateral relations in the coming period, according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry. The Egyptian side was presided over by Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab Affairs Yasser Othman, while the Qatari side was headed by Special Envoy of the Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs for Regional Affairs Ali bin Fahad Al-Hajri, according to the statement. In January, Egypt, along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, signed an agreement in the Saudi city of Al-Ula that restored ties with Doha and ended a boycott by the Arab quartet that started in mid-2017. The quartet had cut diplomatic, economic, and travel ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing Doha of interfering in their internal affairs and supporting terrorist groups, charges denied by Qatar. In the wake of the Al-Ula declaration, Egypt and Qatar agreed to move beyond their dispute and work towards settling all outstanding issues. Rounds of meetings of joint Egyptian-Qatari committees have been held this year to follow up on the development of bilateral ties following the agreement. In June, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdul-Rahman Al-Thani in Doha. In an official statement both ministers expressed satisfaction with the developments in Egyptian-Qatari relations following the signing of the Al-Ula Declaration and agreed to fully restore diplomatic ties. The previous round of the follow-up committee's consultations had resolved many outstanding issues between Doha and Cairo, Qatars foreign minister said in June. Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Qatars Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met for the first time in Baghdad on Saturday on the sideline of the Baghdad Conference on Cooperation and Partnership. El-Sisi and Tamim agreed to continuing consultation to boost bilateral relations during the coming period, a statement by the Egyptian presidency said, adding that the two leaders also agreed to proceed with mutual steps to resume the two countries' bilateral cooperation mechanisms. In January, following the signing of the agreement, Qatar Airways and EgyptAir resumed flights between the two countries' capitals. Also, both countries exchanged the appointment of ambassadors in July and August. Search Keywords: Short link: According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, the two sides have reached an agreement on multiple issues of mutual concern and signed several memoranda of understanding to boost cooperation between the two countries Egypt and Qatar held a third round of meetings and consultations to develop their recently resumed ties and resolve all outstanding issues between the two countries on Tuesday in Doha, the Egyptian foreign ministry announced. According to the statement, the two sides have reached an agreement on multiple issues of mutual concern and signed several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to boost cooperation between the two countries, including cooperation protocols between Egypt Post and Qatar Post as well as an MoU between Egypts Civil Aviation Authority and its Qatari counterpart. The Egyptian delegation was presided over by Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab Affairs Yasser Othman, while the Qatari side was headed by Special Envoy of the Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs for Regional Affairs Ali bin Fahad Al-Hajri, the statement read. In January, Egypt, along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain signed the Al-Ula Declaration with Qatar, restoring diplomatic, economic, and travel ties with Doha after a boycott imposed by the Arab quartet since mid-2017. In the wake of the Al-Ula declaration, Egypt and Qatar agreed to move beyond their disputes and work towards settling all outstanding issues. Following the signing of the declaration, Qatar Airways and EgyptAir resumed flights between the two countries' capitals. Both countries exchanged ambassadors in July and August. Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Qatars Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met for the first time in Baghdad on 28 August on the sidelines of the Baghdad Conference on Cooperation and Partnership. The first round of meetings of the follow up committee was held in Doha in June, while the second was held in Cairo in late August. Search Keywords: Short link: Plug and Play is one of the world s leaders in managing innovation hubs Egypts Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) and the company Plug and Play have inked an agreement to establish a strategic partnership boosting Egypts entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem, ITIDA announced on Thursday. The agreement was signed by ITIDA CEO Amr Mahfouz and Plug and Play CEO and Founder Saeed Amidi, in the presence of Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) Amr Talaa. The three-year agreement comprises launching an innovation platform for startups in Cairo focusing on digital transformation, and a program for accelerating 60 growth-stage startups and incubating 60 early-stage startups. The agreement eyes to attract $20 million of investments in the beneficiary technology startups while creating 500 job opportunities. It also aims to create a vibrant startup community at the Creativa Innovation Hub in Sultan Hussein Kamel Palace in Cairo and cement Egypt as the premier centre for innovation-driven entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Were keen to promote entrepreneurship and foster tech- and innovation-driven projects. MCIT endeavours to create an enabling environment for the growth of startups as part of the plan of building Digital Egypt and in light of Egypt's successes and progress in this field at the regional and global levels, said Talaat. Talaat added that the agreement would reinforce his ministrys efforts in advancing entrepreneurship through partnering with one of the major companies specializing in startup incubation and acceleration. In addition, he said that MCIT is establishing Creativa Innovation Hubs nationwide to promote entrepreneurship and empower university students and entrepreneurs through developing their innovation skills and supporting their information and communication technology (ICT) projects. ITIDAs CEO emphasized that Plug and Play is one of the world's leaders in managing innovation hubs, adding that the company's presence in Egypt will add value to the startup ecosystem, thus positively reflecting on regional and international reports. Mahfouz clarified that Egypts global position is expected to advance this year thanks to the boom in the entrepreneurship scene and the surge of investments in Egyptian startups, in addition to the huge investment by the government in spreading digital innovation hubs across the country and in building digital and freelancing skills and fostering tech innovation and helping startups to grow. Plug and Play works as a bridge between Silicon Valley and 35+ locations around the world and is one of the top innovation-enabling platforms worldwide. On his side, Sobhan Khani, Plug and Plays vice president, said that Egypt's economy is expected be one of the top 10 economies in the world by 2030, adding that the talent and entrepreneur culture in Egypt makes this an incredible opportunity for them to establish this office with help of ITIDA. He added that they are extremely excited about this launch. Establishing a Creativa Innovation Hub at Sultan Hussein Kamel Palace is part of a national plan Egypt adopted to turn some cultural heritage buildings into youth innovation hubs. The project is also part of MCIT strategy to establish digital innovation hubs across Egypt to promote technology innovation and entrepreneurship. The palace is being transformed into an innovation hub while preserving its architectural character and cultural value. The Hub will include laboratories of tech giants, emerging technologies facilities, startup incubators, training halls, meeting rooms, and co-working spaces. Based in Silicon Valley, Plug and Play is one of the world's most prominent investors in early-stage startups; it has invested in almost 1,000 startups. The company is also one of the top innovation-enabling platforms worldwide, with around 40 offices in 19 countries. Plug and Play's business model involves fostering and boosting innovation through establishing sustainable partnerships between big businesses and startups. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt and Qatar aspire to promote economic cooperation amid recent rapprochement efforts between the two countries, according to Trade and Industry Minister Nevine Gamea and Qatar's Ambassador to Cairo Salem bin Mubarak Al-Shafi. Gamea and Al-Shafi met in Cairo on Friday in a new step toward developing their bilateral cooperation, which resumed after a-four-year-hiatus following the the signing of the Al-Ula reconciliation agreement earlier this year. Friday's meeting came on the heels of a series of recent high-level talks between officials from both countries, including a meeting in August between Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who agreed to continue consultation to boost bilateral relations. Gamea said during the meeting both countries' governments are exerting "intensive efforts" to achieve "further rapprochement" at the political and economic levels, a statement by the trade ministry read. The statement added that Gamea urged the translation of agreements between the two countries' political leadership into concrete projects that serve the interest of the two peoples. She also called for building on the "solid" ground laid by President El-Sisi and Qatari Emir Tamim to enhance the rates of trade exchange and develop joint investments. Gamea underscored the significance of establishing new frameworks for cooperation between Cairo and Doha in the commercial, investment and industrial fields as well as working on forming an Egyptian-Qatari trade committee to follow up on all projects of bilateral cooperation during the coming phase. She also stressed the importance of joint work between the two countries at the ministerial level to push bilateral relations to "unprecedented levels," the statement added. Gamea extended through the Qatari ambassador an invitation to the Qatar's Trade and Industry Minister Mohammad bin Hamad to visit Cairo "to discuss files and themes of joint work between the two countries during the next stage." For his part, the Qatari ambassador stressed that both countries share a common desire to start a new phase of bilateral cooperation in various fields, saying "Egypt represents a strategic depth for the countries of the region." Al-Shafi also called for boosting the rates of intra-regional trade and joint investments between Egypt and Qatar "to reflect the great potentials of both countries and to translate the distinguished relations that bind the two brotherly peoples," the statement added. "There is a consensus between the Egyptian and Qatari governments on a substantial number of cooperation files," the Qatari ambassador stressed. He also hailed the recent economic reforms and urban development in Egypt. He highlighted that Qatar has investments in the Egyptian market, especially in the financial and real estate sectors. The Arab quartet of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut all diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar in June 2017, charging that Doha was too close to Iran and backed terrorist groups allegations Doha has always denied. In January, Egypt and the Arab quartet signed the Al-Ula Declaration with Qatar, restoring diplomatic, economic and travel ties with Doha. In the wake of the Al-Ula declaration, Egypt and Qatar agreed to move beyond their disputes and work towards settling all outstanding issues. Three rounds of talks between the Egyptian-Qatari committee tasked with developing relations between Cairo and Doha were held throughout the year. Following the signing of the declaration, Qatar Airways and EgyptAir resumed flights between the two countries' capitals. Both countries exchanged ambassadors in the summer. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypts Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Enany and more than 30 Arab and foreign ambassadors as well as influencers observed on Friday morning the biannual solar alignment at Ramses II Temple in Abu Simbel. The biannual solar alignment at Ramses II temple is an astronomical phenomenon that takes place biannually on 22 October and 22 February. During phenomenon, which occured at 5:52am and lasted for nearly 20 minutes. sun rays enter the temples sanctum to light three of four statues. The three statues belong to King Ramses II and the deities Amun-Re and Re-Hur-Akhty. The God of Darkness Ptah remains in shadow to symbolise his connection to the underworld. All precautionary safety measures were taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The attendees took a group photo in front of the temple with the respective flags of their countries. On Thursday, El-Enany and the ambassadors toured the Abu Simbel temple and parts of the Ramses II temple. On Friday, the group also visited the temple of the wife of King Ramses II, Queen Nefertari. The tour was attended by the Aswan governor and top officials from the tourism and antiquities ministry. Search Keywords: Short link: Fifteen people died and one person was missing after a fire broke out at a Russian explosives factory southeast of Moscow on Friday, authorities said. The government of the Ryazan region, where the factory is based, said they had died in the factory blaze in the village of Lesnoye, 300 kilometres (180 miles) from the capital. "The fate of one person remains unknown," it said in a statement. One more person was hospitalised with "major burns" and is in a "serious condition", it added. The emergencies ministry published images showing smoke and debris at the severely damaged factory building. Earlier it said the fire could have broken out as a result of "violations of technological processes and safety measures" at the local PGUP Elastic factory The plant is considered a "strategic company" by the Russian government. According to its website, it belongs to state conglomerate Rostec which brings together a range of companies supplying industrial or high-tech products to civilian and military sectors. But local media said it went bankrupt in 2015 and that its workshops were used by other companies of the explosives sector. Firefighters first received a report that a fire had broken out at the plant at 08:22 local time, the emergencies ministry said. It dispatched its acting head Alexander Chupriyan to the site. He is in charge of the ministry after its chief Yevgeny Zinichev died falling off a cliff during Arctic exercises last month. Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said it had sent detectives to probe if the factory had complied with "industrial safety levels". More than 170 rescuers were working in the area, it added. The head of the local administration earlier told the TASS news agency that 17 people were inside the plant's workshop at the time of the fire. Concerns Over Safety Standards Authorities said the blaze -- which covered an area of 160 square meters -- had been put out and did not pose a danger to locals. Amateur video footage on Russian social media showed rows of fire trucks at the scene with burning debris in a wooded area by the factory. Accidental fires are common in Russia, where hundreds of blazes are recorded each year due to ageing and dilapidated infrastructure and non-compliance with safety standards that are often lax. In Russia's worst fire disaster in recent memory, an inferno at a shopping centre in the Siberian city of Kemerovo in 2018 left 64 people dead, including 41 children. Investigators said that blaze resulted from "flagrant violations" of safety norms including emergency exits locked and non-functioning alarm systems, prompting President Vladimir Putin to demand answers. Authorities in the aftermath found that hundreds of commercial and cultural sites across the country fall below fire safety standards. Government critics say graft is at the heart of safety rules being violated more broadly as building permits are given by officials in exchange for bribes. More recently, 11 people were killed in December 2020 at a retirement home in the Urals region of Bashkortostan that officials said was operating over capacity limits. After a huge blaze at a historic factory in Saint Petersburg in April 2021, investigators said the site had a number of violations for fire safety and that management had continued operating despite being aware of them. Search Keywords: Short link: Ongoing warfare in Marib, Al-Bayda, Shabwah and elsewhere in Yemen has created one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world, second only to the manmade famine caused by the Ethiopian governments war in the Tigray. According to Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Ramesh Rajasingham, more than 20 million Yemenis, or two-thirds of the population, need assistance from aid agencies. Yet aid is about to run out, again, despaired a relief worker speaking on condition of anonymity. In his briefing to the UN Security Council last week, Rajasingham said that 13 million people across the country were now receiving help from aid agencies. This is three million more than only a few months previously. The expansion has considerably reduced the immediate risk of large-scale famine. But Rajasingham also warned that between four and five million people could see their food aid reduced between now and the end of the year. In Yemen hostilities have escalated since February, claiming hundreds of casualties on both sides: the Iranian-backed Ansarullah (Houthi) Movement and the internationally recognised government backed by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition to Support Legitimacy. The Houthis have been fighting to regain control of Marib, from which they were expelled in 2017. If they succeed, the province would be their winning card in any peace negotiations in the country which has been ravaged by civil war since 2014. Marib is the last stronghold of the Yemeni government in northern Yemen. The largest citadel of the republic, as the pro-government press describes the province, is also the centre of the countrys oil and liquified gas industry. Houthi control over it would deprive the government of an essential resource, severely debilitating its ability to resist. The Houthis have lost nearly a thousand fighters since February, according to the Arab Coalition, which has sustained air attacks against the Houthi forces laying siege to Marib. Were it not for the Arab Coalitions support the Houthis would have taken both Marib and Shabwah long ago, the former head of the South Yemeni Journalists Syndicate Najib Sadiq said. Still, Houthi forces have made advances on several fronts. Houthi Military Spokesman Yahya Sarie recently announced on his Twitter account that the Ansarullah forces had gained 3,200 sq km in Marib and Shabwah. Our forces managed to carry out Operation Spring of Victory, liberating the districts of Usaylan, Bayhan and Ain in Shabwah province, and the districts of Abdiya and Harib, as well as parts of the districts of Jubah and Jabal Murad in Marib, he said. He added that, in the course of fighting, the Houthi forces seized huge quantities of enemy arms, and wounded and captured hundreds of Al-Qaeda and IS elements, terms the Houthis use to refer to forces fighting for the Yemeni government. Citing local Yemeni sources, the German press agency (DPA) reported that the Houthi forces have taken the whole of Abdiya and that inhabitants of that district now face dire humanitarian conditions due to the rights violations perpetrated by Houthi forces. Hundreds of civilians, including women and children, have lost their lives during the recent Houthi offensives in Marib, Al-Bayda and Shabwah, according to Western media reports. The UN Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said that displacement of thousands of people from these provinces due to the fighting has aggravated the humanitarian situation in the country as a whole. According to Najib Sadiq, in September the Houthis reoriented their strategy for taking over the capital city of Marib province, also called Marib. They are now focusing on the southern outskirts of the city. He added: The fall of the districts in Marib and Shabwah was predictable because government forces did not have a strong presence in them. However, Marib, the capital district, is a different type of battle. Its calculations are much more complex. Sadiq is worried that Houthi forces might gain control of the Hadramawt-Shabwah road, the last main international supply line to Marib. If they do, the Houthi blockade will be complete and the province will fall. Whoever controls Marib controls the fate of the country, said Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed. In remarks to the press during his visit to Cairo last week, he blamed the escalation in fighting in Yemen on Tehran. The hardline government in Iran is pushing the Houthis to further violence, he said. Many believe that the Yemeni war is part of a larger regional war between Iran and the Arab Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia. Other arenas in this war have been Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Recently there has been a breakthrough in attempts to promote an entente between Tehran and Riyadh. During his recent visit to Beirut earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian described talks between his country and Saudi Arabia as positive and going in the right direction. On the other hand, Irans regional influence may be waning. In Syria, the balance is in favour of Russia which is unlikely to let Iran or other powers have a share in its gains there. In Iraq, pro-Iranian forces have suffered a political setback since the uprising in October last year, a development that was reflected in the collapse of their parliamentary bloc in the legislative elections on 10 October. This should free Baghdad of dependence on Tehran and strengthen the position of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi as a mediator in the rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh. Meanwhile, the deteriorating economic situation in Lebanon has driven Beirut to Cairo for essential natural gas and energy supplies. This naturally diminishes the influence of Tehran and its proxies in Lebanon. At the same time, that countrys economic straits hampers the ability of the Iranian-backed Hizbullah and its partners in government to act as they please, and weakens Tehrans main ally in the region. Still, the situation in Yemen is different. The Houthis adversaries are weaker militarily which puts them at a disadvantage in Mareb, the citadel that will determine the fate of war and peace in the country. *A version of this article appears in print in the 21 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Looking for balanced reporting on Egypt in the Western media can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, part of a phenomenon produced by the Muslim Brotherhood/ How does the West see us? is a question that anyone visiting Egypt often hears. Egypt is seen in the West as an authoritarian and tyrannical dystopia, would be the honest answer. Almost always, the wondering words, but, why? follow. Most Egyptians do not feel that this description matches the Egypt they are living in. As a result, because there are no easy answers as to why the narrative on their country tends to be negative, arguments about the West plotting against the Arab countries tend to fill the void. Such conspiracy theories strengthen anti-Western sentiment and represent an obstacle towards peace, dialogue and cooperation. However, the anti-Egyptian narrative is an equally unfortunate obstacle that ought also to be deconstructed. Looking for positive or balanced reporting on Egypt in the Western media can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Little to no attention is given to the progress occurring in Egypt such as the increased protection of Egypts Christians, the renovation of previously damaged Jewish heritage sites and synagogues, the combating of extremism and terrorist recruitment, the reform of religious teaching and Islamic interpretation and the promotion of ideological diversity among scholars of theology. Other areas where progress has been made lie in urging Egyptian immigrants in the West to respect Western values, improving the countrys infrastructure and housing challenges, combating childhood diseases and mortality rates and strengthening womens rights in society and politics. As commentator Cynthia Farahat has noted, while there is certainly room for improvement in the regimes governance and policies, it is no less important to recognise President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi for the historic reformer he is. Celebratory descriptions aside, even moderately bright reports about, for instance, how Al-Sisi seems to have no weakness for corruption, as the US magazine New Yorker puts it, are quite rare. Instead, negative stories seem to dominate Western discourse, leading to a narrative that remains largely unquestioned. An old and overused, but certainly valid explanation, is that orientalism still exists across most of Western media. For instance, a 2017 article in the New Yorker said that Egyptian pride sometimes drives policy, and officials have a reputation for being hot-tempered. A 2014 article in the US publication Politico noted that the US trained him and funds his regime. So why wont Al-Sisi listen? There are countless more examples of such stereotypical portrayals and neocolonialist conceptualisations in the Western media. Taken together, they create an image of a country that cannot be trusted to govern and protect itself. A case in point was when in November 2020 the Austrian police conducted more than 50 raids against members of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in that country. Shortly after the terrorist attack that occurred in the same month, they announced a set of security measures aimed at preventing terrorism and curbing increasingly violent extremism. Despite some heavy criticism, the consensus was one of acceptance and understanding of the police actions given the circumstances. Why should the same right not be granted to Egypt, which ranked 14 in the 2020 Global Terrorism Index, when most European countries rank far lower in terms of the terrorist threat? At the same time, evidence of Eurocentrism can also be found in the pragmatic policies that many Western countries pursue. These policies are seen to benefit the West without regard for how they might negatively impact the other party, in this case Egypt. The inclusion promotes moderation principle is a good example here. The assumption is that, once in power, the MB would become less extreme and act as a firewall between the West and more extreme terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda or the Taliban. But history has shown us that this is not the case, since the same thing was argued about Hitlers rise to power in Germany in the 1930s, and his rule certainly proved the opposite. While the MB cannot be compared to Hitlers Nazi Party, it does have the potential for danger and mayhem. But the West seems to focus on the positive (its self-declarations of non-violence) instead of the glaringly negative (its actual record of terrorism and extremism). The MB lobby has played an important role in skillfully manipulating the narrative to its benefit, something it is still good at doing. Since the early 1990s, the MB has been expanding in the European public arena and promoting its ideological agenda through cultural, commercial and social functions. It has managed to present itself as the representative of Muslims in general and thus hide itself in moderate ranks. Combined with the perks of living in a tolerant society in Europe, the MB silences critical voices by accusing them of Islamophobia and intimidates anyone linking it to a particular organisation by simply suing. Because of its immense funding, it can afford to do so. This financial backing also allows the MB to influence politics, the media and even academia in the West. What does this have to do with the Western narrative on Egypt? Everything. By hiding behind cultural institutions and religious communities, the MB has been actively taking part in the Western discourse and shaping it in its favour. A big part of the MB effort is devoted to trying to ensure that Egypt gets a bad press in the West in order to demonise the Egyptian government. The more negative the coverage of the Egyptian government in the Western media, the more sympathy the MB can garner for itself. Countering such claims would be to question the alleged lived experiences of poor Muslim immigrants. One recent example was provided by Amir Al-Shami, an Austrian socialist turned Salafi with Egyptian roots, who said that no one criticises us except for far-right politicians in an interview with a female journalist whose hand he had refused to shake. The fact that the left and centre in many European countries are afraid to touch the subject of the MB means that it will continue to be successful at hiding in plain sight. Another camouflage technique is the MBs trick of linking itself to international justice movements such as the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. This creates the image of the MB being for human rights and equality. The more successful it is at establishing this as a given, the more whatever follows from it is taken to be true. In other words, if the MB is pro-democracy, then its enemies must be against it. If it is oppressed, then its enemies must be oppressors. As a result, it is no surprise that a negative narrative about Egypt can be built, propagated, and, with time, solidified. Egyptian counterterrorism is thus presented as tyranny, and tyranny needs to be resisted. Counterterrorism becomes crackdown, and terrorism becomes resistance. It is high time for the MBs ideology to be unveiled as the totalitarian, radical and anti-democratic one that it is. At present, the dispersed members of the MB are not living in a democratic manner in the West, they are merely surviving it. Western audiences need to be aware of the MBs influence on how the narrative on Egypt is shaped. Carefully navigating the paradox of an inwardly (mostly) tolerant and an outwardly (often) pragmatic and orientalist West, the MB has been tirelessly working to keep this narrative negative. If things stay this way, the MB will be able to continue to hide in plain sight while enjoying the perks of the victim. On that note, it would be as well to assure Western readers that the Muslim Brotherhood are not your Muslim brothers. *The writer is the general secretary of the IISES, a Vienna-based think tank for social and economic studies. *A version of this article appears in print in the 21 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: By Xu Yawen Stephen Ellison, British Consul-General in Chongqing, expresses optimism about investment opportunities in southwest China. In his latest interview with China Plus, Ellison says the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle can boost the confidence of investors from home and abroad in the region, while the Yangtze Economic Belt Corridor and the China-Singapore Land Sea Trade Corridor gives geographic advantage to Chongqing, one of Chinas 23 rising star cities whose annual regional GDP exceeds one trillion yuan ($156.3 billion). With a population of over 30 million, Chongqing is one of four municipalities under direct administration from the Chinese central government. Unlike the other municipalities - Beijing, Tianjing and Shanghai - the hilly riverside city is deep in the heart of China. It serves as a powerhouse to drive reform and opening up in the southwest of the country. Despite the recent souring of China-U.K. relations, Ellison encourages more British companies to seek potential opportunities for business cooperation in Chongqing. Meanwhile, he says that Britain welcomes all foreign investment, including that from China. As the British Consul-General in Chongqing, Ellison hopes to promote China-U.K. ties through cooperation on climate change and biodiversity, and to face common challenges in global health. He says people-to-people exchanges are extremely important to Sino-U.K. bilateral ties, especially in the education sector. Ellison had been widely hailed as a hero on Chinese social media after saving a drowning college student in Chongqing last year. Check out the link below for the full interview. The FBI on Thursday identified human remains found in a Florida nature preserve as those of Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the death of girlfriend Gabby Petito while the couple was on a cross-country road trip. 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 in Utah, Aug. 12, 2021. [File Photo: The Moab Police Department via AP] The remains, a backpack and notebook believed to belong to Laundrie were discovered Wednesday in a Florida wilderness park, according to the FBI. The area where they were found had been under water during earlier searches. The FBI's Denver office said in a news release a comparison of dental records confirmed that the remains were Laundrie. A lawyer for his parents, Steve Bertolino, also confirmed in a statement they were told the remains were those of their son. We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundries privacy at this time, the statement said. The FBI statement did not list a cause of death. It wasn't clear how long the remains may have been submerged in water. The discovery of the remains concluded a massive search involving federal, state and local law enforcement that began shortly after Laundrie disappeared Sept. 14, two weeks after the 23-year-old returned alone to his parents home in North Port, Florida. The investigation into Petito's slaying, however, is not yet concluded. But only Laundrie has ever been identified by law enforcement officials as a person of interest in the case. Petitos family reported her missing Sept. 11, launching a search that garnered worldwide media attention and, in Laundrie's case, focused largely on the Carlton Reserve wilderness park near the Laundrie home. It is a densely wooded, swampy area that's home to alligators, coyotes, bobcats, snakes and numerous other creatures. The couple first met as teenagers on Long Island, New York, and more recently moved to Florida's Gulf Coast to live with his parents. They first gained an online following while on their trip in a converted Ford Transit van in videos filled with happy scenes that may have concealed deeper problems. After Petito disappeared, the case became a true-crime obsession on social media. The intense focus on Petitos case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing Indigenous women and other people of color. Petito, 22, was white. Her body was found Sept. 19 on the edge of Wyomings Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. The coroner there concluded she died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks. The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no domestic violence charges were filed. The police department there is conducting an internal review to determine if policy was followed. Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the van the couple took on their trip, which was later impounded by authorities. He was reported missing after telling his parents that he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve. Dozens of unconfirmed tips poured into authorities about spotting Laundrie from Wyoming to the Appalachian Trail, but none panned out. The remains were found Wednesday as searches concentrated on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found. That park is directly adjacent to the Carlton Reserve, both of which are about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Sarasota, Florida. Laundrie was charged in a federal Wyoming indictment with unauthorized use of a debit card, which alleged Laundrie used a Capital One Bank card and someones personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000. It does not say to whom the card belonged or what type of charges were made. Had Laundrie lived, that indictment would have permitted authorities to arrest him. KYODO NEWS - Oct 22, 2021 - 11:33 | All, Japan, World Over 650 academics and students from universities in the United States, Japan, Britain and other countries on Thursday called on the Japanese government to resume issuing student and researcher visas, a process currently suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic. A group of academics, professionals and students led by Paul Hastings, executive director of the Japan ICU Foundation, submitted a petition to Kanji Yamanouchi, Japanese consul general in New York, warning the ban on new visas "has eroded the global relationships and reputations of Japan's educational institutions." "While Japan has started sending its students and researchers abroad, the country does not receive students and researchers. The lack of reciprocity damages carefully cultivated partnerships" between Japanese universities and schools in other countries, the petition said. Those who signed the appeal included professors and students from renowned academic institutions such as Harvard University, Princeton University and Columbia University in the United States, the International Christian University, Keio University and Kyoto University in Japan, and Cardiff University in Britain. Hastings pointed out in an online press conference Thursday that Japan is the only country among the Group of Seven industrialized nations that currently is not issuing visas for foreign students, putting exchange programs in danger. In January, Japan stopped handing out visas to foreign students, except for those awarded government scholarships, under its strict border control policy imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Only around 7,000 new foreign students entered Japan in the first six months of 2021, down 88.5 percent from the same period in 2019 before the outbreak of the pandemic, according to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan. "The dwindling number of foreign students reverses progress made in the internationalization of Japanese universities," the petition said. "Many students canceled plans, opting instead to study in countries open to international students," providing fewer opportunities for Japanese students to learn from their international peers, it added. The group also said, "The entrance ban may result in an overall decrease in interest in Japan within the field of higher education." As Japan has been seeing a gradual decrease in the number of COVID-19 infections recently, travel restrictions may be eased soon. The country logged 345 new infections on Thursday, with Tokyo and Osaka Prefecture set to resume allowing eateries to operate until late in the evening and removing an alcohol-service ban from next week for the first time in 11 months. KYODO NEWS - Oct 22, 2021 - 18:12 | All, Coronavirus, Japan Tokyo confirmed 26 daily coronavirus cases Friday, the fewest since June 2020, as the downward trend in infections continues across Japan. The figure released by the Tokyo metropolitan government was the lowest since June 17 last year, when the capital reported 16 new infections. The seven-day rolling average of new daily cases in Tokyo stood at 39.1, down 40.4 percent from the previous week, according to the metropolitan government. The pace of new infections has been slowing since hitting a record 5,773 cases on Aug. 13, days after the closing of the Olympics, as the rollout of vaccinations progresses nationwide. Reflecting the slowing trend, Tokyo along with Osaka decided Thursday to lift coronavirus restrictions on restaurants and bars from next week, the first removal of measures in 11 months. Agartala: An estimated 77.6 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the election to the West Tripura Lok Sabha seat on Thursday, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Suman Rakshit said. The CPI(M) and Congress alleged rigging and intimidation of voters by the BJP, a charge denied by the saffron party. "Till 5 pm voting percentage was 77.6 per cent. The polling percentage may rise as data from all booths are yet to reach," Rakshit told reporters. Those voters who were in the queue in the polling booths at 5 pm, the official time for end of voting, would be be able to exercise their franchise, the official said. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Leader of the opposition Manik Sarkar, sitting MP and CPI-M candidate for the West Tripura constituency Shankar Prasad Datta, Congress candidate Subal Bhowmick and BJP candidate Pratima Bhowmick exercised their franchise in the morning. CPI-M general secretary, Sitaram Yechuri, who is in the state alleged that more than 460 booths out of the total 1679 were "rigged, voters were intimidated and forced to leave the booths and the agents of Left political parties were not allowed to enter inside the booths by the BJP workers". "Central forces were not seen in the booths. They were entirely absent and it was possible due to collaboration of the Central and the state government. We have demanded repolling in 460 booths," Yechuri told a press conference. Congress candidate Subal Bhowmick alleged that BJP workers "intimidated and threatened voters". "We have demanded the immediate resignation of DGP, A K Shukla and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Sriram Taranikanti because police acted as silent spectators when booths were rigged before their eyes by BJP workers," Bhowmick told a press conference. Leader of the Opposition in Tripura Assembly, Manik Sarkar said, BJP workers intimidated voters. We could not field polling agents in many booths. We have a strong organisation in the entire state and if we cannot field polling agents, then you can understand the situation. BJP candidate and general secretary of the Saffron party state unit, Pratima Bhowmick denied the allegations of the Congress and CPI-M. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said people exercised their franchise in a festive mood and voting was "completely peaceful". "People of the state will vote for the BJP with enthusiasm because they want to see Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of the country and a strong nation, he told reporters at Udaipur, about 60 km from Agartala. Asked about incidents of violence or intimidation, DIG Arindam Nath said that "no major incident" has been reported so far. New Delhi: While a part of the country votes in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Opposition parties once again over the issue of nationalism. Referring to the Congress partys manifesto promise of reviewing the AFSPA in violence-hit Kashmir, the prime minister claimed that while NDA government gives free hand to soldiers to tackle terrorism and Naxalism, the Opposition parties want to scrap their special rights. "NDA government has a clear policy to fight terrorism and naxalism. We have given free hand to the soldiers to tackle the menace. On the other hand, the 'mahamilavati' (what he calls the Opposition parties) are saying that they will remove their special rights," Modi said while addressing a rally in Bihars Bhagalpur. The prime minister said that when he will return to power, their corruption will be completely finished, their dynastic politics will be finished, their loot in name of poor will stop, their politics of case and religion will stop, and the 'tukde-tukde gang' will also scatter in pieces. Modi claimed that before 2014, the Congress government would never act against terrorism and Pakistan used to threaten them even after carrying out terror strike but today, they were scared and crying on the international level, yet no one was paying heed to them. Interestingly, while Modi accuses Opposition parties of speaking the language of Pakistan, the country's Prime Minister Imran Khan endorsed another term for him, saying that if the "BJP - a right-wing party - comes to power, there will be better chances of resolving the Kashmir issue." New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial in Amritsar to pay homage to the martyrs on the commemoration of 100 years of the massacre. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and state minister Navjot Singh Sidhu were also present at the occasion. Rahul had arrived in Punjab late on Friday night. The cost of freedom must never ever be forgotten. We salute the people of India who gave everything they had for it. Jai Hind, Gandhi wrote in the visitors book at the memorial. British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith also visited the memorial to pay homage. The events of Jallianwala Bagh 100 years ago today reflect a shameful act in British-Indian history. We deeply regret what happened and the suffering caused. I am pleased today that the UK and India have and remain committed to developing further a thriving 21st-century partnership, Asquith noted in the visitors book at the memorial. Earlier, British Prime Minister Theresa May expressed "deep regret" over the massacre. "We deeply regret what happened and the suffering caused," May said in the British Parliament and termed the tragedy as a "shameful scar on British Indian history". On the afternoon of April 13, a crowd of at least 10,000 men, women, and children gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh. Protesters who were defying the ban on public meetings. A force of several dozen troops commanded by Brig. Gen. Reginald Edward Harry Dyer arrived and started firing indiscriminately until they ran out of ammunition. According to one official report, 379 people were killed, and about 1,200 more were injured. Two days later, on 15 April, demonstrations occurred in Gujranwala protesting the killings at Amritsar. Police and aircraft were used against the demonstrators, resulting in 12 deaths and 27 injuries. In February 2013 David Cameron became the first serving British Prime Minister to visit the site, laid a wreath at the memorial, and described the Amritsar massacre as "a deeply shameful event in British history. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The BJP will on Monday release its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls scheduled to start from April 11, with issues of development and national security set to be its key highlights. Top party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its chief Amit Shah, will be present at the launch of the manifesto, described by the BJP as its "sankalp patra". A party statement said members of its parliamentary board, the BJP's apex body whose members include Modi, will be present on the occasion. With the Congress manifesto putting major thrust on welfare measures, including a promise of giving Rs 72,000 to the poorest 20 per cent households in India, the ruling party is likely to make a slew of promises to woo different sections of the society, especially farmers, youth and women, besides the downtrodden. Notably, the Modi government has already announced Rs 6,000 per year cash support to small and marginal farmers that will cost the exchequer Rs 75,000 crore annually, in a bid to provide relief to distressed farm sector. Also, it has announced a 10 per cent job and education quota for "economically weaker" sections, meeting a key demand of upper castes, a staunch BJP support base which has shown signs of a drift from the party. On Sunday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled campaign themes and other materials of the party's election campaign, with "Phir ek baar, Modi sarkar (Modi government, once more)" as the tag line. The highlights of the campaign are government's "befitting" reply to terrorism by "hitting terrorists by entering enemy territory". Launching the campaign, Jaitley said the choice for people in polls will be between the "cohesive and tested" rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "chaos and mahamilawat" offered by the opposition. Taking a swipe at the opposition, he said people have to decide between a government led by one captain or a team of 11 players, and that of 40 captains. The BJP has brought the national security plank at its campaign's centre stage following the Balakot air strikes targeting a terrorist camp in Pakistan. It was in retaliation to the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14. The opposition has accused it of politicising the armed forces' operations against terrorists but the saffron party has used them as an evidence of its government's "decisiveness" and "zero tolerance" for terrorism. The BJP also Sunday launched a television campaign for the polls focussing on development and welfare steps taken by the Modi-government, including schemes likes 'Kisan Samman' under which farmers will get Rs 6,000 in three installments and initiatives taken under the Swachch Bharat Mission. Campaign material also emphasised on the "clean image" of the government, India's "growing stature" at the global level, the Ayushmaan Bharat health insurance scheme and actions like "crackdown" on corruption and black money. The Union minister said these promises are not merely for future as the government has fulfilled them in its five-year term. New Delhi: Alexandre Ziegler, French Ambassador to India, on Thursday trashed the reports of Pakistani exchange pilots getting Rafale training in Qatar. I can confirm that it is fake news, Ziegler said on Twitter. According to ainonline.com, an independent media portal that reports about defence news, Pakistani pilots were reportedly given training to fly Rafale fighter jets. The first batch of pilots trained for Qatar in November 2017 were Pakistani exchange officers, the site said. The NDTV had also reported about the training quoting the site. However, it had also said that Dassault was not aware about any such incident. Qatar signed a 6.3 billion agreement for the purchase of 24 Rafales (six of them two-seat trainers) in May 2015. Qatars Rafales differ in detail from those delivered to France and Egypt, and integration of the Lockheed Martin Sniper targeting pod and Elbit Systems TARGO-II helmet-mounted target designation system required extensive testing, the ainonline.com report said. The report comes amid intense political battle over the fighter jet. The Congress has been alleging massive irregularities in the deal while the government has strongly rejected the charges. India is procuring a batch of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore. Yesterday, in massive setback to the Centre, the Supreme Court had agreed to hear petitions for a review of its verdict in the Rafale jet deal on the basis of 'leaked' secret documents by dismissing its preliminary objections. The apex court in its verdict on December 14 rejected demands for a court-monitored probe into the Rafale deal and gave a clean chit to the Modi government on procurement of 36 fighter jets from French company Dassault Aviation, holding there was no irregularity in the decision-making process, pricing or selection of Indian Offset Partner. Dismissing the government's contention that sensitive documents accessed by the media on the Rafale deal can't be evidence by claiming privilege and that the petitions were not maintainable, the court Wednesday said it will examine the papers while reviewing on merits the review petitions. (With agency inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Guwahati: At least 68 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise on the first phase of Lok Sabha polling in five constituencies in Assam on Thursday, a top election official said. The polling percentage is likely to increase further as hundreds of people are still in the queue at the end of 5 pm. Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Chandra Sahu told PTI that as per latest information 68 per cent of the voters have cast their votes in five constituencies. This voting percentage will go up further as many people are still in the queue. Those who entered the polling centres by 5 pm will be allowed to vote, he added. Sahu informed that there were reports of malfunctioning of EVMs from some booths and defective machines have been replaced. As per the initial reports, around 100 VVPATS were replaced, while 20 units of control and ballot units were changed. The control unit and ballot unit are changed in pair always. These figures are also likely to go up slightly as we have not received the final numbers from the centres yet, the CEO said. Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaliabor, Tezpur and Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituencies have an electorate of 76,03,458, including 38,65,334 males, 37,37,970 females and 154 of the third gender, who will decide the fate of 41 candidates. Jorhat has recorded the highest of 72 per cent polling till 5 pm, followed by Tezpur with 70 per cent and Dibrugarh with 69 per cent. Kaliabor and Lakhimpur recorded 64 and 62 per cent respectively. Voting took place across 9,574 election booths, manned by over 42,000 polling personnel and 180 companies of Central security forces and the state. There was all-round enthusiasm among all sections of voters in all the five constituencies to exercise their franchise since early morning. First time voters, women, people with disabilities and elderly citizens came out in large numbers to exercise their franchise and long queues were seen before polling booths through the day. Most of the 225 model polling stations have been decorated with balloons and flowers, while the first voter was offered the traditional Assamese gamocha. In many polling stations, Selfie Point have been set up where voters, both young and old, were seen taking selfies after exercising their franchise. Among the prominent people to cast their votes in the first half of the day was Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at 153 Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaroa Sahitya Sabha Bhavan in Dibrugarh and former CM Tarun Gogoi along with his wife Dolly and son Gaurav, who is the sitting MP and contesting Congress candidate from Kaliabor. Lakhimpur Congress candidate Anil Borgohain was the first to cast his ballot at an all-woman polling booth, while his BJP rival and sitting MP Pradan Barua exercised his franchise at Dhemaji. Jorhat BJP candidate and state Power Minister Tapan Gogoi and his Congress rival Sushanta Borgohain, former Union Minister and Dibrugarh Congress candidate Paban Singh Ghatowar and Kaliabor AGP-BJP alliance candidate Monimadhab Mahanta accompanied by his brother and state minister Keshab Mahanta also exercised their franchise in their respective home towns. In Tezpur both Congress candidate MGVK Bhanu and his BJP rival and state minister Pallab Lochan Das arrived at the famed Mahabhairav Temple at the same time to offer prayers before going to the polling station to exercise their franchise. They greeted each other, shook hands and even posed together for photographers before leaving the temple premises for their respective polling booths. While the first phase of the three-phase voting for 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam is taking place on Thursday, the second and third phases will happen on April 18 and 23, while the counting of votes will be on May 23 after completion of the entire seven-phase voting across the country. New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) has released the result of UPPSC Assistant Teacher 2018-19 written exam for commerce on Friday. Those candidates who have been appeared in the exam can check their result available on its official website--uppsc.up.nic.in. It is to be noted that the written examination was held on July 29, 2018 in 39 districts. The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) examination was held to fill up 29 posts of assistant teachers, out of which three posts went to women. How to check UPPSC Assistant Teacher (commerce) results 2018-19: Step 1: First of all candidates will have to visit the official website i.e. uppsc.up.nic.in. Step 2: Click on the result link available on the official website of the commission. Step 3: A new window will open, which contains a PDF file. You can check the results there. New Delhi: The wait the finally over for the students who had appeared for the BIEAP Inter 1st and 2nd examinations. The Manabadi has today announced the AP Inter 1st and 2nd for both general and vocational courses. The candidates who have appeared for the examination can check the results on the official website of the board. This year the declaration of Inter Results 2019 has sealed the fate of lakhs of students who have appeared for the examination. The candidates must note that we have also activated the result links here and the students can check the results by clicking the link given below. In AP Intermediate 2nd year, 68 per cent boys have qualified for higher education while girls performed well than the former with 75 per cent. Click Here For Inter 1st Year Result 2019 Click Here For Inter 1st Year VoC Result 2019 Click Here For Inter 2nd Year Result 2019 Click Here For Inter 2nd Year VoC Result 2019 Grade No. of students 10/10 CGPA 9,340 9/10 CGPA 99,857 8/10 CGPA 73,000 7/10 CGPA 62,376 6/10 CGPA 44,394 5/10 CGPA 17,779 * As the Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate Education (AP BIE) introduced the advanced grading system this year, the students who achieved 10/10 CGPA (cumulative grade point average) across the state stands at 9,340 students * Pass percentage in AP 2nd-year intermediate exams (general) Girls: 75% while boy's pass percentage is only 68% * Around 3.3 lakh students failed in the AP intermediate exams this year * The pass percentage of Kurnool, Prakasam district government colleges was recorded at 69% * Chittoor government colleges stands at 70% pass percentage * Government schools in Vizianagaram topped in Andhra Pradesh intermediate results 2019 with 77% pass percentage * Top districts for AP 2nd year intermediate results 2019: Krishna district: 81% Chittoor - 76% Nellore, West Godavari, Guntur: 74% * Pass percentage for Andhra Pradesh intermediate (vocational) - 69% * The overall pass percentage stands at 72% in intermediate (general) across Andhra Pradesh * 52,000 students were absent for the Inter examination this year * Out of 10.17 lakh students who attended intermediate exams this year, 6.3 lakh passed while the remaining failed * Krishna district ranks number one in AP Inter Board exam results with 89% pass percentage As per the official notification released by the Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh (BIEAP), the Manabadi Results 2019 will be declared in the afternoon around 11 AM in the morning at a press meet at BIEAP office of Amaravathi, Andhra Pradesh. The press meet and declaration ceremony for AP Intermediate Results 2019 will be graced by BIEAP Secretary Smt. B Udaya Lakshmi I.A.S. as well as by other senior officials of the Board. Ms Lakshmi will officially unveil the AP 1st Year Inter Result 2019 and BIEAP 2nd Year Inter Result 2019 in the press conference, following which the result will be published online on different websites. She will also announce the key highlights of the results as well as release the list of AP Intermediate Toppers 2019. The candidates must keep all the details ready for the fast and easy access to the result. On the day of result declaration, the official website may face certain technical glitches due to lakhs of students trying to access their AP Inter Result 2019. In such a case, you will also be able to download the AP Board result 2019 from our official website. We here at News Nation are in constant touch with our sources and will be updating all the updates here. Hence, we request the candidates to bookmark this page and check it regularly. Steps to Check AP Board Inter 1st and 2nd Year Results: For the convenience of the students, we have mentioned the steps through which the candidates can check their results, once they are announced. Step 1: Visit News Nations result page - english.newsnationtv.com/board-results and click on the Andhra Pradesh Board Result page. Step 2: Enter your roll number, date of birth and other details. Step 3: Click on the 'submit' button. Step 4: Check your AP Board Inter 1st and 2nd Year Results 2019. The hall tickets of AP Intermediate Exam were released on 23rd February. BIEAP held the AP Board Inter 1st year examinations from 27th February to 16th March and the AP Inter 2nd year exam from 28th February to 18th March, this year. About Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh (BIEAP) Established in 1971, the Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh (BIEAP) was formed to regulate and supervise the Intermediate education system in India in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The Board was set up to specify the courses of study in the state. The Directorate of Government Examinations is popularly known as the Andhra Pradesh SSC Board in the state. The Board of Secondary Education, Andhra Pradesh (BSEAP) is an independent agency working under the aegis of Ministry of Secondary Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh. The SSC Board is responsible for promotion, management, and development of secondary level school education in the state. Similarly, the Intermediate Board Exams for Class 12 students are conducted by the Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh (BIEAP). New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked all political parties who have received donations through the Electoral Bonds to submit details of donations in sealed cover to the Election Commission. In an interim order, the top court asks political parties to give details of donors who donated through electoral bonds, amounts received from them, details of payment received on each bond etc to the Election Commission by May 30. Last week, the Supreme Court had refused to grant interim stay on the electoral bonds scheme and asked the petitioner NGO to file an appropriate application for it. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had said the issue requires detailed hearing and, therefore, it will be taken up on April 10. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Associa1tion of Democratic Reforms (ADR), alleged that thousands of crore are anonymously being given to political parties. He alleged that 95 percent of electoral bonds are being given to the ruling party. Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, said the electoral bonds scheme was brought to check the flow of black money into political funding. He said Bhushan was giving an election speech that 95 percent of the electoral bonds have gone to ruling party. The bench in lighter vein said: "It's election time. We will hear on April 10". ADR's application has sought stay on the Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018, which was notified by the Centre in January last year. It said the amendments carried out in the relevant Acts have "opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate donations to political parties and anonymous financing by Indian as well as foreign companies, which can have serious repercussions on the Indian democracy". The matter holds importance as the Centre and the Election Commission (EC) have taken contrary stands, with the former justifying the decision saying it would promote transparency in political funding while the latter maintaining that the changes made in the law would have "serious repercussions". In its affidavit filed on one of the petitions filed by the CPI(M) and its general secretary Sitaram Yechury, the Centre defended its decision to issue electoral bonds, saying it aimed at ensuring "enhanced accountability" and pushing electoral reforms "to defeat the growing menace of black money". The Centre said the bonds were introduced on January 2, 2018 to promote transparency in funding and donations received by political parties and that these can be encashed by an eligible political party only through their authorised bank accounts. It said the bonds did not have the name of the donor or the receiving political party and only carried a unique hidden alphanumeric serial number as an in-built security feature. Only a political party registered under section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and which had secured not less than one per cent of the votes polled in the last election to the Lok Sabha or a legislative assembly, would be eligible to receive the bonds, the Centre had said. On March 27, the poll panel had informed the apex court that it had written to the Centre saying that the changes made in several laws relating to political funding will have "serious repercussions" on transparency. It had also said that the changes in the FCRA, 2010 would allow unchecked foreign funding of political parties, which could lead to Indian policies being influenced by foreign companies. The poll panel said on May 26, 2017, it had written to the Ministry of Law and Justice about its views that the changes made in the Income Tax Act, the Representation of the People Act and the Finance Act would be against the endeavour to have transparency in funding to political parties. Referring to the EC's communication with the ministry, it said: "It is evident that any donation received by a political party through an electoral bond has been taken out of the ambit of reporting under the contribution report as prescribed under section 29C of the RP Act. "In a situation where electoral bonds were not reported, it cannot be ascertained whether the political party has taken any donation from government companies and foreign sources." On February 2 last year, the apex court had sought the Centre's response on a plea moved by the CPI(M), which had termed the issuance of electoral bonds by the government as "arbitrary" and "discriminatory". (With agency inputs) Khartoum: Sudan's army ousted veteran president Omar al-Bashir Thursday, but protestors against his iron-fisted rule swiftly rejected a "coup" by the military and vowed to keep up their demonstrations. In a sombre televised address, Defence Minister Awad Ibnouf announced "the toppling of the regime" and said Bashir had been detained in "a secure place", bringing an end to his three-decade rule. A transitional military council will replace the president for two years, he said, adding that the country's borders and airspace would be shut until further notice. But in a warning to protestors, he also imposed a night-time curfew from 10:00pm (2000 GMT) to 4:00 am (0200 GMT). Bashir, who swept to power in a 1989 coup, was one of Africa's longest-serving presidents. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and war crimes. But organisers of the protests, which first erupted in December, rejected the army's move and vowed to keep up their campaign until the whole regime was swept aside. "The people do not want a transitional military council," said Alaa Salah, who became an icon of the protest movement after a video of her leading demonstrators' chants outside army headquarters went viral. "Change will not happen with Bashir's entire regime hoodwinking Sudanese civilians through a military coup," she tweeted. "We want a civilian council to head the transition." The protestors' Alliance for Freedom and Change said the regime had "conducted a military coup by bringing back the same faces and the same institutions which our people rose against." It urged people "to continue their sit-in in front of army headquarters and across all regions and in the streets." Since early Thursday morning, huge crowds of jubilant Sudanese had filled squares across the centre of Khartoum as the army promised an "important announcement". Chanting "the regime has fallen," they poured into the open ground outside army headquarters, where defiant protesters had braved tear gas and gunfire to keep up an unprecedented sit-in, now in its sixth day. But the festive mood later soured, as protestors chanted: "We don't want Ibnouf!" "We are not leaving, we are not leaving. Just fall and that's all," they shouted. The opposition Sudanese Congress Party called on the military council to dissolve itself and form "a joint military and civilian council to run the government for a four-year transition term".It also urged the army to give executive powers to civilians. Adel, a protestor outside army headquarters, said Thursday's announcement meant "we have not achieved anything." "We will not stop our revolution. We are calling for the regime to step down, not only Bashir," he said. Army vehicles carrying troops were seen deploying across the centre of Khartoum from early Thursday. Troops raided the offices of the Islamic Movement, the ideological wing of Bashir's ruling National Congress Party, witnesses told AFP. Martial music was played on state television as soldiers ordered the TV to halt its normal programming ahead of Ibnouf's announcement. Outside army headquarters, dozens of joyful protesters early Thursday climbed on top of landcruisers and armoured vehicles that had been posted to protect them from intervention by other branches of the security forces. Braving the searing 42 degree Celsius (108 degree Fahrenheit) heat, they hugged and kissed soldiers in the crowd. The military council said it was declaring a ceasefire across the country, including in war-torn Darfur. Meanwhile, Sudan's feared intelligence service said it was freeing all the country's political prisoners, state media reported. "The National Intelligence and Security Service has announced it is releasing all political detainees across the country," the official SUNA news agency said. But in the eastern cities of Kasala and Port Sudan, the releases failed to materialise, prompting protesters to storm NISS buildings, witnesses said. That came despite protest organisers urging demonstrators to refrain from attacking government figures or buildings. Demonstrators have spent five nights defiantly camped outside the sprawling army headquarters complex in Khartoum, which also houses Bashir's official residence and the defence ministry. "We had enough of this regime -- 30 years of repression, corruption, rights abuses, it's enough," said one protester at the sit-in. The demonstrators have braved repeated volleys of tear gas from NISS members since they began camping outside the complex on Saturday, protest organisers say. Officials say 49 people have died in protest-related violence since the demonstrations first erupted in December. Neighbouring Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in similar circumstances, said Thursday it supported the Sudanese people and the army in their political transition. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In yet another attempt to disrupt the poll process, the troops of 113 Battalion Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were fired upon in Tumrikasa Village of Maharashtra's Gadchiroli at about 4 pm on Thursday. The troop was returning after casting their votes at booth number 283 at Dhanora in the Gadchiroli district. However, no casualty or loss of property have been reported in the incident so far. The CRPF troops retaliated to the attack strongly and effectively. "Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF): Troops of 113 Battalion CRPF were fired upon while they were returning from booth number 283 in Tumrikasa Village of Gadchiroli's Dhanora at 4 pm, the troop retaliated. No injuries/loss has been reported," the news agency ANI reported. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF): Troops of 113 Battalion CRPF were fired upon while they were returning from booth number 283 in Tumrikasa Village of Gadchiroli's Dhanora at 4 pm, the troop retaliated. No injuries/loss has been reported. More details awaited. #Maharashtra a ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2019 Early in the day, Maoists triggered an IED blast near a polling booth in Gadchroli at 10.30 am in Waghezari area, around 150 metres from the polling booth where people were standing in queues to cast their votes for the Lok Sabha election. On Wednesday, MaoistsA denoted an IED at Gatta Jambia village in Etapalli tehsil of the district when a polling party was moving towards polling stations under protection of a police party and CRPF personnel. A CRPF jawan was injured in the incident. According to police officials, MaoistsA were trying to disrupt the poll process and create panic among villagers, who came out in large numbers to vote in the district. Gadchiroli is among the seven seats which went to poll during the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra on Thursday. General Elections 2019 is scheduled to take place in seven phases between April 11 and May 19. The counting of votes will be taken up on May 23. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking a stay on the release of Vivek Oberoi-starrer biopic 'PM Narendra Modi'. The top court said the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi was yet to receive a certificate from the Censor Board. The court said that it will be decided by the Election Commission whether the movie can violate the Model Code of Conduct. The film was originally scheduled to hit the theatres on April 5 but due to certain hurdles by "powerful people", the release got delayed to April 11, the same day first phase of Lok Sabha elections starts. Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, who is portraying Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his controversial biopic, has reacted sharply after the films release got postponed to April 11. Oberoi, a staunch supporter of Modi, said that some powerful people created difficulties for them, and they couldnt release the prime ministers biopic on April 5, less than a week before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The film, directed by Omung Kumar, has been criticised by the opposition parties, who claim that the biopic could give undue advantage to the BJP in the polls as it will arrive in theatres before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The seven-phase polls will begin on April 11 and continue till May 19. "We wanted to release the film on April 5, but some people put us in so many difficulties that we couldn't do it. We are working hard to get the film released on April 11," Oberoi said. Oberoi, known for his performances in Shootout at Lokhandwala and Company, had earlier claimed that the movie was not a propaganda film and termed its release colliding with Lok Sabha elections as mere "coincidence". ''It is just a coincidence that the film is releasing ahead of the election. It is not a propaganda film. I am an individual who has a credible body of work over the last 18 years, more than 45 films and more than 26-27 awards. So I stand my ground there. I don't need to make him appear as a hero. He is a hero to billions of people across the world,'' he had said. New Delhi: With the BJP cornering Rahul Gandhi for ignoring Amethi and running towards Wayanad fearing defeat in his bastion, the Congress president, along with several other senior party leaders, have disbursed all the allocated MPLAD funds funds for the development of the politically crucial Lok Sabha constituency. In fact, the document elucidating the details of the funds allotted to the party MPs and the amount spent by them, exclusively accessed by News Nation, shows that Rahul spent Rs 26.85 crore against the Rs 25 crore allotted to him for the development of Amethi. Other than Rahul, actress-turned-politician Rekha former Rajya Sabha MP spent the Rs 2.25 crore allotted in 2014. She was the member of the Upper House till 2018. Former Union minister Kapil Sibal disbursed Rs 2.07 crore, Deepak Singh, Congress MLC and Rahul Gandhi's aide in Amethi, spent Rs 7.53 crore allotted to him and Pramod Tiwari a nine-time MLA from Rampur Khas in Pratapgarh has disbursed Rs 66 lakh. According to sources, the party keeping its focus on Amethi is believed to be a damage-control move by the party after Rahuls victory margin in the seat reduced from over 3 lakh in 2009 to over 1 lakh in 2014. Also, the BJP has been cornering the Congress chief over his candidature from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, other than Amethi. The saffron party has alleged that Rahul is afraid of being defeated and has thus ran away to the southern state. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Patna: The four Lok Sabha constituencies of Bihar, where polling is being held in the first of the seven-phase general elections on Thursday, registered 24.57 per cent voter turnout till noon, an election official said. Incidents of poll boycott were reported from some places in Jamui and Nawada constituencies while the police recovered three bombs, including a cane bomb. "Around 24.57 per cent of voting was recorded in the first five hours of polling in four Lok Sabha seats," Joint Chief Electoral Officer Pravin Kumar Gupta told PTI. The CEO office said 25 per cent turnout was recorded in Nawada assembly bypoll. Voting at a polling station of Nawada Lok Sabha seat was withheld for some time following the arrest of a polling officer who was found in a drunken state, official sources said. Polling resumed at the booth after he was arrested, the sources said. According to reports received from the districts, people boycotted voting at some booths in Jamui and Nawada Lok Sabha constituencies citing non-availability of water and lack of road connectivity in their areas. A cane bomb was found from a polling station in Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency just before voting began. Two bombs were found beneath Nevta bridge on Imamganj-Raniganj main road falling under Imamganj assembly constituency. The bombs were later defused. New Delhi: The Home Ministry on Thursday said that the 'green light' pointed at Congress president Rahul Gandhi's head during a media interaction in Amethi on Wednesday was that of a mobile phone used by a photographer of his own party. We have not received any letter regarding alleged breach in security of Congress President Rahul Gandhi. As soon as MHAs attention was drawn to reports of incident of green light being pointed at him yesterday in Amethi, the Director (SPG) was asked to verify factual position, the MHA said in a statement. Director SPG informed MHA that the green light shown in clipping was found to be that of a mobile phone used by AICC photographer, who was video graphing the impromptu press interaction of Rahul Gandhi near the collectorate in Amethi, it added. The Congress had on Thursday alleged serious security breach in Rahuls security cover and said that there is a threat to the Congress chiefs life in Amethi. The Congress wrote the MHA regarding this matter. In its letter to the MHA, the Congress had said that the green laser pointed at Rahuls head was possibly from a sniper gun. A perusal of the video by various persons including security personnel leads to a prima facie conclusion that this laser could emanate from a potential weapon such as a sniper gun, the letter said. We urge you to immediately take note of this grave and unacceptable security threat as also the security lapse in the security of the Congress president. This is also an alarming lapse on part of the UP administration which is responsible for the peripheral security, the letter added. New Delhi: A group of around 350 Central American migrants broke violently into Mexico on Friday. The countrys immigration authorities said, as a new caravan of around 2,500 people arrived from Guatemala. Today at 3:30 am (0830 GMT) a group of approximately 350 people broke violently across the Mexican border from Guatemala, the National Migration Institute said in a statement. Mexicos National Migration Institute said some members of the caravan had attacked local police in the southern town of Metapa de Domingueznews sure to draw the attention of President Donald Trump as he continues his crackdown on undocumented migrants heading toward the US. With an aggressive attitude, (the migrants) broke the padlock on the border gate and entered the country. The caravan set out Wednesday from the city of San Pedro Sula in Honduras and has picked up Guatemalans and some Nicaraguans along the way. The migrants are mostly fleeing poverty and brutal violence in their home countries. We cant live (in Honduras) anymore. Were heading for the border, for the United States, said Jorge, a young Honduran migrant who declined to give his last name. Earlier, said that the United States is full and the country has no room left to take the illegal immigrants. At a meeting with border patrol agents and other officials in Calexico, he said its overwhelming our immigration system and we cant let that happen. Then in a message to those heading for the United States, he said: The system is full and we cant take you anymore.... Our country is full. So turn around, thats the way it is, he said. Around 200 protesters, accompanied by a giant inflatable balloon depicting Trump as a baby, were waiting for the president in Mexicali, the town on the Mexican side of the frontier. Waving US and Mexican flags, the protesters carried signs with messages such as Stop separating families and If you build the wall, my generation will tear it down. On the US side, dozens of people lined the road that Trumps motorcade took from the airport, demonstrating support for his policies. Build the wall, said one placard. Trump is determined to pursue a hard line. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The lives of 800 Pakistani Hindu refugees living in North Delhi's Adarsh Nagar area have been in darkness for many years. For the past several years, these people have been forced to live here in the dark. The reason is the lack of electricity for these 200 families living in slums. In India, these Hindus are expecting the Modi government at the Centre. For years, they have been living in a miserable situation for their dream of being an Indian citizen. They don't even want to return, because it is difficult for them to live in Pakistan. They had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking his dream of electricity. During the hearing held on Thursday, it was the Central government that opposed the Delhi high court's petition seeking electricity connections for 200 Pakistani Hindu migrant families. Caught in the clutches of government rules, these Hindu refugees had been hoping for their Diwali to be lit up since last month, but now a reply filed in the Delhi High Court says that the refugee camp is an illegal encroachment on Delhi Jal Board land. Which is currently the land of defence. So that they cannot get the sanction of electricity connection. The court had last month sent a notice to the Delhi government and the Centre on a petition seeking relief for Hindu families fleeing Pakistan. On which today (October 22, 2021) the Centre has told the court that 70.253 acres of land was transferred to Defence Research and Development Organisation in August 2018 and is constantly trying with the concerned district administration and police to remove unauthorised occupation and encroachment on defence land. The Centre told the court that the Defence Ministry had also raised the issue of cutting off power and water supply to "unauthorized occupants" along with Delhi Jal Board and North Delhi Power Limited. That is, those who were still looking forward to electricity. They are going to have the redness of living now. It is also to be thought that when Pakistani Hindu refugees were already living there, who have no place in India, the Delhi Jal Board also made arrangements to remove them without rehabilitation by transferring the land to defence in 2018. Mira Rajput's red bikini photoshoot on pool, fans lost consciousness Pune: Lost job in lockdown, youth became shemale and then... Video: 'Another Voilance,' Nihang Sikh broked a worker's leg at Singhu border Kuwait City: The Kuwait International Airport is ever ready to operate at full capacity from Sunday, October 24, according to aviation authorities. The Kuwait International Airport will gradually operate commercial flights of all aviation companies in line with the government's decision, according to information quoted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Director-General Yousef Al-Fawzan. The Civil Aviation succeeded in operating under the challenges and requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, he said, calling on airliners and passengers to abide by the Covid-19 safety restrictions needed to enter Kuwait. According to the government spokesman Tareq Al-Mezrem, the government decided to allow outdoor activities without wearing masks from Sunday. The Kuwaiti government announced on Wednesday the start of the last phase of the five-phase plan for a gradual return to normal life, easing health restrictions in the country. In addition, the government will issue all varieties of visas for those who are fully vaccinated, Tareq Al-Mezrem said. Andhra Pradesh: Youth from Andhra Pradesh dies under suspicious circumstances in Kuwait Fijian Parliament elects new President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere Israeli PM Naftali Bennett departs for Sochi to meet Putin Mumbai: The Maharashtra government and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have been facing each other since the Mumbai drugs case came to light. You must be aware that every day, Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik is making several serious allegations questioning the functioning of NCB and its officials Sameer Wankhede. Now, amidst all this, Wankhede has hit back at Malik's allegations as false. Recently, he said, "There are many allegations against us, which will help the judiciary and the law. If I have to go to jail to remove drugs, it is acceptable.'' Talking to a famous website, Mumbai NCB Chief Sameer Wankhede said on Nawab Malik's allegations, "My point is that Nawab Malik is speaking wrongly. I went to the Maldives with the kids. I have no answer to these substandard allegations. My family is being attacked. Sister and father are being attacked. We will take action to fight against truth and drugs. There are also many allegations that we will seek the help of the Judiciary.'' What are Nawab Malik's allegations- In fact, Nawab Malik, who has been constantly attacking Sameer Wankhede in the drugs case, tweeted last Thursday morning and made several serious allegations. He had alleged that Sameer Wankhede implicated celebrities in fake drug cases and then tried to extort them. Not only that, he wrote in a tweet, "After Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide, Sameer Wankhede filed a fake drugs case against Rhea Chakraborty and other Bollywood stars. He should answer whether Sameer had gone to collect money from the summoned celebrities when he was in the Maldives as he was also on an international tour at that time.'' Shah Rukh Khan speaks in front of NCB- I hope my son... Big lapse in CM Yogi's security, 4 policemen suspended From stockbroker to 'Shah of politics,' know how Amit Shah's journey has been in 9 points Thailand country has announced that it will allow vaccinated tourists/visitors from 46 low-risk countries and regions to enter the country without quarantine from November. The list released by Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) includes the United States, the United Kingdon, China and Malaysia among others, according to reports Starting November 1, the eligible tourists will be permitted to travel freely in Thailand once they pass their post-arrival Covid-19 test, according to MFA spokesman Tanee Sangrat. The announcement came after Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said last week that the country would initially allow vaccinated travellers from at least 10 low-risk countries and regions to enter by air without quarantine requirements from next month. Thailand is beefing up steps to revive its economy as the tourism sector, the main growth engine that contributed roughly 20 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product before Covid-19, has been hit hard by the pandemic. New corona variant in Russia! Know what experts say New Zealand passes world's first climate change disclosure laws Foreign visitors to Japan declined over 99 percent in September! U.S President Joe Biden on Thursday didnt hesitate when asked whether the United States would come to Taiwans defence if China attacked. Yes, we have a commitment to do that, Biden said during a CNN town hall in Baltimore. Biden said people should not worry about Washington's military strength because "China, Russia and the rest of the world know we're the most powerful military in the history of the world," "What you do have to worry about is whether or not they're going to engage in activities that would put them in a position where they may make a serious mistake." However, the White House later clarified the presidents comments, telling POLITICO that there had been no change in policy. The U.S. defense relationship with Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act. We will uphold our commitment under the Act, we will continue to support Taiwans self-defense, and we will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo, a White House spokesperson said. Biden made a similar comment in August during an interview with ABC News. After the president suggested that the U.S. would defend the island if there were an attack, a deviation from the United States long-held position, the White House said the president misspoke. The White House in recent weeks has projected the message that the U.S. commitment to Taiwan is rock solid as tensions rise between the country and China. US to support India against China's aggressive policy- US Ambassador India's strategic economic reforms have been welcomed by the Biden: FM Biden admin to ask Supreme Court to block Texas abortion law Kathmandu, October 22 The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) is planning to host an international conference on Nepals post-earthquake reconstruction in Kathmandu. The three-day conference is due to take place from December 7 to December 9. The authority says it aims to share its experiences, learning and challenges it faced during the reconstruction drive that took place throughout Nepal following the 2015 earthquake. Speaking at an event held on Friday, the authoritys CEO Sushil Gyewali said the conference would be filled with experience sharing. He said the country would talk about heritage reconstruction, residential house reconstruction and infrastructural reconstruction. Separate topics would have separate seminars, said Gyewali, as the authority would want a nuanced discussion on different topics. The conference coordinator Chandra Bahadur Shrestha said invitations had been sent to experts of the field from both Nepal and abroad and that a website had been established to make things easy. Those interested in the conference can register their names to be part of it. Kathmandu, October 22 The Ministry of Health and Population has informed that Nepals Covid-19 tally has reached 902,001 as of Friday afternoon. The ministry said 708 new cases were confirmed in the country in the past 24 hours. In this period, 7,253 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which returned 574 returned positive. Likewise, 2,123 people underwent antigen tests for the virus, of which an additional 134 tested positive. Of total tests, 7.91 per cent of the PCR and 6.31 per cent of antigen samples returned positive, keeping the overall per-day positivity rate at 7.55 per cent. As of today, there are 10,946 active cases across the country. Of them, 830 are hospitalised, 279 in intensive care units and 91 on ventilators. In the past 24 hours, 932 people have achieved recovery whereas 11 deaths have been reported. Of the total cases so far, 785,813 people have achieved recovery. Likewise, 11,337 died, according to the ministry. The countrys recovery rate is 97.1 per cent and the death rate is 1.4 per cent. Meanwhile, 58,853 people were vaccinated today. Kathmandu, October 22 The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development says the unseasonal rainfall that Nepal faced for a few days early this week caused a loss of Rs 7.22 billion to farmers across the country. Preliminarily, the ministry has received reports that rice awaiting harvesting in 67,919 hectares of land got destroyed by the unexpected rainfall in Sudurpaschim, Lumbini and Province 1. As per the ministrys calculation, this loss is worth Rs 7.22 billion, informs the ministrys spokesperson Prakash Sanjel. Four districts of the Lumbini provinceBardiya, Kapilvastu, Banke and Rupandehihave been identified as the most affected districts, whereas Lumbini is the province that incurred the biggest loss, according to the ministry. As district officials are still reporting the losses, the amount may increase, says Sanjel. Over 100 people died due to floods, landslides and inundation caused by the unseasonal rainfall across Nepal in the past few days. Two Hoosiers were recently inducted to the National 4-H Hall of Fame for their lifetime achievements and contributions to 4-H. Indiana 4-H is proud to recognize the honorees for their significant contributions and years of dedicated service to Indiana 4-H and 4-H as a whole, said Casey Mull, Purdue Extensions assistant director and program leader for 4-H youth development. We are also proud of two others with Indiana 4-H roots who were inducted, Bryan Chadd of Arizona and Sandra Clarkson Stuckman of Michigan. Robert Ritchie, Lafayette, Indiana Robert Ritchie received his B.S.in animal sciences from Purdue University in 1963. He began his Extension career in Grant County as a 4-H Youth Educator and proceeded to lead as the Extension county director. He later became a member of the Indiana State 4-H staff at Purdue University, a position that he held for 18 years until his retirement in 1998. Robert Ritchie Ritchie was responsible for horticulture and field crop programs and associated state fair exhibits, the 4-H scholarship program, national 4-H awards program, field staff development, state fair fashion revue, and a large portion of the states career development events. He is credited for the overall success of Purdues 4-H Plant Science Workshop, now part of the overall 4-H Academy @ Purdue and he improved management of the Indiana 4-H and FFA Career Development Events. Ritchie led the development of the Indiana 4-H Congress. Ritchies professional service included two terms on the University Senate, president of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Specialists Association and many other leadership positions through the years. He was an active member in Epsilon Sigma Phi k (ESP) and Gamma Sigma Delta professional organizations, Indiana Extension Educators Association and a life member of the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP). Ritchie served on the Board of Directors of the Purdue Agriculture Alumni Association, two years as president. He continues to serve as a 4-H photography judge at numerous county fairs and the Indiana State Fair as well as the dean of boys at the annual statewide Purdue 4-H Round-Up and the 4-H Academy at Purdue. Congress Lawmakers seek probe of veterans' records requests backlog Shelving for military records at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. (Photo by Lenin Hurtado for the National Archives) A bipartisan group of House lawmakers want the internal watchdog at the National Archives and Records Administration to weigh in on how the agency's veterans records center can eliminate its backlog of records requests, which pay a key role in veterans accessing service-related benefits. The National Personnel Records Center holds military and medical records needed for benefits like medical treatment and emergency housing. The majority of them are paper-based, so the pandemic and the resulting contraction of in-person work has increased the backlog of requests. Currently, the backlog stands at over 550,000 requests. The surge of the Delta variant of the coronavirus stalled progress over the summer as it forced the agencies to reduce the number of onsite staff, NARA chief David Ferriero told lawmakers in an October letter. In July, the agency told lawmakers the agency's goal is to eliminate the backlog by the end of the calendar year 2022. Ferriero's more recent letter says he expects it to be eliminated by the end of fiscal year 2022, or next October. Nonetheless, Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.), National Security Subcommittee Chairman Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.) and Ranking Member Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) want the agency's watchdog to review what caused the backlog and NARA's work to eliminate it, they wrote in an Oct. 20 letter to NARA inspector general, Brett Baker. They also want input on what NARA can do to more efficiently address the requests, communicate with vets about it, upgrade its IT or use contracting to process the requests. Already, the agency has partnered with the Department of Veterans Affairs on digitization efforts, with the goal of making digital copies of service records for all living veterans. NPRC is also using additional space and new employees to run multiple in-person shifts each day. The agency's service delivery levels for the Veterans Benefits Administration have "been restored" and are "often exceeding pre-pandemic levels," according to Ferriero's October letter. The backlogs at NARA have contributed to another logjam of claims for disability compensation and pension claims at the VBA because certain records are necessary for claims processing. 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. Months ago, lawmakers urged Ferriero to apply for funding from the Technology Modernization Fund, saying that modernized IT systems would help the agency process the backlog of claims more quickly. Workforce Civic tech vendor recognizes employee union Code for America, the civic technology firm that recently helped adapt an IRS website to support a wider range of users, recognized a newly formed staff union and will participate in contract negotiations starting soon. This is the first time a firm in the civic tech space has recognized an employee union, according to a press statement from the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), which represents the Code for America workers. Voluntary recognition by an employer avoids an election under the auspices of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and allows the organizing union and the employer to proceed directly to contract talks. Code for America essentially accepted the results of a "card check" process, by which a majority of employees affirmed their desire to be represented by a union. "This important milestone in Code for America's history will increase our ability to create a government that works for the people, by the people in the digital age," company CEO Amanda Renteria said in a statement. "This has been a learning journey for our organization, and we arrived where we are today, with voluntary recognition, because of our strong commitment to delivering on our mission and staying true to our values." "Nonprofit and tech workers alike are becoming increasingly aware of the power a union brings them at work," OPEIU Organizing Director Brandon Nessen said in an emailed statement. "Unionizing gives working people agency to advance not only their own interests, but the mutual interests shared by both staff and management." OPEIU represents 103,000 workers across multiple industries. It is affiliated with the AFL-CIO. The new staff union, called CfA Workers United, will be directly represented by OPEIU's Tech Workers Union Local 1010. Relatively few digital technology workers are unionized. The Communications Workers of America (CWA), a 700,000-member organization that represents workers at AT&T, Verizon and elsewhere, is looking to change that with a campaign to organize digital employees. So far, that effort has met with few successes. A small union organized at Google's parent company Alphabet by CWA consists of about 800 workers, but it isn't empowered to negotiate employment contracts. The "minority union" lobbies the company on issues of importance to its members, including working conditions and the right to refuse projects on ethical grounds. CWA also lost a bid to organize workers at the location data and mapping platform Mapbox, whose government customers include the Federal Communications Commission and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That effort failed on a 123-81 vote by employees. The union is also in the midst of an organizing drive for digital employees at the New York Times. The CWA-backed New York Times Tech Guild filed for a union election with the NLRB in late July. Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on the set of the upcoming film "Rust" on Thursday, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring the film's director, Joel Souza. The incident is not the first such tragedy involving a prop gun. Brandon Lee, Bruce Lee's son, died at age 28 in March 1993 after a shooting involving a prop gun. In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died from a self-inflicted gunshot involving a firearm with blanks. Many of the details of what happened on the set of "Rust" have yet to come to light. The accident is under investigation, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office, and no charges have been filed. Baldwin was handed a loaded weapon by an assistant director who indicated it was safe to use in the moments before the shooting, according to court records released and obtained Friday by The Associated Press. The assistant director did not know the prop gun was loaded with live rounds, according to a search warrant filed in a Santa Fe court. "Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged," a release from the sheriff's office said. USA TODAY obtained an email sent to members of IATSE Local 44, a union of propmakers and other craftspeople who work within the entertainment industry, about the incident. The message said that the prop gun from the "Rust" set was loaded with "a live single round" and that no Local 44 members were on set. Crew members reportedly walked off the set of "Rust" to protest working conditions hours before Hutchins was killed. According to the Los Angeles Times and Deadline, crew members working on the Western raised concerns about several problems, including safety, before Thursday's accident. A spokesperson for Baldwin told The Associated Press there was an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. What is a prop gun? Those less familiar with the lingo used in Hollywood may not have heard of prop guns. A prop gun or prop firearm can mean several different things. The term can refer to fake guns but also real weapons that are being used as props. According to Yale's undergraduate production program, the term prop gun can be used to describe non-firing weapons, rubber guns and toy guns. (The program site adds that prop weapons can be "capable of inflicting actual bodily harm" and need a to be handled with a level of safety protocol.) Prop guns can also refer to functional firearms that discharge blank ammunition, according to Sonoma State University's theatre arts department. These can produce a noise and can also pose a fire hazard, the site states. How can a prop gun kill someone? Functional firearms can be deadly, even when using blanks. Such was the case with Hexum's accidental, self-inflicted gunshot to the head with a blank cartridge on the set of "Cover Up." In an article for "The Conversation," filmmakers Christopher Gist and Sarah Mayberry explained how Hexum died. "Instead of using a bullet, blanks use wads of paper, plastic, felt or cotton this wadding ensures you get a certain level of flame out of the gun," they wrote. The force of the wadding was enough to kill him. The Actors' Equity Association has called blanks "extremely dangerous." "Even though they do not fire bullets out of the gun barrel, they still have a powerful blast than can maim or kill." On RJR Props and Set Dressing Services' website, a company that rents prop guns for use in film, television and video, it clearly states that its blank-firing guns are "dangerous and require a license or a registered armorer." More on the incident: Blanks versus live rounds To understand the difference between blank and live rounds, it's important to understand that, generally speaking, ammunition for firearms is made up of several parts: a casing, primer, powder and bullet. The bullet specifically is the "projectile expelled from a gun," according to the National Rifle Association's glossary. At its simplest definition, blanks lack a bullet. The NRA defines a blank cartridge as "a round loaded with blackpowder or a special smokeless powder but lacking a projectile." Blanks can still use paper or plastic wadding to seal gunpowder into the cartridge, however, making them less dangerous than live rounds but still potentially harmful. If propelled close enough to someone, such in the case with Hexum's death from a blank cartridge, a blank can cause injury or worse. How could this happen? According to the Actors' Equity Association, people handling props should "treat all guns as if they are loaded and deadly." The group says to never point a firearm at anyone. On set, the property master or armorer should train actors in the safe use of any firearm they must handle. The weapons master is required to be on set whenever a weapon is being used. The Actors Equity Associations guidelines state: Before each use, make sure the gun has been test-fired off stage and then ask to test fire it yourself. Watch the prop master check the cylinders and barrel to be sure no foreign object or dummy bullet has become lodged inside. Further, all loading of firearms must be done by the property master, armorer or experienced persons working under their direct supervision. Kevin Williams, the prop department supervisor at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, told NPR the Baldwin incident seems to be "one of these freak accidents." "It is an extremely rare circumstance that anything like this happens. Especially nowadays when there are so many different procedures and policies in place," he said. Why are guns used on sets? When making a movie, Gist and Mayberry explained, choices in props are made to best match the characters and scene. For a recent project they worked on, the team chose to film with real weapons but used only blanks in one scene. In every other scene, visual effects (VFX) will be added. "The blanks were chosen because of the importance of the weapon to the storytelling in that scene," they wrote, but they added "many gun effects can be done well through VFX." After the Baldwin incident, a Change.org petition was created titled "Hollywood: Its time to ban the use of real firearms on film sets!" The petition's description states: "We need to make sure this never happens again. There is no excuse for something like this to happen in the 21st century. Real guns are no longer needed on film production sets." According to a press release, the petition was created by Bandar Albuliwi, a young director who graduated from the American Film Institute Conservatory, the same school Hutchins attended. Other prop gun accidents: Jon-Erik Hexum, Brandon Lee In addition to Hexum's 1984 death by blank firearm shooting and Bruce Lee's son's fatal shooting involving a prop gun, there have been other on-set accidents that have been the result of explosives and other stage weapons. In 1982, three actors were killed and six helicopter passengers were injured on the set of "Twilight Zone" after special effects explosions caused a helicopter to crash. Two of the actors who died were children. The incident was responsible for new procedures and safety standards in the filmmaking industry after sparking years of civil and criminal action over what had happened. Al Pacino accidentally burned his hand by holding the barrel of a gun that had been fired during production for 1983's "Scarface." And Linda Hamilton suffered permanent hearing damage in one ear during filming of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" in 1991 when she fired a gun inside an elevator without ear plugs. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is a prop gun? Alec Baldwin shooting incident raises questions. SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new market study published by Global Industry Analysts Inc., (GIA) the premier market research company, today released its report titled "Payment Gateways - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics." The report presents fresh perspectives on opportunities and challenges in a significantly transformed post COVID-19 marketplace. Global Opportunity for Payment Gateways FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 6; Released: April 2021 Executive Pool: 1364 Companies: 48 - Players covered include 99Bill Corporation; Alipay; Amazon Payments, Inc.; Authorize.Net LLC; Avangate Inc.; Barclaycard; Beanstream; BluePay Processing, LLC; Cardstream Ltd.; CashU; CCBill, LLC; Certitrade AB; Checkout Ltd; DIBS Payment Services AB; e-Path Pty Ltd.; ePay Payment solutions; ePay.bg; eWAY; eWAY New Zealand Ltd.; First Data Corporation; Gestpay; GMO Epsilon Co., Ltd.; GoCardless Ltd.; Infibeam Avenues Ltd.; iPay; Kiplepay Sdn Bhd (KPSB); Klarna Bank AB; MercadoLibre SRL; Merchant Warrior; MIH PayU BV; MOLPay Sdn Bhd; Moneris Solutions Corporation; MyGate; National Australia Bank Ltd.; PagosOnline ; Pagseguro Internet S/A; PayDollar (AsiaPay Limited); PayFast (Pty) Ltd.; PAYGENT Co., Ltd.; PayPal; PayPoint plc.; Paysafe Group Limited; Payson AB; PayU S.A.; PayU.ro (Romania); PayWay; PesoPay; Przelewy24; QIWI Plc; ROBOKASSA; Sage Pay Europe Limited.; SecurePay Pty Ltd.; SecureTrading Ltd.; ServiRed, Sociedad Espanola de Medios de Pago, S.A.; Sofort GmbH; Stripe, Inc.; Tenpay; Vision Consultant Services (VCS); WebMoney; Worldline; Worldpay, LLC and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Type (Hosted Payment Gateway, Non-hosted Payment Gateway, Direct Payment Gateway Market, Platform Based Payment Gateway) 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. Story continues Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Global Payment Gateways Market to Reach $80 Billion by 2026 Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Payment Gateways estimated at US$42.1 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$80 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 11.1% over the analysis period. Hosted Payment Gateway, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record a 10.8% CAGR and reach US$45.2 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 Non-hosted Payment Gateway segment is readjusted to a revised 9.3% CAGR for the next 7-year period. The U.S. Market is Estimated at $12.7 Billion in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $16.6 Billion by 2026 The Payment Gateways market in the U.S. is estimated at US$12.7 Billion in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$16.6 Billion by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 14.5% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 7.7% and 9.5% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 8.6% CAGR. Direct Payment Gateway Market Segment to Reach US$12 Billion by the year 2026 In the global Direct Payment Gateway Market segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 12.6% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$4.2 Billion in the year 2020 will reach a projected size of US$9.6 Billion by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. 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: ZA@StrategyR.com LINKS Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media Info411@strategyr.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-80-billion-global-opportunity-for-payment-gateways-by-2026---new-research-from-strategyr-301406324.html SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Foodology has been whipping up its restaurant brands in cloud and virtual kitchens in Colombia and Mexico since 2019, and with a new infusion of capital, hopes to scale that across Latin America. The Bogota-based company closed on $15 million in Series A funding in a round led by Andreessen Horowitz and Base Partners. Existing investors Kayyak Ventures and Jaguar Ventures (now Wollef) joined in as did a group of angel investors, including Instacart president Nilam Ganenthiran, Kavak CEO Carlos Garcia, Uala CEO Pierpaolo Barbieri, former Burger King Chairman Dick Boyce and Merama CEO Sujay Tyle. Including the new funding, Foodology has raised more than $20 million. The company was founded by CEO Daniela Izquierdo and Juan Guillermo Azuero, who met in a restaurant industry course at Harvard Business School. Izquierdo told TechCrunch that she is a big fan of cooking and wanted to mix that passion with a business. It is a risky industry people go broke, restaurants are closing down and it is capital-intensive to set it up, even a small shop, she added. We wanted to bring in technology and data to be more efficient and be prepared for a virtual world, which behind it is food delivery. Many restaurants did not change at all to serve the delivery customer. Azuero added that on the customer side, food delivery is usually just an OK experience, not a great experience and often the food packaging is not the best. Foodology is working to change that, and they say they have built a model that enables it to rapidly scale original and third-party restaurant brands across Latin American markets within weeks and deliver meals in a way that will delight customers. Heres how it works: Foodology collects data on user preferences and cross-references that with nearby food options in a geographical area to manage the end-to-end creation of original dishes with delivery. The company typically has seven to 10 brands being made in one kitchen and performs R&D on the best-sold dishes in order to create menus with its full team of chefs, Izquierdo said. Foodology currently operates 20 kitchens in six cities across Colombia and 10 in Mexico and has 60 corporate employees and over 300 in its kitchens. In Colombia, it is taking 100,000 orders per month and just passed a milestone of 1 million orders total. Izquierdo aims to open another six kitchens, as well as use the new funding to enter the Brazilian and Peruvian markets next year. Story continues Latin Americas food service industry was forecasted to generate $264 billion in 2020. To keep up, in addition to expanding the number of kitchens, the company will use the new funding on product development as it grows 50% month in revenue, a pace the founders see continuing as it opens more locations in Mexico and enters the new markets. Their goal is to support 500 kitchens in the future, Azuero said. There are tons of people looking to have virtual restaurants and brands, but very few have a model at scale in the region, Izquierdo said. We are by far the biggest player doing it in LatAm. FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, today announced that Dr. Carrie L. Byington has been appointed to the company's board of directors, bringing the total number of directors to 13. Dr. Carrie L. Byington, executive vice president and head of University of California Health, has been appointed to the BD board of directors. Byington, 58, is executive vice president and head of University of California Health (UCH), where she leads the nation's largest academic health system. UCH's six academic health centers and 20 health professional schools form a more than $20 billion enterprise providing nationally ranked care, health professional training and biomedical research. UCH's academic health centers specialize in complex care, including providing half of all transplants and one-fourth of extensive burn care in California. UCH operates or staffs five Level 1 trauma centers, five nationally designated comprehensive cancer centers and five clinical and translational science institutes. "Dr. Byington's deep experience gained through her leadership positions at some of the nation's largest health systems brings highly relevant and complementary integrated delivery network perspectives to BD and our board of directors," said Tom Polen, chairman, CEO and president of BD. "Dr. Byington is joining BD at one of the most exciting times in our company's history, as we work to advance our BD 2025 strategy and accelerate innovation in smart connected care, enable the transition to new care settings and improve chronic disease outcomes." Prior to UCH, Byington held leadership roles at Texas A&M University System, including serving concurrently as dean of the College of Medicine and senior vice president of Health Sciences for Texas A&M University and vice chancellor for health services for the Texas A&M 11-campus system. She is the first Hispanic woman to serve in these health leadership roles in the United States. Prior to Texas A&M University System, she spent more than 20 years in teaching and leadership positions with the University of Utah. Story continues Byington, an infectious diseases specialist, has received awards from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and Drexel University College of Medicine's Institute for Women's Health and Leadership. Her research has focused on respiratory pathogens, molecular diagnostics and pandemic preparedness. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Inventors. She was the Chair of the Infectious Diseases Advisory Group for the U.S. Olympic Committee, responsible for protecting Team USA athletes and staff from the Zika Virus during the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Byington received her Bachelor of Science in biology from Texas A&M University and Doctor of Medicine from Baylor College of Medicine, both with honors. She is board certified in General Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases. About BD BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its 70,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bd1/ and Twitter @BDandCo. Contacts: Media Investors Troy Kirkpatrick Kristen M. Stewart, CFA VP, Public Relations SVP, Strategy & Investor Relations 858-617-2361 201.847.5378 troy.kirkpatrick@bd.com kristen.stewart@bd.com BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) Logo (PRNewsfoto/BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bd-names-dr-carrie-byington-to-board-of-directors-301406422.html SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: The logo of Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA is seen at the company's headquarters in Sao Jose dos Campos SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian planemaker Embraer delivered 30 jets in the third quarter, up 7.1% from a year earlier but down 11.7% from the previous quarter, it said on Thursday, adding the deliveries comprised nine commercial planes and 21 executive jets. Embraer also said in a securities filing that its firm order backlog totaled $16.8 billion in Sept. 30, up from $15.1 billion in the same period of 2020 and $15.9 billion at the end of the second quarter of 2021. According to the Brazilian company, its commercial aircraft deliveries were down five units from the previous quarter, while executive aircraft deliveries rose by one unit. Itau BBA analysts said the figures showed good overall performance in deliveries and a robust backlog, in line with expectations, despite commercial deliveries having declined after a "strong" second quarter. "We believe that the overall performance was solid, suggesting that demand continues to recover ... Our optimism is reinforced by the $16.8 billion backlog," Itau BBA said, maintaining its "outperform" rating for Embraer shares. Brazil-traded shares in Embraer were down 1.8% at 24.20 reais in early afternoon trading, but outperformed the broader Bovespa stock index, which plunged 2.9% on worries the country would breach its constitutional spending cap to fund a new welfare program. (Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Edmund Blair and David Gregorio) Fast-growing fintech Brex has raised $300 million in funding that propels it to decacorn status, just six months after it was valued at $7.4 billion, according to people familiar with the deal. The sources, who wished to remain anonymous since the deal is not yet public (although a term sheet has been signed), said corporate spend startup Brex is now valued at $12.3 billion. Greenoaks is said to be leading the investment, which also reportedly includes return backers who want more of a stake in the company after seeing the strength of the business. Brex is on track to double revenue this year, according to the sources. Neither Brex nor Greenoaks responded to requests for comment. Founded in 2017 by Pedro Franceschi and Henrique Dubugras (who are now in their mid-20s), San Francisco-based Brex was valued at $7.4 billion this April after raising a $425 million Series D led by Tiger Global Management. The company had raised $1.2 billion in debt and equity financing, according to Crunchbase data. With its latest infusion, that number climbs to $1.5 billion. The fact that Brex is now a decacorn is somewhat remarkable, given its relatively young age. As mentioned above, it's now on track to double revenue in 2021, although we don't have any hard figures on hand. The company told TechCrunch at the time of its last raise that it was onboarding thousands of new tech and non-tech customers every month. Brex also said then that it grew its total customer figure by 80% in the first quarter of 2021, with total monthly customer additions increasing by 5x. The corporate spend space has heated up in a major way over the past year. Spend management startup Ramp in August announced it had raised $300 million in a Series C round of funding that valued the company at $3.9 billion. Brex is focused on earlier-stage startups as well as more established businesses, especially those in the mid-market category. Ramp tends to serve larger, more established companies. At the time of its raise, Ramp told TechCrunch that it had seen its revenue and transaction volume surge by 1,000% since the beginning of the year. Story continues And last week, TripActions revealed that a pandemic pivot to helping enterprises with corporate expenses helped boost its revenue and lift its valuation to $7.5 billion. So it too now has unexpectedly emerged as a competitor in the corporate spend race. CEO Ariel Cohen told TechCrunch that he believes TripActions differs from Brex and Ramp in that the two startups are disparate from travel and thus focus more on SMEs while TripActions is more focused on enterprise companies. Interestingly, Greenoaks led that companys recent $275 million round, as well. Brex, too, continues to evolve its model. Earlier today, the startup announced its new "Brex API." The new open API is available to all Brex customers for no extra charge, it said, and is designed to allow them to "seamlessly manage financial information in a customizable interface." For customers without in-house developers, Brex also announced a partnership with Zapier, which will allow the automation of workflows among products "without having to write a single line of code." With the Brex API, the company added, developers can build workflows that are customized for their companys individual needs. Earlier this year, the company announced it had put together a new service called Brex Premium that costs $49 per month. The number of premium subscribers that we now have definitely blew away our expectations, Dubugras told me in August. In February, Brex was the latest fintech to apply for a bank charter. The company, which sells a credit card tailored for startups, with Emigrant Bank currently acting as the issuer, had submitted an application with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions (UDFI) to establish Brex Bank. But in August, the company said it would voluntarily withdraw its bank charter and federal deposit insurance applications in an effort to modify and strengthen its application before resubmitting at a later date. Also in August, Brex acquired one-year-old Weav, a developer of a universal API for commerce platforms, for $50 million in its first significant acquisition. The move was aimed at giving the businesses which use its platform the ability to get financial services and new products more quickly and precisely, the company said. Recognized for high levels of employee satisfaction during so-called "great resignation" VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - O2E Brands, a home services company that includes 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, has been named number 17 on Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces list. It joins a list of 100 businesses from around the world such as Spotify, Twitter and Dell, lauded for their high levels of employee happiness and satisfaction. The company is the highest-ranking Canadian company on the list. O2E Brands Inc. logo (CNW Group/O2E Brands Inc.) "Being included in Newsweek is huge, but it's even more meaningful this year," said founder and CEO Brian Scudamore. "There's been an upheaval of what 'going to work' even means. As a 'Most Loved Workplace', we're among companies who display a remarkable commitment to respecting and appreciating their people. And that's what this is really about: the people who bring their whole selves to work to make O2E Brands exceptional." "While everyone is talking about the great resignation, we're thinking about it as the great progression." As businesses grapple with the compounded effects of returning employees to the office from remote work and the so-called "great resignation" brought on by the pandemic, this win sets O2E Brands apart as a top employer in North America. Now, they're poised to double down on that reputation with an innovative reintegration strategy. "We talked to dozens of businesses to find out their approach about back-to-the-office. We considered every single person on every team, and used data in a new way to build a framework around reintegration called the 4Cs: Connect, Collaborate, Communicate, and Celebrate," said Kerrie Shakespeare, Chief Purpose Officer. "Our goal was to establish the office as a cultural gathering space to inspire our people to do their best work." TAKING ORDINARY 2 EXCEPTIONAL O2E Brands was established in 2015 to bring Brian Scudamore's three home-service brands; 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, and Shack Shine. Based in Vancouver, B.C., our uniquely branded companies are leaders in customer experience, company culture, and franchise development, Each service focuses on providing exceptional customer service in traditionally "ordinary" home service industries and offers uniformed employees, up-front pricing, on-time service and clean, shiny trucks. Story continues O2E Brands' greatest asset is its people. Culture at O2E Brands is based on the core company values of PIPE: Passion, Integrity, Professionalism and Empathy. All aspects of the company speak to our daily focus: that no matter where you're looking, "It's All About People." O2E = Ordinary to Exceptional! ABOUT NEWSWEEK Newsweek is the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic, 85-year-old American magazine. O2E Brands Daily Huddle Meeting (CNW Group/O2E Brands Inc.) Brian Scudamore, Founder & CEO, O2E Brands (CNW Group/O2E Brands Inc.) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canadas-o2e-brands-lands-coveted-spot-on-newsweeks-list-of-most-loved-workplaces-301406887.html SOURCE O2E Brands Inc. Lima, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lima, PERU, October 22, 2021 Credicorp Ltd. announces to its shareholders and the market that its 3Q21 Earnings Release Report will be released on Thursday November 04, 2021 after market close. Credicorps Webcast / Conference Call to discuss such results, will be held on Friday November 05, 2021 at 10:30 am EST (9:30 am Lima, Peru time). The call will be host by Walter Bayly, CEO, Alvaro Correa, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Gianfranco Ferrari, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Reynaldo Llosa, Chief Risk Officer, Cesar Rios, Chief Financial Officer and Investor Relations Team. We encourage participants to pre-register for the listen-only webcast presentation using the following link: https://dpregister.com/sreg/10161188/eeb109afcc Callers who pre-register will be given a conference passcode and unique PIN to gain immediate access to the call and bypass the live operator. Participants may pre-register at any time, including up to and after the call start time. Those unable to pre-register may dial in by calling: 1 866 777 2509 Participant dial in (toll free) 1 412 317 5413 Participant international dial in Conference ID: Credicorp Conference Call The webcast will be archived for one year on our investor relations website at: https://credicorp.gcs-web.com/events-and-presentations/upcoming-events Credicorp reminds you that we filed our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31st, 2020 (2020 Form 20-F) with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30th, 2021. The 2020 Form 20-F includes audited consolidated financial statements of Credicorp and its subsidiaries as of December 31st, 2019 and 2020 and for the years ended December 31st, 2018, 2019 and 2020 under IFRS. Our 2020 Form 20-F can be downloaded from Credicorps website: https://credicorp.gcs-web.com. Holders of Credicorps securities and any other interested parties may request a hard copy of our 2020 Form 20-F, free of charge, by filling out the form located on the link mail request on Credicorps website. Story continues About Credicorp Credicorp Ltd. (NYSE: BAP) is the leading financial services holding company in Peru with presence in Chile, Colombia and Bolivia. Credicorp has a diversified business portfolio organized into four lines of business: Universal Banking, through Banco de Credito del Peru BCP and Banco de Credito de Bolivia; Microfinance, through Mibanco in Peru and Colombia; Insurance & Pension Funds, through Grupo Pacifico and Prima AFP; and Investment Banking & Wealth Management, through Credicorp Capital, Wealth Management at BCP and Atlantic Security Bank. For further information please contact the IR team: investorrelations@credicorpperu.com Investor Relations Credicorp Ltd. Attachment Prestigious List Recognizes Top San Francisco Independent Marketing and Communications Agency's Impressive Revenue and Growth Agency Releases Gen Z Cultural Report to Support Marketers in Understanding the Largest Generation SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Demonstrate , a leading full-service marketing and communications agency announced it has been ranked #20 on San Francisco Business Times' " 2021 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Bay Area ." The annual list is an exclusive ranking of the region's fastest-growing private companies across tech, finance, marketing and public relations, construction, food and veterinary care to real estate and e-commerce, representing one of the most important segments of the local economy. The winners and rankings were unveiled at a virtual awards gala on October 21, 2021. Demonstrate Leadership Team (L-R) Joey Hodges, Sean DallasKidd, Tennyson Wilson, Victoria Rainone and Cody Goins (Photo Credit: Scott Iverson for Demonstrate) "We are honored to be named amongst this stellar group of companies," said Joey Hodges, founder and CEO of Demonstrate. "It has been an unbelievable journey delivering groundbreaking results on behalf of our client partners, and as a result, Demonstrate has had an incredible year. It is both humbling and fulfilling to see the hard work of our team be acknowledged." Companies on the list are ranked by percent growth in revenue from 2018 to 2020. Those on this year's list logged astounding growth, the the collective of 100 companies achieved $19.2B in total revenue while 25 companies grew by 100% or more and five saw revenue skyrocket 500% or higher. In order to be considered, the companies must also have had at least $200,000 in revenue in fiscal 2018 and must be independent, privately held corporation, proprietorship or partnership (not a subsidiary or a division) and headquartered in counties covered by SF Business Times - San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Contra Costa and Marin. Since inception, Demonstrate has been steadfast in delivering valuable insights and cultural truths to inspire impactful work for the audiences reached through a variety of its client partners. In reflection of this growth and the ever-evolving wants and needs of both established and emerging audiences, the agency applies strategy and creativity to help brands deliver on their purpose and promise. Most recently, in an effort to build thoughtful platforms for an audience many brands are seeking connection with, Demonstrate developed a comprehensive assessment of the largest generation on the planet: Gen Z. Story continues "As communicators inspired by creativity and brand truths, we've always put a heavy weight on how our clients can establish an authentic connection with their audiences," said Sean DallasKidd, partner and CCO of Demonstrate. "We looked to Gen Z as a super creative, savvy, and purpose-focused audience. Gen Z challenges the status quo, and our report offers brands insights and actions to rise to that challenge." This last year has proven to be monumental for Demonstrate. Preceding the recognition from the San Francisco Business Times' "2021 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Bay Area", the agency has received numerous accolades including being awarded "Best of Best" in animation by C2A Creative Communications Awards for its work on Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water, and "Winner of Best Social Media Campaign" for its work on f'real, named #11 on San Francisco Business Times' "Largest Bay Area LGBTQ-Owned Businesses", and most recently named in the inaugural "The PR Net 100" list. The list recognizes talent, innovation and influence in the PR industry, compiled of agencies that have shown agility, resilience and a reimagining of the communications business. Demonstrate's current roster of client partners spans a variety of verticals including consumer technology, sustainability, wellness and nutrition, food technology, fintech, adult beverage, education technology, nonprofit, and consumer packaged goods, with key new client signings including Adam Hall Group, Bi-Rite, HomeValet, Lagunitas, MyFitnessPal, ReserveBar, Springboard, The Caviar Co., The Goldman Environmental Prize, The Mom Project and Volta Charging. The agency doubled its revenue and staffing in the last year, and earlier this year, Demonstrate announced the rollout of its new website, agency manifesto, in addition to establishing two new satellite offices in Austin, Texas and Miami, Florida. To learn more about Demonstrate, inquire about business opportunities, or download its Gen Z report, visit www.wearedemonstrate.com . About Demonstrate Founded in 2015, Demonstrate is an award-winning, independently owned, boutique full-service marketing and communications agency with headquarters in San Francisco and presence across the U.S. with offices in New York, New York, Miami, Florida, and Austin, Texas. Boasting a team of driven, imaginative, and solutions-oriented innovators, the agency partners with clients to navigate the current cultural landscape and align their initiatives with relevant trends and niche markets. Demonstrate excels at developing and executing insight-based, integrated marketing programs consisting of strategic brand communications planning, public relations, creative strategy and content production, influencer and social campaigns, bespoke experiential brand events and paid media amplification. For more information about the agency, please visit wearedemonstrate.com . Follow Demonstrate on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and Twitter . Media Contact: Joey Hodges Demonstrate 321998@email4pr.com (415) 400-4214 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/demonstrate-ranks-20-on-san-francisco-business-times-fastest-growing-private-companies-in-the-bay-area-list-301406741.html SOURCE Demonstrate HOLLAND, Mich., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- eoStar, today announced that the company has appointed Chris Timmer as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective September 30th. Chris will assume day-to-day leadership of the company and will also join eoStar's Board of Directors. Chris has over 20 years in executive leadership. His skills in team building, strategy development, sales management, marketing, operations management, and culture development will ensure a collaborative organization that strives to help each other succeed. Most recently, Chris was the Chief Revenue Officer at BluJay Solutions, which was an evolution of a West Michigan company, Lean Logistics, that Chris helped to both start and grow to unexpected levels of success. "Chris is a proven leader with strong technical skills and great business insights. He has a remarkable ability to see what's going on in the market, to sense opportunity, and to really understand how we come together to execute against those opportunities in a collaborative way." President, Paul Rutherford In conjunction with eoStar's new CEO Chris Timmer, the company welcomes Sumit Sakalle as the new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Sumit joins eoStar with over 22 years of progressive engineering leadership and the right mix of experience to evolve and support the organization execute its ambitious plans for growth. Sumit has led globally distributed architecture, development, quality control, UI/UX, tech/dev ops, and machine learning programming teams of 120+ resources, developing multiple product lines. His experience includes designing and building an AI-based architecture platform to support multiple SaaS-based ERPs for Sourcing, Procurement, Marketplace, and spend analytics applications. "We are proud of eoStar's ability to attract a person of Sumit's experience and caliber. Sumit has proven success with developing and launching comprehensive platforms as a scalable enterprise, multi-tenant SaaS product, with web and mobile applications." CEO, Chris Timmer Story continues About eoStar eoStar, formally known as Rutherford & Associates was founded in 1986. eoStar provides an end-to-end software solution for direct store delivery distributors, including route accounting, warehouse management, voice picking, forecasting, and mobile sales capabilities. The eoStar platform is now serving over 14,000 users in beverage, wine & spirits, and food service. eoStar is a strategic partner with MillerCoors and the preferred technology and solution for Coca-Cola North America, North Star. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eostar-announces-chris-timmer-as-new-ceo-301406810.html SOURCE eoStar Exclusive-Apple's talks with Chinese battery makers CATL and BYD mostly stalled -sources FILE PHOTO: Apple logo at an Apple store in Paris SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Apple Inc's talks with China's CATL and BYD over battery supplies for its planned electric vehicle have been mostly stalled after they refused to set up teams and build U.S. plants that would solely cater to the tech giant, three people with knowledge of the discussions said. The firms informed Apple sometime in the past two months that they were not able to meet its requirements, the people said. But the U.S. company has not given up hope of resuming talks with either CATL or BYD, according to one source. Chinese battery makers are more advanced than rivals in the development of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries which are cheaper to produce and sources have previously said Apple favours this battery technology. CATL, the world's No.1 maker of batteries for EVs, has been reluctant to build a U.S. factory due to political tensions between Washington and Beijing as well as cost concerns, said one of the people with direct knowledge of the talks. The Chinese firm has also found it impossible to set up a separate product development team exclusively working with Apple due to difficulties in finding sufficient personnel, the person added. BYD, which has an iron-phosphate battery plant in Lancaster, California, declined to build a new factory and team that would solely focus on supplying Apple, said two of the sources. The stalled discussions have meant that Apple has been considering Japanese battery makers and it sent a group of people to Japan this month, they added. Panasonic Corp is one of the companies that Apple is considering, said one of the people. The sources declined to be identified as the talks were confidential. Apple, BYD and Panasonic declined to comment. CATL said in a statement to Reuters that it denied "the relevant information". "We are evaluating the opportunity and possibility of manufacture localization in North America," the statement said, adding that it has a dedicated professional team exclusively for each customer. Sources told Reuters last year Apple was aiming to launch an electric car by 2024 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-autos-exclusive/exclusive-apple-targets-car-production-by-2024-and-eyes-next-level-battery-technology-sources-idUSKBN28V2PY. Apple has not publicly disclosed its plans. Story continues The stall in discussions comes at a time when U.S. President Joe Biden is seeking to make the United States a powerhouse in electric cars, setting a goal https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/biden-set-target-50-evs-by-2030-industry-backs-goal-2021-08-05 of having half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 electric. Any delays in securing battery supplies could further impede EV development for Apple which last month lost the head of its car project, Doug Field, after he decided to return to Ford Motor Co. Tesla Inc, which has been making some of its Model 3 and Model Y cars in China with LFP batteries from CATL, said this week it intended to use that battery chemistry outside China as well. CATL and BYD use a type of battery pack technology to improve the performance of LFP batteries. Without that, LFP batteries usually offer much shorter driving ranges and lower energy density than the more expensive lithium batteries that use cobalt and nickel. (Reporting by Zhang Yan in Shanghai and Julie Zhu in Hong Kong; Additional reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco and Tim Kelly in Tokyo; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 21, 2021 /CNW/ - Industry is recalling whole raw onions (red, yellow, and white) exported by Prosource Produce LLC of Hailey, Idaho, produce of the state of Chihuahua, Mexico from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below or foods containing these raw onions. Retailers, distributors, manufacturers, and food service establishments such as hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals, and nursing homes should not serve, use, or sell the recalled products described below. The following products have been sold in Ontario and Quebec and may have been distributed in other provinces and territories. These products may also have been sold in bulk or in smaller packages with or without a label and may not bear the same brand or product names as described below. The CFIA will continue its investigation into other possible importers and additional recalls may follow. Recalled products Brand Product Size UPC Codes Additional information Mesh sacks: 50 lb 25 lb 10 lb 5 lb 3 lb 2 lb Cartons: 50 lb 40 lb 25 lb 10 lb 5 lb Variable All products imported between July 1, 2021 and August 31, 2021. Produce of the state of Chihuahua, Mexico What you should do If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, call your doctor. Check to see if you have the recalled products in your home or establishment. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased. If you are unsure of the identity of the onions in your possession, check with your place of purchase. Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections. Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis. Story continues Background This recall was triggered by a recall in another country. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings. The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing the recalled products from the marketplace. Illnesses There have been no reported illnesses in Canada associated with the consumption of these products. SOURCE Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Cision View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2021/21/c4577.html Key Companies Covered in Chatbot Market Research Report are Amazon Web Services, Inc. (US), Google LLC (US), IBM Corporation (US), Microsoft Corporation (US), SAP SE (Germany), Yellow Messenger (India), Labiba for Artificial Intelligence LLC (Dubai), Gupshup (US), SmartBots (US), Aivo (Argentina). Pune, India, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global chatbot market size is expected to witness astounding growth by exhibiting a CAGR of 22.5% between 2020 and 2027. Additionally, the market was worth USD 396.2 million in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 1,953.3 million by 2027. Fortune Business Insights, publish this information in its latest report, titled Chatbot Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Component (Platform/Software Development Kit and Services), By Deployment (Cloud and On-premises), By Application (Website, Contact Centers, Social Media and Mobile Application), By Industry (Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), Retail and ecommerce, Information Technology (IT) and Telecom, Media and Entertainment, Healthcare and Others and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027. Increasing adoption of technology such as the artificial intelligence (AI) system by the SMEs and innovative product development is anticipated to be the driving factors for the market growth during the forecast period. Request a Sample Copy of Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/chatbot-market-104673 List of the Companies Operating in the Market: Amazon Web Services, Inc. (US) Google LLC (US) IBM Corporation (US) Microsoft Corporation (US) SAP SE (Germany) Yellow Messenger (India) Labiba for Artificial Intelligence LLC (Dubai) Gupshup (US) SmartBots (US) Aivo (Argentina) REPORT SCOPE & SEGMENTATION: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2020 to 2027 Forecast Period 2020 to 2027 CAGR 22.5% 2027 Value Projection USD 1,953.3 Million Base Year 2018 Market Size in 2019 USD 396.2 Million Historical Data for 2016 to 2018 No. of Pages 160 Tables, Charts & Figures 97 Segments covered Component; Deployment; Application; Industry; and Region Growth Drivers Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Rising Number of SMEs to Drive Market Growth Increasing Popularity of Messenger Bots based on Cloud Services among SMEs and E-commerce to Drive the Market Technological Innovation to Augur Growth Pitfalls & Challenges Significant Conversational Gaps and Security Breaches to Hamper Growth The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has cast an unprecedented effect on several businesses across industries. While some industries are experiencing significant loss owing to the lockdown announced by the federal governments globally, collective efforts from the government and the industries will ensure that the testing times may soon pass away. Story continues We are taking continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of the coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future. Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this Market. Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/chatbot-market-104673 A chatbot is a type of computer program that is a simulated interpretation of human conversation using voice or text assistance or sometimes both. In addition to this, it involves the adoption of technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) that can be used through several interactive applications. Back in the 1960s, Joseph Weizenbaum, a professor at MIT, developed the worlds first-ever chatbot, Eliza that answered a few basic questions. However, with the evolution of technology, a remarkable development in conversational bots is witnessed today and is highly adopted by large businesses to gain competitive edge and maintain efficient customer interaction. What does the Report Include? The market report includes detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of several factors such as the key drivers and restraints that will affect market growth. In addition to this, the report provides insights into the regional analysis that covers the different regions, which are contributing to the growth of the market. Furthermore, it includes the competitive landscape that involves leading companies and adoption of strategies by them to innovate novel products, announce partnerships, and collaboration that will contribute to the growth of the market between 2019 and 2026. Moreover, the research analyst has adopted several research methodologies such as PESTEL and SWOT analysis to extract information about the current trends and industry developments that will drive the market growth in the forthcoming years. Drivers and Restraints: Technological Innovation to Augur Growth Emergence of technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning is increasing the demand for advanced chatbots. Additionally, cloud-based chatbots are helping the companies to increase maximum customer interaction and overall productivity. Increasing adoption of such advanced software applications by the companies is expected to drive the global chatbot market growth in the forthcoming years. For instance, according to a report by the Oracle Corporation, about 80% of large and SMEs are presently using or planning to adopt advanced services by the end of 2020. Companies Lend a Helping Hand amid COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in total standstill of several businesses across the globe. The government agencies with the help of companies are striving to get back on track the limping economy by proposing several economic packages. However, the widespread chaos has put a glimmer of hope on the chatbots in the healthcare segment. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for chatbots as two technology companies, Infermedica and LiveChat Software have come forward to launch this technology that identifies coronavirus symptoms in the patients and further advises the patients to seek medical assistance. Ask for Customization: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/chatbot-market-104673 Regional Analysis: Presence of Major Players in North America to Bolster Growth Among the regions, the market in North America was worth USD 156.7 million in 2019 and is expected to hold the highest global chatbot market revenue during the forecast period. This is ascribable to factors such as the presence of large companies such as IBM Corporation, Amazon Web Inc., and Microsoft Corporation, among others. Furthermore, high investments by the companies in developing advanced bots to facilitate their business operation will aid the market growth in the region. Europe, on the other hand, is likely to witness steady growth for the market in the forthcoming years. This is attributable to factors such as increasing investment by the government and private players to adopt this services to ensure efficient customer engagement activities between 2020 and 2027. Competitive Landscape: Orbita Raises USD 9 Million for its Conversational AI Chatbot Platform Surging Demand In May 2020, Orbita, a Boston-based healthcare conversational AI-powered chatbot solutions provider, announced that it has raised over USD 9 million in a Series a funding that was led by the Philips Health Technology Ventures and HealthX Ventures. According to the company, its powerful platform effectively helps the clinical companies to create and manage HIPAA-compliant virtual assistance to the consumers, while increasing engagement and effectively reducing the cost of care. Adoption of strategies such as product expansion offerings, novel product launches, and collaboration by the companies will bode well for the global market during the forecast period. Quick Buy- Chatbot Market: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/104673 Major Table of Content: Introduction Definition, By Segment Research Methodology/Approach Data Sources Key Takeaways Market Dynamics Macro and Micro Economic Indicators Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities and Trends Impact of COVID-19 Short-term Impact Long-term Impact Competition Landscape Business Strategies Adopted by Key Players Consolidated SWOT Analysis of Key Players Porters Five Force Analysis Global Market Share Analysis and Matrix, 2019 Key Market Insights and Strategic Recommendations Profiles of Key Players (Would be provided for 10 players only) Overview Key Management Headquarters etc. Offerings/Business Segments Key Details (Key details are subjected to data availability in public domain and/or on paid databases) Employee Size Key Financials Past and Current Revenue Gross Margin Geographical Share Business Segment Share Recent Developments Primary Interview Responses TOC Continued.. Speak To Our Analyst- https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/chatbot-market-104673 Have a Look at Related Research Insights: Smart Parcel Locker Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Modular Parcel Locker, Cooling Lockers for Fresh Food, Postal Lockers, and Laundry Lockers), By Deployment (Indoor and Outdoor), By Application (Commercial Buildings, Condos and Apartments, Retail BOPIS, Universities & Colleges, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2021-2028 Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Component (Telephony, Unified Messaging, Collaboration Platforms), By Delivery Model (Managed Services, and Hosted/ Cloud Services), By Organization Size (Large Enterprises, SMEs), By Vertical (BFSI, IT and Telecommunications, IT-enabled Services (ITeS), Education, Retail and Consumer Goods), and Regional Forecast, 2021 2028 Managed Services Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Services (Voice Service, Non-Voice Service, and IT Managed Service), By Fucntion (Finance & Accounting (F & A), Marketing, Procurement, Supply Chain, Human Resource, and Information Technology (IT)), By End-user (Medical, Financial, Government, Audit & Consulting, Corporate, Telecom, and Insurance & Re-insurance), and Regional Forecast, 2021-2028 Virtual Reality (VR) in Gaming Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Component (Hardware, Software, and Content), By Device (Mobile, Console/PC, and Standalone), and Regional Forecast, 2021-2028 Internet of Things (IoT) Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Component (Platform, Solution & Services), By End-Use Industry (BFSI, Retail, Government, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Sustainable Energy, Transportation, IT & Telecom, Others), and Regional Forecast, 2021-2028 About Us: Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fortune-business-insights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FortuneBusinessInsightsPvtLtd Read Press Release https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/press-release/global-chatbot-market-10467 HOVDING INTERIM REPORT Q3 2021 July September 2021 Path towards profitability continues HIGHLIGHTS IN THE QUARTER Number of Hovding helmets sold 23,323 (28,586) (-18%) Net sales TSEK 41,228 (45,312) (-9%) Gross margin 35% (24%) EBITDA TSEK 959 (-6,688) Profit before tax TSEK 1,779 (-8,097) Profit per share SEK -0,06 (-0,34) Cash flow before changes in working capital TSEK -1,344 (-7,907) Cash flow after changes in working capital TSEK -11,256 (-3,096) CEO Fredrik Carling commented: "Throughout 2021 our focus has been to position ourselves for stronger expansion in 2022. Continued growth, improved gross margin and cost control are the main components of this plan. Year to date, vs LY, we have 12% growth in net sales, 50% growth in gross proft while reducing cost of operations with -15%. In some ways a year of transition to ensure that as we expand more aggressively, we do it in a sustainable manner. Sweden and Denmark will continue to play an important role in this expansion. They are still markets with further growth potential. Germany, where we to some extent have been restricted in growth, will be the key market for us in 2022 and beyond. With a new strong partner and ability to engage more directly we aim for this market to overtake sales of all other markets in the medium-term future. We also anticipate to see the result of our increased efforts in France to start bearing fruit as we enter next year. In doing all of this we continue to be reminded of our purpose. Protecting cyclists lives. We play our part in the wave of urban cyclists on the increase everywhere. Keeping them safe with the worldsbest head protection available." INFORMATION Please direct any queries regarding the content of this interim report to: CEO Fredrik Carling Ph: +46 40 236868 fredrik.carling@hovding.com Hovding Sverige AB (publ) Bergsgatan 33 214 22 Malmo +46 40 236868 Hovding Sverige AB (publ) is listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market since 2015. Vastra Hamnen Corporate Finance AB is Hovdings Certified Advisor. E-mail: ca@vhcorp.se , tel: +46 40 200250 Story continues The information herein is provided by Hovding Sverige AB (publ) in accordance with its duties of public disclosure as stipulated by the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was made public by Fredrik Carling, CEO of Hovding Sverige AB (publ), on 22 October 2021 at 08.30am CET. Attachment TAINAN, Taiwan, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Himax Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: HIMX) (Himax or Company), a leading supplier and fabless manufacturer of display drivers and other semiconductor products, today announced that the Company will attend Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2021 China Conference held during November 8 November 12, 2021. The Company management will host one-on-one or group meetings with interested investors during the conference dates. Conference participation is by invitation only and registration is mandatory. For more information on the conference or to schedule a one-on-one or group meeting, please contact a Bank of America Merrill Lynch representative or the conference coordinator at: chinaconference@bofa.com. About Himax Technologies, Inc. Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) is a fabless semiconductor solution provider dedicated to display imaging processing technologies. Himax is a worldwide market leader in display driver ICs and timing controllers used in TVs, laptops, monitors, mobile phones, tablets, automotive, digital cameras, car navigation, virtual reality (VR) devices and many other consumer electronics devices. Additionally, Himax designs and provides controllers for touch sensor displays, in-cell Touch and Display Driver Integration (TDDI) single-chip solutions, LED driver ICs, power management ICs and LCoS micro-displays for augmented reality (AR) devices and heads-up displays (HUD) for automotive. The Company also offers CMOS image sensors, wafer level optics for AR devices, 3D sensing and ultralow power smart sensing, which are used in a wide variety of applications such as mobile phone, tablet, laptop, TV, PC camera, automobile, security, medical device, home appliance, AIoT, etc. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Tainan, Taiwan, Himax currently employs around 2,000 people from three Taiwan-based offices in Tainan, Hsinchu and Taipei and country offices in China, Korea, Japan, Israel, and the US. Himax has 3,021 patents granted and 498 patents pending approval worldwide as of September 30, 2021. Himax has retained its position as the leading display imaging processing semiconductor solution provider to consumer electronics brands worldwide. Story continues http://www.himax.com.tw Forward Looking Statements Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in this conference call include, but are not limited to, the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Companys business; general business and economic conditions and the state of the semiconductor industry; market acceptance and competitiveness of the driver and non-driver products developed by the Company; demand for end-use applications products; reliance on a small group of principal customers; the uncertainty of continued success in technological innovations; our ability to develop and protect our intellectual property; pricing pressures including declines in average selling prices; changes in customer order patterns; changes in estimated full-year effective tax rate; shortage in supply of key components; changes in environmental laws and regulations; changes in export license regulated by Export Administration Regulations (EAR); exchange rate fluctuations; regulatory approvals for further investments in our subsidiaries; our ability to collect accounts receivable and manage inventory and other risks described from time to time in the Company's SEC filings, including those risks identified in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in its Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC, as may be amended. Company Contacts: Eric Li, Chief IR/PR Officer Himax Technologies, Inc. Tel: +886-6-505-0880 Fax: +886-2-2314-0877 Email: hx_ir@himax.com.tw www.himax.com.tw Karen Tiao, Investor Relations Himax Technologies, Inc. Tel: +886-2-2370-3999 Fax: +886-2-2314-0877 Email: hx_ir@himax.com.tw www.himax.com.tw Mark Schwalenberg, Director Investor Relations - US Representative MZ North America Tel: +1-312-261-6430 Email: HIMX@mzgroup.us www.mzgroup.us Vedanta Limited: The following release was issued today by Vedanta Limited's subsidiary Hindustan Zinc Limited "Record-high H1 EBITDA at INR 6,890 Cr, up 51% y-o-y; Record-high H1 mined metal production & mine development since UG transition" Highlights H1FY22 - Mined metal production: 470kt - Refined metal production: 445kt - Saleable silver production: 313 MT - Zinc COP: $1,096 per MT UDAIPUR, India, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hindustan Zinc Limited, the leading global integrated producer of zinc, lead and silver, reported its results for the second quarter and half year ended September 30, 2021. Vedanta_Limited_Logo Commenting on the performance, Mr Arun Misra, CEO, said: "We delivered record high H1 mined metal production and mine development since transition to underground mining operations. With effective systems & planning, teams at Hindustan Zinc have strengthened the backbone of our operations setting the stage right for us to deliver one million production mark. We are also progressing well on our ESG journey and have committed to Net zero emissions by 2050. Hindustan Zinc has also joined the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD) to tackle nature-related risks proactively. We are proud and look forward to participate in British High Commission Conference of the Parties (COP26)." Mr Sandeep Modi, Interim CFO, said: "We delivered ever-highest H1 EBITDA despite operational challenges and external headwinds from ongoing global energy crisis. We believe that with operational challenges behind us, we have reset the system for a robust delivery in the future. We remain committed to protect our margins, generate robust free cash flow & invest in sustainability, all of which together will help us to create & deliver long lasting value for our shareholders." Financial Summary INR. Crore or as stated Particulars Q2 Q1 H1 2022 2021 Change 2022 Change 2022 2021 Change Sales1 Zinc 3,926 3,323 18% 4,291 -9% 8,217 5,885 40% Lead 885 861 3% 826 7% 1,710 1,465 17% Silver 983 1,237 -21% 1,106 -11% 2,089 1,880 11% Others 328 239 37% 308 6% 637 419 52% Total 6,122 5,660 8% 6,531 -6% 12,653 9,649 31% EBITDA 3,332 2,952 13% 3,558 -6% 6,890 4,551 51% Profit After Taxes 2,017 1,940 4% 1,983 2% 4,000 3,299 21% Earnings per Share 4.77 4.69 2% 4.59 4% 9.47 7.81 21% (INR, not annualised) Mined Metal Production ('000 MT) 248 238 4% 221 12% 470 440 7% Refined Metal Production ('000 MT) Total Refined Metal Zinc 162 180 -10% 188 -14% 350 338 4% Saleable Lead2 47 57 -18% 48 -4% 95 101 -6% Zinc & Lead 209 237 -12% 236 -12% 445 439 2% Saleable Silver3,4 (in MT) 152 203 -25% 161 -5% 313 320 -2% Wind Power (in million units) 155 113 37% 134 16% 289 225 28% Refined Metal Sales (kt) Zinc (kt) 164 181 -9% 187 -12% 352 344 2% Lead (kt) 47 57 -18% 49 -4% 95 102 -6% Silver (MT) 152 203 -25% 160 -5% 312 348 -10% Zinc CoP without Royalty (INR/MT) 83,208 68,228 22% 78,952 5% 80,991 72,235 12% Zinc CoP without Royalty ($/MT) 1,124 919 22% 1,070 5% 1,096 965 14% Zinc LME ($ / MT) 2,991 2,335 28% 2,916 3% 2,955 2,154 37% Lead LME ($ / MT) 2,340 1,873 25% 2,128 10% 2,237 1,776 26% Silver LBMA ($ / oz.) 24.4 24.3 0.4% 26.7 -9% 25.5 20.4 25% USD-INR (average) 74.02 74.24 -0.3% 73.76 0.4% 73.89 73.63 0.3% (1) Including other operating income (2) Excluding Captive consumption of 1,977 MT in Q2 FY22 as compared with 1,786 MT in Q2 FY21 and 1,611 MT in Q1 FY22. (3) Excluding captive consumption of 11.3 MT in Q2 FY22 as compared with 10.2 MT in Q2 FY21 and 8.9 MT in Q1 FY22. (4) Silver occurs in Lead & Zinc ore and is recovered in the smelting and silver-refining processes. Operational Performance Story continues Ore: Total ore production for the quarter was up 2.6% y-o-y to 3.99 million MT, led by strong growth in Zawar and Sindesar Khurd (SK) mines partially offset by lower production at Kayad and Rajpura Dariba (RD) mines. Ore production at Rampura Agucha mine remained flat y-o-y. On a sequential basis, ore production was up 10.3% primarily driven by exceptional performance at SK and Kayad mine with strong performances from Rajpura Dariba, Zawar and Rampura Agucha mines. For the six-months period, ore production witnessed a growth of 8.1% y-o-y to 7.6 million MT. Higher production from Rampura Agucha, Zawar and Rajpura Dariba were partially offset by lower ore production at Kayad mines. Metal-In-Concentrate (MIC): Total MIC production for the quarter at 248kt, up 4.4% y-o-y on account of higher ore treatment at Rampura Agucha, Zawar and Rajpura Dariba mines supported by improvement in recovery, which has been partly offset by lower grades. Sequentially, mined metal production grew by 12.3% mainly due to higher ore treatment at Sindesar Khurd, Rampura Agucha & Kayad mine and improvement in mining grades & recovery. Overall H1 FY22 MIC production was 470kt up 7% y-o-y in line with higher ore treatment at Rampura Agucha, Zawar mines & Rajpura Dariba mine and increased recovery, offset by a slight dip in overall grades. Integrated metal production was 209kt for the quarter, down 12% as compared to both Q2 FY21 & Q1 FY22 on account of extended shutdown at one of the roasters at Chanderiya Smelter for Repairs & overhaul of Structural components. Integrated zinc production was 162kt, down 10% as compared to Q2 FY21 and down by 14% as compared to Q1 FY22. Integrated lead production for the quarter was down 18% y-o-y to 47kt on account of annual shutdown at Dariba Lead Smelters. Integrated silver production was 152 MT, down 25% y-o-y in line with lead production & depletion of WIP in Q2 FY21 & down 5% as compared to Q1 FY22. H1 FY22 metal production was 445kt, up 2% as compared to H1 FY21 in line with Roaster availability, while silver production was 2% lower y-o-y to 313 MT. Financial Performance Revenue from operations during the quarter was INR 6,122 Crore, an increase of 8% y-o-y, led by higher zinc & lead LME prices & higher premiums as well as higher silver prices partly offset by lower metal & silver volumes. Over the year, zinc & lead LME prices were up 28% & 25% respectively. Sequentially revenue decreased 6%, primarily due to lower metal & silver volumes and lower silver prices partly offset by higher zinc & lead LME prices & higher premiums. Zinc sales volume decreased 12% q-o-q and lead by 4% q-o-q in line with lower production Zinc cost of production before royalty (COP) was $1,124 (INR 83,208) per MT for the quarter, higher by 22% y-o-y and 5% sequentially. H1FY22 COP was $1,096 (INR 80,991) per MT, up 13.6% y-o-y (12.1% in INR terms). The COP has been affected by input commodity price increase (coal, diesel, met coke etc.) and higher revenue mine development partially offset by benefits from operational efficiencies and better recoveries. Sequentially, maintenance shutdown & lower metal volumes also weighed on the cost of production. EBITDA for the quarter was INR 3,332 Crore, up 12.9% y-o-y and down 6.4% sequentially. Drop was driven by lower volume and higher cost primarily on account of input commodity inflation. H1FY21 EBITDA was at INR 6,890 Crore, up 51% y-o-y. Rise was primarily due to higher zinc & lead LME prices, higher premiums as well as higher silver prices. Net profit for the quarter was at INR 2,017 Crore, up 4.0% y-o-y and 1.7% sequentially. Increase was mainly driven by recovery in metal prices and lower effective tax sequentially. Net Profit for H1FY22 was at INR 4,000 Crore, up 21% y-o-y. Outlook We would like to reiterate our guidance on volume and capex for the fiscal year 2022. Both mined metal and finished metal production in FY22 is expected to be c.1025-1050 kt each. FY22 saleable silver production is projected at c.720 MT. The project capex for the year is expected to be approximately $100 million. In the previous quarter, management had cautioned against risk to cost guidance from rising input commodity prices. In light of the same, we would to like to revise our cost guidance upwards. Zinc cost of production is expected to remain below $1,075 per MT (from $1,000 per MT earlier) for the fiscal year 2022. Projects Update Covid-19 restrictions including stringent visa guidelines for Chinese nationals continued during the quarter which resulted in a delay in the commissioning of the Fumer plant at Chanderiya. All efforts are in place and we expect Fumer commissioning to be completed by end of FY22. Environmental Authorizations (EA) for expansion of Zawar mines from 4.8 mtpa to 6.5 mtpa is granted. Liquidity and investment As on Sept 30, 2021, the Company's gross investments and cash & cash equivalents were INR 23,662 Crore as compared to INR 23,902 Crore at end of Jun 30, 2021. The Company's net investments as at end of Sept 30, 2021 was INR 19,103 Crore as compared to INR17,249 Crore at end of Jun 30, 2021 and was invested in high quality debt instruments. Earnings Call on Friday, October 22, 2021 at 4:00 pm (IST) The Company will hold an earnings conference call on Friday, October 22, 2021 at 4.00 pm IST, where senior management will discuss the Company's results and performance. Conference Dial-In Information: Express Join via internet registration Please dial the below number at least 5-10 minutes prior to the conference schedule. Universal Access +91 22 6280 1340, +91 22 7115 8241 Playback Dial-In Numbers +91 22 71945757, +91 22 66635757 Oct 22 Oct 29, 2021 Playback Code: 31911 For further information, please contact: Shweta Arora Head - Investor Relations shweta.arora@vedanta.co.in Dipti Agrawal Head Corporate Communications dipti.agrawal@vedanta.co.in About Hindustan Zinc Hindustan Zinc (NSE & BSE: HINDZINC) is the one of the largest integrated producers of zinc-lead in the world with a capacity of over 1.0 million MT per annum and the 6th largest global producer of silver. The Company is headquartered in Udaipur, Rajasthan in India and has zinc-lead mines at Rampura Agucha, Sindesar Khurd, Rajpura Dariba, Zawar and Kayad; primary smelter operations at Chanderiya, Dariba and Debari, all in the state of Rajasthan; and finished product facilities in the state of Uttarakhand. Hindustan Zinc has a world-class resource base with a mine life of over 25 years. The Company is self-sufficient in power with an installed base of 474 MW coal-based captive power plants. Additionally, it has green power capacity of 347 MW including 273.5 MW of wind power, 39.6 MW of solar power and 35.4 MW of waste heat power. The Company has an operating workforce of over 19,100 including contract workforce. Hindustan Zinc is a subsidiary of the BSE and NSE listed Vedanta Limited (formerly known as Sesa Sterlite Limited; ADRs listed on the NYSE), a part of Vedanta Resources plc, a global diversified natural resources company. Disclaimer This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "should" or "will." Forwardlooking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements. Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hindustan-zinc-limited-results-for-the-second-quarter-and-half-year-ended-september-30-2021-301406647.html SOURCE Vedanta Limited NEW YORK, NY / ACCESWIRE / October 22, 2021 / Bernstein Liebhard, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion no later than November 15, 2021 in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of The Boston Beer Company, Inc. ("Boston Beer" or the "Company") (NYSE:SAM) from April 22, 2021 through September 8, 2021 (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York alleges violations of the Securities Act of 1934. If you purchased Boston Beer securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit The Boston Beer Company Inc Shareholder Class Action Lawsuitor contact Rujul Patel toll free at (877) 779-1414 or rpatel@bernlieb.com According to the complaint, Boston Beer issued materially false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose adverse facts pertaining to the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Boston Beer specifically failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Boston Beer's hard seltzer sales were decelerating; (2) that, as a result, Boston Beer was reasonably likely to incur inventory write-offs; (3) that the Company was reasonably likely to incur shortfall fees payable to third party brewers; (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Boston Beer's financial results would be adversely impacted; and (5) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. On July 22, 2021 after the market closed, the Company reduced its full year 2021 guidance, expecting earnings per share between $18 and $22, down from a prior range of $22 and $26. Boston Beer cited softer-than-expected sales in the hard seltzer category and overall beer industry and also stated that it had "overestimated the growth of the hard seltzer category in the second quarter." Story continues On this news, the price of Boston Beer shares fell $246.54, or 26%, to close at $701.00 per share on July 23, 2021, on unusually heavy trading volume. On September 8, 2021, after the market closed, the Company withdrew its 2021 financial guidance, citing decelerating sales of hard seltzer products. The Company also stated that it "expects to incur hard seltzer-related inventory write-offs, shortfall fees payable to 3rd party brewers, and other costs" for the remainder of fiscal 2021. On this news, Boston Beer's share price fell $21.09, or 3.7%, to close at $538.31 per share on September 9, 2021, on unusually heavy trading volume. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 15, 2021 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member. If you purchased Boston Beer securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit https://www.bernlieb.com/cases/thebostonbeercompanyinc-sam-shareholder-class-action-lawsuit-fraud-stock-438/apply/ or contact Rujul Patel toll free at (877) 779-1414 or rpatel@bernlieb.com Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2021 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Michael S. Bigin. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. Contact Information: Rujul Patel Bernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (877) 779-1414 rpatel@bernlieb.com SOURCE: Bernstein Liebhard LLP View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/669199/IMPORTANT-INVESTOR-ALERT-BOSTON-BEER-COMPANY-INC-NYSESAM-CLASS-ACTION-FILING-DEADLINE-Bernstein-Liebhard-LLP-Reminds-Investors-of-the-Deadline-to-File-a-Lead-Plaintiff-Motion-in-a-Securities-Class-Action-Lawsuit-Against-the-Boston-Beer-Company MEXICO CITY, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Maxcom Telecomunicaciones S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: MAXCOM A, OTC: MXMTY. (BMV: MAXCOM A, OTC: MXMTY) (" Maxcom " or the " Company ") announces that Transtelco Acquisition III, S. de R.L. de C.V. (the " Offeror "), announced today, as per the Securities Market Law (the " LMV "), the extension of the period and due date of the previously announced mandatory tender offer (the " Tender Offer ") to acquire through Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, S.A.B. de C.V., up to all the shares representing the capital stock of the Company, which represent 276'471,081 ordinary, nominative, without par value, subscribed and fully paid series "A" shares, at a purchase price of $2.20 (two Pesos 20/100, Mexican pesos), per share. As a result of these amendments, the Tender Offer period will now be 30 (thirty) Business Days starting on September 24, 2021, and ending on November 5, 2021; in the understanding that the Offeror may extend the Tender Offer at its sole discretion, complying with the Law's requirements. Accordingly, as a result of the preceding, the expiration date of the Tender Offer is modified, which will now be November 5, 2021, as long as there are no additional extensions. As previously announced, the successful completion of the Tender Offer is conditioned upon the successful completion of the cash tender offer (the " Notes Offer ") to purchase the outstanding principal amount of the 8% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 (the " Notes ") issued by Maxcom, as well as the solicitation of consents to amend the indenture governing the Notes (the " Consent Solicitation "), the previous according to the terms and subject to the conditions outlined in the Notes Offer and the Consent Solicitation Statement made by Transtelco as of September 23, 2021. To view the amended documents of the Tender Offer, please visit the Company's website: http://ri.maxcom.com/. Story continues Maxcom thanks the continued support of all its stakeholders and confirms its commitment to maintaining close communication with the investing public. About Transtelco Transtelco, headquartered in El Paso, Texas, is a leading global provider of digital infrastructure solutions, including a state-of-the-art long-haul and metro fiber network in the southwestern U.S., Mexico, and Latin America. It provides dedicated Internet access, long-haul and metropolitan transport, co-location, and telephony services to global telecommunications carriers and blue-chip enterprise customers. Transtelco's differentiated bi-national and bi-cultural approach enables it to deliver superior customer results and exceed expectations consistently. In addition, Transtelco offers services on its own infrastructure that spans more than 15,000 miles from Los Angeles to Dallas and Tijuana to Mexico City through a unique network that provides route diversity, redundancy, and security. For more information, visit transtelco.net. About Maxcom Maxcom launched commercial operations in May 1999; its headquarters are in Mexico City. The Company is an integrated telecommunications service provider that uses an "intelligent construction" strategy to provide last-mile connection services, metropolitan and long haul transport services, co-location, and other value-added services to both the business and domestic and international carrier markets. Maxcom delivers its services through a fiber-optic network of more than 8,500 kilometers, which allows it to have a footprint in Mexico's main cities. The information in this press release is the exclusive responsibility of Maxcom Telecomunicaciones, SAB de CV, and has not been reviewed by the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) or any other authority. The trading of these securities by an investor will be made under such investor's responsibility. Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/maxcom-informs-the-extension-of-the-period-and-due-date-301406355.html SOURCE Maxcom Telecomunicaciones, S.A.B. de C.V. If you're standing at the water's edge of the San Francisco Bay, chances are that you have half a dozen high-speed internet providers clamoring for your attention, eager to give you gigabits of internet. That isn't the case for billions of people in rural communities around the world, who often have to make do with sub-par -- if any -- service. That's the market Mesh++ is aiming to serve, and the company just snagged a couple of sacks of cash to help them realize its mission. Headquartered in Chicago and Nairobi, the team is focused on bringing internet connectivity to rural and underserved communities. On paper, the solution is elegant. You plug a wireless router into power, and the router looks for other nearby Mesh++ routers. They connect and share any available internet connectivity across the mesh network. Each router becomes a node, further spreading the Wi-Fi love across the land. The company claims a single node can blanket 10 acres of Wi-Fi connectivity, supporting up to 100 people. If a local internet connection goes down due to connectivity or power failure, the rest of the network picks up the slack -- and if there's a full breakdown, the network can be used for internal communication, including messaging and news alerts within the network. The internet connection can come from anywhere -- whether via ethernet, via cellular modems, via multiple points -- you have a set of Ethernet or cellular modems, throughout the network, and you're able to aggregate the bandwidth from all those sources. So that creates a redundant network where if one of those fails the others can fill in. The cool thing about that, versus having a set of separate networks that are all fed separately, is that it creates a very trusted network where, for example, you might be deploying a fiber network in a very old city where the fiber infrastructure is already starting to fail. And having a network like this, that can aggregate the sources, means you can trust a normally untrusted source, because if it fails, nothing really major happens. So, we can create very resilient networks. Story continues In addition to routine connectivity when everything is working as planned, the network should be able to survive disaster situations. This was tested a couple of months ago, when Hurricane Ida knocked out a huge swathe of connectivity across New Orleans; the company claims its network continued without any downtime. Of course, there is no shortage of plays for rural and remote internet connectivity, but I'm struck by how Mesh++'s solution is coming at the challenge from a place of access and equality. It is certainly more equalitarian than Elon Musk's Starlink, to pick an example out of outer space, but at the same time it is easy to imagine a combination of Starlink for internet gateway purposes and Mesh++ for the local distribution of rural internet connectivity. "There are a number of companies out there who can give you gigabit internet connections anywhere in the world," says Mesh++'s CEO Danny Gardner, suggesting that Starlink may, in fact, be a good fit. "It would be a dream partnership. The challenge that a lot of these companies face, is that you can, in theory, serve a few hundred people per satellite, and the last-mile internet connectivity is the challenge. For them, partnering with a technology like ours that can get connectivity to anywhere, we will be able to connect the world's remaining 3 billion people." The company is betting that it can out-execute even the big cellular data providers, and the team seems pretty unfazed by the competition offered by LTE or 5G networks. "Look, T-Mobile promised to cover most of the U.S. with sub 6 Ghz 5G connectivity. But the truth is that if they haven't covered it yet with 4G because they determined that wasn't financially sustainable, then it's not gonna happen with 5G either," Gardner surmises. In addition to having built out test networks in a number of American cities, the company has a presence in Nairobi, with a five-person subsidiary there. "When we first started the company, it was primarily geared towards emerging markets and the need for internet access," says Gardner. "At first, we didn't realize how big of a problem it is here at home in the U.S. Slowly over time, we shifted more towards fixing the connectivity problems in our own backyard." Mesh++ has raised a $4.9 million seed led by impact investor World Within, with participation from new investors Lateral Capital, Anorak Ventures, First Leaf Capital and existing investors SOSV, GAN Ventures, TechNexus and Illinois Ventures. In the early days of its life, the company was part of the HAX hardware pre-seed program. "The fundraising marks a major shift in the company, from a pure R&D-driven company over the past few years, and towards focusing more on sales, and turning the company into a more mature organization," says Gardner. "The fundraising unlocks us being able to partner with customers and distributors to connect as many people as possible, and to get the product out there." The company is playing into the macro-economic trend of ensuring that every home in the U.S. can be covered by internet connections. There is lots of funding available for last-mile networks, especially in the U.S. -- now over $80 billion in the last few years. Thats not enough for fiber to every home -- the economics and logistics of that only works in areas with higher population densities. This is where mesh networks might just be the key. Mesh++ claims that its technology cuts the infrastructure cost for installation from more than $400 per household to $29 or thereabouts. The savings are primarily in the labor costs and ease of installation, rather than the cost of the hardware that needs to be installed on-site. MicroHealth up 29 places in the fastest growing private companies in the Washington DC area in just one year Fastest Growing Companies Fastest Growing Companies Fastest Growing Companies VIENNA, Va., Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MicroHealth, LLC announces its recognition by The Washington Business Journal (WBJ) as No. 21 on the 2021 list of the Top 75 Fastest Growing Companies with an average growth over the previous three years of just over 76%. This ranking is up 29 places over MicroHealth's 2020 placement at No. 50. The WBJ's Top 75 is a sought-after recognition and MicroHealth is honored to be among the growth leaders in privately owned companies. Here is the link to the list of honorees. This achievement could only be made possible by the dedication and determination of the MicroHealth Team as is highlighted by CEO Dr. Frank Tucker, "We could not have achieved this meteoric rise year after year without the amazing workforce that powers MicroHealth. This Team differentiates themselves from others with their focus on outcomes that help improve the health of the population, improve the patient experience, and reduce the cost of care." With a string of recent awards and another busy year ahead, MicroHealth is poised to continue to make a splash in the DMV. MicroHealth is a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned (SDVOSB) and SBA Certified 8(a) small disadvantaged business that provides in Health Information Technology Services for the United States Federal Government. Customers include Department of Defense (DOD), Department of State (DOS), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Energy (DOE), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to name a few. MicroHealth specializes in Electronic Health Records; Telehealth; Medical Simulation; Health Standards & Interoperability; Health Research & Analytics; Health Policy & Planning; Privacy, Security, & HIPAA; Health Technology Development; Modernization & Maintenance; Health IT Operations & Infrastructure Management; and Health Record Management & Digitization. MicroHealth performs these services using certified techniques recognized by Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Development CMMI-DEV/3 and Services CMMI-SVC/3; ISO 20000-1:2018 (IT Service Management); ISO 27001:2013 (Information Security Management), and ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management). Story continues Media Contact: Diwa Reyes, Marketing diwa.reyes@microhealthllc.com www.microhealthllc.com Related Images Image 1: Fastest Growing Companies Washington Business Journals Fastest Growing Companies This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Strives to provide customers with "easier, faster and more affordable" user experience through service channel upgrade, ecosystem optimization and introduction of the Family Doctor Memberships SHANGHAI, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Healthcare and Technology Company Limited ("Ping An Good Doctor"; Stock Code: 01833.HK), the leading online medical and healthcare service platform in China, presented its business achievements and unveiled its Strategic 2.0 Continuum at an investor day in Shanghai. Mr. Fang Weihao, Chairman and CEO of Ping An Good Doctor, said, "Ping An Good Doctor will further strengthen its strategic upgrade, focus on B2C premium users and introduce the family doctor memberships. We will continue to improve our O2O services and strive to provide our customers with an easier, faster and more affordable user experience." Strengthen strategic upgrade, staying focused on user experience and service quality Since mid-2020, Ping An Good Doctor launched its strategic upgrade on three fronts, namely channels, services and capabilities. In terms of service channels, Ping An Good Doctor has always been focusing on exploring synergies with individual users, insurance customers and corporate clients. As of 30 June 2021, the number of registered users on its platform exceeded 400 million while cumulative consultations nearing 1.2 billion. The Company said that it would further focus on setting up more integrated financial channels and corporate clients' channels with stronger synergies and higher value, as well as bridge the gap between providers and payers in medical and healthcare industry. Ping An Good Doctor has a huge advantage as it can harness the potential presented by the 220 million financial customers of the Ping An Group. As the flagship platform in the Group's healthcare ecosystem, the Company seeks greater synergies with the Group's valuable resources by focusing on membership service products to provide full-lifecycle services for the Group's high value integrated financial customers. Story continues As the Company pursues strategic upgrade, Ping An Good Doctor will continue to explore ways to leverage Ping An Group's integrated finance channels to offer medical and health service products with stronger synergies and higher value. This in turn will boost traffic on the platform. For corporate clients, Ping An Good Doctor customizes products according to the industry's attributes and employee profiles, with an aim to optimize consultation efficiency and provide employees with prevention-oriented health management. Introducing family doctor memberships to empower heartwarming services During the event, Ping An Good Doctor also introduced the "Family doctor memberships". The scheme will take "1 family doctor + 5 specialized services + 1 health profile " as the core service content, and match users with resources according to following categories: health management, sub-health management, diseases management, chronic illness management and eldercare management. A full-lifecycle electronic health profile for each user will be created and appropriate O2O healthcare services will be arranged accordingly. The family doctor memberships will provide professional guidance, link high-quality resources, provide professional empowerment for the government, provide differentiated supplements for people with multi-level needs, and achieve social healthcare efficiency under the background of unbalanced supply and demand of medical resources and low utilization efficiency. Strengthen O2O medical services to optimize eco-systems With the strategic upgrade, Ping An Good Doctor continues to improve its offline healthcare service network while improving its online service capabilities, and fully connects massive healthcare and traffic resources with offline influential hospitals and healthcare institutions through O2O, aiming to achieve a seamless online-to-offline experience. As of 30 September 2021, Ping An Good Doctor has forged O2O co-operation deals with 189,000 pharmacies, over 4,000 hospitals, around 1,700 checkup centers and more than 1,800 medical institutions. The alliances have laid a solid foundation for Ping An Good Doctor to tap corporate clients and introduce its family doctor memberships. The Investor Day also showcased the technological preeminence of Ping An Group and Ping An Good Doctor World's top healthtech company with over 1,000 medical patents, top-notch healthcare AI technologies and an over 95% diagnosis accuracy rate. Forging ahead, leveraging Ping An Group's experience, technology, customers and resources, Ping An Good Doctor will further integrate its business model of insurance + healthcare, family doctor memberships, O2O medical service and advance its heartwarming healthcare services under its value proposition to providing customers with "easier, faster and more affordable" user experience. About Ping An Healthcare And Technology Company Limited Ping An Healthcare and Technology Company Limited ("Ping An Good Doctor"; stock code: 01833.HK) is the leading online medical and healthcare service platform in China. Ping An Good Doctor strives to bridge the communication gap between doctors and patients with expertise, convenience and trust. It is committed to building an Internet healthcare platform with the largest scale, the most advanced models, and the highest entry barriers in China. Currently, Ping An Good Doctor has formed key business sectors including online medical services, consumer healthcare, Health Mall, health management and wellness interaction. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ping-an-good-doctor-unveils-strategic-2-0-continuum-301406497.html SOURCE Ping An Healthcare and Technology Company Limited TORONTO, Oct. 22, 2021 /CNW/ - Tomorrow, October 23, marks 15 years since Porter Airlines first introduced its refined flying experience to all travellers. October 23 marks 15 years since Porter Airlines first introduced its refined flying experience to all travellers. (CNW Group/Porter Airlines) Headquartered at Billy Bishop Airport in downtown Toronto, Porter emphasizes speed, convenience and service, including complimentary wine and beer served in glassware for all passengers. Porter has elevated the flying experience, appealing to business and leisure flyers alike, while providing competitive and affordable travel options. In 2020, Porter temporarily suspended operations due to COVID-19 and resumed flights on September 8, 2021. Now flying to all of its year-round destinations, Porter is focused on restoring the airline's high-frequency service as the industry continues to recover. Today, approximately 88% of team members have been recalled to work. "The pandemic reminds us of Porter's entrepreneurial beginnings 15 years ago and the challenges associated with building a brand from scratch," said Michael Deluce, president and CEO, Porter Airlines. "The difference today is that we have a loyal customer base and an experienced team. It will take time to get back to where we were two years ago, but we're ready to do this work. I want to recognize our entire team for persevering through the most difficult of circumstances, while contributing to a culture that values respect, passion and innovation. This is the strong foundation we will build on as Porter comes back better than ever." In July, Porter announced it is extending its award-winning service to destinations throughout North America with the introduction of up to 80 state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient Embraer E195-E2 aircraft into its fleet. The planes have transcontinental range and will enter into service starting in the second half of 2022, focusing on introducing routes from Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and Toronto Pearson International Airport. This investment enhances competition, elevates passenger service levels and creates as many as 6,000 new jobs based on 80 aircraft deliveries. Story continues Porter will also continue serving a network of regional markets from its existing hub at Billy Bishop Airport. More information on Porter and its growth plan is available at www.flyporter.com . About Porter Airlines Porter Airlines provides a warm and effortless approach to hospitality, restoring glamour and refinement to air travel. Porter is an Official 4 Star Airline in the World Airline Star Rating. The airline currently offers flights to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, Halifax, St. John's, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Timmins, Windsor, New York (Newark), Chicago (Midway), Boston and Washington (Dulles), and has seasonal flights to Mt. Tremblant, Que., Muskoka, Ont., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Stephenville, N.L. More information on Porter, including a downloadable multimedia library, is available at the Media Centre . Details of growth plans to provide North America-wide service are available at flyporter.com . Follow @porterairlines on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. SOURCE Porter Airlines Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2021/22/c7556.html Robert Rolih, through DMJ Marketing, has launched a new webinar for individuals who want to achieve financial independence or retire early. The international bestselling author states many individuals believe the financial industry is too complicated for them to understand, but this is simply not true. Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenia, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of the newly launched investment webinar, Robert Rolih will teach attendees how to take control of their financial future. According to DMJ Marketing, he can empower participants to manage their personal finances and learn how to build wealth, whether they are a beginner or have previous investing experience. Further details are available at https://thyfinancialfreedom.com Aside from learning how to achieve financial independence, those who attend Robert Rolihs investment webinar will learn how to retire early, what investments are worthwhile, and how to create a stable investment portfolio. The launch of the new webinar reflects the demand for reliable investment insights. Many factors are driving global economic uncertainty, which is causing new and experienced investors to search for alternative options to help them increase their wealth. The newly launched webinar highlights traditional options such as investing in stocks and shares as well as increasingly popular alternatives, such as cryptocurrencies. There is no fee to join the webinar, which makes it accessible. This is just one way Robert Rolih breaks down the barriers to financial security. As well as learning how to build wealth, those who join the webinar will gain insights to help them manage their personal finance. This key life skill is often either passed on through conscientious family members or is self-taught, which is why there are broad differences in financial understanding. Robert Rolih is the bestselling author of The Million Dollar Decision: Get Out of the Rigged Game of Investing and Add a Million to Your Net Worth, which has an average rating of 4.3 stars on Amazon. Like the webinar, Roberts book empowers readers and helps them build their confidence so they can make informed investment decisions. Story continues A company spokesperson said: Robert Rolih recognizes that there is a lot of information out there on how to become financially successful. However, beginners may still have a hard time finding success in these institutions because they are often rigged in favor of the already elite and wealthy. If you are looking to get past such obstacles to invest in your future and increase your personal knowledge, you can benefit from the free webinar offered by Robert, they added. Interested parties are encouraged to visit this link to take control of their financial future today: https://cutt.ly/thyfinancialfreedom Website: https://thyfinancialfreedom.com CONTACT: Name: Niko M. Email: info@divorcemyjob.com Organization: DMJ Marketing Address: Ljubljanska Road 6, Slovenska Bistrica, Podravska 2310, Slovenia BOISE, Idaho, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the national food safety law firm of Ron Simon & Associates, along with Peterson Lawyers in Boise, Idaho, filed the first lawsuit in the nation as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") finally identifies the source of an outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg affecting victims in 37 states, hospitalizing at least 129 people. National food safety attorney Ron Simon, who represents Mr. McLean and many other victims of the ProSource Inc. Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak, issued the following statement: Many outbreaks are eventually linked to produce that is imported from companies that do not operate under the strict guidelines imposed by the FDA domestically. We will be using this and similar lawsuits to understand how this happened and to work to prevent future outbreaks. Today the FDA Included Keeler Family Farms of Deming, New Mexico, as another Source of the Contaminated Onions According to the CDC there are 652 laboratory-confirmed salmonella cases linked to consumption of fresh red, yellow, and white onions imported by ProSource Inc. This number is expected to grow as victims continue to consume these contaminated onions, which have a shelf life of up to three months. Nearly a quarter of these illnesses are in Texas. The lawsuit was filed against ProSource Inc. in Washington County, Idaho on behalf of Terry McLean, who purchased a hot dog with onions at a local establishment. After eating it he began experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea, dehydration, and heart issues. He was forced to seek medical treatment, was hospitalized, and was found to have salmonella. He was interviewed by county health officials who confirmed he was part of the ProSource Inc. onions Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak. Mr. McLean continues to recover from Salmonella food poisoning. ProSource Inc. Onions Salmonella Outbreak On October 20, 2021, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified fresh whole onions as the source of a large outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg. The fresh whole red, white, and yellow onions were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico and distributed by ProSource Inc., a company located in Weiser, Idaho. These onions were sold to restaurants and grocery stores throughout the United States. According to ProSource Inc., the onions were last imported on August 27, but can last up to three months in storage and may still be in homes and businesses. Story continues The outbreak has already been linked to 652 illnesses in 37 states with 129 of the victims requiring hospitalization. No deaths have been reported. Food Safety Attorney Ron Simon Issues Statement for Victims and Establishes Salmonella Claim Center National food safety attorney Ron Simon, who represents Mr. McLean and many other victims of the ProSource Inc. Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak, issued the following statement: "Many outbreaks are eventually linked to produce that is imported from companies that do not operate under the strict guidelines imposed by the FDA domestically. We will be using this and similar lawsuits to understand how this happened and to work to prevent future outbreaks." Mr. Simon and his law firm have established a Salmonella Claim Center to assist victims in the outbreak. The Salmonella Claim Center can be reached toll-free at 1-888-335-4901, or at either https://www.onionsalmonellalawsuit.com/ or https://www.salmonellaoutbreaklawsuit.com/. About Food Safety Attorney Ron Simon Over the last 25 years, Ron Simon and his colleagues have prosecuted thousands of food poisoning cases for victims across the United States. His work has resulted in numerous upgrades to food safety procedures in Fortune 500 companies and in legislation designed to protect consumers from dangerous food-borne pathogens. Mr. Simon and his clients have been featured on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX and virtually all other major television networks and print media. Mr. Simon and his legal team have collected over $750,000,000 for their clients. He regularly publishes articles about food safety and litigation at www.foodpoisoningnews.com which are read by viewers in over 180 countries. Through litigation, media commentary, and his food poisoning publications, Mr. Simon relentlessly challenges food manufacturers, distributors, and restaurants to do a better job in making our food safe. For media inquiries or more information on the Salmonella outbreak and ongoing litigation, please contact Ron Simon directly at (713) 819-8116 or ron@rsaalaw.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ron-simon--associates-files-nations-first-onion-salmonella-lawsuit-against-prosource-inc-for-onion-salmonella-outbreak-sickening-652-consumers-301406311.html SOURCE Ron Simon & Associates (Bloomberg) -- Schlumberger followed its rivals in reporting disappointing third-quarter earnings results this week, leaving the worlds biggest oilfield contractors to embark on a longer path to rebuilding investor trust. Most Read from Bloomberg The No. 1 company that helps explorers map underground pockets of oil and drill new wells reported a slight sales miss in the third quarter, with weakness coming from the Middle East and Asia. It also forecast growth in the final three months of the year thats lower than expected. Shares fell 2% in New York on Friday. This weeks results from the biggest hired hands of the oil patch havent exactly been inspiring, Luke Lemoine, an analyst at Capital One Securities Inc., said Friday in a telephone interview. Its almost like people were waiting for Schlumberger to be the savior at the end of week, so maybe some fresh dollars are just exiting because youre not getting that raise for the fourth quarter or 2022 at this point. The oil-services sector appears to be struggling to resume the kind of growth investors are seeking. The hired hands of the oil patch are facing rising costs of raw materials and clients who are locking in record cash flow while pushing back on higher service pricing. Plus, oilfield contractors are still trying to catch up to exploration companies that are sending juicier profits backs to shareholders. As a sector, were still in trust rebuilding mode, David Anderson, an analyst at Barclays, said Friday in a telephone interview. Weve have five-plus years of really disappointing results and really tough markets. Schlumberger on a conference call Friday with analysts and investors forecast sequential sales growth in the fourth quarter to be similar to what it saw in the third, which is less than what analysts are expecting. Baker Hughes Co. and Halliburton Co. also left investors largely underwhelmed this week with profits and forecasts that did little to raise the bar from three months earlier after facing setbacks from Hurricane Ida. Story continues Schlumberger reported sales of $5.85 billion, it said Friday in a statement, missing the $5.94 billion average estimate of analysts in a Bloomberg survey. Schlumberger posted a profit before one-time items of 36 cents a share, merely matching estimates. Among rivals, Schlumberger has the largest exposure to overseas activity, generating roughly 80% of sales outside the U.S. and Canada. As publicly traded U.S. oil explorers continue to show austerity through subdued output growth, the biggest oilfield contractors have been pivoting to more international work. Global Activity Revenue expanded similarly in its international and North American regions, each growing 4% compared to the second quarter. The biggest miss came in its largest individual region, the Middle East and Asia, where Schlumberger generated $2 billion in sales, lower than the $2.14 billion expected, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Schlumberger announced a dividend of 12.5 cents a share, holding steady from previous levels. Baker Hughes posted lower-than-expected earnings on Wednesday while smaller rival Halliburton just met expectations. Still, Schlumberger reaffirmed forecasts for growth, saying its on track to achieve a double-digit sales expansion for the second half of this year. Chief Executive Officer Olivier Le Peuch, who earlier this year called for the possibility of a super cycle in the industry, said he sees an exceptional growth cycle ahead. The industry macro fundamentals have visibly strengthened this year, particularly in recent weeks -- with demand recovery, oil and gas commodity prices at recent highs, low inventory levels, and encouraging trends in pandemic containment efforts, Le Peuch said a statement Friday. These favorable conditions are expected to materially drive investment over the next few years -- particularly internationally -- and result in exceptional multiyear capital spending growth globally, both on land and offshore. Schlumberger, which has 25 buy ratings from analysts, five holds and one sell, has boosted shares by more than 50% this year. (Updates with analyst comment in third paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2021 Bloomberg L.P. LiGER Security Corporation offers its clientele with a wide range of products and services for their security concerns and needs. When it comes to providing effective security solutions. TORONTO & BRAMPTON, Ontario, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Security Guard Services LiGER Security recognizes the importance for our business clients to limit shrinkage and implement loss prevention techniques. Our uniformed security specialists are trained to the highest standard in the industry. The presence of our specialists act as a deterrent for criminal behavior in areas that are prone to trespassers, shoplifting and other crimes against establishment owners, employees, and patrons. Each security specialist provides daily activity reports, which are compiled into an individualized site report that is distributed on a monthly basis. To ensure that our clients receive uncompromised service, our management team often conducts facility "spot checks" of our client's sites to ensure that our specialists are acting in a manner in line with LiGER Security mission. Our Uniformed Security Division provides our clients with: Uniformed security guards services Special events and major entertainment venues Commercial and residential surveillance and patrol Crowd management for large venues Construction site security guards services Nightclub security team Private Investigation Services LiGER Security. is a dual licensed and insured security guard services and private investigation services company based in Ontario, Canada. We are committed to providing the most effective, reliable and affordable investigative services to the Insurance, Legal, Corporate, Government & Private sectors. To ensure quality investigation services in order to meet our clients unique needs, we've partnered with industry veterans with a wide range of expertise with local, National, and International capabilities. Our investigations include high-tech surveillance, national background checks, corporate and insurance investigations, family law, commercial auto theft, and WSIB investigations. We aim to deliver private investigations services tailored to each clients' unique needs. Story continues Sector We Service: Insurance Corporate Legal Rights holder Transportation sectors Individual Our Services Security Guards Services Private Investigation Services Video Guard Tour Monitoring Virtual Security Services Virtual Security Escorts Remote Intervention Virtual Concierge Video Door Man Small Business Alarm systems Monitoring Services Security Consulting and Risk Analysis 24 Hour Real time video Surveillance Services Video verification Access Control GPS Monitoring Personal Tracking Monitoring intrusion Detection Live Two Way Voice Communication Alarm Systems Monitoring Services IT Security / Network Security CCTV Systems Installation Services Smart wiring installation services Serving : GTA, Mississauga, Brampton, Ajax, Oshawa, Burlington, North York, Markham, East York, Down Town Toronto, Milton, Oakville, Georgetown, Guelph, Toronto, Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo Areas. Photos: https://www.prlog.org/12890413 Press release distributed by PRLog Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/security-guard-services--private-investigation-services--security-systems-services---in-toronto-mississauga-brampton-ajax---liger-security-301406315.html SOURCE LiGER Security NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 22, 2021 / The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that class actions have commenced on behalf of certain shareholders in the following companies. If you suffered a loss you have until the lead plaintiff deadline to request that the court appoint you as lead plaintiff. There will be no obligation or cost to you. Katapult Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:KPLT) If you suffered a loss, contact us at:https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/katapult-holdings-inc-loss-submission-form?prid=20622&wire=1 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: October 26, 2021 Class Period: December 18, 2020 - August 10, 2021 Allegations against KPLT include that: (1) Katapult was experiencing declining e-commerce retail sales and consumer spending, (2) despite Katapult's assertions that it was clear and compelling value proposition to both consumers and merchants, transforming the way nonprime consumers shop for essential goods and enabling merchant access to this underserved segment, Katapult lacked visibility into its consumers' future buying behavior; and (3) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPPI) If you suffered a loss, contact us at:https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/spectrum-pharmaceuticals-inc-loss-submission-form?prid=20622&wire=1 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: November 1, 2021 Class Period: December 27, 2018 - August 5, 2021 Allegations against SPPI include that: (i) the manufacturing facility for ROLONTIS, an investigational granulocyte-colony stimulating factor analog, maintained deficient controls and/or procedures; (ii) the foregoing deficiencies decreased the likelihood that the Food and Drug Administration would approve the ROLONTIS biologics license application ("BLA") in its current form; (iii) Spectrum had therefore materially overstated the ROLONTIS BLA's approval prospects; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. Story continues Hyzon Motors Inc. f/k/a Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation (NASDAQ:HYZN) If you suffered a loss, contact us at:https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/hyzon-motors-inc-f-k-a-decarbonization-plus-acquisition-corporation-loss-submission-form?prid=20622&wire=1 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: November 29, 2021 Class Period: February 9, 2021 - September 27, 2021 Allegations against HYZN include that: (1) Hyzon was misrepresenting the nature of its "customer" contracts and severely embellished its "deals" and "partnerships" with customers; (2) Hyzon could not deliver its announced vehicles in 2021, on its stated timeline; and (3) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times. To learn more contact Vincent Wong, Esq. either via email vw@wongesq.com or by telephone at 212.425.1140. Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Vincent Wong, Esq. 39 East Broadway Suite 304 New York, NY 10002 Tel. 212.425.1140 Fax. 866.699.3880 E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com SOURCE: The Law Offices of Vincent Wong View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/669337/SHAREHOLDER-ALERT-KPLT-SPPI-HYZN-The-Law-Offices-of-Vincent-Wong-Reminds-Investors-of-Important-Class-Action-Deadlines Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sify Technologies Limited (NASDAQ: SIFY), Indias leading Digital ICT solutions provider with global service capabilities spanning Data Center, Cloud, Networks, Security and Digital services, today announced that it will report its unaudited IFRS financial results for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021 on Friday October 29, 2021 before the market opens. In conjunction with the announcement, Sify will host a conference call at 8:30 AM ET with Mr. Raju Vegesna, Chairman of the Board, Mr. Kamal Nath, Chief Executive Officer and Mr. M P Vijay Kumar, Chief Financial Officer. Interested parties may participate by dialling +1-888-506-0062 (Toll Free in the U.S. or Canada) or +1-973-528-0011 (International) with access code 287954, which will also be simultaneously broadcast live over the Internet at www.sifytechnologies.com/investors or https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2184/43376. Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the site and download the streaming media software required to listen to the Internet broadcast. The online archive of the Webcast will be available shortly after the conference call, or investors can listen to the replay by dialling +1-877-481-4010 (Toll Free in the U.S. or Canada) or +1-919-882-2331 (International) and entering the replay passcode 43376. Please allow for some time post conference call to access the archive of the Webcast. The replay is available until 08:30 AM ET of November 05, 2021. About Sify Technologies Sify Technologies is Indias most comprehensive ICT service & solution provider. With Cloud at the core of our solutions portfolio, Sify is focussed on the changing ICT requirements of the emerging Digital economy and the resultant demands from large, mid and small-sized businesses. Sifys infrastructure comprising the largest MPLS network, top-of-the-line DCs, partnership with global technology majors, vast expertise in business transformation solutions modelled on the cloud make it the first choice of start-ups, incoming Enterprises and even large Enterprises on the verge of a revamp, Story continues More than 10000 businesses across multiple verticals have taken advantage of our unassailable trinity of Data Centers, Networks and Security services and conduct their business seamlessly from more than 1600 cities in India. Internationally, Sify has presence across North America, the United Kingdom and Singapore. Sify, www.sify.com, Sify Technologies and www.sifytechnologies.com are registered trademarks of Sify Technologies Limited. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Sify undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements. For a discussion of the risks associated with Sifys business, please see the discussion under the caption Risk Factors in the companys Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2021, which has been filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and is available by accessing the database maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov , and Sifys other reports filed with the SEC. For further information, please contact: CONTACT: Praveen Krishna Sify Technologies Limited +91 44 22540777 (ext.2055) praveen.krishna@sifycorp.com Lucia Domville Grayling Investor Relations +1-646-824-2856 Lucia.Domville@grayling.com Nikhila Kesavan 20:20 Media +91 9840124036 nikhila.kesavan@2020msl.com Like other footwear companies, VF Corp. faced major supply chain disruptions this quarter. According to executives, the companys recently added Supreme brand saw the worst impact across the companys brand portfolio. Overall, VF, which also owns Vans, The North Face, Timberland, and Dickies, missed revenue expectations this quarter. The Denver-based retail group reported a revenue growth of 23% to $3.2 billion, missing a $3.5 billion prediction from analysts surveyed by Yahoo Finance. More from Footwear News According to VF chairman, president and CEO Steve Rendle, all VF brands have experienced product delays that have made it difficult to meet demand. Supreme, which is currently being integrated into VFs larger supply chain network, has seen about 30% less inventory around drops, despite a strong sell-through rate. Supreme has had a disproportionate impact to the supply chain disruptions that were talking about, said Rendle. Theyve got an exposure into Vietnam. And if you think about the model, due to the nature of how they flow products, they dont carry forward inventory. VF Corp. acquired the New York-based streetwear brand, known for its high-heat drops that often sell out online in minutes, last December. Materials shortages, factory closures abroad in China, Malaysia, and Vietnam, labor shortages, and congestion at crucial U.S. ports have made it difficult for Supreme to meet inventory targets for its weekly drops. We did see a continued strong interest and a clear opportunity for the brand to continue to grow, Rendle said. But I think the supply chain interruptions are helping us all see the further benefit of the supply chain integration that is in place that will help our Supreme team really diversify their footprint and focus in areas where we can help them maintain better flow. Story continues Moving forward, VF is aiming to have more transparency surrounding inventory and delivery required for Supremes weekly drops to help it recover the lost volume of the last few weeks. In light of this disruption, the plan that this group operates with, the agility to be able to flex, continues to be a competitive advantage, Rendle said. And as they integrate into our supply chain, it will be able to mitigate some of these impacts. Despite the loss, VF has big plans for Supreme, which it plans to expand across multiple geographies in an effort to turn it into VFs fifth $1 billion brand in a few years. For fiscal year 2022, VF expects revenue to reach approximately $12 billion, including about $600 million from the Supreme brand. Analysts remain optimistic as well. On Supreme, we believe the brand continues to represent upside for VFC particularly into 2H, said BTIG analyst Camilo Lyon in a note. Supreme has a number of high profile collabs in the works set to drop this fall, including with True Religion, The North Face, and Nike. DUBLIN, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Sweden Gift Card and Incentive Card Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) - Market Size and Forecast (2016-2025) - Q2 2021 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Research and Markets Logo Sweden's GDP expanded by 4.3% in Q3'20 after a slump in Q2'20 due to coronavirus outbreak. The economy is likely to recover in 2021 which would have a positive impact on consumer spending and consequently the gift card market. Though the growth of the gift card market has been impacted in 2020 due to the COVID crisis, the market is set to grow as retail and corporate customer increase spending on gift cards over the forecast period. Due to COVID-19, there has been shift in demand from brick and mortar retail to e-commerce. The growth in e-commerce is due to digitally savvy shoppers which will have a positive impact on the gift card industry in the coming years. Moreover, in October 2020, Amazon extended its presence in Sweden with its new e-commerce site Amazon.se, which could further enhance the e-commerce market in the country. The growing demand from the millennials and Gen Z population for online gifting options such as e-gift cards is changing the entire dynamics of the gifting industry. People are moving away from the traditional gifting options such as greeting cards or edibles to digital gift cards. Maintaining long term relationships especially with millennials and Gen Z consumers is becoming a rising concern for retailers. As a result, gift cards are becoming core to retailer's strategy to gain market share. Retailers are focusing on offering reloadable gift cards and loyalty card programs to engage consumers by giving them periodical credits, adding bonus points, and insisting on reloading. This strategy could help retailers in gaining profits. Another emerging trend that will boost the growth momentum of the gift card market is the ability to buy bitcoins with gift cards in Sweden. Story continues According to the Q2 2021 Global Gift Card Survey, gift card industry in Sweden is expected to grow by 0.0% on annual basis to reach US$ 1384.6 million in 2021. Despite near-term challenges in 2021, medium to long term growth story of gift cards in Sweden remains strong. The gift card industry in Sweden is expected to grow steadily in H1 2021 and record a strong growth in H2 2021. The growth momentum is expected to continue to grow over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 0.0% during 2021-2025. The gift card market in the country will increase from US$ 1275.1 million in 2020 to reach US$ 1792.0 million by 2025. This report provides a detailed data centric analysis of gift cards and corporate incentive cards market along with consumer behaviour and retail spend dynamics in Sweden. With over 200 KPIs at country level, this report provides comprehensive understanding of gift and incentive card market dynamics. The report includes raw data along with structured dashboards, charts, and tables in an interactive Excel format. Key Topics Covered: Sweden Total Gift Spend Analyzer Sweden Retail Consumer Gift Spend Analyzer Sweden Corporate Consumer Gift Spend Analyzer Sweden Gift Card Spend Analyzer Sweden Digital Gift Card Spend Analyzer Sweden Gift Card Spend Analysis by City Type Sweden Gift Card Spend Share by Demographics and Purchase Behaviour Sweden Retail Consumer Gift Card Spend Analyzer Sweden Retail Consumer Gift Card Spend Analysis by Functional Attribute Sweden Retail Consumer Gift Card Spend Analysis by Occasion Sweden Corporate Consumer Gift Card Spend Analyzer Sweden Corporate Consumer Gift Card Spend Analysis by Functional Attribute Sweden Corporate Consumer Gift Card Spend Analysis by Occasion Sweden Corporate Consumer Gift Card Spend Analysis by Company Size Sweden Corporate Consumer Gift Card Spend Analysis by Company Size X Functional Attribute Sweden Gift Card Spend Analysis by Distribution Channel Sweden Gift Card Spend Analysis by Retail Sector Sweden Retail Consumer Gift Card Spend Analysis by Retail Sector Sweden Corporate Consumer Gift Card Spend Analysis by Retail Sector Companies Mentioned ICA Gruppen AB Axel Johnson Group Kooperative Forbundet (KF Group) Inter Ikea Systems BV Amazon H&M Elgiganten Systembolaget For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/q36bj0 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sweden-gift-card-and-incentive-card-market-size-and-forecast-to-2025-a-us-1792-million-market-by-2025-301406538.html SOURCE Research and Markets Oct 21 (Reuters) - The United States reached a deal with Austria, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom on digital services taxes (DST) on Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. Trade Representative said. Under the deal, "DST liability that U.S. companies accrue during the interim period will be creditable against future income taxes accrued under Pillar 1 under the OECD agreement", the USTR office said. In return, the United States will terminate the currently-suspended additional duties on goods of Austria, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru) Calgary, Alberta --News Direct-- Universal Ibogaine Inc. Universal Ibogaine Inc. Calgary, AB TheNewsire - October 21, 2021 Universal Ibogaine Inc. (TSXV:IBO) (UI or the Company), a life sciences company with a mission to research and deliver medicalized ibogaine-centered addiction care, advises that it has retained Volume Hunters Ltd. (Volume Hunters) of Vancouver, Canada, as an enhancement of its investor relations program. IR and Marketing Engagements Volume Hunters will provide social media and capital markets advisory services to support the distribution of the UI story across multiple social media channels. The expected result is increased awareness of UIs plans for research into utilizing ibogaine as part of the delivery of a continuum of care treating opioid abuse and other addictions. The contract is for $50,000 paid for services provided over a 12-month period, and is subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV). Dr. Rami Batal, UIs Chief Executive Officer, noted we are pleased have access to Volume Hunters expertise, as their mandate will focus on increasing UIs visibility and building long term relationships with institutional and high net worth investors. Maturity date of Promissory Notes Payable UI also advises that its prior news release of October 4, 2021 inadvertently referred to the maturity date of $350,000 of convertible promissory notes payable as having been extended to February 28, 2021, which should have instead read February 28, 2022. TSXV approval of the extension of the maturity date to February 28, 2022 has been received. About Universal Ibogaine Inc. UI is a life sciences company with the goal of clinically developing ibogaine, a natural plant substance, as a prescribed addiction interruption medicine for the treatment of Opioid Use Disorder. An application to Health Canada is being developed to undertake clinical trials aimed at proving the safety and efficacy of the use of ibogaine for this purpose. Story continues UI also operates an addiction treatment clinic near Winnipeg, Manitoba and plans to expand its clinical operations, with the eventual introduction of ibogaine into its addiction treatment protocols as a primary modality for the interruption and ideally cessation of addictions to primarily opioids such as oxycodone, heroin, fentanyl, as well as alcohol, cocaine, and other stimulants. 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. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plans", "expect", "project", "intend", "will", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "potential", or other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "should" or "could" occur. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by UI. Although UI believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because UI can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks, which include, but are not limited to, risks that required regulatory approvals are not obtained. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable by UI at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only to conditions as of the date hereof. UI does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained herein to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. For further information: Investor Relations: Dugan Selkirk - IR Manager dugan.selkirk@universalibogaine.com Media Contact: Cathy Fernandes -VP, Marketing & Communications cathy.fernandes@universalibogaine.com Related Links https://universalibogaine.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/universal-ibogaine-announces-engagement-of-investor-relations-advisor-260684154 Faculty and Students Volunteered Nearly 7,000 Hours to Vaccinate South Carolinians AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) honored the life-saving efforts of University of South Carolina (UofSC) College of Nursing faculty and students for the thousands of volunteer hours they have spent administering COVID-19 vaccines to South Carolinians. AANP President Dr. April N. Kapu Presents AANP Certificate of Recognition to the USC College of Nursing. Pictured: Dr. April N. Kapu, USC College of Nursing Faculty: Dr. Eboni Harris, Dr. Karen Worthy, Dr. Kate Chappell. Photo Credit: Andrew Lee/720 Strategies AANP President April N. Kapu, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCM, FAAN, representing the nation's 325,000 nurse practitioners (NPs) working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, presented an AANP certificate of recognition to UofSC College of Nursing leaders and students at the UofSC Center for Health and Well-Being in Columbia, South Carolina. The Center is a state-of-the-art facility staffed by NPs and other top performing health care professionals who deliver high-quality care to students, faculty and members of the greater Columbia community. "University of South Carolina nursing students and faculty have volunteered nearly 7,000 hours of service to vaccinate South Carolinians at COVID-19 mass vaccination clinics across the state," said Dr. Kapu. "Their commitment, compassion and courage in the face of an unprecedented public health crisis reflect the true spirit of nursing and of the NP profession. We cannot thank them enough for their life-saving assistance to patients, and we want them to know how proud they have made our nation's NPs. These students, and faculty mentors, represent the very best of nursing and of the NP profession. Their dedication during a public health crisis gives me every confidence in the future of health care and the nursing profession." At the start of UofSC's spring semester in January 2021, the College of Nursing launched a massive effort to support statewide vaccinations. The first 51 students arrived on the opening day of the Prisma Health Midlands vaccination site. Based on the overwhelming demand for vaccinations, 670 UofSC nursing students and 66 faculty members answered the call, delivering vaccines at nine Midlands vaccination sites and volunteering 6,839 hours. Story continues Dr. Kapu toured the UofSC University Health Services Center for Health and Well-Being before presenting the AANP certificate of recognition to UofSC NPs and nursing students. To obtain photos of the tour and presentation or arrange for an interview with Dr. Kapu, please contact Andrew Lee at andrew.lee@720strategies.com The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 325,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs' patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate an NP in your community, visit npfinder.com. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org. For COVID-19 information from AANP, visit aanp.org/COVID19. American Association of Nurse Practitioners (PRNewsfoto/American Association of Nurse P) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/university-of-south-carolina-college-of-nursing-faculty-and-students-honored-by-american-association-of-nurse-practitioners-for-life-saving-efforts-during-covid-19-301406784.html SOURCE American Association of Nurse Practitioners LOS ANGELES, October 22, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Westlake Technology Holdings launches Cash Now Pay Later, an exciting new product that provides financial flexibility to its customers by enabling them to borrow cash today and pay it back at a later date. Cash Now Pay Later is currently being piloted by Westlake to its more than 1 million existing customers and has resulted in a high demand for the program since the launch. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005463/en/ "Westlake recognized a need to provide its established customers with a simple online solution to get cash now," stated Jim Eyraud, Vice President at LoanCenter. "Pre-approved offers for financing can be redeemed by existing Westlake customers through a fully automated online process on the MyAccount mobile app," he added. This quick and easy process helps to offer consumers the financial flexibility support they need. Westlake plans to expand Cash Now Pay Later nationwide through LoanCenter.com. Under the expanded program, customers will be able to personalize their Cash Now Pay Later structure and select amounts between $500 and $5,000. After e-signing, money is deposited into the customers bank account within a couple of hours. "The goal of LoanCenter.com is to provide lending solutions to help borrowers through any financial situation. The Cash Now Pay Later program is a great compliment to the current auto and secured loan offerings on LoanCenter," added David Goff, Vice President of Marketing at Westlake. Cash Now Pay Later will be available on LoanCenters website in Q4 2021. To learn more about LoanCenter, visit: www.loancenter.com. About Westlake Technology Holdings About Westlake Technology Holdings: Westlake Technology Holdings is an auto and finance technology company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA with approximately $15 billion in assets under management. Westlake Financial ("Westlake") originates indirect automotive retail installment contracts through a nationwide network of new and used automotive and powersports dealers. Westlake also offers loan portfolio purchasing, credit facilities and portfolio servicing through its ALPS division (Advanced Lending & Portfolio Services), www.WestlakeALPS.com; floor plan lines of credit are provided through its Westlake Flooring Services division, www.WestlakeFlooringServices.com; shared cash flow auto lending through Westlakes wholly owned subsidiary, Western Funding Inc., a Nevada based auto lender; indirect automotive leasing for credit unions through Westlakes subsidiary, Credit Union Leasing of America (CULA); dealer leads and direct-to-consumer auto loans are offered through Westlake Direct; consumer installment loans are offered through Westlakes wholly owned subsidiary LoanCenter, www.loancenter.com; and commercial real estate lending is offered through Westlake Capital Finance. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005463/en/ Contacts For more info, contact: David Goff, VP, Marketing dgoff@westlakefinancial.com Originally Posted by LeSWiS Originally Posted by I also RMA'd a Corsair K70 Rapidfire. It had a known issue with RGB leds not displaying the good colors(a circuit problem if I recall correctly). A lot of people had this problem. I went through the RMA process through their site pretty smoothly until they told me that they accepted it but I would have to pay for shipping my "broken" keyboard to them for them to send the new keyboard to me. (Other customers from different countries didn't have to, Corsair sent them a shipping label to print out but me, nah....from France, in EU!) A relative convinced me to accept the offer after a week, so I did reluctantly. Finally I went the route of custom keyboards and never bought any Corsair product since and don't plan to. Garbage company selling garbage products anyway. The keyboard is in its box somewhere. "I was stripped of my rights as a parent and my daughter was stripped of her right to protection and representation as a minor. There was no understanding of diversity, African-American culture and the history of police involvement with African-American youth. My daughter and I are traumatized from these events and I'm disheartened to know that this day will live with my daughter forever," Taylor said in a statement shared by the ACLU on her behalf. The Honolulu Police Department told CNN on Tuesday it was "reviewing the letter and will be working with Corporation Counsel to address these allegations." A spokesperson for the Hawaii DOE said the agency did not have a comment at this time. In the letter, the ACLU said the girl had "allegedly participated in drawing an offensive sketch of a student in response to that student bullying her." In the days after her arrest, the girl told her mother that she drew the picture but several other students were involved in coloring and writing on it, the group says in the letter. The girl said "she did not want the drawing delivered but one of the other students snatched it from her hands and delivered it anyways," the ACLU said in the letter. REPUBLICLANS themselves dont all realize it, but theyre winning the political debate over voting laws. Its not just that Republicans are pushing through the laws they favor in multiple states while Democrats in Washington have not been able to enact anything. That difference is mostly a result of the Senates 50-50 tie and the filibuster. Whats worse for the Democrats, their attack on Republicans as vote suppressors who are instituting a new Jim Crow does not seem to be inflicting any political damage. Republicans arent on the defensive on the issue. They feel entirely comfortable defending their position. They have some polling to back them up. And they have forced their critics to make concessions. The first major political battle over voting laws came in the swing state of Georgia this spring, and it set the tone for the nationwide debate. So it was all the more helpful for Republicans that the opponents of their election changes made critical mistakes. President Joe Biden helped bring the Georgia Republicans new law to national attention by denouncing it. But he also endorsed taking the All-Star game from Atlanta, which predictably went over poorly in the state. EducationQuest Foundation has awarded 75 Nebraska schools with 8th Grade Campus Visit Grants totaling more than $45,000. Area schools receiving the grants include Cedar Bluffs Public Schools, Fremont Middle School, and West Point-Beemer Junior-Senior High School. The schools will use the grants to help fund college visits and related activities to get students on the path to college. The 8th Grade Campus Visit Grants are awarded annually and are one of several programs EducationQuest provides to fulfill its mission of improving access to higher education in Nebraska. EducationQuest has awarded approximately $300,000 in 8th Grade Campus Visit Grant funding to Nebraska schools since the programs inception in 2011. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A global money-laundering watchdog has called on Pakistan to "continue to make progress as soon as possible " to address the one remaining recommendation that is preventing the country from being removed from a so-called gray list of terrorism financing. The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed Pakistan on its watchlist in 2018 amid accusations that the country's powerful military harbors Islamist militants to use them as proxies against India and neighboring Afghanistan. Being placed on the list can scare away investors and creditors, and make global banks wary of doing business with a country. Following a three-day plenary session on October 21, FATF hailed Pakistans continued political commitment since June 2018 to address its counterterrorist financing-related deficiencies, which has allowed the country to completed 26 of the 27 recommendations made by the watchdog to prevent terrorism financing and money laundering. However, FATF President Marcus Pleyer told a press conference that the authorities need to further demonstrate that investigations and prosecutions are being pursued against the senior leadership of UN designated terror groups. The international watchdog also said Pakistan still needs to demonstrate that it actively seeks to enhance the impact of sanctions beyond its jurisdiction by nominating additional individuals and entities for designation at the UN. Hammad Azhar, Pakistans energy minister who is also involved in FATF-related matters, welcomed the watchdogs acknowledgement that his country has made progress as good news. 26/27 items already complete. Majority of countries believe that we have completed the Action Plan, Azhar tweeted. FATF also decided on October 21 to add Turkey, Jordan, and Mali to its watchlist, and to remove Botswana and Mauritius. The organization also announced a new strategy for combatting corruption through anonymous entities such as shell companies. The proposed rules would force countries to set up a registry listing who actually owns an entity. With reporting by AP A group of prominent Afghan women has urged the United Nations to pressure the Taliban to uphold its promises on women's rights before deciding who should fill the country's seat at the world body. The women, who visited UN headquarters in New York on October 21, included former Afghan politician and peace negotiator Fawzia Koofi, former politician Naheed Fareed, former diplomat Asila Wardak, and journalist Anisa Shaheed. "It's very simple," Koofi told reporters. "The UN needs to give that seat to somebody who respects the rights of everyone in Afghanistan." The world should use aid, money, and recognition to leverage inclusion and respect of womens rights and the rights of everybody, Koofi said. The United Nations is considering rival claims on who should represent Afghanistan in the General Assembly. The Taliban nominated its political spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, while Ghulam Isaczai, the UN ambassador who represented the Afghan government ousted by the Taliban, is seeking to remain in the seat. UN member states are expected to make a decision by the end of the year. Wardak urged countries to pressure the Taliban "to put their words in action" when it comes to women's rights, adding, "If you're going to give them a seat, there should be conditions." The women spoke to reporters before addressing a UN event on support for Afghan women and girls. The UN Security Council also met separately on October 21 to discuss women, peace, and security. "Women and girls in Afghanistan are pinning their hopes and dreams on this very council and world body to help them recover their rights to work, travel and go to school," Isaczai told the Security Council. "It would be morally reprehensible if we do nothing and let them down." Since seizing power in mid-August, Taliban leaders have vowed to respect women's rights in accordance with Shari'a law. During the Taliban's earlier rule from 1996 to 2001, its Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice became known as the group's morality police, enforcing its interpretation of Shari'a law that included a strict dress code and public executions and floggings. Women also had to be accompanied by a male relative when they left home. With reporting by Reuters Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. A lot of secret space exists downtown. Oodles of square footage that could hold events, parties, extra tables for diners and revelers, and offer safer routes for bicyclists and walkers. What are these magical portals to a more expansive, attractive downtown? Alleys. "Theyre underused," said Chelsea Gondeck, director of planning and mobility for Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs. "Especially coming out of COVID, we recognize the importance of outdoor space for business. And it's about mobility. There would be additional accessible routes to getting through downtown. Bikes and scooters would be OK to go through there." Five years ago, the Downtown Development Authority and City of Colorado Springs' Experience Downtown Master Plan set numerous goals to achieve, including activating six alleys on the east and west side of Tejon Street, between Colorado Avenue and Bijou Street. Three are on the east side of Tejon Street and three are on the west. Two years ago an architectural design was created for the eastern alleys, which included lighting for safety reasons. The plan was put on pause last year, as the DDA allocated money for small business loans and other issues due to the pandemic. Lighting the western alleys is postponed until financial reserves are rebuilt, said Gondeck. Other elements planned to increase usage of the alleys include additional entrances for businesses, which will increase dining opportunities; public art, such as murals, to enhance the space for informal gatherings; waste service consolidation; creating access for deliveries; and undergrounding utilities. "We want a pleasant experience," Gondeck said. Alley activation isn't a new concept. Fort Collins is an early adaptor of the idea. The city of Fort Collins, its Downtown Development Authority and General Improvement Districts have invested $5.5 million in alley renovations since 2000, according to a 2018 article in the Coloradoan. Those improvements include new entry points, improved stormwater drainage systems, trash enclosures, cobblestone surfaces, overhead lighting, flower pots and public art. When we first started, people couldnt imagine spending money on a dirty alleyway, said Todd Dangerfield, project manager for Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority, in The Topeka Capital-Journal in 2018. Once they saw what the space could be, its, Oh, come check out whats around this corner. Gondeck and others involved with the Experience Downtown plan have used the city of Fort Collins as a source for advice and inspiration. "They've streamlined the process there," she said. "We've been working with them for insight to make it go as smoothly as possible. Theyre well ahead of us. Were definitely learning from them." Themed alleys The Pikes Peak AdAmAn Club, a group of mountaineers founded in 1922 that hikes Pikes Peak every year to set off New Year's Eve fireworks, will celebrate its 100th anniversary in about 16 months. The group plans to mark the occasion by revamping the eastern alley between Colorado and Pikes Peak avenues, where sculptor Sean O'Meallie's popular brightly colored parrots once hung suspended. The tentative plan includes sculpture and a mural, LED light displays and augmented reality. The city has committed to undergrounding utilities and repaving the space within the next year. "We want to celebrate the communitys relationship with Pikes Peak," said AdAmAn President Dan Stuart. "It's not just about the AdAmAn Club. We're talking about the spirit of perseverance and overcoming adversity and welcoming in the new year things the community does well. Pikes Peak drives all that. We're trying to bring that spirit downtown." Already open for business East of downtown, Cottonwood Center for the Arts has already activated its own secret space. The nonprofit recently grew its location by 6,000 square feet, all by paving the weed-filled, long rectangular alley on its south side and installing a wooden gate. Executive Director Jon Khoury wanted to expand the reach of the complex for years, now that the building is packed to capacity with artist studios, galleries, classes, a theater and pottery studios. When the pandemic shut down the arts last year, it was an ideal time to get creative. So they looked outside the box, er, building. One could say it's the alley that COVID-19 built. It's on trend with many of the city's arts and culture organizations, which have reworked outdoor spaces to stage more performances and activities outside. "We had the vision before COVID," Khoury said, "but COVID made it even more apparent it could be something we could run with." A grant from El Pomar Foundation, a financial gift from Herman Tiemens and a brick-buying campaign allowed Cottonwood to pave the alley and populate it with a pergola, an outdoor bar for some events, seating and a mural. It will be home to summer camps for kids, music and spoken word poetry performances and more. Tiemens sees it as a way to more directly help artists. "With bigger arts nonprofits I support, its one foot removed from the actual artists," Tiemens said. "I see Cottonwood as being about as close to supporting the actual artists as you can get. This will create a great space for gallery openings. Hopefully theyll (the artists) see a direct benefit from this." Mike Miller wipes down tables and chairs while Aspen Nipp, one of three owners, works at the bar Wednesday as they prepare for Fridays opening of Vultures, a music venue at the former Angry Pirate Bar on Platte Avenue near The Black Sheep. The head of Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment told other leading health officials Thursday that state leaders were considering a "potential policy response" to address the current pandemic surge, as hospitals fill with COVID-19 patients and the flu season nears. Since the spring, the state has entirely handed pandemic response measures to local health departments, county commissions and school boards. Gov. Jared Polis has routinely stood by that decision, including amid the continued fall surge that's led to more hospitalizations than at any point in 2021. Any policy instituted by the state would be the first in months and would represent, for many counties, the only COVID-19 mitigation measures in place. Polis has long said that hospitalizations and hospital capacity are the key metrics for the state when considering stepping in. Intensive care capacity is stretched to its tightest point of the pandemic; a state official told reporters Thursday that there were 120 beds left statewide. Speaking to the state's Board of Health on Thursday, Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the executive director of the health department, said officials were considering a policy move "including state and local public health agencies to try and bring the transmission back down, particularly as we're going to start to be entering flu season." She told the board that the state was closely monitoring its hospital system, which has fewer than 10% of intensive care beds left statewide. COVID-19 cases here, while improving in recent days, remain at a "high plateau," Hunsaker Ryan said. Asked about any policy changes being considered, Polis' office referred comment to the state health department Thursday. Late Thursday evening, a spokeswoman for the agency said Hunsaker Ryan "is talking with local public health agencies about if they are planning to implement any county-wide policies and determining if any gaps exist in public health protocols going into the winter months, especially in regions in the state that are seeing higher transmission and higher hospitalizations." El Paso County Public Health spokeswoman Michelle Beyrle said the agency had not been contacted about a potential public health order. The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment and Tri-County Health Department also said they were unaware. Other local public health agencies also said they were not contacted. In El Paso County, hospital capacity has been strained, or at a "red-orange" level, indicating that procedures may need to be limited or delayed since Sept. 16, when county hospitals had a census of 150 patients with COVID or suspected of having the virus. On Thursday, county hospitals had 220 patients with COVID-19 or suspected of having it, according to El Paso County Health. The overall number of patients is lower than it was during the winter spike when 292 patients were hospitalized, the data shows. But hospitals have been challenged with staffing shortages across the state due in part to burn out. Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, owned by Centura, had 300 open positions at the end of September. Early in October, Centura started investing $66 million into its wages and compensation to help attract applicants. As part of that investment, Centura is increasing pay for about 17,000 employees by 3% and boosting its minimum wage to $17 per hour. The health system is also boosting pay for 6,000 positions, it said in a news release. "These changes, plus aggressive recruiting efforts, have helped us add outstanding caregivers to our team throughout the Centura system," Centura spokeswoman Lindsay Radford said Friday. UCHealth spokeswoman Cary Vogrin said hospital capacity has also been challenged by traumatic injuries, heart attacks and other non-COVID related emergencies. In addition, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other long-term care facilities are struggling to accept more patients because they have staffing shortages and capacity problems. So, patients who are medically ready to leave a hospital have nowhere to go, she said. "UCHealth has dozens of these patients in our hospitals right now, leading to additional capacity challenges for us," she said. Polis didn't directly respond when asked at a press conference Thursday if any public health orders were coming or at what point he would institute them. He praised Larimer and Boulder counties, which have instituted masking orders, and advised people to get tested if they're symptomatic. "We don't know yet exactly the trajectory this is going to take in Colorado," he said. DILLON - The family entered the icy wonderland through an archway, and the father's response was much like his young son's. "Whoa, this is not what I expected," said Colorado Springs' Mark Galley, who with his family was first in a line that got longer as the sun dipped behind the Summit County mountains. He and hundreds of others gazed at the glossy cathedrals and spires forming a maze in the town's Little League field. The nationwide attraction Ice Castles has returned to Colorado, inspiring the same awe it did in Breckenridge four years ago. "Wow!" Galley said, seemingly unable to control his laughter as he touched the bluish, soaring walls around him that at night glow all the colors of the rainbow. The state agency that licenses amusement park rides on Wednesday slapped $68,000 in fines against the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, where a 6-year-old Colorado Springs girl was killed over Labor Day weekend. Additionally, the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safetys amusement rides and devices program ordered the Haunted Mine Drop ride where Wongel Estifanos died to remain padlocked until it is re-inspected and employees have been properly trained to operate it, according to a copy of the order obtained by The Gazette. The fines are the largest assessed by the agency for at least a decade and follow an extensive investigation into Estifanos death on Sept. 5. She died after plummeting more than 100 feet in the makeshift mine shaft because she wasnt properly belted into her seat. Garfield County prosecutors have said they are reviewing possible criminal charges in connection with the death. Investigators determined two different employees a wrongful death lawsuit filed Wednesday by the family identifies them as Toby Williams and Steve Ochoa failed to notice the girl was sitting on the two safety belts when they overrode a security system warning of a problem and sent the ride on its fatal plunge. The fines include a pair of $1,000 assessments against the parks ownership, Glenwood Caverns Holdings LLC, for each employees failure to ensure Estifanos was buckled in. The other $66,000 a $1,000 fine for each day of a 66-day period is for the parks failure to properly train all operators of the Haunted Mine Drop, including in its safety and warning systems. Findings indicate that training for all ride operators of the [Haunted Mine Drop] did not appear to emphasize the inherent risks of the ride, nor did it include reviewing the manufacturers operating manual, according to the violation notice. By law, the park has 30 days to either pay the fines and comply with the enforcement order or go through a formal enforcement proceeding. If the required fixes are not made, the state can issue additional fines or shut down the park. A spokesperson for the amusement park did not immediately respond to The Gazettes efforts seeking comment. The girls parents, Estifanos Dagne and Rahel Estifanos, filed their lawsuit in Denver District Court, claiming the adventure park employees were reckless in not seeing that Wongel was sitting on her lap belts. The girl had taken the tail of the belt and held it over her lap. It had remained fastened from the previous ride because the seat was unoccupied, according to the states investigation report. Rather than physically check each belt, one of the operators reset the ride turning off a warning system that noted there was a problem and sent the platform on which Wongel and five of her relatives sat on its way down the 110-foot shaft. It wasnt until the platform reached the bottom that Wongels uncle went to ask if she enjoyed the ride and saw she was gone. Seeing her crumpled body on the ground before them, the family struggled to reach her, but the platform automatically whisked them up the shaft, according to the lawsuit. The park has had at least two complaints neither of which were shared with state regulators at the time about employees failing to notice riders of the Haunted Mine Drop were not buckled in. One of those complaints, from 2019, was turned over to investigators but the other, from 2018, was not, officials said. Investigators say they learned of the earlier incident, in which a woman pleaded with ride operators not to send the platform into its plunge because a teenager was unbelted, after an attorney for the family shared the information from someone who had come forward. State regulators said they were told the park did not have a method of recording or keeping complaints from customers. The park also told them that the 2019 emailed complaint went unnoticed because of a system problem, according to the states investigation report. The ride was intentionally designed without safety harnesses a mainstay feature on other vertical drop rides to make it more exciting. It relies on two lap belts: one that is like a safety belt in a motor vehicle and the other with a special bolt on its end that fits into a monitored locking mechanism. Jimmy Sengenberger is host of The Jimmy Sengenberger Show on News/Talk 710 KNUS. He also hosts Jimmy at the Crossroads, a webshow and podcast in partnership with The Washington Examiner. The Colorado Blue Book is sent to each home to inform voters about the pros, cons and costs of ballot questions each year. John Hickenlooper had a hard time staying on point, but his diversion was big news. A few days before The New York Times reported it last Sunday, Hick broke the news that Congress is on the cusp of passing a carbon tax to cut pollution, raise revenue and speed the transition from fossil fuels to green energy. The former governor turned U.S. senator was on a Zoom call with experts last week to talk about electrified transportation, specifically electric trucks to replace the diesel engineers. Having industry to pay a government-set price for each ton of emissions will financially motivate them to cut emissions. At the same time, that windfall could pay the fare for delivering climate change. Whether it's pay me now or pay me later, John Q. Public can expect to foot the bill. There's no magic money that politicians try to sell you on. Hickenlooper suggested U.S. carbon taxes can change the planet. "Setting a price on carbon with tariffs will really help the rest of the world follow our lead." Hickenlooper is in a jam sandwich with the oil and gas industry, which is critical to Colorado's economy, and the most progressive members of his party who contend hes not doing enough, if his hair is not on fire. As far back as last summer, Hickenlooper was talking up taxing carbon. The thing Id like more than anything is to get a price on carbon, Hickenlooper said during a virtual town hall in August, which was supposed to focus on the Democrats $1 trillion infrastructure bill. Were going to have some of the largest investments in electrification in this country to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, he told his constituents on the call, citing $7.5 billion to build out the nations charging station network. Hick was one of 11 members of his party appointed to negotiate the infrastructure package with 11 Senate Republicans last summer. His roots on the issue run much deeper than his nine-month tenure in Washington, way deeper. In 2017, he held a press conference at Red Rocks Amphitheater to sign an executive order that kept Colorado on pace with the Paris Climate Agreement, as then-President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the global response. Colorados connection to the outdoors and wilderness is central to our core identity. Its really who we are, Hick said then. Clean air and clean water is central to that brand, to our values. The Senate has come around to Colorados way of thinking, as they typically do on green issues, Hick said on the call last week. In reality, senators came around to Oregons way of thinking. Carbon pricing has been percolating on the left for months, but when it became clear last week that the $3.5 trillion Biden wish list wouldnt pass with clean energy in the mix, the focus shifted to making industries (and ultimately customers) pay up. Ive had a carbon pricing bill in my desk for the last three years just waiting for the time, Sen. Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, chair of the Senate Finance Committee and former chair of the Energy Committee, told The New York Times Saturday. ... Now there are a number of senators, key moderate senators, whove said theyre open to this. And a lot of House folks have said they would support it if the Senate sends it over. Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill set a Halloween deadline to reach an agreement on President Joe Biden's economic package. The political hobgoblin in all this is Joe Manchin. The West Virginia Democrat wont support the package's $150 billion investment in greener electricity. His state is a major coal producer, and Manchin is politically fat on campaign contributions from fossil fuel producers. He articulates a good case that hastily abandoning fossil fuels would harm Americas energy independence and, ironically, sacrifice climate change at the alter of politics. Thats a view supported by the industry. For the first time, the American Petroleum Institute is endorsing carbon pricing. Confronting the challenge of climate change and building a lower-carbon future will require a combination of government policies, industry initiatives and continuous innovation, Mike Sommers, API's president and CEO, told Colorado Politics in March. Last month, API was among the industry groups opposing proposed fees on methane, however. Back on July 1, I was part of a small group of reporters invited out to the 11-acre Namaste Solar farm east of Aurora, as Hickenlooper showed off Colorados efforts to produce green power to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. Colorado has anted up up: 348 solar companies employed about 7,719 people, including about $390 million in solar investments in 2019, before the pandemic, with a total of $3.9 billion invested overall, according to the Department of Energy. I know theres a sense of urgency on the part of the administration and the president himself, Granholm told us. Yesterday with the wildfire issue, Gov. (Jared) Polis was part of a whole Western governors chat with the president that I was at, too, and we were talking about the underlying issues, which is climate change. Finding a way to pay for it always winds up coming from the same back pocket, yours and mine. Carbon taxing might be big news, yet the costs are anything but. Colorado Springs police have unduly targeted community organizers they don't agree with, a motion filed in mid-September to dismiss the charges against community activist Charles Johnson alleged. Through methods including unwarranted surveillance, inconsistent prosecution and continued arrests, defense attorney Alison Blackwell alleged that Colorado Springs police have chilled or violated constitutional rights of protesters like Charles Johnson, an outspoken opponent to police brutality and a central figure in many recent Colorado Springs protests, in a motion filed to dismiss his cases. Johnson is charged with several crimes in connection with protests he helped organize or attended in 2020 and 2021, including allegedly participating in a riot during a Pulpit Rock protest decrying the killing of DeVon Bailey, obstructing a highway during a Black Lives Matter protest that stretched across Interstate 25, and attempted robbery and disobeying public safety orders charges picked up during a July affordable housing protest. The motion filed in September, which addresses three cases against Johnson stemming from three separate protests, calls for his charges to be dropped on the grounds that hes been a victim of outrageous governmental conduct, according to the motion. The way theyre treating Charles is vastly different than the way theyre treating other people, because hes so outspoken, Blackwell said in an interview with The Gazette. Johnson has been arrested or served with summons several times in connection with anti-police brutality or affordable housing protests, sometimes long after the protests happened, which Blackwell alleged were deliberate actions to interfere with, monitor and, ultimately, discredit Johnson in particular, along with others involved with the Chinook Center, a nonprofit dedicated to progressive community organization. "The conduct of Colorado Springs police officers towards Mr. Johnson is outrageous, egregious, preposterous, and this court should find that Mr. Johnson is simply exercising his rights," Blackwell wrote in the motion. After the affordable housing march in downtown Colorado Springs in late July, for example, Johnson was arrested and served with a summons to appear in court. When he showed up to the courthouse a month later, Blackwell said that over a dozen police officers were waiting to arrest him again on additional charges they said they found reviewing drone footage. None of the other protesters who went to the courthouse that day, Blackwell said, were arrested. Why would they need to have drone footage of people after they're already on the sidewalk, after they comply with orders to get out of the street? questioned Blackwell in a September interview. Those tactics, as well as the inconsistent level of force used arent implemented by Colorado Springs police during other peaceful gatherings, Blackwell alleged. The challenge lies with the Colorado Springs Police Departments decision to use the law as a mechanism to suppress free speech for protesters, while willfully choosing not to charge those protesting for Donald Trumps failed run at a second presidency or anti-vaccination protesters, Blackwell wrote in the motion. "This decision changed the law into a method that Colorado Springs uses to punish people the police force disagrees with." Blackwell emphasized that in all three of the protests addressed in the motion, Johnson and fellow protesters had peacefully organized in public forums, like sidewalks, streets and I-25, which Blackwell argued was within their First Amendment rights. Any charge for obstructing traffic, I believe, is unconstitutional when you're protesting, because you're exercising your First Amendment right because of what you believe, Blackwell said in an interview. Police, she wrote in the motion, also had no reasonable suspicion that the Chinook Center, a peaceful nonprofit, was involved in criminal activity, adding that Johnsons protesting did not present a clear danger of a riot or to public safety. Nevertheless, Blackwell wrote, officers often showed up en force to break up the gatherings, charging protesters with obstructing traffic and with failing to obey public safety orders when they refused to disperse, which Blackwell argued was a right afforded to them by the First Amendment. A Colorado Springs police spokesman wasn't immediately available for comment on the motion, and prosecutors havent yet filed a response to it, Blackwell said. A district judge has yet to set a date to make a ruling on the motion, leaving Johnson's case in limbo while it's being deliberated on. Private networks speed 5G deployments The COVID-19 pandemic made clear the need for greater connectivity nationwide, and one solution that is hitting its stride as a result is private 5G. 5G is the fastest growing segment in the wireless network infrastructure market, according to Gartner, which predicts that by the end of 2024, 60% of cloud service providers will commercialize 5G service in Tier-1 cities. But operators wont have true 5G on their public networks until 2025-2030, making private networks the fastest way to take advantage of the technology. To understand how private 5G differs from public, think of it like this: If you have a Verizon cellphone, its SIM card allows you to authenticate and get authorization to use that network, but you cant use an AT&T network because it is not provisioned to do so. A private 5G network changes that by removing the limitations. For instance, the Air Forces flight line operations require constant connectivity in an environment thats always moving, said Mark DeVol, vice president of federal sales at Cradlepoint, which Ericsson acquired last year. If we can bring a private cellular network to surround an Air Force flight line or an Army flight line then you have the mobile connectivity, he said. You can now be working within a private cellular network, not the commercial carrier network, and you can then be the one that owns, manages, operates and -- the biggest thing -- control that network environment. You give up control when youre working on a commercial network vs. when you can own, operate and maintain it yourself. You basically become a mini carrier yourself, added Todd Krautkremer, Cradlepoints chief marketing officer. As a result, solutions providers like Cradlepoint are building versions of these private cellular networks to facilitate IT organizations adoption of private 5G. If there are Wi-Fi devices in the flight line that dont have SIMs in them, youre going to use a Cradlepoint device to connect those Wi-Fi-enabled devices to a cellular network, he said. At the beginning of this year, the school district in Murray City, Utah, became the first school district in the country to create and launch its own private cellular network using Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum, the frequency band approved for private cellular networks. The private LTE network will provide free internet access to all 6,000 of its students. The district set up cell towers around school campuses that broadcast at least 4 miles, DeVol said. Then, a unit in users homes lets them connect to that private network owned and managed by the school district. The result is high-speed broadband via cellular, he added. Since last fall, the Fresno, Calif., Unified School District (FUSD) has been erecting cell towers on 15 schools to provide private LTE that supports up to 6,000 concurrent students. By putting it on a school, you avoided the whole permitting process and the whole buildout of a tower and all the engineering, said Philip Neufeld, executive IT director of FUSD. With the LTE connectivity and areas that dont have good cell towers, in areas where the families cant afford it, these students are going to have these hindrances blown out of their way. Theyre going to be more employable, more likely to go to college, and that changes the economic situation in a region. The biggest private 5G deployer is the Defense Department. Its 2020 5G Strategy Implementation Plan states that DOD will require the ability to securely use private, hybrid and public 5G networks. In June, the department announced the successful demonstration of a private 5G network in a pilot test of a smart warehouse by Marine Corps Logistics Command in Albany, Ga. For entities that dont want to be their own carriers, Krautkremer said a managed service model is an option in which a systems integrator handles the network architecture and management. Benefits of 5G include speed and the support of network slicing, which allows a single network connection to be partitioned into multiple virtual ones to handle different traffic simultaneously. 5G is the first true software-defined network, so well be able to do things like network slicing. Well be able to slice up 5G and allocate it to applications, Krautkremer said. We will be able to manage the connection so that if Ive got a critical connection, it doesnt get squashed at 5 oclock because the traffic on the local roadways are all using their cell towers. The bandwidth gets dedicated. In Fresno, other organizations are interested in using a private network, including the hospital, which could reduce the per-person cost of health care delivery by improving telemedicine, for example. I think there will be an explosion of these types of networks because it reaches people who are underserved in multiple ways with multiple different ways that it brings value, FUSDs Neufeld said. CEDAR RAPIDS Election politics may do more to win approval of the trillion-dollar infrastructure package he voted for than congressional arm-twisting has so far accomplished, Sen. Chuck Grassley said. The Iowa Republican has heard Democrats may bring it up for a vote before the end of the month to help win the Nov. 2 Virginia gubernatorial race. What Ive heard is that the race for governor is tightening up so much against the Democrats in Virginia that maybe this administration needs to show a win in order to keep Democrats voting in that particular state, Grassley told reporters Wednesday. Democrat Terry McAuliffes lead has disappeared, according to a recent Monmouth University poll, which showed him tied with Republican Glenn Youngkin. Grassley was among the 19 Republicans who joined Senate Democrats in passing the bipartisan infrastructure package in August. It includes $550 billion in new spending over five years to improve hard infrastructure. Since then, however, the package has been tied up in negotiations among Democrats. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi planned a floor vote in late September, but still is working to get a majority of her caucus to support the bill. Progressives want to tie its approval to passage of a human infrastructure bill with large investment in education, health care, child care and family leave paid for with tax increases on wealthy people and corporations. It's pretty darn sure that said Speaker Pelosi shouldnt hold roads, bridges, locks and dams hostage, Grassley said. He voted for the infrastructure package because of the support it received from Iowans. The topic comes up at nearly every one of his county meetings, he said. He also heard support from the chambers of commerce of the 10 or 12 largest Iowa cities and the Iowa Farm Bureau as well as commodity groups representing cattlemen, pork producers, and soybean and corn growers. Just a lot of support, he said, probably because our bridges, you know, are the most structurally deficient of any of the 50 states at about 23 percent of our bridges. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Money will support 50% of an apprenticeship coordinator position, according to a news release from the Institute. Thats expected to add capacity for employer outreach and developing apprenticeship positions in partnership with regional employers. GO Virginia Region 3 funds will support 50% of the cost for an internship coordinator as well as paid internships, work-readiness boot camps and teacher externships, the releasae stated. ExperienceWorks provides targeted industries with skilled employees for high-wage, high-skill jobs to position their companies for growth and will significantly advance the Region 3 Councils priorities, said Randy Lail, chair of GO Virginia Region 3, a statewide business-led economic development initiative. Apprenticeship and job readiness programs have long been an area of focus for the tobacco commission and I am glad the commission chose to support this program at IALR, Alexis Ehrhardt, a member of the tobacco commission, said in a statement. Ehrhardt, the former CEO of the Danville-Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce, calls the new program a real asset since itll bring students together with businesses in a particular field. I am confident this will result in increased employment opportunities for our students and allow our local businesses to hire for many hard to fill positions, she said. Woman arrested after two people, dog hit by SUV A Danville woman has been arrested after two people and a dog they were walking were hit by a vehicle Wednesday evening. Officers with the Danville Police Department responded to the 500 block of Apollo Avenue at about 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, a news release reported. Police said a burgundy Nissan SUV, driven by 49-year-old Anastasia Carroll Saunders, of Danville, had fled the scene of what they described as a hit-and-run. A 53-year-old Danville man suffered severe wounds to his legs and body after being hit and dragged by the vehicle. A second victim, a 46-year-old Danville woman, had minor injuries to her lower leg. The man was airlifted to an unknown hospital and is listed in stable condition, police reported. The investigation revealed that the suspect knew the male victim from a previous relationship and this was an intentional act of hitting them with the car, police wrote in a Friday news release. Police said the suspect then hit another vehicle when leaving the scene. That crash caused property damage but no injuries. To the editor: In a few days, Virginians will vote for a new governor. It is my hope that everyone qualified to vote will go out and do their sacred duty. And I hope and pray that they will vote for Glenn Youngkin. This coming election is a bellwether for whether we like what is happening in our country or not. I hope Virginians realize that a vote for Terry McAuliffe is a vote for the present administration's inept policies that have resulted in rising gas prices, rising in the price of food at home that has gone up 4.6% compared with a year ago as per the Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index, the open border at the South resulting in thousands of illegal migrants coming into the country and the debacle in Afghanistan because of the way it was handled, to mention a few of the bad policies of this administration. What should concern even more for parents is the fact that McAuliffe does not want parents to get involved in what should be taught by teachers to their children in school. He said this in a debate a few weeks ago with Youngkin. And McAuliffe had the audacity to say later on that Youngkin "took what he said out of context" because what he said did not seat well with the parents. Many of those who are returning are asking for more: not just higher pay, but flexible hours and better working conditions. Many, like members of the United Auto Workers who work for Deere & Co., makers of John Deere tractors, are on strike, asking for a larger share of the companys profits. Its like the whole country is in some kind of union renegotiation, Betsey Stevenson, a University of Michigan economist, told the Times. I dont know whos going to win in this bargaining thats going on right now, but right now it seems like workers have the upper hand. To which we must say: Good. While they have our attention, we should hear what they say. Its not that Americans dont want to work; theyre among the hardest-working people in the world. Most take pride in a good job done well. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. " " Microaggressions is a term that's gained popularity in the last few years but it was coined back in 1970. Turner Consulting Group I grew up being asked the same question nearly every time I met someone new: "Where are you from?" I would respond, "I'm from Washington D.C." There was something about this answer that was unsatisfactory to whomever had asked. So, they would try again: "Oh, but I mean like, where are you from?" They often squinted their eyes at this point for emphasis. Eventually, I learned that to many people I have racially ambiguous features. I took these moments as opportunities. I would ask questions about their assumptions in return, and it would turn into a dialogue. Later when I started college, my classmates and I were taught that these kinds of questions about where people are from are "offensive" and should be avoided. A few years later, I learned a word for it: "microaggressions." The term arose from an effort to define the ways in which racism was changing, from more overt and public acts, to smaller day-to-day slights. But what exactly is a microaggression, and is what I experienced necessarily a result of racism? Advertisement Microaggression Versus Macroagression The idea that racism is manifesting in less visible ways has spawned new areas of research. At Washington University in St. Louis, there's a whole lab full of researchers who are trying to understand hidden mental biases what are often referred to as "implicit biases." Professor Calvin Lai runs the Diversity Science Lab at Washington University and says that people often are not consciously aware that they harbor negative thoughts about certain groups. These underlying thoughts, whether we're aware of them or not, influence our behavior. Lai includes microaggressions among these behaviors, and defines microaggressions as "verbal, behavioral or environmental negativity based on someone's group membership, be it race, gender, or otherwise." The person who first coined the term "microaggression" was Harvard psychiatrist Chester Pierce back in 1970. Pierce wrote about how white racial aggression and violence against blacks works to keep blacks down in the U.S. He wrote that microaggressions are subtler compared to "a gross, dramatic, obvious macro-aggression such as lynching," but in the same way are meant to "brutalize, degrade, abuse, and humiliate another group of individuals." Pierce described racism as a mental illness, and argued that understanding these "small, continuous bombardments" is essential to treating the disease. Since then, researchers have sought to further define microaggressions and their consequences. For example, psychologist Derald Wing Sue and his collaborators published a landmark paper in 2007 that laid out an entire framework for classifying different types of microaggressions and their impact. They gave examples of microaggressions such as being followed in a store or receiving poor service in a restaurant. They pointed out that even an expression like "I believe the most qualified person should get the job " could be considered a microaggression in certain contexts, for instance, to disparage affirmative action. And research links microaggressions to negative mental health outcomes such as lower life satisfaction and increased depression. The microaggression terminology has gradually seeped into conversations about race in the mainstream media, college campuses and the workplace. A host of educational interventions have cropped up to meet the demand for solutions. For example, in 2018 Starbucks announced it would close its U.S. stores to provide anti-bias training to employees following an incident in which two black men were arrested at a store in Philadelphia after they declined to buy anything but wanted to wait in the cafe to meet a colleague. Advertisement Are People Sometimes Just Overly Sensitive? Use of the term "microaggression" has also been met with significant criticism. Some scholars argue that while it may be true that subtler forms of prejudice exist, the field has a long way to go in gathering robust evidence to support the theories proposed by Sue and others. Until then, they say it's premature for anyone to use the term microaggression, let alone claim they have already developed effective interventions. "If Minority Group Member A interprets an ambiguous statement directed toward hersuch as 'I realize that you didn't have the same educational opportunities as most Whites, so I can understand why the first year of college has been challenging for you' as patronizing or indirectly hostile, whereas Minority Group Member B interprets it as supportive or helpful, should it be classified as a microaggression? The MRP [microaggression research program] literature offers scant guidance in this regard," writes psychologist Scott O. Lilienfield of Emory University. Other critics take issue with the idea that such small acts cause serious harm, especially when they are not ill-intended. They argue that some racial and ethnic minorities are being overly sensitive. But a study published in March 2019 found strong evidence that ethnic minorities are not any more sensitive to slights than white people. Both groups experienced the same decrease in happiness and life satisfaction after microaggressions. It's just that minorities experience microaggressions more often. Lai of the Diversity Science Lab agrees with critics who say that the term is a bit fuzzy. It's nearly impossible to prove someone's intentions, and a lot depends on the context. What's reasonable, Lai says, is thinking about your local context and then doing research. For example, if you're a white doctor who primarily works in an African-American community, then you should educate yourself so that you can provide culturally competent service. "You might not be acting out of implicit bias, you may just be ignorant," Lai says. Yet, having a vocabulary to describe awkward situations is useful says Agnes An, an advertising professional who lives in New York City. She's Korean American and says she has experienced microaggressions in a variety of contexts from the workplace to the dating scene. "People will ask where I'm from and don't ask me anything else, that's it," she says. "Or when I respond, that's the remainder of the conversation, 'Oh I like K-Pop and kimchee,' when there are so many other aspects of me." She says this happened a lot when she was growing up, but the term "microaggression" hadn't gone mainstream. She just ended up walking away from these interactions feeling bad. Now, An feels empowered to speak up. "I appreciate that people have coined something because it's a recognition that it actually happened. It makes it real, and allows people to talk about it with each other," she says. Now That's Interesting Sue and his colleagues argued that microaggressions are not limited to human interactions, and can also include interactions with the environment. One example they used in their 2007 paper was of a college or university with buildings all named after white heterosexual upper-class males. The implicit message? "You don't belong/You won't succeed here." The Friendship Center's Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Working Group on Thursday named Helena Police Department patrol officer Steven Cornish and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office Cpl. Paul Weber as this year's Officers of the Year. The Friendship Center provides safe shelter and a broad range of support services to victims of domestic and sexual violence and their families. "This event is so important," said Gina Boesdorfer, who has been The Friendship Center's executive director for the past six months. "The work we do can often seem hopeless for the victims. It's important to take the time to make a difference in that first interaction with them." According to Boesdorfer, these two members of law enforcement make that first interaction count and make the victims of these crimes feel heard. Sheriff Leo Dutton said it is an honor to present the award, and to have a relationship with The Friendship Center. He said sexual assault and domestic violence are unfortunately very present in Lewis and Clark County, no matter how much he wishes they were not. "Cpl. Paul Weber Does his best. He puts his hear and soul into the job," Dutton said. "You can be robotic about your job, try to get from one case to the next, but it takes someone special to truly care." Dutton said it takes an exceptional degree of professionalism to make the victim truly believe and understand that law enforcement does care and to follow through on that when investigating the case. "I'm proud to say you're a member of our team," Dutton said. Weber said it's critically important for law enforcement like him to be an advocate for their community. He said working with advocates like The Friendship Center helps make that happen. "We have to listen to these people who believe no one else will listen to them," Weber said. For Weber, being named Officer of the Year came as both a surprise and an honor. The 32-year-old officer has been with Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office for the past five years and has been a member of the United States Army National Guard for 14 years. For him, being named Officer of the Year is a chance to show that compassion is a core value of the sheriff's office. "Compassion is a big one. Me and my coworkers truly do bring compassion to those investigations," Weber said. "It can be truly painful for the victims and we do unfortunately see that elsewhere that victims' cries go unheard." Weber said Dutton does a good job of hiring compassionate deputies, and they are trained to be compassionate after joining the force. Helena Police Department Chief Steve Hagen said his department maintains a critically important relationship with The Friendship Center. According to Hagen, domestic violence and sexual assault are the two most under-reported crimes, and Lewis and Clark County has the highest rate of those crimes in the state. Hagen said officer Cornish is one who makes a difference when it comes to taking those reports. Cornish, 28, has been with HPD for the past four years. In that time he has worked closely with The Friendship Center regularly when investigating these kinds of crimes. "Even if you think there is no one there for you, reach out to someone," Cornish said. "We see that isolation all the time, but there is someone that will advocate for you." Cornish said he was surprised and happy to be named Officer of the Year. He thanked both The Friendship Center and the late assistant chief of the department, Curt Stinson, who Cornish said got him interested in law enforcement through Boy Scouts back in middle school. "It's great to work with HPD and my coworkers who give that time and support for the victims," Cornish said. "You're less likely to have a good result unless you take that time to develop a rapport with that victim. You have to approach it as though they're a member of your own family and set up those resources for them to help get them out of that situation." Cornish said he believes this level of compassion is ingrained in the culture of HPD. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BEIJING (AP) China on Friday said there is no room for compromise or concessions over the issue of Taiwan, following a comment by U.S. President Joe Biden that the U.S. is committed to defending the island if it is attacked. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reasserted Chinas longstanding claim that the island is its territory at a daily briefing after Biden made his comment a day before at a forum hosted by CNN. China has recently upped its threat to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary by flying warplanes near the island and rehearsing beach landings. When it comes to issues related to Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity and other core interests, there is no room for China to compromise or make concessions, and no one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will and strong ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wang said. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. The Taiwan issue is purely an internal affair of China that allows no foreign intervention," Wang said. Biden's comments on Thursday were viewed as stretching the strategic ambiguity" Washington has maintained over how it would respond to an assault on the self-governing island republic. The U.S. should be cautious with its words and actions on the Taiwan issue, and not send any wrong signals to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence, so as not to seriously damage China-U.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Wang said. At the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that Bidens comments about Taiwan weren't meant to signal a change in approach. What I can convey to you is that our policy has not changed, Psaki said. He was not intending to convey a change in policy, nor has he made a decision to change our policy." In his comments, Biden said the U.S. did not want a new Cold War but expressed concern about whether China was going to engage in activities that will put them in a position where they may make a serious mistake." I just want to make China understand that we are not going to step back, we are not going to change any of our views. Biden said. Asked whether the U.S. would come to Taiwan's defense if it were attacked, he replied: Yes, we have a commitment to do that. Asked Friday whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan if the island were attacked by China, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a reporter he would not discuss hypothetical situations, but also said, Nobody wants to see cross-Strait issues come to blows - certainly not President Biden, and theres no reason that it should. Speaking in Brussels after a NATO defense ministers' meeting, Austin added that Washington remains committed to its longstanding one China policy. In Taipei, a spokesperson for independence-minded President Tsai Ing-wen said the U.S. has shown its support for Taiwan through concrete actions and the island's 23 million citizens would not surrender to pressure or act rashly. Taiwan will demonstrate our firm determination to defend ourselves and continue to work with countries with similar values to make a positive contribution toward the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific regions peace and stability, spokesperson Chang Tun-han said. China and Taiwan split during a civil war in 1949. The U.S. cut formal diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 in order to recognize Beijing. The U.S. does not openly contest China's claim to Taiwan, but is committed by law to ensure the island can defend itself and to treat all threats toward it as matters of grave concern." Under President Xi Jinping, who is also Communist Party leader and head of the armed forces, China has been stepping up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan. Over its National Day weekend at the beginning of the month, China sent a record 149 military aircraft southwest of Taiwan in strike group formations, prompting Taiwan to scramble aircraft and activate its air defense missile systems. China has also recently held beach landing exercises on its side of the roughly 160-kilometer (100-mile) -wide Taiwan Strait that, like the aircraft incursions, it described as a warning to Tsai's administration. The U.S. has reinforced its support for Taiwan with military sales. State Department spokesman Ned Price said this month that American support for Taiwan is rock solid." The U.S. has also been very clear that we are committed to deepening our ties with Taiwan, Price said. On Wednesday, Bidens pick for ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, told lawmakers considering his nomination that Americans should have confidence in our strength when dealing with the rise of China, a nation he said the U.S. and its allies could manage. Burns echoed the Biden administrations stand on cooperating with China where possible but condemning many of its actions, including its policies toward Taiwan and the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong, where it has virtually eliminated dissident voices through stiff legislation and arrests. AP National Security Writer Robert Burns in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BUTTE In partnership with the state, St. James Healthcare in Butte is opening a monoclonal antibody clinic to treat people ill with COVID-19. This clinic will reduce the strain on St James, reduce hospitalizations and open up ICU beds for the most critical patients at St James, Gov. Greg Gianforte said in a press conference at the hospital Thursday. The clinic opens as Butte, like the rest of the state, has faced a surge in COVID-19 cases that has pushed some hospitals beyond their normal capacity and strained health care workers with a flood of patients. On Thursday there were 434 people hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, and while thats down from a record high of 510 earlier this month, it is still far beyond the number of hospitalizations the state saw before the most recent spike. The Butte facility will be able to treat about 12 patients a day and will be staffed by contract workers. Adam Meier, the director of the state Department of Public Health and Human Services, said his department will pay for the cost of the contract staffers and submit the expense to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for reimbursement. The clinic is open to the Butte community and can accept referrals, which are necessary for treatment, from elsewhere in the state. Monoclonal antibodies have emergency-use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 cases in those ages 12 and up who are at high risk of their cases turning severe. The antibodies are produced in laboratories and mimic the body's immune system in fighting off viruses. The antibodies can also block the coronavirus' attachment to human cells. They are generally prescribed within 10 days of the onset of symptoms. The treatment is available in 41 counties in the state, Gianforte said, and has shown to be effective. In Sidney, Gianforte said the hospital reported treating 41 patients with the antibodies and only one ended up in the hospital. Early treatment with monoclonal antibodies not only reduces the strain on the hospital system and ensures more capacity, it saves lives, Gianforte said. Gianforte added Buttes clinic is meant to be a model and the state health department is ready to help open more around Montana. From April 1 to Oct. 15, those who arent vaccinated made up 85% of hospitalizations in the state and 77% of deaths, according to information from the health department. Montanas acting chief medical officer, Dr. Maggie Cook-Shimanek, said Thursday the antibody treatment is not a substitute for being vaccinated. The Pfizer vaccine has full FDA approval for those age 12 and up, while the others are authorized for emergency use. I want to take a moment to reinforce the role of the monoclonal antibody treatments in the larger pandemic response, Cook-Shimanek said. Vaccination remains central to the intermediate and long-term pandemic response. Monoclonal antibodies are important for preventing hospitalization. They are not a replacement for vaccination. During the press conference Thursday, Gianforte reiterated his stance on vaccines thats held through the pandemic encouraging people to talk to their doctor about getting vaccinated and pointing out he was vaccinated, but adding that the state would not require one. While we will not mandate vaccines in Montana, the best long-term solution to this crisis is for Montanans to talk to their health care provider and get vaccinated, Gianforte said. Earlier this year Republican lawmakers passed and Gianforte signed the nations only vaccination mandate ban. It included a carve-out for nursing homes but not other health care facilities like hospitals. Gianforte said Thursday he would like to see it go faster when asked about the pace of vaccination, but again said the states approach of encouraging vaccines would remain the same. He noted the state topped 500,000 people fully vaccinated Thursday. That represents just shy of half Montana's population and lags the national rate of 57%. I think our role in government is to educate (and) communicate, Gianforte said. It's not to mandate. Particularly (for) those that have not chosen to get vaccinated, mandates tend to increase hesitancy, Gianforte said. Noting the number of Montanans who have died, Gianforte said their loss reminds us of the importance of taking this virus extremely seriously. The state has had at least 2,239 deaths by Thursday. As the emergency-use approval for vaccines in children ages 5 and up looms, Meier said Montana plans to use its existing vaccine distribution network to immunize younger children, adding schools would not be a part of that network. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 3 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A state agency has reinstated measures allowing emergency branch closures as banks continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions issued a proclamation Oct. 5 allowing branches to temporarily close for COVID-related safety or staffing issues, similar to a proclamation the division had lifted this summer. State law normally requires banks to get the divisions permission for emergency closures lasting more than 48 hours, according to the proclamation. I think the case numbers of COVID tell the whole story, said Cary Hegreberg, president and CEO of the Montana Bankers Association. Its just become more of a problem than it was a couple months ago. The proclamation came about three months after the division had rescinded similar measures, after Gov. Greg Gianforte ended Montanas state of emergency due to the pandemic. The day the division rescinded the measures, July 12, Montana had more than 90 daily COVID cases, according to the state COVID dashboard. Oct. 5 saw more than 1,000 daily cases, and the state has recently had some of the highest daily cases per capita in the country. Hegreberg said he was aware of instances when a branch had to close its lobby and wasnt able to notify the state on a timely basis. He said the proclamation could help banks stay in compliance when they otherwise couldnt. Virtually every bank in the state that I know of is having trouble, Hegreberg said. The state is dealing with a workforce shortage and banks are no exception. The state Department of Administration, which includes the banking division, could not provide an interview for this story. Since the proclamation, the division received notice for at least three temporary branch closures, according to a department spokesperson. Notice is not required under the proclamation as long as services are still being provided, so there could be other closures. In Helena, Ascent Banks lobbies closed on Oct. 7 after being open over the summer, according to Chief Development Officer Tom McGree. He said staff members were close contacts and had to stay home. The bank had enough staff to handle banking needs, McGree said, but it couldnt cover the foot traffic as well, and with COVID numbers up in the community, it decided to close the lobbies. We havent had a major problem with staffing until recently, McGree said. McGree said bank services are available by appointment, phone, drive-thru and online. As of this week the banks lobbies remained closed, according to its website. The proclamation encouraged banks to reduce hours instead of closing branches and required plans for providing service during a closure. There is a different process for routine business-related closures, according to the proclamation. US Banks Hamilton branch is by appointment only, according to its website. The bank could not be reached in time for this story. Wells Fargo has temporary closures in Helena, Butte and Bozeman, though each city has at least one branch open, according to the banks website. A Wells Fargo spokesperson could not provide details about closures in Montana but said the bank follows public health guidelines for COVID-19, including deep cleaning and asking close contacts to stay home following an exposure. According to its terms, the proclamation would remain in effect through January 1, 2022. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Gov. Greg Gianforte, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale are calling for President Biden to stop Afghan resettlements in Montana after a humanitarian evacuee from Afghanistan was charged with sexual assault in Missoula earlier this week. Zabihullah Mohmand, 19, appeared in Missoula Justice Court on Tuesday. He is charged with one count of sexual intercourse without consent, a felony. The alleged survivor told officials Mohmand is from Afghanistan, charging documents said. In an email to the Missoulian on Thursday, Jon Ebelt, a spokesman for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, confirmed Mohmand is part of the federal Afghan Placement and Assistance Program. He is one of 20 Afghan evacuees currently in Montana. Mohmand told police he was visiting Missoula on a worldwide trip, charging documents said. He did not mention being part of a resettlement program. The public defender, Ted Fellman, said at Tuesdays hearing that Mohmand is an immigrant who has been staying in Missoula. A statement from Daines' office said Mohmand was admitted to the United States and placed in Montana under Humanitarian Parole, which is separate from the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. The International Rescue Committee confirmed this information to Daines office late Wednesday afternoon, Daines spokeswoman Katie Schoettler said in an email to the Missoulian. Both Daines and Gianforte called on the Biden administration to give answers about the vetting process being used for Afghan refugees resettling in Montana. "While I welcome our fully-vetted Afghan allies to Montana, this situation and others across the country raise serious concerns about whether the Biden administration is meeting its obligations to fully vet Afghans prior to resettlement, Gianfortes statement said. I'm calling on President Biden to immediately halt resettlements to Montana until federal agencies provide me with adequate assurance that Afghans coming to Montana are fully-vetted in accordance with federal law." Rosendale also called for Biden to halt resettlement, and to remove Afghan evacuees that have been resettled in the U.S. He said Mohmand did not go through the 14-step vetting process required to obtain a visa. "We remain steadfast that the circumstances and alleged actions of one individual are not reflective of refugee or immigrant communities. For decades we have welcomed immigrant families and have watched them thrive and contribute to their communities and the nation," a statement from the International Rescue Committee said. Randall Caudle, an immigration attorney based in Missoula, said while he understands the politicians' concerns and agrees Afghans should be fully vetted, he doesnt think this individuals actions represent all Afghan people seeking refuge in Montana. One person is not reflective of all the nationals of a country, Caudle said. Ebelt emphasized federal agencies are responsible for the vetting process prior to parolees arrival. Afghan parolees are expected to abide by the laws of the United States, both while in military installations and as resettled members of local communities, said a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. Afghan parolees are briefed on U.S. law and the conditions of their parole while they are refugees at military bases. Those who violate the law may be placed into removal proceedings, the statement said. Before individuals are permitted to enter the United States, they are subject to rigorous, multi-layered screening and vetting processes that involve biometric and biographic screenings conducted by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and additional Intelligence Community partners, the statement continued. Mohmand is being held on $50,000 bond at the Missoula County Detention Facility. Love 7 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 19 Thumbs down It's sad to see how badly the campgrounds around Canyon Ferry Reservoir were misused as visitor numbers skyrocketed over the summer. According to the Montana Bureau of Reclamation, the Fish Hawk Campground on the west side of the reservoir south of the dam took the brunt of the abuse. Photos provided by the bureau show rocks that were vandalized with spray paint and large piles of trash, including a mattress that were left behind. The bureau is considering banning camping at the Fish Hawk Campground if these problems persist, and it would be a shame if an inconsiderate few people ruined it for everyone. Thumbs up For the first time since March 2020, all fully vaccinated Canadians will be able to cross the land border into the United States next month. The border reopened to vaccinated U.S. citizens traveling north in August but it has since remained closed to Canadians traveling south, even though Canada has been outpacing both the United States and Montana in vaccination rates. This has needlessly separated Montanans from their friends, family members and customers on the other side of the border, and were glad to see that they will finally be reunited in the coming weeks. Thanks to U.S. Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester for advocating for this change on behalf of all Montanans. Thumbs down When COVID-19 was shutting down the world last year, it seemed like the situation couldnt possibly get any worse. Yet here we are, 19 months later, with more Helenans and more Montanans hospitalized with the disease than at any other time during the pandemic. This is not the case in most of the country. As infection rates have been falling throughout much of the United States, Montana became the state with the highest number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people this week. Montana also has one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country, which is no coincidence. When it comes to the pandemic, things can always get worse. And they probably will until more Montanans start taking it seriously. Vaccinations save lives. Lets get those vaccination rates up. This is the opinion of the Independent Record editorial board. Love 1 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. OLUMBIA Students at the University of Missouri said Thursday that a freshman's hospitalization after a fraternity party, following a spate of reports about drugged drinks, has left them feeling unsafe. The university announced its decision to suspend all fraternity activities Wednesday evening after police found the freshman student unresponsive at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house early Wednesday. The house was the site of a party where several fraternity members "consumed significant amounts of alcohol," the school said in a statement. The student was taken to University Hospital for treatment. The university has not provided any further details. About two hundred students gathered in a protest outside the fraternity house Wednesday to decry hazing, according to local news reports. "Somebody couldn't just almost die of alcohol poisoning on a Tuesday night at a frat house," said LeeAnn Nordstrom, a sophomore who attended. "That's not something that should be considered acceptable at our school or in our culture." Nordstrom said she's frustrated by what some students feel is a slow response by the university to protect students' safety after an unusual series of reports of drugged drinks this semester. Recommended for you "The situation never should have gotten to that point," she said of the freshman's hospitalization. Others said the university should have taken a tougher stance toward fraternity misconduct before the incident. Christian Basi, a university spokesman, said risky behavior isn't isolated to Greek life. "This is something that we have actually seen across the campus," he said. "We have seen an uptick in concerning behaviors and believe that there is a possibility that the return to normalcy [from the pandemic] could be part of the issue with that. So that's one of the reasons why we're taking a pause right now to take a look at the various policies that are in place." The university warned students on Sept. 17 of predatory drugs in alcoholic drinks after receiving "multiple reports" of suspected drugging incidents, some of which "may have involved fraternity social events," according to a MU police news release. The complaints were made to the university's Title IX office, according to the Columbia Missourian. "The frequency of what Title IX saw and the way the reports came in was a concern," MU spokesperson Christian Basi told the newspaper. The log of complaints, later revealed by student Eli Hoff through a Sunshine Law request, showed 13 reports involving two downtown Columbia bars and six fraternities. The MU police department and Columbia police are investigating, the university has said. Basi said investigators were "struggling" to hear back from complainants to substantiate the reports. "We have to have more credible information before we can move further," he said. "None of that information was able to be confirmed." The university has been scrutinized in recent years for risky behavior in fraternities. In 2017, a year after another student was hospitalized for drinking, a consulting firm found Greek houses operate with little oversight from the university and high risks of alcohol and substance abuse. In response, the university planned this fall to implement safety and academic requirements governing fraternity chapters and freshmen initiates. But the rule has been delayed, Basi said, because returning to campus during COVID-19 created so many complications for the university "that we didn't feel we could adequately incorporate that new policy." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BRISTOL, Wis. Kenosha County Sheriffs deputies, attempting to stop a stolen vehicle associated with a homicide in Chicago, shot an armed suspect after the man opened fire on a department K-9 dog late Thursday morning outside the Benson Corners gas station on Highway 50. According to the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department, the injured suspect was taken by ambulance to Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital. The man was reported to be conscious after the shooting according to police radio traffic. At a press conference Thursday afternoon at the nearby Kenosha County Center, Sheriff David Beth said the suspect was shot in the abdomen and leg and was reported to be in surgery as of Thursday afternoon. Beth said Chicago Police asked sheriffs deputies to check for a suspect in a Chicago homicide who was reported to be in a stolen vehicle that they believed was at the Benson Corners Shell Station, 20000 75th St. (Highway 50). Beth said the man was in the victim of the homicides vehicle. Three deputies went to the gas station and convenience store at 11:16 a.m., found the vehicle and attempted a high-risk traffic stop, but the man in the vehicle fled on foot. Sheriff: Commands were loud and clear They went and called out orders to come out, put his hands up. The suspect did not follow those orders, he took off running. I heard in some body cam footage that I saw, the deputies were hollering for him to drop his weapon, Beth said. Riggs (the K-9 dog) was released and captured the suspect just before running on to Highway 50 while the suspect still had the gun in his hands. And Riggs took the suspect to the ground. Recommended for you Beth said while the man and the dog were entangled, the dog was shot and deputies then shot the man. Our deputies did fire more than one shot, I cant tell you how many right now, Beth said. The sheriff said that deputies immediately rendered first aid to the suspect and cared for him until the arrival of Bristol paramedics. The person shot, described by the department only as a white male, was not yet being identified by the department as of Thursday afternoon. Sheriffs Sgt. David Wright said he did not know the mans age or where he is from. He was the only occupant of the vehicle deputies had attempted to stop. Beth said he had no information on the Chicago homicide, and did not know when it occurred. Beth said that Riggs was taken to a veterinary clinic in Illinois for treatment. The dog was also reported to be in surgery Thursday and his condition was not released as of Thursday afternoon. But Beth said that the dog is expected to survive. Beth said Racine County Sheriffs Office was asked to investigate the incident, which the sheriff described as an active investigation. He said the deputies involved in the incident will be on administrative leave while the investigation is underway. Beth said he had spoken to the K9 deputy whose dog was shot in the incident and said he was very emotional. First such incident since 2015 The Kenosha County Sheriffs Department was last involved in a shooting in 2015 when deputies investigating a motorcycle crash shot a Paddock Lake man when he pointed a shotgun at deputies. That shooting was determined to be justified. After Thursdays shooting, law enforcement had the area around Benson Corners, located just west of Highway 45, blocked off by squad cars and tape. Westbound Highway 50 was also closed west of Highway 45 for a time to aid the investigation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Rewind! Rewind! A portion of a videotape that was in the digital Herald & Review newspaper had to be rewound more than once. At a DPS 61 school board meeting on October 12, surely, the acting superintendent did not tell the school board that a meeting was going to be held next week to continue the discussion on how to address violence in the schools. However, that is precisely what happened after student ambassadors pleaded for help with the numerous fights happening in the high schools. For school boards to meet, there must be a public notice within a given timeframe. However, superintendents and administrators can be called to a meeting at a moments notice. School safety is an urgent issue that must be dealt with as soon as possible. While it appeared that the administrators were cognizant of the violence, most disturbing was the seemingly lack of urgency to address the problem. The student ambassadors told the board members that fights had been going on since the first day of school. Where is the sense of urgency? It is understood that the new plans on what was being done to curtail the violence may not have been ready for public consumption. However, it was inexcusable not to let the student ambassadors know that currently the student discipline policies were being implemented to the fullest extent. Recommended for you The administrators acknowledged that parents want their children to be in a safe environment. Obviously, the school board members were being kind and gentle with the administrators by not publicly demanding answers on what steps had been taken. The acting superintendent rather quickly suggested that perhaps a former group from the community could be asked to assist the schools with the violence while at the same time expressing not knowing if the group still existed. The lack of a sense of urgency is disheartening. Without any hesitancy, the school board an public have been told, if valid, some of the following: (1) Students who have been engaged in violence have been suspended or expelled. (2) Principals have had assemblies letting students know the behaviors that are expected at school and which behaviors will not be tolerated. (3) Meetings have been held with parents whose children are disruptive. (4) Administrators have made suggestions, and some remedies have been implemented already. It is commendable that the district does not want to infringe upon students rights. It is a fact the names of the students who have been disciplined cannot be revealed to the public, but what actions or means controlling the violence should be revealed. Providing lip service that the school board wants to have safe schools is meaningless unless the public knows what measures are being taken to keep the schools safe. Suffice it to say, it is not necessary to reveal every entity of what is being done but at least provide enough information so that it recreates a sense of urgency that something is in place already with the consistency of making improvements. While it is not time to do the blame game, it is crucial that parents know that there is a sense of urgency and that something is being done to address the school violence which is also a national issue. What role does the school district expect the parents to play? How can the school and parents work as a team to curve the violence? How can other municipalities assist in alleviating the problem? Round table discussions are essential with the gathering of ideas, but actions are needed if real changes in real times are to occur. The sense of urgency is crucial to the development of resolves. Jeanelle Norman is the branch president of the Decatur NAACP. Love 19 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 We can all agree that bullying is awful. At best, its a nuisance and at worst a nightmare whose fallout lasts a lifetime. Illinois new contribution to battling bullies is Safe2Help Illinois. The statewide school safety initiative is designed to encourage students to Seek Help Before Harm. Safe2Help Illinois is available 24/7, and at no cost to all school districts in the state. In the absence of a trusted adult, Students are encouraged to use a free app, text/phone, or the website Safe2HelpIL.com to share school safety issues in a confidential environment. Information obtained will remain confidential to ensure student privacy and to protect the integrity of the program. The program, a media release, is not intended to suspend, expel or punish students. The information will be vetted and then shared with local school officials, mental health professionals and/or local law enforcement. The program also will help local officials by connecting them with mental health resources or other appropriate tools to intervene. This effort requires the aggrieved to reach out. For some, that will be enough of a challenge, let alone recounting uncomfortable or dangerous situations. But its vital to make those students and their loved ones feel safe about reaching out to the help line. Recommended for you The recognition of potential physical and mental health issues is critical to childrens safety. Were well past the point of telling kids to toughen up bullying is bullying, whatever form it takes. And when children are in the middle of misery, someone telling them it gets better is of little consolation. We often find ourselves wondering what we can do to battle bullying and remove some obstacles from the lives of our children. Utilized properly, Safe2Help Illinois can be a hugely positive step. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 With multiple opportunities to get it right, Illinois keeps getting it wrong. Even though next week offers another (possibly final) opportunity for corrections, Illinois legislative maps will probably remain a gerrymandered mess for another 10 years. This can has been kicked as far down the road as it can go. The current Democrat plan for mapping the latest of numerous attempts, one of which has been ruled unconstitutional in federal court -- is as unbalanced as it has ever been. Independents are pointing to the ridiculous shapes of some districts. Voters from Chicago suburbs are resisting being in the same district as rural residents. Even some Democrats are afraid seats might flip the way the districts are drawn. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project, a nonpartisan group that studies redistricting, gave Illinois' proposed map an "F" for fairness. Given our states history, thats hardly a surprise. Illinois currently has 18 seats in the U.S. House, with Democrats holding 13 and Republicans the other five. The state is losing a congressional seat because of population loss, most of which occurred in heavily Republican areas of central and southern Illinois, according to the 2020 census. After the census was released, anticipation was Democrats would target Central Illinois and make it difficult, if not impossible, for Representatives Rodney Davis and Adam Kinzinger to be re-elected to the House. Recommended for you Illinois is one of the few states where Democrats control redistricting, and the party nationally is looking to the state for help in 2022. Democrats control the U.S. House by a thin margin, and Republicans are in charge of redistricting in more states than Democrats, which could give the GOP an advantage in next year's elections. Worth noting is that this issue isnt unique to Illinois, or to Democrats. In states where Republicans draw the borders, theyre being drawn favorable to Republicans. Illinois isnt the only state in the middle of this debate every 10 years. There has to be a better way of doing this. Gov. J.B. Pritzker had a map out of the nightmare, but reneged on his campaign pledge to reject partisan legislature map drawing. The map could still have been controversial had it been drawn in non-partisan fashion. But such controversy would have at least been different and could have come to a more satisfactory conclusion. Instead, whats happened is painfully predictable. Citizens and voters talking to officials about the maps complain about what they dont have in common with others in their districts as drawn. Race is a key factor, as is the rural-urban mixtures. One of the largest issues is more wide-reaching. When voters see that their areas of representation are being divvied up in a partisan debate, theyre bound to lose identity. They can feel disenfranchised. Not in a literal sense theyre still able to vote. But imagining their vote counts for anything is difficult. That ultimately winds up with the worst result possible in a dem0cracy apathy. If we dont care what happens, were leaving open the door for the worst to happen. We must avoid that outcome. Thats why redistricting decisions are vital. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Though Terry said she cannot be ordained because she is too old, the pastorate caps a journey of faith and politics, from which she has been largely absent since her defeat to Allen, whose career ended in ignominy with his loss for a second term in the U.S. Senate in 2006 because of voter outrage over his racial putdown of an Indian American. It was through Terrys little-known friendship with two of Allens biggest backers, Bill and Anne Kincaid, both tireless religious conservatives, that Terrys exploration of faith accelerated. Through the Kincaids, Terry was introduced to Pentecostalism, some of whose practitioners because of the faiths emphasis on God as an animated presence speak in tongues. Terry perhaps because she is a lawyer said she cooled to Pentecostalism because it appeared to subordinate mans law to the Lords Gospel. During her Richmond years, Terry also tried the Episcopal Church, attending a West End parish in which most of the people were Republicans. Terry said her transition from a political life to a spiritual one had been underway during her years in office; that she have might have passed on a second term as attorney general, likely forgoing a campaign for governor: If God had called me at the time, Im pretty sure I would have responded. The result was a costly, deadly and highly unpopular war that destabilized the region and wound up drawing troops and resources away from Americas well-justified war in Afghanistan. Both wars ultimately would conclude in humiliating U.S. retreats. Long before that, however, was Powells own humiliation. Bush, under heavy pressure from Cheney, ordered Powell to compile the most persuasive case he could for United Nations support for the Iraq invasion. Powell, an obedient soldier to the end who believed first and foremost in honoring the chain of command, gave a 76-minute Security Council speech aided by enlarged intelligence photos and visual aids purporting to prove that Iraq was developing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Across America, those who dared to question Cheney and Rumsfeld found themselves bombarded with right-wing attacks on their patriotism. Powell recognized that this dangerous trend screamed for correction before it got out of control. After resigning as secretary of state in 2005, he admitted the U.N. speech was a blot on his legacy. In 2008, Powell wanted to endorse his longtime friend, Republican Sen. John McCain, for the presidency. But he feared McCains choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate would pull the GOP even further to the right. McCracken advised us to keep them, because there was still high community spread, Heath said. I dont see how we can go back to optional until the state makes some changes. We had so many healthy students sitting at home and you cant justify sending home kids that arent sick. Gonzales is hopeful that conditions are going in a favorable direction for masks to be optional again. The board will continue talking with public health officials and getting professional advice on how to approach COVID-19 protocols, he said. There's no talk, as of yet, about removing masks, but we're heading in the right direction, as far as our COVID numbers go for county. And for the state, I mean, the trend lines keep going down, Gonzales said. We will keep up to date and see what recommendations come out and, as we deem necessary, will continue to adopt common sense policies towards COVID. All of the candidates agreed that listening to health care professionals is important in the decision-making process. Please log in to keep reading. Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Thus, we (the USA) knew what was going on in Iraq. We knew what weapons Iraqis were using and what they were trying to make. That backdrop probably affected the conclusions reached by the intelligence community in the run-up to the U.S.-led coalition that launched the invasion of Iraq in the Second Persian Gulf War and the later U.S.-led war against Iraq. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} I want to know where all the stuff went that Iraq didnt use against Iran. Was every tunnel, cave and sand hill checked during the U.S. occupation of Iraq? The nuclear facilities were easy to locate, but can we completely write off chemicals and biologicals? Maybe, maybe not. I think Colin Powell took a big hit for our country because the information leading to our national policy for the Iraq War was not as flawed as portrayed. Im not offering a deep-state conspiracy theory here. We have enough of those already, and they have damaged our country militarily, socially, and politically. Im just saying there was enough historical evidence to justify taking down Saddam Hussein and his regime. The evidence includes the purchase, manufacture and use of chemical weapons at the very least. We also know the regime was not opposed to murdering dissenters. Submitted by Janie Kunselman (edited) Texas Extension Education Association held the 93th Annual State Convention in Temple, Texas on September 14 and 15, 2021. Attending from Hansford County were nine members: Rosetta Barrera, Fran Duncan, Terrie Harper, Janie Kunselman, Lisa Pipkin, Marianne Pipkin, Pennye Ralston, Wanda Wagner, Andrea Woolley and Perryton member, Dora Ward. There were 266 members present at the convention. Mayor Tim Davis gave the welcome. The Temple Police Department Color Guard gave the presentation of the colors. Texas is divided into 12 districts. Districts One and Three were the hostesses this year. Hansford County is in District One and won the "Traveling Trophy". Jan Meador from Dalhart was elected as First VP of Leadership and Andrea Woolley is the newly elected President of District One. Terrie Harper entered a photo of her grandson that she had taken in the Photography section of the Cultural Arts Competition. Francis Biles competed in the Quilt Contest. Fran Duncan entered her handstitched "Hereford Bull" picture. Andrea Woolley entered her "Elizabeth Norris" in the Traditional Scrapbook Competition. Andrea won a 2nd place ribbon. She also entered her photo of "Lisa's Birthday at the Zoo". She won a 2nd place ribbon in the Decorated Garments Competition with her ruffled jean skirt and belt. Janie Kunselman entered the Digital Produced Scrapbook Competition with her "Kunselman Vacation August 2020" book. Janie's scrapbook won a 1st place ribbon. Delegates attended workshops including: All Things Quilted; Bugs, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly; Internet Safety For Parents Guardians and Community Members; Cooking With Herbs-the healthier option; Avoiding Financial Exploitation; Zoonotic: The Transmission of Diseases From Wild Animals to Humans; A Shot of Good Health and The Buzz About Bees. Lisa Pipkin was the Texas Treasure Award winner for the state. Marianne Pipkin was the winner of the Texas Leadership Award. Rosetta Barrera received a 20 year TEEA Club certificate Kunselman says, "We had a lot of fun visiting and dressing in the "Roaring Twenties" style. Next year's convention will be held in Lubbock with Districts One and Two as hostesses. The theme will be "Rock and Roll Buddy Holly Style." " " Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd lived a life of crime and eventually was named Public Enemy No. 1 by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI. Bettmann/Getty Images/FBI/HowStuffWorks Up until June 17, 1933, Pretty Boy Floyd led a relatively unremarkable life in and out of jail as a Midwestern hoodlum. He was robbing banks and payrolls, stealing cars, murdering rival thugs, all the while escaping police custody by jumping from trains and hiding out in the trusty Cookson Hills of Oklahoma. But on that particular June day in Kansas City, his humdrum career took a spectacular turn for the worst. Or at least that's what J. Edgar Hoover's Federal Bureau of Investigation decided. And in those bad old days, you really didn't want to antagonize the FBI. Advertisement The Kansas City Massacre According to the FBI, events unfolded as follows. A murderous crook named Frank Nash was in the federal United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth, Kansas, for one of several 25-year stints, when he escaped on Oct. 19, 1930. Less than a year later, Nash managed to help seven other prisoners bust out of Leavenworth as well. In the meantime, the FBI mounted a giant manhunt that spanned the continent. They finally tracked down Nash in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was now just a simple matter of getting their felon back to Kansas via train. But then some of Nash's buddies got wind of the transport and cooked up a scheme to free him when the train showed up. The story goes that Floyd and his sidekick, Adam Richetti, happened to drive into Kansas City the day before the train was due. They met up with Nash's pals and offered to help with the scheme to free him. When Nash arrived, he was escorted to a waiting car by seven officers. They were nearly all seated inside the vehicle when, from out of nowhere, gunmen opened fire on them. Four officers died; two survived by playing dead and Nash, the very person the crooks were trying to free, was shot dead in the back seat of the car. The gunmen fled, and Floyd and Richetti were identified as they ran. Pretty Boy Floyd, who made a habit of boasting about his crimes, maintained to the very end of his life that he had nothing to do with what became known as the Kansas City Massacre. But it didn't matter. J. Edgar Hoover had already eliminated John Dillinger, whom he'd dubbed Public Enemy No. 1, and now he turned his sights on Pretty Boy Floyd. " " Several shot up cars are seen in front of the Kansas City railroad depot moments after what's now known as the Kansas City Massacre. FBI Advertisement Who Was Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd? Charles Arthur Floyd was born in Georgia on Feb. 3, 1904, and his family moved to Hanson, Oklahoma, in 1911, an area that had been, just a few years earlier, part of the Cherokee Nation. The family settled down on the edge of the Cookson Hills, a territory of thick, scrubby brush, which had served to hide many famous outlaws over the decades, as it would Floyd himself in later years. But if proximity to this law-breaking heritage inspired Floyd's subsequent career, he showed no signs of deviance in his early life. On the contrary. He was known as a kid who loved his mother, looked up to his father, protected his siblings and helped out on the farm. And although the Floyds worked hard, it was difficult to scrape more than a meagre living from their acreage. At the age of 14, Floyd went off to work as a harvest hand on larger farms, and there he met other traveling workers who exposed him to a rougher, tougher mode of existence. When he returned home, his family felt that he had changed. On May 16, 1922, Floyd was arrested for the first time. The crime was the theft of $3.50 in dimes, nickels and pennies from a local post office. Although he was later acquitted due to a lack of witnesses, it was the beginning of a long, hostile relationship with the law that would reach its conclusion Oct. 22, 1934. Advertisement The FBI's Public Enemy No. 1 In the months following the Kansas City Massacre, the FBI mounted a giant manhunt for its new Public Enemy No. 1. Floyd was doing a decent job of laying low and evading police ambushes until he and Richetti wrecked a car in rural Ohio on Oct. 20, 1934. Their two companions, Beulah and Rose Baird, drove the car to the nearest town for repairs while Floyd and Richetti reclined on the side of the road to wait. A passing motorist spotted Floyd and Richetti in suits napping next to their guns and reported their incongruous presence to the local police chief who went to have a look. But when the police chief showed up with his team and approached the two men, the gangsters opened fire. Floyd scrambled up the embankment and managed to flee in a hail of police bullets, but Richetti was outgunned before he could escape. Once Richetti was identified, the police realized that the escapee was none other than the FBI's Public Enemy No. 1 Pretty Boy Floyd. By that evening, famed FBI agent Melvin Purvis arrived with his team. In the meantime, Floyd had flagged down a passing car, which then ran out of gas. Floyd, with the driver in tow, commandeered a second car and its driver. But when the three men encountered a road block, Floyd ordered the car turned around and they fled, pursued by the police. At a critical juncture, Floyd jumped from the car and escaped into the woods firing behind him as he ran. He stayed in the woods for nearly 48 hours until he stumbled across a farmhouse inhabited by a widow named Ellen Conkle. Claiming to be a lost hunter, Floyd managed to get an excellent hot meal from Conkle, but it was to be his last. A local farmer had spotted Pretty Boy Floyd and phoned the cops. When the police showed up, Floyd ran across a field of corn-stubble heading for the woods, but nine officers blazed at him, firing a grand total of 93 shots. Floyd fell, wounded, tried to rise and run but was hit again and fell. The officers caught up to him, took his guns and moved him to the shade of an apple tree. Purvis questioned him about the Kansas City Massacre, but Floyd refused to talk and in just minutes was dead. " " Famed G-man Melvin Purvis (left) is seen here with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover just after Purvis killed John Dillinger in 1934. Purvis also was responsible for nabbing Pretty Boy Floyd. Bettman/Getty Images Advertisement A Plot Twist Decades later, one of the local cops on the scene, a retired World War I sniper named Chester Smith claimed in Time magazine that he was the one who brought Floyd down with his Winchester rifle, and not an FBI agent as was stated in the official report. And, in an explosive allegation, Smith alleged that Purvis ordered one of his men to then shoot Floyd dead in cold blood. The FBI strongly rejects this claim, noting that the evidence provided by the autopsy and the coroner's report disproves this version of events. They also assert that Smith wasn't even at the scene. What isn't in dispute is that Floyd's funeral was massive. More than 20,000 people showed up to pay their respects (or gawk as the case may be). In the years after his death, the legend of Pretty Boy Floyd continued to grow. Like many outlaws, Floyd developed a reputation as a Robin Hood of sorts who would destroy mortgage documents whenever he robbed a bank. And as is the case with most other alleged Robin Hoods, this generosity has never been proven. But that hasn't diminished his fame, or his reputation. Now That's Interesting There seems to be no agreement as to how Floyd acquired his nickname some say it was applied in his teenage years due to his carefully tended pompadour, others that he earned it by working in the oil fields in a white dress shirt. Floyd himself allegedly loathed the name and preferred to go by Choc, which was a reference to his passion for a local Oklahoma beer called Choctaw. Here is the rest of Mandys rant: Also, Im wondering about the strategic plan for the new downtown Kannapolis segment of the population. The apartments, hotels, condos, townhomes, and houses are all really nice, but they are way above the median income of Kannapolis. Id like to know where they anticipate these folks will work, shop and eat. Outside of the immediate downtown area, Kannapolis is pretty crappy. These folks arent going to want to shop in the rundown stores (Food Lion, Walmart, Value Village) or eat at the greasy old family restaurants we have in town. Id like to think we have the next Afton Village on our hands, but I just dont see the infrastructure changing to meet the demands of that population very quickly. Prime example South Main Street, the Walmart shopping center, vape stores and skills arcades lit up like Christmas trees on every corner, and the entire business district of Hwy 29. I work in uptown Charlotte. Its not an easy commute from Kannapolis. There arent many high paying large corporations in the immediate area, mostly just manufacturing. So how are we attracting folks here? Do we need more than just a ballpark and a few boutique shops to retain them? Am I missing something? Maybe Im totally missing the mark. Negotiations are proceeding as Biden more forcefully appeals to the American public, including in a televised town hall, for what he says are the middle-class values at the heart of his proposal. In a Senate that is evenly divided between the Democrats and firmly opposed Republicans, Biden can't afford to lose a single vote. He is navigating his own party's factions progressives, who want major investments in social services, and centrists, who prefer to see the overall price tag go down. When youre president of the United States, you have 50 Democrats every one is a president. Every single one. So you gotta work things out, he said during a CNN town hall Thursday. Still, he expressed optimism about the process. It's all about compromise. Compromise has become a dirty word, but bipartisanship and compromise still has to be possible, he said. The existence of sanctions did not prevent US suppliers from obtaining licences from the Commerce Department to ship billions of dollars worth of supplies to Chinese firms Huawei Technologies and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp between November 2020 and April 2021. But most of the licences were for shipping non-sensitive items, Reuters reported. Of 113 licences approved for Huawei, 80 were for non-sensitive items while for SMIC, the figure was 121 of 188. Both Huawei, a company that makes end-to-end equipment for 5G networks, and SMIC, China's biggest semiconductor manufacturer, are on a trading blacklist. American suppliers exported US$61 billion worth of products to Huawei and US$42 billion worth of product to SMIC. Reuters was given the statistics by Republicans in the US House of Representatives. The figures are to be put up on the Commerce Department's website shortly, after Michael McCaul, the top member of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee, requested they be released. In May 2019. the US placed Huawei on its Entity List, an act that prevented it from obtaining American products without a licence from the Department of Commerce. Huawei got around this by buying what it needed from branches of American firms in other countries. The only thing it could not source were the proprietary apps that come with Google's Android mobile operating system. It developed its own operating system, HarmonyOS, using the open-source port of Android as a base. In May 2020, the US put in place further restrictions to cut off Huawei's supply of semiconductors which it was getting made mostly by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. This was done through the Foreign Direct Product Rule that makes it necessary for any company American or foreign that sells American products or those made using American technology to require a permit before selling to Huawei. On top of that, new export control rules were imposed by the US Government in August 2020 and these made it well-nigh impossible for Huawei to obtain the SoCs it needs to build its flagship smartphones. Sedum, however, is fairly carefree to grow. It likes sun, but can do OK with partial sun, although full shade will likely not let sedum perform at its best. CHARLESTON Leaders at Eastern Illinois University were pleased to see a trend in their 10-day enrollment report this fall: International student enrollment is on the rise. This semester EIU has 399 undergraduate and graduate students from other countries. Over 230 of those students enrolled this fall, said university president David Glassman at his State of the University address earlier this month. In comparison, EIU reported a total international student enrollment of 263 students in the fall of 2020, a sharp drop from 321 in 2019. The growing numbers are a welcome change after not just a year of COVID-19-related travel restrictions, but years of tense international relations. A major backlog The international student growth has become a snapshot of larger international relations. Nationwide, President Joe Biden's policies are much better for international students, said Ryan Hendrickson, dean of the graduate school at EIU, who also oversees much of the international programming. A key difference is the shift from nationalist to global attitudes. The big change has been in federal policies that are much more now welcoming and inclusive of international students, said Hendrickson. "Embassies have begun to open up more and have been more willing to issue student visas." Many travel bans that existed before the pandemic restricted the ability for some students to get to the U.S., and even made some students nervous to come here, said Hendrickson. All of these issues were compounded when the pandemic began in early 2020. Student visas became the main issue during the pandemic for one reason: They were almost unattainable. One of the big problems was that so many of our embassies just were not conducting visa interviews, said Hendrickson. So that put a major backlog on students ability to get back here, or to get here in the first place. That was a big worry for us. Almost all international students come to the United States on F-1 student visas. A student cannot enter the U.S. borders to attend classes if they have no visa or if their visa has expired. This kicked the staff of EIU's Office of International Students and Scholars into high gear. We have a very good staff, who would communicate to those students and say, Hey, request an emergency student interview, and that did help people, said Hendrickson. As the restrictions lifted, the university was able to recruit more students. The office now plans to ride the upward trend, setting a goal to admit 500 international students in the near future. Youll find them here We love having international students; it just makes our campus a better place, said Hendrickson. The university currently enrolls students from 51 different countries. There are some countries, for instance, you won't find in some universities, but youll find them here, said Mutombo Andy Kabasele, assistant dean of international education. Recently, the university had students from Madagascar and Azerbaijan. They currently have a student from Turkmenistan, said Kabasele. The country with the highest number of enrollees at EIU is India, said Hendrickson. After that, EIU teaches many students from Ghana and Nigeria. This year, theyve seen a growing number of students from Spain and Germany. But the question remains: What brings students to Charleston? The real life of the United States Price is one of the factors that brings people to the university, said Hendrickson. We have very attractive graduate programs, but we're also very affordable, he said. $769 for a graduate student, per credit hour? Oh, I mean, that's a serious deal. The most popular programs for international students are the art programs and technology master's programs, said Hendrickson. For first-year student Juan Ng, from Panama, one of the reasons he enjoys EIU is because of the programs he is involved with. It is also economical to live in Charleston. It costs a lot less money to come here, said Ng. "Most of our international students that I've asked, 'How do you like Charleston?' They say, 'It is safe?'" said Kabasele. All these factors combined, Kabasele says, also helps students focus on university life and learn about the U.S. International students want a place where there's not too much distraction; they want programming, said Kabasele. They're also looking for a place where they can actually learn the real life of United States. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As someone with a serious genetic respiratory disease, I felt an overwhelming sense of joy and relief to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this past spring. I could not have imagined that, several months later, I would be risking arrest by locking arms with others to block the entrance of the pharmaceutical giants headquarters in New York City. Dismayed by the growing vaccine apartheid, as the head of the World Health Organization put it, we called on the company to relinquish its patents and share the technical know-how to manufacture the vaccine. That would allow production to be quickly ramped up throughout the Global South, saving millions of lives. Like most other wealthy nations, the United States is flush with vaccines having already procured more than 1.2 billion doses, or three shots for every person. More than half of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated. But in low-income countries, only 2.3% of people have received even one dose. Meanwhile, the same drug companies that received significant government funding for vaccine development are enjoying historic profits. This is not only morally reprehensible; its dangerous. New variants will continue to develop in places that lack access to vaccines, which will eventually cause another deadly wave to batter the United States and indefinitely prolong the pandemic. If that nightmare scenario unfolds, it will be because we failed to act. The United States is fully able to end this pandemic once and for all, by becoming an arsenal of vaccines for the world, as President Joe Biden proclaimed. But so far, his administration has been unwilling to deploy many of the weapons at its disposal. Facing widespread protests, Biden took a belated but important first step by agreeing to back a temporary waiver for vaccine patents at the World Trade Organization in May. But the administration has not used its clout to break through the continued opposition from the European Union. That must be a priority, as the access to medicines movement has been urging, but, in the meantime, there is much more that can and should be done. At least 11 billion doses are needed to inoculate 70% of the global population. In September, the White House said it will spend $2.7 billion to scale up the production of critical components for vaccines. But that is a small fraction of the $16 billion allocated for that purpose in the American Rescue Plan last March that has yet to be spent. If the pharmaceutical industry is unwilling to move quickly, the administration should play hardball. Given that taxpayers almost entirely funded the Moderna vaccines development through the National Institutes of Health, Biden could exercise a provision in the Bayh-Dole Act that gives the government march-in rights to license the patents to manufacturers. Waiving intellectual property rights to scale up manufacturing worldwide so that everyone can be vaccinated is not just widely popular. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restore the United States tattered image around the globe and to save countless lives in the process. Eric Stoner is a co-founder and editor of Waging Nonviolence and an adjunct professor at St. Josephs College in Brooklyn, New York. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Enough with this made-for-TV war over cops, City Hall and its vaccine mandates. Enough already. It is beyond time for some adults to step onto the field of battle, preach the values of empathy, tolerance and service, and remind both sides that this city has enough problems without drowning in those of its own invention. Or, to put this more simply: de-escalate this nonsense now. Lets review the plot points here, with daily installments now blaring from all the citys hungry news sites. Weve got furious pronouncements, well-paid lawyers, judicial gag orders, badly needed cops being placed on leave and, of course, a prime-time public fight between Mayor Lori Lightfoot and a leading nemesis, Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara. The story has something for everyone, except for those who value common sense. The widespread hatred of Catanzara on the left (which he clearly enjoys) makes him an ideal villain in stories designed to bolster the notion that the citys police officers are part of the citys problem, not part of the solution. With every critical remark against the police unions, and cops in general, Lightfoot gains points with far-left pontificators and lakefront elites, always looking for ways to bash the police. Catanzara plays the role of Cruella de Vil, a bit of central casting that papers over any and all of the complexity in this mess. On the other side of the culture war, the battle gets framed as a fight for the individual freedoms of foot soldiers such as cops, firefighters and EMTs, hardworking, middle-class Chicagoans who are sick and tired of feeling unsupported by their own city and who are insisting on at least some control over their own at-risk bodies. In this narrative, its not about whether or not the vaccine is desirable, its a question of who has the right to insist on what. Instead of demonizing one side or the another, lets try another tack. Lightfoot should call up Catanzara and acknowledge that government vaccine mandates are problematic. Prior to the pandemic, she should admit, such a demand would have been unthinkable. She might even gulp hard and allow that she is well aware that vaccines have their limitations: We now know that boosters are going to be needed for most people, bringing up the possibility of not one single mandate, but maybe even a twice-a-year requirement. She could also point out that this wont work for some officers with certain health situations and personal histories. She could say there is much we dont know and that all of this will remain subject to constant review. And she should tell Catanzara that she understands why police officers are reluctant to capitulate to a city that does not seem to them to appreciate those who risk their lives to do their jobs. Catanzara should just shut up and listen. Then he should open his mouth and try speaking some actual sense. Thank you for that, mayor, he should say. Thank you for understanding your police officers legitimate concerns and their desire to control their own bodies. In return, these officers are willing to acknowledge that there is a deficit of trust in this city between police officers and the communities they serve and protect and we further acknowledge that many of the citizens we serve have been forced, on pain of being fired, to get vaccinations by their employers, whether they wanted to or not. We also understand the importance of people feeling safe around police officers who may need to get right up in their faces in order to do their jobs. Were well aware that one of the prime determinants of this citys debilitating gun violence problem and abysmally low clearance rates is that too few citizens want to help the police in any way at all. The last thing we want to do is make that worse and we see that any healing will require some sacrifices on our part. Then he could pause for a moment. And that would be that. End of torturous story. All that would then need to happen is a joint news conference and a vaccination clinic with B-roll for the news at 10 p.m., maybe with some hot dogs, burgers and fun stuff for police officers kids. Followed by some community members standing up and thanking those who serve and protect them every day and who are getting their shots, perhaps reluctantly, as part of their sworn oath to care for all Chicagoans. Pollyanna-ish? Never going to happen? We just dont live in that kind of city? This page says we could. And we should. Chicago Tribune Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The N.C. Court of Appeals will hear an appeal from a Winston-Salem man who claims Forsyth County prosecutors intentionally and illegally removed two Black jurors from his murder trial, according to an order filed Thursday. The case is unique in two ways. First, Henry Jerome Whites case remains the only one in North Carolina history where an appellate court ruled that race played a significant role in jury selection. The conviction was nonetheless upheld because courts, at the time, said race had to be the sole factor, not just a significant factor. Under todays legal standard, a conviction can be overturned if race is proven to be a significant factor. Secondly, the trial prosecutor, David Spence, said in court that he dismissed two jurors because they were both Black females, before offering several non-racial reasons during a hearing where Spence had to offer specific reasons for removing the jurors, according to court records. A Thomasville woman and two juveniles are facing charges after a disturbance Thursday at Thomasville High School that resulted in the high school and a nearly middle school being locked down, authorities said. No injuries were reported. About 9:45 a.m., a group of Thomasville High School teachers broke up a disturbance between three students on campus, Thomasville police said. About 10 minutes later, a school resource officer was told that someone was trying to get through a security gate to enter the school campus, police said. As the officer was responding to that scene, a faculty member broadcast over the schools radio that a shot had been fired, police said. That broadcast led to Thomasville High School and nearby Thomasville Middle School being locked down, said Superintendent Cate Gentry of Thomasville City Schools. The lockdowns were lifted at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Gentry said. The officer then arrived at the school administration buildings parking lot and saw a van attempting to leave the scene, police said. The officer stopped the van and detained its occupants at 9:58 a.m. Thursday. The chairman of the Forsyth County Republican Party says an unnamed mother, whose child goes to Vienna Elementary School, told him that the school provided her son access to sexually graphic reading material. In his weekly Republican Rundown email, which was distributed Friday, Ken Raymond takes issue with a handful of books, including one Newbery Honor winner, and a biography of Ellen DeGeneres. If the school board or school administration wont listen to the mother with complaints, she should call the police, Raymond wrote. He recommended last week that parents call the police if they think teachers are teaching pornographic reading material. Its illegal for an adult to expose children to sexually explicit material, Raymond wrote Friday. And making it available may qualify as a federal crime. And parents do not have to surrender the minds of their children to any institution that appears to be teaching them to accept perversion. Raymond wrote that the mother of the Vienna student logged on to the reading account of her son and was shocked at some of the reading material made available to students. Raymond falsely claimed that some of the material has been banned by the American Library Association. The fire started shortly after 11:20 p.m. last Saturday at the 500 block of Beth Avenue in the citys southern section, the Winston-Salem Fire Department said. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} It took 33 firefighters about 23 minutes to put out the fire, Ramsey said. As they battled the fire, firefighters removed two dogs and a cat from the home. One of the dogs died from its injuries, but the other dog and the cat survived, the fire department said. The fire caused about $12,000 in damage to the house. The American Red Cross is assisting the residents who were displaced by the fire. The fire was caused by a shortage in an electrical outlet in the kitchen, Ramsey said. Representatives of the Winston-Salem Fire Department will attend Saturdays event, said Theresa Knops, the agencys senior community educator. We are grateful for their initiative to join us in our efforts to save the lives of companion animals involved in fires, Knops said. In 2008, pet oxygen masks were provided by Fur-Ever Friends to the Winston-Salem Fire Department, Knops said. Many of those who are returning are asking for more: not just higher pay, but flexible hours and better working conditions. Many, like members of the United Auto Workers who work for Deere & Company, makers of John Deere tractors, are on strike, asking for a larger share of the companys profits. Its like the whole country is in some kind of union renegotiation, Betsey Stevenson, a University of Michigan economist told the Times. I dont know whos going to win in this bargaining thats going on right now, but right now it seems like workers have the upper hand. To which we must say: Good. While they have our attention, we should hear what they say. Its not that Americans dont want to work; theyre among the hardest-working people in the world. Most take pride in a good job done well. The number of people employed in the state is now more than 1 million, the highest it's been since March 2020, said Commissioner of Labor John Albin. Gov. Pete Ricketts lauded the department, saying it has "done great work to help connect Nebraskans to their next career opportunity." "Communities across the state have supported our small businesses. Companies continue to choose the Cornhusker State as a place to build and grow," Ricketts said. "There has never been a better time to find a great-paying job in the Good Life. Nationally, there has not been the same correlation between ending enhanced unemployment benefits and an increase in the labor force, however. Roughly half the states ended the benefit early, and in those states, the workforce or the number of people working or looking for work has risen no more than it has in the states that maintained the federal payment, along with two emergency programs that benefited gig workers and the long-term unemployed, until they ended nationally Sept. 6. Yet Americas overall workforce actually shrank last month. The labor shortage has persisted longer than many economists had anticipated. Birdsall said it's more complicated than just people losing a job during the pandemic and now needing to get back to work. "To put it bluntly, it's a kick in the gut for all of us." said Lemke, the City Council president. Friday, residents were still trying to understand why Hoskinson, who bought and sold grain for Agrex for the past five or six years, would have been fired during the height of the grain harvest, and what prompted him, shortly after being dismissed, to return with a pistol and open fire. A man who answered the door at Hoskinsons gray ranch home in Superior on Friday afternoon could manage only one word: Sorry. Another man, who said he was Hoskinsons brother-in-law, later said the family would have no other comment. At least one local man, who was familiar with the elevator, said that Hoskinson had a history of outbursts with fellow employees and that he was not surprised by Thursday's violence. As news of the shooting reverberated, Lemke said it affected everyone, including those living on the nearby farms whose harvest would normally have the elevator buzzing with activity this time of year. On Friday afternoon, the day-old news still seemed tough to process. "These are the things we see on the news," Lemke said. "We don't think that it's gonna happen in our little hometown." The incident played out in broad daylight a block from one of the busiest intersections in Lincoln. The affidavit supporting Adams' arrest suggests multiple people were watching the fight when it turned deadly. A 911 call at 3:08 p.m. sent police and Lincoln Fire and Rescue to the multi-unit house where a bystander was performing CPR on Clark, according to Lincoln Police. If convicted of the charges, Adams could face up to life in prison. He's being held at the Lancaster County jail on $1 million bond, meaning he would have to pay $100,000 to be released. The affidavit supporting Adams' arrest offered few further details about the incident. It remains unclear why the two were fighting. The incident has left those who knew Clark "shocked beyond belief," said Williams, who said she hasn't slept more than five hours in a night since she learned of her cousin's death. He is survived by two children, Williams said. But she said Wednesday night's vigil helped put her at ease. "A tremendous amount of love," Williams said. Clark's funeral will take place in Mississippi, Williams said, though the family isn't yet sure when that will be. A $5 million birthday gift from the Johnny Carson Foundation to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will help more students pursue an education in the fine and performing arts. Carson, born on Oct. 23, 1925, in Iowa and raised in Norfolk, graduated from Nebraska in 1949 before embarking on a long career in television. He died in 2005. The gift, announced by UNL on Friday, will expand the Johnny Carson Foundation Opportunity Scholarship Fund, an endowed fund created in 2010. The scholarship fund offers tuition assistance to students enrolled in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film and the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts. Through the donation, the scholarship fund will grow from providing roughly 20 scholarships annually to more than 50, UNL said, offering about $300,000 in financial aid each year. Charles O'Connor, dean of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, said the student support and endowments "can transform the educational experience of our students and, by doing so, lead our graduates toward powerful, meaningful working lives." Christina Kirk, director of the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film, said the gift would expand the television host's legacy at UNL. The audit reviewed a sample of 14,710 absentee ballots that were cast in 29 municipalities across Wisconsin. It found that nearly 7%, or 1,022 ballots, had partial witness signatures; only 15 ballots did not have a witness address in its entirety; eight did not have a witness signature and three did not have a voter signature. It also found that state law requires clerks to write their initials on absentee ballot certificates in certain situations, but fewer than 1% of the certificates reviewed were initialed. The audit also found just 24 people who might have two active voter registrations and of those, only four who might have voted twice. The names of the four people, which weren't included in the audit summary, were referred to the elections commission, which could forward them to local prosecutors. The findings back up the fact that few cases of election fraud have been charged in Wisconsin. Only four cases have been brought to date, including one involving a man accused of having voted twice. It wasn't immediately clear if that man's case was among the four discovered by the audit. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 "It's a small town," he said. "We all feel the pain." From the outside, there was no indication something was amiss, Blauvelt told the World-Herald. Blauvelt said Hoskinson was the chief grain merchandiser at the elevator and that the female co-worker who died at the scene was a merchandiser who worked for him. The merchandiser was a native of Superior who, like Hoskinson, had worked at the elevator for a number of years, Blauvelt said. State Patrol Lt. Michael Korte said investigators spent hours Thursday talking with witnesses, including the employee who authorities say shot Hoskinson. That employee, Korte said, was not wounded. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, described the shooting as "shocking and devastating" in a statement issued Thursday afternoon, adding "(First Lady) Susanne (Shore) and I are praying for the victims of the attack." Korte said the names of victims would be released Friday. It's unclear how long the Agrex facility would remain closed. Agrex, based in Overland Park, Kansas, operates elevators in four states, including the one in Superior and another near Norfolk, according to its website. Former Rep. Lee Terry spoke empathetically Thursday about former colleague Jeff Fortenberry and the federal indictment he faces, saying that when running for Congress, theres just a lot of people who send you money. You gotta know your customer a little bit, he told the Omaha World-Herald. In my position, and probably in Jeffs situation, you got to know these people they tell you theyre citizens, and then all of a sudden theyre not. We can do everything we think is right, and then one little thing can screw it all up. Both Terry, who represented Nebraskas 2nd District from 1999 to 2015, and Fortenberry were recipients of illegal conduit campaign contributions that originated from a Nigerian billionaire, Gilbert Chagoury. Such donations from foreigners, even those funneled through American citizens, are illegal. In Terrys case, he said, he donated to charity the $5,200 given to him in 2014 as soon as the FBI told him it was investigating the legality of the gifts. Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson expressed concern Friday about pending federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates previously announced by the Biden administration and said his office "will be prepared to take appropriate legal action" if they are implemented. "The attorney general is concerned that some or all of these federal mandates could be unlawful," his office stated in a news release. Peterson and his staff "plan to carefully review them as they become available," according to the statement. Vaccination mandates earlier announced by the feds would require businesses with 100 or more employees to require their employees either to get vaccinated or undergo regular COVID-19 testing; require most health care facilities that receive Medicaid or Medicare reimbursement to vaccinate all their employees; and mandate vaccinations for employees of companies that contract with the federal government. Federal guidelines for only the latter directive have thus far been released. "Nebraskans want to know whether these federal mandates are enforceable," the news release from the attorney general's office stated. Weiss replied "no objection," and Judge Callahan wrote in an email that he had no problem with an immediate seal assuming fines and costs were paid, according to the defense attorney. The order to seal case was signed by Judge Callahan at 12:54 p.m. on Oct. 4. The order noted that no probation had been set as a condition by the court and that all other conditions imposed had been observed by Cammack, which made his case eligible under state law to be sealed. How the conditions set by the court were changed to no longer require that Cammack be required to go six months without violating any laws raised new questions by Arneson. "I have an obligation to my client to attempt to put all the pieces of the puzzle together," he wrote in Tuesdays email. "Normally, I would apologize for continuing to pester counsel with questions, but, to be frank, my client and I are not the cause of the confusion surrounding the procedure in this case and application of SDCL 23A-27-12.2 and 23A-27-14. And, to be sure, the inability to see the documents that might inform complicates my job immeasurably." Arneson added there should be evidence of a plea bargain between Weiss and Nelson that was approved by the court. The ... course of the disease is certainly more severe and more aggressive than last year. The patients have become younger, said Valentyn Koroliuk, head of the hospitals intensive-care unit. Unfortunately, those patients who are in our department are not vaccinated. Lilia Serdiuk, 61, is fighting COVID-19 and regretting that she did heed calls to get vaccinated. I didnt believe it, I didnt even want to watch the news, she told The Associated Press as she lay on her back in a narrow bed. This disease exists and it is very terrible. I wish all people would listen to the news and the recommendations of doctors. The hospital is near capacity and doctors worry the wave of patients will grow. What if there are even more patients? What if we dont have enough oxygen? This is constant stress, said doctor Tetiana Pasichnyk. A black market for counterfeit vaccination certificates has blossomed amid the restrictions, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy chaired a meeting earlier this week on ways of combating the illegal practice. Sentencing reform, particularly as it relates to mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenses, remains imperative. As of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services last count from June, more than 14% of the incarcerated population has a drug offense as their most serious crime. Theyre among the roughly one-quarter of people in prison who committed no violent crime and need treatment and rehabilitation as much as, if not more than, punishment. That alone cannot solve prison overcrowding or the disparity, but the penalties for these fall harder on poorer and minority communities. Because while Lady Justice is supposed to be blind, her scales are tipped against lower-income defendants. People who can afford private attorneys often enjoy better outcomes than those who rely on the admirable efforts of overworked public defenders. And while judges typically consider job and school schedules for sentencing purposes, the report notes those who are unable to afford bail before trial may not have those commitments and are more likely to face conviction and lengthier sentencing. Lastly, investing in education helps to stem this tide long before it starts. November was warmer than normal and there was virtually no snow. December and January were warmer than normal, too, but they also were very snowy, with nearly 30 inches falling over the two months, including the city's second-largest one-day snowfall of 14.5 inches on Jan. 25. Then came a brutal February, during which Lincoln had its second-coldest daily temperature ever recorded along with more than 16 inches of snow for the month. NOAA's Jon Gottschalck said La Nina's winter effects are often more pronounced later in winter, particularly in January, February and March. One piece of good news, though: "double-dip" La Ninas, as he referred to them, are often weaker in the second year. Gottschalck, who is chief of the operational prediction branch of the NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, said the last three times there have been back-to-back La Ninas, the second one has been milder. Whether that will be the case this year is anybody's guess. October has been warm so far, with temperatures running about 4 degrees above normal. Lincoln also has not yet had a freeze though there is a frost advisory in effect Friday morning the latest it's gone without seeing a freezing temperature since 2007. A man who was shot by Kenosha County deputies Thursday and the police dog the man is alleged to have shot before deputies fired at the suspect remained hospitalized Friday, both in stable condition. The Kenosha County Sheriffs Department identified the man as Allen M. Brown, 33, of Countryside, Ill., a western Chicago suburb. Brown was shot in the abdomen and leg by deputies outside the Benson Corners convenience store in Bristol after Brown allegedly shot the departments K-9 dog Riggs in the head. The shooting happened after the dog knocked Brown to the ground as he was fleeing arrest. Deputies had been trying to take him into custody in connection with a homicide investigation in Chicago. Sheriffs Sgt. David Wright said Brown remained hospitalized at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital, and is expected to be charged in connection with the incident. In Wisconsin, a person who intentionally injures a police dog could be charged with a felony. The Racine County Sheriffs Department is investigating the shooting. Under state law, when a police officer or deputy is involved in a shooting, an outside agency must conduct the investigation to determine if the shooting is justified and remove potential conflicts of interest. The Kenosha County deputies involved in Thursdays incident are on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Wright said Riggs was being cared for at a specialized veterinary trauma center in Illinois Friday. He was shot in the head, but is expected to survive, although Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said Thursday that the dog is unlikely to return to work with the department. According to the county website, Riggs and his handler Deputy Terry Tifft have been assigned to first shift patrol since September 2014. Witness account Gursahib Singh, the owner of Benson Corners, 20000 75th St. (Highway 50), said that Brown had come into his store before the shooting and bought a Snapple and other items. He had a mask on, a COVID mask, Singh said, adding there did not seem to be anything unusual about the man who he said had parked a vehicle on the side of the station. But a short time later he heard gunfire. I was by the door and I heard gunshots, Singh said, saying he heard five or six shots. I went outside and I saw police pointing guns at someone, he was in the ditch, and I saw the dog running around. Singh said there were a few customers in the parking lot when the shooting occurred. He said deputies stayed with the man until an ambulance arrived, and that other law enforcement quickly arrived. The police did a great job actually, they handled it very well, he said. It was a frightening experience, Singh said. This never happened around here, nothing like that has ever happened before, he said. K-9 a hero At a press conference Thursday at the nearby Kenosha County Center at highways 45 and 50, Beth called the dog Riggs a hero. In a lot of ways hes a hero today because he at least initially took the suspect down, kept him from running onto Highway 50 a felon with a handgun and who knows what the felon would have done, who knows if he would have gone up there and tried carjacking somebody at gunpoint, Beth said. In my world, Riggs is a hero and possibly saved someone else from being injured today. Deputies had gone to Benson Corners at about 11:15 a.m. Thursday after receiving a request from the Chicago Police to check for a homicide suspect they believed was at the station with a stolen vehicle. When the three deputies arrived, they found the stolen vehicle with Brown inside. According to the Sheriffs Department, the deputies conducted a high-risk traffic stop, which typically means they approached the vehicle with weapons drawn. They went and called out orders to come out, put his hands up. The suspect did not follow those orders, he took off running. I heard in some body cam footage that I saw, the deputies were hollering for him to drop his weapon, Beth said at Thursdays press conference. Riggs (the K-9 dog) was released and captured the suspect just before running onto Highway 50 while the suspect still had the gun in his hands. And Riggs took the suspect to the ground. During the struggle, Brown allegedly fired his weapon, striking the dog in the forehead. Beth said that after the gunshot the dog trotted off and deputies then fired at Brown. After the shooting, investigators closed Highway 50 near the station while detectives were on the scene. Wright on Friday said he had no information on the homicide case with which Chicago Police were seeking Brown. National Night Out K9 demo Kenosha County Sheriffs Department K-9 Riggs is shown participating in a demonstration at a National Night Out event in Twin Lakes in 2017. R Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 RACINE The city is planning to spend more than $40 million to upgrade storm and wastewater utility capacity in order to better handle massive downpours, such as the once-in-a-century storm that ravaged the southeastern Wisconsin lakefront in January 2020. According to a report from the Environmental Law & Policy Center, storms like the one Racine experienced earlier this year especially in places along major bodies of water like oceans or the Great Lakes are going to become more common. "Climate change is causing significant and far-reaching impacts on the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes region," the report states. "In recent years, our planet has experienced some of the warmest temperatures ever recorded, record-breaking weather extremes, powerful storms, increasing tragic flooding from rising sea levels and associated storm surge, huge wildfires, and continued melting of glaciers and polar sea ice. The accelerating pattern of changes in the Earths climate is affecting the Great Lakes." The report continues: "Heat waves have become more common since the 1960s, while extreme cold temperatures have generally decreased. Intense summer storms occur more often as temperatures rise." Of the $40 million price tag which may still grow, thats more than 500 dollars for every man, woman and child in this city, Mayor Cory Mason said Tuesday. Climate change is already happening. And it is very expensive. Moving forward, the city will need to do two things at once when it comes to climate change: Rebuild our infrastructure to be more resilient to the intensity that climate change is already bringing to our shores and investing in infrastructure to reduce the carbon produced in the city by 50% by 2030 and eliminate it by 2040. Mason advocated for passage of Biden administration proposals that would provide millions to communities like Racine to de-carbonize the economy by 2040. Should those plans come to pass, Mason said, Racine will have a robust plan to try to reduce our carbon footprint and its contribution to climate change. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. GENEVA LAKE Authorities have released the name of the victim killed in the boating accident on Geneva Lake on Saturday, Oct. 16. He has been identified as Gregg J. Stockey, 66, of Ingleside, Illinois, according to the Walworth County medical examiners office. He had worked for nearly 30 years at the Bridge Youth and Family Services in Palatine, Illinois, a nonprofit that provides mental health and crisis services for youth and families throughout the Palatine area. After 13 years as the executive director at the organization, he had just retired about three months ago. Im excited for the opportunity to transition to the next stage of life after 42 years in counseling/human services management, he posted on his LinkedIn announcing his retirement. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is continuing to investigate the crash. Both boats have been seized by the DNR and they are doing a full reconstruction of the events. The crash was reported in the middle area of the lake, east of Cedar Point, according to an alert from the Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency. A 16-foot Sylvan boat with three people on board out of Williams Bay was headed south at about 10-15 mph when it was reported to have been T-boned by a 25-foot Skeeter boat with two people on board going westbound at 30-35 mph. Alcohol isnt believed to have been a factor in the crash. Stockey was sitting on the deck of the Sylvan when the crash happened, according to police. Lifesaving measures were unsuccessful. The two other males in the Sylvan were hospitalized at Mercy Walworth because of their injuries, but neither of the men in the Skeeter were reported to have been injured. Responding to the tragedy were Geneva Lake Police, Town of Linn Police, Linn Fire and Rescue, and Lake Geneva Fire and Rescue. Lazarczyk Family Funeral Homes helped the family hold a private service. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Quote Failure to protect workers from the hazards related to coronavirus infection can have serious consequences. Simply having a policy is not enough employers are obligated to make sure preventive measures are actually being followed in order to protect their employees. Christine Zortman, Milwaukee area OSHA director CALEDONIA A local trailer sales company has been fined by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for failing to protect workers from the dangers of COVID-19. Within one month, 12 of Amston Trailer Sales' workers tested positive for COVID and one 49-year-old worker died as a result, according to OSHA. The person who died, a dispatcher, had been working with the company for about one month before dying as a result of the virus on April 27. Amston Trailer Sales, 7213 U.S. 41, Caledonia, was fined for a "serious general duty clause violation," totaling $9,557 in penalties, OSHA announced Thursday. Following a complaint alleging coronavirus hazards, OSHA inspected the facility in May and determined the company had allowed workers to congregate closely and without masks, even though the company had a policy that required employees to screen, wear masks and social distance when possible to prevent coronavirus infection. Failure to protect workers from the hazards related to coronavirus infection can have serious consequences, Christine Zortman, the Milwaukee area's OSHA director, said a statement. Simply having a policy is not enough employers are obligated to make sure preventive measures are actually being followed in order to protect their employees. Amston Trailer Sales has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area direct or to contest the findings with the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Amston also operates in Lebanon, Indiana, in addition to the $7 million Caledonia facility that opened in 2017. Amston did not immediately respond to requests for comment. PITTSBURGH (AP) As the three-year mark since the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue approaches, survivors are planning now-familiar annual rituals of remembrance, the criminal case involving the suspect plods on, and the site is in line for restoration. The landmark synagogue in Pittsburgh's leafy Squirrel Hill neighborhood remains dormant, but a renowned architect is among those working to transform the site where 11 people were killed in Americas deadliest antisemitic attack. No trial date is in sight for the suspect, Robert G. Bowers. Nor is there any indication the U.S. Justice Department is heeding the calls of some members of the targeted congregations to avert a trial by dropping its quest for a death penalty and accepting a guilty plea accompanied by a life sentence. In the coming days, members of the three congregations whose Sabbath services were underway during the Oct. 27, 2018, attack will join with supporters to pay quiet tribute, gathering for community-service projects and studying the Torah. And on Wednesday afternoon, three years to the day since the shooting, they will assemble outdoors for a memorial service at Schenley Park, among 11 trees planted there to remember the slain. People are having a really difficult time time in this COVID era, said Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, formed to help those affected by the synagogue shooting and hate crimes. The goal this year was to come together safely. Its been a long road of not being able to do that. Bowers' lawyers and federal prosecutors were in a Pittsburgh courtroom this month to argue whether incriminating statements he made at the scene can be used against him. Some members of the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light congregations say their grief has been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic because it further isolated them from one another and from in-person worship. Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of Tree of Life, who survived the attack, said the dual traumas have left congregants at various stages of recovery. There are some who say theyre healed, he said. If thats the case, I say thank God. I can only say for myself, I will always be healing. The pandemic has also caused delays and logistical challenges in the federal capital murder case against Bowers, a former truck driver whose statements that day and trail of online posts suggest he was consumed by hatred for Jewish people when, authorities say, he launched the attack. Bowers, 49, has avoided public statements from behind bars as his team of attorneys has fought to prevent him from being executed, even offering to have him plead guilty in return for a life sentence. U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose has sealed about 100 of the roughly 600 docket entries in the case, restricting how much the public can know about the proceedings. The acting U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh, Stephen R. Kaufman, declined to comment for this article, and Bowers' legal team did not respond to messages. Bowers, armed with an assault-style rifle and three handguns, is accused of shooting 18 people and trading gunfire with officers, getting shot three times before he was taken into police custody. His social media history included posts about a false conspiracy theory that the Holocaust was a hoax and expressed contempt for a nonprofit Jewish group that helps refugees. In 2019, Bowers lawyers told Ambrose this case would already be over and interests in a speedy resolution vindicated had the government accepted the defendants offer to plead guilty as charged and be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release. Under then-President Donald Trump, the Justice Department pursued the killings as a death penalty case. But in July, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a moratorium on federal executions while his agency reviews policies and procedures, adding to the uncertainty. Prosecutors continue to treat it as a capital case, but it's unclear what would happen to Bowers if he is convicted. Over the past two years, the defense and prosecutors have battled over evidence, search warrants and court procedures, as well as the effect of the pandemic on Bowers' right to a fair trial. The defense team has insisted on safe conditions and expressed concern about the risks of travel, while the U.S. attorneys office has complained about what they deem delay tactics. Dave Freed, a former U.S. attorney in Harrisburg, called three years an unusually long period between arrest and trial for any criminal case, but said the intense public interest in the synagogue shooting and the potential death penalty both put added pressure on lawyers to get it right. I think you have to add COVID to mix Im sure its contributed, said Freed, who did not have a role in the Tree of Life case when he worked for the Justice Department. Some members of the three congregations want the Justice Department to take the deal that would spare Bowers' life. Dor Hadash, as a congregation, has urged Garland to abandon pursuit of the death penalty. Individual members of New Light also are opposed to a potential sentence of death. Author Beth Kissileff urged against the death penalty religious grounds and because a plea would spare survivors the trauma of a trial. Her husband, New Light Rabbi Jonathan Perlman, survived the shooting. As angry as I am that the lives of our friends and congregants were brutally ended, it is Gods responsibility, not ours, to avenge their death, she wrote in the Jewish news site, The Forward. Kissileff said she is encouraged by President Joe Bidens campaign pledge to support legislation eliminating the federal death penalty and to give states incentives to do the same. She is also encouraged by the moratorium imposed by Garland. Survivors said that they understand that capital cases take a long time, and that the pandemic has made this one take longer, but they want to get it behind them. We would like to move on with our lives and we would like to get this over a done with, said Carol Black, who lived through the attack by hiding in a storeroom. Survivors are also redoubling efforts to combat violent extremism. Featured speakers at a three-day Eradicate Hate Global Summit, held in Pittsburgh this week, included experts alongside survivors and relatives of victims. Meanwhile, the Tree of Life Congregation has chosen architect Daniel Libeskind, the master planner for the reconstruction of New Yorks World Trade Center, to redesign the sprawling synagogue complex, with plans to share space with the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. The goal is to create a solemn memorial as well as a place of regular activity. Were all excited about the potential of what the premier architect of his generation could come up with at Tree of Life, Myers said. Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) An assistant director unwittingly handed Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, court records released Friday show. Cold gun, the assistant director announced, according to a search warrant filed in a Santa Fe court. Instead, the gun was loaded with live rounds, and when Baldwin pulled the trigger Thursday on the set of a Western, he killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, was wounded, the records said. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office obtained the warrant Friday so investigators could document the scene at the ranch outside Santa Fe where the shooting took place. They sought to examine Baldwins blood-stained costume for the film Rust," as well as the weapon that was fired, other prop guns and ammunition, and any footage that might exist. The gun was one of three that the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, had set on a cart outside the wooden structure where a scene was being acted, according to the records. Assistant director Dave Halls grabbed the gun from the cart and brought it inside to Baldwin, unaware that it was loaded with live rounds, a detective wrote in the search warrant application. It was unclear how many rounds were fired. Gutierrez removed a shell casing from the gun after the shooting, and she turned the weapon over to police when they arrived, the court records say. Halls did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment. The Associated Press was unable to contact Gutierrez, and several messages sent to production companies affiliated with the film were not immediately returned Friday. The films script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, said she was standing next to Hutchins when she was shot. I ran out and called 911 and said Bring everybody, send everybody, Mitchell told The Associated Press. This woman is gone at the beginning of her career. She was an extraordinary, rare, very rare woman. Mitchell said she and other crew members were attending a private memorial service Friday night in Santa Fe. Baldwin described the killing as a tragic accident." There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. Im fully cooperating with the police investigation, Baldwin wrote on Twitter. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna. No immediate charges were filed, and sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios said Baldwin was permitted to travel. Hes a free man, Rios said. Images of the 63-year-old actor known for his roles in 30 Rock and The Hunt for Red October and his impression of former President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live showed him distraught outside the sheriffs office on Thursday. Guns used in making movies are sometimes real weapons that can fire either bullets or blanks, which are gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but no deadly projectile. Even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. That proved to be the case in the death of an actor in 1984. In another on-set accident in 1993, the actor Brandon Lee was killed after a bullet was left in a prop gun, and similar shootings have occurred involving stage weapons that were loaded with live rounds. Gun-safety protocol on sets in the United States has improved since then, said Steven Hall, a veteran director of photography in Britain. But he said one of the riskiest positions to be in is behind the camera because that person is in the line of fire in scenes where an actor appears to point a gun at the audience. Sheriffs deputies responded about 2 p.m. to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 calls described a person being shot there, Rios said. The ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western News of the World. Hutchins, 42, worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film Archenemy starring Joe Manganiello. She was a 2015 graduate of the American Film Institute and was named a rising star by American Cinematographer in 2019. Im so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set, said Archenemy director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film. Manganiello called Hutchins an incredible talent and a great person on his Instagram account. He said he was lucky to have worked with her. After the shooting, production was halted on Rust. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. Lee, son of martial arts star Bruce Lee, died in 1993 after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series Cover Up. Such shootings have also happened during historical reenactments. In 2015, an actor staging a historical gunfight in Tombstone, Arizona, was shot and wounded with a live round during a show that was supposed to use blanks. In Hill City, South Dakota, a tourist town that recreates an Old West experience, three spectators were wounded in 2011 when a re-enactor fired real bullets instead of blanks. Associated Press writers Jake Coyle and Jocelyn Noveck in New York; Lizzie Knight in London; Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine; Ryan Pearson in Los Angeles; Walter Berry in Phoenix; and Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Lyft received an increasing number of reports of sexual assault in recent years, including more than 1,800 in 2019, according to a safety report from the ride-hailing company. More than half of the assaults in 2019 were non-consensual touching of a sexual body part and another 156 involved non-consensual sexual penetration, according to the report. The report also listed 10 fatal assaults from 2017 through 2019, including four in 2019. Lyft released the figures nearly two years after larger rival Uber put out a similar report that showed more than 3,000 sexual assaults were reported on rides within the U.S. in 2018. Lyft pledged in 2019 to put out its own report. The ride-hailing companies have come under increasing scrutiny over safety issues, especially sexual assaults. The Lyft report was praised by the group that operates the national sexual-assault hotline for victims. Were pleased to see Lyft sharing safety information with the public and encourage other companies and organizations to do the same," said Erinn Robinson, a spokeswoman for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. No industry is immune to sexual violence, and this pervasive problem cannot be addressed without shining a light into dark corners and asking how to do better. Lyft Inc. said the number of sexual-assault reports collected on its app rose from 1,096 in 2017 to 1,255 in 2018 and 1,807 in 2019 as its business grew. The company said that from 2017 to 2019, more than 99% of rides occurred without any reported safety-related incident. A Lyft official said in a blog post Thursday that the rate of sexual assaults as a percentage of rides decreased by 19% over the three-year period covered in the report. While safety incidents on our platform are incredibly rare, we realize that even one is too many, Jennifer Brandenburger, the companys head of policy development and research, said in the blog. Lyft said it generally does not tell police about safety incidents unless it is served with a subpoena, a policy it said protects personal information about riders and drivers. Lyft said the decision to report an event to law enforcement is a deeply personal one." The company said it investigates safety incidents through correspondence with drivers and riders, police reports and other information. Generally speaking, individuals who are accused of committing the types of incidents detailed in this report will be permanently removed from the Lyft community, preventing them from riding or driving in the future, it said. The San Francisco-based company says it screens all drivers with initial and annual background checks and monitors criminal and driving records. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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 View Results Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. BEAVER CITY The sentencing of an Oxford man found guilty of sex trafficking has been continued for the second time. Joseph Howard of Omaha, the attorney for William Billy Quinn, asked Judge James Doyle to postpone Quinns sentencing due to Doyle not presiding over Quinns jury trial. Judge David Urbom presided over the trial, but retired in August. Quinn, 57, was found guilty of 13 counts of sexual assault and sex trafficking of a 15-year-old during a two-week trial in June in Beaver City. He was acquitted of one count of felony first-degree sexual assault. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Sentencing for Quinn originally was scheduled for Sept. 15, but it was continued in July due to a scheduling conflict for the prosecution. During Thursdays hearing, Howard asked the court reporter prepare a transcript of the entire trial so Doyle can understand the dynamics of the case and the evidence before determining an appropriate sentence for Quinn. Quinn faces a maximum of five life terms in prison plus 177 years. NAMI La Crosse Vernon hereby announces recipients of the 2021 Iris Awards. On Tuesday evening, Oct. 5, three local people were recognized by NAMI La Crosse Vernon for the outstanding work they have done to address mental health in the region. The awards were made in conjunction with Mental Illness Awareness Week, which was established in 1990 in recognition of efforts by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to educate and increase awareness about mental illness. It takes place every year during the first full week of October, which this year was Oct. 3-9. NAMI is the nations largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of individuals and families affected by mental illness. NAMI was founded in 1979. It is a nationwide non-profit with more than 600 local affiliates and 48 state organizations who engage in advocacy, support, and education. Dr. David MetzlerDr. David Metzler received his undergraduate degree from St Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, his MS degree in Microbiology and later his MD from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He completed his residency in general psychiatry at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY. Dr. Metzler began his professional career as an Adult Psychiatrist at Gundersen Clinic in 1992. During his career, Dr. Metzler provided inpatient and outpatient services to a wide range of patients, including those with chronic mental illness and other disabilities. He made special connections with his patients that resulted in significant progress for them in managing or overcoming their mental health disabilities. He was persistent in helping to promote mental health education to the public, his peers, and especially his patients. As a result, he gained the love and respect of his colleagues, community members, and the thousands of patients he served during his career. Prior to retiring from Gundersen Clinic, Dr. Metzler served as Chairman of the Department of Behavior Medicine and also as Chairman of the clinic wide Compliance Committee. Dr. Metzler is truly a person who has made a profound impact on how our community views and responds to mental health issues. He claims, however, that he could not have been as accomplished in addressing mental health issues if it was not for the understanding and support of his wife, Christine and his three sons, Alex, Tim, and Sam. He is a fortunate man to have such a family as it allowed him to meet the needs of so many within our community. In recognition of Dr. Metzlers hard work, dedication, and commitment to persons with mental illness and substance use concerns, and all the support he has provided to improve access to and understanding of mental well-being within our community, we are pleased to have recognized him with a 2021 Iris Award. Suzie HoweSuzanne Suzie Howe began her career in mental health after she received her bachelors degree in psychology from Indiana University in 1989. Soon after, she began attending the University of Illinois Chicago and achieved her masters degree in social work in 1994. In 1998 she worked at The Youth Campus to provide care to residential treatment and foster care youth. She moved from Chicago, Illinois to Viroqua, Wisconsin in 2001. Suzie began working at The Family & Childrens Center in Viroqua in 2003 as a case manager in the Community Support Program. She works with adults diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness for the purpose of helping them to live in their community as independently as possible. She now serves as the Clinical Coordinator for the Community Support Program mental health team at the family & Childrens Center. Shortly after Suzie was hired at Family & Childrens Center, some community members approached her with an idea to open a drop-in center for people with mental health and substance use concerns. The drop-in center would be a place where these people could simply drop in to receive after hours support, to have access to various resources like music, art, a library, and computers, and where those in recovery could meet and socialize with others having similar life experiences. Suzie took this idea and was successfully able to open an after hours drop-in center called The Other Door. The Other Door is located on the lower level of the Family & Childrens Center in Viroqua. It is open during the evening for all people in Vernon County who want to drop in for social contact, to access resources, to relax, or to participate in recovery groups like AA, NA, and after-hour support for mental illness like NAMIs Family Support Group and the Recovery Through Sharing group. The Other Door has become an important resource in the Viroqua community. Without Suzies vision, dedication, and leadership, this vital program may still be simply an idea. In recognition of Suzies hard work, dedication, and commitment to persons with mental illness and substance use concerns, and all the support she and her team provide, we are pleased to have recognized her with a 2021 Iris Award. Jean M. SterlingJean became involved with NAMI due to her nephews mental illness. Her passion was to help her extended family understand her nephews illness and to be supportive of him and his parents in their daily struggle to get the best possible services needed to address his needs. She is a 12-year member of NAMI La Crosse Vernon. She serves as an advocate, a Family Support Group Facilitator, and is an integral member of the affiliates education, public relations, and membership committees. She served as President of the NAMI La Crosse Vernon Board of Directors for two terms from 2013 to 2019. Jean has worked tirelessly in challenging the stigma of mental illness in our community and in promoting grassroots advocacy to improve public understanding of mental illness. She is a staunch proponent of action oriented programs and public visibility to engage our community in learning what resources are available to them and their loved ones in the recovery journey. She has assisted in the Rotary Lights Annual Christmas Tree exhibit at Rotary Lights, sold Irises at public places in the community, edited The Beacon, which is our affiliates newsletter, attended numerous media interviews about mental health issues, collaborated with various community organizations in panel presentations on mental health issues, collaborated with other organizations to solicit video presentations by middle and high students on the five signs of mental wellness which aired as public services announcements on local television, and prodded all of us to do more to help people living with mental illness. She currently is a co-facilitator of our affiliates monthly La Crosse Family Support Group. When the pandemic shut down in-person sessions for meetings, she climbed aboard the Zoom platform so NAMI La Crosse Vernon could continue these valuable support groups. In recognition of Jeans visionary guidance and exemplary leadership for NAMI La Crosse Vernon, we are pleased to have recognized her with a 2021 Iris Award. For more information about NAMI La Crosse Vernon, check out: www.namilacrossecounty.org, NAMI La Crosse Facebook and NAMI Vernon Facebook. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Dane County Sheriffs Office deputy fired her gun Thursday night after being stabbed by a suspicious person she was checking on at a park near Cross Plains, authorities said. The man fled, and its not known if he was hit. The deputy, who was not identified, was taken to a local hospital and treated for injuries that werent life threatening, according to a statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation, which is handling the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. Sheriffs Office spokesperson Elise Schaffer said Friday the deputy was released from the hospital and is at home recovering. The DCI statement did not say how many shots the deputy fired, or if the person who stabbed the deputy was struck. DOJ spokesperson Samantha Standley said in response to a Wisconsin State Journal query that there are no further details to disclose at this time. The incident began about 8:15 p.m. when the deputy saw a suspicious person while on a routine patrol of Festge Park in the town of Berry. The deputy approached the man, who stabbed her with an edged weapon. The deputy then fired her weapon, and the man ran, DCI said. Authorities were continuing to search for the man, who remained at large Friday, Schaffer said. DCI said it is continuing to review evidence and determine what happened and will turn over its reports to the Dane County district attorney when the investigation concludes. Highway 14 between Highway KP and South Valley Road was closed until about 2:15 a.m., the Wisconsin Department of Transportation said. The Middleton-Cross Plains School District announced Friday morning that because the man was still being sought, Park Elementary and Glacier Creek Middle School in Cross Plains would be under a building hold and police were stationed there. A building hold means that once students arrive at school, they are brought inside immediately, are not allowed to leave the building, and visitors are not allowed. Classroom activities are conducted as usual. Our first priority is always the safety of our students and staff, district spokesperson Shannon Valladolid said in a statement. We have taken all the necessary precautions to ensure that students may attend school as routinely as possible. We will continue to monitor the situation and act accordingly. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Wisconsin residents with increased risk of exposure or transmission of COVID-19 can now receive Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster doses in the state, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced Friday. The health departments recommendation follows new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that also allows individuals to get a booster dose from a different company than was provided in their initial vaccination. Dr. Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer with DHS, said the new guidance does not recommend that individuals seek out a booster dose from a different company than the one that provided their initial vaccine, but does allow for the mixing and matching of doses. He added there is no evidence that any specific combination of vaccine doses is more effective than others, while clinical data has shown that all three doses have been used in some combination successfully and safely. The rationale behind the allowance of mixing and matching of doses was to provide more flexibility, but I would say that the bulk of the data, the main data presented, was for booster doses in the same category so I as a clinician I would say that would be the default and the primary recommendation would be to use the same product for all three doses or two doses if its Johnson & Johnson, Westergaard said during a media briefing Friday. Officials have already recommended booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for people who already got two Pfizer doses. Under DHSs new guidance, certain populations can receive a booster shot at least six months after receiving their second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Booster doses are recommended for individuals age 65 or older, long-term care residents and people age 18 or older with underlying medical conditions including cancer, diabetes, pregnancy or heart conditions. People age 18 or older with increased risk for COVID-19 exposure, including first responders, education staff, corrections workers and others are also encouraged to get a booster. Individuals age 18 and older who received the the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are recommended to get a booster at least two months after their primary vaccine dose. Stephanie Schauer, DHS Division of Public Health immunization program manager, said the state continues to prepare to begin administering pediatric vaccines to children ages 5 to 11, pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration and CDC. Should that come to fruition we will have vaccines in the state, Schauer said. Its important to remember that vaccinators need to have a number of steps in place before they can actually start vaccinating. Schauer said the state will be looking at the states existing network of more than 2,000 vaccinators for pediatric vaccines, including local health departments, pediatricians and pharmacies. She added some schools are planning on-site clinics either during or after school hours. I think its going to require a broad network of vaccinators to go ahead and continue vaccinating not only pediatric patients, but also all of the other individuals who were either prevented from primary series or are now maybe eligible for boosters, Schauer said. As of Friday, more than 57% of the states population had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with nearly 55% of residents having completed their vaccine series. BRISTOL, Wis. Kenosha County Sheriffs deputies, attempting to stop a stolen vehicle associated with a homicide in Chicago, shot an armed suspect after the man opened fire on a department K-9 dog late Thursday morning outside the Benson Corners gas station on Highway 50. According to the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department, the injured suspect was taken by ambulance to Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital. The man was reported to be conscious after the shooting according to police radio traffic. At a press conference Thursday afternoon at the nearby Kenosha County Center, Sheriff David Beth said the suspect was shot in the abdomen and leg and was reported to be in surgery as of Thursday afternoon. Beth said Chicago Police asked sheriffs deputies to check for a suspect in a Chicago homicide who was reported to be in a stolen vehicle that they believed was at the Benson Corners Shell Station, 20000 75th St. (Highway 50). Beth said the man was in the victim of the homicides vehicle. Three deputies went to the gas station and convenience store at 11:16 a.m., found the vehicle and attempted a high-risk traffic stop, but the man in the vehicle fled on foot. Sheriff: Commands were loud and clear They went and called out orders to come out, put his hands up. The suspect did not follow those orders, he took off running. I heard in some body cam footage that I saw, the deputies were hollering for him to drop his weapon, Beth said. Riggs (the K-9 dog) was released and captured the suspect just before running on to Highway 50 while the suspect still had the gun in his hands. And Riggs took the suspect to the ground. Beth said while the man and the dog were entangled, the dog was shot and deputies then shot the man. Our deputies did fire more than one shot, I cant tell you how many right now, Beth said. The sheriff said that deputies immediately rendered first aid to the suspect and cared for him until the arrival of Bristol paramedics. The person shot, described by the department only as a white male, was not yet being identified by the department as of Thursday afternoon. Sheriffs Sgt. David Wright said he did not know the mans age or where he is from. He was the only occupant of the vehicle deputies had attempted to stop. Beth said he had no information on the Chicago homicide, and did not know when it occurred. Beth said that Riggs was taken to a veterinary clinic in Illinois for treatment. The dog was also reported to be in surgery Thursday and his condition was not released as of Thursday afternoon. But Beth said that the dog is expected to survive. Beth said Racine County Sheriffs Office was asked to investigate the incident, which the sheriff described as an active investigation. He said the deputies involved in the incident will be on administrative leave while the investigation is underway. Beth said he had spoken to the K9 deputy whose dog was shot in the incident and said he was very emotional. First such incident since 2015 The Kenosha County Sheriffs Department was last involved in a shooting in 2015 when deputies investigating a motorcycle crash shot a Paddock Lake man when he pointed a shotgun at deputies. That shooting was determined to be justified. After Thursdays shooting, law enforcement had the area around Benson Corners, located just west of Highway 45, blocked off by squad cars and tape. Westbound Highway 50 was also closed west of Highway 45 for a time to aid the investigation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Chicago-based medical marijuana company is spending $170 million to expand in Pennsylvania through a pair of acquisitions which include a Lancaster dispensary and a Mount Joy growing-and-processing operation. Cresco Labs recently agreed to buy three Cure Penn dispensaries, including one here on Fruitville Pike in the former Kmart Plaza, plus dispensaries in Philadelphia and Phoenixville (near King of Prussia) for $90 million. The Fruitville Pike store is the countys oldest dispensary, opening in March 2018 and operating seven days a week. It has nearly 20 employees. The Cure Penn dispensaries will join Cresco Labs five dispensaries operating under the Sunnyside brand, including a Wyomissing location that opens today. Were continuously focused on normalizing the cannabis-buying experience, said William Butler, Cresco Labs senior vice president for retail, in a prepared statement. Our goal is for patients who prioritize their health and wellness to feel as comfortable buying cannabis products as they do visiting a supermarket or fitness center. The acquisition is expected to be completed by year-end. When that happens, the three Cure Penn dispensaries will become Sunnyside locations. However, they already carry some Cresco Labs products, including the Cresco, Remedi and Good News brands, as Cresco Labs is the largest wholesaler of brand cannabis products in the U.S. Cresco Labs, a publicly held company, also recently agreed to buy Laurel Harvest Labs, including its growing-and-processing operation in Mount Joy, for $80 million. Laurel Harvest also has a dispensary in Montgomeryville (near Lansdale, Montgomery County), a dispensary under construction in Scranton and permits to open four more dispensaries in the state. In addition, Laurel Harvest has an academic clinical research partnership with the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, with six ongoing research projects. Laurel Harvest unveiled plans for its $8 million Mount Joy facility in 2017. Largely due to the pandemic, the 52,000-square-foot location at New and South Jacob streets only got its initial state permit to grow medical marijuana in May. More than 25 people work there, though construction is not complete, said Cresco Labs spokeswoman Kelly Evans. In addition, Laurel Harvest constructed the building so it can be doubled in size, although a date for the expansion has yet to be determined. Evans declined to disclose the cost of expanding the facility. When the extra space is fully utilized, the Mount Joy location will have nearly 200 employees, Evans said. Evans declined to say how much medical marijuana the Mount Joy facility is expected to produce a year. Cresco Labs, founded in 2013, operates in 10 states with 20 locations for medical marijuana growing and processing plus 37 dispensaries. The company grows, processes, retails its products through its own dispensaries and wholesales its products to dispensaries owned by others. The company is ramping up revenue rapidly through acquisitions, including deals in Florida, Massachusetts, Ohio and Maryland this year, and organically. Revenue has jumped from $128.5 million in 2019 to $476.3 million in 2020. In just the first half of this year, revenue was $388.4 million. Profits, though, have been scarcer, Cresco Labs financial reports show. It had a net loss of $65.3 million in 2019 and a net loss of $36.6 million in 2020. For the first half of this year, Cresco Labs lost $21.5 million, though the second quarter was slightly in the black, with a net profit of $2.7 million. HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) Southern California harbor patrol boats picked up reports of a possible fuel spill off the coast on a marine radio emergency channel about an hour before the Coast Guard heard anything about oil on the water and about 15 hours before a large slick, which came from a leaking undersea pipeline, was confirmed, officials said Thursday. Carrie Braun, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said harbor patrol boats off the coast of Huntington Beach picked up radio chatter among local boaters about an oily sheen and smell on the water at about 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 1. At least one of the boats, which were in the area to assist with a popular air show, checked on the spill reports but found nothing on the water, she said. The Coast Guard, however, didn't hear any radio chatter about a possible spill until about an hour later from a commercial vessel anchored off the coast, Coast Guard Lt. Commander Jeannie Shaye said. The federal agency asked the vessel to make a report to the National Response Center, which is staffed by the Coast Guard and notifies other agencies of emergencies for quick response, she said. The spill of about 25,000 gallons (94,635 liters) of crude from a pipeline owned by Houston-based Amplify Energy that ferried oil from three offshore platforms forced the closure of some of the regions signature beaches and fisheries and harmed animal and plant life. In the days after the spill, Coast Guard officials gave at-times conflicting accounts of the timeline for the initial response. On Thursday, Shaye confirmed that multiple calls about a possible spill came in over the marine radio channel but said her agency only acted after a call around 6:30 p.m. Oct. 1 from the anchored vessel. She said the Coast Guard had no prior knowledge that the harbor patrol actually searched for the spill that evening. She said the Coast Guard reached out to state and local authorities about 7 p.m. but did not launch a search because darkness was falling. By then, Braun said the harbor patrol had completed its check. It wasnt until 8:22 p.m. that the commercial vessels report was called into the National Response Center by Colonial Compliance Systems Inc., which works with foreign ships in U.S. waters to report spills, according to reports compiled by the California Office of Emergency Services. The next morning, Coast Guard hazardous materials investigators went out on a harbor patrol fireboat and located a miles-long black plume several miles offshore, according to a sheriff's department memo that was obtained by the AP through a California Public Records Act request. Pete Stauffer, environmental director for Surfrider Foundation, which is working as a liaison between non-governmental agencies and the unified command for the spill response, said a swift response to a spill is key to limiting damage. When theres a report of a significant-sized oil slick on the ocean, its important to investigate, Stauffer said. What happens in the first hours and days during an oil spill is absolutely critical. The cause of the spill is under investigation. Federal investigators are examining whether the Panama-registered MSC DANIT, a 1,200-foot (366-meter) container ship, was dragging anchor during a Jan. 25 storm and snagged the pipeline and dragged it on the seabed. It's not known why the leak occurred eight months later, and authorities also are looking into whether other anchors hit and weakened the pipeline or if a preexisting condition with the line was to blame. After the spill, blobs of oil and tar balls washed ashore, forcing a weeklong closure of beaches that disrupted the local economy and killed dozens of birds. Environmental advocates say the damage was less than initially feared. But the long-term impact on wetlands and marine life is unknown. A group of environmental organizations this week demanded that the Biden administration suspend and cancel oil and gas leases in federal waters off the California coast. The Center for Biological Diversity and about three dozen organizations sent a petition arguing that the Department of the Interior has the authority to end these leases and that the decades-old platforms are especially susceptible to problems because of their age. The agency declined to comment. Melley reported from Los Angeles. Lancaster city's Horse Inn recently won a national award for having the "best bar program of the year." Vinepair, a beer and spirits website aimed toward millennials, honored Horse Inn as part of its Next Wave Awards, which recognize bars and restaurants for their booze prowess. In an article explaining the publication's choice, Vinepair writer Aaron Goldfarb commended the casual-yet-upscale nature of Horse Inn, commenting that it was unique that the restaurant and bar sold both cheap booze and high-end cocktails comparable to those in big cities. "Always laid back, crank up your own personal pretensions however flush youre feeling, opting for a cold pull of $3 Yuengling or a craft cocktail that could easily stack up with the best offerings in Manhattan, San Francisco, or London," Goldfarb writes. Read the rest of the article here. Goldfarb also commends the ever-rotating cocktails offered, inspired by local Lancaster County produce. The staff at Horse Inn celebrated their award in New York and closed the restaurant for the night, according to its Instagram. "We are so stoked to be named Best Bar Program by VinePair!! Its mind blowing to be picked out of the entire country," said owners Starla and Matt Russell in a message to LNP|LancasterOnline on Instagram. "It is really amazing to be recognized for all of the hard work the staff has put in through this pandemic to keep our standards up and stay true to who we are. So honored to bring some recognition to this wonderful place that we call home," the Russells said in their joint statement. This is not the only attention the Horse Inn has gotten as of late. In 2020, it was a semifinalist for a James Beard Award in the outstanding bar program category. Italian restaurant Luca, in Lancaster city, also made it to the James Beard Award semifinals in 2020. Chef Taylor Mason was a contender for the best chef in the Mid-Atlantic. Millions more Americans just became eligible for COVID-19 boosters, but figuring out who's eligible and when can be confusing. And adding to the challenge is that this time around, people can choose a different brand of vaccine for that extra dose. A number of factors, including the vaccine you started with and when your last dose was, help determine when you qualify. Just like the initial shots, boosters are free and will be available at pharmacies, doctors' offices and clinics. Here are some things to know: WHY ARE BOOSTERS NEEDED? People who are fully vaccinated are still strongly protected against hospitalization and death from COVID-19. But immunity against infection can wane over time, and the extra-contagious delta variant is spreading widely. U.S. health authorities want to shore up protection in at-risk people who were vaccinated months ago, though they emphasize that the priority remains getting the unvaccinated their first shots. ARE BOOSTERS AVAILABLE FOR ALL THREE VACCINES AUTHORIZED IN THE U.S.? Yes, Pfizer boosters began last month, and this week the government cleared extra doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines too. More than 120 million Americans will become eligible for a booster in the coming months, or about 2 out of every 3 vaccinated adults, officials say. But whos eligible and when differs depending on which vaccine you got first. CAN I GET A BOOSTER NOW? If you got Pfizer or Moderna shots first, youre eligible if your last dose was at least six months ago and youre 65 or older, or are a younger adult who has health problems or a job or living conditions that put you at higher risk of severe illness or exposure to the coronavirus. Health care workers, for example, are included because they are regularly exposed to the virus and cant come to work with even the mildest of infections. WHAT IF I GOT THE J&J SHOT? Anyone who got a J&J shot at least two months ago is eligible, regardless of age or other factors. WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DIFFERENT VACCINES? A single shot of the J&J vaccine is less effective than two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer formulas, and health authorities decided it was important for the J&J recipients to achieve a similar level of protection. As for the timing, J&J simply tested more people with a two-month booster than one at six months. For recipients of Moderna or Pfizer vaccinations, there's no clear data that everybody needs another dose, but immunity against infection in at least some people appeared to wane around six months. WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO WAIT SIX MONTHS? Experts agree that getting a booster too soon can reduce the benefit. Timing matters because the immune system gradually builds layers of defenses over months, and letting that response mature improves the chances another, later dose will provide even stronger protection. WHAT DOES MIXING AND MATCHING BOOSTER DOSES MEAN? It means a booster of a different brand from your original vaccination. That gives flexibility in situations such as nursing homes where only one type of booster might be brought in. It also gives people at risk of a rare side effect linked to one kind of vaccine the option of switching to a different shot. SHOULD I SEEK OUT A DIFFERENT VACCINE? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration didn't recommend that people switch but left open the option. Preliminary results of a government study found an extra dose of any vaccine triggered a boost of virus-fighting antibodies regardless of what shots people got to begin with. For people who originally got a J&J vaccination, the Moderna and Pfizer shots appeared to offer a stronger boost. But researchers cautioned the study was too small to say one combination is better than another. DO I NEED A BOOSTER TO STILL BE CONSIDERED FULLY VACCINATED? No, the CDC says people still are considered fully vaccinated starting two weeks after the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or the single-dose J&J shot. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says the definition of fully vaccinated is not being changed for now because not everyone is eligible for boosters at this point. WILL THIS BE MY LAST BOOSTER? Nobody knows. Some scientists think eventually people may get regular COVID-19 shots like annual flu vaccinations. But researchers will need to study how long protection from the current boosters lasts. The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. All Phoebe Koppenheffer could think of is that instinct kicked in Sunday in the aftermath of the shooting at Park City Center, compelling her to whisk a 13-year-old girl away to safety. The 18-year-old Hummelstown resident didnt hear the gunshots from where she was inside her store, Hot Topic, about 100 yards from the gunfire in the JC Penney wing. She heard something else. I heard the people screaming and running, and I thought it was just like a prank, like people were filming a stupid video for YouTube or TikTok. And then I looked at my co-worker who's working the (register), and she said that there were gunshots and to run, Koppenheffer said Thursday evening. But Koppenheffer didnt run. She grabbed Tori Stewart, a 13-year-old girl, who had been shopping for earrings with her mother, Dora Aipa, 51. And at that point my brain kind of shut everything else that was happening down and I guess I just latched on to her and I got her out, Koppenheffer said. One of my siblings is her age, so it was just instinct for me to get the kid out right now . I have really bad anxiety. So I wouldn't want to be in a situation like that (at age 13), not to mention it's a shooting. Aipa, who on Sunday described her experience to an LNP | LancasterOnline reporter shortly after the shooting, referred to Koppenheffer as the girl with the rainbow hair for her blue, green and black hair and returned to the mall Monday to thank Koppenheffer in person. I asked her, Why did you do that? Shes not a mom. Thats a mom thing, Aipa recounted Thursday evening. I thanked her so much, I started crying. Tori was still too shaken to go with her mother Monday, but Aipa said shes going to bring Tori this Sunday to meet Koppenheffer. Koppenheffer said she didnt even process that she grabbed Tori until Aipa came to the store Monday because of how chaotic the shootings aftermath was. Aipa said Koppenheffer helped other people as well, ushering them through the back of Hot Topic and out a door to an employee hallway. The exit of that hallway either was locked or stuck, Aipa said, and people were piling up like sardines, climbing atop one another until her son Logan, 19, forced the door open. Koppenheffer was getting knocked down. She was getting stepped on, said Aipa, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but is staying in Ephrata and contemplating moving back to Lancaster County, where shes from. Aipa figures she was reunited outside the mall with Tori and her sons after about 10 minutes, but it seemed like forever. Koppenheffer, a senior at Hershey High School, said her co-workers told her she was a hero. I'm just glad that everybody got out safe and that there are no fatal injuries, and I'm glad that (Tori) got out to her family because I can only imagine being separated for a minute and being like, Where is my mom? she said. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A Minneapolis police officer has been charged with manslaughter and vehicular homicide for a crash in July that killed an innocent motorist while the officer was pursuing a stolen vehicle, a prosecutor announced Friday. Officer Brian Cummings was driving nearly 80 mph (129 kph) in Minneapolis with his siren and lights activated when his squad car slammed into another vehicle, killing 40-year-old Leneal Frazier, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a statement. The crash ended a chase that lasted more than 20 blocks, including through residential neighborhoods where the posted speed limit is 25 mph. Police are supposed to protect and serve citizens, and to act in a manner consistent with their sworn oath to do so. Officer Cummings actions deviated from his oath and his negligence caused the death of Leneal Frazier, Freeman said. During Cummings chase, Fraziers Jeep entered an intersection on a green light. According to investigators, the driver of the stolen vehicle narrowly missed Fraziers Jeep before the squad car struck it on the drivers side. An accident reconstruction report said the fatal collision "can be attributed to the Defendant for failure to operate his vehicle with due regard for the safety of other motorists. Mayor Jacob Frey said after Fraziers death that the city would review its pursuit policy, and that review was still ongoing Friday. A police spokesman said this summer that the policy was properly followed in the chase, but the complaint clearly suggested that prosecutors don't think it was by quoting directly from the policy: Officers shall not initiate a pursuit or shall terminate a pursuit in progress if the pursuit poses an unreasonable risk to the officers, the public or passengers of the vehicle being pursued who may be unwilling participants. Cummings' attorney, Thomas Plunkett, declined to immediately comment. The city's police union didn't immediately respond to a message. Frazier was the uncle of Darnella Frazier, whose cellphone video of Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyds neck was viewed worldwide and helped launch a global protest movement against racial injustice. Chauvin was convicted of murder and sentenced this year in Floyds 2020 death. The Frazier family, which had called for Cummings to be prosecuted in Frazier's death, welcomed the charges as a first step toward justice, according to their lawyers, Ben Crump and Jeff Storms. The Frazier family and our legal team are grateful for the charges brought against Brian Cummings for the reckless killing of Leneal Frazier," they said in a statement. We commend the Hennepin County Attorneys Office for having the courage to hold law enforcement accountable in this instance. No innocent civilian should ever lose their life because of unwarranted high-speed chases in residential neighborhoods. Both charges against Cummings carry a presumptive prison sentence of four years under state sentencing guidelines. The department's policy manual allows pursuits for serious and violent crimes. including robbery, and flagrantly reckless driving that is life-threatening to the public." The complaint said the stolen vehicle was suspected in thefts from businesses that involved some limited use of force" but none involving weapons or resulted in injuries. Chases for simple auto theft are not allowed. Freeman made a fresh plea Friday for law enforcement across the state to change their pursuit policies, saying they don't do enough to protect human life. He said responses to previous criticism had been weak and ineffective. He said Minnesota agencies reported 40 fatal injuries resulting from pursuits from 2013-2020. This must stop, Freeman wrote. Pursuits must be reserved for only the most serious crimes and cases. The charges against Cummings came a day after former Minneapolis police Officer Mohamed Noor was resentenced on a manslaughter charge in the 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who was shot minutes after she had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home. They also came ahead of a Nov. 2 vote in which Minneapolis residents will decide whether to replace the citys police department with a new public safety unit. Associated Press writer Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee contributed to this report. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Authorities are investigating after confirming that a prop firearm discharged by actor Alec Baldwin, while producing and starring in a Western movie, killed the cinematographer and wounded the director. Santa Fe County Sheriffs officials said Halyna Hutchins, cinematographer on the movie Rust, and director Joel Souza were shot Thursday on the rustic film set in the desert on the southern outskirts of Santa Fe. Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel, the sheriff's department said. Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, where he is undergoing treatment for his injuries. Production was halted on the film. A spokesperson for Baldwin said there was an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks, though a charge without a metal projectile is unlikely to kill at a moderate distance. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported the 63-year-old Baldwin was seen Thursday outside the sheriffs office in tears, but attempts to get comment from him were unsuccessful. The International Cinematographers Guild confirmed that the woman fatally shot was Hutchins, a cinematographer. The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event, guild president John Lindley and executive director Rebecca Rhine said in a statement. Hutchins, a 2015 graduate of the American Film Institute, worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film Archenemy, starring Joe Manganiello. She was named a rising star by American Cinematographer in 2019. Im so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set, said Archenemy director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film. Film colleague Manganiello called her an incredible talent and a great person on his Instagram account. He said he was lucky to have worked with Hutchins. Baldwin teamed up as a producer previously with Souza on the 2019 film, Crown Vic, which starred Thomas Jane as a veteran Los Angeles police officer on a manhunt for two violent bank robbers. His first credited film, 2010s Hannas Gold, was a treasure hunt adventure featuring Luke Perry. Deputies responded about 2 p.m. to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 calls described a person being shot on set, sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios said. The ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western News of the World. Rios said detectives were investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged. This investigation remains open and active, Rios said in a statement. No charges have been filed in regard to this incident. Witnesses continue to be interviewed by detectives. Filming for Rust was set to continue into early November, according to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s' Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. In 1993, Brandon Lee, 28, son of the late martial-arts star Bruce Lee, died after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. A Twitter account run by Lee's sister Shannon said: Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on Rust. No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period. In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series Cover Up. Berry reported from Phoenix. Associated Press film writer Jake Coyle contributed to this report. Coatesville continues to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and Chester County officials in response to major damage caused by Hurricane Ida, said City Manager James Logan during the Oct. 11 council meeting. Logan said Coatesville is among many municipalities in line to receive government grant funds. We are working hard with these agencies and as I said, were going to be putting our best foot forward to get necessary funding. Logan reported the city is partnering with Cedarville Engineering Group to look at improving stormwater management and mitigation efforts to reduce adverse impacts of future storms. Its going to be a heavy lift. Its going to take more than one year to complete. Because the infrastructure in our city is just very very old, Logan said. Its going to take major work to get in there and to repair the damage that we suffered from the two storms June 8 and Sept. 1. In addition to infrastructure improvements, Logan reported the city is partnering with the Brandywine Health Foundation and Brandywine Valley Active Aging to support the Coatesville Red Umbrella Rescue fund designed to help residents impacted by the most recent storm to provide them with essential resources they may need at this time. Logan said construction on Coatesvilles long-awaited train station is slated to begin next month. The new train station will be approximately 300 feet east of the current station at Fourth and Fleetwood streets. Plans for the new station prioritize Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility and a pedestrian walkway feature. This track will have not only the Amtrak rails, but it will also have SEPTA rails. So we are anticipating SEPTA coming back to Coatesville, Logan said. Design renderings of the updated station are publicly available online through Coatesville citys website. The next council meeting is Oct. 25. As a police chief, I am always interested in interventions that can improve the lives of those in our community and ultimately lead to fewer incidences of crime. High-quality early care and education programs are some of these critical, proactive investments because the path children are set upon in their earliest years can make a huge difference in their life trajectories, especially for children from families with low incomes. Children who receive high-quality early care and education are shown over decades of research to have better academic performance, fewer behavioral issues, higher high school graduation rates and less crime and incarceration compared to similar children who do not receive those services. Quality early education programs have highly qualified teachers, developmentally appropriate standards and curricula, appropriate teacher-child ratios, monitoring and improvement systems, and screening and referral to additional services. Research shows that high-quality early childhood education makes a difference. A recent evaluation of Pennsylvanias Pre-K Counts program found that children who participated were four to five months ahead of their peers in language and math skills in kindergarten. Another national study found that children in high-quality child care were not only better prepared for kindergarten, but also were still performing slightly above their peers at age 15 and had significantly lower levels of behavior problems. Clearly, investments in high-quality early education can pay off for decades. Unfortunately, early learning providers in Pennsylvania are facing a huge hurdle. In Pennsylvania, 92% of child care centers report staffing shortages, and in many communities, classrooms are closed. Across the state, child care providers have lost more than 34,000 child care slots, with more than 25,000 children waiting for care. Families are feeling the impact. A Census Pulse survey in mid-September found that 1 in 4 Pennsylvania parents who had children under 5 said their children were unable to attend child care in the past four weeks. Our families are struggling. One of the reasons for the current staffing shortage in the early learning sector is low wages. Theyre so low with an average hourly wage of $10 an hour that in Pennsylvania, half of child care teachers rely on public assistance to meet the needs of their own families. This strain is part of the reason 1 in 4 teachers leave the field each year. The heart of any early childhood education program is the relationship between the teacher and the children. These teachers are well-trained, and they need to be adequately compensated. With our current child care staffing crisis, Pennsylvanias children are missing out on the opportunity to build a solid, early foundation that pays educational and behavioral dividends for years to come. In addition to the thousands of children currently waiting for a spot to open in child care centers across the state, there are over 100,000 eligible children waiting for access to Pennsylvanias state funded pre-K programs. Another 160,000 eligible children are unable to access the states subsidized Child Care Works program. The number of at-risk children who cannot benefit from high-quality early childhood education will only grow unless we take action to remedy these staffing shortages. The best way to do that is to increase the wages of these educators. There are substantial resources available in the federal American Rescue Plan to help stabilize the early care and education sector, and more than half of that money will soon be flowing to child care providers in Pennsylvania to help with current challenges, including the staffing shortage. Our lawmakers must release the remainder of the funding to help turn the tide on the existing child care crisis. While this infusion of funds will help Pennsylvania child care providers weather the current staffing issues, it is time that we admit the business model of early education is broken. This one-time assistance, while important, will not solve the industrys long-term problems. Without increased access to early learning programs for eligible families and long-term solutions to address the needs of the early childhood workforce, many children will not reach their full potential and avoid the pitfalls of delinquency and crime. Our state and federal lawmakers must act and quickly. David Steffen is chief of police for the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department and president of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association. Takano, Bass, Lieu, & Brownley Applaud Secretary McDonoughs Move to House Homeless Veterans in West LA Today, House Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), and Subcommittee on Health Chairwoman Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) applauded Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonoughs announcement that the West LA VA Medical Center will provide permanent housing for all of the veterans currently living in the San Vicente encampment before the county clears the sidewalk on November 1st. Additionally, VA announced that it will work to get 500 additional LA area homeless veterans into permanent housing by the end of the year. Earlier this month, Chairman Takano invited Secretary McDonough to visit VA facilities and meet with veterans in the Inland Empire and the greater Los Angeles area. During their visit to the West LA VA, Chairman Takano, Rep. Bass, and Rep. Lieu joined the Secretary for a tour of the San Vicente encampment and spoke with homeless veterans, advocates, and VA staff about efforts to address veteran homelessness in the Los Angeles area. My heart is full given todays announcement that VA has plans to permanently house the homeless veterans living outside the West LA VA, and I look forward to learning more about VAs efforts, said Chairman Takano. Earlier this month, I invited Secretary McDonough to tour the San Vicente encampment and speak with homeless veterans themselvesIm grateful that the Secretary took these conversations to heart and is following up with VA action when these veterans need it most. I know that together we can continue to tackle the biggest problems facing veterans in the LA area, including the monumental effort to end veteran homelessness. ADVERTISEMENT Weve been calling for action to assist the unhoused veterans sleeping next to the VA in West Los Angeles. Finally, we have a White House willing to listen, said Rep. Bass. Secretary McDonough was willing to answer our call he was willing to have us show him the situation and then work with us as we follow through with action. When he toured the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System earlier this month, my colleagues and I urged him to take bold and swift action on the crisis on our hands here in Los Angeles. What the Secretary is announcing today is ambitious but the exact kind of leadership needed to get folks in homes. This crisis is not going to go away overnight, its going to take concerted efforts at all levels of government in collaboration with outside groups to get this done. Addressing this crisis cannot wait. Thank you Secretary McDonough for your action today. Im pleased that, following his visit to the West LA VA earlier this month, Secretary McDonough is taking concrete steps to address veteran homelessness in Los Angeles, said Rep. Lieu. During the visit, I urged the Secretary to prioritize veteran homelessness at the agency, and specifically to focus on Southern California. He reaffirmed his and the Biden Administrations commitment to this effort and todays announcement reflects that. In Congress, Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Mark Takano and I have worked tirelessly on this issue and will continue to do so. From the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016 spurring redevelopment of the VA to include veteran housing to the West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act of 2021 ensuring the West LA has access to money for veteran homelessness programs, were continuing to champion our veterans. I will continue to work with the VA and local and state officials to make the necessary improvements to help our nations heroes. No one who has served our country in uniform should ever be without a roof over their heads. I am profoundly grateful for the service and sacrifice made by our nations veterans, and it is a stain on our nation that so many of them are unhoused and living on the streets. This ongoing challenge has only been made worse as the pandemic continues to put economic stress on those barely making ends meet, said Rep. Brownley. I applaud Secretary McDonough and President Bidens aggressive efforts and bold initiatives to address homelessness amongst our veteran population with the urgency that this issue demands. Their leadership is the action we need in the fight to end homelessness, and it is a crucial step in ensuring that all of our veterans have the services and resources, including access to safe and permanent housing, that they need. Friday, October 22, 2021 Similar to its federal counterpart, North Carolina Rule of Evidence 701 provides that If the witness is not testifying as an expert, his testimony in the form of opinions or inferences is limited to those opinions or inferences which are (a) rationally based on the perception of the witness and (b) helpful to a clear understanding of his testimony or the determination of a fact in issue. So, under Rule 701, can a detective testify that he found the defendant's alleged accomplice to be credible when she implicated herself and the defendant in a crime? That was the question addressed by the Court of Appeals of North Carolina in its recent opinion in State v. Best, 2021 WL 4859815 (N.C.App. 2021). In Best, Rakeem Best was charged with various crimes after "Jejuan Taylor was killed after being shot twice during an attempted armed robbery at Duke Manor Apartments in Durham, North Carolina." [Hope] Farley gave an interview with the lead detective assigned to the case, Investigator Sean Pate (Pate). She confessed to her involvement and named the three others involved. Two weeks after the robbery, Farley was presented with a photo array seeking to identify [a man named] King. Farley did not make an identification. About a year later, Farley was presented with another photo array, at which time she identified Defendant as Keem that was involved in the murder. At trial, Pate testified as follows. State: How, why were you using a different technique with Hope than you were with Rakeem Best? Pate: Because Hope was answering the questions, which I felt was truthful at the time. State: So these witnesses were giving, well, you talked about that. Hope was implicating herself, and you talked about that even in the interview to Rakeem Best? Pate: Yes. State: And so you said that was why you didn't want to push her because she was already implicating herself and you wanted to let her just keep digging that hole deeper. Pate: Absolutely. State: Okay. But Rakeem Best wasn't doing that? Pate: Correct. There was no objection to this testimony, and Best was convicted. After Best was convicted, he appealed, claiming that that the trial court committed plain error by admitting testimony from the lead detective when he testified on the difference between the interrogations of Farley and Defendant. Specifically, Defendant contend[ed] the trial court committed plain error in allowing Investigator Pate to testify as to Farley's credibility during her interrogation. By allowing Investigator Pate to testify as to Farley's truthfulness during her interview, Defendant contend[ed] the State elicited Investigator Pate's personal opinion on the question of Defendant's guilt while simultaneously vouching for Farley's credibility. Defendant argue[d] this error amount[ed] to plain error because Farley's credibility was central to the case against Defendant, and law enforcement testimony has traditionally been afforded deference by jurors. The court generally agreed, finding that This Court has held a police officer may not testify that a defendant is guilty.... This Court has repeatedly found error when a witness testifies as to credibilityeven when the testimony only implied a defendant was being untruthful....By allowing Investigator Pate to testify [he] felt [Farley] was truthful at the time, the trial court allowed a witness to testify to Farley's credibility. Furthermore, Investigator Pate's testimony went beyond stating his opinion regarding Farley's credibility, but also likely established Pate's opinion on Defendant's guilt. By testifying that Farley's confession implicating herself and Defendant appeared truthful, Investigator Pate impliedly testified Defendant was guilty. Investigator Pate stated he was allowing Farley to continue talking to keep digging [her] hole deeper and because he felt she was truthful during her interrogation. Pate's testimony may have implied Defendant was being untruthful during the interrogation. A jury could reasonably infer that based on Investigator Pate's interview style between Farley and Defendant, Pate believed Defendant was guilty and thus was lying when he would not implicate himself. Since Investigator Pate's testimony both established Farley's credibility and Pate's opinion on Defendant's guilt, the trial court committed error when it admitted this portion of Investigator Pate's testimony. That said, the court upheld Best's convictions, concluding that "[t]here is substantial other evidence in the record tending to show Defendant's guilt." -CM https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/evidenceprof/2021/10/similar-to-its-federal-counterpart-north-carolina-rule-of-evidence-701-provides-that-if-the-witness-is-not-testifying-as.html A large orphanage in Kabul is limiting meals for the children it cares for because it is running out of money. Ahmad Khalil Mayan is head of Shamsa Children's Village. It is in the northern part of Afghanistans capital. Afghanistan has lost millions of dollars in aid since the Taliban took control of the country. Mayan told Reuters that he has been contacting many of his past donors for help. "Most of them have left the country - Afghan donors, foreign donors, embassies. When I call them or email them, no one is answering me," he said. "We are now trying to run the place with very little money and with little food," he added. There are about 130 children at the orphanage. The youngest are three years of age. It has been open for more than 10 years. It provides shelter for children whose parents have died or do not have the money to look after them. One of the children is nine-year-old Samira. She has been at the orphanage for almost two years since her father died and her mother did not have the money to support her or her brothers. She is already taking extra classes and wants to be a doctor when she grows up. "I want to serve my homeland and save others from disease, and I also want other girls to study so that they become a doctor like me in the future," she said. There are many orphanages in Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in wars over the past 40 years. The lack of money, since the Taliban retook control of the country, is forcing Mayan to make difficult choices. The orphanage tried to send a few children back to relatives who had the money to take care of them. But all the children have returned. Mayan said he has had to reduce the amount of food and the kinds of food the children eat. "Before we were providing them twice a week fruit and twice a week meat, but we cut those items to just once a week or maybe not even (that much)." Facing an economic crisis, Taliban officials have urged Western governments to continue sending aid. It has also asked the United States to lift a block on more than $9 billion of Afghan central bank money held in foreign countries. Many countries, including the U.S., do not recognize the Taliban government. Some governments are demanding that the group guarantee basic freedoms, including permitting girls to attend school and women to work. The Taliban banned all girls education when they ruled from 1996 to 2001. But they have said they are now considering the issue. A weekly limit of $200 on bank withdrawals has also hurt the orphanage. That amount is not enough for the needs of the children and workers. Mayan fears that if the situation continues, the orphanage would not be able to stay open much longer. That would be disastrous for the children, who receive mathematics, English and computer lessons there, as well as food and shelter. Samira, the child who hopes to become a doctor, recognizes that to reach her goals, she may have to leave the country to study. "I am not allowed to study here, she said. Im Dan Novak. Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam reported this story for Reuters. Dan Novak adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. _______________________________________ Words in This Story orphanage n. a place where children, whose parents have died or who cannot care for them, can live and be cared for; a home for orphans twice adv. two times allow v. to permit; to let something happen China is strengthening federal controls over its territory of Macao. The area, like Hong Kong, is officially called a Special Administrative Region. For many years, Macao has operated with wide self-rule powers, as part of Chinas One State, Two Systems policy. But recently, China established a cooperation policy between Macao and the mainland city of Guangzhou. It also placed restrictions on businesses called casinos and manipulated a local parliamentary election. The new partnership with Guangzhou includes changes in tax laws and other policies. The aim is to move Macaos economy away from the gambling industry and toward fields such as finance, high-technology, traditional Chinese medicine and others. Ben Lee is a casino advisor in Macao. He told VOA by email that China never wanted gambling to become the biggest part of Macaos economy. He said China also never wanted Macao to be economically dependent on the mainland. The new casino measures are designed to limit the number of gambling operations and involve government supervisors in casino operations. American companies operate six casino businesses in Macao. Lee said that fact has fueled Chinas increased control on the gambling industry. Lee noted that Macaos gaming industry earned $45 billion in 2013 and $37 billion in 2019. This represents money that flowed out of the Chinese economy into and from Macao, Lee wrote, adding that much of that money went to the United States. In July, 21 people seeking election to parliament were barred from the competition. All were members of opposition parties. The parties sought legal action against the government decision but their appeal was denied in court. The parliamentary election was held in September. Forty-two percent of the voting population took part, the lowest level since China took control of Macao in 1999. The head of elections in Macao reportedly blamed COVID-19 and bad weather for the drop in voter numbers. The European Union criticized the interference in Macaos election as a violation of rights guaranteed by Macao law. The Macao government answered by condemning the E.U. statement as an example of outside interference. Im Jonathan Evans. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English based on a VOA News report. Caty Weaver was the editor. ___________________________________________ Words in This Story casino n. a building or room that has games such as roulette or blackjack for gambling manipulate v. to manage skillfully and especially with intent to deceive South Korea has launched its first space rocket to be completely developed and built in the country. But the rocket failed to successfully deploy a test satellite into orbit after its launch Thursday. South Korean television showed a live broadcast of the launch. The 47-meter rocket lifted off with bright yellow fire shooting from its engines. The rocket is called Nuri. It launched from the countrys Naro Space Center, which is on a small island off South Koreas southern coast. President Moon Jae-in watched from the space center. He said the rocket completed all its flight stages just as it was supposed to. All this was done based on technology that is completely ours, he said. But Moon added that the rocket then failed to place the test satellite into orbit. "Unfortunately, we did not fully reach our goal." Moon praised the workers and said although the mission was incomplete, the project would press ahead. "It's not long before we'll be able to launch it exactly into the target trajectory." Moon said the launch demonstrated the countrys progress and promised that the Korea Space Age was coming. Nuri is the countrys first space launch vehicle developed and built completely with South Korean technology. The three-stage rocket is powered by five rocket engines to complete its first and second stages. Another engine is used during the rockets final stage. The rocket is designed to carry a payload of up to 1.5 tons to an orbit 600 to 800 kilometers above Earth. Science minister Lim Hye-sook told reporters the mission failed because the third-stage engine stopped burning about 50 seconds earlier than expected. This prevented the payload from reaching the right speed to reach orbit. Officials from the countrys space agency, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, said debris from the test payload was expected to land in waters south of Australia. The agency said it was planning to form an inspection committee soon to study what went wrong and to make plans for the next test launch. Another attempt is planned for May. After depending on other countries to launch its satellites since the early 1990s, South Korea is now trying to become the 10th nation to send a satellite into space with its own technology. Officials say this ability would be important for the countrys future space projects. South Korea plans to launch communications satellites as well as its own military intelligence satellites. The country is also hoping to send an explorer to the moon by 2030. South Korea launched another space launch vehicle from the Naro spaceport in 2013. That vehicle, named Naro, was a two-stage rocket built mainly with Russian technology. Naros launch came after years of delays and a series of failures. The rocket reached the desired altitude during its first test in 2009. But it failed to release a satellite into orbit. Then, during a second test in 2010, Naro exploded shortly after takeoff. Im Bryan Lynn. The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. __________________________________________ Words in This Story stage n. a particular time within a process or a part of a rocket that falls away after use unfortunate adj. unlucky mission n. an important project or trip, especially involving space travel trajectory n. the curved line that something follows as it moves through the air payload n. the amount of goods that a vehicle can carry debris n. broken or torn pieces that come from something larger A lawsuit by a former Republican state representative from Clackamas and a lawyer from Lake Oswego have asked the Oregon Supreme Court to over JOHNSON LAKE A new project has joined with Give BIG Lexington this year, this one seeking to provide a playground space at Johnson Lake that will be accessible to children and families of all backgrounds. Becky Crawford, chair of the JL Playground Committee, said there is no playground like the one being planned anywhere else around the lake. There is playground equipment in the Johnson Lake State Recreation Area, but this requires a pass to access. With the approval of the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation Districts board of directors at their September 2021 meeting, the JL Playground Committee is moving forward to secure funding for the playground project. The playground site will be located near the outlet canal at East Shore Dr. 1. The playground will increase choices of outdoor physical activity in the Johnson Lake area for children and families that not only reside here but also for the tens of thousands of those who visit our recreation each year, according to the Johnson Lake Playground projects Give BIG Lexington page. I feel this project will compliment the trail system and be a great destination for the trail users, Crawford said, The area we chose has parking, is right off the trail, and has room for growth. Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. Im so delighted to see this unique collaboration between affordable housing and quality child care in our community, Rhodes-Conway said. I hope this is the beginning of something bigger and more projects like this will come to fruition. The city and Movin Out reached a 99-year agreement wherein Movin Out promises to maintain the affordability of the housing in the project. At the same time, the city is upping its financial commitment to the project from $125,000 to $625,000. The city is also providing Movin Out with $900,000 in HOME funds, which will make the total city financial commitment to this project over $1.5 million. HOME funds are part of a federal program that provides grants for the purposes of affordable housing. Im so happy to be able to say that today, because we need permanent affordable housing in our community, Rhodes-Conway said. And we need to be able to make projects like this succeed and Im really proud that we have a city government that is willing to invest in projects like this. At the time, Horicon PFC President Brett Culver said the PFC handbook trumped the paragraph in the citys policy manual which Plier was concerned about. Culver explained that internal candidates would have been automatically interviewed along with a pool of external candidates by a peer panel of current Wisconsin police chiefs. The city council voted to disband the police and fire commission at a meeting March 16. Commissions are required in municipalities with 4,000 or more residents, but Horicons population falls below that number. In his analysis of the investigation, Barrington concluded it was within the city councils authority to disband the police and fire commission and that the council had acted upon advice from the city attorney. He also examined the email communication and informal conversations council members said they had regarding the police and fire commission and the police chief hiring process. Barrington wrote that the informal communication took place following city council meetings and participants could not recall who was present or the exact dates. Barrington states he was therefore unable to determine if those conversations violated open meetings laws. Beth said while the man and the dog were entangled, the dog was shot and deputies then shot the man. Our deputies did fire more than one shot, I cant tell you how many right now, Beth said. The sheriff said that deputies immediately rendered first aid to the suspect and cared for him until the arrival of Bristol paramedics. The person shot, described by the department only as a white male, was not yet being identified by the department as of Thursday afternoon. Sheriffs Sgt. David Wright said he did not know the mans age or where he is from. He was the only occupant of the vehicle deputies had attempted to stop. Beth said he had no information on the Chicago homicide, and did not know when it occurred. Beth said that Riggs was taken to a veterinary clinic in Illinois for treatment. The dog was also reported to be in surgery Thursday and his condition was not released as of Thursday afternoon. But Beth said that the dog is expected to survive. The Barriques coffee shop on Atwood Avenue is closing after a six-year run. Matt Weygandt, who owns the Atwood shop and six other area Barriques Coffee Roasters and Cafes with partner Finn Berge, said that location hasnt bounced back from the pandemic for whatever set of reasons. He and Berge needed to sign a renewal on the lease and its a location that has nowhere near come back and recovered the way the rest of our places have, he said. And we just didnt feel comfortable signing up for a long-term obligation when we were uncertain how much of our pre-pandemic business we were going to be able to get back. Weygandt said that like a number of their leases, it came up during the pandemic. In most cases, he said, they were able to push the leases out six months at a time or so to get some more clarity as to where the thing was going. The shop at 2166 Atwood Ave., was one of those leases, he said, adding that the renewal would have been for five years. They havent announced a closure date, but it will close before the end of the year, he said. Among other changes, the Audit Bureau suggested the Legislature might consider changes to the laws governing elections including: Require clerks to complete initial training before administering an election. Require a municipal governing body to notify the Wisconsin Elections Commission within 30 days when there is turnover in the clerk position, allowing the commission to better track whether all clerks have completed the required training. Require the state Department of Transportation to provide additional information to the commission when DOT attempts to verify information provided by registrants. Require the WEC to regularly obtain data from the Electronic Registration Information Center, which provides reports on potential duplicate registration records and flags registrants who might have died or moved, and use the data to improve the accuracy and completeness of the state's online voter registration system. Modify the law to specify the particular address components that a witness must provide on an absentee ballot certificate, clarify the extent to which municipal clerks are permitted to correct errors in witness addresses or add missing witness address information and require clerks to verify the signatures of individuals who cast absentee ballots. Clarify whether individuals are allowed to return absentee ballots via drop boxes instead of by mail. Establish when clerks are not required to send special voting deputies to residential care facilities and nursing homes, as well as the procedures clerks must follow in mailing and considering absentee ballots in such circumstances. Specify the actions and responsibilities of consultants at polling places and central count locations on Election Day. Allow new polling places to be quickly established in certain situations, such as in a public health emergency or if a fire or a natural disaster were to damage a polling place. Require clerks to notify WECs administrator if they rent electronic voting equipment and require materials related to the pre-election tests of electronic voting equipment to be retained for 22 months after a federal election. Change state law to reflect the current federal standards for an acceptable equipment error rate with voting machines and require WEC to conduct risk-limiting post-election audits. Require WEC to report certain information about election-related concerns every six months. Take a look. Here is the initial statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, after its investigation was opened to determine how a Madison police officer, Keith Brown, came to be shot. At approximately 12:37 a.m., Madison police attempted to apprehend a wanted subject in the 500 block of State Street in Madison, Wis. The subject ran from police. During the arrest a round was fired and an officer was struck. That police officer was taken to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Another officer sustained minor injuries during the arrest. Police took the wanted subject into custody, without injury. The subject was in possession of a handgun. This is standard, nondescript descriptive organization-speak. But it, by far, does not tell the whole story. These days, children of color are pulled into the justice system through school starting in kindergarten, whether for their own behavior or due to family behaviors and their income, relative position to resources, and work opportunities can be forever altered. Jessica Williams, a Black domestic violence advocate from Freedom, Inc., is working with Richardson. She told me via text that kids and others with few resources often get funneled into the criminal justice system and then cant get out because of the surveillance they contend with. SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) Fishing and conservation groups on Thursday joined with the state of Oregon, the Nez Perce Tribe and the Biden administration to seek a pause in litigation challenging the latest federal plan for hydropower operations on the Snake and Columbia rivers in an effort to save endangered salmon runs. If the federal court in Portland, Oregon, grants the stay, these parties will use the time to develop a comprehensive solution that could resolve decades of litigation. The federal lawsuit, filed against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service, involves the most recent plan for dam operations issued by the Trump administration in late 2020. The conservation groups, along with the state of Oregon and the Nez Perce, had sued to block the Trump administration plan and also filed a request for an immediate injunction to dramatically increase water flow through the dams to help salmon migrate to the ocean. Thursdays settlement covers only that injunction request. The lawsuit intended to save salmon is still moving forward. Todays filing represents an important opportunity to prioritize the resolution of more than 20 years of litigation and identify creative solutions that improve conditions for salmon for years to come, said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. While it is important to balance the regions economy and power generation, it is also time to improve conditions for tribes that have relied on these important species since time immemorial. Thursdays agreement outlines how eight dams in the Columbia River Basin will be operated over the coming year. This will include additional fish passage spill of water past the dams at certain times of year while still preserving reliable hydropower production, transportation, and other services provided by the dams. The agreement asks the court to stay the litigation until the end of July 2022, to afford affected states, tribes, and stakeholders the opportunity to identify and review alternative solutions. A healthy and vibrant Columbia River Basin is good for the economy and its good for the people of the Pacific Northwest, said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The Columbia River Basin is essential to salmon and steelhead production on the West Coast, providing a key refuge for salmon and steelhead from the effects of climate change. Increasing the amount of water next spring for a brief time to help endangered salmon pass through the dams helps juvenile fish avoid the turbines and pass each dam more quickly along their river migration to reach the ocean where they mature. The Columbia River Basin was once the greatest salmon-producing river system in the world. But dams built in the basin are blamed by conservationists with pushing some salmon runs toward extinction. Four dams along the Snake River in eastern Washington state Ice Harbor, Little Goose, Lower Monumental and Lower Granite slow passage along the lower Snake River, a major migration corridor linking pristine cold-water streams in central Idaho to the Pacific Ocean. Some $17 billion has been spent over two decades on inadequate federal efforts to protect salmon, said Earthjustice, one of the conservation groups involved in the suit. Because of that, many groups continue to demand those four dams be breached. Dam supporters blame declining salmon runs on other factors, such as changing ocean conditions. Opponents of breaching the dams include river users and mostly Republican politicians in the region who argue the dams provide many benefits, such as electricity, river navigation and irrigation. Kurt Miller of Northwest RiverPartners, which opposes breaching, said they do not oppose this request for a stay of litigation because the original lawsuit would have required increasing spill over the dams for a much longer period of time. Water spilled early is not available for use when it is needed later, he said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BOISE Problems plaguing a nuclear waste treatment plant in eastern Idaho appear to be solved, U.S. officials said Thursday, and converting high-level liquid waste into safer, more easily managed solid material could start early next year. Joel Case of the U.S. Department of Energy said a test startup without waste will begin next week at the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit at the Energy Departments 890-square-mile (2,305-square-kilometer) site that includes the Idaho National Laboratory. Im very confident that we can fix the actual process issues, he said during a meeting of the Idaho Cleanup Project Citizens Advisory Board, but noted the plant hasnt run for several years, so there could be glitches. Its now about sustained operations. The 900,000 gallons (3.5 million liters) of sodium-bearing, radioactive waste comes from processing spent nuclear fuel to recover highly enriched uranium. The waste is in tanks above a giant aquifer that supplies water to cities and farms in the region. The waste has been a sore spot between Idaho and the Energy Department for years, Case said, and the federal agency is paying $6,000 in fines a day for missing a deadline to transform the liquid waste into solid material as stipulated in a 1995 agreement that was the culmination of a series of federal lawsuits. Idaho, because of the missed 2013 deadline, is preventing the Energy Department from bringing in research quantities of spent nuclear fuel to be studied at the lab. Scientists say the spent fuel is needed to develop new technologies for the next wave of nuclear reactors thats part of a U.S. strategy to expand nuclear power and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The prohibition could also damage the labs status as one of the nations top nuclear research labs, Energy Department officials have said. Additionally, the lab is one of the states largest employers and a huge economic driver, especially in eastern Idaho. But Idaho officials have been wary of voiding that part of the agreement, which overall is seen as preventing Idaho from becoming the nations high-level nuclear waste dump. In 2019, Republican Gov. Brad Little and Republican Attorney General Lawrence Wasden granted a conditional waiver to the agreement allowing the Energy Department to bring research quantities of spent nuclear fuel into the state if the agency proved the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit could process the liquid waste. That could happen next year if everything goes according to plan at the treatment plan, Case said. Scientists initially plan to use simulant rather than liquid waste, then mix in 10% sodium-bearing waste. If that goes well, the waste will be increased to 50% and then 100%. Case said once the plant reaches routine operations, anticipated some time next year, it will take about five years to treat all the liquid waste. This has been a long journey, Case said. The solid waste will be placed in stainless steel canisters, each holding about 35 cubic feet (1 cubic meter), and stored at the site. The canisters will be stored in groups of 16 in concrete vaults. The site can store 745 canisters, Case said, but estimates indicate the waste could fill more than 1,000 canisters. Case said that could mean building more storage. Another possibility, officials said, is trying to reclassify the solid waste to transuranic waste, which would allow it to be sent to the Energy Departments Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. Its (classified) high-level waste because of where it came from, but if you look at it terms of its actual content, it could be something else, said Connie Flohr, manager of the Idaho Cleanup Project. The Integrated Waste Treatment Unit cost more than $500 million to build. Officials on Thursday didnt give an updated cost that included delays or additional work to get the plant operating. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LANSING, Mich. (AP) Michigan will not order employers to adhere to a COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirement that is stricter than one planned by the Biden administration. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration released its stance this week following questions from the business community. Michigan is among states to operate and enforce workplace safety rules instead of the U.S. government. They must be at least as effective as the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's program. The pending mandate will require employers with at least 100 employees to require that they be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing. Once it is finalized, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration will have 30 days to comply with the minimum standard. The state has no plans to go further than the federal requirements, said Sean Egan, chief deputy director for labor at the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. "We continue to encourage all working Michiganders to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their colleagues while at work. Michigan's federally authorized regulations cover both private and government workplaces. The White House sees the regulation as a potent tool to winnow down the ranks of roughly 65 million Americans who have thus far refused to get a shot. A coalition of chambers of commerce and other business groups in Michigan is urging President Joe Biden to reconsider. Nearly 62% of state residents ages 12 and older are fully vaccinated. Michigan has the country's eighth-highest rate of new COVID-19 infections over the past week. Democrats in the Legislature cited the case count Thursday to push for the disbursement of $330 million in unspent federal coronavirus relief aid enacted by then-President Donald Trump and Congress last December. Minority Leader Donna Lasinski said hospitals could use the money to hire staff for vaccinations, testing and contact tracing. This would allow current staff to focus on treating patients, including the need for administering monoclonal antibodies a time- and staff-intensive process that helps folks not move further into the dire consequences of a COVID-19 infection, she said. Hospital leaders have cited staffing shortages as a factor amid not just higher coronavirus caseloads but also high numbers of non-COVID-19 patients seeking care they delayed earlier in the pandemic. It also is the beginning of the flu season. Lasinski said the funding is gathering dust because of majority Republicans. The House GOP said much, if not all, of the funds were OK'd by the chamber in May. It appears the proposed spending was pared down during negotiations with the Republican-led Senate and the Democratic governor. It was not clear if Whitmer also wants to now allocate the $330 million in federal aid or wait. State spokesman Kurt Weiss said new budget director Christopher Harkins started his job this week and is "excited and ready to get to the table with his legislative counterparts to negotiate the federal dollars available to us. A recent bipartisan state budget deal and two laws over the summer did allot $774 million in discretionary pandemic rescue funds passed by Congress and President Joe Biden in March. The governor has been publicly unveiling proposals to use nearly $5.8 billion unspent from that rescue package. Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Authorities are investigating after confirming that a prop firearm discharged by actor Alec Baldwin, while producing and starring in a Western movie, killed the cinematographer and wounded the director. Santa Fe County Sheriffs officials said Halyna Hutchins, cinematographer on the movie Rust, and director Joel Souza were shot Thursday on the rustic film set in the desert on the southern outskirts of Santa Fe. Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel, the sheriff's department said. Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, where he is undergoing treatment for his injuries. Production was halted on the film. A spokesperson for Baldwin said there was an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks, though a charge without a metal projectile is unlikely to kill at a moderate distance. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported the 63-year-old Baldwin was seen Thursday outside the sheriffs office in tears, but attempts to get comment from him were unsuccessful. The International Cinematographers Guild confirmed that the woman fatally shot was Hutchins, a cinematographer. The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event, guild president John Lindley and executive director Rebecca Rhine said in a statement. Hutchins, a 2015 graduate of the American Film Institute, worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film Archenemy, starring Joe Manganiello. She was named a rising star by American Cinematographer in 2019. Im so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set, said Archenemy director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film. Film colleague Manganiello called her an incredible talent and a great person on his Instagram account. He said he was lucky to have worked with Hutchins. Baldwin teamed up as a producer previously with Souza on the 2019 film, Crown Vic, which starred Thomas Jane as a veteran Los Angeles police officer on a manhunt for two violent bank robbers. His first credited film, 2010s Hannas Gold, was a treasure hunt adventure featuring Luke Perry. Deputies responded about 2 p.m. to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 calls described a person being shot on set, sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios said. The ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western News of the World. Rios said detectives were investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged. This investigation remains open and active, Rios said in a statement. No charges have been filed in regard to this incident. Witnesses continue to be interviewed by detectives. Filming for Rust was set to continue into early November, according to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s' Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. In 1993, Brandon Lee, 28, son of the late martial-arts star Bruce Lee, died after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. A Twitter account run by Lee's sister Shannon said: Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on Rust. No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period. In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series Cover Up. Berry reported from Phoenix. Associated Press film writer Jake Coyle contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Having served as Idaho Attorney General for eight years back in the 1980s, I feel qualified to provide a little friendly legal advice to Attorney General candidate Arthur Macomber. Those who wish to be the States chief legal officer should learn the law and try to abide by it. Macomber held a press conference in Ammon, along with wanna-be Governor Janice McGeachin, on October 14. Both candidates used it as an opportunity to tout their candidacies. The only problem is that the campaign event was held at the Ammon Elementary School, which is obviously public property. In 2018, the Idaho Legislature passed the Public Integrity in Elections Act, which says it is against the public policy of the state of Idaho to use public property to advocate for a candidate. The law provides civil penalties, which can be enforced by the Idaho Attorney General. The Ammon school officials cant be faulted for the improper use of their school property because they were apparently blind-sided by the inconsiderate duo, not having been told this would be a campaign event. The problem could have been avoided if Macomber had acquainted himself with Idaho law, as you would expect of a candidate for an important legal office. Finding My Way: A Whistleblower Spills the Beans I became a referee back in the 1980s, when our house was full of kids ranging from teenagers to toddlers. I signed up after spending endless McGeachin used the press conference to defend her decision to violate Idahos public records law by refusing to release to the Idaho Press Club the public comments gathered by her indoctrination task force. It is understandable why she did not want anyone to know that the great majority of the comments strongly opposed her campaign to smear public schools and their local school boards and teachers. The judge held she had acted in bad faith in refusing to obey the law and required that she pay a $750 penalty, as well as the Press Clubs attorney bill of $28,973.84. She now wants the taxpayers to shoulder those expenses, but she should pay out of her own pocket. Acting in bad faith is not within her job responsibilities. McGeachin first claimed that she stonewalled the documents to protect her supporters identities, but then shifted gears, blaming it all on bad advice from Attorney General Lawrence Wasden. Macomber then chimed in, claiming Wasden created the entire problem by bad lawyering. Anyone who has followed the career of Attorney General Wasden knows that he is the foremost advocate in the State for open and honest government. He has held numerous meetings around Idaho over the years to educate government officials and the public as to the requirements of Idahos public records law and to urge that they fully comply with it. He would be the last one in the State to advise McGeachin to stonewall a record request. McGeachin then waved a piece of paper in front of the news cameras, claiming it to be proof positive of Wasdens bad advice. When asked to give the paper to the press, she refused, claiming it to be a confidential communication from her lawyer, Wasden. McGeachin then tore it to pieces. Acting in a courteous and professional manner despite the provocation, Wasden declined to disclose his advice to McGeachin. However, his office tellingly commented that the kerfuffle was an excellent demonstration of why government should seek legal counsel that it needs to hear instead of what it wants to hear. McGeachin has likely laid the groundwork for the Press Club to obtain documents disclosing the legal advice she got from Wasden. By waving her document and speaking of the purported advice, she probably waived any confidentiality privilege. Perhaps another record request will disclose the truth. It is hoped that Mr. Macomber will take to heart the lessons he should have learned from this sordid affair, if he still wants to be Idahos chief legal officerstudy the law and obey it, speak the truth, make sure your arguments are based in fact, and dont tell public officials what they want to hear instead of what they should hear in order to obey the law. Otherwise, he should find some other career pursuit. Jim Jones is a Vietnam combat veteran who served 8 years as Idaho Attorney General (1983-1991) and 12 years as Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court (2005-2017). He is currently a regular contributor to The Hill online news. He blogs at JJCommonTater. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 "I think that (Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos) has really embarrassed himself by dismissing his employees," Weaver added. "The company has embarrassed itself by retaliating against workers who spoke out. And I would encourage Mr. Sarandos to listen to the people who work for him." "We value our trans colleagues and allies, and understand the deep hurt that's been caused," a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. "We respect the decision of any employee who chooses to walk out, and recognize we have much more work to do both within Netflix and in our content." A list of walkout demands reviewed last week by the Los Angeles Times asks the company to set aside a fund supporting trans and nonbinary talent and to attach a disclaimer to "The Closer" saying it "contains transphobic language, misogyny, homophobia, and hate speech," among other requests. "We will be addressing the list of firm asks ... then we'll talk about how we plan to execute that," said rally organizer Ashlee Marie Preston. "The conversation that we're having today, more than anything, is about the emergence of what I'm calling a 'hate economy,' and it is the capitalization of harm and violence that exists online and onscreen ... and the ways in which algorithmic science is being manipulated to take advantage of those moments and to profit from it." Northam ordered the statue removed last year during protests in Richmond following the murder of George Floyd. The monument was located at Lee Circle on land given to the state by 1887 and 1890 deeds. The residents opposed to the statues removal filed suit in Richmond Circuit Court. A judge ruled against them, holding that arguments to keep the statue in place were contrary to current public policy as established by the General Assembly. But an injunction was put in place barring the monuments removal pending the appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court. On Sept. 2, the justices sided with the circuit judge, ruled against the plaintiffs and dissolved the injunction. In a separate case, the court also ruled against an heir of those who donated the property. McSweeney said last month that restoring the monument would be the ideal outcome for his clients, who do not believe that the state owns and controls it. Among other things, the petition complained that the justices ignored the contention that the state cannot continue to benefit from an agreement it has repudiated. In this case, the state wants to keep ownership of the monument and land while disavowing the promises it made to obtain them. Beijing plans to test tens of thousands of people after four new Covid-19 cases were found in a suburban district on Friday, as a new outbreak prompts school closures and flight cancellations across the country. China has maintained a staunch zero-Covid strategy with strict border closures, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns. But the world's most populous nation is now scrambling to tamp down dozens of infections across several provinces. The latest flare-up has prompted the grounding of hundreds of flights, the closure of scenic areas and schools and a flurry of stay-home orders in affected housing compounds. The outbreak was traced to an elderly couple who were in a group of domestic tourists who flew from Shanghai to Xi'an, Gansu province and to Inner Mongolia. Dozens of cases have since been linked to their trip, with close contacts in at least five provinces and regionsincluding sparsely populated Inner Mongolia and the capital Beijing. In response, officials in northwestern Beijing's Changping district have ramped up contact tracing and tightened Covid safety protocols, state media reported Friday, with 35,000 people due to be tested. On Monday, disease-hit Erenhot in Inner Mongolia banned travel in and out of the city and ordered residents to stay at home, while an outbreak in Ejin county prompted authorities earlier this week to shutter tourist sites and restrict travel. State-owned tabloid Global Times warned Wednesday that the Inner Mongolia cases could worsen supply chain disruptions and hinder coal imports from neighbouring Mongolia. China logged 28 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases on Thursday, 15 more than the previous day, the National Health Commission said in a statement Friday. Explore further Flights cancelled, schools closed as China fights virus outbreak 2021 AFP Credit: Evan-Amos, CC BY-SA 3.0 Calling all candy lovers! Ohio State University researchers are seeking volunteers to help with a "sweet" new study. Researchers are looking for about 3,000 participants to smell and consume a piece of hard candy every day for 90 days to screen for symptoms of COVID-19. Participants will log into an app to report which flavor they tasted, as well as the intensity of the taste. If the person reports a drop in either sense, they'll receive a message that they should quarantine and get a COVID-19 test. According to an Ohio State news release, the study was created to help detect probable positive cases in otherwise asymptomatic people. Christopher Simons, project co-leader and an associate professor of food science and technology, said people ages eight and older can participate. Other qualifications include not having a positive COVID diagnosis in the past 3 months, no smell loss unrelated to COVID-19, and they must have internet and smartphone access. "Candy is a really great vehicle because one, it's cheap to make," Simons said. "It's easy to send out, and it really does the job of monitoring somebody's smell and taste." Simons said he and the two other people on his team have recruited about 500 Ohio State students, staff and faculty members, and are now opening the study to the community. According to the release, Simons lost his own sense of smell when he and his family tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020 after a trip to Spain. He didn't realize he had lost his smell until he couldn't taste a drink he had when he came back to Columbus. The link between candy and COVID-19 In January, the Ohio State research team received a $305,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop simple strategies that can help identify people who are potentially infected with the virus, Simons said. The team also includes taste biologist Susan Travers, a professor of biosciences in the College of Dentistry; and Kai Zhao, an associate professor of otolaryngology in the College of Medicine who specializes in olfaction, or the sense of smell. Simons said the three researchers conducted the first part of the study in April, when they tested participants with and without COVID using candy and other methods such as a scratch-and-sniff card for smell and/or a one-time evaluation of the medication quinine for taste. "We were just kicking around ideas of how we might be able to develop a task and candy just seemed to really check all the boxes," Simons said. "People are willing to do it multiple times over the course of three months." Using candy will activate both the orthonasal (through the nose) and retronasal (through the back of the throat) sense of smell pathways that allow people to know what they are tasting. Those two pathways give a more nuanced sense of what people are actually consuming than the taste buds on someone's tongue. Eight flavors of hard candies were manufactured by Butterfields, a North Carolina-based hard candy manufacturing company that has been in business since 1924. Simons said the candy pieces do not have any colors on them so they look the same. He did not want to say which flavors are part of the study, but said they are similar to what one would taste if they bought a bag of multi-flavored Jolly Ranchers, which are made by Pennsylvania-based Hershey's, a multinational chocolate and candy company. Simons said in addition to identifying the flavor and rating its intensity, participants also rate the intensity of the candy's sweetness and sourness on the mobile app, MyCap. "If we're able to still measure this sensory loss associated even with these breakthrough cases, we can help people identify a positive COVID status and then they can stay at home for a period of time and help restrict the virus from spreading," he said. "Ideally, for people who are unvaccinated, this is a really great way of at least monitoring potential exposure and COVID status. But even for those people that have received a vaccination...it's certainly a strong indicator of positive COVID status." Explore further Loss of sense of smell and taste may last up to 5 months after COVID-19 2021 www.dispatch.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. San Diego resident Candis Givens, 71, contracted HIV from a former boyfriend 20 years ago. Credit: University of California - San Diego HIV is not what defines Candis Givens. In fact, very few people, including those close to her, know she has the virus. The effectiveness of new HIV treatments makes this possible for the San Diego resident. Unfortunately, so does the fact that very few people are close to her. Both of her brothers are dead, one by suicide last year. She is twice-divorced, and her only child no longer speaks to hershe suspects because his wife doesn't like herwhich means she does not get to watch her 10-year-old grandson grow up. "This is not how I thought being 71 would be," Givens said, tears welling as she sat in a patio outside her senior living apartment complex. Givens' best friend knows about her HIV status, but that's only because her best friend is Rolando, the caregiver newly assigned to her by San Diego County. "He's going to be with me until the end," Givens said. "I can feel it." A new clinical trial designed by Dr. Maile Young Karris, a board-certified internal medicine physician and infectious disease specialist at UC San Diego Health, seeks to discover whether Givens, and others living with HIV, can benefit from emotional support offered by a virtual community, and from physical support and services delivered by community volunteers. Called "2nd AC+: New Village Model," it will connect participants within a secure online community, providing the means for arranging lifts to the grocery store, tech support for a computer or a friendly face to talk to on a screen. Delayed by COVID-19, the three-year trial is currently recruiting participants. "It's about changing the culture back to how it used to be," Karris said, "where neighbors actually knew each other and helped each other and you didn't have to worry so much about your poor dad who lives by himself, far away from you, because you knew that his neighbors would call you if anything happened or would make sure that he was eating." Though 2nd AC+ will primarily operate in a virtual setting, all participants must reside within reasonable driving distance of each other. Karris chose Central San Diego for its diversity, its history in dealing with the HIV/AIDS crisis and its proximity to the San Diego LGBT Community Center, which is partnering with Karris to administer the study because of its extensive resource knowledge, commitment and existing senior program. Funding for the trial comes from a $750,000 grant from Gilead Sciences, with volunteer help to be provided by community members. "I'm willing to help all I can, whatever Dr. Karris needs me to do," Givens said, explaining that she is not confined to her wheelchair, but uses it because "it makes it easier to get around." According to a study of 356 patients with HIV published in the journal AIDS and Behavior in November 2017, 58 percent reported symptoms of loneliness, which has been associated with functional decline and increased mortality risk. According to the paper, previous studies among HIV-negative people aged 65 and older have found rates of loneliness around 40 percent. Karris first became aware of the problem of loneliness among seniors with HIV in 2018, when she noticed a growing number of her patients asking to see her monthly. This puzzled her because medical advances meant patients who responded well to HIV treatment did not need to be seen more than twice a year. "A lot of these patients were pretty adamant and I couldn't really understand why," she said. Then one patient offered a revelation: It was loneliness they struggled with, not illness. "He told me that when he sits at home alone, he feels like he's just waiting to die," Karris said. "And when he comes to clinic, he said he feels like there's someone who actually cares that he is alive." Persons with HIV in their 50's and 60's are less likely to have a partner to share their life with, or even a lifelong friend to call, than persons without HIV, according to Karris, because having contracted the virus in the 1980s and 1990s means many of their earlier friends or family members may have already passed away. "I've lost count of how many funerals I've attended," said Rory Baker, another patient of Karris' who signed up for the village. "I remember talking to my mom and asking, "Do you realize that I've gone to more funerals than you have?'" Baker, 59, was diagnosed with AIDS in 1992. He was told he had five years to live. "I remember my mom cried about that quite a bit," he said. "But it didn't happen. I'm a stubborn son of a bitch." 2nd AC+ is patterned after the Village Model, a grassroots movement started in 2002 by Boston seniors who realized that if they wanted to stay in their homes, they needed a plan so their children wouldn't remove them when they got too old to care for themselves. (A 2019 survey by AARP found that three out of four adults want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.) Their plan was to pool their money to hire an administrator to meet their needs using the volunteer labor of other community members, and to organize social events. It's an idea that's catching on, with more than 200 similar villages now in place housing more than 25,000 residents. However, the village approach has yet to be properly studied, said Karris. "Researchers haven't been enmeshed from the beginning of these villages," Karris said, noting that the only research conducted so far has been in the form of surveys. 2nd AC+ will use longitudinal questionnaires and qualitative interviews to assess the village's impact on social networks, loneliness and quality of life. 2nd AC+ will also provide some personal closure for Karris. While growing up in Hawaii, one of her relatives would visit her family frequently from New York. Suddenly, Uncle Glen's visits stopped. "I didn't know what happened and we, as a family, never talked about him," she said. "It wasn't until I was in college that my mom told me that he died in the '80s of AIDS." Karris' lack of closure with her uncle directly motivates her work with HIV patients. "That was so opposite of how I was raised, which was according to the Hawaiian concept of family, ohana, that I really struggled with that disconnect," she said, "and a lot of my approach to patient care stems from not being able to be ohana to my uncle during his time of greatest need." Though 2nd AC+ will focus primarily on people living with HIV, Karris said it will also welcome anyone who feels unsafe or lonely living on their own, or who desires to give back or be generous to their community. Similar villages cost participants between $500 and a few thousand dollars per year. Karris' study is free. Yet she said she is having difficulty filling all 150 slots. "We live in a culture where it is praised to be independent and you don't ask for help," she said. "I think that is actually harming some of our older adults because we're meant to connect with one another." Once the study concludes, Karris said she hopes the village will keep going. But regardless of what happens, if the study yields useful data, that will make it more feasible for other groups to replicate the program. "At the end of the day, that to me is the most important thing," she said. For persons over age 50 who are interested in joining 2nd AC+ San Diego Village, visit the Helpful Village website. Fig 1. Estimated health impact of the SQ and EL scenarios on (A) the projected number of people living with hepatitis C and (B) the number of annual hepatitis Crelated deaths. The solid line and shading indicate the median and 95% UIs across 1,151 model fits. EL, elimination; HCV, hepatitis C virus; SQ, status quo; UI, uncertainty interval. Credit: DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003818 Pakistan has one of the highest rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the world, accounting for over ten percent of global HCV infections. A new modeling study led by the University of Bristol, UK, suggests that achieving the World Health Organization goal of eliminating HCV as a public health problem by 2030 in Pakistan is likely to be highly cost-effective by 2030, cost-saving by 2031, and could deliver US$9.10 billion in savings to the Pakistan national economy by 2050. The study, a collaboration across the University of Bristol, the Burnet Institute in Australia, and Aga Khan University in Pakistan, found that achieving HCV elimination in Pakistan could yield substantial societal health and economic benefits. These benefits include saving 333,000 lives and averting considerable morbidity due to ill health, leading to improvements in health-related quality of life and workforce productivity. The research findings, published in PLOS Medicine, looked beyond the direct investment required to reach HCV elimination by evaluating the productivity and health gains to estimate the potential return-on-investment for eliminating HCV in Pakistan. The authors also investigated the costs saved from partially integrating HCV testing services into existing healthcare infrastructure. Dr. Aaron Lim, Research Fellow in Infectious Disease Mathematical Modeling in the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioral Science and Evaluation at the University of Bristol and lead author of the study, said: "Countries may be substantially underestimating both how much HCV is costing their economy and the benefits of elimination. "We have previously estimated that a direct investment of US$3.87 billion is required for HCV elimination in Pakistan, but that previous study did not capture the wider societal benefits of achieving HCV elimination, such as gains in workforce productivity due to people being free of HCV infection. Understanding these wider benefits are important for informing decision-making. "Our modeling suggests that when we include these indirect savings, investing in HCV elimination can become cost-saving to the economy in 10 years' time." Dr. Nick Scott, from the Burnet Institute and joint lead author, added: "This study is critical because it provides the evidence needed to support continued investment in HCV elimination as a priority for Pakistan." Peter Vickerman, Professor of Infectious Disease Modeling from the University of Bristol, said: "Our study shows that through achieving HCV elimination, Pakistan can save over 300,000 lives while also saving money, especially if the required increase in HCV screening is integrated into existing healthcare services." Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus infecting 71 million people worldwide (about one percent of the world's population) and causes 400,000 deaths each year. Explore further Big investment needed to eliminate Hepatitis C in Pakistan could deliver huge health benefits More information: Aaron G. Lim et al, Health and economic benefits of achieving hepatitis C virus elimination in Pakistan: A modelling study and economic analysis, PLOS Medicine (2021). Journal information: PLoS Medicine Aaron G. Lim et al, Health and economic benefits of achieving hepatitis C virus elimination in Pakistan: A modelling study and economic analysis,(2021). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003818 Distributions of the Primary Outcome and Time to Death Curves to Day 90 A, Life support was defined as invasive mechanical ventilation, circulatory support, or kidney replacement therapy. There were missing data in 11 patients for the primary outcome. Red represents the worse outcomes and blue represents better outcomes. B, There were 14 patients who were not followed up for the full 90 days (7 patients in each intervention group) and who were included until the last day they were known to be alive. The median follow-up time was 90 days (IQR, 24-90 days) in the 12 mg of dexamethasone group and 90 days (IQR, 20-90 days) in the 6 mg of dexamethasone group. The time to death was compared post hoc using unadjusted Cox regression. Credit: DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.18295 A large international study in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 has shown that while a higher dose of steroids did not significantly reduce mortality, there was a trend towards benefit without increased side effects. Published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study compared the standard 6mg dose of the steroid dexamethasone with 12mg in patients requiring a higher degree of support to maintain their oxygen levels. It is the first COVID-19 trial to report on long term mortality and one of only a few that were 'blinded," or designed in a way so that doctors didn't know which patient received which dose. Study co-author Professor Bala Venkatesh from The George Institute for Global Health said that although previous research suggested higher doses of dexamethasone may benefit patients with more severe COVID-19, there had been concerns about potential adverse reactions. "Our study found no differences in the adverse event rates between the two doses. While there had been reports of infections with so called 'black fungus' in patients with COVID-19 with a weakened immune system, our study found no increase in infection rates with the higher doses of steroids," he said. Patients with critical COVID-19 typically have severe lung inflammation and very low oxygen levels, which often leads to the requirement for increasing oxygen support, mechanical ventilation, support to maintain blood pressure and kidney dialysis. Dexamethasone is the mainstay of treatment for severe COVID-19. While a 6mg daily dose is recommended for up to ten days, there have been indications that a higher dose may benefit those with more severe disease. A potential side-effect of steroid use is suppression of the body's immune system, diminishing the ability to fight other types of infections. There have been some reports of steroid-treated COVID-19 patients developing serious fungal infections, known as mucomycosis or "black fungus." In this study, researchers recruited 1000 adult patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection across 31 sites in 26 hospitals in Denmark, India, Sweden, and Switzerland between August 2020 and May 2021. The patients were randomly assigned into two groups, one receiving intravenous dexamethasone 12 mg (n=503) and the other dexamethasone 6 mg daily (n=497) for up to ten days. The proportion of patients alive and not requiring life support after 28 days were 42.6 percent in the 12mg group and 40.2 percent in the 6mg group. The death rates were 27.1 percent and 32.3 percent in patients assigned to 12mg and 6mg group, respectively. The George Institute India's Professor Vivek Jha, who along with Prof Venkatesh set up and conducted the trial in the 12 participating hospitals in India, said that the study provided useful guidance to clinicians treating COVID-19 patients around the world. "Whilst the data do not provide unequivocal evidence that dexamethasone 12mg is better than 6 mg, we saw a trend towards reduced requirement for life support and mortality at the higher dose without any increase in risk of serious infections," he said. "As dexamethasone is cheap, easily available and indicated for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with critically low oxygen levels, even a small difference in death rates or health outcomes could lead to important clinical and health economic benefits at the population level." Explore further European drugs agency endorses steroid for COVID treatment More information: Effect of 12 mg vs 6 mg of Dexamethasone on the Number of Days Alive Without Life Support in Adults With COVID-19 and Severe Hypoxemia, JAMA (2021). Journal information: Journal of the American Medical Association Effect of 12 mg vs 6 mg of Dexamethasone on the Number of Days Alive Without Life Support in Adults With COVID-19 and Severe Hypoxemia,(2021). DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.18295 Credit: Burnet Institute Analysis of social media posts in October 2021 shows Australian users are fatigued with experiencing extended lockdowns, but understanding and support for the public health measures and vaccines. The TIGER C19 project, run collaboratively between Burnet Institute and the University of Melbourne has combined big data analytics of selected keywords and themes from Reddit and Twitter since the onset of COVID-19. TIGER C19 Co-Lead Investigator, Professor Robert Power and his team collated and analyzed nearly 70,000 Twitter and Reddit posts from 615 October 2021 which contained 14 separate keywords relating to current COVID-19-related issues. Professor Power said the project offers real-time insights into the sentiment of Australian social media users, and gauges attitudes and responses to public health measures implemented to limit the effects of the pandemic. "Overall, this latest snapshot reflects the mixed impact of another extended lockdown," Professor Power said. "Although there was understanding and support for the measures put in place, this was combined with a strong sense of lockdown fatigue and concern as to its impact on individuals, social cohesion and the economy." Professor Power said while there was frustration among posters with restrictions and lockdowns, social media users were anxious about the potential impacts of protests against these restrictions. "Numerous posts expressed concern over the anti-lockdown protests and demonstrations, the violence that resulted, and fear of escalation," he said. He said social media posters were also aware of inequalities emerging in responses. "Others noted the disparity between policing of certain suburbs and sub-groups of the population, whilst rule breaking was taking place elsewhere with seeming impunity. Indeed, some viewed blatant non-compliance with lockdown rules as a form of silent protest," Professor Power said. As Victoria and New South Wales emerge from extended lockdowns with COVID-19 still present in the community, Professor Power said social media posts suggested there was uncertainty over what comes next. "Moving forward, worry was expressed over mixed messaging and uncertainty as to how post-lockdown Victoria will be managed," he said. Professor Power said the TIGER C19 analysis was a powerful tool because of the timeliness in which it could amalgamate information. "TIGER C19 is a vibrant tool that turns an average of 80,000 posts/reposts into a focused three-page report in under ten days," he said. "By repeating these exercises in real-time, and by expanding the search terms, we've been able to closely monitor responses and attitudes to COVID-19 in Victoria and Australia. "In this way and freed from the constraints of more traditional social research methods, TIGER C19 offers a novel and innovative means to observe and measure the pulse of the community." More information: The report is available online: The report is available online: burnet.edu.au/system/asset/fil 19_2021_Report_7.pdf Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A recent University of Kentucky College of Medicine study found that young adults from vulnerable communities are more likely to be exposed to tobacco marketing in their daily lives than are young adults outside these communities. The study's findings may help community leaders create policies that reduce exposure to tobacco marketing, says study author Shyanika Rose, Ph.D., a faculty member of UK's Center for Health Equity Transformation (CHET), assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral Science and member of the Markey Cancer Center Cancer Prevention and Control Program. "Young adults exposed to tobacco marketing are more likely to start smoking, leading to nicotine addiction and increasing risks for developing cancers and cardiovascular disease later in life," Rose said. "Policies that reduce advertising exposure to tobacco products, especially in vulnerable communities, will help address increased tobacco-related health disparities among communities of color, low-income populations and youth." Rose co-led the study with Julia Chen-Sankey, Ph.D., with the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and now an assistant professor in the Rutgers University Center for Tobacco Studies and School of Public Health. The paper, published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine in July, is part of a larger study Rose is leading to examine tobacco marketing exposure of young adults. Rose's team examined marketing exposure among non-smoking young adults residing in the Washington, D.C. area. Over two weeks, participants checked in multiple times a day on smartphones to give an exact assessment of their exposure in real-time. The study identified key risk factors for exposure including living in a vulnerable community, being in the presence of others using tobacco and being in public places where tobacco marketing may be more prevalent. The results showed that young adults from vulnerable communities, those with higher smoking rates, more residents of lower income and more African American residents, were more likely to be exposed to tobacco marketing, especially for flavored products. "At-risk groups, including communities of color, low-income populations and youth, are already more likely to use flavored tobacco productsincluding menthol cigaretteswhich are easier to start using and harder to quit," Rose said. Rose says the outcomes align with the tobacco industry's long history of targeting minority groups, which is a cause of the tobacco-related health disparities seen in vulnerable communities. The results revealed that the young adults, who were all non-current tobacco users initially, were predominantly exposed to tobacco marketing in their daily lives through retail advertisements. "The impact of exposure goes beyond tobacco retailers to everyday places like grocery stores, gas stations or outdoor billboards. This could increase the likelihood of developing pro-tobacco perceptions in young people that normalizes tobacco use," Rose said. "This suggests vulnerable communities could benefit more from policies to reduce marketing exposure in more retail establishments and exterior locationssuch as bans on flavored product sales, or policies to reduce the density of tobacco retailers." Explore further Menthol ban could increase health equity More information: Julia C Chen-Sankey et al, Real-Time Context of Tobacco Marketing Exposure and Community VulnerabilityAn Ecological Momentary Assessment Among Young Adults, Annals of Behavioral Medicine (2021). Journal information: Annals of Behavioral Medicine Julia C Chen-Sankey et al, Real-Time Context of Tobacco Marketing Exposure and Community VulnerabilityAn Ecological Momentary Assessment Among Young Adults,(2021). DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaab066 The Missoula City-County Health Department will begin offering booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to eligible county residents starting on Monday, Oct. 25. The boosters will be available at the department's vaccine site at Southgate Mall inside the old Lucky's Market space. The ability to schedule appointments for Monday or later will be available on the health departments website starting Saturday, Oct. 23. Before scheduling an appointment, patients should make sure they fit one of the criteria below: 65 years and older (Moderna) Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings (Moderna) Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions (Moderna) Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings (Moderna) Anyone who previously received a Johnson & Johnson (also known as Janssen) shot is eligible. There must be at least six months between a patients second dose and booster dose for Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. For Johnson & Johnson, qualified individuals should wait two months between their first one shot dose and the booster. At the health department clinic at Southgate Mall, boosters will be only available by appointment to assure adequate staffing and supply. County residents need to bring their COVID-19 vaccination record card. Appointments are available by calling 258-INFO (4636), option 3 or online at missoulainfo.com. According to the health department, as of Friday, 66% of Missoula County's eligible population has been fully vaccinated. Missoula County reported 105 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, with 2,770 active cases. There have been 159 deaths and 15,754 total cases in the county since the start of the pandemic, according to the health department. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Anticipation is rising for the upcoming Brawl of the Wild football game, but in the meantime Griz and Bobcats fans will have the opportunity to face off during the annual American Red Cross Cat-Griz Blood Battle. Blood banks in Montana and across the nation are suffering blood shortages due to the most recent surge of COVID-19, which has contributed to the lowest donor turnout of the year while hospital demand remains high, according to the American Red Cross of Montana. For cancer patients, accident victims and countless others, blood is life, said Alexandria Harris, a Montana Red Cross account manager, in a news release. Thats why its so important that you show your school spirit, take an hour out of your day and come out and donate. This friendly competition can truly help save lives. Between Nov. 5 and 17 there will be five blood drives in Missoula for the Cat-Griz Blood Battle. The competition kicks off at the University of Montanas School of Pharmacy from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 5. For more information about donation events in Missoula visit the American Red Cross of Montana's Facebook page. Missoulians can donate blood year-round at the Missoula Red Cross Blood and Platelet Donation Center at 2401 North Reserve St. On Thursday afternoon a handful of people came in to donate. Patti Stevens of Florence has been donating blood off-and-on for the last three decades and has a rare blood type. She donates to help save lives, she said. As Missoula Red Cross technician Baylee Tveidt began Stevens donation process, she said that donating blood for the first time can be scary. Its not as bad as you think, Tveidt said. After you do it the first time youll be like, Oh thats so easy. Across from Stevens, longtime donors Claudia Bible and her husband were finishing up their donations. Bible has donated over 40 units of blood, equaling almost six gallons. Her husband has donated over 10 gallons. Not everyone will take the time to do it, and not everyone can, Bible said. Its a way to make a difference and you can help save a life. Nationally, 10,000 more donations are needed each week due to the blood shortage, according to the Red Cross. At this time donor turnout has reached the lowest levels of the year, and September and October had the lowest national blood inventory levels in over a decade. The Red Cross generally keeps five days' worth of type O blood on hand, but now thats been cut to only a half-days supply. One unit of blood can be split by three components: red cells, platelets and plasma. Up to three lives can be saved with one donation. A COVID vaccine or flu shot does not prevent donors from giving blood and there is no waiting period to donate after receiving those vaccinations. Those recovering from COVID can donate 14 days after the end of their symptoms. To get in on the action, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter the code GRIZCATCHALLENGE to make an appointment. Donors will receive a free Red Cross Cats vs. Griz shirt while supplies last. If youve never donated before, we urge you to raise your hand, roll up your sleeve and be someones lifeline, Harris said. Theres no better feeling than knowing youre helping save a life. Reporter Emily Schabacker of the Billings Gazette contributed to this article. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WASHINGTON (AP) Millions more Americans can get a COVID-19 booster and choose a different companys vaccine for that next shot, federal health officials said Thursday. Certain people who received Pfizer vaccinations months ago already are eligible for a booster and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says specific Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients qualify, too. And in a bigger change, the agency is allowing the flexibility of mixing and matching" that extra dose regardless of which type people received first. The Food and Drug Administration had already authorized such an expansion of the nation's booster campaign on Wednesday, and it was also endorsed Thursday by a CDC advisory panel. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky had the final word on who gets the extra doses. These past 20 months have taught us many things, but mostly to have humility," she told the panel. "We are constantly learning about this virus, growing the evidence base and accumulating more data. There still are restrictions on who qualifies and when for a booster. Starting six months past their last Pfizer or Moderna vaccination, people are urged to get a booster if they're 65 or older, nursing home residents, or at least 50 and at increased risk of severe disease because of health problems. Boosters also were allowed, but not urged, for adults of any age at increased risk of infection because of health problems or their jobs or living conditions. That includes health care workers, teachers and people in jails or homeless shelters. Moderna's booster will come at half the dose of the original two shots. As for recipients of the single-shot J&J vaccine, a COVID-19 booster is recommended for everyone at least two months after their vaccination. That's because the J&J vaccine hasn't proved as protective as the two-dose Moderna or Pfizer options. The CDC panel didn't explicitly recommend anyone get a different brand than they started with but left open the option saying only that a booster of some sort was recommended. And some of the advisers said they would prefer that J&J recipients receive a competitor's booster, citing preliminary data from an ongoing government study that suggested a bigger boost in virus-fighting antibodies from that combination. Were at a different place in the pandemic than we were earlier when supply constraints meant people had to take whatever shot they were offered, noted CDC adviser Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University. She called it priceless to be able to choose a different kind for the booster if, for example, someone might be at risk for a rare side effect from a specific vaccine. About two-thirds of Americans eligible for COVID-19 shots are fully vaccinated, and the government says getting first shots to the unvaccinated remain the priority. While health authorities hope boosters will shore up waning immunity against milder coronavirus infections, all the vaccines still offer strong protection against hospitalizations and death, even as the extra-contagious delta variant burned through the country. And CDC's advisers wrestled with whether people who didn't really need boosters might be getting them, especially young, otherwise healthy adults whose only qualification was their job. Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University voiced concerns about opening those people to rare but serious side effects from another dose if they already were adequately protected. I have my own concerns that we appear to be recommending vaccines for people who I dont think need it, added Dr. Beth Bell of the University of Washington. But she stressed that the vaccines work and that moving forward with the recommendations makes sense for the sake of being clear and allowing flexibility when it comes to boosters. Despite the concerns by some members, the panels' votes ended up being unanimous. The vast majority of the nearly 190 million Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have received the Pfizer or Moderna options, while J&J recipients account for only about 15 million. The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. WASHINGTON (AP) A deal within reach, President Joe Biden and Congress top Democrats edged close to sealing their giant domestic legislation Friday, though the day's informal deadline appeared to slip as they worked to scale back the measure and determine how to pay for it. Negotiations were expected to continue into the weekend, all sides indicating just a few issues remained unsettled in the sweeping package of social services and climate change strategies. Biden met at the White House Friday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer joined by video call from from New York, trying to shore up details. The leaders have been working with party moderates and progressives to shrink the once-$3.5 trillion, 10-year package to around $2 trillion in child care, health care and clean energy programs. Pelosi said a deal was very possible. She told reporters back at the Capitol that more than 90% of the package was agreed to: The climate change components of the bill are resolved, but outstanding questions remained on health care provisions. Vice President Kamala Harris sounded even more certain. On a visit to New York City, she said tensions often rise over final details but I am confident, frankly -- not only optimistic, but I am confident that we will reach a deal. No agreement was announced by Friday's self-imposed deadline to at least agree on a basic outline. Biden wants a deal before he leaves next week for global summits in Europe. Pelosi hoped the House could start voting as soon as next week, but no schedule was set. Sticking points appear to include proposed corporate tax hikes to help finance the plan and an effort to lower prescription drug costs that has raised concerns from the pharmaceutical industry. Democrats are in search of a broad compromise between the party's progressives and moderates on the measure's price tag, revenue sources and basic components. At the White House, the president has "rolled up his sleeves and is deep in the details of spreadsheets and numbers, press secretary Jen Psaki said. Biden was to spend the weekend at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. Psaki compared the work to starting Social Security and other major federal programs decades ago, then building on them in following years. Progress here is a historic package that will put in place systems and programs that have never existed in our society before," she said, noting the effort to expand child care and provide free prekindergarten for all youngsters. Negotiations are proceeding as Biden more forcefully appeals to the American public, including in a televised town hall, for what he says are the middle-class values at the heart of his proposal. In a Senate that is evenly divided between the Democrats and firmly opposed Republicans, Biden can't afford to lose a single vote. He is navigating his own party's factions progressives, who want major investments in social services, and centrists, who prefer to see the overall price tag go down. When youre president of the United States, you have 50 Democrats every one is a president. Every single one. So you gotta work things out, he said during a CNN town hall Thursday. Still, he expressed optimism about the process. It's all about compromise. Compromise has become a dirty word, but bipartisanship and compromise still has to be possible, he said. On one issue the taxes to pay for the package the White House idea seemed to be making headway with a new strategy of abandoning plans for reversing Trump-era tax cuts in favor of an approach that would involve imposing a 15% corporate minimum tax and also taxing the investment incomes of billionaires to help finance the deal. Biden has faced resistance from key holdouts, in particular Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who has not been on board with her partys plan to undo President Donald Trumps tax breaks for big corporations and individuals earning more than $400,000 a year. The president was unusually forthcoming Thursday night about the sticking points in the negotiations with Sinema and another Democrat, conservative Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. While the president said Sinema opposed raising "a single penny in taxes on the wealthy or corporations, a White House official later clarified that the president was referring to raising the top tax rates, not the range of tax proposals which Sen. Sinema supports. If so, that could unlock a key piece of a deal. With a better understanding of the revenues available, Democrats can then develop a topline amount of spending for the package, and adjust the duration and sums for various programs accordingly. Biden said Manchin doesnt want to rush the transition to clean energy so quickly it will result in major job losses in his coal-producing state. Even still, Biden acknowledged major reductions to his original vision. He signaled the final plan would no longer provide free community college, but said he hoped to increase Pell Grants to compensate for the loss of the policy. He also said that what had been envisioned as a federally paid, months-long family leave program would be just four weeks. Another work in progress the idea of expanding Medicare to include dental, vision and hearing aid benefits for seniors, is a priority for Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent of Vermont. Biden said he likes the idea, but with Manchin and Sinema objecting, the proposal is a reach. Instead, Democrats, he said are considering offering seniors an $800 voucher to access dental care as well as another program for hearing aids that Sinema may support. However, the vision care component, Biden said, has been harder to resolve and there is no consensus yet. Overall, Biden and his party are trying to shore up middle-class households, tackle climate change and have the most wealthy Americans and corporations pay what he calls their fair share for the nation. In the mix are at least $500 billion in clean energy tax credits and other efforts to battle climate change, $350 billion for child care subsidies and free prekindergarten, an extension of the $300 monthly child tax credit put in place during the COVID-19 crisis, and money for health care provided through the Affordable Care Act. The newly proposed tax provisions, though, have rankled Democrats who have long campaigned on scrapping the Republican-backed tax cuts that many believe unduly reward the wealthy and cost the government untold sums in lost revenue at a time of gaping income inequality. Many are furious that perhaps a lone senator could stymie that goal. Under the changes being floated the 21% corporate rate would not change, nor would the top individual rate of 39.6% on those earning $400,000, or $450,000 for couples. However, the White House is reviving the idea of a corporate minimum tax rate that would hit even companies that say they had no taxable income a frequent target of Biden, who complains they pay zero in taxes. The new tax on the wealthiest individuals would be modeled on legislation from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He has proposed taxing stock gains of people with more than $1 billion in assets fewer than 1,000 Americans. Associated Press writers Alex Jaffe, Kevin Freking and Zeke Miller contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) A group of environmental organizations filed court papers Thursday to try to halt operations at Maine dams to protect salmon. Atlantic salmon are listed as endangered by the federal government. They used to swim upstream and spawn in almost every river north of the Hudson River, but now only return to Maine. The conservation groups want a judge to stop or curtail the operations at four dams on the lower Kennebec River to help the fish. Brookfield Renewable owns the dams. The company is a subsidiary of a larger Canadian company that owns many of the dams in the state. The groups said in a statement that the dams create an impenetrable barrier that blocks endangered Atlantic salmon from traveling from the Gulf of Maine to prime spawning habitat on the Sandy River. The court action is part of an ongoing legal struggle over the fate of the dams. Brookfield sued Maine state agencies last month with a complaint that the agencies acted improperly in drafting fish passage policies. The environmental groups' court filing can only serve to delay existing regulatory processes and implementation of fish passage solutions, said Brookfield spokesperson Miranda Kessel. The groups want the judge to shut down or limit operations at three of the four dams to make it easier for salmon to safely pass during two time periods. One is Oct. 15 to Dec. 31, when adult salmon are migrating downstream after spawning. The other is April 1 through June 30, when young salmon are migrating downstream. At a fourth dam, the organization wants the company to open up all options for salmon to safely pass. Most of the salmon offered for sale in major grocery stores is farm raised, but wild salmon of all species are imperiled on the U.S. coasts. In Alaska, Native tribes that have relied on the fish for centuries say king and chum populations have dwindled to almost nothing. The loss of salmon has not only hurt subsistence fishers, but also business operations such as processing facilities. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BOISE, Idaho (AP) A far-right group launched by anti-government activist Ammon Bundy is rapidly expanding nationwide and making inroads into Canada, according to a new report from the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. The quick growth happened despite legal problems faced by some prominent People's Rights leaders, and continued even as some of the organization's Facebook groups were removed from the social media platform. The organization has grown by roughly 53% in the past year in large part because of continued anti-public health sentiment, according to the report. People's Rights started in deep-red Idaho, which remains one of the least-vaccinated states with only about 43% of its population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The group now includes activists in 38 states, according to the report. I think the report underestimates their overall strength, because they've also built out alliances with a range of groups from the Tea Party to the Proud Boys and anti-vax groups, said Chuck Tanner, IREHR's research director. In certain places they are able to mobilize at levels that make an impact on policy. People's Rights started in 2020 amid a wave of backlash against public health measures taken at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Started by Bundy who is best known for leading a group of armed activists in the occupation of an Oregon wildlife refuge in 2016, and now is one of many candidates running in Idaho's gubernatorial race the group frequently staged protests at public health districts, state Capitol buildings, schools and public officials' homes. The IREHR report analyzed internal membership data from the People's Rights network. Bundy did not immediately respond to phone and email messages left by The Associated Press. Last year, the organization had just under 22,000 members nationally, according to a report by IREHR and the Montana Human Right's Network. Now it has grown by roughly 53%, according to the new IREHR report, with more than 33,000 members including nearly 400 official leaders in 38 states. It also includes more than 100 members in Canada largely in Ontario even though most of its political ideology centers on fringe interpretations of the U.S. Constitution and Christian nationalism, according to the report. We noticed three or four months ago that they started having Canadian provinces listed on their website. It's not big, but it's kind of strange, Tanner said. Peoples Rights is still mostly focused in the northwestern states, particularly Idaho, where Bundy lives and roughly 17 out of every 10,000 are members, according to the report. Most of the growth has been around COVID-19-related activism, said Tanner. There's been rapid growth in places that didn't have very many members to begin with, but there's also been significant growth in areas that we know are really organized on the ground, like southern Washington and central Oregon," Tanner said. "They've really built this COVID-denial activism, and as a group are playing an outsized role in the attack on public health measures to address the pandemic. Prominent members of the organization have faced serious legal woes. In Idaho, Sean Anderson dropped from a leadership role after he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in a police shootout last year. Another prominent People's Rights activist, Pam Hemphill, is facing several federal charges after prosecutors said she took part in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Hemphill has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Earlier this year, Bundy was convicted of trespassing and obstructing officers after prosecutors said he refused to leave a closed room at the Idaho Statehouse following protests that were attended by hundreds, including many People's Rights members. That hasn't seemed to slow the organization's growth, Tanner said. The organization has promoted extreme political concepts including state secession and the repeal of the 14th, 15th and 19th Amendments, Tanner said. The People's Rights website calls on members to be ready to defend themselves and others against government officials. What People's Rights does is spread really radical ideas about overturning civil rights in the United States, Tanner said. This is a broad-based, anti-Democratic and bigoted social movement. But Joe Lowndes, a political science professor at the University of Oregon who researches conservatism and right-wing movements, said it's not clear if the organization's growth will have staying power in a post-pandemic world. People's Rights were kind of early adopters of the anti-mask, anti-vaccine movements, and they've been able to build through that to push this vague, conspiratorial, anti-government idea, said Lowndes. But it's hard to say how that's able to sustain itself in the long run. I can't see that there's much staying power beyond the issue of the pandemic, unless it's kind of that general, apocalyptic-prepper stuff. In places like Idaho, where some far-right political factions already had a stronghold, it's difficult to tell if People's Rights was leading the anti-pandemic movement or just going along with the far-right flow, said Jaclyn Kettler, a Boise State University political scientist. It's a little hard right now to trace what impacts they had compared to others with similar sorts of ideologies, Kettler said. It will be interesting to see what happens long-term here. For instance, a lot of the Tea Party organizations aren't active like they were in 2010, but we can still see the influence of them. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. POPLAR When Maria Vega was a senior in high school in 2015, she found the body of one of her closest friends, who had died by suicide. A few days later, devastated by the loss, Vega tried to take her own life. After the attempt failed, she was arrested and taken to juvenile detention in Poplar, a remote town on the Missouri River a short drive from the North Dakota oil fields. She was put in a cell and kept under observation for several days until a mental health specialist was available to see her. Her only human interaction was with the woman who brought food to her cell. "I remember asking her if I could have a hug and she told me, 'I'm sorry, I can't do that,'" Vega recalled. "That was honestly one of the hardest things I ever went through in my life. I felt like I was being punished for being sad." Jailing people because of a mental health issue is illegal in Montana and every other state except New Hampshire. But Vega is a member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, a sovereign nation with its own laws. An 11-year-old tribal policy allows law enforcement to put members who threaten or attempt suicide in jail or juvenile detention to prevent another attempt. Fort Peck's tribal leaders say they approved the policy out of necessity because there were no mental health facilities equipped for short-term housing of people in mental crisis. The covid pandemic has only exacerbated the crisis. In 2020, the tribes filed a record 62 aggravated disorderly conduct charges, the criminal charge they created in 2010 to allow law enforcement to book people they deemed a risk to themselves or others. Stacie FourStar, chief judge of the Fort Peck Tribal Court, said this year has been even worse: The tribe is filing two to four charges per week. The policy has swept up people particularly adolescents with no criminal records and no experience with the criminal justice system, she said. The judge fears it creates a perverse incentive not to call 911 or reach out for help when depression sets in. "They don't want to go to jail," FourStar said. "They just want somebody to talk to." Tribal officials and various mental health advocates have been trying to find an alternative for nearly a decade. But the reservation is still badly lacking in both secure psychiatric facilities and qualified mental health workers. Despite funding available for new positions, recruitment efforts have failed and there is still no viable alternative to keep people safe. "Their hands are tied," FourStar said, noting that if "personnel and facilities aren't available, we'll be putting people in an unsafe situation." Having experienced imprisonment herself as a teen, Vega is now part of a team of tribal members, state educators and policy experts looking for alternative solutions. The group's ideas include ensuring that a mental health specialist is the first point of contact for a person in crisis and setting up safe houses, said Harvard University political scientist Daniel Carpenter, the project's leader. In May, the group presented a plan to the Fort Peck Tribal Council, which has yet to act on its recommendations. A spokesperson for the Fort Peck Tribes said the tribes are looking into the policy but declined to comment further. Yet tribal leaders say that unless they can attract mental health workers to remote northeastern Montana, the jailings will likely continue. "We can propose all we want," said Jestin Dupree, a tribal legislator and chair of the law and justice committee. "We're not getting the doctors, the qualified people." The Fort Peck reservation, a windswept cluster of small towns surrounded by 2 million acres of rolling farmland, has a suicide rate that in some years has topped six times the national average. Native American adolescents are twice as likely to die by suicide as their white peers. The 2010 policy that put Vega in jail followed a cluster of more than 150 suicide attempts and the deaths of at least six teenagers. Overwhelmed by the crisis, Fort Peck's tribal government created the "aggravated disorderly conduct" charge. "It came from desperation," said FourStar, who was chief tribal prosecutor at the time. "Families weren't able to handle the needs of their loved ones and they didn't want them to hurt themselves." People charged with aggravated disorderly conduct are held until they can undergo a mental health evaluation and attend a court hearing, where they may receive a court-ordered treatment plan. If they comply with the plans, the charge is dropped. They usually don't end up with a public criminal record, but the court system can still track them. Nontribal members are never put in jail, because the tribe lacks jurisdictional authority over them. Instead, a police officer ends up sitting with them in the hospital sometimes for days until they can be evaluated. Not every suicide threat or attempt ends in an aggravated disorderly conduct charge. Ideally, a person in crisis is immediately evaluated by a mental health professional at the Indian Health Service or a telemedicine provider who can refer them to emergency care, if needed. "Even though there's difficulties in trying to get care for them, we still persevere," said Sylvia Longknife, an IHS mental health specialist in Poplar. Longknife is IHS' only mental health worker on the Fort Peck reservation since two other providers quit this year, meaning she can't always immediately see somebody in crisis. Longknife said she sees between two and five emergency cases a week. If the situation is deemed an emergency, the patient is referred to a facility four hours away in Billings. IHS doesn't have its own transportation, so it either asks family members to drive the patient or requests transportation funds from the tribe. If a suicide attempt occurs on a weekend, after hours or when a mental health worker is unavailable, police officers who respond may end up taking the person to a hospital for medical treatment, if necessary, and then to jail. Lisa Dailey, executive director of the Treatment Advocacy Center, a national nonprofit that pushes for access to mental health treatment, said jailing people for attempting suicide criminalizes mental illness. "Prison or jail are the worst settings you can possibly be because you're in a psychiatric crisis," she said. Even if the care is good, she said, "being incarcerated is a traumatizing experience." Studies have shown that the risk of self-harm in prison increases if someone has been held in solitary confinement or has previously attempted suicide. The Fort Peck reservation isn't the only jurisdiction where people can be jailed after a suicide attempt. In New Hampshire, suicidal people often end up in the state's only secure facility: the men's prison. After the Fort Peck tribes approached Carpenter's Native American politics class last year for ideas, he and his undergraduate students began consulting with tribal members and others in Montana and working to research potential alternatives to jail. The Flathead tribe in western Montana, for instance, specifies that people should be held in the "least restrictive environment" possible to protect their well-being, short of a jail cell. Carpenter said this could take the form of a "safe house" that separates a person from weapons. Other potential fixes include requiring that a mental health worker accompany police during interactions with a suicidal person to ensure that jail is the last resort, and creating a new "mental health code" that would treat suicidal people differently from those who pose a threat to others. The state of Colorado put $9.5 million toward community-based health treatment in 2017, then made it illegal to jail people awaiting mental health evaluations who hadn't been charged with a crime. But places like reservations may have no choice. "With no resources, there's very little you can do about any of those issues," Dailey said. The IHS office has sufficient funds to hire four more mental health workers for Fort Peck. "We're definitely aggressively trying to fill empty vacancies," said Steve Williamson, chief medical officer of the IHS' Billings area office. But the positions have been difficult to fill. IHS and other health providers in northeastern Montana struggle to attract candidates to live in a region 70 miles from the nearest Walmart, with few jobs or entertainment options for families. FourStar said the tribes hope to use covid relief aid to improve behavioral health services so that suicide attempts can be treated as civil cases instead of criminal ones. "I think this will go somewhere, as long as we can get the manpower," she said. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The options for drawing Montanas congressional districts have narrowed to two, with few days allowed for public reaction. Both maps, one by Democrats, one by Republicans, somewhat resemble Montanas congressional map from 40 years ago when the state last had two congressional districts, though there are still major differences. Republican members of the state Districting and Apportionment Commission have settled on a map that puts conservative Flathead County in the West, while allowing the Democratic stronghold of Bozeman to be in the West as well. Previous Republican proposals sent Bozeman to the East. Helena and Great Falls would become part of the Eastern district under the Republican proposal. Democrats have drawn Whitefish and northern Flathead County into a Western district that runs down Montanas western border from Lincoln to Park County. The map keeps Helena in the West and puts Kalispell and Great Falls in the Eastern District with Billings. We have two maps that I think have moved significantly. And you can raise this as part of public comment, and I would welcome public comment on some of these issues so that we can perhaps reach a consensus still, said Maylinn Smith, commission chairwoman. Barring bipartisan agreement for the first time on how the states two U.S. House districts are drawn, the deciding vote will be Smiths. A veteran mediator, Smith was appointed by the Montana Supreme Court to oversee the two Republicans and two Democrats selected by the leadership of the Montana Legislature. Since August, Smith has kept the commission on task mostly by allowing proposals by both the Republican and Democratic members of the commission to advance. The goal Thursday was to narrow down the congressional district possibilities to one map, then give the public until Oct. 30 to respond, after which the commission would decide. But Smith told commissioners Thursday that it was best for the state if the final map selected was unanimous, the goal being to end the day with a single map. That didnt happen, but both Republicans and Democrats cobbled together new maps that more closely resembled each other than the nine previous maps presented as possibilities to the public. The Republican-drawn semi-finalist Congressional Proposal 10 creates a Western district in which Republican presidential candidates did 7.8 percentage points better than they did in the nation as a whole in the past two presidential elections. In the Eastern District, Republican presidential candidates performed 15.7 percentage points better than in the nation as a whole. The Democratic-drawn maps also produced districts that favored Republicans, but by slimmer margins. The Democratic-drawn semi-finalist Congressional Proposal 11, creates a Western district in which Republican presidential candidates did 4.75 percentage points better than they did in the nation as a whole in the past two presidential elections. The Eastern district gave Republicans an 18.6 percentage point advantage. Republican commissioners objected to looking at past presidential elections to determine the partisan lean of proposed districts. The method used to measure the political lean is known as the Cook Partisan Voting Index, or PVI, which gauges how much a district leans Democratic or Republican based on how the district voted in the last two presidential elections. National lean of the past two elections is the baseline from which district-level strength is measured. Using the PVI ... it uses the President's election numbers which he lost in 2020, former President Trump's numbers, and then uses that to expel on Republican strength so you start at a disadvantage, which would then add percentage points to Republican leans here in Montana so PVI is probably not the best thing to use, said Commissioner Dan Stusek. We think that our opponents, or our colleagues, their maps unduly favor the Democratic Party in the West, by having a tortured approach to reach the discretion or criteria of competitiveness," Stusek said. "We think our maps are fair. They think their maps are fair, we think theirs unduly favor their political party they think, certainly ours unduly favored our political party, we're much closer than where we were a couple of weeks ago, and I look forward to where we go from here. An ongoing debate in the drawing of the congressional districts is whether theres an obligation to make sure the districts are competitive. Republican commissioners and witnesses have insisted as long as the districts are balanced in population, it doesnt matter whether a candidate from either political party stands a chance of prevailing. Democrats are insistent competitiveness matters. Its been 30 years since Montana had two congressional districts. The state had been demoted to at-large status after a low population count in the 1990s Census. Democrats had a reliable grasp on the West in Montanas old two-district days, while Republicans controlled the East. However, the states at-large district has been won by Republicans since 1996. Commissioner Stusek, can you explain to me how our districts unduly favor the Democratic Party? They're, they're both Republican districts, of course, Commissioner Kendra Miller said. Smith was having none of it, still determined to have a unanimously approved congressional map, but prepared to cast the deciding vote for one of the finalists, if necessary. I don't think we need to get in to that, I think you guys have done an amazing job of coming closer together, Smith said. And I do have to say, as I was reminded this morning, every line you draw has political implications and to think otherwise it's just been either naive or unrealistic. The commission will meet again Oct. 30, when it will take public comment in person and by Zoom. The agenda for Oct. 30 isn't available yet. From now to Oct. 30, the public can submit written comments on the map semifinalists. There have been discussions about pushing the final decision to Nov. 4, although there is no agenda available for that date. The commission must select a map by early mid-November to satisfy state law. Written comments may be mailed, emailed, submitted online, or faxed to the commission at: Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission PO Box 201706 Helena, MT 59620-1706 Online Submission Form: https://mtredistricting.gov/contact/ Fax: 406-444-3036 You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The mindset that we must be prepared to ght for our "way of life" is deeply ingrained in our national character. It is hubris, however, to extend that logic to justify waging war and using the threat of weapons of mass destruction to guarantee our interests. Since World War II most of our elected leaders have argued that without a strong military, diplomacy will fail. What the past seven decades have shown is that without diplomacy, a strong military will fail. Violent solutions are awed and temporary. They trap their participants in cycles of retribution and fail to create the conditions necessary for different people to coexist and prosper. When the Cold War arms race began, President Eisenhower warned of the dangers posed by the evolving military-industrial complex, but it took massive civil protests and military failure in Vietnam to get Congress to approve a War Powers Resolution and treaties limiting nuclear weapons. When the Soviet Union collapsed after its nation-building attempt in Afghanistan there was talk of a "peace dividend" and further de-escalation. Instead, manipulated by false testimony of Iraqi atrocities, Congress authorized the 1991 invasion of Iraq. So the seeds of an exponentially increasing military budget and the present reign of terror were sown. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is routinely passed by Congress with minimal debate about program effectiveness or policy priorities. At $768 billion, the NDAA will spend more for national defense in 2022 than the budgets of the next 11 largest militaries in the world combined. Annually the NDAA consumes more than half of all of our discretionary tax dollars. What happened to the Soviet Union could happen to us if we continue to prioritize defense spending over pressing domestic needs and reducing the national debt. Like all major appropriations bills, the NDAA covers a lot of ground. Everything from enlisting new recruits to making sure those held at Guantanamo never leave. For 30 years it has steadily increased funding for the worlds largest military and deployed it around the globe in support of the 1991, 2001 and 2002 Congressional Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). The end result of all of these expenditures has not been impressive. Our preemptive use of military force in other countries has made our nation less secure. It has abetted international factionalism, regional instabilities, sectarian violence, human rights violations and rogue acts of terrorism. It has placed an impossible burden on our military personnel and it will fail to create the conditions necessary to counter terrorism because it is terrorism. The argument here is not that we dont need military capabilities and agencies tasked with national security. The argument is that funding and using an overwhelmingly powerful military is ineffective and unsustainable. Just as the realities of climate change necessitate divesting from an energy policy overly dependent on fossil fuels the geopolitical realities of today make it necessary for this country to begin divesting from reliance on military dominance as its principal foreign relations and national security tool. Senator Daines should join Senator Tester and Representative Rosendale in supporting the repeal of AUMFs and all three should join others in Congress who are calling for more oversight and major reductions of defense spending. Steve Dagger writes for the Montana Friends Committee on National Legislation Advocacy Teams (Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula). You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 3 Hopelessly delusional and incompetent chokecherries to Montanas leaders for their continued failure to take action on the biggest public health emergency in generations. On Tuesday, Montana became the state with the highest number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the country. The state is on pace this year to soon eclipse the number of COVID-19 deaths it suffered in 2020, a year vaccines werent available. Gov. Greg Gianforte offered a lame defense of his administrations policies last week, saying the governments role is to educate, to communicate its not to mandate. Yet he has issued mandates mandates for which he may well have blood on his hands. He signed into law the nations only prohibition on private businesses requiring vaccines in the workplace, as well as several measures that limited the power of local health departments to implement measures to curb the spread of the virus. Eighteen epidemiologists within the state Department of Public Health and Human Services have criticized Gianfortes administration for an August rule that discourages local school boards from implementing mask mandates, saying the move contributes to the spread of misinformation and adds confusion to those who are trying to make informed decisions to keep their kids and communities safe. Meanwhile, the body count keeps climbing. At least 25 Missoula County residents (and counting) have died this month due to the disease. State officials continue to make decisions based on politics, not science. That lunacy was vividly illustrated this week when St. Peters Health in Helena disclosed that three different public officials allegedly harassed and threatened the hospitals doctors over the care of a COVID-19 patient. The patient had requested to be treated with ivermectin, a drug not approved for use against the disease. It is used in humans to treat infections caused by parasitic worms, as well as for things like head lice and rosacea. It is also used as a livestock de-wormer. These conversations were deeply troubling to our physicians and staff because they were threatened and their clinical judgment was called into question by these individuals, a hospital spokesman said. These officials have no medical training or experience, yet they were insisting our providers give treatments for COVID-19 that are not authorized, clinically approved or within the guidelines established by the FDA and the CDC. In addition, they threatened to use their position of power to force our doctors and nurses to provide this care. The officials were not named. But state Attorney General Austin Knudsens office confirmed his participation, and that a state trooper was dispatched to the hospital. Our leaders need to stop pandering to those who doubt that we are in a national emergency that requires immediate action. Let our medical and public health professionals do their jobs, get out of their way, and get them the support they need to save lives. The scent of huckleberries lingers long after the fruit has been eaten. Likewise, the legacy of Blackfeet Chief Earl Old Person will remain with Montana long after his death on Oct. 13 at age 92. Old Person was a very young man when he started taking leadership roles in high school, Boy Scouts, Blackfeet Indian Reservation government and then its Blackfeet Tribal Council. He earned election to the council in 1954 and became its chairman 10 years later. In a separate role, tribal leaders also named him hereditary chief of the Blackfeet in 1978. In addition to the official duties, Old Person lived a life of service. For 26 consecutive years, he recognized University of Montana graduates with an honor song at their commencement ceremony. In addition to caring for his own family, he mentored uncounted other young people throughout his community. Old Person will be buried near his home at Starr School, but his spirit permeates all of the Blackfeet lands he cared for and loved so deeply. Illuminating huckleberries to the public discussion over the role of Missoulas Municipal Court among candidates competing for judicial seats in the Nov. 2 election. Judicial elections are usually ho-hum affairs. Bland quotes along the lines of I pledge to follow the law dont give voters the information they need to make informed decisions when they fill out their ballots. This one is different. Three candidates Jennifer Streano, Eli Parker and Jake Coolidge have formed a team of sorts. They have all worked as public defenders and say the municipal court has been too punitive in recent years, contributing to a high jail population. The other candidates Sam Warren, Thorin Geist and Ethan Lerman, who are not running as a team disagree, with Lerman saying this group think or team approach is entirely inappropriate. That argument is disingenuous at best. Judges often have wide discretion in sentencing decisions voters deserve to know what a candidates philosophy is. And the municipal courts operations are certainly fair game for dissection. As we stated last week, we arent endorsing any particular judicial candidate in this election. But we welcome the unusually candid arguments. This editorial represents the views of the Missoulians editorial board Publisher Jim Strauss and Executive Editor Jim Van Nostrand. Editor's note: Election commentary cutoff Oct. 29 The Nov. 2 election is 11 days away, so if you've been waiting until the last minute to send in a letter to the editor, that moment has arrived. The Missoulian will not publish election-related commentary for the three days prior to Election Day (last day will be Oct. 29). Letters are published on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to space limitations. If you have questions, send an email to oped@missoulian.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 5 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 2 WASHINGTON (AP) Can new variants of the coronavirus keep emerging? Yes, as long as the virus that caused the pandemic keeps infecting people. But that doesnt mean new variants will keep emerging as regularly, or that theyll be more dangerous. With more than half the world still not vaccinated, the virus will likely keep finding people to infect and replicating inside them for several months or years to come. And each time a virus makes a copy of itself, a small mutation could occur. Those changes could help the virus survive, becoming new variants. But that doesnt mean the virus will keep evolving in the same way since it emerged in late 2019. When a virus infects a new species, it needs to adapt to the new host to spread more widely, says Andrew Read, a virus expert at Pennsylvania State University. As Halloween approaches, bringing fall festivals and harvest celebrations with it, local churches are weighing their options, working to balance outreach ministry and community responsibility. On the one hand, events like Trunk or Treat and fall carnivals are critical outreach opportunities for many area churches. On the other hand, gathering large numbers of people together safely amid the current COVID-19 outbreak requires careful planning and special precautions. Our goal should always be to be a good neighbor and to promote the good of society, said the Rev. Tyler Roach, minister of youth and family life for First Baptist Church of Morganton. We do our best to keep Christ at the center of our decisions, and part of that during COVID has been watching out for the least of these. The Rev. Norman Jones, pastor of Salem United Methodist Church, agreed. I believe its important for churches to take the health of our children seriously, Jones said. Only then can we even consider holding an event in a pandemic. Despite these concerns, several area churches are moving forward with plans for modified Halloween/harvest events this year: First Baptist Church of Morganton According to the school systems COVID District Dashboard on Thursday at 2:45 p.m., the total number of cumulative positive cases in BCPS is 1,062 and the total number of quarantines is 4,510. These numbers are cumulative since Aug. 9 and include BCPS staff and students. The school system is following the required COVID-19 protocol, Shuffler previously told The News Herald. These protocols include the mandatory mask mandate, which requires all staff and students to wear masks while on school campuses and buses. On the dashboard, which was launched on Sept. 7, there is a link that allows anyone to view the 2021-22 school year COVID-19 protocol. This link gives information about what to do if a student shows symptoms of COVID-19, when they are allowed to return to school if they test positive, how to properly wear a face covering and more. The database allows parents, students, staff and the public to view data regarding COVID-19 for BCPS. This includes cases, exposures and quarantines in schools involving students and staff. The data runs on a Monday to Sunday basis, so the data can be broken into a weekly basis to be monitored and changed as necessary, Shuffler said in a previous article. For more information about the BCPS COVID District Dashboard or the BCPS COVID-19 protocol, visit burke.k12.nc.us. Its too late to require Operation Warp Speed participants to share their formulas. Congress could discourage such ghoulish hoarding in the future by deciding drugs substantially developed on the public dime belong to the people who picked up the tab. Corey Friedman is an opinion journalist who explores solutions to political conflicts from an independent perspective. Follow him on Twitter @coreywrites. To find out more about Friedman, visit www.creators.com. The completion of a rerouted and updated 16.5-mile trail connecting two historic Forest Service cabins along the west side of the Crazy Mountains was celebrated by a small group on Thursday. The ceremonial cutting of a bright red ribbon with a hunting knife highlighted creation of one of the most contentious routes in recent Montana history Porcupine Ibex Trail No. 267. Noticeably absent from the festivity was any representative of the Custer Gallatin National Forest, which has been sued by opponents to the trail. The agency oversaw realignment of a historic forest ranger trail from private property to adjacent federal land. In the past three years the Forest Services staff has directed construction of about 11 miles of new trail and the rebuilding of about four miles at a cost of $155,700. Ned Zimmerman, who owns the M Hanging Lazy 3 Ranch along the base of the Crazies where the historic path ran, praised Custer Gallatin National Forest Supervisor Mary Erickson and Deputy Forest Supervisor Chad Benson for their efforts. From my perspective as a landowner they were willing to look for a real solution in a way that the Forest Service hadnt been doing in the past, he said. But it was always clear to me as the landowner that they werent going to walk away they werent going to give anything up. They were going to have something for the public to have access to. They didnt cave, as it were. Lawsuit Litigants filed suit in 2019 trying to halt the trail, arguing the agency should not have relinquished its historic route. The agency said it had no perfected easement. Landowners got a black eye for blocking off the old route, despite earlier Forest Service attempts to negotiate a solution. The conflict over public access to the mountain range, which is checkerboarded with sections of private land, has drawn national attention. Most recently, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, asked Forest Service Deputy Chief Chris French during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Tuesday why the agencys chief hadnt responded to his offices requests for information about the issue. My understanding is that the Forest Service is no longer defending the prescriptive easements that have existed there for roughly a century now, Heinrich said. That concerns me, because if we are not defending the prescriptive easements that the public uses to access their public lands after a century in Montana, I worry about that spreading to New Mexico and other places as well. He asked French for information on what the rationale was on the Custer Gallatin National Forest. French replied that he knew the situation well and that it is incredibly important for us to defend those prescriptive rights. We havent changed our position. At the end of the day it comes down to if the evidence is there to defend those rights It is very important for us as an agency to defend those rights across the West. Community Participants in Thursdays trail dedication advocated for compromise to seek solutions to problems like the Porcupine Ibex Trail. It took a community to reach a solution, they noted, one that in the beginning had wary ranchers dropping their defenses to talk to outdoor recreationists, city dwellers engaging with country folks, longtime residents working alongside newbies. When you look at the rapid expansion of the population in the state of Montana, particularly in this area, I think we have to take a chance and do something thats a little bit more proactive rather than just seeing what happens when all hell breaks loose, Zimmerman said. John Salazar, a 28-year Livingston resident, represented the Montana Wildlife Federation during talks started by the Crazy Mountain Working Group, originally composed entirely of ranchers. My first meeting was I got to come in and meet everybody, and then I had to go outside so they could decide whether or not I could be part of the group, he said and laughed. We dont know if we are going to find a solution to everything, but the way its going to get done by us the precedent we want to set is that we can sit at the table and have some conversations and learn about our neighbors. The first thing you do is make relationships with people. PCEC Erica Lighthiser, of the Park County Environmental Council, has been at the forefront of the issue, seeking common ground. Im really proud of finding this solution, she said. But its about more than a trail, its about the community that was built in the process. Were going to have other challenges, and there are other issues in the Crazies that we need to deal with, but I think by coming together locally we were able to find an awesome solution, and I want to keep at it. Lighthisers work on public access to the Crazy Mountains has not been limited to the Porcupine Ibex Trail. The working group has also submitted a proposed land exchange to the Forest Service for the east side of the range. The exchange includes construction of new trail to create a 40-mile loop route. Nathan Anderson, who ranches on the east side of the Crazies, said the successful completion of the Porcupine Ibex Trail emphasized the need for everyone to work together on the east side. Theres been so much conflict over time, he said. As a country, as a nation, weve really got to sit down and listen to what our neighbors have to say. Thats opened the lines of communication between the landowners, recreationalists, environmental groups, hunters and the Forest Service. I think its been a tremendous avenue not only for this, the on-the-ground results here, but projects moving forward. Deep time Lighthiser noted that the Crazy Mountains arent only an important resource for ranchers and recreationists, but are also deeply significant to Native Americans, including the Crow Tribe that still see the area as a traditional homeland. I think its really cool to think about the people who have come before us in this place, she said, pronouncing the mountain range in the Crow language, Awaxaawippiia, which translates as Snow-Capped or Ominous mountains. Mountains define the landscape of the Porcupine Ibex Trail which overlooks the Shields Valley. To the west rise the Bridger Mountains, to the north lie the Big Belts, Little Belts and Castle mountains and to the south looms the Absaroka range. Just outside the nearby community of Wilsall one of the oldest known human burial sites in North America was discovered in 1968, along with 100 stone and antler artifacts dating back about 11,500 years. Weve got this great new trail, Lighthiser said. It goes through some spectacular country. Forest Service Deputy Chief Chris French is not related to Billings Gazette reporter Brett French. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A computer science professor at the University of Montana resigned from his position Friday afternoon after recently coming under fire for his controversial blog posts. Rob Smiths lawyer, Matthew Monforton of Bozeman, shared a statement on Twitter announcing his resignation and insinuated that the current Title IX investigation was not being handled objectively. Rather than lend legitimacy to an investigation that I believe is being conducted dishonestly and, in the interest of sparing my wife and children the need to endure another investigation where merit is trumped by ideology, I am choosing to resign, effective today, Smith wrote in the statement shared by Monforton. Smith maintains that his blog pertained to his personal religious beliefs, which he alleges the university told him were "protected under the First Amendment." Monforton confirmed the statement in a phone call with the Missoulian. Smith has been on paid leave pending the conclusion of the investigation. He came under fire after the Montana Kaimin reported on Smiths troubling statements from his blog and YouTube channel regarding gender, Muslims, underage girls and individuals who are LGBTQ. The university confirmed Smith's resignation, but has not indicated how the resignation will impact the investigation. Smith joined the university as an associate professor in July 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile, and was granted tenure in 2017. He has run a blog called Upward Thought since at least 2013. Smith is CEO of Prime Labs, a scientific software company, which is housed in a university-owned building. It is unclear how Smith's resignation will impact the lab. UM President Seth Bodnar has previously called Smith's views expressed in his blog "homophobic and misogynistic" and said he was personally disgusted following the reporting by the Montana Kaimin. "Building a culture of respect, empowerment and equity is foundational to our mission at UM as well as personally important to me," Bodnar added. Students on campus have organized Fire Rob Smith social media pages and a website since his blog was brought to light. About 150 students rallied in front of Main Hall on campus last week demanding the university fire Smith or for him to resign. The Associated Students of the University of Montana unanimously approved a resolution last week demanding Smith's resignation or termination. "This is great news for everyone at the university and all the students who didn't want to have to take any more classes from him," said Betta Lyon Delsordo, a student involved with organizing the "Fire Rob Smith" effort. "It really shows progress that we, as a student body, came together and were able to say that we did not want him here and he listened." To Smith's claim that the investigation wasn't being handled objectively, Lyon Delsordo said she trusts the system and Title IX office to follow "all legal processes to do what's right." "There are stories that have come forward that go beyond his blog posts and I think there still needs to be accountability," Lyon Delsordo said. Students involved with "Fire Rob Smith" are not done with their work to make their campus a better place, she said. "We are continuing to look at what we can do across the university to make sure that this doesn't happen again and that there are more steps in place to make campus more inclusive and that everyone can feel comfortable going to school here." Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As Congress continues to work towards a deal on a budget reconciliation package, Montanas delegation, including Senators Daines and Tester, have an opportunity to show they truly understand the economic difficulties families face by passing a budget that ensures an equitable economic recovery. As pediatricians, we know that the stakes for children are high. Think of everything they have had to go through the past few years. A child who started kindergarten in 2019 is now in the 2nd grade and has never experienced a regular school year. Nearly every family is struggling, and we know that not everyone is experiencing the same hardships. For some, the pressure of balancing school, child care, and work makes keeping food on the table and a roof over their heads very challenging. Childhood is a critical window for development, setting the trajectory of health for the rest of ones life. Research consistently shows that poverty, food insecurity, and other economic hardships threaten healthy growth for children. This can lead to poor health outcomes, which in turn can have lasting effects on their well-being. Unfortunately, child poverty impacts one in four households in Montana. These children are more likely to live in households with parents who lack secure employment. Families living on low incomes have especially benefited from the recent changes to the Child Tax Credit (CTC). The CTC is a game-changer. Critical improvements to the CTC passed in the American Rescue Plan Act, which Senator Tester supported, include expanding eligibility to low-income families and allowing monthly payments. For qualifying parents with a four-year-old, it means $300 a month. Approximately 198,000 of Montanas children are currently receiving monthly payments through the CTC. The credit can help cover roughly 40 percent of average monthly child care costs, or it could equal up to a months worth of food for a child. Data shows that parents are using the credit to pay for essentials, like rent, utilities, and educational opportunities. Another essential feature is its potential to support employment, as many can now afford child care or better transportation, making them more likely to find and keep a job. Early data on the impact of the CTC is promising. Recent research shows the CTC payments are reducing food insecurity, which is strongly associated with short and long-term health outcomes. The credit is projected to cut child poverty by nearly half across the U.S and is already having a positive impact on rural communities. Before the expansion of the CTC, over one-third (78,000) of all children in Montana belonged to families that earned too little money to receive full CTC benefits. The expansion ensures families with the lowest incomes are eligible and boosts the amount of the credit. However, it is set to expire at the end of 2021. The expanded credit would lift 45 percent of Montanas children, and 55 percent of children of color, out of poverty. So Congress must act swiftly to extend these provisions and pursue a more racially equitable policy by reinstating eligibility for young DREAMers. The health of Montanas kids requires bold investments in evidence-based policies. A permanent child tax credit available to all children would lift millions of children out of poverty, improve health, advance racial equity, provide tax relief for many families, and bolster local communities. On behalf of the kids we work with every day, we urge our Congressional delegation to put Montana children first, and stand up for this transformative and visionary support for families. Dr. Lauren Wilson is a Missoula pediatrician and MTAAP Vice President. Other pediatricians signing this letter are: Dr. Erin Allen, Billings; Dr. Emily Hall of Polson; Dr. Teresa Blaskovich of Billings; Dr. Pepper Henyon of Bozeman; Dr. John Cole of Kalispell; Dr. Erin Green of Helena; and Dr. Jordan LeJeune of Great Falls. All are members and/or officers of the Montana chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 When it comes to insuring your home it is important to know there is a significant difference between Replacement Cost and Actual Cash Value coverage. Well get to that shortly. You can't watch TV without seeing an insurance commercial. Whether it's Progressive's Flo, Allstate's Mayhem, or Jake from State Farm, there is a heavy flow of advertisements for insurance companies. Insurance is one of the most competitive industries in the United States, with over one million agents writing 1.28 trillion dollars in premiums in 2020. In this hyper-competitive environment, insurance companies do everything they can to compete by keeping rates low. The problem is often lower rates equal reduced benefits. In other words, artificially low rates may harm some homeowners who do not fully understand their policies. One way to keep rates low is by raising deductibles. Homeowner deductibles have risen sharply over the years. Many policyholders are likely unaware their deductible may be higher for some types of claims. Growing increasingly common are plans that include split deductibles meaning losses caused by certain events such as hail and wind may vastly increase the deductible you pay. It may change from a fixed price deductible to a percentage of the total amount of insured coverage. For example, if a home is insured for $325,000 and the split deductible rate is 5% for hail damage to the roof, the homeowner will pay the first $16,250 before the insurance company will pay on the claim ($16,250 is 5% of the policy limit of $325,000). This costly repair would stretch the pocketbook of almost any Montana family. Unfortunately, depending on the type of coverage, the insurance company still may not cover total replacement of the roof after the deductible is paid. This may leave the homeowner high out-of-pocket costs for repair. Some insurance companies include provisions in homeowner policies that change the way claims are paid out for older roofs. For example, once a roof reaches 10 to 15 years old, hail damage to the roof may be paid at Actual Cash Value rather than Replacement Cost Value. Actual Cash Value takes condition, age, and wear and tear into account to estimate the current cash value of the existing roof. In an Actual Cash Value policy the insurance company will not pay to fully replace the roof they will pay an adjusted amount based on the Actual Cash Value of the roof. While this is likely a worst-case scenario, consider this: A hailstorm severely damages a homeowners roof. The insurance adjuster estimates the cost to replace the 12-year-old roof will be $20,000. The $250,000 insurance policy has a 2% split deductible for hail events, and the company pays Actual Cash Value for a roof ten years or older rather than paying the replacement cost. In this scenario, the insurance company takes the estimated replacement cost of the roof - $20,000, and applies 50% depreciation to arrive at the Actual Cash Value or ACV of the roof. (This is based on the theory that the average useful life of the roof is 25 years, and the roof is 12 years old, so its half past its useful life) So, $20,000 $10,000 (50% depreciation) = $10,000; then the 2% deductible is applied. 2% of $250,000 coverage limit is $5,000, which is then applied as the policy deductible. This leaves the homeowner on the hook to pay $15,000 after insurance. Alternatively, a policy that covers Replacement Cost will cover the entire replacement minus the applicable deductible. It is important to note that replacement cost is likely more expensive than paying Actual Cash Value, so the premium is likely higher in this type of product. Making informed decisions regarding your insurance coverage can save you thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars. Low premiums and a competitive marketplace are good for lowering monthly costs, but there can be pitfalls. Its important to understand your policy thoroughly and use your insurance agent as a resource. Ask questions to better understand your level of risk to calculate the amount and type of coverage needed to protect your financial future. If you have questions about replacement costs, cash value, or split deductibles, please call the Office of the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance at 444-2040 or visit CSIMT.gov. Troy Downing is the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Montana State Auditor. Commissioner Downing is a two-tour combat veteran, businessman, and entrepreneur. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I was shocked to learn last week that U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has directed the FBI and federal prosecutors to charge parents who speak up at school board meetings under domestic terrorism and civil rights laws. Acting U.S. Attorney for Montana Leif Johnson delivered this message to the Montana County Attorneys Association, and has provided a follow-up letter explaining the federal claim of urgency in this matter. As a local prosecutor enforcing Montana state laws, I have worked with federal agents and prosecutors over the years to target truly federal, interstate criminals. I have helped ATF agents investigate and build cases of convicted felons in possession of firearms. I have worked with FBI and DEA agents to take down inter-state and indeed international drug traffickers. And I have even helped ICE officials detain and deport an illegal alien. Each step of the way, I have been impressed by the professionalism and dedication of the federal agents in Montana, and the federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorneys Office in Montana. Every time a state prosecutor refers a case to a federal agent or prosecutor, the first question is whether there is any basis for federal jurisdiction. In our system, the vast majority of criminal prosecutions happen in the state courts, because the Constitution reserves the police powers to the states, except for specific enumerated exceptions. If there is not a clear federal jurisdictional nexus, the feds will not and cannot take the case. So if the federal government now wants to prosecute parents who speak up at a school board meeting, what is the basis for federal jurisdiction? Attorney General Garlands directive lists several possible federal charges, such as: Conspiracy to Deprive Person of Civil Rights, Interference with Federally Protected Activities, Interstate Extortion, or Interstate Threat to Kidnap, as well as others. Nonsense. Pure nonsense. Parents have a right to direct the upbringing and education of their children. That is not a right granted by the government, that is a right granted by God. If parents have concerns that a school is imposing illegal or unworkable COVID restrictions, trans-gender mandates, or Critical Race Theory, upon their children, the parents have a right to speak up and get involved. Local control and parental involvement always produce the best educational environment for kids. The federal government has no right to stifle dissent by threatening parents as domestic terrorists or inter-state criminals. Rest assured, this local prosecutor will oppose Washington, D.C.s attempt to bully parents in Broadwater County. And I dont know a single County Attorney across Montana who feels differently. I hope that before any nominee for U.S. Attorney in Montana or any other state is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, our Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester will force them to explain their position on this extraordinary abuse of power. And unless the nominee completely disavows this attempt to stifle parental rights and free speech, I urge our Senators to reject the nomination. Please join me in communicating this to Senator Daines and Tester. Cory Swanson is Broadwater County Attorney. Love 2 Funny 4 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 3 TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Iranian hard-liners, now back at the helm of the country, may regularly rail against the poisoning of Islamic society by Western culture, but in Tehran, Iranians are flocking to the contemporary art museum to marvel at American pop artist Andy Warhols iconic soup cans. The circular floors of the Iranian capitals Museum of Contemporary Art display a sprawling line-up of 18 classic Warhol works, recognizable at first glance: silk-screen portraits of Communist Chinas founding leader Mao Zedong and Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe, paintings of Campbell Soup cans and a vintage print of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. The exhibit, simply named A Review of Andy Warhols Works, first opened in June and closes on Sunday. The still-surging coronavirus, which has killed more people in Iran than any other country in the Middle East, forced the museum to close its doors to Warhol fans for a few weeks in August. I love this painting, gushed 46-year-old Fatemeh Rezaee, taking in the colored ink of Marilyn Monroes face, which Warhol produced in 1962 soon after the actress killed herself. By looking at it, I visualized Marilyn Monroes life story in my head. It makes the concept of death really tangible for me. Flying in South Africa during lockdown Alert Level 1 is almost the same as flying under normal circumstances, recent experiences of two MyBroadband employees showed. Air travel in South Africa has picked up in recent weeks, with many airlines resuming domestic and international flights. One MyBroadband staff member recently took a one-way international flight with Air Botswana from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to Sir Seretse Khama Airport in Gabarone on a Friday evening. He had to get a Covid-19 test before the flight and present a negative result at check-in. The test may not be more than 72 hours old. Outside of requiring a negative Covid test, he observed that most of the differences from the typical experience were at the airport. Many of the entry and exits at the international terminal were closed, while those that previously allowed for both entry and exit were now dedicated to one or the other. This meant that it required quite a bit of walking to get to the right doors to enter or exit the building, which you might have to consider if you plan to cut it close on your timing. Each entrance had a station where visitors and passengers were required to sanitise their hands. Security personnel also checked peoples temperatures using a thermal camera. The check-in process was similar to the standard procedure one would follow. However, before going through security, he had to fill out the Covid-19 traveller health questionnaire. The main issue was that there were no pens to fill out the forms in the designated area. He finally managed to borrow one from a family who had scoured the airport and eventually had to buy one from a shop. He later learned the questionnaire could be downloaded from the airports.co.za website and filled out beforehand, which would have saved him a lot of time and trouble. After handing in the questionnaire and taking his temperature, he passed through the security gate and customs. A recurring announcement on the airports system said passengers would need to scan their boarding passes themselves at various points. Still, his was taken twice by staff members to scan first at the security gate and later at the boarding gate. The waiting area for the boarding gate had designated seats that provided for safe social distancing. The same was not possible on the bus he had to board to get to his plane. Although it seemed most people were very aware of the importance to maintain some form of social distancing, it was not possible to stay far apart. Boarding the plane was quick, andexcept for the wearing of masks throughout the flightthe experience onboard was much like during non-Covid 19 times. The plane was about 80% full, but it appeared as though seats had been allocated so that single travellers would not be placed alongside others. He received a complimentary bottle of water, but no food or snacks were served on the flight. After landing, passengers were required to alight two at a time from their seats to exit at the back of the plane. Once inside the airport, he had to fill in another health questionnaire before proceeding to baggage collection. Once again, no pens were available, and the passenger again had to scramble to borrow or beg airport personnel to borrow one. The airport staff were hesitant to help as many previous borrowers had made off with their pens. After collecting his bags, he proceeded through customs and exited the airport. The second MyBroadband staff member flew to Cape Town and back using Lift, with a flight to the Mother City on a Sunday morning and the return flight on the following Thursday morning. Much of his experience aligned with that of the first passenger except that he did not have to fill in the health declaration form for international travellers, so he avoided the pen fiasco. He was also required to remove his mask briefly to confirm his identity during check-in, which the first passenger never had to do. He noted he might have avoided this if he did not have luggage and could check-in electronically. In addition, he had to scan his boarding pass himself at various points during the boarding process. Both his outbound and returning planes were near full capacity. Passengers are still squashed up against one another as you would expect from economy class tickets. No food or drinks were distributed on the plane, except for bottled water if specifically requested by a passenger, he said. For valuable tips and more information about travelling from South Africas airports during the pandemic, visit the Covid-19 updates page of Airports Company South Africa. Now read: SAA management salaries explained Tom Flesher remembers exactly when he knew he wanted to become an organist. I was a kid, he recalled, Six or seven years old, in the 1950s. While attending a Southern Baptist church in Virginia, Flesher heard an organist make the most amazing sounds soft as a whisper and as loud as thunder using the instrument. I was amazed at the musicianship, he said. I fell in love with the organ there, he said. I made up my mind then: I wanted to play. Its a passion that has continued his whole life, and at Napas First Presbyterian Church for more than three decades. However, after 35 years of bringing music to the church, Flesher will play his last songs as the official organist/pianist at the downtown Napa church. Hes retiring on Oct. 31. Its like a big family, he said, of the downtown church. But, Im the appropriate age I want to get on with the next stage of my life. I felt it was time. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: $1 for your first 6 months! Flesher said he first connected with Napas First Presbyterian Church in the late 1970s. On occasion, the organist at the time, Harriet Nelson, needed a substitute. The church is located at 1333 Third St. As the years passed, she kept calling me more and more often, to fill in, and in 1985, I stepped in to became the regular organist, and piano player, Flesher said. For those wondering, not every pianist can play the organ, and vice versa. An organ is a completely different type of instrument, than a piano, he explained. Both have keyboards, but a piano uses strings to make sound. Organs use air moving through pipes to produce music. They produce different sounds when played. The thing about an organ that is really neat is that we have multiple keyboards or manuals, he said. Its like playing several instruments at once, he said. In his job with the Napa church, he plays each about half of the time. Ive always just been equally attracted to both, said Flesher. When asked about some of his best memories playing at the church and around Napa Valley, the musician said it was hard to answer, because I have so many. What always stands out for me are the big Christian days like Easter and Christmas with a church full of people. As an organist, theres nothing more thrilling than hearing everyone enthusiastically singing, as one. Theres nothing like that. Fleshers music has also been heard beyond the doors of First Presbyterian. Hes played with the Napa High School choir, Sing Napa Valley, at the Veterans Home of California at Yountville, at Mt. La Salle, at Pacific Union College and other groups. In fact, accompanying others is one of the things he loves most about performing. It gives me such joy to collaborate with other musicians, he said. Some of his favorite pieces to perform include a song known as Widor's Toccata, he said. Its fast; its grand. Its got an energetic beat to it. Its my trademark, signature piece, said Flesher. People love it. And then I love playing anything by Bach. He also has some unexpected favorites. Every now and then Id slip in something that wasnt scared music, like 'Whiter Shade of Pale, by the rock band Procol Harum or songs from Phantom of the Opera. Since my last day is Halloween, I might play something appropriate like Toccata and Fugue in D minor. The dramatic music, by Bach, is often used in horror movies. Flesher said the biggest challenge during his 35 years at the church came in the form of a 6.0 shaking on Aug. 24, 2014. The Napa earthquake and aftermath knocked us out of business, in the main church area for quite a while. Due to damage to the historic building, worship services had to be held in the gym for almost two years. That was for me an interesting era, unlike anything Id ever been through in my life, said Flesher. At the same time, parts of the inside of the church were reimagined, including moving the organ console from one side of the church to the other. Playing music during the COVID-19 pandemic has been less of a challenge, said Flesher. Services were hosted on Zoom. I was really impressed by how well it worked. Music was pre-recorded, he said. It was actually easier that way, he noted. It gave you a lot more freedom. Church members will certainly miss Flesher. Hes been there from the time my kids were cherubs singing in the choir, said church member Amy Webster. Tom was always there for everything. All the Christmases. All the weddings. He was always there. Ive known people and their kids and their grandkids because Ive been here long enough, said Flesher. Its a real blessing. This man is the most Christian man, said Tom Webster. I have witnessed him reaching out to people. In moments when others of us sat by the side, this man stepped out to welcoming people and is an example to all of us. We will miss that leadership as much as the music. A longtime Napa area resident, Flesher now lives in San Francisco. Being a musician is only one part of his life. He also worked in the information technology industry for many years, said Flesher. He plans to spend his retirement taking it easy, and likely more traveling. To have a church job means you are tied down every weekend, he explained. It will be nice to have more freedom. Hell certainly miss his regular role at First Presbyterian. The church was a big part of my life, said Flesher. Im looking forward to coming back from time to time when they need somebody to fill in. You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Make no bones about it, Frank and Jennifer Rodriguez love celebrating Halloween. Theyre so into the spooky season that theyve installed 61 and counting skeletons in and around their front yard at 4412 Rockwood Ave. The couple had decorated their north Napa home in the past, but last year is when they really ramped up their efforts. It just was a terrible thought, that because of the pandemic kids might not get to trick or treat on Halloween, said Jennifer Rodriguez. We said, What the heck, lets go for it and give them something interesting to look at, she recalled. And then we were at Home Depot, and saw the 12-foot skeleton, and that sort of set the stage. And what a stage it is. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: $1 for your first 6 months! The dozens upon dozens of skeletons have descended upon the otherwise innocuous suburban home. They cling to the sides of the house. They hover over the front lawn, dangling from ropes. The 12-foot skeleton, with light-up eyes, looms above all. Two Grim Reapers stand sentry on either side of their front door. At the front door, a skeleton lies in repose inside a carriage-style hearse. Another skeleton leads a skeleton horse wearing a saddle. Skeleton bats sway from above. Tombstones have sprouted near the sidewalk, draped in cobwebs. Yet amidst all of that skeletal glory, the couple actually resisted adding more gore or mayhem. We didnt want to do anything too scary because theres small kids that walk by, said Jennifer. Skeletons are spooky enough. This years bountiful boneyard also has another bit of back story. Its actually inspired by a 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts. In the film, Greek hero Jason battles an army of animated skeletons. I loved Jason and the Argonauts as a kid, said Jennifer. Plenty of neighbors stop and admire their skeleton crew, the couple said. Some will spend a fair amount of time looking at the display and notice one thing or another. But when someone actually recognizes it as a scene from the movie, Im thrilled, she said. The Rodriguezs said they spent several weeks on the layout. Jennifer works from home, so Ive got some time on my hands after, her day is over, she said. Frank Rodriguez, a carpenter, certainly is handy with such setups. Their son and other family members have also contributed. Napa County Halloween Decoration Display Submissions Click here to share your Halloween displays with Register readers. It paid to shop early for Halloween this year, they said. Their son happens to live across the street on Rockwood, they explained. After helping them, he wanted to add a skeleton or two to his own house but by the time they tried to buy more, the stores were all but emptied. I had a feeling theyd go out of stock, Jennifer said ruefully. After all, there has been talk of serious supply chain disruptions. Its a bummer. They each have different favorite skeletons. For Jennifer, its the centerpiece 12-foot skeleton. His eyes light up at night. For Frank, its the pair of Grim Reapers. Weve had those things for 20 years, and they keep doing the job. The most challenging part of the setup is protecting the grass, said the couple. Last year we almost killed the lawn, due to the sheer number of skeletons covering the landscape, said Frank. For that reason, this year many of the skeletons are elevated by wires and ropes, climbing trees. When asked about their overall investment in faux skeletons, Jennifer estimated its in the thousands of dollars. Luckily, there hasnt been any vandalism or theft. Its so awesome to see how respectful people are, said Frank. Owning such an array of skeletons may cause some to wonder where do the many bones get stored the other 11 months of the year? The answer is that their house includes a large shed on one side. We box it all up and it fits, said Frank. As for the December holidays, the family will have some kind of lighted display but we dont go too crazy, said Jennifer. Definitely not to this extent. In fact, theyre already mulling over their 2022 Halloween theme. There may be aliens involved next year, said Jennifer. You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Tens of billions of dollars for U.S. environmental justice initiatives originally proposed in a $3.5 trillion domestic spending package now hang in the balance as Democrats decide how to trim the bill down to $2 trillion. Investments in a wide range of these projects were proposed in the Build Back Better plan, but Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona demanded that the bill be reduced, with Manchin asking for it to be cut by as much as half. Now, Democratic leaders are trying to bridge divergent views of progressive and moderate lawmakers over the size and scope of the bill. With Republicans in lockstep against President Joe Bidens proposal, Democrats must hold together slim House and Senate majorities to pass it. Leaders have set an Oct. 31 voting deadline, but that may slip as they struggle for consensus. Several congressional aides who spoke on background to discuss ongoing negotiations said no one can venture an estimate of how much environmental justice spending will be cut from the reconciliation bill, but the overall amount for such initiatives certainly will be less than the roughly $80 billion originally proposed. The biggest spending proposals were $20 billion for replacing America's lead water pipes, nearly $15.5 billion for a greenhouse gas reduction fund and $10 billion for expanding access to public transit near affordable housing. Among the other initiatives were $5 billion in block grants to environmental and climate justice projects, $2.5 billion for providing access to solar in low-income communities and $2.5 billion for abandoned mine cleanup. The high-stakes wrangling is taking place about two months after the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change called the warming planet a code red for humanity and just weeks before world leaders, including Biden, convene to determine global climate and environment policy at the U.N. climate change summit known as COP26. As domestic spending talks take place in Washington, environmental justice advocates around the country are watching closely and lobbying lawmakers to preserve as many initiatives and as much money for them as possible. When we hear that the $3.5 trillion will be watered down ... its honestly unacceptable, said Ellen Sciales, communications director for Sunrise Movement, a national, youth-led environmental group. The urgency of now really cannot be (overstated). Local and regional environmental activists have held protests across the nation for several weeks, calling on Senate Democrats to pass the entire $3.5 trillion package. With a reduction in the package looming, activists worry environmental justice projects that could improve the health of their communities will be sacrificed. If Congress does not pass a full deal, ... it would be devastating, said Juan Jhong-Chung, policy associate with the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition. It would represent another broken promise by our elected officials. Environmental advocates have been banking on Bidens promise just days before the presidential election to pass the most ambitious environmental justice agenda ever. He was speaking at a news conference in Flint, Michigan, where residents have been dealing with a lead contamination crisis in its water systems since 2014. Our people are already struggling, Jhong-Chung said. And now with the climate crisis, things are getting worse here in Michigan. We just experienced this summer of record-breaking flooding. Water sanitation and scarcity issues top of the list of pressing needs for many in disadvantaged communities as rural areas countrywide lack modern sewage and sanitation systems, and the West deals with a megadrought. Catherine Flowers, who serves on Bidens White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council and long has advocated for clean water and sanitation systems in rural areas, is concerned for places like predominately Black Lowndes County, Alabama, where many residents have to release their wastewater directly into the environment. When people talk about environmental justice, they never talk about sanitation, she said. The assumption was that rural communities have always had it, and thats not true." In Arizona, with its drought, some of Sen. Sinemas constituents have aggressively pushed her to pass the Build Back Better plan in its entirety, going so far as to confront her on the campus of Arizona State University, where shes a professor. Hannah Hurley, a spokesperson for Sinema, said she would not reveal the nature of negotiations on Capitol Hill to news media. The other key senator in negotiations on the plan, Manchin, has publicly opposed incentivizing clean energy over fossil fuels, such as coal produced in his state. His office did not respond to requests for comment on this story. Some western senators publicly support environmental justice spending proposed in the plan. Environmental justice is not an issue adjacent to climate action, it is at the heart of climate action, said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). We can no longer ignore the inequities that leave communities of color behind and bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. This story corrects the spelling of Kyrsten Sinemas first name. Associated Press reporter Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report from Washington, D.C. Follow Drew Costley on Twitter: @drewcostley 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. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California's oil and gas regulator on Thursday proposed that the state ban new oil and gas drilling within 3,200 feet of schools, homes and hospitals to protect public health in what would be the nation's largest buffer zone between oil wells and communities. It's the latest effort by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration to wind down oil production in California, aligning him with environmental advocates pushing to curb the effects of climate change and against the powerful oil industry in the nation's seventh-largest oil producing state. Studies show living near a drilling site can elevate risks of birth defects, cancer, respiratory problems and other health issues. More than 2 million Californians live within 3,200 feet (975 meters) of oil drilling sites, primarily low-income residents and people of color in Los Angeles County and the Central Valley. The proposal would not ban wells already operating in those zones but would add new pollution controls. This is about public health, public safety, clean air, clean water this is about our kids and our grandkids and our future," Newsom said in Wilmington, a Los Angeles neighborhood with the city's highest concentration of wells. A greener, cleaner, brighter, more resilient future is in our grasp and this is a commitment to advance that cause." The rules are a draft that signal what the administration is seeking, but they could change and won't take effect until at least 2023. This would be the first time California has set statewide rules on how close drilling can be to homes, schools and other sites. Other oil and gas producing states such as Colorado, Pennsylvania and even Texas have rules about how close oil wells can be to certain properties. Colorados 2,000-foot setback on new drilling, adopted last year, is the nations strictest rule right now. California's plan, if adopted, would also go further than the 2,500 foot (762 meter) buffer environmental groups sought. A coalition of environmental justice groups that advocate for Black, brown and Indigenous communities in heavily polluted areas commended the ruling but pushed Newsom to more aggressively phase out existing neighborhood drilling. Oil and gas companies have been treating our communities as sacrifice zones for over a century," Juan Flores, community organizer with the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment, said in a statement. Frontline community members have spoken in a clear voice, demanding an end to neighborhood drilling." The Western States Petroleum Association, an oil and gas interest group, blasted the proposed rules as an activist assault on Californias way of life, economy and people in a statement from President Catherine Reheis-Boyd. Reheis-Boyd said the industry doesnt oppose local setbacks but does not approve of a statewide rule. She said the rules would lead to less reliable energy and higher prices in an industry that employs about 150,000 people. Robbie Hunter of the influential State Building and Construction Trades Council, a labor union, said the rule would increase Californias dependence on foreign oil, and said the state was fast becoming a beached whale with no ability to meet its own needs. Newsom, who just survived a recall election, cast the proposal as the latest step in his efforts to ensure oil is not part of California's future. He has directed state air regulators to make a plan to end oil and gas production by 2045 and curb demand by banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. He was joined in Wilmington by state lawmakers who have long pushed for setbacks and doctors who spoke about the dangers of oil pollution for people who live nearby, particularly expectant mothers and children. I am tired of my district being called asthma alley,'" said state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Democrat who represents southeast Los Angeles County. The rules were proposed by the California Geologic Energy Management Division, known as CalGEM, which regulates the states oil industry and issues drilling permits. Newsom directed it to focus on health and safety when he took office in 2019, specifically telling the division to consider setbacks around oil drilling to protect community health. The state received more than 40,000 public comments on the draft rules and convened a 15-member panel of public health experts to research the effects of neighborhood oil drilling on health and safety. CalGEM has long faced criticism that its too cozy with the industry it regulates. Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the state natural resources agency, acknowledged the regulator needs to better enforce oil companies compliance with state law. Wells within 3,200 feet of community sites account for about a third of the states oil extraction, Crowfoot said. There are about 32,400 wells in that zone, said Erin Mellon, a Newsom spokeswoman. Community sites include homes and apartments, preschools and K-12 schools, day cares, businesses, and health care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes. Existing wells would not be shut down but would be required to meet many new pollution control measures, including comprehensive leak detection and response plans, vapor recovery, water sampling and a reduction of nighttime lighting and dust. They are designed to limit health effects such as asthma and pregnancy complications, and cut nuisances like noise pollution. Administration officials said they hope the new rules will be burdensome enough to prompt some drillers to close the wells. Operators would be financially responsible for meeting the requirements and have one to two years to do so. Jared Blumenfeld, California's environmental protection secretary, said the rules signal to existing drillers that theyre going to have to invest a significant amount of time, money and attention in order to get into compliance." Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. WASHINGTON (AP) Facebooks semi-independent oversight board says the company has fallen short of full disclosure on its internal system that exempts high-profile users from some or all of its content rules. Facebook has not been fully forthcoming with the overseers about its XCheck, or cross-check, system the board said in a report Thursday. It also said it will review the system and recommend how the social network giant could change it. The board started looking into the XCheck system last month after The Wall Street Journal reported that many VIP users abuse it, posting material that would cause ordinary users to be sanctioned including for harassment and incitement of violence. For certain elite users, Facebooks rules reportedly dont seem to apply. There were at least 5.8 million exempted users as of last year, according to the Journal article. Facebook is generally not bound under the oversight boards rules to follow its recommendations. We believe the boards work has been impactful, which is why we asked the board for input into our cross-check system, and we will strive to be clearer in our explanations to them going forward," Facebook said in a statement Thursday. The report said Facebook wrongly failed to mention the XCheck system when it asked the board earlier this year to rule on its ban on former President Donald Trumps accounts following the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. Facebook only mentioned cross-check to the board when we asked whether Mr. Trumps page or account had been subject to ordinary content-moderation processes, the report said. In May, the board upheld Facebooks suspension of Trumps accounts, which came out of concern that he incited violence leading to the Jan. 6 riot. But the overseers told Facebook to specify how long the suspension would last. Facebook later announced that Trumps accounts would be suspended for two years, freezing his presence on the social network until early 2023, to be followed by a reassessment. Trump announced Wednesday the launch of a new media company with its own social media platform. He said his goal is to create a rival to the Big Tech companies that have shut him out and denied him the megaphone that was paramount in his national rise. Twitter, which was Trump's platform of choice, banned him permanently after the Jan. 6 assault. The oversight board said Thursday that for its review, Facebook agreed to provide the internal company documents on the XCheck system that were referenced in the Journal article. Facebook documents were leaked to the newspaper by Frances Haugen, a former product manager in the companys civic integrity unit who also provided them to Congress and went public this month with a far-reaching condemnation of the company. In a separate blog post, the board said Haugen has accepted its invitation for a meeting in coming weeks, to discuss her experiences and gather information that can help push for greater transparency and accountability from Facebook through our case decisions and recommendations." Haugens accusations of possible serious harm to some young people from Facebooks Instagram photo-sharing platform raised outrage among lawmakers and the public. The board said in its report that in some cases, Facebook failed to provide relevant information to the board, while in other instances, the information it did provide was incomplete. In a briefing to the board, Facebook admitted it should not have said that (XCheck) only applied to a small number of decisions, the report said. Facebook noted that for teams operating at the scale of millions of content decisions a day, the numbers involved ... seem relatively small, but recognized its phrasing could come across as misleading. Facebook created the oversight panel to rule on thorny content issues following widespread criticism of its problems responding swiftly and effectively to misinformation, hate speech and harmful influence campaigns. The board's decisions have tended to favor free expression over the restriction of content. Its members include a former prime minister of Denmark and a former editor-in-chief of British newspaper the Guardian, along with legal scholars, human rights experts and journalists. The board's independence has been questioned by critics who say it's a Facebook PR campaign intended to draw attention away from deeper problems of hate and misinformation that flourish on its platforms. Follow Marcy Gordon at https://twitter.com/mgordonap Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) A Northern California man was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the 2016 drowning of his 4-year-old daughter in the baptismal pool of a Catholic church. Gerardo Mendoza, 47, had been smoking methamphetamine for three days and began believing his two youngest children were being attacked by evil when he took them to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in the small California wine country city of Healdsburg on Nov. 20, 2016, authorities have said. The 11-year sentence issued by a judge Wednesday was predetermined, part of a negotiated plea to manslaughter that Mendoza agreed to as he was facing trial on murder charges, which could have put him in prison for 25 years to life, the Press Democrat reported. Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Robert LaForge told Mendoza that several statements he made to probation officers before Wednesdays hearing were objectionable. Certainly, Im going to give you the maximum allowed by law based on what I read, LaForge said. There were a couple things that were concerning. Your statement was concerning, minimizing. I want you to know that. LaForge was referring to Mendoza's comments to a probation officer, who prepared a presentencing report and recommendation to the court, that he gave his daughter water but never submerged her. Investigators said Mendoza wanted to find a priest. But after he couldnt find one, he led his daughter Maria and 9-year-old son into a cross-shaped baptismal pool at least a foot (30 centimeters) deep, court documents show. He then carried the girls body to a nearby police station and stood naked in the stations back parking lot yelling help and police in Spanish as he held his fully clothed and soaked daughter, authorities said. His 9-year-old son stood next to him wearing only shorts. The child was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Facing a potential 25-years-to-life sentence if convicted of drowning his daughter, Mendoza pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such at sentencing. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. In response to the denial of the RA Ministry of Defense, the RA Human Rights Defender publishes evidence on the strengthening of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the immediate vicinity of the villages of Gegharkunik Province. This is noted in the statement spread by the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan. "With a clarification on October 19, the RA Ministry of Defense refuted the October 18 statement of the RA Human Rights Defender that the Azerbaijani armed forces which unlawfully invaded the RA Gegharkunik Province are carrying out active fortifications in the immediate vicinity of the RA villages, including road construction, have accumulated a large amount of firewood, etc. After that, a campaign was actually launched to discredit the activities of the RA Human Rights Defender, which was also joined by the secretary of the NSS [(National Security Council)]. First, the reason for the ombudsman's October 18 statement was that the actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces grossly violated the RA civilian life, safe and peaceful life, property and other vital rights of the Armenian population. (Civilian population is shelled, people are unable to use their land, etc.). Numerous calls and complaints of citizens continue to be addressed to the Ombudsman. Both this and any other statement by the Human Rights Defender is based on reliable data of fact-finding work. The purpose of the October 18 statement was to show the illegal actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces and the direct connection of those actions with the violations of the life, property and other vital rights of the RA civilians. The matter is that such actions are followed by their subsequent criminal acts, including terrorist acts, against the [Armenian] civilian population and servicemen, which protect the very life, safe and peaceful life of that population and other vital rights. Moreover, the mentioned statement was based on facts which the staff of the Human Rights Defender has consistently collected as a result of the daily monitoring and report studies of recent months. Therefore, the officials of the administrative staff of the Ministry of Defense who decided to make a statement on October 19 questioning the results of the Human Rights Defender's fact-finding work on the unlawful actions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, should always remember that the Ombudsman never makes statements that are exaggerated or, moreover, have inaccuracies. In general, if the Human Rights Defender makes a public statement, then he has credible evidence for thatnot one, but at least several. Therefore, we demand from those officials of the [defense] ministry not to no longer allow such short-sighted wordings when responding to the statements of the RA Human Rights Defender. Indeed, using the October 19 denial of the RA Ministry of Defense in their favor, statements were made by local and foreign Azerbaijani sources that the RA Ministry of Defense officially confirms that the reports or allegations of the RA Human Rights Defender on the rights of border residents are false, appealing to various instances, demanded that the Ombudsman's reports and statements no longer be taken as a basis. Therefore, it should be borne in mind that the Ombudsman's reports and statements are made even if they may cause political grievances, but instead they become a valuable source for the protection of the rights of RA citizensbeing used in international instances (). And the October 18 statement of the RA Human Rights Defender referred exclusively to the criminal Azerbaijani acts. It did not make any reference to the military serving selflessly in the RA positions. With this statement, I am publicizing only a few credible evidences, in the form of a short video, confirming the unlawful Azerbaijani invasions into the sovereign territory of the Republic of ArmeniaGegharkunik Province, as well as the fortification works by their servicemen in the immediate vicinity of the villages of Gegharkunik Province," reads, in particular, the statement by the ombudsman of Armenia. Armenia does not have a position on the "3 + 3" format yet. The secretary of the Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, stated this on the air of Rusarm.info, referring to the matter of the formation of a new regional format in which the participation of Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, as well as Russia, Iran and Turkey is assumed. Such a proposal was made by Turkey after the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war last fall, during the war Iran had proposed to form a regional format, and recently the Russian Foreign Minister had spoken positively about it. "The format has not been clarified yet, when it becomes clearer, we [i.e., Armenia] will express our position. Naturally, we discuss it, we have presented some positions to our partners, and they approach us with understanding," Grigoryan said. He added that Armenia attaches importance to the normalization of relations with Turkey, but also singles out the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey. "Having received a mandate after the [snap parliamentary] elections [on June 20] to open the era of peace, we attach importance to normalizing relations with Turkey; not only political, but also economic. Economic normalization opens wide opportunities for us. Only if you look at the Yerevan-Kars railway, you will see how many economic opportunities open up. Turkey will also benefit from the Yerevan-Kars railway, as it has no alternative to it," Grigoryan said. Also, the secretary of the Security Council of Armenia said that the issue of providing a corridor through the territory of Armenia has not been discussed and is not being discussed, and that there are no arrangements on that. Armenia President visits National University of Singapore Gia, wanted by French law-enforcement authorities, found at Armenia's Bagratashen checkpoint Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia agree to meet in Brussels European Council: Pashinyan and Aliyev agreed to establish direct communication line at level of defense ministers Armenia's Representative to OSCE speaks about Azerbaijan's recent attack at Permanent Council's session Armenia serviceman Meruzhan Harutyunyan, killed in Syunik Province, was buried at Yerablur Military Pantheon Armenian News-NEWS.am's special report: Drive from Kapan to Tchakatashen is 150 km instead of previous 8 km 3 Armenian servicemen killed during Nov. 16 Azerbaijani attack posthumously awarded presidential medals Left-wing trade unions hold protest against Turkey's Erdogan in Izmir Armenia FM presents situation following Azerbaijani attack during meeting with Lithuanian Seimas Vice-President Armenia delegation covers Azerbaijan's Nov. 16 attack during online meeting of CSTO PA Permanent Commissions Armenia PM receives delegation led by Vice President of Lithuanian Seimas Lavrov, Cavusoglu discuss bilateral ties and regional issues Karabakh: Azerbaijani side, in Shushi, transfers bodies of 3 Armenian soldiers killed on Nov. 16 NEWS.am daily digest: 19.11.21 Armenian Embassy in Russia: Armenia citizens - mother and child - evacuated from Afghanistan Georgia refuses to be a part of '3+3' format with regard to South Caucasus The occupied Hadrut of our days (PHOTOS) Arabologist: Photo of map of Turkic world shown by Erdogan and Bahceli is simply a gift for Armenian diplomacy Situation is tense in Armenia's Kasakh, residents protesting against acting village head (LIVE) Opposition With Honor legislature faction MP: No one knows if Armenia petitioned to Russia for military assistance Armenia opposition MP: There is a threat that Baku will always get what it wants through use of force Lavrov is certain that the Russia-Armenia-Azerbaijan summit will take place Ann Linde: OSCE working very closely with Russia to resolve Karabakh conflict Karabakh FM congratulates newly appointed Abkhazia counterpart Dollar relatively stable in Armenia Armenia parliament majority members do not deny possibility of exchange of territories with Azerbaijan Armenia ruling party MP: Public and competent authorities need to know circumstances behind captures of soldiers Armenia ruling party MP assures that situation on the border is currently stable Armenia ruling party MP: Confidentiality of process of preparing for demarcation is strictly necessary Armenia PM: Citizens of EEU countries will be able to receive loans in all territories of member states Armenian serviceman, 19, dies in Georgia's Akhalkalaki Armenia legislature majority faction lawmaker: Russia military intervention is not end in itself High commissioner: Diaspora is considering ways to help hundreds of Ethiopia Armenians Opposition With Honor parliament faction: Armenia authorities trying to push territorial losses issue to backburner Legislature majority faction MP: Armenia authorities do not make any demands on Russia Opposition Armenia Faction in parliament: Authorities are unable to distinguish between priority and secondary issues 3 more die of coronavirus in Artsakh Bruno Retailleau: France must support Armenia more firmly against aggressions by Azerbaijan Armenia parliament majority faction: Border delimitation preparation process will start from point zero PM: Armenia exports to other EEU countries increased by 27.8% Armenias Pashinyan: Azerbaijan provocations are aimed at disrupting arrangements reached by trilateral statements California Armenian couple accused of fraud flee leaving their 3 children behind 799 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Katherine Clark: Azerbaijan must acknowledge and respect Armenian sovereignty Eurasian Intergovernmental Council enlarged meeting underway in Yerevan Russia peacekeepers patrol along Karabakh border delimitation line MOD: According to current data Armenia has 6 military casualties as result of Tuesdays attack by Azerbaijan Turkish Islamic preachers organization denies reports of his death Newspaper: What happened to missing Armenia soldiers during recent hostilities? Armenia MOD dismisses reports about not allowing officers with higher rank than major to go up to combat positions US virtually completes development of new tactical nuclear gravity bomb B61-12 Newspaper: Officers with higher rank than major not allowed to combat positions during recent hostilities in Syunik 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 Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement is a confirmation of the fact that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is not settled. Tigran Abrahamyan, an MP from the opposition "With Honor" Faction in the National Assembly of Armenia and the founder of Henaket Analytical Center, told about this to a press conference Friday. According to him, the aforesaid statement creates opportunities to start processes at some stage within the framework of Armenian interests. He added, however, that such a process can start only after a change of power in Armenia. "Such an approach [by Russia] contradicts the position of Azerbaijan and Turkey which are stating that the conflict is settled and they have resolved the issue by military means," Abrahamyan added. The Armenian MP reminded that by starting a war, Azerbaijan has violated one of the main principles underlying the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) peace talks: the principle of non-use of force, or threat of its use. "So far, this fact has not received a proper international response. The Armenian authorities are not raising this issue properly either," he said. Iran and Russia talk about the need to preserve Armenia's territorial integrity and a secure connection between Armenia and Iran, and since their interests coincide with Armenia's interests, this, in Abrahamyan's opinion, restrains Turkey and Azerbaijan. "And again, the Armenian authorities do not synchronize their actions with those countries, although it could have benefited us. For example, the Armenian authorities do not have any influence on the processes toward Syunik [Province of Armenia]," the Armenian opposition lawmaker concluded. There should not be dividing lines in Europe because many challenges do not recognize national borders. The speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, stated this at the PACE European Conference of Presidents of Parliament during his speech in the format of the topic The Common Future of All European Citizens, the NA informed. The Head of Parliament has underlined that the challenges demand active cooperation between national parliaments and international parliamentary organizations. The Council of Europe impacts the lives of more than 800 million people. Today our world faces serious challenges; we live in the times of big transformations - where terrorism can prevail over the peace and security and when the foreign policy can be guided by intolerance. The NA President underscored. The Head of Parliament especially highlighted the peoples full execution of right to live in the peaceful and secure environment, adding: The common future for all European citizens is possible only in peaceful environment. For Armenia and the people of Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] it has special meaning as we are going through difficult times due to many unresolved post-war issues. In this context the Head of legislative body considered necessary the peaceful, comprehensive, and lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. Alen Simonyan emphasized the role of the neighborhood policy in the security issues. The stability of Europe is very much connected with the security in its neighborhood, and we are ready to work with all responsible members of the international community who are interested in establishing a long-lasting peace and stability in our region. We need unity, solidarity and global partnership to solve global problems, Alen Simonyan noted. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan today received newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Armenia Anne Louyot, as reported the press service of the Government of Armenia. The Armenian premier congratulated the Ambassador on her appointment and talked about the relations between France and Armenia, adding that the countries need to strengthen cooperation in the economic sector since they have done or are doing almost everything in the other sectors. He also said this is extremely important in the sense of strengthening the political relations. The Prime Minister highlighted Frances role in terms of the Co-Chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group, the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the effectiveness of the settlement of and peaceful negotiations over the conflict, expressing hope that the new Ambassador will be active in this context and new achievements will be made. Ambassador Louyot expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for the cordial reception and stated that it is a great responsibility for her to be Frances Ambassador to Armenia. She also transmitted Emmanuel Macrons warm greetings and added that she plans to develop a roadmap for joint actions and programs with the Government of Armenia soon. The interlocutors discussed the Armenia-European Union relations, including issues related to the implementation of the programs for Armenia costing EUR 2.6 billion, the cooperation within the scope of the Eastern Partnership and the ongoing advancement of democratic reforms that are underway in Armenia. The parties also exchanged views on intensification of the negotiations over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the importance of the upcoming visit of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to the region and the processes unfolding in the South Caucasus. We find that what is happening and that which is being presented as unblocking of communications and opening of a new era of peace in the region are all fake processes that are cut off from the reality, and all this will happen at the expense of the vital interests of Armenia; this will be a capitulation agreement, and new concessions will be made. This is what Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Ishkhan Saghatelyan said during a roundtable entitled The Dangers Threatening Armenia and Artsakh and the Paths to Overcome the Dangers. You can consider this [roundtable] the launch of a new process. Our guests are scholars, analysts and experts, and the topic is the current situation on the borders of Armenia and Artsakh and the directions for solutions. Our main objective is to save Armenia and Artsakh. Yes, we find that citizens of Armenia need to form national resistance to prevent the Turkification of Armenia and prevent the government from leading the country to further capitulation. Our and the incumbent authorities notions of the countrys future are different. We find that what is happening and that which is being presented as unblocking of communications and opening of a new era of peace in the region are all fake processes that are cut off from the reality, and all this will happen at the expense of the vital interests of Armenia; this will be a capitulation agreement, and new concessions will be made. The creation of the Zangezur corridor will lead to devastating consequences. I have no basis to believe what these authorities say because they do the opposite of what they say, Saghatelyan said. Asked if the Armenia faction will only limit itself to discussions and whether it will start leading a struggle on the streets, Saghatelyan noted that the faction has shown, with its actions, that it wont limit itself to discussions. With this agenda, we will hold a big rally soon. We will announce the date next week, Saghatelyan mentioned. On November 9, Armenia and Azerbaijan will sign two new documents in Moscow, Alik Media reports, citing reliable diplomatic sources. The two documents, which are about to be finalized, will be signed by Nikol Pashinyan and Ilham Aliyev, through the mediation and with the participation of Vladimir Putin, if there are no force-majeure situations at the last minute. The first document concerns the demarcation and delimitation of the state borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan by which Yerevan and Baku will acknowledge each others borders and territorial integrity, taking as a basis the maps of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR dating back to the 1920s. It was not by chance that Vladimir Putin recalled those maps today. The second document on which an almost final agreement was reached based on the results of the recent meeting of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan, concerns the unblocking of communications in the region, particularly the specifics of the establishment of road-corridors, including communication between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan. November 9th was specifically selected since on that day in 2020, the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan, through the mediation of the President of Russia, signed a trilateral statement by which the hostilities were stopped, and in a matter of weeks, the Armenian troops went to the borders of the Republic of Armenia. Tomorrow Alik Media will touch upon the two to-be-signed documents, including the status of Artsakh and the road-corridor more extensively and more thoroughly, the source reports. Power outages in China disrupted production. A rumored fuel shortage prompted panicked drivers in the UK to overwhelm petrol stations andcreate a fuel crisis. Labor shortages at Los Angeles and other ports left cargo ships waiting for weeks to be unloaded and the price of containers, out of circulation and in increasingly short supply, to skyrocket. These triggers create a vicious cycle that can persist on its own, and thats what were in right now, explained Alex Niemeyer, an associate professor of professional management practice at the Miami Herbert Business School and former global leader of McKinsey's Supply Chain practice. Nothing is structurally broken with the supply chain, except that everybody is inefficient and using the system badlythey want to get more than their fair share. Niemeyer together with Arun Sharma, a professor of marketing and an expert in the field whose current research focuses on companies flexibility to shift practices in accordance with conditions, offered their perspectives on the current bottlenecked scenario. If youre a company and the delivery time for the products that you need goes up, what do you do? asked Niemeyer, noting this exact situation is occurring with a client. You have to order more inventory because you need more protection and when you do you create a demand spike, not because your demand has gone up, but because you no longer trust the supply chain. And therefore, the company has to produce more and ship more, but shipping capacity cannot comply. So, now the delays are even longer, and you have pileups in front of the Los Angeles harbor. The tendency to seek more than your fair share, he said, reflects a tragedy of the commons. The term describes a standard economic behavior and dates to the ancient English practice of providing free grazing spacea field or commonsfor sheep. Everyone could send their sheep to graze and that was great; it was efficient, Niemeyer explained. But then everyone was incentivized to have more sheep because they could graze for free on common land, but if everybody has more sheep then you ruin the land, he explained. So, as is happening now, when you take more than your fair share, individually its the right thing to do, but collectively its a disaster. Sharma, noting the disruption caused by the pandemic, detailed three factors that have exacerbated that impact. Supply chains are designed for, and accustomed to, relatively stable demand. And the pandemic has disrupted different areas of the world at different times and in different intensities, he pointed out. There was no margin for a pandemic and, of course, the chains got out of whack. The second factor, the China-centric supply model, is shifting but were not there yet, Sharma said, noting the Biden administration continues its efforts to find other countries to replace the supply line of goods from the Red Dragon. The U.S., he urged, needs to continue to shift to a near shore model, more North-South and less East-West oriented. Canada and Mexico are already important markets, and he sees Mexicoalready critical to the U.S. auto industryas especially playing an integral role in U.S. trade. Other business school economists, such as Alex Horenstein, have noted recently that the U.S. could reduce its dependency on China, reap its own benefits, and improve the economies of hemispheric neighbors and thereby stem immigration by reducing trading barriers with Latin American and Caribbean nations. The third factor, according to Sharma, also has to do with unforeseen triggering events that overwhelm the already vulnerable supply chains. The only possible solution is for companies to plan and organize better, and to increase their organizational liquiditytheir ability to adapt more quickly to external conditions. Its been 50 yearssince the oil crisis of the late 1970ssince we saw something like this, and the supply chain was not ready. The rapid rise and decline of certain goods and services has been devastating, he said. The problem is that the pace of change is so much more rapid than the ability of the organization to address that pace. Increasing organizational liquidity is Sharmas current area of research. Working in teams, making your people more educated, looking at what you need to do and what you can let others doproscriptions like these will increase liquidity, he said. We live in a very efficiency-based world, and unless we make organizations more liquid, even improving infrastructure will not make much of a difference to what were facing right now. In his time at McKinsey, Niemeyer helped many individual companies break out of similar vicious cycles within their company. Getting all the players to start behaving at the same time was the key, he pointed out. But you can't do that with a global system of thousands of companies, because you don't control their incentives, he said. Fixing this system would mean that the entire group coordinates to simultaneously change course, but here you have independent companies and independent consumers so it is not possible to tell them all to do the right thing at the same time. Why would they? he asked rhetorically. A recession is one of the few things that would actually help the situation, Niemeyer noted. A supplier would decide that theyre not going to sell much. So, the demand for shipping would go down, then the demand for labor would go down. And we would catch up with the backlog, but obviously no one wants a recession, he said. A vicious cycle is the fundamental underlying reason for the current backlog, and it frustrates everybody, Niemeyer said. It could be in two weeks something magically materializes, and it could be in two years were still in this. He compared the scenario to a highway traffic jam. They clear the accident, but the jam can prevail. Because while the cars in front may move, new cars keep adding to the backup. Finally, it dissolves. And you drive by and say: Why was there such a traffic jam? OSU/A&M Regents approve personnel actions Media Contact: Shannon Rigsby | Public Information Officer | 405-744-9081 | shannon.rigsby@okstate.edu Numerous Oklahoma State University personnel actions were approved during the OSU/A&M Board of Regents meeting Friday at Connors State College in Warner, Oklahoma. New appointments Paulina Velez-Gomez, assistant extension specialist, Agricultural Education, Communication and Leadership Kimberly Zoldak, teaching assistant professor, Physics Amit Bansal, instructor of professional practice and director, Finance Gustavo Azevedo, research assistant professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering From the Center for Health Sciences Trevor Anderson, clinical assistant professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science Changes in appointment Randy Raper, appointment to assistant vice president of DASNR facilities, Division of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources Richard Gajan, appointment as assistant department head, Entrepreneurship Brian Roseman, appointment as a Greg Massey Fellow, Finance John Weaver, appointment as director, OK Thrive, Teaching, Learning and Educational Sciences James Smay, appointment as school head, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, OSU-Tulsa, Materials and Science Engineering Jill Akkerman, appointment as director, Clinical Skills Program, Physiological Sciences Simon Ringsmuth, appointment to assistant professor, Library Matthew Lovern, appointment associate dean, Graduate College From OSU-Tulsa Raman Singh, transition from administrative appointment as school head, Materials Science and Engineering James Smay, appointment as school head, Materials Science and Engineering Retirements China hits out at Joe Biden's comments on Taiwan Joe Biden appears in a town hall meeting in Baltimore. Photo: AP The United States would come to Taiwan's defence and has a commitment to defend the island, US President Joe Biden said on Thursday, though the White House said later there was no change in policy towards the island. "Yes, we have a commitment to do that," Biden said at a CNN town hall when asked if the United States would come to the defence of Taiwan. A White House spokesperson said Biden at his town hall was not announcing any change in US policy, but declined further comment when asked if Biden had misspoken. China expressed its displeasure anyway, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying the country has no room for concessions on its core interests. China urges the United States "not to send the wrong signals to the forces of Taiwan independence, to avoid seriously harming Sino-US ties and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," spokesman Wang Wenbin said in Beijing. (Reuters) Spectrum of the Seas cruise grounded for 21 days Officials said the Spectrum of the Seas ship can receive guests again from November 11. File photo: RTHK A cruise-to-nowhere ship where a staff member tested positive for Covid-19 has been banned from sailing for 21 days after health authorities confirmed the patient to be a re-positive case. The 40-year-old crew member of Spectrum of the Seas, who had tested positive in Malaysia in July, tested positive again on Thursday, but with a very low viral load. The case forced the cancellation of a voyage on Thursday. Authorities said the fully-vaccinated man was asymptomatic and tested negative upon admission to hospital, while his antibody test was positive. "Based on the epidemiological and laboratory findings, the case is compatible with a re-positive case," the Centre for Health Protection said. Officials said they requested the cruise to suspend operations for 21 days "for prudence sake". Spectrum of the Seas ship can receive guests again from November 11. The Centre for Health Protection said its officers had boarded the ship to inspect its sanitary condition, as epidemiological investigation and contact tracing continued. It said close contacts have been quarantined. Officials reminded people who have been on the ship between September 30 to October 21 to undergo mandatory testing. 'Biden and Macron discuss stronger European defence' US and French presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron will meet in Rome later this month. File photo: AFP US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed strengthening European defences in a telephone call on Friday, the White House said, as Washington seeks to mend ties after a bitter row over submarine contracts. The two leaders "discussed efforts to enable a stronger and more capable European defence while ensuring complementarity with Nato," the statement said. Biden will meet Macron in Rome later this month, and the statement said he looked forward to the chance to "take stock of the many areas of US-France cooperation, and reinforce our shared interests". The two last spoke on September 22 for their first conversation since the furious spat over selling submarines to Australia severely strained relations. Specifically, Australia agreed to acquire US nuclear sub technology and in doing so scrap a huge, already existing deal with France to buy conventional submarines. The new accord infuriated the French. Macron recalled France's ambassador to Washington and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian compared Biden's unilateral methods to ex-president Donald Trump's but "without the tweets". Although Biden did not apologise for secretly negotiating to sell nuclear submarines to Australia, he did acknowledge that the issue "would have benefitted from open consultations among allies," according to a statement afterward. US officials have since sought to patch up ties, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visiting Paris earlier this month and holding a one-to-one meeting with Macron. In their September call, Macron secured what he saw as a significant commitment from Biden to respect French-led efforts to boost European defence and autonomy. US Vice President Kamala Harris will also hold talks with Macron in Paris next month, the White House announced. (AFP) Associated Press The most dramatic Formula One title fight in at least a decade further intensified Friday when Christian Horner and Toto Wolff traded barbs at the same time the FIA denied Mercedes' right to appeal last week's non-penalty on championship leader Max Verstappen. Wolff, the head of Mercedes, and Red Bull principal Horner sat side-by-side during a tense 30-minute media briefing that displayed the full animosity between the two teams. Lewis Hamilton earned his 101st victory at the Brazilian GP to cut his deficit to Verstappen to only 14 points with three races remaining. MILWAUKEE The search for 3-year-old Major Harris came to a tragic end Thursday. Milwaukee police found the childs body in a storage bin. "This is an ongoing investigation, this is something that is very fluid at this time," Acting Chief Jeffrey Norman said. "My heart and my condolences go out to the family." Major had been missing for a week, ever since his mother, Mallery Muenzenberger, 25, was found shot to death in the backyard of a Milwaukee home Oct. 14. Muenzenberger and her son lived in Onalaska, Wisconsin, and police said she and her son were last seen alive on Oct. 9 in Milwaukee. Authorities initially struggled to identify Muenzenberger and notify her family, in part because she was not a local resident, but when they did make contact with relatives last Saturday, they learned her son was missing and issued an Amber Alert. Missing children: 8 missing endangered children recovered, 18 sex offenders arrested in Louisiana, US Marshals say Police on Saturday, Oct. 16, issued an Amber Alert for 3-year-old Major P. Harris. Major is the son of a Milwaukee homicide victim and has been missing since Oct. 14. Police quickly developed a suspect in Jaheem Clark, 20, but he died by suicide Sunday as officers approached the home where he was staying. The next day, police found Muenzenbergers black SUV near a laundromat. Blood was found inside the car. That day, and in the days since, Milwaukee police and volunteers have searched parks, neighborhoods and even rural areas in Dodge and Washington counties. Majors father and Muenzenbergers family have pleaded for help in finding the child. On Wednesday, police confirmed they had taken people into custody who they believed may have knowledge of what happened. Two men, ages 21 and 29, remained in custody late Thursday and had not been charged, police spokesman Sgt. Efrain Cornejo said. Four other people who had been arrested were no longer in custody, he said. Amid a cold drizzle, 50 officers and 40 volunteers spread out in the neighborhood, looking inside garbage cans, abandoned vehicles and bushes. Officers knocked on doors and asked residents if they had seen or heard anything about the boy. Story continues Many of the volunteers were mothers, compelled to act as they thought of their own families. "I would want somebody else to do it for me," said Tabitha Mortenson, who drove from her home in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on her day off. 'Help bring my sister home': Husband of missing Southern California woman Maya Milette arrested, charged in her killing The pain of Major's disappearance and his mother's killing was collective tragedy, said Trinika Walker, who lost her son to gun violence in 2018. "Hearts are crying out," she said. "You can feel that there's hurt, and you can feel that there's strength through hurt." Several hours into the search, police taped off multiple streets. Major's father, Carlton Harris, and others huddled in an alley. Police located Major's body in a storage bin, according to a law enforcement source. I cant believe it, that boy is dead, Sabrina Henry, who lives in the area, told a Journal Sentinel, a part of the USA TODAY Network, reporter. Carlton Harris, center, the father of missing 3-year-old Major Harris, reacts after hearing the news his son was found dead Thursday afternoon. Major's body was found in a storage bin. Carlton Harris, visibly shaken, emerged from the alley and began cursing. Supporters surrounded him and tried to console him as they led him from the scene. The crowd swelled to nearly 100 people and as officers began to remove the crime scene tape, they surged into the intersection and stopped traffic, hurling water bottles at passing cars whose drivers ignored signals from volunteers trying to redirect traffic. The crowd dissipated after about 15 minutes. The search marked the first time police asked volunteers for help Emotions run high as Carlton Harris, center, the father of missing 3-year-old Major Harris, learns his son was found dead Thursday afternoon. The search for Major and for justice in his mother's killing has dominated news coverage in Milwaukee. But the case hardly made national news, something noted by several volunteers on Thursday who compared the situation with the seemingly nonstop coverage of the disappearance of Gabby Petito, a young white woman. "You've got a 3-year-old baby who cannot speak for himself, and nobody's making a big fuss about it like they did Gabby," said Nicole Taylor of Milwaukee. "It's a big difference." Over the past week, Major's father, community activists and some volunteers had criticized Milwaukee police for not doing enough to find the child. 'Unsolved for so long': Human bone found in vehicle connected to 20-year-old missing persons cold case in Ohio Much of the criticism stemmed from police officials' first news conference Tuesday, when authorities said they had no plans to canvass other areas until they received additional, credible information. The next day, Major's father called the department a joke and said he was frustrated police were not actively searching parks and other areas in the city. Hours after making those comments, he and volunteers searched Washington Park and other locations with help from activists Tory Lowe and Vaun Mayes. Thursday marked the first time the police department had asked for volunteers to help search, though police repeatedly asked for anyone with information to contact them. Norman defended the department's actions, saying police had to be strategic in how it deployed different resources. As soon as we found out during the investigation that there was a child missing, the Amber Alert went out, he said Thursday, later adding: We also understand the urgency and the seriousness." Muenzenberger remembered as loving mother: 'Her son was her life' Muenzenbergers family had prayed for a safe return for Major. Earlier Thursday, her family issued a statement remembering her as a kind soul with a sweet smile and as a mother who loved her little boy with all of her heart. Her son was her life her joy her purpose, her future, the family said. She loved her family. Mallery Muenzenberger holds her son, Major Harris, in this undated family photo. We are heartbroken as we prepare to say our final goodbyes to Mallery who was taken from us in such a violent fashion, according to the statement. She faced her death at the hands of domestic violence, the statement read, noting that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As we have been searching through her belongings, we came across her high school senior project, the statement read. How ironic that the topic she chose to present was Domestic Violence Awareness. Related story: Flavor Flav faces domestic battery charge after scuffle with girlfriend at home The family asked everyone to keep domestic violence victims in your hearts and say a prayer that their souls rest in peace. Milwaukee police have said Muenzenberger and the suspect in her killing were acquaintances and have not elaborated on the nature of their relationship. On Thursday, Muenzenbergers family said she had become involved in a life she never shared with our family. She was much too private, the statement read. She was an honest person with too much trust, we have found out. As the family prepared for Muenzenbergers funeral services, they said they were desperate for any information about her sons location. We will never rest until we locate Major, the statement said. Video: Police kill man after finding him asleep in car If you are a victim of domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline allows you to speak confidentially with trained advocates online or by the phone, which they recommend for those who think their online activity is being monitored by their abuser (800-799-7233). They can help survivors develop a plan to achieve safety for themselves and their children. Safe Horizon's hotline offers crisis counseling, safety planning, and assistance finding shelters: 800-621-HOPE (4673). It has a chat feature where you can reach out for help from a computer or phone confidentially. Contributing: Elliot Hughes Follow Sophie Carson on Twitter: @SCarson_News. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Boy found dead in Milwaukee is 3-year-old missing week after mom shot PITTSBURGH (AP) As the three-year mark since the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue approaches, survivors are planning now-familiar annual rituals of remembrance, the criminal case involving the suspect plods on, and the site is in line for restoration. The landmark synagogue in Pittsburgh's leafy Squirrel Hill neighborhood remains dormant, but a renowned architect is among those working to transform the site where 11 people were killed in Americas deadliest antisemitic attack. No trial date is in sight for the suspect, Robert G. Bowers. Nor is there any indication the U.S. Justice Department is heeding the calls of some members of the targeted congregations to avert a trial by dropping its quest for a death penalty and accepting a guilty plea accompanied by a life sentence. In the coming days, members of the three congregations whose Sabbath services were underway during the Oct. 27, 2018, attack will join with supporters to pay quiet tribute, gathering for community-service projects and studying the Torah. And on Wednesday afternoon, three years to the day since the shooting, they will assemble outdoors for a memorial service at Schenley Park, among 11 trees planted there to remember the slain. People are having a really difficult time in this COVID era, said Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, formed to help those affected by the synagogue shooting and hate crimes. The goal this year was to come together safely. Its been a long road of not being able to do that. Bowers' lawyers and federal prosecutors were in a Pittsburgh courtroom this month to argue whether incriminating statements he made at the scene can be used against him. Some members of the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light congregations say their grief has been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic because it further isolated them from one another and from in-person worship. Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of Tree of Life, who survived the attack, said the dual traumas have left congregants at various stages of recovery. Story continues There are some who say theyre healed, he said. If thats the case, I say thank God. I can only say for myself, I will always be healing. The pandemic has also caused delays and logistical challenges in the federal capital murder case against Bowers, a former truck driver whose statements that day and trail of online posts suggest he was consumed by hatred for Jewish people when, authorities say, he launched the attack. Bowers, 49, has avoided public statements from behind bars as his team of attorneys has fought to prevent him from being executed, even offering to have him plead guilty in return for a life sentence. U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose has sealed about 100 of the roughly 600 docket entries in the case, restricting how much the public can know about the proceedings. The acting U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh, Stephen R. Kaufman, declined to comment for this article, and Bowers' legal team did not respond to messages. Bowers, armed with an assault-style rifle and three handguns, is accused of shooting 18 people and trading gunfire with officers, getting shot three times before he was taken into police custody. His social media history included posts about a false conspiracy theory that the Holocaust was a hoax and expressed contempt for a nonprofit Jewish group that helps refugees. In 2019, Bowers lawyers told Ambrose this case would already be over and interests in a speedy resolution vindicated had the government accepted the defendants offer to plead guilty as charged and be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release. Under then-President Donald Trump, the Justice Department pursued the killings as a death penalty case. But in July, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a moratorium on federal executions while his agency reviews policies and procedures, adding to the uncertainty. Prosecutors continue to treat it as a capital case, but it's unclear what would happen to Bowers if he is convicted. Over the past two years, the defense and prosecutors have battled over evidence, search warrants and court procedures, as well as the effect of the pandemic on Bowers' right to a fair trial. The defense team has insisted on safe conditions and expressed concern about the risks of travel, while the U.S. attorneys office has complained about what they deem delay tactics. Dave Freed, a former U.S. attorney in Harrisburg, called three years an unusually long period between arrest and trial for any criminal case, but said the intense public interest in the synagogue shooting and the potential death penalty both put added pressure on lawyers to get it right. I think you have to add COVID to mix Im sure its contributed, said Freed, who did not have a role in the Tree of Life case when he worked for the Justice Department. Some members of the three congregations want the Justice Department to take the deal that would spare Bowers' life. Dor Hadash, as a congregation, has urged Garland to abandon pursuit of the death penalty. Individual members of New Light also are opposed to a potential sentence of death. Author Beth Kissileff urged against the death penalty on religious grounds and because a plea would spare survivors the trauma of a trial. Her husband, New Light Rabbi Jonathan Perlman, survived the shooting. As angry as I am that the lives of our friends and congregants were brutally ended, it is Gods responsibility, not ours, to avenge their death, she wrote in the Jewish news site, The Forward. Kissileff said she is encouraged by President Joe Bidens campaign pledge to support legislation eliminating the federal death penalty and to give states incentives to do the same. She is also encouraged by the moratorium imposed by Garland. Survivors said that they understand that capital cases take a long time, and that the pandemic has made this one take longer, but they want to get it behind them. We would like to move on with our lives and we would like to get this over a done with, said Carol Black, who lived through the attack by hiding in a storeroom. Survivors are also redoubling efforts to combat violent extremism. Featured speakers at a three-day Eradicate Hate Global Summit, held in Pittsburgh this week, included experts alongside survivors and relatives of victims. Meanwhile, the Tree of Life Congregation has chosen architect Daniel Libeskind, the master planner for the reconstruction of New Yorks World Trade Center, to redesign the sprawling synagogue complex, with plans to share space with the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. The goal is to create a solemn memorial as well as a place of regular activity. Were all excited about the potential of what the premier architect of his generation could come up with at Tree of Life, Myers said. ___ Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content. DHAKA,Bangladesh (AP) Two groups of Rohingya refugees clashed Friday in a camp in southern Bangladesh, leaving at least six refugees dead and 10 others injured, police said. The violence broke out in Coxs Bazar district when one side opened fire, killing four people at the scene, said Shihab Kaiser Khan, commander of the Armed Police Battalion, which oversees the camps security. Two others died in a hospital while they were being treated for their injuries, Khan said. It was not immediately clear why the violence broke out, but local media said the two sides were feuding to establish supremacy in the camp over an illegal drug business. Bangladeshi officials said earlier that some Rohingya groups are involved in serious crimes such as kidnapping and ransom-seeking, and that they use the camps to smuggle drugs from Myanmar, where they lived before arriving in Bangladesh. Khan said one Rohingya man was detained with weapons but did not provide any further details. He said police were searching the camp for other suspects. Fridays violence occurred about three weeks after an international representative for the Rohingya refugees was shot to death in the camp in the same sub-district of Ukhiya. Mohibullah, who was in his 40s, was a teacher who emerged as a key refugee leader and a spokesman representing the Muslim ethnic group in international meetings. He visited the White House in 2019 for a meeting on religious freedom with then-President Donald Trump and spoke about the suffering and persecution the Rohingya faced in Myanmar. Police have made several arrests related to his murder. More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled to refugee camps in Bangladesh since August 2017, when the military in Buddhist-majority Myanmar began a harsh crackdown on the Muslim ethnic group following an attack by insurgents. They joined hundreds of thousands of others who have fled to Bangladesh over decades. The 2017 crackdown included rapes, killings and the torching of thousands of homes, and was termed ethnic cleansing by global rights groups and the U.N. While Bangladesh and Myanmar have sought to arrange repatriations, the Rohingya are too fearful to return home. Overall, Bangladesh has been sheltering more than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar after previous waves of persecution. The teachers at an Afghan midwifery college in a Taliban stronghold have dodged bullets through their office windows and seen their last training centre blown up. But they kept working for the sake of the mothers and babies in their rural community. Now, with the Islamist hardliners in control of Afghanistan, the instructors are calling on the new government to allow them to continue their work in peace. "I do my job because of a sense of humanitarianism and patriotism, and because I feel the need to serve my community and the most oppressed members of our society: women and children," teacher Shafiqa Bironi told AFP. "Our demand now is that the Taliban provide a safe and open space for women to at least be able to help other women," the 52-year-old said. The Community Midwifery Education School in Maidan Shar, the capital of the central Wardak province, has 25 students who will graduate in May 2022 after a stop-start two-year programme because of the unrest and the coronavirus pandemic. At times during fierce fighting between the Taliban and former government forces the school would get caught in the crossfire, forcing teachers and students to bolt themselves behind steel doors. "It was hard work," said course director Khatool Fazly, whose office walls still bear bullet holes. "There were battles literally every day." In 2013, the previous school site was completely destroyed in an explosion targeting a prison next door that housed Taliban fighters. - 'Overcome the challenges' - The Taliban, known for their oppressive rule from 1996 to 2001, have effectively excluded many women and girls from education and work, while some healthcare workers, encouraged to return, have been too afraid. In May, the Taliban began snapping up government-controlled districts in Wardak province, before the whole country finally fell to the group in mid-August. For now, the new rulers have not imposed any new rules that would impact the work of the midwifery college. Story continues Fazly said local Taliban loyalists' wives and children are among those who rely on its services. The biggest challenge facing the midwives, like many healthcare workers across the country, is that they have not received their salaries for four months because of Afghanistan's dysfunctional banking system. Steep progress has been made over the past 15 years, thanks in part to international aid organisations supporting healthcare facilities and training programmes like the one in Maidan Shar. But Afghanistan still has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and thousands of Afghan women die every year from pregnancy-related causes, most of which should be easily preventable. Fazly set up the centre in 2004 to "overcome these challenges, particularly in our province". The trainees study in a room lined with posters raising awareness on obstetric care as well as Covid prevention. During a visit by AFP, about 10 women wearing white lab coats and headscarves gathered around plastic models of female anatomy and medical equipment, discussing labour and emergency procedures. Since its founding, 181 women have graduated from the school. "It is important for every citizen to serve their country and community by any means in any area, be it education or health because our people really need it," Fazly said. je/dc/ecl/lb/ser/ssy/leg An anti-critical race theory (CRT) organization is helping Virginia voters keep the issue top-of-mind with a $1 million, multi-faceted ad strategy before November's toss-up gubernatorial election. Starting on Friday, national and state TV networks will air a video accusing Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe of "minimizing" the role of parents. A digital component will target Essex, Nelson and Westmoreland counties, considered to be bellwether's in the race. Loudoun and Fairfax counties, which have seen an explosion in debate over the issue, will also be targeted. Free to Learn Action, a 501(c)4 tax-exempt organization, is running the ads less than two weeks before residents head to the polls. They're scheduled to continue through the election. The group's 501(c)3 has already placed ads in the state, where its president, Alleigh Marre, resides. BIDEN TO CAMPAIGN WITH TERRY MCAULIFFE IN TOSS-UP VIRGINIA ELECTION "The fact that many parents no longer feel like their child is entrusted to a safe school environment erodes the most basic expectation between a parent and the education system. We cannot allow this to continue," said Marre, who leads both the (c)3 and (c)4. "The safety and future of our children is at stake." Friday's video hones in on Terry McAuliffe's controversial argument that parents shouldn't be "telling schools what they should teach." CRT, and education more generally, have become prominent in the race, which could serve as a political test for the controversial ideology. McAuliffe's Republican opponent, Glenn Youngkin, has been outspoken about the issue while the Democratic nominee has dismissed the controversy as a right-wing conspiracy. McAuliffe recently released an ad accusing Youngkin of taking his comments out of context. ANTI-CRITICAL RACE THEORY ORG TAKING AIM AT LOUDOUN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD IN HALF MILLION DOLLAR AD BUY "Glenn Youngkin's taking my words out of context. I've always valued the concerns of parents," he said. McAuliffe and his wife, he said, "know good schools depend on involved parents." Story continues Free to Learn Action's ad starts with footage of parents with children. "Raising children," a female narrator says. "Theres so many roles. Cheerleader, teacher. The most important? Protector." "But, Terry McAuliffe spent years minimizing the role of parents." The ad then shows McAuliffe saying: "I dont think parents should be telling schools what they should teach." It touches on sensitive subjects within the state low test scores, "sexual assaults, and a divisive activist curriculum" suggesting that McAuliffe, who is also a former governor, is to blame. The ad points to stories about an alleged sexual assault in Loudoun County and a graphic book in Fairfax. McAuliffe didn't appear to be involved with those specific instances, although a leaked document reportedly showed his Department of Education encouraging the use of CRT and related ideas. A Haitian gang leader has threatened to kill 17 members of a U.S. Christian missionary group being held hostage in the lawless Caribbean nation. In a video posted to social media on Thursday, a man believed to be the leader of the "400 Mawozo" gang says he'll shoot the 16 Americans and one Canadian, including five children, if his group's demand for $1 million in ransom for each hostage is not met. CBS News has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the video, but the Reuters news agency said a U.S. State Department official had called it "legitimate." The voice of the man speaking in the video does resemble that of gang leader Wilson Joseph. The gang kidnapped the missionaries near an orphanage last Saturday and made the $17 million ransom demand shortly after. The Ohio-based group Christian Aid Ministries, with which the kidnapped missionaries are affiliated, said in a statement on Thursday that it was aware of the video "that appears to depict members of the Gang suspected of kidnapping our staff." "We understand law enforcement in the United States and Haiti are also aware. We will not comment on the video until those directly involved in obtaining the release of the hostages have determined that comments will not jeopardize the safety and well-being of our staff and family members," the Christian group said. The Christian organization said the adults being held captive range in age from 18 to 48, and the children from 8 months to 15 years. As CBS News correspondent Manuel Bojorquez has reported this week, rampant poverty fueled by natural disasters, political unrest and corruption, have left Haiti to descend into utter chaos, with criminal gangs running rampant in the streets and both foreign nationals and Haitians facing the risk of kidnapping for ransom on a daily basis. Residents in the capital, Port-au-Prince, live in a constant state of fear. One man told Bojorquez that he "fears for his life," but has no choice but to go out to work to feed his family. Story continues Charl Joel, a 29-year-old married father of one, told CBS News that if he doesn't pay the gangs an extortion fee, they won't let him do his work as a driver. He's one of a small army of delivery drivers that delivers desperately needed food, medicine and other items from the central warehouse of "Food for the Poor." All the drivers told CBS News they feel the constant threat of from the gangs. The insecurity is also impacting international groups trying to provide help to the desperate Haitian population, including International Medical Relief and Doctors Without Borders, which has seen its ambulances attacked and health care workers threatened. "The situation has deteriorated...but there's no way Doctors without Borders is considering leaving the country," Thierry Goffeau, head of the group's mission said. The FBI has a team on the ground in Port-au-Prince working closely with Haitian authorities to secure the safe release of the missionaries. CDC director endorses booster shots for Moderna, Johnson & Johnson vaccines Virgina's Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe on opponent Glen Youngkin, top issue in close race CDC authorizes COVID booster shots for some Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients, allows "mix-and-match" option Oxygen A 20-year-old New York man was facing eight years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting four teenage girls during parties in his parents home, but this week a judge sentenced him to eight years of probation because jail was inappropriate. Im not ashamed to say that I actually prayed over what is the appropriate sentence in this case because there was great pain. There was great harm. There were multiple crimes committed in the case, Niagara County Judge Matthew J. Murphy I I'm Chris Davis, USA TODAY's vice president of investigations, and this is The Backstory, insights into our biggest stories of the week. This week, I'm taking over this column from Editor-in-Chief Nicole Carroll to give you a glimpse into what it takes to uncover truths that change lives and laws. If you'd like to get The Backstory in your inbox every week, sign up here. When USA TODAY investigative reporter Monique O. Madan sat down to handwrite the letter, she didnt hold out much hope for a response. Dear Mr. Rosello, she started. I know this is totally random, and Im sorry to cold call you (or cold mail you.) Im working on a story about Champlain Tower and I think you can help. Madan and five of her colleagues had been trying for months to track down former residents of the South Florida condominium building that had collapsed in June, killing 98 people in one of the biggest and most tragic stories of the year. People observe the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside, Fla., on June 25, 2021. They wanted to know what people remembered about the earliest days of the condo tower. When did people first start noticing problems with the building? How did the homeowners association and government regulators respond to flooding in the building and to signs of crumbling concrete? Had someone made mistakes when the building was built? But the effort wasnt going well. The whole team was starting to wonder if anyone would be willing to talk. I made 160 phone calls to former residents and I got one person to talk to me for more than five minutes, said Pat Beall, a veteran investigative reporter working for USA TODAY in South Florida. Pedro Peggy Rosello was just one more name on a list of former residents. But he stood out on that list because of his current address: a federal prison cell in Miami. We knew the Surfside story started long before the building's collapse. So we went back to the beginning. Like many other news organizations, USA TODAY and its affiliated local newsrooms across Florida rushed reporters to the tiny town of Surfside when the building collapsed. We wrote dozens of stories about the rescue efforts and told our readers about the people who lost their lives. In the earliest days of the tragedy, our reporters uncovered important factors that might have contributed to the collapse, including the fact the building had been sinking into the sand unusually quickly. Story continues At the same time, we gathered a group of reporters from the USA TODAY investigations team to chase the story in a different way. We wanted to go back to the beginning and trace as many details as we could find about what people knew and when. This is a tried and true technique of investigative journalism. Events happen now, but often the crucial context lives in the past. Its part of our job to piece the whole story together by gathering up the witnesses to those past events. READ THE INVESTIGATION: Left to rot: Collapsed condo born of botched construction and evidence of money laundering Our reporters started with a list of people culled from public records including deeds and mortgages for each unit in Champlain South. They reached out to current residents, too, and gained access to a trove of documents produced by the buildings homeowners association, which for years had been grappling with how to pay to repair crumbling concrete and other problems. They began looking through public records that are generated from real estate transactions. Deeds filed in local courthouses show who buys a property and whether they borrowed money for the purchase. Those records also show the purchase price and who put up the money for the mortgage. Dan Keemahill, a reporter on USA TODAYs data team, examined sales records en masse. He analyzed 30,000 condo sales in the area to compare prices at Champlain South over time with those of other nearby condo buildings. Over days and weeks, the reporters started to notice a pattern. Instead of individual people buying condos and borrowing from a traditional bank, they were seeing purchases from LLCs corporate entities that can obscure who is behind a real estate deal. Many buyers were coming from overseas or were listing P.O. boxes as their primary address. Some of the mortgages were issued by an attorney who worked for the developer. As Im pulling these deeds, Im trying to explain to myself what the legitimate reasons could be, Beall said. Once you started plugging in names of the corporations you kept getting total dead ends. Heres a corporation and there is no other information about it. Money laundering has long been a part of real estate in South Florida. Money made from criminal enterprises, including from cartels in Central and South America, gets pushed through real estate purchases in a way that eventually makes the money appear to be legally earned. Experts told our reporters that money laundering associated with a building could affect the quality of construction and repairs in at least two ways. First, if developers are willing to launder money, they may also be willing to cut corners on construction. And second, if buyers are primarily in the market to wash their money, they may not care what happens long-term to the building they are buying into. In the late 1970s and 1980s, when Champlain South rose from the coastline, Miami was awash in money from the booming drug trade. Money laundering was rampant. "The era were talking about is when Miami suddenly came out of the ashes. So how do you rush to fulfill the demand? You cut corners. You attached roofs with paper clips. You bribe the inspectors," said Jorge Valdes, who was not involved in Champlain South but helped build dozens of homes, apartment complexes and high-rises in the Miami region as a chief money launderer for the Medellin Cartel. More telltale signs of money laundering at Champlain South emerged from our review of sales data. When the developers first started selling units around 1980, the prices were inflated compared with units in other towers selling nearby. Over time, the average price per square foot in the tower evened out and then dropped compared with other condo buildings evidence that buyers began to notice the building falling into disrepair. As Beall dug through deeds, she found one signed by Herbert Batliner, an investment adviser from Liechtenstein who had been investigated by German authorities for helping clients evade taxes. Another unit was bought by a couple listing a Panama P.O. box as their home address. To pay for it, they borrowed money from Stanley Levine, the Canadian lawyer who represented Champlain Souths developer. Within a few months of purchase, the couple stopped paying their assessments and a lien was placed on their unit. Levine had his own problems, records show. He had been indicted after being accused of attempting to bribe an official in Florida on an earlier project. Reporters also learned from other media accounts that one building contractor hired to work on the Champlain South project was forced to surrender his license after numerous infractions. The architects license had been suspended in Florida after sign structures he designed collapsed during Hurricane Betsy in 1965. And then there was Rosello. In the Netflix docuseries "Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami," director Billy Corben lays out Rosellos time as a notorious drug smuggler working alongside the likes of Willy Falcon and Sal Magluta. The series describes the high-rolling lifestyle of drug smugglers in South Florida. In one scene, a photo of Rosello lying in a bed inside his Champlain South unit holds the screen as the narrator speaks. The location is not mentioned in the series, but Corben connected the dots in a Twitter post not long after the tower collapsed. Our reporters noted the post and interviewed Corben. It was yet another hint at what might have been happening in the early days of Champlain South -- and another name for reporters to add to their pile. By now, the reporting team had called hundreds of people and sifted through thousands of pages of records. Erin Mansfield, a reporter on USA TODAYs quick-strike investigations team, was writing letter after letter by hand, in English and Spanish, trying to find residents willing to talk. Fellow reporters Katie Wedell and Sudiksha Kochi had all but reached the end of their list of possible contacts. The fact that nobody wanted to talk, I think it really speaks to the trauma that this story carries. Its one like no other, Madan said. They felt very naked. They didnt feel like talking about it. They didnt see any point to it. The reporters kept writing and calling. Rosello received Madans first letter in his prison cell, but he didnt respond. I thought maybe he was flooded with letters because this documentary had come out, Madan said. I thought my letter would get lost in fan mail or whatever. A second letter got her a little closer. Rosellos best friend called to screen Madan, asking what kinds of questions she wanted to ask and looking for previous stories she had written. Madan told her she had been a longtime reporter in Miami and that she was committed to the story because it was important. It was personal. I just wanted to make clear to him that I care deeply about the stories that we tell, Madan said. Still, Rosello didnt call. Madan tried a third letter and was researching what it would take to arrange a meeting at the prison when her cellphone rang. She didnt recognize the number. Rosello's voice came softly through the speaker: My girl told me I could trust you. Over the next few weeks, Madan said, she talked to Rosello roughly 20 times. Each time, because of prison rules, the conversation lasted no more than 15 minutes. Rosello talked of how, in the early days, Champlain South offered an under-the-radar refuge where cocaine dealing, Ferraris and indoor hot tub parties abounded. When he arrived there in 1988 as a renter, the luxury condo on Collins Avenue was a hub where kingpins partied, out of sight of undercover police. All the attention was still on South Beach, so I could walk into an elevator knowing nobody would catch on to me, he told Madan. But at the end, the building fell, just like our once cocaine empire. Dig into more of USA TODAY's award winning investigative projects: Thank you for supporting our journalists and journalism. You can subscribe here. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: There was money laundering in Surfside. Here's how we uncovered it. Dame Sandra Mason after she was made a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George, and Queen Elizabeth II arriving at a state banquet in Germany. John Stillwell - WPA Pool, Sean Gallup via Getty Images Barbados has elected its first-ever president to replace Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. Dame Sandra Mason, 72, was elected with a two-thirds majority vote on Wednesday, Sky News reports. In 2020, the country announced plans to become a republic and leave its colonial past behind. Barbados has elected its first-ever president to replace Queen Elizabeth II as head of state in the process of becoming a republic. Sky News reports that on Wednesday, Dame Sandra Mason, 72, was elected with a two-thirds majority vote at a joint session of the Caribbean country's House of Assembly and Senate. The report added that Mason, the country's governor-general since 2018, will be sworn in on November 30, the 55th anniversary of the Caribbean island's independence from Britain in 1966. Plans to remove the Queen as the institutional monarch were announced in September 2020, Insider's Mikhaila Friel previously reported. Reading a speech written by the country's prime minister, Mia Mottley, at the state opening of parliament at the time, Mason said: "The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind," according to The Guardian. "Barbadians want a Barbadian head of state. This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving," she added. Mason concluded the speech, saying: "Hence, Barbados will take the next logical step toward full sovereignty and become a republic by the time we celebrate our 55th anniversary of independence." A representative for Buckingham Palace told Insider on Friday that it "would be a matter for the people of Barbados." The Barbados Government Information Service website says that Mason began her career as a teacher before pivoting into banking. In 1978, she began working as a Magistrate of the Juvenile and Family Court and also served on the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child from its inception in 1991 until 1999, serving as Chair and Vice-Chair, the website added. Story continues In the year she became governor-general, Mason was made a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George on March 23, 2018, in London, local news outlet Nation News reported at the time. The Guardian also reported that Barbados will join Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, and Guyana as a republic, while the Queen remains head of state for countries including Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada Jamaica, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. The report adds that Jamaica has expressed interest in a similar transition to Barbados, with re-elected prime minister, Andrew Holness, saying he wanted "a grand referendum" on the issue. According to Sky News, Mottley said the "seminal moment" is not a condemnation of Barbados' past relationship with Britain. She said: "We look forward to continuing the relationship with the British monarch." Representatives for Dame Sandra Mason did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty From the first day of his administration, President Joe Biden has pledged to oversee a remaking of the American economy and social safety net on a scale not seen since the New Deal and the Great Society. But on Thursday evening, as a pair of Democratic senators threatened to derail the trillion-dollar package in its entirety, Biden admitted that many of the packages most important components are dead in the water. Medicare coverage for dental care? Thats a reach. Three months of paid parental leave? Its down to four weeks. Tuition-free community college? Its not going to get us the whole thing. And the higher taxes on corporations and the nations wealthiest citizens that were supposed to pay for all of it? Who knows. Look, Biden said frankly at one point during a town hall event on CNN, in the United States Senate, when you have 50 Democrats, every one is the president. Bidens town hall event was a study in tactical withdrawal. While the president tacitly acknowledged that the grand designs he had for paid college tuition, Medicare expansion, green energy investment, and so many other Democratic priorities had either been scaled back or slashed entirely from his Build Back Better economic package, he insisted that the give-and-take was part of the long tradition of legislative sausage-makingand promised that down the road, he would come back for the rest of his agenda. I was a senator for 370 years, Biden said to laughter from the audience, and I was relatively good at putting together deals. But beyond continued public declarations of his long-held faith in the power of compromise, the town hallonly Bidens 14th interview since his inauguration, by The Daily Beasts countwas the clearest articulation yet of the limits of an administration that has hedged on eliminating any part of the presidents proposals entirely. Tax cuts on the rich, full community college tuition coverage and remaking the nations electrical grid, for example, would all be forthcoming, Biden promised, regardless of their fate in his still-unwritten economic package. Story continues Its not gonna get us the whole thing, Biden said of a $500 increase in the maximum Pell grant available for students in financial need, one-third of what he has proposed, but its a start. The town hall also amounted to a tacit acknowledgement that Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizonadubbed the rogue moderates by one audience member furious that a pair of Democrats are standing athwart the dealhave seized the keys to the castle of the presidents domestic agenda. Biden repeatedly singled out Manchin and one other person, as he referred to Sinema, for their obstructionism, although he clarified that the West Virginia senator is not a bad guy. He is a friend, Biden insisted. He has always at the end of the day come around and voted. On some areas, Biden said, he and Sinema are in sync, particularly on areas relating to the environment, and while there are four or five issues of continued contention, he still sees a path to creating a serious, serious piece of legislation that changes the dynamic for working-class folks in America and middle-class folks and begins to have the very wealthy and corporations begin to pay their fair share. All kidding aside, I think we can get there, Biden said. But Bidens straightforward admission that Sinema wont raise a single penny in taxes on the corporate side and on wealthy peoplethe mechanism by which most of his package would actually be paid forlikely undercuts his continued optimism about the future of the deal. And despite his vow that the administration will continue to pursue the components of his agenda in the future, given the likelihood that Democrats could lose their majority in the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, its unclear how Biden plans on realizing those promises. As Biden put it: And so thats where it sort of breaks down. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Upon her return to Capitol Hill from a meeting at the White House on Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters that a deal was within reach on congressional Democrats sweeping social spending package. Pelosi met with President Joe Biden on Friday, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer joining them virtually, as Democrats seek an agreement on the spending package that comprises key portions of the presidents domestic agenda. Congressional Democrats have thus far failed to reach an agreement between their liberal and centrist members. We had a very positive meeting this morning, Pelosi said. I'm very optimistic. KEVIN MCCARTHY CALLS STEVE BANNON SUBPOENA 'INVALID' Pelosi did not shed light on when the deal can be expected or when there would be a vote. Asked if Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin were on board for a deal, she replied, Thats up to the Senate and the White House to decide. Manchin and Sinema have objected to the size and scope of a $3.5 trillion proposal. Manchin has said his price cap is $1.5 trillion, far below what socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and members of the House Progressive Caucus are pushing. Pelosi called the spending package bigger than anything we've ever done with Americans, arguing it will create jobs and address urgent climate needs. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Much of what we need to do has been written, she said, adding that just a few decisions remain. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Joe Manchin, Chuck Schumer Original Author: Kate Scanlon Original Location: After Biden meeting, Pelosi calls spending bill deal within sight President Joe Biden responded with a quip during CNNs town hall when asked about the state of community college funding in the multitrillion-dollar Democratic reconciliation bill. Im going to get it done, or Ill be sleeping alone for a long time, he said to audience laughter. Biden was referring to his wife, first lady Jill Biden, who teaches at a community college in northern Virginia and is a strong proponent of the provision. FIVE REASONS BIDENS APPROVAL RATINGS HAVE TAKEN A POUNDING Biden further joked that he was fortunate that the White House had multiple bedrooms when he explained to the first lady that community college might not make the cut. The provision, popular with young liberal activists on the campaign trail last year, appears to be a casualty of efforts to shrink the reconciliation bill from $3.5 trillion to $2 trillion or slightly lower. Biden suggested on Thursday night that Sen. Joe Manchin, a centrist Democrat from West Virginia, was the lawmaker who objected to the college proposals inclusion in the Democrats partisan spending plan. The White House and Democratic congressional leaders agreed to use budget reconciliation as a tool to pass a series of liberal policy priorities without relying on Republican votes. Republicans were involved in the design of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which is supposed to pass in tandem with this legislation. But because Democratic majorities are so narrow, they need near unanimity in the House and all 50 Democrats in the Senate to vote with them for anything to pass. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE IN THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Biden appeared at a town hall in Baltimore on Thursday night to promote his initiatives, though he often faced questions about why he could not get centrist lawmakers to agree to fulfill his more liberal campaign promises. Jill Biden was in the audience during the event. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Joe Manchin, College, Student Loans, Education, White House Original Author: W. James Antle III Original Location: Biden will pass free community college or 'be sleeping alone for a long time' President Joe Biden on Thursday didnt hesitate when asked whether the U.S. would come to Taiwans defense if China attacked. Yes, we have a commitment to do that, Biden said during a CNN town hall in Baltimore. But the White House later clarified the presidents comments, telling POLITICO that there had been no change in policy. The U.S. defense relationship with Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, a White House spokesperson said. We will uphold our commitment under the Act, we will continue to support Taiwans self-defense, and we will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo. Biden made a similar comment in August during an interview with ABC News. After the president suggested that the U.S. would defend the island if there were an attack, a deviation from the United States long-held position, the White House said the president misspoke. While Washington is required by the Taiwan Relations Act to provide the country with defense resources, it has followed a policy of strategic ambiguity when it comes to military intervention to protect Taiwan if China attacks. The White House in recent weeks has projected the message that the U.S. commitment to Taiwan is rock solid as tensions rise between the country and China. Earlier this month, China sent dozens of war planes over Taiwans air defense zone. Taiwan has condemned the incursions as part of Beijings increasing military harassment. China has defended the actions as just and necessary for maintaining stability in the region. Beijing still sees Taiwan as part of its own territory, though the countries split in 1949. The U.S. does not formally recognize Taiwan, but it maintains an unofficial relationship and supports its democratic government. A top Taiwanese security official said this week that the chances of war with China in the next year were very low, according to Reuters. I think, generally, within one year, the probability of war is very low, National Security Bureau Director-General Chen Ming-tong told a parliamentary defense committee meeting. But there are many things you still have to pay attention to, called contingent events. Alex Ward contributed to this report. A trade group for air cargo giants like UPS and FedEx is sounding the alarm over an impending Dec. 8 vaccine deadline imposed by President Joe Biden, complaining it threatens to wreak havoc at the busiest time of the year and add yet another kink to the supply chain. We have significant concerns with the employer mandates announced on Sept. 9, 2021, and the ability of industry members to implement the required employee vaccinations by Dec. 8, 2021, Stephen Alterman, president of the Cargo Airline Association, wrote in a letter sent to the Biden administration and obtained by POLITICO. The letter, sent to the Office of Management and Budget , asks the administration to postpone the deadline until the first half of 2022. At issue is the requirement by the Biden administration that federal workers be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8. Unlike private businesses, companies that act as federal contractors cannot opt out by instead submitting their workforces to frequent Covid testing. The deadline has been hailed by public health officials as a way of increasing vaccination rates as the country continues to struggle with the Covid-19 pandemic. But business groups and conservatives have warned that it could have damaging economic impacts. The deadline brushes right up against the peak holiday season and as some of the biggest cargo distribution companies, including UPS and FedEx, are already battling unprecedented labor shortages. In comments Alterman submitted to the Department of Transportation, he noted, the looming December 8 mandate for having fully vaccinat[ed] workforces creates a significant supply chain problem. Some of the members of the Cargo association include FedEx, UPS, DHL Express and Atlas Air, which runs cargo flights for Amazon. Alterman noted that many of these cargo carriers are helping move vital medical supplies including vaccines to combat the ongoing pandemic. This problem is further exacerbated by the fact that we are already experiencing a worker shortage, both in the air and on the ground, and any loss of employees who refuse to be vaccinated will adversely impact needed operations, he wrote. Story continues For weeks, industry officials have held talks with the administration over the Dec. 8 deadline and vaccine requirements, including communicating the various attempts to hold vaccine drives for workers and better educate them on the benefits of the vaccine. But, they relayed, they faced significant difficulties meeting the tight deadline, two sources familiar with the discussions said. One of the sources noted that the convergence of the holiday season, the quick turnaround on the deadline and a worker shortage amid some vaccine resistance created a perfect storm for contractors involved in the delivery business. They believed it was nearly impossible to meet the federal requirement and relayed that their legal departments were still assessing how to implement the order. We are reviewing the Executive Order and what it means for UPS and our people, said Kara Ross, UPS spokesperson. Were urging all of our employees to get vaccinated. Vaccination remains the best way for our employees, communities and company to stay healthy and strong. A FedEx representative acknowledged on Thursday it was engaged with the relevant government agencies, about the Dec. 8 deadline. The health and safety of our FedEx team members continues to be our top priority. We strongly encourage team members to get vaccinated and continue to communicate on the importance and access to Covid-19 vaccines, Chris Allen, a FedEx Global spokesperson said in a statement. The Biden administration has increasingly used the concept of vaccine mandates as a tool to try and fight the pandemic. In September, the president imposed the restrictions on federal workers and contractors but also issued an order dictating that the owners of private businesses that employ more than 100 people to mandate the vaccine. Those private businesses, however, are able to offer an opt-out for employees who submit to frequent testing and who take safety precautions, like wearing masks. Airline pilots for some commercial carriers have for some time also chafed against the Dec. 8 mandate, in particular unionized pilots for Southwest Airlines, which have sued over the issue. The White House this week insisted there would be no disruption to critical services during the holiday season because of those who dont comply with the mandate by the deadline. At a recent news conference, Jeff Zients, who heads the White Houses Covid task force said those who arent vaccinated by a given deadline wouldnt lose their job but would first enter a period of education and counseling. It's important to remember this is a process and the point here is to get people vaccinated, not to not to punish them, Zients said. So, agencies will not be removing employees from federal service until after they've gone through a process of education and counseling. And just like federal agencies, contractors will follow standard processes for accommodations and enforcement among their employees. Zients continued, The requirements for federal workers and contractors will not cause disruptions to government services that people depend on. In his comments submitted to the DOJ, however, Alterman said that hundreds of thousands of short-term workers had yet to be hired to help assist in the holiday workload. We therefore request that the Administration take steps to recognize this problem and to delay implementation of the vaccine mandate into 2022, Alterman wrote. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega on Friday of preparing a sham election next month and trying to establish an authoritarian dynasty amid a wave of arrests ahead of Nicaraguas Nov. 7 vote. Blinken, who visited Latin America this week with stops in Ecuador and Colombia, welcomed a vote on Wednesday by the Organization of American States expressing alarm over Nicaraguan government actions it says will undermine the election, in which Ortega seeks a fourth consecutive term. The government led by Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla leader, has become increasingly isolated and criticized internationally for its crackdown on the president's opponents and critical media in the Central American nation he has dominated since returning to power 15 years ago. Working with his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, Ortega has tightened his grip on the country. Blinken pointed out that Nicaragua made a commitment to democracy 20 years ago when it joined the Inter-American Democratic Charter. President Ortega and Vice President Murillo have failed to honor this commitment by preparing a sham election devoid of credibility, by silencing and arresting opponents, and, ultimately, by attempting to establish an authoritarian dynasty unaccountable to the Nicaraguan people, Blinken said in a statement. Washington has imposed sanctions and U.S visa bans on a number Ortegas allies and family members. The United States continues to work with partners in the region and across the world to promote accountability for those who support Ortega and Murillos anti-democratic actions," Blinken said. He said Washington would continue to press the Nicaraguan government to restore civil and political rights and immediately and unconditionally release political prisoners. (Reporting By Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Mark Heinrich) BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is expected to attend next week's summit of the Group of 20 leading economies in Rome, the Brazilian foreign ministry said on Friday at a news conference. Doubts over his attendance arose due to economic turbulence his government is facing. "All the preparations have been made for the president's trip to Italy," the minister's chief of staff Achilles Zaluar said at a news conference. Brazil's currency and stocks extended losses on Friday following an exodus of senior Treasury officials triggered by Bolsonaro's plans to ramp up spending ahead of next year's election. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; editing by Diane Craft) A Riverside, California, teacher was placed on paid administrative leave after a video emerged showing her chanting and dancing in front of her class while donning Native American headgear made out of paper. The video was taken inside a classroom at John W. North high school, according to FoxLA.com. The Riverside Unified School District called the teachers behavior "completely unacceptable" and an "offensive depiction of the vast and expansive Native American cultures and practices." The district said it is investigating. The Los Angeles Times reported that the teacher was in math class and the video showed her "chanting a mnemonic device"Sohcahtoa," often used in math courses to remember trigonometric functions." GET THE FOX NEWS APP The paper reported that there was a protest on Thursday and local lawmakers also expressed their outrage. Now that the CDC has approved booster shots for all three authorized vaccines in the U.S., the agency as well as the FDA will turn to evaluating the safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. If authorized, the vaccine would be the first COVID-19 shot available to younger children. In May, the FDA authorized the emergency use of Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine in children 12 and older. Over the next two weeks, the agencies will decide whether new data showing the vaccine is 90% effective is convincing enough to justify authorizing COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 through 11. The data released Friday reported that only three children of the 1,500 who received the vaccine during the study later contracted COVID-19. All three had mild symptoms, and there were no severe cases or deaths. Meanwhile, Americans will soon be able to choose among the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines as a COVID-19 booster shot. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky late Thursday signed off on allowing clinics, doctors and pharmacies to mix-and-match COVID-19 booster shots. Walensky also endorsed a second shot for all 15 million Americans who received the one-dose J&J vaccine, as well as a booster dose for certain groups of people who got the Moderna vaccine. Also in the news: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker issued an executive order mandating either vaccination or weekly COVID-19 testing for daycare workers, which accounts for more than 55,000 people across the state. Workers will be required to get their first dose by Dec. 3 or submit to weekly testing. Aiming to encourage more vaccinations through friendly competition, Salt Lake County health officials analyzed vaccination status by astrological sign. At the top spot were Leos with a 70% vaccination rate while Scorpios were in last at 46%. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that he plans to convene a special session of the state legislature in November to combat COVID vaccine mandates by businesses. Story continues The U.S. has now delivered 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses around the world as part of its pledge to donate 1.2 billion doses abroad, White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a Thursday news conference. In Michigan, about 70 Beaumont Health workers resigned rather than take the COVID-19 vaccine and 370 have been suspended for failing to meet an Oct. 18 deadline for vaccination, the health system announced Thursday. Restaurants, movie theaters and many retail stores in Moscow will be closed for 11 days starting Oct. 28, along with other new restrictions as Russia recorded the highest numbers of coronavirus infections and deaths since the pandemic began. Ready for some sun? Hawaii's governor welcomed back tourists as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations dropped. Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 45 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 733,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 242 million cases and 4.9 million deaths. More than 189 million Americans 57.2% of the population are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. What we're reading: Many local health officials face a 'miserable' job of fighting COVID despite restrictive laws and abuse. 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. Cutting off boosted unemployment doesn't spur job seekers Earlier this year, an insistent cry arose from business leaders and Republican governors: Cut off a $300-a-week federal supplement for unemployed Americans. Many people, they argued, would then come off the sidelines and take the millions of jobs that employers were desperate to fill. Yet three months after half the states began ending that federal payment, theres been no significant influx of job seekers. In states that cut off the $300 check, the workforce the number of people who either have a job or are looking for one has risen no more than it has in the states that maintained the payment. That federal aid, along with two jobless aid programs that served gig workers and the long-term unemployed, ended nationally Sept. 6. Yet Americas overall workforce actually shrank that month. Policymakers were pinning too many hopes on ending unemployment insurance as a labor market boost, said Fiona Greig, managing director of the JPMorgan Chase Institute, which used JPMorgan bank account data to study the issue. The work disincentive effects were clearly small. Labor shortages have persisted longer than many economists expected, deepening a mystery at the heart of the job market. Companies are eager to add workers and have posted a near-record number of available jobs. Unemployment remains elevated. The economy still has 5 million fewer jobs than it did before the pandemic. Yet job growth slowed in August and September. An analysis of state-by-state data by The Associated Press found that workforces in the 25 states that maintained the $300 payment actually grew slightly more from May through September, according to data released Friday, than they did in the 25 states that cut off the payment early, most of them in June. The $300-a-week federal check, on top of regular state jobless aid, meant that many of the unemployed received more in benefits than they earned at their old jobs. Fully vaccinated people make up less than 1% of COVID deaths Scientists knew the COVID-19 vaccines were highly effective at preventing severe disease and death, but they didnt know exactly how effective until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data showing what experts called a modern miracle. As of Oct. 12, the agency found only 7,178 deaths occurred among fully vaccinated people in the U.S. In a country that has reported more than 720,000 COVID-related deaths, the fully vaccinated make up less than 1% We were all hoping for something to help save our neighbors and our patients and certainly this data is tremendous, said Dr. Joseph Teel, vice chair of clinical operations for the department of family medicine and community health at Penn Medicine. Its a modern miracle in many ways. The vaccine is not a miracle because it worked, health experts say. Scientists have been working on mRNA technology for more than 30 years for other diseases. The COVID-19 vaccine is a miracle because it worked so well despite the uncertainty of a new disease among a diverse population, an unprecedented scale-up and a lack of uptake. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY Florida military service members, contractors file suit to halt vaccine mandate A lawsuit filed in Tampa and representing Southwest Florida asks for a temporary restraining order and injunction regarding service members and a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine order. The suit, filed by the Liberty Counsel in Florida's Middle District Court on Oct. 15, states that members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard, and federal employees and federal civilian contractors, have been unlawfully mandated to get the COVID-19 vaccines or face dishonorable discharge from the military or termination from employment. The Biden administration has no authority to require the COVID shots for the military or for federal employees or civilian contractors," said Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver. "Nor can the Biden administration pretend that the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment do not apply to its unlawful mandates. Rachel Heimann Mercader, Naples Daily News CDC sending team to Guam to study COVID-19 deaths The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will send a team to Guam to investigate why so many COVID-19 patients arrive at the island's hospitals dead. Last month, the U.S. territory's Department of Public Health and Social Services reported that dead on arrival cases made up about two-thirds of recent COVID-19 deaths on Guam. The CDC team is coming at the request of Department of Public Health and Social Services Director Art San Agustin, the Pacific Daily News reported. The team is expected to take a deep dive into the data, to look at what actually happened" and analyze whether the patients had similar comorbidities, Chief Public Health Officer Chima Mbakwem said Thursday. The Associated Press 7-week-old baby dies from COVID-19 in Kentucky A 7-week-old was among the 53 new COVID-related deaths reported in Kentucky on Thursday. The daily update shared to the state's website included an additional death in the 0-9 age range, but didn't include any details. Gov. Andy Beshear said on Twitter that the baby was 7 weeks old. In a midday new conference, Beshear said the infant was believed to have "multiple issues" and "complications" in addition to COVID-19. "It can impact anyone, whether or not it is the only cause of us losing someone," he said. "If it's what puts it over the edge, or even just contributes to that loss, there's something that we can do about that, and that's everybody getting vaccinated, doing what it takes, masking when it's appropriate, to protect one another." Sarah Ladd, Louisville Courier Journal Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mix-and-match booster shots OK'd; Pfizer kids data: COVID updates People "I'm writing to you today to express my disappointment and anger that my good name and professional reputation continue to be damaged," Kassidy Peters said Tuesday. "It is clear that none of this will stop until my reputation and that of my young family are destroyed" Cop car leaving Bonanza Creek Ranch. Sam Wasson/Getty Images The cinematographer killed in the tragic incident on set of 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin's film Rust had reportedly "been advocating for safer conditions for her team" ahead of Thursday's fatal shooting, writes the Los Angeles Times, according to a crew member who was on the set. Halyna Hutchins, remembered by industry colleagues as a "brilliant talent," died after being struck with a projectile from a prop gun that Baldwin unintentionally discharged, officials said, though a full investigation of events is underway. The film's director, Joel Souza, was also injured, but is expected to make a full recovery. Labor trouble on the set of Rust had "been brewing for days," writes the Los Angeles Times. Just hours before the fatal shooting, a "half-dozen camera crew workers walked off the set to protest working conditions," which included complaints of long hours and issues with pay, according to three people familiar with the matter. As the union camera crew gathered their gear, "several nonunion members showed up to replace them," writes the Los Angeles Times. "Corners were being cut and they brought in nonunion people so they could continue shooting," said one person with knowledge of the matter. The person also told the Times "there was a serious lack of safety meetings on this set," noting there were two other misfires of the prop gun on Saturday and one the previous week. The accident that killed Hutchins occured approximately six hours after the union camera crew departed. Rust Movie Productions LLC said in a statement that safety of cast and crew is the production's "top priority." "Though we were not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapon or prop safety on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down." You may also like The American 'Great Resignation' by the numbers Manchin insists he offered to become an independent in case it would help Democrats 'publicly' Democrats' months of dithering are sandbagging Biden's popularity KINSHASA (Reuters) - Hundreds of workers from Democratic Republic of Congo's state-owned ports company stormed its headquarters on Friday, breaking windows, burning furniture and clashing with police over what they say are more than three years of unpaid wages. The police fired cans of tear gas into the building in the capital Kinshasa as the workers from the Commercial Society of Ports and Transports (SCPT) danced around a pile of burning furniture on the front steps and threw rocks at the officers. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured in the clashes. The workers have been on strike since Oct. 15. They say the government owes the firm $207 million, and that they have not been paid in more than three years. "The finance minister is blocking our claim while the workers suffer," said Papy Dimoke, a union leader. "We have more than 38 months of arrears which we have not been paid." Neither Congo's finance ministry nor SCPT could be immediately reached for comment. Schoolteachers are also on strike in Congo over salaries, bonus pay and the retirement age. On Thursday, hundreds of children stormed the national parliament to demand a resolution to the strike. (Reporting by Benoit Nyema and Hereward Holland; writing by Cooper Inveen; editing by Philippa Fletcher) Pandemic travel has been rocky for airline passengers recently, with frequent airline flight changes, ever-changing restrictions and the occasional meltdown of understaffed airlines. Could the fallout from a looming employee vaccine mandate deadline make things even more challenging during the upcoming holiday travel season? A key deadline for airlines to comply with the White House mandate for employees of federal contractors is coming up Nov. 24 the busy travel day that is the day before Thanksgiving. (The actual deadline is Dec. 8, but airlines set a date two weeks early given that workers aren't fully vaccinated until two weeks after their last shot.) There is high-profile resistance to the mandates at some large airlines including Southwest and American with just a month to go. Additionally, theres uncertainty around what happens to those who refuse to get vaccinated or are granted religious or medical exemptions. Would those employees who are not fully vaccinated be let go (American and Southwest say no) or required to undergo regular COVID-19 testing? Either option would impact already thin staffing if large groups of employees are unvaccinated by the deadline. 'Dangerous situations': Unions warn pilots to focus on flying, not federal vaccine mandate Come explore with us: Subscribe to our Travel newsletter "It could be problematic, said Stathis Kefallonitis, associate professor of aviation business and passenger intelligence at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's College of Business. "I'm not sure the airlines necessarily have the backup staff that they need to replace those people.'' United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, whose company implemented a vaccine mandate a month before the federal mandate and has more than 97% of its U.S. employees fully vaccinated and the rest granted exemptions or let go, went so far as to say caveat emptor (buyer beware) for travelers booking holiday tickets on airlines with wishy-washy vaccine mandate policies. Story continues Kirby called the potential fallout from some airlines' less-than-firm mandate policies the "biggest incremental risk in aviation during Wednesday's earnings call. He didn't name the airlines. Will my Thanksgiving and Christmas flights be impacted by vaccine mandate? The CEOs of Southwest and American strongly disagree that travel trouble is ahead because of the mandate. "We are not going to let this disrupt any of our customers' travel, especially during the busy holiday season, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said on the airline's earnings call Thursday. He said the airline is using its "best efforts to make the deadline and has not asked the government for an extension. Southwest has not disclosed the percentage of its workers who are unvaccinated. Kelly said only that a majority of employees have reported their status and of those a "supermajority have been vaccinated. There is still a large percentage of workers who have not reported, he said. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said he expects "virtually everyone at American to be vaccinated by the Nov. 24 deadline. "We dont anticipate any sort of operational impact,'' Parker said on the airline's earnings conference call Thursday. "We anticipate having all the people we need.'' About 3,700 of American's 14,000 pilots are unvaccinated, according to Dennis Tajer, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association. If regular COVID-19 testing is required for the unvaccinated, Parker said he doesn't expect it to be "cumbersome. United CEO Kirby on Wednesday said a testing requirement for large numbers of workers would "unquestionably be difficult for airlines. "If you think weather in one state can lead to a meltdown, can you imagine if you have thousands (of) employees on one day calling in and saying, for some reason my test didn't pass, he said. The White House said it doesn't expect issues at airlines or the Transportation Security Administration, where a reported 40% of workers are unvaccinated ahead of a Nov. 22 deadline for government workers. "Vaccination requirements will not impact holiday travel, Jeff Zients,the White House's coronavirus response coordinator, said at a briefing Wednesday. Bob Mann, an airline industry consultant with R.W. Mann & Co. and former airline executive, said the timing of the vaccine mandate deadline is poor for airlines and suggested government officials didn't refer to the calendar. Airlines routinely do big projects such as reservation system changeovers outside of busy travel periods to avoid flight hiccups, he said. "Would you choose to do it during the Thanksgiving week? I don't think so, he said. Mann said the mandate deadline is "potentially disruptive'' but doesn't expect major flight woes. "It's no more disruptive than finding you're going to have a N'oreaster, he said. "I wouldnt particularly worry about it. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Could holiday travel be marred by airlines' vaccine mandate deadline? By Nancy Lapid (Reuters) - The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that have yet to be certified by peer review. COVID-19 vaccines not linked with pregnancy loss Two studies in major medical journals add to evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are safe before and during pregnancy. One study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, tracked nearly 18,500 pregnant women in Norway, including about 4,500 who had miscarriages. Researchers found no link between COVID-19 vaccines and risk of first-trimester miscarriage, regardless of whether the vaccines were from Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech, or AstraZeneca. Overall, the women with miscarriages were 9% less likely to have been vaccinated, according to the researchers' calculations. In a separate study published on Thursday in The Lancet, researchers tracked 107 women who became pregnant while participating in trials of AstraZeneca's vaccine in the UK, Brazil and South Africa. Seventy-two of the women had received the vaccine while the others got a placebo. AstraZeneca's vaccine had no effect on the odds of safely carrying the pregnancy to term, the researchers reported. "It is important that pregnant women are vaccinated since they have a higher risk of hospitalizations and COVID-19-complications, and their infants are at higher risk of being born too early," the authors of the Norwegian study wrote. "Also, vaccination during pregnancy is likely to provide protection to the newborn infant against COVID-19 infection in the first months after birth." Vaccine combinations with different technologies may be best Healthcare workers in France who got a first shot of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine and then the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for their second shot showed stronger immune responses than those who had received two shots of the Pfizer vaccine, in a recent study. Combining different technologies is known to boost immune responses to other viruses, and the current study suggests it may be true for the coronavirus as well. Both vaccines in the study deliver instructions that teach cells in the body to make a piece of protein that resembles the spike on the coronavirus and that triggers an immune response. But they do it in very different ways. Both protocols provided "safe and efficient" protection, said Vincent Legros of Universite de Lyon in France, coauthor of a report published on Thursday in Nature. But combining the AstraZeneca shot with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine "conferred even better protection" than two doses of Pfizer's shot, including against the Delta variant, Legros said. The two technologies combined induced an antibody response of better quality, with more neutralizing antibodies that could block the virus, and more cells that have been "trained" by the vaccine to have increased defense potential, he said. Combination vaccination "is safe and may provide interesting options... for clinicians to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection," Legros concluded. Story continues Cognitive problems seen in middle-aged COVID-19 survivors A "substantial proportion" of middle-aged COVID-19 survivors with no previous dementia had cognitive problems more than half a year after diagnosis, researchers have found. They looked at 740 people who ranged in age from 38 to 59. About half were white, and 63% were female. On tests of thinking skills, 20% had trouble converting short-term memories to long-term memories, 18% had trouble processing information rapidly, and 16% had trouble with skills needed for planning, focusing attention, remembering instructions, and juggling multiple tasks. The average time from diagnosis was 7.6 months. About one-in-four patients had been hospitalized, but most of them were not critically ill. "We can't exactly say that the cognitive issues were lasting because we can't determine when they began," said Dr. Jacqueline Becker of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, who co-led the study published on Friday in JAMA Network Open. "But we can say that our cohort had higher than anticipated frequency of cognitive impairment" given that they were relatively young and healthy, Becker said. Data support use of Pfizer vaccine in children and teens The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine showed 90.7% efficacy against the coronavirus in a trial of children ages 5 to 11, the U.S. drugmaker said on Friday in briefing documents submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration but not formally published. The children were given two shots of a 10-microgram dose of the vaccine - a third of the strength given to people 12 and older. The study was not primarily designed to measure efficacy against the virus. Instead, it compared the amount of neutralizing antibodies induced by the vaccine in the children to the response of recipients in their adult trial. Pfizer and BioNTech said the vaccine induced a robust immune response in the children. Outside advisers to the FDA are scheduled to meet on Tuesday to vote on whether to recommend authorization of the vaccine for that age group. A separate study from Israel conducted while the Delta variant was prevalent and published on Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, compared nearly 95,000 12- to -18-year-olds who had received Pfizer's vaccine with an equal number of adolescents who had not been vaccinated. The results show the vaccine "was highly effective in the first few weeks after vaccination against both documented infection and symptomatic COVID-19 with the Delta variant" in this age group, the research team reported. Click for a Reuters graphic https://tmsnrt.rs/3c7R3Bl on vaccines in development. (Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Additional reporting by Michael Erman; Editing by Bill Berkrot) Oct. 21The last school district in Waldo County to not mandate masks this year will now require them in the wake of a COVID-19 outbreak at Searsport District Middle and High School. Regional School Unit 20, which includes the towns of Searsport and Stockton Springs, also has pivoted to remote learning for all students until Oct. 25, according to a letter Superintendent Chris Downing sent to staff, students and families on Wednesday. "Until further notice, due to the outbreak status and resultant high number of quarantined students and staff, effective Thursday 21 October 2021, RSU 20 will require universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to RSU 20 schools, transportation and buildings, regardless of vaccination status," Downing wrote. There are seven reported cases at Searsport District Middle School and five at Searsport District High School, according to the Maine Department of Education's dashboard of COVID-19 case numbers, which was updated on Thursday afternoon. The Maine CDC defines outbreaks as three or more confirmed cases within a 14-day period that are epidemiologically linked. The question of masking in schools has been a flash point for parents and school districts both in Maine and around the country. School board meetings everywhere have seen robust discussion on the issue as elected board members grappled with the decision to make mask wearing a universal requirement or optional. Some meetings have become tense and hostile, with one parent at a board meeting at Poland Regional High School falsely alleging earlier this month that by making children wear masks, school districts are taking action similar to those used by human traffickers. At a meeting held in August, RSU 20 board members decided to make the decision about masking up to the parents. The majority of speakers opposed requiring masks, according to the Republican Journal, although at least one parent did speak in favor of universal masking, saying that while nobody likes wearing masks, they would dislike remote learning even more. Story continues At that meeting, board members decided to revisit the idea of masking as the COVID-19 situation evolved, and gave the superintendent the authority to make changes for the safety of staff and students. Response to the district's pivot on masking this week has been mixed on social media, with some parents expressing relief and others decrying it as unnecessary and a scare tactic. This week, Downing said that while close contacts must remain in quarantine until notified by school administration, other students will be able to return to school on Oct. 25. Good Morning America After suffering unspeakable abuses and deprivation at the hands of their parents, the Turpin siblings -- it seemed -- were on the path to a new life: a future with the resources needed to start fresh, to make up for the years they were locked away from the world. Nearly four years ago, after authorities rescued the 13 Turpin siblings from their family home in Perris, California, where they were subjected to brutal violence and deprived of food, sleep, hygiene, education, and health care, advocates and county leaders assured the siblings -- and a concerned public -- that help was on the way. "We are confident, given what they've been through and how resilient they are, that they're going to be really successful," said Jack Osborn, a court-appointed attorney for the seven adult children, after their parents' sentencing in 2019. Crocs' clogs. Dina Rudick/The Boston Globe via Getty Images The simple design of Crocs' clogs makes them easy to make, its CEO said Thursday. This, he said, made it easy to move manufacturing when factories closed over the COVID-19 pandemic. The company reported blockbuster earnings this week, as casual dressing continues to prevail. Crocs' clogs are apparently as simple to make as they look - and it's helped the company cope during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the company's CEO, Andrew Rees, the world's favorite ugly shoe is made up of just three parts that can be easily assembled. This, he said, meant the company could cope when its factories in Vietnam closed amid rising COVID-19 infection rates. It was able to easily move manufacturing elsewhere and get it up and running quickly. "One thing that we learnt from COVID I think is really important to people to understand: Our shoes are really simple, and so ramping up factories could be very, very quick," Rees said on a call with analysts Thursday after Crocs reported another blockbuster quarter. "You don't have a lot of external logistics to be able to get started," he added. Crocs is among the retailers hit by factory shutdowns in Vietnam. The country's biggest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, fell back into lockdown in July, and while some factories were able to stay open by offering on-site accommodation for workers, many were forced to temporarily close. This has hurt many retailers, including Nike and Lululemon, that rely on Vietnam for manufacturing. Rees said Thursday that most of the factories Crocs worked with in Vietnam were back up and running. It had been shifting production elsewhere, however, to China, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Indonesia, for example. He also said Crocs was in a good position to handle global supply-chain challenges because it sold a limited number of products, an advantage that a select group of retailers have, experts say. The company is also decreasing its reliance on clogged California ports by importing more products by air for the spring-summer 2022 season. Crocs reported another blockbuster quarter Thursday. Sales were up 73% to $626 million, from $362 million in the same quarter in 2020, as the brand continues to capitalize on the casualization of fashion. Read the original article on Business Insider Donald Trump. Sean Rayford/Getty Images It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...possibly another meme stock? Digital World Acquisition, the special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) now tied to the latest media and technology venture of former President Donald Trump, saw its stock soar Friday morning, "triggering a halt for volatility" after quadrupling on Thursday, Bloomberg reports. The ticker by which the SPAC trades DWAC was "was among the most popular mentions on Reddit's WallStreetBets, which indicated that DWAC could be having a meme stock moment like GameStop and AMC," writes CNBC. DWAC was the "single most actively traded stock" on Fidelity's brokerage platform on Thursday, with fans of the ex-president pumping the stock online, per Bloomberg. SPACs work by going public and raising money from investors first, only to then find a private company to merge with, explains The New York Times. Consequently, investors that back a SPAC initially "have no clue" who a merger partner will turn out to be. That means some of DWAC's big investors were likely unaware they were supporting Trump Media and Technology Group until a deal was reached to merge the two companies on Wednesday. Since that announcement, shares of DWAC have proved "a hit" with day traders, skyrocketing 1,225%, writes Bloomberg. Its price "nearly tripled" to $131.90 when the market opened Friday morning. The ex-president hopes the deal which values his media company at about $875 million, including debt gives him enough cash to launch a new social media app in 2022 dubbed TRUTH Social, whose purpose is "to create a rival to the liberal media consortium and fight back against the 'Big Tech' companies of Silicon Valley." Unfortunately for him, however, it looks like some hackers have already started that war's first battle. You may also like Manchin insists he offered to become an independent in case it would help Democrats 'publicly' Archaeologists used tree rings and astrophysics to prove Vikings were in Canada in 1021 The American 'Great Resignation' by the numbers Debra Messing defended Alec Baldwin. Bruce Glikas/WireImage/Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for National Geographic Halyna Hutchins died after Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun on the set of the movie "Rust." Benny Johnson tweeted that Baldwin had killed Hutchins, who was the movie's cinematographer. Debra Messing replied saying Johnson's tweet was inaccurate: "a catastrophic event happened." Debra Messing has tweeted in defense of Alec Baldwin after conservative columnist Benny Johnson said the actor killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie "Rust." Hutchins died and director Joel Souza was injured after Baldwin discharged a prop gun on set Thursday, police reported. On Twitter, Johnson wrote: "BREAKING: Alec Baldwin kills person with gun, criminal investigation underway This is the accurate headline fyi." "Will & Grace" actress Debra Messing, strongly disagreed with his sentiment. Messing, who worked with Baldwin when he guest-starred on "Will & Grace," tweeted: "It is absolutely NOT. A prop gun was handed to him. He used it in the scene. Then- a catastrophic event happened where Halnya Hutchins lost her life and Joel Souza was injured. I am praying for all of their families." "Rick and Morty" writer Caitie Delaney also tweeted in defense of Baldwin, writing: "Like obviously it's the story but it is really not fair to have Alec Baldwin be the face of this tragedy. He wasn't in charge of loading that gun. Safety on set needs to be taken so much more seriously." Baldwin was seen in tears outside the sheriff's office in Santa Fe. Hutchins was severely injured during the incident and died after being transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital in critical condition. The investigation into Hutchins' death is ongoing, and law enforcement is interviewing witnesses. No charges have been filed. Story continues Hollywood stars have begun to react to the cinematographer's death. Actor Joe Manganiello, who worked with Hutchins on the movie "Archenemy," posted a tribute to the late cinematographer on his Instagram, while fellow cinematographer and directors Adam Egypt Mortimer and James Gunn also posted messages about Hutchins. Souza, who was injured during the incident, has been released from hospital according to a cast member after Deadline reported that he was hit in the shoulder. Video: Austin company manufactures 3D-print 'ghost' guns Read the original article on Insider When news first came out that a woman had been raped on a busy train in Philadelphia last week, it drew nationwide attention and outrage because police said bystanders did nothing to intervene. Police even went so far as to say that some citizens filmed the attack. Now, the district attorney on the case is refuting that characterization. At a press conference Thursday, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said it's not true that people sat on the train and "watched this transpire and took videos of it for their own gratification." Stollsteimer said witnesses who were on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority should come forward to share information about what they saw. He also stressed that it is not against the law in Pennsylvania to witness a crime and not intervene. Anyone who saw the attack would not be prosecuted, Stollsteimer emphasized. Analysis: Rape on Philadelphia train was horrific, but experts say we're missing something in our outrage The district attorney painted a picture, instead, of a "sparsely" crowded train, with passengers getting on and off throughout the interaction between the suspect and victim and eventual rape. He said people getting on and off the train might not have known what was going on at any given point and that they were witnessing a rape in progress. He acknowledged there were two people who were believed to have filmed at least part of the incident, and he is in possession of one witness's video. Stollsteimer also said CCTV footage from SEPTA shows the whole attack and will be convincing in the prosecution of the case. The suspect, Fiston Ngoy, 35, allegedly harassed the woman, groped her and eventually raped her through more than two dozen train stops last week, authorities said. SEPTA authorities also said at a press conference earlier this week that officers responded within three minutes of the lone 911 call they received from an off-duty transportation employee. Story continues Police said they believed no one called authorities, and they were investigating whether any of the witnesses may have recorded the incident. Authorities said they were disturbed by the lack of intervention, claiming people had watched the assault happen. "There were people witnessing the act with phones in their hands," SEPTA Police Chief Thomas J. Nestel said at the press conference held Monday. "People were holding their phone up in the direction of this woman being attacked." "There was a lot of people, in my opinion, that should have intervened. Somebody should have done something," Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt, of the Upper Darby Police Department, told The Philadelphia Inquirer. "It speaks to where we are in society and who would allow something like that to take place. So its troubling." Bernhardt stood alongside Stollsteimer as the top prosecutor contradicted the narrative that witnesses "callously recorded" the crime. "People in this region are not, in my experience, so inhuman and callous human beings that they're going to sit there and just watch this happen and videotape it, as one journalist said today, 'for their own private enjoyment,'" Stollsteimer said. He said people are more like a woman who, in a separate Wednesday night incident involving a sexual assault at a SEPTA stop, intervened to help the victim when she cried out for help. "When people need help, people stand up and help," he said. Some have drawn comparisons in the police and media's initial reaction to the famous 1964 murder of Catherine "Kitty" Genovese. Genovese, a 28-year-old bartender, was stabbed to death outside her New York City apartment. The New York Times published a story, based on early police accounts, claiming that 38 people witnessed the attack and did nothing, prompting research into the "bystander effect." The case has been featured in psychology textbooks for decades. However, later reporting revealed the number was likely exaggerated, and there was evidence that some people had called the police or tried to help. Such may be the case on the Philadelphia train. Stollsteimer didn't reveal the number of people who were on the train and may have witnessed some or all of the attack. He maintained Thursday that his priority is in assuring witnesses that they will not be prosecuted and encouraging them to come forward to share their accounts. SEPTA denied a request from USA TODAY to view the surveillance footage of the Oct. 13 attack "due to the ongoing criminal investigation." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DA in Philadelphia train rape case: Witnesses didn't 'callously' film The Justice Department announced Thursday that it was charging five people with money laundering in connection with an alleged Venezuela bribery scheme. The big picture: The five people charged allegedly bribed Venezuelan government officials to obtain contracts to import and distribute food and medicine through a state-run program known as CLAP, according to the DOJ. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. The defendants and their co-conspirators "knowingly inflated the costs of the contracts to pay the bribes and unjustly enrich themselves," the DOJ said. They allegedly received nearly $1.6 million from the Republic of Venezuela and transferred nearly $180 million through or to the United States, according to the DOJ. Details: The five include three Colombian nationals Alvaro Pulido Vargas, Carlos Rolando Lizcano Manrique and Emmanuel Enrique Rubio Gonzalez as well as two Venezuelan nationals Jose Gregorio Vielma-Mora and Ana Guillermo Luis. Each person is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and four counts of money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum of 100 years in prison, according to the DOJ's statement. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free (iStockphoto / Getty Images) Criminalizing a woman for suffering a miscarriage seems unfathomable and even barbaric. But that is exactly what happened earlier this month in a Lawton, Okla., courtroom. When Brittney Poolaw, a Oklahoma woman, miscarried at her home in January 2020, she was taken to a hospital where she told staff that she had used methamphetamine and marijuana during her pregnancy. Two months later, she was charged with first-degree manslaughter. Her pregnancy was 17 weeks along. That was prelude to a one-day trial this month in which the 21-year-old woman was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison. She had already been in jail since she was charged because she couldnt afford to post the $20,000 bond to get out on bail. According to a local newspaper report, the judge reminded jurors that, under state law, Poolaw could be found guilty of manslaughter if it was proved beyond a reasonable doubt that her drug use caused the death of her fetus, which could be considered a human being. Although methamphetamine was found in the fetus, the medical examiners report lists the cause of death as intrauterine fetal demise. It also lists half a dozen other things as contributing to the death but not causing it including Poolaw's drug use, an infection and a congenital abnormality. No matter what role, if any, Poolaws drug use played in the demise of her fetus, her miscarriage is a tragic event, not a criminal attack perpetrated by her. No woman, or health professional, can guarantee that a pregnancy wont end in a miscarriage, or a stillborn baby, or a baby born with health problems. Had Poolaw wanted to end her pregnancy, she could have obtained an abortion. In Oklahoma the procedure is allowed up to 22 weeks of gestation. (According to landmark Supreme Court rulings, a woman has a constitutionally derived right to a safe and legal abortion up to the point of viability of the fetus outside the womb, which is about 24 weeks.) Officials of National Advocates for Pregnant Women, which offers legal defense for pregnant women in some cases, contend that Oklahoma murder and manslaughter laws do not apply to miscarriages. Story continues But holding women criminally responsible for a bad outcome of a pregnancy or how they conducted themselves during a pregnancy has become a disturbing trend. National Advocates for Pregnant Women commissioned a study showing that from 1973 to 2005 there were 413 cases of women arrested, detained in hospitals or treatment programs, or forced to have medical interventions for a variety of alleged offenses ranging from drug use during pregnancy to not strictly following medical advice. Further research by the organization showed that between 2006 and 2020 the number of arrests or detentions for alleged pregnancy-related offenses shot up to 1,250 across the country. Two years ago a woman in Hanford, Calif., who gave birth to a stillborn baby with toxic levels of methamphetamine in his system was charged with murder. (A judge dismissed the charges in May.) Another Hanford, Calif., woman who used meth and also delivered a stillborn accepted an 11-year sentence in prison as part of a plea deal on a murder charge filed in early 2018. Her conviction is now being challenged, an effort supported by California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta. In a statement on its website, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists opposes policies that criminalize individuals for conduct alleged to be harmful to their pregnancy. The organization further calls criminalization and incarceration for substance-use disorder during pregnancy ineffective as behavioral deterrents and harmful to the health of the pregnant person and their infant. Many women who end up arrested for drug use during or after their pregnancies are already suffering from poverty and lack of healthcare. These women need treatment and care of their choice, not arrest or prison. It's a violation of a woman's civil rights to police her during her pregnancy. And where would that line for reckless behavior get drawn, anyway? What if she went rock climbing and the fetus died soon after? Pregnant women are under attack these days. In Texas, most pregnant women cannot get an abortion despite a constitutional right to obtain one. If Roe vs. Wade is overturned, pregnant women in perhaps half the states in the country will become criminals if they have an abortion. Police and courts shouldnt also be manipulating their laws to turn women into outlaws for their behavior during their pregnancies. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Oct. 21The BDN Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom, and does not set policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com. A federal judge's order last week to temporarily stop the planned closure of a large swath of the Gulf of Maine to lobster fishing is welcome news to Maine's lobster industry, but also to those who believe that data should guide decisions about protecting endangered North Atlantic right whales. In August, federal fisheries regulators announced new rules for lobster fishing gear and the closure of 950 square miles of ocean about 30 miles off the coast from Mount Desert Island to Casco Bay to traditional lobster fishing from October to January. Ropeless fishing, a new and largely untested way of setting and retrieving traps using a smartphone, would still be allowed in this area under the rules. The closure was set to go into effect this week. The new regulations came despite years of pleas from lobstermen, Maine elected officials and this editorial board that any decisions about measures to be taken to protect the whales needed to be made based on actual data about where and how lobsters are being injured, entangled and, too often, killed. Without better data, Maine's lobster industry was being asked to make substantial and costly changes that may not have addressed the biggest threats to right whales. Other threats include collisions with shipping vessels. "We will continue to push for science and data that reflect what is truly happening in our industry," Alfred Frawley, a lawyer for the Maine Lobstering Union, which brought the lawsuit against NMFS, said in a statement. In a draft biological opinion issued earlier this year, the National Marine Fisheries Service essentially acknowledged the lack of specific data on what causes whale mortality, particularly information on collisions between ships and whales. Yet, it went ahead with the restrictive rules, which also impact New England's crab fishery. Story continues In an order issued on Saturday, Federal District Court Judge Lance Walker temporarily stopped NMFS from imposing the closure because the agency hadn't presented enough evidence to justify it. Walker put the closure on hold while he more fully considers the merits of the case brought by the Lobstering Union. He also noted that the draft biological opinion put closure as a management option after gear modification rules had failed. Instead, NMFS imposed gear modifications including putting more traps between buoy lines and the use of weaker rope or clips on buoy lines so that a rope will break if a whale becomes entangled at the same time that it closed off part of the Atlantic Ocean to lobster fishing. "Without trivializing the precarity or significance of the right whale as a species, I find that the certain economic harms that would result from allowing this closure to go into effect outweigh the uncertain and unknown benefits of closing some of the richest fishing ground in Maine for three months based on a prediction that it might be a hotspot for right whale entanglement," Walker wrote in his 28-page ruling. "While the public interest in this case cuts both ways pitting a culturally and economically valuable fishery against the preservation of an equally iconic endangered species it strikes me that there is an overriding public interest in insisting on orderly and epistemically sound rulemaking that members of the public have reason to believe is grounded in reality," he added. In other words, the rules should match the data and information that regulators have in hand. This is not only a good ruling for the lobster industry, but also for those of us who think data needs to be front and center when balancing the needs to protect an endangered species and preserve a critical fishery. By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU enforcers are planning a series of raids against companies suspected of illegal price-fixing, Europe's anti-trust chief warned on Friday, as she also sounded the alarm about competition in labour markets due to "no-poach" deals. The European Commission last week raided Europe's largest pulp producers Stora Enso and UPM, and Metsa Board unit Metsa Fibre, the first in two years as the COVID-19 pandemic halted such actions. Companies suspected of taking part in other cartels should soon see officials knocking on their doors, EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said. "And that's just the start of a series of raids that we're planning for the months to come you'll understand if I don't say exactly when or where they're going to happen," she told a conference organised by the Italian anti-trust authority in Rome. Companies found guilty of taking part in cartels face fines as much as 10% of their global turnover. Whistleblowers are rewarded with immunity from sanctions while those who provide crucial information can get hefty reductions in their penalties. She said regulators may sweeten such so-called leniency deals with companies as the growth in private damages claims from customers deter many from sharing key data with enforcers. Vestager also criticised "no-poach" agreements between companies, saying that this could create a cartel, a sign that she may be mulling action. Individuals are directly effected "when companies collude to fix the wages they pay or when they use so-called 'no-poach' agreements as an indirect way to keep wages down, restricting talent from moving where it serves the economy best", she said. No-poach agreements, in which companies agree not to hire each others' workers, and non-compete agreements, in which workers sign contracts pledging not to leave to work for a rival, have in recent years drawn criticism. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Alex Richardson) Former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard has criticised Neighbours, claiming it has left British people ignorant of her country's culture. The long-running soap has been a staple of UK TV for decades and helped to start the careers of Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie and many others. However, Gillard who is Australia's first female leader and was in power between 2010 and 2013 suggested that the soap had negatively shaped UK citizens' perceptions of the nation. Photo credit: ENDEMOL/Channel 5 Related: 11 huge Neighbours spoilers for next week "I think it does get very frustrating for Australians when you're confronted in the UK with an image of your country that's been developed from watching Neighbours," she told the BBC's Inside Culture (via iNews). "As proud as we are of Kylie and the crew, it's sort of frozen in time and you just want to, say yes, but can we talk about the rest of it? Because you feel held back." Photo credit: Tolga Akmen - WPA Pool - Getty Images Related: Neighbours' Terese and Paul clash over Harlow in 9 new spoiler pictures As part of the programme, Cate Blanchett also weighed in, criticising UK prime minister Boris Johnson over stereotypical Australian food references while agreeing a trade deal with the country, labelling it "nostalgic". "I first came to the UK in the 90s and I was expecting an advanced, perhaps more sophisticated understanding of one another's cultures," she said. "And I was quite shocked that those very cliches we see in those baskets were alive and well, when in fact they weren't really representative of either of our cultures." Photo credit: Dave J Hogan - Getty Images However, comedian Tim Minchin countered the arguments, saying: "I don't look right for Neighbours, and [in Australia] people would come and see my shows and go, 'We should talk,' and that would sort of be it. Whereas when I got here, everyone just went, 'You're a thing, you're a real thing.' "I feel more an intellectual being over [in the UK], as in I have met some of my great intellectual heroes and been treated as an equal and been taken seriously. And it's given me self-esteem about my work." Story continues Neighbours is set to air a special UK-set storyline in 2022 as Harlow Robinson visits London, with British stars such as Amanda Holden and Sophie Ellis-Bextor set to appear. Neighbours airs weekdays at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5 (UK) and Mondays to Thursdays at 6.30pm on 10 Peach (Australia). Read more Neighbours spoilers on our dedicated homepage You Might Also Like Oct. 22Jen Metzger, a member of the New York State Cannabis Control Board and former state senator, spoke about cannabis regulations with members of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Oct. 21. During the Zoom meeting, she answered questions posed by chamber President Ray Pucci and chamber members about the recently enacted state law that will allow adult cannabis sales in New York state. Pucci said the chamber has gotten some pushback from some residents for supporting the cannabis sales in the county, but said the chamber "supports all of our businesses in the county." Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act on March 31. The law allows people to be in possession of up to three ounces of cannabis and up to 24 grams of concentrated cannabis oil. The law will allow people to grow up to six marijuana plants, but only three can be mature plants, on their property and be in possession of three flowers. The bill also established the Office of Cannabis Management, which is overseen by the Cannabis Control Board made up of five people appointed by the governor. Metzger said she was appointed to the position by Gov. Kathy Hochul after Cuomo failed to appoint a board before he resigned. She said she had hoped the control board would have been appointed in April or May, but that wasn't the case. She said the board is now playing catch-up in order to have regulations in place by Jan. 1. She said the board held its first meeting Oct. 5 and a second meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 21. She said the office will oversee the regulations for medical cannabis, cannabinoid hemp and adult use cannabis sales and said it was nice that they were all grouped together under one authority. She said the sale of cannabis will help farmers and small businesses as part of the law prohibits a person from owning more than three dispensaries in the state. She said everyone who wants to get into the business must be licensed by the state, including farmers, nurseries, small businesses that want to sell the product or open a cannabis lounge, distributors and microbusiness owners. She said she has talked to several farmers interested in growing cannabis and starting a microbusiness so they can sell their product. Story continues "In other states and countries, multi-million dollar companies own a monopoly in the cannabis industry and control the whole supply chain," Metzger said. "That's not allowed here. This law prohibits vertical integration. We want more small businesses to be successful." She said the only type of license that allows the vertical integration is the microbusiness that allows small farmers to grow, cultivate and sell their product, which she compared to a craft beverage brewery. However, the microbusiness license will not be granted if the local municipality opts out of sales, she said. Towns, cities and villages have until Dec. 31 to decide whether to opt out of cannabis sales. If municipalities opt out of sales, they can opt back in at a future date, she said. Farmers and nursery owners can still apply for licenses if the town opts out of sales. In addition to making sure it is advantageous for small businesses and farmers, the law states that 50% of the licenses will be granted to people or businesses adversely affected by the enforcement of cannabis prohibition, she said. That includes minorities, distressed farmers, women business owners and service disabled veterans, Metzger said. The sale of cannabis will also benefit local governments and a majority of the people in the state, Metzger said. The state will charge a 9% excise tax and the county will charge a 4% excise tax. Of the 4% excise tax, 75% will go to the local municipality that allows sales and 25% will go to the county, she said. Of the 9% state excise tax, 40% will go to a community grant reinvestment fund, 20% will go to substance abuse programs and 40% will go to public education. Metzger said part of the legislation funds the teaching of local police to be drug recognition experts in cases of driving while ability impaired by drugs. She encouraged people to visit the state website cannabis.ny.gov within the coming months to keep up to date on the board's decisions. Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221. Follow her @DS_VickyK on Twitter. By Sam Nussey TOKYO (Reuters) -SoftBank Group Corp is in talks to sell the Paris-based robotics business behind its Pepper android to Germany's United Robotics Group, according to sources and documents reviewed by Reuters, scaling back a business it once touted as a major growth driver. The talks are ongoing and plans could change, said two sources familiar with the matter, who declined to be named as they are not permitted to speak to the media. It is not clear whether SoftBank will retain a stake in the business, nor how much the deal would be worth. United Robotics Group, which is backed by German industrial robot maker Hahn, became the European master distributor for SoftBank's struggling Pepper and Nao robots in October. United Robotics declined to comment. SoftBank has said it remains committed to the Pepper business. Reuters reported in June https://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-softbank-shrinks-robotics-business-stops-pepper-production-sources-2021-06-28 that SoftBank had stopped production of Pepper and slashed jobs at its robotics business globally. Roughly half of 330 staff positions were cut in France, where operations date back to the 2012 acquisition of start-up Aldebaran, which custom-designed Pepper for SoftBank. Additional staff have quit because of low morale, forcing SoftBank to advertise positions to fill core functions, according to the sources and a review of job postings. United Robotics has offices in Germany and Austria, according to its website. Recently departed SoftBank staff in areas such as sales have been hired by the company, according to the sources. SoftBank, which is riven by a culture divide between its European workforce and Japanese managers, has a dwindling stock of aging Pepper units https://www.reuters.com/article/us-softbank-group-pepper-focus-idCAKBN2ER0JK and components approaching obsolescence, Reuters reported previously. In addition to selling Pepper and Nao, a small humanoid robot, United Robotics also markets robots like Sawyer, an industrial robot that can operate alongside humans. Story continues The restructuring comes as SoftBank focuses on selling third party hardware following the commercial failure of Pepper. The conglomerate has created a parallel sales operation in Britain, reducing its reliance on the Paris-based business. SoftBank engineers in France have been working on a secret project to design a serving robot called Plato, according to the sources and documents reviewed by Reuters. However, managers in Japan have put off ordering the robot, the sources said. At the same time, SoftBank has struck deals to sell similar robots from outside firms, diminishing the commercial viability of its own product. (Reporting by Sam Nussey. Editing by David Dolan and Gerry Doyle) The first female head of Japan's largest trade union vowed on Friday to fight workplace sexism in a country where women still face pressure to "become a good wife and a good mother". Tomoko Yoshino, 55, said she felt a "great responsibility" to improve opportunities for women in Japan, which is ranked 120 out of 156 nations in the World Economic Forum's latest global gender gap report. She became president this month of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, known as Rengo, which has about seven million members. "I felt that it was up to me to break through this Japanese glass ceiling and not pass up on this opportunity," Yoshino told reporters at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. She pledged to work towards a society "in which it is comfortable, or easier, for women to work and to live". Many women in Japan leave the workplace when they have children, and find themselves disadvantaged if they try to return, she said. This has led to the "very low" representation of women in leadership roles including in politics, with female candidates accounting for just 18 percent of those running in Japan's general election on October 31, Yoshino said. Just three out of 21 ministers in Japan's cabinet are women. "The division of gender or sex roles in Japan is still very deeply rooted, whether within the workplace, the community or the family," Yoshino said. "This is something which is still exceedingly strong... the expectations on women that what they should be aiming for is to become a good wife and a good mother." Yoshino, who is the first woman to lead Rengo since it was founded in 1989, slammed Japan's gender-gap index ranking -- where it slots in between Angola and Sierra Leone -- as "an extremely low position for a so-called advanced or developed country". mac/kaf/leg During its 2016 national convention in Orlando, the Democratic Party added abolishing the death penalty to its official party platform. But five years later, Democratic candidates vying to challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis are breaking with that stance. As the gunman in Floridas deadliest school shooting faces a possible death sentence, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Miami Sen. Annette Taddeo all say they would support the death penalty in the most egregious of cases and none supported the idea of abolishing death row. In Florida, which has one of the nations most active death rows in the country, with a population currently at 305 total inmates, politicians have a history of being lukewarm or inconsistent on the issue. For example, in 2006, then-Governor Crist said he supported the death penalty and pledged to carry out the law, even if it was a very solemn task. During his administration, five prisoners were executed. But Crist, now a Democrat campaigning to recover a job he once held as a Republican, has been more nuanced on his position this time around. Last week, he rolled out the second half of his Justice For All criminal justice plan, which included a section on overturning wrongful convictions by funding the expansion of conviction review units in every court circuit. Recently, Fried was asked about her stance on the states death penalty laws at two different virtual events hosted by local Democratic groups. Her answers varied slightly. Nikki Fried, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services speaks during a press conference, about the environmental crisis at the former Piney Point phosphate plant, where breached wastewater reservoirs are threatening to fully rupture, at the Manatee County Public Safety Building in Bradenton on Tuesday, April 6, 2021. While she expressed concerns over certain parts of the states criminal justice system as a whole, Fried stopped short of explicitly supporting an end to the death penalty altogether during a June 15 meeting of the Manasota Young Democrats. She said she is committed to getting it right, and that theres been too many problems in the past with the way the death penalty has been carried out in Florida. Fried did say, however, that there are exceptions to her stance. Story continues If somebody has confessed and there is literally no doubt whatsoever, I think thats a different situation, she told the group. Last Tuesday, Fried spoke to the Coral Gables Democratic Club and gave a slightly different answer. Fried told the group that she differs from Charlie Crist in her consistent message and that the death penalty needs to be examined. She did not bring up exceptions to the death penalty. Im not going tell you Im against the death penalty here and youre going to hear another statement later on from me saying Im not, she said during the Oct. 12 meeting. The meeting came a day after Crist unveiled the first part of his criminal justice policy plan, which does not directly address the death penalty in Florida. The conversation is top of mind again, after Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder on Wednesday. He now faces a death penalty trial by jury, which must unanimously agree to impose a death sentence. In Florida, the governor must sign a death warrant for an inmate to be executed. While none of the top three Democratic candidates running for governor weighed in on Cruzs plea, Taddeo and Crist both said they thought the death penalty should be considered in his case. In this May 4, 2021, file photo Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, gestures during a campaign rally as he announces his run for Florida governor in St. Petersburg, Fla. In cases like these, I believe the death penalty is an appropriate punishment. But I dont take that position lightly. As Governor, one of the toughest parts of the job was signing a death warrant. It is a punishment that should be used sparingly, reserved for the most heinous crimes, Crist said in a statement to the Herald. Meanwhile, Taddeo acknowledged the Innocence Project, a New York-based nonprofit legal organization that works to overturn wrongful convictions, did important work to review cases of individuals who are wrongly incarcerated. Florida Sen. Annette Taddeo speaks during a legislative session, Friday, April 30, 2021, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. I do believe the death penalty should be seldom invoked, though this week we were reminded in the MSD [Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School] Parkland case that the death penalty rightfully will be on the table, Taddeo said in a text message. Fried declined to comment on the Cruz case, saying it would be inappropriate to weigh in as the judge and jury consider his sentence. In a statement to the Miami Herald, Fried said Floridas criminal justice system is in serious need of reform and noted that the death penalty is applied disproportionately against people of color. However, I do believe that the death penalty should be applied in cases when the crimes are particularly heinous, and when guilt can be ascertained beyond all doubt, Frieds statement said. Bentonne Snay, president of the Coral Gables Democratic Club, said the group had hoped Fried would denounce the death penality for being immoral, but was pleased with her answer that she sees problems with the death penalty under the current system. Manasota Young Democrats president, Peter Ryan Emhoff, said members wished Fried had taken a stronger stance in denouncing the death penalty altogether. His group does not endorse gubernatorial candidates, but can give recommendations to the state-level Florida Young Democrats, who nominate. The fact that she wasnt taking a firm position, that she seemed to be wishy-washy on it there was some disappointment with that answer with our membership, he said. Hopefully she is not just saying it to one group and saying a different thing to another. TALLAHASSEE Hours after Thursdays unexpected request by Gov. Ron DeSantis for lawmakers to return to Tallahassee and pass laws against vaccine mandates, Floridas top GOP legislators had a surprise of their own. Florida should remove itself from the direct federal oversight of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, they said. The proposal was a reaction to President Joe Bidens administration announcing a rule, to be enforced by that agency, that says private businesses with 100 or more employees must require their workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or undergo weekly testing. Instead of submitting directly to federal regulations, Florida would create its own workforce safety program an idea that could cost millions and make the state the first to withdraw from direct Occupational Safety and Health Administration oversight in nearly 40 years. House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor and Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, wrote in a joint statement that the federal agencys regulations are onerous and that a state program could alleviate state employers and employees. Simpson has a history with those regulations. The environmental cleanup company he owned was fined $18,000 by the agency after a worker fell and died in 2014. The roofing company owned by another top GOP senator, Keith Perry of Gainesville, was fined nearly $50,000 for six incidents between 2011 and 2017, including two in which employees fell and were hospitalized with serious injuries. The fines were later reduced to just over $21,000. State lawmakers hadnt proposed leaving the federal agency until Thursday in the hours following DeSantis call for a special legislative session. Floridas conservative leaders have bristled at the new Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule. Attorney General Ashley Moody and DeSantis said they plan to fight it in court. But Simpson and Sprowls took DeSantis ideas a step further, proposing to exempt Florida from Occupational Safety and Health Administration oversight and instead create a state workforce agency. Story continues Unfortunately, (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is now being weaponized by the Biden Administration not to protect workers, but to institute an illegal and unconstitutional nationwide vaccine mandate that robs the American people of the dignity of work, Simpson said in a statement Friday. If Florida withdraws from (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration), our state plan would certainly maintain, or exceed the effective safety standards that currently protect employees and employers in our state. Former Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials say Florida forming its own program would hardly lessen any burden supposedly brought about by federal regulations for two reasons. First, any state program would still have to be approved by the federal government. Second, as Simpson noted, agency rules say the program would have to be at least as effective as federal workplace standards. Youre not going to get very far if you tell the feds youre going to adopt a state OSHA plan so that you dont have to adopt federal OSHA standards, said Jordan Barab, who served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor at Occupational Safety and Health Administration from 2009 to 2017. It makes no sense. Under agency rules, states are allowed to form their own worker safety programs. Some 21 states and Puerto Rico have programs protecting private and public sector workers. The most recent of those plans to be certified was for New Mexico, in 1984. Another six states have plans covering only public sector employees, but they rely on federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulators for the private sector. Currently, Floridas private sector is regulated by the federal government, and state and local government employees have no workplace regulation, Barab noted. That means no matter what kind of plan Simpson and Sprowls submit to the federal government, more workplaces in Florida would be subject to regulations. Debbie Berkowitz, another former senior Occupational Safety and Health Administration official during President Barack Obamas administration, said some states with their own workforce programs enforce regulations in a more lax manner than federal inspectors. But even those states have to maintain a certain level of enforcement, or else the federal government can intervene. If you decide that you want to operate in a world where employers can do whatever they want to workersyoure not going to get that with a state plan, Berkowitz said. A more relaxed regulatory environment could be what Simpson and Sprowls ultimately want out of a potential Florida program. But even if a proposal from the state wins federal approval, that process would take years. California, for example, waited four years between its plans initial approval and its certification. Plus, Florida would have to create a new agency dedicated to enforcing the standards, which would cost taxpayers millions every year. In a statement Friday, Sprowls said any state program would reflect the values of our state while upholding worker safety standards. Its not clear that federal regulations in Florida are all that onerous. A 2021 report by the labor union AFL-CIO showed that Florida had the fewest inspectors per workers in the nation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration only had one inspector for every 164,520 workers, the union reported. Sometimes, the federal government misses major workplace hazards in Florida. A 2021 series of stories in the Tampa Bay Times highlighted how the Occupational Safety and Health Administration failed to detect serious problems at a Tampa lead smelter. Only after the Times series detailed numerous safety hazards for workers did federal regulators conduct a thorough investigation into the factory. Eventually, the company that owns the factory, Gopher Resource, was fined more than $319,000 by the agency. Simpsons asbestos clean-up company, Simpson Environmental Services, was fined $25,200 after a worker fell on the job and later died in 2014. According to safety administration records available online, the worker was scraping asbestos and removing fireproofing material from beams when the person fell. The worker was taken to a hospital and died from head trauma six days later. Simpson Environmental Services was initially fined $25,200, which was later reduced to $18,270. The four violations listed online include the absence of scaffolding guardrails that could prevent a fall. Simpson has since sold the company, and he couldnt speak about the case, spokesperson Katie Betta said. Betta added that Simpson has owned many companies over the years and they have an impeccable safety record. As a business owner for more than 30 years, I have always respected and relied upon the proper role (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) plays in monitoring workplace safety, Simpson said in a statement. Perry, who introduced two bills on Thursday against mask and vaccine mandates, did not respond to requests for comment Friday. The roofing company he owns has been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration six times since 2011, including twice after workers fell and were seriously injured. In 2017, an employee working on the roof of a two-story residential building fell while carrying roofing materials, according to the agencys website. The rope portion of his fall protection system was too long, and he fell 21 feet. He was taken to the hospital and treated for a fractured back vertebra. The company was initially fined $5,926 for not reporting the incident within 24 hours, but it was later reduced to $0. Later that year, an employee was on the roof of a three-story building standing on top of old shingles and debris, tossing the materials into a trash bin, according to the agencys website. When the materials he was standing on shifted, the employee fell 25 feet, and he was taken to the hospital for a fractured pelvis, a dislocated left wrist and torn tendons in his left hand. The company was fined $18,108 for not having a fall protection system in place, which was later reduced to $9,054. A 23-year-old man has been charged after allegedly starting the fire that killed two people at an apartment complex in Frankfort last month, according to the Louisville branch of the ATF. Ibrahim Muhammad was booked into the Franklin County Detention Center Thursday night on charges of murder, first-degree arson, first-degree wanton endangerment and first-degree assault. Hes being held on a $1 million bond. ATF Louisville said evidence recovered during the investigation revealed that the fire was started intentionally. Zephany Rushin, 21, and Quiana Danyel Miller-Walker, 20, died while about six others were hurt. Rushin was from Lexington and graduated from Bryan Station High School. She was studying psychology and early childhood education at Kentucky State University, according to an obituary. Miller-Walker had been cast in Bluegrass Community and Technical College Theatre productions, the Frankfort State Journal reported. She also was a teacher at Innovation Arts Academy in Lexington, according to WTVQ. Her Facebook page said she was from Lexington. She just had a wonderful, commanding presence that was still full of love. Students loved her and respected her at the same time, Executive Director Mary Joy Nelson told WTVQ. She had a natural gift for teaching and her passion was infectious. Of the injured victims, one victim was sent to the University of Louisville burn center and one other was hurt while jumping out of the burning building, the State Journal reported. WKYT, the Herald-Leaders news partner, interviewed Muhammad shortly after the fire. Muhammad was very remorseful in the interview and said he lost his home in the fire as well. Three lawyers are filing motions seeking to prevent Alex Murdaugh or his sole surviving son, Buster, from disposing of any of the fathers financial or property assets without approval by a judge. The motion, made in three separate Hampton County lawsuits that name Murdaugh as a defendant, also seek to have a judge appoint a receiver or financial overseer who would oversee Murdaughs assets and track his previous spending, the lawyers said. The lawyers also seek an immediate injunction to stop Murdaugh and Buster from spending any of Murdaughs money or selling any property. They also seek to have any ill-gotten gains by Murdaugh clawed back from people or companies he has spent stolen money on. Irreparable injury, loss or damage will result in the absence of an injunction to this effect, said one motion filed by Columbia attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter. Murdaughs pattern and practice involves carefully devised plans to defraud, to deceive and to conceal his actions when money is at issue. ... Alex Murdaugh cannot and should not be trusted as to the handling of his assets going forward, said another motion filed by Allendale attorney Mark Tinsley. The motions note that Murdaugh is embroiled in various criminal and civil investigations in which he is alleged to have misappropriated millions of dollars. They assert that he must be stopped from disposing of any more assets. The motions also describe some of Murdaughs known assets and list some known expenditures. The motions are the latest events in a sprawling series of intertwined criminal and civil legal actions and probes that revolve around the once-prominent Lowcountry lawyer, who for months since the unsolved June 7 shooting murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, has been the focus of considerable statewide and national interest. Earlier this week, a state circuit judge denied bond for Murdaugh and ruled he must stay in jail pending a psychological evaluation that assessed his mental health. Murdaugh has been criminally charged with embezzling millions from an estate. Story continues Blands and Richters lawsuit, filed in September, alleges Murdaugh stole $2.7 million from the legitimate heirs of Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaughs longtime housekeeper, who died of fatal injuries received in a 2018 fall at the family home. The money, which came from insurance policies Murdaugh carried, was paid into Satterfields estate and was distributed to Murdaugh instead of to Satterfields two sons. Tinsley represents Renee Beach, the mother of Mallory Beach, a 19-year-old woman who died in a 2019 nighttime boat crash in a watercraft allegedly piloted by Paul Murdaugh, Murdaughs late son. Renee Beachs lawsuit names Murdaugh and Buster as defendants, as well as others. The other attorney is Joe McCulloch, of Columbia, who represents Connor Cook, who was injured in the same boat crash that killed Mallory. The Cook lawsuit also seeks damages from the Murdaughs. The three lawyers said their motions, all similar and coordinated, were filed Friday. All three motions seek to have Peter McCoy, a former U.S. attorney for South Carolina, and attorney John Lay appointed as co-receivers of all assets controlled by Murdaugh and Buster. As co-receivers, they will have the authority to locate and oversee the dispositions of all the assets controlled by both Murdaughs. The motions seek to trace every single financial action that Alex Murdaugh has done since 2010, Bland said. Tinsleys motion said, in part, Alex Murdaugh has demonstrated an extraordinary pattern and practice of deceit and fraud in the handling of his assets and by his actions to misappropriate assets belonging to others. His pattern and practice involves carefully devised plans to defraud, to deceive and to conceal where money is concerned. To illustrate how Murdaugh money is being spent, Tinsleys motion also contained as an exhibit a photo of Buster allegedly sitting at a casino table. The photo was taken at the Venetian Hotel in October 2021. The motions said that since the underlying lawsuits seeking damages against Murdaugh are still pending, the plaintiffs have an interest in making sure he and Buster to whom Murdaugh gave a power of attorney on Sept. 16 cannot dispose of any assets they have. Alex Murdaughs assets The lawyers motions also allege various circumstances regarding Murdaughs financial situation. On Sept. 16, after Murdaughs arrest that day for allegedly committing a $10 million insurance fraud in a botched suicide attempt, his lawyer Dick Harpootlian described him as essentially broke. However, the motions said, Murdaugh was previously known to have significant assets. They include income generated by his partnership interest in the law firm Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick; his interest in a 1,700-acre Moselle tract and other properties in Hampton and Colleton counties; assets inherited from his late father, Randolph Murdaugh III, who died on June 10; inherited assets from his late wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, both of whom died on June 7; and an interest in the Randolph Murdaugh, III Trust dated June 23, 2020. The state Attorney Generals office has alleged that Murdaugh stole $3.4 million from the Satterfield estate in 2019. Of that money, he paid off a $100,000 credit card debt and gave more than $300,000 to his late father. He also is alleged to have transferred more than $735,000 to his personal bank account. Murdaugh is under criminal investigation for a variety of personal and professional matters, from allegations of obstruction of justice in the boating death case to being a person of interest in the unsolved murders of his wife and son. On Sept. 16, Murdaugh gave a sweeping power of attorney to his surviving son Buster that provides a mechanism for Buster Murdaugh to transfer, sell or otherwise handle Alex Murdaughs assets in a manner that diverts the assets from the Plaintiffs, the motions said. Then, on Sept. 23, Buster acted as his fathers agent and satisfied a $970,354 mortgage on a 42-acre tract in Colleton and Hampton counties. On Oct. 1, Murdaughs ownership in Green Swamp Club, a a 7,000-acre hunting club on the Savannah River in Jasper County, was sold for an undisclosed sum. Both are currently trying to sell a boat for $115,000. Tinsley told The State he and his two colleagues had little choice but to file the motions. We are doing this to prevent any further wasting of assets and to try to begin to determine what they (Alex and Buster Murdaugh) have done to date, he said. McCulloch agreed, saying he hopes there will be a hearing soon. We have seen many strange things, not the least of which is the frantic efforts to move pieces of the financial puzzle around and liquidate assets, he said. Although the S.C. Supreme Court has consolidated all criminal cases and investigations concerning Murdaugh under Judge Clifton Newman, the high court has made no similar ruling with respect to the civil damage lawsuits against Murdaugh. Consequently, it is not yet known which judge or judges will decide on the motions by Bland, Richter, Tinsley and McCulloch in their civil cases. John Tiller, a Charleston attorney who represents Murdaugh in the Beach lawsuit, could not be reached for comment. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday said the Justice Department "does not support defunding the police" and has asked for a $1 billion funding increase for local departments. His comments came during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday in response to a question from Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., about how the Minneapolis Police Department which is down 200 officers since before COVID-19 can improve morale more than a year after former officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd in May of 2020. "On the defund police issue, the department does not support defunding police, nor does the president," Garland said. "So, we've asked for more than a billion dollars a major increase in funds for local police departments." EX-MINNEAPOLIS COP FACES NEW SENTENCE IN DEATH OF 911 CALLER Garland added that the DOJ's civil rights investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department announced in April found that there was "general agreement that there were problems" within the department. "This does not mean that every police officer quite the contrary," Garland said. "This means that from talking to many police officers, that they believe that it's important that there be accountability and that officers who break the law are held accountable so that the community retains its trust in the good police officers who do not break the law." He continued: "And that's the only way they can be safe, and that's the only way the community can be safe. So I think police officers should look at these investigations in a positive way, and we are trying to present them." Minnesota news station WCCO, a PBS affiliate, reported Oct. 18 that the Minneapolis Police Department has lost nearly 300 officers since 2020 and is seeking an additional $27 million in funding amid an increase in violent crime and a lack of sworn-in officers. Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., accused Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin of spreading an "anti-Semitic conspiracy theory" in claiming that left-wing billionaire George Soros had inserted liberal operatives in Virginia school boards. Both the Youngkin campaign and an Orthodox Jewish rabbi shot down Luria's claim. "I call it out in my own party and Im calling it out now," Luria declared on Twitter. "Evoking George Soros as a shadowy funder is an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. This is an unacceptable statement from Glenn Youngkin." BIDEN TO CAMPAIGN WITH TERRY MCAULIFFE IN TOSS-UP VIRGINIA ELECTION During a speech in Burke on Tuesday, Youngkin claimed that "George Soros-backed allies" in "the left, liberal progressive movement" have "inserted political operatives into our school system," in the school boards. The Youngkin campaign ridiculed the idea that the claim was "anti-Semitic." A spokesperson told Fox News that Luria's claim is "ridiculous partisan nonsense." "She can take this up with The Washington Post and Politico, who have reported extensively on George Soros pumping money into Democrat campaigns in Virginia," the spokesperson added. In April 2019, The Washington Post published a story explaining how a PAC funded by George Soros impacted two prosecutor races in Northern Virginia. In August 2016, Politico published a story detailing "George Soros' quiet overhaul of the U.S. justice system," by channeling "more than $3 million into seven local district-attorney campaigns in six states over the past year." YOUNGKIN VOWS TO HOLD LOUDOUN COUNTY OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE AFTER ALLEGED SEXUAL ASSAULTS A Soros-launched PAC donated $625,000 to various statewide races in Virginia in 2019. Soros-funded prosecutor candidates swept the Virginia elections that year. The prosecutor who sought jail time for the father whose daughter was allegedly sexually assaulted by a male student in a dress in a girls' restroom has ties to both Soros and Terry McAuliffe, the Democrat running against Youngkin. As recently as June, Soros spent $200,000 on another prosecutor's race in Virginia. Story continues Soros seems to have also helped Luria herself. According to FEC data, Soros contributed $5,000 to PAC TO THE FUTURE in December 2019, which turned around and gave $10,000 to the Elaine Luria campaign in 2020. Rabbi Yaakov Menken, managing director of the Coalition for Jewish Values, which represents some 1,500 Orthodox Jewish rabbis, condemned Luria's suggestion that calling out Soros's activism constitutes an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. (AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa) Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images | AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa "It is ridiculous to say that because Soros is a wealthy Jew, if you criticize him, you're going after Jewish money," Menken told Fox News. "Anti-Semitism is too real and too dangerous to use as a partisan cudgel." "It's not merely true that Soros has tried to turn education and policing to suit his partisan vision," Menken continued. "He also funds groups that condemn Israel for placing barriers before suicide bombers, promote free entry for Hamas terrorists into Israel, and blame Israel for Arab terrorism." He specifically named the Arab American Institute , which condemned Israeli barriers, and Ilam , a network which Soros funds and which, according to Menken, blames Israel for Arab terrorism. Soros' "work clearly endangers Jewish and American lives," Menken said. "Opposing him isn't anti-Semitic, it's a Mitzvah," a command and a commendable act. Rep. Luria did not respond to Fox News' request for comment. FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Only 10 major European banks may need to raise capital as a result of the rollout of new global rules and their shortfall could be smaller than 27 billion euros ($31.43 billion), according to draft European Union regulation seen by Reuters. The impact would be much smaller than the 52.2 billion euros estimated by the European Banking Authority (EBA) last year, a sigh of relief for a sector that has been plagued by low profits for a decade and is still recovering from a pandemic-induced recession. The draft of European Commission's Basel III directive, which transposes the final batch of global rules aimed at avoiding a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis, put the increase to EU banks' minimum capital requirements at between 0.7% and 2.7% by 2015 and 6.4%-8.4% by 2030. "According to estimates provided by the EBA, this impact could lead a limited number of large EU banks (10 out of 99 banks in the test sample) to have to raise collectively... less than 27 billion euros," the Commission said in the document. The EBA said the banks in the test sample were from 17 EU countries and represented around 75% of total EU banks' assets. Banks had lobbied for a more flexible interpretation of the "output floor", which limits their discretion in setting their own capital requirement, but their wishes were not fulfilled. The European Parliament will have the final say on approving the rules, but regulators have warned the bloc not to stray from the standards already agreed at a global level. The directive, which is due to be published next week, also gives supervisors the power to impose requirements relating to climate risk and contains stricter rules for branches of foreign banks in the EU. This gives extra legal backing to the European Central Bank, which has been putting pressure on banks to disclose and tackle risks relating to climate change, such as weather hazards and changes in regulation. Story continues As regards foreign branches, which had assets worth 510 billion euros at the end of last year and are concentrated in Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg, they will now be subject to a common authorisation procedure. They will also have to comply with requirements relating to their capital, liquidity, governance and risk management, the draft shows. ($1 = 0.8591 euros) (Reporting by Huw Jones, Writing By Francesco Canepa in Frankfurt, Editing by Alex Richardson) TipRanks The billionaire investors stand in a league of their own. Its not necessarily their wealth that puts them there rather, its their success in the markets, in establishing themselves at the highest level of the financial world, that built their wealth. Cathie Wood, the founder and CEO of $75 billion asset manager Ark Invest, is one of Wall Streets most influential investors due to her stock-picking power and her company's impressive returns. Looking at the current market situation, Wood belie (Bloomberg) -- H2 Green Steel is in talks to raise money from investors that could value the Swedish startup at more than 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion), according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg The company, whose backers include Mercedes-Benz AG and Spotify Technology SA co-founder Daniel Ek, is working with advisers on raising more than 1 billion euros, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information. Stockholm-based H2 is one of a new breed of steelmakers seeking to overhaul the way the alloy is manufactured as global industries lurch toward a low-carbon future. It plans to begin fossil-free steel production from a plant in Boden, northern Sweden, in 2024, with annual capacity expected to hit 5 million tons by 2030. But the operating costs associated with cleaner steel production are much higher than with traditional methods and H2 is seeking total financing of about 2.5 billion euros for the first phase of its project. It raised $105 million from investors in an initial funding round in May. Luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz said it plans to use H2s steel in its vehicles from 2025 onwards, with its German rival BMW AG making the same pledge this month. Carmakers could take part in the latest funding round, according to the people. Deliberations are ongoing and no final decisions of the value and timing of any fundraising have been made, the people said. A representative for H2 declined to comment. Steel is one of the essential materials of the modern age and also one of the dirtiest to produce, with the industry blamed for about 7% of global carbon emissions. Its biggest producers still rely on old manufacturing processes, using coal-powered blast furnaces at temperatures of 1,500 degrees celsius. Story continues To clean up, European steelmakers are turning to hydrogen as a replacement fuel. Thyssenkrupp AG is working on a project to convert its steel mills to hydrogen production, while Swedens SSAB AB has already struck green steel partnerships with Volvo Group, Mercedes-Benz and Finlands Cargotec Oyj. H2 said earlier this year that Morgan Stanley, Societe Generale SA and KfW IPEX-BanK GmbH are financial advisers on its fundraising plans. Read more: Using the Worlds First Green Steel to Make a Dump Truck Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2021 Bloomberg L.P. The Daily Beast Chip SomodevillaA severe case of buyers remorse appears to have set in among some conservatives over electing Glenn Youngkin as the next Republican governor of Virginia.Over the past week, outrage has bubbled over among right-wingers and TrumpWorld allies alike, who are under the impression Youngkin has insufficient MAGA loyalty, citing his hiring of an LGBTQ staffer and his refusal to block COVID-related local mandates.The hits started pouring in against the fleece-clad governor-elect earlier Haitian truckers had initially planned a strike to protest the shortages, but Thursday's demonstrations were largely led by motorcycle drivers angry that they could not work for lack of fuel. Authorities also recently prohibited the sale of fuel in five-gallon containers, which has traditionally served as a mechanism for finding gasoline during shortages. Drivers wound through the side streets of the capital on Thursday, often forced to turn around after coming across barricades. Others argued and bargained with the protesters in an attempt to let them pass. Anger over a weakening currency, double-digit inflation, soaring crime, and graft accusations lodged against public officials have sparked violent, sometimes deadly, protests in the Caribbean island. Halyna Hutchins-guns-hollywood Halyna Hutchins at the SAGindie Sundance Filmmakers Reception in 2019. Credit - Fred HayesGetty Images Guns have dominated American movies for decades, with millions of fake rounds of ammunition fired off by John Wayne, Sly Stallone, Keanu Reeves, Linda Hamilton and many other action stars. But this penchant for onscreen violence has ended in real life tragedy several times throughout Hollywood historyand did so once again on Thursday, when the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed after the actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm while filming the movie Rust in New Mexico. The incidentwhich also seriously injured the films director Joel Souzahas led to renewed calls by many in the film industry, including the directors Rian Johnson and Paul Fieg, to ban real guns on movie sets. On Friday, ABCs cop show The Rookie announced that they would stop using live guns during shoots, instead using Air Soft guns and then adding computer-generated muzzle flashes in post-production. Any risk is too much risk, wrote showrunner Alexi Hawley. People say we should learn from thisbut we learned this lesson a long time ago. People have been killed on set before with prop guns, says Stephen Lighthill, the president of the American Society of Cinematographers and a former mentor of Hutchins. Its time for us to remove all guns from sets. A history of accidents on film sets While some guns used on movie sets are rubber replicas, many are real guns that are either unloaded or filled with blanks. Some directors or actors prefer the visceral authenticity of a real gun and the way it recoils or ejects a cartridge. We needed the reflections on the actors face to be real, her physical response to be real, the director Christopher Gist and Sarah Mayberry wrote of filming with a real gun on their thriller Darklands. But blanks can still be dangerousand especially at close range. The noise can be defeaning, and the wad that holds the gunpowderwhich can be made of paper, plastic, felt or cottoncan be ejected with such force to be lethal in close range. A blank is never a blank. Heat and light are going to come out of it, Lighthill says. Story continues In 1984, the actor Jon-Erik Hexum accidentally killed himself with a .44 Magnum pistol loaded with blanks on the set of Cover Up when, joking around, he held the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. In 1993, the actor Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, was killed while filming The Crow by a gun that was supposed to just have blanks, but had a bullet lodged in the barrel. On Friday, Lees sister Shannon wrote a message to Hutchins family on Twitter: No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period. Botched protocols When film crews work with real guns on set, there are sets of established protocols in place to prevent accidents, with a team of people who have to sign off on them. Property masters obtain guns and make sure theyre properly stowed when not in use; armorers or powder men handle guns on set and give strict instructions to the cast and crew about their usage. Plexiglass sheets are put in place to protect people close to the firearms; firing pins are often removed. Bullets are not supposed to be anywhere near set at all. Safety protocols when we have prop guns on set are rightfully excessiveyou go over and over them, the actress Minnie Driver wrote on Twitter. There is a line of responsibility to who hands the firearm to the actor and what checks are done, says Bob Primes, a cinematographer and two-time Emmy winner. Ive had people open up the gun and show me whats in the compartments and all that. We couldnt do the things we do without that chain of responsibilityso something like that never should have happened. Somewhere along the line, someone got rushed. Lighthall used even stronger language. From my point of view, this wasnt an accidentit was a crime, he says. This was an avoidable event. Somebody, or some group of people, did not do their job properly, allowing a situation to exist in which someone could be killed. On Friday morning, Indiewire reported that IATSE Local 44, the union that represents prop masters, sent an email to its members saying that the gun used to kill Hutchins contained a live round, and that the productions propmaster was not a member of Local 44. (In a phone call, a representative for Local 44 declined to comment.) An L.A. Times article reported that one crew member of Rust said there was a serious lack of safety meetings on this set. Renewed calls for reform On Friday, several members of Hollywood came out in favor of banning guns on sets. We should ban the use of blanks and simply do muzzle flashes in post to avoid any more tragedies, Paul Feig wrote. The director Bandar Albuliwi started a Change.org petition to ban real firearms on sets that has so far received 4,000 signatures. The shooting has also heightened larger tensions surrounding on-set safety regulations that have been close to the center of a dispute between Hollywood media companies and the union IATSE (the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees). Earlier this month, more than 50,000 IATSE members voted to go on strike, citing poor wages, unsafe working conditions and insufficient rest periods. (A strike was averted when the two parties negotiated a new contract last week.) Across the board, this industry is filled with red flags for safety, the film worker Paul Rodriguez told TIME earlier this month. If youre rigging grip or on electric, you could be 70, 80 feet in the air. Every day, theres something where you could die. In 2017, stuntwoman Joi Harris was killed on the Vancouver set of Deadpool 2 when she was ejected from her motorcycle, with government investigators later concluding that the employer failed to complete important health and safety documentation. Two years later, the special effects coordinator Warren Appleby was killed in an accident while working on the TV series Titans. Three days ago, Hutchins posted a photo on Instagram of the cast and crew of Rustwith Baldwin standing at the front holding a thumbs up signwith the caption, Standing in #IAsolidarity with our IATSE crew here in New Mexico on RUST. Lighthill, who is a member of IATSE, says that the incident highlights the need for increased safety measures and rest time for crew members, who often work 14-hour days or longer. All of us have a very personal stake in this. I think its time to sit down and say, Were not going to do this anymore. Actors have to be willing to change their schedules and say, Okay, Ill work a couple days longer so that you guys can work 10-hour days. This is a highly dramatic incident in which a young woman was killed. But you dont hear about all the fender benders and traffic accidents to people that fell asleep behind the wheel, Lighthill says. None of those things get publicized, but theyre happening all the time as a result of film production. Halyna Hutchins' friends and family are mourning her death after the cinematographer was killed on the set of Rust. Hutchins, 42, died Thursday after she was struck with a bullet fired by Alec Baldwin, who was given a gun with a live round in it, according to an email sent out by prop masters union IATSE Local 44, per IndieWire. The IATSE Local 44 email contradicts an earlier report that the gun Baldwin was using on set contained blanks. On Thursday, a spokesperson for Baldwin told PEOPLE "there was an accident today on the New Mexico set of Rust involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks." For more on the shooting on the Rust set, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day. In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Hutchins' team remembered her as "a ray of light" who was "always smiling" and "always hopeful." "She decided early on she would take the craft of cinematography by storm and the last couple of years proved she was well on her way. Her talent was immense, only surpassed by the love she had for her family," they added. "All those in her orbit knew what was coming; a star director of photography, who would be a force to be reckoned with." Halyna Hutchins Mat Hayward/Getty Halyna Hutchins Screenwriter and director Lauren Ciaravalli paid tribute to her colleague on Instagram, calling Hutchins "a visionary artist, incredible mother and wife, brilliant collaborator, generous friend and one of the most spirited, committed and talented creatives I've been blessed enough to work with." Ciaravalli, who worked with Hutchins on multiple projects, said the cinematographer was a natural fit for Rust, her latest film. RELATED: Stephen Baldwin Asks for 'Prayers' After Fatal Accidental Shooting on Set of Brother Alec's Movie "Of course she booked a Western like Rust because she had a cowgirl spirit, embracing and relishing challenges with a love for her craft and community," Ciaravalli wrote, remembering her colleague for her kind words and gentle nature. Story continues "She was often alone in close quarters with talent, both camera operating and DPing, and would gently sweep a leading lady's hair to the side, before making HMU struggle to get in there for a last look. She would add a sweet comment like, 'Your neckline looks so gorgeous,' as she did it, giving talent both comfort and a confidence boost right before the take," she wrote. Ciaravalli closed out her message with a call for action: "Let us all do our jobs with the heart, care, attention, respect, smarts, and carefulness that Halyna brought to set. We should never lose a life on a film set, especially not like this." Hutchins was also remembered by director Adam Egypt Mortimer, who also posted an Instagram tribute to the late creator. While Mortimer did not include a lengthy message, he simply shared a heart emoji and several pictures of Hutchins working behind the scenes of films. Frances Fisher, an actress working on Rust with Hutchins, said she loved watching the cinematographer at work, writing on Instagram that she admired Hutchins' "intense focus" and "vibrant command of the room." Mazena Puksto, a makeup artist who had worked with Hutcins, shared photos of herself and the cinematographer on Instagram, writing, "Last nights horrifying news shook everyone to the bones. I can't believe it. Halyna, You were an inspiration for so many women and men.This freak accident on set is infuriating. My heart goes out to your family, especially the little one " RELATED: Halyna Hutchins' Husband Speaks Out After Her Death on Rust Set: 'I Don't Think There Are Words' Filmmaker Elle Schneider shared her own tribute on Twitter, writing, "Sick and devastated to hear that my friend and rockstar cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on set today in New Mexico. I don't have words to describe this tragedy. I want answers. I want her family to somehow find peace among this horrific, horrific loss." Yana Nestoliy, Hutchins' friend from college, told the New York Times the young filmmaker was destined for a memorable career. "She could have been among the top Hollywood stars on camera, not behind it," she said. Hutchins was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital after she was struck on the set of Rust. She later died of her injuries there, according to a Santa Fe Sheriff's Department press release obtained by PEOPLE. Director Joel Souza, 48, was also shot and sent to the hospital for his injuries. He was released Friday morning. "The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today's tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna's family and loved ones," Rust production company Rust Movie Productions LLC, said in a statement following the incident. "We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department's investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event." Oct. 22Thomas Johnston, vice-principal for high school operations at Heartland Christian Academy, was recently honored for 19 years of full-time service during an event held at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Spurgeon College in Kansas City, Mo. Johnston was hired at Heartland Christian Academy in August to oversee the second year of the new high school, a release said. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2001 and has 35 years of teaching experience, having taught Bible and evangelism in Africa, Europe, Russia, Canada and the United States. Johnston comes to Heartland with 19 years of pastoral experience in the Christian and Missionary Alliance St. Lawrence District, Evangelical Free Church of Canada, Evangelical Free Church of America and the Southern Baptist Convention. "The time is ripe for an Evangelical Christian High School education here in Bemidji," Johnston said in the release. For information on Heartland Christian High School, email tom.johnston@heartlandbemidji.org. America's hospitals are undergoing another emergency: The pandemic has worsened a decade-long shortage of hundreds of needed drugs. At the University of Virginia's medical center, technicians are filling single-dose drug orders for nearly 700 patients. Assistant pharmacy manager Brian Spoehlhof's job is to find drugs in short supply. "By the time I come in, we have a new list of new medications that are short," Spoehlhof said. One example is the targeted anti-inflammatory tocilizumab. The drug is needed by both chemotherapy and COVID-19 patients, and there's not enough for all of them. "What would happen if we run out of this, patients can't get important chemotherapy and without that chemotherapy they could die," Spoehlhof said. Spoehlhof said he is constantly looking for about 90 critical drugs. Pharmacist Brian Spoehlhof is constantly looking for drugs in short supply. / Credit: CBS News "Once the product has run out, it's hard to find the product anywhere," he said. The FDA currently lists 109 drugs in short supply nationally. The American Medical Association is calling the shortage an "urgent public health crisis" that "threatens patient care and safety." According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, three of the top five shortages are drugs used for chemotherapy, heart conditions and antibiotics. With tocilizumab, UVA's hospital made a tough choice: Save it for chemo patients and deny it to COVID patients. "It does mean that some patients are getting the drug that I would not ideally want to give them," said Dr. Patrick Jackson, an infectious disease physician who treats COVID patients at the hospital. "For a lot of patients, it will feel very unfair," Spoehlhof said. "If I had a solution, we wouldn't be in this situation." Various forces have caused this crisis. Trade restrictions, the pandemic, and complicated drug market forces are among them. For now, hospitals do what they can swap out drugs, cut dosages, or, worst case, deny patients the best medication. Story continues Supply chain issues worsen medication shortage CDC votes to recommend Johnson & Johnson and Moderna COVID vaccine boosters Georgia ER nurse's proposal goes viral Timothy Ring, a 55-year-old hunter in rural western Tennessee, told his family on Tuesday morning that he was going to work on his deer stand, according to the sheriff and local media reports. Hours later, his family found his truck in a field on his rental property. His body was nearby. Now the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Benton County Sheriffs Office are asking for the publics help in solving the mysterious case, with state investigators calling it a suspicious death investigation. If you know anything, do whats right, even if its your family! Tammy Ring Wood, who referred to herself as Rings sister, said in a Facebook post. My brother did not deserve this, I promise, we will get justice!!!! Ring was from Camden, Tennessee, and worked as an engineer with CSX Transportation, according to his obituary. He was also a U.S. Air Force veteran. State investigators said Rings body was found in the Lower Big Sandy Road area of Benton County, which runs almost parallel to the Big Sandy River north of Camden. Benton County has about 16,000 residents, census data show. Sheriff Kenny Christopher told WKRN that Rings family found his truck in a cornfield and his body was about 25 yards away in the wood line. This was very cold-blooded, the sheriff said, according to WKRN. Christopher said Rings deer stand was in the back of his truck and he had been shot multiple times, RadioNWTN reported. Christopher said the investigation is ongoing. The sheriff also told WKRN that Ring was pretty well thought of in Benton County. Just a good guy, just not the kind of guy that you ever worried about getting into anything, he said, according to the TV station. You could leave anything with him. He was honest, hard-working. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND. Inmate escapes work detail in stolen dump truck that was found abandoned, NC cops say Man missing for months found buried 15 feet deep in well, North Carolina cops say Alec Baldwin fatally shoots film crew member with prop gun, New Mexico police say Oxygen A Virginia contractor has been convicted of raping and murdering a college administrator, leaving her dead in her bathtub, after she complained about the companys work on her deck. A jury found Thomas Clark guilty of first-degree murder, rape and abduction of 53-year-old Suzanne Fairman after deliberating Wednesday for an hour and 20 minutes, according to local station WTVR. There is a huge amount of relief, Fairmans son, Scott, said after the verdict. I know these last two-and-a-half years CHICAGO Workers in state licensed day care centers will have to be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing under an executive order Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued Friday. The state estimates the order will apply to 55,000 workers at nearly 2,900 day care centers licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Fridays order puts privately run day care centers in line with the vaccination requirements for public and private schools that went into effect Sept. 19 after being delayed two weeks from the original deadline for first doses. The order comes as Pritzker continues to struggle to get the largest state public workers union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, to agree to a vaccine mandate for members working at state prisons and other congregate facilities. The Dec. 3 deadline for day care workers to get their first shot is followed by a requirement they get their second dose of the two-shot Pfizer or Moderna vaccines by Jan. 3. Any worker who is not fully vaccinated having received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of Johnson & Johnsons vaccine by Dec. 3 will have to undergo weekly testing. Vaccinations offer lifesaving protection for the people who receive them and make the community safer for the people who cant including the babies, toddlers, and young children not yet eligible for the vaccine, Pritzker said in a statement with his latest order. Federal health officials could give emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 5 by early next month, but shots for the youngest children arent expected to become available until sometime next year. Day care centers have been subject to a mask mandate for anyone 2 and older since early August, even before the latest statewide mandate for all indoor public places went into effect. Pritzker has stopped short of requiring all state workers under his authority to get vaccinated, though his earlier order mandating shots or testing for school employees also covered college employees and students and health care workers. Tuesday was the deadline for people covered by that order to receive their second dose. Story continues While hospital systems in the state have seen hundreds of workers quit over vaccine requirements, which in many cases are stricter than Pritzkers order, hospitals say the overwhelming majority of employees complied. Schools districts also have seen some employees refuse to get vaccinated or undergo testing, and some districts have been sued for enforcing the governors order. The state requires school districts to track which employees are vaccinated, which arent vaccinated but are complying with testing requirements, and which are excluded from school premises for noncompliance, Illinois State Board of Education spokesperson Jackie Matthews said Friday. While state officials are investigating complaints about noncompliant schools, they are not tracking vaccination rates among school employees, Matthews said. But similar to hospitals, some districts say their workers largely have been compliant. At Elgin-based School District Unit 46, for example, around 90% of staff members nearly 6,000 employees have been vaccinated, Superintendent Tony Sanders said. In addition, the district has roughly 600 employees who are not vaccinated and are complying with weekly testing, Sanders said. Three part-time employees refused to comply with either vaccinations or testing and, as such, are unable to work, Sanders said, adding that those employees are not being paid. Pritzker has repeatedly announced and then pushed back deadlines for workers in certain fields to be vaccinated. Last week, he again delayed the deadline for workers in state prisons, youth detention facilities, veterans homes, developmental centers and congregate care facilities to be vaccinated. State workers covered by the governors executive order now have until Nov. 30 to be fully vaccinated, nearly two months later than the deadline Pritzker laid out in August. The governors office said this week that it reached an agreement with a fifth union representing some of those workers. The deal with the Teamsters which, like the other four, only allows a testing alternative for workers with an approved medical or religious objection brings the number of employees covered by vaccination agreements to 2,100. AFSCME, which has yet to reach a deal, represents about 15,000 workers who would be covered by Pritzkers order. Pritzkers latest order comes as state health officials on Friday reported 2,969 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, the highest one-day total in more than two weeks. Over the past week, the state has averaged 2,162 cases per day, down from an average of 2,238 daily cases a week earlier and 3,275 a month ago. The state on Friday reported 27 additional fatalities, bringing the statewide death toll to 25,590 since the pandemic began. Over the past week, an average of 29,950 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered statewide per day. Thats up from an average of 18,793 a month earlier, just before federal officials authorized booster shots for older or more vulnerable people who received the Pfizer vaccine. Booster shots have been outpacing first or second shots nationally and in Illinois. The numbers could continue to rise in the coming weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off Thursday on boosters for the same categories of people who received the Moderna vaccine and anyone who received the Johnson & Johnson shot. The federal government also authorized those eligible for boosters to receive a different vaccine than they did the first time around. Pritzker is among those who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The governors office said he plans to get a booster now that theyve been authorized but didnt provide any additional details. (Chicago Tribunes Karen Ann Cullotta contributed.) OPINION: In addition to Facebook Inc.s racial and ethical issues, it has long enforced harrowing effects on the self-esteem of Black and Brown children and adolescents. Black America has disproportionately contributed to the Big 3 social media networks, Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, which have been a focal point of Black and Brown communities for years and they show no sign of stopping. But in light of recent scrutiny of these social media platforms, what impact have they had on minority communities? With Facebooks recent testimony by ex-employee Frances Haugen, it is crucial to examine what Facebook has done or not done in relation to Black and Brown communities. The year 2020 could have easily been charted as the year where a racial awakening took place in the United States. With the disproportionate killing of Black, Brown and Indigenous people at the hands of the police or simply disappearing without a trace many turned to their most popular outlet to voice their opinion: Facebook. Facebook, unlike Twitter and other platforms, gives users an almost unlimited amount of space to vocalize their opinions. But as we witnessed the uplifting of stories often not covered by the media, we also witnessed an up surge of hate speech against African Americans. In this photo illustration, the Facebook and Instagram apps are seen on the screen of an iPhone on October 04, 2021 in San Anselmo, California. Social media applications Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are experiencing a global outage that started before 9 a.m. (P.S.T.) on Monday morning. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) This surge of hate speech against Black people was a byproduct of the countrys racial climate, as millions of African Americans found themselves banned from discussing racism online. As USA Today reported, Black activists say hate speech policies and content moderation systems formulated by a company built by and dominated by white men fail the very people Facebook claims its trying to protect. But Black activists arent the only group subjected to Facebooks lack of protection. The treatment of current and former Black employees has long become lore. Currently, Facebook has 3% of Black people in executive leadership and throughout the company only one percentage more at 4%. Story continues Maxine Williams, Chief Diversity Officer at Facebook, says the behavior (microaggressions, inconsistencies and unfairness) described by minority Facebook employees were awful. These sentiments have been generally consistent across the board in tech, as Black Americans only make up 3% employees in the top 75 tech firms in Silicon Valley. Facebooks attempts to close the diversity gap have been inconsistent at best, although they have vowed to hire 50% of their workforce from underrepresented communities by 2024. With 2024 right around the corner and the recent departure of industry giant and ex-board member Kenneth Chenault, many are concerned as to how exactly Facebook plans on hitting these goals. Kenneth I. Chenault (Photo by Michael Cohen/Getty Images for The New York Times) Chenault, former chairman and CEO and American Express, joined Facebooks board in 2018 and resigned over personal conflicts with founder and CEO Mark Zuckerbergs leadership on political advertisements and public discourse on the site. Unfortunately, Zuckerbergs leadership extends far beyond Facebook, as the tech mogul also owns WhatsApp and Instagram. Instagram has led the charge on anti-abuse in the face of multiple racist allegations in August the photosharing company aimed to roll out measures to assist their users in protecting their accounts from abuse particularly offensive and unwanted comments and messages. This included the ability to filter DMs and came on the heels of the vicious racist attacks that followed the Euro 2020 final where Black players were spammed with the orangutan emoji with little to no support from Instagram. Sadly, these are all residuals of Zuckerbergs corporate monopoly. While Zuckerberg founded Facebook in 2004 on the campus of Harvard University, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger created Instagram six years later in 2010. Facebook promptly bought the photo and video sharing social media application two years later for $1 billion. In 2009, two former Yahoo employees (Brian Acton and Jan Koum) created WhatsApp. The mobile messaging device was purchased for over $16 billion. Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill April 11, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) This is how Mark Zuckerberg aggregated and created the perfect social media trilogy; Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram. Together this trifecta dominates the social media and communication market globally making them painfully difficult to regulate. In addition to Facebook Inc.s racial and ethical issues, its company has long enforced harrowing effects on the self-esteem of Black and Brown children and adolescents. But although there have been more and more calls for Zuckerbergs resignation by the day he still shows no signs of slowing. Instead, hes promised to hire 10,000 new people for to propel Facebook into a metaverse. We are simply left to wonder what percentage of those new hires will be Black? Wen-Kuni Ceant, theGrio.com Wen-kuni Ceant is the CEO and Co-Founder of Politicking. She is a Fulbright Scholar and through the fellowship she studied health infrastructure in Senegal during the last year. She received her Masters in Public Health in Health Management and Policy in 2016 from Drexel University. Before Drexel, she attended Howard University, in Washington, D.C. where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with honors with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. Have you subscribed to the Grio podcasts, Dear Culture or Acting Up? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today! The post The impact of Facebooks social media monopoly on Black Americans appeared first on TheGrio. A North Carolina inmate escaped his work detail in a stolen truck and it was found without him inside, officials said. Richard Alexander Mundy, 53, has been on the run since noon Thursday, when he left a work assignment in Scotland County, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety. Officials on Thursday launched a search for Mundy, who was serving time in a Randolph County robbery case. The dump truck hes accused of stealing was found in that same county, south of Greensboro and roughly 80 miles away from his prison worksite in Laurinburg. Richard Mundy But the truck was abandoned, and Mundy was still on the lam as of about 3 p.m. Friday, according to Brad Deen, a N.C. Department of Public Safety spokesperson. Mundy went to prison after he was convicted in 2004 of robbery with a dangerous weapon, officials said. He had been living at the Scotland Correctional Institution southwest of Fayetteville and was expected to be released in 2025. Mundy was working at a nearby off-prison assignment when officials said he got away on Thursday. Before the stolen dump truck was found the next morning, he was spotted in Asheboro driving another vehicle, a white, single cab Chevrolet truck, possibly 1999-2003 model with a black flat bed and side racks, the Randolph County Sheriffs Office said in a news release, adding that the truck was also believed stolen. Anyone who knows where Mundy is urged to call 911 or the Scotland prison at 910-844-3078. He was homeless and lived in Guilford County, home to Greensboro, before he went to prison, according to state officials. Mundy is described as a white male, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weight 276 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. He also has a four-inch scar in his upper left arm and tattoos on his left arm, left hand, right arm and an eagle on his right shoulder, officials said. At the time of escape, he was wearing a gray t-shirt and green pants; however, Mundy was last seen possibly wearing a white t-shirt and ball cap, Randolph County deputies said in a news release. Drug-filled football is thrown over prison fence but its intercepted, NC cops say Escaped prisoner takes 80-mile Lyft ride days before he would be freed, NC police say JERUSALEM (AP) Israel on Friday effectively outlawed six prominent Palestinian human rights groups by declaring them terrorist organizations, a major escalation of its decades-long crackdown on political activism in the occupied territories. The declaration appeared to pave the way for Israel to raid their offices, seize assets, arrest staff and criminalize any public expressions of support for the groups. Most of the targeted organizations document alleged human rights violations by Israel as well as the Palestinian Authority, both of which routinely detain Palestinian activists. Israeli and international rights groups condemned the move as an assault on civil society and expressed solidarity with the targeted organizations. Many noted that Israel already outlaws even peaceful political activities in the occupied West Bank. Palestinians want the territory which Israel captured in the 1967 war to form the main part of their future state. The designated groups are Al-Haq, a human rights group founded in 1979, as well as the Addameer rights group, Defense for Children International-Palestine, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees. The Israeli Defense Ministry said they are secretly linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a secular, left-wing movement with a political party as well as an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis. Israel and Western countries consider the PFLP a terrorist organization. The ministrys statement was released during the Israeli and Palestinian weekend. Representatives from the targeted organizations could not immediately be reached for comment. The Defense Ministry said the organizations are controlled by senior leaders of the PFLP and employ its members, including some who have participated in terror activity. It said the groups serve as a central source of financing for the PFLP and had received large sums of money from European countries and international organizations," without elaborating. Story continues Israel has long accused human rights groups and international bodies of being biased against it and of singling it out while ignoring graver violations by other countries. The European Union delegation to the Palestinian territories acknowledged financing activities by some of the groups. It said past allegations of the misuse of EU funds by partners have not been substantiated" but that it takes the matter seriously and is looking into it. EU funding to Palestinian civil society organizations is an important element of our support for the two state solution, it said. The local office of the U.N. high commissioner for human rights said that in making the declaration, Israel had listed extremely vague or irrelevant reasons, including entirely peaceful and legitimate activities. It called on Israel to fully respect the rights to freedom of association and expression, without any interference or harassment against the organizations or their staff, adding that it considers some of the Palestinian organizations to be key partners. The U.S. State Department said it would seek more information from Israel on the designation and had not been given advance warning about it. We believe respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, and a strong civil society are critically important to responsible and responsive governance," spokesman Ned Price told reporters in Washington. The Palestinian Authority, which has recently cracked down on its own critics, condemned what it said was a strategic assault on Palestinian civil society and the Palestinian peoples fundamental right to oppose Israels illegal occupation and expose its continuing crimes." New York-based Human Rights Watch and London-based Amnesty International released a joint statement condemning the move as an attack by the Israeli government on the international human rights movement." For decades, Israeli authorities have systematically sought to muzzle human rights monitoring and punish those who criticize its repressive rule over Palestinians, they said. This decision is an alarming escalation that threatens to shut down the work of Palestines most prominent civil society organizations. The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem called the government's declaration an act characteristic of totalitarian regimes, with the clear purpose of shutting down these organizations." BTselem stands in solidarity with our Palestinian colleagues, is proud of our joint work over the years and is steadfast to continue so. Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed from Washington. A Japanese company has launched an effort to introduce tipping culture across Japan to motivate employees and help restaurants that suffered losses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Culture introduction: Tip Project is a new Japanese enterprise backed by several Japanese celebrities, including best-selling author Takafumi Horie, comedian Akihiro Nishino and YouTube personality Yoshihito Kamogashira, reported Kotaku. The new venture, which claims to help staff and industries hit by the pandemic, aims to introduce tipping culture across Japan, a country well-known for not taking tips from customers, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. A video released by the company shows a dramatization of the benefits tipping culture would bring to the country. The clip starts with a small restaurant employee who has lost all motivation to work. But this all changes after a female customer, whom he helped by giving her a blanket when she was cold, gives him a tip upon leaving. Although tipping is not considered part of Japanese culture, a cab company in Tokyo has given passengers the option to tip their drivers if they want to, SoraNews24 reported in July. Public reception: The proposal was not well-received among social media users, based on the translation of comments reported by Kotaku. Im glad Japan doesnt have this culture. I dont want this pain-in-the-ass tradition, one user wrote. If people want to pay [a tip], thats fine, but why are these unrelated folks [at the Tip Project] getting in the middle of that? another user said. This doesnt suit Japan, another user wrote. There is a catch, though: While tipping in other countries often involves customers leaving their tips on the table for waiters or servers to pick up later, Tip Project plans to introduce an alternative that, if successful, would turn a profit for the company. Tip Project wants to sell Premium Japan Tip tickets to restaurants and other establishments, which customers can later fill out with their name, their servers name and the desired amount of tip. The projects website reportedly listed 10 restaurants that have already implemented this optional system. Featured Image via Tip Project Story continues Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! NYC Initiative Raises $14K to Buy Self-Protective Equipment for Asian Women, Seniors and LGBTQ+ 'Dinosaur Genius', 5, Becomes the Youngest to Discover 130 Million-Year-Old Footprints Davis Police Chief Apologizes to Asian American Doctor for Suspected Racial Bias Here Are All the Crowdfund Campaigns for the Atlanta Shooting Victims By Jan Wolfe and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. judge will consider on Nov. 4 former President Donald Trump's claim of executive privilege in response to a document request from a congressional panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol. Trump on Monday sued the Jan. 6 Select Committee, alleging members made an illegal request for his White House records as part of their investigation. Related video: House holds Bannon in contempt, seeks prosecution In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Trump asserted that materials sought by the House of Representatives committee are covered by a legal doctrine known as executive privilege, which protects the confidentiality of some White House communications. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who was designated by random assignment to hear the lawsuit, on Friday signed off an agreement by Trump and the committee to expedite the case for a Nov. 4 oral argument. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe and Doina Chiacu; editing by Philippa Fletcher) By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) - A jury is expected to begin deliberating on Friday in the case of Lev Parnas, a former Rudy Giuliani associate who is accused of violating U.S. campaign finance laws by concealing the source of donations to politicians. Parnas is accused of using funds from Russian businessman Andrey Muraviev to contribute to U.S. candidates in various state and federal elections. Prosecutors say Parnas, a Ukraine-born U.S. citizen, was trying to obtain licenses to operate cannabis companies. Prosecutors and defense attorneys completed closing arguments in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday. "It is plain as day that these defendants agreed to donate Muraviev's money to U.S. political campaigns," Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten said. A Muraviev associate, Ukraine-born U.S. citizen Andrey Kukushkin, is being tried alongside Parnas. In his closing statement, Parnas' attorney Joseph Bondy characterized his client as a passionate proponent of marijuana legalization who was "in well over his head." He argued that Muraviev's money funded business operations, not campaign contributions. Gerald Lefcourt, Kukushkin's attorney, said his client was focused on the cannabis business and not involved in campaign contributions. Parnas' onetime business partner, Belarus-born U.S. citizen Igor Fruman, pleaded guilty in September to one count of soliciting a campaign contribution from a foreigner. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 21. The trial has drawn attention because of Parnas' and Fruman's roles helping Giuliani - former President Donald Trump's former personal attorney - investigate Democrat Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign. Biden won the November election, denying Trump a second term in the White House. Giuliani's attorney has said the Parnas case is separate from a probe into whether the former federal prosecutor and New York City mayor violated lobbying laws while representing Trump. Giuliani has not been charged with any crimes and denies wrongdoing. (Reporting by Luc Cohen; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Grant McCool) Matt Gaetz Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images After weeks of brutal headlines in the spring about a Justice Department sex trafficking investigation, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has been keeping a pretty low profile recently, with fewer campaign events and zero appearances on Fox News and his fundraising has withered with the faded spotlight, The Daily Beast reported Thursday. In the most recent quarter, from July through September, Gaetz reported raising just under $500,000 and spending $613,000. In the previous two quarters, Gaetz raised $1.8 million and $1.3 million respectively. But while news coverage of the investigation has waned, the investigation has apparently been humming along. Gaetz's former "wingman," Joel Greenberg, got a judge on Monday to delay his sentencing on sex trafficking and other charges to March, from November, because prosecutors said he is continuing to provide valuable assistance in their broader investigation. Greenberg pleaded guilty in May to sex-trafficking the same 17-year-old girl he says he saw Gaetz have sex with, among other charges. The Justice Department has also added two top prosecutors to the Gaetz investigation, The New York Times and ABC News reported Thursday, each citing two sources familiar with the matter. "The prosecutors one a public corruption investigator with an expertise in child exploitation crimes, and the other a top leader of the public corruption unit have been working on the Florida-based investigation for at least three months," the Times reports. "It is not unusual for prosecutors from the Justice Department in Washington to be added to local teams of federal investigators in high-profile cases that require a deep and specific expertise like sex crimes." A Gaetz spokesman told ABC News that "Gaetz is innocent," and "no number of political operative prosecutors at a politically weaponized DOJ will change this." The investigation started last August, at the tail end of the Trump administration. Story continues You may also like Senate Republicans block Joe Manchin's voting rights bill The American 'Great Resignation' by the numbers NYC to impose vaccine mandate for all city workers, including police Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., takes a question from reporters in Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019. AP The Justice Department has hired two new prosecutors in its investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz, reports say. The prosecutors reportedly specialize in child exploitation and public corruption. The Gaetz investigation is linked to the prosecution of his former associate Joel Greenberg. The Justice Department (DOJ) has hired two new prosecutors to work on the team investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz, a prominent congressional ally of former president Donald Trump. Gaetz, a Florida Republican, is under investigation by the DOJ over allegations that he provided money or goods to a 17-year-old girl in exchange for sex. Two sources familiar with the matter told the New York Times that one of prosecutors hired by the DOJ to work on the Gaetz case specialises in child exploitation matters, while the other specializes in public corruption. One of the prosecutors was named as Todd Gee, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity Section at the DOJ. The two have been deployed from Washington to work on the Florida-based probe, the reports said. ABC News subsequently confirmed the hires. Insider has contacted the DOJ for comment, but is yet to receive a response at the time of publication. Gaetz has not been charged with any criminal offence in relation to the investigation, and has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images "Congressman Gaetz is innocent. The former DOJ official who tried to extort him is guilty. No number of political operative prosecutors at a politically weaponized DOJ will change this," a Gaetz spokesman told ABC. The investigation into Gaetz was first reported in March 2021. In May, Joel Greenberg, a Florida tax official described as Gaetz's "wingman", pleaded guilty to offences including sex trafficking, and introducing a minor to men who had sex with her. He agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, and in October his sentencing was delayed until March to give him extra time to work with prosecutors. Story continues Gaetz has continued to serve in Congress during the investigation, with the Congressional Republican Party saying it will only take action against him if he is charged with a crime. This has placed him in the unusual position of being able to question top DOJ officials while the department is investigating him. In a hearing Thursday he questioned Attorney General Merrick Garland about whether there is a ban on people who have worked as "partisan" committee staff working on criminal probes. While Gaetz didn't mention any specific names, Gee previously worked as a counsel of the Democratic-led Homeland Security Committee in the House of Representatives. Read the original article on Business Insider A century and a half after a violent race riot in Los Angeles Chinatown terrorized the citys Chinese American community, area schools and organizations are calling attention to the 1871 massacre, which they consider a forgotten history. In observance of the 150th anniversary Sunday, local groups have been commemorating the race riot, which resulted in the murder of roughly 20 Chinese Americans among the largest mass lynchings in American history. The organizations hosted a livestream performance and a K-12 teacher training workshop on the riot last week. An estimated 500 white and Latino men and boys participated, after white police officers got involved in a dispute in Chinatown. About 10 percent of the areas Chinese population were killed that day. Remembering both the accomplishments and achievements of different groups in society is as important as remembering the tragedies, Karen Umemoto, director of the Asian American Studies Center at UCLA, one of the universities involved, told NBC Asian America. That can help us figure out what it is we need to put in place as a society so that we can all thrive equally. Hao Huang, a music professor at Scripps College (which is also participating), who produced a podcast on the topic, Blood on Gold Mountain, said that the tragedy began with an argument between Chinese crime organizations. One reason these associations emerged was "because there was regular violence by non-Chinese toward Chinese, Huang said. There was sort of a demand for protection rackets, who kind of started to victimize the people who they were supposed to protect. The dispute began when a Chinese woman who had been arranged to be married to an older merchant ran off with a younger man, Huang said. Both men belonged to the associations. When a shootout ensued, white police officers responded to the scene. In the chaos, a civilian, saloon owner Robert Thompson, was killed. A police officer, Jesus Bilderrain, was also injured. Story continues Both of them shot first but once Robert Thompson was killed, then all hell broke loose because people were running around saying the Chinamen are killing white people by wholesale, Huang said. It was very opportunistic violence. In addition to lynchings, many white residents looted Chinatown, stealing roughly $1.5 million of property in current dollars, money the immigrants could not afford to lose, Huang said. "The Chinese arrived here because ironically they called California 'Gold Mountain,' Huang said. They did not find gold. They found death. And it really took only two hours to kill at least 20 of them. Huang emphasized that though about 20 bodies were found, there could have been more deaths that went undiscovered. But of the hundreds who were involved in the killings and destruction, not a single person was held accountable. The few who were arrested were released on a technicality, and ultimately no one would serve a prison sentence. Chinatown had been burned down and was never rebuilt, and the newspapers that documented the day claimed that it was what the Chinese deserved because it began as a dispute within the community. Huang explained that in the late 1800s, Los Angeles had not yet developed into the metropolitan center it is today. The town was small and its Chinese American community, largely made up of immigrants who were brought over to work on the transcontinental railroad, amounted to about 200 in the entire L.A. region. About half lived in the citys segregated area along what was known as the Calle de los Negros, where Chinatown sat. It was basically a very rough neighborhood. Many, many dozens of people were killed every year there, Huang said. It was definitely a place where no one wanted to live, and thats where they put the Chinese. The environment was difficult for Chinese immigrants, who often worked for sub-standard wages in industries like food service, laundry and other forms of hard labor, Huang said. Ellen Wu, an associate professor of history at Indiana University Bloomington, explained that at the time, the West was a hotbed of anti-Chinese sentiment. Many white Americans ascribed to the idea of manifest destiny, the belief that expansion across the continent was justified and that they were the ones entitled to the bounty of the American West, she said. It was also a period when slavery had been abolished and American industrialism was on the rise, while opportunities for white people to own their own farms and work for themselves were simultaneously on the decline. White people increasingly found themselves having to earn wages by working for others, she said. Very quickly white workers start to basically come to a consensus that Chinese workers are different in a threatening way, Wu said. And a big part of that assumption, that theyre threatening, is that they are our new embodiment of unfree labor. Against such a backdrop, racial tensions in California were palpable, experts said, and the state would become notorious for the burnings of Chinatowns and other enclaves up and down its coast. The massacre in Los Angeles, however, was one of the first acts of mass violence and terrorism toward the Chinese American community of that era. About a decade later, the country would implement the Chinese Exclusion Act, which put a 10-year moratorium on any Chinese labor immigration, the first legislation in the U.S. that discriminated by ethnicity. Huang said the effects of such events were felt for years afterward, likely contributing to generational trauma and shaping the way in which many Asian Americans chose to deal with racism. I was told by my parents, dont stick out, dont make trouble. Because there is a terror that were different enough. You dont need to make things worse by drawing attention to yourself, he said. We have a history to show that we have been targeted time and time again. Through events held in conjunction with the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, the UCLA Asia Pacific Center, the Chinese American Museum and Scripps College, the groups hope to keep the discussion over such racial tensions alive. And while some opponents of ethnic studies claim that discussions over these topics will only aggravate divisions in the country, Umemoto argued that such work is particularly inclusive, incorporating the histories of communities that have long been made invisible. We can be critical of the things that have taken place in history without necessarily blaming the ancestors of those who may have perpetrated certain justices, Umemoto said. Theres an ethos that those of us in ethnic studies have followed, which is that were teaching about the full lives of people of color in this country and Indigenous peoples in this country so that we could develop that historical empathy for one another. Words by Tina Casey Northampton, MA --News Direct-- TriplePundit This Rolland paper mill in Canada meets almost all of its thermal energy needs by recycling landfill gas. As momentum for the circular economy grows, some companies are finding ways to build a simple circle into a complex web that deploys more than one sustainability strategy. That is the case with the fiber and paper company Sustana, which has combined its focus on recycled paper products with the use of recycled biogas from a nearby municipal landfill. Employee engagement is key to the circular economy Municipal landfills provide ideal environments for microorganisms that digest food waste and other organic material. As they eat, they emit copious amounts of the potent greenhouse gas methane, which is also the key component of natural gas. Under conventional practice, landfill gas is flared on site to produce carbon dioxide, which is a less potent greenhouse gas than methane. A more sustainable approach is to capture and deploy landfill gas to replace fossil energy sources. As always, the main barrier is cost. Landfills are often located far from large industrial or commercial facilities, which adds to transportation costs. Depending on the use of the gas, it may also require additional processing and treatment. Sustanas experience in supplying biogas for its Rolland paper mill in Canada illustrates how landfill gas opportunities can materialize for decarbonization as well as cut costs and ensure a steady, reliable source of energy. In Rollands case, employee engagement was the essential ingredient in introducing this process to the paper mill. With the Rolland mill located conveniently near a municipal landfill, in 2003 an employee in the purchasing department suggested studying the use of landfill gas instead of fossil energy for the mills heat-related processes. Gas from the landfill was first introduced to the Rolland facility in 2004. An initial adjustment period worked out the kinks, and by 2006 the system was fully operational. Fifteen years later, the landfill system is still running smoothly, and it currently supplies 93 percent of the thermal energy needs of the Rolland mill. Whats more is that leveraging this renewable energy reduces the mills carbon emissions by 70,000 tons a year. Story continues Finding the right biogas solution The conversion to landfill gas was almost as simple as it sounds, with a number of factors enabling the Rolland paper mill to take full advantage of its proximity to a municipal landfill. The need for large amounts of process heat was one important factor that made landfill gas a reliable, economical resource for the Rolland mill a scenario that may look different at facilities with less need for process heat and more need for electricity. Fitting landfill gas into a companys overall energy purchasing profile is a related consideration. Rollands electricity supply was already decarbonized through its location on a hydropower grid. That enabled the Rolland mill to focus on process heat for lowering its greenhouse gas emissions, as well as cutting costs. Rollands experience also suggests that companies looking into landfill gas might be able to partner with nearby facilities, enabling these systems to scale up to an economical level. Landfill gas and the human factor Pierre-Michel Raymond, Rollands mechanical engineer and energy supervisor, also emphasized the role of employee engagement in the ongoing success of the landfill gas system. Municipal landfills are, in a sense, living creatures influenced by biological processes. Their gas output varies along with seasonal changes, day-night cycles and temperature fluctuations. At Rolland, monthly meetings with the landfill operator were established from the outset and continue to the present time, providing staff at the mill with regular opportunities to touch base with their counterparts at the landfill and ensure the system keeps running smoothly. The landfill gas system has also fostered additional opportunities for employee engagement at the mill. Over the years, staff at Rolland has been involved in maximizing output from the landfill and improving energy efficiency within the mill, as well as providing opportunities for facility managers outside the company to visit and learn how the system works. Fifteen years later, the landfill gas system continues to work well, Raymond told TriplePundit. It was an easy transition, and the project is still alive because of the participation of each party. We still have monthly discussion about how the system is going.. We consistently work to refine the process and yield. Raising interest in landfill gas When the Rolland mill first converted, few facilities were seeking landfill gas as an alternative to fossil energy. Now the interest is rising, partly thanks to outreach by Rolland and other early adopters. Thats a good thing. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that municipal solid waste landfills account for more than 15 percent of human-related methane emissions, making them the third-largest source of methane from human activity. The agency points out that landfill gas is now displacing fossil energy in a wide variety of use cases across numerous industrial sectors, from automaking to pharmaceuticals and consumer products. In the U.S., about 70 percent of the landfill gas captured today goes to generate electricity in various kinds of turbines and engines, as well as fuel cells. It can also be used in boilers to produce steam, as is the case at the Rolland mill. Dryers, kilns and greenhouses are examples of other thermal applications. Another source for renewable natural gas When further refined, landfill gas can also be upcycled to produce renewable natural gas. A project of that type is currently under way in South Carolina, where the firm Energy Power Systems is working on a system that will process landfill gas and inject it into a local natural gas system. As one indication that interest in landfill gas is accelerating, earlier this year a Pennsylvania company called Archaea Energy reformed through a special acquisition merger and announced plans to build onto its existing landfill and agricultural gas business. One key area of focus will be upscaling its roster of landfill gas-to-electricity projects into renewable natural gas production, possibly with an eye on recent activity including a new commitment by UPS to increase its use of compressed renewable natural gas from landfills in its fleet. In California, SoCalGas has been instrumental in pushing that market, including gas from wastewater treatment plants and livestock operations as well as landfills. Industry stakeholders estimate that activity in that area could generate $14.3 billion in economic growth for the state and create more than 130,000 jobs in related fields including engineering and operations as well as maintenance and manufacturing. A new report from the firm Allied Market Research also suggests that demand for landfill gas will rise alongside the increase in public awareness of climate issues. AMR notes that North America had the highest market share of landfill gas globally in 2020, and is expected to dominate the market by 2030. This lead is possible due to the rise in health and environmental awareness among the people, alongside technology improvements that have expanded the opportunities for using landfill gas, the AMR researchers noted. When the Rolland mill first converted to landfill gas, skeptics were everywhere, but persistence paid off. By supplementing activity in other renewable energy sectors, landfill gas can play a significant role in the circular economy and in accelerating decarbonization in the U.S. and elsewhere around the globe. This article series is sponsored by Sustana and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team. Image courtesy of Sustana View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from TriplePundit on 3blmedia.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/landfill-gas-has-big-potential-in-the-circular-economy-641413385 Oct. 22Police officers and prison guards fired due to COVID-19 vaccine requirements in the Lower 48 are welcome to apply to job openings in Alaska but are not being specifically recruited by the Alaska Department of Public Safety or the Alaska Department of Corrections, officials said this week. Both agencies have had problems filling vacancies, and in a Wednesday social media message, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said that if a law enforcement officer has been fired after refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or for refusing to say whether they have been vaccinated, they should consider Alaska. The state does not have a vaccination requirement for state employees, and Dunleavy has said he will not impose one. "Alaska's law enforcement community invites you to consider the 49th state where we back the blue," the governor's social media post said. Rep. Liz Snyder, D-Anchorage and co-chair of the Alaska House Health and Social Services Committee, said that kind of message is problematic, given that Alaska has the highest COVID-19 case rate in the nation. (On Thursday, state hospitals reported a record number of COVID-19 patients.) "Posts like that run counter to the recommendations that we get from (the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services) and the communications that we're hearing from DHSS on how we can mitigate continued extensive community spread," she said. Jeff Turner, a spokesman for the governor, said the social media post didn't represent a new policy or push, just "a normal recruiting process." Monday was the deadline for public employees in Washington state to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and 92% of the state's 62,000 employees, including most of its prison guards and state patrol officers, did so. That left dozens, including 74 commissioned trooper officers, who resigned and may be looking for new jobs. Police departments in other states and cities are seeing similar trends. Dunleavy's social media post linked to an article about Chicago's police department. Story continues Betsey Holley, a spokeswoman for the Alaska Department of Corrections, said on Thursday the state has 1,064 positions for correctional officers, and all but 95 have either been filled or been offered to applicants. The department has previously said that it struggles to retain and hire correctional officers, and members of the union representing those officers said in 2020 that it loses about 120 per year due to turnover, creating openings that must be filled. Holley said in a Wednesday email that the department is willing to hire officers fired in other states because of vaccine requirements, but it hasn't targeted recruitment efforts toward those officers. "If you read some of the posts that are on our Facebook page, there have been people that have responded to (a recruitment) Facebook post saying, 'Oh, do you mandate vaccines?' It's just interesting that that's the way people are thinking. But yes, we'll welcome their applications if they want to apply," she said by phone Thursday. Austin McDaniel, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Public Safety, said the agency has seen an increase in "lateral trooper applications" this year. Those are police officers in other departments who are interested in becoming troopers. He said it isn't clear whether that's because of vaccination mandates, but new statistics could be available by early December. He also confirmed that the department isn't specifically targeting fired officers for recruitment but is willing to take their applications. "The Alaska State Troopers are not running any targeted advertising addressing COVID-19 or the vaccine mandates occurring across the nation at the local, state and federal level. We would encourage any qualified applicant looking for an exciting career in law enforcement to consider a career with the Alaska State Troopers," he said Wednesday. In a report presented to the Alaska Legislature this spring, Department of Public Safety officials said attrition rates in the department have declined in recent years, but retention and recruitment are a top priority. "We offer an extremely competitive salary for the Alaska State Troopers. And we also hear from a lot of our lateral applicants that they're looking for an environment where the community, elected officials, and command staff support law enforcement. And that's definitely the case in Alaska right now," McDaniel said by phone Thursday. "So those are the main drivers that we are hearing anecdotally from applicants when they apply and when our recruiting team speaks with them." In this May 26, 2010 file photo, men sit in the sun in the health ward at the Otay Mesa immigration detention center in San Diego. AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File Lawmakers say three facilities in California should no longer be used to detain immigrants. Two of the facilities are run by for-profit prison companies: CoreCivic and The GEO Group.on Detainees have reported abuse and retaliation at the detention centers. Two dozen Democrats have signed on to a letter urging the Biden administration to close detention facilities where immigrants have claimed abuse at the hands of guards, including what the lawmakers say has been "retaliation after reporting sexual assault." Sent Thursday, the letter asks Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to "take immediate steps" to terminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement contracts for three detention centers in California: the Yuba County Jail, the Otay Mesa Detention Center, and the Adelanto ICE Processing Facility. "For years, under multiple administrations, these facilities have been operating in a substandard manner," the letter states, resulting in "the excessive waste of federal funds." But the lawmakers - including California's Sen. Alex Padilla, chair of the Senate subcommittee on immigration, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, his counterpart in the House - are concerned about more than just costs. The letter describes a pattern of abuse. At Otay Mesa, located near the US-Mexico border and run by the for-profit prison company CoreCivic, detainees have complained of overcrowding and filthy conditions. "Detainees have also reported retaliation after reporting sexual assault," the letter states. As detailed in a report from a local chapter of the ACLU, the Otay Mesa authorities admitted "there was more than one confirmed assault every month in 2019." A lawsuit filed by women detained there alleges some detainees were put in isolation after reporting such assaults. At the Adelanto facility, an hour inland from Los Angeles and run by the for-profit GEO Group, personnel have also been accused of using pepper spray "on detainees who were peacefully protesting COVID-19-related lockdown conditions" that had been deemed by one federal court "inconsistent with contemporary standards of human decency." Story continues CoreCivic, in a statement provided to Insider, called the letter "misguided" and based on "false information spread by politically motivated special interests." It did not specify what it was claiming to be incorrect. Alexandra Wilkes, a spokesperson for the Day 1 Alliance, a trade association for private prison contractors, including The GEO Group, likewise dismissed the letter as being part of "the push to 'Abolish ICE." The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie. Courtesy of the Schmidt and Petito family The Laundrie family's lawyer pushed back on speculation about how Brian's remains were found. He said Brian's parents had advised authorities where to look shortly before the remains were found. The idea that his parents had known where the remains were is "not too bright," the lawyer said. The lawyer for Brian Laundrie's family vehemently rebutted speculation about the circumstances in which the 23-year-old's remains were found, saying that "the public doesn't understand simplicity." Laundrie's remains were found on Wednesday in Florida's Carlton Reserve, the FBI said on Thursday, concluding a five-week search in the vast nature reserve. He had been missing since mid-September, when he went for a hike in the reserve, his parents said. They initially said he went missing on September 14 but later said he vanished on September 13. The FBI had named Laundrie a person of interest in the killing of his fiancee, Gabby Petito, whose remains were found near a Wyoming campsite on September 19. Her death was ruled a homicide, and a coroner said the cause of death was strangulation. The couple had embarked on a joint cross-country "van life" road trip in the summer. Petito's family reported her missing 10 days after Laundrie returned alone to their home in Florida on September 1. Laundrie's refusal to help authorities in the search for Petito fueled widespread outrage and speculation about her death. There's also been speculation about how the search for Laundrie ended shortly after his parents got involved. A lawyer for the Laundrie family, Steven Bertolino, told Insider's Azmi Haroun and Natalie Musumeci that Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta, had "advised" authorities where to look when they joined the search on Wednesday. Bertolino was visibly frustrated while speaking to NewsNation's Marni Hughes on Thursday night. "It's not about knowing specifically where to go," he told Hughes, saying the logic was simply to "start at the beginning" of the trailhead. Story continues Teams with police officers, FBI agents, and a cadaver-sniffing dog had already searched that area. The police in North Port had also used airboats and ATVs in the search, the local CBS affiliate WINK News reported. Authorities in North Port posted a video of the search on YouTube: But the area where Laundrie's remains were found had been underwater in September, Michael McPherson, an FBI special agent, said at a press conference on Wednesday. A tweet on September 24 from Josh Taylor, the North Port public-information officer, illustrated the flooding in the reserve: Bertolino said on Thursday that after the flooding receded, Chris Laundrie was able to find a white bag belonging to his son, leading authorities to Brian's remains nearby. Kyle Heyen, a K-9 handler and former police officer, questioned this, telling NewsNation on Wednesday that it was "highly suspicious" that a dog would have missed the remains. "If the body had been there, when they went by with cadaver dogs, and the body had been there for more than two or three minutes, the odor would have come through the water," Heyen said. Bertolino was visibly frustrated when Hughes pressed him on Thursday on the finding. "It just so happened that that's where Brian was," he said. "So my thought would be anybody who's questioning that is not too bright." He added, "The public doesn't understand simplicity." Addressing rumors on social media that the Laundries could have planted the remains, Bertolino said that the FBI, the police, and journalists had seen the find. "When do you think these items were planted? And do you really think the Laundries had skeletal remains of their son in a plastic bag and brought them to the preserve?" he said. He added, "If I'm the only one who has to say that this is hogwash, because I didn't want to say the word 'bullshit,' then I'm going to say it: It's bullshit." Read the original article on Insider Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian businessman whose work with Rudy Giuliani made him a character in former President Donald Trumps first impeachment, was found guilty of campaign finance crimes on Friday. Federal prosecutors had accused Parnas, 49, and an associate, Andrey Kukushkin, of illegally funneling foreign cash into the 2018 midterms to Republican candidates to advance their own business interests. A unanimous federal jury has found that Lev Parnas and Andrey Kukushkin conspired to manipulate the United States political system for their own financial gain," said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in a statement. "In order to gain influence with American politicians and candidates, they illegally funneled foreign money into the 2018 midterm elections with an eye toward making huge profits in the cannabis business." The trial, which began roughly two weeks ago, involved charges related to a series of political donations secretly made on behalf of a Russian national in an effort for the individual to get a foothold in the U.S. cannabis industry. The second scheme involved $325,000 in donations in May of 2018 that Parnas and Igor Fruman, an ex-Giuliani associate who pleaded guilty in September, made to the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action through an LLC called Global Energy Producers. Federal investigators said Parnas then falsified federal election reports about that donation. Parnas was convicted on all counts. When Parnas was first arrested in October of 2019, he and Fruman were about to board a plane from the U.S. to Austria with one-way tickets. At the time of their arrest, Fruman and Parnas figured prominently in an effort led by Giuliani to dig up dirt on Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, heading into the 2020 election. Those efforts later became part of Trump's first impeachment trial. Federal prosecutors did not mention that involvement in their indictment or court filings. Parnas met with federal prosecutors and the FBI in March to discuss a possible plea agreement, according to court documents. Prosecutors said Parnas signed an agreement saying certain statements he made during that meeting could be used against him, and separately that certain statements could not be used against him. The righteousness of the criminal contempt referral against Stephen K. Bannon isn't in question. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland has a far more complicated decision coming his way than people realize. The Department of Justice, in the person of the United States attorney for the District of Columbia, has received a referral from the House of Representatives to bring criminal contempt charges against Stephen K. Bannon, who has refused to comply with a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the events of Jan. 6. The righteousness of the referral is not in doubt. There is every reason to think Bannon has important first-hand information about the planning of the Capitol attack. After all, he crowed the night before on his podcast: All hell is going to break loose tomorrow. Strap in. In addition, as the committees vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), emphasized Tuesday, there is strong reason to think Bannon knows if and how Trump was personally involved in the Jan. 6 attack. No matter is more important for Congress to probe or for the American public to understand. As for Bannons thumbing his nose at a subpoena, it could not be a more flagrant or a more contemptuous violation of the law. Under the statute that governs contempt referrals, once Congress has found someone in contempt, it is the "duty" of the United States attorney "to bring the matter before the grand jury for its action." So what happens next should be a slam dunk, right? But it isn't. As it turns out, the Department of Justice has emphatically pushed back against contempt referrals related to the executive branch. The Office of Legal Counsel, the DOJs legal advisor to the president, is responsible for opinions that will cast a large shadow on Garlands decision. Remember that certain legal counsel memos, including these, are binding on the executive branch. (One such memo, which concluded that a sitting president couldn't be indicted, drove Robert S. Mueller III's declining to determine whether Trump obstructed justice.) Story continues One of the pertinent legal counsel memos holds that, notwithstanding the mandatory language of the statute, the Justice Department retains its traditional prosecutorial discretion over contempt referrals. In other words, there is no more duty to go to a grand jury than in any other case. Two more memos, from 1980 and 2008, are yet more significant and on point. They hold that the DOJ "may not" prosecute criminal contempt charges against a current or former White House official who ignores a congressional subpoena based on an assertion of executive privilege. As a matter of statutory interpretation and the constitutional separation of powers, the reasoning goes, the statute was not intended to, and could not lawfully, apply to such contempt claims. And indeed, since the 1980s, the DOJ has rejected a long list of criminal contempt referrals that turned on executive privilege. For example, Congress referred Obama administration Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. for criminal contempt during the Fast and Furious investigation, but the department declined to go forward. In those cases, of course, it was the sitting president who asserted executive privilege. President Biden has made it clear that he is not going to invoke the privilege as regards the Jan. 6 investigation, but here too Garland faces a complication. In 1977, in the Supreme Court case Nixon vs. General Services Administration, the decision acknowledged that even former presidents could assert executive privilege. Although President Trump hasnt formally done that the lawsuit he filed asserts only that there is a need to straighten out whether he has such a privilege Garland is unlikely to disregard the 1977 Supreme Court language in his deliberations. For Garland, then, the Bannon referral sits at the seam joining two guiding principles: Return the Justice Department to compliance with set policies and norms after years in which they were shredded, and respond aggressively to the storming of the Capitol, which Garland has called a heinous event. There is a way for Garland to square the circle. The Office of Legal Counsels memo that has precluded pursuit of criminal contempt charges was based on cases in which the department issued legal opinions that the assertions of privilege were proper. Bannon's suggestion that the subpoenaed documents and communications are properly covered by executive privilege is spurious at best. First, theres the fact that Trump hasnt actually asserted the privilege. On top of that, the select committee's subpoena involves events that happened years after Bannon left the executive branch; its ridiculous to say the relevant testimony and documents must be kept secret to ensure that presidents can freely do the countrys business. Finally, even if Bannon had a sound claim to executive privilege, Congress and the publics need to know the information covered by the subpoena is paramount, and that factor should prevail. (Likewise, public interest trumped Nixons claim to privacy in the 1977 Supreme Court case, which was about the disposition of the disgraced president's papers.) Garland has proved to be a cautious, process-oriented attorney general, and one dedicated to justice. The Office of Legal Counsel memos and the Supreme Courts language in Nixon vs. General Services Administration guarantee an ultra-thorough decision-making process that weighs all the considerations raised by the Bannon contempt referral. Bannon deserves to be convicted of criminal contempt. But we shouldnt assume we know which way Garland will go. @HarryLitman This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Oct. 22Blood Moon Pictures, a production company led by local filmmakers P.J. Starks and Eric Huskisson, will celebrate their sixth year in business in December. And there's no sign of the duo slowing down. Starks and Huskisson will be in attendance at the 13th year of The Scarefest Horror and Paranormal Convention on Oct. 23 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington, taking part in the Indie Filmmaker Panel at 6 p.m. on the Main Stage. Starks said that Brandon Griffith, co-owner of The ScareFest, reached out to him inquiring about getting more filmmakers involved with the convention and integrating more independent filmmakers with the event. "I kind of threw the idea and said, 'You should do an indie filmmaker panel,' Starks said. "And (Brandon) said, 'That sounds great! Do you know anybody that would want to do it?' " Starks and Huskisson will serve on the panel alongside Brittany Blaton, Antonio Pantoja, Shawn Burkett, John Mason, and Brian Dorton. Griffith also gave Starks and Huskisson an opportunity they couldn't refuse. Their most recent release, "13 Slays Till X-Mas," will have their first theatrical premiere in Lexington at 7 p.m. Saturday at Krikorian Theatres at LexLive, located on the second floor of 301 S. Broadway. "It wasn't a situation where we had to submit our film," Starks said. "(Brandon) reached out to me and was like, 'We want to play it at the convention.' Starks and Huskisson said that they're looking forward to being able to see the movie on a large screen outside of their local premiere at Kentucky Wesleyan College last November. "While we were filming the project initially, we had a whole entire festival run planned. Then the whole pandemic happened, the shutdowns took place, and, of course that killed any possibility for us to do a festival run....," Starks said. "We never really got a chance to see it on a big screen or at least a theatrical screen. ...This will be our first time seeing it in a theater ... I'm really excited to see what it looks like...." Story continues "I'm excited about it. I'm looking forward to seeing it in a regular theater," Huskisson said. "I know some people that actually worked on the film are going to be there ... and one of my old college roommates is in Lexington and he's coming.... I love seeing people's reactions. I hope some people show up!" With things finally opening back up and "13 Slays Till X-Mas" released officially in March, Starks and Huskisson have still been hard at work. "We're working on getting ('13 Slays Till X-Mas') onto streaming services," Starks said. "It was being looked at by a major streaming service and then they started taking (awhile), so we were really sitting on it, not doing much of anything." Starks said they were eventually able to ink a deal with Comcast to stream the film starting in December. The film also made its way to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime this past week. However, Starks and Huskisson hinted that there is something big on the horizon but can't reveal all the details quite yet. "There's one name for a service, and it is potentially huge, or at least huge for us, if it happens," Starks said. "It's potentially major for us and the project." "It's a streaming site through a huge company," Huskisson said. "To get on there, that would be huge in itself." Starks and Huskisson also wrapped up filming cameo spots out in Pennsylvania while on the set of Justin M. Seaman's "The Barn Part II," starring Linnea Quigley, Ari Lehman, and "The Toxic Avenger" director Lloyd Kaufman. Starks acted alongside Diana Prince, known for playing Darcy the Mail Girl from "The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs" while Huskisson also helped out as a production assistant. "It was a good time," Huskisson said. "I love being on set with somebody else so you see what they do compared to what you do." "13 Slays Till X-Mas" will also be showing next weekend in Owensboro at the OMG!Con at the Owensboro Convention Center on Oct. 30, where the pair will also host a seminar about producing indie horror films. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. with the event starting at 9 p.m. "We're still working out some of the details, but ultimately it's just going to be Eric and I talking about our experiences going from two guys in middle America making these small independent movies but still being able to reach a much wider audience ...," Starks said. "We're going to be talking about projects from conception to completion the process that you go through, the challenges, the hurdles, and things of that nature...." Huskisson is glad to be able to have another showing on their own home turf. "What cooler way to spend the night before Halloween and being in your hometown and watching a horror movie that was partially filmed in your hometown by local people," Huskisson said. "I think that's cool. I know a lot of other parts of the film were filmed in other states and stuff, but it is a Blood Moon Pictures film, it is P.J. and I's film, we did produce it here. ...It's cool that it was made here at local houses, local businesses, one of the colleges...." Even with the busy schedule, Starks and Huskisson are already eyeing their next big endeavor. "We're still working on figuring out exactly what that project is going to be," Starks said. "There's a script that I wrote in 2010 that Eric really likes. There's actually a couple of scripts that I've written that Eric really likes and one of them is a slasher film and (other) is more of a survivor horror that has a bunch of different types of elements and has this dynamic ... narrative that, in some ways, is like an anthology, but it's not because it's not different characters that don't ever meet up it's got a lot going on to it." Tickets for both The ScareFest and OMG!con are available now at thescarefest.com and owenborotickets.com respectively. Oct. 21Good morning from Augusta. There are 12 days until the Nov. 2 referendum election. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It has to be [on] my list, one of the worst led meetings in terms of ability to discuss an item, to get accurate information, to glean the information, to review the information and come up with substantive decisions rather than shooting from the hip. Because that's what it feels like," said Camden Select Board Chair Bob Falciani after Knox County commissioners voted to bar public comment at their most recent public meeting about use of COVID-19 relief funds. What we're watching today Maine is entering another phase of its COVID-19 vaccination push as new cases of the virus remain steady but high. While the more than 68,000 Mainers who have received booster doses have pushed up the state's vaccine administration numbers in recent weeks, the number of Mainers getting first doses has remained low, with an average of around 1,000 people getting newly vaccinated each day over the past month. That could change in the next few weeks as the state prepares for the long-awaited approval of the Pfizer vaccine for 5- to 11-year olds, which could shift how schools operate after a federal advisory panel meets in early November. Hospitals, pediatric offices and school health clinics will likely be the focal point for shots as public health officials once again prepare to roll out doses for another age group. Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah says the process should be smoother, as the state has finally solved storage and supply problems. The number of cases among this population is likely relatively small only 20 percent of cases in Maine have occurred in people under 20, according to Maine CDC data although the state has seen higher case rates among young people this fall than at any other time of the pandemic and schools have been challenged this year as outbreaks continue to disrupt in-person learning for many districts. Story continues Providing shots to younger students will likely provide some stability there as more school staff get their shots, although it remains to be seen how many parents are willing to get their children vaccinated. National polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation in September found only one third of parents with children between the ages of 5 and 11 planned for them to get the vaccine straight away, although the share will likely be higher in Maine, which has higher-than-average vaccination rates among teens and the general population. The next stage of vaccinations comes as the state's efforts to require vaccinations for certain workers approaches its deadline. Courts at various levels have so far rejected challenges to Gov. Janet Mills' vaccine requirement for health care workers, although the plaintiffs challenging the requirement in federal court have already appealed to the Supreme Court. Despite calls from Republicans, some Democrats and some health care facilities, Mills has held firm and declined to provide an alternative to getting the vaccine aside from a medical exemption. That policy has led to high, but uneven, vaccination rates across sectors required to get the vaccine. Among the most vaccinated are Maine's EMS workers, at nearly 97 percent. But like many industries, a difficulty in finding workers will likely stretch some rural departments already operating with limited employees. An Oct. 29 deadline will put the mandate to the real test, although Mills is allowing employers to hire people who have at least one shot provided they wear protective gear leaving the door open for workers who change their minds. The Maine politics top 3 "See the $300M in Maine projects moving forward in Senate earmark process," Jessica Piper, Bangor Daily News: "The Senate Appropriations Committee released its remaining 2022 funding bills earlier this week after months of negotiations. Although not all the projects requested by Maine lawmakers made it into the final legislation, a new fire station for the town of Rumford, rail improvements in northern Maine and a child care center in Bath are among those to get funding if Congress passes 12 spending bills as currently drafted." "Student journalists became the story in a fraught Bates College union drive," Caitlin Andrews, BDN: "The organizing push has already attracted attention after simmering for over a year at Bates. U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Bates alumnus and Democrat from Lewiston representing the 2nd Congressional District, has thrown his support behind the effort and asked the college to not interfere. Students demonstrated in early October during a meeting in which college management asked a lawyer about staff protections and how to abide by labor laws." "Bangor referendums aimed at making future ballots more accessible for the visually impaired," David Marino Jr., BDN: "The changes come after a lawsuit last year accused Maine of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Maine Human Rights Act because it had not offered visually impaired people people a safe and private way to vote during the pandemic. Bangor City Clerk Lisa Goodwin and those from other municipalities, including Augusta and Portland, were defendants in that suit." Today's Daily Brief was written by Caitlin Andrews and Jessica Piper. If you're reading this on the BDN's website or were forwarded it, you can sign up to have it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning here. To reach us, do not reply directly to this newsletter, but contact the political team at mshepherd@bangordailynews.com, candrews@bangordailynews.com or jpiper@bangordailynews.com. BAMAKO (Reuters) - The Malian government on Thursday said it had not officially asked any organisation to negotiate with Islamist insurgents on its behalf. This week, a spokesperson for the ministry of religious affairs said it had asked the High Islamic Council (HCI) to open peace talks with leaders of al Qaeda's local affiliate in an effort to end a decade of conflict. "The Government informs the national and international public that to date, no national or international organisation has been officially mandated to carry out such an activity," the government said in a statement. Malian authorities have endorsed the idea of talks and have quietly backed local peace initiatives with the militants as security deteriorates and Islamist groups expand beyond their traditional strongholds. But the strategy is opposed by Mali's chief military ally, France. French President Emmanuel Macron said in June that his troops would not conduct joint operations with countries that negotiate with Islamist militants. (Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Alessandra Prentice. Editing by Gerry Doyle) A dispute between neighbors turned deadly on Wednesday in Umatilla in Central Florida. The Marion County Sheriffs Office said Cliffton Anthony Bliss Jr., 58, was charged with second-degree homicide, accused of shooting his neighbor over a pet issue. According to the police report, sheriffs detectives went to a home on a reported shooting. A woman at the home told them the suspect came to their door with a firearm and threatened to shoot their cat, which had apparently wandered onto Bliss property. The woman, who is not named, said the victim, James Arland Taylor Jr., 41, searched for the animal in Bliss front yard, while the enraged homeowner followed him around. After Taylor asked Bliss why he would want to hurt the cat and ordered him to leave his property, the suspect shot his neighbor at least once in the chest, according to the police report. The wound proved fatal. The defendant did enter the victims familys property, uninvited and armed with a rifle, and did instigate a confrontation that led to the murder of the victim, the report said. Following their investigation, detectives arrested Bliss, who is being held without bail. ST. LOUIS (AP) A former pastor accused of sexually assaulting two women inside a suburban St. Louis Catholic supply store, then killing a third when she refused his sexual demands pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree murder and other charges. Thomas Bruce's plea came days before jury selection was to begin in a trial scheduled to start Nov. 1 for the attacks in Ballwin, Missouri, on Nov. 19, 2018. He received a mandatory sentence of life without parole, 11 other life sentences and four 15-year prison terms. At Friday's hearing, Bruce appeared to be practicing reading from a piece of paper he had in his hand. But after the victims read their impact statements, Bruce told the judge he had nothing to say and started to weep, KSDK-TV reported. Bruce, now 56, was on the run for two days before his arrest, prompting some schools, churches and businesses to close. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, eight counts of armed criminal action, two counts of first-degree sodomy, three counts of first-degree kidnapping, burglary and attempted first-degree sodomy. Authorities said that Bruce, armed with a handgun, forced the three women into a back room of the store, told them to strip, exposed himself and ordered them to perform deviant sexual acts on him, detectives wrote in a criminal complaint. Two of the women complied but 53-year-old Jamie Schmidt of House Springs refused, so he shot her in the head, prosecutors said. He ordered the other women to continue performing the sexual acts on him, then fled, apparently able to blend in on a busy street in broad daylight. The two women assaulted in the store read victim impact statements Friday describing what they went through that day and in the years that have followed. Schmidts husband and family members also described the pain her death has caused them. In a way my kids lost two parents that day. I havent been same since, Schmidts husband said. After the hearing, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell praised the two women for facing Bruce to read their statements. Story continues "The courage that they showed, the strength, I don't know if I would have been able to do that under those set of circumstances," Bell said. "It's a blessing that they are still here, obviously, because it could have gone differently." The prosecutor at the time of the crime, Bob McCulloch, said he did not believe the store was targeted because of its religious affiliation but simply that Bruce saw an opportunity three women in the store alone. St. Louis Countys police chief at the time, Jon Belmar, said the crime shocked the senses. The Missouri secretary of states office identified Bruce as the operator of a nonprofit church formed in 2003 that was dissolved in 2007. Pastor David Fitzgerald at Calvary Chapel in Maryland Heights told The Post-Dispatch that Bruce was a pastor at Calvary Chapel of Cape Girardeau, in southeast Missouri, during that time. Bruce also was a Navy veteran, according to his LinkedIn page. Schmidt, of House Springs, was a married mother of three who worked as a secretarial assistant at a community college. She was active at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in High Ridge and friends have said she may have been at the store to buy supplies to make rosaries for parishioners. As part of the plea, prosecutors in Jefferson County agreed to drop separate charges of kidnapping, sexual abuse, burglary and harassment for an attack on a then-77-year-old woman just weeks before the Catholic Supply attack. The woman was attacked at her home near Hillsboro, another eastern Missouri town not far from where Bruce lived in Imperial. She later recognized Bruce from his photo after the Catholic store attack, which led to charges in January 2019. Jefferson County Prosecutor Trisha Stefanski said in a news release Friday the woman agreed to dropping the charges and is ready to move on from the attack. Stefanski said her office and the victim agreed that that having a mandatory life sentence without parole is a satisfactory resolution. _____ Jim Salter in St. Louis contributed to this report. By Krishna N. Das NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Tens of millions of Indian adults are unlikely to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of 2021, despite ample supplies, due to an unusually large gap between the doses of the most widely-used vaccine and growing complacency as cases fall. The locally-produced AstraZeneca vaccine which is known as Covishield has a 12 to 16 week gap between doses, in contrast to the 8 to 12 week gap recommended by the World Health Organization. Based on current trends, the Covishield dosage gap means more than 200 million people will be eligible for their second dose only in late January even if all of them were to get their first shot on Friday. Meanwhile, people are growing increasingly complacent https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-india-idUSL4N2RF2G3 about getting inoculated as infections and deaths have fallen sharply in the past month. The government wants to vaccinate all of the country's 944 million adults by December but some 230 million of them have yet to get even a single dose. "It is likely that the milestone may be missed by several weeks," said Rajib Dasgupta, head of the Centre of Social Medicine & Community Health at New Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University. "Reducing Covishield dosage interval is certainly a possibility to consider." While the health ministry did not respond to requests for comment on Friday, it told Reuters on Monday that its immunisation experts were "actively considering the matter of dose interval between Covishield doses". NOT A "MAJOR CONCERN" India's immunisation campaign has slowed this month despite the country amassing record stockpiles of vaccine. It comes as cases have fallen to multi-month lows in India after a record rise in infections and deaths in April and May. India doubled the dosage interval for Covishield in May when supplies were scarce and because government experts felt a longer duration would provide better protection. Story continues Serum Institute of India, which produces Covishield, has nearly quadrupled its capacity since April and can now produce up to 240 million vaccine doses monthly. But health experts are not too worried about the fact that many people will not get their second doses in 2021, even though they say it would be safer for the population to be fully inoculated as soon as possible. A government study in July estimated that more than two-thirds of Indians already had COVID-fighting antibodies, mainly through natural infection. That gave them substantial protection even with one dose https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-reports-47092-new-covid-19-cases-biggest-daily-rise-two-months-2021-09-02, unless more infectious variants emerge. Not achieving full vaccination by December "will not be of any major consequence as recent serosurveys show a high degree of protection," epidemiologist Dasgupta added. About 75% of India's adult population have received at least one COVID-19 dose, while 31% are fully vaccinated, according to government data. Only people aged 18 and above can currently be vaccinated in India. "At least one dose we should be able to give to most of the adults by the end of the year," N.K. Arora, who leads a government group on immunisations, told the NDTV news channel late on Thursday. "Within the next 4-6 weeks after that, second doses will also be given." (Reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa) Legislators from three GOP-controlled counties in Maryland on Thursday requested to jump ship and formally join up with the neighboring state of West Virginia. In two identically phrased letters to West Virginia state House Speaker Roger Hanshaw and Senate President Craig Blair, both Republicans, six Maryland legislators suggested their secession would be "mutually beneficial." WESTERN MARYLANDERS PUSH TO SECEDE FROM STATE "We believe this arrangement may be mutually beneficial for both states and for our local constituencies," state officials from Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties said in their brief letter. "Please advise on next steps." The Maryland legislators did not immediately respond to Fox News inquiries, but Thursdays request is not the first time within the last decade that the counties have looked to ditch their blue-leaning state. 'TEXIT' TEST: TEXAS LAWMAKER FLOATS REFERENDUM TO SECEDE FROM U.S. In 2013, Garrett, Allegany and Washington all of which are located in the most western panhandle of Maryland joined Frederick and Carroll counties in toying with the idea of seceding. The move never gained enough traction to make it through the Maryland state legislature. Conservative Maryland voters have voiced frustration over the liberal politics that dominate in Annapolis and Baltimore. Though Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is a member of the Republican Party, the state has voted blue in every presidential race since 1992. President Biden won Maryland in a landslide with more than 65% of the state backing the longtime D.C. politician. But Biden only secured 21% of the vote in Garret county, along with 30% in Allegany county and 38% in Washington county. Fox News could not immediately reach Hanshaw nor Blair for comment. The latest attempt by three GOP counties to secede from Maryland is likely to face an uphill battle, as they will have to convince the Maryland General Assembly to shave off its western territory. Current and former McDonald's employees wear tape with "#MeToo" over their mouths as they protest in New Orleans on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. McDonalds workers staged protests in several cities Tuesday as part of what organizers billed as the first multistate strike seeking to combat sexual harassment in the workplace. McDonald's workers in several cities are planning a one-day walkout on Tuesday to protest what they say is continued sexual harassment of employees and to call for the workforce to unionize to help address the problem. Employees in at least 10 cities including Chicago, St. Louis and Tampa, Florida, intend to strike in response to the alleged rape of a 14-year-old McDonald's worker in Pittsburgh by her manager, and other allegations of harassment at the fast-food giant's restaurants, according to Fight for $15 and a Union, a group of fast-food and other low-wage workers that's organizing the walkout. The action would be the latest in a series of strikes taking place across the country as workers use leverage gained from a nationwide labor shortage to demand higher pay, better benefits and stronger workplace protections. I do believe that were in a moment where workers are standing up more for their rights,'' says Jamelia Fairley, a McDonald's employee in Sanford, Florida, who is a main plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit alleging McDonald's has created a hostile work environment that allows sexual harassment and violates the Civil Rights Act. "I have met others who have experienced sexual harassment. ... We want a union to prevent it from happening.'' 'A Stunning Reluctance' McDonald's has faced numerous complaints about sexual harassment as well as racism in recent years, and workers in Fight for $15 and a Union have staged four previous walkouts. In April, McDonald's announced new global guidelines focused on several areas, including the prevention of harassment, discrimination, retaliation and job site violence. Starting in January, restaurants will be evaluated based on whether they conduct required training on those issues, set up procedures for workers to make complaints, and other measures. Every single person working at a McDonalds restaurant deserves to feel safe and respected when they come to work, and sexual harassment and assault have no place in any McDonalds restaurant,'' McDonald's U.S. said in a statement sent to USA TODAY. "We know more work is needed to further our workplace ambitions, which is why all 40,000 McDonalds restaurants will be assessed and accountable to global brand standards." Story continues But workers and labor advocates say they've seen little progress so far, and they believe a union can help employees gain better protections from harassment and other workplace challenges. "McDonald's has a stunning reluctance to want to talk to its own workers, the survivors of sexual harassment, about what they can do to make this right,'' says Eve Cervantez, who has represented several employees whove made sexual harassment claims against McDonalds and its franchisees. A record number of workers say I'm out: The Great Resignation led to 4.3 million Americans quitting in August. This trend is here to stay. Washington Football Team worker abuse: 'We feel invisible': Washington Football Team employees experienced decades of abuse, sexual harassment She added that McDonald's announcements of new standards to stop sexual harassment and discrimination "seem more like a PR strategy,'' and that her clients are asking for the company to work with survivors and experts to create more effective training, policies and measures of accountability.'' In September, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit alleging that AMTCR, a McDonald's franchisee, did not respond sufficiently to numerous complaints that mostly teenage workers were being sexually harassed at many of the roughly 22 McDonald's restaurants it runs in Nevada, California and Arizona. That same month, a McDonald's employee filed suit alleging that a manager raped her in a Pittsburgh restaurant in February when she was 14 years old. "They advertise everywhere this is your first best job and attract these ... mostly young women,'' says Alan Perer, the teenager's attorney, who says the manager was a previously convicted sex offender who has since been arrested and fired for the attack in the Pittsburgh restaurant. "To place them in harm's way and not protect them by not hiring properly and not overseeing what's going on is just shocking.'' Walkouts for wages, better working conditions With many employers saying they are struggling to fill empty positions, and a record-breaking 4.3 million Americans quitting their jobs in August, thousands of workers across the U.S. are going on strike to call for better pay and working conditions. Over 10,000 employees of Deere & Co. walked off the job this month, the first strike of the farm equipment manufacturer in 35 years. Roughly 1,400 employees of the Kellogg Co.s U.S. cereal plants are on strike over a range of issues, including vacation pay and retirement benefits. And more than 1,500 Kaiser-Permanente pharmacists, speech-language pathologists and other therapists in Hawaii and California are scheduled to vote next week on whether to give their union authorization to call a strike if negotiations break down over issues like wages and staffing. Follow Charisse Jones on Twitter @charissejones This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: McDonald's union? US workers to strike Tuesday in latest labor action In a quiet tree-lined park a few blocks from downtown Albuquerque, small orange flags flutter in the wind, marking the graves of dozens of Native American children. The graves belong to children who died at the former Albuquerque Indian School, where an estimated 1,000 Native American children from across the West were brought from 1881-1981. Authorities believe most of the graves belong to children killed by illness. Launched by the federal government under the Indian Civilization Act, the network of an estimated 350 Indian Schools forcibly indoctrinated Native American children with the cultural and religious values of white Anglo-Saxon society, and taught them Western trades like farming, building or housekeeping. At their height, the schools were home to 60,000 children annually. "It wasn't education for enlightenment and empowerment. The goal was to Westernize them so there wouldn't be a an Indian problem anymore," said Ted Jojola, a member of the Pueblo of Isleta, whose parents attended the AIS. "They were on a mission, literally, on a mission from God." We all have a unique perspective: Sign up for This is America, a weekly take on the news from reporters from a range of backgrounds and experiences Now, city leaders in Albuquerque have formally apologized for their predecessors' role in creating and maintaining the AIS, becoming possibly the first U.S. government entity to offer such an apology. And many Native Americans hope that apology prompts the U.S. federal government to take a similar step in acknowledging what they call a genocide against their people. Albuquerque officials are still considering what next steps to take. Most of the schools were run by religious groups at the behest of the federal government, which wanted to "civilize" indigenous Americans, weaken their power and take their land as the United States aggressively expanded to the west. Although reliable records have been destroyed, authorities and tribal leaders say the children buried in what is now Albuquerque's 4-H Park primarily died from diseases like malaria or the Spanish flu, or other communicable diseases for which they had no immunity. Story continues A memorial is shown for the dozens of Indigenous children who died more than a century ago while attending a boarding school that was once located nearby is growing under a tree at a public park in Albuquerque, N.M. 'Strangers in their own communities' Experts say wrenching tens of thousands of Native American children from their families and immersing them in Western culture undermined tribal bonds, weakened families and caused generational trauma that's still felt today from poverty to obesity and heart disease. The Canadian government has already apologized for its role in creating and supporting the church-backed schools. Like tens of thousands of young indigenous Americans, Jojola's parents were removed from their community founded in 1300 about 25 miles away from what is now Albuquerque by white Indian agents and school superintendents. Jojola's parents graduated from the AIS in 1937, and he grew up hearing the stories of how they were humiliated or punished for speaking their tribal language, Tigua, in the presence of white teachers. Jojola, 69, said his parents were lucky: While AIS administrators treated most students well, kids who attended other schools were beaten regularly. Other children vanished forever. Sometimes their parents were told of their deaths. Rarely were the bodies returned home, and instead were buried in Christian cemeteries. Even the survivors who graduated and returned to their tribal homes were utterly different, dressed in Western clothes, speaking a new language, worshipping a Christian god, indoctrinated in capitalism. "When they came back, they were essentially strangers in their own communities," Jojola said. The first Indian Boarding School opened in 1879 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and officials since 2016 have been working to repatriate the bodies of Native American children buried there. A memorial is shown for the dozens of Indigenous children who died more than a century ago while attending a boarding school that was once located nearby is growing under a tree at a public park in Albuquerque, N.M. In Albuquerque, officials don't have a specific plan to address the burials in the park. Instead, they're asking Native American leaders of the sovereign tribal nations to guide an ongoing process, which will likely include using ground-penetrating radar to map the bodies. Some families may want their children returned. Others may want to leave the dead buried, said Mayor Tim Keller. Authorities say it's possible children from the Navajo, Apache, Ute, Hopi and Pima tribes were forced to attend the school during its approximately 100-year existence. Keller said the apology is a starting point toward healing. We were clear that it was an acknowledgement and a reflection but that it was also just a beginning," Keller said. Youve got to start by acknowledging the pain youve caused. 'We did not do this to ourselves' The city acquired 4-H Park in the early 1970s, knowing that it has been used as a burial site for at least 50 years. Fires and floods at the school had destroyed what few records were kept, city officials said, and workers installing a sprinkler system unearthed a child's body in 1973. City officials installed a small plaque marking the burial site, but otherwise opened the park to public use. At some point in 2019, someone stole the plaque, setting off a new round of introspection, Keller said. The descendants of the people buried in that park literally still live here," Keller said. 'Missing White Woman Syndrome': The Gabby Petito case has left Indigenous people asking how to 'qualify' for same attention Like many Native American leaders, Christine Diindiisi McCleave, CEO of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, welcomed Albuquerque's apology. But she also remains skeptical because the bodies were largely ignored for decades. Diindiisi McCleave, 46, is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota. She said the longtime reluctance of Albuquerque and the U.S. as a whole to acknowledge the impacts of the boarding schools remains an open wound. Studies have shown that children subjected to intense trauma suffer lifelong impacts, including poor health, Diindiisi McCleave said, and those impacts persist in their descendants. "There's this narrative of American exceptionalism, and how America is great. And there are many great things about this country," she said. "But until we recognize that this started in genocide, we are never going to be a truly great society. We did not do this to ourselves. We were existing happily and healthy until a bunch of people came to invade our lands. And that's the narrative that the United States has kept silent." In this April 23, 2021, file photo, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland speaks during a news briefing at the White House. Diindiisi McCleave said she hopes the Biden Administration will help advance the coalition's cause of acknowledging and healing the pain caused by the Indian Schools. Last year, then-Congresswoman Deb Haaland, representing New Mexico, introduced legislation to create a Truth and Healing Commission to study the Indian Schools. Although the bill didn't advance, Haaland did she's now the first Native American cabinet secretary, running the Department of the Interior in the Biden Administration. In June, Haaland formally launched a federal study on boarding schools, including their locations, attendance and any associated burials. The study's first report is due April 1, 2022. 'The tip of the iceberg': Mass grave of 215 children in Canada a stark reminder of the dark history of Native American boarding schools in US "Only by acknowledging the past can we work toward a future we are all proud to embrace," Haaland wrote in launching the investigation. "Many who survived the ordeal returned home changed in unimaginable ways, and their experiences still resonate across the generations." The Canadian government in September marked its first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, a remembrance that followed the discovery of hundreds of children's bodies buried on the site of a former Indian School in British Columbia. The Canadian government has also paid tens of millions of dollars in reparations to the families of children who attended the schools. Jojola, a professor at the University of New Mexico who directs the university's Indigenous Design and Planning Institute, said the metaphor of the children's callous and largely unmarked burials is hard to escape. "The people who ran the boarding schools, they literally wanted to bury the egregious acts they committed," he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Native American children's graves in city park show appalling history Officials in Benton Harbor, Michigan, announced a state of emergency earlier this week in an ongoing effort to replace the city's lead pipes, CNN reports. Driving the news: The state of emergency, enacted by the City Commission on Monday, was intended to trigger a full-government approach to replace several lead pipes that have contaminated the city's water supply. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free A water main break occurred in Benton Harbor on Tuesday, ultimately resulting in the loss of water pressure across the city, per the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. As of this week, more than 71,000 cases of free bottled water had been distributed to Benton Harbor residents since the crisis erupted in September, according to the department. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) called on the state legislature to provide an additional $11.4 million investment to assist in replacing the city's lead pipes. What they're saying: "We understand that Benton Harbor residents are going through very stressful times," Elizabeth Hertel, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services director, said in a statement. "I want them to know that the state is fully committed to making sure that families have access to clean water," she added. "Every Michigander deserves safe drinking water," Whitmer said in a press release Tuesday. "We will not rest until every parent feels confident to give their kid a glass of water knowing that it is safe." More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free By Alexander Tanas CHISINAU (Reuters) -Moldova's parliament on Friday approved a government-requested state of emergency until Nov. 20 as it tries to ease gas shortages amid soaring world energy prices. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said the government had been unable to agree on a new energy deal with its main supplier, Russia's Gazprom, and that a state of emergency would allow it to buy gas from other sources. Moldova's contract with Gazprom expired at the end of September. The government asked for an extension but balked at the price of $790 per 1,000 cubic metres. "We are in a critical situation. The pressure in the gas transportation system is at a critical level for the functioning of natural gas transportation systems," Gavrilita said, without saying how close the country was to running out altogether. She said Moldova Gas, 51% owned by Gazprom, had not supplied the required volume of gas and the country has been forced to buy from other sources. Moldova wants to negotiate with neighbouring Romania and Ukraine while hoping to sign a new contract with Gazprom by the end of the month. Difficulties in gas supplies ahead of the winter could be a test for pro-European Moldova's authorities. President Maia Sandu, who favours closer ties with the European Union, defeated her pro-Russian predecessor, Igor Dodon, in a presidential election last year. The opposition blamed Sandu for the gas crisis, saying she should have gone to Moscow in person to negotiate a new deal. Sandu said the deal should be negotiated by companies and not the president. The government said this week two senior officials would travel to Moscow for gas talks. Gazprom was not immediately available for comment. Ukrainian state gas transmission operator GTSOU has said Moldova is receiving gas from Ukraine, but GTSOU head Sergiy Makogon told Reuters the supplied volumes "are only enough for 67% of Moldova's needs". Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told his Moldovan counterpart in Kyiv that Ukraine would continue pumping gas to Moldova. Moldova, sandwiched between Ukraine and EU member Romania, consumes 2.8 billion cubic metres of gas per year. (Writing by Matthias Williams and Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Edmund Blair and Nick Macfie) The Department of Justice announced on Thursday that it is seeking $9.9 million from a Montana man who has allegedly made nearly 5,000 robocalls, many of which were xenophobic, racist and threatening, to people across several states. The massive fine was first imposed by the Federal Communications Commission on January 14. The agency said at the time that the man, 52-year-old Scott Rhodes from Libby, Montana, had targeted specific communities with "harmful pre-recorded messages" starting in 2017. "The robocalls included xenophobic fearmongering (including to a victim's family), racist attacks on political candidates, an apparent attempt to influence the jury in a domestic terrorism case, and threatening language toward a local journalist," the FCC said in January. The Justice Department said that hundreds of the calls targeted people in Brooklyn, Iowa after local college student Mollie Tibbetts was murdered. Rhodes allegedly told people that she had been murdered by a "biological hybrid of white and savage Aztec ancestors," and that if she "could be brought back to life for just one moment," she would ask the person Rhodes called to "kill them all." Related video: Small town targeted by threatening anonymous letters Officials said more than 2,000 of the robocalls targeted residents of Charlottesville, Virginia during the jury selection for James Alex Fields Jr., the man who killed Heather Heyer and injured dozens of others when he drove a car through a crowd during the 2017 "Unite the Right" rally. The DOJ said that these calls included anti-Semitic and racist messages about the city's Jewish mayor and Black police chief, and used fat shaming language about the woman killed during the rally. "It is unlawful to spoof caller ID numbers to trick consumers into answering unwanted phone calls with the intent to defraud, cause harm or wrongfully obtain anything of value," the Justice Department's Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton said in a statement. "The department will work with its agency partners to vigorously enforce the telemarketing laws that prohibit these practices." Story continues The DOJ said its criminal complaint is to recover the fine issued by the FCC and "obtain an injunction that would prevent Rhodes from committing any further violations of the Truth in Caller ID Act." Rhodes had made the calls using an online calling platform that manipulates caller ID information to make it look like he was calling people from local numbers, the FCC said, a method called "neighbor spoofing." The FCC said that along with wanting to cause harm, Rhodes wanted to "gain media notoriety and publicity for his website and personal brand." In its forfeiture order, the FCC said that Rhodes promoted an entity called "The Road to Power" as part of his calls. Along with the harassing messages, they said, he directed people to the entity's website The entity is believed to have paid for racist phone calls to Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum in 2018. In the calls, someone falsely representing themselves as Gillum speaks in a racist, minstrel dialect while asking for voter support. "The Road to Power" has also taken credit for anti-Semitic robocalls targeting Democratic U.S. Representative Mark DeSaulnier earlier that year. The forfeiture order came a year after Rhodes had been served with a Notice of Apparent Liability, which gave him an opportunity to dispute the allegations, the FCC said. In Rhodes' response, he said that the notice represents a "politically motivated gross overreach of FCC authority" that showcases the "corruption" of "minority in-groups" within the commission, an FCC report shows. The commission said it was not convinced of the majority of Rhodes' argument, but was persuaded by his right to use one of the many caller IDs used during his series of robocalls. Given that right, they said, they reduced his original forfeiture amount from $12.9 million. He had 30 days to pay the amount, and his failure to do so prompted the Department of Justice's involvement. Retired hospitality worker walks from North Dakota to Texas to help Americans find common ground Jack Antonoff talks touring the new Bleachers album and his songwriting at Electric Lady Studios 48 Hours: Club owners open up about one of the deadliest nightclub fires in the U.S. Myanmar's military-aligned party urged Friday for the junta to open dialogue with coup opponents, as the generals face increasing pressure to end nearly nine months of bloody turmoil. The Southeast Asian nation has been in chaos since the February coup, with more than 1,100 killed as the security forces crack down on dissent, according to a local monitoring group. "We must talk for the interest of all our people in the country... It will be difficult to find a solution if we continue like this," Nandar Hla Myint, spokesman for the military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party, told AFP. "Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing took responsibility for the country... His caretaker government is the most responsible for making the dialogue happen," he said. While Nandar Hla Myint did not say whether discussions should include ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, he pointed out that the Nobel laureate has not encouraged violence from the junta's opponents. Her National League for Democracy party trounced the USDP in elections last year, a result the military has alleged was due to fraud. The junta, which has since dubbed itself the State Administration Council, has said it will hold fresh elections in 2023 -- but Nandar Hla Myint said the poll could see more bloodshed if the crisis is unresolved. "More people will be killed if there are no guarantees for lives... of candidates who will compete in the (next) election," he said. - 'Difficult to comply with' ASEAN decision - Almost nine months after seizing power, and unable to stamp out opposition to their regime, the generals are under increasing international pressure to engage with their opponents. Last week, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) decided to exclude Min Aung Hlaing from an upcoming summit of the 10-country bloc over doubts about his commitment to defuse the bloody crisis. It called instead for a "non-political representative" to attend the October 26-28 summit. Story continues But on Friday night, the junta's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision was made with "no consensus". "Myanmar as a country concerned (finds it) is difficult to comply with the decision," the ministry said in a statement. "On the question of the status of representation, Head of State or Government of Myanmar enjoys full and equal rights to participate in ASEAN summits." The ministry did not elaborate on whether the junta chief still intends to attend the event in four days. The rare snub by the ASEAN -- long criticised as toothless -- was welcomed by the US, Derek Chollet, counselor of the State Department, told reporters Thursday. Britain also said earlier this week it would not be inviting the junta to a G7-ASEAN foreign ministers meeting. The coup snuffed out the country's short-lived experiment with democracy, with Suu Kyi now facing a raft of charges in a junta court that could see her jailed for decades. bur-rma-dhc/lb Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- JPMorgan Chase & Co. was removed on Thursday from a $700 million Louisiana municipal-bond deal after the banks stance on guns drew criticism from state Republican officials. Most Read from BloombergStartup Fever Is Gripping the Worlds Last Big Untapped NationA Denser City, But at What Cost?An Oil Company Went Up in Flames, Burning Lenders and the PlanetHong Kong's New Museum Tries to Please Art World and BeijingElizabeth Holmes Faces Last-Ditch Chance to Testify at TrialAfter Social media users have mocked Ohio after its launch of a number plate to mark the first motorised flight by the Wright brothers in 1903 crash landed. The US state's new design, unveiled by Governor Mike DeWine, sported a banner attached to the plane that boasted Ohio was the "Birthplace of Aviation". But the banner, which should have been trailing behind the plane, was actually attached to its front. The state quickly put out a statement acknowledging the mistake. It has since issued a corrected version of the number plate, with the banner now firmly attached to the correct end of the plane. An image from a Wright brothers flight with the pilot sitting in the cockpit facing the elevators, which moved the plane up and down The designers of the plate aren't the first people to make the error. Confusingly for those used to more modern aircraft, the Wright brothers' famous flyer was powered by propellers located at the rear of the plane rather than the front. But that hasn't stopped internet users poking fun at the unfortunate designers. One poster mocked that "even the Wright brothers went back to the drawing board", while another joked that the state government had "one job". The mistake has also reignited one of America's longest running debates: Who can claim credit for the Wright brothers' first flight? Ohio and North Carolina have long been at odds over which state gets to lay claim on the brothers' achievement. Ohio claims that, as the pair originally hailed from the state and the plane they completed their 39-second flight in was built in Dayton, it should get the credit. But the flight itself actually took place at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, And the North Carolinian newspaper, the Charlotte Observer, joked: "Let's talk about which state Kitty Hawk is in." Meanwhile the state's department of transportation was quick to mock their rival's failure, writing on Twitter: "All leave Ohio alone. They wouldn't know. They weren't there." Both states, though, are allies in a broader battle with Connecticut, which also claims to have scooped both states to the first flight. It argues that in 1901 a German immigrant by the name of Gustave Whitehead successfully launched his own plane. Ohio isn't the first state to miss the mark with a commemorative number plate. In 2016, South Dakota was mocked after it attempted to depict Mount Rushmore on its number plate, only for angry citizens to point out that the image of George Washington was facing the wrong way. By Jessica Resnick-Ault NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil traded just below multi-year highs on Friday with bullish sentiment about low supplies tamped by concerns from world leaders that demand disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic may not be over. Brent crude futures rose 92 cents, or 1.1%, to settle at $85.53 a barrel. The benchmark, which touched a three-year high of $86.10 on Thursday, was up 1% in the week, its seventh weekly gain. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained $1.26, or 1.5%, to settle at $83.76 a barrel, not far off a seven-year high hit this week. The contract gained 1.7% on the week and was up for a ninth straight week. Prices have been boosted by worries about coal and gas shortages in China, India and Europe, spurring some power generators to switch from gas to fuel oil and diesel. Winter weather in much of the United States is expected to be warmer than average, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast. U.S. crude found support this week as investors eyed low crude stocks at the U.S. storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma. U.S. Energy Information Administration data on Wednesday showed crude stocks at Cushing fell to 31.2 million barrels, their lowest level since October 2018. "America's gasoline demand appears to be experiencing an Indian summer," PVM analysts said in a note, pointing to the highest implied demand for this time of year since 2007 despite high pump prices. "Supply is still very, very tight, the market is just cautious about the possibility of an uptick in COVID cases in Russia, China and now Germany," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. Prices pulled back from earlier intraday highs after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the pandemic is not yet over. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said he could not rule out another COVID-19 spike this winter. (Additional reporting by Sonali Paul in Melbourne and Koustav Samanta in Singapore; Editing by Louise Heavens, Kirsten Donovan, Angus MacSwan and Paul Simao) 2000s-iconturnedchildren's-rights advocate Paris Hilton had a message Friday for both sides of the aisle. Hilton, who said she was beaten and "watched in the shower" during her time at a teenage reformatory center, thanked Cindy McCain, the widow of the late Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican. She asked for politicians of any background to unite in support of tackling abuse in the troubled youth industry. "Thank you Cindy McCain," she wrote Friday on Twitter. "You are an incredible champion of women and girls. So grateful to have you supporting us. Protecting these children is not political. It is a human rights issue and all legislators, both Rep and Dem, should stand against child abuse in congregate care." PARIS HILTON LOBBIES CAPITOL HILL AND DETAILS ENDURING ABUSE IN 'TROUBLED TEEN INDUSTRY' Thank you @CindyMcCain You are an incredible champion of women and girls. So grateful to have you supporting us. Protecting these children is not political. It is a human rights issue and all legislators, both Rep and Dem, should stand against child abuse in congregate care. pic.twitter.com/TIWh0pcTPz Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton) October 22, 2021 Hilton ventured to Capitol Hill Wednesday to lobby against abuses in the teenage psychological industry, which she said as a victim herself can cause more harm than good. She is seeking accountability from facilities with a history of abuse accusations. She was joined by Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, and Sen. Jeff Merkely, an Oregon Democrat, who co-sponsored the bicameral Accountability for Congregate Care Act. Hilton described her time as a 16-year-old in such a facility, saying she was choked, slapped, and spied on essentially being "sent to Hell" in an opinion article Monday. Story continues CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Hilton, who is also known for her emblematic fashion that graced countless magazine covers in the early 2000s, also starred in Fox and later E! network's reality television program The Simple Life, where she and co-star Nicole Richie, both wealthy debutantes, worked menial jobs on camera. She coined the famous term, "That's hot," a sometimes sarcastic way of communicating one's fascination with even the most mundane of topics. She seems to have made amends with the McCain family since 2008, when she recorded a fiery retort to John McCain's 2008 presidential ad in which he compared former President Barack Obama to a celebrity, using Hilton's likeness as an example. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Child Care, Congress, Child Abuse, Media, Social Media, Twitter Original Author: Sydney Shea Original Location: Paris Hilton thanks Cindy McCain, calls for bipartisan support on legislation against child abuse ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala said on Friday that it will be "meaningless" for him to attend his trial as a fair hearing is impossible given comments made about him by President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday. Erdogan in comments made to local media outlets on Thursday criticized ambassadors of Western allies for their call for Kavala's release. He was cited as saying that they would not release "bandits, murderers and terrorists" in their own countries. "Since there is no possibility of a fair trial under these circumstances, I believe participating in hearings and delivering my defence will be meaningless from now on," Kavala said in a written statement. Kavala was acquitted in 2020 of charges related to nationwide protests in 2013 but the ruling was overturned this year and combined with charges in another case related to a coup attempt in 2016. Kavala described Erdogan's statement as humiliating and defaming and said it would influence the trial directly while it continues. Erdogan said the judiciary in Turkey is independent. Embassies of Turkey's Western allies, including the United States and Germany, called on Monday for the "urgent release" of Kavala. The foreign ministry summoned the ambassadors on Tuesday for what it said was an "irresponsible" statement calling for a just and speedy resolution to Kavala's case. He has been in prison since late 2017 without being convicted. (Reporting by Daren Butler and Ali Kucukgocmen; Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) As President Biden pushes Congress to pass his climate agenda just days before world powers gather in Scotland to hash out a new international accord, more than two-thirds of Republicans (67 percent) continue to insist that climate change is not an emergency, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll. Coming on the heels of a summer that featured record-setting heat waves, wildfires and floods all exacerbated by climate change the result is a stark example of how U.S. politics imperils global progress on the issue. The survey of 1,704 U.S. adults, which was conducted from Oct. 19 to 21, found that nearly all Democrats (78 percent) and a plurality of independents (45 percent) view climate change as an existential threat that must be addressed now with major legislation. Yet less than one-quarter of Republicans (24 percent) agree. Instead, more than 6 in 10 believe, falsely, that global warming is either not a real threat (38 percent) or a threat that the government has already done enough to address (24 percent). The poll underscores the challenge facing Biden as he aims to slash U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to half of 2005 levels by the end of the decade and set an example for other countries to follow. Both the public at large and all but one Democrat on Capitol Hill centrist West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin favor Bidens plan to transition the economy to sustainable sources of energy. But Republicans do not. President Biden speaking about his infrastructure plan during a recent visit to Scranton, Pa. (Susan Walsh/AP) In little more than a week, leaders and representatives from nearly every country in the world will gather in Glasgow for the United Nations Climate Change Conference. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry has called the conference the worlds last best hope of keeping global temperature rise from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius over preindustrial levels in an effort to avert a cascade of devastating consequences for the planet. A recent review of 88,128 scientific papers on climate change since 2012 has concluded that 99.9 percent of the studies agree that humankinds burning of fossil fuels is responsible for the rise in global temperatures. Story continues Yet even that fact is disputed by Republicans. According to the Yahoo News/YouGov poll, more Republicans continue to believe that human activity is not causing climate change (47 percent) than believe it is (34 percent). In contrast, just 4 percent of Democrats and 29 percent of independents deny the role of human activity in global warming. The same pattern persists on issue after issue: A huge majority of Democrats and a substantial plurality of independents take climate change seriously and support the kind of major legislation Biden has proposed while Republicans remain the outliers. The result is a consistent 15-to-20-point advantage for climate action among Americans at large. For instance: 48 percent of Americans favor cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030; just 27 percent are opposed. 48 percent favor limiting greenhouse gas emissions from gasoline-powered cars and coal-fired power plants; just 30 percent are opposed. 43 percent favor a proposal to limit greenhouse gas emissions by rewarding utilities that switch to renewable energy and requiring utilities that continue to burn coal and oil to pay more over time. That is the $150 billion cornerstone of Bidens clean energy plan, which Manchin has forced the administration to abandon. Just 27 percent are opposed. 45 percent favor a program that requires polluters to pay a fee for every ton of carbon dioxide they emit if it includes a rebate for families making less than $400,000 per year" to offset potential price hikes on gasoline, electricity or home heating fuel" a description of the carbon tax plan Democrats floated as an alternative to Bidens clean energy proposal. Just 25 percent are opposed. And 45 percent say a major effort to address climate change would be "good for the economy because it will create new industries and jobs," while just 31 percent say it would be "bad for the economy because it will destroy existing industries and jobs." Icebergs that calved from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier floating near Ilulissat, Greenland. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) There are limits to how much Americans are willing to personally spend to combat global warming. Without a rebate, support for a carbon tax falls (to 36 percent) and opposition rises (also to 36 percent). When asked to select changes you would be willing to make" to help solve the problem, far more say theyd be willing to buy an electric car or solar panels with a government rebate (35 percent and 42 percent, respectively) than without (15 percent and 18 percent). And the most popular changes are the ones that require others to pay more, such as raising taxes on Americans earning more than $400,000 a year (42 percent) or on corporations earning more than $5 million (40 percent). Very few Americans are ready to pay more for gas (14 percent) or meat (15 percent). The message seems to be that government, not individuals, should bear the brunt of climate action which is why Biden has proposed rebates for most Americans, along with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy. Yet while a majority of Democrats (73 percent) and a plurality of independents (40 percent) agree with the president that the U.S. cannot afford to wait any longer to pass major climate change legislation, most Republicans (59 percent) say the U.S. cannot afford to pass major climate change legislation right now. With additional reporting by David Knowles. _________ The Yahoo News survey was conducted by YouGov using a nationally representative sample of 1,704 U.S. adults interviewed online from Oct. 19 to 21, 2021. This sample was weighted according to gender, age, race and education based on the American Community Survey, conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, as well as 2020 presidential vote (or non-vote) and voter registration status. Respondents were selected from YouGovs opt-in panel to be representative of all U.S. adults. The margin of error is approximately 2.6 percent. ____ Read more from Yahoo News: Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm on the set of a movie hes filming in New Mexico, killing one crew member and injuring the director on Thursday, according to local authorities. The Santa Fe County sheriff said deputies responded to an incident at the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set shortly before 2 p.m. local time after two people were shot. Officials said it appeared a prop gun was discharged on the set of the film Rust, hitting two people. The sheriffs office confirmed to multiple news outlets that it was Baldwin, who is producing the film as well as acting in it, who discharged the weapon. Investigators are still working to determine whether the shooting was an accident, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. A reporter and a photographer at the newspaper reported seeing the actor outside the sheriffs office in tears. A Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office car leaves through the entrance to the Bonanza Creek Ranch, where the movie Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, died of her injuries, according to Variety, citing the sheriffs office and the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 100. The films director and writer, Joel Souza, 48, was receiving emergency care as of Thursday night. We received the devastating news this evening, that one of our members, Halyna Hutchins, the Director of Photography on a production called Rust in New Mexico died from injuries sustained on the set, said John Lindley, the president of the guild, and Rebecca Rhine, the executive director, in a statement to Variety. A general view shows a locked gate at the entrance to the Bonanza Creek Ranch on Oct. 22, 2021, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Photo: Sam Wasson via Getty Images) The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guilds family. Hutchins was transported by helicopter to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, where she died. Souza was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe. The incident is considered an active investigation, authorities said. According to investigators, it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged, the sheriffs office said in an earlier statement. Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged. Story continues A spokesperson for the film told Deadline that the incident involved the misfire of a prop gun with blanks and that production has been halted for the time being. Rust is a Western starring Baldwin, Frances Fisher, Jensen Ackles and Travis Fimmel. Baldwin is co-producing the film and plays infamous outlaw Rust, whose 13-year-old grandson is convicted of an accidental murder. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Marylands highest court has disbarred retired Harford County States Attorney Joseph Cassilly for withholding exculpatory evidence that surfaced in a 1981 double-murder case and lying about it over the years. Cassilly learned of the courts decision Friday from a phone call by The Baltimore Sun. Oh, whatever. Im retired anyway, he said. The Maryland Court of Appeals found the former prosecutor lied about documents that undermined the credibility of an FBI agent on the case. In an opinion Friday, the judges noted Cassilly, a Republican, served 36 years as Harford Countys top prosecutor and retired in 2019. The judges wrote that disbarring him would prevent his possible return to the courtroom and send a message. Disbarment recognized the seriousness of Cassillys misconduct and serves the goal of protecting the public and ensuring the publics confidence in the legal profession by deterring other attorneys from engaging in similar misconduct, they wrote. Cassilly maintains that he did nothing wrong, but rather fell into the whole anti-criminal justice movement, where the cops are the bad guys and the prosecutors are the bad guys. Im disappointed, but the real answer is: Do I care? I dont give a damn, he said. I wouldnt do anything to engage in the practice of law right now because its such a screwed-up obscenity. At issue is his handling of the so-called Memorial Day Murders, a gruesome double killing in Abingdon nearly 40 years ago. Police found Diane Becker, 21, stabbed and beaten to death with a bottle in her camper home in an Abingdon RV park. They found her 4-year-old son in the camper traumatized but uninjured. Her boyfriend, Joseph Hudson, a popular disc jockey, was shot to death a few miles away on the path to a farm. Prosecutors tried John Norman Huffington and Deno Kanaras separately for the murders, saying the two friends killed the couple over cocaine and cash. A jury convicted Kanaras of felony murder in Beckers death. He was released from prison in 2008 after serving 27 years of a life sentence. Kanaras was a key witness in the prosecution of Huffington. Story continues Cassilly prosecuted Huffington for the murders, but the courts twice reversed his convictions and granted new trials. Questions shadowed the prosecution after it was revealed FBI agent Michael P. Malone had a history of testifying falsely, conducting inaccurate analysis of hair samples and making statements that exceeded the limits of scientific testing. A 1997 Department of Justice investigation found fault with Malone and examiners at the FBI laboratory. In November 2017, Cassilly and Huffington struck a deal. Huffington submitted an Alford plea to two counts of murder in exchange for time served. With an Alford plea, a defendant maintains his innocence but acknowledges theres enough evidence to convict. He was released from prison after 32 years and two months. Huffington has said he would have won his freedom years earlier had Cassilly disclosed the records. He doesnt give an F. Doesnt care, never has, Huffington said Friday. Thats what weve been dealing with for 40 years. He doesnt care what the judges say. Hes got it in his head that he is the arresting officer, the prosecuting attorney, the judge, the jury, and in my case, the executioner. Huffington thanked his attorneys, the bar counsel and the courts. This has been a 40-year journey. It started when I was 18; Im 59 now, he said. Ive waited for the truth and my truth to be told and be heard. Today, it was. Im very grateful. In November 2018, Huffington filed a complaint against Cassilly with the Attorney Grievance Commission. The commissions bar counsel, which investigates misconduct by attorneys, opened an investigation. The bar counsel and Cassilly argued the matter at trial last February. Cassilly said he did not call Malone as a witness after questions surfaced about the agents credibility. The retired prosecutor said he therefore had no professional responsibility to disclose the reports. Harford Circuit Court Judge Barbara Kerr Howe found Cassilly broke the rules for professional conduct and lied about documents. She recommended the states high court reprimand him. The Maryland Court of Appeals, however, went further to disbar him. The trust placed in Cassilly as the elected States Attorney for Harford County, and the high standard to which prosecutors are held, renders Cassillys misconduct much more egregious than that of a lawyer in an official or government position who simply fails to follow proper procedures or rules, the judges wrote. NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 03: Lev Parnas (C) arrives to federal court with his wife Svetlana Parnas (R) for a hearing on February 3, 2020 in New York City. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images Giuliani associate Lev Parnas was convicted on 6 campaign finance-related charges after a high-profile trial. His co-defendant, Andrey Kukushkin, was also found guilty of the two charges against him. Both men were accused of illegally funneling a Russian businessman's money into US campaigns. Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian business associate of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, was found guilty on Friday of six counts of campaign-finance charges following a high-profile trial in Manhattan. His co-defendant, Andrey Kukushkin, was also convicted of two charges against him. Two other defendants who were charged in the case, Igor Fruman and David Correia, previously pleaded guilty, while Parnas and Kukushkin went to trial. Parnas and Kukushkin were accused of funneling $1 million from the Russian businessman Andrey Muraviev, $150,000 of which prosecutors said illegally went to US campaigns. Prosecutors said the defendants funneled the money in a bid to gain political backing and licenses for their marijuana venture. "There was an agreement to bring Andrey Muraviev's wealth and corruption into American politics," assistant US attorney Hagan Cordell Scotten told jurors. "It is plain as day that these defendants agreed to donate Muraviev's money to US political campaigns." Scotten added: "There's nothing wrong with being Russian and there's nothing wrong in selling marijuana with a license. You just can't donate to American politicians to get that license." "Make no mistake, the purpose behind this conspiracy was influence-buying," Scotten said, according to Law & Crime. Muraviev has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Parnas' defense attorney, Joseph Bondy, argued that the donations were legitimate and called the allegations against his client "poppycock." "There was no effort to hide anything whatsoever," he said, according to Politico. "There was no effort to make a donation in the name of another person whatsoever. This is not some hidden payment through some shell company that's designed to mislead." Story continues CNN reported that Parnas faces up to five years in prison for each of five counts against him, and that the sixth count accusing him of falsifying records to the Federal Election Commission carries a 20-year maximum sentence. Each of the two counts Kukushkin was found guilty of carries a five-year maximum prison sentence, per CNN. Prosecutors asked on Friday that Parnas and Kukushkin be immediately remanded to prison, but US District Judge Paul Oetken refused the request, noting that the defendants were not a flight risk. This story is developing. Check back for updates. Read the original article on Business Insider Wildfires can bring devastation to homes, businesses and the landscape, but even after a fire is extinguished, that doesn't mean the dangers subside. The lack of trees and vegetation caused by a fire can often leave an area vulnerable to other threats, especially when the rainy season begins. Landscapes can be radically changed by a wildfire -- areas once abundant with trees and bushes can be reduced to ashes and dry soil. The change leaves a noticeable mark on the land and is often referred to as a burn scar. In many communities ravaged by fire, and particularly in the West, the concern soon shifts to flooding when wet weather arrives. The lack of trees and plants can become a significant issue when heavy rain returns to an area where a wildfire once burned. "Moisture cannot be absorbed as easily as before, and there is less vegetation to prevent or limit runoff," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Smithmyer. Hana Mohsin, right, carries belongings from a neighbor's home which was damaged in a mudslide on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Salinas, Calif. The area, located beneath the River Fire burn scar, is susceptible to landslides as heavy rains hit hillsides scorched during the previous year's wildfires. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Not only is the lack of vegetation a concern, but a wildfire can cause changes in the soil itself. "Soil becomes greatly modified following a wildfire, and is comparable to pavement in terms of its repelling nature," explained Smithmyer. The combination of these factors means that even light to moderate rain and low rainfall totals can still result in flooding. Any periods of rain, even amounts less than a half of an inch of rain per hour, that fall over burn scar areas can result in mudslides and debris flows, according to Smithmyer. One of the most infamous examples of how burn scars can set up deadly and destructive mudflows occurred in January 2018 in Santa Barbara County, California. A major winter storm moved over areas that had been scorched by the Thomas Fire, one of the largest fires in state history, just weeks earlier. The storm's heavy rain triggered devastating mudflows over these burn scar areas in the Santa Ynez Mountains. The powerful mud and debris flows then poured down the slopes into the town of Montecito, leaving 23 dead and destroying more than 100 homes. Story continues In this photo provided by Santa Barbara County Fire Department, mudflow, boulders and debris from heavy rain runoff from early Tuesday reached the roof of a single story home in Montecito, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. A storm caused deadly mudslides in fire-scarred areas of Montecito and adjacent Santa Barbara County. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) Even though it does not take much rain to cause flooding, mudslides or debris flows, the more rain that falls and the heavier that rain is, the worse the flooding event will become. Debris flows can consist of mud, rocks, trees, vehicles and even entire homes, according to the National Weather Service. One of the most dangerous aspects of debris flows is their unpredictability. "A debris flow may happen where others have occurred, or in a place that has never seen one before," the NWS states. "During rain events in the burned areas, regions with steep terrain can turn into danger zones," stated Smithmyer. Workers monitor a burn scar area in Santa Cruz County, California, ahead of a major storm system during October 2021. (Santa Cruz County government) In some of the larger and more destructive fires, the damage to the soil is severe enough that it takes the land an extended amount of time to return to the way it was before the fire. "After a wildfire event, it can take many years for vegetation to grow back to the level it was previously," said Smithmyer. The flooding that can result due to the lack of vegetation and inability for the soil to absorb water can cause just as much damage as the fire that burned through a given location. Roads can be washed out and homes and other buildings can be damaged or destroyed. The force and magnitude of flooding and mudslides can carry them outside of burn scar areas, as mud and debris can move far downstream. Residents who live in areas susceptible to flash flooding and mudslides and debris flows should always have a plan in place in the case of an evacuation. Ground crew workers service a Skywest plane at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on August 30, 2020. One of America's largest regional carriers, SkyWest Airlines, has canceled hundreds of flights three days in a row, and it's not the only airline impacted. The Utah-based carrier operates flights for American, Delta, United and Alaska airlines. "SkyWest experienced an internal technical issue, resulting in approximately 700 flight cancellations before the issue was resolved Thursday evening," SkyWest told USA TODAY in a statement. "We apologize to customers for the inconvenience." The airline said it continued to experience operational disruptions as it worked to get crew and aircraft into position. More than 700 SkyWest flights were canceled Friday, according to FlightAware, which tracks flight cancellations and delays in real time. Disruptions continued the following day, with more than 100 flights canceled Saturday. SkyWest said Saturday that it is "focused on efforts to return to normal operations as quickly as possible." Airline cancel or delay your flight?: Here's what you're owed (and how to get it) What travel insurance actually covers: How it may or may not protect your next trip United Airlines' website had said the issue was a server outage at SkyWest. Delta Air Lines told USA TODAY, "Our technical teams engaged with SkyWest IT to resolve the issue and minimize the impact on our customers. We are working with customers directly to accommodate them to their destination as soon as possible and apologize for the inconvenience." Roughly 170 of American Airlines' flights were impacted Thursday and about 50 more were affected Friday, the airline told USA TODAY, adding that it's been working to re-accommodate passengers and provide hotel vouchers as needed. Alaska Airlines told USA TODAY that 80 of its flights were canceled Thursday and 53 were canceled Friday, though more were possible. "We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused for our guests," the airline said. "Were providing services to them as we work to get impacted travelers to their destinations as quickly as possible." Story continues According to its website, SkyWest serves 236 destinations across North America, and it carried 43 million passengers in 2019. Travelers are advised to check their flight status before leaving for the airport and to reach out to their airline if their flights have been canceled or delayed. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SkyWest Airlines outage: American, United, Delta, Alaska impacted By Uditha Jayasinghe COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday ordered frontline workers and tourism staff to be given a third booster shot of COVID-19 vaccine next month, part of a bid to reopen the travel industry and revive the economy. More than 1 million people including security personnel, health care staff and tourism industry workers will be given third shots of the Pfizer vaccine beginning Nov. 1, the president's office said in a statement. So far Sri Lanka has fully vaccinated a little over 60% of its 22 million people. The country depends on international tourism, and partially rolled back COVID-19 restrictions late last month, allowing fully vaccinated travellers with a negative test to enter without quarantine. Earnings from tourism plummeted from $4.3 billion in 2018 to just $33 million in the first eight months of this year. Reviving the industry is seen as crucial to restoring reserves which stood at just $2.6 billion at the end of September. Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said there was strong interest from travellers from countries such as Russia, Britain, France and Germany, and that international flights will be increased from next month. "The target is to have a strong winter season from November to March or April of next year, he told Reuters. An estimated 400,000 people are employed in the tourism industry. Some travel limits, including on trains between provinces, will be lifted only from Nov. 1 as the authorities focus on reducing the death rate from COVID-19 to zero. (Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Peter Graff) ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss voters look set to support the government's pandemic response plan in a binding referendum next month, a poll for broadcaster SRG showed on Friday. The gfs.bern survey found 61% backed a law passed in March that expanded financial aid to people hit by the COVID-19 crisis and laid the foundation for certificates the government requires to facilitate travel abroad and allow certain events to be held. The survey found 36% opposed and 3% were undecided before the Nov. 28 referendum under the Swiss system of direct democracy. The poll's margin of error was 2.8 percentage points. In two other votes that day, the Swiss would easily support a labour union-backed proposal to boost the nursing profession, the poll found. A vote on whether to select federal judges by lottery from a pool of candidates proposed by experts was still too close to call. The government opposes the idea, which aims to reduce political pressure on the judiciary. (Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Kim Coghill) Kabul On nearly every street corner, in every neighborhood in Afghanistan's capital, you'll find the Taliban. The militants are now the guardians of the city they once attacked often, and viciously. While the Taliban's war with the U.S. may be over, the group faces another enemy: Afghanistan's ISIS affiliate, known as ISIS-K. CBS News correspondent Imtiaz Tyab and his team went for a ride with some of the Taliban fighters whose job it is to secure Kabul's streets. Taliban fighters on patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan, in October 2021. / Credit: CBS News The Taliban has stepped up its patrols across the capital, but the group's leaders insist ISIS-K is not a threat to the Afghan people. ISIS-K working to undermine, even infiltrate the Taliban Tyab asked the patrol commander, Rahimi, if, after two months in power, the Taliban could promise to keep Afghans safe. His answer was unequivocal: "Yes, 100%," he said. "We can completely guarantee security for the Afghan people." But the ceaseless bloodshed on Afghan streets tells a different story. Just last week, more than 50 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a mosque in the southern city of Kandahar used by Afghanistan's minority Shiite Muslims frequent targets of ISIS-K attacks. The bombing sent chills through the Shiite community, including worshippers at the Al-Zahra mosque in Kabul. They have every right to be afraid: Four years ago, ISIS-K fighters carried out a deadly suicide bombing attack there. Imam Mohammed Jawad told CBS News that he was afraid the terror group would come back to target his mosque again. "We are all concerned," he said. "It is very hard on our community. No one wants to be attacked while they pray." Taliban blame U.S. as Afghan kids face starvation ISIS-K first emerged in 2015. Most of its recruits defected from the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, as they didn't see those groups as extreme enough. The Taliban has tasked its feared "Badri 313" brigade named after the Prophet Muhammad's army of 313 men at the Battle of Badr in 624 A.D. with defeating ISIS-K. Story continues The ruthless collection of fighters, often described as the Taliban's special forces, were responsible for some of the deadliest attacks against the U.S. and coalition troops. A member of the Afghan Taliban's elite It is clearly a force to be reckoned with, and everything, from their vehicles to their uniforms to their weapons, is American. The forces even use U.S.-style counterinsurgency tactics. When an ISIS-K suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. troops and at least 170 Afghans in an attack on Kabul's airport on August 29, the Badri brigade was put in charge of hunting down ISIS-K cells around the capital. The irony of the Taliban's elite fighters adopting U.S. equipment and tactics isn't lost on the Taliban's leaders, including chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, who continues to insist that ISIS-K isn't a threat. "It's true we need to protect civilians, and we are doing that," he told Tyab. "But ISIS-K are not a real threat. They can't even attack our military installations." President Biden has vowed to make ISIS-K "pay" for the August airport attack. But while the White House has not ruled out some level of cooperation with Afghanistan's new rulers to achieve that, the Taliban insists it won't cooperate with America to defeat the group. It may soon have little choice, however, as ISIS-K continues to grow in strength and brutality. Paid leave proposal reduced as Democrats work to scale back social spending bill Supply chain crisis could force consumers to abandon ethical shopping habits Former US Envoy to Afghanistan on trusting the Taliban and why he resigned Tens of thousands of migrants from South America have flown into Mexico and crossed into a remote part of Arizona since late summer, as word spreads far beyond Central America that the United States's southern border is penetrable, according to two people familiar with the change in migration trends. More than 7,000 Brazilians and Venezuelans were encountered illegally crossing the border near Yuma in August, an unusually high number of people to come from countries outside the usual El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, whose citizens most often flee to the U.S. Officials who work in the Yuma region told the Washington Examiner that the 7,000 figure rose considerably through September and October. Each and every single person has airline tickets to Mexico, said one person who works with migrants in federal custody. The official asked to remain anonymous. Venezuelans are saying, Oh, I left three days ago.'" Border Patrol agents and contractors on site where migrants are held and processed have been shocked by how much money the migrants are carrying, the same official said. Migrants who come from Central American countries typically cross the border with the clothes on their back and nothing else. Photo provided by source We are surprised with the amount of money that especially Venezuelans and Brazilians arrive with. The minimum that I've seen a Venezuelan with, cash money, roughly I'm going to say is about $500, the same person said. They come with luggage name-brand luggage. Theresa Cardinal Brown, managing director for immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, said middle-class departures from South America are likely the result of complex situations back home where poverty, corruption in government, and effects of the coronavirus pandemic have made life very difficult. "Their middle-class lifestyle is gone and with the last of the remaining money they are trying to come to the United States where they can maintain that middle-class lifestyle, Brown said in a phone call. Story continues These migrants, unlike those from Central America, are not traveling to the U.S. on foot or by vehicle. Most fly into Mexico City or cities on Mexico's northern border then take buses north or cabs if they fly to the border. Migrants walk across the border in an area where wall construction was halted. The gap in the massive wall essentially funnels illegal traffic to this one area. South American migrants who fly into Mexico have obtained permits from the Mexican government that allow them to travel through the country on the basis that they are migrating to the U.S. Those presenting to Border Patrol in Yuma have airline tickets and the permits in hand, as well as identification documents, the first official said. Border Patrol was apprehending around 1,000 people in Yuma three weeks ago, an extraordinarily high figure. The law enforcement agency brought in agents from other regions and set up tents outside to hold migrants while they were processed. In early October, around 4,000 people were in federal custody in Yuma alone, according to Rafa Rivera, the National Border Patrol Council's president for the Yuma chapter, which represents Border Patrol agents. Around 1,000 people sat down a long hallway, waiting to be processed. Photo provided by source The hallway was stacked with families. You could not walk without stepping on somebody, the first person said. The people that did not fit on the hallways, they had to put them outside. And they had to make a chain-link fence or like a corral and have them wait outside. It was something like out of a movie. Between 500 and 600 people are being encountered at the border daily in Yuma in mid-October, though that figure does not include those who evade law enforcement and get away. Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls told the Washington Examiner in March that the city lacked the resources, manpower, and money to help the few hundred people arriving daily this spring. The city of 96,000 residents does not have a single nonprofit organization that focuses on migrants, and its shelters are already near capacity with homeless residents, the mayor said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The situation in Yuma is no different from any other region of the 2,000-mile southern border, where illegal crossings are surging in the aftermath of the Biden administration's rescinding Trump-era policies, as well as the coronavirus pandemic. Venezuelans and Brazilians have crossed the border in other regions at unusually high levels since the start of the governments fiscal year in October 2020. The Biden administration's focus on resolving the "push" factors that prompt people from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to migrate to the U.S. needs to change to include factors that prompt people from other countries like Brazil and Venezuela to come, Brown said in an interview earlier this year. Otherwise, Central American migration will drop, but global migration to the U.S. will continue to rise. The Border Patrol was unable to provide comment. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Border Crisis, South America, Mexican border, Biden Administration Original Author: Anna Giaritelli Original Location: Tens of thousands of Brazilians and Venezuelans illegally cross US-Mexico border Pro-life protesters stand near the gate of the Texas state capitol at a protest outside the Texas state capitol on 29 May 2021 in Austin, Texas The US Supreme Court will allow Texas to maintain a near-total ban on abortions, but will take up the case next month in a rare sped-up process. The law, known as SB8, gives any person the right to sue doctors who perform an abortion past six-weeks - before most women know they are pregnant. The Supreme Court said it will focus on how the law was crafted and whether it can be legally challenged. It is considered extraordinarily rare for the top US court to expedite cases. Lower courts have yet to issue final rulings on the so-called Texas Heartbeat Act. The controversial law - which makes an exception for a documented medical emergency but not for cases of rape or incest - bans abortion after what some refer to as a foetal heartbeat. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says that at six weeks a foetus has not yet developed a heartbeat, but rather an "electrically induced flickering" of tissue that will become the heart. The Texas law is enforced by giving any individual - from Texas or elsewhere - the right to sue doctors who perform an abortion past the six-week point. However, it does not allow the women who get the procedure to be sued. The Biden administration has previously said it would ask the court to block the law. Since 1973's landmark Roe v Wade Supreme Court case, US women have had a right to abortions until a foetus is able to survive outside the womb - usually between 22 and 24 weeks into pregnancy. The US is one of seven out of 198 countries to allow elective abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, according to the Washington Post. Lawyers for the state of Texas asked the justices on the court to consider overruling the landmark Roe decision, as well as a separate case that affirmed the constitutional right to an abortion. The court did not accept that request. Oral arguments in the case have been set for 1 November. The Supreme Court said that it would wait for those arguments to take place before taking any action. Story continues In a written dissent, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said that the expedited timeframe would offer "cold comfort" for women in Texas who are hoping for abortion treatment. She was the only one of the Supreme Court's nine judges to advocate blocking the law in the short-term. "Women seeking abortion care in Texas are entitled to relief from this court now," she wrote. "Because of the court's failure to act today, that relief, if it comes, will be too late for many." The law came into effect in Texas on 1 September. Abortion providers and opponents of the law had called for it to be lifted until the Supreme Court took up the case. Whole Woman's Health, which operates four clinics in Texas, tweeted that "the legal limbo is excruciating for both patients and our clinic staff". Experts believe that the oral arguments may provide a glimpse into how the Supreme Court will approach other abortion cases. In December, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a separate case regarding a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks. The Texas Travels of Will & James Continue in Houston The fifth stop as we Get Back Out There is the multicultural city of Houston, which happens to be the fourth largest in America and known as the Energy Capital of the World. Its a bustling city full of art, science, food, and culture all with a unique Texas flare, providing a little bit of something for every type of traveler. We only scratched the surface of what this city has to offer but heres a brief guide as to what we did during our trip! The Texas Travels of Will & James Continue in Houston Will & James between the sheets at the Royal Sonesta Royal Sonesta The Royal Sonesta at the Houston Galleria is centrally located for all the major activities youd want to do while visiting the city. The rooms are incredibly comfortable and provide everything that you could need during your getaway, with amenities like an outdoor pool, business center, and on-site fine dining. If youre looking for the best shopping, you can walk over to The Galleria, which is the largest mall in Texas with over 375 stores filling four floors. If youre looking for delicious cuisine or the LGBTQ+ neighborhood of Houston, the Montrose District is located 4-miles from the property. The Texas Travels of Will & James Continue in Houston Some of the delicious offerings at the LGBTQ+ owned Koffeteria bakery Koffeteria Located in the heart of East Downtown, referred to as EaDo, is an inviting LGBTQ+ owned and family-run bakery, called Koffeteria, that celebrates the flavors of Houston. Their menu is filled with creative, delicious, and seasonal pastries that will be sure to satisfy any foodie. We loved meeting with pastry chef Owner, Vanarin Kuch, and front of house manager, Andreas Hager who also happens to be Vans husband. The Texas Travels of Will & James Continue in Houston Will and James chatting with Koffeteria pastry chef Vanarin Kuch During our visit with them, we jumped at the opportunity to ask what menu items they recommend. We tried a little bit of everything but to this day, cant stop thinking about how flavorful the popular Pistachio Baklava is. It was definitely a highlight of our tasting experience! If youre looking for the perfect place to gather with your travel companions or to reunite with old friends over coffee and a delicious pastry, we recommend visiting Koffeteria on your next trip to Houston! Story continues The Texas Travels of Will & James Continue in Houston Will and James discover Houston is a museum mecca Museum of Fine Art, Q-Fest Houston Houstons Museum District is home to over 150 museums with focuses spanning from nature, art, science, history, and more. Its a beautiful district of Houston that we really enjoyed walking around. We paid a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts and quickly lost track of time as we explored the wide variety of exhibitions and installations it had to offer. It also has a history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community of Houston as it hosts Houstons Annual International LGBTQ Film Festival, Q-Fest. Unfortunately, after celebrating twenty-five incredible years, this was the last year for this premier event. The Texas Travels of Will & James Continue in Houston The Postino Montrose pays tribute to the gay history of the district. Postinos WineCafe (Montrose District) We visited Houston at the perfect time because it was Pride weekend and ended our time in the Montrose District to take part in the celebratory festivities. Up until 2016, this area of town was home to the oldest gay bar known as The Montrose Mining Company, which operated from 1978 to 2016. Its now a restaurant called Postinos WineCafe, that continues to pay tribute to the gay bars that were previously housed in this space. Its history is proudly displayed on the walls throughout the restaurant in the form of photos and posters. Postinos menu was incredible and we certainly enjoyed our fair share of wine. After enjoying our meal, we visited a few of the gay bars that line the streets of the Montrose District, all of which were proudly showcasing their Pride flags. The LGBTQ+ community of Houston is vibrant and ready to welcome you! The Texas Travels of Will & James Continue in Houston Will & James toast Postinos WineCafe and Houston! Watch the Houston episode of our series Get Back Out There below: Oct. 22Healing, celebration of life and a space for reflection are a few of the ideas people have come up with for a permanent memorial for the Oregon District mass shooting. Some people impacted by the tragedy have filled out surveys to share their thoughts about a memorial, and a small group of people attended a public forum at the Dayton Metro Library on Thursday where a permanent installation was discussed. This process is just getting started, organizers say, and there will be plenty of other opportunities for input. Survivors and victims' family members who spoke on Thursday said they aren't sure what they would like the memorial to include and where it should be. Dion Green, whose father died in his arms in the Oregon District on Aug. 4, 2019, said perhaps the memorial should not be located in the district, because it could be an emotional or painful reminder to victims, survivors and other people traumatized by the incident. Green said he's taken steps to "reclaim" the district after the tragedy, and a memorial in the area might be a trigger. Kyle Babirad, a member of the board of trustees for the Oregon District Business Association, said he worries a memorial in the district might attract unwanted gawkers. He said he's already seen people visit the Oregon District to walk the path of the shooter, and "tragedy tourism" has been an issue in other communities that were the sites of mass murder. Some people said the memorial could be educational, possibly including information about the people who were killed that day. Or it could have different stations, such as for quiet reflection. A new type of stimulus check: More US cities are offering free cash While Uncle Sam wont drop by with a fourth stimulus check anytime soon, state and local governments are testing new ways to get free money into the hands of people who need it. Like stimulus checks, these payments come with no strings attached. The recurring cash typically requires zero effort to claim, and you can spend the money on anything you want. Dozens of cities and counties now have their own pilot programs, and a new state jumped on board just this past summer. Heres how these programs work and how to find some extra money if your area isnt participating. More money headed to those in need Ulza / Shutterstock While guaranteed income and universal basic income programs are not new ideas, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown on a national scale how powerful modest amounts of free cash can be in tough times. Universal basic income (UBI) payments are, like the name suggests, universal. Usually every resident of an area or citizen receives the same amount. A longstanding example is the Alaska Permanent Fund, which has provided most residents with a cut of state oil revenues since 1982. Earlier this month, some 643,000 Alaskans got their annual payment of $1,114. By contrast, guaranteed income (GI) payments only go to certain people. To qualify, you typically need to have a low income or belong to a specific group, and such restrictions are helping a lot of GI programs get off the ground. For instance, 100 needy fathers in Columbia, South Carolina, got $500 debit cards in September and will receive the same amount every month for the next year. Then theres the Peoples Prosperity Pilot in St. Paul, Minnesota, targeted at young families with newborns. And Pittsburgh used some of the COVID-19 relief funds it received from the federal government to give $500 per month to 200 low-income households for two years, with preference given to households led by Black women. Mayors lead the way Salivanchuk Semen / Shutterstock Many of these projects, including the ones in Columbia and St. Paul, are being run through a new national group called Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI). Story continues The coalition hopes to use the data from such experiments to lobby for a federal guaranteed income not to replace existing social safety nets but to promote equity among people of different races, genders and economic backgrounds. Fifty-seven mayors from across the country have joined the network since it started a year ago, and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey donated $18 million to help fund the pilots. MGI was founded by Michael Tubbs, the former mayor of Stockton, California, who oversaw a two-year pilot that gave 125 random people in low- to middle-income areas $500 a month. Results gathered from the first year of the project, SEED, were released in March. Recipients reported being less stressed and more resilient in tough times, and they were able to find full-time employment at more than twice the rate of others. The last year has shown us that far too many people were living on the financial edge, and were pushed over it by COVID-19, said Tubbs in a release. SEED gave people the dignity to make their own choices, the ability to live up to their potential and improved economic stability going into the turmoil of the pandemic. California goes big Creative Photo Corner / Shutterstock Its not just mayors in scattered cities testing out guaranteed income. California is the latest state to jump onto the regular-payment bandwagon. In July, the Golden State set aside $35 million for a range of guaranteed income projects, prioritizing residents who are pregnant or young adults who age out of the foster-care system. People can receive monthly payments of up to $1,000. Direct cash assistance empowers people in a way that our traditional overly prescribed social safety net programs do not, said Sen. Dave Cortese, a co-sponsor of the plan, in a June press release. It tells people that they are capable and trusted to make the financial decisions that are most important to their individual well-being and success. The state is already bustling with seven ongoing experiments. Three are near Los Angeles. The San Francisco Bay Area has two now and another pair proposed. Two more are planned in Los Angeles and San Diego. How to make your own stimulus check fizkes / Shutterstock While more and more people are getting these stimulus check-style payments, dont expect that your number will come up soon. Even if you do qualify as a member of the right group in the right area, the individual recipients are typically chosen by lottery. Plus, the idea of a permanent, national UBI program has yet to win broad support. Despite the promising data from Stockton, critics still worry about how recipients will spend their free money and whether theyll be less likely to look for well-paying jobs. About 54% of Americans are opposed to the idea of the federal government providing $1,000 each month to all adult citizens, according to a Pew Research Center survey last year. Still, that doesnt mean the prospect of extra cash is off the table; it just means you have to find it yourself. Here are a few strategies you can employ to potentially add hundreds to your monthly budget: Deal with your debt. Credit cards have helped many households get through the last year, but the expensive interest will only make life harder going forward. Folding your balances into a single debt consolidation loan can cut the cost of your debt and help you pay it off faster. Slash your insurance premiums. When was the last time you looked around for a better price on your auto insurance? If its been a while, it may be costing you more than $1,000 extra every year. Shop around to ensure youve really got the best possible rate, then do the same to save hundreds on home insurance, too. Stop overpaying on essentials. Even if you put yourself on a lean budget, youll still need to stock up on supplies every now and then. And when that time comes, use a free browser extension that will automatically scour the internet for lower prices and coupons. Turn pennies into a portfolio. Even if you don't have much money to spare, you can still earn returns from todays hot stock market. A popular app will help you invest your spare change from everyday purchases in a diversified portfolio. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. The Virginia Department of Elections apologized Friday for retweeting a partisan statement made by Republican state Sen. Amanda Chase but did not give details on how it happened. The departments Twitter account on Thursday reposted a comment from Chase, who represents the 11th District. The post was quickly deleted after it was discovered, according to the department. In a statement to the press, the department expressed remorse for the post saying, The retweet was not authorized, and that they regret that it appeared to be approved by the agency. The department is investigating the matter and declined to comment further. Governor Ralph Northams office has not responded to requests for comment. Lyndon German, Frederick.german@virginiamedia.com (Reuters) - Walmart Inc's U.S. corporate workers will start working at the retailer's offices from Nov. 8 after more than a year and a half, a company memo showed on Friday. The big-box retailer, one of the largest employers in the United States, said employees would work at its campus offices on a more regular basis, with all of them expected to be fully vaccinated or have an approved accommodation in November. "There is no substitution for being in the offices together it helps shape our culture, collaborate, innovate, build relationships and move faster," Chief People Officer Donna Morris said in the memo. Walmart's global tech team, however, will primarily work virtually. Rival Amazon.com Inc will let individual teams decide for how many days corporate employees would be expected to work from office in a week, Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy said in a message to employees earlier this month. (Reporting by Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel) Auction officer Violette Stcherbatcheff gestures next to the world's biggest triceratops skeleton, known as "Big John," during its auction Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 in Paris. The enormous skeleton, estimated to be over 66 million years old, was found in 2014 in South Dakota and was sold for 6.6 million euros ($7.7 million) Thursday Oct.21, 2021 at a Paris auction house. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) Francois Mori/AP PARIS (AP) The worlds biggest triceratops skeleton, known as Big John, was sold for 6.6 million euros ($7.7 million) Thursday to a private collector at a Paris auction house. The enormous skeleton, estimated to be over 66 million years old, was found in 2014 in South Dakota. The triceratops is known for its three horns on the head. Big John, named after the owner of the land where it was found, is certified by the Guinness World Records as the largest documented skeleton of a triceratops. The dinosaur died in an ancient flood plain on the island continent stretching from present-day Alaska to Mexico, allowing the conservation of its skeleton in mud. The skeleton is 7.15 meters long (23 feet) and stands 2.7 meters high (8 feet) at the hips. The skull represents more than one-third of its total length, with two large horns over 1.1 meter long (3.6 feet). The hammer price at the Drouot auction house, before commission and other costs, was 5.5 million euros. Its a record for Europe, auctioneer Alexandre Giquello said. Big Johns skeleton is more than 60% complete and its skull more than 75% complete, making it unique. The overall quality of Big John really deserved this price, Iacopo Briano, a paleontology expert, said. For a triceratops and for an herbivore. This is an unbelievable record, he said. Last year, a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton reached almost $32 million in an auction in New York, becoming the most expensive dinosaur ever sold. Big John was sold to a private U.S. buyer who requested to remain anonymous. Story continues Djuan Rivers, a representative for the buyer, said, Its being acquired by an American collector... absolutely thrilled with the idea of being able to bring a piece like this to his personal use. The history behind this and the duration of it is absolutely impressive. So to be able to be a part of preserving something of this nature ... its also something extremely special, Rivers added. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, dinosaurs, France, Paris Original Author: Associated Press Original Location: Worlds biggest triceratops sells for $7.7 million in Paris Iman Saleh Ali and her family left al-Jubah in the dead of night with only the clothes on their backs, to escape fighting between government forces and their Houthi foes. It's the second time the family has been forced to flee the battle for Yemen's Marib. With no means to afford accommodation, they now wait for assistance, huddled with 25 other families in a make-shift camp in Wadi Abida, east of Marib City, which is already home to hundreds of thousands of displaced Yemenis. "We didn't bring a single thing with us, not even a blanket, we just fled one after the other, we didn't take with us food or blankets or heating, we barely escaped ourselves, because of this war." The United Nations says some 10,000 people were displaced last month alone by the fighting in Marib governorate, the internationally recognized government's last northern stronghold. It is calling for a humanitarian corridor for aid. The fighting in Yemen is exacerbating a humanitarian crisis that has left millions on the verge of famine and 20 million people needing help. U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Yemen David Gressly called on the warring sides to allow assistance through. He said 200-250 Yemeni civilians are killed a month in the war. "We call on all the parties to take extra measures now to avoid those kinds of casualties, to spare the civilians, the children, women, men, from this extra burden on the war, it is bad enough on the economy but to lose that many lives every month is unacceptable. Tens of thousands of Yemenis have been killed since a coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened against the Iran-aligned Houthis in late 2014, after the Houthis ousted the government from power. If they did have a doctors practice, you wonder what happened downstairs, she said. But I dont know if I believe any of that. It just makes you wonder. But downstairs, theres no sign of ghosts. Instead, its been converted into two Airbnbs with a shared kitchen space and separate entrance from the rest of the house making it a great investment property. Hints of a doctors practice werent the only things the family found during the renovation. We found a closet with a storm drain, Smith said. It was big, massive well with a trap door. What I think is that the maids must have come down here to get the run-off water [from the rain]. They didnt drink it, but they used it for the wash and for baths. It still exists underneath, its just been filled in. In the Airbnbs, the original walls are still there. One space features a queen bed and a clawfoot tub while the second has a sitting area and enough room for two twin beds. In a lot of Airbnbs, you dont usually have a shared kitchen, Smith explained. But when we traveled through Europe, that was something that was very common. According to Smith, a lot of other homes in the neighborhood have a similar layout for rentals. While the specific circumstances of the Rust shooting are still unknown, professionals in the business say that sometimes the crew and production are encouraged to speed things up for any number of reasons which can sometimes lead to relaxed safety protocols. DOES IT MAKE IT MORE COMPLICATED WHEN ITS A PERIOD PIECE? Rust is set in the 1880s and according to Hall, when period weapons are used you have to use actual historic period weapons and to check the safety of those weapons. I have known live rounds to be fired out of revolvers, certainly, to make sure that they do function in a way that when you put a blank in, it isnt going to blow up or explode in the actors hands. WHY DO PRODUCTIONS EVEN USE REAL GUNFIRE WHEN SPECIAL EFFECTS ARE AVAILABLE? It is becoming more common to add in gunfire in post-production when working on the visual effects. But visual effects can be expensive and it can be easier, and cheaper, to use props. Also, Dormer says that there can be advantages to using props and blanks, like getting an authentic reaction from an actor. HOW IS HOLLYWOOD RESPONDING? The 10-episode series explores many sensitive subjects, including mental illness, alcoholism, domestic violence, single parenthood and, most importantly, the lack of services or if they exist, the difficulty of accessing them for the poor in the U.S. Maid is eye-opening on many levels. The first two episodes were particularly affective, and I found myself crying uncontrollably several times; the odds are stacked against the traumatized heroine and her daughter. Even though shes intelligent and articulate someone who had a bright future like so many young women, she made the mistake of giving it all up for a charismatic, attractive, yet troubled and self-centered, young man. Without even realizing it, he became the center of her universe. For him, she abandoned her university studies, moved in with him and eventually got pregnant. (We see in a flashback, that he did not want a child, and accused Alex of ruining his life by getting pregnant.) Why did Alex make so many bad decisions? We see that she was repeating patterns set by her mother, who had also married an alcoholic abuser. When Alex was very young, after a night of being knocked around, her bloodied mother grabbed her and headed for Alaska. Her father, Hank (Billy Burke), became a born-again Christian, got remarried, started a new family and had nothing to do with Alex. New Horizon Presbyterian Church, 30 Valley View Drive, has traditional services at 8 and 11 a.m. and the praise service at 9 a.m. Sunday school is at 10 a.m. and the youth group meets Sunday evenings from 6 to 8:00 p.m. There will be one service at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 31 for All Saints Day with a donut social following the service. On Wednesday the Dulcimer Group practices at 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., the Praise Team at 5:45 to 6:30 p.m., the Chancel Bell Choir at 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and the Chancel Choir at 7:30 8:30 p.m. On Thursday the Stephen Ministry will meet at 10 a.m. and the Good Grief Group will meet at 1:00 p.m. A new member class will be held on Oct. 17 at 10 a.m. The CDC advises everyone, vaccinated or not, to wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of high transmission such as Pottawattamie County. Please consider wearing a mask (regardless of your vaccination status), remember to use hand sanitizer frequently and maintain your social distance. Food and coffee will remain unavailable. Children are welcome to attend but the nursery will not be available. If you are ill, please worship from home by watching our Facebook page facebook.com/NewHorizonPC. He wants to better represent teachers and staff, he said. Tripp said he thinks communication between teachers and parents is a weakness. Theres just not enough staff for them to have time, he said. A lot of teachers say they dont even have a free period. Employee retention is definitely a challenge our district is facing, Myers said. Another continuing task is to help schools and students recover from the pandemic. The district is right to focus on social-emotional needs, she said. A challenge for Lewis Central is that its not just made up of one community or city, Hendrix said. Weve been working very hard, and I think Dr. Knost has done a great job of reaching out to that community, he said. While Lewis Central has two major projects coming to fruition, the district needs to look at facilities projects that will need to be done in the next five, 10 or 20 years, McDaniel said. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} I think the biggest challenge all schools have is finding the money to pay hourly staff, Scheffel said. Most funding is designated for a certain purpose, she said. James M. Cooney, a labor and employment law expert in the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, said since the alleged exhibits lack a direct mention of fire barrels or chairs being used to create dangerous situations, there isnt a basis for the ban. I would think that there is no basis for prohibiting the fire cans unless there was some evidence that they were using the fire source to intimidate and block, Cooney said. From the materials I read, even the company is not alleging that. Iversen, at the University of Iowa, said it is unusual to see an injunction ban fire barrels and chairs. Typically, items that are banned have to be "disruptive" and "intimidating." "The fact that you have something to keep you warm on a cold day is not usually the subject of an injunction over things that cause harm to Deere," Iversen said. "It's hard to see how burn barrels and chairs would cause harm to the company. Iversen and Cooney said the restrictions on the number of picketers is also unusual. "Four is pretty low," Iversen said "Typically you'll see six or eight." Typically, for the restriction on picketers to be this low, Cooney said the gate entrance would have to be pretty slim. ATMORE, Ala. (AP) An Alabama man who avoided execution in February was put to death Thursday for the 1991 killing of a woman who was abducted during a robbery and then shot in a cemetery. Willie B. Smith III, 52, received a lethal injection at a prison in southwest Alabama. He was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m. local time. The execution went forward after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request for a stay by his lawyers, who had argued the execution should be blocked on grounds that Smith had an intellectual disability meriting further scrutiny by the courts. Smith was convicted of kidnapping and murdering 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson in Birmingham. Prosecutors said Smith had a shotgun when he abducted Johnson in October 1991 from an ATM location in the Birmingham area. He withdrew money using her bank card and then took her to a cemetery and shot her in the back of the head, they said. Johnson was the sister of a Birmingham police officer. After waiting for 30 years, justice has been served, Johnson's family said in a statement read by Alabama Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn. Im proud of the work Iowas Medicaid team is doing and I am excited for the positive changes as Director Matney builds out Iowas Medicaid team to ensure strong managed care oversight, as well as innovative improvements to the program. OTHER FINDINGS Throughout the analysis of these appeals outcomes, Sand said his office discovered a number of instances in which a members appeal was misclassified by the managed-care organization as a grievance meaning the decision was not able to go through the State Fair Hearing process. Our review raised concerns that issues that should be treated as appeals are regularly, if not systematically, misclassified as grievances or first level reviews, the report states. This means that the member never reaches an independent judge that can review the issue and determine the legal and appropriate resolution. But Sand said the report did not measure the size of the misclassification problem, so we cant tell you if that happens rarely or if that happens frequently. Sand pointed to possible issues within the managed-care organizations administrative processes as a potential reason for this trend in appeals outcomes reported by his office. The report, however, did not draw any specific conclusions. The cause of that issue, whether its expertise or poor training or whatever, doesnt really change the bottom line, Sand said. Since 1981, Iowa has used a nonpartisan redistricting process that calls for the agency to draw proposed maps without consideration for political ramifications, such as how new district lines would affect individual lawmakers re-election chances or the balance of power in the Legislature. If lawmakers reject this second plan, it goes back to the agency for a third try but at that point also opens the door for politicians to amend it. Legislators shouldnt be swayed by political considerations, House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said. There are a lot of political implications and fallout from the map for both sides, Konfrst said, but because this map was fairly drawn and was drawn using a fair process, thats really our only consideration. As with the first map, Im going to put politics aside and vote for this fair, nonpartisan map. House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said Republicans will review the plan to ensure it is a fair map for the people of Iowa, while Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, will judge it on its adherence to the criteria established in Iowa law. Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, said the second map is fair and it meets the legal and constitutional requirements. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Weve read, seen and heard it all before too many times. First comes doomsday predictions about what will happen to the United States and its economy if the nations debt ceiling isnt lifted by Congress. After considerable political wrangling, a short-term extension is approved, thereby alleviating the crisis for a few more weeks or months. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Cozad and Lexington are among eight Nebraska communities receiving COVID-19-related Community Development Block Grant funding, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development announced. In all, DED announced 12 CDBG-CV awards totaling $4,643,365, made possible by the CARES Act. The funds will help the eight communities better prepare for, respond to and recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release. Unlike traditional CDBG awards, no matching funds are required. Thanks to this support from the CDBG program, tens of thousands of Nebraskans will have better, safer access to essential services from food banks to medical clinics and vaccine distribution centers that have been vital in our fight against COVID-19. These awards will ultimately add to our communities health and safety while providing much-needed resources to bolster their economic recovery, said DED Director Anthony L. Goins. Why so modern? Brandt said of the visitor center concepts. Hell, this is a hundred-year-old place. Riggins replied that none of the master-plan concepts would affect the ranchs western 7-acre heart, including the mansion and horse barn. That area gained National Historic Landmark status earlier this year. The visitors centers conceptual drawings would evoke the T-barn but not try to duplicate it, he said, because few pictures and no plans of that structure survive. Another master-plan idea would redesign the recreation area entrance at Buffalo Bill Avenue and Scouts Rest Ranch Road to serve as the main entrance for both parks. Most online forum participants liked the various concepts, Riggins said, but 57% of those responding to an online survey thought the visitors center would be too far from the main part of the 23-acre historical park. The T-barn site sits about 200 yards east of the horse barn and 350 yards from the mansion, he said in answering a question from commission member Donna Kush of Omaha. It seems like a long way, depending on the weather, even though its a quarter-mile, Kush replied. At this time, I do not feel I will be able to devote the needed time to the campaign, she said in a press release. In fairness to Charles and his wonderful team, I want to thank them for their support, and wish them the best for a successful election. I look forward to the continuation of conservative leadership in Nebraska. Her press release quoted Herbster as saying he respected her decision. She is a great steward of conservative values, and I look forward to working with her in the future, he said. On Thursday, Thibodeau said she was not thinking about running when she left Herbster's campaign. She said she had a private matter that she needed to deal with at that time. She said the issue has since been resolved. She also has freed up time by selling her day care business, the Primrose School, in La Vista. She said the sale closed Oct. 1. Thibodeau said she plans to announce her decision within the next three to five weeks. She said she does not believe it is too late to jump into the race, even if she would be taking on two candidates with deep pockets. "I think there is still time," she said. Ellen Keast, a spokeswoman for the Herbster campaign, said the candidate had no comment on Thibodeaus potential candidacy. Arguably the best blues musician alive today, Buddy Guy left no one in doubt Friday night, October 15, 2021, at the historic Paramount Theatre in Anderson. The audience let him know, in no uncertain terms, that they knew the blues and that they were there to hear one of the top guitar players out there - in any genre. With the finishing notes of the very first song, the entire audience was on their feet and cheering the first of several standing ovations throughout the night. It was a love fest in Anderson, and it was exhilarating to see central Indiana fans who sought out this concert and who were there to pay homage to this legend. When he is on stage, Buddy Guy lays it all on the line. The Rolling Stones and guitarist greats such as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, and Stevie Ray Vaughan have all sung his praises and cite him as an influence. Among his many accomplishments, Guy has won eight Grammy Awards, for his work on electric and acoustic guitars and for contemporary and traditional forms of blues music, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2003, he was presented with the National Medal of Arts, awarded by the President of the United States and in 2005 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Prior to the pandemic, when he was not touring the world, he often plays at Buddy Guys Legends, Chicagos biggest blues club, which Guy opened in 1989. In a recent interview, Guy reflected, Ive dedicated my life to this. Not too many blues players are left now. Even radio stations dont play our music no more unless you have satellite. And for me to take it there, theres got to be people who knew me before the big stations stopped playing the B.B. Kings and the Lightning Hopkins, and all the people who influenced a lot of the British guys to play the blues back in the late Fifties, early Sixties. Theyre no longer with us, so Im trying to carry the torch as far as I can. And at 85, Buddy Guy still has plenty of miles to go. Opening the concert was the Ally Venable Band and its leader Ally Venable (guitar, vocals), Bobby Wallace (bass), and Elijah Owings (drums). From Bessie Smith to Steve Ray Vaughan, the playlist this night was all blues. My love for blues-rock music began the first time I heard blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, says Venable. Her current album, Heart of Fire (which reached #3 on Billboards Blues Chart), is her fourth and includes some special guests, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Devon Allman. Close Mike Pence stays on the gravy train. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images For much of this year, former vice-president Mike Pence has gone about all the preparations needed for a 2024 presidential bid beneath a dark and unmoving cloud. In one day, January 6, he squandered the fruits of four years of abject sycophancy to Donald Trump by refusing to help him steal the 2020 presidential election via a desperate measure during the routine tabulation of electoral votes. Worse yet, as the full story of the run-up to January 6 becomes clearer, Pence appears less and less a hero defending the Constitution than a cornered political animal who eventually chose the path of least resistance and kept his role low key. With Trump making the Big Lie of an election stolen by Biden a relentless motif as his grip on the Republican Party seems to have grown even stronger, it has been hard to understand why Pence keeps trudging toward his own candidacy. Even if Trump eventually steps aside, why would the GOP turn to a man who went from unimaginative idolatry toward the boss to a betrayal of him in his hour of need? Pence biographer Tom LoBianco has come forth with the most plausible explanation of what might make Mike run: Its a living. Mike and Karen Pence are living their best lives. No, really. Almost a year after Donald Trump nearly got them murdered at the Capitol by a band of rioters trying to overturn the election, the former second couple is living in a nearly $2 million mansion in suburban Indianapolis. Mike Pence has a megawatt book deal in the bag And the two are traveling widely, with Mike Pence getting paid upwards of $100,000 a speech, according to Republicans who spoke on background. You see, Pence is the rare nationally prominent politician who has struggled to make ends meet (at least by the standards of his peers). He and his wife relied on gold-plated public housing the governors mansion in Indiana and the vice-presidential residence in Washington for the past eight years. He made some bad investment decisions in the past, and stock he had in his familys gas-station chain became worthless when the company went kaput in 2004. LoBianco quotes an Indiana Republican source saying, This is the first time theyve had two pennies to rub together. The gravy train depends on Pence continuing to be in the public eye and viewed as a potential future president. And so, as I put it this year, Pence has to put one foot in front of the other and keep making 2024 lists. In an odd way, Trumps continued huffing and puffing helps Pence bump along at a sustainable level of plausibility as a candidate, keeping at bay the potentially more exciting GOP prospects who are afraid to alienate the 45th president by being perceived as pushing him onto an exit ramp. Trumps former veep lost his MAGA mojo but has enough residual name ID and Christian-right street cred to keep him at the top of the occasional poll testing non-Trump 2024 candidates. Besides, Pence is only 62, which by Trump-Biden standards means he has several more presidential cycles in which to shed his dual reputation as a Trump toady and a Trump spoiler. In the meantime, he wont have to earn an honest living. After consulting with members of the local medical community, Auburn City Schools and Opelika City Schools will be making masks optional for students, staff and visitors starting Nov. 1, and Lee County Schools made masks optional earlier this week. The Auburn and Opelika districts began the 2021 school year requiring masks. Lee County Schools started with an optional mask-wearing policy, but after two weeks, a spike in positive COVID cases forced the school system to require all individuals to wear masks. On Tuesday, the Lee County Board of Education voted to make mask-wearing optional inside school buildings and facilities, effective immediately. Masks are still required on school buses in all three districts, because school buses remain under the authority of the federal Transportation Security Administration. Auburn and Opelika schools have reported improved conditions and consistently low numbers of positive COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks. Auburn City Schools will allow masks to be optional as long as the average number of positive cases is 52 or less every 2 weeks and the total positivity rate for the student and staff population remains under half a percentage point, according to a release. WASHINGTON (AP) Vice President Kamala Harris will head next month to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the White House. The White House announced Harris visit to France as President Joe Biden and Macron spoke by phone on Friday. The two presidents are scheduled to meet in Rome later this month on the margins of the Group of 20 summit. Macron's office said in a statement that he and Biden discussed the establishment of a stronger European defense, complementary to NATO and contributing to global security. In addition to meeting with Macron, Harris will deliver a speech on Nov. 11 at the annual Paris Peace Forum and participate the following day in the Paris Conference on Libya. She will be joined by her husband Douglas Emhoff for the visit. The scheduled meeting comes amid an effort by the Biden administration to soothe its relationship with the French which became strained by a U.S. deal announced last month to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. The move by the U.S. undercut a more than $60 billion deal by a French defense contractor to sell diesel-powered submarines to Australia. Multimedia Reporter Staff writer Harry Funk, a professional journalist for three-plus decades, has been on the staff of The Almanac since 2015. He has a bachelors degree in journalism and master of business administration, both from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Ugh, fuck off and die, loser. Reply Thread Link He has a punchable face. Reply Thread Link They want SO badly to be oppressed! You cant follow basic safety procedures than no job for you Reply Thread Link Who will think of the poor, white, right-wing Christians? So oppressed. Reply Parent Thread Link literally, i swear so many of these people look for problems Reply Parent Thread Link Im laughing so hard at the melodrama in "NO ONE can STOP ME from SINGING for GOD", jfc Reply Parent Thread Link its like something ripped from the Gods not dead trailer Reply Parent Thread Expand Link ain't no oppression like a republican christian white person opression! Reply Parent Thread Link Yes in one breath they support the right to discriminate against lgbtq/bipoc/etc. then in the next breath its about how christians are being oppressed (which is the biggest fucking joke). If any of these assholes (Cameron candace bure, scott baio, etc.) ever actually faced one minute of actual oppression or discrimination they would crumble on the spot. they can all fuck off and i'm actually glad covid mandates are taking out the trash. Reply Parent Thread Link Of course his name is Chad. Fuck off, asswipe. Reply Thread Link https://www.theatreartlife.com/staying-still/the-industry-motherhood-the-little-mermaid-interview-with-jodi-benson-pt-1/ Edited at 2021-10-22 02:46 am (UTC) I am so wary of anyone claiming their job is trying to stifle their Christianity. Especially after Jodi Benson's dog whistle in 2018 about "We just went ahead and made a stand (in the 80's)." Reply Thread Link 81-82...yeah. not even subtle. Reply Parent Thread Link WHAT? noooo Reply Parent Thread Link this is so disappointing :(((( I bet she's secretly seething about the new remake and that Ariel isn't white. Reply Parent Thread Link "For me, God is my agent, my Producer, my Casting Director, and my Vocal Coach." I can't Reply Parent Thread Link He dug his own grave Reply Thread Link the apple tv+ recording of come from away is wonderful, and now i'm happy i didn't have to watch this bozo in it. fuck off dude Reply Thread Link He played one of the gay characters too so I'm happy he didn't taint the recording with his republican presence and fried vocal chords Reply Parent Thread Link My thoughts exactly! Was so relieved when I saw that he was replaced in the filmed version as I hate him as a performer as much as I hate him as a religious bigot/anti-vaxxer. Reply Parent Thread Link Very much reminds me of the Karen at Whole Foods who claimed she was being oppressed as a 'Christian' and then called a black woman a slave for wearing a mask. A real Christian is supposed to 'love thy neighbor' and that should include wearing a mask to protect one another. These people need to shut the fuck up. Reply Thread Link Most christians in the US are christian in name only, nothing about the way they live and treat others aligns with their supposed values. It honestly disgusts me at this point. Reply Parent Thread Link I felt so bad for this girl and its exactly how so many of the women I went to church with acted like. There is nothing christ-like about treating a child like this. Reply Parent Thread Link Bingo Reply Parent Thread Link His lawyer claims Kimball feels "extremely humiliated, degraded, victimized, embarrassed, emotionally distressed, extremely distraught and intimidated because of the termination of his contract. Oooh, what a fucking cry baby. Hey asshole, don't talk shit if you can't handle people calling you out on said shit. Reply Thread Link white Christian persecution Reply Thread Link refusal to follow Covid-related safety measures 0 sympathy His lawyer claims Kimball feels "extremely humiliated, degraded, victimized, embarrassed, emotionally distressed, extremely distraught and intimidated because of the termination of his contract lmfaoo hahahahahahahahahaha no. Reply Thread Link tbh that's how you should feel (except victimized) after losing your job for refusing to comply with simple safety protocols Reply Parent Thread Link very true! he should feel humiliated. i just wish he was embarrassed because he knew he endangered other people's lives. but sadly we have this... a lot of this Edited at 2021-10-22 07:52 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link When I read that I started to laugh so hard, I guess they ran out of words at some point. lmao Reply Parent Thread Link Urgh eyeroll for days. Reply Thread Link lmao what a fucking loser tbh I want fuck you money just so I can put up billboards all over the country that say literally nothing but "Your favorite book is a lie." It'll be a fun social experiment to watch how many "Christians" lose their goddamn minds. Reply Thread Link honestly... you could make parody doco about it and it would be hysterical Reply Parent Thread Link lol I've had this same thought. "How can you be Christian if you don't have a soul?" would be my go to I think. Reply Parent Thread Link Mine would simply read "Jesus wasn't white." Reply Parent Thread Link probably fired cuz he's unpleasant to look at judging by the pic Reply Thread Link Although the OPEC+ alliance is currently ramping up its collective crude oil production slightly above what they had agreed on, not all members of the group can quickly raise their output, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an event on Thursday. Currently, the OPEC+ countries are increasing production volumes, even slightly more than they agreed to do, but not everyone can do it, Putin said at an economic discussion on Thursday, as carried by Russian news agency TASS. Not all oil-producing countries are able to quickly increase oil production. This is a long-term process, a long cycle, the Russian president added. The OPEC+ group, in which Russia is the key non-OPEC partner, decided earlier this month to proceed with increasing the coalitions overall oil production by 400,000 bpdthe minimum the market was expecting. However, for several months now, some OPEC+ membersincluding OPECs Angola and Nigeria and non-OPECs Azerbaijanhave struggled to raise their oil production to the highest possible level allowed under the deal. The struggles have come from technical issues, a lack of investments, and lower exploration efforts in recent years. OPEC+ saw its overall compliance with the collective oil production cuts at 115 percent in September, a delegate told Argus on Monday. The September compliance rate was down from the 116-percent compliance in August, but still higher than the market had hoped, with some members of the alliance failing to ramp up production in line with their quotas. The high compliance rate despite the monthly easing of the cuts by 400,000 bpd suggests that not all members of the pact are capable of raising supply as quickly as their quotas under the deal stipulate. According to Bloombergs estimates, if all members of the OPEC+ alliance stuck to their respective production ceilings in September, the overall production of the group would have been 747,000 bpd higher than what it was. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil has now comfortably settled above $80, with Saudi Arabia refusing to alter its strategy and U.S. shale companies maintaining their spending discipline. For a deeper dive into exactly what is going on in energy markets at the moment, sign up for a risk-free trial of our premium service Global Energy Alert. From geopolitical intelligence to trading tips and technical analysis, it's your one-stop-shop for all things energy. Sign up today! Friday, October 22nd, 2021 Energy stocks are bouncing back into the limelight, significantly outperforming the broader S&P 500 index. Oil prices have remained largely stagnant over the week, with Brent trending around the $85 per barrel mark and WTI narrowing its Brent differential at $83 per barrel. Whilst both coal and gas prices have fallen back this week from earlier peaks, that decline was not enough to balance tight supply. Moreover, oil found marginal support from a surprise US crude stock draw as EIA data contradicted a solid weekly gain forecast by the API. Despite the steep backwardation in crude futures, oil prices are unlikely to change significantly until there is a fundamental shift in the ongoing energy crunch. Saudi Arabia Refuses to Change Crude Strategy. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman dismissed calls for a change in OPEC+ production strategy amidst increasing pressure to bring down outright prices, claiming the current energy crunch is not due to there being a shortage of crude. Related: Oil And Gas Stocks Are Popular Once Again India Wants Fixed Price Supply Contracts. India, the third-largest crude importer globally, has called on oil producers to reconsider their approach to crude supply, with the state-owned IOC reportedly seeking as much as 70% of long-term supply deals to include a fixed selling price. Japan Stocks Up LNG Ahead of Winter. Japanese LNG stocks held by major utility companies reached a 5-year high according to METI data, indicating there is a low likelihood that this winter will trigger power shortages as importers built up their inventories before the anticipated LNG price rally took place. Chinese Coal Futures Plunge Amidst Government Intervention. Chinas most-traded Zhengzhou thermal coal futures dropped almost 30% over three days as Chinas state planner NDRC pledged to bring prices back to a reasonable range, amongst others by raising transaction fees and restricting trading positions. ExxonMobil Might be Forced to Drop Projects. The board of US major ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) is in talks to potentially drop several major oil and gas projects amidst environmentalist pressure, with rumors suggesting Mozambique LNG and the Blue Whale project in Vietnam might be high on the scrapping list. Shell and BP Back Democrats Infrastructure Bill. European oil majors BP (NYSE:BP) and Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) have voiced their support to the $3.5 trillion budget bill, a rare occurrence in the US considering the bill would restrict federal energy leasing and mandate lower fossil use. Guyana Wants to Connect Offshore Fields to Land. The Guyanese government is seeking to build a 220-kilometer (135-mile) gas pipeline that would connectExxonMobils (NYSE:XOM) producing assets in the Stabroek block to the coast, with some 50 MCf per day of associated gas earmarked for power generation. Bahrain Wants Majors to Kickstart Shale Find. Following Bahrains discovery of an 80-billion barrel shale oil field that has spurred only two appraisal wells since. The island nation is now trying to attract Western majors to assess its offshore potential with Chevron (NYSE:CVX) signing a preliminary agreement with the kingdom. Gazprom Might Export More Very Soon. According to Russian sources, Gazproms domestic storage which it is obliged to fill before the onset of winter are 97% full, already at 69 bcm, implying that incremental supply could soon be hitting the European continent. Canadian Pipeline Congestion Lowest in 15 Months. Enbridges (TSE:ENB) 3 million b/d Mainline export system connecting Canadian producers with US buyers will see the lowest level of apportionment since August 2020, largely thanks to the expansion of Line 3 that now boasts a 760,000 b/d capacity. Italian Banks to Fund Latest Russian LNG Project. As the NOVATEK-led (MCX:NVTK) Arctic LNG 2 project is nearing its launching date in 2023, the project consortium is seeking external financing which would most probably come from Italian banks with Intesa Sanpaolo reportedly closing in on joining. Related: The Battle For Oil Market Share Heats Up Within OPEC First Mexican CSIEE Tender Fails Spectacularly. Mexicos state oil company PEMEX declared void its first-ever tender for an integrated exploration and production contract for the onshore Cuitlahuac gas field as none of the bidders managed to meet the minimum terms. Venture Global Clinches China LNG Deal. US firm Venture Global has signed two 20-year supply deals with Chinas Sinopec to provide a total of 4 mtpa LNG from its proposed Plaquemines LNG project, with the smaller locking in delivered volumes whilst the bigger contract is for free-on-board (FOB) deliveries. Indias Paradip Refinery Goes Down. The 300,000 b/d Paradip refinery went into full shutdown this week following an unidentified gas pipeline leak, exacerbating Indias looming gasoline shortage as demand for the transportation fuel has already started exceeding pre-pandemic levels. China Ramps Up Pipeline Gas Imports Amidst LNG Price Craze. Largely thanks to the oil peg now being much cheaper than spot LNG buying, Chinese gas importers have set a new all-time high in pipeline supplies this September, hitting 3.87 million metric tons equivalent, marking the fourth consecutive month-on-month increase.. By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The leaders of the 27 European Union member states debated for hours measures to address the current energy crisis during the first day of their summit on Thursday, opting for a moderate approach in the final statement as deep divisions over the long-term climate plan remain. The energy crisis was top of the agenda of the European Council, although the rift with Poland over rule-of-law overshadowed the talks. Poland itself, alongside Hungary and the Czech Republic, called for revisions of the EU climate plan in light of the ongoing energy crisis in Europe, Bloomberg notes. Natural gas prices in Europe, although off the record-highs from last week, are still very high and volatile amid a very tight market with low inventory levels before the winter, low wind speeds, and record carbon prices. Presenting a toolbox to tackle the energy crisis, the European Commission said last week that the current price increases are likely to be temporary. Even after the market stabilizes next spring, prices would stay higher than the average of the past years. The Commission presented a toolbox for a coordinated approach to protect those most at risk in the immediate term, including by investigating possible anti-competitive behaviour in the energy market. At the summit this week, the European Council said in its conclusions on energy issues that The toolbox presented in the Commission Communication on tackling rising energy prices contains useful measures for both the short and the longer term. The EU leaders also invited the the Commission to study the functioning of the gas and electricity markets, as well as the EU ETS market, with the help of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). Subsequently, the Commission will assess whether certain trading behaviours require further regulatory action. The EU member states also called on the Commission to provide short-term relief to the most vulnerable consumers and consider medium and long-term measures to have affordable energy prices and energy security while keeping the net-zero by 2050 target. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The largest power generating company in India, NTPC Ltd, is looking for bids to import at least one million tons of coal for the first time in two years, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing tender documents the utility posted on its website. NTPC aims to use the imported coal at power plants that are located far from Indias coal mines, as the energy crisis has depleted coal stocks in the country. The first tender in two years for overseas coal supply highlights the shortage of the fuel in India, where coal is the major power generating fuel, accounting for 70 percent of total electricity generation. Currently, more than 91 percent of the coal which top coal producer Coal India is mining is being sent to thermal power plants, as the country looks to avert a major power crisis, The Indian Express reported on Friday. India is weighing the possibility of keeping strategic reserves of imported coal and natural gas in order to fend off future supply and price shocks, Indias power secretary Alok Kumar said at the South Asia Power Summit earlier this week. Unless India has a strategy to keep reserves, future high prices will make energy security very challenging, Kumar said. The current coal shortage in India, which has an average of just three days worth of coal in stockpiles, could last for up to six months, Power Minister R.K. Singh said earlier this month. I cant say I am secure If you have 40,000-50,000 MW (of thermal capacity) with less than three days of stock, you cant be secure, Singh told The Indian Express in an interview. Coal inventories at many of the 135 coal-fired power plants are at critically low levels, while India scrambles to get more coal supply amid a global crunch of energy supply and skyrocketing prices of coal and natural gas. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Polish Oil and Gas Company (PGNiG) doesnt expect it would be forced to buy gas from Russia after its supply deal with Gazprom expires at the end of next year, PGNiGs chief executive officer Pawel Majewski told Reuters in an interview published on Friday. Poland has been trying for years to shake off its dependence on Russian gas as it considers Russias energy policy a threat to energy security. We assume that after 2022 we will not be forced to buy gas from Gazprom. This is our strategy. That is why we are diversifying gas supplies to Poland - to ensure energy security, PGNiGs Majewski told Reuters. The top executive didnt rule out spot purchases from the Russian gas giant in the future. Aiming to cut its dependence on Russia, PGNiG has signed in recent years several long-term contracts for the delivery of liquefied natural gas with major LNG exporters such as Qatar and the United States. PGNiG has a 24-year contract with U.S. Cheniere for LNG deliveries which began in 2019, and a strategic agreement with Qatar for LNG supply until 2034. Poland, as well as PGNiG, have been vehemently opposing the controversial Gazprom-led natural gas pipeline project Nord Stream 2, which awaits an operational license from German authorities to begin shipping gas to Europe, bypassing Ukraine. PGNiG and PGNiG Supply & Trading (PST) have presented their position to the German energy ministry regarding the certification procedure of Nord Stream 2, the Polish company said on Thursday. Both companies underlined the risks for security of gas supplies to the European Union resulting from launching of this pipeline, PGNiG said. Current situation on the European Union gas market proves the scale of the risks for security of supplies created by Nord Stream 2 project, Majewski said in a statement. Suggestions that additional gas supplies are possible only through Nord Stream 2 are the manifestation of pressure on the certification procedure and prove that the project is aimed at bypassing the traditional transit routes. Since there are spare capacities of the existing pipelines, there is no need for Nord Stream 2 to increase gas supplies to the EU Member States, he added. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russia could immediately increase natural gas deliveries to Europe as soon as German authorities approve the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the Financial Times reports, citing President Vladimir Putin as saying gas can be delivered the day after tomorrow if approval is granted tomorrow. Putin said Russia could deliver an additional 17.5 billion cu m of gas if the new pipeline gets the green light. This amount, according to the FT, is equal to a tenth of Russian gas deliveries to Europe and Turkey last year and would come not a moment too soon as Europe continues to struggle to fill up its reserves ahead of winter. However, the Russian presidents statement is also likely to spark anger in Europe since it confirms suspicions that Russia wants to withhold additional supplies for Europe until Nord Stream 2 is approved. Moscow officials have said that Gazprom was prioritizing domestic energy security, and the company itself has repeatedly stated that it had fulfilled its delivery obligations under long-term contracts with European buyers. Earlier this week, sources from Moscow also hinted that there would be more gas for Europe if Nord Stream 2 is approved, Bloomberg reported. But, separately, speaking to Bloomberg, a Russian MP said, We cannot ride to the rescue just to compensate for mistakes that we didnt commit. Meanwhile, top Russian officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and former Energy Minister Alexander Novak, have argued that Europes gas crisis was not the result of insufficient supply but a consequence of lower than usual inventories and bad decisions on the part of politicians. At the same time, some in Brussels are accusing Gazprom of market manipulation to make prices rise. 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. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The U.Ks natural gas production is soon expected to increase, as two new projects come online. Two new projects in the North Sea have recently started to flow gas, according to Bloomberg, and the extra capacity couldnt come at a better time. The first of the two, Shells Arran gas and condensate field in the UKs North Sea, started to flow gas on September 22, and is expected to produce 21,1000 boepd, with 100 MMcf/d of gas. The second field is NEO Energys Finlaggan field, which has also recently started flowing after a delays to the Forties Pipeline that spanned almost a year due to Covid. Another field, Serica Energys Columbus development, is expected to come online shortly. Initial production is expected to be 7,000 boepd, about three-quarters of which will be gas. There are other natural gas projects that are expected to come online also, including Harbour Energys Tolmount field, and IOGsboth of which should come online near the end of the year. Thats all well and good for some partial respite from the gas crisis that the UK now finds itself in. But at least one other gas project in the UK that has been recently canceled before it even bega continues to threaten their long-term energy supply. Shell had its Jackdaw gas development there turned down by environmental regulator OPRED earlier this montheven in the throes of a gas crisisalthough Shell has proposed some changes to the project in hopes of gaining reconsideration. The project was expected to come online sometime in Q4 2024, and was expected to peak at 4.85 million cubic meters per day. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Education OPS Freshman Academies aim to help students navigate high school and beyond CHRIS MACHIAN photos, THE WORLD-HERALD Caelen Jackson, left, and Dale Burks work on a motivational poster in their freshman seminar class at Benson. CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD The door to the freshman seminar classroom is surrounded by posters and banners at Benson High School. CHRIS MACHIAN photos, THE WORLD-HERALD The hallway leading to the freshman seminar classroom at Benson High School has posters on the wall from the students saying what they would like to do before they die. CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD Landon Curry works on a project in the freshman seminar classroom at Benson High School. CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD Benson High School senior Eh Tha You Paw talks about her time in the Freshman Academy. CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD Benson freshman Aaliyah Jones works on a project in freshman seminar. Markers in their hands, Caelen Jackson and Dale Burks hovered over the large black sheet of paper and carefully added the finishing touches on their inspirational poster. When finished, the freshmen at Benson High School held up the poster to reveal its message: The best preparation for tomorrow, is doing your best today. Inside the same classroom, their classmates on a recent Monday morning wrote and colored heart maps, created posters about the keys to success and wrote summaries on an article titled Your Destiny is Determined by Your Decisions. The class is called freshman seminar, and its part of the larger Freshman Academy that, starting this school year, is required of all Omaha Public Schools freshmen. These Freshman Academies are intended to help students make the transition from middle to high school and to help them pick an academy or pathway to follow for the rest of their high school careers. Donations sought for hats, scarves, gloves for 20,000 OPS students The Omaha Public Schools Foundation is seeking donations so it can provide 20,000 students with hats, scarves and gloves prior to the arrival of winter weather. Amid all the disruptions caused by the pandemic, OPS Superintendent Cheryl Logan has said its all the more important to prepare students for success in high school, starting with the Freshman Academy and elevating the next three years before graduation. The OPS graduation rate for the 2019-20 school year was about 73%. As stated in its strategic plan, the districts goal by June 2025 is for each school to increase the percentage of high school students identified as on-track for graduation by 5%. The plan for the academies and pathways, which was announced in January, has been controversial and unpopular with some parents and district staff. Buffett Magnet Middle School's Lee Perez hopes to inspire others to become teachers Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School teacher Lee Perez was named the 2022 Nebraska Teacher of the Year on Wednesday. Jackson said his freshman seminar class has had a big focus on character building and overcoming things that often stop students from being successful in high school. For Jackson, that obstacle is doubt. I know a lot of people that have struggled with that, he said. I know I have struggled with that. Jackson thinks that the freshman seminar class has been helpful with his transition to high school. I think it has been for a lot of people, he said of the class. At least the ones that pay attention. Kelcey Schmitz, an English teacher in the Freshman Academy at Benson, said data show that students who are successful their freshman year and move on with all of their credits are much more likely to graduate on time. Schmitz said that beyond the data, shes also had upperclassmen tell her that specific lessons, like a note-taking strategy, turned out to be very useful in other classes. From cafeteria staff, to teachers, to bus drivers, Omaha schools struggle to fill vacancies Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, said the state faces a "massive teacher shortage," at a time when students need more one-on-one support from educators to thrive. As part of the Freshman Academies, students are divided into teams and share core teachers for main subjects. Those teachers then meet at least once a week to look at student data and what supports might help them while also looking for fun engagement activities. The goal for teachers is to figure out how to create a community and a support system for freshmen, Schmitz said. At Benson, students in the freshman seminar class learn about budgeting, character building and respect; do a service-learning project; and take interest tests to find out their individual strengths. Its really about looking at the whole student, Schmitz said. CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD Benson teacher Kelcey Schmitz talks about her experience teaching in the Freshman Academy. Teachers at Benson also take time to explain things like grade-point averages and how grades will follow students for the rest of their high school careers. Schmitz said many students dont know what a GPA is, so its important that its explicitly taught. Schmitz said teachers also walk students through personal conversations and ask them to picture their futures and what success will look like to them. What type of career do students want? How much money do they want to make? What skills do students want to learn? I think its easy to say I want to be successful, but defining what successful means to you is completely different, Schmitz said. Nebraska school groups say there is zero tolerance for 'slap a teacher' challenge Three Nebraska school groups are warning parents and students about a new social media challenge in October known as "slap a teacher." Benson has had a class similar to freshman seminar for years, but its a new addition this year at other high schools. A student at another high school said that so far, her freshman seminar experience feels a little unorganized. Sasha Denenberg, a freshman at Central High School, said her seminar class is more like a study hall with multiple personality tests. She said most of the assignments take about five minutes to complete. Were just kind of doing random stuff, she said. Steve Denenberg, Sashas father, was an outspoken opponent of the academies and pathways program. He said he wants his daughter to be doing something more productive, like taking another math or English class, with the time shes spending in freshman seminar. OPS school board OKs plans for $280 million in federal COVID relief funds The Omaha Public Schools board has approved plans for how the district will spend millions in federal COVID-19 relief funds. At a school board meeting this week, Susan Christopherson, director of secondary education, said that during the freshman seminar class, students are taking the time to grow and better understand themselves. That includes having students complete a multitude of surveys to better understand their strengths. That information should be helpful as students pick out academies and pathways. Christopherson said OPS is working to better educate students and staff about opportunities offered in the district. OPS officials had discovered that high school students sometimes didnt know about academy or pathway opportunities within their own schools. That, they said, needs to change. District officials said there are efforts currently underway to educate school counselors about the different opportunities at the high school level so they will be better equipped to help students find the right programs. Nebraska students stealing soap dispensers, toilet seats as part of TikTok challenge Students all across the state and nation have been stealing items like soap dispensers from schools as part of a challenge on the social media platform TikTok. From the Freshman Academies, OPS students will choose from different academies and pathways offered at the districts high schools and at the two new high schools opening next year. Benson, Bryan, Burke and North High Schools will be academy schools. Groups of students with a similar career interest will take classes together, and the classes will proceed from one to the next in a series. Buena Vista, Central, Northwest, South and Westview High Schools will be pathway schools, meaning that students will attend classes with a wide range of classmates who have many career interests. A series of four or more classes will focus on a group of related careers, OPS says. District officials said the programming will cost about $22.3 million over five years. Put another way, thats a yearly cost of $297 per student. OPS students to get five more days off this year to give teachers more time to plan The OPS board voted 9-0 to modify the calendar for this school year so teachers will have more time to plan as the district works to address academic challenges caused by the pandemic. The school board voted 6-3 to approve the academies and pathways in September after months of public debate about the program and a series of public meetings last summer to gather feedback from parents. At the time, Logan said each high school in the district already offered an academy or pathway. But access was limited to a few dozen students in each school who get to earn an advanced diploma, work toward their pilots license or get a head start on their medical career while other students watch from the sidelines. With the changes to the high schools, Logan said those pockets of excellence will be expanded for all students. This is about children, Logan said in September. All children. Not some of the children, not the children we used to have, or the children some people wish we had but the children that we actually have in our schools. Some Nebraska parents say teachers overstepped authority by asking kids pronouns The parents said asking kids their pronoun choice is suggestive and will cause greater anxiety and gender confusion, particularly among those who were not previously questioning their gender. Douglas County Board member P.J. Morgan rolled up his sleeve for a flu shot Thursday morning, aiming to extend his 10-year streak of taking the vaccine and avoiding influenza. I certainly think its the right thing to do and an important thing, he said after Shannon Stafford, a nurse practitioner with the Douglas County Health Department, gave him his shot. Health officials are encouraging all eligible people to get flu shots this year. Influenza can cause severe illness severe enough to require hospitalization. And with COVID-19 still circulating at high levels and area hospitals still under strain, health officials are concerned that flu could add to the mix and further stress health systems. Influenza was nearly nonexistent last winter in Nebraska, a time when people were wearing masks when they were around others, social distancing or simply avoiding crowds altogether. Health officials credit those steps, as well as messages that emphasized staying home when sick, with causing the drastic drop in flu cases. But with many people now vaccinated against COVID-19, fewer people are following such precautions, said Dr. Anne OKeefe, the health departments senior epidemiologist. That has prompted concerns among some health officials that flu could make a return this season. If people have questions, this is a great time to get them answered, Huse said. For full protection to kick in, the Pfizer vaccine requires two doses three weeks apart and a two-week wait. That means the first youngsters in line will be fully covered by Christmas. As for children under 5, Pfizer and Moderna are studying their vaccines in those as young as 6 months old, with results expected later in the year. The Biden administration has purchased enough of the shots to vaccinate all the children in the U.S. who soon will be eligible. About 15 million doses will be shipped to providers across the country in the first week after approval, the White House said. More than 25,000 pediatricians and primary care providers already have signed on to dispense the vaccine to elementary school children, the White House said. In Douglas County, COVID-19 cases are dropping, mirroring the slow decline in Nebraska and nationally. The risk of transmission, however, remains high. Huse cautioned that the county is not anywhere close to out of the woods yet. Schmitz said that beyond the data, shes also had upperclassmen tell her that specific lessons, like a note-taking strategy, turned out to be very useful in other classes. As part of the Freshman Academies, students are divided into teams and share core teachers for main subjects. Those teachers then meet at least once a week to look at student data and what supports might help them while also looking for fun engagement activities. The goal for teachers is to figure out how to create a community and a support system for freshmen, Schmitz said. At Benson, students in the freshman seminar class learn about budgeting, character building and respect; do a service-learning project; and take interest tests to find out their individual strengths. Its really about looking at the whole student, Schmitz said. Teachers at Benson also take time to explain things like grade-point averages and how grades will follow students for the rest of their high school careers. Schmitz said many students dont know what a GPA is, so its important that its explicitly taught. WASHINGTON (AP) Millions more Americans can get a COVID-19 booster and choose a different companys vaccine for that next shot, federal health officials said Thursday. Certain people who received Pfizer vaccinations months ago already are eligible for a booster and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says specific Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients qualify, too. And in a bigger change, the agency is allowing the flexibility of mixing and matching" that extra dose regardless of which type people received first. The Food and Drug Administration had already authorized such an expansion of the nation's booster campaign on Wednesday, and it was also endorsed Thursday by a CDC advisory panel. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky had the final word on who gets the extra doses. These past 20 months have taught us many things, but mostly to have humility," she told the panel. "We are constantly learning about this virus, growing the evidence base and accumulating more data. HOUSTON (AP) A private jet that ran off a runway and crashed through an fence before bursting into flames at a Texas airport had not been flown since December and investigators are looking into maintenance performed on the plane, federal authorities said Thursday. National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham said the plane left 1,200 feet (365 meters) of tire marks on the runway at Houston Executive Airport in Brookshire, Texas, on Tuesday. There was a heavy braking event, which appears to be an aborted takeoff, so we do know that the brakes were effectively working before the aircraft exited the runway, Graham said at a briefing. Graham did not speculate about why the pilots applied the brakes or why they were unable to stop the McDonnell Douglas MD-87. He said investigators are interviewing the two pilots and the aircraft's mechanic. Graham also said investigators are reviewing video that appears to show a puff of smoke coming from one of the two engines as the plane sped down the runway. Several threads on Reddit's WallStreetBets forum, where millions of traders share their successes and failures, had users bragging about how much money they made by jumping in and out of Digital World Acquisition Corp. Others were asking if they should listen to the fear they were feeling of missing out. WallStreetBets gained fame early this year after its members helped drive GameStop and other formerly downtrodden stocks to extreme heights, levels that professional investors saw as dangerously untethered to reality. Trading in Digital World Acquisition Corp.'s stock was so furious, and swings in its price were so sharp, that it was temporarily halted a dozen times on Friday. Digital World Acquisition is a special-purpose acquisition company, something that's typically called a SPAC or blank-check company. It's sitting on a little less than $300 million of cash that it raised in its own initial public offering, before it went looking for a company to acquire. SPACs can offer privately held companies a quicker and easier way to get their stocks on an exchange, by merging with them. They were wildly popular earlier this year, but activity had been receding as regulatory scrutiny on them and interest in them dimmed, at least until Wednesday's Trump-related announcement. A fired worker shot three people at a grain elevator in Nebraska on Thursday, killing two before being fatally shot himself, authorities say. According to the Nebraska State Patrol, Max Hoskinson, 61, opened fire on his former co-workers at the Agrex elevator in Superior not long after being fired from his job. The patrol said Hoskinson returned to Agrex with a handgun shortly before 2 p.m. and opened fire, striking three people. A worker then retrieved a shotgun from an office and returned fire, striking Hoskinson, according to the patrol. One of the people shot by Hoskinson died at the scene. Another suffered life-threatening injuries and was flown to a hospital in Lincoln, where the person died Thursday night, according to the patrol. The third person was treated at a hospital in Superior and released. Hoskinson was taken to the Superior hospital, where he was declared deceased. Community leaders said the town is in shock and grieving. In a town of about 1,600 people, everybody knows everybody, they said. SUPERIOR, Neb. Grain trucks full of corn rumbled down the highways Friday near this town that hugs the Nebraska-Kansas border. But the trucks werent lining up at one local grain elevator as investigators and townspeople sought to make sense of the senseless a shooting spree at the elevators office that left two employees dead and the shooter, a recently fired grain merchandiser, dead after a co-worker grabbed a shotgun and fired back. A Nebraska State Patrol spokesman, as well as several residents of this farming community of almost 2,000 known for its Victorian homes, said several lives were saved by the quick action of an elevator worker who grabbed a shotgun apparently kept at the business to ward off varmints. As many as 10 other employees might have been in and around the office at the towering Agrex elevator, which looms over the east end of town along Nebraska Highway 8. Its likely this employees actions prevented further loss of life, State Patrol Capt. Jeff Roby said at a press conference Friday afternoon in Grand Island. We had an active shooter inside a business, and it was stopped. Roby said authorities do not expect to file charges against the intervening worker, who has not been identified. LINCOLN Former Rep. Lee Terry spoke empathetically Thursday about former colleague Jeff Fortenberry and the federal indictment he faces, saying that when running for Congress, theres just a lot of people who send you money. You gotta know your customer a little bit, he told The World-Herald. In my position, and probably in Jeffs situation, you got to know these people ... they tell you theyre citizens, and then all of a sudden theyre not. We can do everything we think is right, and then one little thing can screw it all up, he added. Both Terry, who represented Nebraskas 2nd District from 1999 to 2015, and Fortenberry were recipients of illegal conduit campaign contributions that originated from a Nigerian billionaire, Gilbert Chagoury. Such donations from foreigners, even those funneled through American citizens, are illegal. In Terrys case, he said he donated to charity the $5,200 given to him in 2014 as soon as the FBI told him that it was investigating the legality of the gifts. The overall death toll among residents of Italian elder care facilities isnt known, since residents werent tested early on and suspected COVID-19 deaths dont feature into Italys official count. The national Superior Institute of Health found that at least 9,154 people died in nursing homes from February-May 2020, but that was based on partial responses to a voluntary survey of a quarter of Italys estimated 4,600 nursing homes. Amnestys call for a parliamentary inquiry follows a decision by lawmakers in July to greatly limit the scope of a parliamentary inquest into the pandemic to merely look into the events prior to Jan. 30, 2020, when the government declared a state of emergency and suspended flights to and from China. As a result, the Italian inquiry wont consider the actual outbreak in Italy or how it was handled here, since the first locally transmitted case was only confirmed in northern Lombardy in late February. Just last week, relatives of victims launched an online petition for Parliament to return to the original scope of an inquiry into the causes of the outbreak here and the actions taken by the government and the World Health Organization in managing it. The two regions were given wide autonomy, but kept some joint institutions, including the army, top judiciary and tax administration. Bosnia also has a rotating three-member presidency comprising Bosniak, Serb and Croat members. The Bosnian Serb presidency member, Milorad Dodik, has for years been advocating the separation of the Bosnian Serb mini-state and having it join neighboring Serbia something that would unlikely win approval from the U.S. and much of the West. Dodik, who has tacit support from Russia and his allies in Serbia, recently upped his drive, pledging that the Bosnian Serb parliament will by the end of November declare the creation of its own army and judiciary. The Bosnian Serb assembly earlier this week adopted a law establishing its own medicine procurement agency, the first of Dodiks pledges to separate joint institutions from those at the state level. The U.S. has already imposed a travel ban against Dodik and earlier this week warned of sanctions against his allies if his separatist moves continue. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. WARSAW, Poland (AP) Some 2,000 Polish coal miners traveled to Luxembourg to stage a noisy protest Friday against a decision by the European Union's top court to shut down a major brown coal mine in Poland and to fine the country for flouting the ruling. Clad in yellow vests emblazoned with Hands off Turow, blowing horns and waving white-and-red Solidarity trade union flags, the protesters shouted in front of the EU's Court of Justice that its rulings were unjustified and threatened Polands energy security. To stress the importance of the occasion, they sang the national anthem. If they want to shut us down, we will shut down the EU court, said Wojciech Ilnicki, head of Solidarity at the mine. Brown coal, or lignite, is a major source of pollutant greenhouse gases when burnt, and is still used in Poland to fuel some power plants. The demonstrators chanted We will not give Turow away" and left a protest letter at the court before marching to the Czech Embassy to protest Prague's role in the rulings. Closing the mine would mean a big shortage of energy and a cataclysm in Poland's energy system, Jaroslaw Grzesik, head of the Solidarity union's branch for mining, told The Associated Press. State Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln has introduced reform proposals to this effect in two different legislative sessions, but the bills have remained bottled up in the closely divided Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. Next year, the committee must end the stalemate and forward the proposal to the full Legislature for debate. The 1913 law, known as the Honest Election Law, made sense at the time. The law was part of the effort by Nebraska and other states to promote a strong democracy in an era when political corruption raised major concern in the early 20th century. (Its no secret that Omaha in that era had more than its share of shady political dealings.) The 1913 law, the thinking went, would place responsible-minded Nebraskans in charge, looking beyond partisan politics to safeguard the integrity of local voting procedures. In our time, however, the current law is seen as doing the opposite: empowering a partisan figure, the governor, to place party loyalists in charge of election decisions in the three counties carrying the most demographic weight. Everyone agrees they want sound election processes. Placing oversight over local elections in the hands of a locally elected official would help do just that. Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. With the right motives, numbers can be an important indicator of the health of the church. One census was ordered by God. The other was instigated by Satan. God said that numbers do matter. He ordered a counting of all the people of Israel shortly after the people fled Egypt. You can see the specific mandate in Exodus 30:1214. An entire book of the Bible is devoted to the progress and results of the census. The book is aptly named Numbers. But another census of the people of Israel was clearly instigated by Satan. The Bible is straightforward on that matter in 1 Chronicles 21:1: Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel. Apparently, David ordered the count for his own self-aggrandizement. The point is simple. Numbers and counting are either good or evil according to the motivation of those counting. We are in a historical cycle in the evangelical world where the mood is to disparage counting, attendance and other numerical metrics. Consequently, we are in danger of losing accountability that is inherent with following numbers. How are we able to discern the growing disdain for numbers and counting? Here are 10 issues that are indicative of the movement to disparage metrics. 1. An increasing number of comments that the church is the people, not the building. Of course, the church is not a building. Of course, the church is the people of God. But those people are commanded to gather somewhere. That gathering place is usually a building. This issue is often expressed as a reason not to count our worship attendance. Its a poor excuse. 2. An increasing number of comments that the church should focus on sending not attending. This argument is fallacious. It puts missionary sending to the community and beyond in opposition to gathering for worship. Its both/and, not either/or. 3. Numbers for bragging rights. Again, the issue is one of motive. David obviously wanted to brag about the size of his kingdom. The problem was his heart, not counting people. 4. Failure to count group attendance. If you want to gauge the health of your church, a good metric is weekly group attendance. If you are not counting weekly group attendance, you are missing the opportunity to determine the commitment of your core members. 5. The priority of ministry over numbers. Again, this argument is fallacious. It suggests that a church should do ministry instead of counting, for example, worship attendance. This argument was used by a number of mainline churches for around 50 years. They maintained the argument until there were no members left to do ministry. 6. Counting is legalistic. Anything can turn legalistic without the right motive: reading the Bible, sharing your faith, giving, and others. At the risk of redundancy, it is a question of motive and the heart. 7. COVID! While I do not want to minimize the tragedy of COVID, I fear we will begin to use it as an excuse for waning commitment to the church. Those church leaders (and other organizational leaders) who learn to pivot and adjust to a new reality will see the greatest fruit. 8. Its about the core. Those articulating this argument communicate that fewer is better. Those who are committed will attend regularly. We should not worry about the others, the argument goes. But we need the less committed to attend church to become more committed. We need the non-Christians to attend church to hear the gospel. 9. Waning and unreported conversions. Most North American congregations are seeing fewer conversions. Most of them have no accountability because they fail to report the number of conversions. 10. No published worship and small group attendance. That which is reported gets noticed. That which is noticed gets attention. That which gets attention gets better. Evangelical churches are repeating the history of mainline churches. They are devising reasons to excuse declining attendance. In doing so, they are implicitly saying the gathered church is not important. Robert Hudnut, a mainline writer from 1975, argued that it is a good sign that people are leaving churches. In his book, Church Growth Is Not the Point, he said, The loss of growth statistics has meant increase in the growth of the gospel. His argument was symptomatic of dying mainline churches 50 years ago. A half-century later, evangelical churches are dying and using the same rationale. Numbers do matter. Especially when the motive is right, and the heart is pure. Read more from Thom Rainer This article originally appeared on ChurchAnswers.com and is reposted here by permission. Third Cliff House After the Victorian Cliff House burned down in 1907, Emma Sutro Merritt commissioned the architecture firm of the Reid Brothers to design the next Cliff House. The Reid Brothers' Hotel del Coronado in San Diego was an inspiration to Emma Merritt's father, Adolph Sutro, and he directed his architects to use it as a model for the second Cliff House. Now, ironically, those same architects built on the same site a very understated structure. Neo-classical, born in the "Search for Order" era, the 1909 Cliff House made the setting and the views paramount. The Cliff House continued as a tourist attraction, as the views and the seal lions basking on Seal Rocks remained, but under a number of lessees it struggled as a profitable restaurant. The simple square form designed by the Reid Brothers received additions in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, as proprietors tinkered with different dining formats and attractions. Under the ownership of George and Leo Whitney, who bought it in 1937, the Cliff House gained a more carnival personality. Neon signs and bright red paint appeared along with totem poles, Japanese gateways, and a Camera Obscura installed on the terrace inside a building in the shape of box camera. The "World's Largest Gift Shop" was built to the north. This is the Cliff House many people remember today. The Cliff House service men and women of World War II had a last toast at before shipping out. The Cliff House out-of-town relatives were (and still are) brought to for brunch. From 1969 to 1973, the old landmark sat closed and neglected. When it reopened, murals of psychedelic ocean waves adorned the roofline. When Playland-at-the-Beach, the amusement zone down the road, closed in 1972, many old-time nickel machines found their way to the Cliff House basement as part of Ed Zelinsky's Musee Mecanique. In 1977, the entire area was added to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. After close to twenty years of environmental reviews, design assessments, and resource management guidelines, the National Park Service rebuilt the Cliff House in the early 2000s, restoring the 1909 exterior form, and adding a new structure on the north for fine dining. The name Cliff House has been carried by buildings in different shapes and uses since 1863, and we have likely not seen the last of them. Even the sea lions have left, choosing basking locations inside the bay. One can, however, always depend upon the natural beauty of the site where the surf meets the cliff. The Cliff House Story, Part One The Cliff House Story, Part Two Read Christine Miller's article about Lands End disasters, including the Cliff House fires. Want more Cliff House? Visit Gary Stark's Cliff House Project Contribute your own stories about the Cliff House! Playland, 1960 Home movie footage by Ron Biagini visiting Playland-at-the-Beach in 1960. Rides shown include the "Wild Mouse/Alpine Racer," "Crazy Dazy" (like Disneyland's teacups ride), the "Roto-jet," the "Flying Coaster," "Rock-O-Plane" (essentially a Ferris wheel), the "Dodge-em" bumper cars, Laffin' Sal, the carousel, "Dark Mystery," the "Diving Bell," and more, including some shots of the beach, Seal Rocks, and the Great Highway. Thanks to Ron Biagini, who shot this footage back in 1960, and kindly made it available to us! Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places! BLOOMINGTON As UAW strikers continue to picket for higher wages outside John Deere facilities in several Midwestern states including Illinois Quad Cities downstate farmers say theyve been monitoring supply chain issues for several months now. And, they worry the strike will only make it harder to keep their operations going. Andy Dole, who farms in Paradise Township in southwest Coles County, said hes been watching a large-scale breakdown over the past six months to a year. That includes everything you can imagine, from tires to paints, the tractors to chips, he said. Anything possible. Dole knows of a handful of farmers who ordered machines and parts from John Deere and other companies that were supposed to arrive by late-July, but weren't delivered until the first or second week of October. Farmers have a small window to harvest and plant, so waiting on a part could mean disaster. Anything that hinders us or slows us down is not good overall, said Dole. We lose crop quality, we can lose yields from poor weather conditions, or cause short-term damage to the fields from having to harvest in the mud. Dole had a close call earlier this season when he discovered a broken part in his combine. We were told that we got one of the last hydraulic pumps in the area maybe even in the state, said Dole. Had it been a week later, which is when the strike kind of started, we may not have had a combine around, because it could have broken down and we would have been completely out of commission. Reid Thompson, who farms near Colfax in eastern McLean County, said he knows the supply chain issue is a hot topic. You can buy a new planter for $400,000 but you cant get the brains to control it, he said. Its pretty much like a heavy piece of iron sitting there because it wont run without the computer. To Wapella farmer Marvin Finfrock III, the issue is more than just unavailable microchips. He said there are combine parts he simply cant get. Right now, I have a brand-new corn head that has been broken down for a week and a half. It's waiting on a locking collar that is not available, he said. Thompson said around the start of the pandemic, most equipment dealers had sufficient inventory. However, he said some things started to run out near the start of this summer. Since then, the issue has gotten exacerbated in the sense that things we took for granted and we hadnt had to deal with, we now have to deal with," he said. The Colfax farmer said his combine auger broke down two weeks ago, so he called the closest John Deere dealer, where he was told the part was on backorder. But thats not an option for his farming operation. Cant really move the machine without this auger, he said. Luckily, he said, they were able to find the part at the Urbana dealership. But the word backorder tells a bigger story to Thompson. Im thinking, how many hundreds of combines need this part, and you dont have one, he said. He noted that supply issues are not unique to John Deere: Thompson has a soybean head from a different company that needs a replacement wiring harness. No one has it in the state of Illinois, he said. For the Illinois Farm Bureau, the main concern is to ensure farmers make it to the finish line of the harvest season, said public relations specialist Andrea Casali. Jim Haynes is the chief operating officer for Martin Tractor, which has a John Deere dealership in Bloomington. He said the strike hasn't affected his business yet, but later added it's halted their orders. Haynes said around this time last year, they recognized there would be issues with their supplier, so they increased their inventory by about 25%. He expects the stockpile will help bridge them through the busy harvest season, in addition to sourcing parts from John Deere's dealer network. Whether the strike will eventually affect Martin Tractor, he said, depends on how long the strike lasts. "Biggest concern going forward in next few month is the delivery of equipment that weve already pre-ordered that needs to be set up and delivered for the spring," he said. Haynes said it's concerning that factories are not operating, adding that they normally put out inventory year-round. To cope, he said they've put together a team to come up with innovative solutions for their customers. "If a guy wants a new tractor by the end of the year, that's probably not going to happen," Haynes said, but they'll work to find reasonable alternatives for farmers. The last UAW strike against John Deere lasted 163 days in 1986-87, and led to financial losses and layoffs for the company's suppliers. It was preceded by a 13-hour strike in 1983, a three-week strike in 1979, and two six-week strikes in 1976 and 1967. Finfrock worries that come springtime, the issue will be at its worst if there aren't any planter or tillage parts available. These companies have outsourced so many of their products to China, and we are already struggling to get parts, computer chips, wiring harnesses, things like that, he said. Most of us have planned ahead, but its definitely something were not used to, Finfrock said. With Case or John Deere, thats why you use those companies. Parts are always available, and theres very good service. Thompson said he doesn't think the strike will help the situation, and it will compound the supply chain issues. He said he probably has what he needs to get through the fall harvest, but he wonders what spring will look like. In that season, he said, they might only get 10 days to work in the field. When its time to go, you go, he said. You dont have time to wait for a computer to start up. Finfrock shares his frustration over supply chain problems with local equipment dealers, as he sees their employees working as hard as they possibly can to keep us moving and have (John Deere) not support them. Weve just seen the beginning, Finfrock said. I think its just going to get worse. Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DAVENPORT, IOWA Lee Enterprises Inc. has entered into a partnership with Mudd Advertising, which is an automotive agency based in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Lee operates in 77 markets and includes The Pantagraph in Bloomington, Decatur Herald & Review and Journal Gazette & Times-Courier in Mattoon-Charleston. "The partnership leverages a customized version of Lees innovative Vision platform that enables Mudd to fully support the cross-channel marketing efforts of retail automotive dealers and manufacturers across the United States," said Lee in a prepared statement Vision is involved in sales software powered by Lees full-service national agency, Amplified Digital. "MuddVision aims to make the complicated simple and help automotive advertisers achieve stronger results by combining cutting-edge technology, strategy and experience to make an intuitive platform that complements traditional marketing channels," the statement continued. "What makes our Vision platform so powerful is its ability to pull together cross channel marketing campaigns to reach consumers with a multimedia approach," said Dan Adams, President and director of Lee's Central Illinois Media Group. "From streaming audio and TV to social media and mobile location targeting, we can create the right opportunity at the right time and reach the right customers for our marketing partners." Over the 40 years weve been in the automotive space, we have experienced seismic changes to our industry and the tools needed to get the job done, said Rob Mudd, Mudds chief futurist, in a statement. When first introduced to the Lee Vision software, I knew instantly we had found our technology partner for the future. We were proud to unveil the technology (recently) in Las Vegas at the Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition. This partnership demonstrates the commitment to digital solutions for both organizations, said Kevin Mowbray, Lees President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The Vision platform has transformed local advertising for Lee Enterprises as part of our digital transformation strategy and it aligns perfectly with the direction of Mudd Advertising. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BLOOMINGTON The McLean County YWCA celebrated 32 years of Women of Distinction at their virtual event on Thursday, where women were honored for their personal and professional contributions to the community. Judges from YWCAs across the country reviewed 21 Women of Distinction nominations and selected a winner in each category. Selection was based on qualities of leadership, areas of achievement, demonstrated alignment to the YWCA mission and improving McLean County through work or volunteering. The 2021 Women of Distinction for outstanding contributions in their field include Jennifer Brooks, Bloomington Public Schools District 87; Catherine Porter, Carle Health & Fitness Center; Gaynett Hoskins, Prairie State Legal Services; Judge Amy McFarland, Eleventh Judicial Circuit; Dr. Elizabeth Haywood, Illinois Wesleyan University; Kristen Burhmann, Illinois Wesleyan University; and Marty Lane, Carle BroMenn Medical Center. Seven women were also awarded with the Kaitlyn M. Erdman Memorial WINGS Award, a scholarship funded by Women of Distinction winners. This year's winners are Kelli Brown, Amanda Carter, Teresa Fowler, Nicole Kirstein, Niayr Maines, Julie Stoll and Vera Traver. A complete list of nominees and photos can be found at ywcamclean.org/womenofdistinction. Contact Olivia Jacobs at (309)-820-3352. Reach out with questions. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PEORIA A federal grand jury has indicted a man who is incarcerated at the Livingston County Jail on an attempted escape charge. John W. Beck, 54, is charged with one count of attempted escape that court documents show happened in September. Beck has been in Livingston County custody since April, when he was arrested for one count of aggravated robbery. Livingston County court records show he was a resident of Mechanicsburg. He also has been in federal custody on two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, once count of bank robbery and one count of armed bank robbery. He was arrested again for attempted escape on Tuesday following an FBI investigation. Contact Kade Heather at 309-820-3256. Follow him on Twitter: @kadeheather Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON A McLean County judge on Friday found a former Bloomington piano teacher guilty of 20 counts of sexual assault of a child and child pornography production. It was the first of possibly six trials against Aaron M. Parlier, 40, who is being tried separately for each victim on a total 38 felony counts of sexual assault of a minor and child pornography production. Parlier was found guilty of 10 counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a minor and 10 counts of child pornography production. He was shown in videos filming one of his piano students engaging in sexual actions with him. In the videos, Parlier is heard giving instructions to the victim on what to do and sometimes what to say. The camera angles and the instructions being given are convincing that it is the defendant who is filming, Judge Casey Costigan said in his nearly 13-minute ruling. The piano lessons and videos took place at the victims home, her mother testified during the trial. She also testified that her daughter began piano lessons at age 6 and continued them through eighth grade. She testified that the victim was about 8 or 9 years old at the time of the videos. McLean County States Attorney Don Knapp, who tried the case with Assistant States Attorney Erika Reynolds, said while hes proud of how the case was handled, were more proud of the courage of the victim coming forward and working with the detectives. That victim and those detectives are the real heroes here, Knapp said. Hopefully this gives other victims the courage to come forward. Reynolds also expressed gratitude for the victim in trusting this process, trusting us to do our job, being brave enough to come forward and doing what is right not only for themselves but for the community as a whole. Parlier faces between 120 years and 900 years in prison. A hearing for post-trial motions or sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 14. Parlier would be sentenced to life in prison if he is convicted of sexually assaulting another minor. He was arrested in 2018 after a Bloomington Police Department investigation. Police seized a laptop from a bedroom in his Mackinaw home at the time which contained the videos, detectives testified. During the trial, defense lawyers Gal Pissetzky and Adam Bolotin argued that prosecutors did not prove the victims age or that Parlier produced the videos. Bolotin said in closing arguments that the girls language talking casually about sex and her demeanor in the videos does not show a childhood innocence, but Costigan said he found no credibility to that argument. I understand what the defendant is trying to assert to the court, but frankly, the court has no idea as to how a young girl who has been repeatedly sexually assaulted and had her childhood innocence robbed from her should act, Costigan said. Defense lawyers also argued that Parlier should have been charged with only five counts of child pornography possession because some of the videos shown in court contained the same content but were cut up or edited. The judge disputed that argument, citing the child pornography section of the Illinois Criminal Code that uses the word reproduction. Even if not 10 separate acts, the content of the exhibit show reproductions of different angles or different positions, Costigan said. A Feb. 14 trial was scheduled for Parlier on allegations that he produced child pornography and sexually assaulted a different minor piano student. Contact Kade Heather at 309-820-3256. Follow him on Twitter: @kadeheather Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PERU The Peru police chief said he's requesting that the FBI take the lead in investigating Illinois State University grad student's Jelani Days disappearance and death. There have been several calls made to the FBI and also a written request email to them as recently as early this week, Chief Robert Pyszka said Friday morning. The FBI is assisting on this case, but will not take over the lead of this investigation. They will assist us in any possible way they can, but they will not take over the lead in this case. Pyszka said he made that request on behalf of the joint task force as a response to the Day family's requests. The family numerous times asked us to pass this investigation off, and we have attempted to do such, Pyszka said. In a statement sent to The Pantagraph, the FBI field office in Chicago said it's always willing to help at the request of local law enforcement. It added that the FBI is in touch with the Peru Police Department to provide resources as needed. The FBI field office declined to answer whether it had declined Pyszka's request to take charge of investigation, and cited a U.S. Department of Justice policy that prevents it from commenting on active investigations. Illinois State Police, the Bloomington and Peru police departments, LaSalle County's sheriff's and coroners offices, and the FBIs Behavioral Analysis Unit are part of the joint task force that's investigating the death. A march demanding justice for Jelani Day is set for Tuesday in Peru. The demonstration will be led by civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who at Day's burial service Tuesday joined Day's family in calling for the FBI to lead the investigation. "We are requesting that the FBI and the Department of Justice conduct a thorough investigation because it smells like another Emmett Till case all over again," said Jackson, referring to the Chicago teen killed in 1955 Mississippi. Pyszka said in a press release Friday afternoon that he's working with Jackson and his team to sort out logistics for the Tuesday march. "I look forward to working with Rev. Jackson and his team on this peaceful march and the Peru Police Department will assist them in any way we can," Pyszka stated in the release, "and hopefully this will give the family some closure which not only the Day family, but all families need when a loved one has passed away." LaSalle County Sheriff Adam Diss did not respond Friday to The Pantagraph's requests for comment. Day was last seen Aug. 24 in Bloomington. His remains were found in the Illinois River Sept. 4. This week, state Rep. Kambium Buckner, D-Chicago, in a letter asked Pyszka to turn the investigation over to the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigations. Pyszka said ISP has been involved with this investigation from day one and currently are still involved in the investigation." He declined to respond to specific criticisms made by Buckner regarding the Peru Police Departments handling of the case. Of the case, Pyszka said, It is still ongoing and if anybody has any tips as to what occurred to Mr. Jelani Day, they should contact the LaSalle County Sheriffs Office at 815-433-2161. The Pantagraph reporter Sierra Henry contributed to this article. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Brendan Denison Breaking News Reporter Follow Brendan Denison Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Carmaletta Jones wants her partner to get a second chance at life outside of a prison cell and an opportunity to show he can be a productive member of society. Her partner, Brian Willis, was convicted on two counts of murder in 1996 and sentenced to natural life in prison when he was 18 years old. At a news conference outside Cook County Jail in Little Village on Wednesday morning supporting a new parole bill, Jones and other advocates, including musicians Chance the Rapper and Common, talked about the importance of giving people with a long prison sentence the opportunity to be released. Twenty years is long enough, Jones said. Trust me, hes been there 25 years since he was 18 years old. He is not the man he was at 18, he is at 43. House Bill 2399 and Senate Bill 2333 both would bring back the opportunity for prisoners serving life sentences to go before a parole board after serving 20 years. The bills are unlikely to pass during the state legislatures veto session, which only is expected to run for four more days, state Rep. Carol Ammons, who sponsored the senate bill, said. But she plans to present the proposed legislation again in the spring, and said continuing to educate the public on the importance of parole helps push the conversation forward. Ammons said the bill would not guarantee prisoners will be released. As someone who has been a victim of crime and whose son has been a victim, she said she understands potential concerns from victims and their families worried about a prisoners release. It is a procedural process that will allow for review. It does not guarantee that a person will be released, Ammons said. And I think that thats something that I would share with the family members who might say, I dont want this person to ever get out. State Sen. Celina Villanueva, who introduced the Senate bill, said shes keeping hope alive as the legislative session comes to a close. But she said shes also prepared to reintroduce proposed legislation in spring. Villanueva said the bills would continue to give people in prison hope and encourage them to continue improving themselves. We want to change the way that we think of our criminal justice system as a system that just penalizes, but instead as a system that rehabilitates and actually encourages people focusing on reflecting on their actions, owning up to their actions, trying to change because of those actions, and recognizing that theyre not the same people that they were, Villanueva said. And that they want to be contributing members that are coming back into society. At the Wednesday morning news conference, Chance recalled a time in 2019 when he went to Stateville prison in Joliet to perform for a group of incarcerated men who were graduating with bachelors degrees. He said his experience seeing the men shackled and knowing they would go back to their daily life in prison after graduating was eye-opening. We need to understand incarceration for what it is, its torture, he said. And we need to start pushing and transforming our criminal justice system and sentencing laws with this reality in mind. That means pushing for policies like parole. Bringing back parole is the floor, but its a step in the right direction as communities reverse course from tough-on-crime policies that have disproportionately affected Black and brown communities, Chance said. We need a criminal justice system that reflects the values we want to see in this world compassion, care, restorative justice and transformative justice, he said. Common, who has been an advocate for criminal justice reform since he formed the nonprofit Imagine Justice in 2018, said he started learning about how focusing on reducing prison populations could help reduce violence on the streets of Chicago. He said a conversation with Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, opened his eyes to the importance of criminal justice reform. I met some of the most enlightened and inspiring people in prison, Common said. You know, one gentleman said to me, Imagine being trapped in one act for the rest of your life, the worst for the rest of your life. Ive thought about that. If that happened for me, I wouldnt be up here with you all. Despite being sentenced to life in prison, Willis has gotten a masters degree and several certifications and has never lost hope that he might someday be given a second chance, Jones said. Brian has proved to me personally that change is possible in any and everybody, Jones said. And so we want to push for this bill to get passed so that people like Brian can show the world that I can be a strong point here. I can teach these boys that you have more to live for, because we dont have a lot of motivation in our neighborhoods. Jones said cyclical trauma has plagued neighborhoods especially on the South and West sides of Chicago, and has led youth to normalize and sometimes eventually commit violent crimes. When youre beat down and told something repetitively, every day that you are nothing, what else are you gonna amount to? she said. People like Brian can come out here and help these kids. She said many of the men in prison, people shes befriended in her work as an advocate and through Willis, have worked hard to get degrees and to better themselves. These guys are lawyers, professors, doctors, therapists, theyre not just people that are incarcerated, Jones said. They are somebody. All of them are somebody, you know, and its time for us to give them an opportunity to be somebody. Jones teared up when she talked about her experience sitting inside a cell when she toured a womens prison. She described the toilet cellmates have to share right next to a desk where she imagines Willis sits down to write, and the bed within arms reach of the desk. When she sat at the desk, while working as a volunteer for a Halloween event a few years ago, she thought about Willis having to live with a cellmate in that small space. We used to sit up and talk about our future, how were going to get out of the hood, and how were going to do all these great things, she said remembering her conversations with Willis when they were teenagers. She brought Chance to tears, and others in the crowd agreed with and encouraged her, chanting Thats right! and Speak! as Jones shared her story with the crowd of about 50. Children growing up surrounded by violence have been desensitized to the sound of gunshots, she said. What they need is mental health resources and hope, Jones said. They will never be somebody different if you dont give them this shot at redemption, at rehabilitation, at therapy, she said. Some of these people need real-life therapy. We come from trauma. Pablo Mendoza spent 22 years in prison. Since being released, he has joined several boards that promote social services for communities and learn about problems in communities and find solutions, he said. He has also started an undergraduate program and works to connect those who are incarcerated with their communities. I advocate for parole, because I see myself as an extension of these guys that are behind these walls. Those guys shaped who I am today, Mendoza said. It is not the Hollywood narrative where were in there finding ways to destroy our community. These guys are looking for avenues to reach their communities in a positive light, even when they have no hope of freedom. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Illinois school districts will likely serve as hubs to deliver the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, which is expected to be available in the coming weeks, officials said Thursday. The White House unveiled plans Wednesday in preparation for the pending FDA authorization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation of the Pfizer vaccine for elementary school-aged children, including the distribution of the shots at school and community-based clinics, which will receive funding and support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Officials at Elgin-based School District Unit 46, which enrolls more than 37,000 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade, hope to offer vaccination sites once the shots are approved, Superintendent Tony Sanders said Thursday. The district previously held a mass vaccination clinic at one of its high schools for the H1N1 virus, and it held a COVID-19 clinic at its central office building earlier this year, when the vaccines were limited to residents 65 and older and educators, he said. While the shots are not mandatory, Sanders said he hopes families will speak with their childs doctor about the safety of the vaccine and the importance of getting inoculated. If we ever want to return to any sense of normalcy, and if families want their children to be in school without fear of quarantine on a regular basis, the vaccine is our best option to get there, Sanders said. Officials at Chicago Public Schools said in a statement they have been working with partners to provide access to the vaccine through regional clinics, school-based health centers and school-based mobile events across the city, and we will expand those efforts to include 5- to 11 year-olds as soon as approval is given by the federal government. CPS also plans to begin a robust public information campaign to communicate that the vaccine is safe, effective and crucial to protect the health of CPS parents, students, staff and all of our school communities, the statement said. Chicago Teachers Union spokesperson Chris Geovanis said the union has repeatedly urged the mayor to establish a comprehensive COVID vaccination program in every school, because every student, parent and family member in our school communities needs the critical protection that vaccines provide against COVID disease and death. Geovanis said union members have set up vaccine access events and provided testing opportunities for students and their families. We continue to urge everyone who can get vaccinated safely to do so, as we have since vaccines first became available, Geovanis said. The need is dire. At Arlington Heights School District 25, students 12 and older whose families chose for their children to be vaccinated were offered the shots at a school-based distribution site earlier this year that will likely be replicated once the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for younger children, spokesman Adam Harris said. Students 12 and older at Des Plaines School District 62 were vaccinated at school-based clinics earlier this year, and officials are discussing the possibility of hosting a clinic for children next month, depending on the outcome from the FDA, spokesperson Jennifer Bova said. Officials with one of the states largest teachers unions, the Illinois Education Association, said they are encouraged by the possibility that younger students might soon have a chance to get vaccinated. It means we are another step closer to making our schools the healthiest and safest places possible for both our students and educators, IEA President Kathi Griffin said. She said a vaccine for younger students could also allow the return of extracurricular activities, including theater and indoor sports, that may have been restricted because of COVID-19. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LINCOLN Meteorologists are expecting widespread rain and scattered storms to arrive by Sunday in Central Illinois. The National Weather Service of Central Illinois reported in a Facebook post early Friday morning that a slow-moving storm system could drop heavy rains Saturday night through Sunday morning. The post added 2 to 4 inches of rain could land in the region north of Interstate 70, with higher amounts concentrated along an axis from Macomb to Pontiac. A graphic prepared by the NWS office states 2 to 3 inches of rain are expected late this weekend in Bloomington, Decatur and Mattoon. Up to 4 inches of rain could fall in western and northern parts of McLean County, and in southern Vermilion County. The post said since the system is still a few days out, exact rainfall amounts are uncertain. "However, if you have any outdoor activities planned, it would be better to get them done by late Saturday afternoon," the post stated. NWS Meteorologist Chuck Schaffer told The Pantagraph in a phone interview that there's a chance for some flooding. "The ground is fairly moist to begin with," Schaffer said. "If we do get 2, possibly up to 4 inches in rainfall amounts within a short time period, there could be some localized flooding issues. "That's something we'll keep an eye on." He encouraged drivers to turn around and take a different route if they encounter flooded roads. "Most of the flooding injuries or deaths we see are from people driving into flooding," he said. The NWS office shared in a separate Facebook post early Friday morning that severe weather is possible across Central Illinois Sunday evening through Sunday night. The post said hail over 1 inch in size is possible, along with wind gusts over 60 mph, intense lightning and isolated tornadoes. Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Mama Mariam Foundation, a charitable organization, spearheaded by popular Ghanaian actress and philanthropist, Habiba Sinare on Saturday, October 16, 2021, lead the breast cancer awareness health walk. According to Miss Sinare, more needs to be done to address the breast cancer issues in the country. The walk targeted mainly people living in the Zongo communities who are not well abreast with the serious implications of breast cancer. The Health Walk which started from Kawokudi Park through to Kanda had some popular Ghanaian celebrities partaking in the awareness walk. Speaking to the media, Habiba Sinare stated that, Mama Mariam foundation is on a campaign to educate, create breast cancer awareness and is supporting with three days free breast cancer screening exercise which is slated to begin from Friday, October 22 at Mamobi Zurak Mosque, Saturday, October 23 at Newtown Angola, and on Sunday, October 24 at Nima-Madina Station from 6:00 am to 5:30 pm. She emphasized that everyone needs to be aware of their status and get screened, early detection saves a life, join our free screening to prevent the challenges associated with cancer. 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. Featured Video Member of Parliament for Assin South constituency in the Central Region, Rev. Ntim Fordjour, has pooh-poohed renowned lawyer Akoto Ampaw and his cohort for describing Parliament as not modern to discuss the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill. According to the Deputy Education Minister, those scholars who are against the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill have every right to voice out their opinions to disagree with the aspects of the bill but it should not be attached with a description to offend the MPs and the House that prepared the bill. Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Hon. Ntim Fordjour said it is disturbing and a dent on the image of the Parliament for lawyer Akoto Ampaw and his associates to offend those who are behind the bill as if they are ignorant of their mandates as Parliamentarians. He chided the G18 who are against the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill for rather exhibiting incivility for trying to propagate a behaviour contrary to the arrangement of God in creation. "What is more uncivilised than a man wanting to marry his fellow man? What is the joy in this? It is a lustful act and that is uncivilised. What is uncivilised is that a woman will get up to marry her fellow woman, and we have educated people too supporting this uncivilised behaviour," he reproached. He, however, debunked the notion that all professors are against the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill. "There are many more professors who are against what the G18 has said about the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill. It is never the case that when you are well-educated, certain things that are right in society become uncivilised." He, therefore, concluded that, "whether our customs and traditions are uncivilised or contemporary, that is what our people want and hold on to". "Go to Saudi Arabia, Qatar or the Asian countries and ask them whether their customs are uncivilised or not? Which society is more modern than Dubai . . . what is not modern is homosexuality where a woman will sleep with a woman and a man with a man," he jabbed. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has thrown a subtle jibe at the Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area regarding an abandoned E-block Community Day Senior High School in his area. The Chief, Torgbui Adzonu-Gaga Amenya Fiti V issued a four-month ultimatum to the government to complete the abandoned school which was built under the regime of Ex-President John Mahama. Torgbui Adzonu-Gaga Amenya Fiti V made this demand among others during a tour of the Volta Region by Minority members on Parliament's Education Committee. Reacting to the Chief's request, President Nana Akufo-Addo assured his government will continue the projects started by the former President. However, the President didn't take it lightly that the Chief would issue an ultimatum to the government, so humorously replied that the Chief should ''complete the project himself'' if he is feels frustrated. ''Is he the one going to give the Minister of Education ultimatum?'', he questioned. He added; ''For some of the projects, definitely, we will ready ourselves and complete them.'' 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. Featured Video 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. An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced four persons to a total of 60 years imprisonment in hard labour for snatching a Dahatsu taxi cab valued at GHC22,000. Frank Obeng, 23, trader, alias Khalifa, Richard Quaye, 36, IT technician, alias Shasty, Kwasi Asamoah, 35, labourer, alias Faroy and Samuel Lartey, 32, trader, alias Gravity, leader of the gang, all denied conspiring to snatch the cab. They also denied causing hand, finger and back wounds to David Anku, the complainant and victim but were found culpable after trial. Meanwhile, Francis Addy, a driver, was acquitted and discharged on the charge of dishonestly receiving the stolen car. General Sergeant Thomas Sarfo, the prosecutor, told the Court presided over by Madam Adelaide Abui Keddey, that Anku resided at Gbawe whilst Obeng lived at Auntie Aku, Quaye and Asamoah at Odokor and Odokor Official Town, respectively and Lartey at Anyaa. The Court heard that on September 16, 2020, at about 0315 hours, the complainant was in charge of Dahatsu cab with the registration number GS 5742-20 within Dansoman Junction when Obeng hired him to Awoshie at a fee of GHC15.00. He said on reaching a section of the road at Onyinase-Awoshie, Obeng instructed the complainant to park the car so he could take the fare from his friend. The prosecutor said Lartey surfaced and at gun-point pulled the driver to the back seat. He said Quaye and Asamoah also rushed on the victim and started beating him with screw drivers and broken bottles because he struggled with them. The prosecutor said, as a result, Anku had a finger slashed, sustained several screw driver pinches at his back as well as wounds on his head from the broken bottles. He said Quaye took charge of the steering wheel and drove the car away until they reached Anyaa, where Anku was pulled out of the car. The prosecutor told the Court that, Anku was not only robbed of the cab but also his cellular phone valued GHC150.00, cash of GHC630.00, his wedding ring, tools and gearbox belonging to another car, were stolen. He said the gang met Addy at Ablekuma, where he took the vehicle and sold it at GHC5,000, giving the proceeds to Lartey who shared it among the four. The prosecutor said while a formal complainant was being lodged with the Anyaa Police, eight people were brought to the Station by the police patrol team and Anku identified Obeng as one of his attackers. He said Anku was issued with a medical form to attend hospital and during investigations, Obeng mentioned Quaye, Asamoah and Lartey as his accomplices, leading to their arrest. The prosecutor said four days later, intelligence led to the arrest of Addy. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Nana Akufo-Addo has indicated that opposition against his policies by the National Democractic Congress (NDC) and other political opponents do not break him as Ghanaians know his worth. Speaking in an interview on ''Kokrokoo'' on Peace FM Thursday morning, the President reminded the host Kwami Sefa Kayi about the confidence Ghanaians have in him which, to him, was proven by the votes he garnered in the 2020 Presidential elections. ''The propaganda was not able to sink my electoral chances'', he ridiculed his opponents. According to him, Ghanaians voting him back into government shows that ''the propaganda, in itself, cannot obliterate the reality and the facts''. The President highlighted some misconceptions that his political adversaries have cooked up in the minds of Ghanaians. He touched on claims about him abandoning some health projects started by his predecessor and assertions that despite having borrowed nearly Ghc300bn within the last five years, the developmental projects on the grounds do not correspond to the huge borrowing. Eurojet Hospital Project Started Under Kufuor, Not Mahama's Baby The President, firstly, shot down assertions that sought to credit former President John Mahama with the Euro Jet funded health projects. ''It's presented as it was a project initiated by Mahama government. It is not true. The EuroJet was initiated by the Kufour administration. Before President Kufour left office, that whole project had begun. The question we have to ask ourselves, the eight years of the NDC rule saw no progress whatsoever on these hospitals'', he said. Alluding to some hospitals like the Ga-East Municipal, Wa, Twifo-Praso hospitals among others, he stressed; ''All the developments that have taken place in these hospitals took place in my time.'' Continuing his account on his developments in the health sector, President Akufo-Addo disclosed a 60-bed hospital in Konongo started by his government is near completion. ''So, when you are looking at all these examples, you wonder how come people have the courage to come forward [to say] to deny the reality. Then, I've noticed that that is the stock and trade of my opposition. Dealing in facts that are not there. The screaming is so loud that the person who doesn't take care will begin to think that these might be facts. Otherwise, why are they being said? But then it is also part of negative propaganda. You repeat untruth several times; ultimately, hopefully [the untruth] it will sink'', he emphasized. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/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. Featured Video North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to retract his response to the Chief of Aflao over the abandoned E-Block in the area. Mr Ablakwa said Mr Akufo-Addos response smacks of disrespect and condescension. President Akufo-Addo has said most of the E-block projects started by the Mahama administration have been completed by his government. Others are also at various stages of completion, he said. His comments came after the Chief of Aflao The Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti, had given the government a four-month ultimatum to open the e-block community day senior high school which in his view, has stalled since 2016. The 9 million project which was part of some 200 classroom blocks the erstwhile Mahama administration started was supposed to have some 26 classrooms attached and 5 departments including a science block. Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti speaking with the Minority side of the Education Committee who toured the uncompleted school buildings in the Ketu South constituency says, governments approach to education is appalling. After senior high school education, the next degree that my people have to do is to go to border and go and do kayayo, no school. The only school that we have is the RC Senior High School that belongs to the Catholic Mission Minor Seminary. So this thick population have no place to go and people sit down in that big hall called parliament and not thinking about Aflao, a place after the Tema Harbour, the next revenue generation is from the Aflao border. I had to push the former President Mahama for the structure to be constructed over there. I had to be running from here to Accra begging. Should we beg for education? But Mr Akufo-Addo questioned why the Chief is giving the sector minister an ultimatum. He said on Peace FM Thursday, October 21 that Many of the E-blocks are being worked on across the country. Is he [Aflao Chief] the one to give the minister ultimatum then he should go ahead and complete the project. Reacting to President Akufo-Addos comment, Mr Ablakwa said in a Facebook post that Our revered chiefs and custodians of our proud traditions deserve utmost respect at all times regardless of which part of the country they exercise their authority. The venerable Torgbui Adzongaga Amenya Fiti V and the people of Aflao deserve an immediate retraction and apology from President Akufo-Addo. No chief anywhere in Ghana should be spoken to with such derision, disrespect and condescension. Torgbui Fiti V rather deserves commendation for his courage in speaking out against the reckless wasteful culture of abandoning inherited projects. We are one people united in our collective successes and challenges; intemperate language from the President who ordinarily should be strengthening national cohesion with his pronouncements ought to be condemned by all well meaning Ghanaians. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Member of Parliament for Akyem Oda constituency in the Eastern region and the Vice Chairman of the Trade, Industry and Tourism committee in Parliament, Alexander Akwasi Acquaqh, has questioned the moral right of the NDC and ex-President John Mahama to continuously talk about the Komenda Sugar factory. He said he was surprised the NDC will blame the current government on why the factory is not operational till now. Contributing to 'The Punch' programme on Kessben Radio which was also aired on Kessben TV, the MP said the NDC must not miss the opportunity to apologise to the chiefs and people of Komenda for the false hope of activating a factory that could offer employment to Ghanaians. Komenda would have been a vibrant industrial village if the NDC had planned the operations of the factory well. According to him Ghanaians need some explanation on why the factory stopped operating just some months after its establishment. Alexander Akwasi Acquaqh said, "President Akufo-Addo has shown the way by apologising to the people of Cape Coast, so the NDC should follow suit and apologise to the people of Komenda and the whole of the Central Region and by extension Ghanaians." The MP also gave a revival plan of the government in its effort to get the factory working. Source: Emmanuel Akorli/Parliamentary Correspondent/Peace FM 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. Featured Video Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has thrown a jab at President Akufo-Addo for his unsavoury comment to the Chief of Aflao, Torgbui Adzonu-Gaga Amenya Fiti V for asking his government to complete the abandoned E-Block Community Day Senior High School in his area. Torgbui Adzonu-Gaga Amenya Fiti V, the Aflao Chief made this demand among others during a tour of the Volta Region by the Minority members on Parliament's Education Committee. According to Kwesi Pratt Jnr. the President 'didn't speak well at all'. "However you will look at it, what the President said about the Aflao Chief was not good, no matter how it was not good, whether he was playing or laughing it didn't go well, we shouldn't speak like that to ourselves, he didn't speak well . . . Torgbui Fiti is a prominent Chief just like all other Chiefs, we don't speak to him like that, the President didn't speak well," Kwesi Pratt said on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' programme. Friday. Speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi during a panel discussion on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' programme, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. further expounded that there is nowhere the Aflao Chief gave an ultimatum to the government to complete the E-Block in his area. To Kwesi Pratt the Aflao Chief only asked Parliament's Education Committee to try and open the school in his area by February so his citizens will also enjoy the Free Senior High School education policy being enjoyed by all eligible citizens in the country. "Is this an ultimatum? . . . Did he say if it is not opened he will pull a gun or slap someone? He didn't say that . . . he was only pleading for the school to be opened for him, what crime has he committed?" Kwesi Pratt asked. Akufo-Addo tells Aflao Chief to construct the abandoned E-Block himself . . . President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has thrown a subtle jibe at the Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area regarding an abandoned E-block Community Day Senior High School in his area. The Chief, Torgbui Adzonu-Gaga Amenya Fiti V issued a four-month ultimatum to the government to complete the abandoned school which was built under the regime of Ex-President John Mahama. Torgbui Adzonu-Gaga Amenya Fiti V made this demand among others during a tour of the Volta Region by Minority members on Parliament's Education Committee. Reacting to the Chief's request, President Nana Akufo-Addo assured his government will continue the projects started by the former President. However, the President didn't take it lightly that the Chief would issue an ultimatum to the government, so humorously replied that the Chief should ''complete the project himself'' if he is feels frustrated. ''Is he the one going to give the Minister of Education ultimatum?'', he questioned. He added; ''For some of the projects, definitely, we will ready ourselves and complete them.'' Source: Alex Ofei-Kwayisi/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, has applauded the impact of the policies, programmes and developmental projects undertaken by the Government of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in the Greater Accra Region. Delivering a statement on Friday, 22nd October 2021, when President Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy call on him, as part of his working visit to the Greater Accra Region, the Ga Mantse stated that "Your Excellency, we are seeing development in Accra. But we encourage you to do more." According to, the Ga State recognizes and appreciates the developmental projects being undertaken in the Ga State, for example the James Town Fishing Harbour and the Salaga Market. Pursuant to this, the Chiefs of the Ga State shall collaborate with President at all times to ensure that Accra becomes the cleanest city in Africa. In that regard, all the Chiefs in the Ga State pledge to be ambassadors in promoting the clean Accra Agenda. Cognizant of the fact that, development thrives only in a peaceful environment, he added that, the Ga Traditional Council pledges to maintain peace within the Ga State and to also resolve all chieftaincy disputes within the shortest possible time to facilitate the development of the Ga State and Ghana as a whole. The Ga Mantse also commended President Akufo-Addo, for the various social interventions introduced, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the nomination of the first female Mayor of Accra. He also extended the appreciation of the Chiefs of the Ga State, for the appointments of Nii Dakutso Otsii I, Member of the Council of State, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Henry Quartey; and Mr. Edwin Obodai Provencal, CEO of BOST, who, he described as competent indigenes of the Ga State. The Ga Mantse was confident that the newly confirmed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) will work together with the Regional Minister, Local Government Minister and we the traditional leaders to make Accra work again. Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, appealed to the President to assist ongoing efforts to change the name of the region to Ga Dangme Region, in order to advance the unification and consolidation of Ga Dangme and to increase the teaching of the Ga language in schools in the region. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Popular Ghanaian rapper, Samuel Adu Frimpong, know in the showbiz as Medikal has reportedly been arrested by the Ghana Police service for flaunting a gun in a video on social media. He was arrested by the Police on Thursday, 21st October, 2021 and led to the Accra Regional Police Command Charge Office. His arrest comes few hours after Shatta Wale and three others were remanded into police custody for a week over the musician's fake gunshot story. In the early hours of today, Medikal was seen at the court to show support to his friend Shatta Wale who is in the grips of the police for raising false information of being shot by some unknown assailants. After questioning and interactions by the police, it is reported that Medikal has been denied bail and will be put before court on Friday, 22nd October, 2021 Source: Atiemo Emmanuel/Peacefmonline/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. Featured Video Controversial Ghanaian radio presenter and Reggae musician, Blakk Rasta has thrown shades at his colleague Shatta Wale over his fake gun attack that held the nation at ransom on Monday, October 18, 2021. Shatta Wale is currently facing the law for staging a stunt purported to make Ghanaians believe the prophecy made by a preacher, Jesus Ahuofe that he will be shot by some people had trully happened and Blakk Rasta has described Shatta Wale as junkie adding that no amount of death hoaxes can resurrect him. On top of it all, Blakk Rasta spoke trash about Shattas upcoming album called GOG and labeled it borla. Blakk Rastas consistent calling of Shatta Wale a junkie brought concerns to people on social media. They were questioning if Shatta Wale was on drugs or not. They were of the view that his face looked like he was indeed sick. The caption spoke on how Shatta Wale was looking different. Others said he looked like someones who is on drugs and someone who is sick. They asked that his health conditions be checked and taken seriously. Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video " " Then-candidate Joe Biden arrives at a campaign stop on Dec. 2, 2019 in Emmetsburg, Iowa. The stop was part of his 650-mile "No Malarkey" campaign bus trip through rural Iowa. Scott Olson/Getty Images If you've tuned in to see Joe Biden in a debate anytime since at least 2012, you've heard him call his opponent's plans "malarkey." Every time he passes this judgment, lookups of this odd and fun-to-say word spike on Merriam-Webster's website. After he used it in a 2020 presidential debate, "malarkey" was in the top 30 percent of all lookups on the site, and this same dictionary named it a 2020 Word of the Year, along with "coronavirus," "asymptomatic" and "schadenfreude." But why "malarkey"? Where does this weird word even come from? Advertisement A lot of people, apparently including Biden, believe "malarkey" to come from Ireland. But its first-known usage is in the United States in the early 1920s. It's not a widely used word in Ireland or Great Britain, even today. The Oxford English Dictionary pegs its first use in 1923 in an article published in the Defiance Crescent-News, a local newspaper in Ohio: The challenger has been so unimpressive in public that ... a coterie ... has made a practice of laughing immoderately at every move the Latin makes. They seem to think he is a lot of "malarkey," as it were. But many trace the term back to a political cartoonist, Thomas Aloysius Dorgan, whose work was credited in the papers by his initials: Tad. He used the term as early as 1922 in the San Francisco Call & Post, according to a paper published in 2002. Other sources point to a cartoon by Tad published in the Madison (Wisconsin) Capital Times in 1924, where a character says, "Malachy, you said it." Over the years, people have hypothesized that the word comes from an Irish surname, Mullarkey, or the modern Greek word for soft, "malakia." But most scholars give these ideas little credit. It's also been spelled several different ways, including Tad's "malachy;" without an e, as in "malarky;" and the most commonly accepted way, as in the Merriam-Webster entry, "malarkey." According to the 2002 paper, which was published in the journal Western Folklore, there could still be an Irish connection. Irish Gaelic has the root "meall-," which has connotations of deception or lies. The word mealleairacht means deception, allurement, or amusement, which has a very malarkey-like flavor. The paper's author, William Sayers, makes the case that the word came to San Francisco with Irish immigrants in the early 20th century, but American ears misheard the precise pronunciation. As the word moved eastward, it became "malarkey." And now the word has achieved what all words dream of: being used by a presidential candidate in a debate of national importance. Now That's Claptrap Americans love to make up fun new words, and a lot of them have to do with things we consider nonsense, just like malarkey. We also have claptrap, poppycock, hogwash, mumbo jumbo, guff, taradiddle, tommyrot, horsefeathers, fiddlesticks, crapola, hokum and the most recent entry, woo-woo. Bolt Mobility, a micromobility company co-founded by Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, has launched an in-app navigation system for its e-scooters dubbed "MobilityOS." To make this feature easy to use, Bolt's next generation of scooters, the "Bolt Two," allows a rider's smartphone to be mounted to, and charged by, the scooter. The simple act of adding a phone mount to a scooter along with this in-app navigation is a differentiator in the shared scooter market. Not many shared e-scooters include phone mounts, a shocking oversight considering that it's 2021 and most people who ride scooters likely outsource their navigation to Google Maps or Apple Maps. That said, some operators told TechCrunch giving distraction-prone riders a screen to look at when approaching intersections is a safety risk, not to mention the probable costs associated with having to fix or replace mounts that get damaged on the tough city streets. Bolt's MobilityOS uses map visualization provided by Google Maps, but the navigation system is built in-house to incorporate city-specific geofences for each unique ride, which helps keep riders on streets with bike lanes away from dangerous, sensitive or high-traffic areas. Spin's app has a similar feature. Bolt says its system also encourages users to park vehicles safely and keep sidewalks clean with "reward parking zones." The mount on the Bolt Twos is also a built-in wireless smartphone charger that's powered by the scooter's swappable batteries. The impact on the scooter battery of charging a smartphone is "minimal," according to the company. Bolt is currently present in 33 cities, towns and campuses across the United States. MobilityOS and the Bolt Twos are already live in Miami, the company's hometown, but the navigation system will arrive in Bolt's other markets in the first quarter of next year. The new scooters will arrive into new markets, which Bolt hasn't yet announced, and into existing markets as older fleets are updated. In terms of what the competition offers, Voi, which mainly operates in Europe, does have a phone mount, but most of the others, including Veo, Spin, Lime and Bird, don't. Superpedestrian and Veo say they're working on getting phone holders on their fleets now, and Lime is piloting them on its Gen4 Scooter in Stockholm before making a decision about rolling them out globally. Lime, Spin and Bird are integrated with Google Maps, so users can both find e-scooters and route vehicle-specific trips on the app. However, without a mount, most users will probably just end up using headphones to listen out for directions while keeping their phone safely tucked away in a pocket. From a raft the team uses a hollow cylinder to punch through the lake bottom thus getting sediments with layers. The layers are called warves and preserve traces from historic developments and landscape changes, e.g. pollen or ashes. Credit: Achim Brauer/GFZ Anyone traveling from the German city of Brandenburg via Berlin to Frankfurt an der Oder at the Polish-German border does so along an ancient route that reaches far into Poland. German and Polish researchers have now documented the influence of this East-West connection on the history of the landscape by examining the sediments of Lake Czechowskie in the Bory Tucholskie and also evaluating historical sources. According to the results, three phases of landscape development can be distinguished in the last eight hundred years: from an almost untouched landscape through an intermediate phase lasting several centuriescharacterized by alternations between strong settlement activity and the return of nature after warsto today's cultural landscape. One of the two main authors, Achim Brauer of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, says: "Wars had a clear influence, as the Via Marchionis was repeatedly used for troop transports that led to local destruction and devastation. In this study, for the first time, we have shown the impact on the landscape for every war in the region's history. In general, wars have led to greater or lesser devastation ('renaturalization') of the landscape, which has also lasted for varying lengths of time." At other times, it was political developments that left their mark on the landscape, such as an agrarian reform in 1343, which led, with a certain time lag, to an accelerated "anthropogenization" of the landscape, that is, to clearly visible human influence. In the sediments of Lake Czechowskie this is shown by a strong increase of rye pollen and the decrease of birch and pine pollen. Because sediments in a lake exhibit annual stratification similar to tree rings, the German-Polish team was able to pinpoint the year from which pollen originated by counting the individual layers ("warves") down to a resolution of five years. According to this, the landscape remained largely untouched by humans until about 1350 AD. Extensive forests and natural grasses dominated. Then followed five turbulent centuries. The expansion of agriculture and the formation of larger towns were favored by a warm climate and politically calm times. However, between 1409 and 1435 there was war between the Teutonic Order and Polandfields became fallow land, forests expanded again. After peace was concluded, five quiet decades followed again, during which an increase in handicrafts was also evident. Hardwood was cut to obtain building material and potashthus, birch pollen disappeared from lake sediments, rye again increased massively. Sediments from the bottom of lakes are often layered. The individual layers, called warves, preserve information from the past and can be "read" like tree rings. By identifying pollen or ashes, landscape evolution, climate and even political events can be traced. Credit: Achim Brauer/GFZ Huge army campaigns with thousands of riders and foot soldiers, plague epidemics in several waves and some very cold years with crop failures are also documented. Then, from the middle of the 19th century, the influence of agriculture, settlements and economic activity took over to such an extent that one can speak of a predominantly human influence, which continues to this day. First author Micha Sowinski says that "the most important result is that this development did not take place uniformly. Rather, we see an alternation of phases of rapid development and significant regressions. The reasons for this are complex interactions of socio-economic, political and climatic factors." Explore further Researchers see need for action on forest fire risk More information: Micha Sowinski et al, The role of Medieval road operation on cultural landscape transformation, Scientific Reports (2021). Journal information: Scientific Reports Micha Sowinski et al, The role of Medieval road operation on cultural landscape transformation,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00090-3 Some of the recorded carnivore species. From upper left to lower right: Sun bear, Marbled cat, Flat-headed cat, Smooth otters, Yellow-throated marten, Banded linsang, Binturong, Common palm civet, Malay civet. Credit: Miyabi Nakabayashi, Tomoko Kanamori, Aoi Matsukawa, Ikki Matsuda & Goro Hanya Just as humans may leave their home five minutes early to avoid a talkative neighbor or depart work late to avoid a rude coworker, carnivorous mammals may go out of their way to avoid other species. But they're not trying to navigate awkward social interactions; rather, they are negotiating space and resources for survival. Researchers monitored this temporal niche partitioning intermittently over six years with 73 infrared trigger sensor cameras installed at three sites in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo, the third largest island in the world. The international collaboration published their findings, and what they might mean for the mechanism of coexistence between competing mammals, on Oct. 6 in Scientific Reports. "Approximately 20% of the world's mammal species face the risk of extinction, mainly due to threats such as habitat loss and overexploitation," said first author Miyabi Nakabayashi, assistant professor in the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering at Hiroshima University. "The status of mammals in the Indomalayan realmone of Earth's eight biogeographic regions, covering most of South and Southeast Asiais among the world's worst." One of the major roadblocks to effective and realistic solutions to lower the rate of endangered species is the scarcity of basic ecological information on mammals in the Indomalayan region, according to Nakabayashi. "Information regarding temporal activity patterns of animals is crucial to assess responses to anthropogenic disturbances and to allow the implementation of proper conservation measures," Nakabayashi said. "Camera trapping is one of the most useful techniques to study cryptic and rare animals." The researchers collected 37,379 photos over a total of about three active years. Although the first cameras were installed in 2010 and the last ones were removed in 2016, there were significant periods of bad weather or logistical issuessuch as nesting insectsthat rendered the cameras inoperable for long stretches of time. In the dataset, the researchers identified nine distinct carnivore species with sample sizes larger than 10 and categorized their activity patterns by time of day. Of the species, six were active at night, two were active during the day and one was active regardless of time. Some of the more closely related animals demonstrated a clear temporal segregation, including two wild cats, one of whom was nocturnal while the other preferred the day. However, the researchers also found that three species of civets were all active at night, which might be due to limited competition over resources because all three species eat a variety of food items, Nakabayashi said. The researchers also found that tourism may have an impact on mammal behaviors. Tourism activitiesmainly non-lethal ecotourism eventswere conducted at all study sites during the study period. Only one site, however, hosted nocturnal tourism activities. Common palm civets at the other two sites had two clear peaks of temporal activity at night, but the same species at the site with nocturnal tourism had unclear and delayed temporal movement. "The potential benefits of ecotourism may include reduced threats to wildlife," Nakabayashi said, noting that community-based ecotourism can bring significant benefits such as alternative income that incentivizes local communities and policy makers to protect the species in areas of interest. "But our results indicate that the temporal activity pattern of a species might be directly affected by tourism activity. The effect of tourism on animal behavior should be evaluated, even though it is non-lethal ecotourism." The researchers also recommended a two- to three-year-long study with at least 10 cameras to gather more data on the activities of the carnivores. "Current information is too limited and sporadic to understand basic behaviors of mammals, which may affect the progress in evaluating and improving the threatened status," Nakabayashi said. "We should accumulate more information on rare species to determine their basic ecology and to reassess whether current conservation management strategies are appropriate." Explore further Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mammals at tourist destinations More information: Miyabi Nakabayashi et al, Temporal activity patterns suggesting niche partitioning of sympatric carnivores in Borneo, Malaysia, Scientific Reports (2021). Journal information: Scientific Reports Miyabi Nakabayashi et al, Temporal activity patterns suggesting niche partitioning of sympatric carnivores in Borneo, Malaysia,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99341-6 Undated handout picture released by the Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum of one of the 29 human remains discovered at an ancient ceremonial site in Lambayeque. A team of archeologists in northern Peru discovered the remains of 29 people, including three children, that could help experts rewrite the history of the pre-Incan Wari civilization, the lead researcher said on Friday. The skeletons were buried more than 1,000 years ago in Huaca Santa Rosa de Pucala, an ancient ceremonial center in the coastal region of Lambayeque, 750 kilometers to the north of Lima. The burials of the three children and a teenager at the front of the temple indicated they were human sacrifices from the Wari culture, Edgar Bracamonte, the lead researcher, told AFP. It is the first time a discovery linked to the Wari civilization has been made this far from their area of influence, said Bracamonte. "These discoveries allow us to rethink the history of the Lambayeque region, especially the links to Wari and Mochica occupations in the area," said Bracamonte. The Wari culture flourished in the central Peruvian Andes from the seventh to 13th centuries. The Huaca Santa Rosa de Pucala enclosure, in the form of the letter 'D', was built between 800 and 900 AD. "We found a ceremonial temple with 29 human remains, 25 belonging to the Mohica era and four to the Wari culture," said Bracamonte. The Mochica, or Moche, culture developed from 100 to 700 AD on the northern Peruvian coast. The 25 Mochica remains were found in clay tombs and burial chambers in a temple. Researchers also found pieces of pottery and the remains of camelidssuch as llamas and alpacasand guinea pigs. One of the most significant discoveries related to the Mochica culture was in 2006 with the unearthing of the fifth century Lady of Cao mummy, that showed the civilization included female leaders. The 1987 discovery of another mummy, the third century Lord of Sipan, is considered by experts one of the most significant archeological discoveries in the last few decades, as the main tomb was found intact and untouched by thieves. Explore further Peru reconstructs face of pre-Columbian ruler 2021 AFP This image of Earth was compiled using tens of thousands of images from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. Thanks to the satellite era, we are better placed to understand the complexities of our planet, particularly with respect to global change. Todays satellites are used to answer important to understand how Earth works as a system and how natural processes are changing under the pressure of human activity. Satellites also provide essential information for everyday applications such as to improve agricultural practices, for maritime safety and to help when natural disasters strike. Credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (201920), processed by ESA and cloud layer from NASA Earth observation provides a wealth of information to benefit our daily lives. As the demand for satellite data grows to address the challenges of climate change and a growing population, ESA, under the leadership of the European Commission, along with its key European partners, are developing high precision digital models of Earth to monitor and simulate both natural and human activity, to enable more sustainable development and support European environmental policies. Today, at the ESA Council, Member States approved a "Contribution Agreement," which paves the way for cooperation with the European Commission on the Destination Earth initiative, in the context of the Digital Agenda of the European Union. Destination Earth (DestinE) hosts digital twinsdigital replicas of various aspects of the Earth's systemthat can monitor, analyze, predict and safeguard various terrestrial aspects including climate dynamics, natural disasters, food and water security, ocean circulation and biodiversity. Constantly fed with Earth observation data, combined with in situ measurements and artificial intelligence, the digital twins provide us with highly accurate representation of the past, present and future changes of our world. The digital twins will be accessible through a user-friendly and secure cloud-based digital modeling and simulation platform, that will be developed by ESA. Specifically, DestinE will: Support the prediction of both natural disasters and man-made environmental damage with high precision. Enable the continuous and accurate monitoring of the health of the planet by focusing on the effects of climate change, for example on the oceans, water, Earth's ice caps, land use etc. Allow us to better understand the socio-economic effects of climate change and the occurrence of extreme natural disasters. The models will help scientists, politicians and the general public to understand the complex interactions that environment and humans will play in shaping Earth's future. Destination Earth will also form the baseline for effective European adaptation strategies in support of the green transition, helping the EU reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, and the implementation of the European Commission's Green Deal and Digital Strategy. ESA Acting Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Toni Tolker-Nielsen, commented, "It is vital we understand how the climate crisis will evolve and how we can tackle these challenges over the coming decades. Destination Earth is a key initiative for Europe, forming the baseline for effective European adaptation strategies and supporting the green transition. "Through ESA's expertise, we are pushing forward with Destination Earth, making us an invaluable partner for the European Commission. We are looking forward to collaborating with ECMWF and Eumetsat in order to make this a reality." Destination Earth partners The European Commission will lead and coordinate the implementation efforts among a core group of leading European organizations which will be responsible for developing the main elements of the initiative. These include ESA, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat). ESA will be responsible for the DestinE Open Core Service Platform, a user-friendly and secure cloud-based digital modeling and open simulation platform. The platform will rely on the most comprehensive and sophisticated space-based observation data, including data from ESA's Earth Explorers, the Copernicus Sentinel series, the meteorological missions and different Earth observation satellites. The Destination Earth platform will be accessible to a full range of stakeholders from experts, scientists and policymakers to individuals. The platform will employ novel digital technologies, such as cloud-based supercomputing and artificial intelligence for providing extreme-scale data analytics, Earth-system monitoring, simulation and prediction capabilities to its users. At the same time, it will allow users to customize the platform, integrate their own data and develop their own applications. Eumetsat will be responsible for the DestinE Data Lake: a pool of data building on the federation of distributed data sources. ECMWF will be responsible for the Digital Twin Engine, including the development of the two initial Digital Twins. Upcoming digital twins DestinE will be implemented gradually over the next five to six years. The first two digital twins to be developed will be: Digital Twin on Weather-Induced and Geophysical Extremes and the Climate Change Adaptation Digital Twin. The Digital Twin on Weather-Induced and Geophysical Extremes, managed by ECMWF, will provide capabilities and services for the assessment and prediction of environmental extremes. Decision-makers will be able to anticipate the occurrence and impacts of extreme natural events, such as flooding and forest fires, with increased precision. The Digital Twin on Climate Change Adaptation will support the generation of analytical insights and testing of predictive scenarios in support of climate adaptation and mitigation policies at decadal timescales, at regional and national levels. A key milestone is the launch of these two digital twins by December 2030. More digital twins will be developed in the following years and brought together to develop a 'full' digital replica of the Earth system by 2030. The possible new developments can include digital twins of the oceans, biodiversity and urban environments. Explore further Scientists begin building highly accurate digital twin of our planet Credit: CC0 Public Domain Advocates of environmental, social and governance-oriented investing are stepping up pressure on global leaders to pursue policies such as carbon pricing, emission curbs and better disclosure on risk at a United Nations climate summit that starts later this month. Governments are behind the private sector in responding to climate change. Providing regulatory certainty would not only help them catch up but would also help bring more investors into sustainable finance, the advocates said ahead of the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP26. The climate summit will kick off on Oct. 31 in Glasgow, Scotland, where President Joe Biden and other global policymakers are expected to announce climate commitments that build on the Paris Agreement in 2015. "One of the enlightened moments in COP26 should be and will be when the investor sector steps up and says, 'We believe that climate change presents an extraordinary number of risks and an extraordinary number of opportunities that we would like to be addressing, and regulatory certainty is what we seek,'" said Paula DiPerna, special adviser to CDP, a nonprofit that runs a global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. "There is momentum demonstrated by the investor sector that has only been growing, and that should be an indicator of the degree to which the people who know about money recognize that climate change is a challenge and also an important driver of economic growth as well," she said. Investments and financial transactions to facilitate efforts to address climate change have picked up in the past decade, thanks to investor and shareholder pressure on companies to tackle ESG issues. More than $17 trillion of the $51.4 trillion invested in the U.S. in 2019 used sustainable strategies, according to US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. Investors need guidelines to allocate money properly and speed the global economy's transition to net-zero, DiPerna said in an interview. Science, policy and capital have to work together like a tricycle: If they are all not in sync, it will be difficult to move forward. "Right now, it is climate science that is ahead," she said. "The investors are catching up to climate science, and the concern about COP26 is that the science is too far out ahead for either policy or capital to catch up. My hope for COP26 is that all sectors will recognize that climate science has sped up and that all efforts need to be sped up as well." CDP is one of the organizations that coordinated a joint letter on COP26 demands signed by 587 investors representing more than $46 trillion in assets, including Allianz Global Investors, BNP Paribas Asset Management and UBS Asset Management. In the letter, investors called on Biden and other world leaders to commit to more policy mechanisms on climate mitigation. "[O]ur ability to properly allocate the trillions of dollars needed to support the net-zero transition is limited by the ambition gap between current government commitments and the emission reductions needed to limit global average temperature rise to 1.5-degrees Celsius," they said in the letter. "In addition we need access to adequate information on how these companies are assessing and managing the risks and opportunities presented by climate change," they continued. "Government policy has a critical role to play in increasing our access to and affirmative disclosure of such information." Two big recommendations are for more stringent climate targets for 2030 and a price on carbon, which DiPerna said "remains one of the most important tools to shift capital into a net-zero load." The investors in the letter said strong policies that fully implement the provisions of the Paris Agreement would create significant investment opportunities in clean technologies, green infrastructure and other assets and help scale up private capital toward climate mitigation. "In turn, investors can use capital allocation and stewardship to support sustainable activities that generate jobs and economic growth, transition away from carbon-intensive activities and increase resilience," the investors concluded. "We encourage governments to engage closely with investors to make sure these opportunities are fully realized." Investors and other stakeholders are also calling on countries to create uniform standards for climate risk reporting, and more corporations are voluntarily disclosing their material exposure to climate change. The Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, established by the Financial Stability Board, reported last week that more than half of the 1,650 companies across 69 countries it reviewed disclosed their climate-related risks and opportunities. The organization found that climate reporting requirements from several jurisdictions as well as support from investors, international standard setters and regulators all played a role in the increase in climate-related disclosures. Anne Simpson, managing investment director of the California Public Employees' Retirement System, or CalPERS, said climate risk reporting is "an essential issue to investors" and such standardization needs to happen in order to build off of the Paris Agreement. Markets cannot be fully optimized if they are ill-informed, she said during a Washington Post Live event last week. The data required to make sound decisions is still not in "a standardized, consistent, verified format," hindering ESG-conscious investment, Simpson said. "Think about it: You go shopping to buy a can of beans, you expect to be able to see what's in the tin. That's the purpose of the label," she said. "When we're buying investments, we simply don't have that kind of information that's going to help us understand risks that's ahead of us." Global standards of climate risk reporting are needed "so the financial markets can play their part, and also so regulators can do what they need to do," she added. While climate-centered investments have expanded without much government intervention, there is only so much growth left without policy, according to Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, a nonprofit that works with capital market investors and companies on sustainability issues. "Ambitious climate policies are critical market signals for investors around the world," Lubber said in a statement. "With the right policy signals for robust economic transition pathways, investors will make large and necessary investments now. Our government leaders must do better to put the right policy settings in place. Those that do will benefit the most." Explore further Carbon credits and institutional investors are key to a sustainable future 2021 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Photo of Vervet taken in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania by Alexander Landfair. Credit: Wikipedia. Monkeys suffering from a fever are twice as likely to be the victims of aggression from members of their own social group looking to advance their dominance, according to the first study to monitor fevers in wild primates and reveal the social cost of infection among the species. Using state-of-the-art miniature data loggers, researchers led by Dr. Richard McFarland from Nottingham Trent University obtained continuous measurements of core body temperature in a group of wild vervet monkeys over a six-year period. They detected 128 fevers in 43 monkeys, totalling 776 fever-days. Behavior during periods of fever included loss of appetite and fatigue, but the monkeys did not reduce interaction with their social group. This temporary loss of capacity was detected by other members of the group, offering them competitive opportunities. As well as receiving more aggression, those with a fever were six times more likely to get injured, compared to those without. Of the 412 days on which a monkey was febrile, 39% involved aggression and 8% resulted in newly acquired injuries. Across all aggressions directed toward victims with a fever, 80% were male and 20% were femaleattackers were found to be both male and female regardless of the victim. When comparing the relative risk of injury to the day on which a fever started, the monkeys were more likely to get injured in the days closer to the onset of a fever, with the maximum probability of injury being two days after the onset of a fever. These results suggest that injuries were more likely when a monkey already had an established fever and were not the cause of the fever itself. Dr. Richard McFarland, senior lecturer in Psychology at NTU's School of Social Sciences, has spent almost ten years studying the thermoregulation of primates in South Africa, including the impact of climate on their behavior. He said: "While there are many positives for monkeys who live in social groupssuch as protection from predators and improve reproductive successwe've demonstrated, for the first time in a wild primate, a hidden cost of sociality. "These monkeys live in relatively stable dominance hierarchies, but we saw sick animals targeted by their own peers when they were sick, and least able to fight back, potentially improving the attacker's social status, and further reducing a sick animal's survival prospects." "The results help us to understand disease transmission and the ways in which social structure can change as a result of infection." The paper, "Fevers and the social costs of acute infection in wild vervet monkeys," has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Explore further Monkeys are less cuddly with each other when dealing with an infection, study finds Fig. 1: Costal hardening extent determined for 30 global urban centers. ae, Insets provide details on centers examined around North America (a, b), the United Kingdom (c), Australia (d) and New Zealand (e). Maps are from ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World. Credit: DOI: 10.1038/s41893-021-00780-w A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in New Zealand and Australia has created a model to forecast coastal hardening around the world in the coming years. In their paper published in the journal Nature Sustainability, the group describes collecting and analyzing satellite data to build their model. Coastal hardening happens when humans build structures on or near the edges of the ocean. What were once marshes, for example, could be replaced by hotels and casinos. In this new effort, the researchers looked at the extent of coastal hardening, its impact on local ecosystems and where it is likely to happen in the near future. As the researchers note, when natural soft coastline is replaced with hard materials, the geography becomes simpler, which leads to changes in the ecological community that can favor invasive species. Putting up seawalls or similar structures reduces the number of creatures that can live around them, the researchers note, pointing out that the decrease in diversity has been well documented for many major cities around the world located close to the ocean, such as New York. Prior research has shown that there are common factors that lead to coastal hardening, such as tourism or shipping. Cities that serve as shipping hubs are also much more sensitive to invasive species becoming entrenched. To learn more about the extent of coastal hardening, the researchers obtained and scrutinized satellite maps for 30 cities around the world. They found that more than half of the coastline in these areas has been hardened. They then gathered shipping, demographic and economic data for the same cities and used it to create an AI model that could predict hardening of coastal areas in the future. The model can be used to study likely coastal hardening for specific regions over a specified number of years. They used it to learn more about likely increases in coastal hardening in New Zealand over the next 25 years, as an examplethe model showed 243 to 368 kilometers of shoreline near urban areas experiencing new coastal hardening. Explore further New meta-analysis shows engineered hard shorelines are a threat to ecosystems More information: Oliver Floerl et al, A global model to forecast coastal hardening and mitigate associated socioecological risks, Nature Sustainability (2021). Journal information: Nature Sustainability Oliver Floerl et al, A global model to forecast coastal hardening and mitigate associated socioecological risks,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-021-00780-w 2021 Science X Network A US flag is stained with a biodegradable substance masquerading as "oil" by demonstrators with Extinction Rebellion XR Youth Los Angeles during a protest against climate change and the Line 3 oil pipeline project outside of the US Federal Building on August 13, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. US intelligence services said Thursday for the first time that climate change poses wide-ranging threats to the United States' national security and stability around the world. More extreme weather "will increasingly exacerbate a number of risks to US national security interests, from physical impacts that could cascade into security challenges, to how countries respond to the climate challenge," the White House said in a summary of the intelligence reports. The prediction was made in the first official assessment by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, or ODNI, which oversees the sprawling US intelligence apparatus. The document "represents the consensus view of all 18" elements in the intelligence community, the White House said. According to the agencies, climate change is driving "increased geopolitical tension as countries argue over who should be doing more," cross-border "flashpoints" as countries respond to climate change impact by trying to secure their own interests, and fallout from climate on national stability in some countries. On a practical level, US national security bodies will be integrating climate change effects into their planning, the White House said. The Pentagon, for example, will consider climate change "at every level, which will be essential to train, fight, and win in an increasingly complex environment." Migration, a politically sensitive issue on the US southern border, will also be seen partly through the lens of climate change, the White House said. "This assessment marks the first time the US government is officially recognizing and reporting on this linkage." The report was issued just ahead of the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, which President Joe Biden will be attending. "With more than 85 percent of global emissions coming from beyond US borders, we alone cannot solve this challenge. We need the rest of the world to accelerate their progress," a senior US official, who asked not to be identified, told reporters. "It is definitely a security issue and a national security issue." A separate government report issued later Thursday characterized climate-related risk as "an emerging threat to financial stability of the United States," according to the Financial Stability Oversight Council. Recommendations included directives for regulators to require additional climate disclosures of companies and other regulated entities and consider mandates for them to undertake "scenario analysis" on climate outcomes. "This report puts climate change squarely at the forefront of the agenda," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said at a meeting of the FSOC, which was set up after the 2008 financial crisis. Yellen described the report as a "critical first step" as she called for immediate action, saying "the longer we wait to address the underlying causes of climate change, the greater the risk." Explore further Pentagon, intelligence agencies detail climate threat to security 2021 AFP Credit: CC0 Public Domain The kayakers stood for a moment on the beach, marveling at the clear sweep of blue. On a warm fall day along the south shore of one of the world's largest freshwater lakes, the sun lolled toward the horizon, miles out from the peppered, coppered grains of sand anchoring the kayaks. Fresh off their first trip through the sea caves of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the twin sisters from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, listed off Lake Superior's "Caribbean blue" water and cold temperatures, its vastness. "I would never have guessed it would have happened here," said Jessie Rubenzer, with a glance toward the water. Jenn Short echoed the thought: "I would never have guessed." "It's all perfect beach," Rubenzer said. And, said Short, "Perfect water." When it's not green. A bloom of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, appeared in Lake Superior about a decade ago, sending scientists in search of answers to why a worrisome problem was surfacing in a lake that holds a tenth of the earth's surface freshwater. The blooms, which have cropped up in all the Great Lakes, can deplete oxygen and cut off light, harming organisms trapped underneath. They sometimes create toxins that threaten the health of fish, dogs and humans, and make their way into water intakes. How and why toxins accompany some blooms is still a bit of a mystery. With their ephemeral naturethe handful of blooms that have occurred in Lake Superior have been mostly small and short-livedsamples and good data are limited. Since the first reported Lake Superior bloom in 2012, no serious levels of toxins had been confirmed. That changed last month with a bloom near Superior, Wisconsin, that left a beach's water streaky green. A toxin more potent than cyanide was detected just beyond the level set for safe swimming by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Confirmation gave scientists pause. Another change. Lake Superior is among the world's fastest-warming freshwater bodies and has increasingly borne the force of what used to be considered once-in-a-lifetime storms. Weather extremes fueled by human-caused climate change may imperil a lake whose reputation rests on its unspoiled water. Algae blooms are generally driven by temperature, sunlight, water conditions and nutrientsprimarily phosphorus, which can come from farm fertilizer and manure that eventually wash into lakes. But among the Great Lakes, Lake Superior is an anomaly. Unlike Lake Erie and Green Bay in Lake Michiganwarmer, shallower and surrounded by sources of agricultural runoffLake Superior is cold, deep and nutrient poor. Blooms have appeared in northern Canadian waters, but most span a popular recreational stretch from Duluth to the Apostle Islands, where land cover is largely forest and woody wetlands; agriculture and urban detritus are minimal. Climate change appears to be a primary actor. "The data have convinced me that the changing climate system has pushed Lake Superior into a new state, one where we get these blue-green blooms," said Robert Sterner, the director of the Large Lakes Observatory at the University of Minnesota Duluth. "One of the things that's driving our work is if, in fact, we're in the beginning of something that's getting worse, we really owe it to the world to try to understand this circumstance as best we can." A group of Midwestern scientists can't reverse decades of burned fossil fuels or a lack of political will. What they can do is head back out into the water. This summer, a boost in funding came from the Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative, an ongoing binational survey of the Great Lakes. All summer, scientists from local universities and state and federal agencies, assisted by real-time buoys and even an underwater glider named for the genus of the common loon, have been out on the lake and in the lab, collecting, filtering, testingand hoping the water tells a story. What scientists can learn from Lake Superior may benefit other lakes already struggling with algae blooms as climate change threatens to make things worse. Hannah Ramage, monitoring coordinator with the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, is used to keeping an eye out for a tinted surface when leaving the office. In September, she noticed the toxic bloom at Barker's Island, where it looked like someone had dumped bright, green paint. She also spotted some beachgoers with dogs who looked like they were headed toward the shore. She offered a warning: "You might want to stay out of the water." 'Stacking the decks' About 60 miles east of Barker's Island, freshwater gurgled and spat between arched sandstone, eaten through and worn away along the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Evergreens hung from bluffs' edges. Slivers of light illuminated crevices just wide enough to fit a kayak. The sea caves, the result of natural processes over hundreds of millions of years, are a good reason to visit Lake Superior. When the water by Meyers Beach is clear. In 2018, Brenda Moraska Lafrancois, aquatic ecologist with the National Park Service, heard of an unusual sight along the lakeshore, which includes nearly two dozen islands and a 12-mile stretch around the Bayfield Peninsula. Populations of blue-green algae, skilled at adapting to a range of conditions and able to float in the water, exploded. That August bloom, lasting days, covered more than 50 miles from the Duluth area to the eastern Apostle Islands. Sediment plumes lingered for weeks. If one of the world's largest lakes is showing these kinds of unexpected changes, Lafrancois said, "that's something that's worth paying attention to." Larger blooms have occurred in years with above-average temperatures and heavy rains capable of carrying loads of nutrients to the lake. One giant storm walloping the highly erodible clay and sediment can contribute more than a typical month's worth of phosphorus. In June 2012, an unusually intense storm caused more than $100 million in damage and unloaded 10 inches of rain around Duluth. Roads washed out. A half-dozen communities declared a state of emergency. More than a dozen animals drowned at the Lake Superior Zootwo lucky harbor seals who escaped were recovered from the street. A few weeks later, a filmy, green stretch spanned more than 12 miles of Lake Superior from Cornucopia, Wisconsin, to Little Sand Bay, but soon dissipated. Six years later, another historic storm hit. About a month and a half after that, so did a massive bloom. "We don't know at this stage what the future holds," Lafrancois said. "The years we've seen the biggest blooms in the past, these are years that have major storm events and flooding. And they're years with warm temperatures. And we know just based on climate change models and so forth that we're kind of stacking the decks in favor of those types of conditions. "So it seems likely that if those conditions are what we see more of, then blooms might be something that we see more of, too." Rising temperatures, diminishing ice cover and longer summer seasons don't bode well for the rapidly warming lake. This summer, Lake Superior saw above average surface water temperatures, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data. Mid-October temperatures are the warmest on record since 1995, still hovering near 60 degrees. The Great Lakes region overall has seen a nearly 10% increase in annual precipitation in the last century, and more regularly through intense storms, with that trend projected to continue. Annual average air temperatures for Lake Superior areas including the Apostle Islands could increase by as much as 8 degrees by century's end, and, according to an EPA-funded climate assessment for Lake Superior, a summer at Isle Royale National Park, north of the Apostle Islands, could feel more like a day at the beach in southern Wisconsin. 'Long-lasting change' Sterner, the Large Lakes director, has spent years trying to understand green water, and even longer learning about Lake Superiorfrom its depths to its edges. Sterner said he worries about protecting Lake Superior as a cultural resource. "I think about people who maybe planned all winter for a kayak trip, and they showed up, and they didn't see what you saw. They saw murky green water that looks like melted crayon. Well, they didn't plan all winter for that. " "It's what's happening right here at the beach that matters," Sterner said. "So I worry about that, because I love this place." On a terrace outside his Duluth office, where a sticker asks if you've "hugged a limnologist today," Sterner said too much has happened since the 2012 bloom to write anything off as a one-off. "The big worry, of course, is that we're on the threshold of some really significant, long lasting change," Sterner said. "Are we just on the verge of seeing something that will be more prevalent, more common, more regularheaven forbid larger events?" At this point, Sterner said, "I don't think these are going away." Inside the lab, where beakers lined the walls and a freezer brimmed with water bottles yellowing from age, researcher Sandra Brovold talked above the din of pumps. She and graduate student Ayooluwateso Coker worked their way through samples from sites stretching toward the sea caves, preparing filters roughly the size of a poker chip to collect what's in the water. In the months ahead, researchers will be on the lookout for red flagsbumps in algae biomass, changes in toxins, nutrient spikesespecially following storms. "It's the very beginning. They're very minimal," Brovold said, about the blooms. "But if you look at how the climate is changing and how things are happening, I'm sorry, but it's only going to get worse." Coker, who grew up in Chicago, knew blooms were a problem in Lake Erie. Now she studies how storms and sediment connect to Lake Superior's blooms. "I was pretty shocked when I learned that Lake Superior has blooms," Coker said. "Then I think I was less surprised and more like, OK, this is happening now." Along with the influx of nutrients from storms, scientists think the algae cells needed to fuel a bloom may arrive from upland streams and coastal harbor areas that feed into the lake. They've also been collecting samples from inland and urban rivers. About a half-dozen reports of small Lake Superior blooms came in throughout the 2021 season, which was warm but dry. Only a couple of blooms, at most, were reported in the two years prior. "My science hat hopes for more blooms to happen so that I can measure them and try to figure out what's going on. Without a bloom I can't do that," Sterner said. "My citizen hat and my human-being hatI'm always glad when there isn't a bloom, because who wants them?" And making the public aware of algae blooms is still a challenge. A couple visiting the Apostle Islands from Seattle said they were familiar with blooms, but wouldn't suspect them in the surprisingly clear water. Another doe-eyed pair celebrating an anniversary hadn't heard of them at all. Even a kayaking guide, who could maneuver through the sea caves' tightest gaps, seemed unaware. But, Sterner said, people still talk about what happened in Toledo. Lake Superior's occasional blooms are paltry compared to western Lake Erie, where blooms have occurred for decades, can cover hundreds of miles and have become increasingly toxic. In 2014, residents were warned to avoid their tap water for three days because of a toxic bloom. "It took that to really penetrate peoples' consciousness: No, you can't turn your water on," Sterner said. "OK, now people know." 'A conundrum' Just a short drive from the Barker's Island swimming beach, a bald eagle flew near the Enger Park lookout, where you can survey the St. Louis River as it feeds into Lake Superior. The river is still an area of concern due to lingering industrial pollution. Days after the toxic bloom at Barker's Island was reported, the beach was empty. Paw prints lined the shore. A sign warning of blue-green algae blooms with a happy-looking pup on its corner was posted on a nearby pole. Dogs, more likely to drink the tainted water, have died after exposure. Blooms can contain different cyanobacteria species, which may fuel or hinder growth. And there are different genetic linesor strains. "Within one species you can have strains that have the genes for toxin production and you can have species that do not have those genes for toxin production," said Gina LaLiberte, the harmful algal bloom coordinator with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "The really important thing that scientists are trying to figure out is, what are the conditions that lead to toxin production?" The open water blooms have been dominated by the species dolichospermum, which is more regularly found in lower nutrient waters. The calm water at Barker's Island beach, protected from the open lake, is different from what's happening near the sea caves. The bloom was different, too. The one at Barker's Island included two species not seen in the open water blooms and the toxin microcystin. Low exposure to cyanotoxins may lead to rashes, or diarrhea. Microcystin can cause liver damage. Cody Sheik, an assistant professor with the Large Lakes Observatory at the University of Minnesota Duluth, studies the ecology of Great Lakes microorganisms. "We know so very little about the function of microorganisms," he said. "And that's because most of them we can't cultivate in the lab." But researchers are studying DNA from water samples and comparing organisms. "And you can look and see what sort of functional genes are present on the genome that would give them the ability to say, make a toxin, or maybe use nitrogen or use phosphorus in a different way," Sheik said. Treating the blooms "all as bad guys" is a great approach from a managerial standpoint, Sheik said. And researchers are broadening the scope of potential toxins that may be associated with the blooms. But research has shown there can be toxic and nontoxic versions blooming throughout the year, sometimes even coexisting in the same bloom. The huge 2018 bloom lacked microcystin toxin production genes, Sheik found. "So it's really a conundrum," Sheik said. While most of the blooms that have occurred in Lake Superior have appeared on the west side of the Bayfield Peninsula, concerns are growing on the eastern side. The town of Ashland gets its drinking water from Lake Superior, through the Chequamegon Bay. Communities have started to question what they would do if a bloom appeared. The bay is relatively shallow, isolated and more likely to be an urban runoff dumping ground where phosphorus might collect than Lake Superior at large. "It seems like if you're going to see an algal bloom in Lake Superior, the Chequamegon Bay is where it would happen," said Matt Hudson, associate director of the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation at Northland College. "That's not the case. So we're asking why." Hudson and water resource specialist Reane Loisell have spent the summer replicating experiments by Sterner's team to see what might be different east of the sea caves. Maybe a different cyanobacteria species, or a lack of upstream sources. On board a small boat, they paused near the mouth of the outflowing Sioux River, where clear water turned cloudyremnants of the week's earlier storm. "There hasn't been a 500 or 1,000-year precipitation event in three years," Hudson said. "I say that tongue and cheek, for sure. The expectation is that we're going to see more of that moving ahead, unfortunately. But the jury's still out here on what the actual drivers of the blooms are, and whether or not we can do something about it." Hudson inserted a probe into the water to check metrics including algae pigments. Lake water pumped through a filter that would be later used for DNA sequencing. All "pieces of information," Hudson said, "that will hopefully help us solve the puzzle." Explore further Toxic algae blooms are getting worse, but oversight is lacking 2021 Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (L-R) Chris Bicknell, Charlotte Bouldin and Andy Cheney of the University of Leicester completing final work on the SXI structural and thermal model prior to delivery to Airbus, Spain. Credit: University of Leicester Space scientists from the University of Leicester have delivered a key component for a new mission to study the impact of the solar wind on Earth's magnetic field. Engineers from the University's Space Research Centre have completed the structural and thermal model for the UK's latest X-ray telescope, the Soft X-ray Imager (SXI), destined for space aboard the SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) probe when it launches at the end of 2024. The model, which has now been delivered to Airbus in Spain for integration and testing within the prototype satellite system, is not the so-called flight modelbut will help engineers understand the extreme requirements for the final design. Specialists will subject the prototype to the significant vibrations, shocks and G-forces experienced during launch of the spacecraft, as well as the extreme temperatures it must operate at in space below -150oC. Dr. Steven Sembay, Principal Investigator (PI) for the SXI instrument, based at the University of Leicester, said: "The STM testing is always a slightly nervous time, especially when you see videos of how much the instrument is shaken during testing! "It is the first time you go from conceptual design in computer models to a real object in metal. I shouldn't have worried. It is a testament to the skill of our engineering and manufacturing team that what is a complex piece of kit works as predicted." The SXI consortium is led by the University of Leicester in collaboration with UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory (UCL MSSL), the Open University and European partners. UCL MSSL is responsible for building the electronics that operate the SXI detectors and retrieve the signals that produce X-ray images of the space around the Earth. The UK Space Agency has committed 10.5 million in funding for UK leadership roles on SMILE, including the SXI instrument. The compact X-ray telescope is the only European instrument planned for the mission. SMILE is the first joint project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from conceptual design to operations, and will study the continuous stream of charged particles emitted by our Sun. Professor Graziella Branduardi-Raymont of UCL MSSL, European Co-Principal Investigator for the mission, said: "One of the most interesting aspects of SMILE SXI is the fact that we are using technology so far applied for looking outwards to X-ray sources in the far Universe to study how our own Earth responds to the impact of the Sun's activity." The highly variable stream of high energy particles, called the solar wind, impacts on the Earth's magnetic field. At times of high intensity this stream can be a hazard to space-based instrumentation or even, in rare cases, ground-based electrical systems. Fortunately, the Earth's magnetic field provides protection, but this compresses and expands as it responds to variations in the highly dynamic solar wind. SXI will continuously monitor the position of the boundary between the region of space controlled by the Earth's magnetic field and the solar wind. Its images will, in conjunction with the other instruments on SMILE, help scientists to refine models of how this Sun-Earth connection responds to the most infamous example of so-called 'space weather'. Dr. Caroline Harper, Head of Space Science at the UK Space Agency, said: "Space weathersuch as the solar windhas the potential to disrupt satellites we rely on every day for services such as global communications or managing power grids. "This mission is a prime example of how, by working with our international partners, the UK is doing innovative science in space, while underpinning the broader economy by supporting the development of real-world applications, such as space weather modeling. It is fantastic to see the first full model of the SXI instrument being delivered and we look forward to the completion of the engineering model and eventually the flight instrument, over the next two years." SXI weighs around 36 kg and needed to be compact and relatively low mass to meet the mission level requirements of the spacecraft. To achieve this the telescope employs a very lightweight optical system to focus X-rays; a 'lobster-eye' lens which mimics the mechanism within the eye of a crustacean. The University of Leicester's Space Research Centre is a world leader in the development of X-ray instruments for space and SMILE's SXI is the third instrument to use similar optics to be built at Leicester following the Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer (MIXS) instrument on ESA's BepiColombo, which has recently successfully completed its first fly-by of destination planet Mercury, and the soon-to-be-launched MXT instrument on the French-Chinese SVOM mission. Explore further SMILE space mission passes first hurdle The Ningaloo Nino marine heatwave led to massive and sustained loss of kelp habitat. Credit: Marine Biological Association Marine heatwaves have led to major economic losses around the world, a new study showsand researchers say we need global action to ease the impacts of extreme warming events on ocean life. Climate change has made extreme weather events increasingly common around the worldand marine heatwaves are no exception. We know these periods of unusually high seawater temperatures generally have negative ecological impactsbut what about other implications and flow-on effects? A paper published this week in Science provides the first global perspective of the socioeconomic impacts of marine heatwaves. The study, led by scientists from the Marine Biological Association (MBA) in the UK and involving Associate Professor Alex Sen Gupta from UNSW's Climate Change Research Centre, showed that ecological impacts of marine heatwaves often led to major economic losses and wider effects on society across the world. "The global annual number of marine heatwave days has risen by 54 percent over the past century, with eight of the 10 most extreme marine heatwaves ever recorded occurring after 2010," A/Prof. Sen Gupta said. "We already know a lot about the drivers and biological impacts of those heatwaves, but only a few studies have looked at their consequences for human-ocean interactions." To help close that evidence gap, the research team examined biological responses to 34 marine heatwaves occurring across all major ocean basins and explored the related socioeconomic impacts. They found that most events resulted in loss of fisheries, destruction of kelp forests or seagrass habitats, or mass mortalities of wildlife, often causing significant economic loss to multiple industries. "We found that economic losses of single marine heatwave events to date exceed US$800 million in direct losses and additional, substantial indirect losses," said lead author, Dr. Katie Smith from MBA . "The true costs are likely to be even greater because many socioeconomic effects remain unknown and underreported, particularly in lower-income countries." For example, the Ningaloo Nino marine heatwave that hit the coast of Western Australia in 2011 led to massive and sustained loss of kelp habitat, fisheries closures and the invasion of tropical species into temperate waters. Dr. Smith said the impacts of marine heatwaves were far-reaching. "The knock-on effects can last for decades," she said. "The loss of coastal habitats such as seagrass meadows and kelp forests impacts fisheries, tourism, and natural capacity to store carbon. "During marine heatwaves ocean temperatures can become so high that some species become stressed or even die, which in turn can affect foodwebs and impact higher predators. For example, a change in microscopic marine animals can ricochet up the foodweb, causing mass mortalities in important fisheries species, endangering sea lions and seabirds and leading to huge financial loss to fisheries and tourism." The paper also revealed that there were some benefits associated with marine heatwaves, including increased recreational opportunities or fisheries prospects as some important species changed their geographic range in response to warming. "Some species or populations show little response to heatwaves, and others even respond positively by extending their ranges or proliferating as a result of increasingly favorable conditions or competitive release, so making good management decisions now might actually allow us to derive some economic benefits," A/Prof. Sen Gupta said. Climate action neededhere and globally A/Prof. Sen Gupta said while the study had important global implications, it was particularly relevant for Australia. "A significant proportion of the heatwaves we analyzed in this paper happened in Australia. For example, the bleaching and mass mortalities in the Great Barrier Reef that happened 20162018 have had huge consequences. The GBR is valued at US$4.2 billion annually, with a total value estimated at US$41 billion, but the economic loss related to bleaching remain unknown. "The Tasman Sea off Tasmania has also seen a string of recent marine heatwaves that are affecting local acquaculture and fisheries. This is a hotspot for ocean warming where temperatures are increasing between two and three times faster than the global average." Marine heatwaves have become longer and more frequent over the past century as the oceans have absorbed excess heat from the atmosphere and become significantly warmer. MBA Research Fellow Dr. Dan Smale said with human-induced climate change, the oceans will continue to warm, leading to more intense and frequent MHWs. "Ultimately, global action to tackle climate change is needed to mitigate the effects of extreme warming events on marine ecosystems in the coming decades," he said. A/Prof. Sen Gupta said the upcoming COP26 summit in Glasgow was a good opportunity to progress that conversation. "COP26 will be a critical time where the world will set out the pathway that will dictate how much more temperatures will increase. This is going to determine the level of damage that will be caused by marine heatwaves in the decades to come." Explore further Marine heatwaves during winter could have dire impacts on New Zealand fisheries and herald more summer storms More information: Kathryn E. Smith et al, Socioeconomic impacts of marine heatwaves: Global issues and opportunities, Science (2021). Journal information: Science Kathryn E. Smith et al, Socioeconomic impacts of marine heatwaves: Global issues and opportunities,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/science.abj3593 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Although many Americans favor expanding background checks for gun purchases, gun-control measures in Congress have failed to garner enough votes to pass. In contrast, some state legislatures have enacted measures to reduce gun violence in their communities. A new study examined the impact changes to background checks and licensing policies has made on different types of violent crime in Massachusetts. The study found no immediate impact, suggesting that state lawmakers may want to ensure their legislation is being implemented as intended. The study, by a researcher at American University (AU), appears in Justice Quarterly, a publication of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. "Gun violence remains at the forefront of the public policy debate when it comes to enacting new or strengthening existing gun legislation in the United States," explains Janice Iwama, assistant professor of justice, law, and criminology at AU, who conducted the study. "Yet the political polarization and relatively limited scholarly research on guns and gun violence make it difficult for policymakers and practitioners to enact and implement legislation that addresses the public health and safety issues associated with gun violence." In 2014, Massachusetts passed new requirements related to background checks for firearms sold at gun shows or through private sales and created changes to firearm regulations by adopting new gun licensing procedures; the new law went into effect in January 2015. Research on the effects of gun legislation has yielded mixed findings and the effectiveness of Massachusetts' law is unclear. Iwama explored the differential effects of the new legislation on public safety outcomes, including violent crime, in Massachusetts counties from 2006 to 2016. She used data from the Firearms Records Bureau, a statewide agency that maintains a database of issued licenses and records of firearms sales by gun dealers, as well as private transfers of weapons. The study used models to predict counts of violent crimes, using data from the FBI, and considering variables that represent the percentage of all denied applications, the percentage of denied applications due to unsuitability, and the percentage of denied applications due to statutory disqualification (e.g., criminal history record, mental health record, fugitive status) at the county level. Based on the percent of firearms licenses, about 1 to 5 percent of adult residents had a firearms license in Massachusetts counties. But Iwama found no consistent effect of the new legislation on reducing four types of violent crime (murder or nonnegligent manslaughter, aggravated assault, robbery, rape). Her study did find that a one-percent increase in denied firearm licenses and denied firearm licenses following statutory disqualifications increased robberies 7.3 and 8.9 percent, respectively. While the percentage of denied firearms licenses and firearms license applications had little to no effect on violent crimes, Iwama suggests state lawmakers revisit their legislation to ensure that it is being implemented as intended and address challenges identified. In particular, are these findings the result of a longer-than-expected lag in enforcement following passage of the legislation? Are they due to individuals obtaining firearms in nearby states with looser gun laws? Or is it possible that the 2014 law is being enforced differentially by county? "It is important for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to consider the magnitude of effects of their laws and how they may be influenced by different levels of enforcement in the state or by the lack of enforcement in surrounding states," cautions Iwama. Among the study's limitations, Iwama notes that the data collected from the FBI was not complete because of changes in reporting practices. In addition, the percentage of firearms licenses, which she used as a proxy for gun ownership, represents neither a perfect measure of gun owners nor an accurate count of the number of firearms available by county. Finally, the small size of the study's sample hindered the author's ability to examine patterns across different counties in the state. More information: Janice Iwama, Reducing Violence?: Examining the Impact of Gun Control Legislation in Massachusetts, Justice Quarterly (2021). Journal information: Justice Quarterly Janice Iwama, Reducing Violence?: Examining the Impact of Gun Control Legislation in Massachusetts,(2021). DOI: 10.1080/07418825.2021.1985593 Provided by Crime and Justice Research Alliance Chris Vargo. Credit: University of Colorado at Boulder When big conglomerates buy up small news outlets, local news takes a hit. But the parent company may not influence the political agenda of its stations as much as some have suspected, finds a new CU Boulder study of TV goliath Sinclair Broadcast Group. The paper, published this week in the journal Electronic News, analyzed hundreds of thousands of news stories from six stations over six years, using big data to ask the question: What happens to a station after Sinclair buys it? The findings, the authors say, are both bad news and good news for journalism. "This paper provides strong evidence that when a large corporation takes over a news station, the amount of local content produced diminishes. That's something to be concerned about," said co-author Chris Vargo, an associate professor in the College of Media, Communication and Information (CMCI). "But we did not see, at scale, the blatant issue manipulation some have suspected. We found no smoking gun." Depleted newsroom and soaring syndication With 186 stations across 620 channels in 82 markets, Sinclair is among the largest owners of TV news stations in the country, reaching about 40% of U.S. households. Some have criticized the rapidly-expanding company for stripping newly acquired newsrooms of resources, even though federal licensure mandates an emphasis on local coverage. Sinclair has also been accused of imposing a top-down conservative editorial stance on its stations. In one instance, the company required stations to run a weekly commentary called Bottom Line with Boris presented by a former senior advisor to President Donald Trump. In March 2018, Sinclair required all stations to air a video of local anchors reading a script decrying the "troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country" and accusing other outlets for publishing "fake stories" and pushing their own "personal bias and agenda." Viral videos about the incident abounded. "This company has a reputation for buying up companies and rapidly expanding, and also for its conservative spin. We wanted to ask, "How does that really trickle down to affect local coverage?'" said co-author Justin Blankenship, an assistant professor at Auburn University. To answer that question, the researchers utilized a massive database to analyze 346,586 news stories posted before and after six stations in Nebraska, Montana and California were acquired by Sinclair. They found the amount of news content published overall steeply declined after a Sinclair acquisitionevidence the company may indeed be depleting its newsrooms of resources, the authors said. For instance, at one Montana station, the average number of stories produced weekly dropped from 410 pre-acquisition to 160 post-acquisition. For five out of six stations, local news contentwhich had already been on the declinecontinued to slide. For one station that had been expanding its local news coverage, that expansion slowed after acquisition. Meanwhile, syndicated content reposted from other stations in different markets continued to increase. "The situation was already bad for local news and then it got worse" after acquisition, said Vargo, noting that one argument in favor of media consolidation is, via economies of scale, stations will be able to improve coverage. "There is no evidence these stations are being better taken care of under a conglomerate." Journalism standards 'alive and well' The study did not, however, find a clear conservative shift in coverage once Sinclair took over. Instead, it found that newly acquired stations covered party politics less. "Some have assumed that if a conservative parent company took over, they would emphasize certain issues and deemphasize other issues. But we found no evidence that is happening at scale," said Vargo. This finding is in line with other research on the so-called Sinclair Effect or what happens to stations under the company's ownership. In comparing the content of news shows on Sinclair vs. non-Sinclair stations, Blankenship found that while those owned by the media giant tended to be more "cable-news style" with dramatic debates involving highly partisan sources, they did not carry a conservative political bias. The infamous "fake news" script incident, while troubling, only happened once, Blankenship notes. And, anecdotally, some news directors have pushed back on must-run segments such as Bottom Line with Borisdeliberately airing them at times of low viewership. "If you're looking for a silver lining here, It's this:" he said. "It appears that the standards and norms of journalism are alive and well among individual journalists and not easily compromised by one new owner." Explore further Sinclair to sell 7 TV stations to Fox to win regulatory OK More information: Justin C. Blankenship et al, The Effect of Corporate Media Ownership on the Depth of Local Coverage and Issue Agendas: A Computational Case Study of Six Sinclair TV Station Websites, Electronic News (2021). Justin C. Blankenship et al, The Effect of Corporate Media Ownership on the Depth of Local Coverage and Issue Agendas: A Computational Case Study of Six Sinclair TV Station Websites,(2021). DOI: 10.1177/19312431211043483 A NASA employee holds the official Artemis mission patch at NASA Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio. NASA said Friday it is now targeting February 2022 for the uncrewed lunar mission Artemis 1, the first step in America's plan to return humans to the Moon later this decade. The space agency had initially wanted to launch the test flight by the end of this year, with astronauts on the ground by 2024 on Artemis 3, but the timeline has slipped back. It achieved a major milestone Wednesday when it stacked the Orion crew capsule atop its Space Launch System megarocket, which now stands 322 feet (98 meters) tall inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After further tests, it will be wheeled out to the launch pad for a final test known as the "wet dress rehearsal" in January, with the first window for launch opening in February, officials told reporters on a call. "The February launch period opens on the 12th and our last opportunity in February is on the 27th," said Mike Sarafin, Artemis 1 mission manager. The next windows are in March and then April. These potential launch periods are dependent on orbital mechanics and the relative position of the Earth with respect to its natural satellite. The mission duration is expected to be four to six weeks. It will also deploy a number of small satellites, known as CubeSats, to perform experiments and technology demonstrations. Although likely to be pushed back, Artemis 2 is technically scheduled for 2023 and Artemis 3 for 2024, humanity's return to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. NASA says the moonwalkers will include the first woman and first person of color to make the trip. The space agency is seeking to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon, and use the lessons it learns to plan a crewed trip to Mars in the 2030s. Explore further NASA completes mega-moon rocket stacking 2021 AFP Credit: CC0 Public Domain University of California San Diego Physics Professor Tom Murphy is among five authors of an essay, appearing in the November 2021 issue of the journal Energy Research & Social Science, that cautions current levels of worldwide economic growth, energy use and resource consumption will overshoot Earth's finite limits. The essay, "Modernity is Incompatible with Planetary Limits: Developing a PLAN for the Future," also announces the establishment of a network of scholars and researchers to promote the understanding of planetary limits, envision scenarios for humanity to thrive within planetary limits, better educate college students about these challenges and advise government officials and communities in developing effective responses. "We all are a product of our times, where 'new,' 'shiny,' 'better' seem normal and 'more, more, more' seems good, but that is a reflection of the abnormal period of the last century or so," said Murphy. "If humanity keeps growing its impact on the planet, we will overshoot planetary limits, so we need to plan to power down while there's still time. Even the founders of economics recognized that Earth's resources are finite and growth is but a transient phase." An astrophysicist who has applied the principles of physics to studying Earth's limitations, Murphy recently published a rigorous examination of these issues in "Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet" (Murphy discusses the book in this question-and-answer article and this video). In their new essay, the authors wrote, "early flying machines invariably crashed despite an exhilarating brief airborne interval mainly because the contraptions were simply not built according to aerodynamic principles of sustainable flight. Likewise, the present economy is not built on principles for sustainable, steady-state operation." Essay senior author Ben McCall and the authors acknowledge "the thought that growth should come to an end is counter to our culture." But keeping at this pace, society is not going to get the future it's been promised, according to McCall. "We shouldn't expect a 'Jetsons' future with flying cars, but with intentional planning we can hope to do better than a 'Flintstones' future," he said. The authors also stress they are preaching prudence, rather than trying to sound alarmist. "We hope this essay gets people to step back from the familiar, up-close view of their place in the world to see a broader perspective on the challenges modern society faces going forward," said David Murphy, associate professor and department chair of environmental studies at St. Lawrence University. "We are not making predictions of 'when.' Our point is there are fundamental limits to our resources on this finite planet, and if we continue using them at this pace, we'll exhaust our resources and that outcome won't be good. We need to find ways to power our world without destroying it." Melody LeHew, a professor of interior design and fashion studies at Kansas State University, said more than just engineers, economists and biologists need to study these and related fields, but others need to get out of their silos to contribute to solutions. "As someone who studies fashion, I have seen how our current systems can lead to tremendous waste of resources, but also how dedicated scholars working together can make even the fashion industry more sustainable," she said. Anyone can join the network as a subscriber to receive updates about network activities. Active scholars can join as members to participate in forums or collaborators to receive full access to the network. "Our hope is that we might spark debate and deep thinking about how human civilization might thrive for millennia to come, rather than simply survive the bottlenecks of the next few decades," said Tom Love, professor emeritus of anthropology at Linfield University. "We want scholars to ask what role their current research plays in addressing these issues and contribute to the understanding how human activity might fit within planetary limits." More information: T.W. Murphy et al, Modernity is incompatible with planetary limits: Developing a PLAN for the future, Energy Research & Social Science (2021). T.W. Murphy et al, Modernity is incompatible with planetary limits: Developing a PLAN for the future,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2021.102239 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Numerous studies have examined the coercive nature of prisons, but few have considered the role of in-prison experiences (e.g., confinement in restrictive housing) and time served in prison in incarcerated people's perceptions of corrections officers' fairness. A new study examined whether in-prison experiences among a nationally representative sample of inmates varied in their effect across different lengths of time served on incarcerated people's perceptions of procedural justice. The study found that most incarcerated individuals' in-prison experiences lessened their perceptions of procedural justice and fairness. The study, by researchers at Iowa State University and Kent State University, appears in Justice Quarterly, a publication of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. "Past research has not evaluated whether the in-prison experiences and attitudes associated with perceptions of treatment by correctional staff vary by the amount of time served in prison," explains Daniel Butler, assistant professor of sociology in criminal justice studies at Iowa State University, who led the study. "Such an investigation is essential as policymakers and researchers question how managerial strategies and policies in correctional settings influence the well-being of incarcerated people." One way to measure correctional inmates' perceptions of corrections staff is to examine whether their behaviors are perceived by incarcerated people to be procedurally just. Corrections officers and others in criminal justice who treat individuals with dignity and respect, make decisions based on facts, and allow inmates opportunities to express themselves are more likely to be perceived as procedurally just. Using the National Inmate Survey (NIS), 2011-2012, a nationally representative sample of incarcerated individuals who self-report on pre- and in-prison experiences, researchers examined more than 31,000 adults incarcerated at almost 200 state confinement facilities across different categories of time served in a facility. Researchers measured the effects of a variety of in-prison experiencesincluding confinement to restrictive housing (e.g., solitary confinement), institutionalized resistance (i.e., filing a complaint), incidences of assault by staff and fellow inmates, perceived crowding, and family visitson incarcerated individuals' perceptions of staff members' procedural justice. They also considered the effect of inmates' experiences of staff support, inmate support, and mental health. Procedural justice was defined by looking at eight measures, including staff fairness, staff treatment of inmates with respect, and staff members' attempts to meet the needs of inmates. The study gaged how inmates' perceptions varied based on the length of time incarcerated, categorizing time in prison as less than one year, between one and five years, and more than five years. The study found that most of inmates' in-prison experiences reduced their perceptions of staff members' procedural justice, regardless of how much time they had served. This finding contradicts past study results, perhaps because the experiences measured in this study differ from those measured in other research. Specifically, the study found that: Decreased perceptions of staff members' procedural justice were highest among inmates who had been incarcerated for less than a year. Confinement in restrictive housing (up to 13 percent of the study's participants served more than 30 days in restrictive housing) significantly decreased inmates' perceptions of procedural justice for those who had served less than five years in prison. Inmates who had served more than five years perceived prison to be more dangerous than other inmates, and this decreased their perceptions of staff members' procedural justice. In addition, inmates who had served more than five years who reported having mental health problems were more likely to perceive staff as less procedurally just. Inmates' race and ethnicity influenced their perceptions of procedural justice across each category of time serve: Black and Hispanic inmates perceived correctional staff as less procedurally just than White inmates. Inmates who filed a grievance, received support from other inmates, and were younger also perceived correctional staff as less procedurally just. Inmates who had served between one and five years and who perceived the facility as crowded had more negative perceptions of staff procedural justice than did inmates who had served less than a year. Among the study's limitations, the authors note that they did not examine characteristics of the facilities or staff that prior research had identified as important predictors of correctional officers' legitimacy and fairness. In addition, the NIS data included information on experiences within the past 12 months of confinement or since admission to the current facility, which excluded some in-prison experiences. "The discretion and power afforded to correctional staff creates an imbalance," notes Starr Solomon, assistant professor of sociology at Kent State University, who coauthored the study. "As correctional agencies develop strategies to help incarcerated people adjust to prison, it is important to recognize that the coercive nature of prisons makes it difficult for individuals to perceive treatment by staff as procedurally just." Explore further Some prisons highly successful in vaccinating inmates More information: H. Daniel Butler et al, Time Served in Prison, in-Prison Experiences, and Perceptions of Procedural Justice, Justice Quarterly (2021). Journal information: Justice Quarterly H. Daniel Butler et al, Time Served in Prison, in-Prison Experiences, and Perceptions of Procedural Justice,(2021). DOI: 10.1080/07418825.2021.1985159 Provided by Crime and Justice Research Alliance Credit: CC0 Public Domain Professor of Soil Science at The University of Queensland Peter Kopittke and co-principal investigator Professor Enzo Lombi of the University of SA are very optimistic about the use of a new synchrotron-based imaging technique that captures in 3D the complex interaction of soil and roots. The research made possible by funding from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is expected to bring potential benefit to the Australian agriculture industry, which faces significant challenges because of soil quality. "For a long time, we have described this area as the 'hidden half," because we really have little information about what is going down there where the soil, air, roots, and organic matter form a heterogenous clump or to assess the things that we do to improve them," said Kopittke. Because of the enormous soil constraints in Australia due to salinity, acidification and sedimentation, there are multi-billion dollars losses to the agricultural industry every year. The new technique, which has been developed to complement existing agricultural field studies, opens the possibility of predicting the impact of key nutrients and fertilizers that are administered by farmers to improve soil quality. "The roots are as important as the above-ground shoots, so this is a significant leap forward in understanding if interventions will improve crop yield," said Kopittke. A striking 3D video, reconstructed from X-ray tomographic images on the Imaging and Medical beamline, with new data analysis software developed by Dr. Helen Hou, shows in detail the fine network of roots enmeshed in a large soil sample. In a preliminary analysis, the team collected tomographic images of a wheat plant that had been fertilized with phosphorus at a depth of about 15 centimeters. Plants access nutrients from the entire soil depth, not just the surface. Previously farmers had no way to determine beforehand, if the costly application of phosphorus at depth, which requires special equipment, would produce an improved yield. "The information is hidden below the surface. For a farmer who makes this investment and sees no improvement, this is a bad situation to end up in," explained Kopittke. "You can see quite clearly that there is a proliferation of roots at the depth where the phosphorus fertilizer was applied." Credit: University of Queensland Another advantage of the technique is the ability of the synchrotron X-ray beamline to accommodate large samples. Samples for laboratory-based X-ray studies are usually about the size of a soft drink can and this does not capture the extensive root system that is spread out beneath the ground. "These large samples are much more representative of what is actually happening in the real word environment of the field," said Kopittke. The synchrotron data complements the information that is gained by convention methods of analysis in the field. "Our team is actually going out into the field to existing experiments, such as those funded by the GRDC, that are already running and taking samples back to Melbourne to ANSTO's Australian Synchrotron." "We have all the normal measurements of yield from the field and complement it by examining how the roots have actually responded to the things we have done in the soil. The different ameliorants, different nutrients, and how have the roots interacted with the soil and responded to those amendments." Kopittke, who is one of Australia's most distinguished soil scientists, thinks the approach might the first of its type. The challenging task of refining the complex image was undertaken by the postdoc, Dr. Helen Hou, who has been seconded to the Imaging and Medical beamline at the Australia Synchrotron with funding from the GRDC. "Although there is imaging reconstruction software for experiments, there was a need for special software to untangle and isolate the root, soil and air. "Helen, who is not a soil scientist but has a background in IT, made a significant contribution to our data analysis capability," said Kopittke. He expressed his utmost gratitude to members of the Imaging and Medical beamline team at the Australian Synchrotron, Dr. Daniel Hausermann, Dr. Chris Hall and Dr. Anton Maksimento, who assisted with the experiments during COVID-19 lockdown. Although it is not the first time that we have had plants on the beamline, we have scanned trees in studies of their response to drought, this research is expanding the possibilities of analysis to benefit agriculture. It is a great example of the power and versatility of our facility, " said Principal Scientist Dr. Daniel Hausermann. "We are halfway through the project we are starting to reach out to other people around Australia we can work with you and you can value add to your existing work," said Kopittke. Explore further Aluminium threat to food security revealed Fig. 1. Discoloration of standard PP sheet after exposed to different water types. (a) Schematic detailing the methodology used to expose standard PP sheet to different water types. (b) MP release levels from SDW, TDW and DI after one cycle of heating using the protocol in Fig. 1a. (c-f) AFM 3D image of raw PP sheets and PP sheets exposed to DI, SDW and TDW, respectively. Exposure process followed Fig. 1a. (g) EDX full spectra, (h) high-resolution XPS full spectra, (i) zoomed spectra of XPS-Cu 2p and (j) Raman spectra of the discolored surfaces of PP sheets exposed to SDW and TDW, respectively. Credit: DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2021.132466 Tap water produces a natural protective shield against harmful microplastics, which can help prevent household products such as plastic kettles from releasing them. That's according to a team of scientists from AMBER, the SFI Centre for Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research, Trinity, and University College Dublin. The research, published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, reveals that tap water contains trace elements and minerals, which prevent plastics from degrading in the water and releasing microplastics. Microplastics can carry a range of contaminants such as trace metals and some potentially harmful organic chemicals. Previous studies investigating microplastics release have used forms of pure water, which only exist in laboratories and do not specifically take into account the ions and impurities found in tap water. Professor John J Boland from AMBER, and Trinity's School of Chemistry, who was a co-leader of the research team, said: "It is well known that plastics can degrade and release microplastics, which can get into the environment and be consumed by humans. Our research shows that many items such as plastic kettles, which are repeatedly used with tap water, can develop over time a protective skin that prevents the release of microplastics entirely. "Because tap water is not 100% pure H 2 Osince it contains trace elements and minerals, what we showed is that if you include these trace elements and minerals the degradation of plastics in tap water is completely different. Rather than the plastics falling apart, the minerals coat the plastic and prevent any kind of degradation and so the product becomes microplastic-free. For example, that dark brown color in your kettle is a good thing. It is copper oxide that forms from copper minerals in your tap water, which in turn comes from the copper pipes in your houseall these combine to give a perfect protection to the kettle. "This discovery is important because we have learned that these types of protective skins can be manufactured in the laboratory and directly applied to the plastic without having to wait for it to build up naturally. This discovery also shows that nature is leading the way, pointing to solutions to what is a very significant problem facing our modern high-tech society." Explore further Microplastics in belugas worked their way up food chain, researchers find More information: Yunhong Shi et al, Real-world natural passivation phenomena can limit microplastic generation in water, Chemical Engineering Journal (2021). Yunhong Shi et al, Real-world natural passivation phenomena can limit microplastic generation in water,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2021.132466 One of the designs for a sodium-cooled fast reactor that emerged as part of a collaboration between France and Japan. Credit: SciencePOD A new paper by Technical Director of the Generation IV International Forum, Gilles Rodriguez, published in the open-access journal EPJ Nuclear Sciences & Technologies, provides a comprehensive review of joint research into sodium-cooled fast reactors undertaken by French and Japanese researchers. Many countries are already using sodium-cooled fast reactors to provide energy; a new review paper assesses the progress made in the development of this technology by a joint French-Japanese collaboration. In March 2017, France and Japan signed a nuclear power collaboration agreement that included a discussion of a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). The bilateral agreement marked the beginning of two years of research in both countries into the viability of such a reactor and the creation of a feasible common design concept. A new paper published in the open-access journal EPJ Nuclear Sciences & Technologies by Gilles Rodriguez, Technical Director of the Generation IV International Forum, provides a comprehensive review of this joint work carried out from 2017 to 2019. In SFRs the fission chain reaction is sustained by fast neutrons with an energy of around 1 MeV, and the reactor is cooled by liquid sodium. The technology is currently in use in several countries including the US, Russia, China and India. Rodriguez explains why SFRs could be a step forward in energy production. "Sodium-cooled fast reactors are a mature technology because worldwide they have a significant operational time of 468 years," the expert engineer explains, referring to the cumulative years that SFRs have been operating in various countries. Taking the desired design requirements, safety demonstrations, structural requirements, and the site conditions set by both countries into account led to an adaptation of the French design concept: ASTRID (Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonstration). The aim, according to Rodriguez, is to comply with both French and Japanese constraints and requirements. With this common understanding of design and challenges, joint research and development studies are still ongoing bilaterally between the countries. "Fast neutrons allow for large flexibility in core design in a breeder mode [when a reactor is designed to produce more material capable of generating fission reactions] or in a transmutation mode [exposing elements to fast neutrons produced by fission, which can transmute them into other short-lived isotopes]," Rodriguez says, adding that the ability of ASTRID, like all SFRs, to use plutonium as a fuel is just one of the technology's assets. Plutonium here is not a waste product but a valuable fissile material. The engineer adds that the major advantage, however, comes from the abundance and availability of the liquid metal used for cooling in such systems. Though the use of a molten metal like sodium may seem counter-intuitive, as liquid sodium is by definition very hot, with a melting point of 97.7 melting point of 97.7 C, reactors can have temperatures as high as 550 C. "Using and handling sodium is quite easy when the fundamental knowledge of sodium handling is acquired and this material is massively present on Earth, particularly in sodium chloridethe salt from the sea." adds Rodriguez. Rodriguez and his co-authors conclude their review paper by saying that through fruitful exchanges engineers in both France and Japan have reached a good level of mutual understanding of key SFR technologies and potential designs, thus laying out important groundwork for the future of nuclear power. Explore further Recycling nuclear waste via advanced reactor design More information: Gilles Rodriguez et al, FranceJapan synthesis concept on sodium-cooled fast reactor review of a joint collaborative work, EPJ Nuclear Sciences & Technologies (2021). Gilles Rodriguez et al, FranceJapan synthesis concept on sodium-cooled fast reactor review of a joint collaborative work,(2021). DOI: 10.1051/epjn/2021014 Provided by SciencePOD Children from two different countries Canada and Iran were involved in the study to show whether different cultures influenced behaviour. Credit: Dalhousie University Evidence has shown that children develop a concern for fairness at a young age and will gladly share their belongings. But new research out of Dal's Faculty of Science suggests they may be more inclined to share with peers they perceive to be part of their social group. A new paper published by Chris Moore (shown left), a professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, examined the decisions children make about sharing their resources. In this case, stickers. Dr. Moore and his team were interested in exploring children's tendency to share differently depending on whether the potential recipient was a member of the same or a different group and whether that recipient was rich or poor in stickers. "The children, age five and six, were randomly assigned to groups differentiated only by the color of their team," says Dr. Moore. "The same exercises were done with boys and girls in Halifax and the other study site, Tehran, Iran. We chose Iran because we wanted to be able to compare the responses of children growing up in different cultures." Across cultures The researchers found the children in both cultures tended to show in-group favoritism by sharing more stickers with members of their group and did not seem to differentiate based on need. Children were more likely to give up a personal advantage and allocate resources equally with in-group recipients. "These results show that from quite a young age, children are sensitive to group characteristics and show bias towards their in-group. This bias occurs even though the groups are completely arbitrary. When recipients were distinguished by group membership, the children appeared not to be concerned with need," he says. Dr. Moore notes that the cross-cultural component to this research demonstrates that children show these effects quite generally (i.e. across two different cultures), and so may not be learned through socialization as may have been previously thought. The findings reveal convergence across diverse societies in the influence of in-group bias on children's resource-allocation decisions. "The cross-cultural component allowed us to investigate and show that the effects are somewhat independent of culture," says Dr. Moore. "In terms of the practice of science, the collaboration also allowed us to support an emerging female scholar, Fatemeh Keshvari, from a country where it is much more difficult to gain entry into the world of science." Although not yet fully determined, Dr. Moore says he will likely use these results to continue to investigate the effects of group membership on decisions. Explore further Developmental psychology: Friendship wins out over fairness More information: Fatemeh Keshvari et al, Group over need: Convergence in the influence of recipient characteristics on children's sharing in Iran and Canada, Social Development (2021). Fatemeh Keshvari et al, Group over need: Convergence in the influence of recipient characteristics on children's sharing in Iran and Canada,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/sode.12557 a) Design of SHARK; b) Microstructures of SHARK c-d) Ductility and stretch-ability of SHARK. Credit: Science China Press Prof. Yi Cao (Department of physics, Nanjing University) and Prof. Wei Wang (Department of physics, Nanjing University) propose a single-layer hydrogel artificial skin, termed 'SHARK', that combines high stretchability, self-healing properties, and ultrasensitive mechanical sensing. Hydrogels have emerged as promising materials for the construction of skin-like mechanical sensors. The common design of hydrogel-based artificial skin requires a dielectric sandwiched between two hydrogel layers for capacitive sensing. However, such a planar configuration limits the sensitivity, stretchability and self-healing properties. The unmatched mechanical properties of the hydrogel and the elastomer layers can often result in delamination under multiple strain cycles. Achieving simultaneous self-healing of the hydrogel and the elastomer layers to fully recover the functionalities of hydrogel artificial skins is almost impossible. Despite significant progress, realizing highly stretchable yet self-healable hydrogel-based mechanical sensors requires novel design concepts. In this work, the team reported the first design of single-layer composite hydrogels with bulk capacitive junctions as mechanical sensors. They engineered dielectric peptide-coated graphene (PCG) to serve as homogenously dispersed electric double layers in hydrogels. The whole system can be considered a bulk capacitor junction formed by the series-parallel connection of numerous microcapacitors. As such, SHARK features larger equivalent electric double layer areas and thus higher sensitivities than planar-shaped hydrogel sensors. Any mechanical motions that affect the microscopic distributions of PCG in the hydrogels can significantly change the overall capacitance. "The microcapacitors are dispersed in the gel matrix of SHARK, forming distributed yet interconnected mechano-sensors akin to the human skin" Yi says. 3D printing of SHARK based sensors with predefined shape and microstructures. Credit: Science China Press The mechanical and electrical properties of SHARK are also recommendable. Thanks to the strong yet dynamic interfacial interactions between the hydrogel network and graphene, the hydrogel artificial skins can be stretched up to 77 times their original length and completely self-heal of their mechanical and electrical properties in less than a minute. They are of high sensitivity with a gage factor of 1.39 for strain sensing and can effectively sense strain and pressure in both air and aqueous environments. Moreover, they are remoudable and printable, making it convenient to construct SHARK based sensor chips. Considering the improved mechanical, electrical and self-healing properties of SHARK, the researchers expected that this novel capacitive hydrogel sensor can have broad applications for next-generation flexible iontronics. Explore further Mechano-responsive hydrogel developed for wound healing More information: Bin Xue et al, Stretchable and self-healable hydrogel artificial skin, National Science Review (2021). Bin Xue et al, Stretchable and self-healable hydrogel artificial skin,(2021). DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwab147 The film industry has been left shocked and in mourning after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on set when actor and producer Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm. Hutchins, who was 42, was director of photography for Baldwin's latest movie, "Rust," a Western which was being filmed in New Mexico and stars Baldwin, Travis Fimmel and Jensen Ackles. According to law enforcement statements provided to CNN, Hutchins was shot around 1:50 p.m. Thursday local time and was airlifted to hospital but died of her injuries. Born in Ukraine, Hutchins lived in Los Angeles and graduated from the American Film Institute in 2015. She was credited with involvement in the production of 49 film, TV and video titles during her career, according to IMDB. She worked on movies including "Archenemy," starring Joe Manganiello, which was released last year, and was named a rising star by American Cinematographer magazine in 2019. A rising star and a restless dreamer According to her website, Hutchins was raised at a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle and initially studied as a journalist, graduating from Kyiv National University with a degree in international journalism, before going on to work on documentary productions across Europe and switching to film. On her Instagram page, she described herself as a "Restless Dreamer. Adrenaline junkie. Cinematographer" and shared photos of the "Rust" set. Her final post, on Wednesday, showed a video of her riding on horseback in New Mexico. Film director James Cullen Bressack commented on her post to say: "I will miss you my friend.... This is devastating." Other directors paid tribute to Hutchins. "Archenemy" director Adam Egypt Mortimer said: "I'm so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film." He said in a further tweet she had "a brilliant mind." AFI Conservatory, a film school which is part of the American Film Institute, tweeted Friday: "As is profoundly true in the art of cinematography, words alone cannot capture the loss of one so dear to the AFI community. At AFI, we pledge to see that Halyna Hutchins will live on in the spirit of all who strive to see their dreams realized in stories well told." Director Joel Souza, 48, was also injured in the incident and transported to Christus St. Vincent's Regional Medical Center. Baldwin was photographed looking distraught in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County sheriff's offices on Thursday after being questioned. Investigations remain ongoing, with many people asking how such a tragedy could happen on a film set -- 28 years after Bruce Lee's son Brandon Lee was accidentally killed on set by a firearm. *** CNN's Sandra Gonzalez contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Atlantic City Community Pop-up: Councilman Kaleem Shabazz and the Chicken Bone Beach Youth Jazz Institute invite the community from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday to the Youth Jazz Institute at 726 N. Indiana Ave. There will be free books from the Atlantic City Library, applications for music lessons and health and wellness information. The rain date is Oct. 30. Expanded hours at library: The Atlantic City Free Public Library is open to the public for more hours at both the Main Library and Richmond Branch Library. Also, both locations will no longer close for an hour during the afternoon, as they have done over the last several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hours for Main Library, 1 N. Tennessee Ave., will be 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; hours for Richmond Branch Library, 4115 Ventnor Ave., will be 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. For information, call 609-345-2269. Bridgeton MAYS LANDING In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to spread awareness to the campus community, Atlantic Cape Community College welcomed the Clothesline Project to its main campus Thursday. The project is a national effort in which Avanzar, the Atlantic County victim advocacy organization dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence, participates. The Clothesline Project is a visual display designed to raise awareness of assault and abuse by hanging T-shirts designed by victims of violence, or their loved ones, who share their stories. Students, faculty and staff were invited to decorate their own T-shirts as part of the project. According to data from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men have experienced physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. In New Jersey, domestic homicides made up 14% of all homicides reported in 2016. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Advocates like Donna DAndrea, legal services coordinator for Avanzar, say there is always a need for more awareness of this type of violence, which is where the Clothesline Project comes in. Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office accused of retaliation in tort claim A victim of domestic violence has filed a tort claim against the Atlantic County Prosecutor Stockton University on Thursday formally dedicated two buildings, one each in Galloway Township and Atlantic City, in the name of a major donor, the school said Friday. Both the Academic Center on the Atlantic City campus and the Health Sciences building on the Galloway campus WERE dedicated to the John F. Scarpa Foundation, which pledged $8 million to Stockton in 2019 to assist students and programs at the city campus, the schools health sciences programs and other initiatives. The schools trustees approved the renaming of the two buildings in Scarpas honor in December 2019. College President Harvey Kesselman said Scarpa is the largest donor in school history. Scarpa was on hand for the dedications and was presented an honorary doctor of public service degree in recognition of his accomplishments and generosity, according to a release from the school. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Scarpa and his wife, Jana, joined Kesselman, trustee Leo Schoffer and Stockton Foundation Chairperson Donna Buzby in unveiling the John F. Scarpa Academic Center sign that will be on the Albany Avenue side of the building in the resort. Orlando noted that Chinese businesses and academics are beholden to the Chinese Communist Party and are required to serve the partys interests. Although weve been saying this for year after year, people are not digesting this, he said. Orlando declined to say whether the U.S. should enact tougher restrictions or outright bans on Chinese investment in certain sectors, saying his role was not to suggest policy. But the counterintelligence center holds regular briefings with private industry and academia while recognizing that industries and universities may still want to seek students, experts and investors from China, Orlando said. He would not name companies with which the center has met. The center's officer for emerging and disruptive technologies, Edward You, noted the investment of Chinese companies in U.S. and European biotechnology and pharmaceutics. A 2020 report by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation found that 5.4% of U.S. households (approximately 7.1 million households) were unbanked. This is the lowest level since these studies began, with the rate down significantly from 8.2% in 2011. The FDIC study found that 56.2% of the unbanked were not at all interested in having a banking account, while only 24.8% were very or somewhat interested in having a bank account. And the unbanked do have cost-attractive options. For example, Walmart charges a maximum fee of $4 for checks up to $1,000, with funds put on a card, and up to three checks a day cashed. Under USPSs pilot program, it charges $5.95 to cash checks up to only $500 and puts the funds on a card. The mission and purpose of USPS for the last 245 years has been to deliver mail. It is the only entity that can do this essential public service. Even in the internet age, mail remains important, with 50 billion pieces of first-class mail sent annually. Yet the delivery standard for 39% of first-class mail was lengthened by at least a day, starting Oct. 1. WASHINGTON In testimony before the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) earlier this week, RFE/RL President Jamie Fly addressed the increased pressure faced by RFE/RL journalists working throughout the media organizations 23-country region. During the bipartisan hearing, In Pursuit of Truth: Media Freedom in the OSCE Region, Fly noted the challenge to free media coming from authoritarian leaders who are increasingly succumbing to the attraction of a media landscape without the independent checks and balances inherent in an impartial press. Said Fly, From Belarus to Central Asia, I have observed these disturbing trends firsthand across RFE/RLs media markets. Well-aware of the potential power of news and information, authoritarians are cracking down. Brutally. And often with impunity. Fly spoke directly to the pressures faced by RFE/RL in OSCE member states such as Russia, Belarus, and Uzbekistan. In Russia, the Kremlin has stepped up a long-running campaign to force RFE/RL and other independent outlets to invasively label as the product of a foreign agent all content produced for the Russian audience. In Belarus, RFE/RLs local bureau was raided in July 2021 as cameras from Russia Today filmed Belarusian Security Forces destroying our equipment; RFE/RL journalists have spent a total of 133 days since June 2020 in Belarusian jails as they sought to document the authorities heavy-handed crackdown on dissent following a controversial August 2020 presidential election. Most recently, RFE/RL journalists based in Europe have received online death threats in advance of this weekends presidential election in Uzbekistan following the publication of hard-hitting investigative reporting about official corruption. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chairman of the CSCE, thanked RFE/RL for its work, noting that what RFE/RL is doing throughout Europe is extremely important to the United States. CSCE Ranking Member, Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) joined Cardin and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) in his appreciation for the good journalism and unflinching investigative reporting being done by journalists around the world, noting that, having met with journalists and autocrats around the world, Ive learned that autocrats who silence the press do so because they are fearful that their own autocratic behavior will be exposed. Watch Mr. Flys testimony at the CSCE hearing here, and read his written remarks here. About RFE/RL RFE/RL relies on its networks of local reporters to provide accurate news and information to more than 41 million people every week in 27 languages and 23 countries where media freedom is restricted, or where a professional press has not fully developed. Its videos were viewed 6.5 billion times on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram/IGTV in FY2020. RFE/RL is an editorially independent media company funded by a grant from the U.S. Congress through the U.S. Agency for Global Media. ---- FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Martins Zvaners in Washington (zvanersm@rferl.org, +1.202.457.6948) Jana Hokuvova in Prague (hokuvovaj@rferl.org, +420.221.122.072) NEW TRIAL DATE SET FOR FORMER TNA STAR Court records indicate that a new trial date of 2/25/22 has been set for former WWE developmental and Impact Wrestling star Trenesha Daniyall Biggers aka Rhaka Khan before the 409th District Court in El Paso, Texas. As previously reported, Biggers is facing charges of interference with child custody and "aggravated kidnapping facilitate." There is a hearing slated for 11/17 with a final pre-trial conference on 12/16. The trial has been pushed back six times due to the slowdown in the court system brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Biggers was indicted in August 2019, leading to her being listed as one of El Pasos most wanted fugitives after failing to appear in court. There are two court instances where her no-shows led to her bail being revoked. She was finally arraigned in December 2019. Biggers is being represented by a public defender. Several weeks ago, a bench warrant for her arrest was issued for missing a hearing but rescinded after she posted bond. In the State of Texas, interference with child custody is when someone "takes or retains a child when that person knows that the taking or detention of the child violates a judgment or order." It is considered a state jail felony and can be punishable by up to two years in prison. Biggers last wrestled in 2011 for the now-defunct Lucha Libre USA promotion, which aired on MTV. Biggers was part of the 2005 WWE Diva Search and was signed to a developmental contract after failing to make it past the top 25 contestants in the search. She was sent to Deep South Wrestling but was released in May 2006. She worked for a number of independent promotions and in Japan before signing with Impact Wrestling in 2008, departing that promotion in 2009. She worked for Lucha Libre USA in 2010 and 2011. Biggers has been posting videos to YouTube in relation to her case, claiming her indictment was "fake" - If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! The third pillar was residential assistance. Parsons took a related item approval of utility credit off Thursday's agenda, saying $2.7 million of ARPA funding or up to $100 per residential household meter would not be considered "at least not right now." "It's something the committee of the whole can address," she said. Board member Dwayne Anderson said several people had asked him about the $750,000 for the Office of Emergency Management move, and when he answered that the county would have something to show for it, they were satisfied. He recalled the late Bobby Schilling saying as a congressman that the federal government had nothing to show for large spending. "Unless we correct that in our county, we're just moving along in the same direction," he said. Board member Mark Burton said he had "wrestled and wrestled and wrestled" with himself over the funds. "We don't (often) get an entire year's budget," he said. "It's difficult. We shouldn't chastise ourselves for having missteps it's going to be difficult and require a lot of conversation." No date was set for the special board meeting. Request for behavioral health spending Prenzler pushing drug cocktail treatment Prenzler said the county has been pushing a treatment known as monoclonal antibody injection treatment. Former President Donald Trump was administered the treatment after he was diagnosed with COVID-19 last year and it has recently been popularized by podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan. "Probably the most important thing we've done if you've been paying attention to the board of health we have spoken up and publicly announced that a very important treatment is available," Prenzler said during the meeting. The chairman has been calling monoclonal antibody injections a "life saving" treatment for months. "We've been working hard to let people know about that," he said. Prenzler said he's not advocating the treatment be used as a preventative measure against COVID-19, nor is he calling on citizens to be vaccinated against COVID-19 because, he says, it's a personal choice. He declined to say whether or not he was vaccinated against the virus, calling the question "inappropriate." Prenzler said he personally knows people who have received the monoclonal antibody injection treatment and said it saved their lives. Injunctions are often used by companies during strikes to shift the power balance in negotiations, according to labor experts. If you got a big group of workers, you got 200 workers out there, and then you're trying to bargain with the union, the unions bargaining team is going to get a lot of energy, and they're going to feel really good about having all those members out there, said Bob Bruno, director of the Labor Education Program at the University of Illinois. And the company is going to feel the pressure. When asked whether there were unsafe conditions at the Davenport plant strike before the injunction was filed, the executive said there was enough evidence to put the injunction in place. Labor law experts who've reviewed the Deere injunction say the ban on chairs and fire barrels is unusual and the injunction lacks sufficient evidence to prove their role in impacting the ingress and egress out of the Davenport Deere plant. James M. Cooney, a labor and employment law expert in the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, said since the alleged exhibits lack a direct mention of fire barrels or chairs being used to create dangerous situations, there isnt a basis for the ban. CHICAGO - Perched on a milk crate in front of a glossy storefront window on Michigan Avenue, Marcus Carter can quickly identify each of the nearby restrooms one might be able to access at various hours of the day. It is the type of information people like Carter, who has experienced stretches of homelessness over the last 13 years, learn through sometimes excruciating necessity. Even downtown an area crowded with tourists, workers, residents and students there are few publicly run bathrooms, forcing everyone to figure out other options, none of them perfect. Like food, water and shelter, having a place to expel waste safely and cleanly is among the most basic and vital human needs, one considered a human right by the United Nations. Yet Chicagos government has failed to provide the public with easy, consistent access to free toilets, and scant information is available about many that do exist. The Tribune cataloged as many public bathrooms in Chicago as possible and found swaths of the city contain few or none. In the Magnificent Mile shopping district, the Tribune could not identify any publicly maintained toilet facilities from the north side of the Chicago River to Chicago Avenue and from Orleans Street to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. I met some of the most enlightened and inspiring people in prison, Common said. You know, one gentleman said to me, Imagine being trapped in one act for the rest of your life, the worst for the rest of your life. Ive thought about that. If that happened for me, I wouldnt be up here with you all. Despite being sentenced to life in prison, Willis has gotten a masters degree and several certifications and has never lost hope that he might someday be given a second chance, Jones said. Brian has proved to me personally that change is possible in any and everybody, Jones said. And so we want to push for this bill to get passed so that people like Brian can show the world that I can be a strong point here. I can teach these boys that you have more to live for, because we dont have a lot of motivation in our neighborhoods. Jones said cyclical trauma has plagued neighborhoods especially on the South and West sides of Chicago, and has led youth to normalize and sometimes eventually commit violent crimes. When youre beat down and told something repetitively, every day that you are nothing, what else are you gonna amount to? she said. People like Brian can come out here and help these kids. State Treasurer Josh Haeder said Friday that South Dakota's unclaimed property holdings exceed $600 million in value and he wants to return that property to its rightful owners. "It's as simple as this it's your money, it's your asset, and we want to get it back to you," Haeder said Friday during a meeting of the Black Hills Forum and Press Club in Rapid City. Millions of dollars of assets are turned over to the state of South Dakota annually because the owner cannot be located. The treasurer is responsible for returning these assets to the rightful owner or heir. Haeder said the state on average receives $80 million in unclaimed property annually and returns approximately $20 to $30 million in paid claims to their owners. He wants to increase that ratio. Unclaimed property consists of abandoned financial assets, like checking and savings accounts, unpaid wages, securities, life insurance payouts, uncashed checks, and proceeds from safe deposit boxes. The state has set up a website, cash.sd.gov, for people to search if there is any unclaimed property that belongs to them and then to begin the process of reclaiming those assets. "A lot of the time, people don't even know they have these assets," Haeder said. "We have this system set up for people to search and find that way we can reunite them." When the state receives unclaimed property, the assets are held by two financial institutions in South Dakota until a claim can be paid. But the property is not held in a trust, which causes other issues, Haeder said. The state legislature treats unclaimed property as a source of revenue to the general fund for state government. In Gov. Kristi Noem's 2021 budget, she projected $47.2 million in revenue from unclaimed property after claims were paid. That revenue line item is added to the state budget every year, giving legislators the ability to spend it, but not see it as a liability, Haeder said. He would like to see that changed, but efforts to establish an unclaimed property trust fund have failed in the legislature. The most recent effort was authored by Rep. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City, during the 2021 legislative session. Howard introduced House Bill 1165, which would have established a trust fund for unclaimed property and changed the way in which state government can use the revenue. The bill passed the House Appropriations Committee on an 8-1 vote, but was later tabled Feb. 25 by the full House of Representatives with a vote of 59-9. Haeder said the legislature should reconsider and he would support a bill to establish a trust fund for unclaimed property, if a lawmaker decides to bring it forward again in the 2022 session. "This isn't tax revenue. It belongs to somebody else," Haeder said. "Spending it absolutely creates a liability and it's always claimable. We're getting better at finding rightful owners of the funds, even on funds that are five years or older." Contact Nathan Thompson at nathan.thompson@rapidcityjournal.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) An assistant director unwittingly handed Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, court records released Friday show. Cold gun, the assistant director announced, according to a search warrant filed in a Santa Fe court. Instead, the gun was loaded with live rounds, and when Baldwin pulled the trigger Thursday on the set of a Western, he killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, was wounded, the records said. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office obtained the warrant Friday so investigators could document the scene at the ranch outside Santa Fe where the shooting took place. They sought to examine Baldwins blood-stained costume for the film Rust," as well as the weapon that was fired, other prop guns and ammunition, and any footage that might exist. The gun was one of three that the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, had set on a cart outside the wooden structure where a scene was being acted, according to the records. Assistant director Dave Halls grabbed the gun from the cart and brought it inside to Baldwin, unaware that it was loaded with live rounds, a detective wrote in the search warrant application. It was unclear how many rounds were fired. Gutierrez removed a shell casing from the gun after the shooting, and she turned the weapon over to police when they arrived, the court records say. Halls did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment. The Associated Press was unable to contact Gutierrez, and several messages sent to production companies affiliated with the film were not immediately returned Friday. The films script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, said she was standing next to Hutchins when she was shot. I ran out and called 911 and said Bring everybody, send everybody, Mitchell told The Associated Press. This woman is gone at the beginning of her career. She was an extraordinary, rare, very rare woman. Mitchell said she and other crew members were attending a private memorial service Friday night in Santa Fe. Baldwin described the killing as a tragic accident." There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. Im fully cooperating with the police investigation, Baldwin wrote on Twitter. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna. No immediate charges were filed, and sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios said Baldwin was permitted to travel. Hes a free man, Rios said. Images of the 63-year-old actor known for his roles in 30 Rock and The Hunt for Red October and his impression of former President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live showed him distraught outside the sheriffs office on Thursday. Guns used in making movies are sometimes real weapons that can fire either bullets or blanks, which are gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but no deadly projectile. Even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. That proved to be the case in the death of an actor in 1984. In another on-set accident in 1993, the actor Brandon Lee was killed after a bullet was left in a prop gun, and similar shootings have occurred involving stage weapons that were loaded with live rounds. Gun-safety protocol on sets in the United States has improved since then, said Steven Hall, a veteran director of photography in Britain. But he said one of the riskiest positions to be in is behind the camera because that person is in the line of fire in scenes where an actor appears to point a gun at the audience. Sheriffs deputies responded about 2 p.m. to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 calls described a person being shot there, Rios said. The ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western News of the World. Hutchins, 42, worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film Archenemy starring Joe Manganiello. She was a 2015 graduate of the American Film Institute and was named a rising star by American Cinematographer in 2019. Im so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set, said Archenemy director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film. Manganiello called Hutchins an incredible talent and a great person on his Instagram account. He said he was lucky to have worked with her. After the shooting, production was halted on Rust. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. Lee, son of martial arts star Bruce Lee, died in 1993 after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series Cover Up. Such shootings have also happened during historical reenactments. In 2015, an actor staging a historical gunfight in Tombstone, Arizona, was shot and wounded with a live round during a show that was supposed to use blanks. In Hill City, South Dakota, a tourist town that recreates an Old West experience, three spectators were wounded in 2011 when a re-enactor fired real bullets instead of blanks. Associated Press writers Jake Coyle and Jocelyn Noveck in New York; Lizzie Knight in London; Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine; Ryan Pearson in Los Angeles; Walter Berry in Phoenix; and Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Letters to the editor, Oct. 22, 2021 Speak out against proposed mine Black Hills National Forest (BHNF) has published a draft Environmental Assessment for the proposed Jenny Gulch mining project. F3 Gold wants to drill 42 holes for gold near Silver City, in a bighorn sheep breeding and birthing area, threatening Pactola Reservoir and the Rapid Creek watershed. Tribal consultation, required by law, has not happened with even one of the many Tribal Nations with ancestral and treaty-protected connections to the Black Hills. Free, prior, and informed consent has not been granted. This proposal violates the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples who have lived in balanced and proper relation with these sacred lands since time immemorial. BHNF should conduct a more rigorous Environmental Impact Statement to ensure this precious place is protected. We have seen the impacts of gold mining in the Black Hills: multiple Superfund sites, acid rock drainage, and desecration of sacred lands. We dont need to see more. BHNF is taking public comments on this proposal until Friday, October 22 at Comments-rocky-mountain-black-hills-mystic@usda.gov. Read more: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=57428. Tell BHNF to respect Indigenous sovereignty, protect bighorn sheep and other wildlife, and preserve the precious water upon which we all depend by REJECTING F3 Golds harmful proposal. No more mining in the Black Hills. Julie Santella, Rapid City Concerned I am concerned that this country is being run by a bunch of Marxist idiots in the white house. This country is in deep trouble and it is originating in the WH. I am a veteran from South Dakota having retired after 24 years. I voted every year for 40 years and it don't seem to change anything. The country voted for a president that can't find any policy that works. Everything he touches turns to crisis. Clifford G.Coleman, Rapid City Become informed The crisis on our southern border is reaching disaster and the White House refuses to admit it. Just last week, heavily armed cartel members crossed into the United States and murdered at least 2 Americans. At one location, there is $120 million worth of border wall panels that were paid for by tax dollars that are sitting and rusting. The border patrol agents are too busy babysitting to enforce the border, these panels would greatly alleviate the situation if the current administration would have allowed these panels to be put up. Ranchers anywhere close to the border have to keep family members inside to protect them. This is not just a border problem, these border crossers are being transported by airplane and bus to other parts of the United States. I have yet to see any of this covered by the AP, and I doubt if it is covered by other parts of the mainstream media. To add to this, we are being subjected to vaccine mandates but those people crossing the border illegally are not only exempt the vaccination but, in most cases, not even tested for Covid. Wake up folks watch Fox, Newsmax or OAN occasionally, become informed. Jim Anderson, Hermosa You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 When you just wake up in the morning and pour your first cup of coffee, you probably arent thinking too much about where it comes from. But you should. The global coffee industry is riddled with inequities that keep many farming families from earning a livable wage. By buying coffee thats Fair Trade-certified, consumers can be sure theyre supporting producers committed to these farmers, their communities and the environment. Across the United States, weve pinpointed several brands that are going above and beyond to do good in the coffee collective. These are coffees you can feel good about drinking, as much for their mission as their flavor. Fort Wayne, Indiana Utopian owner, Brendon Maxwell, personally travels to the coffee-growing regions where he sources his beans to ensure adherence to ethical business practices, innovate new ways to work with farmers, and establish partnerships with groups like Run for Congo Women which benefits Women for Women International. Back home in Fort Wayne, Utopians certified organic coffees make their way into bags and beverages at a sunny cafe based on The Landing, a historic district downtown. Raleigh, North Carolina A recognized certified B Corporation and founding member of the Cooperative Coffees organization, Larrys lives by sustainable practices, from incorporating solar energy into the roasterys design and using recyclable BPA-free K-Cups to harvesting rainwater to run the on-site restrooms. They even repurposed a barrel used to age coffee beans for its own beehive. These fair trade-sourced beans are organic, kosher and shade-grown, which supports bird life. As serious as Larrys is about the planet, their whimsical streak comes out in product names like the El Salvador Dali Blend, Sammy Decaf Jr. Blend, and Bean Martin. Tacoma, Washington Pilot and owner Jeff Jett combines his loves of aviation and coffee to create a unique experience for customers by carefully handpicking and precision roasting the beans he serves. Better yet, a portion of all sales makes its way to Black Pilots of America, Experimental Aircraft Associations Young Eagles program, the AOPA Foundation and other nonprofit programs and charitable organizations that support flight technology education for aspiring young aviators. Boulder, Colorado This Colorado coffee landmark has been building relationships with a fair-trade network of independent small farmers since its start in the early 1990s. A 2021 Best for the World winner given by the certified B Corporation community and a Cooperative Coffees founding member, Conscious Coffees walks the walk through its efforts to maintain transparency and reduce its environmental footprint as it continually works to perfect its organic products. Oakland, California Serving up beautiful coffee for the people, owner, artist and entrepreneur Keba Konte prides himself on ethical sourcing and community building. Through socially responsible hiring practices, Red Bay, a certified B Corporation, promotes diversity and inclusion while supporting economic growth in the San Francisco Bay Area. Konte assures growers receive fair compensation for their farming endeavors by establishing direct relationships with groups like the International Womens Coffee Alliance. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Water is a vital aspect of life. There can be lots of questions about water. Who can use the water? How much can they use? When can it be used? What can it be used for? All of these questions fall into the realm of water rights. This month the Bitter Root Water Forum help put on a training for Real Estate professionals called Water Rights Demystified. The class began with the statement Water rights are not black and white, they can be complex and at times straight-up confusing. But well start to scratch the surface. The Montana Constitution declares water as public use and the water within the state is the property of the state for the use of its people. Water is subject to appropriation for beneficial use and that is where water rights come in. Water rights in Montana are based on a Doctrine of Prior Appropriation or first in time, first in right. That means that the water rights claimed earlier have the top priority of having their needs met. The water associated with a right needs to be put towards a beneficial use these can include: agriculture, domestic use, fish & wildlife, industrial, commercial, hydropower, instream flows and more. The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is the state agency tasked with administering water rights records and establishing new or changing existing water rights. Find more information about specific water rights on their website through the Water Rights Query System. Water rights are most often tied to a piece of land, considered property rights, and they are transferred along with a piece of land when it changes owners. There are a few elements of a water right; priority date, source, period of diversion and use, place of use, purpose, flowrate and volume. The priority date is the date that the water right was claimed and determines the priority for the prior appropriation doctrine. The other elements cover the place the water is coming from, timing and location it is to be used, what it is used for and how much is used. Montana has the authority to close or control river basins and groundwater aquifers to some new water rights based on factors like water availability, water contamination, or to protect existing water rights. The Bitterroot watershed is a closed basin which means that provisional permits cannot be submitted for new surface water rights. This closure was enacted by the legislature and became effective in 1999. According to the DNRC Water Rights Query System, there are currently 21,179 surface water rights records and 46,646 groundwater rights active in the Bitterroot. The topic of water rights is vast and complex. If you have specific questions reach out to our local DNRC office in Missoula at 406-721-4284. Additional information is available on the Bitter Root Water Forum website, brwaterforum.org, or the DNRC website, dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/water/water-rights. What elements about our watershed are you curious about? Wed like to hear from you about questions that you have. The Bitter Root Water Forum wants to be a resource for you. We may not have all the answers but wed love to connect you with the folks that do. Watershed Wellness is a monthly installation provided by the Bitter Root Water Forum, a local nonprofit that builds community around the river. Learn more about the Water Forum and their education and restoration programs at www.brwaterforum.org. Funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, DEQ, and MACD. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON (AP) The White House and Democrats are hurriedly reworking key aspects of President Joe Bidens $2 trillion domestic policy plan, trimming the social services and climate change programs and rethinking new taxes on corporations and the wealthy to pay for a scaled-back package. The changes come as Biden more forcefully appeals to the American public, including in a televised town hall Thursday, for what he says are the middle-class values at the heart of his proposal. Biden mentioned during the evening event the challenge he faces in wrangling the sharply divergent factions in the Democratic party to agree to the final contours of the bill. With an evenly divided Senate, he can't afford to lose a single vote, and he is navigating the competing demands of progressives, who want major investments in social services, and centrists, who want to see the price tag on the package come down. When youre president of the United States, you have 50 Democrats every one is a president. Every single one. So you gotta work things out, he said during a CNN town hall. Still, he expressed optimism about the process, saying I think so when asked if Democrats were close to a deal. It's all about compromise. Compromise has become a dirty word, but bipartisanship and compromise still has to be possible, he said. Biden later said the discussions are down to four or five issues." On one issue the taxes to pay for the package the White House idea seemed to be making headway with a new strategy of abandoning plans for reversing Trump-era tax cuts in favor of an approach that would involve taxing the investment incomes of billionaires to help finance the deal. Biden has faced resistance from key holdouts, in particular Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who has not been on board with her partys plan to undo President Donald Trumps tax breaks for big corporations or individuals earning more than $400,000 a year. The president was unusually forthcoming Thursday night about the sticking points in the negotiations with Sinema and another key Democrat, conservative Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. While the president said Sinema will not raise a single penny in taxes on the wealthy or corporations, a White House official later clarified that the president was referring to raising the top tax rates, not the range of tax proposals which Senator Sinema supports. Biden said Manchin doesnt want to rush the transition to clean energy so quickly it will result in major job losses in his coal-producing state. Even as he seemed encouraged by progress, Biden acknowledged major reductions to his original vision. He signaled the final plan would no longer provide free community college, but said he hoped to increase Pell Grants to compensate for the loss of the policy. Its not going to get us the whole thing, but it is a start, he said. He also said that what had been envisioned as a federally paid, months-long family leave program would be just four weeks. As long-sought programs are adjusted or eliminated, Democratic leaders are working to swiftly wrap up talks, possibly in the days ahead. Talks between the White House and Democratic lawmakers are focused on reducing what had been a $3.5 trillion package to about $2 trillion, in what would be an unprecedented federal effort to expand social services for millions and address the rising threat of climate change. We have a goal. We have a timetable. We have milestones, and weve met them all, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who predicted Thursday, It will pass soon. An abrupt change of course came late Wednesday when the White House floated new ways to pay for parts of the proposal. Biden himself signaled flexibility on the tax provisions of the bill, as long as it's paid for and it doesn't increase taxes on those earning $400,000 or less. Im willing to make sure that we pay for everything," he said when pressed on what tax proposal he'd support. The newly proposed tax provisions, though, are likely to sour progressives and even some moderate Democrats who have long campaigned on scrapping the Republican-backed 2017 tax cuts that many believe unduly reward the wealthy and cost the government untold sums in lost revenue at a time of gaping income inequality. Many are furious that perhaps a lone senator could stymie that goal. The chairman of the tax-writing Ways & Means Committee, Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., said he spoke for more than 30 minutes with the centrist Arizona senator, whose closely held views are a mystery to her colleagues. I said, Kyrsten, you and I both know this has got to pass. She said: I couldnt agree more, Neal told reporters at the Capitol. Sinema's office did not respond to a request for comment. Under existing law passed in 2017, the corporate tax rate is 21%. Democrats had proposed raising it to 26.5% for companies earning more than $5 million a year. The top individual income tax rate would go from 37% to 39.6% for those earning more than $400,000, or $450,000 for married couples. Under the changes being floated the corporate rate would not change. But the revisions would not be all positive for big companies and the wealthy. The White House is reviving the idea of a minimum corporate tax rate, similar to the 15% rate Biden had proposed this year. That's even for companies that say they had no taxable income a frequent target of Biden, who complains they pay zero in taxes. The new tax on the wealthiest individuals would be modeled on legislation from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He has proposed taxing stock gains of people with more than $1 billion in assets fewer than 1,000 Americans. Other tax options are also being considered, and Democrats are almost certain to include a provision to beef up the Internal Revenue Service to go after tax dodgers. Biden and his party are trying to shore up middle-class households, tackle climate change and stem the trend toward rising income inequality. In the mix are at least $500 billion to battle climate change, $350 billion for child care subsidies and free prekindergarten, a one-year extension of the $300 monthly child tax credit put in place during the COVID-19 crisis, and money for health care provided through the Affordable Care Act and Medicare. The president especially wants to advance the legislation by the time he departs next week for a global climate summit in Scotland. Manchin has made clear he opposes the president's initial energy plan, which was to have the government impose penalties on electric utilities that fail to meet clean energy benchmarks and provide financial rewards to those that do. Instead, Biden is focused on providing at least $500 billion in tax credits, grants and loans for energy producers that reach emission-reduction goals. Democrats also want to add funding to provide dental, vision and hearing aid benefits to people on Medicare proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Associated Press writers Alex Jaffe, Kevin Freking and Josh Boak contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 ST. LOUIS (AP) A former pastor accused of sexually assaulting two women inside a suburban St. Louis Catholic supply store, then killing a third when she refused his sexual demands pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree murder and other charges. Thomas Bruce's plea came days before jury selection was to begin in a trial scheduled to start Nov. 1 for the attacks in Ballwin, Missouri, on Nov. 19, 2018. He received a mandatory sentence of life without parole, 11 other life sentences and four 15-year prison terms. At Friday's hearing, Bruce appeared to be practicing reading from a piece of paper he had in his hand. But after the victims read their impact statements, Bruce told the judge he had nothing to say and started to weep, KSDK-TV reported. Bruce, now 56, was on the run for two days before his arrest, prompting some schools, churches and businesses to close. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, eight counts of armed criminal action, two counts of first-degree sodomy, three counts of first-degree kidnapping, burglary and attempted first-degree sodomy. Authorities said that Bruce, armed with a handgun, forced the three women into a back room of the store, told them to strip, exposed himself and ordered them to perform deviant sexual acts on him, detectives wrote in a criminal complaint. Two of the women complied but 53-year-old Jamie Schmidt of House Springs refused, so he shot her in the head, prosecutors said. He ordered the other women to continue performing the sexual acts on him, then fled, apparently able to blend in on a busy street in broad daylight. The two women assaulted in the store read victim impact statements Friday describing what they went through that day and in the years that have followed. Schmidts husband and family members also described the pain her death has caused them. In a way my kids lost two parents that day. I havent been same since, Schmidts husband said. After the hearing, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell praised the two women for facing Bruce to read their statements. "The courage that they showed, the strength, I don't know if I would have been able to do that under those set of circumstances," Bell said. "It's a blessing that they are still here, obviously, because it could have gone differently." The prosecutor at the time of the crime, Bob McCulloch, said he did not believe the store was targeted because of its religious affiliation but simply that Bruce saw an opportunity three women in the store alone. St. Louis Countys police chief at the time, Jon Belmar, said the crime shocked the senses. The Missouri secretary of states office identified Bruce as the operator of a nonprofit church formed in 2003 that was dissolved in 2007. Pastor David Fitzgerald at Calvary Chapel in Maryland Heights told The Post-Dispatch that Bruce was a pastor at Calvary Chapel of Cape Girardeau, in southeast Missouri, during that time. Bruce also was a Navy veteran, according to his LinkedIn page. Schmidt, of House Springs, was a married mother of three who worked as a secretarial assistant at a community college. She was active at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in High Ridge and friends have said she may have been at the store to buy supplies to make rosaries for parishioners. As part of the plea, prosecutors in Jefferson County agreed to drop separate charges of kidnapping, sexual abuse, burglary and harassment for an attack on a then-77-year-old woman just weeks before the Catholic Supply attack. The woman was attacked at her home near Hillsboro, another eastern Missouri town not far from where Bruce lived in Imperial. She later recognized Bruce from his photo after the Catholic store attack, which led to charges in January 2019. Jefferson County Prosecutor Trisha Stefanski said in a news release Friday the woman agreed to dropping the charges and is ready to move on from the attack. Stefanski said her office and the victim agreed that that having a mandatory life sentence without parole is a satisfactory resolution. Jim Salter in St. Louis contributed to this report. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, KSDK-TV. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Today can only be described as bittersweet. Bittersweet for Tom and Karen Laity and bittersweet for the many customers near and far they have served over the years. Sadly, today is the last day Joes Pasty Shop will be opened for business. After a 74-year run, the Butte institution is shutting its doors. Founded by Joseph and Mary Novack, the restaurant first opened its doors in 1947. Dont say nice things to me or Ill be in tears, said Karen, eyes already filled with tears. By no means has this couple been looking forward to this day. It was just inevitable. They bought the long-standing business in 1993 and had an absolute blast running it with zero regrets. For the few who dont know what a pasty is, well it includes beef and diced potatoes, along with a bit of onion and spiced with salt and pepper, all wrapped in dough and baked to a golden brown. Some like to top it with ketchup or chili, but the majority cover their pasty with a rich brown gravy. Years gone by, the Butte staple, introduced by Cornish immigrants, was affectionately called by Butte miners as a letter from home. Looking back at their 28-year run, Tom and Karen said summer was consistently their busiest season, thanks to tourists and of course, the numerous expatriates returning home for a visit. They always had to get their pasty, along with a pork chop sandwich, laughed Karen. The holidays were a close second. Every Christmas season without fail, the couple and their crew were inundated with orders for cocktail pasties, the hors doeuvres of choice for many a Butte holiday party. Karen recalled when they were baking 300 dozen a day in the weeks leading up to the millennium, Jan. 1, 2000. Everyone went all out, recalled Karen. It was just insane. According to Tom, its been a great run with the bonus of having great employees through the years and vendors, too. They are all going to be missed, he said. When it came time to retire, the couple hoped to sell to an enterprising buyer who wanted in on a Butte tradition. That sale never happened. I wish somebody would have bought it, said Karen, but were still keeping it on the market. Two important reasons factored in when making the decision to close now rather than at the end of the year. Physically, it became too much for us, said Karen, who explained the job is very labor intensive. Add a lack of staff to the mix and it has wreaked havoc for the restaurant. We just couldnt get help, she explained. It was the first time we had ever had this problem. In years past, the couple had employed numerous high school students and remain thankful for the experience. Through the years, we had the privilege of watching them blossom into fabulous people, said Karen. We have been so blessed. Tom, a Butte native, and Karen, who grew up in Three Forks, met in college and have been married 54 years. A one-time math teacher, Tom was a store manager when he finished up a 20-year career with Safeway. He then happily donned an apron and headed for the kitchen. He has mixed feelings about hanging up that apron. He already knows that he will dearly miss his customers, many of whom he has known not just for years, but for decades. We couldnt have asked for better customers, said Karen, who did the books and payroll. While they will certainly miss the daily camaraderie with their customers, catching some much needed shut-eye is first on the agenda. Post-retirement, the couple plans to sleep in for the first few weeks. But then, plans need to be made. Well have to create a new routine, said Tom. Karen agreed Yeah, get out of our comfort zone. Its something the two might find challenging at first, since both have worked since they were teenagers. But theyre not too worried. Tom plans to stay busy with volunteer work. As for Karen, she plans to volunteer as well, along with keeping up with her bridge and book clubs. The couple has three grown children, Stayce of Butte, Chris, who lives in Oregon, and Josh, now living in Germany, along with four grandchildren. They are looking forward to spending more time with them. Next year, travel is also on their agenda, with a trip to Europe in the works. As the restaurants final day gets closer, both Karen and Tom know the day will be tough to get through. All in all, though, the couple is happy with their decision. It was just time, said Tom. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 3 Angry 0 Montana Democrats on Thursday entered the fray surrounding the decision by the state Attorney General's Office to dispatch a Montana Highway Patrol trooper to a hospital in Helena last week. In the letter to legislative leadership, Senate Minority Leader Jill Cohenour of East Helena and House Minority Leader Kim Abbott of Helena requested the Legislature use a newly created special counsel to investigate the Attorney General's Office, citing questions of impropriety and abuse of power. "As a co-equal branch of government, the Legislature has a duty to perform oversight of Executive Branch officials and agencies, especially when there are questions of impropriety and abuse of power," Cohenour and Abbott said in the letter to House Speaker Wylie Galt, R-Martinsdale, and Senate President Mark Blasdel, R-Kalispell. "Therefore, we ask that you take immediate action to begin a probe into the incidents at St. Peter's Hospital, the actions of the Attorney General, and the involvement of any other public officials or employees." The question arose from an incident in which St. Peter's Health said its doctors were threatened and harassed by three public officials over the care of a COVID-19 patient who had requested ivermectin, a drug not approved for the virus. The Attorney General's Office, after hearing from the patient's family, sent a trooper to the hospital to take statements. Attorney General Austin Knudsen, a Republican, later called hospital leaders. Knudsen's office has since defended the attorney general's actions and has disputed the hospital's description of events. "Given the misinformation being reported in the media regarding this incident, we welcome a conversation with any member of the legislature," Attorney General spokesperson Kyler Nerison said in an emailed statement Thursday. "So far, no Democrats have reached out." The attorney general's office has not requested a correction to stories published this week by the Montana State News Bureau. Cohenour said Democrats wanted to approach the matter as a caucus. "I think it's more important that the Legislature exercise its oversight of the executive branch, and that's what we're asking for," she said. Democratic leadership who signed on to the letter asked Legislative leaders for a prompt response Thursday. This harassment campaign is a deeply disturbing abuse of power by the Attorney General, Cohenour and Abbott said in an emailed statement Thursday. Knudsens actions raise serious questions about his judgment and whether he is deserving of the trust invested in his office. The public deserves to know the facts and Knudsen must be held to account. Gov. Greg Gianforte, also a Republican, said after a press conference in Butte on Thursday he supported health care workers, but stopped short of condemning the attorney general's actions. I don't have the details on what happened there, but I stand with our health care workers. We need to support them so we can get through this together, Gianforte said. So much of our effort has been focused on getting relief for our health care workers, whether it's calling up the National Guard, providing contract staffing from contract nursing firms to what we're doing here today getting external (help), because they've been on the front lines for 19 months. They have to suit up every morning and come to work. The Attorney General's Office has asserted its law enforcement response to St. Peter's Health was not to direct medication administration but to investigate patient abuse or neglect of the patient, stating the patient's family had reported being cut off from communication with the woman in her 80s. St. Peter's has rejected that report, stating its teams are providing care in accordance with clinical best practice, hospital policy and patient rights. The hospital also said the elected officials threatened providers and demanded specific medical treatment. On Wednesday, spokesman Kyler Nerison said the Department of Justice had jurisdiction to investigate any complaints of patient abuse and neglect, pointing to the authority of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Federal funding for that unit is conditional upon it being "a single, identifiable entity in its own continuous space within the office of the state Attorney General," while the Montana Highway Patrol's jurisdiction is outlined in state law as limited to offenses on highways, rest areas, and state highway properties adjacent to the highway. The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff, which shares jurisdiction over the hospital property with the Helena Police Department, on Wednesday disputed the Attorney General's claim to jurisdiction. "As chief law enforcement officer of the state, the Attorney General holds an office of incredible authority and public trust," the letter from Democratic leaders said. "Accordingly, Montanans expect that whoever holds that office will conduct themselves with impeccable judgment and impartiality." Reporter Holly Michels contributed to this story. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Montana's legislative leadership on Friday said they would seek additional information on the proposed investigation into Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen's dispute with St. Peter's Health, a probe requested by Democratic legislative leaders. House Speaker Wylie Galt, R-Martinsdale, and Senate President Mark Blasdel, R-Kalispell, on Friday sought parameters of the investigation requested a day earlier by House Minority Leader Kim Abbott, D-Helena, and Senate Minority Leader Jill Cohenour, D-East Helena. St. Peter's this week said its doctors were threatened and harassed by three public officials over the care of a COVID-19 patient who requested ivermectin, a drug not approved for the virus. The Attorney General's Office, after hearing from the patient's family, sent a trooper to the hospital to take reports. The Department of Justice confirmed Attorney General Austin Knudsen was one of the officials who spoke with hospital leaders; that conversation took place days after the trooper was sent to the hospital. The other two officials have not yet been named. The Attorney General's Office has, however, disputed the hospital's version of events, asserting an investigation is ongoing into "serious allegations" of patient abuse or neglect. Abbott and Cohenour on Thursday asked legislative leaders to investigate questions of impropriety and abuse of power using the new special investigative counsel created by the Legislature earlier this year. Senate GOP Chief of Staff Abra Belke was hired into the job this summer. State law authorizes Belke to "inspect all records, books, and files of any department, agency commission, board or institution of the state of Montana." In their response on Friday, Galt and Blasdel said they had been in contact with Belke about the proposed investigation. "To fully consider your request for an examination of records, we require additional information regarding the purpose, scope and method of the requested inquiry," Galt and Blasdel wrote in the joint letter. "The special counsel will be in touch with minority staff later today to discuss the next steps." The Attorney General's Office did not return an email seeking comment on Friday's response to legislative Democrats. "We look forward to a conversation with the President and the Speaker to discuss the scope of an investigation into the reports of abuse of power and state resources by Attorney General Knudsen," Abbott and Cohenour said in a joint statement Friday. "We believe this process should result in a thorough, nonpartisan exercise of Legislative oversight over the executive branch and we hope our Republican colleagues will work with us to ensure that happens. Big Sky Lede: The Attorney General gets involved Holly Michels talks about her coverage of St. Peter's Health, the hospital in Helena, saying their doctors and other staff were threatened and had their medical judgement questioned by three public officials, including Republican Attorney General Austin Knudsen. A spokesperson for the Attorney General this week said the Department of Justice's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has jurisdiction to investigate patient fraud and abuse in health care settings in disputing the Lewis and Clark County sheriff's concerns that the Attorney General may have overstepped his authority by sending a trooper to the hospital. State law limits the highway patrol's jurisdiction to offenses on highways, rest areas, and state highway properties adjacent to the highway. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, which has oversight over the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in all 50 states, told the Montana State News Bureau on Friday deploying the highway patrol trooper did not violate any federal requirements. "The requirement that a State MFCU be a 'single, identifiable entity' has no bearing on how a State chooses to deploy its resources, outside the MFCU, to assist with the investigation of health care fraud or patient abuse," Melissa Rumley, a spokesperson for the Office of Inspector General, said in an email Friday. This story has been changed to correct the date the attorney general spoke with hospital officials. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A state agency has reinstated measures allowing emergency branch closures as banks continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions issued a proclamation Oct. 5 allowing branches to temporarily close for COVID-related safety or staffing issues, similar to a proclamation the division had lifted this summer. State law normally requires banks to get the divisions permission for emergency closures lasting more than 48 hours, according to the proclamation. I think the case numbers of COVID tell the whole story, said Cary Hegreberg, president and CEO of the Montana Bankers Association. Its just become more of a problem than it was a couple months ago. The proclamation came about three months after the division had rescinded similar measures, after Gov. Greg Gianforte ended Montanas state of emergency due to the pandemic. The day the division rescinded the measures, July 12, Montana had more than 90 daily COVID cases, according to the state COVID dashboard. Oct. 5 saw more than 1,000 daily cases, and the state has recently had some of the highest daily cases per capita in the country. Hegreberg said he was aware of instances when a branch had to close its lobby and wasnt able to notify the state on a timely basis. He said the proclamation could help banks stay in compliance when they otherwise couldnt. Virtually every bank in the state that I know of is having trouble, Hegreberg said. The state is dealing with a workforce shortage and banks are no exception. The state Department of Administration, which includes the banking division, could not provide an interview for this story. Since the proclamation, the division received notice for at least three temporary branch closures, according to a department spokesperson. Notice is not required under the proclamation as long as services are still being provided, so there could be other closures. In Helena, Ascent Banks lobbies closed on Oct. 7 after being open over the summer, according to Chief Development Officer Tom McGree. He said staff members were close contacts and had to stay home. The bank had enough staff to handle banking needs, McGree said, but it couldnt cover the foot traffic as well, and with COVID numbers up in the community, it decided to close the lobbies. We havent had a major problem with staffing until recently, McGree said. McGree said bank services are available by appointment, phone, drive-thru and online. As of this week the banks lobbies remained closed, according to its website. The proclamation encouraged banks to reduce hours instead of closing branches and required plans for providing service during a closure. There is a different process for routine business-related closures, according to the proclamation. US Banks Hamilton branch is by appointment only, according to its website. The bank could not be reached in time for this story. Wells Fargo has temporary closures in Helena, Butte and Bozeman, though each city has at least one branch open, according to the banks website. A Wells Fargo spokesperson could not provide details about closures in Montana but said the bank follows public health guidelines for COVID-19, including deep cleaning and asking close contacts to stay home following an exposure. According to its terms, the proclamation would remain in effect through January 1, 2022. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPOKANE, Wash. Fishing and conservation groups on Thursday joined with the state of Oregon, the Nez Perce Tribe and the Biden administration to seek a pause in litigation challenging the latest federal plan for hydropower operations on the Snake and Columbia rivers in an effort to save endangered salmon runs. If the federal court in Portland, Oregon, grants the stay, these parties will use the time to develop a comprehensive solution that could resolve decades of litigation. The federal lawsuit, filed against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service, involves the most recent plan for dam operations issued by the Trump administration in late 2020. The conservation groups, along with the state of Oregon and the Nez Perce, had sued to block the Trump administration plan and also filed a request for an immediate injunction to dramatically increase water flow through the dams to help salmon migrate to the ocean. Thursday's settlement covers only that injunction request. The lawsuit intended to save salmon is still moving forward. "Today's filing represents an important opportunity to prioritize the resolution of more than 20 years of litigation and identify creative solutions that improve conditions for salmon for years to come," said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. "While it is important to balance the region's economy and power generation, it is also time to improve conditions for tribes that have relied on these important species since time immemorial." Thursday's agreement outlines how eight dams in the Columbia River Basin will be operated over the coming year. This will include additional fish passage spill of water past the dams at certain times of year while still preserving reliable hydropower production, transportation, and other services provided by the dams. The agreement asks the court to stay the litigation until the end of July 2022, to afford affected states, tribes, and stakeholders the opportunity to identify and review alternative solutions. "A healthy and vibrant Columbia River Basin is good for the economy and it's good for the people of the Pacific Northwest," said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. "The Columbia River Basin is essential to salmon and steelhead production on the West Coast, providing a key refuge for salmon and steelhead from the effects of climate change." Increasing the amount of water next spring for a brief time to help endangered salmon pass through the dams helps juvenile fish avoid the turbines and pass each dam more quickly along their river migration to reach the ocean where they mature. The Columbia River Basin was once the greatest salmon-producing river system in the world. But dams built in the basin are blamed by conservationists with pushing some salmon runs toward extinction. Four dams along the Snake River in eastern Washington state Ice Harbor, Little Goose, Lower Monumental and Lower Granite slow passage along the lower Snake River, a major migration corridor linking pristine cold-water streams in central Idaho to the Pacific Ocean. Some $17 billion has been spent over two decades on inadequate federal efforts to protect salmon, said Earthjustice, one of the conservation groups involved in the suit. Because of that, many groups continue to demand those four dams be breached. Dam supporters blame declining salmon runs on other factors, such as changing ocean conditions. Opponents of breaching the dams include river users and mostly Republican politicians in the region who argue the dams provide many benefits, such as electricity, river navigation and irrigation. Kurt Miller of Northwest RiverPartners, which opposes breaching, said they do not oppose this request for a stay of litigation because the original lawsuit would have required increasing spill over the dams for a much longer period of time. Water spilled early is not available for use when it is needed later, he said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A computer science professor at the University of Montana resigned from his position Friday afternoon after recently coming under fire for his controversial blog posts. Rob Smiths lawyer, Matthew Monforton of Bozeman, shared a statement on Twitter announcing his resignation and insinuated that the current Title IX investigation was not being handled objectively. Rather than lend legitimacy to an investigation that I believe is being conducted dishonestly and, in the interest of sparing my wife and children the need to endure another investigation where merit is trumped by ideology, I am choosing to resign, effective today, Smith wrote in the statement shared by Monforton. Smith maintains that his blog pertained to his personal religious beliefs, which he alleges the university told him were "protected under the First Amendment." Monforton confirmed the statement in a phone call with the Missoulian. Smith has been on paid leave pending the conclusion of the investigation. He came under fire after the Montana Kaimin reported on Smiths troubling statements from his blog and YouTube channel regarding gender, Muslims, underage girls and individuals who are LGBTQ. The university confirmed Smith's resignation, but has not indicated how the resignation will impact the investigation. Smith joined the university as an associate professor in July 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile, and was granted tenure in 2017. He has run a blog called Upward Thought since at least 2013. Smith is CEO of Prime Labs, a scientific software company, which is housed in a university-owned building. It is unclear how Smith's resignation will impact the lab. UM President Seth Bodnar has previously called Smith's views expressed in his blog "homophobic and misogynistic" and said he was personally disgusted following the reporting by the Montana Kaimin. "Building a culture of respect, empowerment and equity is foundational to our mission at UM as well as personally important to me," Bodnar added. Students on campus have organized Fire Rob Smith social media pages and a website since his blog was brought to light. About 150 students rallied in front of Main Hall on campus last week demanding the university fire Smith or for him to resign. The Associated Students of the University of Montana unanimously approved a resolution last week demanding Smith's resignation or termination. "This is great news for everyone at the university and all the students who didn't want to have to take any more classes from him," said Betta Lyon Delsordo, a student involved with organizing the "Fire Rob Smith" effort. "It really shows progress that we, as a student body, came together and were able to say that we did not want him here and he listened." To Smith's claim that the investigation wasn't being handled objectively, Lyon Delsordo said she trusts the system and Title IX office to follow "all legal processes to do what's right." "There are stories that have come forward that go beyond his blog posts and I think there still needs to be accountability," Lyon Delsordo said. Students involved with "Fire Rob Smith" are not done with their work to make their campus a better place, she said. "We are continuing to look at what we can do across the university to make sure that this doesn't happen again and that there are more steps in place to make campus more inclusive and that everyone can feel comfortable going to school here." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Gov. Greg Gianforte, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale are calling for President Biden to stop Afghan resettlements in Montana after a humanitarian evacuee from Afghanistan was charged with sexual assault in Missoula earlier this week. Zabihullah Mohmand, 19, appeared in Missoula Justice Court on Tuesday. He is charged with one count of sexual intercourse without consent, a felony. The alleged survivor told officials Mohmand is from Afghanistan, charging documents said. In an email to the Missoulian on Thursday, Jon Ebelt, a spokesman for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, confirmed Mohmand is part of the federal Afghan Placement and Assistance Program. He is one of 20 Afghan evacuees currently in Montana. Mohmand told police he was visiting Missoula on a worldwide trip, charging documents said. He did not mention being part of a resettlement program. The public defender, Ted Fellman, said at Tuesdays hearing that Mohmand is an immigrant who has been staying in Missoula. A statement from Daines' office said Mohmand was admitted to the United States and placed in Montana under Humanitarian Parole, which is separate from the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. The International Rescue Committee confirmed this information to Daines office late Wednesday afternoon, Daines spokeswoman Katie Schoettler said in an email to the Missoulian. Both Daines and Gianforte called on the Biden administration to give answers about the vetting process being used for Afghan refugees resettling in Montana. "While I welcome our fully-vetted Afghan allies to Montana, this situation and others across the country raise serious concerns about whether the Biden administration is meeting its obligations to fully vet Afghans prior to resettlement, Gianfortes statement said. I'm calling on President Biden to immediately halt resettlements to Montana until federal agencies provide me with adequate assurance that Afghans coming to Montana are fully-vetted in accordance with federal law." Rosendale also called for Biden to halt resettlement, and to remove Afghan evacuees that have been resettled in the U.S. He said Mohmand did not go through the 14-step vetting process required to obtain a visa. "We remain steadfast that the circumstances and alleged actions of one individual are not reflective of refugee or immigrant communities. For decades we have welcomed immigrant families and have watched them thrive and contribute to their communities and the nation," a statement from the International Rescue Committee said. Randall Caudle, an immigration attorney based in Missoula, said while he understands the politicians' concerns and agrees Afghans should be fully vetted, he doesnt think this individuals actions represent all Afghan people seeking refuge in Montana. One person is not reflective of all the nationals of a country, Caudle said. Ebelt emphasized federal agencies are responsible for the vetting process prior to parolees arrival. Afghan parolees are expected to abide by the laws of the United States, both while in military installations and as resettled members of local communities, said a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. Afghan parolees are briefed on U.S. law and the conditions of their parole while they are refugees at military bases. Those who violate the law may be placed into removal proceedings, the statement said. Before individuals are permitted to enter the United States, they are subject to rigorous, multi-layered screening and vetting processes that involve biometric and biographic screenings conducted by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and additional Intelligence Community partners, the statement continued. Mohmand is being held on $50,000 bond at the Missoula County Detention Facility. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In many of the states more rural hospitals, the number of COVID patients has increased. At Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, the figure has grown 19% in the past five weeks. Carilion Roanoke is one of the states largest hospitals and currently houses the most COVID patients in Virginia. Hospitals in the southwest region are still very busy, said Dr. Noelle Bissell, director for the New River Health District. Beds are at a premium. Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill, near the North Carolina border, and Tappahannock Hospital near the Northern Neck also have seen upticks. Both are part of VCU Health System. In downtown Richmond, VCU Medical Center has seen a 30% decline in COVID patients in the past five weeks. But the total number of adult inpatients remains flat. Our team members across VCU Health remain vigilant as we continue to see a high number of critically ill patients, said Mary Kate Brogan, a VCU Health spokesperson. VCU Health continues to advise everyone eligible to receive a COVID vaccine, and it is still limiting the number of visitors it allows one for adult patients and two for pediatric patients. Richmond police will close roads around the Virginia Commonwealth University Monroe Park Campus on Saturday for former President Barack Obamas scheduled appearance with gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe. The following streets will be closed to public traffic from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.: 900 block of Park Avenue; 1000 block of Grove Avenue; Cathedral, North Cathedral and South Cathedral Place; and 100 block of North Linden Street. No parking will be allowed on the following streets during the same period: 1000 block of Grove Avenue and 900 block of Park Avenue between North Harrison and North Linden streets; 00 block of North Harrison Street between Park Avenue and West Main Street; 00 block of South Harrison Street between West Main and West Cary streets; 800 and 900 blocks of West Franklin Street between North Harrison and North Laurel streets; and Cathedral, North Cathedral and South Cathedral Place. The event, on the Compass patio in front of the main entrance to the James Branch Cabell Library, is meant to push early voting, which concludes Oct. 30, the Saturday before Election Day, Nov. 2. I think were going to have to get used to some flexible prevention and knowing when to turn those prevention measures on, and when they may not be as important, Forlano added. Need for vaccines, masks isnt going away Its likely that people will still have to prove they are vaccinated to enter some businesses or public spaces. Because paper cards can be forged, electronic proof might be necessary, Bissell said. Thats why the Virginia Department of Health now allows residents to access their vaccination records online. What counts as fully vaccinated wont change, Bissell added. You wont have to get a booster to be considered fully vaccinated. Vaccines will be required for visitors arriving to the United States as of Nov. 8, the White House has announced. But international visitors might have vaccines not approved in the U.S. Any vaccine authorized by the World Health Organization will be accepted in the U.S. as long as the recipient has the full number of doses and theyre properly spaced out, Bissell said. These include Oxford/AstraZeneca; Covishield, which is the same formula as Oxford/AstraZeneca and produced by the Serum Institute of India; Sinopharm and Sinovac, which come from China. A change from six months ago is that the vaccination centers, including at Richmond Raceway, are now open until 7:30 p.m. and on Saturdays. There are no waiting lists. Not all require appointments for booster shots and, unlike the first few months of the rollout, a vaccine registration system and statewide call center which can handle more than 100 languages exist. Well have strike teams that go into communities, engage through relationships, through community health workers, through our existing partnership with community residents and be able to offer vaccine to those who want it that may not be able to come to a larger site, Avula said. But this booster shot rollout is slightly more complex than the first round of vaccinations. While mixing and matching could make it easier on providers, there may be a challenge in planning and anticipating need. Booster shots are also a separate product from the one slated for 5- to 11-year-olds. The Moderna booster shot authorized on Thursday is a smaller dose than the initial shots still from the same vial which is different than the regular third dose recommended for immunocompromised people in August taken at least four weeks after the second Moderna vaccine. Everyone well knows I was concerned over the issue, Axselle said. He went on to thank Lowerre and Hanover Superintendent Michael Gill for pushing him on the matter and explaining the change further. Paul Fleisher, one of two people who filed a federal Office for Civil Rights complaint against the Maggie L. Walker Governors School nearly a decade ago, said during the meetings public comment period that the changes wouldnt go far enough. He also recommended the governors school remove an Algebra I requirement as recommended by a lengthy University of Virginia study done in 2009. He said the use of a composite score, which the school sends to the feeder districts to determine who is among the top applicants, is outdated. Using composite scores has not been best educational practices for decades, Fleisher said during public comment. In a later interview, he said his experience as a longtime gifted educator in Richmond Public Schools taught him that composite scores dont give enough information about a single student. What do you know about the kid if you have a single number? It tells you very little. ... You dont know whether this kid is strong in math, or in language arts, or in leadership skills ... you dont know because all you have is a number, Fleisher said. The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no domestic violence charges were filed. The police department there is conducting an internal review to determine if policy was followed. Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the van the couple took on their trip, which was later impounded by authorities. He was reported missing after telling his parents that he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve. Dozens of unconfirmed tips poured into authorities about spotting Laundrie from Wyoming to the Appalachian Trail, but none panned out. The remains were found Wednesday as searches concentrated on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found. That park is directly adjacent to the Carlton Reserve, both of which are about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Sarasota, Florida. Laundrie was charged in a federal Wyoming indictment with unauthorized use of a debit card, which alleged Laundrie used a Capital One Bank card and someones personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000. It does not say to whom the card belonged or what type of charges were made. Had Laundrie lived, that indictment would have permitted authorities to arrest him. The Trump administration's vaccine plan fell short of its goals and suffered from disarray out of the gate. On Inauguration Day, less than half of the 36 million doses distributed to the states by the federal government had been administered. Even so, the plan set the stage for an acceleration of vaccinations that did not happen solely because Biden "went out and bought everything I could do." BORDER: BIDEN, asked why he hasn't visited the U.S.-Mexico border as president: Ive been there before and I havent, I mean I know it well. I guess I should go down but the whole point of it is I havent had a whole hell of a lot of time to get down. Ive been spending time going around looking at the $900 billion worth of damage done by hurricanes and floods and weather and traveling around the world. but I plan on now, my wife Jill has been down. Shes been on both sides of the river. THE FACTS: Yes, Jill Biden has been to the border but not, as he implies, as the eyes and ears of a president consumed with crises. Can I get a booster now? If you got Pfizer or Moderna shots first, youre eligible if your last dose was at least six months ago and youre 65 or older, or are a younger adult who has health problems or a job or living conditions that put you at higher risk of severe illness or exposure to the coronavirus. Health care workers, for example, are included because they are regularly exposed to the virus and cant come to work with even the mildest of infections. What if I got the J&J shot? Anyone who got a J&J shot at least two months ago is eligible, regardless of age or other factors. Why are there different recommendations? A single shot of the J&J vaccine is less effective than two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer formulas, and health authorities decided it was important for the J&J recipients to achieve a similar level of protection. As for the timing, J&J simply tested more people with a two-month booster than one at six months. For recipients of Moderna or Pfizer vaccinations, there's no clear data that everybody needs another dose, but immunity against infection in at least some people appeared to wane around six months. What if I don't want to wait six months? Democrats argue their map would create a more competitive district in the west where they would have a fighting chance of winning. Republicans, whose map creates two GOP-leaning districts, say they are not interested in taking the competitiveness of districts into consideration. The two maps will be discussed by the commission at a meeting later this month before commissioners finalize the districts by the Nov. 14 deadline. Montana residents will vote in the new congressional districts in November 2022. The 2020 Census gave Montana a second congressional district for the first time in 30 years, spurring a redistricting process that had included debate about the changing nature of the state, with booming towns such as Bozeman and Missoula in western Montana providing a contrast to the stagnating agricultural communities in the prairie region that covers the eastern half of the state. Smith said she hoped the four partisan commissioners would be able to reach a consensus on the districts after receiving public comment, but if not she would select one of the two proposals during a planned Oct. 30 meeting. During the commission meeting on Thursday, Smith said she would like the final map not to favor any political party, to the extent possible given Montana's Republican tilt. But the Texas law was written to evade early federal court review by putting enforcement of it into the hands of private citizens, rather than state officials. The focus of the high court arguments will not be on the abortion ban, but whether the Justice Department can sue and obtain a court order that effectively prevents the law from being enforced, the Supreme Court said in its brief order. If the law stays in effect, "no decision of this Court is safe. States need not comply with, or even challenge, precedents with which they disagree. They may simply outlaw the exercise of whatever rights they disfavor," the administration wrote in a brief filed earlier in the day. Other state-enforced bans on abortion before the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks, have been blocked by courts because they conflict with Supreme Court precedents. "Texas should not obtain a different result simply by pairing its unconstitutional law with an unprecedented enforcement scheme designed to evade the traditional mechanisms for judicial review," the administration wrote. A day earlier, the state urged the court to leave the law in place, saying the federal government lacked the authority to file its lawsuit challenging the Texas ban. The justices reaction when they learned they were going to have to draw maps was, Oh, criminy! Emmert said. This was a task that the legislature forced upon the court ... Its my sense that theyll do anything they can to avoid the appearance of partiality. Might the federal courts provide a clue to the Supreme Courts direction? They unpacked multiple gerrymanders in response to Democratic challenges to GOP House of Delegates and congressional maps. Democrats would score big gains on revised maps that Republicans dismissed as the fancy of Democrat-dominated courts. The justices would be on a tight timetable, possibly taking over from the commission in the week ahead. The court would select two redistricting experts one Democrat, one Republican from a pool of 12 candidates submitted by the General Assembly. Such experts were enlisted by the federal courts. The fine print that guides redistricting requires these experts to work together, which could mean the justices demand they set aside partisan differences to produce compromise maps. This could take place out of view, as redistricting long has, because the court is not obligated to hold public hearings, though written comments would be allowed. Anderson has not filed a campaign finance report, which was due the same day he announced his candidacy, but said he has raised more than $100,000. According to the Federal Election Commission, Ramirez has raised $343,727 and had $249,541 on hand through Sept. 30; Keeney has raised $161,418 and had $102,304 on hand; Castorani has raised $263,812 and had $48,545 on hand; and Barve has raised $10,468, but had no cash on hand. Spanberger raised $759,528 in the last filing period and had $2,435,997 on hand. Del. John McGuire, R-Goochland, who lost the nomination to Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, two years ago, hasnt said whether he will run for the congressional seat next year, but he announced this week that hes raised about $372,000 in the past three months, which he said would be the largest amount raised by any GOP congressional candidate or incumbent in the state of Virginia. Reeves expects McGuire to run for the seat, but said his 10 years of Senate experience sets him apart from the rest of the field. I would be the only elected official running who has a proven record, he said. The rest are all wannabes. Vice President Kamala Harris drove home the stakes in Virginias tense governors race in a rousing speech Thursday night, proclaiming that electing former Gov. Terry McAuliffe isnt just about the state, but is also about our nation and its progress in addressing inequities exposed by the COVID-19 crisis. Speaking to a packed crowd in front of a rescue squad building in Dumfries, a small town in Prince William County, Harris shook off chants by climate change protesters to focus on what she termed the importance of McAuliffes bid to return as governor. Polls show a tightening campaign against Republican Glenn Youngkin less than two weeks before the election. After joking, I love democracy, the nations first Black vice president said: We will not be distracted. We will not be dissuaded. We will not be deterred. This election is too important. Harris, who turned 57 on Wednesday, responded to a birthday serenade by asking for McAuliffes election as her gift and then warning of the consequences if he fails. A Monmouth University poll out Wednesday showed McAuliffe and Youngkin each receiving 46% among registered voters, with the Republican gaining an advantage with voters who consider themselves independents and improving his polling numbers with women. Del. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun, is one of the few lawmakers to have success in recent years in passing legislation aimed at restoring commission regulatory power to refund excess utility profits to customers. In 2020, the General Assembly passed a bill he sponsored that closed a utility-friendly accounting loophole. But unfortunately over the past decade, weve seen the crucial consumer protections repeatedly stripped from Virginias utility code as new legislation placed regulatory decision-making power with the utility, not the commission, Subramanyam testified. He called the $330 million refund a great first step, but only a first step, and called on lawmakers and the public to stand up for a fair rate-making process and comprehensive utility reform. Sen. John Bell, D-Loudoun, said he backed the agreement, and Del. Sally Hudson, D-Charlottesville, said she wants the commission to continue to update lawmakers so that the legislature can understand how removing additional barriers to your authority would allow for additional refunds and rate reductions on behalf of our ratepayers. TOKYO (AP) Carlos Ghosn, the former auto industry superstar whose career screeched to a halt with his arrest three years ago, isn't about to settle into quiet retirement. The former head of the Nissan-Renault alliance fled to Lebanon in late 2019, while out on bail facing financial misconduct charges in Japan. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Ghosn was confident, energized and determined to fight to restore his reputation. Im going to be there. Im going to defend my rights as long as I have the energy to do it, Ghosn, 67, said via Zoom from his home in Beirut. His story is far from finished, he said. Ghosn fled from Japan while hiding in a big cargo box on a private jet. The French, Brazilian-born Ghosn took refuge in Lebanon, his ancestral homeland, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Ghosn said he is trying to get Interpol to drop its red flag, which requests police worldwide to seek out and arrest persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence. He's eager to be able to travel outside of Lebanon, but the process is likely to be bureaucratic and long. LONDON (AP) Buckingham Palace said Thursday that Queen Elizabeth II spent a night in a hospital after being advised by her doctor to rest. The palace said the 95-year-old British monarch went to an unspecified hospital for "preliminary investigations." It said she returned to her Windsor Castle home at lunchtime on Thursday, "and remains in good spirits." On Wednesday, the queen canceled a scheduled trip to Northern Ireland. The palace said she had "reluctantly" accepted medical advice to rest for a few days. It did not elaborate. The queen is now at Windsor Castle, west of London, where she has spent much of her time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. The decision to cancel this week's trip was understood to not be COVID related. The decision came just days after Elizabeth was seen using a walking stick at a major public event when attending a Westminster Abbey service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion, an armed forces charity. She had previously been photographed using a cane in 2003, but that was after she underwent knee surgery. Eighty years ago, dairy farmer Jim Edgerton stood up at a town hall meeting in his hometown of Arlington, Vermont, to voice his disagreement with the town councilors decision to build a new school. Edgerton was the only person at the meeting or in town who objected to the proposed building. His opposition was mostly unremarkable, but he held his ground, nonetheless. No one would have known about it had not Norman Rockwell, a newcomer in town, been there. As he watched Edgerton exercise his freedom of speech, the famous illustrator of Americana could not stop thinking about the State of the Union address President Franklin D. Roosevelt had delivered on Jan. 6, 1941, in which he warned that the values and liberties the public took for granted were under attack. Rockwell would go on to illustrate that moment, making Roosevelts words relatable by depicting them in use in small-town America. It is inconceivable that the federal government today wants to squash that freedom through vague rules and intimidation. Garland seems to be making the calculation that the Jim Edgertons of this world will cower under the concern the government is watching them. In the beginning, maybe they will. But in the long run, the air of intimidation probably wont last. There comes a point when those feeling the threat go from being on the fringe of society to being the majority. Leadership, truth and humility marked Powell Editor, Times-Dispatch: For many of us with the State Department, now in senior ranks or retired, Secretary of State Colin Powell was an incredible breath of fresh air to the department. As busy as his schedule was, he made a point to attend every commissioning ceremony at the department for new Foreign Service officers. He instituted mandatory leadership training for entry-, mid- and senior-level officers. I recall meeting Secretary of State Powell on several occasions when he would travel the world for diplomatic meetings. He made a point of having a meet-and-greet with local staff, Foreign Service officers and families at U.S. missions throughout the world. I remember an occasion when he asked, after a meeting, for the housekeeping and janitorial staff to remain behind so he could thank each person for their contribution to the mission. He was an incredible leader who understood how to empower others to become leaders. He was a man of great humility, and despite regretfully being the point person in the U.N. Security Council for the justification for the war in Iraq, he was able to publicly acknowledge his mistake. Ferrum College will again host the 48th Blue Ridge Folklife Festival, on Saturday. The COVID-19 pandemic last year forced organizers for the first time ever to cancel the annual, outdoor, family event. Were really excited that were able to do this, said Bethany Worley, director of the events organizing body, the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum. For almost half a century, weve done it. Its about highlighting the traditional culture of the Blue Ridge area. Its thoroughly authentic. We take pride in that. David Johns, president of Ferrum College, echoed Worleys sentiments. The folklife festival has been a feature every fall for nearly 50 years, Johns said. I am pleased we are hosting it again, following a year off for COVID. The folklife festival has always focused on the creativity, resilience, and determination of our region. Now, more than ever, that spirit is on full display as we rebuild following one of the most challenging periods of our history. I invite everyone to the campus of Ferrum College to celebrate the best of what it means to live in Virginias Blue Ridge. Several churches in the Hurt Park Southwest community in Roanoke are uniting to encourage and support vaccinations on Saturday. Jerusalem Baptist Church, Morning Star Baptist Church, Greater Life Ministries and P3 Ministries will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Hurt Park Elementary School, 1525 Salem Ave. S.W., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The congregations have been distributing flyers canvassing the neighborhood to help the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health districts, the Virginia Department of Health the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and Total Action for Progress in recruiting residents to get vaccinated. The church is in the business of saving souls. It is impressive that they are partnering to save physical lives, said a news release. Total Action for Progress has held several clinics that provided more than 300 people an opportunity to receive vaccinations, Annette Lewis, president and CEO said in an email. Ford, a Democrat, used the same words in July, when a 53-year-old Nevada man was sentenced to up to two years of probation for his guilty plea to one felony charge of voting twice in the 2016 presidential election: in Benton, Arkansas, and in Las Vegas. At least five other people have been convicted in Nevada since 2011 of registration fraud during voter recruitment, and one woman pleaded guilty to trying to vote twice in 2012. I want to stress that our office will pursue any credible allegations of voter fraud and will work to bring any offenders to justice, Ford said Thursday. A conviction on the two charges voting more than once and voting using the name of another person could get Hartle up to eight years in prison, the statement said. Hartle is an executive at Ahern Rentals Inc., a company that was fined $3,000 for violations of COVID-19 mask and crowd-size restrictions while hosting a Trump campaign event in September 2020. The rally drew thousands of people to a sprawling indoor facility in suburban Henderson. Companies need assurance that Virginia is truly a business-friendly state. And at the top of their list of assurances is the right to work. Right to work laws ensure that private sector workers unionized under the federal National Labor Relations Act are given a choice to join and pay a union or not. I have strong relationships with unions in my area, and we should all be in favor of workers, their safety, and their rights to decide what is best for them and their families. However, in recent years, Virginias right to work law has come under attack by the left who are financially supported by unions. Glenns opponent has recently flip-flopped on right to work in Virginia. In 2013, candidate McAuliffe said Virginia should never change our right to work law. However, this year he told the Democratic Business Council of Northern Virginia that if a bill repealing Virginias right to work law came across his desk as governor, sure Id sign it. Even McAuliffes then-secretary of commerce and trade wrote in a 2020 Richmond Times-Dispatch Op-Ed, Make no mistake: Right to work is a key component of Virginias strong business climate. Glenn Youngkin is a pro-jobs champion who understands the value of a strong economy backed by a workforce that is free to choose how their wages and working conditions are negotiated. Charlotte has likewise faced vaccine resistance among its officers. The Police Departments 66.5% vaccination rate is the third lowest among Charlottes city departments, WCNC reported. In the U.S., 78% of adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Charlotte has stopped short of mandating vaccinations, but it has offered cash rewards for city employees who get the shot and it requires that the unvaccinated to be tested weekly. The city also requires that all new hires be vaccinated. The resistance among U.S. law-enforcement officers is particularly striking given the toll the virus has taken on their ranks as the leading cause of officer deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, 476 officers have died from COVID-19 compared to 94 killed by gunfire and about 100 who died in vehicle-related incidents, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. In Raleigh, the police holdouts say their refusal is about freedom. In its letter to the city, the CRFC said that its members are not opposed to vaccines, but they oppose top-down mandates, coercion, and control. Fundamentally, CRFC is for freedom and for respect of the individual. Larry Ortega is founder of Community Union Inc., a nonprofit corporation that trains consumers living in the digital divide, and a 35-year veteran of the technology sector. " " This animation shows the Deep Space Atomic Clock, a new technology being tested by NASA that will change the way humans navigate the solar system. NASA On Saturday, June 22, SpaceX plans to launch its Falcon Heavy Rocket out of the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The reusable craft is coming off two successful flights; its maiden launch in early 2018 and a satellite delivery trip in April 2019. For its third adventure, the Falcon Heavy will ferry a trove of precious cargo up into space. Around two dozen satellites are going along for the ride this time. But the rocket's most interesting passenger has to be the Orbital Test Bed satellite. Its main payload is an experimental, toaster-sized gizmo called the Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC). If the thing works properly, future missions to Mars, Jupiter and beyond could become a whole lot easier and less expensive. Advertisement Atomic clocks are time-keeping devices that work by keeping subatomic particles resonating at a desired frequency. Using this process, the clocks can tell time with incredible accuracy. It's a level of precision that makes our GPS technology possible. GPS receivers use atomic clocks to determine the distance between themselves and global positioning satellites (which have their own built-in atomic clocks). With that info at hand, the receiver can pinpoint your whereabouts. Similarly, NASA uses atomic clocks to guide man-made vessels through deep space which is defined as any celestial point that's "at or beyond" the moon's orbit. First, a signal is sent up through the antennae at ground-based stations. Upon receiving this, the spacecraft fires off a return signal. And that's where the timekeeping comes in. Surface-level atomic clocks tell scientists exactly how much time has elapsed between the outgoing signal and its reply message. Calculations are then made to determine the craft's velocity, trajectory and location. Meanwhile, the vessel itself has to idle around, awaiting navigational commands from the Earth-bound team. " " Because distance equals velocity multiplied by time, the distance between a ground station and a spacecraft is the time it takes for a transmission to flow between them multiplied by the speed of light. NASA The DSAC was designed to streamline the process. Weighing just 35 pounds (16 kilograms), it's significantly lighter than the massive, grounded clocks that are currently used to direct deep space missions. In fact, it's small enough to fit on a satellite or rocket. So if the device works, future astronauts won't have to twiddle their thumbs until Earth dispatches traveling instructions. With a portable atomic clock aboard, they can assess their own bearings, make quicker decisions, and enjoy some measure of autonomy. Ground stations could benefit from the arrangement, too. At the moment, they're limited to tracking one spacecraft at a time, but the DSAC would eliminate the need for return signals. That'd allow the stations to track multiple vessels simultaneously. Tests conducted here on Earth found that the DSAC which utilizes mercury ions to tell time was vastly more accurate and stable than any of the atomic clocks you'll find on GPS satellites. Now, the scientific community is looking to see how the device will fare in the Final Frontier. But they're not going to shoot it past the moon right away. After the Falcon Heavy takes off, the DSAC will spend a year in Earth's orbit as engineers keep close tabs on its progress. "We have lofty goals for improving deep space navigation and science using DSAC," Dr. Todd Ely said in a 2018 NASA statement. An investigator at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Ely adds that the gadget "could have a real and immediate impact for everyone here on Earth if it's used to ensure the availability and continued performance of [GPS systems]." NOW THAT'S INTERESTING A wristwatch that astronaut Ron Evans wore on the Apollo 17 mission sold for $245,000 at a 2016 auction. " " Many conspiracy theorists and doomsday prophets believe in the existence of distant planet Nibiru, and that the orbital path of the passing planet will eventually bring destruction to Earth. NASA Doomsday prophecies often can find receptive ears. Sure they're grim, but for various reasons, some people actually take comfort in apocalyptic predictions. That doesn't, however, make these prophecies true. A lot of widespread ideas about end times rely on faulty science and nonexistent "evidence." Take the Nibiru cataclysm. It's perhaps one of the worst doomsday offenders. Most believers say that Nibiru is a mysterious planet that orbits the sun, completing a new trip around the star every 3,600 Earth years. And supposedly, planet Nibiru is on a collision course with us. The story goes that Nibiru will someday crash into our home world or, failing that, get close enough to trigger a mass outbreak of natural disasters that'll destroy civilization as we know it. Don't worry; Nibiru is pure fiction. If it was real, there'd be traces of its gravitational influence all over the solar system. No such clues exist. Besides, any planet with Nibiru's alleged orbit likely would've kissed our sun goodbye ages ago, leaving mankind in peace. Advertisement In the Beginning ... Nibiru entered the public consciousness in 1976 with the publication of "The 12th Planet" by Zecharia Sitchin. We should note that Sitchin himself didn't believe Nibiru posed any immediate threat to mankind. On the contrary, he thought it was linked to the creation of our species. Yeah, there's a lot to unpack here. The late Sitchin was a journalist and a student of Sumerian cuneiform ancient writings of Mesopotamia and Persia mainly on clay tablets. Somewhere down the line, he became convinced that Homo sapiens are not the product of natural selection at least, not entirely. According to his ( questionable) interpretations of ancient Mesopotamian texts and inscriptions, the first humans were bio-engineered by some aliens called the Annunaki, who once colonized southeastern Africa. Sitchin claimed these beings hailed from a place called Nibiru, a hitherto-undiscovered planet. His writings state that Nibiru approaches Earth once every 3,600 years and then retreats to the depths of space. "The 12th Planet" and Sitchin's follow-up books were never taken seriously by scientists or historians, but they sold millions of copies nonetheless. As for Nibiru, it was destined to become an object of fear. Starting in the mid-1990s, the imaginary Nibiru was incorporated into a slew of doomsday and conspiracy theories. One psychic decided to warn mankind that Nibiru would fly past us in the year 2003, causing mass destruction en route. Obviously, this didn't happen. But Nibiru kept making headlines. Many proponents of the faux 2012 apocalypse thought Nibiru was going to strike Earth that December, vindicating their beliefs about the Mayan calendar. More recently, in 2017, some Christian fundamentalists declared that Nibiru or a similar object was fast approaching and would soon herald the apocalypse. Advertisement Sayonara, Solar System! Let's take this opportunity to try and put some minds at ease. To recap, Nibiru supposedly has an orbital period of 3,600 Earth years. On its face, that claim seems plausible. After all, it takes the minor planet Sedna (which actually exists) an incredible 11,400 Earth years to finish one trip around our sun. But Sedna gives the sun a wide berth. Astronomers and planetary scientists use astronomical units, or AUs, to measure some of the vast distances in the cosmos. One AU is equal to about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers), which is the average distance between Earth and the sun. Even at its closest point to the sun, Sedna is 76 AUs away from the life-giving star putting it in the outer solar system and far beyond the planets Uranus and Neptune, and the much-maligned Pluto. Yet Nibiru is supposed to make regular forays into the inner solar system, which is the domain of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Using these criteria, Bruce McClure at Earthsky.org calculated that the far end of Nibiru's orbital path would be about 469 AUs away from the sun. So in the span of 3,600 years, poor old Nibiru would have to travel all the way from planet Earth to this very distant location and back. To stay on schedule, the planet would need a ridiculously narrow, almost stick-shaped orbit. And Nibiru would be moving really, really fast. As it passed by the Earth, we'd expect such an object to have a dizzying travel speed of 26.1 miles per second (42.1 kilometers per second). That spells trouble. A planet cruising at such a high velocity and along such an unstable orbit would be at risk of getting ejected out of the solar system entirely. Bye, Felicia! Advertisement The Gravity of the Situation OK, so what would happen if Nibiru actually stayed the course and maintained its weird orbit around the sun? Well, if that were the case, we'd have found telltale evidence. Long before Neptune was discovered in 1846, astronomers suspected there might be a large planet in its general vicinity. Why? Because observers noticed that Uranus which was first sighted in 1781 kept deviating from its expected orbit. Mathematicians hypothesized that this was because a nearby planet was influencing Uranus. Lo and behold, these predictions were spot-on. The mystery planet turned out to be the gas giant we now call Neptune. Likewise, if Nibiru was real, its influence on the other planets in our solar system would be plain to see. And if as many apologists claim Nibiru was a giant planet Jupiter-sized or bigger, that influence would be all the more obvious because massive planets exert strong gravitational pulls. Today, all the planets from Venus to Neptune orbit the sun on the same general plane (give or take a few degrees). But according to astronomer David Morrison, if a Nibiru-esque body was careening past Earth every 3,600 years, its gravity would've driven at least some of those planets way off the plane leaving them with severely tilted orbital pathways. (Also, spare a thought for Earth's natural satellite. Nibiru would have presumably stolen our moon away by now.) Advertisement Seeing Is Believing Finally, there's the issue of direct observation or, more accurately, the lack thereof. Astronomers would be able to detect Nibiru several years before it reached Earth. And several months prior to the wayward planet's arrival, it'd shine brighter than some of the stars that are currently visible to the naked eye. But nobody's ever seen the prophesized planet, amateur astronomers or otherwise, and there's no scientific evidence to think that anyone ever will. The jury is in: Nibiru's just a hoax. NOW THAT'S INTERESTING On new age websites, the term "Planet X" is sometimes used interchangeably with "Nibiru." But they aren't synonyms. "Planet X" is a label that scientists occasionally give to theoretical planets (and similar bodies) whose existence has yet to be proven. Pluto once went by this title. Advertisement Originally Published: May 21, 2019 " " (From left) Terry Shelton, MacKenzie Shelton, NASA's Milt Heflin and Mark Shelton in the Apollo Mission Operations Control Room at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in 2009. The Sheltons have sent flowers there for every manned mission since 1988. NASA When he was a boy growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, one of Mark Shelton's more nagging childish concerns was that, someday, he'd grow too big to fit into a space capsule. That was the 1960s. NASA's Mercury program had just made its first forays around Earth. The Apollo program was in its planning stages. The moon landing was still a dream and years away. It was a time, as President John F. Kennedy said in Houston in the early part of the decade, to take up "the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked." That was the beginning of young Mark Shelton's infatuation with space travel and the American space program. And though he never made it into space or he hasn't yet, anyway Shelton has become a part of NASA and the space program in his own, poignant way. Advertisement Out of Tragedy, Hope America's exploration of space has been marked by soaring triumphs the 50th anniversary of landing on the moon is this summer and crushing tragedies. The Space Shuttle program suffered its first disaster in 1986, when the orbiter Challenger exploded barely a minute after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board. Shelton, like many others in America, watched in horror that day. He didn't know what to do to show his support for a program that, until Challenger, had become almost an afterthought to much of the American public. "I wanted to find a way to let them know that every flight, people care," Shelton recalls now. "Just because there isn't media coverage didn't mean that people didn't care. We take it seriously that they take it seriously." More than two-and-a-half years later, after NASA scientists had worked countless hours to determine what went wrong with Challenger and countless more finding ways to make sure it didn't happen again, the Space Shuttle program finally resumed. And Shelton decided on sending a simple gesture. It was after STS-26 (the first "return to flight" mission after the Challenger disaster) wrapped up its mission in October 1988 and the shuttle Discovery was safely back on land, Shelton, his wife Terry and daughter MacKenzie sent a bunch of roses to NASA's Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston. In the bouquet: A red rose for each of the seven Discovery crew members on board, plus a single white one in remembrance of those who had been lost in the space program. The bouquet included a short note, but no phone number or address for the sender. For every manned mission that NASA has flown since even the first manned missions off U.S. soil since the Shuttle missions ended in 2011 the family has continued the tradition. Over more than three decades, the Sheltons have sent more than 100 bouquets to Mission Control. "They have never missed one time. They've always been supportive. Mark and I talk every once in a while. He'll call me and I'll call him. It's a friendship that has lasted," says retired NASA flight director Milt Heflin. "They are just so dedicated to doing this and to showing this support. That's what makes this really, really remarkable to me." They even sent a bouquet to Mission Control for SpaceX's test launch of its Crew Dragon capsule on March 2, 2019, which docked successfully at the International Space Station. The Crew Dragon was unmanned, but carried a sensor-laden mannequin, dubbed Ripley after the space explorer in the "Alien" movies. It was the first time the family sent a bouquet for an unmanned mission and the first one they've sent since the Space Shuttle program ended in 2011. This bouquet also included a fake rose in honor of Ripley. "This was like, 'We're back,'" Shelton says. "We have a capsule that is capable of supporting human life. A crew-rated capsule that can dock with the ISS." Advertisement A Connection to Space It was NASA flight director Heflin, who spent 47 years with NASA and supervised 20 shuttle missions (seven of which he was lead flight director), who tracked down the Sheltons after receiving that first vase of roses in 1988. They talked, briefly, on the phone. ("I couldn't believe it," Shelton says now. "I was thinking, 'You got way too much to do to be talking with me.'") A few years later, with Heflin at Mission Control helming another shuttle flight, another bouquet arrived, with a handwritten note from Terry. It read, in part: NASA and her projects and missions have always been a source of hope, pride, and inspiration to the people of the United State and, more importantly, to the people all over the world. We all know the dedication of all of you associated with the space program to the successful completion of each mission and to the safety of those whose lives are in your hands. We send flowers each time because we care that y'all care. ... I am so grateful for the things that have come out of the space program which help our lives and those of our children. My daughter, MacKenzie, is most important in our lives, and we are grateful for what y'all do to improve the quality of her life. Almost 50 years after a human first walked on the moon, Shelton, now 62, and Heflin, 75, still marvel at what the space program has accomplished what it's still accomplishing and look forward to what's next. "Miniaturization, health and medical improvement and technological changes," Shelton says. "We got this little phone in our hand, and it has so much power, and we can see a satellite image and a pretty close-up view of where we live, and the weather and what's coming. And global communication. The studies of Earth. That's really important. "And we don't know in the future: Are we ever going to need to leave the planet? Exploration is just such a basic need we have as individuals and as civilizations." Thanks to Shelton and those like him, Heflin says, the more than 17,000 scientists, engineers, astronauts, teachers and many other professionals that work for NASA feel the appreciation. "People who work in Mission Control know better than somebody in the engineering directorate who's doing a lot of that hard work ," Heflin says. But I'm convinced, I still believe, that the public by and large really appreciates and likes what we do." NOW THAT'S INTERESTING In December 1972, Apollo 17 marked the last of six manned moon landings by NASA. But the space agency is building a new plan to begin orbit of the moon as early as 2023, and land humans on it again no later "than the late 2020s." After that, plans call for the building of Gateway, a lunar orbiting platform similar to the ISS, with an eventual goal of sending humans to Mars. MULLINS, S.C. Florence-Darlington Technical College President Dr. Jermaine Ford paid a visit to the Mullins Technology Center Thursday. Ford began his new post on Oct. 4 and made it his first stop touring the colleges sites and meeting staff members along with students. I was so close to the Mullins campus I wanted to stop in, Ford said. Florence-Darlington Technical College is on the move to do phenomenal things to support and help our students. To help the community and help our businesses. Ford said he wants to support businesses for retention, recruitment, and expansion. Im excited to be here, he said. Ford previously served as vice president of workforce and economic development at South Louisiana Community College. The Mullins Technology Center was established in 2003 and expanded through a Marion County Healthcare Foundation $400,000 grant award. The 11,000 square foot site features several classrooms, biology lab and clinical nursing lab. Students at the center are enrolled in classes and labs leading to diplomas, certificates and associate degrees. Programs include an early college cohort that recently helped 11 Mullins high school students earned an associate of arts degree. FLORENCE, S.C. Poet Nikki Giovanni will be the guest of the Friends of the Florence County Library for a virtual event at 7 p.m. on Nov. 16. Giovanni will participate in a live question-and-answer session on Zoom, with Louis Venters of Francis Marion University moderating. A pre-recorded presentation by Giovanni that viewers can watch prior to the live Q & A session will be posted to the librarys website for viewing starting Nov. 12. Giovanni is one of the worlds best-known African-American poets. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Oprah Winfrey called her a living legend. She is also an essayist, childrens author, commentator, activist, and Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech. She has won seven NAACP Image Awards and has authored three New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestsellers. A limited number of autographed book plates will be available (while supplies last, one per person) at the Drs. Bruce & Lee Foundation Library for those who bring in one of Giovannis books. DARLINGTON, S.C. Darlington Raceway will offer fans the opportunity to drive their personal vehicles around the iconic 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval with Track Laps for Charity on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of its Track Laps for Charity program. This time the $20 donation per car will go to Toys for Tots and Darlington Shares. Toys for Tots is an organization that is humbly serving communities across the nation to help families have a Merry Christmas, said Darlington President Kerry Tharp. With the holidays season approaching, we are proud to support this purposeful organization by welcoming our loyal fans to the track Too Tough To Tame for a fun community event to benefit a worthy cause. This is the fourth Track Laps for Charity event of the year as Darlington Raceway continues to partner with organizations making a difference in the community. The first three Track Laps for Charity benefited Donate Life South Carolina in March, VFWs Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship program with Sport Clips, the Official Hair Care Service Provider of Darlington Raceway, in June and Blessings in a Backpack in August. Well, time caught up with him, as it eventually does to all of us. Thats why when I see the glowing obituaries, richly deserved, pouring forth in Powells memory, I cant help but think of what might have been and how that prospect was humbled by what is. On the racial front, Powell came along at a time when, in spite of such awful disasters as the 1992 Los Angeles riots, other new cultural ground was being broken by heroes of color like Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan, to name just two. Powell presented a vision, at least, of how our racial glass ceiling might be broken, too. Fortunately Powell, a declared Republican who more recently turned independent, stayed with us long enough to help Barack Obama break through that presidential ceiling with his endorsement. But the relentless backlash to Obamas rise, including baseless paranoid fears that he might be a secret immigrant and Muslim, offer a hint of what would have been in store for Powell, born in the United States to Jamaican immigrant parents. So maybe its just as well that Powell didnt run. I didnt used to think that. But the continuing political polarization that was only beginning in the 1990s has persuaded me. Republicans have gone further to the right since then and Democrats to the left. What we need is leadership that can rebuild that sensible center. It wasnt Powell, but he helped to prepare the way. Email Clarence Page at cpage@chicagotribune.com. "Data update: As the Delta variant ravages the country, correctional systems are dropping the ball (again)" | Main | Oregon Gov uses clemency power to give certain juve offenders opportunity for parole after non-retroactive statutory reform As detailed in this lengthy local article, an execution was completed in the Yellowhammer State on Thursday night bringing to a conclusion a capital case raising a host of modern legal issues. Here are some of the details: Alabama Death Row inmate Willie B. Smith III was executed by lethal injection Thursday night at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, even as the state did not dispute that Smith had significantly below-average intellectual functioning, according to the U.S. Supreme Court. The execution date was set by the Alabama Supreme Court last month and came after several months of delay, due to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from February saying Smith could not be executed without his personal spiritual advisor present in the room with him. That ruling came on the evening Smith was first set to be put to death, on Feb. 11. Smith was sent to death row after being convicted of killing 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson, the sister of a police detective, on Oct. 27, 1991 in Birmingham. Prosecutors said Smith abducted Johnson at gunpoint from an ATM, stole $80 from her and later took her to a cemetery, where he shot her in the back of the head. The execution was set to happen at 6 p.m. but did not start until shortly after 9:30 p.m. because the state was waiting on a ruling from the nations highest court. Smiths official time of death was 9:47 p.m.... The state allowed a personal pastor in the chamber, Pastor Robert Wiley, who appeared to pray with Smith and put hand on his leg at the beginning of the execution.... The U.S. Supreme Court denied Smiths request for a stay of execution and petition for a writ of certiorari, or a request to review the case, at approximately 8:30 p.m. Justice Sonia Sotomayor released a statement respecting the denial of the petition. She said she shared the same concerns as a lower court judge, who identified serious concerns with the way the ADOC has administered the Alabama Legislatures directive to allow those on death row to choose nitrogen hypoxia as their means of execution.... Issues of Smiths mental capacity have been brought up several times throughout the years-long appeals process. Smiths lawyers, Allyson R. du Lac, Spencer Hahn and John Palombi of the Federal Defenders for the Middle District of Alabama, said in a recent court filing that Smith has an IQ in or below the 70s and should have received help under the ADA to understand a form related to the selection of an execution method. Previous appeals in Smiths state case showed that a state expert put his IQ at 72; a defense expert placed it at 64. In the 11th Circuits ruling, the court stated: In making its determination, the district court found that: (1) Mr. Smith is a qualified individual with a disability, (2) Mr. Smith failed to demonstrate that he lacked meaningful access to the ADOCs Election Form service, and (3) Mr. Smith did not request an accommodation from the ADOC or show that his need for an accommodation was so obvious and apparent that the ADOC should have known he required one.... Lawyers for the state have argued that Smith never gave any indication that he wanted to request nitrogen; but according to the defense attorneys, (the state) clearly violated Mr. Smiths rights when they failed to provide him with an accommodation when handing out the form in June 2018. The filing continues, Mr. Smith has submitted an affidavit making clear that [i]f he had understood the Election Form, [he] would have signed it and handed it in in June 2018. In a different matter last month, the ADOC agreed to allow Smiths pastor to hold his hand during the lethal injection -- a settlement made to end litigation over the issue. The issue of allowing inmates personal spiritual advisors in the execution chamber has been a point of contention. Before April 2019 the ADOC required its Christian chaplain to be in the execution chamber. That policy was changed after a Muslim inmate, Domineque Ray, requested and was denied the presence of his imam (an Islamic spiritual advisor) when he died. He was executed anyway. The goal of movies and TV series is to make scenes look realistic. When it comes to prop guns, they don't just look dangerous. Such was the case in the death Thursday of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie "Rust" in New Mexico. The 42-year-old director of photography died after actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun, according to investigators. The film's director Joel Souza, 48, was also injured during the incident. Prop master Joseph Fisher told CNN on Friday that extreme safety measures are taken when it comes to weapons on set. "Typically we will do a safety brief with the cast and crew," he said. "We'll let them examine it, we'll explain safety precautions that go with each type of prop weapon. In this case (the "Rust" incident), it was a blank firing weapon and with that there are inherent risks." Fisher mentioned the case of actor Brandon Lee who died in 1993 after a prop gun accident in which the tip of a dummy bullet accidentally ended up lodged in the gun, which resulted Lee being wounded in the abdomen. The prop master said even when there is no "bullet" in a prop gun, there are still projectiles, including gun powder and gas that can be dangerous within a certain range. Ben Simmons of Bare Arms, a company in the UK that works with firearms on sets, told CNN a variety of "prop guns" can be used in TV and film productions. They range, he said, from "a completely fake firearm that's been constructed" from materials such as rubber or wood to an actual working gun or a formerly working gun that has been rendered inoperable. Simmons explained that the type of gun used depends on the production, but often guns that fire blanks are used on sets. In a regular gun, a charge fires the projectile that is a bullet. "Blanks" refer to a blank cartridge that usually consists of a shell or casing and gunpowder, but no bullet. Instead there is a tip that has has been "crimped" by wadding or wax, according to the "Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics." "It doesn't mean the blank rounds are safe because if you were to get in the way of that or get too close to it, lots of dirt and debris can get thrown out the end of the gun, and that can cause harm," Simmons said. "It's extremely rare for it to happen and it's even rarer for it to cause death." Dave Brown, a professional firearms instructor and a firearms safety coordinator, wrote a piece for American Cinematographer magazine in 2019 in which he explained that "CGI may be used for close-range gunshots that could not be safely achieved otherwise, but yes, even with all the advancements in visual effects and computer-generated imagery, we still fire guns with blanks." "The reason is simple: We want the scene to look as real as possible. We want the story and characters to be believable," Brown wrote. "Blanks help contribute to the authenticity of a scene in ways that cannot be achieved in any other manner. If the cinematographer is there to paint a story with light and framing, firearms experts are there to enhance a story with drama and excitement." The more gunpowder that is used, the bigger the flash and blast from a prop gun. Brown's piece reiterated that using blanks still requires someone on set who is experienced with firearms. "Blanks expel gunpowder and hot gases out of the front of the barrel in a cone shape," he wrote. "This is harmless at longer ranges, but the explosion can seriously injure someone if it's too close." Daniel Oates, former police chief for Miami Beach, Florida, and Aurora, Colorado, told CNN that in policing "you treat every gun as if it's dangerous and it's loaded all the time." And while prop guns on sets generally use blanks instead of live ammunition, Oates explained that they all use powder as a charge agent to create the noise and visual of an actual gun shot. "Even at close range these weapons can be very, very dangerous," he said. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said the investigation into what happened on the set of "Rust" is "open and active," and no charges had been filed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Turkey dinner Hope Lutheran Church , 218 W 18th St., South Sioux City, will be hosting a turkey dinner from 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 24. Free will donation. Trunk or Treat St. James United Methodist Church, 2032 S. Cypress, will be celebrating Halloween with its "Trunk or treat" in the church parking lot on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 4 to 6 p.m. The public is invited to participate. SIOUX CITY -- Amanda Gibson is seeking her first term on the Sioux City Community School District Board of Directors. Gibson, 40, worked as a paralegal for 19 years, and is currently completing a bachelor's degree in history to eventually become a teacher. She is originally from Emmetsburg, Iowa and has two children in the Sioux City schools. The Journal asked a series of questions to the nine candidates seeking three open seats on the school board. Below are Gibson's answers to the questions selected for the Journal's print edition. To view additional questions and answers for all the candidates, visit siouxcityjournal.com Amanda Gibson Age: 40 Profession: Future educator, mother, and education advocate Education: Emmetsburg High School (1999), University of South Dakota (2021) Hometown: Emmetsburg, Iowa Family: Husband, Reed; Sons, Oliver, 8, third-grader at Perry Creek Elementary and Julian, 4, attends preschool at Clark Early Childhood Development Center Why are you running for school board? I threw my hat in the school board ring because I am passionately dedicated to the past, present, and future of education. I believe in the success of my community and that success begins in the schools. I believe we need people on our school board who know more about public education than simply having had children in the district. What are some of the strengths about the district? What are some of the weaknesses? I believe our district has the resources and the dedication required to lead Iowa back to its traditional position of world-renowned academic excellence. But I also believe we need to reconsider the importance we currently place on standardized testing. We are doing a great disservice to our students by teaching to the test, rather than teaching them how to dig deeper and critically analyze information. What are the main points you hope to address? I would like to address overall mental health in our district. We need to be sure that there are enough counselors on hand to help when our students are in crisis. We also need to provide free mental health services to staff and their families. Emotionally-supported employees lead to better emotional support for our students. I also believe we need to find better ways to communicate with the increasingly diverse population in our district. We need a staff of translators for the majority of the 40+ languages spoken by families in our district. Moreover, we need to be sure that we have translators and/or parent advocates on-hand to help families advocate for their students. What particular skills or experiences qualify you to serve as a school board member? I was a paralegal for 18 years and I am very familiar with laws, regulations, and guidelines. This career also helped me to break down a problem or issue to its most basic foundation so that it can be seen in better focus. Additionally, I worked on several multi-million-dollar cases so I am comfortable working with large budgets. I was raised in a family of teachers, stretching back to 1899. While working toward my history degree I have chosen "the history of American educational systems" as my research focus. I have an Education Composite minor and have taken several education courses. I am uniquely educated in the past, present and future of education. What do you see as the boards roles and responsibilities? I believe the school board should make a list of basic priorities in order of importance. First, the board has an obligation to the students to do what is necessary to prepare them for the future. Second, the board has an obligation to the school staff to be an honest, forthright, fair, and equitable employer. Third, the board has an obligation to the families in the community to provide a safe and responsible environment for their children to receive an outstanding education. Fourth, the board has an obligation to the community to provide a competitive self-sustaining workforce and produce confident, thoughtful, and competent citizens. What do you think of the current board and how conflict is handled? I believe the board should be made up of individuals who are more than what I would call "single-issue members." I can appreciate being elected on a certain issue or ideal, but you also have to be willing to step outside your comfort zone and look critically at each issue. This cannot be accomplished by drawing a line in the sand and refusing to move. Everything you do as a board member is (or should be) for the good of the students. Watching their local leaders argue with each other is not good for the students. We need to be flexible, willing to receive information, do our homework, and then make decisions based on what is best for our students, staff, and community. How can schools address the learning needs of diverse students? A child's support begins at home. We need to make sure we are able to connect with diverse cultures in a meaningful way. That takes more effort than issuing some of the school's communication in their first language. The best way to meet the needs of our diverse students is to have a conversation with their families and cultural communities to find out what those needs are. We cannot assume we know the best way to teach a student whose culture is entirely different from our own. How do you plan to communication with teachers/parents/community members/students? As I mentioned above, we need to be sure that we are clearly and efficiently communicating with students and their families. We cannot do that if we don't have translation services for each of the 40+ languages in our district readily available. What do you see as the current challenges facing public education in our state? In our country? The State of Iowa used to be a global leader in education. A big part of this was the quality of the teachers we were hiring, and having thoughtful and efficient curricula and methods. As state and federal governments and agencies began directly interfering with our curricula, teaching methods, and hiring practices (e.g. collective bargaining), we have seen a steady decline in the quality of education our students were receiving. Iowa is now ranked consistently somewhere between fifteenth and twentieth in the United States. Because we have given up local control we are producing students who are not as well-educated as they need to be to succeed in a global economy. We need to do what is necessary to regain local control so that decisions regarding our community's education are made in Sioux City - not Des Moines or D.C. What roles, if any, should districts assume for dealing with such societal problems as poverty, hunger, mental health issues or drug abuse? We need to bring back monthly assemblies for social issues, and recruit outstanding speakers to address specific social issues - near Ted-Talk caliber. Our students will need to function in a global economy and a global society. We cannot afford to send them out in the world with blinders on. We have an obligation to make them the best version of themselves, and that means confronting them in an educational setting with social issues they will undoubtedly encounter the rest of their lives. If we address social issues in a supportive and educational way, we're setting them up for immeasurable success. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 SIOUX CITY -- Ahead of the Nov. 2 general election, Woodbury County Auditor Pat Gill said he has received calls from voters who are "very frustrated" with changes Iowa legislators made to the state's election laws. "They had no way of voting. They said that they're shut in. They're at home and they can't get to a polling place on Election Day," said Gill, who called the "restrictions" placed on voters "ridiculous." Those changes, which were signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds last March, shorten the early voting period to 20 days from the current 29, require most mail ballots to be received by Election Day, bar election officials from sending out absentee ballot request forms unless requested, and close voting sites an hour earlier. Gill said it's important that the voices of people in the community are heard. In the Sioux City Council election, incumbents Dan Moore and Alex Watters are squaring off against first-time candidates Ike Rayford and Matthew O'Kane for three open seats. The school board election has nine candidates -- Perla Alarcon-Flory, Arthur Ryan Baker, Shaun Broyhill, Michael Bushby, Jan George, Chad Krastel, Amanda Gibson, Bob Michaelson and Joshua Potter -- vying for three open seats. When a combined city council and school board election was held for the first time in Woodbury County in 2019, Gill said 12,722 voters cast ballots, roughly a 25 percent turnout. According to Gill, 5,045 of those voters cast their ballots by mail. He fears voter turnout will be far lower this time around, as only 700 voters have requested absentee ballots. In order to request an absentee ballot, Gill said voters had to have called his office by Oct. 18. That date was also the deadline to register to vote before Election Day. "We're probably going to have about 500 of those ballots returned to us, so that means we're going to have a 90 percent reduction in the number of people participating in this election than two years ago by mail," he said. "If you've got an absentee ballot out there, make sure you get it to us before 8 p.m. on the day of the election." Gill said voters can still register to vote on Election Day. He noted that they have to be able to prove their identity and residency. "I just want to emphasize that people who weren't registered can still register and can participate in this election," he said. "If you know someone who's having a difficult time, you want them to vote, and they didn't get a request form, please help them out." Gill noted that curbside voting will be an option for voters who go to the polls on Election Day. He said voters who come to the Woodbury County Courthouse to vote can call 712-279-6465 when they arrive. "We will actually have two people come out to your car and allow you to cast your ballot," he said. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- At least six Northwest Iowa legislators would be tossed into districts with another incumbent under a proposed redistricting plan released Thursday. State Reps. Tom Jeneary of Le Mars and Skyler Wheeler of Orange City both live in the newly-drawn House District 3, which covers most of northern Plymouth County, including the city of Le Mars, and the southern two-thirds of Sioux County. The new map drawn by the non-partisan Legislative Service Agency District also puts Reps. Megan Jones, R-Sioux Rapids, and Gary Worthan, R-Storm Lake, in the reconfigured House District 5, which takes in large chunks of Clay and Buena Vista counties. On the Senate side, Republican Sens. Jason Schultz of Schleswig and Craig Williams of Manning both live in the proposed Senate District 6, which covers all of Ida, Carroll, Crawford, Audubon and Shelby counties, and a small piece of eastern Pottawattamie County. Jeneary and Wheeler and Schultz and Williams also were paired together in the LSA's first revisions of state legislative and congressional districts to reflect population changes recorded in the 2020 Census. The initial maps were rejected by majority Senate Republicans on a party-line vote Oct. 5, sending legal and data analysts back to the drawing board or mapping software to create a second set of maps. The first version would have put roughly 60 state legislators into districts with at least one other incumbent state legislator. Plan 2 would create 56 Iowa House and Senate districts that would lump in with two or more existing incumbents. Iowa has 100 House districts and 50 Senate districts. If the Legislature and governor approve the first redistricting plan, the lawmakers stuck in the same district with another incumbent would have to face each other in a primary election in 2022, or move to another district if they wanted to continue serving. Like with the LSA's first map, plan 2 would divide Sioux City into three House districts and two Senate districts. But in a major change, portions of rural areas of Woodbury County were placed in districts with more far-flung territory than the current districts. Like the existing maps drawn in 2011, one of the proposed districts, Senate District 1, would be wholly contained within Sioux City, encompassing the city's west and north sides. Democratic Sen. Jackie Smith's residence is in the proposed district, which also would extend east into portions of northern Woodbury County. The newly-drawn Senate District 7 would take in the rest of Woodbury County, as well as all of Monona County, the southern two-thirds of Plymouth County and the western half of Cherokee County. Incumbent Sen. Jim Carlin resides in the proposed district, though the Sioux City Republican is currently a candidate for the U.S. Senate and has said he likely will not run for re-election in 2022. The proposed legislative map carves out four other state Senate districts in Northwest Iowa. -- Senate District 2, which would over all of Lyon and Sioux counties and most of northern Plymouth County, including the city of Le Mars. -- Senate District 3, which would encompass all of Buena Vista, O'Brien and Osceola counties, southern Clay County and eastern Cherokee County. No incumbent currently lives in that district. -- Senate District 4, which would take in all of Sac, Calhoun, Pocahontas and Webster counties. -- Senate District 5, which would covers Dickinson, Emmet, Palo Alto, Kossuth and Winnebago counties and northern Clay County, including the city of Spencer. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Today is Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. Let's get caught up. Here are today's top stories, celebrity birthdays and a look back at this date in history: TOP STORIES Sheriff: Baldwin fired prop gun on movie set, killing woman SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on a movie set and killed the cinematographer, authorities said. The director of the Western being filmed was also wounded, and authorities are investigating what happened. Halyna Hutchins, cinematographer on the movie Rust, and director Joel Souza were shot Thursday on the rustic film set in the desert on the southern outskirts of Santa Fe, Santa Fe County Sheriffs officials said. A spokesperson for Baldwin said there was an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks, though a charge without a metal projectile is unlikely to kill at a moderate distance. Sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios said detectives were investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported the 63-year-old Baldwin was seen Thursday outside the sheriffs office in tears, but attempts to get comment from him were unsuccessful. Keep scrolling for links to full versions of these top stories and more. *** China vows no concessions on Taiwan after Biden comments BEIJING (AP) China on Friday said there is no room for compromise or concessions over the issue of Taiwan, following a comment by U.S. President Joe Biden that the U.S. is committed to defending the island if it is attacked. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reasserted Chinas longstanding claim that the island is its territory at a daily briefing after Biden made his comment a day before at a forum hosted by CNN. China has recently upped its threat to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary by flying warplanes near the island and rehearsing beach landings. *** Chapelle special spurs Netflix walkout; 'Trans lives matter' LOS ANGELES (AP) Netflix employees who walked out Wednesday in protest of Dave Chappelle's special and its anti-transgender comments were joined by allies who chanted Trans lives matter, getting pushback from counterprotesters who also showed up. A pre-noon rally at a Netflix office-studio complex drew about 100 people, most on the side of an estimated 30 workers at the streaming giant that joined in afterward. Some were willing to identify themselves as Netflix employees, but all declined to provide their names. *** Click on the links below for full version of today's top stories. Keep scrolling for a look back at this day in history and today's celebrity birthdays: *** IMAGE OF THE DAY *** TODAY IN HISTORY Today in history: Oct. 22 In 1962, in a nationally broadcast address, President John F. Kennedy revealed the presence of Soviet-built missile bases under construction i Today in sports history: Oct. 22 In 2011, Keith Nichol catches a 44-yard pass from Kirk Cousins on the games final play for a tiebreaking touchdown, giving the 15th-ranked Sp *** HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ... Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 RICHMOND, Va. (AP) When Glenn Youngkin threw his hat and his cash into the Republican nominating contest for Virginia governor this year, he was a rich former private equity executive with no experience as a candidate, and few insider connections or public political views. ATLANTA (AP) Georgia Democrats released their preferred version of a congressional map on Thursday a plan likely going nowhere in the state's Republican-controlled General Assembly. The proposal would likely split Georgia's congressional districts 7-7 among Democrats and Republicans, compared to the current 8-6 GOP majority. Republicans have already proposed one map that could create a 9-5 Republican split, and additional plans tilted toward the GOP are likely. Georgia's redistricting showdown is drawing near, with Gov. Brian Kemp having set Nov. 3 as the first day of a special session to create new maps for Georgia's 14 U.S. House seats as well as the 56 state Senate seats and 180 state House seats. Lawmakers must redraw electoral districts at least once every decade following the U.S. Census to equalize populations. The process is an important factor in which party will hold power for the following decade. Once-secure Republican majorities have eroded in Georgia, especially in metropolitan Atlanta. A decade ago, Republicans controlled 10 of 14 congressional seats. President Joe Biden and U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff proved it's possible for Democrats to win statewide. But redistricting gives the GOP a chance to shore up its hold on power in the state and aid the party's effort to take control of the U.S. House. Democrats argue that their new map is superior because it creates six districts with majority nonwhite populations, recognizing that's who's driving population growth in a state where whites may already be in the minority. It should reflect our diverse population, Democratic U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop of Georgia said in a telephone interview. "It should allow voters of color to elect the political candidates of their choice. Bishop also said the map should reflect a state that the recent narrow Democratic wins show is divided 50-50. Georgia's voters are pretty much divided equally," he said. Bishop said the map shows it's possible to redraw districts in a way that objectively reflects the preferences of the people of Georgia. That's likely to be an argument Democrats make to voters, and possibly to judges in lawsuits challenging any Republican map. The Democrats would take middle Georgia's 10th District, from which Republican Jody Hice is stepping down to run for secretary of state, and move it to Cobb, Douglas and southern Fulton counties. They would make Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene's 14th District stretch across the state's entire northern border, shifting Republican Andrew Clyde's 9th District south and east to center on Athens. Republican Barry Loudermilk's 11th District would exit Cobb County and instead add Forsyth County and part of Hall County. Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux would get a district that includes only parts of Gwinnett County. Democrat Lucy McBath's 6th District, targeted for GOP-favoring changes in an initial Republican plan, would be almost untouched. The Democratic plan would leave most incumbents seeking reelection living in their districts, unlike the initial GOP plan, which would leave Loudermilk and Clyde outside their lines. U.S. House members aren't required to live in their districts, and Georgia Democrat David Scott has long lived outside the 13th District he represents. For the first time in more than 50 years, Georgia starts redistricting without federal oversight. A Supreme Court ruling in 2013 removed mandatory federal approval of new maps for Georgia and all or parts of 15 other states with a history of discrimination in voting. Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON (AP) Federal regulators are proposing to give flight attendants an extra hour of rest between shifts, a change that Congress approved in 2018 but was not put into effect by the Trump administration. The Federal Aviation Administration proposed Thursday that flight attendants get 10 consecutive hours of rest between shifts. The proposal does not change the current 14-hour limit on a flight attendants work day. Current rules require flight attendants to have nine straight hours of rest between shifts, which can be shortened to eight hours under some circumstances. Congress passed a law in 2018 that directed FAA to increase the mandatory rest period, but FAA missed a deadline for publishing the regulation. The airline industry opposed the change. Airlines for America, a trade group for the largest U.S. carriers, estimated that it would add $786 million in costs over 10 years at its carriers, which employ about two-thirds of all U.S. flight attendants. Flight-attendant unions had lobbied for the change. Flight attendant fatigue is real, said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants. Covid has only exacerbated the safety gap with long duty days, short nights and combative conditions on planes. The FAA said it will provide 60 days for public comment, and airlines will have until 30 days after the final rule is published to comply. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Earlier this year, an insistent cry arose from business leaders and Republican governors: Cut off a $300-a-week federal supplement for unemployed Americans. Many people, they argued, would then come off the sidelines and take the millions of jobs that employers were desperate to fill. Yet three months after half the states began ending that federal payment, there's been no significant influx of job seekers. In states that cut off the $300 check, the workforce the number of people who either have a job or are looking for one has risen no more than it has in the states that maintained the payment. That federal aid, along with two jobless aid programs that served gig workers and the long-term unemployed, ended nationally Sept. 6. Yet America's overall workforce actually shrank that month. Policymakers were pinning too many hopes on ending unemployment insurance as a labor market boost, said Fiona Greig, managing director of the JPMorgan Chase Institute, who has studied the issue. Labor shortages have persisted longer than many economists expected, deepening a mystery at the heart of the job market. Companies are eager to add workers and have posted a near-record number of available jobs. Yet job growth slowed in August and September. An Associated Press analysis of state data found that workforces in the 25 states that maintained the $300 payment actually grew slightly more from May through September, according to data released Friday, than in the 25 states that cut off the payment early, most of them in June. The $300-a-week federal check, on top of state jobless aid, meant that many of the unemployed received more in benefits than they earned at their old jobs. Economists cite a range of factors that are likely keeping former recipients of federal jobless aid from returning to the workforce. Many Americans in public-facing jobs still fear contracting COVID-19. Some families lack child care. Other people, like Rachel Montgomery of Anderson, Indiana, have grown to cherish more time with their families and feel they can get by financially, at least for now. Montgomery, a 37-year-old mother, said she has become much pickier" about where shes willing to work after having lost a catering job last year. Losing the $300-a-week federal payment hasnt changed her mind. She'll receive her regular state jobless aid for a few more weeks. Once youve stayed home with your kids and family like this, who wants to physically have to go back to work? she said. Im not going to sacrifice pay or flexibility working remotely when I know Im qualified to do certain things. But what that also means is that its taking longer to find those kinds of jobs. Some former recipients, especially older, affluent ones, have decided to retire earlier than they had planned. And after having received three stimulus checks in 18 months, plus federal jobless aid in some cases, most households have larger cash cushions than they did before the pandemic. So some people are taking time to consider their options. Graham Berryman, a 44-year-old resident of Springfield, Missouri, has been living off savings since Missouri cut off the $300-a-week federal jobless payment in June. He has had temporary work reviewing documents for law firms in the past. But he hasnt found anything permanent since August 2020. I am unemployed, Berryman said. That does not mean Im lazy. Just because someone cannot find suitable work in their profession doesnt mean theyre trash to be thrown away. Likewise, some couples have decided that they can get by with only one income, rather than two, at least temporarily. Sarah Hamby of Kokomo, Indiana, lost her $300-a-week federal payment this summer after her state ended it early. Hamby's husband, who is 65, kept his job at a printing press throughout the pandemic. But he may decide to join the ranks of people retiring earlier than they'd planned. And Hamby, 51, may do so herself if she doesn't find work soon. The jobs she had for decades at auto factories have largely disappeared. I dont want to go work at a computer, in an office, like what a lot of us are being pushed to do, she said. "So now Im stuck between doing some line of work that pays too little for what its worth or is too physically demanding or I just dont work. Nationally, the proportion of women either working or seeking work in September fell for a second straight month, evidence that many parents are still unable to manage their childcare duties to return to work. Staffing at childcare centers has fallen, reducing available care. Exacerbating the labor shortfall, a record number of people quit jobs in August. In Missouri, a group of businesses, still frustrated by labor shortages more than three months after the state cut off the $300-a-week federal jobless checks, paid for billboards in Springfield that said: Get Off Your Butt! and Get. To. Work. The state has seen no growth in its workforce since ending emergency benefits. Mississippi ended all emergency jobless aid in June. Yet it had fewer people working in August than in May. In Tupelo, a recent job fair attracted 60 companies, including VT Halter Marine, a shipbuilder. About 150 to 200 job seekers attended, fewer than some businesses had hoped. Adam Todd had organized the job fair for the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, which helps people find jobs and distributes unemployment benefits. The agency has received calls of desperation, Todd said, "from businesses needing to recruit workers during the pandemic. We're in a different point in time than we have been in a very long time, Todd said. The job seeker is truly in the drivers seat right now." Fenn is a data journalist based in New York. Smith is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Rugaber reported from Arlington, Virginia. AP Writers Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Gov. Greg Gianforte, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale are calling for President Biden to stop Afghan resettlements in Montana after a humanitarian evacuee from Afghanistan was charged with sexual assault in Missoula earlier this week. Zabihullah Mohmand, 19, appeared in Missoula Justice Court on Tuesday. He is charged with one count of sexual intercourse without consent, a felony. The alleged survivor told officials Mohmand is from Afghanistan, charging documents said. In an email to the Missoulian on Thursday, Jon Ebelt, a spokesman for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, confirmed Mohmand is part of the federal Afghan Placement and Assistance Program. He is one of 20 Afghan evacuees currently in Montana. Mohmand told police he was visiting Missoula on a worldwide trip, charging documents said. He did not mention being part of a resettlement program. The public defender, Ted Fellman, said at Tuesdays hearing that Mohmand is an immigrant who has been staying in Missoula. A statement from Daines' office said Mohmand was admitted to the United States and placed in Montana under Humanitarian Parole, which is separate from the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. The International Rescue Committee confirmed this information to Daines office late Wednesday afternoon, Daines spokeswoman Katie Schoettler said in an email to the Missoulian. Both Daines and Gianforte called on the Biden administration to give answers about the vetting process being used for Afghan refugees resettling in Montana. "While I welcome our fully-vetted Afghan allies to Montana, this situation and others across the country raise serious concerns about whether the Biden administration is meeting its obligations to fully vet Afghans prior to resettlement, Gianfortes statement said. I'm calling on President Biden to immediately halt resettlements to Montana until federal agencies provide me with adequate assurance that Afghans coming to Montana are fully vetted in accordance with federal law." Rosendale also called for Biden to halt resettlement, and to remove Afghan evacuees that have been resettled in the U.S. He said Mohmand did not go through the 14-step vetting process required to obtain a visa. "We remain steadfast that the circumstances and alleged actions of one individual are not reflective of refugee or immigrant communities. For decades we have welcomed immigrant families and have watched them thrive and contribute to their communities and the nation," a statement from the International Rescue Committee said. Randall Caudle, an immigration attorney based in Missoula, said while he understands the politicians' concerns and agrees Afghans should be fully vetted, he doesnt think this individuals actions represent all Afghan people seeking refuge in Montana. One person is not reflective of all the nationals of a country, Caudle said. Ebelt emphasized federal agencies are responsible for the vetting process prior to parolees arrival. Afghan parolees are expected to abide by the laws of the United States, both while in military installations and as resettled members of local communities, said a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. Afghan parolees are briefed on U.S. law and the conditions of their parole while they are refugees at military bases. Those who violate the law may be placed into removal proceedings, the statement said. Before individuals are permitted to enter the United States, they are subject to rigorous, multi-layered screening and vetting processes that involve biometric and biographic screenings conducted by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and additional Intelligence Community partners, the statement continued. Mohmand is being held on $50,000 bond at the Missoula County Detention Facility. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 AURORA, Colo. (AP) A police sergeant in the Denver suburb of Aurora has been suspended and is under investigation after he was captured on body camera footage yelling and cursing at a teen driver who had been pulled over on suspicion of speeding. Officers put the 17-year-old girl in handcuffs and seated her on a curb after her male passenger ran away, dropping a loaded, stolen gun on the ground, police said. The footage of the June 29, 2021 event, made public Wednesday, shows her becoming distraught and upset that the male, described by an officer as the father of the teen's baby, ran away. She said she is worried about their son, who was not in the car, and repeatedly asks for police to call her mother. As an officer talks to girl who was pulled over, the footage shows Sgt. Ed Acuti turn from examining the recovered gun nearby and yelling at her to act like an adult. The girl screams something unintelligible and Acuti says then shut your f mouth. In a statement, Aurora police said that Sgt. Acuti yells at the female using profane and unprofessional language not consistent with the training or expectations of an Aurora Police officer. The video then shows Acuti and the girl cursing at each other, the girl screaming repeatedly and saying: This is what y'all do. Y'all kill people. She apologizes a short time later and says she's scared. An officer soon calls her mother. Another officer reported Acuti's behavior and, after viewing the footage, Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson ordered an internal affairs investigation, police said in the statement. Acuti was placed on paid administrative leave and will remain on leave pending the outcome of the investigation, the statement said? In every interaction, we must strive to treat individuals with respect and remain professional, Wilson said in the department's statement. I commend the officers that are unwilling to compromise their integrity and continue to report misconduct that jeopardizes the work we, as an agency, are trying to accomplish with our community. The president of the Aurora Police Association, Doug Wilkinson, said the union had no comment on the case at this time. Aurora police have been under scrutiny since the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, after his arrest gained widespread attention during protests over police brutality and racial justice last year. Three police officers and two paramedics were indicted in September on manslaughter and other charges in McClain's death. In July an officer was charged with assault and menacing after body camera footage showed him beating a Black man with his gun. He later resigned. Last year, Aurora officers were investigated but cleared of criminal wrongdoing after detaining four Black girls at gunpoint on the ground, two of them in handcuffs, after pulling over a car wrongly believed to be stolen. In the latest case, the teen driver is white and Acuti is white, police said. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Bellevue man has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison on a federal cyberstalking charge for threatening to make public nude photos of the wife of a candidate for the Nebraska Legislature. Dennis Sryniawski, 48, was found guilty in June by a jury in the U.S. District Court of Nebraska. The jury found him not guilty of intent to extort. His federal conviction for cyberstalking was a first in Nebraska. As part of his sentence he'll also have to pay a $10,000 fine and serve three years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Jan Sharp said the evidence at trial showed Sryniawski sent six emails in 2018 to a candidate for the Legislature. One under his own name, and the rest under phony names. FBI investigators determined that Jeff Parris had received the emails from Sryniawski, who had been in a relationship with his wife, Diane Parris, more than two decades earlier. The emails demanded that Jeff Parris drop out of the race or that explicit photos would be released. He did not drop out, but he did lose the race. The couple reported the emails to the La Vista Police Department and the FBI. Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Former Rep. Lee Terry spoke empathetically Thursday about former colleague Jeff Fortenberry and the federal indictment he faces, saying that when running for Congress, theres just a lot of people who send you money. You gotta know your customer a little bit, he told The World-Herald. In my position, and probably in Jeffs situation, you got to know these people they tell you theyre citizens, and then all of a sudden theyre not. We can do everything we think is right, and then one little thing can screw it all up, he added. Both Terry, who represented Nebraskas 2nd District from 1999 to 2015, and Fortenberry were recipients of illegal conduit campaign contributions that originated from a Nigerian billionaire, Gilbert Chagoury. Such donations from foreigners, even those funneled through American citizens, are illegal. In Terrys case, he said, he donated to charity the $5,200 given to him in 2014 as soon as the FBI told him it was investigating the legality of the gifts. Fortenberry also gave away the $30,200 he received from Chagoury, but that was in late 2019, more than a year after the FBI alleges that Fortenberry had been informed that the contributions were illegal, and weeks after two meetings with federal investigators, who allege that he lied about whether he knew that the gifts were illegal. Fortenberry, who has represented eastern Nebraskas 1st District since 2005, has denied the allegations and has said he felt betrayed after telling investigators everything he knew. His attorney said Wednesday that his client didnt recall all the details of a phone conversation with an FBI informant in 2018 telling him that the gifts were illegal. He claimed that Fortenberry had been misled. The congressman pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of making false statements to federal agents and one count of concealing facts from investigators. Each charge is punishable by up to five years in prison. A trial is scheduled to start in December. In an interview, Terry, who now operates a consulting business out of Omaha, related what he remembered of his dealings with a Washington, D.C., associate of Chagoury, Toufic Baaklini. Both Chagoury and Baaklini agreed to cooperate with the federal investigation and paid fines of $1.8 million and $90,000, respectively. Terry said Baaklini, who was born in Lebanon, was a known quantity on Capitol Hill in 2014 the year Terry was defeated in his reelection bid by Democrat Brad Ashford. Federal Election Commission records list Baaklini as president of a group called In Defense of Christians, which bills itself as the leading voice for Christians in the Middle East. Baaklini, according to the organizations website, has committed years of service to preserving the historic Christian communities of the Middle East. He has testified before Congress, briefed officials at the State Department and National Security Council, and met with other high-ranking leaders. FEC records also listed Baaklini, who has not returned multiple phone calls seeking comment, as the president and CEO of 4Impact LLC, a Virginia corporation he set up in 1999. Records show dozens of campaign contributions by 4Impact to the Republican Party and more than a dozen candidates, including Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio, as well as Terry and Fortenberry. Fortenberry has indicated that he was identified for contributions because of his support of religious minorities, including Catholics and Yazidis, in the Middle East. Terry said he had no idea why Baaklini sought to donate to his 2014 campaign. He also said he had never heard of Chagoury until a call from the FBI. Terry said he met with Baaklini and two others at the Capitol Hill Club, an exclusive club for Republicans where membership is by invitation only. FEC records indicate that Terry received two donations on Sept. 3, 2014, of $2,600 each then the maximum allowed. One was from Dr. Nagi Ayoub, and the other was from his wife, Jennifer Oliveto Ayoub. Nagi Ayoub is an Omaha plastic surgeon, and in 2014, his wifes occupation was as an assistant professor of radiology, also in Omaha. Terry said he was assured by the Ayoubs that they held dual citizenship, including citizenship in the U.S. He said their conversation included talk about Omaha. Everything was legal to me, he said. They told me they had connections (in Omaha). Dr. Ayoub, when reached Thursday afternoon, said he was in surgery and could not talk. Phone calls left with his wife, who is now listed among the alumni advisers to the Creighton Medical School, went unanswered. They share a home in Omaha. Terry said that after he received the donations, he didnt think about it until the FBI called sometime later. Holy (expletive), I didnt really know it was that big of a deal, he said. So I was very cautious after that. Terry said he gave away the $5,200 that originated from Chagoury and didnt hear from the FBI again. FEC records indicate that Terry gave $1,500 to a juvenile diabetes research foundation in 2016 and $2,782 to the Boys Town Foundation in 2017. He also made six charitable donations from his campaign from October 2014 through the end of the year. Those six donations totaled $1,548. Fortenberry gave his $30,200 in Chagoury donations to charities in September and October 2019, which would have been some weeks after his final meeting with federal investigators. Terry said that he had not talked to Fortenberry in several months but that he was surprised by the indictment. Jeff is usually the most cautious he is really a cautious guy, he said. Terry said he wasnt sure whether Fortenberrys indictment was politically motivated. In a statement to supporters on Tuesday, Fortenberrys wife, Celeste, blamed the indictment on the Biden administration and a prosecutor seeking a promotion. The investigation into Chagoury began in 2016, during the Obama administration, then continued under the Trump administration. Plea deals with both Chagoury and Baaklini were announced in March, under the Biden administration, and involved campaign contributions given to the two Nebraska congressmen as well as the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney and the campaign of Rep. Darrell Issa of California. All are Republicans. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Central District of California declined to comment on Celeste Fortenberrys claim about Mack Jenkins, the lead prosecutor in the case. Jenkins, according to federal election records, has donated to a couple of Democratic candidates, including Vice President Kamala Harris, a former California prosecutor and U.S. senator. Jenkins was named chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of his U.S. Attorneys Office in 2017, and he has a lengthy record of prosecuting white-collar and gang crimes. That includes an investigation into corruption at Los Angeles City Hall and a bribery/money laundering case involving a California state senator and his brother, an L.A. assemblyman. Terry said he didnt have any advice for Fortenberry and his future, but he presumes that he is hoping that his troubles end in a couple of months and he can resume his committee work in Congress he temporarily stepped off his committees on Wednesday. I think maybe Jeff made it worse for himself, Terry said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DES MOINES Iowans are getting a look at a second redistricting plan that if approved by the Legislature will set the boundaries for the states congressional and legislative districts for the next decade. The plan by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency reconfigures the four congressional districts creating three districts with a nearly equal number of counties while reducing the number of counties in the west-northwest 4th District from 44 in the first plan to 39. Sioux City remains the major population center in the new 4th District, currently represented by Rep. Randy Feenstra, a Hull Republican. Iowa Democratic legislative leaders say they have committed their members to voting for a second version of a plan, released Thursday, that would set congressional and legislative election district boundaries for the next decade. Their Republican counterparts who are in the majority in both legislative chambers pledged to review the plan before the Iowa Legislature meets next week in a special session in light of concerns that led them to reject the first proposal earlier this month. The plan unveiled by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency would reconfigure the states four congressional districts, creating three potentially competitive districts and a solidly Republican 4th district. Plan 2 also would create 56 Iowa House and Senate districts that would lump in with two or more existing incumbents. Based on 2020 presidential election results and Iowa voter registration numbers, Plan 2 appears to give Republicans an advantage when based on past voting. In the first draft, President Joe Biden would have won in two of the four U.S. House districts. Under Plan 2, former President Donald Trump would have won all four. However, Iowa voter registration numbers are more nuanced. They show a new 1st District would go from a seven-point gain for Democrats to a two-tenths gain for Republicans. The 2nd District would drop from a five-point GOP gain to just eight-tenths. There would be no change in the 3rd a 1.7-point gain for Democrats. The GOP gain in the 4th would swing from three points to a 1.7-point gain for Democrats. Since 1981, Iowa has used a nonpartisan redistricting process that calls for the agency to draw proposed maps without consideration for political ramifications, such as how new district lines would affect individual lawmakers re-election chances or the balance of power in the Legislature. If lawmakers reject this second plan, it goes back to the agency for a third try but at that point also opens the door for politicians to amend it. Legislators shouldn't be swayed by political considerations, House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said. There are a lot of political implications and fallout from the map for both sides, Konfrst said, but because this map was fairly drawn and was drawn using a fair process, thats really our only consideration. As with the first map, Im going to put politics aside and vote for this fair, nonpartisan map. House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said Republicans will review the plan to ensure it is a fair map for the people of Iowa, while Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, will judge it on its adherence to the criteria established in Iowa law. Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, said the second map is fair and it meets the legal and constitutional requirements. Lawmakers will meet Oct. 28 to make a decision on accepting this second plan. This year is not the first time legislators rejected an initial proposal. In 1981, legislators rejected the first two plans before approving the third without modification. In 1991 and 2001, the first plans were adopted, And in 2001, the second plan was adopted. This second iteration maintains the current Linn-Johnson county split. It would put Linn in a 22-county northeast Iowa 2nd District. GOP U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson would be the incumbent with Democratic state Sen. Liz Mathis challenging her. Johnson County would be a 20-county southeast Iowa 1st District that includes Scott County. There is no incumbent currently living in that proposed district. The 3rd District, which would include Polk County and Des Moines western suburbs, would extend to the Missouri border to encompass 21 counties. Both Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democratic U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne live in the proposed 3rd. Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra would be the lone incumbent in the 4th District. The initial plan from the agency was rejected by majority Senate Republicans on a party-line vote Oct. 5, sending legal and data analysts back to the drawing board or mapping software to create a second map that more closely aligned with the requirements of compactness and population equality in state law and the Iowa Constitution. As much as possible, districts are supposed to be square, rectangular or hexagonal so as to avoid irregular-shapes. That first map included a triangular district, a pyramid and one so irregular it looks like the 1800s salamander known for gerrymandering, according to Sen. Roby Smith, R-Davenport, said when urging his colleagues to reject that plan. Of particular concern to Republicans was a figure-eight Senate district that encircled Cedar Rapids and partially surrounded Iowa City and two smaller Johnson County Senate districts. The second effort did make some improvements on Senate Republicans concerns about compactness. The congressional districts have an average length-width compactness of 31.03 miles compared with 34.96 in the first map. The population differences between the congressional districts is slightly smaller a difference of 94 people from the smallest to largest district, compared with 99 in the previous plan. Iowas 50 Senate districts also are more compact the length-width average dropping from 13.31 to 9.98 miles. The population difference rose, however, from 986 to 998. For the 100 House districts, the population difference fell from 583 to 559 and the length-width average declined from 7.99 to 7.87 miles. The second plan would put 20 senators in incumbent vs. incumbent districts two Democratic on Democratic, five Republican on Republican and three Democratic vs. Republican. Eastern Iowa pairings would include GOP Sens. Dan Zumbach of Ryan and Craig Johnson of Independence, Democratic Kevin Kinney of Oxford and Republican Dawn Driscoll of Williamsburg, Democratic Sen. Jim Lykam and Republican Sen. Smith, both of Davenport, and Democrats Mathis of Hiawatha and Todd Taylor of Cedar Rapids. Mathis, however, previously announced shes running for the U.S. House. In the House, it appears there could be 36 incumbent pairings, all but three involving two or more Republicans. The Democratic matchups would include Davenport Reps. Cindy Winckler and Monica Kurth, Cedar Rapids Reps. Molly Donahue and Eric Gjerde, and Waterloo Reps. Timi Brown-Powers and Ras Smith, who is running for governor. Other Eastern Iowa matchups would pair GOP Reps. Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton and Ross Paustian of Walcott, Lee Hein of Monticello and Steve Bradley of Cascade, Joe Mitchell of Mount Pleasant and Jeff Shipley of Birmingham, and Dean Fisher of Montour and Dave Maxwell of Gibson. The 56 incumbent pairings is slightly less than in the previous map, but still a concern for Republicans. As rural population has dropped in 68 of 99 counties, according to the 2020 census, the districts they represent have expanded geographically. Erin Murphy of The Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SUPERIOR, Neb. (AP) A man who had been fired from a grain elevator in Nebraska on Thursday returned with a gun and shot three people, killing two, before he was shot and killed by another employee, the Nebraska State Patrol said. The patrol said the shooting occurred at the Agrex Elevator in Superior, a town in southeast Nebraska near the Kansas border. A preliminary investigation showed that Max Hoskinson, 61, of Superior, was fired from the grain elevator on Thursday. He returned around 2 p.m. with a handgun and shot three people, the patrol said. Another employee retrieved a shotgun from an office and shot Hoskinson, who was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to the patrol. One of the victims shot by Hoskinson died at the scene. Another was flown to a hospital in Lincoln and died later Thursday. The third person was treated and released at a hospital in Superior. The investigation is continuing. No names of the victims or any further details were immediately released. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BRUSSELS (AP) European Union leaders struggled to find a common ground during a long debate Thursday on how to ease the pain of soaring energy bills. The hours-long energy discussion at the EU leaders summit came amid spiraling prices that are pummeling households and businesses still reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In need of immediate solutions, leaders are also seeking to safeguard energy supplies to the 27-nation bloc by speeding up the transition away from polluting fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives. To help consumers and companies this winter, leaders agreed that tax cuts, state aid and other measures like bill payment deferrals proposed by the European Commission would be useful on both the short and longer terms. In their conclusions, they asked the EUs executive arm to look into the gas and electricity markets, as well as the blocs emissions trading program, under which companies pay for carbon dioxide they emit. The aim is to check whether manipulation of the market could have influenced the carbon price increase. But there was no mention of setting up a joint procurement program for gas reserves, an idea recently proposed by Spain. The talks came just 10 days ahead of the opening of a U.N. climate summit that is widely seen as the last chance to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU's executive and its member states already are working to ease the burden of soaring energy bills on households and businesses. She said leaders also will have to look at the way energy markets function but stressed that in the mid and long term, it is very clear that the strategy has to be to invest massively in clean and renewable energy produced in Europe. The debate on spiraling energy prices also took place against a backdrop of frosty relations with Russia, a key supplier of gas to Europe. Von der Leyen said Wednesday that with the bloc importing 90% of its gas much of it from strategic rival Russia this makes us vulnerable. Gas makes up one quarter of all European energy consumption. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called the energy price explosion this year the consequence "of a big geopolitical game. Von der Leyen has said that while Norway had raised its gas exports to the bloc to meet increased demand, Russia's Gazprom had not gone beyond honoring its long-term contracts with the EU. Gas prices have soared this year to 95 euros from about 19 euros per megawatt hour, affecting everything from household heating bills to farmers and food producers. The EU's executive commission says that lower-income households are hardest hit because they spend a higher proportion of their income on energy. Many countries have already offered energy tax cuts to ease the pain. While all leaders want to minimize the impact of soaring energy prices on their populations, they differ on how to do it. Entering Thursdays summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the issue of soaring energy prices should be differentiated from the long-term fight against climate change. I think that we should react calmly; we in Germany will do so in any case, she said. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country is among those that are helping households and businesses foot rising power bills. But he added that long-term solutions must also be found. And in the long term, there is only one solution invest more in renewable energy so we are less vulnerable to price fluctuations for fossil fuels, he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blamed the hike specifically on the Commissions Green Deal plans that includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and making the bloc carbon neutral by 2050. The current crisis has reignited a debate on whether the EU should promote nuclear power projects as a way of becoming more energy independent. That could be done by making them eligible for billions of euros as part of the European Green Deal and coronavirus recovery fund. Two years ago, leaders agreed that nuclear energy could be part of the EUs efforts to become carbon-neutral. However, they have yet to decide whether nuclear projects can be included in the so-called taxonomy, a classification system attempting to define what activities can qualify for sustainable investment. France recently asked for the inclusion of nuclear power in the taxonomy framework by the end of the year, leading the charge with nine other EU countries Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Energy ministers from the bloc will meet as early as next week to continue the talks, with leaders set to reassess the situation at their next summit in December. Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands. Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON (AP) A hefty set of tusks is usually an advantage for elephants, allowing them to dig for water, strip bark for food and joust with other elephants. But during episodes of intense ivory poaching, those big incisors become a liability. Now researchers have pinpointed how years of civil war and poaching in Mozambique have led to a greater proportion of elephants that will never develop tusks. During the conflict from 1977 to 1992, fighters on both sides slaughtered elephants for ivory to finance war efforts. In the region that's now Gorongosa National Park, around 90% of the elephants were killed. The survivors were likely to share a key characteristic: Half the females were naturally tuskless they simply never developed tusks while before the war, less than a fifth lacked tusks. Like eye color in humans, genes are responsible for whether elephants inherit tusks from their parents. Although tusklessness was once rare in African savannah elephants, it's become more common like a rare eye color becoming widespread. After the war, those tuskless surviving females passed on their genes with expected, as well as surprising, results. About half their daughters were tuskless. More perplexing, two-thirds of their offspring were female. The years of unrest "changed the trajectory of evolution in that population," said evolutionary biologist Shane Campbell-Staton, based at Princeton University. With colleagues, he set out to understand how the pressure of the ivory trade had tipped the scale of natural selection. Their findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Researchers in Mozambique, including biologists Dominique Goncalves and Joyce Poole, observed the national park 's roughly 800 elephants over several years to create a catalogue of mothers and offspring. "Female calves stay by their mothers, and so do males up to a certain age," said Poole, who is scientific director and co-founder of the nonprofit ElephantVoices. Poole had previously seen other cases of elephant populations with a disproportionately large number of tuskless females after intense poaching, including in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. "I've been puzzling over why it's the females who are tuskless for a very long time," said Poole, who is a co-author of the study. In Gorongosa, the team collected blood samples from seven tusked and 11 tuskless female elephants, then analyzed their DNA for differences. The elephant survey data gave them an idea where to look: Because the tuskless elephants were female, they focused on the X chromosome. (Females have two X chromosomes; males have one X and one Y chromosome.) They also suspected that the relevant gene was dominant, meaning that a female needs only one altered gene to become tuskless, and that when passed to male embryos, it may short-circuit their development. "When mothers pass it on, we think the sons likely die early in development, a miscarriage," said Brian Arnold, a co-author and evolutionary biologist at Princeton. Their genetic analysis revealed two key parts of the elephants' DNA that they think play a role in passing on the trait of tusklessness. The same genes are associated with the development of teeth in other mammals. "They've produced the smoking-gun evidence for genetic changes," said Chris Darimont, a conservation scientist at the University of Victoria in Canada, who was not involved in the research. The work "helps scientists and the public understand how our society can have a major influence on the evolution of other life forms." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I know education. Education has been at the center of my drive and focus even before I was old enough to attend school, myself. I believe that education is the key to personal and community success. I went back to school so that I could become a teacher, myself. My mother was an English teacher for 33 years and many of my family members are or were teachers. I have been a passionate education advocate for many years. I was fortunate enough to have a very open and honest conversation with some of our school districts students recently. They explained to me that 50% of their grades are based on standardized tests. That was outrageous to me. When teaching to the test we are doing our students a grave injustice. They are also required to do several open response activities (I dont have room to give you the details here) for each class every semester; but they feel like these activities do not teach them how to seek out their own credible research, cite sources, or provide thoughtful responses. They shared with me that they are sometimes doing six hours of homework each day, in addition to the eight hours they are in school thats 14 hours of schoolwork. When you take into consideration clubs and extracurricular activities, I honestly do not know how they are all still standing. We need to take drastic and immediate action to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety from which our students suffer. Student success and mental health can be directly linked to the success and mental health of the school staff. We are consistently setting our educators up for failure (when I say educators I mean to include everyone who works with students while on the district payroll). We have lost many educators the last few years and those who have remained are at their breaking point. First, I would like to see free mental health care services for all educators and their families. We expect a lot from the people who care for and educate our children, but we cannot expect them to excel in the classroom if they dont feel comfortable and supported in their personal lives. We also need to reevaluate our paid-time-off policies to make sure none of our educators feel they must send their own sick children to school because they dont have adequate family leave. Speaking of adequacy, we need to be sure that every employee of the Sioux City Community School District can earn a living wage. We have many paraprofessionals and staff members who do not earn enough from their job to support their family. That is not acceptable. It is not going to be possible to retain and recruit the best employees if we are not offering competitive salaries, wages, and benefits. There are so many more things I could talk to you about because our schools need a lot of help right now. I know it is tempting to put shiny bandages on our problems so we can appear healthy, but that is not what our students or educators need from us right now. Right now, we need a school board that is willing to be the parent. We need to do what is necessary over what is popular, and we need to eat our vegetables before we can have dessert. Pulling this large of a school district back from a cliff is an enormous task, and one that we cannot put off. Therefore, we need to elect school board members who already know the ins-and-outs of public education, so we dont have to waste time getting someone up to speed before taking the action our community so desperately needs. I know education. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 If an end to the decennial redistricting process is the treasure you seek, LSAs new maps may contain the X that marks the spot. The Iowa Legislative Services Agency, the Iowa Legislatures nonpartisan legal and fiscal agency, this week published its second proposal for new political maps for the next decade. Its all part of the redistricting process, in which states every 10 years redraw their political boundaries to reflect population shifts and changes. Redistricting this year has been slowed by delayed federal census results due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Majority Iowa Senate Republicans rejected LSAs first proposal. Once those maps were published, it immediately felt likely that Republicans would do just that. But this set of maps feels different, and it feels like Republicans may feel comfortable enough to accept and adopt them. Well find out Thursday, when the Iowa Legislature returns for a second special session to consider and vote on the new proposal. Its not that this second set of maps is more favorable to Republicans than LSAs first proposal, although one could probably argue that. Its more than that. For one, LSA did everything asked of them when Senate Republicans rejected the first proposal. Republicans told LSA they rejected the maps because there was too much deviation in the population of some districts, and that some districts were not sufficiently compact, geographically speaking. According to LSAs calculations, the second set of maps contains congressional and statehouse districts that have smaller population deviations and are more geographically compact. Check and check. And the newly proposed congressional maps would have a much less chaotic political impact. Republicans insisted the potential political impacts of the congressional maps in the first proposal did not influence their decision --- they have to say that, because legislators are instructed by state law to not make political considerations when voting on the maps --- lets say just for arguments sake the congressional maps in that first proposal did cause some Republicans some heartburn. After all, they would have made eastern Iowas 1st Congressional District a virtual Democratic lock, which giving Republicans more of an edge in southeastern Iowas 2nd District. Under the newly proposed maps, Iowas 1st, 2nd and 3rd Congressional Districts all would remain politically competitive, going by the latest state voter registration numbers. All three districts Democratic and Republican voter registration numbers would be separated by fewer than 3 percentage points. Western Iowas 4th District would remain a Republican stronghold. Yes, there are still roughly 60 incumbent state legislators who would be drawn into districts with each other. But thats clearly unavoidable. There were roughly the same number in LSAs first proposal. Clearly that number is not coming down in any significant way; legislators are going to have to make their peace with that. So it would seem like these are maps that Republicans, with their majorities in both the Senate and House, could accept. House Republicans were ready to approve the first maps, so its hard to imagine theyll have an issue with this new proposal. The key lies within the Senate Republican caucus. Statehouse Democrats are once again, as they did in Round 1, urging Republicans to approve these maps and complete the redistricting process. To be fair, if Republicans reject these new maps, thats still fair game and does nothing to sully the reputation of Iowas widely praised redistricting process. Iowa legislators have, in the past, taken the process to the third set of maps. But one can also understand why statehouse Democrats have been sounding the alarms. While some of their claims have been hyperbolic, statehouse Republicans have, since gaining full control of the state lawmaking process in 2017, not shown much of an inclination to ease into their agenda. Simply put: if theyve wanted to do something, theyve done it, no matter who and how many howled. So its not difficult to see why Democrats are calling on Republicans to stop short of going to a third set of proposed maps and enacting Republican-drawn amendments. That, while not illegal, absolutely would place a partisan stain on the sterling reputation of Iowas generally nonpartisan process. A vote this Thursday to approve these new maps would make all of those concerns disappear. And these seem like just the maps to do it. Erin Murphy covers Iowa politics and government for Lee Enterprises. His email address is erin.murphy@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter at @ErinDMurphy Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Just a quick observation: paying more at the pump, higher energy bills, record food prices at grocery stores, record Americans on government assistance, unwillingness to work, vaccine & mask mandates, and shipping at a standstill. Is this supposed to be the new American dream? What we wouldn't give to have President Donald J. Trump again. We need to Make America Great Again, Again! --Jake Jungers, Sioux City "Extraordinary, isn't it? I've been hearing all about COP," said the queen to the duchess of Cornwall. "Still don't know who is coming. ... We only know about people who are not coming. ... It's really irritating when they talk but they don't do." Queen Elizabeth II was expressing her exasperation at the possible number of no-shows at the U.K.'s coming climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. Among the absentees may be Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose country generates more carbon dioxide than the U.S. and EU combined. Behind the queen's exasperation, however, lies a political reality. Nations like China are discovering that meeting goals for cutting carbon emissions can stall economic growth to where the regime itself is at peril. Forced to choose between what is best for the country now and what is better for mankind in some indeterminate future, leaders are putting the needs of the nation today over the call of the world of tomorrow. As the countdown to Glasgow proceeds, China's energy situation is described by The New York Times: "China's electricity shortage is rippling across factories and industries, testing the nation's status as the world's capital for reliable manufacturing. The shortage prompted the authorities to announce on Wednesday a national rush to mine and burn more coal, despite their previous pledges to curb emissions that cause climate change. "Mines that were closed without authorization have been ordered to reopen. Coal mines and coal-fired power plants that were shut for repairs are also to be reopened. Tax incentives are being drafted for coal-fired power plants. ... Local governments have been warned to be more cautious about limits on energy use that had been imposed partly in response to climate change concerns." Earlier this year, Beijing had pledged to stop building coal-fired power plants outside China. But at home, Beijing is going all-out to mine and burn coal to keep the world's greatest manufacturing plant producing and the world's largest labor force employed. Forced to choose between fighting climate change and preventing a possible recession or depression, Xi is unapologetically putting China first. Nor is China the only Asian economic power grappling with an energy shortage. India, the world's third-largest producer of carbon emissions after China and the U.S., is facing a potential power crisis. Coal accounts for 70% of India's electricity generation. Yet, 4 in 5 of its 135 coal-fired power plants have critically low levels of coal inventory. With its economy picking up, New Delhi is going to be in the market for more coal to burn. Lectures about carbon emissions are likely to go unheeded. In Europe, wholesale electricity prices have increased 200% since 2019, a result of surging natural gas costs driven by high demand in Asia and lower-than-expected deliveries from Russia. Most EU countries rely on gas-fired power stations to meet electricity demand. Some 40% of that gas comes from Russia. With completion of the Nord Stream II pipeline, German and EU dependence on Russian gas is going to rise. Is Russia, rich in fossil fuels that are still in demand, and the world's fourth-largest producer of carbon dioxide, likely to placidly accept watching its customers move away from Russian coal, oil and gas to solar and wind? On Friday, U.S. oil prices hit a seven-year high amid a surge in global demand and a supply crunch induced by OPEC. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. oil benchmark, climbed to $82 a barrel. Gas prices followed. Oil is at its highest price since OPEC launched its price war against U.S. shale producers. In November 2014, OPEC stunned world oil markets by refusing to curb production amid soaring shale output. Crude prices went into free-fall as OPEC sought to drive the higher-cost U.S. producers out of the market. Such economic nationalism raises a relevant question: Why would OPEC nations that depend on oil exports for much of their national income champion a worldwide abandonment of the fossil fuel sales upon which their regimes' survival depends? In brief, world demand for coal, oil and natural gas is surging, as are prices, just as the climate conference, whose goal is to reduce and eventually eliminate the burning of coal, oil and gas, is about to meet in Glasgow. Will nations such as China, India and Russia be willing to forgo the coal, oil and gas upon which 80% of the world's power plants currently depend, to be replaced by windmills and solar panels? At the insistence of Sen. Joe Manchin, the heart of President Joe Biden's climate agenda -- a program to replace U.S. coal- and gas-fired power plants with wind, solar and nuclear energy by steadily increasing taxes on the former and subsidies for the latter -- will apparently be dropped from the $3.5 trillion budget bill. Prediction: In the long run, nationalists fighting to meet near-term needs of their constituents and countries are likely to prevail over the globalists who profess to be serving all of mankind. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Southern Italys rural Calabria region announced an innovative project in 2021 to breathe new life into its small towns. It plans to offer young professionals thousands of dollars if they move in and commit to launch a business, preferably a business the community needs. Northwest Arkansas has a similar program to draw new residents to rural towns like Springdale by offering $10,000 and a mountain bike. Lincoln, Kansas, is offering free land to remote workers who are willing to relocate and build a home there. These efforts take advantage of the growing work-from-home culture to try to revitalize rural communities that are in decline. They may also hold a key to coping with anticipated domestic climate migration as storms and wildfires exacerbated by climate change make parts of the country unlivable. As professors and authors focused on sustainability, we see ways in which projects like these might help solve both the challenge of rural population loss and the likely acceleration of migration from climate-insecure cities. While this proposal may not be viable for every community, we believe it would benefit many towns seeking to reverse population loss and rejuvenate their economies. Opportunities in climate migration Global climate change presents an immediate problem. Millions of people worldwide will be at risk from sea level rise over the next two generations, while others will be driven away from regions of prolonged heat, drought and the threat of wildfires. With people likely to move from at-risk places into nearby cities, those cities will likely see their public services stressed, their housing prices rise and their labor markets tighten, potentially displacing lower-income residents. This presents an opportunity for some rural areas to encourage new residents to move in. From 1953 to 2003, the U.S. rural population declined from 36% of the population to 21%. By 2050, fewer than 13% of Americans are likely to live in rural areas based on current trends. The decline of small farms and rural manufacturing has reduced employment opportunities for educated youth, driving many to leave. Four-fifths of rural counties have fewer businesses today than in 2008. In some areas this trend has become a downward spiral. Population and business losses reduce tax bases, impoverishing public services, making communities less attractive for new residents and leaving fewer opportunities for local kids who want to stay. This pattern can contribute to feelings of insecurity, political polarization and a decline of trust in democratic institutions across rural America. Given the right support, community leaders may be able to reenergize their towns by encouraging people displaced by climate disasters to move in. A new homesteading movement Managed retreat is a proactive concept it involves rebuilding in safer locations before disasters hit. That includes reinventing, reconfiguring and reconstructing housing and commerce. It could also mean creating networks of reinvigorated small towns, particularly those not far from the amenities and services of a sizable city. Successful recovery and reinvention start with a community-supported plan for the future, including opportunities for in-town housing space, commercial opportunities and upgraded public services. One way to encourage interest from investors and future residents is to focus on climate-friendly infrastructure powered by renewable energy. Areas rich in wind, sunlight and forests can update their zoning rules to encourage renewable energy investment, along with nonindustrialized food production, such as organic farms. Developing high-tech greenhouses, such as those populating farmlands across Europe, for example, could support new jobs and provide fresh produce. The coal country town of Morehead, Kentucky, for instance, is supporting a hydroponic greenhouse thats now producing nearly 3 million pounds of beefsteak tomatoes a year. To support revitalization and smooth the transition for new residents, we suggest that the federal government could finance a sequel to Americas 1862 Homesteading Act, which encouraged people to settle and develop the American West. Federal efforts to expand rural broadband access can lift another barrier to bringing in young workers excited about working from home, as well as entrepreneurs with the expertise necessary to make these projects and other new businesses succeed in sustainable ways. If government assistance programs support the aspirations of rural towns grassroots leadership, these efforts could come to be viewed with trust rather than suspicion. This is a way for communities that have lost their tax base to recruit new tax-paying citizens. There can be downsides change can be difficult for some communities, the investment can cause concern and it might not work as quickly or effectively as the community hopes. For rural towns close to cities, there can also be concerns about gentrification if remote workers drive up housing prices. But there are many communities, particularly across the rural South and Midwest, that could benefit from the influx of new residents and skills while the people relocating can find safer new homes. Meanwhile, local incentive programs for relocation expanded dramatically during the pandemic. Small American cities are offering financial incentives to young people with particular expertise and families to relocate. Some of these include relocation expenses, housing subsidies and reduction of student loan burdens. No single rural center can provide all the benefits of larger urban centers, but networks of revitalized towns could start to compensate. [Understand new developments in science, health and technology, each week. Subscribe to The Conversations science newsletter.] Preparing now Climate change poses unprecedented challenges for U.S. population mobility. At the same time, America needs to renew and transform declining rural regions. Waiting until disaster strikes becomes expensive and chaotic. Revitalizing rural communities now could alleviate migration pressures and help restore the cooperative and supportive ways of rural life. It can be a win-win proposal. The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. In August the U.N.-appointed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a report summarizing the latest authoritative scientific information about global warming. Here are five important takeaways: Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Local Weather Get the daily forecast and severe weather alerts in your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy In the past two weeks, COVID-19 has struck three well-known people. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who had been fully vaccinated, died on Monday due to complications from the virus. Meanwhile, two men who had refused vaccinationconservative radio talk show host Dennis Prager and Texas gubernatorial candidate Allen Westcaught the virus but survived. On Fox News, these stories are being exploited to cast doubt on COVID vaccines and to suggest that people should rely instead on natural immunity or therapeutic drugs. But in fact, the three stories illustrate how vaccine refusers endanger everyone else. People like Prager and West dont necessarily kill themselves. But by helping the virus to spread, they end up causing the deaths of people like Powell. Advertisement West, a former congressman who stepped down this summer as chairman of the Texas GOP, disclosed last week that he had COVID. He said he had chosen not to get vaccinated but was doing fine, thanks to various therapies. In addition to unfounded or debunked remedies such as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, he credited his recovery to monoclonal antibody infusion, which really does work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement West told his followers that his recuperation showed therapeutics were far better than vaccines. He proudly declared that his insurance had covered the monoclonal antibodies and that his infection was actually a bonus, since now, in addition to the infused antibodies, I have the natural immunity from having had the COVID. Instead of getting vaccinatedwhich he condemned as enriching the pockets of Big Pharmahe urged his fans to follow his example. Do not fear COVID, he told them. Put everything in [Gods] hands, and He will carry you through it. Advertisement Wests advice is terrible. In reality, COVID vaccines are free to recipients and cheap to deliver, whereas monoclonal antibody therapy, provided by pharmaceutical companies, costs more than $2,000 and consumes resources at already strained hospitals. Furthermore, getting immunity through infection is, on average, at least 1,000 times more dangerous than getting immunity through vaccination. But the bigger problem with Wests advice is that it ignores how, by catching the virus, you might affect other people. Vaccines dont just reduce your risk of getting seriously ill from COVID; they also make it far less likely that youll get infected in the first place or pass the virus on. In contrast, you cant get monoclonal antibodies till youve been diagnosed. By then, youre likely to have infected several other people. For weeks, as West campaigned for governor, he spoke at crowded indoor events. He says his wife felt her first symptoms around Oct. 3, and he had symptoms a couple of days later. Despite these warning signs, he spoke at two indoor political gatherings on Oct. 7. He posted a picture of himself addressing a packed house as he stood just a few feet away from unmasked attendees. Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Prager was even more reckless. On Monday, he announced that he had deliberately tried to get infectedand had eventually succeededby inhaling and exhaling next to thousands of other people. I have engaged with strangers, constantly hugging them, taking photos with them, knowing that I was making myself very susceptible to getting COVID, he told his listeners. I hugged strangers in the thousandsliterally in the thousandswhile not being inoculated. He said he had done this in the hope I would achieve natural immunity and be taken care of by therapeutics. That is exactly what has happened. Advertisement Prager portrayed himself as courageous and vindicated. He boasted that he had taken monoclonal antibodiesin addition to hydroxychloroquine and other discredited remediesand that thanks to his infection, he had acquired natural immunity, which he called infinitely preferable to vaccine immunity. He said he had staked my own health on the power of therapeutics. I am a living example of how effective taking these therapeutics is, he declared. I have walked the walk on this matter, and here I am. Advertisement At no point in this monologue did Prager mention the risk he had posed to others. I got it from somebody, and thats the story, he said of the virus. But thats never the end of the story. The next question is who you gave it to. Studies indicate that on average, each person infected with the current variant of the virus passes it on to more than six other people, and three-quarters of these transmissions occur before the carrier shows symptoms. So if you deliver speeches to hundreds of people shortly before youre diagnosedor if you hug thousands of people while expecting to become a carrieryoure endangering multitudes. Advertisement Prager and West arent alone in this behavior. Millions of other Americans are likewise jeopardizing the people around them. When pollsters ask unvaccinated people why theyve declined to get a shot, 59 percent say that among other reasons, they dont think they personally need it. Thirty-one percent say theyre making a statement about personal freedom, and 27 percent say theyre just not concerned about coronavirus. Fifteen percent say theyre personally unlikely to suffer serious long-term effects if I contract COVID-19. These explanations are entirely self-centered. Advertisement Eventually, the chain of transmission ends up killing people like Powell. He was 84 and had a disease whose symptoms and treatment tend to weaken immunity. Such people cant rely on COVID vaccines, since their immune systems often respond faintly or not at all to inoculation. They need the rest of us, who do get robust immunity from COVID shots, to protect them by getting vaccinated and breaking the chain of transmission before it gets to them. Thats what Prager, West, and tens of millions of other unvaccinated Americans have refused to do. Advertisement Last week, Westa veteran and gun enthusiastbragged on Twitter that his recovery proved COVID couldnt keep an old soldier down. Powells death would cruelly discredit that boast. West also posted video of himself singing to an indoor audience. He added a photo of himself standing next to a paper target he had shot full of holes from 5 yards away. He depicted the photo, jokingly, as an admonition, quoting one of his favorite songs: Dont Stand So Close to Me. But you dont need a gun to kill people at close range. You just need lungs and indifference. The ongoing supply chain crisis, which threatens the pipeline of consumer goods from China to the United States, has resulted in a cluster of predictable political reactions. The right has jumped on the optics, tagging the president Bare Shelves Biden; the administration, playing defense, has stepped up efforts to prove that its pushing companies and major ports to resolve the blockages. What hasnt happened yet, at least not on the national stage, is a moral discussion around American habits of consumption and a discussion of whether we could meet this crisis by modifying some of those habits. To judge by the last 40-odd years of American politics, that may never happen. Advertisement Thats because the Biden administrations struggle to frame the supply chain crisis recalls another besieged presidency from our past: that of Jimmy Carter. Remember Jimmy Carters infamous malaise speech, as it came to be known (though the word malaise appears nowhere in the actual speech)? Amid an energy crisis, Carter went on national television on July 15, 1979, and called for America to return to a sense of civic republicanism (lower case) that would unify citizens through a call to shared sacrifice for a common good. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I describe in my book, What the Heck Are You Up To, Mr. President?, how this speech came about. Carter had canceled an earlier scheduled energy crisis speech so that he could deliberate more on what he wanted to say. To write the Crisis of Confidence speech (the actual title), he gathered elected officials, accomplished scholars, religious leaders, and public intellectuals, having dinners at the White House and meetings at Camp David with thinkers like Marc Tanenbaum, then national director for interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee. In their meeting, Tanenbaum pushed the president to ask Americans to move away from unrestrained consumerism and mindless self-indulgence in order to find a way to achieve personal happiness that does not depend on an endless accumulation of goods. Advertisement Following Tanenbaum, the sociologist Robert Bellahwho was becoming known as a communitarian at the timeargued that Carter could learn from the original Puritan settlers and their covenant model, and use the language of America as a City on the Hill (an idea that Ronald Reagan would later steal for his own). Bellah argued to the president that he could present the vision of a world in which people participate in each others lives because they are mutually committed to values that transcend self-interest. Advertisement The speech that drew upon these conversations was daring and effective. Carter didnt tone things down when he delivered the speech to television cameras. He exclaimed that all the legislation in the world cant fix whats wrong with America, suggesting that this was a moral as much as an energy crisis the nation faced. Carter worried openly that Americans defined themselves no longer by what one does, but by what one owns. And then he added this zinger, Weve learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose. Advertisement Advertisement Carter outlined a moral obligation to do something collectively, demanding citizens rethink their own value systems. In this, too, Carter drew upon his own empathy to suggest that the poorest of citizens were the ones who felt the gas crisis the mostwaiting in long lines at gas stations (some of which were becoming scenes of violence as citizens got into fist fights with one another while trying to fuel up) and paying rising prices out of relatively smaller paychecks. Here, Carter outlined a policy grounded in morals. He quoted a young Chicano who told him, Some of us have suffered from recession all our lives. Close to the end of the long speech, Carter pleaded, Our nation must be fair to the poorest among us, so we will increase aid to needy Americans to cope with rising energy prices. This help would take the shape also of a push to strengthen our public transportation systems. Advertisement Advertisement A majority of Americans were riveted by the speech and, surprisingly (given its poor historical reputation), reacted in positive agreement with their president. The speech was successful, in that it boosted Carters poll numbers by 11 points (a rarity for the generally unpopular president) and elicited letters and phone calls to the White House from regular citizens who pledged to cut down on their consumption of gas. One person from Malden, Massachusetts, wrote right after Carter finished his delivery, You are the first politician that has said the words that I have been thinking for years. Last month I purchased a moped to drive to work, which would cut my gas consumption by 75 percent. A woman from Oregon wrote, The American people are so spoiled, so wasteful. And another woman from Long Island got behind the president to exclaim, It is unconscionable that we Americans let our love of luxurie consume us as we consume oil. Its easy to picture the famous Carter grin breaking big at reading these reactions. Advertisement Advertisement What killed the presidents bounce upward and surge in support from ordinary citizens was not the substance of the moral call to arms, but his decision to fire his entire Cabinet two days after giving the speech. One presidential adviser commented to the New York Times that this was Armageddon. In the speech, Carter had admitted to making mistakes and quoted notes from discussions with ordinary citizens and politicians, one a Southern governor who said, Mr. President, you are not leading this nationyoure just managing the government. Some had said Carters Cabinet members were disloyal to him, but a mass firing of top officials was not outlined or called for in the speech, and the act generated confusion and a sense of instability within his administration. In his memoir, Carter admitted, I handled the Cabinet changes very poorly, certainly an understatement. Advertisement Advertisement And there were those ready to take advantage of those miscalculations in their own pursuit of power. Sen. Ted Kennedy heard the speech and immediately got on the phone to explain to supporters that he had decided to run for president himself. Further left than Carter, Kennedy couldnt stand the attitude he perceived in the speech. A few months after it, Kennedy complained, Now, the people are blamed for every national ill, scolded as greedy, wasteful, and mired in malaise. Carter was a pessimist who had forgotten about the golden promise that is America. Kennedy wasnt the biggest threat Carter faced. That came in the form of the eventual victor in the 1980 election, Ronald Reagan. In his run for the presidency, Reagan listened closely to his pollster Richard Wirthlin. A devoted Mormon with a big family, Wirthlin loved the brand of conservativism that he heard in Reagans radio talks and speeches leading up to his official run for the presidency. What Wirthlin noted in Reagan was that he had jettisoned the pessimistic streak in conservative political thought, an intellectual genealogy emphasizing the corruption of human nature and doubts about the naivete of those promising the betterment of society, articulated by people like the historian Russell Kirk in the years after World War II, and more recently by the racist thinker John Derbyshire and the Catholic intellectual Ross Douthat. Reagan was most certainly an optimist, and optimism was a fine message to win a campaign against Carterwho could be pegged as sunken into a state of despair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Casting his eye across the hinterland, Reagan used Wirthlins thinking (and his own) to pronounce, I find no national malaise. I find nothing wrong with the American people. Though not the first to use the term malaise, he was certainly the most victorious in using the word. In contemporary parlance, Reagan weaponized the word. The real meaning of Reagans message was: There was no role for citizens to play in a public fight against an energy crisis, no need for sacrifice or a change in the way we lived. Instead, sit back and enjoy your wasteful ways, find pleasure in the act of consumption; dont worry, be happy. The nice sounds Reagan made in his speeches suggest why its difficult to rework Carters words for Joe Bidens use in our coming winter of shortages. Take this meme, which shows two photographs, one a set of store shelves close to empty (Bidens America), contrasting with another showing an abundance of shiny items (Trumps America). Like much else in our discourse today, the way these images are used to make a political statement relies upon our post-fact culture. Seems that the image of those bountiful, Trump-y shelves was actually taken from photos of a store in Melbourne, Australia, back in 2012, and the sad, gloomy Biden shelves came from a picture taken in South Carolina during Hurricane Florence. But thats hardly even the point; Fox News, always happy to open a new front in the War on Christmas, is primed to gripe that Bidens ruining American abundance, epitomized for them in a holiday with lots of consumer items traded among family members and twinkly lights on the tree. Advertisement Advertisement The Biden administrations reaction to this situation, so far, has been to ignore asinine questions about Christmas presents, while pushing hard to fix the way the situation looks and feels, to shift things back to normal. Imagine a Biden speech that, instead, sent this message: We are used to pushing a button and getting a product delivered. For good reason, that might have been a necessity at the height of the pandemic. But its now indefensible, that is, if we care about carbon footprints, climate change, and the health of the workers who make the supply chain go. Slow down and think about what really matters in our lives. That last was the best part of Carters message, and many Americans, I think, would still respond to it. But the intervening decades of American politics have made it very hard to imagine any president going there, ever again. Back in winter 2021, the media-industrial complex evaluating conservative Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin was devoted to predicting the role he would play in the Biden administration. It was still a time when we werent sure what the most conservative Democrat in the caucusthe last major Dem standing in his deep-red state, one whod voted with Republicans about 50 percent of the time during the Trump yearswould do now that his party was in power. Longtime D.C. watchers, West Virginia experts, climate scientists, and Beltway journalists put forth theory after theory after theory. Some thought hed be Democrat in name only and insisted he would halt the leftward progression of the party. Others predicted that he could maybe be good for the Dems, depending, or was perhaps even a political magician. I myself penned a profile of the senator whose headlineJoe Manchin Is Not a Fossilcould also be understood as its thesis statement. Manchin was indeed a conservative with staunch fossil fuel industry ties, I argued, but he wasnt stuck. This was particularly true when it came to climate change, I thought, because he kept the welfare of West Virginians in mind, as demonstrated by his frequent town halls and engagement with his constituents. They are, after all, uniquely vulnerable to climate effects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I had reason to think that. Some examples of Manchins green bona fides at the time included: consistent funding and development of renewable energy initiatives in his home state, championing legislation to preserve wildlife and regulate clean water standards, voting to impeach a Republican president beloved among West Virginians (twice!), publicly writing and speaking on the need to address climate change, and advocating for raising corporate taxes. Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. His track record in 2021 even held this up in many ways: He voted for bills to provide funds for clean energy technology as well as energy-efficient building retrofits, to restore natural resources polluted by coal mining, and to reinstate limits on methane leaks from energy manufacturers. As head of the Senate Energy Committee, hes pushed for curbing emissions from the transportation sector, cutting fossil fuel pollution, reassessing the utility of current oil projects, and developing wind and nuclear energy. Not to mention, he voted to confirm members of Bidens climate Cabinet, including Deb Haaland and Jennifer Granholm, the latter of whom he publicly appeared with in his home state to tout green energy. Advertisement Nevertheless, weve been slogging through our perpetual infrastructure week for a while now, and a clearer picture has come into view. In light of his targeting of the strongest climate provision in the reconciliation bill, the Clean Electricity Performance Program, its worth thinking about what else weve learned about the senator in the interceding monthsbecause there has been significant new reporting on him this year: Advertisement A summer sting operation by Greenpeace had an Exxon Mobil lobbyist reveal that he met with Manchin weekly to try to persuade him to weaken Bidens climate agenda (and hes not the only rich guy who gets Manchin regularly on the line). An August piece in Harpers noted that the West Virginia Democratic Party, which the senator played no small role in gutting, remains entirely under Manchins influence and control. It also mentions how Manchin leveraged his influence within the Senate to get plush government appointments for people close to him, including his wife. Advertisement Advertisement A September report from Type Investigations and the Intercept revealed that Manchin is currently invested in multiple coal companies that are run by his son, and that, even though the elder Manchins investments are in a blind trust, he has personally made $4.5 million from them during the time he has spent in the Senate (11 years to date). Those are three highly significant revelations! Particularly about the guy who essentially holds the keys to the climate provisions that the U.S. government will be able to pass this year (and for who knows how long after)! As I wrote in February, Manchin was never going to be the stalwart champion of Bidens FDR-size presidency, with his attachment to the filibuster and bipartisanship (which looks all the odder in light of his hatred of D.C. and the Senate). Still, especially after he played a not-insignificant role in passing the bipartisan infrastructure bill through the Senate in the first place, I did not think he would demand that budget reconciliation be cut down to nearly a quarter of his own original, larger price tag. I did think he would react negatively to, say, the cancellation of the Keystone pipeline; I did not think he would fully blockade a core climate provision in his own partys centerpiece legislation, in the time leading up the United Nations annual climate conference no less. Advertisement Advertisement The most maddening thing, as several other analysts have noted, is that the provisions of the original multitrillion-dollar bill are broadly popular, including and especially among West Virginians. They would be of mass benefit to all Americans, including and especially West Virginians. Earlier this year, Manchin had relented in his opposition to a third COVID stimulus package with direct checks after pushback from residents in his state. Some of those same West Virginians are still going after him now, even confronting him at his houseboat, and hes engaged with them. Yet he hasnt backed down in brutally weakening the reconciliation package. Advertisement Theres something else here. It makes a dark bit of sense that Manchin would be choosing this pivotal timewhen he holds the most power hell ever havefor, well, himself. This is likely the Manchs last term. In this remaining time, he seems to be simply looking out for his sources of wealth, including the ones that come from his sons coal incinerators. It wouldnt be the first time a Manchin family member used conflicts of interest to their advantage. Joes wife, Gayle, previously served as head of the West Virginia Board of Education and used her position to try to require the states schools to purchase EpiPens. EpiPens are manufactured by the Big Pharma juggernaut Mylan, whose former CEO was Heather BreschManchins daughter, who stepped down after it was revealed she helped fix the prices of EpiPens in collusion with Pfizer. Family helping family: Its a highly lucrative graft. My mistake was thinking that Joe Manchin would use his last years in the Senate to make his constituents lives better. Instead, he seems primarily invested in one West Virginians life: his own. On Friday, National Review reported that one of the key legal architects of Donald Trumps effort to overturn the last election, John Eastman, now has some second thoughts. Anybody who thinks that thats a viable strategy is crazy, Eastman now says of his own work product. While Eastmans acknowledgment comes with many strings attachedhe repeatedly misremembered and mischaracterized his own advice to Trump in his conversation with National Reviewit is not wrong. The Eastman memo and its suggestion that Vice President Mike Pence had unilateral authority to overrule the voters and decide the election for his own side was crazy. Its worth it, though, to fully rebut Eastmans nonsensical theories lest they get brought back by a future would-be autocrat and cause a deeper constitutional crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Its important to understand that in the hours before the Jan. 6 insurrection, Trumps entire effort to undo the result of the election turned on the radical theory of the vice presidents powers that was at the foundation of the Eastman memo, which falsely claimed: There is very solid legal authority, and historical precedent, for the view that the President of the Senate does the counting, including the resolution of disputed electoral votes (as Adams and Jefferson did while Vice President, regarding their own election as President), and all the Members of Congress can do is watch. Eastmans legal position was absolutely unequivocal, without any hint of uncertainty about its conclusion: The fact is that the Constitution assigns this power to the Vice President as the ultimate arbiter. Advertisement (For what its worth, both Eastman and the Claremont Institute where he is a fellow now claim that this was only a draft and that he orally advised Trump and Pence that the memos theory was the weaker view. Thats a bit like writing a memo for Julius Caesar that concluded, without qualification, that the fact is that the Roman Constitution assigns this power to you, Caesar, as the ultimate arbiter about whether to cross the Rubicon. And then later claiming that the day before Caesar started the Roman Civil War, you had told him that actually it was the weaker view and he shouldnt do it.) Advertisement This extreme theory of the vice presidents powersthe unilateral rejection power theoryis morally dangerous and legally incorrect. The former is obvious to anyone who believes in constitutional democracy and the rule of law. The latter should be obvious to anyone with a passing familiarity with the basic legal and political premises of the Constitution of the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Yet the tragic truth is that all that was obvious before the 2020 election too, and that wasnt enough to prevent the theory from capturing the imagination of powerful political figures and a public movement behind them. The rioters who were chanting Hang Mike Pence on Jan. 6 werent concerned with the intricacies of the Electoral Count Act. They violently stormed the Capitol because they were in the grips of the delusion that Pence had constitutional authority to hand the election to Trump and he refused to do it. Many commentators reacted to the Eastman memo with shock at its audaciously anti-democratic claims. They were right: The Constitution does not establish such an absurd, almost monarchical system. But that reductio ad absurdum argument is not enough when millions of people have already accepted the absurdity. Advertisement As a result, with an eye toward future Jan. 6s, it is critical to establish exactly why the unilateral rejection power theory is legally mistaken. As I explain in a new essay, mistaken it isevery major tool of constitutional interpretation that we have tells us so. Advertisement Text: The only reason that this theory ever arose in the first place is that the critical phrase in the 12th Amendment is written in the passive voice: The President of the Senate [i.e., the vice president] shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted (emphasis mine). The obvious question is, who does the counting? The text doesnt explicitly say. But context suggests someone other than the president of the Senate does the counting. After all, its drafters could simply have written The President of the Senate shall open the certificates and shall then count the votes. But it doesnt say that. As Justice Antonin Scalia and legal lexicographer Bryan Garner explained, a material variation in terms suggests a variation in meaning. Here, the variation in tense indicates that the vice president opens the certificates but doesnt do the counting. Advertisement Advertisement A mundane example may make this conclusion even clearer. When I was a kid, my parents had me do chores. They never told me, Do the dishes, and the trash shall then be taken out. They said, Do the dishes and take out the trash. The reason they used the natural sentence structure was because it makes clear that Iand not someone else, like my brotherwas responsible for both chores. Advertisement Historical practice: That critical sentence in the 12th Amendment (ratified in 1804) used the exact same words that Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 of the original Constitution (ratified in 1788) used. During the 16 years in between, four presidential elections took place under the constitutional framework established by the unamended Article II. In those four counts of the electoral votes, its drafters showed us what they meant by that critical sentence, which remained in both versions: that Congress, not the vice president, counts electoral votes. Advertisement The Eastman memorandum misleadingly relies on a law review article by law professors Bruce Ackerman and David Fontana to claim that there is historical precedent for the unilateral rejection power theory because [John] Adams and [Thomas] Jefferson did while Vice President, regarding their own election as President. The Eastman memorandums constitutional claim relies on a stark misreading of history. Neither Adams nor Jefferson ever asserted unilateral power to resolve disputes about counting the electoral votes, and no one in Congress or anywhere else acquiesced to any assertion of that power. Vice President John Adams presided over the electoral count in 1797 that he himself won by a single electoral vote over Jefferson. Before the count, newspapers reported rumors that Vermonts critical four electors were appointed in violation of state law. The rumors were meritlessthe 18th century equivalent of fake news. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the rumors put Adams in an awkward position, because Vermonts electors voted for Adams and were essential to his victory. Jefferson, to his immense credit, told his ally James Madison that his supporters should not dispute the Vermont electors: Surely in so great a case, substance and not form should prevail. I pray you to declare it on every occasion in favor of the choice of the people substantially expressed, and to prevent the phaenomenon of a Pseudo-president at so early a day. On the day of the count, Congress took the lead. Two tellers (members of Congress appointed by the two chambers to act on their behalf) made a list of the votes as they shall be declared. After the tellers reported the result to Adams, Adams announced the vote totals and sat down for a moment. Not one member of Congress objected. Advertisement Adams rose again and said, In obedience to the Constitution and law of the United States, and to the commands of both houses of Congress, expressed in their resolution passed in the present session, I declare that he himself had won. He didnt overrule Congress; no one objected because everyone agreed on the outcome. And Adams announced the result in obedience to the commands of both houses of Congress. Advertisement Four years later, Jefferson won a rematch over Adams. Technically, Jefferson tied with his vice presidential candidate Aaron Burr for the most electoral votes due to the quirky rules of the original Electoral College. Because of the tie, the House ultimately decided the election for Jefferson over Burr. There was once again a complication, though, this time with Georgias electoral votes. No one alleged that Georgias votes were cast for anyone but Jefferson and Burr. But, as Ackerman and Fontana discovered in archival research, its electors certificate had a few technical mistakes. Due to the convoluted rules of the original Electoral College, without Georgias electoral votes, the runoff in the House would have included the Federalists Adams and his running mate Thomas Pinckney along with the Democratic-Republicans Jefferson and Burr. Advertisement Advertisement Critically, the Federalists controlled the House. So if Georgias votes were out, and the Federalist candidates were back in, the House probably would have picked a Federalist president instead of Jefferson. On the day of the count, Congress once again took the lead. The tellers, two Federalists and one Democratic-Republican, apparently noticed the technicalities but nonetheless reported Georgias electoral votes as the true votes. Jefferson announced the result that he and Burr had tied for the lead, which resulted in Adams and Pinckney being excluded from the runoff in the House. Come Inauguration Day, Jefferson took office without controversy. Advertisement Imagine that Vice President Mike Pence had ultimately decided to attempt to reject the electoral votes from enough states to throw the election to Trump. And imagine, in the aftermath of what many commentators today characterize as an attempted coup, not one member of the opposition political party and not one member of the press even bothered to mention it. It simply beggars belief. Advertisement The silence in the aftermath of the count of the electoral votes of the 1800 election is deafening, and it cannot be reconciled with the notion that Jefferson asserted constitutional authority to decide a contentious question of whether to count Georgias electoral votes at a moment when the dynamic between the political parties was as vitriolic as at any time in American history. The unilateral rejection power theorys reading of the history requires us to believe that the Federalists let Jefferson blatantly steal the election and in response they meekly said nothing. The only reasonable interpretation of the history of the electoral counts in 1796 and 1800 is that there were simply no disputes to resolve. Neither Adams nor Jefferson ever asserted the constitutional power to overrule Congress, because Congress agreed on the outcome. The Eastman memorandum relies on a mythical historical precedent that never happened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drafting history of the 12th Amendment: The fiasco of the Jefferson-Burr runoff convinced many in Congress that the Electoral College needed fixing. That fix came in 1804 with the ratification of the 12th Amendment. But the 12th Amendment left the critical sentence untouched. Congress actions in the years preceding the 12th Amendments ratification tell us volumes about its meaning. In 1800, both chambers of Congress passed versions of the Grand Committee bill. The bill would have established a committee composed of members of Congress and the chief justice of the United States to resolve disputes about electoral votes. The House and Senate couldnt agree on the details, so it didnt become law. Usually, legal scholars cant conclude much from a bill that didnt become law. This is a rare but powerful exception. Advertisement Just before the 12th Amendment was introduced in Congress, both chambers passed slightly different versions of a bill that unequivocally asserted Congress power under the original Constitution to resolve disputes about electoral votes. Then a few years later, the 12th Amendment used the exact same words as the original Constitution. Congress could have changed the wording if it wanted to change the meaning. It chose not to, and in light of the Grand Committee bill debates, that was no mere oversight. Whatever Congress understood that critical sentence to mean in the original Constitution, it meant the exact same thing in the 12th Amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Congress understanding was clear. The critical sentencepassive voice and allhad a settled meaning that Congress, and not the vice president, had constitutional power to count and to resolve disputes about electoral votes. The 12th Amendment incorporates that settled understanding. More than 200 years later, the settled meaning in 1804 settles the question now: The Eastman memorandums unilateral rejection power theory is just plain wrong. None of this should be remotely surprising. The basic principles of American constitutional democracy demand it. James Madison, the architect of the Constitution, explained in the Federalist Papers that self-government is at the core of the system he designed because a dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government. Without the democratic check of an election whose result is fairly and independently determined, that primary guarantee of liberty would be eviscerated. And as Madison wrote later in the same essay: No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause, because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and, not improbably, corrupt his integrity. The founding generation fought the Revolutionary War to overthrow a monarchy and to create a representative democracy, not to establish an executive branch that could entrench itself indefinitely by deciding the results of its own reelection. The answer to the constitutional question is clear. The text of the 12th Amendment, historical practice in the early republic, the drafting history of the 12th Amendment, and the basic principles of American democracy all demonstrate that the unilateral rejection power theory is, without a doubt, legally incorrect. It is shocking that such an absurdly anti-democratic theory ever rose to political prominence. The survival of the United States as a constitutional democracy requires that we decisively reject it forever. The fundamental fallacy at the heart of the four-year-long legal resistance to Trumpism was that the American people desperately wanted to be bored again. The electric rock star status achieved by Robert Mueller for his investigation into Donald Trumps election interference and obstruction of justice was rooted in the ironic delight we took in the special counsels obvious stodginess and ploddingness. We mistakenly believed that the cure for Donald Trumps flagrant lawlessness and nihilism would lie in the dutiful, meticulous work product of the dutiful, meticulous lawyerthe folksy sincerity of a James Stewart who embodied real American values, values we pretended we would cherish and fight for, if only given a second chance. Advertisement We were wrong about this, on multiple levels. We were wrong about the American appetite for boringness and sincerity, and wrong too in believing that what America craved in response to the carnival barkery was unironic, diligent institutionalists. Its not that Robert Mueller failed us; he merely did what his diligent institutionalism demanded of him, and that failed us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Which brings us to the present moment, a moment that makes plain that despite protestations to the contrary, we just seem to prefer the circus clowning to the sincere and ordinary. In the nine months its taken for the GOP to move from occasionally and ambiguously deploring the events of Jan. 6 to lionizing and fetishizing them, its become clear that shoring up the integrity of vulnerable institutions is never going to be an adequate response to the carnival. Attorney General Merrick Garland is, like Mueller before him, a diligent institutionalist. And while the institutionalists are not to be faulted for attempting to prop up institutionsanswering chaos with chaos is not an optionit is now amply clear that propping up institutions in response to the carnival is not enough. As Garlands testimony Thursday morning revealed, the big lie is already going to be halfway across the world while the institutionalists are still double-knotting their loafers. Advertisement When we comforted ourselves with the bromide that boring old institutionalists and reliably respected institutions would serve to cool the fever dreams and the fearmongering that characterized every day of the Trump administration, what we forgot was that boringness and stability are no match for the show. Garland is currently attempting to restore confidence in an independent, professionalized, apolitical Department of Justice, but he is doing so in the face of claims by his opponents that the DOJ is the new KGB and that its jackbooted thugs are coming to arrest you in the dark of night for expressing peaceful opposition to a classroom curriculum. If you forge conspiracies where no conspiracies exist, at bare minimum you will have raised the questions. The questions backfill the truth. It doesnt matter what the Garland DOJ is doingtrying to protect school officials who are threatened and stalked. The point is to say hes creating an army of federal forces to enforce critical race theory in school. Try as he may, Merrick Garland cannot perform boring independence fast enough to outrun GOP claims that hes a wild-eyed, violent socialist. And while the GOP currently exists only to cast everything you thought you believed into doubt, the real endgame is vigilantism. The endgame is to ensure that people mistrust government, election systems, school boards, the media, and the justice system enough to lend a hand in their destruction. Advertisement Advertisement The problem is that to the bulk of the GOP, anything done to uphold the rule of law now codes as nefarious. The Jan. 6 protesters are being canonized for taking the law into their own hands. So is Donald Trump. So is Steve Bannon. Such is the allure of the take-no-prisoners narratives right now, that while one side feverishly props up ideas about the rule of law and independence and truth, the other side inches ever closer to saying out loud that the rule of law is immaterialthe rule of the angry patriot is the only law of the land. As Rep. Val Demings noted during the Garland hearing, the same people who were harassing and threatening and stalking local school board officials in ways that required federal protection are also harassing and threatening and stalking local election officials. They are also the same people who are harassing and threatening and terrorizing those who serve pregnant women in Texas (and being offered cash prizes for it), and they are the very same people who are terrorizing and threatening public health officials in ways that also require federal protection. Advertisement Offering new federal protections to workers who can no longer do their jobs without it may be necessary, and we can hope it helps them feel safer, but it sure doesnt foment confidence in the rule of law. Nor does it help when it is recast as lethal authoritarianism and tyranny and used to encourage more self-help and more threats and violence. The government is coming to arrest you over your kids curriculum as it cancels Christmas isnt true, no, but it sure is thrilling. Garland is well aware that decreasing confidence in the Justice Department is a crisis that will accelerate acts of violence and self-help. Thats why hes trying to bore us into believing that nothing nefarious can really happen on the watch of a silver-haired man with earnest centrism. The problem is that to the bulk of the GOP, anything done to uphold the rule of law now codes as nefarious. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trouble with boringness is that its boring. For a whole host of reasons, to the people who are not inflamed about these things, the Jan. 6 commission is now as boring as Jan. 6 itself has become, and the second impeachment is about as interesting as programmatic voter suppression was last spring. The GOP tactic is to froth up feelings and controversies, and Tucker Carlson shaped dramasfrom stolen elections to critical race theoryin the Republican base in ways that keep things fresh and lively for the already activated. Meeting that with procedural boringness may have worked five years ago. But nobody craves boring sincerity anymore. Street fighting is the new Mueller. This wont stop with violence against school officials, nurses, doctors, election officials, abortion providers. We either are about to fall into or have already lost ourselves to an abyss in which nothing matters more than how you feel about how your children feel about whats being taught in their classrooms, how you feel about a stolen presidential election, and how you feel about COVID vaccine mandates. Anyone who tells you to feel otherwise is an authoritarian tyrant. I used to believe that answering hysteria with vanilla beanflavored institutionalism would restore confidence in institutions. But maybe all that longing for the earnest, midcentury lawman and his vaunted institutional ideals was always just another kind of make-believe. Weve even stopped asking where the grown-ups have gone. On Friday, the Supreme Court took up two challenges to Texas S.B. 8, which bans abortion after six weeks. The justices did not, however, tee up a ruling on the merits of the law; instead, they agreed to decide whether procedural obstacles prevent anyone from filing a federal lawsuit against the measure. And while they scheduled oral arguments for Nov. 1, they did not block S.B. 8 in the meantime, ensuring that abortion will remain illegal in Texas until the court issues a decision. Advertisement The court did not tip its hand on the monumental questions posed by this case, suggesting that one or two justices votes may still be up for grabs. Even if a majority is prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade, there may not be five votes to endorse Texas dangerous attempt to shield unconstitutional laws from judicial review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement S.B. 8 has reached the Supreme Court once before: on Sept. 1, when the law took effect. The justices refused to stop it by a 54 vote, a decision that effectively ended Roe in Texas. That lawsuit was brought by abortion providers in the state, who attempted to sue the state judges and clerks tasked with hearing lawsuits under the act. In a cryptic one-paragraph order, the majority claimed that complex and novel antecedent procedural questions prevented them from acting. The Justice Department then sued Texas on behalf of the United States, clearing away many procedural obstacles that stymied the private plaintiffs. On Oct. 7, a federal judge sided with the DOJ and issued an injunction against S.B. 8, which the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals promptly froze. Both the providers and the Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court, asking it to rule on S.B. 8 swiftlyand block its enforcement in the meantime. Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. The plaintiffs got half a loaf on Friday, or maybe less. SCOTUS will hear both cases, holding oral arguments in just 10 days. (With these orders, the court acted at breakneck speed, which is nearly unprecedented in modern times; the closest analogue is Bush v. Gore.) But SCOTUS restricted the scope of its review in a curious and confusing way. The court will not consider the Justice Departments request to rule on the merits of S.B. 8. Instead, it will ask only whether the United States may sue the state of Texas, as well as all state officials and private parties, to prohibit S.B. 8 from being enforced. The abortion providers application likewise focuses on procedural issues, asking the court to decide whether a state can insulate from federal-court review a law that prohibits the exercise of a constitutional right by delegating enforcement to the public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither of these questions squarely presents the constitutionality of a six-week abortion ban to the Supreme Court. The justices could interpret the abortion providers request as an invitation to consider the merits by declaring that the court must decide whether abortion is a constitutional right before determining whether a state can insulate S.B. 8 from review. (If theres no right to abortion, theres no clear constitutional flaw in S.B. 8.) But that seems unlikely; after all, the justices took pains to avoid confronting this question in the Justice Departments case, where it is directly presented. They also ignored Texas request to recast these cases as a direct challenge to Roe. It appears, rather, that the court is committed to deciding only whether private plaintiffs or the federal government can sue a state when it makes an end run around the Constitution, as Texas did with S.B. 8. Advertisement Several aspects of the courts orders suggest that at least one justice has not made up their mind about this question. If a majority believed Texas scheme is permissible and federal courts cannot stop it, why would it rush to hear these cases? It could have let them languish on the shadow docket, or decline to intervene at this early stage, just as it did last time around. Conversely, if a majority believed Texas scheme is impermissible and federal courts can stop it, why would it let S.B. 8 remain in effect? Why not halt the law while the court prepares a formal ruling? Advertisement Fridays orders thus read like a compromise. But for whom? Chief Justice John Roberts and the three liberals have already said they want to pause the law. No one seriously argues that the overtly anti-Roe justicesClarence Thomas, Sam Alito, or Neil Gorsuchwould lift a finger to stop S.B. 8. That leaves Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, who probably want to overturn Roe but may want to move slower than their hard-right colleagues. It appears either Kavanaugh, Barrett, or both arent yet sure which way theyll vote in the Texas litigation. Now theyve preserved every option. Advertisement Advertisement Another aspect of Fridays orders points toward compromise. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote an incandescent dissent from the courts decision not to stay S.B. 8, calling the laws impact catastrophic and ruinous. Focusing on the grave and irreparable harm to Texans inflicted by the law, Sotomayor declared that every day the court fails to grant relief is devastating, both for individual women and for our constitutional system as a whole. Justices Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer surely agree with this sentiment; they indicated as much in previous dissents. But neither joined Sotomayors scorching Friday opinion. Advertisement Why? It may be that Kagan and Breyer, who often vote strategically, are trying to avoid alienating Kavanaugh and Barrett. In September, both justices complained that the court had adjudicated S.B. 8 on its shadow docket, which Kagan condemned as unreasoned, inconsistent, and impossible to defend. Now the majority has taken these cases off the shadow docketexactly what the liberals desired. Kagan and Breyer may want to show some gratitude that, at long last, the majority moved these cases into the light, and treated them like the emergency that they are. They may also want to spend the next weeks and months angling for a fifth vote to shoot down Texas scheme. Signing onto a (rightly) furious dissent today would not further those future aims. Advertisement SCOTUS Kremlinology aside, its important to look at Fridays actions against the backdrop of the entire term. On Dec. 1, the Supreme Court will hear Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, a challenge to Mississippis 15-week abortion ban. It could use Dobbs to move back the line at which states can outlaw the procedure. Or it could simply jettison Roe and let states ban abortion at any point in pregnancy. At that point, the fight over S.B. 8 may look like a sideshow. Remember: If the Supreme Court does allow either lawsuit against S.B. 8 to move forward, it will kick the cases back down to the lower courts. If Roe falls, the lower courts will have no power to block the law, since it will no longer infringe on a constitutional right. Texas cynical machinations present serious and alarming questions about states ability to defy the Constitution by shielding all manner of laws from federal court review. But in the larger showdown over abortion, Dobbs remains the main event. This week, the U.S. marshals arrived at the D.C. Jail to investigate the facilities and interview prisoners held on charges related to the Capitol attack. Their investigatigation is in response to an Oct. 13 ruling by Federal District Court Judge Royce Lamberth that the D.C. Department of Correction had violated the civil rights of Christopher Worrell, a member of the Proud Boys who has been held in D.C. jail since March in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection, by refusing to provide him medical treatment. Worrell, who is suffering from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, also broke his wrist in May and has not received treatment for it since. Judge Lamberth found the director of the D.C.DOC and the warden of the D.C. jail in contempt, and he even went so far as to refer the case to the Justice Department, suggesting it conduct an investigation for systemic civil rights violations among Jan. 6 defendants in custody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The response on social media from many who seem to consider themselves somewhere left of center has largely alternated between glee at the Capitol rioters getting a taste of mass incarceration, an experience all too common to the working-class Black and brown people the insurrectionists most revile, and outrage at the ruling as a display of white privilege in action. Both reactions are understandable. It is undeniably rich to hear the same people who seemed to think they were above the law as they posed for pictures inside the Capitol complain that they dont like it in jail. But gloating over their misfortune or bemoaning their preferential treatment, misses the point. Much of the online frustration stems from the fact that the insurrectionists complaints about jail conditions and medical neglect, which are commonplace in jails and prisons across the country, were taken seriously and addressed quickly. Meanwhile prisoners of color, who make up a majority of those behind bars, routinely struggle to find legal remedies for their grievances. Much of the predominantly Black and brown population on Rikers Island in New York, for example, is currently being denied medical care and forced to defecate into plastic bags and subsist on one meal a day. And so far this year, 14 people incarcerated there have died. While the double standard is infuriating, its the preferential treatment thats the problem, not improving conditions in jail in and of itself. Advertisement Advertisement The reality is, Judge Lamberts ruling is exactly the kind of swift action needed to improve conditions in correctional facilities across the country. Forcing jails or prisons to comply with the minimum legal standards of healthcare and sanitary conditions should be the rule and not the exception. As frustrating as it is to see the needs of a group of people who attempted to undermine our democracy attended to so swiftly, because this ruling can now be pointed to as legal precedent its actually a win for all incarcerated people. Advertisement I spent twelve months on Rikers Island for my participation in a brawl with a few Proud Boy types during a protest in 2018. Despite understanding his plight, I dont find Worrell to be a very sympathetic character. Though I do recognize that the ruling in his case presents a rare opportunity to improve conditions for incarcerated people of all stripes throughout the country. Thats because of the legal precedent set in his case. In the absence of a previous ruling on a similar case in their own courts, lawyers in any jurisdiction in the country can now point to this ruling and try to persuade the court that its example should be followed, no matter who their client may be. Advertisement Advertisement Theres a long history in this country of the complaints of incarcerated individuals being ignored or minimized until they reach a certain level of egregiousness, says Scott Michelman, Legal Director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia. What makes this unusual is that the judge found corrections officials in contempt, and high, high level officials at that. Michelman says the ruling expands the window of possibility somewhat, in that it may make litigators and judges more likely to reach for [contempt], and that this applies not only to acute medical needs, but also the more general conditions in which incarcerated people are housed. The possibility of a legal precedent that may actually afford incarcerated people better access to medical treatment and more humane conditions is not to be underestimated. Though prisoners have a constitutional right to healthcare and a sanitary environment, conditions in jails and prisons around the country are chronically, notoriously dangerous and unsanitary. Between COVID and private medical outsourcing conditions are getting worse. Prisoners in every jurisdiction are subjected to pests, mold, leaks, sewage, urine, feces, and starvation. Theyre confined to their cells or dorms for long stretches of time and refused the healthcare they need, whether it be medication theyve been prescribed or treatment for an injury or condition. The D.C. jail is no exception, and its been that way for a long time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michelman is also co-counsel in Banks v. Booth, an ongoing lawsuit launched by the ACLU last year over the conditions suffered by those in the D.C. jail during the pandemic. He says on three separate occasions, the federal court issued orders holding that the D.C. jail was violating the constitutional rights of everyone incarcerated, and yet no one even contemplated contempt. Had Judge Lamberths ruling occurred at an earlier point in their litigation, he says, I think we as plaintiffs attorneys would have thought much more seriously about seeking to hold the director [of corrections] in contempt. On the other side of the political spectrum from the Capitol insurrectionists, there are prisoners who are currently being singled out for harsher treatment behind bars, like Daniel Baker, the Florida anarchist recently sentenced to 44 months in prison for his Facebook posts. Baker spent his first months in custody trapped in cells covered in feces. Or Ashley Diamond, a Black trans woman forced to endure horrific conditions in Georgia state mens prisons, including the denial of her hormone treatment even after she managed to file and win a lawsuit demanding it as necessary medical care. Advertisement Legal complaints launched by prisoners are complicated affairs that tend to take a long time to resolve. Most end in failure. Getting a complaint before the court can also be prohibitively expensive, and may elicit retribution from corrections officers. Those of us who care about ending mass incarcerationand making life more bearable for those inside while we docant afford the luxury of deciding which pro-prisoner rulings well get behind. After all, any ruling, law, or policy change that improves the lives of one prisoner, and which might therefore be hailed as a victory, necessarily improves the lives of those prisoners we find least sympathetic, too. Five years ago, Arranmore, an 8.5-square-mile island situated 3 miles off Irelands Atlantic coast, was facing a serious crisis. The 2016 census showed that the population was 469, down from more than 600 in 2006, with 45 percent of residents 65 or over. With few young families, schools were in danger of closure. Its fishing industry was dying. It appeared the newest and smallest generation might be its last. Concerned, residents formed a community council to discuss solutions for reviving their livelihood. We had to think about how to get our young people to move home, Adrian Begley, chair of the Arranmore Community Council, tells me. Ireland is a very rural country. And a lot of people have what we call a gradha big lovefor where they are from. People want to return home. But they cant always, and thats a difficult thing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The council launched its #ComingHome campaign in 2017 to encourage people to move to Arranmore, offering information and advice for anyone wishing to do so. In an open letter, it promised fewer people than would fit in a couple of Amtrak carriages, but enough musicians and good Irish whiskey to keep the party going well into the night. The campaign received floods of responses from around the U.S. in particular. But warmth and sincerity are not enough to get people to relocate, even back to where theyre from. The council reached out directly to the Arranmore diaspora, mainly in the U.S. and U.K., but also within Ireland and as far as Australia, to ask what it would take for them to move back home. Employment opportunities and faster internet topped the list. At the time, Arranmore had only mobile broadband, and it was very hit or miss. Advertisement An American with family connections to the island had moved here around this time, and was going to be working remotely, Adrian says. But they had to move to another part of Ireland. He just didnt feel he could work securely or productively because of the standard of the internet. We thought, we cant let this happen again. Advertisement For business, connection speeds were far too slow and signal strength too unreliable. It was grand for checking email, Begley says, but for business it wasnt productive. Reliability is the issue. It was clear that without high-speed broadband internet on the island, it had no sustainable future. It may sound like a First World problem, but this is about more than Netflix. This was about sustainability. This was about the future, Begley told me. Advertisement Our conversation took place via Zoom, which should tell you that the islands internet fortunes changed. Through a stroke of serendipity, in 2018, Three, an Irish mobile operator, was looking for a way to highlight how high-speed connectivity can transform rural areas andto the surprise and delight of Begley and the rest of the community of the islandapproached Arranmore and asked if it would serve as a model case. Advertisement The company launched a well-documented partnership with Arranmore, and by 2019, the island was provided with high-speed broadband. Down the road, there are plans to deliver the countrys first subsea high-speed broadband cable to the island, which would sustain through anything from a tsunami to a shark attack and offer the highest bandwidth, reliability, and security. But the current setuppoint-to-point broadband, which sends a signal over land, air, and seaprovides the same high speed the rest of the well-connected world enjoys. Advertisement Advertisement A coworking hub was also set up in cooperation with Three, but work didnt stop there. They showed us how they could use their technology to solve problems, Begley says. They provided connectivity to the community center, a place where we have youth clubs, offer courses, have computers. They also supplied it to the local builders cooperative, which also supplies the island with oil and heating. They provided it to the health center. And theyve seen tangible results. There are 15 or 16 people now working remotely on Arranmore that were not able to before, Begley says. Our population went up over 10 percent from 2016. Families have moved here. Weve exceeded our target. Among the new residents are Jean Pierre Trocme, who is French, New Yorker Marie Benedict, and their two sons, 15 and 14. The family moved to Arranmore in the summer and told the Donegal News they will never move again. Others who had familial connections to the island have returned, including some younger residents who came back during the COVID lockdown and now work on permanent remote statusincluding, in one case, for Twitter. Advertisement Weve got a lot of great youth here, Begley says. Theyre very engaged in their community, and very proud of it. They want to see it survive. And theyre highly educated, which has led to an unexpected problem. The pub quizzes are now a nightmare, he says. Youll never win. Once the quizmaster had to split a group of young ones up, saying, Theres seven masters degrees at that table. I found that a very proud moment. Advertisement Advertisement And the value of connectivity goes far beyond work opportunities. We have to get a ferry to get to the hospital, says Begley, whose background is in mental health. Loads of people were making long journeys for a 10-minute consultation with a doctor. With telemedicine, we can prevent that. We also connected one of the schools. These were all the concerns of the diaspora. Advertisement The technology is also helping residents look after elderly relatives who live alone, via devices that can track everyday behaviors such as when a door is opened or the kettle is boiled. If their behavior changes, Begley explains, you can go around to check on them. And connectivity is helping to improve efficiency for the fishing industry on the island, in order to preserve it. When we lose that tangible heritage, those things that we know, those things that we are, you tend to lose your culture and your community, Begley says. Preserving culture and community has been one of the main hopes hung on internet technology in Ireland from the start. Barry Flanagan is the man behind Irelands first internet service provider, Ireland On-line, which he started in 1992. He believed from the onset that internet connectivity would bring about real social change. I thought that if the technology was widespread, he tells me during a telephone call, it could revolutionize Ireland and just change the country completely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Flanagan is the son of emigrants who had left Ireland seeking opportunity elsewhere, as countless have done for hundreds of years. Born in Canada, Flanagan returned to Ireland when he was 13. I just loved it, and I wanted to stay, he says. I was an idealist, and thought I could make sure the next generation wouldnt need to leave Ireland to have opportunity. Advertisement He started IOL in Galway, on the west coast, deliberately not basing himself in Dublin. The point was that not only should you not have to leave Ireland to have opportunities, but you also should not have to move to Dublin, he says. After building it up for seven years, Flanagan sold IOL in 1999. My attitude was, right, thats my job done, he says. The country is going to be connected. Ive been of some service. Advertisement It certainly served me. In the late 90s, I was a book editor living in San Francisco. It was the era of internet-based startups and new technologies promising to change how we livewhile inadvertently making the Bay Area unaffordable to a young person like me with such analog career interests as books. It seemed inevitable I would leave. Advertisement My mom, who was from Ireland, had died in 1992. I had spent a lot of time in her home country as a child, and in 1999, with a mix of sentimentality and hubris, I moved to Galway. It was just as the Y2K programming bug was threatening to wreak global havoc. If anywhere was safe for a digitally disrupted world, I thought, it was the west coast of Ireland. My bank still issued handwritten deposit receipts. Advertisement But while old-school had its charms, my opportunity to live and work from a quiet corner of Ireland required me to have reliable internet. My U.S.-based employer had let me keep my job, decades before a pandemic made remote work common. IOL provided me with dial-up access that was pretty slow to connect and carried per-minute costs. Id connect, check email, download files, and disconnect. It was enough. But todays businesses and remote workers need substantially more speed and reliability in their internet solutions to operate. Rural areas in Ireland continue to be left behind the connectivity curve, leading to forced emigration within and beyond Ireland. Advertisement Although some reports show that up to 92 percent of Irish households had internet access as of 2020, these statistics do not take reliability or speed into account. In 2017, when the #ComingHome campaign debuted, 88 percent of homes technically had access, but it was too poor to really serve as such. Advertisement Advertisement To put speed into perspective, the governments broadband plan committed to providing more than 30 megabits per second to homes across Ireland.* With its high-speed broadband, Arranmore currently enjoys internet speed up to 100 Mbps. And in 2017, speed tests revealed the village of Legan in County Longford had the slowest internet in Ireland, with average speed of just 2 Mbps. Its faster to drive from Longford to Dublin than download a film there, read an Irish Times headline in 2017. Youll have to forgive me if I sound a bit jaded, Flanagan says. The actual footprint of internet availability in Ireland until recent years had not changed immensely. The same proportion of the population had decent internet access as it did in 1999. And that is disappointing. Advertisement Its a problem the government is aware of but has been slow to act on. In 2012, the Irish minister for communications announced the National Broadband Plan, which promises every home and business in Ireland access to high-speed broadband by 2026. The plan was heralded as the rural electrification of the 21st century, but has had delays over the years. The initial target for delivery by the end of 2021 was 115,000 homes, and as of October, according to the Irish Examiner, only 23 percent of that target27,000 homeshas been reached. Advertisement Arranmore was lucky to have corporate behind its broadband initiative, but other areas are still relying on the government program to move forward. These things tend to be very slow and then stop, Begley says. And they start in places that already have fantastic internet coverage and then spread out, and rural areas are put three to five years down the line. Thats a hell of a long time for a rural community thats going downhill. We couldnt wait. It was a simple as that. Advertisement Advertisement He, like Barry Flanaganwho now works to deliver broadband to rural areas, including some that arent part of the governments plans, using wireless technologiesfirmly believes the more isolated areas should be the starting point for connectivity initiatives, and that connecting those areas is the key to sustainable change in Ireland and elsewhere in the world. If you can get your rural communities to survive, society as a whole can survive, he says. Correction, Oct. 22, 2021: Due to an editing error, this article originally and incorrectly referred to an internet speed as 30 megabytes per second. It is 30 megabits per second. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. WASHINGTON (Oct. 22, 2021)Cecily Habimana, co-founder of Sew Creative Lounge, a sewing school in Mount Rainier, Maryland, normally imports her fabric from China and West Africa, but international shipping and customs delays have become unaffordable for the small business owner. "I can't afford to bear the cost of a big shipment so I pre-order fabric, but this season because of delays, there is no way for me to know exactly when it's coming in," Habimana told Capital News Service. With the holidays approaching, small businesses like Habimana's are feeling the brunt of supply chain delays that have drawn the intercession of the White House and the attention of Congress. "I can't remember a time in history when (the supply and demand model) has been inverted, where one side dictates to the other in a way that has never happened before," Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Baltimore, said at a Wednesday hearing of the House Small Business Committee's oversight, investigations and regulation subcommittee. The panel heard testimony about the impact of supply chain disruptions on small companies. The pandemic forced many factories overseas to shut down, dramatically reducing production. There are also shortages of ships, containers and truck drivers. The lack of coordination among transportation and logistics industries is at the root of the disruptions, said Dr. Martin Dresner, professor of logistics and public policy at University of Maryland's Smith School of Business. "Just saying let's have more throughput at the port probably will not solve the problem if there's not enough truck drivers to take those containers away from the port," Dresner said. The Port of Baltimore, however, is an exception to supply bottlenecks. "The Port of Baltimore is not experiencing supply chain congestion issues that are impacting other ports," Maryland Port Administration Executive Director William P. Doyle told CNS in a statement. "In fact, due to congestion at other ports we have recently attracted two new container services totaling 21 new ships." He added that the port "has been preparing for over a decade for the expanded Panama Canal and we are one of the only ports on the East Coast with a 50-foot deep channel and berthing for ultra large vessels." "In addition, our local market has built up an efficient warehousing network over the past six years with millions of square feet of distribution, sorting, and fulfillment centers spread throughout Maryland and the mid-AtlanticAmazon, Home Depot, IKEA, Fed Ex, and Floor and Decor to name a few," Doyle said. Nevertheless, some Maryland small businesses are struggling with supply chain disruptions. "It's not a new problem, it's something that's been going on for a really long time," said Patty MacCrory, owner and president of AwardsPlus, a company that makes trophies, plaques and promotional items in Clinton, Maryland. She said she has seen supply chain problems since January 2020. Larger companies like Walmart and Target have leverage to demand products in a way smaller businesses just cannot do, said Rich Weissman, adjunct professor of supply chain operations at Lesley University in Massachusetts. "Big business gets what they demand and small business doesn't," Weissman said. Supplies on ships at a standstill out in the ocean are causing cash flow issues for these small businesses, said Michael Kelleher, executive director of the Maryland Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a non-profit funded by industry and the state of Maryland that works in coordination with the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Each state has a similar program. U.S. manufacturing that migrated overseas needs to be re-established domestically, according to Kelleher. "Long term this is very eye-opening for Maryland, and for domestic manufacturing, in that we need to bring some things back on shore and build back some of the expertise that we've lost domestically over the last 20 years," Kelleher said. In addition, Kelleher said, "most of what we make in Maryland is not direct to the consumer and most of it goes into other products." "Those delayed repercussions tend to have an exponential effect as they trickle downstream," he said. Kelleher's program aids small businesses in handling supply chain backlogs by showing them how to communicate with customers, manage customer expectations and adjust cash flows. Such steps can help to save small businesses from devastating consequences, Kelleher said. Habimana, who began purchasing locally-made fabrics when shipping costs first skyrocketed, said she will return to buying fabric in China and West Africa once prices go back down. China is the only reliable manufacturer she has found, Habimana said. With a customer base predominantly purchasing her African-printed fabrics, Habimana wants her purchases to benefit the people living in those countries. Still, even with a domestic supplier of materials, inventory selection has been greatly affected, MacCrory said. Customers have been reasonable and understanding when it comes to product availability, MacCrory said, but the current situation has really impacted her ability to get inventory, especially wood. When a customer requests an item that is not in stock, MacCrory said she turns to a stockpile of substitute products that she offers instead. To accommodate the growing alternatives, MacCrory said she will add a second warehouse next month. Teaching small businesses how to manage during supply chain disruptions is imperative because the current shortages are not an isolated event, Kelleher said. In an effort to alleviate the supply chain backlog, President Joe Biden last week won agreement from the nation's busiest port, the Port of Los Angeles, to remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That follows a similar expansion in operations at the neighboring Port of Long Beach. The two ports together account for about 40 percent of container shipments into the United States. "The commitments being made today are a sign of major progress in moving goods from manufacturers to a store or to your front door," the president said. But there is no immediate fix, something consumers and businesses will need to adjust to, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned. "A lot of the challenges that we have been experiencing this year will continue into next year," Buttigieg said on CNN Sunday. Weissman does not believe regulation or government intervention will make a difference in the supply chain disruptions in the coming months. "We need to realize we have been through a massive economic shock and it's not over," Weissman said. "Let the system play and let it work." For small business owners especially, the next few months could determine who survives and who goes under. After holiday shopping sprees last December, many of her customers stopped spending for a bit, Habimana said. "I try to make sure whatever we are doing we try to circumvent those profitability issues that could hurt us this season," Habimana said. ARCHIVED - Spain Covid update October 21: incidence rate on the rise Both the death toll and new infections have declined in Spain this week It has been a week of ups and downs regarding the coronavirus pandemic in Spain, with the all-important cumulative incidence rate yo-yoing on a daily basis. Despite this, the number of newly diagnosed cases continues to decline and October has seen infections drop below 2,000, a figure that hasnt been recorded yet in 2021. Cumulative incidence rate The incidence of Covid infections per 100,000 inhabitants is the key piece of data that indicates whether the pandemic is subsiding in Spain and the country remains in the low risk category overall. However, the 14-day rate rose again on Thursday October 21 to 43.26 cases, the second consecutive day where an increase was recorded. At the beginning of the week, the figure sat at 42.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. It dipped slightly on Tuesday to 41.9 before rebounding again on Wednesday to 43.15 cases. Galicia continues to lead the pack with just 14.10 cases, a rate which has barely changed in recent days. On the opposite end of the scale sits the autonomous community of Navarra, whose figure has jumped from 49 cases on Monday to 60.35 this Thursday. Infections The latest data published by the Ministry of Health show that 1,881 new infections were recorded in the past 24 hours. This is a slight decrease from the previous day and is considerably lower than the 1,932 cases reported last Thursday. This figure brings to 4,995,176 the total number of people infected since the beginning of the pandemic. Hospitalisations The number of Covid patients currently in ICUs in Spain has remained relatively stable this week, with 434 patients on Thursday. This is 13 fewer than was recorded on Wednesday and one more than on Tuesday. By communities, Catalonia and Madrid continue to have the most people hospitalised with serious cases of coronavirus, with 93 and 83 patients respectively. Fatalities Spain has registered 67 deaths from Covid this week, and the figure has barely fluctuated. Andalucia had the most fatalities over the last seven days, reporting 13 deaths. This brings the global death toll in Spain to 87,102. On a positive note, the Balearic Islands, Extremadura, Catalonia, Ceuta and La Rioja didnt see any fatalities this week. Vaccination data Spain has now surpassed the 90% mark for people with at least one dose of the vaccine, at 37,938,819. To date, 37,176,352 people, representing 88.3% of the population, are double jabbed. Image: Archive Companies in Slovakia innovate to reduce emissions. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. The production of iron and steel, cement, aluminium, industrial fertilisers and electricity is most fit for ecologisation. (Source: Sme archive ) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Attempts to make Slovakias industry greener have been around for decades, though the pressure for more environmentally friendly solutions has particularly intensified as the threat of a climate crisis intensifies with little effect for the moment. As a European Union member, Slovakia must achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. By 2030, its CO2 emissions must be 55 percent less than its 1990 levels. For Slovak industry, one of the most energy intensive within the EU with emissions of 22 million tonnes of CO2 in 2019, this is particularly challenging. Closing the three biggest factories in Slovakia would suffice to meet the 2030 goal, said Miroslav Kiralvarga, president of the National Union of Employers (RUZ) and vice-president of external affairs, administration and business development at U.S. Steel Kosice. But I assume that is nobodys intention. Related article Related article Russia, not emission allowances, is to blame for electricity and gas prices Read more Energy-intensive companies in Slovakia consider the EUs goals ambitious. Some of the largest companies in the country that The Slovak Spectator talked to point out that the transition to a carbon neutral and eco-friendly industry is a time-consuming and financially demanding process that cannot take place without state support; otherwise, it will take much longer. Making industry greener in Slovakia requires its complete transformation, Alzbeta Timarova, manager of corporate affairs of the building materials producer Danucem Slovensko, told The Slovak Spectator. Cement plant of Danucem Slovensko in Rohoznik (Source: Courtesy of Danucem Slovensko) She added that the decarbonisation of industry, the availability of modern technology and support for the transition to a low-carbon economy, where the availability of vast amounts of green electrical energy is a key driver, are the main challenges of that transformation. Inevitable, says ministry The Economy Ministry believes that the fair and well handled transformation of industry will contribute to Slovakias efforts to strengthen its international competitiveness and improve living conditions for its inhabitants. The ecologisation of industry is an inevitable global trend, in which each entity needs to participate to a just and appropriate extent, the ministrys spokesperson Katarina Matejkova told The Slovak Spectator. The ministry lists the production of iron and steel, cement, aluminium, industrial fertilisers and electricity as the sectors most fit for ecologisation. I want to become a Slovak citizen so I must learn Slovak, says second-generation Slovak-American Gregory Fabian. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Cartoon from Puck, a US humour magazine, published on August 9, 1899 by J. S. Pughe. Uncle Sam sees hyphenated voters and asks, Why should I let these freaks cast whole ballots when they are only half Americans? Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled A glossary of words is also published online. John Hudanish does not remember many of the Slovak words he learnt as a child. However, the 82-year-old third-generation Slovak American can still count to ten in Slovak. He also recalls the phrase ist spat (go to sleep) and the Slovak word for rascal, huncut. By the time he was ten, all of his grandparents, three of whom sailed to America at the turn of the 20th century from what is now eastern Slovakia, had passed away. It was the immigrant generation that spoke Slovak, or one of many Slovak dialects, and had to learn English to get by, working in mines, factories and as domestic servants, whereas their American-born children were fluent in English, not so much in Slovak, though they understood their parents language. My own parents were uneducated. They were struggling to put bread on the table, the Vietnam war veteran, Hudanish, said, They had no time to teach me Slovak, and it did not seem essential to them that I learn to speak it. I think for my parents it was important to fit in. Failure was not an option. Dan Gresh on why his parents did not teach him Slovak If, in fact, Eastern Europeans in the USA, who were commonly referred to as Hunkies, an ethnic slur used until the mid-20th century, wanted to secure a better future for their children, they had to raise them as Americans, not Slovak Americans. Many parents therefore decided to eschew Slovak in front of their offspring. In his 1941 novel Out of This Furnace, American writer Thomas Bell, a first-generation Slovak American, chronicles the evolution of Slovak immigrants facing oppression and assimilation in America, which they had also experienced in Austria-Hungary. The aim of the book was to strengthen in Slovaks their pride in their origin, as Bell, whose name had been Belejcak before he anglicised it, told Ludovy dennik (Peoples Daily), a now defunct Slovak-American newspaper, a few years later. Yet, decades on, most of the older generation, Hudanish argued, still has only a vague awareness of their ethnic heritage and lack national pride for their culture compared to the Irish or the Italians, although America is now open to minority cultures. Because I have chosen to live in Slovakia, I am something of an anomaly, he said. In Zvolen, where he moved three years ago, Hudanish lives with his wife and is learning Slovak, which is taught nowadays by several schools in the USA, including the University of Pittsburgh. Great Melting Pot Dan Greshs mother and he in 1951 (Source: Archive of D. G.) Little by little, Dan Gresh, a 70-year-old second-generation Slovak American who mostly plays piano and sings, is also learning Slovak, but in Pennsylvania. His parents had seven children, ran a large dairy farm, and thus deemed teaching their children Slovak inconsequential. Gresh asked his father to teach him to count to ten, and he showed him one or two times, but he then busied himself greasing the hay rake. He said I need to speak English, Gresh recalled. I think for my parents it was important to fit in. Failure was not an option, he said. The fact that Hungarian was the main language in Austria-Hungary, which dissolved after the First World War, while English was the predominant language in America may have also contributed to the thinking among some Slovak immigrants that a knowledge of Slovak or a Slovak dialect was needless for their children. For my grandparents and parents generations during the two great wars, allegiance to this nation was an issue. You needed to be a good American, Gresh, who has visited Slovakia twice, claimed. During World War I and II, Austria-Hungary and Slovakia were part of blocs standing against the USA and its allies. My parents did not teach us to speak Slovak or even speak it much in front of us because they were concerned that we would speak English with a Slovak dialect Gregory Fabian History Professor Benjamin Sorensen at Cape Fear Community College agreed America wanted people to become Americans, and even though there was no set policy for this, in real life, people had to assimilate to climb the social ladder. Plus, the American propaganda at the time spoke of America as a Great Melting Pot. This idea was really looking at America as a crucible that would meld cultures together into an American culture, much like using intense heat to combine two base metals to create a superior product, the professor explained. In 1916, a year before America entered the First World War, former US president Theodore Roosevelt said he stood against every form of hyphenated Americanism, that is, the right American should identify as American while any other culture in the US should fully assimilate to the new American life. It really was in response to this that Slovak parents all but made sure that their children would speak very limited Slovak, if at all, Sorensen said. Totally Americanised The family story of Gregory Fabian, a second-generation Slovak American, is somewhat parallel to Hudanishs. All four of his grandparents were Slovak. They worked as miners, mill workers and domestic servants for wealthy Anglo-Saxon families in Pennsylvania, all of them passing away by the time Fabian turned seven. They went to Slovak churches and preferred speaking in eastern Slovak dialects with their children, but the same children, Fabians parents, decided to Americanise their sons. My maternal grandfather worked very hard in the blast furnace of a steel mill his entire life in America. But when he retired, he had no pension, Fabian said, noting Bells book brings back memories of his grandparents. Anna and Michael Herbick, Greg Fabianss maternal grandparents, wedded in 1901 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. (Source: Archive of G. F.) This was just one of the reasons for Americanisation, another being the ridicule Fabians mother faced as a school pupil because she had only two dresses to wear to school. To protect their children against discrimination and help them prosper in the country of their birth, Fabians parents decided to recognise only American holidays. My parents did not teach us to speak Slovak or even speak it much in front of us because they were concerned that we would speak English with a Slovak dialect, Fabian added, admitting he had no interest in learning Slovak when his brother and he were growing up. We were totally Americanised. Still, he recalls Ked som chodil do skoly (When I Used to go to School), a Slovak childrens song his mother taught him. Settling in grandparents homeland Americas present view of different cultures has shifted. Sorensen compared it to a salad bowl, which celebrates individual cultures and the oneness of American citizenship. As of 2019, the US Census Bureau estimates 997,098 people speak a Slavic language at home. It is unknown how many of those use Slovak in their homes. Sorensen noted the language is spoken in his household. Read also Read also As they age, Americans desire to reconnect with Slovakia grows Read more On the other hand, Mike Zets of Ohio, whose mother came to America from central Slovakia as a little girl in 1911, does not speak Slovak and does not fall into the estimate. His mother did not want her children to learn the language because of a stigma attached to being a displaced person, Zets said. We were allowed to learn a few Slovak prayers and basic greetings, he said. I can still pray the Rosary in Slovak and say Dobru noc! (Good night!) and Na zdravie! (Cheers!/Bless you!). For another reason, Fabian is also not lumped into the statistics. The human rights lawyer and actor by profession settled in Bratislava in 2009 and has been studying Slovak for the last eight years. I will live here for the rest of my life, he said, I want to become a Slovak citizen so I must learn Slovak. Listen to the latest Spectator College podcast: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1146022072&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true The Spectator College is a programme designed to support the study and teaching of English in Slovakia, as well as to inspire interest in important public issues among young people. Voltia is partnering with Stellantis to expand its e-vans and adapt them for urban delivery. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. One of the new models added to the Voltia e-van fleet. (Source: Courtesy of Voltia) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The Bratislava-based company Voltia has partnered with Stellantis to extend its e-van portfolio. On Wednesday, October 22, it announced the launch of five new XL models of e-vans with a volume of 11 m3 on the carmaker's platform. These are Peugeot, Citroen, Opel, Vauxhall and Toyota vehicles. They will be produced in Slovakia (Nitra and Trnava), and later in the UK, France and Germany. The new models will complement previously produced models with a volume of 6, 8 and 10 m3. Voltia is expanding its portfolio for several reasons. The first is that the average courier driver, who delivers 150-200 parcels per day, needs a vehicle with ideally 8 to 12 m3 cargo volume. Second, Nissan is gradually reducing the production of its eNV200, which Voltia has expanded and optimised for urban last-mile delivery. Third, the co-developed vehicle by Peugeot (e-Expert), Citroen (e-Jumpy), Opel (Vivaro-e) and Vauxhaull (Vivaro-e) became the International Van of the Year 2021. Fourth, Stellantis and Toyotas share of the light commercial vehicle market is almost 50 percent and still growing, while Nissan's market share is 40 times lower. We think the Stellantis eK0 platform has huge potential, said Juraj Ulehla, Voltias CEO, as cited in the press release. In addition, it is excellent for delivering goods in cities. We are thus responding to the increased requirements of companies in the post-pandemic period, providing easy movement in the van even for a standing person. Moreover, the van's price is below 3,500 per m3. The total monthly operating costs are thus the same or even lower than for diesel. The range of the version with a 50 kWh battery is 200 km, for 75 kWh up to 280 km. Voltia says the van's payload capacity is 800 to 1,000 kg. We plan to produce the mentioned Stellantis models in new premises in Nitra, which are undergoing a demanding reconstruction, said Ulehla. The production will be intended for the whole of Europe, in contrast to Trnava, which supplies only Central and Eastern Europe with its vehicles. If necessary, Voltia is ready to expand its capacities next year with foreign partners in the UK, France, and Germany. Matus Pala, CEO of the Swiss company Emil Frey in Slovakia, which recently started representing the Stellantis group's brands, added that as the representative of the group brand importer, he fully supports this project and believes that it can benefit both parties and ultimately help electrify Europe. The Slovak automotive sector has an excellent opportunity once again to show itself to the world, said Pala. Today, Voltia has clients in 17 European countries. In addition to conversions, it also provides its customers with advice on how to switch to the electric fleet and how to create a functional ecosystem. Related story: https://sputniknews.com/20211021/nyc-judge-reportedly-denies-maxwells-request-for-closed-jury-selection-ahead-of-trial-start-1090112188.html NYC Judge Reportedly Denies Maxwell's Request for Closed Jury Selection Ahead of Trial Start NYC Judge Reportedly Denies Maxwell's Request for Closed Jury Selection Ahead of Trial Start This would be a setback for the former British socialite, who is now awaiting trial for helping recruit and groom underage girls for her ex-lover and convicted... 21.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-21T23:31+0000 2021-10-21T23:31+0000 2021-10-21T23:31+0000 us ghislaine maxwell court grand jury jeffrey epstein sex crime jury pedophile ring underage sex court trial /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090115685_0:0:3025:1702_1920x0_80_0_0_d7923c32b87618064ade11f24039946e.jpg Ghislaine Maxwell's plea for jury selection to be held in private ahead of her planned sex trafficking trial next month was refused by federal judge Alison Nathan, The Daily Mail reported on Thursday.The judge reportedly stated that she would not conduct jury selection in secret because the facts of the case "point strongly against deviation from standard practice." Nathan also turned down a request from Maxwell's legal team to keep the jury questionnaire confidential, saying she was "not persuaded" it could influence jurors.As the outlet noted, in federal court in New York, judges examine jurors in groups of around 20 in open court, with prosecutors and defense attorneys asking questions. Maxwell, on the other hand, reportedly wanted the procedure to be done in secret because of the "tsunami" of negative publicity surrounding the case, and because jurors might be asked deeply personal questions. Her lawyers also asked that the procedure be led by them rather than the court, which would be a change from the usual practice.However, Judge Nathan stated during the hearing that she would "not permit" attorney-led jury questioning. She reportedly claimed that the "factors point strongly against deviation from that standard practice," and that other judges in the Southern District of New York have handled similar high-profile cases without incident.According to the report, Judge Nathan is said to have spoken with Judge Ann Donnolly of the Eastern District of New York, a nearby federal judicial district, about "similar issues" involving sensitive jury questioning. Judge Donnolly presided over the highly publicized trial of R. Kelly, who was recently convicted of sexually abusing underage females.Judge Nathan reportedly stated that the jury selection procedure would be altered as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Jurors would be given a questionnaire ahead of time, and then she would examine potential jurors individually in court rather than in groups. Allowing the jury questionnaire to be made public before the trial, according to Maxwell's lawyer Bobbi Sternheim who is quoted in the report as saying at the hearing, would be like giving potential jurors a "take-home exam" where they could figure out the answers ahead of time.Sternheim expressed concern that certain jurors may be "motivated to sit on this jury," implying that they are biased against the 59-year-old Maxwell. Judge Nathan stated that she is "failing to see what the prejudice is" and that her questioning of jurors will be "probing."Nathan ultimately ordered that the questionnaire be filed to the public docket by the end of the week. The phrasing of one question, which asked if jurors had "protested for any regulations regarding sex trafficking against minors or sexual harassment," was requested to be changed by Sternheim.Prosecutors also requested that sketches of Epstein's proceedings in federal court in Manhattan following his arrest in 2019 be removed from the courthouse premises before the jury selection process begins. The motion was supported by the defense team, and the judge promised to "get that down for sure."Maxwell denies sex trafficking multiple young girls for Epstein, the disgraced late pedophile who allegedly died by hanging in his jail cell while awaiting his own trial in 2019. https://sputniknews.com/20210927/us-jury-reaches-verdict-on-r-kelly-finds-singer-guilty-of-racketeering-in-sex-trafficking-case-1089460043.html https://sputniknews.com/20210904/ghislaine-maxwells-prosecutors-ordered-to-disclose-names-of-her-alleged-sex-abuse-co-conspirators--1083796060.html mandrake At least maxwell managed to get a jewish judge (it seems) which is a good step towards being found not guilty! 0 1 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Kirill Kurevlev Kirill Kurevlev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Kirill Kurevlev us, ghislaine maxwell, court, grand jury, jeffrey epstein, sex crime, jury, pedophile ring, underage sex, court trial, us court https://sputniknews.com/20211022/-gop-candidate-accused-of-antisemitism-over-claim-soros-is-inserting-activists-in-school-boards-1090138988.html GOP Candidate Accused of Antisemitism Over Claim Soros is 'Inserting' Activists in School Boards GOP Candidate Accused of Antisemitism Over Claim Soros is 'Inserting' Activists in School Boards Virginians will go the polls on 2 November to elect their next governor, with Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin and the Democrats Terry McAuliffe regularly... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T15:29+0000 2021-10-22T15:29+0000 2021-10-22T16:31+0000 george soros virginia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105001/89/1050018980_0:240:2304:1536_1920x0_80_0_0_2b30d6d4f75e52e1440b3ae2bb470b28.jpg GOP gubernatorial candidate Glen Youngkin has run afoul of at least one Jewish American lawmaker after alleging that billionaire hedge fund manager and philanthropist George Soros is responsible for the chaos in Virginias school system.The blame for these wrongs and the present chaos in our schools lay squarely, squarely at the feet of 40-year politician Terry McAuliffe, Youngkin said, speaking at a town hall in Burke, northern Virginia on Tuesday.Youngkin did not elaborate on the allegations.Soros has not shied away from his Open Society Foundations activities in both the public school system and in post-secondary education, and has committed hundreds of millions of dollars in aid and grant funding aimed at transforming education, both in the US and abroad, to inculcate the billionaires vision of a liberal, globalised world. He is also known to have taken an active interest in Virginia politics, backing liberal candidates running for prosecutors in Democratic primaries in two separate races in the state in 2019.However, Soros and his foundations have not publicised any efforts to work with school boards, which typically consist of parents of children, and whose authority is typically limited to setting spending priorities, picking a superintendent, and developing policies on schools day-to-day operations.Antisemitism?Whatever Youngkin meant by his comments, some have interpreted his words to constitute anti-Semitic speech.WUSA9 reporter Bruce Leshan echoed Lurias tone, suggesting in a tweet that critics might question whether Youngkins remarks were anti-Semitic.Youngkin campaign communications director Matthew Wolking dismissed the antisemitism claims, saying the Twitter ratio [Leshan] received for his ridiculous partisan nonsense was well deserved.Fox News host Laura Ingraham also defended the Republican candidate, quipping So let me get this straight unless you praise Soros, you cant talk about Soros? Critics might question your transparent buffoonery, she suggested.Soros is known to have contributed at least $15,000 to a Luria-affiliated political action committee, and her campaign, in 2019 and 2020.Veteran MeddlerGeorge Soros is a popular target for critics ranging from the left to the right and everything in between over his spending of large amounts of cash on "civil society initiatives." The billionaire has over 30 years of experience spreading his vision of a globalised, socially liberal, market-driven world order, getting his start in politics in the mid-1980s, when he provided financial and organisational support to anti-communist movements in Eastern Europe, including his native Hungary. In the early 1990s, Soros set up institutions encouraging political, economic and social reforms throughout the former Soviet Union via grants for textbooks, education, media, and non-government organisations. Soros organisations have since reached over 60 countries worldwide, including the United States. Russia kicked Soros foundations out in 2015 after Moscow deemed them to be a threat to national security.Ahead of the 2016 election and during Donald Trumps presidency, Soros foundations were known to have partnered with over 50 organisations aimed at bringing him down, among them Democratic Party-affiliated networks and "Never Trump" neoconservative groups such as the McCain Institute. In 2017, over 150,000 Americans signed a White House petition to have Soros declared a domestic terrorist and to strip him of his assets.In the financial world, Soros is best known for his currency speculation against the British pound in 1992, which earned him his a cool billion dollars in profit, but ended up costing the British economy billions of pounds in losses. In 2002, Soros was convicted of insider trading by a French court and fined 2.2 million euros, with the European Court of Human Rights upholding the conviction in 2011.Earlier this year, Russian Security Council Chief Nikolai Patrushev accused Soros and his foundations of playing a role in the widespread unrest which rocked America in 2020 following the police killing of George Floyd by police, and warned that national governments are at risk of an excessive dependence on NGOs when it comes to setting policy, including national security policy. wtfud Will that POS ever die? Both he and Kissinger! SPUTNIK, every lead story is about rotten America. Who wants to read all that crap? 4 sharknbake21 so, as the GOP is accused of racism aginst jews, so what??? They have been always racist against First peoples of usa, African Americans..Big deal. 2 4 virginia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov george soros, virginia https://sputniknews.com/20211022/alec-baldwin-called-out-online-for-old-tweet-about-wrongfully-killing-somebody-1090137922.html Alec Baldwin Called Out Online for Old Tweet About 'Wrongfully Killing Somebody' Alec Baldwin Called Out Online for Old Tweet About 'Wrongfully Killing Somebody' A crew member working on the film "Rust" died after sustaining a serious injury when Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set. 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T16:04+0000 2021-10-22T16:04+0000 2021-10-22T16:04+0000 social media killing tweet reaction alec baldwin viral /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105351/64/1053516409_0:101:1920:1181_1920x0_80_0_0_ff3d046bd9008b0223973f7a75929658.jpg Hollywood star Alec Baldwin accidentally killed DOP Halyna Hutchins on Friday after a prop gun reportedly misfired while filming. However, just as the actor thought it couldn't get any worse, a tweet he posted in 2017 has come back to haunt him. The tweet features a link to a Los Angeles Times article about a police officer being caught on video fatally shooting a suspect outside a 7-Eleven store. I wonder how it must feel to wrongfully kill someone, Baldwin wrote over four years ago. Well, as some social media users have pointed out, now the actor knows. At least one netizen referenced the death of actor Brandon Lee, who died during the filming of The Crow in 1994 after he sustained a mortal wound because a prop gun had been incorrectly loaded. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Andrei Dergalin Andrei Dergalin News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Andrei Dergalin social media, killing, tweet, reaction, alec baldwin, viral https://sputniknews.com/20211022/alec-baldwin-filmed-weeping-after-accidentally-killing-cinematographer-on-set-1090125822.html Alec Baldwin Filmed Weeping After Accidentally Killing Cinematographer on Set Alec Baldwin Filmed Weeping After Accidentally Killing Cinematographer on Set Late Thursday, US actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed a camerawoman and injured a film director on the set of "Rust", a western currently being... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T09:18+0000 2021-10-22T09:18+0000 2021-10-22T09:18+0000 us shooting alec baldwin /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/16/1090125797_0:143:3135:1906_1920x0_80_0_0_72238e22be6470adc46259b338b806b5.jpg Alec Baldwin wept after accidentally shooting a crew member on a set in New Mexico, according to The Sun. The 63-year-old actor "was heartbroken" and "in tears" after the shooting incident.One of the pictures taken near the sheriff's office shows the actor talking to someone on a cell phone.According to reports, Baldwin, who was one of the actors and producers of the western "Rust", voluntarily went to the sheriff's office and testified to investigators.The incident occurred on a film set in New Mexico while he was firing a pistol that was supposed to be loaded with blank cartridges. The director of the film was wounded in the collarbone; the director of photography, 42-year-old Halyna Hutchins, was seriously wounded and was airlifted to a hospital in Albuquerque. Doctors were unable to save her life. Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office spokesman Juan Rios said the shot was fired by Alec Baldwin, but charges have not yet been filed against the actor. walter He was actually aiming at the victim when he pulled the trigger ... or what ? 0 Dang! Killer should go to prison for MANSLAUGHTER!! 0 2 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 us, shooting, alec baldwin https://sputniknews.com/20211022/aukus-will-australias-fault-lines-with-asean-limit-us-ambitions-to-contain-china-in-indo-pacific-1090028248.html AUKUS: Will Australia's Fault Lines With ASEAN Limit US' Ambitions to Contain China in Indo-Pacific? AUKUS: Will Australia's Fault Lines With ASEAN Limit US' Ambitions to Contain China in Indo-Pacific? The US and many European nations' turning to Asia has fuelled tensions among countries in the Indo-Pacific. With the formation of AUKUS, a trilateral alliance... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T16:04+0000 2021-10-22T16:04+0000 2021-10-23T03:52+0000 aukus indian navy xi jinping asean us china australia india south china sea subrahmanyam jaishankar /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/12/1082660402_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_211f87b7bcddb82cb8de5617a380ff15.jpg Indonesia and Malaysia have expressed serious reservations over Australia's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines under the trilateral security pact, known as AUKUS."Even though that country doesn't have the capacity for nuclear weapons, we are worried and concerned," Malaysia's Foreign Minister Saifuddin bin Abdullah told a joint news conference after a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi on Monday.The statement by ASEAN members, even after Australia last month clarified that AUKUS was merely technological cooperation to develop new defence capabilities, shows how complex the ties in South-east Asia are and how deep Canberra's strategic fault lines lie with ASEAN members. The Association of South-East Asian Nations, or ASEAN, comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.Swaran Singh, a professor for diplomacy and disarmament at the Centre for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament, at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, says that Joe Biden's and his administration's diminishing popularity at home, has led the US to pursue more Trumpian confrontationist policies towards China, pushing its alliance partners into the sudden development of AUKUS.Last week, Malaysia's Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein indicated that ASEAN members may come up with a joint statement that will elaborate a "shared response by member countries to AUKUS"."AUKUS definitely ruffles some ASEAN feathers because it increased the ASEAN anxiety about its perceived centrality to economic, political, and security cooperation and dialogue in the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN doesn't want this Indo-Pacific region to become a bone of contention between great powers," Major-General B.K. Sharma (retired), an expert in Strategic Net Assessment Methodology and Strategic Gaming, told Sputnik.However, experts believe that it will be challenging for ASEAN to reach consensus about AUKUS considering these countries deal with their defence requirements individually, contrary to the group's economic challenges.Will Australia Remain Firm with 'Uncertain' US?Several experts pointed out India's reluctance to add a military dimension to the Quad - an informal grouping of US, Japan, Australia, and India in the Indo-Pacific - as a reason behind the creation of AUKUS. At the same time, questions are being raised whether Australia will continue to "play at a much higher level and augment American capabilities" even as the Royal Australian Navy will receive nuclear submarines in the next 15-20 years.Barely a week after the first in-person Quad summit in Washington, Australian PM Scott Morrison noted that his country has "greatly benefited" from China's economic growth and thus "believes it is imperative to act responsibly in the Indo-Pacific region".I dont think India and Australia consider Quad as something that needs to be balanced in relation to China. Thats not the objective. Our objective [in] working together is to ensure that we promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, and everybody who wants to participate in that, including China, is a welcome partner in that cause, said Morrison at an online media briefing.Morrison's reaction came against the backdrop of warnings by analysts who predicted more economic retaliation for Australia from its biggest trading partner, China. China has imposed import tariffs on Australian barley and wine and created barriers for products such as Timber and coal. These stiff actions were taken last year when Australia called for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus.Can India, the US, or some other countries replace the economic ties Australia has with China?Analysts accused Morrison of undermining crucial trade ties with China during the economic crisis and even advised him to follow India's approach while balancing relations with the US and China.One of the main reasons for keeping Quad as a non-military group has been the uncertainty of the US policy which was highlighted, albeit indirectly, by Indian Navy chief and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in the past.A year after the Doklam stand-off with China in 2017, the then-Indian Navy Chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba, said that India was the only country in the Quad with a land border with China and "in case of conflict nobody will come and hold your hand."Richard Maude said that regardless of the balance of opinion in South-east Asia about the new submarines that Canberra will acquire, it would be disastrous if a view took hold in the region that Australia sees the security of the Indo-Pacific as primarily a matter for larger powers in the Anglosphere. US-China Relations The US and China have agreed to hold virtual talks at leader level later this year, indicating some positive movement in the bilateral relations amid heated exchange over Taiwan and the South China Sea issue. The decision was taken after a "constructive and conducive" meeting between Yang Jiechi, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs of China, and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Zurich, Switzerland on 6 October.The two sides also held trade talks on 10 October to "create favourable conditions for the healthy development of bilateral economic and trade relations and the recovery of the world economy".A breakthrough took place on 24 September when the US Department of Justice dropped a three-year-old extradition request against Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei. She was detained in Canada on fraud charges at the request of the US. This deal between US and China was held on the day Joe Biden hosted the first in-person leaders' meeting of the Quad in Washington against the backdrop of the newly created AUKUS."And the mere fact that Quad has come up and now AUKUS has come up, and Joe Biden is trying to energise the Euro-Atlantic alliance, most of these things are to balance China," Sharma added. "China is not likely to be cowed by these overtures from the US." https://sputniknews.com/20211005/japans-new-prime-minister-discusses-aukus-with-australian-counterpart-reports-say-1089672581.html https://sputniknews.com/20211015/china-engaging-in-major-construction-at-airbases-near-taiwan-satellite-snaps-appear-to-show-1089956459.html china australia india south china sea indo-pacific Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Rishikesh Kumar https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/04/1080055820_0:0:388:389_100x100_80_0_0_40018ee210946d65d49ffba4f4c008e1.jpg Rishikesh Kumar https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/04/1080055820_0:0:388:389_100x100_80_0_0_40018ee210946d65d49ffba4f4c008e1.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Rishikesh Kumar https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/04/1080055820_0:0:388:389_100x100_80_0_0_40018ee210946d65d49ffba4f4c008e1.jpg indian navy, xi jinping, asean, us, china, australia, india, south china sea, subrahmanyam jaishankar, submarine, nato, indo-pacific, india https://sputniknews.com/20211022/bangladesh-seven-killed-in-rohingya-refugee-camp-violence-1090123361.html Bangladesh: Seven Killed in Rohingya Refugee Camp Violence Bangladesh: Seven Killed in Rohingya Refugee Camp Violence On 30 September, Mohib Ullah, a Rohingya community leader, was shot dead outside his office by an unidentified gunman in southern Bangladesh, in the world's... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T09:01+0000 2021-10-22T09:01+0000 2021-10-22T09:01+0000 bangladesh rohingya refugees rohingya refugees rohingya /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/16/1090124786_0:271:3072:1999_1920x0_80_0_0_9615e240281a0bdf3a8c608e6d638b33.jpg At least seven people were killed and as many injured in Bangladesh after clashes erupted between two groups on Friday at a Rohingya refugee camp, located in Cox's Bazar District on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, police said.Attackers shot and killed some victims and stabbed others with knives, regional police told AFP.Rohingyas are a Muslim minority community in coastal Myanmar. Thousands of them fled to India and Bangladesh from Myanmar's western Rakhine state after a major crackdown was launched against them by the state security forces in August 2017.Local reporters have said that the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is behind the killing. The ARSA is a militant group which was behind attacks on Myanmar security forces in 2017 that set off a military clampdown and a mass exodus into Bangladesh of 740,000 Rohingyas.However, so far, ARSA has not claimed any responsibility for the attack. bangladesh Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg bangladesh, rohingya refugees, rohingya refugees, rohingya https://sputniknews.com/20211022/beijing-blasts-biden-over-pledge-to-defend-taiwan-urges-us-to-be-cautious-with-words-actions-1090143289.html Beijing Blasts Biden Over Pledge to Defend Taiwan, Urges US to Be Cautious With Words, Actions Beijing Blasts Biden Over Pledge to Defend Taiwan, Urges US to Be Cautious With Words, Actions Taiwan split off from mainland China in 1949 in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. Beijing considers the island an integral part of China, and has pledged... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T18:47+0000 2021-10-22T18:47+0000 2021-10-22T18:47+0000 china taiwan /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106378/98/1063789838_426:0:4574:2333_1920x0_80_0_0_1989c06b2ca3c3f77ecf0882b41c0f0b.jpg Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has responded to US President Joe Bidens pledge to defend Taiwan, urging the US leader not to underestimate Chinas commitment to its claims to the island.When it comes to issues related to Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity and other core interests, there is no room for China to compromise or make concessions, and no one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will and strong ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wang said in a briefing Friday.Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory, the spokesman stressed, adding that the Taiwan issue is purely an internal affair of China that allows no foreign intervention.The spokesmans comments follow President Joe Bidens remarks at a CNN town hall Thursday night, during which he said the US had a commitment to defend the island in the event of a Chinese invasion.We are militarily, China, Russia, and the rest of the world knows we have the most powerful military in the history of the world. Dont worry about whether were going to theyre going to be more powerful. What you do have to worry about is whether or not theyre going to engage in activities that will put them in a position where there they may make a serious mistake, Biden said.The president also insisted that he doesnt want to have a Cold War with the PRC, but only to make China understand that we are not going to step back.Taiwan TensionsA White House spokesperson walked back Bidens remarks, telling reporters that Americas defence posture vis-a-vis Taiwan was guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, and that Washington will uphold our commitments under the Act by supporting Taiwans self-defence and opposing any unilateral changes to the status quo.Formally, the US is committed to a policy of strategic ambiguity regarding Taiwan, which allows Washington to sell the island arms and assist it in building up its defences, but not making any explicit commitments to defend it against foreign attack.Earlier Friday, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin reaffirmed Washingtons commitment to the One China Policy under which America recognizes the Peoples Republic as the one true China, but added the Biden administration would continue to help Taiwan with resources and capabilities it needs to defend itself. Austin declined to answer a question on how the US would respond in the event of a Chinese attack against the island, saying he wouldnt engage in hypotheticals.The Peoples Liberation Army dramatically increased the flight of military aircraft near Taiwan earlier this month following revelations that a small number of US troops had been secretly deployed on the island for more than a year to help train Taiwans military.In an angry denunciation of the deployment, Chinas outward-facing Global Times newspaper dared America to deploy ten times more troops on Taiwan to see whether the PLA will launch a targeted air strike to eliminate those US invaders.Chinese President Xi Jinping, meanwhile, emphasized earlier this month that while reunification would definitely take place, it would be peaceful in nature.Tensions between the US and China over Taiwan grew under Donald Trump, and began to escalate dramatically immediately after Bidens inauguration after Taipeis de-facto ambassador to Washington was invited to the swearing in ceremony. Bidens repeated mention of Taiwan, fresh arms sales, regular US freedom of navigation deployments through the Taiwan Strait, and reports that Washington could rename Taiwans diplomatic mission or invite island leaders to an upcoming democracy summit, have helped to sour relations further.Taiwans current government, led by President Tsai INg-wen and the liberal left Democratic Progressive Party, has helped to keep tensions high, sparking Beijings wrath with its staunchly pro-independence stance and attempts to woo Washington to ramp up its commitments. By contrast, the opposition nationalist Kuomintang Party, which helped to forge economic relations and informal diplomatic ties with Beijing in the 1980s and 1990s, has generally favoured reunification with the mainland under the One Country, Two Systems' model applied to Hong Kong after its 1997 handover to Chinese jurisdiction by Britain.Taiwan was split from the mainland after the defeat of the nationalists by the communists in the Chinese Civil War in 1949, after which the Kuomintang fled to the island. https://sputniknews.com/20211022/biden-at-town-hall-addresses-gas-price-supply-chain-crises-vows-to-defend-taiwan-1090122223.html https://sputniknews.com/20211009/chinas-reunification-with-taiwan-will-definitely-be-fulfilled-xi-jinping-says-as-tensions-grow-1089788152.html china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov china, taiwan https://sputniknews.com/20211022/biden-mocked-as-he-seemingly-shouts-out-to-wrong-person-acts-like-robot-during-town-hall-address-1090124969.html Biden Mocked as He Seemingly Shouts Out to Wrong Person, Acts Like 'Robot' During Town Hall Address Biden Mocked as He Seemingly Shouts Out to Wrong Person, Acts Like 'Robot' During Town Hall Address Ever since Joe Bidens early months in the Oval Office he has been known to offer up increasingly cringe worthy add-libbing when he strayed off scripted... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T08:44+0000 2021-10-22T08:44+0000 2021-10-22T08:44+0000 joe biden news us viral /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/01/1089587836_0:0:2401:1350_1920x0_80_0_0_30a1c18f6a12318a88663b88792cd82b.jpg Joe Biden appeared to have delivered a shout out to the wrong person on Thursday night as he confused a congressman with a mayor during a CNN Town Hall in Baltimore. After sticking to 90-minutes of scripted talking points on the country's gas price, supply chain, and border crises, along with tensions with China over Taiwan, among other issues, Biden at one point exclaimed:Biden was referring to the black man standing next to Van Hollen. However, social media users were quick to point out that the individual in question was black Congressman Kweisi Mfume. Twitter users also commented on the fact that Bidens appearance on Thursday was peppered with instances when he appeared to power down in mid-thought. Brit26 It's not entirely his fault this time. 4 LINDADREW WMD EVIL MACHINES OVERWHELM BIDEN EG ACTS 19 IN THE BIBLE WHICH CALLS THEM DEMONS 1 4 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko joe biden, news, us, viral https://sputniknews.com/20211022/biden-says-not-seeking-cold-war-with-china-1090118686.html Biden Says Not Seeking Cold War With China Biden Says Not Seeking Cold War With China It is not the first time the Biden administration has said it does not seek confrontation with Beijing. However, its recent steps - such as military drills in... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T01:47+0000 2021-10-22T01:47+0000 2021-10-22T02:25+0000 us china defense competition military /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/14/1090082599_0:0:3134:1764_1920x0_80_0_0_1aaf934cfad5ba62034e7a33d0d18f5b.jpg US President Joe Biden says the United States is not seeking a cold war with China, but will not give up on its positions."China, Russia and the rest of the world knows we have the most powerful military in the history of the world," he added.Biden also said that the United States would defend Taiwan in case China attacks the island.Biden's nominee for the position US Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, said during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday that China represents the greatest security threat to the United States and the democratic world and unlike Washington, Beijing has no real allies.Burns called on Congress and Biden administration to scale up security cooperation and arms provisions to Taiwan to defend itself from China.On October 7, The Wall Street Journal reported that US Marines and special operations forces have been secretly training Taiwanese soldiers on the island to defend against possible Chinese aggression. The report said the US soldiers have been operating in Taiwan for at least a year, during which time they have conducted training for Taiwanese ground force units as a way to prepare them for threats coming from China.Meanwhile, Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said China might mount a full-scale invasion of the island nation by 2025. China in recent days has sent almost 150 military aircraft close to Taiwan while the US and other allied forces conducted drills in the South China Sea. https://sputniknews.com/20211009/playing-with-fire-chinese-state-media-claims-deployment-of-us-troops-to-taiwan-might-prompt-war-1089795164.html vot tak Neither did israel's trump quisling... And bears don't crap in the woods, either. According to these sods. 6 vigilante Imagine if china was training American blacks to provoke a secession.... 4 6 us china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 us, china, defense, competition, military https://sputniknews.com/20211022/bojo-reluctant-to-activate-covid-response-plan-b-is-watching-the-numbers-very-carefully--1090121312.html BoJo Reluctant to Activate COVID Response Plan B, Is Watching the Numbers Very Carefully BoJo Reluctant to Activate COVID Response Plan B, Is Watching the Numbers Very Carefully Talk of a COVID-19 response plan B for the UK, which could presuppose a return to the mandatory wearing of masks and work from home (WFH) guidance, began after... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T05:34+0000 2021-10-22T05:34+0000 2021-10-22T05:46+0000 boris johnson national health service (nhs) news uk covid-19 jeremy hunt sajid javid /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/1c/1083738189_0:0:3070:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_6ea81761ef47df955aa6e7b053668666.jpg Despite mounting calls from doctors to activate a coronavirus Plan B strategy in response to a steady surge in infections, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted on Thursday that the time was not yet ripe. Currently, Downing Street is following through with its Plan A in tackling the coronavirus pandemic. The approach involves offering booster jabs to an estimated 30 million people and a single vaccine dose to healthy 12 to 15-year-olds. Other guidance measures include wearing face masks in crowded places, recommending ventilation for indoor gatherings and hand-washing. However, on 20 October the UK registered a surge of infections beyond 40,000 for nine days in succession, triggering calls for prompt activation of Plan B. Official data also showed 115 people had died within 28 days of a positive test. Hospital admissions are currently at close to 1,000 a day.Nevertheless, Boris Johnson insisted the UK was in an "incomparably better" position currently due to the "huge level of protection" offered by vaccines. As to the jabs, the PM touted the fact that there was "certainly no shortage of supply" as there were "huge quantities of vaccine" in the UK. Earlier, Sajid Javid had also rejected calls from the NHS and the government to immediately trigger its Plan B for Covid-19. The plan would involve mandatory wearing of masks, the possible introduction of vaccine passports for crowded venues like nightclubs and a return to work from home (WFH) guidance. In response, the British Medical Association (BMA) accused the government of being "wilfully negligent". COVID Booster Rollout Speaking on Thursday, Boris Johnson also appealed to all people eligible to receive booster inoculations not to procrastinate, emphasising that when you get the call, get the jab. Currently, over-50s and those with underlying health issues are urged to get a jab six months after receiving their second vaccine dose. Weighing in on concerns that the rollout of the COVID-19 booster scheme was sluggish, Johnson echoed the suggestion put forward by ex-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt earlier to revise the waiting time for booster jabs from six to five months, underscoring that this was an extremely important point. The six-month deadline for a third jab was originally imposed by the Governments advisers on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). If the waiting time were, indeed, to be slashed to five months, then an estimated 9 million more Britons would become eligible for a booster jab. The Labour Party has also been criticising the speed of the booster jab rollout, insisting that amid surging case numbers, the government would be better advised to wrap up the programme by Christmas rather than March something that could be achieved by revising the timeline for receiving booster jabs. In the Commons on Thursday, Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, deplored the complacent attitude of Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, after he said earlier that pressures facing the National Health Service (NHS) were not yet unsustainable. Boris Johnsons official spokesman also indicated the JCVI might be urged to revisit the advice regarding booster waiting time.Boris Johnson's spokesman also weighed in on speculations regarding a so-called Plan C coronavirus strategy for the UK being mulled, saying the reports were "not accurate". "Neither ministers nor officials are working on those proposals," he added. Ronnie Bell Its the Flu. The old, fat, chronically ill are all in danger. Everyone else gets immune and lives. Unless you have been doubled jabbed etc. The US drug companies sell each jab at 40 times the production cost. 2 jabs per person every year ie 12 billion plus folks forever. And every yank is a millionaire and lives on the couch. 1 Rade Stojkovic That would be something ro see, BoJo doing somethin carefully! 0 3 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko boris johnson, national health service (nhs), news, uk, covid-19, jeremy hunt, sajid javid https://sputniknews.com/20211022/camerawoman-shot-dead-by-alec-baldwin-on-movie-set-was-born-and-raised-in-ussr-1090120552.html Director of Photography Shot Dead on Movie Set by Alec Baldwin Was Born and Raised in USSR Director of Photography Shot Dead on Movie Set by Alec Baldwin Was Born and Raised in USSR The Hollywood veteran discharged a prop gun on the set of his new film Rust, killing a camerawoman and injuring a film director. 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T06:06+0000 2021-10-22T06:06+0000 2021-10-22T08:07+0000 us shooting alec baldwin /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/16/1090122548_0:257:2364:1587_1920x0_80_0_0_7d889c09f88d9bd9ba689fcca2d816da.jpg Director of photography Halyna Hutchins, 42, who died from a prop gun misfire on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set of the Alec Baldwin Western, Rust, was born and raised in the Soviet Union, according to the personal website of the deceased woman.The woman had a graduate degree in International Journalism from Kyiv National University in Ukraine. After her studies, she went on to collaborate with British documentary filmmakers as an investigative journalist.In recent years, Hutchins has lived in Los Angeles. Her work as a cinematographer includes Darling (2019), Nemesis (2020) and Blindfire (2020).The incident occurred on a film set in New Mexico; Baldwin fired a pistol that was supposed to be loaded with blank cartridges. The director of the film was wounded in the collarbone and remains in emergency care, Hutchins was seriously injured and was airlifted to a hospital in Albuquerque. Doctors were unable to save her life. DuvalKingpin63 I guessed that the person killed on a Hollywood movie set would be of Russian or Chinese background. (Bruce Lee & Brandon Lee) 6 NthrnNYker59 The thug sneaked a live round in the gun himself. 1 3 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Maxim Minaev Maxim Minaev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Maxim Minaev us, shooting, alec baldwin https://sputniknews.com/20211022/congress-votes-to-hold-steve-bannon-in-contempt-of-congress-furthering-partisan-divides--1090145167.html Congress Votes to Hold Steve Bannon in Contempt of Congress Furthering Partisan Divides Congress Votes to Hold Steve Bannon in Contempt of Congress Furthering Partisan Divides The House of Representatives has voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress and has asked the Justice Department to criminally prosecute him over his... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T21:05+0000 2021-10-22T21:05+0000 2021-10-22T21:05+0000 donald trump congress steve bannon analysis /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105050/51/1050505171_0:285:5472:3363_1920x0_80_0_0_37f36ec756ce36f30f7b5ee170fa83dd.jpg The vote broke down largely along party lines, 229-202, with nine Republicans voting in favor of the resolution. Steve Bannon is viewed as a key witness in the lead-up to the January 6th US Capitol attack.The legal recourse for Bannon remains dubious. He could be threatened with jail time and fines over his contempt, but coming to a legal verdict could take years, even if successful.Dr. Nicholas Waddy, associate professor of history at State University of New York at Alfred, believes that Bannon will avoid jail time and fines, saying It is far more likely that the Department of Justice will decline to prosecute, or that a compromise will be negotiated between the committee and Steve Bannon's lawyers.Democrats insist the investigation is not political, a stance Republicans in Congress refute, but the fact remains there is an expiration date on getting Bannon to cooperate. Democrats know they need the January 6th Capitol attack investigation to have a resolution before the 2022 midterm elections.The political calculus for Democrats, in regards to Bannon, is twofold. First, he could very well be guilty of a crime, and information he possesses could aid their case that President Trump played a role in the January 6th Capitol attack. Second, they believe that keeping Bannon in the news and the January 6th attack at the forefront of voters minds will aid them in midterm elections.Americans views on January 6th, and by extension Steve Bannon, break down along party lines. However, the committee investigating the January 6th Capitol attack have reason to believe that Steve Bannon has information that will allow them to have a complete record of the event.Bannon was President Trumps chief strategist and Senior Counselor before leaving the post just eight months into Trumps presidency. In 2018, following the release of the book Fire and Fury, Trump disavowed Bannon over disparaging remarks he made about the Presidents eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump.Even though Trump disavowed him, Bannon remained an ally to the Trump Presidency through his news platform Breitbart News. In Bob Woodwards book Peril, he reported that following Trumps loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 US presidential election, Bannon once again entered Trumps orbit.On January 5th, 2021, the day before the Capitol attack, he said on his podcast, "All hell is going to break loose tomorrow. ... So many people said, 'Man, if I was in a revolution, I would be in Washington.' Well, this is your time in history."Congress holding Steve Bannon in contempt is just the first step in what could be a long and ugly legal fight. Even if Bannon is forced to testify, he cannot be forced to answer Congress questions. Steve Bannon is caught between two parties trying to control the narrative of the January 6th Capitol attack. https://sputniknews.com/20211021/ex-trump-aide-steve-bannon-found-in-contempt-of-congress-over-capitol-riot-probe-1090107631.html https://sputniknews.com/20211020/poll-support-for-capitol-riot-probe-declines-among-republicans-independents-1090080825.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Nevin Brown Nevin Brown News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Nevin Brown donald trump, congress, steve bannon, analysis https://sputniknews.com/20211022/embattled-eilat-ashkelon-gas-deal-has-no-bearing-on-uae-israel-relations-official-says-1090146244.html Embattled Eilat-Ashkelon Gas Deal Has No Bearing on UAE-Israel Relations, Official Says Embattled Eilat-Ashkelon Gas Deal Has No Bearing on UAE-Israel Relations, Official Says With a proposed plan to send petroleum through Israel being challenged by environmental groups, the United Arab Emirates is reasserting that while it helped... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T22:43+0000 2021-10-22T22:43+0000 2021-10-22T22:43+0000 israel uae gas deal middle east /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107643/21/1076432146_0:129:1024:705_1920x0_80_0_0_4f91ba7259d2bbe037e5ef43f47c539f.jpg We have clarified to the Israeli government that this is not a government project. Theres very close communication at the highest level, an anonymous senior official at the Emirati embassy in Israel told the Times of Israel on Thursday. Israel is aware that this is not a UAE government project, but rather a private commercial deal.By contrast, one of the companies involved in the deal, the Israeli state-owned Europe Asia Pipeline Company (EAPC), told the Israeli Supreme Court in July that significant damage to the foreign relations of the State of Israel.The proposed deal would see crude oil shipped from the Persian Gulf to the Israeli port city of Eilat, on the Red Sea, and pumped via an existing pipeline to the Mediterranean port of Ashkelon, by way of Beersheba. From there, it would continue on to European buyers. However, the gas wouldn't be from the UAE, which sells its gas to East Asian buyers.The gas deal was challenged at the high court by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, which has been highly critical of the pipeline and warns that a leak could be catastrophic for the environment and economy. The pipeline was responsible for a massive spill in 2014, the largest environmental disaster in Israeli history. Some 5 million liters of crude oil were spilled into the Arava desert and Evrona Nature Reserve, causing $87.6 million in damage and medical problems for more than 80 people.Reuters reported in October 2020, when the deal was announced, that according to a source familiar with the deal it could be worth $700 to $800 million over several years. However, no specific details about the deal were released at the time and few have gotten out in the year since.Just weeks earlier, the UAE and Israel formalized their diplomatic ties in the first of the Abraham Accords coordinated by the United States. According to the official who spoke with ToI, although the two states signed a commercial memorandum of understanding early on, the gas deal was unconnected to those developments.However, the Israeli financial paper Globes reported on Thursday that if the deal to send gas through the EAPCs pipeline were cancelled, the project could be shifted to the neighboring Egyptian port of Taba, just a few miles away. From there, an overland pipeline crosses the Sinai desert to the Mediterranean port of Arish. israel uae Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg israel, uae, gas deal, middle east https://sputniknews.com/20211022/eu-will-not-fund-barbed-wire-and-walls-on-borders-von-der-leyen-says-1090138405.html EU Will Not Fund 'Barbed Wire and Walls' on Borders, Von Der Leyen Says EU Will Not Fund 'Barbed Wire and Walls' on Borders, Von Der Leyen Says MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - The European Union will not fund creating fences or walls at external borders of member states, European Commission President Ursula von... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T15:05+0000 2021-10-22T15:05+0000 2021-10-22T15:07+0000 belarus europe migrants border wall /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/0d/1089891988_0:0:3095:1742_1920x0_80_0_0_3eee157bedcca3e4e90c5fab45537d18.jpg "There was a discussion on what is so called psychical infrastructure and I was very clear in the Commission and the EU parliament that there will be no funding for barbed wire and walls," von der Leyen told a press conference following the EU leaders summit.Earlier in the day, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that the EU should discuss creating a physical fence on the border with Belarus amid the influx of migrants.Last week, the lower house of the Polish parliament voted in favour of a government plan to spend some $400 million on erecting a wall on Poland's border with Belarus in a bid to curb the influx of migrants trying to cross. Warsaw has already deployed nearly 6,000 Polish soldiers to guard the border with Belarus amid the ongoing migration crisis, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Tuesday.Warsaw began building a barbed wire fence along its border with Belarus to stem the illegal border crossings. Poland, along with Latvia and Lithuania, have reported a drastic increase in migrants from countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq illegally crossing their borders from Belarus. The EU has accused Minsk of waging a hybrid warfare in a bid to pressure Brussels over anti-Belarus sanctions, a claim the Alexander Lukashenko government has rejected. belarus Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 belarus, europe, migrants, border wall https://sputniknews.com/20211022/ex-pentagon-official-accuses-military-of-spreading-misinfo-to-make-us-look-stronger-than-we-are-1090136818.html Ex-Pentagon Official Accuses Military of Spreading Misinfo to Make US Look Stronger Than We Are Ex-Pentagon Official Accuses Military of Spreading Misinfo to Make US Look Stronger Than We Are Western media have accused China of carrying out secret testing of a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV). Chinese officials dismissed the claims... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T14:07+0000 2021-10-22T14:07+0000 2021-10-22T14:07+0000 united states china hypersonic /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105840/23/1058402311_0:140:3090:1878_1920x0_80_0_0_f5022104733a7b6bdf8d3564add39036.jpg A former Pentagon insider serving as chief software officer for the US Air Force has accused the military of deliberately spreading false information on Americas capabilities, and indicated that he was not at all surprised by Chinas recent alleged HGV testing activities.We are running out of time. What we see coming out of China right now is really concerning, Nicholas Chaillan, who resigned from his post earlier this month after warning that America was falling behind critically to the Peoples Republic on defence, said, speaking to Fox News on Thursday.When you see whats going on right now in the department with the lack of accountability and also the lack of agility, which effectively puts us behind, the former official said, adding that slowly but surely, you see China waking up and moving faster and even accelerating their pace in the development of advanced military capabilities.In an interview with the Financial Times last week, Chaillan said that he believed the US had no competing fighting chance against China in 15 to 20 years, and warned that at the moment, Chinas superiority was already a done deal.Army chief information officer Raj Iyer rejected these allegations, saying they were absolutely not true, and assuring Americans that the US was not behind in the AI race, and that China was actually stealing US technology using nefarious methods and cyberattacks. Washington, Iyer insisted, had the best AI technology.The former officer suggested that the US has committed gargantuan amounts of cash to projects like the $1.7 trillion F-35 programme, it has lagged behind on cybersecurity, advanced technology, and investment in education. The US college system is so bad in the technology fields that its almost pointless to get a degree today, Chaillan claimed.The US has dramatically underestimated China, Chaillan suggested. Weve seen it again with the hypersonic launch a few days ago, where again we are always allegedly caught by surprise. I was not, he said.Chaillan resigned from his post as the Air Forces chief software officer last month after working with the military branch for three years.In the wake of reports of Chinas latest alleged hypersonic testing activities, some US officials have urged Washington to pump more money into the military-industrial complex. China dismissed the weapons testing claims, saying its launch was a routine trial of reusable space rocket technology. Chinas Global Times newspaper, meanwhile, suggested that while it was meaningless to discuss the credibility of Western reporting on the matter, it was important to note the unstoppable trend that China is narrowing the gap with the US in some key military technologies.China already has at least one hypersonic weapons system the DF-ZF, in operation, with the hypersonic glide vehicle introduced with the Peoples Liberation Army Rocket Force in October 2019. The glide vehicle is designed to be mounted aboard the DF-17 medium-range ballistic missile, and is reportedly capable of accelerating to speeds of up to Mach 10. In addition to their potential as a nuclear weapons delivery vehicle, they are suspected of being able to carry out conventional strike missions against both ground and sea-based targets.The United States has over half-a-dozen hypersonic weapons programmes of its own in development, but none have received operational status. The closest to being ready is the Common Hypersonic Glide Body system for the Army and Navy. Earlier this month, the Army said it had taken delivery of its first CHGB system, including a battery, operations center, transporter-erector launchers, trucks and trailers, but not the hypersonic rounds themselves which arent expected to be ready until 2023. https://sputniknews.com/20211011/already-a-done-deal-ex-pentagon-chief-software-officer-says-us-yielding-to-china-in-ai-battle-1089832033.html vot tak The american military lies constantly. Literally, nothing out of their mouths should be taken seriously. The turd the article is about is lying, as well, as part of an israeloamerican psywar campaign to get more money for the military. 6 koursk koursk countries like china, endowed with a strong communist party, want a powerful state which opts for a long and expensive research, the only one likely to lead to a real technical progress *** the nato zone is controlled by greedy billionaires of short-term profit *** in this atmosphere, short-term research will not yield any results *** from 1945 to 1975, the billionaires had committed their territories of the nato zone to more research, but it was only for fight against communism 4 7 china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov united states, china, hypersonic https://sputniknews.com/20211022/floridas-desantis-strikes-at-vaccine-mandates-by-posting-his-rendition-of-dont-tread-on-me-flag-1090116304.html Florida's DeSantis Strikes at Vaccine Mandates by Posting His Rendition of 'Don't Tread on Me' Flag Florida's DeSantis Strikes at Vaccine Mandates by Posting His Rendition of 'Don't Tread on Me' Flag DeSantis has been a vocal opponent of coronavirus-related mandates imposed by the federal government. As such, he has argued that wearing masks in school is a... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T00:45+0000 2021-10-22T00:45+0000 2021-10-22T00:49+0000 us florida twitter vaccine mandate ron desantis vaccine hesitancy covid-19 delta variant of covid-19 mask mandate /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/16/1090117367_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_76b196827def4a4309f67a53c9b899c5.jpg Republican Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis has called for a special session of the state's legislature with the goal of prohibiting vaccine mandates. The announcement was made at a press conference on Thursday, where supporters were seen waving a Gadsden-style Florida flag.Later, the governor took to Twitter to post an updated version of the famous Revolutionary War-era Gadsden flag, with the inscription on it saying, "Dont tread on Florida." Instead of a rattlesnake, found on the original banner, an alligator - a more commonly seen creature in Florida - is emblazoned on DeSantis' version.In November, the GOP-controlled statehouse will hold a special session to review vaccine regulations, according to the governor. However, he did not indicate when this would start.DeSantis highlighted the policy goals for the special session in general, including making corporations accountable for bad vaccine-related responses, removing legal liability protections for employers that impose vaccine requirements, and adding protections for those who are fired for not being vaccinated.On September 9, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to combat the surge in virus cases in the US, which includes mandatory vaccinations for federal government employees and contractors, and companies with more than 100 employees. It also urges state governors to require vaccines for teachers and extend testing accessibility. https://sputniknews.com/20210930/ad-targeting-floridas-desantis-covid-19-policies-mocked-as-actually-supportive-1089558402.html TruePatriot The infection rates are low in his state, people are working, the ports are functioning with no delays or backlogs, and on it goes. He's really running the state well. Just compare him to that clown Gruesome out in California where it's a total mess. Just sayin'. 3 Gone Look at that face. Doesn't he look honest? And smart! So, so smart. And manly. Wow. A real prince. I wonder how many grams of coke a day maintains this magnanimous creature? 3 2 florida Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Kirill Kurevlev Kirill Kurevlev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Kirill Kurevlev us, florida, twitter, vaccine, mandate, ron desantis, vaccine hesitancy, covid-19, delta variant of covid-19, mask mandate https://sputniknews.com/20211022/french-armed-forces-minister-urges-nato-not-to-be-afraid-of-eu-defence-integration-1090137381.html French Armed Forces Minister Urges NATO Not to 'Be Afraid' of EU Defence Integration French Armed Forces Minister Urges NATO Not to 'Be Afraid' of EU Defence Integration After the abrupt US and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan and the concerns it triggered within the EU, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T16:03+0000 2021-10-22T16:03+0000 2021-10-22T16:03+0000 news lloyd austin france jens stoltenberg ursula von der leyen nato eu florence parly annegret kramp-karrenbauer /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/104742/15/1047421595_0:0:3105:1746_1920x0_80_0_0_4b77f2b50f3788c18e935c33acbb7cc5.jpg French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly has sought to allay the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) concerns regarding the European Union's defence plans, urging counterparts from the alliance not to be afraid, reports Reuters. Parly insisted that plans to boost European defence were in no way in opposition to NATO." US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin offered a response to Parlys remarks at a news conference as he called upon NATO's allies to rise up to the challenge of their "number one job" "credible deterrence and defence."Austin dismissed any speculation there were contradictions between a European and an American strategy in the Indo-Pacific to counter China's military ambitions, vowing the joint effort would ensure "the Indo-Pacific area region remains free and open." Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III met with Frances Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly to discuss a plethora of issues, such as the US-France bilateral relationship, collaboration on counterterrorism in the Sahel, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, according to a Department of Defence readout. Austin and Parly also weighed in on the prospects of boosting cooperation in the cyber and space domains. Austins remarks on Friday echoed a joint statement issued by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron on 22 September in the wake of the AUKUS agreement. Paris was left incensed by the three-way security alliance, which was announced on 15 September by the US, UK, and Australia, because it cost Paris a submarine deal with Canberras navy. Furthermore, talk of boosted European defence gained traction in the wake of the hasty US and NATO Afghan pullout. European nations led by France began advocating greater strategic autonomy for the continent militarily. Ursula von der Leyen had stated in mid-September that the bloc should seek the political will to confront an array of security threats and global crises, adding that EU military forces would be "part of the solution." The EU has historically relied on NATO for military action.German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer also said earlier this month the EU should become "a strategic player to be reckoned with," while stressing that the bloc could not defend itself independently against its potential adversaries without American help. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko news, lloyd austin, france, jens stoltenberg, ursula von der leyen, nato, eu, florence parly, annegret kramp-karrenbauer https://sputniknews.com/20211022/house-of-ukrainian-presidential-administration-official-targeted-with-explosives-1090133255.html House of Ukrainian Presidential Administration Official Targeted With Explosives House of Ukrainian Presidential Administration Official Targeted With Explosives KIEV (Sputnik) - The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said on Friday that officers have arrested a man who threw a Molotov cocktail at the house of Ihor... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T12:39+0000 2021-10-22T12:39+0000 2021-10-22T12:39+0000 news ukraine explosives /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/16/1090133383_0:0:1921:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_dc587ddcdeb6ffdb21009a676c63d22b.jpg The incident took place at 4 a.m. local time (01:00 GMT) in Kiev's Darnytskyi district, according to reports. The attacker threw a bottle of flammable mixture into the yard of Zhovkva's house, who is in charge of Ukraine's policies for European integration.According to Ukrainian intelligence, a perpetrator is a 25-year-old man without a permanent place of residence and employment. He claimed to have found an order for arson on a job website. The man allegedly received the target's address and instructions from the customer via the Telegram messenger."The attacker was promised to be paid $4,000 after a media report about the attack on Zhovkva's house. The motives of the customer are unknown to him," the authority said.A criminal case was launched over deliberate damage or destruction of property. ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 news, ukraine, explosives https://sputniknews.com/20211022/iaea-chief-says-agency-has-no-evidence-iran-covertly-enriches-uranium-1090129222.html IAEA Chief Says Agency Has No Evidence Iran Covertly Enriches Uranium IAEA Chief Says Agency Has No Evidence Iran Covertly Enriches Uranium WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said during an interview with the Stimson Center that he does... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T10:47+0000 2021-10-22T10:47+0000 2021-10-22T10:47+0000 world iran uranium jcpoa /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/15/1082144150_0:104:2001:1229_1920x0_80_0_0_5432800583b5ec1b87555c667d9558af.jpg "I dont have any information that they are doing so. Without that indication that they are doing so, Im confident that Im looking at all the places where they are enriching," Grossi said on Thursday. "I have very high confidence in the ability of my inspection system to know what is going on if we are allowed in to do that."Late in May, the UN nuclear watchdog said that Iran failed to explain processed uranium traces found at several undeclared sites. In its quarterly report, the IAEA said that Iran was continuing to violate enrichment limits set by the 2015 nuclear accord, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The report also said that Iran had produced more than 5.2 lbs of nearly weapons grade uranium.The JCPOA, which envisaged Iran limiting its nuclear program in exchange for other states lifting sanctions, has been under strain since the US withdrawal in 2018. After pulling out from the deal, the US restored sanctions against Iran.Other parties to the deal have reiterated their commitment to it, and the new US administration has expressed readiness to return to the agreement. However, the JCPOA negotiations in Vienna have been in a deadlock for the past several months. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said in October that Tehran will not negotiate unless the US takes the talks seriously.Apart from Iran and the United States, the participants in the deal are China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 world, iran, uranium, jcpoa https://sputniknews.com/20211022/indias-congress-party-calls-brutal-murder-of-dalit-man-at-farmers-protest-site-conspiracy-1090121100.html Indias Congress Party Calls Brutal Murder of Dalit Man at Farmers' Protest Site 'Conspiracy' Indias Congress Party Calls Brutal Murder of Dalit Man at Farmers' Protest Site 'Conspiracy' Farmers in India are protesting against three contentious farm laws on the borders of the capital Delhi and in different parts of the country. Several rounds... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T08:03+0000 2021-10-22T08:03+0000 2021-10-22T08:03+0000 new delhi delhi politics politics farmers india politics farmers sikh politics /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/16/1090124291_0:0:770:433_1920x0_80_0_0_f05cd1a9fb1230332300aa662dcd5a31.jpg Indias main opposition party Congress feels there was a conspiracy behind the recent killing of a Dalit man at a protest site located on Delhi's Singhu border. He had allegedly desecrated the Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib, though his family has denied the claim. Citing a media report, Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted in Hindi:The 35-year-old Dalit farm labourer -- Lakhbir Singh -- was found murdered at the farmers protest site last week with his hand chopped off and multiple injuries. A senior police official has told media that Lakhbir was taken there by a Nihang Sikh Sarabjit Singh, the first to be arrested in the case. Lakhbir was in touch with the accused Sarabjit and the latter frequently visited Lakhbirs village Cheema Kalan in Punjabs Tarn Taran District, the official added.Earlier on Tuesday, a purported photograph of Nihang's sect's head Baba Aman Singh with federal Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar triggered a controversy. The Sikh religious leader alleged that the federal government had offered money to the Nihangs to leave the farmers protest site at Singhu.The photograph which includes former Punjab Police officer Gurmeet Singh Pinky, who was dismissed from service and convicted in a murder case, and BJP politician Harwinder Garewal is believed to be from a meeting held about two months ago.The Nihang is an armed Sikh warrior order originating in the Indian subcontinent, and identified by their blue robes and swords.Sarabjit Singh, the primary suspect in the murder of Lakhbir Singh, is a member of Nihang Baba Aman Singhs sect. Aman Singh had justified the killing in his remarks after the incident. new delhi delhi india Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg new delhi, delhi, politics, politics, farmers, india, politics, farmers, sikh, politics, india https://sputniknews.com/20211022/investigation-confirms-no-fraud-in-bolivian-2019-presidential-election-foreign-minister-says-1090134110.html Investigation Confirms No Fraud in Bolivian 2019 Presidential Election, Foreign Minister Says Investigation Confirms No Fraud in Bolivian 2019 Presidential Election, Foreign Minister Says MOSCOW (Sputnik) - An official investigation showed that there was no fraud in the 2019 presidential election in Bolivia, as was claimed by an August report of... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T12:46+0000 2021-10-22T12:46+0000 2021-10-22T12:46+0000 bolivia latin america /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/06/0a/1083121636_0:89:3325:1959_1920x0_80_0_0_ba4e22f1104305042e67038929d976ba.jpg "Regarding the OAS report, which referred to alleged electoral fraud, a process has been initiated. This investigation is now in its final stages. It has been confirmed that the fraud did not exist," Mayta said at joint press conference after the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.In early August, the OAS Secretariat for Strengthening of Democracy published a report in which it reviewed the official audit of the 2019 electoral process in Bolivia. In the report, the OAS claimed that the identified server failures were not an accident, as assumed by the auditors, but a "manipulation of technological infrastructure and part of a network of lies, with the help of which they tried to deceive the OAS team and the entire population of Bolivia."In November 2019, Evo Morales resigned as president and left Bolivia under pressure from the military, after the Bolivian opposition, led by Carlos Mesa, claimed that there had been mass violations during the October 2019 vote. The OAS was observing the presidential elections and found several irregularities. The report of the organization strengthened the influence of the opposition and contributed to the resignation of Morales.Power in the country was assumed by former opposition vice-speaker of the senate, Jeanine Anez. Morales called the events a coup. Anez arranged for a new presidential vote, which took place on October 18, 2020. The election was won by Luis Arce from Morales Movement for Socialism party (MAS).In March 2021, the police arrested Anez on suspicion of terrorism, incitement to rebellion, and conspiracy in the alleged coup. She has been in jail since then. Dang! Arrest and execute the OAS observers for collusion in overthrowing Bolivia!! Way past time for them to be punished!! 0 1 bolivia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 bolivia, latin america https://sputniknews.com/20211022/italian-town-considers-honorary-citizenship-for-brazilian-president-1090144409.html Italian Town Considers Honorary Citizenship for Brazilian President Italian Town Considers Honorary Citizenship for Brazilian President ROME, October 22 (Sputnik) - The authorities of the northern Italian town of Anguillara Veneta are considering granting Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T19:44+0000 2021-10-22T19:44+0000 2021-10-22T19:44+0000 brazil italy jair bolsonaro /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/1c/1083742365_0:0:2142:1205_1920x0_80_0_0_1a77658582b73e03c5696dc37963c031.jpg Vittorio Bolzonaro was born on April 12, 1878 in Anguillara Veneta, and emigrated to Brazil at the age of ten, where his surname was later changed to fit local pronunciation.However, the initiative of local authorities drew sharp criticism from prominent representatives of leftist forces in the Veneto region. The secretary of the regional organization of the Democratic Party, Alessandro Bisato, said that this proposal is "a senseless insult", and the residents of the town "do not deserve such stupidity." Vanessa Camani, a member of the Veneto regional council from the Democratic Party, stressed that this proposal is unacceptable because the Brazilian president is "a racist and misogynist."On Wednesday, a special commission from the Brazilian Senate said Bolsonaro was guilty of nine serious crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The President, in particular, was accused of a crime against humanity, violation of sanitary measures, falsification of documents and irrational use of public funds.Voting on the issue of conferring the title of honorary citizen of Anguillara Veneto to Bolsonaro will take place in the town council on Monday, October 25. raskolnikov A professor of comparative politics remarked that to understand Italian politics you need only know one thing: stable instability. Seems the instability part is more than applicable to the mental state of town authorities of Anguillara Veneta who somehow rationalize that a president of a country who is accused by his own senate of crimes against humanity deserves an honorary title. The veracity of the accusations is manifestly evident. Seems as though mucca pazza still lingers in the brains of some of its citizenry. 0 1 brazil italy Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 brazil, italy, jair bolsonaro https://sputniknews.com/20211022/joe-biden-admits-his-call-to-go-after-those-defying-6-jan-probe-subpoenas-was-not-appropriate-1090123485.html Joe Biden Admits His Call to 'Go After' Those Defying 6 Jan. Probe Subpoenas Was 'Not Appropriate' Joe Biden Admits His Call to 'Go After' Those Defying 6 Jan. Probe Subpoenas Was 'Not Appropriate' President Joe Biden earlier explicitly urged prosecutions for those who defied the 6 January congressional subpoenas issued by investigators, such as former... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T07:42+0000 2021-10-22T07:42+0000 2021-10-22T08:06+0000 joe biden donald trump us justice department us us house select committee us capitol steve bannon /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/06/18/1083227640_0:21:3050:1737_1920x0_80_0_0_2226c23fff80fb359496a20ecb246095.jpg Joe Biden on Thursday appeared to double back on his earlier remarks and reaffirmed the independence of the US Justice Department (DOJ) investigation into the 6 January attack on the Capitol.The way I said it was not appropriate, the US President said at a CNN town hall in Baltimore on Thursday evening where he answered questions on a range of issues, including voting rights, the COVID-19 pandemic and his sweeping domestic agenda. Referring to the Justice Department as having been corrupted under his predecessor Trump, Biden said that upon election one of his priorities was to reestablish the reputation and integrity of the DOJ.Nevertheless, the President once again supported holding to account those who chose to ignore subpoenas from the House select committee. I think that anyone who does not respond to that kind of question from the legitimate committee and the House of Representatives [and] the United States Senate should be held accountable, he said. Call For 'Prosecutions' On 15 October, Biden has voiced hope the department would prosecute those individuals who refuse to comply with subpoenas from the US House Select Committee investigating the 6 January attack on the United States Capitol. The POTUS had emphasised that he hoped the select committee goes after them and holds them accountable criminally, in a reference to former Donald Trump administration aides. After investigators had subpoenaed the individuals in September former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon had refused to comply. Asked by reporters if he thought the Justice Department (DOJ) should prosecute such individuals, Biden said, I do, yes." In response, the DOJ spokesperson Anthony Coley said the department would be making its own independent decisions in all prosecutions based solely on the facts and the law. Period. Full stop. White House press secretary Jen Psaki went on Twitter that Friday to underscore that the President supported the work of the committee and the independent role of the Department of Justice to make any decisions about prosecutions." Ex-Trump Aide Found in Contempt of Congress The developments come as former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon was found in contempt of Congress on Thursday for defying a subpoena to testify before a committee investigating the events of 6 January at the Capitol. The House of Representatives voted 229-202 for the resolution, essentially falling along party lines, aside from nine Republicans who sided with the Democratic majority. The House vote now refers the issue to the US Department of Justice. If found guilty, Bannon, one of many subpoenaed by the US House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, could face a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Democrats have vowed to probe the events, which had interrupted the electoral count certifying Joe Biden's victory in the November 2020 presidential elections.Republicans have slammed the probe as a witch hunt. Indiana Rep. Jim Banks described the investigation into the Capitol events an illicit criminal investigation into American citizens. There is uncertainty regarding whether the department will pursue charges, with Attorney General Merrick Garland saying at a House hearing on Thursday that they plan to make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution. On 6 January 2021 protesters had breached the US Capitol building following a rally held by Donald Trump outside the White House at which he alleged that Democrat Joe Biden had won the November 2020 election fraudulently. The riot had disrupted a joint session of Congress that was counting electoral votes to formalize Bidens victory. Five people, including a Capitol police officer, died in the wake of the events.Donald Trump, who had repeatedly claimed the rigged 2020 presidential election had been stolen from him, was accused of inciting an insurrection, and impeached by the US House of Representatives. Trump was later acquitted by the US Senate in a trial weeks after he left office. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko joe biden, donald trump, us justice department, us, us house select committee, us capitol, steve bannon https://sputniknews.com/20211022/late-actor-brandon-lees-family-reacts-to-alec-baldwins-fatal-prop-gun-incident--1090145707.html Late Actor Brandon Lee's Family Reacts to Alec Baldwin's Fatal Prop Gun Incident Late Actor Brandon Lee's Family Reacts to Alec Baldwin's Fatal Prop Gun Incident An investigation is underway after Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of "Rust," killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T21:45+0000 2021-10-22T21:45+0000 2021-10-26T03:48+0000 hollywood bruce lee alec baldwin us /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/16/1090145682_0:0:3015:1697_1920x0_80_0_0_67e8ee9e80b0739f6be6e7db23709c2f.jpg The family of Brandon Lee took to social media on Friday to extend support to the family of Halyna Hutchins, the 42-year old cinematographer killed during filming at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. Brandon Lee, the son of iconic martial artist and film star Bruce Lee and his wife, Linda Lee Cadwell, was 28 when he was killed by a .44-bullet fired around 12:30 a.m. on March 31, 1993. Eric, Lee's character in the film, had been directed to walk into his on-set apartment and sustain gunfire that used a "squib" to simulate the effects of an actual bullet. However, when it came time for the scene to be filmed, Lee did not get up after being shot at by Michael Masse, the actor who portrayed Funboy. According to the LA Times, Lee's mother settled out of court after filing a civil suit against the studio in 1993. No criminal charges were filed in relation to the case after an investigative report found that although there was negligence, no one was intentionally trying to hurt Lee. Baldwin, 68, in a brief statement on Friday, noted that he is fully cooperating with the investigation into the on-set shooting. Baldwin also stated that he is in contact with Hutchins' husband. Some netizens dug into Baldwin, highlighting his commentary on a 2017 incident in which a California officer fatally shot a man."I wonder how it must feel to wrongfully kill someone..." the Emmy award-winning actor tweeted. Baldwin's 2017 tweet has amassed thousands of responses in recent hours. The New York Times reported that Joel Souza, the 48-year-old director of "Rust," was discharged from a New Mexico medical facility on Friday, several hours after he was hospitalized for injuries from the incident. Frances Fisher, another actor in the 1880s Western-style film, also tweeted confirmation that Souza had left the hospital. Terranian The 1st I don't understand why this can even happen specialy in a country which is so deluded gun obsessed + crazed...they should theoretic know something like safety in everything gun related, but apparently Not. 4 TruePatriot In this day and age, there should be no prop gun with blanks or any other cartridge in it or in fact any THING in it since all the sound and other effects can be added in later. Why does Hollywood not seem to get that? 2 3 hollywood us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Evan Craighead Evan Craighead News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Evan Craighead hollywood, bruce lee, alec baldwin, us https://sputniknews.com/20211022/muslims-in-india-face-retaliatory-attacks-from-hindu-mobs-for-bangladesh-violence-1090137019.html Muslims In India Face Retaliatory Attacks From Hindu Mobs For Bangladesh Violence Muslims In India Face Retaliatory Attacks From Hindu Mobs For Bangladesh Violence Officially, India has backed the Bangladeshi authorities' prompt response to the attacks against Hindus in the country. However, there has also been rising... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T15:20+0000 2021-10-22T15:20+0000 2021-10-22T15:20+0000 bangladesh sheikh hasina narendra modi bharatiya janata party (bjp) india hindus /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/14/1090065300_0:321:3071:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_cdfbe56c8dacaa060739e60c0aea7a9d.jpg Nearly 12 mosques in different parts of Indias Tripura state have been vandalised - some to the point of having been razed to the ground - by frenzied mobs in the past three days, eyewitnesses have told Sputnik. The attacks on members of the Muslim community in the north-eastern state are considered retaliation for mob attacks against those belonging to the Hindu minority in Bangladesh, which shares a border with Tripura.Besides targeting mosques, groups comprising activists from several Hindu organisations, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), have been targeting homes in the state's predominantly Muslim neighbourhoods, according to locals.Today, a mob led by state legislator Sudhangshu Das, burnt down a mosque in Kailashahar. Mobs also gathered at many other mosques in the state and prevented Muslims from carrying out Friday prayers, Sultan Hussain, a local resident and an activist from the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) of India, told Sputnik.The allegations against Das, a legislator from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), couldnt be independently verified. Prime Minister Narendra Modis BJP is in power in Tripura.Hussain also claimed that the Muslim community was now living in a state of fear and have been confined to their homes. Vigilantes have been roaming the streets of predominantly Muslim neighbourhoods for the past few days. So far, there hasnt been any injury since we have exercised restraint and stayed in our homes, Hussain said.He says that even though the local authorities in some places have tried to rein the mobs in and brought the situation somewhat under control, a coordinated action by the state government to stem the violence at religious places was still missing.According to several reports in Indian media, volunteers from the VHP and other allied organisations clashed with police in Udaipur, the states third-biggest city, on Thursday after they were prevented from taking out an anti-Bangladesh demonstration on Thursday.Three security personnel sustained injuries when protesters pelted stones at them after their procession was halted by police. One protester was also injured, Tripuras inspector-general (Law and Order) Arindam Nath told reporters.A day before the clashes, VHP activists held a demonstration at the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi and demanded a thorough probe into the attacks against Hindus in the country.The situation in Tripura is deteriorating fast, with a number of reports of mosques being burnt and Muslim houses and property being vandalised. It seems the VHP crowds that were protesting against anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh are turning to violence against Muslims in Tripura, Mohammad Salman, the national president of SIO said in a statement.The chief minister and state administration seems to be completely ignoring this outbreak, even as they appease the Hindutva forces with incendiary statements, his statement also read.A claim posted on Facebook about the holy Quran being desecrated during the celebration of the Hindu festival of Durga Puja on 13 October sparked massive violence across several districts in Bangladesh. At least 10 people have been killed, around 1,000 have sustained injuries, and women have been raped by frenzied gatherings of people, according to reports.In response, the Bangladeshi authorities have arrested nearly 500 people and lodged dozens of cases against individuals involved in the violence.According to bdnews24.com, police have also arrested Iqbal Hossain, the man suspected of placing the Quran at the Hindu festival venue on 13 October, has also been arrested.At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for strict action against those involved in anti-Hindu violence and also urged people not to react to rumours. https://sputniknews.com/20211020/are-we-afraid-of-bangladesh-indian-nationalists-slam-modis-inaction-over-attacks-on-hindus-1090062471.html bangladesh india Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Dhairya Maheshwari Dhairya Maheshwari News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Dhairya Maheshwari bangladesh, sheikh hasina, narendra modi, bharatiya janata party (bjp), india, hindus https://sputniknews.com/20211022/nato-defense-ministers-agree-on-first-ai-strategy-1090130297.html NATO Defense Ministers Agree on First AI Strategy NATO Defense Ministers Agree on First AI Strategy The Western bloc is wrapping up a two-day defence minister-level conference at its headquarters in Brussels, with the talks constituting the first in-person... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T10:59+0000 2021-10-22T10:59+0000 2021-10-22T12:39+0000 military & intelligence /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107673/64/1076736463_0:191:1601:1091_1920x0_80_0_0_acd80b72e391815fd584dc8b7a87db4d.jpg NATO has agreed on the creation of the bloc's first-ever AI strategy, secretary general Jens Stoltenberg has announced.Stoltenberg also outlined the creation of a one billion euro "NATO innovation fund" to assist "innovators across the alliance working on emerging and disruptive technologies"."New technologies are reshaping our world and our security. NATO's new innovation fund will ensure allies do not miss out on the latest technology and capabilities that will be critical to our security," the secretary general said.Stoltenberg clarified that the innovation fund will be part of the bloc's new 'Defence Innovation Accelorator for the North Atlantic' (DIANA), which will include the creation of a network of technology test centres and "accelorator cites" meant "to better harness civilian innovation for our security and strengthen the technological bond between Europe and North America".Turning to other issues, the secretary general boasted about high level of cooperation between NATO and partners including Finland, Sweden and the European Union, and said he looked forward to a joint declaration with the EU on even closer ties.Asked to comment on US President Joe Biden's comments Thursday reiterating America's commitment to Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion of the island, Stoltenberg said he would "not speculate about a hypothetical situation," and suggested that "what is important now is to reduce tensions in the area."Commenting on Russian Vladimir Putin's remarks Thursday characterizing Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin's recent visit to Kiev as something factually constituting "opening the doors for Ukraine to NATO," Stoltenberg suggested that Putin should not be worried about Kiev's prospects for joining the Western bloc.Stoltenberg claimed that NATO's 30 year enlargement has contributed to "peace and stability throughout Europe," and that there is "now way that Russia should be afraid of or have any right to try to veto or to stop any sovereign nation from joining the alliance."The alliance chief also repeated previously uttered criticism of Turkey over its purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems, saying the equipment is not interoperable with alliance air defences.Earlier Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that maintaining normal diplomatic relations with the bloc has become impossible thanks to hostile measures taken by the alliance against Russia, and warned of growing alliance activity, including the prospective deployment of a strategic weapons component near Russia's borders, creates dangerous new military realities.This week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced the suspension of the work of NATO's information office in Moscow, and the work of Russia's own permanent mission to the alliance, over the bloc's decision to revoke the accreditation of eight employees of the Russian mission to NATO.Despite promises to Moscow in the early 1990s not to expand eastward beyond a reunified Germany, NATO has since incorporated every single member of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact alliance, plus the three former Baltic republics of the former Soviet Union itself, and four republics of Yugoslavia, whose collapse the Western bloc helped to accelerate through a series of military campaigns in the 1990s.Along with the deployment of troops and an increase in drills, NATO's presence near Russia's borders has increased the danger of a preemptive decapitation strike against Russian military infrastructure and civilian leadership thanks to the construction of Aegis Ashore sites in Poland and Romania. Moscow claims these sites could easily be converted to fire conventional or nuclear-tipped Tomahawk missiles. https://sputniknews.com/20210929/making-ourselves-be-respected-macron-calls-for-european-army-as-us-focused-on-itself-1089499532.html https://sputniknews.com/20190516/nato-yugoslavia-cancer-death-1075054704.html https://sputniknews.com/20211021/ten-years-since-libyas-gaddafi-was-murdered-by-nato-backed-rebels-1090087300.html Lin Wren Europe & EU are 2 different area. EU might consider Ukraine possibly eligible to p+ss Russia of but the Europeans don't want Ukraine in Nato full stop. They won't be dragged into a war with Russia nor with China either. 1 ema.ruv Stoltenberg = N. O. W. (Nuovo Ordine Mondiale). Il capo di una ASSOCIAZIONE a DELINQUERE DI STAMPO GUERRAFONDAIO. N. O. W. gli assassini di PAPA LUCIANI. Hanno assassinato PAPA LUCIANI per sostituirlo con un PAPA NON ELETTO. hanno HACKER-ATO il pontificato. hanno CRACCATO LA VIA (cracovia). l' obbiettivo dichiarato del N. O. M. conquistare il mondo intero. Prorprio venire insegna l' anticristo, cioe...., chi vuole tutto il potere per se....!!!! la N. A. T. O. e stata creta dall' anticristo. ecco la verita sul perche il PAPA di cracovia ha scomunicato l' esorcista ufficiale della chiesa ma non ha mai scomunicato ne gli ASSASSINI CHE HANNO BOMBARDATO INTERE NAZIONI SENZA AUTORIZAZIONE DELL' O.N.U. ne ha mai SCOMUNICATO I FABBRICANTI DI ARMI PRIVATI (quindi dedicati agli affari e non alla difesa)...!!! 1 3 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov military & intelligence https://sputniknews.com/20211022/new-hunter-biden-influence-peddling-allegations-emerge-biden-protesters-ignored-by-media-1090116155.html New Hunter Biden Influence Peddling Allegations Emerge; Biden Protesters Ignored by Media New Hunter Biden Influence Peddling Allegations Emerge; Biden Protesters Ignored by Media Familiar allegations arise as evidence appears that Hunter Biden tried to use his father's name to get pricey contracts with Alcoa aluminum. 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T09:26+0000 2021-10-22T09:26+0000 2021-10-22T09:26+0000 elizabeth warren hypersonic syria fossilfuel neoliberalism jcpoa the critical hour radio /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090116130_29:0:1273:700_1920x0_80_0_0_971cfd628bc35f11050be15e11c3824a.png New Hunter Biden Influence Peddling Allegations Emerge; Biden Protesters Ignored by Media Familiar allegations arise as evidence appears that Hunter Biden tried to use his father's name to get pricey contracts with Alcoa aluminum. Alexander Mercouris, editor in chief at theduran.com and host of "The Duran" on YouTube, joins us to discuss Hunter Biden and the strategic partnership between Russia and China. Familiar allegations arise as evidence appears that Hunter Biden tried to use his father's name to get pricey contracts with Alcoa aluminum. Also, Mercouris argues that the Russian and Chinese joint naval drills are a signal that the two military powers are working together at an unprecedented level.Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, joins us to discuss Covid. There is a considerable conversation going on in the medical community regarding the mixing and matching of coronavirus jabs. The CDC is giving the green light for mixed shots. Also, the White House is unveiling a plan to vaccinate children ages 5-11.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss China. Scott has penned an article in RT in which he argues that "China has conducted a test of space launch technology that, if adapted for use as a nuclear weapons system, could nullify US defenses against Chinese missile attacks." Scott discusses China's reported test of a hypersonic glide vehicle that circled the globe and struck a target.Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, joins us to discuss Iran. A Responsible Statecraft article discusses the reasons that negotiations between the Biden administration and Iran have ground to a halt. Trita Parsi's article, flawed though it may be, strikes home when it posits that "a more reliable and stable Plan A is needed that both addresses the unsustainability of an agreement that the United States can exist without penalty and that delinks the revival of the JCPOA from legitimate desires to broaden the deal."Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss the Middle East. A US base involved in the illegal occupation of the Syrian oil fields was attacked by drones from an unknown source. International security observers expect the US to blame the attack on "Iranian linked" groups, as usual. Also, several Syrian soldiers were killed during a terrorist attack when explosives were placed on a military transport bus.Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss economics. Private equity firms have been making a fortune while hollowing out the hopes of everyday working-class Americans. Also, Senator Elizabeth Warren is leading a push for Wall Street reform. However, few observers expect a party led by a President with notorious connections to predatory credit card firms to support any major changes to the financial industry.Video journalist Ford Fischer from the News2Share outlet joins us to discuss the media. Fischer joins us to relate his recent experience at a protest against the environmental policies of the Biden administration. Observers found it conspicuous that mainstream media courses ignored the activity, as over 400 were arrested over five days.Nick Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands: The American Invasion of Iraq," joins us to discuss the effect of the neoliberal ideology. Author Nicholas Davies argues that "Americans should likewise demand that our government stop wasting trillions of dollars to militarize the world and destroy countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, and start solving our real problems, here and abroad."We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg elizabeth warren, hypersonic, syria, fossilfuel, neoliberalism, jcpoa, the critical hour, , radio https://sputniknews.com/20211022/nih-admits-to-funding-gain-of-function-research-in-wuhan-and-contradicts-dr-faucis-testimony-1090115258.html NIH Admits to Funding Gain-of-Function Research in Wuhan, and Contradicts Dr. Fauci's Testimony NIH Admits to Funding Gain-of-Function Research in Wuhan, and Contradicts Dr. Fauci's Testimony On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan and co-host John Kiriakou discussed current events, including Washington State patrol facing staff... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T09:22+0000 2021-10-22T09:22+0000 2021-10-22T09:22+0000 nih aluminum netflix radio us immigration fbi citizens arrest the backstory /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090115501_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_448367d1e735e119cba9944c6043c3e3.jpg NIH Admits to Funding Gain-of-Function Research in Wuhan, and Contradicts Dr. Fauci's Testimony On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan and co-host John Kiriakou discussed current events, including Washington State patrol facing staff shortages, and Steve Bannon held in criminal contempt. GUESTScottie Nell Hughes - Journalist, RT News Anchor, and Political Commentator | Steve Bannon Held in Contempt, Americans Upset With Immigration Policy, and The Virginia Governor RaceThom Nickels - Author, Journalist | The Dangers of Sanctuary City Policies, Sexual Assaults on Public Transportation, and The Culture of American Society in 2021In the first hour, Lee and John spoke with Scottie Nell Hughes about the Democrats obsessed with the January 6th riot, Hunter Biden, and a sexual assault in a Loudon County school. Scottie spoke on the recent protest at Netflix, over the Dave Chappelle comedy special. Scottie gave her prediction on the winner of the Virginia Governor race and why Democrats are avoiding President Biden's approval ratings.In the second hour, Lee and John spoke with Thom Nickels about crime in Philadelphia, citizen arrests, and the lack of deportations of violent criminals illegally in America. Thom talked about a recent assault of an innocent woman on a Philadelphia train and at least ten riders on the train who failed to intervene. Thom spoke on the details of the assailant and his numerous convictions over the years and an immigration judge who allowed this man to stay in America.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 John Kiriakou https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107587/24/1075872494_475:-1:1818:1343_100x100_80_0_0_5f29aff18491914c2428c30eddaa3bae.jpg John Kiriakou https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107587/24/1075872494_475:-1:1818:1343_100x100_80_0_0_5f29aff18491914c2428c30eddaa3bae.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 John Kiriakou https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107587/24/1075872494_475:-1:1818:1343_100x100_80_0_0_5f29aff18491914c2428c30eddaa3bae.jpg nih, aluminum, netflix, radio, us, immigration, fbi, citizens arrest, the backstory, https://sputniknews.com/20211022/norwegian-armed-forces-sign-contract-for-delivery-of-missiles-for-f-35-warplanes-1090120702.html Norwegian Armed Forces Sign Contract for Delivery of Missiles for F-35 Warplanes Norwegian Armed Forces Sign Contract for Delivery of Missiles for F-35 Warplanes Norway has been an active partner in the F-35 programme, with 18 Norwegian companies serving as Tier 1 suppliers. Subsequently, Norway decided to procure 52... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T05:19+0000 2021-10-22T05:19+0000 2021-10-22T05:19+0000 f-35 news military & intelligence europe norway scandinavia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106128/70/1061287041_0:38:2048:1190_1920x0_80_0_0_617eef0b0e10ce409af6cae867840590.jpg The Kongsberg Group will provide the Norwegian Armed Forces with missiles for the country's F-35 fighter jets. The contract involves Joint Strike Missiles (JSM), is worth NOK 4 billion (nearly $500 million), and is one of the largest arms acquisitions for the country's Armed Forces, the news outlet E24 reported.With this contract, we ensure a crucial capacity for our new fighter jets, Norway's newly-appointed Defence Minister Odd Roger Enoksen of the Centre Party said in a statement.The first missiles will be delivered in 2023, with the full contract expected to take several more years.According to the Kongsberg boss, the development of the missile has been ongoing since 2008, and production will now be stepped up sharply.Enoksen emphasised that the government is aware of the fact large material investments in the Armed Forces create jobs in Norway.Todays missile contract shows that we have a competitive defence industry, he said.Coupled with growing international interest, this delivery will help to increase employment and strengthen the business for Kongsberg and our many subcontractors in the years to come, Lie concurred.Dating back to 1814, Kongsberg Group is an international technology group that supplies high-technology systems and solutions in the merchant marine, defence, aerospace, offshore oil and gas industries, as well as renewable and utilities industries. Headquartered in the city of Kongsberg, it has nearly 7,000 employees in over 20 countries. It is majority-owned by the Norwegian government.Norway has been an active partner in the development, production and support of the global F-35 fleet. Since the programmes inception, 18 Norwegian companies have served as Tier 1 F-35 suppliers. Consequently, Norway decided to procure 52 F-35s to replace its ageing fleet of F-16s.The Royal Norwegian Air Force operates F-35A variant aircraft that include a drag chute to assist with landing in icy and slick conditions and to reduce landing distance on short airfields. Norways F-35 fleet operates from rland Air Base.In 2020, the Royal Norwegian Air Force conducted its first international deployment with the F-35 during NATO Air Policing missions in Iceland. https://sputniknews.com/20191211/i-wish-i-could-say-more-norways-criticism-of-multi-billion-dollar-f-35-blunder-top-secret-1077538774.html Tiger Well, for a jet that many on posters on SputnikNews claimed was doing terribly and about to be cancelled, the F-35 is doing really well - as I predicted. Nice to see the JSDM now being integrated and we will likely see the JSM in other Lightening operators soon as well. 1 Tiger Rubbish! It can handle anything aerial opponent that the Russians and Chinese throw at it. Also, I won't call 450 000 hours flight-time accumulated for the F-35's globally "only for show". 0 4 norway scandinavia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Igor Kuznetsov Igor Kuznetsov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Igor Kuznetsov f-35, news, military & intelligence, europe, norway, scandinavia https://sputniknews.com/20211022/one-killed-6-missing-after-south-korean-boat-sinks-in-japans-waters-reports-say-1090125643.html One Killed, 6 Missing After South Korean Boat Sinks in Japan's Waters, Reports Say One Killed, 6 Missing After South Korean Boat Sinks in Japan's Waters, Reports Say TOKYO (Sputnik) One crew member of the South Korean fishing boat that capsized earlier this week in the Sea of Japan was found dead and two others were... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T08:46+0000 2021-10-22T08:46+0000 2021-10-22T08:46+0000 south korea asia & pacific fishing boat /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106044/47/1060444759_0:209:4944:2990_1920x0_80_0_0_4369da93000d383891e2650c315eda65.jpg Six other fishermen are presumed missing, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported, citing rescue teams.On Wednesday, a 72-tonne fishing boat with nine people on board overturned in the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan. The accident was blamed on bad weather.Both countries launched search and rescue operations. Japan wrapped up searches on Friday, while South Korean teams continue to look for survivors. south korea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 south korea, asia & pacific, fishing boat https://sputniknews.com/20211022/pentagon-chief-claims-us-committed-to-one-china-policy-but-will-help-taiwan-to-defend-itself-1090131439.html Pentagon Chief Claims US Committed to One China Policy, But Will Help Taiwan to Defend Itself Pentagon Chief Claims US Committed to One China Policy, But Will Help Taiwan to Defend Itself This comes after China earlier in the day urged the international community to call on the United States to stop dragging Taiwan into a war. 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T11:31+0000 2021-10-22T11:31+0000 2021-10-22T12:57+0000 world us china lloyd austin /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/16/1090132232_0:0:3047:1714_1920x0_80_0_0_c255116a8d7454a23b0a409f3f6cbaca.jpg US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed Washington's commitment to a One China policy, adding that the US will help Taiwan to defend itself. When asked about Washington's reaction to China's possible attack on Taiwan, Austin said that he "won't engage in hypotheticals". Earlier on Friday, US President Joe Biden said that the country would come to Taiwan's aid if it were to come under attack from China. Consequently, Chinas Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun urged the international community to call on the US to stop dragging Taiwan into a war.According to the Taiwanese government's spokesperson, Chang Tun-han, Taiwan took notice of US President Joe Biden's pledge of readiness to protect the island but will refrain from rash actions.He added that Taiwan, which has been ruled independently from China since 1949, will continue to strive for ensuring its own defence, as well as cooperate with other countries for the security of the Indo-Pacific region.The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that US Marines and special operations forces had been secretly training Taiwan's soldiers to defend themselves against possible aggression from China. Previously, the Taiwanese Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said that mainland China may be fully prepared to attack the island by 2025. His assumption followed the deployment by China of 150 military aircraft into Taiwans air defence zone since early October for drills.Beijing described its military exercise near the Taiwan border as a preventive measure to ensure its sovereignty and territorial integrity and counter any separatist activities and foreign interference.The 'One China Policy' is the diplomatic acknowledgement of China's position that there is only one Chinese government. China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that one day will be reunified with the mainland. The US recognises this policy and has formal ties with China rather than Taiwan. However, the US also has unofficial relations with Taiwan and sells arms to the island. https://sputniknews.com/20211015/china-engaging-in-major-construction-at-airbases-near-taiwan-satellite-snaps-appear-to-show-1089956459.html https://sputniknews.com/20211019/us-senate-panel-advances-bill-to-impose-sanctions-tied-to-south-china-sea-issues-1090049776.html Rade Stojkovic So, you recognize the one China policy, but at the same time you will defend Taiwan's independence? 9 Truth-Teller The US will never come to Taiwan's aid. If China wants to reunited Taiwan with the mainland it doesn't have to use force. China is Taiwan biggest trading partner and whatever Taiwan will do it cannot escape the economic power that China has in the region. The US wants to sacrifice Taiwan economy for it own selfish good, cause they, the US can't do anything if China wants to reunite the island. What will they do? Send warships and submarines to defend Taiwan? Starting a war with China? We are talking about a country with 1.5 billion people with the most sophisticated army and the US and Europe combine, thinks that they can fight China?? Is the biggest nonsense i ever heard. 8 12 us china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sofia Chegodaeva Sofia Chegodaeva News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sofia Chegodaeva world, us, china, lloyd austin https://sputniknews.com/20211022/pentagon-confirms-failed-test-for-hypersonic-weapons-development-initiated-review-1090120157.html Pentagon Confirms Failed Test for Hypersonic Weapons Development, Initiated Review Pentagon Confirms Failed Test for Hypersonic Weapons Development, Initiated Review WASHINGTON, October 22 (Sputnik) - The US Department of Defense had an unsuccessful test related to its hypersonic weapons development after a missile booster... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T03:37+0000 2021-10-22T03:37+0000 2021-10-22T03:37+0000 us strike us pentagon military hypersonic weapons navy /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/16/1090120040_0:23:3073:1751_1920x0_80_0_0_37127f3e618ecc0c4c95dedfe3bf8f3d.jpg "On Oct. 21, the Department of Defense conducted a data collection experiment from the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska, Kodiak, AK [Alaska], to inform the departments hypersonic technology development," the spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday night. The spokesperson said the booster stack used in the test was not part of the hypersonic program and is not related to the Navy-designed Common Hypersonic Glide Body, which the Defense Department successfully tested on March 20, 2020.Defense officials have initiated a review to determine the cause of the booster system failure, the spokesperson said.The United States is confident it is on track to fielding offensive hypersonic capabilities in the early 2020s and this flight test is part of an effort to develop this technology, the spokesperson said.Earlier on Thursday, the Navy said it conducted a weapons test with the Army that demonstrated advanced hypersonic technologies and capabilities. The collaboration was focused on advancing work on the Navys Conventional Prompt Strike, a non-nuclear hypersonic weapons system, and the Armys Long Range Hypersonic Weapon offensive strike capability.In July, the US Air Force said its second test of the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile failed after the rocket motor did not ignite. The first test failed in April when there was an issue with the first booster vehicle flight test.The US military is developing at least three types of hypersonic weapons - the Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike, the Armys Long Range Hypersonic Weapon and the ARRW for the Air Force. https://sputniknews.com/20211019/global-times-us-should-stop-eyeing-too-much-on-chinas-hypersonic-missiles-and-broaden-its-horizons-1090031421.html Barros US has to learn a lot.LOL! 5 TruePatriot I thought it was just reported all 3 sounding rockets were launched successfully and they did whatever they were supposed to do. Then this? Hmmm, the US can't even get their own stories straight. What a failure their military is. 3 4 us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 us, strike, us pentagon, military, hypersonic weapons, navy https://sputniknews.com/20211022/prop-gun-used-by-alec-baldwin-contained-single-live-round-hollywood-union-says-1090139221.html Alec Baldwin's Prop Gun Contained Single Live Round, Hollywood Union Says Alec Baldwin's Prop Gun Contained Single Live Round, Hollywood Union Says Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was transported by helicopter after the fatal shooting on Thursday to the University of Mexico Hospital, where she was... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T15:30+0000 2021-10-22T15:30+0000 2021-10-22T16:25+0000 us shooting alec baldwin /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107463/15/1074631588_0:147:3000:1835_1920x0_80_0_0_f9c3563b5f852aab712d9821b2c3892c.jpg The prop gun actor Alec Baldwin used in the accidental shooting that killed a cinematographer and injured the director on the set of the upcoming Western movie 'Rust' contained a live round, a Hollywood union said, according to Indie Wire.IATSE Local 44, a union which represents those in the props department, sent an email to members on Friday morning, saying a single live round was accidentally fired on set by the principal actor. The memo clarified that the productions prop-master was not a member of Local 44.The tragic incident occurred on the set of 'Rust' at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a production location south of Santa Fe. Baldwin voluntarily gave a statement about the shooting at the sheriff's office, which said that no charges had been filed and the investigation remained "open and active"."Ms Hutchins was transported, via helicopter, to University of New Mexico Hospital where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel. Mr Souza was transported by ambulance to Christus St Vincent Regional Medical Center where he is undergoing treatment for his injuries. This investigation remains open and active. No charges have been filed in regard to this incident. Witnesses continue to be interviewed by detectives, it continued.Souzas representatives confirmed to Deadline on Friday morning that the filmmaker had been released from the medical centre in Santa Fe.A heartbroken Baldwin was spotted in tears after the accident and repeatedly asked why he was handed a hot gun, a firearm with live ammunition, according to an eyewitness.The movie production was immediately halted.Baldwin is a co-producer of 'Rust', a Western movie set in 1880s Kansas. The 63-year-old actor also plays the principal character who is an outlaw grandfather of a 13-year-old boy convicted of an accidental killing. Sputnik User Question is... who loaded the live round, and why?! 3 hyperloose so is anyone going to write about the pink 5K lb. elephant in the room? Where did the live round come from & who put it in the gun? An entire article on the mishap and not even an honorable mention was given to the questions all want to know. When obvious omissions of pertinent info & questions are left out it usually to protect someone or the official narrative (which is fiction)..... Just my H O, not that anyone cares..... 3 3 us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Zara Muradyan Zara Muradyan News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Zara Muradyan us, shooting, alec baldwin https://sputniknews.com/20211022/prosecutors-hoping-for-convictions-in-campaign-finance-case-against-ex-giuliani-associate-lev-1090133627.html Prosecutors Hoping For Convictions in Campaign Finance Case Against Ex-Giuliani Associate Lev Parnas Prosecutors Hoping For Convictions in Campaign Finance Case Against Ex-Giuliani Associate Lev Parnas Last week jurors in a Manhattan federal court heard three days of testimony as prosecutors expounded on an alleged pay-to-play scheme concocted by Lev Parnas... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T12:52+0000 2021-10-22T12:52+0000 2021-10-22T12:52+0000 us rudy giuliani lev parnas donald trump igor fruman /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107703/09/1077030942_0:164:436:409_1920x0_80_0_0_5fb261bc87ed2925f2c97a86d50faf46.jpg A jury at a federal court in Manhattan is set to launch deliberations in the case of a former associate of Donald Trumps former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Ukrainian-born American businessman Lev Parnas is accused of violating US campaign finance laws by concealing the source of donations to politicians, reported Reuters.The charges relate to two alleged campaign finance schemes. Prosecutors claim that Parnas and another Giuliani associate, Igor Fruman, originally indicted in October 2019, conspired in 2018 to dodge campaign contribution limits. The men are accused of falsely reporting contributions to the Federal Election Commission via a front company. Earlier in September, Fruman pleaded guilty in a New York federal court to solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national and faces up to five years in prison. Alleged Co-conspirator Andrey Kukushkin, also on trial, is said to have aided Parnas in coordinating straw donations on behalf of a Russian financial backer - Andrey Muraviev - to curry favour with politicians in states where the marijuana industry is legal, facilitating the obtaining of licenses for their marijuana businesses. $1 million was wired from the Russian businessman to Parnas to contribute to US candidates to "infiltrate American elections," stated prosecutor Aline Flodr in opening statements last week, adding:After prosecutors and defence attorneys completed closing arguments on 21 October, Thursday, Assistant US Attorney Hagan Scotten was cited as telling the jury: As jurors heard testimony from some alleged recipients of the donations from Parnas and his associates, such as Republican Adam Laxalt, a former Nevada attorney general running for election to the US Senate to represent the state in 2022, no candidate or campaign has been charged with wrongdoing in the case. Candidates and political groups are believed to have been unaware at the time of the origins of the donations. In his closing statement, Parnas' attorney Joseph Bondy argued that Russian businessman Muraviev's money funded business operations, not campaign contributions. Bondy underscored that his client was a proponent of marijuana legalisation who found himself "in well over his head." The trial drew headlines due to the connection between Parnas and Fruman on the one hand, and former President Donald Trump's former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on the other. The attorney representing Giuliani has said the Parnas case is separate from a federal inquiry into whether the former New York City mayor violated lobbying laws while representing former president Trump. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko us, rudy giuliani, lev parnas, donald trump, igor fruman https://sputniknews.com/20211022/rand-paul-pummels-anthony-fauci-after-nih-admits-taxpayers-funded-gain-of-function-research-in-1090130443.html Rand Paul Pummels Anthony Fauci After NIH Admits Taxpayers Funded Gain-Of-Function Research in Wuhan Rand Paul Pummels Anthony Fauci After NIH Admits Taxpayers Funded Gain-Of-Function Research in Wuhan In a letter to Rep. James Comer of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on 20 October, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) official admitted to... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T11:33+0000 2021-10-22T11:33+0000 2021-10-24T07:56+0000 us rand paul national institutes of health (nih) anthony fauci us house oversight committee wuhan covid-19 /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/15/1083433484_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_30e24ce7229fde82024fb939d82d03d5.jpg After the National Institutes of Health (NIH) dropped a bombshell by coming clean about the US funding gain-of-function viral research in a lab in Chinas Wuhan, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky) aimed a barrage of condemnation at Dr. Anthony Fauci over his persistent denial of the issue to Congress. The senator from Kentucky, appearing on Fox News Primetime, ultimately accused the director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of lying. He claimed Fauci has been intentionally parsing words to dodge admitting that the civilisation-threatening experiments could have been conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) with grant funds funnelled from the NIH.Some senior US officials have repeatedly claimed that the COVID-19 virus was genetically-engineered at the WIV bio lab and escaped by accident - allegations that Beijing has consistently rejected. The Republican politician, who had often engaged in verbal sparring with Fauci during Senate hearings on the matter, admitted he felt validated after Thursdays revelation. Limited Experiment In a letter on 21 October, addressed to Rep. James Comer, ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, NIH official Lawrence A. Tabak admitted that a "limited experiment" in gain-of-function research had been conducted in order to test if "spike proteins from naturally occurring bat coronaviruses circulating in China were capable of binding to the human ACE2 receptor in a mouse model". The research involves extracting viruses from animals for subsequent artificial engineering to make them more transmissible and deadly to humans. The letter revealed that laboratory mice infected with the modified bat virus "became sicker" than mice exposed to the unmodified bat virus.Weighing in on the revelation, Rand Paul said: This is a civilisation-ending kind of research. This research could release something that could destroy civilisation, said Rand Paul. According to Rand Paul, Fauci could "never fully explain why [the experiments] are not gain-of-function.On 11 May, Fauci testified to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions that a $600,000 NIH grant he approved for the WIV was not for gain-of-function research, which often involves altering the genetic code of a naturally-occurring virus in one animal to make it capable of infecting another. Later in the year, Fauci, White House chief medical advisor, and Sen. Rand Paul traded barbs at a Senate hearing about controversial NIH-funded research. In July Paul asked Fauci if he would like to retract his May testimony statement, reminding that it is a crime to lie to Congress". Fauci, who oversees several NIH research programs as NIAID director, said:In September, Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher urged Anthony Fauci to resign, claiming new documents showed that the 80-year-old had lied about the US backing gain-of-function studies at Wuhan. Gallagher was referring to documents earlier obtained by The Intercept, which reportedly indicated that NIH had funded experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology that made coronaviruses more pathogenetic than the original virus. The GOP congressman emphasised that grant reports written by British-American zoologist Peter Daszak allegedly proved that US taxpayer dollars supported research that made a virus at the WIV stronger than the original, naturally-occurring virus. Rand Paul was cited as saying that together with other lawmakers he had referred Fauci to the Justice Department for investigation, but had little hope any probe would be forthcoming. The current developments feed into speculations regarding the origins of the coronavirus that unleashed the global pandemic.However, a report from a World Health Organisation (WHO) investigative mission to Wuhan published in March found the lab-leak origin theory "extremely unlikely", reinforcing the explanation that the virus strain mutated naturally and could have spread to humans through the sale of wild animals such as bats and pangolins as culinary delicacies. Lyle Milroy Fauci should be prosecuted for murder! 4 NCC-1701 And that's why Trump did his best to blame China. Anything to cover up the US's part in it. 4 6 wuhan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko us, rand paul, national institutes of health (nih), anthony fauci, us house oversight committee, wuhan, covid-19 https://sputniknews.com/20211022/rec-5000-companies-join-single-window-system-1090135688.html REC: 5,000 Companies Join Single Window System REC: 5,000 Companies Join Single Window System Almost 5,000 Russian exporters have registered with the Russian Export Centre's Single Window information system in less than a year of its operation, the... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T13:41+0000 2021-10-22T13:41+0000 2021-10-22T13:41+0000 russia export applications /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/16/1090135622_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_868a32a415322902fb3d9a1a70f305c9.jpg It has been almost 11 months since we launched our platform. So far, 4,840 exporters have registered with the Single Window system. 2,133 of them have already used the services presented. Financing the costs of participation in exhibitions and business missions remains the most popular one, Alexey Mikhailik, Vice President of the Russian Export Centre JSC (REC) for the implementation of the Single Window project, said during the fourth module of the REC Export School educational programme. According to him, 1,877 exporters have used the service. Companies also actively use the country's commodity report, which includes a list of potential buyers, accounting for 1,655 applications for this service. Moreover, companies have filed over 2,000 applications in total to receive compensation for transportation costs of agricultural and industrial products. Finally, we see a great demand among our exporters for a Certificate of Free Sale (CFS), Mikhailik added. REC pointed out that the My Export digital platform now provides for government and business services, analytics, as well as services supporting exhibition and convention activities. The platform will launch over 30 super services addressing all the needs of exporters at every stage of export activities by the end of 2024. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 russia, export, applications https://sputniknews.com/20211022/republicans-tell-meghan-markle-to-stick-to-acting-after-out-of-touch-intervention-in-us-politics-1090127275.html Republicans Tell Meghan Markle to Stick to Acting After Out-of-Touch Intervention in US Politics Republicans Tell Meghan Markle to Stick to Acting After Out-of-Touch Intervention in US Politics In her latest political inroad, Meghan Markle sent a letter on Thursday addressed to the Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer, and House Speaker... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T09:49+0000 2021-10-22T09:49+0000 2021-10-22T09:49+0000 us republicans meghan markle uk /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/06/17/1083222874_0:112:3243:1936_1920x0_80_0_0_4e5ce74122b928618c9e80fbfe223dae.jpg US Republicans have suggested that Meghan Markle stick to acting instead of trying to play politics, reported the Daily Mail.Furthermore, after her lobbying intervention on Thursday urging American politicians to bring in paid parental leave as a national right, some members of the GOP have wondered why the royal family doesnt simply strip her of her Duchess of Sussex title.Ms. Markle's latest interference in US politics reignites the question in my mind as to why the Royal Family does not simply strip her and Harry officially of their titles, particularly since she insists on sending this under the pretense of being the Duchess of Sussex, Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., was quoted as saying. The wife of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, sixth in the line of succession to the British throne, wrote a lengthy letter where she recounted incidents in her childhood when she was forced to get a job as a teen for gas money and ate at a salad bar, while advocating the need for a US paid family leave programme. The issue is part of the Democrats' budget reconciliation social spending plan. The historic legislation moving through Congress would make 12 weeks of paid family and sick leave available to most workers as part of a new federal policy. The letter with the post-royal letterhead, which uses the Sussexes' titles but not their official cyphers was addressed to the Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The memo was made public via the Paid Leave for All website. The former actress deplored the fact that the United States currently "does not federally guarantee any person a single day of paid leave. And fewer than one in four workers has dedicated paid family leave through their employer". Markle urged putting families above politics to ensure a federal guarantee that parents can take compensated time off after the birth of a child.The letter also sparked rumorrs that Meghan Markle, who together with her husband and their two children has been residing in the US since quitting royal life in 2020, was plying the tactics of an aspiring politician. Meghan Markle is incredibly out of touch with the American people and should stick to acting instead of trying to play politics, Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., was quoted as saying by the outlet. She added: Angela Levin, journalist and biographer of Prince Harry, was cited by the outlet as saying that despite Meghan Markle being an American citizen, the letter from The office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and signed on behalf of my family, Archie and Lili and Harry, amounts to using a British royal title to interfere in US politics. Last October, Congressman Jason Smith similarly requested the royal family strip the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their titles over their breach of the British Royal Family's neutrality and purported interference in the US election. This followed the couples joint US broadcast where they urged to reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity. Furthermore, Meghan Markle had called the 3 November 2020 ballot-casting the most important election of our lifetime. NCC-1701 If she is so concerned about families let her go out and spread to them some of her fortune. 1 sharknbake21 hey megan, nobody is interested in your elistitss nonsense 1 4 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko us, republicans, meghan markle, uk https://sputniknews.com/20211022/steeles-interview-is-bait-to-divert-public-from-trumps-rising-polls--durhams-probe-analyst-says-1090138031.html Steele's Interview is Bait to Divert Public From Trump's Rising Polls & Durham's Probe, Analyst Says Steele's Interview is Bait to Divert Public From Trump's Rising Polls & Durham's Probe, Analyst Says While the US media remain uninterested in Hunter Biden's "laptop from hell," apparently considering it irrelevant, they have suddenly turned the spotlight on a... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T15:53+0000 2021-10-22T15:53+0000 2021-10-22T15:53+0000 mi6 donald trump world us opinion hillary clinton crowdstrike christopher steele fbi steele dossier /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106049/56/1060495607_0:53:3500:2022_1920x0_80_0_0_fd6756a0494241155da022d3dcb37cf2.jpg Earlier this week, ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos released a documentary about ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele, the author of the infamous dirty dossier later debunked in the FBI spreadsheet and Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report. However, Steele asserted to Stephanopoulos: "I stand by the work we did, the sources that we had, and the professionalism which we applied to it."Trump Quickly Gaining GroundThe release of a "patently absurd regurgitation of debunked conspiracy theories" promoted by Steele and other intelligence operatives, while the US is facing serious challenges emanating from Joe Biden's "incompetence," is nothing but "shameful," according to Wall Street analyst and investigative journalist Charles Ortel.He wonders as to why Stephanopoulos has turned a blind eye to questionable financial operations by Hunter and Joe Biden as potential "pay-to-play" involving foreign individuals, and is focusing on the dirty dossier instead.It appears especially confusing given that Special Counsel Mueller's probe, which cost US taxpayers almost $32 million, failed to find any evidence backing Steele's claims.Although Trump has not yet confirmed that he would run in 2024, there's growing speculation that he will throw his hat into the ring. Moreover, the former president's poll rating is increasing, especially among independents. According to a Grinnell College poll, 45 percent of independents said they would vote for Trump while just 28 percent endorsed Biden. The survey indicates that both politicians received the support of 40 percent of likely voters.At the same time, poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight signalled on 21 October, that over his first nine months in office, Biden "has lost support among Americans of all stripes," with independents and Hispanics being especially disenchanted.Durham Closing InYet another potential reason for reviving old debunked allegations by Steele could be the latest indictment of Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann, according to Ortel.Special Counsel John Durham has been investigating potential misconduct in the federal investigation, called Operation Crossfire Hurricane, of the alleged Trump-Russia "collusion" since 2019. Sussmann's indictment, penned by Durham, is unusually lengthy as it describes not only the lawyer's alleged false statement to the FBI, but also close collaboration between Hillary Clinton campaign operatives, lawyers, technical specialists, and media figures to produce research linking the Trump Organisation to Russia's Alfa Bank. The document also highlighted doubts cited by the participants of the "project" about its credibility. Later, alleged "secret communications" between the Trump Organisation and the Russian bank were disproven by the FBI.American legal observers suggested that Durham is "circling" former Clinton aide and current national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who, as they suggest, took an active part in peddling the Trump-Russia research. However, "in testimony to Congress, Sullivan insisted that he did not know the Alfa Bank scandal was the work of a Clinton lawyer and people associated with the campaign," wrote Jonathan Turley, a professor of public interest law at George Washington University. Earlier, lying to Congress under oath cost ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen three years in prison.It is also possible that the whole group "that pushed the Alfa Bank/Trump hoax" will find itself in Durham's crosshairs, according to Techno Fog, a pseudonym for an American lawyer and writer.Techno Fog does not rule out that the data used in the research was "manipulated" judging from the group's inner communications obtained by the special counsel. One message read that it would be possible to fill out a sales form on two websites, faking the other companys email address in each form, and thereby cause them to appear to communicate with each other in DNS." If that's the case, and data was indeed manipulated to look like "secret communication" between Trump's entities and Alfa Bank, Sussmann may potentially face obstruction (18 USC 1503) or conspiracy charges, Techno Fog believes.As for "Tech Executive-1," identified by the media as Rodney Joffe, and "a university," which, apparently means Georgia Tech, they may find themselves in a heap of trouble over the alleged "misuse of classified government data from DARPA," according to the lawyer.Given the clouds gathering on the horizon of those who peddled Trump-Russia "collusion" narrative, Steele's interview was possibly meant to serve as a distraction for the American public, suggests Charles Ortel.However, it's hard to imagine that Americans buying into this, he says. https://sputniknews.com/20211014/potential-indictment-of-jake-sullivan-may-bring-durham-very-close-to-hillary-clinton-analyst-says-1089928947.html https://sputniknews.com/20211005/durhams-probe-hillary-clinton-sowed-dragons-teeth-by-peddling-trump-russia-hoax-analyst-says-1089679576.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova mi6, donald trump, world, us, opinion, hillary clinton, crowdstrike, christopher steele, fbi, steele dossier, john durham https://sputniknews.com/20211022/swedish-gangsta-rapper-dead-in-gang-related-shootout-1090132882.html Swedish Gangsta Rapper Dead in Gang-Related Shootout Swedish Gangsta Rapper Dead in Gang-Related Shootout Notably, 19-year-old artist Einar was set to testify against a prominent gang called Varby Network next week as a crime victim. Earlier this year, 27 people... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T12:32+0000 2021-10-22T12:32+0000 2021-10-22T12:32+0000 news europe sweden music crime scandinavia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/104478/41/1044784122_0:171:1200:846_1920x0_80_0_0_8fe314d7842a043bde55386f782f99ca.jpg Award-winning rapper Einar has been shot dead in a residential area in Hammarby in southern Stockholm. Swedish national broadcaster SVT described the incident as a gang-related shooting.The police were summoned to the Hammarby waterfront at 22.50 on Thursday evening after residents reported hearing loud bangs. Once there, they found a gunshot-wounded man who was later confirmed to be Nils Gronberg, known by his alias Einar.A police helicopter was deployed in the subsequent manhunt for one or more perpetrators, after the police received information about possible perpetrators on the run.Since then, the police have interrogated several witnesses. Forensic scientists were on the site early in the morning to secure clues and technical evidence such as DNA traces for further analysis. No arrests have been made so far, but more people have been brought in for questioning. According to Carina Skagerlind, the investigation is moving forward with image analysis and door-to-door interrogation.Remarkably, Einar was to testify against a gang called the Varby Network at the Svea Court of Appeal next week. Chamber prosecutor Anna Strath described him as plaintiff, adding that he was not a witness, but a crime victim.Nils Einar Gronberg was also summoned to the district court regarding the same case, but never showed up. The prosecutor is unaware as to why.In July 2021, 27 people with connections to the Varby Network were sentenced to a total of 147 years in prison.The 19-year-old rapper rose to stardom two years ago, as one of his songs quickly topped Swedish charts. During the same year, 2019, he released his debut album First Class.Einar achieved major success with millions of listens on Spotify and won several music awards, including Swedish Radio's Award for Song of the Year 2019 and Newcomer of the Year at Swedish Grammy Awards 2020. https://sputniknews.com/20210913/swedish-opposition-calls-for-terror-laws-against-gang-crime-after-bloodiest-summer-in-modern-1089023793.html sweden scandinavia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Igor Kuznetsov Igor Kuznetsov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Igor Kuznetsov news, europe, sweden, music, crime, scandinavia https://sputniknews.com/20211022/texas-asks-supreme-court-to-keep-abortion-ban-in-place-1090116618.html Texas Asks Supreme Court to Keep Abortion Ban in Place Texas Asks Supreme Court to Keep Abortion Ban in Place The Justice Department previously suspended the controversial legislation, which was appealed by the state authorities, but eventually dismissed. It is now for... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T00:04+0000 2021-10-22T00:04+0000 2021-10-22T00:15+0000 us supreme court texas abortion ken paxton court filing /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/15/1090116430_0:193:3019:1891_1920x0_80_0_0_f85fc484fd7024e0b2a9348f1f900008.jpg Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the US Supreme Court on Thursday to keep in place the state's law that bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, i.e. when a "heartbeat" an embryo's cardiac activity can be detected.In the filing, Paxton, along with other senior state officials, argues that the Justice Department has no constitutional right to sue Texas in federal court, citing an order by a three-judge panel of the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals that brought the ban back after a lower-court judge suspended it.The court filing comes in response to the Biden administration calling on the Supreme Court to block the controversial law. Paxton earlier vowed to fight for Texas' freedom from "federal overreach."The "heartbeat" legislation has divided Texans into those who are either "pro-life" or "pro-choice", prompting nationwide protests. On October 4 alone, 660 demonstrations were held across the United States in support of the procedure. Pro-abortion activists say prohibiting terminations after six weeks basically amounts to a full ban on abortion, as women usually get them later than that. Reports say women have already started to cross the border into other states seeking the procedure, as abortions have decreased almost 80% in Texas since the legislation took effect in September. https://sputniknews.com/20211004/us-supreme-court-to-return-to-bench-with-cases-on-abortion-gun-rights-to-be-heard-1089648913.html vot tak Aborting texarsians is usually a good thing. 2 Nevi'im Texans have a choice, choose abortion and terminate 80% of conceived babies, or remove the Border Wall and replace your future with Mexican or foreign immigrants. This country is no different where Female Genital Mutilation FGM has lead to unnatural female eunuchs and subsequent divorce, domestic violence, scientific unnatural reproductive practice for aged women and abortion have reduced the babies being conceived. Abortion has reduced babies reaching birth by 80%, thereby requiring massive immigration to achieve economic growth and balance the aging female circumcised generation. 0 2 texas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Asya Geydarova https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/0b/1088970360_0:0:1003:1003_100x100_80_0_0_14c2d6564e4700bfb043d8338b3ba245.jpg Asya Geydarova https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/0b/1088970360_0:0:1003:1003_100x100_80_0_0_14c2d6564e4700bfb043d8338b3ba245.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Asya Geydarova https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/0b/1088970360_0:0:1003:1003_100x100_80_0_0_14c2d6564e4700bfb043d8338b3ba245.jpg us supreme court, texas, abortion, ken paxton, court filing https://sputniknews.com/20211022/us-argentine-diplomats-discuss-regional-security-nuclear-cooperation--state-department-1090145402.html US, Argentine Diplomats Discuss Regional Security, Nuclear Cooperation State Department US, Argentine Diplomats Discuss Regional Security, Nuclear Cooperation State Department WASHINGTON, October 22 (Sputnik) - Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Argentinas Secretary for Strategic Affairs Gustavo Beliz to discuss... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T21:10+0000 2021-10-22T21:10+0000 2021-10-22T21:10+0000 argentina us nuclear talks /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/103006/16/1030061680_0:180:1920:1260_1920x0_80_0_0_fb19f79cdf3dd314388942d2f9e3d43c.jpg "Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Argentinas Secretary for Strategic Affairs Gustavo Beliz today in Washington, D.C. to advance important aspects of our bilateral relationship. They discussed shared goals for democracy in the hemisphere, addressing the climate crisis, strengthening collaboration on regional security, and civil nuclear cooperation," Price said in a press release.Argentina has also been negotiating nuclear cooperation with Russia. In January 2018, Moscow and Buenos Aires signed a memorandum of understanding on uranium mining in Argentina. In late 2018, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev said that Argentina had invited the corporation to join a uranium mining project in the South American country and share its technologies with Buenos Aires.The memorandum envisages bilateral cooperation on uranium mining with the use of the in-situ leaching method. The investments are to reach $250 million. Dang! Oh no!! Here comes MORE USA raping and pillaging of LATAM!! Wake up Argentina!! 0 1 argentina us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 argentina, us, nuclear talks https://sputniknews.com/20211022/us-claims-right-to-respond-to-deliberate-and-coordinated-attack-on-at-tanf-base-in-syria-1090143121.html US Claims 'Right to Respond' to 'Deliberate and Coordinated Attack' on at-Tanf Base in Syria US Claims 'Right to Respond' to 'Deliberate and Coordinated Attack' on at-Tanf Base in Syria The White House said on Friday that it reserved the right to respond after militants struck the US garrison at at-Tanf with rockets and suicide drones earlier... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T18:39+0000 2021-10-22T18:39+0000 2021-10-22T19:24+0000 syria al-tanf white house military response /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/06/1c/1083260552_0:97:3073:1825_1920x0_80_0_0_a75bd0e34be2f9c5803320460816181a.jpg The attack on late Wednesday night involved both kamikaze drones and rockets, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, attributing the attack to "Iran-backed militias," as it has other similar attacks on its garrisons in Syria and Iraq in recent years.An eyewitness to the attack told the BBC there were some coming from [the] Iraq-Syria border," which is just a few miles to the southeast of at-Tanf."The al-Tanf garrison area was subjected to a deliberate and coordinated attack," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday, noting she had no reports of deaths or injuries by any US personnel at the base.Photos of the damage emerged on social media on Thursday that were subsequently confirmed by CENTCOM to be of the base. They show several structures crumpled, scorched and otherwise damaged by the attack, including one photo showing the inside of a gym.The remote desert base, located along the M2 Baghdad-Damascus highway near Syria's border with Iraq and Jordan, has been held by American troops since early 2016, when the base was used to train so-called "moderate rebels" fighting against the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad.However, the command of the Allied Operations Room of Syria, the pro-Syrian, anti-Daesh* alliance of forces that includes advisers from Hezbollah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), pledged after that attack that it would respond in kind.The Biden administration has launched several other responsive airstrikes against Shiite militias in Syria since taking office in January, claiming the right of self-defense after rocket attacks were launched against US forces or bases housing US forces. However, the American response didn't always land on militias responsible for the attacks.Neither the presence of American troops on Syrian soil, nor attacks on forces or installations on Syrian soil, have the permission of the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad. netman US does not have any rights because theyre in Syria illegally! 33 NoGo usoa is on way to vacate second country in asap mode in less than two months! 20 21 syria al-tanf white house Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg syria, al-tanf, white house, military response https://sputniknews.com/20211022/us-judge-sets-4-november-for-hearing-on-trumps-executive-privilege-claim-in-capitol-riot-inquiry-1090140892.html US Judge Sets 4 November for Hearing on Trump's Executive Privilege Claim in Capitol Riot Inquiry US Judge Sets 4 November for Hearing on Trump's Executive Privilege Claim in Capitol Riot Inquiry On 25 August, the US House of Representatives panel investigating the 6 January events sent a letter to the departments of Defene, Homeland Security, Justice... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T16:48+0000 2021-10-22T16:48+0000 2021-10-22T17:30+0000 us joe biden donald trump us capitol riot inquiry /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/03/12/1082385812_0:0:1916:1079_1920x0_80_0_0_0ffa5a05c07709dbbc29402c3522ef37.png A US judge has set a 4 November hearing to consider ex-President Donald Trump's claim of executive privilege in response to a document request from a congressional panel investigating the 6 January Capitol riot. "The court further orders that a hearing is set for November 4, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. via video teleconference before Judge Tanya S. Chutkan," the court document said.On Monday, Trump filed a lawsuit at the US District Court for the District of Columbia, asserting that materials sought by the House of Representatives committee are covered by executive privilege, a legal doctrine that protects the confidentiality of some White House communications.This comes after late last month, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said that President Biden would not resort to executive privilege with respect to former President Donald Trumps activities and communications during the January 6 events. On 25 August, the US House of Representatives panel investigating the January 6 Capitol riot wrote to the departments of Defence, Homeland Security, Justice and four other agencies, requesting records, including those related to the role of Donald Trump in the riot. On 6 January, a group of Trump supporters entered the US Capitol where lawmakers were about to certify the 2020 election results and declare Democrat Joe Biden the new 46th President of the United States. The protest turned violent and resulted in clashes with the police. One protester was shot dead during the riot. Some 500 people were charged for participating in the event. https://sputniknews.com/20211014/us-capitol-riot-probe-cites-steve-bannon-for-criminal-contempt-1089930912.html TruePatriot The House Committee aka Nero continue to fiddle while Rome burns. Shame on them. 1 1 us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sofia Chegodaeva Sofia Chegodaeva News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sofia Chegodaeva us, joe biden, donald trump, us capitol, riot, inquiry https://sputniknews.com/20211022/us-should-stop-dragging-taiwan-into-war-china-says-1090118496.html US Should Stop Dragging Taiwan Into War, China Says US Should Stop Dragging Taiwan Into War, China Says UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The international community should call on the United States to stop dragging Taiwan into a war, Chinas Ambassador to the United... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T01:19+0000 2021-10-22T01:19+0000 2021-10-22T01:19+0000 us china war taiwan military /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/01/1083769624_0:151:2901:1782_1920x0_80_0_0_4f7deb81a771b64a9f8d4b59bb1b782f.jpg In early October, the Wall Street Journal reported that US Marines and special operations forces have been secretly training Taiwanese soldiers on the island for at least a year, to defend against possible Chinese aggression.China in recent days sent almost 150 military aircraft close to Taiwan while US and other allied forces conducted drills in the South China Sea.Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng previously claimed that Beijing might consider mounting a full-scale invasion of the island by 2025. The statement came after Beijing sent nearly 150 military aircraft into Taiwan's air defense zone on October 1. Commenting on the drills near the border with Taiwan, China's Taiwan Affairs Office said earlier this week that Beijing's military exercises are aimed at guarding its national sovereignty and preventing foreign interference in the relations between the mainland and the island.China sees Taiwan as its breakaway province. The island has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949 when an opposition nationalist party retreated there during a civil war and set up a government. https://sputniknews.com/20211015/china-engaging-in-major-construction-at-airbases-near-taiwan-satellite-snaps-appear-to-show-1089956459.html vot tak The israeloamericans are seeking to use taiwan like they use all their colonials. As a pawn to their geostrategic goals. The disgusting things only care about lording power and increasing their stranglehold. Look to the rivalry between musk and bezos. This is the zio/nazi/west in a nutshell. 3 1 us china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 us, china, war, taiwan, military https://sputniknews.com/20211022/we-rank-last-indias-congress-party-blasts-pm-modi-for-celebrating-delivery-of-1-bln-vaccine-jabs-1090124344.html 'We Rank Last': India's Congress Party Blasts PM Modi for Celebrating Delivery of 1 Bln Vaccine Jabs 'We Rank Last': India's Congress Party Blasts PM Modi for Celebrating Delivery of 1 Bln Vaccine Jabs Indias government-backed vaccination programme has largely been powered by two vaccines Covishield (developed by AstraZeneca and manufactured by the Serum... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T10:21+0000 2021-10-22T10:21+0000 2021-10-22T10:21+0000 narendra modi india congress covid-19 /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/04/1082537116_0:0:2621:1475_1920x0_80_0_0_51540d3ea37bcaae86602f82ebf537a0.jpg India's main opposition Congress party has launched a scathing political attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for celebrating the one billionth vaccine administered in India, claiming that the country's fight against COVID is far from over. Does the prime minister have the guts to look the families of those people who succumbed to COVID in the eye? Khera questioned.At the peak of its crippling second COVID wave in April and May this year, India was reporting between 300,000 and 400,000 COVID cases each day. However, recently on 18 October, the 1.3 billion-strong nation reported just 18,000 daily infections, its lowest in 231 days. Despite this, Indian officials have expressed fears about a possible third wave, warning the public against dropping their guard during the ongoing festive season.Kheras colleague Randeep Singh Surjewala, a general secretary in the Congress party, pointed out that 320 million Indian adults are still yet to receive a single vaccine dose.He further questioned the governments commitment in administering the second vaccine dose to nearly 420 million Indian adults who have received their first jab. The political offensive by the Congress party comes minutes after PM Modi addressed the public virtually to celebrate administering the billionth jab.According to the federal Health Ministry, India hit the one billion mark vaccine on 21 October. On the same day, Indias junior Health Minister Bharati Pravin Pawar reiterated the governments pledge to vaccinate the entire adult population by the end of 2021.Modi also described the one billion vaccine landmark as a new chapter in the history of the country, as he lauded the countrys vaccination programme for being science-born, science-driven, and science-based. https://sputniknews.com/20211021/india-hails-historic-one-billion-covid-vaccination-milestone-in-nine-months-1090089362.html Amit S Hindustan ki kahan chini ki jubani, sab bikta hai..... jaichand bhi hindustani tha and writer bhi... 0 1 india Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Dhairya Maheshwari Dhairya Maheshwari News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Dhairya Maheshwari narendra modi, india, congress, covid-19 https://sputniknews.com/20211022/why-putins-conservatism-of-optimists-approach-resonating-with-traditionalists-in-us-and-eu-1090128178.html Why Putin's 'Conservatism of Optimists' Approach Resonating With Traditionalists in US and EU Why Putin's 'Conservatism of Optimists' Approach Resonating With Traditionalists in US and EU President Vladimir Putin defined Russia's ideology as a "conservatism of optimists", while delivering his remarks at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Valdai... 22.10.2021, Sputnik International 2021-10-22T10:50+0000 2021-10-22T10:50+0000 2021-10-22T10:50+0000 valdai discussion club world us russia opinion vladimir putin nato progressive conservatism 1917 revolution /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106435/02/1064350225_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_9be30071a1a58b7b323216d1c576fff7.jpg "For the coming period of global reconstruction, which may continue for quite some time and the final outcome of which is not known, moderate conservatism is the most reasonable approach, at least in my opinion," Vladimir Putin stated, addressing an international audience on 21 October.Russia's conservatism encompasses spiritual, traditional and family values, a positive attitude to the nation's historical heritage, and the placement of an individual's personal qualities above his or her sex, ethnicity or the colour of their skin, as well as national sovereignty and an approach to international collaboration driven by concern for the common good, according to the Russian president.Russia's 'Conservatism of Optimists'The West is presently undergoing a severe identity crisis that breeds the need to either appreciate or stabilise it, the foreign affairs analyst underscores. Thats why Russia, perceived as a predominantly Christian and traditionalist nation, is so appealing to conservatives in the West, he says."The late Professor Andrzej Walicki wrote a very important essay in 2015 titled 'Can Vladimir Putin become the ideological leader of world conservatism?' where he addressed this issue in detail," Kasonta says.President Putin's term "conservatism of optimists" seems to connote frustration at the direction in which gender rights is going in the US, according to Dr. Samuel Hoff, the George Washington Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History and Political Science at Delaware State University. "Many social conservatives in America would agree with Putin's characterisation," he notes.Is the Western Agenda Really Progressive?Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club meeting, the Russian president remarked that the battle for equal rights in some Western nations has turned into a farce. The so-called "progressive" agenda advocated by some forces in the West has translated into cancel culture, reverse racism, attacks on history and basic values such as respect for mothers, fathers, families or even basic definitions concerning gender difference, he noted. According to the president, Bolsheviks propagated strikingly similar ideas in the wake of the October 1917 Revolution. Russia has learnt this lesson, turning its historical experience into a competitive advantage, he said.Currently, a "real generational battle is going on, at least in the US, over competing ideologies, views, speech, and even over the past", says David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University. He highlights that there is "a big push back in the US against the cancel culture too".The US, the West and the world as a whole needs to foster an environment for competing opinions, as the support for this is currently eroding, according to the political scientist.True progressivism refers to a movement in American history which was notable for reforms (1900-1920), recalls Hoff, adding that the very idea that people who support cancel culture call themselves modern-day "progressives" appears "insulting" to the aforementioned period.Treating History Selectively"Both Americans and Russians would both admit that some of each nation's own past is ugly," Hoff highlights. "But to hide those facts and events is to ignore the lessons of the same and to deny history."However, it's not only Western liberals who treat their historic past selectively but also their conservative counterparts, according to the foreign affairs analyst.Russia and West Have More In Common Than One ImaginesThe international observers agree that the attempts to rewrite history and distort facts pose no lesser risk than a "historical amnesia".One glaring example is the West's attempt to depict Russia as an antagonist, according to the professor. While some Americans are reading about Russia's leaving NATO as an observer or not coming to the UK climate summit they might easily get the wrong idea about Russo-American relations. However, Russia and the US have lots of points where their interests converge as well as a shared past, including cooperation in outer space, during the first Gulf War, as allies during the Second World War, as members of the same UN committees, holding superpower summits, and signing a plethora of bilateral treaties and agreements, according to the political scientist. https://sputniknews.com/20211021/putin-says-discussion-on-men-and-women-in-west-has-become-phantasmagorical-1090106736.html Boris Jaruselski Vladimir Putin isn't responsible for the resurgence of conservatism, ...too many, too sudden changes, causing upheavals in societies around the globe is this catalyst, which causes conservatism. These highly contentious attempts by Western 'elites' to tear the basic strands of the societal fabric is against the grain of too many people, to just be accepted as the 'new reality'. Western 'elites' have long ago come to realize, that if the BASIC unit of society, ...the family, is functional, then their 'progressive' ideas have not chance of taking hold. Social media and Hollywood have put barely a dent into the family, so Western elites are resorting now to a different 'strategy': 'convince' CHILDREN, PRIMARY SCHOOL age, that, ...maybe, ...perhaps, they AREN'T what their conservative parents have made them believe they are! ...eventually resulting in a generation which is completely DEVOID of ANY kind of reference and bearing, and who are mentally BRAINWASHED to accept nearly ANYTHING! 13 Gone It seems I too have become a traditionalist and conservative, all while I believe in progress. the very notion that a conservative believes in progress was incomprehensible before CIA twisted West so twisted the reality that up is down and North is South and a progressive is a conservative. By way of deception, huh? They have told so many lies to their people that those people now have no idea what truth even looks like. 8 7 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova valdai discussion club, world, us, russia, opinion, vladimir putin, nato, progressive, conservatism, 1917 revolution Woodbine Mohawk Park will host their race in honour of the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Societys 25th anniversary on Saturday (Oct. 23) and one of the starters in the race is closely related to a horse who found a loving home through OSAS earlier this year. Mohawks OSAS race is number six on the card, a $30,000 pace with six talented starters. So Much More, one of two females in the contest, is the richest of the half dozen with more than $750,000 earned to date. She is owned by trainer Don Beatson as well as Kenn Beatson and Cole England and will be driven by James MacDonald. The five-year-old daughter of Big Jim is from the Real Artist mare Ladysai whose dam is Start Dialing, the third dam of Kwik Mac, a nine-year-old gelding who went through the OSAS program a few months ago and is now living his best life with his adopter Beth Mackin. Not only did Beth adopt Kwik Mac, she also gave his pasture buddy Howdy Partner a new home. Kwik Mac, who is related to So Much More, is shown during his time at Bert & Susan Mollicas farm while in foster before being adopted. Bert is riding Kwik Mac while Susan is aboard Hollywood Ham. (Susan Mollica photo) Kwik Mac, who is related to So Much More, is shown during his time at Bert & Susan Mollicas farm while in foster before being adopted. Bert is riding Kwik Mac while Susan is aboard Hollywood Ham. (Susan Mollica photo) Every track in Ontario will host a race in honour of OSASs anniversary this year. Mohawks event is the 11th with the final one slated for Rideau Carleton Raceway on October 28. To view the entries for Saturday's card of harness racing at Mohawk, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Woodbine Mohawk Park. (OSAS) Another partner with St. Stephens is St. Josephs Table at Precious Blood Catholic Church, 114 E. Edmondson St. in downtown Culpeper. St. Josephs supports additional families in the community who also need food assistance. Food Closet volunteers, Bobbie and Rick Terry, are coordinating additional support of the Thanksgiving Program with this partner. The Food Closet has ordered an additional 77 roasting hens through another ardent supporter, La Lomita, 46 turkeys, and 146 bags of side dishes, to support these families. The Culpeper Food Closet all year round provides food and personal care products to those in need of assistance. People can get vouchers through Sams Place and come to the food closet twice a month to pick up four days worth of food 9 a.m. to noon MondayFriday. The ministry added evening hours this year and is open 4-6 p.m. Thursdays so working families will not have to take off from work to receive assistance. Those who come on Thursday afternoons dont need a Sams Place voucher, and can come twice monthly, to receive four days of food. To date, about 20 families per week are receiving food supplies during these new hours. GERING The rich and diverse history and heritage of the state of Nebraska as told through its often secluded historical monuments and markers is the subject of the Friends of the Gering Library presentation for Sunday, Oct. 24. The talk, to be held at 2 p.m., will be at The Legacy of the Plains Museum and is free and open to the public and sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. Marking Nebraska: Our (Mostly) Hidden Historical Monuments by historian Jeff Barnes is a review of the states earliest historical markers, from setting its borders to marking its trails to honoring its people. Drawing from his site visits and photographs collected from across the state, Barnes shares some of the more interesting, colorful, and even controversial ways Nebraskans told their stories through boulders, tablets, plaques, and statues. With no lasting success and much public uproar, scientists turned from primates to pigs, tinkering with their genes to bridge the species gap. Pigs have advantages over monkeys and apes. They are produced for food, so using them for organs raises fewer ethical concerns. Pigs have large litters, short gestation periods and organs comparable to humans. Pig heart valves also have been used successfully for decades in humans. The blood thinner heparin is derived from pig intestines. Pig skin grafts are used on burns and Chinese surgeons have used pig corneas to restore sight. In the NYU case, researchers kept a deceased woman's body going on a ventilator after her family agreed to the experiment. The woman had wished to donate her organs, but they weren't suitable for traditional donation. The family felt "there was a possibility that some good could come from this gift," Montgomery said. Montgomery himself received a transplant three years ago, a human heart from a donor with hepatitis C because he was willing to take any organ. "I was one of those people lying in an ICU waiting and not knowing whether an organ was going to come in time," he said. LINCOLN Another action-packed hunting season has begun, and hunters are excited, but safety should be first and foremost. Hunters should remember these key steps to ensure safety for them and those around them. Firearm safety rules Many dove and teal hunts are in a group setting with friends and family. Be sure to know where everyone is located. Establish shooting lanes and do not swing your firearm outside of your safe zone of fire. Be in constant communication with your group. Nebraska Hunter Education Coordinator Jackson Ellis said nearly all firearm incidents can be prevented by following four rules: Control the muzzle, ensuring that a firearm never is pointed in an unsafe direction. Keep your finger out of the trigger guard and away from the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. Be sure of your target, and what is beyond it. At the height of the pandemic, Johnson said the NDOL encountered four years worth of unemployment claims in four months. That number has significantly reduced since then as more and more people find work. On Sept. 30, the local NDOL office in Scottsbluff, one of only two in the Panhandle, held a drive-through job fair for prospective job seekers. More than 30 businesses participated, and Pat Comfort, the NDOLs regional manager, said they had around 80 applicants drive by or pick up pamphlets. We pretty much felt like we had something for everybody, she said. Applicants were from all walks of life, Comfort said, and were interested in both part-time and long-term opportunities. It was their most popular job fair in years, with more participation than even before the pandemic. The event shows that people are still on the lookout for employment opportunities. However, Comfort said her office has seen less foot traffic as of late. Fewer people, it seems, need their assistance to find jobs. It could be to them using online services, she said, or it could be to them already having jobs. Things have changed in the last six months, she said. Be honest, now what is it that scares you most about crawling out of your COVID-19 hidey-hole and going back to your workplace? Is it the fact that you probably wont be able to work in your pajamas? Is it the ridicule youll surely face bringing your best friend and collaborator, Stuffy J. Bear, Esq. into the office with you? Of course it isnt. The real fear of going back to work is having to once again deal with people -- people you cant make go away by clicking on Zooms Leave Meeting button. People with whom youll have to rub elbows, or, depending on the level of familiarity allowed in your company, rub noses, for years to come. Worst of all, people with whom youll have to talk. Its true! Youre facing a blizzard of banter, hour after hour, day after day. Its enough to make you send off resumes for lighthouse-keeper positions in the Inner Hebrides (all the positions in the Outer Hebrides have already been filled. Sorry.) Its an overreaction, possibly, but what alternate do you have? Which brings us to Nicholas Epley, Michael Kardas and Amit Kumar, the trio behind Small talk is boring. Our research shows how you can do better, a recent article in The Washington Post. To increase FAFSA completion, the high school collaborated with partners across the region. Together, they hosted eight in-person events, where student services team members and volunteers assisted families with completing the aid application. Other strategies included virtual appointments, social media outreach, a 24/7 message box for students to submit questions, and one-on-one outreach to families. The partners include Davidsons College Advising Corps, Statesvilles National Guard unit, Boys & Girls Club of the Piedmont, and Statesville Recreation Center. In simpler terms, the counselors, advisers, teachers and staffers at Statesville High made connections with students to guide them towards continuing their education. We had to be creative as far as doing Zoom meetings, telephone calls, catching them when they can, Rucker said. A couple of home visits as well, Tonisha White, a 10th- and 11th-grade guidance counselor at Statesville High, said. We had to collaborate and work together, Rucker said. We had to work together and be as creative as possible. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Reaching out on Facebook or stopping students at the park were just two examples of how the work wasnt as easy as bringing a student to the office as they might do in a normal school year. TACOMA, Wash. (AP) Four people were killed in a shooting in Tacoma, Washington, on Thursday afternoon and authorities were searching for at least one suspect, police said. The Tacoma Police Department said on Twitter that two females and one male had died at the scene and that a male was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police said later that the person taken to a hospital had died from his injuries. The victims appeared to be adults, police told The News Tribune. The shooting happened on the citys Eastside in the Salishan neighborhood. Police spokeswoman Wendy Haddow said the shooting happened in an alley behind a residence at about 4:24 p.m. and that at least one victim was found in the street in front of the residence. While all leaders want to minimize the impact of soaring energy prices on their populations, they differ on how to do it. Entering Thursdays summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the issue of soaring energy prices should be differentiated from the long-term fight against climate change. I think that we should react calmly; we in Germany will do so in any case, she said. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country is among those that are helping households and businesses foot rising power bills. But he added that long-term solutions must also be found. And in the long term, there is only one solution invest more in renewable energy so we are less vulnerable to price fluctuations for fossil fuels, he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blamed the hike specifically on the Commissions Green Deal plans that includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and making the bloc carbon neutral by 2050. The current crisis has reignited a debate on whether the EU should promote nuclear power projects as a way of becoming more energy independent. That could be done by making them eligible for billions of euros as part of the European Green Deal and coronavirus recovery fund. Woodlands Love Street Playhouse reopens with William Nicholsons Shadowlands, about the true story of writer C.S. Lewis. Ive come up against a bit of experience lately. Experience can be a brutal teacher, but you learn fast, C.S. Lewis is quoted during the production. How poetic and timely is this expressed against the backdrop of the last 18 months?, Love Street Playhouse owner and Artistic Director Melinda Pallotta wrote in a press release to The Daily News. There are so many great takeaways from this story that it makes the decision to present Shadowlands as our first foray back into the work, perfectly timed and ominously true for this time in our lives, she wrote. The production is being performed Oct. 29 through Nov. 7 at the Columbia Theatre Association for the Performing Arts to be able to safely seat our patrons, Pallotta wrote in an email. Lewis is best known for his childrens books about the adventures in Narnia. He also is known as one of the greatest Christian apologists of his time, notes the release. The production follows Lewis and his falling in love later in life with New York writer and poet, Joy Davidman. The story will open your heart to the challenges of growing up worlds apart, Pallotta wrote in the release. Lewis and Davidman go from atheism to Christianity and find each other through words on a page. The story is filled with hope and is a powerful story to see and to experience, Pallotta wrote, adding the compelling words and story offer support for all who have suffered loss during these most difficult few months. Everything we do at Love Street Playhouse involves people, in close contact; from actors to staff and finally to our patrons who come to our intimate space to feel connected, Lou Pallotta is quoted in the release. Without being able to connect, we are lost. Choosing to move our production to the Columbia Theatre allows everyone the opportunity to choose their seats with the ability to safely distance a luxury we dont normally have in our intimate venue, he said, adding We are grateful to now have the opportunity to share this story with others at the beautiful Columbia Theatre. Lou and Melinda Pallotta, owners of Love Street Playhouse and husband and wife team, play C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Longview resident Michael McElliott plays Major Lewis, Larry E. Fox of Longview plays Christopher Riley. Also in the cast playing multiple roles are Vancouver resident Henry Loch, Lorraine Little of Longview and Dave Cavallaro of Woodland. In addition, Amelia Bareford plays Douglas. The creative team includes Director David Bareford of Woodland, Producer Melinda Pallotta, Managing Director Lou Pallotta, Longview resident Mikail Nordquist on lighting design, Dave Cavallaro on sound design, Melissa Vickery-Bareford on set design, Lorraine Little on costume design and Production Stage Manager and Props Designer Alisa Brossia. Tickets start at $22 per person. They can be bought online at LoveStreetPlayhouse.com or by calling 800-966-8865. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29, 30, Nov. 5, and Nov. 6; and at 2 p.m. Oct. 30, 31, Nov. 6 and Nov. 7. Local business sponsors and advertisers contributing to Love Street Playhouse include Holland America Flowers, Benno Dobbe of Woodland, Columbia Bank, MapleRidge House Air BnB of Woodland, Topper Industries, Lewis River Studios of Woodland, Third Street Villas of Woodland, Business Cents NW of Vancouver, the Port of Woodland, Woodland Truck Lines, Woodland Funeral Home, Erica Rodman of Woodland Real Estate, Columbia River Carbonates, The Last Frontier Casino, the Lelooska Foundation, the Woodland Care Center, B Crisp Home Inspections and State Farm Insurance. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Kaiser Permanente Northwest awarded $514,500 in grants to 21 Southwest Washington nonprofits to increase the number of organizations participating in a statewide network designed to help more people connect to services. The organizations in Cowlitz, Clark and Wahkiakum counties will receive $24,500 each to cover program expenses and staffing to assist them with joining statewide network Unite Washington, according to a Kaiser Permanente press release. When the organizations joined the network this week, it nearly doubled the number of participating providers in the region, according to the press release. Cowlitz County organizations awarded grants include Columbia Wellness, the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Counties Legal Aid Program, the Ethnic Support Council, Love Overwhelming, Love Inc. of Cowlitz County, CORE Health, Youth and Family Link, Community House on Broadway and the Emergency Support Shelter. The organizations were selected based on the types of services they provide, including housing, employment, transportation, legal, interpersonal violence and mental health services. Some also provide culturally specific services to communities facing racial health disparities. Unite Washington is a network of health and social service providers connected through a shared platform that allows them to send and receive referrals. It allows organizations to better connect people with the services they need and track if they receive care. The network launched in 2020. Kaiser Permanente was an early investor and champion of Unite Washington, according to the press release. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SEATTLE (AP) The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed civil rights attorney Tana Lin as a federal judge in Seattle. Lin, the president of the board of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, will be the first former public defender and the first Asian American to serve as a federal judge in Washington state, said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray. Americans deserve a justice system that will uphold the rights of everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected," Murray said. "Building a more fair and just court system starts by appointing more public defenders and more civil rights lawyers like Ms. Lin as judges. The 55-year-old Lin helped challenge former President Donald Trumps travel ban and has represented workers in employment discrimination cases, including immigrant farmworkers in Washington state who were cheated out of wages. President Joe Biden has said he wants his nominees to bring more professional and demographic diversity to the federal courts. Murray and Sen. Maria Cantwell recommended Lin's appointment after Lin was chosen by a judicial merit selection panel. Civil rights groups cheered her confirmation, which came on a 52-45 vote. Tana Lin is a trailblazing lawyer and exactly what we need to ensure that our federal courts benefit from a diversity of perspectives," said Christopher Kang, chief counsel of the progressive legal reform group Demand Justice. The Senate has also recently confirmed Lauren King, a tribal law expert who is serving as Washington states first Native American federal Judge, and David Estudillo, a former immigration attorney and Grant County Superior Court judge, for the federal bench in the Western District of Washington. Before the confirmations, five of the seven active judge positions in the Seattle and Tacoma courthouses were vacant the highest ratio in the country. Lin began her career as a public defender in Washington, D.C., before becoming a trial attorney in the employment litigation section of Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. She immigrated from Taiwan at age 3 and spoke only Mandarin at home before being enrolled in school. She attended Cornell University and New York University School of Law. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SEATTLE (AP) Isaiah Obet was behaving erratically and in mental distress in 2017 when Auburn police officer Jeff Nelson ordered his police dog to attack and then shot Obet in the torso. Obet fell to the ground and Nelson fired again, fatally shooting Obet in the head. Police said the officer's life was in danger because Obet was high on drugs and had a knife. The city later reached a settlement of $1.25 million with Obets family. The next year, Joseph Allen was crossing in front of Nelsons patrol car when the officer swerved and pinned him against a fence, breaking both his ankles. His justification: Allen was a dangerous criminal. In 2019, Nelson scuffled with Jesse Sarey after attempting to arrest him for disorderly conduct. He punched Sarey seven times and then shot him in the torso. After Sarey fell to the ground, Nelson killed him with a second shot to the forehead. He claimed Sarey was on his hands and knees ready to spring forward, which later was disproved by both video and witnesses. Nelsons actions in all three cases were outlined in a criminal complaint, eyewitness accounts, and police dashcam video obtained by The Associated Press. In the past decade, Nelson has been investigated in more than 60 use-of-force cases that involved choking suspects until they passed out, severe dog bites, and physical force that required medical care. But he was not on the King County Prosecuting Attorneys list that flags officers whose credibility is in question due to misconduct a designation that must be shared with defense attorneys. Nelson was only added to its potential impeachment disclosure list, or Brady List, after he was charged with killing Sarey. A trial is set for February 2022. Mohammad Hamoudi, a federal public defender, said given Officer Nelsons history, all of his cases should be reviewed. And he hopes his story will encourage prosecutors to track excessive force cases involving other police officers. It has to do with respect for the rules, the laws, and others, he said. If an officer lacks impulse control or the ability to exercise informed judgment, you can call into question how he investigates cases. The murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked a national conversation on police reform, ranging from defunding departments to enhancing training. But reform activists and civil rights advocates say prosecutors already have powerful tools at their disposal to curb bad behavior by police: They can use Brady Lists to shine a light on troubled officers, and they can then refuse to put forward cases from those officers with tarnished histories. The AP found that prosecutors sometimes don't even compile the lists and that wide disparities in what offenses land officers on them are prevalent across the country, with excessive force often failing to merit inclusion. The AP also found that many prosecutors and police unions have gone to great lengths to keep Brady List information from becoming public. Now, defense attorneys, public defenders, civil rights groups and even some prosecutors are calling for an increased use of Brady Lists and a broadening of the offenses that will land a police officer on them, while police unions are resisting those efforts. Amy Parker of the King County Department of Public Defense called it imperative for officers violent histories to be exposed. As a career public defender, I have listened to prosecutors routinely make the argument that defendants with prior unlawful uses of force/crimes of violence are more prone to violence and lack credibility, she said in an email. If prosecutors are going to apply that standard to defendants, then the same standard should apply to police officers when judging their conduct. King County prosecutor Dan Satterberg argues excessive force doesn't make an officer less credible. An officer who was accused of using too much force in an unrelated arrest has nothing to do with the impeachment of their veracity, he said. Brady Lists stem from a ruling in the 1963 Supreme Court case, Brady v. Maryland, mandating prosecutors turn over exculpatory evidence to defense attorneys, including information that could be used to question the officers credibility. But the ruling did not define the steps prosecutors and police departments must take to ensure defendants are informed or whether lists of troubled officers must be kept at all. The result, critics say, is a mishmash of policies that vary state to state -- and even jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Prosecutors in Atlanta, Chicago, Tulsa, and Pittsburgh told the AP that they dont track officers with disciplinary problems, and Milwaukee prosecutors only listed officers who have been convicted of crimes. The Dallas County district attorneys list contained 192 names, with infractions ranging from making false statements to convictions for theft, assault, and driving under the influence. The Suffolk County, Massachusetts, prosecutors list included Boston officers who lied on their timesheets or embezzled funds. Louisiana's Orleans Parish district attorney tracked officers who committed crimes, lied, or drove dangerously, but not violent arrests. Dishonesty lands an officer on the list in Detroit, Denver, and Seattle, but using excessive force does not. The Phoenix district attorney, along with prosecutors in Orange County, Florida, and Los Angeles, were among the few the AP found who include excessive use of force cases on their lists. Its like theres a huge continuum and the result is you dont have the same procedures being followed not only across the country but within individual states, said Will Aitchison, an attorney with Portland, Oregon-based Labor Relations Information Systems, which represents officers after theyve appealed discipline orders. Some states have attempted to pass legislation that would address the lack of consistency, including the Washington State Legislature, which approved a bill this year requiring county prosecutors to develop written protocols for collecting potential impeachment information by July 2022. The California Legislature approved a bill last year that required prosecutors to maintain a list of officers who have had sustained findings for conduct of moral turpitude or group bias, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the measure due to the cost of such a significant state mandate. When Larry Krasner was elected Philadelphia district attorney in 2017, his staff discovered a do not call list of police officers that had been compiled by a previous prosecutor. The officers had a history of lying, bias, and excessive force and were barred from testifying absent explicit permission from the highest levels of the district attorneys office. Krasner shared the list with defense attorneys, who used the information to challenge the convictions of people imprisoned by testimony from those officers and has continued to provide timely Brady material to public defenders. When my client goes for a preliminary arraignment first appearance in court where they set bail, the prosecutor might disclose 20 to 30 or 40 pages of materials that theyve generated on a particular police officer, Philadelphia public defender Bradley Bridge said. Using Brady List information, Bridge has filed motions to dismiss about 6,000 convictions based on officer misconduct, with more than 2,000 convictions thrown out so far. Bridge acknowledges some of those released might be guilty. The problem is, theres no way to know, he said. I have no idea how to evaluate whether theyre guilty or not guilty because the officers behavior in the cases is too tainted. Bridge has filed more than 500 petitions to reopen convictions tied to a sole officer who admitted falsifying records -- Christopher Hulmes of the Philadelphia Police Departments Narcotics Strike Force, who was charged in 2015 with perjury and tampering with public records. So far, 357 of those convictions have been dismissed, many involving drugs and guns, Bridge said. Krasner said he feels prosecutors have both a legal and moral obligation to use Brady Lists, but that local police have pushed back. Last month, he asked for the Philadelphia Police Department to be held in contempt for not cooperating with his request for officer disciplinary material. Kym Worthy, the prosecutor for Wayne County, Michigan, which includes Detroit, also is disclosing Brady List material to defense attorneys and the public because in an era of criminal justice reform, she said, it just makes sense. Worthy has compiled a list of officers who have committed offenses involving theft, dishonesty, fraud, bias or bribery, saying officers who commit these crimes have lost their credibility and wont be called to testify. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner also has said she wont take criminal cases filed by untrustworthy officers and has an exclusion list with more than 50 names. The unions predictable over-the-top sky is falling reaction to any attempt to distinguish the vast majority of honest and hardworking officers from the few bad actors is one big reason why community relations with the people they serve are so frayed, Gardner said. Last year, police misconduct records were at issue in the hotly contested Los Angeles district attorney race between Jackie Lacey and former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, who had been the San Francisco police chief when now Vice-President Kamala Harris was the citys district attorney and became the DA when she ascended to the state attorney general job. Gascon had partnered with Harris and the police union to establish a do not call list that became the model for the state. After he won the Los Angeles election, he sent letters to local law enforcement agencies seeking the names of officers involved in 11 categories of misconduct, including bribery, theft, evidence tampering, dishonesty, and unreasonable force. If the officers history is such that we just dont believe the officer, period, we will not use him, Gascon said. Settlement agreements -- and many police union contracts -- often prohibit the release of the names of officers named in disciplinary records, but Brady Lists can blow open those closed doors. The contract between Seattle and its police department, for instance, prohibits releasing disciplined officers names. But the Brady Lists sent to the AP by the King County prosecuting attorney included 51 Seattle officers. Seventeen of those officers had criminal charges filed against them, 26 had sustained findings of dishonesty, six had shown racial bias and one violated the departments ethics policy. An investigation by the Office of Police Accountability found that a Seattle officer violated policies against biased policing by posting offensive comments on social media in 2019. The office was prohibited from naming the officer and so referred to him in its report as Named Employee #1, but the Brady List identified him as Ron Smith. One of Smiths social media comments stated that the Islamic religion was not one of peace, suggesting that the Islamic religion and all of its approximately 1.57 billion adherents were supportive of violence, the OPA report said. Another post targeted Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, saying: you weak wristed lefties dont want border security you want votes to keep your anti-American party in power, the report said. Smith resigned, but the OPA investigation did find that he engaged in bias-based policing. Another Seattle officer on the Brady List was Salvatore Ditusa, who was working a side job flagging traffic when he approached three workers and engaged in a diatribe that included multiple racial slurs towards African Americans, the OPA said. Ditusa also resigned. The OPA found that he had also engaged in biased policing. In Los Angeles, the battle over disclosing officer misconduct information traveled all the way to the states highest court. When Jim McDonnell took over the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department, he wanted to share the list of officers accused of misconduct with the prosecutors office, but both sides were concerned that a state law -- the peace officers bill of rights -- would prohibit the move. After the police union filed an injunction to block any sharing, the case went to the state Supreme Court, which ruled in 2019 that prosecutors could be given the list. One of the people named was homicide detective Daniel Morris. In 2003, a car theft suspect had said Morris and other officers kicked, punched, and stomped on him an accusation Morris denied to three different supervisors. But he eventually admitted to the beating, receiving a 30-day suspension. That information was not shared with the district attorneys office until 2019. Ten years before that, Morris had investigated the murder of a gang member in Paramount, California, obtaining a search warrant for the home of Filipe Angel Acosta. Morris testified that Acosta, who had no criminal history, was associated with a gang and he was charged with drug possession, with a gang enhancement. Acosta refused a deal that would have involved admitting to gang involvement, but changed his mind and entered a plea of no contest after getting sick in jail and being hospitalized. At no point did the district attorney reveal that Morris had been disciplined for dishonesty. When Morris misconduct finally was disclosed, Acosta filed a motion to overturn his conviction because of the prosecutors Brady violation. The charges were dismissed. As a 2013 report on the sheriffs department by a civilian oversight group called the Office of Independent Review put it: Instances of deputies lying in reports or during investigations do not simply affect the immediate case at hand. Instead, they may influence the outcome of every other case in which the deputys testimony is considered. Email APs Global Investigations Team at investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/. See other work at https://www.apnews.com/hub/ap-investigations. Follow AP investigative reporter Martha Bellisle at https://twitter.com/marthabellisle Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SEATTLE (AP) Isaiah Obet was behaving erratically and in mental distress in 2017 when Auburn police officer Jeff Nelson ordered his police dog to attack and then shot Obet in the torso. Obet fell to the ground and Nelson fired again, fatally shooting Obet in the head. Police said the officers life was in danger because Obet was high on drugs and had a knife. The city later reached a settlement of $1.25 million with Obets family. The next year, Joseph Allen was crossing in front of Nelsons patrol car when the officer swerved and pinned him against a fence, breaking both his ankles. His justification: Allen was a dangerous criminal. In 2019, Nelson scuffled with Jesse Sarey after attempting to arrest him for disorderly conduct. He punched Sarey seven times and then shot him in the torso. After Sarey fell to the ground, Nelson killed him with a second shot to the forehead. He claimed Sarey was on his hands and knees ready to spring forward, which later was disproved by both video and witnesses. Nelsons actions in all three cases were outlined in a criminal complaint, eyewitness accounts, and police dashcam video obtained by the Associated Press. In the past decade, Nelson has been investigated in more than 60 use-of-force cases that involved choking suspects until they passed out, severe dog bites, and physical force that required medical care. But he was not on the King County Prosecuting Attorneys list that flags officers whose credibility is in question due to misconduct a designation that must be shared with defense attorneys. Nelson was only added to its potential impeachment disclosure list, or Brady List, after he was charged with killing Sarey. A trial is set for February 2022. Mohammad Hamoudi, a federal public defender, said given Officer Nelsons history, all of his cases should be reviewed. And he hopes his story will encourage prosecutors to track excessive force cases involving other police officers. It has to do with respect for the rules, the laws, and others, he said. If an officer lacks impulse control or the ability to exercise informed judgment, you can call into question how he investigates cases. The murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked a national conversation on police reform, ranging from defunding departments to enhancing training. But reform activists and civil rights advocates say prosecutors already have powerful tools at their disposal to curb bad behavior by police They can use Brady Lists to shine a light on troubled officers and they can then refuse to put forward cases from those officers with tarnished histories. The AP found that prosecutors sometimes dont even compile the lists and that wide disparities in what offenses land officers on them are prevalent across the country, with excessive force often failing to merit inclusion. The AP also found that many prosecutors and police unions have gone to great lengths to keep Brady List information from becoming public. Now, defense attorneys, public defenders, civil rights groups and even some prosecutors are calling for an increased use of Brady Lists and a broadening of the offenses that will land a police officer on them, while police unions are resisting those efforts. Amy Parker of the King County Department of Public Defense called it imperative for officers violent histories to be exposed. As a career public defender, I have listened to prosecutors routinely make the argument that defendants with prior unlawful uses of force/crimes of violence are more prone to violence and lack credibility, she said in an email. If prosecutors are going to apply that standard to defendants, then the same standard should apply to police officers when judging their conduct. King County prosecutor Dan Satterberg argues excessive force doesnt make an officer less credible. An officer who was accused of using too much force in an unrelated arrest has nothing to do with the impeachment of their veracity, he said. Brady Lists stem from a ruling in the 1963 Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland mandating prosecutors turn over exculpatory evidence to defense attorneys, including information that could be used to question the officers credibility. But the ruling did not define the steps prosecutors and police departments must take to ensure defendants are informed or whether lists of troubled officers must be kept at all. The result, critics say, is a mishmash of policies that vary state to state -- and even jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Prosecutors in Atlanta, Chicago, Tulsa, and Pittsburgh told the AP that they dont track officers with disciplinary problems, and Milwaukee prosecutors only listed officers who have been convicted of crimes. The Dallas County district attorneys list contained 192 names, with infractions ranging from making false statements to convictions for theft, assault, and driving under the influence. The Suffolk County, Massachusetts, prosecutors list included Boston officers who lied on their timesheets or embezzled funds. Louisianas Orleans Parish district attorney tracked officers who committed crimes, lied, or drove dangerously, but not violent arrests. Dishonesty lands an officer on the list in Detroit, Denver, and Seattle, but using excessive force does not. The Phoenix district attorney, along with prosecutors in Orange County, Florida, and Los Angeles, were among the few the AP found who include excessive use of force cases on their lists. Its like theres a huge continuum and the result is you dont have the same procedures being followed not only across the country but within individual states, said Will Aitchison, an attorney with Portland, Oregon-based Labor Relations Information Systems, which represents officers after theyve appealed discipline orders. Some states have attempted to pass legislation that would address the lack of consistency, including the Washington State Legislature, which approved a bill this year requiring county prosecutors to develop written protocols for collecting potential impeachment information by July 2022. The California Legislature approved a bill last year that required prosecutors to maintain a list of officers who have had sustained findings for conduct of moral turpitude or group bias, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the measure due to the cost of such a significant state mandate. Email APs Global Investigations Team at investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/. See other work at https://www.apnews.com/hub/ap-investigations. Follow AP investigative reporter Martha Bellisle at https://twitter.com/marthabellisle Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A diesel-powered school bus is reflected in a mirror at MAST Academy, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, in Miami. Student Holly Thorpe, 14, urged the Miami-Dade County Public Schools to considering replacing foul-smelling diesel school buses with electric vehicles. The school board voted this week to use a state grant to purchase up to 50 electric buses. Miami-Dade is joining a growing number of school districts transitioning from diesel to more environmentally-friendly electric school buses. Credit: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee For several years, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools had toyed with replacing some of its 1,000 diesel buses with cleaner electric vehicles. But school leaders said the change would be too costly. Then 12-year-old student Holly Thorpe showed up at a school board meeting to tout the benefits of going electric and returned to encourage the district to apply for a state grant. Two years on, the school board on Wednesday approved a district plan to use state money to replace up to 50 diesel buses with electric models over the next several years. Thorpe is overjoyed the district is making the switch. "It wasn't imaginary any more," she said. "It just wasn't like an idea. It was coming to life." The transition is part of a small but growing movement led by parents, students and lawmakers to purchase electric school buses to improve the health of students and cut planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions. Roughly 25 million children ride school buses every year. And though only about 1% of 480,000 U.S. school buses are electric, there are signs the push to abandon diesel buses is gaining momentum: Late last year, the World Resources Institute announced a $37.5 million Bezos Earth Fund grant to help electrify all school buses in the country by 2030. The nonprofit will work over the next five years on the project with school districts, communities, environmental justice groups, utilities, bus manufacturers and policymakers. A diesel-powered school bus is shown parked at MAST Academy, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, in Miami. Student Holly Thorpe, 14, urged the Miami-Dade County Public Schools to considering replacing foul-smelling diesel buses with electric vehicles. The school board voted this week to use a state grant to purchase up to 50 electric buses. Miami-Dade is joining a growing number of school districts transitioning from diesel to more environmentally-friendly electric school buses. Credit: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee This year, a suburban Maryland district became the country's largest to commit to going completely electric. It plans to replace 1,442 diesel buses by 2035. The first 326 electric ones will be leased from Massachusetts-based Highland Electric Transportation. California, the country's electric school bus leader, has funded the purchase of 1,167 and budgeted for another 1,000 over the next three fiscal years. "This is an opportunity to make sure that we are doing all we can to protect kids health," said California Energy Commission member Patty Monahan. "Some of these kids in parts of Los Angeles are on the bus for an hour, two hours a day. So we want to make sure that they are breathing clean air." At Twin Rivers Unified School District in Northern California, where diesel buses have been replaced by 40 electric buses and 34 that run on compressed natural gas, officials say clouds of dirty air have disappeared. "One of the drivers said 'I can't believe the change I'm seeing in my lifetime,'" said Tim Shannon, the district's director of transportation services. "He said 'I used to have to hold a handkerchief over my face to walk through the yard because of the thick diesel soot.'" A diesel-powered school bus is shown parked at MAST Academy, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, in Miami. Student Holly Thorpe, 14, urged the Miami-Dade County Public Schools to considering replacing foul-smelling diesel school buses with electric vehicles. The school board voted this week to use a state grant to purchase up to 50 electric buses. Miami-Dade is joining a growing number of school districts transitioning from diesel to more environmentally-friendly electric school buses. Credit: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee The electric buses are 60% cheaper to operate and will pay for themselves over time, Shannon said. Some districts are planning to sell excess energy from batteries back to the grid, a move welcomed by utilities who themselves have launched programs to buy electric school buses. This summer, a school bus in a Massachusetts district delivered power back to the grid. Efforts to replace diesel school buses are driven by the fact that children are more susceptible to health impacts of air pollution. Exposure to diesel exhaust, according to the EPA, can lead to asthma and respiratory illnesses and worsen heart and lung ailments, especially in children and the elderly. A study of school buses in Washington state found using cleaner fuels or upgrading older diesel reduced children's exposure to airborne particles by as much as 50% and improved their health. Their findings suggest a nationwide switch to cleaner school buses could result in around 14 million fewer absences each year. The researchers at the universities of Washington and Michigan did not examine electric buses, which produce less local pollution than those using fossil fuels. Lead author Sara Adar, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said older diesel buses resulted in children in the Seattle area "getting higher levels of air pollution during their commute." An electric school bus, leased by Beverly Public Schools in Beverly, Mass., rests in a bus yard, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, in Beverly, Mass. The district is planning to convert half its 44-bus fleet to electric by 2025 and the rest by 2030. Their transition is part of a trend in districts across the country to shift from diesel to electric school buses to improve air quality and combat climate change. Credit: AP Photo/Michael Casey "The pollutants those kids were experiencing also did seem to be linked to worse health," she said. "We saw kids' lungs weren't quite as healthy." Diesel school bus engines are much cleaner, since the EPA implemented standards that required them to produce 90% less particulate matter. The EPA also has awarded $55 million to replace more than 2,700 old diesel school buses since 2012 and announced in October that $17 million more would be available. With the improved standards, the diesel industry argues that switching to electric won't significantly reduce emissions or address concerns about global warmingespecially since electricity for buses still often comes from fossil fuels. They note that more than 54% of school buses are newer models with far fewer emissions. "School districts should be able to choose the bus type and technology that works for them," said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. "Some may find electric buses a good fit while others will stick with diesel and utilize low-carbon renewable fuels to cut their carbon footprint and other emissions." Advocates point out that nearly half of diesel buses are older ones that produce dangerous pollutants and are much more expensive to maintain. But they acknowledge the challenge is getting districts with older buses funds to transition to electric ones, which often cost three times more. Holly Thorpe poses for a photo in front of a school bus at MAST Academy, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, in Miami. Thorpe, 14, urged the Miami-Dade County Public Schools to considering replacing foul-smelling diesel buses with electric vehicles. The school board voted this week to use a state grant to purchase up to 50 electric buses. Miami-Dade is joining a growing number of school districts transitioning from diesel to more environmentally-friendly electric school buses. Credit: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Many districts are eyeing funding from several bills in Congress. The nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill includes $5 billion for electric and hybrid school buses. Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a former preschool teacher who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor & Pensions, and other advocates want $5 billion more for electric school buses in President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion rebuilding plan. Several congressional bills would provide billions more for electric school buses. Some states, including Florida and Virginia, are buying electric buses with billions of dollars from the Volkswagen settlement of its diesel emissions cheating scandal. Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district will use $11.6 million from the settlement to start buying electric buses, but said a full transition would be impossible without federal help. An electric school bus, leased by Beverly Public Schools in Beverly, Mass., receives a charge at a charging station in a bus yard, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, in Beverly, Mass. The district is planning to convert half its 44-bus fleet to electric by 2025 and the rest by 2030. Their transition is part of a trend in districts across the country to shift from diesel to electric school buses to improve air quality and combat climate change. Credit: AP Photo/Michael Casey Holly Thorpe poses for a photo in front of a mural in the bus drop-off area at MAST Academy, that students painted with Carbon Dioxide (CO2) absorbing paint, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, in Miami. Thorpe, 14, urged the Miami-Dade County Public Schools to considering replacing foul-smelling diesel school buses with electric vehicles. The school board voted this week to use a state grant to purchase up to 50 electric buses. Miami-Dade is joining a growing number of school districts transitioning from diesel to more environmentally-friendly electric school buses. Credit: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee "If we as a nation prioritize environmental protection, the reduction of greenhouse gases, the maximization of new technologies that reduce our dependency on carbon fuels, then the federal investment must incentivize these transitions with actual funding," he said. "And that's exactly what our country needs. That's exactly what Miami needs." ___ Follow Michael Casey on Twitter: @mcasey1 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. We measured data literacy in the UK between 2019 and 2021. Credit: Cytonn Photography/Unsplash Discussions about how Facebook operates have been high on the agenda over the past week as the US Congress investigates the platform's impact. At the core of these discussions are questions of how Facebook uses data that we, as users, generate. Similar questions can be asked of all the digital services we use, whether run by companies, governments, or other organizations. These platforms use our data to determine what content we see or which services we're offered. Whether we realize it or not, this can affect our lives in a variety of ways. But how well do people understand these issues? Do they have a handle on the ways their data is being used? Do they know how to protect it from being used in ways they disagree with? If you feel your knowledge in this space is lacking, you're not alone. We explored these sorts of questions in our "Me and My Big Data" project and found UK citizens' "data literacy" to be quite low. Even for people with greater digital skills and broad digital engagement, their understanding of data issues might be best described as patchy. When we're talking about data, this can encompass anything from data we "share" on Facebook, to data covertly extracted from us such as our location and the device we're using. The concept of data literacy has multiple overlapping components, from basic skills inputting data and sharing information, to thinking critically about data, to engaging with data issues. In a survey of 1,542 UK citizens, we measured data literacy by collecting information on more than 100 behaviors and attitudes, and asking questions to ascertain participants' knowledge of how digital platforms work. Using a model we developed for a previous research project, we split our respondents into six different groups, ranging from "extensive" users who undertake a wide range of internet activity, to "limited" and "non-users." We're not as digital a nation as you might think. Both our prior work and this survey indicate that limited and non-users account for about 50% of the UK population. As you might expect, extensive users scored highest on our data literacy measures, and limited users lowest. Having a post-18 education was a key predictor of higher data literacy too. But on average even extensive users were not fully aware of the main uses to which platforms put their data, or how it's shared and sold. Very few people proactively managed their privacy settings to protect their data. Almost none of our respondents had read the terms and conditions detailing what platforms can do with their data. Only the more extensive users were likely to actively engage with data issues, such as by helping a friend with their privacy settings, or taking part in debates about the use of data. People feel disempowered In addition to our national survey, discussions with 14 focus groups allowed us to explore people's experiences and perceptions in greater depth. Three key themes came out of these discussions. First, many limited users struggle to articulate, or are not aware of, the types of data being collectedespecially those who primarily use social media. Second, people often blame themselves for a lack of skills, rather than arguing for improvements in the platforms' operations. As one participant (a 21-year-old female with post-18 education) noted: "It is horrible the fact that they're taking all your data, all your data's out there [] but then that all comes down to the terms and conditions as well which I don't really read [] so I guess that's my own fault." Finally, most people are very aware that their data is being harvested and used, even if they are not sure of which data and how. But they are quite uncomfortable with this being the "price" of access to services. One participant (a 24-year-old male with no post-18 education) said: "[Facebook] is useful, and it is creepy at the same time because it's kind of like they're spying on you." Overall, we would describe our respondents as feeling disempoweredunable to proactively control what is done with their data. Being a data citizen We see stronger data literacy as necessary to support "digital and data citizens" who can make meaningful claims about their own and their community's digital and data rights. For example, asserting what constitutes acceptable use of their data by big tech, government and organizations. If you're looking to improve your own data literacy, take the time to do the following things: Read up on how major platforms gather and use your data. Explore and set your privacy options and settings on the key sites you use. Explore alternative platforms for search and social media that don't track, share and sell your data. Get proactivehelp others with their digital skills and to protect their data online; join campaigns to improve our rights online. It's very important that the state should play a key role in this. Through both school and post-school education, all citizens must be equipped with the core digital and data literacynot just basic digital skillsto be able to critically engage with and challenge those who use their data. Meanwhile, legislation should ensure that tech companies, government bodies and organizations using our data make the uses clear and enable the public to challenge these uses. Current policy and practice are a long way from this ideal. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain YouTube says its app will no longer be available on Roku devices after Dec. 9 as the two sides remain engaged in an ongoing carriage dispute. In a statement emailed to USA TODAY, YouTube said its partnership with Roku for all new devices to access YouTube apps will end in December. Current Roku owners will still have access to YouTube and YouTube TV, the company's live TV platform. YouTube also said it has continued to work with Roku on a deal to benefit their mutual users. On Thursday, Roku posted an update on the negotiations with YouTube parent company Google, lashing out at Google and other big tech companies. "Rather than embracing a mutually beneficial partnership approach, some Big Tech enterprises are using their market power to extend control over independent businesses, like Roku, to benefit their broader business objectives at the expense of the consumer, putting a fair and open competitive streaming marketplace at risk," Roku said in the update. YouTube called Roku's claims unproductive and baseless in its statement. In April, Roku said it was pulling YouTube TV from its streaming device after its contract to carry it lapsed. In response, Google wrote a blog post claiming it wanted to renew its deal with Roku under current conditions, but Roku sought to renegotiate a separate deal involving the primary YouTube app. Google then added access to YouTube TV through the main YouTube app. Explore further Roku pulls YouTube TV from its store, saying Google let contract expire 2021 USA Today Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Credit: CC0 Public Domain There are many uncertainties about pathways to mid-century carbon neutrality in China and other major emitting nations, but one fundamental aspect is certain: they will require massive expansions of wind and solar power to displace coal- and gas-fired power. The problem is not the cost and feasibility of sufficient renewable generation, but rather the challenges it introduces into the grid because of its variability: the wind doesn't always blow and the sun doesn't always shine. Now, a team of researchers from Harvard University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Tsinghua University have developed a cross-sector, high-resolution model to find the best and most cost-effective way for China's power system to become carbon neutral by 2050. A comprehensive strategy moving beyond conventional planning assumptions to include large offshore wind generation, power storage, electric vehicles, green hydrogen production, and expanded transmission to balance power on a national basis can sharply reduce costs of integrating renewable power into the grid. In fact, the results show that realizing the carbon neutrality of China's power system by 2050 is not only feasible but need not necessarily cost more than reliance on coal- and gas-fired power, with no carbon constraints at all, to meet future electricity demands. The research was published in Joule. Explore further Solar energy can be cheap and reliable across China by 2060, research shows More information: Xinyu Chen et al, Pathway toward carbon-neutral electrical systems in China by mid-century with negative CO2 abatement costs informed by high-resolution modeling, Joule (2021). Xinyu Chen et al, Pathway toward carbon-neutral electrical systems in China by mid-century with negative CO2 abatement costs informed by high-resolution modeling,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2021.10.006 Research brief: chinaproject.harvard.edu/files ion.pdf?m=1634845191 Journal information: Joule Stellantis has "secured production capacity" to realise its goal to have electric vehicles make up 40 percent of its US sales by 2030, Samsung SDI said. South Korean battery maker Samsung SDI will jointly produce electric vehicle batteries in the US with global carmaker Stellantis, the South Korean firm said Fridayits partner's second such deal in a week. The two companies will set up a "joint production body" in the United States to produce "EV battery cells and modules", Samsung SDI said, with production starting in 2025 and the output supplied to Stellantis's auto factories in Canada, Mexico and the US. With the deal, Stellantis has "secured production capacity" to realise its goal to have electric vehicles make up 40 percent of its US sales by 2030, according to the Samsung SDI statement. Stellantis, which includes the US brands Jeep, Chrysler and Ram, also owns the European carmakers Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Opel and Alfa Romeo, among others. It was formed in a merger between France's Peugeot and the US-Italian company Fiat Chrysler earlier this year, and some 2.2 million Stellantis brand cars were sold in North America in 2019. Samsung SDI already has EV battery plants in China, Hungary and South Korea and is part of the sprawling Samsung group, whose flagship subsidiary Samsung Electronics is one of the world's biggest chip and smartphone makers. Like many of its peers, Stellantis has set itself targets to shift towards battery-electric vehicles as tightening pollution regulations mean internal combustion engines will need to be phased out. Earlier this week the US-European automaker said it would team up with another South Korean companyLG Energy Solutionto build lithium-ion car batteries in North America. Explore further Stellantis posts strong inaugural earnings, steps up electric drive 2021 AFP Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Twitter accounts linked to China were discovered spreading misinformation about the origins of COVID-19, such as lies that the virus came from a shipment of Maine lobsters to Wuhan. Oxford researcher Marcel Schliebs first noticed the misinformation campaign when he saw a tweet from Zha Liyou, the Chinese consul general in Kolkata, India. Schliebs studies disinformation, propaganda and divisive political news content in the U.K. online information ecosystem at the Oxford Internet Institute. He linked the tweet to hundreds of Twitter accounts, some real and some fake, all of them spreading pro-China misinformation. The tweet by Liyou said: "Major suspect of covid via cold chain identified: A MU298 of Nov. 11, 2019 carrying food from Maine, US to Huanan Seafood Market, Wuhan, Hubei via Shanghai. During the next few weeks, many workers around moving this batch of seafood got infected." These narratives spread by China-linked accounts are nothing new, according to Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. "Early in the pandemic, Chinese sources spread the theory that SARS CoV-2 originated at Fort Detrick and was spread to China by U.S. military," says Jamieson. "The platforms can remove it, or if they decide against doing so, can downgrade it or flag it and attach fact-checking content." Schliebs echoes similar insights from his Oxford research. "Almost since the beginning of the outbreak, the question of the origin of COVID has been of core importance to the Chinese propaganda apparatus," Schliebs says. "This coordinated operation was clearly trying to promote narratives in line with Beijing's general propaganda strategy and geopolitical objectives." Twitter has imposed strict rules around COVID misinformation, stating in its rules and policies that any demonstrably false or misleading content is banned and will be deleted. Certain posts may be labeled as misinformation, and repeat offenders will have their accounts deleted. The violations include attempts to "invoke a deliberate conspiracy by malicious and/or powerful forces," according to Twitter's guidelines. Misinformation can have a powerful effect and impact how people respond to public health guidance. "Acceptance of misinformation and/or conspiracy theories is associated with a reduced likelihood to mask or vaccinate," Jamieson says. Kai Yan, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.K., told NBC that China urges "all members of the international community to work together in opposing and resisting such disinformation, which will inevitably disrupt global cooperation in fighting the pandemic." Once Schliebs sent the information to Twitter, they suspended the accounts tied to misinformation. "We notified Twitter last week, and they were very responsive and suspended the accounts very rapidly within a few hours. Fortunately, we detected the campaign as it was still in its early growth phase and before it could really start to reach and impact real genuine audiences," Schliebs told USA TODAY. The fight against myths and misinformation on social media With disinformation spreading on social media, platforms can take an increasingly active role, according to Schliebs. "Platforms can and should continuously monitor suspicious behavior particularly around sensitive geopolitical issues like the origin of COVID-19," Schliebs says. "To do so and detect coordinated networks of fake accounts, they can for example monitor whether there are patterns in the language or timing of tweets that raise red flags of suspicious coordination." Research from the University of Pennsylvania's Social Policy Lab found misinformation works much more easily than the efforts to undo it. In fact, the data they gathered showed misinformation was accepted as fact 99.6% of the time, whereas attempts to correct it succeed only in 83% of cases. The researchers also discovered that people who believe in science are actually more susceptible to misinformation because pseudoscience often uses terms that mimic the language of real scientific studies. The Social Policy Lab recommends succinct corrections to misinformation as opposed to detailed ones, which were found to be less effective. They also pointed out that interacting with real people, such as family and friends, tended to reduce vaccine hesitancy. Explore further Reddit bans anti-vaccine community after protests over COVID misinformation 2021 USA Today Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A week after a lawyer representing one of three men on trial for murder in the death of an unarmed, jogger complained about Black pastors in the courtroom, hundreds came from around the country and held a rousing prayer rally in front of the Glynn County Courthouse. Looking for in-depth reporting on labor issues? You're in the right place. Subscribe to The Chief and get stories that cover every side of civil service in New York City and beyond. You can sign up in minutes for immediate access. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday said he will call state lawmakers back to work early to pass legislation to combat coronavirus vaccine mandates enacted by businesses. The Republican governor said he will convene a special session of the GOP-controlled statehouse in November to address vaccine requirements. He didn't specify a starting date. At the end of the day, you shouldnt be discriminated against based on your health decisions, he said during a news conference. We want to provide protection for people, we want to make it clear that, in Florida, your right to earn a living is not contingent upon whatever choices you're making in terms of these injections. Many other states are considering anti-mandate bills. GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott last week issued an executive order to prohibit any entity from requiring vaccines. In broad terms, DeSantis outlined policy goals for the special session, including holding businesses liable for adverse reactions to vaccines, removing legal liability protections for employers with vaccine mandates and added protections for people fired for not being vaccinated. For those who want to wet their whistles, a moonshine tasting will be available for the first time in the festivals history. It will be offered by Twin Creeks Distillery. Worley said food that will be available will include apple butter, barbeque, honey and homemade ice cream. Normally, there are three stages for music, including bluegrass, old time, classic country, country blues and gospel, during the festival. The African American gospel is amazing, Worley said. The gospel music is performed in the campus chapel. A new stage, the Rising Star Stage, will be introduced this year. It is being sponsored by The Crooked Road. A lot of our musicians are older. They learned from their parents, grandparents and neighbors. These younger folks are learning the music the same way. Were keeping the traditions alive, she said. The festival will take place on Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. rain or shine. While turnout for the festival greatly depends on the weather, Worley said upwards of 12,000 people have attended the festival in years past. A lot of people have been calling to ask if were having it this year. Were expecting a big crowd because people are anxious to get out, she said. Weve got something for everybody. We cant wait to see folks. Tickets at the gate are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (age 55 and up), $10 for youth (age 6-15) and free for children (age 5 and younger). Unlike previous years, tickets are now available online at: Event Tickets Blue Ridge Institute & Museum (blue-ridge-institute-museum.myshopify.com). Tickets purchased via the website are offered at a discounted rate: $10 for adults, $5 for seniors (age 55 and up), $5 for youth (age 6-15) and free for children (age 5 and younger). The online ticketing site will allow purchases up until the day of the festival. The results of a long awaited study on the feasibility of an Amtrak stop in the Town of Bedford will be revealed at a community meeting at the Bedford Welcome Center hosted by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) set for Oct. 25. The Bedford/Franklin Regional Passenger Rail Stop Study kicked off in 2019. That year Virginias Commonwealth Transportation Board approved $300,000 to conduct a planning study on adding a train platform in Bedford. Efforts to add a Bedford stop have also been pushed by the Bedford/Franklin Regional Rail Initiative committee for several years before the study was announced. The group even held an early-morning demonstration in 2017 holding signs that read stop here as a Amtrak train passed through Bedford from a newly created stop in Roanoke on its way to Lynchburg. Emily Stock, chief of rail transportation for the Virginia Department of Transportation, said the Oct. 25 community meeting will provide the results of the feasibility study which will include potential costs to create the stop, foretasted ridership and the results of a survey of potential riders held in 2019. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} A newly identified rootkit has been found with a valid digital signature issued by Microsoft that's used to proxy traffic to internet addresses of interest to the attackers for over a year targeting online gamers in China. Bucharest-headquartered cybersecurity technology company Bitdefender named the malware "FiveSys," calling out its possible credential theft and in-game-purchase hijacking motives. The Windows maker has since revoked the signature following responsible disclosure. "Digital signatures are a way of establishing trust," Bitdefender researchers said in a white paper, adding "a valid digital signature helps the attacker navigate around the operating system's restrictions on loading third-party modules into the kernel. Once loaded, the rootkit allows its creators to gain virtually unlimited privileges." Rootkits are both evasive and stealthy as they offer threat actors an entrenched foothold onto victims' systems and conceal their malicious actions from the operating system (OS) as well as from anti-malware solutions, enabling the adversaries to maintain extended persistence even after OS reinstallation or replacement of the hard drive. In the case of FiveSys, the malware's main objective is to redirect and route internet traffic for both HTTP and HTTPS connections to malicious domains under the attacker's control via a custom proxy server. The rootkit operators also employ the practice of blocking the loading of drivers from competing groups using a signature blocklist of stolen certificates to prevent them from taking control of the machine. "To make potential takedown attempts more difficult, the rootkit comes with a built-in list of 300 domains on the '.xyz' [top-level domain]," the researchers noted. "They seem to be generated randomly and stored in an encrypted form inside the binary." The development marks the second time wherein malicious drivers with valid digital signatures issued by Microsoft through the Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) signing process have slipped through the cracks. In late June 2021, German cybersecurity company G Data disclosed details of another rootkit dubbed "Netfilter" (and tracked by Microsoft as "Retliften"), which, like FiveSys, also aimed at gamers in China. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Now spreading awareness about Alzheimers disease is part of the familys traditions. Camposs children are even active in fundraising, she said. My kids like to do lemonade stand. Our neighbors or community is very supportive of what we do. Even though its cold outside they feel like doing a lemonade stand that weekend. They do it and everyone comes to get lemonade. Its really, really nice. The family raises money in other ways, Campos said. Every year we hold ... a family garage sale, which benefits the Alzheimers Association. Thats really how we get a lot of our fundraising. Much of funds raised for the Alzheimers Association goes toward awareness and advocacy. Her family was lucky, but others arent so, Campos said. We were very blessed to have one of her daughters take care of her throughout that time. One thing that I always bring up is we were very blessed to be able to watch her and take care of her. A lot of those families cant do those things, so any time we can help somebody or do something ... Being with her family over the course of her battle was important to Garcia, Campos said. She told us that one of the things she never wanted was to be in a nursing home. WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a plea from South Carolina to reimpose the death penalty on a South Carolina inmate whose death sentence stood for two decades until a federal appeals court threw it out in August. Chief Justice John Roberts did not comment in denying the state's request to stop the clock on a lower court order in favor of inmate Sammie Lee Stokes. The order requires the state to conduct a new sentencing hearing for Stokes, if it wants jurors to again sentence him to death. Otherwise, Stokes will spend the rest of his life in prison. He was sentenced to death in 1999 for the rape and murder of 21-year-old Connie Snipes in Orangeburg County. Evidence at the trial showed he was paid $2,000 by the victims mother-in-law, who planned to take custody of her grandchildren once Snipes was dead. Stokes' guilt is not at issue. Instead, a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Stokes deserved a new sentencing hearing because two of his previous defense attorneys failed to present evidence of his traumatic past. WASHINGTON (AP) Illegal border crossings from Mexico fell in September for only the second time in 17 months, but the federal fiscal year ended with the highest count ever, authorities said Friday. Migrants were stopped 192,001 times, down 9% from August and below 200,000 for the first time since June, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Authorities stopped migrants more than 1.7 million times during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, nearly quadruple from 458,088 in the previous fiscal year, when COVID-19 first struck. The annual total broke a previous high of more than 1.6 million in the 2000 fiscal year and is the highest since the Border Patrol was created in 1924. The numbers aren't directly comparable because pandemic rules since March 2020 to expel migrants without giving them a chance to seek asylum carry no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. In 27% of crossings during the latest fiscal year, migrants had been stopped at least once in the previous 12 months, compared with a recidivism rate of only 7% two years earlier, before the pandemic rules known as Title 42 authority took effect. KEARNEY Law officers are equipped with pistols, stun guns, night sticks and pepper spray, but when they encounter an individual experiencing a mental health incident, the best weapon might be someone who knows about mental health. Its difficult because while we receive some training in mental health, there are people with a lot higher training who know how to help with a crisis, said Buffalo County Sheriff Neil Miller. The Buffalo County Sheriffs Department and Kearney Police Department soon will have mental health experts available to talk with individuals in crisis. In many situations, the professionals or co-responders will be on the scene with the deputy or police officer using their knowledge to safely de-escalate the situation and get the individuals to a place where theyll be safe and receive the help they need. The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday that the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department will receive $250,000 during the next two years to make mental health professionals available 24/7 to respond in emergencies. Giving us a resource like this grant makes us feel a lot better about being able to do a good job, Miller said. 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? You voted: An anti-LGBTQ flyer recently circulated the halls of Anna-Jonesboro Community High School with a poll attached asking students if they are comfortable allowing LGBT students to use the restroom with them. The top of the flyer reads Anti Queer Association. Below this, it asks students to vote whether or not they want queers to go in the bathroom. Community activists are condemning the flyer. A statement from the Rainbow Cafe in Carbondale said they are working with state agencies to help impacted youth at the high school. For any youth that may be reading this: please know that you are loved, that you belong and we are here supporting you, the organization wrote on Facebook. Superintendent Rob Wright said the administration became aware of the flyer on Wednesday morning. It has been investigated and appropriate discipline measures have been taken where warranted, Wright said. I cannot give any specific information regarding any individual students or discipline measures taken, but can tell you that this type of harassment is taken seriously by the district and will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The Anna-Jonesboro Community High School Board opened up comments to the public at an Oct. 18 meeting after some parents on social media expressed concerns and transphobic sentiments regarding students using the bathroom that best fit their gender. Requiring a student to use the restroom of their legal sex rather than the one that best fits their gender is illegal and violates Title IX, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In addition, Illinois has already taken steps to ensure there are more inclusive restrooms by passing the Equitable Restrooms Act in 2019. It required all single-occupancy bathrooms to be labeled as gender neutral beginning in 2020. Tara Bell, facilitator of Social Action for Southern Illinois, said this legislation and policy has been developed to protect the safety and mental health of transgender students. She said based on a recent survey by the Trevor Project, 52% of all transgender and nonbinary young people in the U.S. seriously contemplated killing themselves in 2020. When gender is affirmed by the adults and institutions in these young peoples lives, these rates drop dramatically," she said. Yet uninformed parents continue to see basic needs such as restroom access as unsafe for other students, Bell said. In reality, there have been no documented instances of violence, assault or bullying by transgender individuals in restrooms, either in schools or other public places, Bell said. This concept is a myth. But imagine what a student goes through daily; being forced to access a restroom or locker room based on their gender assigned at birth as opposed to the gender of their true self sets off a spiral of issues. The student will avoid eating or drinking all day, making participation and focus difficult. Overall grades can begin to slip. Students will sit out of Physical Education classes, facing penalties for nonparticipation. Over half of transgender students in the U.S. are required to use the restroom of their legal sex rather than the one they feel most comfortable using, according to statistics from GLSEN, an anti-discrimination educational organization. This can lead to damaging psychological impacts and can cause students to avoid the restroom altogether and risk health complications, according to GLSEN. More than half of transgender male teens who participated in a 2018 survey by the American Academy of Pediatrics reported attempting suicide in their lifetime, while 29.9 percent of transgender female teens said they attempted suicide and among non-binary youth, 41.8 percent of respondents stated that they had attempted suicide. A 2018 study by the Journal of Adolescent Health found there are 71% fewer symptoms of severe depression, a 34% drop in reported suicidal thoughts and a 65% decrease in suicide attempts when teens feel safe enough to use their true names and pronouns and are affirmed in their identity. While community advocates see AJCHS following the law by letting students use the bathroom of their choice as a positive thing, others in the community do not. Jacki Dent, a parent of students at the school, posted a video to Facebook and said she was about ready to pull the kids out of school because of this. Others in the comment section agreed with her reaction. Bell said bullying minors in social media forums and in schools is unacceptable and that support and resources are available at the Rainbow Cafe and other LGBTQ support and advocacy groups. Rainbow Cafe put out a call for action asking community members to call Wright regarding the flyers to demand an end to the harassment. Carrie Vine, vice chair of the Rainbow Cafe, said she believes bathroom use was mostly OK with students, but when community members learned of it, they began to speak badly of it. Vine said activists in the community are working to support the youth at the school. The Illinois Department of Human Rights, Illinois Safe Schools, Social Action for Southern Illinois and Rainbow Cafe are all working together on this issue, Vine said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Within a matter of weeks, the people of the small village of Macedonia have seen fire, the release of toxic extinguishing foam, devastating environmental impacts, and hundreds out of work in the region. And this occurred all at the behest of a company that had already declared bankruptcy, knew the risks and kept digging for coal, according to critics and environmental experts. The fire within the Sugar Camp coal mine has been burning since about the middle of August. To extinguish it, operators dumped 46,000 gallons of toxic foam into the mine. Environmental experts say a foam that contains a group of chemicals known as PFAS was used unsuccessfully in an attempt to extinguish the fire may have devastating impacts on local water sources for years to come. They say this foam is particularly toxic and detrimental to the health of humans and wildlife. About 400 employees were reportedly out of work as officials work to contain the disaster, according to an Oct. 5 report by WFCN news. As of publication, Foresight Energy, the company that owns and operates the mine, did not respond to requests for comment on the matter. The scope of the issue Twenty days after the Illinois EPA learned of the use of PFAS and received reports that it was detected on a nearby creek on September 21, following a review of inspection observations and water sample results, the Illinois EPA initiated an enforcement action, according to Kim Biggs, the IEPAs public information officer. The Illinois EPA did so by issuing a violation notice to Sugar Camp Energy LLC pursuant to the Illinois Environmental Protection Act (EPAct), she said. The violation notice alleges violations of several provisions of the EPAct and associated regulations and recommends actions to address the allegations, Biggs said. These recommendations include the immediate cessation of all releases from the transfer and storage of firefighting foam concentrate, the expeditious clean up and removal of any spilled firefighting foam concentrate, and the routine inspection of firefighting foam containers for leaks when received and used at the mine. To date, Biggs said no water has been tested for the toxins. No public water supply systems or private wells have been sampled due to the proximity of such sources to the observed foam, Biggs said. The foam was injected by the mine into a fully cased well at a minimum depth of 750 feet. The deepest private well in the area is 462 feet deep and is 4.5 miles away. There are shallower wells (less than 100 feet deep) within a mile radius of the injection site but would not be impacted by the underground injection due depth disparity and the unlikelihood of water moving upwards through longwall fractured zones. The Akin Water District services the area surrounding the plant. When reached for comment, an employee of the water district said they werent at liberty to comment on anything relating to the fire, the foam at Sugar Camp or what impact the two may have on the environment. Sonya Lunder, senior toxic advisor with the Sierra Club, said PFAS are unusually toxic chemicals that can impact many parts of the body if exposed. They impact our thyroid system, our immune system, internal organs like liver and kidneys, they're linked to immune related digestive problems like ulcerative colitis. If you're exposed during pregnancy, there are long term impacts on infant growth and development, as well as the immune system, Lunder said. Lunder said children exposed to the toxins in utero can have long-term suppression of their immune systems. She said while she has been studying toxic environmental chemicals for a long time, there is nothing quite like PFAS that she has come across. Lunder said PFAS does not break down and will contaminate water sources, once exposed to it, forever. In addition to attempting to extinguish the fire with PFAS-laden foam, the company has drilled boreholes without proper permits and at least one is close to a creek where the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has detected high levels of PFAS, according to the Sierra Club of Illinois. Susan Buchanan, an environmental health expert from the University of Chicago, said about 95-to-96% of the average population already have trace amounts of the chemical in their blood because most water is contaminated to some extent. However, large exposures to the chemical can cause cancer and liver problems. Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz, a senior attorney with Earthjustice specializing in toxic exposure and health, said the chemical has historically been unregulated at a federal level. He said it is of serious concern that it was deliberately used in this situation. Joyce Blumenshine, conservation co-chair of the Illinois Sierra Club, said the mine has a history of permit violations. So this is a big worry because we as people, we need our environment, we need water, we need land that's healthy to grow crops. And these are important concerns for the future well being of that whole area, Blumenshine said. Company history According to Foresights website, they operate four mines in Southern Illinois and Sugar Camp contains 1.290 billion tons of coal reserves as of January 2021. Since 1810, when commercial mining began, 7,400 coal mines have operated in Illinois, according to data from the University of Illinois. Fewer than 30 are currently active. Foresight and Sugar Camp in particular have a long history in Southern Illinois of environmental and safety concerns. Tyler Rath, a 20-year-old miner, died on the job at Sugar Camp two weeks before Christmas in 2015. The Mine Safety in Health Administration ruled that his death was due to the company's failure to provide adequate training, according to reports from the Energy News Network. MSHA also found the camp responsible for miner deaths in 2013 and 2014. Since the mine opened in 2012, residents living and working around the periphery of Sugar Camp have had to endure daily health hazards from coal dust, long-term contaminated air and water, and the loss of precious farmland, according to a statement by the Illinois Sierra Club recently released after the PFAS laden foam was released into the mine. Since the mine came to town, it has worked to buy land from local farmers. The Sierra Club argues those who stayed on their land near the mine have to endure poor air quality and daily health hazards. The coal industry in Illinois has been struggling for years and in 2020, Foresight Energy, the company that owns Sugar Camp and other mines in the region, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This bankruptcy claim didnt stop the company from contributing thousands to politicians, both Democrat and Republican, in Illinois since 2012 and $50,000 in lobbying expenses so far in 2021, according to data from OpenSecrets, a nonprofit organization that tracks campaign finance and lobbying data. Over $2,500 to former Illinois Mine Safety Official Tony Mayville, according to information collected by EcoWatch. Those working at Sugar Camp are not members of the United Mine Workers Union, according to UMWs Benton office. It is unclear when they will return to work. Prior to mine rescue personnel being permitted to enter the mine, the mine atmospheres must be stable for a period of 72 hours, Biggs said. This entails the analysis of mine atmospheres every eight hours to ensure a reliable air quality and quantity trend, Biggs said. To this end, the Office of Mines and Minerals analytical laboratory will be moving the necessary equipment on-site today to begin running air samples around the clock for the duration of the stabilization period. Until such time that the atmospheres are stable, mine rescue personnel will not be allowed to enter the mine. Foresight did not respond for comment regarding this issue. Legislators weigh in U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth said she is calling for a ban on all PFAS chemicals and is asking for more education, regulation and oversight to ensure this never happens again. Part of the problem is that this stuff is still being stockpiled, it's still out there. And so when somebody goes to fight a fire, they're ... somewhere where they can't put the fire out, and if they've got this foam then they're going to use it. And what we have to do is just pull it all out, but we also need to provide an alternative. And that's where we can make investments, Duckworth said in an interview with The Southern. During Wednesdays Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works hearing, Duckworth advocated for enacting the Build Back Better budget and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal to help ensure cleanup efforts in communities where aqueous film forming foams, or AFFF, a firefighting foam that contains PFAS, have been used. The foam is now linked to cancer. Greater oversight by both federal and local EPA is critically important, especially of our water purification systems. But then this is why it's so critically important to pass this infrastructure package we're working on here in Washington, DC right now, Duckworth said. There is currently no prohibition in Illinois on the use of AFFF containing PFAS in emergency incidents, according to Biggs. The Illinois EPA has serious concerns about the potential for environmental and health impacts related to PFAS, including the impacts of use of AFFF containing PFAS, and is taking a number of steps to address this emerging contaminant, Biggs said. Currently, there are no maximum contaminant levels for any PFAS chemicals. Illinois Sen. Dale Fowlers office declined to comment on the issue until the investigation is complete. Rep. Mike Bost (R-12) said his office is also waiting for the results of the investigation. The fire at the Sugar Camp Mine is currently under investigation and we are waiting for investigators to determine the cause and the scope of the damage done as well as ensure that all best safety practices were used in response. I will continue to closely monitor the situation and hope that it will be resolved quickly and safely so that mine employees can return to work sooner rather than later, Bost said. Rep. Dave Severin did not respond to requests for comment. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. But the proposal was also the recipient of friendly fire from fellow Democrats, with operatives in Washington saying it did not do enough to shore up vulnerable incumbents and maximize the partys opportunities elsewhere. Democratic members of the Illinois delegation also took issue with the potential new shapes of their districts, which are larger an unavoidable reality since the state lost one congressional seat after the 2020 U.S. Census and in many cases feature unfamiliar terrain. And there is some disappointment about the lack of a second majority Latino district in the Chicago area despite the group registering significant growth over the past ten years. These are some of the issues legislative Democrats will have to work through when they return to Springfield next week to consider the new congressional map, which would set the district boundaries for the next 10years. Democrats concede that the map is likely to change before a final vote is taken. My sense is that the map that was put forward was not intended to be a final product, it was intended to be for discussion, said Gov. J.B. Pritzker, responding to a question from a reporter at an unrelated event in Bloomington Thursday morning. Lots of people have discussed as we've seen. They've seen the maps and wanted to make changes, both current members of Congress from both parties as well as members of the legislature who are going to be voting on it. Grading the process Theres significant pressure on Springfield Democrats from the national party to maximize opportunities in Illinois, one of the few states where the party has complete control of the redistricting process. Besides New York, the state is viewed by many as the Democrats biggest redistricting weapon, with models showing the possibility of making a delegation currently composed of 13 Democrats and five Republicans one with either a 14-3 or 15-2 split. With Republican state legislatures expected to gerrymander in states like Florida, North Carolina and Texas, a Democratic gerrymander in Illinois could give the party a fighting chance to maintain a majority in the House. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project, a non-partisan group that seeks to eliminate gerrymandering, has given Democrats' proposed map an "F" grade for partisan fairness. The proposal features 14 districts won by President Joe Biden in 2020. However, it leaves some Democratic-held seats vulnerable during election cycles that favor Republicans. The 3rd Congressional District, based in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and held by Rep. Marie Newman, D-Western Springs, would stretch out to Interstate 39 under the proposal, picking up significant rural territory, exurban communities like Channahon and Minooka and blue collar communities in the Illinois Valley like LaSalle and Ottawa. Biden's margin of victory would decrease from 13 percentage points in the current district to 6 points in the proposed district, which would also include the home of Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, who has become a national figure due to his criticism of former President Donald Trump. Dave Wasserman, House editor for the Cook Political Report, and Frank Calabrese, an Illinois redistricting expert, both say the district as drawn would be considered a "toss up" in 2022. Newman said in a statement released last week that it was abundantly apparent that what has currently been proposed for Illinois 3rd Congressional District is not only retrogressive but substantially diminishes the diverse and progressive voices of Chicagos Southwest Side and suburbs. Also vulnerable under the new map is Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville. Her 14th Congressional District, based in the western suburbs and exurbs of Chicago, would pick up the liberal college town DeKalb. It would move from a district that voted for Biden by two points to eight points, a marginal improvement that could leave the seat vulnerable under the right circumstances. The 17th Congressional District, an open seat with the upcoming retirement of Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, would include less rural areas and more of Peoria and Rockford while picking up Bloomington-Normal. It would move from a district that supported Trump by nearly two points to one Biden won by six points. Still, Wasserman said Democrats could have made it a Biden +10 or more district with a more skillful crafting of the map. Even if Democrats held those seats, their relative competitiveness could lead to unnecessarily expensive elections, some say. "If there's a creation of four or five competitive districts that are only clearly blue-leaning, it's going to invite dark money and Republican efforts to come into the Chicagoland media market," said Andrew Ellison, a Democratic political operative testifying at a House Redistricting Committee hearing on Wednesday. "They will not be afraid to come in .... to run negative ads against all these different candidates. It's going to create chaos, it's going to bleed down to some of these legislative races too and create a very negative environment." 'They're more concerned about their own districts' Some of these concerns lead many to believe that changes are coming before the final map is voted on and sent to Pritzker's desk. Some incumbents from hyper-Democratic seats in Chicago and the suburbs will likely have to "take one for the team" by picking up more rural Republican precincts to shore up more vulnerable members like Newman and Underwood. Illinois Democratic members met at the office of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last week to discuss the map, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report. The delegation can offer recommendations to state lawmakers, but have no formal control over the process, which is the purview of the General Assembly, per the state constitution. The interesting thing is that for most of the modern era in Illinois, under our new constitution since 1971, congressional redistricting has been an afterthought for the General Assembly, said Charlie Wheeler, the retired director of the Public Affairs Reporting program at the University of Illinois Springfield. "They're more concerned about their own districts for the Illinois Senate and the Illinois House." In 1971, 1981 and 1991, the legislature punted on congressional redistricting, with a three-judge federal district court in Chicago adopting a redistricting plan for the state in each of those years. In 2001, the General Assembly did enact a new congressional map. However, it was largely the product of a deal cut between then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Oswego, and Rep. Bill Lipinski, D-Chicago to protect House incumbents. The most notorious district drawn that cycle was the C-shaped 17th, which stretched along the Mississippi River from the Quad Cities to Quincy with a tentacle poking out to grab the urban precincts of Springfield and Decatur. In 2011, Illinois Democrats had complete control of government in a redistricting year for the first time ever, passing maps that allowed the party to flip a 11-8 GOP-majority congressional delegation into a 12-6 Democratic majority. In 2021, Democrats will try to go further. A map with 15 Biden districts and two Trump is not out of the question, but a 14-3 breakdown is more likely. At stake are the fates of several GOP members of Congress, especially Reps. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, and Kinzinger, who represent downstate communities that have collectively lost population in the last decade. And then there's still the issue of whether or not to create a second Latino majority district. For the past 30 years, there has been one Latino majority district connecting communities on the Northwest and Southwest sides of Chicago. It's been colloquially known as the "earmuff" district for its funny shape. With Democrats' fall veto session scheduled to wrap up next week, action on maps is highly likely. Since it's past May, supermajorities, which Democrats hold in both chambers, will be necessary for passage. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As the standoff over the Chicago police vaccination reporting mandate continues, some Indiana officials are stepping in to try to lure disgruntled officers across the border. Indiana U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, a Republican, spoke on Fox News this week with a pitch to Chicago police officers turned off by Mayor Lori Lightfoots order to report their vaccination status: Come to the Hoosier State instead. In a Thursday statement to the Tribune, he added that several experienced Chicago cops have already reached out to his office. Our police do one of the hardest jobs in the world and they deserve respect not heavy-handed mandates that will force them out of a job if they wont disclose their private medical information, Braun wrote. Brauns invitation was swiftly derided by Indiana Democrats who said he was once again inflaming a crisis to score political points. Jim Wieser, chair of the Lake County Democratic Party, said that the last thing his state needs is more unvaccinated workers. For him to invite, especially, first responders over so they dont have to get vaccinated, its so absurd it almost defies logic, Wieser said in a phone call, adding Braun says stuff to just be inciting folks. Indiana Democratic Party spokesman Drew Anderson called Braun a bully on a situation that has nothing to do with Indiana or Hoosier families. Indiana Republicans need to stop prioritizing an extreme partisan agenda that invalidates lifesaving vaccines, Anderson wrote in a statement. Out of the Hoosier States residents who are ages 12 and up the population eligible for the coronavirus vaccine 56.9% are fully vaccinated, according to the Indiana Department of Health. That number is 68.5% in Chicago and 63.4% across Illinois. Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. The neighboring states bickering over Lightfoots vaccination reporting mandate comes after 21 Chicago police officers were placed on no-pay status this week for refusing to comply with the citys order. That requirement said all city employees had to submit their vaccination status by Oct. 15, and those who are unvaccinated can instead undergo regular COVID-19 testing for the rest of the year. The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police has refused to cooperate, with President John Catanzara repeatedly urging members to disobey the city until a Cook County judge issued a temporary restraining order barring him from such public statements. Almost 68% of more than 12,000 Chicago police employees have met the vaccination reporting requirement, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said Tuesday. He maintained many staffers are choosing to comply after speaking with higher-ups about how the mandate works. On Thursday, another Cook County judge scolded both the local FOP and the city for being unable to find any common ground for the sake of all Chicagoans. Judge Moshe Jacobius, presiding judge of the Cook County Chancery Division, made his comments after ruling that the dueling lawsuits between the city and FOP should be heard by the same judge, Cecilia Horan, who issued the restraining order against Catanzara. The decision was a win for the city and led to FOP lawyer Joel DAlba airing his frustrations soon after. You speak of frustration, Jacobius responded. Theres enough frustration to go around. With his voice getting louder, the judge continued, Theres been some comments about lowering the volume and lowering the flames and working in commonality for the people of the city of Chicago. You see the sensationalism, and people need to really consider everybody here is in public service. DAlba responded: We will continue to have conversations to achieve exactly what youre talking about. But in Indiana, at least two law enforcement agencies already began welcoming Chicago officers who might find themselves separated from their departments: Indiana State Police, and Munster police. Hey Chicago Police Officers, were hiring! Sgt. Glen Fifield, a spokesman for Indiana State Polices northwest district, wrote in a tweet Tuesday. No vaccine mandate. Apply today. ... Lower taxes, great schools, welcoming communities. However, in a phone call Thursday, Fifield declined to weigh in on the issue of vaccination mandates, including the one in Chicago, because we dont stick our noses into the politics of other agencies in Indiana or outside. Fifield continued: Its really a nonissue for any state employee here in Indiana. All I know is that if an officer is looking to leave an agency for whatever reason, and theyre in good standing with their department, then they can consider coming to our agency. The tweet was deleted later Thursday afternoon, which Fifield attributed to the fact it listed an incorrect website. He added that it probably isnt the right decision to send out another tweet. Munster police Chief Steve Scheckel did not respond to requests for comment Thursday, but he rolled out a similar offer to Chicago officers on Fox News earlier this week, saying, In Indiana, we support our law enforcement. Separately Thursday, Lightfoot said at an unrelated news conference the city is slowly seeing progress and she expects that police officers will stop following Catanzaras call for defiance. No one will think that thats acceptable and we certainly dont either, Lightfoot said. The vaccine reporting mandate is about creating the safest workplace possible, Lightfoot said, and the city is only asking for basic information. She said shes confident the numbers (of people reporting) will continue to rise, as they have all week long, and that people are going to wake up to the reality that they are being led over a cliff by someone whos already destroyed his career. The mayor also ripped Southwest Side Ald. Silvana Tabares, 23rd, who called for the mandate to be repealed and future ones to go through City Council. Tabares, whos Latina, represents a ward with many city workers and police officers. Honestly, I really dont understand a woman of color carrying the water for a guy whos demonstrated over and over again hes racist, hes a misogynist, hes xenophobic, he hates immigrants and refugees, he stands in support of the 1/6ers, Lightfoot said, in an apparent reference to Catanzaras history of inflammatory online posts, for which he faces potential firing from the Police Department. I think people in her ward need to ask, why is it this alderwoman is carrying the water for a guy like that? Tabares responded: The mayors comments are divisive but not surprising and demonstrate why we need this ordinance, to have a transparent process to review proposed mandates to make sure they are about good public policy and not personality conflicts. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SANTA FE, N.M. A prop firearm discharged by veteran actor Alec Baldwin, who is starring and producing a Western movie, killed his director of photography and injured the director Thursday at the movie set outside Santa Fe, the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said. Sheriff's officials said Halyna Hutchins, director of photography for the movie "Rust," and director Joel Souza were shot. Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel, authorities said. Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, where he's undergoing treatment for his injuries. Production has been halted on the film. A spokesperson for Baldwin said there was an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported the 68-year-old Baldwin was seen Thursday outside the sheriff's office in tears, but attempts to get comment from him were unsuccessful. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. Full story and further updates: Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This subscription will allow existing subscribers of The World to access all of our online content, including the E-Editions area. NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please email us at admin@countrymedia.net or call us at 1-541 266 6047. (TBTCO) - Tinh tu 16 gio ngay 18/11 en 16 gio ngay 19/11, Viet Nam ghi nhan 9.625 ca nhiem moi Covid-19, trong o co 8 ca nhap canh va 9.617 ca ghi nhan trong nuoc (giam 592 ca so voi ngay truoc o). Marketing executive Lauren has always appreciated her best friend Nate. After all, her father and stepmother adore him and he's always there to support her with gingerbread and hot cocoa her favorites. She tries to be there for him, too, and promises to help him decorate the Christmas tree at the community center where he works. However, when Lauren's office is tasked with putting together a last-minute pitch for a client by Christmas Eve, she backs out. That night, she wakes at 2 a.m. to a confusing surprise the boyfriend she'd had as a teenager is in her apartment and hasn't aged a day. Just as he warns Lauren, she is soon visited by three more ex-boyfriends, who help her revisit past their Christmases together in hopes of getting her to see the pattern in her relationships. During these trips to her holiday history, Lauren sees the one person she could always count on is Nate, but in the present, she is too scared to recognize the love that is right in front of her. She must learn from her past and open her heart or risk losing Nate forever. In 2016, Triplett was convicted of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor between the ages of 13 and 15 in Natrona County. He was sentenced to eight to 10 years in prison. An unprecedented amount of out-of-state money is pouring into Rep. Liz Cheneys reelection effort, as she campaigns in one of the nations highest-profile congressional races. The third quarter was the second-biggest fundraising period ever for Cheney, who is facing a tough reelection fight after her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump. She raised just over $1.7 million during that period, which runs from July to September. These hefty donations came on the heels of Cheneys all-time fundraising record, $1.9 million, which occurred one cycle earlier. So far, only 6% of Cheneys itemized individual donations have come from donors who listed Wyoming addresses, compared to almost 27% in her 2019-2020 race, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Those donations highlight how much attention in Wyoming and nationally her race is receiving. To date, she she received far more money during this campaign than the previous one, when she coasted to reelection. House campaigns are getting more and more expensive, said Sarah Bryner, director of research and strategy at OpenSecrets, a nonprofit organization that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. Were starting to reach fundraising heights weve never seen before. Cheney has so far raised nearly $177,000 from Wyomingites, compared to $134,850 at the same point last year. So its not that the money shes raised in-state that has fallen off. Instead, this time around Cheney is also getting boatloads of cash from donors outside of the Equality State. In her 2020 race, most of her dollars came from individual Wyoming donors. This time around, several other states are contributing more money to Cheneys campaign than Wyoming including Virginia, California, Florida and New York. Some big donors from out of state were brought into the fold through a joint fundraising committee (JFC) formed in mid-August, Great Task PAC. Forming JFCs is not atypical for a race of this stature. Donors who contributed via Great Task were predominantly from some of the wealthiest places in the U.S. There were multiple donors from the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the Hamptons (an uber-wealthy collection of beach towns in Long Island, New York, where city dwellers have second homes), as well as some of the wealthiest towns in California such as Beverley Hills and Atherton. Joint fundraising committees are created for major donors to contribute to a slate without having to write separate checks, Bryner said. For someone with a lot of cash, that makes it easier. These contributors are often reached through well-established political donor lists, which is why the zip codes that make up the donor base through Great Task are so rich. For the most part, those who donated through Great Task are retirees. Theres a very well established political donor marketplace, so you just hit that up, Bryner said. The Cheney campaign has now collected over $5 million this year and ended the third fundraising quarter with nearly $3.7 million to spend. The $5 million is already millions more than Cheney raised over the entire 2019-2020 campaign cycle. Cheneys unitemized donations account for about 22.5% of her donations from individuals, which excludes political action committees or PACs. The proportion of money that comes from individual unitemized donors is a good pulse on the grassroots support for the candidate, as they must be under $200. The Cheney campaign said it had not yet calculated the proportion of unitemized donors who listed Wyoming addresses. State Sen. Anthony Bouchard was the first Republican to announce he would challenge Cheney, and he has remained in the race even after Trump endorsed another candidate, lawyer Harriet Hageman, to unseat Wyomings congresswoman. Although Bouchard has raised far less than Cheney, almost 70% of his total money raised came from unitemized donations. He also has yet to take any PAC money. The percentage of PAC money that Cheney has been relying on has been steadily declining over the past three quarters. In the first quarter, PAC dollars accounted for 23% of that quarters contributions. By the second quarter, that percentage had fallen to 15%, before plummeting to 5% in the third quarter. So far, roughly 14% of all funds Cheney has raised come from PACs. At this time last election, PAC funds accounted for 46% of Cheneys total donations. Since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Cheney has steadfastly criticized Trump for lying about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election and the role he played in encouraging the insurrection, making her one of Trumps main opponents over the last few months. She voted to impeach the former president and has not wavered in her beliefs, even as she was censured by the Wyoming Republican Party and ousted from House GOP leadership. Since then, a number of county level Republican Parties have voted to unrecognize Cheney as a Republican (a move that is symbolic and doesnt actually strip her of any title or power). Cheneys continued criticism of Trump has prompted a bruising reelection challenge, with several GOP candidates announcing runs for her seat. During the third quarter, the long-awaited Trump endorsement came when he chose Hageman, a 2018 gubernatorial candidate. Prior to this race, Cheney had not faced a tough election challenge since 2016, the year she defeated two state lawmakers in the House GOP primary. Because Hageman, Cheneys main challenger, was only in the race for three weeks when the filing deadline came, its difficult to compare her fundraising to Cheneys. Candidates will next be required to turn in campaign finance information at the end of the year. That should bring a clearer picture on how Trumps endorsement is affecting the race. Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Science has clear evidence but a muddled message about how to treat forests and protect homes from wildfire, local researchers said in response to national controversy over fire management. We want to reassure folks that the science is solid, despite rumors they are in conflict, retired Missoula National Fire Lab Director Colin Hardy said during a National Forest Foundation webinar on Monday. But the answers are more nuanced than a recent debate over forest thinning might imply. This may seem like a radical statement, but we dont have to control extreme wildfire to keep neighborhoods from burning up, fire physical scientist Jack Cohen said. Science reveals how homes ignite in extreme conditions. These are preventable human disasters. While the number of homes destroyed nationwide during wildfires has skyrocketed in recent years, Cohen said study of how those houses burned shows they had little to do with the wall of flames rushing through the surrounding forest. Instead, the problem comes in whats called the home ignition zone of vulnerabilities such as open windows or flammable materials piled against walls that destroy the buildings. Cohen showed numerous examples of well-sealed homes that survived wildfires when every surrounding tree and bush turned to charcoal. He compared that to photos of whole subdivisions of homes burned down but all the surrounding trees and wooden fences remained unburned. The community is the location where we need to change the results of the fire, Cohen said. We can create ignition-resistant home zones. And restoring wildland fire as an ecological process requires ignition-resistant homes. Fire Lab research scientist Mark Finney explained that the 20th centurys emphasis on suppressing fires, combined with steadily warming and drying climate in the West, has produced extreme wildfires rather than prevented them. In the process, it has led the public to consider fire as an enemy, instead of an essential tool for forest management. Today, 98% of wildland fires are extinguished before reaching 300 acres that means were saving the fuel, Finney said. And it means the remaining 2% will burn the most area under the most extreme conditions. Our current practices are not protecting our wildlands, timber, watersheds or communities. We cant improve our suppression effectiveness. All our technology is of little utility in extreme wildfire. John Muir Project researcher Chad Hanson and others have claimed that forest management is usually logging in disguise that doesnt protect against wildfire. In his new book, Smokescreen: Debunking Wildfire Myths to Save Our Forests and Our Climate, Hanson claimed that thinning around the 2018 Camp fire that destroyed Paradise, California, did not stop the fire which raced through the logged areas faster than any forest fire in recent memory, ultimately destroying many thousands of homes and costing 85 people their lives. Finney countered that Hanson and other critics were making spurious claims with selective use of information to say fuels management was ineffective. Finney added that getting ahead of extreme wildfire requires long-term, counterintuitive measures. Thinning alone doesnt stop fires its true that it isnt that effective, Finney said. But it wasnt intended to stop fires. Thinning plus burning does change fire behavior. The science is clear that when fuels mitigation involves thinning and burning, it reduces intensity and vegetative impact. The Dixie fire in California that smoked up Montanas skies this summer has burned nearly 1 million acres. Finney said fuels mitigation has to take place on a similar national scale to have an impact. It took us a century to get at the position were at, and it will take decades to get out, Finney said. We need to think much larger. To get 40% of the landscape maintained in a treated condition will require treating 1% to 3% of the landscape every year. That will take decades. Cohen added that also will take clear public messaging by land managers. Forest logging projects shouldnt be called public safety projects or vice versa, he warned. For example, a recent project in the Gallatin National Forest involving a 22-mile road between wilderness areas was initially put forward as a combined logging and fire safety effort. They were trying to reduce fire intensity around a safety zone, but the project manager proposed it as a logging project, which was not the purpose, and it immediately got objected to, Cohen said. Finally the project got defined for its real management objective, which did away with environmental objection. Firefighters face similar messaging challenges, according to National Incident Management Organization specialist Bea Day. As an incident commander on a wildfire, her job involves bringing many stakeholders together who have different goals for the same landscape. For example, one fire could affect state forest managers who want to log the trees to support schools, U.S. Forest Service rangers who want beetle-killed groves cleared for wildlife habitat, federal wilderness restrictions limiting where Day can place safety equipment, and local communities who fear for their homes and object to summer-long smoke. She often faces public demands for retardant planes, even when such retardant drops wont affect the fire spread and greatly increase the cost of the incident. The stakeholders want fires under control as quickly as we can, when the best solution may be to let a particular area burn on our terms, Day said. Then we get accused of doing prescribed fire on a wildland incident. So we miss opportunities because its not an acceptable strategy with stakeholders. Add to that a serious lack of personnel to fight any fire, and the lengthening active wildfire season that eliminates most ability to do forest treatments when the chance of disaster is low, and Day said about all she has the ability to do in a big fire event is keep crews and local residents out of immediate danger. This year, any sort of fire on the ground created huge headaches for us, Day said. There wasnt time to do landscape-type treatments. And then what about a public that fights projects that attempt to return fire on landscape? Finney said getting public acceptance of fire as a necessary tool remains crucial. We have Smokey Bear, but Smokey is about prevention of careless fires, not fire-dependent ecosystems, Finney said. Where is the complementary symbol to communicate these issues? Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually triumph, and there is purpose and worth to each and every life. Those words written by my father, which are inscribed in stone at his gravesite, could very well have been referring to Colin Powell and his life. Powell was a great American who literally lived the American dream. Born in Harlem, the son of a Jamaican immigrant, he rose to the greatest possible heights a four-star general who became a statesman, a presidential advisor and secretary of state from 2001 to 2005. Powell was a good man who did a lot of good things while in the service of his country. He also did a lot of good for thousands of children through his organization Americas Promise Alliance, which works to improve the lives of young people and is rooted in the belief that every one of them deserves to succeed and every adult is responsible for making that happen. When Powell died this week, many political people said many nice things about him and some of them said some pretty rotten things, too. Most of the criticism had to do with Powells cheerleading role in Americas invasion of Iraq. He didnt instigate or orchestrate the war in Iraq, and he wasnt the only guy in the Bush II government who argued that we should send American men and women there to topple Saddam Hussein. But his reputation was hurt forever after he warned in a speech to the United Nations that Hussein had weapons of mass destruction that he might use against us. As everyone later found out, Saddams weapons of mass destruction didnt exist and the claim that he was hiding them was based on faulty intelligence, which is the kind that our intel community has become really good at producing. One of this weeks meanest criticisms of Colin Powell, not surprisingly, came from a fellow Republican, Donald Trump. The former president whom Powell called a national disgrace and an international pariah in 2016 and whom he did not support in 2020 wrote this typically Trumpian eulogy: Wonderful to see Colin Powell, who made big mistakes on Iraq and famously, so-called weapons of mass destruction, be treated in death so beautifully by the Fake News Media. Hope that happens to me someday. He was a classic RINO (Republican In Name Only), if even that, always being the first to attack other Republicans. He made plenty of mistakes, but anyway, may he rest in peace! Trump simply cant help being Trump. He cant think beyond right now or think beyond himself. Instead of issuing a respectful presidential statement about the death of a great American, or just shutting up, he had to get his digs in and try to make himself the top story of the day. Trumps boorish statement was particularly upsetting to me because I knew what a nice man Colin Powell was. Ill never forget the last time I spoke to him, which was at my fathers funeral in Washington at the Capitol Rotunda. When the ceremony was over and as my family was walking out, Powell made a point to come over to see us. Literally running toward us and pushing his way through the crowd, he called out my name, put his hand on my shoulder and turned me around. I just want to tell you, he said, You know, your father loved you. Powell, who understood the dynamic of my family, loved my father. My father loved him and once told me he would support him for president if that day came. Its easy to understand why I was so upset by what Trump and some other Republicans said this week about Colin Powell. Donald Trump will never understand it till the day he dies. But if he had lived by the words that are carved into the stone at my fathers gravesite instead of his own, he might still be president. Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of Lessons My Father Taught Me: The Strength, Integrity, and Faith of Ronald Reagan. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 President Joe Bidens plan to build America back better is much more costly than most everyone anticipated. The budget reconciliation bill currently stuck in the House is perhaps the most expensive single piece of legislation in history. Even a few members of his own party are uncomfortable voting for it. According to some estimates, the new taxes, spending, and borrowing involved total out at about $10 trillion over 10 years. At one-half U.S. annual GDP pre-COVID, thats not chump change. Biden says not to worry because its paid for, something only someone whod spent 50 years in Washington could say with a straight face. Hes unfamiliar with how the private economy functions. The higher corporate taxes he touts, for example, are considered a cost of doing business that is mostly passed along to the consumer. Its not his fault he doesnt get it. Hes spent almost his entire adult life in politics. Any wealth hes amassed comes from belonging to the aristocracy of pull, not business acumen. The people around him, however, know better. Raising taxes on personal incomes over $400,000 a year, raising the corporate tax rate, and establishing a global corporate minimum tax wont raise the revenue needed to cover the cost of the plan Biden is trying to sell to the American people, not to mention holdouts in his own party like West Virginias Joe Manchin. The big spenders know other sources of revenue will need to be tapped, if not now then later. That makes anything not taxed currently fair game, which puts changes in the private individual retirement account system on the table. Most IRAs are treated favorably in the tax code. Either the funds are taxed when they are invested and withdrawals are made tax-free or investments are tax-free and, after the accounts have increased in value over time because of the magic of compound interest, the funds are taxed when theyre drawn down. Changing that will have downstream impacts especially harmful to investors in the middle-class. It wont punish the rich. It will hit the new investor class, especially the millennials entering the workforce, hard. Whats on the table limits investment options while subjecting the income they set aside for retirement to retroactive taxation. Its like a fishermans net, IRA expert Ed Slott said. The net picks up a lot of small fish that are unintended targets. This proposal to eliminate Roth 401K Conversions for IRAs and employer-sponsored plans for single filers making $400,000 or more and joint filers making $450,000 or more is bad policy and bad politics. What the Bidenites are proposing would be devastating to retirement incomes and should be anathema to senators from states with large retirement populations like Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona and Nevadas Catherine Cortez Masto. These ideas and the proposed ban on the conversion of after-tax contributions to Roth account regardless of income would likely wreck the retirement plans of millions of average Americans. Moreover, the ideas are absurd from a revenue perspective. According to early estimates, the changes under consideration would only raise $4 billion over the next 10 years. Thats not even a drop in the bucket of whats needed to pay for the Biden plan. Does that mean future changes that are even more radical? Probably. Once were down that road it will be hard to stop even if it hurts Baby Boomers and Millennials alike. Attempting to limit the amount people can put into Roth IRAs will reduce the national savings rate, complicate retirement planning for millions of Americans, and constitute another broken promise by the politicians in Washington. Some folks have indeed used these accounts as a tax dodge, setting up as many as they need to reduce their annual tax burden, but you dont use a howitzer to kill a housefly. For most Americans, IRAs are a pathway to a comfortable, secure, perhaps even prosperous retirement. The proposals currently under consideration to eliminate the Mega Roth and other independent retirement account options are an attack on the middle class that Congress should reject. If it doesnt, the voters will remember. Peter Roff is a senior fellow at Frontiers of Freedom and a former U.S. News and World Report contributing editor who appears regularly as a commentator on the One America News network. Email him at RoffColumns@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @Peter Roff Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 THE Confederation of Regional Business Chambers (CRBC) is calling on the Government to consider an extension on the submission of the property tax forms beyond November 30, 2021. The CRBC, in a statement yesterday, said there can be criminal liabilities or a penalty if these forms are not filed by November 30, hence, Government is urged to consider the request to extend the deadline as an urgent matter. Its a slow start but we expect it to pick up by weekend. We expect better sales. So said Barkeepers and Owners Association of Trinidad and Tobago (BOATT) president Sateesh Moonasar after bars fully reopened on Thursday night with the curfew having ended. The pre-election splurge by the PNM-led Tobago House of Assembly (THA) draws attention to constitutional loopholes that should be addressed. Here is an administration which went in with a comfortable majority for the election which was held in January this year and came out in a dead heat with the challenger party. Final plans for the Frys SaddleBrooke Marketplace are moving forward, according to the Pederson Group, developers of the site. For many years, the land development company has hoped to secure a food retailer as the anchor store in the strip center. We should have a clear direction on the timing of this project by late December, according to Rob Bassett, chief operating officer at Pederson in Phoenix. The company is now requesting new bids for the project from construction companies. We are currently in the process of repricing the project, Bassett said. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in a market where price escalations are very unpredictable for the 120,000-acre site. Once we receive final pricing, we plan to commence construction the first quarter of 2022. Pederson estimates that the current population in the proposed development market area is approximately 40,000 and will grow to 45,500 in 2026. According to the developer, the average household income is now $80,765, in an area with limited retail competition. The site plan calls for the grocer, a bank, gas station, restaurants and retail services. The city has invested millions of dollars to address the issue and may have to spend more as it waits to be reimbursed by the Department of Defense, the incumbent said. Kozachik said he wants to address the problem regardless of when those federal funds arrive in order to ensure Tucsonans have safe drinking water. Our role is more than simply leaning on the federal government; our role is managing and monitoring the problem right now with Tucson Water, he said. Were active participants in monitoring this problem and may even have to come out of pocket for it. Romeros top priority is strengthening the Tucson Police Department through increased staffing, a longstanding issue in Tucson and nationally. The Police Department here has about a 12% shortage of sworn officers when trainees who cant be deployed in the community are taken into account. City officials have said the problem is driven by a lack of qualified candidates. Romeros plans to bring more officers to Tucson by promoting community engagement with the police. He said he would consider a marketing plan to highlight the positives of working as a police officer here, like the warm weather. Napier, it turned out, had stayed on as a quarter-time employee with Cochise County, finishing up a few projects, said Carol Capas, spokeswoman for the sheriffs department. He submitted his resignation in early October. LD10 Dems to pick again The Legislative District 10 Democrats will have to repeat a process they just went through now that Stephanie Stahl Hamilton has been picked to move into congressional candidate Kirsten Engels place in the state Senate. Stahl Hamilton represents that district in the state House now, so when she resigns from the House, the countdown begins to pick a slate of possible replacements for her. Diane Nevill, who chairs the LD10 Dems, said she expects to have the meeting for selecting a slate of three candidates sometime in mid-November. Among those planning to submit for the seat is Tom Chabin, who put his name in for Engels seat and in any case plans to run for the Legislature next year. Another is Morgan Abraham. He had previously filed to run for state House next year but supported Stahl Hamilton for the Senate seat. Now he will be seeking to replace her in the House. With those new skills, I was able to identify commercial properties with the potential to reward my clients with 20% or more annual investment returns. If you believe in and invest in your own deals, you will find investors who want to invest with you. Now you are the sponsor, the managing member of the LLC, the buyer broker, the developer, the property manager, the supervising contractor, and the selling broker. (Unfortunately, youre also the loan guarantor. but thats a different story). You can make money providing all these services for your partners. If your investment skills are good, you will have partners for life. While Im giving old man advice, use sunscreen, take risks, differentiate yourself as an expert, get more education, teach your skill set to others, treat people fairly, and never get seriously in debt to anyone who says they cried at the end of Scarface. Q. Where is the market is headed in the next 10 years? A. I dont know. I wont be around. As economist John Kenneth Galbraith once said, Economic forecasts only exist to make astrology look respectable. Q. Is there one particular project or transaction that stands out to you? In seeking intervention by Brnovich, Leach is not asking the attorney general to rule on the other part of Fosters complaint: that the council action runs afoul of one of Duceys executive orders, which she contends precludes local vaccine mandates. The 2016 law Leach is using to force action by Brnovich allows legislators to question only alleged violations of state law, not gubernatorial edicts. Despite that, Rankin, in his response to Foster, said she is legally off-base on that claim, too. The governor has absolutely no legal authority to use an executive order to preempt or preclude the mayor and councils exercise of their independent legislative authority under the Tucson Charter, the Arizona Constitution, or other Arizona law, to enact and enforce policies that they determine are necessary and appropriate to promote and protect the health and safety of city employees, Rankin wrote. He told Foster thats the legal advice he gave council members. I would hope that, in your role as the governors general counsel, you have provided him the same advice regarding the limitations on his authority, since it is quite clearly the law, Rankin said. Regardless, Leachs complaint forces Brnovich to weigh in. The gunman in the deadly Amtrak shooting that left a DEA agent dead had bonded out of jail in California where he was facing violent charges. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration on Thursday announced a proposal to ban new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet (975 meters) of sites such as schools and homes. Here's a look at the details: THE BUFFER The 3,200-foot zone between new drilling and community sites would be the largest in the nation if adopted. California currently has no statewide rule for how close oil and gas wells can be to homes, schools, hospitals, daycares and other places where people live and work. Colorado has the nation's largest buffer zone right now, at 2000 feet (610 meters). It wouldn't apply to existing wells in that zone. POLLUTION CONTROLS Wells already operating within that zone would have to comply with new pollution controls. Administration officials say they hope those rules will prompt some well operators to close down. The U.S. should be cautious with its words and actions on the Taiwan issue, and not send any wrong signals to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence, so as not to seriously damage China-U.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Wang said. At the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that Bidens comments about Taiwan weren't meant to signal a change in approach. What I can convey to you is that our policy has not changed, Psaki said. He was not intending to convey a change in policy, nor has he made a decision to change our policy." In his comments, Biden said the U.S. did not want a new Cold War but expressed concern about whether China was going to engage in activities that will put them in a position where they may make a serious mistake." I just want to make China understand that we are not going to step back, we are not going to change any of our views. Biden said. Asked whether the U.S. would come to Taiwan's defense if it were attacked, he replied: Yes, we have a commitment to do that. The intense focus on Petitos case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing Indigenous women and other people of color. Petito, 22, was white. The coroner in Wyoming concluded Petito died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks. The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no domestic violence charges were filed. The police department there is conducting an internal review to determine if policy was followed. Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the van the couple took on their trip. The van was later impounded by authorities. He was reported missing after telling his parents he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve. Dozens of unconfirmed tips poured into authorities about spotting Laundrie from Wyoming to the Appalachian Trail, but none panned out. The remains were found Wednesday as searches concentrated on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found. That park is directly adjacent to the Carlton Reserve, both of which are about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Sarasota, Florida. An earlier version of this report had an incorrect spelling of Brian Laundrie's name. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Authorities said that Bruce, armed with a handgun, forced the three women into a back room of the store, told them to strip, exposed himself and ordered them to perform deviant sexual acts on him, detectives wrote in a criminal complaint. Two of the women complied but 53-year-old Jamie Schmidt of House Springs refused, so he shot her in the head, prosecutors said. He ordered the other women to continue performing the sexual acts on him, then fled, apparently able to blend in on a busy street in broad daylight. The two women assaulted in the store read victim impact statements Friday describing what they went through that day and in the years that have followed. Schmidts husband and family members also described the pain her death has caused them. In a way my kids lost two parents that day. I havent been same since, Schmidts husband said. After the hearing, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell praised the two women for facing Bruce to read their statements. "The courage that they showed, the strength, I don't know if I would have been able to do that under those set of circumstances," Bell said. "It's a blessing that they are still here, obviously, because it could have gone differently." While the Jefferson School did not submit a monetary offer to the city for ownership of the statue, it would assume all financial responsibility for the project with no financial obligation from the city. The council voted to remove the statues of Lee and Gen. Thomas Stonewall Jackson in June. It has sought statements of interest from entities interested in ownership of one or both of the statues, which were removed in July. Dozens of entities and individuals responded. Last month, the city solicited full proposals that would specifically re-contextualize the statues. It received five proposals. The Jefferson School is the only local entity and one of two Virginia entities that submitted proposals. The other proposals were submitted by the Ratcliffe Foundation in Russell County; the LAXART museum in Los Angeles; the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia; and a private citizen in Utopia, Texas. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, The Daily Progress. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) North Dakota is working to extend its contract with Hollywood actor Josh Duhamel to promote tourism in his home state. Among the least-visited states in the nation, North Dakotas top tourism official said the 48-year-old star of several Transformers movies has been effective in attracting visitors to the state better known for its brutal cold weather than as a vacation destination. He has helped expand our image and awareness of our state, said Sara Otte Coleman, who heads the states tourism agency. Duhamel, a native of Minot, has been the face of North Dakota and its pitchman since 2013. He has been paid more than $1 million from the state since then. Hes a great ambassador for our state and cares about where he comes from, Otte Coleman said. Duhamel was the honorary chairman of fund that raised millions of dollars for victims of a 2011 flood in his hometown that swamped more than 4,000 homes and businesses. About 11,000 people were forced to evacuate. The home where Duhamel grew up and his sister and her familys home were severely damaged. He appealed to his fans on social media and on TV appearances to help the victims of the flood. Though the administration initially rebuffed their efforts, it eventually acquiesced, culminating with a phone call from Ross to Cleveland-Cliff's CEO on April 28, 2020, informing him that it would soon make an announcement. Word of the development spread quickly through Kelly's office, and the following day several days before the announcement was made public Victoria Kelly purchased between $15,001 and $50,000 worth of stock in the company, the report states. She purchased the stock at roughly $4.70 a share and later sold it when the price hit $18.11 a share, the report states. Kelly's office defended the purchase after it drew media scrutiny in September 2020, calling it a "small investment to show her support for the workers and management of this 100-year old bedrock of their hometown, where they both are life-long residents." But investigators found no public announcement by the Kellys about this purchase that would have elicited or demonstrated support for the plant employees. Rios said detectives were investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged. This investigation remains open and active, Rios said in a statement. No charges have been filed in regard to this incident. Witnesses continue to be interviewed by detectives. Filming for Rust was set to continue into early November, according to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s' Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. In 1993, Brandon Lee, 28, son of the late martial-arts star Bruce Lee, died after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. A Twitter account run by Lee's sister Shannon said: Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on Rust. No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period. Nine employees were arrested in the investigation of Uncle Sam's. Even though a judge in the criminal case said there was no probable cause for the warrants, another judge handling the civil case found in March 2019 that the detective leading the investigation had probable cause to arrest Frimmel and Norton on the ID theft charge and ruled against the lawsuits claims of malicious arrest and abuse of process. What remained of the lawsuit were the claims of illegal search and search, defamation and negligent restraint related to the handcuffing of Frimmel during the arrest. Frimmel and his manager said they were arrested after the restaurant owner was asked by the U.S. Justice Department for help in a now-settled civil rights lawsuit that accused the sheriffs office of racial profiling, retaliating against Arpaios critics and other civil rights violations. One of Frimmels attorneys said the Justice Department contacted his client during the federal investigation, but Frimmel never returned the call. The retaliation claim wasnt mentioned in the extensive March 2019 pretrial order that examined the legal claims and evidence. PARIS (AP) French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Thursday that millions of lower- and medium-income motorists would each be given 100 euros ($116) in one-off financial assistance to help them cope with rising gasoline prices. Castex said on TF1 television it was an exceptional response to an exceptional situation. The measure will concern about 36 million people who earn less than 2,000 euros ($2,325) a month, including employees, self-employed workers, job seekers and retired people, Castex said. The assistance will start being given in December. The measure comes amid growing public discontent over a global energy crunch, coming just as many households are struggling to recover from the pandemic economic crisis. The French government last month promised cash assistance of 100 euros for about 6 million low-income households, to help pay their energy bills. Castex, who had previously announced the governments decision to freeze natural gas prices, said that measure would last until the end of next year. Western nations such as the United States have sharply criticized military rule in Myanmar since the takeover and the deadly crackdown on military opponents, which is estimated to have killed about 1,100 civilians. Some U.N. experts suggest Myanmar is on the verge of civil war, which could destabilize the region. ASEAN itself, whose members usually refrain from criticizing each other, is also roiled by the crisis in Myanmar. Such a dispute within ASEAN is virtually unprecedented. Among the bedrock principles breached by the exclusion of Myanmars leader is an edict prohibiting ASEAN member states from interfering in each others domestic affairs. The regional bloc also decides by consensus, meaning just one member state can shoot down any proposal. In dealing with Myanmar this year, the groups chair has used its privilege to act without a formal consensus. Fridays statement from Myanmars Foreign Ministry said only a summit of the group could consider whether to bar the attendance of a member nations leader. He said that "while we agreed just on a few issues, we are on the right track, but added that there also have been some rollbacks on certain issues he didn't specify. He noted that Russia would cooperate with Washington on fighting terrorism and provide the necessary information to U.S. colleagues. Asked to comment on the situation of Afghanistan, Putin commended Biden for showing the courage to order American troops' pullback despite inevitable domestic criticism, and contested the view that the move had undermined the U.S. global power. He charged that even though some U.S. allies may have been unnerved by the quick pullout from Afghanistan, in the long run the country's attractiveness is determined by its economy and military might. The U.S. president made the right decision to withdraw troops, Putin said. The Russian leader added that the international community is getting close to officially recognizing the Taliban as the new rulers of Afghanistan, saying the decision must be made by the United Nations, and noting the need for the Taliban to recognize the interests of all Afghan ethnic groups and respect human rights. BANGKOK (AP) Five men robbed a bank in Yangon on Friday, in at least the third major bank heist in Myanmar's largest city in just over three months, the military-installed government said, The government blamed the previous robberies on opposition groups opposed to military rule, though none is known to have claimed responsibility. Fridays robbery, in which 313,910,000 kyats (about $157,000) was reported stolen, took place at a KBZ Bank branch in a shopping mall in Yangons Botahtaung neighborhood, the government's information team said in a statement posted on the Facebook page of People Media, an online news site. KBZ, also known as Kanbawza Bank, is a private commercial bank and has the largest number of branches in the country. There is widespread opposition to the military's ouster of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February. Opponents initially staged peaceful protests but confrontations have escalated after authorities used deadly force to quell the demonstrations. A low-level insurgency is occurring in many parts of the country, with opponents of the military employing violence in self-defense and in targeted killings and sabotage. 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. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) An Oklahoma appeals court on Thursday reversed the double-murder conviction of a Spencer man and remanded the case for a new trial. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals issued its 3-2 ruling in the case of Jamar Mordecai Simms, 27, who was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the 2016 shooting deaths of Kendre Smith, 25, and Chameeka Harris, 26. Prosecutors allege that the two were shot during a drug deal involving Simms and another man, and Simms was convicted of felony murder during the underlying crime of drug dealing. The state's felony murder charge applies when someone dies during the course of the commission of certain felony crimes. But the appeals court said the evidence suggests Simms was buying, not distributing, drugs and was insufficient to support his felony murder conviction. As purely a buyer, Simms argues he cannot be held liable as a principal to the underlying felony of drug distribution," the court wrote. Simms' attorney, Andrea Miller, said she was pleased with the ruling. Workplace shortages are hitting almost every industry, from short staffing in restaurants and other service industries to even more critical need areas. This is partly due to the pandemic, with others deciding to downsize and not be dual-income households. Recent studies conducted by the Oklahoma House of Representatives examined the shortage of teachers in that critical workplace. This is not new; I held a similar study almost a decade ago. Even then, the number of college students preparing to become educators would not match the need. This latest review shows the problem has only increased, partly due to fears of health from COVID-19. Thank you to Reps. Rhonda Baker, Sherrie Conley, John Waldron, and those other lawmakers who reviewed the issue. From his study, Waldron cited a Tulsa World analysis showing summertime teacher retirements were up nearly 38 percent year-over-year. The Teachers Retirement System reports retirements the previous two summers remained fairly level at 1,622 during the months of May through August in 2019 and 1,600 during 2020. During that same period this year, 2,205 Oklahoma teachers retired. How to Clip Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print. You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it. When you're happy with your selection, click the checkmark icon next to the clipping area to continue. It has taken seven years for Scott Large of Provisions (a wine and spirits distributor in Tulsa) to land Willett Distillerys products for Oklahoma. Willett has a long history of producing quality whiskey, breaking ground in Bardstown, Kentucky, in 1936, just three years after the repeal of Prohibition. After many, many, many years of wanting and trying to get one of the most famous bourbon producers and historic bourbon producers from Kentucky, Willett is now available in Oklahoma as of this week. So I would call your favorite retailer and see if they have it. Theres a little bit to be spread around on this first drop, and so the better retailers and the bigger ones will definitely get access to it, Large said. Willett has a long history, starting in 1684 with Edward Willett and then with his descendants. John David Willett brewed in four distilleries in Kentucky in the 1800s. On St. Patricks Day 1937, they sold their first whiskey out of the Bardstown location and havent stopped since. It is still a family business. Dave Brown, a professional firearms instructor and a firearms safety coordinator, wrote a piece for American Cinematographer magazine in 2019 in which he explained that "CGI may be used for close-range gunshots that could not be safely achieved otherwise, but yes, even with all the advancements in visual effects and computer-generated imagery, we still fire guns with blanks." "The reason is simple: We want the scene to look as real as possible. We want the story and characters to be believable," Brown wrote. "Blanks help contribute to the authenticity of a scene in ways that cannot be achieved in any other manner. If the cinematographer is there to paint a story with light and framing, firearms experts are there to enhance a story with drama and excitement." The more gunpowder that is used, the bigger the flash and blast from a prop gun. Brown's piece reiterated that using blanks still requires someone on set who is experienced with firearms. "Blanks expel gunpowder and hot gases out of the front of the barrel in a cone shape," he wrote. "This is harmless at longer ranges, but the explosion can seriously injure someone if it's too close." While celebrating city workers response to an incentive program for vaccinations against COVID-19, Mayor G.T. Bynum said he will not consider a mandate for first responders. I think it would have a harmful impact on public safety staffing in Tulsa, he said Friday in an update on the citys pandemic response efforts. Similar mandates, he said, have made news recently in New York City, where concerns now focus on the percentage of first responders threatening to quit over being forced to get vaccinated. Youve seen Oklahoma City (Police Department) initially proposed doing that for their academies and then backed off of it, Bynum noted. He said he hasnt even requested the city legal department look into whether first responders local collective bargaining agreements allow for something like a vaccine mandate. Investigators scouring the trash bin at the business in 2015 retrieved empty boxes and vials of Botox and empty boxes of Juvederm that were all deemed manufactured for foreign markets and not approved by the FDA for distribution in the U.S., according to court documents. A subsequent search warrant executed at the business in 2018 turned up 11,000 units of Botox purchased from unauthorized sources, the government wrote in its sentencing memorandum. Prosecutors claimed that Sanders repeatedly ignored federal and state agencies and continually defrauded and put at risk clients that trusted her with their business. But Mark Lyons, Sanders attorney, wrote in a court filing, that the case stems from the governments attempts to clamp down on the use of cosmetic drugs from Canada. The factual basis for this charge is she received Botox from Canada, Lyons wrote, who went on to briefly outline the price differences for the same drugs obtained in Canada and the U.S. Allergan has co-opted the FDA to prosecute the purchase of Botox from Canada because Botox from Canada, with price controls on drugs, is cheaper than Botox purchased in the U.S., Lyons wrote. Buying Botox from Canada cuts into Allergans profits. Plain and simple. Facing the continued repercussions of pandemic-induced academic interruptions, more tutoring resources are coming online for area students. We know the need is great, Tulsa Public Schools Chief Learning Officer Ebony Johnson said. In September, Tulsa Public Schools board of education approved a $2 million agreement with FEV Tutors for 800,000 hours of online one-on-one tutoring for students, plus regular consultations with participants teachers and families. FEV Tutors is a Woburn, Massachusetts-based tutoring program. Its research partners include Old Dominion University and Johns Hopkins School of Education, according to its website. TPS is paying for the service with federal COVID-19 relief money and specifically chose that vendor because of its ability to work both with its distance learning platform, Canvas, as well as with individual families and teachers. While TPS offered students tutoring options prior to the pandemic through community partnerships, its Indian Education Office and arrangements with individual teachers, Johnson said they knew going into the 2021-2022 school year that there would be a higher demand, hence the decision to bring aboard additional help. Black Friday is a week away. Here's a look back at businesses that have closed their doors over the years in Tulsa. CalGEM has long faced criticism that its too cozy with the industry it regulates. Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the state natural resources agency, acknowledged the regulator needs to better enforce oil companies compliance with state law. Wells within 3,200 feet of community sites account for about a third of the states oil extraction, Crowfoot said. There are about 32,400 wells in that zone, said Erin Mellon, a Newsom spokeswoman. Community sites include homes and apartments, preschools and K-12 schools, day cares, businesses, and health care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes. Existing wells would not be shut down but would be required to meet many new pollution control measures, including comprehensive leak detection and response plans, vapor recovery, water sampling and a reduction of nighttime lighting and dust. They are designed to limit health effects such as asthma and pregnancy complications, and cut nuisances like noise pollution. Administration officials said they hope the new rules will be burdensome enough to prompt some drillers to close the wells. Operators would be financially responsible for meeting the requirements and have one to two years to do so. Jared Blumenfeld, California's environmental protection secretary, said the rules signal to existing drillers that theyre going to have to invest a significant amount of time, money and attention in order to get into compliance." Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The Lawhorn decision rightfully affirms what we have always known The Quapaw Nation is Indian Country. Our Reservation still exists, and our sovereign rights are what we have always known them to be, said Quapaw Nation Chairman Joseph Tali Byrd. The Quapaw Nation has proactively taken the necessary steps to address public safety within our jurisdictional boundaries by upgrading our court system and providing increased support to the Quapaw Nation Marshals and local law enforcement. Although the resolution of this matter took time, we are pleased the court arrived at the correct decision and are eager to work with federal and state authorities, as well as our tribal neighbors to implement positive changes to our criminal justice system. The root of it was the courts conclusion that Congress never disestablished the Muscogee reservation, and other courts have said that ruling carries over to five other tribes the Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Seminoles and Quapaws. Stitt claims the courts ruling has become a public safety nightmare, and that it might bleed over into other essential state functions. The tribes understandably dont want to walk away from sovereignty; the governors demands that they do just that has deepened the cold war brewing between the two sides. And then there are the lingering education crises. Not long before Stitt took office, the states teachers staged a walkout to force legislative action on education funding. Teacher pay has long been an issue, with Oklahoma lagging behind the rest of the country as well as neighboring states. A deal struck that year alleviated some of that, but really only slowed the bleeding. The problems remain, and the pandemic has only made them worse. The lawsuit argued that the policy was unconstitutional for violating the rights to equal treatment under the law, due process and free speech. An Oklahoma County judge on Aug. 25 ordered the state Health Department to comply with the request. Birth certificates are like marriage certificates in that they are government-issued documents necessary for certain benefits. That was a central argument in the lawsuits for same-sex marriage. Birth certificates serve as proof of a persons age, citizenship status and identity. These are required to obtain Social Security numbers, passports, drivers licenses, employment, school enrollment and other public benefits. They are not used to affirm a particular brand of religion or way of life. They are legal documents to reflect the existence of a person. If a person wants to change their birth certificate to accurately reflect their gender identification, what harm does that cause the state? How does that change another persons values or way of life? It doesnt. This change affects only the person making the request. It eliminates the discrimination people who identify as gender neutral or gender fluid face when using birth certificates. Through collaboration on a single mission, Tulsas downtown will be home to a transformative Veterans Affairs hospital. Last week, officials gathered for a symbolic groundbreaking near Fourth Street and Houston Avenue, noting how mountains moved in a short time to secure the $193 million project under the CHIP-IN Act. The 2016 legislation allows nonfederal funders to partner with the VA for facilities. U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe did quite a bit of heavy lifting to secure the $120 million in federal funds to make the project happen. His chief of staff, Luke Holland, said it usually takes 20 years to coordinate a hospital of this magnitude. This took a fraction of that. Buy-in was necessary from every sector. Federal, state and local governments worked with Oklahoma State University Medical Center and its affiliated Center for Health Sciences, and private donors gave $26 million to fund the project. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has proposed a four-step plan for the resumption of inbound international flights, which would allow the country to welcome back foreign tourists after months of imposing tight border controls. In a proposal submitted to the Ministry of Transport on Thursday, the CAAV detailed four stages in their scheme to relaunch inbound flight routes to Vietnam. The first phase, slated for the last quarter of 2021, seeks to provide flight bundles with quarantine costs included for overseas Vietnamese citizens, as well as trial inbound flights for foreign visitors. In this phase, Vietnamese air carriers will cooperate with travel agencies to devise inbound flight packages, where passengers will pay for flight tickets, COVID-19 tests, quarantine hotels, and meals. Entrants to Vietnam will be allowed to undergo seven-day quarantine if all passengers on their flight are either fully vaccinated or recovered COVID-19 patients; otherwise, they must enter a 14-day quarantine period. These flights will be reconnected to several potential locations, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, France, Germany, Russia, and Australia, among others. They will bring passengers to Quang Ninh Provinces Van Don Airport, Khanh Hoa Provinces Cam Ranh Airport, Da Nang Citys Da Nang Airport, as well as other airdromes that municipal-level authorities have given the green light to. The CAAV also mulls several tourism-exclusive flights to famous destinations such as Phu Quoc Island, Khanh Hoas Nha Trang City, and Quang Ninh Province. Passengers on these flights must either have a full vaccination certificate or proof of COVID-19 recovery issued six months earlier or less. On top of that, they can only book these flights if they sign up for tour packages from travel agencies. With no limit to the targeted markets, the program is expected to make one inbound flight per day in its first month, which would go up to two flights daily in the following months. All workers mobilized to serve these tourists at a destination must be vaccinated, while at least 80 percent of the population must have taken two doses before their locale can open up to foreigners. In the second phase, which will last three months from January 2022, several regular international flights for vaccinated or recovered arrivals will be operated, each with four flights per week in either direction. These flights would connect Vietnamese locations, including Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, and Phu Quoc Island, with foreign destinations, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, France, Germany, Russia, and Australia, as well as other countries not deemed at risk of coronavirus outbreaks by Vietnamese authorities. Passengers can only check in at the departure points if they have proof of COVID-19 immunity and have paid for their seven-day stays at quarantine centers in Vietnam. In the third phase, which commences in April 2022, Vietnam may consider removing quarantine regulations for eligible entrants and picking up the vaccine passport system, or recognition of COVID-19 immunization certifications issued by other countries. Upon arriving in Vietnam, entrants must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination or recovery before filling out medical declaration forms in the Vietnamese governments epidemic control application. Subsequently, they will still be required to self-isolate at home for three to seven days. In the fourth phase from July 2022, based on vaccination progress and the immunity status of Vietnam at the time, the country may start restoring more regular international flights for both Vietnamese citizens and foreigners. Vietnam has closed its borders since March last year but the nation still authorizes certain flights bringing in foreign experts, investors, diplomats, skilled workers, and Vietnamese repatriates. Nationwide, 877,537 cases, including 798,124 recoveries and 21,487 deaths, have been registered in 62 out of the countrys 63 cities and provinces, except Cao Bang, where measures to prevent virus penetration have been strictly applied. Vietnam has administered 71,061,495 COVID-19 vaccine shots to its 98 million population since it rolled out inoculation on March 8, while nearly 20 million people have completed the two-dose regimen, according to the national information hub for coronavirus vaccination. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued a decision on Thursday to approve the construction of an airport in Sa Pa, a famous resort town in the northern Vietnamese province of Lao Cai, at an estimated cost of almost VND7 trillion (US$305 million). The project, developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) format, is located on a 371-hectare plot in Cam Con Commune, Bao Yen District. The first phase of the construction will start this year and will build the airport to a capacity of 1.5 million passengers a year before doubling it to three million passengers following the second stage in 2028. The government will be charged with site clearance while private companies will undertake construction of the project. The government will contribute VND2.73 trillion ($119.8 million), or 39 percent of the funds, and private investors will cover the rest. Construction is expected to last four years and the investors are forecast to break even after 46 years. Sa Pa Airport is one of six new airports approved for construction by 2030. Vietnam has 22 airports at present. In the first six months of 2021, Lao Cai welcomed 1.1 million tourists, up 21 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Editor's note: This article was written in October 2021 by Ray Kuschert, an Australian who has been living in Ho Chi Minh City for over eight years. In it, he recalls his experiences traveling to the southern province of Tay Ninh prior to COVID-19 restrictions. The story was edited and titled by Tuoi Tre News. Recently, local authorities agreed to pilot a 'travel bubble' which will allow for one-day tours from Ho Chi Minh City to Tay Ninh following months of travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourists visit Tay Ninh on October 18, 2021 as the province and Ho Chi Minh City piloted a 'travel bubble' to offer one-day tours after months of COVID-19 hibernation. Photo: Nhu Binh / Tuoi Tre The wonders of Tay Ninh, northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, have long been a secret excluded from most foreigners travel plans, but the end of social distancing and the return of weekend getaways mean southern Vietnam and the raw beauty of the province are once again open for exploration. Just 100km from Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh Province lies merely 20km from the Cambodian border. The region has long been considered a rural outpost with no real value to foreign travelers, though that is slowly changing as development in the province has transformed the area into the perfect destination for a weekend getaway. With new four- and five-star hotels popping up in recent years, the region now caters to just about any budget. But, obviously, tourists dont visit Tay Ninh for the hotels. In this southeastern province, it is amazing religious experiences for believers and non-believers that make the biggest impacts on visitors. Topping the list of Tay Ninhs tourist attractions is the recently improved Nui Ba Den (Ba Den Mountain). At 986 meters, the mountain boasts 300 years of history as a religious icon, as well as holding the title of the tallest mountain in the region and serving as a communication station for the U.S. during the war in Vietnam. A place of peace, Ba Den Mountain now features one of the biggest cable car stations of its type in the world. After taking a cable car up the Buddhist Pagoda atop the mountain, you can explore several old temples, eat ice cream, and feed the group of monkeys that calls the mountain home. Just make sure to keep your bags secure and in your hand because the monkeys are known for stealing bags, especially if they have food inside. Tourists are pictured taking the cable car up Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh on October 18, 2021 as the province and Ho Chi Minh City piloted a 'travel bubble' to offer one-day tours after months of COVID-19 hibernation. Photo: Nhu Binh / Tuoi Tre Depending on your sense of adventure, there are several amazing options of what to do after visiting the pagoda. The easiest way down the mountain is to jump back on the cable car and return to the base, but visitors looking for some extra excitement can take the 300m trail down the mountain, catch a hair-raising toboggan ride to the foot of the mountain which whips you through the forests, or head upwards on a two-to-three-hour hike that brings you to the summit. In this supplied photo, Ray Kuschert and his wife take a toboggan ride after visiting Ba Den Pagoda in Tay Ninh Province. If you still have time after visiting the pagoda, another cable car line has opened up a world of possibilities for visitors to Ba Den Mountain. Recently opened as a means of transport from the foot to the very top of the mountain, the view from the summit on a clear day stretches all the way from Ho Chi Minh City to Cambodia. Visitors can spend hours on top of the mountain exploring the complex, taking in 360-degree views, and even enjoying a meal. Tourists take the cable car at Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh on October 18, 2021 as the province and Ho Chi Minh City piloted a 'travel bubble' to offer one-day tours after months of COVID-19 hibernation. Photo: Nhu Binh / Tuoi Tre Visitors pose for photo at a milestone atop Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh Province on October 18, 2021. Photo: Nhu Binh / Tuoi Tre The famed Cao Dai Holy See in the provincial capital city of Tay Ninh is a great option for tourists looking for a relaxing outing after spending a day at Ba Den Mountain. This amazing 84-hectare complex is a photographers paradise. With the enormous pink church as its centerpiece, visitors are welcome to walk around and experience the majestic temples and surrounding park. During prayer time, viewing platforms open for guests to observe the hypnotic chants of the Cao Dai people. Outside, there is also a protected area for local monkeys. They often come to the fence to take food so be sure to bring along a snack to share. The Cao Dai Holy See is a real hidden gem in southern Vietnam and a must-see for weekend travelers and tourists alike. Two rows of colorful dragon pillars highlight the interior architecture of the Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh Province, Vietnam. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre Just a short drive outside Tay Ninh City is Dau Tieng Reservoir. This freshwater lake is the lifeblood of the region and features a range of activities for people of all ages. Scattered around the lake are dozens of small restaurants that serve up a range of local specialties, from chicken and seafood to homemade wine. Nearly all of them offer hammocks for visitors to sleep off their lunches before returning to the city. For more adventurous visitors, there are places to camp and swim, as well as opportunities to get on the water in a local boat. Your local hotel will have plenty of information about things to do around Dau Tieng Lake. Getting to Tay Ninh can be half the fun of this short trip. At just 100km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City, you can easily travel by bicycle, motorcycle or car, and there are the options of booking a tourist bus or local bus that you can catch from District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City. For those who enjoy the comfort, a car service is also available at a reasonable price and is easily found through social media and tourism outlets across the city. Lets get out and experience the wonders of southern Vietnam. Tay Ninh is a must-see for expats and visitors alike. You can enjoy great food, great views, and great experiences in this little-known province. Tay Ninh is yet another hidden jewel in southern Vietnam. Be sure to book a visit soon. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! NEW DELHI -- India celebrated the milestone of administering 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses on Thursday, with the government promoting the achievement in song and video even as a recent drop in inoculations worries healthcare providers. After a slow beginning in the middle of January, India's immunisation campaign has covered three-quarters of its 944 million adults with at least one dose but only 31% with two. The government wants all adults to get vaccinated this year. "India scripts history," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. "We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of (1.3 billion) Indians." Modi marked the occasion by interacting with healthcare workers and a security guard at a government hospital in New Delhi. The health ministry announced musical and other programmes across the country, and special illuminations of national monuments including a colonial-era jail. Nearly 90% of the vaccines administered in India have come from the Serum Institute of India (SII), which produces a licensed version of the AstraZeneca drug. SII has more than tripled its capacity since April and can now produce 220 million vaccine doses a month. A healthcare worker gives a dose of the COVISHIELD vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), manufactured by Serum Institute of India, to a man as others decorate the vaccination centre to celebrate the milestone of administering one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses, in Ahmedabad, India, October 21, 2021. Photo: Reuters SII has also slowly resumed exports for the first time since April, when the government stopped all overseas sales to meet domestic demand as infections rose dramatically. The World Health Organization (WHO), which relies heavily on India for supplies to its global vaccine-sharing platform COVAX, congratulated the country for reaching the landmark. "India's progress must be viewed in the context of the country's commendable commitment and efforts to ensure that these life-saving vaccines are accessible globally," said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director WHO South-East Asia. COVAX partner UNICEF also congratulated India and said it looked forward to "hearing details about the expected timeline and volumes of supplies to be made" to the global facility. Reuters has reported that India has delayed supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine to COVAX. New Delhi has been annoyed by the WHO's repeated delay in adding India's own Covaxin shot to the world body's emergency-use listing, something both parties discussed this week as well as exports. A woman reacts as she receives a dose of the COVISHIELD vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), manufactured by Serum Institute of India, at a vaccination centre in Ahmedabad, India, October 21, 2021. Photo: Reuters India has so far reported 34.1 million COVID-19 cases and more than 452,000 deaths, most during a second wave of infections of the Delta variant between April and May. A "sizeable number" of people in India have not taken their second dose by the due date despite adequate supplies, the health ministry said on Tuesday, as new infections fell to their lowest since early March. Daily shots have averaged 5 million this month, a fifth of September's peak, though states are sitting on record stocks of more than 100 million as domestic output of the AstraZeneca vaccine soars. Despite the current low number of infections, ministry officials have been urging people to get vaccinated fast, especially as the ongoing festival season means family gatherings and mass shopping, raising the risk of a new wave of infections. The COVID-19 pandemic has unexpectedly helped Japan's nursing homes and information technology (IT) companies overcome years of labour shortages, as job cuts at restaurants and hotels have prompted workers to look for new careers. This newfound job mobility marks a shift in a country whose rigid labour practices are partially blamed for a long term decline in productivity. But it is too soon to say whether the change will ultimately lead to higher wages, which are desperately needed to revive demand and growth in an economy that is still struggling to break free from decades of deflation. For now, the job-hoppers tend to trade one low-paying career for another. Toshiki Kurimata, who used to make 2.8 million yen ($25,000) a year as a masseur, quit after 12 years as the pandemic caused a sharp drop in customers. Now he works at a nursing care centre and is taking classes to become a registered caregiver. With that qualification, he expects to earn around 3.3 million yen - an increase of about 18%. The even bigger attraction, he says, is job stability. "I like working in nursing care and it's stable," Kurimata said. "There aren't age limits on the work and you can find work even if, like me, you are inexperienced." Experts aren't sure whether the job-switching will remain limited to certain industries or become a broader trend. It is also uncertain whether job switching will continue once the pandemic dies down, although anecdotal evidence suggests people will keep leaving food-service jobs for nursing and IT. Japan expects to have a shortage of 690,000 care workers by 2040, a tough gap to fill given the rapidly ageing population. Low-income OECD data put Japan's hourly labour productivity at $47.9, making it about 60% of the United States' level, the worst among the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies, and 21st among the 37 OECD members as of 2019. And the prospect of people being stuck in low income jobs poses a big challenge for Japan's new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has pledged to bring more wealth to households via higher wages. "COVID-19 fallouts are pushing low-paid workers into even harder situations with little, or no, increase in pay," said Hisashi Yamada, senior economist at Japan Research Institute. Hospitality businesses have laid off workers, with the number of employees falling to 3.9 million in 2020 from the prior year's 4.2 million, labour ministry data shows. By contrast, the medical and health industry saw employees hitting 8.6 million, up 200,000 from 2019. The IT sector hired 2.4 million employees, up 100,000 from 2019. Job training Vocational training schools have benefited. SAMURAI, which offers IT training, had 1.7 times more students enrolled as of April 2021 compared with a year earlier, as employees retrenched during the pandemic rushed to retrain. Most IT jobs on offer for inexperienced workers are for programmers, on the lowest rung of the IT ladder, but they generally still pay more than can be earned in hospitality. The average annual salary for employees at restaurants and nursing homes amounts to roughly 3 million yen, 30% less than an average Japanese workers' salary, government data shows. IT programmers earn close to the national average. "I saw how popular the IT sector was and thought I may land a stable job," said Koki Shimizu, a 22-year-student at SAMURAI who lost his job as a chef and now is learning to program. At Crie, which offers training in nursing care, classes that were only two-thirds full before the pandemic are now packed out. The company's head Takayuki Nakayama expects the uptrend to continue given steady job offers in the nursing care industry. "It's true wages are relatively low in the nursing-care industry. But many job-seekers want stability after seeing the damage inflicted on eateries and other service-sector firms." Retailers are also becoming alarmed over losing staff, as they are counting on a rebound in activity as Japan gradually eases COVID-19 restrictions. Major Japanese pub chain operator Watami is scrambling to hire 100 mid-career staff this year - something it has not done for three years - and it reckons that eventually it may have to pay more. "1,000 yen per hour may not be enough, 1,500 yen may be needed to attract workers in the future," said the company's chief executive Miki Watanabe. For now, firms are wary of raising pay as the economy is still struggling in the wake of the pandemic. Many people are passionate about climate change, but not everybody should drive a battery electric vehicle as a means to combat climate change, Toyota Motor Corp Chief Scientist Gill Pratt said on Thursday at the Reuters Events Automotive Summit. Pratt's comments, during a discussion on electric vehicles, appeared to amplify remarks made over the past year by Toyota President Akio Toyoda. Toyoda and other company officials have said that electric vehicles will play a greater role in reducing emissions, but other solutions should be used, Toyota's gasoline-electric hybrid models or hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles. At Thursday's conference, Pratt said Toyota believes in "diversity of drivetrains" to give customers different tools to reduce CO2. "It's not for us to predict which solution is the best or say only this will work," he said. Government incentives should be aimed at reducing carbon emissions, not picking which car technology is the best way to achieve those goals, Pratt added, in a reference to proposed bans on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, including hybrids, as a means of achieving carbon neutrality. Toyota was among major automakers that supported the Trump administration in its attempt to bar California from setting its own zero-emission requirements, but the company dropped that support earlier this year. Toyota has said it plans to invest $13.5 billion through 2030 on EV batteries, but so far its plans to roll out new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) seem relatively modest compared with those of U.S. automakers General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co, which are spending around $30 billion each through 2025 to electrify more of their vehicle lines. Toyota executives continue to tout the merits of the company's hybrid vehicles, which have been on the market for more than 20 years. The Ministry of Health documented 3,985 additional COVID-19 patients in Vietnam on Friday, together with 5,202 recoveries and 56 fatalities. The latest cases, including eight imported and 3,977 domestic infections, were found in 50 provinces and cities, the health ministry said, noting that 1,782 patients were detected in the community. Ho Chi Minh City recorded 1,205 of the locally-infected cases, Binh Duong Province 471, Dong Nai Province 417, Dak Lak Province 266, An Giang Province 220, Soc Trang Province 148, Tay Ninh Province 147, Khanh Hoa Province 43, Can Tho City 17, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province 12, and Hanoi eight. Vietnam had logged 3,618 domestically-acquired infections on Thursday. The nation has reported 876,788 community transmissions in 62 out of its 63 provinces and cities since the fourth virus wave emerged on April 27. Ho Chi Minh City is severely affected with 423,406 patients, followed by Binh Duong Province with 227,799, Dong Nai Province with 60,498, Long An Province with 33,998, Tien Giang Province with 15,392, Dong Thap Province with 9,367, Khanh Hoa Province with 8,672, Da Nang with 4,942, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with 4,453, and Hanoi with 4,382. Vietnam registered only 1,570 locally-transmitted infections in total in the previous three waves. The health ministry announced 5,202 recoveries on Friday, taking the total to 803,326. The toll has climbed to 21,543 deaths after the ministry confirmed 56 fatalities on the same day, including 33 in Ho Chi Minh City and seven in Binh Duong Province. Vietnam has found 881,522 infections since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit it early last year. Health workers have given more than 70.4 million vaccine doses, including 1,440,566 shots on Thursday, since vaccination was rolled out on March 8. Over 20 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. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Doctors at the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital on Thursday removed more than 100 tumors weighing about five kilograms from the abdomen of a 50-year-old woman from the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang. Dr. Nguyen Van Tien, head of the surgery department at the hospital, said that the patient suffered a swollen, painful abdomen upon her admission. She had noticed unusual signs about two years ago, but deferred seeking medical care for her abdominal pain over complicated COVID-19 developments in Ho Chi Minh City. It was not until the coronavirus pandemic was basically put under control in the southern city that the patient visited the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital. After a consultation meeting, doctors diagnosed the patient with uterine sarcoma, a disease in which malignant cells form in the muscles of the uterus or other tissues that support the uterus, so they decided to perform a surgery on the woman to remove the tumors. Surgeons took out a total of more than 100 tumors attached to the patients uterus, intestinal loops, junctions, grooves of the small intestine, colon, and renal fossa. The tumors, which weighed about five kilograms in total, compressed and pushed the positions of many internal organs. Dr. Tien recommended that people have their health checked periodically, especially when there are abnormal signs in their bodies, so that doctors can detect risks early and provide timely treatment or intervention. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Vung Tau City in southern Vietnam have arrested a man who used his Facebook page to disseminate false and distorted information related to the current COVID-19 fight in the country. Nguyen Thien Nghia, 50, was detained on Thursday on charges of illegal provision or use of information on computer networks or telecommunications networks, as prescribed in the Vietnamese Penal Code, police officers said. The man, who hails from Ho Chi Minh City but resides in Vung Tau, part of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, will be temporarily jailed for two months pending prosecution for his offense, police said. Nghia had been found using his Facebook account 'Nghia Nguyen Thien' to post and share many stories that contained untrue contents in relation to COVID-19 prevention and control activities, and research and production of COVID-19 vaccines. The mans posts both caused panic and anxiety among readers and denied the efforts of authorities, relevant agencies, and the people in pushing back the pandemic, investigators said. A similar case happened in Ho Chi Minh City in July, when police arrested 60-year-old Phan Huu Diep Anh for using his personal Facebook account to spread fake COVID-19 news. The man was prosecuted for abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, lawful rights, and interests of organizations and/or citizens, as prescribed in the Vietnamese Penal Code. Anh uploaded on his Facebook page a photo of a man setting himself on fire on a street and added a caption claiming the citys regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control were the reason for the man to torch himself. In reality, the man who burned himself was a local resident diagnosed with mental and neurological disorders, according to his family. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Phu Quoc City off Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam will receive international visitors with COVID-19 vaccination certificates, often called vaccine passports, next month, according to a plan for tourism recovery amid the COVID-19 fight. This plan, which has been approved by the central government, will be implemented for six months from November 20, when the island is scheduled to reach a safe vaccination coverage for its population, the provinces administration announced on Thursday. Under this two-phase plan, the island will receive fully vaccinated travelers from countries with effective COVID-19 control in the European Union, the Middle East, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, and Oceania. All visitors are required to come from charter flights and buy package tours organized by travel agencies, according to the plan. Guests must obtain full COVID-19 vaccination certificates recognized by Vietnamese authorities, with the second dose administered at least 14 days and no more than 12 months before their time of entry. Children under 18 years old must have certified negative RT-PCR or RT-LAMP tests within 72 hours of departure. Such foreign visitors will be served separately while experiencing tourism products on Phu Quoc, without contacting local residents, to prevent coronavirus transmission, said Nguyen Luu Trung, deputy chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee. The first phase will last from the opening date until March 20, 2022, during which 3,000 to 5,000 travelers will be received per month through charter flights and will be served at a limited number of destinations. Based on the outcomes of the first phase, the next stage will take place from March 20 to June 20 with up to 10,000 travelers to arrive a month. Earlier, the plan was scheduled to start in early October but was postponed following the detection of some COVID-19 clusters that took time to be handled properly. From September 21, the island city, after strict COVID-19 restrictions were eased as a result of effective epidemic control, has shifted to 'new normal conditions, a phrase the Vietnamese government uses to describe its new strategy of living safely with the coronavirus. Phu Quoc, previously a district of Kien Giang, was turned into the countrys first island city on March 1 this year, pursuant to a resolution issued by the National Assemblys Standing Committee in late 2020. Over the past years, tourism has become a key economic sector of Phu Quoc, with the overall increase in annual arrivals to the island city reaching 28 percent, and for international arrivals only, the growth is over 45 percent per year, local leaders said. The island is accelerating COVID-19 immunization benefiting its residents aged 18 and older by November 20, the time for the start of the tourism plan. Meanwhile, Kien Giang, with a population of over 1.73 million people, had administered 820,546 first shots and 94,947 second shots to locals by Thursday, the national COVID-19 vaccination portal reported. Since the pandemic hit the country in early 2020, the province has documented 7,472 COVID-19 cases including 82 deaths, the Ministry of Health reported. Nationwide, 877,537 infections comprising 798,124 recoveries and 21,487 fatalities have been recorded in 62 out of the countrys 63 provinces and cities, except Cao Bang. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Big budget Apple TV series Invasion certainly opens with a bang. In a Yemeni desert, a camel driver sees something mysterious crash land to Earth. But before he can understand whats happened it explodes before him From there Invasion is pretty much downhill. What could have been great popcorn fun has crash-landed with a dull thud. Theres a lot of money spent on this story, which takes place across Oklahoma, Long Island, Japan and space itself. Disparate plots are connected only by the strange doings from the sky. You know the drill, whether in War of the Worlds or Independence Day, they have come from beyond and small folk are left to face the threat. In Invasion, by writers Simon Kinberg (X-Men, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Sherlock Holmes) and David Weil (Hunters), Sam Neill shoulders some of the crime-busting, as local Sheriff on his retirement day (always a cliche, when trouble comes a-callin). Even though John Bell Tyson (Neill) is a religious man, even he cant conceive what strange crop circles mean, nor the locusts that follow in waves. Biblical stuff indeed. Then theres devoted mum Aneesha (Golshifteh Farahani) whose day is upturned when all the kids at school get unexplained nosebleeds, except her (gifted?) son, but whose domestic life gets a lot worse thanks to selfish hubby Ahmed (Firas Nassar). Meanwhile over in Japan, aerospace engineer Mitsuki (Shioli Kutsuna) is parted from astronaut girlfriend (Rinko Kikuchi) who heads off to the International Space Station. Just because. Occasionally -very- the ground shakes, the power is sucked into a vortex and we are fleetingly reminded, oh yeah, this is a sci-fi. But the energy is equally zapped out of this chore with scenes that drag on, and pacing that resembles a deep sleep. If only the aliens would invade a little faster than director Jakob Verbruggen can muster. Poor Sam Neill is subjected to a whispering drawl of a sheriff here, unable to rescue the material which amounts to a lost opportunity for Apple TV -and the second of two recent sci-fi series (Foundation being the other) that disappoints. Another complaint can be levelled at the degree of darkness pervading multiple scenes. Surely we have to see whats going on in order to be bored by it? I was ready to be invaded, but I think Id rather watch the 2005 Invasion created by Shaun Cassidy, with William Fichtner as a sheriff. Sure, it was no oil painting, but at least they learned how to write to commercial breaks. Invasion is now screening on Apple TV+. Charged with capital murder William George Davis listens to closing arguments as he stands on trial for the death of four patients at Christus Trinity Mother Frances in Tyler, on Tuesday October 19, 2021, in the 114th District Court at the Smith County Courthouse. (Les Hassell/News-Journal Photo) Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. FILE PHOTO: A Stellantis sign is seen outside company headquarters in Auburn Hills, SEOUL/MILAN (Reuters) -Stellantis and South Korea's Samsung SDI Co Ltd have entered a preliminary agreement on a joint venture to produce electric vehicle (EV) battery cells and modules in the United States, the two companies said on Friday. The tie-up comes less than a week after the world's fourth largest automaker signed a similar agreement https://www.reuters.com/technology/stellantis-lg-energy-form-battery-production-jv-2021-10-18 with South Korea's LG Energy Solution (LGES), as it rolls out its 30 billion euro ($35 billion) electrification plan. Automakers are investing billions of dollars to accelerate a transition to low-emission mobility and prepare for a progressive phase-out of internal combustion engines. Stellantis, which was formed in January via the merger https://www.reuters.com/article/us-stellantis-deal-idUSKBN29L001 of Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA, earlier this year announced it would invest more than 30 billion euros through 2025 on electrifying its vehicle line-up. The two battery deals will support its goal to have EVs account for over 40% of its U.S. sales by 2030, providing an annual battery production capacity of up to 80 gigawatt hours (GWh), which could power about 1.2 million electric vehicles. Martino De Ambroggi, an analyst at broker Equita, said the joint ventures with Samsung SDI and LSEG Stellantis would secured the needed capacity to meet the company's U.S. electrification target. Stellantis has said it wants to secure more than 130 GWh of global battery capacity by 2025 and over 260 GWh by 2030. As part of this plan Stellantis has said it will build three battery plants in Europe - in Germany, France and Italy - and two in North America. The group, whose brands include Peugeot, Fiat, Opel and U.S. best-sellers Jeep and Ram, also aims to have more than 70% of its sales in Europe be of low-emission vehicles by 2030. The Stellantis-Samsung SDI venture aims to start operations by the first half of 2025 with an initial annual battery production capacity of 23 GWh, while it could increase to 40 GWh in the future, the two companies said in a joint statement. Story continues They did not provide any financial details. The batteries produced at the U.S. joint venture will be supplied to Stellantis' factories in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The location of the factory is under review. Samsung SDI, an affiliate of South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics, already has EV battery plants in South Korea, China and Hungary, which supply customers such as BMW and Ford Motor. By 0905 GMT Milan-listed shares in Stellantis were up 0.6%, broadly in line with Italy's blue-chip index. Samsung SDI shares closed up nearly 2%. ($1 = 0.8590 euros) ($1 = 1,174.8900 won) (Reporting by Heekyong Yang in Seoul and Giulio Piovaccari in Milan; editing by Himani Sarkar and Jason Neely) Kwami, pictured in 2019, described his work as more schematic than abstract (Modern Painters, New Decorators) Atta Kwamis bold and colourful work, which drew on influences from his Ghanian heritage, helped create space for other African artists to be recognised on the global stage. His vibrant paintings can be found in major collections throughout the world including the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, the national museums of Ghana and Kenya, the National Museum of African Art in Washington, DC and both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum in New York. Throughout his career, he also won countless awards and honours. Most recently, he was awarded the 2021 Maria Lassnig Prize receiving a 50,000 (42,000) art award in addition to an exhibition at the Serpentine Galleries. When Kwami was announced as the recipient last October, Peter Pakesch, chairman of the board of the Maria Lassnig Foundation, said: Atta Kwami is a highly prolific artist whose core practice lies in expanded notions of painting. In a unique way, his work is both based in the visual world of his native Ghana and in reflections on modernism and its universality. Through his work, he transformed local street art concepts for a global community creating a conversation between everyday objects and the magnificent and unusual. A conversation of the old world and the new; the west and east forcing the viewer to renegotiate their relationship with their everyday objects and scenes in their own worlds. His work also links everyday objects from his home in Ghana into pieces of magnificence. Borrowing Ghanian colour grids, woven textiles, commercial sign painting and jazz, he painted and built structures that forced the viewer to come, contemplate and discuss all while participating in the art. In describing his work he said: When I paint, I am sometimes in a trance; other times it feels like a conversation between myself and the materials; or with other artists alive and dead, African and non-African. The artist in the studio is alone. The usual ruses to make conversation with others are not possible but dialogue with materials sets in motion a vehicle for argument and counterargument. Story continues Kwami was born in Accra, Ghana, in 1956 to uber-creative parents. His mother was a well-known painter and art educator and his father was a musician. Growing up he was surrounded by music and paints and textiles. He quickly followed in his mothers footsteps and pursued art. Kwamis Atsia fu fe agbo nu (Gateways of the Sea), commissioned for Creative Folkestone Triennial 2021 (James Shaw/Shutterstock) He graduated in painting from the College of Art at Kwame Nkumrah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana, in 1980, becoming a teacher in Nigeria, Ghana and, eventually, in Loughborough, where he was laid to rest. He divided his time between the UK and Ghana both painting and teaching full time. In 2013, Kwami published his book, Kumasi Realism, 1951-2007: An African Modernism. It was a study of modern and contemporary African art and an attempt to legitimise it as an authentic expression of Africas art history with an emphasis on street art throughout Kumasi, Ghana. In a statement Kwami gave during an art show in 2011 called As It Is at the Mojo Gallery, he said: My work is described conventionally as abstract. Given that there is a very precise, knowable set of resources at the back of it, I would describe it as schematic; like a map, or rather a reaction to or interpretation of a map. It is about ownership, a way to finding myself, where I am. Kwami was the main person Lisbet Mogensen relied on when she decided to open a gallery of Ghanian and African art in Denmark. Having been friends for about 12 years, she knew she could trust him with her dream. He helped her sort out the who, the how, the style and type of art produced at different universities throughout Ghana. He suggested and introduced different artists for her to feature including Patrick Tagoe-Turkson. Finally, he said, ...and then there is always me! Mogensen, who described Kwami as kind, warm and generous, said: He is one of my oldest friends from Ghana, and he has helped me open doors to many artists in Ghana. Without Atta Kwamis help, the gallery wouldnt exist. He is survived by his wife Pamela. Atta Kwami, artist, born 14 September 1956, died 6 October 2021 Read More Elizabeth Blackadder: Scottish painter known for her expressive botanical paintings Keith Newstead: Automata artist who brought mechanical sculpture to a wider audience 888poker and Grosvenor Casinos Join Forces For 50K Gtd Event October 22 2021 Matthew Pitt 888poker and Grosvenor Casinos are coming together to bring poker players a live tournament in the heart of London. The 888poker LIVE Weekend takes place at the iconic Grosvenor Victoria Casino, better known as The Vic, between October 28-31. 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WPTDeepStacks Mini Main Event Day 1B Top 10 Chip Counts Place Player Country Chips 1 Luan Felipe Leonel Hertmann Brazil 7,360,754 2 Simon Higgins United Kingdom 5,697,731 3 Vasileois Pantazis Greece 5,473,939 4 Martin Brinkmann United Kingdom 5,394,264 5 Rashid Sepkulov Russia 4,911,430 6 Tan Pham Canada 4,154,377 7 Soren Bernhardt Olesen Denmark 3,446,765 8 Robert-Andrei Burlacu United Kingdom 3,372,951 9 Steven Smith United Kingdom 3,101,451 10 Enrico Camosci Malta 3,071,381 partypokers Legends Club Gives Three Chances of Winning T$5,000 The Threat of an Overlay Looms The WPTDeepStacks Mini Main Event needs 2,000 entrants to hit the $200,000 guarantee, but only 893 have bought in so far. There are two remaining flights, Day 1C at 7:05 p.m. BST on October 24 and a turbo-structured Day 1 at 4:05 p.m. BST on October 25. Day 1C is traditionally the busiest flight in these events, and it needs to be otherwise the WPT and partypoker are looking at an overlay. 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Your initial deposit is matched 100% up to a maximum of 400 in the form of a releasable bonus. You need to accumulate four times as many loyalty points as the bonus amount for it to be fully released into your account. Loyalty points are earned at a rate of 1 per $1 contributed to the cash game rake or paid in tournament fees. The bonus releases into your playable account balance in 10% increments when you accumulate 10% of the total loyalty points required. Karabakh route was added to the freight transportation on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) Railway Line between Turkey and Azerbaijan. On the new route added to freight transportation on the BTK Railway Line, wheat seeds, which will make Karabakh green again, are transported with the Turquoise Express. With the Turkuaz Express, which is operated in cooperation with TCDD Transportation General Directorate, Azerbaijan Railways and Georgia Railways, it is aimed to further increase freight transportation on the BTK line, Railly News writes. The uninterrupted railway connection provided over the Middle Corridor, BTK Railway Line and Marmaray is very attractive due to its time advantage. Hasan Pezuk, General Manager of TCDD Transportation, said that thanks to the railway priority investments made since 2003. Stating that it has become a transit country in railway transportation between Turkey and China, export trains have started to be operated between Turkey-China, Turkey-Russia, and that the uninterrupted railway connection provided over the Middle Corridor, BTK Railway Line and Marmaray is very attractive due to its time advantage. Pezuk underlined that significant achievements were made in the BTK Railway Line, which was put into operation with a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 30, 2017, and that 1,3 million tons of BTK Railway Line, a joint investment of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia, has been achieved so far. He explained that cargo is being transported, the amount and variety of cargo transported on the line is constantly increasing, and that they have started the Turquoise Express to be operated regularly between Turkey and Azerbaijan in order to make the line more efficient. Emphasizing that these trains depart from Kosekoy and Mersin stations in Turkey, Pezuk said, They end in Azerbaijan Baku (Absheron Station). Our trains, the first of which we bid farewell in the first half of 2021, complete the distance between Turkey and Azerbaijan in a short period of 6-7 days. At the first stage, we operate 2 trains per week from Istanbul and Mersin to Azerbaijan. We plan to increase this number further in line with the demands. said. The Turquoise Express, which was first sent off from Tekirdag on October 15, is about to reach Karabakh. Noting that they sent off the first block container train to Karabakh from Tekirdag on October 15, Pezuk said: As the railway family, we bid farewell with a different pride and excitement. Our train consists of 28 wagons and carries wheat germ in containers. The wheat seeds needed for Karabakh's regeneration should arrive before the sowing period is over, which is required for the first planting after the mined areas are cleared of mines. For this reason, we pay special attention to all iron passengers to ensure that the seeds arrive quickly. Our train, which departs from Tekirdag, will pass through Marmaray and reach the East Zangilan region of Azerbaijan on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway route as soon as possible. Pezuk said, Turquoise express will expand the capacity of this line and increase its competitiveness in freight transport between Europe and Asia. Although transportation links between countries were limited during the epidemic, railroad transportation did not stop for a moment, it played an important role in the continuation of our country's trade and in this respect, railroad transportation proved its effectiveness once again. he said. General Manager Pezuk stated that they have transported 50 thousand tons of export and imported cargo with the Turquoise Express, which they aim to transport 38 thousand tons this year, and said, The transportation is only done with containers for now, but if there is demand, they will also start to transport with conventional, that is, open or closed freight wagons. we will start. Turquoise express will increase our trade with friendly and brotherly country Azerbaijan and bring our countries closer. used the phrases. Demining teams in Azerbaijan are carefully clearing the mines left behind by Armenia in the Karabakh region and the surrounding provinces, that were liberated by Baku last year from the occupation of Yerevan. There were hundreds of thousands of mines laid by Armenia during the occupation period in the regions recently liberated by Azerbaijan. Daily Sabah reports that the primary goal of the Azerbaijani government, which carries out extensive reconstruction and infrastructure works in the region, is to ensure the safety and clear the region of mines to enable people, who have been separated from their ancestral lands for nearly 30 years, to return to their homeland, and revive the daily life in the region. The biggest task here falls on the shoulders of the teams who clear the mines by searching every inch of land. Mine clearance activities are carried out by the Azerbaijan Mine Clearing Agency (ANAMA), while the Azerbaijani army fortress units and the special mine search and clearance teams of the Turkish army also contribute to the demining activities. Anadolu Agency (AA) followed the mine search and destruction activities of ANAMA teams in the liberated Kend Horadiz village of Fuzuli province. While the mine search is done manually with a skewer and a detector, specially trained dogs also assist the team. During the search activities, varying special marks are placed on areas where mines are detected. Detected mines and ammunition are either neutralized or destroyed in a controlled manner. Natig Asadov, ANAMA area manager, told AA that the teams working in his area of charge cleared a part of the road to the Zangilan district. "Armenia did not provide all of the mine maps. And we are searching every inch. We searched an area of 171,000 square meters (1.84 million square feet) in our area of responsibility, found 177 anti-personnel, one anti-tank mine and one missile, and neutralized them," he said. Asadov said that Armenia has mine production facilities and the teams mostly detected such mines. "We are lacking the mine maps and this fact makes our work difficult, but we will continue our duty until the lands are fully cleared," he added. Zaur Imanov, a person in charge of the team training with dogs in the field, stressed that the sniffer dogs contribute to mine exploration activities. He said that dogs are specially selected from an early age group and undergo special training. "Our dogs detected a large number of mines and ammunition. They detect it by smell. They work long terms with their trainers. Instructors are also experts in their fields," he said. Imanov went on to say that the dogs have the ability to find mines and ordinances up to 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) deep underground. Karim Hasanov, a mine search specialist, said that he has been dealing with mines for 21 years. "Thank God our lands were liberated. Now it is time for us to exert our talent. Mine clearance is a very difficult job, but we get over it. We will clear our land of mines and give it to our people," Hasanov said. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev recently reiterated that Yerevan refuses to provide Baku with complete maps of the minefields, adding that "the few such maps" that have been given to Azerbaijan have an accuracy of about 25%. On Oct. 18, Azerbaijan applied to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order neighboring Armenia to hand over the mine maps in the Karabakh territories. 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 night of the war's twenty-sixth day, October 22, the flight of the Armenian occupation forces from the occupied Azerbaijani land became widespread. In the morning, the Armenian Armed Forces fired ballistic missiles using operational-tactical missile systems at Azerbaijani Gabala and Kurdamir districts from the territory of Armenia. At about 07:00, the forces fired 3 missiles in the direction of the Siyazan district, at about 09:00 - two missiles at Gabala and one missile at Kurdamir district. Missiles towards Gabakla were launched from Gafan and Jermuk regions of Armenia. Later, the wreckage of these missiles was presented. Meanwhile, the liberation Azerbaijani army launched a counteroffensive from Fizuli towards the captured city of Khojavend. On the liberated lands, the first work began to restore the infrastructure destroyed by the invaders. The U.S. Ambassador to NATO stated the need to resolve the conflict should be settled on the issues of the boundary lines and Azerbaijan's sovereignty issues, later the NATO Secretary General called on Turkey to work to end hostilities on Azerbaijani soil. In the afternoon, another rocket was launched by the Armenian Armed Forces through the Oguz-Gabala-Baku water pipeline, an Armenian drone was shot down over the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The video footage of other captured military equipment of the Armenian armed forces has been disseminated. The WHO called on to stop the war due to the explosive growth in the incidence of Covid-19 in Armenia. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in an interview with Nikkei newspaper stressed that the security of the Karabakh Armenians after the liberation of the Azerbaijani land from the occupation will be guaranteed. At the same time, he noted that due to the position of the Armenian leadership, the prospect of a peaceful settlement appears to be very remote. In the afternoon, the reconstruction of roads to the villages of Talysh and Sugovushan began. The Armenian Defense Ministry recognized the deaths of 874 occupiers at the front, in the evening the number increased to 900 people. After 17:00, it became known about the liberation of 21 more villages in Fizuli, Jabrayil and Zangilan regions of Azerbaijan. Among them is the village of Agbend near the border with Armenia and Iran. At the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that the occupation of the Azerbaijani land cannot continue forever. In the evening, facts about missile strikes from Armenia on Gabala, Kurdamir and Siyazan were brought to the attention of international organizations. Thus, on the twenty-sixth day of the war, the Azerbaijani liberation army continued its advance deep into the occupation zone. The previously occupied section of the border with Iran was taken under full control, and the liberation of the border with Armenia began. The peaceful Azerbaijani cities of Gabala, Kurdamir and Siyazan, which had not previously been shelled, were hit with medium-range missiles. In the evening, Vladimir Putin confirmed the inevitability of the liberation of the territories of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense has released photos, names, surnames, information on military ranks and dates of birth of 2,908 servicemen of the Armed Forces who became martyrs during the second Karabakh war and were buried before October 21, 2021, according to the press service of the country's Defense Ministry. In addition, the ministry presented data on six servicemen who are currently listed as missing. The ministry noted that the search and identification of the missing servicemen continues. The list of servicemen who became martyrs in the second Karabakh war can be found here. Israels Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said before the beginning of his talks with President of Russia Vladimir Putin on Friday that the Russian leader was the Israeli peoples very close and true friend. "I want to tell you on behalf of our country, the whole of our people that we regard you as a very close and true friend of the State of Israel," Bennet said, addressing the Russian leader. The Israeli prime minister specified that he intended to discuss "a large number of issues" at his meeting with the Russian president. "This refers to the development of our economic, scientific and cultural cooperation. We have large potential and we can substantially boost our trade," the Israeli prime minister said. The Israeli people keeps memory about the feat of the Soviet Army and praises its contribution to the Victory over Nazism, Bennett stressed. "We remember very well the past, the huge efforts that the Russian people and the Red Army made for the Victory over Nazi Germany during World War Two," the Israeli prime minister said. Israel is at the final stage of preparations for a "large-scale project to create a new museum in memory of Jewish soldiers who fought in the armies of the allied countries during World War Two," Bennett said. "We have a million of envoys in Israel who speak Russian. They make a substantial contribution to developing the State of Israel with their culture of work, their mentality and the success that they achieve," Bennett said, referring to Russian-speaking citizens of the Jewish state. The Israeli prime minister added that he intended to discuss during his meeting with the Russian president "the situation in Syria and the efforts being made to halt the Iran nuclear military program.". The death toll in a gunpowder plant blast and fire in the Ryazan Region in central Russia has risen to 16 people and the bodies of 12 of them have been found, a source in emergencies services said on Friday. "According to the latest data, 16 people have lost their lives in the blast. The rescuers have found the bodies of 12 people and the bodies of four others have not been found yet," TASS cited the source as saying. Russias Emergencies Ministry reported earlier on Friday that seven people died in the blast, one individual was hospitalized and nine others were missing. A source earlier explained that preliminarily they also died in the gunpowder plants blast and fire. The press office of the Prosecutor Generals Office said that local prosecutors had launched supervisory control measures. The acting prosecutor of the Ryazan Region went to the scene of the incident to coordinate the activity of law-enforcement agencies. "The Prosecutor Generals Office of the Russian Federation has placed the course and the results of the investigative measures under its control," the press office said. According to the Emergencies Ministry, the information on the fire in the Lesnoye settlement of the Shilovsky District was received at 08:22. The fire broke out due to violations in the technological process in a workshop of the Elastic plant. Firefighters extinguished the blaze at the gunpowder plant on an area of 160 sq. m. at 09:31. The fire was preceded by a blast due to violations in the technological process in the gunpowder workshop. Kyrgyzstan will take delivery of Turkish armed drones soon, chairman of the State Committee for National Security Kamchybek Tashiev said. Tashiev told reporters they have ordered Bayraktar TB2 (Tactical Block 2) unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) from Turkey. Noting that a limited number of countries in the world possess the Turkish armed drones, Tashiev said "one of them will be our country. He noted that Bishkek also purchased Orlan-10 drones from Russia, Anadolu Agency reported. The Bayraktar TB2 entered the Turkish armys inventory in 2014 and is currently used by several other countries including Ukraine, Qatar and Azerbaijan. NATO Ministers of Defense endorsed a new overarching plan to defend the North Atlantic Alliance in crisis. "Today, ministers endorsed a new overarching plan to defend our Alliance in crisis and conflict. To make sure that we continue to have the right forces at the right place, at the right time. To protect our one billion people from any threat," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said following the first day of the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defense. Ministers also agreed to the NATO capability targets. "Part of that picture is China, which is heavily modernizing its military capabilities, including advanced nuclear systems and long range missile systems, and also that we see China coming much closer to us, not least in cyberspace. So when we then agree to do more together...all of that is also relevant to the challenges posed by the rise of China," he said. A new AY.4.2 coronavirus variant which is a subtype of the Delta strain is characterized by its higher contagiousness - one carrier can infect nine people during a single infection. Additionally, symptoms from the new subtype display quicker, experts note. "Literally yesterday in the Russian Federation <> the AY.4.2 line emerged (a mutation of the coronavirus Delta strain) and, according to the first evaluations by scientists who encountered this agent for the first time, it is even more contagious compared to that Delta that is currently circulating in the Russian Federation. It is presumed that [it] is more contagious by 15%, that is, now we will approach a line where one person will infect up to nine people," Deputy Director for Research of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing Alexander Gorelov told the Doctor TV channel on Thursday. Chief non-resident pulmonology expert of the Russian Health Ministry Andrey Malyavin noted that the new mutation is more contagious and has a rapid development of symptoms. "More people experience a moderate, severe and highly severe form. A very quick development of symptoms. And children began to get sick," TASS cited the expert as saying. Earlier, Kamil Khafizov, who heads a research group developing new diagnostic methods for human diseases at the Central Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology of the sanitary watchdog reported that the isolated cases of the new AY.4.2 coronavirus variant, a subtype of the Delta strain, had been uncovered in Russia. According to him, the emergence of the new variant may give an additional impulse to the increase in incidence in Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to compose a registry of threats and challenged to individual states and their potential consequences for other states at the level of the UN during the Valdai forum Thursday, TASS reports. "A global challenge is a challenge to everyone together and to every one separately. If everyone will see a concrete benefit of cooperation on countering such challenges, then it will undoubtedly increase the readiness for a real joint work. In order to stimulate such work, it would be a good idea to compose a some kind of a registry of challenges and threats to individual countries and their potential consequences for other states at the UN level," he said. The president underscored that the work on this registry may involve specialists from various countries. "We believe that such roadmap may motivate many states to look at global problems and assess what profit they may gain from cooperation," he said. Moscow and Beijing are not creating any closed military alliance unlike NATO countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club. "We are friends with China not against anyone else, but in each others interests, this is first. Second, unlike NATO countries, we are not creating any closed military alliance or any military bloc between Russia and China," Putin stated. Moreover, there is no goal now to create the Russia-China military bloc, the Russian leader said. "So, there are no grounds for such a conversation," Putin noted. Technical work on filling the second string of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline with gas will be completed in mid or late December this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, speaking at a meeting of the Valdai International Club. He added that Russia is ready to start gas supplies the following day after receiving the appropriate permission from the German regulator. "The first pipe of Nord Stream 2 is filled with gas. If tomorrow the German regulator gives permission for the supply, the day after tomorrow the delivery will start, 17.5 billion cubic meters. By the end of this year - in the middle, at the end of December - technical work on filling the second gas pipe of Nord Stream 2 will be completed. In total, this is 55 billion cubic meters," Putin said. "Considering that the gas shortage on the European market, according to our calculations, will amount to 70 billion cubic meters, 55 billion cubic meters is a good volume. As soon as the second pipe is filled and as soon as the permission of the German regulator is received, the next day we will start deliveries," Putin said. The head of state recalled that the volume of carbon dioxide emissions during transportation through Nord Stream 2 is 5.6 times less than when delivering gas through the gas transportation system of Ukraine. Putin also noted that although the carbon component of Russian gas is three times less than that of American liquefied natural gas, environmentalists do not demand the closure of all LNG terminals. The same situation applies to the Ukrainian gas transportation system. Azerbaijani Qarabag FC hosted Kazakh "Kairat" within the group stage of the UEFA Conference League on October 21. The match, which took place at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, ended with the victory of Qarabag with a score of 2:1 Goals for Qarabag were scored by Ramil Sheydayev (79') and Abbas Huseynov (90+1'), the only goal for "Kairat" was scored by Kante (19', penalty). After 3 games Qarabag is leading in the group with 7 points. In second place is "Basel" with 4 points (2 matches played), "Kairat" in third place with 1 point, and "Omonia" in fourth place with 1 point (2 matches played). Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Europe for the sanctions imposed on Russia, in particular in agriculture, and underscored the positive effect for the country from the introduced countermeasures and import substitution. "Thanks to the Europeans for sanctions in agriculture. <...> For sanctions in general, but we introduced countermeasures related to agriculture, invested the appropriate resources, by the way, not only in agriculture, but also in the import substitution in this industry. And I should say, the effect is good. I had a feeling of anxiety first, I do not hide it, but the overall effect is very good, "Putin said on Thursday, speaking at a meeting of the Valdai International Club. Putin noted that Russia is increasing food supplies to the world market. "The export of our foodstuffs has already exceeded $25 billion. I have said this many times already, and I want to thank our agricultural producers once again. They did a good job, first of all," the President said. Georgia's Special Penitentiary Service said former president Mikheil Saakashvili has violated the prison regulations by addressing the crowd from a cell. The penitential service has announced that Saakashvili, who had a bathing day, was isolated in a bathroom when he approached the window of the cell and shouted at the crowd outside the prison. Reportedly, any noise that causes disorder and affects the safety of the prison is considered a disciplinary violation. Saakashvilis lawyer Dimitri Sadzaglishvili said the ex-president had visual communication with the crowd that had gathered in front of the No. 12 penitentiary facility in the town of Rustavi. "I love you, Saakashvili shouted at the individuals passing by the prison, saying he is lucky to have an opportunity to express his gratefulness for their solidarity, Agenda.ge reported. Saakashvili, who was detained in Tbilisi on October 1, faces seven criminal charges, including the recent illegal crossing of the state border. Now a citizen of Ukraine, Saakashvili does not admit the crimes calling himself a 'political prisoner'. The effectiveness of vaccinations and immunotherapies depends on the periodic migration of immune cells from organs to lymph nodes, where these cells process and present foreign proteins to trigger immune responses against specific targets. Immune function is at its peak just before the activity of the day starts - early morning in humans and mid-afternoon for nocturnal creatures like mice - as demonstrated in a study performed by scientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) in Switzerland and the Ludwigs-Maximilians University (LMU) in Germany. The study focused on the migration of immune cells called dendritic cells from the skin to the lymph nodes that oscillates over a 24-hours period, providing evidence that the activation of the immune system is modulated according to the time of day, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News writes. In the midst of a stressful time of the epidemic, the Ministry of Planning and Investment is developing a program to recover the economy after the pandemic. According to Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, Covid-19 has disrupted production and business activities of enterprises around the world and seriously affected the Vietnamese economy. Along with that, the epidemic has disrupted many supply chains in the world and Vietnam. However, when the economy recovers from the pandemic, demand will also increase. Vietnam needs to take advantage of this opportunity to bring businesses into the supply chain. Growth and opportunity The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Vietnam researched and re-evaluated the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on the supply chain of 10 industries in Vietnam. They selected three priority industries for in-depth research: agriculture, food processing and automobiles. These are the three industries that are said to have great opportunities to develop and join the global supply chain after the pandemic. The agriculture and food processing industries are recognized as having great potential in terms of exports and joining global chains; the automobile industry with the trend of switching to electric vehicles and the shift of the global supply chain of multinational companies will create opportunities for Vietnamese businesses. Although in the first half of the year Vietnam faced two pandemic waves and the world was still in a complicated Covid-19 situation, Vietnam's production and exports still grew and there was great expectation as the world moved towards the "new normal" period. Data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade shows that many industrial products of Vietnam grew highly in the past seven months of 2021: rolled steel increased by 55.9% year on year; mobile phone components by 40%; automobiles by 39.6%; footwear by 19.3%, mobile phones by 14.1%; fabrics increased by 10.6%... A report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development indicated that the export of agricultural, forestry and fishery products still increased sharply, reaching over 24.23 billion USD, up 28.2% over the same period in 2020. Exports to major markets such as the US and China grew well. The Ministry of Industry and Trade forecasts that the demand for export goods is still high. The fact that countries are vigorously implementing vaccination and reopening their economy has increased demand for Vietnam's textiles, footwear, furniture, and electronics. Besides, a number of economies continue to implement demand stimulus packages, through direct support to people, thereby promoting the consumption of goods, including those imported from Vietnam. After the pandemic, the demand for agriculture, forestry and fishery products continues to have great potential in the US and EU markets. According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the agricultural sector is forecast to benefit the most from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) because many Vietnamese products will be taxed to 0%. According to forecasts, by 2025, the export of agricultural, forestry and fishery products will reach over 50 billion USD and over 60 billion USD by 2030. For the car manufacturing industry, the trend to switch to electric vehicles is stronger. It is forecasted that by 2030, Vietnamese will buy 1 million cars per year. The number of electric vehicles will increase. As for the world market, according to Frost and Sullivan Company, by 2030, electric vehicles (EVs) and gasoline hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) will account for 30% of total automobile sales. The trend of automobile production chains is shifting to Vietnam. This is an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to participate in the global supply chain of electric vehicle components. However, the Ministry of Planning and Investment also warns about limitations. Agriculture and food processing face problems such as underdeveloped logistics system. The main distribution channels are cross-border exports and traditional markets; and the ability to apply international standards and traceability to meet the requirements of the international market is not high. The capacity in product research and development and brand building capacity are also very weak. As for automobiles, there are inherent problems such as: small scale and low competitiveness in terms of cost, domestic enterprises that only participate in simple stages, and low localization rate. The epidemic has affected the entire world, causing heavy economic losses. However, besides the bad effects, in a more positive aspect, the Covid-19 pandemic has become a new catalyst to accelerate the digital transformation process, opening up a new era for the digital economy. According to international research organizations, Vietnam has been one of the best performing economies in the world during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the digital economy expected to explode in the near future. A study by Alphabet Temasek Holdings and Bain&Co indicates that Vietnam's digital economy may grow to US$52 billion by 2025, an annual increase of 29% compared to that of 2020. The Vietnamese government has set a target that online shopping will account for 10% of the country's retail sales and up to 50% in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City by 2025, which also opens up many opportunities for the digital economy. The Institute for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR) has recently released the Vietnam Economic Annual Report 2021 with the theme "Repositioning Vietnam in the context of global changes," which pointed out many opportunities for Vietnam's economy after the pandemic. The report says that the pandemic has disrupted value chains, leading to restructuring and Vietnam has the opportunity to become a new production base. The trade war between major powers has helped Vietnam take advantage of this opportunity and fill the gap created by the market. The implementation of signed free trade agreements will help Vietnam increase the quantity and quality of trade and investment, diversify partners and participate in value chains... For a young and dynamic economy like Vietnam, the digital economy is considered a new strength for the countrys economy. How to catch the opportunity The opportunity is great, but can Vietnam can seize this opportunity? Experts say that Vietnam's total import-export turnover in 2019 (before the Covid-19 epidemic) reached 517 billion USD, while GDP reached 265.9 billion USD. Global trade was high, but the GDP per capita was relatively low ($2,715/year), meaning that when participating in the global supply chain, Vietnam does not get much. Data from the World Bank (WB) shows that Vietnam only generated 20.4 billion USD through participating in global supply chains in 2018, ranking 53rd out of 174 countries. Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia, the Philippines (34th in the world) generated more than 84 billion USD. At the same time, Vietnam's participation in sophisticated and complex stages is still low. The global value chain currently accounts for 66% of trade transactions, but Vietnam's localization level is only 28% of total trade turnover, nearly 2 times lower than that of China. In terms of exports, the FDI sector accounts for more than 70% of the country's total turnover. FDI enterprises lack links with Vietnamese enterprises and do not bring spillover effects to the economy. Meanwhile, few domestic firms participate in the supply chain and they only perform simple steps with low added value. Most private enterprises in Vietnam have micro-scale, small capital, low number of trained workers, outdated technology and low productivity. These problems will hinder opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to join global supply chains after the pandemic. Experts suggest that Vietnam needs to persevere with long-term reforms to improve the macro foundation and reduce risks in the future. It is necessary to promote economic growth in depth based on innovation, improve labor productivity, apply scientific and technological advances, improve the quality of human resources, and promote comparative advantages. Business environment reform must be considered a permanent requirement, especially in localities. At the same time, improving the skills of the workforce will be the basic premise to capture more value created from the global supply chain. Many foreign-invested (FDI) firms are expanding their investments to take advantage of opportunities. It is necessary to create a close connection between FDI and domestic enterprises to take advantage of this opportunity. Also, the strategy of attracting FDI must be changed, towards attaching FDI attraction to national development strategies and plans, forming supply chains and industrial clusters, focusing on industries and stages that create high added value, using environmentally friendly technology with low energy consumption. However, the FDI sector is only a driving force, and strong domestic enterprises are a solid foundation to join the supply chain. Therefore, it is necessary to build a force of qualified domestic enterprises with modern technology and competitiveness in order to seize opportunities and participate in the global supply chain. In the current situation, it is especially necessary to support businesses to promote digital transformation. Digital transformation must be considered the leading solution to modernize and improve productivity. Vietnam has many more infrastructure and Internet advantages. Appota said that Vietnam is in the top 12 countries with the cheapest Internet charges globally, about $11.27/month/subscriber. Accessible rates make the Internet widely available throughout the country, especially mobile Internet. In addition, smartphones are being prioritized as the main connection device thanks to convenience and popularity, development of Internet infrastructure and quality in Vietnam, with mobile Internet speed significantly improved, ranking second in Southeast Asia. The digital transformation policy is also leading Vietnamese enterprises through a new dynamic and more effective era - the digital era. Tran Thuy Reform measures prepare for post-pandemic period When the pandemic ends, demand will increase and the economy will recover. To prepare for this, its necessary to carry out strong reform and create the most favorable business environment for enterprises. Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland Le Linh Lan on October 21 presented a decision to officially appoint Dr. Philipp Rosler - former Deputy Prime Minister of Germany, as the first ever Honorary Consul of Vietnam to Switzerland. Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland Le Linh Lan presents the decision to Dr. Philipp Rosler. (Photo: VNA) Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland Le Linh Lan on October 21 presented a decision to officially appoint Dr. Philipp Rosler - former Deputy Prime Minister of Germany, as the first ever Honorary Consul of Vietnam to Switzerland. In her speech at the handover ceremony, Ambassador Lan congratulated Dr. Rosler on his new role and emphasised the importance of Switzerland to Vietnam and the potential for cooperation and partnership between the two countries. Especially, 2021 will mark the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations, and 30 years of development cooperation between the two countries, she said. In recent years, the Vietnam-Switzerland cooperation has developed strongly, with Switzerland becoming an important trade, investment and economic partner of Vietnam. At the handover ceremony. In 2019, two-way trade reached 3.6 billion USD. About 140 Swiss companies including world-class names such as Nestle, ABB, Novartis, Roche, and Holcim, have invest in Vietnam and reaped success with a total investment capital of nearly 2 billion USD. Switzerland is currently the sixth largest European investor in Vietnam. Talking to the Vietnam News Agencys correspondent in Switzerland, Rosler said many Swiss companies want to make field trips to Vietnam to explore business opportunities in the Southeast Asian nation. Swiss businesses pin high hope on the upcoming visit of Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc to Switzerland, he said. At a roundtable on business prospect and opportunities in the field of digital transformation and startup ecosystem in Vietnam which took place after the handover ceremony, representatives from Swiss businesses shared their experience in doing business in the Vietnamese market. They said that Vietnam is a dynamic country and an open market for foreign investors. A number of Swiss businesses that have been operating in Vietnam such as Zuellig Pharma and Bellecapital believed that Vietnam's economy will continue to maintain a fast growth rate in the next 10-15 years. Algerian Ambassador honoured with friendship insignia Algerian Ambassador to Vietnam Mohamed Berrah (L) receives the For peace and friendship among nations insignia. Algerian Ambassador to Vietnam Mohamed Berrah has been honoured with the For peace and friendship among nations insignia for his contribution to promoting the friendship between people of Vietnam and Algeria. At a ceremony held in Hanoi on October 21, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga said the Vietnam-Algeria friendship and cooperation have flourished during Berrahs six-year term. The two sides successfully held the 11th meeting of the InterGovernmental Committee which provides the basis to effectively implement joint activities and cooperation projects. Bilateral economic and trade relations remain stable despite the difficulties triggered by COVID-19 for the global economy. Nga spoke highly of the Algerian diplomats contributions to enhancing solidarity and people-to-people exchange between the two countries, as he had regularly worked with the Vietnam-Algeria Friendship Association to discuss measures to bolster cooperation, and met with Vietnamese experts who used to work in the African nation. Of note, he has been working with relevant agencies in Vietnam since early this year to adapt a famous Algerian authors work on President Ho Chi Minh into a play, in a hope of bringing the warm feeling of Algerian people for their Vietnamese counterparts and for the late President of Vietnam to the Vietnamese audience on the occasion of the 60th founding anniversary of the diplomatic ties in 2022. For his part, the Algerian Ambassador pledged that in any future position, he will continue to contribute to the friendship and cooperation between people of Algeria and Vietnam. Honorary Consul General of Vietnam in RoK honoured Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tung (L) presents certificate of merit to Honorary Consul General Park Soo-kwan Vietnamese Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (RoK) Nguyen Vu Tung on October 20 presented Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinhs certificate of merit to Honorary Consul General of Vietnam in the RoKs Busan-Gyeongnam region Park Soo-kwan in honour of his active and effective contributions to bilateral economic, cultural and educational ties. At the ceremony, Park pledged to do his best to continue contributing to the Vietnam RoK relationship. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, Park actively joined in pandemic prevention and control, and offered suggestions to the Vietnamese Government, together with the RoK business community, to ensure the dual goal of fighting the pandemic and restoring economic development. In his capacity as Honorary Consul General of Vietnam in Busan-Gyeongnam region since 2010, he has worked closely with the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK to bolster bilateral trategic cooperative partnership, especially friendly ties between twin cities of Ho Chi Minh and Busan via trade-investment promotion and exchange activities, and sharing of information on culture and education. He also supported activities of the Vietnamese community in the RoK. Notably, Vietnam received martime training ship Hannara donated by the RoK Government, thanks to his assistance. Earlier in 2021, Park was also awarded with the Friendship Order of the Vietnamese State./. Source: VNA Sibley suggested the boys father urged him to accuse Simon because he wanted the boy to live with him and to stop paying child support. While the boy acknowledged his recantations, he testified he was pressured by Simon and her family members to change his story. A relative reported to authorities that Simon threatened to kill the boy if she ever saw him again. Hix asked jurors to remember how uncomfortable the boy was during his testimony, saying he looked like he wanted to die up there. Hix asked what the boy had to gain by humiliating himself in court by continuing with the accusations and describing for the jury the sexual abuse in graphic detail. It would be so much easier for him for the remainder of his life if this all werent true, Hix said. In punishment summations, Sibley reminded jurors of defense witnesses who described Simon as a loving, caring person. He asked the jury to show her love, grace and mercy, saying if they assessed the minimum 25-year sentence without parole, she would be almost 60 before she could be released. Tuggle countered that her friends and family members painted a far different portrait of Simon than who she actually is, while Hix asked the jury where was the love, grace and mercy Simon should have shown the boy. That boy was tortured by the memories of what this woman subjected him to and he will be tortured for the remainder of his life, Hix said. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The 33-room Hotel 1928 by Magnolia will include three suites, which Ebbott said would be attractive to wedding parties staying downtown or holding weddings in the hotels ballroom. He said both could be a draw for new visitors to Waco. The hotels full-service restaurant will seat 200, and there will be more food and drink service options on the hotels rooftop terrace. Plans include renovating the existing buildings third-floor ballroom into a space for meetings and large events, including weddings. A lot of folks on our team and locally have told me they have great memories and the space is really beautiful, Ebbott said. The ballroom can seat at least 200, though he did not have an exact figure. Once the parking lot is restriped and redeveloped, it will have 60 to 70 spots. Ebbott said it will still be a public lot for the most part, but the hotel likely will reserve parts of it for special events. The second story will have a library. A library rendering included in the TIF meeting documents shows a grinning portrait of Chip Gaines over the fireplace. The library will be open to the public. Ebbott said the plans have been approved by state and federal historical preservation boards. I first heard Billy Graham preach in 1970 at Texas Stadium in Irving. The legendary teams of Tom Landry had yet to play in the stadium which was in its last stages of construction. I sat in rapt silence with more than 50,000 others as Dr. Graham preached. At the close of the service, thousands flooded the aisles in response to his invitation to trust Christ. I later witnessed the same in Houston and Minneapolis. For more than 50 years he preached with the same results in more than 185 countries and territories. Throughout his ministry he avoided the excess of other evangelists, placing himself on a limited salary and avoiding scandal. I watched him join hands with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in support of racial integration, refusing to preach to segregated crowds. Every president since Harry Truman sought him for counsel and prayer, both Democrat and Republican. Some tried to use their friendship for political advantage, others credited him with strengthening their faith. Dr. Graham died in 2018 at the age of 99. He was the fourth private citizen in U.S. history to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C. NEW ORLEANS (AP) A former New Orleans prosecutor and ex-judge has lost an attempt to make the state reimburse him for money he spent defending himself in a civil lawsuit over a notorious wrongful murder conviction in the 1980s. Thursday's ruling by the state's 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge was a loss for Ronald Bodenheimer. Bodenheimer is best known in Louisiana as a former state judge in Jefferson Parish who went to prison after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges in 2003. But he was also a former assistant district attorney in New Orleans who prosecuted Reginald Adams for murder. Adams was cleared after serving 34 years in prison for a killing he did not commit. The case prompted a public apology in 2014 from then-District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro after it was found police and prosecutors under an earlier district attorney had made false statements and concealed information about physical evidence and other suspects. In 2017, Adams sued the city and others, including Bodenheimer, over the wrongful conviction. WHAT HAPPENS IF HE RESIGNS? If Fortenberry resigns from office this year or in the first seven months of 2022, state law would require the governor to schedule a special election within 90 days. If he resigns between Aug. 1, 2022, and the Nov. 8, 2022, general election, the special election would coincide with that election. In either case, the new GOP nominee would be chosen by members of the Nebraska Republican Partys State Central Committee. The Democratic nominee would be either the candidate who won the partys primary, if a primary was held, or someone who is chosen by that partys executive committee. HOW DOES THIS CHANGE THE 2022 ELECTION? Fortenberry's indictment could shake up the 2022 primary and general election in the 1st Congressional District. No one from either major party has announced plans to run, but several names have been quietly floated among Republicans and Democrats as possible contenders. Potential Republican primary challengers include Nebraska state Sens. Mike Flood, of Norfolk; Suzanne Geist, of Lincoln; Mike Hilgers, of Lincoln, and Julie Slama, of Sterling. Lt. Gov. Mike Foley and State Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton are also seen as possible GOP candidates. She had an interesting background, and I think that made for a unique perspective on the world, said one of her AFI teachers, Bill Dill. She brought a wealth of experience to the movie-making process. In a 2019 interview with American Cinematographer, which named her one of the year's rising stars, she described herself as an army brat drawn to movies because there wasnt that much to do outside. She would document herself parachuting and exploring caves, among other adventures, and through her work with British filmmakers, became fascinated with storytelling based on real characters. After moving to the U.S., she took any production-assistant work she could find and explored fashion photography to learn more about the aesthetics of lighting how you create the mood, the feeling. In 2013, she was accepted into a two-year program at the AFI Conservatory. The school's chair of cinematography, remembered her dedication to the craft. She was very thoughtful about the decision, and it was not an easy decision. All film schools are expensive and this was not an exception, he said. We were very impressed with her. I remember telling her, Youre not going to have much time for your family in your first year at AFI.' And she understood that. She was really working hard. A Washington Post poll in 2019 found that 68% of Americans supported taxing wealthy families to pay for fighting climate change. But when asked if they would agree to pay an extra $2 a month on their electric bills, support fell to less than 47%. That same year, an AP-NORC poll asked people if theyd be willing to spend $10 more a month in their energy bills to fight climate change. Some 68% of respondents said nope. This is where the truly dangerous ignorance begins. For years now, voters have been told that the rich as well as greedy corporations are an untapped renewable resource that can pay for everything and anything. Thats false. You could confiscate all of the wealth of the top 1% and it wouldnt come close to covering the bill for, say, the Green New Deal or Medicare for All. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may turn heads by scrawling tax the rich on her ball gowns, but the truth is we already do at a remarkably progressive rate. "Hy-Vee is not mandating its employees get vaccinated," Potthoff said via email. "At this time, we're trying to be prepared, should this go into effect by the federal government." Hy-Vee is not the only company preparing for the rule, first unveiled by President Joe Biden on Sept. 9, when he also issued an executive order requiring all federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated. Potthoff said her company has seen copies of communications from several other businesses preparing for the rule to be implemented. Several local and national employers have gone a step further and enacted vaccine mandates, including Bryan Health, CHI Health, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals and Tyson The Friday deadline was set for accounting purposes and not to force action, Potthoff said. If a Hy-Vee employee is not vaccinated or does not want to share their vaccination status with the company, their job will not be in jeopardy. And if an employee needs to be tested weekly, should the rule take effect, that will not come at the employee's expense, but Hy-Vee's, Potthoff added. Robert Voss started Navy boot camp in January 1968 and was sent to the Marine Corps Armory to learn firearms repair and test firing. He was assigned to cryptologic technician maintenance and electronics school. He was also trained in basic HVAC maintenance, specialized high frequency receiver training and transmitter school. He worked with the Naval Security Group before being transferred to Skaggs Island, Calif. where his job was to detect opposing forces radio transmissions, decode them and triangulate their exact position. He spent two and a half years in Morocco, where he passed his E-6 test and became third in command while taking care of communication maintenance and encrypting CIA traffic messages for the Mediterranean and Middle East. In 1975 he was transferred to Winter Harbor, Maine, where he was in charge of a small calibration lab and working on IBM computers that monitored overseas telephone cables. He was discharged in 1977 after nine years of service, earning the National Service Medal and Good Conduct (two stars) Medal. In 2006, Democrats embraced Nancy Pelosi as the first female House speaker in history, and more events that happened on this day in history. WATERLOO A Waterloo man accused of being a methamphetamine supplier now faces federal charges. Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday filed a complaint charging 43-year-old Ruben Vasquez Velardes with illegal reentry following removal. The charges allege Vasquez, a citizen of Mexico, had been removed from the United States in February 2007, October 2009 and June 2014. Waterloo police arrested Vasquez on Oct. 12 on a state charge of conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine, and his bond had been set at $150,000. At the time, authorities allege Vasquez and others supplied more than 5 pounds of meth in the Waterloo area between March and May 2021. State prosecutors have since asked the court to dismiss the drug charges in favor of the federal case. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WATERLOO A Waterloo man has pleaded at a reduced charge that he stomped on another mans head during a 2017 altercation. Wyle Eugene Kelly, 28, had been charged with willful injury causing serious injury, a Class C felony that carries up to 10 years in prison. On Oct. 14, he entered a written plea to willful injury causing bodily injury. The charge carries up to five years in prison, and sentencing is set for December. The defense will request a deferred judgement that would remove the offense from Kellys criminal history if he completes probation. Authorities allege Kelly and Wade Leonard Kearney had been involved in an altercation in 2017. Kearney went to Kellys apartment on Shamrock Drive on Sept. 15, 2017, shattered the front window and broke down the door. Kelly then confronted Kearney, knocked him unconscious and then stomped on his head several times, according to court records. Kearney suffered a brain bleed and torn septum and was unconscious for several days, records state. Police arrested Kelly in October 2017, and the defense filed notice to argue self-defense if the case went to trial. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ATLANTA (AP) Jurors have seen the videos many times at the trial of three former Georgia sheriff's deputies accused of murdering a man during a 2017 arrest when they shocked him with stun guns. But now they must decide what the recordings of Eurie Martin's last moments mean, and whether they fit the law charging Henry Lee Copeland, Michael Howell and Rhett Scott with murder. Lawyers made closing arguments Thursday in a Sandersville courtroom, and the judge said deliberations will begin Friday after he explains the law to jurors. Prosecutors renewed their claims that Copeland, Howell and Scott, all white men, had no reason to detain Martin, a 58-year-old Black man, after a resident called 911 to report Martin as suspicious. Martin, who had a history of schizophrenia, was walking through the central Georgia town of Deepstep on a scorching day in July 2017, taking a 30-mile (50-kilometer) journey to see his relatives. Were here because Eurie Lee Martin had every right to keep walking," Assistant District Attorney Kelly Weathers told jurors. "The defendants had no right to stop him, no right to arrest him, no right to tase him, no right to kill him. Defense attorneys, though, argued that Martin was illegally walking in the road, littering when he dropped the soft drink ca, and obstructing an officer when he didn't obey the commands of the deputies and taking an aggressive stance with them. They also argued that the stun gun didn't cause Martin's death, which means officers were not assaulting him with a deadly weapon, a key underlying element of one of the murder charges. Defense lawyer Shawn Merzlak argued that the three former deputies are just plainly innocent of all charges, including involuntary manslaughter, false imprisonment and aggravated assault. The Washington County sheriff fired them before they were indicted. If the officer sees someone walking in the road, the officer is seeing a crime," defense lawyer Mark Shaefer said. "And he has the authority to make an arrest and the person cannot legally walk away. These men did not murder anyone," Shaefer later said, "They did not assault anyone. They carried out an arrest that was legal. Shaefer said the defendants and Martin were strangers that collided on Deepstep Road. It is a tragic, tragic accident. But it is not a crime. Weathers, though, said a death is not an accident if your actions are in reckless disregard of what is foreseeable. Howell and Scott, but not Copeland, testified in their own defense. Weathers was dismissive of the defense's repeated focus on where exactly Martin was walking on a road with no sidewalks. She also noted that officers at the scene debated charging Martin with trespassing, not illegally walking in the road. She called that claim backfill to cover up misconduct. Weathers asked at one point Seriously, is this a crime? as she pointed at some of the extensive dashcam and witness video admitted into evidence. That was not a crime," she said. "That was a man in mental health crisis who needed to be checked out. He didnt need to be arrested. He didnt need to be tased again and again and again. ... He needed help. He didnt get it. Another point of contention in the case is whether the stun guns actually killed Martin. The defense said the autopsy and expert testimony indicate that Martin did not die of electrocution. Nowhere in this report will you see the states own medical expert say that the taser was the cause of the death," Merzlak said. But Weathers said the stun guns precipitated his demise. It hurts to be tased, she said. "Pain causes stress, and the physiological stress is what the medical examiner said triggered Eurie Martins death. Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Iowa Democratic legislative leaders say they have committed their members to voting for a second version of a plan, released Thursday, that would set congressional and legislative election district boundaries for the next decade. Their Republican counterparts who are in the majority in both legislative chambers pledged to review the plan before the Iowa Legislature meets next week in a special session in light of concerns that led them to reject the first proposal earlier this month. The plan unveiled by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency would reconfigure the states four congressional districts, creating three potentially competitive districts and a solidly Republican western Iowa district. Plan 2 also would create 56 Iowa House and Senate districts that would lump together two or more existing incumbents. Based on 2020 presidential election results and Iowa voter registration numbers, Plan 2 appears to give Republicans an advantage when based on past voting. In the first draft, President Joe Biden would have won in two of the four U.S. House districts. Under Plan 2, former President Donald Trump would have won all four. However, Iowa voter registration numbers are more nuanced. They show a new 1st District would go from a seven-point gain for Democrats to a two-tenths gain for Republicans. The 2nd District would drop from a five-point GOP gain to just eight-tenths. There would be no change in the 3rd a 1.7-point gain for Democrats. The GOP gain in the 4th would swing from three points to a 1.7-point gain for Democrats. Since 1981, Iowa has used a nonpartisan redistricting process that calls for the agency to draw proposed maps without consideration for political ramifications, such as how new district lines would affect individual lawmakers re-election chances or the balance of power in the Legislature. If lawmakers reject this second plan, it goes back to the agency for a third try but at that point also opens the door for politicians to amend it. Legislators shouldnt be swayed by political considerations, House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said. There are a lot of political implications and fallout from the map for both sides, Konfrst said, but because this map was fairly drawn and was drawn using a fair process, thats really our only consideration. As with the first map, Im going to put politics aside and vote for this fair, nonpartisan map. House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said Republicans will review the plan to ensure it is a fair map for the people of Iowa, while Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, will judge it on its adherence to the criteria established in Iowa law. Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, said the second map is fair and it meets the legal and constitutional requirements. Lawmakers will meet Thursday to make a decision on accepting this second plan. This year is not the first time legislators rejected an initial proposal. In 1981, legislators rejected the first two plans before approving the third without modification. In 1991 and 2001, the first plans were adopted, And in 2001, the second plan was adopted. This second iteration maintains the current Linn-Johnson county split. It would put Linn in a 22-county Northeast Iowa 2nd District with Black Hawk County. GOP U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson would be the incumbent with Democratic state Sen. Liz Mathis challenging her. Johnson County would be a 20-county southeast Iowa 1st District that includes Scott County. There is no incumbent currently living in that proposed district. The 3rd District, which would include Polk County and Des Moines western suburbs, would extend to the Missouri border to encompass 21 counties. Both Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democratic U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne live in the proposed 3rd. Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra would be the lone incumbent in the 4th District. The initial plan from the agency was rejected by majority Senate Republicans on a party-line vote Oct. 5, sending legal and data analysts back to the drawing board or mapping software to create a second map that more closely aligned with the requirements of compactness and population equality in state law and the Iowa Constitution. As much as possible, districts are supposed to be square, rectangular or hexagonal so as to avoid irregular-shapes. That first map included a triangular district, a pyramid and one so irregular it looks like the 1800s salamander known for gerrymandering, according to Sen. Roby Smith, R-Davenport, said when urging his colleagues to reject that plan. The second effort did make some improvements on Senate Republicans concerns about compactness. The congressional districts have an average length-width compactness of 31.03 miles compared with 34.96 in the first map. The population differences between the congressional districts is slightly smaller a difference of 94 people from the smallest to largest district, compared with 99 in the previous plan. Iowas 50 Senate districts also are more compact the length-width average dropping from 13.31 to 9.98 miles. The population difference rose, however, from 986 to 998. For the 100 House districts, the population difference fell from 583 to 559 and the length-width average declined from 7.99 to 7.87 miles. The second plan would put 20 senators in incumbent vs. incumbent districts two Democratic on Democratic, five Republican on Republican and three Democratic vs. Republican. Eastern Iowa pairings would include GOP Sens. Dan Zumbach of Ryan and Craig Johnson of Independence. In the House, it appears there could be 36 incumbent pairings, all but three involving two or more Republicans. The Democratic matchups would include Davenport Reps. Cindy Winckler and Monica Kurth, Cedar Rapids Reps. Molly Donahue and Eric Gjerde, and Waterloo Reps. Timi Brown-Powers and Ras Smith, who is running for governor. The 56 incumbent pairings is slightly less than in the previous map, but still a concern for Republicans. As rural population has dropped in 68 of 99 counties, according to the 2020 census, the districts they represent have expanded geographically. Erin Murphy of The Courier Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 An Iowa man was released on a $2,000 signature bond Wednesday after being charged with child enticement in Sauk County Circuit Court. Justus D. Schwietert, 18, of McGregor, made an initial appearance, where Judicial Court Commissioner Debra ORourke approved the bond amount with special conditions that he have no contact with the child or the childs home. According to the criminal complaint, Schwietert was found in his truck parked in a public lot near the swimming pool in Plain around 2:30 a.m. Aug. 21. Sauk County Sheriffs Deputy Kyle Mueller approached the vehicle and saw two people who appeared to be naked in the back of the truck. Schwietert allegedly told the deputy he had been dating the other person and he had driven to the area to have sex, but it hadnt happened yet. The deputy noted in the report that he knew the child was 12. Schwietert said he thought the child was 16 years old and that he didnt realize sexual contact with a 16-year-old would be illegal when an officer informed him. When the childs mother arrived, she told police that she knew Schwietert had been talking to the child and had told him the child was 12, ordering them to stop interacting. Schwietert told police the child had convinced him the woman was lying. Schwietert faces a maximum prison sentence of 25 years and a fine up to $100,000. He is scheduled to return to court Dec. 15. Follow Bridget on Twitter @cookebridget or contact her at 608-745-3513. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 The disgraced former British spy Christopher Steele has kept a low profile in recent years. Understandably so, given that investigations revealed his dossier the collection of anti-Trump stories he compiled to try to undermine Donald Trumps 2016 presidential candidacy was filled with falsehoods and unverifiable claims. But now Steele has granted an interview to ABCs George Stephanopoulos. And if you were wondering whether Steele feels any remorse for being so wrong about something so important, wonder no more: He doesnt. Steele is standing behind the dossier, and standing by even its most preposterous, unsupported allegations. Lets take one: the story that in August 2016, Trump fixer Michael Cohen met with Russian intelligence agents in Prague to arrange secret payments to the Russian hackers who hit the Clinton campaign. Cohen has vigorously denied the story, and after extensive investigation by the FBI and special counsels office, no evidence has emerged that it ever happened. But when Stephanopoulos asked Steele, Do you accept that finding, that it didnt happen? Steele responded, No, I dont. Cohen has since turned on Trump, accusing his former boss of all sorts of wrongdoing and even implicating himself in some of those allegations. So why, Stephanopoulos asked, if Cohen seems to want to get back at Trump in every way possible, would he lie about the Prague allegation? Its self-incriminating to a very great degree, Steele answered. Its so incriminating and demeaning. And the other reason is, he might be scared of the consequences. It was classic hugger-mugger spy talk, which appears to be Steeles specialty. In response, Cohen issued a statement saying, I eagerly await [Steeles] next secret dossier which proves the existence of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and that Elvis is still alive. Stephanopoulos asked Steele whether his refusal to accept the findings of FBI and Justice Department investigators might hurt his credibility. Im prepared to accept that not everything in the dossier is 100% accurate, Steele answered. I have yet to be convinced that [the Cohen story] is one of them. Nor did Steele give an inch on another completely unproven allegation, the so-called pee tape story in which he claimed that in 2013, then-private citizen Trump watched as prostitutes performed a kinky sex act in a Moscow hotel room, with Russian spy cameras catching the whole thing on tape. A Justice Department inspector generals report said the source for that tale told the FBI he warned Steele the story was rumor and speculation and had not been confirmed by anyone, as Steele claimed. Then, the source told the FBI that some of the information, such as allegations about Trumps sexual activities, were statements he heard made in jest. It was bar talk, the source suggested a joke. But not to Christopher Steele. When asked why the source would admit that there was nothing to the hotel room story, Steele answered, If you have a confidential source and that confidential source is blown or is uncovered, that confidential source will often take fright and try and downplay and underestimate what theyve said and done. And I think that is probably what happened here. When Stephanopoulos asked if Steele thought the source is afraid, Steele said, I think anybody that is named in this context, particularly if they are Russian, has every reason to be afraid. So again, Steele will not admit anything. When asked if he believes the pee tape really exists, Steele said, I think it probably does, but I wouldnt put 100% certainty on it. He even has an explanation for why, after all that has happened, the Russians have not released the tape. It hasnt needed to be released, Steele said, because I think the Russians felt they got pretty good value out of Donald Trump when he was president of the U.S. All of which brought Steele back to what he does best: speculate. The tape might exist. The source might be afraid. Cohen might be scared, too. It might all be true! Just because the highest levels of U.S. intelligence and law enforcement spent enormous resources looking for proof anything of Steeles allegations and were unable to support them, they still might be true, right? The big question is, why is Steele still pushing the dossier? First, its difficult for someone to admit that the accomplishment for which he is best known was a fraud. But second, its because Steele is still in the anti-Trump business, and Trump is still in politics. So business could pick up in the coming months and years. If so, Steele will be ready. The problems we identified back in 2016 havent gone away and arguably have actually got worse, Steele said. And I thought it was important to come and set the record straight. Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Dear alumni and friends: My first year as dean has been one for the record books. But in the midst of a global pandemic, social unrest in support of racial justice, a divisive election, historic wildfires, an ice storm, and a record-shattering heatwave did I miss anything? I have been consistently impressed by our students, faculty and staff and you, our alumni and friends. When we needed you most, you responded by helping us close one of the largest fundraising years in Willamette's history. Our students benefited from engaging with you at orientation, learning from you in your role as attorney-mentors, and holding helpful discussions during Career Conversations. Thank you. Over the past year, we have worked to increase our visibility throughout the legal landscape. We hosted a virtual Willamette Law Review Symposium on housing equity, bringing in over 300 national and international guests. We also celebrated the 30-year anniversary of our Attorney-Mentor program. We were at the forefront of licensure conversations culminating in the Oregon Supreme Courts historic decision granting diploma privilege to the Class of 2020. Afterward, I worked with graduates to form a Racial Justice Task Force reviewing the role of implicit bias in criminal jury selection, and drafting recommendations for reform. As I watched them assemble the report, I couldnt help but think it had a stronger correlation to the practice of law than simply studying for the bar. Collectively, their work aligns with my belief that there are valid alternatives to the bar, and I hope that our institution will continue to lead in that national discussion. Willamette Law has also been working to address access and transparency issues in law school admissions by developing direct admission programs with a number of universities. Weve also made great strides in strengthening our faculty through strategic advancements and hiring professors with strong backgrounds in experiential legal education. To name just two, we are proud to add Professors Susan Cook and Sarah Matsumoto to the full-time faculty. Please join me in welcoming them to Salem. I have deeply appreciated the time many of you have taken to express support for us, interest in my vision and the direction of our school, and your insights into how we can evolve to provide a leading experiential legal education. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming reception and to your continued engagement with Willamette Law. In the interim, Im particularly excited for you to read in this issue about the launch of our Signature Strengths Initiative, which is designed to highlight the Colleges unique, community-focused and student-centric approach to legal education. Youll also read stories about the resilience of our on-campus community and the amazing work of our alumni. Until next time, I hope you and yours are staying healthy. Warmly, Brian Gallini Dean & Professor of Law The pandemic hit Bernal Heights hard, knocking out restaurants and small businesses one by one. Among the casualties was the longtime neighborhood staple Ichi Sushi, a postage stamp-sized omakase joint. Now, a new restaurant has risen from Ichi's ashes, one that is both familiar and distinctive with its former chef de cuisine, Erik Aplin, at the helm. With just eight seats at the bar and 14 in the dining room, Chisai Sushi Club is intimate. There's a wooden bar, ocean-blue walls, and a single painting of the long gone Victorian-era Cliff House at Ocean Beach. But there's no sense of exclusivity here. Chisai is a neighborhood cafe, a tiny ecosystem of friendly staff, good music, and unpretentious diners. But its food? That's something special. Chef/owner Erik Aplin, former Ichi Sushi chef de cuisine, has revived the old space as Chisai Sushi Club. (Marc Fiorito, Gamma Nine Photography) At our table, nestled into corner windows hung with blue drapes, I feel at homeand that's by design. It's part of why chef/owner Aplin called his first solo effort a "club." He wants you to feel welcomed, like you're a part of something good. Nearly every chef calls their team a family but this one really is. Around 75 percent are veterans from Ichi, including Aplin's wife, who he met on his first go-around behind this sushi bar back in the mid-2010s. Most of those who remain worked with Aplin during his later stints at restaurants like Robin and Akiko's. "It's not just a special occasion place," Aplin tells me. He's set his omakase tastings at a reasonable-for-SF prices: $80 for the 13-course "chisai," $110 for the 17-course "oki" and $65 for the 12-course vegetarian "yasai." Any higher and he'd price out family and friends, the ones he knows and the ones he hasn't met yet. The business of dinner begins with a stripped down drinks menu. Aplin recommends a sake from the twice James Beardnominated Oakland brewery Den Sake, with effervescent aromas of orange blossom and nectarine and undertones of caramel. We try a second style too, a lightly sweet, estate-grown and bottled ginjo from Marumoto Brewery in Japan. It's our server's favorite. A parade of omakase follows. There are fresh raw oysters topped with earthy, mushroomy snailyes snailcaviar and Aplin's take on the classic San Francisco crab louie, made with Dungeness and miso-cured egg yolk. Then, plates of nigiri file out from behind the bar one after another like fishy little soldiers. Each is simply but thoughtfully prepared with a dab of sauce or a light glaze to enhance the exquisite natural flavor of the raw fish: buttery fluke with finger lime, slightly seared king salmon with miso butter, fatty tuna with truffle. It may be a cliche but it is not an exaggeration to say that each is so fresh and so light that it literally melts in my mouth. (Marc Fiorito, Gamma Nine Photography) Kanpachi (amberjack) with aji amarillo dressing, Side Hustle Condiments' Sichuan Sizzle Crunch!", shimeji mushroom, and shiso. I'm skeptical when raw mackerel combined with sweet mustard and dill lands on the table, an homage to Aplin's half-Norwegian heritage. But the intense fishiness I associate with the Scandinavian staple never comes. The nigiri is unexpectedly bright, slightly sweet with an herbaceous backbone, and undeniably fantastic. Besides the omakase tastings, Chisai has around half a dozen supplementary dishes to add on to your meal, including an uni carbonara with udon noodles, uni cream, bacon and sea urchin; and several hand rolls, including the seafood tower, which is made with scallop, uni, ikura, and nori butter. Eventually, Aplin expects to offer more a la carte options. At meal's end, pastry chef Lola Testu brings out dessert: lemon yuzu ice cream with a sweet fish-shaped cornmeal cake filled with huckleberries. It's a delightful, palate-cleansing punctuation mark on a meal worth far more than its asking price. Chisai is exactly the inclusive, approachable sushi club San Francisco needsand I'm its newest card carrying member. // Chisai Sushi Club, 3369 Mission St (Bernal Heights), chisaisushiclub.com Editors note: Venue Plus continues In Case You Didnt Know, a weekly feature with fun tidbits about New Mexicans and their projects. Getting to the release of Between the Devil and Me has been a long haul for David Climaco Garcia. I started this just as the pandemic just was starting, the Albuquerque-based musician said. It feels so great to have the album out. The album was released Oct. 15. Garcias been writing songs for about 30 years, but the impetus for the new album started with an online class he was taking at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. It was just to jump-start my writing, he says. As we were beginning the class, something about the environment was fertile. It was like every single song came out a full-fledged tune. It was like the pandemic gave me this urgency. It was about getting it done. During the 12-week course, Garcia worked on one tune for about two weeks. Then the floodgates opened. As I rolled into summer, I wanted to record them with my normal band, he says. But we couldnt get together or find time to get into a studio and record it. We tried to record at my home studio, but there were too many fights that we would have broken up. Then he met Bill Palmer and went to Howlin Dog Studio in Alamosa, Colorado. At the studio, he found inspiration again. The studio is located just as the Rockies fork out, he says. The water is flowing, and it was just amazing. After arriving back in Albuquerque, he put the record on the shelf for a few months. As he began track his vocals and guitar at his home studio, his mother began to fall ill. She was in the hospital for two weeks without anyone seeing her, he says. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Garcias mom moved in with his family, and they began another journey. I would split my time finishing the album with taking care of her, he says. When the album was finished, we went for a drive in the mountains and listened to the whole album together. Two days later, she was gone. I look at it as a huge blessing she got to hear it, because she was part of my journey with the album. Garcia says this album is different from the ones hes released in the past. I put every bit of my ability in it, he says. Its done professionally in every way. Garcia is waiting to perform live shows again. In the meantime, here are five things you probably didnt know about him: Cine Magnifico! the Albuquerque Latinx Film Festival has given visibility over the years to films and artists from all Spanish-speaking countries. This year the ninth edition is no different. There are 23 films and shorts that are New Mexico premieres and in some cases are U.S. premieres, which will screen as part of the festival which takes place in Albuquerque on Friday, Oct. 22, through Sunday, Oct. 24. According to Silvia Rodriguez Grijalba, Instituto Cervantes de Albuquerque executive director, all the films are directed by Latino filmmakers, because the mission of the Cervantes Institute and its Latino Film Festival is to raise awareness of the culture. Curating the film festival did take some time. It has been particularly complicated, because we were not sure if we would be able to do it in person, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, if European guests we had thought of inviting would be able to come, Rodriguez Grijalba says. In the end, we have made a great selection of films, and the opening will be with the presence of the director of Amores Modernos, Matias Meyer. The closing film, Karen, cannot count on the physical presence of its director and star, Christina Rosenvinge, but we will have a Zoom meeting with them. Rodriguez Grijalba says this years festival wants to focus, in addition to the artistic, on everything related to the film industry, as Albuquerque and New Mexico are becoming major players in the industry. To this end, we will be holding several roundtables with experts and professionals from the film world, as well as meetings with local and international filmmakers and actors, she says. Our festival is more than a festival; it is a showcase. Prev 1 of 4 Next Rodriguez Grijalba and her staff worked to ensure that many of the films were having a New Mexico premiere or a United States premiere. She says New Mexico filmmakers will be represented with films from Alejandro Montoya Marin, who will present his feature film Millennium Bugs. Albuquerque Film Office Liaison Cyndy McCrossen will lead a Zoom meeting to explain why Albuquerque is the new Hollywood and how it is aiming to attract Latin and European filming to the city. Spanish and Portuguese Department at the University of New Mexico, Santiago Vaquera-Vasquez, will lead the talk Albuquerque: El Dorado of the Film Industry, accompanied by directors Steven Burhoe, DeAngelo Bethea and Colin A. Borden. We have invited guests like Elvi Cano who comes from Los Angeles to know our city, and she is a great ambassador when it comes to get filming for Latin production companies, she says. Rodriguez Grijalba is proud of the diverse programming of the festival. The selection is done very carefully, she says. Each one has something special or something that might interest a particular audience. One of my efforts is to include a lot of films made by women and also discussions with them. The roundtables are 90% female, which I think is interesting. To view or download a full schedule, visit cinemagnifico.com. Cody Ayon grew up knowing that service is a way of life. As the son of a Mexican mom and a Native American father, he grew up in Deming and learned that military service is both a meaningful part of his identity and a long family tradition with roots in the larger Indigenous community. As a machinists mate in the Navy, Ayon was thrilled that life at sea opened up his world. Six years later, when his enlistment came to an end, Capt. Ayon found himself missing that sense of purpose. He enlisted in the New Mexico Army National Guard and would become a commissioned infantry officer overseeing a platoon that would lead him to the Iraq War. Ahead of his deployment to Iraq, he participated in a tribal ceremony meant to prepare him, and he returned to a ritual gathering aimed at transitioning him back to society all in recognition that war had the potential to change him. By 2016, Ayon retired from the military. He works as a probation and parole officer for the state of New Mexico and lives with his family in Raton. Ayons story is one of those featured in the four-part PBS series American Veteran. The first part airs at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, on New Mexico PBS, Channel 5.1. The next three parts air at 8 p.m. Nov. 2, 9 and 16. It can also be viewed on the PBS Video app. The veteran experience is traced through the four-part PBS series, a 10-part series of digital shorts and a nine-part podcast. Its a tremendous honor to be part of this, he says. They reached out to me and asked if Id like to be part of the program. I was very happy to be included. Im a combat veteran. The series features the citizen-soldiers who fought in the nations earliest conflicts, to the men and women in todays all-volunteer armed forces. It gives a rich and deeply moving story told through personal remembrances that draw civilian viewers into an unfamiliar culture. Every voice in American Veteran, from hosts to interviewees, is that of a veteran. Their stories contribute to our evolving understanding of the relationship between Americans who have served and those who have not. America is home to nearly 18 million military veterans, from the Greatest Generation to the men and women coming home from recent tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Ayon says filming for his story took place in one day. He flew to Salt Lake City for the on-camera interviews. I was given the opportunity to speak over the phone with PBS prior to it, he says. To be honest, I know that in my mind I feel that my story isnt that great and there are other peoples stories that are more special than mine. But to be part of this narrative is amazing. Ayon says he was lucky to come back from his military service to the support of his family and community. Without that support, I dont know where Id be, he says. There are so many veterans who dont have that support, and its tough for them to get acclimated back to life. ON TV PBS will air the four-part series American Veteran beginning at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, on New Mexico PBS, Channel 5.1, and the PBS Video app. SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter @agomezART. For about a decade starting in the mid-1990s, Brittany Murphy was blazing a starry trail in Hollywood, from her breakout role as Tai in Amy Heckerlings coming-of-age classic Clueless to critically acclaimed roles in films such as Girl, Interrupted, 8 Mile and Sin City, all the while becoming a tabloid favorite due to her drastic changes in appearance and a high-profile romance with her Just Married co-star, Ashton Kutcher. By the late 2000s, Murphy was doing a Lifetime movie and low-budget thrillers. Two days into production on the supernatural horror film The Caller in 2009, she was replaced. A few months later, on Dec. 20, 2009, she collapsed in a bathroom in her home and was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She was just 32. The two-part HBO documentary series What Happened, Brittany Murphy? reveals how a talented, sweet and likable young star fell prey to the pressures of Hollywood stardom and was manipulated by a nefarious Svengali who turned her life and death into something out of a lurid true-crime series. Skilled documentarian Cynthia Hill weaves together a story featuring home-movie footage of a young and bubbly and adorable Brittany; clips from Murphys movies; the occasional reenactment; news footage and interviews with reporters who covered Murphys death, the retired assistant chief coroner who handled Murphys case, friends and colleagues such as Heckerling and actress Kathy Najimy, and the mother and brother of Murphys late husband, Simon Monjack. The latter was a con man and pathological liar who swooped into Murphys world when she was most vulnerable and took control of virtually every aspect of her career and personal life. What Happened takes us through Murphys rise to stardom and her radical physical transformation, with Clueless director Heckerling noting that Brittanys real-life makeover essentially mirrored the arc of her character in the movie. With the tabloids and online gossip columnists speculating about Murphys shockingly frail appearance and her sometimes unstable behavior (theres a clip of her coming across as utterly lost at the 2003 Independent Spirit Awards), Murphy falls under the spell of Monjack, who claimed to be a billionaire, said he had the largest collection of Vermeer paintings in the world, spoke of dating Elle Macpherson and Madonna, and even said he had cured his cancer through shark cartilage treatments. It was all pure bull-. After Murphys death, and the coroners ruling that the cause was pneumonia, Monjack and Brittanys mother, Sharon, gave a disastrous interview to Larry King, put out publicity photos that made them look like a couple, and told a reporter theyd share a bed together at night to comfort each other. This madness fueled speculation about possible foul play and in a most unfortunate development, the documentary features clips from amateur sleuth vloggers who spout comments such as: Is the house haunted? I called it! I knew she was murdered. That could mean she was being poisoned. Today Im going to be telling you guys about a true-crime story that I am really interested in, as well as doing my makeup I wish I were kidding, but Im not. Why these uninformed, ghoulish and tasteless fools were included in this documentary is beyond me. Only a few months after Murphy died, Monjack passed out in the same house and was eventually pronounced dead from the same cause: pneumonia. The tragically sad case just kept getting more bizarre. To this day, conspiracy theories abound about what really happened to Murphy and Monjack, but theres no hard and true evidence to refute the official findings. What we do know for certain is that Brittany Murphy was gone far, far too soon. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal A man was sentenced to six years in prison Thursday for his role in a 2017 crash that killed an Albuquerque woman and her 14-year-old daughter in a foothills neighborhood. Paul Anthony Garcia, 29, was the passenger in a stolen van that plowed into a car, killing Shauna Arredondo-Boling, 39, and her daughter, Shaylee Boling, a Sandia High School freshman. A 2nd Judicial District Court jury found the vans driver, Elexus Groves, guilty in August of two counts of vehicular homicide and other charges, but acquitted her of more serious first-degree murder charges. Groves faces up to 25 years in prison. A judge is scheduled to sentence her on Nov. 2. Arredondo-Boling was driving her daughter to school on Jan. 18, 2017, when the van, travelling nearly 80 mph, slammed into their car at Chelwood Park and Copper NE. Shaylee Boling died at the scene. Her mother died 13 days later, having never regained consciousness. Arredondo-Bolings 3-year-old son was hospitalized with a broken leg. Garcia entered a plea agreement on July 20, about three weeks before the start of Groves trial. The agreement required Garcia to testify in Groves trial. Under the agreement, Garcia pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, knowingly leaving the scene of an accident and conspiracy. Judge Brett Loveless handed down the six-year prison sentence recommended in the agreement. Garcia has been held at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center since February 2017. Under the law, he will receive credit for 1,722 days of pretrial custody, leaving a maximum 468 days to serve, said Lauren Rodriguez, spokeswoman for the 2nd Judicial District Attorneys Office. Loveless allowed Garcia to serve the remainder of his sentence at the Metropolitan Detention Center. No family members spoke at Garcias sentencing hearing, but Garcia issued a brief apology prior to his sentencing. I am terribly sorry for all the wrongs that Ive done in this case and all those I have hurt, Garcia said. Garcia and Groves stole a workmans van and were fleeing from police when it crashed into Arredondo-Bolings car. The two fled the scene after the crash and later stole a second vehicle while trying to evade police, according to testimony in Groves trial. Garcia told jurors in August that he injected Groves with methamphetamine the morning of the crash, making her highly agitated. The two tried to burglarize vehicles, then stole the unattended van idling in front of a house. Garcias testimony differed from the narrative Groves told jurors when she testified in her own defense. Garcia testified that he told Groves to pull over when police attempted to stop the van on Tramway NE. By contrast, Groves testified that Garcia urged her to flee police and that she believed Garcia had a gun in a backpack that he didnt want police to find. Garcia denied having a gun. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Christine Smith, a first grade teacher at Crownpoint Elementary in northwest New Mexico, lives a few hundred feet from a processing plant for a proposed uranium mine. Smith said she worries about how a revival of uranium mining in the region could affect the health of her students and family. Even though the mining companies kept coming back and saying it was a safe process weve seen many accidents in the past, Smith said. No company will ever convince me that one process is 100% safe. Smith is a member of Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining, a group that has successfully brought a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The petition alleges the U.S. and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission violated Navajo human rights when it granted Hydro Resources Inc./NuFuels a license to mine uranium in Church Rock and Crownpoint. This is only the second time that the Washington, D.C.-based human rights organization has found an environmental justice petition against the U.S. admissible. Eric Jantz, an attorney with the New Mexico Environmental Law Center representing the Navajo group in the case, called the petition an important milestone in a decadeslong legal battle. (Its not just about) how many parts per million of uranium go through an aquifer, or how (much) radiation people are inhaling into their lungs, but fundamental human rights, Jantz said. The rights to have clean air, clean water, clean land, and to fundamentally live your life as an Indigenous person, or any person, without fear of having your lifeways destroyed by the government. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 30 million tons of uranium ore were extracted from Navajo lands from 1944 to 1986. The materials were instrumental in the U.S. nuclear weapons program. Community resistance to the HRI/NuFuels project goes back to 1994. Environmental impact statements from the NRC about a new proposed mine began showing up in local mailboxes, and residents organized to raise concerns about the plan. Federal regulators in 1998 approved the license to mine uranium at three different McKinley County sites using the in situ leach method. The method injects water and chemicals through underground wells to dissolve uranium. Uranium is then processed into yellowcake and used for nuclear fuel. According to the NRC, the Crownpoint site currently has no active operations. The Navajo group originally filed the petition in 2011 with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which found the petition admissible earlier this year. The groups submitted more testimony on Thursday as part of the petition process. A 1979 disaster at the now-closed Church Rock uranium mill north of Gallup sent 93 million gallons of radioactive waste into the Puerco River. Uranium exposure can cause organ damage and cancer. A University of New Mexico research study showed that at least 25% of adult Navajo participants had uranium in their urine at concentrations higher than 95% of the U.S. population. Rita Capitan, the Navajo Crownpoint chapter president and a co-founder of Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining, said another mine could further harm precious water and land. Why allow another company to come in and begin operating uranium mining again when nothings been cleaned up? Capitan said. Earlier this year, the EPA awarded contracts totaling $220 million to three companies to clean up 50 abandoned uranium mine sites near Grants and on the Navajo Nation. There are about 500 abandoned sites on the tribal land. The petition alleges that the NRC licensed the mine while knowing that it would contaminate groundwater. The groups say that the company had not shown that its proposed cleanup methods could restore groundwater to pre-mining conditions. This week the Navajo Nation government lent their support to the petition. Navajo President Jonathan Nez, Vice President Myron Lizer and Navajo Council Speaker Seth Damon signed a proclamation on Thursday, urging the commission to recognize uranium mining as an ongoing assault on Dine lands, resources and people. The United States has continued to allow private corporations to extract vast quantities of uranium from Dine lands, abandoning and leaving behind mountains of radioactive and toxic waste, the leaders wrote in the proclamation. Several Navajo chapters have issued resolutions supporting the petition. The commission could hold a hearing on the petition as early as next year. The advocacy groups said that a favorable decision from the commission essentially a conclusion that the U.S. government violated the communities human rights when licensing the project could be helpful in future litigation seeking to rescind the license. Its past time that the United Statess nuclear policy is scrutinized, and that human rights violations are taken to account and are scrutinized, Jantz said. Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal. One day after the co-chair of a pro-Manuel Gonzales political action committee alleged mayoral candidate Eddy Aragon was violating federal law and city election regulations by campaigning on his radio show, Gonzales campaign wrote Aragon demanding Gonzales be given his own radio show or other airtime on Aragons station. The timing is not a coincidence, according to a new ethics complaint against Gonzales alleging the Bernalillo County Sheriff also running for mayor is coordinating with the committee to challenge Aragons candidacy. Gonzales campaign manager calls it baseless. The complaint filed Tuesday is just the latest in a string of ethics complaints made during the 2021 Albuquerque mayoral campaign and the fourth against Gonzales specifically. Lodged by Rudy Grande Jr., the new complaint references Karen Montoyas Oct. 13 ethics complaint against Aragon though Grande incorrectly states it was filed Oct. 14. In it, Montoya claims Aragon is violating city and Federal Communications Commission rules by not properly documenting his use of his radio station, KIVA, to benefit his mayoral candidacy. Aragon denied the allegations, which are now pending before the citys Board of Ethics & Campaign Practices. Montoya has identified herself as co-chair of the Save Our City political action committee, which is raising and spending money to support Gonzales mayoral bid. Included with the new complaint against Gonzales is a letter to Aragon dated Oct. 14 and signed by Ramon Soto, an attorney representing Gonzales mayoral campaign. Soto wrote to say that Gonzales intends to zealously enforce the rights provided political candidates under federal law for equal use of the KIVA broadcast facilities. You have continued to host a daily radio talk show on KIVA AM 1600. Each on-air appearance in your capacity as a talk radio host on your station qualifies as a free use of your broadcast facilities, entitling your opponents, including Sheriff Gonzales, to equal opportunities for comparable free use of your facilities, he wrote. Sheriff Gonzales demands an equal opportunity to host his own talk radio show, with an equivalent length and frequency as that of The Rock of Talk (Aragons show), on your channel and using your facilities, while using his own staff. In the alternative, Sheriff Gonzales demands an accounting of the amount of free use you have accrued in promoting your candidacy for Mayor and that an equal amount of free use time be provided to Sheriff Gonzales in the form of commercial airtime. Grandes complaint calls Sotos letter and Montoyas complaint a coordinated effort that violates city election laws. Grande declined to answer Journal questions about his complaint, saying everything he wanted to say was included in the document. Gonzales campaign manager denied the allegations Grande leveled against him. Our campaign had nothing to do with the local ethics complaint against Aragon and his complaint against us is baseless. Aragon is in clear violation of federal law and there is no question he is going to have a massive problem with the FCC after this election. Theres a reason no other candidate anywhere in America has run for office while remaining on the air, campaign manager Shannan Calland said in an emailed statement to the Journal. Aragon raised the issue of ethics complaints during a live mayoral debate on KOB-TV Tuesday, asking Gonzales about the complaint, saying he has given Gonzales the opportunity to use his radio station and asking why Gonzales decided to put me in front of the Ethics Board? Gonzales denied filing the complaint, saying he had no idea what Aragon was talking about. That was the doing of my political consultant, Gonzales said. Aragon responded by calling that an admission of collusion. You just admitted that your (political action committee) is working directly with your own campaign and you have now just admitted fraud, Aragon said. Gonzales called it a misunderstanding. Thats not what I said. I said my political consultant brought those things. I have no idea what youre talking about, he said. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal The death of a 43-year-old man who died while Albuquerque police officers were taking him into custody earlier this year has been ruled a homicide. The Office of the Medical Investigator released an autopsy report on Wednesday stating that Danny White died from sudden cardiac arrest while being restrained in a prone position. Huntingtons disease, obesity and hypertensive cardiovascular disease are listed as significant, contributing conditions. He was placed on the floor on his stomach, a position which can compromise breathing, particularly in the presence of obesity with increased abdominal fat, the report states. He was held down, which can restrict the ability of the chest to expand during breathing. This combination of conditions reduced Mr. Whites ability to breathe, reduced the supply of oxygen to the heart and led to his death. The manner of death is homicide, the report adds. University of New Mexico Health Sciences does not comment about the results of autopsies, a spokesman said. A handbook from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the National Association of Medical Examiners defines homicide as when a death results from a volitional act committed by another person to cause fear, harm or death. Intent to cause death is a common element but is not required for classification as homicide. Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said officers Michael Harrison and Josh Johnson were found to have violated policy in the use-of- force procedures. They were given nondisciplinary corrective action, Gallegos said. The policy in question states: In situations when the individual is forced into a face down position, officers shall release pressure/weight from the individual and position the individual on their side or sit them up as soon as they are restrained and it is safe to do so. Officers shall monitor the individual for any breathing problems or any other signs of distress. Harrison has been with APD since 2007 and Johnson has been with APD since 2017. When reached by the Journal on Wednesday Whites family declined to comment. Officers were called to the White family home in Northwest Albuquerque on April 4 Easter because he reportedly had punched his stepfather in the forehead. Lapel camera video from the call shows officers Harrison and Johnson arrive at the home in the 3100 block of Ronda De Lechusas NW, near Unser and Bob McCannon. Relatives immediately let them know that White had Huntingtons disease a rare, inherited illness that causes movement, cognitive and psychiatric problems that made him act aggressively. They asked the officers to take him to the hospital so doctors could adjust his medication or treat him. The officers entered the home and found White in a back room, sitting in a recliner and watching TV. He cursed at them and refused to go with them. After some time, he got up and started moving toward the officers, telling them over and over to shoot him and cursing at them. Danny, we dont want to do that, one of the officers responded. Then Johnson tackled White, bringing him to the ground in the hallway near the kitchen. The footage is chaotic since its shot at very close range but the officers appear to be working together to turn White onto his stomach so they can handcuff him behind his back. Johnson appeared to be holding down his back while Harrison holds his legs. Then White stopped moving. When the officers turned him over, he appeared to be unconscious. Is he OK? one family member yelled. Please tell me hes OK, Whites mother cried, trying to approach as one of the officers performs CPR. She and the rest of the family are told to wait outside. Albuquerque Fire Rescue and paramedics arrived, but White died at the scene. Whites death was the first of two in police custody in April. Eleven days later, on April 15, police were called because Christopher Mora, 47, had hurt himself in his brothers apartment off Chelwood Park NE. When officers arrived Mora and his brother came out and Mora, bleeding heavily, was clutching a knife. He skirted around the apartments complex until an officer doing on-the-job training, Arianne Morrow, fired her Taser at him and he collapsed to the ground. An autopsy found that Moras death was a suicide from more than 75 sharp force injuries to his chest, neck and extremities. While the majority of these were minor and very superficial in nature, there were multiple injuries that were more significant, the report states. The most severe of these were to the neck and with complete sectioning of the windpipe (larynx). There were no injuries to the major vessels of the neck, although injury to smaller vessels within the neck could lead to significant bleeding. The autopsy states that between the bleeding from the extremity wounds, the chest wounds, the large neck wounds, and the damage done to Mr. Moras airway, he eventually lost a great deal of blood, ultimately leading to death. Gallegos, the APD spokesman, said he had not heard back by deadline about whether anyone was disciplined in the case. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Adam Porras was killed at an apartment complex on Cardenas SE near Gibson on July 10. A month and 10 days later, police shot a person of interest in his death. David Martinez, 26, was critically wounded. His mother told the Journal he was put on life support after the incident but is recovering. He might not make a full recovery but he is going to recover from this, Tonya Crocker said. She said she still has a lot of questions about what happened and thinks there is more to the story. In a press briefing releasing details about the shooting Thursday, Albuquerque Police Department Deputy Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock with the Criminal Investigations Division said detectives from a specialized apprehension unit were looking to talk to Martinez in relation to Porrass death. Martinez was wanted on an unrelated felony probation violation warrant. Hartsock said the detectives found Martinez on Aug. 20 in the 1800 block of Arno SE, near Kathryn and Broadway. He was getting into a car and pulling out of the driveway. They approached the property on police vehicles and on foot, Hartsock said. Mr. Martinez changed directions inside the vehicle, drove through the yard and through a fence in the back part of the yard. He got out of the car, armed with a rifle and started to flee police on foot. He said Martinez climbed over fences and ran through yards until he got to Broadway. An officer shot him with a less lethal option, but it did not stop Martinez, Hartsock said. Aerial footage of the incident shows Martinez running into the street and up to a red truck that had stopped. Thats when Sgt. Josh Richards and Detective Luke McPeek fired, striking Martinez in the head. Richards, the supervisor of the Gun Violence Reduction Unit, has been with APD since 2008 and was involved in a shooting in 2016. McPeek, with the investigative services division as part as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Task Force, has been with APD since 2012 and was involved in two shootings in 2013. APD typically releases photos of officers who were involved in shootings but in this case did not because Richards and McPeek are part of sensitive units. What both the officers who fired stated in their interview was that they saw and believed that he was going to carjack that red truck that was coming to a stop , Hartsock said. And they were afraid for the safety of that individual as well as the general public that was around and themselves. Hartsock said police are still investigating where the gun came from. Martinez has been charged with aggravated assault, attempt to commit armed robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He had been released from the Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe on June 25, 2021, and put on parole supervision, a Corrections Department spokesman said. Police Chief Harold Medina said Martinez was an example of someone who should have been in jail or better monitored. I think that we need to be very cautious on how were releasing individuals back into the community and our ability to monitor and ensure that theyre not going down this bad path, Medina said. As for the death of Porras thats also still being investigated. Its still open and active, Hartsock said. Im sorry, but right now thats all were going to say on it because theres still other leads were following up on. But were confident to call him a person of interest in that case. BEIJING China on Friday said there is no room for compromise or concessions over the issue of Taiwan, following a comment by U.S. President Joe Biden that the U.S. is committed to defending the island if it is attacked. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reasserted Chinas longstanding claim that the island is its territory at a daily briefing after Biden made his comment a day before at a forum hosted by CNN. China has recently upped its threat to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary by flying warplanes near the island and rehearsing beach landings. When it comes to issues related to Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity and other core interests, there is no room for China to compromise or make concessions, and no one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will and strong ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wang said. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. The Taiwan issue is purely an internal affair of China that allows no foreign intervention, Wang said. Bidens comments on Thursday were viewed as stretching the strategic ambiguity Washington has maintained over how it would respond to an assault on the self-governing island republic. The U.S. should be cautious with its words and actions on the Taiwan issue, and not send any wrong signals to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence, so as not to seriously damage China-U.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Wang said. At the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that Bidens comments about Taiwan werent meant to signal a change in approach. What I can convey to you is that our policy has not changed, Psaki said. He was not intending to convey a change in policy, nor has he made a decision to change our policy. In his comments, Biden said the U.S. did not want a new Cold War but expressed concern about whether China was going to engage in activities that will put them in a position where they may make a serious mistake. I just want to make China understand that we are not going to step back, we are not going to change any of our views. Biden said. Asked whether the U.S. would come to Taiwans defense if it were attacked, he replied: Yes, we have a commitment to do that. Asked Friday whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan if the island were attacked by China, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a reporter he would not discuss hypothetical situations, but also said, Nobody wants to see cross-Strait issues come to blows - certainly not President Biden, and theres no reason that it should. Speaking in Brussels after a NATO defense ministers meeting, Austin added that Washington remains committed to its longstanding one China policy. In Taipei, a spokesperson for independence-minded President Tsai Ing-wen said the U.S. has shown its support for Taiwan through concrete actions and the islands 23 million citizens would not surrender to pressure or act rashly. Taiwan will demonstrate our firm determination to defend ourselves and continue to work with countries with similar values to make a positive contribution toward the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific regions peace and stability, spokesperson Chang Tun-han said. China and Taiwan split during a civil war in 1949. The U.S. cut formal diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 in order to recognize Beijing. The U.S. does not openly contest Chinas claim to Taiwan, but is committed by law to ensure the island can defend itself and to treat all threats toward it as matters of grave concern. Under President Xi Jinping, who is also Communist Party leader and head of the armed forces, China has been stepping up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan. Over its National Day weekend at the beginning of the month, China sent a record 149 military aircraft southwest of Taiwan in strike group formations, prompting Taiwan to scramble aircraft and activate its air defense missile systems. China has also recently held beach landing exercises on its side of the roughly 160-kilometer (100-mile) -wide Taiwan Strait that, like the aircraft incursions, it described as a warning to Tsais administration. The U.S. has reinforced its support for Taiwan with military sales. State Department spokesman Ned Price said this month that American support for Taiwan is rock solid. The U.S. has also been very clear that we are committed to deepening our ties with Taiwan, Price said. On Wednesday, Bidens pick for ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, told lawmakers considering his nomination that Americans should have confidence in our strength when dealing with the rise of China, a nation he said the U.S. and its allies could manage. Burns echoed the Biden administrations stand on cooperating with China where possible but condemning many of its actions, including its policies toward Taiwan and the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong, where it has virtually eliminated dissident voices through stiff legislation and arrests. ___ AP National Security Writer Robert Burns in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. LONDON Britains Queen Elizabeth II was back at Windsor Castle on Friday and in good spirits after revelations that she spent the night in a London hospital earlier this week. Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old British monarch went to the private King Edward VIIs Hospital in London on Wednesday for preliminary investigations. She returned to her Windsor Castle home at lunchtime on Thursday and was understood to be back at her desk by afternoon, undertaking light duties. The queen underwent the tests after she canceled a scheduled trip to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, and the palace said she had reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for a few days. The matter was not related to COVID-19. The palace does not normally offer a running account of the monarchs health, citing her privacy. However, in this case it confirmed the queens hospital stay after The Sun newspaper reported the news. On the whole, there is a rule of thumb is that if a senior member of the royal family undergoes a procedure or an operation, there is a medical bulletin, royal expert Robert Hardman told the BBC. But that doesnt apply to tests. The attention paid to the development merely reflects the great affection the global community has for the monarch, said Hardman, author of Queen of the World, which chronicles the monarchs influence and stature around the globe. She hates people making a fuss of her in general but particularly to do with health, he told the BBC. And I think theres a concern to sort of maintain the dignity of the office, and I know that one reason why nothing was said about yesterdays trip to hospital was that they sort of didnt suddenly want sort of huge banks of cameras and 24-hour news setting up outside the hospital. The long-secretive monarchy faces struggles similar to those of other leaders and celebrities who face a voracious appetite for details on their personal lives and health status. For comparisons sake, the Vatican issued daily bulletins about Pope Francis 10-day hospital stay in July after he had a chunk of his colon removed. The Vatican had kept the hospitalization and Francis condition secret until the pope was already admitted and was about to go into surgery. But the Vatican has long been notoriously secretive about the health of popes, most significantly when it refused to even acknowledge the obvious signs that St. John Paul II suffered from Parkinsons disease. The Vatican has cited the popes medical privacy in limiting information flows, but the vacuum of information often serves to fuel speculation about an eventual papal death and conclave to elect a successor. There has been some disquiet this week about Elizabeths health. Only days ago, she was seen using a walking stick at a Westminster Abbey service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion, an armed forces charity. Though she had used a cane in 2003, it was after she underwent knee surgery. Focus then turned to her hectic schedule, which has in recent days included audiences with diplomats, a reception at Windsor Castle for global business leaders, and attending the horse races at Ascot Racecourse. In less than two weeks she is due to host world leaders at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland a big engagement cited as one reason why she might want to rest up in advance. Though Elizabeth has enjoyed robust health throughout her life, she is Britains longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch. She is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee 70 years on the throne next year. Elizabeth has ruled since 1952 and was widowed this year when Prince Philip died at age 99 in April. She has cut back on her workload in recent years but still keeps a busy schedule of royal duties. She recently declined the honor of being named Oldie of the Year by The Oldie magazine. Her office said that Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel, as such The Queen does not believe she meets the relevant criteria to be able to accept. ___ Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is visiting the White House and meeting with congressional leaders this week to highlight the importance of a federal public works package for New Mexico and other states, a spokeswoman said. And she is set to make her first international trip as governor next month to Scotland for a climate change summit. The Washington visit is part of her role as chairwoman of the Democratic Governors Association, which is paying for her travel. She is set to return Saturday. The infrastructure package specifically is critical for New Mexico, in addition to the Build Back Better agenda, said Kendall Witmer, a spokeswoman for Lujan Grishams reelection campaign. Democrats in Washington have been locked in negotiations over a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a social services package. Lujan Grisham is also planning to head to Glasgow next month to represent New Mexico at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. She has promoted renewable energy in New Mexico, banned routine venting and flaring of natural gas, and ordered the state to join a national coalition seeking to combat the effects of climate change. She also signed into law the state Energy Transition Act in 2019, requiring the Public Service Co. of New Mexico and public utilities to shift to carbon-free energy generation by 2045. In a written statement released by the Governors Office, Lujan Grisham said she is proud of whats already been accomplished. But I know that we as a state, as a nation, as a planet must go further by pursuing bold, equitable and just climate solutions, she said. I am looking forward to this significant opportunity for collaboration and action at the global level. She is set to participate in a public conversation alongside Secretary of State Antony Blinken, White House climate advisers John Kerry and Gina McCarthy, and Michael Bloomberg, according to the Governors Office. Also tentatively scheduled are an event with the Powering Past Coal Alliance and an event with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. Larry Behrens, a spokesman for Power the Future, a group that has opposed renewable energy mandates, said the governors international travel is hypocritical. New Mexicans deserve better than a governor who depends on fossil fuels to travel and for her budget, but then undermines our energy workers at elitist resorts among her friends, Behrens said in a written statement. Nora Meyers Sackett, the governors press secretary, said the Scotland trip would be Lujan Grishams first international travel in her official capacity as governor. Under the New Mexico Constitution, Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, a Democrat, serves as acting governor when Lujan Grisham is out of state. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE The state Department of Health on Friday expanded eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots to more New Mexicans, though the priority remains getting first doses to people who are not vaccinated. The move comes after the U.S. Centers on Disease Control and Prevention approved boosters for people who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, not just Pfizer. New Mexicans who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago can now get a booster if they are: 65 or older. Or 18 or older and live in a long-term care setting, have certain underlying medical conditions, or work or live in high-risk settings, such as in education, grocery stores and law enforcement. Eligibility for people who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is broader. Anyone 18 and older who got the shot at least two months ago can get a booster. Many New Mexicans will benefit from additional protection, and DOH will work hand in hand with our healthcare partners to ensure that boosters are available, Acting Health Secretary David Scrase said in a written statement. That said, the most urgent task remains vaccinating New Mexicans who have not yet received their primary doses and we encourage them to do so. State officials encouraged people to book vaccination appointments through their primary care office or to visit vaccinenm.org to learn more and schedule a shot. About 72% of adults in New Mexico are fully vaccinated, meaning theyve received either one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two of Moderna or Pfizer. The CDC this week also approved mixing and matching of vaccines for booster shots, meaning people arent limited to sticking with the original shot they received. The Department of Health on Friday also reported 14 additional COVID-19 deaths in New Mexico, pushing the death toll to 4,987. Five of the fatalities were adults from Bernalillo County. The state also recorded 982 new cases and announced that 352 patients are hospitalized for COVID-19 a 6% increase from a week ago. Instagram Celebrity The remains, along with Brian's backpack and notebook, were found on October 20 near the the 24,565-acre Carlton Reserve, just hours after Brian's parents searched the area. Oct 22, 2021 AceShowbiz - Brian Laundrie has been confirmed to be dead. On Thursday, October 21, FBI Denver took to its Twitter account to confirm that the body remains found in Florida a day prior belonged to the fiance of slain YouTuber Gabby Petito (Gabby Petito). FBI revealed that the remains were identified as Brian following a comparison of dental records. "A comparison of dental records confirmed that the human remains found at the T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve and Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park are those of Brian Laundrie," the authorities wrote in the post. Following the confirmation, Laundrie family attorney Steve Bertolino released a statement from the family. "Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed that the remains found yesterday in the reserve are indeed Brian's. We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundrie's privacy at this time," the statement read. At a press conference, law enforcement officials said that the partial human remains were found along with Brian's backpack and notebook in Florida's Carlton Reserve at a location previously underwater. A spokesperson for the North Port Police also told NBC News the remains were "skeletal." Brian's parents helped lead police to the remains during the search at the location, which they believed was the place their son liked to hike. The remains were found near the the 24,565-acre Carlton Reserve, just hours after Brian's parents searched the area. "Chris and Roberta Laundrie went to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park this morning to search for Brian. The FBI and NPPD were informed last night of Brian's parents' intentions, and they met Chris and Roberta there this morning," Steven said at the time. Brian's parents claimed that he went missing after going to hike on September 14, weeks after he returned alone from his and Gabby's cross-country road trip on September 1. As for Gabby, the 22-year-old was reported missing by her parents on September 11 before her remains were found in the vicinity of Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest on September 19. It was later confirmed that her manner of death was determined to be homicide and her cause of death was strangulation. Meanwhile, her time of death was estimated to be three to four weeks before her body was found. Instagram Movie The '30 Rock' alum was filming a scene for his western movie in Santa Fe, New Mexico, when a prop gun misfired, injuring two crewmembers, but the actor was unharmed. Oct 22, 2021 AceShowbiz - One person was killed and another was injured in a gun accident on the set of Alec Baldwin's new movie. The actor was filming a scene for the western film "Rust" at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Thursday, October 21 when a prop gun misfired, injuring two crewmembers. Officials said sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the set at around 1:50 P.M. MST, following a 911 call that indicated an individual had been shot. Production was immediately halted following the double shooting. The set was put on lockdown and an old church on the set was blocked off, according to local press reports. A production spokesperson initially said, "There was an accident today on the New Mexico set of 'Rust' involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. Two crew members have been taken to the hospital and are receiving care." The spokesperson added, "Production has been halted for the time being. The safety of our cast and crew remains our top priority." One of the crew members, a 42-year-old woman, was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital for stomach surgery and later died from her injuries, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office. The other victim, a 42-year-old man, remains in emergency care after being transported by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent's hospital. The names of the victims have not been disclosed, but TMZ reports that the female crewmember is the movie's director of photography, while the other victim is the director. The director was reportedly hit in the clavicle. Details of the incident are still unclear as it is still under investigation. "Detectives are investigating how [the prop firearm was used] and what type of projectile was discharged," the Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "This incident remains an active investigation. As more information becomes available, updates will be provided." Sources tell Deadline that a principal castmember cocked a gun during rehearsal, unaware that there were live rounds in it. Baldwin was on the set during the accident, but he was unharmed. Earlier that day, Baldwin posted on Instagram a picture of him in character, sporting what looks like fake blood stain on his shirt. "Back to in person at the office. Blimeyit's exhausting," he captioned the snap. "Rust", written and directed by Joel Souza, follows Harland Rust (Baldwin), an infamous Western outlaw who travels to Kansas to break his 13-year-old grandson Lucas (Brady Noon), who is convicted of an accidental murder and sentenced to hang, out of prison. Together, they must outrun the legendary U.S. Marshal Wood Helm (Jensen Ackles) and bounty-hunter Fenton "Preacher" Lang (Travis Fimmel) who are hot on their tail. WENN/FayesVision Movie Authorities confirm that the actor, who also produces the western movie, fired the prop gun that struck director of photography Halyna Hutchins and director Joel Souza on the set in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Oct 22, 2021 AceShowbiz - Alec Baldwin discharged the prop gun that misfired during an accident on the set of "Rust". After reports emerged of the set accident that killed a crewmember and injured another on the set in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Thursday, October 21, it's now confirmed that the actor was the one who was holding the prop gun. The Sheriff's office said in a statement that director of photography Halyna Hutchins and director Joel Souza "were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin, 68, producer and actor." Hutchins died after she was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital for stomach surgery, while Souza remains in emergency care after being transported by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent's hospital. He was reportedly hit in the clavicle. The International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600 has released a statement confirming Hutchins' tragic death. "We received the devastating news this evening, that one of our members, Halyna Hutchins, the Director of Photography on a production called 'Rust' in New Mexico died from injuries sustained on the set," John Lindley, the president of the guild, and Rebecca Rhine, the executive director, said in the statement. They continued, "The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event." Expressing their condolences, they said, "This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild's family." It was initially reported that a principal castmember cocked a gun during rehearsal, unaware that there were live rounds in it. Baldwin, meanwhile, was unharmed in the accident. "There was an accident today on the New Mexico set of 'Rust' involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. Two crew members have been taken to the hospital and are receiving care," a production spokesperson said in a statement released immediately after the accident. "Production has been halted for the time being. The safety of our cast and crew remains our top priority." Officials said sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the set at around 1:50 P.M. MST, following a 911 call that indicated an individual had been shot. Production was immediately halted following the double shooting. The set was put on lockdown and an old church on the set was blocked off. "The Santa Fe County sheriff's office confirms that two individuals were shot during filming of a scene on the set of the movie western 'Rust'. Detectives are investigating how [the prop firearm was used] and what type of projectile was discharged," the Sheriff's Office said in its initial statement. "This incident remains an active investigation. As more information becomes available, updates will be provided." Earlier that day, Baldwin posted on Instagram a picture of him in character, sporting what looks like fake blood stain on his shirt. "Back to in person at the office. Blimeyit's exhausting," he captioned the snap. The 63-year-old actor has not spoken up on the incident. WENN/Avalon Celebrity The British monarch, who had canceled a trip to Northern Island on doctor's orders, has returned to Windsor Castle following 'preliminary investigations' into a health condition. Oct 22, 2021 AceShowbiz - Queen Elizabeth II spent Wednesday night, October 20 in hospital after canceling a trip to Northern Island on her doctor's orders. Buckingham Palace officials have confirmed the 95-year-old is back at home after "preliminary investigations" into a health condition. "Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today, and remains in good spirits," Palace officials said in a statement issued on Thursday. A royal source reveals the Queen stayed in hospital overnight for practical reasons, while dismissing concerns her visit was in any way linked to COVID-19. She was back at her desk on Thursday afternoon and undertaking light duties. The news comes after the Queen expressed her "disappointment" at being unable to visit Northern Ireland on Wednesday. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said, "The Queen has reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days... The Queen sends her warmest good wishes to the people of Northern Ireland, and looks forward to visiting in the future." She was due to arrive in Hillsborough in County Down on Wednesday afternoon and attend a church service to commemorate the centenary of the foundation of Northern Ireland. Elizabeth has hosted a number of events in the last few days, including a global investment summit at Windsor Castle on Tuesday evening, October 19, and last week, she appeared at the Senedd, the Welsh Assembly, and attended Westminster Abbey, where she used a walking stick in public for the first time. WENN/Ivan Nikolov Celebrity The '30 Rock' alum is photographed in tears while on the phone outside the sheriff's office after he discharged a prop gun that killed director of photography Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. Oct 22, 2021 AceShowbiz - Alec Baldwin appears to have a hard time to process the fatal accident on the set of "Rust". After it was confirmed that he discharged a prop gun that struck director of photography Halyna Hutchins and director Joel Souza on Thursday, October 21, the actor looked distraught in his first pictures after the incident. Alec Baldwin looked distraught after questioned about the shooting on 'Rust' set. The 63-year-old star was photographed outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office after he was questioned about the shooting. He appeared to be in tears while speaking to someone on the phone. Sporting thick gray beard and unkempt hair, he looked frustrated as he bent forward with his hands on his knees in another image. A Santa Fe Sheriff's Department official told Deadline on Thursday evening, "Mr. Baldwin was questioned by investigators and released. No arrests or charges have been filed." The accident happened during the filming at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a famous movie ranch, in Santa Fe, New Mexico earlier on Thursday. Officials said sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the set at around 1:50 P.M. MST, following a 911 call that indicated an individual had been shot. It was initially reported that a principal castmember cocked a gun during rehearsal, unaware that there were live rounds in it. The Sheriff's office later said in a statement that Hutchins and Souza "were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin, producer and actor." Hutchins died after she was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital for stomach surgery, while Souza remains in emergency care after being transported by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent's hospital. He was reportedly hit in the clavicle. Baldwin has not spoken up on the incident, while a production spokesperson said in a statement released immediately after the accident, "There was an accident today on the New Mexico set of 'Rust' involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. Two crew members have been taken to the hospital and are receiving care. Production has been halted for the time being. The safety of our cast and crew remains our top priority." The Sheriff's Office also said in its initial statement "The Santa Fe County sheriff's office confirms that two individuals were shot during filming of a scene on the set of the movie western 'Rust'. Detectives are investigating how [the prop firearm was used] and what type of projectile was discharged." Meanwhile, the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600 mourned Hutchins' tragic death. "We received the devastating news this evening, that one of our members, Halyna Hutchins, the Director of Photography on a production called 'Rust' in New Mexico died from injuries sustained on the set," John Lindley, the president of the guild, and Rebecca Rhine, the executive director, said in a statement. They continued, "The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event." Expressing their condolences, they said, "This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild's family." YouTube/WENN Celebrity The filmmaker has been released from hospital after being injured in a fatal on-set accident that tragically claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Oct 23, 2021 AceShowbiz - Director Joel Souza is out of the hospital after being wounded by actor Alec Baldwin in an on-set shooting which claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Police confirmed Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of western "Rust" on Thursday (21Oct21), fatally killing Hutchins and wounding Souza who was reported to be in intensive care. According to editors at Deadline, the filmmaker's representatives confirmed the news after Baldwin's co-star Frances Fisher tweeted, during an interaction with actress Patricia Arquette, that Souza had told her he was out of hospital. Arquette tweeted, "My heart goes out to Halyna Hutchins family. What a heartbreaking loss. Sending prayers to Joel Souza. I'm sure everyone is devastated." And Fisher messaged back, "Director Joel Souza told me he's out of hospital." She restated the comment during an online interaction in which she corrected a Twitter user who shared an unsubstantiated claim from an article that suggested Baldwin cocked and fired a gun - meant to be loaded with blanks - and "did not know the prop contained live rounds." Fisher tweeted, "Those quotes are incorrect. And our director Joel Souza is out of hospital." The Sante Fe, New Mexico Sheriff's Department said in a statement on Thursday, "According to investigators it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged. Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged." Hutchins was flown by helicopter to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, where she was pronounced dead. Souza was transported by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, where he underwent treatment for his injuries. The investigation is ongoing and police are now interviewing witnesses. WENN/Instagram Celebrity The '30 Rock' actor is in touch with the husband of the fallen cinematographer, offering condolences following the fatal accident on set of their new movie 'Rust'. Oct 23, 2021 AceShowbiz - Alec Baldwin has shared his heartbreak for the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died on Thursday (21Oct21) when he discharged a prop gun on a movie set. On Friday morning, the actor took to Twitter to express his condolences to the director of photography's loved ones, after the tragic accident on the Santa Fe, New Mexico set of the western "Rust". "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours," he wrote. "I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna." Hutchins, who was just 42 and married with a young son, has also been remembered by friends including actor Joe Manganiello, who tweeted on Thursday, "I woke up to the messages and read the news and I am in shock. I was so lucky to have had @halynahutchins as my DP on Archenemy. She was an absolutely incredible talent and a great person. She had such an eye and a visual style, she was the kind of cinematographer that you wanted to see succeed because you wanted to she what she could pull off next and she was a fantastic person. There was no amount of pressure she couldn't handle. She was a great collaborator and an ally to anyone in front of her camera. Everyone who knew her was rooting for her." "Rust" director Joel Souza was also shot accidentally, but was treated at the hospital and released. BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - Three men were in court on Thursday for the deadly shooting of two Florida brothers in the Frobestown area, according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey. A judge found enough evidence to allow for a case against 22-year-old Michael Griff, 22-year-old Austin Hogan and 25-year-old Kyle Smith. The case will continue for two counts of murder and two counts of robbery after evidence presented on Thursday showed the victims, 33-year-old Randy Bonds and 39-year-old Jerry Bonds, were brothers from Florida, according to Ramsey. Ramsey said Randy and Jerry came to buy marijuana from the three men. The investigation began on Oct. 21, 2020, when the family members of Randy and Jerry called the Butte County Sheriffs Office to report them as missing. The family reported the brother flew to Los Angeles and rented a car two days before. The family said they were tracking the location of one of the brothers on his phone and went missing in the Forbestown area. RELATED: Multi-state double murder investigation lands 3 in Butte County Jail A multistate investigation began when the rented vehicle showed up at a casino in Boomtown, Nevada with blood inside. A witness told officials the Smith, Hogan and Griff killed Randy and Jerry, which lead to the arrest of the three people. Two people and five law enforcement officers testified and outlined evidence that linked the three defendants to a meeting with Randy and Jerry in Butte County, Ramsey said. Ramsey added that the Bonds were lured into a remote location by the men and they were fatally shot by Griff and Hogan who were using a handgun and a shotgun. The court found evidence they each fired the handgun, Ramsey said. Hogan, Griff and Smith then moved the bodies into vegetation in the area and Smith drove the rental vehicle to the Nevada casino. Griff and Hogan followed Smith and surveillance linked the defendants to the vehicles and the homicide scene. Officers said they located several pieces of property that belonged to Randy and Jerry at Griffs home, including Randys wallet with his Florida ID. A firearm and evidence of marijuana sales were discovered by investigators. Evidence also showed that the three defendants have been living together in Oroville. The judge also found evidence that the murders were carried out for financial gain; while lying in wait; in the commission of a robbery and constituted multiple murders, Ramsey said. The defendants could face a life sentence without the possibility of parole. They are in custody without bail and are scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 3 for further arraignment and the setting of a jury trial. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Officials say actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of a Western and killed the cinematographer. The director of the movie was wounded, and authorities are investigating. Santa Fe County Sheriff's officials said cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and director Joel Souza were shot Thursday on the set of "Rust." A Baldwin spokesperson said there was an accident involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. A sheriff's spokesman said detectives were investigating what type of projectile was discharged and how. No immediate charges were filed. Baldwin tweeted Friday that he "no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident." RED BLUFF, Calif. - The Antelope Elementary School District is investigating a statement made on TikTok by a teacher, according to a statement made by the school district. Stacy Pearce, a teacher at Berrendos Middle School in Red Bluff, posted a video on TikTok wearing what she called was a Yellow Star protest. Why am I wearing this yellow star on my chest? In Nazi Germany, the Jews were required to wear this yellow Star of David on their clothing to identify them, to humiliate them, and to isolate them, what's happening today is not much different in our school system, Pearce said in the video. RELATED: Red Bluff teacher goes viral on TikTok for comparing COVID-19 vaccine mandate to the Holocaust The school district said it seeks to educate children in a respectful environment for each other, the community and humankind. It is unthinkable to trivialize the systematic persecution, torture, and murder of 6 million people by comparing it to a vaccination requirement in a time of pandemic, said Jim Webes, the superintendent of the school district, in a public statement. Appropriating the profound trauma of Jewish history in order to make some political point is offensive and inexcusable -- particular in an institution that shapes the minds of our future. The school district statement is found below. REDDING CALIF.- The rainfall this week is a welcome sign to many farmers who were affected by the drought. Action News Now spoke to one farmer who says the rain is not only good for his crops; its also suitable for his animals. Glenn Hawes has owned Historic Hawes Farms with his family for many years, and he says his farm desperately needed the rain. We need the rain any time we can get the rain, especially what we had in the last two to three years; we need the rain, but timing is good for some things but not quite good for others," Hawes said. Hawes Ranch has a pumpkin patch with a corn maze, bumper cars, food stands, and a lovely train ride for the little ones, and this week is supposed to be the busiest for the farm. This would have been a huge weekend here for the Halloween celebration, and it may yet, and Saturday doesnt look too bad, and I hope people come out and enjoy it, Hawes said. Meanwhile, Hawes says the droughts forced him and his family to make some changes to how they worked the farm this year. The hay crops this last year, and the pastor crops were short, so it will be a blessing if we can get some good grass for those cattle and not have to import hay from a long way," Hawes said. Hawes tells Action News Now, his family farm has two significant events in October, their haunted ranch and the Walnut Festival. SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. - A woman was injured after getting hit by a vehicle and getting dragged under the vehicle for about 50 feet, according to the Shasta County Sheriffs Office. On Thursday around 5 p.m., a report came in about a person who was hit by a vehicle in the area of Shasta Dam Blvd. and Oregon Ave. in Shasta Lake. Witnesses reported that the person walking, 39-year-old Jennifer Culkins, walked in front of a vehicle that was stopped at the intersection. The driver, 42-year-old William Smith, then accelerated to make a turn when Culkins was in front of the vehicle. Deputies said medics arrived at the scene and pulled Culkins out from under the vehicle She was conscious and responsive. Culkins was wearing a backpack that became stuck under the vehicle and Culkins was dragged about 50 feet, deputies said in the news release. Culkins was taken to the hospital for the injuries she sustained. An investigation found that Smith was driving southbound on Oregon Ave. and made a turn onto eastbound Shasta Dam Blvd. Deputies said he discovered Culkins was hit and pulled over. This is when he discovered Culkins was under the front passenger side tire of the vehicle. Smith did not see Culkins and he was not suspected of being intoxicated at the time. Deputies are asking people to be vigilant and observant as the weather will reduce visibility. A new WARC analysis of advertising spend forecasts for 100 markets worldwide and the results of a survey by GWI of more than 715,000 consumers, show that advertiser spend on TV and social media is highly inflated in relation to daily consumption. The analysis finds that, as of the first quarter of 2021, social media now attracts more investment from advertisers than linear TV for the first time, however both media draw far more of advertising budgets than the average consumer spends with these channels each day. Social media, for example, is forecast to account for 39.1% of 2022 ad spends among the eight media studied in the report linear TV, online video, social media, print press, online press, podcasts, broadcast radio and online audio but has a 21.4% share of daily media consumption, a discrepancy of 17.7 percentage points (pp) equivalent in value to $94.3 billion. Socially devoted Social media has accounted for over two hours of daily media consumption since Q2 2016, per GWI monitoring, and WARC Data Premiums latest forecasts expect daily social time to reach 2:30 during the second half of next year. Notably, all demographics measured in the report are set to spend twice as long with social media as they are with online press next year, despite ongoing trust issues less than one-half of adults say advertising on social media is somewhat or very trustworthy, falling to 28% in China, 19% in the US and just 10% in the UK. Despite this, the largest gaps between social consumption and ad spend can be found in China (where advertiser spend is 3.3x consumption), the UK (2.2x) and the US (2.0x). Conversely, in Australia (0.9x), India (0.4x) and Russia (0.5x), socials share of daily media consumption is higher than its share of advertising budgets a potential indicator of opportunity for brands. Linear TV ad spend is 2x daily consumption, but online video investment is balanced Linear TV is forecast to account for a 31.5% share of advertising spend next year among the eight media studied, compared to a 16.1% share of daily media consumption. This would equate to an investment gap of $86.9 billion worldwide next year. An overspend in relation to consumption does not translate directly into waste, and proportions vary by size of budget. Successful high-budget campaigns spending over $10 million, for example, typically allocate 60% of their budgets to TV, while successful alcoholic drinks campaigns typically allocate 44%. While linear TV spend is inflated in relation to its consumption, online video is now close to parity after years of underinvestment. It is worth noting that the worlds largest online video platform Netflix is predominantly ad free, while platforms such as YouTube are prone to ad blocking on desktop and mobile devices. Still, advertisers are forecast to spend $71.9 billion on online video this year, a 13.6% share of the eight studies media, which compares to a 12.9% of media consumption, or one hour 37 minutes. Audio and online press heavily undervalued Data show that audio media appear highly undervalued a trend that was recently highlighted by WARC in the US. Perhaps most notably, podcasts are found to be undervalued by $40 billion, with the greatest opportunities for advertisers among audiences aged 16-24, middle earners, and those educated until the age of 16. One in three internet users now listens to a podcast each month, but a cost per thousand (CPM) of $23.55 is higher than even TV. Spotify has quickly gained ground on Apple to become the largest app for podcast streaming as of March this year. Online press also appears to be another heavy undervalued medium: advertisers would need to spend $58.0 billion on online press ads globally next year to achieve parity with consumption levels. Instead, forecast spend is just $12.8 billion. Business models in the publishing sector have been diversifying to counter the shortfall in advertising revenue; 76% of publishers are prioritising subscriptions this year. James McDonald, Managing Editor, WARC Data, and author of the report, said, The study shines a light on divergences between media investment and consumption, two metrics which are rarely seen to be in lockstep with one another. In some cases, particularly for undervalued audio formats such as podcasts, this presents a good opportunity for canny practitioners to reach audiences with comparatively little competition. For industry stalwarts like linear TV, the seemingly inflated investment gap actually speaks more to the enduring power of the medium its vast reach combined with attentive audiences and the heightened impact of audiovisual creative. These traits allow it to command a premium in the media mix, one which is likely to sustain even as social media further grows its share of budgets, he added. Latest Market Intel on WARC Data Premium Americas 53% of US advertisers expect to spend more on OTT/CTV US podcast ad spend up 24% as more advertisers join Over 40% of Americans say theyre not fully represented in advertising Asia Pacific TikTok growing rapidly in Japan and South Korea, but YouTube still leads Commerce and video streaming are most important trends for APAC marketers 44% of Southeast Asian consumers play video games while watching TV Europe, Middle East and Africa A noteworthy development in the culinary space, Asahi Kasei, Japans premium wrap and silicone-coated foil & sheet brand has designated prominent Indian Celebrity Chef Ranveer Brar as its brand ambassador for India. By joining hands, Asahi Kasei and Chef Ranveer Brar seek to assist every Indian family that is plagued by the perils of fast-paced life to pursue a healthier lifestyle by empowering them with innovative kitchen solutions such as Premium Wrap, Zipper Bag, No to low oil Frying-pan foil and Cooking Sheet. Asahi Kasei has always propagated that the opening gambit to a healthy regime lies in our very own kitchen, and Brar strongly supports and endorses this creed. Despite a rising health-consciousness among people, our working lifestyles are becoming more fast-paced, often proving to be a stumbling block to those on their path to consuming healthy meals. Indians often fall prey to poor eating habits - thereby giving rise to the need for the evolution of our eating habits. Asahi Kaseis partnership with Ranveer Brar aims to communicate the benefits of a nutritious, fresh and balanced meal that even those struggling to make time in their schedules can conveniently prepare and preserve via the ease provided by Asahi Kasei kitchen products. Talking about the partnership, Chef Ranveer Brar says, I am thrilled to associate with a brand like Asahi Kasei that has revolutionized the kitchen with their multi-utility products. I believe that a wholesome meal is the first step towards a healthy lifestyle which is what the brand aims to promote with its innovative kitchen accessories that save time and minimize cooking and storing hassles. By partnering with the brand whose core vision aligns with my belief in using best-in-class products to retain the freshness and nutritional value of food, I intend to help reimagine the kitchen space. We also aim to rebuild the mindset of consumers because a majority of the audience knows only of conventional uses of foils and premium wraps when really, there is so much more to it. Asahi Kaseis Sr Marketing Manager, Luve Oberoi, said, We are pleased to welcome Chef Ranveer Brar as a brand ambassador for our range of products in India. His advocacy of nutritious, fulfilling meals for a healthy lifestyle aligns with our values of delivering daily nutrition without having to waste too much time, making the everyday lives of our consumers simple. We at Asahi Kasei are always striving to provide kitchen accessories that are convenient to use and save time as we understand that various instances such as a hectic work schedule can make one turn to an unhealthy lifestyle. Asahi Kasei manufactures four main food-related products which are available in the Indian market. These include Asahi Kasei Premium Wrap that lets one wrap food for preservation and can be microwaved to heat it. Asahi Kasei Frying Pan Foil comes with a silicone coating on one side and can be used to cook food healthier without using oil and prevent food from sticking to the pan. Asahi Kasei Cooking Sheet, whose silicone coating on both sides prevents food from sticking to the utensil and is heat resistant for its use in baking/cooking in an oven and microwave. Lastly, the newly launched innovative seal-tight double line Zipper Bag, designed to be leak-proof, gives it an edge over other similar products available in the market. Easy to open and close with anti-slip technology, it can be used for multiple purposes such as freezing/refrigerating, storing at room temperature and even carrying cooked food to the office, picnics or while travelling. Empowered teams with unwavering communication can always make crisis management easier, writes Aman Dhall, Founder, CommsCredible, as he lists the key lessons learnt from operating amid a global pandemic. When Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province, made news for the outbreak of a virus, COVID-19, first broke in China, little did we know that it was to go on to become a pandemic, an all-pervasive phenomenon, disrupting all forms of communications. We were forced to restrict our activities and function from within our homes. A new normal was unfolding. Today, we have adapted to online classes, work from home modules, virtual conferences and all different forms of communication. These unprecedented times in the modern world have necessitated consistent and constant communication, both in our personal and professional lives. Leaders especially have had to communicate with empathy and transparency to boost the morale of their employees through the new pandemic work culture. Promoting a seamless and healthy work environment through consistent and constant communication in personal and professional life is very important now more than ever. Be proactive and honest Homes became the new office spaces, people did not meet and exchange ideas as easily as they used to. People have felt lost and in need of guidance. Even as offices reopened, it was clear that internal communications had to undergo changes. A leader in this situation should be proactive and promote transparency by keeping communication channels open between himself and his employees, a companys most valuable assets. Transparent and honest communication will help improve interpersonal relationships and help them be in sync with the organisations mission and goals. Communications with employees cover a whole gamut of subjects ranging from guidance to performance. There is no parameter to gauge the relevance of an issue for leader-employee communications. However, a proactive and honest manager will create long lasting relationships. Internal communications with employees could include a whole gamut of subjects ranging from guidance to performance. Even if it is an evolving situation, there is no right or wrong communication. Whats critical is an honest tone and a proactive approach. Most importantly, frequent communication not only helps reduce the fear and uncertainty employees face, but also reassures them that the company has their best interest at heart. Patience goes a long way Although several aspects would demand your undivided attention, it is important that you stay calm during a crisis. Losing your cool in times of crisis can amplify the situation and lose you your allies. Especially if you are driving the crisis communication strategy of an organisation, any resemblance of chaos can break down the entire team. A constructive tone is always the way to go in such a scenario. Adopt and Adapt Change should be the only constant in the dynamics times that we are living in. The pandemic caught many seasoned professionals off guard. All tried and tested methods of communication went for a toss, and leaders were looking for a tailored approach to handle the situation. These are the circumstances where new ideas and strategies emerge from. It will not only help your organisation bring in a fresh perspective but also help deteriorate risks and formulate countermeasures for day-to-day problems. Several companies across industries have exhibited different competency levels when it comes to facing challenges. Google was one of the firsts to announce work from home for its employees. Besides, the company also gave an allowance of $1,000 for its staffs home-office needs. Soon to follow suit was social media major Twitter, which adopted a forever WFH policy. Even after the pandemic subsides, its employees will continue to contribute while sharing a days meal with their families. Fortify internal dialogues for effective external communications External and internal communications go hand in hand. Both are important to build a brand reputation and shaping company culture. Even though internal and external communications have different audiences, the messaging needs to be unified for the brand perception to turn into a reality. A mismatch of tonalities may lead to inconsistent and mixed communication and make employees lose confidence. The alignment of the two is necessary to create a strong brand voice. Communication strategy plays a vital role in building long-term relationships. If you want your employees and customers to develop a stronger connection to the brand, you should ensure a consistent communication strategy where both messages are in sync with the larger objective. Empower & Delegate There are hundreds of tasks one has to focus on during a crisis scenario. The easiest way to handle such a situation is to quickly move on to other tasks. Once a strategic action is outlined to a specific item, be sure to delegate. Avoid getting into micromanagement and allow your teammates to take the initiative. This will not only empower your colleagues, but also help not compromise your business momentum or client communication in the quest for perfection and caution during a crisis. How prime events unfold for a business depends on a leaders decisions, and how effectively he/she collaborates with the team. We often see communicators saddled with added responsibilities during an uncertain business scenario. To a large extent, they understand in-depth how a brand is perceived in the short or long term, or a crisis. Their action can impact every facet, from the stock price to consumer boycotts. Empowered teams with unwavering communication can always make crisis management easier. Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited (FGII), is a general insurance arm of the joint venture between retail giant Future Group and global insurer Generali. A 189-year old global insurance group featuring among the worlds 60 largest companies. The COVID-19 pandemic has escalated the pre-existing mental health problem in the country and Insurance companies have upped their activities during the COVID-19 crisis, addressing the concerns of the people, the uncertainties of the market and encouraging people to take care of themselves and their dear ones. According to an estimate by the World Health Organisation (WHO), 5 years ago 7.5% of Indians suffered from mental health issues and the number is 1 in every 5 Indians. The recent Health Super Saver campaign drives home the idea that health is a long-term investment. It revolves around the companys comprehensive individual and floater health policy, Health Super Saver. This unique product offers customers 80% off on premium for a claim-free year. The company has roped in celebrities like the renowned rapper Slow Cheetah and the evergreen actor Anil Kapoor to appeal to the younger audience through an engaging rap song. The song conveys how an individual can earn a return on investment on their most important asset their health. In an exclusive interaction with Ruchika Varma, Chief Marketing Officer, Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited speaks about the strategy behind the Health Super Saver Campaign, loss & unemployment challenges faced during the lockdown by the company, steps taken to educate the young masses and a lot more. What was your strategy behind the Health Super Saver campaign? Whats the kind of response that the campaign has received? Health issues dont discriminate when it comes to age, which means that thanks to the stress of the modern lifestyle, the younger demographic is as vulnerable to illness and health problems as the older generation. And yet, people in the 25-35 years age group largely tend to underestimate the importance of health insurance. India has the largest youth population globally; around 66 per cent of the total population (more than 808 million) is below the age of 35. Noticing a gap in the market and the need for a product that specifically targets the younger demographic, Future General India Insurance came up with the Health Super Saver plan. Health Super Saver is a one-of-a-kind insurance product that offers an unprecedented price advantage of 80% discount on premium in the consecutive year, provided there is no claim in the first year. There is no fine print and no hidden conditions. Any kind of investment should get you returns. Our campaign on the Health Super Saver Plan is based on the concept of Return on Health (ROH), that is, it rewards our customers for staying healthy through an 80% discount on the next premium for a claim-free year. The concept of ROH has been introduced through a fun rap video to connect with the younger audiences. The campaign has been extremely well received by our audience, our customers and our distribution partners. We have achieved a reach of more than 100 million and higher-than-industry engagement rates. More than 2 lakh customers have shown interest in the product and we have seen a significant lift in our overall retail health sales since the launch of the campaign. Please tell us more about the process of selecting a musician and an actor for the campaign. How has it served your purpose of reaching and appealing to the younger TG? Once we came up with the Health Super Saver Plan and the concept of Return on Health (ROH), our next goal was to make sure the message reached our target audience the younger demographic. The best way to connect with this audience was by speaking their language. We did this with a fun, engaging rap video The Health Rap featuring Bollywood star Anil Kapoor and rapper Slow Cheeta, urging the audience to earn a return on investment on their most important asset their health. At 64, Anil Kapoor continues to remain popular across age groups and geographies. He is extremely fit and embodies someone who earns ROH, making him the best ambassador to launch the concept of Return on Health. Contemporary music, particularly rap, holds a great appeal for our target audience, which led us to rope in rapper and actor Chaitanya Sharma a.k.a Slow Cheeta, of Gully Boy fame. Anil Kapoor and Slow Cheeta are the perfect duo to reap the benefits of Future Generalis Health Super Saver Plan and this combination has struck a chord with young Indians. The Health Rap has been well received on OTT platforms and music streaming apps and was trending on Twitter on the day of the launch. Youngsters often tend to be carefree. They dont understand the purpose of insurance at an early age. What kind of steps are you taking to educate people about the benefits of insurance? India has 400 million millennials; we are the youngest country globally, with a median age of 29. Unfortunately, insurance as an industry struggles with being relevant to this significantly large group of consumers. So, we are constantly striving to drive awareness for protection products among the younger demographic. With the Health Super Saver plan, our attractive no-claim bonus counters the traditional millennial view that health premiums are a loss if there is no claim raised in a particular year. This segment has age, fitness, and higher immunity on its side, and is well-positioned to have a claimless year, and thus can really benefit from the Health Super Saver policy. Millennials and Gen Z are the most active on social media. So, we are focussing on mediums like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to communicate with our young customers while making sure that all our communication is young, fresh and appeals to this age group. Health Rap, a case in point, highlights the benefits of getting health insurance. In addition, with the easing of lockdown restrictions, more people are now venturing out, so we have extended the campaign to outdoor media as well. Since the pandemic struck, health has been much of a concern for everyone, be it youngsters or adults. What new concepts have Future Generali launched to ensure their clients investment returns on the health policies? First and foremost, it is important to understand that our products do not offer any investment returns. They are either indemnity products (that is, incurred hospitalisation charges are reimbursed) or Benefit products (like Hospi cash where the cash is paid in case of hospitalisation). Health insurance has come under the spotlight in this environment and is likely to remain in focus. To cater to this growing need, we are looking at the specific needs of various demographics to create tailor-made, innovative, and new products that address current risks. Our latest offering is Health Super Saver, a comprehensive individual and floater health policy. This unique product offers customers an 80% discount on premium for a claim-free year. We know that the younger age group prioritises fitness and is more likely to have a claimless year, and our product is curated for this segment. Apart from this, our Future Generali Health Total insurance policy covers hospitalisation and OPD consultation for mental illness. This product supporting the #HealthInsideOut campaign is one such step in this direction that helps fill the market gaps based on consumer insights. There has been a huge loss in employment and uncertainty due to the pandemic, which has affected cash inflows. How has that impacted growth for your company? The last 18 months have certainly been one of the most difficult times in recent history, and the role of insurance became even more critical during this time. At FGII, our primary job was to ensure that our customers could reach out to us to buy, renew, get serviced or claim easily and that we were accessible to them at all times. Our Business Continuity Plan had kicked in even before the lockdown was announced and this helped us stay ahead of the curve to serve our customers. We launched relevant health products that covered treatment for COVID-19, we digitised our sales operations across the customer value chain, our underwriting went online, our policies were issued digitally and we invested in technology to enable our call centre and other employees to work from home. We enabled our agents to prospect and service our customers virtually through platforms like social media. We launched self service platforms, including a refreshed mobile app which allowed our customers to manage all their policies, renew and register claims easily and with speed. We were the only ones in the industry to recruit heavily and expand our distribution to reach our customers. We have onboarded more than 9,000 agents since the pandemic began. All of these initiatives improved our brand relevance and made our customers lives easier, which has resulted in us growing at 87% in retail health. We are the fastest growing general insurance company amongst the top 10. We will continue to scale up our distribution reach going forward, increase awareness of health insurance products, and gain market share in a capital-efficient manner. The overwhelming feeling within the broadcasting fraternity is that nobody is going to benefit from NTO 2.0 be it the end customers, cable operators or the broadcasters, nobody in the value chain stands to benefit from TRAIs new pricing regime. In fact, as a television industry veteran said on condition of anonymity, its been three years since the regulator has been trying to regulate the TV pricing, but nothing significant was achieved, except leaving the industry to fend for itself. Industry insiders are unanimous in their view that TRAI is unnecessarily meddling with the ecosystem, with no obvious benefits to anyone. I fail to understand who is gaining in this. Consumers are definitely not getting benefitted out of it. The broadcasters, the advertisers, the consumers, the cable fraternity everybody is going to lose in this battle, asserted a senior broadcast executive, who did not wish to be named. Once NTO 2.0 pricing comes in effect, what will it mean for users at the lower end of the spectrum? The likely scenarios There are different price points and different kinds of consumers, said the broadcast executive. According to him, there are three types of consumers and each will behave very differently. He noted, Consumers who are at the bottom of the pyramid will find that cable is becoming very expensive and will go for DD Free Dish. People in the middle of the pyramid, who were subscribing to a larger basket of channels, will now reduce the number of channels by paying either the current tariff or slightly more. And people in the top of the pyramid, who were buying a lot of channels together, will now pick and choose and reduce their ARPU. And they will move more towards OTT. Will OTT become a viable alternative for TV? No. OTT is not going to meet the needs of TV, insisted an industry insider. People will not start to consume OTT content all of a sudden. Id assume broadcasters should start a reasonable subscription for television on OTT. Channels will be much cheaper on an OTT platform. Consumers chase content. There are certain shows which are available on OTT but not available on TV, and vice versa. People will not be switching over to OTT overnight because TV has suddenly become expensive, he maintained. According to him, the problem is that the consumer wants so many choices. I dont know if the consumer wants to go channel by channel and choose. It doesnt work that way. They might not use certain channels, but they dont mind if it is available as a package. That is one. Number two is that despite all this, if ARPU is still going up, then there is something wrong in the whole mechanism. Consumers are losing; the broadcaster is losing out in terms of reach, because of which advertising revenue will get impacted. And the cable person will see fewer offtakes of channels. And some of the consumers will move away from pay-TV because of the excessive tariff, he opined. The impact of NTO 2.0 has been that for a consumer who was paying a high ARPU, his bill has gone down, because he is choosing the channels that he will watch. However, for a consumer who was paying Rs 150-200, the ARPU has gone up. Nevertheless, given the context of the likely tariff increase, there will be an upsurge in OTT viewing. Netflix will be unaffordable to many people. Still, if you add all the OTT subscriptions, it will come to less than Rs 300 per month, which is less than the revised monthly cable bills. But it is also not practical and easy to subscribe to all the OTT services. How many apps are you going to have? It is not going to be easy, said the broadcast executive. Our country was working based on market forces; different markets had different pricing structures. People had a wider choice. Now you are restricting the choice, yet the consumer has to pay more. Its not making sense. The whole value chain is getting affected. NTO 2.0 is not serving the purpose. If you analyse the consumer behaviour in terms of making a la carte choice, how will the cable industry administer it? It will lead to a significant drain of people from subscription. The number of people subscribing to channels is falling, yet the cable prices are going up. So, how does it work? he asked. From TRAIs perspective, in this whole process, the regulator seems to have two objectives. One is to give consumers a choice. The second is to create some kind of a pricing mechanism to bring in transparency. Another broadcast executive felt that a bouquet of channels would be an ideal option. A typical Indian housewife tells a cable operator why do you give so many channels, expecting that if the cable operator reduces the number of channels, the price would come down. They dont know how business works a bouquet of channels is the best suitable for their households as broadcasters are able to cross subsidize their channels as a weak channel in a bouquet (like NGC) may one day become a mainstream channel. Tinder, the worlds most popular app for sparking connections with new people, is set to spotlight uninhibited, meaningful conversations about what women really want from their dating lives in India. Social media content creator, Kusha Kapila, takes the drivers wheel as she picks up a Tinder member to meet her date and bond over dating, intimacy and dilemmas caused by the confluence of age-old traditions and modern beliefs in our world. Joining the two ladies this week is none other than Sara Ali Khan, Bollywoods sassy queen! The trio chat about all things dating - from fun Tinder bios to first date jitters, the rules of dating to the importance of being authentic. And a lot more. The first episode of Swipe Ride series will premiere on Friday, 22nd October, 2021 on Tinders YouTube channel. It's so important to be who you are because if youre not, its easy to tell. Over the years, I have also learnt that there is no way to please everyone - individualism and being your authentic self is key, said Sara Ali Khan. Tinder understands how Indian women date and I had so much fun being a part of the Swipe Ride series - a non-judgmental, safe space where the truths about our love lives universally experienced but rarely shared are laid out in the open. Its as raw as it gets and I am thrilled to be a part of the conversation, and a generation that is redefining the rules of dating! Indian society has often defined how a woman must conduct herself in all aspects. With the Swipe Ride series, to see Tinder female members redefine such age-old societal ideas and rewrite their narratives was almost like talking to my younger self, different but yet so similar. Being in the drivers seat, literally and metaphorically, is what women need today and I am really proud to have a role to play in facilitating these meaningful discussions. added Kusha Kapila. Young people face constant pressure and judgement to conform to someone elses ideas of good relationships, acceptable partners and rules of romance. All women are wonderfully different and unique, and with the Swipe Ride series, we want to celebrate and encourage the diverse perspectives of young Indian women and their dating journeys, said Taru Kapoor, GM, Tinder and Match Group India. At Tinder, weve always focused on making our app inclusive by enabling autonomy, choice and creative ways to express oneself to create a better experience for our members. Co-created with film director Debbie Rao along with popular ace comics and writers - Shreeja Chaturvedi and Supriya Joshi, the Swipe Ride series, is a product of the coming together of these women who like to call their own shots whether it's in their careers, or their dating lives. Aside from making the dating experience fun and accessible via mobile and pioneering the double opt-in and the Swipe feature, Tinder continues to invest in technology that reduces anonymity, increases accountability, and helps to keep members stay safe. Viral Pitch, an influencer marketing, research, and analysis platform recently announced partnering with Park Avenue (Part of prestigious Raymond Consumer Care Ltd), one of the leading players in the men's apparel, personal care, and grooming products category. Via this association, Viral Pitch will be offering high-end influencer marketing services to the brand. Taking ahead this partnership, the firm has also shared about the launch of the #BeerCareForGreatHair campaign for Park Avenues Beer shampoo range. Through this campaign, Viral Pitch is focusing on helping the brand connect with renowned influencers in the digital space. It is also helping Park Avenue in garnering engagement and reach amongst the enormous influencer base out there in the market. This alliance includes identifying best-suited influencers for the brand's campaign to gather visibility and gain prominence, strengthening brand equity, and boosting brand recognition by leveraging the power of Instagram and its unique features. The campaign, launched early this month is still ongoing and has garnered positive response from the netizens. The influencers across categories of fitness and lifestyle have been collaborating with the brand with zeal and enthusiasm. They are sharing their experiences and the joy associated with having a good hair day post using the brands Beer shampoo product range. Influencers are also enthusiastically posting content about how Park Avenues beer shampoo has made haircare easy and effortless, and has helped them accentuate their appearance. Mr. Sumit Gupta, Founder of Viral Pitch, expressed his thoughts and said, We are elated to share this news about partnering with Park Avenue. It is one of the most trusted and loved brands at the global level. Offering them influencer marketing assistance is a moment of pride for us. We are delighted to have received active participation from the influencer community for our #BeerCareForGreatHair campaign. With this campaign, we are not only aiming for increased brand visibility and awareness, but also increased engagement and a stronger connection with their targeted consumer base. We look forward to conceptualizing creative campaigns for the brand and helping them achieve their desired digital objectives. Pooja Sahgal, Spokesperson, Park Avenue said, Park Avenue takes pride in having attained the leading stature in the market. Our brand is recognized for its high-end offerings in mens apparel, personal care, and grooming segments. However, we always wanted to leverage the new-age opportunities and strengthen our digital presence. Influencer marketing is an innovative millennial approach and opting for the same seemed to be the appropriate decision. We were on the lookout for effective strategies to increase engagement specifically for our Beer Shampoo product range. Considering that Viral Pitch is known for its exceptional storytelling skills and remarkable influencer marketing offerings, associating with them was thought to be the right move. With their expertise and creativity, we look forward to executing some noteworthy and impactful campaigns together. Recognized for its expertise in the influencer marketing domain, Viral Pitch has been working closely with various brands across segments such as Kaya Skin Clinic, Vasu Healthcare, Proline, FILA, CoinSwitch, MPL, Kimirica, Wow Skin Science, and Khadi Essentials. It plays an instrumental role in helping brands achieve their digital objectives by working with a holistic approach that quantifies all variables in the Influencer Marketing domain. Innosuisse Swiss Innovation Promotion Agency Bern, 22.10.2021 - Innosuisse has launched the new Flagship Initiative in 2021. With this funding initiative, the Swiss Innovation Agency aims to give a boost to systemic innovations that are central to current economic and social challenges in Switzerland. In the first call for flagships, Innosuisse approved 15 applications. In a two-stage procedure, 78 pre-proposals were received by the end of March and 27 applications by mid-August. In October, Innosuisse approved 15 of these flagships with the following thematic orientations. Under the topic focus Coping with COVID-19 induced acceleration of digital transformation: two flagships in the area of education, learning and teaching one flagship in the area of tourism and the travel industry two flagships in the area of real estate and urban planning four flagships in the area of healthcare and medical technology Under the topic focus Improving the resilience and sustainability and reducing vulnerability of society, infrastructure, and processes: one flagship in the area of supply chains five flagships in the area of decarbonisation In one of the approved flagships, for example, seven Swiss research institutes and more than 20 implementation partners such as companies and non-profit organisations from the transport, mobility and energy sectors will work on a circular economy solution for lithium batteries for vehicles in Switzerland. In another, surgical training in hospitals will evolve in a data-driven way. With the Flagship Initiative, Innosuisse aims to promote projects that, thanks to their systemic and transdisciplinary approach, enable innovation in thematic areas that are of great importance to the Swiss economy and society. Each flagship consortium consists of at least three research partners and at least two implementation partners, such as SMEs, large companies or other innovative organisations. The total funding budget for the three to five-year projects amounts to 57.7 million Swiss francs. The consortia will start their work at the end of 2021. Further calls for proposals under the Flagship Initiative are planned. Address for enquiries Communication Innosuisse Eliane Kersten and Lukas Krienbuehl Co-Heads of Communication +41 58 481 84 73 media@innosuisse.ch Publisher Innosuisse Swiss Innovation Promotion Agency https://www.innosuisse.ch Federal Department of Justice and Police Bern, 22.10.2021 - During a working visit to Greece, Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter met Minister of Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarachi and Deputy Minister for Citizen Protection Eleftherios Oikonomou on 22 October. The head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) also visited a shelter for unaccompanied minor girls in Athens and the Mavrovouni camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. At the bilateral meetings in Athens, Ms Keller-Sutter highlighted the ongoing and valuable collaboration on migration between the two countries. She welcomed the progress Greece has made in recent years in developing reception capacities and in managing migration. "Switzerland is proud to have contributed to this," she said. Since 2014, Switzerland has supported Greece with around CHF 12 million to strengthen its asylum and reception structures. Necessary reforms of the European asylum and migration system The head of the FDJP stressed the strategic importance of Greece for the common European asylum system. Ms Keller-Sutter and Mr Mitarachi exchanged views on the problems with the planned reform of the European asylum and migration system. The Federal Councillor expressed her disappointment that no tangible progress in this necessary reform has yet materialised. She noted that initial steps are now needed in those areas where there is already some agreement among member states, such as better protection of the external borders and the joint return of migrants. A better picture of the situation on the ground Following the bilateral meetings, Ms Keller-Sutter visited the Mavrovouni camp on the Greek island of Lesbos to get an idea of the situation on the ground. Switzerland has provided humanitarian aid there by supplying drinking water and medical equipment to combat the pandemic, as well as other humanitarian supplies. It is important for me to see for myself the situation on the ground in Lesbos, said Ms Keller-Sutter. Switzerland was one of the first countries to support Greece with emergency aid and the reception of unaccompanied minors after the Moria camp fire in September 2020. In the morning, Ms Keller-Sutter had met with representatives of various international organisations based in Athens (UNHCR, ICRC, UNICEF and IOM) as well as the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) to exchange views on the current migration situation in Greece. Committed to protecting vulnerable groups The head of the FDJP had already visited the Oikos shelter for unaccompanied minor girls in Athens the previous day. This facility houses 16 girls aged between 12 and 18, on average for a period of around 100 days, and was set up with financial support from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). During her visit, Ms Keller-Sutter praised the commitment of local non-governmental organisation Zeuxis to providing a particularly vulnerable group of people with a safe environment, support and prospects for the future. This project is a good example of how Switzerland can help the most vulnerable in a practical way, she said. Working visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina Prior to her visit to Greece, Ms Keller-Sutter had travelled to Bosnia-Herzegovina for a working visit. She met with Security Minister Selmo Cikotic and Migration Minister Milos Lucic in Sarajevo on 21 October, where migration was also at the centre of talks. Following these bilateral meetings, Ms Keller-Sutter visited a Swiss-supported migration centre near Sarajevo. Switzerland and Bosnia-Herzegovina have had a migration partnership since 2009. Address for enquiries FDJP Communication Service, T +41 58 462 18 18 Publisher Federal Department of Justice and Police http://www.ejpd.admin.ch ANKENY, Iowa Climate and opportunity were two ideas that kept popping up during U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsacks visit to Iowa Oct. 20-21. Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, came to attend a roundtable discussion at the annual World Food Prize symposium with the agriculture ministers from Canada and Mexico. He also took time to tour seed research facilities at Iowa State University, talk to strikers at the John Deere factory here and to visit with a farm family. On the farm, Vilsack spent time with Craig and LaVon Griffieon and their children, who run a diversified farm operation at the edge of suburbia. The Griffieons talked to the secretary about their farm and their concerns regarding conservation, urban sprawl, and consolidation both among farms and agribusinesses. The worst part of it is this is some of the best soil in the world and were putting homes on it, Craig Griffieon told Vilsack. Craigs son, Nick, told the secretary about the familys concerns regarding the consolidation of many agricultural suppliers and processors. Vilsack said the Biden administration is looking at that issue. He said the pandemic showed how such consolidation might have been efficient but that it wasnt as resilient as a more diverse industry might have been. During the World Food Prize event he participated in a panel discussion with Victor Manuel Villalobos Arambula of Mexico and Marie-Claude Bibeau of Canada, all three talked about climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects those two items have had on agriculture. Are there cropping systems that build soil carbon? Can we accumulate carbon in our soils to help stabilize the climate and build organic matter? FARINA, Ill. When you gotta go, you gotta go. Thats the case throughout the year when farmers deliver their grain, but especially at harvest. Most haul to the closest elevator, but thats not always the best place. It usually is for Larry Vonbehren, who farms in Fayette County, Illinois. Were farming around here today, and this ones a little closer, he said as he joined a long line of trucks waiting to unload corn and soybeans at the ADM grain elevator in Farina, Illinois. Vonbehren, who farms in nearby St. Peter, is like most producers in the Corn Belt who take their goods to the nearest facility. He normally unloads at the ADM facility at St. Peter, but was closer to Farina this day. While common, location isnt always the key reason. Sometimes it pencils out to drive to facilities farther from the origin. That is sometimes the case with Austin Rahmoeller, who farms about 3,500 acres near Carmi, in White County, with his father and uncle. Like many who are in relatively close proximity to a river terminal, Rahmoeller can make more money trucking his grain to nearby Mt. Vernon, Indiana. We take our beans to Mt. Vernon but not our corn, he said. Beans get a 40-cent premium, but corn is just a few cents difference. Increasingly sophisticated marketing computations, along with variables in the supply and delivery chains, make the task more complicated. The classic example is the farmer who sells to his co-op because its 10 miles away from where hes harvesting, said University of Illinois ag economist Scott Irwin. But I think that the vast majority of farmers are very aware of where they can earn nickels and dimes. They know whos giving their operation a good bid. Montana State Universitys new spring wheat breeder, Jason Cook, begins his new role at the university already knowing a lot about Montana farmers, small grain farming in the state, and the MSU breeding program. He previously held the position of assistant research professor at the university since 2015, where he helped support the spring wheat and winter wheat programs. After a nationwide search, Cook was officially hired as MSUs tenure track spring wheat breeder on Sept. 1. Cook grew up on a small grain farm near Big Sandy, Mont., in the states Golden Triangle, where wheat is king. Growing up (there) helped me understand the needs of Montana farmers, he said. Having familiarity with the environment and the growing conditions, things that people are concerned about, its a huge advantage to me as a wheat breeder. On the family farm, wheat was the main crop in the rotation. We grew primarily wheat on the family farm. Growing up, it seemed as if I was always curious about different varieties and what made them work why some varieties performed better than others, Cook explained. Around the farm, Cooks father would talk about pests like the wheat stem sawfly and how they impacted yields. The wheat stem sawfly it comes and goes, but it has been in Montana for a long time, he said. Sawfly is probably the biggest issue we have dealt with. After high school, in 1999, Cook attended MSU Northern in Havre, earning an associates degree in ag technology with a focus on agronomy. Cindy Brach, M.P.P. Research clearly shows that when patients communicate effectively with their healthcare team, clinical care and outcomes improve, AHRQ Acting Director David Meyers recently noted. Everyoneno matter how educatedappreciates and can benefit from clear communication. Yet the complexity of health information and our healthcare system challenges people from all walks of life, impeding their ability to prevent and manage disease. Improving health literacy is a goal in the United States and around the world. The World Health Organization emphasizes the crucial role of health literacy to achieve its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In the U.S., health literacy is a foundational principle and overarching goal of Healthy People 2030, which established three core objectives for improving organizational health literacy. Organizational Health Literacy is the degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others. This monthHealth Literacy Monthis an excellent time to reflect on how we can make progress on the Nations health literacy objectives to improve health and well-being over the next decade. AHRQ is encouraging healthcare organizations to adopt health literacy strategies that will move three objectives forward and has developed resources that will help them. Health Literacy Objective 1: Increase the proportion of adults whose healthcare provider checked their understanding People often leave their providers office without understanding what theyve been told or with unanswered questions. Healthcare providers can help the U.S. reach its goal for the first objective by using the teach-back or show-me methods of confirming understanding. Asking people to teach-back in their own words, or to show via a demonstration (e.g., how theyll take their medicine) is the only reliable way to ascertain that you have been communicating effectively. Healthcare delivery organizations can promote teach-back by training staff in the method and re-enforcing and evaluating its implementation. Health Literacy Objective 2: Decrease the proportion of adults who report poor communication with their healthcare provider Organizations can help the country advance this objective with both training and system changes. Teaching providers to listen, be respectful, and use easy-to-understand language is an important first step. Training alone, however, is not sufficient to institutionalize behavior change. Organizations need to supplement training with system-level supports, such as tracking training completion, providing booster training, using team members effectively, scheduling sufficient time for good communication, providing simple educational materials, and holding providers accountable for clear communication. Health Literacy Objective 3: Increase the proportion of adults whose healthcare providers involved them in decisions as much as they wanted The third health literacy objective fosters providers and patients making healthcare decisions together. Addressing health literacy is a prerequisite to achieving shared decision making since people need to be able to access, understand, and use health information before they can participate in decisions. Furthermore, while some people may prefer their providers to make medical decisions for them, people may be more likely to want to participate in decisions when they understand all the options, their benefits, harms, and risks. AHRQ Resources AHRQ has many resources to help organizations become more health literate. These include the following: The AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkitshort, action-oriented tools to ensure that systems are in place to promote better understanding by all patients. The SHARE Approach Workshop Curriculumtraining healthcare professionals on how to engage patients in their healthcare decision making. The Toolkit for Engaging Patients to Improve Diagnostic Safetyencouraging patients and families to tell their stories and providers to listen. The Question Builderlets people create a list of questions that they can take to medical appointments. This month HHS and AHRQ announced that the Question Builder App is now also available as a Spanish language App. Called a game changer by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, the App can improve healthcare decision making for Spanish-speaking patients. All organizations that produce health information or deliver healthcare services can improve communication by adopting health literacy strategies. Check out AHRQs health literacy improvement tools and training, and help the U.S. reach its Healthy People 2030 health literacy objectives. Cindy Brach is a senior healthcare researcher in AHRQs Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement. She leads the AHRQ Health Literacy Workgroup and co-chairs the HHS Health Literacy Workgroup. Get more AHRQ news, sign up for AHRQ news via email and follow AHRQ on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. Wanda Gail Swallow is sworn in as Alva City Council Ward 2 Seat representative by City Attorney Rick Cunningham. Seated behind Swallow are Councilmembers Greg Bowman (left) and Troy Brooks. To the right are Mayor Kelly Parker and City Business Manager Angelica Brady. The first order of business for the Alva City Council meeting Monday was the appointment of Wanda Gail Swallow to fill the vacant Ward 2 seat. Brandon Sherman moved outside the city limits and was no longer eligible to serve. Introducing his selection for the vacancy, Mayor Kelly Parker said Swallow would further diversify the demographics of the city council. She is a retired educator, has experience with the EMS, and is married to retired game ranger Terry Swallow. Daniel Winters made the motion to approve Swallow's appointment, seconded by Troy Brooks. The motion passed by a unanimous vote. Several students from an NWOSU journalism class attended the meeting to fulfill an assignment. The council approved the consent agenda which included minutes of the last meeting, claims of $321,602.46 and payroll expenses of $184,166.21. What Committees and Boards Discussed Members of city boards and committees provided updates from recent meetings. Winters said the Ordinance Committee is working on the beekeeping ordinance which violates the Oklahoma Apiary Act. They brought in Dr. Steve Thompson from NWOSU to discuss bees and beekeeping. Taylor Dowling reported the Public Safety Committee has been looking at school safety zones, particularly around Washington Elementary. Sadie Bier said she has witnessed several near-accidents when parents are picking up students. The committee is looking at extending the no parking area along the east side of Seventh St. from Church St. north to Barnes St. to relieve congestion. City Attorney Rick Cunningham said there is a no parking area next to stop signs, and if that were enforced it could relieve some of the problem. Greg Bowman reported the Sanitation Committee mainly discussed that all the equipment is worn out. Equipment including trash trucks needs to be leased, purchased or repaired. Reporting on the Street and Alley Committee, Mayor Parker said the one block asphalt paving project on College Ave. between Flynn and Barnes is being wrapped up. The next project will be paving Fourth St. between Flynn and Barnes, but this needs to be a concrete project. They discussed the street department doing the work themselves or contracting out the project. Staff members are to bring back more information. Bier asked about problems with street work in front of the fire department. Parker said they have discussed options including relocating trucks outdoors if weather permits. Bowman reported on the Alva Hospital Authority meeting. He said the biggest concern right now is the vaccine mandate and what that would do to staffing. It was estimated 15 to 25 percent of hospital and nursing home employees could be affected. The Water and Wastewater Committee learned that the waterline to the high school is delayed, said Randy Stelling. The contractor is still waiting for materials to complete the project. They have discussed updating the city's water and sewer maps at an estimated cost of $5,000. The committee also discussed having a study done on the longevity of the city's water wells with the costs estimated at $15,000. The city is also getting a supply of new water meters for winter months when the meters tend to fail. Discussion at the Parks and Buildings Committee meeting centered on swimming pool plans and progress, said Bier. The committee looked at two different plans from the engineer and liked parts of both. They plan to draft a memo to the engineer about this. The committee toured the city-owned Professional Building where plans are to switch to LED lighting. Brady said plans are being put together to obtain bids. Bier said they talked about some kind of signage at the front of the building as there's "no way to know who's in there" now. Dowling reported on the Library Board. They are reviewing all the policies developed over the years. The Little Explorers have increased the number of bags being sent out from 25 to 36. In January they hope to go back to in-person meetings of this pre-school group. The Airport Commission had a light agenda, Parker said. September had the highest fuel sales of the last 12 months. The airport accepted a donation of World War II jackets and an article about Pearl Harbor from the viewpoint of a man with Alva ties. The items were donated by the Smith family. The Finance Committee met just before the council meeting. Connor Martin said the city's Sept. 30 cash balance was almost $1.6 million with another $3.7 million in investments. As of Sept. 30 the city has received 23 percent of the revenue budgeted for the fiscal year and spent 21 percent of the annual budget which runs from July 1 to June 30. At $355,000 the September sales and use tax collections were down seven percent from August but up 11.5 percent from September 2020. The Finance Committee also discussed the possible impact of hiring a grant writer for the city. However, that is not an expense currently in the budget. Dowling asked if they discussed the cost. Parker said it would probably be in the $20 per hour range, and they were talking about a part-time position. Parker said if a grant writer worked on a CDBG grant which was then approved, the administrative costs would be paid by the grant. See more from the city council meeting in Sunday's Alva Review-Courier. A video of the meeting may be seen at http://www.AlvaReviewCourier.com. It was around 9.15 pm on October 13, 2021, in northeast Philadelphia. Around 11 passengers were on board a SEPTA train, most probably on their way home. Among the passengers was a woman who had accidentally boarded the wrong train. According to charging documents obtained by the Philadelphia Inquirer, a homeless man by the name of Fiston Ngoy entered the train a minute later and attempted to strike up a conversation with the woman. He subsequently moved to the seat next to her. Photo via Upper Darby Police Ngoy then spent nearly 45 minutes that included 27 stops harassing the woman, groping her, and touching her breast, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The woman struggled to restrain Ngoy. He eventually ripped her clothes off and raped her. Thankfully, an off-duty SEPTA employee who boarded the train later witnessed the violence in progress and called 911. According to the Daily Mail, Ngoy entered the US from the Congo on a student visa in 2012 but remained after his visa was terminated in 2015 and was protected from deportation by the immigration system despite multiple convictions as recent as this May. Court records show that Ngoy had multiple arrests dating back to 2015 and two misdemeanor convictions, one for controlled substances and one for sexual abuse. He pleaded guilty to the sex charge in 2017 and was sentenced to 120 days in jail, and was then placed in immigration detention in January 2018. However, Ngoy was never deported, because an immigration judge granted him a 'withholding of removal' in March 2019, after an appeals board found that his sex crime was not a serious crime that made him eligible for removal. Since then, Ngoy has been free and required only to check in periodically with Immigration and Customs Enforcement under an order of supervision. He was arrested twice more in the past year, for disorderly conduct An innocent woman was accordingly subjected to unspeakable violence, because of a failed immigration system and the irresponsibility of an immigration judge. To say this is outrageous is an understatement. This once again proves the urgent need to ensure fix the broken immigration system and to deport criminal illegal aliens immediately. However, that wasnt the only outrage on display that fateful day. What astounded many including law enforcement officials is that the passengers around allowed the assault to occur. Nobody expected passengers to physically confront and restrain the rapist. That would have been brave, but also very risky; if the man had been armed, he could have started indiscriminately shooting out of desperation, causing the loss of many lives. There are a few probable reasons why people didnt intervene the moment Ngoy began touching the women despite the protest. The perpetrator, as we know, is a Black man. Consider a scenario where some men on board the train had intervened and restrained the perpetrator the moment he started behaving inappropriately. Lets also imagine the scenarios where one among them was Caucasian. How would the mainstream media have reacted? What are the odds that the men would have been called racist with MSNBCs Joy Reid leading the charge? What are the odds that the actions of the perpetrator would have been downplayed and the protectors were called a modern-day lynch mob? What are the odds that they and their families would have been hounded till the end of time rendering them unemployable? What are the odds that activist lawyers and politicians, looking to score easy points, would have dragged them through the legal system, twisted their statements, tarnished their image forever, and destroyed all they had with mounting legal bills for defense? What are the odds that they would have been lauded and applauded for being heroes? We all know the answers to the above questions. To protect our fellow human beings should always be our first instinct. However, in the current climate, people do think twice, because the risks can be life-destroying. In fact, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that quickly calling 911 could have been regarded as a racist act. The narrative probably would have been that a person of color was merely attempting to talk to a woman, but a racist called 911, and the racist police restrained him. They once again would probably have been subjected to coordinated harassment and cancellation would probably follow. Preventing a crime is the best way to fight crime. But since the incident had never occurred, it could be spun the narrative to actually make the preventer look like the perpetrator. Another possible reason for people's reticence to call 911 is that nobody wants to get mixed up with the police unless it is absolutely necessary. However, we still havent reached the bottom of the barrel. The passengers in the train reportedly recorded videos of the unspeakable act of barbarity with their cellphones. Were they filming so they can present it as evidence for the police? A slim possibility of that being the case, but nevertheless a possibility. Considering the heinousness of the crime it is unlikely that any media outlet or agency would pay for these videos, as they usually do for rare video footage. The other most probable reason is what psychiatrists call bystander apathy. This is related to the bystander effect, a phenomenon in which people witness someone else in peril, but do nothing to intervene or offer assistance. One of the primary reasons for apathy is the lack of human contact. Apathy was already a serious problem, and Covid19 lockdowns have made matters worse. When there is no face-to-face contact for prolonged periods of time, human compassion and understanding begin to erode. In current times, face-to-face meetings have been replaced by social media where people receive gratification via likes, emoticons, or terse comments. Where users frequently join online lynch mobs and follow trends without thought, and where each tries to be more outrageous to gain attention. Perhaps the people filming the videos thought they could share it in some form on social media or on private chat groups -- i.e., it was something sensational that would keep them occupied for a few days. We thus have three serious issues. The first is the lack of enforcement of immigration laws; the fault here lies solely with the government. The second is the fear of the public to prevent a crime because they do not want to be subjected to scrutiny and be called racist. The fault here lies with the proclivity of those in the position of power to view every occurrence from the prism of race or identity. The third is general apathy such that they film the crime instead of stopping it; the fault lies with social media addiction. Tragically a young woman may have suffered certainly because of the first and probably because of the second and third. Sometimes you need to hit rock bottom before you rise and take remedial action. If there is any positive to be derived from this appalling incident? Let's hope it serves as a wake-up call. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. As more corporate enforcers do Bidens dirty work coercing employees to get COVID vaccines, Republicans need to do more than twiddle their thumbs as struggling Americans make the excruciating decision between jab or job. Fighting and winning the Vaccine Wars will take multipronged civil disobedience from all of us -- ordinary citizens, lawyers, businesses, and even our politicians. Elected Republicans think of themselves as statesmen, not activists, but that has to change. For decades, Democrats have been fighting a vicious political war while Republicans play their fathers gentlemanly game of politics. Elected Democrats see their role as warriors with a duty to effectuate social justice and equity using all levers of power under their control, and enlist union, judiciary, education, and media allies to accomplish their goals by any means necessary. This will undoubtedly make some Republicans squirm. But, following established Democrat precedent, it is perfectly legit to use our political processes to undertake certain acts of civil disobedience. In its introduction to civil disobedience the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states: On the most widely accepted account, civil disobedience is a public, non-violent and conscientious breach of law undertaken with the aim of bringing about a change in laws or government policies (Rawls 1999, 320). On this account, people who engage in civil disobedience operate at the boundary of fidelity to law, have general respect for their regime, and are willing to accept the legal consequences of their actions, as evidence of their fidelity to the rule of law. Civil disobedience, given its place at the boundary of fidelity to law, is said on this view to fall between legal protest, on the one hand, and conscientious refusal, uncivil disobedience, militant protest, organized forcible resistance, and revolutionary action, on the other hand. While conservatives and elected Republicans have barely grazed the boundaries of fidelity to law, Democrats have long been operating in the thick of it. Obama refused to enforce immigration laws and the Defense of Marriage Act; Governor Jerry Brown and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ignored the express will of the people who overwhelmingly passed Prop 8 on traditional marriage; Democrats established sanctuary cities that blatantly flout the law; Biden ignored the Supreme Courts ruling on the CDCs eviction moratorium; Obama/Biden entered into international treaties (JCPOA and Paris Accords) without 2/3 Senate approval and enacted ObamaCare where the actual content was kept secret. They twice trumped-up impeachment charges against Trump and are treating political dissent as domestic terrorism. Virtually every congressional hearing amounts to civil disobedience aimed at changing laws and government policies. What started out as persuading family over a cup of cocoa at Christmas then evolved into get in their faces, has morphed into the nightmarish persecution of anti-vax killers and the prosecution of parents and conservatives as domestic terrorists -- constitutional protections be damned. Civil disobedience can be particularly effective when it hits intended targets in the pocketbook. As parents protest CRT, LGBTQ+, and vaccine/mask mandates in their schools, they have turned the power tables in their favor by threatening to keep their children home -- which directly impacts school budgets. Many school budgets are to some extent based on per capita, per diem attendance. Unexcused absences -- other than illnesses with a doctors note -- result in lost funding. Schools frown on this. Yet, parental threats have been consequential as board members resign across the country, even in Loudoun County where the superintendent issued an apology for failing to maintain a safe environment. The recent spate of corporate mandates could be reversed quickly, if Republicans undertook some civil disobedience of their own, ala the Democrats. State legislatures, governors, and Congress should propose legislation that requires government or private employers who coerce vaccination as a condition of employment, to agree to indemnify employees, who were forced to get vaccinated to keep their jobs, for any future injury or death that can be attributed to the vaccines. If the vaccines are so safe and effective, and perhaps they are, then these companies shouldnt hesitate to put their collective money where their mouths are. But they wont do that. After weighing a $14,000 fine from Biden versus the potential for unlimited liability to injured employees, most, if not all, of Bidens corporate enforcers will back off faster than you can say hydroxychloroquine. The beauty of this is the indemnification legislation neednt end up as actually signed legislation to have its intended effect. Businesses often take preventative action today to ward off perceived and anticipated risks of tomorrow. They must feel pressured to respond to our threats, rather than Bidens. To accomplish that, Republicans have to PR the living daylights out of the proposed bill, explaining that they are standing up for the little guy being squashed by evil corporations in bed with the Democrats. This is how we nudge corporate enforcers back to sanity. Nudging is a real public policy term that involves using behavioral, economic, and psychological insights to influence the behavior of policy targets in order to help achieve policy goals. Dems use it relentlessly; Republicans dont even know it exists. None of this is to suggest we abandon other acts of civil disobedience. We continue the lawsuits, protests, and state bans on mandates but the latter is bound to set in motion a battle-of-the-mandates-federalism-debate that will work its way through the federal courts until a split in the circuits lands it before the Supreme Court. It is not the short-term fix needed for the millions who will either lose their livelihoods or be forcibly conscripted to vaccinate. If we mandate anything, it should be required immunity testing before anyone is vaxxed. Dr. Hooman Noorchashm advocates for #Screenb4Vaccine, concerned that a one-size-fits-all approach overlooks dangerous pitfalls for millions who might be immune from a previous COVID infection. Vaccinating the immune can cause deadly inflammation that affects the heart and causes blood clots, among other risks. Noorchashm is a highly respected physician who fully supports the vaccine and saved millions of womens lives by proving that the morcellator used to destroy fibroids actually spreads cancer. Immunity testing would save lives and address many concerns the vaccine-hesitant have about the vaccines deadly and adverse effects. If we use indemnification legislation to nudge corporate enforcers back to their default position and pass legislation requiring immunity testing, we can return health autonomy and power back to the people. In the meantime, find people at work who agree with you, even if they are vaccinated and recognize that you have more power in your ruby reds than you thought: this labor shortage means employees, to a certain extent, have employers by the proverbial Christmas ornaments. Few can afford to lose trained and skilled workers. Use that to your advantage. It is all permissible civil disobedience. If you are interested in joining thousands of patriots pressuring Republican governors and congressmen to push for indemnification and immunity testing legislation, join my email list 75M & Rising. Its free, takes only minutes of your time, and is so easy, even a Neanderthal can do it. Image: Raimond Spekking To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. There is much about the Biden administration that brings to mind both the excesses of and the surreal agenda to turn America into a Marxist/communist nation. Earlier this week, David Ennocenti wrote here about how Fauci is reminiscent of the main character in an episode of The Twilight Zone On Thursday We Leave For Home. There is another episode that is apt: To Serve Man from 1962. It was based on a short story by Damon Knight, 1950. That is the episode in which aliens arrive on earth and claim they are peaceful and only want to help humanity, solve their pressing problems and advance their technology. Facing Initial suspicions, the alien leader Kanamit gradually wins over the population because they do put an end to hunger, energy shortages, and the arms race. Soon people begin traveling to the Kanamits home planet, which they describe as a paradise. All the while a cryptographer is trying to translate their text, To Serve Man. She eventually decodes the book and learns it is a cookbook! The humans rushing to board their spaceships are being harvested as food! Here is a quote from the episode: The fantastic ease with which human beings make adjustments. One day they watch with bated breath while a single individual orbits the earth in a rinky-dink little cubicle and they think this is the most historic moment thats ever happened in the history of mankind. And then one year later, they stand in line waiting to take off in a space ship to go a hundred billions miles off into space and they act and react as if this were a weekend picnic in the country. Oh, the strange and complex sanity of man. Nothing fazes him. The Biden administration could be portrayed by a sci-fi screenwriter as operating on the Katamit plan. Subdue our population with a pandemic created by a bioweapon, lock them in their homes, inject them with a wholly experimental vaccine with secret ingredients that put their immune systems to sleep. Close their businesses, open the border to nearly two million migrants, and do not vaccinate them; they will be a complaint replacement population in case the vaccines slowly cause early death to the vaxxed. Ban all the known therapeutics that might have saved hundreds of thousands of people, ivermectin, and hydroxychloroquine, as they are inexpensive and off-patent. Allow the vaccine manufacturers to become fabulously wealthy to the point that they effectively control the nations government. They skipped the clinical trials that by law precede approval of most vaccines. Like Chinas CCP, big pharma doles out money by the many millions to influencers that can bring our legislators to heel. Like the humans of To Serve Man, they fall in line without batting an eye. They are unfazed by the horror going on around them. Drunk on power, mayors, governors, congressmen, and the president enjoy their power over the people and of course believe that they will escape any negative consequences of the plan because they are special. They are elites, entitled to rule over the unwashed masses. If covid was a real pandemic, the Biden administration would not be mandating that any and all health care workers, even doctors, first responders, firefighters, and members of the military submit to the jab or lose their jobs when they are most needed. As Josiah Lippincott of the Federalist writes, this is an ethical abomination. If the health of citizens were the issue, none of this would be happening. Our self-appointed tyrants like Fauci would not be mandating vaccines even for those who have recovered and have 27x the antibodies. This makes no sense; no sense at all. Fauci is lying when he says the vaccines are necessary even for the recovered. So why force recovered people to be vaxxed but excuse all illegal migrants from the mandate? The Democrats voted down a bill that would have required border crossers to be vaccinated. What is in these vaccines that makes the ruling elite so aggressively determined to get them into every human not of their class? Its almost as if the Biden administration is like the Kanamits. There is a plan they are implementing and it has nothing to do with the health of the American people. Quite the opposite; there have been hundreds of thousands of deaths and injuries caused by the vaccines, more than all previous vaccines throughout history combined. The CDC and OSHA no longer report them because they would of course strengthen the resolve of the vaccine resistant. Deaths overall are up, especially in the under-50 age group, both here and in Europe, most of them cardio or clot-related causes. A woman in France has developed prion disease after her second Pfizer jab. And now they want to vaccinate every child, ages five and up! Why? Kids are not at risk. They rarely get covid and if they do, they recover easily. They do not transmit covid and yet they must wear masks and submit to the jab to go to school. Big pharmas lust for profit is likely the reason for their enthusiasm for vaxxing children. Why arent pediatricians all over the world screaming STOP? Some are of course, but their concern is suppressed. The damage done to kids this past year and a half is incalculable. Education via Zoom is no education at all. Masked faces are an enormous hindrance to social interaction. Unlike the Twilight Zones Katamits, Bidens participation in the Great Reset looks real. He ceased the building of the border wall on day one of his presidency. He stopped the Keystone pipeline and ended oil drilling on all federal lands. He purposefully upended the energy independence Trump had achieved. Gasoline in California is now around $5 a gallon. Who does this hurt? The working poor among us. And with each passing day, it becomes clearer that Biden will not do anything to protect American interests, in Afghanistan for example, if it might anger China. He is without a doubt the worst president in US history. He has, from day one, capitulated to all of Americas enemies, angered our allies, and put the US, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan in grave danger. The ever-so-complicit Fauci who had a hand in developing covid in Wuhan is as pro-China as Biden. In the meantime, breakthrough infections are killing people as surely as if they were sustenance for the ruling class. Lives are most likely being cut short, vaccinated teens are being diagnosed with myocarditis. Moderna has delayed vaxxing teens because of myocarditis. The entire population of vaccinated people is vulnerable to blood clotting (VITT). Despite the volumes of information available about the dangers of the vaccines, such information is avoided or suppressed by the mainstream media. One has to go searching for it. So as the jabs keep injuring and killing, they have proven not to protect from Covid and yet the administration and its handmaidens in the media pretend this isnt so and keep demanding every single person be vaxxed. Those that submit do not realize they are just pawns in a very nasty global reset plan to what? Depopulation? Shorten lifespans? Cause infertility? Massively increasing the wealth of the already wealthy? All of the above? Whatever the plan, those who comply are indeed serving the man. The final line of the Twilight zone episode is this: How about you? You still on earth, or on the ship, with me? Well, it doesnt make very much difference because sooner or later well all of us be on the menu. Like those protesting these mandates all over the world, lets not be on Bidens menu. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Not all people exist in the same now. Ernst Bloch, German Marxist, 1932. Twenty-five percent of the American people exist in one now and see snow as black; another sixty percent live in an opposite now and see snow as white; and fifteen percent are effectively brain dead, but breathing, and may or may not recognize snow at all. Children are excepted. This phenomenon is not cultural intersecting circles with some unifiers mutually sharedthis is parallel trenches with a large no-trespass zone in between and white cease-fire flags available for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and birthdays lest the discussion veer to the color of snow. Quasi-wars smolder under the surface at these family gatherings as alternate trench-dwellers select news channels that reinforce their political positions. How did we get to this state of affairs in America? Part of the explanation might be the following: First, the philosophical premise of the American system is that there are universals, or objective truths, that exist in the world relative to humanity. The Founders felt that human beings are basically depraved, so government itself, even by the consent of the governed, is a necessity. Thomas Paine, in his pamphlet Common Sense, wrote in 1775: Here then is the origin and rise of government; namely, a mode rendered necessary by the inability of moral virtue to govern the world. There are other objective truths or realities that human beings can know through their senses or through their experiences. Snow is generally white. 2+2 = 4. Human beings cannot be perfected. John Locke felt that the primary purpose of education, for instance, is to teach children general, objective knowledge. Our whole constitutional system is undergirded by the notion of these and other objective truths. They provide social stability and intergenerational connectivity. The opposite of this view is relativism or the doctrine that no absolutes exist. In the view of relativists, there are no objective truths and there is no objective knowledge. The Vienna Circle of Logical Positivists of the 1920s held that anything that cannot be scientifically proved does not exist. God, therefore, does not exist. The soul does not exist. Jean-Paul Sartre, a French philosopher, held that, because God is dead, human beings cannot discover His values for living. Human beings, therefore, can invent their own values. Joseph Fletcher, in his 1966 work Situational Ethics, finds the very definition of what is ethical to be an end result. The means to that end may be anything. So, if it is the purpose of those in power is to persuade the public that snow is black, then achieving that goal in twenty-five percent of the population is ethical. What this explains in the trench warfare now going on in America is that one group accepts the objective and the other the relative. Ideas and theories are relative. Ideas and theories come and go. Universals do not. Critical race theory is a theoryit is not a truth. Ideas like this should be discussed by advanced critical thinkers, not children who are biologically incapable of sorting through the garbage can of someones questionable idea. Most adults are not even capable of critical thinking. When introduced to children at too young an age, relativism warps a growing mind. Second, Sigmund Freuds theories of the subconscious formed the basis for the development of professional propaganda techniques. In business circles, this field is called Public Relations. In government, this field is called Spin. One of the first Presidents to perfect it was Theodore Roosevelt. A wealthy Easterner, he created an image of himself as a manly man by dressing like Buffalo Bill, having his picture taken in a New York studio, and then disseminating it around the nation as proof he was a real hunter. Woodrow Wilson used propaganda to convince reluctant Americans to support our entrance into WWI. The acknowledged founder of advanced propaganda techniques is Sigmund Freuds nephew, Edward Bernays. Using his uncles notions of the repressed subconscious, Bernays worked on ways to manipulate the masses. This manipulation, in his thinking, is the true ruling power of a societyan invisible government. Once it became clear that the subconscious could be controlled, corporations, as well as governments, have made a science of it. China has perfected Bernayss work and uses it to influence American policy. Facebook and the other social media manipulators of the subconscious and needy-self use it to control thought and self-worth. How do we recover our sanity and our stability as a society in the face of these two powerful forces? 1. Recognize untruths as part of a system of subconscious manipulation. The border is closed is untrue. We will leave no Americans behind (in Afghanistan) is untrue. The idea is that if enough untruths are told, the human subconscious creates a space for them to be true to remain sane. 2. Promote public education for objective knowledge only and set a high bar for academic achievement. A high bar stretches childrens growing and curious minds and helps develop critical thinking skills. 3. Understand that, regardless of individual beliefs, our American system is founded on the notion that individual rights come from a Creator and that citizens have a duty to that Creator as well as a duty to each other. These universals are what make America exceptional. Once a person comes to the realization that he or she has been subconsciously manipulated, the trenches can be abandoned, the no-trespass zone can be crossed, real discussions can be held, and protections against subconscious manipulation can be put in place. Snow will once again be seen as generally white, and God and virtue as essential to a well-ordered American society. M. E. Boyds Apples of Gold Voices From the Past that Speak to Us Now is available at www.amazon.com using the title and subtitle. Image: Sigmund Freud by Max Halberstadt (public domain) and Jean-Paul Sartre by Moshe Milner (CC BY 3.0). To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Colin Powell was tall. At 6'2", he topped President Reagan by an inch. Back in the latter half of the 1980s, he was about 50 years old and quite handsome, and, in my few brief encounters with him, I met a very intelligent, driven, nice, decent fellow. I occasionally helped out, in a very minor way, during the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty negotiations. During the run-up to the agreement's signing, a number of us women seethed when Don Regan said women were not going to understand throw-weights. It was a blow to my conservative heart that President Reagan put his trust in such a one. Nothing, however, could have persuaded me that this general I so admired would one day abandon conservative principles to vote for and endorse a leftist community organizer. Nevertheless, though I understand why he did not run for president after his stint as secretary of state, I still wish he had done so. It was a cold day in December 1987 when a few of us walked together over to the White House. I'd been to an outdoor head of state reception before. Normally, we shouted, cheered, and waved small flags of our ally's nation. This time was different. Mikhail Gorbachev, the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, was here. Our little group held American flags; very few in the crowd accepted a USSR flag. None was waved. We were silent. Almost no clapping and no cheering at all were heard during the entire ceremony. We grimly watched the leader of our adversary nation, the nation that lengthened the treaty negotiations almost interminably with one obstruction after another, step onto the South Lawn. Secretary Gorbachev had begun to try to bring glasnost (transparency and openness) and perestroika (economic and political restructuring and strengthening) to bear on the regime he had inherited. I was skeptical that he would succeed, for he was the first leader of the USSR who was born into communism. How could he even envision a different sort of nation? The Cabinet was lined up. The military branches were well represented, with their flags curling in the light breeze. Horns blared, Secret Service members scanned the crowd, pipers paraded, national anthems were played, speeches made and translated. At one point, introductions were made to Cabinet members. The president introduced the secretary along the line. Everyone smiled, nodded, and shook hands. Mikhail Gorbachev was 5'9" but seemed, well, not quite that tall. Colin Powell had become national security adviser just a couple of weeks previously. When Reagan and Gorbachev reached General Powell, there was a moment, a beat but not quite a pause, when Secretary Gorbachev looked up. And my imagination ran away with me. I could almost hear him thinking, "This big black man is in charge of the national security of the United States of America." Six months earlier, less a couple of days, President Reagan, at the Brandenburg Gate, had called on Secretary Gorbachev to "tear down this wall." The treaty was signed. We had a day and an evening of parties to celebrate. Then we went back to work. Four years, two weeks, and a couple of days later, the world received a glorious Christmas present: the Soviet Union was no more. Anony Mee is a retired public servant. Image: The ceremony on the South Lawn. Screen grab from the Reagan Library video of the occasion. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. The Associated Press has made a whopper of a mistake. In a tweet accompanied by a photo showing a man with his mouth open, the AP declared in a caption that the man, a Hollywood comedian named Vito Gesualdi, was hurling obscenities in his support for comedian Dave Chappelle, who had been the target of protests for his politically incorrect statements that have infuriated transgender activists and drawn protests outside Netflix headquarters. In reality, he wasn't. They just wanted to portray him as a pig, given that their bias was on the other side. According to Hot Air's John Sexton, who has an excellent writeup of the matter, complete with many tweet-photos verifying the phoniness of the AP caption: Yesterdays Netflix walkout was overshadowed a bit by a counter-protester who showed up with a sign that read Jokes are funny. That counter-protester is a comedian named Vito Gesualdi who makes videos and has a podcast. While he was there supporting Dave Chappelles right to make jokes, Vito was photographed by an Associated Press photographer named Damian Dovarganes. The shot Dovarganes got of him is really pretty great, but the caption that went along with it is another matter. It read, Comedian and videographer Vito Gesualdi screams profanities as he engages with peaceful protesters begging him to leave Vito took issue with that description last night. Here's the doozy of a false tweet from AP: "Comedian and videographer Vito Gesualdi screams profanities as he engages with peaceful protesters begging him to leave." Screams profanities? Dude, I just yelled "I love Dave Chappelle!" The media sucks! pic.twitter.com/74nkAFMFZp YOUTUBE.COM / VITO (@VitoGesualdi) October 21, 2021 Hot Air cited some Internet sleuths who proved close enough for jury work that the obscenities from Gesualdi never happened. Not once. One of the anti-Chapelle protestors, screaming in Gesualdi's face, was hurling obscenities, but it was not Gesualdi. All of the evidence presented shows that Gesualdi was actually saying nice things and professing his love for comedy and support for Chapelle. Gesualdi also denounced violence even as those on his side of the protest were subject to bona fide violence from their anti-Chapelle opponents. One man had his head bashed into a cement barrier in front of the Netflix building and had to be taken to the hospital for treatment. Obscenities? Not a scintilla of evidence that obscenities were emitted from Gesualdi. The other guy was doing the obscenities, which drew obvious comparisons to the slimeball media scrum that falsely painted schoolboy Nick Sandmann as a bully against a Native American drummer a few years ago, and who in reality was being bullied and intimidated by the far-left activist drummer as well as a mass of obscenity screamers in the background. A pretty penny was paid by CNN and other outlets to the kids in the libel case that followed. Apparently, word got back to AP management about this potentially libelous claim against Gesualdi and his complaints on Twitter about it -- which were likely actionable based on AP's reckless disregard for the facts and maybe false light reporting. Since I know how newsrooms work, it's likely that AP's libel lawyers got involved, and told management to get rid of the tweet. Then the AP put out a retraction of sorts. It stunk worse than even the original mendacious tweet: Read how ridiculous this Associated Press retraction is pic.twitter.com/GMs0azZy5e YOUTUBE.COM / VITO (@VitoGesualdi) October 21, 2021 Look at the nasty particulars of it: CORRECTS CAPTION TO REMOVE REFERENCE TO GESUALDI USING PROFANITIES, WHICH HE DID NOT DO AT THE MOMENT THE IMAGE WAS MADE. The obvious inference from that is that he was using profanities at some other point in the protest, which they haven't presented a scintilla of evidence for, and which goes against what Gesualdi himself has stated. Seriously, with all the niceness Gesualdi did put out in his statements to the protestors, it would be an odd thing if he was spewing profanities either earlier or later, his tone at the moment the camera was on him was equinaminous and conveyed a nice guy's rhetoric, and in any case, the AP presented no evidence for its implication. Why the heck couldn't they say the caption was absolutely wrong, apologize to Gesualdi and, maybe, if they wanted to save face, state that maybe the photographer or the caption writer mixed Gesualdi up with other people who were hurling obscenities? Or better still, admitted what we really think is going on: That they take sides, they were on the anti-Chapelle side of things where all the foul language was used, and they wanted to discredit the Chapelle supporter as an obscenity-hurling pig? It gets worse: ALSO REMOVES REFERENCE TO PROTESTORS BEING PEACEFUL BECAUSE ONE PROTESTOR DESTROYED HIS SIGN. Talk about fake news. These protestors were about as violent as such creatures come, shoving a man's head into a concrete barrier, and leaving him with head injuries sufficient to force him to seek medical treatment at a hospital. The claim about "one protestor" is disgusting given that there were a lot of these violent thugs on the anti-Chappelle side of things, and more than just Gesualdi's sign was destroyed. The "BECAUSE ONE PROTESTOR DESTROYED HIS SIGN," listed as the full reason for removing the reference to peaceful protestors is pretty insulting. The issue is significant because AP has the world's largest news audience. On its website, as I wrote here, it brags that it reaches more than a billion people around the world in its coverage, so yes, there was a hell of a lot of reputational damage to Gesualdi based on the false reportage, likely intentional false reportage done with actual malice. What's more, other news media are involved in false captions of their own, such as this one from Variety which was also yanked. Gesualdi's got a doozy of a case against these people if he wants to bring it, and AP's disgusting correction simply invites it. Smart people in the press know that when you really screw up, when you cross the barrier into indefensible, you apologize. You don't try to justify it, you get the unconditional apology out as fast as you can. You admit the error unconditionally. You do what you can to make things right with the wronged person. You pull no punches because the fact is, your operation is on the line and little guys have protections, and sometimes even big guys do. This sorry-not-sorry from the AP with its new simpering inferences against Gesualdi suggests that the AP management are morons. Gesualdi has an even bigger case for a libel suit now that the AP has put out its correction with new false inferences. AP, which is run as a not-for-profit cooperative has an annual net profit of only about $1 million, which means that Gesualdi can walk off with quite a bit of it. The AP might have libel insurance, but if a jury rules against them over this false caption and bad correction, their rates will go up. Seems they don't even have a sense of self-preservation over there at AP. Gesualdi has grounds now to take them to the cleaners for this incredible bias and irresponsibility. UPDATE from Andrea Widburg: The protesters did something even worse than direct violence. After they destroyed Gesualdi's sign, leaving him with just the stick to which the sign had been attached, they started screaming loudly, for the benefit of nearby police, that Gesualdi had a weapon. Perhaps they were hoping to force the police to arrest Gesualdi, but they could just as easily have gotten him shot -- and you can be pretty certain that they wouldn't have cared because he, as a "transphobe," had it coming.. Image: Twitter screen shot To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. On Tuesday, the news item that caused the corporate media to swoon was that President Biden's choice for assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Richard "Rachel" Levine, was sworn in as the first "openly transgender four-star admiral." Others insist the new admiral is a "female." Regardless of the qualifications for the job, which is largely a ceremonial position, we're told that this is HISTORIC! because Mr. Levine is a pretend woman. I say "Mr. Levine" not because I'm mean or obstinate, but because that's still a biological fact. Levine was born a man; decided that he wanted to become a woman; and, in 2011, says he "transitioned" to a different gender, defying many of the known laws of human biological science. When I read the news, I thought it must be some sort of a joke. The obviously male Levine looked like a man pretending to be a woman, complete with long hair and lipstick. RuPaul, in his full drag attire, looks more convincing as a woman. Then I remembered who our president is and that the goals of his party are never about logic, qualifications, or science. It's about promoting the perverse, delusional, and foolish. In that case, they're winning. Notice how Levine is being referred to as the first "openly transgender four-star admiral" as if hordes of male military officers were secretly wearing dresses and lipstick as they trembled in closets until this glorious moment when they could cross-dress and publicly pretend they're something that neither God nor nature created. Yes, making Levine a four-star admiral will change history, but for the wrong reasons when future generations read of our descent into madness and intellectual bankruptcy. Witness what Wikipedia, the online repository of liberal double-talk and semi-accurate bilge, had to say about him; "Levine has two children. She transitioned in 2011. Levine and her ex-wife, Martha Peaslee Levine, married in 1988, during Levine's last year of medical school, and divorced in 2013." "Transitioned?" "Levine and her ex-wife?" Levine was still identifying as a man at the time he was married, so wouldn't it be "his" ex-wife, or are we to pretend that when he miraculously became a woman, all instances of his actual sex were erased? It's enough to make one's head spin with the Mobius Loop logic that the lying and corrupt news media are forcing us to swallow. If we don't play along, we'll be called bigots or transphobic because following biological science is now considered a crime against humanity. In New York City, it's against the law to "misgender" someone (calling him a her, or vice versa) intentionally, and this dastardly crime is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000. I think any right-thinking lawyer with even a passing understanding of the U.S. Constitution could successfully defeat that charge if our First Amendment is still observed. More to the point, it's still medically and biologically correct to refer to transgenders by their birth genders because that doesn't change, no matter how much wishful thinking is employed. Nevertheless, we're told that Bruce Jenner became Caitlyn and that Richard Levine became Rachel. If we point out the absurdity of either of those assertions and flat-out falsehoods, it's a fine, public shaming, and probably a trip to a re-education camp in the near future. The reality is that people believing they are transgender are profoundly mentally ill (and yes, transgenderism still qualifies as a verifiable mental illness despite the changing definitions rammed through by the American Psychiatric Association), and we're being forced to look past the obvious and play along because, otherwise, we'd hurt someone's delicate feelings. It's pretend theater for the masses. Even though I won't travel to NYC anytime soon, I'm sure that given the current rate of craziness, I'll be arrested someday for misgendering someone. For now, I'll continue to call "Rachel" Richard Levine because I'm sane and I understand that biology doesn't change just because someone wishes it to do so. Mr. Levine does not deserve a promotion to oversee any governmental agency that ostensibly promotes good mental health. He's not a woman, and I believe he needs competent psychotherapy to rid him of the nonsense that he became a woman. Image via Public Domain Pictures. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. I have seen a report of Rep. Jim Banks's reaction that the move against Steve Bannon is aimed at a Democrat "bogeyman." Still, can Mr. Banks, who led the Republican opposition to the Bannon contempt citation, furnish the American people with any statement by a House Republican calling attention to the inquisitorial nature of the subpoena itself? To my eye, the subpoena allows no recognition of the right to free speech, nor does it recognize the right of GOP legislators to meet in private. See, for example, the demand for documents dealing with "[a]ll public relations, advertising, or other communication efforts to persuade Americans that the election was stolen." I thought the Supreme Court, in New York Times v. Sullivan at page 25 of this online edition of the opinion, recognized our "profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues shall be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open, and that it may well include vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials." If the Bannon subpoena is upheld, the court so ruling will effectively declare that New York Times v. Sullivan is a dead letter, and debate on public issues must be held within the parameters established by the majority in the House of Representatives. So much for the First Amendment that, at present, states that Congress shall make no law abridging, among other things, free speech. As I am presently unaware of the comments made by Republican House members on the Bannon subpoena debate, I do not know if any member of the Republican caucus cited that aspect of the subpoena, demanding documents relating to Bannon's "presence, purpose, statements, and activities at a meeting with Members of Congress at the Willard Hotel on January 5, 2021, or the presences, purpose, statements or activities of others in attendance related to that meeting." If this demand were upheld by a court, what gathering of House Republicans could not be subject to leftist snooping? Indeed, it seems that Pelosi could demand that Democrat monitors be present at all gatherings of two or more Republican congressmen. Would Rep. Banks please explain to me how legislative democracy could survive court approval of the tyrannical subpoena that Cheney and Kinzinger voted for, along with A. Gonzalez, F. Upton, J.H. Beutler, P. Meijer, and J. Katko, all of whom voted to impeach a former president over an event politicized for tyrannical purposes by Speaker Pelosi? Two other GOPers stupidly voted for the Bannon subpoena: N. Mace of South Carolina and B. Fitzgerald of Pennsylvania. They did not vote for impeachment. Two GOPers who voted for impeachment D. Newhouse of Washington and T. Rice of South Carolina did not vote for the subpoena. Mr. Meijer reportedly asserted that a vote to hold Mr. Bannon in contempt was necessary to protect the authority of congressional subpoenas. What here he would protect, to my mind, is the sanctity of totalitarian government. Perhaps you can assure me that the 209 Republicans who voted against holding Mr. Bannon in contempt reject the subpoena because it is the instrument of a partisan vendetta intended, in my view, to turn the Republican Party into a stooge of the Democrat Party as Cheney and Kinzinger have done all by themselves and, seemingly, without repudiation by the House Republican leadership. Still, the Republicans of the House and Senate should, days ago, have risen in solidarity against this attack on the spirit of American liberty and declared: this subpoena is contrary to everything Americans hold dear and, quite simply, must be quashed by the legal process ASAP. Image: FRONTLINE PBS via YouTube (cropped). To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Residents of Melbourne, Australia just gained a little bit of freedom back after enduring the longest Covid lockdown of any city in the world: 262 days, edging out London and Buenos Aires for the dubious title. According to Anthony Piovesan and Matt Young of the Murdoch empires news.com.au: Melbourne has erupted with cheers as the worlds longest lockdown was officially lifted overnight. Victorias sixth coronavirus lockdown was finally lifted at 11.59pm on Thursday after 262 days of harsh Covid-19 measures since the pandemic hit. The CBD erupted and cheers and applause could be heard echoing through the city as the clock struck midnight, with residents clapping from balconies and shouting freedom. They can hear yelling from surrounding balconies like it was New Years, ABC reporter Amy Gray noted. Under the yoke of Premier Daniel Andrews of the State of Victoria, a Labor Party progressive, Melburnians have suffered absurd limitations on their personal freedoms. When large-scale demonstrations against the lockdowns emerged, they were brutally repressed by the police. In Australia, police forces are run by each of the states, and under Andrews, police fired rubber bullets into crowds and assaulted individual protesters. Andrews saw the neighboring rival state of New South Wales and its capital city Sydney celebrate freedom day on October 10th, when a new premier took office there. (Former premier Gladys Berejiklian resigned after it became known that she was under investigation for corruption, and was replaced by Dominic Perrottet, both of them of the Liberal Party, which is the largest conservative party in Australia.) As our Aussie reader John McMahon emailed: The current vaccination and the current number of cases rates previously unacceptable all of a sudden became acceptable when NSW opened up. But for all the cheers for the liberation that Andrews announced solely on his own authority, they still have many restrictions. The Guardian calls the moves so enthusiastically celebrated, the first cautious steps to reopening. Here are the freedoms that now can be enjoyed in Victoria: People will be allowed to have ten visitors to their home each day, including their dependents. Previously people were not allowed to have anyone over. Gatherings outside will change from five fully-vaccinated people to 15. The 10km travel limit in metropolitan Melbourne will be scrapped, but travel to regional areas is still barred. The 9pm to 5am curfew or limit on reasons to leave the home will also be scrapped. General retail will be open for outdoor service, as well as click and collect. Retail was only previously open for click and collect during lockdown. Hairdressers after being forced to shut when the latest lockdown was enforced will now be able to open for five fully vaccinated people. Victorian venues will be open for indoor food and drink service but only for a maxim of 20 vaccinated people. (snip) Venues will start opening for indoor food and drink service but only for a maxim of 20 vaccinated people. Venues were previously only allowed to do takeaway services. Outdoor community sport will be allowed again for training only. Weddings will be allowed for up to 20 fully vaccinated people or 10 unvaccinated people indoors. Fifty fully vaccinated or 20 unvaccinated people can attend outdoor weddings subject to density limits. People will be allowed to have ten visitors to their home each day, including their dependents. Previously people were not allowed to have anyone over. Gatherings outside will change from five fully-vaccinated people to 15. [emphases added] Commentator Bill Muhlenberg is acerbic about the limited nature of the opening up: Melbourne, relaxed a few restrictions somewhat. It would be ludicrous to compare this with what happened in NSW a few weeks ago. There they really could celebrate Freedom Day under the very strong leadership of Dominic Perrottet. But no such luck here. (snip) The truth is, we are STILL in our sixth lockdown! Yes, we have had a minor reprieve, but madness still prevails. We still have these ludicrous restrictions: a 25km travel limit; retail is still closed; schools are still mostly closed; and so on. Um, that is NOT freedom by any stretch of the imagination. The very fact that Chairman Andrews has made any moves away from lockdown lunacy here is really due to Perrottet: he has shamed Andrews into action. Sydney and NSW are leading the nation in how to proceed, leaving states like Victoria in the dust. So Andrews has been forced to act at least a little bit in order not to look like the buffoon that he has been. It is important to note that not all of Australias states have gone to extremes in responding to Covid, as many American commentators have assumed. Australias version of federalism is in some ways more robust than Americas. Melbourne has been devastated by the Andrews lockdowns This four-minute video shows the deserted streets, vacant storefronts, and propaganda signs instilling fear in the populace of a city of five million that for seven years in a row had been voted the worlds most livable city. I had the good fortune during my consulting career to have a client in Melbourne, and it became one of my favorite cities in the world. It lacks the spectacular scenery of its rival Sydney, but it has immense charm. A glittering central business district, a huge and vibrant arts community, and wonderful neighborhoods, full of terrific family restaurants of all ethnic persuasions and pubs where locals welcomed Yanks and bought more than a few beers for their visitors. Maybe it is the second city" complex that makes people try harder. Whatever the reason for its charm, Melbourne has been through an entirely unnecessary hell created by a power-mad politician using fear to subdue his constituents into subjects. Photo credit: YouTube screengrab Major hat tip: John McMahon To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. There is a curious grave at Evergreen Cemetery in the West River neighborhood of New Haven, Vermont, the United States. Its a small grassy mound with a large slab of concrete placed at the top. This concrete block has a small fourteen inch square glass window facing towards the sky. The glass window is hazy and has beads of water hanging on the underside from condensation, and you cant see much inside. But back in 1893, you could have peered inside and straight into the decomposing face of Timothy Clark Smith. The grave of Timothy Clark Smith. Photo credit: Geoff Howard/Panoramio Timothy Clark Smith while his heart was still beating was a doctor, a diplomat and a world traveller. Having received his medical degree from the City University of New York in 1855, he joined as a staff surgeon for the Russian Army where he remained until 1857. From 1861 to 1875 Smith was US Consul in Odessa, Russia, and then in Galatz, Romania from 1878 to 1883. Before he became a physician, he worked as a teacher and clerk in the US Treasury Department. All throughout his life, Timothy Clark Smith suffered from an incurable fear of being buried alive. Known as taphophobia, from the Greek word taphos, which means "grave, the fear of being erroneously declared dead and placed in a grave while actually alive, is not very common today. But in those days, before the advent of modern medicine, the fear was not entirely irrational. Throughout history, there have been numerous storiesurban legend or otherwise of people being accidentally buried alive. There are gruesome tales about victims falling into the state of sopor or coma, and then waking up, days, months or even years later, to find themselves entombed. The Scottish philosopher John Duns Scotus (1266-1308) was reported to have been buried alive after one of his occasional fits of coma was mistaken to be the loss of life. After his tomb was reopened, years later, his body was found outside his coffin. His hands were torn and bloody from the attempted escape. On February 21, 1885, The New York Times gave a disturbing account of a man identified as Jenkins, whose body was found turned over onto its front inside the coffin, with much of his hair pulled out. There were also scratch marks visible on all sides of the coffin's interior. Another story reported in The Times on January 18, 1886, tells about a Canadian girl named "Collins", whose body was described as being found with the knees tucked up under the body, and her burial shroud "torn into shreds". The Premature Burial (1854), a painting by Belgium artist Antoine Wiertz that depicts a cholera victim awakening after being placed in a coffin. Aside from these occasionally frightening news, many writers spun out horrifying stories about premature burials to overwhelm their readers. Edgar Allan Poe was especially guilty of this. His stories, The Premature Burial, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado", Berenice, and to a lesser extent, The Black Cat, were all based on this natural fear of being buried alive. Some of the worst afflicted of this phobia began to use what is known as a safety coffin. A safety coffin is fitted with some type of device that allows the interred person to communicate with the outside world should that person be revived after burial. Many different designs were invented and patented during the 18th and 19th centuries. Most designs included a rope that the undead could pull from inside the coffin and ring a bell or fire a cracker or raise a flag placed outside. Others had ladders, escape hatches, and even a supply of food and water. Ironically, many designs forgot to include the most essential element a breathing tube to provide air. As the website of the Australian Museum in Sydney notes, most models had sufficient design flaws to suggest that they would have been unlikely to have worked properly if they had actually been used. Although many people wished to be buried in a safety coffin, or had requested their relatives to check on their bodies for several days after they were dead, or delay the burial should the dead wake up again (George Washington made his attendants promise not to bury him for two days), there are very few recorded examples of people actually using a safety coffin, and none of anybody being saved by it. Photograph of a burial vault built circa 1890 to protect against premature burial. When Robert Robinson, an English Dissenting Minister, died in Manchester in 1791, a movable glass pane was inserted in his coffin, and the mausoleum had a door through which a watchman could go and inspect the body to make sure he was still dead. Timothy Clark Smiths coffin in Evergreen Cemetery was of a similar design. When he died on Halloween of 1893, he was interred in his specially prepared grave that consists of a fixed glass windowas opposed to the movable type in Robinsons that looks straight down a six-foot deep cement shaft at the other end of which lies Timothys face. In addition, he was buried with a bell in his hand so that he could signal for help. According to cemetery records, there is a second room within the burial crypt which houses Timothys wife. A set of stairs lead into the crypt, capped by the stone in the lower front of the mound. Timothy Clark Smiths grave is a rare example of a phenomenon that has not quiet died out yet. The most recent patent for a safety coffin was filed in 1995. This modern safety coffin included an emergency alarm, intercom system, a flashlight, breathing apparatus, and both a heart monitor and stimulator. A design for a safety coffin. Photo credit: Road Trippers The window on Timothy Clark Smiths grave. Photo credit: vermonter.com Timothy Clark Smiths grave mound. Photo credit: vermonter.com Sources: Road Trippers / www.findagrave.com / Wikipedia / Wikipedia / Wikipedia / Australian Museum Pets hold a special place in our hearts. For a flat rate of $50 along with a photo, celebrate their life and a special message through placing a Pet Obituary today. Pet Obits are published once a week in the Anchorage Press and on AnchoragePress.com. Our customer service team will contact you directly if there are any questions during our regular business hours. Thank you and please accept our deepest sympathies for your loss. Click here to submit Thousands of protected birds and 12 macaques rescued from Indonesian poachers in undercover operations 22 October 2021 FLIGHT, our partners in Indonesia, have been very busy recently. In just three weeks, the team rescued around 6,000 exotic birds and 12 macaques from illegal traffickers in three separate undercover operations, working tirelessly and sometimes in dangerous situations to stop the traders in their tracks. 12 macaques saved from a desperate future 15 September: FLIGHT investigators in Riau uncovered plans by an illegal trafficking ring to smuggle 11 long-tailed macaques and one southern pig-tailed macaque from Riau in Central Sumatra to Jakarta, an almost 24-hour journey. The monkeys had been stolen from the wild and were headed for the wildlife markets of Jakarta. Here they would have likely been sold as exotic pets, destined for a miserable, isolated life behind bars. FLIGHT alerted the Lampung Nature Conservation Agency and the local police to inform them of the proposed smuggling operation and the next day a bus containing the monkeys was stopped in transit. The macaques were taken to the Sumatra Wildlife Center which is managed by the Jakarta Animal Aid Network before they will stay for a while to be monitored and integrated with other social groups before being released back to the wild where they rightfully belong. A car chase and the rescue of 5,402 birds 26 September 11am: FLIGHT investigators based in Jambi, Central Sumatra, headed to a toll gate in Lampung, South Sumatra after receiving intelligence that a large shipment of exotic birds was being trafficked across to the neighbouring island of Java to be sold as pets. The team discovered the smugglers vehicle details and worked out the route they were most likely to take. They tried to track the vehicle for the next ten hours until they finally located it heading to the border crossing. The smugglers must have realised that they were being tailed as they tried to speed away and lose the FLIGHT Team, but FLIGHT was not going to let them get away that easily! For the next four hours FLIGHT chased the smugglers having already alerted the local police who had also taken chase. Eventually, at 1:00am on 27 September FLIGHT and the police closed in on the traffickers and were shocked to find an astonishing 5,402 birds crammed into tiny plastic and cardboard boxes in the back of the van. The traffickers were arrested and FLIGHT took the birds to the Wan Abdul Rahman Forest Park where they were released back into the wild later that day. Meanwhile, nine hours north... Just as the Jambi FLIGHT team was winding down after an exciting, successful and long day, their colleagues in Riau were being alerted to yet another smuggling operation. They received information that a local illegal pet trader was about to smuggle 875 birds to Jambi. The FLIGHT team had already been monitoring the warehouse of this seller for a week, so immediately contacted the Riau police and together they headed out to intercept the trader en route. They recovered the birds and took them to the Buluh Cina Nature Park where they too were released back into the wild. Another 500 birds saved 4 October: FLIGHT investigators in Lampung received word that a smuggling operation of exotic birds would be taking place that night at the border. The team headed to the border and began to wait. After several hours, there was no sign of the vehicle so the operation was halted for the day. The next day, the team headed out again and waited patiently for the arrival of the smuggler and the birds. Yet again, after a few hours the vehicle was a no-show. The team had already contacted the local police force who suggested they meet at the sellers warehouse. On arrival at the warehouse, FLIGHT uncovered small cages holding 500 birds that had been captured from the wild. Four of the species recovered were protected under Indonesian law. The suspect was arrested and the birds were handed over to the Nature Conservation Agency of West Sumatra and released into the wild later that day at the Gunung Marapi Nature Park. An astonishing few weeks and a tenacious team Dave Neale, Animals Asias Director of Animal Welfare, commended FLIGHTs achievements over the past few weeks and the many other successes theyve had since their inception: FLIGHT is an incredible organisation whose values of tenacity and compassion and aims of protecting vulnerable animals are very much aligned with Animals Asias. We look forward to following and supporting their continued efforts to keep wild animals where they belong: in the wild. Read more: Pangolin scales, songbirds and baby gibbons recovered in undercover raid on illegal wildlife traders in Indonesia PLEASE NOTE: ALL ONLINE PURCHASES ARE AUTOMATIC RENEWALS UNLESS YOU EMAIL JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM OR CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE @ 256-235-9253.... Purchase an online subscription to our website for $7.99 a month with automatic renewal. Each online subscription gives you full access to all of our newspaper websites and mobile applications. To cancel you may contact Customer Service @ 256-235-9253 or email JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM *NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY join with a NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION is just $59.99 for the first year. Existing customers do not qualify for the specials! AMEX is not accepted through this site. After the first year, well automatically renew your subscription to continue your access at the regular price of $69.99 per year. Please note *Your Subscription will Automatically Renew unless you contact Customer Service To Cancel* (ANSA) - ROME, OCT 22 - Italy's COVID-19 Rt transmission number was up slightly at 0.86 in the period between September 29 and October 12, according to a draft of the latest coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS). That compares to a RT of 0.85 in last week's report, a figure which, in turn, was up from 0.83 the previous week. A Rt of over 1 indicates that the epidemic is in a phase of expansion. The incidence of cases was up slightly too, at 34 for every 100,000 inhabitants in the period from October 15 to 21, compared to 29 in last week's report. Experts say it becomes difficult to track and trace cases once the incidence goes over 50. The report said that the pressure the coronavirus is exerting on Italy's hospitals had continued to fall. It said the proportion of intensive-care places taken up by COVID patients was 3.9%, down from 4.1% last week. It said the proportion of ordinary hospital places occupied by coronavirus sufferers was down from 4.6% to 4.2%. The report said the number of regions/autonomous provinces where the COVID risk was considered moderate, rather than low, had gone up from three to four. They are Abruzzo, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Piedmont and new entry Campania. The weekly monitoring report will be presented later on Friday after it has been examined by the government's COVID-19 'control room' taskforce. (ANSA). BRUSSELS - European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU executive will not fund the building of barriers to keep out migrants from its outer borders, despite requests from a few member countries. "There will be no funding of barbed wire and walls", she said, in the occasion of the EU summit in Brussels, where the topic was discussed. Italian prime minister Mario Draghi said "I am very satisfied with how the discussion ended on these issues. The original text only spoke of secondary movements without citing the balance between solidarity and responsibility. The present text introduced this concept". On the controversial call by several border countries to have the EU fund border walls against migrants, Draghi said "it's not true" that there had been an opening by the EU. He said "the Commission does not agree and at the European Council many countries do not agree, including us". BRUSSELS - The theme of fencing and walls at the European Union's external borders has been discussed at a meeting of EU leaders. The president of Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda, spoke about the issue on the sidelines of the gathering: "We should talk about physical barriers at the borders". It is "an extremely necessary measure in the short term, to manage this crisis" with Belarus, he stated. Over the past few weeks, Lithuania signed a letter addressed to the European Commission, together with 11 other partners, asking Brussels to fund the walls. The European executive had rejected the proposal. CAIRO - For the first time in the history of post-revolution Libya, an international conference took place on Libyan soil, in Tripoli, a sign that the chaos in front of Italian coasts is diminishing. Tensions however remain on the presence of mercenaries and foreign powers in the country and the shared interest in avoiding division already appears like a success. Representatives of international organizations, countries of the area and major powers, with different levels that can be interpreted at a geopolitical level in many ways, have approved a final statement highlighting, among other things, "the need to take the necessary steps to hold elections on December 24". This occurs despite the fact that electoral laws for presidential and legislative elections, already approved by the parliament of Torbuk in exile, in the east controlled by Khalifa Haftar with controversial procedures and quorums, were rejected by the Senate-like High Council of State in Tripoli. The Libya Stabilization Initiative Conference was promoted by Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush and attended by Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio who spoke about "an important moment to reaffirm the engagement of the entire international community, with Italy on the frontline". ISTANBUL - Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was quoted as saying by Turkish media that "there are 3.5 million Afghans in Iran". "Two million are ready to move, considering that 2,000 arrive each day, we are facing a serious threat at the level of migrants". On Tuesday Soylu signed with his Iranian counterpart Ahmad Vahidi a cooperation agreement on security that provides for common action against illegal immigration, During the summer, an increase was registered in the number of Afghan migrants attempting to enter Turkey from Iran as a consequence of the Taliban gaining power in Kabul. Ankara is building a wall in the area with the objective of covering 300 of the 534 km separating Turkish from Iranian territory. With over 3.7 million Syrians and at least 300,000 Afghans, Turkey is the country hosting the highest number of migrants in the world. Based on the 2016 agreement, the EU funds Turkey for the management of refugees in exchange for an effort by Ankara's authorities to keep its borders sealed for those attempting to reach Europe illegally. ANSAmed - Weekly diary from October 25 to October 31 (ANSAmed) - ROME, OCT 22 - The following are the main events scheduled in the Euro-Mediterranean area from October 25 until October 31: MONDAY OCTOBER 25 BRUSSELS - European Union Military Committee (EUMC), EU chiefs of defense (also on October 26) ROME - Italy-Latin America Conference (also on October 26) DUBAI - 71st International Austronautical Congress (until October 29) TUESDAY OCTOBER 26 LUXEMBOURG - EU, Council of ministers of transport, telecommunications and energy. PARIS - Hearing of the trial against Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International accused of defamation by Morocco. TUNIS - Siamap - 2021 - International fair of agriculture, agricultural machines and fishing, at the Kram Exhibition Center. RIYADH - Future Investment Initiative (FII) (until October 28). ORAN (ALGERIA) - Appeal hearing of journalist Said Boudour. DOHA - The emir of Qatar, Tamim ben Hamad Al-Thani, inaugurates the first session of the partially elected parliament WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 27 RABAT - Morocco, resumption of the appeal trial of journalist Soulaiman Raissouni on "sexual violence" charges. TRUJILLO (Spain) - Spain-Portugal summit in person. THURSDAY OCTOBER 28 BRUSSELS - EU, informal meeting of the ministers of economy and finance in videoconference. BEIRUT - Former premier Hassan Diab to be questioned on port explosion. ALGIERS - Trial against student activist Abdenour Ait Said. FRIDAY OCTOBER 29 VATICAN CITY - Hearing of Pope Francis with US President Joe Biden. ROME - Meeting of G20 ministers of health and finance. SATURDAY OCTOBER 30 ROME - G20 Summit (first day). TUNIS - Cinema, 32nd edition of the Cinema days of Carthage (Jcc) (until November 6). RABAT - Special congress of Islamic party Pjd, excluded from power. SUNDAY OCTOBER 31 ROME - G20 Summit (second and last day). (ANSAmed). Draghi 'happy' with migrant talks at EU summit 'EU does not agree' on call to fund anti-migration walls (ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, 22 OTT - On the migrant issue discused at the EU summit, Italian prime minister Mario Draghi said "I am very satisfied with how the discussion ended on these issues. The original text only spoke of secondary movements without citing the balance between solidarity and responsibility. The present text introduced this concept". On the controversial call by several border countries to have the EU fund border walls against migrants, Draghi said "it's not true" that there had been an opening by the EU. He said "the Commission does not agree and at the European Council many countries do not agree, including us". (ANSAmed). PARIS - Eric Zemmour has affected the political scenario ahead of presidential elections scheduled in the spring, according to a new poll. If only a few months ago Macron and Le Pen were expected to duel in the run-off vote, like five years ago, a survey published on Friday by Le Monde said the far-right candidate was likely to compete in the second round of elections with the outgoing president. Zemmour is also taking votes from the institutional right, the Republicains, who at the moment don't have a candidate able to reach the final challenge, according to the poll. Only fragments, or little more, remain of the gauche, like in 2017, it said. If all surveys so far have said that Emmanuel Macron will be voted by one-fourth of those casting their ballots and that he is the likely winner of the run-off election, regardless of the rival, the qualification of the candidate of the Rassemblement National, strongly weakened by Zemmour's competition, is not taken for granted anymore. The 16-17% that a new Ipsos survey for Le Monde gives to Eric Zemmour is considered as subtracting votes from Le Pen as well as the Republicains. According to the poll, they would not reach the second round either with Xavier Bertrand, who is considered the likely candidate, or Valerie Pecresse or Michel Barnier. In the first and most likely hypothesis, the survey gives Macron between 23.1 and 24.9%, of the vote, followed by Zemmour between 15.2 and 16.8%, Marine Le Pen between 14.3 and 15.7% and Bertrand (12.3%-13.7%), the ecologist Yannick Jadot (8.4-9.6%), the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon (7.4-8.6%) and the Socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, with 4.5-5.5%. The main issue around Covid boosters is encouraging people to take them up, rather than the timeframe between doses, a leading expert has said, as another called for the virus to be allowed to spread through the population. Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said the organisation would look at cutting the timeframe between second doses and boosters from six months to five, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed interest in having a review. However, Prof Harnden said six months had been shown to be the sweet spot for having a booster, saying the main issues in the programme were accessibility to the vaccine and persuading people to have one. It comes as Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, told the PA news agency the UK cannot reach herd immunity for coronavirus. He said Covid-19 should be allowed to spread through the population once the most at-risk have been vaccinated because that is how severe disease will be reduced in the long-term, and how the pandemic will ultimately become just another cause of the common cold. (PA Graphics) Speaking on Times Radio, Prof Harnden said there was some margin around the six months between doses and it was possible to consider giving the booster earlier. I think its something that we will need to debate and consider, but I dont think its the prime issue at the moment, he said. The prime issue is to try and get those vulnerable, elderly people in particular, who would benefit from the booster, particularly when there are high infection rates and are more likely to get hospitalised and have serious effects from waning immunity, we need to get them in and get them boosted. So, theres lots of work to be done in terms of accessibility. People can book an appointment by either phoning 119 or going on to the NHS website so I think we just need to sort of whip up a bit more enthusiasm about the boosters amongst those vulnerable people. Elsewhere, on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Prof Harnden said shortening the timeframe would be looked at but added: On JCVI, weve advised six months because thats what the data shows is the sweet spot. (PA Graphics) He said decisions on vaccinating the 40 to 50 age group did not need to be made yet, adding that those people eligible for the booster now would not have their second dose until April, so its a long time before we need to consider the 40-year-olds. Asked whether restrictions may be needed, he said vaccines can do the heavy lifting, but they cant do everything, and actually we should still be maintaining social distances, we should be wearing masks in crowded spaces, and we should all remain sensible. Meanwhile, in an interview with the PA news agency, Prof Hunter said that herd immunity cannot be reached for coronaviruses and argued against continued social distancing. Because protection against the infection is short-lived and wanes, the herd immunity threshold cannot be met, he suggested. He added: As the (Covid) infection is becoming endemic, pretty much everyone, whether vaccinated or not, will be getting repeated infections from now on, so any social distancing measures will not prevent infection, only delay it. (PA Graphics) If someone is going to be vaccinated, then delaying infection till after vaccination has value, but if they are not going to be vaccinated then it does not. He said the value of social distancing to people not offered a jab or who will decline one is pretty much zero. He added: Professor Chris Whitty (chief medical officer for England) estimated that about 50% of schoolchildren have already had their first infection and I think he is correct. Prof Hunter said one caveat was that if health services become overwhelmed then that is a threat to us all and that is a reason for further restrictions. However, he said, most epidemiologists doubt we will see anything like last winter. Prof Hunter said he agreed with the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health that routine testing in schools should be stopped. Like her I do believe what we are doing to children now is not necessary and damaging their education, he said. Personally, I would argue that the role of vaccine was to reduce severity of disease during first exposure, but once we have vaccinated the most at-risk then we should let the virus spread because that is how severe disease will be reduced in the long-term, and how the pandemic will ultimately become just another cause of the common cold, as was the case the last time in (the pandemic of) 1890. Prof Hunter said he agreed that there were probably about 110,000 new infections per day in the country at the moment, once asymptomatic cases are taken into account. It comes as Stephen Reicher, a member of the Sage subcommittee advising on behavioural science and professor of psychology at the University of St Andrews, told the BBC it was simply wrong to tell people they must go into work. He said this was because one of the key factors which determines the spread of the virus is how many contacts we have if we have more contacts, were going to infect more people. The BBC has refused to speculate on reports Laura Kuenssberg is stepping down as its political editor to join the Today programme. The Guardian says Kuenssberg is negotiating stepping away from her role of the past six years as part of a major reshuffle of the BBCs on-air staff. Her departure would leave open the key role of political editor at a time when the future of the BBC licence fee is being negotiated. A BBC spokesperson would not be drawn on the report, releasing a statement instead focusing on the broadcasters efforts to appoint a new North America editor. The North America editor role is currently being advertised internally and the role will go through the normal recruitment process; its a bit soon to start speculating about the outcome of this, let alone other jobs which arent actually vacant, the statement read. Kuenssberg has been a contentious figure during her tenure as political editor, a time which including the Brexit referendum and two general elections. She faced accusations of bias from across the political spectrum through the UKs departure from the EU, and amid concerns for her safety was forced to attend the autumn party conference season with a bodyguard. Liz Truss has said she wants to build a network of liberty around the world with like-minded partners as she warned against the UK becoming strategically dependent on China. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the Foreign Secretary said that China was an important trading partner for the UK. But she said it was important not to become reliant. Ms Truss, who was promoted in the reshuffle last month and has been on a trip to India in recent days, was asked about the involvement of Chinas state-owned energy company CGN in Sizewell C, and she said: Id go back to the broader comments Ive made about diversifying supply. CGN is part of a consortium behind the planned new nuclear plant in Suffolk. India is our great friend, an economic powerhouse and the worlds largest democracy. Our relationship will be vital over the coming decades. Good meeting @DrSJaishankar to discuss closer collaboration on: Technology Investment and trade Security and defence pic.twitter.com/K6QuwPFnxC Liz Truss (@trussliz) October 22, 2021 Ms Truss said: I think its very important that we dont become strategically dependent and I think its important that we make sure that were working, particularly in areas of critical national infrastructure, with reliable partners. She added: We are making sure, in all of our policy positions, that we are able to work with like-minded partners on key strategic areas. Ms Truss also appeared to suggest to the Telegraph that the UK could not be dependent on China for 5G networks. It follows the fiasco of the rollout of 5G in the UK, which saw Chinese firm Huawei ultimately excluded from the process on security grounds, leaving the country reliant on only two equipment vendors while causing a likely delay to the full installation of 5G networks. (Dominic Lipinski/PA) She said: It is very important that we dont become strategically dependent on high-risk vendors in this space. There are other areas like quantum, artificial intelligence, cyber security where we need to make sure the partners were innovating with are reliable and there is a bond of trust there. Boris Johnson must ensure Plan B restrictions can be rapidly deployed if needed, scientists advising the coronavirus response have urged, as data showed infections rising across England. The Prime Minister was resisting implementing the back-up plans to deal with the pandemic this winter as experts on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) gave a cautiously optimistic forecast. They said in minutes of a meeting published on Friday that a further huge spike in infections as seen in January was increasingly unlikely, as experts predicted a series of broader, flatter peaks as the virus continues to spread. However, in its meeting dated October 14, Sage warned that measures from the Governments Plan B would have greatest effect if brought in in unison and earlier on rather than later. Scientists are in favour of a relatively light-touch approach, implemented earlier to make a difference, with Sage saying: In the event of increasing case rates, earlier intervention would reduce the need for more stringent, disruptive, and longer-lasting measures. Mr Johnson said his winter plan had always predicted that cases would rise around about now and that the high levels of infections are not outside the anticipated parameters. Speaking to reporters during a visit to a vaccine centre in west London, the Prime Minister urged the public to get their booster jabs as he called for uptake to be ramped up even further. Sage said the reintroduction of working-from-home guidance is likely to have the greatest individual impact on transmission out of the proposed measures in Plan B, which also includes the mandatory use of face masks. The group also advised that policy work on the potential reintroduction of measures should be undertaken now so that it can be ready for rapid deployment. (PA Graphics) Their advice emerged as data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed about one in 55 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to October 16, up from one in 60 the previous week. In Wales, infection levels were unchanged, but have dropped in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Separate figures showed a further 180 people in the UK had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, bringing the official UK total to 139,326. In a review of all the evidence, the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, Operational sub-group (Spi-M-O) told Sage this month: It will take both a rapid increase in transmission rates and repeated waning of protection from vaccination to lead to hospital admission levels in the order of magnitude of those seen in January 2021. Unless both these eventualities occur, or a new variant of concern emerges, it is highly unlikely that such levels of hospital admissions will be reached in the coming autumn and winter. Spi-M-O said that if protection from vaccination does not wane much further than already seen then hospital admission rates are unlikely to get significantly higher than those currently seen. (PA Graphics) Spi-M-O also said it was possible that action beyond Plan B may be required to control growth, adding that Sage have been asked to consider the potential effect of returning to the steps outlined in February 2021s road map. One paper from Imperial College London, presented to Sage, warned that a pessimistic scenario could see almost 10,000 deaths over the winter, while any delay in the Covid-19 booster programme could result in a much larger epidemic. Modellers said in a pessimistic assumption we project a substantial wave of total infections, hospitalisations and deaths, totalling 9,900 deaths by March 13 2022. (PA Graphics) But under the most optimistic scenario, it said current levels of protection in the population combined with the boosters should keep the spread of the virus at levels similar to or lower than currently observed. In its advice to ministers, Sage said there was uncertainty in all the modelling and warned that the threat of variants has not yet gone away. Earlier, Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said they would look at cutting the timeframe between second doses and boosters from six months to five, after Mr Johnson expressed interest in having a review. There has been huge criticism of the booster vaccine rollout, with some patients and charities saying people have found it impossible to book a jab. Prof Harnden said six months had been shown to be the sweet spot for having a booster, adding the main issues in the programme were accessibility to the vaccine and persuading people to have one. Courtesy Teresa Giudice/Instagram Happily ever after! Teresa Giudice is engaged to her boyfriend, Luis Ruelas. Read article According to People, he popped the question in Greece. The special moment included candles, roses, a violinist and fireworks. Giudice, 49, offered fans a glimpse at their getaway on Tuesday, October 19, via Instagram, writing, Dont ever stop dreaming #love #soulmate #greece , alongside an adorable photo of the couple. Us Weekly confirmed in November 2020 that the Celebrity Apprentice 5 alum was dating Ruelas, 46, after the twosome went Instagram official. They later confirmed they started dating in July of that year. The Standing Strong author was previously married to Joe Giudice for 20 years before they called it quits in December 2019. The exes share daughters Gia, 20, Gabriella, 17, Milania, 15, and Audriana, 12. Teresa recently gushed about Ruelas while celebrating their one-year anniversary. A year, wow I would have never imagined how in one year I would feel so loved. You are so kind, supportive & loving. You take great care and consideration in everything you do. You have shown my girls so much love, I adore you, the reality star gushed via Instagram in July. I admire your incredible parenting & your work ethic, and the passion you put into everything you do. You have made me smile every single day for the last year and I love you today and all of my tomorrows. . Popular breakfast brand Kellogg's is facing a lawsuit accusing the company of falsely advertising the strawberry content in its Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts. The lawsuit is asking for the company to adopt more accurate labeling, and claims that damages from the false advertisement "exceeds $5 million." The class-action lawsuit filed by plaintiff Anita Harris in late August claims that Kellogg's advertising is designed to "give consumers the impression the fruit filling contains a greater relative and absolute amount of strawberries than it does." "Plaintiff bought the product because she expected it would have more of the named fruit ingredient," the lawsuit states. "Plaintiff wanted more than a 'strawberry taste,' which she nevertheless failed to receive Plaintiff would not have purchased the Product if she knew the representations were false and misleading." Kellogg?s Pop tarts- tarta pop de Kellogg?s (Alamy Stock) The advertising highlighted in the lawsuit includes the product's labeling and advertising that praises the "timeless yet yummy" flavor of strawberries, as well as an online recipe on how to make strawberry shortcake. According to the lawsuit, this makes strawberries the "characterizing ingredient" in the product, but dried strawberries do not appear in the ingredient list until the "contains 2-percent or less" section, alongside other fruits like dried pears and dried apples. "Strawberries are the Product's characterizing ingredient, since their amount has a material bearing on price or consumer acceptance, and consumer believe they are present in an amount greater than is the case," continues the lawsuit. "The Products common or usual name of 'Frosted Strawberry Toaster Pastries,' is false, misleading, and deceptive because its filling contains a relatively significant amount of non-strawberry fruit ingredients pears and apples shown on the ingredient list." The lawsuit also noted that the Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts include Red 40, a synthetic food dye, which makes the product's filling "look bright red, like it is only strawberries or has more strawberries than it does." The lawsuit claims that "without the added coloring, consumers would be suspect of a product labelled as 'Strawberry,'" since the filling would be a "more subdued tone," which could lead them to "inspect the ingredient list to determine the truth." Related: The lawsuit against Kraft Heinz was recently filed in the cheese-loving state of Wisconsin. "However, reasonable consumers are not so distrustful to think they will be misled when buying a well-known product like the Pop-Tarts from Kellogg's here," continues the lawsuit. The lawsuit compares Pop-Tarts to similar breakfast pastries from Walmart's Great Value brand and Dollar Tree's Clover Valley brand are "described as frosted strawberry" and include photos of strawberries, but "put customers on notice that they have less strawberry ingredients than customers would otherwise expect" by including a statement that the pastries are "Naturally & Artificially Flavored." Spencer Sheehan, a New York attorney representing Harris, told TODAY Food that the goal of the lawsuit is to have Kellogg's label its product "in a more truthful and transparent manner." "If it doesnt have mostly strawberries, if its mostly pears, then you know, just call it pear Pop-Tarts," said Sheehan, who has recently represented clients in similar lawsuits involving King's Hawaiian Rolls and Kraft's Bagel Bites. "I dont know why you have to call it strawberry if its a mix of pears and apples and strawberries." Kellogg's did not respond to a request for comment from TODAY. Related: The director of photography accidentally killed by a prop gun that actor Alec Baldwin fired on a New Mexico movie set was a fantastic and brilliant talent and a rising behind-the-camera movie star, industry leaders said Friday. Hollywood stars, directors and fans mourned the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins, the 42-year-old cinematographer who was killed Thursday when Baldwin pulled the trigger on a prop gun while rehearsing or filming a scene in the western. Hutchins died at an Albuquerque hospital after she was shot on the set of Baldwins new film Rust. Director Joel Souza was wounded, but he survived and was treated at a hospital and released. Filmmaker Halyna Hutchins attends the 2018 Sundance Film Festival Official Kickoff Party on Jan. 19, 2018 in Park City, Utah. Filmmaker Halyna Hutchins attends the 2018 Sundance Film Festival Official Kickoff Party on Jan. 19, 2018 in Park City, Utah. (Sonia Recchia/) Initial reports suggest the shooting was accidental, but the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office is still investigating what exactly led to the incident and whether Baldwin or anyone else should be charged. Hutchins, who is survived by a husband and a son, seemed thrilled to be working on Rust, a western about a 13-year-old boy who goes on the run after an accidental killing. Her last Instagram post was a short video showing her riding a horse Tuesday at a ranch in Santa Fe. One of the perks of shooting a western is you get to ride horses on your day off, she said in a caption for the video. Earlier that day, she had posted a group photo of the cast and crew. In her Instagram bio, Hutchins described herself as a restless dreamer and an adrenaline junkie. Hutchins uploaded this photo to her Instagram account earlier this month. Hutchins uploaded this photo to her Instagram account earlier this month. Hutchins, who is originally from Ukraine, grew up on a Soviet military base inside the Arctic Circle, where she was surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines, according to a bio on her website. Two of her most recent films are Archenemy, starring Joe Manganiello, and Blindfire, with Brian Geraghty. I woke up to the messages and read the news and I am in shock, Manganiello said in an Instagram post.. She was an absolutely incredible talent and a great person, he wrote. She had such an eye and a visual style. She was the kind of cinematographer that you wanted to see succeed because you wanted to see what she could pull off next. She was a fantastic person. There was no amount of pressure she couldnt handle. She was a great collaborator and an ally to anyone in front of her camera. Hutchins, who was based in Los Angeles, had a degree in international journalism from Kyiv National University in Ukraine and later studied film at the American Film Institute in California, according to her website. She previously worked with British documentary productions across Europe and was named in 2019 as one of the American Cinematographers Rising Stars of that year. Halyna Hutchins in 2019. Halyna Hutchins in 2019. (Fred Hayes/) She has also been praised for breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry. Alec Baldwin breaks silence after fatal shooting of crew member Halyna Hutchins Im so sad about losing Halyna, said Archenemy director Adam Mortimer. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film. Whats so tragic is shes made beautiful films already but when you think about what was ahead of her, that is also so sad, fellow cinematographer Catherine Goldschmidt told BBC News. She was also a mom, which I think is very difficult, Goldschmidt said. When I first met her I remember being really impressed, shocked even, that this beautiful, creative, outgoing, enthusiastic talented cinematographer also is raising the child. Filmmaker Bandar Albuliwi, who attended the esteemed American Film Institute shortly before Hutchins arrived there, launched a Change.org petition following Hutchins death. Were working these people 18 hours a day, Albuliwi told the Daily News. It shouldnt be too much to ask that there arent bullets flying over their heads. According to Albuliwi, breaking into the cinematography business is especially difficult for women and shooting a film anchored by a star like Baldwin should have been the beginning of an exciting career for Hutchins. Albuliwi told The News that award winning cinematographer Bill Dill, whom he said mentored Hutchins, is devastated by her death. Its his hope that there will be no more deaths on film set caused by live firearms of any kind. I just want answers, he said. It changes right now. The American Film Institute and several industry groups also weighed in. As is profoundly true in the art of cinematography, words alone cannot capture the loss of one so dear to the AFI community. At AFI, we pledge to see that Halyna Hutchins will live on in the spirit of all who strive to see their dreams realized in stories well told, the AFI Conservatory said. We are heartbroken and devastated to learn that one of our members, sister Halyna Hutchins, died yesterday from injuries sustained on set while working as the Director of Photography on Rust in New Mexico, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees said in a statement. Our entire alliance mourns this unspeakable loss with Halynas family, friends, and the Rust crew. By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A judge on Thursday imposed a longer prison term than prosecutors requested on a Dallas man accused of posting inflammatory social media messages inciting people to violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 even though he did not himself participate directly in the rioting. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan sentenced Troy Smocks, 58, to 14 months incarceration and three years supervised release after he entered a guilty plea to a charge of making threats in interstate communication. Smocks, who is Black, told the judge that the Justice Department had treated him differently than white defendants who participated directly in the riot, which followed a speech by then-President Donald Trump, a Republican, at a nearby rally repeating his false claims that his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud. Prosecutors said in court papers that Smocks traveled to Washington on Jan. 5 and, using accounts under the name "ColonelTPerez" and "@Colonel007" on the Parler social media network, posted threats on Jan. 6 and 7 regarding the riots. The Justice Department said Smocks' threats included claims that he and others would return to the U.S. Capitol the day before Biden's scheduled inauguration carrying weapons in large numbers and that Smocks "threatened that he and others would 'hunt these cowards down like the Traitors that each of them are', including "RINOS, Dems, and Tech Execs." RINO is pejorative and stands for "Republicans in Name Only." Smocks has been held in pre-trial detention since his arrest in January and both federal prosecutor Michael Friedman and defense lawyer John Machado told the judge they believed he now should be released from jail and put on supervised release. But Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said that while Smocks claimed to have served in the U.S. military, no official record could be found to confirm this, that Smocks had an extensive criminal history, and that he had an apparent "inability to live a law abiding life." "He does not appear to have any genuine remorse for his actions," Chutkan said. (Reporting by Mark Hosenball; editing by Grant McCool) By Pete Schroeder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Justice is launching a nationwide initiative to combat discriminatory lending practices, Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Friday. Garland said the illegal practice of "redlining," or avoiding lending to minority neighborhoods, remained a persistent problem, and the federal government was devoted more resources to identifying it and punishing lenders. "Today, we are committing ourselves to addressing modern-day redlining by making far more robust use of our fair lending authorities," he said. The new initiative will tackle fair lending issues "on a broader geographic scale than the Justice Department has ever done before," he added. Specifically, Garland said authorities nationwide are partnering with banking and consumer regulators, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which monitors national banks. The government already has several fair lending probes open, and expects more to come shortly, he said. Garland also announced the first settlement under the initiative, of $8.85 million, with Tennessee's TrustMark National Bank, which the government said avoided offering home loans in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. Officials said they would focus on modern ways lenders could discriminate against borrowers. Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, singled out "digital redlining disguised through so-called neutral algorithms." "Algorithms can help remove bias, but black box underwriting decisions are not necessarily creating a more level playing field," he said at the announcement. "We will not allow robo-discrimination to proliferate." (Reporting by Pete Schroeder; Writing by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Richard Chang) Former President Trump has unveiled his long-discussed plans for his own social network. And in a twist of irony, the site, known as Truth Social, will benefit directly from the very law that Trump tried to destroy while in office: Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Trumps social network will let him communicate with the millions of users who followed him across Twitter (TWTR), Facebook (FB), and YouTube (GOOG, GOOGL), before those sites banned him for arguably inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. He previously hosted a pseudo social site of his own, called From the Desk of Donald J. Trump, but it was taken offline after a month due to a lack of users. Truth Social, which will launch in beta next month and be generally available in the first quarter of 2022, is also going public via a SPAC merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC). The company was up nearly 400% around 2 p.m. ET Thursday. 'Twenty-six words that created the internet' Famously referred to as The twenty-six words that created the internet, by law professor Jeff Kosseff in his book of the same name, Section 230 shields internet companies from liability for posts by third-party users, and allows them to moderate content. While some Republicans claim the law allows for the censorship of right-wing voices, some Democrats say that it allows social media companies, like Facebook, to host disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech, without facing any consequences. That dangerous content arguably included tweets from Trump, who often used Twitter as his de facto mouthpiece. In 280 characters, Trump made abrupt policy decisions, attacked his critics, and even fired people. Twitter finally began cracking down on Trumps account when he posted When the looting starts the shooting starts in the wake of protests and rioting following the police murder of George Floyd. Former President Trump's new social network, Truth Social, will need Section 230 to survive. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria) The site, along with Facebook, also either blocked or labeled as false posts Trump wrote spreading lies about the pandemic and 2020 election. The move, coupled with unproven allegations by Republicans in Congress that leading social media sites harbor a bias against right-leaning users, spurred Trump to order the Commerce Department to have the Federal Communications Commission look at narrowing the scope of Section 230. President Joe Biden revoked the order in May 2021. Still, Biden has in the past called for the abolition of Section 230 and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has even suggested the law be changed. Under his proposal, companies would still have the same liability protections, but on the condition that they had automated systems in place to ferret out unlawful content. Dismantling Section 230, however, could force websites to either not host user content at all, or allow all content including posts that the site itself finds objectionable. It could also open up smaller sites to an endless parade of lawsuits, which would severely disadvantage upstarts, such as Truth Social, while favoring giant firms like Facebook, Eric Goldman, Santa Clara University School of Law Professor, previously told Yahoo Finance. Thats because big tech companies have war chests large enough to continue litigating cases until the heat death of the Sun. So many people are attempting to equate the internet with Google and Facebook, Goldman said. ...Section 230 protects the entire ecosystem, not just the people at the very top. Like much of the internet, Truth Social needs user content, as well as the ability to moderate that content. And for that to happen without costing the company millions in legal fees, it needs Section 230. Or else it wont exist at all. Correction: An earlier version of this article said the site would go live in the first half of 2021. In fact, it was 2022. Sign up for Yahoo Finance Tech newsletter Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit Got a tip? Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com over via encrypted mail at danielphowley@protonmail.com, and follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley. Marysville, CA (95901) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Online Access for Print Subscribers. Do you have a print subscription with the Argus-Press? If yes, then click here to enjoy complimentary access to our Online Content! YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS. The Coordination Council of the Pan-Armenian Forum of Journalists held a session on October 21 to discuss the results of regional seminars and look into the possibility of organizing the pan-Armenian forum in spring of 2022. The potential subject and agenda of the upcoming forum, as well as venue and timeframes were discussed. The council decided to take into consideration additional recommendations for the agenda from Armenian mass media representatives. The council noted that the online seminars have developed an agenda in line with modern trends, aimed at developing Armenian mass media and ensure continuity of cooperation. The Coordination Council of the Pan-Armenian Forum of Journalists will hold a plenary session by yearend. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan According to Yeni Safak, the Turkish Foreign minister on Friday, October 22, met with his South Korean counterpart in the capital Seoul and discussed bilateral ties, cooperation in the defense industry and investments. An agreement on the sale of South Korean engines intended for the Turkish Altay main battle tank has been signed. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link Altay MBT at a military parade in Turkey (Picture source: Twitter account of Bumfuzzle) Turkish Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he discussed with South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-yong steps to be taken in areas such as investments, balancing trade, defense industry and facilitating travel. Describing South Korea as an important partner in the field of the defense industry, he said that Kang Eun-ho, the South Korean minister for the defense acquisition program administration, signed a document approving the sale of Altay tanks power pack. No further detail has been communicated. On March 4, 2021, Army Recognition reported that Turkey was in negotiations with South Korea to procure engines for its domestic main battle tank Altay whose prototype was powered by a 1,500 horsepower diesel engine from the German manufacturer MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH. Rheinmetall had also created a joint venture with the Turkish land vehicles producer BMC aimed to establish joint production of armored vehicles, particularly the Altay main battle tank. Turkey had hoped to power the Altay with the MTU engine and Renk transmission, but talks with German manufacturers stopped due to a German arms embargo on Turkey. Germany is one of a number of European governments that have limited exports to Turkey over its involvement in the Syrian civil war. According to an announcement made in 2020, this engine would be the South Korean Doosan Infracore DV27K, 4-cycle, 12-cylinder water-cooled diesel engine developing 1,500 hp. BMCs Batu engine developed and to be serially manufactured in Turkey is not mentioned in the Foreign ministers meeting report of this 22 October, this being said without drawing any conclusion. The Batu powerpack includes a Diesel engine and an automatic transmission. BMC launched the development of this new engine developing 1,600 hp, in collaboration with the Italian manufacturer Fiat/Iveco intended to equip the Altay. Doosan Infracore DV27K engine selected to power the first series of Altay MBTs (Picture source: TheDeadDistrict) HDFC Bank will reach beyond its current customer base to make 50 pc of this credit facility available to new small business borrowers Through existing collaborations with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Confederation of All Indian Traders (Cait), Mastercard will provide skills training and education to small business owners on their digitisation options. ANI Chennai: In order to digitise micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and help women-owned businesses recover from the pandemic impact, a $100-million credit facility has been announced on Thursday through a four-way partnership forged among HDFC Bank, Mastercard, US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and US Agency for International Development (USAID.) In order to connect the businesses to the networks that power the digital economy, HDFC Bank will reach beyond its current customer base to make at least 50 per cent of this credit facility available to new small business borrowers, with a goal of at least 50 per cent of the facility being used for lending to women entrepreneurs. Through existing collaborations with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Confederation of All Indian Traders (Cait), Mastercard will provide skills training and education to small business owners on their digitisation options. The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth will also help them to grow their revenue through a range of philanthropic training programmes. DFC and USAID are facilitating the extension of the credit facility by de-risking HDFC Banks lending to small business owners. DFCs investment supports its 2X Womens Initiative, through which the agency invests in projects that are owned by women, led by women, or provide a product or service that empowers women. This programme is part of USAIDs Covid-19 response in India. Women have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, facing economic hardships that directly affect the livelihoods of their families and communities. Through this partnership, USAID will help facilitate access to finance and support the digitisation journey for women-owned small businesses, said Veena Reddy, mission director, USAID India. Summit host Britain welcomed Modi's decision to attend India has not yet committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, considered a vital goal in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. (PTI) NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, the environment minister said on Thursday, in a boost for efforts to agree steeper emissions cuts to tackle global warming. India is the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the United States, and Modi's participation in the COP26 summit, which runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12, was seen as critical amid uncertainty over whether Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend. Both India and China, which have not yet made stronger pledges to cut emissions, known as nationally determined contributions or NDCs, face pressure to do so at the conference. "The prime minister is going to Glasgow," Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said in an interview, adding that India was doing its bit to help tackle climate change. Summit host Britain welcomed Modi's decision to attend. "India plays an important role in this and the prime minister has had a number of conversations with Modi on the importance of climate change, so we look forward to discussing it with them further," Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman told reporters. Growing public pressure for action on climate change has spurred promises by countries and companies worldwide to contribute to the effort, which will be reviewed and amended at Glasgow. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry has visited India twice in the past few months to urge the Modi government to raise its climate ambition and consider a net zero commitment as scores of other countries have done. Net zero means balancing out greenhouse gas emissions with actions such as planting trees, restoring soil and using technology to prevent emissions reaching the atmosphere. But energy-hungry India, which still relies heavily on fossil fuels, says it should not be expected to make deep carbon cuts like rich countries because it is a developing economy. INDIA WEIGHS GLASGOW STANCE India's Cabinet, chaired by Modi, will decide the position to be taken at COP26, most probably within a week, an environment ministry spokesperson said. Yadav said India was doing its part to cut emissions. "India's NDCs are quite ambitious," he said. "We are doing more than our fair share. Our NDCs are more progressive than major polluters." The country is on track to increase green energy capacity to 450 GW by 2030, he said. It has installed more than 100 GW of renewable energy, which accounts for more than 25% of overall capacity. India has not yet committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, considered a vital goal in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Government sources have told Reuters that India is unlikely to bind itself to that goal, as tougher deadlines would hit demand growth that is projected to outstrip that of any other nation over the next two decades. Last month, India's chief economic adviser K.V. Subramanian said rich nations should commit much more than $100 billion to help poor countries fight climate change, due to their high historical share of emissions. "Even today, India's per capita greenhouse emission is one-third of the world average," Yadav said. About 120 countries have submitted revised NDCs, but there is a lack of consistency with no common timeframe for meeting pledges. James Merle Thomas, right, executive director of the new Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies at the Aspen Institute, speaks at the Pizza for Arts event on Tuesday evening. The free and public event was co-hosted by the Aspen Art Museum and the Aspen for Arts, Arts for Aspen campaign, a movement led by local citizens and arts leaders to advocate for the passage of ballot question 2A. Story Timelines In our effort to always give our readers the best, up to date local reporting, we have recently collaborated with Ohio University students to build interactive, constantly updated timelines for stories that are important to you. Graveside services for Dorothy Clarice "Dottie" Cross 86, of Athens have been scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday November 22, 2021 at Oaklawn Memorial Park with Bro. Cody Craig officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Autry's Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home. Mrs. Cross passed away November 18 And while the Cupertino-based iPhone maker is struggling to keep all details secret, a new report from Reuters provides us with a closer look at whats happening beyond its closed doors.As it turns out, the development of the Apple Car has recently hit another roadblock, as the talks between Apple and its potential battery suppliers have failed to reach a conclusion.Apple has reportedly reached out to CATL and BYD to discuss a potential battery supplying deal, but the iPhone maker had one major requirement that both companies didnt agree with: set up a U.S. production plant for domestic operations.Using this approach, Apple hoped to escape the potential tensions between the United States and China and therefore prevent any potential sanctions. But neither CATL nor BYD seem to agree with this proposal, even if the latter already has a battery plant in Lancaster, California.Building a new facility specifically for Apple isnt something the two companies are willing to do, the report reveals, not only because of the costs that would be required for such an approach but also due to the struggle to find the necessary staff.Apple, on the other hand, already has a backup plan, it seems. While it still hopes the talks with CATL and BYD would resume at one point, its already getting ready to reach out to Panasonic.Theres one problem, though. Apple still doesnt want to give up on its requirement of manufacturing the batteries in a dedicated plant in the United States, with the entire output to go exclusively to the Apple Car. Panasonic has so far remained tight-lipped on this potential collaboration, so it remains to be seen if the company is willing to set up a new battery factory in the United States.People familiar with the matter expect the Apple Car to launch in 2025 at the earliest, but its not known if these failed battery talks are causing any significant delay. The proposals would make it a crime - of one consequence or another - to tamper with a system, part or component of a vehicle intended or adapted to be used on a road.And this proposal has motorcyclists hopping mad.According to Colin Brown, Director of Campaigns and Political Engagement for MAG, the proposals include some under-the-radar provisions that motorcyclists should find concerning "I was expecting the lack of motorcycle focus in policies for the charging infrastructure, but the anti-tampering proposals came as a real sucker punch. As the owner of a motorcycle with less OEM parts than aftermarket ones, you can imagine my reaction. This renewed attack on the right to do what you wish with your own property is not something that I can see many motorcyclists welcoming," Brown says.The reasons for the proposed changes are aimed at locking in emissions standards for motorcycles following their manufacture and forcing them to conform to standards to make them compatible with autonomous vehicles.At this moment, no standards exist in the UK to test a motorcycles emissions following its production at the factory, and lawmakers find that a problem when it comes to meeting Ultra Low Emission Zone levels in London.The problem for them comes in when a Euro 4 compliant bike has parts such as a catalytic converter removed or the engine remapped for performance.Authorities also worry that motorcycles wont be friendly with the onslaught of autonomous vehicles soon to hit the roads in the UK.The lawmakers are hoping to address the eventuality that someone might modify the hardware or software of such vehicles, and it seems motorcycles are just in the wrong place at the wrong time in this regard. The government is hoping to stay ahead of such modifications and making modifications illegal is thought to be an important component of regulating self-driving vehicles going forward.But the most alarming elements of the proposed measures seem aimed at bikers. Critics say the UK government - and numerous manufacturers and private companies like Uber and Googles investment in autonomous vehicles is at the center of the issue. Those entities say that since motorcycles are capable of moving erratically through traffic, are smaller targets for sensors and can change speed and direction more quickly than other vehicles, they pose a problem for software and sensor design.This type of anti-tampering legislation has been proposed in the past and similar measures were considered by the EU as far back as 2012. The provisions of Euro4 were set to include prohibitions to modifications such as changing air filters, exhausts, catalytic converters and engine mapping, but that legislation was beaten back and never became law."Clearly the Government has some good intentions with these proposals and we wouldnt want to oppose those," Brown said. "However its clear that the knock-on effect of what theyre suggesting would be ruinous for the motorcycle industry. It would be some of the most draconian rules around vehicle modification weve ever heard of."And if youre into customizing cars, rest assured that these kinds of measures would affect your ability to make the changes youd prefer to your car or truck as well.While the measures might seem broadly targeted at cars - which emit more harmful gases - motorcycles are currently targeted as well. With cities - and riders - increasingly likely to be adopting electric vehicles to meet the requirements of a soon-to-be emission-free world, the entire argument may well end up being moot.UK motorcycle owners are urged to provide their input on the proposed changes at a site set up by the government here... Buellvana is how the company calls its new online reservation systems, the tool needed for customers to reserve one of their new bikes. It too, Buell just announced, will come online on November 1, allowing people to express interest in the Hammerhead Were promised three simple steps to the bike of our dreams. The first is the reservation of a production slot, the second requires the confirmation of the selected configuration (which will be confirmed directly by the company when the production slot nears), and the third one making the payment and arranging local delivery.We have tested the Buellvana model over the last 3 years and it works flawlessly, said in a statement Bill Melvin, CEO of Buell.Customers want an easy transaction and product delivered right to their community. Dealers want satisfied customers, a manufacturer that helps them solve issues, with an opportunity to maintain their profit margin. Buellvana achieves that and will be a model of the future for manufacturers.According to Buell, reserving a production slot costs only $25, and will also land you a Buell hat. On top of that, customers will have to add the cost of the motorcycle. There will be two of them, the Carbon Fiber Hammerhead 1190 priced at $18,995, and the Carbon Fiber 1190 SX which will sell from $17,995.Both bikes will share the same hardware, meaning a 72-degree V-Twin engine capable of developing 185 horsepower and 101.6 ft-lbs of torque. At its lightest, the Hammerhead weighs under 200 kg, meaning 419 pounds and making the two-wheeler one solid proposition for people in the market for a new ride.As said, the Buellvana will go live on the manufacturers website on November 1. Hardt recently became the first hyperloop company to receive substantial financial support from Brussels, as it was awarded over $17 million (15 million) by the European Innovation Council (EIC). Hyperloop vehicles have already been acknowledged as a viable solution, in the European Commissions strategy for sustainable mobility. These innovative vehicles that are powered by an electromagnetic propulsion system and that move through tubes, are not only emissions-free, but also energy-efficient. Hardt has already been cooperating with the Dutch government and the Province and Municipality of Groningen, plus several commercial partners, for advancing its hyperloop technology. This recent funding comes as an additional confirmation of the companys achievements so far.Apart from developing the vehicle itself and the additional infrastructure, Hardt is also the first to launch the first facility in Europe able to test this transport system at high speeds. Called the European Hyperloop Center, this pilot project will welcome developers from all over the world and will enable advanced tests, including lane switching and emergency braking. According to Hardt, the future hyperloop network wont require intermediate stops, which is why lane switching is such an important feature.The Center is set to open in 2023 and it will be a major step towards establishing the first hyperloop route in the Netherlands. This route would connect the busiest freight centers in the country, Amsterdam and Rotterdam.The Dutch startup hopes to be able to inaugurate the breakthrough hyperloop route in the next ten years, which would then lead to an extended European hyperloop network. ?Successful deployment of giant 12 metre umbrella-like reflector for @esa forest monitoring satellite ???? Biomass will enable precise measurement of carbon stored in global forests ???????????? Read more:https://t.co/ujIKn2yELF#SpaceMatters pic.twitter.com/FUOIpD8UJi Airbus Space (@AirbusSpace) October 21, 2021 ESAs forest-measuring satellite is called Biomass, because it will measure and monitor the biomass level in different types of forest, mainly tropical ones. Forests are essential for life on Earth, because they filter the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, releasing precious oxygen and storing the carbon. Unfortunately, they are literally dying at an accelerated rate, which leads to the carbon stocks being released, with a negative impact on the environment.Biomass will carry the first space-born P-band synthetic aperture radar, with P-band described as the longest radar wavelength available to Earth observation. This will help measure the level of biomass in forests from space, which is a historic first.A key component of this satellite is a large reflector measuring 39-foot (12 meters) across, which is mounted on the side of the satellite. When it will be released into orbit, the reflector will open up like an umbrella, receiving the P-band data from the forests on Earth.The project has recently hit a milestone, with the reflectors successful testing. The demonstration was conducted by L3Harris Technologies (the components manufacturer) in Florida. Representatives from Airbus (who is building the satellite), ESA, and NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) also attended the event.With the help of the first space-born P-band radar and the worlds largest Earth observation reflector, the Biomass satellite will be able to provide forest maps that are incredibly accurate. According to Airbus, such measurements would simply not be obtainable through conventional measurements.The giant reflector will be sent to the Airbus aerospace facility in Stevenage, UK, by the end of this year, where it will be integrated on the satellite. The Biomass launch is scheduled for 2023, from the European spaceport in French Guiana. Lets get ready to go down memory lane with one of the most beloved and iconic series so far. Alongside Fast and Furious and Mission: Impossible, the Autobots hold a special place in a lot of children's and adults' hearts as well.Transformers debuted in 2007 starring Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf, who got into an unexpected intergalactic robot war between Autobots and Decepticons. Unlike the other series, here the actors changed every couple of movies. Based on the popular cartoon and toy line, the first five had Michael Bay at the helm, and, after LaBoeuf left too, the lead role went to Mark Wahlberg starring alongside several A-list models. While not everyone was a fan of Bay's storytelling, the last movie he directed, The Last Knight (2017) wasn't as successful as the rest of the franchise.After a triumphant spin-off that Travis Knight created, Bumblebee (2018,) that didnt involve either Bay or Wahlberg, the franchise is about to reinvent itself for a seventh movie with Steven Caple Jr. at the helm.Set in the 90s, the film will pick up seven years after the events of Bumblebee, and its storyline will draw from the beloved cartoon series Transformers: Beast Wars . This time, well be getting to see robots turning into huge, metallic animals, with battles taking place from Brooklyn to Machu Picchu in Peru.A few weeks ago, the director shared a first look from the set in Peru of the Autobots and Decepticons well get to see in the upcoming movie. The set wasnt complete without Optimus Prime in his truck form and the iconic Bumblebee car, a Chevrolet Camaro. But he didnt just show the good guys, he also gave a teaser of what were to expect when it comes to the Decepticons.On Wednesday, October 20, the director hopped on Instagram again and shared a snap of himself behind the wheel of first-generation Optimus Prime to announce the world with a simple caption: Thats a wrap.The cast will include Anthony Ramos as Noah and Dominique Fishback as Elena as one of the lead human characters, and the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is supposed to hit theaters on June 24, 2022, if all goes well. A few days ago Lamborghini announced the collaboration in a short video. During that film both Co-founder Justin Coghlan and Global Director of Mens Health Promotion Programmes, Sarah Coghlan, appeared and expressed their excitement."I think we've always designed around (the idea) go to where men are, and men are standing around a car kicking its tires loving it, and they're absolutely where we should be," Coghlan explains. That's at the heart of the partnership but no major details were announced at the time.Still, we did get the chance to see Justin bombing around Italy in a red Huracan . The Lambo even had a black mustache on its nose.Thanks to the new video, we know quite a bit more about the festivities coming up in November. Featured this time around is Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman & CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. He says, "awareness and prevention for me as a male being 57 years old is very important."He hopes Lamborghini can provide a "very light-hearted approach to a very serious matter... this gives good visibility to this movement." Starting November 6th, multiple Giro Lamborghini events will begin around the globe. These are part of the 2021 Lamborghini Bull Runs. He also says that people from Sant'Agata, at Lamborghini headquarters, will be taking part in Movember-based events.During these events, Movember will be a large presence. In addition, dealers around the globe have the option of holding their own rallies with Movember sponsorship. To date, Movember has funded over 1,250 health projects and programs around the planet.Combining forces with Lamborghini is just one more step in the brands' mission to get more guys talking about and ultimately doing something about their health. We fully expect to see more mustachio'd Lambos in the very near future. kW In order to please the European Commission, the peeps at Mercedes have modernized the GLE mid-size luxury utility vehicle with a mild-hybrid turbo diesel. The OM 654 engine is equipped with a second-generation integrated starter-generator unit, which includes the 48-volt electrical system that flaunts three main functions: gliding, boost, and recuperation.The ISG also helps with starting the 2.0-liter powerplant quickly and comfortably so that the start-stop function is almost imperceptible according to Mercedes. Pardon my reproval, but customers who want imperceptible transitions are better off with a gasoline powerplant.Last year, the Stuttgart-based automaker has been fined $2.2 billion for emissions cheating in the United States. Whats more, Mercedes ratted out on Volkswagen, BMW, and itself to the European authorities for intentionally delaying cleaner emissions technology . Given these circumstances, the attached press release tells us the four-cylinder diesel is also very advanced in terms of exhaust gas aftertreatment. Hypocritical would be the word to describe this newfound attention for reducing NOx emissions.The NOx catalytic converter is designed to store nitrogen oxides, especially in cold-start conditions. Two SCR catalytic converters then reduce the nitrogen oxides with the help of AdBlue injection. A diesel particulate filter also needs to be mentioned, and over in Europe, gasoline-fueled cars flaunt particulate filters as well in order to comply with the current regulations.Rated at 200(272 PS or 268 horsepower) plus 15 kW (20 PS or 20 horsepower) of boost from the ISG and up to 550 Nm (406 pound-feet) of torque, the four-cylinder turbo diesel is offered with 4Matic all-wheel-drive that features an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch in the transfer case. From the previous fixed ratio split of 50:50 percent front and rear, the 4Matic system is now capable of sending up to 100 percent to either axle.Scheduled to arrive in European showrooms next month from 75,053.30 euros ($87,300) for the GLE 300 d 4Matic and 79,182.60 euros ($92,100) for the less practical body style, the updated OM 654 engine still doesnt live up to the European Commissions expectations. At most, the German automaker promises 152 grams per kilometer on the combined test cycle. A scheduled airline brand in the U.S. claims to be the first of its kind to launch drone delivery. Were talking about Mesa Airlines, based in Phoenix, Arizona. This regional air carrier has teamed up with Flirtey, an aerospace technology company, to initiate a drone delivery service It does look like the first time when an air carrier dabbles into the foodservice market. Mesa intends to expand its operations from scheduled flights to last-mile deliveries for food and beverages. And it plans to go big not only will it be the first airline to do so in the U.S., but it will also introduce its delivery service in New Zeeland.Flirtey is not a beginner when it comes to drone deliveries . Back in 2015, it conducted the first drone delivery approved by FAA (the Federal Aviation Administration). After that breakthrough project, it also became the first company to achieve an autonomous drone delivery to a home and the first commercial drone delivery. Its collaborations include big names like NASA, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and emergency medical services provider REMSA. Now, together with Mesa, it hopes to expand commercial drone delivery.The two companies have signed a purchase agreement for four drones , with the option of adding 500 more. The new delivery service will integrate Flirteys software platform for autonomous flight operations and its electric delivery drone, called the Eagle. According to Jonathan Ornstein, Mesa Chairman and CEO, drone delivery is the future of small package last-mile delivery, but food deliveries are just the first step in the airlines future expansion.The first drone delivery service launched by a scheduled airline in the U.S. is another step towards eventually replacing traditional delivery operations. Described as the world cruise of world cruises by Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean s CEO, the lengthy voyage will take place onboard the Serenade of the Seas, one of the favorites in the fleet. The cruise will include more than 65 countries and 11 great wonders of the world, boasting of being the longest and most comprehensive one available on the market.With Miami as the starting and ending point of the epic journey, visitors will get to see Casablanca, Morocco, Greenland, Shimizu, Japan (the gateway to Mount Fuji), Perus Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal in India, to name just a few of the highlights of the trip.This ultimate vacation will be an adventure in style, as guests will experience a world-class service onboard Serenade, a 964 ft (294 m)-long vessel with 12 passenger decks, nine elevators for passengers, and a capacity of 2,490 guests and 891 crew members. It features a theater, pool, spa, and a rock-climbing wall, to name just a few of its amenities.While bookings have already been opened for the Ultimate World Cruise, theyre exclusively available to Royal Caribbeans Crown & Anchor Society Diamond status members and above until October 26th. After that, anyone can book a sit on the cruise by calling Royal Caribbeans dedicated line (youll find more information in the press release below the article). Prices start at $61,000 per guest.Royal Caribbeans Ultimate World Cruise is scheduled to kick off on December 10, 2023, and will end on September 10, 2024. Even though the cruise line company has been around for more than 50 years, having itineraries in over 70 countries around the world, this one is indeed going to be the ultimate one in terms of duration and number of destinations included. Stellantis announced its new joint venture with Samsung SDI on October 22, and it is remarkably similar to that made with LGES. It will also have a maximum production capacity of 40 GWh per year, it is also part of the 30 billion investment in electrification, and it will supply Stellantis plants in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, etc.The main difference relates to the supplier and to when the new plant will start to operate: 2025. The factory with LGES will begin pumping out batteries one year earlier, in 2024. Stellantis said that this is just one of (the) multiple battery plants dedicated to Stellantis electric vehicle production in (the) region. That means it will establish other joint ventures with different battery suppliers.There are still plenty of them for Stellantis to work with: SK Innovation, CATL, Gotian, and even BYD. The Chinese battery makers may be willing to partner with the automaker to establish cell manufacturing plants in North America, especially considering that they have mastered the production of LFP (lithium iron phosphate) cells.Tesla has recently announced all its entry-level vehicles will use this sort of battery all over the world. In other words, it will need its LFP supplier to establish in North America, preferably in the U.S. Stellantis may soon cut a deal with the companies that produce these cells, such as CATL and BYD What is pretty clear is that the race to ensure a steady supply of batteries for electric cars has started, and Stellantis is not willing to put all its eggs in a single basket. It is also not comfortable letting suppliers produce cells for it without its involvement, hence the joint ventures. Expect to hear about new ones from Stellantis pretty soon. The Type 26 ships will replace the Type 23 frigates that have been in service since 1987, and are described by the Royal Navy as the worlds most advanced submarine hunters. The first three ships in this class, currently being built, are named after important UK cities: HMS Glasgow, HMS Cardiff, and HMS Belfast. They will be followed by five more ships, all of them operating from the Devonport Naval Base.HMS Glasgow is the first of these next-generation frigates to come to life, at BAE Systems yard, in Govan. Although its build isnt complete yet, the submarine hunter is ready to receive its first crew members. The Royal Navy announced that half a dozen sailors have already joined HMS Glasgow.They will have the important task of creating the operators manual for the ship, which will include its routine and the best way of working with all of the systems onboard. Like all of the Type 26 frigates, this warship will be equipped with a 5-inch gun and vertical-launch missile silo, plus bow and towed-array sonars. A Wildcat or Merlin helicopter will also join it in its submarine-hunting operations.HMS Cardiff will soon follow, while the third ship in this next-generation class began construction only a few months ago. It was quite an event, as His Royal Highness, Prince William himself kicked off the building process, by setting the plasma cutting machine on the first steel plate that will become part of the ship.The other warships that are being built at the same time, will be part of the new Inspiration class. These five Type 31 frigates will also be highly versatile, with capabilities ranging from intelligence operations and submarine detection to humanitarian support. The first Type 31 frigate, HMS Venturer, is currently being built in Rosyth. 5 Hypersonic Rocket Motor Tested by the U.S. Navy, Works as Advertised 4 U.S. Navy Completes Ground Test of Second Stage Motor for Hypersonic Weapon 3 U.S. Navys Acoustic Hailing and Disruption System Weaponizes the Targets Own Voice U.S. Navy, Army Successfully Test Advanced Hypersonic Weapon Systems The Navy and Army have recently tested advanced hypersonic technologies and prototype systems during a High Operational Tempo for Hypersonics flight campaign. The test marks a significant step toward the development of the common hypersonic missile that will be fielded by the services. 6 photos Both the Navy and the Sandia National Laboratories carried the demonstration from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, and it involved testing advanced hypersonic weapon systems in a realistic setting. Three precision sounding rocket launches featuring hypersonic experiments from multiple defense contractors were executed. These deploys were a significant part of the demonstration as they bridge the gap between ground testing and full system flight testing during weapon system development. Not only that, but they also permit frequent flight testing, allowing offensive and defensive hypersonic technology to progress rapidly. The recent flight campaign represents a major step in the development of the common hypersonic missile, which will be fielded by both the Navy and the Army with separate weapon systems and launchers. The demonstration also follows earlier program milestones. In August, the U.S. Navy successfully tested its weapon system's Hypersonic weapons are capable systems that can travel at least five times the speed of sound. They offer warfighters massive advantages over existing missile technology in terms of maneuverability, flexibility, and evasion. These capabilities allow them to defeat high-value targets from hundreds or even thousands of miles away in a matter of minutes.Both the Navy and the Army are developing their own hypersonic weapon systems through separate programs called Conventional Prompt Strike and Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon. The services are getting closer to bringing these weapons' capabilities to the field with the recent flight campaign.Sandia National Laboratories carried the demonstration from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, and it involved testing advanced hypersonic weapon systems in a realistic setting.Three precision sounding rocket launches featuring hypersonic experiments from multiple defense contractors were executed. These deploys were a significant part of the demonstration as they bridge the gap between ground testing and full system flight testing during weapon system development. Not only that, but they also permit frequent flight testing, allowing offensive and defensive hypersonic technology to progress rapidly.The recent flight campaign represents a major step in the development of the common hypersonic missile, which will be fielded by both the Navy and the Army with separate weapon systems and launchers.The demonstration also follows earlier program milestones. In August, the U.S. Navy successfully tested its weapon system's second stage solid rocket motor (SRM), only a few months after it conducted a live-fire test of the rocket motors first stage. The Navy and Army will continue to work together in order to explore future testing opportunities. load press release Volocopter plans to bring UAM to Japan and promises to conduct the first public test flights of its eVTOL by 2023. In addition to signing a long-term partnership with Japan Airlines, the German company also plans to bring urban air mobility to Osaka, one of the busiest cities in Asia. The eVTOL developer partook in the Osaka Roundtable at the beginning of this month and committed to fly its aircraft during the Osaka Kansai Expo in 2025.According to Volocopter, Osaka has one of the largest industrial bay areas in Asia, with several international airports and seaports in its vicinity. This makes it a perfect location for conducting tests in various environments, over water, land, and city conditions.Japan is really eager to join the air mobility revolution, aiming to fully commercialize the eVTOL air taxi and heavy lift cargo drone businesses by 2030. Investor Japan Airlines has already reserved 100 aircraft from Volocopter (its VoloCity and VoloDrone , to be more specific).Volocopter also has a partnership with Singapore to bring its air taxi services to the country within the next three years, as well as with China, through a joint venture with Geely . 150 of its Volocopter products will be delivered to the latter within the next five years.While Volocopter has many competitors in the eVTOL market, the company claims it is the worlds first developer to have successful public flights on several continents. It is also the first and only one to have two certification approvals from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to design and produce aircraft in-house. Copyright 2020 by Mountain Times Publications. Digital or printed dissemination of this content without prior written consent is a violation of federal law and may be subject to legal action. Launching gubernatorial bids, making presidential endorsements, founding schools: Celebrities are getting increasingly involved in U.S. public and political life. Why it matters: As we've reported, politics is no longer just the purview of career politicians, as companies and their CEOs throw their weight around to affect policies. Now, movie stars, famous musicians and professional athletes also are using their influence in politics. "You could write the same book on celebrity in politics as you could write on business in politics," says David Jackson, a political science professor at Bowling Green State University. What's happening: While we've seen celebrity presidents before most notably Ronald Reagan they've held lower elected offices before making it to the White House. Donald Trump's victory represented a paradigm shift, Jackson says: "He went straight from the tabloids of New York to the presidency, with no previous experience." "That certainly established a precedent for a new route to the presidency that we have yet to see if others will take," he says. Celebrities are running for office at every level and some have a real shot, polls indicate. According to a recent survey by the consumer research platform Piplsay, 63% of Americans believe Hollywood stars can make good politicians "with the right attitude and support staff." Actor Matthew McConaughey has said he's "measuring" a run for Texas governor. And a recent Dallas Morning News/University of Texas at Tyler poll put him ahead of incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott. Former Olympic athlete and Caitlyn Jenner recently made a run for California governor. In the Piplsay poll, 58% said they'd support Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a presidential candidate. Another 30% said they'd like to see Angelina Jolie run for the top job, and 22% said Tom Hanks. Stars are also participating in public life in other ways. A slew of celebrities, including George Clooney, LeBron James, Dr. Dre and Pitbull, have started their own schools. And stars make enormous splashes with their political endorsements both in terms of fundraising and getting out the vote. The big picture: The popularity of celebrities in politics is part of a larger trend of distrust in government, Bowling Green's Jackson says. " The general belief that a lot of Americans have is that people who are not career politicians are somehow more qualified and less tainted than those whove spent their careers in politics," he says. The general belief that a lot of Americans have is that people who are not career politicians are somehow more qualified and less tainted than those whove spent their careers in politics," he says. And celebrities have the advantage of huge name recognition, while being Washington outsiders. But, but, but: That very lack of experience has led celebrity pols to fail in the past, FiveThirtyEight's Alex Samuels reports. Take former bodybuilder, movie star and California Gov. Arnold Schwarznagger, who was "widely criticized during his time as governor for things like failing to address Californias budget crisis," Samuels writes. The bottom line: While past celebrity politicos may have been anomalies, today's famous folk are emboldened by their star power in the age of social media and encouraged by the success of predecessors. Look for their presence to keep rising. Angela Merkel took up her vaunted mantle as Europe's crisis manager for what could be the last time tonight, as she urged the EU to find compromise in its showdown with Poland. Why it matters: The European Commission has threatened to withhold over $40 billion in pandemic recovery funds after Poland's constitutional tribunal stacked with loyalists from the ruling right-wing populist party rejected the principle that EU law has primacy over national law. What they're saying: European Parliament President David Sassoli accused Poland of undermining the "legal bedrock" of the EU, claiming that "never before has the Union been called into question so radically." "Poland will not be intimidated," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki shot back, accusing the EU of "financial blackmail" while insisting that his country had no intention of leaving the bloc. He received backing from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who remarked as he arrived at the leaders summit in Brussels that Poland was "the best country in Europe" and the victim of a "witch hunt." Behind the scenes: EU officials did not take detailed notes on the Poland discussions at tonight's late-night summit and will not mention the issue in their formal conclusions, as leaders seem intent to keep any heated confrontations in "the family," according to Politico Europe. Flashback: At the last summit in June, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told Orban during a tear-filled debate that Hungary should leave the EU over its controversial anti-LGBT law. What's next: Now at her 107th and potentially final leaders summit, Merkel is seeking to minimize drama and the risk of losing a second EU member state as she exits the chancellery after 16 crisis-filled years: "We must find ways and possibilities to come together again on this," she stressed, warning against a rush to sanctions or litigation. Go deeper: Poland showdown is EU's Jan. 6 moment, top official says Putin commented on the aftermath of last years war in Nagorno-Karabakh and Russian efforts to bolster a shaky peace in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict zone during an annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club on Thursday. The main thing now is to finally resolve the situation on the [Armenian-Azerbaijani] border, and its impossible to do anything here without Russias participation, he said. We probably dont need anyone except Russia and the two sides. Why? Because the Russian armys General Staff has maps showing the borders that existed between Soviet republics in Soviet times. Tensions have run high in recent months at several sections of the long border where Azerbaijani forces reportedly advanced a few kilometers into Armenian territory in mid-May. Armenia has repeatedly demanded their unconditional withdrawal. Azerbaijan maintains that its troops took up new positions on the Azerbaijani side of the frontier. Moscow proposed later in May that Yerevan and Baku set up a commission on border delimitation and demarcation. It offered to act as a mediator in such talks. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian stated at the time that the talks are conditional on an Azerbaijani withdrawal from Armenias sovereign territory. But he indicated in August that his government is ready to negotiate without any preconditions. Baku has also expressed readiness for such negotiations. They have still not begun, however. Putin, who brokered a ceasefire that stopped the Karabakh war last November, said that while Soviet military maps must serve as a basis of the talks the two conflicting sides should be ready for minor territorial swaps and other mutual concessions. There are things there that also require mutual compromises, he said. Something could be straightened [on the map] in some places and swapped in others. Pashinian has for months been facing Armenian opposition allegations that he has secretly agreed to cede major chunks of Armenian territory to Azerbaijan. The prime minister has categorically denied that. Russia is already the sole international facilitator of ongoing Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations on opening transport links between the two South Caucasus foes. A Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani task force set up in January for that purpose held a fresh meeting in Moscow earlier this week. Putin stressed on Thursday that Moscow remains committed to a multilateral format of achieving a broader normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. He said it is now trying to step up the mediating activities of the OSCE Minsk Group co-headed by Russia, France and the United States. Avanesian said the Armenian Ministry of Health signed a trilateral agreement to that effect with them on Thursday. Thank you the Kingdom of Norway and the Moderna company for your efforts to overcome the pandemic, she wrote on her Facebook page. Avanesian said that the European Union will assist in the upcoming shipments of Modernas Spikevax vaccine to Armenia. She gave no dates for their delivery. Modernas co-founder and chairman, Noubar Afeyan, is an Armenian-American billionaire businessman. Afeyan has financed various charity projects in Armenia. Armenia has already received smaller quantities of vaccines donated by the governments of France, Belgium, Lithuania, China and Russia. Health authorities in the South Caucasus state began using earlier this month 50,000 doses of Spikevax provided by the Lithuanian government. Armenians were previously inoculated only with Chinese and Russian vaccines as well as the Astra Zeneca jab developed by Oxford University. Avanesian said in July that Armenia will buy this fall 50,000 doses of Johnson & Johnsons single-dose vaccine and 300,000 doses of the Novavax jab. Shortly afterwards the Armenian government allocated funds for the purchase of 300,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. None of those vaccines have been imported yet. The latest donation pledge comes as the authorities in Yerevan are trying to speed up the slow pace of vaccinations in the country of about 3 million amid rising coronavirus cases and hospitalizations that have overwhelmed the Armenian healthcare system. As of October 17, just over 403,000 people there received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and only about 185,000 of them were fully vaccinated. Starting from October 1, all Armenian workers are required to get inoculated or take coronavirus tests twice a month at their own expense. Avanesian said last week that the authorities could also introduce a mandatory coronavirus health pass for entry to cultural and leisure venues. The Ministry of Health said on Friday that 42 more Armenians have died from COVID-19 in the past day. The ministry also reported five other deaths indirectly caused by the disease. These restrictions have taken the form of legislative initiatives, rules and regulations, and practical actions restricting journalistic activity, said Ashot Melikian of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Speech. Presenting a quarterly report released by his organization, Melikian singled out serious curbs on journalists freedom of movements inside the Armenian parliament building which were imposed days after the current National Assembly held its inaugural session on August 2. Under the new rules introduced by parliament speaker Alen Simonian, reporters accredited to the parliament can no longer interview deputies coming out of the chamber or enter a section of the building housing their offices. Simonian, who is a senior member of the ruling Civil Contract party, cited security concerns and the need for greater media respect for parliamentarians. Opposition lawmakers, human rights ombudsman Arman Tatoyan and Armenias leading media associations rejected that explanation. Those groups expressed outrage at Simonians attempts to block press coverage of an August 11 parliament session that descended into chaos amid bitter insults traded by pro-government and opposition deputies. Security officers entered the press gallery overlooking the chamber and ordered journalists present there to stop filming or photographing the ugly scenes. It was an unprecedented and condemnable action, Melikian told a news conference. Journalists must be able to show the public what kind of a National Assembly was elected and how each deputy behaves. Melikian also condemned recent government-backed bills that tripled maximum legal fines for slander and made it a crime to gravely insult state officials and public figures. Nobody is going to defend slanderers or slander in general, he said. What we emphasize is that very often strong criticism is interpreted as a grave insult. We all know that officials and politicians regard such criticism as an insult. The bill on heavier defamation fines was authored by speaker Simonian. President Armen Sarkissian refused to sign it into law in April, asking the Constitutional Court to assess its constitutionality. The court ruled earlier this month that the bill does not run counter to the Armenian constitution. The Armenian authorities decision to criminalize slander and defamation was strongly criticized by Freedom House late last month. The Washington-based democracy group said it testifies to a clear degradation of democratic norms in Armenia, including freedom of expression. Pro-government lawmakers rejected the criticism. Senior representatives of the bloc led by former President Robert Kocharian claimed that Pashinian is ready to cede more territory to Baku, including by agreeing to a land corridor between the Nakhichevan exclave and western Azerbaijan passing through Armenias Syunik province. We believe that what is happening will lead to a new capitulation agreement, said Ishkhan Saghatelian, a deputy parliament speaker. Armenia will be making new concessions. In order to prevent that, pan-Armenian forces must form a national resistance front to show the entire world, including this government of evil, that our people disagree with this course and are fighting against it. We need to explain all this to people because [Pashinian] is continuing to fool people [with talk of peace.] After sending people to their death [in Nagorno-Karabakh last fall] he is now intimidating them with [warnings about] another war, he told reporters. Saghatelian said that Hayastan is now holding consultations with other opposition groups and will announce the date of its rally next week. He would not say whether it will be a one-off protest or the first in a series of anti-government rallies. Pashinian visited the Armenian parliament on Thursday to meet with deputies representing his Civil Contract party. According to one of those lawmakers, Gagik Melkonian, Pashinian assured them that he is not planning any territorial concessions to Baku. Melkonian shrugged off the opposition allegations about such concessions, saying that Kocharians bloc simply wants to seize power. He said the authorities are not worried about Hayastan protests. Their place is the street, he told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. Let them fight on the street. Nobody will be standing by their side. Saghatelian confirmed that Pashinians removal from power remains on Hayastans agenda. Kocharian, who had ruled Armenia from 1998-2008, likewise said on October 4 that regime change remains his and his political allies key goal. But he cautioned that they must generate greater popular anger at the government before trying to topple it with street protests. The biggest problem is that a considerable part of our people has come to terms with this situation and voted for these ones, Kocharian said, referring to the ruling political team. He insisted at the same time that a politically active minority of citizens can also pose a serious threat to Pashinians hold on power. Pashinians Civil Contract party won Armenias June 20 parliamentary elections with almost 54 percent of the vote, according to their official results. Hayastan came in a distant second with 21 percent. Its final election campaign rally in Yerevan drew a massive crowd. Idaho hospitals have been in crisis for weeks. Has that affected COVID-19 vaccine uptake? Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccines are 91% effective in kids 5-11. Heres what else you need to know Sweeping homelessness under the rug. Activists say they wont obey new Miami law Brenda Ruth Street Mitchell, age 71, of the Peapatch area of Jewell Ridge, VA, went home to be with our Lord and Savior on Friday, November 19, 2021 at home on Peapatch surrounded by her loving family. She was born and raised in Whitewood, VA and was a daughter of the late Arthur Street and FILE - This Wednesday, March 31, 2021 file photo shows empty vials of Johnson & Johnson's one-dose COVID-19 vaccine at a mobile vaccination site in Uniondale, N.Y. On Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are slated to discuss who should get extra doses of the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines and the bigger question of getting a different brand for the booster than people's original vaccination. September marked the third year since a lifelong Silsbee resident received her breast cancer diagnosis. Homemaker Lamesa Smith, 58, previously worked as a medical assistant at a local doctors office. Smith was diagnosed in 2018 with an aggressive Triple Negative Breast Cancer in her right breast. The cancer feeds on hormones. In her right breast, she was diagnosed with a more common and less aggressive form -- HER-2. I had lost a lot of weight, Smith said. I thought it was changing breast tissue from weight loss. So, whenever I followed up with my female doctor, my OBGYN, they noticed a lump. It was time for my (yearly) mammogram anyway. Smith took a test that confirmed that the breast cancer was not genetic. However, her maternal grandmother, and maternal great grandmother had ovarian cancer. She and her doctor agreed that a radical bilateral mastectomy, which requires the removal of both breasts and the lymph nodes, was her best option. Related: Sabine River Authority Administrative Assistant works to check off breast cancer She would still make the same decision today, because it was for her family. I have grand babies, Smith said. I want to see them grow. I want to be here for my kids, even though they are adults. My husband is about to retire. We are fixing to start living some of our best years. At first, Smith said the experience was a whirlwind because it happened so fast. She was diagnosed September 24, 2018 and had surgery by October 5, 2018, which included a complete hysterectomy to limit the hormones for the triple negative to feed off of. If any cells or pieces of the cancer were left, it could spread in other areas in her body, including her bones. If you have breast cancer, if you get it somewhere else it is still considered breast cancer, even if you dont have breasts, Smith said. Smith believes God gave her strength through her difficult fight. She also has had the support of her husband, daughter and best friend through the battle. She said she originally felt comfortable with the mastectomy, but she struggled after making the decision. Related: 'We both had it' Cancer requires a strong support system Once I finished with all of the chemo and everything was behind me and everything caught up, it became too emotional, Smith said. It felt like everything was taken away. There was a way I could fix that by having reconstruction to mentally and emotionally help me in the days to come. Houston Methodists Dr. Warren Ellsworth performed a Diep Flap Reconstruction and used tissue and nerves from Smiths own body to give her the look and feel of natural breasts again. I am beginning to get my feeling back, the nerves are beginning to reconnect, Smith said. It has been good. It was hard. It was a long surgery. Recovery was rough. But it is doable. She also considering getting a 3D nipple tattoo from a Houston artist who provides the option to add the final touch for a more natural look instead of having a barbie boob, Smith said with a bashful chuckle. Her advice to others: Stay positive. Related: These women are experts at navigating breast cancer Its OK to have a bad day, Smith said. Its OK to baby yourself for a few days, but dont stay there. Pity parties happen, but they are not meant to last. Smith joined a handful of women for The Enterprises Brave & Beautiful Day. The private event returned after the pandemic to provide the ladies a day of pampering as a break from their battle with breast cancer. The day included getting their hair styled at the Luxx Studio, a makeup session with cosmetology students with the Southeast Texas Career Institute, clothes from a local boutique, lunch provided by Holiday Inn and a photo shoot. The women also had a chance to mingle, share their stories, and support each other. Smith beamed when the women reacted to her new look. Very uplifting. Very wonderful. Very encouraging, Smith said describing the experience as the other women joked playfully in the room with her. I love hearing the laughter behind me. This story was sponsored by Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital and Texas Oncology. Kaitlin Bain has been named the new managing editor leading the newsroom at the Beaumont Enterprise. Effective Monday, Bain moved into the position as she starts her fourth year at the paper and after several months serving as the top editor in an interim role. I am very pleased that Kaitlin has accepted the position to lead the Beaumont newsroom as Managing Editor. During her tenure she has shown a strong commitment to local journalism, the community and growing the skill set of the staff in digital first reporting. These skills will serve her well as we continue to expand and deepen our local reporting staff, said Jeff Bergin, President of Hearst Community Newspapers. Before taking on a digital development position with Hearsts Community Newspapers division earlier in the year, Bain was the Enterprises government reporter. Bain is taking the position during a time of transformation for the paper, as she and other staff members worked to reorganize and rebuild the newsroom after a series of retirements and internal promotions, but she said that period of change helped her realize the potential that could come from taking the helm. I ended up in the position in an acting role as we rebuilt the team, but I enjoyed working with reporters on a daily basis and tackling the issues of helping them represent the whole community in their reporting, Bain said. She is a graduate of Texas Tech University with Bachelors Degrees in journalism and political science and is an alum of the universitys student newspaper, The Daily Toreador. Bain is a native Texan and grew up in southeast Houston. She was working in Central Washington and looking for a path to return closer to home when the Enterprises editor in 2018, Ronnie Crocker, offered her a job. Building on her experience as a government reporter at the Yakima Herald-Republic, she built a reporting beat that focused not just on local governments or elected officials but also the people impacted by their decisions. Her series of investigations into subjects like the Oxbow Calcining plants legal troubles in Port Arthur and Jefferson Countys Drainage District 6 earned her the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors honor for Star Report of the Year in 2019, and contributed to the Enterprises dual prize of Newspaper of the Year and Newsroom of the Year. Through those stories and others, she soon found herself enamored by the community. I remember after I had been here six months, when people would ask me how I liked it here, I would actually tell them I was embarrassed at how much I liked it here, she said, adding the embarrassment was the result of the eye-rolls she received when she expressed her excitement. She said she found the communities she visited warm and incredibly interesting, despite the misconceptions the rest of Texas seemed to have of the area, but the source of her fondness with her new home became more clear after Tropical Depression Imelda hit the area in September of 2019. Walking through flooded neighborhoods in Vidor, she recalls strangers stopping her in the street to ask her if she was okay and if she needed help cleaning out her house, never assuming she didnt belong. When she interviewed people that had just suffered immense devastation hours before and were still coming to terms with it, she was struck with their ability to still trust her with their story and the responsibility the Enterprise had to tell it. Bain said that experience and the hundreds of others shes had in Southeast Texas will inform the kind of paper she will help lead. We want to do justice in the reporting we do every day, Bain said. We understand we have to cover trials, crime and everything else that happens, but this area so often gets overlooked by misconceptions. It's a vibrant community that deserves more than that, and people trusting us has helped us tell that story. All of the Enterprises reporters and most of its staff live in Southeast Texas and work in its downtown Beaumont office - living as a part of the community they serve. Although the historic building is currently for sale, Bain said readers can still expect their local paper to remain that way, as the company is not looking to move outside Beaumont. Readers can also expect an open and responsive staff that are eager to hear comments and suggestions. A public forum and a readers committee have been in development to give readers a chance to meet the Enterprise staff and have their voices heard to make sure their paper is covering the entire community. A plan to eventually open the offices front lobby is still in the works, but Bain said she and reporters will always make time to answer an email, comment or voicemail from their neighbors in Southeast Texas. As someone that was very recently a reporter, I want to stress we arent faceless machines, she said. If you have a question or a correction, you dont have to keep it to yourself. We want to talk to you. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jd_journalism WASHINGTON (AP) Facebooks semi-independent oversight board says the company has fallen short of full disclosure on its internal system that exempts high-profile users from some or all of its content rules. Facebook has not been fully forthcoming with the overseers about its XCheck, or cross-check, system the board said in a report Thursday. It also said it will review the system and recommend how the social network giant could change it. The board started looking into the XCheck system last month after The Wall Street Journal reported that many VIP users abuse it, posting material that would cause ordinary users to be sanctioned including for harassment and incitement of violence. For certain elite users, Facebooks rules reportedly dont seem to apply. There were at least 5.8 million exempted users as of last year, according to the Journal article. Facebook is generally not bound under the oversight boards rules to follow its recommendations. We believe the boards work has been impactful, which is why we asked the board for input into our cross-check system, and we will strive to be clearer in our explanations to them going forward," Facebook said in a statement Thursday. The report said Facebook wrongly failed to mention the XCheck system when it asked the board earlier this year to rule on its ban on former President Donald Trumps accounts following the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. Facebook only mentioned cross-check to the board when we asked whether Mr. Trumps page or account had been subject to ordinary content-moderation processes, the report said. In May, the board upheld Facebooks suspension of Trumps accounts, which came out of concern that he incited violence leading to the Jan. 6 riot. But the overseers told Facebook to specify how long the suspension would last. Facebook later announced that Trumps accounts would be suspended for two years, freezing his presence on the social network until early 2023, to be followed by a reassessment. Trump announced Wednesday the launch of a new media company with its own social media platform. He said his goal is to create a rival to the Big Tech companies that have shut him out and denied him the megaphone that was paramount in his national rise. Twitter, which was Trump's platform of choice, banned him permanently after the Jan. 6 assault. The oversight board said Thursday that for its review, Facebook agreed to provide the internal company documents on the XCheck system that were referenced in the Journal article. Facebook documents were leaked to the newspaper by Frances Haugen, a former product manager in the companys civic integrity unit who also provided them to Congress and went public this month with a far-reaching condemnation of the company. In a separate blog post, the board said Haugen has accepted its invitation for a meeting in coming weeks, to discuss her experiences and gather information that can help push for greater transparency and accountability from Facebook through our case decisions and recommendations." Haugens accusations of possible serious harm to some young people from Facebooks Instagram photo-sharing platform raised outrage among lawmakers and the public. The board said in its report that in some cases, Facebook failed to provide relevant information to the board, while in other instances, the information it did provide was incomplete. In a briefing to the board, Facebook admitted it should not have said that (XCheck) only applied to a small number of decisions, the report said. Facebook noted that for teams operating at the scale of millions of content decisions a day, the numbers involved ... seem relatively small, but recognized its phrasing could come across as misleading. Facebook created the oversight panel to rule on thorny content issues following widespread criticism of its problems responding swiftly and effectively to misinformation, hate speech and harmful influence campaigns. The board's decisions have tended to favor free expression over the restriction of content. Its members include a former prime minister of Denmark and a former editor-in-chief of British newspaper the Guardian, along with legal scholars, human rights experts and journalists. The board's independence has been questioned by critics who say it's a Facebook PR campaign intended to draw attention away from deeper problems of hate and misinformation that flourish on its platforms. __ Follow Marcy Gordon at https://twitter.com/mgordonap FILE Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the opening of a monoclonal antibody site Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 said he will call state lawmakers back to work early to pass legislation to combat coronavirus vaccine mandates enacted by businesses. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) Copyright 2021 Dick Polman, distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Dick Polman, a veteran national political columnist based in Philadelphia and a Writer in Residence at the University of Pennsylvania, writes at DickPolman.net. Email him at dickpolman7@gmail.com. Free contemporary Christian concert will be hosted by the Bedford Church of the Brethren at 7 p.m. Nov. 6. The trio 3 Four One will present modern, harmonic versions of traditional, contemporary and original songs. The church is located at 310 Donahue Road. An offering will be collected. Pictured are, from left, Julie Hanlon, Rebecca Culp and Lisa Surkovich. God is a Father that answers prayer, and we love when He agrees with our prayer requests. However, there will be times when God says "no" or not yet to our prayers. As a good Father, God will never agree to something thats not in our long-term best interest, even when we constantly pray or beg. When God says yes to our prayer requests, it builds our confidence and faith in prayer. So what should we do when God tells us "no" or not yet? Accepting Gods "no" can be challenging, but you must trust that God is saying "no" for the reason thats beyond your understanding. God's "No" in the Bible The Bible shares a few examples of God not doing what someone asked. God can see things that we cant, which is why He tells us "no" when its necessary. In 2 Samuel 12:16, King David pleaded with God for the life of his and Bathshebas infant son. David fasted and prayed for days. However, on the seventh day, the baby died. Instead of being angry at God and turning away from Him, David accepted what God had done, and he went to church and worshipped. Of course, David hoped for a different outcome, but he understood that God is God; He has the right to choose who lives and who dies. David didnt become bitter; instead, He trusted that God knew what He was doing and accepted his decision. The New Testament also offers examples of God saying "no." In Acts 16:6-9, Paul was all set to travel throughout Asia Minor to preach, but God said "no." At first, Paul thought he understood Gods plan; He tried to continue through Asia, but this time, the Holy Spirit told him "no." Paul wanted to listen and obey God, regardless of what he wanted. So Paul left Asia Minor and went to Macedonia instead. In Macedonia, Paul started churches that touched the entire world. Paul shows a different reaction to Gods "no;" he chooses to obey God and redirect to another plan. In his personal life, Paul was troubled by what he called a thorn in the flesh. He describes this thorn as a messenger that Satan sent to torture him. Paul asked God three different times to take this torn away, but God said "no." In this instance, Paul learned to give God the glory even when things got too hard. Like David, Paul could have become angry with God and turned away from him. Instead, Paul chose to be grateful and give praise during the hardships. Both of these instances show us that God will never stop being God. Isaiah 46:9-11 says that God is God and there is no other like Him. There are times when God will say yes because our plans fit with His plans. Romans 8:28 says that God works for the good of the people who love Him in all things. It says that God works for the people who He calls according to His purpose. This verse in Romans says that God already has a plan set for us. God said yes to Moses request when he asked to see His glory. God also said yes to Solomon when Solomon asked God for wisdom. Sometimes, our goal doesnt match His plan, and thats where He has to take control. Why God Says "No" There will be times when God says "no" to things that we want very badly. For example, you may have been praying to God for years to have a baby. For whatever reason, God keeps saying "no." In this instance, Gods "no" doesnt mean that God thinks youll be a bad parent; It could just mean that God doesnt like the partner that youre with, and Hes waiting for you to leave them and find a better partner. As another example, you may be going through a rough patch in your relationship, praying for God to fix it. However, God says "no." This example of God saying "no" doesnt mean that God didnt want to save your marriage; instead, He knew you deserved better. Those with childish faith will use Gods "no" as an excuse to turn away from Him or ditch Him altogether. Yes, God will answer our prayers, but that doesnt mean that He is our genie, waiting for our every beck and call. He is not obligated to grant every request that we give Him. If we expect God to provide us with everything we want, that wont make Him a good Father. We should never expect God to perform for us; Instead, we should be grateful for the blessings that He gives us and thank Him for keeping us away from problems that we cant see. A "no" from God will teach us to persevere, even when we dont understand. James 1:3 tells us that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. God telling us "no" can also force us to pursue God more intently. When God constantly tells us yes, we tend to only go to Him when we need something. God telling us "no" shows that we genuinely love Him and understand that He wants to best for us, even when we dont understand. Gods "no" will also break the box that we try to keep Him in and allow God to reveal who He is to us. God is a good Father; He cant always give us what we want when we ask for it, especially when He knows its not good for us. God tells us "no" when its a part of his bigger plan. Our lack of faith shows that we dont believe He is who He says He is. Hebrews 11:6 says that its impossible to please God without faith because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists, and He rewards people who seek Him with intention. God also says "no" when our prayers are rooted in selfishness or when a yes would harm us. Gods "no" also teaches us patience. It shows that we may not always get what we want when we want it. Ultimately, God saying "no" means that He wants the best for us and that His plan is bigger and better than ours. While youre waiting for God to say yes, thank Him for protecting you by saying "no." A prime suspect arrested overnight in connection with deadly anti-Hindu riots last week has confessed to planting a Quran at a Hindu festival site, an act that helped provoke Bangladeshs worst religious violence in decades, officials said Friday. Police arrested Ikbal Hossain, 35, on Thursday night from Coxs Bazar, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) from Cumilla, the district where the violence began on Oct. 13 after an online video post showed the Quran at the Hindu site. [I]n primary interrogation [Ikbal] admitted that he placed the Quran at the Puja site, two senior police officers told BenarNews on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case. Puja refers to an annual nine-day Hindu festival, Durga Puja. But M. Tanvir Ahmed, Cumilla Polices additional superintendent, all but acknowledged that Ikbal said he had placed the Quran at the puja venue. We are trying to find out why he placed the Quran at the Puja venue. We need to know who hired him to do this, if anyone did, Tanvir told BenarNews without giving additional details. He said the suspect was brought to Cumilla from Coxs Bazar around noon on Friday, after which police began to interrogate him. Last weeks alleged desecration of the Quran said to have been placed at the feet of a statue at a puja site enraged Muslims in Cumilla, who attacked Hindus, their homes, temples and puja venues. The violence spread to districts near Cumilla on the same day, and around the Muslim-majority country over the next few days. Police said they identified Iqbal, a resident of Cumilla, from a 17-minute long edited video of CCTV footage from around the puja site where the Quran had been placed. In the footage, a man was seen picking up a Quran from a mosque near the Darogabari area of Cumilla city, police said. He was then seen entering the puja site with the Quran and leaving without it, police added. After seeing the video footage Ikbals mother, Amina Begum, confirmed that the man seen with the Quran was her son, Cumilla Polices Tanvir said. According to his family members, Ikbal was addicted to drugs, Tanvir said. However, Nirmal Paul, a puja organizer in Cumilla, was not inclined to believe that. Some people are saying that Ikbal is mentally sick. But I think committing such a horrible act and running away is something a mentally ill person cannot possibly do, he told Benar News on Thursday. Ikbal Hossain is seen in a police station in Coxs Bazar after his arrest, Oct. 21, 2021. [Handout Coxs Bazar Police] Deadliest spate of sectarian violence Meanwhile, an elderly Hindu man who sustained injuries during the attack in Cumilla on the first day of the violence died on Friday at a Dhaka hospital, taking the death toll from the clashes to eight. The man identified as Dilip Das, 75, was seriously injured after being hit on the head with a brick while inside a puja venue on Oct. 13, police sub-inspector Abdul Khalek told BenarNews. Bangladesh police said Friday they have arrested 584 people in connection with the religious violence. Hindus, who make up about 10 percent of Bangladeshs 165 million population, are often the target of attacks. According to Ain-O-Salish Kendra, a Bangladeshi human rights group, there were at least 3,679 attacks on the Hindu community between January 2013 and September this year. New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) called last weeks incidents the deadliest spate of sectarian violence in Bangladesh in years. The authorities should take immediate steps to protect Hindu religious minorities and prosecute those responsible, including members of law enforcement agencies, for unlawful violence, HRW said in a statement Thursday night. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed is facing a critical moment to show in words and action that she is serious about her partys commitments to democracy and human rights, Brad Adams, HRWs Asia director, said in the statement. Hospital workers and volunteers unload the body of a Rohingya who was killed in an attack at a madrassa in a local refugee camp, for an autopsy at a hospital in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, Oct. 22, 2021. Updated at 4:10 p.m. ET on 2021-10-22 Less than a month after the killing of an internationally known Rohingya activist, dozens of masked assailants killed six refugees at a madrassa in southeastern Bangladesh, in the deadliest armed attack at the camps in recent memory, police and witnesses said Friday. Police said four victims died at the scene in and around a madrassa at the Balukhali refugee camp in the Ukhia sub-district of Coxs Bazar and two died at a nearby hospital. A dozen others suffered injuries in the attack, which took place around 4 a.m. Some of those who died in the attack had volunteered to help police patrol the camp at night after the killing of activist Muhib Ullah on Sept. 29, a local police official said. The mother of one of the victims blamed the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a rebel group, for the latest attack. We assume that they were killed for aiding police in maintaining law and order at the camps. But we have to investigate whether any other factors led to the killings, Khandker Ashfaquzzaman, an additional superintendent of the Armed Police Battalion, told BenarNews. This is not an incident of violence among rival factions. Many of the innocent Rohingya used to join the police forces as volunteers in the operations. They also patrol the camp at night, Ashfaquzzaman said. Those who died in the attack went to sleep after finishing their security duties the terrorists shot them. A 12-year-old survivor said he witnessed the attack during which his brother died. We were sleeping in the madrassa. Suddenly, they came and attacked our teachers with machetes. They killed some with machetes and some with gunshots, Noor Kodor told BenarNews. We could not escape. Then my elder brother came and they shot him dead. Then they left. Noors mother blamed ARSA militants for killing her other son, Azizul Haque. Earlier, they threatened my son either to join ARSA or face consequences, Sajeda Begum told BenarNews. I want justice. Sajeda Begum (left), the mother of slain Rohingya Azizul Haque, speaks to BenarNews in her shelter at the Balukhali camp in Ukhia, Bangladesh, as her other son, Noor Kodor, 12, who survived the same attack by gunmen, looks on, Oct. 22, 2021. [Abdur Rahman/BenarNews] The pre-dawn attack occurred a little more than three weeks after assailants killed Ullah, the chairman of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, at his office in the Kutupalong camp in Coxs Bazar district. Ullahs brother also blamed ARSA for his killing. Md Rafiq, 32, who lives next to the madrassa an Islamic boarding school and witnessed the attack, expressed worry about the rebel group. ARSA turned more violent after Muhib Ullahs murder. They think we have provided information to police leading to the arrests of people charged with killing Muhib Ullah, he told BenarNews. So far, five suspects, including one who confessed, have been arrested for their alleged roles in Ullahs killing, according to police. On Friday, a Rohingya said the rebel group was seeking to control madrassas in the sprawling refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh. Dil Muhammad, a refugee who lives at a camp in Ukhia, said he and others had launched their own efforts to assist children. We have been working to ensure education and rights of the Rohingya children, there is a committee called Mahaj to ensure their rights. Some of the slain people were the members of Mahaj, he told BenarNews. Actually, the people rejecting the call to join ARSA are being killed, Muhammad said. After Muhib Ullahs murder, we have set up security check-posts with the police at every block. This move made them (ARSA) angrier, so they carried out the killings in a premeditated fashion. Md Rafiqul Islam, an additional superintendent of police in Coxs Bazar, rejected allegations that ARSA has a presence in Bangladesh. Six Rohingya were killed by miscreants. We have sent the dead bodies to the morgue for a post mortem, he said. Pre-dawn attack Rafiq, the eyewitness, said about 100 masked men armed with sticks, machetes and firearms descended on a section of the Balukhali refugee settlement. The armed men started attacking the nearby houses. Some people from the madrassa came out due to the hue and cry of the people. Then the attackers launched an attack on those people with machetes and firearms, Rafiq told BenarNews. Many of the people fled from the madrassa and hid in the mosque to save their lives. As news of the attack on the madrassa spread, more people rushed to the spot and the attackers fled, he said. Police who were alerted to the ongoing violence rushed to the scene and transported injured Rohingya to a hospital where on-duty doctors declared two dead. Officers arrested an unidentified suspect who was armed with a home-made loaded single-shot gun, six bullets and a knife, according to a police statement. UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, expressed concern about another violent attack in a Rohingya camp where the refugees had settled because they sought security from violence in Rakhine, their home state in Myanmar that lies across the border from Coxs Bazar. We once again urge the Bangladesh authorities to take immediate measures to improve the security in the refugee camps. This includes the arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law of those responsible for instigating and committing these violent attacks, UNHCR said in a statement, noting that about 80 percent of Rohingya in the camps are women and children. Packed refugee camps About 1 million Rohingya live in camps in and around Coxs Bazar. 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 by ARSA on government outposts in Rakhine. Rafiqul Islam said police had registered 1,298 criminal cases involving robbery, murder, rape, abduction, smuggling of weapons and yaba pills (methamphetamine), human trafficking and other criminal activities since the mass exodus. He said at least 2,850 Rohingya had been implicated in the cases. The more days pass, the Rohingya people have been getting involved in more criminal activities, he told BenarNews. Ayachhur Rahman, general secretary of the Save Coxs Bazar Movement a local neighborhood watch group made up of Bangladeshi citizens who live in communities that surround the camps said different factions within the camps were responsible for violence. There are pro-repatriation and anti-repatriation groups at the camps. The anti-repatriation faction attacks the groups who support the government in repatriation and maintaining law and order at the camps, he told BenarNews. In late 2017, Bangladesh and Myanmar officials reached an agreement to repatriate Rohingya to their home villages in Rakhine but all efforts since then have failed. Malaysia will allow foreign workers into the country again by lifting a 16-month ban due to the coronavirus, a move prompted by severe labor shortages, particularly in the plantation sector, the prime minister said Friday. Ismail Sabri Yaakob also announced that the country would allow in some fully vaccinated foreign tourists starting in mid-November, but only on Langkawi Island to begin with, in a boost for the Southeast Asian nations badly hit tourism industry. The Special Committee on Pandemic Management today has agreed on the Standard Operating Procedures set for the entry of foreign workers to Malaysia [e]specially to fill the needs of the plantation sector, as tabled by the Human Resources Ministry, Ismail Sabri said in a statement. How many workers will be allowed in and from when, are issues that will be sorted out soon. Some 32,000 foreign workers for the plantation sector may arrive in stages, starting soon, the minister in-charge of plantations and industries had said earlier this month. Malaysia banned the hiring of foreign workers in June 2020 to prioritize jobs for locals in an economy wrecked by the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to labor shortages in a country that relies heavily on migrant workers in the construction, manufacturing and plantations sectors. Before the pandemic hit, there were between 1.7 and 2 million registered foreign workers in Malaysia. Now, according to data from the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, plantations require 70,000 foreign workers, the construction sector needs 200,000, the furniture industry is short 30,000, and the manufacturing and the rubber-glove industries need 50,000. Documented foreigners make up 80 percent to 85 percent of the plantation workforce or 265,000 people according to data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Nageeb Wahab, the CEO of the Malaysian Palm Oil Association Chief, said he breathed a sigh of relief at the PMs announcement. Given the chance, all of the [plantation] companies would want to seek the optimum quota of foreign workers. I would believe that number would be in excess of 75,000 workers, Wahab told BenarNews. Foreign workers would need to follow strict health protocols to enter Malaysia, Ismail Sabri said. They need to be fully vaccinated with vaccines approved by the World Health Organization and submit a copy of their vaccination certificate prior to departure. They are also required to get tested for COVID-19 before traveling to Malaysia, he said. Upon arrival, the workers will then have to be in quarantine at centers approved by the government, for seven days. During the quarantine, the workers will need to undergo COVID-19 tests on the second and the fifth day, the PM said. Foreign tourists Ismail Sabri had some good news for the tourism industry as well. Fully vaccinated tourists from select countries will be able to travel to Langkawi Island under a three-month pilot program starting on Nov. 15, he said. The prime minister said this program is aimed at high-yield foreign tourists from countries that are on a list approved by Malaysian authorities. This pilot project will be carried out for three months to allow the Health Ministry and National Security Council to evaluate its viability, before it can be widened to other tourism islands and spots in the country, Ismail Sabri said. Foreign tourists would be required to get tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours before departure, and do another test upon arrival. They would need to quarantine only if the arrival test showed they had COVID-19. Additionally, tourists are required to stay at their destination spot for at least three days, use the service of any tourism agency approved by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and have insurance coverage of a minimum of U.S. $80,000. One economist said that if people didnt follow health protocols properly, there could be a rise in COVID-19 infections after the tourism program begins. But at the same time, he said, the tourism industry badly needs revival. It will be good for the tourism sector. But if COVID-19 figures rise again, just like is happening in the U.K. now, then we will have more headaches in the future, Nazari Ismail, an economist with the University of Malaya, told BenarNews. But I think there is not much choice. People working in the tourism sector need to earn a living to feed their families. Malaysia has vaccinated 94.3 percent of adults, or around 72 percent of its population. And in the last two weeks, new infections have stayed below 10,000 a day. The government should institute some tighter health protocols so that the gains from the high number of inoculations are not erased, Nazari said. Activists stage a protest outside the Chinese Consulate, guarded by Philippine police, on the fifth anniversary of an international arbitral court ruling invalidating Beijings historical claims over the waters of the South China Sea, in Makati City, Philippines, July 12, 2021. More than 70 percent of diplomatic protests by the Philippines government against Chinese activities in the South China Sea in the last five years were filed this year alone, the nations foreign ministry says, hinting at a tougher stance in Manilas dealings with China. A total of 153 out of the 211 notes verbales, or diplomatic notes, were filed in 2021 alone, the state-run Philippine News Agency quoted Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Menez as saying on Thursday. China has responded to all but two communications, Menez added. In addition, the DFA said on Wednesday it had protested the issuance of over 200 radio challenges, sounding of sirens, and blowing of horns by Chinese government vessels against Philippine authorities patrolling in the South China Sea. It is unclear when these incidents took place. While the hundreds of diplomatic notes against China might be seen as public posturing, it also shows that the government has become more open in their intention of how to deal with Beijing, according to Jay Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea at the University of the Philippines. It may also indicate a shift in President Dutertes approach, that he has become less involved in managing this aspect [maritime disputes] of Philippine-China relations and is leaving it to relevant departments, Batongbacal said. And so the DFA has got back to what theyre supposed to do: filing protests when necessary, he told BenarNews. President Rodrigo Duterte, whose term ends next year, took office in 2016, just two weeks before Manila won a landmark case against Chinas expansive claims in the South China Sea at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The tribunal found that Beijings historical claims, as demarcated by the so-called nine-dash line that straddles the South China Sea, have no legal basis. The president, however, did not press the tribunal victory, as he pursued a rapprochement with Beijing in exchange for economic benefits like loans and investments, most of which have yet to materialize. Mild effect One of the earliest diplomatic protests lodged by the Philippines this year was in March when hundreds of Chinese vessels were sighted mooring at Whitsun Reef in the Spratly Islands. The Philippines says the reef, which it calls Julian Felipe, lies entirely within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) but Vietnam and China also hold separate claims. Whitsun Reef is located 175 nautical miles west Palawan Island in the Philippines and 638 nautical miles from Chinas Hainan Island. The Philippine military alleged that the Chinese ships belonged to its increasingly powerful maritime militia but Beijing denied the accusation, saying they were fishing boats taking shelter from bad weather. As the Whitsun Reef incident escalated, Manila summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian to demand that China withdraw ita vessels. Before that, the DFA also filed another diplomatic protest and Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. threatened to do so daily till the last ones gone like it should be by now if it is really fishing. The number of Chinese ships at Whitsun dwindled to single digits by mid-May but increased again by mid-June. By then, the Philippines had filed 100 diplomatic protests since June 2016 against Chinas various incursions, including in the waters off Pag-asa, also known as Thitu Island. The diplomatic protests do have a mild effect, Batongbacal said. He noted that incursions by Chinese fishing vessels into Philippine waters this year are markedly less than in previous years. But the territorial disputes in the South China Sea are much larger, more complex and involve multiple players, thus require more coordinated actions than notes verbales, he added. Coordination among Southeast Asian nations, even those with overlapping claims with China in the South China Sea, is rarely straightforward. While Malaysia and Indonesia expressed concern about the announcement of a trilateral security pact between the U.S., U.K. and Australia (AUKUS) last month, the Philippines welcomed it. AUKUS, which will help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, is widely viewed as a pushback against Chinas growing military power in the Indo-Pacific. Even within the administration of a single government, such as the Philippines, there can be conflicting messages. A week after Locsin hailed the pact as helpful in addressing a military imbalance in favor of China, Duterte expressed concerns that the pact could provoke a nuclear arms race. Jason Gutierrez in Manila contributed to this report. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. When the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union Board of Directors extended James Culkeen's contract on May 26, it agreed to a base salary of $159,632 through June 2024. The board took the action without warning its intention to vote on an extension for Culkeen on the agenda. His contract, agreed to by the SVSU Board of Directors, was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the Banner. Leonard Forte, 80, of Florida, who has been fighting extradition to Vermont on decades-old felony charges in the alleged sexual assault of a minor in his Landgrove vacation home in 1987, has been declared mentally competent to stand trial in Bennington after two court-ordered evaluations. Court records show that an assistant director unwittingly handed Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer GREAT BARRINGTON The vaccination rate at Monument Mountain Regional High School has reached the states 80 percent threshold, which allows students and staff who have been inoculated against the coronavirus to skip use of masks. But school officials, worried about having to enforce mask-wearing for the fifth of students who remain unvaccinated, are weighing a vaccine mandate to give those students a push toward getting the shots in part, so masks can go. Meanwhile, the numbers across the Berkshire Hills Regional School Districts three schools look good, Superintendent Peter Dillon said Thursday at the School Committees regular meeting. Weekly pool testing hasnt yielded any positive COVID-19 cases, Dillon said, though not all results from this weeks testing are in yet. One student out of school has tested positive. Dillon said the vaccination rate at Monument is likely higher, given students who might have been vaccinated outside of Massachusetts, and so those numbers are not included in state records accessed by the school nurse. Most elementary students are not eligible for vaccines, unless they are over age 11, and that is likely to change in the next two weeks with federal approval of vaccines for those age five to 11. The district staff vaccination rate is above 99 percent. Current vaccination rates at Berkshire Hills schools Monument Mountain Regional High: around 80 percent (does not include students vaccinated in other states). W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle: 6th grade: 10 students 7th grade: 81.1 percent 8th grade: 71.7 percent Employees: 99.2 percent The commissioner of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education says districts with an 80-percent vaccination rate can go without masks. The committee would have to take a vote if it decides to remove the current mask mandate due to meeting that threshold. But Dillon is worried about a school environment in which the 20 percent of the 530 Monument students who are unvaccinated must wear masks. Monument High mandates COVID pool testing for students. But only for those in extracurricular activities A Monument Mountain Regional High School parent takes issue with the use of "pool" testing for a distinct group of students. We dont love that idea, he said. From an enforcement standpoint, its terrible and it also separates young people and causes a whole host of issues. For that reason, the committee will discuss a possible mandate at its Nov. 4 meeting. Dillon said school boards can apply to the state for permission for a mandate if they choose both Amherst and Cambridge schools opted for this. One person pointed out Thursday that vaccination status shouldnt matter if the 80 percent threshold is met. My understanding is that if people are meeting that 80 percent threshold, then its not about vaccinated versus unvaccinated, its that somebody has deemed that then its safe to go without a mask, said committee member Corey Sprague. And so it doesnt have to become a have and have not, its just a personal preference. Sprague said she wasnt necessarily advocating for that. Dillon said the state still requires masks for unvaccinated students and staff. U.S. regulators on Wednesday signed off on extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine and said anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially. Community News Editor / Librarian Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. WILLIAMSTOWN In late October, a pair of Williams College students hit the streets to explore possible sites in northwest Massachusetts for a "forest center." Before heading out, they road-tested their ideas with the group that tapped them as consultants. Three years ago, state legislation launched the Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership to help rural communities find ways to both preserve, and take advantage of, their forests. The idea had its opponents, who feared that the region's dense woods might be opened to larger-scale logging, reducing the ability to sequester carbon. The project gained ground in June 2019, when 11 of 21 communities opted to join the partnership. Henry Art, of Williamstown, chair of the partnerships executive committee, says that while the legislation called for a physical center to be built, the group is working to define not only where it should be located, but what it should offer. Its a somewhat nebulous concept right now, Art said during a recent committee meeting. Enter Abby Matheny and Sabrine Brismeur, two seniors at Williams. This fall semester, they are working with Sarah Gardner, who teaches the colleges Environmental Planning Workshop, to help the partnership flesh out a concept for the center. In late October, they briefed the partnership boards executive committee on a survey that was to be sent to people across northern Berkshire County and western Franklin County the partnerships terrain. During an hourlong discussion via Zoom, the students took suggestions from committee members on ways to strengthen the Google Forms survey they planned to distribute. This is still very much a rough draft, said Matheny, who is from Pittsburgh. We still have a lot of work to do we know that." The survey asks respondents to comment on eight proposed uses of a forest center. Matheny and Brismeur list several possible aspects of such a place and ask people to rank them from most important to unimportant. Funding to build a forestry center is not yet in place. Officials said at the panels September meeting they intend to use the Williams College report to better define the project, borrowing from the document to guide future grant applications. Apart from the cost of the center, it also isnt known how it would be staffed, officials concede. Forest Service, state join as stewards of new 'woodlands' project Though Massachusetts has no national forest, the federal agency plants its flag here Thursday. In an agreement to be signed at the Berkshire East ski area in Charlemont, the chief of the U.S. Forest Eight elements The initial proposed elements of a center are: An information or booking center for regional tourism and economic development. A technical assistance center on sustainable forestry practices. A demonstration forest and woodworking center that showcases the production of local wood products. A forestry research center that helps build public understanding of things like sequestering carbon, combating invasive species and the introduction of new wood-based products. A public education center and field trip destination with exhibits on the regions history, culture, landscape and indigenous peoples. A year-round retail shop and monthly marketplace that would feature regional products and services. A living forest preserve with trails, environmental art and botanical displays. A headquarters for the partnership and public meeting place. These are our envisioned uses, said Brismeur, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. There may be more that you think of. We have a lot of ideas, and doing all of it is not likely feasible. At this point we dont have any logistics ironed out, she said. Thats going to be a goal as we narrow it down. Committee members urged the students to look at how other regions in the country run their visitors centers. Mark Buccowich, who represents the U.S. Forest Service on the committee, suggested that the project pin down the best available knowledge on what makes a visitors center succeed. Do we know what the public wants and what they would respond to? he asked. Member Whit Sanford advised Matheny and Brismeur not to be tripped up by the political divisions of two different counties. We are many people and one place, she said. The online survey also asks people to weigh in on proposed general locations, such as northern Berkshire County, western Franklin County or areas within Berkshire County. Matheny said the Hall Tavern Farm on Route 2 in Franklin County has been identified as a possible location. The Mohawk Trail State Forest also is a contender, a committee member said. Matheny and Brismeur planned to drive through the region to get a feel for center uses and locations. They plan to wrap up their survey and report on its findings by December. Andrew Kawczak, a board member representing the Hoosic River Watershed Association, said he felt that the survey the students described hits the right notes. I think youre on board and on target, he said. Its not too blue sky. Its right on, and we can filter it going forward. The partnerships executive committee next meets at 2 p.m. Dec. 14. WILLIAMSTOWN Officials declined Friday to hire either of two finalists for town manager and will keep looking for a long-term leader. To put it bluntly, if we could merge these two candidates into one candidate, we would have found our candidate. They both are very deep in different sides of the job, said Select Board Vice-Chair Hugh Daley. To me, we owe it to the community, we owe it to ourselves, to go out again. Im saying this as a person who put 37 hours into this search. He added, Its imperative to me that we get someone who can both operate and heal the town. Other members agreed. I dont think you could have said it any better, said Select Board member Jeff Johnson. We have our candidate, its just in two people. The decision came after lengthy interviews Friday morning with both candidates, Richard Downey and Debra J. Jarvis. Jarvis is a management consultant in Kansas who once served as fire chief in two Chicago-area suburbs. Downey is village administrator in Kronenwetter, Wis., a village of about 8,000 people in central Wisconsin. He previously was a city administrator in Rock Falls, Ill., and Elkhard, Kan., according to his online profile. Two Midwesterners compete this week to become Williamstown's next top administrator Two finalists to take Williamstowns top administrative post will meet residents Thursday, then sit for Friday interviews with the Select Board. The board asked candidates about a number of topics including hiring a new police chief, making the town more environmentally sustainable, and putting diversity, equity, and inclusion goals into action. Downey emphasized his experience in municipal management. I have a passion for the profession, he said. Hes always open to hearing from residents, he said, and buys business cards by the thousands. He shared success in bringing a Walgreens to his area. The secret sauce to economic development is being ready, he said. In Williamstown, hiring a new police chief will be a challenge, Downey said, but it was a reason he was interested in the job. Jarvis spoke about changing the culture of the police department. Culture trumps policy and training every time, she said. Though she has been a fire chief and done municipal consulting, Jarvis has never been a town manager. I would be concerned if I were you, too, if I had not worked in so many communities and worked with so many local governments, she said. Its important to know that I look at town manager as an orchestra conductor. Youre helping to unify people, she said, which she identified as her strength. On Thursday, the candidates met with town staff, took a tour, and attended an evening event with residents. Andrew Hogeland, Select Board chair, thanked the public for their comments. That feedback for me has been incredibly important, he said. The previous town manager, Jason Hoch, resigned in February, months after Williamstown Police Sgt. Scott McGowan filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court alleging misconduct by former Police Chief Kyle Johnson. That lawsuit was later withdrawn. Months later, on March 1, McGowan was placed on paid administrative leave while allegations made against him by members of the police department are reviewed. In the boards discussion Friday, Select Board member Jane Patton said shes heard the need to address finances and diversity. Weve got to solve for both. Maybe that unicorn town manager isnt out there so its up to us, we may need to Etch a Sketch the current structure a little bit leading up to the town manager and make our own unicorn. The Select Board spoke about hiring an interim town manager. The current interim town manager, Charlie Blanchard, is set to leave the position late next month, Hogeland said. This should not be considered a failure, Patton said of the decision not to select one of the finalists. Its maybe a draw, but this is not a statement on the work that was done, on the quality of people who served on the committee. A panel of 10 residents worked on a search committee with Patton and Daley. She added, I think actually this is the hard right choice. Lee Szymborski, senior vice president of GovHR USA, a consulting group the town hired, recommended starting the search for the town manager in the new year. I think by the end of February, early March youd be at where you are today, interviewing folks, Szymborski said. Facebook announced last week that it will spend $10 billion and hire 10,000 people to build a real version of Neal Stephensons virtual world, which the company is calling what else? the metaverse. What could possibly go wrong? A man attends Friday prayers in the village of Abu Dis, South of Ramallah, under a poster with picture and name of Mai Afaneh, who was shot dead by Israeli forces in the West Bank last June. Spearfish, SD (57783) Today Cloudy with snow showers developing after midnight. Low 34F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%.. Tonight Cloudy with snow showers developing after midnight. Low 34F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%. Its that time of year when children, and some adults, put on their costumes and knock on every door that leads to the possibility of getting a handful of treats. This holiday is known as Halloween. In my little corner of the world, Halloween is popular. There are hundreds of kids that walk the alleys searching for treats, and everyone sits on their front porches to hand out candy. It is truly a great time for our community. But, have you ever wondered where the word Halloween came from and what its original meaning is? At this point, you may be wondering why I am talking about Halloween and what hallowed has to do with it. Well, let me explain myself. What Is the Definition of Hallowed? According to Merriam-Webster, hallowed is defined as holy, sacred, consecrated, or revered. Hallowed has old English roots. We can trace the word back to the old English word halig which means holy. In the Middle Ages, this word referred to what early Christians called All Hallows Day. Today this day is called All Saints Day. The day before All Hallows Day was called All Hallow Even or what we call Halloween today. Our modern vernacular doesnt include frequent use of hallowed anymore. The word hallowed steadily lost popularity until it has almost disappeared from our vocabulary. Where Do We See Hallowed Used in the Bible? Christians have a plethora of choices when deciding on what Bible version they want to use. Over half of all Christians still own or use a King James Version, with the popularity of more modern versions rising. All translations are not created equal; therefore, you wont find the word hallowed in all the same verses in each translation. The primary difference is the usage of hallowed in the Old Testament. Early versions of the Bible all use hallowed to describe a holy or sacred event, place, or person. If youre reading the 1611 King James Bible, you will encounter this word frequently in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament. This use of hallowed in also found in the Tyndale Bible and the 1599 Geneva Bible. Readers such as Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, and John Bunyan would have been familiar with the word hallowed. The pilgrims even brought the Geneva Bible over on the Mayflower. One will only find hallowed used in the Lords Prayer found in Matthew 6:9. Jesus is speaking of the importance of recognizing the name of God as holy and sacred. This is a form of worship that all our prayers should begin with. Why Is the Word Hallowed Used Where It Is? Hallowed is used commonly in the Old Testament. The reason for this is linked to the culture in which the Israelites lived, and the Hebrew language they spoke. The Hebrew words miqdash and qadash both refer to make something, or someone, hallowed. Miqdash means a sanctuary of deity and qadash is used when speaking of becoming clean. Another Hebrew word, quadesh, speaks of a sacred place or thing. The first few books of the Bible introduce us to a holy God and give instructions to the Israelites on how to build the tabernacle, how to live, and how to sacrifice. So, it makes sense that Hebrew words referring to hallowed were used. The New Testament was written in Greek and hallowed was only used in the Lords Prayer. Matthew 6:9 says, Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Here we find Jesus teaching about prayer in what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. I believe He is harkening back to the ten commandments and what God said about himself. God said He was the Lord your God and there were to be no other gods before him. When we pray, we are to give God the reverence and praise He deserves before all other requests. Photo credit: SWN/Bible Study Tools What Things Are Hallowed? We make many objects and people in our lives hallowed. Sometimes we can hallow such things to point of idolatry. In a biblical worldview, there are only two things that are truly hallowed. The first is hallowed ground. I would say that all ground, or land is hallowed. The land we walk and live on belongs to God. He is the creator and has given us a loan to use His land for His purposes. The Bible is the story of Gods people as they traverse Gods land. In the beginning, God created the land that Adam and Eve would later inhabit. Another prime example is when God is leading the Israelites through the desert. His purpose was to give the Israelites Canaan, the promised land. The book of Revelation is filled with Gods promise to reveal the tree of life and the river of life. He tells us that all things will be made new and we will dwell in a new Jerusalem. All these promises are linked to Gods ground. Hallowed ground is also the place where we sow seeds. It is the place where we sow love, mercy, and reconciliation. This sacred ground is what will nourish the seeds and prepare for a harvest of faith and community. Secondly, Gods name is hallowed. To hallow Gods name is an outward action of reverence. It is active praise. Not using Gods name in vain or defiling His creation is just a small way we can show how sacred and holy God is. Why Is It Important to Understand the Meaning of Hallowed? My husband is a word nerd and I find myself asking him what the importance or meaning of certain words are. What I have learned from him is that it is important to know the meaning of words within the context and culture. When we know a words meaning, we better understand what the text is saying to us. In the case of hallowed, it is important to know the meaning so you can know who God is and what He expects of you. God explained to the Patriarchs of Scripture what places, things, and people were to be hallowed. He taught them how to sacrifice and how to set themselves apart by teaching them to make the tabernacle sacred and Sabbath holy. When we understand that hallowed means holy or sacred, we can understand the necessity of purification and making ourselves ready for worship. The Lords prayer reminds us that we are to make the name of God holy. We are to show our praise and adoration to our Lord. Christians are not making blood sacrifices or building temple courts today. What we are doing is understanding that we must hallow the name of the Lord in remembrance of what He has done for us. It is an outward response that tells the world we are daily working to purify our hearts and minds so we may express to this sinful world the need for a Savior. Hallowed may not be a popular word today, but it is a necessary action for all Christians. It means to be made holy or sacred. We should actively make our God a sacred part of our lives. We should understand that our God has created a hallowed ground for us to live on. Our time on this hallowed ground should be spent glorifying Him. Related articles Why Does It Matter So Much That God Is Holy? What Does It Mean to Be Holy? 6 Ways the Holy Spirit Transforms Our Lives Got questions about Halloween? Check out our Christian Parent's Guide to Halloween here. Photo credit: Unsplash Ashley Hooker is a freelance writer who spends her time homeschooling her two children, ministering alongside her husband as he pastors a rural church in West Virginia, and writing about her faith. Currently, she is a contributing author for Journey Christian magazine. She has taken part in mission trips with the NC Baptist Men during the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey in Mississippi and Texas. In her local church, she has served on various committees focusing in the area of evangelism along with traveling to West Virginia and Vermont to share the Gospel. Her dream is to spend her time writing and sharing the love of Christ with all she meets. BOISE - Resident Idaho hunters looking to potentially double their elk hunting opportunities this year are in luck. Some unsold nonresident elk tags remain available for Idaho residents to purchase as second tag for the 2021 season. After August 1, unsold nonresident tags remaining can be bought by resident hunters as second tags, but still at the nonresident price. A nonresident elk tag in Idaho costs $651.75. Available tags and zones are listed online at gooutdoorsidaho.com. Residents can also buy the tags at all license vendors, at Fish and Game regional offices, or by calling 1-800-554-8685. These elk tags fall within the statewide limit of 12,815 nonresident tags. The tags are not currently available to nonresidents because the nonresident limits for each individual elk zone has already been met, but the total nonresident tags in all combined elk zones was less than the statewide limit for nonresident tags. BIG RAPIDS Supporting one another is very important to Mike Tillman. Tillman, executive director of the Mecosta Osceola Transit Authority, was recognized this week by the state and his staff for continuing to support his employees in a very special way. Mike gave me an opportunity when nobody else would, Doug Becker, a MOTA employee, said of his boss. On Wednesday, John Friedli visited the MOTA main office in Big Rapids for a brief, but special, presentation. With him, he brought a surprise. Tillman, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was honored with a Patriotic Employer plaque from the Office of the Secretary of Defense Employer Support of the Guardian Reserve (ESGR). Its great to see you step up and support our military the way you do, Friedli, a military outreach coordinator with ESGR, said as he revealed Tillman's plaque. Tillman was nominated by Becker, a U.S. Army Reserve, for the award. Its an honor and its very humbling, Tillman said as he looked over his plaque. We appreciate and recognize our service members and we appreciate the opportunity to support our military. Becker, who has been employed with MOTA for nearly two years, told Tillman that he appreciates his willingness to support his family when hes needed to leave to fulfill his service duties. If we dont step up to the plate and support them, then we arent very good stewards for those who served before us, said Tillman, who served 1969-72. Other MOTA employees echoed Beckers statements. Hes a great boss and always has nothing but the best interest of others in mind, Staci Hitts, operations supervisor of MOTA, said of Tillman during Wednesdays celebration. He takes care of his employees. Tillman helped create MOTA in 2005 and served as an original board member. He became executive director Sept. 16, 2016, and has enjoyed each day since. Recently, with the support from voters, MOTA was able to keep its doors open and operations running with a millage passage. As places to buy marijuana continue to pop up across Michigan, the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency Licensing data base released the cities with the highest number of active cannabis stores. Ann Arbor, with its longstanding tolerance for pot, reigned supreme as the city with the most active recreational cannabis retail businesses. The Ann Arbor Hash Bash, an annual event that includes a collection of speeches, live music, street vending and occasional civil disobedience, is one of the oldest political rallies of any kind in the nation. The event originally took place on the University of Michigan's Diag on April 1, 1972 to celebrate the release of activist and culture figure, John Sinclair, from prison on cannabis related charges, according to the University of Michigan events page. So, it's no surprise that Ann Arbor is the city with the most stores, at 24. Keeping up with Ann Arbor, though much smaller in population, is Bay City. While Ann Arbor spreads its 24 dispensaries among a population of more than 120,000, Bay City, along I-75 north of Saginaw, has 22 dispensaries for a city with 33,000 people. That's about one store for every 1,500 people, according to reporting by WFGR News. The other top 21 Michigan cities with the most active recreational cannabis retail business licenses are as follows: Battle Creek: 20 Lansing: 16 Kalamazoo: 14 Big Rapids: 12 Muskegon: 12 Grand Rapids: 12 Adrian: 8 Burton: 8 Flint: 8 Jackson: 8 River Rouge: 7 Marquette: 7 Lapeer: 6 Ypsilanti: 6 Kalkaska: 6 Coldwater: 6 Hazel Park: 6 Manistee: 5 Buchanan: 5 Morenci: 5 Portage: 5 Looking at strictly per capita cannabis stores, the winner is Kalkaska, having one pot store for every 346 people. That's six stores for a population of 2,076 in the village. One reason why Michigan's cannabis retailers are randomly located is because once a city decides to buy in, what happens next is influenced by its track record or lack thereof on accepting the much-older medical marijuana industry, as well as its population mix and its proximity to state borders, according to reporting by Crain's Detroit Business. For more marijuana related news, visit Michigan Green State at https://www.migreenstate.com/. Wir, die Amgen Research (Munich) GmbH, einer der Amgen State of the Art-Forschungsstandorte mit Sitz im Munchner Suden und rund 200 Mitarbeitenden, suchen zum nachstmoglichen Termin einen Aufgaben Die Aufgabenstellung umfasst die Generierung von stabilen, kommerziell einsetzbaren Produktionszelllinien im Rahmen von Fruhphase-Projekten in der Entwicklung biopharmazeutischer Arzneimittel. Zu den Hauptaufgaben gehoren: Entwicklung rekombinanter Zelllinien zur Herstellung therapeutischer Molekule (einschlielich Transfektion, Selektion, Klonierung von Einzelzellen, Selektion geeigneter Produktionsklone, Etablierung von Zellbanken) unter Berucksichtigung regulatorischer Anforderungen Ubernahme von Projektverantwortung als Cell Line Development Lead im Bereich der fruhklinischen Entwicklung therapeutischer Molekule Selbststandige Planung, Durchfuhrung und Dokumentation von Experimenten zur Charakterisierung von Produktionszelllinien mittels zellbiologischer Methoden (inkl. Zelllinienstabilitat) Charakterisierung der exprimierten therapeutischen Proteine in produktivitats- und qualitatsbezogenen Analysen, z. B. UPLC-/HPLC-Analysen Analyse, Auswertung, graphische Darstellung und Interpretation der erhaltenen Entwicklungsdaten sowie Prasentation und Diskussion der wissenschaftlichen Ergebnisse innerhalb der Gruppe/Abteilung und des Projektteams (Deutsch/Englisch) Erstellung von Entwicklungsberichten und Arbeitsvorschriften in englischer Sprache Unterstutzung bei der Erstellung von zulassungsrelevanten Dokumenten Technologie-/Prozesstransfer an andere Amgen-Standorte und in den GMP-Bereich (z. B. Cell Banking Technologies) Interaktion und enge Abstimmung mit dem Process Development Team im amerikanischen Headquarter Evaluierung und Implementierung innovativer Technologien in der Zelllinienentwicklung sowie Weiterentwicklung und Optimierung von Arbeitsablaufen Anforderungen Ihr Profil: Naturwissenschaftliches Hochschulstudium zum Master of Science (Biologie, Biotechnologie oder vergleichbar) mit mindestens 2-jahriger praktischer Erfahrung, idealerweise auch im Bereich der Zelllinienentwicklung Erfahrung in der sterilen Zellkultivierung sowie theoretische und praktische Kentnisse in den genannten proteinbiochemischen Methoden zur Proteincharakterisierung Profunde Erfahrungen in der Planung, Durchfuhrung und Dokumentation von Entwicklungsarbeiten; erste Erfahrungen in der Leitung von Projekten sind wunschenswert Sehr gute Englischkenntnisse in Wort und Schrift sowie ein sicherer Umgang mit MS Office Kenntnisse im Datenanalyseprogramm Spotfire (TIBCO) sowie Interesse bzw. erste Erfahrungen in der Automatisierung sind von Vorteil Ausgepragtes Qualitatsbewusstsein, groes Interesse an wissenschaftlichen Fragestellungen und eine selbststandige, ergebnisorientierte Arbeitsweise sowie Flexibilitat Starker Team-Player mit Freude an cross-funktionalen und internationalen Interaktionen Begeisterung und Engagement fur die Bearbeitung von angewandten und produktspezifischen Fragestellungen im Team Unternehmen AMGEN ist ein weltweit fuhrendes unabhangiges Biotechnologie-Unternehmen, das mit rund 24.000 Mitarbeitern in ca. 100 Landern weltweit seit 40 Jahren erfolgreich tatig ist. In Deutschland setzen sich an zwei Standorten in Munchen uber 750 Mitarbeiter jeden Tag dafur ein, Patienten zu helfen. Weltweit profitieren jahrlich Millionen von Menschen mit schweren oder seltenen Erkrankungen von unseren Therapien. Aktuell werden unsere Medikamente in der Nephrologie, Kardiologie, Hamatologie, Onkologie, Osteologie und bei Entzundungserkrankungen eingesetzt. Was wir Ihnen bieten: Als innovatives Unternehmen, das sich der Verbesserung der Lebensqualitat von Menschen auf der ganzen Welt verpflichtet hat, fordert Amgen ein integratives Umfeld mit ethischen, engagierten und hochqualifizierten Mitarbeitern, die sich gegenseitig respektieren. Unsere Kultur unterstutzt den offenen Dialog und Austausch unterschiedlicher Sichtweisen, um die besten Losungen zu erzielen. Neben einem attraktiven Vergutungspaket und flexiblen Arbeitszeiten bieten wir vielfaltige Moglichkeiten zur beruflichen und personlichen Entwicklung. Wir fordern Chancengleichheit, Vielfalt sowie ein inklusives Umfeld und berucksichtigen alle qualifizierten Bewerber ohne Rucksicht auf Herkunft, Hautfarbe, Religion, Geschlecht, Alter, sexuelle Orientierung, geschlechtliche Identitat oder Behinderung. For approximately R1.8bn ($123m), South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare has agreed to sell a portfolio of six drug products to Switzerland-based Acino Pharma AG. "The transaction forms part of Aspen's communicated strategy to refine its product portfolio in South Africa," the company says in a statement.Investors had been concerned about Aspen's debt in the last two years after levels moved close to breaching debt covenants.That prompted Aspen to sell some of its European businesses and focus more on high margin emerging markets.Last month the company said after its annual earnings release that it was now in a comfortable debt position.Part of the proceeds from the sale of the portfolio, which accounted for a revenue of R512m in the last financial year, will be used to retire debt, it says.Aspen and Acino will enter into a manufacturing and supply agreement in terms of which Aspen will supply the products to Acino for seven years, it says.The sale excludes the cost of inventory which will be additional, the company said, adding that the transaction is likely to be completed by the end of December. Topco Media is proud to announce that they partnered with Wipro for the 18th annual Standard Bank Top Women Conference, which took place on 6 and 7 October 2021. Being a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, disruption and transformative technology is where Wipro thrives! "As the world transitions to a new normal, Wipro is empowering a more resilient future for customers and communities.Standard Bank Top Women are thrilled to have had you as one of the gold sponsors for the conference.The Standard Bank Top Women Conference brings together a trusted network of over 10,000 women entrepreneurs and leaders who are embracing innovative gender empowerment strategies. The two-day virtual event offered public and private sectors tailored solutions, allowing delegates to engage in brave conversations and learn from industry pioneers.As a gold sponsor, Wipro hosted an informative and interactive panel discussion on Gender Dynamics of Future Jobs - Building the Sustainable and Resilient Future Workforce. The panelists included Zanele Babalwa Mabena, executive, change and business transformation at Standard Bank Group; Subha Tatavarti, chief technology officer at Wipro Limited; Sunita Rebecca Cherian, chief culture officer at Wipro Limited and Rosanne Kincaid-Smith, chief human resources Officer at Capco.Subha Tatvarti, chief technology officer at Wipro Limited, went on to discuss what the future of work could look like and mentioned that data has started to flow in to show that enterprises are 6 to 8% more productive than they were pre-pandemic. She also went on to say that we have to be cognisant of where work stops and life begins. It was a fruitful discussion on a very topical matter, one that will certainly continue for some time to come.Topco Media is pleased to have partnered with Wipro for this years Standard Bank Top Women Virtual conference and looks forward to what Wipro will do in the future. Betina Swart and Kelly-Grace Gibberd form the delightful mom and daughter duo behind South African fashion label Me & B. Me & B founders Betina Swart and Kelly-Grace Gibberd. Source: Supplied Source: Supplied What inspired the launch of your own clothing label? Source: Supplied As a brand that's championing inclusive fashion, was this a conscious decision from the start or a reaction to demand from your customers? Are there any particular complexities that come with producing garments in an extensive range of sizes? How do you manage this? Congrats on your first Me & B store. What inspired the development? What value do you believe lies in physical retail, which online may not adequately address? How do you think South Africans can be encouraged to shop more locally-made fashion? Me & B has actively sought out female entrepreneurs in Cape Town to work with in creating the Me & B offering. Can you tell us more about this and why it was a focus area for you? How would you like to see Me & B grow and/or evolve over the coming years? Both coming from a fashion production and retail background, Gibberd and Swart saw a gap in the market for well-made, fashion-forward and proudly South African apparel that is size-inclusive. So, with daughter as head of brand and mom as head of design and production, the pair developed their own brand with the help of female entrepreneurs and suppliers from Cape Town and surrounds, and brought Me & B to life.The label is driven by the belief that fashion should be inclusive, ageless and size less, and therefore caters to shoppers from sizes 32 to 46. Gibberd and Swart's joyful and positive attitudes are clearly reflected in Me & B designs, with bright colours, interesting prints and bold shapes the order of the day.Having launched as a purely online brand in 2018, the founders have just opened the doors to their first store at 44 Stanley Avenue in Johannesburg, marking a new phase of growth for Me & B.We caught up with Gibberd to discuss the inspiration behind the brand, the technicalities of production, and plans for the future.Like many other small business owners, our label was inspired by personal experience. We are not size 34s ourselves and we just found that every time we went to the mall we would struggle to find clothes that let us feel seen in the bodies we have, let alone express our personalities.We knew there must be other women who feel the same way or who have had a similar experience. This was confirmed after having spoken to friends and engaging with our respective communities.We knew there was something missing in the marketplace, and we wanted to address that gap. We also want to make fashionagain!This was a conscious decision from the onset. The power of fashion and how it influences how we feel about ourselves is a well-documented topic. According to Prof. Carolyn Mair PhD, a behavioural psychologist and author of, when we feel good in what we are wearing, we tend to be more confident which in turn impacts our wellbeing.The inclusive size curve 32 to 46 was a conscious decision right from the start (I mean we wanted to wear everything). We wanted to make that feeling of confidence and fun that fashion gives you, accessible to every body shape!Well, the cost of going through the grading process is a lot higher you pay for every size you include. So having our eight different sizes for a small brand was a bit like starting on the back foot. But once we had such a positive reaction we knew there was opportunity.In terms of the design process, it is all about comfort something that fits a size 32 has to fit comfortably on a size 46. We make up a size 32 and a size 44 before going into production, and these are fitted on both a size 34 and a 44 size model the feedback from those sessions is invaluable.Thank you very much! We are so excited. While we are based in Cape Town, we know that women around the country have the same challenges, so we felt it was time to open in Johannesburg.Of course, during Covid-19, being online was so important and the preferable platform with the need for low touch engagement. It was incredible to see the support of local brands during that time. However, now that we can finally see a silver lining as the countrys vaccination rollout gains traction, we wanted to scale and grow.The incredible space at 44 Stanley Avenue in Johannesburg became vacant and we jumped at the opportunity. We understand that finding high-quality, inclusive fashion no matter your size or age is something women across the country look for and of course Gauteng was the next big destination.I dont think its a case of one platform addressing the retail experience better than the other necessarily but there are different benefits to each experience.Online shopping is convenient and of course, was the safer option during the lockdown periods. With that said, there is something special about going with a friend or your mom or sister to a store to browse and try on clothes to model for each other. We love that experience as mother and daughter ourselves and wanted to create that space for our customers.I think South Africans are already inclined to support local but a way to entice them further is to show the impact their support has. I think its important to showcase how shopping locally improves peoples lives and in turn their communities. For example, the women who we have worked with local entrepreneurs and factory owners have seen their own businesses thrive as a result of working with us.As women who run a small business, we know how challenging it can be and we wanted to support and empower other women.We also believe that diversity drives innovation and of course women from different backgrounds with different retail experiences could help us create this brand journey authentically.Of course, we are hoping to grow to become a household name associated with inclusivity, high quality, and style. However, we also believe in doing things properly which means getting the store here in Johannesburg up and running. Once we have accomplished that, we plan to expand further with a store in all of the countrys major cities. It just must be the right space and make sense for the business.Of course, we also plan to grow our online sales as e-commerce continues to gain traction amongst South African consumers. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the laboratory that produced the first atomic bombs used during World War II and the home of the primary nuclear weapons research facility in the United States, is about to lose dozens of its top nuclear scientists. According to a report from The Hill, more than 100 scientists, nuclear engineers, and others are being fired due to a vaccine mandate at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Hill said that dozens of top nuclear scientists with highest security clearances in the nation and PhDs in sciences and engineering will be fired from Los Alamos Lab after the deadline for Los Alamos National Lab employees to get vaccinated has come and gone. The report is a further confirmation that people with PhDs refused to get the vaccine than those with lower educational levels. According to a Thursday report from the Hill, a total of 114 workers at Los Alamos National Laboratory filed a lawsuit over the mandate, claiming that exemptions have been unduly denied and their constitutional rights are being violated by Triad National Security LLC, the contractor that runs the lab for the U.S. Department of Energy. In a tweet on Friday, AP reported that a New Mexico judge denied a request by dozens of scientists and others at Los Alamos National Laboratory who sought to block a vaccine mandate. Workers risk being fired if they dont comply with the labs Friday afternoon deadline. Then this week, the employees, including top nuclear engineers and scientists, took to the streets outside the lab, protesting the mandate which orders them to get their first dose of the Covid vaccine or face termination. The lab currently employs nearly 14,000 people and is one of the largest employers in the state of New Mexico. In their classic book on the news media, Manufacturing Consent, Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky presented a propaganda model of how the major broadcasters and newspapers operate. Whereas the mainstream media declare that their aim is to educate, inform and entertain the public, their actual societal purpose on matters that are of significance for established power is to avert any danger that the public can assert meaningful control over the political process (Herman and Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent, Vintage, 1988/1994, p. 303). As media analyst Lance Bennett wrote: The public is exposed to powerful persuasive messages from above and is unable to communicate meaningfully through the media in response to these messages. Leaders have usurped enormous amounts of political power and reduced popular control over the political system by using the media to generate support, compliance, and just plain confusion among the public. (Ibid., p. 303) Thus, rather than manufacturing public consent for elite policies and priorities, manufacturing public ignorance is the more desirable and effective goal. After all, explicit public consent is typically not required for the UK government, for example, to attack the welfare system, underfund and carve-up the NHS for commercial purposes, sell arms to Saudi Arabia to bomb Yemeni civilians, sabre-rattle in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, or increase its nuclear weapons arsenal by 40 per cent. Significant public activism and opposition to state-corporate power needs to be rooted in widespread shared public knowledge. But, in the absence of adequate public knowledge, and thus the reduced threat of an informed populace participating in a real democracy, power is more or less free to do as it pleases. Take a recent Reuters news report following the death of Colin Powell, one of the perpetrators of the supreme international crime of invading and occupying Iraq. Like a parody from the satirical website The Onion, the article was titled: Powell remembered as one of the finest Americans never to be President. As Matt Kennard of Declassified UK noted: The wildest thing about Western establishment media is its journalists arent even working under threat of prison or violence. They do state propaganda and sanitise our worst war criminals totally off their own back. Incredible discipline and dedication to serving power. Recall that, in February 2003, as the US and allies were preparing to invade Iraq, US Secretary of State Colin Powell had addressed the United Nations Security Council, dramatically holding up a small glass vial he said could contain anthrax, a biological weapon. Saddam Hussein and his regime will stop at nothing until something stops him, stated Powell, arguing that Iraq was deceiving UN weapons inspectors. He claimed that he was providing facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence. Powells presentation was seemingly watertight, based on supposedly undeniable evidence, and it was reported as such by an obedient mainstream news media across the globe. But it was all lies, and it is irrefutable that Powell consciously deceived the world, as US political analyst Jon Schwarz noted. Around one million Iraqis died as a result of the invasion-occupation, while many more millions became refugees, the countrys infrastructure devastated. With her customary sardonic wit, the Australian political writer Caitlin Johnstone described the infamous image of Powell holding a vial while addressing the UN Security Council as a viral anti-war meme: Over the years Powells meme has been an invaluable asset for opponents of western military interventionism and critics of US propaganda narratives about empire-targeted nations, serving as a single-image debunk of any assertion that it is sensible to trust the claims US officials make about any government that Washington doesnt like. For the benefit of credulous, power-friendly journalists and anyone else who believed that Powell had made just one mistake that he bitterly regretted for the rest of his life, she added: Powells other contributions to the world include covering up and participating in war crimes in Vietnam, facilitating atrocities in Central America, and destroying Iraqi civilian infrastructure in the Gulf War. But its hard to dispute that his greatest lasting legacy will be his immortal reminder to future generations that there is never, ever a valid reason to trust anything US officials tell us about a government they wish to bring down. She added: Be sure to remind everyone of Powells sociopathic facilitation of human slaughter often and loudly in the coming hours. Public opinion is the only thing keeping western war criminals from The Hague, after all, and those war criminals are keenly aware of this fact. At times like these, they suddenly become highly invested in making sure that regular people respect the dead, not because they respect any human alive or dead, but because they cannot allow the death to become an opportunity to amplify and change public opinion about their egregious murderous crimes. The Persecution Of Julian Assange As we have recently observed in media alerts (here and here), the state-corporate media, including and especially BBC News, have been complicit in keeping the public largely ignorant about the case of Julian Assange. Likewise, the cases likely terrifying implications for further limiting public knowledge about what governments and big business actually get up to. As founder of WikiLeaks, Assange has probably done more than anyone in at least a generation to expose the war crimes of the US and its allies. The revelations that the CIA had plans to kidnap or even kill Assange, almost entirely ignored by BBC News, has prompted concerned calls from advocates of press freedom (such as it is in the West). The American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Knight First Amendment Institute, Committee to Protect Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders are among the signatories of a letter demanding that the case against Assange be dropped. Next Wednesday, a substantive U.S. appeal hearing will be heard at the High Court in London. Lord Justice Timothy Holroyde, the High Court judge who reversed an earlier court order to bar the U.S. from appealing Assanges medical issues, will preside over the hearing. According to Consortium News legal analyst Alexander Mercouris: It is highly unusual for a judge who has already ruled in favour of one party to continue on the bench. In most cases, fresh judges would be brought in who have had no part in earlier rulings for either side. Mercouris called the decision extremely disturbing news and very worrying. Nothing in this case is proceeding as it should do. Nina Cross has examined the insidious role of the BBC in the state-sponsored persecution of Assange. First, in an overview of BBC history, she showed that: Britains most powerful national asset helps keep the British people in check while serving imperialism. In the case of Assange, the BBC has helped to control the narratives around the stripping of Assanges asylum, typically presenting him as someone who is attempting to evade the law. Cross added that the BBC is serving: the interests of the British state apparatus, enabling a culture of impunity by spoon feeding its audience government narratives, manipulating perception, and promoting ridicule and disdain. The persecution of Assange that increasingly looks like a slow assassination by the UK and US authorities could not be so conceivable without a servile media. She continued: The impunity to persecute Assange has been enabled by the BBC through omission and silence. Instead of practising journalism it has turned a blind eye to abuses of the British authorities and those of its allies. The BBCs behaviour is contrary: anti-journalism, anti-truth. This is not new. As Noam Chomsky has observed: Governments will use whatever technology is available to combat their primary enemy their own population. In this sense, BBC News is a form of technology that the UK government deploys to keep the British population away from the levers of power. The Illusion Of A Democratic System Take the case of UK arms sales. A new film and report by Matt Kennard and Phil Miller of Declassified UK investigated the largely-hidden role of a factory owned by arms exporter BAE Systems in the Lancashire village of Warton. The factory supplies military equipment to the Saudi Arabian regime, enabling it to continue its devastating attacks on Yemen which, for years, has been suffering the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Kennard and Miller noted that: Boris Johnson recently visited Warton and claimed the BAE site was part of his levelling up agenda. No journalist covering the visit seems to have reported the factorys role in a war. Back in London, Declassified UK interviewed Molly Mulready, who was a lawyer at the Foreign Office from 2014-19. She was responsible for giving legal advice in relation to exporting arms to the Middle East. She said: Boris Johnson was very casual and jokey when we would go in to talk to him about arms to Saudi Arabia. We would go in to brief him about Yemen and he would joke around and waste everybodys time and it was a bit mind blowing because you know, youre discussing civilian casualties, youre discussing the fact that innocent people have died and that British supplied bombs have played a part in that. In 2017, Campaign Against Arms Trade took the UK government to court over the export of weaponry from places like Warton to Saudi Arabia. Mulready was tasked with trying to defend the government: something she now bitterly regrets. Clearly upset, she told Kennard and Miller: Im so ashamed that I had anything to do with it. There have been tens of thousands of civilians killed in the bombing and there are millions of people who are food insecure. There are children in Yemen who are starving to death. The Saudis seem to have absolutely no compassion whatsoever. The arms sales violate the UK governments own licencing laws, Mulready believes, and contribute to Saudi war crimes. As Kennard and Miller concluded: Yet they [UK arms sales] continue, along with the weekly cargo flight we filmed. The Morning Star reported Mulreadys important testimony. But, according to our search of the ProQuest newspaper database, no other British newspapers have done so. In a recent interview with Lowkey, the British rapper and political activist, Kennard said that in his work as a journalist he wants to pierce the propaganda bubble. He emphasised the illusion of a democratic system in the UK: We do not live in a democracy. Thats what people need to understand. This is not a democratic state. Britain is an oligarchy. On the tragicomic notion that Britain is a force for good in the world, he commented: Its an amazing mythology. Its mirrored by the US. They have this thing called American exceptionalism which is how America operates very differently along principled lines; very differently to all superpowers. They dont deal with [their own] interests, etc. Its literally the intellectual level of about a five-year-old. Kennard continued: But the interesting thing about our society is you cannot work in any elite part of the intellectual industries unless you believe itIm looking every day at the reality of what Britain does in the world. And they are a force for reaction. They are a force for repression. Theyre a force for militarism. Theyre a force for destroying hope wherever it appears. Theyre a junior partner to the US, but theyre actually an integral player. And the imperial operations of both are quite similar. What is the way ahead then? Rather than looking for a saviour, such as Labour centrists Sir Keir Starmer or Andy Burnham, Kennard suggested: Lets focus on different strategies, i.e. building extra-parliamentary movements and understanding what Labours role in the British polity is, which is to support the British establishment, and absorb the radical left and neutralise it. There Are No Climate Leaders As we have often emphasised in our work, in this era of worsening climate instability, time is rapidly running out. Climate activist Ben See observes: Very few people seem aware that we only have about three or four years left before Earths species start being smashed by catastrophic 1.5C of global warming in the context of toxic pollution, deforestation, etc. Perhaps our media and education systems areutterly inadequate? The forthcoming United Nations COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, starting on 31 October, will doubtless generate yet more blah, blah, blah, as Greta Thunberg so memorably summed up all the decades-long, political hot air on climate. She rightly observed that: no one treats the crisis like a crisis, the existential warnings keep on drowning in a steady tide of greenwash and everyday media news flow. She added: The truth is there are no climate leaders. Not yet. At least not among high-income nations. The level of public awareness and the unprecedented pressure from the media that would be required for any real leadership to appear is still basically nonexistent. During COP26, we can expect plenty of coverage of tense negotiations and exhausted delegates finally delivering an agreed outcome. But there will be zero or negligible attention given to the unjust system of global economics that is driving humans into oblivion. The endless corporate drive to privatise the planet was highlighted in a recent article by journalist and researcher Whitney Webb titled, Wall Streets Takeover of Nature Advances with Launch of New Asset Class. She reported: Last month, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) announced it had developed a new asset class and accompanying listing vehicle meant to preserve and restore the natural assets that ultimately underpin the ability for there to be life on Earth. Called a natural asset company, or NAC, the vehicle will allow for the formation of specialized corporations that hold the rights to the ecosystem services produced on a given chunk of land, services like carbon sequestration or clean water. These NACs will then maintain, manage and grow the natural assets they commodify, with the end of goal of maximizing the aspects of that natural asset that are deemed by the company to be profitable. Simply put, capitalists are seeking to control, not just ecosystems as financial assets, but the rights that people around the world have to ecosystems services, including the benefits that humans receive from Nature: These include food production, tourism, clean water, biodiversity, pollination, carbon sequestration and much more. The estimated monetary value of Natures assets have been priced at $4,000 trillion. Webb concluded: Thus, NACs open up a new feeding ground for predatory Wall Street banks and financial institutions that will allow them to not just dominate the human economy, but the entire natural world. The obscenity of this is almost beyond belief. Randall Wray, a professor of economics in New York, warned: From the get-go, capitalism has been all about exploitation. Marxs followers will point to exploitation of workers, but thats the tip of the iceberg. Capitalism originated in the large plantations of the New World, exploiting the slaves, and Africa itself which bore the burden of producing the humans that would be kidnapped and shipped across the seas to create the Old Worlds wealth. It exploited the environment of Americas seemingly infinite natural resources, abandoning the land it exhausted, moving ever westward in its genocidal conquest of the continent. It spewed its waste into the water, the air, and the bodies of creatures great and small. It put a money price on the formerly free communal resources so that it could exploit them to extinction. He added: Capitalism has always been celebrated for its presumed efficiency. In fact, it is supremely inefficient. It survives only because it is the greatest system ever developed for exploitation of man and nature. It pushes costs off to the environment, other people, families, governments, and our future. It is ever on the lookout for new frontiers of exploitation. And in that quest, human survival is at risk. Do not expect to be hearing much, if any, about all this from the state-corporate media in the weeks, months and years ahead; or however much time homo sapiens has left. DC Erdogan lambasted the demand, saying "Those who defend this Soros leftover are trying to get him released. I told our foreign minister that we cannot afford to host them in our country." He questioned, "Why would the 10 ambassadors make such a statement?" Osman Kavala, file image Erdogan lashed out further in front of reporters as cited in Anadolu Agency: "How dare you teach such a lesson to Turkey? Who are you? What do they say? 'Release Kavala.' Do you leave the bandits, murderers, terrorists in your own countries?" As to the veiled threat about about not being able to "host them in our country," Ankara has signaled to foreign embassies it's ready to make good on this, with the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoning an unprecedented ten diplomats to discuss and protest the matter. They were reportedly told the joint statement "irresponsible" and "unacceptable". The statement protesting Kavala's continued custody was signed by representatives of the US, Germany, France, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and New Zealand. Social media messages calling for the philanthropist's release were further posted by the embassies. Crucially the joint message questioned the state of democracy and human rights within the country that is NATO's second most powerful militarily. As of today, Osman Kavala has been detained for four years. His ongoing case has cast a shadow over democracy and rule of law in Turkey. Today, the United States together with call for his release! See our full statement here: https://t.co/fCs5Lk5BCW pic.twitter.com/eyOq1loSM3 U.S. Embassy Turkey (@USEmbassyTurkey) October 18, 2021 The full October 18 US State Dept. statement which has outraged Erdogan reads as follows: Today marks four years since the ongoing detention of Osman Kavala began. The continuing delays in his trial, including by merging different cases and creating new ones after a previous acquittal, cast a shadow over respect for democracy, the rule of law and transparency in the Turkish judiciary system. Together, the embassies of Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America believe a just and speedy resolution to his case must be in line with Turkeys international obligations and domestic laws. Noting the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights on the matter, we call for Turkey to secure his urgent release. Kavala's supporters, meanwhile, have long said the charges against him are purely politically motivated. The 64-year old was initially arrested in October 2017, and the Turkish state heaped an array of charges on him which included supporting the Gezi protests in 2013 and even allegations of participation in the failed coup of 2016. Erdogan's calling him a "Soros leftover" is due to the AK Parti seeing him as a malevolent and subversive figure intent on using his extensive wealth and influence to overthrow their rule via whipping up popular anger in the streets. Kavala has reportedly been held for years in appalling conditions without trial or recourse through the judicial system. The latest updates on the new normal chronicling the lies, distortions, and abuses by the ruling class. We have an incredible opportunity to create entirely new sustainable industries, products, services and supply chains, said His Highness the (unelected) Prince of Wales in the inaugural Great Reset speech to the World Economic Forum back in January 2020. Back then, all signs pointed to this novel coronavirus being just another in the SARS lineage an obscure emergent viral pathogen that would dominate the headlines for two or three 24-hour news cycles and then flame out somewhere in Asia. Unbeknownst to the rabble in the lower socioeconomic strata, the World Economic Forum had already set the multinational wheels of economic revolution in motion. The corporate-state media would have you believe that the Great Reset is just a reaction to the pandemic. Klaus Schwab, in his Nostradamus-like prescience, somehow managed to write an entire book between January and July 2020, before anyone in the public knew anything substantial about the virus, detailing how COVID-19 would be used to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world. This is a lie. On the contrary, the social engineers had meticulously planned the Great Reset going back decades but just like the American neocons needed 9/11 to invade a decade and a half before the multinational elite of Davos, WEF, and UN needed a precipitating event that could afford the public consent they needed to institute drastic change. Justifying a lockdown of the internationalized economy (the source of the current supply chain crisis) would have been impossible without the handy excuse of a global pandemic. Through an orchestrated media fearmongering campaign, they had the ammunition they needed to obliterate the publics psychological defenses. CNN, Feb 20, 2020 As far back as Feb. 2020, the supply chain destruction caused by the intentional decision to lockdown commerce, not the coronavirus itself was already evident. Corrective action could have mitigated the damage, at the very least. The social engineers pressed forward full-steam ahead anyway because global economic collapse was the feature, not the bug . So far from an unforeseen byproduct of well-intentioned public health measures, the near-total supply line collapse is just another domino in a global game that serves a very particular agenda (not yours). To reimagine something entirely new implies the destruction of the old so destruction is what you get. International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Warns of System Collapse Via ICS Press Release: We are witnessing unprecedented disruptions and global delays and shortages on essential goods including electronics, food, fuel and medical supplies. Consumer demand is rising and the delays look set to worsen ahead of Christmas and continue into 2022 Gallup Poll: 60% of US Adults Now Unable to Get Products They Need Via Gallup: Sixty percent of U.S. adults say they have been unable to get a product they wanted in the past two months because of shortages, and 57% have experienced significant delays in receiving a product they ordered. Multinational Corporate Chains Charter Private Vessels to Move Product Via Banking Rates: The cost to lease a ship is $1 million to $2 million per month, plus operating costs. Renting the containers can add on several hundred dollars and the biggest retailers are using between 500 and 1,500 containers per month The companies chartering ships now have more flexibility and can avoid congested ports. The capacity to contract with private shippers is convenient for Walmart, Target, and the other off-shore, multinational corporate behemoths, but American small businesses typically dont have an extra $1 million in cash to splurge on these leases, or the scale to make it worthwhile. What will happen to them, then? Theyll get a one-way ticket to Great Reset Oblivion. National Academies of Sciences: Lockdowns Produced No Public Health Benefit The biggest travesty of all is that none of this economic punishment produced any of the promised public health benefit. Via National Academies of Sciences: Previous studies have claimed that shelter-in-place orders saved thousands of lives, but we reassess these analyses and show that they are not reliable. We find that shelter-in-place orders had no detectable health benefits. World Economic Forum: We Must Prepare For an Angrier World Where is all of this headed? The calculus goes like this: Forced economic shutdowns will wreck national economies Economic hardship will lead to (even more) political anger Un-hip to the international crime syndicate headed by the WEF, UN, and WHO, citizens will blame their national/local-level leaders Local/national governments will become unstable The political ground will be fertilized for international-level intervention to correct the problem created by internationally-led economic lockdowns of the global supply chain Political sovereignty of the various nation-states will be further undermined and the internationalized political regime the so-called New World Order will gain traction Understand that none of this happened by accident! The Big Lie: In the corporate media, the narrative goes: golly gee, no one could have predicted that the supply lines would collapse and drag the economy into the gutter, pushing tens of millions worldwide into starvation and collapsing the entire globalized economy with interdependent supply lines that depend on international shipping across national borders. The Truth: the WHO, the UN, et al. are arsonists, COVID fear is the gasoline, the lockdowns are the blaze, and the First World is the building on fire. *A note on the multinational corporate angle: The Fortune 500, in the aggregate, spend billions upon untold billions on market research and forecasting. To believe that none of them foresaw the fallout of lockdowns would be naive. They did portend the future and consented. Along with the multinational governing bodies like the UN, the multinational mega-corporations are the vehicle of the global corporate technocracy, not as Americanized libertarian ideology claims its antidote. The good news on this front is that the Right in the West the only hope at this point of non-futile resistance has appeared to awaken in the past year and a half. The very tiny proportion of the GOP that is not fully compromised by the corporate state like Rand Paul, Ron Johnson, et al. have taken baby steps towards acknowledging the global, tyrannical ambitions of the corporate state publicly but they must step harder on the gas. The time for half-measures is past. Ben Bartee is a Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs. Follow his stuff via his blog, Armageddon Prose, Substack, or Patreon. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 814-368-3173 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. The Manitoba Metis Federation celebrated the grand opening of its latest child-care facility, Michif Childrens Place, in Dauphin on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertise With Us SUBMITTED The planned playground for the Manitoba Metis Federation Michif Childrens Place in Dauphin. The Manitoba Metis Federation celebrated the grand opening of its latest child-care facility, Michif Childrens Place, in Dauphin on Tuesday. The new child-care facility has been designed to provide an economic opportunity in the city while supporting culturally focussed education for Red River Metis children, said Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) president David Chartrand. "They will understand their history. Theyre going to understand the issue of land. Were going to have land-based training. Well have a multilingual program training them to speak the language," Chartrand said. Michif Childrens Place marks the second facility officially opened by the MMF under its current program in the province. The centre has 65 available spaces eight for infants, 42 for toddlers and preschoolers and 15 for school-age children. Youth enrolled in child-care programming will help celebrate the Metis culture, language and heritage through daily educational opportunities that include land-based learning field trips. Michif Childrens Place will offer numerous parenting programs as well, such as Little Metis Literacy Program, Super Dad, Super Kids and Nobodys Perfect Parenting. A complimentary transportation program will be available at the centre along with a nutritious and culturally appropriate meal program for all youth. The second phase of the centre will include the development of a brand-new outdoor play space, which is designed to be an extension of the inside environment: the activities and materials offered outside will be a combination of traditional and natural play-based items that suit the needs of the children and their level of development. In MMF consultations with families, key concerns included having the children know who they are, understand Metis traditions and engage with the culture. Chartrand said education is a significant piece in ensuring youth take pride in their heritage and celebrate Metis culture. "Its part of knowing who you are Knowing who you are at a young age will only strengthen the ability to have more confidence [and] more understanding of your history," Chartrand said. "Thats going to be very vital." Chartrand said helping youth learn to speak Michif is especially important, as its a dying language; programming will help keep it alive in the community. Language classes will be available for youth and parents in the community. He added instructors, elders and staff have been recruited to work at the Michif Childrens Place 20 new staff are already placed and some youth are currently involved in programming. "Overall, this program is going to have such a vast amount of impact on our next leaders in power. Our next generation is supposed to be the next leadership so I think education is one of the fundamental gifts we can give any of our children," Chartrand said. "Once you have an education, nobody can ever take it from you." Dauphin was selected for the MMF child-care facility because of the robust and growing Metis population in the community, Chartrand said. Many Metis villages surround Dauphin, and the city serves as the main metropolis to visit for shopping, work, health care and other activities. Chartrand added more people are moving to Dauphin for work or health-related reasons and this has further fueled growth in the city. As the population grows, residents will need supports and services from MMF, Chartrand said. Job creation in the urban centre has been especially critical in Dauphin, he added, as the city saw around 80 jobs lost with the recent closure of the nearby jail. The closure drove people out of the city, and the MMF is hoping a new child-care facility will serve as an economic boost and help grow the citys population. Michif Childrens Place is one of approximately 13 to 15 planned MMF child-care facilities across the province, Chartrand said. He added Brandons facility is currently being renovated and theyre looking to add a daycare centre. The MMF expects to hire 200 to 300 child-care workers in the future to staff these planned facilities. "Were going to make a big impact in this province and it will be good-paying jobs, too," Chartrand said. The impact MMF is having on Dauphin, Brandon and other urban centers through daycare centre projects will help the organization have a bigger footprint in the province both social and economically, Chartrand said. "If we dont start teaching our kids to be careful and considering the environment in the future, the next generation is going to pay a heavy price because of our neglect," Chartrand said. ckemp@brandonsun.com Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp Brandon University lowered its school flag to half-mast on Thursday to honour the memory of longtime music professor William Gordon, who died last week. Advertisement Advertise With Us Brandon University lowered its school flag to half-mast on Thursday to honour the memory of longtime music professor William Gordon, who died last week. Gordon died peacefully at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg on Oct. 14 at the age of 75, according to an obituary recently published in the Sun. SUBMITTED William Gordon. Gordon leaves behind his partner of 39 years, Kathy, and his two children, Emma and Patrick. While Thursdays news release from BU didnt provide a cause of death, school officials wanted to acknowledge the countless contributions Gordon made to the university and the Manitoba music scene at large. Gordon officially joined BU in September 1970 and taught at the school in a full-time capacity until the end of 2013. However, he continued to provide local university students with his wisdom and guidance up until 2020. Throughout his time at BU, Gordon took on almost every course and subject imaginable at the School of Music and was deeply engaged in the design of the universitys curricula from a student-success perspective. Thursdays news release from BU describes Gordon as "enormously flexible, intelligent, and committed to student success" in the classroom, making him a faculty member upon whom students relied for advice and guidance. Gordons rapport with students also made him an ideal candidate to lead a variety of band ensembles throughout the years, including the School of Musics wind band, wind ensemble, symphonic band, orchestra, percussion ensemble and brass ensemble. Outside of his role as an instructor, Gordon wore many hats as a member of the BU administration, having chaired numerous committees and served as the acting dean of music on three separate occasions. Because he was such a widespread presence in the BU community, current dean of music Greg Gatien described Gordon as a role model who was always open to exploring new ideas and showing rookie professors the ropes. "We will miss him a great deal and always be grateful to have had him on our faculty," Gatien said in Thursdays news release. The universitys statement paid special attention to Gordons role in the construction of the Queen Elizabeth II Music Building, identifying this project as one of his biggest contributions to the university as a whole. Gordon became the project co-ordinator for the initiative in the early 1980s and continued to lend his insight into the buildings construction and design before it officially opened its doors in 1990. Reflecting on this project several years later, architect Glen Cockburn wrote that the building highlights Gordons "methodical research, attention to detail and commitment to incorporating the practical needs of the music faculty into the buildings design and concept." Originally growing up in Dorset, England, Gordon graduated from the Royal College of Music in London and immediately won a chair position to play in Irelands Ulster Orchestra. After moving to Canada in 1967, the young French horn player went on to work with the CBC Orchestra based in Winnipeg but eventually found himself teaching at local high schools like Sisler and Gordon Bell. Some of Gordons students still recall the impact he made on their lives to this day. Former student Beverley Paley recalls how Gordon completely rehabilitated her high schools music program once he became their new band director in the late 1960s, in the Condolences and Memories section of the Suns online obituary. "He lifted that band up and gave us confidence again in what we could do," Paley wrote. "William Gordon showed us that if we believed in ourselves we could do anything." Winnipeg-based music teacher Natalie Pegus wrote on Facebook that Gordon was always "warm, good-humoured and a consummate professional" when she learned under him at BU. "He made all of his students feel valued and appreciated regardless if they were in one of his classes or attended lessons privately with him," Pegus wrote on Sunday. "I didnt always feel as if I fit in during my time at music school, but he made me feel as if I should be there. He would laugh at my weird sense of humour and cared tremendously about how all of his students did in his class." Following the news of Gordons death, BU officials mentioned on Thursday they are in the middle of creating a new scholarship that will cement his legacy. A celebration of Gordons life is also being planned for the summer of 2022. In the meantime, gifts in his memory can be made out to the Brandon University Foundation by mail (270 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9), by phone at 204-727-7374 or by visiting BrandonU.ca/Give. kdarbyson@brandonsun.com Twitter:@KyleDarbyson Code Thompson - Christmas | Sundari PR / Red Street Records OCTOBER 22, 2021 -- Joplin native Contemporary Christian artist Cade Thompson is spreading Christmas cheer this holiday season with a three-song Christmas bundle EP that releases across all digital platforms starting today, October 22. Cade Thompson Christmas is a three song holiday project that features two classic remakes Go Tell It On The Mountain and Angels We Have Heard on High along with one original written by Thompson along with Micah Kuiper and Matt Armstrong, titled I Cant Wait for Christmas. My Christmas EP brings me so much joy as I have been able to put my personality into each single, shares Thompson. There has been so much life and excitement surrounding this project, from the moment we began. The arrangements for these songs bring a fun, fresh and new spin, but keep the traditional heartbeats of two well known Christmas songs. My new original Christmas song was written straight from my own Christmas memories, which we can all relate too. I know these songs will hit the audience differently in a familiar season. I cant wait for you to hear them. Earlier this week, the breakout artist set out on the Step Into the Light Tour with the Grammy Award-winning band Newsboys, female powerhouse vocalist Mandisa and Irish American band We Are Messengers. Thompson will be performing his radio hits like Every Step of the Way and other fan favorites from his debut full length album, Bigger Story, that was released in September. For a full list of tour dates, please visit www.cadethompsonmusic.com When speaking about the tour, Thompson says, I was raised on Christian music, so being able to go on tour with the Newsboys, Mandisa, and We are Messengers causes me to reflect on what an honor it is to be sharing the stage with these icons. I know that I will never forget these moments that I have yet to experience on this tour, both on stage and behind the scenes. With the tour kicking off soon, the days have been busy getting merch ready and thinking of everything through the fans perspective. My favorite part of live performance is being able to encourage the audience through music and the message of the Gospeland of course hearing so many stories from fans on how music is impacting their lives. For more information on Cade Thompson Christmas please visit www.cadethompsonmusic.com. Stay connected with Cade Thompson at: Instagram Facebook Twitter Tik Tok Youtube News Source: Sundari PR Mark Zuckerberg wants to rechristen Facebook, giving the financial powerhouse and social media hothouse a fresh identity. While Zuckerbergs corporate baby has handily weathered prior crises, boasts an enviable global footprint and continues to rake in massive profits, critics have turned it into a pinata for myriad good reasons. Zuckerberg seems to think the best response to all of this is cosmetic. Zuckerberg, architect of much of the modern digital universe, also may be entertaining thoughts of a seismic corporate overhaul, of course. The Verge first reported that a name change is afoot and is meant to reflect Facebooks focus on building the metaverse. What exactly is this metaverse, you ask? Mark Zuckerberg is failing to address problems at Facebook that he has a unilateral ability to fix. Credit:AP According to the sci-fi novelist Neal Stephenson, who introduced the term in his 1992 novel, Snow Crash, the metaverse is a three-dimensional world where avatars of real people conduct virtual lives. Stephenson has said that when he wrote Snow Crash he was just making shit up. Then the internet revolution happened, and his book achieved cult status among Silicon Valley titans. As a diehard fan of dystopian masterpieces such as The Matrix and Blade Runner series, I get the fascination. And pioneers such as Zuckerberg, who actually have resources to try building artificial, alternate worlds excluding the dystopia, one hopes well, they spend a lot of time thinking about that stuff. Zuckerberg may be spending too much time thinking about it. Or hes thinking about it, intentionally, at the expense of other things that have more immediate importance. I mean, the metaverse is fine as a side hustle, but in the real world where real people live, Facebook has been causing significant damage. Qantas has brought forward the restart of flights from Melbourne and Sydney to destinations including London, Singapore, Bangkok and Johannesburg as Australias two biggest states prepare to reopen for international travel. Foreign airlines also said they would make thousands of seats available in and out of Melbourne after Victorian premier Daniel Andrews confirmed on Friday he would follow NSW and lift all quarantine restrictions on vaccinated Australian residents returning home from overseas on November 1. Qantas said on Friday that the reopening of state and international borders in the coming months meant all 11,000 employees who remain stood down would be back at work in December - something not expected until June next year. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans announce the changes on Friday morning. Credit:Louise Kennerley Australians rolling up their sleeves means our planes and our people are getting back to work much earlier than we expected, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said at a press conference at Sydney Airport with prime minister Scott Morrison and NSW premier Dominic Perrottet. Resource giants including BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group are reeling after complaints of the discrimination, harassment and sexual assault experienced by women working on their vast operations in Western Australias north were exposed this year. Paul Everingham, chief executive of WAs powerful Chamber of Minerals and Energy, on Wednesday opened his testimony to a WA state parliamentary inquiry into the issue with an apology. To all of the victims of sexual assault, harassment or rape on mine sites and gas facilities at any time, its completely unacceptable, Mr Everingham said. Pilbara mine worker Astacia Stevens has suffered sexual harassment with a number of mining companies. There is a lot of public talk around improving things by getting greater diversity onto mine sites, but what young impressionable girl would want to work on a mine site, particularly when we have sexual harassment and assault going on? It is not the first time the tourist board has taken a public stand against censorship. In 2017, the board approached several cities with a proposal to show large-scale ads featuring nude portraits by Egon Schiele, an early-20th-century Austrian artist known for his sinewy depictions of the human form. Kettner said the OnlyFans account is not a permanent solution, but rather a protest against censorship and a call for conversation. We want to draw attention to a certain thing, he said. We want to put it out there, to talk about the role of artificial intelligence, of algorithms. In 2017, the board approached several cities with a proposal to show large-scale ads featuring nude portraits by Egon Schiele, an early-20th century Austrian artist known for his sinewy depictions of the human form. Credit:OnlyFans Its not an anti-technology agenda that we have, said Norbert Kettner, director of the Vienna Tourist Board. But after the citys museums faced one case after another of social media sites taking down their posts, he said, We thought, What would be an alternative? What would be a channel where nudity is not an issue in and of itself? The social media platforms did not respond to requests for comment on the seeming contradiction of the rules and how they are enforced. We wanted to know how much can we, as a society, deal with nudity which was produced 100 or 110 years ago? Kettner said. Not much, as it turned out. Officials in England and in Germany deemed the images too explicit. In the end, the Vienna tourist board decided to use the rejection as an opportunity. The posters appeared across London, the German cities of Hamburg and Cologne, and New York City with certain body parts concealed by strips of text, reading: Sorry, 100 years old but still too daring today. Vienna is hardly the only city whose art has been censored online. Many artworks, from all over the world, have been incorrectly identified by AI as pornography. Facebook has taken down pictures posted by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (of Imogen Cunninghams photographs of nude bodies), the Philadelphia Museum of Art (of a painting by Evelyne Axell in which a woman is licking an ice cream cone) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (of a 1917 painting of a nude woman by Amedeo Modigliani). A teacher in France sued Facebook after the social network deleted his account after he posted an image of Gustave Courbets The Origin of the World, a 19th-century painting in which a womans vagina is the focal point. In 2018, the court ruled that Facebook was at fault but did not award any damages to the plaintiff. And in 2016, a politician in Denmark said she could not post a link to her blog on Facebook because the post included a photo of The Little Mermaid, a public sculpture in Copenhagen that apparently shows too much skin by the social networks standards. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Nanni Moretti is furious. But then, he often seems to be furious during interviews; there was one, I remember, that was completely derailed when another interviewee in the same Cannes salon asked him if he could lower his voice a little. Mamma mia, he lived to rue that suggestion. This time, as I join a group of journalists asking the maestro about his melodrama Three Floors, he is railing against Netflix et al. Moretti is hardly the only person in Cannes reviling the dominance of streaming, but he may be the loudest. We are colonised! he roars. By a platform that has a narrative style, where they want to have their say on everything, on all choices down to the very last name in the casting. They want to look at the dailies and see all the footage youve shot before you edit it. And I refuse! I want to make personal films that will release theatrically. So, I say no! And I say no not as a filmmaker, as a producer or an exhibitor, but as a viewer! I want to discover other authors films and I want to do that in the cinema. It is a grand statement of intent, bearing witness to Morettis status as well as the strength of his conviction. For anyone whose memory of Nanni Moretti stretches back to Caro Diario (1993), the directors first international success, it is strange to see him now as an elder statesman of Italian film. Moretti has always starred in his own films. In the charmingly rambling Caro Diario, he zipped around Rome on a scooter, stalked Flashdance star Jennifer Beals and grumbled about children always answering their parents phones. Critics dubbed him the Italian Woody Allen. I want to make personal films that will release theatrically, says Italian film director Nanni Moretti, pictured in Rome last month. Credit:Elisabetta A. Villa Since then, he has moved more or less easily and sporadically, saying he only makes films when he has something specific to say between features and short films, between satires such as The Caiman (about the rise and rise of a politician very like Silvio Berlusconi) and intense dramas. He isnt a filmmaker on the scale of Fellini or Antonioni but, with major prizes at the Berlin and Venice festivals and eight films shown at the Cannes Film Festival one of which, The Sons Room, won the Palme DOr in 2002 he is bearing his generations standard. He is also a producer of clout and proprietor of Romes single independent cinema, the Nuovo Sacher. Both the cinema and the Sacher production company are named for his favourite cake. Loading There is no sign of this sort of whimsy in Three Floors, adapted from a novel by Israeli writer Eshkol Nevo and transposed, inevitably, to a bourgeois district of Morettis beloved Rome. There is no humour here at all, in fact, perhaps because the plot is so crammed with crises there is no room for laughs. At the centre of the story is a small block of flats; Three Floors reveals what happens behind the various residents smart front doors. The story is delivered in three episodes spaced five years apart. Things change during the gaps, generally calamitously people go to prison and get set free again, divorce, die or disappear and yet really dont change at all. The Victorian coastline near the famous limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles is well known to surfers for its long exposed beaches and powerful ocean waves. For Belinda Baggs, founder of emissions reduction advocacy group Surfers for Climate, this stretch of ocean is the focus of a campaign against a proposal to drill for gas under the Port Campbell National Park, about five kilometres from the Twelves Apostles. Belinda Baggs, one of the founders of Surfers for Climate, doesnt want any gas production near the Twelve Apostles. Credit:Zoe Strapp Victorias Energy and Climate Change Minister, Lily DAmbrosio, recently gave consent for South Australian oil and gas company Beach Energy to develop an existing exploration well under the national park into a productive well. The drill site is almost half a kilometre outside the national park, but to reach the offshore gas reservoir the bore extends 3.5 kilometres out into the ocean, including a 1.3-kilometre stretch beneath the park. People really relate to it its about getting up, waking up and turning up to life, says Knox, who encourages members, who are aged between seven and 70, to meditate, be kind and take time for themselves. Were open 52 weeks of the year. Christmas and New Years Day, well be there. We look at ourselves as very similar to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). Theyre open on public holidays, theyre open at all times because there are people who need to go to those meetings and need to connect. Its a far cry from the fitness Knox grew up with, the fitness trend of 10 or 20 years ago, where the norm was to be yelled or screamed at and to flog yourself until you spewed. But, then something about fitness today has changed. And that is, its not just about fitness anymore. Its about self-help, its about rebirth. Its become, in many ways, the new religion. It is where many now go to find their community and connection, their affirmation and spiritual empowerment. My experience of Peloton for instance, whose devoted following has led to it being called cult-like and a stationary biker-gang, is one part happy clappy Hillsong, one part suffering and one part inspirational sermon: Turn your pain into power; What separates us from those who arent great is we execute on our goals; I like you, I believe in you; You showed up... thats cute, but its the input and output that matters, preach the highly-manicured, suspiciously sweat-free instructors. Karen Lawson, the country manager of Peloton, thinks part of the brands appeal is that it is a constant companion of positivity and support. I feel it myself it does bring you joy, and its not just the fact that youre exercising, she says. Its this feeling of strength and empowerment that somebody has your back, and theyre doing it with you. She also suspects that people are seeking the community connection that has been lost as a result of increasingly digitised lives. Besides, she adds, our expectations of exercise are different now we have more awareness generally around its influence on mental wellness. And with more Australians losing their religion (in 2019, 30 per cent reported having no religious affiliation, compared with 19 per cent in 2006), fitness brands are stepping in to fill the void. Having grown up in a religious household but no longer practising, Libby Babet, the founder of The Upbeat and former trainer on The Biggest Loser, discovered for herself that the sport and the fitness community could replace the connection she was missing. I can see how it is compared to religion, she says. It has become something sacred and meaningful to many people, something that gives people a purposeful pursuit and a like-minded community of people to connect with multiple times a week. We even have our temples and sacred places for you to visit whether thats a gym, or a running community, or hiking trails to seek out. The connection can be stronger at the studio than other places, Babet believes because its about a collective vibe, an uplifting spirit, creating a second home and improving your health and performance as a result. We dont comment on bodies and changes and reps, we focus on music and spirit and friendships. As with any religion, there can be a dark side too. In 2020, the cult-like US boutique fitness brand Soul Cycle was exposed for the toxic culture it was creating. A post-it note allegedly stuck on the studios office wall captured the unhealthy attitudes breeding within the business. It said: If riders start asking if they were on cocaine or say that they look like they had an eating disorder, it means that instructors are hitting their goal weights. A destructive focus on weight is nothing new in the fitness industry, but the trend has largely shifted towards something more nourishing and affirmative: something more than exercise. High-turnover, soulless fitness studios still exist, and people can get results from these classes, but it gets boring fast, Babet says: But belonging to a community, learning their language (in our case the weird and wonderful names of different dance conditioning and cardio moves, from the scorpion the showgirl) and becoming entrenched in the community so it becomes part of your life its just magic. For his part, Knox says receiving messages from people who didnt think they could run or who have been battling mental health issues and have found a form of deliverance in the dark with the run club, has ignited a spark: Ive found my calling: to help people reconnect and empower them. In this episode of Good Weekend Talks, we celebrate the magazines much-loved annual 52 Weekends Away issue with a look at domestic travel after lockdown. Ahead of the 31st iteration of this issue being published on Saturday, October 23, the magazines editor and podcast host Katrina Strickland chats with tourism operator Hamish Keith about how he and wife Mez have used their overseas hospitality experience to transform their Wilga Station property near Bathurst, in regional NSW, into a luxury accommodation offering. Also joining in: Traveller editor Anthony Dennis, who gets out his crystal ball to predict how we might travel in 2022. Along the way, they discuss the improved coffee offerings in country towns, what it was like to open then temporarily shut new accommodation during lockdown, and whats really needed to make Australias domestic tourism offering sing. When he was ferreting through old police reports back in 2000 as Sydney partied during the Olympics, Detective Sergeant Steve Page had no idea he was about to launch the most intensive investigation into gay hate murders ever conducted in Australia. While his investigation code named Operation Taradale centred on the mysterious deaths of weatherman and newsreader Ross Warren and barman John Russell on the Bondi clifftops in 1989, and the disappearance of French national Gilles Mattaini in the same location four years earlier, it revealed a much wider pattern of evil and senseless violence directed at gay men across Sydney at the time. Between 1987 and 1993 up to 20 gay men were murdered, too many dismissed at the time as suicides or deaths by misadventure. Because of police indifference and inaction in the late 1980s, gangs of young men could roam the clifftops on the southern headland at Bondi, bashing and killing gay men with virtual impunity, with little fear of the long arm of the law catching up with them. Only one killing on the headland at this time, of Thai national Kritchikorn Rattanjurathaporn, resulted in a murder conviction and years behind bars for the three young killers. When I asked Page, who quit the force back in 2005, to explain his principal motive in pursuing the ground-breaking Taradale investigation, which would consume nearly five years of his life, he replied: I wanted to look the parents of these men in the eye, knowing I had done all that was possible. Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects were told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics theyre given. This week, he talks to Nova Peris. The Gija, Yawuru and Iwatja woman, 50, was the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal. The former Labor senator was also the first Indigenous female to sit in Federal Parliament. Nova Peris: As an Aboriginal person in this country, youre born political. Credit:David Hancock POLITICS After a career in sport, why politics? As an Aboriginal person in this country, youre born political. I was always staunch on what I believed was right; I was outspoken about things that were not right in terms of racial discrimination and inequalities. For me to end up in federal parliament didnt come as a shock to the people who knew me. Did you come from a political and, specifically, Labor family? Its funny: my grandfather, Johnny Peris, started working for the NT Legislative Assembly around 1978. Ringing up Granddad, it was like, Parliament House, Johnny Peris speaking. Can I help you? The CLP [Country Liberal Party] was the party of choice here in Darwin during those early years of self-government. When he passed away in 1995, a lot of the condolences and tributes were from the CLP. But my values around equality have always been Labor. Brisbane Airport has been damaged after a tornado formed east of the CBD on Friday morning. The Bureau of Meteorology said a tornado formed near the Port of Brisbane just after 10am during a supercell thunderstorm near Brisbane Airport. Video evidence shows the tornado touching down briefly, the bureau said. The airport recorded 101 millimetres of rain in one hour. I dont trust the police, I have no faith in them at all after that. A Queensland police spokesman said every sexual assault was taken extremely seriously. Following investigations into this matter, a male juvenile was dealt with under the Youth Justice Act and a female juvenile was referred to a victim support service, he said. As the parties involved in this matter are juveniles, the QPS cannot provide further comment regarding the specifics of this investigation. But Jane said, all they did was give him a talking. ... Even after I had said multiple times about the rape, the mental abuse and the manipulation, and the domestic violence not physical, but definitely the emotional and mental abuse all they did was talk to him again, she said. As part of the harassment, the boy threatened he would commit suicide if Jane did not resume their relationship. The third time I went to police because he continued to be abusive, they finally said, Oh, well you can take him to court if you want, she said. Instead of getting a domestic violence order and a temporary protection order, all I got was an undertaking, all he has to do is sign a piece of paper. Its not a police order, its not a court order and if he breaches it, the only thing I can do about it is take that evidence of that breach back to court and go through the whole process again. Jane said police told her they were not sure if her application for a protection order would be successful because the boy was trying to put one against her. In Queensland, a child can be named as the aggrieved or the respondent in an application for a domestic violence order or police protection notice if an intimate relationship or an informal care relationship exists between the other party named in the application. As much as I told police all of that, three different times, Ive got no faith in them any more because that should be enough to have something happen and nothing happened, Jane said. Especially after the police didnt take it seriously, I felt completely worthless. The girls lawyer told Brisbane Times it seemed police were more concerned with the status of the boy and his protection, and had lost sight of the need to protect the victim. She was let down by the system, her lawyer said, adding it was not uncommon for children just under the 18-year bracket to come before the courts for such cases. This week, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll announced there would be 16 new sexual violence liaison officers at districts across Queensland, and specialist training would be rolled out for a response more centred on victims and their trauma. Only 1.5 per cent of sexual assault complaints in Australia result in conviction. Across Australia, sexual assault allegations are often dropped before they make it to court. Credit:Robert Shakespeare The chief executive of Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia, Hayley Foster, said it was a daily occurrence that victims of sexual and domestic violence are being treated this way. One of the major problems, she said, was the fact police investigated themselves when a complaint arose. She said it was virtually impossible for the matter to be resolved appropriately and real change would not be achieved unless there was an independent complaint mechanism that was adequately funded. Loading While a vast majority of police officers are really responsive to victims of sexual and domestic violence, the response is far from uniform, she said. There also needs to be an automatic referral through to a specialist domestic and also sexual violence services. Victims have continued to call for changes to police responses. A woman who was told by police in 2017 her demeanour and the way she was dressed and walked was not consistent with you being violently raped said her interaction with police was more distressing than the alleged rape. She said it was a nightmare the minute she walked into the police station. [An officer] did say to me, I hate having to say this, but we have to ask are you sure you didnt just have a one-night-stand encounter, and you regret it? she said. I remember looking at him ... you know, does anyone willingly have their body forced on the ground and their bones broken? Queensland authorities are probing the actions of an interstate truck driver infectious with COVID-19 in Brisbane for two days, after reporting no new cases linked to an earlier case in a very unwell Gold Coast ride-share driver. Police are conducting ongoing inquiries into the Victorian truck drivers movements in Queensland on October 18 and 19 before leaving the state, which involved attending a movie screening at the Stafford Hoyts cinema and a visit to a Richlands barber shop. Both have now been identified as close contact exposure sites after the driver tested positive after leaving the state, despite freight industry health directions updated after a slew of interstate-acquired infections last month requiring drivers to have no or minimal contact with the community. [Drivers] must not leave the vehicle other than for essential purposes, including to purchase food, or to use restroom facilities, or to refuel or resupply, the health directions state. The driver had received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, as also required by the health orders before October 15. A former teacher at a Christian college in Melbournes east has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two of his former students. Steven Ronald Mellody faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday morning via video link from jail. Former college teacher Steven Mellody. The 37-year-old pleaded guilty to more than 50 sexual offences, including multiple counts of sexual penetration of a child under 16, sexual assault of a child under 16, and two counts of grooming a child in his care. The prosecution withdrew 11 charges, including four counts of rape. Ethans death was not a turning point. Seccull didnt turn dark out of grief or guilt. It was just him. Behind the scenes in the familys Ballarat home he was a controlling bully and a rapist who would go to any lengths to denigrate and humiliate the woman he pretended to love. Michelle with Goofy Jon. The case of Jon Seccull and Michelle Skewes is a graphic example of how family violence is rarely a public eruption and so often a private drip, drip, drip of erosion. Because it is such a slow process, the victim loses the sense of what is normal and acceptable. Looking back I think Michelle, how could you be so stupid? Skewes was just 19 when she met Seccull, 21, in 2000 when they were volunteers at the Ballarat City Fire brigade. He was just a really funny guy, she says. As her car was being repaired she walked two kilometres to fire training. Seccull insisted on driving her, ostensibly for her safety. She thought it was more goofy than gentlemanly, but it turned out to be the first attempt to take control. Ten months later they started to date. He was attentive and charming and his occasional inappropriate jokes were consigned to the boys will be boys file. Sure, his calls were persistent. If she didnt answer her mobile he would ring her parents. Queried, he responded: I just wanted to know youre safe, babe. Before they married he would compliment her appearance. After they married in 2003 his approach changed. When she dressed to go out he would suggest a different outfit, and then it became I cant believe you would wear that. Jon Seccull and Michelle Skewes at their 2003 wedding. The same with cooking, an activity she enjoyed. At first, he said he liked her meals, and then he would say: What have you changed? It tastes strange. Then he would lift the lid off the pot and say Whats this shit? I couldnt feed this to the dogs. When their phone bill went through the roof she found he had spent $1500 on sex lines. He said, What do you expect? You dont put out enough. He drank a slab of beer every day and Skewes tried to make herself a small target until he passed out. The abuse was constant, until Michelle half-believed she was to blame. Seccull was determined to turn her from a person into a possession. Then, suddenly, he would revert to the man she married. There were long drives and camping trips with friends. She told no one the truth, believing she would be disloyal if she sought help. On a bad day he would choke me until I nearly passed out, then make me thank him for saving my life. Once he walked in with a rifle. He pulled the bolt back. Then he threw a bullet at me, saying: Youre not worth the price of a bullet. She hid a set of warm clothes outside for the freezing nights when he locked her out of the house. She would cuddle the dog for warmth and sleep inside their boat parked on the property, occasionally sneaking back through her daughters window after he had flaked out. Then there was the sex. He wanted her to have extra-marital partners and provide proof for his sexual gratification. He would pick seedy pubs and order her to find new partners. If she failed he would sexually abuse her at home. She would often take a picture to prove she was at the pub trying to pick up, then sneak to another bar, sit at the back and work on her paramedics degree. He even sent me out on my birthday. By this time Skewes had lost any resolve and just did what she was told. The defence lawyer described her as hateful, smug, hysterical, demonic, [a] pathological liar who was evil incarnate descriptions ... rejected by the jury. As part of his demands, she sought men on social media proposing a fling with a Facebook friend in NSW. The friend turned out to be a detective, who made it clear that being forced to have sex with strangers was rape. Eventually, Seccull decided it was time for a family holiday. He rang to tell her the car was packed, demanding they leave that night, even though it was her sisters 30th birthday. He said, Ive even packed the .223 [rifle]. I honestly thought he was going to kill me and dump the body. For eight days they drove through Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory, Skewes in a state of terror and Seccull repeatedly demanding sex. Completing a mental health unit for her studies, she read a standard checklist and realised she was in the red zone. That was the light bulb moment. I was ashamed it took so long. She left in March 2016, even though he said if she escaped he would destroy her. Typically, he reverted to the old Jon, saying he would change, and they should stay together for the children. The man who raped and choked his wife, the man who made her have sex with strangers, was now saying we need to hug. Reporting family violence is never easy, and it can be more difficult in smaller communities. There is a certain protection in reporting the awful details to a professional stranger but in the country often the victim and offender know the police socially. When Skewes finally walked into the Ballarat Police Station, the sergeant on duty was part of their wider social group. He made it clear he would not be taking her husbands side and the case was handed to specialist investigators who had to prove the attacks carried out behind closed doors. Michelle Skewes has spoken about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her then husband, Jon Seccull. But some mutual friends couldnt get past the carefully manufactured good bloke image. Seccull played the wounded party, saying his wife had been unfaithful and was making false allegations to deny him his children. Once on a long trip, she asked a friend if she could crash on their couch before returning to Ballarat. [The friend] sent a text saying that wont be happening, she says. There are still former close friends who no longer speak to her. Eventually Skewes told her story in court and then spent four days being cross-examined. There are only so many ways you can be called a liar. Any appearance in a witness box is stressful but to have your abusive sex life examined, hundreds of text messages reconstructed and your very character questioned can be soul-destroying. The defence decided their best chance was to smash Skewes credibility and she went from being the victim in the court to the villain in the witness box. She used her 15 years of abuse as a shield: I felt his lawyer stepped into his role as an abuser. By detaching herself from her ex-husbands vitriol she was able to deal with the potentially humiliating questions. County Court Judge Frank Gucciardo, in the precise language of the court, made it clear what he thought of the defences tactic of trying to drag Skewes reputation through the mud as her husband had physically dragged her around the family home. He said the defence described her as hateful, smug, hysterical, demonic, [a] pathological liar who was evil incarnate descriptions one might conclude [were] rejected by the jury. He deliberately contrasted the defence with the victim, describing her evidence and victim impact statement as candid, honest and disarming in its dignity. Loading In sentencing Seccull to a minimum of 10 years and six months, Gucciardo said: This offending leaves the Court bereft of adequate words to describe its moral depravity. Even after many years of criminal law, such abhorrent conduct is breathtaking. Michelle Skewes is fighting back. She speaks openly about what had been dreadful secrets, hoping women trapped in abusive relationships may read her story and realise there is a way out. I know my story is not unique. A Perth mother who poured bleach into the feeding tube of her chronically ill baby son has been jailed for 2 years. Brooke Lucas, 29, attempted to poison her son, William, in December 2018 by pouring 30 millilitres of Exit Mould into his milk bag because she wanted the 13-month-old to go to sleep. Brooke Lucas and her son William. Credit:Facebook State prosecutor Laura Christian SC said the baby turned grey one hour later and began vomiting and convulsing. She said Lucas sat and watched the medical episode before the boys father intervened, emptying the milk bags and calling for an ambulance nearly three hours later. The family of the Geraldton woman who was shot dead by a police officer have been left devastated after a jury acquitted him of her murder. The first-class constable, who cannot be named, was found not guilty of the murder of Yamatji woman, referred to as JC for cultural reasons, on Friday afternoon following a three-week Supreme Court trial and three hours of deliberations. Family and friends of the woman spilled out onto the District Court steps to vent their anger at the verdict as police formed a guard for the officers defence team as they exited the building. Bernadette Clarke, the sister JC, spoke shortly after the verdict. The Australian Medical Association says doctors will continue to treat unvaccinated people who fall ill with COVID-19 after its Victorian branch suggested people who dont believe the virus exists should opt out of public healthcare. In comments reported by The Guardian, Dr Roderick McRae, president of the Victorian branch of the AMA, said those who denied the virus existed and refused to be vaccinated should opt out of receiving public healthcare if they became ill with the disease. Victorian AMA president Roderick McRae. Credit:Joe Armao A whole lot of these people are passionate disbelievers that the virus even exists. They should notify their nearest and dearest and ensure theres an advanced care directive that says: If I am diagnosed with this disease caused by a virus that I dont believe exists, I will not disturb the public hospital system, and Ill let nature run its course, Dr McRae said. But following a backlash from the medical sector, Dr McRae clarified his comments on Friday morning. In a statement, he said was not his intention to suggest that COVID deniers and anti-vaxxers should be denied medical treatment. Australia, says the billionaire entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes, should be the winner of the decarbonised world, and were not going to be at the moment. Loading Both men are investing billions in renewables, so theyre not just theorising. Both say Australia has the potential to be the superpower of the decarbonised world, but that it must commit to a credible 2030 target of halving emissions, or better. Who would you believe about Australias economic future? Australias most successful entrepreneurs whove created multi-billion-dollar businesses from nothing? Or Barnaby Joyce, Matt Canavan and George Christensen? The question answers itself. So why is the Prime Minister pandering to the Nationals rump? He doesnt need to. His emissions plans do not need to be legislated so he doesnt need their votes. The main reason is the election ahead. By promising no further emissions action by 2030, he can present himself as unthreatening. And he hopes that Labor will pledge something more ambitious. If it does, Morrison will declare Labor to be reckless, a threat to coal mining communities, jobs, electricity prices, and so on. The time-honoured Coalition scare campaign. And why not? Its worked till now. Dont worry about the national interest. Second is another of Australias glaring national failures, the absence of a national anti-corruption commission. The Coalition, Labor, the Greens and key independent MPs all agree on the need for one. And there is plenty of scope for debate about the best design of one. But the governments proposal is a non-starter. No other party will support it. Because it is not offering a serious anti-corruption commission. It is offering a body powerless to investigate federal parliamentarians. This would make it worse than useless; it would make it a collaborator in tolerating corruption. And the governments plan would make it powerless to investigate most of the federal public service. The agency that Morrison proposes would hide corruption, not expose it, said Stephen Charles, QC, a former judge of the Victorian Court of Appeal and a director of the Centre for Public Integrity. It would be the weakest watchdog in the county, according to former NSW Supreme Court judge Anthony Whealy. Which is the whole point. Morrison doesnt want a real anti-corruption body. He wants a pretend one, a talking point to allow him to campaign as if he favours the idea. His true commitment to scrutiny of Coalition MPs was laid bare this week. The opposition called for a parliamentary committee to be allowed to inquire into the anonymous slush fund set up to give money to Christian Porter. It could have up to $1 million in it. Porter says he has no idea who gave the cash. He calls it a blind trust and most media reporting uses this name for it. It is not a blind trust. A blind trust is set up with your own money, but managed at arms length so you dont know where the money is invested. This is designed to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Loading Porters fund is stashed with other peoples money. Labor argued that its ripe with potential conflicts of interest and the Speaker of the House, the Liberals Tony Smith, agreed that there was at least the basis for a committee to consider it. But Morrison used the governments numbers in the House to block any effort to even debate whether to allow a committee to inquire into Porters fund. It was a new low in standards of integrity in Australian federal politics. Yet Morrison will go to the election claiming he favours setting up a national integrity commission. Like corflute, Morrisons definition of integrity is cheap and easy to cut to size. Third is the governments future commitment to protect Australians from COVID-19. We know there are new variants afoot in the world, and that, as it continues to mutate, there will be more. As Morrison said on Friday: This wont be the last pandemic we face. The way to tailor the existing vaccines for new variants is through mRNA technology, which allows swift gene editing. Both Pfizer and Moderna are made with mRNA techniques. The Morrison government said it would create a sovereign mRNA manufacturing capability in Australia. That was over a year ago. Its still dithering. Loading Fed up with waiting on Morrison, the governments of Victoria and NSW have both allocated funds to develop mRNA capacities in their own states. They have put the federal government to shame. This is a critical national health capability. Canberra was big on the announcement and left behind on the delivery. Fourth is economic revitalisation. Everyone from the International Monetary Fund to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, from the Australian Chamber of Commerce to Deloitte Access Economics, has pointed out that Australia is on track for economic enfeeblement unless it implements serious economic reforms. Josh Frydenberg may be secretly designing a sweeping plan for the economic renovation of the country. If so, its super secret. The word that stood out in the Deloitte report this week was complacency. The government will go to the polls trumpeting its genius as an economic manager. Indeed, Australia will be undergoing a strong bounceback from its COVID crash. Thatll last through the election campaign. Without real action, however, it will deliver Australia into a future of low wages growth, sub-par economic growth and permanent government deficit. A quarantine-free travel bubble between Australia and Singapore could be established within the next week after Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed the two countries were in the final stages of concluding an agreement. Australians may also be able to fly to Bangkok, Phuket, Johannesburg and Fiji before Christmas after Qantas and Jetstar announced they were restarting international flights out of Sydney ahead of schedule. Qantas announced plans to restart more international flights out of Sydney by Christmas. The Singapore arrangement will be similar to the travel bubble Australia established with the South Island of New Zealand this week. The talks are focused on allowing vaccinated students and business travellers to travel freely between Australia and Singapore as the first step, before opening up to tourists. The travel bubble would be dependent on whether states relax their quarantine arrangements, but NSW and Victoria have already scrapped mandatory hotel quarantine for all vaccinated international arrivals from November 1. Nationals ministers may quit the federal cabinet if the Prime Minister doesnt agree to their requests in the policy that would sign Australia up to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce on Friday presented a letter of request to the Prime Minister with the partys demands in return for their support for the climate policy, which Nationals MPs say centre on protections for jobs and local economies in their rural and regional electorates. Nationals deputy leader David Littleproud, at right, expects a majority in the party room will decide the position on net zero. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Mr Joyce, the Deputy Prime Minister, said Liberal cabinet ministers would endorse a commitment to net zero but the Nationals may not unless they were satisfied by Scott Morrisons response to their requests. We dont want that because he has to ask the question of whether we can be in cabinet or not, Mr Joyce told Tamworth radio station 88.9FM on Friday. Were prepared either way it goes ... but were trying to be constructive, not hanging anybody out to dry, not be grandstanding ransom merchants. Beijing: Chinese state media said after the arrest of a star pianist on prostitution charges that anyone challenging the governments sense of discipline is doomed, escalating President Xi Jinpings crackdown on the entertainment industry. The Peoples Daily, the ruling Communist Partys mouthpiece, said on social media late Thursday that Li Yundi was arrested along with a sex worker and detained. Pianist Li Yindi, pictured at a Dior fashion show in April this year, was expelled from his music association for his alleged vile social impact. Credit:VCG/Getty State broadcaster CCTV said in a commentary about the arrest that some celebrities have frequently challenged the social conscience, morality and even dignity of the law. Abiding by discipline and laws is the bottom line, CCTV added, without elaborating on what discipline it was referring to exactly. Anyone who dares to cross this bottom line and challenges laws and social morality is doomed. Australias $80-million-a-month backdoor into the Chinese lobster market may well slam shut after the crustaceans were identified as a national security risk by Hong Kongs new customs chief. Australias monthly exports to Hong Kong have boomed by 2000 per cent since Beijing banned the lobsters from the mainland in October last year. Hong Kong lobster-smuggling syndicates moved quickly to smuggle the lobsters into the mainland market, where the contraband seafood can fetch up to $340 a kilogram, twice the price of those sold in Hong Kong. Australian lobsters seized by Hong Kong Customs, on display on October 15, 2021. Credit:AP Louise Ho, Hong Kongs new Commissioner of Customs and Excise, said at a press conference on Thursday night that she would crack down on the trade, which has effectively allowed Australia to minimise the impact of the trade sanctions from Beijing. Ho said that Hong Kong customs should be on alert not only for firearms and ammunition but also strategic commodities and we should also pay special attention to those products which may impose threats on national security. On the face of it, its just a normal smuggling case, smuggling lobsters, she said. But actually these smuggling activities would undermine the countrys trade restrictions on Australia. Therefore, tackling lobster smuggling activities is an important task in safeguarding national security. Santa Fe: Hollywood star Alec Baldwin said my heart is broken after a cinematographer died when he fired a prop gun on a New Mexico movie set, adding that he was co-operating with a police investigation to determine how the incident occurred. There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours, Baldwin wrote in a statement on Twitter. Alec Baldwin speaks on the phone outside the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office after he voluntarily gave a statement to police. Credit:Santa Fe New Mexican via AP I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna. The incident occurred on Thursday (Friday AEDT) on the set of Rust at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a production location south of Santa Fe, according to the Santa Fe Sheriffs Department. Pakistan has one of the highest rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the world, accounting for over ten per cent of global HCV infections. A new modelling study led by the University of Bristol, UK, suggests that achieving the World Health Organization goal of eliminating HCV as a public health problem by 2030 in Pakistan is likely to be highly cost-effective by 2030, cost-saving by 2031, and could deliver US$9.10 billion in savings to the Pakistan national economy by 2050. The study, a collaboration across the University of Bristol, the Burnet Institute in Australia, and Aga Khan University in Pakistan, found that achieving HCV elimination in Pakistan could yield substantial societal health and economic benefits. These benefits include saving 333,000 lives and averting considerable morbidity due to ill health, leading to improvements in health-related quality of life and workforce productivity. The research findings, published in PLOS Medicine, looked beyond the direct investment required to reach HCV elimination by evaluating the productivity and health gains to estimate the potential return-on-investment for eliminating HCV in Pakistan. The authors also investigated the costs saved from partially integrating HCV testing services into existing healthcare infrastructure. Dr Aaron Lim, Research Fellow in Infectious Disease Mathematical Modelling in the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation at the University of Bristol and lead author of the study, said: Countries may be substantially underestimating both how much HCV is costing their economy and the benefits of elimination. We have previously estimated that a direct investment of US$3.87 billion is required for HCV elimination in Pakistan, but that previous study did not capture the wider societal benefits of achieving HCV elimination, such as gains in workforce productivity due to people being free of HCV infection. Understanding these wider benefits are important for informing decision-making. Our modelling suggests that when we include these indirect savings, investing in HCV elimination can become cost-saving to the economy in 10 years time. Dr Nick Scott, from the Burnet Institute and joint lead author, added: This study is critical because it provides the evidence needed to support continued investment in HCV elimination as a priority for Pakistan. Peter Vickerman, Professor of Infectious Disease Modelling from the University of Bristol, said: Our study shows that through achieving HCV elimination, Pakistan can save over 300,000 lives while also saving money, especially if the required increase in HCV screening is integrated into existing healthcare services. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus infecting 71 million people worldwide (about one per cent of the worlds population) and causes 400,000 deaths each year. Paper Health and economic benefits of achieving hepatitis C virus elimination in Pakistan: A modelling study and economic analysis by Aaron G Lim, Nick Scott, Josephine G Walker, Saeed Hamid, Margaret Hellard and Peter Vickerman PLOS Medicine [open access] E-commerce giant and Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur, announced a partnership to support and promote small businesses, artisans and weavers by leveraging technology, e-commerce platform, and market insights. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for this partnership will be signed in the next few weeks. Through this partnership, announced on National Handloom Day, and will leverage their deep expertise and knowledge to create an operational framework. This would support under-served communities by helping them build capacity and enhance market reach. executives will actively participate in this program by sharing operational know-how, market, and consumer insights. The company will also explore opportunities to enable pan-India market access for products created by these entrepreneurs, (micro, small and medium enterprises), and artisans through its marketplace. "As a homegrown company, we aspire to leverage locally developed world-class technology to create a positive impact in the lives of countless entrepreneurs and underserved communities from across India leading to inclusive economic growth," said Rajneesh Kumar, chief corporate affairs officer, Flipkart Group. Kumar said the Flipkart teams expertise, technology, learnings, and insights serving a pan-India market will come in very handy for MSMEs, artisans, and the Indian handicraft industry through this partnership with "At Flipkart, we believe that entrepreneurship is essential to creating more local jobs across the ecosystem and are committed to growing an inclusive digital e-commerce ecosystem." The collaboration extends Flipkarts sustained partnerships with academic institutions and serves as a testimony to its commitment towards India and its continuous support for entrepreneurs and the start-up ecosystem. "Our partnership with Flipkart and the e-commerce industry will help strengthen the spirit of entrepreneurship by creating opportunities to leverage technology and accelerate growth for small businesses and artisans," said Prof Mahadeo Prasad Jaiswal, director, "By combining institutional learning and practical industry experience, we aim to provide entrepreneurs best practices and deeper insight on how to leverage e-commerce for their growth." Jaiswal said he is hopeful that weavers, artisans, and farmers will leverage this opportunity to showcase their skills and high-quality traditional heritage products to a national consumer base and reach new heights and recognition. Under the Flipkart Samarth initiative, the company has partnered with several states across the country, including Odisha. Flipkarts partnership with the Odisha State Governments State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC) is helping onboard renowned Odia brands such as Boyanika, Utkalika, and Sambalpuri Bastralaya on its e-commerce marketplace. Flipkart said handloom and handicraft artisans living in remote Odisha are now able to market their products to consumers across India better. Platforms net profit rose 23.4 per cent to Rs 3,728 crore in the second quarter of the 2021-22 financial year (Q2FY22) on a year-on-year basis, driven by better customer mix and increase in data consumption. In the corresponding quarter last year, the company had posted a net profit of Rs 3,019 crore. Jio, which added 34 million customers in three previous quarters, reported a surprise decline in its customer base in the second quarter. The countrys largest telecom operator blamed Covid-19 impact as it lost 11.1 million customers during this quarter on a sequential basis. At the end of Q2, Jios subscriber base stood at 429.5 million. This is the first time that the company has reported a sharp sequential drop in customer base. On a year on year basis the subscriber number grew by 23.9 million customers. Revenue from operations grew 6.9 per cent YoY to Rs 19,777 crore, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 16.5 per cent to Rs 9,294 crore. On a sequential basis, revenue and net profit grew 4.3 per cent and 2.1 per cent, respectively. Our digital services business continues to transform the broadband market in India and set new benchmarks for the industry, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani said. Average revenue per user (ARPU) in the second quarter was Rs 143.6, a growth of 3.7 per cent over the previous quarter. While Airtel and Vodafone Idea have taken price hikes in low-end prepaid subscriber packs, Jio has not raised tariff. An analyst said customer churn led to better customer mix, resulting in growth in APRU. The company said Covid-19 impact in the previous quarter led to a churn of low-end subscribers and resulted in a fall of customer base. During the second wave of the pandemic, telecom had offered such customers free recharges. Consolidation of Sim cards, too, impacted the customer growth. Jio has a policy of keeping such subscribers in its base for about 90 days. So, the effect of these people stopping recharging two quarters before is now getting reflected in our subscriber count, Kiran Thomas, president, Infocomm, said in the post- conference call. He added that the fall in customers had zero negative impact on its Q2 financial performance. Data consumption per user also rose 17.6 GB a month in the second quarter, from 15.6 GB in the first quarter FY22. In a bid to further enhance the safety of online transactions, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a new set of guidelines that bar businesses, payment aggregators and acquiring banks from storing customers credit, debit and prepaid card information. The new rules allow only card networks and card issuers to store customer card information. They sanction businesses to use tokens for offering saved card experience during online payments. Card-On-File (COF) tokenisation is the process of turning sensitive cardholder data into a string of randomly generated numbers called a "token, which has no meaningful value if breached. All stakeholders are required to ensure full compliance with the tokenisation framework by 31st December 2021. To help millions of Indian businesses comply with the new guidelines, fintech unicorn has announced the launch of TokenHQ a multi-network Card-on-File (CoF) Tokenisation solution. This will be a turnkey solution for businesses, allowing their end-customers to continue experiencing the convenience of saved card transactions, now with added security and in compliance with guidelines. TokenHQ will work across all major card networks including Mastercard, RuPay and Visa. Almost the entire base of 5 million businesses using Razorpays services will be ready to support tokenised card transactions. The has been making great strides to enhance the security and convenience of digital payments in India. Newer regulations offer tremendous opportunities for us to innovate and develop localised solutions that work well for Indian businesses, said Shashank Kumar, CTO and Co-founder, Tokenisation is one such regulatory development, and Razorpay TokenHQ is a homegrown solution that will enable businesses to continue to offer seamless payments while ensuring individuals have control over their card data. He said Indias First Multi-Network tokenisation solution, TokenHQ, will work across all major card networks, thus enabling every business in India to tokenise customer card information. In the past year, digital payment adoption in India grew over 2x, prompting the RBI to bring in a fresh set of regulations that safeguard consumer interests. The card tokenisation framework ensures that a customers card information rests only with the customer, the card network, and the issuing bank, which minimises the risk of card data leaks significantly. However, in the absence of tokenisation, customers will have to enter their card information manually each time they transact online. This leads to friction for the customers and increases chances of error in entering data leading to transaction failures. Owing to the hindrance in saving cards, businesses can expect their conversions to drop by 30 per cent. E-commerce, education, financial services, and D2C (direct to consumer) brands will also see a significant drop in revenues due to the inability to offer personalised offers and experiences based on customer card details. Tokenisation, as a technology solution bridges this inconvenience gap and enables customers and businesses to sustain business as usual, by converting customer card information into a coded token. Razorpay TokenHQ is available for all businesses; and merchants using other payment gateways can also use Razorpays solution to tokenise cards and route payments using their existing payment partnerships. There are over 950 million debit & credit cards in India and this number will only grow given the rise of non-cash transactions in Indias hinterlands, said Kumar. We hope to see a lot of developments in building smart, secure fintech solutions for businesses and their end-users in the times ahead. Using Razorpay TokenHQ, businesses would be able to create, process, delete and modify tokens for online card payments with customers consent. Razorpay TokenHQ enables the companys existing customers (on standard and custom checkouts) to support card tokenisation at zero cost and effort. Merchants with customized setups can start integrating Razorpay TokenHQ immediately via our developer friendly APIs (application programming interface). Over the past few months, RBI has introduced fresh guidelines, tightening the noose on digital payment security. Razorpay has been working on introducing solutions that help banks and businesses comply with the new rules. The Singapore-based arbitrator, SIAC, has rejected Future Retail's plea to lift the interim stay on its Rs 24,713-crore deal with Reliance Retail, giving a major relief to that is contesting the transaction. The development comes a day after the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) held that is a party to the ongoing arbitration between and Future group in the dispute over the sale of its assets to Reliance Retail. Future had contended before the SIAC that it should be excluded from arbitration proceedings because it is not a party to the dispute between its promoter Future Coupons Pvt Ltd (FCPL) and In a regulatory filing on Friday, Ltd (FRL) said it has received SIAC's decision dated October 21, 2021 on its plea to vacate the Interim Award of the Emergency Arbitrator dated October 25, 2020. "The Tribunal is satisfied that the orders set out in the EA Award were correctly granted, and have not been vitiated by any subsequent events or proceedings. Further or alternatively, the Respondents have not demonstrated that circumstances have materially changed to justify any change to the EA Award," the filing said. The company would be deciding on its future course of action based on the legal advice and available remedies in law, it added. Amazon, which is trying to block Future's Rs 24,713-crore sale of its retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing assets to Reliance Industries' retail arm, has alleged that the Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL)-Future deal breaches its own pact of 2019 with the Kishore Biyani-led company. "The Tribunal's decision to reject the Application to Vacate the EA Award has re-affirmed the grounds of the Emergency Arbitrator in specifically injuncting any application by FRL (and the other Respondents) from taking any steps in relation to the Impugned Transaction including the filing and pursuing of any application before the NCLT. Accordingly, the basis for FRL's request for the order described in Application has also vanished," the filing said. When contacted Amazon did not comment over the development. In October 2020, an interim award was passed by the EA in favour of the US e-commerce major Amazon that barred FRL from taking any step to dispose of or encumber its assets or issuing any securities to secure any funding from a restricted party. In August last year, Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd had said it will acquire the retail and wholesale business, and the logistics and warehousing business of Future Group for Rs 24,713 crore. The deal has been contested by Amazon, an investor in FCPL that in turn is a shareholder in FRL. In August 2019, Amazon had agreed to purchase 49 per cent of one of Future's unlisted firm, Future Coupons Pvt Ltd (which owns 7.3 per cent equity in BSE-listed through convertible warrants), with the right to buy into the flagship Future Retail after a period of 3 to 10 years. After Future's deal with Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) in August last year, Amazon had dragged Future into arbitration at SIAC. In October 2020, an interim award was passed by the Emergency Arbitrator (EA) in favour of the US e-commerce major that barred FRL from taking any step to dispose of or encumber its assets or issuing any securities to secure any funding from a restricted party. Amazon and Future have also filed litigations in Indian courts, including the Supreme Court, on the issue. The apex court had recently ruled in favour of Amazon by holding that the EA award was valid and enforceable under Indian laws. Earlier this week, Amazon had filed an interim application before the Supreme Court of India to stay the order passed by the Mumbai Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal allowing Kishore Biyani-led Future Group firms to hold meetings of its shareholders and creditors to seek approval for the sale of assets to RRVL. As per the regulatory filing of the several Future Group firms including FRL, the meeting of shareholders and creditors will take place on November 10 and 11. (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 India, a woman is diagnosed with every four minutes while another loses her life to the illness every 13 minutes. Aiming to educate its female employees and service partners about breast cancer, Asias largest tech-enabled home services marketplace, Urban Company, tied up with HCG Cancer Chain of Hospitals. As part of this initiative, oncologists from HCG conducted workshops on self-breast-examination to create awareness on These sensitization workshops were held pan-India for all female employees and partners at Urban Company on 20th and 21st October 2021. At Urban Company, we care about the well-being of our employees and partners. is becoming an alarming health issue in India with the rising number of cases from across the country, said Neha Mathur, SVP - Human Resources at Urban Company. An early diagnosis of breast cancer can save lives, making self-examination an important first step. Through this partnership, we are extending our support to ensure the well-being of our female service professionals across India. With the incidence of breast cancer steadily increasing in India, it becomes imperative for women to understand symptoms and be able to self-diagnose the condition. Urban Company hosted over 500 women employees and service partners from across the country in these sensitization sessions. All attendees were taught to conduct a self-examination for breast cancer by renowned oncologists such as Dr. Sasikala Prabaharan, Dr. Indoo Ammbulkar, Dr. Mansi Shah, and Dr. Amrita Chakraborty, associated with the HCG Cancer Chain of Hospitals. Beyond doubt, the most efficient intervention for breast cancer control is early detection, especially given the high incidence of breast cancer among Indian women, said Dr. B S Ajaikumar, Executive Chairman, HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd. said, This tie-up with Urban Company is yet another manifestation of HCGs unflinching commitment to serve the larger cause of healthcare with the support of like-minded organizations. The sessions were conducted both physically and virtually across cities including Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, and Vadodara. According to recent estimates by the World Health Organization, 2.3 million women globally were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, with the number of deaths reaching 685,000. Between 2015 and 2020, there were 7.8 million women alive who were diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the worlds most prevalent cancer. A court here on Friday refused to entertain the bail plea of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student and activist Sharjeel Imam in a 2019 case related to alleged inflammatory speeches against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Register of Citizens (NRC). While dismissing the plea, Saket Court Additional Sessions Judge Anuj Aggarwal stated that the tone and tenor of incendiary speech tend to have a debilitating effect upon public tranquility, peace, and harmony. Citing a quote by Swami Vivekananda, Judge Aggarwal said: "We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think; Words are secondary; Thoughts live; they travel far." Earlier, his counsel Tanveer Ahmed Mir had argued that being critical of the government cannot be the cause of sedition. However, the Judge refused to comment if the speech falls under the ambit of section 124A (sedition), stating that the same requires "deeper analysis". As per the case, Sharjeel made the alleged inflammatory speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia on December 13, 2019, and at Aligarh Muslim University on December 16, 2019. He has been in judicial custody since January 2020. The case relates to FIR 242 registered at PS Crime Branch, New Friends Colony. As per the prosecution, "On December 15, 2019 at about 11.15 a.m., information regarding a demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) by the students and residents of Jamia Nagar was received at the concerned police station. It was reported that the students would march towards Parliament. "At around 2.20 p.m., a large gathering of about 2,500 people armed with lathis assembled near Escort Hospital, Sarai Julena Chowk. At about 3.22 p.m., despite the warning, the mob consisting of around 3,000 to 3,500 people started advancing towards Sarai Julena Village and Sujan Mahindra Road. When the mob tried to cross the barricades placed by the police at Surya Hotel for marching towards Parliament, they were stopped from marching ahead," the FIR read. --IANS jw/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Friday reported a net reduction of 3,086 in active cases to take its count to 175,745. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 0.98 per cent (one in 102). The country is tenth among the most affected countries by active cases. On Thursday, it added 15,786 cases to take its total caseload to 34,143,236 from 34,127,450 an increase of 0.1%. And, with 231 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 453,042, or 1.33 per cent of total confirmed infections. With 6,127,277 more Covid-19 vaccine doses being administered on Thursday, Indias total count of vaccine shots so far reached 1,005,904,580. The count of recovered cases across India, meanwhile, reached 33,514,449 or 98.16 per cent of total caseload with 18,641 new cured cases being reported on Friday. Now the tenth-most-affected country by active cases, third by deaths, second by total cases and recoveries, India has added 105,644 cases in the past 7 days. India now accounts for 0.98% of all active cases globally (one in every 102 active cases), and 9.17% of all deaths (one in every 11 deaths). India has so far administered 1,005,904,580 vaccine doses. That is 2946.13 per cent of its total caseload, and 72 per cent of its population. Among Indian states, the top 5 in terms of number of vaccine shots administered are Uttar Pradesh (127990822), Maharashtra (98662942), West Bengal (73552758), Gujarat (71576357), and Madhya Pradesh (70413510). Among states with more than 10 million population, the top 5 in number of vaccine shots per one million population are Kerala (1129119), Gujarat (1120615), Delhi (1119274), Jammu and Kashmir (1080623), and Uttarakhand (1028055). Backwards from here, the last 1 million cases for India have come in 43 days. The count of active cases across India on Friday saw a net reduction of 3,086, compared to net addition of 733 on Thursday. States and UTs hat have seen the biggest daily net increase in active cases are Assam (152), Himachal Pradesh (58), West Bengal (44), Jharkhand (24), and Chhattisgarh (21). With 18,641 new daily recoveries, Indias recovery rate stands at 98.16%, 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 Nagaland (2.14%). The rate in as many as 16 is higher than the national average. Indias new daily closed cases stand at 18,872 231 deaths and 18,641 recoveries. The share of deaths in total closed cases stands at 1.22%. 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 1498.8 days, and for deaths at 1359.1 days. Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Kerala (8733), Maharashtra (1573), Tamil Nadu (1164), West Bengal (833), and Mizoram (737). India on Thursday conducted 1,324,263 to take the total count of tests conducted so far in the country to 597,066,481. The test positivity rate recorded was 1.2%. 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 (14.75%), Kerala (13.19%), Goa (12.34%), Sikkim (12.19%), and Maharashtra (10.73%). Five states with the highest TPR by daily numbers for tests and cases added are Kerala (10.12%), Mizoram (8.92%), Sikkim (5.21%), Manipur (4.6%), and Himachal Pradesh (2.84%). 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 (1541806), J&K (1160905), Kerala (1038271), Karnataka (737204), and Telangana (690918). The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (6598218), Kerala (4888523), Karnataka (2984849), Tamil Nadu (2691797), and Andhra Pradesh (2062303). Maharashtra, the most affected state overall, has reported 1573 new cases to take its tally to 6598218. Kerala, the second-most-affected state by total tally, has added 8733 cases to take its tally to 4888523. Karnataka, the third-most-affected state, has reported 365 cases to take its tally to 2984849. Tamil Nadu has added 1164 cases to take its tally to 2691797. Andhra Pradesh has seen its tally going up by 493 to 2062303. Uttar Pradesh has added 10 cases to take its tally to 1710068. Delhi has added 22 cases to take its tally to 1439488. The on Friday expressed displeasure over delay in appointments in the Districts and State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, saying if the government does not want the tribunals then it should abolish the Act. A bench comprising Justices S K Kaul and M M Sundresh said it is unfortunate that the top court is being called upon to examine and fill up vacancies in tribunals. "If the government does not want the tribunals then abolish the Act. We are stretching our jurisdictions to see the vacancies are filled in. It is unfortunate that the judiciary is called upon to look into this issue.This is not a very happy situation," the bench said. The top court was hearing a suo motu case on inaction of the governments in appointing president and members/staff of Districts and State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and inadequate infrastructure across India. The apex court on August 11 had directed the Centre to fill vacancies in eight weeks. The bench said the appointment process should not be affected by the Bombay High Court judgment which had quashed certain Consumer Protection Rules. "The process initiated by us should not be kept in abeyance, we are of the view that that timeline and process laid down by us should continue as some appointments have been made and others are at an advanced stage," the bench said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and the UK on Friday agreed to strengthen cooperation in the as their foreign ministers held extensive talks on key bilateral and regional issues and stressed the need for safe and unhindered access for humanitarian aid to and ensuring that it is not used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists. During the talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss, the two sides also agreed on instituting the India-UK Strategic Futures Forum Track, a new 1.5 Dialogue mechanism to foster expert deliberations on long-term strategic links between them. Asserting that India and the UK can do so much more in areas like sharing our expertise on the environment ahead of the COP26 summit, Truss said, "we are delighted the Prime Minister will be there." The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, is scheduled to be held in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, between October 31 and November 12, 2021. Jaishankar and Truss, who is on an official two-day visit to India, also undertook a detailed review of the Roadmap 2030 launched during the India-UK Virtual Summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson in May earlier this year. India and the UK, after the virtual summit, had unveiled an ambitious 10-year roadmap to boost cooperation in key areas, including defence, security and healthcare. "Glad to welcome UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz to Delhi. Just completed a comprehensive review of our relationship," Jaishankar tweeted after the talks. The two leaders appreciated the progress made so far on the implementation of the Roadmap 2030 despite the constraints posed by the pandemic with Jaishankar noting that the roadmap was progressing well and the pillars on trade and prosperity, people to people relationship, defence and security, climate and health are all moving forward. After the talks, Truss tweeted, "India is our great friend, an economic powerhouse and the world's largest democracy. Our relationship will be vital over the coming decades. Good meeting @DrSJaishankar to discuss closer collaboration on technology; investment and trade; security and defence." "You are a fellow democracy; you believe in free enterprise and you believe in freedom. I think it's very important that countries like ours work together on our shared plans for the future," she said. In a statement on the talks, the Ministry of External Affairs said both ministers welcomed the progress in delivering the Enhanced Trade Partnership announced at the virtual summit between the two prime ministers. They also underlined the need for launching FTA negotiations at the earliest, with a focus on negotiating an interim agreement that can deliver quick gains to businesses in both India and the UK, the MEA said. During their talks, both sides also discussed a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest while sharing their commitment to a multi-polar world and multilateralism. They agreed to strengthen cooperation in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific, on countering terrorism and radical extremism, and addressing emerging challenges in the cyber and space domains, the MEA said. While India is a member of QUAD along with the US, Japan and Australia, the UK is part of the AUKUS with Australia and the US. Both the groupings are aimed at strengthening cooperation between these countries in the region. "On Afghanistan, the need for full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance was discussed, as also the need for Afghan territory not to be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists, or to plan or to finance terrorist attacks," it said. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar also held a meeting with UK Chief of the Defence Staff General Nicholas Carter during which they discussed the situation and issues related to the The discussions come amid increased global concerns over the possibility of the spread of terrorism from Jaishankar and Truss discussed the Migration and Mobility Partnership and the Global Innovation Partnership and committed to their early implementation. During their talks, Jaishankar and Truss also acknowledged the establishment of new dialogue mechanisms for discussing consular issues and maritime security. There were detailed discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the key priority areas of trade and investments, people-to-people relationship, health partnership, climate change, science and innovation and defence and security, the statement said. There is a key opportunity to deepen the bilateral relationship in a number of areas, whether its security and defence, technology and health, the British foreign secretary said and congratulated India on crossing the 100-crore COVID vaccine doses milestone. During the day, Truss also met the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Environment, Forests and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav. On Saturday, she will be visiting Mumbai where she will participate in business and defence engagements held in connection with the visit of Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) to India. She would also pay her respects at the memorial to honour the victims of the terrorist attack in Mumbai on 26 November 2008. (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 Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Thursday suspended social activist for a month for visiting the family of a BJP worker who was killed in the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Yadav has been a member of the outfit's core committee. A senior farmer leader said the decision was taken at a general body meeting of the SKM, which has been spearheading the nationwide protest against the Centre's farm laws. "In its meeting, the SKM suspended for a month as he had visited the family of a BJP worker who had died in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri," he said. "He (Yadav) cannot participate in the meetings and other activities of Samyukta Kisan Morcha," the farmer leader added. Yadav had attended the SKM's general body meeting on Thursday. Eight people were killed in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. Four of the eight victims were farmers, who were allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers. Angry farmers then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles. The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver. (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 Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil on Thursday said there was "no question" of the state government ordering any investigation against the NCB's zonal director Sameer Wankhede. He would take information about what his fellow NCP leader and state Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik had said about the official, Walse-Patil told reporters at the airport here. Earlier in the day, Malik, continuing his tirade against Wankhede, had claimed the officer was specifically brought in by the Union government post the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput to target the film industry. Wankhede, who supervised a raid on a cruise liner off the Mumbai coast earlier this month that led to the alleged recovery of drugs and arrest of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and others by the (NCB), has refuted Malik's allegations. (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.) Pakistan's western front continues to remain unstable and it fishing in troubled waters of is going to come and bite it in the future, Army Chief General M M Naravane said on Thursday. Without naming Pakistan, he said the infiltration bids and terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir have increased during the last two and half months and these "activities" are being sponsored by "our western neighbour". When asked at a defence conclave if can now concentrate more of its assets towards India as it sees its western front with under its control, Naravane replied: "I think it is too early to draw that conclusion." "I think their western front is equally if not more unstable. I think it is going to come and bite them, whatever they have been fishing in the troubled waters. It is going to bite them and they will realise how it hurts," he said. There has been increasing concern in the Indian security establishment following the Taliban's takeover of Kabul on August 15. The concern is over the possibility of terror spillover from into Jammu and Kashmir through and rise in terrorist activities, particularly by groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed following the Taliban wresting power in Kabul. Naravane on October 9 had not ruled out the possibility of Afghan-origin foreign terrorists attempting to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir once the situation stabilises in Afghanistan and had cited similar instances when the Taliban was in power in Kabul over two decades ago. Naravane said on Thursday that there has been an increase in Pakistan-backed infiltration and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir during the last 2-2.5 months. Five army personnel were killed in an attack by terrorists in Surankote in Poonch district on October 11, while four soldiers laid down their lives in a gunfight with the ultras in Mendhar last Thursday. Earlier this week, Naravane visited the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, where a massive operation to track down terrorists hiding in forest areas of Mendhar, Surankote and Thanamandi has been going on since October 11. The army chief explained the Jammu and Kashmir situation and said "from about the third week of February, when we had the ceasefire understanding between the DGMOs, there was the lull on the Line of Control (LoC)." In fact, there has been no ceasefire violation from February till the end of June and the beginning of July, he mentioned. "During this period, not only were there no ceasefire violations, but even the other trans-LoC activities (infiltration, etc) that normally takes place...also saw a downturn," Naravane stated. From the end of June and the beginning of July, there has definitely been an increase in these activities, the army chief mentioned. "A number of infiltration bids have been made. We have been able to foil a few of them. But definitely, there has been an increase in the activities in the last two-two and a half months or so," he said. However, the has its plan in place as it has a strong counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency grid that is reviewed from time to time, he mentioned. "These activities will continue but there is no denying the fact that it is being sponsored by our western neighbour and without that support, this terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir could not be flourishing. They would not be able to carry out these activities unless they have this state backing," 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.) The on Friday sought response from former Managing Director Manish Maheshwari on an appeal of the government against the Karnataka High Court's decision to quash a notice seeking his personal appearance as part of the probe into a communally sensitive video uploaded by a user on the microblogging site. A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, and issued notice to Maheshwari, who has been transferred to the USA by his employer Inc in August. We issue notice. We need to hear the case, said the bench which also comprised justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli. Earlier, the state government, which has filed the plea through Senior Superintendent of Police of Ghaziabad, had on September 8 mentioned its appeal for an urgent hearing. The plea challenges the July 23 order of the Karnataka High Court quashing the notice issued to Maheshwari to appear before the police and cooperate in the probe related to uploading of a communally sensitive video on The Karnataka High Court has interfered with the summons issued to the then Twitter Managing Director by the Police, the law officer had said. Holding the notice as mala fide, the high court had said the notice under Section 41(A) of the CrPC should be treated as Section under 160 of CrPC, allowing the Ghaziabad Police to question Maheshwari through virtual mode, at his office or his residential address in Bengaluru. Section 41 (A) of the CrPC gives power to police to issue a notice to an accused to appear before it when a complaint is filed and if the accused complies with the notice and cooperates, then he is not required to be arrested. Maintaining that the provisions of the statute under Section 41(A) CrPC should not be permitted to become "tools of harassment", it had said the Ghaziabad Police did not place any material which would demonstrate even the prima facie involvement of the petitioner, though the hearing has been going on for the past several days. "In the background of the fact that section 41(a) notice was issued by mala fide, the writ petition (filed by Maheshwari seeking quashing) is maintainable. Accordingly, the notice under section Annexure A notice shall be read as section 160 of the CrPC," the high court had said. "The action of the respondent (Ghaziabad Police) trying to invoke section 41(A) of the CrPC gives no doubt in the mind of court that the same has been resorted to as an arm-twisting method as the petitioner refused to heed to the notice under section 160 of the CrPC," it had observed. The Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) Police had issued a notice under Section 41-A of the CrPC on June 21 asking him to report at the Loni Border police station at 10:30 AM on June 24. Maheshwari then moved the Karnataka High Court as he was at that time staying in Bengaluru in Karnataka. On June 24, the High Court, in an interim order, restrained the Ghaziabad Police from initiating any coercive action against him. The Ghaziabad Police on June 15 booked Twitter Inc, Twitter Communications India Pvt Ltd (Twitter India), news website The Wire, journalists Mohammed Zubair and Rana Ayyub, besides Congress leaders Salman Nizami, Maskoor Usmani, Shama Mohamed and writer Saba Naqvi. They were booked over the circulation of a video in which an elderly man, Abdul Shamad Saifi, alleged that he was thrashed by some young men, who also asked him to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' on June five. According to police, the video was shared to cause communal unrest. (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.) Union Road Transport and Highways Minister on Friday said around 35 multi-modal logistics parks, under the Bharatmala project, will come up in the country, and four are proposed in Maharashtra. Gadkari was speaking at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML), a special purpose vehicle of NHAI, for a multi-modal logistics park at Sindhi in the Wardha district of Maharashtra. The minister said around 35 multi-modal logistics parks (MMLPs) will come up in the country under the Bharatmala project, and four MMLPs will be developed in Maharashtra, including Jalna, Nasik, Solapur and Sangli. "These MMLP will give a big boost to our economy and exports," he said. The Union minister said MMLP Nagpur at Sindhi is a step towards making Nagpur and Wardha, which are centrally located at a logistics capital of India. It is a good opportunity for export and import for businesses in the region, he added. According to a statement, Nagpur is one of the 35 strategic locations identified for the development of MMLPs across India by MoRT&H. Nagpur, being centrally located in the country and well-connected through road and rail, provides location advantages to establish industries, warehouses and associated facilities to link to ports. MoRT&H Joint Secretary (Logistics) Suman Prasad Singh said that out of around 35 MMLPs, work on one in the northeastern region has already been completed. Similarly, an MoU has been signed for starting another MMLP in Chennai and the third is coming up at Sindhi-Wardha. The statement added that the proposed project site to develop MMLP Nagpur is located at Sindhi in the Wardha district and the total area of the project site is 345.54 acres with an estimated project cost of Rs 780 crore. The MMLP is planned to be developed in an area of 230 acres, while the balance land might be used for industrial development based on demand. The land acquisition for the dry port is already completed by JNPT. The statement also said around 10 million tonnes of cargo is estimated to be handled at the MMLP in the horizon year of 2051. The facilities envisaged in this MMLP are warehouses, cold storage, inter-modal transfers, handling facilities for container terminals, and bulk/ breakbulk cargo terminals, among others. Gadkari also mentioned the Nagpur-Hyderabad Expressway but did not elaborate further about the project. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) World Trade Organization (WTO) director-general (D-G) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Friday said Indias stand on fisheries and farm subsidies would be heard at the WTO ministerial conference (MC). However, she did not assure that the country's concerns would be addressed. In a meeting with Okonjo-Iweala, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, however, stressed on fair, just and equitable outcome at the WTO Ministerial to meet developmental requirements of India for its people. Wrapping up her three-day visit to India, WTO D-G was also hopeful of a good outcome at the 12th MC that will kick off at the end of next month in Geneva. As far as the long-standing issue of fisheries subsidies is concerned, Okonjo-Iweala said India's view on its fresh proposal deserves to be heard. And, officials in Geneva are reaching out to Indias ambassador to the WTO to understand its proposal regarding the issue. On fisheries, I think there is a willingness. But I really felt good spirit. India deserves to be heard and India will be heard, and then we'll try to work to negotiate and see what comes. So, thats the way I feel about fishery subsidies. I think were ready to give it a go. So, giving it a go is not that I'm guaranteeing it. But this spirit to go for it gives you quite a bit of hope, she said. India has maintained that in its current shape, the agreement is not balanced, even as India has been keen on finalising fisheries subsidies agreement at the WTO. While India is not in favour of blocking the negotiations on fisheries subsidies, it has put its own proposal on the table. India and other developing countries are allowed to provide domestic subsidies at around $400 per capita, while it goes up to nearly $40,000 in some of the developed countries. New Delhi also argues that the countries that indulge in over-fishing should stop their fisheries subsidies while others should be allowed 25 years to develop their own fishing capabilities in a sustainable manner. India also suggested that those countries, which are engaged in distant water fishing beyond their natural geographic areas, should stop giving subsidies for 25 years in fishing areas beyond their exclusive economic zones. The WTO chief also said that after two decades, there is a need to try and resolve issues pertaining to fisheries and farm subsidies at the WTO. I can totally understand Indias concerns. India is a large country and when you have a large country, it's not surprising to have concerns about issues. So, it's understandable. And, I think that members should work hard to engage with Indian security concepts, she said. So, just like fisheries I can't guarantee the outcome. I will be asking members to push on agriculture, she said. One of the reasons why a permanent solution is actually important is because other developing countries, which are not a part of the peace clause, can't develop their own programmes. We understand that they don't have one, but want to develop one. That's why a permanent solution is important. But we will push as much as we can. I can't guarantee as I am not a member but the D-G. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has dismissed the leniency petitions filed by two major Japanese bearings companies--NSK and JTEKT--against NTN Corporation NTN is a Japanese manufacturer of bearings. NSK and JTEKT had alleged that they had entered into a cartel with NTN in for supply of auto bearings to some car manufacturers in India. The Commission has inquired into allegations of cartelisation on the basis of an application filed by NSK as leniency petitioner. Leniency regulations provide protection to those who come forward and submit information honestly. Based on the petition the Commission directed its director general (DG) to investigate the matter. During the pendency of investigation before the DG, JTEKT also approached the Commission as a leniency petitioner. However, the Commission ruled in favour of NTN Corporation that it was able to demolish the evidence produced by NSK and JTEKT as well as the director general in its cross examination. Experts said it is interesting to note that despite there being two leniency applicants out of an alleged cartel of three members, the still found that the petitioners could not prove the case of cartelisation against NTN corporation. Vaibhav Gaggar, a counsel for NTN, said the judgement should provide a lot of confidence to the business community as they would now know that they can ably defend themselves and fairly try a matter before the "Also, the judgement should sound a warning to companies who target competitors through the antitrust machinery on flimsy grounds," he said. Indian civil aviation regulator has levied financial penalty on two pilot training schools for irregular maintenance of breath analyser equipment. This is the first time the regulator has levied financial penalty on any aviation entity. Aviation regulators like and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) have got penalising powers after the Aircraft Amendment Bill was approved by both houses of the parliament last year. During special audits of the Flying Training Organisations carried out in the month of September, Level 1 non-compliances were detected in the case of two flying training organisations. Involving provisions of the Aircraft Act, 1934, has imposed a financial penalty of Rs 75,000 each against these two organisations, the regulator said in a statement. A level-1 finding is any significant non-compliance with the applicable requirement which lowers the safety standard and hazards safety. Sources said that the a DGCA team did surprise checks on flying schools during which the team found that breath analyser test equipment at government-owned Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy (IGRUA) which is situated in Amethi and Chimes Aviation Academy- a flying training school at Madhya Pradesh were not maintained properly. This is the first-time flying training schools are being subjected to Breathe Analyser Test which was only restricted to airlines. Due to Covid, operations were shut and hence some irregularities happened. We have taken note of these and initiated corrective actions. My appeal is DGCA consider these and not impose the penalty, said Krishnendu Gupta, director at IGRUA. Business Standard has sent a query to a representative of Chimes Aviation Academy but hasnt got a response till the time of publishing this report. The Aircraft Act (Amendment) Bill 2020 seeks to convert aviation agencies like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil aviation security (BCAS) and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into statutory bodies. Under the new Act (after its implementation), any violation will attract heavy punishment, for example, violators will be punished up to two years in jail or fine up to Rs 10 lakhs or both. Carrying arms, ammunition, and explosives or other banned goods on board, and developing illegal construction around the airports will attract fines up to Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 1 crore. The National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 had proposed giving more powers to the regulators and the issue is being taken up now in view of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit early next year. The ICAO, had in its November 2017 audit, had made certain observations regarding licensing of professionals and aviation legislation in the country. The ICAOs universal safety oversight audit covers eight areas and India had fared poorly in the area of licensing of aviation professionals. Indias score in this area was way below the global average and the countrys overall safety score fell from 65.8 to 55.7 per cent in 2017. India is doubling up efforts to bring in private participation across the value chain of the sector. According to a top oil ministry official, global major ExxonMobil is in talks with public sector undertaking (PSU) Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for a large domestic exploration project. In another significant development, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is said to be facilitating talks between private sector oil refining companies and PSUs to bring down the costs of purchases. These talks were taken forward during meetings between ExxonMobils executives and oil ministry officials on Friday. The focus of the agreement is on offshore exploration. ONGCs Andaman offshore asset is part of the discussions between the two companies, the official told Business Standard. ExxonMobils initial participation will be related to exploration and seismic activities. But it may extend to a stake buy, he added. Elaborating on the meeting between public and private sector oil refiners for joint purchases, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri said, Private companies are enthused by the plan. If successful, these contracts will happen for the first time in India, where usually approach oil producers individually. There is some synergy between PSUs, but the private sector has not been involved in it till now. India has been looking at avenues to cut purchase costs. Private refiners such as Reliance and Nayara Energy command over a third of Indias total crude oil refining capacity. These joint contracts will bank upon the purchase power of the nation, allowing more leverage during negotiations, a senior official said. and ExxonMobil had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on October 14, 2019, to allow the two petroleum companies to undertake joint technical studies and cooperate in frontier areas. This agreement included work on deep water and other Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) blocks of in east and west coast and open acreages for joint bidding. The partnership with has entered the second phase which entails transfer of data. Some approvals were required for it which have come now. We are examining all existing deep-water assets under this partnership, another official aware of the developments said. We have encouraged them to do more exploration and production in India. We had taken some decisions on sharing our knowledge and data, we are taking other steps. I think the point which comes through in all these meetings, whether it is Exxon, or TotalEnergies or anyone else, is that they saw the positive vibes and political commitment on this, Petroleum Minister, Hardeep Puri said at a press conference after the conclusion of India Energy Forum by CERAWeek. We will do whatever is required to boost domestic oil and gas production. Out of the 26 sedimentary basins, only eight are under exploration. When a government makes a statement to that effect, it indicates both clarity and statement of intent, that we propose in a very focused time-bound manner to subject the other sedimentary basins also to exploration, Puri said in response to queries from this paper. The government is currently finalising guidelines to export refurbished weapons and equipment to friendly foreign countries, told a parliamentary committee meeting on Thursday. The old weapons and equipment of the Indian armed forces will be first refurbished by the defence industry and then exported to friendly foreign countries, the minister said in Bengaluru during a meeting of Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Defence, according to officials. They said that the minister told the committee during his speech that the "implementation guidelines" for export of refurbished of old defence items are being "finalised". According to the officials, Singh told the committee that the government has set a target of Rs 35,000 crore (USD 5 billion) exports in aerospace and defence goods and services by 2024-25. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has issued a notification for setting up seven mega textile parks under the PM-MITRA scheme at a total outlay of Rs 4,445 crore, with an intension to generate about one lakh direct and two lakh indirect jobs per park. "The seven PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM-MITRA) parks will be set up at greenfield (fresh)/ brownfield (existing) sites located in different willing states. "Proposals of state governments having ready availability of contiguous and encumbrance-free land parcel of over 1,000 acres along with other textiles related facilities and ecosystem are welcome," according to an official statement. The textile ministry further stated that the world-class industrial infrastructure will attract cutting-age technology and boost FDI and local investment in the sector. The parks will offer an opportunity to create an integrated textiles value chain right from spinning, weaving, processing/dyeing and printing to garment manufacturing at a single location. The textiles ministry issued the notification on Thursday to set up the seven PM-MITRA parks as announced in the Union Budget 2021-22 and approved by the central government. These parks are envisaged to be located at sites that have inherent strength for the to flourish and have necessary linkages to succeed, the statement said. For a greenfield PM-MITRA park, the GOI development capital support will be 30 per cent of the project cost, with a cap of Rs 500 crore, the textile ministry stated. For brownfield sites, after assessment, development capital support at 30 per cent of project cost of balance infrastructure and other support facilities to be developed and restricted to a limit of Rs 200 crore, it said. The state government supports will include provision of 1,000 Acre land for development of a world-class industrial estate. Several states such as Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Assam, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana have expressed interest, the ministry stated. Competitiveness incentive support (CIS) of Rs 300 crore will also be provided to each PM-MITRA park for early establishment of the textiles manufacturing units. The park will be developed by a special purpose vehicle to be owned by the state government and the Government of India in a public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The master developer will not only develop the industrial park but also maintain it during the concession period, the ministry stated. Selection of this master developer will happen based on objective criteria developed jointly by state and central governments, it added. The SPV, in which a state government has majority ownership, will be entitled to receive part of the lease rental from developed industrial sites. It will be able to use that for further expansion of the textiles industry in the area by expanding the park, providing skill development initiatives and other welfare measures for workers. The PM-MITRA scheme aims to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and to position India strongly on the global textiles map. The scheme entails developing integrated large-scale and modern industrial infrastructure facility for entire value-chain of the It will reduce logistics costs and improve competitiveness of Indian textiles. "The scheme will help India in attracting investments, boosting employment generation and position itself strongly in the global textile market," the ministry stated. The detailed guidelines for the scheme is under preparation, after which the proposals will be invited from the willing state governments, it added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court, saying that WhatsApp, being a foreign company, cannot avail of under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution, invoke the jurisdiction of the court or challenge the constitutionality of an The Facebook-owned messaging giant had filed a lawsuit in the high court against the Indian government in May, seeking to block the traceability clause of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 that requires platforms with more than 5 million users to locate the first originator of the information, if required by the local authorities. The affidavit, filed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Thursday and reviewed by Business Standard, said the constitutionality of a provision of law cannot be challenged by a foreign commercial entity on the ground of it being violative of Article 19. does not have a place of business in India, it said. declined to comment as the matter is sub judice. A hearing in the matter was scheduled for Friday but it did not happen as the bench did not assemble. This is a technical argument that the court might not agree with, said Sanjay Hegde, senior advocate at the Supreme Court. While all are not available to foreigners, especially to a company, it is worth noting that all are also not available to Indian companies. However, I do not see Indian courts taking this argument seriously on the matter of traceability and privacy, Hegde said. The governments affidavit said, The theory of a representative action is not applicable in the facts of the case; there is no fundamental right to anonymity under Part III of the Constitution. Salman Waris, partner at law firm Techlegis, however, said, The argument that there is no fundamental right to anonymity under Part III of the Constitution is very contentious as it is interlinked to the right to privacy, which has been recognised as a fundamental right by the Supreme Court in the Puttaswamy judgment. The affidavit contended that the traceability requirement does not need to break end-to-end encryption and is the least intrusive way of identifying the originator of information. WhatsApps reluctance to modify its technology for compliance is not sufficient ground to invalidate a law, it added. has said earlier that it will not break its end-to-end encryption as that would undermine the privacy of users. India is WhatsApps largest market with over 400 million users. Traceability requires messaging services to store information that can be used to ascertain the content of peoples messages, thereby breaking the very guarantees that end-to-end encryption provides. In order to trace even one message, messaging services would have to trace every message, WhatsApp had said in a blog, explaining why it opposes traceability. The governments affidavit said that WhatsApps petitions must be dismissed as MeitY does not lack legislative competence to enact the IT Rules. The apex court, hearing the Prajwala case, had asked the government to identify persons who create or circulate problematic content related to child abuse or rape, and that traceability would help curb fake Waris of Techlegis, however, said, The legitimate state interest argument cannot be used to override or violate fundamental rights. It is the duty of the government to strike a balance between both to protect fundamental rights while implementing a legitimate state interest. External Affairs Minister on Friday met World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala here and spoke about the need for reformed multilateralism. The Global South has critical interests in agriculture, vaccines, climate action and fishing, he said. "Met Director General, @wto @NOIweala. Spoke about the need for reformed multilateralism with fairer outcomes," Jaishankar tweeted. In another meeting, Jaishankar exchanged views on issues such as climate action challenges, Indo-Pacific and Afghanistan with Frans Timmermans, executive vice-president of the European Commission in-charge of the European Green Deal. "Pleasure as always to meet EVP @TimmermansEU. A good discussion on the expanding India-EU partnership, including on trade and investment, connectivity and Indo-Pacific," Jaishankar tweeted. Exchange of views covered climate action challenges and Afghanistan, the external affairs minister 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.) UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will announce a series of technology and infrastructure tie-ups with India worth over $82 million to boost both economies and help developing countries grow in a clean and sustainable way, the British government said on Friday. Truss arrived in New Delhi on Friday for a two-day visit to hold talks with her counterpart S Jaishankar and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to discuss areas for closer collaboration, it said. The minister is set to announce a series of technology and infrastructure tie-ups with India worth over 60 million pounds ($82 million) to boost both economies and help developing countries grow in a clean and sustainable way. The talks between Truss and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar will lead to the announcement a new Strategic Futures Forum, bringing together leading figures from government, business and academia in both countries to drive closer links in priority areas like tech and security, and shape the longer-term, strategic vision for India-UK partnership to build on the tech expertise in both countries. I want the UK and India to step-up their partnership in critical areas like technology, investment, security and defence, said Truss, who was last in India in her previous role as International Trade Secretary. India is the world's largest democracy, a tech and economic powerhouse and a vital strategic partner for the UK. Closer ties including in areas like tech and infrastructure will deliver jobs and growth in both countries, boost developing world economies and help us promote our values on the global stage, she said. Her meeting with Yadav will focus on climate targets, to underline the importance of making concrete progress on climate change ahead of the upcoming COP 26 climate summit. After her meeting with Jaishankar and Yadav in Delhi, Truss will head to Mumbai, where she will visit the UK Carrier Strike Group on its most substantial port visit to date. While in Mumbai, she will speak to Indian business leaders at a Build Back Better World roundtable to help boost infrastructure in the developing world. The senior British Cabinet minister will outline agreements to deepen investment ties between the two countries and work together on finance and technical support packages for the developing world. This includes a 11.5 million pounds ($15 million) UK investment in two venture capital funds aimed at supporting India's transition to cleaner energy. Both funds will return profit to the UK taxpayer and make use of UK expertise, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said. It also includes a 50.4 million pounds ($69 million) investment by the FCDO investment arm CDC to fund green tech infrastructure projects across India through the joint Green Growth Equity Fund. The third announcement will be around 500,000 pounds ($689,592) UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) investment to build a new virtual network of UK and Indian labs working to promote Net Zero targets in key industries including glass, cement and metals. The deals set to be announced cover tech transfer and knowledge sharing with developing countries alongside heavy capital investment a model that the UK said it is looking to replicate with partners around the world. The FCDO said that the agreements will help drive forward the British government's Build Back Better World Initiative, launched by G7 leaders in June to help meet the huge clean infrastructure need in the developing world. The UK government said Truss wants to strengthen the UK's economic, technology and security links with fast-growing economies and like-minded partners and build a network of liberty around the globe, and closer ties with like-minded democracies such as India are key to that ambition. (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 Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore has joined in the top-50 list of the latest Global Full-Time MBA Rankings by one of the leading global business school analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds. Composing the world's 286 strongest global MBA offerings, the latest rankings have seen the likes of IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta along with the Indian School of Business (ISB) improve their performances over the previous year. While both and Bangalore moved up four places to be ranked at 46th and 50th globally, IIM Calcutta improved three places to 76th rank from the previous 79. ISB, on the other hand, improved one place from 93rd position last year to 92nd position this year. The other Indian B-schools ranked include IIM Indore and SPJIMR in the 151-200 band and IIM Lucknow in the 201-250 band. Along with the Global Full-Time MBA, QS also released a series of specialised high-demand Business Masters rankings, including Masters in Business Analytics, Masters in Marketing, and Masters in Finance. In the Masters in Management (MIM) rankings, IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta's two year flagship programmes were ranked at 31st, 35th and 51st spots. With employability as a central metric by which programs are judged, the results are designed by QS to provide insight to those wishing to undertake a course of study in a career-enhancing qualification in high demand among employers. ALSO READ: NIRF Rankings 2021: IIT Madras continues to be India's best institute Globally, Stanford Graduate School of Business was named the worlds number-one MBA program for the second consecutive year in the Global Full-Time MBA table. The upper echelons of the table remain dominatedby American programs, with Harvard Business School rising from 4th to joint-second, shared with The Wharton School. According to Nunzio Quacquarelli, CEO at QS Quacquarelli Symonds, buffeted by the shock and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are increasingly conscious of the value of well-managed, high-functioning global supply chains. Whether it is companies seeking to distribute Covid-19 vaccines, or quickly emerging e-commerce startups, companies around the world are responding to times of global crisis by hiring those who can optimize and innovate their supply chains in ever-greater numbers. "In this way, a Masters in Supply Chain Management follows data analytics, marketing, finance, and management as being a highly desirable qualification for employers, and a sensible next study step for those wishing to elevate their career to new heights. This latest portfolio of QSs rankings responds to the increasing interest in these disciplines by providing independent, trusted comparative data to the worlds students," he added. The Global Full-Time MBA Rankings also saw HEC Paris rank at 4th place, making it Continental Europes best MBA program while the United Kingdoms number one provider remained London Business School at 6th place. Meanwhile, at 26th place, Melbourne Business School was Asia-Pacific's best full-time MBA offering with only two other Asia-Pacific full-time MBA programs ranked by QS among the global top 30 including National University of Singapore at 28th place and Nanyang Technological University at 29th. Actor discharged a prop firearm on the set of his Western movie "Rust" that killed the film's director of photography and wounding the director, the authorities said here. According to Deadline, "Rust" is currently being filmed in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. A spokesman for the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed, and the director Joel Souza, 48, was injured around 1:50 pm on the set of film on Thursday. "Mr Baldwin was questioned by investigators and released. No arrests or charges have been filed. This investigation remains open and active. No charges have been filed in regard to this incident. Witnesses continue to be interviewed by detectives, a Santa Fe Sheriff's Department official told the publication. Hutchins was transported, via helicopter, to University of New Mexico Hospital where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel, while Souza was transported by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical center where he is undergoing treatment for his injuries. In a statement Rust Productions LLC, the banner behind the movie, has expressed their condolences to Halyna's family and loved ones. The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today's tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna's family and loved ones, said the banner's spokesperson. The production company has also paused the filming on "Rust" for an undetermined amount of time. "We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department's investigation.We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event, the statement continued. This is not the first time an on-set death has been caused by a gun firing blanks. Actor Jon-Erik Hexum had died in October 1984 on the set of the TV series "Cover Up" when he accidentally shot himself in the head with a gun loaded with blanks. In 1993, Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, died after a piece of a slug was lodged in his spine from a prop gun fired on the set of "The Crow" by another actor. Both the incidents were determined to have been accidents. (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.) SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Inc's talks with China's CATL and BYD over battery supplies for its planned electric vehicle have been mostly stalled after they refused to set up teams and build U.S. plants that would solely cater to the tech giant, three people with knowledge of the discussions said. The firms informed sometime in the past two months that they were not able to meet its requirements, the people said. But the U.S. company has not given up hope of resuming talks with either CATL or BYD, according to one source. Chinese battery makers are more advanced than rivals in the development of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries which are cheaper to produce and sources have previously said favours this battery technology. CATL, the world's No.1 maker of batteries for EVs, has been reluctant to build a U.S. factory due to political tensions between Washington and Beijing as well as cost concerns, said one of the people with direct knowledge of the talks. The Chinese firm has also found it impossible to set up a separate product development team exclusively working with Apple due to difficulties in finding sufficient personnel, the person added. BYD, which has an iron-phosphate battery plant in Lancaster, California, declined to build a new factory and team that would solely focus on supplying Apple, said two of the sources. The stalled discussions have meant that Apple has been considering Japanese battery makers and it sent a group of people to Japan this month, they added. Panasonic Corp is one of the that Apple is considering, said one of the people. The sources declined to be identified as the talks were confidential. Apple, BYD and Panasonic declined to comment. CATL said in a statement to Reuters that it denied "the relevant information". "We are evaluating the opportunity and possibility of manufacture localization in North America," the statement said, adding that it has a dedicated professional team exclusively for each customer. Sources told Reuters last year Apple was aiming to launch an electric car by 2024 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-autos-exclusive/exclusive-apple-targets-car-production-by-2024-and-eyes-next-level-battery-technology-sources-idUSKBN28V2PY. Apple has not publicly disclosed its plans. The stall in discussions comes at a time when U.S. President Joe Biden is seeking to make the United States a powerhouse in electric cars, setting a goal https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/biden-set-target-50-evs-by-2030-industry-backs-goal-2021-08-05 of having half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 electric. Any delays in securing battery supplies could further impede EV development for Apple which last month lost the head of its car project, Doug Field, after he decided to return to Ford Motor Co. Tesla Inc, which has been making some of its Model 3 and Model Y cars in with LFP batteries from CATL, said this week it intended to use that battery chemistry outside as well. CATL and BYD use a type of battery pack technology to improve the performance of LFP batteries. Without that, LFP batteries usually offer much shorter driving ranges and lower energy density than the more expensive lithium batteries that use cobalt and nickel. (Reporting by Zhang Yan in Shanghai and Julie Zhu in Hong Kong; Additional reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco and Tim Kelly in Tokyo; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) (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.) on Friday said there is no room for compromise or concessions over the issue of Taiwan, following a comment by US President that the US is committed to defending the island if it is attacked. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reasserted China's longstanding claim that the island is its territory at a daily briefing after Biden made his comment a day before at a forum hosted by CNN. has recently upped its threat to bring under its control by force if necessary by flying warplanes near the island and rehearsing beach landings. When it comes to issues related to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and other core interests, there is no room for to compromise or make concessions, and no one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will and strong ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wang said. is an inalienable part of China's territory. The issue is purely an internal affair of China that allows no foreign intervention," Wang said. Biden's comments on Thursday were viewed as stretching the strategic ambiguity" Washington has maintained over how it would respond to an assault on the self-governing island republic. The US should be cautious with its words and actions on the Taiwan issue, and not send any wrong signals to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence, so as not to seriously damage China-U.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Wang said. China and Taiwan split during a civil war in 1949. The US cut formal diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 in order to recognise Beijing. The US does not openly contest China's claim to Taiwan, but is committed by law to ensure the island can defend itself and to treat all threats toward it as matters of grave concern". Under President Xi Jinping, who is also Communist Party leader and head of the armed forces, China has been stepping up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan. Over its National Day weekend at the beginning of the month, China sent a record 149 military aircraft southwest of Taiwan in strike group formations, prompting Taiwan to scramble aircraft and activate its air defence missile systems. China has also recently held beach landing exercises on its side of the roughly 160-km-wide Taiwan Strait that, like the aircraft incursions, it described as a warning to the administration of Taiwan's independence-minded President Tsai Ing-wen. The US has reinforced its support for Taiwan with military sales. State Department spokesman Ned Price said this month that American support for Taiwan is rock solid". The US has also been very clear that we are committed to deepening our ties with Taiwan, Price said. On Wednesday, Biden's pick for ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, told lawmakers considering his nomination that Americans should have confidence in our strength when dealing with the rise of China, a nation he said the US and its allies could manage. Burns echoed the Biden administration's stand on cooperating with China where possible but condemning many of its actions, including its policies toward Taiwan and the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong, where it has virtually eliminated dissident voices through stiff legislation and arrests. (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.) Untangling trillions of dollars worth of loans and other financial contracts from is a complex, expensive and time-consuming job. So, giants are turning to artificial intelligence to simplify and speed up a task mandated by regulators and spare human lawyers some serious drudgery. figures it has saved legal staffers 50,000 hours of work and $10 million in attorney fees by using robot lawyers instead of only the human kind. Goldman Sachs Group Inc says computer algorithms sped things up drastically. These banks arent alone in adopting AI, and the revolution likely wont stop with the transition but the number of contracts involved in this shift provides an ideal testing ground for the machines. We had a client that had 15 million queries and they were able to get all that answered within a quarter, said Lewis Liu, chief executive officer at Eigen Technologies Ltd, which helped Goldman Sachs and ING Group NV deploy Libor-analysing software. The alternative would have been literally an army of lawyers and paralegals over a year, or maybe two. This is all happening because a decade ago major banks were caught rigging Libor (London interbank offered rate). As a consequence, the benchmark is being switched off throughout the global financial system. Newly issued loans and other products cannot be tied to the rate after December 31, and it will be retired for dollar-based legacy products after June 2023. So here come the bots. But even with AI, examining old documents to figure out how they change when Libor is swapped out for another interest-rate benchmark is costly. Major global banks are each spending at least $100 million this year on the job, according to Ernst & Young. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi travelled to Kabul on Thursday along with spy agency chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed on an unannounced visit to meet the leadership and vowed to provide humanitarian assistance worth Rs 500 crore to save the Afghan people from an economic crisis. Qureshi met interim Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund and underlined that wanted lasting peace and stability in has yet to recognise Afghanistan's interim government led by The interim government of the has failed to win recognition. Qureshi said Pakistan was determined to help the Afghan people to save them from an economic crisis. He said Pakistan would provide humanitarian assistance worth Rs 500 crore to and would also allow duty free import of fresh fruits and vegetables from Afghanistan to facilitate bilateral trade. The United Nations has warned last month that the poverty rate in Afghanistan was soaring and public services were close to collapse. Some 40 per cent of the country's GDP - national output - comes from aid, according to the World Bank. The US also froze some USD 10 billion of the country's central bank assets after the Taliban captured Kabul in August. Speaking to the media after the meetings, Qureshi said that he had a detailed and result-oriented discussion with the Taliban leadership, Dawn newspaper reported. Qureshi was visiting Afghanistan for the first time after the Taliban took over in mid-August. He is the third foreign minister after those of Qatar and Uzbekistan to visit since the Taliban seized power. He said Pakistan, in collaboration with Afghanistan's neighbours, was committed to playing a constructive role for peace and stability in the region. The Pakistani delegation also held talks with Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad after returning from his day-long visit to Kabul, Qureshi said the border crossings between the two countries will remain open 24/7 for trade and a special lane will be established for vehicles carrying perishable goods. He said Afghan businessmen can get visas on arrival, while the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul has been authorized to issue five-year visas for multiple entries. To a question about resumption of flights with Afghanistan, he said the two sides were in talks and a decision would be made soon. He said the Afghan leadership has also assured Islamabad that it will not allow anyone, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch Liberation, to use Afghan soil against Pakistan. The Minister said the interim government in Afghanistan has assured Pakistan that it will support projects like CASA-1000, TAPI and Trans-Afghan railway projects. He said Pakistan was in favour of including Afghan officials in various regional level talks as it would be easier to convey to the Afghan leadership about the expectations of the community from them. He said the Afghan leadership was also informed about the concerns of the neighbouring countries regarding militancy as everyone including Russia, China, Iran and even Pakistan have some reservations. To a question about the all-inclusive government, Qureshi said progress was being made since the interim government assumed power in Kabul. He also shared that the Afghan interim premier during talks with the Pakistan delegation said that even in democracies those winning elections were not asked to share power with Opposition parties. On the issue of refugees, he said that it was not time to press Afghanistan to take back refugees as the new Afghanistan leadership was facing financial problems as their more than USD 9 billion were frozen after the fall of the previous government. He said members of his delegation were also meeting with Afghan representatives from different ministries. Afghan delegation will come to Islamabad in the next few days so that we can take these talks forward and settle matters," he added. Qureshi's visit took place after the recent meeting of officials from China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Russia in Moscow and ahead of an upcoming meeting of foreign ministers of neighbours of Afghanistan plus Russia in Tehran next week. On September 4, Lt Gen Hameed, in a surprise move, dashed to Kabul as the Taliban struggled to finalise and install an inclusive government in Afghanistan. Three days after his visit, the Taliban announced an interim government. It is believed that Pakistan enjoys a clout over the Taliban and played a key role in their peace talks with the US that resulted in the Doha agreement of 2020. Pakistan was often accused by the previous Afghanistan government led by President Ashraf Ghani of giving the Taliban military aid. The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US' complete troop withdrawal on August 31 after a costly two-decade war. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of over 30 American lawmakers led by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives against growing incidents of worldwide. The bill urges the State Department to include state-sponsored Islamophobic violence and impunity in its annual human rights reports. The creation of the Special Envoy will help policymakers better understand the interconnected, global problem of anti-Muslim bigotry, the group of over 30 lawmakers said. It will also establish a comprehensive strategy for establishing US leadership in combating worldwide. Proponents of the bill, which requires the State Department to create a Special Envoy for monitoring and combating Islamophobia, have put India in the category of China and Myanmar for alleged atrocities against Muslims. The Ministry of External Affairs in the past has asserted that India is proud of its secular credentials, its status as the largest democracy and pluralistic society with a longstanding commitment to tolerance and inclusion. The Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens, including its minority communities, it has said. It is widely acknowledged that India is a vibrant democracy where the Constitution protects religious freedom, and where democratic governance and the rule of law further promote and protect fundamental rights, the MEA has maintained. Congresswoman Omar said: We are seeing a rise in in nearly every corner of the globe. A press statement issued by her office said that there has been a staggering rise in incidents of violent Islamophobia. Whether it is the atrocities being committed against the Uyghurs in China and the Rohingya in Burma (Myanmar), the crackdowns on Muslim populations in India and Sri Lanka, the scapegoating of Muslim refugees and other Muslims in Hungary and Poland, the acts of white supremacist violence targeting Muslims in New Zealand and Canada, or the targeting of minority Muslim communities in Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan, Bahrain and Iran, the problem of Islamophobia is global in scope, it said. The Combating Islamophobia Act is endorsed by several organisations, including the American Muslim Empowerment Network (AMEN), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT). For over a decade, we have seen increasing incidents of violent Islamophobia both in the US and worldwide from the genocide of the Rohingya in Burma (Myanmar) and Uyghurs in China to the attacks on Muslim refugees in Canada and New Zealand, said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. Nihad Awad from CAIR said that while global Islamophobia, anti-Muslim state policies and hate incidents have increased for the past two decades, the American Muslim community has consistently called for the creation of a special envoy position to monitor and combat this rising tide of hate. Our nation needs better tools to combat Islamophobic state policies and violence in countries like China, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the European Union and elsewhere, he said. Global Islamophobia is not only a threat to the safety and security of Muslims here and abroad, it is also a threat to religious freedom and democratic principles. CAIR is calling on congressional leadership and the Biden-Harris administration to support the Combating Islamophobia Act and make this special envoy position a reality," Awad added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) said the US was committed to defending from a Chinese attack, in some of his strongest comments yet as the administration faces calls to clarify its stance on the democratically ruled island. Biden answered yes when asked during a CNN town hall Thursday whether he could pledge to protect I dont want a Cold War with I just want to make understand that we are not going to step back, we are not going to change any of our views, Biden told host Anderson Cooper in Baltimore. A White House spokesperson later said that Biden didnt announce a change in US policy toward said there is no room for compromise or concessions over the issue of Taiwan. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reasserted China's longstanding claim that the island is its territory at a daily briefing after Biden made his comment. Shares of hit a record high of Rs 522.05, after tge shares surged 12 per cent on the BSE in Friday's intra-day trade, after the company announced that it has secured new orders of Rs 1,829 crore across its various businesses. The stock of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) majors surpassed its previous high of Rs 486.45 on March 3, 2021. At 12:32 pm, was quoting 6.6 per cent higher on the back of heavy volumes in an otherwise volatile market. Trading volumes on the counter jumped over nine-fold with a combined 2.6 million equity shares changing hands on the NSE and BSE. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 0.08 percent at 60,973 points, after hitting a high of 61,420 in intra-day trade today. The benchmark index touched an intra-day low of 60,868 points. said its transmission & distribution (T&D) business has secured orders of Rs 656 crore for T&D projects in Europe and Americas. The civil business has secured orders of Rs 935 crore for infra works in the water pipelines and industrial segments in India. The company's railway business has secured orders of Rs 144 crore in the technologically enabled/ emerging metro segments in India, while cable business has secured orders of Rs 94 crore for various types of cables in India and overseas. The management said the company's year to date order intake has now surpassed Rs 7,000 crore, with a robust growth of around 70 per cent vis-a-vis last year. The company has widened its international footprint with the first T&D EPC order in Europe. "The orders in the Americas, secured by our subsidiary SAE Towers, demonstrate a revival in the North American market. Railway business has expanded its order book in the technologically enabled areas of metros. The orders in Civil have strengthened the companys presence in the water pipelines & industrial segments and further diversified clientele," the management said. "Execution is expected to gather momentum with the ironing out of the supply chain issues, substantial improvement in labour availability, and timely customer collections. Competitive intensity during the H1FY22 ordering has been high due to a couple of candidates shoring up the order books ahead of their IPO," HDFC Securities said in the industrial sector Q2 results preview. Larger orders were missing and are likely to pick up during H2FY22. With central elections coming up in Q1FY25E, we expect strong ordering momentum to build up in H2FY22/23E. The government is gearing up to launch the first ever National Infrastructure Masterplan - Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti (to be unveiled on 13 Oct 2021) - which envisages Rs 100 trillion infrastructure investments. This shall be positive for Industrials and drive government/private Capex, the brokerage firm said. The proposed trading link between Singapore Exchange (SGX) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) at the IFSC could become operational early next year. Known as Gift Connect, it will enable the Singapore bourses clients to trade in Nifty derivatives at the NSE IFSC. Nifty derivatives contracts are among the most traded on the SGX. They are used by global investors to hedge their India exposure. We look forward to full-fledged operation of the NSE IFSC-SGX connect at around the Vibrant Gujarat Summit likely to be held in January 2022, said Tapan Ray, managing director and group chief executive officer, He was speaking at an event organised to mark the inauguration of SGXs office at GIFT City, which will also house a data centre Market Data Connect. GIFT CONNECTION Known as Gift Connect, it will enable the Singapore bourses clients to trade in Nifty derivatives at the NSE IFSC Nifty derivatives contracts are among the most traded on the SGX The GIFT City connect has been in the works for many years now With this further progress, which we have made by setting up this subsidiary of SGX in GIFT IFSC and also opening up of GIFT Data connect, we should be able to operationalise and commence by the year end, said Injeti Srinivas, chairman, IFSC Authority. The NSE-SGX GIFT City connect has been in the works for many years now. It was proposed after Indian bourses decided to end licensing agreements with their foreign counterparts in 2018. The launch of the Market Data Connect brings us one step closer towards operationalising the NSE IFSC -SGX connect at GIFT IFSC. This will allow the SGX members to read the price data of Nifty derivative products at NSE IFSC in real time, which will help them to fine tune their trading strategies in preparation for the connect to go live, said Vikram Limaye, MD and CEO, NSE. Loh Boon Chye, CEO, SGX, added: The GIFT Data Connect enables SGXs international members to access real-time trading data of Nifty contracts via our derivatives trading platform, giving investors unrivalled insights into Indias equity market. Oil traded just below multi-year highs on Friday as Germany's chancellor and the US Federal Reserve chairman said that demand disruptions from Covid-19 may not be over. Brent crude futures rose 76 cents, or 0.89%, to $85.36 a barrel at 2:14 p.m. EST (1714 GMT) after Thursday's three-year high of $86.10. The benchmark is set for its seventh weekly gain. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained $1.13, or 1.4%, to reach $83.63 a barrel, not far off a seven-year high hit this week. The grade is heading for its ninth weekly rise. "Supply is still very, very tight, the market is just cautious about the possibility of an uptick in COVID cases in Russia, China and now Germany," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. Prices pulled back from earlier intraday highs after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the pandemic is not yet over. US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said he could not rule out another COVID spike this winter. Prices have been boosted by worries about coal and gas shortages in China, India and Europe, spurring some power generators to switch from gas to fuel oil and diesel. Winter weather in much of the United States is expected to be warmer than average, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast. US crude found support this week as investors eyed low crude stocks at the US storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma. US Energy Information Administration data on Wednesday showed crude stocks at Cushing fell to 31.2 million barrels, their lowest level since October 2018. "Americas gasoline demand appears to be experiencing an Indian summer," PVM analysts said in a note, pointing to the highest implied demand for this time of year since 2007 despite high pump prices. Paytm, Indias digital payments pioneer backed by SoftBank Group Corp., received approval from the regulator that clears the way for its planned $2.2 billion initial public offering. The Securities and Exchange Board cleared the IPO, which will be Indias biggest so far, on Friday, according to people familiar with the matter. The company could list in Mumbai by mid-November, they added, asking not to be identified as the information isnt public. A representative for declined to comment. An email to wasnt immediately answered. The Noida-based firm, which is also backed by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Jack Mas Ant Group Co., hopes to tap strong investor demand thats sent the shares of fellow unicorn Zomato Ltd. soaring after its July listing. Formally called One97 Communications Ltd., if achieves its Rs 16,600 crore ($2.2 billion) IPO target, it would surpass the more than Rs 15,000 crore raised by state-owned Coal India Ltd. in 2013. said in its draft prospectus that it plans to sell an equal number of new and existing shares. The firm has the biggest share in Indias merchant-payments market, with over 20 million merchant partners in its network. Its users make 1.4 billion monthly transactions, according to numbers in a recent company blog post. The company is planning to skip the pre-IPO share sale rounds to fast-track listing. The company's plan of shelving the pre-IPO raise is not related to any valuation differences, a source added. Paytm is looking at a valuation of Rs 1.47-1.78 lakh crore. US-based valuation expert Aswath Damodaran, who is a professor specialising in finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University, has valued the unlisted shares of the firm at Rs 2,950 apiece. A source told Reuters in July that Paytm was likely to break even in 18 months. Several first-generation homegrown startups in India are preparing to go public on domestic bourses, following on the heels of food delivery firm Zomato which made a stellar stock market debut in July and which also counts China's Ant Group as a shareholder. Ant Group, with a roughly 30% stake, is Paytm's largest shareholder. Launched a decade ago as a platform for mobile recharging, Paytm grew quickly after ride-hailing firm Uber listed it as a quick payment option. Its use swelled further in 2016 when a ban on high-value currency bank notes boosted digital payments. Paytm has since branched out into services including insurance and gold sales, movie and flight ticketing, and bank deposits and remittances. One97 Communications, the parent of Paytm, has received the Securities and Exchange Boards (Sebis) nod for its Rs 16,600-crore initial public offering (IPO). The firm is likely to launch the offer in November, said sources aware of the development. The is touted to be the biggest ever in the country, surpassing the Rs 15,000 crore raised by government-owned Coal India in 2010. The comprises a fresh issue of equity shares of Rs 8,300 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) by existing shareholders of Rs 8,300 crore. According to the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP), shareholders Ant Financial, Alibaba, Elevation Capital V, Saif III Mauritius, Svf Panther (Cayman) and Bh International Holdings are all looking to offload some portion of their shares through the OFS. filed its DRHP with in July. Sources said not much has changed from the initial DRHP. The company has proposed to use Rs 4,300 crore for growing and strengthening the ecosystem, including through acquisition of consumers and merchants and providing them with greater access to technology and financial services, PTI reported. plans to earmark Rs 2,000 crore for business initiatives, acquisitions and strategic partnerships and up to 25 per cent of the total fund raised through the for general corporate purposes, according to PTI. Paytm is Indias leading digital ecosystem for consumers and merchants. The companys two-sided (consumer and merchant) ecosystem enables commerce, and provides access to financial services, by leveraging technology to improve the lives of consumers and helps merchants grow their businesses. Paytm was launched in 2009 as a mobile-first digital payments platform to enable cashless payments. The companys financial services businesses, i.e., mobile banking, lending, insurance, wealth management services were launched recently between 2019 and 2021 and contribute a small percentage to its revenue. Its revenues from operations in FY21 stood at Rs 2,800 crore from 114 million annual transacting users and had facilitated 7.4 billion transactions, including transactions made to merchants via its ecosystem. Shares of rallied 9 per cent in intra-day trades on Friday and registered a fresh 52-week high at Rs 105.10, in an otherwise volatile market after the lender reported a strong 49.5 per cent year on year (YoY) jump in net profit at Rs 460 crore in September quarter (Q2FY22). The strong earnings were on the back of a healthy operational performance. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 0.40 per cent at 60,678 points at 02:24 pm. In the past one month, has outperformed with a gain of 30 per cent, as compared to 3 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. The trading volume at the counter more than doubled with a combined 94 million equity shares changing hands on the NSE and BSE. In the past 13 months, the stock has more than doubled or up 115 per cent from level of Rs 48.90 on the BSE. It had hit a record high of Rs 128 on October 17, 2017. Ace investor Rakesh Radheshyam Jhunjhunwala (2.64 per cent) and his wife Rekh (1.01 per cent) collectively hold 3.65 per cent stake in at the end of September 2021 quarter, shareholding pattern data shows. In Q2FY22, Federal Banks net interest income (NII) grew 7.2 per cent YoY, 4 per cent sequentially at Rs 1,479 crore, on the back of credit growth in select segments. Net interest margin (NIM) improved 7 bps YoY and 5 bps sequentially at 3.2 per cent. Fresh slippages contained to Rs 320 crore that, along with recoveries and upgrades of Rs 421 crore led to reduction of gross non-performing (GNPA) and net NPA to 3.24 per cent and 1.12 per cent respectively. The strong recovery helped bring down credit cost. Federal Bank said it launched Credit Cards with Rupay & Visa networks in fastest possible time. The bank also partnered with OneCard for launch of Credit Card. It empanelled by government of India and Reserve Bank of India for collection of direct and indirect taxes. The bank, amidst the volatile environment, has delivered a very encouraging performance braving a lot of odds. We witnessed strong traction in NIM and pick up in NII on the back of good credit growth in certain segments. Strong recovery and upgrades helped in virtually no credit cost for the quarter, Shyam Srinivasan, Managing Director & CEO, Federal Bank said. CASA growth of 18 per cent YoY led CASA ratio to reach an all-time high of 36 per cent. This further strengthens the granularity of our deposit portfolio. Inward Remittances continues to be a strong forte for the Bank with a market share of 20.54%. The digital story of the Bank continues to prosper with Fintech partnerships progressing well and contributing to 50 per cent + of new accounts booked, said Shyam Srinivasan. gets approval for biggest Indian IPO in nearly a decade: Report Paytm, Indias digital payments pioneer backed by SoftBank Group Corp., received approval from the regulator that clears the way for its planned $2.2 billion initial public offering. The Securities and Exchange Board cleared the IPO, which will be Indias biggest so far, on Friday, according to people familiar with the matter. The company could list in Mumbai by mid-November, they added, asking not to be identified as the information isnt public. Read more IPO opens Oct 28, price band at Rs 1,085-1,125 per share FSN E-Commerce Ventures, operator of beauty stores, has fixed the price band of Rs 1,085-Rs 1,125 for its maiden public share sale. The will remain open on October 28 and close on November 1. At the top-end, the beauty startup will be valued at Rs 53,200 crore ($7 billion). Read more wants to teach me lesson, wrest control of Zee board: Goenka Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, today filed an affidavit in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) alleging that wants to teach him a lesson for rebuffing their proposal for merging Zee with the media entities controlled by a rival Indian conglomerate. The merger proposal by with the strategic group, would have led to a massive loss to Zee shareholders in the absence of any valuation reports, Goenka informed the court. Read more Q2 net up 74% to Rs 225 cr on lower provisions, NII shrinks 23% Private lender YES Banks net profit was up 74.3 per cent to Rs 225 crore in the second quarter ended September 2021 (Q2FY22), on an uptick in non-interest income and a dip in provisions due to lower slippages. It had posted a net profit of Rs 129 crore for Q2 Fy 21. Sequentially, it was up nine per cent from Rs 207 crore in June 2021 (Q1FY22). Read more Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor The Union Cabinet has approved to release an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 1.7.2021 representing an increase of 3% over the existing rate of 28% of the Basic Pay / Pension, to compensate for price rise. This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission. The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief would be Rs.9,488.70 crore per annum. This will benefit about 47.14 lakh Central Government employees and 68.62 lakh pensioners. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HDFC Life Insurance Company reported a 16% fall in standalone net profit to Rs 274.16 crore in Q2 FY22 as compared to Rs 326.09 crore posted in Q2 FY21. Total income rose 24% to Rs 20,476.89 crore in Q2 FY22 over Q2 FY21. Profit before tax in Q2 FY22 stood at Rs 275.95 crore, down 15.4% over Q2 FY21. Net premium income during increased by nearly 14% year on year to Rs 11,443.96 crore. Income from investments (net) jumped by 40.4% to Rs 8873.38 crore in Q2 FY22 over Q2 FY21. The life insurer's solvency ratio stood at 190% for Q2 FY22 as compared to 203% in Q1 FY22 and Q2 FY21. The ratio is above the prescribed regulatory limit of 150%. The life insurance company reported a 26% fall in net profit to Rs 577 crore in six month ended September 2021 (H1 FY22) over six month ended September 2020 (H1 FY21). Net premium income rose 20% to Rs 18,985.58 crore in H1 FY22 over H1 FY21. Value of New Business stood at Rs 1,086 crore in H1 FY22, an increase of 30% over last year. New business margin expanded by 130 bps to 26.4% for H1 FY22, versus 25.1% in H1 FY21. The sustained increase in VNB has been driven by growth across channels and a balanced product portfolio. Total APE grew 23% year on year to Rs 4,112 crore while individual APE rose 21% year on year to Rs 3,427 crore in H1 FY22. Annualized Premium Equivalent (APE) is the sum of annualized first year regular premiums and 10% weighted single premiums and single premium top-ups. Assets under Management (AuM) increased by 27% to Rs 1,91,212 crore in H1 FY22 compared H1 FY21. The company's net worth rose by 12% to Rs 8,690 crore in H1 FY22 from Rs 7,790 crore in H1 FY21. Commenting on the H1FY22 performance, Vibha Padalkar, MD & CEO said, Our business performance remains strong with 22% growth and private market share of 16.2% in terms of Individual WRP in H1 FY22. Our Profit after Tax stands at Rs 577 crore for H1 (26% lower than H1 FY21), on the back of higher claims reserving warranted by the second wave of the pandemic. The product mix was balanced with non-par savings at 32%, participating products at 30% and ULIPs at 26% on APE basis. Annuity business registered healthy growth of 47% vis-vis H1 FY21, with annuities contributing about 24% of our new business premium. We view protection business in a holistic way. Protection APE including group recorded year on year increase of 41% for H1 and comprises 21% of our new business premium. She further said, We settled around 2,00,000 claims in H1 FY22. Gross and net claims amounted to Rs 3,640 crore and Rs 2,466 crore respectively. The overall experience has been in line with our projections and we carry an Excess Mortality Reserve (EMR) of Rs 204 crore into H2 FY22. We believe that the current environment is conducive for a robust growth of the life insurance sector as there is an increased awareness about life insurance as a financial protection tool. Shares of HDFC Life Insurance Company were trading 0.12% lower at Rs 694.05 on BSE. HDFC Life Insurance Company is a life insurance entity promoted by HDFC, India's leading housing finance institution and Standard Life Aberdeen, a global investment company. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IRB Infrastructure Developers rose 13.81% to Rs 278.50, extending gains for the third trading session. Shares of IRB Infrastructure Developers have surged 36.89% in three sessions from its recent closing low of Rs 204.10 on 19 October 2021. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 284.90 today. It has surged 184.91% from its 52-week low of Rs 97.75 hit on 22 December 2020. In the past one month, the stock has risen 62.20% as against 3.51% rise in the Sensex. On the technical front, the stock's RSI (relative strength index) stood at 80.56. The RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Traditionally, the RSI is considered overbought when above 70 and oversold when below 30. The stock was trading above its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) placed at 237.42 and 50-day SMA at 222.33. These levels will act as near-term support. IRB Infrastructure Developers is India's largest integrated private toll roads and highways infrastructure developer in India. On a consolidated basis, the company posted a net profit of Rs 71.9 crore in Q1 FY22 as compared to a loss of Rs 30.14 crore in Q1 FY21. Net sales soared 59% to Rs 1,625.72 crore in Q1 FY22 over Q1 FY21. The company's board will meet on 26 October 2021 to consider a proposal of fund raising. The company plans to raise funds by way of issue of equity shares/bonds/debentures/non-convertible debt instruments/securities and/or any other instruments/any other securities including through preferential issue on a private placement basis, qualified institutions placement, rights issue or any other methods or combination thereof. The board will also consider Q2 September 2021 results on 26 October 2021. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shareholders have approved appointment of His Excellency Yasir Othman H. Al Rumayyan as an independent director of Reliance Industries (RIL) for three years. On 24 June 2021, the RIL board approved the appointment of Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan, as an additional director of the company, designated as an independent director. The appointment has taken effect from 19 July 2021 for a term of three years. RIL later sought approval of its shareholders for the same. A postal ballot was conducted through remote e-voting process. The resolution was passed with the requisite majority on 19 October 2021. Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan is governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the chairman of Saudi Aramco. RIL board will consider Q2 September 2021 results today, 22 October 2021. RIL is the largest private sector corporation in India. Its activities span hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals, retail and digital services. The company reported a 7.3% fall in consolidated net profit to Rs 12,273 crore on a 58.6% rise in net sales to Rs 1,39,949 crore in Q1 FY22 over Q1 FY21. Shares of RIL were up 0.51% at Rs 2636.35. The stock hit a high of Rs 2649.95 and a low of Rs 2622 so far. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five Bharatpur-based relatives of Arun Valmiki, who died in police custody in Agra, met Rajasthan Chief Minister here on Friday demanding protection from UP Police. The relatives alleged they were picked up by the (UP) police from Bharatpur on Saturday night and were harassed for four days. Subash Garg, a Bharatpur MLA (Rashtriya Lok Dal) and Technical Education Minister in the Rajasthan government, arranged the meeting of the relatives with Gehlot before he left for Jodhpur. Arun Valmiki's wife belongs to Bharatpur and her family members were allegedly picked up by the UP police after Valmiki was termed a suspect in a theft incident at a police station in Agra. They were taken by UP police and harassed in custody. Arun's brother-in-law is not even able to walk properly. Chief Minister today listened to them and spoke to SP Bharatpur," Garg said. The chief minister has assured them all assistance, he added. stands with the victim's family, he said. AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had met Valmiki's family in Agra on Wednesday. Valmiki, a sanitation worker, was accused of stealing Rs 25 lakh from the storage room of Jagdishpura Police Station in Agra on Saturday night. He allegedly fell sick and died during a raid on Tuesday at his house in Agra that police conducted to recover the stolen money. Police has since said he died of a heart attack citing a post mortem report. One of the five relatives alleged a team of UP police had come to their house in Bharatpur looking for him on Saturday night. We were not aware of his whereabouts. The police took us with them and kept us there for four days. They beat us and demanded money even when Arun was caught, the relative said. We narrated our ordeal to chief minister Gehlot and he has asked us not to worry. He has given us assurance for security, 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.) general secretary and Uttar Pradesh in-charge Vadra will flag off three 'Pratigya Yatras' from Barabanki on Saturday to take to the people various resolutions adopted by the party ahead of the 2022 assembly elections. On the occasion, she will elaborate on the seven resolutions made to the people of UP apart from the election manifesto, former MP and party in-charge of Chhattisgarh P L Punia told the media here on Friday. The three yatras going in different routes -- from Barabanki to Bundelkhand, Saharanpur to Mathura and Varanasi to Rae Bareli -- will be taken out from October 23 to November 1, he said. The yatra on the Varanasi to Rae Bareli route covering the Awadh region will be led by former MP Pramod Tiwari, while the Barabanki-Bundelkhand route will be led by Punia and former Union minister of state Pradeep Jain Aditya. The yatra on the Saharanpur-Mathura route covering the western parts of the state will be presided by former Union minister Salman Khurshid and senior party leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam. Chairman of the party's media department and former state minister Nasimuddin Siddiqui and legislature party leader Aradhana Mishra, former MP and chairman of the strategy and planning committee Rajesh Mishra gave details about the yatra and its route. Siddiqui said the Congress, in its first resolution, has promised 40 per cent of ticket distribution to women in the 2022 elections and has pledged to give smartphones to girl students who clear intermediate exams along with electric scooters to girls who are college graduates. The details about the remaining six pledges will be announced at the time of launching the 'Pratigya Yatra' in Barabanki, he added. The decision to go ahead with these yatras was taken at a meeting headed by Vadra last month. (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.) Former president met party leaders from on Friday and urged them to be prepared for the assembly elections. Gandhi also separately met senior leaders from the state and sought their views on the appointment of the new state chief and CLP leader. Assembly polls in are due late next year. AICC general secretary organisation KC Venugopal and AICC in-charge for Raghu Sharma were also present during the meeting. Party PCC chief Amit Chavda and working president Hardik Patel besides other leaders also met Gandhi. Gandhi is learnt to have held discussions separately with the leaders from the state and sought their views on the strengthening of the organisation in Gujarat. (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 three-day Central Committee meeting of the (Marxist) got underway in Delhi on Friday and the top of its agenda will be to discuss the party's policy on cooperation with the Congress in the upcoming elections, sources said. They said that the politburo is divided on an alliance with the Congress, with the Kerala faction pushing for a Left-led secular alliance with regional parties against the BJP. On the other hand, West Bengal leaders have said that any alliance without the country's largest Opposition party is impractical, the sources said. The leaders from Bengal have pointed out that there is a difference between the overall situation and electoral in states. The Central Committee is likely to discuss the matter and draft a political resolution on the issue for the Party Congress. It will also review the performance of the party in the recent polls and take stock of the dismal show, the sources said. The 23rd CPI(M) Party Congress will be held in Kannur, Kerala in April 2022. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab's Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has said a probe would be carried out to ascertain whether Aroosa Alam, a Pakistani journalist who has been visiting former chief minister Amarinder Singh for several years, has links with the Singh hit back at the Congress leader, saying Randhawa is now resorting to personal attacks. The deputy chief minister said it "would be probed" whether Alam has any links with Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), adding that he has asked the director general of police (DGP) to look into it. Singh said Alam had been coming to India for 16 years with due clearances from the Centre. "You were a minister in my cabinet@Sukhjinder_INC. Never heard you complain about Aroosa Alam. "And she'd been coming for 16 years with due GoI clearances. Or are you alleging that both NDA and @INC India led UPA govts in this period connived with Pak ," the former chief minister's media adviser quoted him as saying on Twitter on Friday. Randhawa, who also holds the home portfolio in Punjab, claimed that Singh has been friends with Alam for years, she stayed in India for many years and her visa was extended by the Centre from time to time. He told reporters in Jalandhar on Thursday that it was only after the recent developments in the Congress, which saw Singh's exit as the chief minister, that Alam went back to Pakistan. Randhawa said when Singh was the chief minister, he kept saying that being a border state, always faced a threat with several seizures of drones and ammunition coming in from across the border. "Aroosa was in India for four-and-a-half years and her visa was also extended from time to time. Why did Delhi not cancel her visa? Why did she leave India when we went against Amarinder Singh?" he asked, referring to developments in the Congress last month. "I think all this needs to be probed and Captain Amarinder too will have to give answers to these questions," the Congress leader added. Hitting back at Randhawa, Singh said, "So now you're resorting to personal attacks @Sukhjinder_INC. One month after taking over this is all you have to show to the people. What happened to your tall promises on Bargari & drugs cases? Punjab is still waiting for your promised action." He said instead of focussing on maintaining law and order, the deputy chief minister has put the DGP on a "baseless investigation". "What I'm worried about @Sukhjinder_INC is that instead of focusing on maintaining law and order at a time when terror threat is high and festivals are around the corner, you've put @DGP Punjab Police on a baseless investigation at the cost of Punjab's safety," he said. Randhawa has stepped up the attack on Singh after the latter's unceremonious exit as chief minister. He called Singh an "opportunist" after the former chief minister announced that he would launch his own political party. Randhawa also accused Singh of betraying Punjab for the last four-and-a-half years. On Tuesday, Singh said he would soon float his own political party and is hopeful of a seat-sharing arrangement with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in next year's Punjab Assembly polls if the farmers' issue is resolved in their interest. Randhawa had accused the former chief minister of betraying Punjab and siding with those who never thought about the welfare of the state. "Punjab does not fear Pakistan or China. If Punjab today faces any threat, then it is from Amarinder Singh," he had 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.) A grand ceremony of Zest in Presents "World Noble Cause Initiation (WNCI)" was organized at Sahara Star Hotel, Mumbai, where "Project Mother" was launched by Kare Foundation Group (USA) of Farukh Khan. A lot of human service in the covid period. Farukh Khan has started this unique initiative and announced the opening of 100 such Mother Care Centers. He said that in many backward areas of the country, pregnant women still do not get immediate and better medical facilities. Many times it happens that a woman who carries a child in her womb for 9 months is not able to see him alive. That he would open 100 maternity centres across the country. This mother project was inaugurated by Farukh Khan himself in the presence of his parents. Farukh Khan further informed that with the support of Manish Bhai, the first centre of this Mother Project is opening in Panvel on 18th October. A music video "Saath" under the banner of New York Gang Production was also launched on occasion with the tagline "Hai Yeh Dua Tu Ho Mera". Farukh Khan has Directed and Produced this lovely music video. He said that "Saath" is not just a music video, but it gives a great message that if someone has corona, do not leave him alone, serve him, that patient will be healthy. Many elders got separated from us because we left them alone and neglected. This music video stars Joshua Lihla and Jyoti Mahajan., Who's is also the board member of Kare Foundation Group. Farukh Khan said that Rashid Khan has composed this song which is sung by Mohammad Irfan. Joshua working in this is a handicapped person, but our F Music Company has decided to give a chance to those talents who are disabled helpless and neglected by the industry. Joshua thanked Farukh Khan and said that the way Farukh Khan and his Kare Foundation Group have provided food and drink to the people in America in the time of the COVID pandemic is an unmatched work. He has set an example of human service. Farukh Khan donated food gift boxes to more than 500 families on the occasion of Christmas on 22 December 2020 with The Honorable Mayor of Houston Mr Sylvester Turner, to help all the needy families. In view of all these social works he had done in the course of the covid pandemic as Humanitarian, Honorable Mayor of Houston announced The Proclamation "December 22 declared to be celebrated as "Farukh Khan Day" in America, which is a big achievement in itself. Through Kare Foundation, he helped people affected by covid and made a music video called "Saath". Everyone present at the grand event in Mumbai saluted the spirit of Farukh Khan. It is in the nature of Farukh Khan to live for others and to serve human beings selflessly. After doing public service in America, now in India too, Farukh Khan has pledged to help as many people as he can with his Foundation. He said our Parents are everything in this world who's has brought us in this world, and they go under lots of pain and suffering to raise us; it our duty to stand by them each and every second and never leave their sight under any circumstances. When he started talking about his mother on stage, he became very emotional, and his eyes became moist as he shared his upbringing in poverty and what tough life his parents went through to raise him and how he lost his older brother due to a lack of treatment and money caused his mother to lost unborn child. Witness in his own life how mothers are losing a baby due to treatment Farukh khan mentioned that his Foundation will open with 100 maternity homes across India where maternity homes are not available to save mothers and baby lives. In Panvel will be our first Maternity Home will open soon. National President of NCP Minority Shabbir Ahmed Vidrohi said that the award being given on this platform is being given to those who do good for society. Today there is a shortage of human beings in the country, but there are great people like Farukh Khan who know how to serve humanity. If Farukh Khan is taking the blessings of his parents, then these prayers will save him from all evils. Ramesh Tripathi, advocate, Shabir Ahmed Vidrohi, Sanjay Bansode Advocate, Dilshad Khan (editor Mumbai Halchal), actor Rajkumar Kannojiya and many social Worker were present at this function said that today I saw the courage and passion in the heart of Farukh Khan to help others, it is amazing. Only a person can become a saint who wants the welfare of others. Farukh Khan has done human service like Swami Vivekananda during covid and lockdown. By doing such work in America, he brought laurels to his parents and the name of his country. He has announced the 100 Mother Project, which is a big achievement. Salute to his parents, who gave a son like Farukh Khan. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 22 (ANI/PRNewswire): Tanla Platforms Limited, India's largest CPaaS provider, today announced its financial results for the quarter two of FY'21-22. Key Metrics: Second Quarter Revenue increased by 44% year-over-year to Rs8,416 million. Gross profit increased by 71% year-over-year to Rs2,302 million. Gross margin % at 27.4% and improved by 440 basis points year-over-year. EBITDA increased by 83% year-over-year to Rs1,787 million. EBITDA % at 21.2 % and improved by 452 basis points year-over-year. Profit after tax increased by 67% year-over-year to Rs1,362 million. Earnings per share increased by 72% to Rs10.04. Free cash flow at Rs2,217 million and Cash & Cash Equivalents at Rs8,457 million Key Metrics: Half Yearly Revenue increased by 41% year-over-year to Rs14,680 million. Gross profit increased by 68% year-over-year to Rs4,037 million. Gross margin % at 27.5% and improved by 443 basis points year-over-year. EBITDA increased by 82% year-over-year to Rs3,132 million. EBITDA % at 21.3% and improved by 473 basis points year-over-year. Profit after tax increased by 50% year-over-year to Rs2,407 million. Earnings per share increased by 61% to Rs17.71. Free cash flow at Rs3,502 million. Uday Reddy, Founder Chairman & CEO, Tanla Platforms Limited said, "Our stellar performance was contributed by higher wallet share from existing customers and additional market share expansion from newer clients." Significant events during the quarter Gartner recognizes Tanla In the latest CPaaS market guide as a key global solution provider in the Developer market. Only Asian Company to be recognized under Developer category. We celebrated the first anniversary of commercial launch of Trubloq, world's first and largest block-chain use case and increased our market share to 63%. We closed two significant partnerships on Wisely platform, which will be announced during the quarter. The customer base has expanded with addition of 87 new customers. Revenues from & gt;Rs10Mn+ customers grew by 46% year-over-year. We hired 111 employees during the quarter. To date, 91% of employees have received first dose of vaccination. Our senior leadership team are back to office, and we plan to bring rest of employees back in a phased manner. Appointed PwC as our consultants to advise us on our ESG aspirations & roadmap. Under Social of ESG, Tanla Foundation signed an MoU with Education Dept, Govt of Telangana for PILLARS (Project for Improvement of Learning Levels through Academic support for Rural Schools). Completed buyback of equity shares. Total of 705,677 shares were bought back at an average price of Rs 907 per equity share. Rs 801 million was incurred towards buyback, out of which, Rs 649.8 million was returned to shareholders, Rs 151 million was paid as buyback tax@ 23.36% on distributed amount and Rs 16 million was paid towards transaction cost. The buyback was closed on September 06, 2021. Final dividend was approved by the shareholders in the annual general meeting, and we have completed the payouts. Invitation to conference: Tanla will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss the financial results. Conference call details: The conference call will begin at 4.00 PM IST on October 22, 2021. Interested parties may listen to the call by dialing +91 22 6280 1141 / +91 22 7115 8042, or if outside India, by dialing toll free number UK 08081011573, USA 18667462133, Hong Kong 800964448, and Singapore 8001012045. The live audio webcast link will be available on the Tanla website This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar will today visit Castletroy, Co. Limerick, to officially open a new manufacturing facility for Edwards Lifesciences, which will create 250 new jobs for the area, on top of the 600 announced in 2019. The Tanaistes will visit the Bernal Institute in the University of Limerick afterwards, where he will launch the second phase of a Government funded research programme into sustainability and competitiveness in the diary sector. Edwards Lifesciences, a world-leading medical device company, is expanding its operations in Ireland, with a new manufacturing facility in Castletroy, Co. Limerick. The Tanaiste today opened the new facility, which will employ 850 people from the surrounding area, up from an initial estimate of 600 new jobs. The Tanaiste will then visit the Bernal Institute in the University of Limerick where he will announce the second phase of funding for research in the Dairy Processing Technology Centre (DPTC). Phase 1 of the DPTC which was founded in 2014, has been established as a centre of excellence for dairy processing research and innovation. This next phase will see an additional 14m investment, through Enterprise Ireland in new research looking at sustainability and competitiveness in the dairy industry. The Tanaiste will also officially launch Ennis 2040, an economic and spatial strategy to make Ennis one of the best places to live, work, visit and invest. As the largest town in Munster, Ennis has massive potential and this new plan, will aim to create 5,000 new jobs and grow the population of the town by 1.6% per year until 2040. This growth will be based on the 10 Minute Town concept with the Town Centre at the heart of a highly accessible and revitalised Ennis the focus for retail, residential, commercial, educational, leisure and cultural growth. Commenting on the investment, the Tanaiste said, "Its great to be back in Limerick to officially open this fantastic new facility for Edwards Lifesciences. It will employ 250 more people than initially estimated in 2019, bringing the total new jobs being created to 850. Its an enormous vote of confidence in the Mid-West region and the talent, skills and experience on offer here. Congratulations to the team involved and the very best of luck with this remarkable expansion." Enterprise Ireland CEO, Leo Clancy added, "There are now eight Technology Centres operating across Ireland, focused on critical areas such as advanced manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence, microelectronics, pharmaceuticals and food. Companies working with Technology Centres have higher domestic and international sales, more employees and a greater return on their R&D spend. The collaborative model deployed by the Technology Centre network will become increasingly important as our entire economy adapts to a low-carbon future and embeds sustainability at every stage of the production process and I would encourage companies to engage now with these engines of innovation." Source: www.businessworld.ie Painter Zhang Ben opened his new exhibition on Nov. 6 at Shanghai's M50 Art Zone. Zhang, born in Huangshan, East Chinas Anhui province, in 1984, is now working at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. Known for his Symbolist oil paintings, Zhang presents a surrealistic space that reflects his inner self, including religious elements. Xiangwai Artha, an art-sharing platform, contributed to todays gallery Nov 19, 2021 06:03 PM St. Johnsbury, VT (05819) Today Some lingering evening flurries or snow showers. Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low 24F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some lingering evening flurries or snow showers. Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low 24F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Beat the queues and order ahead with Capita3Eats! Explore your favourite eateries across CapitaLand Malls and order online or via the CapitaStar app for takeaways or deliveries to your doorstep. With a place for every taste, it's that easy to satisfy your cravings when you order from Capita3Eats. FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, file photo, Supporters of Gabby Petito hold up photos of Gabby after a news conference Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in North Port, Fla. The FBI on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 identified human remains found in a Florida nature preserve as those of Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the death of girlfriend Gabby Petito while the couple was on a cross-country road trip. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File) Carroll, IA (51401) Today A few showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 31F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight A few showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 31F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Photo: The Canadian Press Fraser Health registered nurse Kai Kayibadi draws a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe at a walk-up vaccination clinic at Bear Creek Park, in Surrey, B.C., on Monday, May 17, 2021. The British Columbia government is extending several COVID-19 related orders meant to limit the spread of infection as the fourth wave sweeps over the province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck British Columbia residents will need to carry two proof of COVID-19 vaccination cards, one to attend non-essential activities and another for travel within Canada and internationally. Premier John Horgan said Thursday the current B.C. vaccine card is not compatible with the new national vaccine passport for domestic and international travel. B.C.'s Ministry of Health said in a statement the province will issue the new government of Canada proof of vaccination card and it will be accessible as of Oct. 30. The ministry said the federal government has assured it that people in B.C. can continue to use the provincial vaccine card to travel as the new federal card is rolled out. Earlier in the day, Horgan said the federal government requires more information to be given to allow international travel than is given on B.C.'s vaccine card. "I felt the federal government would manage international travel in their way and we would manage our domestic interactions until such time there was clarity about what was required," he told a news conference. Horgan initially said B.C. residents could apply for a federal transportation card. But the federal government's website directs B.C. residents to get a provincial proof of vaccination, with the understanding it may not guarantee entry into other countries. The Health Ministry said more than 3.6 million people have downloaded the B.C. vaccine card and it is working well. "We will continue to monitor the use of two cards to ensure it works best for people in B.C.," it said in the statement. Horgan also voiced his concerns Thursday about the federal government's COVID-19 testing rules on travelling to and from the United States, saying they make little sense to him. He said Ottawa's testing requirement is counter to the whole point of staying safe, because he could get a test in Vancouver, travel to the United States and come back within 72 hours using the same test. He said people could take advantage of the system, and he wondered whether people might fake symptoms to get a free test in order to use the results to travel. Horgan said his concerns about the testing were partly behind his decision not to accept an invitation to visit from Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee. B.C. reported 715 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, with 4,965 active cases. There have been four more deaths, all in the Northern Health authority. The provincial government announced Thursday that it was extending several COVID-19-related orders meant to limit the spread of infection as the fourth wave sweeps over the province. The COVID-19 Related Measures Act was to be repealed on Dec. 31, but the government says in a statement that changes will be introduced to the bill in the legislature. The act allows key legal documents to be witnessed remotely and lets the courts say which proceedings can be conducted remotely. It also supports orders of the provincial health officer to impose conditions on the number of long-term care facilities where staff are allowed to work in an effort to stop the transmission of COVID-19. The law gives civil liability protection to people or companies providing essential services by operating a business that benefits the community, so long as they follow public health orders. The government says it's issuing the notice of the changes to allow for those organizations or businesses that use the legislation to plan beyond the original deadline. Photo: The Canadian Press Hassan Diab Canada's extradition laws need a thorough overhaul to ensure fairness, transparency, and a balance between a desire for administrative efficiency and crucial constitutional protections, say legal and human rights experts. In a report released Thursday, the voices calling for reform say the Canadian process for sending people to face prosecution and incarceration abroad is riddled with shortcomings that make the system inherently unjust. The recommendations for change emerge from the Halifax Colloquium on Extradition Law Reform at Dalhousie University in September 2018, which brought together academics, defence counsel and human rights organizations. The report acknowledges the importance of extradition in an increasingly globalized world where criminal activity often traverses borders, but highlights "a number of problems" with how proceedings unfold through the 1999 Extradition Act. "Canada fulfils most extradition requests from other countries, and individuals who are sought for extradition are almost always unsuccessful in challenging it," the report says. "But is this as it should be?" The advocates for reform highlight the case of Ottawa sociology professor Hassan Diab, a Canadian citizen who was extradited to France and imprisoned for over three years, only to be released without even being committed to trial. "It is worth recalling that, when the Extradition Act was brought in, Parliament was assured by the Department of Justice that Canadians would not moulder away in foreign states awaiting trial, nor would extradition procedures be used to facilitate foreign investigation," the report says. "Hassan Diabs case shows that neither of these promises is being taken seriously." In the Canadian extradition process, Department of Justice officials first determine whether to authorize the start of proceedings in the courts through whats known as an "Authority to Proceed." Once an Authority to Proceed has been issued, the Canadian courts have to decide whether there is sufficient evidence, or other applicable grounds, to justify the persons committal for extradition. When someone is committed for extradition, the justice minister must personally decide whether to order the individual's surrender to the foreign state. Someone sought for extradition may appeal their committal and seek judicial review of the ministers surrender order a process that can play out for months or even years in the courts. The report released Thursday says the committal process compromises the ability of the person sought to meaningfully challenge the foreign case against them, reducing Canadian judges to rubber stamps and permitting use of unreliable material. Diab's lawyer, Donald Bayne, said Canada's extradition process is "essentially an unjust system" unworthy of a modern, constitutional Canada. "Extradition involves the deprivation of liberty of Canadians, and others, without any sworn evidence at all," he told a news conference Thursday to launch the report. The surrender decision made by the justice minister is a highly discretionary and explicitly political process, unfairly weighted toward extradition, the report says. The Justice Department's International Assistance Group facilitates the extradition of people to face prosecution or sentencing in the country in which they are charged or convicted. However, the group is "excessively adversarial" in the way it conducts proceedings, acting without any separation between the litigators and the decision-makers, the report says. All this takes place under a "veil of unnecessary secrecy," it adds. The group behind the report advocates changes including: Photo: The Canadian Press Edward Rogers is out as board chair of Rogers Communications Inc., a move that comes as the latest development in a boardroom drama that has prompted the departure of a senior executive and the launch of an executive oversight committee. In a statement Thursday afternoon, the company said John A. MacDonald will take over as chairman of the Rogers board of directors. This has been a challenging time for the Corporation and I want to reaffirm on behalf of the majority of the Board our support for and total confidence in the management team and CEO of Rogers Communications, said MacDonald in the statement. Edward Rogers, who has served on the Rogers board since 2012, will remain on the board as a company director, the statement said. Rogers Communications has been embroiled in an executive power struggle which developed after Edward Rogers tried to put former chief financial officer Tony Staffieri into the role of CEO and replace other members of the leadership team, according to media reports. Staffieri left the company effective Sept. 29, with Paulina Molnar named interim CFO. Thursday, the board announced it has formed an executive oversight committee "to establish clear protocols for interactions between the chair and members of management" and said it would undertake a comprehensive corporate governance review. "The board believes that these initiatives will further strengthen the companys corporate governance practices," it says in the management discussion and analysis document released along with the company's third-quarter financial results. Joe Natale, president and chief executive of Rogers, publicly addressed the feud for the first time during the telecom company's quarterly earnings call Thursday morning. His comments overshadowed the results, which analysts generally characterized as positive, and come as Rogers works to complete its purchase of Shaw Communications Inc. Natale said he continues to have "strong unequivocal support" from the family-controlled firm's board of directors. The statement comes after media reports describing an attempted ousting of Natale by board chair Edward Rogers. The attempt was blocked by other members of the board, including Rogers' sisters and mother, multiple reports say. "I feel supported and rest assured that the entire executive team is focused on two things," Natale said during the conference call with analysts. "One, running the business to keep driving performance, and two, landing the Shaw transaction and the synergies and integration efforts that stand behind it." Rogers reported a profit of $490 million, down from $512 million in the same quarter last year, as its revenue held steady for the quarter ended Sept. 30. The cable TV and wireless company said the profit amounted to 94 cents per diluted share, down from $1.01 per diluted share a year ago. On an adjusted basis, Rogers says it earned $1.03 per diluted share, down from an adjusted profit of $1.08 per diluted share a year ago. Analysts on average had expected an adjusted profit of $1.02 per share, according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv. A TD Securities Inc. client note called the results positive, saying the increase in new wireless subscribers and low churn was a "huge beat." Rogers added 175,000 postpaid wireless subscribers, the highest third-quarter increase in 13 years. It also posted the lowest-ever third-quarter postpaid churn, which refers to the number of customers leaving. "While messy boardroom and family discussions continue to play out in the media, the (third-quarter) results from Rogers show meaningful signs of improvement on many key metrics," the TD Securities note said. "Service revenue growth also exceeded our above consensus expectations, and we note that the two-year growth ... improved meaningfully." Photo: The Canadian Press The council that advocates for 14 First Nations on Vancouver Island is demanding Transport Canada review the laws, regulations and policies governing harbour activity in Tofino after a second float plane crash in less than three months. The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council says in a written statement that the situation is too grave to wait for possible Transportation Safety Board recommendations related to float plane accidents on Monday and on July 26. In Monday's crash, a float plane with five people aboard flipped and began to sink after clipping a water taxi while landing, and the July crash involved a Cessna carrying five people that lost control on takeoff and overturned in shallow water. All aboard in both events were rescued. The safety board is investigating the July crash and gathering information to determine if the latest event warrants a more detailed probe. Both happened in a busy section of Tofino's harbour that the tribal council says is travelled every day by many Nuu-chah-nulth people, and the council says regulations must be upgraded because they are "not sufficient" to prevent repeated occurrences. Fishboats, water taxis, float planes and other vessels use the harbour, and tribal council vice president Mariah Charleson says the airlines and Transport Canada must step up to ensure it remains safe for all users. Tribal council president Judith Sayers was aboard the small plane that crashed in July and says she was trapped, upside down, with her head underwater. She believes she would have drowned if her son, who was also a passenger, had not pulled her out of the wreckage. "Now the lives of two of our (tribal council) employees were endangered in this second accident," Sayers says in the statement. "We need changes now so no more lives are at risk. The tribal council statement praises the "selfless and heroic" actions of Ahousaht skipper Ken Brown, who responded to Monday's crash and pulled most of those aboard to safety as the plane quickly filled with water. "Understanding that the airlines and water taxis in Tofino are a vital service that connects many of our remote communities to essential services, we cannot always rely on the heroics of local First Nations to respond to such tragic events (because they) may not be on the scene at the right time," the statement says. The Transportation Safety Board website shows its investigation of the July event is now in the report phase but it is ranked as a Class 4 investigation, meaning the report will not contain findings or recommendations. The board is still deciding on its next steps following Monday's crash. Photo: The Canadian Press A Minneapolis police officer has been charged with manslaughter and vehicular homicide in a fatal crash in July that occurred while the officer was pursuing a stolen vehicle, a prosecutor announced Friday. Officer Brian Cummings was driving nearly 130 km/h in Minneapolis with his siren and lights activated when his squad car slammed into a vehicle, killing 40-year-old Leneal Frazier. The chase continued for more than 20 blocks, including residential neighbourhoods Police are supposed to protect and serve citizens, and to act in a manner consistent with their sworn oath to do so. Officer Cummings actions deviated from his oath and his negligence caused the death of Leneal Frazier, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a statement. Leaders of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Frazier was the uncle of Darnella Frazier, whose cellphone video of Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyds neck was viewed worldwide and helped launch a global protest movement against racial injustice. During Cummings' chase, Fraziers Jeep entered an intersection on a green light. According to investigators, the driver of the stolen vehicle narrowly missed Fraziers Jeep before the squad car struck the vehicle on the drivers side. Specifically, Cummings faces charges of second-degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide. An accident reconstruction report stated that this collision can be attributed to the Defendant for failure to operate his vehicle with due regard for the safety of other motorists. Open letter to Conservative Party leader ErinO'Toole and Kelowna-Lake Country MP Tracy Gray Let me start by stating I am a small "c" conservative. Hailing from the U.K. I was a strong supporter of (former British prime minister) Margaret Thatcher. When I immigrated into Canada, my support went to (former Conservative prime ministers Brian Mulrooney and Stephen Harper. Im sure you get the picture. I will admit to a in 2015 I actually voted for the "new boy", (Liberal leader Justin) Trudeau, only because he was the only one who admitted he would run a deficit. Of course that sadly became an understatement. In any event, back to the reason for this correspondence. I have to ask, what the hell is wrong with you guys? A few months back you had the Liberals and Trudeau beaten, hands down. The Conservative Party could haveindeed should havebecome Canada's government. I really don't know what has been discussed at your caucus meetings and I doubt if either of you will admit to the truth, but you lost the 2021 federal election due to the lack of leadership, the lack of common sense when it came to Covid vaccinations, the lack of mandating candidates be vaccinated and the lack of commentary on the stupidity of the Alberta provincial Conservative Party's non-action regarding the health of Albertans. And now you are doing it all over again by your non-suppprt of the mandate for all Parliamentary personnel being vaccinated. Canadians have had enough of this virus. Weve had enough of lockdowns, having to wear masks, being unable to have family gatherings and on and on. Science has shown us the vaccines now available are working and they will be the way for us to get back to normal. And yet you, the Conservative Party and Mr O'Toole as its leader and the leader of the official Opposition, oppose this mandate. Give me a break. This (latest) action and the inaction during the election, strongly suggests the Conservative Party does not want what Canadians want. (Kelowna-Country) is a strong Conservative seat so it is likely your candidate here will always be elected. But going forward, if the Conservative Party wishes to get back to governance, then I would strongly suggest the party leadership look at and listen to Canadians. As stated above, it should have been an easy task to take on and remove the Trudeau Liberals from government. All you had to do was concentrate on his lies, his lack of ethics, his inability to fulfil promises, and his lack of leadership skills. Instead there was a lack of leadership by the Conservative Party shown on this one issueCovid-19. Don't blow it again. Malcolm Roberts Bernard of Clairvaux, the great 12th-century saint and Doctor of the Church who renewed the Western monastic tradition, once warned that "The most grievous danger for any pope lies in the fact that, encompassed as he is by flatterers, he never hears the truth about his own person and ends by not wishing to hear it." Every pontificate has its courtiers. The current one is no exception; quite the opposite. Thus, St. Bernard's words came easily to mind as I read a recent Austen Ivereigh article for America magazine. In it, Ivereigh claimed that "over the last eight years, a powerful U.S.-based media conglomerate has used its formidable wealth and power to turn a large portion of the people of God against Rome and its current occupant. And for good measure, against key reforms of the Second Vatican Council." Frightening stuff; so where might this muscular wickedness spring from: Comcast? Facebook? George Soros's Open Society Foundations? No. Today's spirit of schism Mr. Ivereigh describes it as "the diabolos, and calling it something else is just putting lipstick on a pig" is the work of those iniquitous devils at . . . EWTN. Yes, that's the network founded by that arch-troublemaker and woman religious, Mother Angelica, and funded largely by tens of thousands of small donations from ordinary, faithful Catholic individuals and families. The virtue of Christian obedience is rooted in speaking the truth with love, but frankly and firmly and true religion has nothing to do with a posture of servility. To be fair, Ivereigh's article simply elaborates on comments that Pope Francis made recently to Jesuits in Slovakia. Pope Francis didn't name the offending media organization, but as journalists quickly confirmed, he meant EWTN. It's surprising to hear any pope be so publicly and personally sensitive to perceived ill will from a few commentators at a modest network (by secular standards) based on another continent. Conflict, a lot of it, both within and beyond the Church, comes with the job of every bishop. The bishop of Rome is not excused from that unhappy burden. And EWTN's Raymond Arroyo, whom Ivereigh seems to regard as a special tool of the diabolos, does not pose quite the same fearsome threat to the Church as, say, China's Xi Jinping. Or significant figures in America's current leadership. Mr. Ivereigh is right to see mean-spirited ecclesial criticism from anyone as poisonous to the unity of the Church. But he might take his own words to heart in examining some of his own past work. Moreover, not all criticism in a family is ill-intended or disloyal or inaccurate. Some anger, even anger at legitimate authority, is righteous. The virtue of Christian obedience is rooted in speaking the truth with love, but frankly and firmly and true religion has nothing to do with a posture of servility. As an EWTN board member for many years before retiring, I'm well acquainted with the network's shortcomings. It can always improve. But it has managed to serve the gospel for decades now with skill and endurance where many others have failed. Thus, it's hard to read critics of the network without also sniffing their peculiar cologne of faux piety, jealousy, and resentment. EWTN's achievements deserve praise and warrant pride. I admire the dedication of its leaders and staff. I'm grateful for the network's service to the Word of God. And any suggestion that EWTN is unfaithful to the Church, the Second Vatican Council, or the Holy See is simply vindictive and false. Mr. Ivereigh is a capable writer I was pleased to endorse his first (and best) book, The Great Reformer, grandiosely titled and with a light seasoning of snark, but a worthwhile read nonetheless and Pope Francis is a complex and absorbing subject for any honest biographer. Ivereigh should, but likely won't, be embarrassed by his America article. The role of courtier doesn't suit him. But then he's hardly alone in that line of work during the current pontificate. Massimo Faggioli's sunny assessment of Joe Biden and Biden's seeming common ground with Pope Francis his recent book is Joe Biden and Catholicism in the United States certainly qualifies him for courtier status, despite his text being rudely dismembered by veteran religion journalist Ken Woodward in a Religion News Service critique. Prof. Faggioli's relentless commentary on the United States, American Catholics, and so much more he arrived in our country in 2008, apparently knows everything about us, and currently teaches at Villanova University makes up in astonishing breadth for what it lacks in depth. In December of last year, Faggioli suggested that "the parallel between [Biden] and the late Italian pope [John XXIII] certainly offers hope from a historical point of view." Or maybe not so much. Any parallel between the two men might be news to the saintly dead pope, since the Democratic party has effectively sacramentalized abortion, exterminated pro-life Catholic witness in its ranks ask former Congressman Dan Lipinski and our "Catholic" president has signed on fully to the party's slash and burn campaign. Neither Ivereigh nor Faggioli measures up, though, to that zenith of melodrama and ill will achieved in 2017 by Antonio Spadaro and Marcelo Figueroa. Writing in La Civilta Cattolica "Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism: A Surprising Ecumenism" the authors provide a Crayola coloring-book version of Catholic-Evangelical relations in the United States, a portrait that's simultaneously sweeping and all-thumbs, and shaped by standard European and Latin American pique toward the Yankee colossus. The irony is that the article could have been genuinely penetrating and very fruitful in its criticism. But that would have taken more work, more humility and balance, and less resentment. No pontificate is well served when its promoters show contempt and belligerence toward perceived enemies. That kind of flackery simply produces more, and even more determined, critics who do indeed elide into enemies. One can hope that Pope Francis understands this. In the meantime, it's worth stressing that the latest attacks on EWTN are both ugly and unjust, and calling them something else is, to borrow a thought from Mr. Ivereigh, "just putting lipstick on a pig." In late summer 2016, Amy Bositis, director of clinical programs at the Greater Lawrence Family Health Clinic in Lawrence, Massachusetts, picked up her phone to learn that an acute HIV infection had just been diagnosed in a clinic client. We provide comprehensive HIV services to our clients, but I had never been called in real time about a patient with a recent diagnosis, because it was relatively rare in Lawrence, says Bositis. I had definitely never experienced an acute infection1 being diagnosed among any of our patients. A few days later, processing a routine report, Bositis realized that two other clients had also recently received HIV diagnoses. Soon, the total of new HIV diagnoses at the clinic grew to five all linked to use of injection drugs, a route of HIV transmission that over the years had become increasingly rare in Lawrence and nationwide. Bositis quickly reported this unusual increase in new diagnoses to state health officials, including Dawn Fukuda, director of the Office of HIV/AIDS for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). We could tell that something urgent was happening, says Fukuda. Just before Amy called, I heard that HIV had been diagnosed at the county jail among six people who inject drugs. Altogether, it added up to a third of the total HIV diagnoses linked to use of injection drugs we normally see in a year statewide but this was in one county, in one month. Beginning with these initial small groups of people with newly diagnosed HIV, investigators from the state health department, with support from CDC, launched a painstaking, months-long investigation to understand the true scope of the outbreak. The investigation included epidemiologic analysis of HIV data including viral sequences, and interviews with people who inject drugs. The results were stunning: the investigation ultimately uncovered a network of interconnected clusters spanning 184 people with HIV many of whom received a diagnosis during the course of the investigation itself. Most people affected by this large outbreak were in Lawrence and in nearby Lowell, though the networks extended across the state and even beyond state lines into neighboring New Hampshire. When CDC began conducting molecular analysis of HIV data at the national level, researchers were surprised to see a rapidly growing cluster of linked infections diagnosed in and around San Antonio, Texas. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and CDC began studying the cluster in early 2017, initially identifying 24 linked infections. Following a full investigation, including reviewing and following up on data from partner services interviews, health officials discovered a network of 87 people with HIV the nations largest identified HIV cluster at the time. Most individuals in the cluster were young gay and bisexual Hispanic/Latino men. That fact was no surprise to the advocates and healthcare providers who had been working for years with this population. Many young people havent received much information about HIV or how to prevent it, says Greg Casillas, assistant director of San Antonios Thrive Youth Center. When they test positive, theyre afraid to disclose that information to their families or the community, let alone seek treatment. Were a very conservative, closeted city. And that can make it hard for people to learn about HIV. But the size of the cluster came as a shock. Those of us working in the community had been seeing young people coming into HIV care very ill, with advanced infections, says Dr. Barbara Taylor, an infectious disease specialist and assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. So, we knew transmission was happening, but it was stunning to learn that we had the biggest cluster in the country [at the time]. Being able to visualize the scope of the problem like that was so important. It pushed us to think differently. Gasmet supplies Holcim Croatia with CMM system 22 October 2021 Gasmet has supplied its continuous mercury monitoring (CMM) system to Holcim Croatia (Holcim group) to monitor mercury emissions and maintain higher levels of plant operation safety. The CMM system was distributed by RACI, which handles Gasmet products in Slovenia and Croatia. While Croatia currently has no legislation for continuous monitoring of mercury emissions, Holcim has strict limits for emissions from its own cement plants. "The product gives us exactly what we want peace of mind. We know where we stand with our Hg emissions," said Ivan Maric, Holcim Croatia production engineer. Published under Yanbu Cement Co sees revenue up 10% in 9M21 22 October 2021 Saudi Arabias Yanbu Cement Co has reported a 55.8 per cent YoY decline in net profit to SAR36.4m (US$9.71m) in the third quarter of 2021, compared to SAR82.48m in the year-ago period. Revenue also fell 13.5 per cent YoY to SAR207.78m from SAR240.36m in the 3Q20. During the first nine months of the year, the company recorded a 28.7 per cent decrease in profit to SAR149.69m from SAR210.12m in the 9M20. However, revenue was up 10 per cent YoY to SAR742.87m in the 9M21. Published under Cement price stabilises in Lubumbashi ICR Newsroom By 22 October 2021 The price of grey cement in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, is stabilising at CDF15,000-16,000/bag (US$7.58-8.09), when compared with CDF20,000-25,000 in previous years, according to ACP, the Congolese press agency. The trend is due to an increase in domestic cement production from CARRILU and Grande Cimenterie du Katanga, which came online 10 months ago. In addition, the market supply is supplemented by imports from Zambia. Published under A woman on Standifer Gap Road told police a co-worker has been harassing her. She said the co-worker has sent over 100 text messages and even showed up at her home without being invited. She said she is just wanting to report the harassment at this time and she has already blocked the co-worker's number. She said she would call back if the co-worker continues to harass her. * * * A woman on 3rd Avenue told police there was a car sitting on the side of her lawn that she believed to be stolen. Police ran the vehicle's VIN number through NCIC, which came back to a gold 2006 Chevrolet Malibu, and the vehicle returned back to not be stolen. * * * A woman told police that sometime in the last 48 hours, the catalytic converter had been cut off and stolen from her 2004 Chevy Suburban (TN tag) at Kleenco Construction, 1229 Latta St. No suspect information could be obtained. She said she does have surveillance cameras in the area, but would attempt to find useful information. She was told to call back if she found anything. * * * A woman on East 13th Street, through an Hispanic interpreter, told police that her 2007 Nissan Altima was stolen from her front yard with the keys inside. No suspect information was known. The vehicle was entered into NCIC. * * * A man called police to report fraudulent activity on his bank account from SmartBank. According to the man, from July 28 to Sept. 10 of this year, his debit card was used online to purchase about $13,500 in merchandise from China, California and Delaware. There is no suspect information. * * * A loss prevention agent at Walmart, 490 Greenway View Dr., told police that a black male and female, entered the store and proceeded towards electronics. Once in electronics, the woman asked to see two Apple iPhones and two Apple watches. Next, an employee walked the four items to the front of the store to check out. The woman then asked the cashier to ring up the Apple items before her other purchases, which the cashier did. Once the items were bagged, the man told the woman to go get a second cart. The woman walked out of the store and passed all points of sale without paying for the items, totaling $1,556 in all. The man followed shortly behind and left the remaining groceries behind. The two got into a four-door white vehicle and fled the scene. Police were given pictures of the couple. * * * A woman on Fisk Avenue told police that her Way To Go debit card was delivered by UPS to the wrong address on Colonial Drive. She said the Colonial Drive address is a vacant house. She said the debit card was used several times for a total of $1,801.67. She was not prepared to give all the locations of its use. She said the last place it was used was at First Tennessee Bank, 701 Market St. * * * A suspicious vehicle was reported at O'Reilly Auto Parts, 6870 Lee Hwy. Police spoke with a man who said he had been waiting there for a friend of his who was currently working with a power crew in the area. He said that he does not know when his friend will return, but that they would be traveling back to Ohio, where they live, when he did. * * * A man on Towerway Drive told police he found his mailbox damaged. He said he is not sure when it occurred or how, but he just needed a report for his insurance. * * * A woman on Market Street told police she ordered a box of bleach from Amazon. She said she believes someone stole the package. There is no suspect information. * * * An employee at Enterprise, 1001 Airport Road, told police that a manager there, who is in charge of stolen and fraudulent cases for Enterprise, was able to detect a man that goes by "James McNeil" who committed fraud. "James McNeil" came in with fake personal information to rent a vehicle. In the paperwork given to Enterprise, was a driver's license number from Colorado. Nothing comes up with this DL number. The manager also did some investigating and found out there was also no such address as the one given by "James McNeil" - 1651 NW 8th Pl., Colorado Springs, Co. 37266. "James McNeil" gave false information, which led to the vehicle being stolen. The vehicle was put into NCIC. * * * A man told police that someone stole the catalytic converter off his vehicle while he was at work at CHI Memorial, 5600 Brainerd Road. He said this occurred between 2-5 p.m. There is no suspect information. * * * Police noticed a suspicious white Crown Vic on Russell Avenue by a closed business. The vehicle started to leave the area down Suck Creek Road when police drove past it. The vehicle was registered out of Marion County. Police stopped it on Suck Creek Road, after it pulled to the shoulder prior to police stopping it. Police spoke with the driver/owner, who said he was curious why police were traveling behind him. The officer explained to him about the suspicious activity with him and the thefts in the area. The man said he had just finished doing laundry at Mountain Creek Road Cleaners. The man had a valid license and no active warrants. * * * An anonymous caller told police that a man was selling a lot of things inside of "Tent City" and was going to cause someone to get hurt. Police spoke with the man at "Tent City," who said he lives in Hixson, but was guarding his friend "Lee's" tent until he returned. He was patted down for officer safety and did not seem to have anything illegal on his person. * * * A suspicious person was reported at the Community Kitchen, 727 E. 11th St. The outside temperature was below 65F and police observed a man shirtless and in shorts. Police approached the man to check on his well-being and he had no complaints about his situation. * * * Suspicious activity was reported at an address on Forest Plaza Drive. Police were called as a back-up to an EMS call. Police observed machinery and HVAC equipment piled up in the driveway and throughout the interior of the house. Police also observed compressors that had been removed from HVAC units. The man who lives at this residence is often seen working at all hours of the night on the various equipment. * * * A man told police that someone took three batteries, two canopies and 30 bags of broad gel off their construction site at 7350 Volkswagen Dr. sometime during the night. He said a piece of the construction equipment, the Tulsa Rig Iron, was damaged in the process to remove the battery. * * * A man on Cypress Street Court told police he wished to make a report about an altercation the previous day which occurred around 5 p.m. The man said an acquaintance, only known as "Fa-Fa," asked him for two cigarettes. The man said he told "Fa-Fa" no, at which time "Fa-Fa" said, "I'll wet you up." The man said "Fa-Fa" then threw a piece of trash in his yard and left the scene. The man said that "Fa-Fa" is in his 50s, wears dread-locks and drives a blue Chrysler sedan. Police asked the man to call back should "Fa-Fa" return to his address. * * * A man on E. 10th Street told police he believed his phone had been taken. The man said a homeless person he knew as "Anthony" took it. He could not recall the circumstances or location the phone was taken, and denied seeing "Anthony" taking it. He said he had only heard a ring tone he believed may have been his coming out of "Anthony's" pocket. The man said he just wanted a report made. No warrants on the man were found. * * * A woman on Chamberlain Avenue told police she let her friend Dominique in her house this morning to use the bathroom. She said that after she was gone, she noticed that Dominique had stolen her Metro PCI LG tablet. She said she does not know Dominique's last name, address or even her date of birth. She says she just used to hang out with her. Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report: ABSTON, ALICIA MICHELLE 534 CHERRY MILL LANE TUNNEL HILL, 30755 Age at Arrest: 38 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County VIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROP) APPLEBERRY JR, CHARLES EDWARD 1717 CAMBRIDGE DR CHATTANOOGA, 37411 Age at Arrest: 31 years old Arresting Agency: East Ridge POSSESSION OF METH (SELL, DEL. OR MANUFACTURING POSS OF FIREARM DURING A FELONY POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA ATKINS, TYHANNE A 1916 NATCHEZ AVE KNOXVILLE, 37915 Age at Arrest: 23 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga CHILD NEGLECT PUBLIC INTOXICATION BENSON, THERION DEAN 4618 FALL CREEK RD CHATTANOOGA, 37416 Age at Arrest: 35 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga AGGRAVATED ASSAULT BOYLAN, AMANDA N 5 GAYLORD ST CHATTANOOGA, 37415 Age at Arrest: 36 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA BRANUM, AARON WAYNE 2609 BANKS RD EAST BRAINERD, 37421 Age at Arrest: 26 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE BROWN, CHRISTOPHER SCOTT 1000 MCBRIEN RD CHATTANOOGA, 37412 Age at Arrest: 37 years old Arresting Agency: East Ridge PUBLIC INTOXICATION BUSH, JEFFERY LEE 3547 COTTONWOOD LN Chattanooga, 374062716 Age at Arrest: 61 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE COMPTON, CAMERON JAMES 1970 WARWICKSHIRE DR SODDY DAISY, 37379 Age at Arrest: 26 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) CONLEY, PATSY MAIR ANN 621 FORTWOOD PLACE CHATTANOOGA, 37403 Age at Arrest: 25 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County FUGITIVE (CATOOSA CO GA) COX, FREDRICK LEBRON 3503 WILCOX BLVD CHATTANOOGA, 37411 Age at Arrest: 65 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga BURGLARY DONOSO, JAMAL LAMONT 1811 VINE ST CHATTANOOGA, 37404 Age at Arrest: 27 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga DOMESTIC ASSAULT FORD, BLAKE S 202 MAPLE AVENUE BIG STONE GAP, 24219 Age at Arrest: 22 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) HAZLETON, SAMUEL T 1478 SPRUCE DR SPRING CITY, 37381 Age at Arrest: 26 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County AGGRAVATED DOMESTIC ASSAULT JACKSON, CHARLES EDWARD 305 ALLEN ST TULLAHOMA, 37388 Age at Arrest: 50 years old Arresting Agency: Collegedale Police Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) JONES, REGINALD WAYNE 2213 FAIRLEIGH ST CHATTANOOGA, 37406 Age at Arrest: 60 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga POSS OF CRACK COAINE FOR RESALE POSS OF MARIJUANA FOR RESALE POSS OF HEROIN FOR RESALE POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA KROLL, JASPER GEROME 514 NOTRE DAME EAST RIDGE, 37412 Age at Arrest: 32 years old Arresting Agency: East Ridge DOMESTIC ASSAULT CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE IN SCHEDULE II DISORDERLY CONDUCT POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA MCCALLIE, TROY LEE 203 NORTH LOVELL AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37411 Age at Arrest: 53 years old Arresting Agency: Tenn Highway Patrol DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE MCCULLOUGH, SHAWN ALAN 405 HAMILTON DR CHICKAMAGA, 30707 Age at Arrest: 40 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSS CONT SUB) MELTON, PRISCILLA A 1608 ROANOKE AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37406 Age at Arrest: 55 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga DISORDERLY CONDUCT 911 VIOLATION (IMPROPER USE) MONTALVO-AVENDANO, OSCAR 1148 BETH LANE CONYERS, 30012 Age at Arrest: 39 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County FUGITIVE (ROCKDALE COUNTY GEORGIA)) PARKER, ALICIA MARIE 123 LAUREL DRIVE CHATTANOOGA, 37415 Age at Arrest: 31 years old Arresting Agency: Red Bank DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE PARTAIN, DAVID ALAN 222 SEQUOYAH ACCESS RD SODDY DAISY, 37379 Age at Arrest: 33 years old Arresting Agency: Hamilton County AGGRAVATED CRIMINAL TRESPASS SCHWAB, ETHAN G 12 SHERIDAN RD CHATTANOOGA, 37415 Age at Arrest: 31 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PUBLIC INTOXICATION DRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALE POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA POSSESSION OF METH (SELL, DEL. OR MANUFACTURING)SCOTT, NATHAN AARON1213 KATHYS TRL CHATTANOOGA, 37419Age at Arrest: 35 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaNO PROOF OF INSURANCEVIOLATING AUTO REGISTRATION LAWDRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSESLOAN, CHRISTOPHER LYNN510 DIXIE AVE SOUTH PITTSBURG, 37380Age at Arrest: 28 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyDRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSEFAILURE TO APPEARSMITH, ZACHARIAH PHILLIP435 KILE LN SW APT 517 CLEVELAND, 37311Age at Arrest: 25 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)STARLING, LARRY LEBRON719 LARKIN AVE CHATTANOOGA, 374112116Age at Arrest: 32 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaTHEFT OF PROPERTYTHOMAS, RICHARD D125 RED HILL VALLEY RD SE CLEVELAND, 37323Age at Arrest: 30 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyVIOLATION OF PROBATION (TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE)TUCKER, JAMES CORNELIUS1001 W 36TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 37410Age at Arrest: 28 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaCRIMINAL TRESPASSINGPOSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMEDPOSS OF FIREARM DURING A FELONYPOSSESSION OF METH (SELL, DEL. OR MANUFACTURING)DRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALEDRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALEPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIAVELASQUEZ, HENEMIAS4206 RHEA COUNTY RD DAYTON, 37321Age at Arrest: 25 years oldArresting Agency:SPEEDINGDRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSEFINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITYPOSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCEWATSON, THADDEUS KELCEY2106 Jackson St Chattanooga, 374041406Age at Arrest: 31 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaPOSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMEDWILLIAMS, DEONTA SHAWN1103 GROVE STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37402Age at Arrest: 34 years oldArresting Agency: Hamilton CountyNONSUPPORT AND FLAGRANT NONSUPPORTNONSUPPORT AND FLAGRANT NONSUPPORTNONSUPPORT AND FLAGRANT NONSUPPORTWOODS, REGINALD DEWAYNE4012 6TH AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37407Age at Arrest: 47 years oldArresting Agency: ChattanoogaPOSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCEPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIADRIVING ON ROADWAYS LANED FOR TRAFFIC, VIOLATIONDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEDRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE Lodge Manufacturing Company officials on Friday announced the company will invest $56 million to expand its South Pittsburg facility, where it has operated for 125 years. In order to meet increased demand, Lodge will expand and reconfigure its existing facility and add additional manufacturing equipment to enhance production capabilities. Lodge will create 239 new jobs as a result of the expansion. Founded in 1896, Lodge is a fifth-generation, family-owned company that manufactures the largest selection of American made cast iron cookware. Lodge operates two foundries in South Pittsburg, the second of which opened in 2017 and increased the companys manufacturing capacity by 75 percent. Lodge offers a variety of products ranging from its signature seasoned cast iron to enameled cast iron and carbon steel cookware. Customers can also shop a wide range of items specifically made for grilling or baking. Governor Bill Lee said, For 125 years, Lodge has called South Pittsburg home and relied on skilled Tennesseans to make products that last for generations. I'm proud that this respected brand continues to thrive in our state, and we thank the company for its additional investment in Southeast Tennessee. TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe said, Lodge is a storied American brand whose products can be found in homes and eateries around the world. We are proud to be home to this 125-year-old family-owned company and appreciate Lodge for its continued investment and the addition of over 200 new, family-wage jobs in Marion County. Mike Otterman, president/CEO of Lodge Manufacturing, said, The Lodge business has thrived because of its commitment to quality, innovation, people and community. These four pillars make Lodge a special place to work, and we are proud to call South Pittsburg, Tennessee home. Consumers in the U.S. and around the world are spending more time cooking and cooking in cast iron makes everything taste better. We are blessed with strong demand for our brand and are excited to continue to invest in our future. South Pittsburg Mayor Samantha Rector said, For the last 125 years, by providing a superior product to literally the world, Lodge Cast Iron has been a cornerstone for South Pittsburgs economy. This expansion will continue that growth for generations to come. With the addition of the Cast Iron Museum and the new Lodge restaurant, thousands more cast iron lovers will come to see whats cookin in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. Marion County Mayor David Jackson said, This is the third expansion in the last 10 years, which means Lodge makes a great product. We are very excited for Lodge and its employees; the growth of Lodge is due to hard work of all of the employees. This expansion will provide for more good-paying jobs for our community. We look froward to the continued growth of Lodge in the years to come. John Bradley of TVA said, TVA and Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative congratulate Lodge Manufacturing on its decision to expand operations in Marion County. Its always an exciting day when we can celebrate one of our regions most long-standing companies and its continued commitment to growth in the Valley. We are proud to partner with Marion County Government, City of South Pittsburg Government, and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help support companies, like Lodge Manufacturings business success. This major expansion of Lodge Manufacturing is a testament to the unique assets of Marion County and South Pittsburg. This includes our low taxes, top-notch workforce and high quality of life. Congratulations to Lodge and to all our state and local officials who worked to secure these jobs. We look forward to seeing much success from this jobs investment as we build a more prosperous future for our communities, said Senator Janice Bowling. I am very excited see the positive impact the Lodge Manufacturing expansion will have on our community. This is a huge win that will create more than 200 jobs for Tennesseans, said Rep. Todd Warner. The Hamilton County Health Department will begin administering the Moderna COVID-19 booster shots to eligible persons by appointment only at the Carta Bus Barn beginning Tuesday. The CARTA Bus Barn, located at 1617 Wilcox Blvd., Chattanooga, Tn. 37406, will be open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 9 a.m.4 p.m. We are continuing to follow state and federal guidance regarding booster administration and are excited to begin administering Moderna booster shots to those who qualify, says Hamilton County Health Department Interim Administrator Sabrina Novak. It has also been determined that mixing and matching vaccine brands is approved. If you have questions about the new booster guidelines, please call our COVID-19 hotline at 423-209-8383. Moderna, Pfizer and J+J COVID-19 vaccines have received approval to mix and match. This means individuals can choose which COVID-19 vaccine they want for their booster shots, despite having received their primary series from a different vaccine manufacturer. The Hamilton County Health Departments online appointment system and appointment call centers are now open. To make an appointment online, visitvaccine.hamiltontn.gov and click on the Booster Appointment tab. For those who do not have access to the internet and want to make an appointment over the phone, a call center is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at 423-209-5398 (English) and 423-209-8383 (Spanish). For Moderna booster eligibility, please visit our website at vaccine.hamiltontn.gov and click on COVID-19 Booster Eligibility. Moderna booster shots are for individuals 18 years of age or older who finished their primary series after six months. The Health Department will be administering Moderna booster shots only at the Carta Bus Barn and will not be administering 1st, 2nd or 3rd doses. To Prepare for your Moderna Booster at the CARTA Bus Barn (By Appointment Only): Visit vaccine.hamiltontn.gov and complete the booster encounter form under the Handouts tab. Forms will also be available on site. Bring your Vaccine Record Card with you to your appointment. This card has information about your previous doses, including dates of injection and vaccine manufacturer. If you lost your card and received your primary series in Tennessee or Georgia, Health Department staff will look up your information in the vaccination system upon arrival. If you received your primary series from any other state except Tennessee or Georgia, you will need to bring your vaccination record with you. Please wear loose fitting, short sleeve clothing to your booster appointment. Time Change for the Pfizer Primary Series and Booster at the Tennessee Riverpark (No Appointment) Next week, the Tennessee Riverpark vaccination site will adjust its closing time and operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, Oct. 25-29. The vaccination site is open Saturday, Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Beginning the first week of November, the vaccination site will be changing its hours to operate Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit vaccine.hamiltontn.gov to view the Health Departments vaccination calendar with up-to-date hours and site information. Additional resources In addition to Health Department vaccination sites, booster shots will be available at pharmacies, doctors offices, and other locations throughout Hamilton County. Visit https://www.vaccines.gov/ to find a location near you. Call the Health Departments COVID-19 hotline at 423-209-8383 if you have questions about making a vaccine appointment, locating testing, or if you seek isolation or quarantine guidance. Test kits are currently available for ages 2+ at the Health Department Monday-Friday, 9:00AM to 3:00PM, while supplies last. For more information, visittesting.hamiltontn.gov. Rebecca Fergusons acting career is reaching new levels with Dune. But how did she get her start? Her career really took off when Tom Cruise hand-selected her to play Isla Faust in the Mission: Impossible franchise. But the Swedish actor started acting when she was a teenager. And as it turns out, Fergusons first acting job included a second role behind-the-scenes. Rebecca Ferguson | Warner Bros. Pictures Rebecca Fergusons acting career started when she was a teenager Fergusons breakout film role in the United States was in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation. Before that, she starred in Starzs The White Queen. This was the first role she booked outside of Sweden, as she explained to Vanity Fair. In Sweden, Ferguson became famous for playing Anna in the soap opera Nya tider. She landed the role when she was 15 after participating in a modeling competition. Ferguson told Vanity Fair: I started off in a modeling agency because my mom had forced me into this competition. But I was far too short and obviously didnt look like a supermodel. So I was put into the people category. And thats where the soap opera looked for their actresses. They went through the people catalogue. And I was asked to do a casting. I think I turned it down once or twice before my mom forced me to do it. RELATED: Dune: Rebecca Ferguson Almost Turned Down Playing Lady Jessica Rebecca Fergusons first acting job included production work But Ferguson didnt only star in Nya tider. She dropped out of school to pursue acting full-time. And her parents were adamant she get a job to supplement her acting work. Her family thought working on set of the soap opera offered an opportunity to learn the ropes of TV and film production. The Greatest Showman actor told Variety her parents made sure a job behind-the-scenes of Nya tider was included in her contract. So, she acted on the show for six months of the year, and worked on set the other six months. Ferguson said: My stepdad told me, If youre not going to study, you need to work. What are you going to be doing for the other six months? Are you going to be living off the money youre earning? The point is to save that and youre not getting an education. The contract we fixed said I would work in the production office behind the scenes, because I needed a job. So half the year I was the lead actress, and then for the other half I was the runner at the production company, getting coffee and writing schedules. L-R: Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson | Chiabella James/Warner Bros. Pictures RELATED: Dune: Rebecca Ferguson Fell in Love With the Intricate Balance of Her Character, Lady Jessica Rebecca Ferguson almost quit acting after her first job Ferguson played Anna from 1999 to 2000. She said starring in the series got her stamped as soap opera Anna in Sweden. And the only way to change up her public perception was seemingly to go to drama school. But she didnt want that. Instead, Ferguson got jobs as a nanny, as a server at a Korean restaurant, as a hotel cleaner, among other things. And there was a good chunk of time during this period where she wasnt sure she wanted to be an actor anymore. The Dune star told The Guardian she felt some imposter syndrome when she started booking acting roles again. Some people sharp-elbow themselves through life just to get what they want, she said. I never felt that drive, which sometimes made me think Im not really worthy of the job I do. For me, its been a slow process. That slow process led to starring in a franchise already being called the next Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. Dune is in theaters and on HBO Max now. More details about the tragic Alec Baldwin prop gun shooting accident that killed Halyna Hutchins are slowly being revealed. The cinematographer was shot on set of Rust in New Mexico on Oct. 21. Police reports revealed Baldwin fired the gun. Rust director Joel Souza was also injured in the accident, but has since been released from the hospital. According to reports, Hutchins and her camera crew had been advocating for safer working conditions on set prior to the incident. And that very morning, crew members walked out in protest of the working conditions and were reportedly replaced with nonunion workers. Hutchins and her crew were members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) union, which has been planning a potential workers strike inspired by unsafe and inhumane working conditions on film and TV sets. Halyna Hutchins | Mat Hayward/Getty Images for AMC Networks Rust camera crew protested working conditions morning of Alec Baldwin, Halyna Hutchins prop gun accident The incident took place at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hutchins was the director of photography on the low-budget western. She was airlifted to a hospital after the shooting and later died of her injuries. According to The Los Angeles Times, six members of the Rust camera crew staged a walkout on set the morning of the shooting. They were reportedly protesting long work hours, long commutes, and issues with their pay. One crew member told the outlet Hutchins was supportive of her teams concerns and had been advocating for their safety. She was also supportive of the potential IATSE strike. One of IATSEs biggest concerns is production companies cutting corners to save money at the expense of worker safety. The Rust crew was reportedly told production would pay for their hotel rooms in Santa Fe. Instead, they were reportedly given hotel rooms in Albuquerque, 50 miles away from set. Crew members were concerned they could get in car accidents on the drive back from 12 to 13-hour work shifts. Crashes like these have tragically happened on many film sets. Some of these stories have been detailed on the IATSE Stories Instagram account. When the crew arrived on set for the 6:30 a.m. call time on Oct. 21, they reportedly began assembling their things to stage a walkout. But a member of the producer team told the union members to leave. And they were then replaced by nonunion workers so filming could continue without delay. The union crew members were told security would be called if they refused to leave. The shooting reportedly took place about six hours after the union members were forced to leave. 1- There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and AlecBaldwin(HABF) (@AlecBaldwin) October 22, 2021 RELATED: Alec Baldwin Prop Gun Incident: There Is No Excuse for the Death, Firearms Safety Expert Says Rust crew members cite serious lack of safety meetings An anonymous crew member told The Los Angeles Times the actions of the production team highlighted the poor working conditions on set of Rust. Baldwin is one of the producers on the film. Corners were being cut, they said. And they brought in nonunion people so they could continue shooting. The source also said the prop gun accident wasnt the first misfire during shooting, which began Oct. 6. They said there were two on Saturday, Oct. 16 and one the week prior. There was a serious lack of safety meetings on this set, they said. The prop gun was reportedly loaded with a a live single round, according to an email from IATSEs Local 44. Live is an industry term for a gun loaded with any material, such as a blank. Authorities are still investigating what kind of projectile was loaded in Baldwins prop gun. Baldwins co-star Jensen Ackles detailed the firearm safety training he received on set of Rust at a Supernatural convention on Oct. 16 in Denver, according to E! News. He said his prop gun was loaded with blanks. Alec Baldwin | Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images RELATED: Hollywood Horror Stories: How IATSE Strike Vote Could Cause Biggest Film Industry Uprising Since World War II Alec Baldwin prop gun incident is under investigation Baldwin said in a statement on Oct. 22 hes cooperating with the authorities in their investigation. He tweeted: There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. Im fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred. I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family, Baldwin continued. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna. Hutchins is survived by her husband, Matthew Hutchins, and their child. Leonardo DiCaprios parents didnt react to The Wolf of Wall Street as some might imagine. In fact, the Oscar-winning actors mom and dad barely reacted at all to his no-holds-barred performance as a successful stockbroker in 1980s New York City. The actor had no moral high ground playing Jordan Belfort Leonardo DiCaprio | Franco Origlia/Getty Images Pretty much anything goes in The Wolf of Wall Street. Its apparent right from the start of the 2013 film. What unfolds during the three-hour Martin Scorsese drama is what DiCaprio described in a 2014 interview with NPRs Morning Edition as an exploration of greed. His performance, which earned him a best actor Golden Globe, didnt have any rules either. DiCaprio could do just about anything which led to an incredibly freeing performance. He had no moral high ground playing the character of Jordan Belfort. Whats more, there was nobody really in the film he had to answer to. The Wolf of Wall Street didnt faze Leonardo DiCaprios parents Irmelin Indenbirken and Leonardo DiCaprio | Vince Bucci/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank In the same interview, DiCaprio shared how his parents reacted to The Wolf of Wall Street. The film, which came close to receiving an NC-17 rating, apparently didnt bother the actors parents, Irmelin Indenbirken and George DiCaprio, in the slightest. I am almost 40 years old now, so Id hope that I wouldnt have to answer to them, even though I think that the perception of me is still the child actor, [so] that, you know, people would wonder what my parents thought, DiCaprio said. But to tell you the truth, it didnt faze them whatsoever. The Oscar winner continued, saying the Martin Scorsese film didnt even come close to what he was exposed to as a child. I mean, I was reading underground comics in the back of my dads station wagon that were much more gratuitous than this at 10 years old, so nothing really affected them on that level, he added. Raised primarily by his mother in California DiCaprios parents divorced when he was just a year old the Titanic star often accompanied his comic distributor father to events. He also witnessed the most hardcore hippie subculture any young man would be subject to. And, in a way, it prepared the actor for success. Margot Robbies family reacted differently to the Martin Scorsese film Margot Robbie, the actor who played DiCaprios on-screen wife in the film, didnt have the same experience with her family. Robbie, who was 22 when she landed the role, confessed she flat out lied about being nude in the film. During a January 2014 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Robbie said she initially told her family she wouldnt be nude at all. Although as time went on she changed her story. Robbie later convinced her family the crew used a body double and CGI technology for her nude scenes. Finally, after telling her family the truth, the actor learned exactly how her family felt about it. Per the DailyMail.com, Robbies mother approved. However, they decided her grandparents shouldnt watch The Wolf of Wall Street. RELATED: Margot Robbie Thought Shed Be Arrested After Her Wolf of Wall Street Audition Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, appears to have embarrassed the royal family with an open letter confession to the United States Congress, where she spoke of struggling to make ends meet as a young woman as she advocated for paid paternal leave. A royal expert said this kind of display from the former Suits star was what Queen Elizabeth feared after Meghan and Harrys public exit from the House of Windsor. Meghan Markles confession reportedly has placed yet another roadblock between herself and the royal family. Queen Elizabeth and Meghan Markle watch a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018. | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Meghan Markles confession to Congress In a letter, Meghan called on lawmakers to push through a comprehensive plan for paid parental leave. She spoke of the struggles her parents Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle, faced while raising her. Ragland worked as a yoga instructor, while Thomas Markle was a television lighting director. The website Paid Leave for All shared the contents of the letter. Meghan wrote of her teenage years where she worked several jobs to earn extra money. Meghan wrote, I grew up on the $4.99 salad bar at Sizzler. It may have cost less back then (to be honest, I cant remember). However, what I do remember was the feeling: I knew how hard my parents worked to afford this because even at five bucks, eating out was something special, and I felt lucky. She also cited how she had to work throughout her teenage years at a frozen yogurt shop, babysat, and worked odd jobs to make extra pocket money. I worked all my life and saved when and where I couldbut even that was a luxurybecause usually, it was about making ends meet and having enough to pay my rent and put gas in my car. A royal author claimed this public display was what Queen Elizabeth feared Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Queen Elizabeth II attend a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge on June 14, 2018. | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Express spoke to royal author Robert Jobson who claimed that this public display was what Queen Elizabeth feared from Meghan. Meghan is no longer a senior working member of the British royal family. Therefore her remarks are not bound by those made by her husband, Prince Harry, who is still in the line of succession and a British citizen. Shell now start talking about her political views and ambitions. And she might stir them up, which then becomes embarrassing, said Jobson. Mr. Jobson added: Shes sailing close to the wind, but will they say anything [the royals], no they wont. The fact is, they knew this was what she was going to be doing. She was always a political girl. Since the age of seven, she was writing letters to Hilary Clinton. Members of the British royal family are expected remain politically neutral Meghan said she was writing as a mom to advocate for paid leave. However, members of the British royal family are expected to remain politically neutral. I know how politically charged things can and have become, Meghan wrote. But this isnt about Right or Left. Its about right or wrong. This is about putting families above politics, Meghan said. And for a refreshing change, its something we all seem to agree on. At a point when everything feels so divisive, let this be a shared goal that unites us. Im not an elected official, and Im not a politician. I am, like many, an engaged citizen and a parent, the Duchess of Sussex wrote. The royal family has not made an official statement regarding Meghans remarks to Congress. RELATED: Prince Charles Has Been So Hurt By Prince Harrys Behavior Because He Advocated for Meghan Markle, Royal Biographer Says Fran Drescher wowed 90s television fans as Fran Fine on The Nanny, and theres no doubt shes still got that Nanny Fine charisma at 64! But theres one younger actor who seems to have charmed her, and she took to Instagram to let the world know. Which smart, funny, cute, talented movie star did Drescher say she wishes was 20 years older? Fran Drescher | Toni Anne Barson/Getty Images Fran Drescher in 2020: Im kind of dating myself and its going quite well In 2020, Drescher said she wasnt dating and wasnt interested in dating. I have my gay ex-husband who I love, and he fulfills a lot of needs. I have someone on the side who is a friend with benefits, she explained, according to Yahoo. Of course, she didnt reveal the identity of that beneficial friend, but she did give some insights into their relationship. He comes over, we hang out and we do the hot tub and I make us some food and we lay in bed, she revealed. And most people can probably imagine what other activities their relationship might include. So moving on she said their meet-ups were happening about twice a month, which was more than enough. Its not clear if Drescher, now 64, is still in that situation, but she said at the time she was very comfortable with the routine. However, she told her followers on Instagram there was one actor who really impressed her. Who was she gushing over? Fran Drescher to Instagram about Justin Long: If he were only 20 years older! Some fans will not be surprised in the least to hear that adorable actor Justin Long was the inspiration for Dreschers gushing post. A photo of her hugging Long from behind is captioned, I love that guy. Smart, funny, cute, talented ah, but if he were only 20 years older! They worked together for a film called Safe Spaces in which Drescher played Longs mother. But the photo was apparently taken when Drescher visited Longs Life is Short podcast, where she said the two had so much fun. So, maybe Drescher is taking herself off the table of romance for Long due to their age difference or maybe just to stick to her own routine but is there someone else for him? Who is Justin Long dating? (L-R) Amanda Seyfried, Justin Long and Taylor Swift | James Devaney/GC Images Longs dating history is lengthy and star-studded. He was in adorable-from-the-outside, long-term relationships with Drew Barrymore and Mean Girls star Amanda Seyfried prior to 2015. And since then, hes reportedly been in romances with various models and actors. In May 2021, he was spotted around Fayetteville, Arkansas with fellow actor and close friend Kate Bosworth. The two seemingly buddied up while working on a movie together. As a result, they were popping up in social media feeds all over the city, according to a local paper. Like Drescher, Bosworth had a list of compliments for Long after their time with each other. She gushed on Instagram that Long is a truly spectacular, fun, funny, kind, rare, [and] thoughtful person. Along with several photos of the two together in Fayetteville, she wrote, You gnome how much I love ya. In one related point, Bosworth and her husband Michael Polish announced they were separating after eight years of marriage in Aug. 2021. While seemingly hopeful fans have speculated this leaves room for a romance between Long and Bosworth, that still appears to be nothing more than gossip. So, while Long has been on the receiving end of gushing accolades from both Drescher and Bosworth, he still appears to be single for now. RELATED: The Nanny: Fran Drescher Had a Massive Crush On This Really Cute Guest Star The Pioneer Woman star, Ree Drummond, is one of the most beloved personalities on Food Network. Her following continues to grow as her empire expands. Drummond recently launched a clothing line as an extension of her brand and just released a new cookbook with Super Easy recipes. While promoting the latter, the famous redhead has revealed a strange and unhealthy tendency she has while traveling for work. Ree Drummond, star of The Pioneer Woman | Tyler Essary/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Ree Drummond traveling for work Drummond had a busy week traveling to promote her new cookbook. The Pioneer Woman star appeared on numerous talk shows like The View to showcase her cooking skills and talk about her new book. After a long week, Drummond took to Instagram to share a tendency she is calling strange and unhealthy. My strange, unhealthy (or maybe its been healthy in the long run?) tendency when I travel for work is to go out and accomplish my work, then hole up in my hotel room and get caught up on emails, rest, relax, and restore, she shared on the social network. I learned many a book tour ago that if I spent my free time exploring the city and seeing friends, Id use up all my internal resources and wind up crashing and burning somewhere down the line. Despite thinking she would crash and burn, Drummond said that she took the opportunity to give herself time to see her friend David. David lives in NYC, traveled to Oklahoma for many years to work on my cooking show, and hes so dear. Hed retired from the show a year or so before the pandemic, so we hadnt seen each other for over three years, Drummond explained. He was a sight for sore eyes, a salve to my soul, and a reminder that I can always rest and restore some other time. Connection is so important. RELATED: The Pioneer Woman: Fans Point out the Irony of Ree Drummond Naming Her Book Super Easy in Hilarious Video Fans react to Ree Drummonds touching message Drummond reminded all of her fans that connecting with people you cherish in life is important. Working hard for what you love is respected, as long as one takes some time to smell the roses. Following Drummonds powerful message, her fans replied with words of support acknowledging the importance of it all. To Connection is so important. Something the pandemic has taught/ reminded us all I hope, a fan replied. Things do feel different now! Glad you got to see your friend! a follower commented. Beautiful post. So glad you got to see your friend David. Friends are rest places for the soul, an Instagram user noted. Oh yes, connection is restorative and energizing in itself! another fan added. Reconnecting is so important and restful, another follower mentioned. Sometimes we must push ourselves. Especially for those special people, another Instagram user said. Ree Drummond, star of The Pioneer Woman | Tyler Essary/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images RELATED: The Pioneer Woman: Ree Drummond Gets Support From Fans for Making Film Debut Ree Drummond births cookbook A day prior, Drummond shared with her fans how excited she was about releasing her book titled The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy. Drummond explained that all the recipes were inspired during the quarantine. My house was full of humans and I had to find ways to save my cooking sanity (and keep myself from losing my love for cooking, if Im being honest.) she said. The Pioneer Woman airs on weekends on Food Network. If youve been worried about your teens social media usage, it would seem your concerns are now legitimized by hard facts and figures. In this Nov. 6, 2018, photo, then Congresswoman-elect Deb Haaland speaks to her mother Mary Toya following the news of her election during midterms election night in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The mother of now U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has died, authorities said on Oct. 17, 2021. Officials with the Department of the Interior didnt immediately release Mary Toyas age or a cause of death. In a statement, Haalands spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said we celebrate Mary Toyas long life and are grateful for her 25 years of service to Native students as a member of the Interior team within Indian Affairs. Memorial service for Kevin Hair, 65, of Chickasha, OK will be held at 2:00pm, Saturday, November 13, 2021 at the Southern Oaks Church of Christ in Chickasha. Floyd Kevin Hair was a well loved father, son and brother. He was such a good brother-in-law that he just had to be called "brother." NAIROBI, Kenya, October 22, 2021 (Morning Star News) A Christian woman and her young son on Monday (Oct. 18) escaped the bedroom where her Muslim husband had starved them for two weeks, a day before another Christian convert was beaten but escaped being set aflame, sources said. Muslim relatives on Tuesday (Oct. 19) beat Mustafa Obbo with sticks in eastern Ugandas Tororo town, Tororo District after he had rushed from Mbale to his mothers home upon hearing that she was seriously ill, said Obbo, a former sheikh (Islamic teacher). It was his first visit home since threats and violence from relatives for leaving Islam drove him from the area in 2018, he said. He had notified his brother about returning to Tororo, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Mbale, to visit their mother, and his brother alerted other relatives that Obbo was returning home, he said. I thought they had forgotten all about my conversion, Obbo told Morning Star News. As I arrived home, my dad and uncles ambushed me, tied me up and flogged me with several long sticks and said they were going to kill me if I did not recant my Christian faith. His older brother was also among the assailants, he said. As they beat him, he said, he felt he was going to lose his life. But by grace, as they were sending someone for petrol to burn me up, a Toyota vehicle was approaching the homestead, Obbo said. When they saw the vehicle entering the compound, they took off each in his direction. A former classmate arrived with food for his ailing mother, found him and untied him, he said. Obbo sustained injuries to both legs, including a bone fracture in one, along with a back injury, bleeding and swelling, but he managed to mount his motorcycle and drive away, he said. Fearing retaliation from his family or other Muslims, he has not reported the assault to police, he said. Obbo had converted to Christianity in Mbale after a pastor told him about Christ. His family soon noticed that he had stopped the five ritual prayers each day. My family organized a meeting and questioned why I was not attending the mosque, he told Morning Star News. I told them that I had not been feeling well, and the meeting ended. While in the house, however, he received two phone calls from Christian friends, and Obbo answered Amen to their exclamations of, Praise Jesus, he said. Thinking his relatives were out of earshot, he told the callers, God bless you, and The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, he said. I didn't know that my dad was listening, Obbo said. He got a stick and hit me on my shoulders while calling me a deceiver. I managed to escape. Since 2018 I had not returned back. Locked in Room In Kakoro village, Butebo District, also in eastern Uganda, Jafalan Muduwa on Monday (Oct. 18) escaped from the room in which her Muslim husband had locked her and her 8-year-old son on Oct. 5 after discovering she was a Christian, she said. My husband received a call in the morning from his business partner that he needed him urgently, Muduwa told Morning Star News. He forgot to lock the door, and there we managed to escape back to my family with my son. Her husband, Musa Abukhuraira, locked their child in the room with her as he had no one to take care of him. Severely malnourished after receiving just small pieces of bread for 13 days, Muduwa and her son fled to a location undisclosed for security reasons. People were very shocked to see the state we were in, Muduwa said. I thank God that were still alive. I cannot think rightly at the moment. We need prayers so that God my restore back our health. Mother and son have received no medical treatment, but she sold some chicken to help pay for medicine, Muduwa said. Abukhuraira had found two Bibles inside her bag, one a local-language translation, on Oct. 5 while she was fetching water, she said. Her husband was at their door when she returned. As I entered the room, he slapped me, then pulled out the bag and removed two Bibles and started questioning me concerning the Bibles, Muduwa said. She kept quiet as he continued slapping her several times, she said. When I realized that he could kill me, I told him that the Bibles were mine, she said. He started reciting Koranic verses and labeling me a blasphemous wife. He continued beating me with a stick, and also beat our child. After that he locked us up in the room whenever he left the home. He gave us only a little piece of bread. Muduwa came to faith in Christ on Kirewe Island on Lake Victoria, where the family was living starting in 2019. When a COVID-19 lockdown was declared while her husband was away on business, he remained in Mbale for nearly a year while she and her son grew destitute, she said. I made a decision to go to a church to seek support, Muduwa told Morning Star News. The pastor prayed for us as well as gave us food support. He also shared the love of Christ. After six months I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior of my life. The pastor gave her two Bibles and pointed her toward passages about Gods love and providence, she said. The family returned to their home in Kakoro village earlier this year, she said. Muduwa remained a secret Christian, reading the Bible only when her husband was away. The assault and captivity have yet to be reported to police. The assaults were the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented. Ugandas constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate ones faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Ugandas population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Royalty Free The Biden administration is calling on the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court's decision to allow the Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, to stay in effect. On Monday, Acting U.S. Solicitor General Brian Fletcher filed a brief asking the nation's high court to rescind the "stay of [the] preliminary injunction issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit" that allows the Texas Heartbeat Act, also known as Senate Bill 8, to remain in effect. He contended that "Texas 'delegated enforcement' of the law 'to the populace at large' in a system of private bounties" in order to "avoid pre-enforcement suits against state officials." Fletcher cited the 1992 Supreme Court ruling of Planned Parenthood v. Casey as proof that "Texas has, in short, successfully nullified this Court's decision within its borders." The ruling, which was made almost 30 years ago, maintained that "a State may not prohibit any woman from making the ultimate decision to terminate her pregnancy before viability." As reported by The Christian Post, "viability" has to do with the baby's capacity to survive outside its mother's womb. "The United States has authority to seek equitable relief to protect its sovereign interests including its interest in the supremacy of federal law and the availability of the mechanisms for judicial review that Congress and this Court have long deemed essential to protect constitutional rights," Fletcher asserted. He argued that keeping the Texas Heartbeat Act in effect "would irreparably harm those interests and perpetuate the ongoing irreparable injury to the thousands of Texas women who are being denied their constitutional rights." Additionally, the legislation "affects 'the availability of abortion-related services in the national market' by forcing women to travel to clinics in other states, burdening 'the availability of abortion services' in neighboring jurisdictions," the brief continued. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled against barring the Texas Heartbeat Act, which was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbot on May 1 and went into effect on Sept. 1. On Oct. 6, a district court judge issued a temporary restraining order on the pro-life law. Two days later, however, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay after Texas' Attorney General filed an appeal. According to Reuters, the Supreme Court asked Texas officials to respond to the Justice Department's request by midday on Thursday. Photo courtesy: Public Domain Pictures/Pixabay Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer. He is also the co-hosts of the For Your Soul podcast, which seeks to equip the church with biblical truth and sound doctrine. Visit his blog Blessed Are The Forgiven. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti A US religious organization whose 17 members were kidnapped in Haiti asked supporters on Friday to pray and share stories with the victims families of how their faith helped them through difficult times as efforts to recover them entered a sixth day. Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries issued the statement a day after a video was released showing the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang threatening to kill those abducted if his demands are not met. Haitian officials have said the gang is seeking a $1 million ransom per person, although they said it wasnt clear if that includes the five children in the group, the youngest being 8 months old. You may wonder why our workers chose to live in a difficult and dangerous context, despite the apparent risks, the organization said. "Before leaving for Haiti, our workers who are now being held hostage expressed a desire to faithfully serve God in Haiti." The FBI is helping Haitian authorities recover the 16 Americans and one Canadian. A local human rights group said their Haitian driver also was kidnapped. Pray that their commitment to God could become even stronger during this difficult experience, Christian Aid Ministries said. The video posted on social media shows 400 Mawozo leader Wilson Joseph dressed in a blue suit, carrying a blue hat and wearing a large cross around his neck. I swear by thunder that if I dont get what Im asking for, I will put a bullet in the heads of these Americans, he said in the video. He also threatened Prime Minister Ariel Henry and Haitis national police chief as he spoke in front of the open coffins that apparently held several members of his gang who were recently killed. You guys make me cry. I cry water. But Im going to make you guys cry blood, he said. Image: Matias Delacroix / AP Photo At the White House on Friday, US press secretary Jen Psaki sidestepped questions about whether the Biden administration would look to halt deportations of Haitians to their home country or consider adding a US military presence on the ground in response to the missionaries kidnappings. We are working around the clock to bring these people home, she said. They are US citizens, and there has been targeting over the course of the last few years of US citizens in Haiti and other countries too for kidnapping for ransom. That is one of the reasons that the State Department issued the warning they did in August about the risk of kidnapping for ransom. Psaki spoke a day after a couple hundred protestors shut down one neighborhood in Haitis capital to decry the countrys deepening insecurity and lack of fuel blamed on gangs, with some demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The streets of Port-au-Prince were largely quiet and empty on Friday, although hundreds of supporters of Jimmy Cherizier, leader of G9 Family and Allies, a federation of nine gangs, marched through the seaside slum of Cite Soleil. We are not involved in kidnapping. We will never be involved in kidnapping, Cherizier, known as Barbecue, claimed during a speech to supporters. As they marched, the supporters sang and chanted that G9 is not involved in kidnappings. Some of them were carrying high caliber automatic weapons. This is the way they are running the country, Cherizier, who is implicated in several massacres, said as he pointed to trash lining the streets with his assault weapon. Amid the worsening insecurity, the prime ministers office announced late Thursday that Leon Charles had resigned as head of Haiti's National Police and was replaced by Frantz Elbe. The newspaper Le Nouvelliste said Elbe was director of the police departments of the South East and Nippes and previously served as general security coordinator at the National Palace when Jocelerme Privert was provisional president. We would like for public peace to be restored, that we return to normal life and that we regain our way to democracy, Henry said. Image: Joseph Odelyn / AP Photo Weston Showalter, spokesman for the religious group, has said the families of those kidnapped are from Amish, Mennonite, and other conservative Anabaptist communities in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Ontario, Canada. He read a letter from the families, who werent identified by name, in which they said, God has given our loved ones the unique opportunity to live out our Lords command to love your enemies. The group invited people to join them in prayer for the kidnappers as well as those kidnapped and expressed gratitude for help from people that are knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with such situations. Pray for these families, Showalter said. They are in a difficult spot. The organization later issued a statement saying it would not comment on the video until those directly involved in obtaining the release of the hostages have determined that comments will not jeopardize the safety and well-being of our staff and family members. The gang leaders death threat added to the already intense concern in and around Holmes County, Ohio, where Christian Aid Ministries is based and which has one of the nations largest concentrations of Amish, conservative Mennonite, and related groups. Many members of those groups have supported the organization through donations or by volunteering at its warehouse. These kinds of things erase some of the boundaries that exist within our circles, said Marcus Yoder, executive director of the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center in Millersburg. Many people in the community feel helpless, but they also realize the power of prayer and the power of our historic theology, he said, including the Anabaptist belief in nonresistance to violence. The same day that the missionaries were kidnapped, a gang also abducted a Haiti university professor, according to a statement that Haitis ombudsman-like Office of Citizen Protection issued on Tuesday. It also noted that a Haitian pastor abducted earlier this month has not been released despite a ransom being paid. The criminals operate with complete impunity, attacking all members of society, the organization said. UNICEF said Thursday that 71 women and 30 children have been kidnapped so far this year surpassing the 59 women and 37 children abducted in all of last year. They represent one third of the 455 kidnappings reported this year, the agency said. Nowhere is safe for children in Haiti anymore, Jean Gough, UNICEF regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said in a statement. Whether on their way to school, at home or even at church, girls and boys are at risk of being kidnapped anywhere, at any time of the day or night. Kidnappers in Haiti usually demand an exorbitant sum of money as ransom and quote unreasonably high amounts, knowing that the family of the hostage will negotiate down, Dieumeme Noelliste, professor of theological ethics at Denver Seminary, told CT, citing local sources. Ransoms are normally paid. He said while hostages have lost their lives in past kidnappings, in recent incidents gangs seem to elect not to harm their victims, preferring to wait until a settlement is reached with the hostages family and friends. Noelliste, who recently advised CT on how Haitian Christians were impacted by the recent earthquake and assassination, has not heard of a slowdown in missionary activity and presence in Haiti following the dual crises. Meanwhile, he said, Haiti has been reeling under this gang violence and the kidnapping problem for months now. They have posed violent acts and mayhem even to churches all over the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. Just a couple of weeks ago, they attacked the iconic first Baptist Church of Port-au-Prince which is located a stones throw from the presidential palace, killing one of its deacons and taking his wife hostage, he told CT. I serve on the board of one of the leading seminaries in Haiti. The gangs have forced the school to flee its 70-year-old campus. They have been occupying it for months. But none of this made the news here [in the US]. This weeks attack makes the news because it is perpetrated against US citizens, he said. My hope is that this incident will result in the tackling of a problem that has caused so much suffering to the already stressed Haitian people. The kidnapping of 17 Christian volunteers is a high-profile story, Edner Jeanty, executive director of the Barnabas Christian Leadership Center, told CT. It is unfortunate that it is also presented as the kidnapping of American citizens, as if American Christian lives mattered more than lives of Haitian Christians or the life of any human being created in the image of God. Noelliste also noted the lack of a prophetic voice in Haiti. The church, by and large, thought that as long as it had the freedom to preach a truncated gospel, it could remain quiet from the political domain, he told CT. Yes, it did a lot of work in social services, and this did much good. But the so-called apolitical stance allowed injustice and corruption to permeate the structures, the institutions, and the social systems of the country unchecked. Now not even what the church thought it had under wrapthe freedom to operate unrestrained in the spiritual domainis guaranteed. Christians are afraid to go to church because they fear for their lives. Associated Press writers Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Aamer Madhani in Washington, D.C., Kantele Franko in Columbus, Ohio, and Peter Smith in Pittsburgh contributed to this report. Additional reporting by Morgan Lee for CT. Ralph Carmichael, a composer and record producer who shaped the sound of contemporary Christian music, died on October 18 at age 94. A violin prodigy with perfect pitch and a love for jazz chords, Carmichael built his reputation in Los Angeles TV and film studios before turning to Christian music and throwing open the doors for a new generation to use any and every style to sing about Jesus. When he recorded his best-known song, Hes Everything to Me, featured on the Billy Graham World Wide Pictures production The Restless Ones, he brought two guitars, an electric bass, and drums into the studio and kicked off a firestorm of controversy. He featured the new sound in several popular youth musicals and later established Light Records as a label for rising contemporary Christian artists. What I have been doing most of my adult life, he told the Christian Herald in 1986, is waging stubborn battle for the freedom and liberty to experiment with different kinds of music for the glory of God. When tributes poured in near the end of his life, many called Carmichael the father of contemporary Christian music, a title he sometimes shared with Christian rocker Larry Norman, despite their obvious differences in style. Carmichael, for his part, didnt buy into honorific titles or strictly defined music genres. I want neither credit nor blame for creating todays musical forms, he once told CT. I ask only for guidance to know how to use them in good taste to reach now people with a message that never changes. His now music would borrow from any style: pop, jazz, country, rockall packaged with slick arrangements that sounded good on radio and television. Despite these commercial roots, his music became popular in evangelical worship services and influenced a rising generation of Christian music artists. I remember growing up going to my church in Kenova, West Virginia, and singing the music of Ralph Carmichael, Michael W. Smith told CT this week. I sang in the New Generation Choir every Sunday nightand I just had not heard anything like it. He brought a fresh new sound to the 1970s that literally changed my life. Playing the wrong notes Carmichael was born in Quincy, Illinois, on May 27, 1927. His father, an ordained Assemblies of God minister, noted Ralphs precocious affinity for music and started him on violin lessons at age three. When his father took a church in San Jose, California, Ralph joined the local orchestra while still in high school. Insatiably curious about music theory, he often listened to radio orchestras while sitting at the piano, picking out the notes they played. Immediately he noticed a different sound than conventional hymnal harmonychords with flatted fifths and ninths, jazz progressions that he taught himself to play. At 17, he enrolled at Southern California Bible College (now Vanguard University), intending to become a preacher like his father and grandfather. Within a few weeks he was organizing music groups to minister at local churches, a passion that soon overshadowed his studies. Classmates noticed his keen earhe could write entire scores while sitting in the corner, away from the piano. The music faculty tried to correct his wrong notes, but Carmichael persisted, and his 17-piece stage band began playing on a local television station. The resulting show, The Campus Christian Hour, became a regional favorite. After hearing Evangeline (Vangie) Otto sing on the radio in 1948, Carmichael tracked her down and they started dating. Soon they married, and for a time their musical relationship seemed ideal. A daughter, Carol Celeste, was born in 1949, but Carmichaels professional obligations seemed to leave little time for his family. The television show earned an Emmy in 1951, and suddenly Carmichael was very busy. Two Christian record labels were starting in the Los Angeles areaSacred Records and Alma Recordsand both needed music arrangements. Carmichael also joined the staff of Temple Baptist in Los Angeles. Despite his Pentecostal roots, he was ordained a Baptist minister. In those days, he later said, I would work for anybody who could afford me, regardless of their denominational affiliation, so long as they named the name of Christ. Studio success As the church grew, Carmichael created increasingly sophisticated musical programs that required the skills of professional musicians. He began hiring studio players for the churchs special events. Soon he was using the same players for his recording sessions with Christian artists. Always thinking big, Carmichael persuaded the owner of Sacred Records to record a project with full orchestra. He recruited the studio players, paying them union scale, and rented Studio A at Capitol Records. Carmichael chose 12 hymns and wrote arrangements to sound exactly like the popular dinner music of the era. When Rhapsody in Sacred Music was released in 1958, it signaled a milestone in the fledgling industry. Carmichael had discovered his secret saucethe top-notch Los Angeles studio musicians who could play anything he imagined, with a level of perfection unattainable by the average church group. For the rest of his career, he enjoyed a unique relationship with these first-call players, and many played on his projects for decades. His new album was discovered by a producer for Nat King Cole, who was planning a new Christmas album. They got along famouslyCole was also a preachers kidand Carmichael ended up touring with him and arranging his studio albums. For the next 40 years, whenever Hollywood needed a hymn arrangement or a Christmas album, they called Carmichael, the affable minister with the golden ears. The celebrity musicians included Peggy Lee, Stan Kenton, Bing Crosby, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Earl (Fatha) Hines, Eddie Fisher, Tex Ritter, Elvis Presley, and dozens more. He spent a year as music director for I Love Lucy, arranged music for several variety shows, and wrote film scores for Finians Rainbow (Fred Astaire) and The Blob (Steve McQueen). Divorce Despite his newfound success in the music world, his nonstop schedule took a toll on family life. Carmichael admitted to indiscretions and a growing addiction to Dexamyl, which kept him amped up for late-night scoring sessions. After a year of separation from Vangie, the couple divorced in 1964. Carmichael hoped it would remain quiet, but the family split was reported by the Los Angeles Times: The Song Is Ended for the Carmichaels. He threw himself even more fully into the music, working nonstop. In that difficult and lonely period before he was married a second time to a woman named Marvella Grace and became a father to her three children, he reflected on his failures. Until we give ourselves back to God, we can never be free, Carmichael said in his 1986 autobiography. Of course, by free I surely dont mean irresponsible. The fact is, the freer you are, the more responsible you become. Hes Everything to Me Social redemption came from an unexpected place. Billy Graham and Cliff Barrows were looking at their crusade audiences and noting a lot of gray heads. Their formula for stadium events seemed flat, and their innovative Youth for Christ music was now 25 years old. They wanted a new film that spoke to contemporary issues, and they wanted Carmichael to score it. A year earlier Carmichael had experimented with rock-and-roll instrumentation for pianist Roger Williams, turning Born Free into a million-selling hit. Now he tried the same with the central song in The Restless Ones, Hes Everything to Me, giving it a straight-eighths rhythm and a hint of a backbeat. The song sold five million copies in sheet music and was recorded by more than two hundred artists. Was it rock? Sort of. The vocals were sung by a fresh-sounding youth choir, and the song ends with a tympani rollnot exactly a head-banger, and certainly not rock to upstarts like Larry Norman. But church leaders offered plenty of criticism, whatever it was. But Carmichael continued writing in the new style, especially with composer and friend Kurt Kaiser, who called their new style folk musicals. Carmichael continued to expand conceptions of Christian music with the discovery of Andrae Crouch, who was directing the Teen Challenge Addicts Choir. Carmichael followed Crouch for eight months, quizzed him about his spiritual commitment, then signed him to Light Records. They became fast friends, and the relationship led to several other Black musicians signing with Carmichael. Though he viewed himself as a maverick, Carmichael lived long enough to see his music become mainstream. He recorded Strike Up the Band in 1994, a full album of gospel jazz, but found that many stores stocked it on the traditional shelf. The same was true for many of his songs. They became popular with youth groups, and a few were even added to evangelical hymnals, such as The Savior Is Waiting and Hes Everything to Me. He scored or produced 200 albums and wrote 3,000 musical arrangements. Near the end of his life, he donated his music library to the Great American Songbook Archives, Baylor University, and the University of Arizona Jazz and Popular Music Archive. He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Carmichael is survived by his wife, Marvella; children Andrea, Greg, and Erin; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. An interview with N.T. Wright on how Christ bridges ethnic, gender, class divisions Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment We live in a time of intense polarization, our society criss-crossed with deep divisions along ethnic lines, gender lines, political lines, and economic lines. Increasingly, the marketplace appears to be one of the few places where many of us are forced to come together, working and trading across these divisions. The way Christians conduct their work lives has incredible potential to reach across these rifts. Jesus also lived and worked in places that were profoundly fragmented, and it stands to reason He has guidance to offer in this area. Renowned Biblical scholar N.T. Wright (or Tom, as he's asked me to call him) recently published Galatians: Commentaries for Christian Formation, and his analysis of Paul's writing provides incredible insights over a broad scope of topics, including on what it means to model unity to a divided world. I've had the joy of interviewing Tom many times before, and I've always come away with an increased understanding of the timeless wisdom the Bible contains. Our most recent conversation on my podcast Meeting of Minds about his work on Galatians is no exception. Here are a few excerpts from our conversation, lightly edited for length and clarity: The Church was the world's first multi-cultural institution Tom: "It just so happens, weirdly in a way, that I was working on this at the time when, because of the George Floyd business a year ago and so on, both America and Britain had been talking about the relationship between different ethnic or racial groups. Though that's a general social question, not a church question, it's very obvious that the churches on both sides of the Atlantic need to be faced with this question afresh. Since that is what Galatians is all about, maybe it might just help us to get our heads and our hearts into the right mode." Jerry: "Maybe it's a social question with a church answer." Tom: "Absolutely. The way I would put it is that the church from the beginning from its first days in certainly Antioch and even in Jerusalem, the church always was a multicultural, multiethnic, multipolychrome, multilingual organization. Like in Revelation, a great company of many nations and kindreds and tribes and tongues, all together praising God and the lamb. That's the vision of the church in the New Testament. We, in the last four or five hundred years, have colluded with division down ethnic lines without even realizing just how unbiblical we were being. We'd taken our eye off that ball and were looking instead at theories of salvation, about going to heaven, which Galatians isn't about." Jerry: "Was there anything else like that in the ancient world? Ancient world's probably a little too broad, we don't necessarily know what's going on in China or India, but in oikumene, in the Roman world, is there anything else like that?" Tom: "No, as far as we know the answer is absolutely not. The closest you might get would be in the Roman army, which recruited soldiers from all over from the provinces. But they would all be men and they would all be signed up to be Caesar loyalists as it were. But there was a sort of a polychrome, multiethnic dimension to the Roman army." Jerry: "Devoted to death instead of life!" Tom: "Exactly, exactly! When Paul uses the imagery of military weapons in Ephesians 6 or 1 Thessalonians 5, there is a kind of an echo across. 'Well, they're doing it like that, but of course we do it like this.'" Baptism as a form of gender equality Tom: "[In the church], you've got a community which includes Jews and Gentiles on equal terms and men and women on equal terms. It's one of the things we often fail to note about the debate about circumcision. It only applies to males, males wear the Jewish badge of membership, whereas baptism, which is a rough equivalent for Paul, is both male and female. I hate to use the word 'inclusive' because that word is so abused these days, but there is this sense of a welcome of all and sundry on the basis of the transformation which comes through baptism and faith. 'I through the law died to the law. I am crucified with the Messiah. Nevertheless, I live yet, not I, but the Messiah lives in me.' That is then the same for everybody. Whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or free, that's the heart of Galatians." Jerry: "Let's talk about that passage. That's an important passage, and I think to some degree it has been kind of ignored on the conservative side and weaponized on the Progressive side. We're all caught up in a kind of monism that there never should have been distinctions. One of the things that's distinctive about your thought is you add temporality to it. Galatians is often read as though there never should have been a distinction between Jew and Gentile. I think your reading of Galatians is, 'Yes there should, but history has changed. We're in a new phase so it's no longer an appropriate distinction.'" Tom: "Yes, exactly." Only the church can model unity Jerry: "We seem to be in a kind of Galatians moment where we're discussing national identity, fear of persecution, in my world it's Christian nationalism on one hand and progressivism on the other. We seem bewitched, so how would you apply Galatians to now? Tom: "Yeah, it's funny, I didn't know you were going to ask that but I have a quotation here which I will read out to you. 'The family,' that's the church, 'is called to be a worship-based, spiritually renewed, multiethnic, gender blind in leadership, polychrome, mutually supportive, outward facing, culturally creative, chastity celebrating, socially responsible, fictive kinship group.' That's my Pauline definition of the church. I'll send that to you if you like." Jerry: "I'd love that!" Tom: "I read that in an article a few weeks ago. I think what we've seen over the last 400 years in Western society is a church that was so fixated on figuring out how people get to heaven as to ignore the message in all of Paul's letters and right across the New Testament: the unity of the church across all traditional divisions. For me, what Paul says in Galatians about being all one in Christ Jesus is then coming out in celebratory mode in Romans 15:7-13 where he says, 'Therefore, I want you with one heart and voice to glorify God, the Father of our Lord Jesus.' It's when the church is living as a single family precisely across these divisions that it is being assigned to the world that God in Christ has done and is doing a new thing. As long as the church stays in its different ethnic huddles, 'Oh, we are a white church, a black church, a Polish church, a Spanish church,' or whatever. As long as we're doing that, then the principalities and powers think they've won. This is part of the point of Ephesians 1 to 3 as well. "My response to all the fuss about whether it's Black Lives Matter or whatever, people have said to me. 'Oh Tom, how can you support that?' because it's a Marxist-inspired organization. I know Black Lives Matter itself comes out of that Marxist-inspired social movement, but the point is that the church has been falling asleep on the job! We should have been out there modeling what a multicultural community cheerfully worshipping God together looks like, showing people that it's possible and that if you follow Jesus you can do it." Jerry: "So these political movements become like fictive kinship groups without any without a messiah to center on." Tom: "Exactly, which is almost impossible. You can say, 'We want multiculturalism,' but without Jesus, that's really difficult. Some societies have tried it for a while. Europe at the moment is very anxious about that, as we get more and more refugees and immigrants from other parts of the world. Many European countries like Hungary and parts of France are saying, 'Actually we don't want that, we are ourselves, thank you very much. We don't want all these extra people.' In America and Britain we have been melting pot countries, but often we've tried to do it as though it was possible without Jesus. I think the message of Galatians is no. It is a noble dream, but you'll only get there through that route. 'I through the law died to the law. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.' That's the center of it all, and the church ought to be modeling that. I hope my commentary will be a word for our times in that respect." Jerry: "My friend Bishop Joseph Garlington of Reconciliation International has been saying for decades, in an ethnically-divided society, and we can add gender-divided and we don't talk about it enough but generationally-divided, because John is sent to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, the children to the fathers. Only the church can model unity, which probably doesn't mean imitating existing movements but bringing this distinctively Pauline Christian approach." Tom: "Yup, a Pauline Christian approach. Revelation 7, the great company which no one could number, of every kindred and nation tribe and tongue. This is not something for which we have to wait, this is a vision of the heavenly community right now. This is what Jesus' people actually look like, and on the rare occasions when you see it in reality in a church building, it is a beautiful thing." Jerry: "It's powerful." Tom: "A very powerful thing." Michigan brewery takes ownership of historic church amid steady membership decline Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A congregation in Michigan has reached an agreement with a local brewery to use its church building for events in return for the pub paying for various maintenance expenses. Grace Episcopal Church of Ishpeming and a local establishment known as Kognisjon Bryggeri, also known as Cognition Brewing Company, announced the deal earlier this month. As part of the agreement, ownership of the property was transferred to the pub, which will oversee repairs and allow the congregation to continue meeting there on Sunday mornings. Grace Episcopal, founded in 1902, belongs to the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan, a small regional body of The Episcopal Church based in the northern peninsula of the Great Lakes area state. A representative of the Northern Michigan Diocese emailed The Christian Post a statement Friday explaining that Grace Episcopal has experienced a steady decline in members in recent years. That has put a burden on their ability to do repairs and tend to various building maintenance issues. In the alley behind Grace Episcopal Church was Cognition Brewing Company, a popular gathering space for locals and biking enthusiasts, owned by local electrician and 3rd generation Ishpeming resident, Jay Clancey, explained the diocese. Clanceys longtime dream for his brewery was that it would revitalize historic downtown Ishpeming. The mission of the church is to care for and nourish people in the community, thus creating a perfect partnership. Local organizations interested in hosting events at the church building include Bearded Lady Creations, the Lake Superior Theatre, Partridge Creek Farms and Peace Pies. Grace Episcopal Church priest Ginny Graybill said in a statement that although Jay owns the building, there shall be no immediate change in our worship. Church is community, stated Graybill. We are looking forward to working together to make this building a community hub. In recent years, some congregations have found themselves striking agreements with bars, even holding worship at breweries to reach out to the general population. The congregation of Greater Purpose Community Church in Santa Cruz, California, sold its church building a few years ago and began holding services at a local drinking establishment. We decided to sell the building because for us a church is a community and a movement, the churchs pastor Chris VanHall said in an interview with NBC in 2018. Its not brick and mortar. Theres nothing in the Bible that says you cant drink alcohol in a responsible manner, he added. As The Christian Post has reported, recent years have seen more people engaged in more unconventional ways of worship as more churches are forced to close. Even in a Bible Belt state like South Carolina, there have been churches planted in bars, movie theatres and homes. Colin Powell, The Art Institute of Chicago, and opportunity in America Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment General Colin Powell passed away earlier this week at the age of 84. Powell was a great American. I did not always agree with the general, but I always admired him. I am confident most Americans, whatever their political leanings, agree with me in that assessment. A native New Yorker, born and raised in modest means by Jamaican immigrant parents, Colin Powell chose a military career in the Army defending his country. His brilliant military career was crowned by his service as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-93), having previously served as National Security Advisor to President George H. W. Bush (1987-1989). He later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush (2001-2005). Not only was Colin Powell the first African American to serve in these three positions, but he is also still the only person of any ethnicity to have served in all three of these highly prestigious positions. Powells career would have simply been unimaginable prior to the Civil Rights Revolution of the mid-20th century. His life and service symbolize the tremendous progress we have made as a nation in overcoming the racism that is indeed an ugly part of the American experience. In his 1995 autobiography (My American Journey), General Powell wrote, We live in a remarkable country where ordinary people of whatever background or origin can do extraordinary things. We sometimes forget. Powell reminds us of our uniqueness as a country and that we have made tremendous strides toward achieving Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s dream of a society where everyone is judged, not by their skin pigmentation but by the content of their character. Yet, in spite of looking at inspiring and illustrious examples such as Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice (Powells successor as Secretary of State), not to mention President Barack Obama (2009-2017) and Vice-President Kamala Harris (2021-present), too many Americans of the progressivist persuasion insist that America is still plagued by systemic racism, that we have made little progress. The narrative of the left is well summarized by The Wall Street Journal, racism became systemic, Jim Crow segregation gave way to a new Jim Crow of disguised white supremacy, and the color-blind ideal is itself suspect. If that is true, how do you explain the illustrious careers of the people mentioned above, plus the first black Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin, III (2021-present). If Americas racism is so systemic, how do you explain Black senators elected from Georgia and South Carolina (occupying the seat formerly held by the notorious segregationist Strom Thurmond? Colin Powell reported an exchange he witnessed between Singapores Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and President Reagan. The president was explaining how successful so many immigrant children were in their new country, the United States. The president then asked Prime Minister Yew if he thought American children would be as successful in foreign countries. According to General Powell, Prime Minister Yew replied, Mr. Presidentyou dont understand. Its not reversible. There is no other place where you can take a foreigner and plop them in andfive years later out pops an American of hyphenated background who can go as far as his talents will take him. It cant happen anywhere else. The central truth of Prime Minister Yews observation is perhaps the best explanation why so many people (the majority of them people of color) risk life and limb to come from other countries to try to join the American dream every year. When progressives seek to deny the remarkable and undeniable progress we have collectively made as a nation, they do great harm to our society. We should appreciate the great progress we have made and use it to inspire all of us to continue forward, pressing ever closer to the fulfillment of Dr. Kings dream. The progressionist argument that we are condemned to perpetual white racism and we should enforce artificial equality (euphemistically labeled equity because true equality by merit cannot be achieved) does severe damage to our society and there are many, many victims, the majority of them of minority ethnicities. Just a few days ago, the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago fired all their voluntary docents because they were overwhelmingly white women. In the interest of diversity, the Art Institutes supervisors cut off their nose to spite their face. This short-sighted move flushed down the drain decades of experience and expertise in pursuit of what? Why not instead begin to diversify the docent membership and use the current docents to train the new recruits? Who are the losers in this terrible decision? Yes, the docents are victims of reverse racism (fired for being white) and cast aside like yesterdays newspaper and separated from an institution they obviously love. However, the big losers are the underprivileged and underserved children these docents were exposing to the great treasures housed at Chicagos Art Institute (a truly magnificent institution). One such child wrote a letter to The Wall Street Journal. Ms. Lauren Arnold recounted her experience. She explained, I owe my entire career as an art historian to the docents of the Art Institute of Chicago. She identified herself as a public school student from Chicagos slums. She doesnt reveal her ethnicity, and that really doesnt matter. She was from a background of limited means and horizons and these highly educated volunteers, mostly white women of privilege changed this 12-year-old girls life. As she explained, her 7th-grade class from Chicagos South Side went on a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago. Her parents never exposed her to art museums. They told her museums are for rich people. The docent gave her a different message. As they toured the magnificent galleries, the docent informed them: You live in Chicago, so this is your art. This building, and everything in it belongs to youAll of this beauty belongs to you. Ms. Arnold said her docent was akin to an intellectual wizard, pointing me toward a life beyond my childhood schooling and opened her mind and heart to one aspect of our civilizational past and made us heirs of the beauty of humanist culture. Praise God that our society was able to raise this young womans horizons, it changed her life, and we all benefited from her opportunity to develop her full God-given potential. Too many young people like her are slipping through the cracks and we are being denied the benefit of their natural gifts and abilities. This loss is a human tragedy and a national disgrace. We need to do far more to help these young people, whatever their ethnicity, to escape the limitations of their underperforming schools, and to reach their full potential. We do not do that by telling them they are victims of a racist system, that white people are their enemies, and the system is rigged against them. To tell such young people, whatever their ethnicity, they cannot succeed because of prejudice, is, in reality, to engage what former President George W. Bush called the soft bigotry of low expectations and it produces a criminal waste of God-given talent. Ravi Zacharias daughter launches new apologetics ministry; former employees express concern Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Sarah Davis, the daughter of late apologist Ravi Zacharias and former CEO of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), has left the organization her father founded to launch a new apologetics ministry. The news elicited disappointment from one abuse survivor and two former RZIM employees, who believe Davis should be disqualified from leading a ministry. According to a report from investigative journalist Julie Roys, Davis filed articles of incorporation earlier this month with the state of Georgia for a nonprofit corporation titled Encounter, Inc. The organization has the stated mission of carrying the Gospel invitation to individuals, engaging their questions and training and disciplining messengers of Christs love for their spheres of influence. Zacharias' oldest daughter became CEO of RZIM in November 2019. She led the organization amid the posthumous scandal surrounding her father and as an independent investigation detailed serious allegations that the late apologist engaged in years of predatory behavior and sexual abuse. According to Roys, RZIM also backed a fake humanitarian effort called Touch of Hope, which funneled money to four of Zacharias massage therapists. On Twitter, Carson Weitnauer, a former RZIM director, said he was disappointed by Davis decision to launch a new organization. He contends that the new name and the new legal structure do not change that this organization is effectively RZIM. He points out that Davis remains in charge, Encounters office is housed in RZIMs building and argues that Encounter likely is funded by RZIMs donors. Im also disappointed that Sarah believes herself to be a credible and trusted leader of an apologetics organization, he added. Under her leadership, RZIM mismanaged finances, concealed sexual abuse, retaliated against employees, etc., etc., etc. ... she is disqualified for this role. Ruth Malhotra, RZIMs former public relations manager, also said she was disappointed in Davis decision to launch a new ministry. Sarah Davis continually drove key aspects of RZIMs destructive actions which enabled leaders to operate without accountability, silenced victims, maligned internal dissenters, & allowed ministry resources to be severely misusedall actions which significantly harmed many people, she tweeted. Malhotra also stated that "former RZIM speakers comprise the team" at Encounter and that the organization employs the "same attorney as RZIM." Lori Anne Thompson, who Zacharias sued in 2017 for alleging they had an online sexual relationship, also expressed dismay over the news. Breathing in new life (inhaling) is difficult to do if we have not properly processed (exhaled) the old, she tweeted. It is simply not possible to breath well individually or institutionally when your tidal volume is full of trauma. Its a time for respiration and rest not reproduction. In the fallout from the scandal, the global apologetics ministry downsized and restructured into a grant-making organization. Davis announced in March that RZIM intended to change its name and remove all content featuring her father from the organizations website. In an email to supporters, Davis stated that RZIM cannot indeed should not continue to operate as an organization in its present form." Nor do we believe we can merely rename the organization and move forward with business as usual,'" she added. "That, we are convinced, is not right for numerous reasons. RZIMs board, whose members remain anonymous, decided to stop accepting donations and hired Guidepost Solutions to investigate RZIMs culture and practice. However, the RZIM board of directors has since moved to limit the scope of the investigation and keep any findings from becoming public, according to sources that spoke with Roys. In May, Davis apologized for her initial reaction to her fathers sexual misconduct allegations, admitting that she erred by ignoring allegations against her father and defending his innocence. I earnestly wanted the truth, but I recognize that the steps I took didnt always show this, she shared. I should have immediately called for an independent investigation in 2017, but I trusted my father fully, and I carried his narrative, both in 2017 and then initially in 2020, when we were first made aware of those allegations. In both of these, I know that I caused pain. I did not serve well, and I did not love well. And for this, Im deeply sorry. My goal and my heart were not to attempt to cover up the sins of my father or any sin to further a call or a mission, she added. I believed this man, my father, whom I loved and trusted more than anyone else, could not have done these things. But I was wrong. At the time, Davis said she hoped to be a conduit of healing and move forward with truth and transparency. In response to his sisters statement, Nathan Zacharias, who runs a blog dedicated to defending his father, wrote a brief response in which he said that Davis is not speaking for the family. As has been clear, we do not share her take on this situation, he wrote. A while back she chose the path of doing what she felt was best, strategically, for the organization. We disagree with her opinions and stance very strongly. And we do so for very legitimate reasons. Biden admin. collaborated with school board group on controversial 'domestic terrorism' letter: emails Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Newly publicized emails reveal that the National School Boards Association consulted with the Biden administration when crafting a letter that critics believe likened activism of concerned parents to domestic terrorism. Emails obtained by the advocacy group Parents Defending Education in a Freedom of Information Act request demonstrate that the leadership of the National School Boards Association had been engaged with the White House for several weeks leading up to the organizations Sept. 29 letter. The letter asked the U.S. Department of Justice to mobilize law enforcement agencies to respond to threats and acts of violence against public schoolchildren, public school board members, and other public school district officials and educators. The letter faced criticism for citing the aforementioned threats and acts of violence as actions of domestic terrorism. While some school board members across the nation have opened up about threats they have faced from angry residents, critics believe the request to get federal law enforcement involved is unwarranted and an attempt to silence parents. Specific examples of concerning actions listed included the disruption of school board meetings because of local directives for mask coverings to protect students and educators from COVID-19, the incitement of chaos at school board meetings by anti-mask proponents and the confrontation of school boards by angry mobs that have led boards to end meetings abruptly. In an Oct. 2 email, National School Boards Association President Viola Garcia told members of the organizations board of directors that NSBA has been engaged with the White House and the Department of Education on these and other issues related to the pandemic for several weeks now. In a Sept. 29 email to members of the NSBA Board of Directors, Interim Executive Director Chip Slaven noted that in discussion over the last several weeks, White House staff had requested additional information on some of the specific threats. [S]o the letter also details many of the incidents that have been occurring, Slaven wrote. Five days after the NSBA sent the letter to the White House, the Department of Justice published a memorandum. The document directed the Federal Bureau of Investigations, working with each United States Attorney, to convene meetings with federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial leaders within 30 days to facilitate the discussion of strategies for addressing threats against school administrators, board members, teachers and staff. Members of Congress asked U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland questions about the memo Thursday. As someone who was born in the Soviet Union, I am disturbed, very disturbed, by the use of the Department of Justice as a political tool, and its power as the police state to suppress lawful public discourse, Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., said in a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing. The FBI is starting to resemble old KGB with secret warrantless surveillance, wiretapping and intimidation of citizens. As someone who grew up in the USSR, Im disturbed that FBI is starting to resemble KGB - intimidation, surveillance, suppression of dissent... AG Garland @TheJusticeDept also didnt firmly reassure us that they will keep Americans safe in light of the border & Afghanistan crises. pic.twitter.com/92YjAjXhb0 Rep. Victoria Spartz (@RepSpartz) October 21, 2021 Describing the school board letter as the latest example, Spartz recalled that during the Soviet era, the United States criticized use of the domestic terrorism concept in the USSR as a tool to suppress free speech and political dissent. However, Garland pushed back, saying that "true threats of violence are not protected by the First Amendment." "Those are the things we are worried about here," Garland said. "Those are the only things we are worried about here. We are not investigating peaceful protests or parent involvement in school board meetings. There is no precedent for doing that and we would never do that. We are only concerned about violence and threats of violence against school administrators, teachers, staff." The NSBA Board of Directors was first informed of the letter on Sept. 29, the day it was sent, which did not sit well with one of its members. In a Sept. 29 email to Slaven, John Halkias, the director of the NSBAs Central Region, shared his belief that the Board of Directors should have been consulted before a letter like this was sent out publicly, and no less to the President of the United States and the National Press. I also agree that the letter took a stance that went beyond what many of us would consider to be reasonable and used terms that were extreme, and asked for action by the Federal Government that many of us would not request, he added. In fact in a recent press conference, the White House Press Secretary stated that when these incidents occur, it is a matter for local law enforcement and local authorities, and NOT the federal government. Halkias insisted that local control has been a stalwart of our principles and we do not want to abandon that concept now. The discussion about alleged domestic terrorism at school board meetings comes as the school district in Loudoun County, Virginia, continues to face allegations of a cover-up following the sexual assaults of two teenage girls at two separate high schools in the district perpetrated by the same trans-identified male. The first sexual assault, which occurred on May 28 at Stone Bridge High School, occurred as the district was considering implementing a policy that would allow trans-identified students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity instead of their biological sex. At the June 22 Loudoun County School Board meeting, the transgender bathroom policy became a source of contention. A handful of parents, including the father of the sexual assault victim, faced arrest after the meeting was declared an unlawful public assembly. On Aug. 10, former State Sen. Dick Black spoke outside the Loudoun County School Board meeting, informing a crowd of protesters that the sexual assault took place. There was a father who was getting up to speak after me. He was being harassed by several transgender advocates, people who knew that his daughter at Stone Bridge High School had one of these guys wearing a girls dress go into the girls bathroom and forcibly sodomize her. They knew that his daughter had been forcibly sodomized, pushed to the ground, beaten to the ground and then abused. They knew it and they deliberately tried to harass him, Black said. After a heated confrontation with an LGBT activist at the meeting, the father was arrested. His arrest was one of the examples cited in the Sept. 29 NSBA letter to Biden. Eight weeks later, the father of the May 28 sexual assault victim was informed that the same perpetrator sexually assaulted another teenage girl in an empty classroom at Broad Run High School. From there, he decided to go public with his story after previously staying silent on the advice of legal counsel. The Daily Wire first reported on the dual sexual assaults last week. An email obtained by local news outlet WTOP revealed that Superintendent Scott Ziegler informed the board members that a sexual assault took place at Stone Bridge High School on the day of the incident. This afternoon a female student alleged that a male student sexually assaulted her in the restroom, he wrote. The [Loudoun County Sheriffs Office] is investigating the matter. The email did not mention that the perpetrator of the assault was trans-identified. It did note that the female students parent responded to the school and caused a disruption by using threatening and profane language that was overheard by staff and students. In response to backlash from parents and parent groups, Ziegler issued an apology last week. He told parents: I regret that my comments were misleading and I apologize for the distress they caused families. Concerns about bathroom policies are not the only issues causing parents to speak out forcefully at school board meetings. Parents and community members in Fairfax County, Virginia, and Hudson, Ohio, have chastised their respective school boards for allowing the inclusion of sexually explicit material they characterized as child pornography in high school libraries and college-level English courses. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Many years ago, I returned home from a church event with my brother, both of us in possession of a roll of Starburst. Shortly after returning home, I managed to destroy not chip or merely damage, mind you absolutely pulverize an 80-year-old glass bowl I set the Starburst in. My father, ever the public servant, started cleaning up my mess while I continued bawling off to the side. Eventually, he asked me why I was still crying. Some glass in the hand, perhaps? Guilt about destroying the bowl? Oh heavens no, my logic was far more impeccable than that. Here is what I said: Jordans [my brother] going to get more candy than me now. Brilliant, just brilliant. Id like to think Ive moved past that point of moral immaturity with the help of the Holy Spirit. Much of wisdom consists of learning to match our actions to the circumstances, a necessity in a world without exact instructions for every situation. My lament over spilled Starburst was not wise. Lament over the broken things of this world is far more appropriate and, frankly, biblical. Something that has struck me, though, about our world is the degree to which suffering grants moral credibility to the sufferer. The moral high ground very often falls to the most miserable person in the room. Moreover, someone in that position will likely find themselves the sudden beneficiary of all kinds of gifts, services, and well wishes they could not have dreamed of receiving on any other hum-drum day. Suffering lends itself to receiving certain accommodations. Sadly, that is where many problems start. I see no harm in making accommodations for those who suffer. I do, however, see a danger in using personal suffering to demand accommodations every time. You can imagine the shock you might feel if a suffering friend or family member came to you one day and said, You know, Ive been sitting around, thinking about how crummy life is for me right now and Ive come to the conclusion that you owe me $5,000 for the trouble of it all. In general, most people would never be this blunt or absurd. Yet, we do this all the time in subtler ways. Three things may be noted here. First, I dont want to give the impression that we should not care and lament with those who suffer. We should. Rather, this is about you, me, and God. While genuine suffering exists, there is a danger of using it as leverage against our Creator and Redeemer. We may not say it, but I know Ive certainly thought before, God, you owe me one for what youve put me through. But He doesnt. The very thought contains a contention for His throne. Call it whatever you want, but its just pride at the end of the day. Second, we may consider anew the role that gratitude plays in combatting this distortion. Why is it that we can find ourselves so reluctant to be grateful? A piece of that puzzle is the fact that gratitude forms a natural barrier against excess. It shatters any sense of entitlement and is not troubled by comparing itself to others. No wonder our flesh resists it and prefers to wallow in suffering. If gratitude truly enters the house, our claims on God disappear. My brother is fond of telling of a lady he met in Lithuania who exemplified this immensely well. She had grown up in Eastern Ukraine, listening to government and separatist forces shelling one another up the beach, and yet was one of the most joyful and grateful people one could meet. And, as he puts it, She was one of the most genuinely joyful people I have ever met She was undeniably sad, but her joy shone right through it. She had the real thing. Finally, Christians should refrain from making suffering a litmus test for truth or genuineness. I think we often take Christs words "in this life, you will have trouble and go looking for suffering. Particularly in an affluent society, we are doubly prone to wonder if were walking the good Christian walk if were not suffering like we think we should. But this is simply a lie; wicked people suffer too, and the righteous are often painted as blessed in Scripture. We ignore this to our detriment. We are called to pursue good things and, ultimately, to pursue Christ regardless of what trials we do or dont face along the way. To that end, may we hold our lives in open hands, ready to accept whatever the Father places into them or removes from them. Amazon driver in blonde wig filmed naked girls in women's bathroom with pen camera, police say Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An Amazon driver has been arrested for wearing a wig and going into a girls bathroom while wearing shoes equipped with cameras. The Wrentham Police Department in Wrentham, Massachusetts, announced Tuesday that it arrested 23-year-old Jacob Guerrero of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, for possession of child pornography as well as violating the states upskirt law. Guerrero was arrested Monday night in the Amazon parking lot and was arraigned in Wrentham District Court Tuesday morning. The initial incident and subsequent investigation began August 24, 2021 when Wrentham Police received a call from customers at the Wrentham Outlets reporting a person who appeared to be a man acting suspiciously in the public Ladies bathroom, Wrentham Police Chief Bill McGrath said in a statement. A witness photograph of Guerrero revealed the suspect wearing a blonde wig. During the August 24th incident, the suspect, wearing a blonde wig, reportedly entered the Ladies room and occupied stalls next to adjoining stalls that women and younger girls, estimated to be 12-15 years old, were using, McGrath stated. The initial investigation revealed the suspect appeared to have a pen camera fastened to his sneaker. Pen cameras are easily concealed surveillance cameras that have the ability to record video and photos on Micro SD cards contained within the pen. Guerrero escaped the scene before police arrived, but Wrentham Police tracked him down using surveillance camera footage. While Guerrero was arrested on Sept. 2 for violating a law banning the photography of an unsuspecting nude person, he was released on bail later that day. Following his release, the investigation continued. The Wrentham Police Department uncovered evidence in Guerreros vehicle that led to issuing a second arrest warrant for 12 counts of possession of child pornography. The child pornography found in Guerreros possession indicated that his voyeurism extended far beyond the Aug. 24 incident at the Wrentham Outlets. The evidence obtained from the search warrant includes twelve videos where the unsuspecting victims were either nude or partially nude. Five of the twelve victims were under the age of 18. Of the victims under 18 years old, several are estimated to be between 8 and 11 years old. In at [least] one case, the evidence suggests the suspect secretly recorded a young girl through her bedroom window as she undressed. In an interview with CBS Boston, McGrath elaborated on the investigation, saying that Guerrero engaged in illegal activity while working as an Amazon delivery driver. He had returned to a home that was on his route and actually filmed a child through a second-story window, McGrath said. The statement from the Wrentham Police Department explained that the investigation into Guerrero is active and on-going, including several law enforcement agencies in more than one state. CBS Boston reported that most of the video footage contained on Guerreros phone was taken during trips he took to New Jersey and California in his capacity as an Amazon delivery driver. Guerreros arrest comes amid renewed concerns about sexual predators in restrooms. Last week, a report from The Daily Wire detailing how a boy allegedly wearing a skirt raped a teenage girl in the girls bathroom at her Loudoun County, Virginia, high school caused outrage among parents and accusations of a cover-up. The May 28 sexual assault occurred as the Loudoun County School District considered implementing a policy allowing trans-identified students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identities. When asked at a June 22 school board meeting if any sexual assaults at the hands of a trans-identified student had ever taken place, Superintendent of Schools Scott Ziegler denied that such an assault had occurred. The school board approved the transgender bathroom policy on Aug. 10. More than four months later, the May 28 sexual assault perpetrator, who had been transferred to another school in the district after the incident, sexually assaulted another teenage girl in an empty classroom. Upon learning this, the father of the first victim, Scott Smith, went public with his story. In response to the backlash, Ziegler apologized for the districts response to the assaults in remarks slammed by parent groups as insufficient. PCUSA, Episcopal churches rank themselves low on evangelism abilities: survey Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment When it comes to marks of congregational vitality, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Episcopal Church congregations rank themselves lowest on evangelism, according to a recent survey. PC(USA)s Research Services department released an analysis of the U.S. Congregational Vitality Study centered on PC(USA) and the Episcopal Church congregations. The survey, released Monday, included 156 congregations, 78 from PC(USA) and 78 from the Episcopal Church, with the opinions of about 9,000 church members taken, according to Presbyterian News Service. PC(USA) looked at responses centered on what they described as the Seven Marks of Congregational Vitality, which include caring relationships, ecclesial health, intentional, authentic evangelism, lifelong discipleship, outward incarnational focus, servant leadership, and Spirit-inspired worship. Taken on a scale of 1-100, the survey found that of the congregational vitality marks, evangelism was ranked the lowest at 69, deemed the equivalent of a D+ grade. Within the overall questions pertaining to evangelism, the statement I try to ensure that visitors to my church feel welcome was the most popular of the responses, while I invite people who do not attend church to come visit mine was the least popular. The highest of the vitality marks was caring relationships, scoring at 81 percent, or a B to B-, followed by worship and ecclesial health, both at 79 and servant leadership at 78. Angie Andriot, a research analyst with the PC(USA)s Research Services, said in comments to Presbyterian News Service that this marked the first deep analysis of the congregational vitality data, with more analysis expected in the near future. Regarding differences in responses between Presbyterian and Episcopal congregations, Andriot said both denominations tended to have similar responses. We think we are better at outward focus, Andriot told Presbyterian News Service. They think they are better at worship. Over the past several years, much has been made about the decline of membership for both PC(USA) and The Episcopal Church. While still the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States, last April PC(USA) reported losing 143 churches and about 5% of its active members in 2018. This means that PC(USA) ended 2018 with 9,161 member congregations and approximately 1.35 million active members. In a statement released last year, PC(USA) General Assembly Stated Clerk, the Rev. J. Herbert Nelson II, said he felt encouraged that the decline in members appeared to be slowing. The church of the 21st century is changing and we still believe God is preparing us for great things in the future, he said. God is moving through churches, presbyteries and synods, finding new, innovative ways to share the Gospel with a lost world and we are thankful for that. PC(USA) and The Episcopal Church are not the only denominations that appear to have issues with evangelism, according to Kevin Palau, president and CEO of the Luis Palau Association. In an interview on the Dallas Theological Seminary podcast "The Table" last September, Palau said he believed most American Christians are skittish about evangelism. "They hope someone else will do it, they hope the pastor will do it. They really dont want to do it themselves," Palau said at the time. "With all the cultural pressures, young people, even if they live in the Bible Belt, theyre affected very much by social media, and its just not comfortable to express clearly the uniqueness of Jesus Christ." PCUSA lost over 56K members, 116 churches in 2020: report Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Presbyterian Church (USA) lost approximately 56,000 active members and closed more than 100 congregations in 2020, according to a recent annual report on denominational statistics. The PCUSA Office of the General Assembly released the annual statistics on membership and giving on Monday, which included minutes from the 224th General Assembly. According to Section IV of the minutes on statistics, PCUSA had approximately 1.245 million active members in 2020, down from 1.302 million in 2019, or a decline of 56,689. The data is derived from reporting by 82% of PCUSA churches, which represent 90% of the denomination's membership. The largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States also saw a drop in congregations, going from 9,041 in 2019 to 8,925 in 2020. Although 2020 was a year of pandemic lockdowns, which impacted churches of all denominations, PCUSA losses were comparable to 2019, when the denomination reported losing around 50,000 members and closing 120 congregations. Over the past several years, as with other mainline Protestant denominations, PCUSA has experienced a considerable decline in membership numbers and congregations. The decline in membership comes as data has shown in recent years a decline in Americans who consider themselves Christians and a rise of Americans who consider themselves religiously unaffiliated. Another factor for PCUSA has been the theological direction of the church, as its affirmation of gay clergy led several congregations to leave the denomination in protest in recent years. The OGA report documents were released exclusively in a digital format for the first time in the denomination's history. PCUSA OGA Stated Clerk Rev. J. Herbert Nelson II said in the announcement that this switch to digital was partly in response to the decline in revenue the church has experienced. For one, it costs approximately $25,000 to produce 2,000 copies of this book. Secondly, it can quickly become outdated as things change throughout the church, stated Nelson. I have said many times over the past year that we need to be moving the church forward in the 21st century. But economics have also prompted us to make smarter decisions on how per capita dollars are spent. We find this to be more efficient and timelier, giving Presbyterian leaders the information they need in real time. Additionally, PCUSA has openly considered no longer hosting its biennial General Assembly as a mass gathering due to financial woes and declining membership. In a statement last August, Nelson attributed this plan to end the big tent General Assembly due to declining membership and financial giving. That is happening, basically, because we are at a place financially with the drying up of per capita as it is and the whole system is strained with regards to the fallout in the denomination with membership loss, he said last year. Dealing with the issue that we are not a denomination right now ... that can afford the kinds of things that we have been doing. The Southwest saga: A serious blow to vaccine mandates Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Its an undisputed fact that Southwest Airlines had serious, widespread issues getting flights off the ground over the last weekend. Its been documented that well over 2,000 flights were canceled, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded. While other airlines, like Spirit, suffered some cancellations as well, no other major airline had such large-scale issues. On Saturday, October 9, Southwest issued a tweet, claiming that ATC [Air Traffic Control] issues and disruptive weather have resulted in a high volume of cancellations throughout the weekend while we work to recover our operation. ATC issues and disruptive weather have resulted in a high volume of cancellations throughout the weekend while we work to recover our operation. We appreciate your patience as we accommodate affected Customers, and Customer Service wait times are longer than usual. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/o1scQJ5lLb Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) October 9, 2021 However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) disputed the notion that ATC issues had anything to do with the delays. In a statement on Saturday, the FAA claimed, No FAA air traffic staffing shortages have been reported since Friday. In this effort to shift the blame back to Southwest, the FAA also noted, Some airlines continue to experience scheduling challenges due to aircraft and crews being out of place. Some airlines continue to experience scheduling challenges due to aircraft and crews being out of place. (2/2) The FAA (@FAANews) October 10, 2021 Southwest CEO Gary Kelly appeared to walk back the claim about ATC issues over that weekend, during an appearance on ABC News. He pinpointed a few issues on Friday the FAA delays, weather, the nature of Southwests logistical operations that apparently had a massive domino effect. While the real cause remains debated, its reported that operations are largely back to normal at this point in the week. Was this an anti-vaccine mandate strike or not? Weve covered the what? but what about the why? Why did this happen? Fairly soon after the cancellations started piling up, it began circulating that the delays were in fact being caused by Southwest pilots walking out or calling in sick on purpose. This sick out was an effort to protest the impending threat of losing their jobs due to the Biden administrations vaccine mandate (for a refresher on that mandate, see here). Shawn Andrew Walker, ostensibly a pilot (captain) for American Airlines, issued a strong warning for everyone across America to stand up for freedom in the face of increasing mandates before its too late. The video quickly went viral, and now has over 2 million views across multiple platforms. Additionally, strike-themed photos began circulating, including one with a Gadsden Dont Tread on Me flag that rallying cry of the Tea Party hanging out of a Southwest cockpit. Southwest CEO Kelly himself acknowledged that the mandate is a real issue. Speaking to CNBC on Tuesday, he said: Ive never been in favor of corporations imposing that kind of a mandate. Im not in favor of that, never have been. But the executive order from President Biden mandates that all federal employees and then all federal contractors, which covers all major airlines, have to have a vaccine mandate in place by December 8. So were working through that. One Southwest pilot, speaking off the record out of fear of reprisal, endeavored to shed some more light on the issue. Speaking to American Greatness, the pilot said the Southwest pilots are the most conservative collection of white-collar employees in the country. American Greatness reported that he estimated that at least 60 to 70% of pilots at Southwest are, like himself, former military and that the tyrannical mandate, he explained, erased all of the goodwill pilots and other conservative employees had felt toward their company. According to this anonymous pilot, the result wasnt an organized strike, per se, but with many disgruntled employees calling in sick, or not signing up for overtime to help the airline fulfill the increase in flights typical for a holiday weekend, the result was a domino effect of grounded flights. In other words, pilots saw the writing on the wall with the vaccine mandate and began using sick days before they lose them. Adding further fuel to the fire of speculation that these delays were the result of a widespread protest against the vaccine mandates is the fact that the Southwest Airline Pilots Association recently filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Dallas, seeking to block the vaccination mandate. In the filing, the pilots union argued, The new vaccine mandate unlawfully imposes new conditions of employment and the new policy threatens termination of any pilot not fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021. As it stands today, both Southwest and the Southwest Airline Pilots Association deny that any of the issues are due to vaccine mandate protests, coordinated walk-outs, or sick outs. But is this really the case? They havent had their story entirely straight from the beginning, so why should we believe them now? What really matters: A moment of moral inspiration and much-needed courage This entire story is a perfect example of how hard it can be to find the ground truth in the age of coordinated disinformation campaigns being regularly run by our legacy media. The weather excuses didnt seem plausible. The FAA pushed back on anything ATC-related. Maybe this wasnt a coordinated protest by Southwest employees, but maybe it is a warning signal that many of their pilots are seriously concerned about losing their civil liberties and arent inclined to pull overtime for a company that wants to force them to be vaccinated just to feed their family. Maybe none of that matters in the end, because the moral of this story regardless of the reality behind the scenes shines out clear as day. Alexander Solzhenitsyn the famous Russian dissident who opposed the Soviet Union, served time in the gulags and then became a world-renowned spokesperson for the truth once remarked that the lie has, in fact, led us so far away from a normal society that you cannot even orient yourself any longer; in its dense, gray fog, not even one pillar can be seen. All of the lies, half-truths, inaccurate reporting and state-sponsored propaganda about COVID and vaccines has indeed made this episode a rather dense, gray fog. But, even though the muck of MSNBCs ministry of truth style reporting and phony Facebook fact-checkers, there is a pillar that can be seen. And that pillar, that moral of the story, that truth, is this: Americans are desperate for inspiration and longing for leaders anyone to stand up to the tyrants and defend their freedoms; to stand athwart history this dystopian history unfolding before our eyes and yell stop! Enough with the mandates. Enough with the madness. Enough. For a moment, for a weekend, even as flights were grounded, spirits soared. Millions of Americans were inspired simply by the thought that a critical mass of employees took a stand against the unlawful, unconstitutional Biden administration vaccine mandates. Its been a moment of moral inspiration and a shot of much-needed courage into the veins of our republic. Robby Starbuck, a Cuban American running for Congress as a Republican in Tennessee, echoed this rallying cry with a tweet claiming an influx of messages from like-minded airline employees. He wrote: Im getting DMs on all my social media accounts right now from employees at nearly every major airline. Theyre all emboldened by the Southwest situation. Expect this to get a lot more serious for airlines very quickly. Lions are awake and people are recognizing their power. Im getting DMs on all my social media accounts right now from employees at nearly every major airline. Theyre all emboldened by the Southwest situation. Expect this to get a lot more serious for airlines very quickly. Lions are awake and people are recognizing their power." Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) October 11, 2021 And, perhaps even more substantially, Southwest CEO Kelly publicly stated that, even as they would work to comply with the forthcoming mandate, they were not going to fire anyone for refusing to be vaccinated. In the above-mentioned ABC interview, Kelly said: Were not going to fire any employees over this. Were urging all of our employees to get vaccinated. If they cant get vaccinated, were urging them to seek an accommodation, so well do everything we can to support our people here. In a season that seems shot-through with the little guy taking losses, this is a huge win. So, as another chapter in the hysterical saga that is our COVID times come to a close, remember this truth: The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. It seems like one cant say for sure and certain that the grounded flights were entirely due to an anti-vaccine protest and as truth-telling freedom fighters that matters. We should never resort to the same tactics we denounce in media. That said, there is enough evidence out there to suggest that, this weekend, many good men, and women of Southwest Airlines employment, decided the time for doing nothing had passed. The time to stand their ground and stay on the ground for the sake of our American way of life, our Constitutional rights, and our civil liberties, had come. While thousands may have been frustrated due to flight delays, it appears that millions more have been inspired. Perhaps this will go down in our history as a fable of sorts, as a pseudo-factual legend. Whatever it is, its a story, thats for certain. And like all good stories, it has a moral: The time to stand is now. Bravery is inspiring. We the People have more power than we can possibly dream of. Sometimes we just need someone to help show us the way, to inspire us to take action. That someone was our pilot friends at Southwest Airlines, who just happened to have their moral compasses pointing due North. Originally published at Standing for Freedom Center. DOJ urged to investigate Facebook's 'facilitation' of human trafficking, illegal immigration Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Arizona's attorney general is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Facebook's role in providing a platform to human traffickers and drug cartels as the surge of migration at the southwest border continues. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland Thursday, asking the DOJ to "pursue all legal means" to hold social media giant Facebook accountable for its "facilitation of human and sex trafficking." Brnovich, a Republican, began the letter by noting that his office was made aware "of media reports detailing how human smugglers and drug cartels were allegedly using Facebook to encourage and instruct its users to engage in illegal activities." "Our office wrote to Facebook to clarify its policies and procedures for preventing such misuse of its platform," he recalled. "On August 30, 2021, we were surprised to receive an in-depth response from the company stating that its platform 'allow[s] people to share information about how to enter a country illegally or request information about how to be smuggled.'" In a letter responding to Brnovich, Facebook claimed it proactively removes content encouraging drug trafficking and human smuggling by relying on "automated post scanning systems to identify violations." Brnovich concluded that because "Facebook identifies no mechanism to distinguish between authorized and unauthorized posts," the company's enforcement mechanism amounts to a "paper tiger." Citing the federal government's unique role in enforcing immigration law, Brnovich requested that the DOJ "investigate Facebook's facilitation of human smuggling at Arizona's southern border and stop its active encouragement and facilitation of illegal entry." "Facebook's policy of allowing posts promoting human smuggling and illegal entry into the United States to regularly reach its billions of users seriously undermines the rule of law," Brnovich stated. "The company is a direct facilitator, and thus exacerbates, the catastrophe occurring at Arizona's southern border," he added. "The people of Arizona and all Border States deserve the due diligence of the federal government in its enforcement of the rule of law." An April report from the Tech Transparency Project revealed that there were 50 Facebook pages created to offer illegal border crossings. The report was created as the massive number of migrants seeking entry into the U.S. overwhelms law enforcement officials at the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that there were 208,887 encounters between law enforcement officials and migrants at the southwest border in August. While August marked the first time all year that the number of encounters decreased, the figures for August 2021 mark a significant increase from the 50,014 encounters during August 2020. With the data for September 2021 still forthcoming, fiscal year 2021 saw an unprecedented 1.5 million border crossings. By contrast, there were 458,088 crossings in fiscal year 2020. Critics of the Biden administration attribute the border surge to President Joe Biden's revocation of two Trump-era policies: the Migrant Protection Protocols requiring those seeking asylum in the U.S. to wait in Mexico while their cases were adjudicated and Title 42, which allowed border officials to immediately turn back illegal immigrants because of the coronavirus pandemic. Reuters reported last week that the Biden administration would resume the Migrant Protection Protocols next month. The surge at the border is having an impact on those who live in border towns. Last week, Fox News' Maria Bartiromo spoke with John Paul and Donna Schuster, ranchers who live in Kinney County, Texas. The county is one of several in the state that borders Mexico. The Schusters' property is 25 nautical miles from the border. "Every time I leave my house, I'm checking waters, checking the livestock. There's some kind of sign that someone has been there since the last time I was there the day before," Donna Schuster said. "It's either trash, footprints, gate left open, fence cut, water line broken. It's something every single day." She explained that she feels inclined to "carry a gun" every time she leaves the house, even to throw out the trash. Intruders have shown up at the Schusters' property numerous times, and one managed to get into the garage. They had an alarm system installed and kept a chair jammed in the back door to prevent people from entering. John Paul Schuster explained that their property is a target of illegal immigrants because "we have good water wells on our place." The couple alleged that they were being "invaded" by illegal immigrants that are "here to do harm more so than to help." "I lost a 10,000-gallon tank of water," Donna Schuster recalled. "It takes me probably six weeks to get that much water back." "They're messing with our solar pumps as far as the wiring goes and burning those up," she added. Schuster also alleged that the intruders are "leaving gates open between pastures," which could enable livestock to escape. Schuster said the "open border policy is not working." "And we understand that there's people coming in that want a better life. But there's a better way to do it than the way ... that it's happening down here," she believes. "We shouldn't be afraid in our own homes. We live in the United States of America." John Paul Schuster expressed a desire to let those seeking asylum in the U.S. work on his property until their court date arrives. He also broke down in tears as they contemplated what might happen if an encounter with a trespasser led to a fatality. Jill Biden tells church how she found faith again after death of stepson Beau First lady says she felt 'betrayed by my faith' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment When God didn't answer her "one last desperate prayer" before the death of her stepson, Beau Biden, from brain cancer in 2015, first lady Jill Biden felt so "betrayed" she "couldn't even pray." A visit to Brookland Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina, four years later, however, would change everything. In an unannounced visit to the church where she renewed her faith in 2019, the 70-year-old Biden told the congregation in an address broadcast on Facebook Live Sunday how her faith had been an important factor in her life since she was a teenager. But she just wasn't always very public about it. "It's always been an important part of who I am," she admitted as she was visiting the church to celebrate Pastor Charles B. Jackson Sr.'s 50th year in ministry. "I chose it as a teenager when I fell in love with the peace of the quiet wooden pew, the joy of the choir, like this magnificent choir you have here, and the deep wisdom of the Gospels. Prayer is especially a way that I connect to people that I love and to the world around me. But in 2015, my faith was shaken." In May 2015, Joseph "Beau" Biden III, the former attorney general of Delaware and the eldest son of then-Vice President Joe Biden, lost his fight with brain cancer at 46. "For over a year, I watched my brave, strong, funny, bright, young son fight brain cancer: chemotherapy, operation after operation, weight loss. Still, I never gave up hope. As a mother, we can't," she said, acknowledging Robin Jackson, the wife of the church's pastor. "While we were worshiping, I had to be strong for my children and for my husband. But most of all, for my son, Beau. I had to be strong for him because, in the middle of it all, he was being strong for us. So I kept going every day. I put one foot in front of the other. And despite what the doctor said, I believed that my son would make it. In the final days, I made one last desperate prayer. And it went unanswered," the first lady said. "After Beau died, I felt betrayed by my faith, broken. You know, my own pastor wrote emails occasionally, which he was checking in with me, inviting me back to the service. But I just couldn't go. I couldn't even pray. I wondered if I would ever feel joy again," she continued. As her husband campaigned to become the next president of the United States in 2019, the journey took them to Brookland Baptist Church. That's when Jill Biden felt like God spoke to her. "In the summer of 2019, many of you may remember this, Joe and I came to worship here at Brooklyn Baptist Church. And something felt different that morning," she said. During worship that day in 2019, Biden said that Robin Jackson sat beside her and offered to be her "prayer partner." "And I don't know if she sensed how moved I had been by the service. I don't know if she could still see the grief that I'd feel still hides behind my smile. But I do know that when she spoke, it was as if God was saying to me, 'OK, Jill, you've had enough time. It's time to come home,'" Biden continued. She quoted from Hebrews 4:16 and Matthew 19:26. "In that moment, I felt for the first time that there was a path for recovering my faith. The book of Hebrews says, 'let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.' We can't heal ourselves alone. But with God, all things are possible," Biden said. "Robin's kindness, her mercy and grace pushed past the calluses on my heart. And like a mustard seed, my faith was able to grow once again. It brought me comfort in the long hard days of the campaign trail. And you all know how hard they were." She recalled feeling a sense of "joy" by seeing how "strangers could sacrifice for each other." "It reminded me what was at stake: not an election, not a partisan battle, but a country in need of healing, families that were torn apart by the pandemic, communities wrestling with the evils of racism and discrimination, a nation in search of hope. This church changed my life," she said to a standing ovation. "And it helped shape the course of our journey to the White House." Parents sue DOJ over memo urging FBI to investigate threats against school boards Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A group of parents has filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland over his recent memorandum calling for greater federal involvement in investigating threats made against school boards and teachers. The American Freedom Law Center, a conservative legal group, represents an unincorporated association of parents with children enrolled in a public school district in Saline, Michigan. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The lawsuit argues that the Oct. 4 Garland memorandum calling on federal agencies to work with states on "strategies for addressing threats against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff" is politically driven overreach aimed at silencing parents who express valid objections to certain ideas being in the curriculum. "Contrary to the Attorney General's false assertion, there is no widespread criminality at school board meetings where parents and concerned citizens have expressed their opposition and outrage to the 'progressive' agenda being forced upon their children in the public schools," reads the lawsuit. "Yet, the Attorney General considers these private citizens engaging in constitutionally protected activity to be domestic terrorists. Accordingly, the Attorney General labels these private citizens, which includes Plaintiffs, as domestic terrorists." While the attorney general himself did not explicitly liken concerned parents and community members to domestic terrorists, a Sept. 29 letter from the National School Boards Association compared threats and harassment against school board members to "domestic terrorism." Garland issued his memo five days after the NSBA sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the federal government to classify "acts of malice, violence, and threats against public school officials" as "a form of domestic terrorism." AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel David Yerushalmi said in a statement released Tuesday that he believes the Biden administration "seek[s] a future in which free speech means 'social justice' speech and any and all opposition is criminalized 'hate speech' or 'domestic terrorism.'" "This is a battle for not just the heart and soul of this country, but its very existence," added Yerushalmi. "AFLC stands strong and tall and will defend our Constitution at every turn." In his memo, Garland said that there was a "disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff." "While spirited debate about policy matters is protected under our Constitution, that protection does not extend to threats of violence or efforts to intimidate individuals based on their views," stated 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." Garland's vow to take action against "efforts to intimidate individuals based on their views" comes as parents and community members have repeatedly confronted school boards in recent months over sexually explicit material available in school libraries or material included in school curriculums. The mayor of Hudson, Ohio, called on the city's school board to resign or face criminal charges for allowing a book featuring sexually explicit writing prompts to be included in a college-level English class offered at the district's high school. In Fairfax County, Virginia, an outraged mother read books available in the district's high school libraries that she characterized as promoting pedophilia to the school board at a meeting. She also presented the graphic images featured in the book. Pa. school board leaves national association over 'domestic terrorism' claim against protesting parents Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A group representing school boards in Pennsylvania has ended its relationship with the National School Boards Association in response to the national group sending a letter to President Joe Biden equating harassment against school board members to "domestic terrorism." The leadership of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, an organization that has existed since 1895 and has approximately 4,500 school directors as members, recently voted unanimously to cut ties with the NSBA. In a statement provided to The Christian Post via email on Tuesday, the PSBA explained that the group's connections with the NSBA have been "questioned numerous times over the past several years." "The most recent national controversy surrounding a letter to President Biden suggesting that some parents should be considered domestic terrorists was the final straw," stated the PSBA. "This misguided approach has made our work and that of many school boards more difficult. It has fomented more disputes and cast partisanship on our work on behalf of school directors, when we seek to find common ground and support all school directors in their work, no matter their politics." The PSBA added that while it "abhors the fact that some boards have been met with threats and violence," the group believes that "attempting to solve the problems with a call for federal intervention is not the place to begin, nor a model for promoting greater civility and respect for the democratic process." "From financial and pension issues to a never-ending disagreement on a governance model and definition of membership, the problems at NSBA have only become more and more entrenched despite recurring promises for action," continued the PSBA. "We intend to continue to work closely with other state school boards associations and remain hopeful that following this period of substantial tumult for NSBA, we will find a new national organization ready and able to serve all its member states effectively." In late September, the National School Boards Association sent a letter to Biden expressing concern over an apparent uptick in threats of bodily harm directed at school boards and school officials by parents and others. In the letter, the NSBA leadership asked for "federal law enforcement and other assistance to deal with the growing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation occurring across the nation." "Local school board members want to hear from their communities on important issues and that must be at the forefront of good school board governance and promotion of free speech," explained NSBA President Viola Garcia and Interim Executive Director & CEO Chip Slaven. "However, there also must be safeguards in place to protect public schools and dedicated education leaders as they do their jobs." The national group specifically expressed concern over protests against face mask mandates for students and claims that critical race theory is being taught at the K-12 level. "As these acts of malice, violence, and threats against public school officials have increased, the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes," the NSBA letter reads. Earlier this month, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland sent a memorandum to federal law enforcement agencies to discuss with various authorities "strategies for addressing threats against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff." Echoing the NSBA letter, Garland referenced a "disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff." Critics, including Missouri's Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt, denounced the DOJ memo as an effort to silence parents with genuine concerns about the operation of their local schools. In a statement, Schmitt stated that he believes "Biden's Department of Justice is weaponizing its resources against parents who dare to advocate for their children." Nicholas Tampio, associate professor of political science at Fordham University, criticized the Garland memorandum that claimed that there has been a "disturbing spike" in the harassment of school staff and a "rise in criminal conduct directed toward school personnel." Tampio argued that "there is no evidence of a rise in the memorandum or references to where one could find evidence of it." He also called out the NSBA letter to Biden. "If one reads the letter, one finds people clearly raising their voices, which is normal when people are discussing things that matter to them," he wrote. "When parents or community members cross the line into threats, local law enforcement has handled the situation. There is no quantitative data in the letter; instead, there are a bunch of disparate stories strung together to make it look like there is a pattern." One of the stories cited in the NSBA letter is the arrest of Scott Smith during a Loudoun County School Board meeting in Virginia in June. Smith went to the board meeting to voice his displeasure with a proposed policy that would allow trans-identified students to use bathrooms consistent with their gender identity. Smith's 15-year-old daughter is alleged to have been sexually assaulted by a biological male in a girls' bathroom at school. Smith was arrested during a confrontation with a left-wing activist who attended the meeting and tried to claim that Smith's story was not truthful and vowed to hurt his business by posting online. Florida pastor, teacher among 125 arrested in human trafficking sting; 5 rescued Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Florida pastor who launched a new church this fall and a teacher were among 125 people arrested in a 20-day human trafficking sting that resulted in the rescue of four women and a 17-year-old, the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office announced Monday. Individuals who make a conscious choice and effort to take advantage of others through human trafficking have no room in Hillsborough County, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister declared during a press conference on the arrests. Our approach and efforts year-round are proactive and relentless. Our strong team of detectives will continue to work tirelessly to takedown and put a stop to human trafficking. Chronister said during the sting operation dubbed Operation Round-Up that started on Aug. 4 and ended Oct. 13, undercover detectives targeted criminals who attempted to prey upon minors, sought sex for themselves or exploited victims through human trafficking. Among those arrested are Joel Velasco, 38, a teacher at an unspecified Hillsborough school and Pastor Samuel Phillips Jr., 44, who recently launched Be Limitless Church in Riverview. Throughout this operation our detectives created undercover profiles online and chatted with men who believed they were speaking to minors, created false advertisements for sex, and undercover female detectives posed as streetwalkers, Chronister said. Chronister said Velasco offered to pay undercover detectives $60 in exchange for sex while Phillips responded to a false ad placed on an escort website and offered to pay our undercover detective for sex. These men who were all held to a standard of trust and respect were all arrested for soliciting another to commit prostitution, Chronister said. Be Limitless Church did not immediately respond to a request for comment on their pastors arrest when contacted by The Christian Post on Tuesday. The church also disabled its Facebook page. In a video on the churchs website, Phillips explained that God gave him the vision for the church in January and he and his wife, along with their two young daughters, have been on a mission: To advance the kingdom of God by transforming communities and bringing hope to the culture, through simplistic and practical biblical teachings that will help them discover purpose and experience the love of God in their everyday life. Leaders at the church further noted: Launching a new church is a huge opportunity to serve our community and its surrounding areas. We are a group of unified leaders that are focused on making a difference in the lives of others. We believe there is a place here for you, come join us. Human trafficking survivors, like Connie Rose, who was trafficked by her father in the 1970s, praised the effort to clamp down on the practice by the sheriff's office in a FOX13 interview. "You're setting this incredible message about, don't buy [sex] in Tampa," said Rose, who runs Victims2Survivors a nonprofit support group. "We are very serious about eradicating human trafficking in our own backyard and these sting operations, the way that he runs them with his teams, are absolutely phenomenal." Rose also expressed disappointment that a pastor and a teacher were among the arrests. "What really took me back on this particular one [sting] is that there was a teacher and a pastor. And that these are people that our children look up to, she said. Postmodernism, secularism have increasing influence over Americans' decision-making: report Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A newly released survey reveals that the ideologies of postmodernism and secular humanism have a noticeable influence on how Americans make decisions. The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University released the eighth report of its 2021 American Worldview Inventory Tuesday. The report was based on responses collected from 2,000 American adults in February as part of a more extensive survey with a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points. The survey found that although 2% of Americans have adopted secular humanism as their dominant worldview, a significantly higher share of the population (16%) actively embrace principles associated with the worldview. Similarly, while just 1% of Americans have adopted postmodernism as their dominant worldview, 16% frequently make decisions indicating that the philosophy plays an important role in shaping their day-to-day actions. The Cultural Research Center defines postmodernism as a worldview based on ideas such as the belief that all knowledge, values and morals are dependent upon and thereby determined by social conditions; there is no absolute moral truth or universal moral boundaries; science and reason are of limited value to progress; and that everything, including personal identity and social roles, are constantly changing. The belief that all truth is subjective and that there are no moral absolutes is the most commonly embraced postmodern idea in American life, with 54% of respondents subscribing to it. Additionally, 41% do not believe that every decision they make in their lives either honors or dishonors God. Other postmodern ideas also register significant support among the American people. Thirty-nine percent believe that human life has no intrinsic value, 29% express a desire to get even with those who wronged them, 29% contend that there is no way to determine if God or a supernatural being exists, 28% cite their feelings and circumstances as the primary motivating factors for how they treat people, and 24% see historical narratives as unreliable since they are based on subjective human accounts. Secular humanism, as characterized by the Cultural Research Center, includes elements such as the centrality of human reason and scientific inquiry to point the way forward; a desire to develop a more humane and moral society through human effort and capabilities; disbelief in a supernatural deity, an afterlife, absolute moral truth, and religious belief; and a pursuit of fairness, justice and tolerance. A majority of Americans (54%) subscribe to the secular humanist belief that a scientific explanation exists for the creation of the universe and that no higher being played a role in its design. Sizable portions of respondents reject the idea that human beings were created in the image and likeness of God (48%), point to success in worldly pursuits as the source of fulfillment in life (36%), cite human reason as their primary guide for morality (33%) and believe that scientific inquiry and proof alone determine truth (24%). At the same time, only 6% of Americans completely reject the idea that God or a supernatural being exists, 21% define success as consistent obedience to God and 41% of Americans cite God, as revealed in the Bible, as the basis of truth. However, 34% say that they do not know, believe or care if God exists, 23% view human beings as merely biological machines corrupted by society and 16% contend that Heaven and Hell do not exist because there is no life after death. The research from Arizona Christian University identified syncretism, a hybrid of beliefs adopted from different worldviews, as the dominant worldview among Americans. Eighty-eight percent of Americans have a syncretic worldview while just 6% possess a biblical worldview. A major reason for the extensive acceptance of alternatives to the biblical worldview is that Christians are not devoted to understanding, discussing, and most importantly living out the biblical worldview, said George Barna, the director of the Cultural Research Center, in a statement. Our research reveals that our worldview is influenced by many factors, but one of the most significant is observing what a worldview looks like in action. According to Barna, With only six percent of adults embracing the biblical worldview, the importance of the other six out of 10 adults who call themselves Christians but who do not reflect biblical thinking and living cannot be overestimated. He warned that the fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans do not subscribe to a biblical worldview has a significant impact on society. Noting that an individuals worldview informs their beliefs about the origins of the universe, evolution, truth, moral behavior, life after death, the existence of God, role of history, definition of success, and more, Barna stressed that Followers of Christ who believe that the Bible contains truth and practical guidance for living have a different way of understanding these matters than do, literally, 88 percent of the population. That divergence places the burden on our shoulders to explain why we believe the Bible is true and to be able to describe in the simplest of terms what it teaches about all of these matters, he added. If we cannot articulate a persuasive perspective on these matters, great numbers of people will suffer the consequences of their biblical illiteracy and our inability to serve them well by overcoming that deficiency. It [is] truly a matter of life and death, with global implications. Founded in 2020, the Cultural Research Center conducts cultural and biblical worldview studies that will provide research and resources to inform and mobilize strategic engagement in cultural transformation. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment I am a revived believer whose life was drastically changed by the power of the Holy Spirit in 1981. I had been raised in the church. My family heritage is rich with Christian relatives and ministers going back several hundred years, a history that Ancestry.com confirms includes 15 direct ancestors who came to America on the Mayflower. However, from 1972-1980, I had no active relationship with Christ and found myself living in Jacksonville, Fla. 1,000 miles away from my home lonely, hurting, and searching for answers. In previous articles, I had testified of my life-changing experience that occurred as the result of meeting the sister of an internationally known rock star and having her introduce me to the very active Holy Spirit. I remember my excitement when I realized, Hey, this stuff is real! I jumped into knowing Jesus with both feet, shortly thereafter attending church and loving spending hours in prayer and in His Word. This dramatic change occurred because I had found out that God was real. He revealed to me such scriptures as, But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV). Entering full-time ministry, I went by the title of an evangelist and many came to Christ during that time. But, realizing that not everyone was seeking God wholeheartedly, my greatest passion eventually became trying to wake up the sleeping saints, as it were. I once knew a young Christian lady who flat out told me, Nolan, I have all of God that I want to have! I cried out Lord, what is wrong with people that have been in the church for years? Why are so many lukewarm? I thought that people like me who had been saved out of a very sinful lifestyle sought the Lord with more zeal and diligence than those with less alarming backgrounds. I was frequently invited to speak at teen residential facilities, and would often also travel to guest speak at local jails. It was deeply impressed in my spirit that there was a clear difference between the low level of enthusiasm of the church folk and the deep spiritual hunger of individuals who had been delivered by Jesus from a life of deep sin and bondage. For many of the former type, those of comfortable conversions, this observation leads to a simple, Amen, it is what it is and that is all there is to it. They who are forgiven much love much! (Luke 7:47 paraphrased). However, in the many years of study, prayer, and ministry that followed, God seemed to offer a different perspective a perspective that led to my current calling to be a revivalist. If God by His Spirit is continually calling all of us as His children up higher, as is so clearly taught in the seven churches of Revelation, then we will all stand before Him one day to give an account for how diligently we sought Him and how faithfully we served Him. We will all be held accountable for what we did with the talents that He has entrusted to us, and how much fruit we produced with those talents. There will not be a church section over here and a former addict section over there. You see, some people like to feel more comfortable and never sacrifice anything for the sake of Christ. It may be revealed one day that these people were never truly born again, and it will cost them their souls in the end. Only preaching the truth under a heartbroken and prayerful disposition will open the eyes of the unconverted, that they might repent and truly be saved. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment There are many reasons pastors and other Christians offer for avoiding politics and other forms of cultural engagement, but one I find particularly annoying is based on eschatology. The argument claims that when it comes to biblical prophecies, matters will only worsen before the Second Coming of Christ; therefore, nothing can be done to stop the current trajectory of evil and injustice. Except for seeking to win others to faith in Christ before judgment falls, it's mostly a waste of time to attempt to change the direction of a sinful society. Frankly, there are many biblical responses to refute this point of view, but allow me to share one that's not so often given. It was by renowned Christian evangelist Dr. Billy Graham someone we don't typically think of as a social reformer but who articulated it quite well in his book, Approaching Hoofbeats. Graham wrote: "I believe the judgment of God can be withheld for a period of time. It doesn't even take the repentance of a whole city to delay God's judgment plans. Abraham was granted a delay if he could find a mere ten righteous men in Sodom. Still, the Judgment Day is coming. The distant sounds of the four horsemen grow louder every day. How long will God postpone the judgment? We do not know. But we do know from this wonderful vision of John [John's vision of the four horsemen in the book of Revelation] what we believers must do in the meantime. Those who have died in Christ must patiently wait for that day. Those of us still alive in Christ must continue working as God's allies in the salvation of the lost and social justice." Graham's use of the phrase "social justice" didn't carry with it the Marxist trappings of nowadays. Graham was simply talking about the Christian responsibility to work for change in the world that reflects the character of our Creator. Graham stood for the civil rights of African Americans in his day. His messages supported the battle against abortion, pornography, and vice. Graham further admonished Christians in his book: "We must not be content with easy answers. The call to follow Christ is not easy. It is easy to receive salvation but there can never be 'cheap grace.' Our redemption by the Cross of Jesus Christ was costly to God. So, also, we must be willing to deny self and take up a cross and follow Christ. It is not easy to follow Him. It is not easy to decide what tasks you can do and what tasks you must leave for others. It is not easy to take a stand when issues are complex and two-sided. It is not always easy to witness for Him. It is not easy to work against evil that judgment might be postponed, but it is the task to which we are all called." In Luke's Gospel, Jesus told a parable about a man who owned land and wanted a tree cut down. He wanted the tree removed because it wasn't producing fruit. When he instructed one of his workers to destroy the tree, the worker replied, Sir, leave it for a while just yet. Let me dig around it and fertilize it. Perhaps after doing this, it will bear fruit, but if not, you can cut it down (Paraphrase of Lk. 13:6-8). Certainly, this parable demonstrates delayed judgment to allow the endeavors of God's people to attempt to turn things around. And throughout history, it seems clear this has happened. In his book, Graham mentions two times from the Bible. There was that time when the reluctant prophet Jonah was sent to Nineveh to preach God's imminent judgment. But the people turned away from their gross wickedness, and Nineveh was spared for another 150 years. Huldah, the prophetess, told the people of Judah that God's judgment was going to soon fall. The King responded by humbling himself before God. So, the Lord said to him, "Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this place" (2 Kings 22:20). Judgment was delayed until after the King's death several years later. What are these but examples of delayed judgments, in part due to the obedience of God's servants, whose actions worked to that end? Two great spiritual awakenings in America. One which took place before the Revolution and the second afterward unquestionably saved this nation from destruction in its formative years. Because faithful preachers, men like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, and many others were bold in speaking to the sins of their time, numerous revivals broke out, resulting in God sparing the country from what would have likely been a great fall. I know what I've written will throw some prophecy hawks into a tizzy. But as Graham said, "[T]he Bible's prophecies are in such stark contrast with the synthetic predictions of the computer. The Bible takes human nature into account." In other words, everything that God's Word predicts will come to pass. But exactly when or how these prophecies will pan out is not always so clear. What is abundantly clear, however, is that what God's people do and the way the world responds is factored into it. Therefore, the Rapture isn't an excuse for the church to be raptured from responsibility now. Our task is not simply to prepare ourselves, our families, and others for the next world. We have a mandate to work to better God's creation which is a reference to this world. We can't do that and avoid politics. We cannot reasonably keep it out. When Christ finally does come again, "it will be good for that servant whose master finds him so doing" (Mt. 24:46). Gang demands $17M for return of kidnapped missionaries in Haiti, justice minister says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The gang that kidnapped 17 missionaries while they were on a trip to visit an orphanage in Haiti on Saturday has demanded $1 million each for their safe return, Justice Minister Liszt Quitel confirmed Tuesday. "The demand was made to the country chief of the Christian Aid Ministries they asked for $1 million per person," Quitel told The New York Times in a phone interview. "Often these gangs know these demands cannot be met and they will consider a counteroffer from the families, and the negotiations can take a couple of days sometimes, or a couple of weeks." The kidnapped missionaries include six men, six women and five children, of which 16 are Americans and one Canadian, the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said in a statement Sunday. The missionaries were working with the international aid organization when they were taken on Saturday by the 400 Mawozo gang. The gang, whose name roughly translates to "inexperienced men," is known for brazen killings, ransom kidnappings and extorting businessmen. Minister Ron Marks of the Hart Dunkard Brethren Church in Michigan told The Detroit News on Monday that several members of his church a family of five, including four children are among the kidnapped missionaries. Marks did not identify the members but said the youngest child is under 10 years old. "Our primary focus is on God and His providence to bring us through this," Marks told the publication. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a press briefing Monday that while she could not reveal the identities of the missionaries for safety reasons, the State Department and the FBI are working together to "bring these individuals home safely." "The President has been briefed and is receiving regular updates on what the State Department and the FBI are doing to bring these individuals home safely," Psaki said. "The FBI is part of a coordinated U.S. government effort to get the U.S. citizens involved to safety. Due to operational considerations, we're not going to go into too much detail on that but can confirm their engagement. And the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince is coordinating with local authorities and providing assistance to the families to resolve the situation." In an update on the situation on Monday, Christian Aid Ministries, which had called on the Christian community to pray for the safe return of the missionaries, thanked the media and global supporters for their help and prayers. The organization even called for prayers for the kidnappers. "We are entering the third day since seventeen of our workers were kidnapped by a gang in Haiti. The media has carried this situation across the globe. Civil authorities in Haiti and the United States are aware of what has happened and are offering assistance. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are in earnest prayer," the organization headquartered in Ohio said. "We greatly appreciate the prayers of believers around the world, including our many Amish and Mennonite supporters. The Bible says, 'The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much' (James 5:16). Join us in prayer that God's grace would sustain the men, women, and children who are being held hostage." Specifically, Christian Aid Ministries is calling on people to pray that those being held hostage will "find strength to demonstrate God's love." "The kidnappers, like all people, are created in the image of God and can be changed if they turn to Him," the Monday update states. "While we desire the safe release of our workers, we also desire that the kidnappers be transformed by the love of Jesus, the only true source of peace, joy, and forgiveness." Blue velvet and pools of crystal water rare jewels from the legendary mines of India A Kashmir sapphire bracelet and a set of Golconda diamond ring and earrings are among the spectacular jewellery offered at Christies this autumn The Zanskar Range is an austerely beautiful region of peaks, rivers and gorges in the northwestern Himalayas, so remote it has been called the land beyond the snows. In 1882, it suddenly came into very sharp focus when a group of traders arrived in Shimla with a handful of eye-catching stones from the Padar Valley. The stones were the velvety cornflower-blue colour of a peacocks neck, and had surfaced in the rocks following a landslide. They were sapphires the most beautiful the world had seen. Apprised of their beauty, the Maharaja of Kashmir swiftly dispatched guards to the area, and from 1882 to 1887, miners worked day and night throughout the short three-month summer, unearthing sapphires of up to 3 x 5 inches in size. When the Old Mine was exhausted, the Maharaja appealed to the British Geological Survey of India for help, and the miners moved down to the valley floor. The sapphires there were inferior in quality, however, and since 1927, nothing of note has been found at all, adding rarity to the beauty of these Kashmir sapphires, and lending them an almost mythical aura. Golconda diamonds Indias association with diamonds goes back further, to the days of Pliny the Elder whose Natural History (77 AD) referenced diamonds being washed from river gravel there and beyond. By the time of Marco Polo (1254-1324), diamonds from the Godavari delta in eastern India were furnishing the treasure chests of the Great Khans of the Mongol Empire; and in 1668, the French gem merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689) was presenting a casket of these Golconda gems so named after the Sultanate that owned the mines and the magnificent fortress of the same name to Louis XIV. So struck was the Sun King by their luminosity and transparency that he called the gems pools of crystal water. Henceforth, only diamonds would befit the magnificence of the sovereign, he declared, granting Tavenier a barony and ordering him to bring the diamonds to the attention of the world. Tavernier duly published Les Six Voyages de Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1676) and is now known as Father of the Modern Diamond Trade. The diamonds he had shown to the King were nitrogen-free gems that the GIA now classifies as Type IIa diamonds, the most chemically pure and transparent of all diamonds in the world. Today, they represent less than two percent of the worlds production of gem-quality diamonds. The Peacock Necklace The majority of the worlds most beautiful and highest-valued sapphires come from Kashmir and several have passed through Christies. In 2015, a spectacular circular-cut sapphire of 10.33 carats, set within a diamond surround and mounted on a gold ring, sold for HK$19,160,000, setting a new record for the highest price paid per carat for a sapphire at the auction house. An extremely rare sapphire and diamond ring. A circular-cut sapphire weighing approximately 10.33 carats, set within a brilliant-cut diamond two-tiered surround, mounted in 18k gold. Sold for HK$19,160,000 on 2 June 2015 at Christies in Hong Kong Three years later, the Peacock Necklace, set with 21 top-quality Kashmir sapphires that had taken more than 100 years to assemble, as well as a further 15 years to cut and polish, fetched HK$116,537,500 at Christies in Hong Kong. Superb sapphire and diamond necklace. The total weight of the certified sapphires 109.08 carats. The total weight of the certified diamonds 50.63 carats. Sold for HK$116,537,500 on 27 November 2018 at Christies in Hong Kong The Mirror of Paradise As for the Golconda diamonds, while the mines closed in the mid-19th century, the name is still associated with the most celebrated diamonds in the world. Chief among them is the Hope Diamond, a 45.52-carat Type IIb diamond containing traces of boron, which is thought to be a re-cut of the Tavernier Blue or French Blue that once graced the crown of Louis XIV. Stolen during the French Revolution, it eventually found its way to Washington D.C., where it is now on display at the Smithsonian. Famous Type IIa Golconda diamonds, meanwhile, include the Koh-i-Noor or Mountain of Light, a 105.6-carat, Type IIa stone now in the British Crown Jewels, and the 182-carat Darya-i-Noor or Sea of Light in the Iranian Crown Jewels. Others have been auctioned at Christies. On 19 June 2019, the so-called Mirror of Paradise, a 52.58-carat, rectangular-cut diamond set in a platinum ring, sold for US$6,517,500 in New York. In the same sale, the Arcot II, a beautiful pear-cut diamond that was originally gifted to Queen Charlotte, the wife of British King George III, by the Nawab of Arcot, in the 18th century, fetched US$3,375,000. The Mirror of Paradise diamond ring. A rectangular-cut diamond of 52.58 carats, D colour, Internally Flawless clarity, Type IIa. Sold for US$6,517,500 on 19 June 2019 at Christies in New York The Arcot II. A pear-shaped brilliant-cut diamond of 17.21 carats, D colour, Internally Flawless clarity, Type IIa. Sold for US$3,375,000 on 19 June 2019 at Christies in New York If you have good capital and want to start investing in the most promising startups in Mexico and Latin America , but you don't know where to start, here are some expert tips to become an Angel Investor . Within the framework of the IOS Network Summit 2021 Collision = Innovation , the event organized by IOS OFFICES that brings together the most influential business community in the country, a panel of experts in both entrepreneurship and investments, gave some tips so that you can convert your money in juicy business opportunities , while promoting the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Angel Investor conference: recommendations for investing and how to become one , brought together three specialists on the subject: Americo Ferrara , Managing Partner of Life Is Too Short Capital, partner of HypEd Capital and director of Brillamont; Eduardo de la Garza , general manager of Mty Digital Hub and active investor; and Santiago Sada , founder of Grupo Medes and co-founder of Angel Hub Ventures, a network of angel investors that invests in innovative and highly scalable projects. "In Mexico, particularly, a multitude of practically virgin opportunities to invest has been detonated," said de la Garza, who has invested in more than 20 startups. "In the last two years there has been an allocation of risk capital, specifically venture capital, greater than what has been invested in the entire history of Mexico." Eduardo explained that we are living through a turning point of incredible entrepreneurial talent in our country, which is the result, in part, of the importation of talent from different regions of South America and the United States, and the emergence of Mexican entrepreneurs, all with companies that already they have a local technological presence. That causes them to come with the mentality of growing their business and understanding the rules of raising capital . It may interest you: Challenges and opportunities of innovation on the way to digital transformation For an angel investor network to work, it must have people who can invest in funding rounds. In the United States this is very consolidated, so there it is faster to raise capital. In Mexico, experts emphasize, we have the raw material to do it, but there is a lack of structure to accelerate the growth of startups. These are the key tips that investor experts shared so that you too can become an Angel Investor : 1. Determine if you are really ready to be an investor "We must take into account that we are talking about investing in startups, which are high-risk and high-innovation vehicles, which leverage technology to detonate, seize or create a completely new market," they said. "The angel investment model is invest in a large number of these startups with the expectation that a small percentage of them will be successful. But when those few startups are successful, your investment multiplies exponentially . It is for people who have four priorities: You want to get involved with an ecosystem with high innovation profiles They see your investment in the long term. "On the angel investment issue, the life cycle expectancy of the investment can be 5 to 10 years," said Sada. They want to see a better entrepreneurial ecosystem in their regions for themselves and the next generations. They want to solve the problems that have the greatest impact on society. It is always advisable to invest in something that you are an expert in or that at least you know. The angel investor, unlike Venture Capital, is more involved with the entrepreneur. Then, he must give advice and contacts, among other things, in addition to the capital, " said Santiago. "It requires trust and patience, and believing a lot in the entrepreneur." 2. Know the financing cycle of startups Normally, Americo Ferrara explained, entrepreneurs go through three stages of raising capital and you have to "identify where in the financing chain you want to enter." These are: The 'Family and Friends' and accelerators Investor Angels Venture Capital "For an enterprise to go from the first stages to the important Venture Capitals, they must rely on an Angel Investor" , indicated Americo. De la Garza added that in Mexico "there are only between 500 and 1,000 angel investors, I estimate about 750 throughout the country, while in the state of California alone there are more than 10,000, as in New York and Texas." Image: Depositphotos.com 3. Choose well what you are going to invest in While all three agree that you should diversify your investments , they also highlight the importance of choosing wisely which industry to put your money in. In addition, Sada said that you should look for "an industry in which a lot is being invested" , to open the possibility that others invest in the same startup and can grow faster, which will translate into more profits for you. According to the panelists, at this time the industries that receive the most investment are "those in which there are more problems" and that have global significance: education, financial technologies, insurance and health . Although apparently the whole issue of FinTech is saturated, Latin America is not so digitized. There may be 100 neobanks and 100 digital cards, but there is a market for everyone. There is an opportunity there , explained Americo Ferrara. The next big industry to invest in is education, EdTech . What is happening right now with FinTech, is what will happen with education in the coming years in Latin America. Throughout the world there are opportunities in this area, due to the changes in the educational model as a result of the pandemic and the demand for personalized learning , added the expert investor. "If you already see that an industry is taking flight, you're already late, you have to get on early," advised Americo. 4. Join an Angel Investor Club You must have speed, quality and volume of connections, as well as investments, mentoring and concretions, to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem. And you find that in an investment hub, said de la Garza. In this sense, he spoke of the importance of 'trust capital' , which "only exists when you have support actors to pre-select or filter entrepreneurs with more growth potential and less risk to invest." "We see the entrepreneur, his vision, previous experience, his strategy, his value proposition and if this aligns with the objectives, interests and connections of the corporate and investors ," Eduardo added. "This ecosystem of angels helps those who are interested to invest with confidence." Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved BEIJING (AP) Chinas leading financial magazine has been dropped from an official list of outlets websites can republish, reducing the exposure of a rare independent voice as the authorities tightens control over the media. Caixin Media is privately funded, unlike most state-run news organizations. The Cyberspace Administration of China dropped it from a list of more than 1,300 news outlets and government agencies whose content can be republished. Internet platforms are barred from publishing content from non-approved sources. Caixin was on the previous list, published in 2016. Another independent Chinese newspaper, The Economic Observer, was also dropped from this year's list. The Cyberspace Administration said in a notice that outlets omitted from the list published this week no longer meet requirements, have poor daily performance and lack influence. The aim was to maintain the seriousness and credibility of the list, it said. Caixin's exclusion means readers in China will have to visit its website or app directly to read its news stories, instead of reading them on popular news aggregator websites. The company did not comment when contacted by phone and email. Earlier this month, draft regulations issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, Chinas top planning body, said that private investments into news gathering and distributing operations would be banned. The draft rules come as Chinas Communist Party tightens its grip around private businesses and deals a further blow to freedom of expression. Caixin is known for being bolder than most media, pushing limits imposed to ensure that news agencies and social media platforms censor politically sensitive or inappropriate topics. The outlet is known for its investigative reporting on corruption and other issues. Founded by prominent editor Hu Shuli, the company has a think tank, a data company, investable indices, and research firms. The Economic Observer also has been critical of the government at times. In 2011, it ignored a government censorship directive and published an in-depth feature about a high-speed train collision that killed dozens. The Chinese news landscape is tightly controlled by the government, which blocks online access to many Western news organizations such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the BBC. State media, such as the China Daily, Peoples Daily and Global Times, tend to publish stories in line with government messaging. It's not the first time Caixin has run afoul of authorities. In 2016, China's cyber watchdog suspended Caixin's credentials for two months, prohibiting online sites from syndicating its content and accusing Caixin of putting out problematic news reports. That followed Caixin's coverage of opposition by a group of lawyers to new regulations set out by China's Ministry of Justice. Irene North/AP SkyWest Airlines, which operates many flights for the nations biggest airlines, canceled about 1,000 flights Thursday and Friday because of what it called an internal technical issue. The airline said it was working to return to normal operations but expected significant cancellations Friday. Through late morning, SkyWest had canceled more than 350 flights for the day, according to tracking service FlightAware. Click here to read the full article. A district judge said on Friday that defendants in Jan. 6 cases who push the conspiracy theory that the election was stolen are inciting threats to judges presiding over insurrection cases. D.C. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said that he and other judges involved in Jan. 6 trials are getting all kinds of threats and hostile phone calls from people who buy in on this proposition that somehow the election was fraudulent, according to CNN. Walton was speaking at the sentencing hearing of Lori and Thomas Vinson, a husband and wife from Kentucky who entered the Capitol during the attack. They were caught when multiple people identified the couple in photos and videos from Jan. 6 and sent the FBI screenshots of Loris Facebook posts, which included selfies she took inside the Capitol. Lori claimed in a Facebook comment that she was one of the first 100 Trump supporters to gain entry into the building, according to the criminal complaint. But Lori didnt just post about Jan. 6 on social media. She also appeared in television interviews bragging about her involvement. I hope [Jan. 6] is something I remember and say Im glad I was a part of that 30 years from now, Vinson told a local news station in Evansville, Ind. She added that she was not sorry for what she did and would do it again tomorrow. Walton was not amused. It bothers me that she would try to associate herself with that type of violence and then she goes on television on two occasions and is proud of what she did, and says she would do it again, he said. The judge continued: I know that these types of comments have an impact. As judges, were getting all kinds of threats and hostile phone calls when we have [Jan. 6] cases before us, because there are unfortunately other people out there who buy in on this proposition, even though there was no proof, that somehow the election was fraudulent. Both Lori and Thomas Vinson pleaded guilty to a class B misdemeanor, one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing inside a Capitol building. Walton explained that he decided not to imprison Lori as prosecutors had requested because of additional costs imposed on taxpayers when somebody is detained. Instead, the judge sentenced them to five years probation. Each must also pay a $5,000 fine and $500 in restitution, in addition to performing 120 hours of community service. What concerns me is that both of you were gullible enough that, based upon statements being made for which there was no proof to support the allegation [that the election was stolen], you all bought in on it hook, line and sinker, Walton told the Vinsons, according to The Louisville Courrier-Journal. Took your money to come all the way up here to D.C. and then let yourselves get involved in a mob situation that should be an embarrassment to anybody in this country. MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) Writer and former Nicaraguan Vice President Sergio Ramirez announced Friday he will go live in Spain, after the government of President Daniel Ortega tried to arrest him and banned his latest book. The 79-year-old writer served as vice president during Ortegas first government from 1985 to 1990. But in the mid-1990s he distanced himself from Ortega, along with other intellectuals and former guerrillas. Ramirez retired from politics in 1996, but continues to be an important voice in the country. In September, Ortegas government issued an arrest warrant for him for acts that foment and incite hatred and violence. Ramirez had initially said he intended to live in neighboring Costa Rica. Ramirez said the government has seized copies of his latest novel, Tongolele no sabia bailar, and banned the book. In June, Ramirez said in an interview there was zero possibility of holding free elections in Nicaragua Nov. 7 and that opposition forces who participate would only be legitimizing Ortegas re-election. He said the 75-year-old Ortega had imposed a system of terror that prevents people from freely taking to the streets and that he will not tolerate any opposition electoral campaign. A lot of people are leaving the country in a massive way, like hasnt happened since 2018 and there is a lot of fear among people, Ramirez said. Nobody knows if theyre going to be the next one (detained by police), nobody knows whose house is going to be raided. On Thursday, Nicaraguas national police arrested two leaders of the countrys top private business association, just one day after a regional body called for the immediate release of political prisoners. A police statement said Michael Healy Lacayo and Alvaro Vargas, president and vice president, respectively, of the Private Business Superior Council, face charges including money laundering, acts that diminish the countrys independence and inciting foreign interference among others. The charges are similar to those lodged against more than three dozen people, including political and student leaders and seven potential challengers to Ortega in the Nov. 7 election. Those arrests began in May and all remain in detention. The latest arrests came after a resounding vote Wednesday by the Organization of American States Permanent Council that called for the release of political prisoners in Nicaragua and expressed serious concern about the upcoming elections. Ortega appeared to double down on his strategy of leaving no other influential power standing. Ortega has been ruling without interruption since 2007, after first coming to power following the ouster of dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979. Ortega has maintained that mass protests against his government in 2018 were an attempted coup with foreign backing. At least 328 people were killed when the government cracked down on those protests. One sunny Saturday in "Sober October," Houston welcomed a new bottle shop. But instead of hard spirits like gin and vodka, it serves pours of Chardonnay, mushroom beer and bottled Italian spritzesall without any actual alcohol included. Sipple, the first non-alcoholic bottle shop in Texas, opened its doors near Rice Village on Oct. 16, fully stocked with spirited alternatives to beer, wine and liquor. For Danny Frounfelkner, who founded Sipple alongside his wife, Helenita, it's a shift from the wines, beers and ciders he surrounded himself with during more than 20 years in the beverage industry as a consultant, beverage director for multiple Houston restaurants, and a director at Houston's City Orchard cidery. But even with his vast experience in the industry, Danny cut back his own drinking significantly during the pandemic after seeing alcohol affect his life in ways he aimed to curtail. "You're tasting stuff all day ... and for me, that became a problem," he said. "I was always working, and then I started going, You know what, I'm not an alcoholic, but I dont have a good relationship with alcohol. And I think a lot of people experienced that during the pandemic." Therron Francis Danny isn't the only one who has shifted his happy hour to include zero-proof drinks. Non-alcoholic bottle shops and bars have been slowly but steadily popping up across the country. At least five new dry stores opened in New York City in the past five years, and the nonalcoholic drink marketfrom sodas to alcohol alternativesis estimated to be worth $1.6 trillion worldwide by 2025. While places like Sipple are havens for those who no longer drink, they also serve a purpose for those who want to drink less or quit altogether. "Our friend Chris Marshall from Sans Bar in Austin said, We like to use the term sober serious,'" Helenita Frounfelkner said. "We say now it's become sober curious, sober sometimes and sober serious. It doesn't matter where you are on your journey. There's something here for you." Sipple's mission, at least in part, is to make spaces a little more inclusive for the sober community. Beyond its zero-proof bottles, the Frounfelkners shop includes a cozy back patio, as well as a tasting area with an iPad of song pairings to go with available drinks where theyll also host events in the coming months. They are also making plans for subscription boxes and an event they call Sipfest, an alcohol-free music festival. "Its something close to me, coming from cutting back drinking myself and then not drinking at all anymore," Danny said. "I really want to give back to not only the sober community but to all communitiesthe health community, religious communities, athletes, the pregnant community." Therron Francis While non-alcoholic cocktails aren't new, Danny noted that trendy "mocktails" are more often sugary afterthoughts on bar and restaurant menus rather than well-crafted pours, which he admits he was guilty of at first. Danny is hoping the growing popularity of zero-proof or "unleaded" drinks and shops will inspire restaurants to expand past that thinking. Local spots including Rosie Cannonball, Better Luck Tomorrow, Nancys Hustle and Tiny Champions already offer non-alcoholic cocktails, sans the more juvenile mocktail label. With that, Danny feels Houston is ready to embrace alcohol-free drinks. "This is here, this is serious," Danny said. "It's not a trend, it's not a fad, this is only the beginning." 3 1 of 3 Jacy Lewis/Reporter-Telegram Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Jacy Lewis/191 News Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Two churches in the Permian Basin started praying as news images of Afghans fleeing for their safety concerned the respective congregations. The concern led to action, according to a press release. Connection Christian Church in Odessa and First Christian Church in Midland are sister churches, and officials with both called the International Rescue Committee office in Abilene and learned that the city is receiving 115 refugees to resettle in West Texas this month. What is the delta plus variant? Its a relative of the delta variant, identified by British scientists last month. Because it isn't a variant of interest or concern, it has not yet been officially named after a letter of the Greek alphabet, like the other worrisome variants. Scientists are monitoring the delta-related variant known as AY.4.2. to see if it might spread more easily or be more deadly than previous versions of the coronavirus. In a recent report, U.K. officials said this variant makes up 6% of all analyzed COVID-19 cases in the country and is on an increasing trajectory. The variant has two mutations in the spike protein, which helps the coronavirus invade the bodys cells. These changes have also been seen in other versions of the virus since the pandemic started, but havent gone very far, Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London. The delta variant remains by far the most dominant variant in terms of global circulation said Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organizations technical lead on COVID-19, at a public session this week. Delta is dominant, but delta is evolving, she said, adding that the more the virus circulates, the greater chances it has to mutate. The U.N. health agency is currently tracking 20 variations of the delta variant. The AY.4.2 is one to watch because we have to continuously keep an eye on how this virus is changing," said Van Kerkhove. In the U.S., the delta variant accounts for nearly all COVID-19 cases. The newer delta plus variant has been spotted on occasion, but it's not yet a concern, health officials said. ___ The AP is answering your questions about the coronavirus in this series. Submit them at: FactCheck@AP.org. Read more here: Can new variants of the coronavirus keep emerging? Can I get the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time? Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids? COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) A woman who reported seeing a man later identified as South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh bloodied on a roadside after a shooting told an emergency dispatcher she didnt stop because it looks like a setup, according to 911 calls released Friday. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division made public the emergency calls from the aftermath of the Sept. 4 shooting in which a bullet grazed Murdaugh's head. Authorities have since charged Murdaugh with insurance fraud, saying he tried to have himself killed that day so his only surviving son could collect $10 million in a life insurance payout. The attorney is also facing charges he stole $3.4 million in insurance money meant for the sons of his housekeeper, who died in 2018 a few weeks after falling at the familys home, investigators said. On the 911 call from a man and a woman, the female passerby tells the dispatcher that she saw a man covered in blood, waving his hands on the side of the road. The man accompanying her observes that the man's SUV had the trunk open and the caution lights on. He looks fine, but it kind of looks like a setup, the woman says. So we didnt stop. Oh, I dont blame you, the dispatcher responds. The calls released Friday also include two made by Murdaugh himself near the scene of the rural road in Hampton County where Murdaugh had stopped on Sept. 4. State police have opened at least six investigations into the 53-year-old heir to a legal empire in Hampton County, South Carolina and his family since he found his wife and other son shot dead outside their Colleton County home in June. Among the investigations is a probe of millions of dollars allegedly missing from the huge law firm founded a century ago by his great-grandfather. During Murdaugh's first emergency call, which is about four minutes long, he informs a dispatcher that he had stopped after getting a flat tire: Somebody stopped to help me, and when I turned my back they tried to shoot me, Murdaugh says. Murdaugh proceeds to say he is bleeding pretty bad from somewhere on his head, describing the shooter as a white fella" who is a fair amount younger than him with really, really short hair. In a second call lasting more than seven minutes, Murdaugh says he has secured a ride to the hospital from someone at the scene, and later says he is hanging up because he has encountered the ambulance sent for him by a dispatcher. Days later, state agents proceeded to arrest Curtis Edward Smith, 61, accusing the former Murdaugh client of assisting him in the insurance scheme. Smith has denied shooting Murdaugh, telling The Associated Press that Murdaugh asked to meet with him, but didnt give a reason. When they got to the lonely road, Murdaugh asked Smith to shoot him. Smith refused, they wrestled over the gun and it fired once. Smith told the AP he wasnt sure if Murdaugh was hit. But in October TV interviews, he said he was certain Murdaugh was not struck by the bullet. Smith took the gun and got rid of it. He has not been clear about where he ditched it or why he didnt give it to police. With a friend like that, who needs enemies, Smith told the AP. Murdaugh's lawyers have said he bought drugs from Smith. They gave media outlets medical records they said show he was shot. They mention gunshot several times and said he had blood all over his shirt when he arrived by helicopter to a hospital in Savannah, Georgia. Notes from doctors indicate they saw a bullet wound, Murdaugh had bleeding on his brain and part of his skull was fractured, according to the records. Murdaugh is currently detained at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia after a state judge denied bond Tuesday, saying the attorney's considerable financial resources and mental instability appear for now to make it too risky for him to await trial outside of jail. He had previously spent six weeks at drug rehab centers in Georgia and Florida, his attorneys said, battling an opioid addiction. - Associated Press writer Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) An Alabama native whom a judge alleged was leading the charge during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was denied release Thursday in an Alaska courtroom while his case proceeds. Christian Matthew Manley then waived his right to preliminary hearing and asked that he be immediately transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the jurisdiction prosecuting those charged in the riot. Manley faces several charges, including assaulting or resisting officers using a dangerous weapon; civil disorder; exhibiting disorderly conduct and demonstrating in a Capitol building; and engaging in physical violence and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building. Manley was soft spoken and polite, calling U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew McCrary Scoble sir during his detention hearing in U.S. District Court in Anchorage. He wore a yellow prison outfit and was shackled at the feet. A mask obscured his face, but his beard and hair were shorter than the man shown on videos assistant U.S. Attorney Stephan Collins entered as evidence in the case against the 26-year-old Manley, who has lived in Alaska since August. The government claimed the videos showed Manley in a tunnel, trying to breach the Capitol. The video showed the man wearing cargo pants and a tactical jacket twice using pepper spray on officers, then using those empty cans as projectiles The video shows the man throwing a metal rod at police protecting the building. At one point, the man exits the tunnel and waves for more of the crowd to join the protesters in attempting to breach the building. The videos from both protestors and from Capitol security then show the man making his way to the front of the mob inside the tunnel to get inside the building. The government alleges Manley reached the front, using his body trying to force open the last door to the Capitol while law enforcement tried to hold back the rioters. He was leading the charge, so to speak, the judge said. Manley was not an innocent bystander or a member of the crowd that didnt enter the building, Scoble said before detaining Manley. He came to fight, the judge said. Manley intently watched the videos on either a monitor on the defense table or projected onto a wall, sometimes with a furrowed brow. His federal public defender, Samuel Eilers, unsuccessfully argued for conditional release, saying Manley didnt own guns, didnt post about the riots on social media and didnt have a substance abuse problem. Among the factors in the judges decision to detain him was that breaching the Capitol by itself was a threat to society, and Manley could be a flight risk since he didnt have any close ties to Anchorage. Manley served with the Marines for four years but received a less-than-honorable discharge, the judge said. Two months ago, Manley moved to Alaska where he maintains an apartment. He is a commercial fisherman and was arrested by the FBI while arriving Friday at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. FBI Special Agent Marissa Taggart said she was tipped off by the agent working on the case that Manley would arrive, and she arrested him without incident on the plane. An informant told the FBI they met Manley who he had allegedly told them he attended the riot, according to a statement filed by a special agent investigating the case. The informant later identified Manley from a photograph taken during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The informant also alleged that Manley had earlier shown them the same photo from a list of wanted persons distributed by the FBI. The FBI alleged Manleys phone used a cell site near the Capitol on Jan. 6. A relative of Manleys also identified him to the FBI, and said Manley had discussed going to the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, D.C., the document says. DOTHAN, Ala. (AP) A mother and father from Alabama were both sentenced to prison after pleading guilty in the death of their 2-year-old son, who died in a hot car outside their home in 2019. Robert Patrick King, 36, pleaded guilty to reckless manslaughter on Thursday and was sentenced to more than four years in prison, news outlets reported. His ex-wife Melinda King, 40, got the same sentence after pleading guilty to manslaughter in August, records show. ROME (AP) Amnesty International called Friday for an independent parliamentary inquiry into COVID-19 deaths in Italian nursing homes and reports of retaliation against nursing home staff who spoke out about unsafe conditions there. Amnesty based its findings on interviews with 34 health care workers, as well as union leaders and lawyers. A third of the workers raised concerns about a climate of fear and retaliation in their workplace, the human rights watchdog said in a statement Friday. Italys nursing homes, like those elsewhere in Europe, the U.S. and beyond, saw thousands of COVID-19 deaths, and prosecutors in dozens of jurisdictions have opened investigations into whether to lay any criminal blame. Italy was the first country in the West to be severely hit by the outbreak and soon found itself critically short of protective equipment, face masks and hospital beds, particularly in the hardest-hit Lombardy region. During the first surge, many residents of elder care facilities in Lombardy weren't even taken to the hospital because there was no room for them. In addition to the high toll, Amnesty said some nursing home employees who complained about lack of protective equipment or raised other concerns about unsafe working conditions were subjected to disciplinary proceedings. One case cited by Amnesty concerned the suspension of Pietro La Grassa, a union representative at Milans Pio Albergo Trivulzio nursing home, Italys largest. Italian prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into the Trivulzio home after La Grassa and a handful of doctors and employees raised the alarm about high numbers of deaths early on in the outbreak. Some alleged that managers had told them not to wear masks for fear of spooking residents, a charge management denied. La Grassa was ordered reinstated in December 2020. But Milan prosecutors recently asked to shelve their Trivulzio criminal investigation on the grounds they couldnt establish a causal link between the 300 dead at the facility and actions or omissions taken by management, lawyers said. The Happiness Association, which represents relatives of dozens of Trivulzio victims, announced Friday they would file a motion to oppose the prosecutors request and ask a judge to overrule them, saying there was sufficient evidence of wrongdoing to warrant a trial. We relatives refuse to not get an answer to this fundamental question of justice, the groups head, Alessandro Azzoni, said in a statement. The dismissal of the proceedings would represent a failure in the search for the truth and would sanction the injustice of the Italian legal system. Amnesty's Italy office issued a report last year entitled Abandoned," alleging Italian authorities violated the human rights of nursing home residents in three of the hardest-hit regions, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto, by failing to protect their right to life and health. The overall death toll among residents of Italian elder care facilities isnt known, since residents werent tested early on and suspected COVID-19 deaths dont feature into Italys official count. The national Superior Institute of Health found that at least 9,154 people died in nursing homes from February-May 2020, but that was based on partial responses to a voluntary survey of a quarter of Italys estimated 4,600 nursing homes. Amnestys call for a parliamentary inquiry follows a decision by lawmakers in July to greatly limit the scope of a parliamentary inquest into the pandemic to merely look into the events prior to Jan. 30, 2020, when the government declared a state of emergency and suspended flights to and from China. As a result, the Italian inquiry wont consider the actual outbreak in Italy or how it was handled here, since the first locally transmitted case was only confirmed in northern Lombardy in late February. Just last week, relatives of victims launched an online petition for Parliament to return to the original scope of an inquiry into the causes of the outbreak here and the actions taken by the government and the World Health Organization in managing it. Aside from that, the consumer rights group Codacons has been gathering data on behalf of relatives of people who died in elder care homes and has turned the information over to prosecutors. If those cases ever reach trial, the relatives could join the prosecution as injured parties in the civil portion of the case. ___ Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic Heaven Hill, one of the world's largest bourbon producers, announced a tentative contract deal Friday with a union representing striking workers, just days after signaling it intended to start hiring permanent replacement employees for bottling and warehouse operations in Kentucky. About 420 members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23D went on strike about six weeks ago, forming picket lines at Heaven Hills operations in Bardstown after rejecting a previous contract proposal. The workers will vote Saturday on the latest five-year contract offer. The dispute revolved around health care and worker scheduling issues. Wrangling over scheduling was a sign of the bourbon industrys growing pains as it tries to keep up with global demand. The agreement continues Heaven Hills long-standing commitment to its team members with industry-leading health care, wage growth and increased schedule flexibility, Heaven Hill said in a statement Friday. Neither Kentucky-based Heaven Hill nor union officials provided details Friday about the tentative contract deal. Local union President Matt Aubrey said the union reached a fully recommended tentative agreement with the company. With the strong support of the Bardstown community, these hardworking men and women have been standing together for more than a month to protect these good Kentucky jobs that their families have counted on for generations, Aubrey said in a statement. "Heaven Hill workers will make their voices heard tomorrow when they vote on this tentative agreement. Family-owned and operated Heaven Hill produces Evan Williams, one of the worlds top-selling bourbons. The spirits company's other brands include Elijah Craig, Henry McKenna, Old Fitzgerald, Larceny and Parkers Heritage Collection. On Monday, Heaven Hill announced the contract talks had reached an impasse. The company said it would begin the process of hiring permanent replacement workers. Union leaders responded that they were willing to continue negotiations and accused the company of wanting to replace the striking employees with non-union workers. But the public acrimony did not permanently derail the negotiations. The two sides resumed bargaining Thursday, resulting in the tentative agreement announced a day later. Workers often spend long careers at Kentucky bourbon distilleries, and the jobs often attract multiple generations of families. Disputes flare up occasionally, and other strikes occurred in recent years at Jim Beam and Four Roses other iconic names in the bourbon sector. The bourbon industry has been on a long upward trajectory. Combined U.S. sales for bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and rye whiskey rose 8.2%, or $327 million, to $4.3 billion in 2020, despite plunging sales from bars and restaurants because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States reported early this year. Kentucky distilleries produce 95% of the worlds bourbon supply, according to the Kentucky Distillers Association. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Environmental groups were cautiously optimistic about California Gov. Gavin Newsoms proposal to ban new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of schools and homes, but the oil industry and labor allies warned the plan would raise California energy prices and potentially bring political consequences for the governor. The ambitious proposal, announced Thursday, would create the nation's largest buffer zone between wells and community sites, but it has a long way to go before it becomes official policy in the nation's seventh-largest oil producing state. It would not shut down existing wells within the 3,200-foot (975-meter) zone but subject them to new pollution controls. Newsom's administration pointed to studies that show living near a drilling site can elevate the risks of birth defects, respiratory problems and other health issues. More than 2 million Californians are estimated to live within that distance of drilling, mostly in Los Angeles and Kern counties. This is about public health, public safety, clean air, clean water this is about our kids and our grandkids and our future," Newsom said in Wilmington, a Los Angeles neighborhood with the city's highest concentration of wells. A greener, cleaner, brighter, more resilient future is in our grasp, and this is a commitment to advance that cause." It's the latest in a series of bold proposals the Democratic governor, who just survived an attempted recall, has made to wind down oil and gas production in California, which holds significant sway over national policy. He has directed state agencies to create plans to halt production by 2045 and end the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. But some environmental groups, particularly those that represent low-income people and communities of color most affected by pollution, want him to act more swiftly. They were encouraged by the proposal but want to see Newsom take a more aggressive stand against existing neighborhood drilling. In a statement, Juan Flores, a community organizer with the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment, said the plan misses the chance to prohibit new permits for existing wells, a key element for our communities." On the other side, the Western States Petroleum Association, an oil and gas lobbying group, and the State Building and Construction Trades Council, a union, warned the rule would make energy less reliable in California, forcing the state to buy more oil from other nations and leading to a spike in prices. In the past, efforts to create setbacks have failed in the capital, where the two groups are influential. I think the people of California are going to get (Newsom's) attention when prices go through the roof," said Robbie Hunter, president of the union. He said the rule was designed by extreme environmentalists." The oil industry directly employs about 150,000 people in California, according to the Western States Petroleum Association. The state will now open a 60-day public comment period, then the rule will go through an economic analysis. It won't take effect until at least 2023. Newsom painted California as taking a more aggressive stand than any other state on how close drilling can be to homes and schools, but the state is behind its fellow oil and gas producing states. Colorado, Pennsylvania and even Texas have rules about how close oil wells can be to certain properties. Colorados 2,000-foot (nearly 610-meter) setback on new drilling, adopted last year, is the nations strictest rule. But California's proposed plan goes further than the 2,500 foot (762 meter) buffer environmental groups sought. A 15-member panel of experts convened by the state said studies consistently demonstrate evidence of harm at distances less than 1 kilometer," which is slightly more than 3,200 feet. The panel acknowledged that no specific studies have been conducted to identify the safest distance between drilling and communities. Existing oil and gas wells that fall within that distance will not be forced to close if the proposal is adopted. But they would be subject to a host of new burdensome and expensive pollution control rules, including leak detection and response plans, vapor prevention, water sampling and restrictions on light and sound pollution in the middle of the night. The rules were proposed by the California Geologic Energy Management Division, known as CalGEM, which regulates the states oil industry and issues drilling permits. Newsom directed it to focus on health and safety when he took office in 2019, specifically telling the division to consider setbacks around oil drilling to protect community health. CalGEM has long faced criticism that its too cozy with the industry it regulates. Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the state natural resources agency, acknowledged the regulator needs to better enforce oil companies compliance with state law. There are about 18,000 active wells within the 3,200-foot zone, said Lisa Lien-Mager, spokeswoman for the California Natural Resources Agency. Community sites include homes and apartments, preschools and K-12 schools, day cares, businesses, and health care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes. Environmental advocates say they will be closely watching the process to make sure the final rules protect people living near drilling sites and, if the rule takes effect, that state regulators actually enforce it. This is an incredibly long-fought-for first step to getting us to stop drilling where people live, work and play, but well see how the regulations end up," said Martha Dina Arguello, executive director for Physicians for Social Responsibility, Los Angeles. Jared Blumenfeld, California's environmental protection secretary, said the new pollution control rules signal to existing drillers that theyre going to have to invest a significant amount of time, money and attention in order to get into compliance." BEIJING (AP) China on Friday said there is no room for compromise or concessions over the issue of Taiwan, following a comment by U.S. President Joe Biden that the U.S. is committed to defending the island if it is attacked. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reasserted Chinas longstanding claim that the island is its territory at a daily briefing after Biden made his comment a day before at a forum hosted by CNN. China has recently upped its threat to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary by flying warplanes near the island and rehearsing beach landings. When it comes to issues related to Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity and other core interests, there is no room for China to compromise or make concessions, and no one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will and strong ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wang said. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. The Taiwan issue is purely an internal affair of China that allows no foreign intervention," Wang said. Biden's comments on Thursday were viewed as stretching the strategic ambiguity" Washington has maintained over how it would respond to an assault on the self-governing island republic. The U.S. should be cautious with its words and actions on the Taiwan issue, and not send any wrong signals to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence, so as not to seriously damage China-U.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Wang said. At the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that Bidens comments about Taiwan weren't meant to signal a change in approach. What I can convey to you is that our policy has not changed, Psaki said. He was not intending to convey a change in policy, nor has he made a decision to change our policy." In his comments, Biden said the U.S. did not want a new Cold War but expressed concern about whether China was going to engage in activities that will put them in a position where they may make a serious mistake." I just want to make China understand that we are not going to step back, we are not going to change any of our views. Biden said. Asked whether the U.S. would come to Taiwan's defense if it were attacked, he replied: Yes, we have a commitment to do that. Asked Friday whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan if the island were attacked by China, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a reporter he would not discuss hypothetical situations, but also said, Nobody wants to see cross-Strait issues come to blows - certainly not President Biden, and theres no reason that it should. Speaking in Brussels after a NATO defense ministers' meeting, Austin added that Washington remains committed to its longstanding one China policy. In Taipei, a spokesperson for independence-minded President Tsai Ing-wen said the U.S. has shown its support for Taiwan through concrete actions and the island's 23 million citizens would not surrender to pressure or act rashly. Taiwan will demonstrate our firm determination to defend ourselves and continue to work with countries with similar values to make a positive contribution toward the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific regions peace and stability, spokesperson Chang Tun-han said. China and Taiwan split during a civil war in 1949. The U.S. cut formal diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 in order to recognize Beijing. The U.S. does not openly contest China's claim to Taiwan, but is committed by law to ensure the island can defend itself and to treat all threats toward it as matters of grave concern." Under President Xi Jinping, who is also Communist Party leader and head of the armed forces, China has been stepping up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan. Over its National Day weekend at the beginning of the month, China sent a record 149 military aircraft southwest of Taiwan in strike group formations, prompting Taiwan to scramble aircraft and activate its air defense missile systems. China has also recently held beach landing exercises on its side of the roughly 160-kilometer (100-mile) -wide Taiwan Strait that, like the aircraft incursions, it described as a warning to Tsai's administration. The U.S. has reinforced its support for Taiwan with military sales. State Department spokesman Ned Price said this month that American support for Taiwan is rock solid." The U.S. has also been very clear that we are committed to deepening our ties with Taiwan, Price said. On Wednesday, Bidens pick for ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, told lawmakers considering his nomination that Americans should have confidence in our strength when dealing with the rise of China, a nation he said the U.S. and its allies could manage. Burns echoed the Biden administrations stand on cooperating with China where possible but condemning many of its actions, including its policies toward Taiwan and the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong, where it has virtually eliminated dissident voices through stiff legislation and arrests. ___ AP National Security Writer Robert Burns in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. BEIJING (AP) The Chinese government said Friday it is investigating possible tax evasion by a subsidiary of high-profile real estate developer SOHO China Ltd., the target of an aborted takeover attempt this year by Blackstone Group. The announcement comes amid a flurry of anti-monopoly and other enforcement actions against internet and other private companies as the ruling Communist Party tightens control over the economy. CROSS PLAINS, Wis. (AP) A Dane County sheriff's deputy fired her gun after being stabbed by a man she was checking on at a park near Cross Plains, officials said Friday. The deputy saw a suspicious person while on routine patrol about 8:15 p.m. Thursday in Festge Park in the Town of Berry, sheriff's officials said. The Three Mile House, named so because it was located three miles outside of Edwardsville, was built in 1858 and was a local landmark until the home burned down in May 1985. The location has also long been rumored to be haunted by multiple spirits. The house saw multiple owners and multiple different functions in its time standing, serving as a tavern, grocery store, post office, inn, casino, restaurant and antique store, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. When the home burned down, reports said it was owned by Steve and Mitzi Ottwell of Alton. When the house burned down in 1985, it was the oldest building in Madison County, and had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to the work of one-time owners, Doug and Beverly Elliot. Rumors have spread about Abraham Lincoln once staying in the house, as Lincoln was a close friend of Joseph and Matthew Gillespie who lived on Main Street. However, as Carol Frisse, archival research assistant at the Madison County Archival Library, said, "that was never proven." Also not proven are the rumors that the Three Mile House may have been a stop on the underground railroad. One of the spirits rumored to haunt the house, Frisse said, is that of a runaway slave named Tom. Former employees and owners at the Three Mile House told stories of a slave named Tom who died and was buried at the site, according to the Post-Dispatch. The story goes that Tom was never given a proper Christian burial and roams the grounds still looking for a proper blessing needed to set his soul free. Employees never got explanations for being tripped when there was no one there, items disappearing without a trace, or about a face seen in a basement mirror. There are multiple other spirits said to haunt the location, Frisse said. "We have reports of the lady in black with a lilac perfume, a spirit called the Whistler and a little girl named Celia," Frisse said, after looking through the archival library's files. "We also have an Irish immigrant who possessed a man and gave him an Irish brogue." Altogether, there are said to be seven spirits at the location. Stories of the location being haunted began with the Elliots in the late 1970s, as the Elliots renovated the house. According to Haunted Illinois, there were small balls and sparks of light which flickered about in the building each night during the Elliots' ownership and the Elliots' younger daughter, Lynn, swore that dark shadows were chasing her about her room. The weird events continued and soon, the balls of energy, strange sounds and weird tapping and knocking noises became everyday events to the Elliots and they got used to them. Slowly, per Haunted Illinois, they were beginning to accept the idea that the Three Mile House might be haunted. The Elliots encountered numerous other things as they worked to turn the house into a restaurant, including moving furniture. Articles written about the restaurant at the time mentioned the ghosts, according to Haunted Illinois, which seemed to help business. All that remains today of the Three Mile House is a large, grassy mound and a few bricks. The location can be seen off Route 159 between Route 140 and Edwardsville. The site is on the east side of the road, directly across the street from a small cemetery. GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) The former finance director of the Nebraska State Fair was sentenced Friday to 30 days in jail and 15 years' probation for stealing more than $150,000 from the fair. Patrick Kopke, 30, received the sentence Friday and was ordered to pay restitution of more than $158,000 to the State Fair, television station KSNB reported. He was also ordered to undergo counseling for a gambling addiction. LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) Violent clashes erupted between Pakistan's security forces and Islamists in the eastern city of Lahore on Friday, killing at least two policemen and two demonstrators, a police spokesman and witnesses said. The incident happened after thousands of Islamists launched their long march" from the city toward the capital, Islamabad, demanding that the government release the leader of their outlawed party. The rallygoers had set out for Islamabad to pressure the government to release Saad Rizvi, the head of the Tehreek-e-Labiak Pakistan party. Rizvi was arrested last year amid demonstrations against France over publishing caricatures of Islams Prophet Muhammad. Pakistan has deployed police and paramilitary personnel to prevent the demonstrators from leaving Lahore. Authorities also suspended cellular service in parts of Lahore and blocked roads. The situation worsened when police tried to stop the rallygoers, witnesses said. The violence disrupted normal life in parts of Lahore, where residents were facing problems in reaching home because of the closure of some roads and continued clashes between police and Islamists. Rizvi's party said they were peaceful and that police suddenly started firing tear gas shells. Sajid Saifi, a spokesman for Rizvi's party, blamed police and paramilitary forces for initiating the violence. He said the use of force by authorities killed at least two demonstrators and injured hundreds of people. Some were having a breathing problem because of the use of tear gas, he added. Saifi alleged that police were not allowing them to transport their injured supporters to hospital. According to witnesses, rallygoers were still walking towards a highway leading to Islamabad. Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Supporters of Rizvi's party shared videos showing police firing tear gas shells as some of the injured protesters waited for medical aid. Police spokesman Rana Arif said two of the police officers were killed and another was injured when protesters threw stones. Rizvi's supporters said several protesters were wounded when police swung batons and fired tear gas. Shipping containers were also being brought in to block the main Islamabad highway and surrounding roads to keep protesters from entering the capital from other nearby cities, towns and villages. Lahore is located about 350 kilometers (210 miles) from Islamabad, and most of the rallygoers are walking, although they had arranged buses and cars to reach the capital in a convoy. The TLP has a history of staging protests and sit-ins to press their demands. On Friday, Rizvi's party leader Ajmal Qadri said his supporters launched the long march" after talks with the government failed to secure Rizvi's release. Rizvis party gained prominence in Pakistans 2018 elections, campaigning on a single issue: defending the country's blasphemy law, which calls for the death penalty for anyone who insults Islam. It also has a history of staging violent protests to pressure the government to accept its demands. The latest development comes at a time when Prime Minister Imran Khan was visiting Lahore. Khan is expected to leave for Saudi Arabia on an official visit on Saturday. Friday's rally against Khan's government also comes amid increasing price hike in the country. Surging prices of food, gas, electricity and other items have made him unpopular, although he still holds the majority in the parliament. ___ Ahmed reported from Islamabad. PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) Kosovo has ordered the expulsion of two Russian diplomats for allegedly "endangering national security, the Balkan country's president said Friday, accusing Russia of trying to destabilize the region. President Vjosa Osmani said in a statement that she asked the foreign ministry to declare two officials of the Liaison Office of the Russian Federation in Kosovo persona non grata. MOSCOW (AP) Falling scaffolding broke off one of the teeth on the top of the Kremlin wall on Friday, prompting Russian authorities to seal off Red Square. A gust of wind brought down the scaffolding, which was being used to repair a section of the Kremlin wall near Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin's tomb on Red Square, breaking one of the 1,045 teeth, known as merlons, that have V-shaped notches in them. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Family members were hoping for more answers from law enforcement regarding the cause of death for Brian Laundrie, who was a person of interest in the death of girlfriend Gabby Petito while the couple was on a cross-country road trip, an attorney said Friday. I was informed by law enforcement yesterday that perhaps by mid-day today wed have some more information," the Laundries' attorney Steve Bertolino told ABC's Good Morning America" on Friday. The FBI on Thursday identified human remains found a day earlier in a Florida nature preserve as those of Brian Laundrie. A notebook and backpack believed to belong to Laundrie were also found in the wilderness park, the FBI said. The area where they were found had been underwater during previous searches. A statement from the FBI did not list a cause of death. It was not clear how long the remains may have been submerged in water. Petito's body was found Sept. 19 at edge of Wyomings Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundries' privacy at this time, the FBI statement said. Richard Stafford, attorney for Petito's family, said they would have no immediate reaction to the identification of Laundrie's remains. "They are grieving the loss of their beautiful daughter," Stafford said in an email. Gabbys family will make a statement at the appropriate time and when they are emotionally ready. The discovery of the remains concluded a massive search involving federal, state and local law enforcement that began shortly after Laundrie disappeared Sept. 14, two weeks after the 23-year-old returned alone to his parents home in North Port, Florida. The investigation into Petitos slaying, however, is not yet concluded. But only Laundrie has ever been identified by law enforcement officials as a person of interest in the case. Petitos family reported her missing Sept. 11, launching a search that garnered worldwide media attention and, in Laundries case, focused largely on the Carlton Reserve wilderness park near the Laundrie home. It is a densely wooded, swampy area thats home to alligators, coyotes, bobcats, snakes and numerous other creatures. The couple first met as teenagers on Long Island, New York, and more recently moved to Floridas Gulf Coast to live with his parents. They first gained an online following while on their trip in a converted Ford Transit van in videos filled with happy scenes that may have concealed deeper problems. After Petito disappeared, the case became a true-crime obsession on social media. The intense focus on Petitos case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing Indigenous women and other people of color. Petito, 22, was white. The coroner in Wyoming concluded Petito died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks. The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no domestic violence charges were filed. The police department there is conducting an internal review to determine if policy was followed. Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the van the couple took on their trip. The van was later impounded by authorities. He was reported missing after telling his parents he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve. Dozens of unconfirmed tips poured into authorities about spotting Laundrie from Wyoming to the Appalachian Trail, but none panned out. The remains were found Wednesday as searches concentrated on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found. That park is directly adjacent to the Carlton Reserve, both of which are about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Sarasota, Florida. ___ An earlier version of this report had an incorrect spelling of Brian Laundrie's name. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Malaysia said Friday it will reopen to foreign workers to address a labor crunch, and allow fully vaccinated tourists at the northern resort island of Langkawi next month without quarantine. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government will use the reopening of Langkawi on Nov. 15, the first time foreign tourists will be allowed back since March 2020, as a gauge for three months before opening up the rest of the country. It comes amid a sharp fall in coronavirus cases, and a beefed-up vaccination campaign with 94% of adults or 72% of the population getting their shots. Daily infections have fallen to below 7,000 from a peak of more than 20,000 in August. Malaysia has recorded a total 2.41 million cases, with more than 28,000 deaths. Ismail said only holidaymakers from some countries, a list of which will be released soon, will be allowed in initially. They will have to undergo COVID-19 tests three days before departure and during their stay. Travelers must also have at least $80,000 insurance coverage, stay for a minimum of three days and engage a local tour guide, he added. Ismail said the government has also agreed to let foreign workers return to the plantation sector on a case-by-case basis. He said the workers must be fully vaccinated, have a negative COVID-19 test three days before arrival and undergo a seven-day quarantine. Migrant worker quotas and entry dates for other industries are still being worked out, he said. Officials have said the first batch of 32,000 foreign workers is expected soon. Malaysia banned the hiring of foreign workers in June last year to give locals more employment opportunities, but it sparked a severe labor shortage. The National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia said that the number of foreign workers has dwindled to 1.1 million from 1.9 million in 2018, the Star daily newspaper reported Thursday. The chamber data showed that plantations require 70,000 foreign workers, the rubber glove industry 25,000, furniture 30,000, construction 200,000, manufacturing 25,000, services 45,000 and plastics more than 6,000, the Star reported. U.S. Customs and Border officers found a migrant trying to enter the country illegally hiding under a deflated mattress, according to an arrest affidavit. Monica Cecilia Trevino was arrested and charged with transport, attempt to transport and conspire to transport a migrant. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A Minneapolis police officer has been charged with manslaughter and vehicular homicide for a crash in July that killed an innocent motorist while the officer was pursuing a stolen vehicle, a prosecutor announced Friday. Officer Brian Cummings was driving nearly 80 mph (129 kph) in Minneapolis with his siren and lights activated when his squad car slammed into another vehicle, killing 40-year-old Leneal Frazier, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a statement. The crash ended a chase that lasted more than 20 blocks, including through residential neighborhoods where the posted speed limit is 25 mph. Police are supposed to protect and serve citizens, and to act in a manner consistent with their sworn oath to do so. Officer Cummings actions deviated from his oath and his negligence caused the death of Leneal Frazier, Freeman said. During Cummings chase, Fraziers Jeep entered an intersection on a green light. According to investigators, the driver of the stolen vehicle narrowly missed Fraziers Jeep before the squad car struck it on the drivers side. An accident reconstruction report said the fatal collision "can be attributed to the Defendant for failure to operate his vehicle with due regard for the safety of other motorists. Mayor Jacob Frey said after Fraziers death that the city would review its pursuit policy, and that review was still ongoing Friday. A police spokesman said this summer that the policy was properly followed in the chase, but the complaint clearly suggested that prosecutors don't think it was by quoting directly from the policy: Officers shall not initiate a pursuit or shall terminate a pursuit in progress if the pursuit poses an unreasonable risk to the officers, the public or passengers of the vehicle being pursued who may be unwilling participants. Cummings' attorney, Tom Plunkett, said Cummings was pursuing a suspect in a violent carjacking and that the occupants had been on a crime spree, a practice that has unfortunately become too common in Minneapolis." The city's police union didn't immediately respond to a message. Frazier was the uncle of Darnella Frazier, whose cellphone video of Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyds neck was viewed worldwide and helped launch a global protest movement against racial injustice. Chauvin was convicted of murder and sentenced this year in Floyds 2020 death. The Frazier family, which had called for Cummings to be prosecuted in Frazier's death, welcomed the charges as a first step toward justice, according to their lawyers, Ben Crump and Jeff Storms. The Frazier family and our legal team are grateful for the charges brought against Brian Cummings for the reckless killing of Leneal Frazier," they said in a statement. We commend the Hennepin County Attorneys Office for having the courage to hold law enforcement accountable in this instance. No innocent civilian should ever lose their life because of unwarranted high-speed chases in residential neighborhoods. Both charges against Cummings carry a presumptive prison sentence of four years under state sentencing guidelines. Jail records show he was released on his own recognizance without bail required and has a hearing set for Nov. 9. The department's policy manual allows pursuits for serious and violent crimes. including robbery, and flagrantly reckless driving that is life-threatening to the public." The complaint said the stolen vehicle was suspected in thefts from businesses that involved some limited use of force" but none involving weapons or resulted in injuries. Chases for simple auto theft are not allowed. Freeman made a fresh plea Friday for law enforcement across the state to change their pursuit policies, saying they don't do enough to protect human life. He said responses to previous criticism had been weak and ineffective. He said Minnesota agencies reported 40 fatal injuries resulting from pursuits from 2013-2020. This must stop, Freeman wrote. Pursuits must be reserved for only the most serious crimes and cases. The charges against Cummings came a day after former Minneapolis police Officer Mohamed Noor was resentenced on a manslaughter charge in the 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who was shot minutes after she had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home. They also came ahead of a Nov. 2 vote in which Minneapolis residents will decide whether to replace the citys police department with a new public safety unit. ___ Associated Press writer Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee contributed to this report. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Nebraska's latest monthly unemployment rate of 2% of was the nation's lowest and the lowest on record for the state, a state agency reported Friday. The Nebraska Department of Labor said the September rate was down from August's rate of 2.2%. The 2% is the lowest since Nebraska began keeping records of unemployment data in 1976, and is tied with the nationwide record low set by Hawaii in January 2020 and Connecticut in August 2020. The total for nonfarm employment in September stood at nearly 1.020 million. Nebraskas unemployment rate came in ahead of No. 2 Utahs 2.4% rate. The national unemployment rate for September was 4.8%. The number of employed individuals has returned to pre-pandemic levels with over 1 million individuals employed in September," Nebraska Commissioner of Labor John H. Albin said. "This is the highest number of employed individuals since March of 2020. The counts of employed and unemployed in the labor force are based on a survey conducted by the Census Bureau regarding employment status, according to the Nebraska Department of Labor. Those who indicate they are not working and are not seeking work are not considered part of the labor force and are not included in the unemployment rate. LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) Nigerian security forces have killed the new leader of an Islamic State-linked extremist group blamed for killing hundreds in Nigeria and neighboring West African countries, a senior security official said on Friday. Nigerias national security adviser Babagana Monguno said that Malam Bako, who recently succeeded Abu Musab al-Barnawi as leader of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), was taken out by troops earlier this week. Bako's death could not be independently verified and there was no immediate confirmation from ISWAP. The development would be another heavy blow on ISWAP following last week's announcement by the Nigerian military that al-Barnawi was killed. Bako was in August appointed a member of the Shura Council, ISWAPs consultative assembly, as the militants consolidated their position in the Lake Chad basin following the death of rival leader Abubakar Shekau of the Boko Haram extremist group. Monguno praised Nigerian security forces fighting the extremist rebels in the northeast and the Lake Chad basin for doing an excellent job after eliminating ISWAP's leader and his successor within a span of a month. He said the IS-linked group is facing a leadership crisis and that Nigerian military operations have put a lot of pressure on ISWAP and its rival Boko Haram. The reported killing of al-Barnawi and Bako have refocused attention to the conflict in Nigerias northeast, that began 12 years ago with an insurgency launched by the Boko Haram. The Nigerian military recently announced that about 6,000 militants have so far surrendered following Shekaus death in June this year. Security experts told the AP that most of those surrendering were forced to join Boko Haram under Shekau or didn't want to associate with ISWAP, which has been Boko Harams rival since the groups' 2016 split. Unlike Boko Haram which often violently targets civilian populations, ISWAP targets the Nigerian military and those who aid soldiers. IS has also tried to capitalize on Shekau's death by launching a massive recruitment drive and gaining more Boko Haram-held territories especially within the Sambisa forest. The United Nations Development Program estimates that the conflict has resulted in 350,000 deaths, with 314,000 of those from indirect causes. TOKYO (AP) Carlos Ghosn, the former auto industry superstar whose career screeched to a halt with his arrest three years ago, isn't about to settle into quiet retirement. The former head of the Nissan-Renault alliance fled to Lebanon in late 2019, while out on bail facing financial misconduct charges in Japan. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Ghosn was confident, energized and determined to fight to restore his reputation. Im going to be there. Im going to defend my rights as long as I have the energy to do it, Ghosn, 67, said via Zoom from his home in Beirut. His story is far from finished, he said. Ghosn fled from Japan while hiding in a big cargo box on a private jet. The French, Brazilian-born Ghosn took refuge in Lebanon, his ancestral homeland, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Ghosn said he is trying to get Interpol to drop its red flag, which requests police worldwide to seek out and arrest persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence. He's eager to be able to travel outside of Lebanon, but the process is likely to be bureaucratic and long. Japanese prosecutors say they are still intent on pursuing him on allegations of under-reporting his compensation and of breach of trust in misusing Nissan money for personal gain charges he denies. Japan has extradition treaties with the U.S. and South Korea and prosecutors said they would seek help from other countries, including Brazil and France, if Ghosn travels there. Apart from the main case in Japan, Ghosn is under investigation in France and is being sued by Nissan Motor Co. in Japan for alleged financial damages. Tokyo prosecutors have refused to send his files to Lebanon for the criminal case to be tried there. Nissans French alliance partner Renault sent Ghosn to Japan in 1999 to steer a turnaround when the Japanese automaker was on the verge of collapse. Under Ghosn, Nissan became more profitable than Renault. The partnership expanded to include smaller rival Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and other automakers. Nissan owns 15% of Renault, which owns a much bigger 43% of Nissan. The government of France owns 15% of Renault. Analysts estimate the damage suffered by the Nissan-Renault alliance over the Ghosn scandal at billions of dollars in capital value, sales and brand image. Nissan expects to eke out a profit this fiscal year after losing money for the last two years. Aaron Ho, analyst at New York-based CFRA Research, believes Nissan has fallen behind in an intensely competitive industry because of the Ghosn scandal. Before Nissan resolves its internal issues over corporate power and puts its resources back into making tangible progress which takes a lot of time, and a lot of time has been wasted to create values for its end demand, we are not optimistic, he said. Ghosn asserts the case against him was concocted in a power struggle within Nissans boardroom. He said he wants to show a conspiracy by Nissan officials who, worried about a takeover-like merger by Renault, got Japanese authorities to pursue a criminal case against him. The only way I can qualify them are: Thugs, inside Nissan, he said. Nissan, which has denounced Ghosn, does not comment on the Ghosn case. Testimony at the trial of Greg Kelly, a former top executive at Nissan Motor Co. who was arrested at the same time as Ghosn, has shown that Nissan officials did seek out prosecutors. The case against Ghosn and Kelly centers on elaborate calculations to compensate Ghosn after retirement for a pay cut he took beginning in 2009, when disclosure of big executive pay became a legal requirement in Japan. Prosecutors allege Ghosn broke the law by failing to report that compensation, which was never paid or even formally agreed upon. Kelly says he is innocent, and was trying to find legal ways to pay Ghosn to retain him. Ironically, Ghosn says the money he allegedly failed to report was based on him retiring in 2018, the year he was arrested. Ghosn looks anything but retired. Hes working on movies, teaching classes on management, consulting for businesses and helping out with university research on character assassination. Look. Books, books, books, he said, when asked what else he's been working on. Broken Alliances," an English version of the 2020 French book Le temps de la verite, was released in September. He is writing a book with his wife Carole, who also is wanted in Japan, about their ordeal. Human rights advocates and other critics say Japan's system amounts to hostage justice, allowing suspects to be questioned for days without a lawyer present while they are kept in solitary confinement in a small, spartan cell. The conviction rate of over 99% has raised questions over forced confessions. One of the things I could do for Japan is fighting with all those people who are opposed in Japan to the hostage justice system, said Ghosn. His ride is still a Nissan, the Patrol sport-utility vehicle, a model he worked on thats popular in the Middle East. And he insists there was no way he could have foreseen the trouble that was headed his way. If somebody was telling you before it happened that I was going to be arrested, he said, you would laugh. You would say, Come on. It is a joke. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama HARTFORD Arrests have been made in the August shooting death of 25-year-old Hartford resident Zayon Collier. On Aug. 4, Hartford Police were dispatched to Blue Hills Avenue around 12:45 p.m. for a report of gunfire inside the building, police said in a press release on Friday. Officers were directed to a common stairwell where they observed evidence of gunfire, the release read. Officers checked on the well-being of building residents and located Collier, who was found dead from gunshot wounds inside one of the apartments, police said. Hartford Police Major Crimes and Crime Scene Divisions responded and assumed the investigation, resulting in arrest warrants being issued for Mark Outlaw, 22, and George Rodriguez, 27, both of Hartford. Outlaw was located on Oct. 13 and taken into custody by Hartford Police Violent Crimes Unit and the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, police said. He was charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Outlaw was booked and remains in custody on a $1.5 million bond. Rodriguez was found in Texas on Friday and was taken into custody by United States marshals on murder, conspiracy to commit murder and criminal possession of a firearm charges, police said. Rodriguez is being held as a fugitive from justice and is awaiting extradition to Connecticut, police said. christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com Portillo's, the famous hot dog institution of the Chicagoland area and which has a location in nearby Springfield, has gone public on the stock market, with shares reaching $31 on Thursday. Those shares were up 56% in the hours after Portillo's market debut, after Portillo's announced it was offering 20,270,270 shares at a price of $20 per share on Wednesday. Portillo's had announced its plans to go public earlier this summer and said it believes it could eventually grow from 67 restaurants to more than 600 over the next 25 years, per the Chicago Tribune. The chain ships food to customers in all 50 states, and has continued its expansion outside of Illinois, moving into states like Florida, Texas and Arizona. Portillo's plans to keep adding a restaurant a year in the Midwest while targeting Texas as a new market, as Texas is currently Portillo's top state for ship-to-home sales, Portillo's Chief Operating Officer Derrick Pratt told the Tribune. In the initial public offering, most shares are allocated to large institutional investors such as mutual funds and money management firms. However, the initial offering will end Oct. 25, the company announced, and after that more shares will be available to more Americans. Portillo's, which is being traded under "PTLO," is currently in nine states, according to Yahoo! Finance. Portillo's opened better than the other food brand which opened on the stock market recently, Vita Coco. Portillo's raised $405 million in its share sale, according to Bloomberg. That allowed the company to be priced at the top of a range from $17 to $20. The company was trading at $29.46 by the end of the trading day in New York. PERRY, Ga. (AP) A gun went off and wounded a 73-year-old man while he and his son struggled for it outside a Georgia police and fire station, and the son then fatally shot himself. Local news outlets report the two drove to the city of Perry's Public Safety Building on Thursday, and 73-year-old William Edes went in, seeking help. BERLIN (AP) Large technology companies such as SAP, IBM and Google are underreporting their greenhouse gas emissions at a time of heightened scrutiny over the role of corporations in driving climate change, a study released Friday claimed. Research published in the journal Nature Communications found inconsistencies in the way companies declare their carbon footprint, a measure that is increasingly considered important for investors. The study, conducted by researchers at the Technical University of Munich, examined so-called scope 3 emissions that account for a large share of corporate carbon footprints, such as business travel, employee commuting and how companies' products are used. Focusing on 56 companies in the tech industry, they found that on average these failed to disclose about half of their emissions. Christian Stoll, one of the report's authors, said some companies such as Google's parent Alphabet were found to have been consistent in how they reported their carbon footprint, but excluded some emissions that should have been counted. Others, such as IBM, had reported their carbon footprint differently depending on the audience and excluded emissions that should have been included. Neither Google nor IBM immediately responded to requests for comment. The authors suggested ways in which companies can improve their emissions reporting. Laura Draucker, senior manager of corporate greenhouse gas emissions at nonprofit business research firm Ceres, said she agreed with the Nature paper's conclusion that companies' emissions disclosure needs to improve. However, we cannot wait for perfect data, said Draucker, who wasn't involved in the study. Companies can use estimates and screening tools to identify hot spots for climate risk along their value chain, and they can set goals and take actions now to meet those goals while at the same time, working to improve data collection and quality. Ceres' own research showed many of the largest U.S companies lack ambitious climate goals, she added. ___ Follow AP's coverage of climate change at http://apnews.com/hub/climate BANGKOK (AP) Five men robbed a bank in Yangon on Friday, in at least the third major bank heist in Myanmar's largest city in just over three months, the military-installed government said, The government blamed the previous robberies on opposition groups opposed to military rule, though none is known to have claimed responsibility. Fridays robbery, in which 313,910,000 kyats (about $157,000) was reported stolen, took place at a KBZ Bank branch in a shopping mall in Yangons Botahtaung neighborhood, the government's information team said in a statement posted on the Facebook page of People Media, an online news site. KBZ, also known as Kanbawza Bank, is a private commercial bank and has the largest number of branches in the country. There is widespread opposition to the military's ouster of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February. Opponents initially staged peaceful protests but confrontations have escalated after authorities used deadly force to quell the demonstrations. A low-level insurgency is occurring in many parts of the country, with opponents of the military employing violence in self-defense and in targeted killings and sabotage. Banks are generally unpopular with opponents of military rule because they are seen as helping to prop it up with measures such as strict currency controls. The economy has nosedived since the army takeover, due in part to general unrest, a civil disobedience movement and foreign sanctions targeting the military and its cronies. Two branches of the government-owned Global Treasure Bank in Yangon were robbed in July and August. At least seven people were arrested in September in connection with those incidents. The governments information team said the seven stole more than 100 million kyats ($68,000) which was used to fund anti-government militants in Yangon and buy ammunition for them. The government said Fridays robbers arrived in a white Toyota sedan and beat a guard and wielded pistols before seizing the money and fleeing. A woman who was making a withdrawal from the bank said the robbery lasted about 10 minutes. The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for her safety, said the robbers forced those inside the bank to close their eyes and lie on the floor, and seized the cellphones of customers and staff. There were no shots fired, she said. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Shannon Bow O'Brien, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts (THE CONVERSATION) The National Archives is the United States memory, a repository of artifacts that includes everything from half-forgotten correspondence to the paper trails that document the days of the countrys life. The National Archives contains such items as bureaucratic correspondence, patents and captured German records. It holds Eva Brauns diary and photographs of child labor conditions at the turn of the 19th century. Most of the time, the National Archives goes on with its work with little attention. But right now it is at the center of a political fight about the publics access to the papers of former President Donald Trump. That battle is being fought by Trump against President Joe Biden and the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. The legislators want to see Trump administration records that are housed in the National Archives, Biden has said the archives should provide them and Trump has sued the committee and the archives to stop the papers from being divulged to Congress. What materials should be kept, where they should be kept and, in the case of presidents, who owns and controls them have long been a thorny question for the nation. Historian John Franklin Jameson pointed out that from 1833 to 1915 the U.S. had 254 fires in federal buildings with important public records consumed by the flames. Fire, bugs, mold, water and vermin were all persistent threats that ate away at the countrys earliest materials. Jameson, along with others, pushed for funding a National Archives in the early 20th century. The formal organization known today was created by Congress in 1934. From that time, all archives or records belonging to the Government of the United States were to be under the charge and superintendence of the national archivist. Currently, the National Archives is home to 12 billion sheets of paper, 40 million photographs, 5.3 billion electronic records, and untold miles of video and film. Among those materials are the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, military and immigration records and even the canceled check for the purchase of Alaska. Peoples papers? At the center of the current conflict between Trump and the congressional committee is the status of presidential papers: Are they public or private? The archives have long dealt with this question. President George Washington took his papers home with the intention of creating a library, but it never materialized. In fact, rats ate many of Washingtons records. Washington had established the idea that the presidents papers were his property, since he had written or created them. Many other presidential families who didnt like the contents of their relations presidential records disposed of or burned them, leaving only a slanted picture of the actual history. The situation continued until the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the first to assert presidential papers should be preserved for future generations. He considered presidents stewards, not owners, of their materials. The wealthy Roosevelt privately built a facility and then donated the papers and collections to the National Archives. Roosevelts library sparked public awareness of these papers, and by the late 1940s the question about what the country should do with the presidents papers came to a head. Roosevelts successor, Harry Truman, was hesitant to make all his records fully public property, but he also was appalled to find out how many predecessors records had been intentionally destroyed. Such destruction should never again be permitted, said Truman in 1949. The truth behind a presidents actions can be only found in his official papers, and every presidential paper is official. The Presidential Libraries Act was passed by Congress in 1955. It allowed private construction of locations to house presidential papers, but those libraries would be maintained by the national government. The presidential documents were still considered the private property of their chief executive, though most donated them to their libraries. In 1974, the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act was enacted to prevent the destruction of President Richard Nixons materials in the wake of the Watergate scandal. In 1978, passage of the Presidential Records Act settled the question of ownership over presidential records: They were the property of the American public. As soon as a president leaves office, all records move immediately to the custody of the national archivist. The 1978 legislation stated that duplicate or truly nonrelevant records can be disposed of, but only after consultation with the archivist of the United States. In 2014, this act was updated to also include electronic records. Shielding embarrassing information Much of my academic career as a political scientist rests upon the availability of these documents. My dissertation and first book both look at locations of presidential speeches. If presidents can speak anywhere, what can we learn about their priorities from these choices? Public documents made my research possible. Without them, no comprehensive accounting of presidential speeches would exist. Presidential records have occasionally stirred controversy. Many presidents have sought to shield possibly embarrassing or controversial information from public view. During Watergate, investigators sought potentially incriminating materials from Nixon. He claimed he had an absolute executive privilege and could withhold any communication from the legislative and judicial branches. Executive privilege allows current presidents to provide notice to the National Archives to withhold any materials unless told to do so directly by them or court order. The Supreme Court sharply disagreed with Nixons sweeping executive privilege claim in a unanimous opinion in 1974, stating, Neither the doctrine of separation of powers nor the generalized need for confidentiality of high-level communications, without more, can sustain an absolute, unqualified Presidential privilege of immunity from judicial process under all circumstances. Nixons records had to be released. In 2001, President George W. Bush, building on efforts of President Ronald Reagan, sought to create a formal process to manage claims of executive privilege. Bushs change was controversial because it allowed sitting and former presidents the ability to almost indefinitely shield information and also allowed a former president to appoint a representative to assert on their behalf even after their death. Barack Obama revoked Bushs order the day after he was inaugurated in 2009. Obamas 2009 order guides current policies. Any claims of executive privilege involve consultations with the archivist, attorney general and presidents counsel. Other executive agencies may also be involved if the information affects them. [Over 115,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletter to understand the world. Sign up today.] How the policy applies to former presidents is trickier. Those who want executive privilege to prevent disclosure of documents as Trump does must rely upon the current administration for the final decision. They do not have the ability as former presidents to assert blanket executive privilege. For other presidents, such as George W. Bush and Barack Obama, executive privilege was implemented as a tool to stall investigations. Trumps attempt to use it may be a delaying tactic, which may benefit him in the short term. But it could also cement the limitations the Supreme Court put on a presidents power to invoke executive privilege. If, in considering the Trump case, the court reaffirms the Nixon ruling, that would be a reaffirmation that the presidents power to keep documents secret was not absolute. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/trump-wants-the-national-archives-to-keep-his-papers-away-from-investigators-post-watergate-laws-and-executive-orders-may-not-let-him-169871. WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. officials issued new warnings Friday about Chinas ambitions in artificial intelligence and a range of advanced technologies that could eventually give Beijing a decisive military edge and possible dominance over health care and other essential sectors in America. The warnings include a renewed effort to inform business executives, academics and local and state government officials about the risks of accepting Chinese investment or expertise in key industries, officials at the National Counterintelligence and Security Center said. While the center does not intend to tell officials to reject Chinese investment, it will encourage efforts to control intellectual property and implement security measures. National security agencies under President Joe Bidens administration are making an aggressive public push against China, which some officials have called the greatest strategic threat to the United States. The Biden administration has simultaneously tried to ease some tensions with Beijing dating to the Trump administration and seek common ground on trade and climate change. Beijing has repeatedly accused Washington of fear-mongering about its intentions and attacked U.S. intelligence for its assessments of China, including allegations that Chinese leaders have withheld critical information about the coronavirus pandemic. Under President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government has stated its goals to create profitable technologies in robotics and other fields in plans known as Made in China 2025. The Justice Department in recent years has returned several indictments alleging theft of sensitive U.S. information on behalf of China, including vaccine research and autonomous vehicle technology. The counterintelligence centers acting director, Michael Orlando, told reporters in a rare briefing Thursday that the U.S. cant afford to lose ground to China in several key areas: artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, quantum computing, semiconductors and biotechnology. Orlando noted that Chinese businesses and academics are beholden to the Chinese Communist Party and are required to serve the partys interests. Although weve been saying this for year after year, people are not digesting this, he said. Orlando declined to say whether the U.S. should enact tougher restrictions or outright bans on Chinese investment in certain sectors, saying his role was not to suggest policy. But the counterintelligence center holds regular briefings with private industry and academia while recognizing that industries and universities may still want to seek students, experts and investors from China, Orlando said. He would not name companies with which the center has met. The center's officer for emerging and disruptive technologies, Edward You, noted the investment of Chinese companies in U.S. and European biotechnology and pharmaceutics. WuXi Biologics has since 2019 built a vaccine manufacturing facility in Ireland, announced plans for a production facility in Massachusetts and acquired a Bayer plant in Germany. Officials did not disclose any information linking those acquisitions to Beijing's influence but said they were part of a broader pattern by Chinese medical companies. Chinese companies have also offered COVID-19 testing kits and genetic testing in the U.S., meeting federal privacy standards and other regulations, You said. But the data collected by companies with ties to China could ultimately end up in the hands of Beijing, You said. China already has the greatest access to medical data of any country, You said. With its data collection and its advancements in technology, Beijing could one day be dominant in health care and leave the U.S. wholly dependent on China, he said. If you're President Xi," he said, that's the gift that keeps on giving. ___ This story deletes an incorrect reference to WuXi Biologics being headquartered in Hong Kong. BOSTON (AP) A postal worker who tracked, stole and opened mail that he suspected contained drugs and then kept any narcotics that he found pleaded guilty Friday. Shawn Herron, 44, of Whitman, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and theft of mail by a postal employee, the U.S. attorney's office in Boston said in a statement. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Top West Virginia officials on Friday said they would welcome three Maryland counties that inquired about becoming part of the Mountain State, even though the likelihood of the union is almost nonexistent. We're absolutely standing here with open arms," Gov. Jim Justice said during a morning news conference that included Senate President Craig Blair and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, who also offered their support. Justice offered to call state lawmakers back for a special session to vote on a resolution that would add about 250,000 people in Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties in Maryland to West Virginia. Maryland officials representing the counties wrote letters dated Oct. 14 to Blair and Hanshaw expressing interest in joining West Virginia, news outlets reported. The letters were signed by Maryland state Sen. George Edwards and Delegates Wendell Beitzel, Jason Buckel, Mike McKay and William Wivell. The western areas of the state feel theyre being shortchanged in a lot of respects, and we had a lot of constituents approaching us saying, Why cant we just join West Virginia? Its just that simple, Beitzel told the Parkersburg News and Sentinel. The office of Marylands Republican governor hadnt been aware of lawmakers plans to send the letter, Gov. Larry Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci told The Washington Post. This has probably left a lot of people confused including many Western Marylanders, he said. We certainly hope that the legislators will provide some clarity here. Paul Clayton Edwards, the Republican chair of the Garrett County Board of Commissioners, read the letter for the first time Thursday and told the Post he has heard people talk about joining West Virginia, but he didnt think it was reasonable. I dont know what their vision on this is, he said. Marylands got great schools, Marylands got great roads, he said. To up and leave, thered have to be an overwhelming benefit. The odds of the counties actually making the move are slim. Not only would it be legally complicated, it would also require referendums and approvals from lawmakers in both states as well as from the U.S. Congress. Theres almost zero chance of this ever occurring, Buckel, who heads the GOP caucus in the Maryland House of Delegates, told The Baltimore Sun. He said he hopes it will remind lawmakers to give more consideration to the needs of the western Maryland counties. West Virginia itself was formed in 1863 when 50 Virginia jurisdictions seceded to form the new state, but other, more recent efforts to redraw lines around the country and in Maryland have made little progress. Last year, officials in Frederick County, Virginia, rejected a proposal from West Virginia lawmakers asking if they wanted to make a similar move. In 2013, the Western Maryland Initiative tried to build support for secession through a Facebook page. In the late 1990s, a few Eastern Shore lawmakers proposed a state of Delmarva, which would include Eastern Shore counties from Maryland and Virginia and Delawares two southernmost counties, The Baltimore Sun reported. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his counterpart from Missouri filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the Biden administration, claiming it broke the law by halting border wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden administrations flat refusal to use funds that have already been set aside by Congress to build the border wall is not only illegal and unconstitutional, Paxton said, Its also wrong, and it leaves states like Texas and Missouri footing the bill. On Inauguration Day, Biden ordered a pause on all border wall construction and an assessment of federal government contracts already awarded for the project, calling former President Donald Trumps signature promise a waste of money and saying that it was not a serious policy solution. The lawsuit, filed against Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in the U.S. district court in Victoria, argues that Congress had set aside $1.375 billion to construct barriers along the southwest border and that the Biden administration doesnt have the constitutional authority to refuse to spend money that Congress authorized for border wall construction. Trumps administration erected about 80 miles of new barrier before he left office, including 21 miles along the Texas-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security didnt immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. This lawsuit is the second filed by Paxton and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt against the Biden administration. Earlier this year, Paxton and Schmitt sued the Biden administration, claiming it had violated administrative law by ending the Migrant Protection Protocols, a Trump-era program unofficially called remain in Mexico, which forces asylum-seeking migrants to stay in Mexico as their legal cases are pending. The lawsuit argued that human trafficking would increase if MPP was rescinded and that it would cause the two states financial harm. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk agreed with Paxton and Schmitt; the Biden administration has said it will obey the judge's order and restart the policy next month. Mexicos government had previously agreed to receive the migrants under the Trump administration, but it hasnt said if it will do the same for the Biden administration. We need to finish President Trumps wall, Schmitt said on Thursday during an El Paso news conference announcing the new lawsuit. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. While art deco style truly flourished in Miami, we've found fine examples dotted across the country. There was this cool residence in Portland, OR, or this adorable abode in Baltimore. Now, we turn our attention to the Midwest, because this gorgeous art deco home truly stands out from its surroundings in Kansas City, MO. Built in 1905 and on the market for $535,000, the stylish home packs a real punch. When I first walked in, there was so much to seein every corner of the house, says the listing agent, Denise Hamilton with Keller Williams Kansas City-Northland. It has a ballroom. When it was originally designed, the lower level actually was a ballroom. Ballrooms are a feature usually found in early 20th century mansions built on a grand scale. And while this home is large5,451 square feetit's not cavernous. Exterior of home in Kansas City, MO Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Ballroom Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Dining area Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Living space Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Inside, the ballrooms flooring is original, as are the lighting and walnut bar. The house has a number of other art deco touches, including built-in mirrors. When you first walk in, the whole front room has all the art deco [touches] behind the fireplace, Hamilton says. "The hardwood floors have all been refinished, so they're just gorgeous. ___ Watch: Be the Mayor of Your Own Quaint Village in Maine ___ The walls in the dining room are a textured stucco in the home's original style. Bathroom Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Half-bathroom Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Bedroom Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC While it has plenty of square footage, the three-bedroom home has only 1.5 bathrooms. There is actually plumbing in the master bedroom closet, so there is a place to put a bathroom in that master bedroom, Hamilton explains. Possibly, when it was originally built, the master bedroom came with a sink or a wash basin, but it has since been turned into generous amounts of closet space. Ship area Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Pool Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Gym Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Game room Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC At one point, a former ship captain owned the home and added some personal touches. He installed the nautical-themed study, Hamilton explains, with a steering wheel and bridge taken from a ship. The room includes a circular staircase descending to the back corner of the front room. Fixtures, finishes, and decor aren't the only unique elements of this house. A buyer who wants to make a true splash can enjoy the full-size swimming pool in the basement. Hamilton tells us it may require an owner who doesn't mind diving into projects. The homeowner hasn't filled it yet this year, she says. Its an operating pool and they need to work on the filter, so it needs some maintenance, she says. If a swim isn't enough exercise for you, the home also has a gym. Outdoor space Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Entry Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Porch Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means that some of its elements cannot be altered, particularly on the exterior. The agent points out that this means the property will continue to retain its period charm. The current owner rebuilt the third garage and had plans to put a party deck on top of it, but the decision whether to move ahead with that plan will be left up to the next owner. Hamilton says the house is in good shape overall. "It would just be bringing it to your taste. I guess some people would want to keep all that art deco," she says. "You could blend some modern stuff with the art deco and make it look really cool." It sits in a desirable area of the city, with views of the grounds of the Kansas City Museum from the backyard. The whole neighborhood is beautiful, and all the homes are unique on the street, and theyve all been very well kept. This home really fits into the way the street looks, Hamilton adds. Interior Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Interior Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Kitchen Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC Entry Jacqueline Brainard/Jax Leon Imagery, LLC The post Listed for $535K, This Amazing Art Deco Home Needs a Buyer To Dive In appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. 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 Florida, FL (34429) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. The new changes will be the first of their kind in Canada, if the legislation is passed. Ontario proposing changes to help immigrants work in their field The new changes will be the first of their kind in Canada, if the legislation is passed. Ontario proposing changes to help immigrants work in their field The new changes will be the first of their kind in Canada, if the legislation is passed. Ontario proposing changes to help immigrants work in their field The new changes will be the first of their kind in Canada, if the legislation is passed. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Ontario is proposing legislation that would help internationally-trained immigrants get work in their field of expertise. If passed, the new legislation would remove the number one barrier Canadian immigrants face in getting a job that matches their qualification. That is, the need for Canadian work experience to get professional registration and licensing. The change applies to certain non-health regulated professions such as engineers, architects, plumbers, electricians, accountants, hairstylists, teachers and early childhood educators. In a media release, the ministry of labour says it will work with the provincial health ministry to see if they can apply these changes to health professions in the future. New immigrants would also not have to complete another language test for the purposes of professional licensing, after already submitting one for the purposes of immigration. Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration In addition, the province would allow applicants to register faster in their professions when there are emergencies that create an urgent need for certain workers, as we saw during the pandemic. The changes would also ensure that the licensing process is done in a timely manner. Currently, licensing times in some professions can take up to 18 months or more, meaning these workers cannot take up employment during that time. Ontario is facing a generational labour shortage with hundreds of thousands of jobs going unfilled. However, all too often, newcomers in this province struggle to find jobs in their regulated profession for no other reason than bureaucracy and red tape, said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. These are folks who often have the training, experience, and qualifications to work in booming industries where Ontario desperately needs help but are being denied a chance to contribute. If these proposed changes are passed, Ontario would become the first province in Canada to help level the playing field in certain regulated professions so that workers coming here have the opportunity to build a better life for themselves and their loved ones, and build stronger communities for us all. McNaughton said only 25 per cent of all immigrants in Ontario are actually employed in their field of study, while 293,000 jobs are waiting to be filled in the province, according to the Toronto Star. If this skills gap is addressed, Ontario could see its GDP increase by an estimated $20 billion. An Ontario media spokesperson told CIC News more information on the regulations will be available in the coming weeks. Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. The latest draw brings the number of invitations issued this year by Prince Edward Island to 1,541. PEI holds second biggest PNP draw of the year The latest draw brings the number of invitations issued this year by Prince Edward Island to 1,541. PEI holds second biggest PNP draw of the year The latest draw brings the number of invitations issued this year by Prince Edward Island to 1,541. PEI holds second biggest PNP draw of the year The latest draw brings the number of invitations issued this year by Prince Edward Island to 1,541. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Prince Edward Island held its scheduled immigration draw on October 21. The Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) invited 204 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. Most of the invitations, 195, went to Express Entry and Labour Impact candidates. The remaining nine invitations went to Business Impact candidates who had at least 72 points in the provinces immigration system. Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration This is the tenth Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw of the year held by Canadas maritime province, bringing the total number of invitations issued so far this year to 1,541. PNPs allow Canadas provinces and territories to select immigration candidates who meet their labour market needs. This is true of Prince Edward Island, which administers the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) within federally-approved guidelines. The next PEI PNP draw is expected for November 18, 2021. About the PEI PNP Express Entry Category The PEI PNPs Express Entry Category is an enhanced PNP, which means it is linked with the federal governments Express Entry system. In order to be considered for this stream, candidates need to have a profile in the system. Express Entry is an immigration application manager. It handles the applications for three economic-class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class. Eligible candidates get a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for their age, work experience, education, and language proficiency in English or French. Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are given an additional 600 points toward their CRS score and are effectively guaranteed an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw. In order to be considered for a provincial nomination from P.E.I., Express Entry candidates need to create an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile with the PEI PNP. EOI profiles are given points based on the provinces unique points grid. The highest-scoring candidates are then invited to apply through monthly draws. Labour Impact Category The Labour Impact Category is for foreign nationals who have a valid job offer in P.E.I., and have support from their employer. It is divided into three streams: Skilled Worker, Critical Worker, and International Graduate. Candidates in this category must also submit an Expression of Interest in order to be considered for a provincial nomination through the Labour Impact Category. Business Impact Category Business Impact Category candidates need to meet the minimum provincial score requirement in order to proceed with their applications. The score is different in every draw. The invitations that P.E.I. sent in todays draw were issued under the Work Permit Stream, which is for foreign entrepreneurs who want to own and operate a business on the island. Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. Work-life balance, the loose principle through which you evenly split your time and focus between work and personal activities, benefits individuals and corporations in equal measure. A healthy work-life balance can improve health, productivity, job retention and turnover, and in-turn stave off emotional burnout, say experienced CIOs. And yet, attaining a healthy equilibrium between personal life and career work has seemed further out of reach than ever. The economic and social fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has afforded CIOs more opportunity and accountability in the boardroom, and put additional pressure on project delivery teams to expedite multiyear digital transformation programs. Business expectations for IT teams have subsequently blossomed, but this in itself represents something of a double-edged sword. CIOs, work-life balance and a global pandemic Like many technology executives, Jason James, CIO at US-based EHR (electronic health records) software provider NetHealth, says that he threw himself into work at the start of the pandemic, "in retrospect because it was one of the few things we could control." He admits that work became an outlet, but an unsustainable one. Jason James Jason James is CIO at software provider NetHealth. I was working through lunch, working nights, and weekends and sleeping way less than I should, he says. My family wasnt getting the attention they deserved. I may have been succeeding as a CIO, but I wasnt the top of my game as a father or husband. James developed a plan to make work more balanced, setting boundaries for checking emails and messages, and making time for lunch breaks to get outside. But it was still difficult to switch off, with work often eating into family time. For Tariq Khan, CDIO (chief digital information officer) at the London Borough of Camden, work-life balance came to mean something else entirely. Starting his first CIO job last year, Khan had to juggle work and home-schooling children during the countrys national lockdown, meeting new colleagues virtually and standing up government services with limited resources. [It] could have been better, he admits. It's been a steep learning curve, plus there has been a lot of reactive demand on local government services during the pandemic which has added to the workload. Working in isolation whle leading teams Other CIOs expressed difficulties in working in isolation, pointing to the lack of human contact, the transactional nature of videoconferencing and yet the same pressure to lead, motivate and support teams as well as an ecosystem of partners. For some, fighting the itch to do more has been difficult, even during downtime. Michelle Kearns was new in her role when she joined Boots Ireland as head of IT last year, having previously spent 16 years at family doctor service Caredoc, most recently as its CIO. She admits it has been challenging to balance making an impression in a new job, while retaining some resemblance of normality at home. Even when I was on annual leave this year, because I was so new to the company, we had a project that was going and I was dialling in for calls at the end of the evening to see how it was going, says Kearns. It was partly because I was so new, but I also wanted the project to succeed. I think it can be quite difficult to disconnect. Mark Bramwell Mark Bramwell is CIO of Oxford Said Business School. This disconnection came more abruptly for Oxford Said Business School CIO Mark Bramwell, when a heart attack last May forced him to evaluate lifes priorities. He describes the event, from which he is now fully recovered, as a "wake-up call" to take better care of himself. I have learnt that results are not solely driven by how hard and long you work, but how you prioritise, delegate and how smart you work, says Bramwell, who also advocates for working to a set of personal values. I have definitely set out new boundaries for my working day, learnt how to say no more and better protect some me time in my diary to get work done, reflect, plan and exercise. To achieve work-life balance, set priorities Work-life balance can be achieved through delegation and prioritization, as well as setting clear boundaries and taking breaks, CIOs say. But it is also, as Khan describes, about having a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Tariq Khan Tariq Khan is CDIO at the London Borough of Camden. Someone once described their inbox to me as your to-do list controlled by other people, so as such its important to have a clear set of north star strategic priorities that dictate how you plan your day," Kahn says. "One of the most valuable commodities we have to spend is our time and attention. So it's important to invest wisely." Jot Sehmbi, CDTO (chief digital transformation officer) at Essex University, UK, has looked to do just that by setting daily habits, ring-fencing protected time but also taking up new hobbies outside of her day job. Ive completed a few items on the hobby list, including going back to playing the piano and chess with a regular club," Sehmbi says. "Having an activity scheduled where a group is dependent on your participation helps. Jasper McIntosh Jasper McIntosh is CIO of the Gym Group. For Jasper McIntosh, CIO at The Gym Group, balance has been about setting an end time in the evening, blocking out time in the day to get away from his desk and making time for informal conversations with team members. When things were really crazy, you would find yourself spending 12 hours a day talking, says McIntosh, but it was always on a work thing. It just didn't engage the right side of your brain. How to create work-life balance for your team These conversations can be part of something bigger, with Boots' Kearns and Oxford Business Schools Bramwell saying that building trust, transparency and empowerment within teams can help all parties. Tom Catalini, CIO of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, goes one step further by suggesting that rewards for a job well done can bring about a healthy work-life balance for all staff. If someone on the team has to put in some extra effort to get a job done, I want them to balance it out with a long lunch, an afternoon off or an extra vacation day and soon. Making that an explicit policy is as important as modeling balance, Catalini says. NextHealths James, who recently became the first male employee at the company to take paid parental leave, says this goes back to the "softer" skills required by CIOs today, such as empathy and flexibility, which can in turn lead to improved talent retention. People are more than just their jobs and the pandemic is forcing many companies to come to grips with that," James says. "Many workers are pushing for roles that allow them to have greater flexibility in their careers and the companies that embrace that will retain and attract the greatest talent. For Catalini, work-life balance is ultimately about being smart. A more balanced life is not just helpful its essential to reaching your full potential. Not only is being happier just as important as being successful, being happier and more balanced actually leads to greater levels of success. AVEVA Author: Rob McGreevy Climate change affects our lives in many ways. In 2018, in the City of Salem in Oregon, drinking water supplies were threatened by rampant algae blooms in the nearby Detroit Lake reservoir. That year, a flourishing bloom released high levels of toxins into the water, putting young children, pregnant women, pets, and those with weakened immune systems at risk, and triggering a shortage of bottled water. Determined to prevent another similar outbreak, the city used the AVEVA PI System to drop sensors from a pontoon into the middle of the lake to measure everything from algae activity and toxin levels to weather data from satellite imagery. The resulting stream of information enables ecologists and statisticians to create artificial intelligence models that automatically notify city authorities ahead of harmful algae blooms, enabling local water authorities to take the appropriate action ahead of time: change filters or pumps, or redirect water supplies so the city doesnt face a shortage again. This is just one powerful example of Performance Intelligence at work. Digital transformation powered by Performance Intelligence is what makes the difference between good and great. Companies and governments around the world are leveraging data for extraordinary results. By analyzing disparate sources of data using artificial intelligence, scientists and public executives can make quick and precise decisions, while reducing time and effort, optimizing system efficiency, and improving sustainability. Performance Intelligence refers to this enabling alchemy of data and artificial intelligence to unlock the power of human insight thanks to richer information and stronger contexts. When information is leveraged for actionable insight, the result can provide a significant competitive advantage for industrial enterprises. To understand how Performance Intelligence works, consider an analogy of the way water flows around the world, from sources in glaciers and wetlands through a network of rivers and streams into homes, offices, and public places before reaching the sea. By measuring water quality, consumption, and other parameters at every point along the way, and monitoring for patterns using AI, it discloses information about current events, what incidents may occur down the line, and what actions can be taken to produce a predetermined result. The impact of each of these results can be further forecast through data-based simulation and sophisticated predictive modelling techniques enabling accurate predictions that facilitate optimized business operations. Performance Intelligence in action As data rapidly becomes the global new currency, sharing accurate, industrial information with multidisciplinary project teams has proven to drive higher performance. This is key to remaining competitive and driving sustainability. According to a recent AVEVA survey, 75% of companies believe they are on a journey to realize Performance Intelligence in their businesses. Human insight, creativity, and experience will undoubtedly continue to represent the cornerstone of success for every business. But the role that technology can play in augmenting and enhancing human capabilities is evolving. The scope and scale of the cloud to improve collaboration, combined with the predictive capabilities of machine learning, AI, and smart engineering, are all elevating data to industrial intelligence. Overall, about 40% of companies in the survey identified digital transformation as a key near-term strategic priority as they build on the foundations of digital acceleration. Quantum leap toward industrial leadership As Dr. Pat Kennedy, the founder and former CEO of OSIsoft, the pioneer in real-time industrial operational data software and services and a company that AVEVA acquired, says, you could put a million sensors on a power plant and make it sing. But when you spread the same number of sensors over 100 power plants, the inherent value is many times bigger. The scale is the same, but the expanded scope allows you to cast your net beyond a single plant to span an entire enterprise, community, or even a global ecosystem. The whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts. When these sophisticated models are taken out of the boardroom and put in the hands of the first-line connected workers that comprise 80% of the global workforce across fields and factories, the result represents a quantum leap forward for enterprises operating in the industrial and manufacturing sectors and beyond. This is Performance Intelligence at work. Recessions have consistently proved to be a catalyst for onboarding innovative solutions and processes. The post-pandemic decade will be no different, but it is the decisions we make now that will help industrial enterprises establish their leadership in the coming years. Amid the Great Reset, Performance Intelligence lends greater operational agility, sustainability, and resilience to industries, enabling operational processes to benefit from rich, reliable data thereby optimizing the entire industrial lifecycle. With Performance Intelligence, organizations in every sector can deliver uninterrupted service levels to users, partners, and stakeholders at every level. You will receive 5-day a week delivery of the Citizen Tribune newspaper to your home or business, plus full, ad-free access to CitizenTribune.com as well as full access to the Electronic Edition of the newspaper. ONLY $13.99 per month for the first 3 months! Only $16.00 per month after promotional period. Or ONLY $169.99 for a full year Only $192.00 per year after promotional period. Britains Official Secrets Act, the countrys main legal instrument against breaches of governmental security, is reviled by journalists on both sides of the Atlantic. It is criticized as an example of state overreach that conceals official wrongdoing and incompetence. And now the UK government is considering changing it to strengthen its grip and make the punishment for defying it even harsher. Journalists say the changes considered by the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson (himself a former journalist, albeit one fired from his first job for fabricating a quote) would remove the distinction between spying for foreign adversaries and leaking for public illumination. It would expose both reporters and the whistle-blowers they rely on to penalties previously reserved for espionage, and criminalize the very best journalism. The better news is that rethinking the Official Secrets Act has rekindled a debate in Britain that is long overdue here: Should the state punish people who defy secrecy rules for the public interest? If, on balance, what the British call an unauthorized disclosure (and we call a leak) yields a broad benefit that outweighs any harm it causes, should the leaker be punished at all? At the very least, shouldnt the accused be allowed to argue that violating the secrecy classification was in the public interestand if a court agrees, walk free? The task of modernizing the Officials Secrets Act (OSA) was first taken up in 2016 by an independent entity called the Law Commission, a think tank that advises Parliament on thorny legal matters. The job was prompted by concerns that the law, last revised in 1989, didnt address such matters as digital disruption, data theft, and spying conducted from abroad. Last year the Commission recommended longer sentences for violators than the current two-year maximum (the Johnson regime now seeks a fourteen-year max.) It eliminated the distinction between an original leak and onward disclosuresmeaning publication by the press. Both would be equally punishable. Worst of all, it wanted to discard the need to prove that leakers meant to do damage. Instead, if they recognized they might cause harm, they could be prosecuted. Sign up for CJR 's daily email But while toughening the law, the Commission tossed a major bone to the press. It proposed that the law be rewritten to include a public interest defense. Whistle-blowers who disclose secret evidence of official wrongs would be able to claim that they did it to serve a wider good. That wouldnt mean a free pass for whistle-blowers. Whether the violation was justified would still be a complicated question: Was the leak limited to the minimum needed to expose the wrongdoing? Were there alternatives to public disclosure that might have led to correctives, and did the informant try to use them? Was the informant seeking personal gain? Did the disclosures harm legitimate state interests? So even with a public interest defense available, a case would still have to be made. And a court would have to make a judgment. Everyone accepts that some government information must remain secret, Oxford law professor Jacob Rowbottam told the Commission. The system of secrecy, however, requires safeguards to ensure that the power to withhold information is not abused to shield government from criticism or embarrassment, or to cover up wrongdoing. A public interest defense already exists in Britain, notably in employment law, where the duty to respect workplace confidences can be overridden to expose illegal or environmentally destructive practices. The defense has also, from time to time, barged in through a side door in national security matters. A famous case involved Clive Ponting, a defense official who debunked a Thatcher government cover story that the Royal Navy had sunk an Argentine cruiser during the 1982 Falklands Warat a staggering loss of some 300 sailorsbecause it threatened British warships. Ponting leaked secret documents that exposed that story as a total lie; he was prosecuted, and jurors, who thought he was a hero, flouted the judges instructions and sent him home. Advocates for writing the public interest defense into the OSA say it would ensure that British law complies with the European Convention on Human Rights, whose Article 10 protects the freedom to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority It would also put the UK on the same footing as Australia, Canada and New Zealand, three of its chief international intelligence-sharing partners in the so-called Five Eyes. That would leave the United States alone among the five in refusing to acknowledge that there are times when secrets can legally be blown. Sadly, the Boris Johnson government has rejected the Law Commission advice and declined to add the public interest defense from the OSA reforms it is pushing. But the emergence of the defense as a serious proposal for another of our closest allies underscores the authoritarianism of the US approach to secrets. Under our law, official secrecy in the national security realm can never be wrong. It doesnt matter whether whats concealed is torture, illegal domestic surveillance, the wiretap of UN diplomats, or the murder of civilians. Chelsea Manning was sentenced to 37 years without being allowed to even say why she went public with evidence of military and diplomatic criminality. The countrys best news organizations won Pulitzer Prizes for publishing astounding information that, a decade later, Julian Assange is still being sought to stand trial for giving them. Edward Snowden exposed domestic surveillance that was judged illegal and unconstitutional, and if he returns from exile, he will be barred from even pointing that out in his defense. This must stop. It is time that the regime of secrecy that has darkened and deepened in the decades since 9/11 is forced to give way to the demands of holding government accountable. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Edward Wasserman writes on media ethics and is former dean of the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism, where he is a professor. Whither Manchinema? As summer turned to fall and Congressional negotiations over President Bidens agenda got stuck in the mud, the terma portmanteau of the moderate Democratic senators Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, and Kyrsten Sinema, of Arizonagained widespread currency as media shorthand for the mud; both senators objected to the scope of Bidens spending plans, with Manchin, who talks often with reporters, communicating various apparent red lines, while Sinema, who is much less chatty with the press, remained something of an enigma. (Manchenigma?) Last week, Politicos DC Playbook newsletter reported that, while united in obstruction, Manchin and Sinema actually disagree on key policies, from aggressive drug-pricing reform (Manchin broadly for; Sinema broadly against) to aggressive carbon-pricing reform (Sinema broadly for; Manchin broadly against). Coral Davenport, a climate reporter at the New York Times, then broke the news that Manchin is a hard no on Bidens core climate plan, a program that would rapidly phase out fossil-fuel-dependent power plants. The next day, Playbook noted that Manchin was again controlling the news cyclethis time vs. everybody. As all of this was going on, Senator Bernie Sanders, a key progressive from Vermont, took the fight directly to Manchins constituents, placing an op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, a top West Virginia newspaper, in which he urged Manchin to back Bidens spending plans and seize this historic opportunity to support the working families of West Virginia, Vermont and the entire country. Manchin furiously hit back: This isnt the first time an out-of-stater has tried to tell West Virginians what is best for them despite having no relationship to our state, he said in a statement. Congress should proceed with caution on any additional spending and I will not vote for a reckless expansion of government programs. No op-ed from a self-declared Independent socialist is going to change that. (A previous time Manchin likely had in mind came just after Biden took office, when Vice President Kamala Harris did a mini media tour in West Virginia to sell a different spending package. I couldnt believe it, Manchin said at the time. No one called me.) Then, on Wednesday, Manchin got mad about another article, this one written by a journalist: David Corn, of Mother Jones, reported that Manchin has talked with associates about the prospect of leaving the Democratic Party should he fail to get his way on Bidens agenda, and has already devised an exit strategy that would involve him sitting as an American Independent (and not as a Republican). Manchins office did not get back to Corn ahead of publication, but Manchin would later weigh in himself, telling reporters that the article was bullshit spelled with a B-U-L-L-capital-B. (This spells BULLB, but I digress.) Related: The most important climate summit in history is a local news story, too The story quickly blew up across the political mediasphere. On Wednesday night, Corn appeared on Joy Reids and Lawrence ODonnells shows on MSNBC and strongly stood by his reporting. The sourcing is impeccable, and he knows it, Corn told Reid. He has now said its B-U-L-L. Its actually T-R-U-E. Also on MSNBC, Ari Melber dissected Manchins vehement denial: He swore repeatedly and then drew attention to it by saying how to spell it, Melber said. Something went farther than he wanted in the way this story is unfolding. Yesterday morning, Playbook laid out a chronology of Corns requests for comment, deemed his story to be a credible account of a real conversation, and assessed the competing theories that it leaked out now to decrease Manchins leverage (by making him sound desperate) or to increase it (by laying down a public threat), before concluding that the scoop likely fell into Corns lap without any Machiavellian strategy behind it. Later, Manchin addressed the story againthis time telling reporters that he did tell top Democrats that hed be prepared to become an independent if he was embarrassing them; he added that he never planned to stop caucusing with Democrats, and that his offer never went anywhere anyway. Joe Manchin called our reporting bullshit, Mother Jones responded. Now hes got a different story. And he still doesnt have it right. Corn said on Reids show that if Manchin were to leave the Democratic Party, it would be somewhat of a symbolic blastand, of course, it will lead a lot of political reporters to talk about disarray among Democrats. This is an important point: Dems in disarray is a favorite narrative of the Washington press corps, and Manchin has long been a central character within it, given his regular disagreements with colleagues and position at the center of an evenly divided Senate. The media obsession with Manchin is, to some extent, policy-focused. But he has also been a reliable vehicle for less substantial narrative impulsesincluding reporters nostalgia for agreement between parties, and love of drama within them. Corn is right to observe that Manchin leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent would pour gasoline on such narratives. (In the short term, anyway: Dems and American Independent in disarray doesnt quite have the same ring to it.) But the substantive importance of such a move is similarly open to question. A change of party affiliation could lead Manchin to change his stance on important policy questions, and could even throw control of the Senate to Republicans, which would be enormously consequential not only for Bidens agenda but for American democracy. But it could also end up being little more than a shallow branding exercise. Ultimately, his positions on the issues matter mostnot just on spending and climate change, but also on voting rights; Manchin still opposes abolishing the filibuster to protect the franchise and has tried instead to reach a deal with Republicans, none of whom eventually voted to advance a compromise bill that came up this week. In June, after Manchin sparked a media frenzy when he used a Gazette-Mail op-ed to tank a prior effort to pass voting-rights legislation, my CJR colleague Lauren Harris noted that the voting issue is much bigger than Joe Manchin and Washington intriguereflecting a broader truth about insider-style coverage. Recently, Rich Thau, who moderates focus groups, showed some swing voters photographs of Manchin and Sinema. Hardly any of the respondents were able to identify either senator. Sign up for CJR 's daily email In recent days, some coverage of Manchins legislative maneuvers has done an admirable job of elucidating the broader stakes, particularly around climate. CNN sent reporter Rene Marsh to West Virginia to speak to residents about the impact of climate change there, not least the massive flooding that hit the state in 2016. (WILD & (NOT SO) WONDERFUL, the chyron read, WEST VIRGINIANS HIT HARD BY CLIMATE CHANGE AS SEN MANCHIN FIGHTS LEGISLATION THAT COULD HELP COMBAT FLOODS, DROUGHT.) Outlets from the Times to the Gazette-Mail ran similarly-focused stories; on an episode of The Daily, Davenport, of the Times, laid out Manchins stance in an order that is all too rare in coverage of Congressional wrangling, explaining Bidens energy proposalsand why scientists say theyre importantin plain English before laying out the wrangling in policy-focused terms and finishing by noting the flooding in West Virginia. Marsh, Davenport, and others also raised Manchins deep financial ties to the states coal industry, both in terms of donations received and the money he still gets from a coal-brokerage firm that he founded before entering Congresskey facets of the Manchin story that critics have often decried as being absent from coverage of his motivations. Alex Kotch, a journalist who founded an app that allows readers to opt out of corporate-media coverage, said he was honestly shocked that after years of ignoring Manchins enormous conflicts of interest, CNN and the rest of the corporate media are finally addressing it. Still, the coverage of Manchins climate stance has not been uniformly well-framed; Politico, for example, was criticized for declaring Manchin an early winner and environmentalists a loser of recent negotiations. And punditry about his party affiliation has somewhat overshadowed the focus on his financial interests and policy positions. On ODonnells show Wednesday, Zerlina Maxwell sought to rectify that: I dont know that its even been mentioned in the segment yet, but were in the pandemic, she said, urging Democratic leadership to keep their eye on the policy ball. A similar directive applies to the press. The climate crisis doesnt care what letter appears next to Manchins name on Wikipediain West Virginia or anywhere else. Below, more on Joe Manchin and the climate crisis: Dropping the ball: Last week, Sanders accused the mainstream media of failing to inform news consumers of the specifics of Bidens agenda: There have been endless stories about the politics, he said, but very limited coverage as to what the provisions of the bill are and the crises for working people that they address. Picking up on those remarks, David Sirota (a journalist who worked for Sanderss presidential campaign), Andrew Perez, and Walker Bragman write that the corporate press corps seems so busy celebrating West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchins temper tantrums and prognosticating about Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinemas style, it isnt bothering to consistently tell America how Manchins climate denial may doom the planet, and how Sinemas corruption would let seniors continue being fleeced by drugmakers. DC gossip rags, they write, are often sponsored by a rogues gallery of corporate villains. Last week, Sanders accused the mainstream media of failing to inform news consumers of the specifics of Bidens agenda: There have been endless stories about the politics, he said, but very limited coverage as to what the provisions of the bill are and the crises for working people that they address. Picking up on those remarks, David Sirota (a journalist who worked for Sanderss presidential campaign), Andrew Perez, and Walker Bragman write that the corporate press corps seems so busy celebrating West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchins temper tantrums and prognosticating about Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinemas style, it isnt bothering to consistently tell America how Manchins climate denial may doom the planet, and how Sinemas corruption would let seniors continue being fleeced by drugmakers. DC gossip rags, they write, are often sponsored by a rogues gallery of corporate villains. Security concerns: Yesterday, the White House, the Pentagon, and the US intelligence community issued fresh warnings that the climate crisis is a threat to global security, with the shifts it is unleashing likely, the Washington Post reports, to reshape US strategic interests, offer new opportunities to rivals such as China, and increase instability in nuclear states such as North Korea and Pakistan. Bill Weir, CNNs chief climate correspondent, noted on air that while the assessments are striking, theres not all that new here There have been dozens, dozens of warning reports from NASA, NOAA, the Pentagon, everyone in federal government, and this is more urgent, of course, because now we have a lot more specifics to put on those multiple threats. Yesterday, the White House, the Pentagon, and the US intelligence community issued fresh warnings that the climate crisis is a threat to global security, with the shifts it is unleashing likely, the Washington Post reports, to reshape US strategic interests, offer new opportunities to rivals such as China, and increase instability in nuclear states such as North Korea and Pakistan. Bill Weir, CNNs chief climate correspondent, noted on air that while the assessments are striking, theres not all that new here There have been dozens, dozens of warning reports from NASA, NOAA, the Pentagon, everyone in federal government, and this is more urgent, of course, because now we have a lot more specifics to put on those multiple threats. COP story: According to CNN, Biden told Congressional Democrats this week that he needs them to lock down substantive policies on climate change before the end of the month, when hell fly to Scotland for a vital global climate summit. The prestige of the United States is on the line, he reportedly told the Democrats. I need this to go represent the United States overseas. Writing for Covering Climate Now, a climate reporting initiative led by CJR and The Nation, Andrew McCormick argues that the global summit is also an important local-news story. Given the historic importance and global implications of COP26, journalists everywhere, in newsrooms large and small, should be covering it, McCormick writes, adding that readers are hungry for such coverage. According to CNN, Biden told Congressional Democrats this week that he needs them to lock down substantive policies on climate change before the end of the month, when hell fly to Scotland for a vital global climate summit. The prestige of the United States is on the line, he reportedly told the Democrats. I need this to go represent the United States overseas. Writing for Covering Climate Now, a climate reporting initiative led by CJR and The Nation, Andrew McCormick argues that the global summit is also an important local-news story. Given the historic importance and global implications of COP26, journalists everywhere, in newsrooms large and small, should be covering it, McCormick writes, adding that readers are hungry for such coverage. Font of wisdom: Nieman Labs Hanaa Tameez has the story of Helsingin Sanomat, a newspaper in Finland that designed an online font to concretize the speed of climate change over time. The fonts weight responds to the National Snow and Ice Data Centers Arctic sea ice data from 1979 to 2019, and to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes predictions through 2050, Tameez reports. The more the ice shrinks, the more difficult the font becomes to read. The font is available for anyone to use. Other notable stories: ICYMI: British MPs death intensifies calls for end to online anonymity Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. DETROIT (AP) Volvo is recalling another 195,000 vehicles in the U.S. because the front drivers air bags could explode and send shrapnel into the cabin. Its the companys third U.S. recall for the issue with air bag inflators made by supplier ZF/TRW. It stems from the death of an unidentified U.S. driver. In all, the recalls cover nearly 768,000 older vehicles worldwide, according to Volvo. The latest recall posted Thursday by U.S. safety regulators covers XC70 and V70 wagons from the 2001 through 2007 model years that were built from Feb. 22, 2000 through May 4, 2007. The problem is similar to widespread trouble with air bag inflators made by bankrupt Japanese air bag maker Takata. The company used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate the air bags. But the chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high heat and humidity and burn too fast, blowing apart a metal canister. At least 19 people in the U.S. and 28 worldwide have been killed by exploding Takata inflators. More than 400 have been injured in the U.S. The Volvo inflators do not use ammonium nitrate, but the propellant can still deteriorate when exposed to high heat and humidity, according to documents posted Thursday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Volvo said in the documents that the fatality is the only inflator rupture case that it knows of. ZF/TRW said the inflators were not sold to any other automakers in the U.S. The companys U.S. headquarters is in Livonia, Michigan, near Detroit. Earlier this month Volvo recalled nearly 260,000 older cars in the U.S. for the same problem. That was in addition to a recall from November of 2020. Volvo said Thursday that it will contact owners of all the recalled cars and tell them how to get the vehicles repaired. Dealers will replace the drivers air bag with a modern state-of-the-art propellant/inflator, the Volvo documents say. Owners in the latest U.S. recall will be notified by letter starting Dec. 14. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. PHOENIX (AP) Maricopa County officials approved a settlement Wednesday with a restaurant owner in metro Phoenix who claimed in a lawsuit that then-Sheriff Joe Arpaios office had defamed him and violated his rights about seven years ago when investigating whether employees at his restaurants used fraudulent IDs to get jobs. The $5 million settlement with Uncle Sams owner Bret Frimmel came weeks after officials signed off on a separate $400,000 settlement to resolve similar claims brought by Uncle Sams manager Lisa Norton. County officials approved $3.1 million of Frimmels settlement. The remaining $1.9 million in his settlement is being covered by an insurer. Frimmel and Norton were arrested by Arpaios office in January 2014 on employment-related identity theft charges that were dismissed after a judge ruled one of Arpaios detective recklessly disregarded the truth in affidavits used to get search warrants and ultimately found that there was no probable cause to back up the warrants. Frimmel and Norton maintained they did nothing wrong. Their lawsuit was among the last civil cases pending against Arpaio, who was voted out of office in late 2016 after 24 years in office and lost a 2020 bid to win back his old job. Arpaio raided Frimmels restaurants and about 80 other businesses from 2008 through 2014 in investigations that led to the arrests of hundreds of immigrant workers under a law that made it a felony to use fake or stolen IDs to get jobs. Nine employees were arrested in the investigation of Uncle Sams. Even though a judge in the criminal case said there was no probable cause for the warrants, another judge handling the civil case found in March 2019 that the detective leading the investigation had probable cause to arrest Frimmel and Norton on the ID theft charge and ruled against the lawsuits claims of malicious arrest and abuse of process. What remained of the lawsuit were the claims of illegal search and search, defamation and negligent restraint related to the handcuffing of Frimmel during the arrest. Frimmel and his manager said they were arrested after the restaurant owner was asked by the U.S. Justice Department for help in a now-settled civil rights lawsuit that accused the sheriffs office of racial profiling, retaliating against Arpaios critics and other civil rights violations. One of Frimmels attorneys said the Justice Department contacted his client during the federal investigation, but Frimmel never returned the call. The retaliation claim wasnt mentioned in the extensive March 2019 pretrial order that examined the legal claims and evidence. Leon Silver, one of the lawyers representing Frimmel and Norton, said the 2019 decision wasnt a final judgment and that the judge might have still allowed the malicious arrest claim to be heard at trial. Silver said investigators never proved his client knew that job applicants were using fake IDs to seek jobs. My clients feel vindicated by the settlement, Silver said. They are relieved to have this behind them. They have lived with this way too long. They just want to get on with their lives. Arpaio, who is now running for mayor of his adopted hometown of Fountain Hills, said it was the countys decision to settle the case. I was ready to go to court and go before a jury of my peers to testify, Arpaio said. I didnt have that chance. I still feel like we would have won that trial if it went before a jury. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of workers stayed home, rendering physical office spaces useless, at least temporarily. Now that employees are returning to in-person work, what does the current commercial real estate market look like? And what does the future of office space Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. 22 24692 21COVID-192019 310 1101022 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 21) Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Thursday denied being remiss in exercising the governments right to match the offer of Davao businessman Dennis Uys Udenna Corporation in buying out a majority stake in the Malampaya gas project. At a Senate hearing on the proposed 2022 budget of the Department of Energy, Cusi said state-run Philippine National Oil Company Exploration Corporation studied the implications of buying Chevrons 45% share, but decided against it. "When you buy there is a risk... This is a case of damned if we do, damned if we dont. Bilhin mo, tatanungin bakit binili (If you buy, you will be asked why), Cusi said, taking note of Malampayas depleting reserves. Kung hindi mo binili, ito naman ang assumption: pinabayaan namin. What I can assure you, hindi po ito pinabayaan ng PNOC-EC. The board deliberated on that, added Cusi, who sits as chairman of the PNOC-EC board. [Translation: And if you dont buy it, the assumption is neglect of duty. What I can assure you, the PNOC-EC did not neglect it. The board deliberated on that.] Cusi, Uy, and 24 others are now facing graft complaints for the 2019 buyout. Former PNOC president Eduardo Manalac said the government effectively forfeited up to 138 billion in profits from Malampaya. Uy was one of President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign contributors in the 2016 presidential race. Shell Exploration BV and Chevron each owned a 45% stake in the project, with the remaining 10% maintained by the state through PNOC-EC. In the past two years, however, Chevron and Shell both sold their shares in the project to Uy's UC Malampaya, giving it a 90% controlling stake. "Why did Chevron sell and why is Shell selling? That is another issue. Are they getting away from the Philippines? These are questions [that also need] to be discussed," Cusi said. He reiterated that the DOE scrutinized the Chevron-Udenna deal to ensure that the country's energy security is not compromised. CNN Philippines Eimor Santos and Melissa Lopez contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) Face-to-face classes for other courses, even in low-risk areas, remain prohibited because of low COVID-19 vaccination coverage among students in universities, Commission on Higher Education chairman Prospero de Vera said Friday. Currently, students of medicine, allied health sciences, engineering and technology, hospitality management, hotel and restaurant management, tourism management, marine engineering, and marine transportation programs are the only ones allowed to participate in face-to-face classes. "Pinagaaralan pa natin iyan. Nagsisimula pa nga lang tayo gumawa ng guidelines," de Vera said in a government briefing. [Translation: We are still studying this. We just started crafting guidelines for this.] "Hindi naman natin pwedeng gawin iyan sa ngayon dahil mababa pa ang vaccination rates ng mga estudyante," he added. [Translation: We cannot do this yet because of low vaccination rates among students.] Citing reports from higher education institutions, de Vera said only 27% of students are vaccinated so far. He expressed hope all students could get inoculated. De Vera also said local governments should be consulted and the vaccination rate among the school personnel, and in the area where the educational institution is located, must be high before in-person classes for all degree programs could resume. The CHED chief said the commission will assess by January next year if these can already be permitted. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) The International Criminal Court can issue arrest warrants against heads of state and other government officials if there is sufficient proof to accuse them of a certain crime, ICC Spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah said Thursday. "Yes, it is possible because the immunity of the heads of state is not something that is opposable to the ICC," El Abdallah said during his Facebook Live video when asked about the matter. "And same logic if the Security Council imposes the Rome Statute as an obligation to a state that is not part of the Rome Statute, the same article Article 27 remains applicable for the ICC," he added. The Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, "investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community." Article 27 states that the statute "shall apply equally to all persons without any distinction based on official capacity." The ICC's pre-trial chamber recently authorized the start of an investigation into the Duterte administration's bloody drug war, as well as the alleged Davao Death Squad's extrajudicial killings. The probe covers supposed crimes committed from November 1, 2011 to March 16, 2019. In 2011, due to term limits, President Rodrigo Duterte was then Davao City vice mayor while his daughter Sara served as mayor. Duterte was the city's mayor for over two decades before being elected in 2016 as President - from 1988 to 1998; 2001 to 2010; and again from 2013 to 2016. Because of his crime-fighting tactics, he earned the monickers "Dirty Harry" and "the Punisher." The incumbent administration earlier said it will not cooperate with the ICC in relation to its investigation, arguing the court has no jurisdiction over the Philippines following the country's withdrawal from the ICC two years ago. The ICC has maintained it has jurisdiction over supposed crimes committed while the Philippines was still a state party. The Philippines ratified the Rome Statute on August 30, 2011. In 2018, Duterte announced he would pull the country out of the international courts jurisdiction. The Philippines withdrawal from the ICC took effect in March 2019. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) Some local governments are hoping the country's pandemic response task force will reconsider its order to close all cemeteries to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission during Undas, the League of Provinces said Friday. "Ang ibang LGU ay humihiling naman po na pwede narin daw buksan kahit po Oct. 30 and 31," Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco, Jr. - the league's president - said in a Laging Handa briefing. But he did not name the local governments. [Translation: A number of LGUs want to open cemeteries on Oct. 30 and 31, if possible.] Like last year, visitors will not be allowed to enter burial grounds from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano has said. "Sa paggunita naman po ng Undas ngayong November 1, ang IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) ay naglabas na ng guidelines na ipasasara ang lahat ng sementeryo, memorial parks, libingan, kasama na ang columbaria mula Oct. 29 hanggang Nov. 2, 2021," Ano announced during the task force's meeting aired on Wednesday. [Translation: To commemorate Undas, the IATF released guidelines to close cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbaria from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.] Ano said cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbaria can open at 30% capacity on other days. He added that local officials must also pass an ordinance to implement this policy. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) A health reform advocate urged the government on Friday to consider giving an additional dose of mRNA vaccine to health workers and immunocompromised patients to prevent wastage of expiring doses that were earlier shipped to the country. Dr. Tony Leachon, a former special adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19, told CNN Philippines' The Source on Friday that the government should fast-track the regulatory approval of a third shot of mRNA COVD-19 vaccine, following reports of over 400,000 Moderna doses that are about to expire. "At least man lang for mRNA vaccines this can actually be a good third dose for healthcare workers and for those high-risk patients para di naman siya masayang (so that these doses would not be put to waste)," he said. "That particular regulatory approval should actually be in place so we can use that." The Department of Health earlier said that a third dose is different from a booster shot. Boosters are given to those whose COVID-19 immunity has waned over time after vaccination while a third dose is for those who did not generate a strong immune response following COVID-19 immunization. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the Philippine government will start administering third doses to the vulnerable sectors who were vaccinated against COVID-19 from March to May. READ: PH eyes third COVID-19 shot for health workers, vulnerable sectors by November The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts earlier advised that an additional dose of all WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines be offered to those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. It also said 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. Leachon noted that for those who were inoculated with Sinovac, the government should already heed this advice of the WHO SAGE or consider adopting the latest authorization of the US Food and Drug Administration to use Moderna and Johnson & Johnson as booster in a "mix and match" approach, especially since Sinovac was reported to have a waning efficacy after at least six months of protection. RELATED: US FDA authorizes booster doses of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, says mix and match OK So far, no clear guidelines have been released on the administration of additional COVID-19 shots to health workers and immunocompromised who were vaccinated from March to May. Over 25 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, still far from the government's goal of inoculating 77 million Filipinos by year-end. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 22) Senators want the Department of Agriculture (DA) to come up with an action plan on how it can help farmers amid skyrocketing fertilizer prices. At Friday's hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Migz Zubiri said he wants to see the action plan before the DAs 2022 budget is taken up at the plenary. Ako naman ang magmamando kung ilalabas ko 'yang budget ninyo sa plenaryo," Zubiri said as the panel takes up the DAs budget for next year. "Dapat may action plan tayo dito sa problema ng abono na hinaharap ng ating mga magsasaka. [Translation: I will be the one to direct if I will take your budget to the plenary. We must have an action plan in the fertilizer problem of our farmers.] Senator Imee Marcos pointed out that a sack of urea fertilizer used to cost 900 but was sold recently at 1,800 per sack or higher. Citing data from the Philippine Rice Research Instritute, Senator Cynthia Villar said organic material can also be used to fertilize crops aside from the urea fertilizer. Thats why Im encouraging organic," Villar said. "Kasi yung organic, gagawin lang ng mga farmers yun. Hindi nila bibilhin tapos maso-solve pa yung waste management problem natin, di ba? Eh di kalahati hindi na bibilhin. [Translation: Thats why Im encouraging organic. Because the organic can be done by the farmers. They don't have to buy it, while the waste management problem will also be solved, right?] The lawmakers questioned the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), an attached agency of the DA, why it has not done more to help farmers produce their own fertilizers at a lower cost. FPA executive director Wilfredo Roldan tried to reason that the agency is merely regulatory, which the senators did not buy. Napakarami nating organic material for organic fertilizer eh wala naman ako nakikitang programa," Zubiri pointed out. "You need to come up with more progressive measures hindi lang tayo reactive. [Translation: We have so much organic material for organic fertilizer but I dont see programs. You need to come up with more progressive measures, and that we are not just reactive.] The DA said it provides free fertilizer and seeds in the form of vouchers as part of its Rice Resiliency Project. However, some farmers' groups recently demanded the resignation of Agriculture Secretary William Dar as the agency supposedly failed to deliver the free fertilizer subsidy. (CNN) [Breaking news update, published at 5:48 p.m. ET] The FBI's Denver office said Thursday that remains found in a Florida nature reserve are those of Brian Laundrie, who went missing last month. The FBI said dental records confirmed the identification. [Previous story, published at 5:33 p.m. ET] Police in Florida said Thursday that skeletal remains found during the search for Brian Laundrie at the Carlton Reserve on Wednesday are of a human. "They are human remains, no doubt there. I would say that the remains were consistent with one individual, you know skeletal remains," North Port Police spokesperson Josh Taylor said in an on-camera interview with CNN. Investigators found clothing believed to belong to Laundrie, he said. "It's consistent with what he was believed to be wearing," Taylor said. Taylor indicated the belongings had been out there for some time. Laundrie went missing last month, a few days before authorities in Wyoming found the remains of his fiancee, Gabby Petito, whose death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation. Investigators also found a backpack and a notebook belonging to Laundrie, 23, near the remains while they were searching the Carlton Reserve in North Port, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson. "The notebook to my understanding has not been opened. You know, that will need to be processed," Taylor said. A source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN the notebook is "possibly salvageable." The source said the notebook was "outside of the dry bag." "It had been clearly wet and they are going to use any potential means to dry that out before opening it," according to the source, who added: "They'll be very careful with it." The source said it is unclear how the notebook ended up outside the dry bag. When Taylor was asked about whether a weapon was found, he said he could not comment. When asked if there is an ongoing search for the murderer of Gabby Petito, he responded, "That is certainly not in the North Port Police Department's purview." During a search with police, Brian's father, Chris Laundrie, was the first to spot an item belonging to his son, according to Taylor. Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino told CNN's Chris Cuomo on Wednesday that "the probability is strong that it is Brian's remains." The discovery came on Wednesday morning when Laundrie's parents and law enforcement searched an area of the reserve that had been underwater but recently reopened to the public. "It's quite sad, you can imagine as a parent, finding your son's belongings alongside some remains. That's got to be heartbreaking. And I can tell you that they are heartbroken," Bertolino told Cuomo. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Thursday law enforcement had been searching in treacherous conditions, including nearly chest-high water full of snakes and alligators. "These are very, very difficult conditions. You're searching in areas that you just can't walk up and look. It's not like you're searching a house or a car," he said. "These areas are huge and they're covered by water." The exhaustive search for Laundrie stretched over a month as authorities tried to piece together what happened to him and Petito during their road trip through the Western US this summer. Petito, 22, disappeared on the trip amid tensions in their relationship, and her remains were later found in Wyoming near where the couple had last been seen together. Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue ruled her death a homicide and said she died by manual strangulation. Laundrie, who had returned by himself to his parents' home in Florida, refused to talk with investigators and then went missing in the nearby nature reserve. He has not been seen since September 13. He has not been charged in her death, although he was indicted for allegedly using two financial accounts that did not belong to him in the days following her killing. Authorities, including several K-9 units and off-road vehicles, returned to the reserve on Thursday morning to further search the area. A medical examiner arrived to the reserve on Wednesday, and a formal identification of the remains could take some time. A source close to the investigation told CNN that the remains "appear to have been there a while." "Based on the condition of the remains, it may take some time to officially identify. It is going to be a very thorough process with the medical examiner," the source said. Brian Laundrie's parents were on scene when remains were found Laundrie's family had declined to talk publicly following legal advice, but they had directed authorities to where they believed Laundrie may be staying in the reserve, Bertolino said. The parents -- Chris and Roberta Laundrie -- joined in the search Wednesday morning and found a bag belonging to their son at the park, which their attorney described as "happenstance." According to Bertolino, Laundrie's parents informed the FBI and the North Port Police Department on Tuesday night that they wanted to visit the park Wednesday morning to search for their son. Law enforcement met them there and closely accompanied them as they entered the park, Bertolino said. "As they went further in, Chris ventured off the trail into the woods. He was zigzagging in different areas, law enforcement was doing the same thing. And Roberta Laundrie was walking down the trail," Bertolino said. "At some point, Chris locates what's called a dry bag. The dry bag is a white bag, laying in the woods, say 20 feet or so off the trail." The dry bag was in some brambles and he didn't want to move it because he wanted his law enforcement to see it, Bertolino said. However, Chris Laundrie couldn't find law enforcement and didn't want to leave the bag there with a news reporter standing nearby, so he picked it up, Bertolino explained. "He did meet up shortly with law enforcement, they looked at the contents of the bag. At that time, law enforcement officers showed him a picture on the phone of a backpack that law enforcement had located also nearby and also some distance off the trail," Bertolino told CNN. "At that point, the Laundries were notified there was also remains near the backpack, and they were asked to leave the preserve." The remains were found "about 2 to 3 miles inside the Carlton Reserve, or about a 45-minute walk" from the entrance at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, Taylor said Wednesday. When asked why the parents chose to go to the park on Wednesday, Bertolino said it was the first day it was reopened to the public. "The parents had assumed that the experts, the FBI and all the tracking teams they had would be able to locate Brian based upon the information that we had provided them to the specific areas and trails in the park that Brian liked to visit," Bertolino said. "The park had been closed to the public. There was really no other reason for the Laundries to go search anywhere else." The Coastal Point is a local newspaper published each Friday and distributed in the Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island, Ocean View, Millville, Dagsboro, Frankford, Selbyville, Millsboro, Long Neck and Georgetown, Delaware areas. Tucked away in the Forum Building comes No Refund Theatres production of The Vagina Monologues, a collection of narratives highlighting the lived experiences of several women and their bodies. Featuring a cast of six students, the play portrays themes involving sexual discovery and repression, female genital mutilation, the power of reclamation, menstruation, birth, and sexual assault and rape. Unabashedly exploring the intimate details of vaginas, the production uses these themes to draw upon humor and solemnity to transport audiences into worlds that are often too close to home for people to explore. The play begins with a monologue done by the entire ensemble, opening the performance with the declarative statement, We were worried about our vaginas. From there, the play builds off of monologues inspired by the real experiences of numerous women, until finally reaching a climax unique to this production. The free production will continue to show at 9 p.m. on Thursday and at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday in 111 Forum Building. Director of the production Lyndsey Carr said when she first experienced the script she was torn on the subject matter and originally felt uneasy about it. When it came time to propose shows for the fall season however, Carr (senior-political science) said she knew this was the show she wanted to propose. I always knew if I would direct a show for this club it would be The Vagina Monologues,' Carr said. When I first read the show, I was a little bit uncomfortable by it, and I consider myself a very feminist person. I asked myself, 'Why does this show make me feel uncomfortable?'... I think it shouldnt be taboo to talk about this stuff. The first draft of the play was written in 1996 by Eve Ensler and has since experienced a plethora of adaptations. Reworks, additions, removals the play continues to adapt and evolve to the conditions of the world around it. NRTs edition features an original dialogue as part of the final act of the show, which discusses the rising rates of the universitys Timely Warnings and Penn State officials responses to sexual violence on campus. This original addition to the script emphasizes how sexual assault and rape is overwhelmingly present at University Park and how there are numerous cases that go unreported on college campuses across the nation, according to Carr. The revised edition of the play also documents in its final scene the real experiences of several students within the production who have experienced sexual assault and how Penn State handled their cases. The final moments of the play call out the university and demand tangible change at Penn State. Carr said she wanted students to walk away from the play knowing that while not every story in the show may be the most relatable for college audiences, there are very real experiences of women at Penn State that people should hear and understand. She said she wants university officials to stop treating victims of sexual assault like [theyre] collateral damage. We wanted to show some of the darker sides of what happens at our university, Carr said. I felt it was an injustice to perform this without bringing it back home to Penn State and holding our administration a bit more accountable and calling them out in a public setting. With the fear that calling out top university officials, such as President Eric Barron, could result in negative repercussions for the students involved in the show, Carr said she believes there are more steps the university should be taking to not only address sexual assault at Penn State but also the way the university handles these cases and the help it provides survivors. Having shared her own experience with sexual assault during a Penn State-sponsored study abroad program as part of the final scene in the show, Tori Gamel said she felt the university didnt provide her adequate resources or help after she reported her case. Enforcing the message of NRTs addition to the show, Gamel (senior-anthropology) said she believes it is important to bring this issue to light in order to help push for change at Penn State. Theres been all this growth in the world, but not at Penn State, Gamel said. It seems Penn State is stuck in this bubble where things arent changing. Gamel said talking about her experience was nerve-wracking, but being given the opportunity to talk about it with other people in NRT was a therapeutic process. She said being able to share her experiences with other students in the show made Penn State feel like a home again. In the future, Gamel said she wants to see Penn State be more productive in its response to sexual violence and provide better resources to victims. Penn State spokesperson Lisa Powers said via email Penn State remains an institution dedicated to combating sexual misconduct and violence. Powers reiterated the message sent by Damon Sims in a recent blog post, which is also addressed in the show. Powers said the university offers a range of prevention and support efforts, including a guide for new students on navigating personal safety and responsibility, a free community education program about sexual assault and awareness offered by University Police, safe walks and prevention, and awareness education offered by several groups on campus. Powers said President Barron will also hold a town hall for the Penn State community on Nov. 8, which will provide more information on resources, university leadership's commitment to ending "sexual misconduct," and "give answers to many vexing questions that students may have as well as give voice to frustrations and concerns that can be addressed." Students are able to report misconduct via phone or online to the universitys Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response, as well as to police or anonymously, Powers said. Students are also offered counseling and advocacy services via the Gender Equity Center, where students can also receive help in the reporting process. While the university urges everybody to report misconduct, Powers said the university understands the process is different for every person and it is not always an easy decision to make. However, when it comes down to it, the only person responsible for a sexual assault or rape is the perpetrator, Powers said. Students that are found responsible for these offenses, face a range of sanctions, up to and including expulsion. One of three assistant directors for the show, Natalie Sites said this is the first time she has gotten involved in a NRT production. Studying in a predominantly male field, Sites (senior-aerospace engineering) said she often doesnt have the opportunity to talk openly about femininity in her classes like her male peers talk openly about their masculinity. Sites said producing this show at Penn State right now is a critical step in bringing awareness to the sheer number of sexual assaults that happen on and off campus. In a predominantly male-centered major, it's hard to find a group of women who are willing to express their femininity, Sites said. I never realized the depth of which sexual assault happens here at Penn State You cant sweep these things under the rug. When the list of proposed shows came out, Ava Pennington said she was ecstatic about the idea of being involved in the show and immediately went searching for the perfect audition piece. The play, being a mix of comedic and meaningful monologues, comes together in a culmination of topics that are often not talked about openly, Pennington (senior-psychology) said. With the messages in the show, Pennington said she wants audiences to walk away with a better understanding of female empowerment. Women shouldnt accept anything less they should know their worth, especially with men and sexual experiences, Pennington said. Women should get what they deserve because they deserve everything. As her first time participating in an acting role within NRT, Olivia Black said the show requires a legion of strong voices willing to stand up and speak out about the various topics in the show. With themes that are sometimes deemed controversial or taboo, Black (junior-communications sciences and disorders) said every person involved with the The Vagina Monologues had to be upfront and frank from the get-go. She said ultimately the show was a rewarding experience that gave her the chance to grow as a person and give others a chance to better understand the shows message of feminine power. While the show highlights a wide range of womens experiences with their vaginas, Carr said she wants to emphasize that the show does not highlight the experiences of all people who have vaginas. It's important for college students to be aware of these things, Black said. This show starts a lot of conversations, it covers a broad variety of topics... It is definitely a conversation that a lot of people dont know how to start, so coming to this show and seeing it and being able to talk about it after is kind of a way to warm people up to that. MORE LIFESTYLE CONTENT Penn State Indian Culture and Language Club to host Diwali celebration Indian Culture and Language Club is back with another event. This time, the members are invi Penn State's Paul Robeson Cultural Center hosted the fifth annual "Pride in Our Community Pep Rally" Thursday night at the HUB-Robeson Center's Monumental Stairs. The pep rally celebrated the diversity of the student of color community at Penn State through performances by different cultural-based organizations, according to Carlos Wiley, director of the PRCC. Over 100 people crowded onto the HUB's Monumental Stairs. Hundreds of others watched from the floor, as well as the second and third levels of the HUB. The pep rally, which featured dance teams and spoken word artists, was started to encourage more students of color to participate in Homecoming activities, Wiley said, and it has had a positive effect on community engagement. The event also honored the students of color who are members of the 2021 Homecoming court. Wiley said students of color did not participate in Homecoming in previous years. Clair Dunham, Homecoming's public relations director, said Homecoming's mission is to "celebrate pride and tradition" for all Penn Staters regardless of background. "We're just happy to celebrate all those different aspects of the community and showcase the diverse perspectives we have at Penn State, Dunham (senior-public relations) said. Lexie Wells, an event planner, said people of color felt "isolated from Homecoming before the [PRCC] connected the rally to Homecoming in 2020." Wells (junior-management and information systems) said the purpose of the rally was to "instill pride within the multicultural community." One of Wells' favorite parts of the event was when a girl with glasses took them off and danced. "I wasn't expecting her to kill it," Wells said. "She did a good job." Wells also praised the Penn State Filipino Association's dance performance. Marika Reynolds, another event planner, said she liked the performance of the Black Elites, a new dance organization that opened the pep rally. "I thought they really set the bar high and really brought the energy for everyone," Reynolds (junior-global and international studies) said. "I think all the dancers did really well." Wells said she liked the multicultural aspect of the rally, especially relating to the variety of Greek life that appeared. She said she enjoyed seeing sororities and fraternities that were not part of the "Divine Nine," meaning historically Black Greek organizations. Reynolds aksi said she liked seeing every level of the HUB watching the rally and was impressed by the roll calls of the Greek organizations. Tetsuo Takahara, a graduate assistant in the PRCC, said though 2020's pep rally on HUB Lawn was well-attended, the pep rally in its "original format" this year turned out well. Wiley said last year's rally was socially-distanced with masks and was attended by about 200 people. "There was really good energy," Takahara (graduate-higher education) said. "I think students were happy to be able to come back and celebrate community and being together, especially after midterm season, so everyone probably has a lot of stress to get out." Takahara said he hopes to see more people of color in the PRCC in the HUB in the future. Jalynn Burruss, one of the hostesses of the pep rally, said she believes Penn State's size contributed to the isolation of people of color in the past regarding Homecoming. Burruss (junior-electrical engineering) said she liked the performances of Raw Aesthetic Movements, or R.A.M. Squad, and the Filipino Association, but her favorite performance was Island Fever, Penn State Caribbean Student Association's dance team. Oluwafunke Alliyu, who performed with Afrique Fusion the official dance team of Penn State's African Students Association said she enjoyed seeing the diversity of performers. "It was really a great experience to see everybody who represented here today," Alliyu (senior-data science) said. Braelyn Showell, a friend of Alliyu's, said 2020's rally was cold and slightly dark. "We still had a great time, but I'm glad to be back in the HUB where we started," Showell (junior-marketing) said. It was also great for Showell to attend the rally with her friends many of whom were home in 2020, she said. Showell said seeing the Black Elites and supporting Alliyu and Afrique Fusion were her favorite parts of the event. The PRCC is a "hidden gem," Showell said, of the HUB and Penn State as a whole. MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE This week on Colorado Politicking, legislative reporter Pat Poblete and political correspondent Ernest Luning provide the latest updates from the campaign trail, touching on the expanding Republican field seeking to unseat U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and the latest slip-up from Republican gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl. Meanwhile, chief legislative reporter Marianne Goodland dove in to her reporting on a slip-up from Gov. Jared Polis, the man Ganahl will face if she makes it out of the GOP primary. Luning dove into detail on the eight-person field competing for the Republican nomination to challenge Bennet next November, though noted recently released campaign finance reports show "there is no clear frontrunner at this point." He highlighted the $253,000 fundraising haul brought in by former Olympian Eli Bremmer, a sum that showed "there's a lot of catching up to do." "$250,000 or so isn't that much for an initial quarter in a Senate race compared to Michael Bennett, who raised $2 million in this quarter and $2 million in the previous quarter and about $2 million in the quarter before that." Luning also expanded on his reporting on Ganahl, whose campaign had to stand up an impromptu contact tracing effort after holding an indoor event with conservative radio host Dennis Prager, who announced after the that he tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 prior to meeting with Ganahl and had been attempting to get infected. Luning noted Ganahl is fully vaccinated and subsequently had a negative COVID-19 test and wasn't showing any symptoms. Still, he added: "It's not the kind of publicity you want out of the gate when you're getting your campaign off the ground." Goodland followed up by detailing comments made by Polis on Thursday that earned the governor a bit of bad PR of his own. Polis took strong criticism over comments on the renaming of Squaw Mountain in Clear Creek County. The Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board recommended in September the governor approve the renaming of the mountain to Mestaaehehe (pronounced mess-ta-HAY) Mountain. The name is in honor of the wife of William Bent, also known as Owl Woman, a Southern Cheyenne leader. Polis' staff backed the move, but he to told the board during its Thursday meeting he was initially inclined to reject the recommendation because the name is hard to pronounce and spell,. He indicated that if people are unable to pronounce it, they'll go back to using the previous name, which is a slur. Those comments, Goodland said, landed him in hot water with members of the public, including a Democratic state lawmaker, as well as members of the public that were tuned into the meeting. "One person called Polis a white colonizer," she said. "Another person said that he was trying to dumb down the population. "The governor's office has been furiously backpedaling ever since... but this has caused some friction at a time when Gov. Polis was trying to work pretty collaboratively with the native tribes." Read previous coverage on our stories here: To see previous episodes, click here. I receive many collaboration products to test. Most of them are videoconferencing systems that allow people to attend meetings remotely. It often seems that the people who create such products collaborate and yet still dont realize that most collaboration doesnt occur during formal meetings. Instead, it occurs when people get together in different-sized groups around the project on which they are collaborating. To collaborate on a project, you need some way to bring the project into the gathering. Meetings are often a sequence of people presenting slides to the rest of the room. Most of my collaborations have been relatively small and often occurred in my or someone elses office, and more recently, in my or someone elses home. Ive found that the larger the group, the more likely it will be a sequential sharing of knowledge and not true collaboration. In meetings, certain people tend to dominate the conversation, which isnt collaboration. Even in brainstorming sessions, which should be collaborative, you have to tell the room not to attack the ideas but discuss them. When I was first introduced to the Microsoft HoloLens augmented-reality smartglasses (disclosure: Microsoft is a client of the author), it was in a collaborative framework where scientists from Lawrence Livermore Labs were collectively exploring a virtual rendering of Mars. Small groups were working to increase the knowledge for the whole project. That was collaboration. You can bring a project into a typical videoconference with a digital whiteboard, waldo scanner, or free-floating camera. But, whatever you use, if you dont bring the project in front of the group, it is nearly impossible to collaborate on that project. In most but not all cases, slides dont get you there. The future of collaboration is, I believe, with virtual reality and in the metaverse, a virtual environment that replaces offices and meeting rooms. Enter the Varjo Aero Ive been following Finnish company Varjo for some time because, in my view, it currently makes the best VR headsets. Until now, its headsets have been too expensive to use for general collaboration. They are not only costly but come with relatively high monthly service charges. This high cost is because they are predominantly used in fields like commercial and military pilot training, in which high resolution and very high accuracy are critical to virtually creating realistic scenarios. Over the years, some of the most impressive VR hardware Ive seen has been in military and commercial pilot projects, where fully articulated simulators that can cost millions can be justified. More recently, this has moved to professional car racing, but even there, a rig will run more than $50K, making the solution way too expensive for us mortals. (That doesnt mean I dont lust for one. However, my wife still says NO, so I built my own.) This week, however, Varjo announced its comparatively affordable Varjo Aero, which prices out under $2K and stands out from other VR headsets on the market. The differentiators are better resolution, eye tracking, active cooling (which you need for extended use), and software enabling the headsets advanced features. An offering called Varjo Teleport VR creates a viable virtual reality collaborative space. The company has another offering called Varjo Reality Cloud that allows people to collaborate on metaverse objects by sharing content. Varjo Reality Cloud potentially creates an environment where you could collaborate globally as part of the emerging metaverse. While not truly complete you have to use third-party controllers and trackers (Varjo is a relatively small company) you can make it complete. The ability to mix and match hardware means you can pick the best third-party controller in the class, but you arent tied to controllers or trackers from the same vendor. Varjo is an open-source vendor, which helps when crafting a solution customized for the kind of collaboration your company does. Moving to true collaboration Collaboration is the action of working with someone to produce or create something, and I maintain that you cant collaborate on anything unless you can bring that thing and work on it as a group. Only being around the project in person or working on it virtually in virtual space gets you where you can collectively work on a physical object. So while your typical videoconferencing solution isnt collaborative, emerging AR and VR products are. Microsoft HoloLens is collaborative as an AR tool because it allows you to collaborate on physical objects more effectively. And Varjo Aero is collaborative because it allows you to work on virtual objects in much the same way. 10/22/2021 Photo (c) SDI Productions - Getty Images Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.) Total U.S. confirmed cases: 45,312,103 (45,234,901) Total U.S. deaths: 733,435 (731,541) Total global cases: 242,698,743 (242,288,846) Total global deaths: 4,933,356 (4,925,854) CDC signs off on booster shots The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has endorsed booster shots using vaccines produced by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. The CDC agreed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) recommendation to move forward. The CDC also backed the FDAs approval of mixing and matching vaccines, allowing someone inoculated with one type of vaccine to receive a booster of another type. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky issued her decision based on a unanimous recommendation of a CDC advisory committee. These recommendations are another example of our fundamental commitment to protect as many people as possible from COVID-19, Walensky said. FDA to consider Pfizer vaccine for younger children An FDA advisory committee meets next week to decide if the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine should be given to children between the ages of five and 11. Today, the agency released data collected by the drugmakers that shows the vaccine is 90% effective in young children. The clinical trials studied a dose of 10 micrograms of the vaccine given to children aged five to 11. The smaller dose, about a third of what adults receive, is aimed at reducing side effects while still generating robust antibodies. The companies reported that the vaccine appeared to be more than 90% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 while producing minimal side effects in the primary clinical trial. The antibody response to the vaccine was comparable to the one seen in people 16 to 25 years old. Experts worried about the pandemics mental health impact The world can be a scary enough place for young people without a global pandemic. Health researchers, alarmed at rising mental health issues among teens and young adults, believe COVID-19 may be partly to blame. The CDC recently reported that visits to emergency rooms for suicides and suicide attempts among girls aged 12 through 17 increased more than 50% in early 2021 compared to 2019. In a statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health. The group said the pandemic has struck at the safety and stability of families. Around the nation Washington: Some state legislators say they are being blocked from entering certain parts of the state capital building after lawmakers passed a law requiring everyone to provide proof of vaccination. As many as 26 legislators have not yet complied, and officials say their key cards have been deactivated. Massachusetts: State health officials report that the number of breakthrough cases, in which fully vaccinated people test positive for the virus, is declining. In the last week, health officials counted 3,431 new breakthrough cases, down significantly from the previous week's 4,034 cases. Arizona: Health officials say they are already planning to vaccinate the states children between the ages of five and 11 in preparation for expected approval from the FDA and CDC. Jessica Rigler, an assistant director with the Arizona Department of Health Services, says the state will initially have a third of the doses needed to vaccinate Arizonas 600,000 eligible children. Kentucky: Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and the Kentucky Medical Association have launched a campaign called Take it from me, in which former vaccine skeptics who survived the illness urge people to get vaccinated. Marshall County resident Ethan Koeler, who was hospitalized for two weeks, said he would have gotten the shot if he had known how horrible the virus is. 10/22/2021 Photo (c) jayk7 - Getty Images If Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) gets his wish, student loans could soon be fully tax-deductible. Paul says he plans to introduce the Tax Free Education Act, legislation that could change the face of student loan programs forever if passed. In comments made to WDRB-TV in Louisville, Ky., Paul said his five-prong approach would include the following: Make education expenses 100% deductible Enable students to deduct the cost of their education from their income tax Include student loans as education expenses Apply to all colleges and technical schools Apply to the cost of K-12 education The rising cost of education is important to Paul. Less than two years ago, he introduced the Higher Education Loan Payment and Enhanced Retirement (HELPER) Act, a pro-taxpayer plan that he said would help Americans pay off their student loan debt more quickly and easily, plus give them an added opportunity to save more money for retirement. "Making college tax deductible, I think, would help a lot of families," Paul said. "A lot of families are struggling. College tuition has doubled over the last decade. Loan payments are going up. I meet people in their 30s still trying to pay back their loans." Student loans: a can of worms Were now in the fourth year of a prolonged battle over student loans, dating back to 2017 when a coalition of states pushed Trump Education Department appointee Betsy DeVos to take action on 25,000 loan forgiveness applications filed by students who were left stranded when for-profit schools like Corinthian Colleges collapsed. After DeVos left that can of worms on her desk for her successor, the new Biden-appointed Education Secretary Dr. Miguel Cardona quickly forgave more than a billion dollars coming from 72,000 eligible claims from student borrowers -- the majority of whom attended Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical Institute. Thats a nice start, but theres still work to do. According to the Education Data Initiatives deep dive into the situation, theres still a lot to shore up -- including addressing the variety of loan forgiveness programs that have different qualifications, forgiveness amounts, and qualifications. Unfortunately, the process of making improvements has been painfully slow. In the last two years, the number of denied claims has more than quadrupled, and as many as 43% of applications have not yet been processed. What about the for-profit schools still in business? Another item on Cardona and Pauls checklist might be to help students who have loans from for-profit institutions that are still in business. As an example, ConsumerAffairs reviewer Marnie from Massachusetts pegged Capella University for the problems shes been fighting. Terrible! They took $82K from me without even knowing about it with student loans so they could profit! I am getting a lawyer against Capella AND Nelnet. If you think after 15 years I am going to pay all of YOUR FRAUDULENT money back when I wasn't even able to graduate after seeing my bill, you're nuts, Marnie wrote. Another frustrated for-profit college student loan borrower -- Melissa of Maryland -- says shes still trying to sort things out with Strayer University. She accused the institution of taking her money but then changing the name of the program she completed. Called the dean to advise. Was told he would get it straight. Received a email advising the program was switched to Business ADMIN. from HR. I took out student loans to receive a degree in HR not Business. I could have went to another school and Received the degree I wanted. Now stuck with over 50k in student loans with no job in HR, she wrote. Conway eReader Headlines Would you like to receive a link to the Conway Daily Sun online eEdition and preview the top stories? Signup today! Totemguide.com scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 10 Jan 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the totemguide homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the totemguide homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the totemguide homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the totemguide homepage on Twitter + the total number of totemguide followers (if totemguide has a Twitter account). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the totemguide homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if totemguide has a Facebook fan page). Basic Information PAGE TITLE Inner Totems Consulting :: Belen Stoneman DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. Domain and Server DOCTYPE CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux The language of totemguide.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. Operative System running on the server. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for totemguide.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The type of Facebook page. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The URL of the found Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Funeral service for Otis C. Harrison, Jr., 47, formerly of Oakwood, passed away November 6, 2021 in Cypress, CA. Viewing will be on, Monday, November 22 at Emanuel Funeral Home of Palestine from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Funeral will be held on Tuesday, November 23, at True Vine DOXA Center, Fairfie The statement said, In the time of social media, it is easy to identify, try and punish all those who are involved in the recent violence. We understand that the Government of Bangladesh has started action against those involved and we welcome it and urge that quick and exemplary punishment should be given to deter others and ensure such obnoxious incidences are not repeated again. Bangladesh government should immediately reconstruct and repair all damaged places of worship and houses and provide generous compensation Urging the Government of Bangladesh to immediately reconstruct and repair all places of worship, houses and any other assets that are damaged and provide generous compensation to those injured and to the families of all those killed and government jobs to the next of kin, the statement regretted, Divisive forces in different countries of South Asia are spreading hate and violence, especially against minorities, which calls for immediate attention and decisive actions by all the governments of the region to ensure amity, peace and pave way for development and prosperity of the people. Pointing out that all countries of the region are already lagging behind on all development indicators and any further divisions in society and violence can push our people into more poverty and greater misery, the statement said, We urge all South Asians to speak out against any violence in any form and prevail upon their governments to secure peace and ensure prosperity of the people. Several well-known South Asian activists and public figures of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Maldives have expressed deep distress by the spate of violence and killings in Bangladesh on the occasion of Durga Puja and Vijayadashami. Attacks on minorities are a sign of injustice and a matter of shame for any society and bring a bad name to the Government, they said in a joint statement.Signatories to the statement include actor Shabana Azmi and former Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed; physicist Pervez Hoodbhoy and womens rights leader Mehnaz Rehman from Pakistan; Justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and secularism campaigner Shahriar Kabir from Bangladesh; womens rights leader Nalini Ratnarajah from Sri Lanka; former minister of womens affairs Sima Samar and academic Fidel Rehmati from Afghanistan; and peace activist Mohammed Latheef from Maldives.Our heartfelt empathy and solidarity with all those killed, injured and affected in any way by this inhuman and mindless violence, the statement said, adding, Even as we were feeling some relief at the Government of Bangladesh reigning in fanatic groups and controlling communalism in the country, the current outbreak of mayhem and violence against the minorities comes as a big shock.Calling the violence a setback to the Government of Bangladesh in its efforts to curb communalism and promote communal amity and peaceful coexistence, the statement said, This also shows that fanatic elements bent on spreading hate and violence in any society are always on the prowl to damage social fabric and we have to be on constant vigil against them. In honor of Dune, we asked readers to name some titles that could actually benefit from a reboot or remake. No points to everyone who responded "just make something original"we know most of these rehashes suck, so that's why it's a challenge to name one that wouldn't. The boldest idea came from Richard K., who suggested a "dark and serious" reboot of I Dream of Jeannie directed by David Fincher. Exactly what happens in that reboot, he left that to our imaginations, but we all know that the original 1960s show was pretty light and bubbly. You might have even heard one famous piece of trivia about the show: To keep the whole thing G-rated, NBC censors strictly forbade Jeannie from ever showing her belly button. Sounds weird, right? They'd obviously given her a sexy costume, and the belly button wouldn't change that much either way. If they were claiming nothing was going on between Jeannie and Major Nelson, they weren't doing a great job, particularly after the two got married. Plus, this was the '60s, which all those beach documentaries assure us was the golden age of belly buttons. The truth wasn't exactly what the legend says. Yes, as Jeannie, Barbara Eden wore a costume with high-waist pants that went above the navel. But in early episodes, noted Eden years later, the pants would ride down from time to time and reveal her belly button for the camera. No one at the network cared. Letter to the Editor: Parade needs to get priorities straight Two high-ranking members of Gov. Ned Lamonts administration voiced optimism Thursday about Connecticuts job recovery, despite the state on a pace that will take a few more years to reach pre-pandemic employment levels. The state Department of Labor issued a preliminary estimate Thursday that Connecticut added 4,700 jobs in September. That marked the ninth straight month of job gains in Connecticut. And the declared unemployment rate, based on a survey of households, dropped to 6.8 percent from 7.2 percent in August, a hefty decline for a single month by historic standards. But the job gain leaves total employment in the state economy more than 86,000 jobs short of where it stood when Lamont declared a public health emergency in March 2020, forcing mass furloughs as many businesses curtailed activities. And the unemployment rate remains well above the U.S. unemployment rate of 4.8 percent in September. The biggest issue remains the sheer numbers of Connecticut residents who were working before the pandemic and are either unemployed, meaning theyre actively looking for positions, or are not looking at all. That number, hard to calculate exactly because the monthly sample sizes are small, is somewhere between 90,000 and 140,000. Its happening even as employers say they are short-staffed and are actively trying to hire. Connecticut is growing jobs and unemployment is declining and economic recovery is strong, Dante Bartolomeo, commissioner of the state Department of Labor, said Thursday in an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media Group. Explaining the number of people who havent headed back to work, she added, Theres still some folks who are concerned about COVID. There is still a significant issue for parents who need to be there for children, who dont necessarily have a daycare situation or are potentially going to be in situations where theyre quarantining. The number of people collecting unemployment benefits is at 52,000, down from well over 100,000 in the late summer, as federal pandemic stimulus programs ended in early September including an allowance for independent contractors to draw unemployment assistance. Over the first three weeks of September, more than 46,500 Connecticut residents came off unemployment. Far from Connecticut having a unique problem, employers everywhere continue to struggle to lure people to jobs, said David Lehman, commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development, in the interview along with Bartolomeo. Thats a nationwide issue of people leaving the labor force and waiting a long time before reentering, Lehman said. Connecticuts job openings, per capita, are in line with the rest of the country, so we dont think were an outlier there in terms of more openings relative to people looking for work. The DOL estimates on job creation and the numbers of people working are subject to ongoing revision sometimes major changes as surveys roll in from businesses on payroll jobs they support, and individual earners on their employment status. For example, in February, a calculation change led the federal government to report a decline of 123,000 in the number of Connecticut residents working sending the unemployment rate up by 4 tenths of a percentage point. However, that did not happen in the real world as there was no economic event that might have caused it. The August and September gains were boosted by schools reopening, with some staff such as bus drivers having filed for unemployment compensation during the summer. The CEO of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association said Thursday that he believes DOL needs to adopt more aggressive policies to get people into job-hunting mode, perhaps going as far as to require them to prove they have visited with companies at job fairs or their facilities as a condition of receiving unemployment assistance. We dont have a magic bullet and I know that nobody else has or else we would have stopped this thing already, but it is the bigger picture right now that is holding us back, CBIA CEO Chris DiPentima said. We would be firing on a higher cylinder if we could net this out between the unemployed and all these job openings we have. Large employers are now managing the additional uncertainty of a White House mandate for employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing. Some workers in Connecticut and nationally have vowed to seek employment at smaller organizations not subject to the mandate. University of Connecticut economist Fred Carstensen described the states economy as very sick given a higher unemployment rate than many neighboring states, and a continuing struggle to convince employers to add relatively higher-paying jobs in Connecticut where the cost of living leaves many living paycheck to paycheck. We never recovered from the Great Recession in either jobs or real output the worst performance of any state economy over that time frame, Carstensen stated in an email. Our job creation has been almost entirely in low-skill, low-wage sectors, our building industry has largely collapsed, and what residential construction we have is focused on multi-family housing, reflecting the low quality of jobs we have seen being created. Hearst Insider columnist Dan Haar contributed to this report. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman As COVID cases among students and staff continue to steadily decline, the governors office said Friday the school mask mandate could be lifted when more children are vaccinated. The recent decline in cases comes as the state and its partners prepare to vaccinate the more than 275,000 children who are between the ages 5 and 11 against the virus. Considering the vast majority of COVID cases in schools are among students who are not vaccinated, that effort is likely to drive the numbers down further. Max Reiss, a spokesman for Gov. Ned Lamont, said it could also mean ending the school mask mandate. With the availability of vaccines for 5- to 11-year-olds expected in the coming weeks, that leaves open the possibility that masks in schools could eventually go away during the school year, Reiss said, adding that it will be dependent on how many parents choose to get their children vaccinated. Reiss noted the school mask mandate is part of the governors pandemic-related executive powers, which are due to expire in February. Asked about a vaccine mandate in schools, Reiss said that possibility is nowhere near the horizon. According to the latest school data released Thursday, the state reported 472 cases among students, 412 of whom were not vaccinated. There were 78 cases among teachers and staff, 21 of whom were not vaccinated, the states data shows. Overall, cases in schools were the lowest since Sept. 8. On a school-by-school basis, there were no sizable clusters of cases. More than 290 schools reported cases, but all had less than six infections. Due to privacy laws, if there are fewer than six cases, a specific number is not provided. As in past weeks, the decline in cases among students and school staff was similar to the trend of infections statewide. Both the positivity rate of new COVID-19 tests, and hospitalizations were among the lowest since a spike at the end of the summer. While the majority of eligible school-aged children were vaccinated, the overall percentage has been slow to increase in October. According to the state, an additional 1 percent of children ages 12 to 15 and 16 to 17 were fully vaccinated in the past week. Many are hopeful the number of vaccines among children will climb quickly if the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention give approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech to be administered to children ages 5 to 11. An approval for this age group would then make all K-12 students eligible for a vaccine. While cases among children tend not to be as severe as those in adults, experts have said children pose the risk of spreading the virus to adults. The White House and state officials anticipate an approval could come in the next several weeks. In anticipation, the state said Wednesday it was planning to order 150,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children in a three-wave process. Pfizer-BioNTech has submitted a request that would call for a smaller dose than what is given to adults, citing research from a clinical trial. The decline in school cases also comes during a broader testing effort among students. In September, the state launched Project COVID DeteCT, a program that has enrolled hundreds of schools in free testing for K-6 students and unvaccinated students in grades 7-12. Staff writer Julia Bergman contributed to this story. The spiritual leader of the worlds 200 million Eastern Orthodox Christians brings an agenda spanning religious, political and environmental issues to a 12-day U.S. visit beginning Saturday that includes a meeting with President Joe Biden and various ceremonial and interfaith gatherings. Making the latest of several trips to the country during his 30 years in office, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is expected to address concerns ranging from a pending restructuring of the American church to his church's status in his homeland, Turkey. Bartholomews title, patriarch of Constantinople, reflects the ancient imperial name of the city now known as Istanbul in a country where Orthodox Christians, who are mostly ethnically Greek, are a small minority. Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America said the patriarch is expected to renew calls for the reopening of a school of theology closed by the Turkish government 50 years ago. Religious freedom in Turkey is vital for the ecumenical patriarchate in Turkey, Elpidophoros said. Bartholomew will receive an honorary degree from the University of Notre Dame on Oct. 28 in an event highlighting efforts to improve Orthodox-Catholic ties, centuries after the two churches broke decisively in 1054 amid disputes over theology and papal claims of supremacy. Repairing that breach has been a longstanding commitment of the patriarch, said the Rev. Alexis Torrance, a professor of Byzantine theology at Notre Dame and an Orthodox priest. The gathering will also include a talk on environmental stewardship, underscoring Bartholomews reputation as the green patriarch. The patriarch is considered first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox hierarchy, which gives him prominence but not the power of a Catholic pope. Just as his influence is limited in Turkey, it is also limited in the Eastern Orthodox communion, rooted in Eastern Europe and the Middle East with a worldwide diaspora. Large portions of the communion are in national churches that are independently governed, with the ecumenical patriarch having only symbolic prominence, though he does directly oversee Greek Orthodox and some other jurisdictions. The Russian Orthodox Church, with about 100 million adherents, has in particular asserted its independence and influence and rejected Bartholomew's 2019 recognition of the independence of Orthodox churches in Ukraine, where Moscows patriarch still claims sovereignty. For an ecumenical patriarch with primarily soft-power tools such as diplomacy at his disposal, the high profile of the U.S. visit has symbolic value for Bartholomew, said Andrew Walsh, associate director of the Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life at Trinity College in Connecticut. It will "demonstrate that hes a respected leader, said Walsh, a layman who has long written about contemporary issues in Orthodoxy. It is useful and desirable for him to show that presidents of the United States will talk with him. Bartholomew is set to meet with Biden and other top U.S. officials in the coming days, though exact times have not been announced. Bartholomew will also hold a ceremonial door-opening at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in New York City, built to replace a parish church destroyed during the 9/11 attacks, and to memorialize those killed at the nearby World Trade Center. Bartholomew will meet, too, with leaders of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and various other Orthodox leaders. Last year his office suspended the Greek Orthodox archdioceses governing charter, and discussions are expected to yield a new one by 2022, according to Elpidophoros. What Greek (Orthodox) are waiting for is what he says about the charter during the visit, Walsh said, particularly on the patriarch's vision for how much authority will be centralized or decentralized in the American church. The American Jewish Committee is recognizing Bartholomew with its Human Dignity Award for his environmental and interfaith work. He is not only the green patriarch, but also hes the patriarch of promoting dialogue, Elpidophoros said. A 2017 Pew Research Center report found that there were about 200 million Eastern Orthodox worldwide. It reported about 1.8 million Orthodox in the United States, with nearly half of those Greek Orthodox. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content. LONDON (AP) Britains Queen Elizabeth II was back at Windsor Castle on Friday and in good spirits after revelations that she spent the night in a London hospital earlier this week. Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old British monarch went to the private King Edward VIIs Hospital in London on Wednesday for preliminary investigations. She returned to her Windsor Castle home at lunchtime on Thursday and was understood to be back at her desk by afternoon, undertaking light duties. The queen underwent the tests after she canceled a scheduled trip to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, and the palace said she had reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for a few days. The matter was not related to COVID-19. The palace does not normally offer a running account of the monarch's health, citing her privacy. However, in this case it confirmed the queens hospital stay after The Sun newspaper reported the news. On the whole, there is a rule of thumb is that if a senior member of the royal family undergoes a procedure or an operation, there is a medical bulletin, royal expert Robert Hardman told the BBC. But that doesn't apply to tests. The attention paid to the development merely reflects the great affection the global community has for the monarch, said Hardman, author of Queen of the World, which chronicles the monarchs influence and stature around the globe. She hates people making a fuss of her in general but particularly to do with health,'' he told the BBC. And I think theres a concern to sort of maintain the dignity of the office, and I know that one reason why nothing was said about yesterdays trip to hospital was that they sort of didnt suddenly want sort of huge banks of cameras and 24-hour news setting up outside the hospital.'' The long-secretive monarchy faces struggles similar to those of other leaders and celebrities who face a voracious appetite for details on their personal lives and health status. For comparisons sake, the Vatican issued daily bulletins about Pope Francis 10-day hospital stay in July after he had a chunk of his colon removed. The Vatican had kept the hospitalization and Francis condition secret until the pope was already admitted and was about to go into surgery. But the Vatican has long been notoriously secretive about the health of popes, most significantly when it refused to even acknowledge the obvious signs that St. John Paul II suffered from Parkinsons disease. The Vatican has cited the popes medical privacy in limiting information flows, but the vacuum of information often serves to fuel speculation about an eventual papal death and conclave to elect a successor. There has been some disquiet this week about Elizabeth's health. Only days ago, she was seen using a walking stick at a Westminster Abbey service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion, an armed forces charity. Though she had used a cane in 2003, it was after she underwent knee surgery. Focus then turned to her hectic schedule, which has in recent days included audiences with diplomats, a reception at Windsor Castle for global business leaders, and attending the horse races at Ascot Racecourse. In less than two weeks she is due to host world leaders at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland a big engagement cited as one reason why she might want to rest up in advance. Though Elizabeth has enjoyed robust health throughout her life, she is Britains longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch. She is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee 70 years on the throne next year. Elizabeth has ruled since 1952 and was widowed this year when Prince Philip died at age 99 in April. She has cut back on her workload in recent years but still keeps a busy schedule of royal duties. She recently declined the honor of being named Oldie of the Year by The Oldie magazine. Her office said that Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel, as such The Queen does not believe she meets the relevant criteria to be able to accept. ___ Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed NEWTOWN - High-profile New Haven attorney Norm Pattis and another lawyer defending extremist Alex Jones against defamation lawsuits from Sandy Hook families want the Connecticut judge removed from the case for the appearance of judicial impropriety. The evolution of the case, including a threat made against Judge Bellis by an unknown third-party that the plaintiffs somehow attribute to defendants, and the series of subsequent comments and rulings, would lead a reasonable person knowing all the circumstances to question Judge Bellis impartiality, writes Jones attorney Jay Wolman in a 28-page motion to state Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis on Tuesday. Judge Bellis rulings demonstrate a high degree of antagonism towards defendants. Pattis agrees in his own 28-page affidavit, submitted Wednesday to Bellis. Inconsistent rulings, raising an inference that Judge Bellis is prejudice against the Jones defendants, would lead a reasonable person knowing all the circumstances to question Judge Bellis impartiality, Pattis writes. The move by Jones to disqualify Bellis and have his Connecticut defamation case moved to another judge follows a two-hour hearing on Wednesday, when Bellis promised to sanction Jones again in November, and consider other sanctions, including entering a default judgment against him. Bellis responded to Jones motion to recuse her by scheduling dates on the court calendar to hear arguments from both sides. On Thursday, attorneys for the seven families and an FBI agent suing Jones for calling the 2012 massacre of 26 first-graders and educators staged, synthetic, manufactured, a giant hoax, and completely fake with actors declined to comment on the effort to remove Bellis. Jones motion to remove Bellis is the latest example of how five defamation cases against him by Sandy Hook families in Connecticut and Texas have been more about fighting court procedure than arguing Jones defense under the First Amendment. Meanwhile a hearing is planned on Monday in Texas, where the parents of two slain Sandy Hook children won three defamation cases against Jones in late September, when the judge defaulted him for flagrant bad faith and callous disregard for the responsibilities of discovery under the rules. In Connecticut, Pattis and Jones other attorney are trying to remove Bellis for three reasons: Her handling of a threat against her made in the comments section of a news story on Jones Infowars website Her handling of sanctions she imposed on Jones after his blood on the streets broadcast, which deprived him the chance to pursue a special motion to dismiss that he considers important to his defense Her handling of defense arguments after the state Supreme Court upheld her sanctions against Jones Although the decisions of Judge Bellis were affirmed on appeal, her actions to that point nonetheless created the appearance of bias, Wolman writes in his motion to dismiss the judge. rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342 BRIDGEPORT Firefighters responded to a structure fire at a duplex on East Avenue early Friday morning, officials say. East Side Assistant Fire Chief Salvatore Emanuel said crews were called to the 200 block of East Avenue just before 3:30 a.m. He said a fire broke out in the kitchen area on the second floor of the two-and-a-half story, brick duplex. It was extinguished without incident, he said, later adding the fire was under control in 10 minutes. No injuries were reported, Emanuel said, but five residents were displaced. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers told Republican lawmakers to start over on their redistricting plans, saying Thursday they will have to do better if they expect him to sign the proposals that would solidify the majorities already in place. The GOP-proposed maps are largely based on the current lines drawn by Republicans a decade ago, districts that Democrats have assailed as unconstitutionally gerrymandered. Republicans unveiled their legislative and congressional maps on Wednesday and scheduled a public hearing for Oct. 28 before voting on them in early November. Evers, a Democrat, would have to sign the bills to make the maps law, but he made clear that would not happen with the current proposals. He called for the public hearing to be delayed. Its unconscionable and insulting to the people of this state, frankly, that Republicans think they can pass another set of gerrymandered maps modeled after the same gerrymandered ones weve had for a decade, Evers said in a statement. Wisconsinites wont stand for it, and I wont either its just as simple as that. Republican legislative leaders, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, have not returned messages seeking comment. When they released the maps, Vos and LeMahieu said they were fair and drawn after considering input from the public and a map-drawing commission created by Evers. Republicans will have to do better than this if they expect me to sign either of these bills they need to go back to the drawing board, Evers said. Weve seen time after time how Republicans have tried abusing their power to cheat and predetermine our elections, and theyre doing it again now. Republicans hold a 61-38 majority in the Assembly and a 21-12 advantage in the Senate. Republicans also hold five of the states eight congressional districts. The proposed maps would largely keep those legislative districts in safe Republican control and make a western Wisconsin congressional district more favorable for the GOP. Courts have long been expected to ultimately draw the maps, even though Evers and Republicans publicly said they could reach a deal. The last three times redistricting was done in Wisconsin under divided government, in 2002, 1992 and 1982, a federal court drew the maps. There are lawsuits pending before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and in federal court. Republicans have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to dismiss the federal lawsuit. They want their case to proceed in the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court. WASHINGTON (AP) Millions more Americans can get a COVID-19 booster and choose a different companys vaccine for that next shot, federal health officials said Thursday. Certain people who received Pfizer vaccinations months ago already are eligible for a booster and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says specific Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients qualify, too. And in a bigger change, the agency is allowing the flexibility of mixing and matching" that extra dose regardless of which type people received first. The Food and Drug Administration had already authorized such an expansion of the nation's booster campaign on Wednesday, and it was also endorsed Thursday by a CDC advisory panel. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky had the final word on who gets the extra doses. These past 20 months have taught us many things, but mostly to have humility," she told the panel. "We are constantly learning about this virus, growing the evidence base and accumulating more data. There still are restrictions on who qualifies and when for a booster. Starting six months past their last Pfizer or Moderna vaccination, people are urged to get a booster if they're 65 or older, nursing home residents, or at least 50 and at increased risk of severe disease because of health problems. Boosters also were allowed, but not urged, for adults of any age at increased risk of infection because of health problems or their jobs or living conditions. That includes health care workers, teachers and people in jails or homeless shelters. Moderna's booster will come at half the dose of the original two shots. As for recipients of the single-shot J&J vaccine, a COVID-19 booster is recommended for everyone at least two months after their vaccination. That's because the J&J vaccine hasn't proved as protective as the two-dose Moderna or Pfizer options. The CDC panel didn't explicitly recommend anyone get a different brand than they started with but left open the option saying only that a booster of some sort was recommended. And some of the advisers said they would prefer that J&J recipients receive a competitor's booster, citing preliminary data from an ongoing government study that suggested a bigger boost in virus-fighting antibodies from that combination. Were at a different place in the pandemic than we were earlier when supply constraints meant people had to take whatever shot they were offered, noted CDC adviser Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University. She called it priceless to be able to choose a different kind for the booster if, for example, someone might be at risk for a rare side effect from a specific vaccine. About two-thirds of Americans eligible for COVID-19 shots are fully vaccinated, and the government says getting first shots to the unvaccinated remain the priority. While health authorities hope boosters will shore up waning immunity against milder coronavirus infections, all the vaccines still offer strong protection against hospitalizations and death, even as the extra-contagious delta variant burned through the country. And CDC's advisers wrestled with whether people who didn't really need boosters might be getting them, especially young, otherwise healthy adults whose only qualification was their job. Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University voiced concerns about opening those people to rare but serious side effects from another dose if they already were adequately protected. I have my own concerns that we appear to be recommending vaccines for people who I dont think need it, added Dr. Beth Bell of the University of Washington. But she stressed that the vaccines work and that moving forward with the recommendations makes sense for the sake of being clear and allowing flexibility when it comes to boosters. Despite the concerns by some members, the panels' votes ended up being unanimous. The vast majority of the nearly 190 million Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have received the Pfizer or Moderna options, while J&J recipients account for only about 15 million. ___ The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Friday allowed a Texas law that bans most abortions to remain in effect for now. But in an unusual move the justices said they want to hear arguments in the case at the soonest opportunity. Those arguments at the high court on Nov. 1 will help the justices decide whether the law, the most restrictive abortion law in the nation, should be blocked while legal challenges continue. The law, known as Senate Bill 8, has been the subject of a series of legal challenges since before it went into effect in September, and it made one previous trip to the high court. Except for a brief window when a lower court judge blocked it, however, it has remained in place. That has meant that most women in Texas seeking abortions have been unable to get them unless they travel out of state. Here are some questions and answers about the law, its path through the courts and what happens next. WHAT EXACTLY IS THE SUPREME COURT DECIDING? The challenges to Texas' law now before the Supreme Court were brought by abortion providers and the Biden administration. Texas law prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity usually around six weeks, before some women know theyre pregnant. That conflicts with Supreme Court precedent, which says states are prohibited from banning abortion before viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. The Supreme Court could reconsider those precedents in a case it's hearing in December, but it hasn't yet. As far as the Texas law goes, the way it is written has so far made it unusually difficult to challenge in courts. The question the justices are considering is whether the Justice Department and abortion providers can challenge the law in federal court. Even if the justices decide that either or both can sue, they still must vote on whether to allow the law to remain in effect while the legal challenges continue. WHAT IS UNUSUAL ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT'S ACTION FRIDAY? The court is moving at a really rapid pace. Normally there are months between when the court agrees to hear a case and arguments in a courtroom. This time the court has put the parties on an extraordinarily compressed time table to file briefs and prepare for arguments in a little over a week. That suggests the justices plan to make a decision quickly. In addition, usually the high court only agrees to hear arguments in cases where lower federal courts have decided an issue in conflicting ways. That's not the case here. HOW IS TEXAS' LAW UNUSUAL? The law differs from similar efforts to restrict abortions in other states by leaving enforcement to private citizens, who can sue doctors or anyone who helps a woman get an abortion. That unique enforcement mechanism has frustrated efforts to challenge it. Usually the state would enforce the law and suing state officials would be the appropriate legal avenue. THE CASE HAS ALREADY BEEN TO THE SUPREME COURT ONCE? Yes. Abortion providers brought their challenge before the law went into effect and sought to have the Supreme Court step in to stop it. The court declined in a 5-4 ruling. The justices in the majority said serious questions had been raised about the law. But they cited a host of issues, including the law's novel enforcement mechanism and the fact that no one had yet actually attempted to sue someone under the law for helping a woman get an abortion, as among the reasons they declined to intervene. The majority stressed it was not making any conclusions about the constitutionality of the law. Liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts dissented. Justice Sonia Sotomayor called her conservative colleagues decision stunning. Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the law was patently unconstitutional, and Justice Stephen Breyer said a woman has a federal constitutional right to obtain an abortion during the first stage of pregnancy. WHAT MIGHT BE EXPECTED TO HAPPEN NOW? The four justices who would have blocked the law in the first place all have raised questions about its unusual structure. Its not clear if one or more of the conservatives who initially voted to let the law take effect will be persuaded by the administrations arguments and now vote to halt the law's enforcement. WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT OF THE LAW IN TEXAS? Since the law took effect in early September, providers say 80% or more of abortions previously provided in the state are now prohibited. Texas women have sought out abortion clinics in neighboring states, some driving hours through the middle of the night and including patients as young as 12 years old. The law makes no exception in cases of rape or incest. FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said Thursday that she will step down from her second role as a cabinet secretary to focus more attention on the state's economic development efforts. Since taking office alongside Gov. Andy Beshear in late 2019, Coleman juggled dual roles as lieutenant governor and secretary of the state's Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. Now, the cabinet's deputy secretary, Mary Pat Regan, will assume the role of acting secretary as Coleman shifts exclusively to her duties as the state's No. 2 elected official. My focus as lieutenant governor and my commitment to the Beshear-Coleman administration remains the same," Coleman said in a video message during the governor's news conference. "It will just look a little different as we respond to the demands of a booming economy. Beshear's administration is looking to build on the momentum of landing Kentucky's single largest-ever economic development project. Ford announced last month that it will build twin battery plants at Glendale in central Kentucky in a $5.8 billion venture with its battery partner, SK Innovation of South Korea, to help power the automakers next generation of electric vehicles. The plants will create 5,000 jobs, along with the potential for many more from suppliers. The Democratic governor has said he will keep Coleman as his running mate when they seek reelection in 2023. Beshear said Thursday that Kentucky has so many opportunities among business prospects that we need more than one of me to make sure that we realize every future game changer. She can help in this day-to-day process of making sure that every one of these economic development opportunities, every one of these potentially commonwealth-changing opportunities we're seeing, that we grasp, Beshear said. Coleman pointed to several initiatives during her tenure as cabinet secretary, including waiving the $125 GED testing fee, prioritizing broadband access in reducing the digital divide and bolstering the state's career training network. The state Republican Party on Thursday pointed to problems with Kentucky's pandemic-stressed unemployment insurance system in trying to pin the blame on Beshear and Coleman. The unemployment office had been housed in the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, but Beshear shifted it to the Labor Cabinet early in the pandemic. The governor said at the time that the unemployment office was better aligned with the Labor Cabinet. Like other states, Kentucky was overwhelmed by record waves of claims for jobless assistance caused by the coronavirus. Tens of thousands of Kentuckians found themselves in limbo for months as they waited for their jobless claims to be processed. State GOP spokesman Mike Lonergan said Thursday that Coleman was a focal point as Beshear's administration failed time and time again to fix the problems. Neither Beshear nor Coleman mentioned the unemployment system Thursday. The governor has repeatedly pointed to budget and staffing cuts that hobbled the system well before he took office. STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) A North Carolina man has been charged with murder and arson in connection with the discovery of three bodies after a house fire, a sheriff's office said Thursday. Corey Alexander Cook, 21, was arrested by the Iredell County Sheriffs Office and charged with murder and first-degree arson, the Statesville Record & Landmark reported. A magistrate ordered Cook held without bond. It wasn't immediately known if Cook has an attorney. LONDON (AP) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II spent a night in a hospital for checks this week after canceling an official trip to Northern Ireland on medical advice, Buckingham Palace said Thursday. The palace said the 95-year-old British monarch went to the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Wednesday for preliminary investigations. It said she returned to her Windsor Castle home at lunchtime on Thursday, "and remains in good spirits. On Wednesday, the queen canceled a scheduled trip to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, and the palace said she had reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for a few days. It did not elaborate, but the decision was understood not to be related to COVID-19. The queen has been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The palace confirmed the queen's hospital stay after The Sun newspaper reported the news. The queen is now back at Windsor Castle, west of London, where she has spent much of her time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. The decision came just days after Elizabeth was seen using a walking stick at a major public event when attending a Westminster Abbey service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion, an armed forces charity. She had previously been photographed using a cane in 2003, but that was after she underwent knee surgery. Britains longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch, Elizabeth is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee 70 years on the throne next year. Elizabeth has ruled since 1952 and was widowed this year when Prince Philip died at age 99 in April. She has cut back on her workload in recent years but still keeps a busy schedule of royal duties. On Tuesday, she held audiences with diplomats and hosted a reception at Windsor Castle for global business leaders, and on Saturday the equine aficionado attended horse racing at Ascot Racecourse. In less than two weeks she is due to host world leaders at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. She has generally enjoyed good health throughout her long life. She was last hospitalized in 2013, when she was 86, after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis. She recently declined the honor of being named Oldie of the Year by The Oldie magazine. Her office said that Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel, as such The Queen does not believe she meets the relevant criteria to be able to accept. Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media BRIDGEPORT A city man was charged with the murder of Jonathan DaSilva Thursday evening, according to the Bridgeport Police Department. Detective Robert Winkler obtained an arrest warrant for Robert Sorrells, 27, on Thursday, charging the Bridgeport man with fatally shooting DaSilva earlier this month outside of the VIP Lounge on Pembroke Street, police said. WEST HAVEN A protective order had been issued just a week before Juan Angel Rivera allegedly killed a woman he lived with and then died by suicide, court records show. The order was issued after Rivera was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct on Oct. 13, court records show. That case remained pending in court when, according to police, Rivera allegedly killed a 41-year-old woman at a Gilbert Street home they had shared. The victim died of wounds to her neck and extremities, the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Friday. West Haven police Sgt. Patrick Buturla declined Friday to release the slain womans name, citing advice from the state domestic violence counsel. Chief Medical Examiner James Gill said in an email that the death of Liliana Rivera, 41, had been ruled a homicide and determined to be caused by wounds to her neck and extremities. Attempts to reach Liliana Riveras family were unsuccessful Friday. Juan Rivera, listed as a resident of the Gilbert Street home where the slaying took place, had been arrested Oct. 13 and was named in a protective order issued in the case at his arraignment the following day, according to judicial records on file in Superior Court in Milford. The case was referred to family services, the record shows. The name of the protected party in that case, who is listed as an intimate cohabitant of Juan Rivera in the protective order, is redacted. Her listed date of birth would make her 41 as of Friday. Rivera was released after paying 10 percent of his $500 bail in that Oct. 13 case, according to judicial records. As part of the conditions governing his release, he agreed to refrain from assaulting the protected individual, records show. The case had been continued to Nov. 16 and the protective order was in place until further order of the court, the records show. . In the course of the investigation, officers determined the couple recently had ended a relationship that had lasted several years, Buturla said previously. West Haven police were notified of the incident just before 5 a.m. Wednesday, Buturla previously said. Officers went into the home and found a man and woman, both with wounds, dead in the living room area, he said. Police said Juan Rivera died by suicide. Officials with Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence said in an email the slaying was the eighth homicide involving intimate romantic partners so far this year in Connecticut. They offered advice to residents in need of aid in dealing with abusive relationships. Leaving is the most dangerous time for victims and we encourage anyone with concerns about their own safety or that of a loved one to reach out to Safe Connect or one of CCADVs 18 member organizations, Meghan Scanlon, president and CEO of the organization, said in the email. When a victim takes steps to end a relationship, this is the precise time that an abuser may begin to escalate violence in an attempt to regain control of the victim, Scanlon said. Certified domestic violence advocates across the state are available to provide options and resources for staying safe at this critical time. In a phone interview, Scanlon said Friday that protective orders are a crucial tool in helping protect victims of domestic violence and others at risk, but they are imperfect. Sometimes they work really well, and sometimes, in these instances, it didnt work the way it was supposed to, said Scanlon. Scanlon urged anyone who felt unsafe in their relationship to reach out to CCADV. She said they can provide court advocates and family advocates, and help plan how and when a person can leave their living arrangement, if they so choose. The organization does its best to support the wants and needs of survivors, she said. Its really survivor-driven, said Scanlon. Whatever he or she is comfortable with. Officials also urged anyone who feels unsafe in their relationship to contact the Connecticut Safe Connect program by calling or texting 888-774-2900 or connecting with staff through its website, CTSafeConnect.com. The program provides safety planning, extensive resources, and a safe connection to CCADVs 18 member organizations for ongoing support and services locally free of charge and confidentially, officials said. This is another tragic loss for our community and we want people to know that they are not alone, help is available, said Esperina Stubblefield, director of domestic violence services at BHcare, which serves the New Haven, West Haven and Valley areas, in the email. Abusers often isolate victims from their family and friends, destroying those connections, which in turn makes leaving even more difficult and dangerous, Stubblefield said. Whether you have questions, need resources, or just want someone who will listen without judgment, advocates are available 24/7. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com FAIRFIELD Shawn Wynter moved to the United States from Jamaica in 2007. Four years later he joined the Army because he wanted to show his gratitude for his new homeland. He said he served his country for five years, working as a utilities equipment technician and earning the rank of sergeant. On Thursday, he saw that gratitude returned with a new 2018 Chrysler Pacifica donated by Operation Homefront, a national non-profit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families. It worked in partnership with U.S. Bancorp through its Driven to Serve program. Its beautiful, Wynter quietly said as he walked around the new car. Thank you so much. A single father of five daughters and U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, Wynter said the vehicle would help him get his family around. Shawn deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012 and spent seven months providing technical support to an infantry platoon, a press release on the Fairfield event stated. Wynter said he received an honorable discharge and was medically retired in 2016 qualifying for 100 percent disability. He just graduated from Sacred Heart University with a bachelors degree in social work. The car he currently owns is pure problems, Wynter said. While he and his family live in Waterbury, his oldest daughter still goes to school in Trumbull because he did not want to have to move her before she graduates this year. Its her last year, he said. So, I have to travel like 30, 35 miles every morning one way go back and forth every day. I needed a reliable vehicle. This truly means a lot to me. With his large family, Wynter said he does a lot of driving, adding saying thank you to the organizations that helped him would be an understatement. This is the ninth vehicle donation U.S. Bank is making to Operation Homefront and the 27th vehicle donated to the Driven to Serve initiative overall. It is the first vehicle the program has given away in Connecticut. Wynter was presented the vehicle at SCAP Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Fairfield, along with some U.S. Bank swag. Rick Heckler, the general sales manager of the dealership, said the Chrysler is worth $40,000 and later told Wynter the dealership would be providing a 3-year or 30,000 mile warranty. Things like this, you wonder if just a thank you can exemplify how much it means, because just a thank you is an understatement, Wynter said. Several representatives from U.S. Bank were at the ceremony Thursday morning, each thanking Wynter for his service to the country and speaking of the importance of honoring veterans for the sacrifices they make. joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com BRIDGEPORT Nearly a month after Mayor Joe Ganims Sept. 27 deadline for non-public school workers in Connecticuts largest city to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or submit to weekly testing, around 800 employees, or 60 percent, have received their shots. But, according to the labor relations office, that leaves 600-ish who either have not been inoculated against COVID-19 or have not submitted proof of it. It was not clear how many of those 600 agreed to be tested. And while the Sept. 10 order Ganim issued stated failure to adhere ... may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination his staff on Thursday gave no indication that will happen any time soon. Meanwhile other organizations including state government and Yale New Haven Health System have been punishing workers who failed or refused to comply with similar efforts. Gov. Ned Lamont recently said scores of state personnel were suspended without pay, while Yale New Haven Health on Wednesday reported 86 staffers had been terminated or were in the process of losing their jobs. Eric Amado, Bridgeports head of labor relations, and Rowena White, Ganims communications director, insisted Thursday the 600 or so unvaccinated members of Bridgeports non-public schools payroll Lamont in August required all municipal educators across Connecticut to be vaccinated along with state workers were not outright refusing the mayors directive. There has been no resistance, White said. Bridgeport Human Resources Manager Sandra Ferreira said some of the lag time has involved communicating and explaining the vaccine/testing requirement and confidential reporting system to personnel who are not necessarily office-bound or checking internal emails. And also, she said, it has taken effort to come up with convenient times to offer that segment of the workforce shots two of the three available vaccines require two injections or tests. There are departments such as public facilities, police, fire. Theyre out and about, Ferreira said. We worked with each individual department to accommodate the working hours. Theyre now understanding the process of our order and what needs to be done. And the percentage (of vaccinated) keeps increasing. Amado said some employees who initially signed up for weekly testing are finding it too much of a burden and that was incentive to get their shots. He said he has been talking with unions about potential consequences for noncompliance. Earlier this month Ganims office had told Hearst Connecticut Media that 70 percent of employees had submitted proof of vaccination. But that number was too high. City Council President Aidee Nieves on Thursday said she understands the need to respect and to work with some individuals to overcome any vaccine hesitancy. But, Nieves said, Ganim should establish a new deadline for compliance so the issue does not simply drag on. Your not being vaccinated can put our community at risk, Nieves said. If you dont get vaccinated and youre a police officer, you cant go to a call with unvaccinated people. Youre putting them at risk and also the community at risk. Or if you are a firefighter or a nurse. Another council member, Jeanette Herron, who sits on the public safety committee, said she believes the COVID shots are effective but wants City Hall to continue to work with reluctant staff. I dont want us to terminate employees, she said. I dont feel somebody should lose their job. Thomas Bucci is a labor attorney who often represents current or former municipal Bridgeport workers against the city. Bucci said he has received a few inquiries from individuals looking to hire him to oppose Ganims vaccine/testing mandate but had declined to get involved. I choose not to take on those cases, Bucci, a former Bridgeport mayor, said. Weve seen 700,000 people die (of COVID) in this country and I think vaccine mandates are a reasonable exercise of governmental powers. If Bridgeports employee unions have an issue, they are, at least publicly, keeping quiet about it. And Edward Gavin, a lawyer who represents the citys union for supervisors, said he had not heard of any employee action against the city. Im unaware of anyone thats filed any grievances related to the citys mandate regarding testing or proof of inoculation, he said. Bridgeports overall COVID case rate is declining, though the city still lags when it comes to residents getting vaccinated. The case numbers had stood at red alert status earlier in the summer 15 or more per 100,000. But as of Oct. 16, according to state data released Thursday, the rate was 10.1 cases per 100,000. Still, vaccinating the entire population remains a slow go. As of Oct. 20, 60.99 percent of the citys 144,399 residents had received at least one shot, according to the state. A total of 78,609, or 54.44 percent, were fully vaccinated. Despite being Connecticuts most populated municipality, Ganim was slower than smaller cities to enact a vaccine/testing mandate. In early August Stamford Mayor David Martin announced one, followed later that month by Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling and New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker. On Thursday Josh Morgan, Rillings spokesman, said approximately 70 percent of city employees have submitted proof of vaccination. Morgan said no city employees had been suspended or fired as a result of the mandate. We are working with the employees and union leadership on the process for testing, submitting vaccine status and penalities for noncompliance, Morgan said. It will take a few more weeks for this all to be finalized. We continue to encourage our employees, as well as residents, to get vaccinated. And Stamford reported that out of 1,649 employees, 1,345 or approximately 82 percent were vaccinated as of Thursday. No one has yet to be disciplined, though some non-compliant employees received notices and have since followed Martins order. In late August Stamfords police union issued a statement claiming Martins mandate was rooted in hysteria and overreaction. Last week Martin said the police department was a major factor in the citys failure to get 100 percent of its workforce inoculated against the coronavirus. Unfortunately, the police have the lowest reported vaccination rate of any employee group in the city at just over 60 percent, Martin had said at his biweekly virtual coronavirus update. Staff Writer Veronica Del Valle contributed to this report. Regardless of how the alleged misuse of federal coronavirus relief funds plays out, one thing is certain: It will revive that loathsome phrase Corrupticut. Its probably become more associated with Connecticut than its moniker as The Land of Steady Habits. Its also a habit we hoped had been broken. The Corrupticut tag peaked about 16 years again in the wake of felony convictions of Gov. John Rowland along with the mayors of Bridgeport and Waterbury. It threatens to return every time theres a probe into alleged misbehavior in state political circles. Even the Urban Dictionary defines it with a joke ending with a prison punchline about serving Three years for being a senator from Corrupticut. Just when you thought good behavior had released the state from the shackles of this reputation, along comes a brewing scandal for a new era. State Rep. Michael DiMassa, a Democrat, has been charged with wire fraud in connection with alleged misuse of federal coronavirus relief money in West Haven. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller said at least $636,000 is missing. DiMassa, who works for West Haven as an administrative assistant for the City Council, was described by U.S. District Judge Sarah A.L. Merriam as being in treatment for a gambling addiction. The political blowback has been somewhat predictable. Republicans are understandably seizing the moment to express outrage. Others suggest the arrest is a sign of the justice system working appropriately and swiftly to quell potential corruption. In fact, much like what happened in West Haven, if someone does something improper, its going to be found and come out, said Joe DeLong, executive director and CEO of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. The reporting of these funds is really pretty well defined and strict. City hall staffs across the state should recognize this as a cautionary tale. Regardless of whether the system ultimately worked, it needs to be determined if lax practices were in place. Meanwhile, some candidates on the campaign trail have become cavalier when discussing how to spend the flow of federal recovery funds, sounding like teenagers with gift cards on Dec. 26. DiMassa isnt expected back in court until Dec. 10. The state doesnt need to wait, though, to explore if some of the expected $2 billion CARES Act disbursements have been misused. Just before the arrest was announced, Republican Sens. Kevin Kelly, Stratford, and Paul Formica, East Lyme, called for a probe of how each of Connecticuts 169 municipalities are spending the money. Melissa McCaw, secretary of the states Office of Policy and Management, said there would be a thorough review of municipal spending of the federal funds, and an independent auditor is being brought in to join the probe. Does this mean theyre on the same page? Probably not. A statewide audit might be overreach, as it would surely come with a hefty price tag. But Democrats and Republicans need to be on the same team to shield two things that dont have political affiliations the states money and its reputation. Member expectations for communication have been evolving dramatically in the last few years. Now, more than ever before, consumers are spending more time on their mobile devicesnearly 4 hours every day. And their expectations for communication are keeping pace with their cell phone usage. Nine out of 10 consumers prefer to interact with a business via texting and 50% of mobile visitors to your website expect a live web chat option. Its clear that consumers are ready to communicate digitallyand on their phones. But most businesses arent doing enough to keep up. Is your credit union falling behind? Here are three ways you might be missing the mark on member communication: Relying on phone calls or website clicks from Google search results If your Google My Business listing only offers a phone number and a website link as options to connect with your branch, youre missing out on critical leads. Bank near me searches have increased by over 60% in just the last 24 months and most of those leads dont have a specific brand in mind as they research their options. On average, consumers spend 8 hours researching home loan options before they finally convert. And 90% of loan and mortgage customers start their research with a Google search. Credit unions that still rely on phone calls or website clicks to convert those consumers arent keeping uptheyre delivering leads to financial institutions that understand consumers want fast, convenient communication. Consider this instead: Make it easier to connectconvert your landline or add a textable number and offer click-to-text, right from your Google My Business listing. Not only will it aid in call deflection, youll capture leads that would rather text than call or walk into a branch in person while they research financial solutions. Limiting opportunities to connect on your website As new or potential members visit your websitemany coming directly from a Google searchits important that its easy to start a conversation. If your website adds friction to the contact process, your website visitors will bounce. A perfect exampleif your website has a 3-second delay in load time, 40% of website visitors will leave. If a new lead cant find an easy way to connect, theyll go back to their search results and select a different financial institution to research instead. But if a consumer does navigate a slow load time, a hard-to-find contact page, and then dials your credit unionlong hold times can create an even bigger frustration. For nearly 50% of consumers, those long hold times are one of the top reasons phone calls are so frustrating. For a digital experience, consumers want a digital communication option. Dont make website visitors navigate your site just to end up on a phone call. Consider this instead: Make it easier to start a conversationoffer a web chat option on your website. Automate answers to FAQs during after business hours when staff members arent available and convert live chats to text messages to keep the conversation going with members on the go. Creating a disconnect between the online and in-person experience Whatever online communication options you offeremail, web chat, video, texting, etc.if you arent connecting members to a local branch, theyll likely have to reiterate issues or concerns, repeat questions, or start their entire customer journey over when they walk into their local credit union. And for 52% of consumers, repeating themselves is a top frustration. Personalizing the member journey starts with the first interactionand if that interaction requires consumers to navigate a phone tree for their local branch, get handed off mid-conversation on the phone, or find out that their local branch offers a completely different set of services or rates or products, the member experience isnt member focused. Consider this instead: Make it easier to create a relationship with each memberconnect online communication tools to local credit union team members and staff. Members will recognize the personalization and appreciate the consistency. Ready to update your current communication plan and meet member expectations? Consider the following: Communicate in the most preferred member channeltexting Whether its directly from your Google My Business listing, converting web chats to text conversations, or engaging in SMS marketing, texting is where consumers (and your members) want to engage. Nearly 70% of consumers say that texting makes working with a local business more convenient anyway. Create opportunities for conversation and connection When communication becomes member-focused, the opportunities to connect grow exponentially. A single text thread with a lead or an existing member becomes an invitation to a local branch event, a personalized offer based on member history or product affinity from website engagement, an appointment scheduling tool, a review request or NPS survey ask, and even a more convenient option to send documents or other critical information. Learn more about how to connect with members in their preferred channel with the free ebook, The Enterprise Guide to Business Text MessagingGrowth Strategies for Multi-location Brands. Credit unions around the world are finding a variety of ways to recognize and celebrate International Credit Union (ICU) Day. The 73rd annual event, which started in 1948, was held on Thursday by CUNA and the World Council of Credit Unions. This years theme, Building financial health for a brighter tomorrow, is central to the credit union movementa commitment to members financial well-being. Visit cuna.org/icuday or search #ICUDay to learn and see more about the 2021 ICU Day, which is sponsored by Harland Clarke. Photo: Karla Cote/SOPA Images/Shutterstock In 2006, when Richard Chow bought his taxi medallion from the city for $410,000, it seemed like a great idea. The value of medallions was rising steadily, and the Taxi and Limousine Commission was touting them as good long-term investments, so he took out a $358,200 loan. Then came the disruption Uber, Lyft and a collapse in the market in 2014. Chow, like thousands of other predominantly immigrant drivers, was left with a medallion he could only resell for perhaps a quarter of its former value, $389,000 in debt, and no hope of retiring. His case isnt even the worst; the average medallion debt is now $500,000, according to the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, and the ongoing crisis has led nine of its members to take their own lives including Chows brother, Kenny, who died by suicide in 2018. It was the loss of his brother that led him to join at least ten other drivers in a hunger strike that started yesterday outside City Hall. Drivers have already been protesting there for more than a month to push Mayor de Blasio to overhaul the citys rescue plan for drivers before he leaves office. Now, Chow and the others say they will not eat or leave their sidewalk post until de Blasio agrees to two demands: that the city become the guarantor for all medallion debt and set lower monthly payments to lenders. The mayor and the city have neglected us, Chow told Curbed yesterday. Theyre only helping the lenders, banks, and credit unions while they lead us to bankruptcy and suicide. The striking drivers sit in chairs set up on the sidewalk in front of a banner that reads Hunger Strike, #EndCabbieDeath. At night, some striking drivers sleep in their cars, and others sleep in a rented van. Nearby, theres also a memorial for the drivers who have died by suicide since 2018, with fresh flowers and red candles surrounding a list of their names. Photo: Valeria Ricciulli The ongoing protest and hunger strike are a clear signal from the 6,000 medallion owner-drivers that the citys $65 million fund to alleviate drivers debt, which was announced back in March, is wholly inadequate. The relief plan, funded by the federal stimulus, offers $20,000 and $9,000 grants to use as a down payment for restructuring their debt. (And as of October 16, just 21 drivers have settled their debt through this program, according to the TLC.) But the plan, which allows lenders to require monthly payments up to $2,000, could leave many drivers with as little as $7 an hour in wages, says the NYTWA. Some drivers who have qualified for relief are now paying up to $1,700 a month. The union also opposes the fact that drivers are personally responsible if a loan is foreclosed on. The NYTWA offered up a plan of its own which would have the city guarantee the drivers debt and cap payments at $800. This plan has support from Comptroller Scott Stringer, Attorney General Tish James, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. But de Blasio says the city cant afford it. The striking drivers, most of whom are around 50 years old, will be monitored by doctors twice a day while they go without food. Zahid Islam, a striking 42-year-old driver from Bangladesh who owes around $800,000 for his medallion, has high blood pressure and high cholesterol and is pre-diabetic, but he says hes still determined to help drivers get some relief. I dont know what will happen to me, he says. But I am joining the hunger strike because we have to fix it, because nobodys listening to us. Police agencies from around Illinois are being asked to pick up the slack after thousands of Chicago police officers didnt report their vaccinations status before a city deadline, but some are declining to offer help. Thadd White is Group Editor of the Bertie Ledger-Advance, Chowan Herald, Perquimans Weekly, The Enterprise & Eastern North Carolina Living. He can be reached via email at twhite@ncweeklies.com. Reva Mae Love, age 75, of Dalton, Georgia passed away on Thursday, November 18, 2021. She was born on September 10, 1946. She is preceded in death by parents, Herbert and Lela "Grant" Lawson; brother, Charles Lawson. She is survived by her husband, Bubba (Harold) Love of Dalton; son, Brian F Jason Martin Moore, 40, of Ashland Ky, died Saturday November 13th, 2021 at Kings Daughters Medical Center in Ashland Ky. Jason was born September 4th, 1981 in Ashland KY. A son of the late Jarome "Marty" and Donna Roe Moore. He is preceded in death in addition to his parents by his grandmot The FBI and federal prosecutors launched a criminal probe of the PSERS plan in March after the funds board revealed doubts about the figure it endorsed for financial results in December. HAPPILY, the news was good. After a night in a London hospital for what Buckingham Palace described as preliminary investigations, the Queen was allowed to recuperate at home at Windsor Castle. As is customary in royal medical bulletins, the palace statement was scant on detail, with no information at all about the nature of the complaint that necessitated her admission to the private King Edward VIIs Hospital in the first place. Officials have always sought to balance the right to privacy of the monarch on matters of her own health with the right of the public to know about the wellbeing of our 95-year-old constitutional head of state. But by claiming that the Queen was resting at Windsor a detail instantly relayed to TV viewers, radio listeners and newspaper and news website readers when in fact she was in hospital, suggests that the thinking of royal officials was not just muddled but dishonest. HAPPILY, the news was good. After a night in a London hospital for what Buckingham Palace described as preliminary investigations, the Queen was allowed to recuperate at home at Windsor Castle As is customary in royal medical bulletins, the palace statement was scant on detail, with no information at all about the nature of the complaint that necessitated her admission to the private King Edward VIIs Hospital in the first place No wonder it provoked a howl of protest at how the palace was managing the particulars of the Queens current condition. Commentators yesterday were queuing up to take to the airwaves and social media to question the palace over its approach. Even Nicholas Witchell, veteran royal correspondent of the BBC and one of the Corporations most respected voices, was moved to observe: We werent given the complete picture. Witchell added: The problem, it seems to me, is that rumour and misinformation always thrives in the absence of proper, accurate and trustworthy information. The Queen at a reception for the Global Investment Summit in Windsor Castle, October 19, 2021 It is understood the trip to the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London (pictured) on Wednesday afternoon was expected to be for a short stay for some 'preliminary investigations' It is clear the palace wanted to protect the Queens right to patient confidentiality. At the same time, it did not want to trigger a frenzy of TV cameras and photographers pitching camp outside the hospital with all the inconvenience and intrusions to the comings and goings of both staff and other patients. There might have been security concerns too. But not telling the whole story is a dangerous strategy. It recalls the similarly misleading communications put out by royal officials at the time of the birth of Prince Harry and Meghans son Archie two years ago, when a statement that the Duchess of Sussex had gone into labour was circulated eight hours after she had actually given birth. Doubtless, many will say that the palace was right to shield the Queen from the inevitable scrum of publicity and that the ensuing argument is both petty and inconsequential. But I would contend that the issue here is a matter of trust. And anything less than truthful eats away at that trust. The Queen (right with Boris Johnson) at a reception for the Global Investment Summit in Windsor Castle, October 19, 2021 If the media and therefore the public cannot rely on the Royal Household to be straightforward, there will be increased concern about the Queens health going forward. When Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital with Covid-19 last year, the media was rightly briefed about the Prime Ministers condition. What the palace failed to take into account with their game plan was that potentially dozens of staff at the hospital and at Windsor Castle would have known that the reports broadcast by the BBC and elsewhere were wrong. One of the reasons that Prince Philip stepped back from royal duties at the age of 96 was because he didnt want the palace putting out regular bulletins about the state of his health if he didnt feel up to doing an engagement on a particular day. He found the whole brouhaha that went with updates about his wellbeing a bloody intrusion. The Queen as monarch and head of state does not have that option. She has enjoyed the most extraordinary good health over near seven decades on the throne, but inevitably, as she ages, the Queen is not immune to bouts of illness. Only last week she was photographed using a walking stick for the first time in public. Unlike the Queen Mother who refused to be seen even wearing glasses, her daughter has always accepted the ageing process gracefully. For example, at 64 she stopped dyeing her hair, allowing it first to go grey and now white. The Queen arriving to attend the ceremonial opening of the sixth Senedd, in Cardiff, Wales on October 14, 2021 But while there will always be widespread alarm when the Queen is admitted to hospital, I would contend that concern would be greater if the public were not informed when the true picture inevitably emerged. Last year questions were asked when it was claimed that Prince William had contracted Covid-19 at the same time as the Prince of Wales. Royal officials denied it only for William, some months later, to confirm that he had indeed had the illness. While the privacy argument can be deployed for other members of the Royal Family, it has to be weighed very carefully in order to maintain public confidence when it comes to the monarch. Twenty-two years ago, Prince Andrew in an unguarded moment suggested that Buckingham Palace had been lying to the media for years. At a reception for journalists he said: You [the Press] cannot believe you are being told the truth, because for the last 20 years you probably havent. Comparing the palace machine to the Soviet-era regime, Andrew said: It was like Russia. Anyone who reported on the Charles and Diana marriage saga, as I did for this newspaper, will have memories of the countless denials from smooth-talking royal apparatchiks of stories that turned out to be true. No one is suggesting that the modern palace has returned to those ancient practices, and anyway tittle-tattle about the Prince and Princess of Wales is hardly of the same importance as the health of the monarch. But there is a sacred trust between our anointed Queen and her people. However well-intentioned, it must not be compromised by half-truths and evasions. This week, when I had my legs waxed (bear with me), my beautician spotted a suspicious-looking mole on my thigh. She told me to get it checked by a doctor immediately as I have a history of skin cancer. It took a while, but I finally got through to my GPs surgery to be told I could have a phone appointment with him in four hours time. Here we go, I thought. After all, I know from experience, its far easier for doctors to tell the difference between a benign and malignant mole if they look at it closely using specialist optical equipment. That means a face-to-face appointment. Yet when the doctor phoned, he asked me to send a picture of my mole from my mobile. I finally got through to my GPs surgery - to be told I could have a phone appointment with him in four hours time. Here we go, I thought. [File picture] Thankfully, after he received it, he was heroic and told me to get to the surgery first thing. So, yes, it was a battle. But despite the overwhelming pressure on GPs because of Covid and the backlog in untreated cases, I did get my face-to-face appointment. My GP, like so many, is working in difficult circumstances and the incident restored my faith in the NHS - which, admittedly, has been in the balance over recent months given how difficult it is to get an appointment. And this is what I find so bewildering about the GPs trade union, the Left-wing BMA, and its decision to threaten industrial action in the row over in-person appointments. Following a campaign by the Mail, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has put forward a package to help patients, saying doctors can only deny them face-to-face meetings if there is a sound clinical reason Why jeopardise all that public goodwill by issuing this grotesque, reckless threat in the middle of a Covid surge, when numerous reports warn that the fall-off in surgery consultations has cost lives? Following a campaign by the Mail, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has put forward a package to help patients, saying doctors can only deny them face-to-face meetings if there is a sound clinical reason. And the Care Quality Commission revealed this week that remote GP consultations and the difficulties many have in contacting their GPs lead to poor patient outcomes. I know many GPs have been working magnificently during the pandemic. And I am extremely grateful to my doctor for acting so swiftly given the circumstances. Its just I feel that, if the BMA has its way, Ill never see my GP again. TV historian Mary Beard is an enthusiast for toppling statues of men deemed either offensive, like slaver Edward Colston, or no longer relevant. While I adore Mary, I wonder whether, at her venerable age, she should really be encouraging people to push over old relics. Angelina's new drastic band The eternally slim Angelina Jolie wore a chin cuff a gold contraption that hangs from her bottom lip and goes under her chin to the premiere of her new movie. The cuffs designer says it made her look like a female superhero, others conclude its just a silly stunt to get attention for another dud movie. The eternally slim Angelina Jolie wore a chin cuff (pictured) - a gold contraption that hangs from her bottom lip and goes under her chin - to the premiere of her new movie My view is its a lip-version of a gastric band - with that contraption on you cant drink or eat anything except thin gruel, through a straw. Now our home-grown South London girl Emma Raducanu has become the new face of Dior, appearing in one of their evening gowns at the premiere of Bond, its chief designer (Maria Grazia Chiuri) says her frocks empower women to feel confident. What woman would not feel confident in a dress worth thousands of pounds? A woke fright at the opera In light of the BLM movement, the Royal Opera House is re-examining classic works so performances do not offend modern cultural sensitivities. Thats my favourite opera Madame Butterfly for the chop then, with accusations of colonialism, American occupation of Japan and all. Its about a Japanese girl Cio-Cio-San, or Butterfly, who is seduced and tricked into a sham marriage by American naval officer Pinkerton. She has his baby, then stabs herself to death when she sees him with an American wife. Oh, yes, shes only 15, so thats child abuse we can add to Puccinis disgrace. London mayor Sadiq Khan sets up a 1 million fund for grants to help offended residents decolonise and change their street names in the capital. So Rhodes Avenue in Londons Muswell Hill could become Mandela Drive. Surely the cash could instead have been spent tackling the stabbings of mostly young black men in Londons streets, up a quarter this year, the highest on record. A former police chief claims Spains exiled and disgraced king, Juan Carlos, who is reported to have slept with more than 5,000 women, was injected with female hormones to curb his libido as his licentiousness was a danger to the state. A tip for Mrs Carrie Johnson perhaps? A bedtime story Mum-of-two Gwyneth Paltrows secret to a good nights sleep is going to bed with your husband at 8.30 every night but not before meditating, body massaging and languishing in a bath filled with her 25 Martini bath soak - and then following up with an orgasm. Mum-of-two Gwyneth Palrows secret to a good nights sleep is going to bed with your husband at 8.30 every night but not before meditating, body massaging and languishing in a bath filled with her 25 Martini bath soak - and then following up with an orgasm Most worn-out working mums I know would be grateful just to collapse into bed late at night after a stiff G&T and supper. Were all worried about our beloved Queen. Cancelled visit, an overnight stay in hospital, now the gruelling prospect of attending Cop26. Give Her Majesty a break. To paraphrase the Bible: What does it profit a maam to gain the whole world and forfeit her health? The public back JK It was back in June last year when J. K. Rowling responded to an article about people who menstruate with the comment: Im sure there used to be a word for those people. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud? A volley of abuse from the Woke Brigade followed, determined to cancel her career. Her very own Harry Potter stars, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, denounced her. Now, showing what the public thinks about it all, her latest book The Christmas Pig has topped the UK charts, her 16th No 1 bestseller. Good on J. K. for sticking to her guns. As her boy magician says: I am what I am, an Im not ashamed. Former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull is taking time off from his Classic FM show to concentrate on his health, having been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017. Former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull is taking time off from his Classic FM show to concentrate on his health, having been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017 Lets hope the love of millions of viewers and listeners, myself included, can help this wonderful man in the months ahead. Because, Bill, its there for you. An Afghan interpreter left behind by the British says that after a long silence UK officials are finally trying to contact the forgotten hundreds hiding in the country in fear of their lives. They are advised to remain patient and stay safe. Why the deadly delay when the Americans already have flights in place to rescue their translators? Perhaps our officials are working from home. Westminster Wars Why do we treat our pets with more compassion toward the end of their lives than we do our loved ones? That was the sobering question posed by Baroness Cavendish (Con) in front of an unusually packed House of Lords yesterday. Our noble peers were debating a private members Bill that proposes to allow people with no more than six months to live to apply for an assisted death. The Assisted Dying Bill would give terminally ill patients of sound mind, with six months or less to live, the right to die by taking life-ending medication Cavendish, a former adviser to David Cameron, pondered why incapacitated humans should be forced to live out their final years deprived of all dignity, a fate we spare the family dog. What an emotive issue this is. Powerful, evocative cases were made on both sides of the argument. That the session ran for a bladder-busting eight hours was testament to the strength of feeling. I assure you: It takes a lot to put some of our noble lords off their lunchtime nosebags. The debate was opened by Baroness Meacher (crossbench) who told of the indelible mark left by a relative who took her own life while suffering from liver cancer. Her words were heard in pin-drop silence, bar the odd squeak of red leather. Then, a bombshell. She read out a statement by former minister Lord Field (crossbench) who announced he had changed his mind on the issue after becoming terminally ill. Baroness Cavendish of Little Venice, a former advisor to David Cameron, addresses the House of Lords for the Assisted Dying debate Gulp. Poor, decent Frank. One of the genuine good guys of politics. Support for Meacher dribbled in from all sides. There was a rousing turn from Lord Dobbs (Con), ex-Tory MP and author of House of Cards, who is being treated for prostate cancer. My life, my body, my character belong to no one but myself, he said. He described the current laws which says myself and my loved ones must suffer in agony and without hope as an utmost cruelty. Horror stories abounded. We heard of cancer sufferers with crippling facial sores. Former newspaper editor Lady Boycott (crossbench), her voice tarred and cured from a lifetime of cigarettes and other sinful pleasures, spoke devastatingly of a friend so desperate to end her suffering she resorted to taking her own life with a plastic bag. Ghastly. Baroness Meacher joins demonstrators during a protest outside the Houses of Parliament in London to call for reform Thankfully, though, the odd shard of humour punctuated the gloom. Creaky Lord Vinson (Con), now 90, reflected how when you reach such an age, assisted dying starts to prey on ones mind. So perhaps I should declare an interest, he joked. Television scientist Lord Winston provoked titters as he struggled to unhook his mask over his magnificent moustache. Opposition to the Bill was naturally blunt. Dangerous and flawed, said Lord Gold (Con). Totally unacceptable was the verdict of Lord Sheik (Con). Lord Adonis (Labour) feared the motives of greedy relatives. Meacher gave him a wary shake of the head. Fittingly, the most eloquent opposing argument came from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Like Adonis, he thought the Bill unsafe. The sad truth is that not all people are perfect, not all families are happy, not everyone is kind and compassionate. Demonstrators, including Humanists UK's members and supporters, during a protest outside the Houses of Parliament in London to call for reform as peers debate the new assisted dying legislation No amount of safeguards can perfect the human heart, no amount of regulation can make a relative kinder or a doctor infallible. A fine speech. The session was also notable for ex-Scottish Conservatives leader Lady (Ruth) Davidsons maiden speech. She was in favour of the Bill, though admitted it was probably not the occasion to try out her best stand-up material. Despite the sombreness of the occasion, she was flamboyantly dressed in lollipop red. What an adornment bubbly Ruth will make to the upper house. By the time the debate wrapped up, the sun was almost past the yardarm. Gin oclock and not a moment too soon. With the Government not backing the Bill, one suspects it has little chance of getting anywhere. But it is a heart-wrenching debate that will continue to run and run. Early in his epic new five-part BBC series Universe, Professor Brian Cox makes a thought-provoking observation. 'From one perspective we are just grains of sand adrift in an infinite and indifferent world,' he says. 'From another we are one of the universe's most wondrous creations, collections of atoms that can wonder about the universe and try to explore it.' Or to boil it down it's mind-blowing that we exist at all. 'The more I learn, the more astonished I am by the fact we're here,' Professor Cox says. How that happened, and the backdrop against which it did, is one of the narratives underpinning the series, which via the probes and telescopes exploring the outer reaches of the universe and some amazing CGI takes us on a journey revealing how the universe was formed and how it will be destroyed. Professor Brian Cox (pictured) is returning to screens to explore the universe in a new five-part BBC series From the dawn of the Milky Way and the chaos created when two galaxies collide to the possibility of alien life and black holes, it's a mesmerising look at a territory so vast that even contemplating it is overwhelming, as Professor Cox is the first to acknowledge. 'I'm doing live shows at the moment, and I start by saying, half-jokingly, 'What does it mean to live a finite, fragile life in an infinite, eternal universe?' he says. 'This series is a very long answer to that short question.' Of course, Brian is the perfect person to address it. Long established as the televisual face of physics, his down-to-earth but lyrical approach to this complex subject alongside the boyish looks he still retains at 53 have made him one of the BBC's most bankable stars. And it shows in the viewing figures: his last epic series, The Planets, drew in more than three million viewers per episode. No doubt many of them will be tuning in to this one too, for in the same way that Sir David Attenborough opens up the wonders of the world to us, Brian is the one who encourages us to look beyond it. And what a beyond. The first episode of Universe takes us back a mind-boggling 13.8 billion years to something called the cosmic web, whose interlocking filaments of dark matter laid the path for the creation of the first star. 'It's a journey from the first star to the last star,' says Professor Cox. 'Remarkably we know that timescale, and it's 10 trillion years.' The notion that at some point the lights will go out is startling. Professor Brian has been interested in astronomy since reading Cosmos at age 12, followed by studying physics at Manchester. Pictured: The milky way over Stonehenge 'The first episode is quite brutal in that sense, because it doesn't shy away from that,' he says. His ability to boil complex issues down to something we can all grab onto comes with an enthusiasm that hasn't left him since, aged 12, he read Cosmos, a popular science book by astronomer Carl Sagan. 'Carl used to say that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience because it gives us a perspective,' he says now. A self-confessed geeky teen, Brian was famously waylaid on his path to academia by a brief foray into pop when he played keyboards with D:Ream, whose hit Things Can Only Get Better was used to soundtrack Tony Blair's rise to power. Aged 23 however, he enrolled to study physics at Manchester, and the university has been his base ever since. As a postgraduate, he crunched data on particle accelerators that were the forerunners of the Large Hadron Collider at the CERN research centre in Geneva. It was while there that he caught the attention of TV executives after being deployed as a talking head. Brian revealed the series was filmed in the UK, with the entire black hole episode (pictured) shot in Yorkshire 'They thought, 'He's been on Top Of The Pops, he'll be all right with the camera,' he recalls. He also met his wife, TV producer and fellow science enthusiast Gia Milinovich, at CERN. The couple, who have a 12-year-old son, married 18 years ago. Brian didn't have to travel too far from home to make his new series, as it was filmed in the UK. 'The galaxies episode was done on Skye, which brought an idea of galaxies as islands,' says Brian. 'And this is not a comment at all on the location, but we filmed the entire black hole episode in Yorkshire.' Let's face it, though, what most people really want to know when it comes to outer space is whether there is anybody else out there. It's a question addressed in one of the episodes, and sadly the answer, according to Professor Cox, is no or not intelligent life at least. 'I would not be surprised to find liquid beneath the surface on Mars or on the moons of Jupiter or Saturn, but almost every biologist I speak to says, 'Yes there may be life, but all it will be is slime.' Brian said the series celebrates our civilisation, as we face the fact that 'we might be a remarkably valuable naturally occurring phenomenon'. Pictured: Hubble Space Telescope He concedes he could be wrong though. 'We could detect evidence of a civilisation tomorrow,' he smiles. 'I'd love it. No one would be less surprised than me if a flying saucer came, because it would solve a big problem called the Fermi Paradox, which asks why there aren't any aliens. 'It's a huge paradox that the Milky Way is so large, and so much time has passed, that you would guess there would be other civilisations around.' In the meantime it looks like life on Earth really is it. 'I think that forces us to face the fact that we might be a remarkably valuable naturally occurring phenomenon,' he says. 'If our civilisation doesn't persist for whatever reason, and it might be an external event but it might be from a nuclear war, it's possible that whoever presses that button eliminates meaning in a galaxy forever. But being forced to confront reality leads to a celebration to me. Ultimately, this series celebrates our civilisation.' Universe, Wednesday, 9pm, BBC2. Products featured in this Mail Best article are independently selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission. After teasing fans with a glimpse of her new clothing range last week, the Boohoo x Megan Fox collaboration is finally here. And you can forget 'hot girl summer' as this collection is going to set autumn ablaze. The 40-piece collection includes interchangeable day to night pieces that reflect the actress's signature super sexy style. Created in conjunction with Megan Fox's stylist, Maeve Reilly, it marks her first ever co-designed collaboration with a brand, and it's set to become a sell-out. Global fashion e-retailer boohoo has launched their newest collaborative collection with actress, Megan Fox - and it's ready to buy now In a statement, Fox said: 'I am so excited to announce my first-ever fashion collaboration with boohoo! 'I feel like I've really come into my own over the past few years, especially when it comes to my personal style and this collection reflects exactly that. 'I've always wanted to have my own collection and boohoo really gave Maeve and I the freedom to express ourselves.' The Boohoo x Megan Fox collection comes in UK sizes 6-20 with clothing and accessories ranging from 12 to 120, so you can bag a slice of Megan Fox's covetable style for less. All the items in the collection have been designed to empower with sexy silhouettes, tailored pieces and trend-led leather looks. The new season style saviours are ready to shop in a moody colour palette of monochrome and bold reds so perfectly encapsulates the actress's and the brand's famous sexy style. Available from boohoo.com from 5pm on October 19, the collection is priced from 12 and is full of on-trend pieces Slashed dresses with dramatic hip-high slits have been a big trend on the red carpet with the actress herself donning a red Dundas gown at last month's Met Gala. Since then, sales of lace-up wear have surged 300 per cent at Boohoo so it's no surprise to see several strappy-cut body-hugging dresses in the collection. Highlights include the Megan Fox Cut Out Plunge Mini Dress, 40 and the Megan Fox Double Slinky One Sleeve Cut Out Midi Dress, 30 which would make head-turning ensembles for the festive season. With new-season silhouettes and a rich colour palette of bold reds and classic monochromes, these are pieces designed to be noticed As well as super sexy evening pieces, there are more wearable everyday essentials like a revived retro letterman's jacket, which the actress admitted pays homage to her boyfriend Machine Gun Kelly who grew up in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights. With the wintry weather now here to stay, the Boohoo x Megan Fox cosy yet bold zebra print wool-look coat which costs just 70 is sure to make it in to a lot of people shopping baskets. Other affordable outwear options include flattering belted wool-look robe coats and an oversized glitter boyfriend blazer, priced at 50. And if you're not quite ready to sacrifice your loungewear, even with the festive season coming up, then the slinky satin flared trousers, 30 and the matching relaxed fit shirt is the perfect compromise of style and comfort. A student has revealed how she was harassed and sexually assaulted by a lecturer from her university as she walked home late at night. Whitney Dowler, 22, was studying at the University of South Wales when Kary Thanapalan, 49, relentlessly stalked her through the streets of Treforest, Pontypridd, before sexually assaulting her. Thanapalan, who was a senior lecturer of aeronautical & mechanical engineering at Whitney's university, fled after her friend turned up and scared him away. In May 2021, Thanapalan was jailed for two years for the sickening attack. Waiving her right to anonymity, Whitney, a trainee library assistant, told Femail: 'After following the cases of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa, I feel lucky to be alive. 'What happened to those women could've easily happened to me that night. 'The fact that Wayne Couzens was a police officer and Kary was a university lecturer really hit home. 'These people in power are meant to keep us safe. It's terrifying.' Whitney Dowler, 22, (pictured), from Bargoed, Wales, was in her last year at the University of South Wales when senior lecturer Kary Thanapalan, 49, harassed and sexually assaulted her In September 2020, Whitney, from Bargoed, Wales, returned to university for her final year studying IT. Two months later, she met a friend at a local pub. She says: 'My friend and I had a couple of drinks and caught up about uni life. 'Around 10pm I called it a night and hugged him goodbye. 'When I went outside, it was pitch black. 'I only lived two miles away and couldn't afford a taxi so I began walking.' 20 minutes later, as Whitney approached a pizza shop, she spotted Thanapalan stood against a wall. Kary Thanapalan, 49, (pictured) of Egypt Street, Treforest, kissed Whitney on the face and groped her breast during his drunken attack Whitney says: 'The man was in dark clothing and he slurred, "Hey babe". 'I knew he was drunk. 'Avoiding eye contact, I hurried past him. 'But he shouted "Baby" and began following me. 'Panicking, I told myself to just keep ignoring him and he'll soon go away. 'But he didn't. He shouted 'Come here baby!' and wouldn't stop harassing me. 'I started to run and the man caught up with me and grabbed my arm. 'He begged me for a kiss and I tried pushing him away. 'He managed to plant a kiss on my face and groped my breast. 'Terrified, I shoved him off me before running away in a different direction.' Whitney (pictured) recounts Thanapalan chasing her through the streets, while saying that she was 'breaking his heart' as she tried to escape But Thanapalan didn't give up and chased Whitney through the streets. Whitney says: 'He kept saying I was breaking his heart and that I was going to come home with him. 'I was sobbing and telling him "No" over and over. I begged him to leave me alone. 'At one point we reached a busy street and a car pulled up next to me. 'It was a male driver who asked if I was okay. 'Crying, I told him that I was being followed. 'The driver offered me a lift home but I realised he was also a stranger. 'I didn't know if he was a threat as well, I couldn't trust anyone. So I said no.' Whitney (pictured), who thought she was going to be raped or killed, said Thanapalan didn't flee until he spotted her friend running towards them Thanapalan continued stalking Whitney for the next 20 minutes. As she approached Treforest railway station, she managed to text a friend who lived nearby. Whitney says: 'As I got to the station car park, the man grabbed me again and groped my breast. 'Suddenly, I spotted my friend in the distance and I screamed for help. 'He ran towards us, screaming at the man to get off me. 'Thankfully, he let go of me and fled. 'I thought I was going to be raped or killed.' That night, Whitney reported what happened to the police. Three days later, Thanapalan was arrested after police tracked him through CCTV. They also matched his DNA to saliva on Whitney's cheek and clothes. The next week, a representative from Whitney's university called her. Whitney (pictured) revealed that she has a panic attack if someone walks near her on the street now and said she doesn't know if she will ever feel safe again She says: 'The person was from student support. 'They said they were so sorry about what happened and offered me help. 'I was confused as to how they knew what had happened. 'They then revealed Kary had been a senior lecturer of aeronautical and mechanical engineering at my university for years. 'I felt sick and couldn't believe it.' In May 2021, Kary Thanapalan, 49, of Egypt Street, Treforest, pleaded guilty to sexual assaulting Whitney at Cardiff Crown Court. He was jailed for two years. Whitney says: 'Men like Kary are why women are so afraid to walk home alone, especially at night. 'If someone walks near me on the street now, I have a panic attack. 'I don't know if I'll ever feel safe again. 'Kary targeted me that night and I don't know what would've happened if my friend hadn't turned up and scared him away.' A geneticist has revealed how he and other students were 'terrorised' by an 'evil spirit' in the same university room in a chilling new podcast series that claims to be 'the biggest ever investigation into the paranormal'. Ken, now in his 60s, recalled a malicious force that haunted his bedroom at Queen's University Belfast in the 1980s, sending cutlery flying, stalking empty corridors and trying to 'bang down the door'. Over three years, three groups of students staying in room 611 in Alanbrooke Hall reported supernatural happenings, including friends who believed their dreams had been hijacked by the force. Speaking to presenter Danny Robins on BBC Radio 4 podcast Uncanny, Ken explained he later learned at least three former residents of the room had died, including one who was rumoured to have been pushed out of the window. Ken recalled a malicious force that haunted his bedroom at Queen's University Belfast in the 1980s, stalking empty corridors and trying to 'bang down the door'. Stock image Ken, who grew up in rural Northern Ireland, said he doesn't believe in ghosts, but has never been able to explain what happened to him 40 years ago. 'Things begin all of a sudden and very dramatically,' he recalled. 'It was the dead of winter. I had gone to bed, James had gone to bed as well. 'My eyes were open and something caught my attention. I saw a large black sill near the desk of what I had the impression was a man. The first thing that struck me, because I was analysing this data as much as possible, was I had never seen anything so black. It was the blackest black I had ever seen. 'At the same moment, two things happened: I could hear what could only be described as very, very loud white noise and also there was a very, very strong sense of pure, distilled evil coming from this figure. 'It felt like a force of nature. There was a feeling of everything that is good, everything that is called hope, had disappeared. It was complete and utter despair. I felt it coming through me in waves. 'As I looked down the bed, I could see ripples on the blankets that was corresponding to this movement of force. And I thought "what on earth is going on?" I also thought this evil was specifically against me. This thing wanted to do absolute harm against me. It started to drift towards me.' As it came towards his shoulder, his adrenaline kicked in and he 'lunged' at the figure. At that moment the whole figure disappeared. Over three years, three groups of students staying in room 611 in Alanbrooke Hall reported supernatural happenings, including friends who believed their dreams had been hijacked by the force. Pictured, a stock image of Queen's University Belfast The hauntings took place at Alansbrooke Hall (centre), one of the student residences Shaken, he turned to his roommate James, who said he had also experienced something he couldn't explain. '[James] said something completely different,' Ken continued. 'He had his eyes closed, he was lying in bed, trying to get to sleep, he saw a point of light. This point of light got larger and larger in his mind's eye. He could see the back of the head of a man. This man turned, gave him a very dirty look, then disappeared.' Like Ken, James had felt strongly that this man, who appeared to be a young student like them, had wanted to do harm against him, and described it as one of the most disturbing things he had ever experienced. The following night, more horror followed. It was a Friday and everyone had left for a weekend at home. Ken told how he was reading a book when he heard the sound of the lift rumbling nearby. The lift stopped at the floor I was on and I could hear the doors opening... At that instant, I felt the same force of evil, this time coming from my left side, which is where the lift was located. I immediately heard very loud footsteps, as if they were wearing boots with nails on the bottom 'I thought, "okay, so there's someone around",' he said. 'Then the lift stopped at the floor I was on and I could hear the doors opening and I thought, "that's strange, maybe someone is coming to see me". 'At that instant, I felt the same force of evil, this time coming from my left side, which is where the lift was located. I immediately heard very loud footsteps, as if they were wearing boots with nails on the bottom, they were that loud.' The 'feet' stomped down the corridor towards his room and stopped outside his closed door. 'And then there was this profound silence,' Ken continued. 'It probably lasted a millisecond but it felt like one of the longest silences ever. 'And then the door started to bang. It was as if the door was being kicked, punched at both the top and the bottom at the same time. It felt as if there were multiple fists being hit against the door and it was extremely violent. I could see the door shaking.' Once again, his instinct took over and, with adrenaline pumping through his body, Ken opened the door. 'There was nothing,' he said. 'The feeling of evil had gone completely. Complete silence. I saw the lift was stopped at the floor, so I knew I hadn't imagined the lift being somewhere else, but there was nobody. 'There were no lights on in any of the rooms, I knew there was nobody on the floor anyway. There was no one there.' Speaking to presenter Danny Robins, pictured, on BBC podcast Uncanny , Ken explained he later learned at least three former residents of the room had died Ken later discovered the two students who had stayed in the room the previous year had also experienced unexplained happenings. They told him they had seen books come off the shelf and fly across the room. The following year, to test the theory about the room being the source of unexplained activity, Ken did not tell the two new inhabitants about what he or the others had experienced. A few months after they arrived, they approached Ken, as he had done with the occupants before him, to ask if he had noticed anything unusual. The new students spoke about having dark and violent nightmares. Eventually the nightmares evolved to the point where one student would have a nightmare and it would be continued by the other in the same night. Pieces of cutlery, or other sharp instruments, would be placed beside the bed, arranged in a certain way that they could hurt themselves when they got out of bed Next came 'poltergeist activity'. 'Knives and forks would fly through the room,' Ken said. 'Pieces of cutlery, or other sharp instruments, would be placed beside the bed where they would put their feet, arranged in a certain way that they could hurt themselves when they got out of bed and they perceived this as being something that was malicious.' The students didn't remain long in the room after that. Ken explained that if it had just been an isolated incident he had experienced, he could have put it down to 'some sort of hallucination'. 'But what happened in that room, happened to different individuals, often at the same time,' he continued. 'I'm really trying to explain this in terms of the physics. 'What would explain seeing that particular thing? What would explain feeling that force? I try and rationalise it sometimes but I can't rationalise it.' Desperate for an answer, Ken spoke to the cleaner who had taken care of the halls for years. She told Ken and James she had always felt uncomfortable in the room, that there was a presence there she couldn't explain. She also revealed that there had been three previous residents of the room who had died while at university, including one who was shot dead on the way to or from Mass in the early 1970s. A second fell from the window in an apparent suicide, although there were rumours he had been pushed. Ken described it as a 'remarkable coincidence' and wanted answers. The podcast put out an appeal for information from anyone who had a theory about what took place - or had their own unexplained experiences in room 611. But Parapsychologist Caroline Watt, of Edinburgh University, said there could be a logical explanation for what Ken had experienced. 'One possibility is there is something in the environment that is affecting people in the room, such as electromagnetic activity or infrasound. We know that low frequency sounds in the environment can create emotions in people, a sense of presence and sometimes a sense of fear, as well. So I started to think about what could be a source of infrasound. 'I thought about the lift. It's got a large amount of electrical activity powering it somewhere, that will create electromagnetic activity and it may also create infrasound in the way that it moves.' She added: 'So that could create haunting experiences, ghost experiences. I think I would want to find out where is the power source for the lift.' An Australian beauty brand has sold more than $15,000 worth of boob tape overnight after MAFS star Martha Kalifatidis featured the product on her Instagram. Martha showed off the boob tape, by HOLD., in a story on the picture-sharing platform, impressing her 800,000 followers. The 33-year-old reality television star posed comfortably wearing nothing but the breast-holding tape before posing in a blazer to show the finished look. Scroll down for video An Australian beauty brand has sold more than $15,000 worth of boob tape overnight after MAFS star Martha Kalifatidis featured the product on her Instagram Mathieu Mariole, the founder of HOLD., told FEMAIL the company sold $15k worth of the tape, which is $24.95 per roll, following Martha's post. 'Martha is the ideal avatar for our business as she is so comfortable with her body,' he said. 'We love that Martha is so confident as that embodies everything that we are and what we want our customers to feel.' Mr Mariole said it is exciting his product will help so many women feel their best, especially as the country opens up again. In the Instagram story Martha tagged the company and claimed it is the best tape for anywhere on the body. 'If you've never seen a boob tape, don't freak out, this is normal,' she explained as she modelled the product. Martha showed off the boob tape, by HOLD., in a story on the picture-sharing platform, impressing her 800,000 followers The 33-year-old said the HOLD. tape is the best boob tape she has ever used 'This tape by Hold is literally the best boob tape I've ever used,' Martha gushed. The rolls, which come in five different colours, have enough tape for 15-20 applications depending on the size of your breasts and shape of the dress. In August, the brunette star revealed that she wants to get explant surgery. The 33-year-old, who got a boob job 13 years ago, said she is planning on getting her implants removed during an Instagram Q&A at the time. The reality star-turned-influencer also offered sage advice to fans who are considering getting the procedure. Martha has become one of Australia's most popular influencers A 20-year-old female follower asked the reality star: 'How old were you when you got your implants? I'm 20 and want them but scared of hate.' Martha told the girl she thinks she should wait until she was a little older to consider the procedure. 'I was probably your age,' Martha replied. 'My advice is wait until you're a bit older, then make the decision. Never make a decision about surgery if you have doubts [or] are unsure.' She then revealed her plans to get her implants removed. 'Also I've decided I'm having my implants removed,' she added. 'Been looking for a doc in Sydney but don't really know... if anyone has any recommendations please let me know.' Viewers slammed the 'miserable' judges of Channel 4's Handmade: Britain's Best Woodworker last night for being 'too harsh' on contestants. The first episode of the new show, which has been dubbed 'Bake off for wood', saw nine amateur carpenters asked to build a show-piece bed in the 'Big Build' challenge, and tackling a technical task. Deciding who would be leaving were two industry heavy weights; award-winning architect Alex De Rijke and founder of the London School of Furniture Making Helen Welch. However viewers slammed the programme, declaring the challenge to build a bed in the first episode was too difficult. Others said the judges were too critical, with one writing: 'Blimey the judges are a bit fierce.' Viewers slammed the 'miserable' judges Helen Joyce and Alex De Rijke of Channel 4's new 'Bake off for wood' last night for being 'too harsh' on contestants Starting the programme, Alex explained: 'Wood has soul. You have to respond to that as a designer and as a maker. 'I want good quality and I want simplicity but I know that's not easy to achieve.' Meanwhile Helen said: 'I'm not going to be very forgiving if the finish is very rough and ready.' The first task saw the builders tasked with crafting a double bed, at least 2 metres high, and 'beautifully constructed', showing a good understanding of joinery and an effective use of wood. However many viewers felt the judges were too critical of the amateur carpenters, including a moment in which they said the joinery on one bed shaped like a boat was 'unforgivable' Speaking to contestant Rada about his hope to build a Japanese style bed, Alex told him: 'Your design makes it sound complicated and I'm all about the virtue of simplicity.' And later speaking about Tim's decision to build a 'ship-bed', he told fellow judge Alex: 'What Tim is doing is of course highly eccentric but it is a crazy design.' She added: 'It makes it sound like he's bitten off more than he can chew.' Meanwhile in the skills challenge, the amateur carpenters had 90 minutes to make a printing block. Many of those watching said Helen and Alex came across as 'fierce' and 'harsh' on the amateur carpenters During the judging, they told Mandy hers 'wasn't a good print', while Billy was told: 'Your tree could be a cauliflower.' The carpenters returned to the tent to continue their bed designs, before the judges once again critiqued Billy's design. Alex said it was 'do or die' for Billy as they raised concerns they would be able to see the joinery in his wooden bed. After two days of epic effort from the contestant, Alex and Helen took to studying the carpenter's work. The first episode of the new show saw nine amateur carpenters challenged to build a show-piece bed in the 'Big Build' challenge, breaking off in the middle of the job to tackle a technical task Meanwhile in the skills challenge, the amateur carpenters had 90 minutes to make a printing block - with the judges saying Billy's tree design looked more like a cauliflower Tim's whimsical bed shaped like a boat was slated by Alex, who told him: 'It could have rocked like a simple rocking horse does. It's a missed opportunity. I'm really sad about that.' Helen added: 'There is some really iffy joinery going on.' Meanwhile Alex went even further, commenting: 'Iffy is not a word, unforgivable is a word.' And art school graduate Jade was told her intricately carved headboard 'didn't work', with Helen explaining: 'You could have decided to do something more structural.' Meanwhile Helen said art school graduate Jade's intricately carved headboard was 'a bit of a mess' (pictured) The joinery on Tim's ship bed was also slammed by the judges, who told him it was 'not just iffy but unforgivable' Helen later said: 'It's a bit of a mess for me.' However it was Chantelle who was ultimately given the boot for her 'wasteful' sculptural design. Many of those watching felt the judges were 'too harsh' on the contestants, with one writing: 'The judges don't come across well at all!' Many of those watching felt the judges were 'too harsh' on the contestants, with one writing: 'The judges don't come across well at all!' Another wrote: 'These creative competitions often stand or fall by their judges. ' That's where #AllThatGlitters fell down, and I really don't like the horribly men judges on #Handmade. It'd be terrible without Mel.' A third commented: ''I really hoped that this #Handmade woodwork show on Channel 4 would be the next Pottery Throwdown/Bake Off/Sewing Bee but it hasn't taught us about woodworking skills or techniques, the judges are cold and they should have starter smaller (e.g. simple boxes before beds etc!' ASOS is selling a pair of trousers that have an exposed thong attached to the waistband. The 22 design from emerging brand ASYOU features a black thong sticking out of the low cut waistband, making it appear as though the wearer has their underwear on show. The style is a take on the '90s 'exposed thong' trend, where women show off their underwear over the waistband of low-rise jeans, but combines the trousers and underwear together in a single garment. ASOS is selling a pair of trousers that have an exposed thong attached to the waistband The 22 design from emerging brand ASYOU features a black thong sticking out of the low dip-cut waistband, making it appear as though the wearer has their underwear on show It also exposes the top half of the derriere. ASYOU is described by ASOS as 'serving up new-new trends, get into your vibes with pieces designed to represent every side of you, whether youre off-duty or going out-out'. The trousers are shown styled with a black crop top and pair of chunky black and white trainers for a sexy, street style look. This year has seen the return of the exposed thong as part of the '90s fashion revival. The trousers are shown styled with a black crop top and pair of chunky black and white trainers for a sexy, street style look. Pictured, the trousers on the website Why are exposed thongs back in style? Celebrity stylist Rochelle White said popular social media pages dedicated to sharing throwbacks from the '90s and early 2000s should be largely credited for keeping the trend in fashion. 'But, also TikTok,' she added. 'I feel that a lot of the TikTok creators (US based) have been slowly bringing back things like Von Dutch, glitter and now thongs on show. 'Also, the catwalk brought back the trend in 2020. Designer Maximilian Davis brought it back in her SS2021 London Fashion Week show. 'Not to mention British-Indian designer Supriya Lele and Donatella Versace also did the same.' Advertisement Stars including Cardi B, Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner have been snapped with the strap of their barely-there underwear peeking out above the waistbands of their jeans and plunging backless dresses in recent months. Offering her tips on how to style the look at home, celebrity stylist Rochelle White said: 'Exposed thongs are making their comeback and are becoming more visible than ever. If you want to get involved in this trend as set by Dua lipa recently, look for thongs that suit your style. 'Look for styles that sit comfortably either on your trouser line or slight higher so that it is peaking through. 'If you fancy making a bit of a statement, the higher the better. Look for more high waisted thongs that sit higher than the trouser line and complement your hips.' She continued: 'When it comes to making it stylish, keep it neutral, basic and simple. 'Match the colours with the outfit that you are wearing and stay away from bright colours and garish patterns. 'Treat it as part of your overall outfit and how you would want it to be perceived as not everyone will want to see. 'However, if they do get a glace or peak, make it pleasing to the eye.' Sun streaming from above, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins smiles into the camera as she films herself riding off into the New Mexico desert on horseback. This was the last Instagram post shared by the married mother-of-one before she was accidentally killed by actor Alec Baldwin when he fired a prop gun while filming a scene for an upcoming Western on a ranch near Santa Fe. Born in Ukraine and raised on a Soviet military base 'surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines', Halyna, 42, had trained as a journalist and spent time in Europe working on British documentaries before making the move to Los Angeles, where she had established her career - and started a family. Remembered by friends as a 'kind' and 'loving soul', Halyna lived in Venice Beach, California, with her husband Matthew, a lawyer, and their son Andros, known affectionately as her 'little man' and thought to be around nine years old. 'Halyna loved him so much and enjoyed watching him grow into the handsome boy he is today,' one friend wrote in a moving Instagram tribute. 'I know she is looking after him and Matt in this horribly scary time.' Social media photos capture a playfulness and sense of adventure, with Halloween costume parties, road trips with friends and days out exploring all lit up by Halyna's smile. She was also highly regarded by her peers and had been tipped as a 'rising star' by other cinematographers. 'She was somebody who was absolutely dedicated to art and integrity,' director, colleague and friend Adam Mortimer told GMB this morning. 'I can tell already she was going to be a genius.' Sun streaming from above, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins smiles into the camera as she films herself riding off into the New Mexico desert on horseback. This was the last Instagram post shared by the married mother-of-one before she was accidentally killed by actor Alec Baldwin when he fired a prop gun while filming a scene for upcoming Western, Rust, yesterday Remembered by friends as a 'kind' and 'loving soul', Halyna lived in Venice Beach, California , with her husband Matthew, a lawyer, and their son Andros, pictured in an old Facebook photo Photos capture a sense of playfulness and adventure, with snaps of Halloween costume parties, road trips with friends and days out exploring all lit up by Halyna's smile Born in Ukraine and raised on a Soviet military base 'surrounded by reindeer and submarines', Halyna had recently wrapped on a project in Ireland and was tipped for a bright future in Hollywood when her life was so tragically cut short. Pictured, in 2018 Baldwin, 62, was filming a scene for new film Rust when the gun went off around 1.50pm, fatally wounding Hutchins and leaving writer-director Joel Souza, 48, injured. The incident took place at at Bonanza Creek Ranch. Hutchins was rushed to the University of New Mexico Hospital in an air ambulance but was pronounced dead a short time after. Souza was taken by ambulance to the Christus St Vincent Regional Medical Center. He has since been released although his exact condition is unclear. Meanwhile Baldwin was taken to a Santa Fe detectives' office to be questioned about the shooting. He was not arrested and was later released without charge. The Santa Fe Sheriff's Office said the gun was fired during the middle of a scene that was either being filmed or rehearsed. Detectives said the gun was 'discharged' and gave no further details. Alec Baldwin is seen on the set of Rust with fake blood earlier Thursday, hours before he shot and killed the film's cinematographer. He shared this photo on Instagram with the caption 'Back to in person at the office. Blimeyit's exhausting.' Filming was halted following the fatal incident at the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set in Santa Fe Police tape cordons of a small church used as a set for the movie, after a fatal accidental shooting at a Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set near Santa Fe on Thursday Halyna, 42, was shot dead in the incident on Thursday at the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where writer-director Joel Souza, 48, (pictured) was also injured Baldwin and Hutchins (circled) are pictured together on the set of Rust, in an image that she uploaded to Instagram two days ago saying the crew of the film were supporting a strike by the IATSE union Fatal accidents with prop guns are rare, but not unheard of. Brandon Lee, the 28-year-old son of martial arts star Bruce Lee, was shot and killed on the set of The Crow in 1993 after part of a dummy round got lodged in the barrel of the gun - and was then fired into Lee's stomach when a second dummy round went off. It is a tragedy that has shaken the film industry and led friends, colleagues and strangers to pay tribute to Hutchins, whose life was so shockingly cut short. Born in 1979, Halyna Hutchins was the daughter of military parents and grew up on a Soviet base 'in the Arctic circle'. Recalling what it was like, she said they were 'surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines'. In a sign of her broad interests, Halyna, who was fluent in Russian and English, attended the National University of Kyiv, Ukraine's most prestigious higher education institution, and graduated with a degree in International Journalism. She used this as a ticket to work abroad and spent time as an investigative journalist, working in print and documentaries. Richard Denton, producer behind Shakespeare Uncovered and many films in the former USSR, said today: 'Halyna was the most wonderful, vital, lively and positive person to work with. She was friendly and enormously helpful. 'She handled everything from translating interviews to making Leonids horse move in the right direction. She was completely unpretentious and incredibly professional.' At some point Hutchins moved to the US, settling in California. She married husband Matthew, a lawyer who worked as an associate with US firm Kirkland & Ellis until 2017. His current role is not known. In 2012 the couple welcomed their much wanted son, Andros. 'I remember when Halyna and I would talk about how much she wanted to have a child so many years ago,' wrote her friend, Stephanie, 'and being at the hospital the day he was born and seeing her so filled with happiness.' The couple both posted loved-up family photos on Facebook, treasured memories of family hikes and fun-filled days out. Shortly after Andros's birth Hutchins, who had begun working on short films, enrolled on a two-year course at the American Film Institute Conservatory to hone her skills as a cinematographer. A cinematographer, also known as a director of photography, is in charge of the film and lighting crews on set. The AFI Conservatory is well regarded within Hollywood and provided a launchpad for the likes of directors Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) and Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman). Hutchins would later speak of the important role this experience played in developing her career, saying it made her 'rethink' who she was as an artist. She added: 'One thing I learned is that cinematography is not something you do by yourself. Hutchins, pictured back centre as Harley Quinn, dressing up with friends at a costume party 'It's a group [project]. You need to develop your own vision, but the key to a successful film is communication with your director and your team.' Another tragedy on set: How Bruce Lee's son Brandon died in similar accident on The Crow Halyna Hutchins' death is not the first time that a prop gun has killed someone during the filming of a movie. In 1993, Brandon Lee, 28, son of the late martial-arts star Bruce Lee, died after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. Actor Brandon Lee (above) was killed on the set of The Crow in 1993 when a blank round fired a squib load from the prop gun In that case, an investigation determined that a bullet became lodged in the barrel of the gun, a dangerous condition known as a squib load. The crew had made dummy cartridges, which are supposed to look like a real bullet but be inert, by removing the gunpowder from real bullets, but they failed to remove the primer charge. At some point, one of the dummy rounds was fired, and the primer pushed the bullet into the barrel, where it remained stuck unnoticed. Later, the gunpower in a blank cartridge, which creates the sound and muzzle flash of gunfire for film but has no bullet, propelled the squib load out of the gun's barrel, striking Lee. And in 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series Cover Up. In that case, the paper wadding used to secure the gunpowder in the blank cartridge was expelled with enough force to shatter his skull near the temple, sending fragments into Hexum's brain and causing massive hemorrhaging. Advertisement Alongside her early cinematography work, Hutchins worked as a fashion photographer in order to learn how to 'create the mood, the feeling' in an image. A string of smaller projects came along, largely in short films. In 2018 she was named as part of the inaugural class of the 21st Century Fox DP Lab, a networking cohort designed to expand opportunities for female cinematographers by connecting them with working professionals. The following year, she was hailed as one of the 'rising stars of cinematography' in respected industry publication American Cinematographer. 'Right now, I'm just really interested in finding fruitful collaborations,' she said in an interview with the publication. She added, 'I'm just hoping to find my Wong Kar-wai,' in a nod to the renowned Hong Kong director. Hutchins worked on two feature films. The firs, Darlin', a horror directed by Pollyanna McIntosh (The Walking Dead), premiered at the SXSW film festival 2019 and played internationally at the Edinburgh Film Festival and London FrightFest. The second, Blindfire, was a racially charged police drama written and directed by Mike Nell starring Brian Geraghty (The Hurt Locker, TNT's The Alienist) and Sharon Leal (Supergirl, Instinct), which was winner of Best Crime Drama at the Houston International Film Festival, 2020. Director Adam Egypt Mortimer, who worked with Hutchins on the 2020 superhero mystery-thriller Archenemy, said on GMB today: 'She was somebody who was absolutely dedicated to art and integrity. 'She was Ukrainian and had this incredible European art sensibility so that the more things on our set that would become challenging or difficult the more she would want to figure out how to transcend the limitations and turn it into art. 'When I met her I knew after about five minutes of talking to her she would be an incredible partner to work with... I can tell already she was going to be a genius and she was so dedicated to do anything to make a movie seem immersive and truthful and that was her personality.' Actor Joe Manganiello, who starred in Archenemy, called her 'an incredible talent' and 'a great person' on his Instagram account, adding that he was lucky to have Hutchins as director of photography on the film. Director Amy J. Berg, who also shared a Deadline article detailing the accidental shooting, penned: 'What an absolute nightmare. We lost a rising star, female cinematographer Halyna Hutchins'. Across Halyna's Instagram and website reels are numerous stills and clips from short films and features she's worked on, ranging in genre and aesthetics. She was recently in Ireland where she enjoyed runs in Dublin and sight-seeing while on breaks from filming what is believed to be an upcoming period drama. Her social media profiles also paint a clear image of a free-spirited, much-loved friend, many of whom have been paying tribute. As her friend Stephanie said: 'I dont even have words, I have known Halyna for so many years and to find out that she is dead is beyond words I can even express. She had such a kind-loving soul... 'I cant even believe I am saying had it just doesnt make any sense... I just cant believe this is happening.Halyna was so full of life and way too young to die.' Hutchins' devastated friends were too distraught to talk, but Ariel Vida, a production designer who worked with the director of photography on 2020 film Archenemy confirmed her death to DailyMail.com, tearfully adding: 'I'm sorry, I can't talk about this right now.' No criminal charges have been filed, but police said that a criminal investigation into the incident is currently active to determine the circumstances of Hutchins' death. 'According to investigators, it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged,' sheriff's spokesman Juan Rios said in a statement. 'Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged.' 'The incident remains an active investigation. As more information becomes available, updates will be provided,' he added. Filming for Rust was set to continue through early November, according to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office, but production has now been halted on the film. A woman who went to the Met for help when she was in a 'seriously bad way' after receiving threatening messages from an ex-partner has claimed that she was groomed by one of their officers who took advantage of her vulnerability. The anonymous woman, from the UK, is one of many to come forward to share their experiences in the wake of Sarah Everard's murder at the hands of a serving cop. Wayne Couzens abducted Miss Everard in Clapham Common during a 'fake arrest' before he kidnapped, raped and murdered her. Speaking to The Metro, the woman in question recalled how she had been receiving a tirade of abuse from an ex-partner over a series of months when she decided to report the matter to the police. Despite initially thinking police officer, who she refers to as PC X - a man in his early 50s - was 'very helpful and understanding,' she claims it wasn't long before things took an inappropriate turn - adding that he abused his position of power. 'The nature of the way PC X would talk to me did change and he got more and more inappropriate as time went on,' she said. 'I do think there was an understanding that things would progress to a sexual relationship but I was just so pleased to have a police officer on my side.' An anonymous woman, from the UK, is one of many to come forward to share their experiences in the wake of Sarah Everard's murder at the hands of a serving cop. Pictured, stock image The woman explained that after being bombarded with vile text messages and threatening phone calls, along with disturbing parcels sent to her house by her ex-partner, she developed PTSD and got to the point where she no longer wanted to be alive. Over the course of a few months, she reported the abuse to the police but little was done to help. Shortly after, she found out her abuser had reported her for a made up crime, accusing her of harassment. After losing her tempter with the police at the shock of what she was hearing, two officers soon appeared at her door - including PC X. She went on to say that he made her feel like she was actually being listened to and on leaving, gave her a 'big hug,' along with his personal number, before urging her to call him any time, day or night. He even suggested the pair go for coffee. 'It might sound silly now but at that point in time, it didnt feel inappropriate,' she explained. 'I was desperate and just felt so glad that someone was finally going to help me.' The woman went on to explain that a week later she sent PC X a message asking if he was still happy to help her. Months of text messages and phone calls ensued and following another threatening phone call from her ex-partner, PC X reassured her everything would be fine. According to the woman, who by this time had been listed as a vulnerable person, PC X urged her to only speak with him and no other officers, and even went so far as to tell her to distance herself from her loved ones. It comes in the wave of sadness and disgust over the police officer murder of Sarah Everard But in time, she explained how PC X stopped replying to her messages - which by this point included innuendos - so she decided to make a complaint because she was still living in fear of her abuser. It was only when she mentioned to another police officer that PC X would frequently call her on his mobile, that things started to unravel. She learned PC X hadn't actually been logging any of the crime reports she had been sending over to him - and only now was it being listed as a proper crime. 'I now feel sure that he was grooming me, hoping to become my sole support network and isolate me from my friends and family,' she explained. 'His intention was for me to repay the "help" he was offering me with a sexual relationship.' 'Looking back, I can see it as very coercive and predatory behaviour but at the time, I was vulnerable and I liked having on my side.' But things took an even worse turn when she learned that she wasn't the only one who had been subjected to PC X's inappropriate behaviour. Around the time he had stopped taking her calls, she found out another woman - who had started a sexual relationship with him - attempted to take her own life as a result of his controlling behaviour towards her. However, continuing to deal with the relentless fear of her ex, she explained how professional Standards reached out and it wasn't until 18 months later that she heard from PC X again. Receiving a call out of the blue, he reeled off lots of details about her - including clothes she'd been wearing and where she'd been going - along with sexual things which left her feeling 'uncomfortable' and 'dirty.' Despite reporting PC X when the calls continued, the woman explained that because he had resigned the day before he called her again, the police said there wasnt much they could do. The woman explained that while PC X has been found guilty of gross misconduct for his behaviour with the other person in question, and no longer works for the police, she doesn't believe enough has been done. 'Do I still live in fear? I do,' she said. 'Am I convinced that there are other victims? Yes. Do I worry that this man could strike again? Absolutely. Have the police done enough? Definitely not. A spokesperson for Met Police told FEMAIL: 'The former police constable resigned from the Met in July 2019. At that time he was subject to disciplinary proceedings. A hearing held at a later date found that had he still been a Met officer, he would have been dismissed. There is an ongoing investigation into the former officer following receipt of a complaint from a member of the public, made after he had resigned. While this is ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment any further.' Princess Leonor of Spain, who has been studying at Wales' 'Hippie Hogwarts,' was joined by her parents King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, as well as her younger sister, as she greeted the Princess of Asturias Award winners on Friday. The Spanish royal family met with the victors at the Reconquista Hotel in Oviedo, in the Principality of Asturias in the north of the country. Looking typically stylish, Letizia, 49, donned a recycled Hugo Boss dress for the occasion which she first wore in 2019 during an event which marked Rare Diseases World Day. The thrifty queen most recently wore the dress in May this year, when she chaired an event reflecting on female leadership in the workplace in Madrid. Following in her mother's stylish footsteps, Leonor, who has returned to Spain for half-term, looked effortlessly stylish in a blue, capped-sleeved dress, before changing into monochrome, patterned dress later in the evening. Queen Letizia of Spain was joined by her daughters Princesses Leonor and Sofia as they greeted the Princess of Asturias Award winners at the Reconquista Hotel in Oviedo on Friday King Felipe VI cut a dapper display as he stood alongside Queen Letizia of Spain and their daughters Princesses Leonor and Sofia, who all donned protective face masks Letizia first debuted the Hugo Boss dress with all-black accessories back in 2019 at an event marking Rare Diseases World Day (pictured, left), and again to chair a meeting by the Spanish Federation of Businesswomen in Madrid in May 2021 Leonor, who wore her blonde hair loose in a wavy blow dry, paired her below-the-knew dress with nude-coloured heels. The teen opted for little make up, adding just a dash of eyeshadow and mascara, and donned a protective face amid Covid-19. The 15-year-old heir to the throne has been studying at UWC Atlantic College in Wales since September, but headed home for a week of down time with her loved ones during half term, with classes resuming on November 1. Meanwhile, her younger sister Princess Sofia, 14, donned a floaty pink dress which she paired with black pumps. Spanish Crown Princess of Asturias Leonor, Spain's King Felipe VI, Spain's Queen Letizia and Spanish Princess Sofia arrive for the 2021 Princess of Asturias award ceremony at the Reconquista Hotel in Oviedo Spanish Crown Princess of Asturias Leonor (C) and Spain's King Felipe VI (2nd-R) put on a stylish display as they arrive for the ceremony Spanish Crown Princess of Asturias Leonor delivers a speech during the 2021 Princess of Asturias award ceremony British vaccinologist and co-founder of Vaccitech Sarah Gilbert (L) receives the Princesa de Asturias award for Scientific and Technical Research Canadian biologist Derrick Rossi (L) receives the Princesa de Asturias award for Scientific and Technical Research It comes a day after the Spanish royals attended the traditional concert of the Princess of Asturias Award held at Principe Felipe auditory in Oviedo. The event traditionally takes place on the eve of the Princess of Asturias Award, but was cancelled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Sharing its name with Leonor, who is heir to the Spanish throne and holds the title of Princess of Asturias, the annual awards are presented to individuals or organisations who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs. The Princess of Asturias Awards was established in 1980 by Felipe, who was then heir to the throne, before he ascended the throne in 2014. The event was established to consolidate links between the autonomous community Principality of Asturias and the King, as well as to encourage scientific, cultural and humanistic development. Each year the recipients of the awards receive a sculpture created by Spanish prestigious sculptor Joan Miro. journalist and activist Gloria Steinem (L) receives the Princesa de Asturias award for Communication and Humanity US physician and scientist Drew Weissman (L) receives the Princesa de Asturias award for Scientific and Technical Research The Spanish royal family were seen standing and applauding during the ceremony Looking typically stylish, Letizia, 49, donned a recycled Hugo Boss dress for the occasion which she first wore in 2019 during an event which marked Rare Diseases World Day. Pictured, 7 King Felipe VI of Spain (2-L), Crown Princess Leonor (L), Queen Letizia (3-L) and Infanta Sofia (4-L) greet Asturias regional president Adrian Barbon (R) Following in her mother's stylish footsteps, Princess Leonor (right), who has been studying at Wales' 'Hippie Hogwarts' but returned to Spain for half-term, looked effortlessly stylish in a blue, capped-sleeved dress A Police Scotland campaign against sexual violence backed by Nicola Sturgeon has been divided opinion after some claimed it was 'guilt-tripping' men - while others called it a 'powerful message.' The Don't Be That Guy initiative urges men to look at their own behaviour and gestures which some might dismiss as innocent, like 'staring at a girl on the bus' or 'whistling at her in the street'. The video was shared by Police Scotland earlier this week on Twitter alongside the caption: 'Most guys don't look in the mirror and see a problem. But it's staring us in the face. Sexual violence begins long before you think it does.' However some have criticised the video for 'guilt tripping men', with one person writing: 'Do you really think the small minority of men who do this take notice of such videos or are these videos an excuse to dump on men in general and devalue their role in the greater scheme of things?' Meanwhile others defended the video and suggested it was 'a powerful message and so true', with one commenting: 'Most women have experienced at least one of these on a night out if not more.' A Police Scotland campaign against sexual violence backed by Nicola Sturgeon has been criticised for 'guilt-tripping' men for calling women 'doll' and saying they look 'nice' During the clip, a series of male actors talk to the camera, asking: 'Have you ever called a girl doll? Or whistled at her walking down the street? 'Ever stared at a woman on the bus or said to a mate, I'd do that? 'You ever give a girl a compliment, like, "Nice", and wondered why you didn't get a thankyou?' The script continued: 'Ever slid into a girl's DM and went ahead and just showed her it? The Don't Be That Guy initiative urges men to look at their own behaviour and gestures which some might dismiss as innocent and make changes, like 'staring at a girl on the bus' or 'whistling at her in the street' 'Ever bought a lassie dinner and thought that meant she owed you something? 'Ever got her three shots in a row, hoping that you'd get a shot of her? Then what...bundled her wasted into a taxi, and took her back to yours? 'Ever guilt-tripped her, or pressure her, or pushed her into it, and then left, feeling like a man? 'Most guys don't look in the mirror and see a problem, but it's staring us in the face. Many have criticised the video, suggesting it was 'guilt-tripping' men, with some even brand the ad 'sexist' 'Sexual violence begins long before you think it does. Don't be that guy.' First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has backed the campaign, reposting it in a tweet and commenting: 'This new campaign from Police Scotland is powerful and important. 'Id ask all men to watch this film - and then encourage your sons, fathers, brothers and friends to do likewise.' However the campaign has been met with criticism, with some suggesting it is 'guilt-tripping' men. The video was shared by Police Scotland earlier this week alongside the caption: 'Most guys don't look in the mirror and see a problem. But it's staring us in the face. Sexual violence begins long before you think it does.' One person wrote; 'This video made me feel guilty even though I can say I've never done any of this stuff. What can I do?' Another commented; 'Irony at its finest. Talk about guilt-tripping as if it's not the entire point of this video. I even felt guilty and would never do any of these things in my life.' 'No compliments, drinks, dinner or looking after drunk girls,' another added, 'Got it.' A fourth wrote: 'Don't worry, I won't talk to women, won't ask them for a date, won't treat them to dinner or any of the other things mentoned. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has backed the campaign, reposting it in a tweet and commenting that it is 'powerful and important' Scotland's First Minister asked 'all men' to watch the film and 'encourage sons, fathers, brothers and friends' to do the same 'I will just pay for sex, have a one hour "date", talk a bit after sex and leave in peace. 'Easier in todays mindset of "no matter what you do it is wrong".' However others joined Nicola in backing the campaign, with one writing: 'This is such a powerful message and so true. Most women have experienced at least one of these on a night out if not more. 'Times need to change and we need to change attitudes to make future generations safe.' Another wrote: 'The whole point of this ad is to point out that sometimes what you think is OK is actually not OK. However others joined Nicola in backing the campaign, with one writing that it was a 'powerful message' 'But women won't speak up because (genuinely) it's scary. We get taught to laugh it off or tell a little white lie to get away. Please use it as an opportunity to reflect.' A third added: 'This is a very powerful video. Men like myself and people my age need to stand up more against sexual violence towards women and girls. 'Good for this video putting the focus on men 100%, because men are the sole reason for this violence. Very well done to all involved.' The campaign comes amid a brewing national row over women's safety in the wake of the killings of Miss Everard and primary schoolteacher Sabina Nessa, with thousands sharing their experiences of feeling unsafe on streets, parks and other public areas in Britain. Couzens, 48, murdered Miss Everard, 33, after using Covid powers to stage a fake arrest and kidnap the marketing executive as she walked along a street in Clapham in March. The disgraced officer was given a life sentence at the Old Bailey last week. Meanwhile students are planning to boycott nightclubs next week as part of nationwide protests called Girls Night In, with more than 30 universities boycotting clubs in a bid to force venues to increase safety measures. It comes in response to a reported rise in drinks being 'spiked' and a new alarming trend of girls being injected unknowingly with drugs. A newborn baby is finally home from the NICU after being born prematurely at 25 weeks when his mother was horrifically stabbed by a mentally ill homeless person. Valerie Kasper, 34, was walking on a trail near her car in Atlanta, Georgia in June when the man stabbed her multiple times in the back, leaving her in 'so much pain' and in need of multiple surgeries, including an emergency C-section. Her son Theodore Jude was born on June 5 weighing just two pounds, and spent the next five months in the NICU where he'd need four surgeries of his own and ongoing treatment. But on October 8, Theodore who still requires oxygen, a feeding tube, and a heart monitor came home for the first time to his besotted parents. A newborn baby is finally home from the NICU after being born prematurely at 25 weeks when his mother was horrifically stabbed by a mentally ill homeless person Valerie Kasper, 34, was walking on a trail near her car in Atlanta, Georgia in June when the man stabbed her multiple times in the back Just 25 weeks along, Kasper who was also with her three-year-old son underwent an emergency C-section According to Good Morning America, Kasper was also with her three-year-old son Benjamin when the attack occurred near the Peachtree Creek Greenway. Assailant Christopher Jones, 30, stabbed her four times, giving her injuries that required multiple surgeries. 'My life was almost taken. Both my babies lives were almost taken,' Kasper told Fox5 Atlanta. 'I was like feet away from my car and he ran up behind m. 'They had to repair my colon and my liver. But they didn't have to remove anything and it wasn't severe. Somehow, you can get stabbed four times and misses everything. It was a miracle.' She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed a C-section to deliver her baby early at 25 weeks. Babies are considered viable after 24 weeks. 'The trauma of the attack was pretty intense obviously and the moment of going into surgery was just as scary,' she told GMA. 'When I went into surgery I was crying, saying, "Save my baby and save my uterus,' because I thought if he didn't make it, I would want to have another baby."' Theodore needed multiple surgeries, with repairs to his colon and liver, which both sustained damage in the stabbing attack. Kasper first got to see her baby 24 hours after he was born, but was 'in so much pain that I couldn't handle sitting in the wheelchair and I almost passed out in the NICU' Theodore needed multiple surgeries, with repairs to his colon and liver, which both sustained damage in the stabbing attack He spent five whole months in the hospital getting well enough to be discharged Kasper didn't get to hold her baby until three weeks after he was born, and that was still difficult Kasper first got to see her baby 24 hours after he was born, but was 'in so much pain that I couldn't handle sitting in the wheelchair and I almost passed out in the NICU.' She required a week of recovery in the hospital and was discharged on June 12 but her baby still had a long road ahead. He was transferred to another hospital for surgery, being operated on four times in all. Kasper didn't get to hold her baby until three weeks after he was born, and that was still difficult. 'I was sitting there kind of in pain, wanting to enjoy the moment but also having to be aware of my own limitations,' she said. Finally, on October 8, he was discharged from Children's Hospital of Atlanta at Egleston, where nurses lined the hallway to give him a parade. Kasper said she and her partner, Steven Barkdoll, are both 'super grateful.' Finally, on October 8, he was discharged from Children's Hospital of Atlanta at Egleston, where nurses lined the hallway to give him a parade Kasper required multiple surgeries and is still in a lot of pain Kasper still suffers from pain and limited mobility, while Theodore has his own health problems. In addition to his oxygen, feeding tube, and heart monitor, he takes several medications and needs lots of doctor's appointments But Kasper said that despite the stress, he's 'a cutie pie and we love all the snuggles' She also said that her older son was excited to finally meet his little brother, and ran over to greet him. Kasper still suffers from pain and limited mobility, while Theodore has his own health problems. In addition to his oxygen, feeding tube, and heart monitor, he takes several medications and needs lots of doctor's appointments. But Kasper said that despite the stress, he's 'a cutie pie and we love all the snuggles.' 'We are hoping and praying he thrives at home!' the proud parents wrote on a GoFundMe page. Meanwhile, her attacker was arrested five days later and denied bail on assault charges brought against him in June, with prosecutors describing him as 'clearly a danger to society.' Police said they believed 'mental illness played a role' in the attack. In August, he was indicted on charges of criminal attempt to commit murder, criminal attempt to commit feticide, aggravated assault and first-degree child cruelty. Kasper told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 'I just dont want him on the streets. I dont know exactly what that means, I havent looked into it and havent watched the news myself because I cant really handle it, but Im just hoping that the charges are significant.' The Duke of Sussex made a surprise call to congratulate veterans taking part in a charity walking exhibition raise money for those who have served in the Armed Forces. The Grenadier Walk of Oman saw six former soldiers, all with mental or physical wounds walk 300km in stages across the UK, starting at Pen-Y-Fan in Wales and finishing at the Anglo Omani Society in central London on Thursday. The ex-service personnel on the trek, organised by Walking with the Wounded, were due to cross the Omani desert until their plan was set back by the coronavirus pandemic. Prince Harry, who is patron of Walking with the Wounded, rang the team from his $14 million Santa Barbara mansion, as they neared the finish line to offer words of encouragement. The Duke of Sussex, pictured onstage during Global Citizen Live in New York last month, made a surprise call to congratulate veterans taking part in a charity walking exhibition raise money for those who have served in the Armed Forces The Grenadier Walk of Oman saw six former soldiers, all with mental or physical wounds walk 300km in stages across the UK, starting at Pen-Y-Fan in Wales and finishing at the Anglo Omani Society in central London on Thursday 'Guys just remember, you have got to hold on to this moment, you have got to hold on to this feeling,' he said. 'Because it doesn't matter where you walk, or what you are doing. When inevitably we all end up feeling down, a little bit dark, in the weeks, months and years to come, you will remember back to this. Lean on this experience to pick yourselves up.' In September last year, Harry, 37, shared a message of support with soldiers at the official launch of The Walk of Oman, in which he referred to the organisation as 'family' and praises the 'resilience, courage and talent that exists within those who have served'. After training at Sandhurst, Harry was commissioned as an officer in the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals in April 2006. Harry, who has been involved with Walking with the Wounded several years, referred to it as 'my Walking With The Wounded family' (pictured joined military veterans for a 1,000-mile walk of Britain in 2015 (above) During his ten years in the Army, he undertook two operational tours of Afghanistan and qualified as an Apache helicopter commander. His second tour of Helmand, in 2012, is believed to be one of the few times in his life that the Prince truly found contentment away from the restrictions and pressures of Royal life. Known as 'Captain Wales' by his comrades, he proudly told one fellow soldier: 'I've got the best of both worlds. I get to do all this. I can fly helicopters. I can shine a spotlight on the work I want to do.' Harry's military career ended in June 2015 but he has remained a passionate supporter of the Armed Forces and was handed a number of ceremonial military titles. His highest profile military title is as Captain General of the Royal Marines, a role he was handed by the Queen in December 2017, succeeding the Duke of Edinburgh. As the ceremonial head of the elite unit, Harry is entitled to wear the uniform and insignia equivalent to a Field Marshal. His two-year association compares with the 64-year term of his late grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh. Earlier this year Harry was stripped of his military titles and patronages when he and former actress Meghan stepped down as a senior members of the Royal Family. After training at Sandhurst, Harry was commissioned as an officer in the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals in April 2006. Pictured: Harry visits West Point Military Academy in New York in June 2010 (left) and with his regiment The Blue and Royals at a Remembrance Sunday parade in Windsor in November 2007 (right) Meanwhile, Harry has also been judging the WellChild photo competition, Hopes And Dreams: My Life Through A Lens. Children were encouraged to enter photos illustrating what life is like for families living with serious health needs. Ruby Smallman, 13, from Liverpool, won the competition with her photo Hope In An Oak. Harry said: 'The children and families I've had the honour of meeting over my years working with WellChild have shown incredible optimism, courage, and resilience. 'I wasn't only proud to participate as a judge in this exhibition, I was deeply moved by each and every photograph as they capture a moment and say so much about their personal story. 'Every person who is part of the WellChild family is a true inspiration. 'Congratulations to all the entries and a special cheer to the winners.' The competition celebrates the opening of the WellChild Art Auction 2021, supported by Christie's, which is live online through global platform Artsy. The auction will sell works from contemporary artists to raise money for seriously ill children. Sarah Ferguson cut a stylish figure as she attended the Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival on Friday. The mother-of-two, 62, looked effortlessly stylish in a houndstooth blazer and black dress, which she paired with tights and flat pumps. Sarah, who is more commonly known as Fergie, appeared on stage to talk about her Mills & Boon novel, Her Heart For A Compass, which is a fictional account of the life of the Duchess's great-great-aunt, Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott. The literary festival, which is a four-day event, will also welcome Costa Book Award Winner Monique Roffey, war reporters and leading political figures including ex-labour leader Ed Miliband, as they each bring their stories to life on the Harrogate stage. Sarah Ferguson, 62, cut a stylish figure as she attended the Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival on Friday The ex-wife of Prince Andrew, the Queen's second son, wore her copper locks loose and opted for a hint of blusher on her cheeks and a dusting of eye shadow for the occasion. The Duchess appeared on stage with her 'collaborator and mentor' Marguerite Kaye, who has written more than 50 novels for Mills & Boon set across the ages and her books and novellas have sold more than 1.5 million copies in over 20 countries. Mills & Boon - the UK's number one publisher of romantic fiction - was established in 1908. Its books - which are written by women for women - range from historical romance to rom-com and erotica, and one is sold every 10 seconds in the UK. The duchess, who has previously written her memoirs, is the author of numerous children's books including the Little Red and Budgie the Little Helicopter series, and she was an executive producer of the 2009 historical film The Young Victoria. In 2020 the Duchess published several new children's books: The Enchanted Oak; Arthur Fantastic; Genie Gems. The Duchess appeared on stage with her 'collaborator and mentor' Marguerite Kaye (pictured), who has written more than 50 novels for Mills & Boon set across the ages Marguerite Kaye's books and novellas have sold more than 1.5 million copies in over 20 countries (pictured, right and Sarah Ferguson, left) The ex-wife of Prince Andrew, the Queen 's second son, wore her copper locks loose and opted for a hint of blusher on her cheeks and a dusting of eye shadow. The Duchess of York (pictured), who is more commonly known as Fergie, has recently celebrated success after her Mills & Boon novel, Her Heart For A Compass, which is a fictional account of the life of the Duchess's great-great-aunt, Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott, crept onto the bestseller charts The duchess (pictured) is the author of numerous children's books including the Little Red and Budgie the Little Helicopter series, and she was an executive producer of the 2009 historical film The Young Victoria She has many more in the pipeline, including a new Budgie book. Her books have collectively sold over 1.5 million copies. The Duchess has been reading children's books throughout the pandemic on her YouTube channel, Storytime with Fergie and Friends. It comes just two days after The Duchess of York dazzled in a floor-length gown at a Red Cross charity event during Rome's 16th film festival in Italy. The mother-of-two recycled a sleeveless floor-length red gown which she first wore when she attended the luminous fundraising gala as part of the BFI London Film Festival 2019. Sarah was gifted a personalised Red Cross top and flowers on arrival, before dining with the president of the charity, Francesco Rocca. Later in the evening, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice's mother was seen posing for snaps alongside Italian actor Raoul Bova and event planner Tiziana Rocca. A West Virginia couple celebrated their 75th anniversary this month with a beautiful wedding reception surrounded by family after having to skip a big party in 1946 because the groom was in the Army. Ulysses, 94, and Lorraine Dawson, 92, tied the knot 75 years ago shortly after Ulysses served in WWII. They had quickie nuptials that time around, but for their diamond anniversary this year they finally had the party they never got, with Lorraine dressing up in a white gown and Ulysses donning a replica of his WWII uniform. Ulysses, 94, and Lorraine Dawson, 92, tied the knot 75 years ago shortly after Ulysses served in WWII For their diamond anniversary, their family threw them a real wedding, complete with vow renewal and party They married when he was 19 and she was 17 but with Ulysses still serving in the military, they made it a quick affair with just a ceremony and no reception. Lorraine told WCHS that she met her longtime husband when they were both teenagers in southwest West Virginia. When she saw him walking down the street, she purposefully dropped the bucket of water she was holding so that she would have to walk over to the well he was standing near to refill it. They married when he was 19 and she was 17 but with Ulysses still serving in the military, they made it a quick affair with just a ceremony and no reception. They finally got to rectify that 75 years later. Their daughter, Laverna Sharon Adkins, told Good Morning America: 'She said, "You know, I've never had a wedding." Dad was in the Army and she said, "I'd really like to have a wedding.' After a vow renewal ceremony, they celebrated in a room was decorated in the couples' favorite colors, yellow and white. Ulysses wore a remake of the uniform he wore the first time around, complete with tie and hat Lorraine wore a white dress for the first time, having donned a red two-piece suit in 1946 'Mom had already talked about what it would have been like to have a gown,' added their daughter Rita Poling. 'That's how it all came together,' Laverna went on. '[It] was my mother's wish and so everybody got together. After a vow renewal ceremony, they celebrated in a room was decorated in the couples' favorite colors, yellow and white. There were lace tablecloths, a tiered cake, and photos of their lives together. Lorraine wore a white dress for the first time, having donned a red two-piece suit in 1946. Ulysses wore a remake of the uniform he wore the first time around, complete with tie and hat. 'Be sure you love each other. And its a 50/50 thing, not an 80/20. Its 50/50,' Lorraine said 'The knot was tied awful tight. And its still holding,' added Ulysses 'That's the way we met each other. He was in uniform,' Lorraine said. Five generations of family were on hand for the emotional occasion, watching on as the groom bent down to kiss his bride in a wheelchair. 'I couldn't retain myself after I [saw] my dad. Sitting up front in his uniform, he was so handsome,' daughter Rita said. 'All he could do was cry. He cried mainly through the whole thing.' Lorraine also shared her advice for other couples in it for the long haul. 'Be sure you love each other. And its a 50/50 thing, not an 80/20. Its 50/50,' she said. 'The knot was tied awful tight. And its still holding,' added Ulysses. Doctors in England were today slammed for threatening industrial action over being 'asked to do the very basics' of their jobs, amid a growing dispute between GPs and the Goverment. Health Secretary Sajid Javid published proposals last week to give general practice 250million this winter to offer more in-person appointments and same-day care. Under the plans, the NHS would publish league tables of how many face-to-face appointments each of the 6,600 surgeries in England offered effectively 'naming and shaming' those that do not offer enough. But the British Medical Association's England GP committee yesterday rejected the proposals, as well as separate rules that would have them oversee the Covid vaccination exemption process and force the highest earning doctors to publicly declare their salary. They will hold a ballot at a yet to be confirmed date on whether they should take industrial action over the plans by refusing to comply with them. While it would not be an outright strike, the move could see thousands of doctors reduce the amount of work they undertake at a critical time heading into winter. It is not yet clear what impact the industrial action would have on patient care, but it could lead to rejecting to see more people in-person, fewer visits to care homes and refusing to write certificates for people medically unable to get a Covid jab. But Matthew Lesh, of the Adam Smith Institute think tank, told MailOnline workers are normally 'dismissed' when they fail to do their job, but GPs 'find it outrageous' that people want more face-to-face appointments. 'Being asked to do the very basics of your job does not justify strike action,' he said. And Dennis Reed, head of campaign group Silver Voices, urged the Government and doctors to 'get together and sort it out in the interest of patients'. It comes as doctors said this week they have no capacity to play a major role in speeding up the rollout of Covid booster drives, because of the surge in demand for appointments post-lockdown. GPs 'out-and-out rejected' Sajid Javid's (pictured, right) 250million plan to give patients more face-to-face appointments, the British Medical Association claimed today. Pictured left: Dr Richard Vautrey, BMA GP committee England chair 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 Mr Lesh, head of research at the Adam Smith Institute, said: 'Normally when a worker fails to do their job they are dismissed. 'But somehow GPs find it outrageous that taxpayers, who are paying their salaries, are demanding that they provide face-to-face appointments. 'This speaks to a broader systematic failure of the NHS to treat patients as important customers, rather than as an inconvenience with far too many demands. 'It's particularly absurd that GPs are threatening to strike over Government requests to actually see patients in person.' Mr Lesh said the structure for incentivising GP practices which are currently paid based on the number of patients on their lists should be changed so they are paid per appointment. Meanwhile, Mr Reed told MailOnline: 'I would have thought there would be urgent steps from Government to convene a meeting with doctors to thrash this out.' He said: 'It's going to be the patients that suffer the collateral damage if there is a bitter dispute between the doctors and the Government. And I'm afraid in all this hot air and emotion it's the patients who are being forgotten. 'The quite reasonable demand for the number of remote consultations to be reduced and the number of face-to-face appointments to be increased appears to have basically set this off. 'There must be a lot of ill feeling between the doctors and the Government for this simple request for an improvement in service to promote such an action.' Mr Reed said he would be 'quite sympathetic' to GPs if they were threatening strike action because they want to increase in-person appointments, but do not have the resources. 'But they don't seem to be saying that. They seem to be saying they don't want to improve access for patients to GPs, which I find rather sad and disappointing,' he said. It's 'quite unusual' for public service workers to take action because they don't want to improve patient access, Mr Reed said. He said: 'I would obviously warn against any action that prevented diagnosis of serious conditions. And I can't imagine doctors would want to take action that could actually harm patients.' The number of GP appointments taking place face-to-face tumbled at the start of the pandemic when surgeries were told to see patients remotely where possible. But despite the country largely returning to normal, in-person visits are yet to climb back to pre-pandemic levels. The above graph shows the number of face-to-face GP appointments (red line) by month since the end of 2019 It would be 'a type of Armageddon industrial action' and 'outrageous' if GPs reduced their visits to care homes because those residents are the 'most vulnerable and fragile in society', Mr Reed added. The Health Secretary's plans which triggered outrage among doctors included extra funding for surgeries to boost their capacity for face-to-face appointments. Before the pandemic, around eight in 10 appointments happened face-to-face, but just 58 per cent took place in-person in August. The cash would go towards using locums and other health staff such as physiotherapists and podiatrists to increase same-day care. Under the plans, the NHS would also publish a league table of how many in-person consultations each GP surgery has per month to 'enhance transparency and accountability'. Doctors accuse No10 of 'wilful negligence' for ruling out masks and WFH Doctors have accused the Government of 'wilful negligence' for not to re-imposing face masks and WFH guidance despite warnings Covid cases could surge to 100,000 a day within weeks. This week NHS bosses, trade unions and a slew of high profile scientists called for the country to take a tougher stance on coronavirus restrictions amid surging infection numbers and a lagging booster vaccine rollout. But in a Downing Street press conference Health Secretary Sajid Javid held his nerve and insisted the pressure on hospitals was not yet 'unsustainable', in comments that angered health chiefs who warn the NHS is already starting to creak under the pressure of Covid, flu and backlogs caused by the pandemic. Health Minister Edward Agar echoed his boss this morning, saying the NHS was under 'sustainable pressure at the moment' and that the current plan was 'still working'. But the Government has been accused of sleepwalking into another crisis and not heeding the warning of Sir Patrick Vallance who said last month that ministers must 'go hard and go early' with coronavirus restrictions this winter if there is a surge in cases. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the British Medical Association chief, said last night: 'It is wilfully negligent of the Westminster Government not to be taking any further action to reduce the spread of infection, such as mandatory mask wearing, physical distancing and ventilation requirements in high-risk settings, particularly indoor crowded spaces. 'The Westminster Government said it would enact 'Plan B' to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed; as doctors working on the frontline, we can categorically say that time is now. 'By the Health Secretary's own admission we could soon see 100,000 cases a day and we now have the same number of weekly Covid deaths as we had during March, when the country was in lockdown. It is therefore incredibly concerning that he is not willing to take immediate action to save lives and to protect the NHS.' Advertisement But the BMA's England GP committee rejected the proposals, because they 'fundamentally failed to address the ongoing crisis in general practice'. It said it is 'outraged by the deliberate, relentless denigration of GPs'. The committee said the Health Secretary 'ignored the expertise and experience of family doctors' when setting out the plan and 'patient care will suffer as a result'. They called on surgeries to not implement the plans and pause efforts to recruit extra staff to increase in-person appointments. The committee will shortly vote on whether to take industrial action over the plans, as well as the move to publish details of the highest-earning GPs. The requirement, due to come into effect next month, would force doctors making more than 150,000 per year from the NHS to have their earnings revealed alongside their name. The BMA said this has 'no benefit to patients or their care' and could increase aggression towards doctors, damage morale and worsen their ability to recruit and retain GPs. Plans for doctors to write letters for people to medically exempt them from Covid jabs would also come to a halt if industrial action went ahead. Doctors expect they would mainly have to write the letters for social care staff, who are required to be double-jabbed from next month to stay in their job, unless they are medically exempt. The BMA called on ministers to work with GPs on a new contract that gives general practice more money, a 'safer workload', reduced bureaucracy and improved working conditions. Dr Richard Vautrey, the chair of the BMA's GPs committee, said: 'GPs have been left with no alternative but to take this action. 'All efforts to persuade the Government to introduce a workable plan that will bring immediate and longer-term improvement for doctors and their patients, have so far come to nought. 'The Government has completely ignored our requests for a reduction in bureaucracy to allow us to focus more on patient care, and we are therefore encouraging doctors to withdraw from this bureaucracy themselves. 'The ultimate outcome should be to end the current crisis in general practice, to properly support practices to manage their workload pressure, including safely getting through the backlog of care caused by the pandemic and deliver a safe service to patients, allowing time to create an agreed long-term plan to make general practice sustainable for the future.' Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said: 'This shows the Government's deliberately provocative plans to name and shame GPs has backfired. 'Sajid Javid must now dial down the rhetoric and get round the table with doctors and patient groups to find a way forward. 'It would be unforgivable if, as we enter a winter crisis, people are unable to access their local GP.' A Department of Health spokesperson said: 'GPs have done phenomenal work done through the most difficult 18 months in living memory. 'We want patients to be able to see their GP promptly and in the way they choose. Our plan will improve access and drive up face to face appointments it includes providing a further 250 million to GPs in order to boost capacity. 'We are also cutting bureaucracy and GP teams will be given targeted support which will take pressure off staff and free up their time so it can be spent with patients. 'The number of full time equivalent doctors in general practice increased between March 2016 and March 2021 and, last year, a record-breaking number of doctors started training as GPs.' Meanwhile, Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: 'A battle between GPs and the Government and NHS England does not help patients. 'Patients want to see how the Government plans to support GPs and their staff so that primary care is able to give patients the access to care they need. 'At the moment, GPs are being overwhelmed by the demand on them and this is resulting in patients suffering. 'The focus should be on supporting primary care, making it a service people want to work in, and planning how to give patients the access they need.' Pfizer-BioNTech says their COVID-19 vaccine is about 91 percent effective against infection in elementary school-aged children. Details of the study were posted online on Friday as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers expanding Covid vaccinations to youngsters between ages five and 11. If federal regulators give the go ahead, shots could begin rolling out early next month, meaning the first children in line could be fully inoculated by Christmas. Parents have been split 50/50 over vaccinating children because kids rarely get severely ill and make up less than 0.1 percent of all Covid deaths in the U.S. Pfizer-BioNTech says their COVID-19 vaccine is 91% effective against infection in children between ages five and 11. Pictured: Lydia Melo, 7, is inoculated with one of two reduced 10 ug doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during a trial at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, September 2021 Sixteen cases of Covid were reported in the placebo group compared to three in the the group that received two kid-size doses According to clinicaltrials.gov, Pfizer recruited 2,268 children between ages five and 11 for the study. About half of the kids were given two doses 21 days apart and the other half were given placebo shots. The team then tested the safety, tolerability and immune response generated by the vaccine by measuring antibody levels in the young subjects. Pfizer said it had selected lower doses for COVID-19 vaccine trials in children than are given to teenagers and adults. Those aged 12 and older receive two 30 microgram (g) doses of the vaccine. However, children between ages five and 11 were given 10 g doses - one-third of the size given to adolescents and adults. Sixteen children who received the placebo contracted COVID-19 compared with three in the vaccinated group - while Pfizer said equates to 90.7 percent efficacy. In the vaccination group, one participant each had two, three and four Covid symptoms. Comparatively, in the placebo group, half of the pediatric patients had five or more symptoms. No life-threatening adverse events were reported with the most common side effect being pain at the injection site, reported in more than 70 percent of kids. This is about equal with the up to 83 percent of 16-to-25-year-olds in the adult clinical trial who reported the same thing. Other common side effects included fatigue, headache and redness/swelling at the site of injection. The U.S. reported about 130,000 new cases in children last week, down 12% from the week prior, when 148,000 cases were reported and 46% from the peak of 243,0000 in September No deaths occurred in either the vaccine group or the placebo group. The FDA expected to post its initial review of the company's safety and effectiveness data later Friday. Next week, the federal health agency's advisory committee will publicly debate the evidence and recommended whether or not shots are approved. If the FDA then authorizes the low-dose shots, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make the final recommendations on who should receive them. Currently, Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for those aged 12 to 15 and fully approved for those aged 16 and older. Recently, pediatric cases increased from 71,000 per week at the beginning of August to more than 243,000 in early September, fueled by the Delta variant. However, they now appear to be trending downward with about 130,000 reported last week, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. There have also been at least 558 pediatric deaths since the start of the pandemic, indicating children make up less than 0.1 percent of all deaths. Currently, no evidence suggests the Delta variant is more dangerous in kids than previous strains of the virus. Because of this low risk of severe illness, polls have shown that many parents are not inclined to vaccinate their children. A July 2021 survey, conducted by CS Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at Michigan Medicine last month, found 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. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients are more likely to suffer from cognitive issues months after recovery than patients who didn't require medical care, a new study suggests. Researchers from Mount Sinai in New York City examined recovered Covid patients with no history of dementia or any other mental conditions. They found that patients who were hospitalized were up to three times as likely to suffer a cognitive issue - including problems with attention and memory - after their bout with the virus. Surprisingly, the team also found that people who suffered even mild-to-moderate cases of Covid see a decline in cognitive function - though at a much lower rate. Researchers found that COVID-19 patients whose case required hospitalization were up to three times as likely to suffer from a cognitive issue than those with a mild case that only required a simple doctors visit. The mean age of participants in the study was 49, a worryingly low age to be displaying this many cognitive issues. Pictured: Doctors treat a Covid patient in Tarzana, California on September 2 'We found a relatively high frequency of cognitive impairment several months after patients contracted COVID-19,' researchers wrote in the study. The research team, whose findings were published on Friday in JAMA Network Open, recruited 740 participants for the study, all of which had previously contracted Covid and had no history of dementia. Of that group, 379 were outpatient cases, meaning they required little medical attention beyond a standard doctor's visit. There were 165 participants whose case required an emergency room visit and 196 who required hospitalization due to the virus. Each participant was given a variety of cognitive tests and screenings to detect any potential issues. Outpatient participants were most likely to have memory encoding issues, 16 percent, or mental processing speed, 15 percent. Memory encoding is the ability to process a memory, and processing speed is a person's ability to consume and examine information. Those who required an emergency room visit were most likely to display issues in memory encoding, 26 percent, memory recall, 23 percent, and category fluency, 21 percent. Memory recall is a person's ability to remember past events or facts that they know, and category fluency is a person's ability to remember words and subjects that are related to each other. The worst off were those with the most severe Covid cases that required hospitalization. More than three times as many hospitalized patients, 39 percent, displayed memory recall issues, as outpatient participants, 12 percent. A large portion of hospitalized patients also were found to have category fluency issues, 35 percent, and memory encoding issues, 37 percent. Across the board the hospitalized patients displayed more issues than others. 'The relative sparing of memory recognition in the context of impaired encoding and recall suggests an executive pattern,' researchers wrote. 'This pattern is consistent with early reports describing a dysexecutive syndrome after COVID-194 and has considerable implications for occupational, psychological, and functional outcomes.' One worrying factor the researchers noted is that the participants in the study were relatively young, with a mean age of 49, too young to be displaying cognitive issues at this rate. 'It is well known that certain populations (eg, older adults) may be particularly susceptible to cognitive impairment after critical illness. 'However, in the relatively young cohort in the present study, a substantial proportion exhibited cognitive dysfunction several months after recovering from COVID-19,' they wrote. Unfortunately, young people suffering from cognitive issues, along with many other conditions, has become a well known and frequent symptom of a condition called 'long Covid'. Experts are not exactly sure what causes the mysterious, yet common, condition where recovered Covid patients still feel symptoms of the virus months after recovery. Dr Noah Greenspan, a New York based pulmonary care specialist who opened the first freestanding clinic dedicated to treating long Covid, told DailyMail.com that he often sees cognitive issues as a symptom of of the condition. 'Unfortunately, I see it a lot,' Greenspan wrote in an email. 'For those that are having significant cognitive issues, it has an incredibly detrimental impact on their lives.' Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc and Walmart Inc said on Friday that their U.S. pharmacies have started administering booster shots of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. It comes one day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved both companies' extra doses following the recommendations of its advisory committee. The health agency also allowed fully vaccinated Americans be able to 'mix and match' Covid vaccines and booster shots. This means people can receive a booster made by a company that is different than the one that made the vaccine they initially received. In addition to the Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots that began rolling out last month, it means as many as 100 million Americans may be eligible to get an extra dose. Walmart and Walgreens pharmacies have begun rolling out boosters shots of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. Pictured: A person enters a Walgreens store in San Francisco, April 2021 Moderna's (left) third dose is only authorized for those aged 65 and older or those between ages 18 and 64 at high risk due to underlying conditions or their jobs. J&J's (right) booster shot is approved for all American adults aged 18 and older Walmart and Sam's Club pharmacies are ready to administer all three authorized booster shots, Walmart. said. Meanwhile CVS Health Corp told Reuters that booster shots of Moderna's vaccine were available at select stores, but not J&J's. In August, the company stopped offering J&J shots at its pharmacies after reports that the one-shot vaccine was linked to side effects including rare blood clots and a rare autoimmune disorder than can lead to temporary paralysis. 'We will provide Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine booster shots to eligible individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine as their primary vaccination,' a CVS spokesperson said on Friday. Rite Aid Corp did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment on their plans to roll out J&J and Moderna vaccine boosters. U.S. health regulators have recommended a second dose of J&J's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine for 18-year-olds and above who received the first shot at least two months earlier. It came after the company published data in September looking at the effectiveness of a second dose given 56 days after the first in adults 18 and older. Results showed a booster shot was 94 percent effective against symptomatic COVID-19 and 100 percent effective against critical illness at least 14 days post-vaccination. This compares to 70 percent protection seen with a single dose. There was only one case of COVID-19 in the vaccine group and 14 in the placebo group. J&J said that a booster given two months after the first dose increased antibody levels between four-fold and six-fold. When given six months after the first dose, antibody levels shot up nine-fold after one week and 12-fold after four weeks. Moderna presented data at a CDC advisory committee meeting on Thursday showing a booster raised antibody levels between 23-fold and 44-folld Health officials also recommended a third shot of Moderna's two-dose vaccine six months after the second dose for people aged at least 65 and those at high risk of severe disease and exposure to the virus through their jobs. The company presented data at the CDC's advisory committee meeting on Thursday showing a booster raised antibody levels between 23-fold and 44-fold. The firm also revealed that people who received its COVID-19 vaccine last year are nearly twice as likely to get a breakthrough infection compared to those recently vaccinated. There were 88 breakthrough cases of COVID-19 among Americans vaccinated from December 2020 to March 2021. Comparatively, there were 162 cases - 1.8 times as many - among those vaccinated between July 2020 and December 2020. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said the data provided evidence for giving booster doses to fully vaccinated people. The FDA and CDC last month signed off on booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer for the same groups as for Moderna. U.S. pharmacy chains including Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS began administering booster doses of Pfizer's shot at their stores on September 24. About 11.6 million people have received additional doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines since August 13, when immunocompromised Americans started receiving additional doses, CDC data show. An unvaccinated Tennessee woman has died from COVID-19 after a month-long battle with the virus that even required her to give birth prematurely. Amanda Perry, 36, of Dickson County, Tennessee, succumbed to Covid on Monday, according to her family. She had not been immunized against the virus, though reportedly planned to get the jab after she had given birth. Perry's family says she had suffered multiple miscarriages in the past and feared the vaccine would trigger another one. Pregnant women are among the least vaccinated populations in the U.S. despite being among the groups at highest risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. Amanda Perry (right), 36, died of COVID-19 earlier this week after fighting the virus for over a month. Her husband Billy (left) temporarily relocated to Richmond to be near her during treatment. Pictured: Amanda and Billy Perry Perry was 32 weeks pregnant when she contracted the virus, and required an emergency C-section to give birth to her son Nolan (pictured) 'To know Amanda was to love her,' wrote Elizabeth Ratliff, a high school friend who organized a GoFundMe account on the Perry family's behalf. 'Her smile was contagious. Her warmth and kindness were felt by all who crossed her path. She truly had the sweetest soul and most tender heart. 'The love she had for her children and being their momma was boundless and evident in everything she did.' Perry was 32 weeks pregnant when she was hospitalized with Covid pneumonia on September 15, her husband, Billy, told WKRN in Nashville. Doctors at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville performed an emergency C-section on Amanda to save her baby. The couple have six children, two from one of Amanda's previous marriage (lower left), three from Billy's previous marriage (lower right), and a newborn child. Pictured: The Perry family Amanda (right) tested positive for COVID-19 a month ago, and was quickly hospitalized and transferred from Tennessee to Richmond, Virginia, for treatment. Pictured: Amanda and Billy Perry The hospital was facing capacity issues, though, and she had to be airlifted to another facility in Richmond, Virginia, where she was placed on a ventilator. Billy traveled to Richmond to be with his wife and lived in a nearby apartment temporarily, a GoFundMe for the family reports. Amanda's symptoms included a high fever, mastitis (an inflammation of breast tissue), bacteria in her blood and a collapsed lung. 'We didn't have options. She was terrified. I was terrified, ' Billy told Newsweek. 'Covid's a killer. You hear about it on TV all the time, but it never really hits home. Yeah, somebody you work with might get Covid but you don't know anybody that's having their whole world ripped apart because of it. 'Then when it happens, it's awful. It came out of nowhere and it happened so fast.' Amanda's (right) symptoms included high fever, mastitis, bacteria in her blood and a collapsed lung. Pictured: Amanda and Billy Perry She (right) required an emergency premature delivery due to her deteriorating condition cause by COVID-19. Pictured: Amanda and Billy Perry Once he realized his wife was not going to make it, Billy flew in Amanda's mother to say her final goodbyes. On Sunday, Amanda's condition deteriorated to the point where her death was inevitable, doctors told the family. Billy, wanting his wife to die a painless death, elected to have the tube in her throat that was keeping her alive removed. She would die a later, ending a battle with COVID-19 that lasted just over a month. 'I wish we had talked more about getting the vaccine,' Billy told Newsweek. 'We weren't against it. We weren't anti-vax. When you're pregnant what do you do? There's not much research out there. She was freaking scared.' Pregnant women are among the least vaccinated demographic in America, but are are among the highest risk of complications from Covid. Despite being at an increased risk of sever complications from the virus, less than 35% of pregnant women in America are vaccinated for COVID-19 According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 35 percent of pregnant women in the U.S. are vaccinated. Studies have found that the vaccine is safe and effective for pregnant women, despite initial concerns by some health officials. Pregnant women who do contract the virus are in potentially grave-danger, though. A study published in October found pregnant women with symptomatic cases of COVID-19 are at an increased risk of requiring an emergency deliveries and their newborn child is significantly more likely to need additional medical care after birth. They are also at an increased risk of dying before childbirth, a study from the United Kingdom finds. Perry, like many other pregnant women, was hesitant to get the shot, though. She is survived by her husband, and two children she had from a previous marriage. Billy also had three children from a previous marriage that Amanda helped take care of. Nolan, the newborn, is their only child together. Amanda (right) was unvaccinated, though she planned on getting the jab after she had given birth, according to her husband. Pictured: Amanda and Billy Perry 'The love she had for her children and being their momma was boundless and evident in everything she did,' Ratliff wrote. 'She loved nothing more than being a mother to her boys and a wife to her husband. Amanda and Billy prayed for years for another baby, and she was over the moon when she became pregnant with baby Nolan. 'Her unwavering love of Billy and their family was unmatched.' The GoFundMe page organized to support the family after Perry's death had raised nearly $40,000 of the $50,000 goal since it was created three days ago. Amanda and Billy had join custody of the two children from her previous marriage, and her ex-husband hopes to regain custody of his kids. Currently, a court date is set for December 21 to decide whether Billy or the ex-husband will get custody. The two children are currently in the custody of Amanda's mother, Carlene. The number of health care workers worldwide who died of COVID-19 during the pandemic may be up to 27 times higher than official counts, a new report finds. Only 6,643 of global virus-related fatalities have been linked to doctors, nurses and other medical employees. But the World Health Organization (WHO) says the actual death toll through May 2021 is likely between 80,000 and 180,000 due to the wide vaccination rate disparity between rich and poor nations. It comes as the UN health agency called on countries to do more to protect the mental health of frontline workers, who are suffering from high rates of burnout stress and anxiety. Of the 3.45 million Covid deaths around the world reported to the WHO between January 2020 and May 2021, 6,643 were identified as health care workers. The WHO said it believes this is an undercount because the true worldwide death toll is likely 60% lower than official counts. Pictured: Health care workers attend to a patient with COVID-19a t Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in Tarzana, California, September 2021 A recent WHO report estimates that between 80,000 and 180,000 health care workers were killed by COVID-19 with a median estimate of 115,000 (above) During a press briefing on Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that two out of five health care workers around the globe are vaccinated. However, there is a wide gap seen when wealthier nations are compared with poorer countries, he explained. In high-income countries, more than eight in 10 medical workers are vaccinated. By comparison, fewer than one in 10 workers in Africa are vaccinated. 'The backbone of every health system is its workforce - the people who deliver the services on which we rely at some point in our lives,' Tedros told reporters. 'The pandemic is a powerful demonstration of just how much we rely on health workers and how vulnerable we all are when the people who protect our health are themselves unprotected.' According a recent working paper from the WHO, 6,643 of 3.45 million Covid deaths around the world between January 2020 and May 2021 were identified to be healthcare workers. However, the report says the global death toll is likely 60 percent higher, meaning so is the total number of COVID-19 deaths among health care workers. The WHO estimates that between 80,000 and 180,000 health care workers died of the virus through May 2021 with a median estimate of 115,000. Officials say many Western countries have stockpiles of COVID-19 vaccine doses, many of which are due to expire. The WHO is urging leaders around the world to adjust their contracts with vaccine manufacturers so they can send their excess shots to poor countries. Tedros also called for a global moratorium booster shots until more healthcare workers receive at least an initial dose. He said that high- and upper-income countries have administered half as many booster shots as the total number of doses administered in low income countries. 'More than 10 months since the first vaccines were approved, the fact that millions of health care workers still haven't been vaccinated is an indictment on the countries and companies that control the global supply of vaccines,' Tedros said. The WHO is also calling on countries to address the burnout and stress that health care workers are facing from staffing shortages and virus surges, forcing to work long hours and take on several patients at a time. 'It is imperative that health and care workers must get adequate protection to be able to do their jobs safely,' the agency said in statement. 'Further, they need employment opportunities, regular salaries, gender and pay equity, quality education, continuing professional development, career opportunities, social protection and effective recognition of their rights.' . Oscar-winning rebel SUSAN SARANDON reflects on her 50-year career and colourful life and for the first time tells Cole Moreton about her last conversation with former lover David Bowie Susan wears coat, Cos We should have met sooner, but a hurricane struck New York. There was a lot of flooding, says Susan Sarandon of the chaos and panic that Hurricane Ida caused as it swept through her city on the day we were due to speak. Roads turned to rivers, the subway was shut down and at least 13 people died. Where one of my sisters lives, they didnt have power for a very long time. I heard of restaurants and houses exploding because of gas leaks. Not even a Hollywood legend with an Oscar for Dead Man Walking and fame and fortune for hits including Bull Durham and Thelma & Louise was immune from the fear caused by this sudden epic storm. One of my sons got flooded out in Brooklyn and called me to come and take the dog. I said: I cant! Were in the middle of it and theres no way for me to get there. Call your brother. So my other son, who also lives in Brooklyn, went out, which made me very nervous. Miles and Jack, aged 29 and 32, are her sons with the actor and director Tim Robbins. They were together for 20 years and Susan stayed in their glorious 1920s Manhattan duplex with views of the Empire State Building until last year, when she downsized to a smaller apartment in Greenwich Village. Susan has just turned 75, although youd never know it to look at her face framed by fashionable big black-rimmed glasses and the familiar tumbledown auburn curls. I have a complete disconnect with my age. Im not old. I dont feel 75. Its crazy. She has that edgy, open, wide-eyed way of talking we have seen in so many of her characters over the years, from young innocents to knowing, sexually confident middle-aged women to mothers and martyrs. Honestly, Im happy I made it to 75 because I know there are a lot of people that have been less lucky. Shirt and trousers, Off-White Shes lost loved ones over the decades including the legendary David Bowie, about whom she tells a very touching, unheard story. They starred together with Catherine Deneuve in a Gothic vampire movie called The Hunger in 1983. They were lovers, werent they? Yeah. Susan has only ever said one thing about this in public before: a brief, enigmatic quote seven years ago suggesting it was a very serious romance that ended because Bowie wanted them to have a family together and, as she put it: I wasnt supposed to have kids. This turns out to be a reference to endometriosis a subject well return to. Bowie went on to marry the supermodel Iman and have a daughter called Lexi, settling not far from Susans own home in Manhattan. So, I know this is personal, but were they ever in touch again? Yeah. Not that we hung out a lot he had a number of health issues to deal with but we did. And slowly Susan reveals that they had the kind of touching reunion former lovers sometimes do when the end is near for one of them. I was fortunate enough to be closer to him right before he died, the last couple of months. He did find me again. We talked to each other and said some things that needed to be said, she says. I was so fortunate to be able to see him when he told me what was going on with him. Her tone suggests she still cared deeply for him after all those years. I love his wife Iman, someone who was so equal in stature [to him]. That was clearly who he was destined to be with. I was so happy that she was with him through all of that. And Ive kept in touch with her. The last time I saw him was at the premiere of his musical Lazarus. That was in New York in early December 2015, a month before Bowies death from liver cancer. Susan and Geena Davis on their road trip in Thelma & Louise, 1991 After the show I went to Lesbos. Susan has been a campaigner all her life, and was using her profile to highlight the refugee crisis on the Greek island. That was the toughest thing Ive ever done: a never-ending stream of desperation with no recourse and no way to fix it. The camps were horrific. I wasnt sleeping and I knew that I had to get up early to start meeting the boats as they came in, so I took some Ambien, a pretty strong sleep aid. And I had this dream that David had called me and that wed had this conversation and as I hung up I thought [in the dream]: Nobodys going to believe me, that David Bowie called me in Lesbos. She woke up, marvelled at how vivid the dream had been and got on with her day. Then later, I thought: Did he actually call me? And I went to my phone and he had. I have no recollection of what that conversation was. Their last intimate contact was an agonising blank to her and still is. He died a week later. Its all so frustrating. Her husky, sassy voice is tender now. There was a double rainbow in New York on the day that David Bowie passed. Dress, LBV So Susan is full of gratitude for reaching 75, if unable to quite believe the passing of time. Physically, I have been getting signals Im not 25, and I have accepted that. Mentally, its a strange thing. When we did the Thelma & Louise 30th anniversary [screening] in the summer, it didnt register. On the other hand, I do think: How many years do I have left to see my grandkids? She has three by her first child Eva, her daughter with Italian film director Franco Amurri, who was born in 1985. They are aged one-and-a-half, five and seven. Some people feel liberated as they get older. Is that true of her? If ever I was going to burn bridges it should be now. What, at this point, do I have to lose? So that is freeing. I dont give a f***. Shes talking about issues and politics now, because there have been times when her peers have balked at her strong views. Susan was banned from the Oscars in 1993 for using the stage to make a political point, but they had to let her back in a couple of years later when she won Best Actress for playing a nun befriending Sean Penns Death Row inmate in Dead Man Walking. If ever I was going to burn bridges it should be now. What do I have to lose? Liberal Hollywood was probably OK with her campaigning to end the death penalty and opposing the war in Iraq, but some thought she went too far in branding Pope Benedict a Nazi and refusing to back Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump. For me, the most difficult times have been when Ive been ostracised and cut off from my tribe and the loneliness of that. Now, though, she is ready to care less. My kids are stable and grown and dont need my protection as much. They will not be as damaged if stuff comes out in the paper attacking me or if people make threats. Theyll deal with it. Does this new freedom apply in the rest of her life as well? Yeah. And I think about death a lot more than I did. It seems like every single acting part I get, Im dying! She laughs, having recently played a mother bringing her family together for one last time before euthanasia in Blackbird, with Kate Winslet. Every single script, Im either dying, I have Alzheimers or Im helping someone die. Thats my oeuvre at this point. But its a healthy thing to have to think about all that. Susan was born in Queens in 1946, the first of nine children, to her Italian mother Lenora and father Phillip Tomalin, a TV producer. Having been raised a Catholic, does she have any faith left for when the end comes? I really wish I did. I know energy cant be destroyed, so there could be something around. But my DNA is out there in my kids and grandkids, and thats enough. Shes up for the idea of reincarnation. But Im not for getting my rewards much later Im trying to get them now! Speaking at a Climate Revolution rally in Los Angeles, 2016 By the age of 20 Susan was at the Catholic University in Washington DC and married to an older student, Chris Sarandon. She fell into acting by accident when he was asked to audition for an agent. Susan went along for support, the agent spotted something and asked her to try out for a film called Joe, about a conservative construction worker who goes on the rampage against hippies he thinks are bringing the country down. That was everybodys nightmare at the time, so it became the Easy Rider of that year. Its a pretty terrible film. It got her a lot of attention, though. Soap operas came next, then a Broadway play and the role of Janet in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and, suddenly, Susan was a proper actor. I was, like, God, this is what I do now. She kept her surname after divorcing Chris in 1979 and won her first Oscar nomination two years later for Atlantic City. The Hunger came next in 1983 and with it the aforementioned relationship with Bowie, after which she moved on, because, I wasnt desperate to have children. I felt I had been a mom to my younger siblings for quite a while. So when I was told I couldnt have children without operations [because of endometriosis], I thought: Thats OK. There are so many kids in my family. I never felt thats what I needed to complete me. So I went years without using birth control. It was a shock, then, in 1984 when she found out she was pregnant, by Franco Amurri. I was feeling overqualified for the parts I was being asked to play and thinking I wanted to become an aid worker. I went to Nicaragua and was getting deeper into that, then all of a sudden I was pregnant. I was like: Its a miracle! Eva was born in New York but spent a lot of time on sets as Susan recommitted to making movies. The Witches of Eastwick did well, followed by Bull Durham, which made her a huge star. Susan said at the time: It was so empowering to play a woman who was smart and sexual and didnt have to die at the end of the movie because of it. So have things improved for women in Hollywood? Well, I dont think you could get away with some of the things I saw, and also the way women writers were fired from projects. Theres an awareness now because of litigation and the expectations young women have that things have changed. With children Miles, Eva, Jack and ex-husband Tim Robbins, 2008 What about the way women are portrayed on screen wasnt Thelma & Louise supposed to change everything? She and Geena Davis play two women who go on the run after killing a would-be rapist. They choose to go out on their own terms, evading the armed police by driving their 1966 Ford Thunderbird over the edge of the Grand Canyon to briefly soar free. This tragic but strangely uplifting movie was hailed as the start of a revolution in 1991, but Susan frowns. The Thelma & Louise thing has never broken through. They thought there would be so many more women-led films after we did the movie and I dont think that happened, but there definitely is a demand. Change is happening at long last because of streaming, she says, as the networks give women more control than the old-fashioned movie companies. You get somebody who can write, direct and star like Michaela Coel with I May Destroy You. Thats just one of the most amazing performances, as well as a surprising way into the topic [of sexual assault] that would never come from a male studio. I think its a good sign that those kind of things can get made. But some of the change does make her uneasy. One of my sons is a writer and a director and hes had people say: I really love this script, but we cant hire any white men now. We just cant. Really? Oh, absolutely. So thats the way its changing, but I think its good to have more women hired and on sets. The worst thing is when you get female executives and they behave with the worst qualities of men. Whats the point of that? Then I feel really betrayed. Susan has been single since her last relationship with filmmaker Jonathan Bricklin ended in 2015. She made headlines at the time by suggesting her sexuality was up for grabs. Is that still true? Yeah. Im open to persuasion. But busy as hell and with lots of wonderful friends and grandchildren, she says. Everybody is somewhere on a spectrum, and I like the fluidity we have now. For me, its all about connection, curiosity, passion. Has she dated women, though? I think women are beautiful, their bodies are amazing, but for me to open that window I would have to have some kind of connection and there just hasnt been an instance where that crossed my path, she says. Im not really looking. I feel fulfilled and happy. If its going to happen, its going to happen. In the meantime, I am dancing in my kitchen. I have to ask, how does she manage to look so young? First of all, you do not smoke. I drink a lot of water. I do yoga. Im very lucky to live in New York so Im walking all the time. I have to thank my mom for her bone structure. Thats all I can say. Theres one other thing. All my tattoos are in places that wont sag. She shows me a couple of birds on each arm and says there are letters and symbols all down her back for her children and grandchildren. I didnt start getting them until I was 60. As we near the end of our time talking, I ask her how she thinks her life has turned out. Susan fishes out a quote from the writer Howard Zinn to sum up how she feels. As she recites it I am surprised to see she is weeping. Tears are flowing as the last sentence comes: To live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all thats bad around us, is itself a marvellous victory. You have to do the best you can with what you have. I tell my kids the most important thing is to be kind, she says after composing herself. Injustice has always disturbed me. From the time I was little I was rotating my dolls dresses in case they came to life at midnight so one wouldnt wear the good dresses all the time. So its hard right now. She sounds overwhelmed for a moment. I try to console her by saying she has clearly done her best, both as an activist but also as an actor whose movies have changed the way people think and feel. Thank you, says Susan with a small but determined smile. That will be a good epitaph: She gave it her best shot. Thats all you can ask for. Show up. Just show up. Susan is currently filming the TV series Monarch which will be broadcast in the UK in the new year Picture director: Ester Malloy. Production: Natalie Gialluca. Stylist: Andrew Gelwicks at The Only Agency. Make-up: Genevieve Herr for Lancome. Hair: Frankie Foye from IMAJ Artists using Oribe. Nails: Kylie Kwok using Zoya for TraceyMattingly.com. The planned takeover of LV by American buyout barons faces a mounting backlash after it emerged bosses are plotting a controversial rule change to force the deal through. The historic insurer which was set up 1843 and was formerly called Liverpool Victoria has agreed to be sold to US private equity group Bain Capital for 530million. The deal would bring an end to mutual status for one of the country's oldest financial firms and leave it in the hands of foreign owners. But the takeover must be backed by LV members who own the company and bosses are planning a change in the rules to secure the deal, which has been branded 'reprehensible' by critics. Full of hot air: Chairman Alan Cook and an LV= car insurance ad CHAIRMAN BACK IN SPOTLIGHT AFTER POST OFFICE SCANDAL The sale of LV to Bain Capital has thrust the mutual's chairman Alan Cook into the spotlight once again. The 67-year-old was boss of the Post Office from 2006 to 2010, when the prosecution of sub-postmasters began. Under his watch the Horizon computer system was introduced. This system wrongly suggested money was going missing from post offices and led management to pursue the prosecutions even though doubts had been raised about its reliability. It led to 39 sub-postmasters wrongfully being found guilty of theft, in what a judge who overturned the verdicts in April described as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice. His tenure at LV began in 2017. He insists Bain's is the best option on the table. But his judgement has been questioned before he insisted the Post Office Horizon system was 'robust and fit for purpose'. He has never apologised. After the convictions were quashed, Gareth Thomas MP said: 'Cook has serious questions to answer.' The rules state any takeover must be voted on by at least 50 per cent of members with 75 per cent approval to pass. But chairman Alan Cook accepted it was 'frankly impossible' that so many members would vote on the deal. So bosses will ask those members who do take part to also vote to support dropping the requirement for a 50 per cent turnout. The move was condemned by industry experts and politicians who said the company is 'moving the goalposts' because it cannot win under the current rules. Mutual advocacy organisation Mutuo condemned it as a 'terrible idea' that does not represent members' interests. It said the voter turnout threshold is high specifically to discourage a deal like this. Managing partner Peter Hunt told the Mail: 'LV know they can't win a straight demutualisation vote according to their own rules, so they want to move the goalposts to make their asset-stripping plan work. 'The rule is designed to be high because demutualisation is always in the interest of a small number of people, not the majority. 'They will cart off the loot that's been made over centuries and they haven't contributed to it. 'There's so much money to be made out of this. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the leaders walked away with shares worth 10m individually.' Lord Heseltine said the flood of sales of British companies over seas was 'depressing'. He said: 'The process is doubly reprehensible when it has to involve changing the law to override the express intentions of those who vested the business.' MPs blasted the deal and demanded Cook and chief executive Mark Hartigan reveal how they will benefit from the sale. Gareth Thomas, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals, said the pair have refused to be 'transparent' about the takeover. He said: 'Some might say the fact the board is already determined to go to court to force through a change to the rules of their own articles of association speaks volumes about the motives behind their controversial deal with Bain Capital.' Group member Kevin Hollinrake MP called the rule change 'disgraceful' and said LV bosses are trying to pursue demutualisation 'by the back door'. He said: 'The business case for it [demutualisation] hasn't really been established and the suspicion is it's in the interest of the executives rather than the interests of members. 'It seems they are manipulating the situation to bring about their desired outcome that is not necessarily the best outcome for members.' Labour peer Lord Sikka said LV members should write to directors to oppose the rule change. But Cook said the board believes the sale is in the best interest of LV members. The company said the takeover by Bain protected jobs, offered an independent future for the brand and a good financial outcome for members. A spokesman said: 'Given the circumstances we face, the board firmly believes this transaction is the right thing to do for our members, our business and our people.' Speaking out: Baroness Wheatcroft Ministers have been urged to set up an inquiry into private equity's 'destructive' practices and tax affairs. In a debate in the House of Lords, peers called for regulation of the industry and an end to so-called 'carried interest' a controversial yet lucrative way that private equity partners pay themselves. The comments follow a spate of private equity deals in recent months including the takeovers of Morrisons, Asda, G4S and Aggreko. Highlighting a string of earlier buyouts that ended in disaster, Labour's Lord Sikka called for regulation of the industry. 'The typical business model of private equity includes high leverage, financial engineering, tax abuse, pension dumping, job losses and asset stripping,' he said. 'When will the Government commission an independent inquiry into the impact of private equity's destructive practices on all stakeholders?' Baroness Wheatcroft, a former Tory peer who sits as a crossbencher, attacked the tax breaks offered by carried interest. Private equity executives typically take bonuses by sharing profits from a fund and rather than being taxed as income, this so-called carried interest is subject to capital gains a rate of 28 per cent rather than 45 per cent. Wheatcroft said: 'Given the need of the Treasury to bring in extra cash, the treatment of carried interest is no longer sustainable.' Business minister Lord Callanan, however, warned that regulation could detract overseas investors from investing in the UK. 'We benefit in global terms from being an open and accessible economy,' he said. 'That brings in billions of pounds-worth of inward investment. We must be very careful not to send out the message that we do not welcome inward investment into this country.' Advertisement A historic but rundown home which has undergone minimal changes in more than 100 years may vanish forever when it's sold on Saturday. The 19th century built home in Newcastle, north of Sydney, is on the market after being in the same family for 110 years. Few updates have been made since English migrants William and Jane Warburton bought the three bedroom Maryville home in 1911 after moving from Sydney. Their granddaughter Shirley 'Margaret' Mayo, now almost 89, has lived in the property for most of her life but recently moved into full-time aged care. Her family hope the new owners will return the beloved but dilapidated home to its former glory or transform it into a modern masterpiece. However, they are also prepared for the fact it may be demolished to capitalise on the huge block close to the centre of the bustling city. It's the end of an era for this 19th century home which has been in Shirley 'Margaret' Mayo's family for 110 years. She's pictured in front of her home in inner-city Newcastle Few updates have been made to the home in the last 110 years. Pictured is the kitchen The family connection to the house has extended to the upcoming auction with Ms Mayo's fifth cousin, Bryce Gibson, enlisted as the selling agent. The LJ Hooker Cessnock selling principal told Daily Mail Australia it was a bittersweet decision for the family to put the house on the market. 'It's sad to see such a long family tradition come to a close, but it's time for a new chapter,' Mr Gibson said. To say the home has plenty of original features is a vast understatement. The kitchen may have been modernised - but that was more likely last done in the 1950s. The living room has high ceilings, decorative chair rail and dado boards on the walls and floorboards under the carpet. William and Jane Warburton bought the Maryville home in 1911. Pictured is William outside the home, where he spent some time working as a tailor while raising his family 'I'm a lover of history, but the house needs some work in its present state,' Mr Gibson concedes. 'It's a blank canvas for the new owners. We would love to see some of the features restored to their former glory.' The property, which has a listing price of $1.2 million, sits on two lots which total 455.4 square metres. It's been described as 'bursting' with charm and character. 'This is a rare moment in history that may never be seen again,' the property description states. Three double-sized bedrooms are in addition to a separate dining and generous lounge room, which has a fireplace. A detached garage and large backyard make the lot ideal for redevelopment. Ms Mayo and the family have come to terms with the possibility the house may be knocked down and rebuilt. 'It needs to have a new chapter,' Mr Gibson told Daily Mail Australia. The Warburton family emigrated to Australia from England in 1895 and settled in Sydney's eastern suburbs before making the decision to move north about a decade later. The kitchen (pictured) will be in a much needed update if the new owners decide to restore The Warburtons built and lived in a number of homes in inner-city Newcastle, including the 53 Estell Street Maryville address owned by William and Jane, who brought the home in 1911. Mr Warburton was a tailor and costumier who worked from home before setting up shop nearby, where he worked right up to his death. Some of his belongings, including dressmakers' scissors, tools and boxes of buttons were recently found underneath the house, which the family will keep. 'We're sure the new owners will unearth more historical treasures ,which will be a pleasant surprise for them,' Mr Gibson said. Ms Mayo, known as Aunt Marg moved into her maternal grandparents' home when she was eight and has lived in the area for much of her life. Her parents Arthur and Jean inherited the house after her grandparents died in the 1950s before ownership was passed onto Ms Mayo in the 1970s, who has been the long-term owner since. 'She's lived in that house more or less her whole life except for those first few years,' her cousin Janene Gibson told the Newcastle Herald. 'It's been a very hard decision but there's no other alternative really.' The home is 'bursting' with charm and character, including the large loungeroom (pictured) Her son Bryce has fielded a lot of interest from potential buyers since the property's market launch two weeks ago. 'There has been solid interest in the early millions,' he said. 'There have been a few Sydneysiders but much of the interest has been local. I'm confident of a good sale.' He said locals have been attracted to the ideal location within walking distance to shops, public transport, open spaces, Throsby Creek and a shared cycleway. The house will go under the hammer at a virtual auction on Saturday (October 23). Mr Gibson has a simple message for the new owners. 'Enjoy.' Jamarcus Glover, 31, has been offered probation for drug charges that could've landed him in prison for eight years The ex-boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, who was the target of the police raid that killed her last year, has been offered probation for a long list of drug crimes that could have gotten him eight years in prison. Jamarcus Glover, 31, will be sentenced for his remaining cocaine possession and trafficking charges in November, and prosecutors are letting him move to his former home state of Mississippi to serve his probation. Police in Louisville, Kentucky secured a slew of no-knock warrants on the night of March 13, 2020 aimed at breaking up a drug-dealing operation involving Glover. One of the five warrants, which was later found to contain false statements, sent police to the home of Taylor, an ER technician and Glover's ex-girlfriend. Officers went to her home and broke down the door with a battering ram. Taylor's boyfriend at the time, Kenneth Walker, fired what he later called a warning shot. Police then shot Taylor five times and she died in her hallway. Police found no drugs or cash at her home. Glover was arrested in a related raid the same day Taylor was killed. Police confiscated suspected marijuana, assorted pills, crack cocaine, cash and surveillance cameras from his property, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. Glover was the target of the botched Louisville police raid that killed Breonna Taylor, 26 The 26-year-old ER technician, who had previously dated Glover, was targeted after a Louisville police detective alleged that Glover was sending packages to her house He later told the Courier-Journal that he never brought drugs to Taylor's home. 'The police are trying to make it out to be my fault and turning the whole community out here making it look like I brought this to Breonna's door,' he said. 'There was nothing never there or anything ever there, and at the end of the day, they went about it the wrong way and lied on that search warrant and shot that girl out there.' The fatal shooting of the 26-year-old black woman sparked months of national protests. It prompted the city of Louisville to pay Taylor's family $12 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit and led the Department of Justice to open an investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department in April. Police shot Taylor five times and she died in the hallway of her home on March 13, 2020 Glover, above in August 2020, will be sentenced for his remaining cocaine possession and trafficking charges in November In a warrant for the botched raid, Detective Joshua Jaynes alleged that Glover was receiving drug packages at Taylor's home, but no drugs or cash were found there the night of the raid. He wrote that he saw Glover leave Taylors apartment with a package in January 2020 and that he 'verified through a U.S. Postal Inspector' that Glover was getting drug packages at Taylor's apartment, according to the Washington Post. Jaynes was fired after an internal investigation found the last allegation to be false. He is appealing his firing in court. Louisville prosecutors recently recommended probation for Glover, who was facing a litany of drug-related charges, WDRB-TV reported. Glover was arrested the day Taylor was killed. He was arrested again last August on two bench warrants in connection with two 2019 criminal cases where he failed to pay a higher bond He will also be allowed to move out of state, amid suggestions he will move to Mississippi, where he is from. Sam Aguiar, an attorney who represented Taylor's family in the wrongful death lawsuit, said the plea deal 'validates' that Glover was not a drug kingpin requiring several late-night police raids. 'Its a tragic reminder of how a ridiculous, militarized operation was the catalyst for a 26-year-olds womans murder,' Aguiar said in a statement. 'They were treating these guys like they were each Pablo Escobar, when in reality they were low-level offenders.' Last year, Glover was offered a plea deal by prosecutors that would have forced him to implicate Taylor in criminal activity. The offer listed Taylor as a co-defendant in illegal activities. Glover declined the offer. A ground mural of Breonna Taylor at Chambers Park on July 6, 2020 in Annapolis, Maryland. Taylor's death, along with George Floyd's, sparked nationwide Black Lives Matter protests Detectives Joshua Jaynes (left) and Myles Cosgrove (right) were fired in January. Jaynes wrote the arrest warrant that led to the botched raid, while Cosgrove fired the shot that killed Taylor Prosecutors said after the document was revealed last year that it was a 'draft that was part of pre-indictment plea negotiations.' There was no mention of Taylor in Glover's new pleading documents. Glover was arrested again last August on two bench warrants in connection with two 2019 criminal cases where he failed to pay the higher bond set later by a judge, according to the Courier Journal. At the start of this year, his attorney said he had been in solitary confinement for several months, but he has since been out of jail. As part of the new plea deal, Glover agreed to forfeit money and cars seized by police. Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the case declined to comment until Glover is sentenced next month. None of the officers who fired their guns in the raid that killed Taylor are still in the force. The department fired Officer Brett Hankison and Detective Myles Cosgrove, whom the FBI found fired the fatal shot, according to the Washington Post. Hankinson has pled not guilty to wanton endangerment after one of his shots landed in a neighboring apartment. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, who was shot in the thigh, retired in June. A Spanish court announced Friday it would be suspending the extradition of a former Venezuelan intelligence director to the United States due to a mistake in a previous court order. The ruling was issued only two days after the court had paved the way for Retired Maj. Gen. Hugo Carvajal to be turned over to U.S. authorities and face charges of drug trafficking and belonging to a terror organization in New York. DailyMail.com reached out to the Drug Enforcement Administration's Special Operations in Washington for comment. Former Venezuelan military spy chief, retired Maj. Gen. Hugo Carvajal, had his extradition to the United States, where he is accused conspiring to ship 5.6 tons of cocaine from Venezuela to Mexico in 2006, was suspended Friday after a Spanish court ruled there was an error in a previous court order Venezuela's former intelligence director Hugo Carvajal was taken into custody September 9 after Spain's National Police raided a home he was hiding in. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York alleges that Carvajal used his government post to smuggle 5.6 tons of cocaine that was divided into 128 suitcases on a private jet flight from Venezuela to Mexico in April 2006 Carvajal, who for more than a decade advised the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez before breaking with his successor, President Nicolas Maduro, had been resisting extradition since he was arrested in Spain in April 2019. The extradition order followed a back-and-forth legal battle in which Spain's National Court reversed an earlier ruling by a high court magistrate throwing out the U.S. warrant for being politically motivated. In the interim, Carvajal was released and never heard from again except when he said last year that he was going underground to protest what he viewed as political interference in his case. Spanish authorities arrested Carvajal on September 9 at a Madrid apartment where he had been hiding out. Known as 'El Pollo' or 'The Chicken,' the 61-year-old former spy chief was almost extradited to the United States when he was apprehended in Aruba in 2011 while serving as Venezuela's consul general to the Dutch Caribbean island. However, he managed to return to Venezuela after slipping the grasp of authorities and was hailed as a hero. Venezuela's former spy chief Hugo Carvajal stands during his extradition hearing to U.S. at the High Court in Madrid, Spain, on September 12, 2019 Hugo Carvajal, pictured during his September 9 arrest in Madrid, reportedly provided weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in Colombia, according to the U.S. Treasury Department Carvajal eventually clashed with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and supported the opposition to Maduro's Socialist regime. He then left Venezuela for good. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York alleges that Carvajal used his government post to smuggle 5.6 tons of cocaine that was divided into 128 suitcases on a private jet flight from Venezuela to Mexico in April 2006. Carvajal also allegedly provided weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in Colombia, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, and helped fund the guerrilla group's activities by facilitating shipments of large amounts of U.S.-bound cocaine through Venezuela. Last week the National Court ordered the extradition of Chavezs former nurse, Claudia Diaz, who is charged in Miami with money laundering. Work has begun on an animated film depicting the true story of the cigarette smoking, beer drinking bear which 'fought' alongside soldiers in the Second World War. Adopted as an orphaned cub in 1942 by the 22nd Artillery Division of the Polish 2nd Corps, Wojtek, which in Polish means 'smiling warrior' or 'he who enjoys war', quickly became an adored mascot. He went on to be officially given the rank of Private and learnt to march alongside the troops, salute and even carry cases of ammunition. It was announced in 2018 that the producer behind the Christmas classic The Snowman had begun working on a film, but progress then came to a halt during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, with production back under way, it has been announced that the Fleabag star Bill Paterson is one of the actors who will provide voiceovers for the film. Work has begun on an animated film depicting the true story of the cigarette smoking, beer drinking bear named Wojtek which 'fought' alongside soldiers in the Second World War Above: The bear with a soldier during the war Adopted as an orphaned cub in 1942 by the 22nd Artillery Division of the Polish 2nd Corps, Wojtek, which in Polish means 'smiling warrior' or 'he who enjoys war ', quickly became an adored mascot. Above: The bear with a bottle of beer And concept images show how the film might look, with one depicting Wojtek carrying an ammunition shell. Titled A Bear Named Wojtek, the film is now set to be released in the autumn next year. It is being directed by Scottish animator Iain Gardner and produced by The Snowman's Iain Harvey. In a 2008 interview with the BBC, Polish veteran Augustyn Karolewski, who fought alongside Wojtek said: 'He drank beer like any man, which he would simply gulp down, and liked cigarettes, too.' Another veteran called Wojciech Narebski said: 'The friendly welcome for the returning, often extremely tired, soldiers by Wojtek was, for us, a very important relaxing thing.' After defeating the Nazis in Africa, the Polish regiment was ordered to Italy but were told that animals and pets weren't allowed aboard the transport ship. Determined to not leave Wojtek behind, the soldiers decided to get around the problem by enlisting the 6-foot bear into their ranks as a private with his own pay-book and serial number. It was announced in 2018 that the producer behind the Christmas classic The Snowman had begun working on a film, but progress then came to a halt during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, with production back under way, it has been announced that the Fleabag star Bill Paterson (pictured) is one of the actors who will provide voiceovers for the film Concept images show how the film might look, with one depicting Wojtek carrying an ammunition shell A fully-fledged member of the Polish 2nd Corp when he arrived at the Italian front, Wojtek's most celebrated moment came during the 1944 siege of Monte Cassino, an ancient hilltop monastery in Italy that the Germans had turned into an impregnable fortress on the key approach to Rome. The horrific campaign which saw over 50,000 Allied troops killed, also saw Wojtek the bear carrying 100-pound (45 kg) crates of 25-Ib artillery shells to help the Allied assault. According to a Der Spiegel report in 2012: 'A British veteran recounted how he was taken aback when he suddenly saw a full-grown bear calmly carrying mortar shells past him during the bloody Battle of Monte Cassino, in the spring of 1944.' On May 16, soldiers from the Polish 2nd Corps launched one of the final attacks on the Germans along a twenty-mile front. After defeating the Nazis in Africa, the Polish regiment was ordered to Italy but were told that animals and pets weren't allowed aboard the transport ship. Determined to not leave Wojtek behind, the soldiers decided to get around the problem by enlisting the 6-foot bear into their ranks as a private with his own pay-book and serial number. Above: Wojtek shortly after being adopted The bear was adopted by Polish soldiers after its mother died. Above: The bear as a cub shortly after being rescued After defeating the Nazis in Africa, the Polish regiment was ordered to Italy but were told that animals and pets weren't allowed aboard the transport ship. Determined to not leave Wojtek behind, the soldiers decided to get around the problem by enlisting the 6-foot bear into their ranks as a private with his own pay-book and serial number. Above: The bear in 1944, shortly after being enlisted as a private A picture shows Wojtek supportively sitting next to Polish troops in a bunker as they pound the Nazis with mortar grenades. On May 18, a Polish flag followed by the British Union Jack were raised over the ruins. After the battle, and in honour of the war bear, the regiment changed its insignia to a picture of Wojtek carrying an artillery shell and promoted him to the rank of Corporal. When the war ended, the 2nd Corps were demobilised in Scotland and Wojtek was re-settled in Edinburgh zoo, where he was regularly visited by those who had served with him until his death in 1963. A Bear Named Wojtek's co-producer Mr Harvey told the First News Website: 'After discovering how highly Wojtek was regarded, I think there was something of a lightbulb moment I realized this wasn't some fantastical yarn. 'For once, the magic was real.' Wojtek also enjoyed wrestling with his crewmates, as this above image demonstrates After the Battle of Monecasino, and in honour of the war bear, the regiment changed its insignia to a picture of Wojtek carrying an artillery shell and promoted him to the rank of Corporal When the war ended, the 2nd Corps were demobilised in Scotland and Wojtek was re-settled in Edinburgh zoo, where he was regularly visited by those who had served with him until his death in 1963 Other voiceovers will be provided by The Descent star Shauna Macdonald, as well as by Polish actor Marcin Dorocinski, who starred as an elite Russian chess player in Netflix drama The Queen's Gambit The producers have also brought in multi-Oscar winning composer Normand Roger, who has previously worked on films including Father and Daughter, The Man Who Planted Trees, The Old Man and the Sea. The script is being written by award-winning screenwriter Wojciech Lepianka, whilst EastEnders and Coronation Street star Piotr Baumann and Tomek Borkowy from Dr Who will also feature. Co-producer Harvey said: 'We're shooting in English then the Polish team will revoice in Polish language. 'We felt it was important that the key Polish characters could speak clearly enough in English but with a Polish accent, which is why we didn't want to go down the route of having American-style voices. 'The right accents were really important to us.' He added: 'We've tried incredibly hard to ensure historical accuracy, this is a story based on true incidents rather than a documentary.' Lockdown was a gruelling slog we are all happy to see the end of and get back to the pub, shops, and mum's house, and fix those awful haircuts. But as Melbourne finally emerges from its sixth lockdown and NSW approaches two weeks of freedom, there may be a few things we'll miss. Everything being shut with all but essential workers confined to their homes wasn't without its advantages - even if they pale in comparison to leaving the 5km bubble. So as Australians celebrate returning to work and school, reuniting with friends and family over a meal, and taking a weekend holiday, here's nine lockdown silver linings they may miss - if only for a few minutes. Revellers stop to pose for a photo as a jubilant atmosphere washes over Melbourne as the city's lockdown finally ended Park almost anywhere at any time Many local councils, including the City of Sydney, suspended most parking fees and restrictions during lockdown. Rangers were still on patrol but only issued fines to cars in no-parking zones and other restricted areas, while leaving those in metered spots alone. With so few commuting to the city during lockdown, there was plenty of space for the remaining essential workers to park without paying a fee. Being able to easily park for free meant critical staff like nurses and tradies could avoid public transport where the risk of catching Covid was much higher. Many local councils, including the City of Sydney, suspended most parking fees and restrictions during lockdown (file image) The relaxed policy also meant many Sydney and Melbourne residents could conveniently park at the shops and near parks for free. Parking inspectors were immediately out in force across Sydney the day lockdown ended on October 11 issuing fines once again. No traffic jams Locals in both cities were confined to 5km bubbles and banned from going out for all but the most essential reasons, so traffic plummeted. Essential staff still commuting to work got an easy drive through roads usually choked with peak hour traffic, and the supermarket run was was faster than ever. Traffic volume in Sydney was cut in half from pre-pandemic levels, and was 20 per cent lower than during the first shutdown in March to May 2020. Transport for NSW daily road traffic movements in Sydney fell 43 per cent compared to the same time in 2019. Melbourne had a similar story, where requests for driving directions dived 63 per cent and some suburbs had up to 34 per cent less traffic than 2020's lockdowns. With lockdown over the roads will be more choked with cars than ever (as sen after lockdown in Sydney ended last year) as most people are not yet ready to use public transport again However, with lockdown over the roads will be more choked with cars than ever as most people are not yet ready to use public transport again. Melbourne traffic spiked in May between its fourth and fifth lockdowns with outer suburbs the hardest hit - some up to 74 per cent about pre-pandemic levels. Sydney's road congestion was about 15 per cent worse overall in March to June, spiking to 30.8 per cent higher on June 5. Public transport usage is creeping up since lockdown ended, but experts predict it will be 10 to 20 per cent down for the foreseeable future as passengers fear catching Covid even with 90 per cent vaccinated - making traffic even worse. Working from home Millions of Australians have worked from home for most or all of the pandemic, but nearly everyone was banished from workplaces during lockdown. Many immediately saw the appeal of a commute of less than a minute with no dress code and no boss looking over your shoulder. Fewer distractions made some employees happier and more productive, along with a familiar and comfortable environment. Workers with longer commutes were the biggest winners, getting up to 15 hours a week of their life back to do more enjoyable things than sitting in traffic or trains. After months of lockdown, some workers are tired of the inefficient communication and lack of social interaction, but many are still in love with it. A survey at the height of Melbourne's second wave last year found 28 per cent of Australians never want to set foot in the office again and 86 per cent wanting at least one day a week at home. Half of Australians given a taste of working from home during the coronavirus pandemic don't want to come back to the office (stock) More time with family Another big plus of working from home during lockdown was workers being able to spend more time with their families. Not only did no commutes give them more spare time, couples were able to see each other when they would usually be at work. Parents also saw much more of their children when schools were closed, though this came with its own challenges. Pets were thrilled too as family dogs who got lonely with their owners gone all day were overjoyed - as were their humans who got a new work buddy. Never needing to have plans Being banned from seeing friends, going out to eat, or relaxing over a few cocktails is boring and isolating, but at least removes the need to make plans. For all but the biggest social butterflies, the approaching weekend often prompts anxiety of needing to arrange events and keep busy. Social media has only heightened the self-imposed pressure to be out and about with friends instead of watching Netflix at home alone. But in lockdown, binge watching TV is one of the few things you are allowed to do and the needs to arrange anything else to do is gone. Many Australians reported their relief early in each lockdown at never having to make plans or have anywhere to be at a given moment. Locals near Sydney's beaches rejoiced that the 5km limit meant they had the sand and surf all to themselves (Bondi Beach pictured) The 5km limit suddenly banned millions of people from beaches along Sydney's coastline Quiet beaches Locals from beachside suburbs are forever complaining that the sand is too packed with 'blow ins' and waves crowded with surfers. The 5km limit suddenly banned millions of people from beaches along Sydney's coastline and Melbourne waterfronts like St Kilda. Residents of those areas rejoiced as even though more locals used them for exercise, leading to photos of crowded Bondi and Coogee on particularly sunny weekends, there were fewer overall. Those on Sydney's famously insular northern beaches frequently commented on how happy they were to have fewer swimmers around. However, the flipside to this was families too far from a beach were forced to make do with their local park - and in western Sydney's hotspots they couldn't even stay more than an hour a day. Though Australians will be practicing some degree of social distancing for some time to come, it was definitely better observed in lockdown, like this line when Kmart reopened in Melbourne on Friday Personal space Though Australians will be practicing some degree of social distancing for some time to come, it was definitely better observed in lockdown. The visceral fear of catching Covid, particularly before widespread vaccination, led to most people avoiding crowds and giving each other a much wider berth. Many people who disliked getting up close and personal with strangers on trains and in shops will likely hope some of this continues after the pandemic is over. Living in track pants and activewear with no makeup With few places to go and mostly only strangers you couldn't interact with at them, motivation to dress to impress was at record lows. Grocery shopping or picking up food in little more than pyyjamas (and for some people, actual pyjamas) was never more normal. Women didn't feel the need to put on makeup for weeks at a time and men let their facial hair grow out - especially with hairdressers closed. Saving on dry cleaning bills for suits and other expensive workwear was also more dollars in your pocket. Deliveroo had free or $1 delivery for all over the recent lockdowns, and has now raised it back to normal prices unless you buy a subscription Food delivery specials Lockdown had everyone being stuck at home, unable to eat in restaurants, and many in quarantine or hesitant to leave the house to get takeaway. To cash in on this, food delivery services put on specials to gain new customers who would hopefully keep ordering after lockdown ended. Deliveroo had free or $1 delivery for all over the recent lockdowns, and has now raised it back to normal prices unless you buy a subscription. Uber Eats, MenuLog, Doordash and other competitors launched similar deals to lure in customers, leading to the cheapest delivered food of all time. Search efforts at the campsite where little Cleo Smith was last seen were hampered from the very first moment detectives arrived. The Blowholes campsite had been torn upside down as Cleo's mum, stepdad and other guests searched for the missing four-year-old on Saturday morning. By the time police arrived 'about mid-morning', search parties had been out for hours, trampling all over potential clues to her disappearance. Detectives have since confirmed they believe Cleo was abducted from the tent she shared with her mum, stepdad and baby sister Isla between 1.30am and 6am last Saturday. After scouring the campsite and surrounds for six days - including extensive sea and air searches - police were confident that she was no longer in the area. While they'll continue to check outhouses and shacks nearby for evidence, the land search was scaled back on Friday as the 100-strong taskforce directs efforts to casting a wider net. Here, Daily Mail Australia explains exactly how this week's events have unfolded . Cleo Smith, four, was last seen at about 1.30am on Saturday at the Blowholes campsite on the coast at Macleod, north of Carnarvon, in Western Australia Search crews have decided to scale back the land investigation at the campsite FRIDAY Cleo and her family arrived at Blowholes campsite about 6.30pm on Friday night for a quick weekend trip. Cleo's mum Ellie used to visit regularly when she was a child and later confirmed her four-year-old was familiar with the area. Her stepdad Jake Gliddon got straight to work setting up their two-bedroom tent, two mattresses and baby Isla's cot, which was in a room with Cleo. The family ate dinner together and Cleo was in bed no later than 8pm, her mum later revealed. While nobody else physically saw Cleo at the campsite, Superintendent Rod Wilde, who is in charge of the taskforce, said police determined she was definitely there via CCTV footage from a nearby shack. It is not known if that camera caught any other movements during the timeframe Cleo disappeared. SATURDAY The family were all asleep in the tent when Cleo stirred about 1.30am to ask her mum for a sip of water. Ms Smith quickly settled the four-year-old and, after her drink, she went straight back to sleep. She didn't wake again until about 6am, when a restless Isla woke up for her bottle. As soon as Ms Smith entered the section of the tent where Isla and Cleo were sleeping, she realised her eldest daughter was gone. The red and grey sleeping bag that Cleo had been sleeping in was also missing, while Isla was unmoved in her cot next to the mattress. She woke Mr Gliddon up, telling him 'Cleo's gone' and together they alerted nearby campers and the search began. A land search was suspended on Tuesday due to wild winds and an intense storm. It started again just hours later First, they checked around the tent and Ms Smith then checked anywhere she used to play as a kid, hopeful that Cleo was hiding. In the back of her mind, she knew it was unlikely. Cleo never wandered and would not have left the tent of her own accord, the distraught mother later confirmed. Police didn't arrive on the scene until mid-morning. It's unclear exactly what time they were called, but by the time they arrived a full scale search was already underway. Some campers had sent personal drones up to the skies while others were searching on their motorbikes. Ms Smith and Mr Gliddon had taken their car out to look as well. SUNDAY Ms Smith revealed on Facebook that Cleo was missing in a distraught and lengthy post. Meanwhile, the search at the campsite continued as Inspector Jon Munday said cars leaving the campground were being searched for the child. 'We are trying to paint the picture of who was around here during the window of opportunity between the early hours of Saturday morning and 6am Saturday and what leads that could give us,' he said. A GoFundMe was set up to cover the costs of private helicopters which had cancelled bookings to help in the search for Cleo. The adult-sized sleeping bag Cleo was sleeping in has also disappeared, police confirmed MONDAY Homicide detectives were brought in to assist with the land search for Cleo on Monday as wild theories emerged online about what happened. Her biological father Daniel Staines spent nearly three hours in Mandurah Police Station on Monday, 1,000km south from where Cleo disappeared, after voluntarily coming in to give a statement. He was almost immediately ruled out of having any involvement in Cleo's disappearance. Some of the initial wild theories included that she had been swept out to sea with the tides, fallen down a 'drop hole' toilet in the ground or fell off a cliff. Some of the initial wild theories included that she had been swept out to sea with the tides, fallen down a 'drop hole' toilet in the ground or fell off a cliff Several people claiming to be mediums came forward to claim Cleo had been abducted. One woman insisted a 'green rusty tin door' is crucial to finding the four-year-old after seeing it in a vision. 'May I please have a map ASAP,' the woman who claims to be a professional medium said on social media. 'Green rusty garage tin door needs looking into.' There are mounting concerns for little Cleo Smith's (pictured with her mum Ellie and partner Jake Gliddon) safety after she went missing at a remote campsite on Saturday morning TUESDAY The search in and around Blowholes campsite was temporarily suspended due to wild weather in the area, causing further concerns about Cleo's safety if she had wandered off in the area. But by Tuesday afternoon, Cleo's mum and stepdad provided an update that offered the first indication that it was more likely than not that the four-year-old had been abducted. The zipper leading to Cleo's room in the tent was completely opened from the top, which she wouldn't have been able to reach. Body language expert David Stephens from Critical Insights said the couple appeared to be trying to keep it together during the interview. Body language experts have weighed in on the interview analysing the gestures, tone of voice and facial expressions of the couple Friends of Cleo's family said the smart four-year-old (pictured) 'wouldn't just wander' away from the tent He said the gesture, tone of voice and facial expressions seen during the interview indicated truth-telling while mirroring the couple's sadness and distress. Ms Smith's voice faltered as she relayed the moment she unzipped the tent to discover her four-year-old was missing. 'Her gestures and illustrators, of which there are several, broadly match what she is saying, which is a good indication that she is being truthful,' he said. 'The pitch of her voice, her tone and facial expressions generally match what she is saying verbally, which indicates distress and sadness.' While Ms Smith fought back tears, Mr Gliddon sat quietly by her side. Cleo's stepdad Jake Gliddon was frantic, according to a camper on the scene who assisted with the search Cleo (pictured with her baby sister) was barely one when her stepdad met her mum and 'took her on as his own' Mr Gliddon was frantic when he realised Cleo was missing, according to a camper on the scene who assisted with the search. He started dating Ms Smith two-and-a-half years ago, when Cleo was barely one. It's understood he has raised Cleo as his own ever since. A close friend of the couple said Mr Gliddon 'absolutely adores Cleo [and] took her on as his own not long after she was born'. 'He may be a stepfather but those kids mean the world to him... He's a great dad.' WEDNESDAY Detectives revealed up to 20 sex offenders live near the campsite where Cleo was last seen. Assistant WA Police Commissioner Darryl Gaunt said detectives have been making inquiries about their whereabouts but officers believe that none were involved. They also confirmed they are investigating nearby campers' claims they heard the sound of 'screeching' tyres in the early hours of the morning. Cleo's mother Ellie Smith revealed yesterday that Cleo had been sleeping in a separate area of the tent, with her baby sister Isla just metres away THURSDAY Thursday was the most significant day in the search for Cleo thus far. After her mum issued yet another public plea, WA Premier Mark McGowan called a midday press conference in which it was revealed police believe Cleo was abducted. A $1million reward was offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of anybody involved in Cleo's disappearance. Following an extensive land, sea and air search, police admitted they 'imagined' that if Cleo was in the area she would have already been located. 'That leads us to believe she was taken,' deputy police commissioner Col Blanch said. Mr Blanch also let slip that they'd been searching the campsite 'for a body'. But throughout the rest of the conference, authorities maintained they hoped to find Cleo alive and vowed to work 'around the clock' to bring her home. The search at the campsite shifted away from looking for the little girl in 'high probability' areas to places that Cleo could have walked herself. Ms Smith, who is a local in the area and has frequented the Blowholes Campground many times said she looked for Cleo in places she would have hid as a child. Investigators also plan to revisit nearby shacks along the coastline. Meanwhile, police have received information from people 'from around the world' adding police are treating the little girl's disappearance as a 'search and rescue mission' Criminal psychologist gives a profile of the monster who could have taken little Cleo Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro, who has spent the past four decades analysing the minds of some of the worst criminals of our times: terrorists, mass murderers, sex offenders and torturers of children, said the real danger about these people is how easily they blend in. 'The problem with a person like this is it could be anyone,' he said. 'It's someone who can blend into a suburban lifestyle, he could be a father, he could be involved in community or sporting clubs. 'If you met the offender he may appear very normal. 'This is the danger about these people - their ordinariness. They can blend in very easily and generally they are well presented.' Dr Watson-Munro said the kidnapper is most likely to be a 'calculated' man and a textbook psychopath driven by a sickening desire for 'power and control'. Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro (pictured) has spent the past four decades analysing the minds of some of the worst criminals of our times: terrorists, mass murderers, sex offenders and torturers of children 'We are talking about someone who is bad but not mad,' he said. 'To do something like that without any anxiety suggests they are psychopathic in their disposition because psychopaths have a very high threshold for anxiety. 'Things that would make a normal person's blood turn cold doesn't bother them.' Someone who could sneak into a tent and abduct a child in her sleeping bag as her parents lay next to her 'is not somebody who is prone to nervousness'. Police now believe an abduction took place because the zipper of the tent was found undone in the morning, even though Cleo is too short to reach it. It can be the case that child predators and sex offenders are dishevelled, affected by drugs and alcohol or have below average intelligence, but in this case Dr Watson-Munro says 'it's very unlikely'. 'In order to plan a crime like this you have to be at least average intelligence to get away with it. We are not looking at some bumbling imbecile,' he said. 'They are capable of forward planning both in terms of abducting the child and allowing themselves plenty of opportunity to get far away.' Advertisement FRIDAY The land, sea and air search for little Cleo was scaled back on Friday as investigators dedicated more of their time to the abduction theory. 'Given the information now that we've gleaned from the scene, the fact that the search has gone on for this period of time and we haven't been able to locate her... it leads us to believe that she was taken from the tent,' Detective Superintendent Rob Wilde said. Nothing has been ruled out, including the possibility that Cleo may have been taken by someone known to her. Cleo's parents are keeping a lone gut-wrenching vigil at the campsite where the four-year-old was likely abducted six days ago. Police have blocked public access to the tourist attraction, which has been declared a crime scene, meaning only Cleo's parents and search workers are still left behind at the campsite. When speaking about the grief Cleo's parents are feeling, Mr Wilde said it 'doesn't get any worse'. 'We know that. We really feel for the parents,' he said. Cleo Smith was last seen at the Blowholes campsite near Carnarvon in WA. Her suspected kidnapper could have taken her down a number of different trails which snake off from the main road A growing number of tombstones in Rookwood - Sydney's biggest graveyard - belong to members of the Hamze crime network. What started as a feud between rival bikies in Sydney's south-west has blown up into an all-out war that now stretches across the city and even into the leafy North Shore. Police believe crime families are using mercenary guns-for-hire to carry out their brutal executions with military-style precision to slaughter their Hamze enemies. The bloody Hamze-Alameddine gangland battle clicked up yet another gear on Wednesday when Salim Hamze, 18, and his father Toufik, 64, were shot dead. The pair were executed outside their home in Guildford as they prepared to go to work in their battered old Nissan Navara ute. While Salim had loose ties to the Hamze gang - but wasn't related - his father was a wholly innocent victim of the gang war, condemned to death by his surname. While Salim (pictured) had loose ties to the Hamze gang - but wasn't related - police admit Toufik Hamze was an innocent victim of the gang war, condemned to death by his surname The pair were executed outside their home in Guildford as they prepared to go to work in their battered old Nissan Navara ute (Salim Hamze's lifeless body lies under a blue sheet) Pictured: This is the lonely tombstone of Bilal Hamze, the crime boss who was killed in a bitter war between his family and the Alameddine clan. Bilal was shot dead earlier this year The killing was carried out with surgical precision. The assassins swooped as the father and son stepped outside to get into their ute, unleashed a volley of shots then fled. They raced from the scene in a high-powered Lexus SUV to a pre-arranged point 1.8km away in a little-used back street where they had stashed a second getaway car. They torched the Lexus before piling into a grey or dark-coloured high-speed Ford Mustang and drove away without trace. The previous two hits on the Hamzes in the past year also had all the hallmarks of the clinical efficiency now being used against the gangland clan. Detectives now acknowledge the war has spread beyond the families that spawned it, and they are battling professional killers recruited by the gangland warlords to execute their enemies with precision. Salim Hamze, 18, and his father Toufik Hamze, 64, (pictured) were killed in a spray of bullets as they sat in the front seat of a red utility in Guildford on Wednesday Medics try to save Toufik Hamze, 64, after he was shot on Wednesday beside his son Salim, 18. The fatal shooting were an extension of the bloody Hamze-Alameddine gangland battle. Salim and his father Toufik were just about to leave for work when they were shot dead outside their Guilford home (pictured) just before 9am on Wednesday The move has seen the battleground extend beyond the families' base of the city's western and south-western suburbs and had now flared up in the north, east and city centre. Police Minister David Elliott warned on Friday officers would 'not stop' until culprits were off the streets. "This 'boutique approach' to lawlessness by these gangs is taking control, and we have to stop at nothing,' he said. "What's going to happen is that they will either find themselves in Long Bay [Correctional Centre] or in Rookwood [Cemetery].' The state's anti-bikie squad, Strike Force Raptor, would 'fight fire with fire' if required on the streets. The previous two hits on the Hamzes in the past year also had all the hallmarks of the clinical efficiency now being used against the gangland clan Police later discovered a lock-up garage in upmarket Cammeray on the lower North Shore where they allege hitmen for hire were stashing stolen cars months in advance of assassination attempts Traffic cops foiled an alleged attempted execution of Ibrahem Hamze when they spotted an allegedly stolen Mercedes-Benz in North Sydney (pictured) Just last month, police discovered a lock-up garage in upmarket Cammeray on the lower North Shore where they allege hitmen for hire were stashing stolen cars months in advance of planned hits. The discovery came a month after traffic cops foiled an alleged attempted execution of Ibrahem Hamze when they spotted a stolen Mercedes-Benz in North Sydney. When they tried to pull it over, the masked gunmen fled, later allegedly carjacking a Toyota Corolla, threatening the 76-year-old male driver with a gun, and escaping. The alleged plot to kill Ibrahem Hamze came just two months after his brother Bilal Hamze was gunned down outside a Japanese restaurant in Sydney's CBD. And it followed the October 2020 deadly attack on Mejid Hamzy, little brother of Brothers 4 Life founder Bassam Hamzy, currently serving 40 years in Goulburn's Supermax prison. The four murders in the past year are just the latest escalation of the blood feuds Brothers 4 Life has been involved with since around 2012. Bassam Hamzy (pictured) is the founder of Brothers 4 Life bikie gang, currently serving a 40 tear sentence in the Goulburn Supermax jail Bilal Hamzy, the cousin of Bassam, was executed in a drive-by shooting in Sydney's CBD in June (pictured above sequence of events) Tensions between different chapters of the bikie gang ultimately led to Yehye Amood being shot dead, and then quickly escalated with a series of further shootings. In 2013 however, the feud took a sinister twist when the mothers of gang members began to be targeted. One gangster Ashkan Rabaji turned up at the home of a gangster's mother to demand payment for a job he had done for her son. Days later Rabaji's mother Maha Hamze - aunt of Bassam Hamzy - was shot eight times in the legs. From this point on, it was war. The front yard of Toufik Hamze's home (pictured) where the pair died was littered with construction site debris, including a toilet and a frying pan Police tried block Ghassan Amoun and Ibrahem Hamze from going to Bilal' Hamzes funeral in a bid to avert more possible bloodshed, but the men ignored the warnings. (Pictured, mourners at the funeral in June) A burnt out Lexus SUV (pictured) found 1.8km away in Murdock Lane shortly afterwards has since been towed away Rabaji and Bilal survived an assassination attempt in July, but in October BFL member Mahmoud Hamzy, 27, cousin of Bassam, was shot dead. Five BFL members were later charged with his murder. The following month Michael Odisho was shot several times. and the next day Alameddine associate - and former Brothers 4 Life member - Masood Zakaria escaped a shooting attempt on his life, but a 13 year old girl was caught in the crossfire and injured by shotgun pellets. More deaths and reprisals followed, as the pursuit of power and pride drove both crews to ever more desperate attacks. At stake is the control of Sydney's drug trade and organised crime - but also driven by family honour. Ghassan Amoun (centre) and Ibrahem Hamze (second from right) are among the alleged senior members of the Hamzy/Hamze underworld clan A burnt out Lexus SUV (pictured) was found 1.8km away in Murdock Lane a short time after the shooting Salim Hamze, 18, (left) and his father Toufik Hamze, 64, (right) were killed in a spray of bullets as they sat in the front seat of a red utility in Guildford on Wednesday The latest spate of bloody violence is said to date back to a street fight in October 2020 that saw Shaylin Zreika - an associate of the Alameddine clan - beaten with a metal bar by three men, allegedly including Ibrahem Hamze. The brawl was sparked by an intercepted drugs cache which reignited old tensions. A few days later Rafat Alameddine's home was shot at in a drive-by shooting, which has been linked to Salim Hamze. The following day the bloodshed began with Mejid Hamzy's murder, followed by Bilal, then Salim and Toufik Hamze's executions. Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett, State Crime Command Director, admitted they faced an army of mercenaries carrying out executions to order now. 'There's no doubt that there's guns for hire in south-western Sydney,' he said. 'There's no doubt that these crime families are using those people. 'We're doing our best to monitor and manage them as best we can and we're having significant success.' NSW Police believe the crime families are using mercenary guns for hire to carry out the brutal executions with clinical military-style precision. (PIctured, police at the scene of the Guildford shooting on Wednesday) Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett, State Crime Command Director, (pictured) admitted they faced an army of mercenaries carrying out executions to order now He added: 'These feuds relate to family disagreements or relate to drug trafficking. They relate to organised crime territory. 'There's a number of people who are in our southwestern part of Sydney who are more than happy to deal with solve their problems with violence. 'We've had this going on for a number of years now - tit for tat targeted shootings. I'm not shying away at all from the fact that we've got a significant issue in our south-western suburbs.' The police's biggest fear is innocents being caught in crossfire of the gangland warfare, as happened to Toufik Hamze on Wednesday. 'This gentleman, a 64 year old man who's now deceased, was in the wrong place at the wrong time,' said DCS Bennet. They believe Toufik Hamze was an innocent victim caught in the crossfire of the bloody hit, and neighbours said they were sure a 'terrible mistake' had been made. The assassins made their escape in a Lexus SUV which was later found burning out in Murdock Lane, less than 2km away from the shooting (pictured) Mr Hamze had lived for years at number 17 on Osgood St in Guildford, literally across the road from the Alameddines at number 18. Residents in the street insist that, despite the deadly feud between their namesakes, there was never any friction between the two families on Osgood St. Daily Mail Australia understands the Hamze victims were distant relatives of the family at the centre of the underworld conflict, and Toufik was not involved. 'I think someone has made a terrible mistake,' said one neighbour. 'I think there's been a misunderstanding. 'Toufik was not related to the gangster Hamzes, They were not from the same family, same village, same part of Lebanon or even the same religion. 'He had nothing to do with the other Hamzes.' DCS Bennet said those involved think 'nothing of executing someone who's in their way, or who will provide evidence to the police down the track. The police's biggest fear is innocents being caught in crossfire of the gangland warfare as happened to Toufik Hamze on Wednesday. (Pictured, police at the scene of the Guildford shooting on Wednesday) Salim and Toufik Hamze were found in the front seats of their bullet-riddled Nissan Navara ute (pictured here being taken away by police for forensic investigation) The killers are believed to have switched to a grey or dark coloured Ford Mustang and fled the scene. (Pictured, the burnt out Lexus being taken away by police for further investigation) 'These retribution-style, drug turf-style shootings are an ongoing problem. We're always worried about reprisals. 'We're worried about reprisals, worried about family feuds. And we're also worried about drug and kidnapping turf wars. 'The incidents of public place shooting have been coming down this year,' he insisted. 'And they'll continue to come down this year. 'Unfortunately for us, when a significant matter like this takes place, we seem like we're back to square one - and we're investigating another double murder.' Police now expect the gang war to ramp up, with at least two more Hamze family members warned they are on the Alameddine's kill list. Ghassam Amoun, brother of Bassam Hamzy, was told he was the number one target after Bilal was gunned down outside a restaurant in Sydney's CBD. A secret police document submitted to court revealed Amoun and Bilal's brother Ibrahem Hamze were at the top of an underworld hitlist. Millions of lower and medium-income motorists will be given 100 euros (84) in financial assistance in France to help them cope with rising fuel prices. French Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced the move on TF1 television, saying that it was 'an exceptional response to an exceptional situation'. The one-off payment will help about 36 million people who earn less than 2,000 euros (1,680) a month, including employees, self-employed workers, job seekers and retired people, Mr Castex said. The assistance will start being given in December. French Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced that millions of lower and medium-income motorists will be given 100 euros (84) in financial assistance to help them cope with rising fuel prices. Pictured: Fuel price signs are seen at a petrol station in Paris, October 18, 2021 The measure comes amid growing public discontent over a global energy crunch, coming just as many households are struggling to recover from the pandemic economic crisis. The French government last month promised cash assistance of 100 euros for about 6 million low-income households to help pay their energy bills. Mr Castex, who had previously announced the government's decision to freeze natural gas prices, said that measure would last until the end of next year. The issue is especially sensitive after the anti-government 'yellow vest' movement which started in 2018 against a hike in fuel taxes and was named after the fluorescent jackets French motorists are required to have in their cars. It quickly turned into a general protest against economic injustice, leading to weekly, sometimes violent demonstrations. The government's move also comes ahead of France's presidential election scheduled in April, where President Emmanuel Macron is expected to run for re-election. The hard-right political talk-show star Eric Zemmour was forecast to reach the second round of the French presidential election in a new poll published on Friday, although President Emmanuel Macron was still forecast to win the first round. Meanwhile, European Union leaders struggled to find a common ground during a long debate on Thursday on how to ease the pain of soaring energy bills. French Prime Minister Jean Castex (pictured on Wednesday in Paris) said on TF1 television that it was 'an exceptional response to an exceptional situation' A woman walks near fuel pumps at a petrol station in the village of Langon near Rennes, France, October 21, 2021 The hours-long energy discussion at the EU leaders' summit came amid spiraling prices that are pummeling households and businesses still reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In need of immediate solutions, leaders are also seeking to safeguard energy supplies to the 27-nation bloc by speeding up the transition away from polluting fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives. To help consumers and companies this winter, leaders agreed that tax cuts, state aid and other measures like bill payment deferrals proposed by the European Commission would be useful on both the short and longer terms. In their conclusions, they asked the EU's executive arm to look into the gas and electricity markets, as well as the bloc's emissions trading program, under which companies pay for carbon dioxide they emit. The aim is to check whether manipulation of the market could have influenced the carbon price increase. But there was no mention of setting up a joint procurement program for gas reserves, an idea recently proposed by Spain. (Left to right) Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, European Council President Charles Michel , Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, during an EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, 21 October 2021. Leaders have struggled to reach a consensus of Europe's growing energy crisis at the summit and ahead of Cop 26 next month The talks came just 10 days ahead of the opening of a U.N. climate summit that is widely seen as the last chance to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU's executive and its member states already are working to ease the burden of soaring energy bills on households and businesses. She said leaders also will have to look at the way energy markets function but stressed that 'in the mid and long term, it is very clear that the strategy has to be to invest massively in clean and renewable energy' produced in Europe. The debate on spiraling energy prices also took place against a backdrop of frosty relations with Russia, a key supplier of gas to Europe. Von der Leyen said Wednesday that with the bloc importing 90% of its gas - much of it from strategic rival Russia - 'this makes us vulnerable.' Gas makes up one quarter of all European energy consumption. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called the energy price explosion this year the consequence 'of a big geopolitical game.' German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron (right) attend EU Leaders' Summit in Brussels, Belgium on October 21, 2021 Von der Leyen has said that while Norway had raised its gas exports to the bloc to meet increased demand, Russia's Gazprom had not gone beyond honoring its long-term contracts with the EU. Gas prices have soared this year to 95 euros from about 19 euros per megawatt hour, affecting everything from household heating bills to farmers and food producers. The EU's executive commission says that lower-income households are hardest hit because they spend a higher proportion of their income on energy. Many countries have already offered energy tax cuts to ease the pain. While all leaders want to minimize the impact of soaring energy prices on their populations, they differ on how to do it. Entering Thursday's summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the issue of soaring energy prices should be differentiated from the long-term fight against climate change. 'I think that we should react calmly; we in Germany will do so in any case,' she said. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen speaks to press members as she arrives for the first day of EU Leaders' Summit in Brussels, Belgium on October 21, 2021 Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country is among those that are helping households and businesses foot rising power bills. But he added that long-term solutions must also be found. 'And in the long term, there is only one solution - invest more in renewable energy so we are less vulnerable to price fluctuations for fossil fuels,' he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blamed the hike specifically on the Commission's Green Deal plans that includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and making the bloc carbon neutral by 2050. The current crisis has reignited a debate on whether the EU should promote nuclear power projects as a way of becoming more energy independent. That could be done by making them eligible for billions of euros as part of the European Green Deal and coronavirus recovery fund. Two years ago, leaders agreed that nuclear energy could be part of the EU's efforts to become carbon-neutral. However, they have yet to decide whether nuclear projects can be included in the so-called taxonomy, a classification system attempting to define what activities can qualify for sustainable investment. France recently asked for the inclusion of nuclear power in the taxonomy framework by the end of the year, leading the charge with nine other EU countries - Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Energy ministers from the bloc will meet as early as next week to continue the talks, with leaders set to reassess the situation at their next summit in December. An Ohio woman who has spent 18 years in prison on charges of killing a nine-month-old girl will be released after new evidence showed an older, undetected injury could have led to the child's death. Kim Hoover-Moore, 57, could be released as early as Thursday after new evidence in the 'shaken baby syndrome' case led to the charges being dropped. Evidence now shows the injury that killed nine-month-old Samaisha Benson could have happened days, weeks, or even months before Hoover-Moore noticed problems with the baby in her home day care in 2002, according to a court filing requesting a new trial. Hoover-Moore was convicted at trial in 2003 based on a coroner's assessment that the child had shaken baby syndrome but a recent review found it was not possible to conclude the injuries suffered by Benson definitely occurred while in her care. Benson was dropped off by her father at Hoover-Moore's Columbus home on November 29, 2002 and died in hospital two days later on December 1, 2002. Hoover-Moore's attorneys believe the case might be the first exoneration in Ohio involving a shaken baby conviction, according to data compiled by the University of Michigan's National Registry of Exonerations. Kim Hoover-Moore, 57, could be released as early as today after nearly 20 years in prison after new evidence came to light that led to murder charges against her being dropped Earlier this year, a former deputy Franklin County coroner signed an affidavit indicating that a new analysis showed evidence of an older injury that could have led to the bleeding that killed the child. Based on the new review, 'I cannot conclude at the present time that pathologically the injuries suffered by Samaisha definitely occurred within the time window that Ms. Hoover-Moore was in charge of her care,' Dr. Patrick Fardal wrote in a Feburary 18 affidavit. 'The acute changes all occurred within a 4-5 day window before her death.' Fardal declined to comment on Thursday. Franklin County Judge Carl Aveni granted the new trial request, vacated Hoover-Moore's conviction and ordered her immediate release. Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack previously represented Hoover-Moore and recused himself. A different prosecutor dismissed all charges 'in the interest of justice.' The prosecutor and defense attorneys agreed in a court motion that the evidence at the time was sufficient to prosecute Hoover-Moore. The infant's father dropped the girl off at Hoover-Moore's Columbus home on November 29, 2002, according to the defendant's June motion for a new trial by attorney Kort Gatterdam. After seeing the baby could not hold her head up and was not breathing properly, Hoover-Moore called 911. The baby was taken to the Columbus Children's Hospital where she was treated and diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome based on a CAT scan showing a skull fracture and internal brain bleeding. The girl died December 1, 2002. Following a 2018 request for a new trial, Hoover-Moore's attorneys were able to access the victim's medical records, radiology images and autopsy reports, and a new analysis found evidence of an injury weeks or even months old. Hoover-Moore has spent nearly 20 years in Ohio's Reformatory for Women after she was convicted of killing a nine-month-old girl. She is set to be released this week after the charges against her were dropped when new evidence emerged Hoover-Moore's motion for a new trial also included police reports referring to domestic violence involving the infant's parents, among them a case in which the father struck the mother while she was holding another child, and in which the father shook that child to quiet her. The new testimony indicates that, 'rather than the medical evidence pinpointing Ms Hoover-Moore as the only possible perpetrator, any number of people who had access to Samaisha in the weeks or months before her death could have been responsible for her fatal injuries,' according to the filing. A message was left with a phone listing for Samaisha Benson's mother. An attorney for Hoover-Moore said on Thursday that justice had been done. 'The medical evidence proves what Ms. Hoover-Moore has always said: She is innocent,' Joanna Sanchez, director of the Ohio Public Defender's Wrongful Conviction Project, said Thursday. Hoover-Moore's attorneys believe the case might be the first exoneration in Ohio involving a shaken baby conviction, according to data compiled by the University of Michigan's National Registry of Exonerations. Nationally, shaken baby convictions have come under scrutiny as new evidence challenges the diagnosis, with multiple exonerations. In April, a California man was freed after 15 years in prison after prosecutors and a judge agreed that the scientific research underlying shaken baby syndrome has changed significantly in recent years. Pablo Escobar's famed hippos - who have thrived in Colombia since the notorious drug lord was killed almost 30 years ago - got a stay of execution after a United States federal court ruled that animals can be recognized as legal persons. Judge Karen Litkovitz, of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, issued the ruling Tuesday after the nonprofit Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) filed an application seeking to allow two experts in nonsurgical sterilization of wildlife to provide testimony supporting a Colombian lawsuit to stop a cull. The Animal Legal Defense Fund made the request on behalf of the plaintiffs, the 'Community of Hippopotamuses Living in the Magdalena River,' which has been trying to save about 120 hippopotamuses from being slaughtered. Litkovitz's ruling was based on a United States law that allows an 'interested person' in foreign litigation to request U.S. depositions to help their case. 'In granting the application ... to conduct discovery for use in foreign proceedings, the court recognized the hippos as legal persons with respect to that statute, the court recognized the hippos as legal persons with respect to that statute,' ALDF said in a statement. Before Pablo Escobar was shot dead by police, he had purchased a number of exotic animals to live on his makeshift zoo at his Hacienda Napoles estate, including flamingos, giraffes, zebras and kangaroos The Medellin Cartel kingpin also bought four hippopotamuses. Today, there are 120 hippos in Colombia and the government is working on a plan to euthanize all of them. However, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on Tuesday issued a ruling recognizing them as 'legal persons' after the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a petition on behalf of Colombia-based Community of Hippopotamuses Living in the Magdalena River which is trying to save all of the animals Pablo Escobar used his wealth to set up a zoo at one of his properties in the 1980s and purchased a bevy of exotic and wild animals, including four hippos which have now grown to 120 and forced the Colombian government to euthanized them because their existence 'in an ecosystem that is not their own, brings consequences such as the displacement of local fauna.' Christopher Berry, ALDF's managing attorney, told AFP on Thursday that the Ohio court order 'will help the hippos in their lawsuit not to die -- that's the immediate impact of it. 'More broadly speaking, it's the first concrete example of a US court authorizing animals to exercise a legal right in the animal's own name,' he added. The lawsuit was filed July 31, 2020 on behalf of the hippos by attorney Luis Domingo Gomez Maldonado in Colombia, which already recognizes legal personhood for animals. Gomez stop the government from euthanizing the animals, up significantly from the single male and three females Escobar initially acquired in the 1980 and kept them with other wild animals at a makeshift zoo in his Hacienda Napoles estate in Puerto Triunfo, Antioquia. Enorme hipopotamo se pasea durante la noche por calles de un municipio antioqueno, Colombia. Segun se lee en algunos perfiles de redes sociales, el hecho se habria presentado en Doradal. El animal seria una cria de los traidos por el extinto capo Pablo Escobar. pic.twitter.com/S5RbAtPhyZ Telenoticias21 GMV (@TN21sv) June 3, 2019 Hippos at a care center in Doradal, northeast of Bogota in Colombia An expert prepares a dart to put hippos to sleep in order to sterilize them at a care center in Doradal, Colombia Before he was shot dead by police in 1993, the cocaine baron purchased exotic animals to live on his ranch, including flamingos, giraffes, zebras and kangaroos. After his death, all but the hippopotamuses were sold to zoos. The semiaquatic ungulates were left to roam Hacienda Napoles and continued breeding. They are now believed to be the largest so-called 'bloat' of hippopotamuses outside of Africa. This has had detrimental consequences for the local ecology, as well as reported attacks on local fishermen. While the litigation is ongoing, Cornare, a regional environmental protection organization in the northwest of Colombia, announced October 15 they had begun sterilizing the pod using the contraceptive drug GonaCon administered by dart guns, and through surgical sterilization. At least 24 of 80 hippopotamuses who are being cared for at a center in Doradal, Antioquia, have been sterilized before they die out. 'It's a contraceptive that is effective in males and females' and cheaper than surgical sterilization, said Cornare. 'However, it's complicated because experts suggest giving three doses.' Cornare expert David Echeverri argued that their existence 'in an ecosystem that is not their own, brings consequences such as the displacement of local fauna.' The plaintiffs have argued that it is unknown if the Colombian government will use the drug safely and whether it still intends to kill some of the animals. It is seeking to provide the hippos with another contraceptive, called PZP (porcine zona pellucida), which has successfully been used in zoos and is recommended by Animal Balance, an international organization that focuses on sterilization of animals. On the former range of late drug lord Pablo Escobar, 24 out of 80 hippos were sterilized due to the 'uncontrolled growth' of this 'invasive' species The hippopotamuses were left to roam Pablo Escobar's estate and continued breeding, to the point they are now believed to be the largest 'bloat' outside Africa Thanks to the federal court order, the testimony of Animal Balance's wildlife experts, Elizabeth Berkeley and Richard Berlinski, can be used to bolster Maldonado's case. Berry said the latest legal decision comes as other cases seeking personhood for animals make their way through U.S. courts. A horse named Justice is being represented by ALDF in a case of cruelty and neglect, while Happy the elephant, who resides at the Bronx Zoo, is being represented by The Nonhuman Rights Project in a habeas corpus (unlawful detention) case. It remains to be seen how other courts will factor in the hippo decision, 'but it certainly is relevant and important to the broader discussion of animal personhood and animal rights,' said Berry. The movement to grant animals legal personhood has also been gaining momentum globally. In 2014, an Argentine court ruled Sandra the orangutan had been subject to unjust confinement at Buenos Aires Zoo. She is now settled in an ape sanctuary in Florida. High profile Labor Senator Kristina Keneally has sacked a staffer who sent texts to a former Liberal MP accusing him of having an extramarital affair with another MP. Ms Keneally terminated the man's employment immediately Thursday afternoon after becoming aware of the texts. The messages were sent by the staffer on Wednesday evening, news.com.au reported. In the text to the unidentified MP, the staffer says he has evidence 'not restricted to letters'. 'Personally, man to man, I would issue a public apology this morning owning the mess you've made,' the text read. 'People deserve to know the truth and my experience suggests people are more forgiving when they see some type of remorse. Happy to chat.' Kristina Keneally terminated the staffer's employment immediately yesterday afternoon after becoming aware of the texts sent to a former Liberal MP The staffer told the publication he had intervened in a personal capacity on behalf of a friend, a woman who alleges she had an affair with the Liberal politician. Ms Keneally's termination letter said she considered the actions of the staffer in sending the texts to be 'serious misconduct'. 'I have been made aware today of your involvement in a series of events that has caused a serious and imminent risk to the reputation of my office and position as a Senator in parliament,' she wrote. Part of the staffer's text message to a former Liberal MP sent on Wednesday evening 'I have seen the text messages sent from your phone to Mr [blanked]. 'These behaviours are completely unacceptable. I am appalled by your behaviour and will not tolerate any employee in my office acting in such a manner towards any person.' Australian Federal Police are now investigating the matter, including the actions of the woman who claims to have had the affair with the MP. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Keneallys office for comment. An Alabama man has been put to death by lethal injection on Thursday for the 1991 killing of a woman who was abducted during a robbery and then shot in a cemetery. Willie B. Smith III, 52, received a lethal injection at Alabama's Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore on Thursday night. He jerked twice from his gurney as officials injected him with midazolam, the Montgomery Advertiser reports, and he was pronounced dead at 9.47pm local time. Smith reportedly did not have any last words and refused a last meal before his execution on Thursday, but refused snacks. It was his second execution date since February 11. On that date, Smith was already in a holding cell near the death chamber and the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with his appeal that he could not be put to death without his pastor present. This time, the nation's highest court rejected a late request for a stay by his lawyers, who had argued that the execution should be blocked on grounds that Smith had an intellectual disability, which merited further scrutiny by the courts. He had his spiritual adviser, Pastor Robert Wiley, with him at his execution Thursday night, according to the Montgomery Advertiser, who put a hand on Smith's leg at the beginning of the execution. Smith was convicted in 1992 of kidnapping and murdering 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson in Birmingham. Willie B. Smith III, 52, was put to death by lethal injection on Thursday for the 1991 killing of 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson who was abducted during a robbery and then shot in the back of her head in a cemetery Prosecutors said he had a shotgun when he abducted Johnson in October 1991 from an ATM location in the Birmingham area. He and an accomplice forced Johnson into a trunk, then had her recite her ATM number to take money from the account. They withdrew about $80 from her account before driving her to a cemetery, where Smith then shot Johnson - who was still in the trunk- in the back of the head and burned the vehicle in an attempt to remove his fingerprints. According to court documents, Smith was afraid she was going to call the police about the robbery. Johnson was the sister of a Birmingham police officer. 'Sharma Ruth Johnson was abducted at gunpoint, threatened while in the trunk of the car, terrorized, assaulted, and ultimately, Willie B. Smith, III brutally killed her,' Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement issued after the execution. 'In that final moment of this young ladys short life, Mr. Smith, after learning Ms. Johnson was the daughter of a law enforcement officer, made the choice to put a shotgun to her head, stealing this womans future.' 'The evidence in this case was overwhelming, and justice has been rightfully served,' she added. Shelley Luna, a friend of Johnson's, described her to the Advertiser as 'the most humble person, very soft-spoken, very kind.' 'She just kind of oozed sweetness,' Luna said. 'Anybody that crossed her path would say that ... She was the easiest person in the world to be friends with and talk to. It just makes her murder that much harder - you always wonder why do bad things happen to good people?' In a statement read by Alabama department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn before the execution, Johnson's family said: 'After waiting for 30 years, justice has been served.' Her family was present at the execution, Dunn said, but wanted to remain anonymous. Smith died of lethal injection at Alabama's Holman Correctional Facility Recently, Smith's lawyers had argued unsuccessfully that the inmate had an intellectual disability that prevented him from understanding the prison paperwork related to the selection of an execution method. Experts had estimated Smith's IQ from 64 on the low end and 75 on the high end. Scores under 70 are typically indicative of mental 'slowness,' while scores between 80 to 89 are considered 'below-average.' But the courts have ruled Smith was eligible for the death penalty. A defense expert in a post-trial appeal said while Smith's IQ was measured at 64, his language, reading, and mathematics skills, and that these particular results were inconsistent with a diagnosis of intellectual disability. The Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that executing intellectually disabled people is unconstitutional. In reviewing Smith's case in 2019, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a later Supreme Court decision that 'states may not weigh a defendants adaptive strengths against his adaptive deficits' in determining disability did not retroactively apply to Smith. The Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that executing intellectually disabled people is unconstitutional But the justices on Thursday allowed Smith's execution to move forward as planned Last-minute court filings had centered on whether Smith should have been given assistance to understand the form distributed to death row inmates in 2018 regarding selection of an execution method. After adopting nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method, state law gave inmates a 30-day window to request that as their preferred execution method. If Smith had requested nitrogen hypoxia, his death sentence could not have been carried out to date because the state has not yet developed a system for using nitrogen to execute inmates. But, the Advertiser reports, death row inmates have said they were only informed of the option shortly before the deadline to select it - leading to a frenzy of inmates trying to call their lawyers to determine whether they should opt for hypoxia. Smith's attorneys had unsuccessfully asked the Supreme Court to stay the execution until a trial could be held in his ongoing lawsuit arguing that the Americans with Disabilities Act required him to have assistance in understanding the form. They said that courts have known about Smith's intellectual disabilities since is first trial, when then-Jefferson County Circuit Judge James Hard wrote in a 1992 sentencing memo that Smith was 'in borderline range between mild retardation and low average intelligence.' But by 2009, Jefferson County Circuit Judge J. William Cole ruled that Smith had not shown 'many, if any, actual examples of how his low IQ affected his adaptive functioning in everyday life before or after the incident in question.' In an opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized the state of Alabama for what she called a 'haphazard' approach used to notify death row inmates of their choices on how they want to be put to death While the 11th Circuit denied the stay request, one member of the three-judge panel sharply criticized Alabama. Circuit Judge Jill Pryor wrote in a concurring opinion the state has acknowledged Smith has 'significantly sub-average intellectual functioning' and that Smith said he received no explanation of the form related to execution method selection. 'It disturbs me that ADOC, which took on the responsibility to inform prisoners about their right to elect death by nitrogen hypoxia within 30 days, did so in such a feckless way' Pryor wrote. And even though the United States Supreme Court ruled that the execution could move forward, Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized Alabama for the 'haphazard' approach used to notify death row inmates of their choices. 'Once a State has determined that individuals on death row should have a choice as to how the State will execute them, it should ensure that a meaningful choice is provided,' she wrote in an opinion. The state of Alabama argued that Smith had received access to his lawyers for help, and 'over the course of nearly two years of litigation, he never alleged or produced evidence before the district court that he would have elected during the statutory time frame if he had been given a reasonable time frame (which he never asked for).' Smith is now the first inmate executed in Alabama in 2021, and the 68th to be executed by the state since 1983. High-profile newspaper columnist Janet Albrechtsen has accused Lisa Wilkinson of turning the gender pay gap debate into a 'farce' with her tell-all memoir. In an extract from The Project host's forthcoming biography, It Wasn't Meant To Be This Way, the former Today show host claimed colleague Karl Stefanovic managed to negotiate a $2million deal with the Nine Network. Wilkinson claimed Stefanovic's deal was double her salary. Wilkinson has gone on to claim that the pay gap between the breakfast TV duo was 'so off the charts that no-one would have believed it and much bigger than that figure that had been conveniently leaked'. But a News Corp report published this week revealed that Wilkinson herself had actually earned double the salary of Stefanovic for 'years' after she first signed with the network in 2006. Those revelations prompted Ms Albrechtsen to blast Wilkinson in the pages of the national broadsheet. She described Wilkinson's salary claims as 'revolting'. Columnist Jane Albrechtsen (pictured) has slammed former Today Show host Lisa Wilkinson for turning the gender pay-gap debate 'into a farce' Damning revelations reveal Lisa Wilkinson (pictured) was originally paid more than double of cohost Karl Stefanovic in 2006 'The gender pay gap is a serious issue, Wilkinson seems to have turned it into a farce...' Ms Albrechtsen wrote on Friday. 'For the sake of the argument let's accept what is now hotly contested, namely that Nine did systematically pay Wilkinson less than Stefanovic for the same job. 'The real question, and harder one, is whether Nine paid her less for the same job because of her sex, as she alleges?' Ms Albrechtsen went on to note that Wilkinson was more than capable of fending for herself and taking on Nine in the media or the courts, and asked whether she had raised the point. 'Wilkinson is no shrinking violet,' Albrechtsen wrote. For their side of it, the Nine Network has previously argued the work of Stefanovic and Wilkinson wasn't the same. Stefanovic was paid as for providing content exclusively to Nine, while Lisa filed online stories for the now-defunct news website, The Huffington Post. Wilkinson famously left the network after a pay-gap dispute revealing Stefanovic (pictured) was on a $2million contract Lisa Wilksinon and her husband, the Nine Newspapers columnist Peter Fitzsimons news.com.au's respected political editor Samantha Maiden published a story this week disputing Wilkinson's claims. The article noted Wilkinson was allegedly paid more than Stefanovic for 'many years' before the pair teamed up. Daily Mail Australia revealed this week that Wilkinson's publisher, Harper Collins Australia, then sensationally demanded a preview copy of the memoir be returned by news.com.au. The contrary claims about Wilkinson's original Nine contract reportedly did not go down well with her book publishers. One insider claimed news.com.au were ordered to return the company's only preview copy of the tell-all book saying, 'They blew up and asked for their copy back'. News.com.au editor Lisa Muxworthy declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. A spokesperson for Harper Collins also declined to confirm the allegation. A federal judge has handed down the harshest punishment yet for someone involved in the Capitol riot on January 6, sentencing a Texas man who was not physically present at the riot to 14 months in prison. Troy Smocks, a black man from Dallas, had admitted posting threatening social media messages online the day after the riot from a Washington, D.C., hotel room. His sentence is the longest term to date resulting from the federal investigation of the incident at the nation's capital. Troy Smocks, a black man from Dallas, was sentenced to 14 months in prison on Thursday after admitting he posted threatening social media messages online the day after the riot Smocks, 58, appeared before U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan for sentencing Thursday on one felony count of transmitting threats in interstate commerce. 'I'm no Dr. [Martin Luther] King, but we do share same the skin color and the same idea of justice. I just want to be treated equally,' Smocks said at his sentencing, after claiming he was being treated more harshly during court proceedings due to the color of his skin. Chutkan, who is also black, rejected requests from Smocks' attorney for a time-served sentence at the low end of eight to 14 months, recommended by federal guidelines, and dismissed the defendant's claim that his sentence was unnecessarily harsh because of the color of his skin. 'I have not seen a scintilla of evidence that prosecutors' decisions have been racially motivated,' Chutkan told Smocks at the hearing. Protestors stormed the Capitol in Washington on January 6 to protest the results of the 2020 US election. Five people died in the raid Smocks admitted last month to posting a message on the social media network Parler under the handle 'ColonelTPerez' the day after the riot, which was viewed at least 54,000 times. 'Prepare our weapons, and then go get'em,' it read. US District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan rebuked claims from the defendant that he was being made an example of because he is black 'Lets hunt these cowards down like the Traitors that each of them are. 'This includes RINOS, Dems, and Tech Execs. We now have the green light.' The term 'RINOS' refers to those who are deemed to be 'Republicans in Name Only.' Smocks had traveled to the nation's capital before the January 6 riot, but he was not accused of storming the building. Smocks has been in jail since he was arrested on January 15; he pleaded guilty in September. One of the few black people among the 600-plus defendants charged so far, Smocks argued that his treatment has been unfair compared with others who did actually enter the Capitol. But Chutkan said she had not seen evidence that suggested Smocks' prosecution had been racially motivated, and she noted that Smocks expressed little remorse for his actions. 'People died fighting for civil rights,' she said. 'For you to hold yourself up as somehow a soldier in that fight is very audacious.' Smocks posted threatening messages to the social media website Parler the day after the riot from a Washington, D.C., hotel room 'Prepare our weapons, and then go get'em,' the message read. 'Lets hunt these cowards down like the Traitors that each of them are. This includes RINOS, Dems, and Tech Execs. We now have the green light' Smocks admitted to posting a message on the social media network Parler under the handle 'ColonelTPerez' the day after the riot, which was viewed at least 54,000 times Smocks has received the harshest sentencing yet of those accused of storming the Capitol building during the January 6 riot. He was not at that Capitol that day More than 600 people have been arrested for their part in the riot at the Capitol, which took place after a Donald Trump rally The sentence exceeded what prosecutors requested: the time he has already served in jail, during which he tested positive for COVID-19. Smocks has a two-decade-long criminal history, and prosecutors said he had bought a plane ticket to leave the country shortly before his arrest. His social media accounts indicated he had been a colonel, but authorities found no record of military service. Prosecutors found evidence he had long passed himself off as veteran and had a history of fraud-related convictions from the 1980s to 2006, though he had stayed out of legal trouble over the past two decades. Smocks' sentence was the longest since an eight-month term handed down in July to a crane operator from Florida who breached the Senate chamber while carrying a Trump campaign flag. Philly's top prosecutor has disputed claims passengers sat and filmed for their own gratification as a woman was raped on a SEPTA train - but added that two did shoot footage, with one since sharing the clip with cops. 'There is a narrative out there that people sat on the El (elevated) train and watched this transpire and took videos of it for their own gratification,' Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said at a news conference on Thursday. 'That is simply not true. It did not happen.' The news conference on Thursday came after days of police and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority officials saying multiple passengers were present for the assault, with some appearing to hold their phones in the direction of the assault as police allege 35-year-old Fiston Ngoy raped the woman in a train seat. Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt told reporters over the weekend there were passengers present who 'should have done something,' in his opinion. But, Stollsteimer said on Thursday: 'People get off and on at every single stop. That doesnt mean when they get on and they see people interacting that they know a rape is occurring.' He added: 'People in this region are not, in my experience, so inhuman and callous that they're going to sit there and just watch this happen and videotape it - as one journalist said today - for their own enjoyment.' At a news conference on Thursday, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer hit back against 'misinformation' about passengers on a SEPTA train filming while a woman was raped by an illegal immigrant and not intervening. He said that narrative is 'simply not true.' But Stollsteimer also noted surveillance footage shows that two passengers held up their phones during the attack, and said he believes one of those two has since come forward to share the footage. Stollsteimer said that footage is now 'the cornerstone of a very strong case' against Ngoy. Now, he said, he is asking for other witnesses to come forward to help put together a timeline of the attack. 'I want to be very clear we would love to talk, to anyone who witnessed that incident - any of the handful of people,' Stollsteimer said Thursday, noting that they would not be charged for not intervening in the attack. 'You are under no criminal obligation to intervene' in an assault under Pennsylvania law, he said. Requests by journalists for surveillance video from the October 13 attack on the Market-Frankford line have been denied by SEPTA, citing the ongoing criminal investigation. Fiston Ngoy, 35, was arrested and charged with rape in the horrifying attack last Wednesday Authorities say he entered the train shortly after the victim and began forcing himself on her as she pushed him away multiple times Ngoy, a 35-year-old from the Congo who has been living illegally in the U.S. since finishing his studies in 2015, was arrested and charged in the horrifying attack last Wednesday. Authorities allege Ngoy sat down next to the woman about a minute after he boarded the train car, shortly after 9.15pm, investigators wrote in an affidavit of probable cause for his arrest, obtained by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Surveillance video, which police have not released, shows him forcing himself on her as she pushed him away multiple times for over 30 minutes, until he is seen ripping off her pants around 9.52pm. Investigators say surveillance video also shows the woman pushing Ngoy away several times. Ngoy, who told police he had seen the woman before and that the sexual encounter was consensual, is charged with rape and several related offenses and is being held on $180,000 bail. His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on October 25 at 9am. The woman, who was taken to the hospital, said she had never met Ngoy and did not give him permission to touch her. She said she had had several beers after work, and got on the wrong train when Ngoy approached her. She repeatedly pushed Ngoy away, as he attempted to touch her and at one point grabbed her breast, the video showed. 'Throughout this time, the victim is obviously struggling with keeping him off of her,' investigators wrote in the affidavit. 'It's disturbing that there were definitely people on the L, and no one intervened or did anything to help this woman out,' Bernhardt said in an interview with NBC 10. But in an affidavit, Ngoy claims he recognized the woman and went over to speak to her, according to the affidavit. A public defender assigned to represent Ngoy declined to comment, saying it was still very early in the case. A hearing is scheduled for Monday. Authorities have previously said passengers on the train did not act as the assault was ongoing and instead took video of it SEPTA Transit Police Chief Thomas Nestel III, seen through window at left, stands by during a news conference regarding the horrifying sex attack on a SEPTA train last week SEPTA Police Chief Thomas J. Nestel III's best estimate was there were about 10 passengers in the close vicinity of Ngoy and the woman during the rape, which started about 9.52pm and ended when SEPTA police pulled Ngoy off of the woman about 10pm., authority spokesman Andrew Busch said Wednesday Describing police review of surveillance video, Nestel said: 'We were watching to see if somebody put a phone up to their ear indicating they might be calling 911. 'Instead, what we saw was people holding their phone up as if they were recording or taking pictures,' he claimed. Fortunately, an off-duty SEPTA employee was one of those 10 people. The employee alerted SEPTA police because he believed something wasn't right with the interaction, Busch said. He praised the employee's actions, saying he likely prevented Ngoy from being able to walk off the train and escape arrest. Three minutes after the employee reported the assault, SEPTA officers stationed at the 69th Street terminal responded to the train car and stopped it. A new report revealed that Ngoy, who gave his address as Philadelphia-based homeless shelter the Broad Street Ministry, is a Congolese national present in the U.S. illegally. He entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2012, but remained after the visa was terminated in 2015 and was protected from deportation by the immigration system - despite multiple convictions as recent as this May. Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt said it was disturbing that no passengers called 911 as they witnessed the victim being raped Court records show that Ngoy had multiple arrests dating back to 2015 and two misdemeanor convictions, one for controlled substances and one for sexual abuse. He pleaded guilty to the sex charge in 2017 in Washington DC and was sentenced to 120 days in jail, and was then placed in immigration detention in January 2018. However, Ngoy was never deported, because an immigration judge granted him a 'withholding of removal' in March 2019, after an appeals board found that his sex crime was not a 'serious crime' that made him eligible for removal. Since then, Ngoy, has been free and required only to check in periodically with Immigration and Customs Enforcement under an order of supervision. Nevertheless, he was arrested twice more in the past year, both for disorderly conduct, once in January 2020 and again just this May. Cleo Smith's suspected abductor could have taken one of more than a dozen different escape routes from the campsite she was last seen at. The missing four-year-old vanished without a trace from the Blowholes camping ground, near Carnarvon in WA in the early morning of Saturday. She was last seen by her parents at about 1.30am and when they woke at 6.30am, she along with her adult-sized sleeping bag had gone. With the search now entering its seventh day, detectives believe the little girl was likely snatched, with fears for her safety getting worse as each hour passes. The search is expected to be scaled back on Friday, as detectives shift their focus from the theory that she simply wandered off to the possibility that she was taken. Cleo Smith was last seen at the Blowholes campsite near Carnarvon in WA. Her suspected kidnapper could have taken her down a number of different trails which snake off from the main road Cleo was last seen by her parents at about 1.30am and when they woke at 6.30am, she along with her adult-sized sleeping bag had gone While Blowholes Road is the main sealed road out from the camping ground, a map of the area shows there are countless smaller dirt trails which all snake off in multiple directions. If Cleo was taken north on Gnaraloo Road there are also multiple tracks heading inland from the main road. The complex intertwining of roads makes it harder for detectives to pin down exactly which direction she may have been taken in the event she was kidnapped. It's understood from the time her parents woke up that it was at least another three hours before police were called, meaning she could have reached as far as Tom Price just over eight hours north-east of the Blowholes camping ground. Cleo may also have been driven south with the town of Kalbarri, five hours away, also a possible area she may have passed through, as is the suburb of Meekatharra, 670km south-east. The Minilya Roadhouse is around 165km north of the campsite and is on the only northbound road away from Blowholes and records every vehicle that passes through. It's understood police are investigating the CCTV taken from the roadhouse. A dozen petrol stations told the West Australian they'd been contacted by police to hand over CCTV in relation to Cleo's disappearance, with one as far as 800km south of Blowholes in Lancelin. Detectives now believe the missing girl was likely abducted as her search enters a seventh day Cleo's mother Ellie Smith and stepdad Jake Gliddon fronted the media as the agonising search for their daughters goes on While there are fears the little girl could have been taken interstate, Western Australia's strict Covid-19 policy with police guarding the borders makes it likely she's still within WA. WA Police Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde said that after a week of scouring the area, the search 'hadn't led us anywhere'. 'So that, gathered with some of the evidence that we have gained from the tent and the surrounds there, has led us to believe that possibly someone else was involved in her disappearance,' he told the Today Show. 'There is a lot of information that has come in. So we are going through that methodically. Look, we are hopeful that will lead us to discovering where she is.' When speaking about the grief Cleo's parents are feeling, Mr Wilde said it 'doesn't get any worse'. 'We know that. We really feel for the parents,' he said. A $1million reward is now on offer for anyone who can provide information to police which leads them to finding little Cleo. Pictured: A timeline of Cleo's holiday with her family, from before she disappeared to the present search Police have no 'concrete suspects' in the baffling case and say they will not rule anything out. Alarmingly, there are about 20 known sex offenders living in the surrounding area. Taskforce RODIA has now been established to help piece together the events leading to and immediately after Cleo's disappearance. WA Police confirmed that everyone who was at the campsite where the four-year-old disappeared is a potential person of interest. 'Our job is to eliminate everyone that has a trace at the campsite during that time,' Deputy Police Commissioner Col Blanch said. 'There have been hundreds of Crime Stoppers calls, primarily about suspicious persons in the area, and that's what we're responding to. Cleo's stepdad Jake Gliddon was frantic, according to a camper on the scene who assisted with the search Commissioner Blanch was asked whether sex offenders identified as living in the area were the subject of investigation. 'Sex offenders would certainly be on the list of persons of interest.' 'The process of any investigation is the process of elimination. We have to eliminate the fact of where that person was at the time of the offence.' Cleo was last seen when she woke her mum Ellie Smith up about 1.30am to ask for a sip of water. When Ms Smith got up again about 6am to feed Cleo's sister Isla, she realised Cleo and her sleeping bag were gone. The family had only arrived at the campsite about 6.30pm on Friday for a weekend getaway. Ms Smith has been visiting the Blowholes campsite since she was a little girl and Cleo was also familiar with the area. Sickening video footage shows the moment a woman was yanked to the ground by her hair in an unprovoked daylight attack while strolling through Manhattan. The incident took place on East 1st Street between Bowery and Second Avenue in the Noho section of Manhattan. Surveillance footage shows the unprovoked attack, in which a man who appears to be in his 30s or 40s running westbound on the south block of East 1st Street from the Second Avenue side of the street. It is unclear why the man was running, but moments later he was seen approaching the victim, and grabbing her hair with such extreme force that she was yanked down onto the concrete sidewalk. A young woman was viciously assaulted by a random attacker in broad daylight in New York City recently The incident took place on East 1st Street between Bowery and Second Avenue in the Noho section of Manhattan. A young woman wearing a backpack who was walking a few feet ahead of a man is suddenly and violently yanked to the ground by her locks It is unclear when the attack took place. DailyMail.com has reached out to the New York Police Department seeking comment. The incident is the latest high-profile case of assault in the city that has seen sharp rises in crime in recent months. The latest data from the NYPD shows that there has been an almost 8 percent increase in reported felony assault throughout the five boroughs thus far this year compared to the corresponding period in 2020. In the four-week period leading up to Sunday, there has been an 18.6 percent increase in the number of reported felony assaults. The spike in crime coincided with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. Surveillance footage shows the unprovoked attack in which a man who appears to be in his 30s or 40s running westbound on the south block of East 1st Street from the Second Avenue side of the street It is unclear why the man was running. The assault is seen above from a different angle In the last 18 months, New Yorkers fled the city after the government imposed a lockdown to stop the spread of the disease - shuttering offices, theaters, restaurants, bars, and other establishments. The lockdown also took place as protests erupted against the police following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May of last year. Alongside demonstrations and street marches, there were also more instances of looting, thefts, burglaries, and robberies. Earlier on Thursday, the NYPD released surveillance footage which captured the terrifying moment a group of five teenagers unleashed a barrage of bullets during a shootout outside a Bronx elementary school as the young students were about to be dismissed for the day. The brazen gun violence broke out near the Boys Prep Bronx Elementary School on October 5 at around 2:50 pm as the students at the K-8 school were being sent home. No students were shot and the gunmen escaped seemingly unharmed in another incident of the city's out-of-control crime that has seen victims of gun violence nearly double in two years. The NYPD shared the videos with the public asking for help in locating the unidentified individuals connected to the 'reckless endangerment incident.' Surveillance footage captured the terrifying moment a group of three teenagers fired shots at another group of teenagers outside an elementary school as they dismissed students who are seen walking down the street towards the violence The group of three teenagers were gathered at the entrance of a parking lot on a residential street when the one wearing a gray hoodie fired his gun on Tuesday October 5 A group of two teenagers hid between cars as the one also in a gray hoodie fired back at the group of three who ran away down the street around 2:50 pm on October 5 The group of three were later caught on different surveillance footage as they casually walked down the street near the Bronx Terminal Market The video shows two groups of hooded teens shooting at each other at the corner of East 150 Street and Cedar Lane behind the elementary school on a residential street. A group of three men - one in a gray hoodie and mask and two wearing black - are seen first in a triangle formation looking around as they stand in front of the entrance to a parking lot. The masked gunman then fires down the block at two other men. The video then cuts to two men at the other side of Cedar Lane, one wearing a gray hoodie and the other in black, hiding between parked cars to avoid getting hit. A man in the gray hoodie standing behind a white SUV then fires back at the trio before shielding himself between a white van driving down the road as he crosses the street. All three men duck and flee westbound on East 150 Street toward Exterior Street. A wide shot of the scene shows a group of kids nearly 60 feet away walking from the elementary school towards the violence as it breaks out. The NYPD video shows a clip of the group of three men casually walking on a sidewalk near the Bronx Terminal Market, a few blocks down from the shootout. A man getting out of a red minivan directly across the street from the group of two is seen getting into his backseat as the shooting begins and the gunmen run around the street. The group of two is recorded running through the street between cars towards the other group before circling back to take off eastbound on East 150 Street. There have been no arrests as of Thursday morning. Crime has sky rocketed in New York City, while rates have stayed relatively consistent with last year, they have more than doubled since 2019 in some cases including shooting victims Principal Dr. Khalek Kirkland told PIX 11 that the shootout put all 800 students grades K-8, their families and staff in serious danger 'The crime is horrific and we just want to make sure that we're keeping our scholars safe,' he said. He said that the precinct notified the school immediately. 'So we were able to make sure that not only did none of our students leave the building, but we were also able to put our families safe as well, those [that] were picking up their children,' he told the TV station. 'Boys Prep will be a beacon in the South Bronx,' Kirkland added. 'We pride ourselves on education and will continue to do that.' The shooting was another one incident among New York City's rising gun violence, particularly impacting the city's children. According to NYPD crime data, the city has had 1,526 shooting victims this year through October 17, nearly double the amount of gun violence victims through the same time as 2019, which had 760. There were 1,507 shooting victims through Oct. 17 of last year. The data recorded 89 shooting victims 17 years old and younger from January 1 to September 26 of this year. In 2019, there were 45 shooting victims 17 years old and younger during the same time period. Of those injured in shootings, 16 young people were killed by gun violence between January 1 and September 26 - an increase of more than 136% compared with the same time period in 2019, when three children or teens were killed. The mystery surrounding a set of human remains found in sand dunes in remote South Australia has deepened - with questions outstanding about who they belonged to and where they came from. The skeleton, which is the size of a 'child or small adult', was discovered by a passerby along the beach at Nora Creina, 341km south east of Adelaide, on Wednesday. Forensic investigators recovered the bones on Thursday and they are continuing to investigate the origins and circumstances surrounding the unidentified remains. Police on Friday dismissed claims by the Seven Network that the bones belonged to an Indigenous Australian and suggesting they were potentially historic in nature. The beach is not an Aboriginal burial site. Mystery continues to surrounded the identity and origin of a set of human remains found in sand dunes in South Australia (pictured) Police have dismissed claims the bones belonged to an Indigenous Australian person after reports circulated online The bones were found on Wednesday at Nora Creina, 341km southeast of Adelaide, on South Australia's south coast 'The bones were collected and conveyed to Adelaide for further forensic testing,' South Australia Police said in a statement. 'The origin of the deceased and circumstances of the death remain unexplained.' It is understood the bones have been at the site for some time. The investigation continues. Australia has many cold case disappearances, but none in South Australia is more famous than that of the three Beaumont children, who have been missing since 1966. The trio never returned after leaving their parents' Glenelg home for an afternoon at the beach on Australia Day, 1966. Pictured: The Beaumont children - Jane, nine, Arnna, seven, and Grant, four, have never been found after going missing in 1966 - making them amongst Australia's most infamous cold cases Their disappearance sparked a wide-scale search operation, but nine-year-old Jane, seven-year-old Arnna and four-year-old Grant were never found. There is no suggestion at this stage the skeleton belongs to one of the children. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A far-right group launched by anti-government activist Ammon Bundy is rapidly expanding nationwide, boosted by members who oppose the COVID vaccines and other public-health measures to curb the pandemic. Bundy has seen his People's Rights party boom by 53 percent this past year - from 22,000 to 33,000, according to a new report from the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. The quick growth happened despite legal problems faced by some prominent People's Rights leaders, and continued even as some of the organization's Facebook groups were removed from the social media platform. People's Rights started in deep-red Idaho, which remains one of the least-vaccinated states with only about 43 percent of its population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The group now includes activists in 38 states, according to the report. Ammon Bundy (pictured above) has seen membership in his People's Rights group grow 53 percent in the past year due to anti-public health sentiment during the pandemic Bundy is the son of Clive Bundy, who infamously engaged in a standoff with federal agents over unpaid grazing fees on federally-owned public land Cliven Bundy, Ammon's father, speaks to protesters during the 2014 showdown 'I think the report underestimates their overall strength, because they've also built out alliances with a range of groups from the Tea Party to the Proud Boys and anti-vax groups,' said Chuck Tanner, IREHR's research director. 'In certain places they are able to mobilize at levels that make an impact on policy.' People's Rights started in 2020 amid a wave of backlash against public health measures taken at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Started by Bundy - who is best known for leading a group of armed activists in the occupation of an Oregon wildlife refuge in 2016, and now is one of many candidates running in Idaho's gubernatorial race - the group frequently staged protests at public health districts, state Capitol buildings, schools and public officials' homes. The IREHR report analyzed internal membership data from the People's Rights network. Bundy did not immediately respond to phone and email messages left by The Associated Press. Bundy is currently running for governor of his home state of Idaho The report states that 'the rapid growth of the Peoples Rights network has been spurred by a fusion of Bundys core of the far-right paramilitary supporters built up over years of armed standoffs with a mass base of new activists radicalized in protest over COVID-19 health directives' Last year, the organization had just under 22,000 members nationally, according to a report by IREHR and the Montana Human Right's Network. Now it has grown by roughly 53%, according to the new IREHR report, with more than 33,000 members including nearly 400 official leaders in 38 states. It also includes more than 100 members in Canada - largely in Ontario - even though most of its political ideology centers on fringe interpretations of the U.S. Constitution and Christian nationalism, according to the report. 'We noticed three or four months ago that they started having Canadian provinces listed on their website. It's not big, but it's kind of strange,' Tanner said. Peoples Rights is still mostly focused in the northwestern states, particularly Idaho, where Bundy lives and roughly 17 out of every 10,000 are members, according to the report. Most of the growth has been around COVID-19-related activism, said Tanner. 'There's been rapid growth in places that didn't have very many members to begin with, but there's also been significant growth in areas that we know are really organized on the ground, like southern Washington and central Oregon,' Tanner said. The report says that Bundy has around 150 'assistant' he keeps in regular contact with in the group Bundy seen in 2017 after being released from custody to house arrest over the armed standoff 'They've really built this COVID-denial activism, and as a group are playing an outsized role in the attack on public health measures to address the pandemic.' Prominent members of the organization have faced serious legal woes. In Idaho, Sean Anderson dropped from a leadership role after he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in a police shootout last year. Another prominent People's Rights activist, Pam Hemphill, is facing several federal charges after prosecutors said she took part in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Hemphill has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Earlier this year, Bundy was convicted of trespassing and obstructing officers after prosecutors said he refused to leave a closed room at the Idaho Statehouse following protests that were attended by hundreds, including many People's Rights members. That hasn't seemed to slow the organization's growth, Tanner said. The organization has promoted extreme political concepts including state secession and the repeal of the 14th, 15th and 19th Amendments, Tanner said. The People's Rights website calls on members to be ready to defend themselves and others against government officials. Bundy is expected to challenge incumbent Republican governor Brad Little in 2022 Bundy, seen here with wife Lisa, will face at least six challengers in addition to Little in the Republican primary 'What People's Rights does is spread really radical ideas about overturning civil rights in the United States,' Tanner said. 'This is a broad-based, anti-Democratic and bigoted social movement.' But Joe Lowndes, a political science professor at the University of Oregon who researches conservatism and right-wing movements, said it's not clear if the organization's growth will have staying power in a post-pandemic world. 'People's Rights were kind of early adopters of the anti-mask, anti-vaccine movements, and they've been able to build through that to push this vague, conspiratorial, anti-government idea,' said Lowndes. 'But it's hard to say how that's able to sustain itself in the long run. I can't see that there's much staying power beyond the issue of the pandemic, unless it's kind of that general, apocalyptic-prepper stuff.' In places like Idaho, where some far-right political factions already had a stronghold, it's difficult to tell if People's Rights was leading the anti-pandemic movement or just going along with the far-right flow, said Jaclyn Kettler, a Boise State University political scientist. 'It's a little hard right now to trace what impacts they had compared to others with similar sorts of ideologies,' Kettler said. 'It will be interesting to see what happens long-term here. For instance, a lot of the Tea Party organizations aren't active like they were in 2010, but we can still see the influence of them.' California's Los Angeles and Long Beach ports in San Pedro Bay - which move about 40 percent of shipped cargo entering the U.S. - are ranked among the worst in the world, falling behind third-world countries such as Kenya and Ghana. The Los Angeles port ranked 328 of the 351 ports listed in the World Bank and IHS Markits 2020 Container Port Performance Index. Its grade was worse than the port in Lome, Togo, which is among the worlds poorest countries. Long Beachs port faired even worse, landing at the 333rd spot a few places behind Kenyas Mombasa port. Both ports slide below the ranking of the Ghana's Tema port, listed in the 261st spot. The poor rankings come as massive backlogs continue to disrupt the supply chain ahead of the holidays and threaten to continue the logjam into the 2022, and thousands of freight containers sit idly on more than 100 vessels that simply don't have anywhere to unload. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said Thursday he is considering sending in the National Guard to alleviate supply chain issues and drive trucks at backed-up ports, blaming the crisis on labor shortages and COVID. The rankings were published before the ongoing supply chain chaos, which is likely to push their ratings even lower. The analysis of data through June 30, 2020, is based on total port hours per ship call, meaning the amount of time passed between a ships arrival and departure from the berth. Californias San Pedro Bay ports were North Americas lowest-performing sites, according to the study. California's ports, Los Angeles and Long Beach, are among the worst-ranked globally, the World Bank and IHS Markits 2020 Container Port Performance Index found The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are North Americas lowest-performing sites, as well as some of the worst-ranked globally, according to the study Tulroch Mooney, associate director of maritime and trade at ISH Markit, said inefficient ports have a direct impact on a countrys supplies. During the COVID-19 pandemic we saw port delays causing shortages of essential goods and higher prices, Mooney said in a statement. Over the longer term such bottlenecks can mean slower economic growth, higher costs for importers and exporters and even resulting in less employment. The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports are currently the source of a massive ship backlog thats crippling the nations supply chain, driving up prices and leaving crews queuing for weeks waiting to unload cargo. It is not at all typical, Peter Tirschwell, vice president of maritime and trade at IHS Markit, told DailyMail.com on Thursday. Yesterday was the one-year anniversary of the first ships going to anchor off of LA-Long Beach, but prior instances were much shorter and involved fewer ships. California's San Pedro Bay ports were North America's lowest-performing sites, including the Los Angeles berth (pictured on October 20, 2021) Elsewhere in the U.S., Philadelphia was the nations best ranking port at the 83rd spot, while the Port of Virginia placed 85. The New York and New Jersey Port Authority trailed behind in the 89th spot. The port's department director, Sam Ruda, said during a board meeting Thursday that his team has effectively managed record container volumes because of investments in previously completed projects. The ports waterway infrastructure was recently enhanced by deepening navigation channels to 50 feet, raising the Bayonne Bridge and deepening the berths, Ruda said. Without these projects in our rear-view mirror, our port would be seeing a backlog of vessels, he said. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, port stakeholders have been meeting on a regular basis to flag issues early, Ruda said. Extended gate hours including Saturdays and working through holidays has been the practice of the Port of New York and New Jersey for well over a year, he said. I would note too that the local work rules at The Port of New York and New Jersey are already 24/7 for vessel operations at berth. 'This is not a new development. Its the standard operating practice at the Port of New York and New Jersey. Just one container ship was berthed Thursday at the East Coast port, where the average crew waits less than an hour-and-a-half to unload. The Los Angeles port ranked 328 of the 351 ports listed in the World Bank and IHS Markits 2020 Container Port Performance Index, falling behind Lome, Togo's port (pictured) More records were broken at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports Wednesday when 167 vessels were berthed there and 50 vessels were waiting it out in a 'holding area' Port of Los Angeles spokesperson Phillip Sanfield rejected the global report, calling the port 'highly efficient' Meanwhile, the 167 ships moored at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Wednesday broke a record set September 19, when 161 vessels were berthed there, according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California. The latest figure included a record 103 container vessels. Port of Los Angeles spokesperson Phillip Sanfield objected to the suggestion that the port was among the worlds worst. Thereve been dozens of different metrics. Weve been rated at the top in other ones, Sanfield told DailyMail.com. The Port of LA is a highly efficient port. We have been moving record cargo here and we have the best longshore workforce in the world. 'We're using big data here at the port to the port optimizer, so I have no idea how they tally the results and beg to differ with it. But in Los Angeles and Long Beach, officials are struggling to keep pace with the unprecedented number of ships as supply chain disruptions worsen ahead of the holidays In the meantime, shoppers are experiencing the ripple effects of slow shipping and jammed-up ports. The White House warned American shoppers last week that they won't be able to get key items such as popular kids' toys for Christmas because of supply chain backlogs, and stores across the country are already becoming increasingly barren. Many goods that are made in China such as toys, clothes, home appliances and more - are stuck either in factories there or in containers aboard cargo ships off the coast that are waiting their turn to dock. Biden reached a deal on October 13 with unions and business leaders from Walmart, FedEx, UPS and others to expand operations at the ports in a bid to ease supply chain bottlenecks that are driving up consumer prices and emptying store shelves. Target, Home Depot, Walmart and Samsung pledged to increase output overnight by more than 3,500 shipping containers per week. Under the new agreement, the Port of Los Angeles will join the Port of Long Beach in extending operating hours to alleviate some of the supply chain bottlenecks plaguing consumers ahead of the holiday season. But some trucking executives have said longer hours wont solve the problem, since a mass congestion of empty containers is monopolizing is creating a logistical nightmare. The mass congestion of empty trailers is creating a logistical nightmare for truck drivers To fetch a new order at the port, trucks must first return their previously used container to the steamships but with space at a premium, cargo operators are refusing to accept the empty containers. What were seeing in [Long Beach and L.A.] is really an issue around productivity, not necessarily a lack of drivers, Schrap told DailyMail.com. Its a function of our inability to return empty containers back into the port to pull the important loads off the docks. While haulage companies are offering six-figure salaries and $15,000 sign-on bonuses while struggling to attract 80,000 new drivers who are needed to relieve the crisis, it's not that simple. Industry experts said more drivers wont alleviate the California ports' backlog, where an empty shipping container fiasco is preventing trucks from moving product to consumers. The empty containers aren't just taking up space: Theyre also preventing truckers from freeing up their chassis, a piece of equipment necessary to wheel loads of cargo onto modular trailers for delivery. It is extremely inefficient, Schrap said. We are essentially moving containers around for the operational needs of the steamship lines and not being compensated for it. A NASA engineer of 37 years said she would retire over President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate if she was not granted a religious exemption. Sophia Smith, a Christian member of the Johnson Space Center Praise and Worship Club, said it was her First Amendment right to not be vaccinated and said she took issue with fetal cell lines used to develop the vaccines as a pro-life advocate. She added that she was not anti-vax, but wanted to exercise her right to not be injected with something she does not agree with. 'If people want to get vaccinated, great. But for those of us that do not, we should not be forced to choose between our job and the vaccine,' Smith told Fox News. Sophia Smith, A NASA engineer of 37 years and a Christian member of the Johnson Space Center Praise and Worship Club, said she would not get the vaccine Smith organized a protest of NASA employees outside the Johnson Space Center, in Houston More than 100 employees joined Smith in rejecting the vaccine mandate at the space center Smith, who was already set to retire last year, helped organize a protest last week with more than 100 employees in front of the Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas. She said she and her fellow employees love their jobs, but don't want to follow Biden's mandate that all federal employees be vaccinated. Karen Northon, a NASA spokeswoman, said the agency is still reviewing exemption requests and has not yet made any decisions. 'As the agency reviews and processes the requests, it is following all guidelines provided by the administration, as well as existing policies and regulations governing reasonable accommodations,' Northon said. Smith said that her group opposing the vaccine was growing, and that there will be more protests in the coming weeks. 'I have more and more people telling me they're leaving, quitting, retiring,' Smith told the Government Executive. Even if she retires, Smith added that she would continue to work with her colleagues and First Liberty United, a Christian conservative legal non-profit that has promised to go to court to fight against any members' exemption request denial. Many Christian and Catholic groups have longed opposed the COVID-19 vaccine due to fetal cell lines involved in their development. Military Services Archbishop Timothy Broglio recently said no one should be forced to receive the vaccine despite the vaccine being approved by Pope Francis and the Catholic Church. The pope told reporters last month that vaccines were for the 'common good' of the people and was puzzled as to why people would refuse them. 'It's a bit strange because humanity has a history of friendship with vaccines,' Pope Francis said The employees claim it is their First Amendment right to reject the vaccines Smith said more protests were planned for the future as the group grows in size As the government's deadline approaches, several other public agencies are also falling behind the vaccine mandate. About 88 per cent of the health care staff at the Veteran's Agency were vaccinated by October 8, while only half of the more than 36,000 employees in the Bureau of Prisons have gotten the jab, according to the Government Executive. The Transportation Security Administration is also lagging behind at 60 per cent. Union officials for the Bureau of Prisons said an estimated 10 to 20 percent of workers would leave their jobs due to the vaccine mandate, while TSA officials said the agency is working on 'contingency plans' for a mass exodus of employees. The massive delays and cancelations for flights on Southwest Airlines earlier this month cost the company $75 million, earning reports filed Thursday show. Airline officials blame the loss of revenue on flight cancelations, customer refunds and 'gestures of goodwill,' to compensate affected according to CNBC, after it canceled more than 2,000 flights between October 8 and October 13. It blamed the cancelations at the time on 'weather and other external constraints, which left aircraft and Crews out of pre-planned positions to operate our schedule.' 'Our active and available staffing fell below plan, and along with other factors, caused us to miss our operational on-time performance targets, and that created additional cost headwinds,' CEO Gary Kelly said in an earnings release on Thursday. Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly blamed a $75 million loss of revenue on flight cancelations, customer refunds and 'gestures of goodwill',' after it canceled more than 2,000 flights between October 8 and October 13 He added that a surge in COVID cases helped contribute to a $300 million loss in revenue, and said further cuts will be made next year to reflect 'more conservative staffing assumptions.' The scale of the cancelations, and fact that Southwest's rivals weren't hit by similar numbers of cancelations prompted claims that the chaos had actually been caused by unofficial industrial action prompted by the airline's vaccine mandate. Both Southwest and the pilots union which represents the majority of its pilots have denied this. A surge in COVID cases also helped contribute to a total $300 million loss in revenue The widespread cancelations on Southwest flights came just one week after the airline required all of its employees to get vaccinated in line with President Joe Biden's mandate for all federal contractors. Some had suggested that the delays were due to an unauthorized employee walkout to protest the mandate, but Jacksonville Aviation Authority COO Tony Cugno said that the delays were in fact due to staffing issues at the Jacksonville International Airport. 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.' The widespread flight cancellations over Columbus Day weekend left thousands of passengers stranded at the airports, including these people at Orlando airport They also caused long lines at the airports as customers tried to figure out how to get home, with this line forming in Orlando Southwest officials blamed the widespread delays on inclement weather, coupled with staff shortages and cuts to its operation Southwest, though, vehemently denied that the delays were caused by a 'sick-out' and instead insisted that the problems were caused by a staffing shortfall and cuts to its operations. In August, the airline announced that it would be cutting the number of flights in the fall after operational failures hampered its service in the summer. It said that it would trim its daily schedule from September 7 to October 6 by 27 flights per day. 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. Southwest Airlines President Mike Van de Ven issued a statement following the fiasco vehemently denying that the cancelations were the result of employees protesting its vaccine mandate 'Despite widespread rumors and speculation, the weekend challenges were not a result of unusual Southwest employee activity, and there simply is nothing in our data that indicates that particular reason, President Mike Van de Ven said following the fiasco, which left thousands of passengers stranded at the airports and caused long lines as customers tried to figure out how to get home. Our employees worked heroically in the midst of these adverse conditions and many came in on off days, or flew additional trips, to help the airline recover. He also told employees in that 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. '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.' As a federal contractor, Southwest Airlines is subject to the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate But the company only has until December 8 to ensure that all of its employees are vaccinated under President Joe Biden's mandate for federal contractors, which is tougher than that expected for large companies, which would allow for regular COVID testing as an alternative to a vaccination. Southwest's senior VP of operations and hospitality, Steve Goldberg, and Julie Weber, VP and 'chief people officer', wrote in a letter to staffers that if employees' requests for an exemption haven't been approved by December 8, they could continue to work while following mask and distancing guidelines until the request has been reviewed. Employees currently have until November 24 to either get their vaccinations or apply for exemption, with the pilots' union that represents the vast majority of the airline's staff filing a lawsuit over the mandate. Southwest will keep paying employees while they review the request and will allow those who are rejected to keep working 'as we coordinate with them on meeting the requirements (vaccine or valid accommodation).' In addition, Southwest will give employees a chance to reapply for rejected exemptions if they have 'new information or circumstances.' 'This is a change from what was previously communicated,' the letter said. 'Initially, we communicated that these Employees would be put on unpaid leave and that is no longer the case.' All new employees must still be fully vaccinated. As of Thursday, over 66 percent of the eligible American population has received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, and 57.2 percent were fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Meanwhile, the level of transmission remained high on Thursday, as cases continued to decline - with 73,931 new cases reported on Wednesday and 1,537 new deaths. Boris Johnson has waded into the culture war by praising a gay group accused by opponents of transphobia. The Prime Minister wrote to the LGB Alliance to congratulate it on its incredible hard work and send his best wishes. Last night, the group said it had also been invited to a meeting in Downing Street, where members had been told they had a lot of support really high up. Critics accuse the LGB Alliance of campaigning against the rights of trans people. But the group says it is standing up for the rights of women who believe it is not possible to change biological sex. The support from the PM came after the LGB Alliance, which says it aims to advance the interests of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals, invited him to attend its first national conference yesterday. The Prime Minister wrote to the LGB Alliance to congratulate it on its incredible hard work and send his best wishes. Pictured on Thursday in Armagh, Northern Ireland Around 50 trans rights activists gathered outside the venue in central London shouting: Trans rights are human rights, as three gender critical female MPs addressed attendees. Gender critical is used to describe those who believe people cannot change biological sex. Inside, the group hailed the letter from No10, projecting it on a big screen to cheers from supporters. The letter, written by Mandy Godridge, from the No10 communications unit, said: The Prime Minister is delighted to learn of this ground-breaking event. Unfortunately, it will not be possible for [him] to attend, due to pressures on his diary. The support from the PM came after the LGB Alliance, which says it aims to advance the interests of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals, invited him to attend its first national conference (pictured) yesterday Critics accuse the LGB Alliance of campaigning against the rights of trans people. Above: Protesters outside the LGB Alliance's annual conference in London on Thursday 'However, on his behalf, I would like to thank the LGB Alliance for their incredible hard work and send my best wishes for a successful conference. Asked about the letter, the PMs spokesman said: The Government is clear that biology matters and there are different health needs between the sexes. 'We are clear that all transgender people should be treated with dignity and respect. A truck driver was infectious for two days in Queensland as the state announced no new community-acquired cases. The state is breathing a sigh of relief after an unvaccinated rideshare driver was discovered to be infectious for 10 days on the Gold Coast yesterday. Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said a truck driver with one dose of vaccine had been infectious in Queensland on October 18 and 19 and was now back in Victoria. He tested positive to the virus on October 20. Dr Young said he had received a first dose of a Covid vaccine on October 1 and 'that is not sufficient to stop someone spreading the virus'. The new exposure sites announced last night, including a cinema in Stafford and petrol station in Acacia Ridge, were visited by the truck driver, Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said. Dr Young said yesterday's case on the Gold Coast, that had raised fears of another lockdown in Queensland, was 'very unwell'. 'They are keeping a very close eye on him. He is on high flow oxygen and he will probably need to go into intensive care,' Dr Young said. 'That is terrible. He is a very young, fit man who was not vaccinated and he is now extremely sick. 'In the last 24 hours he has deteriorated so he needs more oxygen.' Dr Young said Duran Raman, 36, had been so sick Queensland Health did not yet have exposure sites based on his movements. 'He was so sick that he probably has not been out in the community so we don't have exposure venues for him other than his place of residence,' Dr Young said. 'Anyone who lives there has been told any symptoms at all to get tested but we believe they are only casual contacts because he has been so sick he has been at home.' A truck driver now back in Victoria had been infectious in Queensland on October 18 and 19 tested positive on October 20. New exposure sites announced on Thursday had been visited by the truckie, including a cinema at Stafford and a petrol station at Acacia Ridge Duran Raman, aged in his 30s, (pictured) was infectious in the community for up to 10 days after returning from a trip to Melbourne on October 10 Guests, residents, and workers who have been at Island Beach Resort in Broadbeach (pictured) anytime from Saturday through to Tuesday have been plunged into isolation Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said five cases were also detected in hotel quarantine. Ms Palaszczuk said 73.66 per cent of Queenslanders had now received a first dose of vaccine, with 58.72 per cent now fully vaccinated. Duran Raman, aged in his 30s and unvaccinated, tested positive to the virus on Wednesday, bringing an end to the state's 15-day Covid-free streak. Health authorities said the exercise enthusiast, who is 'so sick he can barely speak', has lived in a private resort in Broadbeach for about 12 months and was out and about around the Gold Coast while infectious. Adding to the difficulty of their task, Mr Raman - who was unvaccinated and shared anti-vax videos over his social media accounts - allegedly has not used Queensland's QR check-in system for over a month, according to health officials. Ms Palaszczuk objected to suggestions international travellers should be allowed to travel to Queensland in line with the bringing forward of entry to NSW from people overseas. 'Our vaccination rates aren't high enough. We are not at 70 per cent double dose,' she said. 'We have set out a clear road map. We need people to come forward and get vaccinated. We haven't had the situations that New South Wales and Victoria have, where tragically we are seeing numbers of people who have lost their life each and every day. 'We haven't had that but now is the time. We have got that window of opportunity for Queenslanders to get vaccinated.' 'We will look at that closely but, as we are seeing today, a clear example, five cases in hotel quarantine, so Queensland does not have the protection yet that it needs to be able to have quarantine-free vaccinated people staying in Queensland.' Of the new exposure sites, authorities are most concerned about Gilly Barber in Richlands and Stafford's Hoyts Cinema, which were both visited on October 18 between 5.10pm to 6pm and 7.15pm to 10.45pm by the infectious truck driver. Both venues have been deemed close contact sites, with anyone who was there during the time window of concern urged to immediately isolate, get tested, and quarantine for 14 days. Freedom Fuels, in Acacia Ridge, is now considered a casual contact site on Tuesday 19, between 6.25pm-640pm. The same applies to Mr Raman's home, Island Beach Resort, which is the subject of four alerts after residents were exposed all day on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Hoyts Cinema in Stafford (pictured) has been declared a close contact venue for Monday October 18, between 7.15pm to 10.45pm Anyone who visited Freedom Fuels in Acacia Ridge (pictured) on Tuesday is considered a casual contact Everyone who was at the resort or petrol shop during those times will need to get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result - including cleaners, front desk staff, and guests. Mr Raman, who was a member of gym EMF Performance centre, which has branches across the city, tested positive at Robina Hospital on Wednesday before Ms Palaszczuk announced the new case on Thursday. It is alleged he checked out of the hospital before the results came back and had to be tracked down at his home by police and health authorities when he could not be contacted, the Courier Mail reports. Police arrived at the resort, where he lives alone, about 5.30pm on Wednesday and he was taken to Gold Coast University by an ambulance. The gym junkie is no so sick with coronavirus it has proven difficult to get information on his movements since he returned from a trip to Melbourne on October 10. Mr Raman shared his reaction to a Victorian Covid press conference from the start of September in which Premier Dan Andrews announced some eased restrictions. He captioned the video posted to his Instagram: 'Mr Gronk. A dead set gronk'. In the conference, the premier announced playgrounds would be reopening and authorised workers would once again be permitted in homes to provide services. 'Yay. The playgrounds are going to reopen. Wow,' Mr Raman is heard saying. 'Playgrounds and looking after kids, you f***ing gronk. You're a gronk, look at ya.' QUEENSLAND'S NEW COVID-19 EXPOSURE SITES Anyone who visited the following venues is considered a close contact and should get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of result: Stafford: Hoyts Cinema - Monday 18 October, 7.15pm - 10.45pm Richlands: Gilly Barber - Monday 18 October, 5.10pm - 6pm Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received: Acacia Ridge: Freedom Fuels - Tuesday 19 October, 6.25- 6.40pm Broadbeach: Island Beach Resort - all day on Saturday October 16, Sunday October 17, Monday October 18, and Tuesday October 19 Anyone who attended the following venues at the times is considered low risk and should get tested at their earliest convenience, but do not need to isolate until a negative result is received: Stafford: Hoyts Cinema - Monday October 18, 7pm - 11 pm Advertisement Queensland Police are currently investigating whether the Broadbeach man had tried to enter the state unlawfully after being turned away at the border. It's believed the ride-share driver also visited Sydney in late September. 'This is a wake-up call for the Gold Coast,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'The issue about this gentleman is that [he was] not vaccinated.' 'We are a little bit concerned about this person that has been infectious in the community and if you have any symptoms whatsoever, now is the time to get vaccinated.' Mr Raman, who has also played for local AFL team Broadbeach Cats, reportedly had a brush with the law earlier this year when he was charged with low-range drink driving and driving unlicensed. He pleaded guilty to both charges in Southport Magistrates Court in June and was fined $1000 and banned from driving for two months. The new case immediately raised fears of a repeat of Sydney's most recent Delta outbreak, which began with an infected limousine driver from the Northern Beaches. It was one of five new cases reported on Thursday, the others acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine facilities. The building manager of the Broadbeach resort, Greg Jermyn, told the ABC the driver returned a week ago and lived in a part of the resort with no other residents. Mr Raman posted his reaction to a Covid press conference from the start of September in which Mr Andrews announced some eased restrictions, labelling the premier a 'gronk' 'We've got bookings over the weekend. I'm just ringing people and advising them that we've had a Covid case so you're better off to organise to go somewhere else. As if it's not bad enough as it is,' he said. Mr Raman developed symptoms on October 11, the day after he returned from Melbourne, meaning his infectious period dates back to October 9. 'He is so sick. This is a man in his 30s. He is so sick that we are having difficulties talking to him and getting information from him,' Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said. 'We are working very closely with Uber to get information about whether he has had any drives during the time he was infectious. 'We don't have venues at this stage because he is so sick and having difficulty communicating with us and difficulty remembering, as you can imagine.' Uber were quick to issue a statement that said the man had not driven with the service since September 19. 'We work with public health authorities in each state, and have processes in place to temporarily remove an individuals access to the Uber app if authorities report an infection,' it told Daily Mail Australia. 'This is a wake-up call for the Gold Coast,' Ms Palaszczuk (pictured) said. 'The issue about this gentleman is that they were not vaccinated' The rideshare driver went to Robina Hospital emergency department yesterday, having become increasingly unwell following his return from Melbourne on October 10 'We may also limit other individuals access to the app if health authorities advise there is a risk.' Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has urged anyone who had been in the Broadbeach or greater Gold Coast areas since October 11 to monitor for symptoms. 'It is really important, please use the QR check-in,' she said, adding compliance in those areas 'had not always been great'. Ms Palaszczuk said there were currently 156,000 people on the Gold Coast, 16 and over, who remained unvaccinated. Although the state's exposure site list is likely to grow, Ms Palaszczuk said lockdown on the Gold Coast was not likely as a result of the new case because of the area's relatively high vaccination rate. Queensland Health figures show more than 60 per cent of people in the Broadbeach area are fully-vaccinated. Ms Palaszczuk was speaking in Mackay as part of a week-long tour to encourage vaccination rates in regional Queensland, where rates have been lagging. The premier announced 73.21 per cent of the state had now received a first dose, while 58.07 per cent are fully vaccinated. Ms Palaszczuk identified a number of towns where she said vaccination rates were too low given the state's deadline of a phased reopening by November 19 and a full reopening on December 17. The new case ends a run of 15 days in which Queensland has not had any community acquired cases of Covid-19 (pictured, locals enjoying a sunny day on the Gold Coast) She mentioned Bowen at 48.4 per cent having received a first dose of vaccine, Moranbah at 46.5 per cent, Serena at 61 per cent and the Whitsundays at 63 per cent as places where rates were too low. 'We know Mackay and Proserpine and the Whitsundays are absolutely gateways for tourism,' she said. 'We know that, on December 17, there will be tourists coming from all around Australia so please go and get vaccinated.' Queensland Health plans to turn 100 high schools into mass vaccination clinics across a number of areas of the state with lagging vaccination rates, including Mackay, West Moreton, Cairns, Townsville, Wide Bay, Central Queensland, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Metro South and Metro North. Yesterday Ms Palaszczuk urged regional residents to 'hop on the lifeboat' by getting vaccinated before the December 17 reopening date. 'I can't look after you if you won't hop in the lifeboat,' she said at a press conference in Maryborough on Wednesday. 'We need everyone to get on the lifeboat and we'll be protected. We have 11 days to go to get everyone vaccinated.' The premier warned the Sunshine State would reopen borders to the rest of Australia on December 17, even if the 80 per cent double-dose target is not reached. A worker at a grain elevator in Nebraska has opened fire on his colleagues hours after being fired, killing one and injuring two others, according to police. Gunman Max Hoskinson, 61, was killed after shooting three colleagues at the Agrex Elevator in Superior on Thursday, when a worker there grabbed a shotgun and returned fire. Police say that, hours after he was fired by Agrex, Hoskinson returned to the workplace with a handgun and began shooting wildly, striking three workers, one of whom died. That victim has not been identified. Another employee grabbed a shotgun from an office and drew a bead on Hoskinson, killing him, cops say. Gunman Max Hoskinson, 61, was killed by a worker who returned fire after shooting three colleagues at the Agrex Elevator (above) in Superior, Nebraska on Thursday 'There is no active threat to the community at this point,' a Nebraska State Police official told KNSB-TV. The identity of the victims was not immediately made public. One of the victims shot by Hoskinson was pronounced deceased at the scene. Another was transported by life-flight to Bryan Health West Campus in Lincoln with life-threatening injuries. The third victim was treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital in Superior. Hoskinson was transported to the hospital in Superior, where he was pronounced dead. A state police official says there is no active or ongoing threat to the community Residents in the close-knit rural community expressed shot at the violent workplace shooting. 'In a small town we are all family and the people of Agrex were our family for 22 years,' wrote Candace Butler, a certified nurses aide who grew up in Superior, on Facebook. 'I pray for you all and your families. Im just so heartbroken and shocked,' she added. The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating, with assistance from the Nuckolls County Sheriffs Office, Superior Police Department, and Nuckolls County Attorneys Office. The investigation continues. President Biden backed away from a corporate tax hike to pay for his massive social spending plans on Thursday night, as he offered a concession to holdout centrist Democrats and claimed he was close to a deal. But he also drew a red line during a CNN town hall, saying he would not introduce a work requirement for people getting child tax credits. The event, in front of an invited audience in Baltimore, was a chance to deliver his message directly to the public while his own party remains divided in Washington. Host Anderson Cooper pressed him on whether he would be able to push through a proposed increase in the top corporate tax rate to help fund trillions of dollars in new spending. 'No, I don't think we're going to be able to get the votes,' he said. His plan called for an increase in the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent for the biggest companies, triggering warnings that it could hamper growth and that the costs would be passed on to workers and consumers. 'I'm prepared to do the things that we can get done now, that can begin to change the lives of ordinary Americans to give them a fighting chance and come back and try to get others later,' he said. As Biden seeks a final agreement in coming days, questions have emerged about whether some of his most oft-cited promises, like raising taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans might have to be dropped to ensure passage of the spending bill. Thursday offered one of the deepest dives into where Biden is prepared to offer in concessions and what his opponents have asked for. Biden also explained that he had reduced his vision for paid parental leave. 'It is down to four weeks,' he said. 'I can't get 12 weeks.' President Biden appeared at a CNN town hall on Thursday evening, and announced he was scaling back his spending plans and would not need to ramp up corporate tax It marked the third time Biden has appeared on a CNN town hall since becoming president The president has conducted only 10 interviews during his time in office, far fewer than his immediate predecessors. Thursday marked the third time he has appeared at a CNN town hall since taking office, with members of the public asking questions rather than the intensive grilling of a one-on-on interview. His social spending plan remains deadlocked between progressives who want to push through a huge overhaul of social spending and centrists - Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin - who want to reduce the price of the bill from its original $3.4 trillion. He immediately faced questions about whether he could bring around the holdouts in his own party. But he offered an optimistic tone as he said he believed he was close to a deal that would also unlock his stalled trillion dollar infrastructure plan. 'I think so, you know, look ... I was a senator for 370 years,' he said triggering laughter. 'I was relatively good at putting together deals.' Manchin would eventually fall into line, he added 'Joe's not a bad guy,' said Biden. 'He's a friend and he's always the end of the day come around.' But he pushed back at one of Manchin's proposals that parents and other caregivers meet a work requirement before receiving a child tax credit. 'No, here's the deal. All these people are working anyway,' he said, as he signaled that he wanted to target the wealthy. 'And by the way, you know, why should somebody who is not working, and has, you know, makes has a million dollar trust fund, why should they get the benefit?' Manchin, senator for coal-rich West Virginia, and Sinema have both expressed reservations about the extent of spending on climate change measures. Biden suggested he could use tax incentives instead of an electric grid proposal to reach climate goals. Manchin, he added, was open to such tax incentives. And he admitted 'it would be a reach' for his spending bill to include provisions that help with hearing aids, dental and vision benefits together. Biden has given just 10 interviews in his first nine months in office, falling well short of his two immediate predecessors Donald Trump and Barack Obama who had done 57 and 131, according to Mark Knoller, a former CBS News White House correspondent who maintains a tally. And the pace of those interviews has slowed - five came in Biden's first two months in office. President Biden left the White House with the first lady for the short trip to Baltimore on Thursday evening for a CNN town hall. It is his third appearance at such an event since taking office but he trails his predecessors for number of interviews By this time in their first term, President Trump had conducted 57 interviews and President Obama, pictured in June, had done 131 This will be Biden's third CNN town hall since taking office Critics within his own party see a siege mentality in a president even as he reaches a crucial moment in steering his massive spending plans through Congress. 'The guy has always been a gaffe machine. He loves talking but the people around him want to keep him under wraps,' said a Democratic strategist who asked speak on background in order to freely discuss White House strategy. 'This is one way to do it but you lose a bit of what makes Joe tick.' Biden found himself in familiar territory on Thursday. The town hall was compered by Cooper who was also master of ceremonies in February for his first town hall as president. His last one-to-one interview was more than two months ago, with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News - an alumnus of the Clinton White House. But it was followed by days of fact checking misleading claims, from the number of Afghan troops to whether or not there were U.S. troops in Syria. White House officials play down the significance of interviews, pointing out that the president has frequently taken a handful of questions from reporters attending events. But that gives him the ability to pick and choose what he answers, say presidential observers, and allow him to simply walk away when he wants to. Thursday's town hall will be held before an invited audience. 'Joe Biden can sometimes get off message so putting him in unscripted environments might not be the best way of Joe Biden communicating,' Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons told The Hill. Biden's last one-on-one interview was with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on August 18 Even so Biden himself has joked about the way his aides prefer him not to get chatty. 'I'm not suppose to take any questions,' he said, during a visit to FEMA headquarters in August, 'but go ahead.' On that occasion he quickly brushed off a question about trouble in Afghanistan and walked away from reporters. In May, he took a couple of questions after a COVID-19 update but said: 'Im not supposed to be answering all these questions.' White House press secretary Jen Psaki admitted that was how officials wanted him to play it. 'This is not something we recommend,' she told David Axelrod, the former Obama adviser, during an interview for his podcast. 'In fact, a lot of times we say, "Don't take questions."' Republicans have used Biden's lack of interviews against him, saying the president lacks stamina or mental energy to fulfil the duties of the office. Some have dubbed him 'Sleepy Joe.' Rishi Sunak will slap a new tax on the big housebuilders to help fix the cladding scandal in next weeks Budget. The Chancellor will target the developers to recoup around 2billion of the cost of removing the dangerous materials from high-rise buildings. He will announce that the levy on the profits of the most lucrative firms will come into force from next year. It is a victory for the Daily Mail, which has led the way in calling on ministers to repair unsafe homes. This newspapers End The Cladding Scandal campaign has demanded that the firms responsible for the crisis should be made to pay their fair share. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is set to target big housing developers to recoup around 2billion of the cost of removing dangerous cladding materials from high-rise buildings The Residential Property Developer Tax will be imposed on UK housebuilders that make profits of more than 25million a year. It is understood the levy will be set by Mr Sunak at between 3 and 5 per cent on profits above this threshold. It is expected to raise around 200million a year which would amount to 2billion over the ten years it is due to be in place clawing back some of the cost to taxpayers of fixing the problem. Mr Sunak wants the firms to cough up as redress for building hundreds of thousands of flats and homes with unsafe cladding. He believes they will benefit from confidence being restored in the housing market. Ministers have pledged 5.1billion to help end the safety crisis in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in west London, which killed 72 people in June 2017. Hundreds of thousands of flat owners have faced the threat of bills of up to 150,000 each because their homes are wrapped in unsafe cladding. The Government announced earlier this year that it will fund the cost of replacing unsafe cladding for leaseholders in England in residential blocks that are at least 18 metres high, which is six storeys. Ministers have pledged 5.1billion to help end the safety crisis in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in west London, (above) which killed 72 people in June 2017 Those in low and medium-rise blocks will pay a maximum of 50 a month for long-term, low-interest loans to help them replace their cladding. The countrys biggest housebuilders make significantly more than 25million a year, with Persimmon, Berkeley, Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Homes reporting pre-tax profits of 784million, 504million, 492million and 264million respectively last year. In February, Barratt chief David Thomas said the company would support a fair, prospective levy as part of any way of easing the burden on homeowners without threatening the future supply of much-needed new homes. John Tutte, former chairman of Redrow, said a levy raising around 200million a year would not be a massive amount for the industry to pay. Emma Byrne, from the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign, last night suggested the developers should face a more punitive tax. She said: 2billion over ten years is a drop in the ocean for them. They can easily afford to pay many multiples of this risible amount it is a simple point of fairness that the Government forces them to fix the mess they have created. Many of those caught up in this scandal bought homes that should never have passed building regulations in the first place yet it is they who stand to be bankrupted to make their homes safe. Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy, seven developers have recorded combined profits of more than 15billion and ten executives have personally received a mindboggling 708million. The tax on developers will be announced by Mr Sunak in his Budget on Wednesday. The Treasury declined to comment. In the world of online dating it isnt always clear who is looking for a fling and who wants real romance. But scientists have now revealed one easy way to tell if a chap may be hunting for love. Men are more likely to include a picture or mention of a dog in their online dating profile if they want a serious relationship, research suggests. They are also more likely to do this than women in either category, while men looking for short-term relationships may display pictures of fast cars, motorbikes or themselves bare-chested, the Canadian researchers said. Some 40 per cent of men seeking a long-term partner displayed a dog on their dating profile. Experts say dogs may make men appear masculine and dominant while signalling that if they can look after a pet, they may be able to look after a child. Men are more likely to include a picture or mention of a dog in their online dating profile if they want a serious relationship, research suggests (stock image) The study, published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science, looked at people of all ages with personal photographs on their dating profile. These included 225 men seeking a long-term relationship, 225 women who wanted the same, and 225 men looking for a casual fling with no commitment Senior study author Professor Maryanne Fisher, an evolutionary psychologist from Saint Marys University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, said: Men pictured with dogs in their online dating profiles show they can look after a pet and keep it alive the kind of investment which can help to keep a long-term relationship going too. The evidence suggests they choose dogs instead of cats for these profiles because cats are seen as more feminine. The study, published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science, looked at people of all ages with personal photographs on their dating profile. These included 225 men seeking a long-term relationship, 225 women who wanted the same, and 225 men looking for a casual fling with no commitment. The researchers could find only 46 women looking for a no-strings date so they did not include them in their main analysis. The colleagues of radio host Steve Allen are calling for him to be fired after he described Tilly Ramsay as a 'chubby little thing' on his morning show. Allen, 67, who is on air from 4am to 7am, had been asked by a caller on Wednesday about Tilly, the 19-year-old daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay who is currently starring on Strictly Come Dancing. In response, he remarked: 'I'm bored of her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she. Have you noticed? Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine.' Following his remarks, the LBC host's co-workers have called for him to be axed for his 'outdated and archaic comments' and for 'bringing the reputation of the station down'. A source told The Sun: 'Steve's outdated and archaic comments have been allowed to continue for far too long and plenty of people want him out.' Colleagues of radio host Steve Allen (left) have urged bosses to fire him after he referred to Tilly Ramsay (right) as a 'chubby little thing' Nikita Kuzmin and Tilly Ramsay during the the dress run for the second episode of Strictly Come Dancing 2021 They added: 'Plenty of people think it's time he was given his marching orders because this isn't the first time he's made unacceptable comments on air and hasn't been reprimanded. 'He should issue an apology at the least but people want him gone.' On Wednesday Tilly Ramsay took to Instagram to share a lengthy statement in which she expressed her hurt and shock at having her appearance criticised by Allen. And criticism has continued to flood in, with supporters demanding LBC bosses axe Allen in light of the comments. Fans have already reported him for his comments on Tilly, with Ofcom confirming it is currently assessing the complaints. However, an spokesman for Ofcom refused to say how many complaints it has received so far when approached by MailOnline, simply commenting: 'We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate. 'Complaints figures for programmes that attracted more than 50 complaints will be published in our 'Audience Complaints' Bulletin - issued every Wednesday.' Campaigner Brie Read told MailOnline: 'People need to be held accountable for such awful comments like this, as they can be extremely hurtful and potentially dangerous for a persons' wellbeing. 'The language, labelling, and analysis of bodies in the media and on social media makes it near impossible to accept our bodies, especially for young people and those in the public eye, like Tilly.' It is not the first time Allen has courted controversy with his on-air comments, after attracting the ire of Ofcom on several occasions over the years for remarks about blind people, travellers and Portugal. MailOnline has contacted LBC for comment. The LBC hosts colleagues have criticised him for his 'outdated and archaic comments' Tilly took to Instagram to share a lengthy statement in which she expressed her hurt and shock at having her appearance criticised by Allen Strictly's Tilly Ramsay was seen for the first time on Wednesday (left with dance partner Nikita Kuzmin) since she hit out at LBC's Steve Allen A beaming Tilly later emerged from the studios with Nikita Kuzminafter her TV appearance The pair smiled for the camera as they posed for photos after visiting the Strictly studios The television personality headed to a car as she made her way home after visiting the studio In response to the remarks, Tilly wrote on Instagram yesterday: 'I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far. 'Steve please feel free voice your opinions however I draw the line at commenting on my appearance. It's such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.' She continued: 'This isn't the first and definitely wont' be the last comment made about my appearance and I accept that and I'm learning to accept myself. 'But please remember that words can hurt. And at the end of the day I am only 19 and I'm so grateful for all the amazing opportunities I have been able to take part in. 'And I understand that being in the public eye obviously comes with it's own repercussions and I've been aware of this from a young age. 'However, I won't tolerate people that think it's okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone's weight and appearance. Love Tilly xx' She captioned the post '#bekind'. The many controversies of LBC radio host Steve Allen The ongoing row between Steve Allen and Tilly Ramsay is the latest spat the LBC host has been involved in. A scan of his Twitter shows a bizarre feud with reality TV star Gemma Collins, whose weight he frequently criticised and who he described as 'a beach hut'. He made similar comments about TV personality Sally Jacks, who he said was 'fat like you can't believe'. Ms Jacks replied to the tweet to reveal she was struggling to shed baby weight. Back in 2018, he was rapped by Ofcom after he mocked a blind journalist who became the first person in the UK to use a miniature guide horse. Mohammed Salim Patel from Blackburn, Lancashire, was using two-year-old American miniature horse Digby because of his fear of dogs - until the horse grew too big. In a broadcast on October 1, Allen said he'd 'never heard of anything so stupid' while discussing a story on Digby. He also said on air: 'Well if he's blind, tell him it's a rabbit or something. I've never heard of anything so stupid. 'This is the blind man scared of dogs hoping that a horse will guide him on his commute. Where are you going to take that for goodness sake?' In December, communications regulator Ofcom upheld a complaint that the comments had been offensive. In 2015, LBC was given a warning from Ofcom after Allen made comments about 'beating up' London Tube workers. Allen said: 'I think we should go round and start beating up tube people, the people that bring them all out on strike.' In 2017, Ofcom also received complaints after Allen said: 'Why do we have to start being nice to travellers? Every time I read a story in the newspaper its either thieving, robbing or brawling what is the matter with them?' And in the same year, Ofcom found him in breach of the code for making discriminatory comments about people from Portugal. Advertisement Brie Read, the founder & CEO of Snag, an size inclusive fashion brand, added: 'Comments like this are accentuating the already dire body confidence issue we have in society. It's no wonder hospital admissions for eating disorders are up by a third across all age groups this year a shocking statistic highlighting that change needs to happen now. 'I wish everyone could embrace their beautiful bodies, but this is of course easier said than done when comments like this are repeatedly being made. Enough is enough.' Tom Quinn, director of External Affairs at Beat Eating Disorders, said: 'We were very disappointed to hear Steve Allen's comment about Tilly Ramsay's appearance. 'Whilst comments about appearance or body image are unlikely to be the sole cause of an eating disorder, idealising thinness can be very damaging to those affected and could be a contributing factor to someone becoming unwell. 'Eating disorders are serious and complex mental illnesses that impact around 1.25 million people in the UK. To protect people with or vulnerable to eating disorders, it is crucial that the media avoids making judgemental comments about people's appearances.' Love Island star Alex George, comedian Jason Manford and presenter Stacey Dooley were among the celebrities to show their support for Tilly. Dr George, 30, wrote to LBC and said in his letter that he was 'horrified' by the remarks: 'The discussion about a young person's weight live on air is not acceptable.' Strictly stars also supported the teenager, with Janette Manrara writing: 'How fast we forget what hurtful comments can do for someone's mental health. You are a POWERFUL young lady! Wear your crown w/ your head held high'. Giovanni Pernice penned: 'Some people are very nasty !! Don't listen to this crap .. we love You girl ! #bekind'. GBBO star and Strictly contestant John Whaite penned: 'He's a piece of old sandpaper love, worn and used and has nothing to offer the world. And his vicious scratching has only left you polished and more fabulous. Love you.' Her sister Holly meanwhile wrote: 'Very well said x #bekind', while their sister Megan echoed: 'Love you Tills'. Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian reached out to Tilly to write: 'what a total w**ker. bloody uncalled for. can't wait for you to have the last laugh and keep winning. sending you love'. However, Julia Hartley-Brewer defended Allen's comments and said that he was 'entitled' to call Strictly Come Dancing star Tilly a 'chubby little thing' on his show. The Talk Radio presenter, 53, claimed on Thursday's episode of This Morning: 'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors.' But viewers were quick to disagree online as many took to Twitter to call Julia 'totally out of order' and question 'why can't people just be kind?' One viewer said: 'Just heard Julia Hartley Brewer come on @thismorning saying freedom of speech entitles anyone to publicly comment on someone else's weight. Listen, I know I've been guilty of it in the past, as I'd bet we all have. But that doesn't mean it's right and should be encouraged!' Criticism has continued to flood in, with supporters demanding LBC bosses axe Allen in light of the comments Chef, social media influencer and TV presenter Tilly has over 9.5 million followers on TikTok, where she regularly posts funny videos of herself and dad Gordon Allen has hosted the early morning breakfast show on LBC since 2000 and it isn't the first time the presenter has come under fire for making controversial comments. Back in 2018, he was rapped by Ofcom after he mocked a blind journalist who became the first person in the UK to use a miniature guide horse. Mohammed Salim Patel from Blackburn, Lancashire, was using two-year-old American miniature horse Digby because of his fear of dogs - until the horse grew too big. In a broadcast on October 1, Allen said he'd 'never heard of anything so stupid' while discussing a story on Digby. He also said on air: 'Well if he's blind, tell him it's a rabbit or something. I've never heard of anything so stupid. 'This is the blind man scared of dogs hoping that a horse will guide him on his commute. Where are you going to take that for goodness sake?' In December, communications regulator Ofcom upheld a complaint that the comments had been offensive. In its ruling, Ofcom said: 'Mr Allen seemed to be implying that people who are blind cannot differentiate between a rabbit and a dog. 'We considered that this remark could have been interpreted as belittling blind people and offering a highly pejorative view of them. 'Further, Mr Allen repeatedly questioned, in dismissive terms, the practicality of using a guide horse and emphatically dismissed what was an individual's choice to equip himself in this way as 'ludicrous'. In the post, Tilly, 19, revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks 'He also concluded that the man in question should be denied this choice ('He's afraid of dogs. Why? Why's he afraid of dogs? Well don't give him - don't give him anything at all then. Just give him a white stick'). 'In our view the potential offence was exacerbated by Steve Allen mocking the idea that the BBC had employed a blind cameraman.' LBC said in its response to Ofcom that the programme is 'centred around (Steve Allen's) unique and acerbic take on the news of the day'. The response added that he 'provides fast-moving opinions on the headlines and rarely dwells on one topic for any significant amount of time' and said his comment on the Mr Patel's story 'had a total duration of less than a minute'. In 2015, LBC was given a warning from Ofcom after Allen made comments about 'beating up' London Tube workers. Allen said: 'I think we should go round and start beating up tube people, the people that bring them all out on strike.' In 2017, Ofcom also received complaints after Allen said: 'Why do we have to start being nice to travellers? Every time I read a story in the newspaper its either thieving, robbing or brawling what is the matter with them?' And in the same year, Ofcom found him in breach of the code for making discriminatory comments about people from Portugal. Earlier this year, Allen took an extended leave of absence from his radio show due to illness. He did not front the show from February 17 to March 15. 'Why can't people just be kind?' Viewers slam Julia Hartley-Brewer for claiming LBC presenter Steve Allen, 67, was 'entitled' to call Tilly Ramsay, 19 a 'chubby little thing' live on air BY LYDIA SPENCER-ELLIOTT FOR MAILONLINE Julia Hartley-Brewer has defended LBC's Steve Allen saying that he was 'entitled' to call Strictly Come Dancing star Tilly Ramsay a 'chubby little thing' on his show. The Talk Radio presenter, 53, claimed on Thursday's episode of This Morning: 'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors.' But viewers were quick to disagree online as many took to Twitter to call Julia 'totally out of order' and question 'why can't people just be kind?' 'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors. Obviously, a personal dig isn't nice,' Julia claimed of the remarks towards Tilly (pictured on Strictly) Julia claimed during a video call interview on the show: 'Steve Allen is entitled to say what they want to say. 'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors. Obviously, a personal dig isn't nice'. Steve said of Tilly earlier this week: 'I'm bored of her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she. Have you noticed? Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine.' Tilly then responded to the savage remarks with a lengthy Instagram post where revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks. Fans quickly took to Twitter to rush to the 19-year-old's defence as they criticised Julia's controversial opinion. One fumed: 'All this woman on This Morning is defending some kn*b on the radio making fun of Tilly Ramsay's weight. Get Gordon on the radio to ask him about it, but best be sure to get your sh*tting pants on first - kn*bheads. The poor girl is 19!' Another added: 'That radio presenter was totally out of order shes only 19 for god sake thats going to damage her mental health... absolutely terrible. Why can't people just be kind ffs i dont see what her weight has anything to do with her being on strictly... tilly is beautiful.' A third user wrote: 'Just heard Julia Hartley Brewer come on @thismorning saying freedom of speech entitles anyone to publicly comment on someone else's weight. Listen, I know I've been guilty of it in the past, as I'd bet we all have. But that doesn't mean it's right and should be encouraged!' Free speech? Julia said during a video call interview on the show: 'Steve Allen is entitled to say what they want to say,' despite mounting backlash that his comments were 'fat shaming' 'The poor girl is 19!': Fans quickly took to Twitter to rush to the teenager's defence as they criticised Julia's controversial opinion Backlash: This Morning viewers called Julia 'totally out of order' as they stuck up for Tilly and pointed out 'that's going to damage her mental health' Another viewer wrote: 'The way they are discussing and justifying the comments made about Tilly Ramsey are shameful. She is 19 and the conversation was not about her appearance he mentioned it with no relevance to the conversation what so ever. It's bullying!!!' 'Just because you have the right to say something doesn't mean that you SHOULD say it smh,' chimed in another. One fan questioned: 'Why are they sticking up for Steve Allen? he had no right in calling Tilly chubby.' While another simply stated: 'If you haven't got anything nice to say don't say it.' 'It's bullying: Tilly's supporters flooded Twitter timelines as they took Julia and Steve to task over what they had said Support was also shown for Tilly on the London Underground by the writers who post messages on information boards inside the city's stations. They wrote a letter on a whiteboard inside Piccadilly Circus station that read: 'Dear Matilda, Hope you're doing alright? 'We thought we would write you this letter, well done for standing up for yourself against disgraceful behaviour and disgusting comments from people who should know better; 'You are spectacular on Strictly, keep dancing and doing what you do, today we are changing Piccadilly Circus to PiccaTILLY Circus to pay tribute to you.' 'Well done for standing up for yourself': Support was shown for Tilly on the London Underground information boards Elsewhere, Love Island's Dr Alex George wrote an open letter to Steve after he was 'horrified' by his comments about Tilly. Strictly star Tilly was quick to thank Alex for his support, commenting beneath his letter - shared on Instagram - 'Thank you Alex for your support and kindness.' In his letter, Alex highlighted that 'it is widely recognised just how damaging such comments about someone's weight are and the effect they can have on an individual's mental health'. He also noted: 'We must not underestimate the impact such remarks can have, feeding into the perpetual cycle of weight stigma that still exists here in the UK.' Alex captioned his post: 'Email sent. We stand with you @tillyramsay.To anyone affected by these comments please reach out to @beatedsupport charity.' Support: Elsewhere, Love Island's Dr Alex George wrote an open letter to Steve after he was 'horrified' by his comments about Tilly Letter: Alex told LBC in his letter that he was 'horrified' by the remarks and highlighted: 'The discussion about a young person's weight live on air is not acceptable' Caption: Alex captioned his post: 'Email sent. We stand with you @tillyramsay. To anyone affected by these comments please reach out to @beatedsupport charity' Tilly replied: 'Thank you Alex for your support and kindness. You are amazing' The daughter of Gordon Ramsay took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a lengthy statement in which she expressed her hurt and shock at having her appearance criticised 'by a 67-year-old man on national radio'. The CBBC presenter is competing on Strictly with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin and is simultaneously featuring on the pre-recorded Celebrity MasterChef Australia. Alongside the statement she shared a soundbite from Steve's show, in which he read out a comment from a listener alerting him to the fact Tilly was taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia. Tilly penned: 'I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far. 'Steve please feel free voice your opinions however I draw the line at commenting on my appearance. It's such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.' Tilly continued: 'This isn't the first and definitely wont' be the last comment made about my appearance and I accept that and I'm learning to accept myself. 'But please remember that words can hurt. And at the end of the day I am only 19 and I'm so grateful for all the amazing opportunities I have been able to take part in. 'And I understand that being in the public eye obviously comes with it's own repercussions and I've been aware of this from a young age. 'However, I won't tolerate people that think it's okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone's weight and appearance. Love Tilly xx' She captioned the post '#bekind'. MailOnline has contacted LBC for comment. Two of a kind: Tilly is partnered with Nikita Kuzmin on this year's Strictly Strictly stars flooded the post with support for Tilly with Janette Manrara writing: 'How fast we forget what hurtful comments can do for someone's mental health. You are a POWERFUL young lady! Wear your crown w/ your head held high'. Giovanni Pernice penned: 'Some people are very nasty !! Don't listen to this crap .. we love You girl ! #bekind'. GBBO star and Strictly contestant John Whaite penned: 'He's a piece of old sandpaper love, worn and used and has nothing to offer the world. And his vicious scratching has only left you polished and more fabulous. Love you.' Her sister Holly meanwhile wrote: 'Very well said x #bekind', while their sister Megan echoed: 'Love you Tills'. Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian reached out to Tilly to write: 'what a total w**ker. bloody uncalled for. can't wait for you to have the last laugh and keep winning. sending you love'. Support: Strictly stars flooded the post with support for Tilly Chef, social media influencer and TV presenter Tilly has over 9.5 million followers on TikTok, where she regularly posts funny videos of herself and dad Gordon. She presented Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch on CBBC, which saw her cooking and having adventures along with her family, for which she received three Children's BAFTA nominations. In 2017 she published her first cookery book, inspired by the show, titled: Matilda & The Ramsay Bunch: Tilly's Kitchen Takeover. Tilly and her Dad also hosted a regular cooking item on This Morning, Big Chef Little Chef. Labour faced ridicule last night over its ever-changing stance on Covid restrictions. Leader Sir Keir Starmer attempted to exploit rising case numbers yesterday by telling the Prime Minister to get a grip on the situation. But it backfired when his party flip-flopped within the space of an hour over whether or not the Government should introduce its contingency measures, known as Plan B, straight away. Labours health spokesman Jonathan Ashworth told Times Radio: We are in favour of Plan B, of course the Plan B. But within minutes, Labour issued a statement saying it did not want to move to Plan B which would mean a return to mass wearing of masks and working from home. A spokesman said the partys policy was making Plan A work. Leader Sir Keir Starmer (pictured in the House of Commons during PMQs) attempted to exploit rising case numbers yesterday by telling the Prime Minister to get a grip on the situation Health spokesman Jonathan Ashworth (above) said the party agreed with the Government's Plan B, but Labour released a statement distancing themselves from drastic restrictions When Sir Keir was asked about Plan B, he said: The question we need to ask is why is Plan A failing? 'And its failing because the Government has allowed that wall of the vaccine to crumble. Last night, a Conservative Party spokesman said: As has been the case throughout this pandemic, Labour shamelessly flip-flop from one day to the next to chase the latest headline. A man has been charged with murdering a young mother who was just weeks away from giving birth to her fourth child. Janet Dweh, 36, was found dead lying in a pool of blood inside her home in the eastern Perth suburb of Dayton on October 4. Her concerned brother went to her home after she didn't show up at a family gathering, and found her body. Western Australian police charged a 50-year-old man from Ellenbrook with one count of murder on Friday. WA Police have charged a 50-year-old man with the murder of aged care nurse Janet Dweh (pictured) Aged care nurse Janet Dweh (pictured) had just gone on maternity leave to prepare for the birth of her fourth child. She was found dead at home on October 4 He will appear in Midland magistrates Court later on Friday. Ms Dweh fled war-torn Liberia in West Africa as a teenager in search of a better life in Australia and recently went on maternity leave ahead of the birth. Shattered friends and family consoled each other as they remembered an 'amazing' woman and much-loved community member. 'I feel very sad and in disbelief. I can't believe it, when I first heard the news I just thought Janet passed away,' her uncle Erskine Brown-Zabay said. 'I was thinking this girl was safe how can she just pass away?' An emotional Christopher Sunday added: 'That was wrong for someone to take her life like that.' The mum-of-three (pictured) was found dead inside her Perth home by her brother earlier this month Mr Sunday said the close-knit community was hit hard by the tragedy. 'Everybody that was here last night, we all broke down with tears, everybody was falling on the street,' he said. 'She's like the boss. Everybody goes to her for like counselling, for advice, mainly the youth. 'She was one of the best people that had a good job, leading people in the right direction. She was just an amazing person, and very friendly.' Ms Dweh's employer Villa Terenzio, an Italian aged care home, also mourned the Edith Cowan University graduate. 'We are heartbroken as a community,' the company told Seven News. 'She was a dedicated nurse who was a loved and cherished colleague and a friend to so many people. Ms Dweh's three children are now being cared for by their grandmother. Prue Leith has said opponents of legalising assisted dying are scaremongering. The Great British Bake Off judge, 81, dismissed the idea that children of terminally ill patients would abuse the process to inherit earlier. This is despite her own son, Tory MP Danny Kruger, being an opponent of the legislation. Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith, 81, expressed her support for the Assisted Dying Bill in a letter to the Telegraph and said opponents of legalising assisted dying are scaremongering Miss Leith expressed her support for the Assisted Dying Bill in a letter. She wrote: Opponents to the Bill fear that grasping children will coerce dying parents to get their doctors to see them off so they can inherit. This is scaremongering. If someone is going to die within six months anyway, which must be the case to qualify for assistance to die, why would anyone risk prosecution to get the money a few months earlier? Her letter was sent to The Daily Telegraph. The Assisted Dying Bill, which would allow adults who are of sound mind and have six months or less to live to legally seek assistance to end their lives, will have its second reading in Parliament today. However, her own son, Tory MP Danny Kruger, is an opponent of the legislation and chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dying Well which campaigns against the reform Mr Kruger is chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dying Well which campaigns against the reform. He previously wrote that the campaign for legalisation was being outpaced by developments in palliative care. Yesterday, the Daily Mail revealed that Tory peer Michael Forsyth had changed his mind on his opposition to the reform after a deathbed encounter with his father, who died last year from bladder cancer. A bartender quit his job and told his boss to 'eat my a**' after he was berated for drinking alcohol on his day off. The fiery exchange kicked off when the man's boss texted him at 3am one morning asking him to work an 11-hour shift that day despite him not being rostered on to work. 'No thank you, tomorrow is my day off,' the bartender responded as seen in a series of text messages shared to Reddit. But his boss wasn't having any of it and demanded he work, telling him 'it isn't all about you' and that he needed to be a 'team player'. A bartender (not pictured) quit his job and told his boss to 'eat my a**' after he was told he shouldn't be drinking alcohol on his day off (pictured is a Sydney bartender) 'Why are you just telling me at 3am that I need to work 11 hours tomorrow?' the bartender asked. 'I've had a few drinks and don't feel like coming into work hungover and working for that long on my day off.' His employer immediately hit back, saying the worker 'needed to be ready' to come in for a shift. The worker told his boss he wouldn't be coming in to work as he'd been drinking but his boss said he shouldn't be 'getting too drunk' The comment enraged the bartender who told his boss that if he had given him more notice he may have said yes 'Getting too drunk is not a good look, if you can't stay prepared sometimes things happen and we need to cover each other,' the boss said. The comment enraged the bartender who told his boss that if he had given him more notice he may have said yes. 'You're telling the bartender not to drink on his time off? Wanna tell the chefs not to eat off the clock too?' he replied. As the text exchange continued, his boss told the bartender they would be discussing his 'attitude' on his next shift to which the worker blatantly replied 'no we're not'. 'Bartenders are needed all over the place now, I think I'll just go work at one of the dozens of places hiring around here. I'm fed up with you.' When his boss told him he was making a drunken mistake, the bartender simply responded 'Eat my a**'. The conversation went viral on the social media platform with one suggesting he should have never answered the message. ''You need to stay ready for work'' is the most ridiculous thing I've ever read from an employer,' one commented. 'He asked and you said no. He has absolutely no right telling you how you should conduct yourself when you're not at work,' wrote another. A Lamborghini owner had a lucky escape when he accidentally reversed his 160,000 supercar into a lake in Austria. The 31-year-old motorist had been driving through the town of Mondsee when he 'mixed up the brake and accelerator pedals' and drove his Lamborghini Huracan backwards into the lake. The driver was able to scramble out of the car alive and swim to shore as his vehicle sank 50ft into the water. The Lamborghini owner has been driving through the town of Mondsee in Austria when he 'mixed up the brake and accelerator pedals' and drove his Lamborghini Huracan backwards into a lake He was later taken to a local hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. Following the accident, fire crews, a tow truck and a crane were sent to the scene to recover the supercar. Images showed the vehicle being hauled out of the water as fire crews and the emergency services stood near the lake. The rescue effort to remove the Huracan from the lake took a total of three hours, according to officials. Fire crews, a tow truck and a crane were sent to the scene to recover the supercar from the lake The police were also called in to investigate the incident in the Austrian town. They said the driver had just dropped someone off and was in the process of turning around when the accident took place. A spokesman for the force said the driver was turning the car around next to the lake and must have 'mixed up the brake and accelerator pedals and drove backwards into the Mondsee.' An Instagram and OnlyFans model who was arrested for allegedly stabbing her boyfriend on Monday previously clobbered her cousin so badly that she had to have her fingernail removed, reports say. Genie Exum, 22, was freed without bail Tuesday after police say she stabbed her boyfriend in the back and arm during an argument at their fancy New York City apartment the day before. Back in October 2018, Exum was living with cousin Jenna Marlowe in Phenix City, Alabama, when she picked up a liquor bottle and hit Marlowe in the head with it, knocking her to the ground, an anonymous source told the New York Post. The source said Exum shouted: 'Im going to kill you. Im going to rip your face off. Youll never be nothing. You are never going to be anything in life.' Exum and her cousin were reportedly arguing about bills. Neighbors called the police, who dropped the case after Marlowe declined to press charges. Exum, an internet model, was arrested on a felony charge of assault with a weapon in the altercation with her boyfriend, fellow model Francis Amor, 30, who is expected to survive. Exum has a history of sending her loved ones to the hospital in fits of rage, a source claims Exum, 22, was released without bail Tuesday for allegedly stabbing her boyfriend during an argument in her Hudson Yards apartment Monday Exum reportedly sent cousin Jenna Marlowe, above, to the hospital after a violent fight in 2018 Marlowe, above, was living with Exum in Alabama during the argument. Doctors had to completely remove one of Marlowe's fingernails, which had snapped off, a source says Once free, she quickly returned to Instagram to share a clip of herself sitting and smirking during police questioning, in an apparent bid to gain support from her followers. Following her arraignment on Tuesday, Exum was released without having to post bail, and rushed from Manhattan Criminal Court without answering questions from waiting reporters. Despite her usual friendliness to cameras, Exum shielded her face with papers and wore a Yankees cap tugged low as she walked a gauntlet of photographers, before jumping into a waiting car that quickly whisked her away. Soon after gaining her freedom, Exum posted an Instagram story that depicted a brief clip of her sitting next to an NYPD detective in a precinct house. Soon after her release, Exum posted an Instagram story that depicted a brief clip of her sitting and smirking next to an NYPD detective in a precinct house OnlyFans model Genie Exum, 22 walks free on Tuesday after being released without bond on a felony charge of assault with a weapon with intent to cause physical injury Genie Exum, 22, has been arrested for assault for stabbing her 30-year-old boyfriend Francis Amor, right, in the back and arm on Monday Genie, who is originally from a small town in Alabama but now cavorts on yachts in Europe and in Manhattan's social scene, was charged with assault Exum smirked in the clip and appeared amused as she held up what appeared to be a piece of string, and paired the video with music from the Akon song 'Locked Up'. 'Now they done stop me and I get locked up/They won't let me out,' Akon sings. Exum captioned the video: 'They took my phone y'all I'm on the trap [right now]'. A 'trap phone' is slang for a prepaid cellphone, also known as a burner, colloquially associated with use in criminal enterprises to avoid detection. It's unclear what sparked the intense dispute between Exum and Armor, but police were called to the apartment where they both live in Hudson Yards at 6.45pm. When cops arrived, Amor told them Exum, who is originally from Smiths Station, a small town in Alabama, had stabbed him in the arm and back with a kitchen knife. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition and is expected to recover. Monday's argument doesn't appear to be the first time Exum's rage has sent someone to the hospital. Cousin Jenna Marlowe ended up with bruises on her face, cuts on her arms and a ripped-off nail after fighting with Exum in 2018, the New York Post reports. Doctors had to completely remove Marlowe's fingernail, which was attached to a fake acrylic nail. Exum left the apartment after attacking Marlowe with a liquor bottle. Neighbors called the police, who ended up dropping the investigation at Marlowe's behest. Relatives said Exum moved to California after the fight but returned to Alabama, where she's from, soon after. Exum wards off members of the media as she flees the courthouse after her arraignment Hours before the attack (left), Genie was posting on Instagram about her new waist trainer. The violent bust up was in a building (right) at Hudson Yards on the west side of Manhattan Armor has also posed near The Vessel near the couple's Hudson Yards apartment building Exum has more than 45,000 followers on Instagram and charges $10-a-month for X-rated content on OnlyFans. She describes herself on OnlyFans as a 'free spirit from Alabama with a loud mouth & dirty mind.' Her Instagram follower count has gone up in the days after the alleged stabbing, rising from about 34,000 on Monday. Relatives say that Exum started racking up followers after abruptly moving to Miami and starting an OnlyFans. 'Ever since she became kind of famous, she doesnt really talk to people here,' an Alabama relative told the New York Post. 'On Monday, October 18, 2021 at approximately 18.45 hours, police responded to a 911 call of a male assaulted,' an NYPD spokesman told DailyMail.com on Tuesday afternoon. 'Upon arrival, a 30-year-old male complainant reported that he had a verbal dispute with a 22 year-old female, when she stabbed him in the arm and back with a kitchen knife. 'EMS also responded to the location and transported the victim to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in stable condition,' the spokesman said. The violent domestic is a far cry from the loved-up and lustful couple the pair portray themselves as on social media. Jenna Marlowe, above, declined to press charges against Exum after a 2018 fight Exum charges $10-a-month for X-rated content on OnlyFans, as well as posting on Instagram Exum was released with no bail and jumped into a waiting car on Tuesday Exum leaves court after police said she stabbed her boyfriend with a kitchen knife in their NYC apartment The Instagram model no longer sought the attention of cameras as she left court The couple are shown together in a recent Instagram image. It's unclear what they were fighting about on Monday that led to the attack Amor uses the apartment in Hudson Yards as a backdrop for some of his Instagram poses too Amor regularly poses for artistic nude shots in his younger girlfriend's apartment, sometimes with a fruit bowl covering his modesty and others crouched in strategic yoga positions. Exum is also somewhat of an exhibitionist. She regularly shares photographs of her barely-dressed body, including one in which she flashes her breasts while standing in front of an NYPD cop car. Neither of the pair are registered to the apartment where the fight took place. A studio apartment in the building costs upwards of $4,000. Hours before the incident, she posted about her new waist trainer in an excitable Instagram story. '"I have the freedom to kill you with my COVID." Come on,' he said President Joe Biden said police officers and emergency workers who refuse COVID-19 vaccination should stay home or be fired, as he answered questions during a CNN town hall on Thursday evening. 'Yes and yes,' he said to a thunderous round of applause. 'By the way, I waited until July, to talk about mandating, because I tried everything else possible. 'Mandates are working.' Biden traveled to Baltimore for the town hall, where he delivered his most wide-ranging update yet on talks to break the deadlock on his mammoth social spending plans. His $3.4 trillion program and a smaller infrastructure plan are held up amid divisions between centrists and progressives. In a headline-packed 90 minutes, he said he was dropping proposals to pay for the spending with a corporate tax hike, that he was considering sending in the National Guard to ease supply chain problems, and would defend Taiwan if it was attacked. But he also defended his stance on vaccine mandates in uncompromising terms. The U.S. has lagged behind other wealthy nations in vaccinating people against COVID-19. A series of mandates for federal workers and for companies with more than 100 staff triggered angry protests and reports of people being fired or resigning in protest. 'Two things that concern me,' he said. 'One, are those who just try to make this a political issue - freedom. "I have the freedom to kill you with my COVID." 'Come on.' President Joe Biden said he supported the firing of police officers and emergency responders who refused to get vaccinated during a CNN town hall on Thursday evening Biden traveled to Baltimore for the event and a chance to address voters directly about COVID-19 and his massive spending plans that have divided Washington Protests against COVID-19 vaccination mandates have spread around the country. Pictured here are protesters marching through New York City as a mandate went into effect for public school employees at the start of the month Then he criticized what he called 'misinformation' about the death of former Secretary of State Colin Powell that focused on the fact he was fully vaccinated. 'Well he knew he had serious underlying conditions, and it would be difficult,' said Biden. 'He clearly would have been gone earlier had he not gotten the vaccine.' At the start of the night he was quizzed on his plans for a multi trillion dollar social spending plan, which is currently deadlocked in Washington. Progressives want to push through a massive overhaul of social spending while centrists - Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin - are pushing to reduce the price of the bill from its original $3.4 trillion. Biden offered the centrists a concession, backing away from a corporate tax hike to pay for his Build Back Better agenda. Host Anderson Cooper pressed him on whether he would be able to push through a proposed increase in corporate take to help fund trillions of dollars in new spending. 'No, I don't think we're going to be able to get the votes,' he said. He had wanted an increase in the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent for the biggest companies, triggering warnings that it could hamper growth and that the costs would be passed on to workers and consumers. President Biden appeared at a CNN town hall on Thursday evening, and announced he was scaling back his spending plans and would not need to ramp up corporate tax It marked the third time Biden has appeared on a CNN town hall since becoming president Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin want Biden's ambitious social package scaled back and Biden cannot afford to lose their votes in the Senate The event, in front of an invited audience, was a chance to deliver his message directly to the public while his own party remains split. He immediately faced questions about whether he could bring around the holdouts in his own party, particularly Manchin, but expressed optimism that he was close to deal after weeks of intra-party bickering. 'I think so, you know, look ... I was a senator for 370 years,' he said triggering laughter. 'I was relatively good at putting together deals.' Manchin, he added, would fall into line. 'Joe's not a bad guy,' said Biden. 'He's a friend and he's always the end of the day come around.' But he pushed back at one of Manchin's proposals that parents and other caregivers meet a work requirement before receiving a child tax credit. 'No, here's the deal. All these people are working anyway,' he said, as he signaled that he wanted to target the wealthy. 'And by the way, you know, why should somebody who is not working, and has, you know, makes has a million dollar trust fund, why should they get the benefit?' Overall, he said, the aim was to get the bill done and worry about what had been left out later. 'I'm prepared to do the things that we can get done now, that can begin to change the lives of ordinary Americans to give them a fighting chance and come back and try to get others later,' he said. As Biden seeks a final agreement in coming days, questions have emerged about whether some of his most oft-cited promises, like raising taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans might have to be dropped to ensure passage of the spending bill Biden also explained that he had reduced his vision for paid parental leave. 'It is down to four weeks,' he said. 'I can't get 12 weeks.' Biden says he is considering sending in the National Guard to fix the supply chain crisis and drive trucks at backed-up ports: Blames the problems and labor shortages on COVID President Biden said that he would 'absolutely' consider sending in the National Guard to help alleviate the supply chain crisis, even by driving trucks. 'The answer is yes,' the president said during the CNN town hall after being asked whether he would send in the guard to alleviate supply chain issues that are leading to product shortages and rampant inflation. 'Absolutely, positively,' he added. Asked if he would consider sending in the guard to drive trucks, the president said: 'Yes, if we cant increase the number of truckers.' Biden said his first goal was 'to get the ports up and running,' before he would call up the guard. Haulage companies are offering six-figure salaries and $15,000 sign-on bonuses while struggling to attract 80,000 new drivers who are needed to relieve the nations supply crisis. Thousands of containers are unloaded from a ship at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, while dozens of large container ships wait to be unloaded offshore Wednesday Thousands of containers sit, waiting to be loaded on trucks and trains, as large container ships are unloaded from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach But industry experts said more drivers wont alleviate the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach backlog, where an empty shipping container fiasco is preventing trucks from moving product to consumers. Facing an exodus of 600,000 retiring truckers by 2028, the transportation industry is desperate to recruit more people and estimates that 80,000 new hires are needed this year to offset attrition and clear a backed-up supply chain. US Foods, seeking a Northern Californian with a commercial drivers license (CDL), is offering a $15,000 sign-up bonus and a $1,000 quarterly bonus to candidates willing to work for $38.50 an hour. And last June, JK Moving Services said it would guarantee its qualified drivers a salary of at least $100,000 as market demands grow and the pool of qualified candidates shrinks. Its all happening as shipping backlogs delay cripple the supply chain, with Christmas toys and holiday goodies among the items stranded in the Pacific as freightliners queue for weeks to unload cargo. A group of 160 Republican lawmakers have addressed the importance of fixing the supply chain crisis in a letter to President Joe Biden while attacking his embattled spending proposals. The letter, led and signed by Representative Sam Graves, was sent to Biden on Wednesday in an attempt to further address the urgency of the crisis. Advertisement Biden has given just 10 interviews in his first nine months in office, falling well short of his two immediate predecessors Donald Trump and Barack Obama who had done 57 and 131, according to Mark Knoller, a former CBS News White House correspondent who maintains a tally. And the pace of those interviews has slowed - five came in Biden's first two months in office. Critics within his own party see a siege mentality in a president even as he reaches a crucial moment in steering his massive spending plans through Congress. 'The guy has always been a gaffe machine. He loves talking but the people around him want to keep him under wraps,' said a Democratic strategist who asked speak on background in order to freely discuss White House strategy. 'This is one way to do it but you lose a bit of what makes Joe tick.' President Biden left the White House with the first lady for the short trip to Baltimore on Thursday evening for a CNN town hall. It is his third appearance at such an event since taking office but he trails his predecessors for number of interviews This will be Biden's third CNN town hall since taking office Biden found himself in familiar territory on Thursday. The town hall was compered by Cooper who was also master of ceremonies in February for his first town hall as president. His last one-to-one interview was more than two months ago, with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News - an alumnus of the Clinton White House. But it was followed by days of fact checking misleading claims, from the number of Afghan troops to whether or not there were U.S. troops in Syria. White House officials play down the significance of interviews, pointing out that the president has frequently taken a handful of questions from reporters attending events. But that gives him the ability to pick and choose what he answers, say presidential observers, and allow him to simply walk away when he wants to. Thursday's town hall will be held before an invited audience. 'Joe Biden can sometimes get off message so putting him in unscripted environments might not be the best way of Joe Biden communicating,' Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons told The Hill. Biden's last one-on-one interview was with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on August 18 Even so Biden himself has joked about the way his aides prefer him not to get chatty. 'I'm not suppose to take any questions,' he said, during a visit to FEMA headquarters in August, 'but go ahead.' On that occasion he quickly brushed off a question about trouble in Afghanistan and walked away from reporters. In May, he took a couple of questions after a COVID-19 update but said: 'Im not supposed to be answering all these questions.' White House press secretary Jen Psaki admitted that was how officials wanted him to play it. 'This is not something we recommend,' she told David Axelrod, the former Obama adviser, during an interview for his podcast. 'In fact, a lot of times we say, "Don't take questions."' Republicans have used Biden's lack of interviews against him, saying the president lacks stamina or mental energy to fulfil the duties of the office. Some have dubbed him 'Sleepy Joe.' Biden says he will consider 'doing away' with the filibuster after the Republicans blocked the Freedom to Vote Act in the Senate President Biden said he would consider 'doing away' with the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation, but cannot push to get rid of the 60-vote threshold entirely right now as he would lose three votes on his economic agenda. 'I also think we're going to have to move to the point where we fundamentally alter the filibuster,' Biden said. He said that he would 'lose at least 3 votes' if he brought up right now the larger conversation of eliminating the 60-vote threshold needed for most legislation in the Senate in favor of a simple majority. Moderate Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin have both vocally opposed getting rid of the filibuster. It's not clear who Biden was referring to as the third vote. 'If in fact I get myself into, at this moment, the debate on the filibuster, I lose at least three votes right now to get what I have to get done on the economic side of the equation, the foreign policy side.' Biden confirmed he might move to nuke the filibuster on the Freedom to Vote Act, which failed without a single GOP vote this week, 'and maybe more' Republican senators, led by Mitch McConnell, filibustered a major voting bill on Wednesday, blocking Democrats' plans to allow same-day voter registration and to make Election Day a holiday. Biden confirmed he might move to nuke the filibuster on the Freedom to Vote Act, which failed without a single GOP vote this week, 'and maybe more.' 'That remains to be seen exactly what that means in terms of fundamentally altering it, whether or not we just end the filibuster straight up,' said Biden. He added that Democrats might have to reform the filibuster on voting rights. 'There are certain things that are just sacred rights. One is the sacred obligation that we never are going to renege on a debt. Only nation in the world we have never, ever, reneged on a single debt.' As he called for reform, Biden approvingly recalled the way the filibuster used to be implemented, where a lawmaker would have to stand on the floor and speak for hours on end. Now that no floor speech is required, the filibuster is used far more frequently. 'You had to stand on the floor and exhaust everything you had and when you gave up the floor and someone else sought the floor, they had to talk until they finished. You're only allowed to do it a second time. After that, it's over. You vote.' Republican senators filibustered a major voting bill on Wednesday, blocking Democrats' plans to allow same-day voter registration and to make Election Day a holiday. President Joe Biden on Thursday said he should have chosen his words 'more wisely' when he said the Justice Department should prosecute former Trump advisor Steve Bannon for contempt. Biden cleaned up the comment, which he made to reporters Friday night, after his words clashed with his repeated assurances he won't interfere with an independent Justice Department. His walk-back, in a town hall on CNN, came hours after the House of Representatives voted to hold Bannon in contempt for failing to comply with a subpoena from the select Jan. 6th committee probing the Capitol riot. Interviewer Anderson Cooper asked Biden if it was appropriate for him to weigh in on the prosecution the kind of decision normally protected from any political interference. 'No, the way I said it was not appropriate,' Biden conceded off the bat. 'I said they [the reporters] asked me would I do I think that they should be prosecuted for ... not showing up at the committee. And I said yes,' Biden said. President Joe Biden called his prior remark backing prosecution of Steve Bannon for contempt 'inappropriate' but said he spoke 'honestly' Then he repeated his refrain about an independent Justice Department after liberals recoiled during the Trump administration over the president's repeated demands that the agency prosecute his rivals. Biden said he ran on reestablishing the reputation and integrity of the Justice Department. 'It has become the most it was corrupted under the last administration. I should have chose my words were wisely. I did not have not and will not pick up the phone and call the attorney general and tell him what he should or should not do in terms of who he should prosecute,' he said. The House voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt for defying a subpoena During testimony in the House Thursday, AG Merrick Garland would not say directly whether Bannon would be prosecuted That line drew applause from members of the audience in Baltimore for the CNN town hall. 'But, I answered the question honestly, and I think that anyone who does not respond to that kind of question from a legitimate Committee in the House of Representatives, the United States Senate, should be held accountable.' 'So that's as much as I can say without coming look like I'm telling the I have yet to talk to the Attorney General about anything,' Biden said. During testimony in the House Thursday, AG Merrick Garland would not say directly whether Bannon would be prosecuted. Nine Republicans including Cheney voted to hold Bannon in contempt of Congress 'If the House of Representatives votes for referral of the contempt charge, the Department of Justice will do what it always does in such circumstances - apply the facts of the law and make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution,' he said. His agency put out a statement asserting its independence minutes after Biden's Friday night comment on Bannon. The House voted 229-202 to hold Bannon in contempt, with nine Republicans crossing the aisle. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who was among them, ripped into Bannon at a Jan. 6th committee hearing, saying 'it appears that Mr. Bannon had substantial advance knowledge of the plans for January 6th and likely had an important role in formulating those plans.' 'The day before this all occurred on January 5th Mr. Bannon publicly professed knowledge that '(a)ll hell is going to break loose tomorrow,' she said. Bannon through his lawyer has said he will not respond to the subpoena while Trump is asserting executive privilege. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was more defiant Monday when asked about Biden's earlier comments, saying there was 'hardly a comparison' between Biden and Trump. 'The president continues to believe that Jan. 6 was one of the darkest days in our democracy,' Psaki said. 'He also continues to believe that the Department of Justice has the purview and the independence to make decisions about prosecutions.' She bristled when a reporter pressed her on it. 'Well, since you give me the opportunity, the former president used his office to incite an insurrection, he put political pressure on senior DOJ officials to propagate lies about the election to the point where they threatened to resign en masse. I think there's hardly a comparison there,' she said. The condition of Covid-infected Uber driver Duran Raman, who sent Queensland into a panic about a new lockdown has deteriorated in the past 24 hours, Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young revealed. At a press conference on Friday Dr Young said Raman, 36, was 'very unwell'. 'Over the last 24 hours he has deteriorated so he needs more oxygen' she said. 'They are keeping a very close eye on him. He is on high flow oxygen and he will probably need to go into intensive care. 'That is terrible. He is a very young, fit man who was not vaccinated and he is now extremely sick.' 'Sometimes if high flow oxygen is inadequate, then they need to go onto a ventilator.' Dr Young said Raman had been so ill Queensland Health did not yet have exposure sites based on his movements. He remains in the Gold Coast University Hospital. 'He was so sick that he probably has not been out in the community so we don't have exposure venues for him other than his place of residence,' Dr Young said. 'Anyone who lives there has been told any symptoms at all to get tested but we believe they are only casual contacts because he has been so sick he has been at home.' Duran Raman, aged in his 30s, (pictured) was infectious in the community for up to 10 days after returning from a trip to Melbourne on October 10 Guests, residents, and workers who have been at Island Beach Resort in Broadbeach (pictured) anytime from Saturday through to Tuesday have been plunged into isolation A truck driver had been infectious for two days in Queensland as the state announced no new community-acquired cases. The state is breathing a sigh of relief after an unvaccinated rideshare driver was discovered to be infectious for 10 days on the Gold Coast yesterday. Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said a truck driver with one dose of vaccine had been infectious in Queensland on October 18 and 19 and was now back in Victoria. He tested positive to the virus on October 20. Dr Young said he had received a first dose of a Covid vaccine on October 1 and 'that is not sufficient to stop someone spreading the virus'. The new exposure sites announced last night, including a cinema in Stafford and petrol station in Acacia Ridge, were visited by the truck driver, Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said five cases were also detected in hotel quarantine. Ms Palaszczuk said 73.66 per cent of Queenslanders had now received a first dose of vaccine, with 58.72 per cent now fully vaccinated. Duran Raman, aged in his 30s and unvaccinated, tested positive to the virus on Wednesday, bringing an end to the state's 15-day Covid-free streak. Health authorities said the exercise enthusiast, who is 'so sick he can barely speak', has lived in a private resort in Broadbeach for about 12 months and was out and about around the Gold Coast while infectious. Adding to the difficulty of their task, Mr Raman - who was unvaccinated and shared anti-vax videos over his social media accounts - allegedly has not used Queensland's QR check-in system for over a month, according to health officials. Ms Palaszczuk objected to suggestions international travellers should be allowed to travel to Queensland in line with the bringing forward of entry to NSW from people overseas. 'Our vaccination rates aren't high enough. We are not at 70 per cent double dose,' she said. 'We have set out a clear road map. We need people to come forward and get vaccinated. We haven't had the situations that New South Wales and Victoria have, where tragically we are seeing numbers of people who have lost their life each and every day. 'We haven't had that but now is the time. We have got that window of opportunity for Queenslanders to get vaccinated.' 'We will look at that closely but, as we are seeing today, a clear example, five cases in hotel quarantine, so Queensland does not have the protection yet that it needs to be able to have quarantine-free vaccinated people staying in Queensland.' Of the new exposure sites, authorities are most concerned about Gilly Barber in Richlands and Stafford's Hoyts Cinema, which were both visited on October 18 between 5.10pm to 6pm and 7.15pm to 10.45pm by the infectious truck driver. Both venues have been deemed close contact sites, with anyone who was there during the time window of concern urged to immediately isolate, get tested, and quarantine for 14 days. Freedom Fuels, in Acacia Ridge, is now considered a casual contact site on Tuesday 19, between 6.25pm-640pm. The same applies to Mr Raman's home, Island Beach Resort, which is the subject of four alerts after residents were exposed all day on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Hoyts Cinema in Stafford (pictured) has been declared a close contact venue for Monday October 18, between 7.15pm to 10.45pm Anyone who visited Freedom Fuels in Acacia Ridge (pictured) on Tuesday is considered a casual contact Everyone who was at the resort or petrol shop during those times will need to get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result - including cleaners, front desk staff, and guests. Mr Raman, who was a member of gym EMF Performance centre, which has branches across the city, tested positive at Robina Hospital on Wednesday before Ms Palaszczuk announced the new case on Thursday. It is alleged he checked out of the hospital before the results came back and had to be tracked down at his home by police and health authorities when he could not be contacted, the Courier Mail reports. Police arrived at the resort, where he lives alone, about 5.30pm on Wednesday and he was taken to Gold Coast University by an ambulance. The gym junkie is no so sick with coronavirus it has proven difficult to get information on his movements since he returned from a trip to Melbourne on October 10. Mr Raman shared his reaction to a Victorian Covid press conference from the start of September in which Premier Dan Andrews announced some eased restrictions. He captioned the video posted to his Instagram: 'Mr Gronk. A dead set gronk'. In the conference, the premier announced playgrounds would be reopening and authorised workers would once again be permitted in homes to provide services. 'Yay. The playgrounds are going to reopen. Wow,' Mr Raman is heard saying. 'Playgrounds and looking after kids, you f***ing gronk. You're a gronk, look at ya.' QUEENSLAND'S NEW COVID-19 EXPOSURE SITES Anyone who visited the following venues is considered a close contact and should get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of result: Stafford: Hoyts Cinema - Monday 18 October, 7.15pm - 10.45pm Richlands: Gilly Barber - Monday 18 October, 5.10pm - 6pm Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received: Acacia Ridge: Freedom Fuels - Tuesday 19 October, 6.25- 6.40pm Broadbeach: Island Beach Resort - all day on Saturday October 16, Sunday October 17, Monday October 18, and Tuesday October 19 Anyone who attended the following venues at the times is considered low risk and should get tested at their earliest convenience, but do not need to isolate until a negative result is received: Stafford: Hoyts Cinema - Monday October 18, 7pm - 11 pm Advertisement Queensland Police are currently investigating whether the Broadbeach man had tried to enter the state unlawfully after being turned away at the border. It's believed the ride-share driver also visited Sydney in late September. 'This is a wake-up call for the Gold Coast,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'The issue about this gentleman is that [he was] not vaccinated.' 'We are a little bit concerned about this person that has been infectious in the community and if you have any symptoms whatsoever, now is the time to get vaccinated.' Mr Raman, who has also played for local AFL team Broadbeach Cats, reportedly had a brush with the law earlier this year when he was charged with low-range drink driving and driving unlicensed. He pleaded guilty to both charges in Southport Magistrates Court in June and was fined $1000 and banned from driving for two months. The new case immediately raised fears of a repeat of Sydney's most recent Delta outbreak, which began with an infected limousine driver from the Northern Beaches. It was one of five new cases reported on Thursday, the others acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine facilities. The building manager of the Broadbeach resort, Greg Jermyn, told the ABC the driver returned a week ago and lived in a part of the resort with no other residents. Mr Raman posted his reaction to a Covid press conference from the start of September in which Mr Andrews announced some eased restrictions, labelling the premier a 'gronk' 'We've got bookings over the weekend. I'm just ringing people and advising them that we've had a Covid case so you're better off to organise to go somewhere else. As if it's not bad enough as it is,' he said. Mr Raman developed symptoms on October 11, the day after he returned from Melbourne, meaning his infectious period dates back to October 9. 'He is so sick. This is a man in his 30s. He is so sick that we are having difficulties talking to him and getting information from him,' Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said. 'We are working very closely with Uber to get information about whether he has had any drives during the time he was infectious. 'We don't have venues at this stage because he is so sick and having difficulty communicating with us and difficulty remembering, as you can imagine.' Uber were quick to issue a statement that said the man had not driven with the service since September 19. 'We work with public health authorities in each state, and have processes in place to temporarily remove an individuals access to the Uber app if authorities report an infection,' it told Daily Mail Australia. 'This is a wake-up call for the Gold Coast,' Ms Palaszczuk (pictured) said. 'The issue about this gentleman is that they were not vaccinated' The rideshare driver went to Robina Hospital emergency department yesterday, having become increasingly unwell following his return from Melbourne on October 10 'We may also limit other individuals access to the app if health authorities advise there is a risk.' Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has urged anyone who had been in the Broadbeach or greater Gold Coast areas since October 11 to monitor for symptoms. 'It is really important, please use the QR check-in,' she said, adding compliance in those areas 'had not always been great'. Ms Palaszczuk said there were currently 156,000 people on the Gold Coast, 16 and over, who remained unvaccinated. Although the state's exposure site list is likely to grow, Ms Palaszczuk said lockdown on the Gold Coast was not likely as a result of the new case because of the area's relatively high vaccination rate. Queensland Health figures show more than 60 per cent of people in the Broadbeach area are fully-vaccinated. Ms Palaszczuk was speaking in Mackay as part of a week-long tour to encourage vaccination rates in regional Queensland, where rates have been lagging. The premier announced 73.21 per cent of the state had now received a first dose, while 58.07 per cent are fully vaccinated. Ms Palaszczuk identified a number of towns where she said vaccination rates were too low given the state's deadline of a phased reopening by November 19 and a full reopening on December 17. The new case ends a run of 15 days in which Queensland has not had any community acquired cases of Covid-19 (pictured, locals enjoying a sunny day on the Gold Coast) She mentioned Bowen at 48.4 per cent having received a first dose of vaccine, Moranbah at 46.5 per cent, Serena at 61 per cent and the Whitsundays at 63 per cent as places where rates were too low. 'We know Mackay and Proserpine and the Whitsundays are absolutely gateways for tourism,' she said. 'We know that, on December 17, there will be tourists coming from all around Australia so please go and get vaccinated.' Queensland Health plans to turn 100 high schools into mass vaccination clinics across a number of areas of the state with lagging vaccination rates, including Mackay, West Moreton, Cairns, Townsville, Wide Bay, Central Queensland, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Metro South and Metro North. Yesterday Ms Palaszczuk urged regional residents to 'hop on the lifeboat' by getting vaccinated before the December 17 reopening date. 'I can't look after you if you won't hop in the lifeboat,' she said at a press conference in Maryborough on Wednesday. 'We need everyone to get on the lifeboat and we'll be protected. We have 11 days to go to get everyone vaccinated.' The premier warned the Sunshine State would reopen borders to the rest of Australia on December 17, even if the 80 per cent double-dose target is not reached. Pro surfer Kelly Slater has gone on an extraordinary rant claiming Covid is a disease for 'obese people' after reading a pro-vax post by Ironman champ Matt Poole. Poole, who is dating Australian social media influencer Tammy Hembrow, used a surf analogy to explain how anti-vaxxers can become a burden on the health system. The 32-year-old athlete also called out fellow Ironman Trevor Hendy for insisting 'freedom of choice' was more important than getting the jab. 'The next time I head down to Surfers (Paradise) I'm going to jump in the rip because 'freedom of choice' - Trev you understand that - you just said you can't dictate to me what is or isn't potentially dangerous,' Poole wrote. 'It's no issue for me, but as soon as I start telling others there is no danger in the rip, they'll jump in too, and tell their mates and before you know it, there is a 100 of us in there. But Trev - that's our choice.' Poole continued with his surf analogy to illustrate how unvaccinated people are more likely to end up getting Covid and taking up ICU beds in overflowing hospitals. Ironman champ Matt Poole (left, with girlfriend Tammy Hembrow) has sparked a social media frenzy after calling out anti-vaxxers Kelly Slater disagreed with Poole's post and said he knew 'more about being healthy than 99% of doctors' 'Now some of the 100 get in trouble, and lifesavers come to save them putting those lifesavers in danger as well,' he wrote. 'Now 50 are drowning and the lifesavers are overrun, and can't save them all or themselves. But that was our choice. It's not freedom of choice if it impacts others - it's about helping others.' His analogy outraged Slater, who stepped in to bizarrely claim to know 'more about being healthy than 99% of doctors.' 'Let me explain why your analogy makes no sense,' the 11-time world surfing champ wrote. 'If I know the risks (informed consent) and I judge the choice to be one that benefits/hurts me based on stats and info and my own ability (health), I can choose accordingly.' 'If something happens to me it's on me, not someone else. Your argument is a false equivalence. Oranges and apples. If 99.7% of all people would be fine with no lifeguard while in that rip and they're given all the possibilities, most could swim the most dangerous part of that beach without risking drowning.' Matt Poole vs Kelly Slater on the importance of the Covid vaccine MATT POOLE: The next time I head down to Surfer's Paradise I'm going to jump in the rip because 'freedom of choice'. Trev you understand that - you just said you can't dictate to me what is or isn't potentially dangerous. It's no issue for me, but as soon as I start telling others there is no danger in the rip, they'll jump in too, and tell their mates and before you know it, there's 100 of us in there. But Trev - that's our choice. Now some of the 100 get in trouble, and lifesavers come to save them putting those lifesavers in danger as well. Now 50 are drowning and the lifesavers are overrun, and can't save them all or themselves. But that was our choice. It's not freedom of choice if it impacts others - it's about helping others KELLY SLATER: Let me explain why your analogy makes no sense. If I know the risks (informed consent) and I judge the choice to be one that benefits/hurts me based on stats and info and my own ability (health), I can choose accordingly. If something happens to me it's on me, not someone else. Your argument is a false equivalence. Apples and oranges. If 99.7% of all people would be fine with no lifeguard while in that rip and they're given all the possibilities, most could swim the most dangerous part of that beach without risking drowning. Now regarding Covid 21 total deaths in OZ under the age of 30 and 6 below 20. This is clearly a disease of obese, unhealthy, and elderly if you study the official statistics. And for people saying listen to the doctors, I'm positive I know more about being healthy than 99% of doctors, but I wouldn't trust me. But most of my covid info comes directly from doctor friends, many of them in disagreement with the official 'science'. Advertisement Slater went on to point out that Australia - which has largely managed to contain the spread and impact of Covid with snap lockdowns and high vaccination rates in recent months - has had just 21 deaths from the virus under the age of 30. America has suffered over 700,000 deaths from Covid since the start of the pandemic with over 15,000 people under 40 dying from the disease. 'This is clearly a disease of obese, unhealthy, and elderly if you study the official statistics,' Slater claimed. 'Anyone here shaming people who are affected or concerned does nothing but feed the ego.' The fiery exchange, which took place in the comments section of an Australian surf program's Instagram post encouraging vaccination, divided opinion with a number of other Aussie stars getting involved. Model Jett Kenny, actor Ingo Rademacher, radio host Angus O'Loughlin and Ironman athletes Tanyn Lyndon and Matt Bevilacqua all offered their own opinions on the jab. It's not the first time Slater has inserted himself into debate about the vaccine. In June, Slater was slammed for sharing 'anti-vax nonsense' with fans in a bizarre social media fight on a satirical news site. The Betoota Advocate shared a satirical article about a father who was proud after stinking up a toilet, prompting Slater to comment 'Dads have no shame'. Slater (pictured with designer Kalani Miler) has previously come under fire after vowing to not get the Covid vaccine Despite the story being unrelated to Covid-19, Slater was quickly targeted by a man who accused him of posting anti-vaccine content over his social media pages. 'Aren't you the fella who shares anti-vax nonsense on social media? Seems like you have no shame either,' the man wrote. Slater became defensive, explaining he was not against vaccinations but feared the jab had not been thoroughly tested. 'Why does this account always end up with these triggered, b***y people who cant take a joke? And second, Im not anti vax. Im anti mandating medical procedures. But Ive never even pushed that,' he wrote. The man responded by asking if he would have it once it become available, with the surfer replying 'probably not anytime soon'. 'It hasnt been studied long enough to know long term cons. A friends dad also died a couple days after getting it from blood clots, so theres that. Think Ill wait for the antibodies naturally if I get covid,' Slater said. The sporting champion's views sparked outrage, with many accusing him of not considering how his decision would impact the greater community. A tornado has swept through Brisbane as severe thunderstorms batter the city with more than 100mm of rain recorded in just one hour. The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed reports of the tornado that was seen on Friday morning near the Brisbane Airport. Many Queenslanders shared footage of the incredible weather phenomenon with the severe conditions prompting flight delays at the airport. A tornado has hit the Port of Brisbane during this morning's severe storm over the city's east. Did you see the rare weather event? Send us a video at https://t.co/zu63SlPFF7. #qldweather #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/KIMrVs9W5e 7NEWS Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) October 22, 2021 A tornado has swept through Brisbane as severe thunderstorms batter the city with more than 100mm of rain recorded in just one hour 'We can now confirm a tornado occurred during a supercell thunderstorm near the Brisbane Airport. Video evidence shows the tornado touching down briefly,' the Bureau tweeted. It's understood the tornado only lasted for a couple of minutes. The airport was soaked with 101mm of rain on Friday between 10.18am and 11.18am as the hazardous conditions sweep across the state. Teams at the airport are currently assessing any potential damage from the supercell storm. Those at the airport detailed the terrifying scenes as the wild weather escalated. Brendan Smith had been sitting in his car at the International Airport carpark at the time, and said it felt like his van was being 'shaken by footy players'. Queensland residents shared footage of the tornado which formed near the Brisbane Airport on Friday morning 'At that point all the trolleys started running everywhere, the roof sheets got ripped off, there was another bus beside me and we genuinely thought the bus was going over,' he told the Courier Mail. 'We were being tossed around, I told the wife it felt like a team of footy players trying to tip the van over all from different directions.' There have not been any injuries reported from the event but those around the airport are urged to stay indoors due to fears there may be loose debris. Severe weather warnings had earlier been given for Brisbane and south-eastern parts of Queensland. Damaging wind, large hail and heavy rain have all been forecast for the area over Friday. The BoM issued a severe thunderstorm warning for areas in the Gold Coast including Hope Island, Coomera and South Stradbroke Island. 'The storm is moving slowly and damaging winds, heavy rainfall or large hailstones are likely,' the Bureau said. A private school has come under fire from 'bewildered' parents for choosing two male students as school captains. A.B. Paterson College, which promotes itself as 'a leading co-educational, non-denominational private school', announced the two male leaders on Monday. Traditionally, the Gold Coast school chooses one male and one female leader for role of captain and vice-captain. Principal Joanne Sheehy sent an email to parents earlier in the week announcing the two male student were selected 'based upon merit alone'. Parents of students at A.B. Paterson College on the Gold Coast (pictured) have slammed the private school's decision to choose a male school captain and vice-captain 'We select the best candidate for the portfolio position, with our processes based upon merit alone, as it should be,' the email read. But parents of students attending the prestigious school expressed disappointment that female students were overlooked for the roles. 'In an age of equality what does this show to all the female students at the college, what does this say to all the female students who went for a captaincy role,' one parent told The Gold Coast Bulletin. 'I thought it was 2021 not 1821. I find this a repulsive decision in this day and age. 'There are a lot of upset and bewildered students and parents. I thought A.B. Paterson was a progressive school not regressive.' Another parent told the news outlet said the decision left some of the female students who applied 'feeling worthless' and wondered how the choice was made during 'an age of equality'. said the decision left some of the female students who applied 'feeling worthless' (pictured, stock photo) Professor Susan Harris Rimmer Director of the Griffith University Policy Innovation Hub said modelling gender equality and diversity is important. 'The merit argument just ignores all available evidence the playing field is not fair. We are nowhere near that point yet,' she told the Bulletin. 'We are nowhere near gender equality in the careers these kids will choose when they leave school.' Professor Rimmer added women only held 32.5 per cent of key management positions, 28.1 per cent of directors, 18.3 per cent of chief executives, and 14.6 per cent of board chairs. 'So best practice is the leadership team should represent the demographics of the student body, otherwise you get into ideas about who 'good leaders' are,' she said. The Equality Rights Alliance's National Gender Equality Plan on Education outlined school practices were crucial in tackling gender inequality. The plan recommended school policies needed to be examined through a 'critical gender lens' to ensure schools were actively promoting equality among students. Extra support for girls transitioning from school to tertiary education and employment were also critical factors in closing the gender divide. Gabby Petitos devastated family have been robbed of answers over their beloved daughters death following confirmation that boyfriend Brian Laundries bones have been found in a Florida swamp, one of her close friends told Dailymail.com. You dont know - did they get in a fight, did he kill her? Theres no answer, said the friend. Shes gone now. Hes gone. Whos really got closure? You dont get closure because you dont know what happened. The FBI today confirmed skeletal remains found inside the vast alligator-infested Carlton Reserve are those of Laundrie, 23 the sole person of interest in the murder of strangled van-life girl Gabby, 22. Minutes before the news broke, two police officers from Laundries home town of North Port, Florida, arrived at the home he shared with parents Christopher, 62, and Roberta, 55. This is the moment a police officer arrived at Chris Laundrie's home to inform him that a body discovered Wednesday was that of his son Brian Gabby's mom Nicole Schmidt weeps and is comforted by her husband Jim Schmidt last month. Schmidt and Petito's dad Joe fear the discovery of Brian Laundrie's body means they'll never find out more about why their daughter was murdered Gabby's dad Joe, pictured in blue, repeatedly urged Laundrie to turn himself in, but now faces being left with questions about what led to his daughter's murder in August His father opened the door after the solemn officers knocked twice and Dailymail.com photos show his stunned face as he confronts the reality of his sons death. The remains were discovered while the Laundries themselves looked in menacing reserve along with two FBI agents early Wednesday morning. Nearby was their sons backpack, another bag and a note book which could be salvageable according to a source speaking to CNN and maybe provide vital answers to the tragedy of Gabby. It had clearly been wet and they are going to use any potential means to dry that out before opening it, the source said. They will be very careful with it. Meanwhile the Laundries own grief is mixed with possible overall justice, according to Gabbys friend from Long Island, New York, where she went to high school. Petito vanished during a road trip across the US with Laundrie in August, with her remains found in Wyoming in September. Laundrie's body was found Wednesday, with his remains identified on Thursday Brians not here, so has justice been served? he asked. If you did something like murder and justice is the death penalty, then justice is served here. The difference is you save the taxpayers a whole lot of money. However he insisted this is a tragedy all round. Both sides are suffering right now. Nobody wishes this on any of their children. Its a sad turn of events. Of Petitos family, he said, I hope they feel some justice. And hopefully they can take this as some form of closure. Me, as a parent, Id still want to know what happened. Thats the piece that sucks. Gabbys heartbroken family have only recently been able to collect their murdered daughters remains. Mom Nichole Schmidt, stepdad Jim Schmidt, dad Joe Petito and stepmom Tara made the devastating trip to a funeral home in Jackson, Wyoming, last week. It was only a few days after Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue announced Gabby had been manually strangled before being dumped close to a remote campsite in Grand Teton National Park. The remote site where the bloggers body was discovered on September 19 has become a shrine to Petito, complete with a stone cross dotted with flowers. Gabby's parents pleaded for Laundrie to come forward while he was missing, with the discovery of his body sparking fears they'll never discover why their daughter was strangled Gabby's family retrieved the white boxes containing her ashes from the the ashes from Valley Mortuary in Jackson, Wyoming, last week Gabby's father Joseph Petito clutches the ashes of his murdered daughter in Wyoming on October 16, after her remains were found at a nearby campsite on September 19 Nicole Schmidt, Gabby's mother, seen in Jackson along with and her husband, Jim Schmidt, who flew from New York to Wyoming last week Dr. Blue refused to provide additional details about the autopsy's findings including: 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. The three to four weeks her body was believed to be in the wilderness, however, put her death around the August 27-30 period investigators believe Petito and Laundrie had traveled to the area. Only this week, Gabbys mom had said she wanted coward Laundrie to spend the rest of his life in a cell. Nichole, who reported Gabby missing on September 11 after losing contact with her, said she thought her daughter would be safe with Laundrie on their trip in her 2012 white Ford Transit van. But her view changed to that of branding him a cold-blooded killer who was being protected by his parents, who refused to talk to her. 'Silence speaks volumes, she told 60 Minutes Australia. Of the parents, she said: I believe they know most of the information. I would love to just face to face ask, Why are you doing this? Just tell me the truth. 'He's a coward. I don't want to say hes insane because he went home, hes hiding, he used her credit card. That's not somebody whos gone crazy. 'He knows what he is doing, he knew what he was doing. I just want to get him in a cell for the rest of his life.' Her husband Jim added: 'We want vengeance. And justice.' Petito and Laundrie were on a cross-country road trip when she vanished in late August Her mother added: I hope she didn't suffer and that she wasn't in any pain. That she was in a place she wanted to be, looking at the beautiful mountains. This was evil. She was taken at somebody else's hand. It's not fair. The FBI-led hunt for Laundrie at the menacing Carlton Reserve appeared to have been scaled down this week before a new flurry of activity in which law enforcement in tactical gear and rifles returned there. Laundries parents had told cops he was heading to the reserve when he left their home on September 13 two days after Gabbys mom reported her missing. He had returned from a cross-country road trip with Gabby to Utah and Wyoming without her on September 1. The survivalist liked to hike in the reserve and the attached Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where he left his silver Ford Mustang convertible. And the beginning of the end came on Wednesday when the Laundries left their home at 7am and headed to the environmental park. They were met there by two FBI agents before going over a bridge and into the reserve together, spreading out either side of a trail. Within a short time, Christopher found a bag belonging to Brian and the notebook outside it, while the officers found his backpack. Shortly after that skeletal remains were discovered and search teams continue to look for clues. The Laundries lawyer Steve Bertolino went on CNN to describe the couples search and discoveries. He said: As they went further in, Chris ventured off the trail into the woods. He was zigzagging in different areas, law enforcement was doing the same thing. And Roberta Laundrie was walking down the trail. At some point, Chris locates what's called a dry bag. The dry bag is a white bag, laying in the woods, say 20 feet or so off the trail. He did meet up shortly with law enforcement, they looked at the contents of the bag. At that time, law enforcement officers showed him a picture on the phone of a backpack that law enforcement had located also nearby and also some distance off the trail. At that point, the Laundries were notified there was also remains near the backpack, and they were asked to leave the preserve The reserve was badly flooded during most of the time during the massive search of the swampland, which began five weeks ago. It is understood the area where the Laundries visited was a favorite spot of their son and flooding there had recently receded. A man in his 20s has died after becoming trapped under a bus following a horror crash in Sydney. The collision happened at the intersection of Warren Road and the Liverpool to Parramatta TransitWay at Smithfield after 11.30am on Friday. NSW Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the male driver of the car had been killed in the incident. 'The male driver and sole occupant, aged in his 20s, was trapped and died at the scene. He is yet to be formally identified,' NSW Police said in a statement. The bus driver, a 58-year-old woman, is uninjured. She was taken to Westmead Hospital for mandatory testing. A crime scene has been established and an investigation by specialist officers from the Metropolitan Crash Investigations Unit has commenced into the fatal incident. The collision happened at the intersection of Warren Road and the Liverpool to Parramatta TransitWay at Smithfield just after 11.30am on Friday People in the area should expected delays after a section of the Liverpool-Parramatta TransitWay was closed The Liverpool-Parramatta T-Way is currently closed between Percival Rd and Fairfield Rd. Vision from the scene appears to show a black sedan on its roof underneath the front of a T80 Liverpool to Parramatta bus. Both vehicles appear to have left the TransitWay. Police officers from Cumberland Police Area Command attended the scene with NSW Ambulance paramedics and multiple units of NSW Fire and Rescue. Police urged anyone with information or dashcam footage from the area to come forward. White House advisers were forced to 'clarify' a comment by Joe Biden that the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China, in breach of a longstanding policy that states otherwise. 'Yes,' he responded when asked in a CNN town hall about defending Taiwan. 'We have a commitment to that.' Biden's statement was at odds with the long-held US policy known as 'strategic ambiguity,' where Washington helps build Taiwan's defenses but does not explicitly promise to come to the island's help in the event of an attack. After Thursday's town hall, a White House spokesperson was forced to clarify the president's position, and said Biden was not announcing any change in US policy. 'The US defense relationship with Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act. 'We will uphold our commitment under the act, we will continue to support Taiwan's self-defense, and we will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo,' the spokesperson said. President Joe Biden says the US would defend Taiwan from China, although these appears at odds with the longtime policy of strategic ambiguity Biden's comments in the CNN Town Hall violated a long-standing U.S. policy known as 'strategic ambiguity,' where Washington does not promise to defend Taiwan Speaking to reporters earlier on Thursday, China's United Nations ambassador, Zhang Jun, said the country was pursuing 'peaceful reunification' with Taiwan and responding to 'separatist attempts' by its ruling Democratic Progressive Party. 'We are not the troublemaker,' he said, although Taiwan has repeatedly insisted it has no desire to 'reunite' with China, and wishes to retain its status as an independent democracy. 'On the contrary, some countries the US in particular is taking dangerous actions, leading the situation in Taiwan Strait into a dangerous direction. 'Dragging Taiwan into a war definitely is in nobody's interest.' Biden made a similar pledge to protect Taiwan in August during an interview with ABC, insisting that the United States would always defend key allies, including Taiwan, despite the withdrawal from Afghanistan in the face of the victorious Taliban. That withdrawal was seized on by critics as evidence that Biden would be soft on defending allies, and saw him accused of potentially emboldening Chinese President Xi Jinping's vow to re-take Taiwan. Biden said the United States made a 'sacred commitment' to defend NATO allies in Canada and Europe and it's the 'same with Japan, same with South Korea, same with Taiwan.' The White House subsequently told reporters that US policy on Taiwan 'has not changed.' Asked by an audience member at the live televised town hall whether the United States would be able to keep up with China's rapid military development, Biden also said: 'yes.' Tsai Ing-wen, president of Taiwan since 2016, will likely be delighted by Biden's declaration of support China's president, Xi Jinping, is seen on October 12 delivering a speech to a UN meeting, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. He is yet to react to Biden's words Xi is seen on October 21 checking the Yellow River's waterways in Shandong province 'Don't worry about whether... they're going to be more powerful,' he said. 'China, Russia and the rest of the world knows we have the most powerful military in the history of the world.' However, Biden expressed concern that rival countries may 'engage in activities where they may make a serious mistake.' He referred to his longtime relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping and repeated his position that he does not want 'to start a new Cold War with China.' But he warned: 'I just want to make China understand that we are not going to step back.' China launched the dummy weapon into space on board a Long March 2C rocket (pictured) during a test in mid-August which it did not disclose at the time and was only revealed at the weekend by security analysts assigned to work out its purpose Weapons race: A comparison of the most advanced (columns from left) missiles, aircraft carriers, tanks and aircraft possessed by China, the US and Russia China has upped its sabre rattling around Taiwan, sending waves of fighter jets and nuclear-capable bombers crossing into Taiwan's air defense zone. Biden's comments also come in the wake of a Financial Times report that China has tested a state-of-the-art hypersonic missile with nuclear capacity that flew around the planet before landing, albeit not on target. China insisted that the projectile was not a missile, but was rather a spacecraft undergoing a routine test. The United States and Russia are racing to develop their own hypersonic weapons, which are more difficult to defend against than existing ballistic missile arsenals. That is because they fly at a lower altitude and do not trigger early warning systems designed to detect ballistic missiles, which fly higher, before hurtling back towards the Earth and their target. President Joe Biden has falsely claimed that just two million Americans had received a COVID vaccine when he replaced Donald Trump, even though the true figure was eight times higher - 16 million. At a CNN town hall Thursday evening, the president claimed: 'When I first was elected, there were only two million people who had COVID shots in the United States of America. 'Now we got 190 million because I went out and bought everything I could do and buy in sight and it worked,' he claimed. But according to the Associated Press, the COVID-19 vaccines were still awaiting emergency authorization when Biden was first elected in November, and the first shots were administered to the public in mid-December, during Trump's final month in the White House. By the time he was inaugurated, the Associated Press reports, nearly 16 million doses had been administered. The Associated Press has ruled that President Joe Biden lied when he claimed at a CNN town hall Thursday night that just two million Americans had received the COVID vaccine when he came into office - the real number was 16 million The first shots were administered in the final months of former President Donald J. Trump's presidency - in mid-December It is also not true that the president bought the vaccines, the Associated Press said, as former President Donald Trump's administration had purchased 300 million doses of COVID vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna in December, weeks before Biden's inauguration. The Trump administration's vaccine plan fell short of its goals and suffered from disarray out of the gate, with less than half of the 36 million doses distributed to the states by the federal government being administered. But Biden himself stumbled in his plan to vaccinate 70 per cent of eligible Americans by July 4, with the surging Delta variant infecting people who'd had the shot, sewing distrust among those who hadn't. There were also concerns about links between vaccines and extremely rare, but potentially deadly, heart inflammation in young men, although the vast majority of people have received a shot without any serious side effects. As of Thursday, roughly 66 percent of all eligible Americans have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease control, and 57.2 percent were fully vaccinated. Even so, the AP reports, the plan set the stage for an acceleration of vaccinations that did not happen solely because Biden 'went out and bought everything I could do.' In its fact-check, the Associated Press noted the 300 million Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were purchased under the Trump administration - not Biden The fact-check comes after the president tried to defend his stance on vaccine mandates at a CNN town hall in Baltimore. The U.S. has lagged behind other wealthy nations in vaccinating people against COVID-19. A series of mandates for federal workers and for companies with more than 100 staff triggered angry protests and reports of people being fired or resigning in protest. 'Two things that concern me,' he said. 'One, are those who just try to make this a political issue - freedom. "I have the freedom to kill you with my COVID." 'Come on.' Then he criticized what he called 'misinformation' about the death of former Secretary of State Colin Powell that focused on the fact he was fully vaccinated. 'Well he knew he had serious underlying conditions, and it would be difficult,' said Biden. 'He clearly would have been gone earlier had he not gotten the vaccine.' The town hall also served as a chance for Biden to provide an update on talks to break the deadlock on his mammoth social spending plans He greeted some attendees during a break in the town hall with Anderson Cooper The town hall with Anderson Cooper also served as a chance for Biden to provide an update on talks to break the deadlock on his mammoth social spending plans. At the start of the night he was quizzed on his plans for a multi trillion dollar social spending plan, which is currently deadlocked in Washington. Progressives want to push through a massive overhaul of social spending while centrists - Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin - are pushing to reduce the price of the bill from its original $3.4 trillion. Biden offered the centrists a concession, backing away from a corporate tax hike to pay for his Build Back Better agenda. Host Anderson Cooper pressed him on whether he would be able to push through a proposed increase in corporate take to help fund trillions of dollars in new spending. 'No, I don't think we're going to be able to get the votes,' he said. He had wanted an increase in the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent for the biggest companies, triggering warnings that it could hamper growth and that the costs would be passed on to workers and consumers. President Biden announced at the town hall he was scaling back his spending plans and would not need to ramp up corporate tax Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin want Biden's ambitious social package scaled back and Biden cannot afford to lose their votes in the Senate Biden also faced questions about whether he could bring around the holdouts in his own party, particularly Manchin, but expressed optimism that he was close to deal after weeks of intra-party bickering. 'I think so, you know, look ... I was a senator for 370 years,' the 78 year-old quipped, triggering laughter. 'I was relatively good at putting together deals.' Manchin, he added, would fall into line. 'Joe's not a bad guy,' said Biden. 'He's a friend and he's always the end of the day come around.' But he pushed back at one of Manchin's proposals that parents and other caregivers meet a work requirement before receiving a child tax credit. 'No, here's the deal. All these people are working anyway,' he said, as he signaled that he wanted to target the wealthy. 'And by the way, you know, why should somebody who is not working, and has, you know, makes has a million dollar trust fund, why should they get the benefit?' Overall, he said, the aim was to get the bill done and worry about what had been left out later. 'I'm prepared to do the things that we can get done now, that can begin to change the lives of ordinary Americans to give them a fighting chance and come back and try to get others later,' he said. As Biden seeks a final agreement in coming days, questions have emerged about whether some of his most oft-cited promises, like raising taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans might have to be dropped to ensure passage of the spending bill Biden also explained that he had reduced his vision for paid parental leave. 'It is down to four weeks,' he said. 'I can't get 12 weeks.' CNN refused to apologize to podcaster Joe Rogan for their claims that he took 'horse dewormer' ivermectin for his COVID-19 infection last month, even after the network's own doctor Sanjay Gupta groveled over the incident on Rogan's podcast. In a statement to the Washington Post, the media network wrote, 'The only thing CNN did wrong here was bruise the ego of a popular podcaster who pushed dangerous conspiracy theories and risked the lives of millions of people in doing so.' CNN had gone after Rogan for promoting the anti-parasitic medication, along with other treatments prescribed by doctors, to fight the COVID infection he caught in September. Rogan had fired back at the news outlet for not specifying that he took the version of ivermectin prescribed for human use rather, than the version used for livestock. Joe Rogan, left, has been in a dispute with CNN over his user of the anti-parasitic medication, ivermectin. He confronted the networks' chief medical analyst, Sanjay Gupta last week Rogan's key complaint against CNN is that they did not explain that there were two types of ivermectin: one that's meant for people that Rogan took, left, and one for livestock The podcast giant earned two victories in the past week after CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta admitted his colleague's should not have said Rogan took horse dewormers while on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast last week. Then, one of CNN's political commentator's, Mary Katherine Ham, spoke out against her employer and defended Rogan. Despite this, CNN's Don Lemon continued to criticize Rogan earlier this week, and the company said in a statement on Thursday that their issue with Rogan's claims has 'never been about livestock versus human dosage of Ivermectin.' 'The issue is that a powerful voice in the media, who by example and through his platform, sowed doubt in the proven and approved science of vaccines while promoting the use of an unproven treatment for covid-19 a drug developed to ward off parasites in farm animals.' Rogan has slammed CNN on his popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience The battle between Rogan and CNN heated up last Wednesday when Rogan grilled Gupta about the broadcaster's coverage of his use of the drug after he was diagnosed with Covid-19, which he claims he recovered from in five days. After a tense back-and-forth, Gupta eventually agreed that the anti-parasite drug, which was prescribed to Rogan by a doctor, should never have been described by CNN as a horse de-wormer. 'Calling it a horse de-wormer is not the most flattering thing, I get that,' Gupta said. 'It's a lie,' Rogan responded. 'It's a lie on a news network and it's a lie that they're conscious of. It's not a mistake. They're unfavorably framing it as veterinary medicine.' Ivermectin can be used as a horse dewormer, but is also used to treat people, with Rogan given the correct prescription by his doctor. The argument appeared to rumble last Friday when Ham tweeted in support of Rogan's accusation, branding the reporting 'horses***' - although she did not call out the network by name. 'Rogan is right that it's dishonest to say he took horse dewormer when he did not,' Ham tweeted. Ham continued to criticize CNN calling their description of ivermectin as 'horse dewormer' as 'horses***' Her tweet came after podcaster Joe Rogan slammed CNN's chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta for 'lying' about his course of treatment 'It was irresistible to dunk on him for a lot of people, so they went with that instead of sticking to 'hey, this anti-parasitic isn't recommended for COVID treatment,' which would've been credible.' Studies have shown that Ivermectin decreases viral loads and may prevent COVID deaths, but the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control recommend against using it for COVID, saying further studies are needed. The FDA went so far as to send out a tweet telling people: 'You are not a horse, you are not a cow. Seriously, y'all, stop it'. That came amid reports of livestock stores being cleared of the drug, and warnings that the dosages given to animals were far too high for humans to take safely. Gupta seemed to compare his CNN colleagues' assertions to the above tweet by the FDA Rogan's promotion of the medicine came at a time when Americans were promoting the drug during the deadly Delta spike at the end of August and early September. Calls for ivermectin poisoning saw a 163 per cent increase to a total of 1,143 throughout the US this year, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. At the end of August, there were a total of 459 calls regarding ivermectin to poison control centers. CNN's medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner has said that what Rogan had done was dangerous. 'He's promoting, kind of a crazy jumble of, you know, sort of folk remedies and internet-prescribed drugs,' Reiner said . 'He should have more sense.' Rogan has made controversial comments criticizing vaccines and coronavirus lockdown measures Rogan has previously railed against vaccines and vaccine mandates, saying that young and healthy people don't need to be jabbed. On Wednesday, he also revealed that he was nearly vaccinated in Las Vegas a few months ago but missed his appointment, according to Newsweek. Ivermectin was discovered from soil samples collected in Japan by microbiologist Satoshi Omura in 1970, according to the journal Trends in Parasitology. Omura won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015 along with American biologist William C. Campbell, of the pharmaceutical company Merck. The Nobel committee wrote: 'Its impact on improving the overall health and welfare of hundreds of millions of men, women and children, mostly in poor and impoverished communities, remains unmatched. 'It continues to defy many preconceived concepts, with no drug resistance developing in humans despite years of extensive monotherapy. Tis has led to it being included on the World Health Organization's 'List of Essential Medicines,' a compilation of the most important medications needed in any basic health system.' An August 21 article in the American Journal of Therapeutics concluded that 'using ivermectin early in the clinical course may reduce numbers progressing to severe disease. The apparent safety and low cost suggest that ivermectin is likely to have a significant impact on the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic globally.' The CDC says more 'adequately sized, well-designed, and well-conducted clinical trials are needed' before recommending Ivermectin for coronavirus. Tasmania will reopen its borders on December 15 to people who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus, Premier Peter Gutwein has announced. Mr Gutwein says by then he expects everyone in the state over the age of 12 will have had the opportunity to be vaccinated. 'On the 15th of December we will reopen our border,' he said on Friday. Aussies can enjoy a holiday in Tasmania come December 15 Tasmania will reopen its borders on December 15 to people who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus , Premier Peter Gutwein has announced 'We are not going to turn back from that date. If you're not vaccinated, get it done and get it done as soon as you can.' Interstate arrivals will need to provide a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of travel. More than 70 per cent of Tasmanians aged over 16 are fully vaccinated and more than 85 per cent have received one dose. The state is currently closed to New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT, while high-risk premises are declared in Queensland and South Australia. The state has had just three cases this year on the back of a hard border approach but has dodged several Covid-19 bullets. An infected NSW man, who recently sparked a three-day lockdown in the south after escaping hotel quarantine and spending 18 hours in the community, did not spread the virus. The state government is enforcing mandatory vaccines for healthcare workers on October 31 and says it will sack anyone who doesn't meet the deadline. A remote part of the Northern Territory is set to become the world's biggest solar farm - and transmit power to Singapore through the world's longest undersea cable. Australian renewable energy company Sun Cable has ambitions to cover 12,000 hectares of land near the small town of Elliott with solar panels. Engineering group Bechtel is overseeing construction and project management. Construction is set to begin in 2024 and from 2026 could see Darwin become Australia's first capital city to be fully powered by solar energy. By the end of 2028, the project will provide Singapore with 15 per cent of its energy needs as part of the $30billion Australia-Asia PowerLink project that will transfer solar energy to Asia via overhead powerlines and undersea cables. A remote part of the Northern Territory is set to become the world's biggest solar farm - and transmit power to Singapore through the world's longest undersea cable. Australian renewable energy company Sun Cable has permission to cover 12,000 hectares of land near the small town of Elliott with solar panels (pictured is an artist's impression) New technology will transport power 4,200km from Darwin to Singapore through the world's longest undersea high voltage direct current cables. This will also transfer solar energy between two utility-scale batteries. The solar farm at Powell Creek, south of Elliott, would be the world's biggest solar farm if it were operational now. Nonetheless, in just five years the complex in the NT's Barkly Region - between the tropical Top End and the red centre of Alice Springs - could start generating energy exports worth $2billion a year and $8billion of worth of investment directly into Australia. Construction is expected to create 1,500 jobs with 350 continuing jobs once it was operational. Details of this project, funded by billionaire entrepreneurs Andrew Forrest and Mike Cannon-Brookes, are being announced as Prime Minister Scott Morrison prepares to head to Glasgow for the Cop26 global climate change conference. Australia is under pressure to formally adopt a net zero by 2050 climate change target to bring it into line with the US, Japan, South Korea and the UK. Sun Cable chief executive David Griffin said the solar farm would hasten Australia's transition to renewable energy. 'This project is designed to significantly accelerate the carbon zero ambitions of the region,' he said. New technology will transport power 4,200km from Darwin to Singapore through the world's longest undersea high voltage direct current cables. This will also transfer solar energy between two utility-scale batteries Northern Territory Minister for Renewables and Energy Eva Lawler promised the solar farm would provide affordable power. 'Territorians can look forward to affordable energy thats reliable and renewable by the end of the decade,' she said. Tasmania has been 100 per cent powered by renewable energy since late 2020, but this includes hydroelectricity, along with wind energy. While Hobart is the first Australian capital city to be fully renewable energy powered, Darwin would be the first to be fully powered by solar energy. Canberra is renewable energy powered but it still draws coal-fired energy from outside the Australian Capital Territory. The ACT offsets this by feeding solar power back into the National Energy Market grid, effectively making it net zero on carbon emissions. The Northern Territory has since the late 1980s been powered by natural gas, since the completion of the Amadeus pipeline near Alice Springs in central Australia to Darwin. Tasmania and the Northern Territory have both managed without coal-fired power stations. By the end of 2028, the project will provide Singapore with 15 per cent of its energy needs as part of the $30billion Australia-Asia PowerLink project that will transfer solar energy to Asia via overhead powerlines and undersea cables (pictured is the Marina Bay Sands building) Dr Saul Griffith, the founder of the Rewiring Australia energy think tank, estimated the average Australian household could save $5,000 on energy costs by 2030 if they replaced their petrol powered car with an electric vehicle and installed solar panels on their house. 'The future looks like vastly cheaper energy, better homes and nicer cars,' he said. 'No nation is better placed to seize this opportunity for cheaper energy, self-reliance and cleaner air than Australia. 'Australians already lead the world in harvesting solar electricity. Now we have the technology available to use it.' Dr Griffith has also advised US President Joe Biden's administration on renewable energy electrification. Australian of the Year Grace Tame found out live on national television that she had been snubbed over a key government plan to combat child sexual abuse. Ms Tame, a high profile sexual abuse survivor, smiled awkwardly - but visibly seethed - as she was asked on ABC News 24 what the government's National Strategy to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse would include. 'No, I haven't been [involved],' a shocked Ms Tame said, shaking her head, and staring off screen. 'I haven't been involved in the drafting of that.' 'But I assume you would like to have been?' the ABC interviewer asked her. Australian of the Year Grace Tame smiled awkwardly - but visibly seethed - while speaking about the matter 'Sure. I mean that's my job and I've been banking on about that all year, that we should be focusing on prevention.' Ms Tame raised her hands in a 'surrender' motion and added 'I'm not going to be malcontented and complain that I haven't been invited to participate in that.' 'But they're making progress, that's great. That's great,' she added. Since being made Australian of the Year in July, Ms Tame, who was raped by her school teacher as a teen, has been a fierce activist for fellow sexual assault survivors. She has at times been a harsh critic of the government inaction on the issue. In May she also accused accused Scott Morrison of making a crass comment in her ear after her Australian of the Year acceptance speech. Grace Tame was made Australian of the Year in January 2021 Sexual abuse survivor Grace Tame has called out Scott Morrison since being made Australian of the Year The 26-year-old won the award in January for raising awareness about the impact of sexual violence. In her emotional speech at the National Arboretum in Canberra, Ms Tame spoke about the abuse she suffered and urged survivors to share their stories. She later teed off about what Mr Morrison told her afterwards. 'Do you know what he said to me, right after I finished that speech and we're in front of a wall of media? 'I sh** you not, he leant over and right in my ear he goes ''Well, gee, I bet it felt good to get that out'',' she said. The National Office for Child Safety (NOCS), which is responsible for producing the strategy reports to Scott Morrison, said the strategy 'was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission and will focus on preventing child sexual abuse in all settings including in institutions, within families, and online.' It will be published on the Prime Minister's website next week. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's office claimed Ms Tame has been involved in the strategy at several points and was invited to a workshop about it in May - but did not attend. 'On behalf of NOCS, The Healing Foundation invitation issued to a workshop for victim-survivors and their advocates relating to the final development of the National Strategy. A follow up was sent on 3 June,' the statement said. The Healing Foundation supports Stolen Generations survivors and their families. His office also claimed Ms Tame was involved in meetings about the strategy in March and June 2021 and had a phone call about it with Ben Morton, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and Cabinet, in May. It said Ms Tame was also invited to the launch of the strategy. Daily Mail Australia approached Grace Tame for comment. President Joe Biden said he 'guesses' he should check out the southern border for himself in a town hall Thursday night, days after new data revealed that a record number of migrants were taken into US custody this year. Asked by Cooper if he should go down to the border amid record crossings and condemnation of his strategy to tackle illegal immigration, Biden said: 'I've been there before ... I know it well ... I guess I should go down.' He cited recent hurricanes and world travel as reasons why he hasn't had 'a whole hell of a lot of time to get down. 'Ive been spending time going around looking at the $900 billion worth of damage done by hurricanes and floods and weather and traveling around the world. 'My wife Jill has been down. She's been on both sides of the river. She's seen the circumstances there. She's looked into those places. You notice you're not seeing a lot of pictures of kids lying on top of one another with what looks like tarps on top of them. We've been able to deal with that. President Biden answered questions about everything from climate change to immigration during a Thursday night CNN town hall in Baltimore 'We've been able to significantly increase funding through the HHS to provide shelter for these kids and people. But, there's much more to be done. It is a thing that concerns me the most about being able to get control of it.' Biden touted his success in lowering the amount of children in Border Patrol custody during a CNN town hall in Baltimore hosted by Anderson Cooper. The president said the number of detained kids went from 5,000 to 504 within the first year of his presidency. But new data obtained by the Washington Post shows that the US detained more than 1.7 million migrants along the US-Mexico border between October 2020 and September 2021 - the highest number since 1986. Asked by host Anderson Cooper if he should go down to the border, Biden said: 'I've been there before ... I know it well ... I guess I should go down.' The US detained more than 1.7 million migrants along the US-Mexico border between October 2020 and September 2021 - the highest number since 1986 The commander-in-chief admitted that he has kept in place Title 42 - a Trump-era edict that allows the government to unilaterally expel migrants due to COVID-19 concerns - because of high levels of the virus in Latin America. 'It's very, very high. And so, we maintained the policy. We are not sending back children. We send back adults and we send back large families. 'But we dont send back children in that circumstance. Thats why I have a proposal to provide for over a billion doses of Covid vaccine to the rest of the world, including a significant portion to Latin and Central America.' Biden answered immigration questions from law student Megan Crawford, a Republican Biden says he kept Title 42, which allows the government to expel migrants due to public health reasons, because of high levels of COVID in Latin America. Above, volunteers clean up the Rio Bravo river, on the border between Mexico and US, on October 17 He also said he kept Trump's Remain in Mexico policy because the courts said he had to. Above, border agents discover sisters, aged 4 and 6, near the border in Arizona this month The president, 78, also argued that he had to keep Donald Trump's 'Remain in Mexico' policy because 'the court said I had to maintain it.' Trump created the Migrant Protection Protocols, or 'Remain in Mexico,' policy in 2019. It forces asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for US court hearings on asylum cases. Trump argued that many asylum claims were fraudulent, and that applicants allowed into the United States might end up staying illegally if they skipped court hearings, according to Reuters. Biden, a Democrat, ended the policy soon after taking office in January, pledging a more humane approach, but Texas US District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled that he had to keep it in August. During Thursday's town hall, Biden answered a series of questions from University of Baltimore law student Megan Crawford, a Republican. Illegal crossings began skyrocketing in the months after Biden was inaugurated and while the administration initially tried to blame Trump's policies for the increase, some migrants say they made the trek to the US with the belief the new administration would allow them to stay. A Border Patrol officer swings his reins while trying to stop Haitian migrants from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande on September 19, 2020 'They weren't wrong,' North Carolina Representative Dan Bishop tweeted of migrants' assumptions. Another pull, migrants said, was the labor shortages in the US showing them a need for workers. In another dismissal of the growing crisis, Biden previously described the rise in spring 2021 as consistent with seasonal norms. That, however, did not remain true as the highest-levels of illegal crossings came during the hottest months of the year, July and August. More than 200,000 migrants were taken into CBP custody each month. Last month, more than 25,000 Haitian migrants arrived in the border city of Del Rio, Texas, quickly overwhelming local officials there and creating chaotic scenes of border patrol using horse reins that looked like whips near the migrants. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas reportedly asked senior officials if the border was ready for a worst-case scenario of 350,000 to 400,000 migrants crossing the border this month, two DHS officials told NBC. Haitian migrants wait on Tuesday to board a boat that will take them to Colombia as they trek from South America to the US in a sign the migration crisis will not cease any time soon Illegal southern border crossings are at their highest level in decades under President Biden On September 26, Mayorkas revealed that 12,000 Haitian migrants were released into the US as they await their immigration hearings and another 5,000 are still being processed. This means at least 17,000 Haitian migrants have illegally entered the US and are seeking asylum. Biden opened the town hall joking that he had been in the Senate for '370 years' and that he was 'relatively good at putting together deals,' according to CNN. He has yet to convince Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema to vote for his behemoth $2 trillion infrastructure plan. Biden called Sinema 'smart as the devil' and Manchin 'a friend' as he continued to court their votes. Haron Monis stormed the cafe, taking a number of hostages in the siege Sydney's famous Lindt cafe - which became the scene of the Harbour City's most deadly terrorist attack in 2014 - will close for good after falling victim to the Covid pandemic. In a sad state of affairs, the owners have chosen not to extend the lease after 17 years in operation at Martin Place in the CBD. A spokesperson for the company said the global pandemic which plunged Sydney into a four-month lockdown was a significant reason for the heart-breaking decision. 'The disruptions (to Martin Place) caused by the construction work and the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 over the last two years coincide with the lease on the site coming to an end,' an official statement read. 'The timing of the lease terms have given Lindt the opportunity to consider the ongoing viability of the cafe in this location. The cafe was the scene of a terrorist attack in 2014 where three people lost their lives - including two innocent victims Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson Paramedics working on the wounded at the end of the siege in Sydney on December 16, 2014 Business owners from Sydney's Lindt cafe have elected not to extend the lease after 17 years in operation at Martin Place in the CBD 'After careful consideration, we have made the decision to close our chocolate cafe in Martin Place. 'We are sensitive to the history of the site and the memories associated with it and have communicated our decision to close Martin Place Chocolate Cafe with all Lindt employees.' On the morning of December 15 almost seven years ago, terrorist Man Haron Monis stormed the cafe, taking a number of hostages, and held them inside for 16 hours. Monis was eventually killed by police, with cafe hostage and manager Tori Johnson and his colleague Katrina Dawson, who was struck by a ricocheting police bullet, also losing their lives that day. Monis was eventually killed by police, with cafe hostage and manager Tori Johnson and his colleague Katrina Dawson, who was struck by a ricocheting police bullet, also losing their lives that day Hostages run with their hands up from the Lindt cafe in Sydney's Martin Place during the standoff in 2014 Lindt cafe siege perpetrator Man Haron Monis (pictured above) died in a hail of police bullets In 2019, ex-sniper Mark Davidson claimed he had a clear shot of the terrorist at the height of the siege and could have saved the life of Mr Johnston - but was prevented from firing by higher-ranking officials. 'I could see Monis' head, you could see the shiny sort of bald scalp and the Islamic black bandana with white writing across the front that went across his forehead,' Mr Davidson told 60 Minutes. 'I didn't have doubt it was him (Monis) but people in the command post did. 'I believe Tori was a preventable death.' Mr Johnson was killed during the siege by Monis and NSW Police later rejected Davidson's claims. Advertisement The terror suspect accused of stabbing to death Sir David Amess has made his first appearance at the Old Bailey by video-link from high security Belmarsh prison. He is accused of stabbing to death the Conservative MP for Southend West during a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. The charges against him allege he murdered Sir David, 69, last Friday and prepared acts of terrorism between May 1 2019 and September this year. The defendant, wearing a grey sweatshirt, lifted up his face mask to confirm his name and date of birth, during the hearing. He will face trial next year. He was remanded in custody during a 13-minute hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday. The court heard Ali allegedly settled on a plot to kill an MP two years ago, initially focusing on two politicians other than Sir David. The veteran MP was pronounced dead at the scene at 1.10pm and a preliminary post-mortem report gave the cause of death as multiple stab wounds to the chest. Ali is said to have carried out reconnaissance at one of their homes, the surgery of another and the Houses of Parliament. He was allegedly located outside the home of one politician in March, June and July this year, however he was not convinced the address was correct. Ali is said to have watched the Houses of Parliament but had decided that an attack there was 'not practical' because of the high level of security. He was also said to have been located outside another MP's constituency surgery last month. Prosecutors allege that Ali was affiliated with Islamic State and targeted Sir David over the MP's voting record in support of air strikes on Syria. He is said to have prepared for terrorist acts from May 1, 2019 to September 28 this year. Ali was wearing a grey tracksuit and thick-rimmed black glasses and smiled to his legal team as he entered the court. He then sat silently throughout yesterday's hearing, only speaking to confirm his name, age, and address. Ali Harbi Ali, 25, has been charged with murdering Sir David Amess as he met with his Southend West constituents on Friday afternoon. Yesterday he appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court accused of stabbing to death the Conservative MP Ali today appeared by videolink from HMP Belmarsh for his first appearance at the Old Bailey over Sir David's murder Police and intelligence officials are said to be mystified about why the veteran Tory politician was singled out for attack by a suspected Islamist extremist. Investigators now believe that there may have been no specific motive for the targeting of Sir David, and that the 69-year-old was stabbed to death because his alleged killer had succeeded in booking a face-to-face meeting with him at a church in Leigh-on-Sea on Friday The Met Police confirmed that the killing of Southend West Sir David Amess (pictured) is being treated as a terror incident 'with links to Islamist extremism' as a British man with Somali heritage remains in police custody on suspicion of murder Left to right: Katie, wife Julia, Flo, Sir David Amess, Sarah and Alex at Flo's wedding in August Sir David suffered multiple stab wounds in last Friday's attack and despite the heroic efforts of paramedics to save his life, the MP died of his injuries. The 69-year-old father of five was ambushed at his Friday meeting with the public and stabbed 17 times in a frenzied attack. After a week of questioning by Scotland Yard as well as searches of his home and electronic devices, Ali was charged with murder and another charge of preparation of terrorist acts. Nick Price, Head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: 'The CPS has authorised charges against Ali Harbi Ali for the murder of MP Sir David Amess. We will submit to the court that this murder has a terrorist connection, namely that it had both religious and ideological motivations. He has also been charged with the preparation of terrorist acts. This follows a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation'. Matt Jukes, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations, said: 'I want to send my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Sir David Amess, who died so tragically last Friday. Sir David's dedication to his family, his constituents and his community, and his positive impact on the lives of so many has shone through'. Speaking outside New Scotland Yard, Mr Jukes added: 'A large team of detectives have been working around the clock to find out as much as we can about what happened and why. 'That work has included searches at a number of London addresses. Our advanced forensics team analysed digital devices and carried out a painstaking review of CCTV footage. 'If there are members of the public who have further information that might help the investigation, I would urge them to come forward. Every piece of information in investigations like these is important and you will not be wasting our time.' Sir David's death during his weekly constituency surgery has shocked Britain and is likely to change the way MPs are protected and meet voters forever. In a heartbreaking statement his family called for people to 'set aside hatred', adding: 'Nobody should die in that way. Nobody. Whatever one's race, religious or political beliefs, be tolerant and try to understand. We are absolutely broken, but we will survive and carry on for the sake of a wonderful and inspiring man.' DO YOU KNOW ALI HARBI ALI? Email us: tips@dailymail.com or martin.robinson@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement Ali is the son of a former Sudanese diplomat who was born in Britain and raised in Croydon. After falling out with his parents he decided to move in with an aunt and her sons in a council house in the upmarket North London enclave of Kentish Town, in a street of 2million three-storey townhouses. His move to north London is understood to have coincided with a deterioration in his relationship with his Somali-born parents. Ali's parents split up when he was young and his father returned to Somalia. One neighbour, who has known the family for twenty years, said that Ali spoke of hopes of becoming a doctor with the NHS, saying: 'He told me he'd been doing exams and he seemed westernised.' Police and intelligence officials were initially mystified about why the 69-year-old Tory politician was singled out for attack. Reports had initially suggested that Sir David, a devout Roman Catholic and prominent Brexiteer who was MP for Southend West, had been selected because of his political views or religion. Investigators now believe that there may have been no specific motive for the targeting of Sir David. One government insider told the paper: 'He was unlucky. He was not targeted because of his political party. David Amess was not specifically targeted.' Shock: Harbi Ali Kullane, who was a Somali government adviser. He is said to be estranged from his son Police are also investigating the alleged close ties between Sir David and Qatar. The Tory MP was chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Gulf state and returned from his latest visit there on Wednesday last week. Sir David's family said their hearts had been 'shattered' by his 'cruel and violent death' at a constituency surgery in Essex. They said they could not understand why the 'patriot and a man of peace' was targeted by a knifeman he had never met. Officers raided Ali's 'childhood home' in Croydon on Friday. It comes as Met Police officers were yesterday seen guarding a property in a tree-lined street in North London, where Ali is believed to currently live. Police were seen walking into the property and a blue and yellow tent was erected outside the council-owned property on the street, where homes sell for around 2million. It comes as intelligence officials are believed to have warned Ministers that Britain could face a wave of terrorist attacks carried out by 'bedroom radicals' - so-called 'lone wolf' terrorists who turned to extremism after spending months at home during the Covid lockdown. 'Counter-terror police and MI5 have been concerned for some time that once we emerged out of lockdown there would be more people out on the streets and more targets for the terrorists,' one security source told The Telegraph. As police continued to quiz the London-born suspect, his father spoke of the family's shock. Harbi Ali Kullane, a former media and communications adviser to the Prime Minister of Somalia, said he was 'traumatised' by his son's arrest. He added: 'At this particular moment we are going through [an] unprecedented and horrific situation.' Mr Kullane spoke out as details emerged about the suspected killer's upbringing in south London. Detectives have been piecing together the suspect's movements in the hours before Friday's attack. They have not found any obvious affiliation to a terrorist group and do not believe Ali had ever previously met Sir David. They have found nothing to suggest the MP was attacked because of his voting record, 'but that could well come out as a factor', a source said. Police officers erect a tent outside a house in north London, thought to be in relation to the death of Sir David Candles are lit next to a portrait of David Amess during a vigil for him at St Michaels Church, in Leigh-on-Sea People look at flowers left by the police cordon nearby the Belfairs Methodist Church Another neighbour described the household as 'polite, respectful and decent'. He said: 'There was often a tallish chap outside who would be around 25. He would smoke outside. He'd always say hello. 'They're a good family. This is off the scale. It's horrendous. 'They were all great. I can't believe it. They were polite and respectful. It's incredible'. Mr Kullane returned to the UK two years ago to have a heart operation on the NHS, neighbours said. He lives with his sister in the north London district of Bounds Green, and the home was also visited by police over the weekend. Police also searched the Croydon house where the suspect's mother and siblings live. Officers spent more than 24 hours scouring the premises and took the family away, with police warning them that they would not be returning for a while. A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: 'The kids used to go to a mosque nearby, but I didn't think they did any more. They've been very good neighbours.' Sir David's family said their hearts had been 'shattered' by his 'cruel and violent death' at a constituency surgery in Essex. They said they could not understand why the 'patriot and a man of peace' was targeted by a knifeman he had never met. The 69-year-old father of five was ambushed at his Friday meeting with the public and stabbed 17 times in a frenzied attack. In a heartbreaking statement his family called for people to 'set aside hatred', adding: 'Nobody should die in that way. Nobody. 'Whatever one's race, religious or political beliefs, be tolerant and try to understand. We are absolutely broken, but we will survive and carry on for the sake of a wonderful and inspiring man.' Forensic officers at the scene near the Belfairs Methodist Church in Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex on the day of the murder Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer join Home Secretary Priti Patel and the Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle as they pay their respects to Sir David People look at flowers left by the police cordon nearby the Belfairs Methodist Church The Home Office scheme, which has an annual budget of around 40million, has been under scrutiny for years after a series of terrorists slipped through its net, including Reading attacker Khairi Saadallah. 'Nobody should die in that way. Nobody': Family of murdered MP Sir David Amess say 'our hearts are shattered' but urge people to 'show love to all' and support causes he championed in his memory so 'some good can come from this tragedy' The devastated family of Conservative MP Sir David Amess said they are 'absolutely broken' by his killing, adding in an emotional statement: 'As a family, we are trying to understand why this awful thing has occurred. Nobody should die in that way.' In a statement released through the Metropolitan Police, Sir David's family said: 'The family would like to thank everyone for the wonderful, wonderful tributes paid to David following his cruel and violent death. It truly has brought us so much comfort. The support shown by friends, constituents and the general public alike has been so overwhelming. As a family it has given us strength. 'We have realised from tributes paid that there was far, far more to David than even we, those closest to him, knew. We are enormously proud of him. Our hearts are shattered. However, there was still so much David wanted to do - this we know from the events of the last few days. So, this is not the end of Sir David Amess MP. It is the next chapter and as a family we ask everyone to support the many charities he worked with. There are so many to mention, so find one close to your hearts and help. 'David had recently joined a campaign to help raise funds for a memorial to Dame Vera Lynn. To him she epitomised the strength and courage of our nation. We would ask as many people as possible to support this and meet the target to complete the project. 'Closer to home, David was working hard for Southend to gain city status. In his memory, please show your support for this campaign. Strong and courageous is an appropriate way to describe David. He was a patriot and a man of peace. So, we ask people to set aside their differences and show kindness and love to all. This is the only way forward. Set aside hatred and work towards togetherness. 'Whatever one's race, religious or political beliefs, be tolerant and try to understand. As a family, we are trying to understand why this awful thing has occurred. Nobody should die in that way. Nobody. Please let some good come from this tragedy. We are absolutely broken, but we will survive and carry on for the sake of a wonderful and inspiring man. 'We ask at this time that the family's privacy be respected so that we can grieve in private.' Advertisement But the independent review did not start formally until earlier this year and has still not reported back to Miss Patel. Former justice secretary Robert Buckland called for a shake-up of Prevent to ensure a more 'joined-up' approach. He said more co-operation between schools, the NHS and other public agencies was required to ensure security forces could intervene early. 'I very much hope that when it comes to community supervision and community involvement, that it is much more joined-up between health services, education,' he told Times Radio. 'And that element of being joined-up is what we really need to work on urgently.' He added: 'There may be records or information from schools or colleges or from the health service which can tell us much more about individuals and their activities. We need to join this up much more effectively because what we're talking about here is community prevention. 'We've got to make sure that every arm of the state is absolutely working together in order to understand as much as possible about these individuals, and then to intervene if we judge the risk to be so significant that an intervention could prevent the sort of appalling incident that we saw not just last week but also in the Jo Cox case and other examples.' Mrs Cox, the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, was murdered by a far-Right fanatic in the street in 2016 as she was about to carry out a constituency surgery. A Tory former Defence Minister doubled-down on his call for a temporary suspension of public meetings between MPs and their constituents, as he warned 'there could be a copycat-style attack' following the killing of Sir David. Tobias Ellwood, the chairman of the Commons Defence Select Committee, urged a 'pause in face-to-face' consultations between parliamentarians and members of the public until a safety review had been completed in the wake of Sir David's death on Friday. His proposal was shot down by defiant Conservatives including former Cabinet minister David Davis. Labour's Harriet Harman called for an official review of MPs' safety, while ex-Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott also rallied against 'airport-style screening' - but told the BBC she would support meeting constituents behind a screen to prevent possible stab attacks. Miss Patel insisted MPs must keep meeting voters, telling the BBC's Andrew Marr Show it would be 'unacceptable' for the killing to 'break the link between an elected representative and their democratic role, responsibility and duty to the people who elected them'. However, the killing of Sir David at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea as he met with Southend West constituents has prompted the Government to look at ensuring every MP gets police on guard at their weekly surgeries - a move backed by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle. Speaking to Channel 4, Mr Ellwood doubled-down on his proposal, warning: 'Ultimately we have to recognise that there could be a copycat-style attack. The police have already made that clear. Let's make sure that our lifestyles and the way we go about is not altered, that they do not win. But we need to do that in a cognitive way to make sure that MPs, staff and indeed the general public are kept safe.' The MP for Bournemouth East, who was hailed as a hero for his attempts to save the life of Pc Keith Palmer during the Westminster terror attack in 2017, also told the broadcaster that he had discussed the security implications of the withdrawal from Afghanistan for terrorism and extremism with Sir David last week as they visited Doha in Qatar. An ongoing investigation into Sir David's death has been focusing on multiple areas including Camden, Croydon and another unspecified address in London BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg is reported to be in discussions about leaving the role to become a presenter on Radio 4's Today programme. Among the names within the corporation tipped to replace her is the North America editor, Jon Sopel, who this week revealed he was returning from the US. Mr Sopel was linked with the political editor post in 2015, when it was given to Kuenssberg, the first woman to have held it. BBC Scotland editor Sarah Smith, who sometimes presents on Today, is in turn being linked with Mr Sopel's job. Other names linked with the political editor role include Newsnight policy editor Lewis Goodall, Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis, BBC News host Ben Brown, Radio 4 Today host Amol Rajan and political correspondent Chris Mason. Previous political editors such as Andrew Marr and Nick Robinson have moved on to presenting jobs at the BBC. Marr has his own Sunday morning show on BBC One, while Robinson is one of the presenters on the Today programme on Radio 4. Here is who could replace Kuenssberg as political editor, with odds from Betfair: JON SOPEL (6/4) Jon Sopel is the favourite to replace Laura Kuenssberg, three days after the corporation's North America Editor revealed he was returning from the US. The married father-of-two was first linked with the political editor role in 2015, when it was given to Kuenssberg. London-born Sopel, 62, joined the BBC in 1983 as a reporter and producer on BBC Radio Solent and has worked in a variety of political roles within the corporation, such as chief political correspondent for BBC News and main presenter on The Politics Show. BBC Scotland editor Sarah Smith, who sometimes presents on Today, is being linked with Sopel's North America job. Sopel tweeted on Tuesday: 'Some personal news: I'm off.. After 7+ fab years in DC, 3 books, 3 presidents (one kept me busier than others) it's time to return to the UK and BBC mothership. Planning a long break. New book, maybe - but most of all for us to get to Aus to meet our first grandchild, Eliza.' LEWIS GOODALL (5/2) Lewis Goodall has been the policy editor on Newsnight since January 2020, having previously worked for three years at Sky News as political correspondent. He led Sky's Brexit and General Election coverage and has made documentaries on British political history such as the Easter Rising, the 1945 election and the legacy of Enoch Powell. The 32-year-old Oxford graduate, who previously worked in the United States congress, has also previously reported for Newsnight, the Victoria Derbyshire programme and BBC Radio 4 Other previous roles for Birmingham-born Goodall include a researcher for ITV Granada and the Institute for Public Policy Research, while he has also studied abroad in Paris and Beijing. EMILY MAITLIS (6/1) Emily Maitlis is the lead presenter on BBC's Newsnight and is perhaps best known for her bombshell interview with Prince Andrew in 2019 which saw him step back from his public role days later. During the interview, Andrew failed to show remorse over his friendship with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and expressed little empathy for the paedophile's alleged victims. Maitlis, 59, an RTS award-winning journalist who spent six years reporting from the Far East, based in Hong Kong presents general elections for the BBC and speaks Spanish, French and Italian. But she has faced controversy for perceived breaches of impartiality rules - including a summing up of Dominic Cummings's lockdown row, saying he had 'broken the rules' and 'the country can see that, and it's shocked the Government cannot'. Maitlis also used Newsnight to hit out at claims that coronavirus was a 'great leveller' for society as she said the poorest Britons were less likely to survive the pandemic. BEN BROWN (8/1) Ben Brown is a main presenter for BBC News who joined the corporation in 1988 and was a foreign affairs correspondent until 1991, reporting on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Gulf war. The Oxford graduate was Moscow correspondent from 1991 until 1995, where he witnessed the collapse of communism, and won an RTS award in 2000 for his reporting in Zimbabwe. Brown was embedded with British troops during the Iraq War in 2003, and wrote a book about his experiences as a war correspondent called 'Sandstealers'. Before joining the BBC, Brown worked for Liverpool's Radio City and Independent Radio News in the 1980s. EMMA BARNETT (10/1) Emma Barnett has been the main presenter of Woman's Hour on Radio 4 since January after joining from her eponymous programme on Radio 5 Live. She has also presented Newsnight, writes a column for the i newspaper and wrote a book called Period. It's About Bloody Time about menstruation. Manchester-born Barnett, who now lives in London with her husband and son, has also presented The Andrew Marr Show, Politics Live and Sunday Morning Live. In Barnett's first week on Women's Hour, guest Kelechi Okafor stormed off the show just two minutes before airtime after claiming she overheard the presenter discussing if she had made anti-Semitic remarks. Barnett, 36, defended herself, saying she stood by her questions to her team and Miss Okafor. CHRIS MASON (11/1) Cambridge graduate Chris Mason began his journalism career as a trainee at ITN the week after 9/11, before moving to BBC Radio Newcastle one year later. Mason also then worked for 5 Live, the Regional Political Unit, the Westminster Hour on Radio 4 and in Brussels as a Europe correspondent. The 41-year-old from West Yorkshire later become a 5 Live reporter at Westminster, and then a political correspondent in 2012 - a position still his main role now. He has also stood in on Radio 4, 5 live, the World Service and Breakfast TV. Mason is now the presenter of radio programme Any Questions and is regularly on the podcast Newscast. AMOL RAJAN (16/1) Amol Rajan began working as a presenter on BBC Radio 4's Today programme in May and is also the corporation's media editor. Born in India in 1983, he moved to London with his family when he was aged just three. He worked at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on his gap year before studying English at the Cambridge and editing the student newspaper Varsity. His professional media career began as a researcher on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff, before he joined The Independent newspaper. There, he rose up the ranks to become the youngest editor of a broadsheet in British history, aged 29 - as well as the first non-white editor. The cricket enthusiast then moved onto the BBC in 2016, where he has also been a host on Radio 2. The father-of-two, who is married to academic Charlotte Faircloth, also writes for magazines including The Spectator, GQ and New Statesman. Three other journalists also in the running for the role according to Befair are FAISAL ISLAM (14/1), NICK ROBINSON (16/1) and ANDREW MARR (20/1). Meanwhile the odds from Coral are as follows: JON SOPEL (3/1), VICKI YOUNG (4/1), AMOL RAJAN (6/1), JAMES LANDALE (8/1), BETH RIGBY (10/1), FAISAL ISLAM (10/1), LEWIS GOODALL (10/1), SARAH SMITH (10/1) and ROBERT PESTON (16/1). And Ladbrokes has provided the following odds: JON SOPEL (3/1), VICKI YOUNG (4/1), AMOL RAJAN (6/1), JAMES LANDALE (8/1), BETH RIGBY (10/1), FAISAL ISLAM (10/1), LEWIS GOODALL (10/1), SARAH SMITH (10/1), JON CRAIG (25/1), ANDREW NEIL (200/1), GEORGE OSBORNE (200/1) and PIERS MORGAN (200/1). Boris Johnson today insisted there is 'absolutely nothing to indicate' there will be another lockdown this winter. The Prime Minister said a national shutdown is not 'on the cards' as he was grilled about rising coronavirus case numbers. His comments came after Tory MPs and hospitality chiefs urged the PM to resist calls from health bosses to trigger the Government's Covid-19 'Plan B'. Conservative MPs fear going ahead with the fall back strategy of telling people to work from home and to wear face masks would put the nation on a 'slippery slope' towards another lockdown. They are adamant there should be no return to draconian curbs, claiming that the Government must not be 'bullied' by health leaders into imposing new rules. Meanwhile, hospitality bosses have warned against reimposing restrictions, telling the PM that many pubs, bars and restaurants would 'go to the wall'. The hospitality industry is concerned that even light touch restrictions could hit bookings and put 'Christmas at risk'. The Government has insisted the triggering of 'Plan B' is not imminent, with the focus currently on rolling out vaccine booster shots. But ministers struck an ominous tone this morning as they said the blueprint is 'there for a reason'. Hospitality bosses have warned Boris Johnson, pictured at a vaccination centre in London today, that reimposing coronavirus rules this winter would force many pubs, bars and restaurants to 'go to the wall' The hospitality industry is concerned that imposing the Government's 'Plan B' would hammer bookings and put 'Christmas at risk'. Soho in central London is pictured Tory MPs are concerned that triggering 'Plan B' would put the nation on a 'slippery slope' towards another lockdown Boris Johnson piles pressure on experts to cut waiting time for booster jab Boris Johnson last night piled pressure on his scientific advisers to cut the waiting time for booster jabs from six months to five. If a decision is made immediately, nearly 9 million more Britons will become eligible for a third dose of the vaccine. Concern has been growing that the rollout of the Covid booster scheme has been far too slow, putting the public at risk as cases rise. At present, over-50s and those with health problems are invited for their jab six months after their second dose. Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday called on ministers to cut the waiting time to five months. Mr Johnson agreed that it was an 'extremely important point'. The six-month deadline was imposed by the Government's advisers on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The Prime Minister's intervention suggests the JCVI may be asked to revisit the timeline. Speaking during a visit to Northern Ireland, Mr Johnson urged over-50s to come forward and get their booster jabs as soon as they become eligible saying it was important to 'fortify' defences against the virus. 'The most important thing people can do now is get that booster jab. You get the call, get the jab. We have done about four million booster jabs already but as soon as you become eligible, as soon as you get that call, everybody over 50 should be getting that jab. 'We are in a much better position going into the autumn/winter now than we were 12 months ago, incomparably better, because of the huge level of protection we have got from the vaccines. 'Ninety per cent of the adult population has antibodies right now, but we most fortify ourselves further. 'The numbers are high, we can see what's happening, we can see the increase, now is the time to get those booster jabs.' Advertisement Health bosses have called on the Government to introduce 'Plan B' measures as they warned the NHS is currently heading for a winter crisis. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, of the British Medical Association, said the refusal to implement Plan B measures amounted to 'wilful negligence'. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents health trusts, said it was 'better to act now, rather than regret it later'. More than 50,000 new coronavirus cases were confirmed yesterday - the highest number of daily reported cases since July 17. Meanwhile, a further 115 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Thursday, bringing the UK total to 139,146. Mr Johnson was asked this afternoon during a visit to a vaccination centre in London if a full lockdown this winter is out of the question. He replied: 'I have got to tell you at the moment that we see absolutely nothing to indicate that that is on the cards at all.' However, some figures in Westminster believe the PM could be forced to activate his 'Plan B' of lower-level restrictions. The premier is said to have delayed a decision on whether to deploy 'Plan B' until after half-term in the hope the school break will halt the surge in cases. The period between Halloween and New Year's Eve is vital for the hospitality industry as bookings normally soar before a lull in January and February. There are growing concerns in the sector that some coronavirus restrictions could be reimposed before the end of the year in a move which could damage consumer confidence. Phil Urban, chief executive of Mitchells & Butler, which owns pubs and restaurants including the All Bar One chain, told The Guardian: 'People are very nervous and if you move to Plan B it puts Christmas at risk. 'The industry is not out of the woods, and just as we get our momentum back we'd have the rug pulled out from under us.' Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of UK Hospitality, echoed a similar sentiment as she warned many firms are 'still fragile'. 'We lost Christmas in its entirety last year so it's desperately important for survivability, getting you through the bleak months of January and February when people don't come out as much,' she said. 'A lot of businesses are still fragile. Any knock at this point in time could have an impact on viability. People will just go to the wall.' Some Tory MPs are strongly opposed to the return of any restrictions. One MP told MailOnline that triggering 'Plan B' could put the country on a 'slippery slope' towards another lockdown. They said: 'I am very concerned about the idea of moving to Plan B because you could see that slipping away into another lockdown. 'Although the cases are high, the death rate is pretty low. It seems that if the booster rollout continues then it may keep things at bay.' Meanwhile, Tory MP Marcus Fysh said the Government must not be 'bullied' into imposing new curbs. He said: 'The position on this has been to get bullied on different things and I don't think we should be doing that at this point.' Care Minister Gillian Keegan said this morning that the Government remains focused on the vaccine rollout as its main defence against the virus after she was asked why 'Plan B' still has not been triggered. She told Sky News: 'We laid out Plan A and Plan B and we have just started, as I say, five weeks ago Plan A. 'The most important thing is to do all the tings I have just said: Get that vaccine rolled out, get those boosters rolled out. 'And of course we have Plan B there. It is there for a reason. But right now we are really focusing. Boris Johnson delays decision on fresh Covid curbs until after half-term Boris Johnson has delayed a decision on whether fresh Covid curbs are needed until after half-term in the hope the school break will halt the surge in cases. Government sources say that ministers have been startled by the rapid spread of the virus among schoolchildren, where infection rates are up to ten times higher than among the wider population. A source said ministers hoped that next week's half-term holiday in England would break the increase in daily infections, which rose to more than 50,000 yesterday for the first time since July. The Prime Minister yesterday said that he was sticking with the existing approach for now, despite a growing clamour from the medical profession to move to the Government's 'Plan B'. The introduction of Plan B would see the return of mandatory face masks, the introduction of controversial vaccine passports and the revival of the work from home guidance. Advertisement 'We know that the vaccine is the best thing we do and really focusing on making sure that that is rolled out.' Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, used a Downing Street press conference earlier this week to warn that the public must play its part to prevent Covid-19 restrictions becoming necessary. Mr Javid said people must get their Covid-19 vaccines and any booster shots, as well as doing things like wearing masks in crowded places. Asked if people face a tightening of restrictions if they do not get boosters or take care indoors, Mr Javid said: 'Am I saying that if we don't do our bit, get vaccinated, all those behavioural changes that we can make, that we are more likely to face restrictions as we head into winter? Then I am saying that. 'I think we've been really clear that we've all got a role to play. 'If not enough people get their booster jabs, if not enough of those people that were eligible for the original offer, the five million I've talked about that remain unvaccinated, if they don't come forward, if people don't wear masks when they really should in a really crowded place with lots of people that they don't normally hang out with, if they're not washing their hands and stuff, it's going to hit us all. 'And it would of course make it more likely we're going to have more restrictions. Now we want to avoid those. 'We've set out what those restrictions might look like, we've set out the Plan B restrictions for example, and we all want to avoid those.' Mr Javid warned that Covid-19 cases could reach 100,000 a day as the country enters a challenging winter period. He said the UK was seeing 'greater pressure' on the NHS but the Government will 'do what it takes to make sure that this pressure doesn't become unsustainable, and that we don't allow the NHS to become overwhelmed.' Deaths 'remain mercifully low' at the moment, he said, but added: 'We've always known that the winter months would pose the greatest threat to our road to recovery.' The Government has launched a media blitz to encourage more people to take up the offer of a Covid-19 booster jab. The nationwide advertising campaign will run on outdoor billboards, broadcast and community radio and TV to support the national vaccine drive. Australia's largest bird conservation group has demanded Bunnings stop selling an item that has been flying off the shelves because it is killing native wildlife. BirdLife Australia asked the hardware giant to cease stocking select rat and mice poison products, claiming countless innocent birds are dying. It follows a boom in the sales of rodenticide sales for the first six months of 2021 after eastern Australia was gripped by a massive mouse plague. Empty shelves of rat poison in many Bunnings stores became the norm, as farmers in rural areas sought to rid their properties of vermin in large numbers. BirdLife Australia has claimed wedge-tailed eagles and even some owls have died soon after eating rodents which had digested the poisoned products. Empty shelves of rat poison in many Bunnings stores have become the norm, as farmers in rural areas as well as urban residents across eastern Australia sought to rid their properties of rodents in large numbers Ratsak has been identified as a product which sees birds and other wildlife die - after they eat rodents which have nibbled on the poison The group launched a petition requesting Bunnings stop the sale of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), including Fast Action RatSak and Talon. Supermarkets including Coles and Woolworths also stock the items but the group called out Bunnings due to their higher volume of sales. 'Owls, eagles, and other birds of prey are unnecessarily dying by ingesting rats and mice that have been poisoned,' the BirdLife Australia petition reads. 'Rodenticides are poisons designed to kill pest mice and rats but they have other impacts too. 'Second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGAR) poisons are the worst. 'It is these products that we are asking Bunnings to remove from their shelves.' According to BirdLife Australia, the poison is seeing the birds suffer horrific internal bleeding. They suggested residents across Australia instead use traditional methods to capture rodents, such as mouse traps. Bunnings general manager of merchandise Adrian Pearce said the business is aware of the concerns raised by BirdLife Australia. 'We always respect community feedback and we recently met with BirdLife Australia to understand their views and to explain the steps we are taking to educate customers about rodent control products,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'We offer a range of rodent control products, including anticoagulant rodenticides as well as a number of non-poisonous alternatives, such as rodent repellers, live catch traps, regular rat traps and natural bait pellets such as the Natural range from Ratsak. 'This provides choice for the customer and a natural solution to any rodent problem. Numerous farmers have been forced to contend with mouse plagues across eastern Australia this year, who have destroyed crops 'We understand there are risks associated with the use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) for birds and some wildlife, and we proactively promote the safe use of these products and support customers in making informed purchasing decisions.' Mr Pearce added that Bunnings has worked closely with suppliers to update product packaging as well as provide updates online for customers. 'We are also in the process of implementing the separation of first generation and second generation rat poison varieties, along with naturally-derived rodenticides on our shelves to further assist with easier customer product selection,' he said. 'We will continue to closely follow the advice of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), and work with our suppliers to innovate in this area.' Police have appealed for CCTV and dashcam footage from within a 1,000km radius of missing four-year-old Cleo Smith's campsite - and have considered contacting NSW detectives that are involved in the William Tyrrell investigation. Detectives have not given up hope of finding Cleo alive but admit all signs point to her having been taken from her family's tent at the popular Blowholes campsite, on WA's northwest coast, in the early hours of Saturday morning. West Australian authorities have offered a $1million reward for information leading to Cleo's location. Police have appealed for CCTV and dashcam footage from within a 1,000km radius of missing four-year-old Cleo Smith's campsite According to the West Australian WA police have considered the possibility of bringing in NSW detectives who were part of the investigations looking into the disappearance of William Tyrrell (Cleo's family pictured) A land search in the immediate vicinity of the campsite, north of Carnarvon, is winding down and campers are expected to be able to return later on Friday. Police are now focusing their attention on a criminal investigation. WA Police on Friday launched a fresh appeal for any dashcam or CCTV footage recorded within a 1,000km radius of the Blowholes campsite last weekend. According to the West Australian WA police have considered the possibility of bringing in NSW detectives who were part of the investigations looking into the disappearance of William Tyrrell. Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde said that he couldn't discuss information around who would be approached for assistance, but noted that it is common for officers from other states to help. WA authorities have offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Cleo's (pictured) location and have considered contacting NSW detectives involved in the William Tyrrell investigation 'It is usual practice to collaborate with officers from other jurisdictions about similar crimes,' he told the publication. Community service announcements appealing for information regarding Cleo's disappearance are also being broadcast on radio stations. Cleo was last seen by her parents at about 1.30am on Saturday. Her mother Ellie Smith has said she woke around 6am to discover Cleo was missing from the family's tent. It has been confirmed the zipper on the family tent was found open to a height Cleo could not have reached, seemingly ruling out the possibility she wandered off on her own. Her red and black sleeping bag is also missing. Investigators have spoken to up to 20 registered sex offenders in the Carnarvon area, but there are currently no suspects. 'Given the information now that we've gleaned from the scene, the fact that the search has gone on for this period of time and we haven't been able to locate her ... it leads us to believe that she was taken from the tent,' Detective Superintendent Rob Wilde told reporters on Thursday. Supt Wilde said authorities were keeping an open mind in relation to whether Cleo may have been taken by someone known to her. Police have not ruled out the possibility Cleo may have been taken across interstate borders. A land search in the immediate vicinity of the campsite, north of Carnarvon, has winded down as campers are expected to be able to return later on Friday (Pictured: Cleo Smith's tent) 'We've been in touch with all jurisdictions around Australia,' Supt Wilde said. 'We want to get this information out there and if anyone Australia-wide has information that could be relevant to the investigation, we ask that they call Crime Stoppers.' Acting police commissioner Col Blanch said an analysis of CCTV vision from a nearby shack had placed Cleo at the campsite on the night in question. 'This investigation is wide open,' Mr Blanch said. 'We will consider any possibility ... we're hoping for answers from the community.' Advisors have warned Boris Johnson against further foreign aid cuts ahead of the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow. A committee known as the Friends of COP, assigned by Cop president Alok Sharma, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister expressing 'deep concern' over the planned cuts. The group of climate experts also warned the cuts would send a signal that the UK is 'neither committed to, nor serious about, enabling a green global recovery from the pandemic'. It follows an official watchdog saying that Mr Johnson's move to slash the foreign aid budget 'undermined' efforts to limit the long-term damage of the coronavirus crisis overseas. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) said on Thursday programmes that would have mitigated the pandemic's impact had been ended due to the cut. The group of climate experts warned the cuts would send a signal that the UK is 'neither committed to, nor serious about, enabling a green global recovery from the pandemic' (pictured: Boris Johnson on Wednesday) The letter seen by the BBC reads: 'As 'Friends of COP' we are writing to you to express our deep concern at the prospect of further UK aid cuts in the final few days before COP26.' It adds: 'The ability of the UK to act as a genuine, trusted partner for developing countries is of crucial importance to COP26's success. 'Further implied cuts to overseas aid at the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) would send a signal that the UK is neither committed to, nor serious about, enabling a green global recovery from the pandemic, nor improving the resilience of the most vulnerable to climate change.' Meanwhile, a watchdog's report led to fresh criticism of the Prime Minister's move to reduce aid spending for the world's poorest from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of gross national income (GNI). ICAI commissioner Sir Hugh Bayley also urged the Government to 'accelerate' the supply of Covid-19 vaccines to developing countries, with the vast majority having gone to rich nations. The ICAI review said: 'The UK's strong initial response to the pandemic, seeking to reduce the severity and length of the crisis, mitigate its long-term damage and deliver cost-effective long-term development efforts has been undermined following the decision to reduce the aid spending target to 0.5 per cent of GNI. 'We have seen evidence of programmes that would have mitigated the long-term damage of the crisis being reduced and good long-term investments being ended. 'We found evidence in some cases that this had increased the burden on partner countries and other funders, potentially placing vulnerable groups at increased risk.' 'Some funders had stepped in' but the 'speed of decision making did not allow other funders to be enlisted in a considered and structured way', the report added. 'Looking forward, the reduced aid budget and reduced autonomy for the overseas network within the new FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) appears likely to reduce the ability of the UK aid programme to respond flexibly to the evolving pandemic.' A committee known as the Friends of COP, assigned by Cop president Alok Sharma (above), wrote a letter to the Prime Minister expressing 'deep concern' over the planned cuts Liberal Democrat international development spokeswoman Layla Moran said the cut is 'shameful'. 'In our fight against Covid-19 we are not safe until we are all safe,' she said. 'Yet by cutting the international development budget, the Conservatives have not only abandoned millions around the world but has effectively tied one hand behind our back. 'It is shameful that, when the most vulnerable countries of the world needed support, Conservative MPs reneged on their manifesto promises and walked away. 'This report is proof of the disastrous impact the Government's decision will have on our global battle against Covid-19.' An FCDO spokeswoman responded: 'The UK continues to lead the global response to the pandemic. We have contributed 1.7 billion to support the effort to fight coronavirus worldwide. 'Our funding is helping to provide more than a billion vaccines to lower and middle income countries, as well providing coronavirus treatments and tests. No-one is safe until we are all safe.' A hair salon in Seattle was robbed at gunpoint by three men wearing masks from the horror film Scream. Security footage, captured in the store in the Rainier Valley, showed the masked individuals entering the store at around 6.30pm on Sunday. The trio entered the store and began waving guns at the staff, telling them: 'Nobody move!' One of the masked men, wearing an all-black outfit, approached a member of staff and demanded to know where the store's money was kept. The three thieves then left the salon and fled in a silver can that had New Mexico registration plates, according to Fox News. Janny Lam, the daughter of the store's owner, said that money, car keys and wallets were all stolen in the raid - but that nobody was injured. Security footage, captured in the store in the Rainier Valley, showed the masked individuals entering the store at around 6.30pm on Sunday Following the weekend raid, Lam set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise $3,000 to replace the stolen goods and to purchase better quality security systems. Writing on her fundraising page, Lam said: 'It breaks my heart. No one deserves to endure this traumatizing experience and be robbed at gun point.' After two days, her goal has already been met, with $4,579 having been donated to date. Police have said that an investigation is underway but did not provide any additional details about the incident. Seattle police are currently appealing for anyone with information to come forward and can even give an anonymous tip using the P3 tips app or by calling 1-800-222-TIPS(8477). It comes after earlier this month, Seattle prepared itself to potentially lose up to 40 per cent of its officers in a row over a Covid-19 vaccine mandate. Seattles ordinance which aligns with county- and state-wide mandates also taking effect October 18 requires all city employees to show proof of inoculation or risk losing their jobs. As of Monday, just 24 - or two percent - of Seattle Police Department officers had not shown proof of inoculation, a city spokesperson told Dailymail.com. Meanwhile, Seattle police spokesperson Sgt. Randy Huserik said officers who dont turn in their vaccine verification paperwork by midnight October 18 will likely be terminated. By tomorrow, we'll know what our numbers are, and how many officers have opted to forego the vaccine, he told DailyMail.com. The Seattle Police Officers Guild is still in negotiations with the city over accommodations for those opposed to the vaccine. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan issued a plea to officers Monday, imploring them to get the jab by the deadline. She also thanked officers who have already received the vaccine. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (pictured) issued a plea to officers Monday, imploring them to get the jab by the deadline 'Thank you for stepping up yet again to protect your fellow officers and community,' she said in an email obtained by KTTH radio. 'We ask every SDP employee to join so many who have taken this critical step to protect our city.' If some officers do hang up their badges over the mandate, it would be the latest blow to a force already hampered by the defund the police movement. Staffing at the department is already at lows not seen since the 1980s. In July, it was revealed that the department had already lost at least 280 officers since the start of 2020 due to what they called an 'anti-police climate' in the city amid Black Lives Matter protests and calls to defund the police. The Seattle Police Departments 1,125 officers are tasked with protecting more than 724,000 people. Advertisement Rarely-seen photographs have been released which capture the essence of life as a 20th century London docker with 'knocker uppers' and exotic shipments arriving from across the globe - a world apart from the chaos at Britain's docks today. With a determined look on her face, a woman dressed in a cardigan and a long, flowing skirt wakes East London dockers with a pea shooter. The famous image, taken by John Topham in Limehouse in 1927, shows the then well-known Mrs Mary Smith carrying out her work as a 'knocker upper': someone who earned money waking up industrial workers so they got to their shifts on time. The photograph is one of many taken in the early 20th century which are featuring in a new exhibition examining the impact of the Port of London on the UK's capital. Mr Topham's collection paints a picture of a world unsullied by a global supply chain crisis - a vision a million miles apart from the reality of Britain's docks today, where our busiest ports remain logjammed amid ongoing threats of labour and stock shortages. As dockworkers' unions warn of impending industrial action at ports that would cripple our Christmas, eerily similar parallels can be drawn to the chaos wrought by strikes across London's docks in 1889. More than 100,000 people took part in those strikes more than 130 years ago, closing one of Britain's busiest shipping destinations - the Port of London - for more 20 days and winning a famous 'docker's tanner', a pay increase of sixpence per day, and earning them huge swathes of public support. With her hand planted firmly on her hip, a woman dressed in a cardigan and a long, flowing skirt wakes East London dockers with a peashooter. The famous image, taken by John Topham in Limehouse in 1927, shows the then well-known Mrs Mary Smith carrying out her work as a knocker upper: someone who earned money waking up industrial workers so they got to their shifts on time Also seen in the collection of images on display in London: Port City, which opens today and runs until May 8, 2022, is one of a little girl tentatively holding a lizard which has just arrived in a shipment of reptiles at Tilbury Docks, in Essex. The image was taken between 1915 and 1925 A third photo, taken in 1933, shows a man in a smart shirt and tie proudly holding up two enormous sponges from the Mediterranean which he is looking to sell at auction at the Cutler Street warehouses in central London. They were built by the East India Company and held goods that had arrived at London's docks At Surrey Docks, in Rotherhithe, south-east London, diver Alfred Yates is seen in 1930 preparing to put on his metal helmet before going underwater to carry out repairs Then and now: How pay, conditions and workers on Britain's docks have changed since 1889 Life in Britain's ports has changed enormously since 1889 - with dockers' pay, working conditions and the number of employees all unrecognisable. During the London Dock strikes of 1889, more than 100,000 workers won the right to a pay increase of a sixpence per day. In 2021 figures that would be the equivalent of 2.05pence. Those dockers took part in industrial action across a stretch of 20 days, closing one of Britain's busiest shipping destinations, the Port of London. With the expansion of ports across the country during the Industrial Revolution (1750-1850), those living then described a scene of order, with ships arranged in line and largely arriving and departing on time. Today, and the situation is different thanks to the Covid crisis. Those working on docks today suggest they have 'never been busier', owing to the economy creaking back into life after the pandemic and a shortage of HGV drivers. Pictures show containers piling up across Britain's busiest ports, with warnings that Christmas is likely to be impacted again this year. Furthermore, the number of people working on docks in Britain has steadily decreased since the turn of the 20th century, owing to the increasing use of technology and alternative methods of transporting goods. Figures from the London School of Economics in 2017 showed there were fewer than 50,000 port and water transport workers in Britain for the first time in more than 50 years. Advertisement Also seen in the collection of images on display in London: Port City, which opens today at the Museum of London Docklands and runs until May 8, 2022, is one of a little girl tentatively holding a lizard which has just arrived in a shipment of reptiles at Tilbury Docks, in Essex. After the first was set up in the 18th century, London's network of enclosed dock systems became the busiest in the world. They went into decline from the 1960s onwards as the shipping industry adopted containerisation. Also featured in the exhibition are photos from West India Dock, Royal Albert Dock and London Docks. A third photo, taken in 1933, shows a man in a smart shirt and tie proudly holding up two enormous sponges from the Mediterranean which he is looking to sell the Port of London Authority (PLA)'s Cutler Street warehouse. At Surrey Docks, in Rotherhithe, south-east London, diver Alfred Yates is seen in 1930 preparing to put on his metal helmet before going underwater to carry out repairs. Claire Dobbin, curator, Museum of London, said: 'The port has had a profound impact on London - physically, economically and culturally. 'With this exhibition we wanted to bring the significance, scale and dynamism of port operations past and present - to life, as well the experiences of those working on the docks.' The Museum of London Docklands' base was itself originally part of West India Docks, which were London's first enclosed dock system. It was a hive of activity from 1802 until its closure in 1980. Whilst it was once piled high with exotic imports from across the world, the site is now packed with treasures from the archives of the Port of London Authority (PLA). As well as the black and white images, a live tracker will show the movement of vessels on the River Thames. Despite the decline of its old docks, the PLA still handles more than 50million tonnes of cargo every year and also welcomes more than 12,000 ships from around the world. Visitors will also be able to enjoy the aroma of different kinds of cargo which used to arrive at the port. Among the shipments processed were those of tobacco, tea and wine. The work of a PLA diver today compared to the jobs of the men who went underwater 100 years will also be explored by allowing Londoners and tourists to see a diver's helmet from the 1920s. Smiling brightly in their crisp black uniforms, six women police officers are seen patrolling East London's Royal Docks in a photo that signals how times have changed. The image is one of many taken in the early 20th century which are featuring in a new exhibition examining the impact of the Port of London on our capital city. The women, who posed for the image in 1954, were the first to be recruited to the Port of London Police Force The Pool of London, around 1927 - This very evocative shot of the busy Pool certainly gives an impression of how the port looked in its heyday. In the background, Tower Bridge is seen in its raised position as a ship passes beneath it These women are seen packing tea samples at the Commercial Road Goods Depot in Whitechapel between the years of 1930 and 1945. The warehouse was built by the London Tilbury & Southend Railway (LTSR) to cater for goods arriving at Tilbury Docks A sample of tobacco being inspected by a customs official at Royal Victoria Dock, the largest of the three at Royal Docks in East London. The photo was taken between the years of 1930 and 1940 Alongside the display of the original plans of the docks, visitors will be able to look at a document commemorating the original unveiling of the statue to merchant and slave owner Robert Milligan. The statue, which was put up at West India Docks in 1813, was removed last year after being among those targeted by Black Lives Matter protesters. Claire Dobbin, curator, Museum of London, said: 'The port has had a profound impact on London - physically, economically and culturally. 'With this exhibition we wanted to bring the significance, scale and dynamism of port operations past and present - to life, as well the experiences of those working on the docks.' A horse-drawn van loaded with goods is seen in 1942 being driven at King George V Dock, which was opened by the monarch in 1921. It was the third and final of the Royal Docks to be built. Covering 65acres of land, it cost 4.5million to be built Trucks bound for Mombasa in Kenya are seen being loaded for shipment at Royal Albert Dock, 1955. The dock was completed in 1880 but from the 1960s onwards experienced a steady decline as the shipping industry adopted containerisation An aerial photo shows hundreds of barrels of wine at the gauging ground at London Docks in 1920. Opened in 1805, the docks ended up having a monopoly on the wine trade. However, the area was largely built over in the 1970s A worker is seen attempting to move floating timber at one of London's docks in the 1930s. The image was taken when London was still a major industrial hub, with the various docks processing millions of tonnes of goods every year Taken in 1948, this image shows North Quay at West India Dock. Workers are seen watching as a pallet of potatoes is lifted off of a delivery ship by a crane. Behind them, another enormous ship is seen at the dockside She added: 'Visitors can both step back in time to engage with the historic sights, sounds and smells of the docks, or step behind the scenes of current PLA activities, which continue to play a vital role in our daily lives.' Robin Mortimer, PLA chief executive, said: 'This brilliant exhibition is a timely look at how the River Thames has driven the economy of London and the country, through tough times and good. 'It comes as London has recently reclaimed the top spot as the UK's biggest port. 'The exhibition shows that there is a huge amount to celebrate in the life of the Thames, but also rightly does not shy away from the uncomfortable parts of its history in particular showing the port's role in the slave trade.' A young Swedish rapper who was murdered on Thursday night on the streets of Stockholm has been seen in a final video mining a throat-slitting motion, just hours before he was shot dead 'execution style'. Reports said 19-year-old Einar, whose real name was Nils Kurt Erik Einar Gronberg and who had a number of chart-topping hits in the country, was shot in the head and chest in the port of Hammarby Sjostad. It comes three months after rival rapper Yasin was jailed for 10 months for masterminding a foiled plot to kindap Einar, who was then tied up and beaten in a flat weeks later in an attack involving another Swedish rapper Haval Khalil. The kidnappers posted pictures of Einar to social media while he was being held by them, and claimed online they sexually assaulted him in an attempt to humiliate him. No one was charged with sexual assault in the case. The motive of the shooting remains unclear but the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that the rapper had received several threats recently. It said without providing details that Einar was shot from point-blank range 'execution style.' According to the Swedish public broadcaster SVT, the rapper's shooting was gang-related. Officers were alerted to a shooting at 10:50 pm last night, officials said, but paramedics were unable to save the victim, and he died at the scene. In a video shared by Swedish news website Expresson, reportedly Einar's last before he was killed, he is shown with another Swedish arties VC Barre. The pair are shown gesturing to a mobile phone camera, before Einar mines a 'throat slitting' motion with his thumb and then points at the camera. Rapper Einar (pictured, file photo), whose real name was Nils Kurt Erik Einar Gronberg, was shot in the head and chest in the port of Hammarby Sjostad, according to local reports The murder of Einar comes three months after rival rapper Yasin (pictured right) was jailed for 10 months for masterminding a foiled plot to kindap Einar. Among the suspects was another rapper, Haval Khalil (pictured left in a mugshot) who was sentenced in July to two-and-a-half years in prison for complicity in the kidnapping Bitter gang feuds and gun violence in liberal Sweden After the death of 19-year-old rapper Einar on Thursday night, questions over Sweden's rising rates of gun violence are likely to again come to the forefront of public discourse in the Scandinavian country. The country has in recent years struggled to rein in rising shootings and bombings - usually settlings of scores by gangs and organised crime involved in drug trafficking. As of October 15, 273 shootings had been recorded with 40 people dead so far in 2021, according to police statistics. During 2020, 47 people were killed in 366 shootings in the country of 10.3 million people. Before Einar, another lesser-known Swedish rapper, 23-year-old Rozh Shamal, was also killed in a 2019 gangland shooting. But victims have not only been those involved in gang related violence. In July, two young children were accidentally shot and injured by unknown criminals in a suburb just outside Stockholm and in August three people were wounded in a shooting in the southern city of Kristianstad that was linked to gang criminality. And last year, a 12-year-old girl was shot while walking her family dog, and this summer a policeman was killed in Gothenburg. Their deaths disputed Sweden's reputation of being an idealistic Scandinavian state to aspire to, and ignited a debate in the country over how to deal with such violence. A range of factors have been blamed on the rising numbers of shootings, from firearms becoming more available to the failure to integrate immigrant communities. According to researchers, boys involved in gangs are often pressured by their seniors to carry out murders, since they are likely to get a relatively short prison term due to their age. According to The Times, the men involved in shootings are mostly from non-Swedish backgrounds, often born in Sweden to foreign parents, and live in what the country calls 'vulnerable areas' home to around 600,000. A report by the Swedish national council for crime prevention said earlier this year that Sweden is the only European country where fatal shootings have risen significantly since 2000, primarily because of the violent activities of organised criminal gangs. Advertisement According to local media, two suspects were seen fleeing the scene, with reports saying Einar was in the company of two other artists when he was murdered. In line with usual practice, police have not yet confirmed the identity of the victim. But Sweden's main media outlets all identified him as rapper Einar, whose full name is Nils Kurt Erik Einar Gronberg. Police have opened a murder investigation. 'We are actively working to figure out why it happened and who can be behind it,' Police spokeswoman Towe Hagg said. In a video shared by Swedish news website Expresson, reportedly Einar's last before he was killed, he is shown with another Swedish arties VC Barre. The pair are shown gesturing to a mobile phone camera, before Einar mines a 'throat slitting' motion with his thumb and then points at the camera. VC Barre is reported to have posted the video to his Instagram stories after Einar's death, with the caption 'This is this morning. Rest in peace my brother', with a crying and heart emoji. Einar had reportedly been living under death threats for a long time and his identity was being protected. Many of Einar's songs reference a life of crime, including drugs and weapons. He had public feuds with rival artist Yasin, who in July was jailed for 10 months for his role in a planned kidnapping of Einar in 2020. The plan was ultimately aborted, but Einar was abducted several weeks later without Yasin's involvement. He was beaten, robbed, photographed in humiliating conditions and blackmailed, according to prosecutors. Pictures posted online showed him tied to a radiator and made to wear women's clothing. The kidnapping was part of a broader case involving 30 suspects in a criminal network accused of a variety of crimes. Among the suspects was another rapper, Haval Khalil, who was sentenced in July to two-and-a-half years in prison for complicity in the kidnapping and who has also had public spats with Einar. The verdict was appealed and the case is currently being heard by the Svea Court of Appeal, which is expected to go on until December. According to public broadcaster Sveriges Radio, Einar had been summoned to testify in the ongoing trial next week. Einar had also been called to testify in the original district court trial, but never showed up. Daily Aftonbladet reported Friday that Einar was living with a 'price on his head' after a series of threats against him which had escalated recently. He himself was one of several suspects arrested for a stabbing at a restaurant in central Stockholm earlier this month. Thursday's shooting is suspected to be linked to gang conflicts in the city - an issue that has been growing over the past decade. A man places a candle and flower tribute near the site where Swedish rapper Einar was shot to death, in Hammarby Sjostad district in Stockholm, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 Pictured: Police forensics members work at the site where according to local media Swedish rapper Einar was reportedly shot dead in the street late on Thursday night, in the Hammarby Sjostad district, Stockholm, Sweden October 22, 2021 Swedish rapper Einar performs on stage on September 27, 2019 (file photo) The son of Swedish actress Lena Nilsson, Einar grew up in southern Stockholm and often referred to the criminal scene in the area in his work. He started his career posting songs to social media, and broke through in 2019 releasing 'Katten i trakten' (The cat in the area), which hit number one on Sweden's singles chart. Two out of his four albums reached number one in the country's national record charts. His other two both made it to number two. He has over a million listeners on the Swedish streaming platform Spotify and has won the Grammis Award, the country's equivalent of the Grammy Awards. Police said that his family had been told of Einar's death. As of 6:00 am on Friday, no one had been arrested in connection with the murder, police said, with an investigation currently on-going. Officers had set up a crime scene around the rapper's home, with pictures from the house showing a forensic tent outside the front door and numbered cones on the ground marking potential evidence. Carina Skagerlind, a spokeswoman for Stockholm police, said a number of people have been brought in for questioning, but said it was not necessarily because they were suspects, but 'because they may have things to say'. Police spokesman Ola Osterling said overnight police had investigated the area using weapon-seeking dogs, and dogs that specialise in finding DNA evidence. 'We continue to secure clues and technical evidence with our forensic technicians,' he said. 'Several samples will be sent for analysis and are being analysed right now.' Police is at the site in the Hammarby Sjostad district in Stockholm, Sweden, 21 October 2021, where famous Swedish rap artist Einar was shot dead Media Swedish rapper Einar was reportedly shot dead in the street late on Thursday night, in the Hammarby Sjostad district, Stockholm, Sweden October 22, 2021 Osterling added that forensic investigators had made findings at the crime scene that 'may provide valuable in the future', but did not comment on their nature. He said that investigators were working on the basis that there was more than one person involved in the murder, and that they had received several pieces of information about the suspects. The spokesman also suggested the murder may have been captured of CCTV. The case has shocked the Swedish entertainment world and highlighted what officials said was the urgent need to deal with growing criminal gang activity in the Nordic country. 'It is a young life that has been lost, and I understand that he meant a lot to many young people. It's tragic that another life has been lost,' Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on Friday told news agency TT. 'It is terrible,' Minister of the Interior Mikael Damberg said in a written statement Swedish news website Expressen. 'A young person has been brutally murdered. My thoughts are with the family and all the people who feel great sadness today. 'Now the police's murder hunt is in full swing,' he added. Minister for Gender Equality and Housing Marta Stenevi wrote on Twitter that 'violence must be stopped'. 'Another young man has fallen victim to the deadly violence. Behind every headline is a family that has lost a child. I am thinking today of all those who have lost a relative,' she said. Christian Democratic party leader Ebba Busch posted on Twitter that if politicians don't take responsibility to deal with gang-related crime, 'we can't stand up for human dignity or security in the country.' Center Party leader Annie Loof said most people 'have had enough of the senseless violence and want to see gang crime fought.' Fans and friends expressed their grief on Einar's social media. Friday saw an outpouring of grief from friends and fans of rapper Einar (pictured in 2019, file photo) after he was shot and killed in Stockholm on Thursday night 'Einar was a real brother to me and I will miss him so much. We just released our first record last week and it feels so strange since I spoke to him just a day ago,' producer Trobi wrote on Instagram. Another lesser-known Swedish rapper, 23-year-old Rozh Shamal, was also killed in a 2019 gangland shooting. Sweden has in recent years struggled to rein in rising shootings and bombings - usually settlings of scores by gangs and organised crime involved in drug trafficking. 'It is a young life that has been lost, and I understand that he meant a lot to many young people. It's tragic that another life has been lost,' Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on Friday told news agency TT. As of October 15, 273 shootings had been recorded with 40 people dead so far in 2021, according to police statistics. During 2020, 47 people were killed in 366 shootings in the country of 10.3 million inhabitants. In July, two young children were accidentally shot and injured by unknown criminals in a suburb just outside Stockholm and in August three people were wounded in a shooting in the southern city of Kristianstad that was linked to gang criminality. A report by the Swedish national council for crime prevention said earlier this year that Sweden is the only European country where fatal shootings have risen significantly since 2000, primarily because of the violent activities of organized criminal gangs. On Friday, party leaders from across the political spectrum called for action. 'We are in a national emergency and now political leadership is needed that will take back control,' the leader of the Left Party Nooshi Dadgostar said on Twitter. The leader of the centre-right Centre Party, Annie Loof, echoed those sentiments. 'There are many of us who grieve, who have had enough of the senseless violence and want to fight gang crime,' Loof tweeted. Advertisement Detectives are investigating after two more women have reported being spiked by injection when they were out in Brighton on Tuesday night and early hours of Wednesday morning. This comes after a Kirsty Howells, 25, was pictured unconscious in a hospital bed after being 'injected with Ketamine' amid a string of women reporting being 'spiked' by injection in nightclubs. Miss Howells posted a photo taken in hospital following a night out in Swansea. It was shared on Facebook by her aunt, who said Ms Howells is thought to have been 'injected with ketamine', before being rushed to A&E by her boyfriend. Chief Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw, Divisional Commander for Brighton, said officers are speaking to two victims who felt unwell after a night out in the city on Tuesday night, October 19, and the early hours of Wednesday morning, October 20 He said: 'They suspect they had been injected. They are being supported by officers. 'We are still at a very early stage in our investigation and a number of enquiries are being made. 'We take all reports incredibly seriously and ask anyone who believes they have been a victim or witness to spiking to contact us. We also encourage people to report any suspicious behaviour to us - either online or via 101, or by calling 999 in an emergency.' Officers are increasing patrols as part of their continued work policing the night-time economy, and will continue working closely with partners and licensed premises on initiatives to help keep their patrons safe. Ch Supt Burtenshaw added: 'We are aware of the national media and the worry and anxiety this may cause those wanting to enjoy the night-time economy. 'Everyone should be able to enjoy themselves safely and to support this there are officers who will be on patrol across the city over the weekend. 'Our Licensing Teams are working hard with venues to raise awareness about spiking and ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to prevent this from happening.' In recent days a number of women have shared their experiences of being spiked, including Ilana El-baz, 20, who recalled how she was 'left semi-paralysed' on a staircase after returning home from a Bristol nightclub three weeks ago. Today, two teenagers, 18 and 19, were arrested 'on suspicion of conspiracy to administer poison' in Nottingham, while a 35-year-old man was last night arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to administer them at a nightclub in Lincoln. Students are planning to boycott nightclubs next week as part of nationwide protests, with more than 30 universities taking part in the campaign in a bid to force venues to increase safety measures. Following reports of spiking by needles in Nottingham, a petition calling for it to be a 'legal requirement' for nightclubs to 'thoroughly' search customers upon arrival has been signed by more than 130,000 people. The Girls' Night In campaign will spread across 43 university towns and cities over the next fortnight. It comes in response to a reported rise in drinks being 'spiked' and a new alarming trend of girls being injected unknowingly with drugs. Victims have become violently ill while out and only realised they had been injected when they found 'pin prick' marks on their bodies. Those taking part in the boycott will stay at home on a designated night to raise awareness of the attacks and encourage venues to improve security. New figures have also emerged showing 15 per cent of females, seven per cent of males and 17 per cent of those identifying as other have had their drink spiked, according to a snap poll by The Alcohol Education Trust. The survey, which was open for a week from October 12 and had 747 responses, asked: 'Do you think you have ever had one of your drinks spiked?', with 94 replying yes and a further 26 saying 'maybe'. Kirsty Howells, 25, shared a picture from her hospital bed after she was spiked - when victims are drugged without their knowledge either physically with needles or via their drinks - in Swansea one evening Kirsty, who is from Swansea, was out enjoying a drink earlier this month when she was spiked with an unknown substance that left her unconscious. She said she was 'very shaken' and now 'anxious' to go out drinking again any time soon. Ilana El-baz (pictured above), 20, has recalled how she was left semi-paralysed on a staircase after returning home from a Bristol nightclub three weeks ago. She shared a recording filmed by her boyfriend showing her struggling to get up the stairs with her eyes rolling as her head falls into the railings What do the experts say on reports of injection spiking? Is it possible? Yes - and there are credible reports where people have woken up with needle marks having been spiked. But the likelihood of it being a widespread phenomena is 'deeply improbable', according to one medical consultant. David Caldicott, an emergency medicine consultant and founder of drug testing project WEDINOS, told VICE News: 'The technical and medical knowledge required to perform this would make this deeply improbable. 'It's really hard to stick a needle in someone without them noticing, especially if you have to keep the needle in there for long enough, maybe 20 seconds, to inject enough drugs to cause this.' Could someone not give the injection really fast? Yes - but they'd need a very powerful drug to do so discreetly, experts say. GHB is one of the most well-known 'date rape' drug and is also self-administered in small doses by people recreationally. But Guy Jones, senior scientist at drugs charity the Loop, told VICE it would be a 'poor candidate' for injection because of the large amounts of fluid needed. 'Therefore (it would require) a thick, painful needle. This means that the substance involved would be something that would be highly detectable for several days in a toxicology screening,' he said. Adam Winstock, director of the Global Drug Survey, added: 'There are very few easily accessible drugs / medicines that could be given intramuscular in a small enough volume that people would not notice and the effects would take some time to come on. 'What you see in the movies is not reality. People need to keep their drinks close to them, avoid taking them from strangers and keep an eye out for their mates.' Can drugs be administered to any part of the body? Yes - but some parts are more effective than others Mr Jones told VICE: 'Where drugs can be injected non-intravenously, there are specific injection sites that do not work well. 'The back is one of these unsuitable sites due to the low fat-muscle content, and high concentration of pain receptors.' What about drink spiking? While injection spiking is still possible, drink spiking is a lot more common. Incidents of drink spiking in the UK increased by 108 per cent between 2015 and 2018, with 179 incidents taking place in 2017 alone. This is only the officially recorded numbers - and is likely to be much higher as it is common for people not to report it to police. Charity Drinkaware advise: 'Don't accept a drink from someone you don't know and if they're available, use drink stoppers, which can be purchased online, for the top of your bottle.' Rohypnol (or Roofie) and Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) are the most commonly known 'date-rape' drugs. Recreational drugs like Ecstasy, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), Ketamine and other 'party-drugs' are sometimes used to spike alcoholic drinks. Advertisement Helena Conibear, CEO of The Alcohol Education Trust, told MailOnline: 'Up until now, we have had extensive verbal evidence of the level of drink spiking and where it is taking place as we work with young people day to day across the UK. 'This snap poll of 750 young people confirms all the trends we have been listening to: the shocking fact that one in eight young women have experienced spiking, that it is happening as often at private parties as in the night time economy and that most people do not report spiking at the moment as they worry they will not be believed, are unsure exactly what happened or feel it was too late by the time they realised.' She added: 'As 50 per cent of cases where drink spiking was reported weren't followed up, the lack of reporting is perhaps not surprising. If we are going to tackle drink spiking we ask everyone to please report it to the venue, police or go to A and E. 'Try and keep the drink as evidence and ask for a blood or urine test. To anyone thinking it is a joke to spike someone's drink, can we remind them that it is a serious criminal offence with up to a ten years prison sentence, not to mention the sometimes devastating effect it can have on victims' lives.' Emily Bennett, 19, who is one of the boycott leaders at Manchester University, said: 'Obviously, we're concerned by the rise of spiking.' The Liberation and Access Officer at the University of Manchester's Students' Union added: 'People need to feel safe going out and people doing the spikings need to know they can't, that venues won't accept it. 'The number of emails we've had from students saying 'we don't feel safe' and don't feel safe to go out.' The boycott, which has been gaining momentum on Instagram under the account girlsnightinmanc, is spearheaded by the University of Manchester's Students' Union. Student Zara Owen, 19, told the BBC that she believes she was spiked through an injection on a night out in Nottingham. Ms Owen blacked out shortly after arriving at a nightclub and later found a pin prick in her leg.Speaking to Mike Sweeney on BBC Radio Manchester this week, Andy Burnham discussed the issue of drinks being spiked. He said: 'It's just completely off the scale. This thing is about again women and girl's safety, you know, I've said before Mike, my daughters tell me some of the things that happen when they're on nights out and it's just it's ridiculous. 'We thankfully, I've checked with GMP, haven't had many reports of this. Although there were some in the Fallowfield area at the time when the students were coming back to university. 'There was about five reports of drinks being spiked and we have looked into that.' In Swansea, Ms Howells was out enjoying a drink earlier this month when she was spiked with an unknown substance that left her unconscious. She said she was 'very shaken' and now 'anxious' to go out drinking again any time soon. She said: 'It's one of those things where you think it's never going to happen to you or someone you know, but it can happen to anyone.' Uplands is usually seen as a 'quieter' alternative to Wind Street, but as Kirsty's ordeal shows, such incidents can happen anywhere. Recalling the night, she said: 'I didn't drink much that night, maybe four drinks in total and I felt completely fine. I can remember everything up until around 12:30am, and everything after that is completely blank.' She was found 'laying face down' on a table outside the bar, completely unresponsive. 'Bouncers rang my partner who came to pick me up. I'm really grateful for that, because I have no idea what might have happened had they not helped me.' On the way home with her partner, Kirsty (left) blacked out and had a seizure before being rushed to A+E for an IV and oxygen. Student Zara Owen (right), 19, told the BBC that she believes she was spiked through an injection on a night out in Nottingham Where are the 'Girls Night In' nightclub boycotts taking place? October 25 Exeter October 26 Durham October 27 Southampton Belfast Bournemouth Nottingham Brighton Bristol October 28 Swansea Edinburgh Stirling Aberdeen Newcastle November 3 Leeds Advertisement On the way home with her partner, Kirsty blacked out and had a seizure before being rushed to A+E for an IV and oxygen. She said: 'I remember seeing my partner and hugging him. I got into the car and then I completely blacked out again. 'My partner said that we were halfway home and I started having a seizure, my body was all tense, my eyes were rolled back and my tongue was in the back of my throat making it difficult for me to breathe so he took me to the hospital. 'The staff there were amazing and they put me on an IV drip and oxygen to help me breathe, and they made sure I was well enough before leaving, which I'm really grateful for.' While she was at the hospital, Kirsty said the doctor told her that she was the fourth person they'd seen hospitalised in the past two weeks. Kirsty said police and hospital staff were quick to help and offer advice, and they made her aware of a help point that was located in The Strand, just behind Wind Street, that gives out drink testing strips, sober-up lollies and general first aid. She later shared a post on Facebook advising other people to use the service when needed, which has been shared thousands of times since. The help point is run jointly by South Wales Police and St Johns Ambulance service and is designed to provide emergency care to those who need it, allowing them to get home safely and reducing pressure on A&E. Nightclubs such as Sin City have also taken action over the issue by ordering 12,500 'StopTopps' anti-spiking lids, as well as implementing a policy that allows those who think their drink might have been spiked to get a replacement for free in the absence of comprehensive drinks testing. Other clubs such as the Bunkhouse music venue have taken similar measures, with more expected to follow suit. But widespread and national calls have been made for the root cause of the issue to be tackled, rather than women being forced to take steps to protect themselves. With spiking cases on the rise, nightclubs in Wales are also being boycotted to protest drink spiking and call for increased safety measures across venues. The planned protests follow Ms El-baz, from Richmond, Surrey, sharing a recording filmed by her boyfriend showing her struggling to get up the stairs with her eyes rolling as her head falls into the railings. The University of Bristol undergraduate gave the BBC permission to broadcast the clip to highlight the dangers of spiking. The third-year student said she believes she was spiked by a fellow clubber who approached her and asked her to dance. She added: 'The moment I told him I was with my boyfriend he left me completely. An hour later I went back home and it hit and I was completely paralysed.' Mair Howells was 22 when she went on a night out in Peckham, South London which quickly turned into a nightmare Sarah Buckle, 19, who is studying in Nottingham, said she discovered she had likely been spiked via a needle to the back of her hand while out in a nightclub Ms El-baz (pictured), who was spiked in a Bristol nightclub Ms El-baz, who is studying management with innovation, said she had been 'lucky I was with my friends'. Calling on clubs to do more to prevent spiking, she said clubs should put lids on drinks as with takeaway coffee cups to reduce the risk of them being tampered with. 'The fact they don't is shocking,' she added. Ms El-baz spoke out as female students across the country said they would boycott clubs from today in protest at the number of girls being stabbed with drugged needles on nights out. Last night, hospitality chiefs responded by promising clubs would 'redouble efforts' to keep women safe. Yesterday, Nottinghamshire Police said it was investigating 15 reports of alleged injection spikings made this month. And West Midlands Police said it had received one report where the circumstances 'appear to match the description of someone being spiked by injection'. Several other women claim they have been spiked in Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool. The drugs, which are believed to be sedatives, make victims more vulnerable to assault and police admitted earlier this week that there was probably a 'sexual motive' to the attacks. Ms El-baz said she believes she was spiked by a fellow clubber who approached her and asked her to dance A number of injection victims have already come forward, including Leah Wolstenholme, 18. Student Leah Wolstenholme, 18, said she suddenly fell ill on a night out before waking up to find a pin-prick mark in her arm Yesterday her mother, Karen, told ITV's Good Morning Britain that the Nottingham Trent student became 'disorientated' and 'sick' while out in the city and later discovered a red pin-prick mark on her wrist. Describing it as 'that dreaded call for a parent', she added: '[She] wasn't Leah. She wasn't talking any sense and was just scared really. 'It was a surprise to her. She had heard of this happening before but she didn't think that it would happen to her. It was just really scary. It was a very scary moment.' Molly Robinson, 19, also claimed that she was spiked at a flat party only a day after moving to university. She told BBC Breakfast: 'I have no memory of the night whatsoever which is quite a terrifying and daunting experience in itself. I remember making dinner very early on in the evening and then it cuts to the morning after and that's it.' After becoming separated from her friends, she said they found her 'completely unintelligible and passed out' about an hour later. 'My friends said the state I was in when they last saw me and the state I was in when they found me was completely incomparable and completely inconsistent to the very little alcohol I'd consumed earlier on in the evening,' she said. The next morning, Miss Robinson said she felt 'very fragile' and 'physically unwell', adding: 'I was shaking a considerable amount and I felt lots of different mental emotions. 'I was very embarrassed that was my first initial reaction. It was people I just met and the second day of meeting them they see me in that state. Not knowing what was happening in those hours I was missing is a very scary idea.' But Miss Robinson said she did not report what happened as she was still 'working through that in my mind'. The boycotts over the next week will take place in cities including Oxford, Cambridge and York as well as in Manchester, Exeter and Bristol. Edinburgh, Durham and Nottingham have also said they will be joining the campaign. Molly Robinson, 19, also claimed that she was spiked at a flat party only a day after moving to university. She told BBC Breakfast: 'I have no memory of the night whatsoever which is quite a terrifying and daunting experience in itself. I remember making dinner very early on in the evening and then it cuts to the morning after and that's it' Have you seen, heard or been targeted through spiking by injection? We would like to hear from your story: Contact katie.weston@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement The Not On My Campus UK group, which is helping to coordinate the boycotts, said: 'We must recognise spiking is not an incident that occurs just during freshers' weeks and then disappears until next year. 'It impacts students throughout the year, and we need to be working collaboratively, especially in partnership, to help promote a safer nightlife for all.' Second year Bristol student Olivia Raymond told the university's newspaper she would take part, adding: 'I feel like there is a constant threat to my friends and I, and that we can never fully relax and enjoy nights out.' Another Bristol student Lottie Adams said: 'Stories of being spiked have wrongly become part of the normalised discourse surrounding club culture. Hopefully this campaign will change that.' Last night, Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, which represents bars and clubs, condemned the spikings as 'despicable and cowardly behaviour'. She added: '[It] is totally unacceptable and those who perpetrate it have no place in our venues. We will work with authorities to find relevant solutions and expect the police to take appropriate action. 'Hospitality venues already have stringent measures in place to keep guests and staff safe but will redouble their efforts.' Student union venues also announced responses, with random bag searches, safety patrols and testing of unattended drinks to be introduced at St Andrews. Glasgow University's student bodies have also promised tighter security and increased surveillance at their venues. Police officers in plain clothes are also likely to be deployed in nightclubs across the country, the National Police Chiefs' Council's Sarah Crew told MPs earlier this week. Shoppers have continued to shun the high street with sales volumes falling for the fifth consecutive month, the longest continuous stretch on record. The drop was largely down to plummeting sales in non-food shops, with lighting and furniture businesses the hardest hit, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Retail chiefs laid the blame at the doorstep of Government and urged ministers to find ways to reduce the issues with supply chains and high energy costs. Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said it was 'vital' for the UK economy that sales bounce back in the run-up to Christmas. Shopping chiefs urged the Government to ease supply chain problems to stop plummeting sales in stores across the UK (File image) She said: 'Fuel shortages, wet weather and low consumer confidence all contributed to lower consumer demand this month, with household goods, furniture and books all hit particularly hard. 'Retailers will be concerned by the slump in sales, just as they begin their preparations for the all-important Christmas period. 'Labour shortages across the supply chains, on farms, factories, warehouses and lorry drivers, all threaten to derail this recovery and it is vital that Government finds a long-term solution to this problem.' Commentators said the rest of the year could see traditional festive shopping patterns shift as a result of the problems. Retail expert Silvia Rindone, from Ernst and Young, said: 'Over recent years, shoppers have tended to wait until late December to buy for Christmas in the hope of bagging some great bargains. 'This year, with news of supply chain disruption and supply concerns for key products, shoppers are likely to pull forward their non-perishable Christmas spending into October and November to make sure they get what they want.' Retail sales dropped by 0.2 per cent in September compared to August, although were higher than in February 2020, before coronavirus hit the markets Non-food shops such as those selling furniture and lighting were the hardest-hit in Britain, according to the Office for National Statistics Darren Morgan is the chief of economic statistics at ONS. He said: 'Despite the lifting of restrictions, in-store retail sales remain subdued, with many consumers still opting to shop online. 'Household goods were the main driver of this month's decline, with a fall of nearly 10 per cent, while food sales ticked back up after falling last month. 'Petrol sales exceeded their pre-pandemic level for the first time, with filling stations reporting very strong sales during the last week of September.' Sales volumes in September were down 0.2 per cent, following a 0.6 per cent fall in August, although they remain 4.2 per cent above pre-pandemic levels in February 2020. Although sales were generally down, petrol saw a rise in sales as consumers panicked about fuel shortages Sales for household goods decreased by almost 10 per cent in the last month, prompting retail chiefs to call for government action Fuel sales rose in the final weeks of September as panic buying led to many forecourts running dry after suppliers said the HGV driver shortage was affecting deliveries. Fuel sales rose 2.9 per cent. Food sales volumes were also up by 0.6 per cent, the ONS added, and remain 3.9 per cent above pre-Covid levels. But while shoppers opted to avoid high streets, sales online continued to rise and now account for 28.1 per cent of all spending - up from 27.9 per cent in August. There was a particular surge in department store sales online, up by 3.8 per cent, meaning nearly 10p in every 1 spent online goes to the likes of John Lewis, Debenhams or House of Fraser, the ONS said. By comparison, household goods stores saw a 3.6% drop in online sales. Police investigating a disturbance at a traveller site in Cardiff have arrested more than 40 people across south Wales and other parts of the UK. In Cardiff 20 people - 15 men, four teenage boys, and a woman - have been arrested after three people were left in hospital following the incident. There have been a further 26 arrests, including 18 by the Met Police, four by Thames Valley Police, and others in Befordshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Gwent. The majority of the 46 arrests took place on September 22 and all of those arrested remain on police bail. Armed police were called to Shirenewton gypsy and traveller site in Trowbridge, Cardiff, shortly after 4pm on Sunday, March 21. A 27-year-old man received 'potentially life-changing injuries' during the 'large scale disturbance' while the two other men, aged 25 and 55, were also taken to hospital with serious injuries, police said. Police in Cardiff have arrested more than 40 people in a series of raids across the Welsh capital Armed police joined uniformed officers and plain clothes detectives during the operation A number of weapons were seized at the time and several arrests were made shortly after. Detective superintendent Ceri Hughes, from South Wales Police, said: 'This recent enforcement follows a complex six-month investigation by a team of South Wales Police detectives and has involved the assistance of many other police forces. 'In March we made a commitment to identify those responsible for this large-scale disorder and I'm pleased to say that, with the support of other police forces, a significant number of people have been arrested. 'We believe that those arrested were involved in the serious disorder at Shirenewton gypsy and traveller site on March 21 this year. 'As always South Wales Police strives to protect all communities from serious harm. A number of people were arrested during the raids in Shirenewton, Cardiff Part of the operation involved a series of co-ordinated raids on traveller sites in Cardiff 'Anyone who thinks they can commit such violence in the South Wales Police area should think again. It will not be tolerated and we hope this multi-force operation makes that message very clear. 'We again thank local communities for their patience, understanding, and co-operation while arrests and searches were carried out.' Witnesses or anyone with information, including video and dashcam footage relating to the incident, are asked to contact South Wales Police quoting reference number *098726. Environmental campaigners Insulate Britain today warned that they will restart their road blockade protests next week, causing misery for families on half-term holidays. The group said it would 'rise up against tyranny' in response to the Government's Net Zero reports which it said 'completely fail to meet the challenges we now face'. Insulate Britain had previously said on October 14 that it was pausing its protests - which have brought misery to motorists across London - until Monday, October 25. Hundreds of arrests have been made with protesters blockading motorway junctions and roundabouts since September 13 by running onto the road as the lights go red. They have focused their protests on rush hours to cause maximum impact, with motorists taking it upon themselves to remove them when police are slow to arrive. Insulate Britain activists are removed from an M25 roundabout near Heathrow last month A spokesman said: 'Insulate Britain has considered the British Government's Heat and Buildings Strategy, the Net Zero Strategy and the Cost of Net Zero report. 'We concluded that, while these would have been a good first step 30 years ago, they completely fail to meet the challenges we now face. Mother who rammed activists with her car brands them 'terrorists' Sherrilyn Speid, 34 A mother who rammed Insulate Britain activists with her Range Rover this week branded the group 'terrorists' as she claimed the women she hit faked their 'ow ow' cries. Sherrilyn Speid, 34, of Purfleet, Essex, was accused of 'attempted murder' by one climate activist after she gently drove her car into protesters blocking traffic lights at Junction 31 of the M25 near Thurrock on October 13. Footage - filmed by another person at the protest - showed Ms Speid get out of her Range Rover to confront the protesters after she was blocked in while bringing her son, 11, to school. She said: 'I was absolutely fuming they were in the road blocking me from taking my son to school. How dare they have the audacity to do that?' Advertisement 'What we need in this 'period of consequence' is a wartime style national effort, a united front of shared sacrifice, not a plan to cross your fingers and hope for the best. 'Therefore Insulate Britain will continue our campaign of nonviolent civil resistance.' Insulate Britain, which is an offshoot from Extinction Rebellion, claimed that the Governments 'plan to decarbonise our homes fails on almost every measure'. It said the 450million allocated to grants for heat pumps will help only 30,000 households a year, which is a 'drop in the ocean' compared with the 900,000 a year required by the Climate Change Committee by 2028. A spokesman concluded: 'Our ancestors fought a civil war to remove such tyranny from these islands and sacrificed their lives to win the rights and freedoms we now enjoy as citizens. 'Today it is our turn, our responsibility, to rise up against tyranny. We owe that to our ancestors, to our fellow citizens and to those that come after us in the great chain of life.' On Tuesday, an injunction aimed at stopping Insulate Britain protesters blocking roads in London was extended by a High Court judge. Londons transport network was granted the order earlier this month, aimed at preventing the actvists obstructing cars on some of the capitals busiest roads. Members of the protest group have already been hit with three other injunctions granted to National Highways, banning demonstrations on the M25, around the Port of Dover and on major roads around London. During Tuesdays hearing, Insulate Britain members were given the chance to address the court. Police remove Insulate Britain activists as they block junction 31 of the M25 on October 31 Despite their campaign being on a temporary pause, they have repeatedly shown their contempt for the injunctions by disobeying them and burning papers copies. Breaching a court order can result in a committal for contempt of court, which, if proved, may be punished with up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine. The judge, Mr Justice Lavender, said on Tuesday that the injunction was extended either until a trial is held in the case or a further court order or April 8 next year. Dr Diana Warner, from the group, said National Highways should reduce motorway speed limits to as low as 10mph when Insulate Britain protests on a carriageway. Boris Johnson is prepared to water down UK demands for European judges' role in post-Brexit Northern Ireland to be scrapped, in order to seal a deal with the EU. The Prime Minister has made the arbitration role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) the new battlefront in the row with Brussels over the Northern Ireland Protocol. He and Brexit Minister Lord Frost have argued that one side's internal court should not be able to rule on disputed in which it is involved, despite signing up to the plan last year. However, Mr Johnson is prepared to agree to a plan that would see a role for an independent arbitration panel inserted into the post-Brexit deal, the Times reported. It would mean the ECJ remains a court of last resort but cases are unlikely to have to make it that far, having been resolved by the panel. A UK source told the paper: 'This is certainly something that we would be interested in looking at. It is exactly the kind of compromise that could be acceptable.' Speaking on a trip to Ulster yesterday, Mr Johnson said problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol need to be flushed out 'pretty fast'. The Prime Minister has made the arbitration role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) the new battlefront in the row with Brussels over the Northern Ireland Protocol. The protocol has created new economic barriers on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and a major political headache for the Government, as unionists are furious at what they perceive as a weakening of the Union The Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed by the UK and EU as a way to sidestep the major obstacle in the Brexit divorce talks - the Irish land border. It achieved that by shifting regulatory and customs checks and processes to the Irish Sea. But the arrangements have created new economic barriers on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. This has caused disruption to many businesses in Northern Ireland and has also created a major political headache for the Government, as unionists and loyalists are furious at what they perceive as a weakening of the Union. Last week the EU made major concessions over goods entry to Northern Ireland from Great Britain as it sought to ease the ongoing row. The European Commission offered to slash 80 per cent of regulatory checks and dramatically cut customs processes on British goods moving to Northern Ireland. However, the plan did not address a key UK demand - the removal of the oversight function of the ECJ. Speaking to the media in Northern Ireland, Mr Johnson said: 'I think there is an issue with the protocol and we need to thrash that out. 'We can't go on forever with this question because it is affecting real people and real lives and real businesses right now because of the way in which the protocol is being interpreted.' He added: 'I don't think that it is coherent with the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement because the way it is being used is creating these unnecessary checks down the Irish Sea. 'So we need to flush it out pretty fast and we need to change the causes of the problem and not the symptoms and I think we need to move pretty fast.' A trio of fearless diners who shucked 'fresh' oysters off a rock in Sydney Harbour while on a 'drunken' adventure haven't inspired others to do the same - and with good reason. In a video uploaded to TikTok on October 16, a woman known as Sara can be seen barefoot off the rocks at Barangaroo Reserve collecting what would have been a highly contaminated snack. Commercial fishing was banned on the harbour in 2006 because elevated levels of dioxins were found in fish and crustaceans in waterways in and around the Sydney CBD. The alcohol-inspired adventure saw this woman, known only as Sara, collect oysters on the rocks from Sydney Harbour As the TikTok clip continues, the woman playfully declares 'this is Sara in the wild', much to the amusement of her two friends. Sara then showcases her skills with a knife, before informing her social media audience it is important to flip the oysters to 'help with presentation'. After bizarrely opting to dunk the shell back into the ocean, she goes on to proudly declare she was clutching a 'true Sydney rock oyster'. The video, which has been viewed over 18,000 times, concludes with the group eating the seafood delicacy. Plenty of her followers were quick to point out the high level of pollution in the harbour as well as how the woman could have easily cut her feet on the sharp coral. Sara later responded by admitting the group were 'drunk at the time... but it was hilarious and we lived to tell the tale'. The diners then ate their spoils from Sydney Harbour which would have been contaminated due to the level of pollution in the ocean She added she was in 'no rush to do it again' and that she 'doesn't recommend anyone else do this'. On the NSW Food Authority website it is recommended food from the ocean is always handled carefully to reduce the risk of food poisoning. It also suggests only catching or collecting seafood when the water quality is assured, something that remains an unknown in the harbour. Advertisement Covid was the third leading cause of death in England last month with only heart disease and dementia killing more people, official data revealed today. Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures revealed the coronavirus was behind 2,955 deaths across the country in September nearly 100 per day. The virus made up 6.6 per cent of all deaths during the month, a higher proportion than for August (5.3 per cent) when it was also the third biggest cause of death. Only dementia (4,976 deaths) and heart disease (4,424) killed more people during September. Overall, 44,474 people died in the country 7,215 deaths (17.4 per cent) more than the five-year-average for the month. It comes as fears grow around the sluggish booster vaccine roll-out, with concerns an impending fourth wave will force ministers to bring back face masks and working from home. Daily infections breached 50,000 for the first time in three months yesterday as Boris Johnson issued a desperate plea for more Britons to come forward for their boosters to 'fortify' people's defences against the virus. Covid was the third leading cause of death in England last month with only heart disease and dementia killing more people, official data today revealed Only dementia (4,976 deaths) and heart disease (4,424) killed more people during September. Graph shows: The age standardised mortality rate per 100,000 for different causes of death in September The mortality rate due to Covid increased between August and September. The above graph shows the Covid mortality rate for England (dark blue bar) and Wales (light blue bar) Overall, 44,474 people died in the country 7,215 deaths (17.4 per cent) more than the five-year-average for the month. Graph shows: The mortality rate in each September since 2001 School closes early for half term after rise in Covid cases A secondary school closed two days early for half term following rising Covid cases amongst pupils and staff. Admiral Lord Nelson School, in Portsmouth, Hampshire, closed its doors on Thursday after 161 students were isolating along with 17 staff absent, mostly because of Covid. A statement on the school's website reads: 'It is with regret that we have had to take the decision to close the school to most students for the next two days and move to online remote education instead over this two-day period. 'Over the last two weeks we have had rising numbers of both students and staff having to isolate due to testing positive for Covid-19. 'To mitigate against this, we have increased hygiene and cleaning procedures, encouraged regular testing by all and brought back in the use of face masks in communal areas. 'However, these measures have not been as affective as we would have liked them to be and in the last three days cases of Covid have risen rapidly.' It continues: 'With half term approaching we had hoped that we would be able to manage through until Friday and that the break over half term would curb the outbreak within the school. 'However due to the figures stated above that are still rising we do not believe it is safe to keep students in school with our reduced staffing that makes it increasingly difficult to maintain high standards of education and safety within our school.' Remote learning will be provided for pupils during the closure, the statement adds. Advertisement Taking into account the population size and age structure, the age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR) for deaths due to Covid in England (64.4 deaths per 100,000) increased significantly for the third consecutive month. In England, two of the 10 leading causes of death were significantly lower than the five-year average (2015 to 2019) and four of the 10 leading causes had no significant difference to the five-year average. The ONS said: 'As seen in previous months, the mortality rate for deaths with an underlying cause of influenza and pneumonia was lower in September 2021 than the five-year average for September (23.9 per cent lower). 'This is likely in part to be because of people continuing to follow coronavirus guidance, such as social distancing, reducing the spread of infections such as flu.' Including all deaths involving Covid takes the total number of fatalities related to the virus up to 3,432 in England during the month, the ONS said. In Wales, 8.5 per cent of the 2,964 deaths registered in September 2021 were due to Covid (253 deaths), a larger proportion than in August 2021 (2.7 per cent). Some 88.8 per cent of deaths in England with Covid mentioned on the death certificate have had the virus as the underlying cause since March 2020. It comes after Britain's daily Covid cases breached 50,000 for the first time in three months yesterday. Department of Health bosses recorded another 52,009 infections, a 15 per cent jump on a week ago and the highest number since July 17 at the peak of the summer spike. The daily average is now approaching peak second wave levels. Latest hospitalisations rose by a third in seven days after 969 Covid-infected people were admitted to wards, but deaths (115) dropped compared to last Thursday. Separate figures also showed infections are rising in every age group and four-fifths of areas in England, with an even more transmissible strain of Delta thought to be to blame. AY.4.2 has spread to all but two dozen places in the country. And the country's largest symptom-tracking surveillance study suggested daily cases have already hit 80,000, feared to be the threshold at which the epidemic becomes 'unstable'. Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, has maintained that the country is equipped to deal with 100,000 cases per day, however. The editor of Paris Match magazine has been sacked over a cover showing far-right presidential contender Eric Zemmour in a clinch with his assistant. Herve Gattegno was fired a month after displaying photographs of Zemmour, 63, in a compromising position with his 28-year-old assistant Sarah Knafo in the Mediterranean Sea off the French Riviera, on the front cover of the weekly magazine. Zemmour was angered by the Paris Match scoop according to The Times, announcing that he was taking legal action for a breach of his privacy. Pictured: French far-right media pundit Eric Zemmour (left) and his advisor Sarah Knafo pose during a photo session in Paris on April 22, 2021. The pair were photographed in a clinch, with the photograph being put on the front cover of Paris Match magazine Pictured: The magazine cover of Paris Match - showing Eric Zemmour with his assistant Sarah Knafo - that has reportedly lead to the editor of the magazine being fired The cover did little to stop Zemmour - who is married with three children - from surging in the French polls off the back of his attacks on immigration and Islam. The 'French Donald Trump', as some have called him, is yet to announce that he will be standing for the presidency next year. Even so, election polls show he sits neck-and-neck with far-right rival Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, with around 16 percent of the vote. Whoever emerges victorious from their contest is expected to go on to face President Macron next year. According to journalists working at Paris Match, the cover annoyed Vincent Bollore, the main shareholder in Lagardere, the conglomerate that owns the weekly. The 69-year-old billionaire import-export tycoon from Brittany, who acquired the media empire, is reportedly well acquainted with Zemmour, having employed him as a pundit on CNews. Under Bollore's leadership, the rolling news channel has veered to the right, with Zemmour being the star attraction with his far-right views including an anti-Islam stance and warnings that increasing immigration would see religious conflicts and vicil war in France. The pundit left last month to prepare for his expected run at the presidency. Pictured: Now-former Paris Match editor Herve Gattegno seen arriving the trial of the so-called Bettencourt affair, on November 3, 2015 at the Bordeaux's courthouse. Gattegno has now been fired as editor of Paris Match Paris Match's now-former editor Gattegno, 57, also edited Lagardere's Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. It is reportedly common knowledge that Gattegno is close with Macron and former president and right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy, who was in power from 2007 to 2012. Under his editorship, Le Journal du Dimanche has become known as 'Macron's Pravda'. However, Gattegno is said to not be a fan of Zemmour, and recently described him as 'a prophet of doom'. Speaking to French news outlet Le Figaro, one journalist at Paris Match said: 'Herve Gattegno was a controversial figure but he has always positioned himself firmly against the extreme right.' The journalist said Gattegno was fired for attacking Zemmour and for sending a paparazzi to take the photographs in the south of France, but others have suggested that Gattegno had already fallen on the wrong side of Bollore. The editor, it has been posited, already knew he was going to lose his job as editor of the two publications. Ms Knafo is reported to wield an increasing influence over Zemmour, with Le Monde writing in an article this week that she was his partner, right-hand woman and campaign director. The Le Monde article, however, made no mention of Zemmour's wife Mylene Chichportich, or their three children. The news of Gattegno's firing came as a new opinion poll on Friday saw Zemmour edge Marine Le Pen out of the qualifying spot for a second-round duel against President Emmanuel Macron in next April's presidential election. Ms Knafo (pictured) is reported to wield an increasing influence over Zemmour, with Le Monde writing in an article this week that she was his partner, right-hand woman and campaign director The political talk show star's meteoric rise in opinion polls has upturned long-held expectations that the second round is sure to be a repeat of the 2017 contest pitting Macron against Le Pen, whose party has dominated the far-right for decades. The poll published on Friday for Le Monde newspaper by Ipsos Sopra Steria was only the second survey which put Zemmour in the run-off vote, with 16-16.5 percent in the first round vs 15-16 percent for Le Pen. Macron was still seen leading the first round with 24-28 percent. The latest poll did not predict the winner of the second round, but other polls have forecast Macron as the likely ultimate winner. Ipsos Sopra Steria pollsters noted that Zemmour, who holds convictions for inciting hatred and once said women 'don't embody power', is a more divisive figure among voters than Le Pen. Only 20 percent consider he has what it takes to be president, compared with 30% for Le Pen. While 21 percent of men over 60 back Zemmour, his support women under 35 is only 8 percent. The poll was conducted among 16,000 people interviewed between October 7 - October 13. Hampshire Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman was sexually assaulted in a pub in Aldershot. On Sunday, October 3 officers received reports of an incident inside the premises of The George pub in Victoria Road, Aldershot. A woman was reportedly a victim of a sexual assault at around 1.05am. Officers are keen to speak to the man pictured in the CCTV image as part of their investigation into the incident. They are also appealing for witnesses to come forward. The alleged assault occurred inside The George pub in Victoria Road, Aldershot around 1.05am on October 3 The man could be seen smiling while holding a drink and wearing a black jacket and t-shirt in the released photograph. The George pub is open until late on Sundays and is owned by the Stonegate group. The latest attack comes as women across the UK prepare to boycott nightclubs on November 4 after a spate of reports in Nottingham that women have been spiked by injection. Nottinghamshire Police confirmed that they had received 44 reports of spiking - including 12 reports of spiking by needle - since September 4. Anyone with information is asked to phone 101 with the reference 44210397613. Alternatively, you can phone Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111. Former minister Frank Field revealed he is terminally ill today as he urged Lords to ease the law to allow assisted dying. The 79-year-old was too ill to attend Parliament as peers debated changing legislation to enable adults with no hope of recovery to legally seek assistance to end their lives. But in a message read out in the upper chamber former MP and friend of Tory PM Margaret Thatcher, who represented Birkenhead for 40 years until 2019, admitted he had spent time in a hospice recently. The now Baron Field of Birkenhead, who has never married or had children, urged them to change the law, citing a friend who had gone through the 'full horror effects' of cancer. He did not disclose what illness he is suffering, and the announcement came as a surprise to many at Parliament. Tory former housing secretary Robert Jenrick hailed him as 'one of the politicians I have most admired and respected'. Baroness Meacher read out the message from the peer, whom she said was 'dying', in which he said: 'I changed my mind on assisted dying when an MP friend dying of cancer wanted to die early before the full horror effects set in, but was denied this opportunity. 'A major argument against the Bill is unfounded. It is thought by some the culture would change and that people would be pressured into ending their lives. 'The number of assisted deaths in the US and Australia remains very low - under 1 per cent - and a former supreme court judge of Victoria, Australia, about pressure from relatives, said it just hasn't been an issue. 'I hope the House will today vote for the Assisted Dying Bill.' Downing Street suggested today that MPs will be given a free vote on the bill when it comes to the Commons, with a spokesman saying it was considered a 'matter of individual conscience'. Frank Field was too ill to attend Parliament as peers debated changing legislation to enable adults with no hope of recovery to legally seek assistance to end their lives. Baroness Meacher read out the message from the 'dying' peer, in which he said: 'I changed my mind on assisted dying when an MP friend dying of cancer wanted to die early before the full horror effects set in, but was denied this opportunity' The Assisted Dying Bill, tabled by crossbencher Baroness Meacher, gives patients of sound mind, with six months or less left to live, the right to die by taking life-ending medication. They gathered in Westminster holding placards reading 'Yes to dignity' and 'Yes to choice'. Pictured (right) is former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson Labour veteran who said Thatcher was his 'hero' and quit party over 'nastiness' under Corbyn Frank Field was not a typical Labour MP. He was a Brexiteer, a social conservative and friend of Margaret Thatcher who said the ex-prime minister, a pariah to the left, was one of his heroes. A man of deep Christian faith, he opposed abortion, but supported gay marriage. He spoke out against large-scale immigration but reserved some of his most scathing ire for titans of business who took advantage of their workers. He first entered Parliament as MP for Birkenhead in Merseyside in 1979 and became one of the longest-serving members of the Commons. As chairman of the Work and Pensions Select Committee he became a thorn in the side of the Conservative government as it sought to change the benefit system - but also increasingly clashed with his own party as it moved leftwards under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. It came to a head in August 2018 when the Brexiteer resigned the Labour whip, citing anti-Semitism and 'nastiness' in the party. Left-wing agitators in his Birkenhead constituency had previously passed a vote of no confidence in him for siding with the Government in key Brexit votes. Having held the seat for Labour in 2017 with a majority of more than 25,000, he stood against the party in 2019, representing his own Birkenhead Social Justice party. But he was beaten into second place by Mick Whitely and later became a life peer. Mr Field led the charge in some of the most high-profile crusades against British businessmen in recent times. As chair of the powerful pensions select committee, the veteran MP's most notable campaign was fought against retail tycoon Sir Philip Green over the collapse of BHS. After hauling the billionaire to parliament and subjecting him to an hours-long roasting, and after a very public war of words, Sir Philip agreed to pay 363 million towards a staff pension deficit. He later trained his guns on another corporate debacle, that of Carillion. The outsourcer's liquidation in January 2019 left a 900 million debt pile and hundreds of millions of pounds in unfinished public contracts, as well a 800 million pension deficit. Mr Field was first elected in 1979 when Mr Thatcher swooped into power. He counted the right-wing Tory premier as a friend and a political 'hero' but resisted attempts to get him to defect to the Conservative benches. He saw off an attempt by far-left activists to deselect him in the 1980s and continued as a Labour MP throughout the long years in the wilderness before Tony Blair's election, having championed his reforms. Mr Blair made him minister for welfare reform after the 1997 landslide victory, a role he held for a year before they fell out and he quit. He was later appointed a poverty czar by David Cameron. Advertisement The Assisted Dying Bill, tabled by crossbencher Baroness Meacher, gives patients of sound mind, with six months or less left to live, the right to die by taking life-ending medication. She later joined protesters calling for reform outside Parliament while the debate continued. They gathered in Westminster holding placards reading 'Yes to dignity' and 'Yes to choice'. The Bill, which would allow terminally ill adults to legally seek assistance to end their lives, has its second reading in the House of Lords on Friday. It would enable adults who are of sound mind and have six months or less to live to be provided with life-ending medication with the approval of two doctors and a High Court judge. Campaigners say it will give people with terminal illnesses greater choice and control over how and when they die, with safeguards in place to protect them and their loved ones. Opponents say any change would put pressure on people to end their lives and that current laws protect the vulnerable. The demonstration was organised by the campaign group Dignity in Dying, and included members of Humanists UK and people with personal experiences of the current law. Campaigners argue that a change in the law would give those at the end of their lives greater control over how and when they die. Currently, those who are judged to have assisted the suicide or attempted suicide of another person can be jailed for up to 14 years. Under the terms of the bill, the person wanting to end their life would have to sign a declaration approved by two doctors, which is signed off by the High Court. However opponents, including many religious leaders, warned that it could leave vulnerable people exposed to unwanted pressure. The Archbishop of Canterbury had earlier claimed vulnerable people could face 'intangible' pressure to end their lives if the law is relaxed. Justin Welby said that although the safeguards in the legislation were stronger than in previous attempts to change the law, they still did not go far enough. 'What we want is assisted living, not assisted dying. There is no difference between us in compassion. It is our concern about the effectiveness of the safeguards and the care for the vulnerable,' he told BBC Breakfast. 'Sadly people make mistakes in their diagnosis. It leaves people open to very, very intangible forms of coercion and pressure. 'I have sat in places where I have known that people were having pressure put on them in ways that would never come out. 'It is just the sigh, the thing of 'Oh yes it's rather difficult,' it's just the odd comment that moves people who are so vulnerable in the last months of life to feeling 'Oh well I'd be better off out of here', even when it's not what they really want. 'The point is, we have to have compassion for the vulnerable.' Earlier this week Lady Meacher told the PA news agency that she was introducing the legislation to alleviate 'unbearable suffering' among the terminally ill. 'Should we really be leaving people who are in obviously terrible straits, the most appalling suffering and illness, to die on their own in the middle of the night? Really? Can't we do better than that as a society?' she said. The Conservative former cabinet minister Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, who previously opposed right-to-die legislation, indicated that he would be supporting the change this time, following the death of his father from cancer. 'Just before he died I went to see him and said 'I'm so sorry, dad, you're in this position', and he completely took me aback by saying 'well, you're to blame, because you and others have consistently voted against the right to die, I would like to be relieved of this, they can't relieve the pain and I am in this position because of folk like you',' he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. 'I also had this nagging guilt, I've always voted against it but actually at the same time felt a complete hypocrite because I would want it for me if I got some terrible motor neurone disease or something, I would want it for me to spare not just me, but my family.' Lord Forsyth also dismissed claims that vulnerable people could come under pressure to end their lives. 'Those who say this is a slippery slope, that families might gang up to get the money - all those arguments, I think they're misguided. What we're talking about here is people who have less than six months to live,' he said. But crossbench peer Lord Curry of Kirkharle opposed the relaxation of assisted dying laws, telling peers it would have been a 'tragedy' if the life of his daughter had been cut short early. He explained: 'Eight years ago my wife and I held the hands of our daughter, aged 42, who had a learning disability, while she passed from time into eternity. 'She breathed her last while we held her hands, a very emotional and precious moment for us. Not an experience one envisages when bringing a child into the world. Six years before that she was very, very ill with pneumonia and other complications, and wasn't expected to survive.' Lord Curry told of his daughter's 'battle to live', adding: 'We were torn between wishing her to pull through and yet thinking that perhaps the best solution might be for her to slip quietly away so that her pain and suffering could be over. 'If someone at that time had offered an assisted dying, assisted suicide option, I firmly believe that in that heightened emotional state we were in, not thinking rationally, we may have been tempted to agree to her premature death. Had we done that, it'd have troubled us for the rest of our lives. 'Remarkably she pulled through, a long hard slog, but she enriched our lives for another six years, enjoyed her own life and continued to influence hundreds of people in that time. What a tragedy it'd have been had her life been cut short six years too early. That's exactly what will happen if this Bill is supported.' However, Conservative peer Lord Dobbs of Wylye supported the bill, saying: 'My father died of prostate cancer, as did my eldest brother in August. My remaining bother has been told he won't survive it. I myself was diagnosed with it earlier this year. 'So, for the men in the Dobbs family this isn't a matter of surmise, this is a matter of profound practicality, and believe me, my lords, it focuses the mind. 'My life, my body, my character belong to no-one but myself. Of course, others have an interest in my life and my death but I have the ultimate right to decide what happens to me, not the state, not the Church, not any court. 'I understand the resolutions expressed. This is not a bill which demeans the disabled and it's not about getting rid of granny. 'My lords, if the time were to come when my life was made unbearable though extreme pain, humiliation, when I was stripped of all hope, then I would end it if I could, no matter what the law says, because it would be a law of the utmost cruelty which says myself and my loved ones must suffer in agony and without hope, but that is what the current law does and that, my lords, is why it must be changed.' A British Army captain told a court martial how he lost 40 per cent of his blood and needed a transfusion after a Lieutenant hit him in the face with a vodka bottle as they played beer pong and pool in the officers' mess. Lieutenant David Southwick broke Captain Freddie Sochon's nose when he struck him with the bottle of Absolut vodka, leaving him in hospital for a week and requiring emergency medical treatment. Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire heard the pair had been drinking heavily with two others after a barbecue and that Lt Southwick became so drunk he began 'throwing glass bottles' around the room. The other officers decided it was time to take him to bed after he ruined a card game by pouring beer on the cards. But after walking towards the door Lt Southwick allegedly picked up a vodka bottle and turned to hit his superior officer and 'very good friend' with it. Capt Sochon was hospitalised for a week due to his injuries, and bled so much he had to undergo a blood transfusion. Lt Southwick, of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, denies one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Army captain Freddie Sochon (pictured above) told a court martial how he lost 40 per cent of his blood and needed a transfusion after a Lieutenant hit him in the face with a vodka bottle The court heard the pair had known each other for several years having attended the same sixth form in Loughborough, Leicestershire, together, and then both going to university in Newcastle. On Friday November 6 last year Lt Southwick and two other officers went to a barbecue and were celebrating Capt Sochon's last night at the officer's mess at RMP Chivenor, in North Devon, before he went on a training course, the court was told. Giving evidence, Capt Sochon said the night had began jovially, but descended with Lt Southwick's drunken behaviour. He told the court: 'After the barbecue we came inside into the mess so we could play games. 'We played pool, beer pong and cards for two to three hours. We were all very drunk - we had drank differing amounts and I had had in the region of 20 units. 'We started drinking and playing games and at one point Lt Southwick started throwing glass bottles around the room. 'Some smashed and some were being thrown uncomfortably close to other people in the room. 'Later on we were playing cards and Lt Southwick started pouring beer all over the cards. He was clearly more drunk than everyone else in the room. 'At around midnight another officer and I decided it was time to take Lt Southwick to bed. 'We walked out in single file and I was behind Lt Southwick. 'There was a table close to the door and I thought he was moving his hand toward the handle, but Lt Southwick grabbed a vodka bottle very quickly and in one instant swung round to his right with a straight arm and hit me with the bottle, holding it at the neck. Bulford Military Court (file photo, above) in Wiltshire heard the pair had been drinking heavily in the officers' mess with two others after a barbecue and that Lt David Southwick became so drunk he began 'throwing glass bottles' around the room 'It struck me on the side of my nose with enough force to deviate my septum.. At this point Lt Southwick was facing me with the bottle still in his hand, so I punched him in the nose.' The court heard the punch broke Lt Southwick's nose and sent him flying onto a coffee table, where he hit his head and suffered a concussion. Capt Sochon, who was a Lieutenant at the time of the incident, continued: 'Lt Southwick became emotional and said, 'Why did you hit me?' I said, 'Because you just hit me with a bottle around my face'. 'By this point I had painted the floor with blood and went to sort myself out.' Capt Sochon was taken to nearby North Devon District Hospital and later transferred to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. He was discharged the following morning and returned to stay at his grandparents' house, near RMP Chivenor, but was readmitted two nights later when he woke up with 'my nose bleeding down my throat' to the point where he was 'choking on my own blood'. He was operated on later that week under general anaesthetic and had to be given a blood transfusion after losing 40 per cent of his blood. Lt Southwick insists he never intended to strike Capt Sochon with the bottle, but 'perceived a threat' after his friend put his arms on him, and forgot the bottle was in his hands. Lt Southwick, who was Second Lieutenant at the time, said: 'We had never argued about anything before this. 'Capt Sochon grabbed both of my arms and was visibly annoyed and was being aggressive to say the least. 'I had a bottle of Absolut vodka in my hand but at the time it didn't occur to me. I perceived a threat; I felt he was going to take me to ground and start grappling me. 'I was trying to push his arms off of me and I hit him with the bottle as it rotated around his arms. 'Initially I felt his arms come off me so I stepped back. I could see he had injured himself. Almost instantly he came at me and hit me, and I fell on the coffee table. 'I felt terrible. It was not my intention at all to hit anyone - especially not a close friend of mine.' The trial continues. Ministers today rejected calls to ease immigration rules to bring in more care workers from abroad to tackle a national staffing crisis. Gillian Keegan, the Care Minister, said 'hoovering up' workers from other countries is not the answer to shortages in the sector. She said it is a 'constant battle to keep enough people coming into social care' but insisted domestic reforms will resolve the problem. Her comments came after the Care Quality Commission warned urgent action is needed to prevent a 'tsunami of unmet need', with staff 'exhausted and depleted'. Gillian Keegan, the Care Minister, said 'hoovering up' workers from other countries is not the answer to shortages in the sector Ms Keegan told Sky News this morning: 'It is a massive workforce, it is bigger even than the NHS, 1.5million people, and it does have challenges all the time because every year the need grows by one to two per cent as the demographics change in our country. More elderly people, more need. So its this constant battle to keep enough people coming into social care. Told that care workers could be added to the Government's shortage occupation list to allow in staff from abroad, Ms Keegan said: We have senior care workers on that list but I dont think that is really the answer, hoovering up everybody elses social care. We have done this before, so in the pandemic what we did before was a very similar thing to what we have announced today. We got extra capacity in the system with agency staff, thousands of new recruits, but also more people working more hours, so paying for childcare in some cases to enable people to be more flexible and work a few more hours. Ms Keegan said the Government is providing 163million to get extra short-term capacity into the system but said long-term reform is needed. She said: 'It is not easy to fix because you have got 1.1 million vacancies. This money will help but it is a challenge. We need to put this workforce on a much better footing for the long term. The Care Quality Commission has warned urgent action is needed to prevent a 'tsunami of unmet need', with staff 'exhausted and depleted 'We need to professionalise this workforce. It isn't invested enough in, the training isn't invested enough in. There is massive churn, 40 per cent churn.' The CQC has warned that social care staff are ditching the sector to take up roles in tourism and hospitality. Ian Trenholm, chief executive of the CQC, said health and care staff are 'exhausted and depleted' and working under intense levels of pressure, with many services at or over capacity. The regulator has warned of a 'serious and deteriorating' situation in terms of recruitment and staff retention in adult social care. Five serving officers from four police forces including Scotland Yard could be sacked over 'highly offensive' messages they shared on social media and via a messaging app allegedly used by criminals about Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens, the case and sickening jokes about violence against women, it was revealed today. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) say two officers from the Met and one from each of the forces in Sussex, Dorset and Avon and Somerset face misconduct proceedings because of their actions in the aftermath of Sarah's abduction, rape and murder by a serving policeman. One of of the officers forwarded on a graphic linked to violence against women, Britain's police watchdog said. At the time of Sarah's murder there were reports of officers sharing a sickening graphic showing a policeman going through six stages from abduction to murder in a pastiche of the Highway Code. The IOPC also said today that two officers used the hyper-secure Signal messaging app, some claim is used by criminals and terrorists, to share details of Couzens interview with detectives months before Couzens pleaded guilty. Signal is considered the world's most encrypted messaging app and has a function where messages can be automatically deleted once they are read. Five police officers from four police forces including Scotland Yard could be sacked over messages they shared on social media and via an app allegedly used by criminals about Sarah Everard 's killer Wayne Couzens (left). Earlier this year it was claimed a officers shared a graphic of a policeman going through six stages from abduction to murder in a pastiche of the Highway Code (right) Two officers also used the highly-secure Signal messaging app, which is also alleged to have been used by criminals because it is so secure Shortly after Couzens' arrest claims from a police interview emerged where the killer policeman said he had 'no choice' but to and hand her over to an Eastern European gang after he tried to 'rip off' one of their call girls. It soon transpired this was a sickening lie. Today's news will be another blow to police scrambling to restor public trust following the furore over the murder of the 33-year-old marketing executive by Couzens, who has been jailed for life without parole. The abduction and murder of Sarah Everard has shocked Britain and also shone a light on the broken culture of some of the UK's forces IOPC regional director Sal Naseem said: 'In April this year we warned about the unacceptable use of social media by officers based on a number of cases involving the posting of offensive and inappropriate material. 'We wrote to the National Police Chiefs Council, asking them to remind forces and officers of their obligations under the police Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Behaviour. 'The allegations involved in these two investigations, if proven, have the capacity to further undermine public confidence in policing. They also once more illustrate the potential consequences for officers and come at a time when policing standards and culture have never been more firmly in the spotlight.' Almost 2,000 police and community support officers were accused of sexual misconduct over the last four years, official data revealed this year. The allegations include more than 370 accusations of sexual assault, nearly 100 of rape and 18 of child sex offences, according to Freedom of Information figures obtained by Channel 4s Dispatches. Just 8 per cent of those allegations led to a dismissal, according to the figures from 39 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales. And, where gender was recorded, the vast majority of the allegations were made against men. A separate study from Bournemouth University found there were 514 proven cases of sexual misconduct across 33 forces in the last five years. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner this week confirmed that the guidance for women to hail down a bus, which sparked outrage when issued in the wake of Sarah Everard's murder by serving PC Wayne Couzens, had been axed The most common type of misconduct was abuse of position for a sexual purpose when officers used their power to strike up a relationship with victims for sexually-motivated purposes. Scotland Yard says male Met police officers will prove they are not a threat to lone women by FACETIMING the station Police will be required to video call a control room to prove they are a legitimate officer Plain clothes Met Police officers will prove they are no threat to women by FaceTiming uniformed supervisors - as the force tries to win back trust lost by killer cop Wayne Couzens. Lone policemen will now show their warrant cards when approaching females on their own. Scotland Yard say they will then demonstrate who they are and why they are there by video calling one of the force's police operations rooms. They will show a uniformed supervisor will check who the officer is and state why they are there as well as provide recorded evidence of the encounter. If the officer does not have their phone with them he will give then woman the number to call to carry out the verification procedure. All of the operations rooms have now been set up with a dedicated mobile device to make and receive these calls that utilise a range of popular video calling services including FaceTime, WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom and Google Duo. It is the latest move by the police to try and restore women's faith in the force after serving Met officer Couzens, 48, kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard. The marketing executive, 33, was tricked into getting into his car in a fake arrest made possible by him being dressed in his uniform and showing his warrant card. Advertisement The review, in response to Sarah Everards murder by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens, will re-examine historical cases of sexual misconduct allegations involving officers still serving in the force. A separate independent inquiry was announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel this month. The probe 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 raping and murdering her. Among the officers highlighted by Bournemouth Universitys research 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 study also found that, of the 514 proven cases of sexual misconduct, 15 per cent involved officers who were at sergeant rank or higher. Thirty cases involved figures 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. Commenting on the latest figures, the National Police Chiefs Council Louise Rolfe told 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 End Violence Against Women Coalition which includes organisations such as Rape Crisis and Womens Aid said few officers faced any meaningful consequences for sexual misconduct against women and girls. The groups 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 womens confidence in the police. Every police force in the country will have to review allegations of violence against women and girls involving serving officers and police staff in the wake of Sarah Everards murder, it was announced last week. The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) chairman Martin Hewitt said it would coordinate the reviews being carried out by every police force in England and Wales. But the arrangement is unlikely to appease womens campaigners who have accused forces of marking their own homework in past internal misconduct probes. Mr Hewitt said 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. This includes looking at vetting practices as part of an action plan set at a (NPCC) meeting with all chief constables last week. The police leader said: Weve 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. Forces will review whether allegations have been properly investigated and check that information is being shared between forces if officers have moved jobs or have been arrested in a different area. Mr Hewitt said police leaders were worried about public trust being damaged, adding: It was a sombre and quite a reflective meeting but also positive, I think, 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. 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 insisted: 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 Mail revealed this week that almost 2,000 police and community support officers have been accused of sex offences including rape, sexual assault and child sex offences over the past four years. 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. Just eight per cent of those accusations led to a dismissal. This month 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 forces standards and culture. Separately, the Home Secretary Priti Patel has launched an inquiry to look into the systematic failures that allowed Couzens to be employed as a police officer. Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Bas Javid acknowledged a crisis of confidence that women and girls have in policing in the wake of Miss Everards murder. We want women and girls particularly to feel safe in communities, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme, adding: Theres a lot of work to be done to rebuild that trust and give people the confidence to come forward. Advertisement Pictured all together for the first time, this is the world record-breaking NINE miracle babies born to the same mother - as the healthy brood prepare to go home. Halima Cisse beams proudly with her nonuplets, five months after she made headlines around the globe when she gave birth at the Ain Borja clinic in Casablanca, Morocco, breaking the previous world record set by 'Octomum' Nadya Suleman in 2009, who gave birth to eight babies that survived. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Ms Cisse, 26, said: 'All of them are getting on very well, and are a joy to look after. They are getting stronger every day and it may well be they are allowed to leave full time medical care soon, so that we can take them home. Ms Cisse's nine tots, who were conceived naturally, each weighed between 500gm to 1kg when they were born and had to remain in incubators in the clinic's intensive care unit where they were looked after round the clock by a team of doctors and nurses for the first few months of their lives. But now all nine have gained weight and continued to thrive meaning they can soon go back to their home country, Mali. Halima Cisse, 26, (left) is pictured for the first time with her husband Kader Arby, 35, (right) and their nine babies in Morocco The baby girls left to right are: Adama, Oumou, Hawa, Kadidia, and Fatouma. The boys are Oumar, Elhadji, Bah, Mohammed VI In the brood of nine babies, there were four boys, all pictured together here in camouflage babygrows at the hospital Amongst the record breaking nonuplets, are five little girls that Ms Cisse has dressed in pink and grey and all blue babygrows Proud parents Ms Cisse and Mr Arby were pictured wearing facemasks earlier in the babies development but were prevented from getting their pictures taking with all nine of their babies because they were still too weak and staying in incubators As the babies approach six months, Ms Cisse and her partner Kader Arby, 35, celebrated by releasing these touching new photographs showing them together as a group. The new pictures show the boys Oumar, Elhadji, Bah and Mohammed VI in green romper suits bearing the word Brother on them. The girls Adama, Oumou, Hawa, Kadidia, and Fatouma meanwhile wear a mixture of pink and baby blue outfits. All the Arby tots are Malian nationals, and they were last week visited by Djaminatou Sangare, the countrys Health Minister, who worked out how they could be safely flown to Bamako, the Malian capital, which is some two-and-a-half thousand miles from Casablanca. The exhausted parents say their babies are a 'joy' to look after They were taken off incubators in early August since when the family have been living together in flat close to the hospital so the medical staff can continue to monitor them. We revealed in July how Halima was getting through a staggering 100 nappies per day and six litres of milk - but that she was too tired to look after them and spent most of her days sleeping and watching television. But now her strength is returning too. Giving birth to one child is hard enough but having nine is unimaginable, said Halima. Its astonishing the amount of work that is involved in looking after them. Im grateful to the medical team that are doing all the hard work and the Government of Mali for funding this. Halima gave birth by Caesarean section, accompanied by her sister, Aisha, while her husband initially stayed behind at their home in Timbuktu, Mali. Describing the birth, Halima said: As the babies were coming out, there were so many questions going through my mind. I was very aware of what was going on and it seemed as if there was an endless stream of babies coming out of me. She added: My sister was holding my hand but all I could think about was how would I look after them and who was going to help me? Kader was originally unable to travel due to COVID travel restrictions, but finally arrived in Morocco on July 9, after spending ten days in quarantine. The care bill so far is approaching the equivalent of 1million, and most it has been picked up by the Malian government. She almost died from blood loss during the delivery, with doctors estimating that her belly alone weighed almost 30 kg, made up of the babies and amniotic fluid. He said: Being together as a family is the best thing in the world, and we give thanks to God all the time. The most important thing is that we are all safe and well, and in great hands. The couple married in 2017 and also have another daughter, Souda, two-and-a half who is being looked after by relatives. After a tough start to life, all born prematurely in May and having to be kept under close observation, they have all put on weight and, their parents hope, all ready to soon be out of full-time medical care and able to meet their big sister in Mali The babies were born in the following order: Kadidia, 2kg840, Mohammed VI, 3kg315, Fatouma, 3kg130, Oumar, 2kg400, Hawa, 1kg585, Adama, 2kg720, Bah, 2kg900, Oumou, 2kg795, and El Hadji, 1kg870 Kader is a sailor in the Malian Navy and admitted that looking after his family would be financially challenging. They live in a modest three-bedroom house which he said they would now have to expand to accommodate their ten children. There is plenty of us to worry about, but we are mainly full of positive thoughts, said Kader, We are primarily focused on looking after our babies and getting them home. At the moment we have full time care, and thats a blessing because my wife needs the rest. Kader and Halima also feel blessed as they have been receiving tons of messages of support from well-wishers from around the world who post heart-warming comments online. The couple were originally told that Halima was carrying seven babies by doctors in Mali, who feared that there was a less than 50% chance that any of them would survive. She spent two weeks in Point G Hospital in Bamako, Malis capital, before she was transferred to Morocco thanks to the intervention of Malis then President of Transition, Bah NDaw. This is why one of the boys is called Bah. Another is named Mohamed VI, in honour of the King of Morocco. Kader, who is a devout Muslim, said: My wife is an only child while I have eight brothers and sisters. There is nothing in our family history to explain how this happened other than Allahs grace. These children are a gift from Him. In accordance with Islamic custom, the names of the newborns were revealed seven days after their birth. The babies were born in the following order: Kadidia, 2kg840, Mohammed VI, 3kg315, Fatouma, 3kg130, Oumar, 2kg400, Hawa, 1kg585, Adama, 2kg720, Bah, 2kg900, Oumou, 2kg795, and El Hadji, 1kg870. A father-of-two who received a terrifying death sentence on headed notepaper from the Taliban has won the right to stay in the UK. Omid Sarwary, 29, received a series of phone calls from men working for senior Taliban commander Molvi Abdus Samad in 2017 while working for British security company Olive Group at an airport in Herat, Afghanistan. The security officer and translator refused when the men on the phone urged him to help them access the airport and reported the calls to his managers at the firm where he had worked since 2013 and changed his number. After, the Taliban began to send letter to his family home accusing him of spying and warning him against working for foreigners. Mr Sarwary refused to help the Taliban access the airport where he worked and was accused of 'spying' by the murderous group and forced to flee Afghanistan Omid reported the letters to the local police but was told there was nothing they could do to protect him outside of his workplace. The final letter left him no choice but to flee and started him on a journey which has seen him separated from his wife and young children for four years. Headed with the Taliban emblem and signed in the name of Samad, it stated: 'We had warned you earlier to rectify yourself and stop serving foreigners. 'It has come to our knowledge that you have started more jobs with them, providing transport services to the staff to/from the base. 'Therefore the commission has decided to impose a very harsh penalty, that is; you must be killed. 'In whichever corner of the country you reside, our suicide bombers will find you and kill you, just as they did to the workers of Kandahar base. God willing.' Molvi Abdus Samad, a Taliban commander, sent this letter to Omid sentencing him to be killed after the brutal group accusing him of spying and working with foreigners After a gruelling journey across Europe Omid arrived in the UK in 2018 and ended up living Kirkby, Merseyside. By last month he was suffering from depression and regularly entertaining thoughts of suicide as his legal battles dragged on. However, on October 14, Omid received a letter via his solicitors confirming he been granted asylum for the next five years. The ruling also means Omid, who had been unable to work or study due to his status as an asylum seeker, can resume building a life. He told the Liverpool Echo: 'This is a very big thing in my life and for my family. 'Now I can make my plan for the future, I apply for my family to bring them here to be safe from the Taliban. 'I can also continue to start my level 3 that I am allowed now in college as a car mechanic and start to find work to support my family here.' Although the future is now looking brighter, Omid had suffered through almost four years of uncertainty. Mr Sarwary settled in Merseyside where he had fought for his right to remain in the UK with the Home Office for four years before being granted the right to stay Despite his service for a British company, and despite his bravery in refusing to help the Taliban launch potentially deadly attacks on the airport, he was initially refused asylum by the Home Office in July 2018. Omid was told that because he only feared return to 'certain areas of Afghanistan' it would not be 'unsafe or unreasonable' for him to be sent to the capital, Kabul, or another area not in control of the Taliban. His legal teamed appealed to the First Tier Tribunal for Immigration, but despite the judge accepting his evidence of being threatened by the Taliban and describing him as a 'credible' witness, he rejected the appeal for the same reasons in January 2019. Omid was refused permission to appeal to the Upper Tier Tribunal and an application to the High Court for a Judicial Review was also denied in January this year. In a last ditch attempt to avoid being dragged onto a plane and flown back to Afghanistan, his legal team filed further submissions in February this year. The Taliban swiftly took back control of Afghanistan after the withdrawl of US and UK troops from the country in the Middle East in August this year In September, before his case was resolved, he told the Liverpool Echo: 'It is a very hard situation, I cannot even describe. I just sit at home all day and take medication, I have not seen my children and my wife in four years. 'If it was not for my wife and children, I think I would not be able to live like this. Omid said his family have moved home several times to escape the Taliban, but when its fighters seized control of the entire country his nightmare grew more intense. He said: 'It was horrible to hear [that the Taliban had taken over]. 'I felt like someone kicked me in my stomach, I felt so sick that I could not eat for 24 hours. I was thinking about the safety of my wife, mother, brother and my kids. A psychological report, commissioned by his legal team, described Omid as feeling 'constantly anxious and depressed about his life', struggling to sleep and suffering from panic attacks. The report stated: 'Mr Sarwary stated that the loss of his family members has resulted in hopelessness and depression. 'He said his children were very young when he left Afghanistan and he longs to be able to see them again. He reported a fear of the Taliban harming them and as a result he described limiting communication or contact with them. 'He said that as far as he is aware, his family had been approached by the Taliban and they had been demanding to know where Mr Sarwary now is.' The report concluded Omid met the diagnostic criteria for a major depressive disorder with psychosis. The Independent reported recently how the Home Office had refused a blanket amnesty for 3,000 Afghan asylum seekers who had arrived in the UK before the Taliban takeover. The department has instead said it would look at each case on 'its individual merits'. A spokeswoman said at the time: 'No one who is at risk of persecution or serious harm in Afghanistan will be expected to return there and all asylum and human rights claims will be carefully considered on their individual merits. 'Given the complex situation in Afghanistan, we are urgently updating our guidance reflecting revised assessments of risk of persecution. 'While this work is ongoing, we have paused decision making to make sure cases are only considered in light of the most up to date information. 'Separately, the UK's evacuation operation helped over 15,000 people to safety and are also establishing the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme to help those most at risk.' President Joe Biden had breakfast with Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the White House on Friday as he is pressing for a vote on his multi-trillion infrastructure and social spending plans next week before he leaves for Europe. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who is in his home state of New York zoomed into the meeting, according to reports. 'We'll see,' Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol after the sitdown, when asked if there would be a vote next week. 'We had a very positive meeting this morning. I'm very optimistic. This is, it's exciting, because whatever it is, it's going to be bigger than anything we've ever done for the American people,' she added. The breaking of the bread comes as Democrats remain divided on key issues like family leave and combatting climate change - while still arguing over how to pay for all of it. Biden has told Democrats he wants a legislative victory ahead of the Group of 20 leaders summit in Rome and the United Nations climate summit in Scotland next week, according to Bloomberg News, so he can show his fellow world leaders that America can still deliver. Biden told a CNN town hall Thursday night he thinks he'll get a deal before he leaves for Europe but he also conceded there are 'four or five issues' still being worked out among warring moderate and liberal Democrats. 'We are at this point in the conversation and in the debate where we are getting into the nitty gritty details, and the president is deeply engaged in those discussions,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday of the talks. 'The president has rolled up his sleeves and he is deep in the details of spreadsheets and numbers and what the potential impact can be to help the American people, and he was candid about where the negotiations stood,' she added. 'We're getting closer.' With the clock ticking to the president's deadline, Democrats remain internally divided on key issues proving tricky for leadership to negotiate: paid leave, Medicare expansion, prescription drug pricing and climate. Democrats are also scrambling to come up with a way to pay for their massive federal spending project after moderate Senator Kyrsten Sinema said she wouldn't support raising corporate tax and income rates. Joe Biden wants the House to vote on his multi-trillion infrastructure and social spending plans next week before he leaves for Europe Biden had breakfast with Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the White House on Friday morning as he pushes to finalize a deal on his social spending program Biden conceded Thursday night he doesn't have the votes to raise taxes. In the evenly divided 50-50 Senate, he needs every Democrat on board. 'I don't think we're going to be able to get the vote,' he said when asked about it at a CNN town hall. 'Look, when you're in the United States Senate and you're president of the United States and you have 50 Democrats, everyone is the president.' Sinema has conceded to alternatives, according to reports, including raising tax revenue from companies and the wealthy. The new pay-for method could include increased funding for the IRS to collect taxes owed by corporations and high earners, and increased taxes on the income that multinational companies operating in the US earn overseas. Democrats argue that could raise at least $1 trillion over a decade. The Arizona Democrat also opposes a drug price negotiation measure. Meanwhile fellow moderate Senator Joe Manchin is opposed to Biden's inclusion of the Clean Energy Performance Plan, which does not go over well in his coal-producing home state of West Virginia. That has the White House looking at alternatives, including using executive action. 'We have had other ways of doing' reduced emissions, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre Thursday afternoon. 'What we're saying is we don't need Congress. We can do it without Congress.' Meanwhile, Biden acknowledged that expanding Medicare benefits to cover dental, vision and hearing - a provision being pushed by liberals - was 'a reach' because of the two senators. Instead Biden said they were looking to provide an $800 voucher for dental work. He indicated a hearing benefit was a possibility but noted vision coverage remains an issue because of its price tag. And Biden also conceded Thursday night that two of his biggest priorities were being cut: paid family leave was parred down to four weeks from 12 while free community college was axed. Instead, the president said he was looking at expanding Pell grants. Democrats are negotiating over taxes to pay for Biden's social agenda after moderate Senator Kyrsten Sinema said she wouldn't support raising corporate tax and income rates Moderate Senator Joe Manchin is opposed to Biden's inclusion of the Clean Energy Performance Plan in the package Biden gave Democrats an end of the week deadline to come to consensus on a topline number for his social program. But to break the stalemate between the moderate and progressive wings of the Democratic Party, the $3.5 trillion plan will be cut nearly in half. That final figure is looking to be between $1.75 trillion and $2 trillion. Biden has been holding metings and phone calls all week with the key players in the drama - moderates, liberals, Manchin, Sinema, and leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi - as he works to get a deal on the two bills that make up his Congressional agenda: a bipartisan infrastructure plan already passed by the Senate, and a larger budget package of social programs that focuses on education, health, childcare and climate change. 'I do think I'll get a deal,' he said. LBC bosses today stood by their presenter Steve Allen after he described Strictly Come Dancing teenager Tilly Ramsay as a 'chubby little thing' live on air. Allen, 67, has faced huge pressure to quit after saying he was bored with the 19-year-old CBBC host, daughter of chef Gordon Ramsay, and criticised her weight. He told listeners on Wednesday: 'She can't bloody well dance. I'm bored with her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she, have you noticed?' Referring to Gordon Ramsay, he added: 'Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine.' MailOnline understands that LBC is resisting calls to sack Allen and he is expected to present his early morning show from 4am until 7am next Monday as normal. Allen was back on air yesterday and today and is set to be on for the whole of next week. Bosses at LBC have no plans at this stage to conduct an enquiry into Allens comments and, for the time being, have not responded to calls for his sacking. Following the end of his programme this morning, which is broadcast from Londons Leicester Square, Allen avoided waiting photographers as he left the building. An insider told MailOnline that there are some within LBC who want him to stay, while others are behind calls for Allen to quit because they see him as a 'dinosaur'. The insider added that Allen 'gets on well' with LBC hosts Eddie Mair and Nick Ferrari and was 'well thought of in the industry' by breakfast presenters on other stations. Steve Allen (left), 67, has faced huge pressure to quit after saying he was bored with 19-year-old Tilly Ramsay (right), daughter of chef Gordon Ramsay, and criticised her weight Tilly Ramsay has been paired with Nikita Kuzmin on this year's Strictly Come Dancing Neither LBC nor Ofcom have confirmed whether any complaints have been made, with an Ofcom spokesman telling MailOnline: 'We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.' It comes after another source told The Sun: 'Steve's outdated and archaic comments have been allowed to continue for far too long and plenty of people want him out. Many controversies of LBC host Steve Allen The ongoing row between Steve Allen and Tilly Ramsay is the latest spat the LBC host has been involved in. A scan of his Twitter shows a bizarre feud with reality TV star Gemma Collins, whose weight he frequently criticised and who he described as 'a beach hut'. He made similar comments about TV personality Sally Jacks, who he said was 'fat like you can't believe'. Ms Jacks replied to the tweet to reveal she was struggling to shed baby weight. Back in 2018, he was rapped by Ofcom after he mocked a blind journalist who became the first person in the UK to use a miniature guide horse. Mohammed Salim Patel from Blackburn, Lancashire, was using two-year-old American miniature horse Digby because of his fear of dogs - until the horse grew too big. In a broadcast on October 1, Allen said he'd 'never heard of anything so stupid' while discussing a story on Digby. He also said on air: 'Well if he's blind, tell him it's a rabbit or something. I've never heard of anything so stupid. 'This is the blind man scared of dogs hoping that a horse will guide him on his commute. Where are you going to take that for goodness sake?' In December, communications regulator Ofcom upheld a complaint that the comments had been offensive. In 2015, LBC was given a warning from Ofcom after Allen made comments about 'beating up' London Tube workers. Allen said: 'I think we should go round and start beating up tube people, the people that bring them all out on strike.' In 2017, Ofcom also received complaints after Allen said: 'Why do we have to start being nice to travellers? Every time I read a story in the newspaper its either thieving, robbing or brawling what is the matter with them?' And in the same year, Ofcom found him in breach of the code for making discriminatory comments about people from Portugal. Advertisement 'There's free speech and then there is calling a teenage girl fat live on the radio. Plenty of people think it's time he was given his marching orders because this isn't the first time he's made unacceptable comments on air and hasn't been reprimanded. 'He should issue an apology at the least - but people want him gone. He's bringing the reputation of the station down.' Miss Ramsay, 19, said she will not tolerate those who criticise her weight. 'I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity, however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far,' she wrote on Instagram. 'It's such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative. This isn't the first and definitely won't be the last comment made about my appearance... but please remember that words can hurt.' Miss Ramsay, who is paired with Nikita Kuzmin, said she knows there are 'repercussions' from being in the public eye, adding: 'However I won't tolerate people that think it's okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone's weight and appearance.' Talking about who may want Allen out, a veteran radio industry insider told MailOnline today it would be those at LBC who are 'slightly more progressive, and they may regard Steve as a dinosaur'. He added that Mair and Ferrari both 'get on very well' with Allen, and that it was unlikely either of them would want him out. The insider continued: 'I think that there's always been this suggestion that because he's been there 20 years that he's a bit of a dinosaur and he's had his day and there's been a number of Ofcom complaints about him. 'But there was dissatisfaction with Nigel Farage when he was on LBC and that was from the James O'Brien stable. But I'm not sure if this falls into the same category. 'I'm not particularly a fan but I know he has a massive following and if he were to disappear from the airwaves I think there'd be quite an outcry.' He added that there was a possibility Allen could retire soon, saying: 'That might probably be the outcome and I was thinking this morning maybe there's a conversation going on saying 'Steve, you're in your 60s, perhaps it's time to go and hit the beach' - maybe that conversation is taking place.' The insider continued: 'I think it's quite strange that there hasn't been an apology, because it seems to me that Steve is saying why should I apologise? 'I think everyone's tolerated him, but I think the moment something like this happens people draw up battle lines. 'A lot of breakfast show presenters listen to Steve Allen on their way to work because they think he's a good presenter, he's well thought of in the industry.' He added that there were no guarantees that Ofcom would find against Allen, saying he did not think the 'she's a chubby little thing' would break any broadcasting rules. Strictly stars have supported Miss Ramsay after the comments made by Steve Allen (above) An industry insider added that Allen 'gets on well' with LBC hosts Eddie Mair (left) and Nick Ferrari (right) and is 'well thought of in the industry' by breakfast presenters on other stations He said: 'They have to balance freedom of expression with causing offensive, and I'm not sure that 'chubby' is one of the prohibited words. And even if it is, within a broadcasting code there is 2.1 which is called 'generally accepted standards'. 'It's their catch all, so if there's a lot of complaints they will judge it by that standard - so I'm not sure this would be upheld by Ofcom. People are allowed to offend other people, it's not against the broadcasting code.' Strictly stars have supported Miss Ramsay on social media. Janette Manrara called her a 'powerful young lady' while Dianne Buswell said she was 'so brave to speak up'. Giovanna Fletcher, whose husband Tom Fletcher is paired with Amy Dowden on the current series, branded Allen 'irrelevant'. Giovanni Pernice called his comments 'nasty' while John Whaite, who is in the show's first same-sex couple with Johannes Radebe, wrote: 'He's a piece of old sandpaper love, worn and used and has nothing to offer the world. 'And his vicious scratching has only left you polished and more fabulous. Love you.' Former Love Island star Dr Alex George, a passionate advocator for mental health who lost his younger brother to suicide, encouraged his two million followers to email LBC if they are 'unhappy' about Allen's 'absolutely disgraceful' comments. A mother who survived years of rape at the hands of her now ex-husband has spoken about the phone call she received from her sister that prompted her to leave after 13 years together. Jon Seccull, a former White Ribbon ambassador, on Monday faced the Victorian County Court where he was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison. The 43-year-old denied all wrongdoing but a jury found him guilty of nine counts of rape, two assaults and one threat to cause serious injury against his wife Michelle Skewes between 2011 and 2015. On Friday Ms Skewes opened up about a fateful phone call she received in March 2016 from her sister that prompted her to make the difficult decision to end her relationship with Mr Seccull. '(My sister said) "I've just got a message from (your daughter) saying can I come and get her? Because she knows dad's going to hurt mum tonight and she doesn't want to be there when it happens",' Ms Skewes told 7News. 'I was like, oh my goodness. Michelle, you're staying for those kids thinking that when you're not there, everything's OK. But it's not.' Less than a week later Ms Skewes rolled over to her husband's side of the bed and said: 'I cannot be married to you anymore. I'm leaving. That was one of the hardest things I've done'. After Mr Seccull left the house to get some air, his wife hurriedly packed her life into suitcases - afraid of what may happen if she was still there when he returned. Melbourne woman Michelle Skewers endured shocking sexual abuse at the hands of her ex-husband Jon Seccull (pictured left) Jon Seccull, a former White Ribbon ambassador, on Monday faced the Victorian County Court, where he was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison Ms Skewes said her primary concern was not how many years Mr Seccull spent in prison. The important thing, she said, was that her story could inspire others to 'regain control of their lives and reclaim their dignity'. 'The road to this point has been an extremely challenging one but it has been worth every painful and humiliating step,' Ms Skewes said in a statement after the sentencing hearing. 'I remain dumbfounded by how much acutely personal and embarrassing information I had to present, confirm and reconfirm before the court would accept it as evidence. 'But the bottom line is that guilt was eventually pronounced and a very dangerous individual has been eliminated as a threat to society, albeit only temporarily. 'I wish every victim the strength to change their circumstances. You can get through it and you can win in the end.' The court heard Mr Seccull once pointed a loaded gun at Ms Skewes before unclipping the ammunition and saying she wasn't worth the cost of the bullet. He then threatened to shoot himself in the driveway so their children would see. The former corrections officer made degrading sexual demands of his wife at the time and punished her even when she complied with them. Another time he said to her: 'I'm your husband and I can f***ing touch you whenever I f***ing want. You are mine.' Judge Frank Gucciardo said the Ballarat man derived pleasure from the cruelty and 'oppressive subjugation' of his wife that involved 'vile and sadistic acts'. 'Such abhorrent conduct is breathtaking,' Judge Gucciardo told the court. 'The offending leaves the court bereft of adequate words to describe its depravity.' Judge Gucciardo also said Mr Seccull had shown an 'utter lack of remorse or skerrick of regret' after pleading not guilty and claiming that witnesses had lied in court. The couple separated in 2016, after Ms Skewers was forced to engage in sex with other men - while Mr Seccull watched He live-streamed the sadistic acts and told Ms Skewes that he could 'touch her whenever he wanted' Ms Skewes met Mr Seccull at the local fire brigade in 2000 and married him three years later. But he became increasingly abusive during the marriage until their separation in 2016. The court heard the couple's three-year-old died in 2011, but the judge said that did not explain the man's brutal behaviour. 'Your offending goes well beyond anything which PTSD may have contributed to. 'While the loss of a child is an immense tragedy... it is neither an excuse nor an explanation for demeaning treatment of your wife,' Judge Gucciardo said. Ms Skewes previously said she had been left second guessing her ability to make decisions and still apologises for everything. 'I cannot shake the sense that everything is my fault, even when it clearly is not,' she said. The couple had four children - including one that tragically passed in 2011 at the age of three Mr Seccull denied all wrongdoing but a jury found him guilty of nine counts of rape, two assaults and one threat to cause serious injury for the vile conduct between 2011-2015 'And since I dared break the code of silence that enshrouds domestic violence, (I) faced the wrath of outing the abuser and besmirching 'the good bloke'. 'I have to remember to lay that blame firmly at the feet of the perpetrator, the man who was meant to love me, my then-husband.' Mr Seccull must serve at least 10 years and six months behind bars before being eligible for parole. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline on 13 11 14. For further information about depression, contact beyondblue on 1300224636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust. A white supremacist convicted of terrorism offences after sharing explosives and firearms manuals in extreme right-wing chat groups has had his jail term increased by appeal judges. Michael Nugent, 38, of Ashford, Surrey, used different identities to share extremist material on Telegram messaging app, including videos celebrating the Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand, which he described as a 'game-changer'. In June he was jailed at Kingston Crown Court for 42 months after he admitted five counts of disseminating terrorist publications and 11 of possessing information useful to a terrorist. Three appeal judges today increased his jail term to five years, following a challenge by the Attorney General, whose lawyers argued that Nugent's original sentence, imposed by Judge Peter Lodder QC, should be stiffer. At the hearing in June, the court heard how he used a Telegram username containing numeric code meaning 'Heil Hitler', the Independent reported. The defendant was said to have 'honoured' right-wing terrorists including Christchurch attacker Brenton Tarrant and Norway shooter Anders Breivik. Michael Nugent, pictured, had his three-and-a-half sentence for disseminating firearms and explosive manuals to extreme right wing groups increased today by the Court of Appeal in London He described the Christchurch massacre, which left 51 Muslim worshippers dead, as a 'game-changer' and created a 'sick' celebration video to mark its one-year anniversary in March 2020, the paper reported. In his personal diary, he said ethnic minorities should be 'sent home' and 'sterilised', adding: 'Terrorism is the only way out of it.' The Independent reported that at his sentencing hearing in June, judge Peter Lodder QC told him that he had 'knowingly encouraged right-wing terrorism'. He said: 'You did not work but spent all of your time at home in your parents' house, where from your bedroom, you developed your online extremist persona. 'You posted toxic offensive material to websites and administered groups which were dedicated to violent racist, antisemitic, and neo-Nazi ideology.' Court of Appeal judges today said that Judge Lodder had failed to give sufficient weight to an increase in the maximum penalty for such offences and said the original sentence had not reflected the 'obvious gravity' of online radicalisation. The Independent reported how prosecutors told the hearing in June how he had converted one of his Telegram groups to become a 'supergroup', which meant up to 200,000 members could access the content. She said: 'This channel attracted and became a safe haven for anyone who wished to post messages expressing and encouraging extreme racial hatred and violence towards black people. The court heard that an undercover police officer infiltrated one of Nugent's channels, and was given documents with instructions on bomb-making and firearms manuals by the defendant. The Court of Appeal said Nugent's case is a good example of how harmful online extremism can be Liam Walker, defending him at the sentencing hearing, said despite Nugent's 'abhorrent' views, his actions had been influenced by deteriorating mental health. Commander Richard Smith, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, said: 'Nugent freely shared his abhorrent extremist views with others over a messaging app and he passed on manuals detailing how to produce deadly weapons and explosive devices. 'This is another case which shows how harmful online extremism is. 'That is why it is important that anyone who believes that they have a friend or loved one who they think has been radicalised, or is vulnerable, seeks help.' An Arizona father and son who have performed Jewish rituals as Orthodox rabbis in several communities in the US and abroad have been accused of being a 'sleeper cell' of evangelical Christians - and some fear they are Messianic Jews whose ultimate goal is to bring about the second coming to the Holy Land. Michael and Calev Isaacson, who changed their family name from Dawson, have performed sacred Jewish rituals like writing holy scrolls, washing the dead and even conducting weddings and conversions in Arizona, Wisconsin, Texas, Oregon and even Poland. However, investigations by an Israeli newspaper and an anti-missionary group found that neither man has traceable Jewish heritage nor any record of a conversion. If the claims prove true, then any rituals they performed could become invalid. Some rabbis fear an even darker purpose for the Isaacsons actions. They worry father and son are Messianic Jews, people who live as Orthodox Jews but believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and hold a desire to convert Jews to Christianity in an effort to bring about the second coming, according to the Jewish Chronicle. Michael Isaacson and his wife, Summer, were married in a Lutheran church in Michigan This composite photo, provided by anti-missionary investigators, show Michael Isaacson both (left) and after (right) his purported conversion to Judaism Michael (left) and Calev Isaacson (pictured) changed their surnames from Dawson in 2019 Messianic Jews believe Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and will return to Jerusalem, prevail in an apocalyptic battle with the Antichrist and rule the world from the Temple Mount Messianic Judaism is a religious group with an estimated 350,000 followers worldwide, the majority of them in the US, with origins that can be traced back to the 19th and early 20th centuries. Messianic Jews believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, and that a prophecy in the Old Testament says that God's plan is for him to return to Jerusalem, prevail in an apocalyptic battle with the Antichrist and rule the world from the Temple Mount, according to The Atlantic. By the 1960s and '70s, Messianic Judaism gained popularity in the US and its followers were known by many as 'the Jesus people,' with a branch that gained popularity as Jews for Jesus. However, unlike Jews for Jesus, which focuses on bringing Jews into churches, Messianic Jews seek to make Jews believers in Jesus while still maintaining congregations that identify as Jewish and observe Jewish customs and holidays. Because of Messianic Judaisms identification with Jesus, the major denominations of Judaism - Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist - have rejected it as part of the religion. Within Christianity, Messianic Judaism is sometimes seen as a group within the evangelical community, and sometimes seen as a separate sect. Various Christian leaders have publicly criticized Messianic Jews for their aggressive missionizing in the Jewish community and for misrepresenting themselves as Jews. Advertisement The Israeli paper revealed in May how a fake rabbi and his family were operating in Jerusalem alongside a network of other Messianic Jews embedded in Israeli Orthodox communities. An Orthodox Jewish teacher who has met the Isaacsons said the family wants to create 'a backstory' that will allow their children to marry Jews and believes they are part of a wider Messianic plan to create a sleeper-cell of fake religious Jews in Israel. 'There is some movement afoot for some reason, they need there to be an Orthodox looking, observant, Christian body in Israel. I don't know exactly how this fits into their Messianic scheme, or the whys, but this seems to be what they're doing,' the unidentified teacher told the paper. Investigators from Beyneynu - an anti-missionary group - have found no proof that the Isaacsons are trying to convert Jewish people to Christianity but the pair have refused to say they don't believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Michael Isaacson - then known as Michael Dawson - was raised Lutheran and got married at a Lutheran church in Michigan, the paper found. Isaacson's aunt, Marlene Gruenfelder, called her nephew's claims about his new-found religion 'bizarre.' Beyneynu investigators have written to officials that the family has been questioned over rumors about their beliefs in the past. They say that immediately after being asked, they have up and left their communities, only to find another. In Texas, Michael Isaacson was a supervisor for the Kashrut Organization in Houston, a non-profit organization offering kosher supervision and certification. They've also led prayers and given religious lessons while hosting Jewish guests. The family, which currently lives in Phoenix, was able to build a Jewish identity by getting documentation from rabbis to prove they were Jewish. They were first suspected of fraud from a post on Gates of Zion, a Messianic website, that said they were going to attend a Shabbat event. Reporters emailed the Isaacson family and directly confronted them about their beliefs. 'We do not reject Yeshua [Jesus] the Jewish Messiah,' Michael Isaacson said. 'We have no doubts concerning the identity of the Messiah.' However, they insist that they're not attempting to convert people to Christianity. They're merely in an 'ongoing process of return' to Judaism and reject any missionary tactics and do not support anyone trying to 'target or convert Jews away from the Jewish faith, heritage and birthright. They added that they 'were not here to missionize, but to learn', saying that is why they 'kept silent and only answered the questions that we were asked'. They said they had bailed on Christianity 'when the truth of its pagan practices was revealed to us by God, however, we will never reject or deny the name of the Messiah.' A 1995 wedding announcement shows that Michael and Summer Dawson were married in Trinity Lutheran Church in New Era Michigan The Trinity Lutheran Church in Michigan is where Michael and Summer were married, with a rabbi saying he performed a Jewish wedding for them in 2013 Investigators from Beyneynu - an anti-missionary group - have found no proof that the Isaacsons are trying to convert Jewish people to Christianity but the father and son have refused to say they don't believe Jesus is the Messiah The Isaacsons have attempted to disprove these claims by providing a written history of their family background and involvement with Jewish individuals and communities. The document claims Michael's family originally emigrated to America from Finland, where his mother's family had been called Isaacson. It adds that they 'fled Europe in 1937 through Finland to New York', but Michael's aunt claims the family arrived in the US many years earlier and that her mother was born in the Bronx. The document also argues that Michael's grandparents on his mother's side spoke Yiddish, and maintained Jewish traditions, including making challah. His aunt also says this is a lie. 'No, my family is not Jewish,' said Greunfelder, 65, adding that Michael's mother Linda was raised a Lutheran. The aunt said Michael's brother is Lutheran and married a Lutheran minister. The Dawson family changed their surname to Isaacson in August 2019. Gruenfelder says her nephew is 'not one for communicating' and they don't speak much. What she did note is that Michael used to love to act and took classes in high school. 'It's strange This is bizarre. So this is legitimate? Their name is Isaacson now?' 'It's shocking to see he's changed his name and the kids. It blows my mind.' Community members say that Summer Isaacson, Michael's wife, has also claimed to have longstanding Jewish heritage, saying her family were Marranos, people who were forced to convert during the Spanish Inquisition. However, an investigation has shown that Summer's great grandmother was baptized in Mexico, which means she would have had to convert to Judaism to be considered Jewish. A 1995 wedding announcement shows that Michael married Summer Morales at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Era, Michigan. They obtained a Jewish marriage certificate in 2013 from a Dallas rabbi, telling the rabbi they became religious after their non-Jewish marriage. At their request, he carried out a Jewish wedding for them. Rabbi Rich has since said he didn't know of their true background and would 'readily renounce his signature'. Michael Isaacson has not responded to requests for comment. Biden ordered the federal government to undergo an assessment of the risks climate change poses on national and international security The US intelligence community is sending a unanimous warning about the growing risk that climate change is posing to national security and global stability, a chilling report revealed on Thursday. All 18 US intelligence agencies signed off on the 27-page report, released in a declassified version by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence after President Joe Biden ordered the government to undergo a climate assessment in January. It comes just over a week before Biden jets off to Glasgow for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. The intel community released its predictions for the future days after it was caught by surprise with reports of nuclear-capable missile test launches China had conducted over the summer. Earlier this week reports emerged that China secretly tested two nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles that orbited the globe before returning to Earth. The system would be able to overcome US anti-ballistic missile defense systems that are based in Alaska and set up to shoot down projectiles coming over the North Pole - the Chinese system would be able to strike the US from the south. Under Biden the intel community was also caught by surprise earlier this year, when the rapid collapse of the Afghan government to the Taliban led to a rushed and chaotic exit for the US military. Thursday's report is the first-ever assessment of its kind and looks into how growing carbon emissions could shift geopolitical power and exacerbate existing conflicts as well as allow new ones to emerge. The report was issued barely more than a week before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (pictured: Biden addresses the UN General Assembly in September) In May Biden issued an executive order requiring development of a comprehensive government-wide climate-risk strategy within 120 days, as well as an annual assessment of climate-related fiscal risks as part of the US budget. 'Intensifying physical effects will exacerbate geopolitical flashpoints, particularly after 2030, and key countries and regions will face increasing risks of instability and need for humanitarian assistance,' it read. But even before any significant climate disaster, blame shifting and arguments over how goals outlined in the Paris Climate Accord should be carried out and who should do it will be a source of heightened tensions. 'The cooperative breakthrough of the Paris Agreement may be short lived as countries struggle to reduce their emissions and blame others for not doing enough,' it states. Countries would then turn against one another to compete for thinning resources and dominance over new technologies. The physical effects of climate change would also lead to more mass migration as vast swaths of the world become uninhabitable. Climate refugees have already been highlighted as a growing point of concern by a number of global entities, including the United Nations. Pictured: China launches the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft on October 16, carried on the Long March-2F carrier rocket, to Chinese Tiangong space station China launched the dummy weapon into space on board a Long March 2C rocket (pictured) during a test in mid-August which it did not disclose at the time and was only revealed at the weekend by security analysts assigned to work out its purpose Each year, hurricanes, seasonal rains and other sudden natural disasters force an average of 21.5 million people from their homes around the world, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has said. Areas like the Arctic and parts of Asia, where transboundary tensions over water already exist, would become all the more hostile as water insecurity grows. The report identifies several areas at high risk. One is Pakistan, which relies on glacier-fed rivers in India as a significant water source. Land and social disputes among others have already built up historically poor relations between the two countries. In combatting the effects of climate change, US intel agencies warn that competition to geo-engineer solutions could shift geopolitical power to a position less favorable for the US. China for instance, the top CO2 producer in the world, is identified as one of two countries that will 'play critical roles in determining the trajectory of temperature rise.' Both China and India are growing their already significant carbon emissions, compared to the European Union and US where the rates are declining. China has previously set a goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2060 but President Xi Jinping has yet to outline a concrete roadmap to do so. Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to work toward phasing out coal during Biden's virtual climate summit with world leaders in April At a virtual climate summit hosted by Biden in April, Xi pledged to work toward phasing out coal. But China is also in a 'strong position to compete' in the future of innovation in the face of climate change, the report notes. Its control over key mineral exports necessary for renewable energy technology and low production standards would likely strengthen China's position as one of the world's largest economies. 'China is able to process these at reduced cost mainly because of its lower environmental standards, lower labor costs, and inexpensive power,' it states. The US intel community also shares concerns that China will exploit the shifting geographical terrain in its quest for dominance. They highlight the Artic region, which is becoming more accessible for new trade routes as temperatures rise and ice melts, and therefore new territory to be claimed. 'Military activity is likely to increase as Arctic and non-Arctic states seek to protect their investments, exploit new maritime routes, and gain strategic advantages over rivals,' the report states. China is the top producer of carbon emissions in the world (pictured: A barge travels past the Wangting Power Plant in Wangting, Jiangsu province, China, on Thursday, Sept. 30) By contrast the US and UK have seen their carbon emissions rates decline (pictured: Dave Johnson coal-fired power plant is silhouetted against the morning sun in Glenrock, Wyoming in 2018) 'The increased presence of China and other non-Arctic states very likely will amplify concerns among Arctic states as they perceive a challenge to their respective security and economic interests.' Other countries that have also already outlined Arctic strategies are the UK, France, Japan, South Korea and India, which the report notes prompted Russian officials to repeatedly state 'that non-Arctic countries do not have a military role in the region.' Thursday's report flagged 11 poorer countries that will be left especially vulnerable to extreme weather and rising temperatures, where humanitarian aide could be hindered by 'poor governance, weak infrastructure, endemic corruption, and a lack of physical access.' They are Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Colombia, Haiti, North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Myanmar. 'Intensifying and more frequent heat waves and droughts will create water supply volatility and probably strain their electric utility operations, while growing economies and populations will increase electricity demands to handle rising temperatures,' the assessment says. Countries like Russia and those in the Middle East that rely heavily on fossil fuel exports will likely continue to resist calls to change because 'they fear the economic, political and geopolitical costs of doing so,' the report predicts. Its concerns and projections were based on the intel community's assessment as well as 'the broad consensus of scientific studies, modeling and forecasts' from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and US National Climate Assessment. It adds: 'We are aware of, but in this estimate do not rely on, the small minority scientific perspectives on climate change ranging from those who consider it nonexistent to those who view it as a near-term existential threat to humanity.' Intelligence agency warns that China is creating global genetic database that could give it dominance over U.S. health care industry and a decisive military edge Intelligence officials on Friday issued new warnings about China's ambitions, saying it was collecting genetic data from around the world as part of a technological push that could give it a decisive military edge and dominance over the American healthcare sector. A report by the National Counterintelligence and Security Center painted an alarming picture of the risks for businesses and universities in accepting Chinese investment or offers of expertise. It is the latest in a series of forecasts that the U.S. risks being left behind as China forges ahead with research. Edward You, the center's officer for emerging and disruptive technologies, pointed out that Chinese companies were investing in U.S. and European biotechnology and pharmaceutics. They were also offering genetic testing and COVID-19 test kits, he said, gathering data that could ultimately end up in Beijing's hands. With its data collection and advancements in technology, Beijing could one day be dominant in health care and leave the U.S. wholly dependent on China, he said. 'If you're President Xi,' he said, 'that's the gift that keeps on giving.' Michael Orlando (l), head of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said the U.S. 'can't afford to lose ground' to China as he warned of threat posed by Xi Jinping's regime China has embarked on building a global genetic database and Chinese-linked companies are selling DNA test kits which officials warn could give data to the Chinese Communist Party China used a Long March-2F rocket, like the one seen here launching in October, to test a nuclear capable hypersonic missile, according to reports The counterintelligence center's acting director, Michael Orlando, told reporters that the U.S. 'can't afford to lose' ground to China in several key areas: artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, quantum computing, semiconductors and biotechnology. He said Chinese businesses and academics were required to serve the interests of the Chinese Communist Party. 'Although we've been saying this for year after year, people are not digesting this,' he said. The warning comes soon after reports that China tested a hypersonic missile and after key Pentagon officials left their posts saying they feared the U.S. was being left behind. The new report details threats against the private sector in particular. American officials have repeatedly warned that China was closing the gap on areas like A.I. Those warnings intensified this week when it emerged that it had tested a hypersonic missile, using a type of technology that can evade early warning systems. Orlando added that quantum computing was an area where the U.S. had to ensure that American companies were not unwittingly helping China develop technologies that could break encryption systems used by intelligence agencies. Last week the top Pentagon official in charge of overseas arms sales announced she was leaving a day after warning that U.S. limits on sharing technology had allowed strategic rivals to corner the market in selling military hardware to the Middle East. Although Heidi Grant did not mention China by name in her remarks to the Association on Tuesday, she did not need to. Her resignation came days after the Pentagon's first chief software officer said he resigned in protest because he could not bear to watch China overtake the U.S. The departures come with tensions high between Washington and Beijing, with both sides jockeying over the status of Taiwan. Grant's departure was announced with a notice on the Defense Security Cooperation Agency website, saying she 'had been considering this transition for some time.' But a day earlier she warned that the U.S. needed to consider whether blocking arms sales to allies would leave the market to 'strategic competitors.' 'We have to look at this and say, if we're not there, our strategic competition is going to fill the void, she said, according to Defense One. 'And is that riskier than transferring our high-end technologies?' Heidi Grant said she was stepping down as director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency a day after warning that U.S. arms sales policy had let China gain influence in the Middle East. It comes after Nicolas Chaillan said he resigned as the Pentagons first chief software officer because he could not stand watching China overtake the U.S. Before President Trump eased restrictions, the sale of large drones was generally limited to close NATO allies under the terms of the international Missile Technology Control Regime. Grant, the first civilian to lead the agency, referred specifically to controversy over arms sales to Jordan, Saudi Arabi and the United Arab Emirates. The incoming Biden administration ordered a review of sales authorized by the Trump administration amid concerns they might be used in Yemen, where air strikes have been blamed for civilian deaths. Before Trump, the sale of large drones, such as the MQ-9 Reaper, had generally been limited to close allies such as NATO members France and the U.K. under the terms of the international Missile Technology Control Regime. 'Our policies of the time were, we're not going to transfer that technology,' said Grant. 'So guess what? Our strategic competitor transferred that technology, and have a significant footprint of training bases for unmanned [drones] in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE. 'It could have been us, we could be there, we could be training and advising, have that access.' A Pentagon spokesperson told DailyMail.com her departure had been in the works before her remarks. 'Director Grants retirement announcement is in no way connected to her AUSA conference panel comments,' said Michael Howard. The rise of Chinese sales to the region was spelled out by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in a report earlier this year. Although global arms sales leveled off, transfers from China to to Saudi Arabia and the UAE more than doubled from 2011-2015 to 2015-2020. Grant's departure came days after it emerged that another senior official had quit over concerns that China was leapfrogging the U.S. in military technology. Nicolas Chaillan told the Financial Times he left because of the slow pace of technological transformation in the U.S. armed forces. '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,' said Chaillan, who spent three years on a Pentagon-wide effort to improve cyber security. He said Beijing was on its way to global dominance because of its advances in artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities and machine learning. Those were more important, he added, than new hardware such as the F-35 warplane. In contrast, he described cyber defenses in some government department as 'kindergarten level.' Advertisement The Department of Justice have added two top DC-based prosecutors to help bolster the federal government's child sex-trafficking investigation of Republican congressman Matt Gaetz. The two prosecutors joined federal authorities over the summer in Florida in their investigation of sex trafficking, fraud and corruption against Florida politicians, including Gaetz, the New York Times reported. Gaetz, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, has been implicated by his convicted former partying pal Joel Greenberg of paying to have sex with a 17-year-old girl. One of the prosecutors to join the probe is a public corruption investigator with an expertise in child exploitation crimes and the other has been identified by the Times as Todd Gee, a deputy chief of the DOJ's Public Integrity Section, which is involved in nearly all major criminal investigations into alleged misconduct by elected officials. Gaetz (pictured) has denied any allegations of wrongdoing and has repeatedly pointed out that no charges have yet been brought against him When asked about the addition of DOJ prosecutors to the probe into the congressman, Gaetz's spokesman said he is 'innocent' DailyMail.com reached out to the Justice Department for the identity of the second prosecutor. Greenberg, the former Seminole County tax collector, is facing up to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty last May to six federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a child, identity theft, stalking, wire fraud and conspiracy to bribe a public official. Greenberg agreed to cooperate with the governments investigation, telling authorities that he saw Mr. Gaetz and others have sex with the girl, the Times reported. Earlier this month, a federal Florida judge delayed Greenberg's sentence by five months so Greenberg can cooperate with the probe. Gaetz has been steadfast in his denial of the claims and has said repeatedly he will not resign from Congress as a result. This summer the DOJ (AG Merrick Garland pictured) added two DC-based prosecutors to the child sex trafficking probe against Republican congressman Matt Gaetz A federal Florida judge delayed GOP Rep Joel Greenberg's (pictured) sex trafficking sentence by five months so Greenberg can cooperate with a probe into Gaetz When asked about the addition of DOJ prosecutors to the probe into the congressman, Gaetz's spokesman said he is 'innocent.' 'Congressman Gaetz is innocent. The former DOJ official who tried to extort him is guilty,' a spokesman for Gaetz told ABC News. 'No number of political operative prosecutors at a politically weaponized DOJ will change this.' 'That person was innocent and so is Representative Gaetz. No one has sought to question Representative Gaetz.' Meanwhile, Assistant US Attorney Roger Handberg labelled Greenberg a 'prolific criminal;, but said he believed he 'was not alone' in his crimes. 'Mr. Greenberg was a prolific criminal. (But) he was not alone. This is an unusual case in the number of investigations that we have been pursuing. 'We need more time before sentencing, so that we can follow up on these other leads, and so we can give this court as much information as we can.' A young mother-of-two from suburban Chicago was reading the Bible to her baby daughter at bedtime when she was killed by a stray bullet that flew into the house and struck the woman in the head. The incident took place last Saturday at 9pm in the 2800 block of Enoch Avenue in Zion, Illinois, which is located about 50 miles northeast of Chicago. Lam Calderon said her daughter, 23-year-old Melanie Yates, and her husband, Daniel, were separately getting their daughters ready for bed when a loud bang went off near their home. Calderon said her son-in-law called out to Yates, asking her whether she heard what to him sounded like loud fireworks, but she did not respond. Melanie Yates, 23, was fatally shot in the head while reading a story from the Bible to her baby daughter (pictured in her husband's arms) before bedtime at their home in Zion, Illinois, on Saturday A half-dozen shots were heard near the Yates' family home in the 2800 block of Enoch Avenue in Zion, Illinois Police said they do not believe that Yates was the intended target of the shooting 'He looked for her, where she was at in the house, and he found her shot in the head,' the victim's mother told ABC 7 Chicago. Paramedics were called to the scene and took Yates to the hospital. Meanwhile, her husband took their two children to Yates' parents and explained what had happened. 'He came in and he told me that our daughter had been shot and we didn't believe him. It was just unfathomable,' Calderon recounted. Yates was pronounced dead of her injuries at Vista East Hospital at 10am on Monday after being taken off life support, reported WGNTV. Police in Zion said they do not believe Yates was the intended target of the shooting. Nearby residents reported hearing multiple shots being fired in the area, and investigators collected six shell casings near the Yates family's home, according to Fox 32. The Lake County Major Crime Task Force is assisting the local police department with the investigation. Yates' husband, Daniel, found her shot in the head in their youngest daughter's room after hearing what he mistook for loud fireworks Yates, a mom-of-two (pictured left with her eldest daughter and an ultrasound image of her baby), was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. She was taken off life support Monday Yates was a registered nurse before becoming a stay-at-home mom As of Friday morning, no arrests have been made. Shawn Calderon, Yates' father, said finding the person who fired the shot that killed his daughter will not bring her back, but it will give the family some closure. Lam Claderon, Yates' mother, said when her son-in-law told her what happened, she initially could not believe it Yates' brother has launched a GoFundMe campaign to provide financial assistance to his brother-in-law, writing in the description: 'Everybody who knew Lanie knows she loved Jesus Christ with every fiber of her being. There is no doubt whatsoever that she is in heaven at this very moment. But we on earth miss her very dearly. 'We miss her passionate, powerful prayers. We miss her infectious laugh. We miss her beautiful singing voice lifting songs of worship. We miss her feisty, witty humor. We miss her dedication to being an amazing, godly mom and wife. We miss her. And we wish with every fiber of our being she was here, but we know shes in a better place.' Yates is survived by her parents, three siblings, her husband of five years and their two girls, Lydia and Evelyn. Family said she had set aide her career as a registered nurse in hopes of having three to five more children. 'The girls arent going to know their mom anymore,' Lam Calderon said of her two granddaughters. 'Theyre just going to have a memory.' At least one person has been killed after a luxury apartment building went up in flames today in India. Dramatic video footage showed the ferocious flames tearing their way through the Avighna Park building on Curry Road in Mumbai, India, today. 30-year-old Arun Tiwari was left desperately clinging onto a balcony on the 60-floor building as he tried to escape from the rapidly expanding flames. At least one person has been killed after a luxury apartment building went up in flames today in Mumbai, India However, before help could arrive, he fell from the 19th floor balcony as his apartment became engulfed by the inferno. He was taken to hospital at around 12:30 pm local time after the fall and was pronounced dead on arrival. Video footage recorded from a neighbouring building showed the charred apartment with smoke and fire rising into the apartment above. As many as 14 fire engines were spotted at the base of the building attempting to bring the fire under control. 30-year-old Arun Tiwari fell to his death from the 19th floor as he tried to escape the flames Mumbai Mayor, Kishori Pednekar said: 'The fire and rescue team reached the spot as soon as they received the news about the incident. 'So many people have been rescued and the efforts are still ongoing.' The fire has been reported to have been brought under control and doused. Her face swelled up to twice its normal size and was covered in painful boils A dog walker's face swelled to twice its usual size and was covered in enormous boils after she accidentally brushed against a toxic plant. Christina Sabine, 26, from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, woke to find her skin blistered 'like it had been doused with acid'. The amateur artist said she was in so much pain she couldn't walk and was rushed to hospital for treatment. Doctors said she most likely brushed against the toxic plant Giant Hogweed while walking her two dogs, Mocha and Latte. Three months on she said she was still in agony and remained barely able to walk or use her hands. Christina Sabine, 26, from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, pictured after her face swelled to twice its usual size and she had skin blistered 'like it had been doused with acid' because she brushed into a Giant Hogweed Christina had been walking her dogs Mocha and Latte when the toxic plant touched her skin. Her face swelled to twice its usual size and boils and blisters appeared on her skin Christina pictured on the morning before her Giant Hogweed ordeal in Warwickshire began She said: 'I woke up and saw myself in the mirror. 'My face had swollen and all my skin had blistered and I looked like I was the victim of an acid attack. 'My whole body was in too much pain to even move. 'I even questioned calling 999 because I thought it might be life-threatening. 'At this point I had no idea why, and when someone said it looked like it was caused by Giant Hogweed, I had no idea what they were on about. 'When I did some research, it made total sense because I walk past the plants loads when I walk my dogs, but I never knew they were poisonous. The amateur artist said she was in so much pain she couldn't walk and was rushed to hospital for treatment She said: 'Months on, I'm still feeling the impacts. 'I'm in pain every day and I can't use my hand properly because it's still too painful' Doctors quickly treated her hands for the boils and blisters caused by the toxic plant. She added: 'I want to make people aware because it can be so dangerous and it could have been so much worse if it had been a child instead of me' Although the blisters on her hands have gone away Christina remains in agony and cannot create art, which is how she makes her living 'Now months on, I'm still feeling the impacts. 'I'm in pain every day and I can't use my hand properly because it's still too painful. 'I want to make people aware because it can be so dangerous and it could have been so much worse if it had been a child instead of me.' She added: 'It shouldn't be allowed to grow in public spaces - and if it does, people should see it and know to stay away.' Christina was on a public pathway along the river Avon into Stratford town centre with her two dogs when she encountered the Giant Hogweed Christina was on a public pathway along the river Avon into Stratford town centre when she encountered the Giant Hogweed. She had no idea until she woke up the following morning, July 24, with swelling, blistering and boils on her hands, back, fingers, neck and legs. She said: 'I couldn't walk for the pain - everything was red, swollen and blistered. 'There were big orange balls of pus on my hands and my skin was red - I looked like I'd dipped my hand in acid.' She went to Warwick Hospital and was transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, for treatment. After her ordeal she lodged a complaint with Stratford District Council. The council declined to comment while investigations are ongoing. The ex-girlfriend of the New York City surgeon convicted in the 1985 killing of his wife has exclusively revealed that 'she feared for her life' while on a boat trip with the doctor, prompting her to visit therapist who told her that her life was in danger as long as she stayed with the man. In a new interview with ABC's 20/20, chiropractor Dr. Stephanie Youngblood detailed the chilling encounter she had with her then-boyfriend, plastic surgeon Robert Bierenbaum, who admitted last year that he strangled his then-wife, Gail Katz, to death and threw her body out of a moving airplane. While investigators initially suspected Bierenbaum in Katz's death, he was not charged due to insufficient evidence. Las Vegas chiropractor Dr. Stephanie Youngblood revealed to ABC's 20/20 'she feared for her life' while on a boat trip with then-boyfriend Robert Bierenbaum Former New York City plastic surgeon Bierenbaum (left) admitted last year that he strangled his then-wife, Gail Katz (right), to death and threw her body out of an airplane back in 1985 The affluential doctor, whom prosecutors deemed a de facto 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' during court proceedings and was known to fly into sudden fits of rage by people close to the couple, walked off scot-free after his wife's disappearance - until his eventual arrest more than a decade later and subsequent conviction in October 2000. During that span, though, the successful surgeon started dating again and even remarried at one point, finding a string of unsuspecting suitors unaware of the his dark past. One of these woman was Youngblood, who said that her relationship with the two-faced doctor started off swimmingly, with the couple attending black tie events and taking lots of ski trips. However, the pink cloud soon dissipated to reveal Bierenbaum's dangerous temper and alarming tendencies. Youngblood recounted one explosive incident with the doctor to 20/20, during a meal on what was supposed to be a romantic cruise. At the start of the intimate meal, Youngblood, seated across from Bierenbaum, asked a host for a bottle of red wine for the table. But when the restaurant worker returned with the bottle and proceeded to open it, it sprayed out of the bottle, enraging Bierenbaum, Youngblood revealed. 'Bob went ballistic,' she recalled to ABC's 20/20 in an exclusive interview airing Friday at 9 p.m. ET. Youngblood (left) dated Bierenbaum (right) nearly a decade after Katz disappeared, and said their romance quickly went downhill after she was exposed to the two-faced doctor's fits of rage 'That's when I saw his laser eyes,' she said, before adding, 'they just pierced my soul.' Youngblood went on to describe the doctor's fit of rage after the host's gaffe, which she said fell solely on her. 'He just raged on me like it was my fault,' she said of Bierenbaum's alleged verbal abuse, which was so intense that she 'feared for her life.' 'My life was flashing before my eyes,' she added. 'That was a tipping point in our relationship.' Alarmed by the incident, Youngblood then demanded the pair see a therapist in an attempt to salvage their relationship - something Katz had done a decade before, prior to her death. The couple only had one session, Youngblood revealed. After the pair's appointment, the therapist spoke to Youngblood alone, telling her that the couple had clear 'issues' - and warned her that her 'life could be in danger with him [Bierenbaum].' At that point, Youngblood says she started to build a strategy to leave the toxic relationship - which she eventually did. Youngblood detailed a frightening encounter on a boat trip with Bierenbaum that spurred her to seek professional help and eventually leave the plastic surgeon - before he was revealed to be a murderer Youngblood added that Bierenbaum told her he had been previously married, his wife had disappeared and he didn't like to talk about the situation. 'The way he told the story, it was believable,' Youngblood said. 'He goes, Listen, this isn't for public knowledge. I would really appreciate it if you kept this under wraps.' Bierenbaum - who was an experienced pilot - admitted during his December 2020 parole hearing that he strangled his wife at the time, Katz, to death and threw her body out of his private airplane because he was 'immature' and 'didn't understand how to deal with his anger.' 'I wanted her to stop yelling at me and I attacked her,' he said. 'I went flying. I opened the door and then took her body out of the airplane over the ocean.' Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder, who presided the case, said that 'one of the most critical moments' was the prosecution's video recreation of a small plane pilot pushing a body bag out of the aircraft while still flying the aircraft The confession came after the doctor vehemently maintained his innocence for more than 30 years. Now, less than a year he took responsibility for the crime, those who knew the couple share exclusively on 20/20 how the outwardly charming doctor with a successful career and many hobbies was, in reality, violent and controlling. 'The Bierenbaum story when you get right down to it is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,' Dan Bibb, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney who prosecuted the Bierenbaum case, said. 'Disbeliefs switched to Good God, this guy was a psychopath.' 'Never in a million years you thought you'd be using cold calculated murderer in the same description as Dr. Bierenbaum,' a man who knew the couple said. 'This perfect renaissance man, spoke several languages, a Jewish doctor,' echoed Gail's sister, Alayne Katz. 'He was tall, dark and handsome - pilot, surgeon, a big catch right, for any young lady,' said Denise Kastenbaum, a childhood friend of Gail. Bibb said that Bierenbaum's confession prompted a wave of shock among prosecutors, especially since it mirrored what investigators had hypothesized all along. 'I was like, 'Holy s---, are you kidding me?' he said. 'I was stunned because I always thought that that day would never come, that he would own up, take responsibility for having killed his wife.' However, Alayne claimed her ex-brother-in-law's admission of guilt meant nothing: 'This is exactly the same man that I knew 35 years ago. He hasn't changed he is incapable of a shred of remorse.' She claims she suspected that Bierenbaum had killed Katz the moment she learned her sister was missing. 'She's not with me, and she's not with my parents, and at that moment I know that my sister's dead,' Alayne said. 'And if she's not alive there's only one person who is a likely suspect to murder her, and it's Bob. There's no other suspect.' Bierenbaum (pictured with his second wife, Janet Chloett) said he killed Gail because he was 'immature' and 'didn't understand how to deal with his anger' Gail's sister, Alayne Katz (pictured), said her ex-brother-in-law's confession means nothing: 'This is exactly the same man that I knew 35 years ago. He hasn't changed he is incapable of a shred of remorse' Why did a handsome doctor, pilot, husband really kill his wife? The only thing more shocking may be how he tried to cover up the crime. @JohnQABCs all-new 20/20 premieres Friday at 9/8c on @ABC. Stream next day on Hulu. https://t.co/ZGewRPfd2o pic.twitter.com/hChNN4jYRW 20/20 (@ABC2020) October 20, 2021 Bierenbaum and Gail met in the early 1980s and had what their friends called a 'magical romance'. 'One of the first dates he took Gail on was a flight around Manhattan. She was so enamored,' Denise said. However, the couple's relationship quickly turned toxic. According to Gail's sister, Bierenbaum began showing his violent tendencies before the two were ever wed, citing an example where he attempted to drown Gail's cat in the toilet at their Upper East side apartment. '[She said], 'No, no, no, Alayne we're gonna get rid of the cat and then everything's gonna be fine because he's gonna believe that I love him,' Alayne recalled. 'And I'm like, 'No. Not really. You really have to get rid of Bob.' Alayne said, despite several red flags, Gail went through with the wedding: 'My sister told me, 'I'm smart. I'm loving. My love will cure. This is going to work out.'' During the course of their marriage, Gail grew fearful of her reportedly controlling and violent husband, telling neighbors she 'didn't feel comfortable at home'. In 1983 Gail reported to police that Bierenbaum had choked her into unconsciousness after he caught her smoking on their balcony. However, nothing came of the complaint. One of the prosecutors on Bierenbaum's case described it as an instance of 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' (Pictured: Bierenbaum and Katz) The couple's romance started off magical but quickly turned toxic. Alayne said she was fearful for her sister Gail (pictured) from the very start 'If this had happened in 2021 Robert Bierenbaum would have been in handcuffs immediately,' Bibb told ABC. 'The fact that this was [1983] ... nothing was done about it.' She disappeared on July 7, 1985. Bierenbaum told police the couple had an argument and Gail stormed out. Months after Gail's disappearance, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office took over the case and called on Detective Andy Rosenzweig to investigate. Rosenweig's probe revealed that Bierenbaum had rented a plane from a New Jersey airport on July 7, 1985 but altered his flight logs to indicate he went flying on July 8. The detective theorized that Bierenbaum had thrown Gail's body into the Atlantic Ocean. However, there was not enough evidence to press charges. Meanwhile, Bierenbaum returned to the dating scene and attended parties in the Hamptons. In 1989, a torso believed to belong to Gail surfaced on a Staten Island shore. Because DNA forensics had not been invented yet, officials used a chest x-ray to identify the body. 'An X-ray technician compared this X-ray with the torso and said, 'This is Gail,' Alayne explained. 'Now we have a body to bury. We have some closure.' In 1983, Gail (left) reported to police that Bierenbaum (right) had choked her into unconsciousness after he caught her smoking on their balcony. Nothing came of the complaint Gail (pictured) disappeared on July 7, 1985. Her body has never been found However, in 1998, as Rosenweig, nearing retirement, remained haunted by Gail's cold case. He outreached to the Katz family and convinced them to exhume the torso and have it tested with now-invented DNA technology. The tests determined the torso did not belong to Gail. 'That little, little shred of closure that I had has now been ripped away,' Alayne stated. 'I looked up at Dan [Bibb] and at Steve [Saracco], and I said, 'Now, you better get a conviction.' Investigators reopened the case and decided to interview Bierenbaum, who had since remarried and was living in North Dakota with his wife - a Las Vegas gynecologist named Janet Challot - and daughter. They also spoke with several of his former girlfriends. One of his exes told police she was with Bierenbaum in New York City when he received a phone call from Port Authority police, saying they thought they found his wife. He reportedly told police he would call them back and said to his lover: 'I doubt it's Gail.' Bierenbaum was convicted of second-degree murder in Gail's death in October 2000 - 15 years after she disappeared - after the jury deliberated for five and half hours 'I thought the demonstration with the airplane was extremely effective,' Crocker said With testimony from his former girlfriends and the record that Bierenbaum took a flight on the day Katz disappeared, investigators moved forward with their case. 'We knew it was going to be the toughest trial that we'd ever had. No forensics, no eye witnesses, entirely circumstantial,' Bibb said. 'There was no foregone conclusion to this case, by any stretch of the imagination.' Bierenbaum was convicted of second-degree murder in Gail's death in October 2000 - fifteen years after she disappeared - after the jury deliberated for five-and-half-hours. Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder, who presided the case, said that 'one of the most critical moments of the case' was the prosecution's video recreation of a small plane pilot pushing a body bag out of the aircraft while still flying the plane. 'I thought the demonstration with the airplane was extremely effective,' Crocker said. Bierenbaum was sentenced to 20 years-to-life in prison. The former surgeon, however, maintained his innoncene and attempted to get his conviction overturned on several occasions but was unsuccessful. After serving 20 years of his sentence, he confessed to murdering Gail. Her body has never been found. Bierenbaum remains in prison and is expected in court next month for a parole hearing. Presidents- they're just like us. President Biden, ever the perfect gentleman in public, shocks those around him with his potty mouth behind closed doors, though the 78-year-old typically apologizes if women are in earshot. In meetings with aides, the president's colorful language often includes 'F*** them,' 'What the f*** are we doing?' 'Why the f*** isn't this happening?' 'bulls***,' 'dammit,' or just simply: 'f***,' senior White House aides told Politico. Once caught on a hot mic as vice president calling the passing of Obamacare a 'big f***ing deal,' the president said during a CNN town hall Thursday night that passing his Build Back Better agenda was a 'bigger darn deal.' To get straight-talk from his aides, the president often tells them: 'don't bulls*** a bulls***ter.' 'When he gets going he definitely gets going,' said one White House official. 'When he cusses around women, it is always, and I mean always, followed by an immediate apology,' one source told Politico. To get straight-talk from his aides, the president often tells them: 'don't bulls*** a bulls***ter' 'When he cusses around women, it is always, and I mean always, followed by an immediate apology,' one source told Politico 'He's from a different generation but if there's people that are younger than him, especially women, he feels like, 'Hey, how would I feel if I was cussing around my daughter or my granddaughter?' said another former aide. 'You don't cuss in front of women and children,' the person said. Aides made sure to point out that Biden shies away from sexual profanities, noting that he does not use the f-word as a verb. The president is ' way too prudish for that,' one former aide said. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris' favorite curse word is 'motherf***ah,' which she alluded to in an interview with NowThis. 'What's your favorite curse word?' NowThis asked the VP in 2019 while she was still running for president. 'I can't say it,' she replied, 'It starts with 'M' and ends with 'ah.'' 'Not -er,' Harris underscored. Dirty words are nothing new to the White House. President Obama in 2012 called Mitt Romney a 'bulls***ter' in a Rolling Stone interview. He famously called Kanye West a 'Jacka***.' Romney, a devout Mormon, did not return the tough talk. Former President George W. Bush, was caught on hot mic calling former New York Times journalist Adam Clymer a 'major league a**hole' in 2000. None had such a reputation for profanity as Lyndon Johnson. LBJ, famous for consulting with aides as he sat on the toilet with the door open, is reported to have said of a Richard Nixon speech one time: 'Boys, I may not know much, but I know the difference between chicken shit and chicken salad.' Two Ohio police officers who shot and killed an unarmed black man, 23, who was sleeping in his car, will avoid jail time due to qualified immunity, leaving the family in agony, a lawyer claims. Euclid Police Department (EPD) officers Matthew Rhodes and Louis Catalani have not yet been brought to justice after Rhodes' shot Luke Stewart five times in 2017 after dragging him out of his car, the family's lawyer, Sarah Gelsomino, said, and it's unlikely they ever will as a grand jury has declined to indict them after months of investigations. 'Qualified immunity was meant to protect officers from gray areas and unforeseeable changes in the law,' Gelsomino wrote in an opinion piece for USA Today on Thursday. The Euclid Police Department told DailyMail.com on Friday that they were not contacted for comment by the lawyer and called the op-ed 'pathetic.' 'Officers can be held liable only for violations of clearly established laws, and they are protected when they had no advance notice that their conduct would be unconstitutional,' she wrote. 'The quest of what is "clearly established" is constantly in flux but has generally been interpreted in a manner that protects police even when they demonstrate a lack of concern for people's lives and safety,' she wrote. Luke Stewart, 23, was fatally shot five times after two Euclid, Ohio, Police Department officeres woke up him while he was sleeping in his car, got into his vehicle, dragged him out and shot him to death Stewart was found sleeping in his car after a resident of a nearby home called the Euclid Police Department to report a 'suspicious vehicle' The two officers had approached Stewart's car in March 2017 after receiving a call about a suspicious vehicle idling outside a home. 'I was dispatched to a suspicious vehicle call. The information that the dispatcher gave to me was that a resident had called [and] said she had observed a vehicle that had been idling for like 20 minutes in front of her house - I think the wording she used was "didn't belong there,"' Catalani, who arrived first, said at the time. 'I told Officer Rhodes over the air that we're going to end up pulling this guy out of car,' Catalani told the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), who investigated the incident. The EPD immediately contacted the Ohio Attorney General's Office following the incident. 'The Chief immediately contact the AG's office,' EPD's Captain Mitch Houser told DailyMail.com on Friday about the 2017 incident. Stewart was allegedly parked near a friend's house after a night of drinking. His family thought he choose to stay there because it was 'the safest place to be,' a Reuters special investigation found. They allegedly knocked on his windows and failed to announce themselves as law enforcement. When Stewart awoke, he reportedly started his car and tried to get away, according to the News Herald. Catalani told the Ohio BCI that he wanted to 'grab him by the head' after Stewart woke up and 'that was his goal.' He cited his reasoning as 'if I get the head out, I can get him out.' Officers Matthew Rhodes (center right), who shot Stewart five times, and Louis Catalani (center left in red) were involved in the shooting. Catalani, who arrived first to the scene, told Rhodes they were 'going to end up pulling this guy out of car' and that 'was the goal' Catalani (left) told the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) - which investigated the incident - that he wanted to 'grab him by the head.' Both Rhodes (right, with family) and Catalani failed to turn on their dashcams. Neither officer was equipped with a bodycam, as it was voluntary and self-funded within the EPD in 2017 Stewart's mother Mary (pictured) filed a federal lawsuit in 2017, alleging that the city 'encouraged, or at least condoned, excessive force' The family's case was denied by the Supreme Court, which upheld an appeals court decision that the family could not sue the City of Euclid or the officers (pictured: Luke's son) The Supreme Court denied hearing the family's (pictured in Mary's home) case in May 2021 Luke was shot by Rhodes once in the neck and wrist and three times in the chest. He was transported to Euclid Hospital, which does not have a trauma center, his sister Terra said The officers allegedly opened Stewart's car door and entered the vehicle, where they proceeded to beat him, drag him out of the car in an 'unpleasant' headlock, and shot him five times - once in the wrist and neck and three times in the chest, according to his family. Stewart was unarmed. Rhodes told the Ohio BCI that he was 'yelling' at Stewart 'to stop' and admitted to 'striking him on the head' before deploying a taser. 'I had no idea what was coming out of my mouth,' Rhodes told investigators. Once the safety kicked on the taser, Rhodes admitted to pulling out his duty weapon and shooting Stewart 'in the chest twice.' He also alleged that Stewart swung at him before he shot him in the neck. He claimed the neck injury 'definitely had an effect' and 'loosened him up.' The BCI Medical Report found that Stewart had been shot five times. He was transported to Euclid Hospital, which does not have a trauma center, according to his sister Terra. University and Metro hospitals in the area both have trauma centers. 'Euclid hospital couldn't help him,' Terra said in an interview with Real News. 'Anybody knows that. We have two trauma centers here: Metro or University. 'The type of gunshot wounds he had, he wasn't supposed to go there [Euclid Hospital].' Euclid Hospital is a part of the esteemed Cleveland Clinic, which is named the number two hospital in the nation and number one for heart care. Bodycam footage, obtained by Reuters, of first responders on the scene showed another officer ordering someone to stay with Stewart as they transported him to the hospital. The unidentified officer can be heard saying: 'Somebody stay with him. Actually, I prefer one of the guys that wasn't here for this.' Bodycam footage of first responders show Stewart being lifted onto a gurney in 2017 Bodycam footage, obtained by Reuters, of first responders on the scene showed another officer ordering someone to stay with Stewart as they transported him to the hospital. The unidentified officer can be heard saying: 'Somebody stay with him. Actually, I prefer one of the guys that wasn't here for this' Stewart's car is pictured on the grass in 2017. He allegedly started the car after waking up, not knowing that the men outside his window were officers, as they failed to announce themselves as such Gelsomino has been fighting for the family since 2017 and is calling the officers' behavior unlawful, as Stewart was not committing a crime. 'Any reasonable, safe and professional police officer should know the Constitution doesn't permit police to see a person who isn't committing a crime, open their car doors, jump into the vehicle, beat them and kill them,' Gelsomino wrote in USA Today this week. The officers were not equipped with body cameras - which were voluntary and self-funded within the EPD in 2017 - and failed to turn on the dashcam in their vehicle. 'Both the officers failed to turn on their dashcams,' Gelsomino told Real News. 'Catalani claims he forgot, Rhodes actually considered turning it on and decided not to. 'Rhodes' car was directly in front of Luke's car, so had he followed the policy on the police department and turned on his dashcam, we would have video of this. But he didn't. He decided not to turn it on.' This detail was noted in the investigation, according to Gelsomino, but no disciplinary action was taken against the officers. The Euclid Police Department - located in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio - announced last month that it will mandate body cameras for all officers, four years after the two officers fatally shot Stewart. On September 7, 2021, Captain Houser and Chief Scott Meyer announced that the Euclid police force will mandate body cameras for all its officers. Houser, who has been heavily involved in the bodycam program, said the cameras will become a part of the uniform for all officers. 'They will be required to, in the very same way theyre required to wear their ballistic vest,' Captain Houser said at the September meeting. 'It's a piece of equipment that we can mandate that they use and wear daily.' He also told DailyMail.com on Friday that 'the officers are very excited' about the new addition to their uniforms. When asked why the Euclid police force was mandating the equipment, Captain Houser told DailyMail.com 'the public is calling on transparency.' 'We're all about it,' Captain Houser told DailyMail.com on Friday. Body cameras are not mandated in the state of Ohio, as and the governor's office has estimated that roughly two-thirds of the state's police department are not equipped with the devices due to cost. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced on the same day, September 7, that he would be offering $5million in grant funding to help agencies - especially smaller ones - to invest in cameras and video storage equipment. The Euclid Police Department announced in September 2021 that it would make body cameras a mandatory part of all officer's uniforms. The program will cost $500,000 over five years 'Body cameras are beneficial for peace officers and the public because they act as impartial eyes on events as they transpire, but most law enforcement agencies in Ohio don't have them because they can't afford them,' DeWine said in a statement. 'One of my top priorities has always been ensuring that our law enforcement officers have the tools they need to best serve the public.' The grant, which was available until October 8, will 'prioritize funding for agencies that have not yet established a body-worn camera program' and are in adherence to the Ohio Community-Police Collaborative's body-worn camera standard. The Euclid Police Department announced it planned to apply for the grant in September. Captain Houser told DailyMail.com that the EPD requested $368,000 from the grant, but didn't know when they would hear back. He also told DailyMail.com that if the force is denied the money it 'won't affect our program.' The EPD has paired with Chagrin Valley Dispatch, a local company, who will purchase the cameras, IT, and support. 'Obviously, we will apply and see what we can get out of this, but it will be highly-competitive,' Chief Meyer's said. He reminded citizens that a large police department could consume a large amount of the money. Captain Houser also told DailyMail.com on Friday that Euclid Police Department's decision to opt into body cameras has no connection to Stewart's case and that he didn't 'have a further comment' regarding the case. Despite Euclid police being mandated to wear body cameras - which will cost the department $500,000 to fully initiated, which the department says will be paid off in five years. The EPD will receive 100 body cameras and 25 dash cameras soon, Captain Houser told DailyMail.com Friday, which will cover almost all their patrol force. The new equipment will also feature an ability for officers to watch back footage directly from their patrol cars instead of having to wait until they get back to the station. However, he made it very clear to DailyMail.com that officers will not have access to edit footage. 'Officers cannot edit or delete footage, they can only watch,' Captain Houser told DailyMail.com on Friday. He also reported that it will likely only be two people, including himself and potentially the Head of Records, who will have further access to it. And they will likely be employing a full-time employee to help with the footage records. Stewart's case is in a standstill after the Ohio BCI and grand jury denied indicting the two officers - both of whom are both still employed on the patrol force of the EPD, Captain Houser told DailyMail.com on Friday. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced in September 2021 that he would be offering a $5 million grant fund program to help police departments purchase body cameras and equipment. The Euclid Police Department announced it would apply for the grant The Supreme Court denied hearing Stewart's case - which was brought forward by his mother Mary- in May 2021. The Supreme Court is leaving in place an appeals court decision that ruled Stewart's family could not sue the City of Euclid or the officers for his death. Stewart's family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in 2017, citing that the city 'encouraged, or at least condoned, excessive force.' The officers cite that they believed Stewart was intoxicated and allegedly saw signs of drug use, according to the Associated Press. Rhodes won't face charges for killing Stewart after a grand jury declined to indict him after hearing evidence from prosecutors, according to AP. 'There were many, many months of investigations,' Captain Houser told DailyMail.com on Friday when asked why about the grand jury indictment. Gelsomino argued the officer's act was illegal and exposed bigger problems within the EPD's forces. 'His inability to deal with the situation in a legal way, it exposes the problems within Euclid's training,' Gelsomino said in an interview with the Real News. 'Euclid certainly didn't train on how to jump into the car.' She cited that months before the shooting the Euclid Police Department did partake in a defensive tactics training, which 'made light of the use of force against people,' the family lawyer recounted to Real News. 'It joked about beating people up,' she said. 'Who puts humor in excessive force training,' his sister Terra agreed in an interview. 'That's something you take serious. 'You're out here dealing with people. This is something close to military training,' she told Real News. 'I've been to the military and they did not have no humor in nothing they trained us to do.' DailyMail.com reached out to Ohio DCI for the investigation records. Gelsomino was also contacted for comment. A 25-year-old California resident who shared her globe-trotting experiences on social media was among the two women shot dead when gunmen chasing a drug dealer opened fire as she celebrated her upcoming birthday at a bar in Tulum, Mexico. Anjali Ryot, of San Jose, was at the La Malquerida bar late Wednesday night when she and 35-year-old Jennifer Henzold, of Germany, were trapped in the middle of a dispute between the assailants and a rival drug dealer. Ryot was declared dead at the scene by paramedics. Henzold was rushed to an area hospital, where she died. The shooting also wounded two German males, aged 26 and 25, and a 21-year-old woman from the Netherlands. Anjali Ryot carved out a huge following on Instagram by sharing her globe-trotting experiences Anjali Ryot, of San Jose, California, was one of two women killed at a bar in Tulum, Mexico, in an incident sparked by rival drug dealers. The 25-year-old, who was born in India, was visiting the Mexican resort town for her birthday. She would have turned 26 on Friday Customers at a bar in Tulum give aid to a European man who was wounded after gunmen opened fire on a rival drug dealer on Wednesday night A native of India, Ryot arrived at the popular Mexican resort town on Monday ahead of her birthday - she would have turned 26 on Friday. Just hours before the tragic shooting, she took to her Instagram account to share a video of her walking near a platform at the Cielo Maya hotel and resting on a hammock. Ryot had been working as a senior site reliability engineer with LinkedIn since July. She had previously been employed by Yahoo, where she spent five years working as a site reliability engineer and service engineer. The German government warned travelers in Tulum and Playa del Carmen not to step out of their hotels and to only use taxi companies based out of the airport or any which were recommended by the hotels while traveling to and from and airport. According to the travel warning, 'rental cars have also been robbed there lately and sometimes with the use of gun violence.' DailyMail.com com reached out to the German embassy in Mexico City for comment. Anjali Ryot shared the above image Tuesday, a day before she was shot dead while vacationing Tulum First responders tend to the victims of Wednesday night's shooting at the La Malquerida bar in Tulum Prior to vacation in Tulum, Ryot visited Glacier National Park in Montana, where she went hiking on the Grinnell Glacier Trail in late September, an experienced that took her about eight hours to complete and which she urged her more than 40,000 Instagram followers to consider. 'It is a difficult one as it has a lot of elevation gain, but is so beautiful that you won't mind the difficulty,' she wrote. 'If you visit Glacier National Park, do not miss this hike! The views throughout the hike are astounding, so I would highly recommend it even if you don't plan doing the entire hike.' Jose Antonio Lila Perez, 25, was arrested after being identified from footage outside the deadly scene, the Quintana Roo State Attorney General's Office said. Prior to vacation in Tulum, Ryot visited Glacier National Park in Montana where she went hiking on the Grinnell Glacier Trail in September, an experienced that took her about eight hours to complete and which she urged her more than 40,000 Instagram followers to consider. Germany's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday issued a travel warning to its citizens who are contemplating visiting the Riviera Maya as well as Tulum and Playa del Carmen. 'Incidents and attacks, some of which were dramatic, have occurred in recent weeks, which have also affected German travelers, including one fatality. These incidents took place in restaurants, clubs and discos frequented by tourists,' the notice indicated. A man sits inside an ambulance after he caught in the middle of a shootout at a Tulum bar and was wounded on Wednesday night in an incident that left two tourists dead and three others injured Paramedics tend to one of the five tourists who were shot at a bar in Tulum, Mexico, on Wednesday night 'I strongly condemn the tragic events that occurred last night in Tulum in which two people lost their lives and three others were injured,' Tulum mayor Marciano Dzul Caamal tweeted on Thursday. Tulum has experienced a spate of violence since transitioning from a laid-back beach retreat to major international destination. It had long been spared the violence seen sporadically in larger Cancun and Playa del Carmen farther up the coast. In June, two men were shot to death on the beach in Tulum and a third was wounded. Anjali Ryot, a San Jose, California, resident had been working as a senior site reliability engineer with LinkedIn since July. She had previously been employed by Yahoo, where she spent five years working as a site reliability engineer and service engineer. Anjali Ryot was shot dead while dining at a bar in Tulum, Mexico, on Wednesday night. She would have turned 26 on Friday Screen grab from the last video posted on Instagram by Anjali Ryot shows her posing in Tulum on Wednesday morning before she was shot dead The administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has made a major financial investment in Tulum, where it has announced plans to build an international airport and a stop for the Maya train, which will run in a loop around the Yucatan peninsula. But Quintana Roo state, where beach resorts like Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Cancun are located, has been plagued by both violence and corruption. In 2019, authorities said a dispute over street-level drug dealing was also the apparent motive behind a bar shooting that left seven men dead in the nearby resort of Playa del Carmen. In a scene similar to the Tulum attack, two gunmen armed with .38 caliber pistols burst into a nightclub in the 2019 attack and opened fire on their rivals. Several drug cartels operate in the state, which is known for a lucrative retail drug market and as a landing spot for drug shipments. Beloved tea cake makers Tunnock's this afternoon found themselves the unlikely cause of Britain's latest culture war - after they donated treats to a group accused of transphobia. The Scottish-based sweet snack manufacturers were dragged into the row after LGB Alliance thanked them for free wafers and cakes for their first annual conference. It was seen by trans rights campaigners who vowed to boycott the company over the hand-outs. Critics accuse the LGB Alliance of campaigning against the rights of trans people. But the group says it is standing up for the rights of women who believe it is not possible to change biological sex. Its online presence says: 'We promote the rights of lesbians, bisexuals & gay men, as recognised by biological sex. #SexNotGender'. Tunnock's declined to comment when approached by MailOnline this afternoon. The fuse was lit on the row when LGB Alliance sent a thank you message to the snack company. It said: 'Many thanks to Tunnock Official who kindly donated generous quantities of their fabulous caramel wafers and the legendary Tunnocks Tea Cake. 'Both were gulped down by a hungry LGB crowd and lovely straight and trans allies. (Gannets every one of them).' The tea cakes were a hit at the conference and organisers sent their thanks to Tunnock's The conference is the first of its kind and has been taking place in London this week LGB Alliance said the products had been gladly eaten by everyone at the London venue There were calls to boycott the cakes after it was revealed they had been gifted to the event Scottish Lib Dem councillor Ben Lawrie said the company should lose the T in its name But the cake firm's products at the conference, which is being held at the QEII centre in Westminster prompted outrage from some quarters. Teacher Vic Symonds said: 'This Gay Glaswegian cant buy from in good conscience now. The LGB Alliance actively harms my whole community. They attack and undermine trans people and wrecked my favourite biscuit. Scunnered.' Cathuk added on Twitter: 'Could you please explain why your company dontated product to an anti-trans hate group conference? Do Tunnocks support removing the rights of the trans community & agree that gay teachers are a danger to kids?' Sarah Faye wrote: Breaking: Tunnocks supports an anti-transgender hate campaign as disclosed by the LGBiphobic Alliance. Enjoy your free advertising Tunnocks, by a group that only exists to campaign against trans people for merely existing.' But India Willoughby, who is known for being Britain's first transgender national television newsreader, called for calm over a proposed boycott. She said: 'Have it on good authority that the lovely Tunnock's had no idea who the LGB Alliance even were when they supplied freebies. 'Thought they were supporting LGBT. Cut them some slack. Bound to happen when you get baddies masquerading as the good guys.' This latest controversy over the conference comes just hours after Prime Minister Boris Johnson became embroiled in a similar row. He wrote to the LGB Alliance to congratulate it on its incredible hard work and send his best wishes. India Willoughby called for calm after some called for a boycott of Tunnock's products The support from the PM came after the LGB Alliance, which says it aims to advance the interests of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals, invited him to attend its first national conference (pictured) yesterday Critics accuse the LGB Alliance of campaigning against the rights of trans people. Above: Protesters outside the LGB Alliance's annual conference in London on Thursday Last night, the group said it had also been invited to a meeting in Downing Street, where members had been told they had a lot of support really high up. Around 50 trans rights activists gathered outside the venue in central London yesterday shouting: Trans rights are human rights, as three gender critical female MPs addressed attendees. Gender critical is used to describe those who believe people cannot change biological sex. Inside, the group hailed the letter from No10, projecting it on a big screen to cheers from supporters. The letter, written by Mandy Godridge, from the No10 communications unit, said: The Prime Minister is delighted to learn of this ground-breaking event. Unfortunately, it will not be possible for [him] to attend, due to pressures on his diary. 'However, on his behalf, I would like to thank the LGB Alliance for their incredible hard work and send my best wishes for a successful conference. Asked about the letter, the PMs spokesman said: The Government is clear that biology matters and there are different health needs between the sexes. 'We are clear that all transgender people should be treated with dignity and respect. Advertisement Health chiefs today bumped up the threat from the even more transmissible Delta off-shoot amid fears it may have already infected 150,000 Britons. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which took over from the now-defunct Public Health England, have labelled AY.4.2 a 'variant under investigation'. This category is reserved for variants which are spreading in the UK that may be more transmissible or better able to evade vaccines than other mutant strains. Other variants in this category include Mu, the most recently named variant, and Kappa, which is a relative of Delta. It is just one step below 'variant of concern', the label given to Alpha and Delta, which is reserved for mutant strains that could change the course of the pandemic. Scientists said the threat level was escalated because of rising case numbers and 'early evidence' that it is more transmissible than Delta. Some estimates suggest it is up to 15 per cent more likely to spread, although this is yet to be confirmed. Health chiefs said 15,120 cases have been spotted to date, although this may represent just 10 per cent of the total because labs are only swabbing a fraction of Covid cases for variants. This suggests the real figure may be closer to 150,000. The proportion of cases it makes up has more than doubled over the last month, with AY.4.2 now behind almost one in ten infections in the country. The hotspot is in Adur, West Sussex. There have been suggestions that the variant may be elevated to 'Variant under Investigation'. If this is the case the World Health Organization is likely to give it the name 'Nu', which is the next letter in the Greek alphabet AY.4.2 has spread to all but two dozen areas of England Fewer than two dozen areas of England are yet to record a single case of the new Delta off-shoot, official figures suggest. One of the Government's largest Covid surveillance programmes found AY.4.2 was in 294 of 315 local authorities (93 per cent) up to October 9, the latest day statistics are available for. But there were 21 areas scattered in pockets mostly across the North East and Midlands that still have not recorded a single case of the subtype. It comes amid fears AY.4.2 is helping to turbo-charge outbreaks in parts of the South West, where cases have reached record highs in the wake of a laboratory testing blunder. The strain is now behind more than one in five infections in areas of Devon, Wiltshire and Somerset, which have some of the fastest growing infection rates in the country. It makes up more than 10 per cent of infections across England, having doubled in the space of three weeks. Scientists have raised concerns over AY.4.2 after it advanced from London and the South East to the rest of the country within a matter of weeks. But on Wednesday they sought to dampen fears, saying it has taken four months to spread and is only 10 to 15 per cent more transmissible than Delta. Data shows it has not triggered the same explosive change as when Alpha was replaced this year. Advertisement AY.4.2 was first spotted in the UK in late June in London and the South East before spreading to the rest of the country. Only two dozen areas of England are yet to record a single infection. It carries just two mutations Y145H and A222V which have previously been spotted on other mutant strains. There is no evidence it is more likely to spark severe disease or render vaccines any less effective than the Delta strain. The World Health Organization is yet to upgrade the threat level from the variant, but scientists say it is likely to also name it a 'variant under investigation' in the coming weeks. It is expected it will be named 'Nu' as the next letter in the Greek alphabet that is yet to be assigned to a variant. The UKHSA said it was now carrying out lab experiments to determine whether it is better able to evade vaccine-triggered immunity. Dr Jenny Harries, the agency's chief executive, said in a statement: 'Viruses mutate often and at random, and it is not unexpected that new variants will continue to arise as the pandemic goes on, particularly while the case rate remains high. 'It is testament to the diligence and scientific expertise of my colleagues at the UKHSA, and the genomic sequencing capacity developed through the pandemic, that this new variant has been identified and analysed so quickly. 'However, it should serve as objective evidence that this pandemic is not over.' She advised people to get their vaccines and boosters if they are eligible, and to start wearing face masks again in crowded spaces. AY.4.2 has been detected in several countries, but it has only been seen to be making up a greater proportion of cases in the UK and Denmark. The head of lab research at Denmark's Statens Serum Institute, which monitors variants in the country, said they were not concerned by AY.4.2 but would be carrying out lab tests to see if it was better able to dodge vaccines. Professor Anders Fomsgaard told MailOnline: 'We are not concerned about this. It's a small number of cases that we have had for some months now, and it's stayed low. 'We see nothing in this point of time that indicates it is more contagious, resistant or pathogenic but of course every time a certain suspicion comes up... we take it seriously.' One of the Government's largest Covid surveillance programmes found AY.4.2 was in 294 of 315 local authorities (93 per cent) up to October 9, the latest day statistics are available for. But there were 21 areas scattered in pockets mostly across the North East and Midlands that still have not recorded a single case of the subtype. The above maps show the proportion of cases that were AY.4.2 in the fortnight to September 25 (left) and October 9 (right). The darker colours indicate that a higher proportion of infections were down to this sub-variant. The above graph shows the proportion of cases down to different variants in England over time. It reveals AY.4.2 (yellow) is beginning to make up a higher proportion of cases. But Delta (light green) remains the dominant Covid strain. Alpha (purple) was dominant last winter, after it replaced the old virus (pink and dark green) There was concern that the mutant strain may have turbo-charged outbreaks in parts of the South West, where cases have reached record highs in the wake of a lab testing blunder. But scientists told MailOnline that data does not currently suggest AY.4.2 is behind the surge. Dr Jonathan Stoye, who heads up a virus research laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute, said more research was needed to establish whether AY.4.2 was triggering spikes in cases in some areas. He told MailOnline: 'Given that the changes seen in AY.4.2 most probably result in minimal changes in transmissibility, my best guess is that the appearance of this variant is not responsible for the surge in cases. 'However, any changes in transmissibility could have serious consequences and we must continue to monitor the spread of this variant.' Britain's last lockdown was declared in the wake of the Alpha variant, which was more transmissible than the original virus. Robert Durst has been charged in suburban New York City with murdering his first wife, Kathie Durst, who vanished without a trace in 1982. A state police investigator filed a criminal complaint on Tuesday at a town court in Lewisboro, New York, accusing the disgraced real estate heir of second-degree murder. The action wasn't announced at the time by any law enforcement officials or Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah, who recently convened a grand jury to consider charges. 'The Westchester County District Attorneys Office can confirm that a complaint charging Robert Durst with the murder of Kathleen Durst was filed in Lewisboro Town Court on October 19, 2021. We have no further comment at this time,' her office said in a statement Friday. New York real estate scion Robert Durst, 78, has been charged with second-degree murder for the 1982 killing of his first wife, Kathie. Durst is pictured in the courtroom on October 14 as he is sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole for another killing Kathleen McCormack Durst (left), was 29 years old when she vanished on January 29, 1982. Her body was never found The grand jury was empaneled last week and has started hearing witness testimony, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press this week. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and did so on condition of anonymity. The grand jury process had been expected to take several weeks and include testimony from the victim's family members and friends. Robert Abrams, the attorney for Kathie's family, told the New York Times on Friday that neither he nor his clients were aware of the charge being filed against Durst. Sometimes it takes 40 years for justice. - Robert Abrams, attorney for Kathleen Durst's family 'Sometimes it takes 40 years for justice,' he said. 'We are grateful for the work, dedication and commitment of District Attorney Rocah and her staff.' The criminal complaint filed in the Lewisboro Town Court by State Police investigator Joseph Beccera alleges that Durst caused the death of his wife at or near the cottage they shared on Hoyt Street in South Salem, New York, on or about January 31, 1982. Beccera has been working on Kathie Durst's case for the past two decades. Durst, 78, was sentenced last week to life in prison without parole for murdering Susan Berman, his confidante who prosecutors say helped him cover up Kathie Durst's killing. Los Angeles prosecutors say Durst shot Berman in 2000 as she was preparing to confess her role to police. Durst, who has numerous medical issues, sat in a wheelchair during much of the sentencing hearing and in the days since has been hospitalized on a ventilator after testing positive for COVID-19, one of his lawyers said. Kathie Durst was 29 when she vanished nearly 40 years ago. Her body was never found. At the request of her family, she was declared legally dead in 2017. Robert divorced Kathie in 1990 citing abandonment. Durst was sentenced to life in prison for the 2000 murder of his friend Susan Berman (left); a day later, he was hospitalized for COVID He has never been charged in her disappearance despite several efforts over the years to close the case. Berman is thought to have helped Durst cover his tracks after his wife's disappearance, posing as Kathie to phone her medical school to say she was sick on the morning after she was last seen alive. Durst was convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court last month of first-degree murder for shooting Berman point-blank in the back of the head. Durst was also charged - and acquitted at a 2005 trial - of the 2001 murder of his neighbor Morris Black in Galveston, Texas, despite admitting to chopping his body up into multiple pieces with an ax and a bow saw. Durst had claimed he accidentally shot Black in the head when they were both wrestling over Durst's firearm which Black had gotten hold of. He dismembered his body and dumped it in the sea in plastic bags which were discovered by authorities. The only body part never found was Black's head - making Durst's version of events difficult to disprove. The real estate scion had wound up being neighbors with Black when he was reportedly hiding from New York authorities in the small town in Texas. Prosecutors during his trial for Berman's murder argued Durst murdered Black when he discovered his true identity as the man suspected of killing his wife in New York. Durst was also charged - and acquitted in 2005 - of the 2001 murder of Morris Black (above) who he admitted dismembering DA Rocah reopened the investigation back in May into Kathie's disappearance - a case that has plagued the DA's office for decades. The original investigation was only ever launched as a missing persons case and no search of the Durst's home was carried out. In 2000, then-DA Jeanine Pirro reopened the case into Kathie's disappearance at a time when Berman's death was being investigated in LA and Durst was facing charges over Black's death in Texas. Authorities searched a lake and the Durst couples home, but, once again, no charges were brought. Berman's killing had been a mystery that haunted family and friends for 15 years before Durst was arrested in 2015 following his unwise decision to participate in the documentary The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst, which unearthed new evidence and caught him in a stunning hot mic confession. House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy is warning Republican consultants who are working with Rep. Lynn Cheney they must choose between the two of them, a new report revealed on Friday. The ultimatum comes as tensions remain between Republican leadership and Cheney over her vote to impeach Donald Trump for his role in the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol and her acceptance of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's offer to sit on the special committee investigating that day. Jeff Miller, a lobbyist and close ally of McCarthy from his home state of Califorina, delivered the her-or-me message, The New York Times reported. It's resulted in one fundraising firm, The Morning Group, to disassociate itself from Cheney. 'She's not just undermining Kevin but the whole G.O.P. conference,' Miller told the NYT. 'You're either with Kevin, and the conference, or the person undermining them. You can't serve two masters.' Kevin McCarthy is warning Republican consultants who are working with Rep. Lynn Cheney they must choose between the two of them Rep. Liz Cheney has made it clear she won't support McCarthy in his bid for speaker if Republicans win control of the House in the midterms McCarthy distanced himself from Cheney after Trump set her in his sight lines. The former president has endorsed a primary opponent against her, a rare move as party's usually favor incumbents. Meanwhile, McCarthy supported an effort by Republicans to remove her from House leadership and he called her a 'Pelosi Republican' after she accepted the speaker's offer to sit on the January 6th investigative panel. If Republicans win control of the House in next year's midterm election, McCarthy is favored to become speaker, which would give him the power to make committee assignments. He has tied his bid to Trump's wing of the Republicay Party, hoping his MAGA supporters can hand the GOP control of the House. He only needs to flip five seats to win. Cheney has made it clear she will not support McCarthy's bid to become speaker. Her office slammed McCarthy's latest move. 'It's sad but not surprising that Kevin McCarthy is continuing down the morally bankrupt path of embracing House Republicans who are white supremacists and conspiracy theorists, but attacking Liz Cheney for telling the truth and standing for the Constitution,' Cheney spokesperson Jeremy Adler told the NYT. Other Republicans are backing Cheney, including former President George W. Bush and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. Trump has endorsed Wyoming attorney Harriet Hageman in the GOP primary against Cheney. 'Unlike RINO Liz Cheney, Harriet is all in for America First. Harriet has my Complete and Total Endorsement in replacing the Democrats number one provider of sound bites, Liz Cheney,' Trump said in September when he announced his support for Hageman. Cheney, meanwhile, got in a troll at Trump with Bush's endorsement. 'I like Republican presidents who win re-election,' she wrote on a Twitter with a picture of Bush. Trump famously criticized the late John McCain for being captured during the Vietnam War, saying 'I like people who weren't captured.' She is campaigning hard and brought in an impressive fundraising total last quarter: $1.9 million - a large haul for a House race in a safe Republican seat. She also was profiled on CBS' 60 Minutes in September, where she explained her impeachment vote. 'There's a difference between voting for Donald Trump, and being the Republican leader after an insurrection, and setting all of that aside and rehabilitating him - bringing him back in,' she said. 'That, to me, is unforgivable.' She said her re-election bid is 'going to be the most important House race in the country in 2022.' Donald Trump and Kevin McCarthy together at Mar-a-Lago; McCarthy is hcounting on Trump supporters to help Republicans win control of the House in 2022 midterms Donald Trump endorsed Harriet Hageman to replace Liz Cheney in GOP primary; Hagemanwas once close to the Cheney family and helped Rep. Liz Cheney (above with Hageman) in her political career Hageman, a failed Republican gubernatorial candidate, helped Cheney in her short-term exploration of a Wyoming Senate seat. She was close to both the congresswoman and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. In that 2018 gubernatorial race, Trump endorsed her primary opponent billionaire Foster Friess, who died in May. But the winner was Mark Gordon, the former state treasurer who is now governor. Hageman is a fourth-generation Wyoming resident who grew up on a ranch. She works as a land-use attorney in a state where land is a political issue. She made her name in the state by fighting environmentalists and government regulations. She said in the announcement of her campaign that she was running against Cheney because 'she betrayed Wyoming, betrayed the country and she betrayed me.' China is warning President Joe Biden that he is putting international peace at risk on Friday morning after he said the US has a 'commitment' to defending Taiwan during a CNN town hall. 'When it comes to issues related to Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity and other core interests, there is no room for China to compromise or make concessions,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a news briefing.' 'And no one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will and strong ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.' The US should 'be cautious with its words and actions on the Taiwan issue, and not send any wrong signals to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence, so as not to seriously damage China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,' Wang said. White House advisers were forced to 'clarify' Biden's comment that the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China, in breach of a longstanding policy that states otherwise. 'Yes,' he responded when asked on Thursday about defending Taiwan. 'We have a commitment to that.' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin warned against international intervention in China's relationship with Taiwan early on Friday (pictured at a press conference in July 2020) Biden's statement was at odds with the long-held US policy known as 'strategic ambiguity,' where Washington helps build Taiwan's defenses but does not explicitly promise to come to the island's help in the event of an attack. China meanwhile has recently increased its show of military aggression against the island by rehearsing beach landings and staging exercises with war planes near the territory. On Friday the spokesperson reasserted China's self-declared claim to Taiwan, hours after Biden's comments. 'Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. The Taiwan issue is purely an internal affair of China that allows no foreign intervention,' Wang said. After Thursday's town hall, a White House spokesperson was forced to clarify the president's position, and said Biden was not announcing any change in US policy. 'The US defense relationship with Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act. 'We will uphold our commitment under the act, we will continue to support Taiwan's self-defense, and we will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo,' the spokesperson said. President Joe Biden says the US would defend Taiwan from China, although these appears at odds with the longtime policy of strategic ambiguity Biden's comments in the CNN Town Hall violated a long-standing U.S. policy known as 'strategic ambiguity,' where Washington does not promise to defend Taiwan Speaking to reporters earlier on Thursday, China's United Nations ambassador, Zhang Jun, said the country was pursuing 'peaceful reunification' with Taiwan and responding to 'separatist attempts' by its ruling Democratic Progressive Party. 'We are not the troublemaker,' he said, although Taiwan has repeatedly insisted it has no desire to 'reunite' with China, and wishes to retain its status as an independent democracy. 'On the contrary, some countries the US in particular is taking dangerous actions, leading the situation in Taiwan Strait into a dangerous direction. 'Dragging Taiwan into a war definitely is in nobody's interest.' Biden made a similar pledge to protect Taiwan in August during an interview with ABC, insisting that the United States would always defend key allies, including Taiwan, despite the withdrawal from Afghanistan in the face of the victorious Taliban. That withdrawal was seized on by critics as evidence that Biden would be soft on defending allies, and saw him accused of potentially emboldening Chinese President Xi Jinping's vow to re-take Taiwan. Biden said the United States made a 'sacred commitment' to defend NATO allies in Canada and Europe and it's the 'same with Japan, same with South Korea, same with Taiwan.' The White House subsequently told reporters that US policy on Taiwan 'has not changed.' Asked by an audience member at the live televised town hall whether the United States would be able to keep up with China's rapid military development, Biden also said: 'yes.' Tsai Ing-wen, president of Taiwan since 2016, will likely be delighted by Biden's declaration of support China's president, Xi Jinping, is seen on October 9 at the commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution which overthrew the Qing Dynasty and led to the founding of the Republic of China Xi is seen on October 21 checking the Yellow River's waterways in Shandong province 'Don't worry about whether... they're going to be more powerful,' he said. 'China, Russia and the rest of the world knows we have the most powerful military in the history of the world.' However, Biden expressed concern that rival countries may 'engage in activities where they may make a serious mistake.' He referred to his longtime relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping and repeated his position that he does not want 'to start a new Cold War with China.' But he warned: 'I just want to make China understand that we are not going to step back.' China launched the dummy weapon into space on board a Long March 2C rocket (pictured) during a test in mid-August which it did not disclose at the time and was only revealed at the weekend by security analysts assigned to work out its purpose Weapons race: A comparison of the most advanced (columns from left) missiles, aircraft carriers, tanks and aircraft possessed by China, the US and Russia China has upped its sabre rattling around Taiwan, sending waves of fighter jets and nuclear-capable bombers crossing into Taiwan's air defense zone. Biden's comments also come in the wake of a Financial Times report that China has tested a state-of-the-art hypersonic missile with nuclear capacity that flew around the planet before landing, albeit not on target. China insisted that the projectile was not a missile, but was rather a spacecraft undergoing a routine test. The United States and Russia are racing to develop their own hypersonic weapons, which are more difficult to defend against than existing ballistic missile arsenals. That is because they fly at a lower altitude and do not trigger early warning systems designed to detect ballistic missiles, which fly higher, before hurtling back towards the Earth and their target. Intelligence agency warns that China is creating global genetic database that could give it dominance over U.S. health care industry and a decisive military edge Intelligence officials on Friday issued new warnings about China's ambitions, saying it was collecting genetic data from around the world as part of a technological push that could give it a decisive military edge and dominance over the American healthcare sector. A report by the National Counterintelligence and Security Center painted an alarming picture of the risks for businesses and universities in accepting Chinese investment or offers of expertise. It is the latest in a series of forecasts that the U.S. risks being left behind as China forges ahead with research. Edward You, the center's officer for emerging and disruptive technologies, pointed out that Chinese companies were investing in U.S. and European biotechnology and pharmaceutics. They were also offering genetic testing and COVID-19 test kits, he said, gathering data that could ultimately end up in Beijing's hands. With its data collection and advancements in technology, Beijing could one day be dominant in health care and leave the U.S. wholly dependent on China, he said. 'If you're President Xi,' he said, 'that's the gift that keeps on giving.' Michael Orlando (l), head of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said the U.S. 'can't afford to lose ground' to China as he warned of threat posed by Xi Jinping's regime China has embarked on building a global genetic database and Chinese-linked companies are selling DNA test kits which officials warn could give data to the Chinese Communist Party China used a Long March-2F rocket, like the one seen here launching in October, to test a nuclear capable hypersonic missile, according to reports The counterintelligence center's acting director, Michael Orlando, told reporters that the U.S. 'can't afford to lose' ground to China in several key areas: artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, quantum computing, semiconductors and biotechnology. He said Chinese businesses and academics were required to serve the interests of the Chinese Communist Party. 'Although we've been saying this for year after year, people are not digesting this,' he said. The warning comes soon after reports that China tested a hypersonic missile and after key Pentagon officials left their posts saying they feared the U.S. was being left behind. The new report details threats against the private sector in particular. American officials have repeatedly warned that China was closing the gap on areas like A.I. Those warnings intensified this week when it emerged that it had tested a hypersonic missile, using a type of technology that can evade early warning systems. Orlando added that quantum computing was an area where the U.S. had to ensure that American companies were not unwittingly helping China develop technologies that could break encryption systems used by intelligence agencies. Last week the top Pentagon official in charge of overseas arms sales announced she was leaving a day after warning that U.S. limits on sharing technology had allowed strategic rivals to corner the market in selling military hardware to the Middle East. Although Heidi Grant did not mention China by name in her remarks to the Association on Tuesday, she did not need to. Her resignation came days after the Pentagon's first chief software officer said he resigned in protest because he could not bear to watch China overtake the U.S. The departures come with tensions high between Washington and Beijing, with both sides jockeying over the status of Taiwan. Grant's departure was announced with a notice on the Defense Security Cooperation Agency website, saying she 'had been considering this transition for some time.' But a day earlier she warned that the U.S. needed to consider whether blocking arms sales to allies would leave the market to 'strategic competitors.' 'We have to look at this and say, if we're not there, our strategic competition is going to fill the void, she said, according to Defense One. 'And is that riskier than transferring our high-end technologies?' Heidi Grant said she was stepping down as director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency a day after warning that U.S. arms sales policy had let China gain influence in the Middle East. It comes after Nicolas Chaillan said he resigned as the Pentagons first chief software officer because he could not stand watching China overtake the U.S. Before President Trump eased restrictions, the sale of large drones was generally limited to close NATO allies under the terms of the international Missile Technology Control Regime. Grant, the first civilian to lead the agency, referred specifically to controversy over arms sales to Jordan, Saudi Arabi and the United Arab Emirates. The incoming Biden administration ordered a review of sales authorized by the Trump administration amid concerns they might be used in Yemen, where air strikes have been blamed for civilian deaths. Before Trump, the sale of large drones, such as the MQ-9 Reaper, had generally been limited to close allies such as NATO members France and the U.K. under the terms of the international Missile Technology Control Regime. 'Our policies of the time were, we're not going to transfer that technology,' said Grant. 'So guess what? Our strategic competitor transferred that technology, and have a significant footprint of training bases for unmanned [drones] in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE. 'It could have been us, we could be there, we could be training and advising, have that access.' A Pentagon spokesperson told DailyMail.com her departure had been in the works before her remarks. 'Director Grants retirement announcement is in no way connected to her AUSA conference panel comments,' said Michael Howard. The rise of Chinese sales to the region was spelled out by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in a report earlier this year. Although global arms sales leveled off, transfers from China to to Saudi Arabia and the UAE more than doubled from 2011-2015 to 2015-2020. Grant's departure came days after it emerged that another senior official had quit over concerns that China was leapfrogging the U.S. in military technology. Nicolas Chaillan told the Financial Times he left because of the slow pace of technological transformation in the U.S. armed forces. '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,' said Chaillan, who spent three years on a Pentagon-wide effort to improve cyber security. He said Beijing was on its way to global dominance because of its advances in artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities and machine learning. Those were more important, he added, than new hardware such as the F-35 warplane. In contrast, he described cyber defenses in some government department as 'kindergarten level.' Advertisement Intelligence officials on Friday issued new warnings about China's ambitions, saying it was collecting genetic data from around the world as part of a technological push that could give it a decisive military edge and dominance over the American healthcare sector. A report by the National Counterintelligence and Security Center painted an alarming picture of the risks for businesses and universities in accepting Chinese investment or offers of expertise. It is the latest in a series of forecasts that the U.S. risks being left behind as China forges ahead with research. Edward You, the center's officer for emerging and disruptive technologies, pointed out that Chinese companies were investing in U.S. and European biotechnology and pharmaceutics. They were also offering genetic testing and COVID-19 test kits, he said, gathering data that could ultimately end up in Beijing's hands. With its data collection and advancements in technology, Beijing could one day be dominant in health care and leave the U.S. wholly dependent on China, he said. 'If you're President Xi,' he said, 'that's the gift that keeps on giving.' Michael Orlando (l), head of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said the U.S. 'can't afford to lose ground' to China as he warned of threat posed by Xi Jinping's regime China has embarked on building a global genetic database and Chinese-linked companies are selling DNA test kits which officials warn could give data to the Chinese Communist Party China used a Long March-2F rocket, like the one seen here launching in October, to test a nuclear capable hypersonic missile, according to reports Forget about China: All 18 US intelligence agencies issue first ever warning about threat posed by climate change The US intelligence community is sending a unanimous warning about the growing risk that climate change is posing to national security and global stability, a chilling report revealed on Thursday. All 18 US intelligence agencies signed off on the 27-page report, released in a declassified version by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence after President Joe Biden ordered the government to undergo a climate assessment in January. It comes just over a week before Biden jets off to Glasgow for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. The report illustrates how growing carbon emissions could shift geopolitical power and exacerbate existing conflicts as well as allow new ones to emerge. 'We assess that climate change will increasingly exacerbate risks to U.S. national security interests as the physical impacts increase and geopolitical tensions mount about how to respond to the challenge,' it says. Pictured: China launches the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft on October 16, carried on the Long March-2F carrier rocket, to Chinese Tiangong space station But the focus on climate also surprised some observers coming so soon after it emerged intelligence agencies were caught unawares by reports of nuclear-capable missile test launches China had conducted over the summer. At the same time the Pentagon warned that climate disruption to fisheries could spark conflict over food resources. And unpredictable rainfall might increase conflict over access to water, exacerbating tensions over rivesrs that cross national boundaries, such as the Nile and the Mekong. Advertisement The counterintelligence center's acting director, Michael Orlando, told reporters that the U.S. 'can't afford to lose' ground to China in several key areas: artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, quantum computing, semiconductors and biotechnology. He said Chinese businesses and academics were required to serve the interests of the Chinese Communist Party. 'Although we've been saying this for year after year, people are not digesting this,' he said. The warning comes soon after reports that China tested a hypersonic missile and after key Pentagon officials left their posts saying they feared the U.S. was being left behind. The new report details threats against the private sector in particular. American officials have repeatedly warned that China was closing the gap on areas like A.I. Those warnings intensified this week when it emerged that it had tested a hypersonic missile, using a type of technology that can evade early warning systems. Orlando added that quantum computing was an area where the U.S. had to ensure that American companies were not unwittingly helping China develop technologies that could break encryption systems used by intelligence agencies. Last week the top Pentagon official in charge of overseas arms sales announced she was leaving a day after warning that U.S. limits on sharing technology had allowed strategic rivals to corner the market in selling military hardware to the Middle East. Although Heidi Grant did not mention China by name in her remarks to the Association on Tuesday, she did not need to. Her resignation came days after the Pentagon's first chief software officer said he resigned because he could not bear to watch China overtake the U.S. The departures come with tensions high between Washington and Beijing, with both sides jockeying over the status of Taiwan. Grant's departure was announced with a notice on the Defense Security Cooperation Agency website, saying she 'had been considering this transition for some time.' A day earlier she warned that the U.S. needed to consider whether blocking arms sales to allies would leave the market to 'strategic competitors.' 'We have to look at this and say, if we're not there, our strategic competition is going to fill the void, she said, according to Defense One. 'And is that riskier than transferring our high-end technologies?' Grant, the first civilian to lead the agency, referred specifically to controversy over arms sales to Jordan, Saudi Arabi and the United Arab Emirates. Heidi Grant said she was stepping down as director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency a day after warning that U.S. arms sales policy had let China gain influence in the Middle East. It comes after Nicolas Chaillan said he resigned as the Pentagons first chief software officer because he could not stand watching China overtake the U.S. Before President Trump eased restrictions, the sale of large drones was generally limited to close NATO allies under the terms of the international Missile Technology Control Regime. The incoming Biden administration ordered a review of sales authorized by the Trump administration amid concerns they might be used in Yemen, where air strikes have been blamed for civilian deaths. Before Trump, the sale of large drones, such as the MQ-9 Reaper, had generally been limited to close allies such as NATO members France and the U.K. under the terms of the international Missile Technology Control Regime. 'Our policies of the time were, we're not going to transfer that technology,' said Grant. 'So guess what? Our strategic competitor transferred that technology, and have a significant footprint of training bases for unmanned [drones] in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE. 'It could have been us, we could be there, we could be training and advising, have that access.' A Pentagon spokesperson told DailyMail.com her departure had been in the works before her remarks. 'Director Grants retirement announcement is in no way connected to her AUSA conference panel comments,' said Michael Howard. The rise of Chinese sales to the region was spelled out by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in a report earlier this year. Although global arms sales leveled off, transfers from China to to Saudi Arabia and the UAE more than doubled from 2011-2015 to 2015-2020. Grant's departure came days after it emerged that another senior official had quit over concerns that China was leapfrogging the U.S. in military technology. Nicolas Chaillan told the Financial Times he left because of the slow pace of technological transformation in the U.S. armed forces. '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,' said Chaillan, who spent three years on a Pentagon-wide effort to improve cyber security. He said Beijing was on its way to global dominance because of its advances in artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities and machine learning. Those were more important, he added, than new hardware such as the F-35 warplane. In contrast, he described cyber defenses in some government department as 'kindergarten level.' A mother has pleaded guilty to horrifically abusing her five adopted children, beating and strangling them, depriving them of food and forcing them to sleep in a frigid basement without any bedding. Stephanie Duncan, 43, of Annville Township, Pennsylvania, faces up to 288 years in prison after pleading guilty to the abuse of the children, aged between six and 15. Duncan's husband Robert pleaded guilty to having failed to intervene and was sentenced last week to between six and 30 years in prison. The Duncans punched and strangled all four of the boys, while they smacked the youngest, a six-year-old girl, in the mouth. The siblings were subjected to the terrifying beatings for failing to complete chores on time, and even for 'stealing' water from the sink when they got thirsty. The three eldest boys were forced to sleep downstairs in the basement with just a space heater for warmth and a mattress which lay directly on the concrete floor. The abuse was uncovered when the couple's 11-year-old son, named only as L.D., was rushed to hospital with hypothermia. Court documents say his blood pressure was unusually low, and the boy had bruises on his neck, shoulders, back, abdomen, hip and genitals. Stephanie Duncan, 43, (left) of Annville Township, faces up to 288 years in prison after pleading guilty to the abuse of the children, aged between six and 15. Duncan's husband Robert (right) pleaded guilty to having failed to intervene and was sentenced last week to between six and 30 years in prison. Appearing via video link before Lebanon County Judge Bradford H. Charles on Wednesday, Stephanie Duncan entered an open guilty plea, which means there is no agreement regarding her sentence. Her sentencing is scheduled for December 22. Robert Duncan was sentenced on October 13 after he apologised for his role in the abuse. 'The children will never recover psychologically,' Charles said, according to the Lebanon Daily News. 'There are times when an apology is trite, and this is one of those times. It takes a sociopathic sadist to torture children. It takes someone who has no regard for humanity to sit back and let it happen.' In a statement regarding the couple being charged, the Lebanon County District Attorney's office said in February that they were charging the Annville couple over 'the prolonged assault and abuse of their five adopted children'. The statement said that they were charging 'Stephanie A. Duncan and Robert Duncan with multiple counts of aggravated assault, simple assault, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, endangering the welfare of a child, and conspiring with one another to commit these heinous acts.' The statement added: 'On January 12, 2021, the Defendants' eleven-year-old son, L.D., was rushed to the Hershey Medical Center. The child required emergent medical care; L.D. was unresponsive and hypothermic. 'His blood pressure presented as abnormally low. Test results showed his blood had low potassium levels, an electrolyte disturbance, and an excessive amount of sodium. 'An examination of L.D.'s body revealed bruises on his neck, shoulders, back, abdomen, hip, and genitals. The medical staff determined the location of the child's bruises were not consistent with accidental injury. 'Through their course of care, medical professionals determined L.D. did not have a pre-existing medical condition to which they could attribute his injuries. The child's significant hypothermia could only be caused by prolonged exposure to extreme cold. 'Hospital staff spoke with L.D.'s mother, Stephanie Duncan. S. Duncan told staff her child went to bed the night before in a normal fashion with a headache. She had no explanation for his weakened state or issues within his blood. 'The Lebanon County Detective Bureau commenced an investigation. Detectives responded to the Duncan residence on the evening of L.D.'s hospitalization.. They learned the Defendants adopted L.D. as well as four other children who resided in the family's home. The children ranged in age from six to fifteen years old. 'The oldest three children had separate bedrooms in the family's basement. L.D.'s room contained a bare, concrete floor. The room had a mattress with bedding; the mattress rested directly on top of the concrete floor. 'A space heater ran in the middle of the room, and directly faced the mattress. The child's bedroom contained nothing on the walls and very minimal personal items. Investigators noted the room smelled strongly of bleach. The Defendants placed a video camera in the child's ceiling; S. Duncan told law enforcement the cameras were live-stream and used during daytime hours only.' The statement also said that the authority started an emergency petition to remove the children from the home, adding that 'both defendants inflicted punches and strangulation on all four male children; the Defendants smacked their youngest child, a six-year-old girl, in the mouth. 'Each child provided statements during his or her interview which depicted graphic punishments, restrictions, and the denial of basic, necessary sustenance from both S. Duncan and R. Duncan. Each child provided statements which also illustrated the disturbing experience of watching S. Duncan and R. Duncan physically attack his or her siblings. Even minor misbehaviors, such as taking too long to consume water or complete a chore, resulted in horrific, violent abuse.' The statement said that the child named as L.D. was at one point choked by the male defendant for 'stealing water from the sink' because he was thirsty and that had not received medical when he was taken to hospital, he would have died. The statement added that 'L.D. suffered near daily torment at the hands of the defendants.' It also said that 'Dr. Kathryn Crowell of the HMC Child Protection Team ultimately opined the little boy's physical condition constituted 'serious bodily injury' as defined by law.' The District Attorney's office slammed the parents, saying that 'the defendants had the duty to protect, care for, and unconditionally love their children. 'They violated every aspect of their duties and instead created a household of unspeakable fear, violence, torment, and abuse.' In light of the guilty plea entered by the female defendant, the Lebanon County District Attorney's Office released a statement on Wednesday (20th October) saying: 'The Lebanon County Detective Bureau, specifically Sergeant Michael Dipalo and Detective Stephen Kiefer, did phenomenal work in this case. 'Crimes of child abuse are the worst, both for the victims and the investigators. As your DA, I am so proud of the efforts our law enforcement took to protect these children and hold the offenders accountable. We spent hours with the kids, to get to know them, to understand their daily lives, and to let them have input as to the outcomes of the cases. 'Victim empowerment - giving control back to these children- is such a huge part of the healing process. Every day we work to protect those victims who cannot help themselves. To bring horrific child abuse to light, to make kids safe in their home, is a true calling. I thank all of the investigators and, most of all the children themselves, for the work done in this case.' A British couple on holiday in Morocco have been trapped after the Moroccan government decided to ground flights to and from Britain due to rising Covid rates. Chloe Cervone and partner Lucy Ross, from Whitby in Yorkshire, were nearing the end of a fortnight break to the North African holiday hotspot when the Moroccan Government axed flights to and from Britain due to the current infection rate in the UK. They were due to jet home on Thursday night before the new restrictions were implemented and all flights to the UK were cancelled. The pair are now stranded abroad, albeit in a luxury resort, but are unsure when they will be able to return to the UK and may be forced to pay to extend their stay. It comes as the number of infections in the UK reaches the highest point since July, sparking fears about a potential return of Covid restrictions in the coming winter months. Chloe Cervone (left) and partner Lucy Ross are 'stranded' in a luxury all-inclusive after new Covid rules scuppered plans to fly back to Britain The pair are stranded until they receive more word from the Moroccan government on whether any flights to Britain will be allowed. In the meantime, they are forced to sit tight inside the Hotel Riu Palace Tikida Taghazout (pictured) Located near sandy beaches, the all-inclusive resort where the pair are trapped is described on TripAdvisor as having the 'highest standards in terms of luxury, excellence and sophistication', with five bars, a steakhouse and even a patisserie (pictured: Taghazout bay close to the resort) Chloe runs an ice-cream shop in Whitby and was set to return to the business to make some more cash before the winter months. 'We were supposed to fly out last night, but the flight was cancelled,' said Chloe. 'We have been told it is going to be rescheduled for tonight, but there is still so much uncertainty,' said Chloe, who runs Flows Flavours Ice Cream. The pair are stranded until they receive more word from the Moroccan government on whether any flights to Britain will be allowed. In the meantime, they are forced to sit tight inside the Hotel Riu Palace Tikida Taghazout. Located near sandy beaches, the all-inclusive resort is described on TripAdvisor as having the 'highest standards in terms of luxury, excellence and sophistication', with five bars, a steakhouse and even a patisserie. While Chloe admits it is 'gorgeous', they are still trying to find out when their flight to Manchester will eventually happen, and may be forced to pay huge sums to extend their stay in Morocco at the resort. Chloe Cervone (left) runs an ice cream shop in Whitby, Yorkshire. Chloe and partner Lucy Ross admitted their resort is 'gorgeous', but have no idea when they will be able to return to the UK and may be forced to pay huge sums to extend their stay in Morocco Though Chloe and Lucy could certainly be stranded in much worse conditions, their story serves as a stark reminder as to the potential perils of holidaying in the pandemic amid a constantly changing landscape of international travel restrictions (pictured: Agadir coast, Morocco, close to the resort) 'We have spoken to our reps this morning, but they have told us they don't know what is happening,' she added. 'They will update us at 6PM tonight to let us know if we can go home or not, but it seems very unlikely. 'I am not complaining though as it is paradise out here in an empty resort and just what the Flows Flavours Ice Cream team needed after a busy summer selling ice cream in Whitby.' While they wait to find out when they can return, Chloe used her firm's Facebook page to send a message back home that things weren't too bad. Posting a picture of her sun-drenched resort, she added the caption: 'Stuck in paradise (what a shame). 'We were hoping to be back out this weekend serving you your favourite sweet treats, but due to these unforeseen circumstances we will have to wait and see.' Though Chloe and Lucy could certainly be stranded in much worse conditions, their story is just one of many in which British holidaymakers have been trapped abroad amid the constantly changing landscape of international travel restrictions. While British holidaymakers have flocked to tourist destinations since the rules were relaxed, the UK's spiralling infection rate could potentially see other countries follow Morocco's lead. The country suspended all flights to Britain - as well as Germany and Holland - from 23:59 BST on Wednesday until further notice. Boris Johnson has thus far echoed the optimism of the Government's scientific advisory panel that the current Covid numbers are 'fully in line' with what was expected The action comes amid fears the UK's infection rate is starting to once again spiral out of control. Current figures shows our infection rate is around 45 times higher than Morocco's. There are growing concerns fresh restrictions may be needed over the winter, such as face masks, to ease pressure on the NHS. On Teesside, patients are already reportedly facing seven hour A&E waits following the busiest month on record. Boris Johnson has thus far echoed the optimism of the Government's scientific advisory panel that the current Covid numbers are 'fully in line' with what was expected. But he has admitted that a widespread return to working from home and light restrictions are being 'kept under constant review' to stem a potential spike in Covid and relieve an overloaded NHS. The sequence of events on set that led to Alec Baldwin accidentally shooting and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins remains unclear, but industry experts and past, similar tragedies indicate only a handful of options for what may have happened. The most obvious option now is that the actor accidentally fired a live round, thinking it was a blank, after being handed the weapon by either a prop master or armorer. After firing the shot, Baldwin was heard saying: 'In all my years, Ive never been handed a hot gun.' IATSE 44, the biggest union to represent film prop masters, also told its members that she was struck by a live round and not a blank. How exactly that live round found its way into the gun remains unconfirmed but there are some options. SQUIB LOAD: Real bullet was lodged in the barrel of the gun when Baldwin fired a blank One possibility is that an object was stuck in the barrel of the prop gun that Baldwin was using. Known as a squib load, it happens when a cartridge isn't fired from the barrel because the gas isn't strong enough to push it out. In itself, it is not dangerous and can be fixed if the gun is safely cleared but if someone keeps firing rounds from that same gun - live or not - it can be highly dangerous. If a second round is fired behind the stuck round, it can cause the weapon to explode, or injure people in the near vicinity. Alec Baldwin is pictured sobbing after shooting and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his upcoming movie Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Thursday The 68 year-old actor was also snapped doubled-over in a parking lot, with his hands on his knees and his face seemingly crumpled with distress The difference between live rounds and blanks is the tip of the cartridge where the lethal bullet is contained is not there on a blank. Sometimes they are replaced with cotton or paper. Dummy bullets, unlike blanks, look like ordinary bullets but aren't meant to contain the metal bullet tip either If a real bullet was stuck in the gun when it was loaded with blanks and Baldwin pulled the trigger, it may have forced the stuck bullet out. In that scenario, the gun had not been properly cleared before it was handed to him. A real bullet was accidentally loaded, or part of one was, instead of a blank After firing the gun, Baldwin's immediate reaction was to ask why he'd been handed a 'hot' gun - meaning one containing live bullets. Halyna Hutchins, 42, (left) was shot dead in the incident on Thursday at the Bonanza Creek Ranch That is what happened in the 1993 shooting of actor Brandon Bruce Lee on the set of The Crow. Those on set thought the gun was loaded with blanks, but an autopsy revealed a .44 caliber bullet was lodged near Lee's spine. Police recovered dummy shell casings from the set. A dummy, unlike a blank, looks like a live round with a bullet at the tip of the cartridge. The difference between live rounds and blanks is the tip of the cartridge where the lethal bullet is contained is not there on a blank. Sometimes they are replaced with cotton or paper. Dummy bullets, unlike blanks, look like ordinary bullets but aren't meant to contain the metal bullet tip either. Blank round struck something else on set, causing shrapnel to hit Hutchins and the director One possibility, though it is not likely, is that the blank hit something else, damaged it, and caused that prop or piece of equipment to send pieces flying towards the director and Hutchins. Some TV and film set experts have speculated that this could have been the case if Baldwin was shooting towards the camera. Some film and TV industry experts have speculated that the gun was fired when Halyna was behind the camera - something union rules prevent Rhys Muldoon who has used guns on set many times and says even blanks are dangerous, speculated at that possibility, telling the BBC: 'The first thought I had is this is a close up of a gun being fired by the actor, very close to the frame of the camera, that has misfired, hit the DoP, and then something has either come off the French Flag or the black box like a part of the camera and hit the director as well.' But movie experts say even in those cases, there should be more safeguards in place. 'If you are in the line of fire... You would have a face mask, you would have goggles, you would stand behind a Perspex screen, and you would minimize the number of people by the camera. 'What I don't understand in this instance is how two people have been injured, one tragically killed, in the same event,' Steven Hall, who has worked on films such as Fury and The Imitation Game, told BBC. Industry experts say that it may have been the case that Hutchins was at the camera, with the director, filming a scene that involved Baldwin shooting towards it, when the round went off. Regardless of what may have happened, members of the union IATSE say that multiple gun safety protocols were breached. 'We have a hard and fast rule that no live ammunition ever goes into a prop truck or set at any time. We just don't do it. 'If you see bullets on set they are complete dummy rounds and are in no way functional. This goes back to Brandon Lee. There's protocol. 'Many, many people had to fail at the protocols we set on place for this to happen,' Zachary Knight, a member of the IATSE Local 44 union, told DailyMail.com on Friday. Knight, a licensed pyrotechnic, said the difference in gun laws between New Mexico and California may have contributed to the accident. In California, both a trained armorer and a prop master is required on a film set and those are the standards the union adheres to as well. You will find the best and most well-trained individuals in Los Angeles. You can't guarantee that as you go across the country, he told DailyMail.com on Friday. In the days before the tragedy, IATSE had been threatening a large-scale strike that would have crippled Hollywood production. Among the complaints were overworking staff and poor rates. Baldwin recorded a video of himself encouraging the union members to strike if they felt they needed to, saying studio bosses dont give a f**k about you, that the union shared online. There's a direct correlation between maintaining a safe set and the hours that we work. At a certain time there's no such thing as a safe set if we're all exhausted, Knight, a special effects artist, said. He added that a different union member prop master had been offered the job on Rust, but had turned it down because the pay was too low. That woman and Hutchins were friends. Whatever happened in the moments leading up to her death, Knight said it was caused by a cascade of failures by multiple people. There should have never been live rounds on a movie set, thats number one. Number two is every single person on a movie set has a right to inspect a weapon before its fired. And number three is, there is no reason to ever put a person in front of a weapon that's firing. 'Anytime you see a movie where the barrel is pointed down the camera lens, there should not be an operator behind it. It's obvious that the considerations of this resulted in that gun being pointed directly at two people. 'We would have additionally had a barrier between them. A large number of people failed to do our protocols... every accident is a cascade of events. Republican students at Washington & Lee University in Virginia have been banned from displaying campaign material in support of GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin, claiming lobbying for a politician violates the private university's policy and threatens its tax-exempt status. During an annual activities fair at the liberal arts school in Lexington on September 12, College Republicans President Lillian Gillespie displayed campaign materials at the club's booth in support of Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin in time for the November 2 elections, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education reported. But soon after, members of the club were told by Director of Student Activities Kelsey Goodwin that their display violated the private university's policy and that they had to remove all materials endorsing political candidates. The College Republicans were trying to drum up support for Youngkin, who was trailing Democrat Terry McAuliffe in August 47 percent to 42 percent but now the race is now tied at 46 percent, according to the latest poll by the Monmouth University Polling Institute. College Republicans President Lillian Gillespie (pictured) has argued that students should be able to advocate for a candidate The College Republicans were backing Virginia gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin, who is now tied with opponent Terry McAuliffe The school had told the Republican students they couldn't post the flyers because the private university is a tax-exempt organization that could not endorse political figures. But Sabrina Conza of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a students' rights organization, said Gillespie was not breaking any rules and wants the university to rectify the situation. 'What is the purpose of College Republicans or College Democrats organizations if they can't actually advocate for a Republican or a Democrat?' said Conza, who is a program analyst for FIRE. 'Goodwin is wrong in her assessment of the law, and the university is wrong to remain silent after censoring students who want to take part in the political process. Now they must make it right.' Students were told by Director of Student Activities Kelsey Goodwin (pictured) that their display violated university policy While Washington and Lee University (pictured) itself cannot endorse a candidate, students at the school are free to because they speak for themselves and not the school they attend According to FIRE, while the university itself cannot endorse a candidate, students at the school are free to lobby for their choice because they speak for themselves and not the school they attend. FIRE added that student's free speech has no effect on the university's tax-exempt status, so there is no rationale behind stopping Republican students from handing out or displaying campaign material for any political candidate. 'I was shocked then I found out that we couldn't disseminate campaign materials on campus,' Gillespie said. 'I hope that publicizing this story gives students on both sides of the aisle more agency and liberty.' The university met with Gillespie on September 30 and October 18 and told her that the college has always had a policy against student organizations handing out material in support of political candidates and referred Gillespie to the university's attorneys concerning any legal issues. During the October meeting, the university held firm and told students that they were not allowed to advocate for their preferred candidate. Following the incident Goodwin sent an email to both Gillespie and the College Democrats president Judy Park containing the guidelines for political activity on campus. The guidelines specified that 'Student political organizations (College Republicans, Young Democrats, etc.) are not prohibited from pursuing their normal activities consistent with the academic nature of their endeavors,' but added that 'these student organizations...must identify at any such event - particularly one in which a candidate for political office is present - that the purpose of the event is educational, and does not imply any endorsement of (or opposition to) any candidate by the University.' Gillespie responded to the university with an email that said it was 'preposterous that the actions and opinions of a small minority of students dedicated to politics and political activity could be construed to represent the beliefs of the University as a whole.' FIRE said they reached out to the Virginia university on September 23 regarding their concerns about student's political expression being restricted but so far no one at the university has responded. The Virginia governor's race has tightened despite Joe Biden winning the state by nearly 10 points in his run for president. However, Biden's approval numbers have slipped to 43 percent among the commonwealth's voters from from 52 percent when he was elected. A millionaire heir to the Portman property empire who racially abused an anti-Semitism campaigner outside a court has been jailed for four months. Piers Portman, 50, who is the son of Edward, 9th Viscount Portman of Bryanston, called Campaign Against Antisemitism CEO Gideon Falter 'Jewish scum' at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 14, 2018. He also described his own Jewish ex-wife as a 'greedy, grasping, thieving and lying criminal manipulator of the system.' Piers Portman, 50, pictured, abused the CEO of Campaign Against Antisemitism Gideon Falter outside Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 14, 2018 Portman verbally abused Gideon Falter who was giving evidence during an anti-Semitism trial as he was leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court The Harrow-educated aristocrat's family owns the Portman Estate, which covers 110 acres of Marylebone in West London, including the land under Westminster Magistrates' Court. Mr Falter was leaving the building after a court hearing for anti semite Alison Chabloz-Tyrer when he was abused by Portman. Passing sentence on Portman, Judge Gregory Perrins said that crowd including men in Nazi replica uniforms at the Chabloz-Tyrer sentencing hearing was a 'who's who of Nazi deniers and extremists'. 'You have shown no insight at the impact of your offending and no remorse and continue to see yourself as the victim,' the judge told Portman. 'At the trial you told the jury you were an honourable British man. 'You are, I am afraid, anything but.' Judge Perrins also ordered Portman to pay 10,000 in court costs and a further 10,000 in compensation to Mr Falter. 'You are an extremely wealthy man, in the circumstances I do not see why you shouldn't pay for your trial,' added the judge. 'It would be ultimately a matter for Mr Falter, however I agree it would be appropriate to donate that to the Campaign Against Antisemitism.' Shaved-headed Portman in black trousers and a navy water-proof jacket stood with his mouth agape as he heard he would be taken to jail while his mother supported him from the public gallery. Portman, left, is the son of Viscount Portman, pictured second right Lewis Power, QC, defending, told the court that his client, of a 'proud heritage' and a good family now had a 'permanent stain' on his reputation. 'The stain of prejudice, as your Honour knows, is often indelible,' said Mr Power. The barrister called Portman a 'now broken man' who knew he needed to be punished but merely asked for clemency. 'At the time of the incident, Mr Portman had undergone and suffered a traumatic divorce which may have impactive his perspective him life,' said Mr Power. 'Since that date Mr Portman has become ostracized from his family. Speaking after the case, Mr Falter said: 'I am extremely reassured by this sentence, which sends a very clear message to antisemites that even the wealthiest and most privileged cannot escape British justice. 'I have been awarded 10,000 in compensation which I am donating to Campaign Against Antisemitism to help us ensure that anti-Jewish racists like Mr Portman face the consequences of their actions.' Former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon wouldn't directly comment on the House vote to hold him in contempt Thursday, saying he's been 'sworn to silence' by his lawyers although he invited Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on his podcast where she called the Jan. 6th probe a 'witch hunt.' 'Don't make me get the lawyers involved here,' Bannon said when the topic came up on his 'War Room Pandemic' podcast, after the House voted 229-202 to hold him in contempt setting up a legal clash if the Justice Department decides to prosecute. But Greene, a Georgia Republican, made the case for him. She blasted the select House committee that demanded he appear as 'fake,' and defended his failure to comply with it. She also bashed Reps. Liz Cheney, Jamie Raskin, and Adam Schiff, confirming Raskin's account that she 'yelled at them' on the House floor. 'Here they are celebrating voting to hold an innocent American in contempt because you didn't go answer the subpoena and show up to their to their fake committee that isn't even constitutional,' she told Bannon. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) got into a heated exchange with Rep. Liz Cheney on the House floor during a vote to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress. She is seen here with Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida 'So I yell at them on the House floor I let I let Liz Cheney have it. I let Adam Schiff have it and I let Raskin have it. I just I couldn't contain myself and I said, "You people are a joke, you don't care about the American people, you don't care about what the American people went through with BLM riots all over America burning cities to the ground, burning businesses looting, all the crime committed,"' she said. After the vote happened, 'When it was over I was standing in the well on the House floor, and I had just had it listening to them lie over and over again accusing you of organizing the January 6 riot. You had nothing to do with it. You weren't even there, You didn't cause it you did not plan it and everyone knows the truth about that, but they completely lied about you they lied about President Trump and I was disgusted and furious. Cheney, a Republican and a vice chair of the Jan. 6th committee, has focused in on Bannon, including his Jan. 5th prediction that 'all hell is going to break loose tomorrow,' and demanded he testify about what he knows. Newsweek flagged Bannon's comment about his lawyers. Greene's account of the angry clash with Cheney and Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, comports with what Raskin said although it left out a cutting remark by Cheney. According to Raskin, another panel member who testified in favor of holding Bannon in contempt, it all got started when he was speaking to Cheney on the floor of the House. He said Greene, who was kicked off her congressional committees after the House voted to sanction her for her comments supporting QAnon and other statements, approached the pair and started 'screaming' at them, said Raskin. 'Well, I was just talking to Miss Cheney. And then she started screaming at us saying: "When are you going to start investigating murders over the summer and BLM?" he recounted to reporters. 'I said, Oh, like when Kyle Rittenhouse went and killed two people at the BLM protest? said Raskin. Rittenhouse shot and killed two protesters at Wisconsin George Floyd protests last summer. 'And she said, "Why don't you represent the American people? And I said, We represent the American people. In fact, the vast majority of American people,' Raskin recounted. 'And then she started screaming, I don't know. She starts screaming at Liz.' He said he couldn't remember exactly how Cheney responded, but 'they got into a back and forth about Jewish space lasers.' That was a reference to the lawmaker's 2018 tweet that touted a conspiracy theory that California forest fires were caused by Pacific GAs & Electric, which she linked to the Rothschilds, Democrats, and space solar generators that 'collect the sun's energy and then beam it back to earth.' She wrote there were 'too many coincidences to ignore.' The Georgia Republican started 'screaming' at Cheney (pictured) and Rep. Jamie Raskin, according to Raskin Raskin serves on the Jan. 6th select committee Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., attend the House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the United States Department of Justice The Georgia Republican defended herself from that characterization. 'She was saying I never said that. That was made up by the media that was made up.' Pressed on whether the outspoken Trump loyalist shouted first, Raskin responded: 'Oh, she shouted us.' One source familiar with the conversation said Marjorie Taylor Greene said Cheney was a joke, prompting the vice president's daughter to respond that Greene was a joke then asking sarcastically 'if she needed to be focusing on her anti-Semitic space lasers.' DailyMail.com has reached out to Cheney and Greene's office for comment. Gaetz and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) testified at the Rules Committee in opposition to the resolution voted on by the House. Jordan said the Jan. 6th committee, created to probe the Capitol riot, should be probing violence at Black Lives Matter protests over the summer. Nine Republicans including Cheney voted to hold Bannon in contempt of Congress Steve Bannon The tense conversation took place when the House voted 229-202 to hold Bannon in contempt. Cheney was one of nine Republicans who backed the measure. The Jan. 6th subpoenaed Bannon and is demanding he appear to answer questions about the 'Stop the Steal' rally. Cheney ripped into Bannon at a Jan. 6th committee hearing, saying 'it appears that Mr. Bannon had substantial advance knowledge of the plans for January 6th and likely had an important role in formulating those plans.' 'The day before this all occurred on January 5th Mr. Bannon publicly professed knowledge that '(a)ll hell is going to break loose tomorrow,' she said. Bannon through his lawyer has said he will not respond to the subpoena while Trump is asserting executive privilege. President Biden has found a new role for his embattled former budget chief nominee Neera Tanden: White House staff secretary. A White House official told the Washington Post that chief of staff Ron Klain announced the move in a morning call on Friday. Tanden has been working in the Biden circle since May and will still retain her role as White House senior advisor, allowing her to weigh in on a range of different issues. She makes the White House maximum yearly salary of $180,000 in that role. Tanden is to start the new job on Monday, replacing Jessica Hertz, an Obama administration attorney and former Facebook government affairs official. The staff secretary, reporting to the chief of staff, oversees all documents that make their way to the president's desk, including briefing books and decision memos. The White House staff secretary role often serves as a launch point for some of the biggest roles in government. White House counsel Harriet Miers, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and former White House chief of staff John D. Podesta, a mentor for Tanden, have all previously filled the role. Tanden has been working in the Biden circle since May and will still retain her role as White House senior advisor, allowing her to weigh in on a range of different issues A longtime aide to Hillary Clinton, Tanden's nomination to head the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was withdrawn after all Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., said they would vote against her due to her bitter, partisan past on social media. She called Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, 'Voldemort', and said that Senator Susan Collins of Maine should be 'haunted' for the rest of her days for her questioning of Brett Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. She described Ted Cruz as 'a vampire' and Tom Cotton 'a fraud' Bernie Sanders, even, accused her of issuing 'vicious attacks' against progressives, and hadn't said whether he'd support her nomination. Tanden tweeted in 2018 that 'Russia did a lot more to help Bernie than the DNC's random internal emails did to help Hillary.' A longtime aide to Hillary Clinton, Tanden's nomination to head the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was withdrawn after all Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., said they would vote against her Tanden lost the vote of moderate GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski when a reporter showed her a tweet Tanden had posted in response to the Alaska Republican's support of the 2017 tax cuts. 'You know, we know, and everyone knows this is all garbage. Just stop.' Tanden expressed regret for her harsh words. 'I feel badly about that,' she said, when facing heat from lawmakers during her confirmation hearing for OMB. 'My approach will be radically different. Biden has yet to select an new nominee to lead OMB, but Shalanda Young has been filling the role in an acting capacity. A political science professor is slamming New York City's move to remove a statue of Thomas Jefferson from City Hall as 'disgraceful' and diminishing the ideals of liberty and equality. Samuel Goodman, writing on Bari Weiss' Common Sense Substack newsletter, made the case in a piece titled 'What We Lose When We Lose Thomas Jefferson.' The statue had resided in the City Hall's Council chambers since 1834 after it was gifted by Uriah Phillips Levy, a naval officer and an admirer of Jefferson's. Goodman, an associate professor of political science at George Washington University and a writer for The Week, called the move 'disgraceful' and argued that booting the statue should be held separate from the removal of Confederate monuments across America. 'Unlike monuments to Confederate leaders that display them in full military glory, Jefferson is depicted as a writer,' Goodman wrote. 'Holding a quill pen in one hand and the Declaration of Independence in the other, he is clearly being honored for composing an immortal argument for liberty and equality.' A writer and professor is calling the removal of the New York City Hall's statue of Thomas Jefferson (pictured above) 'disgraceful' Samuel Goodman (pictured above) is an associate professor of political science at George Washington University and writer for The Week Goodman was published by Bari Weiss (pictured above) in her Substack, Common Sense New York City Council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus called the statue a monument to 'the disgusting and racist basis on which America was founded.' During a lengthy hearing Monday, the Public Design Commission voted to remove the statue before the end of the year, although the board could not agree on a new location. The request for its removal came from the Commission on Racial Justice and Reconciliation, led by outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio's wife, Charlene McCray, after black staff complained about the statue that honors a slave owner. Goodman says that while it's obvious Jefferson 'didn't live up to his own words,' the statue's removal is an attack on American values. 'The removal of the statue isn't just an attack on Jefferson, though. As Princeton historian Sean Wilentz put it: 'The New York City Council hearing on Monday to remove a statue honoring Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence a serious blow, especially to the most vulnerable among us, for whom Jefferson's cry of equality is the last best hope.' NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio 'waged war' on the nation's history by deciding to banish the statue of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson from City Hall - where it has presided over events for 187 years - after a request from his wife-led BLM committee. The request for its removal came from the Commission on Racial Justice and Reconciliation, led by outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio's wife Charlene McCray (pictured above, right) Before the commission made its decision, Democratic mayoral candidate Eric Adams said that he hoped the commission would consider 'uplifting underrepresented faces and communities' by removing the statue, and that he supported its removal. 'Sidelining these historical figures however problematic they may be also sidelines, or diminishes, the ideals they came to embody and the many Americans who feel a deep and abiding connection with them,' continues Goodman. Republican politicians quickly railed against the latest move to rewrite history by booting the statue of the former president who wrote the Declaration of Independence. 'The de Blasio administration will continue the progressive war on history as he, himself, fades away into a portrait on a City Hall wall,' Councilman Joe Borelli told the New York Post. 'I hope he is at least gone a couple hundred years before someone cancels him.' The statue has stood in the New York City Council chambers since 1915 The statue had resided in the City Hall's Council chambers since 1834 after it was gifted by Uriah Phillips Levy, a naval officer and an admirer of Jefferson's. Goodman sees Jefferson as a symbol of America's founding greatness and compares it to another of the country's supposed founders having a holiday in his name removed. '[A]ttacks on Columbus Day are as misplaced as removal of the Jefferson statue. The holiday and memorials in many cities aren't really about the Genoese explorer who served a Spanish king. They are confirmations of the presence of Italian-Americans in public life, to say nothing of the courage and adventuresome spirit that led to the discovery of the New World.' Goodman also points out that 'the reduction of American history to an unbroken story of racial oppression comes at particular cost to Jews.' 'A widely despised and persecuted people who thrived in America like nowhere else, Jews do not fit into the sharp distinction between oppressor and oppressed that characterized ideological 'antiracism,' he continues. 'Therefore, Jewish experiences must either be ignored or reduced to a monolithic conception of white supremacy.' He notes that Charles Barron, the former councilmember and now state assemblymember who launched the campaign, is someone he and the Anti-Defamation League consider antisemitic given his statements say that the 'real' semites are black and that he's accused Israel of genocide. Goodman claims Barron is an anti-semite based on his statements that the 'real' semites were black, as well as statements he's made against Israel 'The question for Assemblyman Barron and everyone else who made removal of the statue their cause celebre is: By destroying the statue, do you mean to attack the man or the symbol? Do you mean to attack his slave-holding, or his striving for a free and democratic republic? Sometimes, it's hard to be sure,' said Goodman. Weiss launched her Substack 'Common Sense' in 2020 after leaving the New York Times. She claims it's for 'tens of millions of Americans who arent on the hard left or the hard right who feel that the world has gone mad. Science is at the mercy of politics. Identity trumps ideas. In the name of progress, art is erased and history is rewritten. Obvious truths are dangerous to say out loud.' Advertisement The widower of the cinematographer shot and killed by Alec Baldwin in a freak movie-set accident has revealed the distraught actor is being 'very supportive.' Halyna Hutchins, 42, died shortly after being shot by Baldwin around 1.50pm Thursday at Bonanza Creek Ranch, near the city of Santa Fe in New Mexico, where they were filming the movie Rust. Halyna's husband Matthew Hutchins, a lawyer with whom she shares an eight-year-old son, told DailyMail.com on Friday: 'I have spoken with Alec Baldwin and he is being very supportive.' Police have disclosed few details about the shooting, saying only that a 'projectile' was fired by a 'prop gun' and they are investigating. A spokesman for Baldwin last night issued a statement saying only blanks were used. Matthew told DailyMail.com he was reluctant to comment on specifics of the tragedy at this time, but was gathering his thoughts and preparing a statement. 'At this time, I still have not had an opportunity to prepare a statement, which I am planning to release,' he said. 'My intent is to, you know, put into words some of the things about her life and the situation which are I think most important. I plan to post that onto my Twitter as soon as I have an opportunity later today. 'There's obviously a lot to deal with whenever there's any death in the family,' he continued. 'We're moving around to address all the things we need to do on the ground. There's a lot of phone calls and messages. 'And we greatly appreciate all the sympathy,' he said. 'It feels like people are going to move mountains.' 'One thing we're trying to do is to set up a memorial with AFI, the American Film institute,' he said. 'And that is in process, and there will be more details in the statement.' In two tweets on Friday, Baldwin said: 'There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. 'I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. 'My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.' According to witnesses on-set, Baldwin was stunned after firing the fatal round and asked: 'Why was I handed a hot gun?' Just two days before the tragedy, a smiling Halyna had posted a picture of her on set alongside Baldwin and surrounded by cast and crew members. A photo taken in the aftermath showed a clearly distressed Baldwin bent double in anguish at the side of a parking lot, while in another picture he appeared distraught as he spoke on the phone. Born in Ukraine and raised on a Soviet military base 'surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines', Halyna, had trained as a journalist and spent time in Europe working on British documentaries before making the move to Los Angeles, where she had established her career - and started a family. Baldwin and Hutchins (circled) are pictured together on the set of Rust, in an image that she uploaded to Instagram two days ago saying the crew of the film were supporting a strike by the IATSE union Remembered by friends as a 'kind' and 'loving soul', Halyna lived in Venice Beach, California , with her husband Matthew, a lawyer, and their son Andros, pictured in an old Facebook photo Alec Baldwin is pictured sobbing after shooting and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his upcoming movie Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Thursday The 68 year-old actor was also snapped doubled-over in a parking lot, with his hands on his knees and his face seemingly crumpled with distress Sun streaming from above, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins smiles into the camera as she films herself riding off into the New Mexico desert on horseback. This was the last Instagram post shared by the married mother-of-one before she was accidentally killed by actor Alec Baldwin when he fired a prop gun while filming a scene for upcoming Western, Rust, yesterday Remembered by friends as a 'kind' and 'loving soul', Halyna lived in Venice Beach, California, with husband Matthew and their son Andros, known affectionately as her 'little man.' 'Halyna loved him so much and enjoyed watching him grow into the handsome boy he is today,' one friend wrote in a moving Instagram tribute. 'I know she is looking after him and Matt in this horribly scary time.' Social media photos capture a playfulness and sense of adventure, with Halloween costume parties, road trips with friends and days out exploring all lit up by Halyna's smile. She was also highly regarded by her peers and had been tipped as a 'rising star' by other cinematographers. 'She was somebody who was absolutely dedicated to art and integrity,' director, colleague and friend Adam Mortimer told GMB this morning. 'I can tell already she was going to be a genius.' Baldwin, 62, was filming a scene for new film Rust when the gun went off, fatally wounding Hutchins and leaving writer-director Joel Souza, 48, injured. Hutchins was rushed to the University of New Mexico Hospital in an air ambulance but was pronounced dead a short time after. Souza was taken by ambulance to the Christus St Vincent Regional Medical Center. He has since been released although his exact condition is unclear. Meanwhile Baldwin was taken to a Santa Fe detectives' office to be questioned about the shooting. He was not arrested and was later released without charge - though investigations are ongoing. The Santa Fe Sheriff's Office said the gun was fired during the middle of a scene that was either being filmed or rehearsed. It is unclear exactly how the gun was fired - whether by accident or on purpose. Detectives said the gun was 'discharged' and gave no further details. Fatal accidents with prop guns are rare, but not unheard of. Brandon Lee, the 28-year-old son of martial arts star Bruce Lee, was shot and killed on the set of The Crow in 1993 after part of a dummy round got lodged in the barrel of the gun - and was then fired into Lee's stomach when a second dummy round went off. It is a tragedy that has shaken the film industry and led friends, colleagues and strangers to pay tribute to Hutchins, whose life was so shockingly cut short. Alec Baldwin is seen on the set of Rust with fake blood earlier Thursday, hours before he shot and killed the film's cinematographer. He shared this photo on Instagram with the caption 'Back to in person at the office. Blimeyit's exhausting.' Filming was halted following the fatal incident at the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set in Santa Fe Halyna, 42, was shot dead in the incident on Thursday at the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where writer-director Joel Souza, 48, (pictured) was also injured Police tape cordons of a small church used as a set for the movie, after a fatal accidental shooting at a Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set near Santa Fe on Thursday Born in 1979, Halyna Hutchins was the daughter of military parents and grew up on a Soviet base 'in the Arctic circle'. Recalling what it was like, she said they were 'surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines'. In a sign of her broad interests, Halyna, who was fluent in Russian and English, attended the National University of Kyiv, Ukraine's most prestigious higher education institution, and graduated with a degree in International Journalism. She used this as a ticket to work abroad and spent time as an investigative journalist, working in print and documentaries. Richard Denton, producer behind Shakespeare Uncovered and many films in the former USSR, said today: 'Halyna was the most wonderful, vital, lively and positive person to work with. She was friendly and enormously helpful. 'She handled everything from translating interviews to making Leonids horse move in the right direction. She was completely unpretentious and incredibly professional.' At some point Hutchins moved to the US, settling in California. She married husband Matthew, a lawyer who worked as an associate with US firm Kirkland & Ellis until 2017. His current role is not known. In 2012 the couple welcomed their much wanted son, Andros. 'I remember when Halyna and I would talk about how much she wanted to have a child so many years ago,' wrote her friend, Stephanie, 'and being at the hospital the day he was born and seeing her so filled with happiness.' The couple both posted loved-up family photos on Facebook, treasured memories of family hikes and fun-filled days out. Shortly after Andros's birth Hutchins, who had begun working on short films, enrolled on a two-year course at the American Film Institute Conservatory to hone her skills as a cinematographer. A cinematographer, also known as a director of photography, is in charge of the film and lighting crews on set. The AFI Conservatory is well regarded within Hollywood and provided a launchpad for the likes of directors Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) and Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman). Hutchins would later speak of the important role this experience played in developing her career, saying it made her 'rethink' who she was as an artist. She added: 'One thing I learned is that cinematography is not something you do by yourself. 'It's a group [project]. You need to develop your own vision, but the key to a successful film is communication with your director and your team.' Alongside her early cinematography work, Hutchins worked as a fashion photographer in order to learn how to 'create the mood, the feeling' in an image. A string of smaller projects came along, largely in short films. In 2018 she was named as part of the inaugural class of the 21st Century Fox DP Lab, a networking cohort designed to expand opportunities for female cinematographers by connecting them with working professionals. The following year, she was hailed as one of the 'rising stars of cinematography' in respected industry publication American Cinematographer. 'Right now, I'm just really interested in finding fruitful collaborations,' she said in an interview with the publication. She added, 'I'm just hoping to find my Wong Kar-wai,' in a nod to the renowned Hong Kong director. Hutchins worked on two feature films. The firs, Darlin', a horror directed by Pollyanna McIntosh (The Walking Dead), premiered at the SXSW film festival 2019 and played internationally at the Edinburgh Film Festival and London FrightFest. The second, Blindfire, was a racially charged police drama written and directed by Mike Nell starring Brian Geraghty (The Hurt Locker, TNT's The Alienist) and Sharon Leal (Supergirl, Instinct), which was winner of Best Crime Drama at the Houston International Film Festival, 2020. Hutchins' social media shows she was married to Matthew (pictured together), a Los Angeles-based lawyer. It is unclear when the pair married, but they have a son who was born either in late 2012 or early 2013 Born in Ukraine and raised on a Soviet military base 'surrounded by reindeer and submarines', Halyna had recently wrapped on a project in Ireland and was tipped for a bright future in Hollywood when her life was so tragically cut short. Pictured, in 2018 Photos capture a sense of playfulness and adventure, with snaps of Halloween costume parties, road trips with friends and days out exploring all lit up by Halyna's smile Hutchins, pictured back centre as Harley Quinn, dressing up with friends at a costume party Director Adam Egypt Mortimer, who worked with Hutchins on the 2020 superhero mystery-thriller Archenemy, said on GMB today: 'She was somebody who was absolutely dedicated to art and integrity. 'She was Ukrainian and had this incredible European art sensibility so that the more things on our set that would become challenging or difficult the more she would want to figure out how to transcend the limitations and turn it into art. 'When I met her I knew after about five minutes of talking to her she would be an incredible partner to work with... I can tell already she was going to be a genius and she was so dedicated to do anything to make a movie seem immersive and truthful and that was her personality.' Actor Joe Manganiello, who starred in Archenemy, called her 'an incredible talent' and 'a great person' on his Instagram account, adding that he was lucky to have Hutchins as director of photography on the film. The entrance of Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico, on the outskirts of Santa Fe, where the movie is being filmed A security guard stands near the entrance to Bonanza Creek Ranch where Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer and wounded a director when he discharged a prop gun on the movie set of the film "Rust" in Santa Fe, New Mexico The ranch on Friday morning was abandoned after filming was halted. The Santa Fe Sheriff's Department continues to interview 'witnesses' Director Amy J. Berg, who also shared a Deadline article detailing the accidental shooting, penned: 'What an absolute nightmare. We lost a rising star, female cinematographer Halyna Hutchins'. Across Halyna's Instagram and website reels are numerous stills and clips from short films and features she's worked on, ranging in genre and aesthetics. She was recently in Ireland where she enjoyed runs in Dublin and sight-seeing while on breaks from filming what is believed to be an upcoming period drama. Her social media profiles also paint a clear image of a free-spirited, much-loved friend, many of whom have been paying tribute. As her friend Stephanie said: 'I dont even have words, I have known Halyna for so many years and to find out that she is dead is beyond words I can even express. She had such a kind-loving soul... 'I cant even believe I am saying had it just doesnt make any sense... I just cant believe this is happening.Halyna was so full of life and way too young to die.' Hutchins' devastated friends were too distraught to talk, but Ariel Vida, a production designer who worked with the director of photography on 2020 film Archenemy confirmed her death to DailyMail.com, tearfully adding: 'I'm sorry, I can't talk about this right now.' No criminal charges have been filed, but police said that a criminal investigation into the incident is currently active to determine the circumstances of Hutchins' death. 'According to investigators, it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged,' sheriff's spokesman Juan Rios said in a statement. 'Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged.' 'The incident remains an active investigation. As more information becomes available, updates will be provided,' he added. Filming for Rust was set to continue through early November, according to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office, but production has now been halted on the film. The University of Southern California has temporarily suspended its chapter of the Sigma Nu fraternity after multiple female students claimed that they were drugged and sexually assaulted at a party last month. A crime alert that was issued to the USC community on Thursday revealed that officials received a report of a sexual assault at the Sigma Nu house on West 28th Street. An unnamed student said she was attending a party organized by the fraternity on September 27 when someone drugged and sexually assaulted her. USC has placed its chapter of the Sigma Nu fraternity on interim suspension over multiple allegations of drug-fueled sexual assaults A group of USC students held a protest outside the fraternity house to demand accountability USC also received reports of drinks being spiked with narcotics during a party at the same fraternity house, leading to 'possible drug-facilitated sexual assaults,' the alert stated. According to an incident log, at least five women have reported being drugged at the same Sigma Nu party. In the wake of the allegations, USC has placed the fraternity on interim suspension, barring its members from organizing any activities, parties or other types of social gatherings. The university said it also has reported the information to the Los Angeles Police Department, which has launched an investigation, but so far has made no arrests, reported ABC 7. USC officials have declined to comment on the specific allegations, citing student privacy laws, but said the school 'takes reports of sexual assault extremely seriously and has a coordinated response team designed to promptly respond.' A statement from Sigma Nu's national headquarters said that the fraternity 'is concerned by these serious allegations and will seek to work with University officials to investigate the matter.' At least five female students have complained of being drugged at a Sigma Nu party on September 27, and one woman reported being drugged and sexually assaulted Sigma Nu has been barred from organizing any activities or parties during the suspension Sophomore Sophie Beitel argued that members of the fraternity who may have known about the drugging incidents should have spoken out The statement went on to say that 'The Fraternity will determine its further actions based upon the investigation. Sigma Nu Fraternity remains committed to responding appropriately to all matters of confirmed misconduct.' On Thursday, a group of USC students held a protest outside the fraternity house, demanding that members of Sigma Nu be held accountable for their actions. 'Guys in this house knew about it,' sophomore Sophie Beitel told KTLA of the alleged drug-fueled assaults. 'Guys who werent participating knew about this. This had to be a thing that so many men were complicit in and said nothing about.' Standing outside the frat house, Beitel added: 'the question should not be, "What can girls do to be avoiding this?" Girls are already terrified. Girls already do everything they can. What can guys be doing?' Advertisement Covid cases have begun rising across Europe, with Germany the latest country to issue a warning after infections rose sharply this week - but added the rise is to be 'expected' as winter approaches. The German health ministry said on Friday that cases are 'escalating' in 'all age groups' after recording almost 20,000 new infections in 24 hours, a rise of 70 per cent week-on-week even with mask mandates and Covid passports in place. 'It is to be expected that the increase in case numbers will pick up speed in... autumn and winter,' Oliver Ewald said, with German ministers not expected to increase current restrictions or reimpose lockdowns. Germany's figures mirror a trend that is building across much of Europe with the UK, Netherlands, Belgium and Poland among dozens of countries seeing infection rates rise as colder weather arrives. While restrictions vary across nations, none have so-far tightened their measures in response to the rising cases - with the exception of Latvia and Russia, both of which have low vaccination rates. Latvia became the first European country to enter a winter lockdown this week as Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins announced a month-long shutdown of the country in response to rocketing cases. Covid cases are rising across large parts of Europe as winter approaches with Germany becoming the latest country to issue a warning, though current restrictions will not be tightened as health chiefs say rise is 'expected' (pictured, a graph comparing the infection rate of European countries relative to the size of their populations) Germany currently has some of the most-restrictive Covid measures in Europe, with widespread use of Covid passports and has made medical-grade masks mandatory in indoor public spaces - though is still seeing cases rise His country now has the highest infection rate in Europe when compared to population size - a fact he blamed on low vaccination rates. Just 57 per cent of the population have been double-jabbed compared to a European average of 75 per cent. Ilze Vinkele, the country's former health minister who oversaw the response to earlier infection waves, blamed vaccine hesitancy among older and younger people for suppressing the overall jab rate. Daniels Pavluts, the current health minister, has blamed misinformation spread by Russian media for the low uptake. Russia - where just 32 per cent of the population has been double-jabbed - is also suffering a brutal wave of Covid infections and deaths that has seen regions begin to reimpose restrictions, though the government denies it is reentering lockdown. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin this week ordered elderly residents to stay home for four months and told businesses that 30 per cent of staff must work from home. The Kremlin is urging people to get vaccinated as the country's underfunded healthcare system struggles to cope with the rising number of cases. Frank Vandenbroucke, the health minister of Belgium, also issued a warning about the country's rising case numbers this week - though added that a fresh wave of infections 'was to be expected'. 'We are going to have to brace ourselves to tackle the fourth wave,' he said while calling on the government to expand the use of Covid passports and make masks mandatory in indoor settings. Currently, Belgium only requires Covid passports in nightclubs and mandates masks on public transport, though they are 'recommended' in all indoor areas. Some regions, such as Brussels, have stricter measures. Latvia has become the only European country to reimpose lockdown so-far amid soaring infections which the country's prime minister has put down to the low vaccination rate, with just 57 per cent double jabbed (pictured, medics set up a temporary ward inside a Latvian hospital) The Netherlands - which has similar rules to Belgium on the use of masks and Covid passports - is also seeing a spike in cases, but health advisors have said there are no plans to reintroduce night-time curfews of the kind seen during the wave last winter than prompted violent protests. Instead, the Netherlands' public health institute pointed out that 'most of those in hospital with Covid-19 have not been vaccinated' while urging people to get their jabs. Germany currently has much-stricter Covid rules than both Belgium and the Netherlands, but is never-the-less seeing a sharp rise in cases. Covid passports are required to enter most indoor spaces where face-to-face interactions take place - such as restaurants and hair salons. Other indoor spaces, such as shops, do not require a Covid pass but people must wear a medical-grade mask to enter. The leaders of Germany's 16 regional states are meeting to discuss the next steps in the fight against the pandemic, and are expected to keep existing measures largely in place. Germany's public health body pleaded for all citizens, including those who are fully vaccinated or have already recovered from Covid, to keep respecting the recommended health guidelines. 'Unnecessary close contacts should be reduced and in particular indoor situations that could become so-called super spreading events should be avoided when possible,' the report added. More than 66 percent of the population in Germany is now fully vaccinated against Covid. Nearly 70 percent have received at least the first dose. Poland, which neighbours Germany, has also issued a warning about rising Covid cases - with health ministers saying a 'fourth wave' has arrived while vaccination rates are hovering only around 50 per cent. Health minister Adam Niedzielski described the rise as 'an explosion' and warned that 'drastic measures' may have to be considered if more people do not get their jabs. European ministers have resisted calls to reimpose lockdowns and are instead urging people to get their first vaccines and booster shots, with health advisors in the Netherlands (file image) pointing out that most people in hospital are not jabbed Meanwhile the UK has also seen Covid cases rising from an already-high base to levels not seen since early in the year when lockdown was in place - but ministers have insisted there is no need to tighten restrictions yet. Britain has pioneered the way out of lockdowns in Europe, having dropped almost all of its Covid restrictions in favour of a 'common sense' approach to living with the virus. The country also has one of the highest vaccination rates in Europe, with almost 70 per cent fully jabbed. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that, while case rates are rising, this had been forecast and the current numbers are well within what the government was expecting. He said there 'is absolutely nothing to indicate' that further restrictions or a lockdown will be needed, though added that a roll-out of booster jabs will be sped up while encouraging people to come forward for their shots. 'I think there are lots of steps that we need to take to continue to follow the guidance,' he said during a visit to a vaccination centre today. 'So commonsensical things washing your hands, wearing a mask in confined spaces where you don't normally meet other people where you are meeting people that you don't normally meet I should say. 'That's sensible. But the key message for today is for all people, over 50s, think about getting your booster jab. 'When you get the call, get the jab.' A mother charged with the murder of her five-year-old son has today appeared in court after he was found dead in a river earlier this year. Angharad Williamson, 30, is accused of murdering Logan Mwangi, also known as Logan Williamson, on July 31 at Bridgend, Wales. Police found Logan's body in the River Ogmore near his home village Sarn, Bridgend County after Williamson reported him missing. Logan Williamson, five, was found dead in the River Ogmore in Bridgend County after police were called to reports of a missing child on July 31 He was taken to the towns Princess of Wales Hospital, where he was confirmed to have died. Williamson, from Sarn, appeared at Cardiff Magistrates Court wearing a plain navy t-shirt and trousers and spoke only to confirm her name, age, and date of birth. She did not enter a plea. Logan's step-father John Cole, 39, has also been accused of murder after he was found with a string of injuries. Cole, Logan's mother Angharad Williamson, 30, and the 14-year-old boy have also been charged with perverting the course of justice A police diver surfaces in the bank of River Ogmore during the investigation Williamson had previously appeared in court charged with perverting the course of justice and will appear at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, October 25. She is the third person charged with the boys murder alongside her partner John Cole, 39, and a 14-year-old male. Cole, has also previously appeared in court charged with Logan's murder and perverting the course of justice. The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, is due to appear at Cardiff Crown Court later next Friday. Police and forensics investigating the scene of Logan's death. He drowned in a river close to his home in the village Sarn Yesterday he appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court to confirm his name, age and address. Judge Stephen Harmes told the schoolboy to 'take your hands out of your pockets' before he remanded him in authority care ahead of a crown court appearance. He said: 'Mr Isaac (your lawyer) will help you understand what's going on. You'll be going to Crown Court probably next week but for now you'll continue as you have been.' The court head the teenager's bail conditions included wearing an electronic tag and staying away from Sarn. Members of the public left tributes to the young victim on the river bank when news of his death became public. Messages said: 'Fly high Logan, sending love and kisses,' 'RIP angel' and 'Thinking of you.' He had had previously appeared at Newport Crown Court on August 14 charged with perverting the course of justice. Logan was in a nursery class at Brynmenyn Primary School in Bridgend where he was loved by pupils and staff. Mother Lois Shepherd, 25, left a cuddly toy baby shark on the river bank chosen by daughter Maisie-Rae, four, after news of his death was made public. The young boy was loved by everyone in his nursery class at Brynmenyn Primary School She said at the time: 'I'm just shocked and gobsmacked - this is such a small community, everyone is feeling the pain of what happened.' Messages left at the river bank also included: 'Fly high Logan, sending love and kisses,' 'RIP angel' and 'Thinking of you.' A mother of two who drove two miles to the scene said through tears in August: 'I didn't know the little boy and his family but I felt I had to come. It's so sad, I can't comprehend it.' Cole, Williamson and the teenager are set to face a four-week trial next year to decide on their part in the young boy's death. A court previously heard Logan suffered 'extreme pain' in an attack before he was found following a search. A provisional trial date for all three was set for January 31 next year with a time estimate of four weeks. President Joe Biden spoke by phone Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron, as the U.S. tries to improve sinking relations with America's first ally over a submarine deal with the U.K. and Australia. Biden confirmed he would be meeting with Macron during next week's G20 summit in Rome and talked to the French leader about Vice President Kamala Harris' forthcoming trip to Paris, which was announced Friday, along with the White House's readout of the call. Harris will go to the French capital with her husband Douglas Emhoff and meet with Macron, as well as mark Veterans Day in the U.S. and Armistice Day in France by paying a visit to the Suresnes American Cemetery, located on the outskirts of Paris. President Joe Biden (left) is expected to speak by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron (right) on Friday, as Biden tries to patch up the U.S.-French relationship, after the French were blindsided by a security pact announcement between the U.S., U.K. and Australia 'They will discuss the importance of the transatlantic relationship to global peace and security and underscore the importance of our partnership on global challenges from COVID-19 and the climate crisis to issues affecting the Sahel and the Indo-Pacific,' the vice president's office said about Harris' meeting with Macron. She will deliver a speech before the Paris Peace Forum on November 11 and also participate in the Paris Conference on Libya the next day. The White House has been trying to make amends with the French ever since the U.S.'s first ally was blindsided by the Australians pulling out of a $60 billion submarine contract with the French, to join the American and British in a military pact dubbed AUKUS instead. The Friday call marked the second time since Biden and Macron spoke by phone since the deal pushed the U.S.-French relationship off the rails. The French were so mad that they recalled their ambassadors from the U.S. and Australia. After the first phone call between Biden and Macron, Amb. Philippe Etienne returned to Washington, D.C. Macron previewed his G20 meeting with Biden earlier this month. President Joe Biden (left) greets French President Emmanuel Macron (right) at the G7 summit in Cornwall in June The two leaders seemed to be engaged in a budding bromance when they met for the first time with Biden as president earlier this year Macron told reporters at a summit of European Union leaders in Slovenia that he hoped the U.S and France could once again work together 'in good faith.' 'We need to look with lucidity at the decisions taken by our allies. There were choices that were made and I can't say that France and Europe were taken into account, but we have a history that is bigger [than this],' Macron said. 'We will catch up during the G20. I think it is the right occasion to see how we can re-engage,' he continued. 'It's about facts and what to do together,' Macron added. In the White House's readout of the Biden-Macron call on Friday, the administration previewed the G20 meeting by saying 'President Biden looks forward to the meeting with President Macron in Rome later this month, where they will continue the conversation, take stock of the many areas of U.S.-France cooperation, and reinforce our shared interests and common values as we take on challenges and opportunities together.' At the G7 in June held in Cornwall, England, Biden and Macron seemed to be engaged in a budding bromance, with the leaders smiling and back-slapping during the seaside summit. Three people who were arrested as part of an investigation into right-wing terrorism have denied possessing components of a 3D-printed firearm. Daniel Wright, Liam Hall and Stacey Salmon appeared at the Old Bailey today, all charged with terror offences. One of the charges, faced by all three, is the possession of components of a 3D-printed firearm for terrorist purposes. Liam Hall, 30, pictured with his girlfriend, Stacey Salmon, 28, are both charged with the possession of components of a 3D-printed firearm for terrorist purposes A fourth defendant, Samuel Whibley, 28, of Derwen Deg, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, is charged with six offences of the encouragement of terrorism. He is also charged with two offences of of disseminating a terrorist publication. The four were arrested in May this year at addresses in West Yorkshire, North Wales and Wiltshire. They appeared in court via video link from prisons in Yorkshire and entered not guilty pleas in relation to a total of 20 terror and firearms charges. Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Snowden, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said after the arrests: 'We understand these arrests and police activity have caused considerable concern within our communities, in particular the impact of speculation around them and the ongoing enquiries across social media. 'Public safety remains our number one priority at all times. An extensive and thorough investigation has led to these four individuals being put before courts. ' Salmon, 28, pictured, has four children with boyfriend Liam Hall, 30, and is charged with possessing articles for terrorist purposes and possessing a firearm Wright, 29, of Whinfield Avenue, Keighley, West Yorkshire, is charged with one offence of disseminating a terrorist publication that encourages terrorism and offences of manufacturing and possessing a firearm. He is also charged with possessing articles connected with terrorism and possessing a document or record likely to be useful to a person committing an act of terrorism, contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act. Liam Hall, 30, of Hill Top Walk, Keighley, West Yorkshire, is charged with possessing articles for terrorist purposes as well as possessing and manufacturing a firearm. Hall's girlfriend Stacey Salmon, 28, of Hill Top Walk, Keighley, West Yorkshire, have four children together, and is charged with possessing articles for terrorist purposes and possessing a firearm. Pictured: Daniel Wright, 29, is charged with offences of disseminating a terrorist publication, possessing articles for terrorist purposes and the collection of information contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act All the offences are alleged to have taken place between January and May this year, before their arrests on May 1. Wright and Hall are alleged to have made the gun, according to The Sun. After all four denied the charges, judge Mr Justice Spencer remanded them in custody. They are due to go on trial on January 11 2022 at Sheffield Crown Court. Google takes between 22% and 42% of all online ad spending that they facilitate on behalf of advertisers and publishers - up to four times as much as its rivals, a newly unredacted lawsuit reveals. The bombshell legal filing, unsealed Friday in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York, sheds new light on the scale of just how dominant the company's stronghold over advertisements really is. '[T]he analogy would be if Goldman or Citibank owned the NYSE [New York Stock Exchange],' one senior Google employee said, according to the lawsuit. The revelation of the contents of the lawsuit comes as the Attorneys General of 16 states, led by Texas, and a string of companies accuse Google of utilizing its stranglehold over search engine marketing and the buying, selling and serving of online advertisements to increase profits for itself. In this amended, unredacted version of the suit, the states claim that Google has taken actions to 'lock in' advertisers and publishers, leaving companies little choice but to use Google's own ad serves, as the tech giant controls the dominant tool for placing ads online and runs the primary platform that links consumers and sellers. In one search example included in the lawsuit, a query for 'plumbers in Denver' shows how a Google ad is prominently displayed upon search and the organic result is 'well below the fold' Google generates hundreds of billions of dollars of revenue a year by selling ads that appear along with its search results, in addition to ads that appear on sites across the internet. And as the primary gateway for users surfing the web, the suit alleges, Google has comprehensively - and purposely - limited the ability of other companies to reach consumers. The suit further alleges that the company has used its monopoly to benefit itself, while simultaneously harming consumers, advertisers, publishers and the free market. 'Google, moreover, cannot establish business justifications or procompetitive benefits sufficient to justify its exclusionary conduct in any relevant market,' the suit states. The suit also adds that by paying billions of dollars per year to companies like Apple, as well as web browsers and mobile carriers, the company successfully captures and keeps a stranglehold on key distribution channels. The suit reasons that the company's monopoly over the market stems from its overwhelming influence over internet searches: 90 percent of internet searches in the United States use Google. 'This presentation increases the importance of paid placements, particularly on mobile devices that have much smaller screens,' the suit states. Figure 2 in the filing shows subsequent search pages as a mobile user scrolls down, noting there are no organic results This depicts the relationship of how specialized vertical providers advertise to attract consumers, which includes 'going directly to their sites and bypassing general search, through search engines other than Google and through new forms of discovery,' according to the suit The investigation is the latest challenge for major tech companies, which are under fire from both federal and state antitrust enforcers, as well as from Congress, over concern about whether a handful of huge companies have too much power and are using it to illegally stifle competition and harm consumers. Google takes a cut of between 22-42% on ad transactions on the website's marketplace when compared to competitors, the lawsuit stated. The company also makes it so that it wins a massive 80% of auctions hosted on its own exchange, meanwhile having served 75% of all online ad impressions in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2018, according to the lawsuit. The contents of the filing also reveal the stark differences between what Google says publicly, and what the company acknowledges to be true and says behind closed doors. 'Google concedes that an electronic exchange such as its own should not normally be able to extract such high fees in the market,' the document reads. It then notes that Google execs even acknowledged that 'an exchange shouldn't be an immensely profitable business' during the federal investigation, which has been going on for the past two years. The lawsuit further reveals that 'when rival exchanges attempted to gain market share by lowering their prices in 2017, Google's exchange maintained or even increased prices' - and still managed to bolster its own position at the top of the market.' The filing then adds: 'Competing exchanges have not been able to meaningfully increase their market shares,' as a result of Google's monopoly over online ad space - even with rivals 'cutting their take rates by half.' The case claims to have uncovered internal memos in which Google is shown to have wanted to discuss 'competition' and 'ways we can work together' with other tech giants. One quote mentions their goal to 'collaborate when necessary to maintain status quo.' Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton initially filed the suit in December of 2020, with much of the complaint being redacted, after Google argued that parts of the complaint contained information regarding confidential business matters that would hurt the company if made public. The unredacted filing on Friday comes after a federal judge ruled last week that the sprawling antitrust suit could be unsealed. In all, 48 states are part of investigations of the Alphabet Inc. subsidiary, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Google's alleged monopoly has shed a light on troubling concerns for businesses and consumers, according to a bipartisan group of attorneys general representing almost every state who launched an antitrust investigation of the search giant Monday. Google has disputed the charges and called the lawsuit flawed, saying it collects lower fees for ads than the industry average. 'Google's services help people, create more choice, and support thousands of jobs and small businesses across the United States,' Kent Walker, a senior vice president for global affairs at the company, said in a blog post last week. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case of Texas' controversial abortion law barring abortion when there is a fetal heartbeat, usually at about six weeks' pregnancy. The announcement Friday came days after the Biden administration's Justice Department called the law 'clearly unconstitutional' and asked the high court to weigh in. Oral arguments in the case are set for Nov. 1, when President Joe Biden will be in Scotland for an environmental summit. The Supreme Court did not issue an injunction that would have blocked the law while the case is being heard. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that she would have blocked the law now. She said in a partial dissent the court was acting in 'open disregard of the constitutional rights of women seeking abortion care in Texas. For the second time, the Court declines to act immediately to protect these women from grave and irreparable harm.' 'The promise of future adjudication offers cold comfort, however, for Texas women seeking abortion care, who are entitled to relief now,' she wrote. The administration argued that the Texas law violates abortion rights established in the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion law. In a lower court ruling, U.S. District Judge Robert Pittman called the law 'flagrantly unconstitutional' and issued a preliminary injunction. But the New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the law. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in a Texas abortion case Nov. 1, the court announced The Supreme Court will hear arguments in a Texas abortion law Nov. 1. In September the Court declined in a 5-4 decision to intervene in another legal battle over the abortion ban, allowing it to go into effect immediately The Biden administration on Monday asked the Supreme Court to block Texas's. Texas wrote in as filing in response Thursday urging the court to keep the law in place while the case is heard, and called for it to overturn key abortion rulings Roe as well as Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which upheld Roe. 'There is no federal statute or regulation requiring Texas to permit abortions after a heartbeat is detected,' Texas wrote. The decision to hear the case came a day after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell hailed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as a 'legal titan.' McConnell, who helped President Trump install three conservative justices on the court and was the archetect behind the strategy to block President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the high court, praised Thomas' three decades on the court. Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a blistering dissent, saying the Court should stop the Texas law while the case is being heard Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas looks on as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) takes to the stage to speak about Thomas at the Heritage Foundation on October 21, 2021 in Washington, DC 'We need the rule of law, not the rule of polls,' McConnell said at the event at the conservative Heritage Foundation, amid polls showing public support for the court slipping. The Justice Department asked Justices to lift an order imposed by a conservative federal appeals court that's enabled Texas to continue enforcing the nation's strictest curbs on abortion. The department had announced its intention to do so on Friday. Texas Governor Greg Abbott's office told DailyMail.com that he's not worried about the latest challenge. 'The most precious freedom is life itself. Texas passed a law that ensures that the life of every child with a heartbeat will be spared from the ravages of abortion,' Abbott Press Secretary Renae Eze said. 'Unfortunately, President Biden and his Administration are more interested in changing the national narrative from their disastrous Afghanistan evacuation and reckless open border policies instead of protecting the innocent unborn. 'We are confident that the courts will uphold and protect that right to life.' DOJ officials had asked Texas' 5th Circuit Court of Appeals last week to temporarily block the law while the legal battle continued, but the court refused. Texas Governor Greg Abbott shrugged off the latest legal challenge, telling DailyMail.com that he is 'confident that the courts will uphold and protect that right to life' The Texas law defies the Supreme Court's major decisions on abortion rights 'by banning abortion long before viability - indeed, before many women even realize they are pregnant,' the Justice Department wrote in its plea to the court. 'The question now is whether Texas' nullification of this Court's precedents should be allowed to continue while the courts consider the United States' suit. As the district court recognized, it should not,' the Justice Department wrote. The law has been in effect since September, aside from a district court-ordered pause that lasted just 48 hours, and bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks and before most women know they are pregnant. It allows any private citizen to sue Texas abortion providers who violate the law, as well as anyone who 'aids or abets' a woman getting the procedure - from doctors performing it to Uber drivers transporting women to the clinic. The statute sets minimum damages of $10,000 per banned abortion, to be paid out to the first person to prevail in a suit over the procedure. The administration also raised the prospect that the court could decide to grant full review to the Texas law and rule on its constitutionality this term, even though lower courts have yet to do so. The Supreme Court rarely steps in this early in a lawsuit. Biden officials said the possibility of other states adopting similar measures as well as the Texas law itself are enough to justify the high court stepping in early. In a statement to DailyMail.com, pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List lambasted President Joe Biden's 'extreme agenda.' 'Pro-abortion Democrats led by Joe Biden are losing hearts and minds across America, so they run to the courts to try to impose their extreme agenda of abortion on demand up to birth. Since the Texas Heartbeat Act went into effect, it has saved more than 6,000 babies with beating hearts,' SBA List national spokeswoman Mallory Quigley said. 'The Supreme Court has already rejected one bid to block this life-saving law, and we hope that in the upcoming Dobbs late abortion case it will afford all states the right to protect unborn children and their mothers.' Biden's Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to step in and block Texas' abortion law while its legal challenge to the measure plays out in court White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at Monday's news briefing that President Joe Biden would protect abortion rights, and that the Justice Department would lead efforts to ensure that women have 'access to fundamental rights that they have to protect their own health.' It's not clear whether the administration will prevail at a Supreme Court with a conservative majority that has been fortified by three appointees of former President Donald Trump and already has agreed to hear a major challenge to abortion rights in a case from Mississippi. The Trump appointees, joined by two other conservatives, have once before rejected a plea to keep the law on hold, in a separate lawsuit filed by abortion providers. There was no immediate timetable for Supreme Court action on this latest motion. While courts have blocked other state laws effectively banning abortion before a fetus can survive outside the womb, roughly around 24 weeks, the Texas law has so far avoided a similar fate because of its unique structure that leaves enforcement up to private citizens, rather than state officials. Anyone who brings a successful lawsuit against an abortion provider for violating the law is entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages. In the 5-4 vote last month to allow the law to remain in effect, the high court acknowledged in an unsigned order that there were 'serious questions regarding the constitutionality of the Texas law' but also 'complex and novel' procedural questions about whom to sue and whether federal courts had the power to stop the law from being enforced. In a dissenting opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that he would have put the 'unprecedented' law on hold so that court could consider 'whether a state can avoid responsibility for its laws' by handing off enforcement. The court's three liberal justices also dissented. The question now is whether the administration's presence in the new lawsuit will make a difference. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals provided its answer late Thursday, extending its earlier order that allows the law to remain in effect. In a 2-1 vote, the court said it was siding with Texas for the same reasons the Supreme Court and a different 5th Circuit panel cited in the providers' lawsuit - questioning whether anyone could march into federal court to challenge the law. Texas sought help from the appeals court after U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ruled that the Justice Department did have the ability to sue and that he had the authority to stop the law from being enforced, writing that 'women have been unlawfully prevented from exercising control over their lives in ways that are protected by the Constitution.' The judge conceded, however, that 'other courts may find a way to avoid this conclusion.' A 24-year-old man has been arrested at an airport by detectives investigating the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. Greater Manchester Police said the man, who is from the Fallowfield area of Manchester, was arrested at Manchester Airport on Friday shortly after arriving back in the UK. He was detained on suspicion of engaging in the preparation of acts of terrorism or assisting others in acts of preparation under section 5 of the Terrorism Act (2006). A total of 22 people, many of them children, died in the terror attack at the Manchester Arena on May 22 2017. A total of 22 people, many of them children, died in the terror attack at the Manchester Arena on May 22 2017. Pictured: Armed police stand guard outside the arena following the terror attack in 2017 The terror attack claimed 22 lives at Manchester Arena and injured hundreds more The attack was committed by Salman Abedi (pictured), and aided by Hashem Abedi, 24, who was jailed for life last year The senior investigating officer for the investigation, Simon Barraclough, said: 'Greater Manchester Police remains firmly committed to establishing the truth surrounding the circumstances of the terror attack at the Manchester Arena - whether that is by supporting the on-going public inquiry or by continuing to pursue leads with regards to the criminal investigation. 'Over four years have passed since the atrocity took place but we are unwavering in our dedication to follow each line of enquiry available so that we can provide all those affected by the events at the arena with the answers they rightly deserve.' At around 10.30pm on the day of the attack, British-born Salman Abedi, 22, walked into the foyer of the arena, as crowds streamed out of an Ariana Grande concert, and detonated a device packed with shrapnel. His brother Hashem was handed a record 55-year sentence in August last year for his part in the atrocity. The public inquiry into the deaths of the victims is continuing, and it emerged earlier this week that the elder brother of Salman and Hashem was allowed to leave the country a day after he was stopped at an airport by police. Officers using counter-terrorism powers interviewed Ismail Abedi, 28, which caused him to miss his intended flight from Manchester on August 28, but he successfully boarded a plane at the same airport on August 29 and has not returned to the UK since. Ismail Abedi had been called to give 'highly important' evidence at the public inquiry into the atrocity to explain how Salman, 22, and his 24-year-old brother Hashem - jailed for life after he aided the plot - became radicalised. Grieving families of the terror attack spoke of their 'horror' that he was allowed to leave the country. Officers using counter-terrorism powers interviewed Ismail Abedi (pictured), 28, which caused him to miss his intended flight from Manchester on August 28 In a statement from eleven of the bereaved families, read outside court on Thursday by Shane Smith from law firm Slater & Gordon, they said: 'We are appalled to learn that Ismail Abedi left the country in August, having been stopped at the airport once before. 'We want to put on record our horror that Ismail Abedi could be allowed to leave the country in the face of an upcoming appearance at a statutory inquiry which he had been ordered to attend. 'We are shocked that this can have been allowed to happen and we note the inquiry are seeking urgent clarification on this. 'Despite professing his innocence and claiming to disassociate himself from radical ideology and terrorism, he consciously chose not to attend today. A man who had genuinely rejected extremism would want to help the search for truth and would have been here today. 'Ismail Abedi is clearly not such a person but has taken the coward's way out.' Ismail Abedi was held by counter-terrorism police for a fortnight following his arrest in May 2017 before he was released - without charge - under investigation. He denied any involvement in or knowledge of the bombing and stated he had played no part in the radicalisation of Salman Abedi. In July, Ismail Abedi received a summons to attend the inquiry and was informed any objection needed to be received by mid-August. When no response came, the inquiry's solicitor e-mailed Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and requested to be notified as soon as possible if they received any information 'to suggest that Ismail Abedi may not comply with the notice for example by leaving this jurisdiction'. However, inquiry officials had no prior warning of Ismail Abedi's plans as they were not informed by Greater Manchester Police of either airport visit until August 31. On Monday, Ahmed Taghdi, 29, a childhood friend of Salman Abedi, was arrested as he attempted to leave the country following the granting of a High Court order last week which ordered him to attend. He gave evidence on Thursday before he was later released from custody. He denied trying to flee the UK to avoid questions about his close relationship with the bomber and what he knew of the plot to attack the Manchester Arena. A 95-year-old woman cheerfully toasted her family at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland before downing a glass of barbiturates during her assisted suicide. Isabel Higgins, a retired teacher from Woking, Surrey, reassured her daughter that 'laughter is the best medicine' as she burst into a fit of giggles 10 minutes before her death. She was still holding daughter Stephanie Harris's hands as she slipped out of consciousness alongside two nurses at the end-of-life centre. Her death comes as peers are debating legislation in Parliament to enable adults with no hope of recovery to legally seek assistance to end their lives in the UK. The first glass that Isabel toasted with was to stop her from being sick before her second lethal dose of barbiturates. A 95-year-old woman cheerfully toasted her family at the Dignitas clinic (pictured) in Switzerland before downing a glass of barbiturates during her assisted suicide Stephanie told The Mirror: 'She was laughing and smiling when she took the drink, there was no hesitation. She was happy to go and in control. She wanted to be free and she was just about to be. 'Everyone with her in the room was in hysterics while she was making jokes. She loved laughter and loved life, but she'd had enough of this one. We both had return tickets to the UK but my mum had no intention of using hers.' Isabel asked her daughter to record her final moments to help push for changes in the law to allow assisted suicide. Opponents say the current measures prevent vulnerable people from being pressured into ending their lives. Isabel Higgins, a retired teacher from Woking, Surrey, reassured her daughter that 'laughter is the best medicine' in the clinic (pictured) Former Labour minister Frank Field, 79, reveals he is terminally ill as he backs assisted dying law Former minister Frank Field revealed he is terminally ill today as he urged Lords to ease the law to allow assisted dying. The 79-year-old was too ill to attend Parliament as peers debated changing legislation to enable adults with no hope of recovery to legally seek assistance to end their lives. But in a message read out in the upper chamber former MP and friend of Tory PM Margaret Thatcher, who represented Birkenhead for 40 years until 2019, admitted he had spent time in a hospice recently. The now Baron Field of Birkenhead, who has never married or had children, urged them to change the law, citing a friend who had gone through the 'full horror effects' of cancer. He did not disclose what illness he is suffering, and the announcement came as a surprise to many at Parliament. Tory former housing secretary Robert Jenrick hailed him as 'one of the politicians I have most admired and respected'. Baroness Meacher read out the message from the peer, whom she said was 'dying', in which he said: 'I changed my mind on assisted dying when an MP friend dying of cancer wanted to die early before the full horror effects set in, but was denied this opportunity. 'A major argument against the Bill is unfounded. It is thought by some the culture would change and that people would be pressured into ending their lives. 'The number of assisted deaths in the US and Australia remains very low - under 1 per cent - and a former supreme court judge of Victoria, Australia, about pressure from relatives, said it just hasn't been an issue. 'I hope the House will today vote for the Assisted Dying Bill.' Advertisement But Isabel did not have a terminal diagnosis and was ready to end her life after a full 95 years in which has she travelled much of the world. She suffered from poor eyesight and Alzheimer's but was in otherwise good health. In her final message recorded last Thursday, Isabel praised Dignitas volunteers and said she wished more people were able to end their life in this way if they wanted. She said: 'I just wish that other people could have the wonderful help, obviously from my family but also from Dignitas because there is a time to go.' The former teacher said she had seen the effects of declining health and old age from friends and relatives and didn't want to be a burden on her family. The family said it took two years to arrange the end-of-life paperwork and have medical reports compiled which cost a total of around 15,000. Daughter Stephanie said during that time they had many happy moments together when they would have been happy to end Isabel's life there and then. She wants to scatter her mother's ashes in East Africa where Isabel previously worked as an education boss for the Commonwealth. After a touching final message to Stephanie, Isabel took her last drink, said 'Prost' then added: 'That wasn't bad.' Minutes later she was dead. Stephanie said she wasn't sad at all and was 'glad' her mother was free, but admitted to feeling grief. Downing Street suggested today that MPs will be given a free vote on the bill when it comes to the Commons, with a spokesman saying it was considered a 'matter of individual conscience'. The Assisted Dying Bill, tabled by crossbencher Baroness Meacher, gives patients of sound mind, with six months or less left to live, the right to die by taking life-ending medication. She later joined protesters calling for reform outside Parliament while the debate continued. They gathered in Westminster holding placards reading 'Yes to dignity' and 'Yes to choice'. The Bill, which would allow terminally ill adults to legally seek assistance to end their lives, has its second reading in the House of Lords on Friday. It would enable adults who are of sound mind and have six months or less to live to be provided with life-ending medication with the approval of two doctors and a High Court judge. Campaigners say it will give people with terminal illnesses greater choice and control over how and when they die, with safeguards in place to protect them and their loved ones. Currently, those who are judged to have assisted the suicide or attempted suicide of another person can be jailed for up to 14 years. Under the terms of the bill, the person wanting to end their life would have to sign a declaration approved by two doctors, which is signed off by the High Court. Why an 'assisted death' is almost certainly NOT what you think it is: It's not an instantly lethal injection, but an overdose of common drugs that can take hours or days to kill... as these alarming cases reveal By David Rose for the Daily Mail Kurt Huschle was certain he wanted to die. Diagnosed at 58 with incurable bile-duct cancer, he was in agony and his pain medication no longer seemed to work. Once a fit and muscular man, he had been reduced to a walking skeleton. In 2016, Kurt, an aircraft engineer, and his wife Susan had voted in a referendum in favour of a new law to allow doctors in the American state where they lived, Colorado, to help terminally ill patients die by prescribing a lethal cocktail of drugs. On July 10 the following year their 24th wedding anniversary Susan booked a table at their favourite restaurant in their town, Highlands Ranch, but Kurt was so ill he could barely stay awake, let alone eat. Unable to climb the stairs to their bedroom, he was sleeping in the sitting room and, six days later, he woke her in the middle of the night. I want to die. Will you just let me go? he said. Susan held him and tried to soothe him: Well figure it out. As required by Colorado law, the couple had already asked two doctors to certify that he had less than six months to live, and filled out forms making it clear that Kurt wished to die at a moment of his choosing. The cocktail of drugs had been prescribed and they had found a pharmacy ready to supply it in liquid form. They were told the process would probably take between two and four hours. Kurt Huschle was certain he wanted to die. Diagnosed at 58 with incurable bile-duct cancer, he was in agony and his pain medication no longer seemed to work. Once a fit and muscular man, he had been reduced to a walking skeleton. Pictured: Kurt with his wife Susan in 2008 As required by Colorado law, the couple had already asked two doctors to certify that he had less than six months to live, and filled out forms making it clear that Kurt wished to die at a moment of his choosing On the morning of July 16, a nurse arrived at their home and checked that Kurt stood by his decision. By noon, he was ready to go. Following the directions given, Susan mixed the contents of two small bottles into a bigger one and gave it to Kurt. She had expected him to drink the drug cocktail, share a last hug, then pass away peacefully. Instead, as Susan later told the Denver Post newspaper: With every sip hes choking and coughing, choking and coughing. After 20 minutes, she said, he began to gasp unevenly. He seemed to have lost consciousness. But more than four hours after he took the drugs, he was still alive. Scared and upset, Susan called a doctor and asked for help. It was then the thought struck her that, like many dying patients, Kurt might still be partly conscious and able to hear her. At 8.15pm, more than eight hours after Kurt took the drugs, he sat up in bed, retched and finally stopped breathing. Susan said she still believed it was right to help him die. But it had not been a peaceful farewell and they had not been able to say goodbye as she had wanted. Kurts story has relevance for Britain, as today peers will give Baroness Meachers Assisted Dying Bill its second reading. It also figures prominently in a dossier compiled by the new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Dying Well, made up of 30 MPs and five peers. The Group is setting up an inquiry into questions which, it says, the Bill leaves unanswered not only major ethical issues but the physical details of what it really means to be helped to die. Many of us assume that assisted dying means being injected with a lethal dose of a drug such as morphine by a doctor, then going gentle into that good night. But it doesnt. That describes euthanasia which, although legal in Belgium, the Netherlands and some other countries, is not envisaged here, for fear it might allow a new Harold Shipman, the family GP-turned- serial killer who is thought to have murdered up to 250 patients by giving them opiate overdoses. Nor does it mean the introduction here of the equivalent of Dignitas, a Swiss society that provides assisted/accompanied suicide, supported by independent doctors, to members suffering from terminal or serious physical/ mental illnesses and where some 350 Britons have been helped to die. This, a spokeswoman for the Bills supporters told me, is not in their plans, either. Baroness Grey-Thompson, who won 16 Paralympian medals as a wheelchair athlete, and is a member of the APPG, says: Assisted dying is portrayed as this Hollywood death where you just slip away . . . the reality is not like this and people need to be made aware of it Instead, Meachers Bill would create something similar to the system used in Colorado and other American states. It would allow the prescription of a cocktail of drugs at a lethal dose for those meeting certain criteria. The patient must be certified by two doctors to have less than six months to live, to have asked the High Court for permission, to have the necessary mental capacity to make the decision, and a genuine wish to end their life, having been made aware of the palliative care alternatives. The only major difference from the U.S. system is that under Baroness Meachers Bill, a doctor would be present until the patient died. But the patient must administer the lethal dose themselves. Even those paralysed or suffering from motor neurone disease would have to push a button to operate an intravenous pump or even, in extreme cases, switch it on with a blink. But most would have to drink a drug cocktail, just like Kurt. Baroness Grey-Thompson, who won 16 Paralympian medals as a wheelchair athlete, and is a member of the APPG, says: Assisted dying is portrayed as this Hollywood death where you just slip away . . . the reality is not like this and people need to be made aware of it. According to House of Lords convention, the Assisted Dying Bill will pass unopposed. Then it moves to its committee stage and, if successful there, to the Commons, where a political battle is certain. Boris Johnson is said to be firmly opposed and, on Wednesday, the heads of the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Jewish faiths issued an unprecedented joint statement, saying that while they accepted that the Bills supporters wanted to alleviate suffering, it would put the vulnerable at risk. The way to help people die well was better palliative care, they said: The aim of a compassionate society should be assisted living rather than an acceptance of assisted suicide. The APPG inquiry will not neglect such matters. Its co-chair, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, an NHS palliative care consultant, told me: There are too many stories about bad terminal care but the Bill wont make it better quite the reverse. That could leave patients with a terrible choice: either dying at their own hands or living longer but being forced to endure suffering that could have been alleviated. It will send the message that when people are ill and distressed, they should have their lives ended by lethal [doses of] drugs, rather than doing everything possible to improve their situation and valuing them as people. Baroness Grey-Thompson told the Mail she feared what it might mean for the disabled and other vulnerable individuals if the Bill became law: Youre not too far away from seeing this as a way of getting rid of people. Once it passes, there will be no going back. The inquiry will also investigate matters such as what drugs should be prescribed, how effective they are and if they cause suffering. It will also take evidence on what exactly happens at Dignitas, for which there is little published data. The APPG dossier sets out some of the evidence underlying these concerns. As well as the case of Kurt Huschle, it highlights others in the U.S. One is that of lung cancer patient David Prueitt, from Oregon, who ingested dozens of capsules of a powerful barbiturate, only to wake up 65 hours later. His wife told a local paper that when he regained consciousness, he asked: What the hell happened? Why am I not dead? He lived for another two weeks before dying of natural causes. The most detailed published data comes from Oregon, where assisted dying has been legal since 1997. To the end of 2020, a total of 1,905 people tried to die with a doctors help. According to the states annual report on the subject, information about possible complications is available in 775 cases. Of these, eight woke up after taking their drugs cocktail. But there were 33 cases of difficulty ingesting and regurgitating the drugs, and three people had seizures. A further 16 patients experienced unspecified other complications. This means there were 60 cases where things did not go smoothly, either because the patient did not die or suffered complications. Yesterday, Baroness Meacher told the Mail that, in Oregon, the average time to unconsciousness is five minutes; and to death, half an hour. However, these are median averages and they conceal a wide range. According to the official state report, the shortest period between taking the drugs and losing consciousness was one minute, while the longest was four hours. As to dying, the time between ingestion and death varied from one minute to 104 hours more than four days. The mean average, as opposed to the median, was not 30 but 137 minutes. The APPG dossier claims these issues have been exacerbated by the drugs now being used. The drugs of choice would be barbiturates, which depress the central nervous system and were once commonly used to treat anxiety, sleep problems and as anti-convulsants. But because of the widespread abuse of barbiturates they can cause physical and psych- ological dependence and have overdose potential they are no longer available in the large-dose formulations needed for assisted dying in America. This has forced doctors to use cocktails, usually of four separate and commonly used drugs, for a purpose for which they have never been intended or tested. Kurts story has relevance for Britain, as today peers will give Baroness Meachers Assisted Dying Bill its second reading There is evidence, according to the APPG dossier, that such cocktails have lengthened the average time between ingestion and death. Indeed, the official Oregon report says: All drug combinations have shown longer median times until death than the barbiturates, which are no longer readily available. The dossier adds: No medical association oversees assisted suicide and no government committee helps to fund research on the prescribed drugs . . . Drugs for the purpose of medical use are required to undergo a stringent approval process in order to assess patient outcomes. The drugs being prescribed for assisted suicide have not undergone such assessments and it remains unclear which drug or drug combination is most effective for bringing about a quick and peaceful assisted death. Hence, says the APPG, the need for a rigorous inquiry, for the Bill says nothing about which drugs should be used, only that this is a matter for the Health Secretary to decide in due course. GP and Mail columnist Dr Martin Scurr, who is also a former medical director of a hospice in Britain, argues that parallels should not be drawn between Britain and the experience of Oregon and other U.S. states if the Assisted Dying Bill should become law. He believes the British pharmaceutical industry could readily gear up to meet a need for large-dose formulations of barbiturates, obviating the need for drug cocktails. Clinical pharmacologists would have to agree what was the right dose [to achieve death], Dr Scurr says. No one wants to prescribe a drug for someone who wants to die who takes it, then wakes up. The public and political debate in Britain over Meachers Bill is likely to be contentious. In Oregon, more than 20 years after assisted dying was made legal, the controversy continues. Palliative care physician Dr Chandana Banerjee, of the City of Hope National Medical Centre in California, said: The medications used for medical aid in dying are the same time-tested ones used for many medical purposes and added that she had helped many patients to die, to gently end unbearable suffering. However, Oregon surgeon Dr Brick Lantz told the Mail : Only a minority of physicians [in Oregon] will do this work and most are not trained for it. It offends our fundamental philosophy: not to do harm, but good. Yet Baroness Meacher said yesterday: My Bill is modest in its scope, yet its potential to transform all our lives and deaths for the better is colossal. It would enable terminally ill, mentally competent people whose suffering is beyond the reach of palliative care to die well and on their own terms. Many more would be comforted by the simple fact of its existence, regardless of what they might choose. It is an insurance policy against intolerable suffering. She added: If we truly care about protecting our dying citizens, we must give them the safe, legal choices they want, not abandon them as we do under the current law. A predator has been jailed for more than seven years after admitting he spiked a woman's drink with cocaine, sexually assaulted her and emptied her bank account. Sean Howarth, 31, was sentenced to seven years and two months in prison at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester on Friday after spiking, sexually assaulting and then raiding his victim's bank account. His sentence comes amid new calls for women's safety as female campaigners this week revealed a boycott of nightclubs across the country amid an 'epidemic' of spiking incidents. Howarth met his 19-year-old victim when she was with friends in a nightclub in Manchester city centre in February 2019 and spiked her drink with cocaine. When she became unwell, he lured her away to the Royal Toby Hotel in Rochdale, telling night porters the woman was his sister who needed to sleep off after having too much alcohol. Howarth carried his unconscious victim down the hallway, which was caught on CCTV, and into his room. Once inside he recorded himself pulling down her clothing and sexually assaulting her. He then used her thumbprint to access her phone and transfer the money from her bank into his, as well as photographing all of her personal details. Sean Howarth, 31, was sentenced to seven years and two months in prison at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester after spiking, sexually assaulting and then raiding his victim's bank account When his victim became unwell, he lured her away to the Royal Toby Hotel in Rochdale, telling night porters the woman was his sister who needed to sleep off after having too much alcohol Talk to Frank issues spiking guidance How can you stay safe? Talk to Frank has revealed a number of ways people can stay safe from spiking in bars and nightclubs, starting by planning out the night ahead. It advises people to ensure they are visiting a licensed venue with friends and remaining aware of what is around them. People are also urged to be careful of who they leave a venue with and ensure their mobile phone has enough charge. How can you avoid spiking? Advice includes a person buying their own drink and watching as it is poured, not accepting drinks from strangers and never leaving their glass unattended. People should also avoiding drinking or tasting another person's drink and throw the drink away if it tastes odd. What should you do if you are spiked? Talk to Frank's website says: 'If you start to feel strange, sick or drunk when know that you couldn't be drunk, seek help from a trusted friend or the venue management. 'If you think you have been spiked, get a close friend to get you out of the place as soon as possible and take you home or to hospital (if seriously unwell). Or ring a friend, relative or partner and ask them to come and pick you up. 'If you feel unsafe, vulnerable or threatened you can ask for help by approaching venue staff and asking them for 'Angela'. This code-phrase indicates to staff that you need help and a trained member of staff will then support and assist you. 'Once you are safely home ask someone to stay with you until the effects of the drug have worn off, which could be several hours.' Advertisement Detective Constable Russell Clarke said: 'The circumstances of this case are truly shocking and involved the premeditated violation of a young woman. 'Howarth gave her no consideration as he exploited her in order to satisfy his own sexual and financial greed. 'He went out that night and, at some stage, decided he was going to drug, lure away and sexually abuse this young woman who was simply enjoying a night out with friends. 'If that wasn't enough, he then further exploited her by stealing her money, phone and personal information. 'The impact that this has had on her is immeasurable and my thoughts are with her as she continues to come to terms with what happened. She has shown considerable courage in the face of everybody's worst nightmare.' This week, a string of young women have come forward to reveal their experiences of being spiked in nightclubs across Britain, as figures showed almost a fifth of female revellers have reported having their drinks tampered with. Police forces across the country have said there has been a surge in the numbers of both drink and spiking reports over the past two months. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 states it is an offence to administer a substance, to a person with intent to overpower that person to enable sexual activity with them. The offence is punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment, meaning slipping alcohol or drugs into someone's drink is against the law, even if the drink is not consumed or the person is not harmed. The same would be true of needle spiking which would also be a physical assault. Nationwide protests are set to take place throughout the week, with more than 30 universities taking part in the boycott of nightclubs as part of the 'Girls' Big Night In'. And a petition that calls on bouncers to more 'thoroughly' search punters upon their arrival has been signed by more than 130,000 people demanding an end to the 'epidemic' of spiking. DC Clarke said Howarth failed to take responsibility for his 'predatory behaviour' and changed his story a number of times before pleading guilty on the day his trial was due to start. After initially denying the charges, Howarth later admitted to administering a substance with intent to commit a sexual offence, sexual assault, offering to supply a class A drug, theft and fraud. Mr Clarke added: 'Howarth will now have the necessary time to consider what he has done. 'We have seen in recent weeks the impact drink-spiking has on victims - we will investigate all reports thoroughly. 'I hope this conviction will act as a warning to all others capable of such crimes that we will do everything within our power to bring them to justice.' Howarth was also ordered to sign the Sex Offender's Register for life, police said. Glasgow is set to grind to a halt during Cop26 as ScotRail workers confirmed they will strike amid a dispute over pay and conditions, with binmen also threatening to walk out during the climate summit. There are fears the city will be paralysed by transport chaos and could turn into a 'huge rubbish dump' when it welcomes leaders from around the world during the first two weeks of November. Members of the RMT union said workers will strike from November 1 to 12 after Scotrail 'failed to get serious' in talks. Glasgow is set to be paralysed by transport chaos with rail workers on strike and binmen threatening to walk out as Nicola Sturgeon welcomes world leaders Thousands of delegates from across the globe, including world leaders such as US president Joe Biden, will be in Scotland for the historic event. In an announcement made on Friday Mr Lynch said: 'There was a golden opportunity for Scotrail to make serious progress in talks today but instead they offered nothing of any consequence and as a result our action throughout Cop26 goes ahead as planned.' 'There is still time to avoid the chaos of a transport shutdown during Cop26 if the key players get back with some serious proposals.' He said the union remains open to pay rise discussions with ScotRail, but 'the ball is firmly in their court'. Earlier, Mr Lynch said he had written to the First Minister 'calling on her to intervene as a matter of urgency to bring about a fair resolution' to the dispute, and accused rail bosses of having 'dragged their heels over further talks' with just weeks until the summit. Around 1,500 refuse and cleaning staff are planning a week-long strike from November 1, at the start of the international gathering In his letter to Nicola Sturgeon, he said: 'It is completely within the Scottish Government's powers to resolve these disputes before Cop26 commences - it needs to stop stonewalling these key workers and give them the justice, respect and reward they deserve.' It comes after Scotland's railways have seen months of industrial action, with most Sunday services cancelled. Earlier this week the TSSA union, which represents managers in the conductor and revenue teams at Scotland's train operator, said it would no longer take part in industrial action after accepting an improved pay offer. Meanwhile around 1,500 refuse and cleaning staff are planning a week-long strike from November 1, at the start of the international gathering. A bin strike in Glasow (pictured) threatens to turn the city into a 'giant rubbish dump' during the Cop26 climate change summit as staff are planning a week-long strike from November 1 The GMB union has given the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) until Monday to table an improved pay offer. One local authority insider said: 'We could be in a situation where the city is turned into a giant rubbish dump just as it's on show to the world.' GMB bosses have rejected an 850-a-year pay increase for staff earning up to 25,000 and are calling for a 2,000 rise. Senior organiser Drew Duffy said: 'If strike action is to be avoided, then a significantly improved offer must be brought forward to give our key workers proper value.' Glasgow City Council asked the union to reconsider its actions. A spokesman said: 'These are national, rather than local, pay negotiations and it is difficult to understand why this step has been taken while those negotiations remain ongoing. 'Cop26 will undoubtedly be a busy and difficult time for the city and its residents. We urge them to think again about the timing of this.' A spokeswoman for Transport Scotland, the Scottish Government's transport agency, said it was 'disappointing' that the RMT had not put the recent pay offer to its members in a ballot. She said: 'We acknowledge that the RMT has at last contacted ScotRail to reject this offer nearly two weeks after it was made. Around 1,500 refuse and cleaning staff are planning a week-long strike from November 1, after the GMB union rejected 850-a-year pay increase and are calling for a 2,000 rise. Pictured: Street artists paint a mural on a wall in Glasgow 'This is a disappointing response from the RMT leadership, particularly as we understand Aslef and TSSA have accepted the pay offer and Unite is recommending it to its members, who they are currently balloting. 'It is therefore disappointing that RMT leadership did not put this very good pay offer to a democratic vote to its members.' The spokeswoman continued: 'In the interest of collective bargaining, we understand that ScotRail would need to re-engage all four unions to determine next steps. 'The RMT leadership has made clear its problem is with rest-day working and that would need to be the focus for any further discussions.' She added: 'We are keen to see this issue resolved ahead of Cop26 so everyone who works in Scotland's railways can play their part in welcoming the world to our country and showcase our efforts towards building a greener, cleaner railway.' Meanwhile, a ScotRail spokesman said: 'It's extremely disappointing that the RMT have rejected a very good pay offer, negotiated over several weeks, and opted to continue with this highly damaging strike action, particularly when the other three unions have either accepted the offer or have recommended that their members do so. 'We're seeing customers gradually return to Scotland's railway, but the scale of the financial situation ScotRail is facing is stark. '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.' The House Ethics Committee unveiled reports of alleged wrongdoing and corruption by four congressmen on Friday, and said it will review all allegations. The reports conducted and referred to the committee by Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), investigated GOP Reps. Alex Mooney, W.Va.,Jim Hagedorn, Minn., and Mike Kelly, Pa., and Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski, N.J. The ethics office investigates complaints, but only the House Ethics Committee has the power to punish a lawmaker for wrongdoing. The report on Mooney found that he had repeatedly expensed his campaign for meals at fast food restaurants like Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A. The OCE recommended the committee review Mooney's transactions as 'there is substantial reason to believe' he failed to disclose information to the FEC that might have shown he used campaign funds for personal purchases. The review found Mooney's 'potentially problematic spending' focused on 'small-dollar meal expenses, in-district travel, and several large expenditures for auto repairs, a storage shed, and travel for staff retreats. The report on Mooney found that he had repeatedly expensed his campaign for meals at fast food restaurants like Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A Only meals purchased during travel for campaign business or meals for meetings with a clear campaign purpose are allowed to be charged to a campaign account. Mooney's purchases were mostly within his district and the amounts charged signaled the meals were for one person. Mooney tried to explain away the expenses. For example, he justified charging $12.84 at Wingstop to his campaign because he said he was coming back from retrieving campaign mail at a post office and there were constituents there at the chicken wing restaurant. Mooney told the OCE he charges his campaign for meals when he is visiting with constituents. Most of his meal expenditures came at places like places like Chick-fil-A, Panera, Taco Bell and local pizza joints. 'When you say visiting with constituents, what do you mean? Do you mean a planned meeting?' the OCE asked Mooney. 'Not necessarily, no, as I described earlier a lot of site visits I do, I just walk in and say 'hi,'' he replied. 'Let's say you go to Chick-Fil-A and you charge that to the campaign, the justification for that, being that there are constituents at the Chick-Fil-A that you spoke to?' the OCE replied. 'Yes. Yeah, I was meeting with constituents,' said the West Virginia Republican. The OCE said that Mooney had cooperated with the investigation and taken remedial steps to correct past mistakes. Mooney also made suspicious charges for 'site visits,' including a three-day stay with his wife and three children at Canaan Valley Resort, 2.5 hours away from his home and outside his district. Rep. Kelly, meanwhile, was under investigation for a stock purchase made by his wife into Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. on April 29, 2020, one day before the Commerce Department announced it would step in to help the ailing Butler, Pa. plant. The OCE found 'substantial reason to believe' that Kelly's wife Victoria bought stock in the steel company based on confidential information the lawmaker had received. Kelly, his wife, his chief of staff and former Commerce Sec. Wilbur Ross all refused to cooperate with the investigation. In early 2020, the Ohio-based Cleveland Cliffs, part of which is in Kelly's district, had threatened to shut its doors, prompting Kelly and other Ohio lawmakers to lobby the Trump administration to grant the company with additional protections. One day before Victoria Kelly's stock purchase, April 28, 2020, Ross called Cleveland-Cliff's CEO to inform him that his department would take action that could help the plant. According to the report, Kelly's office was told about the development that same day. The next day, Victoria Kelly purchased between $15,001 and $50,000 in Cleveland-Cliffs stock, described as an 'anomalous' purchase because one year prior she had liquidated all her individual stock. She bought the stock at $4.70 a share but sold it in January at $18.11 a share. The lawmaker's spokesperson said in 2020 his wife had made the purchase 'to show her support for the workers and management of this 100-year old bedrock of their hometown.' The OCE noted, though, that the couple did not publicly announce the purchase at the time. Rep. Kelly, meanwhile, was under investigation for a stock purchase made by his wife into Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. on April 29, 2020 Victoria Kelly, left, purchased between $15,001 and $50,000 in Cleveland-Cliffs stock, described as an 'anomalous' purchase because one year prior she had liquidated all her individual stock In Hagedorn's case, the lawmaker 'may' have used official funds to award contracts to companies owned and controlled by his staff members For Malinowski, the OCE found that the New Jersey Democrat did not report stock trades he made in 2019 and 2020 In Hagedorn's case, the lawmaker 'may' have used official funds to award contracts to companies owned and controlled by his staff members. Hagedorn may have directed nearly half a million dollars to firms connected to two of his employees for mailing services. The campaign was charged 'unusually high prices,' and House rules forbid members from contracting with staff members for goods or services. The OCE also found that Hagedorn's campaign used office space of a donor either free of charge or well below market rate and failed to report use of the space. For Malinowski, the OCE found that the New Jersey Democrat did not report stock trades he made in 2019 and 2020. Malinowski has admitted the misstep, which he said was one of 'carelessness' that he regretted. A spokesperson for Malinowski told the Washington Post the stock trades were 'made solely by his broker, based on publicly available information.' 'Congressman Malinowski has since gone far beyond what the law requires by placing his holdings in an Ethics Committee approved qualified blind trust,' the spokesperson said. Calm and coherent Alex Murdaugh lied to 911 dispatchers and gave a misleading description of his alleged 'shooter' the day he claimed to have been shot in the head in a bizarre drive-by incident, September 4. Today, for the first time, Murdaugh can be heard giving his own account of what happened that day in newly released audio of 911 calls obtained by DailyMail.com. And while his attorneys have insisted that he was gravely wounded - briefly blinded and left unconscious - the audio tells a very different story as Murdaugh coolly delivers lie after lie. In the first call Murdaugh claims: 'I got a flat tire and I stopped, and somebody stopped to help me and when I turned my back they tried to shoot me.' Asked by the dispatcher, 'Were you shot?' He responds: 'Yes. But I'm okayI can't drive and I'm bleeding a lot.' Scroll down for audio Alex Murdaugh (pictured at a bond hearing in Columbia, South Carolina Tuesday) can be heard lying to 911 dispatchers and giving a misleading description of his alleged 'shooter' in newly-released audio from his botched assisted suicide attempt on September 4 Murdaugh claimed to have been changing the tire on his car on this rural road in Hampton County, South Carolina, when someone supposedly stopped to help him before shooting him Murdaugh, 53, goes onto claim that, while he isn't sure, he believes he has been shot 'somewhere on my head.' Pressed for more details he says: 'They pulled over like they were going to help me. I'm bleeding pretty bad.' Asked if he can provide a description of his shooter Murdaugh states: 'It was a white fella. I'd say younger than me, a fair amount younger than me. Really, really short hair.' Murdaugh's story fell apart within days as it emerged that he had been ousted from his family law firm for embezzling millions, outed himself as an opioid addict and confessed to having conspired to have himself killed so that his son, Buster, 25, could claim his $10million life insurance. He was charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and filing a false police report. His co-accused, Curtis 'Eddie' Smith, whom Murdaugh told authorities was his drug dealer and the man he had hired to shoot him, could hardly be more different from the description Murdaugh gave to the 911 dispatcher on the day of the 'attack.' At 61 he is almost a decade older than Murdaugh, with long straggly hair and unshaven appearance. Murdaugh's story quickly fell apart with police later alleging that he had orchestrated his own shooting in a botched assisted suicide scheme in the hopes that his surviving son would collect a $10million life insurance payment The South Carolina legal scion's life dramatically spiraled following the murders of his wife Maggie (second from left) and youngest son Paul (second from right) in June Smith has vehemently denied Murdaugh's revised version of events, saying that he was called to the roadside to find Murdaugh brandishing a gun, demanding that he shoot him. Smith claims he refused and that the weapon discharged when he tried to wrest it from Murdaugh's grip. Alex Murdaugh is seen in this police mugshot photo in Orlando, Florida on October 14 But while their client's account has changed, Murdaugh's attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin have remained adamant that he was seriously wounded, recently producing medical reports that, they claim, back up those assertions. South Carolina Law Enforcement (SLED) has always described Murdaugh's wound as 'superficial.' Now, the newly released audio, casts further doubt on the severity of those injuries as Murdaugh appears neither muddled nor in distress despite referring to himself as 'bleeding pretty bad.' A second audio file reveals that a good Samaritan stopped to assist him and began driving him to Hampton Hospital before being met by EMS who were already en route. A third file reveals that a couple called 911 after passing Murdaugh at the side of the road Old Salkahatchie Road, next to St John's Missionary Church where he claimed to have pulled over to fix a flat tire. Speaking to the dispatcher the unnamed woman explains that they saw a man, 'covered in blood and waving his hands' by the side of the road. They didn't stop, she says, 'Because it looked like a set up.' Murdaugh later told authorities he hired Curtis 'Eddie' Smith, 61,(pictured) to shoot him. But the 911 call reveals he had initially described his alleged shooter as a 'younger', 'white fella' with 'really, really short hair' Deputies responding to Alex Murdaugh's self-reported shooting initially treated the incident as attempted murder, according to the incident report Both Smith and Murdaugh were bonded out when they appeared in Hampton County Court in relation to the incident last month. Murdaugh's bail was on condition that he returned to rehab in Florida. But he was not so lucky, Monday when he was back in court on further criminal charges. This time they related to misappropriation of funds in the death of his housekeeper Gloria Satterfield. Satterfield died following a 'trip and fall' accident in Murdaugh's family home. Murdaugh stands accused of syphoning off millions of dollars of settlement money that should have gone to her sons after they sued him on his advice. Charged on two counts of obtaining property on false pretenses, Murdaugh was denied bail and is currently languishing in the Alvin S Glenn Correction Center, Columbia. It is now more than four months since his wife Maggie, 52, and younger son Paul, 22, were found, shot dead, by dog kennels on the family's hunting estate of Moselle. The brutal slaying would prove the catalyst for an avalanche of scandal and alleged misdeeds as Murdaugh's world and reputation imploded with dizzying speed. Last week his attorneys finally admitted that he is a person of interest in the ongoing investigation into Maggie and Paul's deaths though they insist that their client had no involvement. Paul, Margaret, Alex and Buster (from left to right). The legal scion has admitted to stealing millions from his housekeeper's sons and his law firm, but denies any involvement in the murders of his wife and son Paul, 22, (left) and Maggie, 52, (right) were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds at the family's estate on June 7 General view of the Moselle Hunting Lodge where Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were gunned down June 7. Their bodies were discovered by Murdaugh by the dog kennels Meanwhile criminal investigations have also been reopened into the death of gay teenager Stephen Smith, 19, who was found dead in July 2015. He had suffered serious head injuries and was laying in the middle of a country road some 14 miles from the Murdaugh residence. The death was ruled a hit and run despite investigating officers finding 'no evidence' of vehicular involvement and case notes showing serious push-back from some investigators. The notes, obtained by DailyMail.com, also revealed that police pressed witnesses and friends over any relationship between the dead boy and Buster Murdaugh after receiving anonymous tips suggesting there was one. SLED has also reopened the investigation into 57-year-old Satterfield's death on the request of Hampton County Coroner Angie Topper. In a letter to SLED Topper expressed concern that no autopsy had been conducted following Satterfield's death which was listed on her death certificate as 'natural' a finding 'inconsistent' with a trip and fall accident as reported. National Highways has made nine applications to the High Court for contempt of court against Insulate Britain activists for breaching injunctions by 'dangerously' blocking the M25 during their protests. The court will need to decide whether members of the environmental campaign group breached orders that were made earlier this month. Protesters could face fines and even jail time if found to be in breach. It comes as Insulate Britain today warned that they will restart their road blockade protests next week, causing misery for families on half-term holidays. The group said it would 'rise up against tyranny' in response to the Government's Net Zero reports which it said 'completely fail to meet the challenges we now face'. Insulate Britain had previously said on October 14 that it was pausing its protests - which have brought misery to motorists across London - until Monday, October 25. Insulate Britain activists are removed from an M25 roundabout near Heathrow last month Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the activists now face potential prison time Mother who rammed activists with her car brands them 'terrorists' Sherrilyn Speid, 34 A mother who rammed Insulate Britain activists with her Range Rover this week branded the group 'terrorists' as she claimed the women she hit faked their 'ow ow' cries. Sherrilyn Speid, 34, of Purfleet, Essex, was accused of 'attempted murder' by one climate activist after she gently drove her car into protesters blocking traffic lights at Junction 31 of the M25 near Thurrock on October 13. Footage - filmed by another person at the protest - showed Ms Speid get out of her Range Rover to confront the protesters after she was blocked in while bringing her son, 11, to school. She said: 'I was absolutely fuming they were in the road blocking me from taking my son to school. How dare they have the audacity to do that?' Advertisement A spokesperson for National Highways said: 'National Highways is now taking the first group of activists from Insulate Britain to court, for breaching injunctions by blocking the M25. 'We will continue working with the police to bring those who carried out dangerous and disruptive action to justice. 'Those activists will now receive a court summons and could face imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. 'Timings are now in the hands of the court but we expect hearings will take place as soon as possible.' National Highways confirmed that so far nine applications for committal have been made to the High Court. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'Were taking the 1st group of activists from Insulate Britain to court for dangerous & self-defeating action along the M25. They now face potential prison time. 'National Highways will work with police to bring more of these activists to justice & prevent further reckless action.' Members of Insulate Britain were previously made subject to three other injunctions granted to National Highways, banning demonstrations on the M25, around the Port of Dover and on major roads around London. On Tuesday, a judge at the Royal Courts of Justice extended an injunction granted to Transport for London (TfL) against Insulate Britain. TfL was granted a civil banning order aimed at preventing protesters from obstructing traffic on some of the capital's busiest roads. According to court documents from an earlier hearing, 112 people have been served with court orders related to the Insulate Britain protests. Hundreds of arrests have been made with protesters blockading motorway junctions and roundabouts since September 13 by running onto the road as the lights go red. They have focused their protests on rush hours to cause maximum impact, with motorists taking it upon themselves to remove them when police are slow to arrive. Insulate Britain said today they would rise up against the Government's Net Zero reports. A spokesman said: 'Insulate Britain has considered the British Government's Heat and Buildings Strategy, the Net Zero Strategy and the Cost of Net Zero report. 'We concluded that, while these would have been a good first step 30 years ago, they completely fail to meet the challenges we now face. 'What we need in this 'period of consequence' is a wartime style national effort, a united front of shared sacrifice, not a plan to cross your fingers and hope for the best. 'Therefore Insulate Britain will continue our campaign of nonviolent civil resistance.' Insulate Britain, which is an offshoot from Extinction Rebellion, claimed that the Government's 'plan to decarbonise our homes fails on almost every measure'. It said the 450million allocated to grants for heat pumps will help only 30,000 households a year, which is a 'drop in the ocean' compared with the 900,000 a year required by the Climate Change Committee by 2028. A spokesman concluded: 'Our ancestors fought a civil war to remove such tyranny from these islands and sacrificed their lives to win the rights and freedoms we now enjoy as citizens. 'Today it is our turn, our responsibility, to rise up against tyranny. We owe that to our ancestors, to our fellow citizens and to those that come after us in the great chain of life.' On Tuesday, an injunction aimed at stopping Insulate Britain protesters blocking roads in London was extended by a High Court judge. London's transport network was granted the order earlier this month, aimed at preventing the actvists obstructing cars on some of the capital's busiest roads. Members of the protest group have already been hit with three other injunctions granted to National Highways, banning demonstrations on the M25, around the Port of Dover and on major roads around London. During Tuesday's hearing, Insulate Britain members were given the chance to address the court. Police remove Insulate Britain activists as they block junction 31 of the M25 on October 31 Despite their campaign being on a temporary pause, they have repeatedly shown their contempt for the injunctions by disobeying them and burning papers copies. Breaching a court order can result in a committal for contempt of court, which, if proved, may be punished with up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine. The judge, Mr Justice Lavender, said on Tuesday that the injunction was extended either until a trial is held in the case or a further court order or April 8 next year. Dr Diana Warner, from the group, said National Highways should reduce motorway speed limits to as low as 10mph when Insulate Britain protests on a carriageway. Advertisement The armorer and assistant director who handed off a fatal prop gun to Alec Baldwin have been identified, after it was revealed that some crew members walked off the set of the movie Rust over safety concerns before the tragic shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. A search warrant released Friday said that armorer Hannah Gutierrez laid out three prop guns on a cart outside the filming location, and first assistant director Dave Halls grabbed the gun from the cart and brought it inside to Baldwin, unaware that it was loaded with live rounds. 'Cold gun!' shouted Halls before handing the gun to Baldwin, using the phrase to signal to cast and crew that the gun was safe to fire for the scene, the warrant said. Seconds later, filming a scene inside an Old West-style church, Baldwin apparently aimed towards the camera and pulled the trigger, accidentally killing Hutchins as she filmed him, and injuring director Joel Souza, who stood behind her. The gun that fired the fatal shot was a vintage-style Colt revolver, DailyMail.com has exclusively learned. The movie, set in 1880's Kansas, stars Baldwin as the infamous outlaw Harland Rust, whose grandson is sentenced to hang for an accidental murder. A call sheet from the set identified the armorer's name as Hannah Gutierrez Reed, according to the Wall Street Journal. Gutierrez-Reed, 24, is the daughter of legendary Hollywood armorer and firearms consultant Thell Reed, who trained her from a young age, she said in a recent podcast interview. She said in the podcast that she had recently completed her first film as head armorer on The Old Way, starring Nicolas Cage. 'I almost didnt take the job because I wasnt sure if I was ready, but doing it, it went really smoothly,' she said in the interview last month. Halls is a veteran assistant director with scores of credits on productions involving prop guns, including Fargo, The Matrix Reloaded, and the TV cop comedy Reno 911. In 2000, Halls was the second unit's first assistant director on The Crow: Salvation, the sequel to the film in which Bruce Lee's son Brandon Lee was killed in an on-set firearms mishap in 1993. Neither he nor Gutierrez-Reed immediately returned messages from DailyMail.com late on Friday. Neither has been charged or named as a criminal suspect in the case, though a police investigation is ongoing. Scroll down for video A search warrant released Friday said that armorer Hannah Gutierrez (left) laid out three prop guns on a cart outside the filming location, and assistant director Dave Halls (right) grabbed the gun from the cart and brought it inside to Baldwin An aerial view of the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, where the movie was being filmed. Workers had been protesting over the fact production wouldn't pay for them to stay in hotels and motels in Sante Fe, instead forcing them to drive an hour to Albuquerque An inconsolable Alec Baldwin is shown, left, yesterday outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office after accidentally shooting and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, right. They were among few original workers on set after others walked off earlier in the day in a union row EXCLUSIVE: Fatal gun in movie shooting was vintage Colt revolver The gun that killed filmmaker Halyna Hutchins was a vintage-style Colt revolver, DailyMail.com has exclusively learned. Alec Baldwin was handling the vintage gun on the set of Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico, when it fired a live round killing mom-of-one Hutchins, 42, and wounding director Joel Souza. According to a call sheet obtained by DailyMail.com, Baldwin was taking part in a mock gunfight inside the church building on the Bonanza Ranch film set when Hutchins was hit on Thursday. A vintage Colt Dragoon from the 1800s is seen. The fatal gun was a Colt, but the model and caliber are sill unclear Co-stars Jensen Ackles, Swen Temmel and Travis Hammer were also in the scene numbered 121 - alongside Baldwins stunt double Blake Teixeira and stunt coordinator Allan Graf. Production notes show the Colt pistol was one of several weapons on set at the time but the only one used in 121 and the preceding 118. Filming had been due to continue with a scene that showed Baldwin being thrown into a stagecoach but it was halted following the accident. Further scenes featuring Baldwin and Ackles had been scheduled for Friday and over the weekend but have now been postponed indefinitely. Advertisement The warrant also said that a single bullet struck Hutchins in the chest, and then struck director Joel Souza in the shoulder as he was standing behind her, injuring him, suggesting the bullet traveled all the way through Hutchins' body. After the shooting, the armorer took possession of the gun and a spent casing, which were turned over to police, along with other prop guns and ammunition used on the set. Baldwin also changed out of the Western costume he was wearing, which was stained with blood, and turned it over to police. The warrant does not reveal the model or caliber of the prop gun that fired the fatal bullet, but the film is set in the Old West of the 1880s and DailyMail.com has learned it was a Colt. The warrant was obtained Friday so that investigators could document the scene at the ranch where the shooting took place. Unionized workers had walked off the set hours before the fatal shooting, after they complained about long hours, shoddy conditions and another safety incident days earlier involving 'two misfires' of a prop weapon. A yet-unnamed prop master who oversaw the gun used in the fatal shooting was a non-union worker who was 'just brought in' to replace the workers who left over safety concerns, a source involved in the movie told the New York Post. It's unclear whether Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer, had recently joined the production, or was one of the crew members who stayed behind after the walk-off. However, a link in her Instagram bio points to an article about Rust from May, suggesting she had been attached to the production for some time. Unionized employees had been complaining about the fact they had to stay overnight in Albuquerque - an hour's drive from the set - and not Sante Fe because production wouldn't pay for their hotels, according to sources cited by The Los Angeles Times and multiple social media posts by film and TV insiders. When they turned up to set to clear their things on Thursday, they found they'd been replaced by locals. It begs the question of who those local workers were, what their training was and to what extent did they check the weapon before it was handed to Baldwin. Deadline also cites an unnamed source who said a gun had gone off 'in a cabin' while someone was holding it, days prior to the shooting that killed Hutchins. 'A gun had two misfires in a closed cabin. They just fired loud pops a person was just holding it in their hands and it went off,' they said, apparently referring to unintentional discharges. Rust Production LLC did not respond to repeated requests for comment from DailyMail.com on Friday about the incident, but members of the union that represents many of the crew who were involved in the production said they had expressed fears about on-set safety. Production of the film has stopped now in light of the tragedy. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department is investigating and 'collecting evidence', a spokesman said on Friday Union members vented on social media before the tragedy about the poor conditions on the set of the film. They talked about having to sleep in their cars at the set rather than make the drive back to Albuquerque because they were too exhausted ALEC BALDWIN ON-SET TRAGEDY: WHAT COULD HAVE GONE WRONG? The Santa Fe Sheriff's Office continues to investigate what exactly happened on the set that led to the death of Hutchins and the injury of the director, but past accidents involving guns on movie sets present a range of options for what could have led to the tragedy. Squib load - something was lodged in the barrel of the gun when Baldwin fired One possibility is that an object was stuck in the barrel of the prop gun that Baldwin was using. Known as a squib load, it happens when a cartridge isn't fired from the barrel because the gas isn't strong enough to push it out. In itself, it is not dangerous and can be fixed if the gun is safely cleared but if someone keeps firing rounds from that same gun - live or not - it can be highly dangerous. If a second round is fired behind the stuck round, it can cause the weapon to explode, or injure people in the near vicinity. A real bullet was accidentally loaded, or part of one was, instead of a blank After firing the gun, Baldwin's immediate reaction was to ask why he'd been handed a 'hot' gun - meaning one containing live bullets. That is what happened in the 1993 shooting of actor Brandon Bruce Lee on the set of The Crow. Those on set thought the gun was loaded with blanks, but an autopsy revealed a .44 caliber bullet was lodged near Lee's spine. Police recovered dummy shell casings from the set. A dummy, unlike a blank, looks like a live round with a bullet at the tip of the cartridge. The difference between live rounds and blanks is the tip of the cartridge where the lethal bullet is contained is not there on a blank. Sometimes they are replaced with cotton or paper. Dummy bullets, unlike blanks, look like ordinary bullets but aren't meant to contain the metal bullet tip either Blast from the blank struck something else on set One possibility, though it is not likely, is that the blank hit something else, damaged it, and caused that prop or piece of equipment to send pieces flying towards the director and Hutchins. Rhys Muldoon who has used guns on set many times and says even blanks are dangerous, speculated at that possibility, telling the BBC: 'The first thought I had is this is a close up of a gun being fired by the actor, very close to the frame of the camera, that has misfired, hit the DoP, and then something has either come off the French Flag or the black box like a part of the camera and hit the director as well.' But movie experts say even in those cases, there should be more safeguards in place. 'If you are in the line of fire... You would have a face mask, you would have goggles, you would stand behind a Perspex screen, and you would minimize the number of people by the camera. 'What I don't understand in this instance is how two people have been injured, one tragically killed, in the same event,' Steven Hall, who has worked on films such as Fury and The Imitation Game, told BBC. Advertisement It is the same union that had been threatened to galvanize an industry-wide strike in protest over poor working conditions including low pay and laxed safety. IATSE Local 44 - whose members were involved in the Rust production - said in a statement to its members that no union members were on the set on Thursday. One text message that was circulating on social media, shared repeatedly by union members, refers to a 'walk out' by staff the day before the tragedy. The text message claims that Halyna was one of the few people who decided to stay. She belonged to IATSE Local 600 and had been campaigning for better conditions for her team when she was killed. One person who was involved with the production posted on social media that crew had been sleeping in their cars at the movie set because they were too tired to drive the one-hour back to Albuquerque after grueling days. The movie does not have a large budget like other productions, and one experienced prop master who was offered the job turned it down because it wasn't paying enough for her to take the job. DailyMail.com spoke with the crew member who ranted on social media about the deplorable work conditions that led union members to walk out hours before the fatal accident. 'I am literally on the show in New Mexico with him and the producers on that movie are treating the local crew like f**king dog sh*t,' he wrote in one post earlier this week. 'At the moment I'm fighting to get my crew, on this movie, hotel rooms when we go long or are too tired to drive the hour back from location to Albuquerque,' he wrote in another. 'They either say no or offer a garbage roadside motel.' Reached by DailyMail.com and shown the posts in question, the member, who lives in Albuquerque, N.M., didn't deny he wrote them. But he wouldn't answer follow-up questions, saying he didn't want to interfere with the police investigation. 'I can't speak to anything until I know that the police have the strongest possible case against the people who are ultimately responsible for this,' he told DailyMail.com. Zak Knight, a pyrotechnic and special effects engineer who is a member of Local 44, told DailyMail.com on Friday that he'd heard from others involved in the production that there was a walk-out. 'It's very possible that the union members said 'we're out', and they brought in people to fill the positions on the fly. There's a lot of grey area.' He added that different gun laws between New Mexico and California may have also contributed to the accident. In California, both a trained armorer and a prop master is required on a film set and those are the standards the union adheres to as well. 'You will find the best and most well-trained individuals in Los Angeles. You can't guarantee that as you go across the country,' he told DailyMail.com on Friday. In the days before the tragedy, IATSE had been threatening a large-scale strike that would have crippled Hollywood production. Among the complaints were overworking staff and poor rates. Baldwin recorded a video of himself encouraging the union members to strike if they felt they needed to, saying studio bosses 'don't give a f**k about you', that the union shared online. 'There's a direct correlation between maintaining a safe set and the hours that we work. At a certain time there's no such thing as a safe set if we're all exhausted,' Knight, a special effects artist, said. Whatever happened in the moments leading up to her death, Knight said it was caused by a 'cascade of failures' by multiple people. 'We have a hard and fast rule that no live ammunition ever goes into a prop truck or set at any time. We just don't do it. 'If you see bullets on set they are complete dummy rounds and are in no way functional. This goes back to Brandon Lee. There's protocol. 'There should have never been live rounds on a movie set, that's number one. Number two is every single person on a movie set has a right to inspect a weapon before it's fired. And number three is, there is no reason to ever put a person in front of a weapon that's firing. 'Anytime you see a movie where the barrel is pointed down the camera lens, there should not be an operator behind it. It's obvious that the considerations of this resulted in that gun being pointed directly at two people. 'We would have additionally had a barrier between them. 'A large number of people failed to do our protocols... every accident is a cascade of events,' he said. A vehicle from the Office of the Medical Investigator enters the front gate leading to the Bonanza Creek Ranch on Friday, after Rust Director of Photography Halyna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was injured on set One Santa Fe prop master told DailyMail.com that had the gun been checked properly before it was handed to Baldwin, the tragedy wouldn't have occurred. 'If they'd done their job checking the weapon this wouldn't have happened. You show the assistant director the weapon, you show the actor the weapon, you show everybody it's a safe weapon. There's a big chain of command that missed an opportunity to save a life.' Rust Productions LLC has opened an internal investigation into what happened but will not comment on the specifics. A Sante Fe County Sheriff Department spokesman said on Friday afternoon: 'The investigation remains active and open. Witnesses continue to be interviewed and evidence collected.' In addition to the criminal probe, New Mexico's Occupational Health and Safety Bureau is investigating Hutchins' death, and could impose civil penalties even if no charges are brought in the case. 'Our state OSHA program is investigating this,' Rebecca Roose, deputy cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department,' told Deadline. 'The state takes all workplace safety issues very seriously and will work diligently through our investigation of this tragic fatality.' Baldwin, 63, tweeted on Friday afternoon to say he had spoken with the victim's husband and that he was fully cooperating with law enforcement. 'There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. 'I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. 'My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna,' he said. He was pictured doubled over in grief on Thursday after speaking to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department. The workers were angry that they weren't being put up in Sante Fe, the town nearest the ranch where they were shooting, and instead were being told to drive every night to Albuquerque after long shifts. Some said they were sleeping in their cars at the set to avoid it Baldwin and Hutchins (circled) are pictured together on the set of Rust, in an image that she uploaded to Instagram two days ago saying the crew of the film were supporting a strike by the IATSE union Hutchins' husband Matthew told DailyMail.com on Friday exclusively: 'I have spoken with Alec Baldwin. He is being very supportive' The Baldwin family's nanny was pictured packing up their SUV outside the family's NYC home on Friday but there was no sign of the actor's wife Hilaria Baldwin's wife Hilaria posted this screenshot of them FaceTiming on Thursday before the tragedy Hutchins' grieving husband Matthew told DailyMail.com on Friday morning that he had spoken with the actor. 'I have spoken with Alec Baldwin and he is being very supportive,' he said. Baldwin was heard on set asking people around him why he'd been handed a 'hot gun'. 'In all my years, I've never been handed a hot gun,' he was heard saying. Last month, actor Jensen Ackles told a conference in Denver how he'd been able to 'choose' his own gun from the female armorer in a haphazard training session. It was not clear whether he was referring to Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer named in the search warrant. 'They had me pick my gun. They were like, 'Alright, what gun would you like?' I was like, 'I don't know', and the armorer was like, 'Do you have gun experience?' I was like, 'A little', she was like, 'This is how you load it...check it's safe. Do you want it hip drawn or cross drawn?' I was like 'cross drawn, that sounds fun'.' 'So she's like, 'I'll just put some blanks in there and just fire a couple of rounds towards the hill.' 'I walk out and she's like, 'Just make sure you pull the hammer all the way back and aim at your target'. 'I was like alright I got it,' he said. It's unclear where Baldwin is now. There was no sign of his wife, Hilaria, outside their New York City apartment on Friday but a nanny was pictured loading up their SUV. The production employed '73 New Mexican crew, 22 New Mexico principal actors, and 230 New Mexico background talent' according to a press release issued earlier this month. According to the prop masters' union email, the 'Props, Set Decoration, Special Effects and Construction Departments were staffed by New Mexico crew members' - none of whom belonged to the union. Actor Jensen Ackles told last month how he'd received haphazard gun training on the film set. He talked about being able to choose his own gun, and how the unnamed female armorer loaded it with blanks then shot it at a hill before asking him how he'd like to draw the weapon and then letting him shoot. A photo he posted from the set is shown, right An image taken on the set of Rust shows cast and crew members receiving a safety briefing before filming stunts. The image was uploaded to Instagram a week ago In the days before the tragedy, IATSE had been threatening a large-scale strike that would have crippled Hollywood production. Among the complaints were overworking staff and poor rates. Baldwin recorded a video of himself encouraging the union members to strike if they felt they needed to, saying studio bosses 'don't give a f**k about you', that the union shared online. The tragedy is reminiscent of the 1993 accident on the set of The Crow, when Bruce Lee's son Brandon was shot and killed by a fellow actor. The film crew in that accident thought the gun was loaded with dummy bullets and blanks, but an autopsy revealed Lee had a .44 caliber bullet lodged in his spine. Investigators in that shooting also probed the theory that a dummy cartridge got stuck in the barrel before the second was fired - a known hazard in shooting which can cause serious injuries or death when the second round is fired. Will Baldwin face charges? Legal experts tell DailyMail.com massive civil suit is a virtual certainty, but say any criminal prosecution would likely focus on whoever prepared the prop gun By Keith Griffith for DailyMail.com Legal experts tell DailyMail.com lawsuits naming Alec Baldwin are a virtual certainty, but that any potential criminal charges are more likely to center on whoever loaded the gun Legal experts tell DailyMail.com that following Halyna Hutchins' death, lawsuits naming Alec Baldwin are a virtual certainty, but that any potential criminal charges are more likely to center on whoever loaded the gun. Baldwin said Friday that his killing of a cinematographer with a prop gun on a movie set was a 'tragic accident' as authorities investigated the shooting, which also wounded the director. Hutchins, the cinematographer on the Western movie Rust, was killed and director Joel Souza was shot and injured on Thursday in the desert on the outskirts of Santa Fe. A spokesperson for Baldwin said a prop gun with blanks 'misfired'. A spokesman for the Santa Fe County sheriff said detectives were investigating what type of projectile was discharged and how. No immediate charges were filed. Key facts in the case have not yet been publicly confirmed, including how and why a projectile was expelled. 'If Baldwin or another person was negligent, a civil suit is almost a no-brainer at this point -- a very high likelihood,' attorney Jamie White, who has experience in both criminal defense and civil prosecutions, told DailyMail.com. 'It is not likely that it was Baldwin's job to prepare props. There are other parties associated with putting those things in motion,' he added. 'As the facts have thus far been presented, Baldwin will not be charged with an intentional act of violence,' said White. A distraught Alec Baldwin lingers in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, after he was questioned about a shooting on the set of the film Rust on the outskirts of Santa Fe A news cameraman records the entrance of the Santa Fe County Sheriff office in Santa Fe on Friday. Actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of a Western being filmed at the Bonanza Creek Film Ranch, killing the cinematographer, officials said 'However, it is not unheard of to be charged with significant negligence. There are a lot more facts that need to be developed, but studios take extensive cautions in light of Brandon Lee's death in 1993,' he said, referring to the actor killed by a squib load on the set of The Crow. Los Angeles personal injury attorney Miguel Custodio said that as the facts that are known stand, 'liability certainly points to Rust Movie Productions and the prop manager.' Custodio noted that any lawsuit is likely to name Baldwin, however, due to his role as a producer of the movie as well as an actor. 'As the actor, Alec Baldwin has little liability because you're given something and you're trusting the prop manager to have checked everything out,' he said. 'Baldwin the producer may bear more responsibility, depending on if he is just an investor or has a more active role in the making of the film, which I suspect he does.' 'Overall, this is horrible negligence and Ms. Hutchins' survivors should go after everyone they can,' added Custodio. 'It's likely they'll go after Baldwin the actor, Baldwin the producer, the film company and the prop manager.' Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, said that criminal charges are possible in the case, but that a murder charge is unlikely. 'A charge of murder is unlikely because it requires the intent to kill. There is no evidence that Baldwin indeed intended to kill,' said Rahmani. 'A manslaughter charge might be more likely, because it does not require intent to kill, but does require criminal negligence or gross negligence,' he added. 'In this case, there are reports that the prop gun was loaded with live rounds. If that is true, that is grossly negligent, and whoever loaded the gun is going to be responsible. 'Baldwin, if he had no knowledge whatsoever that the gun was loaded with a live round instead of a blank, wouldn't have any criminal liability,' said Rahmani. Props expert Guillaume Delouche at Independent Studio Services holds a prop gun while explaining them in Sunland-Tujunga, Los Angeles on Friday. It's still unclear what kind of prop gun was involved in Thursday's fatal shooting Rahmani said that if a live round were loaded by mistake, its likely to be a case of simple negligence, which would not bring criminal liability. 'There is a rare circumstance where there can be criminal charges without any knowledge that the round was live,' he said. 'That's when there's deliberate indifference or willful ignorance. It's very hard to prove, which is why these types of prosecutions are rare.' 'It comes down to what was in the gun, who put it in, and what did he or she know when they put the round in there,' added Rahmani. 'If it was a blank, even blanks can be dangerous when discharged at close distances. That can be grossly negligent.' Custodio speculated that any civil suit brought by the family of Hutchins was likely to seek a large amount of damages. 'She was 42 and had an incredibly promising future, so her potential earnings were likely to be significant,' he said. 'It's also clear that somebody failed her in the most basic way to check whether a gun was safe and may be criminally negligent,' added Custodio. 'And remember, director Joel Souza also was injured, and many others on set also are traumatized and affected by this.' No criminal charges have been filed in the case, but police say an active investigation is underway. Baldwin has pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation. The owners of The Station nightclub in Rhode Island - where 100 people died in an inferno caused by a rock band's pyrotechnics back in 2003 - are finally telling their side of the story for the first time after nearly 20 years of silence. Jeffrey and Michael Derderian claim that 'sound foam' installed in the West Warwick club was actually 'cheap packing foam' that helped the deadly fire spread, burning the building to the ground in just three minutes. The brothers are speaking out in their first public interview with 48 Hours. 'We wanted the full story to come out, not just some of it, and that for people who want to, come to their own conclusion on what happened that night,' Jeffrey Derderian told 48 Hours' Jim Axelrod, a three-minute snippet of which was released on Thursday. 'We understand the enormity of what happened. People suffered enormously,' Jeffrey told the Boston Globe in a separate interview prior to the premiere of their upcoming 48 Hours segment. 'We don't want sympathy, but it never leaves us.' Jeffrey Derderian, pictured, was sentenced to three years of probation and 500 hours of community service Pictured: Michael (C) and Jeffrey Derderian (R) listen to victim impact statements with attorney Richard Egbert in 2006 during their sentencing trial in Warwick, Rhode Island The scene inside The Station nightclub on February 20, 2003 when soundproofing foam ignited due to pyrotechnics, killing 100 and injuring 200 more On February 20, 2003, the nightclub was packed for a Great White concert when a pyrotechnical mishap caused a massive fire as trapped patrons scrambled to exit the fully-engulfed venue. One of the fireworks ignited soundproofing foam on the club's walls and ceiling, which then burst into flames before filling the nightclub with toxic smoke as the venue continued to burn. The brothers insist that they ordered 'sound foam' from American Foam Corporation, and didn't want cheap material foam on the walls, which were installed three years before the deadly blaze. Along with the 100 dead, there were more than 200. After the fire, the company representative who serviced the venue sent an anonymous fax to the attorney general's office and the press which revealed that the company was not honest with their customers about the dangers of the foam. The two brothers have posted copies of that document on Facebook, while adding that prosecutors had withheld it from the grand jury at the time of their sentencing. The Derderian brothers broke their silence after the recent release of 'Trial By Fire,' a book about the tragic incident by investigative reporter Scott James. Rock band Great White (pictured) was the group performing the night the pyrotechnics ignited the Rhode Island nightclubs soundproofing foam in 2003 The brothers insist they ordered 'sound foam' from American Foam Corporation, pictured, and didn't want cheap material foam on the walls, which was installed three years before the fire Firefighters carry out a body bag from the nightclub The Station in West Warwick, RI after a multiple fatality fire the previous night on Feb. 21, 2003 The two brothers have posted copies of that document on Facebook, pictured, while adding that prosecutors had withheld it from the grand jury at the time of their sentencing James told WBZ-TV there were still so many questions about that night that remain due to the fact there was no trial following the fire. The brothers instead opted to for a plea deal and were sentenced for 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter in 2006. Michael was sentenced to four years in a minimum security prison, while his brother Jeffrey was sentenced to three years of probation and 500 hours of community service. Civil lawsuits from 65 defendants were settled out of court for a total of $176 million, according to the Globe. Daniel Biechele, the tour manager who lit the pyrotechnics, served 16-months of a four-year sentence. James said that even the legal capacity of the venue, which was believed to have been exceeded the night of the fatal fire, is still a mystery to this day. 'It was believed the legal capacity of the nightclub was 300 people, and that was reported for weeks,' James said. 'But it wasn't 300. It was more than 400 and there is a question about whether or not they really exceeded the legal capacity.' The brothers insist the club was not over capacity on the night of the blaze, and remain adamant that they never allowed the band to use pyrotechnics in the first. James added that although the two brothers remained silent for so many years, Jeffrey in particular has always wanted to talk about the fire, according to CBS Boston. The Station nightclub owner and defendant Michael Derderian breaks down while listening to sentencing as attorney Richard Egbert (back) looks on, September 29, 2006 Pictured: the rubble and remains following the deadly 2003 nightclub fire Station nightclub fire scene, pictured, which burned to the ground in about three minutes. The fire was started by pyrotechnics going off on the stage while the band Great White performed 'He said to me repeatedly that he always wanted to talk because he always felt that the people who didnt talk, when he was a reporter he always concluded, well they must be hiding something, they must be guilty,' James said. 'So he wanted to talk.' The story of the Derderians took an emotional turn during sentencing over 15 years ago, when James said the brothers were forced to determine which of the two would take the prison sentence. 'The twist of the story that had not been reported was that they allowed one of them to stay free, and one of them could go to prison,' James said. 'And the way the deal worked, the state said they could decide amongst themselves, which of the two brothers would be the one to serve. And so there's a scene in the book where we see them in a Dunkin' Donuts where they're having this discussion about whos going to be the one better suited for prison. And they decide that Michael is.' Derderians said they are not looking for sympathy after breaking the nearly two decades of silence. 'It's not a redemption tour. It's about the truth,' Michael said. ' 'It's the right thing to do, and it needs to be done ... to make sure the people who are entitled to hear the truth get the truth.' The full-length interview with 48 Hours will premiere Saturday on CBS and Paramount+, according to CBS News. Vice President Kamala Harris was delivering remarks in New York City's Bronx borough on Friday when she was interrupted by an impassioned protester critical of the city's aging infrastructure. A number of high-profile New York Democrats were in attendance, including Mayor Bill De Blasio, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Governor Kathy Hochul. She was discussing President Joe Biden's Build Back Better agenda and its impact on climate change when the heckler, 23-year-old Jose Vega, pointed out that earlier action could have possibly mitigated the devastating effects of flash floods the city saw during Hurricane Ida. He confirmed his identity to DailyMail.com, and said: 'People arent drowning because of global warming in Queens. They are drowning because of illegal apartments in Queens.' Vega is a South Bronx resident and works for the Diane Sare for Senate campaign. Sare is an Independent candidate challenging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for his seat in the upcoming 2022 election. In September, flood waters surging into basement apartments killed 11 people throughout New York City. At least 13 people died in the city overall. Local officials had blamed the city's aging sewer system and said it wasn't equipped to handle increasingly frequent bouts of extreme weather that are brought on by climate change. 'Families drowned in Queens, It could have been prevented if we had the right infrastructure,' Vega can be heard on video shouting. Harris, at the podium, shouted back: 'You are right brother.' 'I am right about that,' he responded. The vice president's microphone drowned out part of the protester's speech as she offered, 'I know you are, and how about if you and I talk about that.' 'So let me finish,' Harris began. At one point Vega can be heard shouting, 'Why aren't we working with the Chinese on the Belt-and-Road Initiative?' Harris continued speaking over his protests. 'Okay you know what, you and I will talk after I give my comments and I am happy to talk with you,' she said as sparse applause rings out. 'Right now, let's talk about the agenda-' she began, trying to finish her sentence above their protests. Vega was then escorted out by Secret Service agents. Harris was speaking at a YMCA in the Bronx to promote Biden's infrastructure plans The protester identified himself to DailyMail.com as 23-year-old Bronx resident Jose Vega New York Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mayor Bill De Blasio and Governor Kathy Hochul were at the event He later told DailyMail.com that Harris did not meet with him and that he didn't hear her offer to do so as he was being pulled out of the venue. 'But if the offer is still open Id be glad to sit down and have a friendlier discussion,' he said. Harris' office has not immediately returned a request for comment. Vega said after today's events that he was 'speaking on behalf of the dead,' like Kalief Browder, a former Rikers Island inmate who was imprisoned in solitary confinement for two years over allegations he stole a backpack. Browder hung himself in 2015. Vega said Browder was a student at Bronx Community College, where he also attended. Vega said his comments to Harris today, much of which was drowned out during the exchange, also referenced Browder. A person leans on an abandoned car on the flooded Major Deegan Expressway following a night of extremely heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 2 He said his full remarks at the event were, 'What about the families who drowned? 8 families drowned in Queens which couldve prevented if we had built the right infrastructure And the Chinese have shown that poverty is a choice. Why arent we working with the the Chinese on their Belt and Road initiatives?' 'Whats wrong with magnetically levitated trains that go 400 to 600 mph? That would cut all the plane flights in the nation massively, saving fuel.' 'AOCs Green New Deal is not the answer. Get the credit to American business. Bail out the people with an FDR program of more power plants, hospitals, railways and schools. Thats what Khalief Browder wanteda chance to make his own life mean something other than the injustice he suffered. Weve gone through 50 years of benign neglect and planned shrinkage.' China's Belt-and-Road Initiative is a massive infrastructure plan in which the powerful economy is aiming to invest in nearly 70 different countries and organizations. Some countries, like the US, have been skeptical of China's efforts to strengthen global infrastructure and engagement as a vehicle to grow the country's influence throughout the world. Harris was in the Bronx as part of the Biden administration's effort to make the case for the president's ambitious Build Back Better agenda to the American people. In Washington, DC, the plan has lawmakers in a seemingly unending stalemate as Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer work to appease both moderates and progressives within the Democratic Party. Vulnerable children are being put at risk by private equity care home owners and their debt-fuelled business models, the industry watchdog said yesterday. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warned firms owned by investment tycoons were charging taxpayers excessive fees, despite their aggressive business tactics putting childrens welfare at risk. There is a real concern that high levels of debt could force hundreds of homes out of business, leaving the sector in crisis, it said. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warned firms owned by investment tycoons were charging taxpayers excessive fees, despite their aggressive business tactics putting childrens welfare at risk Experts are worried the sector could face a Southern Cross-style collapse, when the UKs largest adult care home company went bust following private equity ownership. This put the wellbeing of thousands of elderly residents at risk. CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli said: We are concerned this is a failing system. The levels of debt carried by private equity-owned firms is a real concern. The CMA also raised the alarm over fees charged by private companies, revealing the taxpayer was being forced to pay an average of 3,830 a week to look after each child more than double the cost of sending a teenager to Eton College. Firms were charging more than they should, enabling them to make fat profits with margins of 23 per cent on the back of caring for vulnerable children, it found. The parents of a teenage girl who was tortured in a special needs home have accused its private equity owners of cutting corners and failing to invest in staff Autistic teenager tortured as one firm cut corners By Tom Witherow and Chris Brooke for the Daily Mail The parents of a teenage girl who was tortured in a special needs home have accused its private equity owners of cutting corners and failing to invest in staff. Ruby Oades, 14, who has severe learning difficulties and autism, was dragged along the floor by her ankles, mocked for the way she talks and punished with loud noises Ruby Oades, 14, who has severe learning difficulties and autism, was dragged along the floor by her ankles, mocked for the way she talks and punished with loud noises. Several staff at Swinderby school and care home in Lincolnshire were dismissed or resigned, but no charges were brought. Swinderby is owned by private equity firm Antin Infrastructure Partners, which bought the company from Five Arrows, part of the Rothschild banking dynasty, in 2017 for 200million. After allegations of abuse emerged in 2018, Ruby was moved to Fullerton House, another school owned by Antin. But serious allegations of neglect and abuse also surfaced there, leading to the closure of the school in March this year. Rubys father Terry Oades, 47, said: I am fuming about it. This should not be happening, but this sort of thing has been going on for years. They should be investing in more appropriate staff. You cant cut corners. His wife Nicola, 46, a nursery nurse, added: It is like they are not bothered about the kids its the money that matters. They did appear to be under-staffed. Ruby is very challenging but you dont drag a child around by the ankles. A record of text messages, passed to the Daily Mail, revealed staff boasted about bullying Ruby. One read: Ruby attempting to make herself sick at 3am... t****ing [punishment] given, lol [laugh out loud]. A colleague replied: Good. Another said: Member of staff tormenting Ruby now... taking the p*** out of how she talks...such a f****** bully. The two-year campaign of abuse left Ruby with injuries including carpet burns, with staff saying she had caused them herself. Inspectors from watchdog Ofsted were told by staff that the homes management thought they were untouchable. Nine members of staff involved in severe allegations of misconduct were dismissed or resigned. The head of Swinderbys corporate owner apologised to Rubys family. Antin, which has 5.5billion of assets under management, holds the ownership of Swinderbys parent firm Kisimul in a shell company in Luxembourg a tax haven. Kisimul reported 26.3million profits in the last three years. Antin said: We are working closely with care homes to ensure all children get the high level of care they and their families deserve. Kisimul said: We take all safeguarding concerns extremely seriously. We have increased staffing numbers, invested in facilities and continue to strengthen management processes. Advertisement The CMAs verdict came as a Daily Mail investigation found that failures in private equity-owned homes have resulted in children being sexually exploited, while others lived in homes with faeces-covered walls. Firms owned by investment giants raked in 161 million in profits last year from taxpayer-funded fees despite collectively running dozens of failing childrens homes. Council staff have accused private providers of holding them to ransom when beds run short forcing them to pay fees of up to 10,000 a week. Industry leaders decried the spectacular market failure and accused private equity providers of gaming the system to rinse councils for more cash. A fifth of homes are not rated at least good, according to Ofsted data. MPs and industry leaders called on the Government to put a halt to private equity companies raking in excess profits. Tory MP David Simmonds, a member of the Commons finance committee, said: Taxpayers must not be ripped off by providers profiteering off services for vulnerable people. Former childrens minister Robert Goodwill MP said: Big chunks of money going to private equity companies means less money for childrens services in the community. Im delighted that the Daily Mail is shining a bright light on this issue. Kathy Evans, chief executive of Children England, which represents childrens charities, described the issue as shocking and enraging, while Anntoinette Bramble, of the Local Government Association, said: It is unacceptable that private equity providers are making excessive profits from placements for children. Councils have a statutory duty to look after children who are unable to live safely in the family home due to domestic violence, issues surrounding addiction, or because they have complex needs. In recent years the care of vulnerable children has become dominated by private providers, after cash-strapped local authorities sold off their care homes. The number of privately-owned homes has jumped from 19,080 in March 2011 to 27,190 in March 2019 and seven out of ten of the UKs biggest childrens home companies are now in the hands of private equity. A Mail audit of Ofsted reports found dozens of failing homes owned by the venture capital firms, including appalling cases of abuse and management failure. Two girls living in a Keys Group home, owned by G Square Capital, were raped due to failings at a home hit by poor management and mass redundancies. Inspectors said there was a total failure to keep young people safe. Keys said the report was historic and the home was now closed. In another shocking case, traumatised children were left living in bedrooms with blood and faeces smeared on the walls in a home run by Witherslack, which is owned by private equity firm Livingbridge. The failures led to the home being closed after inspectors visited in July 2020 less than two years after it opened. At a home in Lancashire, run by Sandcastle Care, and owned by Waterland private equity, management failed to report allegations of abuse, among a range of failures. The founder of Waterland is Dutch billionaire Rob Thielen, who has used his wealth to buy a 180ft superyacht and hire the Black Eyed Peas to play at his 1 million 50th birthday bash. Waterland and Livingbridge declined to comment. Buckingham Palace was accused yesterday of misleading the nation over the state of the Queens health. Commentators including BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell questioned whether the palace had undermined public trust by failing to reveal she had been taken to hospital. The 95-year-old monarch was admitted to King Edward VIIs on Wednesday afternoon and stayed there overnight for tests. A two-day scheduled visit to Northern Ireland had to be cancelled at the last minute. The palaces communications team told journalists the Queen had remained at Windsor Castle. However on Thursday night more than 24 hours later it confirmed she had been taken to the private hospital in London. Buckingham Palace was accused yesterday of misleading the nation over the state of the Queens health Unusually, the royal standard remained flying at Windsor on Wednesday, even after the Queen had left. The flag represents the sovereign and is flown only when she is present. A royal source denied it was kept aloft as part of a cover-up and said the standard did not move to every building she visited. The source said Windsor had remained the Queens residence, despite the overnight trip. Mr Witchell insisted journalists and the public werent given the complete picture. He added: The problem, it seems to me, is that rumour and misinformation always thrive in the absence of proper, accurate and trustworthy information. Peter Hunt, a royal commentator and former BBC journalist, claimed there had been a failed attempt to cover up the hospital admission. He said: The medias faith in the veracity of royal communications will have been sorely tested by the failed attempt to hide the fact the Queen spent a night in hospital. Buckingham Palace can ill afford a breakdown in trust, given all theyre dealing with. Palace officials are generally reluctant to disclose information relating to health matters because the Royal Family is entitled to privacy and medical confidentiality. But updates are usually provided if a senior royal is admitted to hospital, and the health of the monarch is of constitutional significance. As head of state, the Queens health has been subject to intense scrutiny, which increases as she gets older. The revelation that she had needed to be seen by specialists in hospital her first overnight stay for eight years has fuelled public concern about her health. The 95-year-old monarch was admitted to King Edward VIIs on Wednesday afternoon and stayed there overnight for tests Mr Witchell told BBC Breakfast: We are told that shes back at Windsor Castle, undertaking light duties. Well, we must hope that we can place reliance on what the palace is telling us. Royal expert and biographer Ingrid Seward said: They did mislead the media. I think they were trying to protect the Queen, because she would not have wanted a fuss, but it was misleading. Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, added: The Queen does have a right to a certain degree of privacy, but on the other hand shes head of state. So does that entitle us to know exactly what ailments she may or may not have? Its a very difficult one to get the balance right for the satisfaction of everybody. The Queen was discharged from hospital on Thursday and is now expected to remain in Windsor, where doctors have told her to rest. Buckingham Palace has not disclosed the nature of the tests carried out at King Edward VIIs and it is not known whether she will need any further examination or treatment. She was taken from Windsor to hospital by car rather than by helicopter, and was expected to stay for a short period while she was seen by specialists. The decision to admit her overnight was taken for practical reasons, a source said. A royal spokesman said on Thursday night : Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor at lunchtime [on Thursday], and remains in good spirits. The day before there was no mention of hospital. A senior royal aide argued that the monarch was entitled to privacy on medical issues and the palace had never given a running commentary on her health. They maintained that tests and preliminary investigations should be kept private. And they said that had she gone in for a more serious reason the public would probably have been told. However in 2018 the Queen secretly had surgery to remove a cataract. After almost 70 years on the throne, the Queen is the worlds longest-reigning monarch and has largely enjoyed robust health. She has also faced a difficult 18 months, including the death of her husband Philip in April and the departure of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. The Queen was told to rest by doctors after carrying out a gruelling programme, including a major reception on Tuesday at Windsor. A source said future commitments, such as the COP26 climate summit, were still in the diary but would have to be confirmed nearer the time. It is believed her office is waiting for the results of the preliminary tests and will see how the monarch feels. Depraved killer Wayne Couzens phoned an escort for sex hours after he burned Sarah Everards body, the Daily Mail has learned. The prostitute realised the timing of the call only after police contacted her in the weeks following the brutal murder of the 33-year-old. The call was made on the same day that the former Metropolitan Police officer took his wife and two children on a family day out to the woodland where he had tried to destroy Miss Everards body. He even allowed his children to play near the pond where he had dumped her remains. Couzens, 48, who was known to use prostitutes, started messaging the escort in February, while he was planning the rape and kidnap of a woman with Miss Everard becoming his eventual victim. Depraved killer Wayne Couzens phoned an escort for sex hours after he burned Sarah Everards body, the Daily Mail has learned The escort, 34, a mother from Kent who asked not to be named, said: The police told me that the man I had been messaging was the man who kidnapped and murdered Sarah. They wanted to see if I was OK. Its scary I keep thinking, That couldve been me. Its shocking how much of a lucky escape Ive actually had. It was hard at first to get my head around the fact my daughter couldve ended up without a mum. Couzens nicknamed the rapist by colleagues was sentenced to a whole life term at the Old Bailey last month. The court heard that the diplomatic protection officer had contacted a woman with the username escourtbabygirl which she has now deleted on an escort website in February. The Mail tracked down the woman, who did not know Couzenss identity at the time of their phone contact. The call was made on the same day that the former Metropolitan Police officer took his wife and two children on a family day out to the woodland where he had tried to destroy Miss Everards (pictured) body Her profile had a series of graphic naked photos and a list of services, including sex for 80 an hour, spanking, domination and role play in uniforms. Several other acts were not suitable to print in a family newspaper. The married woman, whose husband is aware of her work, said she initially missed Couzenss call and did not reply to him to say she was available until the next week. She sent him her mobile number but did not hear back from him or meet him. The call girl told how she was alarmed and scared when police called her, about a week after Miss Everards body was found on March 10 in an area of woodland Couzens owned near Ashford, Kent. The detectives said they wanted to meet about Sarah Everard and I said I didnt know her but they were really persistent so I met them in Dover with my husband, the escort said. They said, The bloke youve been speaking to is the bloke who took Sarah. They wanted to know if Id met him. They explained to me he was a police officer and that hed kidnapped this girl and they told me not to tell anyone because of the ongoing investigation. They asked how I felt about it and wanted to make sure I was OK. What the woman found most shocking was when detectives examined her phone and revealed that Couzens had called her four days after he raped and strangled Miss Everard to death with his police belt on March 3. Couzens had tricked Miss Everard, a marketing executive, into getting into a hire car in Clapham, south London, using his police warrant card and handcuffs. He is believed to have burned her body in the days after killing her and before visiting the plot with his family. The police also told the escort that Couzens had been using the website for two years, arranging to meet women in both London and Kent, and asked her if she knew any women who had had sexual encounters with him. Couzens, 48, who was known to use prostitutes, started messaging the escort in February, while he was planning the rape and kidnap of a woman with Miss Everard becoming his eventual victim. Pictured: Police officers scour Hoads wood She said: I didnt know that he had phoned me until the police told me. They gave me his mobile number and I realised that I had a missed call from him. I had even texted the number back two days later to see who it was but there was no reply. It seems he had been arrested by that point. Its so sick that he called me four days after the murder and on a family day out. Its like he kept getting pleasure from going back to the scene of the crime, but to take your kids there, its sick. He breached his power as a police officer to kidnap a woman. Youre meant to be able to trust the police, but Im now careful where male officers are concerned. Unless its a cop car, I wouldnt get in. Im just glad that nothing went any further with him. Especially the fact that he contacted me before the murder as well. I could have been in more danger then because he wanted to kill someone. Thinking that could have been me, that my life could have ended is very hard. The last things I remember are the bright overhead bulbs of the basement bar, the booming music and the confidence of the men whod just joined our group, one with his arm around my shoulders and his hand hovering very close to my drink. It was 2009 and I was a 19-year-old fresher at Nottingham University. A few moments later, not long after sipping some of my second drink of the evening, there was nothing but darkness and eerie silence. I opened my eyes to find myself fully clothed, sitting in a locked cubicle in the ladies loos. I have never had a more disorientating experience than opening that cubicle door. All the evidence of a raucous club night was around me, from pieces of toilet paper on the floor to make-up smeared on the mirrors. But the people were gone. I staggered to the front door, startling the three staff members who were on their way out and locking up. To the weary staff, I was a nuisance another girl whod drunk too much and passed out. Im not drunk, I tried to protest, but I slurred as the words wouldnt form. Zara Owen, the 19-year-old student who was spiked via needle in Pryzm night club in Nottingham this week They bundled me out of the door and it was then that I blacked out again. Id been spiked. No wonder I felt nauseous to read this week that not only does the practice of spiking surreptitiously intoxicating someone seem to have resurfaced with a vengeance in my old university town and across the country, but that the perpetrators are now said to be injecting their victims with needles. In recent days, terrifying reports have emerged of an epidemic of young female university students being stabbed with syringes and drugged against their will. The new crime raises the spectre of not only being drugged, rendered unconscious and robbed or raped, but also contracting blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis and HIV. It also makes traditional methods to protect against date rape such as covering ones drink completely irrelevant. Several police forces are investigating and say its distinctly different to anything theyve seen before. So what is the truth? Can there really be an epidemic of date-rapists injecting girls with drugs on dancefloors to sexually assault them? Or could this merely be an alarming scare story that started with unverifiable claims on social media and which has needlessly terrified thousands of young women? Certainly, the scale of allegations is remarkable. In the student towns of Nottingham, Liverpool, Cardiff, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle, young women and at least one man have alleged injection attacks. Police Scotland has meanwhile confirmed it is investigating reports of apparently unconnected attacks in Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow. More familiar spiking, such as slipping a drug into someones drink, is also on the rise with police in Northern Ireland, Devon and Cornwall warning of girls being targeted at house parties. Only yesterday, a man was sentenced to seven years in prison for spiking a 19-year-old girls drink with cocaine before sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious, and later robbing her of her savings. Police said the incident, which took place in Hull in 2019, was truly shocking. The current spiking problem has come at a time of heightened tensions about womens safety, after details of the murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of a police officer appalled the nation this year and groups such as Reclaim the Streets have called for far greater focus on womens safety in public spaces. Sarah Buckle, the 19-year-old student who collapsed and vomited on a night out in Nottingham, and found a pin prick on her hand the next day Clearly, spiking people by slipping drugs into their drinks is a longstanding problem. Over half of students say they know someone who has been drugged on a night out. A recent survey for student website The Tab found that 12,000 of 23,000 respondents said they knew an alleged spiking victim, while at least 2,600 had been targeted themselves. The alleged epicentre is Nottingham, where multiple disturbing allegations of needle-spiking have emerged this week and a Nottinghamshire Police source said the force had been inundated with reports of needle spikings. In total, the local police have received 47 reports of all spikings (including drugs slipped into drinks and injections) since September 4, of which 15 are allegations of spiking by something sharp as opposed to a traditional method of contaminated alcoholic drinks since October 2. That date closely coincides with the new intake of first-year freshers arriving at the towns two universities, the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent. Nevertheless, many remain sceptical of the spiking-by-syringe claims and insist it is all simply a panic whipped up by social media. Experts have also cast doubt on how anyone could inject someone without their knowledge. Few [date-rape] drugs would be able to be injected, Guy Jones, senior scientist at drugs charity the Loop, told the youth-orientated media company Vice this week. Where drugs can be injected non-intravenously [into muscle instead of a blood vessel], there are specific injection sites that do not work well. Other experts pointed out that injecting someone with drugs to render them unconscious would require a large, painful needle, a large amount of the drug to inject, or drugs that would remain in the victims system for days. David Caldicott, an emergency medicine consultant and founder of drug testing project WEDINOS, told Vice: The technical and medical knowledge required to perform this would make this deeply improbable. It is at the level of a state-sponsored actor incapacitating a dissident. More than half of students say they know someone who has been drugged on a night out (file picture posed by model) The idea that a clubber would do this to a fellow clubber seems highly unlikely to me. Its really hard to stick a needle in someone without them noticing, especially if you have to keep the needle in there for long enough, maybe 20 seconds, to inject enough drugs to cause this. If you were malicious there would be half a dozen much easier other ways to spike someone [such as putting drugs in their drinks]. However, one professor at a leading medical school told the Daily Mail: It is possible to inject someone with a single click, and that is how some drugs are routinely administered. It would need to be a pre-filled device which is spring-loaded. In a date rape scenario, the professor went on, it would need to be a calculated dose, and the drug would need to work fast from a subcutaneous administration. To find out the truth, I revisited Nottingham, my old student haunt, for a night on the town. I arrived sceptical that needle-spiking was anywhere near as prevalent as has been claimed this week, and that finding victims would be a wild goose chase. How wrong I was. Wednesday is one of the citys most popular student nights and the centre is teeming but it soon becomes evident that many people are frightened. I head to The Cell which calls itself Nottinghams most exclusive student night and where people have warned on Google reviews about spiking incidents that could either be drugs slipped into someones drink or from injection. Experienced people trying to spike my friends club has a serious problem with it, wrote a patron called Toby Withers. Another message read: Got spiked!! Do not go to this club. It is very well known for people getting spiked and I was very ill from it. In the ladies loo, I meet Daisy, 19, a student at the University of Nottingham who tells me her course-mate Olivia* was spiked last week in Pryzm the club that has made national headlines for the high concentration of alleged needle stabbings on its premises in the space of just a few days. She got pushed over, and thats how they got the needle in, Daisy told me. She added: Its one thing getting spiked, then you add an HIV risk on top of that. In response to the claims this week and in particular a social media scare that one woman had tested positive for HIV shortly after a needle injury, the National Aids Trust stated that getting HIV from a needle injury is extremely rare. A diagnosis takes weeks. Our thoughts with those worried by spiking. With a feeling of trepidation, I head to Pryzm. Before I enter, staff check my bag and Im made to walk through a metal detector arch. In the smoking area I meet Charlotte, 19, a first-year student who tells me about a night out in October in which two of her friends were allegedly spiked by injection at Rock City. Ive been friends with Katy* since secondary school. She couldnt stand up, so we got her out of the club, and then she got worse so we took her to A&E. There, they said she had a high level of ketamine in her . . . She was OK in the end but she had a mark on her hand the next day. My stomach churns when I hear what happened to Sophie*, 20. We lost her on the night out, says Charlotte. She got raped. She woke up in this boys accommodation, she doesnt think he actually lived there. The day afterwards, they collected a swab and they found semen but apparently there was no match [on the UK National DNA Database]. She had ketamine [a veterinary tranquilliser and recreational drug] in her blood and a scratch mark on her back. Neither of them go out any more. Charlotte says hospital staff told her friends that they had seen a number of girls admitted who had been drugged against their will with ketamine and Rohypnol since freshers week. And there are even more girls I speak to, all with similar stories. Nottingham University student Ruby tells me her 18-year-old friend was spiked in [the Nottingham nightclub] Stealth. Shes getting blood tests as we speak. Another tells me her friend, a Nottingham Trent student was at a night out in Vauxhall, central London, and her drink got spiked with powder. He took her down an alleyway and then to a Travelodge. I finish the night in Pryzm by speaking to Hannah, a baby-faced 18-year-old fresher. She tells me that shes scared and is just trying to enjoy her first year of university. I left the club, feeling distinctly unsafe there as a lone woman, and returned to my hotel. The next morning, I was horrified when Hannah contacted me to say that her friend Lucy* had apparently been spiked in the club the previous night, just yards from where Hannah and I had been sitting in the smoking area. Hannah told me that Lucy, 20, a first-year student, was now lying on a ward in the Queens Medical Centre hospital. She said: [Lucy] was with this guy who she met in Pryzm. They kept going off together and dancing, so we dont know what exactly happened. At one point in the night we found her, she was crying and saying her back really hurt, she felt like something was crawling all over her back and she needed to get it off. We moved her hair and saw what looked like two injection marks in her back. Hannah went on: Lucy kept being sick. She couldnt breathe, she was crying. We managed to get her in a taxi, but when we got her back to the halls, it was extremely hard to get her into her room, she was screaming and shaking. She kept saying somethings on my back. We managed to get her changed and thats when we saw that there definitely were marks in the middle of her upper back. They were deep holes, small and deep. They were red. And shed had a reaction as well, so there was red around them spreading, like it was inflamed. It seems like her body had reacted to whatever it was she was injected with. Soon all she wanted to do is sleep, which makes me think it was a date-rape [drug]. Hannah and her friends called an ambulance which arrived two hours later. The paramedics said Lucys heart rate was double what it should be and her blood pressure was irregular. She was taken to hospital at 4.30am. This morning we had confirmation [from the hospital] that she had been spiked. And that it was two injections. She is still there now being monitored. Lucys parents are aware and the Mail has reported the incident to Nottinghamshire Police, but the force said it could not confirm the incident without a formal report from the victim or her friends. The Mail contacted Pryzm, Rock City and The Cell multiple times by phone and email but did not receive a reply. Stealth nightclub said in a statement: We take all reports of this nature very seriously and will continue to do our utmost to protect our customers welfare. Our security will be carrying out an increased number of enhanced searches on entry. Lucy, Olivia, Katy and Sophie join the roll call of alleged spiking victims this week, including 19-year-olds Sarah Buckle, who says she was injected in her hand at a Nottingham club, and Zara Owen who alleges she was stabbed in her thigh through thick denim jeans at Pryzm. Over the next fortnight, student groups from dozens of cities including Nottingham, Edinburgh and Bournemouth are holding a boycott of nightclubs under the banner Girls Night In, with the aim of improving venue security and staff training. The campaign began in Southampton last night and will spread across 43 university towns and cities. An online petition to make it a legal requirement for nightclubs to thoroughly search guests on entry has reached almost 160,000 signatures, which means that MPs will be required to debate it in Parliament. Last night the National Police Chiefs Council revealed there were 24 confirmed reports made to police forces around the country of spiking by some form of injection, and 140 of drink spiking, across September and October. In 2009, the morning after my own spiking, I woke up in my dorm room. I knew instinctively I had not been sexually assaulted, nor had I been robbed, and therefore naively did not report the incident. I told myself that these things happen and moved on, considering myself to have had a lucky escape. But today thousands of young women are living in fear amid these horrifying new claims and we urgently need to know the truth. *Some names have been changed to protect identities. A UNIVERSITY fresher told yesterday how she and two friends were all spiked with a needle on the same night out. Kacey Edgar-Hedges, 18, said she felt a sting on her right arm while dancing at a nightclub on Wednesday. She paid little attention to the incident at the Fiction venue in Swansea at first, until one of her friends became ill and was taken to hospital. Kacey Edgar-Hedges, 18, said she felt a sting on her right arm while dancing at a nightclub on Wednesday When Miss Edgar-Hedges and a second friend then went to leave, she became aware of her arm throbbing. She added: Then all of a sudden I couldnt feel my arms at all and I felt really drowsy. My eyes began rolling to the back of my head. She realised her friend was also struggling and other friends called a taxi to take them to hospital. Her aunt Paula Williams, 39, told the Daily Mail the police believed the Class B drug ketamine had been used, although they are still waiting for test results. Miss Edgar-Hedges said yesterday: Id literally only read the first reports of needles being used a day before it happened to me. Its really worrying. While she and one of her friends believe they were spiked in the club, the first to go to hospital thinks she was spiked in a bar she had been to before joining them. South Wales Police said a small number of cases were under investigation. Passengers are venting their fury after being held up in huge delays at Heathrow's immigration control today as they complained of hours-long queues. Britain's busiest airport said they delays are being caused by health checks despite the same measures being in place for months. One passenger raged: 'You should be fined. There are about 25,000 people waiting for passport control... you have got to be joking.' Passengers are venting their fury after being held up in huge delays at Heathrow's immigration control today as they complained of hours-long queues Britain's busiest airport said they delays are being caused by health checks despite the same measures being in place for months Another said: 'You really out to sort out your immigration lines if you want people to continue to travel through Heathrow and with BA! 'Simply shocking today. I think I circled Terminal 5 three times at this point!' One disgruntled passenger added: 'Been in the border control queue for over two hours now and I am nowhere near the end of the line. 'Might be in the queue for another two hours.' The airport told MailOnline there was nothing out of the ordinary to cause the long delays. The airport told MailOnline there was nothing out of the ordinary to cause the long delays One passenger posted a photo showing 'half' of the electronic passport barriers not working But one passenger posted a photo showing 'half' of the electronic passport barriers not working. An onlooker queuing for hours at the gates said tempers were flaring as passengers joked about the lack of social distancing as they were all crammed in the queues. Heathrow said: 'Border Force is currently experiencing some delays as they conduct Health Measure Checks to ensure passenger compliance with the UK Governments latest entry requirements. 'Whilst we do not have exact figures out how long queues can take our teams in the terminals are on hand to support where possible and we are working with Border Force to reduce delays as soon as possible.' It comes after it was revealed this week that holidaymakers and frequent flyers are facing yet more misery, with Heathrow set to hike the price it charges airlines by up to 13 per person. The London airport has been given the green light to raise the prices it charges carriers for its services from next year. Currently the airport can charge up to 22 per passenger for the cost of operating terminals, runways, baggage systems and security. Heathrow chiefs had wanted to charge as much as 43 from January - a plan slammed by airline bosses who accused the airport of acting like a 'greedy monopoly'. But industry regulator - the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) - stepped in and ordered the cost to be capped at 25 to 35 for the next five years. An interim charge of 30 has already been agreed for January - and is due to be discussed as part of a separate consultation in November. The rising cost is likely to be passed on to airline passengers, who have already endured months of travel disruption, confusing travel restrictions and costly Covid testing requirements. The rise, based on next year's 30 figure, means the average family of four face an extra 32 in flight costs - before any annual ticket price adjustments from the airlines themselves. It also comes as Heathrow this month introduced a new 5 drop-off charge outside its terminals. However Heathrow chiefs have defended the hike, which is part of airport's plan to claw back its huge losses suffered due to Covid. The airport reported a 2billion annual loss due to a huge drop in customer numbers last year. Holidaymakers and frequent flyers are facing yet more travel misery, with Heathrow now set to hike the price it charges airlines by 8 per person Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic today slammed the decision, saying it 'failed to protect the British consumer'. 'Today's initial proposals from the Civil Aviation Authority pave the way for Heathrow Airport to introduce unacceptable charges, just as international travel resumes at scale. 'The world's most expensive airport risks becoming over 50 per cent more expensive, as Heathrow and its owners seek to recoup their pandemic losses and secure hundreds of millions in dividends to shareholders. 'It is concerning that the regulator has failed in its first opportunity to step in, and together with industry partners, we will oppose these proposals in the strongest terms to protect passengers. Mr Weiss claimed the move could also hurt the UK's economic recovery from Covid and would 'unfairly hit the pockets of family and businesses'. Meanwhile, Rory Boland, Which? Travel Editor, said: 'Which? research has previously found that airport charges are passed along to passengers through higher fares so any proposed increase by Heathrow is likely to come from consumers' pockets. 'Heathrow already has the highest fees of the UK's major airports so it's right that the CAA intervenes to investigate whether these further proposed increases are proportional.' The cost of a family summer holiday could soar by up to 100 next year due to Heathrow airport's 'outrageous' price hikes, former British Airways boss Willie Walsh (pictured) warned last night A former British Airways boss warned last week that the cost of a family summer holiday could soar by up to 100 next year due to Heathrow airport's 'outrageous' price hikes. Willie Walsh accused Heathrow of acting like a 'greedy monopoly' and said its wealthy shareholders must 'step up' to provide investment after years of generous dividend payouts. The Irishman, who now runs the International Air Transport Association trade body, had joined BA and Virgin Atlantic in lobbying the CAA to block the price hikes. Mr Walsh said: 'Heathrow must understand that gouging its customers is not the road to recovery for itself, the airlines, travel and tourism jobs, or travellers. 'I have sympathy for some airports, but looking for a 90 per cent increase, I just find that outrageous. 'There is simply no justification for that, and the only reason they are doing that is because they believe they can. 'Instead, it's time for Heathrow's shareholders to invest. The recovery of the UK's travel and tourism industry impacts millions of jobs. They cannot be held hostage to the intransigence of what is effectively a greedy monopoly hub airport.' Heathrow's seven billionaire owners include the sovereign wealth funds of Qatar, Singapore and China. It has paid out about 4 billion in dividends since 2012 and has said it could restart payouts next year, after pausing them over the pandemic, if its debts come under control. Heathrow bases its charges on the numbers using the airport. It expects around 40 million passengers next year, compared to 80 million before the pandemic, and said this means each passenger must pay more to cover the shortfall. Company documents show Heathrow would have raised around 1.6billion from airport charges next year - had it been able to charge the higher rate it had requested. But the new 30 charge is expected to only raise around 300million. CAA chief executive Richard Moriarty told the BBC the industry had gone through 'a really difficult period'. Mr Moriarty said the CAA's proposals, which will be finalised next year, struck the right balance between consumer interests and the airport. Company documents show Heathrow would have raised around 1.6billion from airport charges next year - had it been able to charge the higher rate it had requested. But the new 30 charge is expected to only raise around 300million. (File image) The charge can still be contested by airlines, who are able to take the matter to the competition regulator - the Competition and Markets Authority. A Heathrow spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Our aim is to reach a settlement that enables us to give passengers a great service while operating a safe, resilient and competitive hub airport for Britain. 'That Heathrow is ranked by passengers as one of the best airports in the world is testament to the power of private investment over the past decade, and to enable this to continue, we believe the settlement should safeguard a fair return for investors. 'While it is right the CAA protect consumers against excessive profits and waste, the settlement is not designed to shield airlines from legitimate cost increases or the impacts of fewer people travelling. 'We look forward to discussing the CAA's proposals in detail with the regulator and our airline partners as we work towards a new settlement.' It comes as earlier this year Heathrow announced a new 5 passenger drop-off charge outside its terminals. The new charge, bought in this month, applies to all vehicles - including taxis and private hire cars - entering the forecourt areas outside the airport's terminals. The fee must be paid online or over the phone, with number plate reading cameras, instead of barriers, being used to enforce the charge. Heathrow chiefs say the move, which brings the airport's policy in line with the likes of Gatwick and Manchester, who also have 5 drop-off charges, is aimed at 'improving air quality and reducing congestion'. The move could bringing in as much as 100million-a-year for the airport. The charge will be brought in from October and will apply to all vehicles - including taxis and private hire cars - entering the forecourt areas outside each terminal. Pictured: The charge will apply to drop-off areas outside the airport's terminals The double cost blow comes after a year and a half of disruption for travellers due to Covid. After initially banning international travel to stop the spread of variants, the Government introduced a confusing and often rapidly-changing travel traffic light system. The system, which designated countries as red, amber and green, depending on the severity of their Covid outbreak, left many holidaymakers unsure about foreign travel. It has since been simplified to a go and no-go list. Along with Covid measures, passengers have also faced disruption at Heathrow's passport control area. The immigration hall, run by Border Force, has been plagued by wait times. Issues with the e-gates, a lack of staff, and changes to the rotas of Border Force officials have been blamed. Meanwhile, a requirement for double-vaccinated travellers to take pricey PCR-tests on their return to the UK has also been dropped from the end of this month. The policy change means that the PCR tests, which can cost more than 100, will finally be scrapped in time for families returning from half-term holidays. The PCR tests will be replaced with cheaper rapid lateral flow swabs for travellers 'before October 31', although the free NHS tests will not be acceptable. Travellers will have to book the tests through private providers and prove on their passenger locator form, which must be filled out by all travellers before returning, that they have done so. Lateral flow tests typically cost between 20 and 40. The illegal contributions included $325,000 given to America First Action Lev Parnas, a business associate of Rudy Giuliani, was found guilty of multiple campaign finance charges on Friday, including funneling foreign money to a political action committee that backed former President Trump. A New York jury took five hours to return its verdict. It followed a two-week trial in which prosecutors accused Soviet-born Parnas, 49, of posing as a power broker to get close to some of the country biggest Republican political figures. Outside the courtroom, he said: 'I've never hid from nobody. 'I've always stood to tell the truth.' His lawyer said he would be filing an appeal. The trial generated global headlines because of Parnas' ties to Giuliani, a vocal supporter of former President Trump's election fraud claims. Parnas has said he worked with Trump's personal lawyer to investigate President Biden's son Hunter, whose role in a Ukrainian energy company has been under scrutiny. The prosecution case alleged that Parnas and an associate used a corporate entity to make illegal donations to Republican PACs, including $325,000 to America First Action, which backed Trump. Lev Parnas, Ukrainian-American businessman and former Giuliani associate is pictured leaving the United States Court with his lawyer Joseph Bondy following a guilty verdict prosecutors accused him of using other people's money to pose as a powerful political broker and cozy up to some of the nation's star Republicans. He is seen here with Giuliani, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence Court exhibits included this photograph of Parnas with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner Prosecutors also said he used funds from Andrey Muraviev, a Russian financier, to make donations to politicians. Parnas said the money was used for legitimate purposes but he was found guilty on all six counts. His co-defendant, Ukraine-born investor Andrey Kukushkin, was convicted of being part of the effort to use Muraviev's money for political contributions. He had also denied any wrongdoing. In his closing argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten accused the two defendants of using 'lies and tricks' to conceal the source of the donation. Parnas made a series of straw donations despite being 'told again and again that he couldn't donate somebody else's money,' Scotten said. The defendant lied to the financier, Muraviev, about how much he was actually donating, the prosecutor said. He also failed to come through on pledges he was making to candidates, he added. 'Put simply, Parnas is ripping everybody off,' he said. Parnas poses for a selfie with his lawyer Joseph Bundy outside the United States Court in Manhattan on Thursday as he arrived to hear closing arguments Parnas listens as the first witness Wes Duncan delivers evidence during the trial last week Giuliani and Trump were barely mentioned during the trial, although a photograph featuring Parnas with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, was used during closing arguments. DeSantis was among those who received campaign contributions that prosecutors said were traced to $1 million that Parnas and Igor Fruman - who pleaded guilty separately - from Muraviev. 'The voters would never know whose money was pouring into our elections,' Scotten said. Defense attorney Joseph Bondy called the allegations 'absurd.' The lawyer said his client was a legitimate businessperson trying to use loans from Muraviev to launch an energy company that would be involved in exporting natural gas to Europe. The funds were used for business investments, he said, not campaign contributions. 'There was no effort to hide anything, whatsoever,' Bondy said. He told jurors his client 'doesn't want your sympathy. He wants a verdict based on the facts and the law.' On Wednesday, Parnas told U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken that he would not be testifying in his own defense. He said he had made the decision after discussing it with his wife and family. This Facebook screen shot provided by The Campaign Legal Center, shows from left, Donald Trump, Jr., Tommy Hicks, Jr., Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, posted on May 21, 2018 Parnas and another Soviet-born businessman Igor Fruman worked with Rudi Giuliani to persuade Ukraine to investigate the family of Joe Biden Parnas and another Soviet-born Florida businessman, Igor Fruman, attracted media attention when it emerged they had made big donations through a corporate entity, including a $325,000 contribution in 2018 to America First Action, a super PAC supporting Donald 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. Though Giuliani is not part of the case, he is under investigation in New York for whether he was required to register as an agent of a foreign government for actions he said he took in his capacity as a private attorney for then-President Trump. Ringed by a tall razor wire fence in a remote part of the pretty Greek island of Samos are long rows of pale grey huts, each with a number, and stretching as far as the eye can see. They are spartan buildings guarded by armed police, and the people who live in them have absolutely no chance of escape. This is a migrant camp with a difference. Its rules are unbending and a loudspeaker blares out messages about meal times in multiple languages to the inmates. The camp sits at the edge of the European Union and is less than a mile across the east Aegean sea from Turkey. The 375 souls here this week expected a warmer welcome in the West: a hotel room or a free house, perhaps, schooling for their children and state handouts in their pockets. What they found was far from that dream. On Greek island of Samos a migrant camp is guarded by police and razor fence, and it is a regime that could be coming to Britain soon. This is the model of migrant camp that England hopes to copy Until this summer, 9,000 migrants had the run of the island. They lived in a rat-infested shanty village without lights, hot water or sanitation right beside Samoss capital, until it was bulldozed and most of the inhabitants sent to Athens The Home Secretary Priti Patel (Pictured) visits a migrant centre in Greece. She hopes to bring the regime to Britain The camp sits at the edge of the European Union and is less than a mile across the east Aegean sea from Turkey (Pictured) The camp is divided into colour-coded zones: Afghans (blue), Africans (red) and Arabs (green) all separated to stop fights between the factions who accuse each other of racism and use fists or worse to solve differences. Migrants can leave the camp only if they use their fingerprints to pass through steel-turnstile checkpoints so that the camp authorities know where they are at all times. They are counted in at night and each migrant has been vetted to ensure they are not a terrorist trying to slip in posing as a refugee, or posing any other security threat. And it is a regime that could be coming to Britain soon. This is the model of migrant camp that England hopes to copy. 'Your Home Secretary Priti Patel has come here to see it for herself, says Demitrius Axiotis, the 56-year-old former Greek army officer who runs what is called the closed control access centre on Samos. In three or four months we will have 3,000 migrants living here and we will be full. We are expecting Afghans fleeing the Taliban to arrive very soon on the traffickers boats from Turkey to Samos. They will be brought here and treated just the same as all the others. The camp is divided into colour-coded zones: Afghans (blue), Africans (red) and Arabs (green) all separated to stop fights between the factions who accuse each other of racism and use fists or worse to solve differences At least 20,000 migrants are expected to have arrived by boat to our south coast from France by the end of 2021 This week the Daily Mail was the first British newspaper to visit the controversial camp, built out of the desperate need to stem the migrant flow from Turkey where four million wait to illegally enter Greece. The European Union has erected an important-looking sign outside the formidable structure that makes clear this is no holiday camp. Over the next year, more Greek islands in the east Aegean will also open closed camps, with the EU footing the 200 million bill. On Samos, the camp was born of necessity. Until this summer, 9,000 migrants had the run of the island. They lived in a rat-infested shanty village without lights, hot water or sanitation right beside Samoss capital, until it was bulldozed and most of the inhabitants sent to Athens. Mr Axiotis says for years there were more migrants in Samoss main town than its 6,000 residents. That was not right, he explains. It was not fair on Samos people and we had to think about their safety. Greece is a devoutly Christian country and the islanders worried the boats coming to the island were carrying strangers. Of course, not everyone sees it this way. Patrick Wieland, the Samos field co-ordinator of the humanitarian charity Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), believes the new camp is little more than a prison. It is a fortress stopping escape, he says at his small office in Samoss port. It is there to contain migrants and actively deter others from coming over from Turkey. It is criminalising people who have done nothing wrong and want only to make fresh lives in Europe. So could this Greek islands authoritarian style of camp really be a possible solution for Englands own migrant crisis? The answer, it seems, could be yes. At least 20,000 migrants are expected to have arrived by boat to our south coast from France by the end of 2021. Most already here are in hotels paid for by the taxpayer. It is a situation that cannot go on forever, which is why the Home Secretary came here in August to meet Mr Axiotis at the Samos camp. The European Union has erected an important-looking sign outside the formidable structure that makes clear this is no holiday camp. Over the next year, more Greek islands in the east Aegean will also open closed camps, with the EU footing the 200 million bill A Nationality and Borders Bill is currently going through Parliament, with the same aim of helping real refugees and weeding out the rest. It is understood that if it gets approval next year, the new camps will be high on the agenda soon afterwards It was then six weeks away from opening but Ms Patel looked at the floor plans, toured the site under construction and was told of the ultra-secure deportation wing, to be finished by Christmas, for incarcerating inmates rejected for asylum in Europe and with no right to stay. According to Mr Axiotis, she heard how the Greek coastguard is also pushing back migrants at sea towards Turkey, a contentious policy about to be introduced by the British in the Channel using Border Force jet ski teams to nudge boats back towards northern France. The Home Office believes Samos-style camps on British soil will make the UK less alluring and reduce illegal Channel crossings. For who would want to end up living in a camp like it? The story peddled by people-smuggling gangs to drum up their trade is that England is a soft touch, a land of milk and honey where migrants are instantly housed in four-star accommodation or a council house with no questions asked. The prospect of being locked up in a prison-like fortress, with speedy deportations and rigorous vetting to root out those coming here to harm us, would be far less enticing for people falsely claiming asylum. Camps like Samos would make Britain a safer place for everyone, including the genuine asylum seekers who deserve our help, Home Office sources have told us. A Nationality and Borders Bill is currently going through Parliament, with the same aim of helping real refugees and weeding out the rest. It is understood that if it gets approval next year, the new camps will be high on the agenda soon afterwards. In Samos, we talked to migrants about what they thought of camp life. Most were put there because they have repeatedly been refused asylum in Greece. They are mightily displeased that they have been stopped from journeying onwards to Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands or, favourite of all, England. In hut 126 in the Arab zone, we found an Iraqi Kurd family of four who, until it was pulled down in September, lived in the squalid Samos jungle camp for five years. Now they are in a two-bedroom hut with a kitchen, bathroom and never-ending hot water from the camps solar power system. But they are not happy with their lot. Most refugees are put in the Greek camp (Above) because they have repeatedly been refused asylum in Greece. They are mightily displeased that they have been stopped from journeying onwards to Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands or, favourite of all, England This is a migrant camp with a difference. Its rules are unbending and a loudspeaker blares out messages about meal times in multiple languages to the inmates I am angry, says the 40-year-old father Mahamad Mahamad. I came to Greece by boat from Turkey and I want my 12-year-old daughter and son to have a good school and us a good house. That is what I and my wife Nyaz expected from Europe. We were told that by the trafficking agents we paid to get here. Now we are stuck and the Greeks have put us in this prison. They have locked us up. No-one tells us where we will go next or when we will be free. His bright-as-a-button daughter chirps up in perfect English learned from the internet: It is not fair. I want to have an education and make my life in Greece. This is no home for me or my three-year-old brother. If the camps deportation wing was open, theres no doubt this family would be under lock and key inside it. Their asylum claim has been turned down by Greece four times and they should, under EU rules, be sent back to Turkey from where they first entered Europe. Turkey, however, says it is overwhelmed with migrants and cant take more. It is also at loggerheads with Athens because it claims Greece is pushing back asylum-seekers to Turkey using brutal tactics at sea and on land which endanger the lives of women and children. Videos given to the Mail by refugee charities show alarming footage of Greek coastguard vessels forcing away boats by firing gunshots into the sea near them and using long metal sticks to hit migrants over the head and prod their boats. If life is dangerous for migrants on the water, when they reach land on Samos or other Greek Aegean islands, things are just as bad. They hide in the woods to avoid Greek police who, say charities, use unorthodox or robust methods to force them on to coastguard boats. These, in turn, sail towards Turkey and leave them on life-rafts in the middle of the sea, it has been reported. Ringed by a tall razor wire fence in a remote part of the pretty Greek island of Samos are long rows of pale grey huts, each with a number, and stretching as far as the eye can see (Above) One vivid story has emerged of a sailor on a Greek coastguard vessel shouting at migrants the boat had taken on board in the east Aegean, supposedly to take them to safety on Lesbos, an island 100 miles from Samos. Get the f*** out of here, you dont belong here, the sailor said, before tossing a life raft into the sea and shoving 34-year-old Afghan, Khalid, into it. Soon to follow was Khalids wife, his seven-year-old daughter and ten-year-old son, and 14 others, left bobbing in the sea without life-jackets, before being found by Turks four hours later. We were screaming and crying, wet and shivering from the cold and rough waters. My daughter was bleeding because her teeth broke when the sailor pushed her into the dinghy, said Khalid, now living in Istanbul, Turkey, of his familys terrifying experience in July. The United Nations has documented 450 cases of pushbacks by the Greek coastguard this year and says they are legally dubious. Yet it has now become a routine, almost weekly event, says Mireille Girard, the director of the UN refugee agency in Greece. In the past we mainly had mid-sea interceptions with migrant boats being stripped of their engines then nudged or towed back to Turkish waters. Now we find people being plucked off Greek soil by the authorities and then bundled up, and tossed into life rafts towards Turkey in tactics that are turning more violent. The Greeks often dismiss reports of these pushbacks as fake news. Yet this week, we were given evidence of 27 migrants who disappeared after arriving on a flimsy boat on a pinprick of an island, Diaporti, off Samos, on Monday. The migrants sent photographs of themselves, with their location data, to charity Aegean Boat Report when they landed. But soon they were begging for help as a Greek coastguard cutter and police arrived and they feared being pushed back to Turkey. Several new arrivals reported that the coastguard sailors were shooting guns towards them from a Lambro 57 vessel which was also in the migrants photographs, the charitys spokesman said. We also received voice messages from the migrants where you can hear shots being fired. The charity lost contact with them at 8.25am after the migrants phones suddenly went dead. It is thought Greek police had ordered they be turned off. It added: We hope that this group were taken to the Samos camp and not pushed back to sea to be left drifting in life rafts like so many before them. The Mail has established that they did not arrive at the camp that day. Instead, they are likely to be back in Turkey if they survived what appears to be another pushback by the Greek authorities. The truth is no-one knows where they are now. We have not heard from them since the phones stopped, the charity spokesman said 48 hours later. But a separate group of 26 Africans and Arabs, including a girl, 5, three babies and two pregnant women, arrived at the camp late on Monday afternoon. They had been found near Samoss seaside town of Potami at 9.30am after getting on a boat from Turkey. As they hid from coastguards, Doctors Without Borders were told they needed help. The charity sent a medical team to find them. We then alerted the police, as we have a duty to do, and waited and watched to see they were collected safely, says Mr Wieland. Once in the camp, migrants have to pay one euro, which not everyone has, to take a bus to town each day. They have to return by 8pm or face punishment for breaching rules. The curfew is to make the people of Samos feel safer, says Mr Axiotis. Those who disobey it have been told what to expect. The first time they get a verbal warning, the second time they get an official letter, the third time they are grounded for five days in the camp. We may have an obligation to the migrants, but they have to understand they have an obligation to Greece while they are here. As Mr Axiotis shows us round, it is clear migrants object to the rules. A Syrian man in his thirties runs up to us waving a piece of paper showing he is grounded after repeatedly breaching curfew. He put his hands together, as if in prayer, as he begs to escape his punishment. All this dramatic behaviour seems to pass the commander by. He tells the Syrian to talk to someone else. We will never stop migrants altogether, he admits. But we think this camp has already deterred some from coming. As we face a migration crisis threatening to run out of control, Ms Patel thinks a camp of this kind in Britain can do exactly the same. The Queen's appearance among world leaders at the COP26 summit is hanging in the balance as she waits for guidance and 'test results' from doctors after being admitted to hospital this week. The monarch, 95, had planned to join Prince Charles and Prince William at the COP26 conference in Scotland on November 1. But royal sources have indicated her appearance at the event is said to 'hang in the balance', after she spent a night under the care of specialist doctors at the King Edward VII hospital in Marylebone, London. The Palace said that the monarch was discharged on Thursday morning and returned to Windsor Castle at lunchtime, where she is expected to recuperate for the rest of the week. The Queen's appearance among world leaders at the COP26 summit in Glasgow is hanging 'in the balance' as she waits for guidance and 'test results' from doctors after being admitted to hospital this week It is understood the trip to the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London (pictured) on Wednesday afternoon was expected to be for a short stay for some 'preliminary investigations' The monarch, 95, had planned to join Prince Charles and Prince William at the COP26 conference in Scotland on November 1 The Queen's busy October schedule before a night in hospital - October 6: The Queen holds two virtual audiences at Windsor with the Greek ambassador and the ambassador for Belize. She meets Canadian troops from 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, and later has a telephone audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. - October 7: The Queen, with the Earl of Wessex, launches the Queen's Baton Relay for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games from the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. - October 12: The Queen, accompanied by the Princess Royal, attends a Westminster Abbey service of thanksgiving to mark the centenary of the Royal British Legion. She uses a walking stick at the abbey - the first time she has done so at a major event. - October 13: The monarch has a face-to-face audience with pianist Dame Imogen Cooper to present her with the Queen's Medal for Music. She also holds three other audiences. - October 14: On an away day to Cardiff, the Queen delivers a speech at the sixth session of the Welsh Senedd. - October 16: The Queen enjoys a day at the races at Ascot, and presents the trophy after the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes during the Qipco British Champions Day. - October 18: She holds a virtual audience with the new Governor-General of New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro. - October 19: The Queen has three engagements - two virtual audiences with the Japanese ambassador and the EU ambassador, and then hosts an evening reception at Windsor Castle to mark the Global Investment Summit. Advertisement MailOnline understands that any future commitments, such as COP26, were still in the Queen's diary but would have to be confirmed nearer the time. It is believed that her private office is waiting for the results of the preliminary tests and will see how the elderly monarch feels over the next few days. The global climate summit is set to take place in Glasgow from Sunday October 31, to Friday November 12. But Royal doctors ordered Her Majesty to rest and advised her to miss a trip to Northern Ireland this week, sparking speculation about the reason for the eleventh-hour cancellation. The Queen was understood to be in 'good spirits' and back at her desk reading her official government red boxes on Thursday. Her admission is understood not to have been related to coronavirus. Buckingham Palace said medics took an 'understandably cautious approach', adding the Queen's admission was for 'practical reasons', with just a week remaining before she was due to appear at COP26. The monarch returned home to Windsor Castle on Thursday afternoon and is due to commence a schedule of 'light duties' once she hears back from doctors. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today [Thursday], and remains in good spirits.' A palace source told the Mirror: 'The Queen is in good spirits and will continue to take a period of rest over the next few days. 'She will be guided by her doctors on what is appropriate in terms of her duties.' The Queen is expected to rest at Windsor Castle and aides said there were no plans to cancel her attendance at events for the UN climate summit in Glasgow at the end of this month. She is likely to continue to hold private meetings at Windsor Castle next week but has no public engagements. The Queen still keeps a busy diary of events and audiences and deals with her daily red boxes of official papers. Since she returned to Windsor from her summer break at Balmoral, the Queen has carried out 15 engagements, listed in the Court Circular, including her audiences, plus an additional trip to Ascot. Downing Street did not confirm whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson held his usual weekly address with Her Majesty on Wednesday. Any such meeting has not yet been listed in the Court Circular - the official record of any royal engagement. The sovereign, whose husband the Duke of Edinburgh died just six months ago aged 99, has had a busy schedule since returning from Balmoral at the start of October. Including her return from the royal estate in Aberdeenshire, where she spent the summer, the Queen has travelled nearly 1,000 miles this month. Last week, she was forced to start using a walking stick in public for the first time - a stark reminder of her advancing years. And on Tuesday evening she hosted a major Global Investment summit at Windsor Castle, where she looked bright and cheerful as she carried out her royal duties. Aides had said they were still confident she will be well enough to undertake a series of meetings and audiences next week, and also lead the Royal Family at the Cop26 climate change summit in Glasgow at the beginning of November. In other developments, the BBC's veteran royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell called out Buckingham Palace on live TV and accused them of deliberately telling the media that the Queen was resting at Windsor Castle when she was actually in hospital. The Queen at a reception for the Global Investment Summit in Windsor Castle, October 19, 2021 The monarch returned home to Windsor Castle on Thursday afternoon and is due to commence a schedule of 'light duties' once she hears back from doctors. Pictured: Police cars practice outside the COP26 summit in Glasgow this week. Downing Street did not confirm whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured) held his usual weekly address with Her Majesty on Wednesday Mr Witchell, who was famously branded an 'awful man' by Prince Charles, told BBC Breakfast that her Majesty's aides had failed to give Britain 'the full picture' and only admitted the truth after the news leaked last night. It came as the Queen's driver took her beloved corgis for a walk at Windsor this afternoon - a job Her Majesty would usually do herself. But the monarch, 95, is working at her desk this afternoon, Boris Johnson has said. Mr Witchell told BBC viewers: 'We were led to believe on Wednesday that the Queen was resting at Windsor Castle. As we were being told that, and relaying it to our viewers and newspapers to their readers, in fact she was in hospital'. He said: 'The palace would say the Queen is entitled to patient confidentiality and medical privacy, not withstanding that she is the head of state and millions of people around the world would be concerned'. 'We must hope that we can rely on what the palace is now telling us,' he added, calling assurances that the queen was in good spirits 'a handy phrase that the palace dusts off at moments such as this'. Royal author Robert Jobson told MailOnline: 'Medical privacy is one thing, but on matters of fact, trust between the palace and correspondents is paramount. When the PM was in hospital, the Lobby were told. 'Personally, I think it was poor judgement [by the palace] and makes it difficult to believe anything we are told at face value'. Advertisement Amanda Knox has given birth to a baby girl, she has revealed - but lied to listeners to her podcast by saying that she was still pregnant in a bid to avoid a media scrum. Knox, 34, and her husband Christopher Robinson, 39, welcomed daughter Eureka Muse Knox-Robinson 'several months ago', she told The New York Times. Yet Knox only announced that she was pregnant on August 4, in the first episode of her podcast, Labyrinths. By that point, she had likely already given birth - or was just about to. 'That's right, we're pregnant,' she said in the podcast. 'We've been recording audio of our own experience since day one. Stay tuned for our next mini-series, 280 days, where we take you on an intimate journey from conception to birth,' she added. The couple also shared audio recorded as they awaited the pregnancy results and she hoped for 'three bars.' 'Yes! Thank goodness we did it!' Knox exclaimed when she learned the good news. Knox on Friday explained that she and Robinson, who married in 2020 in a time travel-themed wedding, wanted to keep their daughter's arrival a secret and so documented her pregnancy in their podcast, Labyrinths, but kept the birth secret. 'I'm still nervous about the paparazzi bounty on her head,' said Knox, speaking to the paper from their home on Vashon Island near Seattle, in Washington State. 'I will say I'm excited to not have to keep pretending not to be a mom. 'Cause it's like, my brain is just there.' Amanda Knox is pictured with her newborn daughter, Eureka Muse. The little girl was born several months ago, Knox told The New York Times in an interview published on Friday Knox and Robinson are pictured with their daughter Eureka at home in Vashon Island in Washington State The pair would not give details of when their baby was born, and would only say 'several months ago' Amanda Knox and Christopher Robinson, a poet and novelist, have welcomed a daughter, Eureka. The couple married last year Amanda Knox, now 34, is pictured in 2008 during her trial in Perugia, Italy, for the murder of Meredith Kercher. She was convicted and spent four years in prison, but then had her conviction overturned Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 36, were convicted of Kercher's murder in 2009 before being acquitted, convicted again and then finally definitely cleared in 2015. Pictured: The former couple in 2007, shortly after Kercher's body was found Knox is pictured in a courtroom in Perugia in October 2011, when she was fighting her conviction for Kercher's murder Knox has for months been deceiving her followers on Twitter and her podcast listeners with 'updates' about a pregnancy that had long reached its conclusion. On Friday, the same day she announced her baby was 'several months old', the final installment of the podcast was released, detailing her giving birth. And on Twitter, Knox continued the charade, musing about the early stages of her pregnancy - despite already being a mother to a newborn. In early October, when her daughter was several weeks old, she posted three images that show Knox lying and sitting on her bed in a black bra and lingerie, opening up about the discomfort she was experiencing, explaining that her body simply didn't feel 'right'. 'A lot of the time, you feel bloated and exhausted, awkward and uncomfortable,' she captioned the photos - which were taken in week 12 of her pregnancy, and feature Knox and Robinson watching video footage from their ultrasound. She never clarified that the photos were old. 'It doesn't feel... right, which makes you worry, "Am I not cut out to be a mom? What's wrong with me?"' Knox in October posted photos documenting her first trimester. She is seen ten weeks after conceiving - but never stated that the photos were taken many months ago Knox admitted in October that she was struggling with the physical effects of her pregnancy during her twelfth week, sharing images of herself curled up in pain while her husband Christopher Robinson tried to comfort her. By this point, she had already given birth In her caption, Knox said she was feeling 'bloated and exhausted, awkward and uncomfortable' In October she claimed that her body didn't feel 'right', which was making her 'worry' that something was wrong - and that she might not be 'cut out to be a mom' In the images, Knox clearly looks to be in some pain, with one photo showing her sitting up in a hunched position with her legs drawn to her stomach, while Robinson gently strokes her head. She also shared several photos of herself covered in pink balloons to represent her 'slowly expanding' body. 'I'm feeling like a blimp, unable to do anything but slowly expand,' she wrote. Robinson meanwhile is pictured sitting alongside her throwing some pink juggling balls into the air - which Knox joked were meant to demonstrate his ability to 'juggle life's multiplying responsibilities'. She did not indicate whether their choice of pink props was meant to serve as a gender reveal, however her post quickly prompted speculation among her followers, who immediately asked: 'Is it a girl?' The little girl had been born, but Knox did not clarify. Another set of photos, which they claimed were taken earlier that week in October, show Knox and Robinson sharing a tender moment while watching the sunset near their home in Seattle 'Pregnancy has got us feeling like two birds building a nest on the edge of a cliff,' she said Robinson and Knox first shared the news of their pregnancy in an episode of their podcast back in August - just one month after opening up about their miscarriage Day by day: The mom-to-be has been candid about how her body is changing during pregnancy - having revealed after her miscarriage that she was worried 'something happened to her in Italy' to cause fertility issues Having been incredibly candid about her agonizing miscarriage, Knox wanted to give the impression of documenting her pregnancy through the same honest lens, with her new social media posts designed to capture both the highs and lows of her experience - from painful memories of her baby loss to happy snaps of Knox 'nesting' by decorating her child's nursery. It was never clarified that the photos were old, and their daughter had already arrived. The photos are categorized by week and begin with a candid snap of Knox happily sitting in her kitchen in the very first few days of her pregnancy, at a time when she 'didn't even know' she had conceived for a second time. For week two, she shared another image of herself 'still with a waistline', revealing that she was still 'thinking she was on that merry-go-round of scheduled conception and testing', completely unaware that she was actually already pregnant. She continued that 'testing, waiting, testing, waiting', although she admitted that she had 'started getting her hopes up' and was 'feeling really nervous'. As it turned out, her feelings of 'hope' were well timed, because she and Robinson learned just days later that they were pregnant once again - a moment that Knox described as the 'most joyous experience she's ever had in a bathroom'. The news of her pregnancy also prompted some nostalgic feelings, with Knox revealing that by week five, she was 'thinking about her own mom' - while sharing an image of herself holding up a crocheted star that she made for her mother while she was in prison. She also confessed that she was still terrified that the pregnancy might not 'stick', writing: '[I was] scared about whether or not this pregnancy was really going to stick.' Knox's photo series also paid tribute to the child that she and Robinson lost, with the mom-to-be sharing a photo of the couple posing together for her week eight update - revealing that this was the same week in her first pregnancy that she learned she had miscarried. Nesting! In the ninth week of her pregnancy, Knox and Robinson began decorating the baby's nursery Milestone moment: Knox admitted that she was struggling to marry her feelings of hope and anxiety during her eight-week scan, during which the couple were overjoyed to see a heartbeat, but devastated by the memory of their lost baby Worry: Knox said she was 'still afraid to tell anyone' about her pregnancy, even after seven weeks, because she was afraid that she might miscarry again 'The week we discovered our first pregnancy was a loss,' she shared - before revealing the very mixed emotions that she was experiencing having just seen her baby's heartbeat for the first time. 'This time we saw a heartbeat at our ultrasound. Is there a word for the combination of anxiety and hope when you're at the threshold of a former loss?' Two weeks in! Knox learned that she was pregnant just four weeks after conceiving - and she joked that her cats were aware that she was carrying a child After an emotional week, Knox turned her hand to something more positive: the 'nesting' process, which she began by starting to paint her future baby's nursery. She shared a photo of herself in the midst of the painting process, revealing a wall covered in a geometric-style portrayal of the Pacific Northwest mountains, as well as a 'Stargate portal to another world'. Her baby's nursery also featured in her week ten post, for which she shared an image of herself flashing a very toned tummy in her underwear, as well as a snap of the couple's cat, Mr. Fats, sleeping soundly in the crib. 'No bump yet, but Mr. Fats is already sending a clear message: "Don't forget, I'm the baby,"' she joked in the caption. Her beloved feline took center stage in her following photo, in which she is seen cradling Mr. Fats in her lap - while opening up about the physical changes she had started to experience. 'By this point [week 11], you wouldn't be able to tell from the outside that I'm pregnant,' she said. Looking back: Knox reference the four years she spent in jail in Italy, revealing that she was 'thinking about her own mom' after learning of her pregnancy - while showing off a small star that she crocheted for her in prison Happy moment: The mother-to-be showed off a picture of her positive pregnancy test, as well as an image of herself and her cat in the bathroom together No idea! Knox, pictured in the first three weeks of pregnancy, admitted that she was still concerned at the time that she wouldn't be able to conceive 'I look the same, and go about the world as usual (petting cats, mostly). But I'm feeling it on the inside. Something is very different, and at times it's really fun and exciting.' Not once did she clarify that the photos were old. Knox on Friday told the paper that she was still struggling to find a balance between disliking the fame and needing to make money to live from. She posted the photograph from her New York Times profile on Instagram, and captioned it: 'Since my exoneration, I've struggled to reclaim my identity and protect the people I love from being exploited as tabloid content. 'It's not easy, and I often feel like I'm trying to invent good choices out of bad whole cloth. 'I know that I cannot 100% protect my daughter from the kind of treatment I've suffered, but I'm doing the best I can. 'Which is why this will be the only picture of her I will ever share on social media. I'm so grateful to everyone who has wished @emceecarbon and I well on our journey to parenthood. 'Thank you for believing in us.' Knox and Robinson produce a podcast called Labyrinths, in which they have discussed her pregnancy. They did not reveal that she had already given birth Knox met Robinson when she interviewed him for her local newspaper, The West Seattle Herald, shortly after her final acquittal in 2015 Knox spent four years in prison in Perugia for the murder of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, who was found dead in the house they shared in November 2007. She was convicted in December 2009 and sentenced to 28 and a half years, but was acquitted in 2011 after an appeals court found that legal procedures had not been followed and there was no DNA tying her and then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito to the scene. Meredith Kercher was sexually assaulted and stabbed to death in November 2007 while studying abroad in Perugia, in a case that garnered huge media attention A local man, Rudy Guede, was convicted in a separate trial after his DNA was found on Kercher's body and in the room where she died. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2008, but was released in December 2020 and will spend the rest of his sentence doing community work. Knox was tried again in absentia, convicted again, and then ultimately had the conviction overturned by Italy's highest court in 2015. In 2013 Knox wrote a memoir, Waiting to Be Heard, for which she was given an advance of $3.8 million. But her father Curt, an accountant, said that only around $200,000 of that remained after Knox had paid her legal bills; PR; the three mortgages her mother, father and grandmother took out to fund the fight; and a loan for her younger sister Deanna, who dropped out of college during the battle. Knox and Robinson currently survive on the podcast, but are pitching a film adaptation of her memoir, a TV project about wrongful conviction, and a new book. They also are considering, the paper reported, a series of NFTs out of famous tabloid covers with Knox's face on them. 'What I keep telling Chris is that I want to get to a place where I don't have to keep living the worst experience of my life so that we can pay the mortgage,' Knox said. 'I keep telling myself if all else fails, I can make cuckoo clocks for a living.' Robinson, a novelist and poet, is working on a sci-fi novel and a nonfiction book about evolution, the future and psychedelics. Knox has spent the decade since her release from prison finishing her undergraduate degree, in creative writing, at the University of Washington and then taking a series of low-paying jobs. She worked in a used-book store and wrote for her local newspaper, initially under a pseudonym. 'Getting a forward-facing, regular job was complicated by the fact that people would recognize me,' she said. Knox also became an advocate for others who said they were wrongfully convicted. Knox is pictured in June 2019 speaking at the Criminal Justice Festival in Modena, Italy She spoke publicly about her experience in 2017, at a benefit in Seattle alongside Macklemore and Monica Lewinsky. In 2019 she returned to Italy for the first time, to speak at a conference organized by the Italian Innocence Project, which did not exist in 2009 when she was on trial. 'That's the sort of trap I'm in, where I'm constantly having to be in conversation with something that I would rather not,' Knox told the paper. 'I'm constantly told that I should just disappear.' While in Italy, she wrote to Giuliano Mignini, the prosecutor who secured her conviction. The pair have been corresponding since, and Knox thinks that her meeting him might make an interesting documentary. Mignini has retired and is publishing a book on the case next year. 'I am aware that finding herself far from home, at that age, she must certainly have suffered a lot,' he told The New York Times. He acknowledged that she was portrayed 'as a sort of Circe,' he said, referring to the witch in Greek mythology who enchants men and turns them into pigs. Knox and Robinson attend the conference of the Criminal Justice Festival at the University of Modena in June 2019 She said that she struggled to return to her previous existence in Seattle. At a welcome home party at her aunt's house, she sat alone, remembered Tom Wright, a family friend. 'I said to her, 'Are you OK?'' he recalled. 'And she said, 'I just want the people not in this room to know I'm innocent.'' Knox said that, at her parents' home, she packed up bags of her old belongings such as stuffed toys and clothes and gave them all to Goodwill. 'I'd gotten used to not having so many things,' she said. 'I felt totally overwhelmed.' She still washed her underwear in the sink, and her family urged her to be kind to herself and take things slowly, but she insisted she did not want to ease back into life, and said she had lost four years. 'You know, we were in survival mode for a while,' said her mother, Edda Mellas, a teacher, who spent large chunks of time in Italy visiting her daughter in prison. 'At that point in time, she really couldn't talk about it at all. She just cried.' Knox said the Italian court's decision in March 2013 to retry her had a devastating impact. 'I felt like I couldn't even try to have a normal life because I was carrying this shroud over me,' she said. 'In part, I was defiant. I felt like there was a deep injustice, so I didn't change my name, I didn't change my appearance. 'But I also felt defeated, like there was nothing I could do about it.' Knox in a photo posted to Instagram. She said in her podcast that she was bemused by the 'misdirected focus on my sexuality' Knox met Robinson shortly after her final acquittal, in 2015, when she interviewed him for her local newspaper. Robinson said he made a decision not to Google Knox before meeting her. He said he was angry by people in Seattle who thought they knew all about her, from the media reports and the depiction of her as 'Foxy Knoxy'. 'There are a lot of people who will say, with good intentions, like, 'I'm really sorry that happened to you. I'm a weird, quirky person, too.' 'Or, 'You should be allowed to be quirky. It doesn't mean you're a killer.'' 'And it's like, OK, but did you even think for a minute that your perception of her behavior was mediated through a thousand other things?' he said. Knox added: 'I wasn't even that weird.' She noted that she and her husband do like to go to Renaissance Fairs, and her brother-in-law, Kyle Robinson, performs in a medieval knights troupe. Knox and her husband also went to DomCon, a dominatrix convention, where Knox stripped to her thong and was publicly flogged in a hotel ballroom, surrounded by other people. Knox said in her podcast: 'The misdirected focus on my sexuality was one of the things that bothered me most about the trials. 'We started to wonder, what does a sex game gone right look like?' Robinson added: 'Lots of people like going to Comic-Con, they're not all accused of murder.' It is seen as the most high-profile reporting job in British broadcasting and accordingly there is no shortage of candidates to be the BBCs next political editor. Outgoing BBC North America editor Jon Sopel is the favourite to replace Laura Kuenssberg. Her deputy Vicki Young, 50, is also hotly tipped for the role by BBC insiders as is prolific presenter Amol Rajan, 38. Meanwhile Miss Kuenssberg, 45, is expected to become a presenter on Radio 4s Today programme. There was intense speculation yesterday over who will get her job. Miss Kuenssberg, 45, is expected to become a presenter on Radio 4s Today programme Among many names linked with the role last night were Sky News political editor Beth Rigby, 45, BBC political correspondent Chris Mason, 41, Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis, 51, BBC economics editor Faisal Islam, 44, and BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale, 52. But is understood that ITVs political editor Robert Peston, 61, is not interested in replacing Miss Kuenssberg. It emerged on Thursday that Miss Kuenssberg, who has been in the role for six years, is in discussions with bosses about becoming a presenter on Radio 4s flagship news show Today. The move is reportedly part of a reshuffle planned for the BBCs on-air team. But talks are not thought to have been finalised and neither has the timing of any switch been agreed, it is said. Among many names linked with the role last night were (from top left to top right) BBC North America editor Jon Sopel, Sky News political editor Beth Rigby, and BBC's Scotland Editor Sarah Smith. They also include (from bottom left to bottom right) BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale, prolific presenter Amol Rajan and Laura Kuenssberg's deputy Vicki Young Many regard Mr Sopel, 62, as the favourite for the role. Earlier this week he revealed he is returning to the UK after seven years in his post, which is based in Washington. One news insider said he had been interestingly coy about what he was doing next. There is speculation that Mr Sopel will be replaced in the US by the BBCs Scotland editor, Sarah Smith, 52. But she has also been linked with Miss Kuenssbergs role and Ladbrokes gave her odds of 10/1. Bookmakers have made Mr Sopel their favourite he was given odds of 7/2. Miss Young is second favourite with odds of 4/1 and Mr Rajan is third at 6/1. Miss Rigby, who was taken off air for three months from December for attending a rule-breaking party during lockdown, was given odds of 12/1 by Ladbrokes. The bookie gave Mr Landale odds of 8/1. The body of the cruelly persecuted Army veteran Dennis Hutchings was returned to home soil yesterday and transported to the picture postcard village on the Cornish coast where hed made his home. Five days ago, this proud but frail 80-year-old, who fought so heroically to clear his name in a Belfast courtroom over a shooting in the heat of battle 47 years ago, died alone in a Covid ward in the Northern Ireland capital. His partner of 26 years Kim Devonshire, whom he loved dearly, is numb with grief. He really believed he was going to clear his name, she says. It breaks my heart that he never could. It is the shocking nature of his death under such strain, alone and far from family that is impossible for her to come to terms with. Former soldier Dennis Hutchings died before his trial for attempted murder concluded, leaving him unable to clear his name as he had vowed to do. His wife of 26 years, Kim Devonshire, has revealed she is numb with grief Mr Hutchings pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of John Pat Cunningham who was shot in County Tyrone 47 years ago Mr Hutchings waves as he arrives to the Belfast Crown court in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on October 4, for his trial for attempted murder. He died before the trial concluded Kim, 65, had seen Dennis 36 hours before his death and still cannot comprehend how the partner she could always rely on, the man who would always look after her, is dead. The sad truth is that Dennis might be here today if the Ministry of Defence, charged with providing support to this man forced to stand in the dock in a trial likened to a witch-hunt, had done its duty. Instead, as Kim reveals, this terminally ill man who had numerous ailments, including kidney failure and heart disease, but was still determined to clear his name was all but deserted in his final hours. Kim was alone at their Cornwall home on Monday evening when she was contacted by a civil servant and told that Dennis had been taken to hospital. She was given its number and told to leave it an hour before phoning. What followed was a tragic and almost farcical back-and-forth, which began when Kim did as she was told but couldnt get a reply from the ward. After trying several times over the next hour, she phoned the civil servant back in a panic, telling him she was unable to get through. He said, Well youve got to persevere. I did and, that time, someone answered. Dennis Hutchings (R) with his beloved partner of 26 years Kim Devonshire (L) who admits she is numb with grief he never got the chance to clear his name They put me through to the doctor who said, Oh, Im glad you phoned. Ive been trying to find your number. I wanted to ask you some questions about Dennis because I know nothing about him. Why is he in Belfast? I know nothing about this man. Can you give me a brief history and a rundown on his health? I told him what I knew, then he said, When Dennis came in, he had a very low oxygen level. We did get it up but then it dropped again. He just wouldnt keep his oxygen mask on. Im very sorry to have to tell you that Dennis died. I just thought well, I was speechless. I said, Ill have to phone you back and I called Stewart [the civil servant]. I said, Stewart, youve got to phone the hospital. They told me Dennis has died and that just cant be true. That wouldnt happen to Dennis. He wouldnt die within two hours just like that. Hes fought off so much over so long. It cant be Dennis. Theyve mixed him up with someone else. Stewart phoned back ten or 15 minutes later. He said, Kim, Im really, really sorry but it is Dennis. Ive been trying to remember things that we said to each other in our last week together [at a Belfast hotel] but I cant remember. Im really cross because its gone, she says. People have said, It will come back but you mustnt try too hard to bring up old memories. It will just come back. But it just seems a blur. I want to remember because I did use to make Dennis laugh, but I cant think of those things I cant. Kim is being supported in her hour of need by Plymouth MP and former Defence Minister Johnny Mercer, who sits with her as we talk. Johnny helped Dennis throughout his final battle, lodging a witness statement in support of the ex-soldier, and was horrified that the veteran was being betrayed by the Government who, he felt, had broken its promises to our servicemen not to pursue vexatious historical investigations. Kim is the sort of dignified woman who prefers to share her grief privately with the family she loves, but Dennis has the biggest part of her heart and he cannot speak now. He really believed he was going to clear his name, come out [of the court in Belfast], punch the air and say, Thats it. Weve done it! It breaks my heart that he never could. Johnny reassures her: It wont be over until his name has been cleared. But it isnt just that, says Kim. Hed say, Im not doing it for me. Im doing it because there are 270 others who are going to get the knock on the door. Mr Hutchings had been cleared twice over the shooting of John Pat Cunningham, a 27-year-old with learning difficulties, as he fled from an Army patrol in Tyrone in 1974. He was told he would not be prosecuted in the months after Mr Cunninghams death following an initial investigation, and again in 2011 when the case was reviewed. However, it was reopened by the Legacy Investigation Branch of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2015. Dennis was taken from his home in Cornwall to Northern Ireland for questioning. Kim remembers the day all too well. It was here, in their beautiful home with its glass balconies and views of the sea, where 14 police officers came to arrest Dennis on a Tuesday morning in April 2015. Kims parents, her sister, Kims son Christopher, now 42, and his daughter Amelie, now 12, were in the house at the time. Dennis went to answer the door and saw them. He said, All right lads, what are you here for? Do you want a cup of tea? That was just Dennis. I dont know if he had an inkling what was going to happen, she says. Her eyes swim with tears. There had been some correspondence going back and forth for a while and he became a bit agitated by it but it was never something we thought was going to erupt into what it did. Kim had shared her life with Dennis since May 14, 1995 she remembers the exact date when he took her for Champagne and canapes with the Queen and Prince Philip at the Royal Windsor Horse Show after theyd met through mutual friends. When he phoned out of the blue to ask me, I couldnt really turn that down, could I? she smiles. A whirlwind of Ascot, the Derby and Henley followed. She says he made her feel safe and comfortable. Everyone was either son or darling to him, mostly because he never remembered anyones name. Briefly her eyes sparkle. That was just Dennis. After the Army Dennis had been in the Life Guards he had established a hugely successful security business, which he sold for more than 1 million when he retired in 2005 to enjoy his remaining years in Cornwall with Kim. But his career with the Life Guards was always the biggest part of him. During his 26-year service he received a gallantry award for his heroism in arresting six IRA members who were hiding upstairs in a building. Johnny recounts the tale he heard from Dennis, adding: He also arrested a priest and people said, You cant do that. There is a brief glimmer of humour in Kims eyes as she listens. Dennis had so many stories, she says. He was mentioned in dispatches the night before the incident he was on trial for. Its just so wrong to treat old soldiers in such an abysmal way, isnt it? Denniss heath began to deteriorate following a problem with his prostate. If only hed got himself checked earlier, says Kim. Do you get yourself checked? she asks Johnny in her warm-hearted way. You must. Dennis started having dialysis twice a week four years before his trial. Such was the drawn-out legal process, his treatment had been upped to four times a week before his trial finally began in Belfast this month. One thing he found really amusing was that the hotel room was booked in my name. Wed never got married because wed both been married before so I didnt feel the need and I didnt like his name either. She laughs. Then, for security reasons, he was being called Mr Devonshire at the hotel. He phoned me every single day wherever he was, she says. She last spoke to him on Monday morning. Dennis had tested positive for Covid during his kidney dialysis treatment on the Saturday so had told her shed best go home as hed have to be in isolation in the hotel room. He just seemed to have a cold, so wanted to get better and carry on with the trial, Kim says. Ive never seen Dennis crumble over anything apart from when his dog died. Nothing daunted him. Dennis just carried on and carried you along. She falls into silent thought. Kim has barely slept and must be exhausted but, like the man she loved, shes vowed to battle on. He was determined to fight this. He knew he wasnt guilty and he wasnt going to let anyone say he was. When they said about having an amnesty, that infuriated him. He said, They give you an amnesty if youre guilty, but I wasnt. He wanted to be in court. He wanted to fight the battle out there. He felt if he hadnt [but appeared down the line in Plymouth as he was offered] it would have been pushed aside. He wanted the coverage to highlight what was going on. And so Kim had to watch this frail old man in court, as so many of us did, in a big glass box with a police officer. Some of the officers sat next to him but most sat 5 ft away. Dennis was extremely tired and would drop off. It did concern me that hed do that in court. I teased him about it. The police officer would go and nudge him awake. I could see that Sunday I came home he was worse than he was when he left here to go to court, but I had no idea when I left him he was as poorly as he must have been. I wouldnt have gone home if I had. They said he had Covid but hed had his vaccinations and we thought he had my cold. She twists a diamond ring on her finger, one of many gifts from Dennis and looks at Johnny. I should have been there. Again Johnny assures her, You wouldnt have been able to be in the hospital with Covid. Kim nods, but you know just to look at her that she would have gone through hell and high water to be by his bed. Dennis had his up days and his down days. Hed always bounce back. For six years wed been told he only had a matter of months to live but he never gave up. The doctor once said to him, I dont know what youre doing, Dennis, but keep doing it. When I rang him on the Monday morning we had a normal conversation. He said, Im fine, Im fine. Ive just got a cold. We talked about getting a newspaper and some paracetamol. I said Id phone back later. She never spoke to him again. Kim still doesnt have a date for the funeral. It was only yesterday she knew his body was safely home. Dennis was desperate to be back in the village he loved, telling Johnny Mercer on Monday afternoon: I want you to get me out of this hell-hole and get me home. That was their last conversation. Kim has asked Johnny to read the eulogy at the funeral, which will be held in a church in Plymouth. It is an honour he is proud to fulfil. Not many people are brave enough to do what he did in his state, says Johnny. He could have sat here and done it down the line but he was determined to stand up to the people he called those bullies. He was a very special man. And a remarkable old soldier who deserved better. A former paratrooper turned adviser on Hollywood blockbusters warned even the use of blank rounds could have resulted in the Alec Baldwin shooting tragedy. Paul Biddiss, 52, said crews on US movies are working such long hours that mistakes such as the Rust shooting were inevitable. He claimed if a gun had accidentally caught debris in its barrel it could have discharged the material to deadly effect. He added the massive forces generated by expanded gas in the guns firing mechanism could be deadly to somebody stood within ten metres of the muzzle. Production personnel are also being asked to double-up their responsibilities in a bid to cut costs which has increased the likelihood of fatal accidents, claimed Mr Biddiss. Paul Biddiss, 52 (Pictured) said crews on US movies are working such long hours that mistakes like the Alec Baldwin shooting tragedy are inevitable The former paratrooper claimed if a gun had accidentally caught debris in its barrel it could have discharged the material to deadly effect. He added the massive forces generated by expanded gas in the guns firing mechanism could be deadly to somebody stood within ten metres of the muzzle In a move earlier this year, Hollywood production crews voted overwhelmingly to authorise industrial action to secure more reasonable working conditions for craftsmen and technicians, including armourers and weapons advisers. They are demanding rest periods, safer working hours and meal breaks. Mr Biddiss, who worked with Alec Baldwin and Tom Cruise on the Mission Impossible films, said: American friends of mine say they were waiting for this to happen, that it was only a matter of time and I agree. The US sets are not as tightly regulated in terms of working hours as sets in the UK, which is dangerous from a safety perspective. The crews are not getting much sleep, so theyre not as clear-headed as they should be and when youre working with weapons that can be fatal. Im so saddened by the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Lessons must be learned. It is too early to confirm what went wrong but it could be that something like a small stone got into the barrel of the gun and was fired out by the pressure of the blank round or there was a mix-up over ammunition. People think blanks and prop guns are perfectly safe but theyre not. You dont want to be anywhere inside ten metres of the muzzle. I dont know how close the victims were on this occasion. Importantly, people shouldnt blame Alec Baldwin. His job is to act, hes not paid to check the weapons are safe thats someone elses job and it is a very important job which is sometimes undervalued. From memory, I cannot think of any incident similar to this shooting taking place here. Any weapons on a movie set are the responsibility of the film crews armourer. Mr Biddiss said to save money, special effects crews are sometimes asked to fulfil the armourer role leading to staff struggling with dual responsibilities. Live rounds are never brought onto sets as it is simply too dangerous to use them in filming. But blank rounds can be dangerous in the wrong settings. Mr Biddiss, from Oxfordshire, added: For example, you wouldnt use blank rounds in a close up where, say, someone is being executed or shot at very close range. For that type of scene you need a round that doesnt cause any blast waves at all. Tragically, this accident was most likely to have been preventable. I just hope Halyna Hutchins passing will wake people up about can go wrong. Bald men may like to think they have the raw sex appeal of Bruce Willis or the aristocratic bearing of Prince William. Unfortunately, however, a study shows women find them less attractive than their fully covered counterparts and bald white men are also judged to be less successful. There was better news for bald black men, who were judged to be no less attractive than if they had hair in the psychological study of 120 people led by Bucknell University. A study of 120 people, published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science, found that bald white men were judged to be less successful They were shown pictures of men with or without hair, then asked to rate their personalities and traits. Those shown a bald white man, compared to those who saw the same man with a full head of hair, predicted he would be less successful and less friendly and enthusiastic in life. Young women judged the man without hair to be significantly less attractive. Bald black men were judged to be no less attractive than if they had hair Professor Maryanne Fisher, co-author of the study from St Marys University in Halifax, Canada, said: It is a little bit worrying how white men are perceived when they lose their hair. 'Being bald affects peoples view of everything from their career success to their attractiveness and personality. Co-author of the study from St Mary's University in Halifax, Canada, Professor Maryanne Fisher said: 'It is a little bit worrying how white men are perceived when they lose their hair.' But just because baldness can attract this unconscious view of men doesnt mean their other qualities dont matter and if they are wonderful in other ways, that is very important. The study is published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science. A giant owl that hasn't been seen in the wild in 150 years has finally been spotted in a rainforest in Ghana raising hopes for the survival of the vulnerable species. The Shelley's eagle-owl was sighted in the Atewa forest on October 16 by Imperial College London biologist Joseph Tobias and freelance ecologist Robert Williams. Last definitively seen in Ghana in the 1870s the same year it was first described the nocturnal owl has become something of a 'Holy Grail' for birdwatchers in Africa. While there have been many alleged sightings in the past few decades in Central and West Africa and as far afield as Angola and Liberia, all have been unconfirmed. More often reported as being heard than seen, the Shelley's eagle-owl is said to make a distinctive 'kooouw' sound that is higher in pitch that the calls of similar owls. The only known certain photographs of the bird are grainy images taken of a captive specimen kept behind bars in Belgium's Antwerp Zoo back in 1975. Meanwhile, some have claimed a 2005 photograph taken in the Congo shows a more recent specimen but the image is said to be too pixelated to be sure. Given its scarcity with an estimated population of only a few thousand individuals the Shelleys Eagle Owl is considered to be vulnerable to extinction. A giant owl that hasn't been sighted in the wild in 150 years has been spotted in a rainforest in Ghana raising hopes for the vulnerable species' survival. Pictured: the Shelley's eagle-owl SHELLEY'S EAGLE-OWL Formal name: Bubo shelleyi Locality: Central & Western Africa Body size: 2124 inches Wing chord (length): 16.519.4 inches Weight: in excess of 2.7 lbs Advertisement The researchers who are in Ghana studying the biological impacts of agricultural development in Africa as part of a UK Government-funded project spotted the owl when they accidentally disturbed the bird from its daytime roost. 'It was so large, at first we thought it was an eagle,' said Dr Tobias said. 'Luckily it perched on a low branch and when we lifted our binoculars our jaws dropped. There is no other owl in Africas rainforests that big.' While the owl only perched still for 1015 seconds before flying away, the pair succeeded in take photographs from which the species could be confirmed. They can be sure that the bird was indeed Shelley's eagle-owl thanks to its distinguishing combination of distinctive black eyes, yellow bill, large size and barred patterning. 'This is a sensational discovery,' said biodiversity expert Nathaniel Annorbah of Ghana's University of Environment and Sustainable Development. 'We've been searching for this mysterious bird for years in the western lowlands, so to find it here in ridgetop forests of Eastern Region is a huge surprise.' The Shelley's eagle-owl was first described in 1872 by noted British ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe curator of the Natural History Museum in London's bird collection after acquiring a specimen from a local hunter in Ghana. The Shelley's eagle-owl was first described in 1872 by noted British ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe curator of the Natural History Museum in London's bird collection after acquiring a specimen from a hunter in Ghana. Pictured: an illustration of the owl from 1875 Environmental groups including the 'Friends of Atewa' have called for the forest to be designated as a national park, as to ensure its protection. Atewa is threatened by both illegal logging and mining for bauxite used in the production of aluminium although areas at higher elevations presently still support large areas of evergreen forest. 'We hope this sighting draws attention to Atewa forest and its importance for conserving local biodiversity,' said Dr Williams. 'Hopefully, the discovery of such a rare and magnificent owl will boost these efforts to save one of the last wild forests in Ghana,' he concluded. The Shelley's eagle-owl was photographed in Ghana's Atewa forest by Imperial College London biologist Joseph Tobias and freelance ecologist Robert Williams A stunning 2,000-year-old lilac amethyst stone has been discovered in Jerusalem, including the first known depiction of balsam, a plant featured in the Bible. It would once have been worn on a ring, and includes an unusual engraving of a bird and a branch from a plant bearing five fruits, according to experts from the City of David Foundation, who found it during excavations of the Western Wall foundations. The branch engraved on the stone was from an expensive plant used to make perfume for the temple, and is featured prominently in the Bible and other records. The temple was destroyed around 70 CE, and experts say this ring would have been dropped by someone into the drainage channel in the decades before. The seal of the bird and balsam is what makes it stand out, as it is 'nothing like other seals used at the time,' and 'may be the first depiction discovered in the entire world with an engraving of the famous plant,' according to archaeologists. A stunning 2,000-year-old lilac amethyst stone has been discovered in Jerusalem, including the first known depiction of balsam, a plant featured in the Bible WHAT WAS BIBLICAL PERSIMMON? Commiphora gileadensis, also known as the Arabian balsam tree, is a species of shrub found native to Saudi Arabia, Yemen, southern Oman, and Sudan. It is also found in southeast Egypt although historians speculate it may have been introduced to the region. Other names include balm of Gilead and Mecca myrrh. The planet was renowned for its expensive perfume, which was used in the temple during the Second Temple period of ancient Jerusalem. Advertisement The plant featured on the iridescent stone is also known as the balsam tree or 'persimmon' and has the modern scientific name 'Commiphora gileadensis'. 'Toward the end of the Second Temple period, the use of stone stamps expanded and became more common,' said Professor Shua Amorai-Stark, an expert in engraved gems. 'But in most stamps discovered so far with plant engravings, it is common to find plants that were common in Israel at the time: vines, dates and olives. 'But on this stone seal, we immediately noticed that the fruit that appears on it is unlike any of the fruits we have encountered to date.' As well as producing perfumes for the Temple, the plant was used in the production of incense, medicines and ointments. According to the historian Josephus, Mark Antony gifted valuable persimmon orchards that formerly belonged to King Herod, to his beloved, Cleopatra. Some commentators identify the persimmon in the list of gifts given by the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon. This surprise discovery was found at the Emek Tzurim National Park operated by the City of David, where remains are sifted by archeologists and volunteers. The temple was destroyed around 70 CE, and experts say this ring would have been dropped by someone into the drainage channel in the decades before The branch engraved on the stone was from an expensive plant used to make perfume for the temple, and is featured prominently in the Bible and other records Participants were sifting soil from Israel Antiquities Authority excavations conducted along the foundation stones of the Western Wall, when they saw the 2,000-year-old tiny oval stone. The seal is made of a precious amethyst, in a range of shades of purple and lilac, with a hole where a metal wire was inserted which was used to wear the stone as a ring. The oval stone seal is just a third of an inch long, and despite its tiny size, includes two distinct engravings. The first engraving shows a bird, probably a dove, and next to it appears a long, round, thick branch with five fruits on it, thought to be the persimmon perfume plant mentioned in the Bible, Talmud, and various other historical sources. It would once have been worn as a ring, and includes an unusual engraving of a bird and a branch from a plant bearing five fruits, according to experts from the City of David Foundation, who found it during excavations of the Western Wall foundations The plant featured on the iridescent stone is also known as the balsam tree or 'persimmon' and has the modern scientific name 'Commiphora gileadensis' SECOND TEMPLE The Second Temple was a Jewish holy building that stood on Temple Mount in Jerusalem from 516 BCE to 70 CE. According to the Hebrew Bible, the Second Temple replaced Solomon's Temple - the First Temple. The era when it stood is known as the Second Temple period. It started as a modest building, constructed by a number of Jewish exile groups returning to the Levant from Babylon. During the reign of Herod the Great, the Second Temple was refurbished and completely overhauled. Advertisement 'This is important because it may be the first time a seal has been discovered in the entire world with an engraving of the precious and famous plant, which until now we could only read about in historical descriptions,' sayid archaeologist Eli Shukron. 'The balsam plant is a positive symbol because beyond the fact that it was used to produce perfumes and medicines, was attributed magical and ceremonial properties and is one of the ingredients used for making the Temple incense during the Second Temple Period which is when this seal was made.' According to Professor Amorai Stark the dove is also a positive motif, as it symbolises wealth, happiness, goodness and success.' She said that the engraving on the seal attests to the identity of the person who wore the ring, suggesting its owner was a Jew with means. This is because the production and trade around persimmon was tightly controlled at the time by Jews living in the Dead Sea basin, where the fruit was grown. 'I guess the owner of the seal was a man who owned a persimmon orchard, and when he came to the craftsman who made the ring for him, it is possible he may have brought a branch of persimmon so that the craftsman knew what to carve on the stone,' she explained. Shukron added: 'The research that takes place around the finds allows us to get a glimpse into the daily lives of the people who lived in the days of the Second Temple, the glory days of Jerusalem.' Archaeologists have made an astonishing find, uncovering a nearly 80-year-old hazelnut and almond cake that became a 'heavily charred and blackened' after a British air raid hit a historic German city during World War II. The cake, which was still wrapped in wax paper, was discovered in a cellar in the port city of Lubeck, according to a translated statement from Hansestadt Lubeck. In addition to the cake, other items were found, such as coffee service (consisting of plates, knives and spoons) and records, including Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and the symphony No. 9, the statement added. Experts Lisa Renn and Doris Muhrenberg noted that the cake still has roughly the same shape as when it was baked. Archaeologists discovered a cake that became a 'heavily charred and blackened' after it was hit by a British air raid over Germany during World War II Experts Lisa Renn (left) and Doris Muhrenberg (right) noted that the cake still has roughly the same shape as when it was baked The cake also has its nut filling and the sugar decorations are 'clearly visible' It also has its nut filling and the sugar decorations are 'clearly visible' on the cake, according to the statement. 'Although it is heavily charred and blackened with soot on the outside,' Renn said, adding, 'the heat has shrunk to only a third of its original height.' The cake was likely burned during the 1942 air raid, which occurred between March 28 and 29. The cake, still wrapped in wax paper, was found in a cellar in Lubeck, Germany The British Royal Air Force bombed the city in retaliation for the Nazi blitz of Coventry, England in 1940, according to Dirk Rieger, head of the Department of Archaeology for the Hanseatic City of Lubeck Historic Monuments Protection Authority During the war, Nazi Germany hosted a prisoner-of-war camp for officers in Lubeck between 1940 and April 1945 The British Royal Air Force bombed the city in retaliation for the Nazi blitz of Coventry, England in 1940, Dirk Rieger, head of the Department of Archaeology for the Hanseatic City of Lubeck Historic Monuments Protection Authority, told LiveScience. The cake was recently unwrapped when the Palm Sunday bombing started and everything collapsed into the building's cellar, Rieger told the news outlet. However, the cake was not crushed and it is 'currently the only pastry of its kind that has been archaeologically uncovered in northern Germany,' the statement added. 'In order to get to the bottom of the secrets of the cake, samples of the filling and the glaze were examined in the laboratory,' Dr Rieger said in the statement. Researchers are not sure whose cake it was, but a Lubeck merchant named Johann Warme lived in the destroyed house, the statement added, citing 'old city books.' It's possible the cake and coffee service were to be used for a festival or perhaps for Palm Sunday celebration. 'The discovery of the Lubecker Torte represents a very private, almost intimate connection to the city's day, which was so decisive in history,' the statement explained. The cake was discovered by construction workers in the city's Old Town district, near the town hall and 'main market area,' Rieger told Live Science. It was brought to Lubeck's restoration lab, where it was cleaned and samples were taken. Lubeck was eventually occupied - without resistance - by the British on May 2, 1945 The bombs that were dropped contained chemicals and researchers need to make sure there are no traces of these chemicals, such as phosphorus, which could react when exposed. 'It took 79 years until these special contemporary witnesses, who also reflect the direct moment of destruction through their own transience and fragile materiality, came to light again and nobody knew that they existed at all,' Dr Rieger said. Lubeck, officially known as the Hanseatic City of Lubeck, was founded by Adolf II, Count of Schauenburg and Holstei. In the Middle Ages, the port city was known for international trade, as merchants sold cloth, fish, salt and a host of other goods that were imported and exported by sea. It was designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1987 and hosted the G7 conference in 2015. During the war, Nazi Germany hosted a prisoner-of-war camp for officers in the city between 1940 and April 1945. Lubeck was eventually occupied - without resistance - by the British on May 2, 1945. More than 3,000 communication satellites are orbiting Earth, but dozens of companies are seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) to launch thousands more and the proposals have sparked fears of disastrous collisions in space. Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in testimony to the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday: 'The challenge is that we are beginning an era of large, multi-satellite constellations when FCC rules on debris mitigation apply on a satellite-by-satellite basis.' 'The U.S. government and governments around the world are failing to properly manage collision risk.' 'If not remedied, the consequence will be losing access to space entirely, devastating not only satellite communications, but also human spaceflight, national security, weather prediction, disaster relief, climate science, and so much more.' Scroll down for video Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine calls on the US government to mandate better regulations for launching satellites into orbit The development and use of satellite communications are advancing rapidly and transforming humanity. SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, is building a megaconstellation to provide its Starlink internet service to the most remote parts of the world. The company has sent more than 1,700 Starlink satellites in orbit, but it hopes to have as many as 42,000 devices circling Earth. Amazon's Kuiper Systems is looking to send 3,326 communication satellites and OneWeb is proposing to build a constellation of 648 devices. More than 3,000 communication satellites are orbiting Earth, but dozens of companies are seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) to launch thousands more. SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, is building a megaconstellation to provide internet service to even the most remote parts of the world Bridenstine said: 'The US government and governments around the world are failing to properly manage collision risk.' SpaceX has sent more than 1,700 Starlink satellites in orbit, but it hopes to have as many as 42,000 devices circling Earth Amazon, however, has petitioned the FCC to prohibit SpaceX from modifying parts of its Starlink satellites, CNBC reported in February. While Amazon said that it 'supports the ability of operators to modify their system designs,' the company argues the changes are too complex and should not be approved - thus grounding future Starlink batches. Viasat, an American communications company, has also petitioned the FCC to investigate internet satellites, claiming the constellation poses environmental hazards. The document cites a number of grievances including SpaceX's satellites failure rate to devices colliding in orbit and re-entry pollution risks. John Janka, Viasat's chief officer for global government affairs and regulatory, told DailyMail.com last year: 'There has been strong concerns raised among a wide number of players in the industry this summer about the satellite's orbital debris, space safety and interference issues.' Then there is Kuiper Systems that is looking to send 3,326 communication satellites and Lond-based OneWeb is proposing to build a constellation of 648 devices. Bridenstine urges the US to work with international partners that are also launching communication satellites into space Pictured is a figure Bridenstine presented to Congress, which shows the rise in debris and collisions over the next 30 years 'It is not just SpaceX, these concerns are about mega constellations in general - anyone proposing to send thousands and tens of thousands of satellites into orbit.' And Bridenstine echoed these same concerns on Thursday. 'Dramatic increases in space collisions, and new space debris, are expected within just a few years,' Bridenstine said during the briefing. 'In the longer-term satellites are destroyed [by debris and collisions] faster than they are launched.' Bridenstine proposed solutions during the briefing, putting much of the responsibility on Congress and the FCC. The 46-year-old former Congressmen, who is now a member of the board of directors of two companies, including Viasat, explained Congress needs to delegate the power so the FCC can approve satellite constellations based on an aggregate collision risk metric and not one satellite at a time. 'The FCC proposed this rule in April 2020, but it was never implemented. It was the right policy then and it is even more the right policy today,' he continued. A second proposed solution would be for the U.S. government to mandate the FCC define the limits on the nature and number of satellites that can exist in low-Earth orbit. 'The FCC has said there are limits, but there has been no action,' Bridenstine added. Another solution urges the U.S. to work with international companies that are also launching communication satellites into space. 'If other nations are not included in this process, they will claim the same territory with disastrous consequences. America's allocation must then be fairly distributed to companies in a way that ensures competition in the marketplace,' said the former NASA administrator. 'Finally, Congress should have the FCC analyze and report on the effects these constellations will have on launch, the International Space Station, the environment, astronomers, and future space exploration.' Bridenstine is not the only space expert who foresees trouble ahead, as others suggest the lack of international regulation for communication satellites will cause a 'wild west' free for all in space, according to Paul Kostek, a space policy specialist from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). There are longer-term concerns that this 'free for all approach' to space will one day result in a disastrous collision that could lead to a loss of connectivity on Earth or at an extreme case, loss of life if a crewed spacecraft were to be hit. Kostek warned that this may have to happen before government's finally agree on a set of regulations to restrict firms operating in the commercial space industry. The need for regulation has become more pressing after satellites from OneWeb and SpaceX Starlink came close to hitting each other in April Bridenstine is not the only space expert who foresees trouble ahead, as others suggest the lack of international regulation for communication satellites will cause a 'wild west' free for all in space 'As a consequence you get into this whole discussion of how is space going to be managed, Kostek told MailOnline, speaking about the vast number of satellites due to launch. 'It really is the wild wild west, or in this cast the wild wild space,' he added, saying 'what is all of that going to mean, how are people even going to manage space.' 'You've got astronomers upset because their night vision is ruined because of the number of satellites up there and the traffic management problem. 'How do you manage all these satellites to avoid collisions, to protect essential services such as GPS and other communications.' There is already some evidence of these mammoth constellations of satellites causing problems for each other, not just for astronomers on Earth. OneWeb and SpaceX, the powerhouses in the internet satellite industry, had a dangerously close encounter on April 4, with two satellites from each firm coming within just 190ft of each other as they crossed orbits. The near miss happened after OneWeb's launch on March 30th, which sent 36 satellites into orbit and had to pass through a sea of Starlinks on the way. This is the first known collision avoidance event since space exploration companies started populating space with internet beaming devices - and some may suggest, it won't be the last. NASA said on Friday it is now targeting February 2022 for its uncrewed Artemis 1 mission, a delay caused by several reasons, including cost overruns, lawsuits and the COVID-19 pandemic. The February 2022 launch is later than the U.S. space agency wanted to send the test flight, as it had plans on doing so by the end of 2021. Artemis 1 is the first step in America's plan to return humans to the moon by 2024 on Artemis 3. The Artemis program will see the first woman and first person of color step foot on the lunar surface. 'The February launch period opens on the 12th and our last opportunity in February is on the 27th,' said Mike Sarafin, Artemis 1 mission manager at media briefing. The next windows are in March and then April. These potential launch periods are dependent on orbital mechanics and the relative position of the Earth with respect to its natural satellite. NASA achieved a major milestone when it stacked the Orion crew capsule atop the SLS megarocket 'just before midnight October 21,' the U.S. space agency said in a recent statement. A NASA employee holds the official Artemis mission patch at NASA Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio NASA achieved a major milestone when it stacked the Orion crew capsule atop the SLS megarocket 'just before midnight October 21' (pictured) 'With stacking and integration of NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft complete, we're getting closer and closer to embarking on a new era of human deep space exploration,' said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a statement. 'Thanks to the team's hard work designing, manufacturing, testing, and now completing assembly of NASA's new rocket and spacecraft, we're in the home stretch of preparations for the first launch on the Artemis I mission, paving the way to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond for many years to come.' Engineers working at Florida's Kennedy Space Center finished lowering the 212ft tall core stage between two smaller booster rockers on June 11 SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM CORE STATS Length: 212 feet Diameter: 27.6 feet Empty weight: 188,000 lbs Material: Aluminium 2219 Engines: 4xRS-24 Max Speed: Mach 23 Capacity: 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen Advertisement The combined structure now stands 322 feet (98 meters) tall inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After further tests, it will be wheeled out to the launch pad for a final test known as the 'wet dress rehearsal' in January, with the first window for launch opening in February, officials told reporters on a call. The Artemis I mission will see the Orion spacecraft, the SLS and the ground systems at Kennedy combine to launch the Orion 280,000 miles past Earth around the moon over the course of a three-week mission. This spacecraft, primarily built by Lockheed Martin, will stay in space 'longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before,' NASA has said previously. In June, NASA finished assembling the $18.6 billion SLS rocket, after having announced the project in 2011. It will also deploy a number of small satellites, known as CubeSats, to perform experiments and technology demonstrations. The Artemis I mission will see the Orion spacecraft, the SLS and the ground systems at Kennedy combine to launch the Orion 280,000 miles past Earth (and further than the moon) over the course of a three-week mission Although likely to be pushed back, Artemis 2 is technically scheduled for 2023 and Artemis 3 for 2024, humanity's return to the moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Artemis is the successor to the Apollo program, which saw Neil Armstrong and 11 other men step foot on the surface of our only natural satellite in the 1960s and 70s. The deadline of 2024 was already an ambitious one, but has been further brought into doubt because of legal challenges from Jeff Bezos over the lunar lander contract, issues with the spacesuits and budgetary constraints imposed by Congress. WHAT ARE NASA'S PLANS FOR ORION? NASA's Orion, stacked on a Space Launch System rocket capable of lifting 70 metric tons, will first launch from Kennedy Space Center later this year or in early 2022. The uncrewed spacecraft will travel into Distant Retrograde Orbit, breaking the distance record reached by the most remote Apollo spacecraft, and then 30,000 miles farther out (275,000 total miles). The mission is expected to last 22 days and is designed to test system readiness for future crewed operations. Following the uncrewed space flight test, the first crew will launch to the moon, before astronauts on Artemis-3 land on it again by 2024 at the earliest. Advertisement Blue Origin, the space firm owned by Bezos, is suing NASA over its decision to exclusively award a 2.1billion ($2.9bn) lunar lander contract to Elon Musk's SpaceX. The Amazon founder claims NASA broke convention, and moved the goalposts, by not picking two of the three candidates, out of SpaceX, Blue Origin and Dynetics, to build the vehicle that will put the first woman on the moon. These roadblocks have been made worse by COVID-19, which caused a wider range of delays, with many NASA employees working remotely for months at a time. The SLS rocket has also faced a number of delays, putting the launch window at risk. NASA is seeking to establish a sustainable presence on the moon, and use the lessons it learns to plan a crewed trip to Mars in the 2030s. The SLS and NASA's Orion spacecraft, along with the commercial human landing system and the Gateway in orbit around the moon, are NASA's backbone for deep space exploration, fulfilling the goal of making lunar exploration sustainable. The plan is that in the future, astronauts will launch in Orion atop SLS, reach lunar orbit where they will dock with the Gateway, and be taken to the surface in a lander. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the moon in a single mission, according to NASA. Barcelona wonderkid Ansu Fati reportedly turned down Manchester United, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain to commit his future to the Nou Camp. Fati signed a new deal with Barca on Thursday, which will keep him at the club until 2027 with a hefty release clause added worth 1billion (846m) equal to that of fellow academy graduate Pedri, who also signed a new deal this week. The forward, who will turn 19 at the end of the month, admitted he had turned down offers from abroad to continue his dream of playing for Barcelona. Ansu Fati holds his No 10 as Barcelona hold a press conference announcing his new contract Fati came on at half-time in Barcelona's 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday night According to Diario Sport, the likes of PSG, United and Liverpool all failed to tempt him away from the Nou Camp despite willing to pay double the wages of what Barcelona were offering. With Barca's debt standing at over 1bn, there are likely to be more high-profile departures and the club cannot afford to splash out on new signings or even commit huge sums to wages. Fati, however, insists he was only ever interested in signing for the club he joined as 10-year-old from Sevilla in 2012, despite Manchester City having also reportedly shown interest. Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (left) and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp appeared to miss out on their respective clubs landing Fati PSG also appeared to miss out on Fati having also earlier in the summer convinced Barca legend Lionel Messi (above) to move to Paris on a free transfer 'Yes, I've had offers from abroad,' he admitted. 'But my dream was to be here. 'From the first day I told [agent] Jorge Mendes that my first option was always to stay at Barca. He understood it perfectly and I am very happy that the club has trusted me'. Fati has inherited the No 10 shirt previously worn by club legend Lionel Messi but insists he will feel no burden wearing the historical jersey. 'It's true that the No 10 jersey has been worn by Leo [Messi] and many players but I'm calm,' said Fati of his new number. 'I know what I can bring to this team. Ansu Fati smiles alongside his agent Jorge Mendes and father Bori at the press conference 'For me it's not a pressure. No one is going to be like Leo, no one is going to be like [former captains Carles] Puyol or Xavi [Hernandez]. No one is going to equal what Leo has done. I'm going to follow my own journey. I still haven't done anything. I hope I can have a career like they have had. 'Any player could have worn the No 10. I'm grateful that the captains offered me the number and luckily, I got it. It's an extra motivation for me. I don't look at the number but focus on what I can do on the pitch to help the team.' Fati has scored 15 times in 48 matches already for Barca and the club have pinned their hopes on him and fellow youngsters Pedri and Gavi after they were forced to offload Messi to stay within LaLiga's new salary cap rules. It's Global Champagne Day today and to toast it, Cunard has revealed some fascinating facts about its long and proud association with French fizz. The cruise line goes so far as to say that 'the Cunard experience of yesterday and today is incomplete without Champagne'. Read on to discover the lengths the company went to in order to preserve its stock of fine Champagnes during the wars, how it used to recommend a pint of fizz as a seasickness cure and how in the 1960s 21 kinds of vintage Champagne were offered by Cunard on board... From the start of its service in 1840, Cunard ships have always carried Champagne on the instructions of the company founder, Samuel Cunard From the start of its service in 1840, Cunard ships have always carried Champagne on the instructions of the company founder, Samuel Cunard who, despite himself being a quiet and conservative man, understood that Champagne would play a role in keeping those passengers who could afford it happy. The bar on Britannia, Cunards first purpose-built ship (built in 1840), would open at 0600 hours as in those days passengers were roused at 0500 hours to allow cabins to be swept out. The opening of a bottle of Champagne is at best a ticklish affair, an accomplishment shared alike by the skilled waiter and the finished gentleman. Cunard Publicity, 1905. It is hoped that Charles Dickens, who once stated that Champagne is one of the elegant extras in life, was able to enjoy a bottle or two during his crossing on Cunards Britannia in 1842, if only to take his mind off what he thought was a tortuous endurance while experiencing the great Atlantic in a January. In 1887 the Cunard Company boasted: Our passengers annually drink and smoke to the following extent: 8,030 bottles and 17,613 half bottles of Champagne, 13,941 bottle and 7,318 half bottles claret, 9,200 bottles of other wines, 489,344 bottles ale and porter, 174,921 bottles mineral waters, 34,400 bottles spirits, 34,360 lbs tobacco, 63,340 cigars and 56,875 cigarettes. In the 1890s a pint of Champagne was a recommended cure by the onboard Doctor for seasickness. Today Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth (pictured) combined pop over 12,000 Champagne corks over the course of a year As Cunards liners increased in size, so did the consumption of Champagne. On each roundtrip Atlantic crossing Etruria (1886) would consume 1,100 bottles, while Lusitania and Mauretania (1907) would consume 1,700 bottles each. Queen Mary (1936) would consume 2,400 bottles and 1,440 half bottles on each roundtrip, while today passengers on Cunards flagship Queen Mary 2 consume 248 bottles on each seven-day Atlantic crossing (12,913 bottles annually). QE2 consumed 73,000 bottles annually (37 different labels), while today Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth combined pop over 12,000 Champagne corks over the course of a year. Each of todays Cunard Queens features a Champagne Bar, where Laurent Perrier is served something Charles Dickens could only dream of. When Europe was plunged into war in September 1914, the Cunard Board considered it a priority to hold a supply of Champagne in its massive warehouses in Liverpool for use on those ships still in passenger service and to ensure there was ample supply for its fleet when the war eventually ended. Before Christmas that year, Cunard had put in place secretive and complex arrangements covertly through its French sales offices to solicit Champagne from its French suppliers using specially hired undercover trains that would travel through France and deposit the Champagne at several coastal ports. At these it was loaded onto chartered ships for the Channel crossing before once again being loaded onto trains for the onward journey to Liverpool. All this while there was a war going on. The Champagne list aboard the Queen Elizabeth in the 1960s Noel Coward would insist on Champagne for breakfast while sailing on one of Cunards famous Queens. And on three occasions during the Second World War, Queen Mary was the nerve-centre of the Empire as Sir Winston Churchill crossed the Atlantic to see President Roosevelt. Special arrangements were made to make the Prime Minister more comfortable, including loading several cases of his favourite Pol Roger Champagne on what was supposed to be a dry ship: I could not live without Champagne. In victory, I deserve it. In defeat, I need it. He enjoyed the Champagne at dinner but, more importantly, while he bathed. Naked flames were not allowed in cabins at any time but special allowance was also made for Churchill to have a candle lit at all times for his cigars. But even the Champagne consumption of Coward and Churchill was nothing compared to one of Cunards Captains. Sir James Charles, Captain of Mauretania in the 1920s, was the first to establish strict rules of etiquette at the Captains Table. Having been knighted for his war service, he demanded that guests wear full military decorations. Sir James was also a great trencherman. Whole roast oxen or small herds of gazelles, surmounted by hillocks of foie gras decorated with peacock feathers, were wheeled to his table where Champagne was served in jeroboams (otherwise known as a Double Magnum, which holds three litres, the equivalent to four bottles) and souffles were the size of chefs hats. Confectioners spent hours creating centrepieces in carved ice or spun sugar - on one occasion an electrically illuminated Battle of Waterloo was carried in to the ships orchestra playing Elgar all toasted by Sir James and his guests with Champagne. Sir James is remembered today on Cunard ships. A Grand Suite is named after him on Queen Elizabeth and a special cocktail, Over the Top, inspired by Sir Jamess dinner parties is served on all ships. A publicity shot on the Queen Elizabeth in 1950. The model accepting a glass of Champagne from a waiter is one Roger Moore, of 007 fame Celebrity pets and animals onboard would cause as much of a stir as any celebrity passenger. Rin-Tin-Tin, the star of 36 silent films, was a regular on Berengaria and despite having a first-class ticket his keeper would remain with the canine star on the tourist class deck throughout the trip. And Rin Tin Tin would be treated to the occasional Champagne tipple. During the Prohibition era (1920 1933), many Americans travelled on British-registered Cunard ships simply to get a drink. Cunard built the biggest bar at sea on Berengaria as an attraction for thirsty Americans and weekend booze cruises were popular. Passengers would hang around the bars until the ship passed the three-mile limit and as soon as they opened up a roaring trade would be done. One first-class American passenger managed to quaff ten cases of Champagne over the five days it took Aquitania to race across the Atlantic in 1921. In response to one or two raised eyebrows of the ever-attentive Cunard stewards, he claimed an unusual thirst. In 1933, The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, unexpectedly visited Berengaria in the early hours of the morning while berthed in Southampton, with friends and cases of Champagne. When Captain Grattidge enquired why he had chosen the empty Berengaria, the Prince of Wales, offering the Captain a glass of fizz, simply said how difficult it was to find quiet places where he could relax and be with friends. Life on board Cunard's original Queen Elizabeth in first class was rather refined When the Second World War erupted the Cunard Board acted once again to secure the lines extensive stock of rare vintage Champagnes and wines. The mystery of the whereabouts of what had been hailed as Cunards prized possessions was not resolved until Queen Elizabeth made her delayed Maiden Voyage in passenger service in October 1946, when Cunard White Star Limited revealed that the lines valuable stock, which was considered at that time to be irreplaceable, had been secreted immediately after the outbreak of hostilities in 1939. As a precautionary measure, thousands of bottles of Champagne were placed in underground hideaways throughout England and because it was considered best to disperse the collection, the Champagne was housed in Buxton, Leeds, Bradford and Liverpool in the north; and Dorchester, Somerset and Brockenhurst in the south. Having survived the war without a scratch, the collection was reassembled in Southampton in preparation for the much-delayed Maiden Voyage of the largest liner in the world. Earlier that year Queen Elizabeth returned the Lincoln Cathedral Magna Carter to England after it had been sent to the United States for safekeeping during the war. On that same voyage the Cunard ship also returned a consignment of Champagne which had also been sent to America for safety and was now being returned to London for auction at Restells. In total 145 bottles of Champagne were being auctioned including 1928 vintages of Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Pol Roger, G H Mumm and a few dozen Bollinger 29. Rare items for the sale were two double magnums (each equal to four bottles) of Champagne: Irroy 1928 and Perrier Jouet of the same year. The oldest Champagne was Bollinger 1914, of which there were 23 bottles. According to Cunard in the 1960s: The restaurants the Queens offer are the last word in food-and-winemanship, or almost the last word. To accompany each meal a bottle of Champagne there are 21 kinds of vintage Champagne on this, probably the largest wine-list afloat. Couples quaff Champagne in a stateroom aboard the RMS Caronia II The largest wine lists afloat would require the largest cellars at sea a tradition Cunard continues to this day. When travelling on the liners in the 1950s heyday of ocean travel, passengers were allowed to invite friends and family onboard and it became a tradition, mainly in New York, of embarking passengers to invite as along as many as possible on board in the final two hours before sailing for a Bon Voyage Party in the cabin. Cunard would supply the requested Champagne and flowers and the parties would often intermingle with each other until the entire vessel would be busy with partying passengers and visitors. Most often some parties would still be underway long after the all visitors ashore calls and while the parties were a nuisance factor for the crew, they provided a great sales tool as visitors got a first-hand glimpse of the ship. When turbine trouble left QE2 passengers in mid-ocean off Bermuda without water in 1974, Cunard offered unlimited Champagne. Some passengers even shaved in it. Over 7,000 bottles of Champagne were consumed during Queen Mary 2s inaugural events period in January 2004, which was entirely appropriate for the launch of the largest, longest, tallest, widest and most expensive ocean liner ever built. But when Her Majesty The Queen named the new Cunarder she did something for the first time ever at a Cunard launch and that was break a bottle of Champagne across the ships bow. When Her Majesty The Queen named Queen Mary 2 she did something for the first time ever at a Cunard launch and that was break a bottle of Champagne across the ships bow Despite Cunards obvious appreciation of Champagne the decades-old rivalry between it and the French Line resulted in Cunards refusal to actually use (French) Champagne for any of its launches, so The Queen, her Mother, Grandmother and the dozens of Lady Sponsors of earlier Cunard ships that had preceded Queen Mary 2 used Empire Wine [a wine produced in a country within the Empire]. Queen Mary 2, which entered service featuring the first-ever Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar at sea, was thus the first-ever Cunarder to have been blessed with Champagne. Queen Victoria was also christened with Champagne by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall in 2007, which makes her and Queen Mary 2 the only two out of 248 Cunard ships. What will be used to name Cunards next ship, its 249th since 1840? Guests travelling on board Queen Mary 2, which returns to international waters next month, can enjoy a glass of Champagne from $16.50 at the centrally located Champagne Bar. Those travelling on board Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria also have the option of the 'Gin & Fizz Bar', which serves Champagne by the glass or bottle - and has an extensive selection of premium gins, including one crafted exclusively for Cunard by Pickering's Gin. The most expensive bottle of Champagne Cunard currently sells on board is the 2004 Alexandre Rose, by Laurent-Perrier, priced at $360 (260) per bottle. The Holiday Guru is always on hand to answer your questions. This week, he helps one reader who is planning a trip to the Emerald Isle and advises another who is confused about the Covid tests they need to take for a European cruise. Q. We are flying to Dublin for five days from next Tuesday. We are fully jabbed and understand that we need to complete an Irish Passenger Locator Form. But what about on the way back to England do we need to fill in a UK Passenger Locator Form? And do we need to take any tests on return? Bob Layard, via email. Classic charm: Double-jabbed Britons dont need to take tests to holiday in the Irish capital A. You are not required to take any return tests. However, you will need to complete a UK Passenger Locator Form, which must be submitted in the 48 hours prior to coming back see gov.uk. Where this form asks whether you have booked a Covid test on return required for most countries simply tick the box saying you are exempt from testing. The only Britons who do not have to complete UK Passenger Locator Forms when returning from Ireland are those who have been in the country for at least ten days. For travel to Northern Ireland, check the rules at nidirect.gov.uk. Q. My husband and I are travelling to Las Vegas at the end of November and are unsure of what Covid tests we need. Any advice? Victor Webb, via email. A. It is understood that a prejourney Covid test will be required when travel to the U.S. resumes on November 8 for the fully vaccinated, but exactly what type of test that will be has not yet been explained by the American authorities. Best to hold tight until closer to travel. The Holiday Guru helps one reader who is jetting off to Las Vegas (pictured) - but isn't sure which tests are necessary Q. I would like to make a short trip to France. I am 66 years old, female and unvaccinated. Can I go? Silvi (surname withheld), via email. A. Unvaccinated travellers can enter France only if they have essential reasons for travel, such as attending a funeral of a close family member or seeking vital medical treatment. This involves a complicated procedure, outlined at gov.uk. If you just want a holiday, you cannot go. Q. I wish to go by car to Belgium via France in November. What tests do I need? I am double-jabbed. Also, does the 42-litre duty-free beer allowance apply per person or per car? Des Pejko, via email. A. Both France and Belgium accept fully vaccinated visitors, but you will need to complete paperwork as outlined on their entry requirement pages at gov.uk and Belgium also requires a negative Covid test before arrival. The new post-Brexit duty-free allowances are per person. See all limits at Bringing goods into the UK for personal use at gov.uk. Q. I have a house in St Tropez and have been trying to get there via easyJet. Due to medical conditions, I could not board a flight and have not been offered a refund. Is this right? Kate Sissons, via email. A. Airlines do not offer refunds when a passenger has medical trouble before travel unless it is a serious illness (which is, obviously, open to interpretation). If an airline rejects a request, claim through your travel insurance. A reader who owns property in St Tropez, pictured, asks the Holiday Guru whether they are owed a refund for a missed flight Q. We are due to start a cruise from Southampton, visiting Belgium and the Netherlands. I understood we could use lateral flow tests for our day two test on return from October 24. So I picked up a pack from the gov.uk site. Now I find these cannot be used. Is that correct? Janet Perkins, via email. A. NHS lateral flow tests are not allowed. You must book one from an official Covid test supplier that meets the Governments standards. See Find a coronavirus travel test provider at gov.uk. WERE HERE TO HELP Need advice? The Holiday Guru can answer your questions. Email us at: holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk. Jersey Shore's Paul D, whose real name is Paul DelVecchio, and his girlfriend Nikki Hall are happy in their relationship. The reality television, 41, and his better half talked about their romance during an interview with People about season 3 of Double Shot at Love with DJ Pauly D & Vinny. Hall and Pauly D met on the first season of the show which followed 20 female contestants, one of whom was Hall, as they attempted to woo either Pauly D or Vinny Guadagnino. Relationship filled with love: Jersey Shore's Paul D, whose real name is Paul DelVecchio, and his girlfriend Nikki Hall are happy in their relationship Pauly D pointed to his own personal love life to prove the format of his reality show works. 'Nikki and I, we've actually been through this process,' DelVecchio said. 'So you get to see us actually take this kid's hand and walk him through the dating process, and what that's actually like. And it gets crazy. Really crazy!' The 'kid' Pauly D is referring to is his good friend and co-host Vinny Guadagnino who will try to find love in the third season of the show which premiered on September 16, 2021. Reality show love: Hall and Pauly D met on the first season of Double Shot at Love which followed 20 female contestants, one of whom was Hall Helping his best friend out: Pauly D will help his close friend Vinny Guadagnino find love in the third season of the show (pictured 2020) The Rhode Island native also revealed that he grew much closer to his significant other during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'The pandemic gave us a chance to focus on our relationship,' he said. 'And we were able to actually film, too. It's cool to bring her along because she's friends with my Jersey Shore family as well now, and their family. 'So it's been great. It's been a good time, and we're just taking it day by day. We're happy.' Hall joined him on a trip with his Jersey Shore cast mates during the most recent season of Family Vacation set in Las Vegas and the Poconos. Pandemic love: The Rhode Island native also revealed that he grew much closer to his significant other during the COVID-19 pandemic (pictured 2018) A very Jersey family: Pauly D introduced Nikki Hall to his 'Jersey Shore family' recently (pictured 2018) The star didn't just talk about his personal life though. He also discussed professional opportunities coming back with COVID-19 cases falling. Pauly D works as a DJ when not filming his reality shows. He will next play on October 30 at The Pool After Dark at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City. 'It felt so good when I finally got the call that they were going to actually open [the club back up,' DelVecchio said. 'Everybody kept asking me, "When are you gonna be in AC?" And I didn't know.' He went on to say that he is 'just happy and blessed and grateful to be back at it again, doing what I love to do in front of a live crowd.' She's one of the most recognisable faces on Australian television. And A Current Affair host Tracy Grimshaw became emotional on Thursday during a surprise on-air tribute celebrating her 40 years at Channel Nine. The 61-year-old journalist was throwing to her colleague Brady Halls for a report, but Halls revealed the story would be aired tomorrow and instead there was a special tribute to commemorate Grimshaw's tenure at Nine. A look back at a spectacular career: A Current Affair host Tracy Grimshaw got emotional on Thursday during a surprise on-air tribute celebrating her 40 years at Channel Nine 'We have something here for you tonight,' Halls said. 'You see, folks, this year marks the 40th anniversary of Tracy Grimshaw at Channel Nine. 'You are an outstanding journalist, you are a wonderful colleague to all of us in the office, and a really good friend. So Trace, I want you to sit back and enjoy what you're about to see - 40 years of TG on Nine.' The tribute was introduced by veteran Nine News anchor Steve Liebmann, who showed viewers a young Grimshaw as a reporter in Nine's Melbourne newsroom in 1981. 'We have something here for you tonight': The 61-year-old journalist was throwing to her colleague Brady Halls (right) for a report, but Halls revealed the story would be aired tomorrow and instead there was a special tribute to commemorate Grimshaw's tenure at Nine A series of clips then aired of a fresh-faced Grimshaw reporting different news stories for Nine before shifting to her years presenting National Nine News. The journalist began hosting National Nine News in 1995 and then the Midday Show, which the tribute also screened clips from. In that same year, Grimshaw began to work on the Today show with Liebmann, which he described as a 'great professional marriage'. The tribute highlighted significant stories Grimshaw had reported on over the years, including the Thredbo landslide, the death of Princess Diana, and the Beaconsfield Mine collapse. The beginning: A series of clips then aired of a fresh-faced Grimshaw reporting different news stories for Nine before shifting to her years presenting National Nine News In January 2006, Grimshaw took over for Ray Martin as host of A Current Affair, possibly her most well-known news role. 'She put me to shame,' Martin said in the tribute. 'She's so good. I love what she does and I love watching her.' The special featured several of Tracy's notable ACA interviews, including her sit-downs with former NRL player Matthew Johns, disgraced TV host Don Burke, former Prime Minister Bob Hawke and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. Passing the torch: In January 2006, Grimshaw took over for Ray Martin as host of A Current Affair, possibly her most well-known news role. 'She put me to shame,' Martin said in the tribute. 'She's so good. I love what she does and I love watching her' More recently, Grimshaw was given the opportunity to talk with Prime Minister Scott Morrison about the rape allegations made by former political staffer Brittany Higgins. It was the first interview Mr Morrison had sat down for regarding the allegations and the effect it was having on his government. The tribute then cut back to Grimshaw, who looked flummoxed and emotional. 'I've been very, very busy, but I've had 40 years to be busy,' said said humbly. Olivia Newton-John's luxury Byron Bay resort, Gaia, has found a buyer. The boutique wellness retreat was purchased by Australian billionaire couple Andrew and Nicole Forrest for an estimated $30million, reports Adelaide Now. Andrew, best known by his nickname Twiggy, is a mining and cattle tycoon who owns the R.M. Williams brand. Sold! Olivia Newton-John's luxury Byron Bay resort, Gaia, has been snapped up for $30million 'As custodians of truly unique Australian experiences, we understand and deeply respect the founding vision of Gaia, which has transformed a wellness philosophy into one of Australia's most celebrated destinations,' Nicole said in a statement. 'We are investing in and developing unique and meaningful places places that have the capacity to enhance the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.' The Forrests are known for their philanthropy, having donated large portions of their fortune to charity. Buyers: The boutique wellness retreat was just purchased by Australian billionaire couple Andrew and Nicole Forrest (pictured on September 22, 2019 in New York City) Back in April, Olivia announced she was selling her famed Gaia retreat in Byron Bay just months after it swept the World Luxury Hotel Awards. The entertainer said at the time she was ready to 'pass the baton' to new owners. 'Having won so many humbling and outstanding awards, we have decided it is time to "pass the baton" to new custodians so they can continue our positive message that Gaia is "your time out to reconnect, breathe and surrender",' she said. Luxury: 'We are investing in and developing unique and meaningful places places that have the capacity to enhance the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities,' Nicole Forrest said in a statement 'It's bittersweet, but as a team, we always agreed that we would "go out on top" and we couldn't be more proud of the Gaia we have built with our incredible family team. 'We will miss our wonderful guests and amazing staff who have all been a huge part of making Gaia such a special magical place.' The resort was loved by celebrities and recently picked up an impressive four awards at the World Luxury Hotel Awards. Selling: Back in April, Olivia announced she was selling her famed Gaia retreat in Byron Bay just months after it swept the World Luxury Hotel Awards Ownership: The entertainer said at the time she was ready to 'pass the baton' to new owners It came out on top for the Global Overall Chairman's Award, Global Win - Health & Wellness Cuisine, Continent Win - Luxury Boutique Hotel and Continent Win - Luxury Healing Spa. This was an impressive feat given that the World Luxury Hotel Awards are considered the Oscars of the hospitality industry. The retreat is a favourite for many stars including Lisa Wilkinson, Jodhi Meares and Delta Goodrem. The number of collaborations under her belt is ever-growing. And Molly-Mae Hague looked sensational on Thursday night as she arrived at One Marylebone for her latest launch - a Christmas collection with luxury hair extensions company Beauty Works. The 22-year-old influencer, who is also Pretty Little Thing's creative director, wowed in a white bandeau and trouser co-ord, which included elegant flowy detailing. Stunning: Molly-Mae Hague looked sensational in white on Thursday as arrived at her Beauty Works Christmas launch at One Marylebone with boyfriend Tommy Fury Posing for gorgeous snaps at the landmark former church, the reality star showed off her bronzed tan with a glamorous make-up look. On all accounts, Molly-Mae exhibited colour-coordination, sporting chic white shoes underneath the flared trouser legs and flaunting blue hues with her dainty neckwear and stylish clutch. Her signature blonde locks were swept back into a ponytail and she kept a loosely curled strand around her face. Hand-in-hand: The professional boxer, 22, kept things seemingly laid-back for the evening, wearing black joggers, a bomber jacket and trainers Vision in white: Molly-Mae showed off her flair for fashion in the strapless two-piece which highlighted her slender physique Showstopping: The 22-year-old posed for gorgeous snaps at the landmark former church Smiles: Molly-Mae's signature blonde locks were swept back into a ponytail and she kept a loosely curled strand around her face Elegant: Posing for gorgeous snaps at the landmark former church, the reality star showed off her ability to apply a radiant full face of makeup, effectively completed by a nude lip Molly-Mae was accompanied by her proud beau Tommy Fury, who held her hand as they arrived. The professional boxer, 22, kept things seemingly laid-back for the evening, wearing black joggers, a bomber jacket and trainers. Earlier on, he captured an image of his dinner and wrote on his Instagram story: 'On the way down to London to see my girl @mollymae Just thought I'd say how much better train food is getting!' There for her: Earlier on Instagram, Tommy penned an Instagram story: 'On the way down to London to see my girl @mollymae' Leggy: Someone who made quite the appearance was Molly-Mae's best pal Maura Higgins, who has recently split with Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice Out: In spite of her sparking speculation that their pair may have reunited, the Irish stunner appeared to put any relationship woes to the back of her mind Leggy: Maura paraded her figure in a revealing zipped dress The former Love Island beauty was not short of support, as a whole slew of stars from the ITV2 show - and elsewhere - rocked up to celebrate the launch. Someone who made quite the appearance was Molly-Mae's best pal Maura Higgins, who has recently split with Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice. In spite of her sparking speculation that their pair may have reunited, the Irish stunner appeared to put any relationship woes to the back of her mind as she paraded her figure in a revealing zipped dress which she paired with knee-high boots. Love Island stars: The glamorous individuals who also made it to Molly-Mae's guest list included Siannise Fudge (l) and Demi Jones (r) All eyes on her: Siannise Fudge stood out from the crowd in a hot pink silk blazer dress Night on the town: The Love Island flaunted her bronzed pins in the minidress and teamed the look with black heeled sandals Dressed to impress: Demi flashed her midriff in the ribbed brown two-piece which she complemented with gold heels Beautiful: Lottie Tomlinson's standout style included an oversized blazer and gladiator heels Working it: Lottie posed up a storm for the camera outside the venue Event: Too Hot To Handle's Emily Faye Miller glammed up in a plunging patterned dress Party-hopping: Rachel Stevens also attended the bash after her Oasis clothing launch The glamorous individuals who also made it to Molly-Mae's guest list include Siannise Fudge, Demi Jones, Lottie Tomlinson and Emily Faye Miller. Siannise cut her typically stylish figure in a fuchsia dress, while Demi went braless in a knit two-piece. Lottie's standout style included an oversized blazer and gladiator heels, as Emily glammed up in a plunging patterned dress. Best of friends: At the end of the night Maura hopped into the back of the taxi with Molly Halloween came early for Shelly Horton's friends during a Zoom call with the Channel Nine TV presenter on Thursday. In a post on Instagram on Thursday, Shelly, 47, revealed her friends got a fright when they thought she came onto the call naked. But it proved to be nothing more than an optical illusion, with Shelly snapping a photo of their screens so fans could see what they saw. Horror on Zoom: Halloween came early for Shelly Horton's friends during a Zoom call with the Channel Nine TV presenter on Thursday She explained that she'd been wearing a strapless dress, which was cropped out of the frame, giving the impression she was in the nude. 'A few things I discovered today 1. If you wear a strapless dress you look naked on Zoom,' she captioned the hilarious post. Shelly later returned to Instagram to share a short video showing off her full outfit, set to Capone's hit single, Oh No. Revealing all: In a post on Instagram on Thursday, Shelly, 47, revealed her friends got a fright when they thought she came onto the call naked '#Zoomfail. When you wear a strapless dress on a Zoom call and everyone thinks your [sic] naked,' she captioned the post. 'At least @9honey and @ninecomau saw the funny side. The irony is I teach people how to present on Zoom so now I can use myself as an example of what not to do!' In an interview with 9Honey on Thursday, Shelly explained that she was completing home quarantine on the Gold Coast when her girlfriends decided to check in on her. Optical illusion: She explained that she'd been wearing a strapless dress, which was cropped out of the frame, giving the impression she was in the nude 'I was just wearing a strapless dress because I'm up in the Gold Coast, and so it's quite warm here,' she told the publication. 'So I was just wearing like a cotton strapless dress. And it wasn't until I actually got on the call that both of my girlfriends were like, "Are you naked?!"' Shelly said the dress actually had a 'neck strap', which she ultimately pulled up to avoid any more embarrassing confusion. The White Lotus star Lukas Gage and I Know What You Did Last Summer story editor Phoebe Fisher co-wrote an 'insane film' called Down Low featuring Star Trek's Zachary Quinto. The 'hilarious and heartbreaking' comedy - which already wrapped - is about a 'deeply repressed man, the uninhibited young man that gives him a happy ending, and all the lives they ruin along the way.' Down Low also stars Gage alongside Impeachment: American Crime Story actress Judith Light, The Good Fight star Audra McDonald, and Red Rocket actor Simon Rex - according to Deadline. The White Lotus star Lukas Gage (M) and I Know What You Did Last Summer story editor Phoebe Fisher (L) co-wrote an 'insane film' called Down Low featuring Star Trek's Zachary Quinto (R) Rex wrote on Instagram on Thursday: 'This movie is fixin to be hilarious n stuff!' Down Low will also mark the debut of El Salvador-born, New York City-based Sebastian Arroyo, who received his masters of fine arts from The Julliard School in 2019. 'I spent a month with these ridiculously stunning human beings and I'm still starstruck,' Arroyo gushed on Thursday. Just wrapped the 'hilarious and heartbreaking' comedy! Down Low also stars Gage alongside Impeachment: American Crime Story actress Judith Light (L), The Good Fight star Audra McDonald (M), and Red Rocket actor Simon Rex (R) Rex wrote on Instagram on Thursday: 'This movie is fixin to be hilarious n stuff!' Down Low marks the feature directorial debut of two-time SAG Award nominee Rightor Doyle, who played flamboyantly gay acting student/roommate Nick Nicholby in HBO's Barry. 'I couldn't be more thrilled by our incredible cast and the hilarious, moving, truly inspired work each one has brought to this film,' Doyle told Deadline. 'Thanks to FilmNation, along with Sui Generis Pictures, and our fantastic casting director Wendy O'Brien for supporting and collaborating on the vision I had for this ensemble. Okay, now back to editing!' Newcomer: Down Low will also mark the debut of El Salvador-born, New York City-based Sebastian Arroyo (pictured in 2019), who received his masters of fine arts from The Julliard School in 2019 Arroyo gushed on Thursday: 'I spent a month with these ridiculously stunning human beings and I'm still starstruck' She's been stuck inside and homeschooling her four children for months during Melbourne's 262-day lockdown. And on the city's Freedom Day, AFL WAG Bec Judd celebrated finally being able to take her kids Oscar, 10, Billie, seven, and twins boys Tom and Darcy, both five, back to school. The 38-year-old was seen smiling and holding up a peace sign in her SUV in a picture she posted on Instagram. School drop off: Footy WAG Bec Judd has celebrated Freedom Day in Melbourne and takes her children to school after months of homeschooling 'School drop off by Tom,' the socialite captioned the photo. The photo was taken from the backseat of the vehicle, presumably by one of her children. Bec also shared a snap of her daughter Billie in her school uniform. Bec shares her four children with AFL superstar Chris Judd. Melbourne's long-suffering residents were finally released from the world's longest lockdown on midnight last night. Victoria officially lifted its stay-at-home orders at 11:59pm on Thursday after the beleaguered state passed its 70 per cent Covid vaccination target. Family: Bec shares her four children Oscar, 10, Billie, Seven, and twins boys Tom and Darcy, both five, with AFL legend Chris Judd In September, Bec admitted she was finding it tough homeschooling her four children during Melbourne's lockdown. At the time, she told Now to Love things were getting 'crazy' in her household. But she was able to switch off after a busy day of remote learning by mixing a margarita and putting on her favourite music. 'I'm currently homeschooling four kids so every day is a little bit crazy,' she said. Candid: In September, Bec admitted she was finding it tough homeschooling her children during Melbourne's coronavirus lockdown. Pictured with her husband, retired AFL player Chris Judd, and their four children, son Oscar, 10, daughter Billie, seven, and twins Darcy and Tom, four Bec, who co-owns activewear label Jaggad, focused on her day job in the evenings before dinner and after her kids go to sleep, leaving the days free for schooling. 'It's pretty hard to get any work done with four kids home schooling, and keeping on top of the house,' she said. The Melbourne WAG added that while her packed daily routine wasn't 'ideal', she remained positive because she 'won't be working like this forever'. In August, Bec slammed the Melbourne lockdowns and said children need to return to school. In hiding: During Melbourne's first lockdown last year, Bec hid from her children in the kitchen She wrote on Instagram: '342 Victorian children are presenting to hospital EACH WEEK with mental health emergencies. 'Kids need to be back in the classroom (I'm not saying a blanket return. I'm saying let's come up with a safe plan ASAP).' She was referring to a report by the Victorian Agency for Health Information at the time, which claimed 342 children, aged up to 17, had presented to emergency departments each week suffering 'mental health emergencies'. The data was recorded in the six-week period leading up to May 30 and represented a shocking 57 per cent increase over the same timeframe last year. Advertisement A distraught Alec Baldwin said on Friday there are 'no words to convey his shock and sadness' after accidentally shooting and killing the female cinematographer on the set of his new movie Rust, and that he was cooperating fully with the police investigation into what happened. Baldwin accidentally killed Halyna Hutchins, a 42-year-old married mother-of-one and the Director of Photography on his new movie on a ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Thursday at 1.50pm. He is believed to have fired a single round from a prop gun that somehow struck both Hutchins and the movie's director, 48-year-old Joel Souza. Witnesses cited by Showbiz 411 said the single bullet struck Hutchins in the body, and pierced Souza's clavicle. Hutchins was airlifted to the hospital but was pronounced dead. Souza was taken to the hospital by ambulance but was released on Thursday evening. Baldwin, 63, was taken to the sheriff's department to be questioned. He was released without charge after giving a tearful interview. Afterwards, he was photographed doubled over in shock and grief as he spoke on the phone. In two tweets on Friday, Baldwin said described the shooting as a 'tragic accident. 'There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna,' he said. Hutchins' grieving husband Matthew told DailyMail.com on Friday morning that he had spoken with the actor. 'I have spoken with Alec Baldwin and he is being very supportive,' he said. It remains unconfirmed if it was a live round or a blank that was fired; a prop masters' union described it on Friday morning as a 'live round' and Baldwin was heard asking people around him why he'd been handed a 'hot gun'. 'In all my years, Ive never been handed a hot gun,' he was heard saying. A spokesman for both the film production and Baldwin said on Thursday night that it was an accident involving a 'gun loaded with blanks'. It is common on movie sets for actors to use real guns loaded with blanks or dummy bullets to give a more lifelike effect in shooting. But it remains unclear how a blank could have killed Hutchins, or how a live round accidentally ended up in the gun's chamber when Baldwin pulled the trigger. The movie's prop master - who is ordinarily in charge of the weapons - has not yet been named. Last month, actor Jensen Ackles told a conference in Denver how he'd been able to 'choose' his own gun from the female armorer in a haphazard training session. Scroll down for video Alec Baldwin is pictured sobbing after shooting and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his upcoming movie Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Thursday The 68 year-old actor was also snapped doubled-over in a parking lot, with his hands on his knees and his face seemingly crumpled with distress Halyna Hutchins, 42, (left) was shot dead in the incident on Thursday at the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where writer-director Joel Souza, 48, (right) was also injured Baldwin and Hutchins (circled) are pictured together on the set of Rust, in an image that she uploaded to Instagram two days ago saying the crew of the film were supporting a strike by the IATSE union Police tape cordons of a small church used as a set for the movie, after a fatal accidental shooting at a Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set near Santa Fe on Thursday They had me pick my gun. They were like, Alright, what gun would you like? I was like, I dont know, and the armorer was like, Do you have gun experience? I was like, A little, she was like, This is how you load it...check its safe. Do you want it hip drawn or cross drawn? I was like cross drawn, that sounds fun. ALEC BALDWIN ON-SET TRAGEDY: WHAT COULD HAVE GONE WRONG? The Santa Fe Sheriff's Office continues to investigate what exactly happened on the set that led to the death of Hutchins and the injury of the director, but past accidents involving guns on movie sets present a range of options for what could have led to the tragedy. Squib load - something was lodged in the barrel of the gun when Baldwin fired One possibility is that an object was stuck in the barrel of the prop gun that Baldwin was using. Known as a squib load, it happens when a cartridge isn't fired from the barrel because the gas isn't strong enough to push it out. In itself, it is not dangerous and can be fixed if the gun is safely cleared but if someone keeps firing rounds from that same gun - live or not - it can be highly dangerous. If a second round is fired behind the stuck round, it can cause the weapon to explode, or injure people in the near vicinity. A real bullet was accidentally loaded, or part of one was, instead of a blank After firing the gun, Baldwin's immediate reaction was to ask why he'd been handed a 'hot' gun - meaning one containing live bullets. That is what happened in the 1993 shooting of actor Brandon Bruce Lee on the set of The Crow. Those on set thought the gun was loaded with blanks, but an autopsy revealed a .44 caliber bullet was lodged near Lee's spine. Police recovered dummy shell casings from the set. A dummy, unlike a blank, looks like a live round with a bullet at the tip of the cartridge. The difference between live rounds and blanks is the tip of the cartridge where the lethal bullet is contained is not there on a blank. Sometimes they are replaced with cotton or paper. Dummy bullets, unlike blanks, look like ordinary bullets but aren't meant to contain the metal bullet tip either Blast from the blank struck something else on set One possibility, though it is not likely, is that the blank hit something else, damaged it, and caused that prop or piece of equipment to send pieces flying towards the director and Hutchins. Rhys Muldoon who has used guns on set many times and says even blanks are dangerous, speculated at that possibility, telling the BBC: 'The first thought I had is this is a close up of a gun being fired by the actor, very close to the frame of the camera, that has misfired, hit the DoP, and then something has either come off the French Flag or the black box like a part of the camera and hit the director as well.' But movie experts say even in those cases, there should be more safeguards in place. 'If you are in the line of fire... You would have a face mask, you would have goggles, you would stand behind a Perspex screen, and you would minimize the number of people by the camera. 'What I don't understand in this instance is how two people have been injured, one tragically killed, in the same event,' Steven Hall, who has worked on films such as Fury and The Imitation Game, told BBC. Advertisement So shes like, "Ill just put some blanks in there and just fire a couple of rounds towards the hill." 'I walk out and shes like, Just make sure you pull the hammer all the way back and aim at your target. 'I was like alright I got it, he said. The female armorer has not been named. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department has not given any updates since announcing on Thursday that Baldwin was who fired the gun. The department said he cooperated with deputies in interviews and was released without charge. The investigation into what happened is ongoing and more members of the crew are expected to be interviewed throughout the day. It's unclear where Baldwin is now. There was no sign of his wife, Hilaria, outside their New York City apartment on Friday but a nanny was pictured loading up their SUV. Police have disclosed few details about the shooting, saying only that a 'projectile' was fired by a 'prop gun' and they are investigating. Prop masters union IATSE 44 told members on Thursday night in an email that a 'live' round was fired. DailyMail.com has also obtained a portion of the 911 call that was placed from the set. In the three-second long clip , a woman can be heard saying: 'We have two people accidentally shot.' According to witnesses on-set, Baldwin was stunned after firing the fatal round and asked: 'Why was I handed a hot gun?' Deadline cites production sources who said he didn't know what kind of ammunition was used. It's unclear where the union got the information that the round fired by Baldwin was a live one, since none of its members were on the movie set. It was able to confirm from the call sheet that the props department for the film was staffed with local New Mexican crew, not Hollywood pros. 'A live single round was accidentally fired on set by the principal actor, hitting both the Director of Photography, Local 600 member Halnya Hutchins, and Director Joel Souza. 'Local 44 has confirmed that the Props, Set Decoration, Special Effects and Construction Departments were staffed by New Mexico crew members. 'There were no Local 44 members on the call sheet,' Secretary-Treasurer Anthony Pawluc said in the email, according to IndieWire. The production employed '73 New Mexican crew, 22 New Mexico principal actors, and 230 New Mexico background talent' according to a press release issued earlier this month. According to the prop masters' union email, the 'Props, Set Decoration, Special Effects and Construction Departments were staffed by New Mexico crew members' - none of whom belonged to the union. Regardless of what may have happened, members of the union IATSE say that multiple gun safety protocols were breached. 'We have a hard and fast rule that no live ammunition ever goes into a prop truck or set at any time. We just don't do it. If you see bullets on set they are complete dummy rounds and are in no way functional. 'This goes back to Brandon Lee. There's protocol. 'Many, many people had to fail at the protocols we set on place for this to happen,' Zachary Knight, a member of the IATSE Local 44 union, told DailyMail.com on Friday. Knight, a licensed pyrotechnic, said the difference in gun laws between New Mexico and California may have contributed to the accident. In California, both a trained armorer and a prop master is required on a film set and those are the standards the union adheres to as well. You will find the best and most well-trained individuals in Los Angeles. You can't guarantee that as you go across the country, he told DailyMail.com on Friday. In the days before the tragedy, IATSE had been threatening a large-scale strike that would have crippled Hollywood production. Among the complaints were overworking staff and poor rates. Baldwin recorded a video of himself encouraging the union members to strike if they felt they needed to, saying studio bosses dont give a f**k about you, that the union shared online. There's a direct correlation between maintaining a safe set and the hours that we work. At a certain time there's no such thing as a safe set if we're all exhausted, Knight, a special effects artist, said. He added that a different union member prop master had been offered the job on Rust, but had turned it down because the pay was too low. That woman and Hutchins were friends. Whatever happened in the moments leading up to her death, Knight said it was caused by a cascade of failures by multiple people. There should have never been live rounds on a movie set, thats number one. Number two is every single person on a movie set has a right to inspect a weapon before its fired. And number three is, there is no reason to ever put a person in front of a weapon that's firing Zak Knight, pyrotechnic and special effects artist, member of union IATSE Local 44 There should have never been live rounds on a movie set, thats number one. Number two is every single person on a movie set has a right to inspect a weapon before its fired. And number three is, there is no reason to ever put a person in front of a weapon that's firing. 'Anytime you see a movie where the barrel is pointed down the camera lens, there should not be an operator behind it. It's obvious that the considerations of this resulted in that gun being pointed directly at two people. 'We would have additionally had a barrier between them. A large number of people failed to do our protocols... every accident is a cascade of events. The tragedy is reminiscent of the 1993 accident on the set of The Crow, when Bruce Lee's son Brandon was shot and killed by a fellow actor. The film crew in that accident thought the gun was loaded with dummy bullets and blanks, but an autopsy revealed Lee had a .44 caliber bullet lodged in his spine. Investigators in that shooting also probed the theory that a dummy cartridge got stuck in the barrel before the second was fired - a known hazard in shooting which can cause serious injuries or death when the second round is fired. Rhys Muldoon, an Australian actor who has worked extensively in film and TV, also suggested that a blank misfiring close to the camera could have caused Thursday's accident - telling the BBC that material from the blank round could have struck Hutchins before causing part of the camera to hit Souza. Mike Tristano, 60, a Hollywood armorer with 30 years' experience who spoke to the Dailymail.com, said ultimate responsibility for gun safety on movie set rests with the armorer. The movie's armorer or weapons master has not been been named. Sante Fe Sheriff's Department says it will continue to interview 'witnesses' on Friday. There should have been blanks in the gun, the on-set armorers job is to check that before handing the weapon over, Tristan said. They then make sure that the actor stands on a mark and never points the gun at the crew or cast... the editing makes it seem like they were pointing at their co-actor. Actor Jensen Ackles told last month how he'd received haphazard gun training on the film set. He talked about being able to choose his own gun, and how the unnamed female armorer loaded it with blanks then shot it at a hill before asking him how he'd like to draw the weapon and then letting him shoot. A photo he posted from the set is shown, right Thats why everyone in the industry is very confused. How this happened is a total mystery at the moment. Tristan added that he has worked with Baldwin before, on the set of 1998 film Thick as Thieves, calling him 'very safe' and a 'total professional'. 'I was surprised to hear it was him,' he added. Director James Cullen Bressack said afterwards he would never use blanks on his film sets again. 'I will never use anything but airsoft and rubber guns on my movies ever again. This should never have happened. Halyna, you were a gem. This is so f****d up,' he said. Actress Frances Fischer, who is part of the Rust crew, also confirmed that blanks were being used for the stunt. Baldwin was taken for questioning by sheriff's deputies after the fatal shooting, but was not arrested and has not been charged. The sheriff's department says its investigation is ongoing. He was pictured outside the sheriff's office doubled over with grief, and weeping while speaking on the phone. He refused to speak with a reporter from the New Mexican who was at the scene. Baldwin's wife Hilaria posted this screenshot of them FaceTiming on Thursday before the tragedy Filming of the movie - about a boy who is wrongly accused of murder, and which Baldwin is co-producing - has been indefinitely suspended while cast and crew recover. Counseling services are being offered, producers said. Hutchins was Ukrainian-born and grew up in the USSR before studying journalism and working on 'British documentary productions in Europe', according to her personal website. She subsequently moved to Los Angeles where she changed career to become a cinematographer, studying a two-year fine arts Masters at the AFI Conservatory between 2013 and 2015. Social media posts suggest she gave birth to a son around the same time - who appears to have been born either late 2012 or early 2013. The boy appears to be her only child with husband Matthew Hutchins, a Los Angeles-based lawyer who worked as an associated with firm Kirkland & Ellis until 2017. It is unclear what his current job is. Baldwin is a co-producer on the film, in which he plays infamous outlaw Harland Rust, whose 13-year-old grandson is convicted of an accidental murder. It was not immediately clear whether the prop gun that killed Hutchins was somehow loaded with real bullets, or if the gunpowder used in theatrical blank cartridges may have launched debris of some kind from the barrel. No further information has been offered on how Baldwin managed to strike two people, with the sheriff's office continuing to investigate. Representatives for Baldwin, Souza, and Rust's executive producer did not immediately respond to inquiries from DailyMail.com late on Thursday. Earlier on Thursday, Baldwin's spokesperson issued a statement to People on the shooting, saying: 'There was an accident today on the New Mexico set of involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks.' Meanwhile, a spokesman for Rust Movie Productions LLC, which is producing the film, said: 'The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today's tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna's family and loved ones. 'We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Departments investigation. 'We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.' The entrance of Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico, on the outskirts of Santa Fe, where the movie is being filmed A security guard stands near the entrance to Bonanza Creek Ranch where Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer and wounded a director when he discharged a prop gun on the movie set of the film "Rust" in Santa Fe, New Mexico The ranch on Friday morning was abandoned after filming was halted. The Santa Fe Sheriff's Department continues to interview 'witnesses' 'We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department's investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event' No criminal charges have been filed, but police said that a criminal investigation into the incident is currently active to determine the circumstances of Hutchins' death. 'According to investigators, it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged,' sheriff's spokesman Juan Rios said in a statement. 'Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged.' 'The incident remains an active investigation. As more information becomes available, updates will be provided,' he added. Hutchins' social media shows she was married to Matthew (pictured together), a Los Angeles-based lawyer. It is unclear when the pair married, but they have a son who was born either in late 2012 or early 2013 The Baldwin family's nanny was pictured packing up their SUV outside the family's NYC home on Friday but there was no sign of the actor's wife Hilaria 'Kind and loving' cinematographer killed in Alec Baldwin tragedy: Ukraine-born married mother Halyna Hutchins, 42, was raised on a Soviet military base surrounded by nuclear submarines, trained as a journalist and was tipped as a rising star in Hollywood Sun streaming from above, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins smiles into the camera as she films herself riding off into the New Mexico desert on horseback. This was the last Instagram post shared by the married mother-of-one before she was accidentally killed by actor Alec Baldwin when he fired a prop gun while filming a scene for an upcoming Western on a ranch near Santa Fe. Born in Ukraine and raised on a Soviet military base 'surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines', Halyna, 42, had trained as a journalist and spent time in Europe working on British documentaries before making the move to Los Angeles, where she had established her career - and started a family. Born in Ukraine and raised on a Soviet military base 'surrounded by reindeer and submarines', Halyna had recently wrapped on a project in Ireland and was tipped for a bright future in Hollywood when her life was so tragically cut short. Pictured, in 2018 Her social media profiles also paint a clear image of a free-spirited, much-loved friend, many of whom have been paying tribute. Pictured, a touching post by close friend Stephanie Remembered by friends as a 'kind' and 'loving soul', Halyna lived in Venice Beach, California, with her husband Matthew, a lawyer, and their son Andros, known affectionately as her 'little man' and thought to be around nine years old. 'Halyna loved him so much and enjoyed watching him grow into the handsome boy he is today,' one friend wrote in a moving Instagram tribute. 'I know she is looking after him and Matt in this horribly scary time.' Social media photos capture a playfulness and sense of adventure, with Halloween costume parties, road trips with friends and days out exploring all lit up by Halyna's smile. She was also highly regarded by her peers and had been tipped as a 'rising star' by other cinematographers. 'She was somebody who was absolutely dedicated to art and integrity,' director, colleague and friend Adam Mortimer told GMB this morning. 'I can tell already she was going to be a genius.' Halya (right) on a visit back to Kiev in December 2018. She was raised on a military base in the country and later attended the National University of Kyiv, studying International Journalism Remembered by friends as a 'kind' and 'loving soul', Halyna lived in Venice Beach, California , with her husband Matthew, a lawyer, and their son Andros, pictured in an old Facebook photo Baldwin, 62, was filming a scene for new film Rust when the gun went off around 1.50pm, fatally wounding Hutchins and leaving writer-director Joel Souza, 48, injured. The incident took place at at Bonanza Creek Ranch. Hutchins was rushed to the University of New Mexico Hospital in an air ambulance but was pronounced dead a short time after. Souza was taken by ambulance to the Christus St Vincent Regional Medical Center. He has since been released although his exact condition is unclear. Will Stewart, Daily Mail's Moscow correspondent, told how Halyna had worked for him in the mid-2000s. This is devastating and incomprehensible news about the death of Halyna Hutchins. She worked for my news agency from Kyiv for several years in the mid-2000s after graduating from a local university in International Journalism. Halyna was involved in many stories for British newspapers and magazines, but she showed a special talent for documentaries, perhaps her first taste of film in which she went on to be so successful in America. At this time while she was with us, in 2006, she was Associate Producer on a documentary for Discovery Channel on Ukrainian icon Leonid Stadnyk called Worlds Tallest Man, made by British company Wild Pictures. She was instrumental in Mr Stadnyk feeling at ease taking part in the documentary which focused on the problems of being exceptionally tall. The film, made by leading British director Richard Denton, with former BBC Head of Documentaries Paul Hamann as executive producer, would not have happened without her. Mr Stadnyk, a shy man, trusted Halyna after refusing many other film offers, and thanked her afterwards. Pictures ahead of the film shows him towering over Halyna at his home in the village of Podoliantsy. She later went to the US with her husband Matt and accomplished great things through her huge talent and creativity but also her relentless determination to study and learn. She once told my Russian colleagues that she felt she was a perpetual student in America, but her efforts paid off and she achieved the success she thoroughly deserved. It is tragic that she died in such a cruel and inexplicable way while doing the job she so loved. Our thoughts and prayers are with Matt and their son, and Halynas family in Ukraine. Richard Denton, producer behind Shakespeare Uncovered and many films in the former USSR, said today: Halyna was the most wonderful, vital, lively and positive person to work with. 'She was friendly and enormously helpful. She handled everything from translating interviews to making Leonids horse move in the right direction. 'She was completely unpretentious and incredibly professional.' Her death was 'senseless and stupid.' Advertisement Bruce Lee's son Brandon died in similar accident on The Crow set in 1993 Halyna Hutchins' death is not the first time that a prop gun has killed someone during the filming of a movie. In 1993, Brandon Lee, 28, son of the late martial-arts star Bruce Lee, died after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. Actor Brandon Lee (above) was killed on the set of The Crow in 1993 when a blank round fired a squib load from the prop gun In that case, an investigation determined that a bullet became lodged in the barrel of the gun, a dangerous condition known as a squib load. The crew had made dummy cartridges, which are supposed to look like a real bullet but be inert, by removing the gunpowder from real bullets, but they failed to remove the primer charge. At some point, one of the dummy rounds was fired, and the primer pushed the bullet into the barrel, where it remained stuck unnoticed. Brandon's family, who run a Twitter account in his memory, tweeted this on Friday morning Later, the gunpower in a blank cartridge, which creates the sound and muzzle flash of gunfire for film but has no bullet, propelled the squib load out of the gun's barrel, striking Lee. And in 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series Cover Up. In that case, the paper wadding used to secure the gunpowder in the blank cartridge was expelled with enough force to shatter his skull near the temple, sending fragments into Hexum's brain and causing massive hemorrhaging. Advertisement Filming for Rust was set to continue through early November, according to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office, but production has now been halted on the film. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to a synopsis. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather, played by Baldwin, after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. Baldwin stars in the film alongside Travis Fimmel, Jensen Ackles and Frances Fisher. Earlier on Thursday, Baldwin posted an Instagram photo from the Bonanza Creek Ranch, showing him in full costume, with fake blood on his abdomen. The photo was captioned: 'Back to in person at the office. Blimeyit's exhausting.' His wife Hilaria also shared a screen grab from a FaceTime conversation with Baldwin earlier in the day, where he appears to be riding in a car on his way to the ranch. The ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western News of the World. After the fatal shooting at the movie ranch, a 2017 tweet of Baldwin's resurfaced, in which he responded to video of a police shooting in California by writing: 'I wonder how it must feel to wrongfully kill someone...' That police shooting was later ruled justified. Following Thursday's tragedy, friends took to Hutchins' Instagram page to leave tributes underneath a video filmed two days ago that showed her riding a horse on her day off. James Cullen wrote: 'I will miss you my friend. This is devastating.' Another friend Jack Caswell added: 'I feel like I've had the wind knocked out of me. You will be so missed' while Tina Presley Borek said: 'Heartbroken.' 'I'm so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set,' said Archenemy director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. 'She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film.' The International Cinematographers Guild also lamented Hutchins' untimely death in a statement. 'The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event,' guild president John Lindley and executive director Rebecca Rhine said. The tragic shooting death is reminiscent of the 1993 death of Bruce Lee's son Brandon Lee on the set of The Crow, where a bullet that was lodged in the barrel of a prop gun was propelled out by a blank round, killing him. 'Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on Rust,' tweeted Brandon Lee's sister Shannon from a tribute account dedicated to her brother. 'No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period.' Hutchins, who lived in Venice Beach, California, was considered one of Hollywood's rising stars - named in a list of cinematographers to watch in 2019 by American Cinematographer. The daughter of a soldier, Hutchins grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle before going to college in Ukrainian capital Kiev. Directors and movie industry insiders said on Thursday night that even blank rounds can be dangerous and make them nervous on set From 30 Rock to a bitter divorce, a homophobic slur and THAT Trump impression: Career highs and lows of Alec Baldwin Baldwin as Jack Donaghy in 30 Rock, the show which made his name that he starred in from 2006 until 2013 Born in 1958, Alec Baldwin is the oldest and most famous of four actor brothers and cut his teeth on 1980s television shows such as 'Knot's Landing,' before breaking through with lead roles in movies 'Beetlejuice' and 'The Hunt for Red October.' Baldwin played the lover of Kim Basinger in 1991's 'The Marrying Man,' striking up a chemistry that would lead to their real-life wedding in 1993, and a Steve McQueen remake 'The Getaway' the following year. Around the same time he earned a Tony nomination for his Broadway performance as Stanley Kowalski in 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' later resuming the role on screen. Other 1990s roles included 'Prelude to a Kiss' opposite Meg Ryan, and a powerful cameo as a nasty real estate boss in 'Glengarry Glen Ross' opposite Al Pacino and Jack Lemmon. Baldwin was sued over a violent altercation with a paparazzo in 1995. Baldwin was also known for his 1993 marriage to Kim Basinger, and acrimonious divorce in 2002 Basinger and Baldwin separated in 2000, and he shifted toward smaller, supporting roles in films like 'Pearl Harbor' and 'The Royal Tenenbaums.' Baldwin made his first -- and so far only -- directing appearance in 'Shortcut to Happiness,' an adaptation of 1930s short story 'The Devil and Daniel Webster.' It flopped and never received a wide theatrical release. But Baldwin's career was rejuvenated by seven-season run in multiple-Emmy winning NBC comedy '30 Rock,' in which he frequently stole the show as the suave, mega-rich and eccentric boss of Tina Fey's Liz Lemon. Starting in 2006, the wildly popular show satirized the corporate-run entertainment industry, earned Baldwin personal Emmys and Golden Globes, and rejuvenated his film career. He has appeared in films such as 'It's Complicated' with Meryl Streep, Woody Allen's 'Blue Jasmine' and two 'Mission: Impossible' movies. Baldwin, well-known for his outspoken views and support of the Democratic Party, won a third Emmy in 2017 for his popular and biting 'SNL' impersonations of Trump. His uncanny impersonation mocked the former president's verbal tics and loose hand gestures and exaggerated his boastful style. Now 63, Baldwin has continued to make headlines for his personal life. In 2007, he left a notorious message for his then 11-year-old daughter with first wife Basinger, calling her a 'rude, thoughtless little pig.' In late 2013, NBC scrapped his late-night chat show after he allegedly subjected a photographer to a homophobic slur outside his apartment on the day that a Canadian actress convicted of stalking him was jailed. In 2018, Baldwin was arrested and charged with assault after punching a man in the face during a New York parking dispute. He pleaded guilty to a harassment charge and agreed to attend an anger management program. He lives near New York with second wife Hilaria. The couple have six children together. Advertisement She later moved first to the U.K. to work on documentary filmmaking before traveling to LA to study for a master's degree in cinematography and switching to movies. Her credits include horror film Darlin and, shortly before starting work on Rust, she had completed filming on Blindfire - a crime drama starring Brian Geraghty and Sharon Leal. The Santa Fe Sheriff's Office says it responded to the movie set at around 1.50pm after a 911 caller indicated someone had been shot in the arm. 'According to investigators, it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged,' the sheriff's office said in a statement. 'Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged,' the statement added. Police said that a 42-year-old female, later identified as Hutchins, was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The director, Souza, was rushed by ambulance to Cristus St. Vincent's Hospital where he is being treated for injuries. He was released last night. 'There was an accident today on the New Mexico set of Rust involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks,' read a statement from Rust Movie Productions LLC. 'Two crew members have been taken to the hospital and are receiving care. Production has been halted for the time being. The safety of our cast and crew remains our top priority,' the statement concluded. Albuquerque's KOB 4 news anchor Tessa Mentus tweeted a photo from her network's chopper, showing a church set blocked off. '@santafesheriff investigating incident at #Rust movie set on Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe. 'Pic from #Chopper4 shows an old church set blocked off, and set security confirms its lockdown,' Mentus tweeted. Another KOB 4 reporter, Giuli Frendak, shared a photo of a security gate, adding, 'Security guard at the entrance to the set of Rust', a western movie in production in #SantaFe, told us the set is on lockdown right now. Couldn't share anything else. 'Waiting for more details from Santa Fe Sheriff on today's incident near Bonanza Creek.' The fate of Rust is now up in the air following the tragic shooting. Baldwin is a co-producer on the film and plays infamous outlaw named Rust, who goes on the run with his grandson. Ackles plays a U.S. Marshal, and Fimmel plays a bounty hunter who are on the pair's tail as Rust tries to break his grandson out of prison. An unexpected bond forms between the outlaw and his estranged grandson as they go on the run. CAA Media Finance and Highland Film Group were launching sales on the film at last year's Cannes virtual film market, with Baldwin producing through his El Dorado Pictures banner alongside Anjul Nigam and executive producer Matthew Helderman. Baldwin and Nigam produced Souza's previous feature, 2019's Crown Vic. Anna Granucci is also producing with Elizabeth L. Barbatelli as an executive producer. New Mexico is a busy film location, and the Bonanza Creek Ranch has previously hosted star-studded productions including Hostiles, Cowboys & Aliens, 3:10 to Yuma, Appaloosa and Longmire. It is not the first time that a prop gun has killed someone during the filming of a movie. In 1993, Brandon Lee, 28, son of the late martial-arts star Bruce Lee, died after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. In that case, an investigation determined that a bullet became lodged in the barrel of the gun when the crew failed to properly deactivate the primer in a dummy cartridge, which is supposed to look like a real bullet but be inert. Later, the gunpower in a blank cartridge, which creates the sound and muzzle flash of gunfire for film, propelled the stuck bullet out of the gun's barrel, striking Lee. In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series Cover Up. In that case, the paper wadding used to secure the gunpowder in the blank cartridge was expelled with enough force to shatter his skull near the temple, sending fragments into Hexum's brain and causing massive hemorrhaging. Security guards block Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe after Hutchins was killed in the shooting on set Thursday. In the film, Baldwin plays infamous outlaw Rust, whose 13-year-old grandson is convicted of an accidental murder The director, Souza, was rushed by ambulance to Cristus St. Vincent's Hospital (above on Thursday night) where he is being treated for injuries, and is expected to survive Hutchins, who lived in Venice Beach, California, was considered one of Hollywood's rising stars - named in a list of cinematographers to watch in 2019 by American Cinematographer Anjul Nigam, a producer on the movie, uploaded this image to Instagram two weeks ago showing the set of Rust which he captioned saying 'day one' The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Officers respond to the scene of a fatal accidental shooting at a Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set near Santa Fe. Authorities say a woman has been killed and a man injured Thursday after they were shot by a prop firearm The fatal shooting appears to have occurred at the small church building (left) that is part of the sprawling movie ranch Vicky Pattison put on an eye-popping display while celebrating her new lingerie collection with Pour Moi on Thursday night. The former Geordie Shore star, 33, looked glamorous in a low-cut bodice and leather trousers as she left Restaurant Ours in London with Olivia Bowen. Love Island star Olivia, 27, wore a busty corset and thigh-splitting skirt for the evening held in honour of Vicky's range with the celebrity brand. Night out: Vicky Pattison (L), 33, and Olivia Bowen (R), 27, put on eye-popping displays when they stepped out in London on Thursday to celebrate the former's collection with Pour Moi Vicky wore her blonde hair swept up into a bun and beamed while strolling through the capital arm-in-arm with Faye Winter, 26, from this year's Love Island. She added height to her frame in smart black heels and kept warm beneath a fluffy coat in the same colour. Meanwhile, Olivia's glossy blonde hair bounced in loose waves past her shoulders and the TV personality opted for a timeless camel coat. Vicky's high-spirited outing comes after she was forced to hit back at Instagram trolls who insulted her for looking happy after she detailed her struggles with her mental health this month. Friends: Vicky wore her blonde hair swept up into a bun and beamed while strolling through the capital arm-in-arm with Faye Winter from this year's Love Island Standing tall: She added height to her frame in smart black heels and kept warm beneath a fluffy coat in the same colour Sizzling: Faye sizzled in a low-cut black dress teamed with wraparound open-toe heels and grinned from ear to ear She took to the social media app on Sunday to discuss what she was feeling alongside a photograph of her in bed with a comparison of her on a photoshoot. She wrote: 'Instagram is a funny old place isn't it?!! Less than a week ago I expressed that I was feeling low, struggling and wasn't quite myself- & instantly my Instagram was awash with well wishes, people telling me that I was ''brave'' & that they needed to hear what I'd said & were pleased I'd spoken out.' She went on to say that people were thanking her for saying what she did and that it 'made it easier for them to verbalise how they'd been feeling'. Hair down: Meanwhile, Olivia's glossy blonde hair bounced in loose waves past her shoulders and the TV personality opted for a timeless camel coat Glamorous: Love Island stars Faye and India Reynolds posed alongside Vicky while the trio made their way out of Restaurant Ours in London on Thursday night All the girls: Love Islander Shaughna Phillips joined Vicky for her celebratory evening, smiling for the cameras with Olivia and a host of influencers The social media influencer continued: 'I felt like I'd done something good & it made my journey to feeling better loads easier.' 'I've spent the 10 days or so putting myself back together, spending time with my family, exercising, eating right & slowing things down slightly.. & thankfully I'm feeling more like myself.' Following World Mental Health Day, she posted a candid shot of herself looking bleary eyed in which she wrote in the caption the ways she has not been feeling herself, and her past struggle with mental health issues. Gorgeous: Olivia showed off her sensational figure in a lacy leotard and green leather skirt as she smiled from inside the exclusive venue on Thursday 'Instagram is a funny old place isn't it': It comes after Vicky hit back at Instagram trolls who insulted her for looking happy after she detailed her struggles with her mental health last week She went on: 'But weirdly, once I'm back to my best on Instagram- being glam, looking forward to holidays, launching new projects.. That's when the hate & trolling seems to sneak back in.' 'It's as if these people look & think ''oh there she is, she's happy again, she's fair game now, I cannot wait to tell her that I think she's a bad role model/famous for nothing/terrible dog mam/edits her pictures/is ugly/is old.'' 'Now I'm not for a single second insinuating that mine or anyone's mental health is intrinsically linked to the things people write about them on Instagram. 'But what I am saying is this cruel & hateful diatribe certainly can exacerbate a persons insecurities, feelings of inadequacy & self worth-which we all know CAN lead to poor mental health.' Speaking out: The former Geordie Shore star took to the social media app on Sunday to discuss what she was feeling alongside a comparison shot of herself in bed and on a photoshoot Struggles: She wrote in the post: 'Less than a week ago I expressed that I was feeling low, struggling and wasn't quite myself- & instantly my Instagram was awash with well wishes' 'Social Media should be a place where we support one another, cheer people on from the other side of the world, encourage fellow females to realise their potential & generally just spread love, light & lit memes- but if you are using it to try & tear other people down, just when they start to feel better you are not only using it wrong, you are also very sad & abit of a d***.'[sic] 'Always remember, Rudeness & cruelty are a weak persons imitation of strength- they are bully's tools. Be better than that. Real strength comes from showing vulnerability, trying to help others, being open & being kind. 'And if you ever feel like someone is trying to drag you back, keep you small, take you to that dark place- block them, delete them & remove them from your life. They do not deserve your peace.' Anaesthetist Ed Patrick is injecting some humour into his profession by releasing a comedy book about becoming a doctor. The stand-up star, who worked in an ICU during the pandemic, hopes to emulate the success of former doctor-turned-comedian Adam Kay who wrote the best-selling memoir This Is Going To Hurt, which is being turned into a BBC sitcom. Ed told MailOnline many doctors have a 'dark sense of humour' which helps them deal with tough times, which is why the medical profession has been a breeding ground for comedy stars. Comedian: Anaesthetist Ed Patrick is injecting some humour into his profession by releasing a comedy book about becoming a doctor Ed says: 'I think there is a dark humour going through all doctors, it's just a natural release of tension from the situations you find yourself in. 'It's like a coping mechanism. If anyone finds themselves in tough situations they just need that outlet, and if you don't have that release, you'll start feeling down pretty quickly.' Comedians including Harry Hill, Simon Brodkin (aka Lee Nelson) and Phil Hammond had backgrounds in medicine before turning to stand-up comedy. But Ed, who studied medicine at the University of Aberdeen before landing his first job as an anaesthetist in 2018, has the extra relevance of documenting his time working on a Covid ward in his routines, when anaesthetists were drafted in to assist with the sheer level of patients in ICU. Inspired: The stand-up star, who worked in an ICU during the pandemic, hopes to emulate the success of former doctor-turned-comedian Adam Kay He explains: 'Anaesthetists are experts in looking after people's airways and not all doctors are trained to do that. 'So if an emergency hit, and somebody stopped breathing for themselves or something went wrong with the ventilator, we would be needed in those critical instances.' In his new book Catch Your Breath, he describes how he worked 13-hour days on a grueling rota, with little or no release from the stressful nature of the job. Plus, he also recalls some laugh-out-loud moments, including the time a group of school children got the shock of their lives walking past his house following a night shift. He explains: 'We kept this sterile area in our porch where I would come in, undress, and place all my PPE in a bucket and then head straight into the shower. 'But the first time I did that following a night shift, I took off all my clothes but the door into the house was locked, and I suddenly found myself naked in a porch with windows facing the outside. 'Here I was a fully grown man, butt naked, knocking on the door pleading for my girlfriend to let me in and it just so happens a group of school children walked past at the same time, wondering whether or not to call some authorities.' Coping mechanism: Ed told MailOnline many doctors have a 'dark sense of humour' which helps them deal with tough times Ed has spent the past few years making a name for himself on the comedy circuit, performing at the Edinburgh Festival and also hosting the Comedians' Surgery podcast featuring guests including James Acaster, Joe Lycett, Rose Matafeo and Reginald D Hunter. The comedian hopes to increase his profile further by appearing on panel shows over the next 12 months, but he's got no intention of quitting medicine. Indeed, Ed believes he can continue to combine his two passions. He says: 'I've always had the dream I could do both and I think we're in a time now where people recognise you have a life outside of medicine which wasn't always the case. Career: Ed has spent the past few years making a name for himself on the comedy circuit, performing at the Edinburgh Festival and also hosting the Comedians' Surgery podcast 'And also, there is a realisation we don't have enough doctors, so we don't want to lose doctors, we want to keep them. 'The NHS have given me flexible training so I can accommodate all these working arrangements as well. 'I can manage it at the moment, but I don't think it would have been the case 10 years ago. 'They used to expect you to drop everything, your social life, and just concentrate on the job.' His book is available to buy here. Kourtney Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner were hard at work on Thursday as they prepared an opulent party for Kim Kardashian's 41st birthday. Kourtney, 42, looked nearly identical to her 65-year-old mother as they were spotted arriving at a studio in Calabasas to help coordinate the party. Both women looked as if they were channeling characters from The Matrix with their striking long black coats. Twinning: Kourtney Kardashian, 42, and her mother Kris Jenner, 65, looked as if they could have been goth twins in their long black coats as they prepared for Kim Kardashian's 41st birthday bash at a studio in Calabasas on Thursday Kourtney looked particularly edgy in a black trench coat that reached down to her ankles and featured wide lapels. She rocked an edgy set of black platform combat boots and wore slim black sunglasses that complemented her chic raven bob. The goth-inspired look, which was accentuated by her black nail polish, made Kourtney a dead ringer for Trinity from the Matrix films, played by Carrie-Anne Moss. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star wore some modest necklaces and completed her all-black look with a small handbag. Back in black: Kourtney looked particularly edgy in a black trench coat that reached down to her ankles, along with edgy black platform combat boots Back to the Matrix: The goth-inspired look, which was accentuated by her slim black sunglasses, made Kourtney a dead ringer for Trinity from the Matrix films, played by Carrie-Anne Moss Kris had on a similar look with a cool black leather duster over her own monochrome ensemble. She contrasted Kourtney with a chunkier set of sunglasses, and her pixie cut highlighted her large hoop earrings. The KardashianJenner family matriarch brought some sweet treats for her family and helpers with a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. They seemed to be turning to another sugary snack for Kim's birthday, though, as the family had arranged to have a food truck on hand to produce beignets covered in powdered sugar. Youthful style: Kris had on a similar look with a cool black leather duster over her own monochrome ensemble. She spiced up the look with large hoop earrings Sweet: Kris carried in a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, but they had even more sweet treats to look forward to thanks to a beignets truck they brought in Yum: Kourtney shared a closeup of the mouth-watering deep-fried treats covered in powder sugar Tasty: Another photo she posted featured a lovely cake covered in thick white frosted roses with a heart-shaped panel on the front reading, 'Happy Birthday Kim!!!' Over in her Instagram Stories, Kourtney shared a closeup of the mouthwatering treats. Another photo she posted featured a lovely cake covered in thick white frosted roses with a heart-shaped panel on the front reading, 'Happy Birthday Kim!!!' Although the rest of the KardashianJenner family will almost certainly be joining Kim for her birthday festivities, her other sisters and brother Rob weren't initially spotted at the studio. As Kourtney's engagement over the weekend to Travis Barker was reportedly filmed for the family's upcoming Hulu series, Kim's celebration may also be taped for the the reality show. Outside the studio, several people were seen carrying in what looked like gifts wrapped in nondescript tan paper, as well as decorations like a large vase of flowers. Getting ready: Outside the studio, several people were seen carrying in what looked like gifts wrapped in nondescript tan paper, as well as decorations like a large vase of flowers Taking their time: Although the rest of the KardashianJenner family will almost certainly be joining Kim for her birthday festivities, her other sisters and brother Rob weren't initially spotted at the studio Earlier on Thursday, Kourtney, Kris and Kim's other siblings wished her a happy 41st birthday on Instagram with a bevy of throwback photos. 'You are in the prime of your life with four gorgeous children and living your best life!!' the iconic momager captioned one of her many photos of Kim from years past. 'Your life is so full of the amazing things that you love to do, especially for your family, your kids, and for others who dont even know that you were helping them,' she added. Kris gushed that her second daughter was 'always on the go, doing things for me, for your siblings, and for your whole family. How lucky we are to have you in our lives.' Top of the world: 'You are in the prime of your life with four gorgeous children and living your best life!!' Kris lovingly wrote amid a torrent of throwback photos for Kim's birthday BFFs: Kourtney said happy birthday to her 'built in best friend' Kim as she shared this snap Kourtney marked her 'built-in best friend' Kim's birthday with an adorable photo of the two as children enjoying some breakfast in their high chairs. The eldest Kardashian child beamed ear-to-ear, while Kim had a cute deer-in-headlights expression on her face. Khloe Kardashian, 37, opted for a more playful memory with a throwback of her taking a swig from a bottle of Grey Goose vodka while partying with Kim and their brother Rob Kardashian. AFL superstar Shaun Burgoyne is selling his family home in Bentleigh East after moving back to South Australia to be closer to his family. The house on 4 Kadir St is scheduled to go to auction on Friday, November 3, with a price guide of between $1.65million and $1.75million, reports realestate.com.au. The four-time premiership player, 39, and his wife, Amy, listed the property after the family decided to move back to Adelaide following the Hawthorn great's retirement earlier this year. The archetypal family home: AFL superstar Shaun Burgoyne is selling his family home in Bentleigh East after moving back to South Australia to be closer to his family 'We have a lot of good memories there,' said the all-rounder, who is regarded as one of the AFL's most respected and decorated players. He reminisced about the friendliness of the community, the neighbourhood barbecues and nearby parks where their kids played. 'Everyone was so nice and welcoming. We loved that it was in walking distance to the kids' schools and shops,' he continued. 'A lot of good memories': The house on 4 Kadir St is scheduled to go to auction on November 3, with a price guide of between $1.65million and $1.75million, reports realestate.com.au Inclusions: There are four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a car port for three vehicles The Burgoynes bought the contemporary home in November 2016 for $1.46million. There are four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a car port for three vehicles. The house also includes a glimmering stone kitchen, high ceilings, a stylish lounge, spacious indoor-outdoor living, private study, double-shower ensuite, fitted laundry, undercover deck and powder room. It is also conveniently located close to parks, school, cafes and restaurants. Ideal location: It is conveniently located close to parks, school, cafes and restaurants Jellis Craig's Nick Renna described the property as a 'really good family home'. 'Its pretty much got everything from a family perspective; it ticks all the boxes,' Mr Renna said. Burgoyne played more than 400 games for Port Adelaide and Hawthorn across a stellar 19-year career. He made 35 finals appearances and won four premierships: for Port in 2004, and for the Hawks in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The home is scheduled to go to auction on Friday, November 3. Ellie Pearson's name made headline last month after she accidentally uploaded a video of her best friend and business partner Nadia Bartel 'snorting white powder' and breaking lockdown on September 2. But it was good news for the business owner on Friday, as the doors finally opened to her and former WAG Emily McKay's Spray Aus tanning studio in Melbourne following the end of lockdown. While Ellie has remained silent on social media, Emily revealed the good news by sharing a video opening the doors to the studio on Friday morning. Welcome back! The doors finally opened to Ellie Pearson (right) and former WAG Emily McKay's (left) Spray Aus tanning studio in Melbourne on Friday following the end of lockdown. It comes weeks after Ellie accidentally uploaded a video of business partner Nadia Bartel (centre) 'snorting white powder' and breaking lockdown on September 2 'Happy freedom day Melbs,' she captioned the footage, while walking into the studio. She then took a selfie in the mirror, while wearing a black T-shirt, black jeans and her hair in gentle beach waves. Both Nadia and fellow WAG Rebecca Judd are also partners in the Spray Aus company. All of the tanning products were still able to purchase online during the pandemic, but the studio itself was forced to remain closed. Last month, Ellie accidentally uploaded the three-second clip showing Nadia, 36, sniffing white powder off a $1.50 Kmart plate, which resulted in the the mother of two issuing a grovelling apology the following day. Back to business: While Ellie has remained silent on social media, Emily revealed the good news by sharing a video opening the doors to the studio on Friday morning Chic: Emily then took a selfie in the mirror, while wearing a black T-shirt, black jeans and her hair in gentle beach waves While Ellie told The Herald Sun she was 'devastated' about what happened, she is still yet to share a full statement regarding the video - and instead chose to keep a low profile and delete her entire Instagram page. She returned to the social media site only recently, but is yet to post anything online. Nadia was filmed by Ellie breaking Melbourne's strict lockdown and snorting white powder at an illegal gathering at a friends house at the start of last month. The former footy WAG broke her silence with a public apology a day after the video was accidentally uploaded to Instagram. 'Hi everyone, I have let you all down by my actions. I take full responsibility and I am committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure I make better choices in future,' she wrote in a post. 'To my family and friends, my business partners and the public health workers trying to keep us all safe, I am embarrassed and remorseful. Video: Nadia (pictured) was filmed breaking Melbourne's strict lockdown and snorting white powder on September 2 Video: The clip begins with the fashion and beauty influencer appearing to lean over the plate with a rolled-up banknote in her left nostril as she presses her right nostril. She then snorts the substance as one of the women watches on 'Bestie': While Ellie (right) told The Herald Sun she was 'devastated' about what happened, she is still yet to share a full statement regarding the video - and instead chose to keep a low profile and delete her entire Instagram page. Pictured with Nadia 'I am truly and deeply sorry. I hope I can earn your forgiveness and, in time, your trust.' At the time private and public gatherings were not permitted in Melbourne, where Bartel lives, under Victoria's Covid restrictions. Nadia's apology - which included an appeal for forgiveness from health workers - appeared to confirm the gathering was held on Thursday, September 2. A later report claimed the video first found its way online due to Ellie having a cracked phone screen. Apology: Breaking her silence in a post shared to Instagram, the 36-year-old wrote: 'Hi everyone, I have let you all down by my actions. I take full responsibility and I am committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure I make better choices in future' It's alleged she was attempting to send the video to her sister; however, because her phone screen was damaged, she hit the wrong buttons. As a result, the clip was posted to both Instagram and Facebook, and was online for about 10 minutes before being deleted, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. But it was quickly copied by others and shared around, going viral on Thursday night and making headlines by Friday morning. Nadia and three other women were each fined $5,452 after damning footage of the party was posted on Instagram. Nadia wasn't charged with drug offences, because police couldn't prove what she was snorting. The influencer is a mother of two and the ex-wife of retired AFL star Jimmy Bartel, a Brownlow Medallist who spent his career with the Geelong Cats. The couple split in 2019 after five years of marriage. Jasmine Tookes looked like she meant business as she stepped out in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon. The 30-year-old supermodel went for a timeless look in denim jeans by Rolla's Jeans, a tailored blazer, and black boots. The 5ft9in beauty covered her eyes in large sunglasses and pulled her dark hair back. Jasmine Tookes looked strikingly great as she hit the Los Angeles streets for some shopping on Thursday afternoon. Underneath the black blazer - which boasted subtle shoulder pads - Tookes rocked a crisp white, fitted crewneck shirt that she tucked into belted jeans. She carried a black leather handbag as she showed off her impeccable style in the Southern California sun. Jasmine sported small gold hoop earrings, a bracelet, and her stunning custom diamond wedding ring. The fashion sensation's glossy, long locks were worn in a deep center part and secured in a sleek bun at the back of her head. Classic style: The 30-year-old supermodel went for an timeless look in straight leg blue denim jeans, a tailored blazer, and black boots Fall layers: Underneath the black blazer - which boasted subtle shoulder pads - Tookes rocked a crisp, white, fitted crewneck shirt that she tucked into belted jeans According to a post shared in Instagram Stories, the runway star had a day of meetings, but she found time to interact with her 5.2 million followers on the app. Wearing the same outfit she was pictured out and about in, she took to social media to snap two mirror selfies and do a quick TikTok dance routine. One selfie featured the flawless socialite in a black and white filter, while the second was in color. She discreetly tagged her stylist Paige Amelung as she struck a couple poses holding a white encased iPhone. Accessory: She carried a black leather handbag as she showed off her impeccable style in the Southern California sun Jeweled: Jasmine sported small gold hoop earrings, a bracelet, and her stunning custom diamond wedding ring The Huntington Beach native has been keeping busy with modeling gigs and brand partnerships with the likes of Hourglass Cosmetics, Fendi, and Maje Paris. Last month she tied the knot with Snapchat executive Juan David Borrero in Ecuador. After the nuptials she appeared on Instagram to share a slideshow of photos and state that she couldn't believe she's 'living a real life fairytale.' The former Victoria's Secret Angel heads a fitness community called JoJa with fellow model and friend Josephine Skriver. Social media moment: According to a post shared in Instagram Stories, the runway star had a day of meetings, but she found time to interact with her 5.2 million followers on the app Switching it up: One selfie featured the flawless socialite in a black and white filter, while the second was in color There's been no let up on the talk of a split between Tori Spelling and husband Dean McDermott, which isn't something new for the couple. But as the chatter persisted, the pair put on a brave face for a family outing with their five kids at Disneyland in Anaheim, California on Thursday. Their afternoon at the Happiest Place On Earth could be the first time they've been pictured together since they attended the annual Malibu Chili Cook-Off on Labor Day; and even then, there was ongoing separation and divorce talk. Family outing: Tory Spelling, 48, and husband Dean McDermott, 54, spent much of their Thursday at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as talks of a split and divorce persist Distance: McDermott mostly stayed to himself, enjoying his time with the kids in the back of the pack as they made their way through the amusement park Spelling and McDermott, who celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary this past May, put any differences they may have of late and played the role of proud parents to Liam, 14, Stella, 13, Hattie, 9, Finn, 9, and Beau, 4. Much of the day, the former 90210, Beverly Hills star appeared to take the lead by pushing a four-wheel cart around the Disneyland Resort. She was apparently feeling festive and wore Minnie Mouse ears over her long platinum blonde tresses, to go along with her casual ensemble consisting of cutoff denim jeans with a cropped white t-shirt and black sneakers. Feeling Minnie; The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum was apparently feeling festive and wore Minnie Mouse ears over her long platinum blonde tresses Casual affair: The mother of five played the role of matriarch dressed in cutoff denim jeans with a cropped white t-shirt and black sneakers With the sun glaring down on another lovely Southern California day, McDermott also wore shorts with a black t-shirt and grey sneakers. All the kids also kept it casual it casual in the fashion department in either shorts or blue jeans with a t-shirt and sneakers. McDermott mostly stayed to himself, enjoying his time with the kids in the back of the pack as they made their way through the amusement park. Signs of divorce: The outing comes three days after Spelling was seemingly seen shouting through the phone after visiting her lawyer's office while holding a notepad with the words 'lawyer', 'assets', 'support' and 'custody' written on it No rings again: Neither Spelling nor McDermott were wearing their wedding rings during their family fun at the Happiest Place On Earth While neither of them wore their wedding rings, they appeared to be cordial with each other despite recent photos of Spelling seemingly shouting through the phone after visiting her lawyer's office. Her expressive face could not contain her rage as she seemingly argued on the phone on Monday, while carrying a notepad with the words 'lawyer', 'assets', 'support' and 'custody' written on it. The angry phone call and notepad just added to rumors that the couple are separating. Quick nuptials; Spelling married McDermott in April 2006, which came just one month after her divorce from first husband Charlie Shanian was finalized Speculation: The couple have been at the center of split speculation over the past year Persistent chatter: The couple have had to deal with marital troubles over the years According to Us Weekly, sources say the couple are 'always on the verge of divorce', but Spelling ends up staying because of their five children. Earlier this year, during an appearance on Jeff Lewis Live, the daughter of famed television and film producer Aaron Spelling revealed she and her husband were sleeping in separate bedrooms. The couple have had to deal with marital troubles in the past. Back in December 2013, after welcoming their second son, Us Weekly broke the news that McDermott was unfaithful with Spelling. The couple worked through the aftermath of the affair on a Lifetime series titled True Tori. McDermott also has a 23-year-old son Jack from his first marriage to actress Mary Jo Eustace. Family matters: The day at Disneyland may be the first public outing as a family since they attended the annual Malibu Chili Cook-Off on Labor Day They celebrated being pregnant at the same time earlier this year. And after giving birth to their babies, Channel Nine stars Sylvia Jeffreys and Jayne Azzopardi met up for a playdate on Friday. Posting to her Instagram, Weekend Today newsreader Jayne documented the cute catch-up. Channel Nine mum's club! Sylvia Jeffreys' children enjoyed a sweet playdate with her colleague Jayne Azzopardis kids in Sydney on Friday 'Our boys first photo as a foursome and fair to say there is room for improvement,' she captioned the photo. In the picture, the two mums were beaming while their tots appeared to be a lot less interested in posing for the camera. Sylvia, 35, was joined by her two sons, Oscar Hamilton, one, and six-month-old Henry George - whom she shares with husband Peter Stefanovic. Jayne, 37, and her husband Trent Butler welcomed their second son, Theodore Phillip in June. They also share his older brother Joey, one. Family: Sylvia shares her two boys, Oscar Hamilton, one, and six-month-old Henry George with husband Peter Stefanovic. All pictured Husband and wife: Jayne, 37, and her husband Trent Butler welcomed their second son, Theodore Phillip, in June Earlier this year, the journalists both showed off their matching baby bumps in a picture taken during their third trimester. At the time, Jayne, wrote in the caption: 'Next time we'll be outnumbered @sylviajeffreys! #bigbrothersintraining.' And Sylvia shared the same picture, which showed the mums both cradling their growing bellies while posing in the Nine newsroom. Cute: Earlier this year, the journalists both showed off their matching baby bumps in a picture taken during their third trimester The Today Extra co-host wrote in the caption: 'My last day at work = last chance for a bump comparison with @jayneazzo. How did we get here so fast? (Hint: 2 x turbo toddlers).' Later in the month, they also enjoyed a park playdate with their eldest sons. Over the years the colleagues have forged a strong bond. Sylvia has been employed by Channel Nine since 2005. Meanwhile, Jayne has also been with the network since 2009. Tilly Ramsay's Celebrity MasterChef Australia co-stars have shared their support after the 19-year-old star was fat-shamed by a British radio host live on-air. On Wednesday, Steve Allen, 67, referred to Tilly as a 'chubby little thing' on his radio show - a statement which sparked backlash among fans and celebrities alike. Among them was legendary swimmer Ian Thorpe, who blasted the host's derogatory comments as 'entirely inappropriate'. Support: Tilly Ramsay's Celebrity MasterChef Australia co-stars have shared their support after the 19-year-old star was disgustingly fat-shamed by a British radio host live on-air 'When Tilly came (to Celebrity MasterChef) we all just wanted to give her a hug a 19-year-old girl on the other side of the world,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'I just think that it is entirely inappropriate to be making comments about someones weight in any way. 'I thought wed got to a point where even making a positive comment on someones weight doesnt seem all that appropriate either. I just feel for her.' Not happy: 'I just think that it is entirely inappropriate to be making comments about someones weight in any way,' Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe said this week Heartwarming: Chrissie Swan posted on Instagram: 'What a sad backward man. You know your power my girl. Its growing and was never in doubt. Love you to the moon and back'. Pictured: Chrissie (left) and Tilly (right) during filming Chrissie Swan posted on Instagram: 'What a sad backward man. You know your power my girl. Its growing and was never in doubt. Love you to the moon and back.' Packed to the Rafters' Rebecca Gibney took to Instagram to add: 'Let me at him!!! Seriously?? That guy needs a good kick up the bum. 'You are a brilliant, bright shining star beautiful dancer, wondrous cook, exceptional human. And wise beyond your years. 'Always remember for that one dimwitted t**t there are millions who adore you. Keep killing it sweetheart - Australia loves you too.' Outrage: Packed to the Rafters' Rebecca Gibney took to Instagram to add: 'Let me at him!!! Seriously?? That guy needs a good kick up the bum' Fox Footy commentator Nick Riewoldt added: 'Youre an amazing woman. I suggest this loser go and read "The Man in the Arena". You got this Tilly.' Fashion designer Collette Dinnigan added: 'You are a dynamic, caring, beautiful and talented person and I miss you. Sending love.' Judge Melissa Leong wrote: 'This is not cool. Steve, you should be ashamed at your behaviour... you're not exactly a supermodel mate.' Hitting back: Responding to Allen's remarks via her Instagram Stories on Thursday, judge Melissa Leong wrote: 'This is not cool. Steve, you should be ashamed at your behaviour... you're not exactly a supermodel mate' Shocking: Allen (pictured) had referred to Tilly as a 'chubby little thing' - a statement that sparked backlash among fans and celebrities alike Controversy broke out on Wednesday morning when Allen read a comment form a listener on-air, alerting him to the fact that Tilly was taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia as well as UK reality show Strictly Come Dancing. Steve - who is on air between 4am and 7am - then remarked: 'Is she? Well, she can't blimming well dance! 'I'm bored of her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she. Have you noticed? Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine.' In response to the remarks, Tilly penned on Instagram: ' I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far. 'Steve please feel free voice your opinions however I draw the line at commenting on my appearance. It's such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.' Shock: In her response post, Tilly revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks Tilly continued: 'This isn't the first and definitely wont' be the last comment made about my appearance and I accept that and I'm learning to accept myself. 'But please remember that words can hurt. And at the end of the day I am only 19 and I'm so grateful for all the amazing opportunities I have been able to take part in. 'And I understand that being in the public eye obviously comes with it's own repercussions and I've been aware of this from a young age. 'However, I won't tolerate people that think it's okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone's weight and appearance. Love Tilly xx' She captioned the post '#bekind'. After Carrie Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd and her Star Wars co-star Mark Hamil remembered the actress on what would have been her 65th birthday, her beloved dog Gary has a special message for her as well. The verified Instagram for Fisher's French Bulldog shared an undated throwback snap of the dynamic duo, in happier times. Fisher passed away nearly five years ago, after experiencing cardiac arrest during a London to Los Angeles flight in December 2016. Birthday: After Carrie Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd and her Star Wars co-star Mark Hamil remembered the actress on what would have been her 65th birthday, her beloved dog Gary has a special message for her as well 'Happy heavenly birthday to my mom. I miss these moments but cherish them as well,' the French Bulldog said in his caption. He added a dog emoji, a red broken heart emoji and a red heart emoji, along with the hashtags #garymisseshismom #garyloveshismom #garyloveshisfans #garyfisher #carriefisher #frenchbulldog #frenchiesofinstagram. Fisher's daughter Lourd shared a throwback snap of her mother holding her as a child on Instagram. Carrie and Gary: 'Happy heavenly birthday to my mom. I miss these moments but cherish them as well,' the French Bulldog said in his caption Love: Carrie Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd remembered her late mom with a vintage photo on Thursday, what would have been the Star Wars actress' 65th birthday Mark Hamill took to Twitter to share a throwback snap from the Star Wars set with the actor messing with her hair, and Fisher clearly not amused. 'Happy Birthday to a very special someone who was never not fun & always highly tolerant of my juvenile on-set high jinks... even when she wasn't in the mood,' Hamill said, adding the #CarrieOnForever hashtag. Lourd recently opened up about growing up with her famous mother on the New Day podcast. Not amused: Mark Hamill took to Twitter to share a throwback snap from the Star Wars set with the actor messing with her hair, and Fisher clearly not amused My main job when [my mom] was alive was taking care of her and making sure she was okay,' she explained. 'I was her main support, and I was seven, for a lot of the time, and that was really hard and that's why I grew up really fast because I was her best friend. I was her mother, I was her kid, I was her everything. 'And that's one of the things I'm learning not to do with my kid.' OK: My main job when [my mom] was alive was taking care of her and making sure she was okay,' she explained She said that she absorbed lessons from both positive and negative aspects of her childhood memories with her late mother. 'There's a lot of things that my mom taught me to do and then there's a lot that is, honestly it might be more valuable, of what not to do,' said the Los Angeles native. 'And that's one of the things that I will not do to my son is put this pressure on him that I had on me,' Lourd added. After eight brilliant seasons, the critically acclaimed Australian prison drama Wentworth is finally coming to an end. The Foxtel Original series has been eagerly followed by fans, praised by critics and garnered worldwide attention since it first aired in 2013. But the final season, titled Wentworth: The Final Sentence, will be shutting down the prison for good as it airs its 100th and last episode next Tuesday. It all ends here: Hit Aussie prison drama Wentworth reaches its climactic end after eight seasons - and fans can finally expect cameos from the stars of Prisoner 'Wentworth will leave an indelible mark on the international television landscape,' Foxtel executive director of Television Brian Walsh told TV Tonight. 'We are incredibly proud of the success of this much-loved drama, not only has it been wholeheartedly embraced by our audience here in Australia but across the globe,' he said. Walsh went on to thank the 'extraordinary cast, creative teams, writers, and director' for their efforts in bringing the 'television phenomenon to life'. 'Wentworth will leave an indelible mark on the international television landscape': The final season, titled Wentworth: The Final Sentence, will be shutting down the prison for good as it airs its 100th and last episode next Tuesday Wentworth is Foxtel's highest rating and most Australia drama series of all time. It currently airs in 173 territories across the globe including the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Canada, Israel, Finland, Japan and the United States. In the US, Wentworth airs on Netflix and is in the streaming giant's top 10 most watched programs. 'Wentworth has written its own chapter in television history and like its predecessor Prisoner, will continue to garner audiences around the world for many years to come,' added Fremantle Asia-Pacific CEO Chris Oliver-Taylor. Acclaimed: Wentworth is Foxtel's highest rating and most Australia drama series of all time. It currently airs in 173 territories across the globe including the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Canada, Israel, Finland, Japan and the United States The prison series has won a collection of both local and international TV awards. Wentworth was awarded Most Popular and Most Outstanding Drama at the TV Week Logie Awards in 2018 and Most Outstanding Drama again in 2019 for the fourth time. It's been confirmed that the final episode of the series will feature several cameos from the stars of Prisoner. Prisoner is an an older, and also highly successful, Australian TV prison drama that aired from the late 70's to mid 80's that was the inspiration behind Wentworth. The final episode of the highly popular series will premieres 8.30pm next Tuesday, October 26, only on Foxtel Ed Westwick is going with a - less is more policy - when it comes to his Halloween costume this year. The Gossip Girl alum appears to have opted to forgo a traditional full-blown outfit, and instead go in the buff, according to the hint he put out when he shared a photo of himself naked. 'Well that's Halloween sorted,' the actor, 34, wrote alongside the snap that showed him holding his iPhone in one hand and an Earth Bar smoothie in the other. Less is more: Ed Westwick, 34, riledup some of his Instagram fans and followers by sharing that he had 'Halloween all sorted' with a naked selfie In the mirror selfie, the actor had a startled look on his face as he stared upwards, while completely in the nude. The Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England native could be flying solo for Halloween this go-around, considering he split from Tamara Francesconi last month after nearly two years of dating. A source told MailOnline that it was Francesconi, 25, who ended the romance following 'rumors of infidelity.' However, the White Gold star has since been spotted at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards in London alongside British model Lottie Moss. Hot on the internet: With the naked photo, Westwick has received plenty of compliments from the like of men and women, with comments like, 'delicious' and 'I love you' With the naked photo, Westwick has received plenty of compliments from the like of men and women, with comments like, 'delicious' and 'I love you.' Then there's one admirer who commented, 'Damnnn he just doesn't age and how.' Another person have their suspicions with the naked photo and wrote, 'You knew what you were doing to us when you posted this Ed.' Reality world: The Gossip Girl star referenced the men of Jersey Shore and their motto 'gym, tan, laundry' in a post a few weeks ago And while the actor best known for his portrayal of the preppy Chuck Bass in Gossip Girl, Westwick recently channeled the men of Jersey Shore when he shared a selfie shot in the weight room. 'Gym, Tan, Laundry. Reeeememberrrr??' he asked his 8.5 million Instagram fans and followers. Westwick's resume also includes roles in the films Children of Men (2006) and Romeo & Juliet (2013), as well as the series Californication (2009), Wicked City (2015) and White Gold (2017-2019). Isla Fisher is back in Sydney after spending sometime in her home city of Perth. But it seems the 45-year-old injured herself while out and about, as she spotted using crutches and attending a doctor's appointment on Thursday. The actress checked into St Vincent's clinic, a specialty clinic which is part of St Vincent's Hospital, before being accompanied inside by a doctor. Ouch! Isla Fisher (pictured) used crutches after visiting St Vincent's clinic in Sydney on Thursday following her return from Perth It seems her injury became painful as her husband, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, arrived to aid her with crutches. A short time later, the Wedding Crashers star left the building in wearing a black brace on her foot. Isla limped along while using the crutches her Borat star husband had helpfully brought her. Her knight! Isla's husband, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, 50, (pictured) arrived to aid her with crutches. He opted for a summery casual look in a denim button up shirt with chino trousers, sneakers and a hat Support: Isla hobbled along using the crutches, keeping weight off her foot One of those days: Despite having what appeared to be a rough day, the star persevered with the help of her crutches The actress also wore a face mask and dressed in a chic midi length floral dress with a black leather biker jacket. She accessorised her look with sunglasses, a pair $1,640 Gucci slippers and a $4,190 Chanel purse. Sacha opted for a summery casual look in a denim button up shirt with chino trousers, sneakers and a hat. Following orders: Isla had earlier checked into St Vincent's clinic, a specialty clinic which is part of St Vincent's Hospital Helping hand: The actress was accompanied inside by a doctor Doing better: Isla had left the clinic wearing a brace on her foot Despite having what appeared to be a rough day, the Confessions of a Shopaholic star had earlier enjoyed a casual stroll. She walked through a leafy part of town and appeared to be chatting to someone on the phone via loudspeaker. Last week, Isla shared a sweet photograph of the duo wearing matching striped tops as they shared a glass of wine in the beaming Perth sunshine. Busy: Prior to her appointment, the 45-year-old was out and about on a casual stroll through a leafy part of town and appeared to be chatting to someone on the phone via loudspeaker Stylish: The actress wore a face mask and dressed in a chic midi length floral dress with a black leather biker jacket. She accessorised her look with sunglasses, a pair $1,640 Gucci slippers and a $4,190 Chanel purse 'Happy 50th babes,' she sweetly captioned the photo. '20 years of laughter, travel, babies, joy and friendship. You bring the RUACH.' Isla told Stellar magazine in March she felt 'safe' in her home country after moving back to Australia with her family. 'I just feel so safe, I suppose the word is cosy, when I'm in Australia. It's where I grew up,' said the Oman-born actress. Borat turns 50! I Last week, Isla shared a sweet tribute to Sacha who celebrated his 50th birthday. She posted photograph of the duo wearing matching striped tops as they shared a glass of wine in the beaming Perth sunshine 'I'm the happiest when I'm home. I miss it when I'm not here. I don't feel any pressure when I'm in Australia. I don't have to say or do or be anything. I mean, I don't even have to wear shoes.' Isla and Sacha first met at a party in Sydney in 2002, and married in Paris in 2010 after she converted to the Jewish faith. They moved from Los Angeles to Australia at the end of last year. Nicolas Cage revealed his fifth wife Riko Shibata 'loved' donning designer clothing like Tom Ford and William Henry jewelry while posing together for their first magazine cover, Flaunt. At 57, the eccentric grandfather-of-four is 31 years older than the aspiring actress, whom he married February 16 in an intimate ceremony at Nevada resort and casino, Wynn Las Vegas. Nicolas said Riko especially enjoyed the sandcastle set-up photographed by Noah Dillon in record-breaking 117F-degree heat in the Mojave desert back in July. In the spotlight: Nicolas Cage revealed his fifth wife Riko Shibata 'loved' donning designer clothing like Tom Ford and William Henry jewelry while posing together for their first magazine cover, Flaunt Capricorn couple: At 57, the eccentric grandfather-of-four is 31 years older than the aspiring actress, whom he married February 16 in an intimate ceremony at Nevada resort and casino, Wynn Las Vegas 'I don't think that's been done before. And Riko loved it,' Cage told Flaunt Magazine's Editor-in-Chief, Matthew Bedard. 'We were out there doing our thing!' The newlyweds - who got engaged on FaceTime - also struck dramatic poses at a Circle K gas station, the MGM Grand Las Vegas, and Zak Bagans' The Haunted Museum. At one point, Nicolas laid down at a rooftop parking garage as Riko menacingly posed with her spiked heel an inch from his head. Cage insisted Shibata was far from some stereotypically demure, submissive Japanese bride circa WWII. 'I don't think that's been done before': Nicolas said Riko especially enjoyed the sandcastle set-up photographed by Noah Dillon in record-breaking 117F-degree heat in the Mojave desert back in July 'We were out there doing our thing!' The newlyweds - who got engaged on FaceTime - also struck dramatic poses at a Circle K gas station (pictured), the MGM Grand Las Vegas, and Zak Bagans' The Haunted Museum Dominatrix move: At one point, Nicolas laid down at a rooftop parking garage as Riko menacingly posed with her spiked heel an inch from his head 'That's not me and Riko': Cage insisted Shibata was far from some stereotypically demure, submissive Japanese bride circa WWII 'That's not me and Riko,' the Oscar winner - who's the nephew of five-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola - stressed. 'Her getting me coffee, waiting on me, or some kind of servitude. And that's not been my experience with other Asian women, abroad or here. And to think about Marlon Brando in that film [The Teahouse of the August Moon] and his way of talking...' Nicolas revealed he originally met the Kyoto native in 2020 'through mutual friends' in her native Japan while he was filming Sion Sono's sci-fi horror film Prisoners of the Ghostland. In the movie Cage described as 'the wildest film I've ever made,' Riko made her acting debut as one of four 'Mannequin Women.' The Oscar winner stressed: 'Her getting me coffee, waiting on me, or some kind of servitude. And that's not been my experience with other Asian women, abroad or here' 'The wildest film I've ever made': Nicolas revealed he originally met the Kyoto native in 2020 'through mutual friends' in her native Japan while he was filming Sion Sono's (L) sci-fi horror film Prisoners of the Ghostland Dreams of stardom: In the movie, Riko made her acting debut as one of four 'Mannequin Women' Blended brood: Shibata is now stepmother to Cage's two sons - Weston (L), 30; and Kal-El (R), 16 - with Snake Eyes castmate Christina Fulton and ex-wife #3 Alice Kim Shibata is now stepmother to the Long Beach native's two sons - Weston, 30; and Kal-El, 16 - with Snake Eyes castmate Christina Fulton and ex-wife #3 Alice Kim. Nicolas was also previously married to Patricia Arquette (1995-2001), Lisa Marie Presley (2002), and Erika Koike (2019). The May-December duo's hair and make-up was applied by Pamela Warden and the bizarre spread in Flaunt was styled by Sophia Alvarez. Cage romanticizes the time before social media and cell phone cameras, and said he 'feels terrible' about climate change. Looking for love in all the wrong places? The Long Beach native was also previously married to Patricia Arquette (1995-2001), Lisa Marie Presley (2002), and Erika Koike (2019) Gravel pile: The May-December duo's hair and make-up was applied by Pamela Warden and the bizarre spread in Flaunt was styled by Sophia Alvarez 'It wasn't like this in 1982': Nicolas romanticizes the time before social media and cell phone cameras, and said he 'feels terrible' about climate change Behind the camera: The Pig producer-star still hopes to direct his second feature film - an untitled project to star a real-life father and son, which he cryptically called 'action/adventure without the action/adventure' 'It wasn't like this in 1982,' the Pig producer-star quipped. 'You can't help but think about the polar bear on the little block of ice. It's an enormous worry. And it's jumping in degrees every year it seems. It's happening faster than people initially thought. It's clear to me that science proves that this is going in the wrong direction.' Nicolas still hopes to direct his second feature film - an untitled project to star a real-life father and son, which he cryptically called 'action/adventure without the action/adventure.' Cage's 2002 directorial debut Sonny - starring James Franco, Mena Suvari, Harry Dean Stanton - has a dismal 23% Rotten Tomatoes rating and only earned $132K of its $4M budget back. Advertisement Celebrities and industry figures took to social media after learning of the tragic accident that occurred on the set of Alec Baldwin's forthcoming film Rust on Thursday at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. During the shoot, the actor, 63, accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded the film's writer-director Joel Souza after his prop firearm unintentionally discharged. Elijah Wood tweeted that Hutchins' death is 'absolutely horrifying and devastating,' while director James Gunn admitted that his 'greatest fear is that someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets', while Alec's former co-star Debra Messing penned a message in his defense while also paying tribute to the Halyna. Aside from highlighting the sadness, The League star Paul Scheer called the accident 'beyond a tragedy and there are so many rules in place to make sure this cant happen.' He wrote: 'I cant even fathom how this is possible. So many people had to be negligent. This is a crime. Halyna was a tremendous talent. Im sick to my stomach.' Reactions: Elijah Wood and director James Gunn were some of the first industry figures to react to the tragic accident that occurred on the set of Alec Baldwin's forthcoming film Rust on Thursday at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico Debra jumped to the star's defense after a social media user hit out at the accident, as she wrote: 'It is absolutely NOT. A prop gun was handed to him . He used it in the scene. Then- a catastrophic event happened where Halnya Hutchins lost her life and Joel Souza was injured. I am praying for all their families.' The Santa Fe Sheriff's Office confirmed that it was Baldwin who fired the prop gun, which unexpectedly launched a projectile or projectiles at Rust crew members. Production on the film has been halted and a police investigation has been launched, though no charges have been filed. In a statement to Deadline, a spokesperson for Rust Movies Productions LLC communicated that 'the entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by todays tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halynas family and loved ones. The statement read: 'We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Departments investigation.' Accident: During the shoot, the 63-year-old actor's prop firearm unexpectedly launched a projectile or projectiles at Rust crew members Tragedy: Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (pictured left in 2018) was accidentally shot and killed, while writer-director Joel Souza (pictured right in 2019) was wounded Defending: Debra Messing jumped to Alec's defense To help cast and crew cope with the tragedy, the production company 'will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.' Wood went on to issue condolences to 42-year-old Hutchins' mourning relatives, writing in his impassioned tweet: 'My heart goes out to her family.' Gunn, who is known for his directorial work on film like The Suicide Squad and Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy, prayed that this tragic of an accident 'will never happen' during his career.' The 55-year-old concluded: 'My heart goes out to all of those affected by the tragedy today on Rust, especially Halyna Hutchins & her family'. Bill & Ted star Alex Winter, clearly disturbed by the tragedy, tweeted that film crews 'should never be unsafe on set and when they are there is always a clearly definable reason why.' He tagged #IASolidarity on the post, relating the incident back to recent uproar regarding the poor treatment of crew members in the entertainment industry and a demand for better hours, healthcare, and safety protocols on sets. Scheer included a portrait of Halyna Hutchins taken during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Greatest fear: Director James Gunn revealed in a tweet that his 'greatest fear is that someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets' Horrifying: Elijah Wood said that it was 'absolutely horrifying and devastating' to learn that Hutchins had been accidentally shot and killed by the actor's prop gun Hurt: Alec's former co-star Debra Messing jumped to the star's defense after a social media user hit out at the accident, as she wrote: 'It is absolutely NOT. A prop gun was handed to him . He used it in the scene. Then- a catastrophic event happened where Halnya Hutchins lost her life and Joel Souza was injured. I am praying for all their families' Should have never happened: Bill & Ted star Alex Winter, clearly disturbed by the tragedy, tweeted that film crews 'should never be unsafe on set and when they are there is always a clearly definable reason why' Beyond: The League star Paul Scheer called the accident 'beyond a tragedy and there are so many rules in place to make sure this cant happen' Unimaginable: Filmmaker Mike Flanagan tweeted that his 'heart breaks for the family and friends of Halyna Hutchins' and reiterated that 'this is just horrifying and devastating news' Nightmare: 'What an absolute nightmare. We lost a rising star, female cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, tweeted out director Amy J. Berg, who also shared a Deadline article detailing the accidental shooting Legacy: Diversity advocate April Reign shared a Twitter thread detailing the life of Hutchins for those who were not familiar with her extensive body of work Director Amy J. Berg, who also shared a Deadline article detailing the accidental shooting, penned: 'What an absolute nightmare. We lost a rising star, female cinematographer Halyna Hutchins'. Filmmaker Mike Flanagan tweeted that his 'heart breaks for the family and friends of Halyna Hutchins' and reiterated that 'this is just horrifying and devastating news.' Diversity advocate April Reign shared a Twitter thread detailing the life of Hutchins for those who were not familiar with her extensive body of work. Heartbreaking: Actress-director Victoria Mahoney said that her 'heart aches for Ms. Halyna Hutchins family, and loved ones' before labeling her death not only 'terrifying' but 'utterly heartbreaking' Big fan: C. Robert Cargill, who is the mind behind the horror franchise Sinister and a critically acclaimed author, said that he 'loved Halyna Hutchins work so much' and that her death is 'not only a tragic loss for cinema but to so many of you I know who worked with her' Actress-director Victoria Mahoney wrote that her 'heart aches for Ms. Halyna Hutchins family, and loved ones' before labeling her death not only 'terrifying' but 'utterly heartbreaking.' C. Robert Cargill, who is the mind behind the horror franchise Sinister and a critically acclaimed author, said that he 'loved Halyna Hutchins work so much' and that her death is 'not only a tragic loss for cinema but to so many of you I know who worked with her.' He continued: 'You and her family are all in my thoughts tonight. Im heartbroken for you all.' Writer Dara Resnik recalled working on the set of Mark Wahlberg's 2007 film Shooter where 'a cameraman was hit in the forehead with a blank and gushed blood everywhere.' Care more: 'Filmmaking is very dangerous. And we need to care more about that. RIP #HalynaHutchins,' tweeted Dara Dresnik, after listing her own near-fatal experiences she's seen while working on various films Precautions: Alex Press also stressed that fact that 'safety needs to be taken more seriously' in the entertainment industry Continuing to communicate the frequent dangers of working on an active movie set, she added that she had also been 'on a set where a crew could easily have gotten hit by a train. Dresnik concluded: 'Filmmaking is very dangerous. And we need to care more about that. RIP #HalynaHutchins'. Alex Press also stressed that fact that 'safety needs to be taken more seriously' in the entertainment industry. He penned: 'I bring that up because Halyna Hutchins was a proud Local 600 membershe posted an IATSE solidarity photo two days ago'. Other Twitter users wrote: 'Hoping Alec Baldwin recovers from this. Hope the production and set/prop design team is never hired again. To the lady that died. My heart goes out to her and her family... Pained: Other Twitter users wrote: 'Hoping Alec Baldwin recovers from this. Hope the production and set/prop design team is never hired again. To the lady that died. My heart goes out to her and her family' 'Apparently hollywood not taken any lesson from Brandon Lee incident. Alec Baldwin fired prop gun that killed woman on film set of Rust, authorities say... However that could happen... It is just very tragic. For her family. For the director. For Alec. #AlecBaldwin... 'Bro. I woke up and saw that Alec Baldwin headline, had to read it twice, check the credibility of the user tweeting it then read it again. I'm still in shock. How does that even happen!?... idk what i expected when i saw alec baldwin trending but it certainly wasnt THAT wtffff... 'It is absolutely tragic thoughts also with Alec Baldwin - he must be devastated... Waking up to the news of Alec Baldwin killing someone with a prop gun... My heart and prayers are with #AlecBaldwin tonight, along w/ the entire cast from the movie and the families.' Shock: Stunned fans and wellwishers expressed sympathy for both the actor and the late cinematographer 'wow never thought I'd see the day Alec Baldwin and killed in the same sentence. Sucks, RIP the victim and I assume Mr. Baldwin is gonna have some trauma from this. Unfortunate all around... 'Gun safety crew needs inspecting... Praying for the cast and crew of #Rust - I would not want to be the Master of Arms on that production right now. Love to the DP, Halyna Hutchins, and Director, Joel Souza. #AlecBaldwin... 'Indeed ...Much strength for both family #HalynaHutchins @AlecBaldwin this must be terrible for both.. Have to say tho, I worry for #AlecBaldwin. He accidentally took someone's life... 'What the hell is that gonna go to him and make him feel? Even if he doesn't get charged, he has to live with that for the rest of his life. I reckon this will be the end of his career now... Support: Stunned social media users flooded the microblogging site with support and prayers 'Alec Baldwin has done a lot of good for years. My deepest condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy. I know Twitter can be cruel but this was a freak accident and he deserves his privacy while he grieves. Anyone who harasses him during this tragedy is getting blocked.' Accidents with prop guns are rare, but not unheard of. Brandon Lee, the 28-year-old son of martial arts star Bruce Lee, was shot and killed on the set of The Crow in Baldwin is a co-producer on the film, in which he plays infamous outlaw Harland Rust, whose 13-year-old grandson is convicted of an accidental murder. It was not immediately clear whether the prop gun that killed Hutchins was somehow loaded with real bullets, or if the gunpowder used in theatrical blank cartridges may have launched debris of some kind from the barrel. No further information has been offered on how Baldwin managed to strike two people, with the sheriff's office continuing to investigate. Alec is pictured sobbing after shooting and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his upcoming movie Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Thursday Representatives for Baldwin, Souza, and Rust's executive producer did not immediately respond to inquiries from DailyMail.com late on Thursday. Earlier on Thursday, Baldwin's spokesperson issued a statement to People on the shooting, saying: 'There was an accident today on the New Mexico set of involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks.' Meanwhile, a spokesman for Rust Pictures LLC, which is producing the film, said: 'The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today's tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna's family and loved ones. Halyna Hutchins, 42, (left) was shot dead in the incident on Thursday at the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where writer-director Joel Souza, 48, (right) was also injured 'We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department's investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event' Hutchins' devastated friends were too distraught to talk, but Ariel Vida, a production designer who worked with the director of photography on 2020 film Archenemy confirmed her death to DailyMail.com, tearfully adding: 'I'm sorry, I can't talk about this right now.' No criminal charges have been filed, but police said that a criminal investigation into the incident is currently active to determine the circumstances of Hutchins' death. 'According to investigators, it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged,' sheriff's spokesman Juan Rios said in a statement. 'Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged.' 'The incident remains an active investigation. As more information becomes available, updates will be provided,' he added. The actor was also snapped doubled-over in a parking lot, with his hands on his knees and his face seemingly crumpled with distress From helicopter crashes to deadly fires and the blank round that killed Brandon Lee: A look back at previous tragedies on Hollywood movie sets after Alec Baldwin shooting accident The Hollywood community is still reeling after the death of 42-year-old director of photography Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of Rust on Thursday. The 42-year-old was fatally struck by some sort of projectile that was fired out of a prop gun by Rust star Alec Baldwin, succumbing to her injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital via helicopter. Sadly, Hutchins' death is the latest in a long line of tragedies on the sets of movies and TV shows throughout the years, which we'll examine below. Cut short: Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts icon Bruce Lee, was a rising star before one of the most tragic deaths in Hollywood history cut his life short The Crow (1993) - Blank Round Kills Actor Brandon Lee Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts icon Bruce Lee, was a rising star before one of the most tragic deaths in Hollywood history cut his life short. The actor was filming a scene where his character was killed by street thugs, when a dummy cartridge was replaced with a blank round, which was fired into his abdomen with the same force as a live bullet. After six hours of unsuccessful emergency surgery, Lee succumbed to his injuries at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina at just 28. Tragedy: Tragedy struck the set of Edward Norton's directorial debut Motherless Brooklyn in March 2018, when fire broke out on the set Motherless Brooklyn (2018) - Set Fire Kills FDNY Firefighter Tragedy struck the set of Edward Norton's directorial debut Motherless Brooklyn in March 2018, when fire broke out on the set. The FDNY was called in to contain the blaze, with decorated fireman Michael Davidson, 37, who had been on the FDNY for 15 years, dying on the set. He had been cited for bravery four times during his tenure, leaving behind a wife and four daughters. Jon-Erik: Actor Jon-Erik Hexum (left) was filming a scene where he was meant to simulate Russian Roulette, when a cartridge in the gun was fired and fatally struck him in the head. Cover Up (1984) - Bullet Cartridge Kills Actor Jon-Erik Hexum Cast and crew were filming the seventh episode of the 1984 TV series Cover Up, when tragedy struck on October 12, 1984. Actor Jon-Erik Hexum was filming a scene where he was meant to simulate Russian Roulette, when a cartridge in the gun was fired and fatally struck him in the head. The actor was rushed to Beverly Hills Medical Center where he underwent emergency operations, but he passed away just five days later at 26. Tragic: The tragic accident that killed actor Vic Morrow and children Myca Dinh Le, 7, and Renee Shin-Yi Chen, 6, resulted in major filming code changes The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1982) - Vic Morrow and two children killed by helicopter tail rotor The tragic accident that killed actor Vic Morrow and children Myca Dinh Le, 7, and Renee Shin-Yi Chen, 6, resulted in major filming code changes. The scene was supposed to feature Morrow's character being transported back to Vietnam, where he was supposed to protect two Vietnamese children. A helicopter, flown by Vietnam veteran Dorcey Wingo, hovered over a mortar effect, which detonated over the rotor and caused the helicopter to crash. Morrow and Le were decapitated by the helicopter's main rotor blade while Chen was crushed to death by the helicopter. The incident lead to legal action that lasted for over a decade, and lead to stringent changes in safety regulations that had not previously been in place. Rider: The production of the highly-anticipated Deadpool sequel was tarnished when stunt motorcycle rider lost control of her bike and fatally crashed Deadpool 2 (2017) - Stuntwoman Joi 'SJ' Harris Dies In Motorcycle Crash The production of the highly-anticipated Deadpool sequel was tarnished when stunt motorcycle rider lost control of her bike and fatally crashed. Joi 'SJ' Harris was filming a stunt sequence at Shaw Tower in Vancouver, when she lost control and crashed into a plate glass window. It was Harris' first gig as a stunt rider, though she was an experienced rider, and was the first African-American female professional road racer. Harris was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, because her character, Domino, played by Zazie Beetz, didn't wear one in the scene. She is the daughter of one of the fashion world's coolest women. And Lila Moss was sure to uphold her mum Kate's reputation on Thursday evening as she stepped out in a chic ensemble while attending the VIP launch of the Natural History Museum Ice Rink in London among a host of other stars. The superstar offspring, 19, looked sensational in a multi-textured bomber jacket with a complementary beanie and coated leather-look trousers as she hit the ice with a chic pal, who appeared to be styling herself on Lila's mum. Chic: Lila Moss was sure to uphold her mum Kate's cutting edge reputation on Thursday evening as she stepped out in a chic ensemble while attending the VIP launch of the Natural History Museum Ice Rink in London among a host of other stars Lila looked stunning in her winter-ready look comprising the light blue bomber with black inserts and a grey collar which matched her poloneck underneath. She paired the ensemble with a light blue knitted hat which showed off her freshly styled blonde locks, which she wore in dead straight lengths. She highlighted her model legs in the trousers, which featured a wet-look coating to give a leather style and toughen up the ensemble. A fresh dewy make-up look meant Lila looked glowing as she frolicked on the ice. Wow: The superstar offspring, 19, looked sensational in a multi-textured bomber jacket with a complementary beanie and coated leather-look trousers as she hit the ice with a chic pal, who appeared to be styling herself on Lila's mum A vision: Lila looked stunning in her winter-ready look comprising the light blue bomber with black inserts and a grey collar which matched her poloneck underneath Her pal opted for a floor-sweeping leopard print coat paired with a chic black look, with the ensemble looking to as though it could be borrowed from Kate's wardrobe. Other stars in attendance included Lizzie Cundy, Kimberley Wyatt and model Charli Howard, who were all bringing the glam to the ice. Supermodel Kate shares daughter Lila with journalist Jefferson Hack, with whom she was in a relationship in the early Noughties. A holly jolly skate! The girls zipped around the ice in style Hold on! The girls propped one another up for support Who's that girl? Her friend looked to have borrowed Lila's mum Kate's love of leopard print, with animal print coats being one of the star's wardobe staples over the years Jefferson and Kate - who dated from 2001 to 2004 with Lila being born in 2002 - have an amicable relationship and would ensure their daughter spent a regular amount of time with each of them in her childhood. Back in 2016, Jefferson admitted that despite Lila having two famous parents, she found them both to be 'deeply uncool'. Speaking to the Sunday Times Magazine, he explained his daughter keeps himself and her model mother rooted in the 'real' world. Come on you! She paired the ensemble with a light blue knitted hat which showed off her freshly styled blonde locks, which she wore in dead straight lengths Haha! The girls could not stop giggling throughout their spin on the ice Despite her mother's status as a bonafide British icon, thanks to her status in the fashion industry, and Jefferson's own achingly cool CV, Lila - wouldn't label her parents as cool. 'She thinks me and her mum are deeply uncool,' he explained. 'I dont think her music tastes are cool Capital radio and Justin Bieber. She keeps me real.' While Lila still has a good relationship with both parents, she is often seen out with mum Kate as she is signed to her modelling agency. Former love: Supermodel Kate shares daughter Lila with journalist Jefferson Hack, with whom she was in a relationship in the early Noughties (Kate and Jefferson in 2016) Uh oh: Despite her mother's status as a bonafide British icon, thanks to her status in the fashion industry, and Jefferson's own achingly cool CV, Lila - wouldn't label her parents as cool Cindy Crawford looked typically chic as she exited Nobu Restaurant with her husband Rande Gerber and their daughter Kaia on Thursday in Malibu. The supermodel, 55, cut a trendy figure in a black satin dress which she layered beneath a coordinating leather jacket. It seems she was unable to complete her meal as, along with her smart onyx purse, she clutched a white Nobu doggy bag as the couple headed back to their car. What a pair! Cindy Crawford looked typically chic as she exited Nobu Restaurant with her husband Rande Gerber and their daughter Kaia on Thursday in Malibu Adding inches to her frame with a pair of brown leather heeled boots, the former Pepsi spokesperson accessorised her look with a delicate pair of silver earrings. Her chocolate locks cascaded over her shoulders in gorgeous curls and she wore a smart charcoal face mask amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, her beau, 59, looked ever-suave in a grey casual shirt and a pair of faded jeans, keeping warm with a black bomber jacket amid the nighttime outing. Stunning: Following soon afterwards was Kaia, 20, who looked sensational in a stylish raven blazer, which she enhanced with a dazzling emerald necklace The businessman completed his ensemble with a pair of black trainers and wore his walnut locks in a sleek swept-back hairdo. Following soon afterwards was Kaia, 20, who looked sensational in a stylish raven blazer, which she enhanced with a dazzling emerald necklace. She, too, sported a face mask and wore her luscious dark brown tresses in beachy waves. Cindy has recently spoken out about how proud she is of Kaia's acting debut as Ruby in the American Horror Story series this year. Proud: Cindy has recently spoken out about how proud she is of Kaia's acting debut as Ruby in the American Horror Story series this year (pictured in 2018) She said on Tell Me With Ellen Pompeo podcast: 'I'm proud of her because I guess in that way she is more confident than I was at that age. 'There were certainly things like even in high school I sort of wanted to go out for, [like] the school play.' 'None of my friends were and I didn't know if I'd be good at it, so I didn't do it,' Cindy said. Adding: 'Whereas [Kaia] did all that in elementary school and middle school and high school.' The icon said that Kaia refocused her energy on acting when everyone was in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cindy explained: 'She wasn't traveling and wasn't modelling because there were no shoots anywhere. She started auditioning and taking online acting classes. She had taken some acting stuff before.' Rebecca Judd is ready for a night out on the town to celebrate Melbourne's Freedom Day after 262 days in lockdown. On Friday, she flaunted her glamorous outfit in a series of selfies ahead of her planned festivities. The 38-year-old mother-of-four dressed for the evening in a light peach cropped top with a plunging neckline that drew attention to her abs. Ready for a night out! Rebecca Judd (pictured) flaunted her abs in a glamorous outfit as she celebrated Melbourne's Freedom Day with a night out on the town on Friday In another Instagram Story video, she was joined for the selfie with her friend and fellow WAG Kylie Brown who opted for a yellow singlet top and black high-waisted jeans. She teamed the look with matching high waisted trousers, and accessorised with a purse by Chloe and Valentino pumps. The AFL WAG also shared her outfit of the evening in a post, which she captioned: 'Melbourne's back baby.' Her crowning glory was her revamped deep blonde locks that look fresh as they draped over her shoulders. 'Melbourne's back baby': She dressed for the evening in a light peach cropped top with a plunging neckline that drew attention to her abs, and accessorised with a purse by Chloe Looking fresh: Hours before, the Instagram influencer visited her hairstylist who refreshed her luscious locks. Bec also praised her stylist and shared a before and after look of her honey tresses. Pictured left is before and right is after Hours before, the Instagram influencer visited her hairstylist who refreshed her luscious locks. Bec also praised her stylist and shared a before and after look of her honey tresses. Earlier in the day, she celebrated finally being able to take her children Oscar, 10, Billie, seven, and twins boys Tom and Darcy, both five, back to school. She shared a photo on Instagram of herself was seen smiling and holding up a peace sign in her SUV, which was taken by her son Tom in the back passenger seat. School drop off: Earlier in the day, she celebrated finally being able to take her four children back to school. She shared a photo of herself smiling and holding up a peace sign in her SUV in a picture, which was taken by her son Tom in the back passenger seat Family: Bec shares her four children Oscar, 10, Billie, Seven, and twins boys Tom and Darcy, both five, with AFL great Chris Judd Victoria officially lifted its stay-at-home orders at 11:59pm on Thursday after the beleaguered state passed its 70 per cent Covid vaccination target. In September, Bec admitted she was finding it tough homeschooling her four children during Melbourne's lockdown. She told Now to Love: 'I'm currently homeschooling four kids so every day is a little bit crazy.' But she noted that she was able to switch off after a busy day of remote learning by mixing a margarita and putting on her favourite music. Kate Garraway appears to have confirmed the identity of the mystery Royal who helped support her during her husband Derek Draper's Covid battle. During her appearance at the Prince's Trust awards event on Thursday afternoon, the Good Morning Britain star, 54, spoke to Prince Charles about his kindness, which she referenced in her memoir The Power Of Hope. Kate said: 'And you might not remember but you were very kind to me because my husband got very sick with Covid after the last Prince's Trust awards. You wrote to me and gave me help, so thank you very much and he did improve.' Prince Charles tested positive for coronavirus in March last year, just days after Kate met him at the 2020 award show, after which she voiced fears over the meeting and later leading to both her and Derek's contraction of the virus. An honour: Kate Garraway appears to have confirmed the identity of the mystery Royal who helped support her during her husband Derek Draper's Covid battle Kate initially wrote about the gesture in her book, yet did not confirm the Royal's name - leading to Thursday's revelation over the identity being Charles, who battled the virus himself last year. In The Power Of Hope, which she released in April, she wrote: 'One day I received a letter from a member of the Royal Family, offering the services of a Royal physician. How lovely, I thought, although it seemed utterly surreal.' Kate is a carer for her husband Derek, who continues to battle 'devastating' effects of long Covid, after falling ill with coronavirus in March 2020. The virus wreaked havoc throughout his entire body, resulting in kidney failure, liver and pancreatic damage. On more than one occasion his heart stopped beating, he battled pneumonia and fought infections which punctured holes in his lungs. Shocking: Kate is a carer for her husband Derek, who continues to battle 'devastating' effects of long Covid, after falling ill with coronavirus in March 2020 Reaching out: During her appearance at the Prince's Trust awards event on Thursday afternoon, the Good Morning Britain star, 54, spoke to Prince Charles about his kindness, which she referenced in her memoir The Power Of Hope He is considered to be the longest surviving COVID-19 patient in the country. The former lobbyist continues to recover from the illness at their London home. Earlier this year, Kate documented his plight in her documentary Finding Derek. The documentary became ITV's most-watched factual programme in three years, after 4.5 million viewers tuned into the moving programme when it aired in March. The presenter fronted the show documenting her husband Derek's year-long battle with COVID-19, with viewers praising her for sharing such a candid insight in his lengthy recovery. Shock: Earlier this year, Kate documented his plight in her documentary Finding Derek An honour: Last month, she picked up the National Television Award for Authored Documentary and following the win, she shared a snap of their FaceTime call on Instagram Kate filmed every step of Derek's year-long battle with coronavirus following his hospitalisation with the respiratory illness. Last month, she picked up the National Television Award for Authored Documentary and following the win, she shared a snap of their FaceTime call on Instagram. Beating the likes of Katie Price: Harvey And Me and Marcus Rashford: Feeding Britains Children, Kate, looked overwhelmed as she was announced as the victor, slowly making her way to the stage to accept the gong. Speaking out: Kate said: 'And you might not remember but you were very kind to me because my husband got very sick with Covid after the last Prince's Trust awards. You wrote to me and gave me help, so thank you very much and he did improve' Last year, the Prince of Wales revealed he was 'lucky' to have experienced 'relatively mild symptoms' of Covid-19 after testing positive in March 2020. Shortly after the news was revealed, Kate voiced her fears on Good Morning Britain that she had met with the Prince just days before he tested positive. The GMB presenter spoke about her meeting live on air, revealing that the pair had got 'relatively close' at the Prince's Trust Awards on March 11. GMB played footage of the meeting between Kate and Charles, with Kate pointing out: 'We're relatively close there, as indeed were all the other people that were involved in that. Speaking out: Kate filmed every step of Derek's year-long battle with coronavirus following his hospitalisation with the respiratory illness 'I don't have any symptoms, so I'm not blaming him for anything at all, but people are going to be concerned. He's a man that meets a lot of people.' The meeting came before Derek's own heartbreaking diagnosis. Discussing the royal's diagnosis, which was revealed by Clarence House, Kate said she had no symptoms but admitted the many people who have come into contact with Charles in recent weeks 'are going to be concerned.' He opened up about his brush with the deadly infection in an interview with Sky News, where he told royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills: 'I was lucky in my case and got away with it quite lightly. But I've had it, and I can so understand what other people have gone through.' Back then: Shortly after the news was revealed, Kate voiced her fears on Good Morning Britain that she had met with the Prince just days before he tested positive He added: 'I feel particularly for those who have lost their loved ones and have been unable to be with them at the time. That to me is the most ghastly thing.' Royal biographer Penny Juror told The Sunday Times his battle with the virus means he is 'able to understand people going through terrible times' and 'show leadership'. 'That he caught the virus is one of the best things that could have happened,' she said. 'It echoes the Queen Mother and King George VI being able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the public during the Second World War after Buckingham Palace was bombed.' She added that more people have 'seen and listened' to Charles during lockdown - and that he has used his platform well throughout the pandemic. Conor McGregor took to Instagram on Thursday to share a slew of adorable snaps with his family during a homecoming trip to his native Dublin. The mixed martial artist, 33, posed for shots alongside his stunning fiancee Dee Devlin and their five-month-old son Rian during the city break. One sweet snap saw the lightweight champion cradle Rian, before joining his influencer partner, who looked sensational in multi-coloured print blouse. Happy: Conor McGregor took to Instagram on Thursday to share a slew of adorable snaps with his family during a homecoming trip to his native Dublin In another photo, Conor beamed from ear-to-ear as he donned a plaid purple blazer above a buttoned-down white shirt and navy jeans, while dining at the Irish capital's Black Forge Inn. Reclining into his seat against a wall of foliage, he completed his ensemble with a pair of grey suede boots and a black flat cap. The Crumlin-born star went on to pose with a devoted fan who attempted to lift one of Conor's heavy-looking UFC belts - as the pair pumped their fists in the air. Doting dad: Another sweet snap saw the lightweight champion cradle Rian Sweet: Rian appeared to be delighted as he took part in his very own photo shoot Suave: Conor beamed from ear-to-ear as he donned a plaid purple blazer above a buttoned-down white shirt and navy jeans, while dining at the Irish capital's Black Forge Inn He recently shared his grieving process with the world after announcing on Wednesday that his dog Hugo had died. The MMA superstar shared a bevy of sweet photos with his 42.7 million followers of himself bonding with his late pooch. The fighter said he was 'so heart broken' over the loss of the animal who had accompanied him through much of his rise to fame. Role model: The Crumlin-born star went on to pose with a devoted fan who attempted to lift one of Conor's heavy-looking UFC belts - as the pair pumped their fists in the air A very good boy: Conor announced the sad news on Wednesday that his beloved dog Hugo had died after living with him for a decade Conor opened his Instagram post with a cute snap of himself in his underwear while passed out a bed frame covered with a comforter but no matters as Hugo relaxed next to him. 'So heart broken to say my dog Hugo has passed away, he began his caption. 'He was with me all the way, my closest companion. From sleeping on a bed frame without a mattress to everything else that came after,' he continued. 'Thank you for all the work put in alongside me to get this life correct for our family. All the love and cuddles we will miss forever and ever our Hugo! Gutted [broken heart emoji]. RIP the best boy Hugo McGregor [praying hands emoji].' Conked out: Conor opened his Instagram post with a cute snap of himself in his underwear while passed out a bed frame covered with a comforter but no matters as Hugo relaxed next to him On the same journey: 'He was with me all the way, my closest companion. From sleeping on a bed frame without a mattress to everything else that came after,' he continued Hugo seems to have been a regular workout partner for Conor, as they were shown together on runs in several photos. The sweet dog also baby sat his three children, including Conor Jr., four, Croia, two, and Rian. The panting canine glanced at the camera in one odd photo as Conor took a ride on a stationary bike outdoors with one of his children at his side in a stroller. Hugo was docile enough to let the children care for him, and Conor Jr. had him on a leash as they went for a walk with Croia in a cute snap. Family: The sweet dog also baby sat his three children, including Conor Jr., four; Croia, two; and Rian, five months Working up a sweat: Hugo seems to have been a regular workout partner for Conor, as they were shown together on runs in several photos The photos gave the impression that the fighter and his dog were inseparable, and Hugo was seen hanging out with Conor as he lifted weights in another photo. A second loving post featured a video of Hugo perched nobly on a white sofa while Ed Sheeran's song Runaway played on the soundtrack. 'We got there in the end my boy,' Conor captioned the clip. Another short video shared in his Insta Stories showed the UFC fighter in closeup as he announced he was about to take his daily 10km run with the dog running by his side. Georgia Love has found herself with some support in the ongoing saga of her leaked 'grammar' email. The 33-year-old made headlines last week when she was called out by a colleague in leaked emails obtained by The Herald Sun for chastising the newsroom over grammar. Georgia was shamed by a senior reporter for correcting the newsroom over the incorrect use of the word 'surgeries' in an email titled 'grammar note' this week. More leaks: Georgia Love (picured) has found herself with some support in the ongoing saga of her leaked 'grammar' email. The 33-year-old made headlines last week when she was called out by a colleague in leaked emails obtained by The Herald Sun for chastising the newsroom over grammar According to a new report in The Herald Sun on Friday, the former Bachelorette star was backed up by Seven news director Sean Menegola in the wake of the leak. Menegola reportedly sent round a 'reply all' email, telling staff to 'disregard the preceding email and take Georgia's note as it was intended feedback to make a top bulletin even better.' He added: 'As always, if there are any problems, please drop in to discuss'. More replies: According to a new report in The Herald Sun on Friday, the former Bachelorette star was backed up by Seven news director Sean Menegola in the wake of the leak. Menegola reportedly sent round a 'reply all' email, telling staff to 'disregard the preceding email and take Georgia's note as it was intended feedback to make a top bulletin even better' Georgia was reportedly seen heading into Menegola's office shortly after the email drama unfurled. The paper added that staff were doubly bothered by the support due to rumours that Georgia will be returned to on-air duties in the summer. The reality star was pulled from her on-air role at Channel Seven last month and relegated to the production desk just days after posting a 'racist' video on Instagram. Leak: The grammar email was leaked online last week. Love began her email: 'Hi friends! Just a note on using the word 'surgery' it doesn't need to be pluralised. You have surgery, not 'a surgery', so you don't have 'surgeries'. Ie. 'all elective surgery is cancelled' Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Seven and Georgia's representatives for comment. The grammar email was leaked online last week. Love began her email: 'Hi friends! Just a note on using the word 'surgery' it doesn't need to be pluralised. You have surgery, not 'a surgery', so you don't have 'surgeries'. Ie. 'all elective surgery is cancelled.' Response: A senior reporter then called out Georgia for her 'unreasonable' email, encouraging the team to 'carry on' with their 'great work' 'Alternatively, can use 'operations' or 'procedures'. Eeeeeeeeeeveryone (sic) does it, it's just one of those bug bears that's incorrect but has snuck into our language.' The Herald Sun understands the email was sent by Georgia following a bulletin read by reporter Melina Sarris. A senior reporter then called out Georgia for her 'unreasonable' email, encouraging the team to 'carry on' with their 'great work'. Exit: Last month, Georgia was pulled from her on-air duties at Seven and relegated to the production desk just days after posting a 'racist' video on Instagram The email read: 'Hi friends. Just a note to say this note is not helpful or reasonable. Please carry on your great work and forget about it. You're all doing a great job under difficult circumstances. Keep it going we love you. Xxx.' Last month, Georgia was pulled from her on-air duties at Seven and relegated to the production desk just days after posting a 'racist' video on Instagram. The journalist had sparked backlash for sharing footage of a cat behind the window of an Asian restaurant and writing: 'Shop attendant or lunch?!' Back soon? The paper added that staff were doubly bothered by the support due to rumours that Georgia will be returned to on-air duties in the summer She deleted the video an hour later and apologised for causing 'offence', but at the time denied the post had any racist 'insinuation'. Georgia also posted a similar 'joke' about pets and Chinese restaurants in 2013. Following a workplace investigation, Seven alerted staff via email that Georgia had been 'counselled' and reassigned to an off-camera role 'effective immediately'. A Seven spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'We have addressed this matter internally and disciplinary action has been taken. Backlash: The journalist had sparked backlash for sharing footage of a cat behind the window of an Asian restaurant and writing: 'Shop attendant or lunch?!' 'Seven does not condone this inappropriate conduct and all of our staff have the right to work in a safe, nurturing workplace free from prejudice.' Georgia is understood to be 'devastated' and 'deeply sorry for her actions', and has personally apologised to her colleagues, The Herald Sun previously reported. 'I want to apologise for an inappropriate post on my personal social media account this week and for an old post which has resurfaced,' she said in a staff email. Addressing the post: 'I meant absolutely no insinuation about the type of animal nor the type of restaurant, but I see that my post did not come across like that and was offensive,' she wrote online 'I'm deeply sorry for the hurt that I've caused and, in particular, for offence to the Asian community. It certainly wasn't my intention. 'My posts were inappropriate and offensive. There is no excuse for perpetuating racist stereotypes in any forum. 'I am committed to moving forward, learning and growing in my new role and I hope that in time I can earn your trust back.' Giovanni Pernice looked ever-suave as he attended Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals with fellow professional dancer Aljaz Skorjanec in London on Thursday. The choreographer, 31, put on a dapper display in a black wool coat which he layered above a green T-shirt and charcoal jeans. It comes after Love Island star Maura Higgins, 30, sparked speculation she has reunited with her beau after a brief split. Emerging: Giovanni Pernice cut a suave figure in a black wool coat as he attended Strictly rehearsals with Aljaz Skorjanec on Thursday in London... after Maura Higgins sparked reconciliation rumours following a brief split New look: Maura debuted a statement fringe and a mini dress as she headed to pal Molly-Mae Hague's beauty bash on Thursday night Giovanni clutched an onyx Louis Vuitton backpack and donned a pair of coordinating Gucci trainers, while wearing his dark brown tresses in a side-swept look. Following soon afterwards was Aljaz Skorjanec, 31, who dazzled in a checkered black-and-white wool coat, which he teamed up with a pair of navy jeans. Slinging a black leather backpack over his shoulder, he sported a pair of white trainers and was assisted by a driver in loading up a car's boot. Maura absolutely stunned as she arrived at pal Molly-Mae Hague's Beauty Works Christmas launch in London on Thursday night. Looking good: Following soon afterwards was Aljaz, 31, who dazzled in a checkered black-and-white wool coat, which he teamed up with a pair of navy jeans She flaunted her leggy figure in a racy black frock with a waist-cinching corset and black knee-high boots, and also debuted a statement fringe. Maura teasingly shared snaps from her luxury London hotel room on Wednesday night, and fans were quick to notice two champagne glasses on the table. It comes as Maura deleted the 31-year-old Strictly star's pictures on Instagram. Keeping the identity of who she was accompanied with a secret, Maura shared a video of the marble bathroom in her luxurious hotel suite and wrote: 'Back in my favourite hotel'. She then uploaded a snap of her meal out and there were plenty of sushi dishes on the table, suggesting she had company. Rumour: Maura recently sparked speculation she has reunited with her boyfriend Giovanni as she enjoyed a luxury hotel room stay with two glasses of champagne on Wednesday MailOnline contacted Maura and Giovanni's representatives for comment at the time. It was reported Giovanni 'blindsided' Maura with their split, leaving her 'utterly heartbroken' after revealing he 'didn't want to settle down' after four months of dating. A source told The Sun on Tuesday the dancer dumped Maura two weeks ago unexpectedly as he doesn't want to settle down. The insider said: 'Maura didn't see this coming and is finding it very difficult to come to terms with. She genuinely thought Gio was the one.' The pair are believed to have split two weeks ago after heart-to-heart talks where they spoke about how their packed schedules stopped them from seeing each other. Shock: The couple have surprised fans with their split rumours after seeming very loved up The romance between the Love Island star and the Strictly Come Dancing pro went sour after days of moving in together. According to The Sun, the Irish beauty is said to be 'absolutely devastated.' A source said: 'It's all over for now. Maura's absolutely devastated, it appears the Strictly curse has struck again. 'Pals are hoping that they can patch things up. But only time will tell whether they'll work things out as Giovanni is so busy.' The hunk previously dated TOWIE star Jess Wright and Pussycat Dolls' Ashley Roberts, while Maura had romances with fellow Love Island star Chris Taylor and Curtis Pritchard. He's one of the most famous rock stars in the world. And Mick Jagger swapped the studio for sightseeing as he enjoyed a tourist day out on Thursday to visit a mural of himself in Los Angeles. The Rolling Stones star, 78, was every inch the doting dad as he gushed of his day out to his daughter on Instagram: '@georgiamayjagger I spotted your salon!' Life imitates art: Mick Jagger swapped the studio for sightseeing on Thursday as he enjoyed a tourist day out in Los Angeles... and visited a mural of himself 'Mattresses, murals and more around LA,' the star told his fans as he posed took in all that LA had to offer. Mick looked effortlessly cool as he posed in front of the pop art mural which was based on a picture of his 26-year-old self in 1969. The rockstar sported a black bomber jacket with pink distressed details and wore his chestnut locks in their signature touselled style for the outing. He also shared a snap of him taking in the California views as he posed on a balcony in a padded jacket and matching black cap and jeans. Back in the day: The mural was based on a picture from Mick in 1969 when he was just 26-year-old and in the height of his fame Views: He shared a snap of him taking in the California views as he posed on a balcony in a padded jacket and matching black cap and jeans Mick visited his daughter Georgia May's favourite hair salon Bleach - even though she wasn't in the city. The 29-year-old model, sweetly replied to her dad on Instagram: Omg!!! Dada!! Haha missed you wish I could have been there.' Georgia previously had golden locks but swapped her low key tresses for eye catching red curls on her latest trip to Bleach last week. 'I spotted your salon!': The rock star was every inch the doting dad as he went to his daughter Georgia May Jagger's favourite hair salon Bleach - even though she wasn't in the city Wow! Mick's visit to the salon comes after Georgia debuted brand new bright red tresses last week Georgia left the underneath of her hair brown with a smattering of blonde highlights and showcased thick curtain bangs as she shared a selfie on Instagram. Mick took in the city's eclectic selection of shops as he grinned in front of a fancy dress store with Snow White costumes placed in the window. Heading into the wilderness, the rockstar later looked at one with nature as he swapped into an all white outfit and sat on a log in the countryside. Window shopping: He also took in the city's eclectic selection of shops as he grinned in front of a fancy dress store with Snow White costumes placed in the window Chilling: Mick looked at one with nature as he swapped into an all white outfit and sat on a log in the countryside during his visit to Los Angeles Mick was caught in a spat last week as he hit back at Paul McCartney for branding the Rolling Stones a 'blues cover band'. At a Rolling Stones gig in Inglewood, California, Mick told thousands of fans: 'Paul McCartney is here, he's going to help us, he's going to join us in the blues cover later on.' Many in the crowd may have not been up on current events as several cheered along thinking that Jagger was being serious. Gemma Collins took to Instagram on Friday to share a bottom-baring selfie in response to LBC DJ Steve Allen's latest trolling campaign. The radio presenter, 67, hit headlines earlier this week after calling Strictly Come Dancing's Tilly Ramsay, 19, 'chubby' in a disgusting outburst that comes years after he branded Gemma 'fat' and likened her to Star Wars character Jabba The Hutt. Alongside the smouldering snap, Gemma, 40, penned a lengthy caption, in which she took aim at both Steve and LBC for the comments, before admitting that she had been left feeling vulnerable over the situation and memory of his comments. Her impassioned message read: 'Ive had a few people this past week... month... ten years in spotlight be rude to me about me... Shock: Gemma Collins took to Instagram on Friday to share a bottom-baring selfie in response to LBC DJ Steve Allen's latest trolling campaign 'Firstly Im sorry my bright light reminds you of how miserable you are and secondly Yall need to all remember who the F I IS... a Romford girl thats smashed it on so many levels. I was so upset about the targeting of @tillyramsay... 'Then I got attached to the story because of someone being cruel about me and do you know what guys it does upset you when it gets brought to light all day yesterday it was covered is the radio station going to deal with this?... 'Everyone vote this weekend and get behind @tillyramsay whats gone on is disgusting unless you can match what Ive achieved dont even bother... 'Having to relive the cruel comments yesterday really has got my day off to a vulnerable start but dont worry. Il get up and at them today do my work and do it for everyone who puts up with any sort of crap in their life ! X... Hitting out: Alongside the smouldering snap, Gemma, 40, penned a lengthy caption, in which she took aim at both Steve and LBC for the comments, before admitting that she had been left feeling vulnerable over the situation and memory of his comments 'Kiss my big juicy a**': Gemma Collins has spectacularly clapped back at LBC's Steve Allen after it emerged that he had called her 'fat' and compared her to Jabba The Hutt in a slew of cruel tweets 'I never been given anything I didnt come from a rich family everything I got I GOT IT I PAID for it I made my own life though hard work RESPECT'. Her new post comes after Gemma spectacularly clapped back at Steve, when she took to Instagram on Thursday to share a snap of a delicious slice of chocolate cake from high-end eatery Caffe Concerto and said 'Kiss my big juicy a**'. The former Celebrity Big Brother housemate wrote, 'OOOOO STEVE ALLEN JOIN ME FOR SOME CAKE HUN AND LEAVE THE LOVELY @TILLYRAMSAY ALONE SHE'S BEAUTIFUL THE GC HAS SPOKEN !!!! KISS MY BIG JUICY A**!!!!! [sic].' Called out: LBC's Steve Allen, 67, has been called out for poking fun at Tilly Ramsay this week, with some even calling on the presenter to be fired (pictured in 2019) In one tweet posted in June 2014, Steve said of TOWIE castmates Gemma, James Argent, Bobby Norris, Harry Derbidge and Lydia Bright: 'That's Bobby and Harry, the really out to lunch Lydia Dim and her on off boyfriend fat boy fat Arg, who slept with the beach hut Gemma.' Just a week later, he wrote: 'Poor poor Gemma, fat and boring, no friends apart from Bobby, known as little Ms misery. It's all going pear shaped, and how we laugh.' In 2015, Steve took aim at Gemma's weight again as he compared her to the Star Wars character, Jabba The Hut. He penned: 'Apparently Gemma the hut does have a shop in Brentwood very near the Slug and Lettuce, insert own joke here' In January 2016 he made yet another jibe at Gemma's expense, tweeting: 'And now Gemma the hut thinks she might be pregnant.. Ha ha ha what doe you mean love, you think? Unprotected sex..' Yum! The former TOWIE star, 40, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a snap of a delicious slice of chocolate cake from high-end eatery Caffe Concerto Gemma wasn't the only reality star to be picked apart by Steve, with Love Island contestant Amy Hart revealing she was also on the receiving end of his cruel jibes. Speaking to The Sun, Amy revealed she had been called 'desperate and pointless' and said the radio host has even targeted her family because Steve knows her uncle as they're both members of The Magic Circle. 'I know he brings me up about once a week and my family. He talks about my family as well, about my mum and dad and how we are all so desperate to be famous.' Shocking: In 2015, Steve took aim at Gemma's weight as he compared her to the Star Wars character, Jabba The Hut Over the years: Steve has made several fatshaming comments on Twitter over the years Saying Steve seems to be 'obsessed' with her, Amy added: 'He says I have no talent, I am lazy, that I am pointless, I am desperate etc. 'We contacted LBC and they said he trolls everyone, its just his thing. I sort of just took that.' It's not just celebrities have taken aim at, but even his own listeners, as he tweeted in 2013: 'Some poor creature suggested that many of my listeners are female and overweight, bloody cheek, nobody is allowed to listen over 10 stone.' The resurfaced tweets come after Steve said of Strictly contestant Tilly earlier this week: 'I'm bored of her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she. Have you noticed? Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine.' Outrageous: The resurfaced tweets come after Steve said of Strictly contestant Tilly earlier this week, 'I'm bored of her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she' Tilly then responded to the savage remarks with a lengthy Instagram post where revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks. While there has been an outpouring of support for Tilly and mounting calls for Steve to be sacked from his LBC show, Julia Hartley-Brewer spoke out in his defence. The Talk Radio presenter, 53, claimed on Thursday's episode of This Morning: 'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors.' But viewers were quick to disagree online as many took to Twitter to call Julia 'totally out of order' and question 'why can't people just be kind?' Julia claimed during a video call interview on the show: 'Steve Allen is entitled to say what they want to say. 'The issue is weight and teenage girls and obesity is a concern to doctors. Obviously, a personal dig isn't nice'. Fans quickly took to Twitter to rush to the 19-year-old's defence as they criticised Julia's controversial opinion. Controversial: While there has been an outpouring of support for Tilly and mounting calls for Steve to be sacked from his LBC show, Julia Hartley-Brewer spoke out in his defence One fumed: 'All this woman on This Morning is defending some kn*b on the radio making fun of Tilly Ramsay's weight. Get Gordon on the radio to ask him about it, but best be sure to get your sh*tting pants on first - kn*bheads. The poor girl is 19!' Another added: 'That radio presenter was totally out of order shes only 19 for god sake thats going to damage her mental health... absolutely terrible. Why can't people just be kind ffs i dont see what her weight has anything to do with her being on strictly... tilly is beautiful.' A third user wrote: 'Just heard Julia Hartley Brewer come on @thismorning saying freedom of speech entitles anyone to publicly comment on someone else's weight. Listen, I know I've been guilty of it in the past, as I'd bet we all have. But that doesn't mean it's right and should be encouraged!' 'The poor girl is 19!': Fans quickly took to Twitter to rush to the teenager's defence as they criticised Julia's controversial opinion Another viewer wrote: 'The way they are discussing and justifying the comments made about Tilly Ramsey are shameful. She is 19 and the conversation was not about her appearance he mentioned it with no relevance to the conversation what so ever. It's bullying!!!' 'Just because you have the right to say something doesn't mean that you SHOULD say it smh,' chimed in another. One fan questioned: 'Why are they sticking up for Steve Allen? he had no right in calling Tilly chubby.' While another simply stated: 'If you haven't got anything nice to say don't say it.' 'It's bullying: Tilly's supporters flooded Twitter timelines as they took Julia and Steve to task over what they had said Support was also shown for Tilly on the London Underground by the writers who post messages on information boards inside the city's stations. They wrote a letter on a whiteboard inside Piccadilly Circus station that read: 'Dear Matilda, Hope you're doing alright? 'We thought we would write you this letter, well done for standing up for yourself against disgraceful behaviour and disgusting comments from people who should know better; 'You are spectacular on Strictly, keep dancing and doing what you do, today we are changing Piccadilly Circus to PiccaTILLY Circus to pay tribute to you.' Elsewhere, Love Island's Dr Alex George wrote an open letter to Steve after he was 'horrified' by his comments about Tilly. Strictly star Tilly was quick to thank Alex for his support, commenting beneath his letter - shared on Instagram - 'Thank you Alex for your support and kindness.' In his letter, Alex highlighted that 'it is widely recognised just how damaging such comments about someone's weight are and the effect they can have on an individual's mental health'. He also noted: 'We must not underestimate the impact such remarks can have, feeding into the perpetual cycle of weight stigma that still exists here in the UK.' Alex captioned his post: 'Email sent. We stand with you @tillyramsay.To anyone affected by these comments please reach out to @beatedsupport charity.' Support: Elsewhere, Love Island's Dr Alex George wrote an open letter to Steve after he was 'horrified' by his comments about Tilly Letter: Alex told LBC in his letter that he was 'horrified' by the remarks and highlighted: 'The discussion about a young person's weight live on air is not acceptable' Caption: Alex captioned his post: 'Email sent. We stand with you @tillyramsay. To anyone affected by these comments please reach out to @beatedsupport charity' Tilly replied: 'Thank you Alex for your support and kindness. You are amazing' The daughter of Gordon Ramsay took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a lengthy statement in which she expressed her hurt and shock at having her appearance criticised 'by a 67-year-old man on national radio'. The CBBC presenter is competing on Strictly with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin and is simultaneously featuring on the pre-recorded Celebrity MasterChef Australia. Alongside the statement she shared a soundbite from Steve's show, in which he read out a comment from a listener alerting him to the fact Tilly was taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia. Tilly penned: 'I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far. 'Steve please feel free voice your opinions however I draw the line at commenting on my appearance. It's such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.' Shock: In the post, Tilly revealed that she was 'learning to accept' herself but had still been left 'hurt' by the shocking remarks Tilly continued: 'This isn't the first and definitely wont' be the last comment made about my appearance and I accept that and I'm learning to accept myself. 'But please remember that words can hurt. And at the end of the day I am only 19 and I'm so grateful for all the amazing opportunities I have been able to take part in. 'And I understand that being in the public eye obviously comes with it's own repercussions and I've been aware of this from a young age. 'However, I won't tolerate people that think it's okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone's weight and appearance. Love Tilly xx' She captioned the post '#bekind'. MailOnline has contacted LBC for comment. WHO IS STEVE ALLEN? Steve, 67, first worked as a nightclub DJ where he met long-time friend Dale Winton and subsequently joined the United Biscuits Network, a radio station broadcasting to workers in the United Biscuits factories UBN closed in 1979, and Allen joined LBC as presenter of the Night Extra programme. He then moved on to present The Night is Young on the station. When LBC was separated into two stations- 1152 AM and 97.3 FM, Steve presented the afternoon show for London Talkback Radio and Saturday Night Out. Currently, Steve presents the early breakfast show on LBC between 4am and 7am from Monday to Friday. The show involves discussion of stories from the day's newspapers, and his personal anecdotes and gripes about daily life. In 2015, Allen released a book entitled So You Want to be a Celebrity? The man behind the voice: Steve (pictured in 2012) presents the early breakfast show on LBC between 4am and 7am from Monday to Friday Advertisement Strictly stars flooded the post with support for Tilly with Janette Manrara writing: 'How fast we forget what hurtful comments can do for someone's mental health. You are a POWERFUL young lady! Wear your crown w/ your head held high'. Giovanni Pernice penned: 'Some people are very nasty !! Don't listen to this crap .. we love You girl ! #bekind'. GBBO star and Strictly contestant John Whaite penned: 'He's a piece of old sandpaper love, worn and used and has nothing to offer the world. And his vicious scratching has only left you polished and more fabulous. Love you.' Her sister Holly meanwhile wrote: 'Very well said x #bekind', while their sister Megan echoed: 'Love you Tills'. Elizabeth Hurley's son Damian reached out to Tilly to write: 'what a total w**ker. bloody uncalled for. can't wait for you to have the last laugh and keep winning. sending you love'. Two of a kind: Tilly is partnered with Nikita Kuzmin on this year's Strictly Chef, social media influencer and TV presenter Tilly has over 9.5 million followers on TikTok, where she regularly posts funny videos of herself and dad Gordon. She presented Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch on CBBC, which saw her cooking and having adventures along with her family, for which she received three Children's BAFTA nominations. In 2017 she published her first cookery book, inspired by the show, titled: Matilda & The Ramsay Bunch: Tilly's Kitchen Takeover. Tilly and her Dad also hosted a regular cooking item on This Morning, Big Chef Little Chef. Support: Strictly stars flooded the post with support for Tilly Meanwhile, Steve has hosted the early morning breakfast show on LBC since 2000. This isn't the first time the presenter has come under fire for making controversial comments. Back in 2018, Steve was rapped by Ofcom after he mocked a blind journalist who became the first person in the UK to use a miniature guide horse. Mohammed Salim Patel from Blackburn, Lancashire, was using two-year-old American miniature horse Digby because of his fear of dogs - until the horse grew too big. In a broadcast on October 1, Steve said he'd 'never heard of anything so stupid' while discussing a story on Digby. He also said on air: 'Well if he's blind, tell him it's a rabbit or something. I've never heard of anything so stupid. 'This is the blind man scared of dogs hoping that a horse will guide him on his commute. Where are you going to take that for goodness sake?' In December, communications regulator Ofcom upheld a complaint that the comments had been offensive. Famous father: Chef, social media influencer and TV presenter Tilly has over 9.5 million followers on TikTok, where she regularly posts funny videos of herself and dad Gordon In its ruling, Ofcom said: 'Mr Allen seemed to be implying that people who are blind cannot differentiate between a rabbit and a dog. 'We considered that this remark could have been interpreted as belittling blind people and offering a highly pejorative view of them. 'Further, Mr Allen repeatedly questioned, in dismissive terms, the practicality of using a guide horse and emphatically dismissed what was an individual's choice to equip himself in this way as 'ludicrous'. 'He also concluded that the man in question should be denied this choice ('He's afraid of dogs. Why? Why's he afraid of dogs? Well don't give him - don't give him anything at all then. Just give him a white stick'). 'In our view the potential offence was exacerbated by Steve Allen mocking the idea that the BBC had employed a blind cameraman.' LBC said in its response to Ofcom that the programme is 'centred around (Steve Allen's) unique and acerbic take on the news of the day'. The response added that he 'provides fast-moving opinions on the headlines and rarely dwells on one topic for any significant amount of time' and said his comment on the Mr Patel's story 'had a total duration of less than a minute'. Earlier this year, Steve took an extended leave of absence from his radio show due to illness. He did not front the show from February 17 to March 15. On March 3, following calls from fans to know how the presenter was doing, LBC responded with a tweet which gave fans an update on his health. They said: 'Thank you to everyone who's got in touch to ask about Steve Allen. 'Steve is still feeling unwell and taking a few more days off. He's asked us to thank you for all your kind messages.' Steve responded by tweeting: 'I am truly humbled by the amount of messages of support and promise you all I am doing my very best to be back with you all ASAP, a million thanks from the bottom of my heart.' Steve's exact illness was never disclosed. Hugh Jackman has been rebuilding his relationship with his mother, Grace, in recent years. On Friday, the 53-year-old shared a photo his mum sent him, showing the actor as a baby with his grandmother. 'My Mum sent this photo last week. Grandma Agnes dressing me for my Baptism. It was February 2, 1969. I will treasure it always,' he captioned the image. Love: Hugh Jackman(right) has been rebuilding his relationship with his mother, Grace, (left) in recent years In the gorgeous black and white photo, Hugh is a sweet, giggling tot, held in his nan's arms. Hugh and his mother have been repairing their bond after Hugh's traumatic childhood. The Broadway star was an eight-year-old schoolboy when his mother Grace left him and his family. On Friday, the 53-year-old shared a photo his mum sent him, showing the actor as a baby with his grandmother. 'My Mum sent this photo last week. Grandma Agnes dressing me for my Baptism. It was February 2, 1969. I will treasure it always,' he captioned the image She left Australia and returned to her native England in the late '70s, leaving her husband, Christopher John Jackman, to raise their children alone. After the couple divorced, Hugh's sisters, Zoe and Sonya, went to live with Grace in the UK; Hugh and his brothers, Ian and Ralph, stayed in Sydney with their father. Hugh told 60 Minutes he still vividly remembers the morning his mother left. Past: The Broadway star was an eight-year-old schoolboy when his mother Grace left him and his family He said: 'I remember her being in a towel around her head and saying goodbye. [It] must have been the way she said goodbye. 'As I went off to school, when I came back, there was no one there in the house... 'The next day there was a telegram from England. Mum was there. And then that was it. Dad used to pray every night that mum would come back.' Back together: Fortunately, Hugh and his mother reconciled years later, and are now frequently pictured together at the actor's ritzy events and in social media posts Hugh explained that having children of his own with wife Deborra-Lee Furness - they share son Oscar, 21, and daughter Ava, 16, both adopted - gave him 'another level of empathy and understanding' that allowed him to build bridges with his mother. Fortunately, Hugh and his mother reconciled years later, and are now frequently pictured together at the actor's ritzy events and in social media posts. He told The Sun newspaper in October 2011: 'I am 43 now and we have definitely made our peace, which is important. I was always quite connected with my mum. I have a good relationship with her' he added. Learning: Hugh explained that having children of his own with wife Deborra-Lee Furness - they share son Oscar, 21, and daughter Ava, 16, both adopted - gave him 'another level of empathy and understanding' that allowed him to build bridges with his mother. High is pictured with his wife on children on the day of his son Oscar's graduation In a post shared to Instagram on Father's Day, Hugh revealed his dad Christopher, a British-born, Cambridge-educated accountant, who was believed to have been around 84 years old, had died. Alongside a photo of his father, he wrote: 'In the early hours of Father's Day (AU), my Dad peacefully passed away. 'And whilst there is deep sadness, I am filled with such gratitude and love. My Dad was, in a word, extraordinary. He devoted his life to his family, his work and his faith. I pray he is now at peace with God.' Robert De Niro's estranged wife Grace Hightower will not receive half of the actor's purported wealth, an appeals court has ruled. It was previously revealed that Grace's average monthly spend was $215,000 a month on credit cards and $160,000 in cash. Robert's attorney, Caroline Krauss, has claimed the financial strain means the actor is running out of money. The socialite, 66, argued that The Godfather star's reported net worth of $500 million dollars should be split evenly as they are 'marital assets' according to a prenuptial agreement made in 2004. Bitter: Robert De Niro's estranged wife Grace Hightower will not receive half of the actor's '$500m' wealth... after it emerged her $375k monthly spending caused her ex to 'run out of money' (pictured in 2017) However, her proposals were rejected by the Appellate Division, which upheld a lower court's ruling made in February 2021. The court decision read, 'The husband's income earned during the marriage and other business assets acquired during that time are his separate property.' Despite this, the Nobu co-founder will continue to pay his wife $1 million per year until one of them dies - or she remarries - in alimony. Grace is set to bag millions from the prenup, which will force Robert to to sell their $20 million dollar home in order to release equity of $6 million Wow! Despite this, the Nobu co-founder will continue to pay his wife a whopping $1 million per year until one of them dies - or she remarries - in alimony (pictured in 2017) The socialite, 66, argued that The Godfather star's fortune should be split evenly as they are 'marital assets' according to a prenuptial agreement made in 2004 (pictured in 1998) It will allow the philanthropist to buy a property of her own in which she will live with their two children Elliot, 23, and Helen Grace, nine. The spouses have been locked in a divorce battle since December 2018. Robert and Grace were married in 1997, split in 1999, then got back together, renewed their vows in 2004 before he filed for divorce in 2018. Initially the pair fought over custody of their youngest child but now the arguments are over money and property. Shocking! De Niro's attorney revealed the actor owes millions in unpaid taxes (pictured in 2020) She said the coronavirus pandemic led to a drying up of work projects for the Hollywood star. Months earlier, De Niro earned $5 million for acting in Martin Scorsese's hit gangster flick, The Irishman. He also received 'tens of millions of dollars' through a federal coronavirus relief program. Hightower claims that De Niro is worth $500 million, but his attorney Caroline Krauss says that his estranged wife's extravagant lifestyle is making things worse. In 2019 alone, she reportedly spent $1.67 million (1.2 million), most of it on a $1.2 million (860,000) diamond from a high-end New York jewellers. Rocky: Robert and Grace were married in 1997, split in 1999, then got back together, renewed their vows in 2004 before he filed for divorce in 2018 (pictured in 2014) On top of Grace's rocketing financial demands, De Niro's attorney revealed the actor owes millions in unpaid taxes. She said the income from his next two films will be devoted to paying off this debt, which in 2015 was revealed to be $6.4 million (4.6 million). Naturally, the Hightower camp hasn't taken all this sitting down. Her lawyer, Kevin McDonough, countered that his client was owed payments to 'maintain the status quo' lifestyle she enjoyed with De Niro during their marriage. Before this, he was married to actress Diahnne Abbott, but the pair divorced in 1988. Robert has six children; Drena, 49, Raphael, 44, Helen Grace, Elliot, Julian Henry, 25, and Aaron Kendrick, 25. MailOnline has contacted Robert's representatives for comment. Kate Langbroek wasted no time hitting the town to enjoy Melbourne's Freedom Day. The KIISS FM radio star, 56, and her husband, Peter Allen Lewis, enjoyed an alfresco meal on Friday evening, after lockdown was lifted on Thursday night. The pair looked in their element as they tucked into prawns and Aperol Spritz cocktails on Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. Out and about: Kate Langbroek wasted no time hitting the town to enjoy Melbourne's Freedom Day. The radio star, 56, and her husband, Peter Allen Lewis, enjoyed an alfresco meal on Friday evening, after lockdown was lifted on Thursday night. Both pictured Kate opted for a lilac jacket in faux fur fabric, as well as a floral top in a matching tone. She wore a scarf in pastel pink and yellow, with her hair down around her face, while skipping the makeup. Peter meanwhile looked casually cool in a dark denim shirt and black and white cap. Fun: The pair looked in their element as they tucked into prawns and Aperol Spritz cocktails on Fitzroy Street in St Kilda Nice! The couple chatted happily as they ate and looked delighted when their meal arrived Bright: Kate opted for a lilac jacket in faux fur fabric, as well as a floral top in a matching tone Kate and Peter are no strangers to lockdown, having been trapped in the city of Bologna, Italy, during the height of the pandemic. They arrived back in Australia with their children at the end of 2020, after over a year overseas. Cool: Peter meanwhile looked casually cool in a dark denim shirt and black and white cap Old hats: Kate and Peter are no strangers to lockdown, having been trapped in the town of Bologna, Italy, during the height of the pandemic Kate and her husband of 17 years, Peter, relocated to Bologna with their four children, Lewis, Sunday, Artie and Jan, in January 2019. After returning to Melbourne, they were again plunged into lockdown for a record-breaking 262 days. Victoria officially lifted its stay-at-home orders at 11:59pm on Thursday after the state passed its 70 per cent Covid vaccination target. Long time: Kate and her husband of 17 years, Peter, relocated to Bologna with their four children, Lewis, Sunday, Artie and Jan, in January 2019. All pictured Home: They arrived back in Australia with their children at the end of 2020, after over a year overseas Melbourne bounced back to life on Friday after the longest lockdown on earth, with pubs and restaurants opening their doors for the first time in 77 days. Melbourne's CBD enjoyed a glorious 26C day for its first day out of lockdown, with locals swarming hotspots. Pubs opened at midnight to lines of young drinkers desperate to get out for their first Friday on the town in months. Joanne Clifton has told how she stopped eating and survived on 11 espressos a day after being fat-shamed during her time as a professional dancer. The former Strictly Come Dancing star, 37, made the comments in light of Tilly Ramsay's clap back at radio shock jock Steve Allen after he branded her 'chubby'. Joanne has praised the daughter of Gordon Ramsay, 19, for standing her ground against the host as she revealed she had previously been through the same thing. Relating: Joanne Clifton has told how she stopped eating and survived on 11 espressos a day after being fat-shamed during her time as a professional dancer (pictured 2021) Tilly took to Instagram and urged Steve to be kinder with his words after he commented on her weight and blamed her famous father's cooking. Many stars have backed Tilly's comments and even Steve's colleagues have called for his axe from his LBC radio show - however his position appears safe for now. Following the furore, Joanna drew on her own experience in the spotlight as she commented on the affects of commenting on a person's appearance. Speaking on her bother and former Strictly co-star Kevin Clifton's podcast, Joanne said: 'She's so young. I've been through that and had comments like that. Defence: The former Strictly Come Dancing star, 37, made the comments in light of Tilly Ramsay's clap back at radio shock jock Steve Allen after he branded her 'chubby' 'Being in the dancing world you are always being judged, always. Even physically. But it was disgusting of him to do that. 'That poor girl, she is going out in front of 10 million people in dresses, and she has said herself she's normally in tracksuits. 'She probably doesn't normally wear the short dresses you wear on Strictly. 'She's going to be a heck of aware of herself now. Well, she's probably not because she's a strong woman and I love the fact she stood up to him. 'But for anyone, especially at that age, it can cause all sorts of eating disorders. Brave: Joanne has praised the daughter of Gordon Ramsay, 19, for standing her ground against the host as she revealed she had previously been through the same thing 'I was 26 when I was getting comments saying I was chubby and that.' Opening up about how she dealt with the pressure, Joanne continued: 'I stopped eating. I was living on 11 espressos a day. 'It caused me heart palpitations, I had to be in hospital, I was fainting, I had to be put on drips. 'My own mother didn't even recognise me. I'm anaemic now, it's caused all sorts of health problems.' 'I'm so glad Tilly is such a strong woman that she's stood up for herself, and called him out on it,' she concluded. 'She didn't just let it go. I'm so happy that she's done that, and everybody has been made aware. 'I don't know if the guy will receive any consequences from it. I hope he does. 'I hope everybody learns from this lesson, even on social media in general, to not make comments that are going to hurt people and cause knock-on effects and lead to health problems and who knows what. Good on you, Tilly.' It comes as LBC bosses stood by their presenter Steve Allen after he described the teenager as a 'chubby little thing' live on air. Steve has faced huge pressure to quit after saying he was bored with the CBBC host and criticised her weight. He told listeners on Wednesday: 'She can't bloody well dance. I'm bored with her already. She's a chubby little thing isn't she, have you noticed?' Referring to Gordon Ramsay, he added: 'Probably her dad's cooking I should imagine.' Tilly Ramsay has been paired with Nikita Kuzmin on this year's Strictly Come Dancing MailOnline understands that LBC is resisting calls to sack Allen and he is expected to present his early morning show from 4am until 7am next Monday as normal. And an insider told MailOnline that there are some within LBC who want him to stay, while others are behind calls for Allen to quit because they see him as a 'dinosaur'. The insider added that Steve 'gets on well' with LBC hosts Eddie Mair and Nick Ferrari and was 'well thought of in the industry' by breakfast presenters on other stations. Steve Allen (left), 67, has faced huge pressure to quit after saying he was bored with 19-year-old Tilly Ramsay (right), daughter of chef Gordon Ramsay, and criticised her weight Neither LBC nor Ofcom have confirmed whether any complaints have been made, with an Ofcom spokesman telling MailOnline: 'We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.' It comes after another source told The Sun: 'Steve's outdated and archaic comments have been allowed to continue for far too long and plenty of people want him out. Many controversies of LBC host Steve Allen The ongoing row between Steve Allen and Tilly Ramsay is the latest spat the LBC host has been involved in. A scan of his Twitter shows a bizarre feud with reality TV star Gemma Collins, whose weight he frequently criticised and who he described as 'a beach hut'. He made similar comments about TV personality Sally Jacks, who he said was 'fat like you can't believe'. Ms Jacks replied to the tweet to reveal she was struggling to shed baby weight. Back in 2018, he was rapped by Ofcom after he mocked a blind journalist who became the first person in the UK to use a miniature guide horse. Mohammed Salim Patel from Blackburn, Lancashire, was using two-year-old American miniature horse Digby because of his fear of dogs - until the horse grew too big. In a broadcast on October 1, Allen said he'd 'never heard of anything so stupid' while discussing a story on Digby. He also said on air: 'Well if he's blind, tell him it's a rabbit or something. I've never heard of anything so stupid. 'This is the blind man scared of dogs hoping that a horse will guide him on his commute. Where are you going to take that for goodness sake?' In December, communications regulator Ofcom upheld a complaint that the comments had been offensive. In 2015, LBC was given a warning from Ofcom after Allen made comments about 'beating up' London Tube workers. Allen said: 'I think we should go round and start beating up tube people, the people that bring them all out on strike.' In 2017, Ofcom also received complaints after Allen said: 'Why do we have to start being nice to travellers? Every time I read a story in the newspaper its either thieving, robbing or brawling what is the matter with them?' And in the same year, Ofcom found him in breach of the code for making discriminatory comments about people from Portugal. Advertisement 'There's free speech and then there is calling a teenage girl fat live on the radio. Plenty of people think it's time he was given his marching orders because this isn't the first time he's made unacceptable comments on air and hasn't been reprimanded. 'He should issue an apology at the least - but people want him gone. He's bringing the reputation of the station down.' Tilly said she will not tolerate those who criticise her weight. 'I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity, however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far,' she wrote on Instagram. 'It's such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative. This isn't the first and definitely won't be the last comment made about my appearance... but please remember that words can hurt.' Tilly, who is paired with Nikita Kuzmin, said she knows there are 'repercussions' from being in the public eye, adding: 'However I won't tolerate people that think it's okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone's weight and appearance.' Talking about who may want Steve out, a veteran radio industry insider told MailOnline today it would be those at LBC who are 'slightly more progressive, and they may regard Steve as a dinosaur'. He added that Mair and Ferrari both 'get on very well' with Allen, and that it was unlikely either of them would want him out. The insider continued: 'I think that there's always been this suggestion that because he's been there 20 years that he's a bit of a dinosaur and he's had his day and there's been a number of Ofcom complaints about him. 'But there was dissatisfaction with Nigel Farage when he was on LBC and that was from the James O'Brien stable. But I'm not sure if this falls into the same category. 'I'm not particularly a fan but I know he has a massive following and if he were to disappear from the airwaves I think there'd be quite an outcry.' He added that there was a possibility Allen could retire soon, saying: 'That might probably be the outcome and I was thinking this morning maybe there's a conversation going on saying 'Steve, you're in your 60s, perhaps it's time to go and hit the beach' - maybe that conversation is taking place.' The insider continued: 'I think it's quite strange that there hasn't been an apology, because it seems to me that Steve is saying why should I apologise? 'I think everyone's tolerated him, but I think the moment something like this happens people draw up battle lines. 'A lot of breakfast show presenters listen to Steve Allen on their way to work because they think he's a good presenter, he's well thought of in the industry.' He added that there were no guarantees that Ofcom would find against Allen, saying he did not think the 'she's a chubby little thing' would break any broadcasting rules. Got her back: Strictly stars have supported Tilly after the comments made by Steve (above) He said: 'They have to balance freedom of expression with causing offensive, and I'm not sure that 'chubby' is one of the prohibited words. And even if it is, within a broadcasting code there is 2.1 which is called 'generally accepted standards'. 'It's their catch all, so if there's a lot of complaints they will judge it by that standard - so I'm not sure this would be upheld by Ofcom. People are allowed to offend other people, it's not against the broadcasting code.' Strictly stars have supported Tilly on social media. Janette Manrara called her a 'powerful young lady' while Dianne Buswell said she was 'so brave to speak up'. An industry insider added that Allen 'gets on well' with LBC hosts Eddie Mair (left) and Nick Ferrari (right) and is 'well thought of in the industry' by breakfast presenters on other stations Giovanna Fletcher, whose husband Tom Fletcher is paired with Amy Dowden on the current series, branded Allen 'irrelevant'. Giovanni Pernice called his comments 'nasty' while John Whaite, who is in the show's first same-sex couple with Johannes Radebe, wrote: 'He's a piece of old sandpaper love, worn and used and has nothing to offer the world. 'And his vicious scratching has only left you polished and more fabulous. Love you.' Former Love Island star Dr Alex George, a passionate advocator for mental health who lost his younger brother to suicide, encouraged his two million followers to email LBC if they are 'unhappy' about Allen's 'absolutely disgraceful' comments. Sir Michael Caine looked dapper as he stepped out with wife Shakira to Scott's restaurant in London's Mayfair in Thursday night. The actor, 88, was spotted wearing a navy suit and crisp blue shirt which he wore unbuttoned at the collar as he left the eatery with friends. Shakira, 74, cut an elegant figure in a black jacket and matching trousers while she carried a bag bedazzled with crystals which shimmered under the nearby lights. Happy couple: Sir Michael Caine, 88, looked dapper in a navy suit as he stepped out with wife Shakira, 74, to Scott's restaurant in London's Mayfair in Thursday night Sir Michael was helped to a taxi by a member of staff and the couple were in good spirits as they posed with friends outside the establishment before making their way home. He and Shakira tied the knot in Las Vegas in 1973 and the couple have one daughter together, Natasha, 48, while the Alfie star has another daughter Dominique, 65, from his previous marriage with actress Patricia Haines. The star has been using a walking stick since he suffered from an unfortunate ankle injury when he slipped on some ice in February 2018. Out for the night: Sir Michael was helped to a taxi by a member of staff after using a walking stick since he suffered from an ankle injury when he slipped on some ice in February 2018 In style: Shakira cut an elegant figure in a black jacket and matching trousers while she carried a bedazzled bag as they posed with pals outside the eatery The veteran actor recently spoke out to confirm he is not stepping away from the Hollywood mainstream after prompting retirement rumours during a recent interview. Sir Michael was appearing on BBC Radio 5 to promote his latest movie Best Sellers when he bemoaned the lack of opportunities for older actors. He referred to the film as 'my last part, really,' noting that he has limited mobility and adding: 'There's not exactly scripts pouring in for a leading man that's 88, you know?' Still got it: The veteran actor recently spoke out to confirm he is not stepping away from the Hollywood mainstream after prompting retirement rumours during a recent interview However, he clarified earlier this month that he will not be walking away from the acting world in a tongue-in-cheek Twitter post. Using his iconic catchphrase, the British star wrote: 'I'm not retiring, and not a lot of people know that!' During his recent interview Sir Michael, who began acting in 1953 when he took a job at a repertory company in West Sussex, said that 'I haven't worked for two years and I have a spine problem which affects my legs so I can't walk very well.' star: Sir Michael was appearing on BBC Radio 5 to promote his latest movie Best Sellers when he bemoaned the lack of opportunities for older actors Further he pointed to the memoirs he has been publishing over the past several years - The Elephant In Hollywood in 2010 and Blowing The Bloody Doors Off in 2018. 'And I also wrote a book, a couple of books which were published and were successful so I'm now not an actor - I'm a writer,' he said. Appearing on Kermode And Mayo's Film Review he told the hosts his literary lifestyle was 'lovely because as an actor you have to get up half past six in the morning and go to the studio. As a writer you can start writing without leaving the bed.' Sir Michael shared that 'I think' that Best Sellers 'would be' his last film as 'there haven't been any offers obviously for two years because nobody's been making any movies I'd wanna do. But also I'm 88. There's not exactly scripts pouring out with a leading man who's 88, you know?' Kate Beckinsale has responded to the media frenzy over her impressively high IQ of 152, which she admits has been a hindrance to her happiness, career and dating life. The 48-year-old star, who studied Modern Languages at Oxford before pursuing her acting career, revealed to Howard Stern on Tuesday that her intelligence ranks among the 'genius' levels. On Friday morning, she broke her silence over a handful of harsh articles nitpicking her interview with the controversial radio show host. Speaking out: Kate Beckinsale has responded to the media frenzy over her impressively high IQ of 152, which she admits has been a hindrance to her happiness, career and dating life; pictured in 2020 'I was asked multiple times in a recent interview if knew my IQ,' the English actress began in a lengthy statement. She continued: 'I didn't answer the question the first few times, but I did tell the truth that my mum had had me tested when I was young, and that it was high. I didn't remember the number, and after being pressed several times to call my mother and ask her, I did.' At this point, she found herself in a dilemma to 'tell the truth,' lie, 'refuse to answer the question,' or 'pretend it was lower.' Smart: Oxford: The 48-year-old actress, who studied Modern Languages at Oxford before pursuing her acting career, revealed on Howard Stern that she had her IQ tested at an early age, and it was quite high 'I told the truth and some journalists have been triggered by this,' the mom-of-one went on. 'Are we really jumping on women for answering a question truthfully about their intelligence or education?' Beckinsale asked: 'Are we really still requiring women to dumb themselves down in order not to offend?' 'I went to an all girls school where I never had to worry about raising my hand making me possibly unfeminine-and I went to a university in which intellectual debate was not only encouraged, but the entire point of attending,' she added. Upset: On Friday morning, she broke her silence over a handful of harsh articles nitpicking her interview with the controversial radio show host Honest: Beckinsale asked: 'Are we really still requiring women to dumb themselves down in order not to offend?' The performer noted while she is aware of how lucky she for those opportunities, when she referred to her IQ as a 'handicap in Hollywood it's PRECISELY because being female AND having an opinion often has to be quite carefully packaged so as not to be offensive.' Beckinsale also claimed her latest comments were 'deliberately twisted into signifying ones perceived superiority or arrogance.' The performer noted while she is aware of how lucky she for those opportunities, when she referred to her IQ as a 'handicap in Hollywood it's PRECISELY because being female AND having an opinion often has to be quite carefully packaged so as not to be offensive' Howard: Stern brought up that the actress speaks fluent Russian and studied at Oxford, and asked if she ever had an IQ test 'It's abundantly clear that this is still the case, and these journalists who spun this into me 'bragging' is a part of the exact reason I say it was and is a handicap,' she pointed out. While saying she doesn't usually comment on 'bulls**t' it's important to her that no other women 'should feel they need to lie or dumb down under ANY circumstances so as not to be a target.' 'Facts: Ive done some good movies and some s*** movies. Ive made some good and bad choices in my personal life,' the Underworld star concluded. 'My IQ is 152 and if that triggers you ...thats your problem.' Burned: She added, though, 'they tested me when I was young, so I mean I'm sure I've burned a few brain cells by now' Stern asked if she ever had an IQ test after mentioning to listeners that the beauty speaks fluent Russian and studied at Oxford. 'I did. I'll have to ask my mum. It was very high. I think she had me tested because very bright children are nearly unbearable,' Beckinsale said. When Stern asked if she was in the 'genius' category, which MedicineNet states is over 140, Beckinsale said, 'I think it was quite high, yeah. I'll have to text her.' 152 IQ: When her mother wasn't answering her texts, Beckinsale gave her a call and asked if she remembered the number, and she revealed it was 152 She added, though, 'they tested me when I was young, so I mean I'm sure I've burned a few brain cells by now.' When her mother wasn't answering her texts, Beckinsale gave her a call and asked if she remembered the number, and she revealed it was 152. Though, when Stern said he wish he had a 152, Beckinsale said that probably isn't the case, because every extremely smart person she's met wished they weren't as smart. Happier: 'Every single doctor, every single person I've ever come across has said, 'You'd be so much happier if you were 30 percent less smart,'' Beckinsale said 'Every single doctor, every single person I've ever come across has said, 'You'd be so much happier if you were 30 percent less smart,'' Beckinsale said. 'It's no good to me, though. It's really not helpful to me in my career. I just think it might have been a handicap actually,' Beckinsale added, though she wouldn't get into specifics. Stern then asked how she must think all men are 'idiots' when she's dating, but she said, 'Don't you think most women say that?' Idiots: Stern then asked how she must think all men are 'idiots' when she's dating, but she said, 'Don't you think most women say that?' Funny: She said she has heard so many women ask, 'Why are men such idiots,' but as far as her dating life goes, she looks for humor She said she has heard so many women ask, 'Why are men such idiots,' but as far as her dating life goes, she looks for humor. 'I've found I can forgive an awful lot if someone is funny. There's a certain intelligence in someone being funny that I'm able to mess with,' she said. Beckinsale is coming off Amazon's Jolt and her new series Guilty Party debuted last week on the Paramount Plus streaming service. Steve Coogan continued shooting new BBC drama The Reckoning on Thursday, in which he portrays notorious DJ Jimmy Savile. The Alan Partridge actor, 56, was seen jogging in a Manchester park wearing a Seventies-inspired tracksuit, heavy gold rings and a shock of dark hair, as he was styled into a young version of the disgraced star, who died in 2011. The scenes Steve was shooting for the show, which is due to air next year, date as far back as the 1950s, when Savile had dark hair and not the wiry, peroxide blond bob for which he became known later in life and prior to his fall from grace. Steve ran alongside Robert Emms, 35, who is portraying Savile's chauffeur Ray Teret, who was convicted of rape and indecent assault in 2014 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He died in prison in May 2021 at the age of 79. Changes: Steve Coogan continued shooting new BBC drama The Reckoning on Thursday, in which he portrays notorious DJ Jimmy Savile Steve was looking strained as he ran alongside a canal while sporting the burgundy tracksuit with white piping, which is near-identical to many of Savile's ensembles. He had chest hair visible from beneath his track top while his fingers were stacked with gold rings and his hair was styled into a dark brown do. In character as Teret, Robert meanwhile wore a light blue crew-neck top with dark blue trousers as he ran alongside his co-star in the park. It was confirmed last month that the BBC has commissioned the show, which will trace Savile's upbringing, career and prolific child sex offences, however many insisted the dramatisation comes 'too soon' after his offences were unveiled. Different look: The Alan Partridge actor, 56, was seen jogging in a Manchester park wearing a Seventies-inspired tracksuit, heavy gold rings and a shock of dark hair, as he was styled into a young version of the disgraced star, who died in 2011 Changing look: The scenes Steve was shooting for the show, which is due to air next year, date as far back as the 1950s, when Savile had dark hair Disgusting: Steve ran alongside Robert Emms, 35, who is portraying Savile's chauffeur Ray Teret. Teret was convicted of rape and indecent assault in 2014 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He died in prison in May 2021 at the age of 79 On track: Steve was looking strained as he ran alongside a canal while sporting the burgundy tracksuit with white piping, which is near-identical to many of Savile's ensembles On the run: He had chest hair visible from beneath his track top while his fingers were stacked with gold rings and his hair was styled into a dark brown do Earlier this month, BBC drama boss Piers Wenger defended The Reckoning when he spoke during a press conference, in which he sought to quell concerns that the series had been commissioned too soon after Savile's crimes came to light. Wenger said: 'It's a decade since Jimmy Savile died [and] it will be a decade next year since his behaviours first came into the public eye. Our primary intention with the drama is to give voice to the victims.' He continued: '[We want to tell] their stories sensitively and with the utmost respect. There are still many important questions that need to be answered about Savile, so I think it's incredibly important that the BBC tell that story.' Changes: He was not seen with the wiry, peroxide blond bob for which he became known later in life and prior to his fall from grace Shoot: The group was focused on the duo as they ran along a canal Speeding: The two men wore similar sporting ensembles Wenger was also asked how a dramatized show such as The Reckoning would be able to add anything yet to be addressed by the factual documentaries that have been made about Savile. He replied: 'The documentaries that have been on show you the heinous and nature of his crimes, but I've yet to see one that really answers the question, ''How did this happen?''' He added that The Reckoning has been 'extensively researched' and that 'many of the survivors' are involved in the drama's making. Scenes: Steve has spoken out at length about his decision to play the DJ Capture: Cast and crew trod ahead of the duo to capture the scene Speeding ahead: Steve looked strained as he filmed the tough scenes Earlier: Steve is depicting a younger Savile with darker hair (Savile pictured in 1976) The decision to chronicle Savile's life has come under fire from many and this is not the first time the BBC has emphasized they worked with his victims and will portray the story 'with sensitivity and respect'. Steve, who famously portrays fictional comedic character Alan Partridge, previously explained in a statement the decision to play Savile was not one 'I took lightly'. He added: 'Neil McKay has written an intelligent script tackling sensitively a horrific story which, however harrowing, needs to be told.' Savile, who rose from a humble working-class upbringing to become one of British television's biggest stars, passed away aged 84 in 2011. Lead role: Steve, who famously portrays fictional comedic character Alan Partridge, previously explained in a statement the decision to play Savile was not one 'I took lightly' New look: Savile became synonymous with his distinctive style of jewellery and tracksuits On set: Steve was pictured wearing a jester outfit earlier this month as he filmed scenes in character as Savile In his final years, he fought to quell growing speculation about his illegal exploits throughout his illustrious career with the BBC - with victim testimony expected to be brought to life in the new drama. A BBC-led inquiry into his actions found he had molested at least 72 children, some as young as eight, over a four decade campaign of sexual abuse with his first victim in 1959 and his last in 2006. His horrific reign of abuse could be charted 'in the corridors, canteens, staircases and dressing rooms of every BBC premises', their 2016 report found. A release date has yet to be announced with filming for the series expected to continue taking place in Manchester over the coming months. Shocking: Savile, who rose from a humble working-class upbringing to become one of British television's biggest stars, passed away aged 84 in 2011 Shoot: In his final years, he fought to quell growing speculation about his illegal exploits throughout his illustrious career with the BBC - with victim testimony expected to be brought to life in the new drama Speeding: The duo looked strained as they ran while dressed as the disgraced duo The Only Way Is Essex stars Chloe Sims and Pete Wicks ended their tumultuous two-year entanglement for good in December last year. And the pair looked very close as they descended on Lympne Castle in Folkstone on Thursday to film the show's Halloween Special. Showing off her sensational figure in a leather look corset and trousers, adorned with feathers, Chloe, 39, warmly embraced Pete, 32, as the cameras flashed. Something to tell us? TOWIE's Chloe Sims, 39, and former flame Pete Wicks, 32, looked VERY cosy as the cast filmed a Halloween Special in Folkstone on Thursday (pictured) Chloe boosted her height with black stiletto heels, and slicked her brunette locks back into a tight bun, drawing attention to her striking facial features. She completed her Halloween look with goth-inspired makeup including kohl-lined eyes and a dark plum lipstick, as well as a zombie lens in one eye. Meanwhile Pete appeared to have gone without a costume, opting for a casual head-to-toe black outfit, comprising of a crisp button-up shirt, skinny jeans and boots. Close: The pair shared what looked to be friendly banter and happily posed for photos, with Pete wrapping an arm around Chloe's waist Rumour mill: Last month, the pair sparked reconciliation rumours when they departed the National Television Awards together in London The pair shared what looked to be friendly banter and happily posed for photos, with Pete wrapping an arm around Chloe's waist. MailOnline has reached out to Chloe and Pete's representatives as to the status of their relationship. Last month, the pair sparked reconciliation rumours when they departed the National Television Awards together in London. Sighting: They left the star-studded bash arm in arm with Chloe looking incredible in a figure-hugging white dress They left the star-studded bash arm in arm with Chloe looking incredible in a figure-hugging white dress. However in an interview with The Sun following the red carpet event, Pete revealed they are just 'friends'. 'Things are all good. We have known each other so long and we have been through so much so it is nice that we are back to having fun and being pals,' he said. Reflecting on their breakup, Pete added: 'What happened was in the past. We are both over the situation. The foundation of me and Chloe is that we were such good friends.' Incredible: In the Halloween spirit: Chloe looked sensational as she slipped her trim figure into a leather look corset and trousers with feather adornment Finishing off the look: She boosted her height with black stiletto heels, and slicked her brunette tresses into a tight bun. Her makeup was goth-inspired, consisting of kohl-lined eyes and a dark plum lipstick In an episode of TOWIE that aired in May, Chloe and Pete become embroiled in a heated argument as they addressed the end of their two-year relationship. Chloe declared Pete made her feel 'like sh**' as she exposed him for playing down the intensity of their former romance. 'Do you know what?' Chloe nervously laughed as she faced Pete at the 30th birthday party of James 'Diags' Bennewith during the final episode of the series. 'I knew this moment would come but now I feel a bit nervous.' Sister act: Chloe is pictured with sister Demi Sims, 25, who donned a thigh-skimming black leather look dress and studded black strappy heels Pete responded: 'Chlo', you've known me for enough time to know never to be nervous around me. You know that.' The unconvinced star replied: 'I know, but you speak so coldly about me, I hear things. When you bump into people you're quite cut and sharp.' 'I'm cold, really?' a defensive Pete answered, to which Chloe added: 'Yeah, because what you do is when you talk about us, when you talk about what we had, you make out that it was all terrible, that we didn't have any good times.' The usually cool, calm and collected hunk appeared irritated by the comment as he insisted: 'You tell everyone it was terrible.' Clash: In an episode of TOWIE that aired in May, Chloe and Pete become embroiled in a heated argument as they addressed the end of their two-year relationship 'No I don't!' Chloe fired back. 'I've never said anything was terrible, I was really happy in a lot of times with you. 'But you've never ever once, actually validated what we had,' she said before Peter interrupted: 'That's utter b******s'. She retorted: 'You made out that we just had sex a few times, you made me feel like s**t!' Molly-Mae Hague was dripping in 180,000-worth of designer jewellery as she headed to her Christmas product launch party on Thursday night. The former Love Island star, 22, who has been known to showcase her glitzy gems on social media, wore some of her most expensive jewels to her bash at at One Marylebone in London this week. Reality star Molly-Mae, who is dating fellow Love Island star Tommy Fury, 22, wore a whopping 58,000 in jewellery on one single wrist, including a 40,000 white gold, 1.99 carat diamond Cartier band. Wow: Molly-Mae Hague was dripping in 180,000-worth of designer jewellery on Thursday night (pictured top left 37,400 Cartier bangle and 3,800 bracelet, bottom 30,000 rings) On the other wrist, she wore a 37,400 Cartier 18k gold 1.99 carat bangle with a rose gold Patek Phillipe watch bedazzled with an impressive 56 diamonds. The influencer was seen with two Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra necklaces around her neck as she posed-up at the event. The glistening chains matched the 3,800 bracelet partner Tommy gifted her earlier this year. Splash the cash: The Love Island star wore a whopping 58,000 in jewellery on one single wrist, including a 40,000 white gold, 1.99 carat diamond Cartier band Shining star: Molly has made no secret of her liking for expensive jewellery, sharing pictures of her possessions on Instagram in the past Vision in white: On the other wrist, she wore a 37,400 Cartier 18k gold 1.99 carat bangle with a rose gold Patek Phillipe watch bedazzled with an impressive 56 diamonds Show-stopping: The influencer was seen with two Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra necklaces around her neck as she posed-up at the event Her hands were decorated with 30,000 in sparking rings for the the Beauty Works x Molly-Mae event. The television personality looked sensational as she arrived at the launch in a white bandeau and trouser co-ord. Posing for gorgeous snaps at the landmark former church, the reality star showed off her bronzed tan with a glamorous make-up look. On all accounts, Molly-Mae exhibited colour-coordination, sporting chic white shoes underneath the flared trouser legs and flaunting blue hues with her dainty neckwear and stylish clutch. Hand-in-hand: Her hands were decorated with 30,000 in sparking rings for the the Beauty Works x Molly-Mae event, as she walked with boyfriend Tommy Fury, 22, at the bash Her signature blonde locks were swept back into a ponytail and she kept a loosely curled strand around her face. Molly-Mae was accompanied by her proud beau Tommy Fury, who held her hand as they arrived. The professional boxer, 22, kept things seemingly laid-back for the evening, wearing black joggers, a bomber jacket and trainers. Earlier on, he captured an image of his dinner and wrote on his Instagram story: 'On the way down to London to see my girl @mollymae Just thought I'd say how much better train food is getting!' Stunning: The television personality looked sensational as she arrived at the launch in a white bandeau and trouser co-ord The couple have been together since coming out of the Love Island villa in 2019 and their romance has gone from strength to strength since. Speaking on the Behind Closed Doors podcast with PrettyLittleThing this month, Molly told how she is now ready for the next step with her handsome beau. 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.' Leonardo DiCaprio was spotted enjoying a smoke break outdoors during his Hawaiian holiday this week. The 46-year-old movie star and his 24-year-old girlfriend Camila Morrone were stepping out for some coconut beverages. For his latest outing the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood heartthrob draped his burly torso in a simple white t-shirt. On the go: Leonardo DiCaprio, 46, and his 24-year-old girlfriend Camila Morrone were spotted holidaying together in Hawaii this week Having fun: The movie star was seen enjoying a smoke break outdoors during his Hawaiian holiday this week Showing off his slender legs in a pair of shorts, he slung a pair of shades from his neckline and accessorized with a Dodgers cap. Meanwhile Camila cut a casual figure in a white t-shirt that was perfectly fitted to emphasize her enviably svelte frame. The sizzling sensation, who was first linked to Leo near the end of 2017, rounded off the look with a comfy-looking pair of sweats. Leo was said to have spent the coronavirus lockdowns self-isolating with Camila, who is the latest in a long line of his famously much younger girlfriends. Meanwhile: Camila cut a casual figure in a white t-shirt that was perfectly fitted to emphasize her enviably svelte frame His Once Upon A Time In Hollywood co-star Al Pacino spent years romantically involved with Camila's mother, the Argentine actress Lucila Sola. Lucila shares Camila with former supermodel Maximo Morrone whom she was married to from 1997 until their divorce in 2006. Leo's upcoming film releases include the comedy Don't Look Up from Adam McKay, director of Vice and The Big Short. Jennifer Lawrence and Leo play scientists who discover a comet is about to destroy the world only for their warnings to fall on deaf ears in the government. Mover and shaker: For his latest outing the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood heartthrob draped his burly torso in a simple white t-shirt As a result they decide the only way to forestall the apocalypse is to set off on a media blitz and get their information directly to the public. He will also be featuring in a cast that includes Robert De Niro in the upcoming Martin Scorsese film Killers Of The Flower Moon Camila herself starred in the 2019 film Mickey And The Bear and that year told the Los Angeles Times she hoped her career would draw focus away from her love life. Checking his phone: Showing off his slender legs in a pair of shorts, he slung a pair of shades from his neckline and accessorized with a Dodgers cap She does not object to the widespread interest in her romance with Leo, as, she said: 'I probably would be curious about it too.' Camila, who calls Al her stepfather, said: 'I think more and more now that people are seeing the film, Im slowly getting an identity outside of that.' She added: 'Which is frustrating, because I feel like there should always be an identity besides who youre dating.... I understand the association, but Im confident that will continue to slip away and be less of a conversation.' Kim Kardashian penned a sweet thank you message to her loved ones and more than 259 million Instagram followers as she rang in her 41st year of life on Thursday. In addition to expressing gratitude for the sea of 'birthday love' over the past 24 hours, the reality star shared three images of herself rocking an oversized fluffy jacket. Under her glittery coat, she wore a chic blouse, skintight leggings and a towering pair of heels as she strutted down a dimly lit street in a pair of black sunglasses. Grateful: Kim Kardashian penned a sweet thank you message to her loved ones and more than 259 million Instagram followers as she rang in her 41st year of life on Thursday In her first image, her shades were low enough on the bridge of her nose that fans could see her expressive brown eyes looking off into the distance. After heading inside, she posed for another image of herself leaning on a wall with her hands on her hips as she pouted. Within a few hours, she received more than two million likes and tens of thousands of comments, including one from her younger sister Khloe and bestie Foodgod. Bliss: In addition to expressing gratitude for all the sea of 'birthday love' over the past 24 hours, the reality star shared three images of herself rocking an oversized fluffy jacket Cool girl: Under her glittery coat, she wore a chic blouse, skintight leggings and a towering pair of heels as she strutted down a dimly lit street in a pair of black sunglasses 'There she is,' gushed the Good American founder, 37, while the 47-year-old TV personality (born Jonathan Cheban] wrote: 'The hits keep comin [fire emoji]!!' The reality star celebrated turning 41 by posting a video of her oldest children North, eight, and Saint, five, dancing to a hilarious sketch from her stint hosting Saturday Night Live earlier this month. Kim said on her Instagram Story: 'This is what they're making me watch', before panning her phone around to show her massive projector screen. 'Lit' party: Kim Kardashian had a dance party at home for her 41st birthday with her children North, eight, and Saint, five, bopping along to one of her recent Saturday Night Live sketches The room was dimmed, and North and Saint were seen running around the living area while Kim's sketch Grown-A** Women In The Club from her recent hosting stint on SNL played on screen. The pre-taped music videostyle sketch showed the KUWTK star showing off her rap abilities as she joked about wanting to party all night but ended up falling asleep in a nightclub multiple times throughout the evening. She was joined by SNL cast members Ego Nwodim, Cecily Strong and Punkie Johnson as they rapped along with her about not being able to party in stilettos and being too old to stay out at the club. Too old for this: The kids were dancing to her Grown-A** Women In The Club sketch, in which she rapped about an evening at a nightclub in which she kept falling asleep Movie night: The kids were in the dimmed living room in front of a massive projector screen showing their mother's SNL sketch Energetic: Saint, who had on a red T-shirt and white shorts, initially stole the show as he jumped onto the back of the sofa then turned around to dance and run around the room 'The party the kids are throwing me is lit,' Kim joked in her caption while filming. Saint, who had on a red T-shirt and white shorts, initially stole the show as he jumped onto the back of the sofa then turned around to dance and run around the room. North had already proved she was a capable dancer at her father Kanye West's Sunday Service shows, and she continued the trend when she showed off her moves for her mother. She seemed to have made up a dance that matched perfectly with the sketch once Kim took the spotlight. The shapewear mogul's verse was abruptly interrupted with the sound of her snoring and leaning on another clubgoer's shoulder, and North playfully closed her eyes and rested her head on her hands to mimic her mother's sleeping face. Dancing up a storm: North had already proved she was a capable dancer at her father Kanye West's Sunday Service shows, and she continued the trend when she showed off her moves for her mother Nailed it: Once Kim fell asleep on a man's shoulders in the video, North mimed her own snores Back in time: Kim's mother Kris Jenner and her sisters have been sharing throwback photos of her on social media throughout the day to mark her birthday Kim's mother Kris Jenner and her sisters have shared throwback photos of her on social media throughout the day to mark her birthday. Before the children's dance party, Kim revealed some of the gorgeous flowers her family and friends sent her. Opulent floral displays are a regular birthday tradition for the KardashianJenner sisters. Among the elegantly arranged displays was a legal-themed bouquet in the shape of a judge's gavel that was sent by fashion designer Alexander Wang. The flowers referenced Kim's desire to become a lawyer, though she's failed multiple times to pass the mandatory 'baby bar' exam that's needed to continue her studies. Another striking set of flowers was arranged to spell out Kim's name in gorgeous white roses. Birthday gifts: Before the children's dance party, Kim revealed some of the gorgeous flowers her family and friends sent her Tradition: Opulent floral displays are a regular birthday tradition for the KardashianJenner sisters Lawyer in training: Among the elegantly arranged displays was a legal-themed bouquet in the shape of a judge's gavel that was sent by fashion designer Alexander Wang A week before a tragic on-set shooting accident involving Alec Baldwin would claim the life of one crew member and injure another, his co-star Jensen Ackles discussed his weapons training for the film, Rust, while at a fan convention. The 43-year-old was at a Denver event for Supernatural, his former long-running CW show, when he told the crowd about a big 'shootout' he had the next morning for his upcoming film. A day prior, Rust star Alec Baldwin accidentally killed Halyna Hutchins, a 42-year-old married mother-of-two and the Director of Photography on his new movie on a ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and injured the director in a gun mishap. Tragic irony: A week before a tragic on-set shooting accident involving Alec Baldwin would claim the life of one crew member and injure another, his co-star Jensen Ackles discussed his weapons training for the film, Rust, while at a fan convention Ackles, who frequently used a gun playing Dean Winchester for 15 seasons on Supernatural, regaled a crowd of fans with an anecdote about his brief gun training for Rust a week before Baldwin's tragic gun accident. 'I've got a 6 AM call tomorrow to have a big shootout,' Ackles was heard saying in a video captured by a fan. 'They had me pick my gun, they were like, "Alright, what gun would you like?" and I was like, "I don't know?" and the armorer was like, "Do you have gun experience?"' 'I was like, "A little." And she's like, "Okay, well, this is how you load it, this is how we check it and make sure it's safe."' The crowd, as well as Jensen's Supernatural co-star Jared Padalecki, burst out laughing since the actor had so much on-camera experience shooting. He continued with the story, telling the group that the armorer told him to fire off some blank rounds over in a field. 'So she's like, 'I'll just put some blanks in there and just fire a couple of rounds towards the hill.' 'I've got a 6 AM call tomorrow to have a big shootout,' Ackles was heard saying in a video captured by a fan. 'They had me pick my gun, they were like, "Alright, what gun would you like?" and I was like, "I don't know?" and the armorer was like, "Do you have gun experience?"' 'I walk out and she's like, 'Just make sure you pull the hammer all the way back and aim at your target'. Demonstrating how he did it in training, Jensen said he whipped the gun out of his holster and expertly fired the weapon, leading the armorer to jokingly call him 'an a**hole' for pretending like he was inexperienced. During the appearance, Jensen didn't mention the name of the film but said he was thrilled to be doing a Western. He revealed that before landing the role, his manger had him on a Zoom call with the director and Alec Baldwin. That same director, Joel Souza, was injured in the shooting accident that claimed the life of the director of photography on Thursday. A distraught Baldwin said on Friday there are 'no words to convey his shock and sadness' after accidentally shooting and killing the female cinematographer on the set of his new movie Rust, and that he was cooperating fully with the police investigation into what happened. He is believed to have fired a single round from a prop gun that somehow struck both Hutchins and the movie's director. Witnesses cited by Showbiz 411 said the single bullet struck Hutchins in the body, and pierced Souza's clavicle. Hutchins was airlifted to the hospital but was pronounced dead. Souza was taken to the hospital by ambulance but was released on Thursday evening. Behind the scenes: Demonstrating how he did it in training, Jensen said he whipped the gun out of his holster and expertly fired the weapon, leading the armorer to jokingly call him 'an a**hole' for pretending like he was inexperienced Baldwin, 63, was taken to the sheriff's department to be questioned. He was released without charge after giving a tearful interview. Afterwards, he was photographed doubled over in shock and grief as he spoke on the phone. In two tweets on Friday, Baldwin said described the shooting as a 'tragic accident. 'There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna,' he said. Hutchins' grieving husband Matthew told DailyMail.com on Friday morning that he had spoken with the actor. 'I have spoken with Alec Baldwin and he is being very supportive,' he said. It remains unconfirmed if it was a live round or a blank that was fired; a prop masters' union described it on Friday morning as a 'live round' and Baldwin was heard asking people around him why he'd been handed a 'hot gun'. Tragic: A distraught Baldwin said on Friday there are 'no words to convey his shock and sadness' after accidentally shooting and killing the female cinematographer on the set of his new movie Rust, and that he was cooperating fully with the police investigation into what happened (Baldwin pictured in tears after being questioned by police) 'In all my years, I've never been handed a hot gun,' he was heard saying. A spokesman for both the film production and Baldwin said on Thursday night that it was an accident involving a 'gun loaded with blanks'. It is common on movie sets for actors to use real guns loaded with blanks or dummy bullets to give a more lifelike effect in shooting. But it remains unclear how a blank could have killed Hutchins, or how a live round accidentally ended up in the gun's chamber when Baldwin pulled the trigger. The movie's prop master - who is ordinarily in charge of the weapons - has not yet been named. Police have disclosed few details about the shooting, saying only that a 'projectile' was fired by a 'prop gun' and they are investigating. Prop masters union IATSE 44 told members on Thursday night in an email that a 'live' round was fired. DailyMail.com has also obtained a portion of the 911 call that was placed from the set. In the three-second long clip , a woman can be heard saying: 'We have two people accidentally shot.' The production employed '73 New Mexican crew, 22 New Mexico principal actors, and 230 New Mexico background talent' according to a press release issued earlier this month. According to the prop masters' union email, the 'Props, Set Decoration, Special Effects and Construction Departments were staffed by New Mexico crew members' - none of whom belonged to the union. Mike Tristano, 60, a Hollywood armorer with 30 years' experience who spoke to the Dailymail.com, said ultimate responsibility for gun safety on movie set rests with the armorer. The movie's armorer or weapons master has not been been named. Sante Fe Sheriff's Department says it will continue to interview 'witnesses' on Friday. Tragic: Halyna Hutchins, 42, (left) was shot dead in the incident on Thursday at the Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where writer-director Joel Souza, 48, (right) was also injured 'There should have been blanks in the gun, the on-set armorer's job is to check that before handing the weapon over,' Tristan said. 'They then make sure that the actor stands on a mark and never points the gun at the crew or cast... the editing makes it seem like they were pointing at their co-actor. 'That's why everyone in the industry is very confused. How this happened is a total mystery at the moment.' Tristan added that he has worked with Baldwin before, on the set of 1998 film Thick as Thieves, calling him 'very safe' and a 'total professional'. 'I was surprised to hear it was him,' he added. One of Australia's most popular broadcasters is now facing homelessness amid a construction nightmare on his home. Mike Higgins was the face of Channel 7's nightly news in Queensland from 1969 until 1988. The 'building nightmare' has drained the 76-year-old's bank account and left him needing $70,000 to fix the 'unfinished, uncertified, mouldy structure'. Tough times: One of Australia's most popular broadcasters Mike Higgins (pictured) is now facing homelessness amid a construction nightmare on his home 'It's been tremendously stressful, more stressful than all the years of my cancer and bone marrow treatment,' he told the Courier Mail, referring to a previous battle with cancer. The divorced dad-of-three is currently staying in the spare bedroom of a friend's Eumundi home and has been on a disability pension for over a decade. In 2008, he was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called cutaneous lymphoma which causes tumours on the skin. Mike's prognosis was a dire 16% chance of survival. Although he's now in remission from Lymphoma, he stills suffers from chronic Graft vs Host Disease, a painful and often disabling result of the bone marrow transplant. 'It's true I've had a terrible time, but I think it's always better for mind, body and spirit to accentuate the positive.' Flashback: Mike, now 76, was the face of Channel 7's nightly news in Queensland from 1969 until 1988 While he's not able to discuss the details of his construction battle for legal reasons, Higgins' friend Jenny Warner has started a GoFundMe page to help the former broadcaster complete his home. 'A traumatic oneanda half year building nightmare has left Mike with an unfinished house and a drained bank account,' she wrote, before criticising the building industry. 'His house, which should have been finished a year ago, is still an incomplete, uncertified, mouldy house frame,' she continued. 'To make matters worse, Mike's legal advice is that he has no legal avenues of redress, can't discuss the matter, and now has to find $70,000 to finish the job. 'Mike was so trusting for so long. Unfortunately he's lost almost everything.' 'It's been tremendously stressful': Mike (left) says that the construction issue has been stressful Warner also stressed that Higgins has supported countless charities over the years and even sponsored seven children overseas through the Save the Children Fund. 'Mike has always given freely of his money, time and assets to family, friends and even strangers in need,' she stressed. 'I think it's his time to receive.' From his two decades fronting Channel 7's nightly news in Queensland, Mike was dubbed the state's 'best known anchorman' for years. He was known for his friendly demeanour both on and off the camera. 'Some newsreaders were disdainful of their audience,' he told Adelaide Now in 2013. 'I knew one who was asked for an autograph he just said 'f**k off'. I was horrified. But I talked to people as a friend every night and I always kept that in mind.' Emily in Paris' Lucas Bravo has secured a role alongside Julia Roberts and George Clooney. The 33-year-old French-born actor has joined the cast of Ticket to Paradise with industry faves Roberts, 53, and Clooney, 60. 24-year-old Kaitlyn Dever will also star in the upcoming romantic comedy from Universal Pictures. New gig: Emily in Paris' Lucas Bravo has secured a role alongside Julia Roberts and George Clooney Ol Parker - who co-wrote the script with Daniel Pipski - will direct the project. In the movie a former couple has a shared objective to stop their lovestruck daughter from following in their footsteps. The feature has a release date of October 21, 2022, according to Deadline. Julia and George are longtime friends and this will be their fourth time appearing on the silver screen together. Costars: The 33-year-old French-born actor has joined the cast of Ticket to Paradise with industry faves Roberts, 53, and Clooney, 60; in France in 2016 Collaborators: Julia and George are longtime friends and this will be their fourth time appearing on the silver screen together; seen in Cannes in 2016 As for Bravo, he's best known for his role as Gabriel in the hugely popular Netflix series Emily in Paris, in which he costars with Lily Collins. Production of season two of the show wrapped in August and will premiere December 22. Other upcoming work from the Hollywood hunk is Dean Craigs The Honeymoon and Anthony Fabians Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. Batwoman vet Dougray Scott has denied Ruby Rose's allegations after his former co-star accused him of abusing women on the show and being a 'nightmare' to work. 'As Warner Bros. Television has stated, they decided not to exercise the option to engage Ruby for season two of "Batwoman" based on multiple complaints about her workplace behaviour,' Scott, 55, said in a statement obtained by The Wrap. 'I absolutely and completely refute the defamatory and damaging claims made against me by her; they are entirely made up and never happened,' he continued. Rose accused Scott, who played her on-screen father, of hurting a female stunt double, yelling 'like a little b*tch at women', coming and going as he pleased on the set, and abusing women. Batwoman star Dougray Scott has denied Ruby Rose's allegations after his former co-star accused him of abusing women and being a 'nightmare' to work with (pictured: Scott in character during a Batwoman production shoot) 'Dougray hurt a female stunt double, he yelled like a little b*tch at women and was a nightmare,' the actress posted on Instagram. 'He left when he wanted and arrived when he wanted. He abused women and in turn as a lead of a show I sent an email asking for a no-yelling policy. They declined.' The allegations were among several Rose leveled against the show Batwoman earlier this week in which she also claimed she was subjected to bad working conditions on the set of the show. Rose, 35, who was fired from her role as Kate Kane after only one season, claimed that former Warner Bros. Television chairman Peter Roth 'forced' her back to work following surgery from a neck injury and hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on her. Rose (right) turned on her former co-star Scott (centre), who played her character's father Jacob Kane until his exit earlier this year, saying he abused women on set. He has denied the allegations The Australian actress also hit out at showrunner Caroline Dries, as well as Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter of the show's production company Berlanti Productions, promising to 'come for you so what happened to me never happens to another person again.' Warner Bros. Television group condemned the claims as 'revisionist history', instead declaring it declined to renew Rose's contract for a second season as they received 'multiple complaints about her workplace behavior'. Rose, who rose to fame in 2015 for her performance in the Netflix series Orange Is The New Black, launched into a volley of allegations on Wednesday morning via Instagram, detailing the difficult working conditions to which she claims she was subjected. She began the series of posts by tagging showrunner Caroline Dries and Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter of the show's production company Berlanti Productions, writing: 'Enough is enough. Rose blasted former Batwoman co-star Dougray Scott, Warner Bros. Television and the show's production company over alleged abusive work conditions (pictured: Rose in August 2019) The 35-year-old Australian actress claimed Dougray Scott had 'abused women' and said she was forced back to work just days after neck surgery by former WBTV chairman Peter Roth (pictured: Rose in character as Kate Kane) 'I'm going to tell the whole world what really happened to me on that set. I will come for you so what happened to me never happens to another person again. And so I can finally take back my life and the truth. Shame on you.' Rose claimed Dries, who she described as having 'no heart', had only came to set four times in a year and accused her of pressuring her to comply with unfair demands. She also made a number of claims against former Warner Bros. TV chairman Peter Roth, who left the position earlier this year. 'Not sure if you left after getting promoted to the highest position because you just couldn't stop making young women steam your pants, around your crotch while you were still wearing said pants or if you left after putting a private investigator on me who you fired as soon as the report didn't fit your narrative,' Rose wrote. 'Either way, when it comes to you, there's already an army waiting for u.' She began the series of scathing posts by tagging showrunner Caroline Dries and Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter of the show's production company Berlanti Productions She wrote: 'I'm going to tell the whole world what really happened to me on that set. I will come for you so what happened to me never happens to another person again. And so I can finally take back my life and the truth. Shame on you'. She turned on former co-star Dougray Scott, writing: 'Dougray hurt a female stunt double, he yelled like a little b***h at women and was a nightmare' Rose also speculated about Peter Roth's recent decision to step down as chairman of WBTV, saying: 'Not sure if you left after getting promoted to the highest position because you just couldn't stop making young women steam your pants or if you left after putting a private investigator on me who you fired as soon as the report didn't fit your narrative' Rose claimed that showrunner Caroline Dries (pictured), who she described as having 'no heart', had only came to set four times in a year and accused her of pressuring her to comply with unfair demands Warner Bros. TV were quick to respond to Rose's allegations, labelling them as 'revisionist history' and blaming her exit from the show on poor workplace behavior. In a statement to DailyMail.com, WBTV said: 'Despite the revisionist history that Ruby Rose is now sharing online aimed at the producers, the cast and crew, the network, and the Studio, the truth is that Warner Bros. Television had decided not to exercise its option to engage Ruby for season two of BATWOMAN based on multiple complaints about workplace behavior that were extensively reviewed and handled privately out of respect for all concerned.' After railing against her former co-star and Batwoman colleagues, Rose shared several snaps of x-rays she said were related to a neck injury she sustained on set which required surgery in 2019. She also alleged Peter Roth forced her to return to work just 10 days after the surgery and cited this as the reason for her 'stiff' performance. 'To everyone who said I was too stiff on Batwoman, imagine going back to work 10 days after this. '10 DAYS! (Or the whole crew and cast would be fired and I'd let everyone down because Peter Roth said he would recast and I just lost the studio millions (by getting injured on his set), instead of spending half a day to rewrite me out for a few weeks to heal.' Rose shared several snaps of x-rays she said were related to a neck injury she sustained on set which required surgery in 2019 Rose continued: 'To my dear, dear fans still asking if I will return to that awful show, I wouldn't return for any amount of money nor if a gun were to my head NOR DID I QUIT. 'I DID NOT QUIT, they ruined Kate Kane and they destroyed Batwoman, not me. 'I followed orders, and if I wanted to stay I was going to have to sign my rights away. Any threats, any bullying tactics or blackmail would not make me stand down.' On Wednesday, co-star Camrus Johnson took to Twitter to side with the show, hinting that Rose's behavior was egregiously bad and led to her firing. 'Batfam ya know I couldn't go the whole day without saying something! I love y'all, don't think I haven't seen all the love today. But yea fam, she was fired,' he penned. 'And it is VERY hard to be fired when you're the lead. Imagine what u have to do for that 2 happen' 'To everyone who said I was too stiff on Batwoman, imagine going back to work 10 days after this,' Rose wrote. 'To my dear, dear fans still asking if I will return to that awful show, I wouldn't return for any amount of money nor if a gun were to my head' A production assistant who worked on the show with Rose, Alexander J. Baxter, slammed the actress after she came forward with her allegations. In a lengthy statement obtained by CBR.com, Baxter accused Rose of showing up late to the set 'most days', not having her lines memorized, and treating 'anyone below the line, production assistant, LX crew, grips, it was as though we were beneath her boots.' 'She stormed off set, she yelled at people, and whenever she interacted with any of us production assistants, we were disregarded as the trash we picked up,' he claimed. Baxter called Rose a 'dictator to work for' who made him 'consider quitting' the industry. Calling her out: Co-star Camrus Johnson took to Twitter to call out Rose and tell fans she was, indeed, fired from the series, hinting that her behavior was egregious However, he spoke glowingly of the people working behind the scenes. 'The production company was professional, dialed in, and in every way fantastic. The crew was lovely, hard-working and dedicated to countless night shoots, it sounded to be an amazing experience in the making. Then came Ruby Rose.' Ruby starred in the show as Kate Kane, who is the cousin of Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne and later becomes Batwoman. She was replaced in the second season by actress Javicia Leslie, whose character is named Ryan Wilder. When the news was announced in July 2020, Ruby congratulated Javicia, 34, on Instagram, writing: 'OMG!! This is amazing!! 'I am so glad Batwoman will be played by an amazing Black woman. I want to congratulate Javicia Leslie on taking over the bat cape.' She added: 'You are walking into an amazing cast and crew. I can't wait to watch season 2 you are going to be amazing!!' Javicia is the first black actress in TV history to play the iconic comic book role. FUEL PRICES AS ON OCT 22, 2021 vs OCT 20, 2020 (amount in Rs) 2021 2020 Change 2021 2020 Change Cities Petrol Diesel Mumbai 112.78 87.8 28% 103.63 78.08 33% New Delhi 106.89 81.12 32% 95.62 71.64 33% Chennai 103.92 84.19 23% 99.92 77.04 30% Bengaluru 110.61 83.75 32% 101.49 75.85 34% Kolkata 107.44 82.65 30% 98.73 75.14 31% Jaipur 113.75 88.27 29% 105.01 80.529 30% Hyderabad 111.81 84.31 33% 104.32 78.09 34% Lucknow 103.86 81.52 27% 96.07 71.89 34% Patna 110.55 83.77 32% 102.31 77.08 33% Gurgaon 104.49 79.3 32% 96.37 72.11 34% So why are Indians paying so much for petrol and diesel? As per Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell, India imported 198.11 million tonnes of crude oil in 2020-2021, and produced 31 million tonnes of fuel. As India imports the majority (80%) of its fuel and has not found enough oil fields of its own, India pays an extreme price. India imports most of its oil from a group of countries called the OPEC + (i.e, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Russia, etc), which produces 40% of the worlds crude oil. As they have the power to dictate fuel supply and prices, their decision of limiting the global supply reduces supply in India, thus raising prices. In 2020, OPEC nations like Iraq (47 mn), Saudi Arabia (38 mn), United Arab Emirates (22 mn), Kuwait (9.9 mn) along with USA (10.7 mn) helped India with fuel. As on October 21 this year, the cost of an oil barrel in the international market (WTI crude) touched Rs 39/litre, whereas in October 2020 the price was Rs 19/litre. So why are Indians paying Rs 111 for the same? Prices touch Rs 112/litre. Photo: Getty Images As per research reports by Indias leading credit rating agency CARE, the government charges about 167% tax (excise) on petrol and 129% on diesel as compared to US (20%), UK (62%), Italy and Germany (65%). The abominable excise duty is 2/3rd of the cost, and the base price, dealer commission and freight form the rest. Here is an approximate break-up (in Rs): a)Base Price 39 b)Freight 0.34 c) Price Charged to Dealers = (a+b) 39.34 d) Excise Duty 40.17 e) Dealer Commission 4.68 f) VAT 25.35 g) Retail Selling Price 109.54 Photo : PTI So what is the government doing? The government has approved 100% Foreign Investment for Oil & Gas PSUs, and aims to build storage tanks to offset high fuel prices. It plans to commercialise 50% of its petrol reserves, and has allocated Rs 1078 crore in the 2021 Budget to provide a subsidy to its company, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. THE O: The government needs to spend more on finding new oil fields at home to reduce costs and explore new markets to diversify supply. It needs to rethink high taxes (even if it is the governments largest revenue contributor), and also find a way to reduce dependence on oil. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription and are still unable to access our content, please link your digital account to your print subscription If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Through existing collaborations with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Confederation of All Indian Traders (Cait), Mastercard will provide skills training and education to small business owners on their digitisation options. ANI Chennai: In order to digitise micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and help women-owned businesses recover from the pandemic impact, a $100-million credit facility has been announced on Thursday through a four-way partnership forged among HDFC Bank, Mastercard, US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and US Agency for International Development (USAID.) In order to connect the businesses to the networks that power the digital economy, HDFC Bank will reach beyond its current customer base to make at least 50 per cent of this credit facility available to new small business borrowers, with a goal of at least 50 per cent of the facility being used for lending to women entrepreneurs. Through existing collaborations with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Confederation of All Indian Traders (Cait), Mastercard will provide skills training and education to small business owners on their digitisation options. The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth will also help them to grow their revenue through a range of philanthropic training programmes. DFC and USAID are facilitating the extension of the credit facility by de-risking HDFC Banks lending to small business owners. DFCs investment supports its 2X Womens Initiative, through which the agency invests in projects that are owned by women, led by women, or provide a product or service that empowers women. This programme is part of USAIDs Covid-19 response in India. Women have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, facing economic hardships that directly affect the livelihoods of their families and communities. Through this partnership, USAID will help facilitate access to finance and support the digitisation journey for women-owned small businesses, said Veena Reddy, mission director, USAID India. After 19 days, Shah Rukh Khan finally went to meet his son Aryan at the Arthur Road Jail on Thursday morning. The superstar had only spoken to his 23-year-old son over phone since the latters arrest in the cruise drug bust case. His wife Gauri did meet him earlier. The actor quickly entered the jail with his posse of bodyguards led by Ravi Singh. He spent a little over 20 minutes inside. It is not known what transpired inside the jail. But as Shah Rukh came out after the meeting, he greeted those who had come to meet other detained persons, said a source. Shah Rukh has not attended any of the court hearings of Aryans case so far. His manager Pooja Dadlani and bodyguard Ravi Singh have been present though. Both were at Court on Wednesday when Aryans bail plea came up for hearing. The actor has maintained a dignified silence ever since the start of the episode and has refrained from making any comment to the media. He has also not pursued any of his professional commitments over the past few days. Meanwhile, after his bail application was rejected on Wednesday by a special Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Court in Mumbai, Aryans legal team has filed an application in the High Court seeking bail for him. The matter will be heard on Tuesday in the High Court. We requested an early hearing. The Additional Solicitor General (Anil Singh) was present. The ASG has said that he would be ready by Tuesday, said Advocate Satish Maneshinde, who is representing Aryan. Ananyas mobile phone and laptop seized During a hearing of the case on October 14th, the NCB had submitted some details of what is alleged to be WhatsApp chats between Aryan and an upcoming Bollywood actress. The Bureau claimed the conversations contained references to drug consumption. The actress in question is Ananya Panday, and NCB officials visited her house on Thursday to serve a summons to her to appear at the NCB office later in the day. The NCB has also seized Ananyas mobile phone and laptop. Simultaneously, another NCB team visited Shah Rukh Khans house around the time the actor was returning home after meeting his son in jail. Sources say they had gone there for some documentation. The team left the premises after a few minutes. Justice Shavili questioned the logic behind filing a petition when all arrangements had been made and asked the petitioners to withdraw the petition. Counsel later withdrew the petition. (PTI Photo) HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Friday ruled that Intermediate first year theory exams scheduled to begin from October 25 could not be stopped, and made it clear that the court would not interfere in every issue. It was dealing with a petition seeking to cancel the exams. Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili did not agree with the contentions of either the petitioners counsel Bhaskar who said the decision of the Intermediate Board to hold the exams had pushed 4.58 lakh students, who in the second year now, into a dilemma. Counsel said around Rs 600 had been collected by the Intermediate Board as exami fee. Justice Shavili questioned the logic behind filing a petition when all arrangements had been made and asked the petitioners to withdraw the petition. Counsel later withdrew the petition. On behalf of the state government, Advocate General B.S. Prasad and Intermediate Board counsel D.L. Pandu appeared before the court. The State Minister further said that the Government of India is working on many policy initiatives and expressed confidence, there will be a thrust for the manufacturing of Silicon and Compound Semiconductor Chips in the country. (ANI) Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister for Science and Technology Ashwathnarayan CN on Thursday said that the state government aims to make Karnataka the hub of Indian startups to support innovative domestic companies. The minister said this statement while addressing an event virtually on the topic 'India's Accelerated Electronics System Development and Maintenance (ESDM) Growth - The Defining Decade' in the 16th edition of the Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) Vision Summit- 2021, the press statement issued by the state government said. "ESDM sector in the country which is predicted to reach the US $ 220 billion by 2025 has the potential to create 1,000 start-ups, 10,000 IPs (Intellectual Properties), and 10 lakh jobs," the Minister said. "Electronics production has the potential to generate around 1Cr jobs by 2050. Numerous domains and sectors in India such as Agritech, Medical devices, telemedicine, Industry 4.0, Consumer electronics, Space and Defense are dependent on the way Indian Electronics Industry flourishes" Narayana explained. He further said, "The Electronics market size in India is more than the US $ 300 Billion and the nation's share in the global electronics manufacturing has been consistently growing since in 2012 (from around 1.3 per cent in 2012 to around 3 per cent in 2018). Though at present, India has more than 100 Semiconductor Design services companies offering design of semiconductor to its global customers, it needs to go still further to become self-sufficient in designing and manufacturing Semiconductors." The State Minister further said that the Government of India is working on many policy initiatives and expressed confidence, there will be a thrust for the manufacturing of Silicon and Compound Semiconductor Chips in the country. With the intention of creating a suitable ecosystem, he said that the state government has sector-specific policies including Engineering Research and Development policy, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), Beyond Bengaluru and others. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the country at 10:00 am today, his office informed. "PM @narendramodi will address the nation at 10 AM today," the PM office tweeted. The prime minister's address comes a day after India crossed the 100-crore inoculation mark. The country achieved a major milestone in its vaccination programme against COVID-19 as the cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country surpassed the 100-crore mark on Thursday. Hailing the vaccination milestone as a triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country has scripted history. He also visited the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here after the milestone was achieved and interacted with hospital officials. India took 85 days to touch the 10-crore vaccination mark, 45 more days to cross the 20-crore mark and 29 more days to reach the 30-crore mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The country took 24 days to reach the 40-crore mark from 30-crore doses and then 20 more days to surpass the 50-crore vaccination mark on August 6.It then took 76 days to go past the 100-crore mark. HYDERABAD: Witnesses continue to give evasive and unsatisfactory replies to the three-member panel formed by the Supreme Court to probe the alleged encounter killings of the four accused in the Disha rape and murder case. The panel continued to cross-examine the then ACP of Shadnagar, V. Surender, who is currently posted in the CID, on Friday. The official and his team escorted the four accused men (A1 to A4) Mohammed Arif, Jollu Shiva, Jollu Naveen and Ch. Chennakesavulu - to Ravi Guest House, the safe house they were kept until they were taken for the scene reconstruction at Chatanpally on December 6. The panel asked the official, who was the investigation officer (IO), when they reached the guest house at about 1 am from Cherlapally prison, why did he not meet them for interrogation until 10 am on the next day. The officer replied that the assistant IO had made them fill the interrogation form at night. The panel frowned upon and said it took just about half an hour to fill that up and why was there such a long gap. There were further discrepancies in statements and he told the panel that his statement given to the NHRC was incorrect. When the panel asked why he signed it, he said there was a dispute and argument and he ended up signing the report without reading it. His deposition on Friday ended with 179 questions and will further continue on Saturday. Earlier on Thursday, the then ACP was questioned about the mistakes in the remand case diary, which says that owner of the lorry, Patolla Srinivas Reddy, brought the four accused men to the police station. He told the panel that it was the SHO of Shadnagar, A. Sridhar Kumar, who arrested the four accused and due to a copy-paste mistake, it appeared that lorry owner, P. Srinivasa Reddy, had brought the accused to the Shadnagar police station in the remand case diary. The TPCC president said these points must be among campaign strategies in the next 10 days in Huzurabad, where the by-election is scheduled on October 30. DC Image HYDERABAD: TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday said party cadres should work with slogan Vote for Congress from each household in Huzurabad assembly constituency by-election. He further emphasised that as Congress has fielded NSUI state president Balmuri Venkat, party leaders must also garner votes from students and unemployed youth. The TPCC chief was speaking via a zoom meeting he had with Congress in-charges of Huzurabad by-election. He emphasised to them that they explain failures of TRS and BJP governments at the state and central levels to people. They should then point out the need to vote for Congress that had brought immense development in the past. Revanth Reddy asked party cadres to highlight why the by-election got necessitated in Huzurabad and who halted Dalit Bandhu scheme, among various issues. He alleged that TRS and BJP have a secret pact in the by-poll and this should be brought to notice of the people. The TPCC president said these points must be among campaign strategies in the next 10 days in Huzurabad, where the by-election is scheduled on October 30. TPCC working president and MLA T. Jayaprakash Jagga Reddy, election management committee chairman and former deputy CM C. Damodar Rajanarsimha, former MPs Ponnam Prabhakar and Mallu Ravi, TPCC general secretary Harkara Venugopal and others were present in the meeting. Vaiko had been taking his son around to meet people for quite some time and had even taken him along when he called on the Chief Minister, M K Stalin, recently, adding credence to the popular charge that inducting him formally into the party was a well calculated move. DC Image Chennai: The first stirrings of anger against MDMK founder Vaiko nominating his son Durai Vaiko as party headquarters secretary were felt on Thursday with the State Youth Wing Secretary of the party, V Eswaran, leaving the party in protest against what he called dynastic politics. Easwaran, who said that he has been with Vaiko since he left the DMK 28 years ago protesting against alleged dynastic politics, said that Vaikos perception that only his son could lead the party was unacceptable. He claimed that there were many others in the party who were disillusioned by Vaikos move to induct Durai Vaiko and added that he would organize them all and launch a non-political movement to cleanse politics and name it Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam. Regretting that Vaiko has failed to groom a single leader to take over the party from him, Easwaran said that he did not agree with the claim that it was the cadre who pitched for Durai Vaiko. After he made the announcement to quit MDMK through Facebook, many leaders in the party urged him to reconsider his decision, he said, adding that he declined to entertain their requests. On the other hand, posters hailing the appointment of Durai Vaiko appeared on the city walls showcasing the celebrations within the party. Though Vaiko had claimed on Wednesday that the party cadre had been promoting Durai Vaiko without his knowledge and that he was averse to the idea of bringing in his son, insiders point out that it was not true. Vaiko had been taking his son around to meet people for quite some time and had even taken him along when he called on the Chief Minister, M K Stalin, recently, adding credence to the popular charge that inducting him formally into the party was a well calculated move. Though leaders inducting children into their parties is a common practice in India and even Tamil Nadu has too many such inheritors of their fathers mantle, the development in MDMK caused the raising of many eyebrows mainly because the party itself was launched in protest against dynastic politics. That Vaiko had orchestrated it quite well by holding a plebiscite, asking party functionaries to tell through secret ballot if they were for or against his son being entrusted with responsibilities in the party and ensuring that 104 of the total 106 voters favoured his coming in, did not help much. Critics say that the plebiscite was just a farce and that Vaiko has, at the end of the day, turned out to be like any other political leader in the State. Haveri: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday accused former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of misleading people by saying that 17 lakh houses were built for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) during his tenure. "Siddaramaiah has given a statement that he gave away 17 lakh houses when he was the chief minister. The fact is that he had only sanctioned 15 lakh houses on paper whereas he should have allocated funds too," Bommai told reporters in Hanagal. Bommai was in Hanagal, his home district, to campaign for the BJP candidate Shivaraj Sajjanar contesting the Hanagal assembly bypoll. "It is not a great achievement to sanction 15 lakh houses three months ahead of elections. If he had sanctioned it at the beginning of his tenure and completed it then it was a feat. Siddaramaiah is misleading people," Bommai said. The Chief Minister said he has sanctioned four lakh houses in rural areas and one lakh in the urban areas since he took over and now the process to identify the beneficiaries has begun. Also, at an election rally in Hanagal, Bommai alleged that Siddaramaiah's claim of giving rice under the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme could happen due to the subsidy provided by the Centre. He also said giving rice at subsidised rate has been going on since independence and there was nothing new about it. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah challenged Bommai to come for a debate in public on the issue of development of Hanagal and questioned his ability to be the Chief Minister of the state. "The Nellur lake bund got damaged in 2018. If the tank bund could not be repaired in the past four years, then the people of this region will decide whether you are capable or incapable of becoming chief minister," Siddaramaiah said during an election rally in Hanagal. "I call upon Bommai to come to a common platform where we can debate before people what we have done under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme," the senior congress leader said. HYDERABAD: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) is crying foul over the orders issued by the Election Commission of India (EC) all of a sudden late on Thursday imposing Covid restrictions on public meetings to be held in adjoining districts of Huzurabad. The TRS, which already suffered a jolt with the EC halting the ongoing scheme' Dalit Bandhu recently, faced another setback with the latest restrictions on public meetings. This is because the TRS leaders in Huzurabad made all the arrangements for the public meeting of TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on October 27 at Penchikalpeta village with one lakh people, which is just 5 km away from Huzurabad. The TRS chose that village after the EC clarified earlier that the Covid restrictions capping maximum gathering of people at 1,000 for public meetings were applicable only to poll-bound Huzurabad Assembly consituency. Penchikalpeta village falls under neighbouring Husnabad consituency in Hanamkonda district. When the EC issued Huzurabad poll schedule on September 28, it announced that the election code would be in force in Karimnagar and Hanamkonda districts as Huzurabad constituency falls in both the districts. However, after the EC issued poll notification on October 1, it clarified that the poll code was applicable only in Huzurabad constituency and not the entire Karimnagar and Hanamkonda districts. Based on this, the TRS planned a huge public meeting of Rao in a 25-acre ground at Penchikapeta village on October 27 and pinned its hopes on the Chief Ministers meeting to boost party's winning prospects ahead of polling on October 30. At this stage, the EC again issued fresh orders on Thursday stating that the poll code applied to the entire Karimnagar and Hanamkonda districts and no huge public rallies would be allowed in neighbouring constituencies or districts of Huzurabad. Rao on Friday discussed the issue with ministers, party MLAs and senior leaders camped in Huzurabad and asked them to explore alternate options for his campaigning. He asked them to submit him alternate proposals. The TRS sources said while some leaders requested him to hold roadshows or street corner meetings in Huzurabad, Rao reportedly refused to do so as he feels it is below his stature and never addressed roadshows or street corner meetings during elections even when he was not the Chief Minister prior to 2014. There were proposals to address virtual meetings by setting up giant screens in multiple locations in Huzurabad constituency but Rao reportedly was averse to the idea. The TRS sources say Rao may now use the TRS plenary session in Hyderabad on October 25 to give a message to Huzurabad voters and seek their support in the bypoll. Baltimore: The United States would come to Taiwan's defense and has a commitment to defend the island China claims as its own, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday, though the White House said later there was no change in policy towards the island. "Yes, we have a commitment to do that," Biden said at a CNN town hall when asked if the United States would come to the defense of Taiwan, which has complained of mounting military and political pressure from Beijing to accept Chinese sovereignty. While Washington is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, it has long followed a policy of "strategic ambiguity" on whether it would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. In August, a Biden administration official said U.S. policy on Taiwan had not changed after the president appeared to suggest the United States would defend the island if it were attacked. A White House spokesperson said Biden at his town hall was not announcing any change in U.S. policy and "there is no change in our policy", but declined further comment when asked if Biden had misspoken. "The U.S. defense relationship with Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act. We will uphold our commitment under the Act, we will continue to support Taiwan's self-defense, and we will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo," the spokesperson said. China expressed its displeasure anyway, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying the country has no room for concessions on its core interests. China urges the United States "not to send the wrong signals to the forces of Taiwan independence, to avoid seriously harming Sino-U.S. ties and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," spokesman Wang Wenbin said in Beijing. Taiwan's presidential office said its position remains the same, which is that it will neither give in to pressure nor "rashly advance" when it gets support. Taiwan will show a firm determination to defend itself, presidential office spokesperson Xavier Chang said in a statement, adding that the Biden administration's continued concrete actions show its "rock-solid" support for Taiwan. 'MOST POWERFUL MILITARY' Biden said people should not worry about Washington's military strength because "China, Russia and the rest of the world knows we're the most powerful military in the history of the world." "What you do have to worry about is whether or not they're going to engage in activities that would put them in a position where they may make a serious mistake," Biden said. "I don't want a cold war with China. I just want China to understand that we're not going to step back, that we're not going to change any of our views." Military tensions between Taiwan and China are at their worst in more than 40 years, Taiwan's Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said this month, adding that China will be capable of mounting a "full-scale" invasion by 2025. Taiwan says it is an independent country and will defend its freedoms and democracy. China says Taiwan is the most sensitive and important issue in its ties with the United States and has denounced what it calls "collusion" between Washington and Taipei. Speaking to reporters earlier on Thursday, China's United Nations Ambassador Zhang Jun said they are pursuing "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan and responding to "separatist attempts" by its ruling Democratic Progressive Party. "We are not the troublemaker. On the contrary, some countries - the U.S. in particular - is taking dangerous actions, leading the situation in Taiwan Strait into a dangerous direction," he said. "I think at this moment what we should call is that the United States to stop such practice. Dragging Taiwan into a war definitely is in nobody's interest. I don't see that the United States will gain anything from that." Carlos Ghosn, the former auto industry superstar whose career screeched to a halt with his arrest three years ago, isn't about to settle into quiet retirement. The former head of the Nissan-Renault alliance fled to Lebanon in late 2019, while out on bail facing financial misconduct charges in Japan. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Ghosn was confident, energised and determined to fight to restore his reputation. I'm going to be there. I'm going to defend my rights as long as I have the energy to do it, Ghosn, 67, said via Zoom from his home in Beirut. His story is far from finished, he said. Ghosn fled from Japan while hiding in a big cargo box on a private jet. The French, Brazilian-born Ghosn took refuge in Lebanon, his ancestral homeland, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Also Read American duo sentenced to prison by Tokyo court for helping Ghosn flee Japan Ghosn said he is trying to get Interpol to drop its red flag, which requests police worldwide to seek out and arrest persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence. He's eager to be able to travel outside of Lebanon, but the process is likely to be bureaucratic and long. Japanese prosecutors say they are still intent on pursuing him on allegations of under-reporting his compensation and of breach of trust in misusing Nissan money for personal gain charges he denies. Japan has extradition treaties with the US and South Korea and prosecutors said they would seek help from other countries, including Brazil and France, if Ghosn travels there. Apart from the main case in Japan, Ghosn is under investigation in France and is being sued by Nissan Motor Co in Japan for alleged financial damages. Tokyo prosecutors have refused to send his files to Lebanon for the criminal case to be tried there. Nissan's French alliance partner Renault sent Ghosn to Japan in 1999 to steer a turnaround when the Japanese automaker was on the verge of collapse. Under Ghosn, Nissan became more profitable than Renault. The partnership expanded to include smaller rival Mitsubishi Motors Corp and other automakers. Nissan owns 15% of Renault, which owns a much bigger 43% of Nissan. The government of France owns 15% of Renault. Analysts estimate the damage suffered by the Nissan-Renault alliance over the Ghosn scandal at billions of dollars in capital value, sales and brand image. Nissan expects to eke out a profit this fiscal year after losing money for the last two years. Aaron Ho, analyst at New York-based CFRA Research, believes Nissan has fallen behind in an intensely competitive industry because of the Ghosn scandal. Before Nissan resolves its internal issues over corporate power and puts its resources back into making tangible progress which takes a lot of time, and a lot of time has been wasted to create values for its end demand, we are not optimistic, he said. Ghosn asserts the case against him was concocted in a power struggle within Nissan's boardroom. He said he wants to show a conspiracy by Nissan officials who, worried about a takeover-like merger by Renault, got Japanese authorities to pursue a criminal case against him. The only way I can qualify them are: Thugs, inside Nissan, he said. Nissan, which has denounced Ghosn, does not comment on the Ghosn case. Testimony at the trial of Greg Kelly, a former top executive at Nissan Motor Co who was arrested at the same time as Ghosn, has shown that Nissan officials did seek out prosecutors. The case against Ghosn and Kelly centers on elaborate calculations to compensate Ghosn after retirement for a pay cut he took beginning in 2009, when disclosure of big executive pay became a legal requirement in Japan. Prosecutors allege Ghosn broke the law by failing to report that compensation, which was never paid or even formally agreed upon. Kelly says he is innocent, and was trying to find legal ways to pay Ghosn to retain him. Ironically, Ghosn says the money he allegedly failed to report was based on him retiring in 2018, the year he was arrested. Ghosn looks anything but retired. He's working on movies, teaching classes on management, consulting for businesses and helping out with university research on character assassination. Look. Books, books, books, he said, when asked what else he's been working on. Broken Alliances," an English version of the 2020 French book Le temps de la verite, was released in September. He is writing a book with his wife Carole, who also is wanted in Japan, about their ordeal. Human rights advocates and other critics say Japan's system amounts to hostage justice, allowing suspects to be questioned for days without a lawyer present while they are kept in solitary confinement in a small, spartan cell. The conviction rate of over 99% has raised questions over forced confessions. One of the things I could do for Japan is fighting with all those people who are opposed in Japan to the hostage justice system, said Ghosn. His ride is still a Nissan, the Patrol sport-utility vehicle, a model he worked on that's popular in the Middle East. And he insists there was no way he could have foreseen the trouble that was headed his way. If somebody was telling you before it happened that I was going to be arrested, he said, you would laugh. You would say, 'Come on. It is a joke'." Watch the latest DH Videos here: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries on Friday reported a 43 per cent jump in its September quarter net profit as its businesses from oil to retail fired on all cylinders, growing both sequentially and on a year-on-year basis. Net profit of Rs 13,680 crore, or Rs 20.88 per share, in July-September compared with Rs 9,567 crore, or Rs 14.84 a share, in the same period a year back, the company said in a statement. While better realisation and a sharp rise in crude oil prices benefited the old-economy business, retail saw footfalls at stores reach pre-Covid levels and per user earning from telecom business rose. Revenue was up 49 per cent at Rs 191,532 crore. Also Read | Arbitration panel rejects Future's plea on Reliance deal in dispute with Amazon Reliance operates four business verticals - the Oil-to-Chemical (or O2C) business includes its oil refineries, petrochemical plants, and fuel retailing business; retail business that houses brick-and-motor stores and e-commerce; Digital Services that cover telecom arm Jio; and New Energy business. O2C reported the fifth consecutive quarter of sequential growth on-demand recovery. EBITDA at Rs 12,720 crore was up 4 per cent quarter-on-quarter and 43.9 per cent year-on-year. Jio Platforms - the digital arm - reported a 23.5 per cent higher net profit at Rs 3,728 crore as its per telecom user revenue rose to Rs 143.6 per month from Rs 138.4 in the previous quarter. Also read: Future group firms convene shareholder, creditors meetings to seek approval for RIL deal Reliance said that it is working with Google to launch the low-priced smartphone JioPhone Next, to be available around Diwali. With the increase in electronics, jewellery, and fashion sales, retail business crossed the pre-Covid level. Reliance Retail EBIDTA was up 45.2 per cent at Rs 2,913 crore as it opened 813 new stores during the quarter, taking the total count to 13,635 stores across 37.3 million square feet of retail space. The fashion and lifestyle business delivered record performance with the highest ever quarterly revenues and over 2x growth YoY; consumer electronics, grocery businesses posted strong double-digit growth. Also Read | Reliance Retail acquires 52% stake in Ritu Kumar's company Reliance's oil and gas segment posted a 363 per cent YoY spurt in revenues to Rs 1,644 crore with segment EBITDA of Rs 1,071 crore. This is on the back of the start of production from satellite cluster fields in the KG-D6 block, taking the overall production to 18 million standard cubic metres per day. The firm's cash and cash equivalents at Rs 259,476 crore were higher than the outstanding debt of Rs 2,55,891 crore as of September 30, 2021, maintaining the net-debt-free position. Reliance's capital expenditure (including exchange rate difference) for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, was Rs 39,350 crore. Also Read | Future Retail must take part in Amazon dispute arbitration, Singapore panel says Commenting on the results, Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited, said: "As the pandemic retreats, I am pleased that Reliance has posted a strong performance in Q2 FY22. This demonstrates the inherent strengths of our businesses and the robust recovery of the Indian and global economies." Operational and financial performance reflects the sharp recovery in the retail segment and sustained growth in O2C and digital services business. "Our O2C business benefited from the sharp recovery in demand across products and higher transportation fuel margins. Reliance Retail continues to grow on the back of rapid expansion of both physical stores and digital offerings resulting in healthy growth in revenues and margin expansion," he said adding Jio continues to transform the broadband market in India. Also Read | Reliance gets shareholders' nod to add Aramco chairman as director Ambani said Reliance continues to make steady progress in accelerating its foray into the new energy business, having announced back-to-back acquisitions. "Our partnership approach and the desire to bring India to the forefront of the global transition to clean and the green transition is underscored by our recent investments in some of the best companies in the world in the solar and green energy space," he said. "I am now even more confident of achieving our ambitious target of Net Carbon Zero by 2035." Check out the latest videos from DH: Days after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's public comment on moral policing, cries of outrage are being heard all over the state. On Thursday, a coalition of women, Dalit and other citizen organisations as well as students gathered at Mysore Bank Circle here to protest the comment. Asked about incidents of moral policing, Bommai had appeared to defend it, saying "action and reaction are bound to happen when there is no morality in society". The protesters, comprising people of all age groups, demanded that the chief minister withdraw the statement, and condemned rising incidents of communal violence across Karnataka. "These incidents are rising because there is a kind of covert encouragement by the state for this kind of violence, said Vinay Sreenivasa, a lawyer and citizen activist. He added that such incidents had increased ever since the chief minister's statement. "The governments performance during the Covid-19 pandemic or in general administration has not been great and that is why they it's upping the ante on such things," he stated. Protesters called Bommai's statement a "direct violation of the constitutional oath he took as the chief minister". "When I grew up, I chose the religious identity I wanted. I had this freedom of choice because of the Constitution of India. I want future generations to have the same freedom. The chief ministers statement effectively leads the lumpen elements of society to take away that choice," said Leo Saldanha of the Environmental Support Group. The protesters demanded that the government put an end to crimes happening in the name of caste and religion. Transgender rights activist, Akkai Padmashali, who was present at the protest, said: "Seeing everything through the lens of caste, religion and class is going to bifurcate the plurality of the Constitution." India on Friday handed over the 34.9 km-long cross-border rail link connecting Jaynagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal to the Nepal government, a move that is expected to enhance trade and commerce activities as well as people to people linkages between the two countries. The Jaynagar-Kurtha section is part of the 68.7 km Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardidas rail link built under the Government of Indias grant assistance of NPR 8.77 billion. Under the grant assistance of India, the gauge conversion of a 34.9 kms narrow gauge section into broad gauge, from Jaynagar in India to Kurtha in Nepal, has now been completed, Indian Embassy sources said. "Once operationalised, the cross-border rail link is expected to enhance trade and commerce activities as well as people to people linkages between the two countries," a statement issued by Indian Embassy said. The project will pass through the historical city of Janakpur in Nepal and will further boost people-to-people connect between the two countries, the Indian Embassy said. The handing over ceremony took place in the presence of Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Renu Kumari Yadav and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay M. Kwatra. The executing agency for the project, IRCON International Ltd. officially handed over the assets of the railway section to Nepal Railway Company Ltd. Cross-border rail linkages are a vital aspect of India-Nepal Development Co-operation. Earlier this month, both sides discussed the ongoing works of Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas and Jogbani-Biratnagar broad gauge railway lines between the two countries, being developed with grant assistance from the government of India, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Watch latest videos by DH here: The Syrian government has executed 24 people and sentenced 11 others to life in prison with hard labor for lighting wildfires that burned across the countrys northwest last year, the Syrian justice ministry announced in a statement on Facebook Thursday. The people convicted were accused not of arson but of terrorism, the government said, because their actions caused death, as well as extensive damage to infrastructure, private and public property, farmland and forests. The harshness of the sentences, which were imposed Wednesday, shocked even human rights campaigners who have tracked the brutality of the countrys 10-year civil war. During that time, the government of President Bashar Assad has bombed Syrias own cities and imposed suffocating sieges on rebellious communities, and an unknown number of people have disappeared into the country's prisons. Sara Kayyali, a Syria researcher with Human Rights Watch, noted that the fires were centered in parts of the countrys northwest that are generally loyal to Assad and where residents have some leeway to criticize the state. As the blazes raged through their communities last fall, destroying homes, crops and forests, many took to social media to blast the government for failing to rein in the fires and for offering only minimal compensation to the victims. The executions may have been intended to show loyalists in these areas that Assad was taking the issue seriously, Kayyali said. This strikes me as a move designed to shore up Assads popularity and the governments popularity in these areas, she said. The Syrian state news agency, SANA, did not report on the executions but published an article about the fires. Its headline: One year after the crime that broke the hearts of Syrians. It said the fires had burned parts of four provinces, destroyed 32,000 acres of crops, including olive and citrus orchards, and caused nearly $24 million in losses to farmers. The Justice Ministry statement did not name the people convicted or provide any information about how or where they were executed. In addition to those executed or given life sentences, nine others, including five adolescents, were given prison sentences, the statement said. Check out the latest DH videos: In a sweeping victory for the Biden administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday endorsed booster shots of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines for tens of millions of Americans. The decision follows an agency endorsement last month of booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and opens the door for many Americans to seek out a booster shot as early as Friday. The coronavirus vaccines are all highly effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalisation, and death, even in the midst of the widely circulating delta variant, Dr Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, said in a statement. Her approval brings the country closer to fulfilling President Joe Bidens promise in August to offer boosters to all adults. The pandemic is retreating in most of the country, but there are still about 75,000 new cases every day, and about 1,500 Covid deaths. Also Read | US FDA to allow mixing and matching of Covid boosters Biden's pledge angered many experts, including some advising the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC, who said that scientists had not yet had a chance to determine whether boosters were actually necessary. Studies showed that the vaccines remained very effective against severe disease and death, although their effectiveness might have waned against milder infections, particularly as the delta variant spread across the nation this summer. The purpose of the vaccines is to prevent illness severe enough to require medical attention, not to prevent infection, Dr. Wilbur Chen, an infectious disease physician at the University of Maryland and a member of the CDC panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, said during the deliberations Thursday. It might be too much to ask for a vaccine, either a primary series or the booster, to prevent all forms of infections, Chen said. Also Read | Why Covid boosters weren't tweaked to better match variants The CDCs advisers last month tried to narrow the number of Americans who should receive a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, saying that research did not support boosters for people whose jobs exposed them to the coronavirus, as the FDA had indicated. But in a highly unusual move, Walensky overturned their decision, aligning the agencys advice with the criteria laid out by the FDA. On Wednesday, the FDA authorised booster shots for people who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, just as it did for recipients of Pfizer-BioNTech shots last month. The FDA also gave the green light for people eligible for booster shots to get their dose of a different brand from the one they first received. But in practice, who will get the shots and when depends greatly on the CDCs final guidance. Although the agencys recommendations do not bind state and local officials, they hold great sway in the medical community. On Thursday, members of the CDCs panel endorsed the so-called mix-and-match strategy, saying people fully immunised with one companys vaccine should be allowed to receive a different vaccine for their booster shot. Limited evidence strongly suggests that booster doses of one of the two mRNA vaccines Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech more effectively raise antibody levels than a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The committee advised that recipients of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine should receive a booster shot at least two months after their first dose. Among Americans initially immunised with an mRNA vaccine, adults over 65, adults ages 50-65 with certain medical conditions, and those who reside in long-term care settings should receive a single booster dose six months or longer after their second dose, the committee decided. For adults ages 18-49 with certain medical conditions and adults whose jobs regularly expose them to the virus, the panel opted for softer language, saying they may choose to get a booster after considering their individual risk. The experts emphasised that people who have received two mRNA vaccine doses or a single Johnson & Johnson dose should still consider themselves fully vaccinated. Federal health officials said they would continue to study whether those who had weak immune systems and had already received a third dose of a vaccine should get a fourth dose. Some advisers were concerned that young and healthy Americans who dont need a booster might choose to get one anyway. Side effects are uncommon, but in younger Americans they may outweigh the potential benefits of booster doses, the scientists said. Those that are not at high risk should really be thoughtful about getting that dose, said Dr. Helen Talbot, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University. The committees final votes contrasted sharply with discussions earlier in the day. The panel heard that in adults under 65, even those with chronic conditions, the Moderna vaccine remained highly protective against severe illness and showed only a small decline in effectiveness over time, if any at all. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine showed less efficacy than the Moderna vaccine overall, but the data were too limited to determine whether there might be a decline over time. Having already authorised the Pfizer-BioNTech booster, however, some advisers said in interviews that they felt compelled to do the same for the other two vaccines, adding that it was only fair to people who had received those vaccines. Just over 11 million people have opted for an additional shot so far, and up to 3 million make up those with weak immune systems who were approved to receive a third dose to prop up their immune response. Only 6% of people who are fully vaccinated, and about 15% of adults over 65, have received a booster dose so far. Modernas booster shot will not be the same as its initial shot. The dose will be 50 micrograms, which is half the dose given in the initial rounds of immunisation. Scientists from Moderna presented data indicating that the smaller dose is enough to rouse the immune system. But the smaller dose may need to be delivered from the same vials now used for initial immunisation. Some committee members noted that this may increase the risk of contamination and incorrect dosing. (Moderna has been testing vials that deliver smaller volumes of vaccine to alleviate this problem, according to a former government official.) CDC scientists said at the meeting that the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna vaccines are generally safe, with the exception of uncommon and mostly mild heart problems in young men. The risk of the condition called myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle is higher after the second shot of an mRNA vaccine, and highest in males ages 18-24. In those under 20, the condition may affect more than 100 males in every million immunised with an mRNA vaccine. Studies have shown that the risk of heart problems after a bout of Covid-19 is much higher. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine carries a small risk of blood clots in young women. Company representatives estimated the rate of blood clots at 15.1 cases per million after the first dose and 1.9 cases per million after the second. Some panelists said they worried about the risk of blood clots in young women who get a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the risk of myocarditis in young men after a third dose of an mRNA vaccine. Perhaps young women should be directed to mRNA vaccines and young men to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Talbot said. Were in a different place in the pandemic than we were earlier, she said. The opportunities to mix and match vaccines are priceless. Check out latest DH videos here EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday said Brussels would not pay to build barriers on the bloc's borders to keep out migrants, despite demands from a string of countries. Von der Leyen, head of the EU's executive, said she told leaders at a summit in Brussels there was a long-standing position "that there will be no funding of barbed wire and walls". A number of EU member states facing influxes on their borders have ramped up pressure for the bloc to use its budget to finance barriers. Leading the way have been Poland and Lithuania as they scrambled to deal with a surge of illegal crossings from neighbouring Belarus. The EU accuses Minsk of sending across thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa in retaliation for sanctions on the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko over his crackdown on opponents. "We consider the behaviour of the Belarus government as a hybrid attack," von der Leyen told journalists. The leaders agreed to hit back at Minsk with more sanctions "as a matter of urgency", the official conclusions from the summit said. "Lukashenko's regime, now they'll see that the European Union is able to react, is able to make the decisions, and is ready to defend itself," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said. Poland has drawn criticism for its hardline approach to the crisis that has seen guards push back migrants on the border. The United Nations on Friday demanded urgent action to save lives and avoid suffering on the EU-Belarus border, following the deaths of several asylum seekers. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said another fatality this week meant there had now been eight deaths along the border between Belarus and its European Union neighbours Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Warsaw has proposed building a 350 million euro ($410 million) wall on its border with Belarus. Check out the latest videos from DH: India and Australia are working side by side in the Quad grouping to expand vaccine access across the Indo-Pacific, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday as he wished his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and his government after India achieved the milestone of administering 100 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses. India scripted history on Thursday with the cumulative Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossing the 100-crore milestone. "Congratulations to my friend @narendramodi and his government for administering 1 billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. A huge achievement. India and Australia are working side by side in the Quad to expand vaccine access across the Indo-Pacific," Morrison tweeted. Modi also thanked his "friend" Morrison for his wishes on India achieving the Vaccine Century and congratulated him "for achieving high vaccination target in Australia". Read | 'India to reach next billion Covid doses in 3-4 months' Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne also congratulated India for administering one billion vaccine doses. "Australia and India are working more closely than ever to fight Covid-19 by providing safe, equitable vaccine access in the Indo-Pacific. Congratulations to our close friends in India for administering a remarkable 1 billion vaccine doses," she tweeted. According to official sources in New Delhi, over 75 per cent of India's all eligible adult population has been administered at least the first dose and around 31 per cent has received both the doses of the vaccine. 'Quad' is a four-nation bloc comprising Australia, India, Japan and the United States. On September 24, US President Joe Biden hosted the first-ever in-person summit of Quad leaders at the White House. At Biden's invitation, Modi, Morrison and then Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga had attended the Quad summit. After the conclusion of the summit, the Quad leaders in a joint statement had said that in addition to doses financed through COVAX, the four-nation bloc has pledged to donate more than 1.2 billion doses globally of safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines and has so far delivered nearly 79 million safe, effective, and quality-assured vaccine doses to countries in the Indo-Pacific as part of those commitments. Watch latest videos by DH here: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday she is leaving power "at a time when there is cause for concern" for the European Union, as it grapples with multiple problems. "We have overcome many crises but we have a series of unresolved problems," she said after participating in her last EU summit, and citing disputes on migration, the bloc's economy, and rule of law in EU countries. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Britain's Queen Elizabeth, 95, spent a night in hospital for the first time in years for what Buckingham Palace termed "preliminary investigations", but was in good spirits and back at work at Windsor Castle on Thursday. The world's oldest and longest-reigning monarch cancelled an official trip to Northern Ireland on Wednesday. The palace said the queen had been told to rest by her medical staff, and that her ailment was not related to Covid-19. "Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today, and remains in good spirits," the palace said late on Thursday. The Palace gave no details on what had prompted such medical attention. A royal source said the queen had stayed at the King Edward VII hospital in central London for practical reasons and that her medical team had taken a cautious approach. Elizabeth, who is queen of 15 other realms including Australia, Canada and New Zealand, returned to her desk for work on Thursday afternoon and was undertaking some light duties, the source said. Elizabeth, who acceded to the throne as Britain was shedding its imperial power, has symbolised stability for generations of British people, building the popularity of the monarchy despite seismic political, social and cultural changes that threatened to make it an anachronism. A quiet and uncomplaining dedication to duty, even in old age, has earned her widespread respect in Britain and abroad, even from republicans who are eager for the monarchy to be abolished. Billionaires' drinks Elizabeth spent Tuesday night hosting a drinks reception at Windsor for billionaire business leaders including Bill Gates after Prime Minister Boris Johnson convened a green investment conference ahead of the COP26 climate summit. Elizabeth, along with her son and heir Prince Charles, 72, and grandson Prince William, 39, greeted guests including US climate envoy John Kerry without masks. The queen, wearing a teal skirt and jacket with pearls, was photographed beside Johnson, smiling and chatting with business leaders. The head of state, who next year celebrates 70 years on the throne, is known for her robust health. The last time she is thought to have spent a night in hospital was in 2013 when she was suffering from symptoms of gastroenteritis. She had a successful surgery to treat an eye cataract in 2018 and a knee operation in 2003, but royal officials are loathe to discuss health issues in general. Prince Philip, her husband of more than seven decades, died in April aged 99. That has not stopped her from carrying out her official engagements, although her age has meant she has handed more duties to Charles and other members of the royal family. She was this month seen using a walking stick for support in public for the first time, apart from after her knee operation. Not only has she lost her husband, who she described as her "strength and stay", but her second son Prince Andrew has quit royal duties over his links to U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, a registered sex offender who killed himself in a Manhattan jail in 2019. Her grandson Prince Harry and his American wife Meghan have also stepped away from royal duties to move to Los Angeles from where they delivered some barbed attacks on Buckingham Palace. Elizabeth's next major engagement is at the end of the month when she is due to welcome world leaders at the opening of COP26 in Glasgow. Check out the latest DH videos: South Korean President Moon Jae-in will travel to Europe next week to attend a Group of 20 summit in Rome and the UN climate conference in Scotland, his office said on Friday. The nine-day trip, which kicks off on Thursday, will also include talks on Oct. 29 in the Vatican with Pope Francis and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Moon's spokeswoman said. Moon will then participate in the two-day gathering of G20 leaders in Rome starting Oct. 30, before moving to Glasgow for the COP26 summit set to run from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12. He then plans to make a state visit to Hungary where he will take part in a summit with the so-called "Visegrad Four" countries, including Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Also Read | What is COP26? What is at stake in Glasgow? South Korea is one of the world's most fossil-fuel reliant economies, with coal making up over 41 per cent of the country's electricity mix and renewable power just over 6 per cent. Last year, Moon pledged to go carbon neutral by 2050 and unveiled a Green New Deal to create jobs and boost economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. This month he vowed to raise its emissions-reduction goal to 40 per cent of 2018 levels by 2030 from the previous 26.3 per cent. In the Vatican, both sides want to discuss ways to promote peace on the Korean peninsula and global issues, Moon's spokeswoman said. In July, Seoul's intelligence chief said he was working on a possible visit by Francis to North Korea after Moon relayed a verbal invitation from leader Kim Jong Un during his 2018 meeting with the pontiff. Officials from the North Korean Embassy in London will join the COP26, the South's Yonhap news agency reported on Friday, a possible sign that the reclusive country might resume in-person diplomacy after two years of focusing inward amid the Covid-19 pandemic and border closures. Check out latest DH videos here The White House clarified Friday that there was no change in US policy on Taiwan after President Joe Biden promised to defend the island from Chinese attack, angering Beijing. "The president was not announcing any change in our policy and there is no change in our policy," a White House spokesperson said. The White House said it was still guided by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, in which Congress required the United States to provide the island weapons for its own defence but was ambiguous on whether the United States would intervene militarily. "We will uphold our commitment under the act to support Taiwan's self-defense, and we will continue to oppose any unilateral changes in the status quo," the spokesperson said. Biden, asked at a CNN televised forum Thursday night if the United States would come to Taiwan's defense if China invaded, replied, "Yes." "We have a commitment to that," he said. The Taiwan Relations Act was passed when the United States switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing and committed Washington to maintain de facto diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Watch latest videos by DH here: After India achieved the significant milestone of administering 100 crore Covid-19 vaccines on Thursday, the focus will now shift to the unvaccinated citizens and those who have only received the first dose. According to V K Paul, member (health) Niti Ayog and Chairman of the government's Covid Task Force, the focus of the immunisation drive would now shift to ensure vaccination of the maximum number of the 94 crore eligible beneficiaries. A little over nine months after launching the immunisation drive on January 16, nearly 75 per cent of India's 94 crore adult population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19, while 31 per cent of the total eligible beneficiaries have been fully vaccinated. Paul said about 10 crore individuals due for their second dose of the vaccine were yet to turn up for immunisation. It is now unfinished work that we must accomplish and send reminders to those individuals to take their second dose, he said. India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said shortly after the 100-crore milestone was crossed around 9:50 am on Thursday. Today, when India has achieved a #VaccineCentury, I went to a vaccination centre at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The vaccine has brought pride and protection in the lives of our citizens. pic.twitter.com/MUObjQKpga Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 21, 2021 Modi visited the RML Hospital in the national capital to acknowledge the contribution of healthcare workers who played a crucial role in the fight against Covid-19 that had crippled the world economy. The country now has a strong protective shield of 100 crore vaccine doses. This achievement belongs to India and its citizens, the Prime Minister said. India has relied on Serum Institute produced Covishield, indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech and Russian-made Sputnik V for the vaccination drive. Covishield has emerged as the mainstay of the vaccination drive, accounting for 88.58 per cent of the total doses administered and Covaxin has been given to 11.46 per cent of beneficiaries. Sputnik V has been given to a miniscule number of beneficiaries. It took us 279 days to reach here. Only 52 per cent of Indians have received at least a single dose so far. 70 million people aged 45+ are yet to get even a single dose. Miles to go, said Rijo M. John, Adjunct Professor, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences. India celebrated the 100-crore vaccination milestone in style with ships blaring horns at various ports, public announcements being made at airports, train stations and bus terminals. The Archeological Survey of India illuminated monuments under its care to celebrate the occasion. Check out DH's latest videos India is unlikely to see a Covid wave like the devastating second one unless there is a new immune escaping variant but the lower number of cases does not necessarily mean the pandemic is now endemic, several experts said on Friday. Giving hope and also injecting a note of caution as the festive season peaks with Diwali just days ahead, they said a dipping Covid graph is only part of the picture and pointed to factors such as the mortality rate, the need for a larger vaccination cover, and examples of countries such as the UK where numbers are again rising. A day after India reached the milestone of 100 crore Covid vaccine doses, virologist Shahid Jameel said vaccination rates have improved significantly but more needs to be done. Also Read | 100-crore vaccinations: Journey so far & hurdles ahead I am not sure we are in the endemic state yet As we celebrate this (100 crore) landmark, there is still some distance to go. We are going towards endemicity, but are not there yet, Jameel, a visiting professor at Ashoka University in Haryana, told PTI in an email interview. He also noted that daily confirmed Covid cases in India have been decreasing slowly over the past three months from about 40,000 per day to about 15,000 per day now. According to Union Health Ministry data on Friday, there were 15,786 new Covid-19 cases, marking 28 straight days of a daily rise of less than 30,000. The death toll climbed to 4,53,042 with 231 deaths. Jameel, one of Indias best-known virologists, also pointed out that the mortality rate in the country remains steady at about 1.2 per cent. This tells me that the vaccine coverage in India still needs to increase, he added. Also Read | Antibody injection cuts severe Covid-19 risk: AstraZeneca study A disease is described as endemic when it continues to be present within a given geographical area but its impact is manageable. There have been some confusing claims about this recently Low cases for some time do not necessarily mean endemicity. It is possible that endemicity is close in some parts of the country, but the data needed to confirm this is not easily available, added Murad Banaji, senior lecturer in mathematics at UKs Middlesex University who has been closely tracking Indias Covid graph and has done several model studies. For example, we do not know how many current infections are occurring amongst people who have been vaccinated or infected before, Banaji told PTI. He added that nobody knows what an endemic future would look like or what levels of Covid to expect. What is likely is that measures to control transmission will still be needed for some years to come. Epidemiologist Ramanan Laxminaryan concurred, saying there can be periodic flare-ups even with an endemic disease as is being observed in the UK. I believe we should wait for another two months before determining whether Covid-19 poses a significant future threat to the country, Laxminarayan, director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy in Washington, told PTI in an email interview. In the UK, Jameel noted, the caseload has increased from about 30,000 cases per day in mid-September to almost 50,000 cases per day. However, the mortality rate has fallen from 2 per cent in mid-July to about 0.2 per cent now. In the US, after reaching almost 200,000 cases per day in early September, the cases are now down to about 80,000 per day. However, the mortality rate remains the same as earlier in the year. The experts said that India will continue to experience local increases in Covid cases even though it is unlikely to see another overwhelming surge in infections like it did during the second wave when the countrys healthcare system was overwhelmed and thousands died. Banaji said there have been a large number of recent infections, and vaccination has been proceeding at a reasonable pace. These both reduce the likelihood of a major new wave in the next few months, he explained. New variants could potentially still pose a challenge. Any new variant which spreads much more easily, especially amongst people who are vaccinated or have been previously infected, could lead to new surges. Hopefully, he added, India will not see a wave on the scale of April-June 2021 ever again, although there could be some increase in transmission during festival season. Jameel agreed. A large third wave is unlikely unless a new variant emerges that evades existing immunity and spreads faster but small localised increases after Diwali can be expected just as there was in West Bengal after Durga Puja. The focus, in his view, should be on ensuring that all those with one dose get the second dose quickly. While the milestone of 100 crore vaccinations is an achievement for any country, India also has a large population and many remain to still be vaccinated, he said. According to Co-WIN portal data, over 71 crore vaccine doses were administered as the first dose and over 29 crore as the second dose. More than 75 per cent of India's adult population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and more than 31 per cent of the country's around 93 crore adults have got both doses. Banaji said as long as there are vulnerable people, for example, those who remain unvaccinated, or who have a weakened immune system, a major surge will mean more deaths. For these reasons, local authorities should plan how to keep transmission low for the foreseeable future. Children need to go to school, and people need to work and earn a living. But there are plenty of measures which reduce risk without bringing life to a halt, the scientist stressed. Terming the expansion of vaccination coverage a "huge success", Laxminarayan said this one measure alone will contribute to India being less vulnerable to Covid than many other countries. Official figures show only a small part of the picture. We know that recorded cases are a tiny fraction of infections, and recorded Covid-19 deaths are a small fraction of total pandemic deaths, said Banaji. What is worrying is that in some parts of the country surveillance is so poor that if a new surge started we might not see it in official data, he added. The scientist said it is very important to encourage transparency and better surveillance, holding up states such as Kerala and Maharashtra as examples of better surveillance rather than criticising them for their higher numbers. Check out the latest videos from DH: Track DH's latest updates of news in India and across the world! The CBI on Friday arrested six persons in connection with its probe into alleged derogatory social media posts against the members of the higher judiciary, officials said. The central agency had registered a case on November 11 last year against 16 people, taking over 12 FIRs on the orders of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, they said. The CBI took into custody Sridhar Reddy Avuthu, Jalagam Venkata Satyanarayana, Guda Sridhar Reddy, Sreenath Suswaram, Kishore Kumar Darisa alias Kishore Reddy Darisa and Sudduluri Ajay Amruth. "It was alleged that the key personnel occupying posts of prominence in the State of Andhra Pradesh, by intentionally targeting the Judiciary, made derogatory posts on social media platform against Honourable Judges and Judiciary following some Court verdicts delivered by the Judges of High Court of Andhra Pradesh," CBI spokesperson RC Joshi said. The agency is using available channels such as MLAT (mutual legal assistance treaty), INTEROL to collect evidence from abroad, he said. "During the investigation, CBI had earlier arrested five accused and also filed five separate chargesheets against them. The investigation is continuing," he said. The CBI also got a lot of objectionable posts removed from the social media platforms, public domains, he said. Check out the latest videos from DH: Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Friday said India faces a myriad of external security challenges and most worrisome are China's technological advances in the cyber and space domains. He was speaking at the three-day Indian Air Force Conclave, that was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Yelahanka Air Force Station here, to commemorate 50-years of victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which is being celebrated this year as 'Swarnim Vijay Varsh'. "India faces a myriad of external security challenges with deep regional interlinkages, marred by legacy of unresolved boundary disputes, culture of competition, and challenge to undermining India's strategic space," Rawat said. He said India is also witnessing geo-strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, including race for strategic bases in the Indian Ocean region, and increasing militarisation of Belt and Road outposts in the region by northern adversary China. Read | India successfully flight-tests ABHYAS off Odisha coast "Most worrisome are China's technological advances in the spheres of cyber and space domain, which often transcend beyond the military, to include critical national infrastructure as well," he said, adding that the recent incidents on the northern borders along with aggressive posturing will remain a cornerstone of China's expansionist foreign policy of which India has to always be wary about. On Pakistan, the CDS said that its continued sponsoring of cross border terrorism, a vicious anti-India rhetoric on social media, and efforts to create social disharmony within India, makes the trust gap between India and that county appear to be "unbridgeable". Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, and Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka, among others, were present at the event. Pointing at how things have changed in the world since 1971, Ajay Kumar stressed the need to be prepared "manyfold more", to face today's security scenario. Noting that the situation in Galwan was effectively controlled by prompt and effective action by India's armed forces, he, however, said the position on the LAC continues to be tense, and the fact that India's adversary continues to ramp up both infrastructure and assets across the border remains a matter of concern. "We continue to see increased activities of China and disputes which it is unilaterally claiming to be its own in the South China sea," he said, as he also spoke about cross border proxy war and facilitation of terrorism, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, by Pakistan, and the situation in Afghanistan having potential for new challenges which could happen at any point of time. Kumar, also highlighting that China has moved towards jointness and theatre commands, said, it has spelt out in its operational doctrine that it wants to be "no more a regional power, but a world class military power." China has aimed for itself to complete military modernisation by 2035 and to be a world class military by 2049, he said. Pointing out at the changes in the way war is fought with new technologies by influencing cyber and space, he said, "today we have non-conventional ways of fighting war and we need to be prepared for it." The Defence Secretary also said "Air Force has been taking up modernisation in the last 4-5 years. In the last 5 years Rs 2.5 Lakh crores has been spent on modernisation of the Indian Air Force." Watch latest videos by DH here: Searches were held on Friday by vigilance sleuths here and in Salem in connection with a case of Rs 27.22 crore disproportionate assets against C Vijayabaskar, who was the Health Minister in the previous AIADMK regime. In Chennai, the searches were held in the residence of a former personal assistant to Vijayabaskar, in the office of a property developer, and another person. The raid was conducted in a hospital in Salem, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption said. The searches were carried out after obtaining a warrant from a court in Pudukottai, the agency added. A case was filed by the DVAC on October 17 against Vijayabaskar, for possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 27.22 crore. The following day, searches were held in 50 locations in the state. Watch the latest DH Videos here: India is among the select few countries which are developing hypersonic weapons, an independent Congressional report has said, amidst a media report which claimed that China recently tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile which circled the globe before missing its target, demonstrating an advanced space capability that caught US intelligence by surprise. The independent Congressional Research Service (CRS), in a latest report this week, said that although the US, Russia and China possess the most advanced hypersonic weapons programmes, a number of other countries, including Australia, India, France, Germany and Japan, are also developing hypersonic weapons technology. While Australia has collaborated with the US, India has collaborated with Russia on this, the CRS said in its report. India has collaborated with Russia on the development of BrahMos II, a Mach 7 hypersonic cruise missile, the CRS report said. Also Read | India is completely 'atmanirbhar' in missile technology: DRDO chief Although BrahMos II was initially intended to be fielded in 2017, news reports indicate that the programme faces significant delays and is now scheduled to achieve initial operational capability between 2025 and 2028. Reportedly, India is also developing an indigenous, dual-capable hypersonic cruise missile as part of its Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle programme and successfully tested a Mach 6 scramjet in June 2019 and September 2020, the CRS said. India operates approximately 12 hypersonic wind tunnels and is capable of testing speeds of up to Mach 13, said the Congressional report which is prepared by independent subject area experts for members of the US Congress. The Financial Times this week reported that China has tested hypersonic missiles. However, China denied it, saying it tested a hypersonic vehicle and not a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile as reported by the leading British newspaper which also said that the missile missed its target by about two-dozen miles. The report said that China tested the nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the globe before speeding towards its target, demonstrating an advanced space capability that caught US intelligence by surprise. According to the CRS, since 2007, the US has collaborated with Australia on the Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) programme to develop hypersonic technologies. The most recent HIFiRE test, successfully conducted in July 2017, explored the flight dynamics of a Mach 8 hypersonic glide vehicle, while previous tests explored scramjet engine technologies, it said. HIFiREs successor, the Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment (SCIFiRE) programme, is to further develop hypersonic air-breathing technologies. SCIFiRE demonstration tests are expected by the mid-2020s. In addition to the Woomera Test Range facilities, one of the largest weapons test facilities in the world, Australia reportedly operates seven hypersonic wind tunnels and is capable of testing speeds of up to Mach 30, the report said. Like India, France has also collaborated and contracted with Russia on the development of hypersonic technology. And Japan is developing the Hypersonic Cruise Missile (HCM) and the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP), it said. The CRS said that in recent years, the US has focused such efforts on developing hypersonic glide vehicles, which are launched from a rocket before gliding to a target, and hypersonic cruise missiles, which are powered by high-speed, air-breathing engines during flight. The Department of Defence (DOD) is currently developing hypersonic weapons under the Navys Conventional Prompt Strike programme, which is intended to provide the US military with the ability to strike hardened or time-sensitive targets with conventional warheads, as well as through several Air Force, Army and DARPA programmes, the CRS said. According to the CRS, unlike programmes in China and Russia, US hypersonic weapons are to be conventionally armed. As a result, US hypersonic weapons will likely require greater accuracy and will be more technically challenging to develop than nuclear-armed Chinese and Russian systems, it added. Check out latest DH videos here India has signed a Rs 423 crore contract with the United States for procurement of MK 54 torpedo to equip its P-81 maritime surveillance aircraft with anti-submarine capability. The Ministry of Defence signed the contract with the US government on Thursday for procurement of MK 54 Torpedo and Expendable (Chaff and Flares) for the Indian Navy, officials said in New Delhi. The US State Department had in April 2020 approved the Foreign Military Sale to the Government of India of 16 MK 54 All Up Round Lightweight Torpedoes (LWT), three MK 54 Exercise Torpedoes. The proposed sale will improve India's capability to meet current and future threats from enemy weapon systems. The MK 54 Lightweight Torpedo will provide the capability to conduct anti-submarine warfare missions. India will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defence. India intends to utilise MK 54 Lightweight Torpedoes on its P-8I aircraft. India will have no difficulty absorbing these systems into its armed forces, according to a press-release issued by the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency. Watch latest videos by DH here: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Friday sent a legal notice to former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik seeking Rs 10 crore compensation for his alleged "defamatory" remarks against her. The notice comes days after Malik, who is now the governor of Meghalaya, allegedly said that Mehbooba Mufti was a beneficiary of the now-abandoned Roshni scheme which aimed to grant proprietary rights to occupants of state land for charges. Also Read | Was offered Rs 300-crore bribe to clear deals of 'Ambani', 'RSS-linked man': Ex-J&K Guv "Although no amount of money can compensate my client for the loss of reputation and good name which has been caused by your aforesaid conduct, yet my client has decided to sue you for compensation," Mehbooba's counsel Anil Sethi wrote in the legal notice. The notice asked Malik to pay Rs 10 crore within 30 days as compensation or face legal proceedings. It said the compensation money will not be used by Mehbooba for any personal gains but for the public good. Also Read | BJP's policies have taken J&K back by decades, says Mehbooba Mufti Earlier on Wednesday, Mehbooba had asked Malik, who was the last governor of Jammu and Kashmir before it was bifurcated, to withdraw his comments. "False & unsavoury utterances of Satya Pal Malik about me being a beneficiary of Roshni Act is highly mischievous. My legal team is preparing to sue him. "He has the option to withdraw his comments failing which I will pursue legal recourse," Mehbooba said in a tweet two days ago. Mehbooba shared a video in which Malik is seen claiming that National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and the PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti got land plots under the Roshni scheme. Also Read | Meghalaya Governor Malik supports agitating farmers, cautions Centre against offending farmers The Roshni Act was brought in by the Farooq Abdullah government with the aim of granting proprietary rights to occupants of state land in lieu of charges. The money thus generated was to be used for setting up hydro-power plants in the state. However, the scheme was disbanded after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court declared it illegal and directed the CBI to investigate the beneficiaries of the scheme. Check out the latest videos from DH: Recent incidents of communal violence against minority Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh has set off a churning in the political discourse of West Bengal, with the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Opposition BJP trying to cash in on the issue in the run-up to the October 30 bye-elections in the state. However, political analysts are divided over whether the incidents in Bangladesh will bore any political dividends for the saffron camp in West Bengal and shape the political discourse in the state. The communal violence in Bangladesh has also revived the debate over the need to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in West Bengal, with the saffron party underling its need to help the persecuted Hindu minority in the neighbouring country. Also Read Protesters in Bangladesh demand law to protect minorities as they condemn violence against Hindus Violence erupted in parts of Bangladesh last week over an alleged blasphemy incident at a Durga Puja pavilion at Comilla, around 100 km from Dhaka, following which paramilitary forces were deployed in many affected areas. However, sporadic clashes broke out between the police and bigots as media reported the vandalisation of Hindu temples and Durga Puja marquees. At least five people were killed, and scores were injured in the violence. The recent spate of communal violence in Bangladesh has found resonance in West Bengal with BJP leaders using it in their campaign in the by-elections to four assembly constituencies. "Obliviously, the kind of violence that took place in Bangladesh and the way Hindus were attacked will have an impact on this side of the border. This was the reason that our government at the Centre had passed the CAA. But parties like the TMC had opposed it for their vote bank politics. Now, these parties have gone silent. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee can take the Joy Bangla slogan from Bangladesh but can't utter a word against such incidents," BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said. Also Read | Initiate action against those who incited violence using religion, Bangladesh PM tells home minister Echoing him, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said that the incidents in the neighbouring country would have a "definite impact" on the eastern state. "Wherever Hindus will be attacked, we would raise our voice against it and fight for justice. The attack on the minority community in Bangladesh will have an impact on West Bengal. The people here will very well understand why we fought for CAA and why the TMC opposed it," he said. Out of the four Assembly seats -- Dinhata, Santipur, Gosaba and Khardah the BJP has kick-started a high-pitch campaign in Bangladesh-bordering Dinhata and Santipur in Coochbehar and Nadia districts respectively, highlighting the atrocities on Hindus in the neighbouring country. These constituencies have a sizeable number of voters who trace their roots to Bangladesh and had to leave the country during partition in 1947 or the Liberation War in 1971. Santipur has a sizeable Matua population, who make for a large chunk of the state's Scheduled Caste population. They had been migrating to West Bengal since the 1950s, primarily due to religious persecution in erstwhile East Pakistan, and subsequently, in Bangladesh. Riding on the CAA poll plank, both these bordering seats were won by the BJP in the April-May assembly elections but were vacated after legislators resigned to retain their MP seats. Pointing to the unprecedented number of protest rallies across the state, BJP leader Tathagata Roy said this is quite a "shift from the past" when hardly protest rallies used to be held over attacks on minorities in the neighbouring country. "Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh is not a new thing. Maybe this time, it has crossed all the limits. But what is new is the unprecedented number of protest rallies organised in West Bengal in the last one week. It may or may not have an impact on the state's political or electoral discourse, but it is for sure have started churning in West Bengal," he said. The BJP had organised a two-day-long protest programme across West Bengal against the attacks on Hindus. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had organised four-day-long protest programmes in various parts of the state against violence. The right-wing groups have started a massive online campaign with Twitter hashtags like #SaveBangladeshiHindus, and #SaveBengaliHindus. Also Read | Growing anti-Hindu mindset in Bangladesh alarming: Taslima Nasreen Although the TMC has demanded that the violence against the Hindus in Bangladesh should immediately stop, it declined to attach much importance to BJP's attempt to polarise the masses by using the incidents as a launching pad. "We want that minorities in Bangladesh should be protected by its government. But the BJP should stop pursuing vulture politics over dead bodies. The saffron partys attempt to polarise people in West Bengal won't yield any result as their top brass itself has been maintaining a deafening silence on the matter," TMC leader Sougata Roy said. Echoing him, party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue. "It is quite shocking that we have not heard a single word from our prime minister. But during the West Bengal assembly elections, he had visited a temple in Bangladesh. Some BJP leaders are saying that the incident in the neighbouring country will benefit their party. This means that the saffron party is the beneficiary of such atrocious attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. There should be a proper investigation into the role of the beneficiaries also," Ghosh said. Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had noted that the government in the neighbouring country had reacted promptly to ensure that the situation was under control and said that the Indian mission is in close contact with the Bangladeshi authorities over the matter. Political analysts, however, were divided over the impact of communal violence in Bangladesh on West Bengal's politics. Political scientist Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury felt that communal violence in Bangladesh, India, or Pakistan has a cascading effect on the region. "India, Pakistan, Bangladesh were one country during the British rule. There are a lot of similarities. So, whenever an incident such as communal violence of this nature takes place in one country, it has a cascading effect on the other two. It is quite obvious that this will have an impact on West Bengal and its politics. The nature of our state's politics has also changed over the years," he said. However, political analyst Suman Bhattacharya differed with his views, saying that communal violence in Bangladesh won't impact West Bengals political landscape, barring a few pockets, as the counter-narrative of Bengali sub-nationalism has defeated religious fanaticism. Watch the latest DH Videos here: "Only a few months back, this communal narrative, demand for CAA has been defeated in the West Bengal elections. People voted for the narrative of Bengali sub-nationalism. The BJP will try to reap some dividends, but it won't be able to make any major changes," he said. The Trinamool Congress, led by feisty Mamata Banerjee, stormed to power for the third consecutive time riding on the poll plank of sub-nationalism and bagged 213 seats. In contrast, the BJP, despite its high-pitch poll campaign, managed to bag only 77 seats. Echoing Bhattacharya, political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty felt that the BJP's "communal narrative" won't resonate with the voters in the by-polls as people are more concerned about "fuel prices" and other "anti-people policies". Congress on Friday appointed Rajasthan Minister Harish Chaudhary as the new party in-charge of poll-bound Punjab, heeding the request of senior leader Harish Rawat to relieve him from the post so that he could concentrate on Uttarakhand Assembly polls. Chaudhary will be the party in-charge of poll-bound Punjab and the union territory of Chandigarh and the immediate task before him would be to equip the party to neutralise any challenge from former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who has announced the launch of his party. Read | No harm to Congress: Harish Rawat on Amarinder's party "Harish Rawat is being relieved from his current responsibility as AICC General Secretary in-charge of Punjab and Chandigarh. He shall continue as member CWC (Congress Working Committee," Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said. With Punjab being a poll-bound state where the Congress stakes are high, sources said, Chaudhary is likely to be divested of his responsibilities as a Minister in Rajasthan to enable him to concentrate on his new assignment. The 73-year-old former Uttarakhand Chief Minister has been asking the party's central leadership to relieve him from the responsibility for the past some time, as he wanted to concentrate in Uttarakhand. Though he has not been announced as the face of the party in the polls early next year, Rawat hopes to be the Chief Minister of the state again. For the Congress leadership, he had steered the party unit in Punjab and ensured that Amarinder Singh is ousted as Chief Minister following a campaign by Navjot Singh Sidhu with the support of top leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. He also helped the leadership to instal Sidhu as party chief in the state. Two days ago, Rawat had once again tweeted his wish to be relieved of the responsibility in Punjab and indicated that the leadership has agreed to it. Watch latest videos by DH here: The three-day CPI(M) Central Committee meeting began here on Friday with a preliminary discussion on the political resolution to be placed in next year's Party Congress, which once again brought to the surface division within the party over the stand to be adopted on Sonia Gandhi-led Congress. The Party Congress, which was to be held in April this year but postponed owing to Assembly polls in Kerala and West Bengal among other states, will be held in Kerala's Kannur next April. Sources said the opinion was divided in the meeting over the CPI(M)'s relationship with Congress with sections supporting General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and his predecessor Prakash Karat taking a divergent line. The Central Committee will end on Sunday. The 2018 Party Congress had decided that the primary objective of the CPI(M) is to defeat the BJP and to achieve this, it could enter into an "understanding" with the Congress and other secular parties, junking the line propagated by the Karat faction. However, it was decided not to have any "political alliance" with Congress. Sources said Central Committee members from Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana among others, who support the Karat line, are of the view that there is no point in having any link with Congress, citing its electoral reverses, while their opponents like the West Bengal unit feel that the issue has been raked up again and again despite the 2018 conclave deciding on it. Those supporting the Yechury line are of the view that the political situation has not changed and it is impractical to keep Congress out of the scheme of things in the fight against the BJP. They also think that the issue is raked up to prevent him a third term while those opposing any truck with the Congress deny any such motive and point towards the dismal show in West Bengal Assembly polls. After the Central Committee finalised the points to be included in the political resolution, sources said, the Politbureau would meet again to prepare the draft document, which would be placed again in the Central Committee for finalisation. Watch latest videos by DH here: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will embark on a two-day visit to poll-bound Goa next week, a TMC leader said on Friday. Elections to the 40-member Goa assembly will be held early next year. "After returning from her north Bengal visit, the TMC chief will leave for Goa on October 28 on a two-day visit. She will hold meetings with party leaders in the coastal state. Her itinerary, however, is yet to be finalised," he said. The Trinamool Congress, after its stunning victory in the West Bengal assembly elections earlier this year, is trying to increase its footprint nationally and has made inroads in BJP-ruled Goa and Tripura. Read | Trinamool Congress appoints ex-Goa CM Luizinho Faleiro as national VP Former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro and several other Congress leaders had joined the TMC last month. Although TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had ruled out the possibility of allying with any other party for the upcoming assembly polls in Goa, the party supremo is likely to meet leaders of smaller parties in the state. "Mamata Di might meet some leaders of smaller parties not necessarily for any alliance but may be to invite them to join our party," another TMC leader said. The West Bengal unit of the BJP and the Congress mocked Banerjee's visit as "political tourism to the coastal state". "The weather in Goa now is apt for tourists. She is going there for a vacation," BJP state spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said. Senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan said her visit wouldn't yield any results and is aimed at helping "her ally BJP" in Goa. "The TMC has been constantly attacking the Congress and poaching our leaders. The political posturing of the TMC is aimed at helping the BJP. In Goa too, they are planning to do the same thing," he said. Former Congress women's wing chief and senior party leader from Assam, Sushmita Dev, had earlier quit the grand old party to join the TMC. The Trinamool Congress has been up in arms against Congress over its alleged failure to fight the BJP. Earlier this month, the relationship between the Congress and the TMC touched a new low after the ruling party in West Bengal took a dig at Rahul Gandhi's defeat at Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls by wondering whether the Congress would erase the defeat with a Twitter trend. The two party's relationship was strained after TMC's mouthpiece 'Jago Bangla' claimed that party supremo Mamata Banerjee, and not Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, is the face of the opposition against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Check out the latest videos from DH: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his scheduled address to the upcoming UN climate conference in the UK, saying he will speak on climate change when his government is diluting environmental and forest laws in India. "So our Prime Minister will indeed go to Glasgow to give gyaan to the world on climate change. But at home, his Government dilutes all environmental and forest laws, weakens institutions and muzzles civil society," he said on Twitter. Also Read | PM Modi's data on Covid vaccinations 'semi-baked': Congress "Maximum Hypocrisy. Minimum Democracy," the former union environment minister said. Climate finance will be the focus of the upcoming United Nations 26th conference of parties (COP 26) to be held in the UK and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Friday. The international climate conference will be held from October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow. Also Read | Vaccine feat silenced critics, Covid-19 fight not over yet: PM Narendra Modi In another tweet, Congress leader Ramesh hit out at the prime minister over his address to the nation on India crossing the 100-crore mark of vaccinations, saying he has forgotten those who suffered due to loss of lives and livelihood because of his government's failures in managing the pandemic. "Jagadguru of Jhoot (world leader of lies) excelled himself today rewriting history, twisting facts, distorting reality, making meaningless comparisons, beating his own chest -- in short, being himself. While he forgot those who suffered the loss of lives and livelihoods from Covid-19 due to his Government's failures," Ramesh said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: After Congress leader Kamal Naths actor-director remarks targeting the BJP over the backwardness of Punjapura, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan atacked him for his choice of words on Thursday. Nath had said Punjapura, under the Khandwa Lok Sabha constituency, owed its backwardness to the saffron party and the party members should identify who the actor and director are for their own benefit, according to ANI. "Congress doesn't see these (development) works. Kamal Nath was nearby yesterday. He said, 'Shivraj Singh is actor and Modi Ji is the director.' This actor is bringing water supply to the entire Nimar region. You ask your leaders what did they do when it was your government," Chouhan told ANI. "It was the director, PM Modi, who decided that Rs 6,000 per year will be deposited in bank accounts of smallest of farmers. The actor, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, decided that PM is giving Rs 6000 and I've become CM for the fourth time so I should add Rs 4000 to it and give them Rs 10,000," he added. Check out the latest DH videos: Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, in his plea in the Bombay High Court seeking bail, has said the NCB was "misinterpreting" his WhatsApp chats to implicate him in the case of seizure of banned drugs aboard a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast earlier this month. Aryan Khan, currently in jail, on Wednesday moved the HC after a special court rejected his application for bail. The HC will hear his bail plea on October 26. In his appeal in the HC against the special court order, Aryan Khan said the Narcotics Control Bureau's "interpretation and misinterpretation" of the WhatsApp chats collected from his mobile phone was "wrong and unjustified". The 23-year-old claimed no contraband was recovered from him after the NCB raided the ship and maintained he has no connection with any of the other accused in the case except Arbaaz Merchant and Aachit Kumar. Read | 'No drug chats between Aryan Khan, Ananya Panday' So far, the anti-drugs agency has arrested as many as 20 people in connection with the case. The appeal further said the WhatsApp chats that are being relied upon by the NCB are "ex-facie (on the face of it) of a period prior to the incident". "By no stretch of imagination can those purported messages be linked to any conspiracy for which the secret information was received," it said. "The interpretation of the WhatsApp messages is that of the investigating officer and such interpretation is unjustified and wrong," the appeal said. Aryan Khan also questioned the special court's contention while refusing him bail, that since he is an influential person he may tamper with evidence in the case if released from custody. "There is no presumption in law that merely because a person is influential, there is likelihood of him tampering with the evidence," the appeal said. Aryan Khan was arrested on October 3 by the NCB along with his friend Arbaaz Merchant (26) and fashion model Munmun Dhamecha (28). The trio is presently in judicial custody. While Aryan Khan and Merchant are lodged at the Arthur Road prison in central Mumbai, Dhamecha is at the Byculla women's prison. A special court, designated to hear cases related to the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), refused to grant them bail noting that "they were part of the conspiracy". The lower court had said Aryan Khan had a "nexus with drug peddlers and suppliers and had indulged in illicit drug activities on a regular basis". Watch latest videos by DH here: Where is the Tata who can restore it to glory? Ousted as Punjab chief minister by the Congress last month, Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday night announced that he will launch a new party and hopefully enter into a "seat arrangement" with the BJP in the next year's Assembly elections if the saffron party manages to resolve the farmers' protest. Read more Amid a wave of targeted attacks that have left 11 civilians dead, a strategy is likely to be drafted to finish militancy in Jammu and Kashmir during Union Home Minister Amit Shahs three-day visit to the Union Territory (UT) which begins on Saturday. In his first visit to J&K, after the abrogation of special status of erstwhile state and its bifurcation into two UTs in August 2019, Shah will be accompanied by top officials of the Union Home Ministry, including Home Secretary A K Bhalla and heads of most of the central armed police forces (CAPFs) and intelligence agencies. Shah will chair a high-level security review meeting in Srinagar on October 23, the first day of his three-day tour to the UT, where a strategy is likely to be drafted to tackle sudden spurt in civilian killings and finish militancy in the region, a source told DH. Also Read It's time sections in Kashmir overcome selective dementia, condemn civilian killings: Army officer Eleven civilians, including members of minority community and non-locals, have been killed by the militants in Kashmir in the last two-weeks, leading to fear and migration of labourers from the Valley. The security meeting is expected to come out with a plan for protection of civilians including minorities and non-locals, they said. Top brass of MHA, CAPFs and intelligence agencies from New Delhi and senior officers of all security and intelligence agencies, operating in the UT besides Jammu and Kashmir Police will attend the security review meeting, the source said. The Home Minister is also scheduled to address panchayat members as well as political workers besides laying the foundation stone of two new government medical colleges (GMCs) for Udhampur and Handwara during his three-day visit. Shah is also scheduled to review developmental works in the UT, including those being executed under the Prime Ministers Development Package with top officials of the administration in Kashmir, sources said. The Home Minister will also address a public rally, organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), at Bhagwati Nagar Jammu on October 24. Sources said Shah will fly to Srinagar from New Delhi on October 23 and come to Jammu the next day before returning to the Valley the same evening. He will fly back to New Delhi in the evening of October 25 from Srinagar. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Friday, accused the Samajwadi Party of lodging fake criminal cases against Hindus and Lord Ram devotees during its governments tenure while felicitating terrorists. Adityanath also targeted Congress, accusing it of sowing seeds of terrorism. The root of terrorism was planted in Jammu and Kashmir by the Congress in the form of Article 370 in 1952," the chief minister said. Adityanath made the allegations while launching a scathing attack on opposition parties, especially the Samajwadi Party, and asked if people will forgive those who opened fire on Ram Bhakts. Also Read | Work on 11 new airports progressing in Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath "When our government was formed, the first task which was undertaken was to waive farmers' debt but in 2012 the first decision taken by the SP government was to withdraw the cases against terrorists," Yogi said. The chief minister made the remark while addressing the representatives of 'Chauhan Samaj' during the 'Samajik Pratinidhi Sammelan' organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party Backward Front here. Accusing SP leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav of not doing any development work during their tenures as Azamgarh MPs, Adityanath asked if there would have been firing at Ram Bhakts in 1990 had there been a BJP government at the helm. Will you forgive those who opened fire on Lord Ram devotees? Lord Ram will not," the chief minister said, adding the construction of Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya is an opportunity for 135 crore Indians to hold their heads high before the world. Also Read | UP needs 'yogya' government not Yogi government: Akhilesh Yadav Yogi Adityanath was referring to police firing on karsevaks gathered in Ayodhya on the saffron outfits' call in 1990 when the SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav was the UP chief minister. Continuing his attack on opposition parties, he said, "When the SP, BSP, and Congress had their governments, they had no time for anyone other than their families and they worked for terrorists. He alleged that during the SP government term in 2012, fake cases were lodged against Hindus, and terrorists were felicitated. Terrorists ki aarti utari jati thi, he said, adding that during the SP governments terms, temples and monasteries were used to be attacked like in the medieval period. He also accused the SP and BSP governments of promoting corruption in lower rungs of the police and revenue departments, saying the SP and BSP workers used to loot police stations and tehsils. Appealing to create awareness among the people in the favour of BJP in the runup to the state assembly elections early next year, Adityanath said, There is a need to go to villages and explain to people why the BJP government is necessary. If there is a BJP government, no one will dare indulge in riots, no mafia will grab government and if anyone does that, the state governments bulldozers will there be on his chest. Asking the Chauhan community members why none among them could become a governor after independence, Adityanath reminded them that it was only after the formation of the BJP government that Fagu Chauhan became the governor. Dara Singh Chouhan has been working relentlessly for the last four and a half years as a minister and Prabhunath Chauhan was made the vice-chairman of the Commission for Backward Classes, he said. He also questioned the previous governments on their failure in according constitutional status as to the Backward Classes Commission. It was because the intentions of previous governments were bad as they did not want the Dalits, backward and poor to be happy. The previous governments did not want every house to have cooking gas or electricity either. These people were content with spreading various diseases in every household, he said. Asserting that the government is fulfilling its promises one by one, he said, It is also your responsibility to reach out to each and every family and explain to them why the BJP is necessary for the country. Check out the latest videos from DH: The Union government has told the Supreme Court that a state government cannot claim a right to issue omnibus, sweeping and overarching directions to withdraw consent for a CBI probe into any matter. "The power to take a decision not to grant consent in any case to the central agency and / or power to pass a sweeping order withdrawing consent in all cases is an ultra vires exercise of power and is non-est," it said. The Centre maintained the statutory power conferred upon the state government to grant consent to the CBI is always coupled with a responsibility to exercise that power on a case-to-case basis with an inbuilt condition of exercising it in larger public interest and not to shield any accused or purely on political consideration. The Centre was responding to an original suit filed by the West Bengal against CBI probe into a number of cases, including those related post poll violence and coal pilferage case allegedly involving Abhishek Banerjee, TMC MP and nephew of CM Mamata Banerjee. After the WB government's decision November 16, 2018, the Centre denied that the CBI was always required to obtain the prior consent of the state before registering and investigating cases in the state's territory. On Friday, after taking the response into record, a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai put the matter for detailed hearing on November 16. In its affidavit, the Union government maintained that it was undeniable that despite the federal principles, the unitary bias of Constitution is well recognised. "From a combined reading of the Constitution, the relevant entries in the List I, List II and List III, the Delhi Police Establishment Act and the relevant precedents of this court, it cannot be stated that there is a complete embargo on any investigation by the Delhi Special Police (CBI) in all situations irrespective of the factual scenario," it said. The Centre said the Union government has itself not registered any case in West Bengal, nor has it been investigating any case. "Yet, as is evident from the prayers, each and every one in the present suit is directed either towards restraining the Union government from investigating any case or towards quashing cases where the Union government has allegedly registered FIRs," it said. On the other hand, it is the CBI, which has registered FIRs and investigated cases, but strangely, it has not made a party to the suit, it added. The Centre further said it is inconsequential whether the concerned state government has accorded its consent or not in conducting investigation into offences, committed in Railway Areas, or those relating to cross border international illegal trade, or those having multi-state ramifications or offences relating to employees under the direct administrative control of the Union government. Of 12 cases listed by the WB government with regard to CBI probe, the Centre said six cases were pending adjudication before the top court separately. Watch latest videos by DH here: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) detained a 24-year-old drug peddler late on Thursday night in the drugs-on-cruise case, in which Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan has also been detained. The man arrested last night is a prime suspect in the matter whose name has surfaced in the drugs-related chat. More details awaited. Check out the latest DH videos here: A city-based lawyer on Friday filed a criminal complaint against lyricist Javed Akhtar before a magistrate court here over his alleged remark against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) made during a television interview. The complaint against Akhtar was filed before the metropolitan magistrate court in Mulund for the offence under section 499 (defamation), 500 (punishment for defamation). Akhtar, 76, in a recent interview had drawn parallels between the Taliban and Hindu extremists. The complainant, Santosh Dubey, who claims to be an RSS supporter, alleged that Akhtar, with a view to gain political score, unnecessarily dragged the name of the RSS and defamed the organisation in a "calculated and well-planned move". Also Read | Controversy erupts after Javed Akhtar likens RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal to Taliban The statement made by the accused during an interview was "well planned" to defame the RSS as well as to discourage and misguide the people who have joined the RSS or would like to join the organisation, the complaint said. "The accused is very much aware that there is no similarity in thoughts, ideology, philosophy, mindsets and way of functioning of RSS and Taliban in any manner, but with the ill-intention to malign, damage, injure and harm the prestige, good-will, image of RSS, the accused has deliberately and intentionally made false defamatory imputation and imaginary statements," it added. The court will record the statement of the complainant in the next hearing to be held on November 16. Dubey had earlier lodged a complaint against Akhtar in this connection, based on which the Mulund police had registered an FIR under IPC section 500 against the veteran lyricist. Last month, the lawyer had sent a legal notice to Akhtar and sought an apology from him for making such statements. Check out latest DH videos here A 30-year-old man died after slipping from the balcony ledge of the 60-storey-tall skyscraper in Mumbai where a fire broke out on Friday. The fire broke out on the 19th floor of One Avighna Park located off Madhav Palav Road in the Currey Road area of Mumbai. The deceased was identified as Arun Tiwari, a 30-year-old man who was working with the security and housekeeping department of the posh imposing building. The man struggled for over 15 minutes hanging from the ledge and trying to secure himself, however, after some time, he gave up and fell to the ground. He was rushed to the KEM Hospital at Parel, where he was pronounced dead on admission. According to the Mumbai fire brigade and police, the fire broke out around 1150 to 1200 hrs. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the building. Maharashtras Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray, Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar and municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal were among those who rushed to the spot. People have been evacuatedas of now there are reports that two persons are missing, we are checking. The fire has been controlled and cooling operations are underway, Pednekar said. Sewri MLA Ajay Chaudhary said that the fire fighting systems of the building were not working. This is a serious issue, he said. Chahal said that there would be a thorough probe into the incident. The person who jumped from the building has died. There were other people in the building but they were saved. An investigation has been initiated to ascertain the cause of the fire. Action will be taken against the culprits, he said. Check out the latest DH videos here: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, who has been investigating the high-profile drugs on crusie case in which Aryan Khan has been arrested, responded to questions raised by Nawab Malik on his Maldives visit. Wankhede clarified that he had visited the island nation on holiday with his children and not in the capacity of an NCB officer. In an interview with NDTV, Wankhede said that he had visited the Maldives "with proper permission" and with his "own money" and not during the second wave-induced lockdown as claimed by Malik but a few months later. Malik had also claimed that Wankhede visited Dubai, which the NCB Zonal Director denied. Malik, an NCP leader, alleged that Wankhede had gone to the Maldives during the lockdown to conduct an extortion racket. "We are very clear. All this vasuli (extortion) took place in Maldives and Dubai and I will release those photos," Malik said on Thursday, and also posted some photos on his Twitter account. Also Read | NCB has 'malafide intentions', making 'selective leaks' to frame people, alleges Nawab Malik Wankhede added that Malik being a Minister of State could easily investigate these claims, but was instead resorting to allegations against the NCB sleuth's family. It may be recalled, Maliks son-in-law Sameer Khan was arrested by the NCB in a drugs case. However, he was subsequently given bail by a special NDPS court and the senior politician has since launched an expose against Wankhede. Before the Aryan Khan-cruise ship drugs case, Sameer Wankhede also led the investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Check out latest DH videos here A United Nations global warming conference beginning this month in Glasgow is considered a crucial moment for efforts to address the threat of climate change. About 20,000 heads of state, diplomats and activists are expected to meet in person starting Oct. 31 to set new targets for cutting emissions from burning coal, oil and gas that are heating the planet. The conference is held annually but this year is critical because scientists say nations must make an immediate, sharp pivot away from fossil fuels if they hope to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. The goal is to prevent the average global temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with levels before the Industrial Revolution. Thats the threshold beyond which scientists say the dangers of global warmings such as deadly heatwaves, water shortages, crop failures and ecosystem collapse grow immensely. But China, Australia, Russia and India have yet to make new pledges to cut their pollution, and its not clear that they will before the summit. Meanwhile, only a few wealthy countries have allocated money to help poor and vulnerable nations cope with the impacts of climate disasters that they have done little to cause. Those two factors make the likelihood of success at the conference, known as COP26, uncertain. What is COP26? COP stands for Conference of the Parties. In diplomatic parlance, the parties refer to 197 nations that agreed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at a meeting in 1992. That year the United States and some other countries ratified the treaty to combat dangerous human interference with the climate system and stabilize levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. This is the 26th time countries have gathered under the convention hence, COP26. So, what happened in the previous 25 years? The first COP was held in Berlin in 1995 after a critical mass of nations ratified the climate convention. It was a milestone and set the stage for the Kyoto Protocol two years later, which required wealthy, industrialized nations to curb emissions. That accord had its problems. Among them, the United States under former President George W Bush rejected it, citing the fact that it did not require China, India and other major emerging economies to reduce their greenhouse gases. Fast forward to 2015. After more than two decades of disputes over which nations bear the most responsibility for tackling climate change, leaders of nearly 200 countries signed the Paris Agreement. That deal was considered groundbreaking. For the first time, rich and poor countries agreed to act, albeit at different paces, to tackle climate change. The United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement under former President Donald J Trump but rejoined under President Biden. While leaders made big promises in Paris, countries have not done enough to stave off the worst impacts of climate change, which brings us to COP26 in Glasgow, where the pressure is on for leaders to be more ambitious. Where is COP26? The meetings will be held at the Scottish Event Campus, Glasgows largest exhibition centre. In addition to the more than 20,000 people expected to attend the formal talks and side events, large marches are expected around the city. Saturday, Nov. 6 has been designated the Global Day for Climate Justice and advocacy groups are expecting about 100,000 protesters. About 10,000 officers a day are planning to patrol the event, and Scottish law enforcement officials have promised that their approach will be welcoming, friendly and proportionate. Who will attend? President Biden said recently that he will be there with bells on. He is among about 100 heads of state who have said they will attend, including Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, and Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland. Among those who so far have not RSVPd in the affirmative: President Xi Jinping of China, the worlds largest emitter. Thousands of diplomats from nearly 200 countries will conduct the nuts and bolts of the negotiations, while business leaders, academic experts and activists, including Greta Thunberg, plan to monitor the proceedings and in many cases will advocate the most ambitious outcome. What will happen? The UK and UN hosts have said they want to keep hope alive of constraining global temperature rise to under 1.5 degrees Celsius. Meeting that goal means all countries must commit to cutting emissions faster and deeper than they already are doing. There is also an expectation that wealthy countries will significantly boost financial support to help the most vulnerable nations adapt to the impacts of warming and build economies that dont depend on fossil fuels. What is at stake? For every fraction of a degree of warming, scientists say, the world will see more intense heatwaves and drought, and more deadly floods and wildfires. Humans have already heated the planet by roughly 1.1 degrees Celsius, or 2 degrees Fahrenheit, since the 19th century. Countries have less than 10 years to reduce emissions enough to keep the planet below 1.5 degrees of warming. So if leaders dont commit to bold steps now, when so much global attention is focused on Glasgow, many fear the world will barrel toward dangerous levels of warming. So far 17 countries and the European Union have made new pledges, including the United States. President Biden has said that America will cut emissions 50 to 52% below 2005 levels in the next decade. As of now, though, few policies are in place to make that happen. Whether other countries come on board, and whether the United States can actually make good on its promise, will determine the trajectory of the planet. The annual summit was delayed last year because of the pandemic. Despite calls from environmental organizations to delay again, organisers have been adamant about holding this years event in person. The British hosts have offered to help any delegates who need a Covid-19 vaccination obtain one, but they are not mandating that attendees be vaccinated. Instead, they will require that delegates show a negative coronavirus test every day in order to be admitted to the conference centre. Attendees from countries that Britain has placed on its red list because of high infection rates must quarantine upon arrival. There must have been a time when the phrase "women's empowerment" conveyed the intended and worthy meaning of those two words. Not anymore. Its indifferent and random use by misogynists of all stripes, including politicians, has drained the phrase of any significant meaning. In fact, women's empowerment has largely come to be understood as a countervailing instrument to feminist ideology. It has come to signify containment, rather than autonomy or transformation of the lives of women. Against this backdrop, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi's announcement that her party will field 40 per cent of women candidates in the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh elections is loaded with implications and possibilities. "I have taken this decision for women's empowerment. There is no other political motive, agenda behind this decision," she said. If her use of the hackneyed phrase does not exactly inspire hope, Priyanka Gandhi's further elaboration that "women may not consolidate as a separate voting bloc in this election, they might consolidate in the next election or some time in the future" merits a closer look. This shift in electoral strategy raises the question: How does the Congress propose mobilising women in a state ridden with patriarchy, caste, violence, institutional failure? Breaking away from the mire of caste-based politics can, undoubtedly, open up interesting possibilitiespolitical and social. But a quota in itself, while ensuring greater political representation, may not carve out a vibrant constituency of women capable of seeking greater political and social autonomy. Identity-based constituencies, as we have seen in the case of caste, tend to be dragged into feeding narrow political and electoral interests rather than a socially transformative vision. Read | After Varanasi, Priyanka set to storm Yogi's bastion Keeping in mind that party-based gender quota is not entirely a novel idea is important in this context. Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and its Odisha counterpart, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), have reaped substantial electoral benefits by fielding a large number of women in elections and giving them political visibility. The contexts, however, are different in the states under discussion: The TMC and BJD are in charge of state governments, commanding resources and power to implement policies they want or deem beneficial. On the other hand, the Congress is a weak force in UP, struggling to resurrect itself from the margins of politics. Launched two years after Mamata Banerjee came to power in Bengal, the Kanyashree scheme based on conditional cash transfer to girls incentivises women to stay in school and delay marriage. A huge draw for women, the scheme has created a constituency of subaltern women who have remained loyal to Banerjee. This year's hard-fought assembly polls saw such women, especially from lower socio-economic strata, rallying behind Banerjee and contributing substantively to her third consecutive electoral triumph. But any kind of identity-based electoral mobilisation, especially if successful, usually tends to be reduced to a poll-expedient vote bank, which politicians can manipulate at will. Most political parties walk a narrow path, keeping women within the boundaries of electoral politics and not raising issues that challenge dominant and regressive cultural norms. In that sense, it needs to be underlined that electoral power is just one of many routes to empowering women. If Priyanka Gandhi's idea of women's empowerment is to make a mark, she needs to expand the ambit of that call beyond a captive gender-based vote bank. In the long run, any form of empowerment that does not touch everyday social and personal conflicts women deal with will turn out to be varnish on the surface. This is a country where women are frequently pilloried for what they wear, who they marry or don't, where women face high levels of violence in public and private spaces, where the birth of daughters is all too often unwelcome. Remembering that sordid reality is important in drawing up and implementing any political strategy if it is to touch women's lives. Recalling the 73rd Constitutional amendment of 1993, sanctioning 33 per cent reservation of seats for women in local panchayat bodies, may be interesting in this context. Getting off to a shaky start, the scheme initially saw male household members of elected women representatives calling the shots from the driver's seat. But over a period of time, those tendencies gave way to women leaders at the grassroots asserting and exercising autonomy in village governance. They made independent decisions in a range of important matters, especially relating to matters impacting the quality of everyday life like education, sanitation, water, and fuel. Equally, one must remember it is the reluctance of the political class (without exceptions) that has shunted the women's reservation bill, granting 33 per cent gender-based reservation in Parliament and state assemblies for over two decades. In this context, Priyanka Gandhi has made an interesting move by attempting to inject a new element into UP's violent, masculinist political landscape. Under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state has lurched from one crisis to another. From Hathras to Lakhimpur Kheri, the narrative of UP politics is marked and dominated by violence. Indeed, the sprawling state has a history of political volatility and violence. But never before has it climbed such heights. Or received such political sanctionovert and covert. The Congress has an opportunity to reach out to UP's women not just as voters but also as citizens, to start a conversation few political parties do. Politics, electoral or otherwise, is like other spheres of life in India, dominated by men; often used to browbeat women. It will be interesting to see if Priyanka Gandhi can break the stillness among that constituency and start a process of changing gender-based power relations in private and public spaces. One suspects, however, that to do that, she and her party will have to go further than electoral representation. (Monobina Gupta is the author of 'Left Politics in Bengal' and 'Didi: A Political Biography') Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH. Watch latest videos by DH here: For more than 50 years, the giant fossilised footprints have been one of the most tantalising finds in Australian palaeontology. At the time of their discovery, scientists believed the three birdlike tracks had been made 200 million to 250 million years ago by a two-legged predator. The tracks were the first evidence that dinosaurs roamed Australia in the Triassic, when the creatures first appeared on the planet. By 2003, some palaeontologists even suspected that the footprints represented the worlds earliest evidence of a giant carnivorous dinosaur, one that may have stood up to 6.5 feet high at the hip. But new analysis has brought down this Australian idol. The tracks belonged to a smaller, meeker herbivore no taller than a person, not a ferocious giant carnivore, scientists said in a paper published Thursday in the journal Historical Biology. Also Read | 'Big John', the largest known triceratops, sells for $6.40 million While the antipodes may be losing their claim to carnivorous Triassic dinosaur fame, the prints are still a significant contribution to Australias paleontological record, said Anthony Romilio, a research associate at the Dinosaur Lab at the University of Queensland and co-author of the new study. The tracks likely belonged to a two-legged ancestor of the giant, long-necked, four-legged sauropods that evolved later in the Mesozoic Era. Its the only occurrence of these bipedal forms of these dinosaurs in Australia, Romilio said. Sauropods are not found again in the continents fossil record for about 50 million more years. Miners laboring in a tunnel some 700 feet below the Earths surface near Brisbane were the first to spot the prints. As the miners excavated coal, the fossilised tracks, each larger than a dinner plate, took shape in the darkness. Having a bird footprint, a gigantic bird footprint on the ceiling, thats something to tell someone about, Romilio said. Also Read | Volcanic eruptions helped dinosaurs dominate earth Reports of the mysterious tracks made their way out of the mine. In a 1964 paper on the discovery, Henry Ross Edgar Staines, a paleontologist with the Geological Survey of Queensland, and J.T. Woods of the Queensland Museum measured the biggest track at nearly 17 inches from heel to the tip of the longest toe. They declared it to be Eubrontes, a genus of fossilised footprints left by upright carnivores. A plaster cast of the print was placed on display in the Queensland Museum. After the mines closure, that cast and a simple, cartoonlike drawing of the three footprints included in the 1964 paper were the only visual records of the tracks that researchers could access. Scientific publications over the years described the largest print as anywhere from 15 to 18 inches, Romilio said. When Romilio and his colleagues analysed the plaster cast using advanced 3D imaging techniques, a number of discrepancies with those earlier accounts emerged. Indentations at the front of the print appeared to be drag marks left by the dinosaurs claws, not impressions of the claws themselves. A bump near the heel that previous researchers measured as part of the foot was actually part of the rock surrounding the fossil. Further comparisons showed the tracks shared more characteristics with Evazoum, a genus of plant-eating dinosaur prints, than the carnivorous Eubrontes: an inward-pointing gait, a shorter middle toe, splayed toes and a narrower overall foot. The researchers now believe the largest track is 13 inches long, and belonged to a dinosaur that stood about 4 1/2 feet high at the hip. Ross Staines, the palaeontologist who first published on the prints, died in 1996. His daughter, Dr Roslyn Dick, believes he would have welcomed the new insight into his findings. My father would have been very thrilled that someone else had taken his work and done more research about the topic, said Dick, a Brisbane dentist who said Staines always kept a geologists pick in the trunk of the family car for impromptu fossil digs. Dad liked things to be well done and appreciated the scientific process to uncover the truth. Check out latest DH videos here Dropping a bombshell during a press conference in Shivamogga on Friday, KPCC Spokesperson and former MLA Belur Gopalakrishna stated that money worth crores of rupees looted by former chief minister B S Yediyurappa's younger son B Y Vijayendra is in the house of State Government Employees Association President C S Shadakshari. He said the officials of the Income Tax Department must raid the premises of Shadakshari at the earliest. Referring to the recent raid by the officials of Income Tax on the premises of B S Yediyurappa's former personal assistant in Bengaluru, he said, "Yediyurappa's amassed wealth is in the house of Shadakshari, close aide of his family. So, the officials must raid the premises of the government employees association president immediately and seize the money which might become useful for the state's exchequer". He alleged that state BJP Vice-President B Y Vijayendra looted money by transferring government officials in the state during Yediyurappa's tenure as chief minister. He kept it in the house of Shadakshari. The former Belur MLA also stated that Shadakshari is making preparations to face the next assembly polls from Bhadravathi as BJP had not won it so far. Watch latest videos by DH here: A day after Congress leaders accused the ruling BJP of doling out cash for votes for the Hangal and Sindgi bypolls, the Election Commission on Friday said that only liquor had been seized by authorities enforcing the model code of conduct. In a release, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena said that the Election Commission had activated 99 flying squads and 303 static surveillance teams in the Hangal and Sindgi assembly constituencies where bypolls are scheduled on October 30. According to the release, the flying squads and police personnel have seized 53.130 litres of liquor worth Rs 22,785.52. The Excise department has seized 353.470 litres of Indian-made liquor and other liquor worth Rs 1.85 lakh. Also Read | Raid govt employees association president's premises to seize BSY's amassed wealth: Ex-Belur MLA The flying squads, static surveillance teams and other authorities have seized nil cash, the release said. This is based on the information gathered from poll-going district election officers and police superintendents, the Election Commission said. The Election Commissions release comes a day after Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah accused the ruling BJP of distributing Rs 2,000 for every vote in Hangal and Sindgi where hectic campaigning is underway. Even Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar charged BJP ministers with carrying bags of money to distribute Rs 2,000-5,000. In fact, Shivakumar urged voters to take the money, but vote for Congress. Also Read | Protest against CM's remarks on moral policing Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has rubbished the allegation, accusing Shivakumar in return for carrying sacks of money during the Kundgol, Gundlupet and Nanjangud bypolls. According to the Election Commission, 386 arms have been deposited since the model code of conduct came into effect on September 28. As many as 291 persons have been taken into preventive custody and 185 non-bailable warrants executed, it said. The outcome of the Hangal and Sindgi bypolls are politically insignificant as losing both the seats will not numerically trouble the Bommai-led BJP government. However, the bypolls are a battle of prestige. It is crucial for Bommai to assert himself by retaining Hangal, which is located in the Haveri district that he represents. A win in Sindgi, which the JD(S) had won in 2018, will be a gain for the BJP and the Congress. Watch the latest DH Videos here: People Before Profit Councillor, Shaun Harkin, has demanded that Capita be booted out from their benefit claimant assessment role. Capita were requested to attend a meeting at Derry City & Strabane Council to explain errors made by the company that affected people being able to access benefits that they were entitled to. The firm was hired by the Department of Communities in 2016 to carry out Personal Independent Payment (PIP) assessments. However, an Ombudsman report last June found Capita had unfairly rejected the applications of many claimants in the north of Ireland. The Public Services Ombudsman, Margaret Kelly, said that repeated opportunities were missed to make the right payment as early as possible in the process with evidence from medical professionals not being sought out and used by Capita in their assessments. Brendan Flynn of Capita addressed Derry City & Strabane District Council and apologised for the firm's actions. He said: There's always a risk that we won't get things 100 per cent right all of the time. On the occasions where things do go wrong, we apologise, and we will continue to apologise and seek to put things right as soon as we become aware of any issue where we might have failed. "We look to put in place safeguards, checks and balances and the continuous improvement processes to ensure those errors don't happen again. However, Capita's apology cut no ice with Cllr Harkin who accused the firm of acting callously and called on Communities Minister, Deirdre Hargey to strip them of the role of assessing benefits for people in need of them. He said: Capita's administration of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has done great harm to vulnerable people seeking access to benefits. People Before Profit demonstrating against PIP assessors Capita outside the Guildhall in Derry The company has acted callously in its pursuit of profits. They should have no role in 'assessing' whether or not people should be able to access any benefit. Capita isn't fit for this role. Given Capita's atrocious record, it's simply stunning that the Communities Minister decided the corporation should be rewarded with another multi-million pound contract through to 2023. Coming into the role, axing Capita should have been number one on the list. It's also unacceptable that the Minister refuses to implement the human rights 'People's Proposal', backed by 11 Councils including Derry and Strabane, to ensure dignified treatment to everyone seeking to access benefit help. If this was a DUP Minister, Sinn Fein would be roasting them. Instead they tell us they have confidence in the Minister. We are calling for Capita to hand over its profits to the Derry and Strabane hardship fund and other organisations working to mitigate the impact of poverty. They should be ashamed to be lifting profits following the devastating Public Service Ombudsman report. Companies solely interested in turning a profit shouldn't be getting their hands on extremely lucrative government contracts. Capita needs to be booted out. The 'People's Proposal' needs to be fully implemented. We need to end the corrupt cycle of powerful corporations getting their hands on huge government contracts with the sole goal of squeezing out as much profit as possible no matter the damage caused to vulnerable people. In response, a Capita spokesperson said: We recognise and understand that the assessment process can be a stressful and anxious time for claimants. Our assessments are just one part of a wider process of evidence gathering on behalf of the Department for Communities and final PIP award decisions are made by the department. All our assessors are qualified healthcare professionals including former NHS nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and paramedics, specially trained in assessing disability needs." The spokesperson said a sample of claimants are surveyed monthly following their PIP assessment by an independent research company. "Over the last 12 months, more than 99 per cent of those surveyed have said they were satisfied or very satisfied with our service," the spokesperson said. A spokesperson for the Department for Communities said they were committed to improving the quality of PIP assessments and have already begun in doing so. They said: These include the completion of PIP award reviews in-house, where sufficient evidence is available. This has reduced referrals to the PIP assessment provider by 25 per cent. The department also employs health professionals who monitor the quality of assessments reports, and from August 21 the independent audit of cases has been brought in-house to provide a more robust oversight and scrutiny of the quality of service provided. Where assessments are required, officials are working closely with the service provider to reduce the need for a claimant to attend for assessment. Officials are also taking forward initiatives to enhance customer service in response to independent reviews that have recently completed, including the second independent review of PIP and a review of the management of the PIP assessment service contract by the NI Audit Office. Derry GP, Dr Tom Black has pleaded with the Executive at Stormont to keep Covid restrictions on nightclubs as they are or risk pushing the Health Service to the brink. Plans to withdraw the production of a Covid certificate to gain entry into nightclubs could soon be introduced. The hospitality sector has made no secret that the pandemic era has hit them hard and have been pushing to get some form of 'normality' back in order to kick-start the trade. However, with Covid rates still high and a percentage of people still awaiting vaccinations, Dr Black who is Chair of the Northern Ireland Council of the British Medical Association feels to let people into nightclubs without proof of vaccine could have the knock-on affect of crippling an-already overwhelmed Health Service should it produce an increase in Covid rates. He said: In a situation where we have one hundred and seven per cent capacity in hospitals where there's hundreds of patients waiting to be admitted; where we have general practice, the ambulance service and the wards all be overwhelmed; to loosen restrictions with such a high rate of Covid is not the way to go forward. I appreciate that I speak on behalf of doctors, our patients and the needs of those patients. There is a responsibility on us which is written into our terms of service and our GMC (General Medical Council) guidelines. If there are patients at risk, we are obliged to put our hands up and identify that risk to the public. We are going into the flu season, we have very high levels of Covid, we're going into winter and we'll have no capacity in the hospitals. We know that because they are at over-capacity. If your Granny gets the flu and then gets pneumonia, we would normally send her into hospital by an ambulance to an A&E department which has hundreds of patients waiting to be admitted. Can we promise that we can ensure that service for our patients this winter? No we can't. To make the decision like this where we know the inevitable consequence will be to increase infection rates, and therefore admission rates, I think we have to stand back and go 'no'. So we put our hands up and say (on re-opening nightclubs) 'that is a stupid idea, please do not do that'. The service is under enough pressure and this will make it worse. Dr Black realises his comments will not be what some members of the public will want to hear, but insists he would not be doing his job if he did not speak out given that doctors, surgeons, nurses and paramedics are on the verge of burn-out and potentially leaving the medical profession because of this. He added: We have a professional obligation and I'm getting fierce abuse on social media where I'm being called names. But what can you say? This is my job I'm obliged to do this. Everyone's entitled to their own opinions but they're not entitled to their own facts. Staff are worn out some are even burnt out. They're very stressed and trying their very best. They're all looking at their resignation letters and their pensions and we have a huge concern in the profession that we will lose a lot of doctors this winter. There is such a hostile environment, not just in the workplace but also within the media as a couple of certain newspapers have been appalling in their behaviour over the last couple of months. Sajid Javid (Minister for Health & Social Care) and the Government in London who take responsibility for the English Health Service have been appalling in their behaviour as well. The front page of one of the UK papers today has a story about GPs voting for strike action in England because their jobs have been made impossible by stupid, bureaucratic nonsense from politicians. I should point out that our own Health Minister, Robin Swann is thank goodness hard-working and doing a great job. There's no threat of strike action here as we are working well with the Department of Health and the Minister. Dr Black says he can appreciate why the general public long for a return of how life used to be before the pandemic. However, he insists the only and quickest way to achieving this lies with the public themselves. He continued: I think there's a great appetite to 'wish this away' and to assume that we can get back to normal. But there will be no 'normal' in the Health Service this side of Easter. We're going to have a dreadful time for the next four or five months at least. Society wants things to go back to normal but do you know what? This is a pandemic a once in a century event. We know that the previous pandemic of 1918 with the 'Spanish Flu' didn't go away for a couple of years. I don't think anybody is going to use the word 'lockdown' but the enforcement of restrictions such as mask-wearing, social-distancing, washing of hands and vaccinations will be highlighted. The key to this is vaccinations. We've got eighteen per cent over those aged over twelve not vaccinated. Most of them are young people. Most of them need to pay some due respect to their friends, neighbours and relatives and take the responsibility on. Because there is a civic responsibility to get a vaccination. To sit on the sidelines and say 'I'm alright Jack' is not good enough go and get your vaccine. Aryan Khan drug case: Ananya Panday quizzed for over 4 hours by NCB, called again to appear on Monday Bollywood actor Ananya Panday appeared before the Narcotics Control Bureau here for the second straight day on Friday and was questioned for nearly four hours in connection with her alleged WhatsApp chats with Aryan Khan, son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, arrested in a drugs case, NCB sources said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bollywood Pap (@bollywoodpap) Ananya Panday has been again called by the NCB on Monday, a senior official of the central agency said. Her actor-father Chunky Panday accompanied her to the NCB office as he had done on Thursday when she was questioned for the first time over chats linked to the case which relates to alleged seizure of banned drugs from a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast early this month. The father-daughter duo arrived at the anti-drug agency's office located at Ballard Estate in South Mumbai in a car around 2.20 pm, the sources said. The 22-year-old actor, a new entrant in Bollywood who made her debut in 2019, left the NCB office around 6.20 pm after questioning by the NCB, they said, without providing further details. NCB Deputy Director General Ashok Mutha Jain told media persons that Ananya Panday has been called again on Monday to take the ongoing process further. Asked if the actor has spoken anything about the alleged WhatsApp chats with Aryan Khan, Jain said he can not share details related to the investigation. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bollywood Pap (@bollywoodpap) To a query on getting any information about drug peddlers during her questioning, the NCB officer said he has no such information with him. There was heavy deployment of police personnel at the NCB office, where barricades were put up as a large number of media persons had gathered outside. The NCB is probing the cruise ship drugs case, in which Aryan Khan (23) has been arrested along with 19 others. Aryan Khan is in jail under judicial custody and his bail plea will be heard by the Bombay High Court on October 26. During the investigation, the NCB had found some WhatsApp chats between Aryan Khan and Ananya Panday, the sources said. The NCB officials wanted to gather more information about the chats and hence she was summoned on Thursday and questioned for around two hours. The NCB had seized Ananya Panday's laptop and mobile phone on Thursday. Meanwhile, a 24-year-old drug peddler was brought to the NCB office for questioning in the early hours of Friday, they said. Brahmastra: Ranbir Kapoor to shoot the last schedule of the Ayan Mukerji film from November? Read deets... It has been over seven years that the rumours around Brahmastra had begun, and audiences are still waiting for the film's release. However, the shoot of this film by Ayan Mukerji is yet to be wrapped up. The first schedule of the film was completed in Bulgaria in 2018 and now, it looks like Ranbir Kapoor is all set to shoot the last schedule. If a report in ETimes is to be believed, then Ranbir will commence the last schedule of the film from the second week of November. A source was quoted saying, There will be some crucial scenes and a big song, which was put on hold due to no crowd protocols. They will be shooting this song, too. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alia Bhatt (@aliaabhatt) Earlier, it was reported that Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt will head to Budapest for the shoot of the film. It was scheduled to happen in August but was delayed. Brahmastra will release as a trilogy and the first part of it is in the making. Apart from Alia and Ranbir, the film also stars Amitabh Bachchan and Nagarjuna Akkineni. Actress Mouni Roy would also play an important role. Moreover, there would be a cameo by none other than Shah Rukh Khan in this one. We hope to get to see the film soon. Jaani Dushman actor Armaan Kohli's bail denied by special court in drugs case after he fails to explain purpose of recovered contrabands Chats, messages and videos recovered from actor Armaan Kolhi's mobile phone indicate on the face of it that he was involved in illicit drug trafficking, a special court has said while rejecting his bail application. The special judge for cases under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, A A Jogelkar, rejected the actor's bail plea on October 14. The detailed order became available on Friday. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Armaan Kohli (@armaankohliofficial) Kohli was arrested in the last week of August. As per the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), 1.2 grams of MD was recovered from Kohli's house, while bigger quantities of drugs were recovered from the co-accused in the case. The court held that after examining the material obtained during the probe, "prima-facie" it seemed that Kohli was "well-connected with the co-accused pertaining to illicit trafficking of drugs." Special prosecutor Advait Sethna had submitted chats/messages between Kohli and the co-accused along with their bank statements before the court. The judge noted that bank transactions corroborated alleged transactions (revealed from the chats). Kohli failed to explain the purpose of contraband recovered from his house and the financial transactions, the court said. "Contents in the chats and videos also propagate for the indulgence of the applicant in illicit trafficking prima-facie and therefore the prosecution seems to have invoked section 27A (of the NDPS Act) against the applicant/accused," the judge said. Section 27 (A) is about punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders. The investigation was at a nascent stage, the court observed while rejecting the bail plea. The Big Picture: Sara Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor kidnap Ranveer Singh; take over hosting duties in this hilarious promo Sara Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor set the internet on fire each time they are snapped together. May it be on a casual lunch date, at a star-studded event or post their Pilates sessions. They constantly make us wonder-- who said actresses cant be friends? Sometime back, the two took social media by storm when they uploaded videos in which they worked out together. Watching them sweat it out made many fans want to hit the gym with their BFFs too! Well, Sara and Janhvi recently graced the stage of Ranveer Singhs unique quiz game show, The Big Picture. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95) As fans eagerly waited for the episode to air on television, we came across an exciting new promo of the show. In this clip, Sara takes over the hosting reins. The Simmba actress greets the audience in style, dances to Ainvayi Ainvayi and then welcomes Janhvi on-stage. Introducing the Dhadak star, Sara says, Please welcome Janhvi Kapoor! Very gorgeous, style icon, youth icon. Right then Ranveer stumbles in, tied up in ropes! Sara and Janhvi are shocked to see him. He hilariously goes on to reveal that the two actresses devised a plan to take his place as the hosts of the show. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ranveerians Worldwide Fanclub (@ranveeriansworldwidefc) After Sara and Janhvis glamorous behind the scene snaps from the sets, this dramatic and super filmy teaser of The Big Picture has once again left us wanting more! It will definitely be a treat for fans to watch these three talented and fun individuals come together on stage this weekend. Over the past few years, weve seen companies and brands try to leverage the power of live streaming to rope in more user engagement and create more brand awareness to varying degrees of success. The model saw enough success in its infancy years and has been growing ever since. As per GWI Social Media Trends Report 2020, 1 in 5 people discover new products and brands through social media live streams, so this new model definitely has merit. The growing popularity of live streaming has ushered in Live Commerce, a new iteration of e-commerce sprinkled with live streaming elements. E-commerce already set the precedent for this, by moving countless people away from physical stores and malls in favour of shopping in the digital world. Live commerce takes it a step further by fusing online shopping with live streaming. Customers can shop directly from live streams of launch events and this is starting to become a viable method for brands to market and sell their products. Enter Degpeg, a homegrown live commerce platform that is bringing in the new era of e-commerce to the Indian market as well. Degpeg allows for the selling or marketing of any product or service by live streaming on both web and mobile platforms. Lets learn more about live commerce and the platform. How live commerce is different from e-commerce and its benefits Live streaming has been gaining a lot of traction over the years. In China and few other countries, live commerce is already a pretty established model that e-commerce and retail companies have been leveraging. As teleshopping allowed consumers to watch a broadcast, get an idea of the product, and then buy by calling a number to place your order, live commerce allows consumers to watch a live broadcast of the product and then order from the live stream itself. All this without having to meander through the internet and look for the product like you would with typical e-commerce. It can be likened to the digitalisation of teleshopping. Additionally, with live commerce, a user can consume information about a product or service in real-time and buy it immediately if it appeals to them, which is entirely different from standard e-commerce. Vipul Jain, Founder and CEO at Degpeg We spoke to Vipul Jain, Founder and CEO at Degpeg, who shone some light on live commerce and its benefits. Jain said, the infrastructure for live commerce to shine is pretty solid now. With 4G in place all over the country, people already watch live videos on the go. Thats the first thing thats happening in this space. The second aspect is the major shift of customised or personalised content that is taking place. All the large media houses worldwide have already moved to OTT platforms, so video content is big and here to stay. Additionally, now the consumers are also inclined towards watching content in video format. So, social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and others have seen live streaming on their platforms flourishing. So, you can say that the entire ecosystem is shifting towards it (video). That is the reason live content or dynamic video content is picking up at a rapid pace. While live commerce is still in its infancy stages, especially in India, it does come with a fair number of benefits. Jain stated, The first benefit of live commerce is its scalability. You can scale a product from any geographical location to another one in itself. The scalability goes from the web to mobile, to social platforms. The second advantage is that it is very robust and it is extremely easy to use. The next advantage is that we have integrated web, mobile and social platforms. So, it is a very unified platform. Companies or influencers can leverage the power of live streaming to launch products, show product demos, conduct webinars, unbox newly-launched products, and even review products. All in real-time. Live commerce also increases customer engagement. In traditional e-commerce, theres very little room for customer engagement, however, with live commerce brands can connect with customers on a more personal level. It allows them to connect directly with consumers that may have a high intent towards buying your products, allowing for better conversion rates. Degpeg and its key features Degpeg is a cloud-based B2B social commerce platform that can enable multi-streaming on various social platforms within itself and allow for online shopping from these live streams. Jain told us, Degpeg is essentially like Shopify. It enables live multi-streaming from the brands own website to connected social platforms. Brands are looking for a platform where they can not only unveil or discuss their new products and launches but also one where the user can click and buy the product or service from the platform itself. That is what Degpeg is offering. Degpeg offers a CTA (call to action) feature where you can not only watch live video content but also buy whatever product or service is being talked about right from the stream. Jain also stated that theyve ensured that Degpeg is very easy to use, even for those who arent very tech-savvy. Jain said, All you need to do is log in to your admin account and you can immediately start broadcasting your live content or pre-recorded content with ease. Also, since Degpeg allows for multi-streaming to various social platforms, you dont need to manage your live content, or even pre-recorded content, across multiple platforms. Using our platform, you can manage all platforms via our admin in one place. Some of the key features of Degpeg are the following: A recent report in Nikkei indicated that Oppo will be developing its own chipsets and offering them in their flagship smartphones. The brand is planning to launch its own custom SoCs by 2023-2024, depending how quickly the brand can develop them. Like many other Chinese smartphone vendors, Oppo uses Qualcomm and Mediatek processors and has been doing so ever since US trade sanctions led to the collapse of Huawei. According to IDC, Oppo is the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. As it shares supply chains and ownerships with Vivo, Realme and OnePlus, we might end up seeing Oppos custom SoC in other smartphones too. What does this mean for Qualcomm? Recently, Google launched its Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, packed with its own custom SoC known as Tensor. Samsung and Apple also produce and use their own SoCs, and Xiaomi has introduced its own low-end SoC known as Surge in some of its offerings. As a result, we may see Qualcomm lose a fair bit of its market share to these newer chipsets. When could Oppos new chipsets be installed? Qualcomm has expressed its bitterness over Google electing to use its own SoCs in the new Pixel smartphones, by hopping aboard the red flag trend and tweeting "We've decided to make our own smartphone SoC instead of using Snapdragon". Ouch. A good move for the company would be to sign a long-term contract with smartphone manufacturers, and create proprietary SoCs for them. Also Read: OnePlus 9 Series, Oppo Find X3 Series Will Start Receiving Open Beta Update for ColorOS 12 Subscriber content preview Illustration by Community Roots Housing [enlarge] The new plans would see four properties rise at the West Seattle Junction. Community Roots Housing, in partnership with the West Seattle Junction Association (WSJA), is proposing plans for the redevelopment of four parking lots in West Seattle. The lots in question - at 42nd SW/Oregon, 44th/Oregon and 44th/Alaska - are currently owned by the West Seattle Trusteed Properties and managed by WSJA. Community Roots Housing have already submitted an offer to purchase the parking lots at the appraised value of the land and The City of Seattle Office of Housing has agreed to provide an acquisition loan for this purpose. A vote on the sale is expected to take place on October 28 at a West Seattle Trusteed Properties members meeting. . . . Subscriber content preview Wikipedia image [enlarge] Yesterday, Israeli leaders recommended reopening the country to fully vaccinated tourists beginning on Nov. 1, a year and a half after closing its borders to most foreign visitors due to the global pandemic. JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli leaders on Thursday recommended reopening the country to fully vaccinated tourists beginning on Nov. 1, a year and a half after closing its borders to most foreign visitors due to the global coronavirus pandemic. . . . STONEWALL [ndash] Funeral services for Maple Hamilton, 78, of Stonewall, OK will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, at the Stonewall First Baptist Church with the Apostle Gary Bruner officiating. Interment will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Stonewall, OK. Mrs. Hamilton passed away in a Deni Louth TD Deputy Ruairi O Murchu attended a National Broadband Ireland field trip this week. National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company delivering the National Broadband Plan (NBP) on behalf of the Government, conducted a field trip with Deputy Ruairi O Murchu, TD for Louth and other members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications, at its offices at Citywest and at several sites throughout the Blessington Intervention Area in County Wicklow. The field trip allowed National Broadband Ireland to highlight and demonstrate to public representatives first-hand the size, scale and complexity of the rollout of the National Broadband Plan. Since National Broadband Ireland commenced the physical rollout of the project in January 2020, over 257,000 premises have been surveyed, of which over 221,000 are designed or are in detailed design. 108,000 premises are undergoing build works to be connected and over 22,000 premises are available to order from the retail broadband providers that are currently licensed to sell on the NBI network. Peter Hendrick, Chief Executive Officer of National Broadband Ireland said: National Broadband Ireland welcomes the opportunity to engage with public representatives to update them on the project and our progress to date. "Were proactively seeking to engage with our stakeholders, recognising the importance of this project on a local and national scale. "Initiatives like this enable public representatives to find out more about the various stages involved in the deployment of the NBI network, such as how the surveying route for the project is determined, and how NBI is engaging with the public and stakeholders to ensure the project is rolled out as efficiently as possible. In this Sept. 9, 2021, photo, provided by auctioneer Morton & Eden Ltd., a rare 17th century one shilling coin is displayed above a metal box containing other coins, at the auction house, in London. Morton & Eden Ltd. says the extraordinarily rare coin, with a face value of just pennies when it was minted in mid-17th century New England, could sell for the equivalent of about $300,000 when its put up for auction in London next month. In this Wednesday, April 18, 2018, photo, Flint resident Jabaree Broach, 24, works as part of a crew digging out and replacing lead service lines on Flint, Mich.'s east side. Tens of billions of dollars for U.S. environmental justice initiatives originally proposed in a $3.5 trillion domestic spending package now hang in the balance as Democrats decide how to trim the bill down to $2 trillion in October 2021. Gena Hoyer, right, hugs Debbi Hixon during a court recess following Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruzs guilty plea on all 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the 2018 shootings, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Hoyers son, Luke Hoyer, 15, and Hixons husband, Christopher Hixon, 49, were both killed in the massacre. North Andover, MA (01845) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 28F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 28F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. This 6,575-square-foot single-story house on N. Val Vista Drive in Mesa recently sold for $1.83 million cash. Built in 1989, the five-bedroom, five-bath home sits on 4.6 acres in Mesas citrus sub-area. When developer Keti Vachiberidze started her online e-commerce platform, B2C.GE, in early 2019, Georgian businesses had little confidence in the power of online sales. Then 2020 brought the Covid-19 pandemic, and businesses were forced to close as lockdown measures took hold. For many, going digital was the only way to stay afloat. Thus, the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic presented B2C.GE with enormous opportunity. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with funding from Sweden, stepped in to help the company scale up and provide services to meet local needs. Now, the EBRD and the European Union (EU) are making B2C.GEs services accessible to smaller companies. E-commerce means business We drew on best international practices and created an e-commerce platform that was appropriate to local needs, says Keti of the early days. But first, we had to reassure our clients that online shops were not a luxury, but generators of considerable income. In 2019, close to 150 shops were registered on the platform. That nearly tripled during Georgias first Covid-19 lockdown of March 2020. B2C.GE gave stores and brands without a proprietary website the opportunity to sell online. When everything stopped, we became busier than ever, even hiring new employees to help meet demand, Keti says. This helped us to identify the precise needs of local small and medium-sized enterprises. Here, the EBRDs support proved extremely useful. Funded by Sweden through the Women in Business programme, the Bank helped B2C.GE to engage local consultants to bring its functionality in line with that of global e-commerce platforms, to integrate its accounting systems, local payment options, delivery services and warehouse management systems, and to introduce mobile applications. Today B2C.GE serves more businesses in Georgia than all other international platforms combined. The number of shops on the platform has increased by 135 per cent since project completion while the companys sales were up more than 1,000 per cent in the busiest shopping months of 2020 (November and December). Back then, time was of the essence if companies wanted to keep the lights on, Keti explains. It was critical that they get online as quickly as possible. Hiring a developer for an e-commerce site takes time and requires considerable human and financial resources. In addition, with an ever-changing landscape and continuously upgraded payment systems, it is important to stay on top of things. Going a step further Keti is a firm believer in the future of e-commerce. E-commerce is here to stay, she says. Customer behaviour has changed: we have less time to visit bricks-and-mortar stores. Already, around 60 per cent of people check products online prior to purchasing: the product does not exist if there is no information on the net. The pandemic has just accelerated this process. According to a report by Galt and Taggart, the countrys leading investment banking and investment management company, however, even though e-commerce grew in Georgia in the first year of the pandemic, it still lags the rest of Europe. The countrys e-commerce penetration rate and spending per user are significantly lower than the European average. To promote the uptake of e-commerce in Georgia, the EBRD and B2C.GE have once again joined forces and, with funding from the EU through its EU4Business initiative, are rolling out services for smaller companies. Eligible firms will receive training and support in digital marketing and their products will be put online, free of charge, to help grow their digital sales presence, expand their businesses and drive innovation. A Cork-based Indian asylum seeker has been hospitalised upon entering day nine of his hunger strike campaign to achieve permission to remain status in Ireland. Nadim Hussain was on hunger strike at the Kinsale Road direct provision centre, where he has lived since coming to Ireland in 2019 after both of his parents were killed in anti-Muslim violence. Last month, Mr Hussain received a letter from the International Protection Appeal Tribunal (IPAT) which affirmed a recommendation of the international protection officer which stated that he should be refused a declaration as a refugee along with subsidiary protection status. Following on from the letter, he began his campaign, pleading to be granted leave to remain in Ireland as he fears for his life if he was to be deported back to his home country. Nadim Hussain was hospitalised upon entering day nine of his hunger strike campaign for permission to remain. Mr Hussain was admitted to hospital on Thursday night and was diagnosed as having pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas. He is currently receiving treatment at Cork University Hospital (CUH). Speaking to The Echo from his hospital bed, he said his condition is dangerous. Both the Irish Refugee Council and the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) have called on the Government to address Mr Hussains situation as soon as possible and before his health further deteriorates. On Thursday, representatives of Ogra Shinn Fein spoke to Mr Hussain and expressed their solidarity with him. As republicans, we see it as our duty to stand with Nadim Hussain as his health deteriorates, with the situation becoming more urgent by the day. The Dublin government, Minister of Justice in particular, now have an obligation to act, a spokesperson said. By Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin, Reuters Bank of Ireland has agreed to buy "substantially all" of KBC's Irish performing assets for 5 billion as the Belgian financial group confirmed it would become the latest lender to leave the shrinking Irish market. The two banks announced they were in talks about the deal in April, just weeks after NatWest began winding down its Ulster Bank business in the Republic. The departures leave the State with just three retail banks. Bank of Ireland, the country's largest bank by assets with a loan book of 77 billion, said it would acquire 8.8 billion of performing mortgages, 100 million of performing commercial and consumer loans and 4.4 billion of deposits. A portfolio of around 300 million of non-performing mortgages would also be acquired as part of the transaction, the joint statement from the two banks said. "Today's agreement with Bank of Ireland Group regarding the sale ... of substantially all of the performing loan assets and deposits of KBC Bank Ireland ... represents an important step in KBC Group's withdrawal from the Irish market," KBC Group chief executive Johan Thijs said in a statement. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals. Exits by KBC and NatWest look set to further strengthen Bank of Ireland and main rival Allied Irish Banks' grip on the domestic market. AIB bought 4.2 billion of corporate and commercial loans from NatWest and is in talks to add some mortgage loans. The smaller permanent TSB has also taken advantage, buying 25 of Ulster Bank's 88 branches and 7.6 billion of the former number three lender's gross performing loans. Bank of Ireland said it was acquiring the performing mortgages for 103.6 per cent of par value and that it expected incremental net interest income of around 160 million in 2023 as a result of the deal. The exact size of the portfolio and consideration payable could vary between now and completion based on normal business flows, but is not expected to be materially different, the statement said. TWO Cork-based artists, who are good friends, are exhibiting together at Market House Craftworks in Cappoquin until October 30. The exhibition was opened by poet, Thomas MacCarthy, a native of Cappoquin. Kirsten Murray, originally from Dublin, and Mona Power, who grew up in Germany, Dublin and Mayo, are presenting very different work, but as Kirsten says: If theres a single idea underlying Blueprint for the Gathering, its that the spirit of good times is carried through the darkness for warmth and safekeeping until it can be rekindled on the other side. Kirsten has been living in Cork for 25 years, having come to the city to study at the Crawford College of Art and Design. Although accepted to art college in Dublin, she said the Crawford was better for drawing at the time. Also, I wanted to leave home and have a bit of independence. Ill be a blow-in forever, even though Ive been living in Cork longer than Ive lived in Dublin. Kayleigh Chameleon & Midletons Finest by Kirsten Murray. It was Kirstens idea to have an exhibition with Mona. She thought it would be a good lockdown project. She started drawing ink portraits of musicians that shed like to play at an imaginary festival, people that she had worked with in the past. I call it my fantasy festival league. Everyone from Shane McGowan is there, to the not-so-famous such as a band called Draw Slow, a bluegrass band that are one of my favourites. Theyre the last band I saw before the original lockdown. I saw them in Coughlans in January, 2020. Also in the fantasy league is Kayleigh Nic Gearailt, who is my queen of the accidental session. You never know who youll meet when youre with her. She always meets the best people. Friends Mona Power and Kirsten Murray. Kirstens day job is at Cork Art Supplies. I like having the interaction with the public. Ideally, Id like to have more time to do art but at the moment, I take what I can get. I need a definite wage coming in. You meet great people in the shop. "Meeting artists every day has become a source of inspiration. Kirsten met Mona on Culture Night in 2017. John Power, from UCCs philosophy department, introduced the two women to each other. Mona is now married to John. Understandably, then, Kirsten is a big fan of Culture Night. On Culture Night, you never know whats going to happen or who youre going to meet. Its a great immersion in the arts scene. Work by Mona Power. After that meeting, Mona (who works in the archives of the Crawford Gallery) started coming in to Cork Arts Supplies. She is a loyal customer there. We became friends. We have so much in common. Having both attended and admired one anothers exhibitions in Cork city, we ended up doing an art swap. Well, I tried to buy an original artwork of Monas which was on show in Union Grind on Union Quay, but she was too shy to give me a price. She was trying to get me to suggest the price! Instead, I suggested a swap with a piece of mine from a Quay Co-op exhibition which she had shared on social media the previous year. Luckily for me, she went for it. While Blueprint for the Gathering is our first collaborative exhibition, it could be said that our artwork has been on display together in Cork for a few years now - just in our homes rather than on public display. For the Cappoquin exhibition, Kirstens work is mainly portraiture with some mosaic work there as well. Monas is botanical. Work by Mona Power. What really attracts me to her work is the illustrative style as well as the storytelling aspect of it, which is childlike. The work is in beautifully rendered pencil work. Mona, says Kirsten, is a very diverse artist. The storytelling quality of her work appeals to me. My work this time, has a storytelling element to it. We have been cooking up this joint exhibition for a while. The gathering for the two of us means different things. For me, Im putting an imaginary gathering of people together at a time when you couldnt put people together. Its a celebration of these people. Monas work in the exhibition is an appreciation of the cycles of nature. Its to do with the time of the year, the gathering of the harvest, says Kirsten. Monas exhibition offerings include mixed media prints. She uses cyanotype, a photographic printing process thats very much old school. Its what architects used for the original blueprints. This method uses the light of the sun before all the technology came along. Mona does pinhole photography using pinhole cameras that she makes herself, taking long exposure pictures. Her work is printed from photography or from real life. Because a lot of the work is floral, its a bit like nature worshipping, showing the cycles of life and the cycles of nature. Mona thought October would be a good time for the exhibition - a time of gathering. Securing the Cappoquin venue for the exhibition is thanks to Kirstens family connections in the Waterford town. My family are originally from Cappoquin. The woman who taught me to do mosaic is Joan Casey. She runs the Market House Craftworks. I popped in to see her one time, about a year or two ago, and she offered me an exhibition. The building used to house a sweet shop in the 80s. When I realised it used to be Mescalls shop where I used to go as a kid, I had only the most positive vibes to do with the place. Effingham, IL (62401) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 31F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 31F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. European conference of public benefit foundations held in Vienna - 400 guests turned Vienna into "capital of philanthropy" Vienna, 21 October 2021 / News Aktuell - The annual conference of the European Foundation Centre (EFC) came to a successful close yesterday. For three days, discussions among around 400 representatives of philanthropic foundations and organisations across Europe focused on trends and possible solutions to topical challenges. In addition to several plenary sessions and discussion rounds covering four thematic tracks (Climate, Democracy, Philanthropy, and Society), 17 coffee house talks were held on Tuesday, which took the guests to selected locations in Vienna where public benefit foundations are active. Several themes emerged across the discussions. Numerous participants recognised the critical need for diversity within the sector to bring new ideas and different perspectives to the table. They also called on philanthropic foundations to shift their power through more participatory grantmaking and increased support of local initiatives. Intersectionality as well as adopting an approach that involves a range of partners from different sectors are further trends that will increasingly determine the daily work in the future. Philanthropy needs to walk the talk - time is running out, especially when it comes to climate change. Delphine Moralis, CEO of the European Foundation Centre since 2020, provided a positive summary of the conference: "Coming out of the lockdown phase of the Covid crisis and meeting face to face for the first time in over two years has given us a real sense of urgency in tackling the issues confronting us - from the climate crisis to societal issues and threats to democracy. At the same time, there has been a palpable sense of hope, of agency over these three days, a sense that by working together we can unleash the full potential of philanthropy at this critical time." ERSTE Foundation CEO Boris Marte and conference chair Franz Karl Pruller closed the conference by thanking the guests and all those involved in its organisation. The next European conference of public benefit foundations will be held in Barcelona in 2022. Recordings of the opening plenary (https://youtu.be/lgYa76l0Hkg) and the closing plenary (https://youtu.be/gwvYAhNqGCM) are available online. General information on the event in German and English is available at: https://science.apa.at/medienkooperation/erste-stiftung/. The long version of this text including statements of the four track hosts can be found here: https://www.erstestiftung.org/en/press/philanthropy-as-an-opportunity-for-sustainable-change/, and a picture gallery can be found here: https://www.apa-fotoservice.at/galerie/26911. Further inquiries & contact:Thomas Goiser M: +43 664 2410268 thomas@goiser.at ERSTE Foundation - Communications Maribel Koniger M: +43 664 8385341 maribel.koeniger@erstestiftung.org Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. A hiring sign is displayed at a furniture store window on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Downers Grove, Ill. Unemployment claims dropped 6,000 to 290,000 last week, the third straight drop, the Labor Department said Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021,. Thats the fewest people to apply for benefits since March 14, 2020, when the pandemic intensified. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Amazon's deal of the day is all about Samsung today, with products on sale ranging from laptops to Galaxy S smartphones to storage. That includes a 30 percent discount on Samsung's thin and pretty 13.3-inch Galaxy Book Pro laptop with an OLED display (on sale for $840), the Galaxy S21 Plus smartphone at $750 ($250 off), and the Galaxy Watch 4 priced at $220 $90 off the regular $310 price. Some of the best deals are on Samsung's laptops. The Galaxy Book Pro stands out not just because it's pretty, thin and light but because of that gorgeous AMOLED display. The 13.3-inch model in "Mystic Blue" is the standout deal, priced at just $840 for a savings of $360 (30 percent). It weighs in at just 1.92 pounds, offering an Intel 11th-gen Core-i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and 21 hours of battery life. Another great option that's far more on the budget side is Samsung's 11.6-inch Galaxy Chromebook 4, available for $179 or 28 percent off. It comes with 64GB of storage, 4GB RAM, Gigabit WiFi, Chrome OS and an HD Intel Celeron Processor N4000. Engadget As for smartphones, the deals are focusing on Samsung's high-end Galaxy S21 models. First up is the Galaxy S21 Plus that comes with a big 6.7-inch Full HD+ display and variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. It's just as capable under the hood, with a Snapdragon 888 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 8K video and 5G capability. The regular price for that model is a cool $1,000, but you can get one today in Phantom Violet or Phantom Silver for $750, a 25 percent savings. If you want the very best Galaxy device, that would be the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The camera in particular is more capable, with a 108-megapixel sensor and Samsung's 100X "Space Zoom," along with 8K video and other features. It's got a larger, higher-resolution 3,200 x 1,440 display, a bigger battery, and more RAM and storage (12GB and 256GB, respectively). Normally priced at $1,200, that model is available at $950 in Phantom Black or Phantom Silver, 21 percent off the normal price. Engadget Next up is watches and wireless earphones. We found Samsung's latest Galaxy Watch 4 model to be the best Android watch you can get, in part because it's using a new version of Wear OS built in collaboration with Google. It looks nice, offers comprehensive health tracking, has a bright and crisp screen, supports more third-party features and offers Samsung's touch-sensitive rotating bezel. Amazon's $220 sale price is not only the cheapest we've seen, but you get a free wireless charger, to boot. In our Engadget review, we said that Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro were its best earbuds yet, thanks to the comfy fit, good sound quality and wireless charging capability, with the main drawbacks being mediocre battery life and the lack of an iOS app. Amazon's selling them today for $140, which isn't quite the lowest price we've seen, but still a good 30 percent off. If you're willing to risk it, you could hold out for possibly a better Black Friday deal in about a month. Finally, if you're looking for storage, Samsung has you covered there, too. Samsung's T7 portable SSDs are popular for their relative portability and incredible USB 3.2 Gen2 write/read speeds of around 1,000 MB/s/1,050 MB/s ideal for video editing and fast storage transfers. The T7 portable 1TB model is a particularly good deal, priced at $130 instead of $170 for a savings of 24 percent. And if you need a smartphone storage bump without compromising performance, Samsung's EVO Select microSDXC UHS-I cards deliver 100MB/s, allowing fast photo transfers and video capture. The Samsung 512GB EVO Select model is now on sale for $55, for a savings of 21 percent. Spend enough time on social media and its likely that youll see what Ive started to call a Bad Math Scam. This is where an account, looking to juice their engagement figures, posts an equation with a challenge for people to solve it. Often, itll say something like Only 80s Kids Can Do This or Brain Power Challenge: Can You Do This Without a Calculator?. The only problem is that the equation is so ambiguously-written that you can come up with multiple answers. Heres one that I found floating around the internet a couple of days ago from an account that seems to re-share a lot of existing content in the hope of going viral. The tweet reads (in true viral bait style) Please dont use a Calculator, use your BRAIN: 50+50 - 25 x 0 + 2 + 2 = ??. Please dont use a Calculator, use your BRAIN: 50 + 50 - 25 x 0 + 2 + 2 = ?? Sonia (@Sonia_ar7) October 1, 2021 Now, the equation is sufficiently ambiguous in its design that, depending on how you tackle it, it produces a number of different answers. In this instance, users concluded that the answer was definitely 0, 4, 79 or 104. The subsequent chat often breaks out into some discussion about how Order of Operations work and how stupid the other people are. Between argument, counter-argument, and people smugly retweeting about how other people didnt pay attention to high school math, the original poster has succeeded in getting their engagement. But there is a solution, and a neat way of arriving at the correct answer both for this problem and for any others you see online. And Ive enlisted the help of a mathematician to help explain it so that this sort of viral bait never trips you up ever again. Especially if you dont recall your PEMDAS (or BODMAS, if you were raised on the other side of the pond) from high school math. Dr. Helen Crowley is lecturer in mathematics at the University of East Anglia, and took issue with how Id described the equation. The problem shared [above] is not actually ambiguous at all, she said, maths is a very well-behaved subject and there are fixed rules that all problems like this follow. Dr. Crowley is, of course, referring to the Order of Operations, which explains how a multi-part equation like the one above is meant to be broken down and worked out. In the US and UK, Order of Operations is expressed under the acronyms PEMDAS (US) or BODMAS (UK). The terms may differ, but the order in which you calculate each component part of the equation remains the same. You start with anything in Parentheses / Brackets, and then move on to anything using Exponents / Orders, which are figures including square-roots and powers. The equation above, uses neither. Third in the list is Multiplication and Division, which is the first function that we actually need to do. For this problem, we [first] do 25 x 0 = 0, said Dr. Crowley. That 0 then inserts itself into the sum, which now looks like 50 + 50 - 0 + 2 + 2. The last two operations to consider are Addition and Subtraction, said Dr. Crowley, making the final sum 50 + 50 - 0 + 2 + 2 = 104. This is exactly what your calculator does, as it is programmed to know the order, said Dr. Crowley, the above problem certainly isnt ambiguous, we are just forgetting the rules. Now, you may be wondering who was in charge of establishing this order, and when that may have happened. According to the UEAs Dr. Mark Cooker, the current Order of Operations was probably first laid down in their current form in the middle of the 16th century. Before that point, manuscripts were wholly wordy, and free from operational symbols, except abbreviations, said Dr. Cooker. But from the mid-16th century onwards, math texts were first printed in large numbers for education. Cooker then believes that it was the wide-ranging influence of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London that set new high standards to reduce ambiguity in handling powers, brackets and multiplications or additions, in the correct order. He said that the journal, as it would now be described, spread higher standards of maths typography as far afield as St. Petersburg, where Leonard Euler was working. Euler was one of the most pioneering mathematicians of the 18th century, who published so many papers and influential textbooks, along with clear explanations of BODMAS rules in his elementary texts must have made everyone agree on the current order of operations. Now that you know how to solve those crappy equations people post on social media, dont forget to share a link to this story to serve as a bulwark against folks cynically trying to juice their engagement. Lyft has finally published its first safety report (PDF), which sheds light on the rate of sexual assault and abuse cases on the service in the US over the course of three years. From 2017 until 2019, Lyft received a total of 4,158 sexual assault reports. The company's safety team divided all sexual assault and misconduct incidents into 21 categories, but the cases included in this report only include five of the most serious categories of sexual assault. Those categories are non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual/sexual body part, non-consensual touching of a sexual body part, attempted non-consensual sexual penetration and non-consensual sexual penetration. There are lesser categories of sexual assault that weren't included in the total number of cases. Among the five, the most commonly reported incidents fall under the non-consensual touching of a sexual body part category. The team recorded 360 incidents of rape within that period. Lyft said that it included any incident reported over the three-year period regardless of when it actually happened, because sexual assault is chronically underreported. Further, it intentionally used broad definitions for the sub-categories.In addition to sexual assault cases, Lyft has also reported 105 motor vehicle fatalities and 10 fatal physical assaults. The company explained that it doesn't proactively report safety incidents to law enforcement, knowing that it's a deeply personal decision, especially for survivors of sexual assault. "This policy gives survivors as much agency as possible when deciding whether and how to report an incident," it wrote. Lyft has been promising to release a safety report since 2018, and when CNN asked about it earlier this year, the company cited an issue with the California Public Utilities Commission for the delay. According to the news organization, at least 72 individuals are suing the ride-hailing service over alleged sexual assault incidents. Some of those cases accuse Lyft of knowing that its drivers were raping passengers and failing to take steps to protect its customers. Uber, on the other hand, published its first safety report in 2019. The company revealed nearly 6,000 reports of sexual abuse over 2017 and 2018, as well as 19 fatal physical assaults. Add a licensing misstep to the list of problems facing former President Donald Trumps social media network. The Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC) says The Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) violated a licensing agreement when it recently launched a test version of TRUTH Social . The website ran on a modified version of Mastodon , a free and open-source platform for operating Twitter-like social media networks. Anyone can use Mastodon provided they comply with AGPLv3, the software license that governs its code. One of the central provisions of AGPLv3 is that licensees must share their source code with all users. In the short time a test version of TRUTH Social was up earlier today, it did not do that. Now, the Software Freedom Conservancy, an organization that enforces open source software licenses, says TMTG has 30 days to comply with AGPLv3 or face the consequences. The license purposefully treats everyone equally (even people we dont like or agree with), but they must operate under the same rules of the copyleft licenses that apply to everyone else, SFC said in a blog post. It says the company must immediately make TRUTH Socials source code available to everyone who accessed the site earlier in the day. If TMTG fails to do so in 30 days, it will permanently lose access to the software it used to build its platform. Thats how AGPLv3s cure provision works no exceptions even if youre a real estate mogul, reality television star, or even a former POTUS, the SFC said. If TMTG doesnt comply with the request, it could face a lawsuit. We will be following this issue very closely and demanding that Trumps Group give the corresponding source to all who use the site, SFC said. In closing, SFC shared details about how TRUTH Social was defaced earlier in the day. It says it found no evidence anyone illegally broke into the website. Instead, it notes the episode was the result of an improper configuration. Once discovered, people merely used the site legitimately to register accounts and use its features, the organization said. 2021 - 2021 The services for infant Ellie Faith Nance will be held at noon Saturday, November 20, 2021, in the Central Assembly of God Church. Burial will follow in the Kremlin Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Brown-Cummings Funeral Home. Ellie Faith Nance was born November 17, Welcome back to The Enstarz 8: your conversational pop-culture cheat sheet. In the words of John Mulaney, The Enstarz 8 is here to answer the ever relevant question, "WHAT HAPPENED TODAY?!" Here are eight things you will be able to talk about at your Thirsty Thursday hang out sesh. 1.Ambulance The trailer to the upcomming film Ambulance, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Eiza Gonzalez, has just been released. This new film for Universal Picutres, directed by Michael Bay, follows, in a very over simplified way, the story of a bank robbery gone horribly wrong. This action packed film is set to come out on February 18, 2022. We can't wait to check it out! 2. Uncharted The trailer for the new film Uncharted has just been released. The film starrs the incredible Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg. The movie is a Sony film adaptation of the PlayStation game, Uncharted. The movie serves as an origin story for the world of the game. This adventure filled movie is also set to premiere on February 18th, 2022. Double feature, anyone? 3.Red Notice I guess it's just trailer day! The trailer for the new film Red Notice, featuring the star studded cast of Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, has just been released. This incredible spy-heist movie is sure to keep you on the edge of your seats. It is set to premiere in theaters on November 5th, but it will also be coming to Netflix on November 12th. 4. Mythic Quest Mythic Quest, the Apple TV+ series starring Rob McElhenney, has already been renewed for two more seasons. The show is a workplace comedy about a video game design company. The renewal of the series was announced by McElhenney earlier today on his Twitter. We are excited to see him and the entire cast continue this amazing story for a few more years! 5.Field Guide to the Supernatural Universe A Deadline exclusive revealed that the rights to the upcomming book Field Guide to the Supernatural Universe by Alyson Noel have been purchased by Charlie Matthau and Michael Zoumas.The story follows a boy who must use his supernatural powers to save his town from his nemesis. This inspiring story will be transformed by Matthau and Zoumas into an incredible on screen adventure. Noel also wrote the book Saving Zoe, which has also been turned into a movie. The trailer for that can be found above! 6.Conan O'Brien Season 3 of Conan O'Brien's podcast, Inside Conan, comes out tomorrow. A Deadline exclusive revealed that on the first episode of this season, Conan O'Brien will be his own first guest. His wife will be joining him to discuss the story of how they met (aw!). This podcast can be streamed on Apple Podcasts. You can be sure I will be listening tomorrow. 7. Adele So, clearly I can't stop talking about Adele, but can you blame me? The incredible singer who is set to be dropping her new album 30 on November 19th just did an interview with Vogue. These 73 questions with Adele let us all know a little bit more about the star in a fun, light-hearted way. (And maybe this brings us all one step closer to being her best friend, who is to say?) 8. For the Love of Money A Deadline exclusive revealed that the theatrical release date for the upcomming film For the Love of Money has officially been set. This crime-drama, starring Keri Hilson and Katt Williams will be premiering on November 24th. Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures will be releasing the film in over seven hundred theaters nationwide. For the Love of Money will be a hard one to miss. (Good thing we don't want to miss it!) That is it for The Enstarz 8 for today. I will be back with even more pop-culture news to conversationally get you through the weekend. See you tomorrow! NATO defense ministers agreed to a new master plan to defend against any potential Russian attack in the Baltic and Black Sea regions that could include nuclear weapons, hacking of computer networks and assaults from space. From: Jeffrey Schell -- Denver Patent Lawyer For Immediate Release: Dateline: Denver , CO Thursday, October 21, 2021 Were pleased to inform you that the Centre for Health Law and Policy (CHLP), the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) and the Centre for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR) under the aegis of the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), in collaboration with the Prof. N R Madhava Menon Interdisciplinary Centre for Research Ethics and Protocols (ICREP), CUSAT and the Kerala State Higher Education Council are conducting an international webinar on Vaccines and Immunization: Ethical and Legal Implications on October 18, 2021 to explore the consequences of vaccines and immunization on the domains of health, human rights and intellectual property as well as the numerous concerns raised in these interrelated fields, especially within the context of the pandemic. For further details, please see the announcement below: International Webinar on Vaccines and Immunization: Ethical and Legal Implications About the Event The COVID-19 pandemic has once again placed public health in the spotlight. Governments across the globe are implementing mechanisms to curb the spread of the virus. Battling a novel virus has also put immense pressure on scientists and researchers to find a vaccine as well as raised concerns on resource-allocation as well as disease management. International institutions such the United Nations, WHO, WIPO as well as other supra-national entities are stressing on interdisciplinary synergies and collaborations in these difficult times to solve these numerous issues of global concern and relevance. The pandemic has put into perspective the lack of access to effective healthcare that many people across the globe have to face. The right to life and healthcare being one of the most fundamental of human rights naturally intertwines the two fields in this discussion. In the process of developing a vaccine, it becomes imperative that Intellectual Property Laws must be applied in order to expedite the access and availability of prospective vaccines and must not be an obstacle towards the same. Thus, with multiple institutions engaged in tackling the pandemic, the analysis of three spheres of law has become an integral part of the process, especially in the matter of vaccines as well as immunization process Health, Human Rights and Intellectual Property Rights. This event is an effort to provide a platform for discussions and deliberations that are to bring new insights and understanding towards the various dimensions involved in the matter of vaccines, their impact on public health, the responses and duties of States, people and other stakeholders, an evaluation of the healthcare sector frameworks, mechanisms of clinical trials and their limitations, the scope of intellectual property rights in such context as well as to throw light on the changes that are to be brought, in light of our shared experiences. About the Organisers The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) is a National Law University located in Kochi, Kerala, India. The university was established by Act 27 of 2005 of the Kerala State Legislature as a public university dedicated to the development and advancement of legal education. Centre for Health Law & Policy (CHLP)Interdisciplinary Centre established in 2014 at National University of Advanced Legal Studies as its ninth Centre for study and research. Health law mainly focuses on the authority of the government at various jurisdictional levels to improve the health of the general population within societal limits and norms. It also analyzes legal issues in public health practice and also the public health effects of legal practice. The Centre aims to encourage, promote and support innovative and important scholarship including teaching, research, consultancy and advocacy in areas of health care law by undertaking various projects. Interdisciplinary Centre established in 2014 at National University of Advanced Legal Studies as its ninth Centre for study and research. Health law mainly focuses on the authority of the government at various jurisdictional levels to improve the health of the general population within societal limits and norms. It also analyzes legal issues in public health practice and also the public health effects of legal practice. The Centre aims to encourage, promote and support innovative and important scholarship including teaching, research, consultancy and advocacy in areas of health care law by undertaking various projects. Centre for Human Rights (CHR) The Centre for Human Rights was established to stimulate discussions on the concept of human rights and how the law can be used in the service of human rights. Since independence, India has made significant efforts to strengthen the constitutional, legal and institutional framework to protect and promote human rights. This work has been supported by an active and sensitive judiciary, which has safeguarded and strengthened existing civil and political rights as well as meaningfully expanded the notion of rights to include basic economic and social entitlements. However, human rights violations continue to be reported demonstrating the shortfalls in the existing system. This scenario illustrates the need for continuous efforts to develop a culture of human rights accompanied by legal initiatives upholding human rights. The Centre therefore works to bridge the knowledge in legal, social and cultural realms that impede the achievement of higher human rights compliance. Centre for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR) The Centre for Intellectual Property Rights has, since its inception, been at the forefront of promoting research and education in the field of IPR. The Centre fosters R&D activities that blend with its central mission of intellectual pursuit as well as link related interdisciplinary involvement to develop an intellectual law-database which would benefit the nation at large. The two primary goals of the Centre are to enhance research and expertise pro-actively in novel and emerging fields of intellectual property law, as well as become a source of information and expertise on the subject. Through its flagship journal, NUALS Intellectual Property Law Review as well as various other activities, it seeks to enrich scholarship in the domain of intellectual property rights. Interdisciplinary Centre for Research in Ethics and Protocols (ICREP) The Prof. N R Madhava Menon Interdisciplinary Centre for Research Ethics and Protocols, being an Inter University Centre of Excellence, tries to seek integrity in academic scientific pursuits by giving insights to the teaching, student and research community about the ethical rules and norms existing in the realm of scientific research, thereby enhance the quality of scientific studies. The centre is an independent and autonomous research centre on Bio-ethics and exhibits inter university character. Objectives of the centre include drawing up of Code of Conduct of Research for different disciplines and interdisciplinary studies; laying down general and specific standards necessary for different types of scientific experimentations, storage of specimens, data, etc.; providing technical advice to institutions of research especially those engaged in industrial and biotechnological research; laying down different standards of law for scientific and non scientific research; framing the laws necessary for experimental labs to address safety concerns, among other things. Prof. (Dr.) Reidar K. Lie, Professor of Philosophy and Department Head, Department of Philosophy, University of Bergen, Norway. He is also an Adjunct Professor, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing as well as the Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Department of Bioethics, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, USA. Presently, he is the Erudite Scholar in Residence Program at ICREP, CUSAT. How to Register Registration is free and open to all. Kindly note that we only have a limited number of seats available. We shall do our best to accommodate everyone. Date: 18 October, 2021 Deadline for Registration: 11 October, 2021 Contact Information About Rocky Mountain Patent Rocky Mountain Patent is a Denver patent law firm that helps inventors, startups, and entrepreneurs transform their concepts into companies. The firm also works with established companies to deploy white space identification techniques to advance and protect innovative concepts. Rocky Mountain Patent features SuperLawyers-rated attorneys and staff members that have been recognized by the Denver Post and as the Top Young Professionals in Colorado by ColoradoBiz Magazine. For more information, visit www.rockymountainpatent.com. CPS Energy CEO Paula Gold-Williams pending resignation is magnifying the turmoil inside the city-owned utility, whose support among customers and elected officials has fallen in recent months. Announced Wednesday, her decision to leave in early 2022 throws into question the 10 percent rate increase the utility has been planning to seek later this year. Gold-Williams has said CPS needs the infusion of revenue to begin repairing the financial damage resulting from the pandemic and the deadly winter storm in February. But any rate increase may have to wait for her successor or at least a trusted interim appointee to take the reins. In the aftermath of Gold-Williams resignation announcement, CPS Trustee Janie Gonzalez said Thursday that she wouldnt support a rate hike for the time being. We have to gain the trust of the community, and I dont think the timing is right, Gonzalez said. Whether she stays or not, I was not going to support it, she added. We have to get our house in order first. On ExpressNews.com: Embattled CPS Energy head Paula Gold-Williams to step down in early 2022 The utilitys five-member board of trustees and the City Council would have to sign off on any rate increase. Trustee Ed Kelley, a strong supporter of Gold-Williams since backing her appointment as CEO in 2016, said CPS rate increase request may be untenable for now. Should they go forward with (a rate increase)? From an economic perspective and a practical perspective, the answer is yes, Kelley said. But from a political perspective, thats a much different situation. Kelley, 80, likely wont vote on the rate hike request. The old-school business leader is leaving the board in late January. Hell be replaced by Francine Romero, a public administration professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio and onetime chair of the citys zoning commission. Bleeding balance sheet Gold-Williams has said the utility needs a rate hike to upgrade its systems to accommodate the San Antonio areas growing population and to cover mounting costs. The utility is struggling with roughly $130 million in customers past-due bills after it suspended disconnections at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic more than a year and a half ago. CPS began disconnecting residential customers with unpaid bills Oct. 1. Its also restarted business disconnections. CPS customers as a whole will have to pay off through charges in their monthly bills whatever remains of the debt over a five-year period, utility officials have said. Theyll also be on the hook for $418 million in bills for natural gas and electricity that the utility bought on the spot market during the winter storm. CPS spent about $1 billion on power and gas that week, but its in court challenging nearly $600 million of its storm-related debt. Customers will cover the debt through their monthly bill over the next 25 years. With a rate hike, the utility would likely turn a $76 million profit next year. Chief Financial Officer Cory Kuchinsky said in August that without the hike, CPS could lose $82 million in 2022. CPS last rate hike, increasing monthly bills by 4.25 percent, went into effect in 2014. Since then, CPS has added 125,000 electric customers and lost 300 employees. Weve been investing in our community and our assets at todays costs, and the pricing that we have in our rates is 2013 pricing, Kuchinsky said. Gold-Williams downfall Gonzalez, one of Gold-Williams public supporters, said she wasnt surprised by the CEOs resignation announcement: The pressure on her had become unbearable. She was under enormous criticism both externally and internally, and I think that was the only outcome that was going to happen, Gonzalez said. I dont believe there was any support for anything else. District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo, a longtime critic of CPS, said the utility should hold off on seeking the rate increase for now. He wants to hear from the utilitys 21-member Rate Advisory Committee, which is studying CPS rates, before considering an increase. The group was convened this year and started meeting in March. Its not clear when the committee will finish its analysis. Mayor Ron Nirenberg, one of CPS five trustees, declined to say whether he supports CPS going forward with a rate increase until the utility has a new CEO in place. City staff is conducting a thorough analysis of CPS Energys budget and finances, Nirenberg said in a statement. I will not be ready to discuss the proposed rate adjustment until that analysis is complete. Turmoil in executive ranks Amid the turmoil, Gold-Williams senior management bench is in disarray, with no obvious candidates to succeed her. After a string of executive departures earlier this year, Chief Operating Officer Fred Bonewell resigned last week after the disclosure of internal complaints accusing him of spending company money seemingly without a budget including of personal items such as ear buds and making a racially insensitive comment. CPS did not have an acting COO as of Thursday, a utility spokeswoman said. Just three of the utilitys top seven executives in place at the start of this year are still working at CPS. At the end of the day, there are a lot of qualified individuals to still run the organization, Gonzalez said. On ExpressNews.com: 'Decarbonization is a given:' UTSA professor to join CPS Energy Board of Trustees in turbulent times Gold-Williams faced criticism from community and environmental organizers who accused her of providing too little information about CPS operations publicly and for not pushing hard enough to reduce the utilitys emissions. Her defense of the Spruce coal-fired power plant, one of the largest contributors of carbon dioxide pollution in San Antonio, inflamed environmental activists who want the utility to commit to closing the coal unit this decade. Critics also targeted her pay. Gold-Williams earned a base salary of $486,000 last year and was set to earn a $530,000 bonus before the utility canceled its incentive bonus program at the start of the pandemic. Its time for fresh leadership, Bravo said. Kelley, for his part, said hed be sorry to see Gold-Williams go. He lauded her for launching the utilitys Flexible Path strategy to increase its reliance on clean energy sources over time. He also said she exercised a financial discipline that helped CPS stave off a rate increase until this year. She suffers from receiving grades from people who oversimplify some very, very complicated issues at the company, Kelley said. She gets much more than a passing grade. Potential successors to Gold-Williams werent immediately apparent after news of her pending departure. Rudy Garza, Frank Almaraz and Vivian Bouet remain the highest-ranking of seven senior executives at CPS, though none has experience as a CEO. Former COO Cris Eugster led the utilitys push to adopt more renewable power sources before he left San Antonio in February to become CEO of NAES Corp., a private energy company in Washington state. Eugster has since left that job, however, and could be a potential candidate for CEO. Kelley said the search that resulted in Gold-Williams CEO appointment in 2016 taught him that attracting a talented executive will take a strong salary offer. Finding a person who has the skill set that they want and need, but they can also afford, is going to be a challenge, he said. CPS board Chairman Willis Mackey said Wednesday that trustees would form an executive search committee and update the public in the coming days. diego.mendoza-moyers @express-news.net The unemployment rate in San Antonio fell in September, wiping out a slight increase in August and bringing the areas jobs numbers a bit closer to pre-pandemic levels even as employers struggled to hire workers. According to a report Friday from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, more people were employed in the metro area than in any month since the start of the pandemic. The San Antonio-New Braunfels areas unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in September, the Texas Workforce Commission said in a separate report. That was down from 4.8 percent in August and well below the 7.4 percent level reported a year ago. A late-summer surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations that peaked in August caused a hiccup in the recovery heading into the fall. But the jobs rebound picked up steam in September as totals declined, and San Antonio added more than 15,000 jobs, the commission said. According to Dallas Fed data, the area has regained 39,000 jobs since September 2020. Total employment in the metro area was just 2 percent lower in September than it was in February 2020, just before the pandemic shut down economic activity and unemployment spiked. Statewide, the sector with the biggest job gains last month was leisure and hospitality, which added 31,900 jobs. The industry was ravaged by the pandemic and attendant decline in travel over the past year and a half. But San Antonio added 2,700 leisure and hospitality jobs last month, which tied the industrys largest one-month increase in jobs here in a year, according to the Dallas Fed. With COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas declining since early September, leisure and hospitality and retail jobs have bounced back strongly, said Keith Phillips, Dallas Fed assistant vice president and senior economist. About 12 percent of all workers in San Antonio are employed in leisure and hospitality. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio unemployment rate fell in August despite surge in COVID-19 cases, slowdown in job growth Workforce Commission data showed other sectors with big gains last month were trade, transportation and utilities, which added 16,700 jobs; and professional and business services, which added 16,400. Dallas Fed economists estimate the state will add 626,000 jobs through 2021. By December, they project that employment statewide will reach 13 million workers. If that occurs, Texas would reach record-breaking levels of employment and end the year with a larger labor force than before the pandemic. Phillips said global supply chain issues and shortages being felt in nearly every corner of the U.S. economy in recent months have hindered growth, but less than expected. While consumer demand remains strong, the strength of job growth is somewhat surprising given both labor market tightness and supply-chain challenges faced by businesses, Phillips said. Statewide, the unemployment rate fell to 4.9 percent in September from 5.3 percent a month earlier, according to Workforce Commission data. The national rate last month was 4.6 percent. The highest rate among metros statewide was 8 percent, reached in both the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission and Beaumont-Port Arthur areas, the commission said. Amarillo had the states lowest rate, at 3.4 percent. Austin-Round Rocks rate was 3.5 percent. diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net The 20-year plan to remake San Antonio International Airport is finally out, and it is sweeping. As expected. Frustration with San Antonios bland little airport has been mounting. Think back to three years ago when former Mayor Henry Cisneros called in an Express-News guest op-ed for effectively chucking San Antonio International and building bigger elsewhere. Boiled down, his message shared by many other members of the citys business-politico complex was that both San Antonio and its aspirations were bigger than its airport. Earlier in 2018, Mayor Ron Nirenberg had appointed the 21-member Airport System Development Commission and picked cybersecurity executive John Dickson to chair it. The commission pretty quickly knocked down the idea of moving the airport to a roomier part of San Antonio. On ExpressNews.com: Suggestions for the Airport Task Force Its members working with the city aviation director, his staff and consultants then set about blowing up the status quo within San Antonio Internationals existing 2,600-acre footprint. The result: a multi-phase project that promises to be one of the citys biggest, costliest capital projects ever. If City Council OKs the plan members are expected to vote on it in December the price could top $2 billion. Airport revenue bonds would pay for most of the work, with passenger fees, concessions, airline rents and a handful of other income streams paying off the debt. Federal funding also is expected to come into play. Aviation Department officials previewed the master plan at two public meetings this week one at the Barshop Jewish Community Center on the North Side Tuesday, the other a virtual event Thursday. The redevelopment would start with fireworks: construction of a third terminal and a new parking garage. The plans timelines have the two structures, roadway work and smaller projects being completed by 2030 at a cost of between between $880 million and $950 million. On ExpressNews.com: Timeline for $2 billion makeover at San Antonio International Airport hits the fast track Terminal C would eat up most of that funding, with an estimated price tag from $790 million to $840 million. The new facility would bring the number of gates to as many as 37 from todays 23. With those projects out of the way, Terminal B would be reworked as a central ticketing facility, a one-stop airline check-in and security checkpoint that would allow travelers to wander between restaurants, bars and shops in each terminal. As is, Terminals A and B have their own check-ins; once youre made it through security, youre stuck in whichever terminal youre flying out of. International dreams Also down the road is a runway expansion to 10,000 feet from 8,500 feet to accommodate bigger cargo and passenger jets. This part of the 2040 plan isnt pressing, however. The airports runway today can handle international flights, say on an Airbus A350, to as far away as Frankfurt, Germany, and into South America. Not that airlines are clamoring to offer service from San Antonio to Europe or South America. But airport officials swear theres enough demand to justify such flights. Airlines always have a wish list of where they want to go to next. Our job is to move us up that list, said Brian Pratte, the citys chief air service and marketing officer. Prior to the pandemic, we were the third-largest market without transatlantic service. Based on existing demand, people were traveling to and from Europe. So were one of the next (airports) to check off the list. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio airport officials seeking longer runway to lure European flights He said theres also enough demand to justify flights to Central and South America. (A quick aside: Mexico is big for San Antonio International with service to Mexico City, Leon, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Cancun and getting bigger.) The gnome And then theres the replacement of Terminal A, the cranky gnome of municipal airport facilities. At its narrowest point, travelers are crowded cattle-like within a span of 70 feet. It has too few restrooms and its electrical system is outdated. The city has spent about $35 million in recent years to patch it up but its still Terminal A. This facility, which opened in 1984, is one of the bigger insults to San Antonios pride. As such, its demolition and replacement has been a foregone conclusion. Its the least newsworthy part of the master plan. Still, the thought of the old Terminal As demise is heart-warming. San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the U.S., with population growth of 8 percent between 2010 and 2020. As of 2020, more than 1.4 million people lived here. Yet it remains one of the poorest major cities in the country and its economy continues to lag those of Austin, Dallas and Houston. San Antonio struggles to attract higher-paying jobs, to carve out a place in a fast-moving, information-driven global economy that puts a premium on higher technical skills. But its making progress, and wants much more of it. Terminal A is 360,000-square-foot reminder of an older San Antonio, the one that was sold to out-of-town companies as nothing more than a low-wage, nonunion town. Balancing act The 20-year plan for the airport is an attempt to match its terminal, parking, runway and roadway capacity to the anticipated growth in the number of passengers. In a pre-COVID-19 forecast, airport officials predicted the number of travelers flying out of San Antonio would increase about 2 percent annually. In the years to come, the citys population gains and San Antonians economic wellbeing that is, having jobs that require cross-country travel or the disposable income to take out-of-state pleasure trips will determine whether that projection is on the money. San Antonio International at the moment is recovering nicely from the pandemic. Just more than 713,400 passengers passed through the airport in August, which was 82 percent of the number in August 2019, six months before the cataclysm. Which might make the 2040 plan easier for council members to swallow. But the plan is also about trying to break out of San Antonios historic, self-effacing, small-time mindset. For this aspect of the project, ambition will be the underwriter, not Wall Street. Aviation Director Jesus Saenz Jr. reflects that aspiration. When you look at Dallas, the large city that it is you look at Houston, the large city it has become you look at Austin, the large city its becoming San Antonios next, Saenz said. Any way you slice this pie, it is the next big city in the state of Texas. Its going to happen. He may be right, and I think the plan hes rolling out is a good one. The airports rebirth will succeed if Saenz and John Dicksons development commission have struck the right balance between aspiration and realism. In other words, their passenger-growth projections had better be rock-solid. greg.jefferson@express-news.net As a kid, Phillip Hodge spent many hot summer hours lounging in the wave pool and watching movies at Splashtown San Antonio. Everybody knows thats the spot, said Hodge, 37, a local hip-hop artist who goes by Thuggizzle. Its known for being that park thats affordable for everybody. His beloved East Side water park could be closing in the near future, its knot of water slides dismantled and the property converted to an auto dealership. On hearing the news, Hodge had a regret: He wished hed stopped by Splashtown last summer. It is our official water park, he said, referring to San Antonio natives. Splashtown represents us. If you take away that, you take away a part of us. Splashtown has been in business for 36 years. Cavender Auto Group is looking to buy the property at 3600 North PanAm Expressway. On Thursday, the City Council approved a zoning change that would allow the auto group to build a dealership where the water park currently sits. Bobby Cavender said his family business has purchased a Ford dealership and plans to move it to the site. He also told council members that Splashtowns owner has decided to retire. The council action set off an outpouring on social media. Using the hashtag #savesplashtown, some customers pleaded with the parks ownership not to close. Others reminisced. This was something that was affordable for families who couldnt afford the big places, one person commented in a Facebook post. But Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez who represents District 2, where Splashtown is located welcomed the potential change. Cavender and General Motors would partner with the Alamo Colleges District to provide hands-on job training for high school graduates. Im sad to see Splashtown go, but Im excited about the new economic boost that the new Ford dealership will offer to the district, McKee-Rodriguez said. In May, Cavender said the auto group was purchasing the Grande Ford dealership off Interstate 10 near W.W. White Road on the East Side. The company now operates six dealerships in San Antonio. The 20-acre water park opened in 1985 under the name Water Park USA. Ads touted the park, which cost $10 million to build, as the only way to really beat the heat in San Antonio. All-day rates at the time were $9.45 for customers over 8 years old and $6.45 for children 3 to 7. Kids under 3 got in free. Wave Management of Houston bought the park from Water Park USA Limited I of Oklahoma City in 1989 and reopened it as Splashtown. Chrismari Inc. of San Antonio purchased Splashtown in 1991 and remains its owner, property records indicate. Bexar County valued the park and several parcels around it also owned by Chrismari at $3.1 million this year. The owner did not respond to requests for comment. Splashtown features more than 50 rides and attractions, including a half-million-gallon wave pool, multiple slides and kiddie areas. The parks last Saturday of the season was Sept. 11. Jennifer Woodley lives about 10 minutes away from Splashtown and has been taking her children there for years. Woodley buys season passes every summer. Playing basketball in the pool and floating on the lazy river are the family favorites. Its affordable and just a fun thing to do on this side of town, she said via Facebook Messenger. My kids will miss going during the summer when I get off work during the week. I understand the owner is retiring, but I wish itd be sold off to a company wanting to keep it an affordable water park, she added. megan.stringer@express-news.net A dance company from the Chicago area is bringing a new kind of ballet to San Antonio one that shines a light on modern-day social injustices. Next month, Ballet 5:8 will be at the Lila Cockrell Theater in San Antonio to perform Reckless, the biblical story of Gomer, whose husband buys her back from another man. The ballet deals with sexual objectification of women and brings awareness to the trauma women face in the sex trafficking industry. The dance company aims to communicate the realities of human life in a graceful way by telling real stories and striking a chord with its audience. On ExpressNews.com: U.S. Supreme Court to hear challenge to Texas abortion ban, setting up showdown So many companies will focus on stories that dont relate to current life. We want to challenge peoples thinking with something more relatable to the current world and give them something to chew on, lead ballerina Lorrianne Robertson said. Preparing for a show like this goes beyond the physical demands of the performance. The companys ballerinas heavily researched stories of sex trafficking, including hearing testimonies from survivors and watching hours of interviews with traffickers. The show changed Robertsons perceptions on human trafficking and showed her how prevalent the issue is across the world and even in the United States. She said her eyes were opened after hearing stories from women who were brainwashed into sex trafficking by their partners and from those who turned to sex work because they couldnt to put food on the table. It really is something that could happen to anyone, Robertson said. Before we started this, I didnt have a big heart for this kind of thing, but now I have such a deeper empathy and I want to help make a change. Tackling difficult topics is common for Ballet 5:8. Since the companys inception in 2011, artistic director Julianna Rubio Slager has produced shows centered around abortion with its show Mother, the prison system in 4501 and depression with Dia de Los Vivos. The meaning behind the work is one of the things that attracted me to Ballet 5:8, and one of the reasons why I have stayed, Robertson said, speaking of her nine years with the company. Reckless will come to San Antonio at 7 p.m. Nov. 6. Tickets start at $22 and can be bought online at bit.ly/3ptgnZt. Five percent of all ticket proceeds will be donated to Randomed Life, a nonprofit that fights against human trafficking. Taylor.pettaway@express-news.net When HBOs unscripted reality show Were Here goes to Del Rio on Monday, the border towns youngest mayor ever will take center stage in drag. The hour-long show is making stops across small-town America spreading love and connections through the art of drag, according to a press release. Bruno Lozano, Del Rios first openly gay elected official, welcomed the HBO team with a key to the city at a City Council meeting in June, Gay Pride Month, which was filmed for the show. The 38-year-old mayor and Air Force veteran is one of three Del Rio residents who will be featured in the episode. The second season of Were Here which stars Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka OHara and Shangela, all veterans of RuPauls Drag Race launched Oct. 11. The first two stops were in Spartanburg, S.C., and Temecula, Calif. Next up are Selma, Ala., and Evansville, Ind. none of which are known as a hot spot for gay communities. On ExpressNews.com: Ally Brooke's new single is first all in Spanish for former Fifth Harmony singer, San Antonio native Thats kind of the point. Director and executive producer Peter LoGreco said Were Here is intended to show something different than the typical media depiction of residents of red states and blue states divided over LGBTQ issues. The show works to have a positive effect on people who are willing to share their stories and looks for people to feature who would benefit from the process, he said. Scenes from several episodes show people who often are accepting and openly coming together, although some families struggle with acceptance. Storylines include families, mothers and kids in addition to people with an LGBTQ perspective. I hope theres something very hopeful that people take away from this, LoGreco said. People want to be positive and supportive. In each episode, the queens are paired with drag daughters who step outside their comfort zone, learning dance routines and getting full makeup, wigs and costumes for a lip-sync drag show. The sequins and chiffon come at the end of sometimes tear-jerking episodesas the featured guests are encouraged to be their true selves. Lozano, a flight attendant for a major airline, is comfortable in his own skin as an openly gay first-time politician. He unseated an older incumbent in May 2018, getting almost 62 percent of the vote running on issues such as economic growth, international trade and cleaner waterways. HBO He said he works to empower people who are going through struggles in life and feels he is helping his community by being authentic. Being your true authentic self empowers those individuals, he said earlier this week in an interview conducted by email and text. Elected officials can be approachable, available and a part of the community, he added. You dont have to stop being you just because you get into an elected position. I feel that me being myself whether Im in drag, whether Im in a suit or my veteran fatigues because Im a veteran and all that we all wear many hats in life. Its OK to recognize all our background because thats what makes us who we are. During dance practice scenes in Mondays episode, Lozano looks at ease wearing purple high heels and just as comfortable counseling another featured Del Rio resident who is struggling with his coming out journey. I feel like the Were Here program gives us the opportunity to really highlight the good and different perspectives that are found in Del Rio and how we can showcase a community thats full of life, thats vibrant and open to change, he said. On ExpressNews.com: Terri Hendrix keeps singing through her pain His city is much more than a border community at the center of international immigration issues, he added. A humanitarian crisis thrust Del Rio into national headlines in September when almost 15,000 refugees, most from Haiti, gathered in makeshift camps under the international bridge. Lozano used social media to update residents during that tense time. Lozano used some of his time onstage in drag (and those purple heels) to lead a pep rally for Del Rio, telling an enthusiastic crowd, Never stop trying to give yourself a better life in this community. Were Here airs at 8 p.m. Monday on HBO and also streams on HBO Max. Follow the show on Instagram: @werehere for exclusive content. Terry Scott Bertling is a freelance writer in San Antonio. tsbertling@gmail.com. On Instagram: @terrybertling Rating: Worth a drive If you harbored any doubts about Matthew Rosey Roses dedication to the fish and chips he makes at his Roseys Fish and Chips trailer, consider his music video RFNC that just dropped on YouTube and marvel at what rhymes with chips. Blips, clips, whips, parsnips and eclipse, to name a few. But the rap-style video asking people what theyd do for Roseys Fish and Chips really drops the mic with make like Shakira and lie to your hips and best of all, the Blade Runner tip of the hat: off the shoulder of Orion, fire attack ships. Before Rose started Roseys Fish and Chips last year, he was a musician. And before that, an Englishman, born and bred. Hes still both of things, but now hes also the guy doing one thing and doing it well from a trailer the size of an airport tollbooth: frying fish and french fries in the pub tradition he grew up with back home in Milton Keynes, a British city 50 miles north of London. Rose left England after college, then traveled to South America and wound up in Argentina, where he met his wife, a San Antonian. They settled back in San Antonio 20 years ago, and hes been hunting for good fish and chips ever since. My frustration in Texas was that I couldnt get anything vaguely close to what I like, he said. Its something thats being done all over the place, but not very well. So true. In San Antonio, fish and chips is something of a white whale, chased by pub-crawling Capt. Ahabs who wind up with institutional fish and freezer-bag fries when they can find it at all. On ExpressNews.com: SA seafood showdown: Freds Fish Fry vs. Sea Island Shrimp House With his own quest in mind, Rose bought a fryer and began experimenting in his garage, eventually doing fish-and-chips pop-ups at The Dakota East Side Ice House before chef Tim McDiarmid invited him to cameo at her Southtown restaurant The Good Kind, where he still takes over the kitchen on Mondays. Late last year, he bought a trailer from Project Pollos Lucas Bradbury and started finding other gigs around town. Mike Sutter /Staff Gig is the right word. Rose plays gigs with the food trailer the same way hes played gigs with a cowpunk band, a New Wave band, a Prince tribute band and now his latest project, The No. 2 Specials, a tribute to the British ska band The Specials. Rose will be the first to tell you, Im not a cook; Im a musician. We wont be the first to tell him that he can be both. And hes making the best fish and chips Ive run across in my my own private moments of Melville in San Antonio. Best dish: Fish and chips is the only thing Roseys sells, one big crunchy fillet of swai and a double handful of crispy french fries for $15. Even in this small, single-minded space, Rose said hes guided by the broader flavor principles set out by Samin Nosrat in the book Salt Fat Acid Heat, and he wants every order to reflect all four elements. Mike Sutter /Staff The fish is lacquered like an antique bombe chest, with smooth mahogany curves and gnarled curlicues of batter along the edges. The beer batter employs Lone Star or whatever beers on hand where Rose is cooking on any given night, like Real Ale at The Dooryard beer bar or a housemade brew at Second Pitch Beer Co. On ExpressNews.com: West Side taco truck La Generala worth a drive for handmade tortillas, Michoacan enchiladas and killer salsa Rose fries everything in peanut oil for extra flavor. The batters feather light but super strong, sturdy enough to cradle the fish and delicate enough to absorb and amplify the malt vinegar Rose splashes on just before serving. The fish itself isnt fancy by any means, but its neutral taste and light alabaster flake are just the right contrast to the airy crackle of its fried shell. For the chips, Rose hand-cuts russet potatoes in finger-size blocks and fries them twice for a hard-thump crunch on the outside and starchy fluff on the inside. Thats it. And for now, thats enough, Rose said. He was attached briefly to a downtown bar project called The Dandy Pub, but decided against it. Down the road, Rose envisions Roseys trailers in cities all over the place, two-wheeled ambassadors for one of Englands finest exports. Roseys Fish and Chips Location and hours: The schedule for now runs from the late afternoon to about 9 p.m., serving on Mondays at The Good Kind (1127 S. St. Mary's St.), Wednesdays at The Dooryard (4503 De Zavala Road, Suite 108) and Fridays at Tandem San Antonio (310 Riverside Drive), with other gigs as they come up. 210-863-0831, Facebook: @roseysfishandchips Takeout/delivery: Onsite dining and takeout available. No delivery. See More Collapse What else rhymes with chips? Entrepreneurship. msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking | Instagram: @fedmanwalking If your childs Halloween costume is a little too spooky this year, a touch of holiness couldnt hurt. St. Marks Episcopal Church is hosting its annual Blessing of the Costumes and Halloween Parade from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the church, at 315 E. Pecan St. Clergy members dressed up in costumes will bless all children who show up to the event in their own costumes. The clergy then will lead the children in a parade around the church. Jesus said, let the little children come unto me, and for us that means even if they come dressed as superheroes, princesses, or in their most spooky attire, Rev. Beth Knowlton said in a news release. The Blessing of the Halloween Costumes has become a tradition in churches across Texas over the past few years, with several parishes celebrating Allhallows Eve by encouraging children to come to church or a church event in their costumes. On ExpressNews.com: 5 great San Antonio bakeries for Halloween cookies, cakes, gingerbread houses and more The event will offer pizza, face painting, games and trick or treat in the parking lot. They call that last part Trunk or Treat. See what they did there? The event is free and open to all community members. By celebrating Halloween with our children, they begin to understand that events that are important to them are also important to their faith community, Knowlton said in the release. They learn that their faith isnt just what happens on Sundays, but is connected to everything in their world and lives. Annie Blanks writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. annie.blanks@express-news.net. A 65-year-old man is facing a first-degree murder charge in connection with the fatal shooting of a Moroccan national during the early morning hours of Oct. 11 in a small town near San Marcos. Terry Duane Turner was arrested on Oct. 22 after turning himself in to the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office, a day after a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to a news release. The man Turner is accused of killing has been identified as 31-year-old Adil Dghoughi, who had been living in Texas. Turner told police that he woke up to use the bathroom when he saw an unknown car parked in his driveway with the headlights off, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by CNN. Turner said he returned to his room to get his handgun, then ran outside and saw that the headlights were on and the car rapidly backed out of his driveway. He then chased after the car, and "struck the front driver's side door window twice with his handgun" then fired the gun, striking the driver, the affidavit said. On ExpressNews.com: Man loses leg after being hit by train on South Side Dghoughi was then transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died. According to CNN, Turner told a 911 operator that "he killed a guy" after he "pointed a gun" at him. No gun was found in Dghoughi's possession, according to the affidavit. Turner's attorney told CNN that he "was defending himself and his property." An attorney representing the Dghoughi family told CNN that circumstances of the case show that a self-defense defense doesn't apply. Dghoughi's girlfriend, Sarah Todd, told CNN that he may have been lost on his way back home from San Antonio, and could have pulled over to look for directions. Prior to Turner's arrest, the case drew both national and international attention after the Council of American-Islamic Relations Austin chapter on Oct. 18 joined the relatives in calling for an independent investigation of the case after it took authorities almost two weeks to arrest Turner. Courtesy of Adil Dghoughi's family A GoFundMe fundraiser set up by Dghoughi's friend and family to cover funeral expenses and to transport his body to Morocco for burial has raised more than $46,000. Turner bonded out of jail two hours after he was arrested on Oct. 22, according to online records. Malak.Silmi@express-news.net Larry W. Smith/Getty Images A Poteet ISD band director accused of inappropriately touching a female student has been charged with multiple sex crimes, according to media reports. Poteet High School band director Joe Rodriguez was charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact and improper relations. He turned himself into the Atascosa County Sheriff's Office on Thursday afternoon after a warrant was issued for his arrest, Sheriff David Soward told the Pleasanton Express. Alec Baldwin was handed a loaded weapon by an assistant director who indicated it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, court records released Friday show. The assistant director did not know the prop gun was loaded with live rounds, according to a search warrant filed in a Santa Fe court. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot in the chest. Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, was wounded, the records show. The warrant was obtained Friday so that investigators could document the scene at the ranch where the shooting took place. It notes that Baldwins blood-stained costume for the Western film Rust was taken as evidence, as was the weapon that was fired. Investigators also seized other prop guns and ammunition that were being used during shooting of the film starring Baldwin. Earlier in the day, Baldwin described the killing as a "tragic accident." Baldwin was performing at the time of the shooting, the sheriff's office said. It was unclear how many rounds were fired, and little was known about the weapon. "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. Im fully cooperating with the police investigation," Baldwin wrote on Twitter. "My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna." The warrant also detailed the following information: There were three prop guns on a cart near where the crew was rehearsing. An assistant director grabbed one of the guns and handed it to Baldwin. That assistant director then said to the crew the term "Cold Gun" which is a term used to let the crew know a gun with no live rounds was being used. At that point, the search warrant states Baldwin then fired the gun. Santa Fe County deputies on Thursday responded to Bonanza Creek Ranch where the movie was being filmed after receiving a 911 call saying someone had been shot. No charges have been filed. In a statement issued Friday, First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said the case is in the beginning stages of investigation. "We are assisting the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office and have offered our full support to them," the statement says. "At this time, we do not know if charges will be filed. We will look into all facts and evidence of the case with great discretion and have further information at a later time. Our thoughts are with all affected by this tragedy." On Friday, the New Mexico Film Office issued a statement on the shooting. We along with the entire film community in New Mexico are saddened by the tragedy that happened on the set of Rust, yesterday. We send our deepest condolences to the family of Ms. Halyna Hutchins and are keeping positive thoughts for complete recovery for Mr. Joe Souza. The safety and well-being of all cast, crew and filmmakers in New Mexico is top priority at all times, the statement read. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Baldwin was seen Thursday outside the sheriffs office in tears. Prop guns fire blanks, gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but not a hard projectile. But when the trigger is pulled, the paper or plastic wadding is ejected from the barrel with enough force that it can be lethal at close range, as proved to be the case in the death of an actor in 1984. In another on-set accident in 1993, the actor son of martial arts star Bruce Lee was killed after a bullet was left in a prop gun. Filming for "Rust" was set to continue into early November, according to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s' Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. The film also stars Jensen Ackles and Travis Fimmel. In 2016, a man stabbed his co-worker at this same filming location. That incident happened in April of 2016 when the victim said he was arguing with Jame Ruelas. He said Ruelas called him to an empty room and attacked him with a carving knife. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Nearly a year after Bexar County leaders decided to change vendors for phone service at the jail, commissioners voted this week to re-bid the contract. Its the latest turn in a contentious bidding process that has stretched more than two years. Inmate Calling Solutions, based in San Antonio with 150 employees, has been the jails phone and video visitation service provider for the past 10 years. ICS offered the lowest rate per minute and was rated the highest by an evaluation committee, but commissioners decided in December to award a five-year contract to Securus Technologies of Dallas. ICS, which brands itself as ICSolutions, claimed Securus improperly lobbied commissioners and offered a $50,000 grant that was outside the scope of the bidding process for the coveted-but-complicated contract. Including the countys charge of 6.44 cents per minute on calls from the jail, Securus offered a rate of 7.9 cents per minute, compared with ICSs offer, 7.59 cents. Among the five final bidders, ICS received the highest score, 30 points, from a county-staffed evaluation team. Another bidder, GTL Communications, came in second with 29.6. Securus was third with 28.8. On ExpressNews.com: Sheriff, commissioners hire separate jail consultants But commissioners said the $50,000 grant would bring inmates calling costs down further, and they gave the contract to Securus. The contract generates about $2.5 million annually for the county, according to county auditors figures. This summer, ICS urged the county to reverse its December decision, which was made just before two newly elected commissioners were sworn in Jan. 1, and embrace the staff recommendation. Even though the whole process had taken 19 months prior to get to that day, (the recommendation) was abandoned, Brendan Philbin, vice president of ICS, told commissioners in July. Securus did not play by the rules, David Prichard, an attorney representing ICS, said while addressing them in August. But in a statement, Securus said it has played fairly since the county launched the bid process in May 2019. Allegations from competitors that we improperly lobbied at any point during this process, or moved slowly and would not negotiate on our contractual terms, continue to be unsupported, false claims, the company said. ICS and Philbin filed a lawsuit Oct. 7 listing all five members of the Commissioners Court as defendants and seeking a court ruling to halt the change in vendors. But after an executive session Tuesday, commissioners terminated negotiations with Securus. ICS dropped its lawsuit the next morning. On ExpressNews.com: Salazar, DeBerry at odds over sheriff hiring a jail consultant The countys attorney, Larry Roberson, said there were additional costs or fees that, after about 10 months of negotiation with Securus, still need to be clarified. One of the key items that the court asked us to be cognizant of is protecting families from increased costs for their loved ones who are being held at the detention facility, Roberson told commissioners. Theres too many costs that we dont understand, including the replacement of equipment in the facility and additional associated costs. The county will seek new proposals for jail phone service under a revised scope of work. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said it appeared the county was somewhat at an impasse with Securus. He directed county Purchasing Agent Patricia Torres to write the revised request for proposals as tight as you can get it, and make sure that we dont run into a situation like this again. Securus said it stands by its participation in the competitive bid process. Even though we are disappointed that the county has voted to restart this process, the company said, we know that we were responsive, forthright, and dedicated to making this process as quick and straightforward as possible for local officials. shuddleston@express-news.net The Deputy Sheriffs Association of Bexar County is seeking to maintain arbitration as part of its contract with the county and to reduce the time frame involved in discipline for minor infractions part of its opening position laid out on the first day of negotiations over its collective bargaining agreement. Lowell Denton, lead negotiator for Bexar County, spent much of Thursdays session held in the Commissioners Court listening to the associations concerns and proposed changes to the 2021-25 bargaining agreement. The previous collective bargaining agreement expired in September, but members of the association voted not to adopt the new agreement that was presented to them for review in July and would have taken effect Friday. Jeremy Payne, president of the association, said the main concern for deputies is having a form of arbitration to appeal to when challenging the sheriffs decision to suspend or fire a deputy. Payne said county leaders are trying to get rid of arbitration, which the association considers a necessary process for ensuring fairness. He said arbitrators have upheld the sheriffs firing of deputies in some cases, while reversing others as unreasonable. Its a checks-and-balances system for the sheriff to be held accountable, Payne said. He talks about accountability all the time, and he wants to hold us a accountable, but then he doesnt want to be held accountable on his end. On ExpressNews.com: Dual consultants now engaged to fix problems at Bexar County Jail The association also asked for language limiting how long a minor infraction stays on a deputys file, such as arriving a few minutes late for a shift. Denton provided feedback, saying he appreciated that the membership supports a two-year limit for more serious offenses. But he said the current proposed language would leave a gap with respect to employee misconduct that impairs the operation of the jail and law enforcement and could involve criminal conduct, such as smuggling contraband. Among other proposed changes was an increase in pay plans for deputies to be more competitive with other counties in South Texas. Payne told county negotiators that its difficult to retain deputies and attract new ones when other counties are offering higher hazard bonuses and starting pay. Facebook is kind of killing us in these negotiations, Payne told county negotiators. It becomes problematic for us because they start seeing other deals that are happening across the state. Payne said deputies question why other agencies can offer such incentives in the middle of the pandemic, but Bexar County cannot. On ExpressNews.com: City, police union agree to 12th contract extension; talks over suspensions, investigations continue Association members also raised concern that some deputies who work on the law enforcement side of the sheriffs office are placed on special assignment in the jail after criticizing or speaking out against the sheriff and his administration. Payne said there is a handful of people who feel they have been singled out and have taken their complaints to the civil service commission. Also, the associated asked that a $3,000 uniform allowance be included in the contract as the sheriffs office plans to change its uniforms in the near future. Both sides agreed to meet again on Nov. 3 and consider counterproposals on certain items from county negotiators. jbeltran@express-news.net When Valerie Mendoza gets up in the morning, its with one thought: How can I best serve the people I encounter today? Its in my DNA to be a servant-leader, she said. I do what is asked of me and what my abilities and gifts can actually contribute. Mendoza, the social emotional learning counselor for Gus Garcia University School an Edgewood Independent School District middle school that has partnered with Texas A&M University-San Antonio is committed to the pursuit of making counseling accessible for all emotionally troubled and at-risk students before they reach high school age. Born and raised in San Antonio, Mendoza graduated from Northside Health Careers High School and got her bachelors degree at University of the Incarnate Word. Later, she pursued an alternative certification program for teaching and worked at several San Antonio-area charter schools before accepting a position as a science teacher at East Central High School in 2012. At the same time, Mendoza was pursuing a masters degree in guidance and counseling from A&M University-San Antonio. She remained at ECHS until 2016, when, just before completing her degree, she was moved to a position as interim counselor at Legacy Middle School a position she was able to hold with emergency certification. After completing her masters degree in 2016, she returned to ECHS as a full-fledged school counselor. In 2019, Mendoza opted not to renew her high school counselor contract with East Central ISD, spending some time traveling to Spain for a friends wedding before seeking opportunities. Meanwhile, Edgewood ISD had started a search to find a counselor to helm a social-emotional wellness program at Gus Garcia. The middle school environment is really where we will be able to best influence students, Mendoza said. Thats why when this job opened, it was so right it was meant for me. Mendoza said that while she was a high school counselor, she often noticed that students who had made bad choices in middle school were still dealing with the consequences. It was clear to her that middle school is when these bad choices and bad behaviors really begin and that early intervention is critical. If we have to start in elementary school or middle school to help them be successful, then thats where we need to go, Mendoza said. Theres so much life learning happening here if we can help guide the choices that they make, theyre going to be good community members, which benefits everyone. She got right to work building a robust program at Gus Garcia for providing emotional and academic support for students identified as needing additional services. In middle school, Mendoza pointed out, students are still learning about independence and building community and at times fighting with each other and themselves. So she set out to create an atmosphere of self-reflection and self-evaluation. Most of the things I do are checking in, counseling students and overseeing our social emotional learning program for our campus, Mendoza said. Billy Calzada /Staff photographer But in the spring of 2020, on-campus learning came to a halt as Gus Garcia administrators scrambled along with the rest of the country to provide virtual learning options for students. COVID really just exposed the vulnerabilities in systems that already existed, Mendoza said. All the gaps that we kind of knew were there became evident with the technology rollout. Mendoza immediately set about turning a section of her bedroom into a secure and professional office setting to connect with students via their cellphones or computers. She hung up light-blocking tapestry curtains and set up her computer and chair in the hopes that her students would have strong enough Wi-Fi connections to see her and feel safe talking to her. And they certainly did, Mendoza said, often calling late into the night. She began implementing quiet hours for nonemergency situations to prioritize her own health and well-being while still caring for student needs. But, she said, with students cooped up at home during the pandemic, it made a big difference for them to be able to release their anxiety and express their feelings to someone who knew their backgrounds and understood any turbulence in their home lives. The hardest thing is to suspend your judgment and just listen, Mendoza said. Often kids feel shut down because somebody tells them theyre lying, or that they know better. But they actually have a really insightful thought process of their own. She feels that although some students experienced trauma during the pandemic, they are faring much better now that theyve returned to school in person. Dr. Christopher Bland, Gus Garcias principal and Mendozas supervisor, said she is a compassionate counselor whos focused on the well-being of both students and staff. She has worked on several projects on campus to include creating socioemotional wellness lessons for teachers to use during our daily mindfulness time, Bland said. Ultimately, Bland said, Mendoza is a beacon for those in need, and in the process she helps others to realize the light within themselves. Hilda Knight, a Gus Garcia counselor in Mendozas department, said her colleague is tremendously well-versed in her field, and is a practical, committed and kind co-worker and counselor. She is a doer, a creator, while demonstrating empathy in everything she does, Knight said. Billy Calzada /Staff photographer Even when shes off the clock, Mendoza continues to serve the community. She is heavily involved at La Trinidad United Methodist Church, a historic Mexican American church where she is a fourth-generation attendee. Her pastor, John Feagins, has known Mendoza since 2013 and has served alongside her in music ministry. He said that Mendozas role at Edgewood ISD places her on the front lines of situations ranging from academic counseling to crisis intervention. Valeries work helps students living in poverty overcome disadvantages and burdens so they can achieve their full personal and academic potential, Feagins said. During the pandemic, Mendoza was one of 13 church members who stepped forward to provide online-only worship. This team rehearsed and led two live worship services broadcast on YouTube in Spanish and English for an entire year, while taking extra precautions during the week to protect the others in the team, Feagins said. Valerie often arrives to each Tuesday music rehearsal after a stressful day at work (with students). Now that the church has reopened to on-site attendance, Mendoza continues to sing at 9 a.m. Sunday services, attends Sunday school and then sings again at 11 a.m., he added. She also oversees the churchs child and youth safety policies and leads the United Methodist Women unit in the Sewing for Preemies ministry, whose members sew quilts for premature babies in local hospitals neonatal intensive care units. Mendoza said the greatest challenge of leading the womens unit during the pandemic was that many church members lacked technology access or experience. They didnt have the capabilities to log in; they didnt have the understanding to work platforms so I tried to teach who I could and talk them through things, Mendoza said. Im really proud that Ive been able to hold my own and continue to do the service that Ive done this past year, Mendoza said. I could have given up on any one of my activities because it was too much, but I think its what kept me sane. She added that she felt during the pandemic like she was in the center of a storm, watching everyone float chaotically around her and it gave her peace to be able to provide others with some measure of calm. The Rev. Tanya Campen, who works alongside Mendoza in a church ministry called Trusted con Confianza, which certifies adults for safe ministry with children, said Mendoza is a driven individual committed to caring for others. Billy Calzada /Staff photographer Her passion and care for people of all ages is a gift to our schools, our churches, and our community, Campen said. She lifts up the marginalized and invites team members to pay attention to those who are often excluded or feel silenced. I am grateful for Vals expertise, perspective and care. She noted that Mendoza is passionate about her job as a school counselor and encourages others to be at their best. It is so very important for kids and families to know they have someone who is looking out for them, who is there to listen, support and encourage, Campen said. Mendoza said that what she loves most about her job is seeing growth in the students, seeing them change, seeing them feel confident. This article has been updated to indicate that Mendoza got her masters degree in guidance and counseling from Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Turning the Post-It-strewn pages of a weathered Bible, Rev. Ron Brown read from Matthew 5:14 as he eulogized his friend William Hawkins at a memorial service outside Christian Assistance Ministry on Thursday morning. I loved him, Brown said. God loved him. Adam Harris, Hawkinss brother, sat in the front row with their mother, Margret Hawkins. Harris, who described himself as so close to Hawkins, said he was blindsided by the news of his older siblings untimely and violent death. I just felt like it wasnt true, Harris said, adding, It just didnt make any sense to me. Last week, Hawkins was killed in a shooting outside a service station across the street from the ministry. He was a 35-year-old experiencing chronic homelessness, meaning he had been without a residence to call his own due to a mental illness or a disabling condition multiple times or for more than a year. He panhandled at the station frequently. Surveillance footage recovered from the ministry, a copy of which was obtained by the Express-News, showed Hawkins approaching a man walking toward a white truck. While Hawkinss back is to the camera, making it difficult to identify the nature of their interaction, the two appear to exchange words before a bang reverberates through the air and Hawkins collapses, writhing. The man walks around Hawkinss body and drives away, leaving the lifelong San Antonian lying on the pavement in full view of passersby. Jessica Phelps /Staff photographer Hawkins died in the hospital about fifty minutes later, according to police. The shooter was detained near the station and has been cooperating with an investigation, police said. He reportedly fired because he felt threatened by Hawkins. Christian Assistance Ministries President and CEO Dawn White-Fosdick said she had never known Hawkins to be confrontational. To the contrary, she said, he was kind and mellow and generous. Even if he hadnt been, White-Fosdick doesnt think he deserved to die, especially the way he did. If a homeless person approached you aggressively or acted mad because you wouldnt give them money, we have a lot of other choices (besides shooting him or her), she said. We can get in our car, we can call 911, we can run into the building. This is 10:15 (a.m.) and a busy gas station. I dont think that this needed to occur. With the memorial service, White-Fosdick hopes to convey Hawkinss lack of stable housing did not lessen his humanity. In her experience, it can be all too easy to forget that fact. We want people to know who William Hawkins was, that he is a life lost to us as a community, and that he did kind and wonderful things for people, including his mother and his friends, and that he deserves to be celebrated and mourned, she said. Some of those friends attended the service Thursday, a man named Rogelio Altamirano among them. In the days after the shooting, Altamirano carried around his friends backpack as he waited for an opportunity to return it to Hawkinss family Sporting a mane of thick, dark hair, Altamirano, who identified himself as Hawkinss best friend, reminisced about their first meeting about nine years ago. I was sitting down (on Commerce Street), and he was walking by with some Dennys. He had a chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes and some corn on a plate. That was his favorite plate So he saw me sitting down, and he passed by and he was like, You hungry, man? I said, Yeah, Im hungry. He goes, Here. He gave me the plate that he just bought, and he goes, Ill go get another one. Im not even worried about it. I said, You sure? He was like, Yeah, Im sure, he said. Bonding over their shared love of musicians such as Rihanna, Alicia Keys and the rapper Nipsey Hussle, the two became close so much so they shared an encampment and got each other breakfast. One of Hawkinss favorite beverages, Altamirano said, was the soft drink Brisk Half & Half. Hes like my brother, man, Altamirano said, still using the present tense. Theres nothing that I wouldnt do for him. Hawkins was raised on the citys northwest side and attended Hobby Middle School and Clark High School, according to a news release issued by the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless. Harris said Hawkins had been experiencing homelessness for a few years when he was killed. He wanted to be out here. He felt like it was his duty to help these people out, Harris said. While the police are actively investigating the incident, they had not filed any charges as of Thursday afternoon. Once the service concluded, a small party of mourners made their way across the street to Downtown Food Store, the scene of the incident. Bouquets of flowers rested against a telephone pole mounted in the adjacent sidewalk. Relatives and friends added blown-up photographs of Hawkins to the pile. Standing by the makeshift memorial some minutes later, Harris looked on as Altamirano, who was holding a bottle of Brisk Half & Half, poured some of the liquid out, toasting Hawkins for the last time. caroline.tien@hearst.com Jurors in the opening hours of the murder trial of Miguel Gutierrez on Friday heard a frantic San Antonio 911 dispatcher plead with people to conduct CPR on a baby who, other testimony showed, might already have died. Gutierrez was 23 when he was arrested and charged in the blunt-force trauma death of 11-month-old Xzavier Cortez. He had been babysitting the boy and three of Xzaviers siblings on Nov. 3, 2017, but had left the home in the 200 block of North San Ignacio Avenue on the West Side when others arrived to find the child unresponsive and called 911 around 3:30 a.m.. Somebody needs to do something! a dispatcher yelled, attempting to instruct at least three adults how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation as they passed the phone around. OK, so nobody is going to do CPR? I need you to put the baby on the floor or a table, the dispatcher said to the third person he spoke with, a woman who described herself as the childs tia, or aunt. Once the woman complied with the dispatchers command to use two fingers and push up to half an inch on the childs chest, he told her to continue the efforts until paramedics arrived and said he would stay on the phone. Courtesy, Bexar County Sheriff's Office / On ExpressNews.com: Babysitter charged in death of 11-month-old child found with suspicious bruising all over body As the dispatcher continued to check on the womans efforts, he asked how the boy was responding. Is the baby doing anything? he asked. The woman replied, He is pale, his eyes are a little open. Theyre not even moving. When the ambulance arrived, paramedics found Xzavier on the floor and no one doing CPR, according to testimony. His body was cold, lifeless, prosecutor Grant Bryan said in his opening statement. He was covered in bruises, burn marks and was written on in permanent marker. Bryan said Gutierrez had fled the scene and when police arrived, no one could even give authorities the name of the child. Later in the day, jurors saw photographs taken by police crime scene investigators that showed bruising on the childs abdomen, arms, legs, feet, and an ear. One of the investigators, Angela Salvatierra, pointed out the word thug written on the childs belly, and noted a swastika and a smiley face were also drawn on the boy. Gutierrezs attorney, John Economidy, told the panel it was Xzaviers mother, Selena Gabriella Moya, who ultimately was responsible for the childs death. She was a pole dancer, was living out of her car with her children who have different fathers, Economidy said. He said Moya had a history with Child Protective Services investigating her childrens welfare and that Xzavier had broken ribs prior to the night of his death. Gutierrez and his mother provided a place for Moyas children so they would have beds instead of sleeping in a car, Economidy said. He told jurors they would see evidence that emergency medical technicians incorrectly intubated the boy, contributing to his death, and later closely questioned EMTs on the witness stand about intubation and how it is performed on both adults and children. San Antonio Fire Department Lt. Christopher Fink testified that Xzavier, eyes glazed and covered with bruises, was lifeless when paramedics arrived. He never had a pulse to begin with, Fink told the jury. We never stopped chest compressions. Express Briefing: Get the morning headlines in your inbox Once at Childrens Hospital of San Antonio, Xzavier was pronounced dead around 4:30 a.m. The Bexar County Medical Examiners Office ruled the cause of death was non-accidental blunt force trauma to the abdomen. Xzaviers mother later told authorities that her children were in good health before she left them in Gutierrezs care. Gutierrez initially was charged with capital murder-child under 10. His case was re-indicted in September 2019 under a murder charge, according to court records. It was unclear why prosecutors obtained an indictment on the less severe charge. Now 27, Gutierrez faces up to life in prison if convicted. State District Judge Ron Rangel is presiding over the case in the 379th District Court. Moya, 25, was indicted in 2020 on a charge of endangering a child-risk of bodily injury, a state jail felony; and child abandonment-risk of bodily injury, a second-degree felony, according to online court records. Moya is awaiting trial in the 379th District Court. She faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 In 1991, the Gulf War invaded Americas homes via 24-hour cable news. Commentators narrated updates as the screen flashed with fuzzy green night vision footage, groups of soldiers in desert camouflage, fighter jets roaring into the darkness and oil smoke veiling the desert horizons. The Gulf War coverage was the first time Id heard of Gen. Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and one of the wars faces. I was 13, and I remember his poise in the press briefings on television. The run up to the Gulf War lasted six months, but the fighting only lasted 42 days. Powell, and other Vietnam-vet flag officers, such as Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf and Air Force Gen. Charles A. Horner, applied the lessons theyd learned in Southeast Asia decades before. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Powell set bar for character and service The operation had clear goals, public support, overwhelming force and an exit strategy, but the long-term impacts still echo. Desert Storm helped set in motion Americas ill-fated return to Iraq in 2003. Now, in the aftermath of Powells passing and the shadow of the 2003 Iraq invasion, the videos of his 30-year-old Gulf War press conferences hit differently. He briefed with Dick Cheney, the secretary of defense. Theyre optimistic, controlled and even joke with the media. Like a warrior professor, Powells even-keeled presentations instilled confidence and trust. The objective, he said, is simply to eject the Iraqi army from Kuwait. The general would turn to his easels with paper maps and point to Iraqi bases and air defenses throughout Mesopotamia. Americans would go to many of these places again 12 years later. On ExpressNews.com: Lingle: In purging archive, DOD transparency takes a step back During those years, the maps stayed the same, but the people changed. By 2003, Powell was secretary of state and Cheney was vice president. In the run up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Powell warned President George W. Bush, if you break it, you own it. He urged the president to avoid war and take the concerns to the United Nations. Not long after that, Powell found himself preparing to make the case to the U.N. Vietnam and Gulf War memories must have barraged him as he reviewed the intelligence and prepared his speech. On Feb. 5, 2003, at the U.N. Security Council, Powell pointed to different charts and images about the same place hed briefed about years before. This time he spoke about Saddam Husseins weapons of mass destruction and links to al-Qaida to make the case for a new Iraq war. Powell carried the same composure, concern and professionalism. He was convincing. We watched the speech from an office on Randolph Air Force Base, not fully realizing what it would mean. One of his slides is titled, Iraq, Failing to Disarm, Denial and Deception. Three words stick out: Iraq, denial and deception. The video from that day hits differently now, too. Views & Voices: Editorials, columns and commentary, delivered to your inbox Now we know about the flawed intelligence that led to the nearly nine-year odyssey. We also know of the brutal costs an estimated 190,000 killed, including 4,505 Americans, thousands wounded and $2.2 trillion spent. The storied general-turned-diplomat helped pave the path to a war that broke his own rules, and he regretted the speech, which he saw as a blot on his record. Powell did more than most to slow the slide to war, but in the end, it wasnt enough. Theres no way to tell if he or anyone could have derailed the endeavor. Since 2003, more than 1 million Americans, myself included, served in Iraq. The war forever changed a generation of Americans. While some pundits and politicians have long criticized Powell, Ive never heard military people disparage him. He was a leader and patriot whose decades of service to the country broke barriers and shaped the armed forces we have today. His wisdom will live on. The episode is a lesson in accountability. Powell had the courage and integrity to acknowledge his mistakes, which ultimately reinforced his character, credibility and life of service. Thats an example we all can learn from. Brandon Lingle is a retired lieutenant colonel who served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force with assignments in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea and across the U.S. brandon.lingle@express-news.net Please indulge me for a few moments as I begin this column with an old family story. Way back when, it was discovered that one branch of the family stemmed from a wealthy industrialist in the European city of Prague. Forwarding to the late 20th century, a young man from the American side went to visit his cousin in the old country. They were having a great time and decided to visit the country estate. The manor house was impressive and filled with antiques, including medieval suits of armor complete with helmets, chain mail and swords. As the day progressed, the cousins imbibed heartily of local absinthe and vodka. At one point, they put on the armor, but the American cousin was too large for it to fit properly. They then ambled outside for a stroll in the nearby hills where, before long, two brown bears suddenly set upon them. The American tried unsuccessfully to run. The other bear gave up toying with the cousin in the armor. A bit later, the two bears met up and one said, Whats wrong with you? I got my dinner. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Doubt lingers surrounding Postal Service The other bear said, What can I say. The Czech is in the mail! At this point, I would normally say, Ill show myself out, but I still have some column inches left. The check is in the mail is an old excuse, punchline, meme, trope or cliche. Of course, paying by check is becoming less frequent in our digital age, but I was reminded of the phrase when a neighbor recently commented that two checks sent to local companies had not cleared after a longer than normal time. I suggested it was possible that they were stolen, as he had left them in his curbside mailbox. I recounted an incident that happened to me a few years before. I put two checks to taxing authorities in the mailbox early one morning and left for a gym class. Returning after a couple of hours, I noticed the mailbox door was open and the flag was still up. Taking a look showed nothing in the box. This struck me as odd as the mail delivery for my street at the time was early afternoon. Calling the local post office revealed that no changes had been made to the delivery schedule and the most likely explanation was theft. A flurry of activity followed to change the checking account number and hand deliver the payments to the tax offices. This thief was clever, in that the old checks were sent on the respective addresses, but was also, to my good fortune, sloppy in the execution of the heist. Mail thieves are on the prowl, especially around tax time and when certain checks are delivered. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Threat to postal service is a threat to democracy If you must send checks in the mail, taking them to the post office would be the safer bet. So, this column, instead of just being about a corny story, is a public service. No need for thanks, but if you want to send me a check, you know what to do. John Eubanks is an author, former teacher and actor who lives in Converse. He can be reached at joneu62@gmail.com. It was a truly senseless murder. John Henry Ramirez and two female companions killed Pablo Castro, a father of nine, in Corpus Christi in 2004. Castro was taking out trash at a convenience store where he worked when he was attacked. Ramirez stabbed Castro 29 times. The robbery and murder netted Ramirez $1.25. Ramirez and the two women had been on a three-day drug binge. The two women were arrested the night of the murder, but Ramirez fled to Mexico and was not arrested until more than three years later. He was sentenced to death and has been on death row since 2009. Ramirez was to be executed by lethal injection last month. However, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice refused to allow his minister to lay hands on him and say prayers at the execution, prompting the U.S. Supreme Court to grant Ramirez a stay of execution. The Supreme Court will hear the case later this year. On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: Allow laying of hands in death cases The case raises a number of constitutional questions about the exercise of religion at the moment of execution. It is easy to get caught up in the horror of Castros killing and come to the conclusion that Ramirez, 37, should pay with his life. After all, as the lead prosecutor at Ramirezs trial has said, Pablo Castro didnt get to have somebody praying over him as this guy stabbed him 29 times. Two questions are paramount: Does Ramirez deserve to die for this crime? Do we deserve to do this to ourselves? My answer to both questions is no. We shouldnt do state-sponsored killings. Its a repugnant and medieval act and cheapens the value of human life. It dehumanizes everybody. I have been battling the death penalty since I walked onto Arkansas Death Row in 1969 as part of a documentary team interviewing men who faced death in the electric chair. On ExpressNews.com: Commentary: Flawed and costly, death penalty should end Remember, the death penalty is a process. Its a process staffed from beginning to end by people. And people make mistakes. Police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, jurors all make mistakes. The process is far from perfect. But, when a life hangs in the balance, mistakes are devastating. Look at the cases of Cameron Todd Willingham, Ruben Cantu and Carlos DeLuna. Each was executed by Texas and the evidence of their innocence is massive. Nationwide there have been 185 exonerations of death row prisoners since 1973. Texas has had 16 exonerations in that time. These are men who were wrongly sentenced to death, with evidence of their innocence coming in time to stop their execution. The national and international context for Texas use of the death penalty is startling. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, since 1976 the U.S. has had more than 1,530 executions, with 573 occurring in Texas. On ExpressNews.com: Commentary: With death penalty, Texas clinging to a relic of the past Since nations of the European Union dont have the death penalty, that leaves the U.S. as the leader among Western industrial democracies in use of the death penalty. And, Texas 573 executions is tops in the U.S. Some people will look at those numbers and feel its not enough. I disagree. I am embarrassed and outraged by the practice of the death penalty in Texas. It is well past time for Texas to abolish it. Twenty-three of our 50 states have done away with it. And some states that have it dont use it. Perhaps there is an awakening across the U.S. about executions. In 1999, there were 98 executions in the U.S. Last year, only 17, with 10 of those being federal executions in the closing months of Donald Trumps presidency. Last year, Texas had three executions. This year, three as well. The death penalty has run its course. Its time to let it go, Texas. I am reminded of Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun who began his career as an ardent supporter of the death penalty. By the end of his career, Blackmun was a severe critic, famously declaring in one dissent, From this day forward I no longer shall tinker with the machinery of death. Texas needs to do likewise. And, the Express-News Editorial Board should give its strong public voice to those who say that the time for abolition of the death penalty has arrived. Its time for the Editorial Board to speak up and speak out for abolition. Roger C. Barnes is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of the Incarnate Word. Texas has recently joined the legislative fray against social media censorship, following like-minded but ill-fated initiatives such as a Florida law blocked by a judge and an eerily similar policy by Brazils Jair Bolsonaro overturned by the Brazilian Senate. Under the Texas law, social media platforms cannot restrict or moderate content because of the political views expressed, nor can they ban users for these same reasons. The law also requires companies to publish reports disclosing the number of complaints filed and to say how often they remove content. The Texas law is mostly a response to claims of corporate censorship, often championed by conservatives. But whatever the factual support for these concerns, the claims rest on a wrongheaded understanding of censorship. Moreover, government meddling in social media moderation will downgrade the quality of social media services and set a troublesome precedent for politicians wanting to foist their and their constituents views onto private media companies. Freedom of speech is not a right to be heard. Instead, it is a right to express oneself without restraint from government. Likewise, editorial discretion is distinct from censorship; the former is a private choice made millions of times every day, while the latter is a government-imposed limit on speech. Censorship is worrisome because governments can coerce individuals or organizations in ways that, say, Facebook cannot. Governments can, and do, arrest people for spreading certain ideas. Recent debate has muddied this distinction. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott argues that social media platforms should not be afforded First Amendment protections because these companies are common-carriers, effectively controlling the channels for public discourse. News outlets are protected by the First Amendment, he says, but are different because they are publishers liable for the content they run unlike online social media that are exempt from user content liabilities under Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act. So platforms should not be able to take down or restrict content if they are to keep their liability exemptions; otherwise, they should be treated as liable just like any other publisher. But this analogy is flawed. Newspapers are not liable for content they decide not to publish, as the governor wants to make us believe. Also, even though the law shields the platforms from liability, it does not prevent users that post the content from being held accountable. Finally, government intervention is no less harmful when enforcing neutrality. Neutrality regulations can downgrade user experience by curtailing platforms abilities to filter out offensive or uninteresting things. And some users might still object to the presence of certain content, even if they do not see it. More importantly, once such a policy exists, more regulation usually creeps in. Germanys tough hate speech law has largely failed to stem toxic content, even after an amendment to force social media platforms to report illegal content to authorities. And now there are more calls to close loopholes for other online services and further toughen provisions. Social media content policies, although imperfect, are checked by competition; government mandates are not. If a given platforms guidelines displease consumers, they can opt-out and migrate elsewhere. This is already happening for platforms that target disgruntled conservatives, such as Gab, Parler and Gettr. Besides, markets allow for different content guidelines to coexist, such that consumers can choose platforms whose content policies suit them best. Government rules instead suppress experimentation and competition. Conservatives might learn this the hard way. If Democrats start crafting bills to regulate hate speech or misinformation, this might initially put conservative-inclined social media platforms in jeopardy. And this might generate bipartisan support to repeal the oft-criticized Section 230, which shields social media companies from liability for user-generated content. The repeal of Section 230 would then unleash a flurry of lawsuits against platforms that harbor content deemed offensive or misleading, which could be weaponized against right-wing discourse. Politicians may also seize the end of liability protection to foist more direct responsibilities onto social media corporations, such as requiring them to take down false or misleading content. In sum, Republican legislative efforts could backfire and hinder the emergence of conservative alternatives to social media platforms. Lawmakers, in Texas or elsewhere, should also consider that new policies and liabilities add to monitoring and legal costs of running social media services, discouraging new entrants and further entrenching incumbents such as Facebook and Twitter. Government meddling with social media content policies set troublesome precedents for politicians wanting to foist their and their constituents views onto private companies. This political interference is likely to worsen media service for users, lower the quality of information, and render social media less responsive to users. The way to preserve free speech is to leave media companies free to set content policies themselves. Jeffrey Miron is director of economic studies at the Cato Institute and the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Economics at Harvard University. Pedro Braga Soares is a graduate student in economics at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday sued the Biden administration for halting construction of the southern border wall, arguing that Department of Homeland Security officials must spend funds approved by Congress for the barrier under the Trump administration. In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Paxton joined with Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt a fellow Republican to contend that President Joe Biden ran afoul of the law when he issued an executive order pausing all wall construction on his first day in office. The argument mirrors one from Senate Republicans who earlier this year requested that a nonpartisan watchdog agency review whether Bidens order had infringed upon Congress constitutional power of the purse. The Government Accountability Office found that Biden was authorized to delay the wall funding, though Paxtons lawsuit notes the agency also recommended that the White House submit a timeline for spending the funds. On HoustonChronicle.com: Biden administration axes border wall contracts for Laredo area The President and his agencies may not unilaterally override duly enacted appropriations bills to fulfill a campaign promise, the lawsuit reads. Paxton and Schmitt argue that Biden is violating the constitutional doctrine known as the separation of powers, which generally divides the federal government into three separate branches. They also contend that Biden violated a 1974 law that established restraints on when the president and other officials could withhold funds approved by Congress. Biden, who vowed throughout his presidential campaign to stop building the wall, said upon signing his executive order that a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution. In June, he diverted $2.2 billion in wall funding to the Department of Defense for military construction projects. Texas Republicans, including Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott, have been some of the loudest critics of Bidens border policies, blaming the White House for a surge in migrant encounters along the southern border. Last month, the Legislature approved roughly $1 billion for Abbotts plan to continue building the wall, part of a $1.8 billion spending package that also funds a surge in state troopers to the border. On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas lawmakers approve $1.8B for border security requested by Abbott The federal government built about 450 miles of new barriers during the Trump administration, mostly in Arizona. Land Commissioner George P. Bush, a Republican who is trying to unseat Paxton in the 2022 primary, filed a similar lawsuit in July one that was also based on the argument that Congress had already approved wall funding. On Thursday, Bush senior adviser J.R. Hernandez responded to Paxton on Twitter, criticizing the attorney general for filing the exact (same) lawsuit as Bush. They say immitation (sic) is the most sincere form of flattery but maybe if you werent so plagued with scandal youd be more focused on the #bidenbordercrisis, Hernandez wrote. jasper.scherer@chron.com Thirty-five dogs could be put down at the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter this weekend if homes arent found for them by Friday. Hays Countys only public animal shelter is beginning a $240,000 renovation project next week, consisting of much-needed repairs and upgrades that will be complete in three phases. Each phase will focus on a different wing of the shelter, and construction on the first wing of the shelter is expected to begin next week. The wing that will be under construction next week houses 35 dogs all of which will be at risk of euthanasia if foster or adoptive homes arent found for them before construction begins. The city of San Marcos, which operates the shelter, declined an interview request about the issue, but instead provided a two-page written statement outlining the citys efforts to get the dogs adopted and begin the shelter renovations. In preparation for the start of construction, shelter staff researched and explored options for creating additional housing in existing shelter facilities, including the option of splitting existing kennels using partitions or setting up additional temporary kennels, the statement reads. However, none of the options presented were viable due to disease transmission risks, safety concerns, and temperature fluctuations. Staff also considered renting boarding space for animals, but the option would be cost prohibitive and exceed available budgets. The city made posts on its Facebook and Instagram pages on Sept. 12, and then again on Oct. 15, discussing the shelter construction and asking people to foster or adopt animals. The city also sent an urgent plea via email on Oct. 19 to nonprofit rescue groups, asking them to step up and take the dogs that are at immediate risk of being euthanized. While the shelters goal is to find homes for 35 dogs, eight of them are at an increased risk of euthanasia if alternative housing is not secured by Friday, Oct. 22, as they have a limited adoption pool due to bite histories, aggression to other animals, special training needs, or have been at the shelter for a long time relative to other adoptable animals, the citys statement reads. All eight dogs have been housed in a highly visible area of the shelter, most for many months, and have been promoted on the SMRAS social media pages or adoption events anywhere from two to six separate times since February 2021, but unfortunately have been overlooked by potential adopters for a variety of reasons. The city added that no definitive decisions have been made regarding euthanasia of any adoptable animals. The eight dogs at highest risk of euthanasia include Willow, a German Shepherd mix with piercing brown eyes who has been adopted and returned three times since January due to getting in scuffles with other dogs; Louis, a dog-aggressive pitbull mix who needs to be the only dog in the home; and Pear, a 2-year-old pit mix who has been physically and mentally deteriorating here at the shelter due to stress. Although the city says its made several efforts to get the dogs adopted before construction begins, San Marcos animal advocates say the city and shelter didnt do enough. Jennifer Hayes, a shelter volunteer who photographs the dogs for the website and social media, accused the city of not planning ahead and making the shelter situation more well-known ahead of time. She is begging community members to step up and take the dogs to their homes for fostering or adoption. When I asked at the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 13 what their plan was for housing the dogs during this disruption, I was told they were going to offer an adoption special and may have to shuffle dogs, Hayes said in a Facebook post. A reduced $10 adoption fee for ready-to-adopt pets was announced on Friday, Oct. 15. However, the shelter/city must not have any plan in place other than the adoption special, because late Tuesday, Oct. 19, the shelter sent an email to select rescue partners stating that 35 kennels must be cleared and that eight dogs were given a deadline of Friday, Oct. 22, Hayes said. There has been no plea to the community to ask for help. This puts those of us who are volunteers and advocates in a heartbreaking situation, she said. Please, dont lack their lack of planning result in even more deaths. Sharri Boyett, an official Hays County-appointed animal advocate, said the current situation is a result of poor communication from the city. They dont know what one hand and the other hand are doing, Boyett said. Im calling this crisis management. It didnt have to be like this. To inquire about any adoptable dogs or cats at the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter, visit sanmarcostx.gov/adoptapet, email animalservicesinfo@sanmarcostx.gov, or call (512) 805-2650 to make an appointment. Annie Blanks writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. annie.blanks@express-news.net. Air Serbia handled 1.257.597 passengers on its scheduled and charter flights during the first three quarters of the year, an increase of 45% compared to the same period in 2020. Its market share at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport stood at 51%, up six points on the pre-pandemic 2019. Both last year and so far in 2021, Air Serbia managed to achieve better results than the industry average in the majority of key performance indicators, in spite of the coronavirus pandemic and travel restrictions. During its busiest month the year, in August, the carrier reached 75.7% of its pre-pandemic traffic on the same month two years ago, while the European Average was 45% and the global average 36.7%. Overall, it handled more than 300.000 travellers that month. Air Serbia handled 1.257.597 passengers on its scheduled and charter flights during the first three quarters of the year, an increase of 45% compared to the same period in 2020. Its market share at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport stood at 51%, up six points on the pre-pandemic 2019. Both last year and so far in 2021, Air Serbia managed to achieve better results than the industry average in the majority of key performance indicators, in spite of the coronavirus pandemic and travel restrictions. During its busiest month the year, in August, the carrier reached 75.7% of its pre-pandemic traffic on the same month two years ago, while the European Average was 45% and the global average 36.7%. Overall, it handled more than 300.000 travellers that month. Commenting on the results, the airlines General Manager for Commercial and Strategy, Jiri Marek, said, We are proud of the results achieved during the first nine months of 2021, especially having in mind the specific circumstances in which we are operating. We carefully monitor demand all the time and adjust our capacities on the most popular destinations in our network. We believe that it was this flexibility and quick response that contributed the most to the result. He added, We are especially happy that, as the largest carrier at Belgrade Airport, we made a significant contribution to the recovery of overall traffic. In the upcoming period, we will remain committed to our goal of fully returning to levels from 2019, but with a dose of caution, focusing on monitoring the development of the situation. Air Serbia's annual passenger performance Last month, the Serbian carrier welcomed 193.000 passengers on board its aircraft, up 80% on 2019. However, with Serbian citizens increasingly being restricted entry into a number of key European markets due to a surge in Covid cases, the airline may see a reduction in demand. Next month, Air Serbia plans to run 1.580 scheduled flights (return service included) across 37 destinations with 178.224 seats put up for sale. On October 26, the airline will mark its eighth anniversary since being relaunched under its new brand. Sterling, VA (20165) Today Mostly clear. Low 29F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 29F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. What you need to know about forthcoming expanded vaccination opportunities PHOENIX (AP) An attorney for members of the San Carlos Apache tribe on Friday asked the the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to back a nonprofit groups efforts to keep a copper mining company from gaining federal Arizona land the Apaches consider sacred. We are talking about the survival of the Apache people, attorney Luke Goodrich told the panel, arguing that an end to religious activities on the land known as Oak Flat would help spell an end to the tribe. Joan Pepin, an attorney for the U.S. government, argued the land transfer must go ahead because it was part of legislation approved by Congress. The land has been set to be transferred to Resolution Copper, as part of a provision in a must-pass 2014 defense bill, once the final environmental impact statement is published. The three-member panel did not immediately release a ruling. The judges will now confer in private and write a decision that may not be issued for as long as three months. Goodrich said the group could take the case to the Supreme Court if the appeals court sides with the U.S. Forest Service, the agency that has planned the land transfer. Apache Stronghold, a nonprofit organization representing tribe members, sued the federal government in Phoenix federal court in January to block the pending transfer of the land near the community of Superior, which the Apache tribe says is important to its religion. The group has hoped to stop publication of the final environmental review that would let the transfer proceed. Our work continues, Apache Stronghold leader Wendsler Nosie, Sr. said after Friday's hearing, encouraging all tribal governments and tribal members to stand together. We have heard loud and clear (the government's) position." U.S. District Judge Steven Logan in February rejected a request from Apache Stronghold to keep the U.S. Forest Service from transferring the land to Resolution Copper, a joint venture of global mining giants BHP and Rio Tinto. Attorneys for the Forest Service have argued in filings that the land legally belongs to the United States and that transferring its own property isnt a substantial burden to the Apache groups ability to practice its religion. But Apache tribal members argue otherwise. They call the mountainous area Chichil Bildagoteel. The land has ancient oak groves and traditional plants that tribal members say are essential to their religion and culture. Resolution Copper has said it would not deny Apaches access to Oak Flat after it receives the land and for as long as its safe. But the project would eventually swallow the site in a deep hole, something that ultimately would make any visits impossible. Resolution Copper has said the mine could have a $61 billion impact over the projects expected 60 years and employ up to 1,500 people. It would be one of the largest copper mines in the United States. Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media GREENWICH A Riverside resident was arraigned in court in New York on Thursday who allegedly took photographs underneath the skirt of an unsuspecting fellow passenger on a Metro-North Railroad train, the district attorney announced. Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah said in a statement that Majid Hedayati , 66, was charged on Tuesday with second-degree unlawful surveillance, a felony. Good morning, it's Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, the day of the week when I reprise quotations intended to be uplifting or educational. Today's lines come from two famed 19th century American authors, and on the same subject -- grand opera. The news peg for this morning's missive is that New York City's Metropolitan Opera House opened its doors for the first time on this date in 1883. The Met, as the opera company quickly became known (and is known still), was then located at 1423 Broadway, between 39th and 40th streets. The opera performed that night was "Faust" by Charles Gounod. It's about an aging scholar who barters with Satan. The devil gives him everything he asks for -- knowledge, power, youthfulness, love. The price is steep, of course: his immortal soul. Although written in German, the opera was sung in Italian, which music lovers of the 19th century had come to expect. The great venue was operational until 1966, when the Met moved to Lincoln Center. The last performance at the old Met was Puccini's venerable "La Boheme." (Here's Pavarotti singing a familiar aria from that work. And here is the evocative "La Boheme" duet most Americans are familiar with -- even if they can't place it -- sung by Nicole Car and Michael Fabiano at the Royal Opera House.) The first opera I ever saw was the San Francisco Opera's production of "Carmen." Like the movie "The Princess Bride," Bizet's work is perfect for both kids and adults. It has everything: knife fights, bullfights, love triangles and, most of all, memorable music. Tchaikovsky saw "Carmen" performed in Paris in 1875, with the original cast, and pronounced it "a masterpiece in every sense of the word." When it was performed in Vienna later, among those who raved about it were Wagner, Brahms, and Otto von Bismarck. Written by a Frenchman and first performed in Paris, the opera is set in Spain, and is often sung in Italian. In her 1920 novel, "The Age of Innocence," Edith Wharton had fun with this kind of thing: "An unalterable and unquestioned law of the musical world," she wrote, "required that the German text of French operas sung by Swedish artists should be translated into Italian for the clearer understanding of English-speaking audiences." It's a funny line -- and the first of our two quotes this morning but the night I saw "Carmen" in San Francisco, it was sung in English, and I was hooked. My parents may have over-learned their lesson: The next opera they took me to was "Boris Godunov." That is a long, heavy work, set in Russia, and sung in Russian, and I was only 12. I won't lie: I dozed during some parts of "Boris." (That said, I was wide-eyed, as any boy would be, when the Russians stuffed the "False Dmitry" into a cannon and fired him back toward Poland.) Where we see our first operas and who sang them is an essential part of the experience. The great Nicolai Gedda sang in "Boris" when I was there. And the ornate War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco would be impressive to anyone of any age seeing it for the first time. Dedicated to U.S. war dead of World War I, it was where the United Nations charter was drafted in 1945 and has staged thousands of operas since it opened in 1932. When I was there as a boy, an old-timer was pointed out to me as being someone present when Enrico Caruso sang at the old opera house the night before it was destroyed, along with most of the city, by the 1906 earthquake. It was certainly possible: Caruso had sung the role of Don Jose in "Carmen" for the first time at the Met two months earlier, a performance so outstanding that Californians clamored to see the great Italian tenor -- and the New York Metropolitan Opera -- perform "Carmen." The Met obliged. On the night of April 17, 1906, in a doomed new opera house that took up a whole block of Mission Street, Don Jose and Carmen and the handsome matador Escamillo acted and sang out their equally doomed entanglement. Can you imagine having been there? "A pretty air in an opera is prettier there than it would be anywhere else, I suppose, just as an honest man in politics shines more than he would elsewhere." That's Mark Twain and it's our quote of the week. Carl M. Cannon is the Washington bureau chief for RealClearPolitics. Reach him on Twitter @CarlCannon. MPs have turned down a Lords amendment which would have made soil centre stage of the Environment Bill, with its own long-term target to secure its recovery. MPs rejected Baroness Bennett's amendment on Wednesday (20 October), in line with the governments decision to vote down all amendments. The Soil Association said MPs had "missed a crucial opportunity to take the role of soils in the climate crisis seriously". The bill, first published in 2019, is currently going back and forth between the House of Commons and House of Lords in a parliamentary process known as 'ping pong'. A Lords amendment seeking a tougher air quality target was also voted down by MPs. The votes come just a days ahead of the COP26 climate summit beginning in Glasgow on 31 October. Soil Association's farming policy officer Louise Payton said on the amendment: "They could have used the Environment Bill to reverse the historic neglect of this crucial resource, but there remains a gaping hole in this legislation. "Its particularly disappointing to see this in the same week that we saw a lack of urgency regarding sustainable farming in the Net Zero Strategy." According to the environmental charity, UK average soil loss, at 2.38 tonnes per hectare per year, is 1.7 times higher than the average rate of soil formation. However, in a victory for campaigners, the pressure to get soils into the Bill has already secured a government commitment to producing a new Soil Health Action Plan. Further details on this were revealed by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rebecca Pow, earlier this week. The Soil Association said this was a "key victory", but government "must move quickly to put this into action." "The action plan must not be half-hearted," Ms Payton said, "We need to see national soil strategies for all UK countries backed up soil monitoring, as called for in our Saving Our Soils report. "We also urgently need to see genuine support for farmers to shift to nature-friendly, agroecological farming, which protects and restores soil health. The report gives farmers a manifesto for restoring damaged soils, including monitoring soil health, reducing tillage, adopting agroforestry and reducing soil compaction from machinery. British pig producers have raised concern over the new trade deal with the UK and New Zealand as it could set a 'dangerous precedent' for their sector. The government said the deal would benefit consumers and businesses, with Boris Johnson saying it will cut costs for exporters and open up NZ's job market to UK professionals. The government's own analysis, however, suggests the deal itself is unlikely to boost UK growth, with the estimated impact on growth being 'close to zero'. While pork imports from New Zealand are not a factor, the deal appears to have opened up huge opportunities for its farming industry, which is already towards the export market. The deal does not appear to specify that imports, including of dairy products, lamb and beef, must meet UK production standards. Responding to the deal, the National Pig Association (NPA) said that despite the lack of New Zealand pork imports, the deal was a concern to the UK pork sector. NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said: "The New Zealand trade deal is of interest to the British pig industry because of the precedent it sets in terms of other trade deals rather than any change to current trade, which for pork is non existent. "The UK governments approach to equivalence of standards is worrying and could severely disadvantage producers in this country by allowing access to lower standard imports. "There is a lack of clarity at this time and as discussions on the detail continue we urge our government to be mindful of the damage which could be caused to our fragile industry, particularly with future trade deals." PepsiCo, one of the worlds largest food companies, has announced new plans to support its 300 Quaker Oat growers with gaining LEAF Marque certification. Over 300 oat growers will achieve LEAF Marque accreditation over the next two years, and will be encouraged to undertake regenerative agriculture practices. Quaker Oats are grown and milled in the UK. Three-quarters of growers are within a 100-mile radius of Quaker Oat plant - Cupar Mill - located in Fife, Scotland. LEAF Marque is an environmental assurance system run by farming organisation LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), which requires farmers to take a new approach to deliver sustainable farming. Through the principles of Integrated Farm Management, crops grown at LEAF Marque-accredited farms support improved biodiversity, soil health, water and air quality. As part of the partnership, PepsiCo and LEAF will provide Quaker farmers with additional tools and support as they work towards becoming LEAF Marque-certified. The organisations say this will help them embrace a more circular agriculture, and put health and sustainability at the centre of their operations. The investment builds on PepsiCos existing progress in supporting more sustainable oat harvests across the UK. Its Oat Growth Guide, launched in 2019, used over one million data points to provide growers with information to help optimise resources and improve yield. Archana Jagannathan, director of sustainability at PepsiCo UK said: Were working to innovate and optimise the way our crops are grown to save water, reduce carbon emissions and improve soil health, among other benefits. "The expansion of our partnership with LEAF is an important step towards helping us achieve our Positive Agriculture goals," she added. "Its an expansion of our existing efforts to embrace and pioneer regenerative British oat growing with our Quaker farming partners, supporting them to produce the best quality oats while protecting the earth. As the certification process progresses, the LEAF Marque logo will start to appear on packs of Quaker Oats from 2023. Caroline Drummond, chief executive of LEAF added: Our partnership with Quaker UK and all their British oat growers signals an important advancement of our shared sustainability commitments. "We are immensely proud to be working together towards better, smarter and more climate positive farming solutions, delivered through LEAF Marque." The UK-New Zealand trade agreement is a 'blow' for UK dairy as it will create an unbalance in market opportunities, a trade association has warned. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the deal on Wednesday evening (20 October), saying the development would 'benefit consumers and businesses'. Tariffs on New Zealand dairy, the country's largest export commodity, along with sheep meat and beef exports to the UK will gradually be phased out. They will be completely removed from dairy products after five years, and 15 years for sheep meat and beef. According to the New Zealand government's statistics, dairy is the country's biggest export earner worth about NZ$19 billion a year. While farming groups there have hailed the trade agreement, industry bodies in the UK have raised concern over its impact. The NFU warned it contained "little discernible benefit" for farmers in the UK, as it would "open our doors to significant extra volumes of imported food." The National Sheep Association (NSA) also highlighted concern that the free trade agreement risked undermining the UK sheep sector's high standards. Now the dairy sector has raised concern, namely over skewed market opportunities, the impact on sustainability and the lack of collaboration between government and farmers. Dairy UK, a trade association for the dairy supply chain, said the New Zealand trade deal was a "blow for UK dairy." "This agreement will see tariffs eliminated over five years," said Dr Judith Bryans, who is chief executive of the industry body. "With its lower production costs, New Zealand will be able to seize its opportunity to grow an unlimited market share for its dairy products here in the UK. While true this agreement comes with export opportunities for agriculture and UK dairy companies, the UK market is many times bigger than that of New Zealand." She added: At a time when the UK dairy sector is challenging itself to continuously raise its own sustainability credentials, when it is already one of the most sustainable, this deal will reduce our control over the environmental footprint of UK food consumption. Theres absolutely no reason to assume this wont continue to happen in further trade agreements either," she warned. In the government's haste to strike deals, farming groups say UK agriculture is being left vulnerable and undervalued compared to other sectors of the economy. There are fears the UK could become overly dependent on imports as a result of a shrinking agricultural industry, with domestic food production capabilities undermined. "Long term, theres a real risk that British agriculture will shrink, gambled away for little return," Dr Bryans added. Once these businesses are gone, it will not be easy to rebuild them. "We are not opposed to trade deals; we welcome mutual opportunities, but we are opposed to agricultural being traded away." 2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning -- 4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS. We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover. We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Alec Baldwin had been busy shooting for his movie Rust for a while now. The actor was even producing the film however, an unfortunate incident has put the filming on hold. While shooting for an action sequence, Alec misfired a prop gun which took the life of the cinematographer and injured the director, Joel Souza too. Authorities are investigating after confirming that a prop firearm discharged by actor Alec Baldwin, killed the cinematographer and wounded the director. Santa Fe County Sheriffs officials said Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer of the film and director Joel Souza were shot on Thursday on films set in the desert on the southern outskirts of Santa Fe. While Hutchins was declared dead on arrival after being rushed to a hospital, Souza is undergoing treatment. CUPERTINO (dpa-AFX) - Tech giant Apple Inc (AAPL) has not yet made it mandatory for the employees to get vaccinated, but it might make it mandatory for the unvaccinated employees to get tested every day before starting their work at the office. Back in September, the phone maker had asked its employees to share their vaccination status with the company. Those who were vaccinated would get a rapid test every week and those who are not would be tested every day and the same would apply for those who are not willing to share their vaccination status. According to a report by Bloomberg, the store employees would not have to be tested daily, instead, they will be tested twice every week. Despite the government making it mandatory for all the employees of government contractors, in the country to be jabbed before a primary deadline of December 8, it is not clear if Apple, which does deliver products to the government, would be pushing the mandate. The company had previously asked the employees to submit their status by October 24 and the company would implement the vaccine rules according to the response, decidedly from November 1. It is noteworthy that all other tech industry leaders including Google have implemented the vaccine mandate to comply with the government policy. The Delta variant has wreaked havoc across the country in the last six months affecting the unvaccinated people the most. According to studies, more than 95% of the hospitalized and more than 99% of the deceased were unvaccinated. The government has also issued a booster doze permit for those who are willing, suggesting that it will help the population fight the virus poactively. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX APPLE-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de LONDON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The cryptocurrency market is witnessing a significant recovery as it passes the $2.5 trillion mark and continues its upward trajectory. Despite its divisiveness amongst experts, the industry's value has become too significant to ignore, and cryptocurrency may be one of the greatest assets to have. Global investors have begun to acknowledge the benefits of cryptocurrency, particularly for unlocking greater financial freedom, and there is one country proving to be popular. The dual-island nation of St Kitts and Nevis has quickly become a leading nation in the Caribbean region for crypto-literate banking. The islands have welcomed the digital asset with open arms, implementing legislation to make crypto transactions easier under its Virtual Asset Bill 2020. Additionally, St Kitts and Nevis has piloted its own digital currency known as DCash under the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, further highlighting its crypto-friendly approach. The rising demand for cryptocurrency has led to the asset being adopted by businesses and governments in recent years. Companies like PayPal to Twitter have embraced the virtual currency into operations and El Salvador has become the first country to make Bitcoin its national currency. However, with more sectors adopting the currency, many remain sceptical, as evidenced in China's recent decision to ban all cryptocurrency transactions. According to data, Asian countries make up half of the top 10 nations that use crypto the most. If more jurisdictions followed China's recent ban, it could leave a sizeable demographic looking elsewhere for a crypto-friendly banking environment. A recent report by Chainalysis on crypto adoption notes: "In emerging markets, many turn to cryptocurrency to preserve their savings in the face of currency devaluation, send and receive remittances, and carry out business transactions." The advantages of cryptocurrency cannot be denied as it allows for secure and private transactions and an easy transfer of funds. Many also hail it as one of the greatest assets to have in today's climate, particularly for businesspeople who may want to reach more customers globally. Aside from its attitudes towards cryptocurrency, which remains an attractive incentive for a growing demographic of crypto millionaires, St Kitts and Nevis also offers investors a trusted route to second citizenship - another valuable asset in a constantly evolving world. Under its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme, investors can contribute towards a government fund in exchange for citizenship, granted that they pass its multi-tiered vetting system. St Kitts and Nevis operates the longest-standing CBI programme globally. It is recognised as a Platinum Standard brand and hailed internationally as the world's best by the annual CBI Index. Citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis comes with increased global mobility to nearly 160 countries and territories, the right to live, work and study in the nation and the ability to pass citizenship down through descent. +447867942505, pr@csglobalpartners.com, www.csglobalpartners.com AIM and Media Release 22 October 2021 BASE RESOURCES LIMITED Base Resources Chair and Board succession African mineral sands producer, Base Resources Limited (ASX & AIM: BSE) (Base Resources or the Company) advises of the following planned changes to the Board of Directors of the Company. Chair succession Keith Spence has informed the Board that he intends to retire as Chair and Non-Executive Director of the Company at the conclusion of the Company's Annual General Meeting to be held on Friday, 26 November 2021 (2021 AGM). Mr Spence joined the Board in February 2015, becoming Chair in May 2015. Mr Spence said: "It has been a pleasure to have worked with the Base Resources Board and management team since 2015, during which time we achieved many significant milestones including the continued evolution of safe and efficient Kwale Operations in Kenya, the acquisition and progression of the Toliara Project in Madagascar and the Company's transition to being a dividend payer. Base Resources is an exceptional organisation and I am proud to have been part of its development. Base Resources has a well-earned reputation for excellence - particularly in the area of sustainable mining in Africa. Base Resources makes a genuine difference to the lives of those involved in its projects and in surrounding communities. Having served as a Director and Chair for more than six years, the timing is right for me to step down to provide an opportunity for renewal as the company enters the next phase of its development." Managing Director, Tim Carstens said: "As Chair, Keith has left an indelible mark on Base Resources. His wise counsel and deep experience willingly shared has served to elevate our capability and performance and ensure a business well prepared to successfully meet its future challenges." Non-Executive Director, Michael Stirzaker, will be appointed as Non-Executive Chair immediately following the 2021 AGM. Mr Stirzaker has over 30 years' commercial experience, mainly in mining finance and mining investment. Mr Stirzaker has been a Non-Executive Director of Base Resources since 2014, having acted as an alternate since November 2011. Mr Stirzaker is a member of the Company's Remuneration & Nomination Committee and the Environment, Social and Ethics Committee. Mr Stirzaker is also chair of Akora Resources Limited and a non-executive director of Prodigy Gold NL. In accordance with the definition of independence specified in the Company's Board Charter, the Board has determined that Chair-elect, Mr Stirzaker, will be considered independent upon commencing as Chair. Having retired from his prior role with major shareholder, Pacific Road1, in August 2019, and with him ceasing to be Pacific Road's nominee on the Board, as supported by his consistent and demonstrated prior behaviour, the Board is entirely satisfied with Mr Stirzaker's capacity to bring an independent judgement to bear on issues before the Board and to act in the best interests of the Company as a whole. [Note (1): As at the date of this announcement, Pacific Road Capital II Pty Ltd and Pacific Road Capital Management GP II Limited hold a combined 26.5% of the Company's issued share capital.] Board succession Scot Sobey has been nominated by Pacific Road for election as a Director of the Company at the 2021 AGM. Mr Sobey is an Investment Director at Pacific Road where he is responsible for the screening of, evaluation of and subsequent investment in, resource related investment opportunities. He is a mechanical engineer, with greater than 15 years' experience in the resources industry and significant development and operating expertise across multiple commodities. Mr Sobey's proposed election as a Director is subject to shareholder approval at the 2021 AGM, further details of which will be provided in the Notice of 2021 AGM to be released to ASX by 27 October 2021. Chair-elect, Mr Stirzaker said: "Keith has contributed significantly to the Company and its successes over many years, and we are fortunate to have had a person of his calibre chairing the Company over this time. I would again like to thank Keith on behalf of my fellow directors for his service to the Company and wish him well in pursuing his future endeavours. Subject to shareholder consideration at the 2021 AGM, I also welcome Scot to the Board. I look forward to the exciting opportunity of being Chair of this great company as we pursue all opportunities to create value for our stakeholders". Subject to the outcomes of the meeting, following conclusion of the 2021 AGM the Board of the Company is expected to comprise: Mr Michael Stirzaker Independent Non-Executive Chair Mr Tim Carstens Managing Director Mr Colin Bwye Executive Director - Operations and Development Mr Malcolm Macpherson Independent Non-Executive Director Ms Diane Radley Independent Non-Executive Director * Ms Janine Herzig Independent Non-Executive Director Mr Scot Sobey Non-Executive Director # * Ms Radley will retire by rotation at the 2021 AGM and, being eligible, is to be considered for re-election at that meeting. #Mr Sobey's election as a Director is subject to shareholder approval at the 2021 AGM. ENDS. For further information contact: James Fuller, Manager Communications and Investor Relations UK Media Relations Base Resources Tavistock Communications Tel: +61 (8) 9413 7426 Jos Simson and Gareth Tredway Mobile: +61 (0) 488 093 763 Tel: +44 (0) 207 920 3150 Email: jfuller@baseresources.com.au This release has been authorised by the Board of Base Resources. About Base Resources Base Resources is an Australian based, African focused, mineral sands producer and developer with a track record of project delivery and operational performance. The company operates the established Kwale Operations in Kenya and is developing the Toliara Project in Madagascar. Base Resources is an ASX and AIM listed company. Further details about Base Resources are available at www.baseresources.com.au PRINCIPAL & REGISTERED OFFICE Level 3, 46 Colin Street West Perth, Western Australia, 6005 Email: info@baseresources.com.au Phone: +61 (0)8 9413 7400 Fax: +61 (0)8 9322 8912 NOMINATED ADVISOR RFC Ambrian Limited Stephen Allen Phone: +61 (0)8 9480 2500 JOINT BROKER Berenberg Matthew Armitt / Detlir Elezi Phone: +44 20 3207 7800 JOINT BROKER Canaccord Genuity Raj Khatri / James Asensio / Patrick Dolaghan Phone: +44 20 7523 8000 STOCKHOLM, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The hedge fund industry gathered to celebrate the best performing funds in 45 different categories at the HFM European Performance Awards 2021. The judging panel members, specifically chosen because of their expertise within alternative investments, voted Rhenman Healthcare Equity L/S as the winner in the Global equity long-term performance (5 years) category. The panel, consisting of institutional and private investors as well as investment consultants, carefully reviewed the nominees in each category following a method used by institutional investors to select the winners. "We are very pleased about this award which confirms the fund's strong performance and which brings with it international recognition from both private and professional investors. We believe our success is largely due to our close collaboration with our Scientific Advisory Board. Equally important is our investment team's sole focus on the healthcare sector, comprising pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical technology, and services. This enables them to gain a significant in-depth understanding of the sector's key players and companies." says Carl Grevelius, Founding Partner and Head of Investor Relations. Rhenman Healthcare Equity L/S has an unprecedented performance history since its inception in June 2009. The main unit class, IC1 (EUR), has increased by 775 percent in total, which corresponds to an average annual net return of 20 percent. At present, assets under management in the fund amount to approximately USD 1.1 billion as of 31 August 2021. (For more information about performance, please see next page.) For more information, please contact: Karin Hjerten Communications Manager, Rhenman & Partners Asset Management T: +46 (0)706521908 E: karin@rhepa.com www.rhepa.se About Rhenman & Partners Asset Management Founded in 2008, Rhenman & Partners Asset Management is a Stockholm-based asset manager that manages the portfolio of the Luxembourg-based sector fund Rhenman Healthcare Equity L/S. Total assets under management amount to approximately USD 1.1 billion. In its investment process, the management team is supported by a Scientific Advisory Board consisting of renowned professors and experts with many years of market experience and large expert networks around the world. IC1 (EUR) Performance net of fees (31 August 2021) 2021 (YTD) 2020 2019 2018 2017 Since Inception Rhenman Healthcare Equity L/S +12% +17% +40% -5% +35% +775% Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. The money invested in the fund can both increase and decrease in value and it is not certain that investors will get back the entire invested capital. Legal disclaimer: Rhenman Healthcare Equity L/S ("the Fund") is not an investment fund as defined in the European Union directives relating to undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS). Legal information regarding Fund is contained in the Prospectus and the KIID. available at Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB (Rhenman & Partners) webpage: http://rhepa.com/ the-fund/prospectus/. This material has been prepared by Rhenman & Partners for professional and non-professional investors. Rhenman & Partners when preparing this information has not taken into account any one customer's particular investment objectives, financial resources or other relevant circumstances and the opinions and recommendations herein are not intended to represent recommendations of particular investments to particular customers. This material is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation to sell or buy units in the Fund. Investors are strongly recommended to get professional advice as to whether investment in the Fund is appropriate having considered particular investment needs, objectives and financial circumstances before investing. All securities' transactions involve risks, which include (among others) the risk of adverse or unanticipated market, financial or political developments and, in international transactions, currency risk. There can be no assurance that an investment in the Fund will achieve profits or avoid incurring substantial losses. There is a high degree of risk inherent in investments and they may not be suitable for all eligible investors. It is possible that an investor may lose some or all of its investment. The past is not necessarily a guide to the future performance of an investment. The value of investments may fall as well as rise and investors may not get back the amount invested. Changes in rates of foreign exchange may cause the value of investments to go up or down. Before making an investment decision, an investor and/or its adviser should (i) consider the suitability of investments in the Fund with respect to its investment objectives and personal situation and (ii) consider factors such as its personal net worth, income, age, risk tolerance and liquidity needs. Short term investors and investors who cannot bear the loss of some or all of their investment or the risks associated with the limited liquidity of an investment should not invest. Due care and attention has been used in the preparation of this information. However, actual results may vary from their forecasts, and any variation may be materially positive or negative. Forecasts, by their very nature, are subject to uncertainty and contingencies, many of which are outside the control of Rhenman & Partners. Rhenman & Partners cannot guarantee that the information contained herein is without fault or entirely accurate. There may be delays, omissions or inaccuracies in the information. Any dated information is published as of its date only and no obligation or responsibility is undertaken to update or amend any such information. The information in this material is based on sources that Rhenman & Partners believes to be reliable. Rhenman & Partners can however not guarantee that all information is correct. Furthermore, information and opinions may change without notice. Rhenman & Partners is under no obligation to make amendments or changes to this publication if errors are found or opinions or information change. Rhenman & Partners accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of its sources. Rhenman & Partners is the owner of all works of authorship including, but not limited to, all design text, images and trademarks in this material unless otherwise explicitly stated. The use of Rhenman & Partners' material, works or trademarks is forbidden without written consent except where otherwise expressly stated. Furthermore, it is prohibited to publish material made or gathered by Rhenman & Partners without written consent. By accessing and using the http://rhepa.com/ website and any pages thereof, you acknowledge that you have reviewed the following important legal information and understand and agree to the terms and conditions set therein. If you do not agree to the terms and conditions in this disclaimer, do not access or use the http://rhepa.com/website in any way. Products and services described herein are not available to all persons in all geographical locations. Rhenman & Partners will not provide any such products or services to any person if the provision of such services could be in violation of law or regulation in such person's home country jurisdiction or any other related jurisdiction. The fund is registered in Luxembourg, Sweden, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom and Singapore (restricted scheme offered to accredited investors only.) The units of the Fund may not be offered or sold to or within the United States or in any other country where such offer or sale would conflict with applicable laws or regulations. In no event, including (but not limited to) negligence, will Rhenman & Partners be liable to you or anyone else for any consequential, incidental, special or indirect damages (including but not limited to lost profits, trading losses and damages). The sole legally binding basis for the purchase of shares of the Fund described in this information is the latest valid sales prospectus with its terms of contract. Subscriptions cannot be received on the basis of financial reports. An investment in the Fund does not represent deposits or other liabilities of any member of the Rhenman & Partners Group. Neither Rhenman & Partners nor any member of the Rhenman & Partners Group and its affiliates guarantees in any way the performance of the Fund, repayment of capital from the Fund, any particular return from or any increase in the value of the Fund. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. The money invested in the fund can both increase and decrease in value and it is not certain that investors will get back the entire invested capital. Please note that Rhenman & Partners is solely the portfolio manager of the fund. Rhenman & Partners is not authorized to provide - and will not provide - investment recommendations to investors. Investors and potential investors considering investing in the fund should discuss the matter with a professional investment advisor. This material is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation to sell or buy units in the Fund. Further information can be found in the fund's relevant key information document and factsheet, which are available on www.rhepa.com and can also be ordered free of charge from Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB. Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB is a portfolio manager focusing on a sector fund that is part of FundRock Management Company S.A.:s fund umbrella in Luxembourg This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/rhenman---partners-asset-management-ab/r/rhenman-healthcare-equity-l-s-winner-at-the-hfm-european-performance-awards-2021--global-equity-long,c3437867 The following files are available for download: Zurich, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZURICH, Switzerland, 22 October 2021 - Acino and Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limitedand its subsidiaries (collectively, "Aspen") have signed an agreement for Acino to acquire six South African prescription medicines for over 105 million (R1.8 billion). The acquired medicines are used for the treatment of gastroenterology, erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases. The acquisition will further strengthen Acino's footprint in South Africa by expanding their offering in these important therapeutic segments. The transaction includes the Trustan, Altosec, Zuvamor, Ciavor, Grantryl and Aspen Granisetron brands. To secure uninterrupted patient access to these medicines, the parties have also signed a manufacturing and supply agreement in terms of which Aspen will supply the Aspen manufactured products to Acino for a period of seven years. This partnership is a compelling affirmation of Acino's long-term strategy and purpose to increase people's access to affordable healthcare in the areas where they need them most. This acquisition comes on the heels of a series of other strategic investments, including the acquisition of a women's health portfolio in Russia earlier this year and Takeda's primary care portfolio in 2020. "This agreement will fortify Acino's presence in South Africa and enable us to expand our diverse portfolio of high-quality, innovative treatments that help improve people's lives", said Steffen Saltofte, CEO of Acino. "Acino is committed to growing its footprint across our core emerging markets to deliver the best value to our patients, customers, suppliers and shareholders." John Norman, Regional Director English-Speaking Africa at Acino said, "I am very pleased to sign this agreement with Aspen. We work hard to make a meaningful contribution to the South African economy by providing best-in-class products and service to our patients and healthcare practitioners, as well as creating employment opportunities. This further aligns with our commitment to transformation and retaining our BBBEE Level 1 certification. With this acquisition, Acino will enhance the value of these brands through our in-depth expertise and experience in the market." Aspen's Group Chief Executive, Stephen Saad, said, "This transaction forms part of Aspen's communicated strategy to refine its product portfolio in South Africa. The acquisition of these trusted brands in South Africa represents excellent scaling and commercial opportunities for Acino as it expands its footprint in South Africa by adding these products to its existing product portfolio." The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. It is anticipated that the transaction will complete by 31 December 2021. -ENDS- About Acino Acino is a Swiss pharmaceutical company headquartered in Zurich with a clear focus on selected markets in the Middle East, Africa, Russia, the CIS Region, and Latin America. The company is backed by Nordic Capital and Avista Capital Partners. We deliver quality pharmaceuticals to promote affordable healthcare in these emerging markets, and leverage our high-quality pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities and network to supply leading companies through contract manufacturing and out-licensing. For more information, visit www.acino.swiss. Acino has attained Level 1 BBBEE status in South Africa in 2020 and 2021. For more information: www.acino.swiss About Aspen Headquartered in Durban, South Africa, Aspen is a leading global specialty and branded multinational pharmaceutical company in both emerging and developed markets. Aspen improves the health of patients in more than 150 countries through its high quality, affordable and effective healthcare solutions. The Group's key business segments are manufacturing and commercial pharmaceuticals comprising regional brands and sterile focus brands that include anaesthetics and thrombosis products. Aspen employs approximately 9,100 people and has 70 established business operations in over 50 countries. The Group operates 23 manufacturing facilities across 15 sites and holds international manufacturing approvals from some of the most stringent global regulatory agencies. Its manufacturing capabilities are scalable to demand and cover a wide variety of product-types including steriles, oral solid dose, liquids, semi-solids, biologicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. For more information visit www.aspenpharma.com For more details, please contact: Acino Media Relations Larisa Bernstein Head of Corporate Communications Acino International AG larisa.bernstein@acino.swiss (mailto:larisa.bernstein@acino.swiss) Aspen Media Relations Shauneen Beukes Aspen Group Communications Manager sbeukes@aspenpharma.com (mailto:sbeukes@aspenpharma.com) Attachments The cooperation will help both sides go beyond smart lighting to develop more smart application scenarios. LONDON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amidst a boom in smart home, ANWIO, a world-renowned smart home brand, and Tuya Smart (NYSE: TUYA), a global IoT development platform, announced a new partnership today to bring more comfortable and healthier home experiences to consumers around the world. The two companies started the cooperation first with smart lighting. The IoT development tools provided by Tuya Smart have helped ANWIO to quickly develop smart downlights, smart strips and other smart lighting devices at a low cost. These smart lighting devices have been successfully sold to Europe, Asia, North America and other regions through Tuya's more than 100,000 online and offline sales channels. In the future, the cooperation will gradually extend from smart lighting to smart security and other fields to form a full-scenario solution. For example, through the collaborative operation of smart downlights, spotlights, mirror lights, door sensors, cameras and other devices, ANWIO will create smart living rooms, smart bathrooms and other scenarios so that consumers can fully enjoy the convenience and beauty of smart life. Leo Li, the General Manager of ANWIO, said, "we are excited about this partnership. Using Tuya's platform and expertise in chip manufacturing allows us to adapt to and bring in the latest products and technology to the market in the most efficient way." When night falls, your fingerprint unlocks the code and the light in the living room automatically lights up, creating a warm yellow light environment for you to relax after an exhausting day. When overtime working happens occasionally on weekends, the light in the study changes from warm tone to bright office lighting, creating an environment for you to concentrate. This list can go on. Perhaps you haven't noticed that smart lamps with lighting as the core are penetrating into all aspects of life. In addition to creating a healthy lighting environment, smart lamps are also be connected with other smart device categories to create a smart home ecosystem for consumers. Smart devices are turning from mere tools into flavorings for everyday life. The cooperation between Tuya Smart and ANWIO reveals to the market that the era of smart individual products has come to the end, and only by connecting devices and creating full-scenario solutions can we grasp the magic weapon of the next era. About ANWIO ANWIO, a brand of the listed company "Unilumin", is a well-known supplier of LED application products, mainly dealing with LED lighting products and LED smart home products. By the end of 2020, ANWIO has provided high-quality LED lighting products to millions of homes worldwide, including over 100,000 smart lighting devices. In the future, ANWIO will continue to uphold the principle of providing consumers with cost-effective home products. About Tuya Smart Tuya Smart (NYSE: TUYA) is a global IoT development platform with a unique, all-in-one offering of cloud + connectivity + app that makes it easy and affordable for brands, retailers, and OEMs to make their products smart. Tuya's platform has smart-enabled more than 410,000 SKUs in hundreds of categories worldwide, serving over 384,000 developers globally. Tuya is internationally operated with headquarters in the U.S., Germany, India, Japan, Colombia, and China. For more information, please visit: Tuya's website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. 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. Press Release Outside trading hours - Regulated information* Brussels, 22 October 2021 (8.20 a.m. CEST, before stock exchange hours) KBC Bank Ireland confirms sale of substantially all of its performing loan assets and liabilitiesto Bank of Ireland Group No immediate actions for customers. Following the announcement made on the 16th April 2021 that KBC Bank Ireland had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bank of Ireland Group, KBC Bank Ireland confirms that it has now entered into a legally binding agreement with Bank of Ireland relating to the sale of substantially all of KBC Bank Ireland's performing loan assets and its deposit book to Bank of Ireland Group. In addition, a small portfolio of non-performing mortgages (NPEs) will also be acquired as part of the transaction. The acquisition for a total consideration of c.5.0 billion (net of deposits), involves c. 8.8 billion of performing mortgages, c. 0.1 billion of mainly performing commercial and consumer loans, c. 0.3 billion of non-performing mortgages, and c. 4.4 billion of deposits.The exact size of the portfolio and consideration payable will depend on movements in the portfolio up to completion, but is not expected to materially change. Bank of Ireland Group will acquire the portfolio and will fund it from its existing resources. KBC Bank Ireland customers do not need to take any immediate action as a result of this announcement. Customers can continue to access KBC Bank Ireland's retail banking and insurance products through its digital channels and hubs. Customers will also continue to be afforded all legal and regulatory protections. KBC Bank Ireland is focused on ensuring that the migration of its customers to Bank of Ireland Group is carried out in an orderly manner. The transaction remains subject to regulatory, including Irish competition, approvals. The transaction will have an impact on KBC Group's P&L which is estimated at +0.2 billion euros at completion. Furthermore, as the transaction would ultimately result in KBC Group's withdrawal from the Irish market, this will also trigger a P&L impact in 3Q21 of an estimated -0.2 billion euros (primarily increased impairment on limited non-performing loans included in the transaction, provisions for restructuring costs and the write-down of deferred tax, tangible and intangible assets). Combined, it further improves KBC's solid capital position on completion of the transaction (expected in 3Q22), with a positive impact of +0.9% pt. on the CET1 ratio primarily by reducing risk-weighted assets by c.5 billion euros upon completion of the transaction and a further 1 billion thereafter. As a result of this announcement, the P&L of KBC Bank Ireland will be transferred from Business Unit International Markets (KBC Group) to Group Centre as of 1 January 2022 (not retroactive). KBC Bank Ireland has been very focused on the welfare of its employees throughout this process. KBC Bank Ireland remains acutely aware of the need to maintain open lines of communication with its employees and to provide as much certainty as possible in the context of this transaction. In this regard, KBC Bank Ireland has recently engaged in a Redundancy Consultation process with its Employee Council resulting in strong terms that compare very favourably in the sector and reflect the bank's deep appreciation for the service given by its employees. KBC Bank Ireland confirms that it will abide by the rules of the TUPE legislation where applicable. Following a notification to all customers KBC will pause the acceptance of new applications for PRSAs, Investments, Personal and Business Overdrafts, and Business Credit Cards. For customers wishing to apply for a new Current Account, Mortgage, Deposit, Personal Loan, Business Loans, Life, Home and Car Insurance or Personal Credit Card we remain open for business as usual.' Further announcements/updates will be made in due course. Announcing the binding agreement, KBC Group CEO, Johan Thijs, said: "Today's agreement with Bank of Ireland Group regarding the sale to Bank of Ireland Group of substantially all of the performing loan assets and deposits of KBC Bank Irelandand a small portfolio of non-performing mortgages represents an important step in KBC Group's withdrawal from the Irish market. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals. Yet, I'm confident that together with Bank of Ireland Group our customers will be provided with a good home, whilst continuing to enjoy the same legal and regulatory protections. We remain committed to managing this process responsibly over the coming period." Francesca McDonagh, Group CEO of Bank of Ireland continued: "We are delighted to have reached agreement with KBC on this important transaction. This acquisition is a positive development for our business and consistent with our growth strategy. We look forward to supporting our new customers on their important financial decisions over the years ahead." KBC Bank Ireland CEO, Ales Blazek added: "I would like to reassure our customers that they do not need to take any immediate action at this point as a result of this announcement. KBC Bank Ireland remains committed to servicing customers of its retail banking and insurance products through its digital channels and hubs. We will communicate to our customers well in advance of any actual steps that may be taken with respect to their products or if our customers need to take any action at any point. The Board and the Executive Committee of KBC Bank Irelandare fully conscious of the responsibilities to our customers and colleagues, and the role of KBC as part of the Irish banking system, and we are committed to those responsibilities until the transaction and subsequent withdrawal from the Irish market have been completed. KBC Bank Ireland remains focused on the welfare of its staff." For more information, please contact: KBC Group : Viviane Huybrecht, General Manager, Corporate Communication/Spokesperson, KBC Group Tel +32 2 429 85 45 - E-mail: viviane.huybrecht@kbc.be , pressofficekbc@kbc.be Website: www.kbc.com Kurt De Baenst, General Manager, Investor Relations, KBC Group Tel +32 2 429 35 73 - E-mail: IR4U@kbc.be Bank of Ireland: Damien Garvey, Head of Group External Communications and Public Affairs, Group Corporate Affairs, Bank of Ireland Tel + 353 Darach O'Leary, Head of Group Investor Relations, Bank of Ireland Tel +353 KBC Bank Ireland Edelman - Joe Carmody, CEO - Tel + 353 86 805 87 64 joe.carmody@edelman.com * This announcement contains inside information. * This news item contains information that is subject to the transparency regulations for listed companies. KBC Group NV Havenlaan 2 - 1080 Brussels Viviane Huybrecht General Manager CorporateCommunication /Spokesperson Tel. +32 2 429 85 45 Press Office Tel. +32 2 429 65 01 Stef Leunens Tel. +32 2 429 29 15 Ilse De Muyer Tel. +32 2 429 32 88 Pieter Kusse Tel. +32 2 429 85 44 Sofie Spiessens E-mail: pressofficekbc@kbc.be (mailto:pressofficekbc@kbc.be) KBC press releases are available at www.kbc.com (http://www.kbc.com/) or can be obtained by sending an e-mail to pressofficekbc@kbc.be (mailto:pressofficekbc@kbc.be) Follow us on www.twitter.com/kbc_group (http://www.twitter.com/kbc_group) Stay up-to-date on all innovative solutions (https://www.kbc.com/en/newsroom/innovation/innovatie-2021.html?zone=topnav) Attachment Pixium Vision announces its cash position at 30September 2021 and provides an update on its activities and financial outlook until the end of 2022. Paris, 22October 2021 - 7:00 a.m. CEST - Pixium Vision (Euronext Growth Paris - FR0011950641 - ALPIX), a bioelectronics company that develops innovative bionic vision systems to enable patients who have lost their sight to live more independently, announces a cash position of 16.9 million at 30 September 2021 and reports on its key developments. Statement of cash flows summary In thousands of euros (YTD) 30/09/2021 30/09/2020 Opening cash and cash equivalents 10,566.0 6,791.5 (Decrease)/Increase in cash position 6,310.7 6,515.3 O/W net cash flows from operating activities (6,500.1) (4,213.2) O/W net cash flows from investment activities (99.5) 222.5 O/W net cash flows from financing activities 12,909.0 10,506.0 Impact of changes in exchange rates 1.3 0 Closing cash and cash equivalents 16,876.7 13,306.8 Net cash outflow from operating activities in the first nine months of 2021 totalled 6.5 million, compared to 4.2 million the previous year. The increased cash outflow was primarily due to the launch of the PRIMAvera clinical trial in Europe, the continuation of the Europe and US feasibility studies, as well as spendings associated with the preparation of the business combination with Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. Until 30.9.2021, investments in fixed and intangible assets remain low leading to a net cash outflow from investment activities of 0.1 million. At 30 September 2021, net cash provided by financing activities totalled 12.9 million, primarily following the drawdown of a 5 ORNAN tranches for a total of 6.25 million (in gross proceeds) of the financing set up with ESGO and a capital increase for a gross amount of 8.0 million from US institutional investors. In total, at 30 September 2021, Pixium Vision's cash position amounted to 16.9 million, compared to 10.6 million on 1 January 2021. Given its current cash position, the Company believes that it is able to finance its operations until the end of 2022. In addition, Pixium Vision is continuing to explore various avenues that will enable the Company to secure its cash flow necessary to pursue its strategic ambitions. In particular, the Company is considering several financing proposals it recently received, is evaluating further sources of financing and, at the appropriate time, will disclose to the market the main terms of any financing it accepts and will submit for the relevant approval of the shareholders, if needed. Key developments in the thirdquarter of 2021 In the third quarter of 2021 Pixium Vision continued its positive momentum of the PRIMAvera study, its partnership with Stanford and the successful fundraising leading to a capital increase of approximately 8m in a private placement primarily from US institutional investors. On 23 September 2021, Pixium Vision announced the enrolment of 5 clinical sites (Bonn, Sulzbach, Hamburg, Munich and Ludwigshafen) to the PRIMAvera study in Germany as well as the successful implantation of the first patient in Germany, with one further clinical sites expected to follow. The PRIMAvera study further expanded to the United Kingdom by initiating Moorfields Eye Hospital as a clinical site as reported on 13 August 2021. On 8 September 2021, Pixium Vision announced the successful expansion of its collaboration with Stanford University on the next generation implants leveraging the existing PRIMA design, mainly targeting an improved implant resolution. Subsequent to the closing as of 30 September 2021, continued success of the feasibility study that Pixium is conducting in France were announced. In the frame of the event the Eye and The Chip held virtually 3-5 October 2021 the positive long-term follow-up scientific data on PRIMA implant from Prima System French feasibility study were presented, mainly stating a positive safety profile 36 months after implantation, stability with no lifetime deteriorations and reiteration that PRIMA is able to provide meaningful visual acuity. Contacts Pixium Vision Offer Nonhoff Chief Financial Officer investors@pixium-vision.com Media Relations LifeSci Advisors Sophie Baumont sophie@lifesciadvisors.com +33 6 27 74 74 49 Investor Relations LifeSci Advisors Guillaume van Renterghem gvanrenterghem@lifesciadvisors (mailto:gvanrenterghem@lifesciadvisors).com +41 76 735 01 31 ABOUT PIXIUM VISION Pixium Vision's mission is to create a world of bionic vision for those who have lost their sight, enabling them to regain partial visual perception and greater autonomy. Pixium Vision's bionic vision systems are associated with a surgical intervention and a rehabilitation period. Pixium Vision is conducting clinical feasibility studies of its Prima system, its miniaturised wireless sub-retinal implant, in patients who have lost their sight due to retinal degeneration associated with the dry form of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Pixium Vision works closely with world-renown academic partners, such as Stanford University in California, Institut de la Vision in Paris, Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, Institute of Ocular Microsurgery (IMO) in Barcelona, and UPMC in Pittsburgh, USA. The company is EN ISO 13485 certified. Pixium Vision has been qualified as an "Innovative Company" by Bpifrance. For more information: http://www.pixium-vision.com/fr Follow us on @PixiumVision; www.facebook.com/pixiumvision www.linkedin.com/company/pixium-vision Disclaimer This press release, implicitly or expressly, contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Pixium Vision and its business. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Pixium Vision to be materially different from the results, financial conditions, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Pixium Vision issues this press release as at this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether in response to new information, future events or otherwise. For a description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Pixium Vision to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, please refer to section 3 "Risk Factors" of the Company's reference document, which was filed with the Autorite des Marches Financiers under number D.20-0350 on 24 April 2020, and which can be viewed on the websites of the Autorite des Marches Financiers - "AMF" (www.amf-france.org) and Pixium Vision (www.pixium-vision.com). Attachment Cybersecurity start-up shows proof of growing visibility and credibility by attracting former President of Nortel and respected philanthropist to its Board of Directors OTTAWA, Oct. 22, 2021to the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Today's announcement comes as the company enters the final run-up to a full commercial launch of its revolutionary QiSpaceQuantum-Secure software platformfor enterprises, governments, and developers worldwide. The nomination of an executive of Mr. Pagani's caliber as Chairman comes in the wake of the company's 2nd quarter announcement of the hiring of Michael Redding, co-founder and former managing director of Accenture Ventures, as CTO, and speaks to the company's growing profile and confidence. Marco Pagani began his long and successful career as a senior executive in Ottawa's high-tech sector in 1985, with Nortel Networks (then Bell-Northern Research). He rose across two decades to become president of several Nortel Business Units, managing more than 2,000 employees and over $1 billion in revenue. Having gone on to advise numerous organizations, as well as guide a range of companies through complex, critically necessary turnarounds, he is particularly respected for placing a strong emphasis on ethics and corporate governance in building the culture of the corporate and not-for-profit organizations he leads and supports. Mr. Pagani is enthusiastic about Quantropi's prospects. "I see the potential of this company to be a game-changer, to be a lighthouse - for our city, our country and our global business, technology and human communities. It's more than just an exceptionally promising start-up tech play. It's a company with an environmental, social and governance (ESG) value system explicitly aimed at contributing to the betterment of our world. In my opinion, co-founder and CEO James Nguyen is an individual bound to become one of the next generation of preeminent business leaders. I look forward to this opportunity to invest my mentoring support in James, and by extension the entire executive team, knowing society will see a significant return on that investment based on our working together to make technology relevant for a greater purpose." "Having Marco join as chairman sends an important signal to the markets in terms of legitimization and validation," said James Nguyen. "If someone like him - a legendary executive, one of the youngest presidents in Nortel's history at a time when that company represented 40% of the TSX - if a heavy-hitter like that is motivated to contribute to the fulfillment of our mission, it must truly be a world-changing opportunity." "Knowing what I do about technology and IT infrastructures, I am always on the lookout for what I call waves," added Mr. Pagani. "At one time, the wave we rode was about digitizing telecommunications networks; at another, it was the paradigm shift from fixed access towards untethered mobilization - the explosion of bandwidth, artificial intelligence - these are all waves. Well, quantum is a tsunami. And that makes Quantum Security a mega-tsunami. In my estimation, with vision, strategy and execution intelligence, Quantropi is capable of making an impact that will be felt for generations." Marco Pagani can be heard at the eminent quantum tech business event, Inside Quantum Technology (IQT), in conversation with Quantropi CTO Michael Redding, in an exclusive Fireside Chat on Preserving Truth, Trust and Network Security, to be held on November 2, 2021, from 10:45 am - 11:15 am Eastern. About Quantropi Founded in Ottawa in 2018, Quantropiis bound to be the standard for quantum-secure data communications - forever unbreakable, no matter what. Powered by quantum mechanics expressed as linear algebra, our technology encrypts data in transit and data at rest - defending against today's threats and tomorrow's quantum-based attacks - without requiring the processing power of a quantum computer. Quantropi's TrUE quantum-secure key generation, encryption & distribution solutions are accessible via the company's flagship QiSpace platform. By offering an easily deployable, cost-effective, and effortlessly scalable solution that enables organizations to progressively upgrade towards 100% quantum security, forever, Quantropi's vision is to protect Truth & Trust beyond the information age. Bring it on. For more information, please contact: Ken Dobell Vice President, Marketing ken.dobell@quantropi.com https://quantropi.com 48 specification documents released since July 2021 3 rd O-RAN ALLIANCE Global Plugfest underway with 77 companies at 7 venues O-RAN ALLIANCE Global Plugfest underway with 77 companies at 7 venues 18 O-RAN demos presented at MWC Los Angeles 2021 or O-RAN Virtual Exhibition O-RAN ALLIANCE has released another set of technical specifications for open RAN published since July 2021. Initial versions of nine technical specifications comprise: O-RAN Non-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) Architecture Near-Real-Time RIC and E2 Interface: Use Cases and Requirements v1.0 O-RAN E2 Service Model: RAN Control (E2SM-RC) v1.0 O-RAN O1 Interface specification for O-CU-UP and O-CU-CP towards the Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) framework O-RAN Acceleration Abstraction Layer FEC Profiles Infrastructure management services of the O2 interface O-Cloud Notification API Specification for Event Consumers O-RAN Xhaul Transport Testing Specification O-RAN Security Requirements Specifications Another 39 technical documents bring extensions and new features to the existing specifications. All new specifications will soon be available on our website. To learn more, please read our blog post. 3rd O-RAN ALLIANCE Global Plugfest Underway with 77 companies at 7 venues O-RAN ALLIANCE's 3rd Global Plugfest has been in progress since summer 2021. 77 companies perform testing, integration or proofs of concept in 7 venues around the world. Technical work is planned to continue till the end of November 2021, with subsequent presentations of the results in our Plugfest Virtual Showcase. 18 demos of O-RAN technology prepared for MWC Los Angeles 2021 or the O-RAN Virtual Exhibition Five O-RAN demonstrations are planned to be presented at the MWC Los Angeles 2021. Parallel Wireless demonstrates its Open RAN, ALL G 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G, O-RAN compliant software platform showcasing an open, secure, and intelligent RAN architecture to deliver wireless connectivity, enabling people to be connected whenever, wherever, and however they choose. Visit the demo at South 2505Ex. VMware Telco Cloud Platform RAN, powered by Dell EMC PowerEdge server and Intel FlexRAN, delivers flexibility to open RAN. The demo showcases the platform's horizontal design and automation capabilities with 3 simple steps to deploy and programmatically provision the platform with Kubernetes to run Altiostar's vRAN functions. Visit the demo at Booth 1210. VMware demonstrates the power of VMware RIC SDKs, enabling its partners to accelerate the development of their xApp/rApp; creating a vibrant application ecosystem. We bring the intelligence and innovation to the RAN faster. Visit the demo at Booth 1210. Northeastern University showcases how Colosseum can be used to (i) instantiate a fully programmable end-to-end network controlled by O-RAN-compliant near-real-time RIC; (ii) collect performance datasets from the RAN, and (iii) implement AI-based control of the RAN through xApps and programmable software stacks. Visit the demo at Booth 1444. Cohere Technologies and VMware demonstrate how Cohere's 5G MU-MIMO Spectrum Multiplier xApp running on VMware RIC controls multiple UEs simultaneously in the same time and frequency slots to drastically boost capacity. Visit us to learn how we successfully demonstrated these technologies to a major European operator. Visit the demo at Booth 1210. 13 more virtual demos for MWC Los Angeles 2021 have enriched the O-RAN Virtual Exhibition: MiTAC demonstrates a private 5G E2E O-RAN solution with O1 Interface based on 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors and integrated with an indoor O-RU which supports MIMO and 4T4R via Open Front Haul Interface. CIG and partners demonstrate an open 5G small cell solution. The E2E solution comprises O-CU and O-DU in one O-DU box, with L2/L3 SW, L1 SW and HW from different vendors. Both O-DU and O-RU are designed with COTS components and open interfaces. A fronthaul gateway is also available as part of the open solution. IPLOOK demonstrates a full stack cloud-native and container-based system of end-to-end 4G/5G converged mobile core solution for operators and enterprises. STL demonstrated 5G Small Cell Split 7.2 O-RU (GARUDA) Interworking with ASOCS 5G NR SA Evaluation Kit (Cyrus 2.0), based on O-RAN IoT profiles. The setup included STL O-RU and ASOCS EVK (DU, CU, Core VM and CPE). The scenarios demonstrated PDU session establishment (registration procedure), followed by CUS-plane and M-plane connectivity. University of Utah showcases O-RAN-based, xApp-controlled RAN slicing using the experiment workflows in the POWDER platform. We combine O-RAN with an open-source mobility stack, provide a top-to-bottom RAN application via the RIC, and deploy in a realistic wireless environment. This software is open-source and packaged in POWDER to enable further experimentation. IS-Wireless showcases the next level of software disaggregation in 5G OpenRAN with protocol layers working as independent VNFs on various computing platforms: O-DU VNF/CNF on Edge Cloud (COTS HW), O-CU VNF on Core/Regional Cloud. The company achieved E2E connectivity on 5G with split option 7.2 and option 2. Dell Technologies is working with an open ecosystem of partners to develop validated solutions. Together with Intel, VMware, Mavenir, Dell has developed a cloud-native Open RAN reference architecture available as a technology preview. The reference architecture offers a complete solution deployed on Dell EMC PowerEdge XR11, XR12 and R750 servers. Rohde Schwarz provides an explanation and demo about the measurement of roundtrip latency on IP layer in O-RAN and legacy networks. The IP layer is the basis for the application layer latency. Real-time and interactive applications are rapidly increasing. These applications need to be supported by 5G and other technologies. A latency comparison over different network types can be achieved. VIAVI demonstrates the power of test case libraries to accelerate validation of disaggregated network performance, interoperability and security according to O-RAN defined test specifications. The TM500 UE Emulator Test Case Libraries leverage unmatched TM500 functional coverage and VIAVI expertise. Network performance is validated using extensive KPI monitoring and automated log analysis to quickly indicate compliance with the O-RAN test specifications. Keysight and Auray partner in Auray OTIC and Security Lab for Certification and Badging of O-RAN solutions by performing Conformance Test, IOT Test and E2E Test services based on corresponding test solutions with a comprehensive mechanism ensuring openness, interoperability and conformity of O-RAN solutions from ecosystem players for both operators and vendor community. Keysight Technologies showcases the Performance Benchmarking Solution (PBM) that directly controls Real UEs across device models and chipsets to automatically conduct tests as defined in TIFG E2E test specifications in both lab and field in a multi-vendor O-RAN environment. CMCC and Inspur demonstrate a QoE assurance application deployed on the Near-RT RIC, providing the capabilities of QoE aware and intelligent RAN Control by collecting RAN measurements as well as sending control command (e.g., maximum MCS configuration) through E2 interface. This demo is validated in some industry scenarios. Juniper Networks and VIAVI Solutions demonstrate successful transport of Open Fronthaul over a packet-switched network. Juniper's ACX Series routers, used as CSR/HSR, provide fronthaul transport connectivity. VIAVI's O-RU and O-DU emulators generate O-RAN compliant Open Fronthaul traffic (CU and M-plane), while VIAVI's MTS-5800 fronthaul tester verifies the fronthaul transport/sync network. About O-RAN ALLIANCE The O-RAN ALLIANCE is a world-wide community of more than 300 mobile operators, vendors, and research academic institutions operating in the Radio Access Network (RAN) industry. As the RAN is an essential part of any mobile network, the O-RAN ALLIANCE's mission is to re-shape the industry towards more intelligent, open, virtualized and fully interoperable mobile networks. The new O-RAN standards will enable a more competitive and vibrant RAN supplier ecosystem with faster innovation to improve user experience. O-RAN based mobile networks will at the same time improve the efficiency of RAN deployments as well as operations by the mobile operators. To achieve this, the O-RAN ALLIANCE publishes new RAN specifications, releases open software for the RAN, and supports its members in integration and testing of their implementations. For more information please visit www.o-ran.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005120/en/ Contacts: O-RAN ALLIANCE PR Contact Zbynek Dalecky pr@o-ran.org O-RAN ALLIANCE e.V. Buschkauler Weg 27 53347 Alfter/Germany CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Australian and New Zealand dollars climbed against their major counterparts in the Asian session on Friday, as property developer China Evergrande made payments on dollar bonds to avert a default, easing some of the worries about a wide spread contagion. Sentiment lifted up after China's Securities Times reported that Evergrande has sent an $83.5 million interest payment to bondholders. Oil prices eased amid indications of tightening of crude stocks in the U.S. A rally in the yield on the ten-year treasury note paused as markets prepared for a potential reduction in stimulus measures as soon as next month. Fed Chair Jerome Powell speaks later today in a panel discussion, with traders awaiting more clarity on the Fed's policy plans. The aussie climbed to 0.7500 against the greenback and 1.5521 against the euro, off its 3-day lows of 0.7454 and 1.5594, respectively. The aussie is seen finding resistance around 0.78 against the greenback and 1.52 against the euro. The aussie rebounded to 85.54 against the yen, 0.9254 against the loonie and 1.0444 against the kiwi, from its early low of 84.89, session's low of 0.9222 and more than a 3-week low of 1.0417, respectively. The currency is likely to locate resistance around 88.00 against the yen, 0.94 against the loonie and 1.07 against the kiwi. The kiwi edged up to 0.7180 against the greenback, 81.91 against the yen and 1.6207 against the euro, after falling to 0.7151, 81.41 and 1.6254, respectively in early trades. If the kiwi rises further, 0.74, 83 and 1.60 are possibly seen as its next resistance levels against the greenback, the yen and the euro, respectively. Looking ahead, Canada retail sales data for August is due in the European session. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX CHINA EVERGRANDE-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - German stocks advanced on Friday as fears over the Chinese property market cooled and a survey showed the German manufacturing sector quickened its pace of expansion in October. China Evergrande Group pulled back from the brink of default by paying a bond coupon before this weekend's deadline. In economic releases, the German manufacturing PMI came in at 58.2 this month vs. 56.5 expected and 58.4 prior, according to the preliminary manufacturing activity report from IHS/Markit research. The services PMI dropped to a six-month low of 52.4 in October as against 55.0 estimated and 56.2 previous, while the composite output index stood at 52.0 vs. 54.0 expected and September's 55.5. The benchmark DAX was up 59 points, or 0.4 percent, at 15,532 after declining 0.3 percent in the previous session. 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. BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks opened higher on Friday as China Evergrande Group reportedly supplied funds to pay interest on a U.S. dollar bond, helping ease contagion fears. Strong earnings from L'Oreal also boosted sentiment. The benchmark CAC 40 jumped 75 points, or 1.1 percent, to 6,762 after closing 0.3 percent lower the previous day. Investors shrugged off the results of a survey showing that France's private sector grew at the slowest pace in six months in October. IHS Markit said its composite output index fell to 54.7 in October, as economists' expected, from 55.3 in September. 'The overall rate of expansion slowed to a six-month low as the supply-side issues hurting manufacturers the most offset a faster expansion in services activity,' Joe Hayes, a senior economist at IHS Markit said. In corporate news, cosmetics major L'Oreal soared 6.3 percent after posting better-than-expected revenue growth for the third-quarter. Remy Cointreau added 1.3 percent after the drinks maker forecast an 'exceptional' current operating profit growth in the first half of its 2021/2022 fiscal year. Renault declined 1.4 percent. The carmaker warned that its production losses this year would be far larger than previously forecast because of a global chip shortage. 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. LSP and Bpifrance, through its InnoBio 2 Fund, co-led international investor syndicate Egle Therapeutics SAS (Egle), an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing First-In-Class immunotherapies targeting immune suppressor regulatory T-cells (Tregs) for oncology and autoimmune diseases, today announces that it has completed a 40M ($46.4M) Series A financing. The Series A was co-led by LSP and Bpifrance through their InnoBio 2 fund. Fund+, Bioqube Ventures and Takeda Ventures, Inc. also participated in this round. Egle Therapeutics was founded in early 2020 with a vision to become a game changer in the field of Tregs immunomodulation through the unique concept of Tregs starving and specifically targeting the most immunosuppressive ones. Spun out of Institut Curie, Egle's scientific foundation leverages unprecedented, computational-based, IL-2 modified variants and newly tumor-associated Treg targets to build a furnished pipeline of First-In-Class immunocytokines against Tregs. The new capital will be used primarily to advance 2 leads assets into the clinic and further strengthen its internal drug pipeline. "Closing a substantial Series A of 40M from a high-quality syndicate of renowned investors, as well as a partnership with a top big pharma like the one we have announced with Takeda in June 2020, all in less than 18 months, puts Egle on a trajectory to execute its vision of tackling regulatory T cells to restore immunity in patients suffering from cancer and autoimmune diseases" commented Luc Boblet, co-founder and CEO of Egle. "The funding will give us appropriate resources to push the first Treg starvers into the clinic and we feel very privileged to undertake such responsibility for the benefit of the whole patient community". The investor syndicate will join the Egle Therapeutics Board which will consist of Felice Verduyn-van Weegen (LSP), Vincent Brichard (LSP), Jean-Francois Morin (Bpifrance InnoBio 2) and Sacha Mann (Takeda Ventures). Philippe Monteyne (Fund+), Jacques Mizrahi (Bioqube Ventures) and Elisa El Nouchi (Bpifrance InnoBio 2) will join as observers. "Egle represents a strategic investment in a First-In-Class technology platform based on innovative research with novel T regulatory modulations and potential in the oncology and auto-immunity fields", commented Vincent Brichard, Venture Partner at LSP. "We feel privileged to be part of such an exciting company, with world class science and look forward to build it out together with the team" adds Felice Verduyn-van Weegen, partner at LSP. "InnoBio 2 strives to invest in breakthrough ideas and to promote First-In-Class drugs candidates. We are delighted to have co-led a financing round that will enable Egle Therapeutics to broadly invest in its platform technologies, development programs, people and ultimately, towards delivering a pioneering new generation of immunotherapies to patients in need," said Jean-Francois Morin, Investment Director at Bpifrance. About Egle Therapeutics Established in early 2020, as a spin-out of Institut Curie by Luc Boblet, serial biotech entrepreneur and Dr Eliane Piaggio, PhD, renowned immunologist in the Treg IL-2 field (INSERM Research Director, Head of the Translational Immunotherapy Team TransImm at Institut Curie), Egle Therapeutics develops First-In-Class immunotherapies targeting immune suppressor regulatory T cells (Tregs) for oncology and autoimmune diseases. The key element of Egle's core approach is the leveraging of its translational-based target discovery platform to unveil novel therapeutic Treg targets and computationally designed immunocytokines acting as antagonists or as selective Treg-agonists. www.egle-tx.com About LSP LSP is one of the largest European investment firms providing financing for life sciences and health care companies. LSP's management has raised over 2.7 billion ($3.2 billion) and supported the growth of 300 companies since it started to invest in 1988, including signature deals such as Argenx, Crucell and Neuravi. With offices in Amsterdam, Munich and Boston, LSP currently has the possibility to invest through five strategies, each having a distinctive investment scope and a dedicated team: LSP 6 invests in private early- to late-stage drug development and medical technology companies; LSP HEF 2 focuses on private late-stage medical technology companies; the LSP Dementia Fund invests in companies targeting neurodegenerative diseases; LSP Public targets public healthcare companies; and EBAC is the first healthcare SPAC to exclusively focus on European biotech. LSP is an active contributor to the global life sciences industry and the European life science eco-system by assuming for-profit and not-for-profit roles as initiators, founders and board members in various private and public bodies and organizations, for example being founder and board member of the Oncode Institute. lspvc.com. About Bpifrance InnoBio 2 Bpifrance is the French national investment bank: it finances businesses at every stage of their development through loans, guarantees, equity investments and export insurances. Bpifrance also provides extra financial services (training, consultancy) to help entrepreneurs meet their challenges (innovation, export). InnoBio 2 is an investment fund dedicated to life sciences, managed by Bpifrance, which is also one of the LPs alongside Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim, Takeda, Ipsen, Servier, BMS and Pasteur Mutualite. InnoBio 2, aims to invest in companies developing innovative products and services, close to or in early clinical development, with the objective of bringing them until the clinical proof of concept. InnoBio 2 takes minority equity stake in companies and can lead or co-lead the investment rounds. www.bpifrance.com About Takeda Ventures Inc. Takeda Ventures, Inc. (TVI) is the corporate venture capital group of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and was founded in 2001 with the vision of generating disruptive technologies and therapeutic solutions for patients through venture-based partnerships. Their mission is to create strategic growth opportunities for Takeda by building, managing and investing in innovation-based companies. TVI partners with academic innovators, entrepreneurs and venture investors to create and nurture a portfolio of companies in an array of therapeutic areas, including oncology, gastroenterology, neuroscience and rare diseases. For more information visit www.takedaventures.com About Fund+ Fund+ is an open-ended Fund for long term equity investment in innovative Life Sciences companies with a focus on Belgium and other European Biotech Hubs. We want to create sustainable shareholders value, contribute to the development of a leadership position in the Life Sciences sector and generate a tangible, beneficial societal impact. Fund+ has currently 16 innovative portfolio companies active in different therapeutic areas. https://fundplus.be About Bioqube Ventures Bioqube Ventures a specialist life sciences investment firm founded in 2016. The team consist out of investment professionals, sector experts and serial entrepreneurs that have a proven track record in successfully building and leading companies on their growth paths. In 2020, Bioqube Ventures launched the Bioqube Factory Fund I with a clear focus on the discovery and development of new therapeutic platforms and assets. With a diversified investment strategy, including a venture creation model and industry guidance through selected strategic partnerships, Bioqube Ventures will exclusively invest in the most promising innovative science in Europe. Bioqube Factory Fund I is supported by InnovFin Equity, with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020 Financial Instruments and the European Fund for Strategic Investments ("EFSI") set up under the Investment Plan for Europe. The purpose of EFSI is to help support financing and implementing productive investments in the European Union and to ensure increased access to financing. www.bioqubeventures.com About Institut Curie Institut Curie, France's leading cancer center, combines an internationally-renowned research center with a cutting-edge hospital group that treats all types of cancer, including the rarest. Founded in 1909 by Marie Curie, Institut Curie employs more than 3,700 researchers, physicians, and health professionals across three sites (Paris, Saint-Cloud, and Orsay), working on its three missions: treatment, research, and teaching. A private foundation with public utility status, Institut Curie is authorized to receive donations and legacies, and thanks to the support of its donors, is able to make discoveries more quickly, improving treatments and quality of life for patients. www.curie.fr View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005007/en/ Contacts: Luc Boblet Chief Executive Officer Email: lboblet@egle-tx.com Total Telecom reported that industry leaders gathered recently at Ultra-Broadband Forum 2021, organized by UN Broadband Commission and Huawei, held in Dubai to discuss building future-proof networks sustainably. Total Telecom thinks that the expectations from digital connectivity have been redefined in the last one year. From conducting financial transactions online to remote factory management, the digital way of life is becoming pervasive. "Connectivity reshaped how we live and work when the pandemic hit in 2020. Connectivity is more than an expansion of functions, it is an emotional bond. As long as there is connectivity, there is a bond. Where there is connectivity, there is innovation. It presents us with unlimited possibilities. I believe in our shared mission to create a connected world," says Ryan Ding, Executive Director of the Board, President of the Carrier BG, Huawei, in his inaugural address. The C.A.F (Coverage, Architecture and Fusion) model is emerging as a way for the telcos to maximize the value of connectivity and achieve new growth. "The broader coverage the network has, the more number of connections it will grow. Further, fusion between connectivity and cloud is important to speed up digitalization. The sooner we achieve network and cloud convergence, the better competitive advantage telco operators will have. Lastly, network architecture is the cornerstone for current and future business opportunities. A future-oriented network should be more elastic, more efficient and greener," says Peng Song, President of Global Carrier Marketing and Solution Sales, Huawei. According to Total Telecom, with the growing dependency on digital tools, there is a strong need to rethink our network strategy to expand coverage, benefit from cloud and connectivity and build a future-oriented network. The communications service providers (CSPs) need to adopt innovative network strategies to provide reliable and ubiquitous broadband coverage to power the next wave of growth and innovation. About Total Telecom Total Telecom offers daily online news with the option to sign up for headlines by email and monthly analysis. Total Telecom organises the annual World Communication Awards, Asia Communication Awards and a range of conferences and networking opportunities, including Submarine Networks EMEA, 5GLIVE, Connected Italy, Connected Britain, Connected Germany and the Total Telecom Congress. Find out more at www.totaltele.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005127/en/ Contacts: Media James Llewellyn james.llewellyn@totaltele.com Disruptive.Asia reported that Ryan Ding and Peng Song stressed the growing importance of connectivity in driving industry growth and generating value amid a rapidly evolving landscape at the 7th Ultra-Broadband Forum (UBBF 2021) in Dubai, which is jointly hosted by the UN Broadband Commission and Huawei. Ding, Executive Director of the Board and President of the Carrier Business Group, Huawei, said that connectivity has made it possible to innovate, especially in a digital age where increasing efficiency has become paramount. The pandemic has also ushered a paradigm shift in connectivity, as homes turned into multi-functional centers for education, work, and business. It became increasingly clear that connectivity not only drives digital economies forward but also maintains the functioning of society. Peng, President of the Global Carrier Marketing Solution Sales Department, Huawei, said that looking at connectivity through Huawei's C.A.F (Coverage, Architecture and Fusion) model can help operators accelerate the digitalization of industries, maximize the value of connectivity, and create new growth. According to him, operators can extend connectivity with FTTR solution provided by Huawei for home networking, and offer competitive and differentiated private lines offerings in enterprise scenario. "No doubt, the cloud is important for digitalization. But connectivity is equally important. Without connectivity, even the most powerful cloud needs storage equipment that can only be transported by trucks. Without connectivity, the cloud will become nothing but a large data island," Peng said. Peng highlighted that enterprises need shorter TTM, more elasticity and committed quality. And connectivity needs to be extended inside every home and enterprise, ultimately converging with the cloud in a wider ecosystem. Ding said that people, things, capital, and regulations are fully connected in the digital age. This requires enterprises to change their mindset and realize that increasing efficiency is more important than ever. About Disruptive.Asia Disruptive.Asia covers the current state of digital disruption in the Asia-Pacific telecoms, fintech and internet sectors where it's coming from, what's driving it, the impact it's having on each industry, how the key players are responding and what's next. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005151/en/ Contacts: Media Tony Poulos Tel: +30 697 203 5757 Email address: tpoulos@disruptive.asia Silversea Cruises' 'Project Evolution' to be First Cruise Ship to Use Fuel Cells to Provide 100% of Power While at Port MIAMI, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The cruise industry's first hybrid powered ship is set to debut summer 2023 as part of Royal Caribbean Group's (NYSE: RCL) ultra-luxury brand Silversea Cruises. The new class of ships, known as 'Project Evolution,' will operate using a trio of power sources including a fuel cell system, battery technology and dual fuel engines using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the main fuel. This hybrid solution, using fuel cell technology, allows the ship to be free of local emissions while at port - another industry first. "Silversea's newest ship class is a significant leap forward in our commitment to sustainable ship design and our journey to reduce our environmental footprint," said Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. "We first announced our fuel cell ambitions several years ago. Through dedication and perseverance, we are now proud to introduce the first ship with large-scale fuel cell technology capable of achieving emission-free port operations." "Incorporating fuel cells into our ships now is one example of how Royal Caribbean Group is preparing to use new technologies as we move to a non-carbon-based future," Fain continued. "This pioneering approach builds on our spirit of innovation." The new hybrid technology not only helps in port, but also allows Project Evolution to achieve a 40% overall reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions per double occupancy when compared to the brand's previous class of ships. The ship class is also projected to achieve an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) rating approximately 25% better than applicable International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements. "Being at the forefront of sustainable shipping design and innovation is a testament to our team's drive for continuous improvement," said Roberto Martinoli, President and CEO, Silversea Cruises. "These advancements support our desire to showcase the world to our guests and to do so in a mindful and environmentally responsible way." Royal Caribbean Group is already known for a robust portfolio of technologies enhancing energy efficiency, waste treatment, and water management. This steady progress remains rooted in the company's mantra of continuous improvement. It will drive The Group's future as alternative, non-carbon-based solutions become available to support its overall decarbonization journey. Project Evolution's full suite of initiatives, developed in partnership with Meyer Werft Shipyard, will bring energy efficiency to a new level and will include both first-of-its-kind initiatives and successful features previously introduced such as: Fuel Cell System - this hydrogen-based technology will supplement the main power supply and carry the ship's total hotel load - up to four megawatts - the first large-scale fuel-cell installation at sea in the cruise industry. - this hydrogen-based technology will supplement the main power supply and carry the ship's total hotel load - up to four megawatts - the first large-scale fuel-cell installation at sea in the cruise industry. LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) - a cleaner burning fuel, LNG-fueled propulsion systems emit less CO2 and 97% fewer particulates than normal fuel oil used on ships. - a cleaner burning fuel, LNG-fueled propulsion systems emit less CO2 and 97% fewer particulates than normal fuel oil used on ships. Battery - a bank of batteries supports optimizing the overall ship power system, saving fuel. - a bank of batteries supports optimizing the overall ship power system, saving fuel. Waste to Energy - newly developed Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS) reduces onboard waste volume, resulting in lower incineration emissions. - newly developed Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS) reduces onboard waste volume, resulting in lower incineration emissions. Progress to Carbon Neutral Construction - in partnership with Meyer Werft Shipyard, Project Evolution is thoughtfully designed and built taking into consideration the carbon footprint of ship construction and creating a path to overall reduction. For more than 30 years Royal Caribbean Group has invested in its commitment to sustainability. In partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2016, the company set specific, ambitious and measurable 2020 sustainability targets to reduce its environmental footprint, increase sustainable tourism, respect coastal communities and cultural heritage, and support WWF's global ocean conservation work. In addition, the company continues to advocate for sustainable practices globally, including collaborating with the United Nation's High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy and committing to deliver on the promise of the Paris Agreement through partnership with the We Are Still In coalition. To learn more about Royal Caribbean Group's sustainability efforts, visit https://sustainability.rclcorporate.com/. About Royal Caribbean Group Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) is one of the leading cruise companies in the world with a global fleet of 60 ships traveling to more than 800 destinations around the world. Royal Caribbean Group is the owner and operator of three award-winning cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises, and it is also a 50% owner of a joint venture that operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Together, the brands have an additional 13 ships on order as of June 30, 2021. Learn more at www.royalcaribbeangroup.com or www.rclinvestor.com. About Silversea Cruises Part of the Royal Caribbean Group, Silversea Cruises is recognized as an innovator in the ultra-luxury cruise industry, offering guests large-ship amenities aboard its intimate, all-suite vessels: Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, Silver Spirit, Silver Muse and Silver Moon - all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance. With the inclusion of the expedition ships Silver Origin, Silver Wind, Silver Explorer, and Silver Cloud, Silversea's itineraries encompass all seven continents and feature worldwide luxury cruises to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Galapagos, both Polar Regions, and hundreds of fascinating destinations in between. Silversea is also looking forward to the launch of three new ultra-luxury ships: Silver Dawn and two Evolution-class ships. Browse Silversea's blog, Discover, and subscribe to receive the latest content directly into your inbox. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to, among other things, the company's expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections regarding environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and the company's ability to achieve its ESG goals. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect our results include, among others, the cost and availability of alternative fuels and changes in expected ship itineraries, as well as those factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as well as our other filings with the SEC, copies of which may be obtained by visiting our Investor Relations website at www.rclinvestor.com or the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this release, which are based on information available to us on the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667819/Royal_Caribbean_Group_Project_Evolution.jpg Expanded management team to lead development programs with special focus on PMN310 for Alzheimer's disease TORONTO and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc. (TSX: PMN); (OTCQB: ARFXF), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of antibody therapeutics selectively targeting toxic oligomers implicated in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, today announced several updates to its senior management team. Eugene Williams, Executive Chairman, will take on the role of Chairman and CEO, with immediate effect. As announced in March of this year, Dr. Elliot Goldstein will step down from his current role as CEO and President with immediate effect but will continue to support ProMIS as President and special consultant to the CEO. Gavin T. Malenfant, experienced drug development executive, joins the ProMIS senior management team as Chief Operating Officer. Gavin brings over 30 years of biopharmaceutical experience to the ProMIS team, with special focus on providing expert management and oversight of drug development programs. Gavin's top priority in the near term will be to support the timely development of the PMN310 program to completion of IND enabling activities, anticipated in H2' 2022. Gavin will be working with the CEO and leadership of the PMN310 project team, whose key members include: Michael Grundman, MD, MPH, Senior Medical Adviser. Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Grundman was Associate Director of the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Neurosciences at UCSD. Dr. Grundman previously served on the FDA Peripheral and Central Nervous System Advisory Committee. Ernest D. Bush, PhD, Head of Pharmacology/Toxicology. Dr. Bush has 35 years of experience working in the field of biomedical R&D, driving development of innovative therapies for treatment of human diseases. He has served as a consultant in non-clinical development providing advice and insight into IND enabling programs, pre-clinical data-set analysis for due diligence and evaluation and audits of GLP bioanalytical and toxicology facilities and studies. Dennis Chen, PhD, Head of Manufacturing. Dennis has over 25 years of prior pharmaceutical experience in working with companies from virtual to global and all phases of development. Dennis provides Regulatory Affairs, Chemistry, Manufacturing & Controls (CMC) and Biopharmaceutical Development support to ProMIS with expertise in peptides, proteins and oligonucleotides. About ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc. ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc. is a development stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing antibody therapeutics selectively targeting toxic oligomers implicated in the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's disease (PD). The Company's proprietary target discovery engine is based on the use of two complementary techniques. The Company applies its thermodynamic, computational discovery platform - ProMIS and Collective Coordinates - to predict novel targets known as Disease Specific Epitopes on the molecular surface of misfolded proteins. Using this unique approach, the Company is developing novel antibody therapeutics for AD, ALS and PD. ProMIS is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ProMIS is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol PMN, and on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol ARFXF. For further information about ProMIS Neurosciences, please consult the Company's website at: www.promisneurosciences.com Follow us on Twitter Like us on LinkedIn For Investor Relations please contact: Alpine Equity Advisors Nicholas Rigopulos, President nick@alpineequityadv.com Tel. 617 901-0785 The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This information release contains certain forward-looking information. Such information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by statements herein, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it as well as other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by the Company in its public securities filings, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Cairns, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - With the dApp ready to be launched by the end of this month, King Shiba has also booked a spot with Certik Audit and has already been listed on CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko. Claimed to be the supreme leader of all Shiba tokens, King Shiba is a decentralized cryptocurrency token with a 50% token burn contract set to be executed before its launch. Amidst the giveaways and rewards, King Shiba Airdrop will send 1,000,000 $KINGSHIB to all the SHIB holders amounting to 0.5% of the total supply. King Shiba Building a Great Kingdom For a Loyal Community King Shiba is built to provide the ultimate functionality to the community in terms of accessibility and reward generation with the latest trends. As every community needs a leader, King Shiba is developed to take on the leadership role. King Shiba is inspired by the old traditional ways of ruling the community when the kings worked for the people and the common folk. With 2% reflection, the loyal holders of the $KINGSHIB tokens will get rewards continuously credited to their wallets, which will also increase with time. The liquidity providers of King Shiba or the protectors of the kingdom will access a liquidity pool with a 3% token balance and offer them the appropriate rewards for their contribution. EverOwn Listing and ETH Bridge Within 24 hours of its launch, KingShiba was listed on EverOwn, which helps developers build trust with their community. Working with EverOwn, King Shiba aims to build a better and enduring position in the community. King Shiba allows EverOwn to manage the liquidity/contract with the community's approval and voting assistant, allowing the developers to make changes accordingly. King Shiba will add liquidity to UniSwap, create an ETH bridge, and benefit from working with a broader audience to their community. It will be the first cross-chain bridge letting the users on King Shiba's blockchain interact with the Ethereum blockchain. About King Shiba With 1 billion token supply and a 50% burn contract already put into action, King Shiba is a hyper deflationary cryptocurrency platform offering great rewards to the loyal owners and community in native tokens and staking pools. The platform is built to promote and execute everything with transparency, integrity, and competence. The existing functions and benefits are added with forward-looking aspects like SHIBA staking, dApp, and the ETH bridge. The platform goes beyond the concept of a token and works as a kingdom to support and promote higher rewards for the loyal subjects who swear allegiance to the platform or the super king, King Shiba. Media Contact Kyle Sperling Email - info@kingshibaofficial.com PR - Cryptoshib.com Email - info@cryptoshib.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100547 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - While reporting financial results for the second quarter on Friday, VF Corp. (VFC) maintains its adjusted earnings and revenue guidance for the full-year 2022. For fiscal 2022, the company continues to project adjusted earnings to be approximately $3.20 per share, including an approximate $0.25 contribution from the Supreme brand. The company also still expects full-year revenues to be approximately $12.0 billion, reflecting growth of approximately 30 percent, including an approximate $600 million contribution from the Supreme brand. On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report earnings of $3.17 per share on revenues of $11.96 billion for the year. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. Further, VF's Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, payable on December 20, 2021, to shareholders of record on December 10, 2021. Subject to approval by its Board of Directors, VF intends to continue to pay its regularly scheduled dividend. 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. BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - President Joe Biden has vowed that the United States would come to Taiwan's defense if China attacked the tiny South East Asian island nation, which remains one of the main U.S. allies in the region. Biden made this remark in response to a question at a CNN town hall event in Baltimore, Maryland. Referring to recent reports that China had tested a hypersonic missile, a student participant asked Biden what will he do to keep up with them militarily, and can he vow to protect Taiwan. Biden replied, 'Yes and yes. Militarily, China, Russia, and the rest of the world knows we have the most powerful military in the history of the world. Don't worry about whether they're going to be more powerful. What you do have to worry about is whether or not they're going to engage in activities that will put them in a position where they may make a serious mistake'. Subsequently, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper asked if the US would come to Taiwan's defense in the event of China attacking the country that lies close to it, and militarily far weaker than the super power. 'Yes, we have a commitment to do that,' Biden responded. Biden said that he has spoken and spent more time with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping than any other world leader has. 'That's why you hear people saying, 'Biden wants to start a new Cold War with China'.' The U.S. President made it clear that he doesn't want a Cold War with China. 'I just want to make China understand that we are not going to step back. We are not going to change any of our views,' he said. Clarifying an apparent departure from a long-held U.S. foreign policy position, a White House spokesperson later told US media that Washington was 'not announcing any change in our policy and there is no change in our policy.' The United States has no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but through the Taiwan Relations Act, it has continued to sell arms and provide military training to its Armed Forces. The Act, which was passed in 1979, states that the US must provide the island with the means to defend itself. Under its One-China policy, the Chinese Government states that Taiwan is part of it. In response to US support for Taiwan, Chinese defense ministry declared in 2019 that 'If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de DUBLIN (dpa-AFX) - Ireland's wholesale prices declined further in September, data from the Central Statistics Office showed on Friday. Wholesale prices decreased 1.9 percent annually in September, following a 1.4 percent decline in August. On a monthly basis, wholesale prices remained unchanged in September, after a 0.8 percent drop in the previous month. Prices for export sales decreased by 0.1 percent monthly in September and fell 2.3 percent from a year ago. Prices for home sales rose 0.4 percent on month in September and grew 2.9 percent from the previous year. 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. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - Galleon Gold Corp. (TSXV: GGO) (the "Company" or "Galleon Gold") wishes to advise that the NI 43-101 Technical Report for the West Cache Gold Project Mineral Resource Estimate announced on September 8, 2021 has been filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR. Filing of NI 43-101 Technical Report The Technical Report (the "Report") titled "Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate of the West Cache Gold Property, Bristol and Ogden Townships, Porcupine Mining Division, Timmins, Ontario" with an effective date of September 3, 2021 was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" ("NI 43-101"). The Report was prepared by P&E Mining Consultants Inc. Highlights include: The Mineral Resource was modelled as amenable to open pit and underground mining methods; and 100% of the Mineral Resource is within Galleon Gold's West Cache Gold Property, where the Mineral Resource remains open along strike and at depth. Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") An Updated Mineral Resource Estimate update is expected to be completed in conjunction with the Company's upcoming PEA. Continuing work on the Mineral Resource, including follow- up and infill sampling, geological interpretation and modelling the Project as an underground-only mine, is currently underway. An all-underground mining operation would reduce the mining footprint on surface. Note from the CEO R. David Russell CEO and President of Galleon Gold stated: "We are pleased to have increased the Mineral Resource by 20% over the past year and look forward to delivering results from the first PEA for the West Cache Project. While we are eager for the completion of the economic analysis, and quantifying the potential of this Mineral Resource, we are equally excited to see how the mine plan for an all-underground scenario develops." Qualified Persons The Mineral Resource Estimate for West Cache Gold Project was prepared under the supervision of Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., FEC, CET, President of P&E Mining Consultants Inc., an Independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. The scientific and technical content of this release has also been reviewed and approved by West Cache Gold Project Manager Leah Page, P. Geo. (APGNS #217) and West Cache Gold Resource Geologist, Rochelle Collins, P. Geo (PGO #1412), both "Qualified Persons" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About West Cache Gold Project The West Cache Gold Project is located 13 km southwest of Timmins Ontario, and is serviced by Provincial Highway 101 and secondary access roads. It is situated along the Porcupine - Destor Deformation Zone in the Timmins Gold Belt, approximately 7 km northeast of Pan American Silver's Timmins West Mine and 14 km southwest of Newmont's Hollinger Mine. West Cache is an advanced-stage gold exploration project covering over 3,600 ha that hosts the current Mineral Resource near the centre of the Property, with additional Exploration Targets to the north and south. The Mineral Resource is contained within the Porcupine Sedimentary Basin, a favourable litho-structural corridor with over 2 km of strike-length on the Property. Mineralization is open in all directions and at depth. Recent metallurgical test work completed as part of a future Feasibility Study revealed that the three primary processing options for gold recovery: 1) Gravity + Flotation, 2) Whole Ore, and 3) Gravity + Whole Ore - all indicate strong gold extractions can be achieved on each of the low (1.77 g/t), mid (5.10 g/t) and high (21.9 g/t) grade portions of the recently identified Zone #9 gold mineralization (see Company's news release dated August 11, 2021). About Galleon Gold Galleon Gold is a North American exploration and development company. Eric Sprott holds approximately 23% of the Company's outstanding common shares and is also the Company's partner on the Neal Gold Project in Idaho. A Preliminary Economic Assessment is currently underway for the Company's flagship project, the West Cache Gold Project, located 13 km southwest of Timmins, Ontario. For further information: Galleon Gold R. David Russell Chairman and CEO T. (416) 644-0066 info@galleongold.com www.galleongold.com Forward-Looking Statements This document contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of Galleon Gold with respect to its long-term strategy, proposed work and other plans and expected timing of PEAs and other reports for its projects. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the markets in which Galleon Gold operates. Some of the statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and resources, exploration results, expectations, plans, and objectives of Galleon Gold are forward-looking statements that involve various risks. The following are important factors that could cause Galleon Gold's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: changes in the world-wide price of mineral commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in mineral exploration, risks associated with development, construction and mining operations, risks related to infectious diseases, including Covid-19 and the uncertainty of future exploration activities and cash flows, and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events may differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Galleon Gold undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. 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. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100500 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The spending plans of Americans in the upcoming holiday season in 2021 are roughly the same as last year reflecting continued demand, despite the ongoing supply chain disruption. Meanwhile, the plans are slightly below the pre-pandemic high, according to the National Retail Federation or NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics. As per an annual survey about winter holiday shopping plans, 90 percent of U.S. adults plan to celebrate the upcoming holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, this year, up from 87 percent last year. This year, consumers plan to spend $997.73 on gifts, holiday items and other non-gift purchases for themselves and their families, similar to last year's consumer spending. This is lower than $1,047.83 in 2019 as fewer consumers plan to spend on non-gift purchases. Among the 7,921 holiday shoppers surveyed, the average spending plan is $648 for gifts this year, down from $650 in 2020, and $659 in 2019. Meanwhile, spending plans for non-gift holiday items such as food, candy, decorations and cards would be $231 on average, higher than last year's $230 and 2019's $227. Nearly 49 percent plans to start browsing and buying before November, the highest in the survey's history, and higher than last year's 42 percent. Around 47 percent intend to take advantage of discounts during the holiday season to make non-gift purchases with an expected spend an average of $118.41. In pre-pandemic 2019, 60 percent planned to make these types of purchases and expected to spend $162.02. The ongoing work from home situation during the pandemic has impacted gift plans for co-workers. NRF, the world's largest retail trade association, noted that around 57 percent plan to purchase holiday items online this year, down from 60 percent in 2020 and in line with pre-pandemic norms. Other top holiday shopping destinations include department stores, discount stores, grocery stores and clothing/accessories stores. Meanwhile, around 24 percent of consumers plan to shop specifically at a local or small business. Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist said, 'Over the last few years, consumers have demonstrated the desire to begin their holiday shopping earlier and earlier. This year in particular, as retailers promote holiday inventory, they are taking advantage of additional offerings such as free shipping, buy online, pick up in store and even expedited shipping to ensure they receive their gifts on time.' Amid the ongoing supply chain challenges, 47 percent of holiday shoppers are concerned they will have difficulty finding items this year, mainly electronics, clothes and toys. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de As the ninth anniversary of Hurricane Sandy approaches, eight RISE:NYC microgrids developed in partnership with NYCEDC, HUD, and SimpliPhi will provide grid resiliency for small businesses New York, New York & Oxnard, California--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - UGE International Ltd. (TSXV: UGE) (OTCQB: UGEIF), a leader in solar solutions for the commercial and industrial sector, has designed and deployed eight state-of-the-art microgrid systems for New York City communities as part of a post-Hurricane Sandy energy resiliency program. UGE's microgrids, utilizing next-generation LFP batteries from SimpliPhi Power, Inc, natural gas generators, and rooftop solar installations, will provide energy security for residents and businesses in the event of another major grid outage. The microgrids are part of the City's RISE:NYC portfolio, developed in response to Sandy-related power outages through an innovative partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After Hurricane Sandy caused $19 billion in losses for small businesses and left more than 2.2 million people without electricity in October 2012, NYCEDC developed the RISE:NYC program, which aims to strengthen the area's energy resiliency, reduce electricity costs, mitigate disaster loss, and prepare for climate change. NYCEDC awarded funding to UGE to provide uninterrupted power to small businesses and residents, even in the event of a utility service disruption. "Hurricane Sandy gave New Yorkers a glimpse of the impact that climate change can have on businesses, residents, and our electric grid, and recent devastation from Hurricane Ida shows us that we all need to be prepared," said UGE Managing Director Mateo Chaskel. "UGE is proud to be providing renewable energy microgrid systems that can provide off-grid clean power when the grid is put at risk by storms and uncertain climate." UGE's smart microgrid power systems store energy produced from renewable energy sources in SimpliPhi's next-generation fully integrated LFP Battery Systems, enabling critical backup power to function during utility service interruptions. Combined with a natural gas generator, these solutions ensure that critical systems remain powered even if the grid fails. Small businesses and building owners like RISE:NYC beneficiary Joe Tirone were devastated by Hurricane Sandy's floods and power outages. The UGE microgrids will safeguard these individuals and businesses from potentially devastating storms in the future. "Sandy was a wake-up call. This microgrid will ensure that my building won't suffer similar impacts in the future," said Tirone, a real estate professional in Staten Island. "Floods and power outages threaten our livelihoods, our homes, and our safety. It's time for us all to start innovating, and RISE:NYC is a wonderful resource." "Our partnership with UGE has enabled the deployment of next-generation, back-up power systems that will help New Yorkers brace for future Hurricane Sandy-like events," said Chris Keast, SimpliPhi Power Sales Application Engineer. "These projects are a great step forward in the shift to decentralized renewable energy, leading the way in providing resilience to communities vulnerable to climate change." "Hurricane Sandy was devastating and caused disastrous power outages in New York City. And today we are stronger because of RISE:NYC, a program implementing a variety of innovative solutions to support small businesses in the face of climate change and future storms," said NYCEDC President and CEO Rachel Loeb. "We thank UGE for their work in creating a safer, stronger, and more resilient place for all New Yorkers." The eight sites included in the portfolio are in Staten Island, Brooklyn, and the Rockaways in Queens. For more about RISE:NYC projects visit here . To learn more about UGE's initiatives, visit here. About UGE UGE develops, owns, and operates commercial and community solar projects in the US and strategic markets abroad. Our distributed energy solutions deliver cheaper, cleaner energy to businesses and consumers with no upfront cost. With over 500MW of global experience, we work daily to power a more sustainable world. Visit us at www.ugei.com. For more information, contact UGE at: +1 917 720 5685, investors@ugei.com . About SimpliPhi Power With a mission to create universal access to safe, reliable, and affordable energy, SimpliPhi Power designs and manufactures efficient, non-toxic, and enduring energy storage and management systems that utilize environmentally benign lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry. Based in Oxnard, California, SimpliPhi combines the non-hazardous LFP energy storage chemistry with its proprietary cell and battery architecture, power electronics, Battery Management System (BMS) and manufacturing processes to create safe, reliable, durable, and highly scalable on-demand power solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, and government sectors. For more information, visit www.simpliphipower.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100482 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - Marret Asset Management Inc. is pleased to announce that two of their funds have received a total of three awards at the 2021 Canadian Hedge Fund Awards held on October 19, 2021. The Annual Canadian Hedge Fund Awards, organized by Alternative IQ, help investors identify the best performing hedge funds by recognizing winners in five performance measures within specific hedge fund categories. The awards are based solely on quantitative performance data to June 30th, with Fundata Canada collecting and tabulating the data to determine the winners. In the Credit Focused category, Marret's Enhanced Tactical Fixed Income Fund was awarded 1st place in 5-year Sharpe ratio and 2nd place in 3-year Sharpe ratio. Marret Diversified Opportunities Fund was awarded 1st place in 3-year Sharpe ratio. This follows on last year's 5 awards received by Marret Enhanced Tactical Fixed Income, Marret Investment Grade Hedged Strategies Fund, and Marret Diversified Opportunities Fund. 2021 Canadian Hedge Fund Awards | Credit Focused Category Marret Enhanced Tactical Fixed Income Fund 1st place 5-year Sharp ratio 2nd place 3-year Sharpe Marret Diversified Opportunities Fund[1] 1st place 3-year Sharpe ratio "These awards reflect the dedication of our staff to our goals. What is really important to us at Marret is trying to achieve the best risk-adjusted returns over the long term, and receiving these awards is very much in line with this objective," said Paul Sandhu, President and CEO of Marret Asset Management Inc. Image 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7474/100474_marret2_550.jpg Marret Asset Management Inc. is a specialist fixed income manager that utilizes dynamic investment processes which aim to deliver favorable risk return outcomes across its strategies. Founded in 2001, the firm is led by Paul Sandhu, who has over 30 years of domestic and international fixed-income experience. Marret offers a full spectrum of corporate credit investing strategies covering government securities, investment grade, high yield, short term cash alternatives, and opportunistic fixed income strategies for both core and alternative allocations. In 2013, Marret Became a 65% owned subsidiary of CI Financial Corporation. Mark Culver President, Marret Private Wealth E: mculver@marret.com | T: (514) 224-7795 Roberto Katigbak Institutional Strategist, Head of Sales & Marketing E: rkatigbak@marret.com | T: (514) 868-2191 Important Disclaimers Past Performance: Investment funds are not guaranteed. Their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. The Sharpe Ratio is a risk adjusted return measure. It is calculated by using standard deviation and excess return to determine reward per unit of risk. The higher the Sharpe Ratio, the better the portfolio's historical risk adjusted performance. The rates of return in the Sharpe Ratio are the historical annual compound total returns net of fees including changes in security value and reinvestment of all distributions and do not take into account sales, redemption, distribution or optional charges or income taxes payable by any securityholder that would have reduced returns. Standard Deviation is widely used to measure risk in terms of the volatility of returns. It represents the historical level of volatility in returns over set periods. A lower standard deviation means the returns have historically been less volatile and vice versa. Historical volatility may not be indicative of future volatility. Eligibility Of Award: The Marret Enhanced Tactical Fixed Income Fund, the Marret Investment Grade Hedged Strategies Fund, and the Marret Diversified Opportunities Fund represent all Marret Funds which would have been under consideration for these awards. For further information please visit the Alternative IQ website at http://alternativeiq.com/canadian-hedge-fund-awards/categories/. General Disclaimer: This information is being provided to you solely for your information. The information does not purport to contain all the information that may be necessary or desirable to fully and accurately evaluate an investment in the Funds, and is not to be considered as a recommendation by the Fund or Marret Asset Management Inc. that any person make an investment in the Fund. An investment in units of the Fund is speculative and involves a number of risks that should be considered by a prospective investor. Investors should consult their own professional advisor for specific investment advice tailored to their needs and based on the latest available information. Nothing in this document is or should be relied upon as a promise or representation as to the future. Marret Asset Management Inc. is a partly owned subsidiary of CI Financial Corp. and an affiliate of CI Investments Inc. Published 10/19/2021. [1] Effective August 6, 2021, Marret Diversified Opportunities Fund was renamed CI Alternative Diversified Opportunities Fund and is now publicly available as an alternatives mutual fund offering mutual fund series units as well as ETF C$ Series (CMDO) and ETF US$ Series (CMDO.U) units. Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or dissemination in the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100474 RETHINK REALITY: PRADA CANDY PARIS, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- An unexpected and joyful shake to the system. Prada Candy triggers bugs of spontaneity in the software of everyday life; an iconic fragrance that opens and embraces exhilarating spaces of release. Intrinsically linked to Prada's DNA of curiosity, avant-garde and eccentricity, Prada Candy is an invitation to open new possibilities to play and question convention. A call to rethink reality with fragrances that defy expectations and embrace pure creativity. In a shocking pink overdose of luxury, Prada Candy reveals a unique facet of Prada femininity. Overblown but always sophisticated, the scent is an addictive indulgence that is at once sensuous and refined. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8970651-prada-candy-introduce-virtual-muse-candy/. RETHINK REALITY: A New Muse In a world first, Prada introduces Candy, a virtual muse as the face of a fragrance. Born from a glitch, Candy is ethereal, driven by a continuous quest to question, connect and evolve. Inspired by the native world of TikTok, a series of shorts directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and captured by photographer Valentin Herfray see a physical fragrance, Prada Candy, encounter a virtual muse, Candy. As her own reality glitches, she begins to perceive another, expanding her existence through the power of technology. Free of constraints, her curiosity grows, new creative perspectives are opened and with them, an invitation to Rethink Reality. RETHINK REALITY: PRADA CANDY FILM CAMPAIGN The Prada Candy campaign series is realized by award-winning film director, screenwriter and producer, Nicolas Winding Refn. The lauded Danish auteur behind Drive, The Neon Demon and the Pusher trilogy lends his bold, intensely imaginative vision to Prada Candy's alternate, re-imagined reality, creating a space where the known interacts with the new. RETHINK REALITY: PRADA CANDY PRINT CAMPAIGN With an ability to challenge what we know through the art of perspective, French photographer Valentin Herfray pushes the limits of modern digital photography to extend our visual experience, defying the traditional medium of capturing imagery. Working between art, fashion and technology, Herfray's ability to play with perceptions of reality sees him deftly capture Prada Candy's digital muse between dimensions. PRADA CANDY BOTTLE The Prada Candy bottle designed by Fabien Baron is a trigger of creativity, just as joyful and free-spirited as the scent contained within, as it embraces an unexpected mix of colors and finishes. A dynamic take on Prada's signature Saffiano leather hugs the top of the bottle in a band of shocking pink while the flacon bears the refined Prada logo in sleek, gold lettering. The pump, perched on its golden neck like a futuristic black half-moon, is the striking finale. PRADA CANDY FRAGRANCE Prada Candy rethinks fragrance addiction and offers a free-spirited take on gourmand scents. Its unconventional olfactory balance combines a joyful and addictive caramel accord with noble and warm benzoin resin, which brings unprecedented sophistication and elegance, to creatively fuse with a silky and enveloping cloud of white musks. First launched in 2011, blended by master perfumer Daniela Andrier under the creative direction of Miuccia Prada, Prada Candy remains an iconic fragrance with a novel olfactory balance, an Amber gourmand combining exceptionally high-quality ingredients to rethink addiction. PRADA CANDY RANGE The Prada Candy fragrance collection comprises of four feminine fragrances which each embody free-spirited perspectives and indulgent pleasures. Prada Candy Eau de Parfum Rethink Addiction with a joyful and warm fragrance. Olfactive Family: Amber Gourmand Notes: Silky White Musks, Warm Benzoin Resin, Addictive Caramel Accord Prada Candy Night Eau de Parfum Rethink Sensuality with a mysterious and creamy fragrance. Olfactive Family: Amber Woody Notes: Vibrant Bitter Orange, Sensual Patchouli Accord, Creamy Cocoa Accord Prada Candy Florale Eau de Toilette Rethink Tenderness with a bright and fresh fragrance. Olfactive Family: Floral Notes: Bright Limoncello Notes, Fresh Peony Accord, Tender Caramel Accord Prada Candy Kiss Eau de Parfum Rethink Passion with a luscious and powdery fragrance. Olfactive Family: Floral Musk Notes: Sparkling Bergamot, Luscious Orange Blossom Accord, Powdery Vanilla Accord Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0skEoR3e68 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667139/PRADA_CANDY.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667187/Prada_Candy_2.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1584120/Prada_Logo.jpg Contact: Mickael ROUX mickael.roux@loreal.com Y-T-D sales total $24.0 million CHICO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 22, 2021 / AmeraMex International, Inc. (OTCQB:AMMX), a provider of heavy equipment for logistics companies, infrastructure construction and forestry conservation, announced that it has received equipment orders totaling $1,470,000. Year-to-date, AmeraMex has announced sales of approximately $24 million. This week's sales orders consisted of the following equipment: One refurbished Taylor THDC 955 Loaded Container Handlers for stacking loaded containers or ISO Tanks. The Handlers stack up to five loaded containers and are equipped with 20'-40' spreader. Two Taylor THDC 975 Loaded Container Handlers going to Southern California. One Kalmar Loaded Container Handler shipping to Mexico. Four Taylor TEC 950-L Container Handlers. Three of the machines are shipping to Southern California and one of the Handlers is shipping to the state of Washington. For more information and pricing of logistics, construction, and forestry equipment or to receive information and arrange for a demonstration of the Kovaco Electric's 100 percent electric skid steer loaders or the line of ASV Posti-Tract and Skid Steer Loaders, contact the AmeraMex/Hamre Equipment sales team at 530.895.8955. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "potential," "continue" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, and there are key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Investors are encouraged to review the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes 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 added information becomes available in the future. Investor and Media Relations McCloud Communications, LLC Marty Tullio, Managing Member Office: 949.632.1900 or Marty@McCloudCommunications.com SOURCE: AmeraMex International, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669269/AmeraMex-International-Announces-Equipment-Orders-Totaling-Approximately-15-Million WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Royal Caribbean Group's ultra-luxury brand Silversea Cruises is set to launch the world's first hybrid-powered cruise ship in the summer of 2023. This will also be the first ship with large-scale fuel cell technology to enable emission-free port operations. The fuel cells will provide 100% of power while at port. 'Silversea's newest ship class is a significant leap forward in our commitment to sustainable ship design and our journey to reduce our environmental footprint,' said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean. This new class of ships, known as Project Evolution, will be driven by a trio of sustainable power sources, including a fuel cell system, battery technology and dual fuel engines using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the main fuel. The fuel cell system, a hydrogen-based technology, will supplement the main power supply and carry the ship's total hotel load, up to four megawatts. Further, a bank of batteries supports optimizing the overall ship power system, saving fuel. Meanwhile, LNG is a cleaner burning fuel, with the LNG-fueled propulsion systems emitting less CO2 and 97% fewer particulates than normal fuel oil used on ships. 'Incorporating fuel cells into our ships now is one example of how Royal Caribbean Group is preparing to use new technologies as we move to a non-carbon-based future,' Fain added. The use of new hybrid technology allows Project Evolution to achieve a 40-percent overall reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions per double occupancy while comparing to the brand's previous class of ships. Project Evolution's full suite of initiatives, developed in partnership with Meyer Werft Shipyard, will bring energy efficiency to a new level and will include some first-of-its-kind initiatives. The company also noted that the ship class is also projected to achieve an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) rating of about 25 percent better than applicable International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements. Royal Caribbean Group is already known for a robust portfolio of technologies enhancing energy efficiency, waste treatment, and water management. The Group's overall decarbonization journey will continue to evolve as and when alternative, non-carbon-based solutions become available. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - XAU Resources Inc. (TSXV: GIG.P) ("XAU" or the "Corporation"), is pleased to announce that, further to its news release of August 17, 2021, it has entered into a definitive option agreement to acquire the Noseno Property in Guyana. XAU also announces that it is commencing a $1 million non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") in conjunction with its proposed entry into a definitive agreement granting XAU the option to acquire the Noseno Property in Guyana (the "Noseno Property Option"). The Noseno Property Option Pursuant to the Property Option Agreement, the Corporation may acquire a one hundred percent (100%) undivided interest in the Noseno Property by, among other things, making the following annual cash payments and incurring the following annual minimum work expenditures, all over a four-year period: Payment Date Annual Cash Payments(1) Work Expenditures(1) On or before the Trigger Date(2) CAD $318,525 CAD $637,050 On or before the date that is two years from the Trigger Date CAD $318,525 CAD $1,274,100 On or before the date that is three years from the Trigger Date CAD$637,050 CAD$1,911,150 On or before the date that is four years from the Trigger Date CAD$1,911,150 CAD$2,548,200 Notes: (1) All figures converted from United States Dollars based on the Bank of Canada daily average rate of exchange on September 29, 2021 which was US$1.00 = C$1.2741. (2) The "Trigger Date" is the date that is the later of (a) one year from October 21, 2021 and (b) the day after the date on which (i) conditional acceptance by the Exchange of the Qualifying Transaction is received by XAU and (ii) not less than Cdn$1,000,000 of Subscription Proceeds is unconditionally released to XAU. XAU may accelerate and carry forward any of the cash payments or work expenditures. Upon full exercise of the option, XAU shall grant to NW Exploration a three percent (3%) net smelter returns royalty with respect to commercial production from the Noseno Property. In the event that the option is fully exercised, and thereafter XAU produces a bankable feasibility study recommending that the Noseno Property be placed into commercial production, XAU shall pay NW Exploration $2,500,000. Completion of the Qualifying Transaction is subject to various conditions precedent, including, but not limited to: (a) the Financing and the Qualifying Transaction having been conditionally accepted by the Exchange; and (b) completion of the Offering. The Qualifying Transaction, if completed, is an Arm's Length Qualifying Transaction. No Shareholder approval is required to complete the Qualifying Transaction. The Offering The Offering will consist of 4,000,000 subscription receipts (each, a "Subscription Receipt") at a price of $0.25 per Subscription Receipt to raise gross proceeds of $1,000,000. Upon closing of the Offering, the gross proceeds from the Offering (the "Escrowed Funds") will be delivered to TSX Trust, to be held in escrow, pending the satisfaction or waiver of certain escrow release conditions on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on January 31, 2022 (the "Escrow Release Deadline"): (a) the receipt of all regulatory, corporate, shareholder and regulatory approvals, if any, required in connection with the Offering and the Qualifying Transaction, including, without limitation, the conditional approval of the TSXV for the Qualifying Transaction; (b) other than the release of the Escrowed Funds, all conditions precedent to the completion of the Qualifying Transaction, substantially in accordance with the terms of the Definitive Agreement shall have been satisfied or waived, and shall be confirmed to be true and accurate in a certificate of a senior officer of XAU; (c) the receipt by TSX Trust of escrowed funds in the amount of $1,000,000; and (d) the delivery of a notice from XAU to the Subscription Receipt Agent confirming the satisfaction or waiver of the foregoing items (a) and (b). Each Subscription Receipt will entitle the holder thereof to receive upon satisfaction or waiver of the above escrow release conditions prior to the Escrow Release Deadline (as defined below), without payment of any further consideration or further action on the part of the holder, one (1) common share of XAU. If the Escrow Release Conditions are not satisfied or waived (to the extent permitted) at or before the Escrow Release Deadline, (ii) the Definitive Agreement is terminated before the Escrow Release Deadline, or (iii) prior to the Escrow Release Deadline, XAU announces to the public that it does not intend to satisfy the Escrow Release Conditions, the Escrowed Funds shall be returned to the holders of the Subscription Receipts and the Subscription Receipts will be cancelled without any further action on the part of the holders. In connection with the Offering, finders may be paid a cash commission of 7% and a number of finder's warrants equal to 7% of the subscription receipts sold to investors introduced by the finder, each such finder's warrant entitling the holder to purchase one common share of XAU at a price of $0.25 for a term of two years from the date of conversion of the subscription receipts. The Subscription Receipts will be offered on a private placement basis in all provinces of Canada pursuant to applicable prospectus exemptions. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the Subscription Receipts in any jurisdiction, nor will there be any offer or sale of the Subscription Receipts in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Subscription Receipts have not and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws and, therefore, may not be offered or sold to, or for the benefit or account of, persons within the United States or "U.S. persons" (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) except pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a four month and one day statutory hold period running from the date of issue of the Subscription Receipts. The Noseno Property The Noseno Property is located in north-western Guyana in one of Guyana's prospective greenstone belts, 210 kilometers west-northwest of Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. It is an early stage greenfields project which, despite its geological potential, is largely unexplored. The Noseno Property comprises 37 licenses covering 37,623 acres (15,225.5 ha, or 152.26 km). The Noseno Property is located in the same greenstone terrane as that which hosts the Aurora Mine (Zijin Mining) 46 kilometres to the southeast and the Toroparu Project (Gold X Corp) 58 kilometres to the south, in similar geological settings, and is considered to hold potential for the presence of similar orogenic-style gold mineralization. Refer to Figure 1. The Noseno property is underlain by "greenstone" consisting of mafic metavolcanics plus intrusives, intermediate metavolcanics and clastic metasediments of the Paleoproterozoic Barama Formation. The property is surrounded on three sides by Trans-Amazonian granitoids, and the central portion of the property has been intruded by smaller plutons of Trans-Amazonian granitoid plus several intrusions of diorite and felsic porphyry providing numerous geological contacts of contrasting rheology along which orogenic deformation and mineralization may have focussed. The property is favourably situated between two northwest-southeast oriented regional structures, which the Aurora Mine and Toroparu Project are spatially associated with. Despite the favourable geological setting, the Noseno property has experienced no formal exploration. Limited exploration work was performed by junior explorer Riva Gold Corp. on the Hicks and Williams gold prospects near the northern boundary of the Noseno property in 2010, including a small diamond drilling program of seven holes totalling 1,797 meters which reportedly returned up to 1.63 metres of 98.89 g/t Au (uncut), including 0.5 metres of 273.69 g/t Au. However, the presence of gold mineralization at the Hicks prospect does not infer the potential for gold mineralization on the Noseno property. There has been no follow up to Riva Gold Corp's limited exploration efforts of 2010, and no records of any exploration on the Noseno property itself. Work programs have been planned to explore the large Noseno property to commence as soon as funding is in place. A program of systematic, results driven exploration has been designed to evaluate the property with the aim of rapidly identifying the most prospective areas through stream sediments, soil and rock geochemistry, geological mapping and prospecting plus acquisition and interpretation of the historical geophysical survey data over the district. The budget will also allow for limited initial testing of promising targets through trenching and/or drilling programs. If initial results are encouraging, subsequent exploration programs will be proposed and may include additional geochemical and geological surveys, airborne and/or ground geophysics, and more extensive campaigns of target testing by trenching and drilling. 1. Unpublished Report: "Technical Report on the Exploration Program in the Noseno Area", by E.A. Vida, December 31, 2010, for Mammoth Minerals Guyana Inc. a subsidiary of Riva Gold Corp. Figure 1: Location of the Noseno Property and Guyana Geology To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6447/100564_3990fc9e142c2970_001full.jpg Mr. Kevin Thomson, P.Geo. (Ontario), Consulting Geologist and author of "NI-43-101 Technical Report on the NOSENO Property, Guyana", dated effective 28 February 2021, is a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Thomson reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information disclosed in this news release. For more technical information, please see the NI 43-101 Technical Report on the NOSENO Property, Guyana filed on XAUs sedar profile at sedar.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. For further information please contact: Gary Bay Chief Executive Officer Tel: 647-339-4301 CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This press release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future business and operations of XAU. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and the delay or failure to receive applicable Board or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and XAU disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100564 EQS Group-News: GoldenPeaks Capital Holding Ltd. / Key word(s): Miscellaneous GoldenPeaks Capital holds inauguration ceremony for the 86MW Portfolio Bravo in Pszczew, Poland 22.10.2021 / 16:30 Warsaw, 22nd October 2021 - GoldenPeaks Capital, and subsidiary Spectris Energy, have held an opening ceremony in Pszczew for the formal commissioning of Portfolio Bravo of installed capacity of 86MW in Poland. The project in Pszczew of installed capacity of 8MW was completed successfully within seven months and is one of the first projects in Poland to utilise bifacial photovoltaic modules. The ceremonial inauguration took place on 1st October 2021. Portfolio Bravo reached financial close in December 2020 and was funded by BayernLB and Siemens Bank. Bravo consists of 86 individual 1MW sites in various locations around Poland and are powered by bifacial solar panels. These modules can produce power on both sides of the bifacial modules which can increase energy output by 5%-10%. Among those in attendance were representatives from BayernLB and Siemens Bank, including BayernLB's Karin Schramm, Sector Head of Renewable Energy. Fergie May, CEO of GoldenPeaks Capital, commented: "Our cooperation with BayernLB and Siemens Bank shows enormous potential. The alignment of interests and cohesive work ethic is embodied in this joint ribbon cutting ceremony to formally open the power plant in Pszczew. GoldenPeaks Capital has collated a 1GW portfolio in Poland, with 86MW now built and a further 400MW under construction. We have shown our commitment to the sector, and steadfastly support the implementation of the EU climate and energy policy goals." Professor Peng Shou, President of Triumph Group, a CNBM Group company, commented: "Triumph Group has been focusing on Solar projects in the EU for some years and has accomplished many solar EPC projects to date. GoldenPeaks Capital is our strategic partner in the EU, and our team has worked tirelessly during this difficult period to deliver Project Bravo on time and on schedule. This ribbon cutting ceremony is a fitting confirmation of our deep partnership with GoldenPeaks Capital and we look forward to further collaboration on projects such as Alpha, Charlie, Foxtrot and Gamma." The photovoltaic market in Poland has been undergoing a development boom over the last two years. At the end of 2020, 3,936 MW of photovoltaic installations were operating, an increase of 2,563 MW or nearly 200% on the previous year. According to the forecasts of the Institute for Renewable Energy (IRE), in 2021, and for a second year in a row, Poland will maintain its high position among the fastest RES developers in the EU. The IRE estimates that at the end of 2021, the installed PV capacity in Poland may exceed 6 GW - matching the capacity of its wind farms a year ago. GoldenPeaks Capital is an international investor primarily active in the renewable energy and real estate sectors. Based in Europe, the group is building a strong pipeline of new projects in Poland and elsewhere within the EU. Spectris Energy is one of the fastest growing companies in the renewable energy market in Poland. The company implements a comprehensive due diligence process in acquisition of projects as well as construction and operation of renewable energy plants. Media queries : GoldenPeaks Capital Siro Barino Tel.: +41 79 335 24 24 E-Mail: siro@barino.ch Disclaimer GoldenPeaks Capital: This press release was produced by and the opinions expressed are those of GoldenPeaks Capital as of the date of writing and are subject to change. It has been prepared solely for information purposes. Any reference to past performance is not necessarily a guide to the future. To the extent there are any forward-looking statements, these statements are based on the company's current expectations and projections regarding its business, operations and other factors relating thereto. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors. The information and analysis contained in this publication have been compiled or arrived at from sources believed to be reliable but GoldenPeaks Capital does not make any representation as to their accuracy or completeness and does not accept liability for any loss arising from the use hereof. End of Media Release Cittaslow: The International movement of small towns that originated from the Slow Food Network in Italy ORVIETO, Italy, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The international movement of small towns - Cittaslow originates from the Slow Food network and it was born in Italy. From the beginning of its operation, it refers to better use of local resources: culinary traditions, local culture and monuments. Being 'slow' does not mean lagging behind. Supporters of the Slow movement call for slowing down the pace of life in order to cultivate relationships with the loved ones, with the local community and with their small homeland. A few years ago, the symbol of the International Cittaslow Cities Association - the orange snail was completely unrecognizable in Poland. Today, Polish towns belonging to the network are considered as the most active Polish local governments. They effectively fit into regional strategies and European trends. They change their cities in accordance with the ideas of the "Slow" movement. Appreciation of the development potential of small towns is a trend of the 21st century. It is an excellent illustration of the implementation of the sustainable development postulates. In a faster and faster world, Cittaslow Network member cities want to base their future on what is local and specific to their neighbourhood. Ecology and history - they are the key to maintaining solidarity with the past and the future generations. The Cittaslow network does not prevent members from the use of new, innovative technologies, but encourage to use them in a way that makes the cities better places to live for their inhabitants and visitors. The idea of Cittaslow was discussed in the Warmian-Masurian region (Poland) already at early stage of its development. As early as in 2004, representatives of the voivodeship self-government and the city of Reszel signed up for the movement. A year later, four cities joined Cittaslow: Reszel, Biskupiec, Bisztynek and Lidzbark Warminski, and the provincial government became a supporting member. Since then, the number of member-cities has been growing steadily. Although it is dominated by cities from Warmia and Mazury (there are 26 of them), currently also nine towns from other regions of Poland are part of the Cittaslow network. Many years of cooperation within the movement resulted in the joint preparation of the Cittaslow city development program from the Warmia and Mazury region. It happened in 2015, when, thanks to good cooperation, the Supralocal Program for the Revitalization of the Cittaslow Cities Network was prepared. It is a unique program on the entire EU scale, defining the social revitalization of small towns in one of the poorest regions of Europe. The idea was in line with the assumptions of the regional development strategy and the Regional Operational Program for the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. The activities covered by the Program were supported by funds from the EU budget. The road to EU funds was long, but it was worth taking up these challenges. The effects of the Program are the best proof of it. The towns gained modern, refurbished, well-kept streets, squares, parks, and facilities for recreation and relaxation.New cultural institutions were created, and they are often located in historic buildings. These institutions are used in the most difficult aspect of urban development, i.e., social revitalization. All completed investments serve the integration of residents and their broadly understood activation. The serve especially the excluded groups and those in need of additional support. The supralocal Program for the Revitalization of the Cittaslow Town Network in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship at a glance: The development of a Supra-Local Revitalization Program for 19 cities was a pilot action, not implemented before in any region of Poland . . In order to implement such a complex undertaking in a consistent manner, it was necessary to appoint an entity acting as the program coordinator. It is the "Polish Cittaslow Cities" Association established on the basis of the Polish National Cittaslow Cities Network. The association has been operating since March 2015 . . The program includes 89 projects implemented in 19 Polish cities from the Warmia and Mazury region. These are projects concerning both revitalization investments, investments in cultural institutions, activities aimed at the protection of natural heritage combined with its sustainable use for the purposes of recreation and tourism. But these are also projects aimed at improving access to social services or increasing professional activity, and above all, the social integration of local communities. Program financing - EUR 44.7 million from the European Regional Development Fund and EUR 6.4 million from the European Social Fund and over EUR 10 million from municipalities' own funds. from the European Regional Development Fund and from the European Social Fund and over from municipalities' own funds. Some projects are already completed, the last ones will end in 2023. One of the most interesting are: Lubawa - revitalization of the city center and creation of a Social Activity Center at the reconstructed Chelmno Bishops' Castle; Lidzbark Warminski - development of the banks of the Lyna river; Olsztynek - renovation and modernization of the historic water tower; Pasym - reconstruction of the Old Town Square - creation of a social integration and activation zone; Nowe Miasto Lubawskie - comprehensive renovation and reconstruction of the building of the Municipal Cultural Center to create a Manufacture of Old Professions Nidzica - reconstruction of the park by the city lake - arrangement of green areas in the neighbourhood of the park Cities of Cittaslow - cities of good quality of life are a constantly developing movement. The pace and directions of this development are appreciated by the European Commission, which promotes cooperation networks and exchange of good practices. The program implemented in Warmia and Mazury also gained positive opinions from the European Commission, especially due to the great emphasis placed on the social aspect of revitalization. The international nature of the Cittaslow network is also important. Thanks to this, joint promotional and educational activities are implemented, both at the national and international level. Supporter Members from Poland: Warminsko-Mazurskie Voivodship, Olsztyn Province Cittaslow Friend: Szynaka Group Ltd. Cittaslow International HQ in Orvieto (Italy) - www.cittaslow.org Polish Cittaslow Network - www.cittaslowpolska.pl Media Contact: Luca Filippetti redazione@cittaslow.org ph. +39 0763341818 Image 1: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667916/Nidzica.jpg Image 2: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667915/Lubawa.jpg Image 3: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667917/Pasym.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1559015/Cittaslow_Logo.jpg A recent study by Future Market Insights on the power tools market offers a detailed 10-year forecast. The study analyzes the crucial trends that are currently determining the growth of the power tools market. This report focuses on salient features, such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities for leading players along with key stakeholders DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The demand outlook for global power tools market is forecast to remain positive between 2021 and 2031, opines Future Market Insights (FMI) in its latest study. Surging adoption of cordless power tools within construction industry will drive the sales in the market. As per Future Market Insights, sales of power tools are expected to reach US$ 33.36 Bn in 2021. Rising preference for sustainable electric power tools have amplified the demand in the market. The report stresses on impressive commercial potential of power tools. Their application in diverse applications and integration of cutting-edge features such as electric motors will aid the overall expansion of the market in the coming years. Request a report sample to gain compressive insights at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-760 The unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 dampened the sales owing to the disruption in manufacturing activities and supply-chain across the globe. However, with expedited vaccination drives and growing demand from several end-use industries such as aerospace, automotive, and furniture, sales of power tools are expected to increase over the forthcoming decade. Historically, the market grew by 3.7% between 2016 and 2020. As inclination towards online sales channel grew during the FQ-20, manufacturers' reliance on e-commerce platforms to sustain their revenue during the pandemic surged. As per FMI, online sales channel will report highest growth with increasing focus on diversification among market players. Hence, demand for power tools is expected to surge in response to the increasing penetration of e-commerce platforms. In order to meet the surging demand for high efficiency and advanced power tools, leading manufacturers are adopting advanced technologies such as cordless power tools with lithium-ion batteries to improve the shelf life. For instance, in 2019, Stanley Black & Decker announced the launch of DEWALT FLEXVOLT 60V MAX* 2-Inch Brushless SDS MAX Combination and cordless Hammer (DCH773), comprising features such as e-clutch system and with active vibration control 9.0Ah battery technology with maximum control for bind-up situations. Such developments are expected to aid the growth in global power tools market. As per FMI, the overall sales of power tools market are likely to surge at over 5.1% CAGR between 2021 and 2031. "Power tools manufacturers are adopting advanced technologies to offer energy-efficient electric power tools. In order to cater the surging demand, leading players also are collaborating with regional distributors. This will not only allow them to expand their portfolio but help them gain competitive edge s over the coming years," says the FMI analyst. Key Takeaways from Power Tools Market Survey Based on product type, drilling tools are expected to remain highly-sought after, accounting for over 17% of global market share Over 30% of power tools sales are contributed by construction industry, especially in the U.S., the U.K., and China In terms of technology, 6 out of 10 power tools sold is expected to be from electric segment through 2021 Offline sales channel will dominate the market, accounting for over 64.3% of global market share in 2021 The U.S. power tools market is expected to account for over 62% of overall market share in North America Italy and France are expected to have a positive demand outlook across Europe through 2031 owing to the surging demand from construction industry Report Preview with Complete TOC Of this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/power-tools-market Key Drivers Increasing adoption of cordless power tools and integration of advanced technology will spur the demand for power tools across the globe Rapid expansion of construction industry is expected to have a positive domino effect on the sales of power tools Burgeoning demand for electric fastening tools in the industrial sector will accelerate the growth in the market Key Restraints Growing preference for lightweight and ergonomic power tools is expected to hamper the growth in the market Stringent regulatory rules that power tool manufacturers must comply with to ascertain safety standards might create obstacles. Competitive Landscape Introduction of cost-competitive products by leading players has resulted in increased competition in the market. Emerging players are focusing on adopting advanced technology to target baby boomers and millennials for revenue generation. Some of the leading players are also adopting robust expansion strategies such as mergers and acquisitions to expand their product portfolio and customers base. New product launches are also one of the major strategy adopted by key players to sustain their position in the industry. For instance, In May 2021 , Bosch Power Tools announced the availability of its cordless PROFACTOR 18v -In. Impact Wrench with friction ring and PROFACTOR 18V -In. Impact Wrench with Friction Ring and Thru-Hole (GDS18V-770), built for high performance BITURBO brushless technology, made to deliver high power for tackling brutal applications. , Bosch Power Tools announced the availability of its cordless PROFACTOR 18v -In. Impact Wrench with friction ring and PROFACTOR 18V -In. Impact Wrench with Friction Ring and Thru-Hole (GDS18V-770), built for high performance BITURBO brushless technology, made to deliver high power for tackling brutal applications. In March 2020 , Makita announced the launch of its new 18V X2 LXT cordless string trimmer, with power equivalent to 30cc gas string trimmer, built for professional landscapers for aggressive applications, such as cutting tall weeds and bushes. , Makita announced the launch of its new 18V X2 LXT cordless string trimmer, with power equivalent to 30cc gas string trimmer, built for professional landscapers for aggressive applications, such as cutting tall weeds and bushes. HiKOKI power tools announced the three-year warranty on its automatic heavy duty power tools such as electric and cordless tools for convenient service. For any Queries Linked with the Report, Ask an Analyst@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-760 Some of the leading players operating in the power tools market profiled by FMI include: Robert Bosch Power Tools GmbH Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. & Decker, Inc. Makita Corporation Hilti Corporation Atlas Copco AB Techtronic Industries Company Limited Snap-on Incorporated Actuant Corporation Husqvarna AB Illinois Tool Works Panasonic Corporation Hitachi Corporation Ingersoll Rand , Inc. , Inc. Enerpac Tool Group Kyocera Corporation Apex Tool Group Ridgid Tools Koki Holdings Co., Ltd. Others More Insights on the Global Power Tools Market Future Market Insights, in its new offering, presents an in-depth analysis on the global power tools market. The study divulges essential insights on the power tools market for the historic period (2016-2020) and for the forecast year (2021-2031) as well. In order to gain compelling insights on the current growth drivers, trends, and opportunities, the market is segmented on the basis of: Product: Drilling Tool Fastening Tool Heat Gun Angle Grinder Chain Saw Orbital Sander Jigsaw Impact Wrench Circular Saw Technology: Electric Corded Cordless Pneumatic Application: Manufacturing Metal Fabrication Automotive Railways Aerospace Furniture Others MRO Services Facility Management Automotive Aerospace Other Industrial DIY Construction Sales Channel: Online Offline Region: North America Latin America Europe East Asia South Asia Oceania Middle East and Africa (MEA) We Offer tailor-made Solutions to fit Your Requirements, Request Customization@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-760 Key Questions Covered in the Power Tools Market The report offers insight into power tools demand outlook for 2021-2031 The market study also highlights projected sales growth for power tools market between 2021 and 2031 Power tools 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 Power tools market share analysis of the key companies within the industry and coverage of strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, collaborations or partnerships, and others Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage on the Industrial Automation Domain Hand Tools Market - [192 Pages Report] Global Hand Tools Market to reach ~US$ 25.6 Bn by the end of 2031, growing at a CAGR of 3.9% over the forecast years (2021-2031) Centrifugal Pumps Market - [294 Pages Report] The Centrifugal Pumps Market is expected to register positive growth through 2021, with the overall valuation forecast to surpass US$ 29 Bn in 2021 Vapour Recovery Unit Market - [230 Pages Report] The Vapour recovery unit market was valued at US$ 878 Bn in 2018, and expected to register a decent CAGR of more than 5% during the forecast period of 2019-2029 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: sales@futuremarketinsights.com For Media Enquiries: press@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/power-tools-market Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/power-tools-market Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/FMI_Logo.jpg PARIS, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Laboratoires Majorelle, a fast-growing French specialty pharma company focused on prescription and OTC products in women's health and urology, today announces the appointment of Alexandre de Germay as Chief Executive Officer. Alexandre de Germay has more than 25 years of experience in specialty pharma, achieving significant growth and scaling specialty pharma businesses. Alexandre joins from Sanofi where he spent five years leading global businesses with sales of ca. 9 billion across 300 assets and several therapeutic areas, including cardiology, transplant and established products. During his tenure, Alexandre refocused the organization toward assets and disease areas that delivered significant growth. He drove digital transformation across all geographies to improve customer interaction, while significantly reducing operational expenses and improving margins. Prior to Sanofi, Alexandre spent 20 years with Pfizer ultimately as Regional President of Japan-Asia-Pacific, with responsibilities to lead an organization of 5,000 employees and more than $5 billion in sales. Mr. de Germay's strong track record in growing and scaling up specialty pharma businesses will further support Majorelle's accelerated growth trajectory as the Company extends its product portfolio and commercial infrastructure in France and grows into a pan-European specialty pharma company. Alexandre de Germay said: "Since its creation, Majorelle has had a significant impact on the lives of patients it serves and especially in the field of women's health and urology. I am honored to lead such a high-performing organization focused on this important area and excited by the opportunities ahead. The skill and commitment of the team behind these successes make me very confident that we can expand the growth journey and continue to address those unmet medical needs." Olivier Bohuon, Chairman of Majorelle and Senior Adviser to EW Healthcare Partners, added: "On behalf of the Board and EW Healthcare Partners, I would like to warmly welcome Alexandre to Majorelle. His experience and track record will be instrumental as we scale up the company, drive revenue growth and make add-on acquisitions." About Laboratoires Majorelle Headquartered in Paris, Majorelle is a French specialty pharma company focused on prescription and OTC products in women's health and urology that offer health solutions for men and women in France. The company's portfolio of products commands a strong position in the French market with its highly respected brand image and affordable pricing. Since its founding in 2012, Majorelle has developed the most relevant and dynamic women's health product range in the French market, meeting unmet medical needs, making new treatments available to patients, and offering significant public health outcomes. The company has 70 employees and has experienced over 20% annual revenue and EBITDA growth in recent years. EW Healthcare Partners acquired the majority stake in Majorelle in April 2021. About EW Healthcare Partners EW Healthcare Partners is one of the largest and oldest private healthcare investment firms and seeks to make growth equity investments in fast growing commercial-stage healthcare companies in the pharmaceutical, medtech, and technology-enable services sectors in the United States and in Europe. Since its founding in 1985, EW Healthcare Partners has maintained its singular commitment to the healthcare industry and has been a long-term investor in over 150 healthcare companies, ranging across sectors, stages and geographies. The team is comprised of over 20 investment professionals with offices in Houston, New York and London. For more information, see www.ewhealthcare.com. For Press Inquiries, please contact: Olivier Bohuon, Chairman of the Board, Laboratoires Majorelle obohuon@ewhealthcare.com This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Chicago, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - According to a research report "Revenue Assurance Market by Component (Software and Services), End-User (TSPs, and Enterprises), Deployment Mode (Cloud and On-premises), Vertical (Telecom, Utilities, BFSI, Hospitality, and Others), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Revenue Assurance Market size is projected to grow from USD 512 million in 2020 to USD 782 million by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.9% during the forecast period. The major factors driving the growth of the Revenue Assurance Market include the rise of the subscription economy, rising number of mobile and internet users, adoption of advanced technologies such as RPA, Big Data, AI, and IoT. Browse and in-depth TOC on "Revenue Assurance Market" 106 - Tables 29 - Figures 142 - Pages Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=93599016 The services segment to record a larger market size during the forecast period Revenue Assurance services are estimated to hold a larger market share during the forecast period in the Revenue Assurance Market. Services portfolio includes planning and consulting, implementation and customization, support and maintenance, and managed services. These services enhance the revenue assurance portfolio of the services providers by offering customers with value creation, operational flexibility, and competitive advantage. Companies that lack in-house capabilities for revenue assurance of an organization outsource the functionality from expert Managed Service Providers (MSPs). With the growing demand for revenue assurance solutions, the services portfolio is expected to increase due to the market's dependency on human-interaction for development and growth. By deployment model, the on-premises segment to record the larger market share during the forecast period There is a large-scale adoption of revenue assurance solutions among large scale telecom service providers that have significant CAPEX and IT infrastructure investment capabilities. Therefore, the market share of on-premises deployment mode is higher as compared to cloud deployment mode, since the on-premises model gives various benefits such as data security, and lower-latency issues. Speak To Analyst @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=93599016 APAC to record the highest growth during the forecast period APAC to record the highest growth during the forecast period due to the presence of growing network technologies, digital infrastructure, and smartphone and internet penetration. Countries, such as India, China, Australia, and Japan also contribute a major share to the APAC economy. These countries are experiencing major growth in data generation due to rapid digitalization and threat from hacker groups or terror networks with the increasing penetration of digital infrastructure and heavy investments on network technologies by key industry telecom players in the region. Major vendors of Revenue Assurance Market include Amdocs (US), Araxxe Inc. (US), Adapt IT (South Africa), Cartesian (US), Digital Route (Sweden), eClerx (India), HPE (US) Itron (US), Nokia (Finland), Profit Insight (US), Sagacity Solutions (UK), Sandvine (Canada), Sigos (Germany), Subex (India), Synthesis Systems (US), TCS (India), Teoco (US), Transunion, (US), and WeDo (Portugal), and Xintec (Ireland). About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: 1-888-600-6441 sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insights:https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/revenue-assurance-market.asp Content Source:https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/revenue-assurance.asp To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100464 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - Sweet Earth Holdings Corp. (CSE: SE) (FSE: 1KZ1) (OTCQB: SEHCF) ("Sweet Earth" the "Company") is pleased to announce that it continues to forge media attraction, both from investor and product focused media outlets. The exposure is positively impacting its online sales portal. Sweet Earth was recently featured on Cannabis Radio[1], the premier online/podcast radio destination for all things cannabis. The interview featured the Company's CEO discussing the Company's vision, goals and differentiating characteristics versus peers: Interview: https://cannabisradio.com/podcasts/grassroots-marketing/sweet-earth-with-ceo-peter-espig/. On October 11, 2021, the Company was featured in the Midas Letter[2], which provides investing reporting and analysis in mining, cannabis, medical marijuana, Canadian ACMPR, energy, and technology companies. Interview: https://midasletter.com/2021/10/award-winning-cbd-company-with-top-5-global-player-ambitions-sweet-earth-holdings-se/. On October 14, 2021, the Company was featured in Boulder Weekly[3] an alternative newsweekly that publishes every Thursday in Boulder, Colorado. In the interview the Company provided insight into the importance of isotopic molecular size's importance in the Company's CBD products. Skin, as an organ, only allows very small molecules to pass through it and into the body because it functions as protection for invasive bodies. Thus, no matter how much CBD a salve contains, if the molecular size of that isolate is too big, the CBD won't make it through the epidermis and the dermis and into the subcutaneous tissue. Article: https://www.boulderweekly.com/features/weed-between-the-lines/size-matters-and-smaller-is-better/. About Sweet Earth Corporate Website: https://sweetearthcbdcorp.com. Sweet Earth is a vertically integrated "farm to shelf" hemp grower with a farm in Applegate, Oregon, that maintains a full line of hemp and CBD products for the US and global market. Its products combine CBD with herbal and organic ingredients, all of which are selected for their beneficial properties to soothe, rejuvenate, and reduce inflammation. In addition to high-end finished products, Sweet Earth prides itself on sustainability by minimizing the use of plastics in both production and packaging. Sweet Earth's in-house genetics team has been working on its own proprietary hemp strain. Sweet Earth maintains a portfolio of skin and body care products that includes facial products, men's, spa, hemp, and muscle products that are sold on its website, https://sweetearthskincare.com. Sweet Earth operates a proprietary online shopping portal for discerning pet owners offering pet treats comprised of high-quality ingredients, which are further enriched with CBD and Vitamin E. The treats are sold on its website: https://www.sweetearthpets.com. Sweet Earth has created a line of CBD that cigarettes are made from 100% naturally grown US hemp flower that is rich in non-intoxicating cannabinoids like CBD and cannabigerol ("CBG"). The cigarettes are completely free of tobacco, nicotine, or additives. The cigarettes are also rich in terpenes, like pinene, limonene and myrcene and are sold on its online portal, https://www.sweetearthsmooth.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Chris Cooper" For additional information contact : Chris Cooper / CFO and Director Telephone: (604) 307-8290 Email: info@sweetearthcbd.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. [1] Cannabis Radio: https://cannabisradio.com/ [2] The publication specializes in the identification of macro and micro economic trends, with stock selections that regularly outperform both the broader market and the junior resource markets especially the TSX and TSX Venture [3] The paper is a member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies (AAN) and is owned and published by Stewart Sallo. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100567 Chicago, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - According to the new market research report the global "Electric Vehicle Charging Station Market by Level of Charging (Level 1, Level 2 & Level 3), By Charging Infrastructure (Normal Charge, Type-2, CCS, CHAdeMO and Tesla Supercharger), DC fast Charging (Fast & Ultra-fast) - Global Forecast to 2027", Published by MarketsandMarkets, The global Electric Vehicle Charging Station market size is projected to grow from 2,115 thousand units in 2020 to 30,758 thousand units by 2027, at a CAGR of 46.6%. Browse in-depth TOC on "Electric Vehicle Charging Station Market" 156 - Tables 64 - Figures 128 - Pages The electric vehicle charging station market has promising growth potential due to several factors, including the growing demand for EV's in the market, government's support for growth in charging infrastructure, plans to reduce fossil fuel vehicles across many countries across the world etc. The rapidly growing sales volume of Electric Vehicles in Asia Pacific, especially in China has propelled the growth of the global electric vehicle charging stations market. Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=89574213 In the electric vehicle charging stations market, by charging level type, the Level 2 charging segment is projected to dominate the market, while Level 3 Charging will be the fastest growing charging during the forecast period. Level 2 charging has been used highly for Semi-Public and Public charging uses. It has been increasingly being used for apartments, businesses, parking spaces, etc. As of 2020, a majority of Electric Vehicle charging points are using level 2 Charging. Level 3 charging has been growing at the fastest rate due to its convenience of fast charging the EV's withn 30 minuites. ChargePoint, Shell, Blink Charging, Tesla, BYD are some of the top EV charging providers across the world and provide all three levels of charging for their customers. Europe presents a significant growth opportunity for electric vehicle charging stations market as it is expected to be the second-largest market during the forecast period. The region's vibrant R&D landscape, Government support and technological excellence justify the region's dominance in the field of innovative electric charging station related technologies. Additionally, the region has significant demand for Level 2 and Level 3 chargers. Many of the top electric vehicle charging manufacturers from the region, such as Shell, Siemens, Schneider electric, BP, Ionity, Webasto, Efacec etc. has led to the growth of this industry. Asia Pacific is projected to account for the largest share of the electric vehicle charging station market during the forecast period as it is home to renowned OEMs such as BYD, TGOOD, Charge+ etc. which offer EV charging solutions in the region as well as export all over the world. Many foreign players have also entered into the region to provide high EVCS network growth across the region. One of the key factors driving the market in Asia Pacific is the government initiatives taken by countries like China, Japan, South Korea and India for the expansion of charging station networks in the region. Asia Pacific is estimated to be the fastest growing EV charging stations market in the predicted years and accounts for a market share of 83.5% in 2020, by volume. Request Free Sample Report @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=89574213 With the development of charging technology and increasing adoption of electric vehicles across various major and developing countries, the global electric vehicle charging station market is anticipated to witness exponential growth in the coming decades. During the last few years, many countries have initiated plans to develop charging infrastructure network to propel the growth of electric vehicles and reduce carbon emissions caused by conventional ICE vehicles. As of December 2020, the global electric vehicle charging station market is dominated by Level 2 chargers while Level 3 chargers have been growing at the fastest rate. Newer technologies like Ultra Fast charging, Flash Charging, Inductive charging have been coming due to extensive R&D in this Industry. Thus, this industry is still in its high growth stage with a trend of lower charging time requirement, better connected services preferablity, personal and semi-public charging stations along with public charging stations, more innovation etc. Key Market Players: The global electric vehicle charging station market is dominated by major players such as ChargePoint (US), Shell(The Netherlands), Blink Charging(US), BYD(China), and Tesla(US). These companies offer extensive products and solutions for the electric vehicle charging stations industry and have strong distribution networks at the global level, and they invest heavily in R&D to develop new products. Speak to Analyst @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=89574213 Related Reports: Electric Scooter and Motorcycle Market by Vehicle Type (E-Scooter/Moped & E-Motorcycle), Battery (Sealed Lead Acid & Li-Ion), Distance Covered, Voltage (36V, 48V, 60V & 72V), Technology (Plug-in & Battery), Vehicle Class, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 EV Test Equipment Market by Vehicle Type (Passenger Car and Commercial Vehicle), by Electric Vehicle Type (BEV and HEV), by Equipment Type, by Application (EV Component and Drivetrain, EV Charging, and Powertrain), Region - Global Forecast to 2026 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: 1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/electric-vehicle-supply-equipment-market.asp To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100546 GLOBAL FIXED INCOME REALISATION LIMITED (IN VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION) FIRST AND FINAL LIQUIDATION DISTRIBUTION At an extraordinary general meeting of Global Fixed Income Realisation Limited (in voluntary liquidation) (the "Company") held on 29 March 2019, shareholders passed resolutions to wind up the Company and Joint Liquidators (the "Liquidators") were appointed. Following the final receipt of investment proceeds, the Liquidators announce their intention to make a first and final liquidation distribution to the Ordinary shareholders (the "Final Distribution") of: GBP 0.07063 per ordinary Sterling share issued The Final Distribution will be effected pro rata to the holdings of ordinary Sterling shares on the register at the close of business on 14 October 2021 (the "Record Date"). This Distribution will be paid on 22 October 2021 (the "Payment Date") by way of cheques drawn upon a UK clearing bank posted to the shareholder's registered address as at the Record Date, following receipt of the requisite investor KYC information. Enquiries: The Liquidator Linda Johnson Glategny Court Glategny Esplanade St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 1WR Tel: 01481 721 000 restructuring-ci@kpmg.com Spill Tech provided a solid contribution Solid business and favorable environment within main markets with organic growth of +6% Business targets confirmed for 2021 Regulatory News: Seche (Paris:SCHP) is bringing forward its communication relating to its Q3 revenue in order to respect the equality of information between shareholders and creditors in the context of a potential refinancing in the debt capital markets. Q3 2021 activity confirms Seche's growth momentum at work for one year in its main markets and reinforces the Company's confidence in its 2021 revenue targets. With contributed revenue1 of 183.4 million for the third quarter of 2021-up 14.1% compared to Q3 2020-Seche demonstrates its ability to benefit in the long-term from a normalized and well-oriented economy, particularly in its industrial markets, in France and in the Group's main geographies. Spill Tech contributed 13.5 million to Q3 revenue this sound performance reflects the successful integration of this subsidiary acquired at the beginning of 2021 and the continuation of its growth momentum at the heart of buoyant markets. At constant scope and exchange rates, the Group's business grew 5.5% compared to Q3 2020 (and 7.2% compared to the same period in 2019), reflecting the high-level of activity in the recovery and treatment business lines for the last year, in France and in most areas where the Group has an international presence. In the first 9 months of 2021, contributed revenue amounted to 538.1 million, up 16.9% compared to the first 9 months of 2020. 24.6 million of the increase corresponds to the strong contribution of Spill Tech, a South African subsidiary acquired at the start of the year and included in the consolidation scope from March 1, 2021. At constant scope and exchange rates, contributed revenue over the first 9 months of 2021 grew by 11.4% (and 13.7% compared to the first 9 months of 2019), evidence of the Group's ongoing growth phase in its main markets within the recovery and treatment sectors in France and abroad. Consolidated data in m At September 30 2020 reported 2020 restated2 2021 Gross change Organic change Haz. Waste division 299.8 295.4 350.1 +18.5% +10.7% Non-Haz. Waste division 182.3 165.1 188.0 +13.8% +12.8% Contributed revenue 482.1 460.5 538.1 +16.9% +11.4% Non-contributed revenue 0.4 22.0 41.5 Reported revenue 482.5 482.5 579.6 +20.1% +15.0% As of September 30, 2020, contributing revenue at constant scope and exchange rates amounted to 460.8 million, showing a positive currency effect of 0.3 million over the period. The favorable figures for Q3 2021 reinforce Seche's confidence in its ability to achieve its FY 2021 revenue targets.3 Commentary on business in the third quarter of 2021 Seche reported consolidated revenue of 197.1 million for the third quarter of 2021, up from 169.3 million in the same period in 2020. Restated for IFRIC 12 revenue and TGAP4, the contributed turnover amounted to 183.4 million in the third quarter of 2021 compared to 160.8 million the same period in 2020, marking an increase of 14.1% over the period. This increase includes a scope effect of 13.5 million, corresponding Spill Tech's sound contribution in Q3 2021. At constant scope and exchange rates, the business grew by 5.5% in Q3 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. Breakdown by geographic scope Consolidated data in m Q3 2020 reported 2020 restated2 2021 Gross change Organic change France subsidiaries 130.3 122.0 128.1 +5.0% +5.0% International subsidiaries 38.8 38.8 55.3 +42.5% +6.9% Contributed revenue 169.1 160.8 183.4 +14.1% +5.5% Non-contributed revenue 0.2 8.5 13.7 Reported revenue 169.3 169.3 197.1 +16.4% +8.3% Contributed revenue for Q3 2020 at constant exchange rates would have amounted to 161.1 million, for a positive currency effect of 0.3 million over the period. In Q3 2021: The Group's French subsidiaries continued to grow, supported by solid industrial markets and by the implementation of regulations related to the circular economy. Both business lines saw a solid business performance, particularly within the recovery and waste treatment activities, and contributed to growth, with the Hazardous Waste division up 4.9% to 78.6 million, and the Non-Hazardous Waste division up 5.2% to 49.6 million. Both business lines saw a solid business performance, particularly within the recovery and waste treatment activities, and contributed to growth, with the Hazardous Waste division up 4.9% to 78.6 million, and the Non-Hazardous Waste division up 5.2% to 49.6 million. At the international level, Spill Tech contributed solidly in the amount of 13.5 million over the period. At constant scope and exchange rates, international growth reached 6.9% at 41.8 million, thus masking a contrasted evolution between the two business lines, with a 18.9% organic growth in the Hazardous Waste division and an occasional and not-significant drop of 13.7% to 12.4 million in the Non-hazardous Waste division. Analysis by division Consolidated data in m Q3 2020 reported 2020 restated2 2021 Gross change Organic change Haz. Waste 101.4 99.9 121.4 +21.5% +8.4% Non-Haz. Waste 67.7 60.9 62.0 1.8% +0.8% Contributed revenue 169.1 160.8 183.4 +14.1% +5.5% Non-contributed revenue 0.2 8.5 13.7 Reported revenue 169.3 169.3 197.1 +16.4% +8.3% Business during Q3 2021 was supported by the Hazardous Waste division benefited from a favorable context in France and around the world, while performance of the Non-Hazardous Waste division was limited by the occasional lower contribution from international business: The Hazardous Waste division posted revenue of 121.4 million-an increase of 21.5% (gross variation) over Q3 2020. The figures include a scope effect of 13.5 million related to the integration of Spill Tech. Over the period, at constant scope and exchange rates, the division's growth reflects: In France (up 4.9% to 78.6 million), the good performance of the markets in connection with the high level of industrial production. Internationally (up 17.5% to 29.4 million), of the dynamism of the treatment and recovery businesses in Europe (Mecomer, UTM). Over the period, at constant scope and exchange rates, the division's growth reflects: The Non-Hazardous Waste division achieved revenue of 62.0 million, stable compared to Q3 2020 (up 0.8% at constant exchange rates): In France, with contributed revenue of 49.6 million, up 5.2% compared to Q3 2020, the division has fully benefited from positive effects linked to the solid performance of industrial markets and the implementation of the circular economy with strong growth in recovery activities (up 18.0%). Internationally, the decline in the sector (to 12.4 million or -13.7% at constant scope and exchange rates) mainly reflects the occasional lower performance of the Non-Hazardous Waste business in South Africa. Analysis by activity Consolidated data in m Q3 2020 reported 2020 restated2 2021 Gross change Organic change Treatment 84.4 76.4 84.0 +10.0% +10.4% Recovery 18.8 18.8 20.4 8.4% 8.3% Services 65.9 65.6 79.1 +20.6% 0.9% Contributed revenue 169.1 160.8 183.4 +14.1% + 5.5% Non-contributed revenue 0.2 8.5 13.7 Reported revenue 169.3 169.3 197.1 +16.4% 8.3% During Q3 2021, organic growth in France and abroad was driven by the recovery and treatment businesses: The treatment business has been buoyed in France by the positive effects of regulations linked to the implementation of the circular economy, particularly within the Non-Hazardous Waste division, and in Europe by solid industrial production. The recovery business benefited from a high level of activity in France both within the Non-Hazardous Waste division (up 16.1% linked to the good performance of energy recovery) and the Hazardous Waste division (up 22.0% in material recovery-chemical purification and solvent regeneration). Service activities are stable, showing a slight decline in France (down 3.3% -spot markets-) while International activities (up 4.4%) benefited from the high level of Interwaste activity in South Africa (up 8.1% at constant exchange rates, at 17.0 million). Business targets confirmed for the fiscal year 2021 The trends for the first 9 months of the fiscal year confirm Seche's expectations for the current fiscal year with 2021 contributed revenue is expected to approach 750 million at constant scope and including TGAP (expected to be approximately 45 million). Investor Day Seche will present its extra-financial objectives, in particular its de-carbonation strategy, as well as its medium-term financial trajectory, on the Investor Day to be held on December 14, 2021. Conference call A conference call to comment on the Q3 2021 activity will be held, in French only, on October 25, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. (CET). To participate in the conference, dial +33 (0)1 70 71 01 59 - Code: 61 67 40 69 Presentation materials will be available on the Seche website at 8:00 am (CET) on October 25: https://www.groupe-seche.com/en/investors/home To replay the conference, dial +33 (0)1 72 72 74 02- Code: 42 50 14 178 # Upcoming events Investor Day December 14, 2021 Consolidated results as of December 31, 2021 March 8, 2022 About Seche Environnement Seche Environnement is the leader in the treatment and recovery of all types of waste including the most complex and hazardous waste, and decontamination, protecting the environment and health. Seche Environnement is a family-owned French industrial group that has supported industrial and regional ecology for over 35 years with innovative technology developed by its R&D team. It delivers its unique expertise on the ground in local regions, with more than 100 sites around the world, including around 40 industrial sites in France. With 4,600 employees, of which 2,000 in France, Seche Environnement has revenue of about 700 million, of which 23% is earned internationally, driven by internal and external growth momentum via its many acquisitions. Thanks to its expertise in creating circular economy loops, the treatment of pollutants and greenhouse gases, and hazard containment, the Group directly contributes to the protection of the living world and biodiversity an area it has actively supported since its creation. Seche Environnement has been listed on Eurolist by Euronext (Compartment B) since November 27, 1997. It is eligible for equity savings funds dedicated to investing in SMEs and is included in the CAC Mid&Small, EnterNext Tech 40 and EnterNext PEA-PME 150 indexes. ISIN: FR 0000039139 Bloomberg: SCHP.FP Reuters: CCHE.PA 1 See Appendix 1: "Definition of contributed revenue" 2 Without TGAP: see Appendix 1 "Definition of contributed revenue" 3 See press release from September 13, 2021 4 See Appendix 1: "Definition of contributed revenue" Press Release October 22, 2021 Appendix 1 Definition of contributed revenue In m 2020 presentation 2021 presentation Q3 2020 9m 2020 Q3 2020 9m 2020 Q3 2021 9m 2021 Reported revenue 169.3 482.5 169.3 482.5 197.1 579.6 IFRIC 12 revenue 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.4 2.1 7.0 TGAP 8.3 21.6 8.3 21.6 11.6 34.5 Contributed revenue 169.1 482.1 160.8 460.5 183.4 538.1 Definitions IFRIC 12 revenue: investments made for disposed assets, billed back to the Licenser and booked as revenue in accordance with IFRIC 12 TGAP: General Tax on Polluting Activities paid by the waste producer and collected on behalf of the State by the treatment operators. This tax is paid to the State with no impact on operating margins. Its projected change between 2021 and 2025, which is both very significant and very differentiated depending on the business lines and types of processing, will lead to the recognition, in reported revenue, of: Non-economic revenue resulting from a significant increase in the amount of tax collected, particularly within the Non-Haz. Waste division. Different changes between activities, which are not representative of their economic changes, particularly in the treatment business lines (incineration and storage of ultimate waste (see Appendix 2). This change has no impact on operating margins, particularly EBITDA. Its restatement in non-contributed revenue is also neutral in terms of operating margins. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005389/en/ Contacts: SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT Analyst Investor Relations Manuel Andersen Head of Investor Relations m.andersen@groupe-seche.com +33 (0)1 53 21 53 60 Media Relations Constance Descotes Head of Communications c.descotes@groupe-seche.com +33 (0)1 53 21 53 53 Leading Federal Government Contractor to Offer TruContextTM on GSA schedule FAIRFAX, VA / ACCESSWIRE / October 22, 2021 / Visium Technologies, Inc. ("Visium" or the "Company") (OTC PINK:VISM), the company that enables you to See-Your-Data and a provider of real-time cybersecurity, context-focused analysis, predictive insights, and rapid root-cause analysis technology, announced today that is has partnered with MicroTech, a U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). MicroTech is a $500 million business that employs skilled professionals in more than 40 states and numerous overseas locations that support hundreds of prime contracts throughout the federal Government and Fortune 500 companies. Mark Lucky, Visium's CEO, commented, "We look forward to working with the brilliant team at MicroTech. MicroTech's track record and ability to win in the Federal government space is unparalleled. They have won some of the biggest and most sought-after IT, network, telecommunications, and technology contracts in the Federal Government, including the $50 billion 15-year GSA EIS contract, the VA, Microsoft Support Contract, the Social Security Support Services Contract, and the Presidential Transition Team Contract. Their dedication to mission and commitment to excellence has made them one of the top Managed Service Providers in the country". Tony Jimenez, MicroTech Founder, President, and CEO, noted, "Cybersecurity threats are persistent, and it is very easy for malware to cripple networks. It is critical that companies are able to monitor their security in real-time and machine data can facilitate this effort. Visium enables companies to better secure their networks and MicroTech is excited to partner with them." Visium's TruContext platform includes the following features: TruContext ingests ANY data in its raw and native format, including PCAP, Netflow, Nessus, Splunk data, Crowdstrike, etc., making it easier for users to see machine data and find new insights - Users can now leverage TruContext to understand cyber threat data in real-time, enabling decisions to be made with confidence. TruContext provides understanding of context, enabling the user to quickly determine system level dependencies and impacts of cyber vulnerabilities and exploits. Now a client can see and understand how a compromise on a single asset can specifically impact other connected assets and domains throughout a system. TruContext uses the MITRE Att&ck framework as an overlay to ingested data for mapping and pinpointing vulnerabilities, exploits, and mitigations. TruContext is able to geolocate attack vectors based on Internet Protocol (IP) prefixes. TruContext accelerates root cause determination - analysts can focus on analysis and the mission of securing the enterprise because TruContext frees up human capital from the days, weeks, or more which is typically spent on manipulating and preparing data for analysis. No more spending most of an analyst's time trying to make sense of raw data and joining the dots between the thousands of daily logs and alerts, many of which are false positives, before even getting to the task of solving problems. TruContext delivers a composite source of valuable data made available through Visium Analytics' data overlays and enrichments - by which, organizations can now also overlay new sources of valuable correlated machine data through dashboard level integration within the Splunk Enterprise Application ecosystem. This capability complements Splunk by delivering real-time context across large data sets in Splunk Enterprise. TruContext accelerates Machine Learning (ML)- Visium's platform adds velocity to the ML process by delivering already connected data-sets to ML models, enabling the ability to predict attacks before they occur. About MicroTech: MicroTech, a U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Verified and Certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), has had noteworthy success since its inception in 2004. Under MicroTech's outstanding leadership, the privately-owned company has experienced exponential growth over the years and is repeatedly recognized as a small business success story. Regularly described as the "hottest Hispanic business in the nation," MicroTech was ranked as the #1 Fastest-Growing Hispanic Company in the Nation for three consecutive years by Hispanic Business. Magazine. MicroTech was also named one of the Top 10 Fastest Growing Hispanic-Owned Companies in the Nation for five consecutive years. MicroTech is a Managed Service Provider (MSP), providing Infrastructure Services & Solutions, Cyber Security Solutions, Cloud Computing, Information Technology, Professional Services, Network Systems Integration, Research & Development, Leasing/Financial Services, and Unified Communications Services, Solutions, and Support to Federal, State, and Local Government Agencies, public sector, as well as commercial enterprises. MicroTech is ISO 9001, ISO 20000, ISO 27001, ISO 20243 certified, and is CMMI Maturity Level 3 rated in both CMMI Services (CMI-SVC) & CMMI Development (CMMI-DEV). For more information, please visit www.microtech.net About MITRE For a half century, MITRE has worked as a strategic partner to federal agencies to solve hard problems in cybersecurity. MITRE's mission-driven teams are dedicated to solving problems for a safer world. Through public-private partnerships, as well as the operation of federally funded R&D centers, we work across government to tackle challenges to the safety, stability, and well-being of our nation. About Visium Technologies, Inc. Visium Technologies, Inc. (OTCMKTS: VISM) is a Florida corporation based in Fairfax, Virginia, focused on global cybersecurity clarity, machine learning, and advancing predictive technology to support enterprises in protecting their most valuable assets - their data, applications, and IoT on their networks and in the cloud. For more information please visit www.visiumtechnologies.com Safe Harbor Statement: Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release includes forward-looking statements that reflect management's current views with respect to future events and performance. These forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and information currently available. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "project" and similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. Investors should be cautious in relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, whether the reverse stock split will be beneficial to the Company and its shareholders, any inability to meet the NYSE American continued listing standards in the future for any reason, and those other factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any responsibility to update forward-looking statements is expressly disclaimed. Contact: Visium Technologies, Inc. Corporate: Mark Lucky, Chief Executive Officer info@visiumtechnologies.com Follow Visium on Twitter and Instagram Twitter | Instagram Corporate Office: 4094 Majestic Lane Suite 360 Fairfax, VA 22033 Phone: 703-273-0383 Investor Relations: Peter Nicosia Bull in Advantage, LLC Phone: 585-703-6565 Email: Info@BlueHorseshoeStocks.com SOURCE: Visium Technologies, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669312/Visium-Technologies-Partners-with-MicroTech Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares For immediate release 22 October 2021 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 100,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 885.93p 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 300,000; 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 224,691,303. The figure of 224,691,303 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 PALO ALTO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 22, 2021 / Bitcoin Latinum (LTNM), the next generation insured asset-backed cryptocurrency, continues to gain momentum and expand its global acceptance as it announced today it will be listed on Changelly and Changelly PRO. Users can exchange LTNM for other 200+ digital assets at floating rates using Changelly. The official trading is expected to start at the beginning of Dec 2021. Bitcoin Latinum is an insured asset-backed cryptocurrency based on the Bitcoin ecosystem. Developed by Monsoon Blockchain Corporation on behalf of Bitcoin Latinum Foundation, LTNM is a greener, faster, and more secure version of Bitcoin, capable of managing massive crypto transactions while being highly efficient in terms of cost and scalability. As a revolutionary new Bitcoin blockchain-based token, LTNM focuses on efficiently serving high-growth industries like Media, Gaming, Telecommunications, and Cloud Computing. Improving on Bitcoin's energy-usage concerns, LTNM utilizes a proof-of-stake (PoS) algorithm to achieve consensus, which not only increases the TPS rate of the network but also significantly minimizes the fee. Besides, unlike other crypto assets, LTNM is insured, and backed by real-world and digital assets. Its asset backing is held in a fund model so that base asset value increases over time. It accelerates this asset-backed funds growth by depositing 80% of the transaction fee back into the asset fund that backs the currency. Thus, the more Bitcoin Latinum is adopted, the faster its asset funds grow, creating a self-inflating currency. Furthermore, users and businesses can unlock new revenue streams while lowering their transactional costs. The listing on Changelly exchange highlights the Bitcoin Latinum Foundation's commitment to supporting the growth of a sustainable crypto ecosystem. Changelly team commented that "We're very excited to see how Bitcoin Latinum will continue to empower their vision, and gain further outreach with our outstanding community." Dr. Donald Basile, Founder of Bitcoin Latinum and CEO of Monsoon Blockchain Corporation expressed his enthusiasm about the upcoming listing of LTNM onto Changelly, by stating that "we are very excited adding the widely used Changelly crypto intermediary platform as we continue an exciting journey to revolutionising digital transactions. In the next few months, we will be announcing other exchanges to reach wider audiences and improve the acceptance of digital assets across the world". About Bitcoin Latinum Bitcoin Latinum is the next generation, insured asset-backed cryptocurrency. Based on the Bitcoin ecosystem, Bitcoin Latinum is greener, faster, and more secure, poised to revolutionize digital transactions. Using an energy-efficient Proof of Stake consensus algorithm, Bitcoin Latinum plans to bring better transaction speed, lower fees, and more security to high growth markets such as Media, Gaming, Telecommunication, and Cloud Computing. For more information, please visit https://bitcoinlatinum.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/bitcoinlatinum About Changelly Changelly provides an ecosystem of products and services that enables customers to have a one-stop-shop experience when engaging with crypto. Operating since 2015, Changelly acts as an intermediary between crypto exchanges and users, offering access to 200+ cryptocurrencies that can be effortlessly exchanged within 10 minutes on desktop and on the go via Changelly mobile app. In 2020, Changelly branched out to accommodate the needs of traders. Changelly PRO has been built as a platform focused on the customer's needs, effectively enabling retail buying and selling of digital tokens and coins. Piggy-backing on the great support system found within Changelly, Changelly PRO will provide the community with high limits, effective pricing, fast execution and 24/7 live support. For more information, please visit https://changelly.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Changelly_team FOR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY; NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE. Any information offered is for educational and informational purposes only and should NOT be construed as a securities-related offer or solicitation or be relied upon as personalized investment advice. Bitcoin Latinum strongly recommends you consult a licensed or registered professional before making any investment decision. Media contact Company: Bitcoin Latinum Contact: Kai Okada, Director of Communications E-mail: kai.okada@bitcoinlatinum.com Website: https://bitcoinlatinum.com/ Address: 2100 Geng Road, Palo Alto, California 94303, USA Telephone: +1 800-528-0985 SOURCE: Bitcoin Latinum View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669315/Bitcoin-Latinum-LTNM-to-List-on-Changelly-Expanding-Its-Global-Acceptance The Fast-Track Cities Institute recognized excellence among cities, allies and sponsors by handing out nine awards at the Fast-Track Cities 2021 conference, hosted by the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), in partnership with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The awards acknowledged five Fast-Track Cities, a community partner, and two corporate sponsors. Additionally, a Lifetime Achievement Award was given to the former head of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Launched on World AIDS Day 2014, the Fast-Track Cities initiative is committed to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.3 of ending the HIV and tuberculosis (TB) epidemics, and the World Health Organization (WHO) goals of eliminating HBV and HCV, by 2030. The Fast-Track Cities 2021 conference, a hybrid event held in Lisbon, Portugal this year and via an online platform, convened more than 1,500 participants both virtually and in-person to exchange best practices about how to accelerate the responses to HIV, TB, and viral hepatitis. Five cities were designated as part of a " Circle of Excellence " marking exceptional progress in acting locally to achieve global goals and targets: Bangkok, Thailand; London, England; Nairobi City County, Kenya; San Francisco, US; and Sao Paulo, Brazil were designated as part of a " " marking exceptional progress in acting locally to achieve global goals and targets: The Grupo de Ativistas em Tratamentos (GAT) of Portugal was given a Community Partner Award in recognition of their contributions towards Lisbon's success in ensuring that 98% of people living with HIV are aware of their status and thus linked to care and treatment. was given a in recognition of their contributions towards Lisbon's success in ensuring that 98% of people living with HIV are aware of their status and thus linked to care and treatment. ViiV Healthcare received a Corporate Pioneer Partner Award recognizing their early (2015) and ongoing support of the Fast-Track Cities initiative, and Gilead Sciences received a Corporate Community Engagement Award for its support of community activities in Fast-Track Cities. received a recognizing their early (2015) and ongoing support of the Fast-Track Cities initiative, and received a for its support of community activities in Fast-Track Cities. Amb. Dr. Deborah L. Birx,former US Global AIDS Coordinator and head of PEPFAR, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing of her years of public health leadership and with a special mention of her support for a data-informed, equity-based approach to ending the HIV epidemic. "The Fast-Track Cities Institute and our Secretariat, IAPAC, are immensely proud to honor Fast-Track Cities, allies, and sponsors for helping to maintain momentum in efforts to end urban HIV and TB epidemics and eliminate HBV and HCV," said Dr. Jose M. Zuniga, President/CEO of the Fast-Track Cities Institute and IAPAC. "The successes achieved across the Fast-Track Cities network, and the ability to shatter the status quo that condemns too many people to unnecessary suffering and death, is made possible by individuals and institutions that are advancing the cause of urban health, including in relation to HIV, TB, and viral hepatitis." "Since the start of the HIV epidemic, cities have been at the forefront, taking a leading role in national agendas and delivering for people most affected by HIV," said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. "We strongly encourage cities to continue their bold political leadership and coordination, strategic partnerships that engage people most affected by the disease, innovation to address gaps in medical and social services, and to accelerate responses that reflect local needs and respect human rights." Amb. Dr. Deborah L. Birx added, "I am honored to receive this award, but more importantly I want to congratulate Fast-Track Cities for bringing together political leaders with affected communities to accelerate the HIV response. This initiative continually ensures people in need of HIV prevention or treatment services are reached, seen, and heard with compassion and support. Moreover, this initiative recognizes the intersection of policy and outreach to address structural barriers to accessing and utilizing comprehensive HIV services. I am grateful to organizations like IAPAC they see a need, do not look away, and find ways to creatively have an impact on people's lives." About the Fast-Track Cities Institute The Fast-Track Institute was created to support cities and municipalities worldwide in their efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.3 (ending the epidemics of HIV and TB), the World Health Organization goal of eliminating HBV and HCV, and SDG 11 (making cities and municipalities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable). For information about the Fast-Track Cities Institute, please visit: https://www.ftcinstitute.org/ About the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care Representing 30,000 members, IAPAC is the largest association of clinicians and allied health professionals working to end the epidemics of HIV and tuberculosis, as well as eliminate HBV and HCV, by 2030. IAPAC is also a core technical partner to the Fast-Track Cities network and the Secretariat for its Fast-Track Cities Institute. For more information about IAPAC, please visit: https://www.iapac.org/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005452/en/ Contacts: Jienna Foster, IAPAC for the Fast-Track Cities Institute jfoster@iapac.org +41 78 933 18 84 IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 22, 2021 / Award-winning e-liquid and cannabinoid-infused products manufacturer Savage Enterprises ("Savage") (www.SavageEnterprises.com) is excited to announce the newest product to its award-winning Delta Extrax catalog: the Hydro Bubbler. The Hydro Bubbler is a device specifically designed to improve a customer's experience when vaping cannabinoid-infused cartridges. This is the second device that has been introduced by Savage under Delta Extrax and is available for sale through distributors nationwide and at www.DeltaExtrax.com. Delta Extrax's Hydro Bubbler device features a glass bubbler vaping design that is compatible with the industry-standard 510 threaded cartridges and allows users to drastically improve their experience with cannabinoid-infused cartridges. The Hydro Bubbler also features a battery power capacity of 650mah, 4 voltage settings up to 4.0V indicated by colored light, fits up to 15mm diameter cartridges, and is made up of zinc alloy, PCTG, ABS, and glass. Delta Extrax's new Hydro Bubbler also comes with a micro USB cable for easy charging of the device. The Hydro Bubbler is currently available for purchase at a MSRP of $57.99. Christopher G. Wheeler, CEO of Savage Enterprises, stated, "We're incredibly excited to deliver quality products to market that go hand-in-hand with our top-tier manufacturing process and allow us to further develop our offerings as a company to our customers. We take pride in every product that we introduce to the market, and we truly hope that our customers enjoy the Hydro Bubbler as much as we do." Matt Winters, CFO of Savage Enterprises, expanded, "This is a tremendous era for Delta Extrax and we're super excited to introduce the Hydro Bubbler, which we believe to have tons of potential in the long run. When analyzing and identifying ways to increase value for customers, the Hydro Bubbler was at the top of the list. We believe that the Hydro Bubbler will be very well received by our consumers and we're excited for nationwide distributors to also take advantage of the opportunity." About Savage Enterprises Based in Irvine, California, Savage Enterprises was founded in 2014 by co-owners Christopher G. Wheeler and Matt Winters with the vision of bringing innovation to the counter-culture space. Savage has been committed to improving the community it serves by providing superior, consumer-centered, and cost-effective products that are third-party lab tested with quality assurance, consistency, and traceability. Savage's goal is to create the benchmark for quality and assurance in the industry. Under its flagship Delta Extrax brand and Chronix sub-brand (www.DeltaExtrax.com), Savage Enterprises sells hemp-derived delta-10-THC cartridges, disposables and tinctures, delta-8-THC and delta-9-THC-infused shots, cartridges, concentrates, disposables, edibles, delta-8-THC-infused hemp flower, pods, tinctures, THC-O, HHC, THC-V, and THC-P products. Under Vix (www.ThisIsVix.com), Savage sells male enhancement products. Under Savage CBD (www.SavageCBD.com), Savage sells CBD cartridges, disposables, edibles, tinctures, topicals, vape juice, and CBD for pets. Under its Vape 100 brand, Savage produces nicotine-infused e-liquids. Under its Zen Panda brand, Savage sells various kratom and kava-based products. Savage also sells disposable nicotine vapes. The team at Savage is currently developing at least three other products in the supplement arena, as well as innovative apparatuses for marijuana consumption. Savage Enterprises also owns 46% of MKRC, 51% of RJMC Brands, LLC, 6% of AAA, LLC, and 33% of Remediez. For more information about Savage Enterprises, please visit www.SavageEnterprises.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this document are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such information includes the acquisition, financing, revenue growth, profitability, and product strategies, plans, and expectations of Savage Enterprises, Premier Greens LLC, and MKRC Holdings, LLC. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause or contribute to the actual results of these companies' merger plans, financing plans, operations, or the performance or achievements of these companies differing materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These companies undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Actual results, performance, or achievements could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of certain other factors. CONTACT: Savage Enterprises Attn: Brittany Warner Phone: 714-612-1091 Email: Bwarner@savageenterprises.com Website: www.SavageEnterprises.com SOURCE: Savage Enterprises View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/669332/Savage-Enterprises-Launches-the-Hydro-Bubbler-Under-its-Flagship-Brand-Delta-Extrax Vancouver,A British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - Flow Metals Corp. (CSE: FWM) ("Flow Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to update on the Yukon Sixtymile gold project 2021 RAB drill program. The program targeted 3 gold zones: Easter Egg, Miller Creek and Glacier Creek. The Easter Egg zone drilling followed up on four historical diamond drill holes done in 2010-2011. A re-assay using metallic screen for coarse gold mineralization showed DDH-11-18 highlighted a potential discovery hole with an intercept of 12.81 g/t over 2.1m first reported February 1, 2021. Follow up drilling from June 2021 has confirmed 2 horizons of gold mineralization at the Easter Egg target while remaining open in all directions and at depth. "These are good intercepts near surface and in close proximity to Miller Creek, an active placer mine with a storied history dating back over 100 years," said Scott Sheldon, President of Flow Metals. *Easter Egg Zone combined historical and 2021 drilling gold intercept grades above 0.1g/t Au To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7235/100578_674e20a534f66900_001full.jpg The horizons dip to the west and are related to sets of veins perpendicular to the host rock foliation. The eastern mineralized horizon has a true thickness of roughly 50 to 60m wide whereas the western horizon has never been fully penetrated. The Easter Egg drill collars lie within a gold-in-soil anomaly covering 3000m X 2300m in the center of the property. Further, a pair of large faults trend over 2000m to the northeast through a patch of untested ground towards the richest historic placer from Glacier Creek. *Sixtymile claim block with highlighted soil anomaly and 2021 RAB Collars *Au-Soil anomaly defined by above 30ppb Au To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7235/100578_674e20a534f66900_002full.jpg *EOH = end of hole To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7235/100578_table1.jpg *Intercepts were partially re-assayed in 2020 with metallic screen. Intercepts are calculated using updated metallic screen and historical results. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7235/100578_table2.jpg Updated Geological Model The 2021 drill program revealed the orientation of mineralized veins and how these veins relate to the host rock foliation. Historic drilling intercepted the mineralized horizons, but insufficient drilling was done to assess the strike and dip of the mineralization. Some of the historic holes were drilled downdip of the mineralization. The combined RAB and historic diamond drilling data now reveal that the gold horizons dip to the west. Understanding the orientation of these mineralized veins sets the stage for an expanded follow-up program in 2022. Glacier Creek The results from of the drilling of Glacier Creek missed significant mineralization. There are additional targets further down Glacier Creek based on increased historical placer production further downstream. The company is working through the recently commissioned structural analysis provided by Jeremy Rimando and Alexander Peace from McMaster University through the Mitacs Accelerate Internship Project to help better interpret this target zone. Miller Creek The RAB drill was not able to reach definitive bedrock and ended up drilling through soil and regolith. Multiple Gold hits of up to 2.7g/t over 1.5m were intersected but cannot be definitively attributed to bedrock mineralization at this time. An RC drill is needed to case below the 15m of over burden. This target remains untested and a priority for next season. Follow-up Program The company plans to return with a Reverse Circulation (RC) drill next season to further define both the Easter Egg target and the Miller Creek targets. QAQC/Sampling procedure RAB Samples were obtained by GroundTruth Drilling. The chips were collected from the drill in buckets then fed through a splitter. This separates the sample, collecting 20% of the chips (roughly 4kg) while leaving 80% behind. The samples were retained and sealed with tamper-proof ties. A chain of custody was maintained from drill site to Dawson City, where they were shipped to MSALABS in Burnaby BC using Manitoulin Transport. All samples were sent for metallic screen analysis to better test for coarse and fine gold. Duplicates and blanks were provided by the lab. Collar table Drill Hole X Y Z Azimuth Dip RAB 21-09 506725 7097078 995 290 -60 RAB 21-10 506733 7097114 996 290 -60 RAB 21-11 506682 7097067 1001 290 -60 RAB 21-12 506703 7097086 1000 290 -60 DDH-10-01 506687 7097093 1016 290 -45 DDH-10-02 506723 7097078 995 290 -45 DDH-10-03 506779 7097167 1006 287 -45 DDH 11-15 506727 7097075 995 110 -57 DDH 11-18 506465 7097259 1027 110 -62 *Coordinates are NAD 83: UTM zone 07N About Flow Metals Flow Metals is a Canadian gold explorer with a focus on easy access early-stage gold projects in renowned mining districts. Qualified Persons Adrian Smith, P.Geo., is the qualified person for the Company as defined in the National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed the technical information presented within this news release. For further information, please contact: Scott Sheldon, President 604.725.1857 scott@flowmetals.com Forward-Looking Information This press release may include "forward-looking information" (as that term is defined by Canadian securities legislation), concerning the Company's business. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company's management, including future plans for the exploration and development of its mineral properties. Although the Company believes that such expectations and assumptions are reasonable, investors should not rely unduly on such forward-looking information as the Company can give no assurance they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to publicly update any forward-looking information (whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise) other than as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100578 New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - Author Joseph Trencher recently released his enchanting coming-of-age novel for young readers, On My Way Home. With wholesome themes of self-discovery, Trencher's work is reminiscent of classic fairytales and perfect for the whole family. Book cover of On My Way Home On My Way Home follows the life of a young child named Amen as he's recruited by an old man to search for buried treasure. From desert markets to distant mountains, Amen's adventures are full of challenges and obstacles that force him to rethink what truly drives him inside. Once motivated by treasure, Amen's goal shifts from holding onto his prize to simply making it back home in one piece. Told from Amen's perspective, On My Way Home is narrated in a realistic, relatable way to help children step into the story. With evocative prose, Trencher expertly builds a fantastical world that provides a solid backdrop for Amen's treasure hunt as he dreams of the opportunities that wealth can bring. Middle grade readers will enjoy accompanying Amen on his journey as he navigates dangers, explores enchanted places, and learns important life lessons. For parents and caregivers, On My Way Home provides a unique opportunity to discuss complex ideas like perseverance and making the right friends. Reviewers praise Trencher's ability to create a vivid setting and thrilling plot, describing On My Way Home as "fun for all ages" and "exciting and unpredictable." With the lessons of The Wizard of Oz and a daring protagonist worthy of Indiana Jones, Trencher's debut is a standout addition to the world of children's literature. On My Way Home is available for purchase on Amazon.com or wherever books are sold. Joseph Trencher is an author, husband, and father with a passion for storytelling. When he isn't writing, he enjoys spending time with his children, sports, and chess. He lives and writes in New York City. Media contact: Lisa Quinn eBook or Print lisa.quinn[at]ebookorprint[.]com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - Blue Star Gold Corp. (TSXV: BAU) (FSE: 5WP0) ("Blue Star" or the "Company") announces that it has engaged G8 Strategies LLC ("G8") to provide investor awareness services for the Company. Blue Star is in the process of obtaining an OTCQB listing to provide for increased visibility and volume of share trading in the US markets. In conjunction with this, the Company has entered into an Investor Relations and Marketing Agreement with G8 for an initial term of 6-months, commencing in October 2021 and continuing through March 31, 2022. Either party can terminate the Agreement upon 60 days written notice. The Company has agreed to renumerate G8 a monthly fee of USD$3,750. G8 is not a Related Party of the Company. G8 has agreed to provide investor relations, marketing, strategic communications, public relations and other professional services to the Company. The services will be performed by Ira Gostin and his team at G8. G8 is a US based firm that helps global companies realize universal growth through investor relations, communications, marketing and strategy. G8 tells a company's story to create stakeholder engagement, which drives growth. G8 is an integrated communications and marketing agency with a team of innovative brand storytellers and strategists who are focused on helping clients move the needle. About Blue Star Gold Corp. Blue Star is a gold company focused on exploration and development within Nunavut, Canada. The Company owns the Ulu Gold Property lease, an advanced gold project, and the highly prospective Hood River Property that is contiguous to the Ulu mining lease. With the recent acquisition of the Roma Project, Blue Star now controls over 16,000 hectares of highly prospective and underexplored mineral properties in the High Lake Greenstone Belt, Nunavut. A significant high-grade gold resource exists at the Flood Zone deposit (Ulu lease), and numerous high-grade gold occurrences and priority targets occur throughout the Ulu, Hood River and Roma Projects. Blue Star is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol: BAU and on the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol: 5WP0. For information on the Company and its projects, please visit our website: www.bluestargold.ca. For further information, please contact: Grant Ewing, P. Geo., CEO Telephone: +1 778-379-1433 Email: info@bluestargold.ca 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. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "will" and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding prospective income and revenues, anticipated levels of capital expenditures for fiscal year, expectations of the effect on our financial condition of claims, litigation, environmental costs, contingent liabilities and governmental and regulatory investigations and proceedings, and estimates of mineral resources and reserves on our properties. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: economic and financial conditions, including volatility in interest and exchange rates, commodity and equity prices and the value of financial assets, strategic actions, including acquisitions and dispositions and our success in integrating acquired businesses into our operations, developments and changes in laws and regulations, including increased regulation of the mining industry through legislative action and revised rules and standards applied by the regulatory bodies in Nunavut, changes in the price of fuel and other key materials and disruptions in supply chains for these materials, closures or slowdowns and changes in labour costs and labour difficulties, including stoppages affecting either our operations or our suppliers' abilities to deliver goods and services to us, as well as natural events such as severe weather, fires, floods and earthquakes or man-made or other disruptions of our equipment, and inaccuracies in estimates of mineral resources and/or reserves on our mineral properties. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100484 New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - Author and luxury real estate mogul Austin Bergman has announced the forthcoming release of his memoir, YOU: The Real State of Life, a raw glimpse into the journey of someone who went from hiding in mundanity to discovering joy as a person remade anew. Bergman hopes that his story will inspire others to cast off their self-imposed limitations and choose the freedom of living authentically. Book cover of YOU: The Real State of Life YOU chronicles Bergman's seemingly idyllic white-picket life. He had a beautiful wife, children, and a successful company. But after seventeen years, he finally acted on something that he'd known all along: Austin Bergman is gay. As he grew older, he realized that he couldn't go on sentencing himself to "a jail cell of life," a toxic cycle that included verbal, physical, and substance abuse. Instead, he ripped off the bandage and made the difficult decision to put himself first and seek joy in emerging from the trials of the past as the person he'd secretly been all along. Bergman's story will appeal to fans of true stories that are told in the author's signature style. At times both poignant and heart-wrenching, YOU is an unfiltered look at the unique horror of living unseen, unvalidated, and erased-especially by yourself. Bergman's work is an uplifting read that will resonate with anyone who has ever battled against personal demons. From the LGBTQIA+ community to those who feel trapped in stagnating careers, YOU perfectly captures the stifling fear of living in a false reality that no one outside can see. YOU gives the audience permission to acknowledge that there's more to happiness than wealth, family, or the trappings of a so-called ordinary life. When asked to comment on his work, Bergman simply stated, "Once you pull the mask off and find YOU, your possibilities are endless." In a time when so many people feel lost in the shuffle of the modern world, YOU contains the wisdom of someone who has already traveled long roads to find his way back to himself. YOU: The Real State of Life is available for purchase on Amazon, TheRealStateOfLife.com and wherever books are sold. Austin Bergman is an author, luxury real estate mogul, and realist with a passion for helping others create meaningful change in their own lives. Visit him online at TheRealStateOfLife.com. After spending nearly two decades unhappily married to a woman and miserably gay, Bergman set out to inspire those around him with his story of self-acceptance. Austin's mantra is simple-YOU have one life, so just BE YOU! Bergman resides in sunny South Florida with his best friend and partner. He is also a licensed pilot and father of two beautiful daughters. When he isn't serving his global clientele, he is speaking around the country on the power of being YOU. Media contact: Lisa Quinn eBook or Print lisa.quinn[at]ebookorprint[.]com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 22, 2021) - Benz Mining Corp. (TSXV: BZ) (ASX: BNZ) (the "Company" or "Benz"), is pleased to announce that it has made a $260,000 payment, of which $150,000 was paid in cash and the balance by the issuance of 174,658 shares, to Fury Gold Mines Limited. This payment is in accordance with the terms of the Option Agreement dated August 7, 2019, as amended on April 30, 2020 (the "Agreement"), between Benz and Eastmain Resources Inc. The shares will be subject to a four month hold period as well as restricted from converting to CDIs for a period of 12 months, and acceptance of the TSXV. Under the Agreement, Benz has an option to acquire 100% interest in the Eastmain Gold project as well as the Ruby Hill West and Ruby Hill East properties located in the James Bay District, Quebec. For additional information on the Agreement and the Eastmain Project, please see Benz's news releases dated August 9, 2019 and April 30, 2020. About Benz Mining Corp. Benz Mining Corp. brings together an experienced team of geoscientists and finance professionals with a focused strategy to acquire and develop mineral projects with an emphasis on safe, low risk jurisdictions favourable to mining development. Benz is earning a 100% interest in the former producing high grade Eastmain gold mine, Ruby Hill West and Ruby Hill East projects in Quebec. The Eastmain Gold Project is situated within the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt in Quebec, Canada and currently hosts a NI 43-101 and JORC (2012) compliant resource of 376,000oz at 7.9gpt gold. The existing gold mineralization is associated with 15-20% semi-massive to massive pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite making it amenable to detection by electromagnetics. Several gold mineralization occurrences have been identified by previous explorers over a 10km long zone along strike from the Eastmain Mine with very limited testing outside the existing resource area. Figure 1: Benz tenure over Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt simplified geology. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/100634_7b810934640698fc_001full.jpg On behalf of the Board of Directors of Benz Mining Corp. Xavier Braud, CEO For more information please contact: Paul Fowler Head of Corporate Development (Canada) Benz Mining Corp. Telephone: +1 416 356 8165 Email: info@benzmining.com Xavier Braud CEO, Head of Corporate Development (Aus) Benz Mining Corp. Telephone +61 423 237 659 Email: info@benzmining.com Forward-Looking Information: Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that the Company obtains regulatory approval. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, that occurrences such as those referred to above are realized and result in delays, or cessation in planned work, that the Company's financial condition and development plans change, and delays in regulatory approval, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as 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 ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/100634 Ando, a San Diego, CA-based sustainable banking service, raised $6m in seed funding. The round was led by TTV Capital with participation from HOF Capital, Kinetic Ventures and NNS Group. The company intends to use the funds to continue to expand operations and its business reach. Launched in January 2021 by CEO JP McNeill, Ando is a is a Certified B Corp. banking service that uses customer deposits to fund solar initiatives and other carbon-reducing projects. Users enjoy a full suite of banking features, including security, FDIC protection, bonuses for referring friends, free overdraft protection and the opportunity to get paid up to two days early. Ando routes customers deposits to sustainable initiatives by partnering with local banks and credit unions; together, the company and partner banks are funding thousands of sustainable loans to homeowners and businesses across the country. Current partner banks include WebBank and Virginia Community Capital, with loan recipients including home owners, community gathering places, fire departments, veterinary clinics and other local businesses. FinSMEs 22/01/2021 John Delaney Named Next President of Flagler College The Flagler College Board of Trustees announces John A. Delaney as the fifth president of Flagler College. The announcement follows the retirement of Dr. Joseph G. Joyner in July. We, the Board of Trustees, are confident we have found the right leader in Mr. Delaney, said Rick Groux, chairman of the Board and a 1979 graduate of Flagler. At this pivotal time for Flagler College, he has the background and career experiences to continue the forward momentum of the College. In July, Delaney began a one-year interim term, but quickly demonstrated he possesses the experience and vision making him the ideal fit for the next president of Flagler College. Mr. Delaney is the President Emeritus of the University of North Florida, where he served as president for 15 years before retiring. While at UNF, he tripled the endowment, significantly increased admission standards, and built community relationships. Some 2 million square feet of buildings were added during his tenure. He served as the Interim Chancellor of the Florida university system in 2008-09, and he has served as Mayor of Jacksonville, the largest city in land area in the continental U.S. His tenure is marked by the Better Jacksonville Plan, a $2.5 billion capital improvement plan, and the Preservation Project, creating a 100-square-mile park system, the largest of its kind for a city in the country. He served two terms and was elected without opposition for his second term. Mr. Delaney is an attorney, having been the Chief Assistant State Attorney for the northeast Florida area, as General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville, and most recently as counsel to the Rogers Towers Law Firm and The Fiorentino Group, a consulting firm. Most importantly, however, Mr. Delaney is a passionate supporter of higher education and believes that academic excellence and creating the best possible experience for students is the most critical mission of any college. This is truly an exciting time in the Colleges history, and as an alumnus of the College, I am thrilled to know that my alma mater has found such an experienced and renowned leader, said Judge Chuck Tinlin, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Chair Presidential Search Committee, as well as a 1979 graduate of Flagler. Delaney and his wife of 41 years, Gena, have four children and four grandchildren. Tagged As Tampa, FL (33646) Today A few showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 66F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight A few showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 66F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. SANTA FE, N.M. (WALA) -- A cinematographer on a movie set in New Mexico died when she was shot by a prop gun fired by actor Alec Baldwin. The Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office said Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed and director Joel Souza, 48, was wounded in the accident. The Western movie Rust starred Baldwin who was also producing the film. A spokesperson for Baldwin told the Associated Press there was an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. According to investigators, it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged, sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios told the Albuquerque Journal. Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged. Detectives said they are still interviewing witnesses and no charges have been filed. MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) An accused drug kingpin scheduled to go on trial next month has asked a judge to limit testimony about the meaning of drug slang. In a federal court filing, Darrin Jamark Southalls lawyer seeks a court order blocking testimony unless the witness qualifies as an expert witness. And before that, attorney Greg Reese wrote, the defense wants a hearing so he can challenge any witnesss expertise on the matter. Prosecutors allege that Southall ran a multimillion-dollar drug enterprise along the Gulf Coast. He also has been named a person of interest in the deaths of rapper HoneyKomb Brazys grandparents in February. Reese wrote that the defense anticipates that prosecutors will put on testimony from law enforcement officers about the meaning of words used by Southall in conversations among co-defendants recorded on wiretaps. What Southall seeks to avoid in this case is the presentation by the Government of testimony that attempts to (synthesize) the trial evidence for the jury, and which is not grounded in the witness's intimate knowledge of this particular case and its players, the filing states. At a hearing, Reese wrote, he would attempt to determine: Whether the experts opinions are the produce of actual participation in the investigation. Whether the expert has unjustifiably extrapolated from an accepted premise to unfounded explanations. Whether the expert has adequately accounted for obvious alternative explanations about the meaning of certain words. Whether the field of expertise claimed by the witness is known to reach reliable results for the type of opinion the expert would give. Jury selection is scheduled for Nov. 1. Bettina Lerman was on a ventilator for weeks after getting COVID-19 and hadn't responded to doctors' efforts to wake her from a coma when her family made the difficult decision to take her off of life support. We welcome your letters and columns! Use the button below to send us your thoughts. Remember: Letters must include your real name, town of residence and daytime phone number, which we use for verification. We do not accept anonymous letters or letters written under a pseudonym. Letters should be no more than about 400 words. Those of no more than 200 to 300 words are more likely to be published. Submit Keep the conversation about local news & events going by joining us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Recent updates from The News-Post and also from News-Post staff members are compiled below. Fort Wayne, IN (46808) Today Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 29F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 29F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Work with your past self, create paradoxes to use to your advantage, and defeat an evil wizard (easy, right?) A Corvallis restaurant owner has been indicted by a Eugene-based federal grand jury for tax evasion and hiding cash from his businesses. Meeraali Shaik, owner of Evergreen Indian Cuisine, was charged with one count of tax evasion on Thursday. He is the owner of Evergreen Indian Cuisine, with locations in Corvallis and Eugene. Court documents allege that from before 2013 and continuing until 2017, Shaik evaded full assessment of his personal income taxes, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office District of Oregon. Prosecutors allege he did this by providing his tax preparer with incomplete bank and income records. Court documents also accuse Shaik of providing false information regarding cash receipts from his restaurants. According to the news release, Shaik allegedly used part of the underreported cash receipts to make mortgage payments on properties in Corvallis, Eugene and Chandler, Arizona. He is said to have made wire transfers to a bank account in India. Shaik is scheduled to make his first federal court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on Nov. 2. If convicted, he faces a minimum of five years in prison as well as a $100,000 fine. The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation with aid from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 2 Sad 22 Angry 4 The Oregon Health Authority and the Department of Environmental Quality have identified 15 sites in Linn and Benton counties that need to be tested for the presence of toxic chemicals known as PFAS. The sites include a school, several mobile home parks, industrial sites and municipal water systems. PFAS stands for Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are a group of chemicals widely used to manufacture certain products since the 1940s such as non-stick pans and fireproof foam used by firefighters and the military. PFAS compounds can also be found in food, air, water, soil, fish and wildlife. Neither agency could provide specifics as to why these sites have been selected or which PFAS concerns exist near the sites. Representatives for the sites who could be reached for comment all said they dont know why theyve been included on the list. PFAS compounds break down very slowly, meaning they can build up in the environment and even inside of the human body. Colloquially, theyre known as the forever chemicals. While all the health effects of PFAS are not yet known, a post on the Environmental Protection Agency website reports that several peer-reviewed studies show that PFAS buildup in the body can lead to reproductive health issues, developmental disabilities in children and increased risk of some cancers. Hence, the states sampling and testing of water systems. Any water system that contains 30 parts per million rises to the advisory level established by Oregon agencies. The state already conducted tests in 2013 through 2015, DEQ officials said, focusing on nearly all of Oregons larger water systems defined as those that impact 10,000 or more customers and found none with PFAS concerns. Now, the smaller systems are left, and the ones being tapped for testing first are because of their proximity to known or suspected PFAS use or contamination site, according to an October news release. The purpose of the monitoring project is to make sure customers are not being exposed to potentially harmful PFAS chemicals in their water, the release says. The state emphasized that being on the list does not mean those water systems are contaminated, but that they are next for testing. Cascades Elementary in Lebanon is one of the sites identified, though the Lebanon Community School District officials say they arent aware of any sites nearby where PFAS might be produced or disposed of. No, were not aware of any concern, but what I do have is that we check our water at schools with wells every month, said Paula Shoulders, the facilities administrator who performs the testing at the districts schools. Every month we do a different set of testing chloroforms, nitrates, anything. We have it set up on a schedule for lead polymers were really on top of our sampling for our water source. Representatives from the cities of Brownsville and Adair Village, the latter a former Army training base, also said they dont know why they were added to this list. I just got the letter too, so I dont know a whole lot about it, said Adair Village Public Works Director Matt Liden. Well get further details on what we need to do. Brownsville Public Works Director Karl Frink described officials there as pretty confused. We dont have any real industry here in Brownsville, so I dont know why theyre considering us in this group. The DEQ and OHA provided no further clarification about potential or suspected PFAS sources at these local sites in time for this report. The specific PFAS source criteria that triggered sampling for water systems in Linn and Benton counties is not immediately available due to key staff being unavailable at the moment and would require a little more time to assemble, OHA Communications Officer Jonathan Modie said in an email. The issue of PFAS in the environment is something for which states such as Oregon only have recently developed testing methods. Michigan and a few others, which have well-documented issues with water system pollutants, have been monitoring their systems longer. Oregon doesnt have the same water pollution concerns as Michigan, but state agencies here are in an analysis phase to determine if there is a widespread problem. The good news is Oregon doesnt have PFAS chemical manufacturers, and there are not a lot of known sources on the industrial side, but there are a lot of sectors that havent been studied a lot, said Kevin Masterson, a toxic pollutants consultant for the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies. Were still in the assessment phase and trying to get a handle on the problem, if there is a major problem. Modie said testing is scheduled to start this week, with state employees or on-site specialists collecting samples from the water systems and sending them off to a DEQ lab for testing. If advisory levels of PFAS are found, a confirmation sample will be collected. If confirmed, the agency will send out a public notice to affected customers. Sensitive groups, including pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding, children who are bottle feeding and immunocompromised people would be advised to use alternative drinking water supplies. Results of the testing will be provided online at https://yourwater.oregon.gov/. Troy Shinn covers healthcare, natural resources and Linn County government. He can be reached at 541-812-6114 or troy.shinn@lee.net. He can be found on Twitter at @troydshinn. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) A woman who reported seeing a man later identified as South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh bloodied on a roadside after a shooting told an emergency dispatcher she didnt stop because it looks like a setup, according to 911 calls released Friday. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division made public the emergency calls from the aftermath of the Sept. 4 shooting in which a bullet grazed Murdaugh's head. Authorities have since charged Murdaugh with insurance fraud, saying he tried to have himself killed that day so his only surviving son could collect $10 million in a life insurance payout. The attorney is also facing charges he stole $3.4 million in insurance money meant for the sons of his housekeeper, who died in 2018 a few weeks after falling at the familys home, investigators said. On the 911 call from a man and a woman, the female passerby tells the dispatcher that she saw a man covered in blood, waving his hands on the side of the road. The man accompanying her observes that the man's SUV had the trunk open and the caution lights on. He looks fine, but it kind of looks like a setup, the woman says. So we didnt stop. Oh, I dont blame you, the dispatcher responds. The calls released Friday also include two made by Murdaugh himself near the scene of the rural road in Hampton County where Murdaugh had stopped on Sept. 4. State police have opened at least six investigations into the 53-year-old heir to a legal empire in Hampton County, South Carolina and his family since he found his wife and other son shot dead outside their Colleton County home in June. Among the investigations is a probe of millions of dollars allegedly missing from the huge law firm founded a century ago by his great-grandfather. During Murdaugh's first emergency call, which is about four minutes long, he informs a dispatcher that he had stopped after getting a flat tire: Somebody stopped to help me, and when I turned my back they tried to shoot me, Murdaugh says. Murdaugh proceeds to say he is bleeding pretty bad from somewhere on his head, describing the shooter as a white fella" who is a fair amount younger than him with really, really short hair. In a second call lasting more than seven minutes, Murdaugh says he has secured a ride to the hospital from someone at the scene, and later says he is hanging up because he has encountered the ambulance sent for him by a dispatcher. Days later, state agents proceeded to arrest Curtis Edward Smith, 61, accusing the former Murdaugh client of assisting him in the insurance scheme. Smith has denied shooting Murdaugh, telling The Associated Press that Murdaugh asked to meet with him, but didnt give a reason. When they got to the lonely road, Murdaugh asked Smith to shoot him. Smith refused, they wrestled over the gun and it fired once. Smith told the AP he wasnt sure if Murdaugh was hit. But in October TV interviews, he said he was certain Murdaugh was not struck by the bullet. Smith took the gun and got rid of it. He has not been clear about where he ditched it or why he didnt give it to police. With a friend like that, who needs enemies, Smith told the AP. Murdaugh's lawyers have said he bought drugs from Smith. They gave media outlets medical records they said show he was shot. They mention gunshot several times and said he had blood all over his shirt when he arrived by helicopter to a hospital in Savannah, Georgia. Notes from doctors indicate they saw a bullet wound, Murdaugh had bleeding on his brain and part of his skull was fractured, according to the records. Murdaugh is currently detained at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia after a state judge denied bond Tuesday, saying the attorney's considerable financial resources and mental instability appear for now to make it too risky for him to await trial outside of jail. He had previously spent six weeks at drug rehab centers in Georgia and Florida, his attorneys said, battling an opioid addiction. - Associated Press writer Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) An emergency call made by a 4-year-old New Zealand boy asking for police to come over and check out his toys prompted a real-life callout and confirmation from an officer that the toys were, indeed, pretty cool. Police shared audio of the call on social media this week (included in the video above) along with a photo of the smiling boy sitting on the hood of a patrol cruiser, noting that while they don't encourage children to call the emergency number, the incident was "too cute not to share." The call begins all business: "This is police, where is the emergency?" There's a pause as the unidentified boy hesitantly says, "Hi," and then "Police lady?" "Yes," the dispatcher says, switching to a friendlier, singsong tone. "What's going on?" "Um, can I tell you something?" the boy asks, and after being told he can, says "I've got some toys for you." "You've got some toys for me?" says the dispatcher. "Yep. Come over and see them," the boy replies. A man then gets on the phone confirming the call was a mistake, saying the 4-year-old had been helping out while his mother was sick. A police dispatch call then goes out, giving the address: "There is a 4-year-old there who is wanting to show police his toys, over." "Yeah, I'm one-up, I'll attend to," responds an officer. Police said the officer, who they identified only as Constable Kurt, was shown an array of toys at the boy's house in the South Island city of Invercargill. They said the officer was also able to have a "good, educational chat" about the proper use of the emergency number, which is 111 in New Zealand. "He did have cool toys," Constable Kurt reported back after attending the callout, according to police. They added: "The lucky kid also got to see the patrol car and the officer put the lights on for him, too." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. EDMONTON, Alberta, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Regulations can be a challenge for high altitude and supersonic innovation in aerospace. SES thought it would need to go to the U.S. or the U.K. to test its innovative DASS ram jet engine. But now SES is teaming with Lynn Lake Airport in northern Manitoba to demonstrate its proprietary technology in flight We look forward to working with Transport Canada to get the regulatory approvals for flight this year! said Pradeep Dass, President & CTO, Space Engine Systems. SES will deploy its Sexbomb lift body aircraft from a stratospheric balloon that lifts it to 110,000 ft. It will free fall to Mach 1.8 where the DASS engine ram jet fires to take it to Mach 5 at 57,000 ft over the northern barren lands, before gliding back to Lynn Lake. Subsequent testing will use the self launching Hello 1 - Experimental in standard horizontal take-off and landing, towards reaching low earth orbit with the prototype Hello-1, delivering payloads at the lowest cost per kg of all the current space services. Applications of low-cost reliable hypersonic flight are limitless. The Hello-1 could deliver human organs for life-saving transplants from Toronto to Edmonton in 30 minutes! SES is targeting crewed missions by 2025 at costs a third of space tourism so that more Canadians will be able to join William Shatner as true astronauts! See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVqU2iMPhbI&ab_channel=NASASpaceflight In 2002, NASA launched from Lynn Lake, Canada, the largest balloon ever flown, with a volume of 60 million cubic feet, setting a new world record that had been unbeaten since 1975. The balloon climbed to an altitude of 49.4 km, for a flight that lasted 23 hours. Lynn Lake has been used for stratospheric balloon launches for forty years, reports Fredrick Petrie, Managing Partner, YYL Airport Inc. LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The unisex vegan sneaker brand SHOES 53045, a favorite of style-setting musical artists around the world, debuts its first-ever artist collaboration with the rap and hyperpop queen Rico Nasty in the form of an exclusive 3 piece NFT Drop, launched exclusively on experiential NFT marketplace THE DEMATERIALISED. While the other Collectible NFTs and Customised Master NFT versions have already sold out, the MIX'AIR X RN PHYGITAL NFT offers collectors a digital pair of sneakers AND a made-to-order physical pair which are numbered individually and will be shipped within 12-16 weeks. This limited edition NFT will be available only until Saturday, October 23 at 12 pm PST/9 pm CET, and they are priced at 500 Euro. Prospective NFT collectors will need this special code: DMAT-SHOESXRN to access the site and are able to purchase with Fiat as well as Crypto urrency. Once purchased, collectors can showcase their NFTs on their Blockchain profile, wear them using Snapchat's AR try-on, and capture them using augmented reality until their physical pair arrives. "I've been mentioning doing something like this for so long," says Rico Nasty of the collaboration. "It's so crazy being able to work alongside amazing creators who helped bring this dream to life! The chains on the shoes are multipurpose, so they can also be used as jewelry. I chose the color red for my ragers, and a material that's mosh pit durable. Enjoy no matter the weather, these shoes will bring the fit together." "Rico is one of the first artists who bought our shoes and we were so thrilled because we are huge fans of her work and style, so it was natural for us to approach her for our first collaboration," says SHOES 53045 CEO Aurelia Ammour. "Her inspiration is totally in line with David [SHOES 53045 Chief Creative Officer David Tourniaire]'s gothic and bondage references, which are a huge part of our creative DNA." The 3-D campaign, by digital artist Gabrielle Rosenstein (@gabrielle_rosenstein) and Virtual Rags (@virtualrags), is inspired by retro fighting games like Tekken and Street Fighter, showcasing the shoes as worn by a Rico Nasty avatar in an arena in an imaginary cyberpunk city. According to Ammour, THE DEMATERIALISED was the natural NFT partner for the launch. "They are the best NFT platform for fashion. We share the same values around disrupting business as usual and exploring the future of fashion, both conceptually and aesthetically." Like all SHOES 53045 shoes, MIX'AIR x Rico Nasty is totally vegan and for each NFT sold, THE DEMATERIALISED plants one mangrove tree planted in Madagascar with RE:EARTH. Press Contact: press@shoes53045.com , hello@thedematerialised.com , Ariana.White@atlanticrecords.com Media kit: https://www.bit.ly/DMATXSHOESXRICONASTY Related Images Image 1: RICO NASTY wearing MIX'AIR Physical Shoes BY MARCO ALEXANDER Image 2 Image 3: MIX'AIR X Rico Nasty 3D Digital Sneakers This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment SINGAPORE, Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bholdus ( owned by Unius Pte Ltd) , a blockchain dedicated to DeFi apps and NFTs, has been certified by CertiK - one of the most trusted blockchain security audit firms to ensure unprecedented security for its blockchain and smart contracts. With the goal of sustainable development and building a trustworthy blockchain ecosystem, Bholdus places security as one of its top priorities. With the audit certification from CertiK, Bholdus once again reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the security of its blockchain and smart contracts, bringing transparency and maximum benefits to investors and users. CertiK is a pioneer in blockchain security, utilizing best-in-class AI technology to secure and monitor blockchain protocols and smart contracts. To date, they have collectively worked with over 1.300 enterprise clients such as Polygon & Binance Smart Chain, helped secure over $90 billion worth of digital assets, and detected over 23,000 vulnerabilities in blockchain code. Overall, Bholdus's safety score is 89/100, a quite high score compared to the average score, with 98% of users voting the project is secure. The Bholdus core team has worked closely with CertiK experts to ensure that the project passed advanced Security Audits and Penetration Tests. Besides, to improve safety and enhance user experience, Bholdus also uses the Skynet service to monitor smart contracts in real time, 24/7. Users can view the audit report of Bholdus by CertiK at: https://www.certik.org/projects/bholdus About Bholdus: Bholdus is a multi-chain platform dedicated to decentralized financial (DeFi) applications and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Bholdus carries the mission to connect the crypto space with qualified real-world assets using blockchain with minimal costs, high security and unparalleled transaction throughput. Through Bholdus, crypto projects such as gamefi & metaverse related businesses may utilize tokenization to convert their valuable assets into NFTs and asset-based tokens as proof of creditworthiness for unlimited access to different financial services in crypto space. Bholdus has concurrently announced strategic partnerships with esteemed brands, namely Singapore Fintech Association, Global DCA, TechQuartier, etc. Following their 5-year roadmap, Bholdus thrives to emerge as a multinational unicorn fintech firm. - Website: http://bholdus.com - Twitter: https://twitter.com/bholdus - Facebook: https://fb.com/bholdus - Telegram News Global: https://t.me/Bholdus Green Energy Group (SeaBird Exploration Plc) announces its third quarter 2021 presentation and report. Headlines Q3 2021 NAV reported at NOK 10.85/share end of Q3. The share price ended the quarter at NOK 4.48 Key contract win for the Fulmar Explorer for a 1-year firm duration OBN contract Completed outfitting the Fulmar Explorer as a high-end OBN vessel All owned vessels awarded contracts YTD First steps in consolidating the OBN market taken AGM decision to rebrand into Green Energy Group SE Revenues of $7.1 million, up from $3.0 million in Q3 2020 EBITDA going from negative $0.6 million to positive 0.3 million on significantly improved utilization Green Energy Group SE joined the United Nations Global Compact initiative as part of our commitment to universal sustainability principles Outlook improving The company will host a webcast at 10:00 CEST today. Please use the following link to join the webcast: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YmQ4NmVjZjktODY3NS00ZmYyLWFhMTUtMGI1NzVhMzBjZTI2%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2265f51067-7d65-4aa9-b996-4cc43a0d7111%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22473e7d3b-5f4f-4129-845f-e97d4b42a85e%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d&btype=a&role=a For further queries contact: Erik von Krogh CFO Mob: +47 930 38 075 This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Attachments Pune, India, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global web hosting services market size is projected to reach USD 267.10 billion by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 18.0% during the forecast period. According to the Fortune Business Insights report, titled Web Hosting Services Market, 2021-2028, the market value stood at USD 75.03 billion in 2020. COVID-19 Impact The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has caused unprecedented upheavals in physical business infrastructures as governments across the globe have had to impose lockdowns and social distancing measures to curb the spread of the virus. For example, a survey by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found that 43% of the respondents faced a temporary or permanent shutdown of business in the US in 2020 due to the pandemic. Similarly, a private survey in India revealed that the pandemic is set to hit 74% of the startups in the country. This dire situation has, therefore, led the market to register a lower CAGR of 11.9% and reach a value of 83.99 billion in 2021. To get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/web-hosting-services-market-100863 List of Key Players Covered in this Market Report: SiteGround (Sofia, Bulgaria) Digitalocean, Inc. (New York, United States) Equinix, Inc. (California, United States) Clearlake Capital Group (California, United States) Hostinger International, Ltd. (Kaunas, Lithuania) Amazon.com, Inc. (Washington, United States) GoDaddy Operating Company, LLC (Arizona, United States) Google Inc. (California, United States) Liquid Web LLC (Michigan, United States) WPEngine, Inc. (Texas, United States) 1&1 IONOS Inc. (Montabaur, Germany) Cloudflare (California, United States) Alibaba Cloud (Hangzhou, China) DreamHost (California, United States) AT&T Inc. (Texas, United States) Report Scope & Segmentation Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 CAGR 18% 2028 Value Projection USD 267.10 Billion Base Year 2020 Market Size in 2020 USD 75.03 Billion Historical Data for 2017 to 2019 No. of Pages 140 Segments covered Type, Application, Deployment and Geography Growth Drivers Emergence of Hosting Services for Startups to Boost the Market Incorporation of AI in Web Hosting Services to Open New Vistas for Market Growth North America Revenue Generation Stood at $34.32 Billion in 2020, to Lead the Market till 2028 Agreements between Social Media Giants & Web Service Companies to Intensify Competition Market Drivers Emergence of Hosting Services for Startups to Boost the Market The proliferation of startups and small businesses around the world has created an intense need for cost-efficient and sustainable online platforms. Since the accessibility to the internet is speedily increasing, these entities are placing a high importance on maintaining a strong virtual presence and growing their businesses in the digital space. To cater to this demand, several companies providing web hosting services to startups have emerged and are gathering momentum worldwide. For example, Hostwinds is a virtual private server (VPS) hosting service provider that offers reliable services and round-the-clock technical support to small enterprises and startups in the US and the UK. Similarly, Bluehost provides a web hosting platform with features such as GB file transfer, free templates, domain names, and unlimited domain hosting, all under one account. Thus, the emergence of web hosting companies delivering specialized services to startup businesses will accelerate the growth of this market. Request a Sample Copy of Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/web-hosting-services-market-100863 Incorporation of AI in Web Hosting Services to Open New Vistas for Market Growth One of the most promising factors propelling the web hosting services market growth is the incorporation and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies in hosting platforms. AI and ML are enabling web service providers to create and deliver more enhanced and comprehensive products to clients. For example, the persistent threat of cyber-attacks and associated crimes can be mitigated using AI. Algorithms and firewalls powered by AI can detect bugs and malware and alert the provider of the potential threats they can cause to the platform. AI can also augment the accuracy and proficiency of a website by taking care of routine tasks. AI-enabled chatbots, for instance, can communicate with site visitors and supply them with basic information about the service. This, in turn, can also optimize domain performance. Thus, AI holds limitless opportunities for web service companies, which favors the growth of this market. Market Segments On the basis of type, the market segments include shared hosting, dedicated hosting, collocated hosting, virtual private server hosting, and others. Based on application, the market has been divided into public websites, mobile applications, intranet sites, and online applications. In terms of deployment, the market has been categorized into public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud. Here, the public cloud segment led the market in 2020 with a share of 51.6%. By region, the market has been segregated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Regional Insights North America Revenue Generation Stood at $34.32 Billion in 2020, to Lead the Market till 2028 North America is expected to dominate the web hosting services market share during the forecast period, having generated revenue worth USD 34.32 billion in 2020. The leading position of the region is attributable to the intense competition among small business enterprises in the region in the virtual space. Moreover, the widespread adoption of smartphones and social media in the US and Canada are also prompting companies to focus their energies on maintaining a dynamic presence on digital platforms. Europe is set to emerge as the second-highest revenue-generating region, backed by a robust network infrastructure, 5G rollout, and IT outsourcing trends in the region. In Asia Pacific, the steady shift of businesses to online platforms, with growing policy support, will stoke the demand for web hosting services in the foreseeable future. Quick Buy- Web Hosting Services Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/100863 Competitive Landscape Agreements between Social Media Giants & Web Service Companies to Intensify Competition Companies providing specialized web hosting services are actively collaborating with social media bigwigs to widen the horizons of their businesses. These collaborations are also aiding small & medium businesses to access next-gen technologies and leverage digital tools to expand their market presence. Industry Developments: December 2020: Twitter inked a new agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to harness AWSs capabilities to improve app and service performance. Under the deal, Twitter will deploy AWS to offer a global cloud infrastructure to deliver Twitter timelines. Twitter inked a new agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to harness AWSs capabilities to improve app and service performance. Under the deal, Twitter will deploy AWS to offer a global cloud infrastructure to deliver Twitter timelines. February 2020: GoDaddy announced the acquisition of Uniregistrys marketplace and domain registrar businesses. Besides these, GoDaddy will also take over Uniregistrys domain portfolio consisting of more than 350,000 names. Major Table of Contents: Introduction Definition, By Segment Research Methodology/Approach Data Sources Key Takeaways Market Dynamics Macro and Micro Economic Indicators Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities and Trends Impact of COVID-19 Short-term Impact Long-term Impact Competition Landscape Business Strategies Adopted by Key Players Consolidated SWOT Analysis of Key Players Porters Five Force Analysis Global Web Hosting Services Key Players Market Share Insights and Analysis, 2020 Key Market Insights and Strategic Recommendations Companies Profiled (Covered for key 10 players only) Overview Key Management Headquarters etc. Offerings/Business Segments Key Details (Key details are subjected to data availability in public domain and/or on paid databases) Employee Size Key Financials Past and Current Revenue Gross Margin Geographical Share Business Segment Share Recent Developments Annexure / Appendix Global Web Hosting Services Market Size Estimates and Forecasts (Quantitative Data), By Segments, 2017-2028 By Type (Value) Shared Hosting Dedicated Hosting Collocated Hosting Virtual Private Server Hosting Others (Reseller hosting, etc.) By Application (Value) Public Website Mobile Application Intranet Site Online Application By Deployment (Value) TOC Continued! Speak To Our Analyst- https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/web-hosting-services-market-100863 Have a Look at Related Research Insights: Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Deployment (Cloud and On-Premises), By Industry (Discrete Industry and Process Industry), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Field Service Management (FSM) Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Component (Solution, Services) By Deployment (Cloud, On-Premise), By Organization Size (Large Enterprises, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs)), By Vertical (BFSI, IT and Telecommunication, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Transportation and Logistics, Construction and Heavy Equipment, Energy and Utilities, and others), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027 Cognitive Computing Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Component (Platform, and Services), By Technology (Machine Learning (ML), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Automated Reasoning) By Deployment (Cloud-based, and On-premise), By Enterprise Size (Small & Medium Enterprise (SMEs), and Large Enterprise), By End-user (BFSI, Healthcare, Retail & e-commerce, IT & Telecom) and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027 Smart Education and Learning Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Component (Hardware, Software, Services), By Learning Mode (Collaborative Learning, Virtual Instructor Led Learning, Simulation-Based Learning, Social Learning, Blended Learning), By End User (Corporate, Academic, Government), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027 Cryptocurrency Market Size, Share and COVID-19 Impact Industry Analysis, By Component (Hardware, Software), By Type (Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, Ripple, Ether Classic, Others), By End-use (Trading, E-commerce and Retail, Peer-to-Peer Payment, and Remittance), and Regional Forecast, 2020 2027 About Us: Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. We aim to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US: +1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fortune-business-insights Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FortuneBusinessInsightsPvtLtd Twitter: https://twitter.com/FBInsightPvtLtd LEDGER x LACROIX : two of Frances gems are joining forces to promote French innovation and competitiveness A partnership that is emblematic of the synergies between French Tech and French Fab Paris, Saint-Herblain, Vierzon - LEDGER, a world leader in securing digital assets, and LACROIX, the French leader in industry 4.0, have decided to join forces to produce a key component of the world's best-selling cryptoasset wallet, LEDGER's Nano. The current situation in relation to the democratization of cryptoassets, as well as the exponential growth in demand for LEDGERs hardware wallets more than 3 million units have been sold to date and 15% of digital assets worldwide are protected by a LEDGER key have called for a change in production capacity for the Tech unicorn. Since this summer, the PCBAs (electronic boards) for LEDGER security keys have been manufactured in France by LACROIX, and in the following months produced at the LACROIX Group's brand new production site in Maine-et-Loire, which is called Symbiose. This is an electronics factory of the future that meets industry 4.0 standards, is environmentally friendly and is designed to help its employees thrive. LACROIXs experience, expertise and production capacities should enable LEDGER to continue to scale and accelerate its production, while guaranteeing safety and production quality. This unicorn company, created in 2014, and the family-owned, quoted SME company, whose story began in 1936, are two very complementary incarnations of French success stories that have an international reach. The combination of the expertise and intelligence of these two companies, which are members of French Tech and French Fab respectively, is a demonstration of the strength and agility of the French entrepreneurial landscape. More than a partnership, this is an association between two companies that are at the cutting edge of their industries, both rooted in French territories and in global markets, in the service of innovation. Agnes Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Economic Affairs, Finance & Industry, with responsibility for Industry Minister, said Following on from the French Presidents presentation of the France 2030 investment plan, the agreement reached between Ledger and LACROIX illustrates the renewal of our industrial policy, and our ambition to accelerate the industrialization of any start-ups that are highly technological in nature in France. It also demonstrates the synergies between established groups and emerging players, which we wish to encourage. In addition, I see this collaboration as an initial result of the support provided to the LACROIX factory 4.0 project by France Relance, which, through innovation and investment in the production tool, demonstrates the relevance of choosing Made in France, both economically and in terms of industrial resilience. Cedric O, Secretary of State for Digital Transition and Electronic Communications said, This partnership is emblematic of the new position of French Tech in the French economy. Over the course of just a few years, start-ups have become drivers of growth and job creation across the country, just as Ledger has become in Vierzon. While the ecosystem only had 3 unicorn companies in 2017, it now has 19, including Ledger in recent months, and French Tech is expected to exceed the 10bn that it raised in 2021. These exceptional results are due, on the one hand, to the creativity of our entrepreneurs, and on the other hand, to the constant support that the Government has provided to these strategic players for innovation and French sovereignty. I welcome the partnership between Ledger and LACROIX, as it allows two worlds to come together, growing both French Tech and Industry 4.0 at the same time. Vincent Bedouin, CEO of LACROIX, stated: We are delighted that LEDGER has chosen LACROIX to support them in the production of circuit boards, which are a key component of their Nano cryptoasset wallet. Within the French electronics sector, we have great skill combined with remarkable technologies. Maintaining innovation in the design and production of electronic assemblies requires ethical collaborations and sources of value. By partnering with LEDGER, a French Tech unicorn that is growing fast, we are sharing something that is more than just a partnership through our common vision: an open and innovative collaborative model. This is what the alliance of French Fab and French Tech is all about. Pascal Gauthier, CEO of LEDGER, stated: At LEDGER, we are pragmatic. It is our duty, as we are developing a giant company of the future. We did not, therefore, have any great difficulty in choosing to partner with LACROIX for the production of our electronic boards, which are key elements in our flagship product, the Nano S and X. In fact, we chose LACROIX because we are convinced that they are capable of providing safety, agility, quality and volume. This is essential at the critical stage of development that we currently find ourselves in, and given the rapid expansion of our market alongside the growing adoption of cryptoassets around the world. I am pleased that we can also find synergies between French Tech and French Fab, and thus demonstrate the ability of French companies to be at the forefront of industry and technology. Upcoming dates Revenue for 3rd quarter 2021: 8 November 2021 after market close View our financial data on our Investors' Zone https://www.lacroix-group.com/investors/ ABOUT LACROIX Convinced that technology should contribute to making our living environments simpler, more sustainable and safer, LACROIX supports its customers in the construction and management of intelligent living ecosystems, thanks to connected equipment and technologies. As a publicly-listed family-owned mid-cap, with a turnover of 441 million in 2020, LACROIX combines the essential agility required to innovate in an ever-changing technological sector with the ability to industrialise robust and secure equipment, cutting-edge know-how in industrial IoT solutions and electronic equipment for critical applications and the long-term vision to invest and build for the future. LACROIX designs and manufactures its customers electronic equipment, as well as IoT (hardware, software and cloud) and AI solutions, in particular in the automotive, home automation, aeronautical, industrial and health sectors. The Group also provides safe, connected equipment for the management of critical infrastructures such as smart roads (street lighting, traffic signs, traffic management, V2X) and the management and operation of water and energy systems. Drawing on its extensive experience and expertise, LACROIX works with its customers and partners to build the connection between the world of today and the world of tomorrow. It helps them create the industry of the future and to make the most of the innovation opportunities surrounding them, by supplying them with the equipment and solutions of a smarter world. LACROIX: international technological equipment supplier Contacts LACROIX DG Delegue & VP Executif Finance Nicolas Bedouin info@lacroix-group.com Tel. : 02 72 25 68 80 ACTIFIN Relations presse Jennifer Jullia jjullia@actifin.fr Tel. : 01 56 88 11 19 ACTIFIN Communication financiere Simon Derbanne sderbanne@actifin.fr Tel. : 01 56 88 11 14 ABOUT LEDGER Ledger is the world leader in securing and managing digital assets. Launched in France in 2014, this scale-up designs and markets hardware and software products and services for individuals and businesses. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology and advanced security standards, led by its highly recognised intelligence and research department, it is responding to a growing need for security for everyone: individuals, companies and institutions. The fast-growing scale-up became a unicorn in June 2021, when it announced that it raised $380 million, bringing its valuation to $1.5 billion. Ledger currently has more than 350 employees across, among other places, France (Paris, Vierzon, Montpellier, Grenoble, etc.) New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and London. Thanks to the more than 3 million Nano S and X wallets sold in over 190 countries since 2014 (making it the world's best-selling physical wallet) and the 1.5m regular users of its Ledger Live app, as well as its security solutions for financial institutions and companies with Ledger Enterprise Solutions, the company estimates that, to date, it protects around 15% of cryptoassets worldwide. It is currently investing heavily in its technology in order to maintain its lead, but it is also investing in the development of new services within its platform. In this way, it can offer security, freedom and simplicity to as many people as possible throughout their entire experience of digital assets. In fact, with the democratization of cryptoassets, Ledger is aiming to become the benchmark secure platform for the entire cryptoasset ecosystem. This will enable everyone, wherever they are, to invest, save, control or directly spend their digital assets and, more broadly, take back control of their critical digital data. Ledger: Hardware Wallet - State-of-the-art security for crypto assets CONTACTS LEDGER: Ursula Luzolo, +33 6 37 61 77 77 Attachment Dublin, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Roselle Market by Form, End Use and Sales Channel: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Roselle, also known as Hibiscus, belongs to the family Malvaceae, locally called "karkade", and is an important annual crop grown successfully in tropical and sub-tropical climates. Roselle is widely found in North African countries such as Sudan, Egypt, and Tanzania. It can be found in the form of powder and liquid. Roselle is an annual crop used in food, animal feed, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. It is a multi-use plant, whose outer leaves (calyx), also known as natal sorrel, is frequently used in the production of jelly, jam, juice, wine, syrup, gelatin, pudding, cake, ice cream, and flavoring. Its brilliant red color and unique flavor makes it a valuable food product. The roselle product has anti-inflammatory and exfoliating properties, as a result of which it is becoming a vital raw material for cosmetics products. Growing product demand for soaps, shampoos & conditioners, masks, lotions, and creams is expected to drive the market for Roselle powder. Moreover, health benefits and health consciousness among individuals is expected to fuel the growth of the roselle market. Roselle is widely used for medicinal and industrial application in various countries. In China, it is used to treat hypertension, pyrexia and liver damage, and in ayurvedic medicine. Roselle powder is helpful against various diseases, such as inflammation and diabetes. In addition, its extract showed an antimicrobial effect against numerous pathogenic bacteria; therefore, diminishes the risk of several infectious diseases. Furthermore, increase in demand for roselle powder in type 2 diabetes treatment medications is expected to drive the market. The growth of the Roselle market is driven by increase in health-related concerns of people, which is shifting their attention from carbonated drinks to herbal tea. Furthermore, rise in cafe culture, growth in disposable income, change in tastes of people, and introduction of additional healthy ingredients in herbal tea by different market players are some other factors that drive the growth of the market. However, increase in cost of raw materials due to unpredictable weather and high cost of production are expected to hamper the growth of the market during the forecast period. Furthermore, pandemic and the disruption in the supply chain may further hamper the growth of the roselle market. On the contrary, growth in demand from health-conscious young population and introduction of new flavor & variety are anticipated to provide lucrative opportunities for the expansion of the market. The report segments the roselle market on the basis of form, end use, sales channel, and region. By form, the market is divided into powder and liquid. On the basis of end use, it is fragmented into food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, animal feed, and cosmetics & nutraceuticals. Based on sales channel, the market is segmented into supermarket/hypermarket, online stores, specialty stores, and others. Region wise, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. The major players in the roselle market are Roselle Farms, Guangzhou Runming Tea Co., Ltd, Thai Organic Life, Cultivator Natural Products Pvt. Ltd, Atlantis Arena Sdn Bhd, Rossell India Ltd., Apple Food Industries, Buddha Teas, U.S. Wellness LLC, and The Tao of Tea LLC. Key market benefits for stakeholders The report provides extensive analysis of the current & emerging trends and opportunities in the Roselle market. Current and future trends are outlined in the report to determine the overall market attractiveness and single out profitable trends to gain a stronger foothold in the market. The report provides information regarding drivers, restraints, and opportunities with impact analysis. Quantitative analysis of the current market and estimation for the same from 2020 to 2030 is provided to showcase the financial competency of the market Porter's five forces model of the industry demonstrates the competitiveness of the market by analyzing various parameters such as threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers, and bargaining power of suppliers operating in the market Competitive intelligence highlights the business practices followed by the leading market players across various regions Key Topics Covered: CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW 3.1. Market definition and scope 3.1.1. Global Roselle Market: Segmentation 3.2. Key findings 3.2.1. Top investment pockets 3.3. Top players positioning 3.4. Value chain analysis 3.5. Porter's five forces analysis 3.5.1. Moderate bargaining power of suppliers 3.5.2. Moderate bargaining power of buyers 3.5.3. Moderate threat of substitution 3.5.4. Moderate threat of new entrants 3.5.5. High Intensity of competitive rivalry 3.6. Market dynamics 3.6.1. Drivers 3.6.1.1. Health benefits associated with roselle 3.6.1.2. Companies emphasizing on calorie reduction due to increase in health awareness 3.6.1.3. Expansion of retail market 3.6.2. Restraints 3.6.2.1. Overconsumption of roselle in products may cause health 3.6.3. Opportunities 3.6.3.1. Increase in investments by small-&mid-sized food product manufacturing companies 3.6.3.2. Surge in application of roselle powder in the cosmetic industry 3.7. Market share analysis 3.7.1. By Form 3.7.2. By End Use 3.7.1. By Sales Channel 3.7.2. By region 3.9. Top Exporter of Hibiscus 3.10. Top Importer of Hibiscus 3.11. Impact of COVID-19 on the Roselle market CHAPTER 4: ROSELLE MARKET, BY FORM 4.1. Overview 4.1.1. Market size and forecast 4.2. Powder 4.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities 4.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region 4.2.3. Market analysis, by country 4.3. Liquid 4.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities 4.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region 4.3.3. Market analysis, by country CHAPTER 5: ROSELLE MARKET, END USE 5.1. Overview 5.1.1. Market size and forecast 5.1. Food & Beverages 5.1.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities 5.1.2. Market size and forecast, by region 5.1.3. Market analysis, by country 5.3. Pharmaceuticals 5.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities 5.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region 5.3.3. Market analysis, by country 5.4. Animal Feed 5.4.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities 5.4.2. Market size and forecast, by region 5.4.3. Market analysis, by country 5.5. Cosmetics & Nutraceuticals 5.5.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities 5.5.2. Market size and forecast, by region 5.5.3. Market analysis, by country CHAPTER 6: ROSELLE MARKET, SALES CHANNEL 6.1. Overview 6.1.1. Market size and forecast 6.2. Hypermarket/ Supermarket 6.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities 6.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region 6.2.3. Market analysis, by country 6.3. Online Stores 6.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities 6.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region 6.3.3. Market analysis, by country 6.4. Specialty stores 6.4.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities 6.4.2. Market size and forecast, by region 6.4.3. Market analysis, by country 6.5. Others 6.5.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities 6.5.2. Market size and forecast, by region 6.5.3. Market analysis, by country CHAPTER 7: ROSELLE MARKET, BY REGION CHAPTER 8: COMPETITION LANDSCAPE 8.1. Top winning strategies 8.2. Product mapping 8.3. Competitive dashboard 8.4. Competitive heat map 8.5. Key developments 8.5.1. Acquisition 8.5.2. Business Expansion 8.5.3. Product Launch CHAPTER 9: COMPANY PROFILES 9.1. Roselle Farms 9.1.1. Key Executives 9.1.2. Company snapshot 9.1.3. Product portfolio 9.2. Guangzhou Runming Tea Co., Ltd. 9.2.1. Company overview 9.2.2. Key Executives 9.2.3. Company snapshot 9.2.4. Product portfolio 9.3. Thai Organic Life 9.3.1. Company overview 9.3.2. Company snapshot 9.3.3. Product portfolio 9.4. Cultivator Natural Products Pvt. Ltd. 9.4.1. Company overview 9.4.2. Key Executives 9.4.3. Company snapshot 9.4.4. Product portfolio 9.5. Atlantis Arena Sdn Bhd 9.5.1. Company overview 9.5.2. Key Executives 9.5.3. Company snapshot 9.5.4. Product portfolio 9.6. Rossell India Ltd. 9.6.1. Company overview 9.6.2. Key Executives 9.6.3. Company snapshot 9.6.4. Operating business segments 9.6.5. Product portfolio 9.6.6. Business performance 9.7. Apple Food Industries 9.7.1. Company overview 9.7.2. Key Executives 9.7.3. Company snapshot 9.7.4. Product portfolio 9.8. Buddha Teas 9.8.1. Company overview 9.8.2. Key Executives 9.8.3. Company snapshot 9.8.4. Product portfolio 9.8.5. Key strategic moves and developments 9.9. U. S. Wellness LLC 9.9.1. Company overview 9.9.2. Company snapshot 9.9.3. Product portfolio 9.10. The Tao of Tea LLC 9.10.1. Company overview 9.10.2. Key Executives 9.10.3. Company snapshot 9.10.4. Product portfolio For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/z8ew50 VIENNA, Va., Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MicroHealth, LLC announces its recognition by The Washington Business Journal (WBJ) as No. 21 on the 2021 list of the Top 75 Fastest Growing Companies with an average growth over the previous three years of just over 76%. This ranking is up 29 places over MicroHealth's 2020 placement at No. 50. The WBJ's Top 75 is a sought-after recognition and MicroHealth is honored to be among the growth leaders in privately owned companies. Here is the link to the list of honorees. This achievement could only be made possible by the dedication and determination of the MicroHealth Team as is highlighted by CEO Dr. Frank Tucker, "We could not have achieved this meteoric rise year after year without the amazing workforce that powers MicroHealth. This Team differentiates themselves from others with their focus on outcomes that help improve the health of the population, improve the patient experience, and reduce the cost of care." With a string of recent awards and another busy year ahead, MicroHealth is poised to continue to make a splash in the DMV. MicroHealth is a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned (SDVOSB) and SBA Certified 8(a) small disadvantaged business that provides in Health Information Technology Services for the United States Federal Government. Customers include Department of Defense (DOD), Department of State (DOS), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Energy (DOE), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to name a few. MicroHealth specializes in Electronic Health Records; Telehealth; Medical Simulation; Health Standards & Interoperability; Health Research & Analytics; Health Policy & Planning; Privacy, Security, & HIPAA; Health Technology Development; Modernization & Maintenance; Health IT Operations & Infrastructure Management; and Health Record Management & Digitization. MicroHealth performs these services using certified techniques recognized by Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Development CMMI-DEV/3 and Services CMMI-SVC/3; ISO 20000-1:2018 (IT Service Management); ISO 27001:2013 (Information Security Management), and ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management). Media Contact: Diwa Reyes, Marketing diwa.reyes@microhealthllc.com www.microhealthllc.com Related Images Image 1: Fastest Growing Companies Washington Business Journals Fastest Growing Companies This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Dublin, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Europe Non-Invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis By Procedure (Injectables, Skin Rejuvenation, and Others) and End User (Hospitals, Clinics and Medical Spas, and Others)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The injectables segment by procedure is estimated to lead the market growth during the forecast period. According to the market research study "Europe Non-Invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis by Procedure, End-user and Country." Europe's non-invasive aesthetic treatment market is expected to reach US$ 5,830.17 million in 2028 from US$ 2,337.83 million in 2021, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 13.9% from 2021 to 2028. The report highlights trends prevailing in the European non-invasive aesthetic treatment market and the factors driving the market along with those that act as hindrances. The European non-invasive aesthetic treatment market based on the procedure was segmented into injectables, skin rejuvenation, and others. In 2020, the injectables segment held the largest share of the market, and the same segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the coming years. Non-invasive aesthetic treatments have gained popularity in the past few years due to advantages such as minimal downtime, no scars, low cost, and fewer complications. The popularity and acceptance of these procedures are mainly attributed to their noninvasiveness. Besides, it has been proved that the accuracy rate of minimally invasive surgeries is greater than that of open surgeries. Moreover, non-invasive treatments are gaining traction due to a high preference for less downtime post treatment. Several government initiatives are helping in creating awareness regarding non-invasive aesthetic procedures among people. For example, the government in England began a campaign in 2019 on botched cosmetic procedures and their influence on a person's physical and mental health. Therefore, the growing awareness regarding non-invasive aesthetic treatment procedures is boosting the growth of the Europe non-invasive aesthetic treatment market. Several manufacturers are working on advanced non-invasive aesthetic treatment products. Therefore, the availability of user-friendly, technologically advanced non-invasive aesthetic treatment products is fuelling the market growth. The COVID-19 pandemic has slightly hindered the medical device industry in Europe. Various companies have shut down their productions; hence, they are unable to meet the rising demand. The routine health care services have remained suspended. On the other hand, the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases have grown significantly, and it has raised the question regarding safety from the aesthetic treatments done by lasers and micro-needling. Thus, aesthetic services have been shut down in European countries. Hence, it is expected that the negative impact on the European non-invasive aesthetic treatment market will continue in the following few years. Companies Mentioned Galderma Alma Lasers Merz Pharma Bausch Health Companies Inc. Cutera Inc. AbbVie Inc. Candela Medical Johnson and Johnson Services, Inc. The growth of the market is attributed to a few key driving factors such as surging awareness about cosmetic procedures among consumers and the availability of technologically advanced products. However, clinical risks and complications associated with medical aesthetic procedures are hindering market growth. The report segments in Europe Non-Invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market as follows: By Procedure Injectables Botulinum Toxin Calcium Hydroxylapatite Hyaluronic Acid Polymer Filler Collagen Skin Rejuvenation Chemical Peel Laser Skin Resurfacing Photorejuvenation Others Hair Removal Nonsurgical Fat Reduction Sclerotherapy Cellulite Treatment By End-user Hospitals Clinics and Medical Spas Others By Country UK Germany France Italy Spain Rest of Europe Key Topics Covered: 1. Non-invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market - Key Takeaways 2. Research Methodology 3. Europe Non-invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market - Market Landscape 3.1 Overview 3.2 PEST Analysis 3.3 Expert Opinion 4. Non-Invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market - Key Market Dynamics 4.1 Market Drivers 4.1.1 Rising Number of Non-Invasive Aesthetic/Cosmetic Procedures Performed Every Year 4.1.2 Surge in Awareness About Cosmetic Procedures Among Consumers 4.1.3 Availability of Technologically Advanced Products 4.2 Market Restraints 4.2.1 Clinical Risks and Complications Associated with Medical Aesthetic Procedures 4.3 Market Opportunities 4.2.1 Technological Upgrades and Proliferation of Medical Tourism 4.4 Future Trends 4.3.1 Integration of Telemedicine with Medical Aesthetic Treatment 4.5 Impact Analysis 5. Non-invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market - Europe Analysis 5.1 Europe Non-invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market Revenue Forecast and Analysis 6. Non-invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market Analysis - By Procedure 6.1 Overview 6.2 Non-invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market, by Diagnosis 2020 & 2028 (%) 6.3 Injectables 6.4 Skin Rejuvenation 6.5 Others 7. Non-invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market Analysis - By End User 7.1 Overview 7.2 Non-invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market Revenue Share, by End User (2020 and 2028) 7.3 Hospitals 7.4 Clinics and Medical Spas 7.5 Others 8. Non-invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market - Europe Analysis 8.1 Europe: Non-invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 9. Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic on Europe Non-invasive Aesthetic Treatment Market 10. Non-invasive Aesthetic Market-Industry Landscape 11. Company Profiles For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/t4m0hw DALLAS, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund (NYSE:NHF) (NHF or NexPoint) today provided an update on United Development Funding IV (UDFI or the Company) following an indictment filed in federal court on October 15, 2021 that charges four executive officers of the Company with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution. According to the indictment, Hollis Greenlaw, Chairman of the UDFI Board of Trustees (the Board) and Chief Executive Officer, Ben Wissink, President, Cara Obert, Chief Financial Officer, and Brandon Jester, Director of Asset Management, engaged in a scheme to defraud investors using multiple investment fund entities, including UDFI. The officers named all hold similar positions at the other entities involved in the alleged scheme. A copy of the indictment can be found here . The indictment is the latest in a long list of charges and complaints surrounding UDFI, including a 2018 SEC enforcement action against the Company and its executives, multiple private securities fraud actions, and shareholder derivative cases. Despite substantive evidence of corporate wrongdoing and managements blatant disregard of a permanent injunction that resulted in the Companys shares being deregistered in 2020, the Board continues to permit management to withhold information from investors, collect millions of dollars in management fees, and spend material amounts of corporate funds on litigation that shows no evidence of enhancing shareholder value. The indictment reinforces investor concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability at UDFI. As the largest shareholder of UDFI, NexPoint has previously raised issues about the management and oversight of UDFI and sought to engage the UDFI Board in a dialogue that could result in steps to return the Company to a path toward value creation. The Board to this date has refused to talk to NexPoint, prompted by managements false accusations regarding NexPoints intentions and past conduct. The Company has failed to provide any substantive financial information to shareholders since November 2015, nor has it held an annual meeting since 2014, completely denying its shareholders any view of the current state of the Companys affairs or insight into the future prospects of their investment. After various requests for transparency were ignored, NexPoint submitted a books and records demand (the "Demand") to the UDFI Board in August 2020, seeking access to basic information that shareholders are entitled to receive in order to determine the financial condition and results of operations of UDFI and the value of its shares (which could no longer trade publicly due to the SEC deregistration). The Company has not yet complied with the Demand and continues to resist NexPoints efforts, forcing NexPoint to seek relief through the courts. NexPoint is nevertheless committed to promoting long-term value at UDFI, and thus plans to continue to its efforts to obtain basic financial information and increase accountability. In the meantime, NHF has an active offer outstanding to purchase any and all Shares of Beneficial Interest (the Shares) of UDFI at a price of $1.10 per Share upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase and in the related Assignment Form for the offer (which together constitute the Offer and the Tender Offer Documents). The Offer from NHF provides shareholders with an immediate liquidity option. The Tender Offer Documents are available at www.UDFITenderOffer.com, or from the information agent for the Offer, as discussed below. As previously announced on December 14, 2020, the Offer is conditioned upon, among other things, the satisfaction or waiver of the following conditions: (i) there shall not have been threatened, instituted, or pending any action or proceeding before any court or any governmental or administrative agency (a) challenging the acquisition of shares pursuant to the Offer or otherwise relating in any manner to the Offer, or (b) in the sole judgment of NHF, otherwise materially adversely affecting the Company; (ii) NHF shall have received all required governmental approvals, if any, for the Offer; (iii) NHF shall have had the opportunity to conduct sufficient due diligence to determine whether the offered price per share is reasonable given the current financial condition and results of operations of UDFI; (iv) the Board of Trustees of UDFI shall have waived in writing the ownership limitations set forth in Article VII of the Declaration of Trust of UDFI as such limitations would otherwise apply to the Offer; and (v) NHF shall have received satisfactory evidence that UDFI has continued to qualify as a real estate investment trust (REIT) under federal tax laws and thereby to avoid any entity-level federal income or excise tax. On January 8, 2021, UDFI announced that it had reduced the percentage of outstanding Shares that a shareholder may own from 9.8% to 5.0%. The Company took such action in an effort to frustrate the Offer. It also announced it amended the Companys bylaws to require that certain legal actions could be brought on behalf of or against UDFI only in certain courts in Maryland. NexPoint and its advisors are reviewing these actions and their legality under applicable law. Shareholders should read the Offer to Purchase and the related materials carefully because they contain important information. Shareholders may obtain a free copy of the Offer to Purchase and the Assignment Form from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent for the Offer (the Information Agent), by calling toll-free at (800) 331-7543. This release has been updated to include a link to the indictment filed October 15, 2021. About the NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund (NHF) The NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund (NYSE:NHF) is a closed-end investment company managed by NexPoint Advisors, L.P. that is in the process of converting to a diversified REIT. On August 28, 2020, shareholders approved the conversion proposal and amended NHFs fundamental investment policies and restrictions to permit NHF to pursue its new business. NHF has repositioned its investment portfolio sufficient to achieve REIT tax status and is operating during its 2021 taxable year so that it may qualify for taxation as a REIT. NHF has also repositioned its portfolio such that it believes it is no longer an investment company under the 1940 Act and has filed an application with the SEC for a Deregistration Order. While awaiting the Deregistration Order, NHF will continue to be structured as a registered closed-end investment company. For more information visit www.nexpoint.com/nexpoint-strategic-opportunities-fund About NexPoint Advisors, L.P. NexPoint Advisors, L.P. is an SEC-registered adviser to a suite of funds and investment vehicles, including a closed-end fund, interval fund, business development company, and various real estate vehicles. For more information visit www.nexpoint.com Risks and Disclosures This document is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any common stock of UDFI or any other securities. The offer to purchase common stock of UDFI will only be made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, the Assignment Form and related documents. THE TENDER OFFER MATERIALS (INCLUDING THE OFFER TO PURCHASE, THE ASSIGNMENT FORM AND CERTAIN OTHER TENDER OFFER DOCUMENTS) WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. STOCKHOLDERS OF UDFI ARE URGED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT SUCH STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING TENDERING THEIR SHARES. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of these statements (when available) by directing such requests to the Information Agent, by calling toll-free at (800) 331-7543. ### Media Contact Lucy Bannon (214) 550-4572 lbannon@skyviewgroup.com Thunder Bay, ON, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Ontario Native Womens Association (ONWA) proudly celebrates 50 years as Canadas oldest and largest Indigenous organization. During ONWAs 50th Annual General Assembly and Leadership Conference this weekend, ONWA is commemorating three generations of Indigenous women in leadership, premiering the ONWA 50th Anniversary Documentary and launching the 50th Anniversary She Is Wise magazine. At the ONWA, we celebrate and honour the safety and healing of Indigenous women and girls as they take up their leadership roles in their family, community and internationally, for generations to come. ONWA works to empower Indigenous womens lives and address the challenges they face, for themselves, their families and their communities. Co-founded in 1971 by Jeannette Corbiere-Lavell, Indigenous women connected, assembled, and an organization was born. Jeannette first blazed a trail by speaking her truth through her battle with the Supreme Court of Canada regarding Bill C-31. Together, Jeannette and ONWA awakened Canada to the challenges and realities of violence experienced by many Indigenous women. For the last 18 years, Jeannettes daughter Dr. Dawn Lavell-Harvard has championed ONWA as Board President. An educator, teacher and leader, Dr. Lavell-Harvard has moved the organization to the point where Indigenous women are reclaiming their voices, traditional decision-making roles in their communities, and legitimacy in their own lives. As Dawn steps down, the ONWA legacy is now being passed on to the next generation, further strengthened by Jeannettes granddaughter Autumn Sky Cooper. Carrying the legacy of leadership from my mother, Jeannette Corbiere-Lavell, it has been my mission to support and advocate on behalf of Indigenous womens rights, always working toward the empowerment of Indigenous women and their families, says Dr. Dawn Lavell-Harvard, President, ONWA. In doing so, I hope that I have honoured her and those who have walked with me and mentored me on this journey. From a crisis intervention approach in the 1990s and the start of the campaign to end violence against Indigenous women in the 2000s, to the Sisters in Spirit and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) movement of the 2010s, the momentum of ONWA and its mission continues to grow. Through research, advocacy, policy development, and programs at the local, regional, and provincial level, ONWAs wholistic approach fosters environments in which Indigenous women and girls are respected and their safety is supported. ONWA provides easy access to inclusive, trauma-informed, culturally based programming and services that are informed by Indigenous women and their immediate needs. This work currently addresses eight areas of focus: MMIWG, child welfare, family violence, sexual violence, justice, health, human trafficking, and housing and homelessness. ONWA has listened to Indigenous women for half a century now. We know the priorities and needs of our community and we continue to lead the way in creating solutions to address them, says Cora McGuire-Cyrette, Executive Director, ONWA. While our work is far from over, the love, resilience, and strength that Indigenous women hold is creating healing for themselves and their communities. ONWA believes when women are healthy, they raise healthy children which builds healthy communities. Reconciliation with Indigenous women includes addressing the issues impacting their lives. The reclaiming of Indigenous womens leadership, voice and restoration of identity is key to addressing ongoing systemic issues and crises, leading directly to improved safety and wellbeing. ONWA will continue to play an important role as the organization brings critical knowledge, expertise, leadership, and community voice to the table now and through future generations. The Ontario Native Womens Association The Ontario Native Womens Association (ONWA) is a non-profit organization that empowers and supports all Indigenous women and their families in the province of Ontario through research, advocacy, policy development and programs that focus on local, regional and provincial activities, since 1971. Ending violence against Indigenous women and their families and ensuring equal access to justice, education, health services, environmental stewardship and economic development, sit at the cornerstone of the organization. ONWA insists on social and cultural wellbeing for all Indigenous women and their families, so that all women, regardless of tribal heritage may live their best life. www.onwa.ca | Twitter: @_ONWA_ | Facebook: ONWA7 | Instagram: onwa_official | LinkedIn: Ontario Native Women's Association Attachments PHOENIX, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copperstate Farms Management, LLC, a vertically integrated cannabis company based in Arizona, today announced the launch of Your Bright Horizon, a new scholarship program to enable cannabis dispensary ownership for social equity license applicants. With the recent passage of Proposition 207, an additional 26 cannabis dispensary licenses were allocated for Arizonas Social Equity Ownership Program. Qualified applicants have the opportunity to pay a $4,000 fee to enter the license lottery in December of this year. Your Bright Horizon provides valuable assistance throughout the application process and covers all application fees, helping to make the submission deadline more attainable and manageable for participants. Plus, should the applicant win one of the lottery licenses, Copperstate Farms will guide them through the entire process of setting up and running a successful and compliant cannabis dispensary, providing management expertise, software systems, and retail inventory. There are a limited number of scholarships available now through November 15th, so those interested in taking the first step towards owning their own Arizona cannabis dispensary can learn more by visiting YourBrightHorizon.com. License applicants who are awarded a scholarship must complete their online Arizona Department of Health Services class by mid-November in order to qualify and submit their final license application by December 14th. Over the past five years at Copperstate Farms, we have built a successful operation as one of the largest cannabis growers in North America and top retailer in Arizona. Now, we want to pass our operational expertise to the next generation of cannabis entrepreneurs, stated Copperstate Farms co-founder and Managing Director, Scott Barker. Your Bright Horizon gives social equity applicants a support system and the infrastructure to submit a strong dispensary application and ultimately improve their chances of securing an adult-use Arizona dispensary license. In addition to the $4,000 in financial aid to cover application fees, scholarship awardees will receive petition assistance to clean previous marijuana convictions, and educational tools and leadership guidance. Copperstate Farms has held several Expungement Resource Clinics with Arizona NORML and is a participating sponsor for the Marijuana Industry Trade Association (MITA) Social Equity Mentorship Program. The Company is committed to building a diverse and thriving cannabis business sector that offers equal opportunity for those with entrepreneurial goals, who need a supporting arm. We hope to foster long lasting partnerships through Your Bright Horizon and set social equity applicants up for success, said Barker. Copperstate Farms is home to a 40-acre glass greenhouse facility in Snowflake, Arizona, and is the parent company of dispensary retail concept Sol Flower, which has locations in Tempe, Scottsdale, and Sun City, Arizona. For more information visit CopperstateFarms.com. About Copperstate Farms Management, LLC: Established in 2016, Copperstate Farms Management, LLC, is a vertically integrated cannabis company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. The company manages the licensed production and distribution of cannabis in the U.S. and operates a 1.7-million-square-foot greenhouse in Snowflake, Arizona. Copperstate Farms is the parent company of multiple product suites and the dispensary retail concept Sol Flower, which includes a public-facing cafe and wellness classroom. The multi-use dispensary brand has locations in Tempe, Scottsdale, and Sun City, Arizona. Copperstate Farms is dedicated to bringing growth to the local and state economy through the hiring of local laborers, material suppliers, and contractors. For more information, visit CopperstateFarms.com. VIENNA, Va., Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MicroHealth LLC progressively achieves high ranking among private companies in the Greater D.C. area by Inc. 5000. On its Regionals list of 2021 Fastest-Growing Private Companies, MicroHealth, a health IT company, placed 123rd. "Even during an unprecedented year, our team drove a level of growth that has earned us a spot on a coveted list with innovative, successful businesses that call the D.C. region their home," said MicroHealth's CEO, Dr. Frank Tucker. The company has seen a 300% revenue acceleration in the last three years. Inc. 5000 has recognized and showcased MicroHealth's sustainable growth and development since 2016. For more about MicroHealth's ranks in Inc. 5000's Fastest-Growing Companies list, click here. MicroHealth is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOSB) and SBA Certified 8(a) small, disadvantaged business that offers Health Information Technology Services to the United States Federal Government. Customers include the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of State (DOS), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Energy (DOE), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). MicroHealth specializes in Electronic Health Records, Telehealth, Medical Simulation, Health Standards & Interoperability, Health Research & Analytics, Health Policy & Planning, Privacy, Security, & HIPAA, Health Technology Development, Modernization & Maintenance, Health IT Operations & Infrastructure Management and Health Record Management & Digitization. These services are performed using certified techniques recognized by Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Development CMMI-Dev/3 and Services CMMI-Svc/3; ISO 20000-1:2018 (IT Service Management); ISO 27001:2013 (Information Security Management), and ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management). The 2021 Inc. 5000 Regionals placement is based on percentage revenue growth compared to 2017 and 2019. To qualify as a noteworthy Inc. listing, companies must be independent and privately-owned, for-profit U.S-based that are founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2017. This year's honorees include government contractors, real estate firms, professional and business services, law firms, and tech companies. Media Contact: Diwa Reyes, Marketing diwa.reyes@microhealthllc.com www.microhealthllc.com Related Images Image 1: MicroHealth LLC This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Houston, Texas, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PCCA has honored Jeffery R. Bray, MBA, MAED, SHRM-SCP, as the first recipient of the L. David Sparks Advocacy Award. Named for PCCAs chief executive officer, this award celebrates passionate, committed and tenacious advocates for pharmacy compounding. PCCA Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications, Education and Human Relations Lizzie Harbin recognized Sparks legacy and presented the award with him to Bray on Thursday, October 21, during PCCAs 40th Anniversary International Seminar in Houston. Jeff truly embodies the meaning of the word advocacy, Harbin said. He is ever present and takes advantage of every opportunity to advocate for compounding. Jeff has mastered the art of regularly hosting in-district visits with lawmakers, educating them on compounding safety and quality, and explaining how compounding fits into health care as they tour his pharmacy. As chief executive officer of MedQuest Pharmacy in North Salt Lake City, Utah, Bray actively works to protect patient and prescriber access to compounded medication. He regularly collaborates with PCCAs Public Affairs team on legislative outreach and served on PCCAs Advisory Council from 2018 to 2019. An active member of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding (APC), Bray is also a former APC board member and currently serves on the organizations Infrastructure Review, COMP PAC and Legislative and Regulatory Committees. Bray earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Utah in 2012, a Master of Arts in Education degree from the University of Phoenix in 2003, and his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona in 2001. He is also a Pharmacy Regulatory Specialist and Certified in Healthcare Compliance. In 2021, PCCA transitioned its annual Evelyn Timmons Advocacy Award to honor Dave Sparks, and the men and women who tirelessly advocate for patients and compounded medicine. Inspired by Evelyn Timmons advocacy work, Sparks has been a longstanding advocate of pharmacy compounding and has led the effort to preserve pharmacists right to compound through legislation and regulatory reforms. Sparks was the owner/pharmacist of multiple independent pharmacies before joining PCCA in 1988. He became PCCA president in 1992, then CEO in 2009. # # # ABOUT PCCA PCCA supports the creation of personalized medicine and innovative products that make a difference in patients lives. As a complete resource for independent compounding pharmacies and health systems, PCCA provides high-quality products, education and support to more than 3,000 pharmacy members throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries around the world. Incorporated in 1981 by a network of pharmacists, PCCA has supported pharmacy compounding for 40 years. Learn more at pccarx.com. Attachments NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InterContinental Beverage Capital , Inc. (IBC) announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance agreement with Auctus Capital Partners Inc. (Auctus), a Chicago-based investment banking firm. IBC is an established, New York-based, advisory group that works in the beverage, CPG, and infused-beverage sectors, with deep experience in all industry segments and disciplines. This agreement establishes a collaboration between IBC and Auctus to expand IBCs capital formation capabilities and to enhance Auctus presence in the food and beverage sector of their consumer industry network. Both companies see this as a unique alignment of complementary skill sets to provide clients with a single-source advisory and capital solution. Prospective client companies include those needing mergers and acquisition services, debt or equity capital raising services, or other financial advisory services. Joseph J. Messina, Managing Director and Co-Founder of InterContinental Beverage Capital stated, We are proud to say that IBCs advisory practice is considered one of the finest in the beverage industry. Our IBCs partners have demonstrated successful track records with deep functional and industry expertise. Their depth of knowledge empowers us to address complex and unusual industry problems, including the many effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Our relationship with Auctus will enable us to provide clients with meaningful capital solutions to address their ever-increasing business challenges. Carl Cordova, Managing Director at Auctus, stated, We have known the professionals at IBC for many years as domain experts driven to serve their clients with the utmost excellence and integrity for which we also strive. Auctus looks forward to our collaboration with IBC as we serve our shared sector clients and pursue opportunities for transformative synergies. About InterContinental Beverage Capital (IBC) IBC is a New York-based advisory firm that provides both capital and product strategies, with a focus on the beverage and consumer products industries. IBC has a worldwide network of strategic industry contacts, capital resources, consultants, recruiters, and management teams with representative offices in Atlanta, Boca-Raton, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Lugano, Switzerland. For more information, log onto http: https://inbevcapital.com/ About Auctus Capital Partners Auctus Capital Partners is a leading financial services and investment banking firm focused exclusively on creating value for the lower middle market. It specializes in merger & acquisition advisory, institutional private placements of debt and equity, financial restructuring, valuation, and strategic consulting. Auctus senior bankers have deep domain expertise across a range of industries, with the necessary foresight to navigate highly complex transactions to maximize value and achieve optimal outcomes for clients. Lima, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lima, PERU, October 22, 2021 Credicorp Ltd. announces to its shareholders and the market that its 3Q21 Earnings Release Report will be released on Thursday November 04, 2021 after market close. Credicorps Webcast / Conference Call to discuss such results, will be held on Friday November 05, 2021 at 10:30 am EST (9:30 am Lima, Peru time). The call will be host by Walter Bayly, CEO, Alvaro Correa, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Gianfranco Ferrari, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Reynaldo Llosa, Chief Risk Officer, Cesar Rios, Chief Financial Officer and Investor Relations Team. We encourage participants to pre-register for the listen-only webcast presentation using the following link: https://dpregister.com/sreg/10161188/eeb109afcc Callers who pre-register will be given a conference passcode and unique PIN to gain immediate access to the call and bypass the live operator. Participants may pre-register at any time, including up to and after the call start time. Those unable to pre-register may dial in by calling: 1 866 777 2509 Participant dial in (toll free) 1 412 317 5413 Participant international dial in Conference ID: Credicorp Conference Call The webcast will be archived for one year on our investor relations website at: https://credicorp.gcs-web.com/events-and-presentations/upcoming-events Credicorp reminds you that we filed our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31st, 2020 (2020 Form 20-F) with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30th, 2021. The 2020 Form 20-F includes audited consolidated financial statements of Credicorp and its subsidiaries as of December 31st, 2019 and 2020 and for the years ended December 31st, 2018, 2019 and 2020 under IFRS. Our 2020 Form 20-F can be downloaded from Credicorps website: https://credicorp.gcs-web.com. Holders of Credicorps securities and any other interested parties may request a hard copy of our 2020 Form 20-F, free of charge, by filling out the form located on the link mail request on Credicorps website. About Credicorp Credicorp Ltd. (NYSE: BAP) is the leading financial services holding company in Peru with presence in Chile, Colombia and Bolivia. Credicorp has a diversified business portfolio organized into four lines of business: Universal Banking, through Banco de Credito del Peru BCP and Banco de Credito de Bolivia; Microfinance, through Mibanco in Peru and Colombia; Insurance & Pension Funds, through Grupo Pacifico and Prima AFP; and Investment Banking & Wealth Management, through Credicorp Capital, Wealth Management at BCP and Atlantic Security Bank. For further information please contact the IR team: investorrelations@credicorpperu.com Investor Relations Credicorp Ltd. Attachment TYNGSBORO, Mass., Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advanced Radiation Therapy, LLC (ART) and Apollo Healthcare have today announced a strategic partnership aimed at easing the challenge radiation oncology clinics have in pre-authorizing patients for insurance coverage for innovative radiation cancer therapies. Under this agreement Apollo Healthcare will provide its Prior-Authorization package, amongst other services to ARTs existing customer base, as well as any healthcare facilities considering use of their products such as PreciseRTTM and AccuBoost for adoption within their clinical patient treatment armamentariums. We are very excited to be teaming with Apollo Healthcare to ensure oncology patients that can benefit from PreciseRT and AccuBoost are able to receive our novel Non-Invasive Breast Brachytherapy (NIBB) treatments with no delay or interruption to care based on insurance coverage, remarked Bill Dowd, Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Radiation Therapy, LLC. By leveraging the human resources, financial modeling and intimate knowledge of commercial and Medicare insurance coding and payment coverage provided by Apollo Healthcare a U.S. based healthcare facility can be sure that physicians will be able to treat patients with the technology of their choice and that the health care facility will be paid the appropriate payment for the lifesaving care the center provides each cancer patient. Apollo Healthcare is ready to serve as an additional resource to clinics utilizing ARTs products and technology. We are a team of experienced oncology administrative and clinical veterans who relish the opportunity to wade through the details to get to the core problem of preauthorization delays and payment denials ensuring that physicians can utilize the best technology for their patients needs and the health care facilities in which they practice will equitably be paid for the care they deliver, Christopher Gonzalez, Co-founder of Apollo commented. ART will be showcasing this new partnership at the upcoming American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncologists (ASTRO) annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois from October 24-27, 2021. About Advanced Radiation Therapy (ART) Advanced Radiation Therapy, headquartered outside of Boston, MA, is an innovator in precision radiation therapy for breast cancer. About Apollo Healthcare Apollo Healthcare, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, provides insurance authorization, patient access, cancer center management and referral management services to physicians and hospitals to advance their practices and improve overall patient satisfaction. For more information visit www.PreciseRT.com. For more information on Apollo Healthcare visit https://apollohealthcare.com/. Bill Dowd, bill.dowd@artcorporation.net Pasadena, California, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mark Labberton, president of Fuller Seminary, announced today the beginning of a presidential search and transition process that will culminate by June 2023. Dr. Labberton became Fuller Seminarys fifth president in 2013, after four years as Fullers Lloyd John Ogilvie Associate Professor of Preaching and Director of the Ogilvie Institute of Preaching. I am so grateful for the privilege of serving and of being part of this remarkable Fuller community. This has been an indelible season in my life, said Labberton. As a fulfillment of my original ten-year commitment to the Board of Trustees, this transition timeline will allow me to complete my mission here and position Fuller well for an enormously fruitful future. Concurrent with Labbertons announcement today, Dan Meyer, chair of Fullers Board of Trustees, said, Amidst an era of tremendous disruption for the church, society, and Christian higher education, Mark has been the steady, adaptive, resilient leader Fuller has needed. He has cared for every part and person of Fullers unique community. He has assembled a superb senior leadership team with whom hes crafted a truly generative alliance among trustees, faculty, and staff. This partnership has yielded a visionary strategic plan in FULLER NEXT, a balanced budget, the first surplus in many years, and the foundations of a capital campaign with transformative potential for Fullers life and mission. Fuller is in a season of exciting, urgent, and hopeful opportunities, Labberton said in a letter to the seminary community. When I finish as president, the river that is Fuller Theological Seminary will surely keep rushing along, and the One who is our Living Water will remain our truest and surest hope. The Board of Trustees has appointed a Transition Discernment Team that will oversee the identification of Fullers future president. The committee is chaired by Santiago Jimmy Mellado, CEO of Compassion International, and will consist of representatives of Fullers board and faculty in partnership with a seasoned search consultant. Mellado said, We believe God has already prepared an amazing leader to lead Fuller into its next season of vitality and influence. Our privilege will be to find and advance this special person. Attachment NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized stockholder rights law firm, has launched an investigation into whether the officers or directors of FTS International, Inc. (NYSE: FTSI) (FTSI) breached their fiduciary duties or violated the federal securities laws in connection with the companys acquisition by ProFrac Holdings, LLC. Click here to learn more and participate in the action. On October 22, 2021, FTSI announced that it had entered into an agreement to be acquired by ProFrac in a deal valued at approximately $407.50 million. Pursuant to the merger agreement, FTSI stockholders will receive $26.52 in cash for each share of FTSI common stock owned. The deal is scheduled to close in the first quarter of 2022. Bragar Eagel & Squire is concerned that FTSIs board of directors oversaw an unfair process and ultimately agreed to an inadequate merger agreement. Accordingly, the firm is investigating all relevant aspects of the deal and is committed to securing the best result possible for FTSIs stockholders. If you own shares of FTSI and are concerned about the proposed merger, or you are interested in learning more about the investigation or your legal rights and remedies, please contact Melissa Fortunato or Alexandra Raymond by email at investigations@bespc.com or telephone at (646) 860-9157, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you. About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, California, and South Carolina. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hampton Financial Corporation (Hampton or the Corporation) (TSXV: HFC) (TSXV: HFC.PR.A) is pleased to announce that it has issued $2,000,000 principal amount of non-convertible promissory notes (the Notes") which were placed by Hamptons agent, Terra Cotta Investment Counsel Inc. The Notes bear interest at 12% per annum, payable monthly in arrears, and have a one-year term. Hampton has the right to redeem the Notes at any time within the 1 Year term. The net proceeds of the Offering will be used in part to retire $1,000,000 principal amount of maturing one year notes and the remainder may be used for other general corporate purposes of the Corporation and/or Hampton Securities Limited. About Hampton Financial Corporation Hampton Financial Corporation is a unique private equity firm that seeks to build shareholder value through long-term strategic investments. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Hampton Securities Limited (HSL), Hampton is actively engaged in family office, wealth management, institutional services and capital markets activities. HSL is a full service investment dealer, regulated by IIROC and registered in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Ontario and Quebec. In addition, the company provides investment banking services, which include assisting companies with raising capital, advising on mergers and acquisitions, and aiding issuers in obtaining a listing on a recognized securities exchange in Canada. For more information, please contact: Peter M. Deeb Executive Chairman & CEO Hampton Financial Corporation (416) 862-8651 The TSXV has in no way approved nor disapproved 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 press release. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. This press release does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction outside of Canada. The securities being offered have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to a U.S. person absent registration or pursuant to an available exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. There will be no public offering of securities in the United States. Forward-Looking Statements This press 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, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects, and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Corporation. 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 involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors beyond the Corporations ability to predict or control which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Corporation to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements herein. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance. Although the Corporation believes that any forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results may vary, and vary materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements herein. Accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of the risks and uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements herein and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking statements herein are made only as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Corporation assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise. Gloucester, MA (01930) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 32F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 32F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Goshen, IN (46526) Today Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 30F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 30F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Submit An Obituary Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Go to form Daimler officially started operations of its new R&D Tech Center China in Beijing. With an investment of 1.1 billion RMB (US$172 million), the company is further strengthening its R&D footprint and technological capabilities in the worlds biggest car market. The fully-fledged R&D center focuses on major technological trends, tailor-made innovation and significantly accelerating Daimlers local product development. Mercedes Benz will go from electric first to electric only. This requires accelerating our R&D efforts, additional investments into battery electric vehicles, and advancing our EV portfolio plan. When it comes to digitization, artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, cutting-edge computing, our R&D team in China plays an increasingly important role for us. This goes for technology development, but also for technology sourcing, especially with regard to New Energy Vehicles (NEVs). Markus Schafer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG; responsible for Daimler Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars COO For the first time in China, Daimler is bundling different disciplines such as research, engineering, simulation and testing under one roof. Around 1,000 engineers will benefit from intensive exchange and expertise sharing. The new R&D Tech Center China has a gross floor area of 55,000 m2 and integrates an office building as well as a test building with state-of-the-art testing facilities, a workshop, a warehouse and testing-car parking lots. At the core of the campus are its inspection, testing and validation facilities for hardware and software, which integrate all essential functions. The proximity of engineering and testing will help to speed up processes significantly, the company said. The test building is home to seven testing facilities including an eDrive lab, a charging lab, a volatile organic compounds (VOC) lab, a chassis lab, a noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) lab, an engine lab as well as an environmental lab. The new test building can accommodate more than 300 test vehicles at the same time. Mercedes-Benz testing requirements are extremely diverse to ensure Mercedes typical vehicle characters and quality, such as ride and handling, noise comfort or durability. The new test building ensures consistency and reproducibility of testing processes throughout the year and in line with global Mercedes-Benz standards. Two examples: INOVYN, a subsidiary of INEOS, plans to upgrade existing production at its Runcorn Site so that it can supply compressed fuel-cell quality hydrogen to mobility and power generation sectors. This is part of more than 2 billion investment in green hydrogen announced by INEOS earlier. (Earlier post.) INOVYN, which has been producing and using low-carbon hydrogen at its Runcorn Site for more than 100 years, is set to ramp up the supply of hydrogen to fuel the UKs transport network. Specifically, the investment will deliver dedicated on-site facilities for the purification and compression of existing low-carbon, fuel-cell quality hydrogen for subsequent loading and transportation and distribution to fueling stations across the UK. Hydrogen production at Runcorn Site has the potential to provide low-carbon fuel to power more than 1,000 buses or 2,000 trucks, where battery electric drive systems are not appropriate due to range, payload and critical refueling times. INOVYN is already Europes largest operator of electrolysis technology, which is used to make clean hydrogen. The investment at the site will kick-start the emerging hydrogen market and further support the North Wests regional commitment to carbon neutrality. Our expanding portfolio of clean hydrogen projects strengthens INOVYNs sustainability strategy and supports the drive to net-zero across the UK and the rest of Europe. INOVYN is in a unique position to reaffirm its expertise in hydrogen production and electrolysis, and to progress the green energy transition through the use of clean hydrogen. Geir Tuft, CEO INOVYN The project builds on INOVYNs hydrogen portfolio within the UK, including its involvement with consortiums such as HyNet North West, a clean hydrogen development project underpinned by INOVYNs storage technology infrastructure to unlock low-carbon energy for the North West of England and North Wales. INOVYN and its parent company INEOS are involved in multiple projects across Europe to develop green hydrogen and to replace existing carbon-based sources of energy, feedstocks and fuel. The group will work closely with national and European governments to facilitate hydrogens significant role in the new Green Economy. INOVYN manufactures a wide range of chemicals that are used as raw materials in almost every industrial process. The portfolio is organized across five key product groups: organic chlorine derivatives; chlor alkali; general purpose vinyls; specialty vinyls; and technologies. The Runcorn Site produces 7,000 tonnes of hydrogen each year; INEOS as a whole produces around 400,000 tonnes a year of hydrogen, which would replace the equivalent of around 2 billion liters of diesel. If applied to cars, 400,000 tonnes of hydrogen would fuel around 1 million - 2 million cars every year. SPARKZ Inc., a battery startup with exclusive licenses to produce domestic cobalt-free lithium batteries (earlier post), has won a grant for $2.6 million from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to extend its development into solid-state batteries. CEC funded the full amount possible for the first phase of the grant and will help SPARKZ bridge the gap from their previous public funding awards to private investment. The CEC funding will help SPARKZ begin to engineer a solid-state, cobalt-free battery in the US. SPARKZ will be announcing its private sector investors, customers and OEM partnerships in the near future. Founded by industry veteran and former US Department of Energy executive Sanjiv Malhotra, SPARKZ will begin commercialization of a cobalt-free, US-made Lithium-ion battery, while continuing its research and development focused on re-engineering the rest of the battery supply chain. The companys first commercial product will eliminate cobalt, traditionally used in the cathode of a Lithium battery, with the objective of reducing the cost of Lithium battery production in the US, while also eliminating a primary environmental concern, and reducing chokepoints created by a foreign supply chain. Sparkz cobalt-free battery offers 2X the energy density compared to other cobalt-free batteries (Lithium Iron Phosphate or LFP) being produced predominantly in China. SPARKZ will begin pilot-testing with its OEM partners in early 2022. Its initial research shows the ability to reduce the cost of cell manufacturing by about 40%, while maintaining energy density and cycle-life comparable to chemistries that utilize cobalt. SPARKZ is also evaluating locations for its first manufacturing facility in the United States to scale their licensed battery technologies to meet the demands of its existing customers in the mobility and grid sectors. The company also believes it is in the best position to meet four of the five goals from the recently released National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries, which calls for eliminating Nickel and cobalt from Lithium batteries by 2030 to develop a stronger, more secure and resilient supply chain. SPARKZ was founded in late 2019 and has been in stealth mode. SPARKZ has completed the transfer of 6 patents from the US Department of Energys Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which continues to be an R&D partner. In addition to being 100% cobalt-free, the patents also reduce production time significantly and enhance battery performance. Support local journalism We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story. Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe is scheduled to open its new Norwalk location in early December. The popular Connecticut sandwich shop announced this location opening over the summer and it was originally scheduled to open in September. The new Nardelli's will open at 345 Main Ave. and will feature an updated concept of the sandwich shop, according to franchise owner Matthew Youngs. "Not a change in the menu or the preparation of food, but from an aesthetic [and] design element," said Youngs. Among these changes are the addition of an "order taking station" to increase the speed of the orders, as well as a larger Grab and Go station." It will be probably a quicker, smoother execution," he said. Youngs, a New Canaan resident, said has been a long-time lover of Nardelli's and decided to open a franchise in the lower part of Fairfield County after leaving his job in the retail industry. "Every once in a while, my boys and I would hop in the car and drive 25 miles each way just to get at Nardelli's sandwich because we liked it so much," said Youngs. The Norwalk location is the Youngs' first franchise, however he plans to open at least another four locations in the next five years in other parts of Fairfield County. Nardelli's is a family-owned brand that first opened in Waterbury in 1922 by brothers Giuseppe, Antonio and Frederico Nardelli, who had left their Italian hometown eight years earlier, according to Nardelli's website. Menu items include more than 30 hot and cold grinders, with ingredients such as rosciutto hot pepper chicken, chicken cutlet, roasted turkey club and chipotle grilled chicken. Viktoria Sundqvist / Hearst Connecticut Media Nardellis has locations in Cromwell, Danbury, East Hartford, Farmington, Meriden, Middletown, Milford, Naugatuck, Orange, Southbury, Southington, Torrington, Wallingford and Waterbury. The franchise is soon opening a shop in Massachusetts, its first location outside of Connecticut. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) An assistant director unwittingly handed Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, court records released Friday show. Cold gun, the assistant director announced, according to a search warrant filed in a Santa Fe court. Instead, the gun was loaded with live rounds, and when Baldwin pulled the trigger Thursday on the set of a Western, he killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, was wounded, the records said. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office obtained the warrant Friday so investigators could document the scene at the ranch outside Santa Fe where the shooting took place. They sought to examine Baldwins blood-stained costume for the film Rust," as well as the weapon that was fired, other prop guns and ammunition, and any footage that might exist. The gun was one of three that the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, had set on a cart outside the wooden structure where a scene was being acted, according to the records. Assistant director Dave Halls grabbed the gun from the cart and brought it inside to Baldwin, unaware that it was loaded with live rounds, a detective wrote in the search warrant application. It was unclear how many rounds were fired. Gutierrez removed a shell casing from the gun after the shooting, and she turned the weapon over to police when they arrived, the court records say. Halls did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment. The Associated Press was unable to contact Gutierrez, and several messages sent to production companies affiliated with the film were not immediately returned Friday. The films script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, said she was standing next to Hutchins when she was shot. I ran out and called 911 and said Bring everybody, send everybody, Mitchell told The Associated Press. This woman is gone at the beginning of her career. She was an extraordinary, rare, very rare woman. Mitchell said she and other crew members were attending a private memorial service Friday night in Santa Fe. Baldwin described the killing as a tragic accident." There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. Im fully cooperating with the police investigation, Baldwin wrote on Twitter. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna. No immediate charges were filed, and sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios said Baldwin was permitted to travel. Hes a free man, Rios said. Images of the 63-year-old actor known for his roles in 30 Rock and The Hunt for Red October and his impression of former President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live showed him distraught outside the sheriffs office on Thursday. Guns used in making movies are sometimes real weapons that can fire either bullets or blanks, which are gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but no deadly projectile. Even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. That proved to be the case in the death of an actor in 1984. In another on-set accident in 1993, the actor Brandon Lee was killed after a bullet was left in a prop gun, and similar shootings have occurred involving stage weapons that were loaded with live rounds. Gun-safety protocol on sets in the United States has improved since then, said Steven Hall, a veteran director of photography in Britain. But he said one of the riskiest positions to be in is behind the camera because that person is in the line of fire in scenes where an actor appears to point a gun at the audience. Sheriffs deputies responded about 2 p.m. to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 calls described a person being shot there, Rios said. The ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western News of the World. Hutchins, 42, worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film Archenemy starring Joe Manganiello. She was a 2015 graduate of the American Film Institute and was named a rising star by American Cinematographer in 2019. Im so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set, said Archenemy director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film. Manganiello called Hutchins an incredible talent and a great person on his Instagram account. He said he was lucky to have worked with her. After the shooting, production was halted on Rust. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. Lee, son of martial arts star Bruce Lee, died in 1993 after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series Cover Up. Such shootings have also happened during historical reenactments. In 2015, an actor staging a historical gunfight in Tombstone, Arizona, was shot and wounded with a live round during a show that was supposed to use blanks. In Hill City, South Dakota, a tourist town that recreates an Old West experience, three spectators were wounded in 2011 when a re-enactor fired real bullets instead of blanks. ___ Associated Press writers Jake Coyle and Jocelyn Noveck in New York; Lizzie Knight in London; Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine; Ryan Pearson in Los Angeles; Walter Berry in Phoenix; and Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report. DANBURY Little information is available to explain or support claims that migrant children are arriving in Danbury and Bridgeport after being flown from New York. The Hat Citys mayor, governors office and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.s office said they had no knowledge of the claims in the New York Posts report. Mayor Joe Cavo said Wednesday his staff has been looking into the claim the past two days. His office had reached out to state and federal representatives for clarification. Were trying to find out, but I have nothing that says thats happening at this moment, he said. Were just trying to do our due diligence. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed in her press briefing on Tuesday that children have passed through the Westchester County Airport on their way to be unified with a parent or vetted sponsor. This is happening across the country and is part of the Office of Refugee Resettlements process to facilitate travel for children in its custody, she said. Its no surprise that kids can be seen traveling through states, not just New York, she said. Its something that were also working to unite children with their family members or vetted sponsors in other parts of the country as well. The New York Post reported Monday that an unnamed source familiar with the operation at the Westchester airport said the children typically arrive with backpacks and are bused to Bridgeport and Danbury, as well as various locations in New York, such as the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and upstate Newburgh. NBC New York reported that more than 2,000 children have been flown to the airport since June. Catherine Cioffi, spokeswoman for the Westchester County executive office, said the flights are normal. County government cannot amend it, stop it or agree to it, she said. The situation at the airport is nothing new, she said in a statement. This is similar to when HHS, under the Trump administration, housed almost 1 thousand migrant children in Westchester- without the Countys prior knowledge or approval. Then, as opposed to now, there was no outcry by anyone. The federal government has told Westchester County that eligible children are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, Cioffi said. The other children have been tested. Psaki did not say if any of the children are coming to Connecticut. It is our legal responsibility to safely care for unaccompanied children until they swiftly can be swiftly unified with a parent or a vetted sponsor, she said. And thats something we take seriously; we have a moral obligation to come to do that and deliver on that. The Office of Refugee Resettlement is charged with finding and conducting background checks of sponsors for unaccompanied migrant children. The vast majority of sponsors are a parent or close family member living in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the resettlement office. It is our legal responsibility to safely care for unaccompanied children until they can be swiftly unified with a parent or a vetted sponsor, an HHS spokesperson said in a statement. As part of the unification process, ORR facilitates travel for the children in ORRs care to their sponsors or other care providers in the most expeditious way to quickly and safely unite them with parents and sponsors. These modes include air and ground transportation options, taking into account child safety and wellness, travel time, and cost-effectiveness. This travel may consist of flights originating from various locations with stops/layovers in different airports. ORR has policies in place to maintain the privacy, security and well-being of minors in our care. A spokesman for Blumenthal said his office didnt know of kids being sent from the Westchester airport to Danbury or Bridgeport. The governors office said the same. I have no knowledge of this, spokesman Max Reiss said in an email. Earlier this year, the White House considered housing migrant children at the closed Connecticut Juvenile Training School or another temporary facility, but decided against it. U.S. Customs and Border Protection directed questions to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE and DHS directed questions to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These are not ICE flights, ICE spokeswoman Mary Houtmann said in an email. The Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, a New Haven-based organization, was aware of the reports, but didnt have more information. Other groups that support immigrants, including the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, could not be reached for comment. Cavo said he has received several calls and emails from community members with questions about the operation. We just want to make sure were factual, and so Im trying to get to the bottom of it, he said. GREENWICH Nearly 100 Greenwich teachers marched to Central Middle School for a rally before Thursday nights Board of Education meeting, speaking out against what they said was harassment and threats from activist groups. The teachers, who are part of the Greenwich Education Association labor union, carried signs saying, Stop Attacking Teachers and Stop Harassing Teachers. GEA President Lil Perone spoke on the groups behalf, telling the school board that teachers have been targeted and harassed on social media and sent threatening emails by a small but loud group of individuals and parents. We cannot allow our friends and colleagues to be harassed, bullied and threatened, Perone told the Board of Education. This must stop now. Can we send a message to the community that we support each other and do not tolerate behavior that goes against what we want to model for our students and children? The rally came after increasing criticism from some parents and community members in the past few months at previous Board of Education meeting and online over the school districts curriculum. Some have loudly protested what they say is the teaching of critical race theory, a graduate school level educational philosophy that Superintendent Toni Jones has said is not taught in Greenwich Public Schools. In her comments at the meeting, Perone said the school board and the community must protect the benefits of fact-based learning and diversity in our schools and affirm our commitment to the values of academic integrity and honesty that have been the hallmarks of American education for decades. She asked the Board of Education to take a stand against these threatening and harassing behaviors against educators, and received a standing ovation from the GEA members and supporters after her comments. A group of teachers began the evening with a solidarity march from Greenwich High School to Central, where more teachers, as well as members of the state teachers union, were waiting. Ultimately, nearly 150 teachers and supporters attended the meetings public hearing. Several members of the teachers union declined to comment on the circumstances that led to the rally. Point of contention At several of the recent meetings, school board Chair Peter Bernstein has repeatedly warned the public with removal after there has been shouting from the crowd and other interruptions of speakers during comments about curriculum and other issues. Jackie Homan, founder of the Greenwich Patriots activist group, has been outspoken at meetings and online about her issues with the curriculum and about an incident in which a not appropriate video was shown to two second grade classes during remote learning in March. Greenwich Patriots greatly value and support our teachers, but we are concerned with the dark and inappropriate themes recently seen in the curriculum. The assignments we have questioned are profanity laced, sexually explicit and/or racially charged, Homan said before the rally. Weve also noticed a push for social justice in the classroom, which is often delivered through social-emotional learning instruction. Her group wants the districts curriculum cleaned up and the activism toned down, with an increased focus on academics, she said. Several members of the Connecticut Education Association attended the meeting to support the GEA, including CEA President Kate Diaz. She said Homans comments do not represent what is taught in the schools. That certainly doesnt sound reflective of any curricular activity in any school district in the state of Connecticut and it definitely doesnt reflect the work being done in Greenwich schools, Diaz said. At Thursdays meeting, several speakers again accused the district of teaching critical race theory as well as claiming that the curriculum caused students to hate America. Speaker Carl Higbie, a critic of district curriculum and a former Navy SEAL, offered to protect teachers. If you guys have threats against you, Im the guy to call, Higbie said to the teachers during the meetings public hearing. If someone threatens a teacher, call me and Ill be the first person to defend you. Higbie, a member of the towns Representative Town Meeting, also held up a sign with his cellphone number, saying anyone who needed his help could call. During a later protest of mask use in schools to mitigate the spread of COVID, Higbie held up signs and passed out papers with the cellphone numbers for Jones and Bernstein. Higbie said they should expect calls until they end the mask mandate, which is set by an executive order from Gov. Ned Lamont. Backing the teachers Before the meeting began, Bernstein and Jones expressed their support for the teachers in the Greenwich Public Schools. I understand why they feel the need to speak out at this point as teachers have been asked to work in completely different ways over the last year-and-a-half and have been scrutinized more than ever, Bernstein said. We should be thanking them for their efforts under less-than-ideal circumstances rather than constantly finding ways to criticize or attack. The CEAs partnership with the GEA to call for civility, kindness and respectful dialogue can only be positive, Jones said. The district is grateful for the majority of families and community members tell staff they are appreciated and valued, she said. Our GPS teachers, administrators, and staff deserve to work in an environment where they feel safe and supported, Jones said. Teaching during the pandemic has been incredibly challenging. Without delving into specific criticisms, she added, Some behaviors by adults that have been witnessed goes against every norm we utilize with our students: shouting at others, attacking individuals on social media and a general lack of civility. We do not want to see one more teacher leave our district because they feel unsafe or unsupported. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com GREENWICH A popular destination for 40 years for shoppers needing costumes, a popular clothing and novelty shop in central Greenwich is likely enjoying its last Halloween this year. Sophia Scarpelli opened the store, Sophias Costumes & Gifts, in 1981, and she celebrated its 40th anniversary this year in its home off Lewis Street and Liberty Way. But the building that once housed the New York Sports Club, and her store, is being redeveloped. Investors are looking to open a large Greek restaurant, market and bakery there, forcing Sophias to close its doors in the near future. Its very unsettling, I just celebrated 40 years last week. And I grew up here, Scarpelli said during a break from a busy day helping customers pick out Halloween attire. Maybe I can find a better place maybe I have to move out of Greenwich, which is unfortunate, because there are very few cool stores left here, she said. There is a proposal to convert the building, owned by Cohen Realty, into a restaurant with more than 200 seats. It would be operated by the Kyma restaurant group, which has locations in Manhattan, Long Island and New Jersey. A large bakery and market would also be attached to the proposed restaurant operation. Scarpelli said she is operating under a month-to-month basis with the landlord, and she is expecting to lose the lease once approvals are granted for the new restaurant. The small business owner told the town Planning and Zoning Commission at a recent hearing that she felt the proposed redevelopment would harm the central business district, as well as impact the local bakeries in the neighborhood. If they pass this, its going to be detrimental, Scarpelli said. Im gone, but Id like to be an advocate for the little guy. With 276 seats, a bar and a bakery and a market where are these people going to park? If anyone knows parking, its me. Also, Scarpelli said the loss of another small, locally owned business in the Greenwich Avenue corridor would be a blow very few little people left, she said. Scarpelli says she expects the store on Liberty Way to close early next year, but she says she has not been given formal notice. The store sells a wide variety of costume for men such as Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Marlon Brando and Prince and flapper attire, hippy wear or Marilyn Monroe and Lucille Ball get-ups for women. The store also does rentals and sells novelties and gifts. Manager Glenn Beyus said its a great place to work. Its fun and you never know what youre going to get, he said. Youve got to think fast. He said he is helping to provide costumes for a couple dressing as Sonny and Cher with the woman as Sonny and the man as Cher. The attorney representing the redevelopment, Chip Haslun, said the planned restaurant and market operation would be a vibrant addition to the community, one that would fit in with downtown. The Planning and Zoning Commission has been working through a number of zoning and legal issues with the application. The commission said it wanted more data on traffic and parking for the proposal. Lets take a look at the data and how were going to work it, chairwoman Margarita Alban said. The fitness center, which closed last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, had opened in the 1980s. The building is one of the oldest in the area and was once used as a stable for horses. rmarchant@greenwichtime.com A criminal complaint charging Robert Durst with the murder of his wife who vanished nearly 40 years ago has been filed in a New York court, the Westchester County District Attorneys Office confirmed Friday. In a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Lewisboro town court, Robert Durst was charged with second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Kathie Durst, who disappeared Jan. 31, 1982 from the couples home in South Salem, N.Y. Kathie Durst, who graduated from what was then called Western Connecticut State College, was 30 years old when she vanished after returning home from a gathering with friends in Newtown. According to the one-page complaint released Friday, New York State Police investigator Joseph Becerra alleges Robert Durst killed his wife at or near their Hoyt Street home in South Salem, which is located in Lewisboro. We are very happy with this development, Robert Abrams, an attorney representing Kathie Dursts family, said Friday in a statement. At this time, however, we will not be making any further comments until the grand jury process is completed. Robert Durst was convicted in September of killing a close friend, Susan Berman, who prosecutors believed was about to come forward with information on Kathie Dursts death. Robert Durst was sentenced to life in prison in a Los Angeles courtroom earlier this month. Published reports indicate the 78-year-old Durst has since been hospitalized with COVID-19 and is on a ventilator. The office of Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah declined to comment Friday on how Dursts health would impact the New York criminal proceedings. According to the complaint, the murder charge was filed based on information gathered by New York and California authorities and conversations with numerous witnesses and observations of defendants recorded interviews and court testimony in related proceedings. Kathie Dursts disappearance was central to the evidence presented in the Berman trial. Berman had repeatedly defended Robert Durst when allegations surfaced that he may have been involved in his wifes disappearance. Berman was found dead in her Los Angeles home in December 2000. Prosecutors claimed Berman was about to come forward with information on Kathie Dursts disappearance when she died. Durst testified in August that he changed his mind many times about whether he actually saw his wife step onto a commuter train for Manhattan on the night she disappeared in 1982 and said he lied to police when he told them he later spoke to her on the phone. Robert Durst testified that he never saw or heard from his wife after watching her step onto the train platform in the New York hamlet of Katonah near their home on Jan. 31, 1982. But days later, he told a detective investigating her disappearance that he had called her and spoken to her while she was at their apartment in Manhattan, where she was staying because she had medical school in the Bronx the following morning. "That was a lie," Durst testified. "I wanted to convince him that Kathie had gotten back." Durst was charged in Bermans homicide in March 2015 as the final episode was set to air for the HBO six-part series, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, which chronicled the millionaires life and connection to three peoples deaths over four decades. Durst, who was acquitted in the 2001 homicide and dismemberment of one of his neighbors in Texas, was alone in a bathroom in the HBO series when a live microphone caught him saying, What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course. Court documents filed in 2017 by Kathie Dursts family seeking to have her declared dead allege that Robert Durst was abusive and she had been hospitalized after one incident. The family claims that the two had argued the night she went missing. Kathie Durst was about to finish medical school to become a pediatrician, her family said. She was close to her mother and her siblings and would have no reason to suddenly break contact with them and never be seen again, the documents said. The Associated Press contributed to this story. WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a plea from South Carolina to reimpose the death penalty on a South Carolina inmate whose death sentence stood for two decades until a federal appeals court threw it out in August. Chief Justice John Roberts did not comment in denying the state's request to stop the clock on a lower court order in favor of inmate Sammie Lee Stokes. The order requires the state to conduct a new sentencing hearing for Stokes, if it wants jurors to again sentence him to death. Otherwise, Stokes will spend the rest of his life in prison. PARIS (AP) France on Friday urged Iran to curb nuclear activities of unprecedented gravity as U.S. and European envoys met to discuss efforts aimed at reviving the troubled 2015 Iran nuclear deal. U.S. envoy Robert Malley joined counterparts from France, Britain and Germany at the meetings in Paris, at what the French Foreign Ministry called a critical time in efforts to salvage the accord. It is urgent and crucial for Iran to end the activities of unprecedented gravity that it is conducting in violation of the (agreement) and to immediately resume full-fledged cooperation" with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre said in an online briefing. In Washington, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters the U.S. and its partners are united in the belief that diplomacy continues to provide the most effective pathway to verifiably and permanently preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. And, he said, "we are united in the belief that negotiations should resume in Vienna as soon as possible and that they should resume precisely where they left off in June. The IAEA is charged with monitoring the 2015 accord, which was aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear activity in exchange for the lifting of crippling sanctions. The U.S. pulled out of the accord under Donald Trump and re-imposed sanctions. Since then Iran has stepped up nuclear activity and is now in violation of several aspects of the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. Irans nuclear activity includes enriching uranium which Western nations fear could be used to build an atomic bomb. Tehran denies any such ambitions. The U.S. and European partners are ready to return immediately to negotiations with Iran in order to swiftly conclude an agreement on Irans return to its commitments and the United States return to the JCPOA," Legendre said. Irans new hardline government led by President Ebrahim Raisi, which took power in August, has hinted it will return to the nuclear talks in Vienna but has balked at setting a date. WASHINGTON (AP) Vice President Kamala Harris will head next month to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the White House. The White House announced Harris visit to France as President Joe Biden and Macron spoke by phone on Friday. The two presidents are scheduled to meet in Rome later this month on the margins of the Group of 20 summit. MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) Nicaraguas national police arrested two leaders of the countrys top private business association Thursday, just one day after a regional body called for the immediate release of political prisoners. A police statement said Michael Healy Lacayo and Alvaro Vargas, president and vice president, respectively, of the Private Business Superior Council, face charges including money laundering, acts that diminish the countrys independence and inciting foreign interference among others. The charges are similar to those lodged against more than three dozen people, including political and student leaders and seven potential challengers to President Daniel Ortega in the Nov. 7 election. Those arrests began in May and all remain in detention. The latest arrests came after a resounding vote Wednesday by the Organization of American States Permanent Council that called for the release of political prisoners in Nicaragua and expressed serious concern about the upcoming elections. Ortega appeared to double down on his strategy of leaving no other influential power standing. For years, the Private Business Superior Council maintained a political alliance with Ortega, but it broke with his government following a unilateral overhaul to the social security system that set off public protests in April 2018. The government violently put down the protests and the council backed demands by the protests student leaders. Healy participated in the short-lived national dialogue after those protests. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which tallied at least 328 deaths in the crackdown, ordered protective measures for Healy in August 2018. Ortega has maintained that the events of 2018 were an attempted coup with foreign backing. His administration has systemically pursued opposition leaders, accusing them of involvement. He has even lashed out at the Roman Catholic Church in Nicaragua. Healy and Vargas had been called to appear at the Attorney Generals Office on Thursday morning for unspecified reasons. Healy went to his interview with a police escort, but emerged 10 minutes later to say he was told it had been rescheduled. A short while later, he and his driver were arrested. Members of a local television crew were briefly detained when they tried to film Healys arrest, but they were later released. Vargas was arrested at his home, the police statement said. The business group said in a statement that police searched Healys home. Ortega, who turns 76 next month, has been ruling without interruption since 2007, after first coming to power following the ouster of dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979. The United States and European Union have said in recent weeks that conditions do not exist for free and fair elections on Nov. 7. Russian President Vladimir Putin again attacked Western liberalism in a fiery address on Thursday, blasting so-called cancel culture and advances in gay and transgender rights. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin stressed that his country should adhere to its own "spiritual values and historical traditions," while steering clear of "sociocultural disturbances" in the West. Some Westerners believe "the aggressive deletion of whole pages of their own history, reverse discrimination against the majority in the interests of minorities . . . constitute movement toward public renewal," Putin said. "It's their right, but we are asking them to steer clear of our home. We have a different viewpoint." Putin, who told the Financial Times of London newspaper in 2019 that liberalism had become "obsolete," has loudly advocated for what he considers to be traditional family values. In his Thursday remarks, he said the notion that children are "taught that a boy can become a girl and vice versa" is monstrous and "on the verge of a crime against humanity." He also suggested that transgender rights supporters were demanding an end to "basic things such as mother, father, family or gender differences." The authoritarian leader has sought to portray himself as a symbol of virile masculinity - for instance, by being photographed shirtless on horseback - while ramping up a state-led pressure campaign on sexual minorities in Russia. Putin rules a country where there have been numerous credible reports of the torture and imprisonment of gay men. In 2013, he signed an anti-"gay propaganda" law that Human Rights Watch said prompted increased hostility toward LGBTQ communities and made it harder for children to access information about nontraditional relations. The effect has been particularly profound in schools, where some Russian teachers characterize LGBTQ people "as a symptom of perversion imported from Western Europe or North America," the rights watchdog said. Putin's rhetoric is not dissimilar to those of many right-wing populist leaders in Eastern Europe and the United States, who have targeted sexual minorities in an attempt to shore up support. The Thursday remarks reflect efforts to rally "hardcore conservatives and supporters of traditional values" around Putin, wrote Tatiana Stanovaya, head of the Moscow-based R.Politik think tank, on a Telegram channel. "This ideological spin, which is becoming more and more official and concrete, is the main aid to repressions, much stronger than any election," she said. Putin is trying to show that he "stands for values that will not divide society and throw it into chaos," said Matthew Sussex, a Russia expert at the Australian National University. "On the one hand, it's a unifying message. But on the other hand, it does hit . . . the transgender and gay communities that the Russian government has continued to target." Despite the attack on liberal values, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the speech should not affect Russia's relationship with Western countries. "Russia has been, is and will be an integral part of Europe," he said. Meanwhile, asked by former Trump adviser Christian Whiton on Thursday to comment on the likelihood of the former president seeking the White House again in 2024, Putin initially demurred. Instead, he asked the adviser who his choice would be. When Whiton said Trump, Putin responded with a smile and said, "I understand you." The U.S. intelligence community has concluded that Russia conducted a sweeping and unprecedented campaign to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Putin has denied any involvement. - - - The Washington Post's Isabelle Khurshudyan in Moscow contributed reporting. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Authorities are investigating after confirming that a prop firearm discharged by actor Alec Baldwin, while producing and starring in a Western movie, killed the cinematographer and wounded the director. Santa Fe County Sheriffs officials said Halyna Hutchins, cinematographer on the movie Rust, and director Joel Souza were shot Thursday on the rustic film set in the desert on the southern outskirts of Santa Fe. Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel, the sheriff's department said. Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, where he is undergoing treatment for his injuries. Production was halted on the film. A spokesperson for Baldwin said there was an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks, though a charge without a metal projectile is unlikely to kill at a moderate distance. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported the 63-year-old Baldwin was seen Thursday outside the sheriffs office in tears, but attempts to get comment from him were unsuccessful. The International Cinematographers Guild confirmed that the woman fatally shot was Hutchins, a cinematographer. The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event, guild president John Lindley and executive director Rebecca Rhine said in a statement. Hutchins, a 2015 graduate of the American Film Institute, worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film Archenemy, starring Joe Manganiello. She was named a rising star by American Cinematographer in 2019. Im so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set, said Archenemy director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film. Film colleague Manganiello called her an incredible talent and a great person on his Instagram account. He said he was lucky to have worked with Hutchins. Baldwin teamed up as a producer previously with Souza on the 2019 film, Crown Vic, which starred Thomas Jane as a veteran Los Angeles police officer on a manhunt for two violent bank robbers. His first credited film, 2010s Hannas Gold, was a treasure hunt adventure featuring Luke Perry. Deputies responded about 2 p.m. to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 calls described a person being shot on set, sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios said. The ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western News of the World. Rios said detectives were investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged. This investigation remains open and active, Rios said in a statement. No charges have been filed in regard to this incident. Witnesses continue to be interviewed by detectives. Filming for Rust was set to continue into early November, according to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s' Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. In 1993, Brandon Lee, 28, son of the late martial-arts star Bruce Lee, died after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. A Twitter account run by Lee's sister Shannon said: Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on Rust. No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period. In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series Cover Up. ___ Berry reported from Phoenix. Associated Press film writer Jake Coyle contributed to this report. Samsung has found itself in a heated legal battle in Russia with a patent infringement related to its Samsung Pay service. Russian courts have ruled on the first instance that Samsung is to halt imports and sales of up to 61 models of its smartphones running Samsung Pay including its top of the line Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 over accusations that Samsung Pay violates a patent of Swiss-based mobile payments company Sqwin Sa. Samsung has appealed the decisions and is not yet legally binned to halt sales of its phones. The problem dates back to 2013 when Victor Gulchenko filed a patent for an online transaction system which was then registered on April 2019 and granted to Sqwin Sa. Samsung Pay was introduced in 2015 and made its way to Russia a year later in 2016. As of today, Samsung Pay is regarded as the third most used contactless payment system in Russia with 17% of transactions, trailing Apple Pay (30%) and Google Pay (32%). According to legal experts, the latter two services may also fall victim to Sqwin Sas patent. Source (in Russian) The vivo X70 series is already available around the world, but the company has no plans to launch phones from the older X60 lineup to the domestic market. A new vivo phone has popped up on TENAA with a Dimensity 1200 chipset and an AMOLED display, and sources claim it will be called vivo X60t Pro. vivo X60t Pro The phone appears to be completely new, and not just a rebadged version of an old handset, like the X60 Pro+ and X60t Pro+ (or the X60 and X60t). The screen will have a 6.44 diagonal, which would be a first for the X60 family. It will also come with a 64 MP main camera and a 16 MP selfie shooter - both specs are also new for the series. In terms of memory, vivo has prepared several RAM and storage variants, but actual combinations will be revealed once the phone launches. The battery of this vivo X60t Pro is listed as 3,920 mAh which is the minimal charge for a power cell that has a typical capacity of 4,000 mAh. We also expect Android 11 out of the box with OriginOS on top - since the phone is unlikely to make it outside China, we are probably not going to see it with Funtouch OS. Via Guam shutterbugs are encouraged to submit photos to Wikipedia for their annual Wiki Loves Monuments contest taking place this month. The international photo competition is open through Oct. 31 and invites the global community to document and preserve historic sites around the world on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, according to their website. The top 10 photos will receive prizes ranging from $50 to $500, a certificate, and your photos will be submitted to the international competition. The prizes will be gift cards of the winners choice. Photos should be of historic sites that are recognized by the government or other organizations, such as the National Register of Historic Places According to the website, there are historic sites that dont already have photos on Wikipedia such as the Asan Ridge Battle Area, Fort San Jose, Jinapsan, Asan Memorial Beach Park and more. Rules To participate, your photos must be original works and must have been taken at any time, including prior to this event, but must be uploaded on Wikipedia this month. As you are uploading your photos, you must release your photo under a free license, CC BY-SA license or similar, as this allows for re-use of the image. Be advised that by sharing your photos, you are allowing anyone to use them. Photo editing must not deceive the viewer, however, correcting flaws, color adjustments and other minor edits can be made. You are responsible for following the law while taking and uploading the photo. If you are going out to photograph a site, be sure to take all necessary health precautions and follow Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services guidance. You will need an activate email address on Wikimedia Commons so that you can be contacted if you win. If the photo gets deleted for any reason, it will be disqualified from the competition. Judging criteria The U.S. jury consists of individuals with backgrounds in art, photography, history and historical preservation and the Wikimedia Commons. They will evaluate the photos and select the best 10 pictures. Photos will be judged on composition, technical quality, originality and usefulness of the image for Wikipedia. While photos of all historical sites are valued, pictures of more uncommon and less photographed sites will do better in judging. Copyright notices In the United States, you may freely take photos of buildings, but not copyrighted artworks and sculptures. Permanently installed artworks may be photographed if they were installed before 1926 or installed before 1978 without a copyrighted notice. Go to the Wiki Loves Monuments site at wikilovesmonuments.org for more details. Palaus Minister of Finance and Asian Development Bank Governor Kaleb Udui Jr., center, signs a $3.71 grant for the Palau COVID-19 response. Standing, from left: Kadoi Ruluked, director of Palau Visitors Authority; Casmir Remengesau, director of Budget and Planning; Kobayashi Ryutaro, chief representative JICA; Alfonsa Koshiba, Asian Development Bank Palau Pacific Country Officer; Fred Sengebau, director of Agriculture; Judy Otto, Asian Development Bank consultant. Seated, from left: Japanese Ambassador Akira Karasawa; Udui; and Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl, Palau minister of human resources, culture, tourism and development. Guams COVID-19 death toll climbed to 227 Friday. The Joint Information Centers news release reported the death occurred at Guam Regional Medical City Friday. The patient was a 77-year-old unvaccinated woman who had underlying health conditions. She tested positive Oct. 16. No words can express how deeply we feel for the friends and family of those who were impacted by this virus and taken too soon, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero stated in a news release. The grief is great and so is the reality that it will continue. We will control what we can, with our personal mitigations against COVID-19, to build defenses against such great loss. New cases There were 95 new positive cases confirmed out of 951 tests performed Oct. 21, according to the Department of Public Health and Social Services. Of those, 26 cases were identified through contact tracing. Guam has had 17,472 cases of COVID-19, with 2,159 currently in active isolation. Guams CAR Score is 16.8. Hospitalizations There were at least 46 people hospitalized 18 were vaccinated, 27 werent and one was ineligible. Of the COVID patients in island hospitals, 30 were at Guam Memorial Hospital, including two pediatric admissions, seven in the ICU and seven on ventilators. There were 16 people at Guam Regional Medical City, with four in the ICU and one on a ventilator. Guam DOE On Friday, the Guam Department of Education confirmed 15 new positive COVID-19 cases involving students, the agency stated in a news release. There was one each at Astumbo Elementary, Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary, M.U. Lujan Elementary, Upi Elementary, Astumbo Middle, Vicente S.A. Benavente Middle, George Washington High, John F. Kennedy High and Okkodo High. There were two each at Finegayan Elementary, Wettengel Elementary and Luis P. Untalan Middle. In collaboration with Public Health, Guam DOE has identified and notified teachers and parents of students who may have been in contact with the positive cases, the release stated. Cleaning and disinfecting of campuses is being done to ensure schools are ready for regular hours of operation on Monday. The Guam Department of Education on Thursday confirmed an employee at Wettengel Elementary also tested positive for COVID-19. Catholic schools The Archdiocese of Agana announced a total of 10 new positive cases of COVID-19 at Catholic schools from Oct. 15 to Oct. 22 nine students, one employee. Saint Anthony Catholic School reported five students tested positive for the virus, according to a news release from the archdiocese. Santa Barbara Catholic School, San Vicente Catholic School, Bishop Baumgartner Memorial Catholic School and Dominican Child Development Center each reported one positive student. An employee at Bishop Baumgartner also tested positive. Public Health has been notified and school administrators are working closely on contacting tracing, the release stated. Schools are following COVID-19 mitigation protocols communicating with parents and the school community, identifying individuals who are deemed close contacts and helping to coordinate testing for affected students, the release stated. Since the return to on-site learning Sept. 20, there have been 29 cases of COVID-19 reported by Catholic schools: 27 students and two employees. Boosters Public Health is preparing to integrate the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations newly authorized COVID-19 booster shots for Moderna and Johnson &Johnson/Jannsen into its vaccination campaign. The agency and its US-Affiliated Pacific Islands Immunization adviser are communicating with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials for guidance. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shots are available for those who meet the current eligibility criteria, the Joint Information Center release stated. The following are eligible for a booster if they received the first two doses and its been six months or more since the second dose: The Department of Agricultures conservation officers are asking the public to help identify a man who was seen taking a sea turtle at Alupang Beach Park, according to a news release from the department. On Aug. 21, conservation officers responded to reports of the illegal taking of a sea turtle at the park, according to the release. Photos of the taking of the sea turtle were given to conservation officers, the release said. There is a $1,000 reward for anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual. Conservation officers are also reminding the public that under the Endangered Species Act, it is illegal to take, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, possess, sell import, carry or ship any endangered species. Violators can be fined up to $100,000 and face up to one year in jail, according to the release. Guam Coastal Management objected to Navy's training plans, Navy proceeded anyway When the Navy finalized its training and testing plans in July, it proceeded over an objecti Anyone with information can contact conservation officers at 671-864-TOKA (8652), or 671-300-0760. The Guahan Academy Charter School passed its financial audit for fiscal years 2019 and 2020 by independent auditors Deloitte and Touche LLP, who reviewed the academys financial statements and rendered a clean opinion, according to the Office of Public Accountability. In 2020 the schools revenue increased by $1,035,939 and expenditures also increased by $319,322. Operating expenses increased by 7%, and personnel costs from 2019 to 2020. The school, as a non-profit corporation, received almost all of its funding from the government of Guam for its expenses, and has free use of the campus location at Tiyan through a memorandum of agreement. Total revenue from Guams government was 4.7 million in 2019 and 5.8 million in 2020. The increase between the two years is in part due to an in-kind contribution of $317,690 by the government of Guam for the rental value of Building E at the Tiyan campus. The academy received 84% of its annual revenue from the Guam Department of Education for fiscal year 2019 and in 2020 received 81% according to reports from the auditor. The budget for the academy by the government of Guam is to fund a total of 740 students per school year. Current enrollment at the academy is at 765. Funds per students increased from $6,088 in 2019 to $6,150 in 2020. For school year 2019 to 2020, a total of 31 seniors received their diplomas, making it the largest graduating class to date. Two things from the 2018 audit still remain unresolved. A parent-teacher organization has been allowed to operate inside campus without demonstrating good standing with the Department of Revenue and Taxation and fundraising activities were held without the central approval process. Since the COVID-19 pandemic stopped all parent-teacher organizations from conducting fundraising, these findings will be addressed in 2022. The academy was behind in completion of their audit report more than a year after the close of prior year fiscal periods, in comparison to the other two charter schools on the island. The school plans to release its 2021 audited financial statements next year at the same time as the other charter schools, according to the Office of Public Accountability. Theres no reason to deny a permit for Andersen Air Force Base to dispose of ordnance using an open burn unit on base, according to the Joint Region Marianas. Sen. Sabina Perez wrote the Guam Environmental Protection Agency and Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero on Monday calling for the denial of the permit, which also covers open detonation of ordnance and is renewed every three years. Joint Region Marianas Public Information Officer Lt. Cdr. Katie Koenig on Thursday said that Andersen maintained full compliance to all applicable laws and permit conditions related to the open burn and open burn operations. Gua EPA Director Walter Leon Guerrero said the same last week. The unit at Andersen has been in use since 1980. Environmental impact analysis conducted in 2015, 2020, as well as biannual groundwater testing all demonstrate that the current permitted AAFB (open burn and open detonation) operation is protective of both human health and the environment, Koenig stated. Alternative technologies werent being looked into for the disposal of ordnance at Andersen, which Perez called for as a requirement for local operations. Open Burn and open detonation operations satisfied the Department of Defense mission and community safety needs to address the munitions disposal. According to Guam EPA, the units are also used for the disposal of ordnance found in the community which dates as far back as World War II. While the open burn unit hasnt been in use since 2002, future mission and safety needs might require it to be restarted, Koenig said. It used fewer resources for disposal, especially for small arms munitions, which was why the base maintained the permit. Perez first raised concerns over the burn unit during an informational hearing with Guam EPA last week, where the agency stated that compounds containing strontium and uranium were among materials permitted for open burn disposal. Clean up costs at open burn and open detonation pits can reach more than half a billion dollars at a single site, the senator said. A previous site used for open burn at Andersen is now on the U.S. EPAs priority cleanup list. A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2019 documented viable alternatives for the disposal of ordnance, Perez said, which have already been implemented by the Department of Defense throughout the U.S. A bill to pay claims World War II survivors who missed a filing deadline has become law, but a significant error and an impasse at the Guam Legislature may become another hiccup for claimants. Bill 130, now Public Law 36-59, will pay war claims to World War II survivors who missed the deadline on a federal program. The bill mirrored much of the language of the federal program, which didnt provide payments to descendants of survivors who died before 2016. During last months session, Speaker Therese Terlaje attempted to amend the bill to include all survivors and their descendants. Some senators were concerned the amendment would cost a significant amount more than the estimated $10 million. The original bill contemplated some 700 petitioners at an average of $10,000 a claim, instead of roughly 21,000 people and their descendants, according to Sen. Frank Blas Jr. The amendment was ruled materially different and thrown out. But the version of the bill lawmakers voted on, and which Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero signed, included it. Leon Guerrero said Friday that she was committed to paying war claims. Even if this new law has deficiencies, I will submit a plan to resolve the claims of those who were eligible under the federal program, within the timeline, she said. Terlaje issued a statement addressing the error. Unfortunately, no senator or staff caught the error in the engrossed bill prior to voting, she said. I am working with the Committee on Rules and the central staff to further ensure our process catches these errors before voting. Walked out Several Republican senators walked out of session Friday morning, demanding a public explanation of the error. According to Republican Minority Leader Sen. Chris Duenas, a caucus was held and an explanation was provided by the clerk of the Legislature, including some of the possible explanations for how the error occurred. Several of us from the Republican side of the aisle wanted to make sure that that was put on the record, Duenas said. We could not compel the speaker and others to put it on the record so the public could clearly hear what was going on. At least five of us went ahead and walked out of the session hall while that was going on. They didnt wish to move forward with discussing any bills until a public explanation was provided, he said. Sens. Blas, Joanne Brown, and Telo Taitague and Tony Ada left the session hall. Someone should have been held responsible, and we should be held responsible, for this mistake, because this is a major mistake, Brown said. According to Duenas, lawmakers would await advice from legal counsel on how to remedy the situation. The Legislature recessed around 11 a.m. It was to reconvene at 2 p.m., but lawmakers remained behind closed doors until nearly 4 p.m. with no progress. Were done, Duenas said. Speaker Therese Terlaje issued a press release after the session closed. "After being alerted to an error ... my office worked with the Committee on Rules and central staff to determine the cause of the clerical error and to identify any gaps that could be closed in our administrative processes," she said. A timeline identifying the error from the Legislative Clerk's Office was also attached. "While colleagues have made accusations in the media that the clerical error was intentional ... I remain committed to honoring the credibility of this institution, the tenet of attorney client privilege, as well as the will of this body to provide a productive solution," the speaker said. The law also required that public notice be provided, for discussion of Bill 130 to take place on the session floor. I understand the calls for accountability from our Republican colleagues and hope they see this as an opportunity to improve upon our processes and not to threaten the livelihoods of these employees, she said. The Legislature recessed until 4 p.m. Monday. Carmen Michelle Reyes Perez was charged with terrorizing after allegedly threatening to kill a woman at Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center. According to a magistrates complaint filed in the Superior Court of Guam, Perez, 38, was the subject of a reported disturbance at Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center. Upon arrival officers met with a woman who said Perez threatened to kill her, documents state. The police report included a written statement made by Perez which says, Ill break all of her 106 bones in her body. Perez added she will slice the woman with her blade, according to the complaint. The woman told officers Perez had made similar statements to her, and that she was in fear for her life, documents state. Perez was charged by the Office of the Attorney General with terrorizing as a third-degree felony. In 2016, Perez was charged with burglary and criminal trespass after she was accused of going into a mans parked car at Kmart and demanding money from him, according to PDN files. Woman accused of car burglary in Kmart parking lot A 33-year-old woman was charged with burglary and criminal trespass after she went into a ma After weeks of bad news relating to COVID-19 on Guam a surge in positive cases and virus-related deaths, more children getting infected by t Haiti - FLASH : A key suspect in the assassination of Jovenel Moise arrested A key suspect in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise has been arrested in Jamaica. Mario Palacios Palacios, a former Colombian military officer, was arrested in Kingston earlier this month, an arrest that has remained under silence, but has just been confirmed by several Haitian and Jamaican sources. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34218-haiti-flash-wanted-notice-for-a-very-dangerous-colombian-mercenary.html A total of 44 people were arrested in connection with the crime, including 18 Colombians and three Haitian Americans who lived in South Florida. Arrest warrants, including Red Notices from Interpol authorizing a person to be held internationally, have been issued for a number of suspects, including Palacios, known as "Floro". Palacios is accused of being one of the main executors of the plan that led to the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7 in his residence https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html Palacios entered Haiti on June 4, 2021, according to the police investigation and was part of the four-member Delta team that allegedly entered the president's room. Two of the team members were killed by Haitian police. The police report sets out the alleged roles of many in custody, including Colombian mercenaries who abruptly left a small hotel to move into the home of another key suspect, a convicted drug dealer, four days before the assassination. The arrest warrant for Palacios was issued almost immediately after police confirmed that they also killed two Colombian mercenaries. Haitian police, in their investigation report, assumed that being "the only black Colombian on the team" made Palacios easy to blend into the population, allowing him to escape. The Colombian government has already taken steps to prevent his transfer to Haiti. Among those who remain at large are a former Haitian government official in the anti-corruption unit, Joseph Felix Badio, and a former diplomat, Ashkard Pierre and Rodolphe Jaar https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34225-haiti-notice-the-pnh-is-looking-for-3-dangerous-and-armed-individuals-including-a-former-senator.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Security : New DG of PNG installed after the resignation of Leon Charles Thursday, the Director General a.i. of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) Leon Charles resigned and was replaced by Commissioner Frantz Elbe. "The Director General of the National Police of Haiti, Leon Charles has presented me his resignation. He has been replaced by Frantz Elbe," said PM Ariel Henry, adding "For the moment, there is no other changes in government." Thursday at the end of the day the Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, proceeded to the headquarters of the PNH to the installation of the new director general a.i of the PNH the inspector general, Mr. Frantz Elbe. The latter is committed to working for the pacification of the country, much of which is controlled by armed gangs. "The time is at work. We would like public peace to be restored, that we return to normal life and that we find the way to democracy. Finally, we would like to organize elections. We wish the new acting DG good work and success," the PM said. The new commander-in-chief promises to fight banditry by strengthening security arrangements; and dismantling armed gangs is one of the priorities of his command. He pledges to engage in dialogues with the political authorities with a view to improving the living conditions of police officers. It also seeks the support of international partners for a more efficient and professional Haitian national police. "Strengthen security devices throughout the country, especially in the metropolitan area in order to prevent cases of kidnapping, prevent thugs from committing their crimes [...]" declared Frantz Elbe. Let's recall that the so-called Democratic and Popular Sector (SDP) had issued an ultimatum requesting the dismissal of the DG of the PNH. "The head of the PNH and the ministers are unable to resolve the security crisis," said Andre Michel. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35045-haiti-politic-ultimatum-to-the-pm-and-threatens-to-overthrow-the-government.html Learn more about Frantz Elbe : Before taking up this new function, the new commander-in-chief of the PNH was in charge of several police stations where he was able to assert his leadership. - In 2017, he was a member of the cabinet of the General Director Michel-Ange Gedeon. - In 2016, Head of the General Security Unit of the National Palace (USGPN). - In 2015, Departmental Director of Nippes (DDN-South) - In 2012, Departmental Director of the South East (DDSE). He also served as General Coordinator of the Units assigned to the National Palace. S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Leon Charles now Diplomat After his resignation Leon Charles, the outgoing DG ai of the Haitian National Police https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35055-haiti-security-new-dg-of-png-installed-after-the-resignation-of-leon-charles.html resumes its functions in diplomacy. He replaces at the Organization of American States (OAS) Gandy Thomas who was the permanent representative a.i. Leon Charles will have the title of Ambassador Death threat against the 17 missionaries The leader of the Haitian gang that kidnapped 17 North American citizens on Saturday east of the capital Port-au-Prince threatened to execute the hostages, in a video shot Wednesday and shared on social media Thursday. "If I don't get what I need, I'll kill these Americans," Wilson Joseph threatened https://www.haitilibre.com/article-35012-haiti-flash-au-moins-une-quinzaine-de-missionnaires-americains-enleves-a-port-au-prince.html Arrest warrants against "Barbecue", Dorisca Robert and Busta John The prosecution of Port-au-Prince has awarded warrants to bring against Jimmy Cherisier aka "Barbecue" and the named Dorisca Robert and Busta John. The head of the G9 gang federation and his two acolytes are accused of attempted murder, criminal conspiracy and attack on the lives of members of the government in connection with the incidents of October 17 in Pont-Rouge. Also a measure prohibiting leaving the national territory was issued against the named Busta John who resides in Canada. The latter is also being prosecuted for destabilizing society, said government commissioner Frantz Louis-Juste. Jovenel Moise : The investigating judge's vehicle riddled with bullets The vehicle of the judge investigating the assassination of President Jovenel Moise came under fire from armed individuals this Thursday, October 21, at Delmas 95, breaking one of the rear windows. The Magistrate was not in the vehicle during the attack. Fuel shortage : Tension Yesterday Thursday the tension rose a notch in Port-au-Prince, many protest movements were noticed on several roads against the fuel shortage which is raging, and which is causing a surge in the price of fuel on the market black, as well as a rarity. HL/ HaitiLibre Korean Drama | 2011 Drama Directed by Ko Dong-seon () Written by Kim Do-woo () TV Channel/Plateform: MBC (MBC) Airing dates: 2011/11/09~2011/12/28 15 episodes - Wed, Thu 21:55 Synopsis A tough female police officer who suffers from depression falls in love with a young multimillionaire whom she initially believed was a parking attendant. Instead of counting her lucking stars, she is taken aback by how rich he is. Officer Cha Bong-sun is a peculiar woman who defies the rigid social hierarchy and rails against it. And Seo Jae-hee, the millionaire boyfriend, is a peculiar man who falls in love with this quirky police officer. They fall passionately in love with each other. A crazy sort of love. A story about people, relationships and love. Starring Cha Bong-sun (Actress Lee Ji-ah) She is a pretty, petite police officer who has a fiery personality. She has no friends and invokes a strong negative emotion among her fellow policemen. But she suffers from depression, which is what makes her so difficult to get along with. She has trouble keeping a relationship and hardly has any friends because she rubs people the wrong way. But underneath her abrasive personality, she has a tender heart. After encountering Seo Jae-hee, she starts developing feelings for him. Will they be able to have a romantic relationship? Seo Jae-hee (Actor Yoon Si-yoon) He is pursued by three women who love him. But he is a free spirit and also an undercover boss. When his parents died when he was just 13, he had to grow up quick. He soon began delivering papers, working at restaurants and holding down a factory job. One day, he meets Park Hwa-young and they start a clothing brand together which they named Berke. But he commits a mistake that causes the death of Parks husband. He is ridden with guilt towards Park because of what he did. But he falls in love with Bong-sun, which leads to a love triangle. Park Hwa-young (Actress Han Go-eun) She has a towering ambition and is predisposed to being jealous. She is the CEO of Berke. She is a sharp businesswoman who is comfortable with taking big risks. After majoring in fashion in college, she started a small clothing brand with the help of her wealthy father. She encounters Jae-hee when starting her business. Jae-hee impresses her with his drive to succeed as he pushes for international distribution deals to expand overseas. In the meantime, Hwa-young is in charge of everyday business operations. During this period, her husband is killed because of a mistake committed by Jae-hee. So she becomes a widow and single mom overnight. Despite what Jae-hee did, she falls in love with him because he is passionate and very talented. Park Tae-hwa (Actor Jo Min-ki) Sometimes he acts his age and sometimes he doesnt. He is a very peculiar character. His father is Hwa-youngs uncle. Having a wealthy father who owns prime real estate in Gangnam, wealthy area in Seoul, he carries on many relationships with women. He is calculating but warmhearted. He is a logical man who knows the power of being irrational. Although he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he empathizes with poor folks. When he is in a relationship with a woman, he treats her with utmost respect in a gentleman-like way. But he becomes the target of Kim Dal who is a very manipulative charmer. Kim Dal (Actress Seo Hyo-lim) Having been raised in the countryside, she always wanted to live in the city and finally got her chance when she gained admittance to a college. After realizing that young men in the city care a lot about the background of a girl before deciding to date them, she decides to lie and tell everyone she studies at a graduate school of fashion design. She dreams of marrying the scion of a wealthy family. She is very talented in winning over men. But will she succeed in nabbing a scion of a wealthy chaebol family? Source Thank you for reading! You have reached our free-content limit. If you are a current subscriber, please log in to continue viewing content or purchase a subscription by clicking the Subscribe button below. Thank you for supporting independent Journalism. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 574-583-5121 or email cgrace@thehj.com. Hastings, NE (68901) Today Clear to partly cloudy. Low near 30F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low near 30F. Winds light and variable. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Gov. Greg Gianforte held a press conference Thursday to announce the opening of a monoclonal antibody treatment clinic at St. James Healthcare in Butte, one he hopes will be a model for more throughout the state. Gianforte said COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to rise in Montana, driven by the delta variant which is straining the states health care system and endangering Montanans, particularly the unvaccinated who make up almost 90 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations. On top of that, he said, Montana has now lost more than 2,200 people to the virus. These are our mothers, fathers, grandmas, grandpas, sons and daughters and friends, he said. Their loss cannot be captured by numbers or statistics or a tv screen. These are our neighbors and their loss is a reminder of the importance of taking this virus extremely seriously. Gianforte said the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has spent the last 45 days working to allocate thousands of monoclonal antibody treatments to health care facilities across the state as health care personnel work heroically to combat the pandemic. He said these treatments, which are now available in 41 counties, prevent hospitalization if used early in the viruss lifecycle and are being used to prevent the most vulnerable Montanans from being hospitalized. He said the monoclonal antibody treatment clinic being set up at St. James Healthcare will not only save lives, but take some of the strain off the people working there, and he hopes it will be a model for more clinics around the state which he said the state will help set up upon request. However, he said, the public needs to do what they can to reduce the strain on the system as well, primarily by getting vaccinated. Gianforte encouraged Montanans to talk to their personal health care providers and get the vaccines which are safe and effective. Thats what I did, he said. Gianforte said 54 percent of eligible Montanans are fully vaccinated, which is encouraging, but health care workers and those in public health are still working tirelessly to combat the spread of the virus and they need the help of everyone. He thanked DPHHS, particularly State Medical Officer Dr. Margaret Cook-Shimanek who oversaw the allocation of the states monoclonal antibody treatments, and the national guard for assisting health care workers across the state. Cook-Shimanek said the allocation the state receives from the federal government so far has been enough to fulfill the requests of the states health care facilities and more sites with access to the treatment are added every week. However, she said, these treatments are not a substitution for vaccination which remains the only way to truly fight the spread of the virus. They are not a replacement for vaccination, she said. She encouraged Montanans to get the vaccine, wear masks, and listen to public health if they ask them to quarantine or isolate. Cook-Shimanek said public health has been protecting people from the spread of disease since long before the COVID-19 pandemic and they know what they are doing. ShareBar Comments must be on-topic and civil in tone (with no name calling or personal attacks). Any promotional language or urls will be removed immediately. Your comment may be edited for clarity and length. Lightning's Voter Guide is on the street The Hendersonville Lightning's 2021 Voter Guide is on the street and on the way to subscribers' mail boxes. The only pullout Voter Guide in the region, the 12-page publication contains Q&As with candidates in all contested races and sample ballots for the city elections in Hendersonville, Flat Rock, Fletcher, Laurel Park, Mills River and Saluda. In split vote, commissioners agree to fund SROs in schools in city Henderson County commissioners voted to appropriate $205,460 to help pay for city police officers who serve as school resource officers at four public schools in the city limits but not before two commissioners expressed misgivings and voted no. Commissioner Michael Edney introduced the proposed appropriation by saying he had had a change of heart on whether the county should grant the Hendersonville City Councils request to pay for SROs at Bruce Drysdale Elementary School and Hendersonville elementary, middle and high schools. It seems to me its time that we show good faith, a tangible token of working together in another area, he said. Edney said that he had previously taken the position that SROs in all 22 public schools ought to come under the sheriffs office. That being said, the School Board has taken the position that they want the city of Hendersonville police department to provide that function within the city limits, he said. Its still in my mind the countys obligation financially. It's not clear that the School Board has ever taken a position favoring city police officers over sheriffs deputies as SROs. A few minutes Edneys comment, schools Superintendent John Bryant said he was not aware that the School Board had ever taken a formal position on the issue. Sheriff Lowell Griffin said SROs from his agency and the city police department work well together. Weve got a good relationship with the city of Hendersonville, he said. I think our SROs communicate and they work really well together. its not just about working together its about finding that right SRO that fits school because they actually become part of the culture at that school. Whats done at East may not be exactly whats done at West. Commissioners David Hill and Daniel Andreotta voted no. Hill said he worried that under the arrangement the Board of Commissioners would be funding the city police officers without having any oversight of their performance. Id like to have the sheriff to have a say, he said. Andreotta made similar points. This plan would not have an exit, he said. County schools, county property, county money to me that lines up to county law enforcement. Were funding part of it and have very little say. Edney's motion to grant the $205,000 made it a one-time appropriation, meaning theres no guarantee that commissioners will fund the city SROs next year. We'll keep you connected to all the updated local news and information about what's happening in Hendersonville and Sumner County! Click Here to Subscribe! A JAZZ lover who has organised performances at Goring village hall for 21 years has decided to retire. John Calvert, 79, has arranged the monthly concerts on Friday nights since 1999. The last one was in March last year before the first coronavirus lockdown. Now he has decided he cannot bring the events back for health reasons. However, he has not yet been able to find someone to replace him. Mr Calvert started the events with Bill Jackson, 81, another local jazz lover, who has also decided to retire. About 10 years ago, Mr Jackson decided to run separate events because he preferred traditional jazz, while Mr Calvert liked modern jazz. Mr Calvert said: I first met Bill in the pub and we got talking about how we both used to listen to jazz in London. This revived our love of jazz and we decided to go on a trip to the old jazz haunts. When we got back we realised wed spent 400 between us on food, taxis and booze, so we decided that it would be far cheaper to get the musicians to come to Goring to play. We started looking for a venue and found the village hall, which had all the facilities. For the first gig, Mr Calvert booked his friend Art Themen, a jazz saxophonist from Henley. He said: Three hundred people turned up, so that was a great start, and then we started doing it every month. Over the years, the village hall has hosted performances by Chris Barber, Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Alec Dankworth, George Melly and Jamie Cullum. Gigs have also featured flamenco dancers. Mr Calvert would normally have the audience all around the room, including on the stage, and have the act in the middle to create a better atmosphere. Its hard work, he said. You go into the village hall and its bare. I had to set up the staging, lighting, chairs and bar. And I looked after people if there were parents with a son who played piano, Id make sure they got to sit next to the piano player and maybe got to talk to them afterwards to inspire them. We had people who came regularly and always wanted to sit in the same place. People came from all parts of England and used Gorings pubs, restaurants and hotels. Ive loved jazz since I was quite small. As a child, I shared a room with my older stepbrother and he had records of Andre Previn, the jazz pianist. When everyone was out of the house Id get those records out and listen to them, then put them back so no one would know. I was looked on as quite different when I was younger. Everyone was always partying and listening to the Beatles, while I was listening to jazz. I never liked rock n roll or the Beatles. I like the improvisation. With jazz you never know what theyre going to do next. Mr Calvert spent time living above a jazz club, the Bulls Head in Barnes. He was a friend of Ronnie Scott and regularly went to his jazz club in London. He was able to use the contacts and friendships he made during this time to book musicians for Goring. Mr Calvert said: Since I announced I was retiring, the response has been incredible. The email I sent out has had more than 40 responses with people wishing me well and thanking me for what I have done. The most rewarding thing was watching fantastic musicians play to appreciative audiences and sometimes getting a standing ovation. Thats what made me go on all this time. Free access for current print subscribers As a home delivery subscriber, you get free unlimited digital access to premium content on HenryHerald.com, including local news, local sports, obituaries, legal notices, local features, and the e-edition. All you need is your print subscription account number and your last name. Don't know your subscription number? Email access@henryherald.com with your delivery address. Activate your account now. LANSING The national spotlight was on Benton Harbor on Thursday as the states House Oversight Committee in Lansing tried to figure out why the citys water crisis wasnt highlighted as a priority sooner. Three years ago, some of the citys drinking water was found to have higher-than-acceptable amounts of lead in it, with state-mandated testing every six months showing that those levels remained high. State Rep. Steven Johnson, chair of the committee, wanted to know what changed in the past 30 days to turn the situation into a crisis. It feels like were going from zero to 100 miles per hour here, he said. The states short-term response has been to distribute free water filters certified to remove lead to residents through the Berrien County Health Department. The long-term solution of replacing lead service lines was expected to take 20 years due to its high cost. But the ability of the water filters to remove the lead was recently called into question, said Eric Oswald, drinking water division director at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). Liesl Clark, director of EGLE, said test results on how well the filters are working on the citys water should be back in a few weeks from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We hope this study will result in restored community confidence in water filters, which are an important component in our long-term safe drinking water strategy, she said. Until the test results are back, the state is urging residents to not drink the water. The conversation eventually veered toward the quality of Benton Harbors water, in which Clark admitted city residents should consider the water to be unsafe to drink. Clark had dodged the question four times before being asked point blank by Johnson: Lets just talk like normal people. Its a normal question. Is the water in Benton Harbor safe to drink or not? No, its not, Clark said. People should be drinking bottled water. Last week, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II came to Benton Harbor to announce that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive with the goal to replace all of the citys lead service lines in 18 months. On Thursday, Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad told the committee that the city has received $18.6 million in state and federal money and has started replacing lead service lines but more is needed. He said the city needs another $11.4 million to get the job done in 18 months. I know its a Mount Everest undertaking, however, I think that if we work together, we might be surprised, he said. Muhammad said the only way for the problem to be solved is with money. Location of the problem Clark said the water leaving the citys water treatment plant has no lead in it. High lead level tests in Benton Harbor homes result from the water picking up the lead on its way as it moves to the faucets through the service lines and other plumbing that contains lead, he said. This basic truth is the same for every or nearly every home in Michigan with elevated lead drinking levels. The lead service lines from the property line into the home has historically been the responsibility of the homeowner. But recent state law is now requiring municipalities to replace 5 percent of the lead service lines at no cost to the homeowners. Clark said there are Michigan communities throughout the state that have a problem with lead service lines, with Hamtramck residents being notified earlier this week that their drinking water was found to have high lead levels in it. She said it would cost $2 billion to remove all of the lead service lines in the state. Clark added that total doesnt include the cost to replace the lead fixtures and pipes inside a home. Weve all been working on these water infrastructure issues, cataloging it, were working through asset management plans whenever possible with communities to help them prioritize where theyre spending their dollars, she said. Another way municipalities are trying to stop lead from leaching into the homes drinking water until the pipes can be replaced is by adding corrosion control to the water. Oswald said that in March 2019, the city started doing this, but it could take up to two years before the pipes are coated adequately. We are starting to see some good improvements in this last monitoring period, he said. Were hopeful that that corrosion control chemical is taking effect. Even this is only a short-term solution, Oswald said, because the coating can easily be knocked off if the pipe is jarred by, for example, construction. It only takes one mistake to strip that coating away, he said. Johnson said at the end of the meeting that the committee will make recommendations sometime in the future. Thursdays hearing was held after the state Senate Oversight Committee announced Monday it was requesting a list of documents from the state over its response to the elevated lead levels in Benton Harbors drinking water. Committee Chair Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, sought correspondence among EGLE officials on the use of corrosion controls in Benton Harbors water, on testing of the citys water and on the lead levels. Very, we have an emergency plan and complete emergency supply kit. Somewhat, we have a complete emergency supply kit. Little, we have incomplete plan and/or supply kit. Not at all. Vote View Results It's up already The day after Thanksgiving Three weeks before Christmas Two weeks before Christmas If it's up in time for Christmas, I'm happy Vote View Results Thank you! You've reported this item as a violation of our terms of use. This content was contributed by a user of the site. If you believe this content may be in violation of the terms of use, you may report it. OCTOBER 22: Wainright has officially joined the Suns on a two-way deal, per the team (Twitter link). OCTOBER 21: Ishmail Wainright is signing a two-way contract with the Suns, his agents Jim Tanner and Deirunas Visockas told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Wainright, 27, was in the Raptors training camp. Toronto waived him on Saturday. Wainwright had some partial guarantees on his minimum-salary contract with Toronto, as hell collect $250K from the Raptors this season and $125K in 2022/23. Wainright, who went undrafted out of Baylor in 2017, played for a number of international leagues prior to this season. In 2020/21, he suited up for Strasbourg in France, registering 11.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.8 SPG on .485/.320/.726 shooting in 36 games (28.1 MPG). Hes considered a solid defender, and could carve out a niche role with the Suns. With Wainright joining the defending conference champions, the Magic are the only team with an unfilled two-way spot. Chandler Hutchison holds Phoenixs other two-way contract. Now Open 22 October 2021 Radisson Collection, Radisson Hotel Group's anthology of iconic lifestyle hotels, has continued to expand its portfolio in China with the launch of Radisson Collection Hotel, Wuxi, a stylish and sophisticated new downtown hotel that puts guests in the heart of one of China's most compelling cities. Newly opened on 22 October 2021, Radisson Collection Hotel, Wuxi is nestled in the city's Xishan district, just 20 minutes' drive from Sunan Shuofang International Airport and 15 minutes from Wuxi Railway Station. From this prime location, visitors can uncover the soul of this waterfront city, which sits on the banks of Lake Taihu. Peaceful parks, waterfront walkways and enchanting temples are juxtaposed with a modern metropolis of soaring skyscrapers and high-tech business parks, making Wuxi a highly rewarding destination for business and leisure travelers alike. Guests can stay in a choice of 318 spacious rooms or suites, ranging from the 40 sqm Collection Superior Rooms to the spectacular 258 sqm Presidential Suite, all featuring sleep-inducing beds, working areas, Nespresso coffee machines, fast Wi-Fi and smart bathroom fixtures. The Executive Lounge provides exclusive services and amenities on the 27th floor, overlooking the skyline. Radisson Collection Hotel, Wuxi will also be the first to offer the brand's new wellness concept, The Spa at Radisson Collection, which is designed to help guests achieve a better version of themselves. This immersive approach focuses on three areas - mood, mind and interaction - for holistic health and wellbeing. The hotel's serene spa comprises massage and yoga spaces, a sauna and an indoor swimming pool with stunning views. Impressive dining and social experiences can be enjoyed at a choice of five restaurants and bars, including an all-day dining restaurant Maillard 69, the first 3D immersive restaurant in Wuxi; Lan Ting Ge, the Chinese restaurant that specializes in authentic Huai Yang cuisine; Ji Bai Qiu, the contemporary Japanese restaurant; and a whisky bar, Elaresanse. Meeting planners can host talk-of-the-town events in 2,400 sqm of flexible function venue space, including an 800-guest Grand Ballroom. Every stay will be underpinned by Radisson Collection's unique "Yes, I Can!" service philosophy and the fine Chinese hospitality. One of the largest cities in Jiangsu province, Wuxi is located just 125 km from Shanghai and directly connected to this major metropolis by bullet train. Radisson Collection Hotel, Wuxi becomes the fifth Radisson Collection hotel in China, as this captivating brand continues to inspire guests across the country. It also marks Radisson Hotel Group's second property in Wuxi, following Radisson Blu Resort Wetland Park Wuxi. Appointment 22 October 2021 As managing director, Alexander is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the new hotel in preparation for and through its upcoming launch, including its new restaurants and bars, variety of meeting spaces, and Sense, A Rosewood Spa. Alexander has 20 years of experience working with hotels in operational and pre-opening roles across the globe, having first joined the Rosewood family in 2013 as the hotel manager for Rosewood Beijing. Most recently, he held the hotel manager position at Rosewood Hong Kong, where he was responsible for the property's pre-opening development and ongoing operations as related to all guest facing areas including food and beverage outposts, rooms, residences, and the property's wellness concept, Asaya. Prior to working with the Rosewood brand, Alexander served as director of food and beverage at the Four Seasons Hotel, Beijing where he managed the property's five restaurant and bars and banquet spaces and oversaw a team of 320 associates. His career has also included prestigious positions at properties throughout Asia, the Middle East and Europe, such as director of food and beverage at Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul and executive assistant manager of food and beverageat The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi. Appointment 22 October 2021 Loews Vanderbilt Hotel is pleased to announce the appointment of Charly Houegban to Executive Chef. In his new role, Chef Houegban will spearhead all culinary aspects of the beloved Nashville enclave. This includes menu development and implementation for three dining outlets, all banquet functions and curated hotel culinary programming. Chef will be responsible for developing menus and culinary points of view for Mason's Restaurant and Mason Bar, serving southern-inspired fare; POD Market for quick meal and local favorites; in-room dining and banquets held in the hotel's 24,000 square feet of function space. Using his love of sustainable ingredients and local flavors, Chef will create innovative and soulfully inspired menus for holiday brunches, social events, private chef tastings and corporate meetings, among other bespoke experiences. Born in Strasbourg, France, Chef Houegban graduated from the University of Vincennes in France and sharpened his skills at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and Los Angeles. With a career rooted in luxury hospitality, Chef has held positions in the kitchens of the Four Seasons in Beverly Hil ls, London, Hong Kong and Singapore, in addition to roles at the Renaissance Hotel in Palm Springs and other notable hotel brands. This October, Chef Houegban was inducted into La Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs USA. As the oldest and largest food and wine society in the world, the US chapter is now in its 60th year with 6,000 members attending exclusive dining experiences around the country. The induction and gala event was held at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, with Chef presiding over the seven course dinner with wine pairings for 96 distinguished guests. A former Olympian who participated in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Chef Houegban regularly lends his culinary talents to charitable organizations including Make-A-Wish, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and The Alzheimer's Foundation. He enjoys bike riding in his spare time and going to the gym with his wife, as well as creating new recipes at home with his children. Press Release 22 October 2021 From smart room key systems to robot concierges, advanced technologies are now the norm in many hotels. In a world on the brink of climate crisis, environmental technologies should be no exception. Curiously, however, the hospitality industry is lagging behind in its adoption of eco-friendly technologies. In the first empirical study of its kind, Dr Eric Chan of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and two co-researchers asked what exactly is holding hoteliers back in their quest to go green. Their findings will prove invaluable as the industry takes its next steps towards a smarter and more sustainable future. Advertisements Hotels are 24/7 operations that offer personalised services geared towards comfort and pleasure. Inevitably, this comes at a cost. Every time a guest orders room service, takes a bath, or turns on the television, more energy and water are consumed and more waste is generated. No guest wants to find a half-used bar of soap or unwashed linen upon arrival and these days many customers demand and expect the very latest amenities, from ultrafast WiFi to power showers. How can hotels reduce their consumption and waste without compromising customers experience? On the surface, the answer seems clear. Hotels are no stranger to using technology to improve the efficiency of their operations and attract customers, and green technologies offer a multitude of benefits. Installing environmental technologies not only helps to protect our planet, say the researchers, but also improves a companys environmental performance and reduces utilities expenses. Price-conscious hoteliers can save money by installing energy-saving technologies such as low-flow shower-heads, solar hot water collector systems, and decomposers that liquefy leftover food. Adopting such technologies could also align hotels with the green image that customers are increasingly willing to support. Some travellers even actively seek out environmentally responsible hotels. In a 2012 survey, TripAdvisor found that 71% of the respondents were keen to make eco-friendly choices when travelling. Why, then, are hoteliers so slow to adopt environmental technologies? In Hong Kong, a few upscale hotels have seen their reputations improve and profits rise since installing occupancy sensors, headboard coolers, and air conditioning control, amongst other innovative solutions. However, uptake is still surprisingly low. Despite the advantages of environmental technologies, the researchers tell us, many hotels remain hesitant. To understand why so many hoteliers avoid or delay adopting environmental technologies, the researchers first task was to investigate the biggest barriers to implementation. For hotels, the decision to adopt environmental technologies can hinge on both external and internal factors. External barriers to installation include resistance from local governments and weather conditions that hinder the use of renewable energy. Hotels may also face internal barriers, such as physical constraints on technology installation, budget limitations, and a lack of manpower. These barriers, warn the researchers, are likely to reduce the motivation of senior hotel management to adopt the technologies unless they are essential to survival. Although survival is the core concern of any business, hotels differ in their definition of essential. A chain hotel with 400 rooms might benefit more in the long run from investing in environmental technologies than will a smaller, independent hotel that cannot afford the initial outlay. As underlined by the researchers, higher initial capital costs negatively affect views on green construction and environmental management. Finally, a lack of technical knowledge can make hotels reluctant to adopt any new technologies especially environmental ones. Despite increasing demand for environmentally friendly products, the researchers explain, hotel managers may encounter difficulties in balancing good service provision with environmental performance. For instance, installing water restrictors in shower-heads may reduce water flow and pressure. Due to the striking lack of empirical research on hotels adoption of environmental technologies, the importance of these potential barriers has remained elusive until now. Do different types of hotels encounter the same barriers? the researchers wondered. Will hotels that are currently implementing a formal environmental management system encounter fewer barriers? The next step was to learn first hand about the most important barriers to ecotechnology adoption. The researchers sent a questionnaire to Hong Kong hotel employees likely to be involved in purchasing environmental technologies and planning their installation. The respondents ranged from general managers and finance directors to staff responsible for environmental management systems. Although many of the hotels boasted green awards, employed specialists responsible for environmental programmes, or had green committees, fewer than 30% of them planned to obtain green certification within the next year. The questionnaire contained 22 statements describing potential barriers to the adoption of environmental technologies (e.g., Usually, new environmental technologies are very expensive). The hotel employees were asked to rate each of these statements from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The researchers analysed the responses of 102 employees from 74 hotels to find out which barriers to adopting environmental technologies were the most off-putting. At the top of the list were unfavourable environmental conditions. Before specific environmental technologies can be adopted, implemented and maintained, the researchers explain, the surrounding environment, weather and orientation must be considered. Physical environmental constraints discourage managers from adopting such technologies, especially those designed to harvest renewable energy. For example, a lack of direct sunshine means insufficient solar energy, making solar technology unfeasible, the authors note. The answer may be to start with small-scale projects that yield swift and palpable benefits. Once an environmental technology positively contributes to the companys financial statement, say the researchers, senior managers/owners can be encouraged to support the adoption of larger scale environmental technologies that require additional manpower, time and money. The second major barrier was a lack of green knowledge and experience. As this barrier most strongly affected hotels with no green incentives or programmes, a logical solution is to create a formal structure to promote environmental management. As the researchers note, an audited, well-developed environmental programme can improve hotel employees knowledge of environmental technologies and access to network support. The hotel employees surveyed were also concerned that a single contractor would monopolise after-sales service for each new environmental technology. This was the third major barrier to ecotechnology adoption. It is risky for a hotel to rely on one service provider when the service may influence hotel guests experiences, the researchers tell us. Consulting with multiple dealers on after-sales service and maintenance options would put hotels in a better position to negotiate with dealers to achieve a winwin situation, they suggest. Finally, the researchers found that different types of hotels experienced these barriers differently. For example, employees at internationally branded chain hotels, which pride themselves on globally consistent service quality, were particularly concerned that adopting environmental technologies would damage guests experience. In such cases, the researchers note, hotel managers could educate their customers by developing an effective green marketing plan that promotes the hotels green facilities, services and other green activities. This study, the first of its kind, sheds light on why hotels are lagging behind in their adoption of environmental technologies. It also suggests comprehensive solutions. In reality, external barriers such as a lack of government support are largely out of hoteliers hands. Happily, however, internal barriers which are the major hindrances to environmental technology adoption, according to the researchers can be addressed head on. Starting small and gradually developing their green knowledge, for example, will help hotels to reduce their environmental footprint while also saving money. Overcoming each of the barriers identified by the researchers will enable hotels to contribute more meaningfully to environmental protection saving the world one sensor-controlled lightbulb at a time. Eric S.W. Chan, Fevzi Okumus and Wilco Chan (2020). What Hinders Hotels Adoption of Environmental Technologies: A Quantitative Study. International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 84, 102324. Press Release 22 October 2021 London, UK - New research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) reveals the recovery of North Americas Travel & Tourism sector has soared ahead of many other regions of the world. Advertisements With recovery taking place faster than expected, its contribution to GDP is forecast to rise 38% this year, ahead of the global average. WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, says the successful vaccination rollouts in North American countries such as Canada, the U.S. and Puerto Rico, coupled with recently relaxed travel restrictions, are aiding the sectors fast recovery. Before the pandemic struck, North Americas Travel & Tourism sectors contribution to GDP represented nearly US$ 2.2 trillion (8.8% of the total economy). However as international travel ground to an almost complete standstill last year, its contribution fell to US$1.25 trillion. According to the latest research, and at the current rate of recovery, the region will recoup more than a third, with a year-on-year growth of 38%, reaching a total contribution of US$ 1.7 trillion. WTTC data also reveals the region could see a year on year rise of 26.4% next year, bringing the sectors contribution to the North American economy back to pre-pandemic levels at nearly US$ 2.2 trillion. Whilst the local economy has benefited from a rise in domestic spend, expected to grow by 43.7% by the end of this year, and 21.4% in 2022, recent changes to international travel restrictions are also expected to provide a rise in international spend. The global tourism bodys research shows that international spend looks set to grow by a moderate 16.9% this year. However next year, the region will benefit significantly from vaccine rollouts and more relaxed travel restrictions, with international spending predicted to grow by 147%. After a loss of more than seven million Travel & Tourism jobs last year, employment is also set to rise significantly this year. According to the data, year on year growth could hit a high of more than 25%. Jobs in the sector could climb even further and rise 16.7% next year, bringing the total number of people employed in the sector ahead of pre-pandemic levels, to almost 27 million. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: Our research shows that while globally Travel & Tourism is slowly beginning to recover from COVID-19, North America is recovering at a much faster rate." Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic cost a devastating seven million jobs from the Travel & Tourism sector, but due to a predicted rise in international and domestic spend this year and next, both jobs and GDP are on the rise. According to the WTTC research, the sectors contribution to the regions GDP and the rise in jobs could be even more positive this year and next, if five vital measures are met by governments globally. Firstly, these measures include allowing fully vaccinated travellers to move freely, irrespective of their origin or eventual destination. Secondly, the implementation of digital solutions which enable all travellers to easily prove their COVID status, in turn speeding up the process at borders around the world. Thirdly, for safe international travel to fully restart, governments must recognise for all vaccines authorised by WHO, a step already taken by the U.S. Fourthly, continued support of the COVAX/UNICEF initiative to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines around the world. Finally, the continued implementation of enhanced health and safety protocols, which will underpin customer confidence. The future could be even brighter for North America If these five vital measures are followed before the end of 2021, research shows the impact on the economy and jobs across North America could be considerable. The Travel & Tourism sectors contribution to GDP could rise by 43.3% by the end of this year, bringing the sectors contribution to GDP to nearly US$1.8 trillion. However next year, its contribution could rise a further of 28.8%, catapulting it beyond 2019 levels to more than US$2.3 trillion. Domestic spending could increase by 49.4% this year, followed by a further 23% year on year growth in 2022. International spending would also benefit from government action. It could rise 21% this year, and significantly outpace domestic spend next year, with a year-on-year increase of 164%. This in turn could have a positive effect on employment in the region with a 30.1% increase in jobs this year, and a year or year increase of 18.9% in 2022. These additional jobs would bring the total number of those working in the sector to 28.3m almost three million more than pre-pandemic levels. Press Release 22 October 2021 European Travel & Tourism sectors contribution to GDP to grow by less than a quarter this year Sector employment remains stagnant in 2021, however, with the right measures, the number of those employed in the sector next year could surpass pre-pandemic levels With millions more European citizens fully vaccinated, international spending is expected to rebound by nearly 80%% in 2022 Advertisements London, UK - Latest research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) shows Europes Travel & Tourism sectors year on year recovery may only achieve a growth of 23.9% this year. The data from WTTC says this slow recovery is due to travel restrictions throughout the year, particularly in the first half, which continued to hinder the sectors recovery. Before the pandemic struck, Europes Travel & Tourism sectors contribution to GDP represented 1.92 trillion (9.5% of the total economy). However, according to the research, and based on the current rate of recovery, the sectors contribution to GDP could see an increase of less than a quarter (23.9%) in 2021, falling behind the expected growth of the global sector of 30.7%. The data also reveals that in 2022 Travel & Tourisms contribution to the European economy could see a further year on year rise of 38%, representing an increase of 439 billion. Although far from pre-pandemic levels, the growth of the sector has seen a slight rise due to the successful vaccination rollout, and intra-European mobility, supported by the EU Digital COVID Certificate, which was launched in early July this year. But with borders closed internationally Europe has struggled to recover. The global tourism body says whilst the surge in domestic travel has provided some relief, it is not enough to achieve the full recovery the region needs in order to salvage Europes economy and millions of jobs. The research goes on to show that while domestic spending is set to rise 30.2% year on year in 2021, international spending is expected to see a smaller increase of just 19.3% this year, reaching 242 billion, well below pre-pandemic levels, of 560 billion in 2019. Next year, domestic spending is set to rise 27.7%. However, with relaxed restrictions in many European countries and with millions more European citizens fully vaccinated, international spending is expected to rebound 77.2% year on year. In 2019, the European Travel & Tourism sector supported more than 38 million jobs. After suffering a loss of 3.6 million jobs last year when the pandemic brought international travel to an almost complete standstill, employment growth is set to remain stagnant this year. However, WTTCs research reveals an expected 15.7% rise in jobs in 2022, increasing by 5.5 million jobs to reach pre-pandemic levels. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: Our research shows that while the European Travel & Tourism sector is slowly beginning to recover, there is still a long way to go." With many European countries borders now open to international travel for fully vaccinated travellers, the regions economic recovery will be accelerated next year. This could restore millions of jobs and livelihoods which rely on a thriving Travel & Tourism sector." We need governments to replace the patchwork of restrictions with a set of harmonised rules for travel. According to the research conducted by Oxford Economics on behalf of WTTC, the sectors contribution to the regions GDP and the rise in jobs could be more positive this year and next, if five vital measures are met by governments worldwide. These measures include allowing fully vaccinated travellers to move freely, irrespective of their origin or eventual destination. Secondly, the implementation of digital solutions which enable all travellers to easily prove their COVID status (such as the EUs Digital COVID Certificate), in turn speeding up the process at borders around the world. Thirdly, for safe international travel to fully restart, governments must recognise for all vaccines authorised by WHO and fourthly, continued support of the COVAX/UNICEF initiative to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines around the world. Finally, the continued implementation of enhanced health and safety protocols, which will underpin customer confidence. If these five vital measures are followed before the end of 2021, research shows the impact on the economy and jobs across Europe could be considerable. Travel & Tourisms contribution to GDP could rise by 28.8% (nearly 270 billion) by the end of this year, followed by a year on year increase of a further 40.3% (over 480 billion) in 2022. International spending would also benefit from government action, and experience a growth of 26.3% this year, and a significant boost of 81.8% in 2022. The sectors growth could also have a positive impact on employment, with a 4% increase in jobs in 2021. However, with the right measures to support Travel & Tourism, the number of those employed in the sector next year could surpass pre-pandemic levels with a year on year increase of 17.6%, reaching almost 43 million jobs. Earlier this week, WTTC also joined forces with a number of Travel & Tourism associations such as Airports Council International, the European Travel Commission, and Cruise Lines International Association, calling on EU governments to remove all traffic light systems and move towards a traveller risk approach, instead of risk based on entire countries. Together, WTTC and the associations believe this approach would further speed up the recovery of the Travel & Tourism sector. External Article 22 October 2021 A proposal to require all newly built hotels to secure a special permit is one step closer to becoming law in New York City. Designed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to curtail the development of new hotels, the controversial bill has faced backlash from members of the real estate industry who say it would stifle the hospitality sectors recovery. The measure is supported, however, by the Hotel Association of New York City, which says the limits on development would help existing hotels stay competitive. There was an unprecedented development boom that saw the hotel market almost double in size from 74,000 in 2007 to 138,000-plus rooms in 2020, Vijay Dandapani, chief of the association, wrote in a New York Daily News op-ed in July. Oversupply has been the direct cause of consistent declines in revenue-per-available room. Some members of the City Planning Commission criticized the proposal during a meeting Wednesday, but the agency then voted 9-2 to approve the measure. The bill now moves to a hearing and subsequent vote before the City Council. Press Release 22 October 2021 On Monday, 11 October, the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT) hosted the Morocco Tourism Investment Day as part of Morocco: Global Investment Hub Week, which took place at the Morocco Pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020, in partnership with Bench, the organiser of the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), which is the premier hotel investment conference in Africa. Advertisements Imad Barrakad, CEO of the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT) welcomed over 50 senior hospitality investment leaders to the exclusive, invitation-only meeting saying Morocco is full of tremendous opportunities at the moment especially in destinations in the South and Agadir and now is the perfect time to invest. Hamid Bentahar, Chairman of the National Confederation of Tourism was interviewed by Laura Buckwell, EMCEE and former news anchor and explained how the Government is relaunching tourism and investment in this period of post-COVID and the opportunities that have opened up within Morocco for investors and the destinations. In Morocco, we have a long history of Public and Private collaboration. [] Morocco is now the first destination in Africa and in the Top 30 destinations in the world and we have the ambition to be in the top 20 in the coming years he commented. Jochem-Jan Sleiffer, President Middle East, Africa & Turkey for Hilton was joined by Marloes Knippenberg, CEO of Kerten Hospitality to discuss the operators perspective and their outlook for the future and specifically for Africa and Morocco. Morocco is a key market for us. We are currently operating 3 hotels. We have another 5 in the pipeline and are looking at a number of other projects. The good thing about Morocco in the view of the future is that it is a market where we can position the different brands that we have, said Sleiffer. Philip Wooller, Director MEA at STR presented a performance and pipeline update, explaining The most important number about Morocco concern the last 2 or 3 months and we see that there is significant progress.. The final session of the day highlighted the investor sentiment in the region. Khalid Anib, Chief Executive Officer, Abu Dhabi National Hotels, Fardan Al Fardan, SEO, Embassy Capital and Lourie Kruger, Director Transactions, Westmont Hospitality Group joined a panel led by Jonathan Worsley, Chairman and CEO of Bench to discuss the types of hospitality assets are of interest to private investors looking at Morocco and what government can do to support international investment into the sector. Kruger commented We are in Marrakech and Casa at the moment. The short answer is that we need more ! Its a top target country for us. [] we look primarily in conversion opportunities and Al Fardan explained, Weve been looking at Morocco for a while right now. Morocco to us is a fundamentally very strong tourism market. And the proximity between Europe and the Middle East is also attractive. External Article 22 October 2021 The opt-in housekeeping policy took off last year as hotels pushed out updated health and safety strategies. Experts say the absence of daily housekeeping will likely be a permanent change at some properties. Despite the alleged health benefits of limited housekeeping, the policy changes arent taking place in luxury properties. Linda Reid was excited to get back to exploring the country this spring as COVID-19 cases dropped, but the Oregon resident was surprised to discover one major change as she returned to travel: less housekeeping. During a four-night stay in Wisconsin in August, Reid said she had to make a stop at the front desk three times for items like shampoo and towels. "You'd have to take the time to go down and come to the desk or call somebody when you need something," she said. "If youre down there for several days, the room starts to get a little dirty." Press Release 22 October 2021 The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association (HSMAI) Americas is now accepting nominations for its Marketing and Public Relations Lifetime Achievement awards and Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization honors. The nomination period ends Dec. 20 and coincides with the annual HSMAI Adrian Awards competition. Advertisements HSMAI Lifetime Achievement Awards HSMAIs Albert E. Koehl Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Marketing and Winthrop W. Grice Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Public Relations recognize hospitality professionals who have dedicated their careers to the hospitality and travel industry. These leaders continually strive for the betterment of the hospitality industry in a lasting way, over an extended period. Submit nominations for these awards by visiting HSMAI Lifetime Awards. The HSMAI Lifetime Awards Committee, which comprises previous recipients, will review all nominations and select this years winners. Last year, Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Best Western Hotels & Resorts was honored with the Albert E. Koehl Award. Mary Gostelow, publisher of the Gostelow Report received the Winthrop W. Grice Award. On behalf of the HSMAI Lifetime Awards Committee, I encourage professionals from all parts of the industry to nominate experienced hospitality and tourism leaders who have made tremendous contributions to the field of hospitality, said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI. There are many worthy leaders in our industry who deserve the recognition and honor. HSMAI Top 25 Extraordinary Minds Honors In addition to the Lifetime Achievement awards, HSMAI is accepting nominations for its Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization program. These awards honor exceptional sales and marketing leaders of hospitality, travel, and tourism organizations for their achievements in the preceding 12 months. A diverse panel of experienced industry executives select the Top 25 based on the creativity and innovation of their cutting-edge sales, marketing, and revenue optimization campaigns and their ability to overcome challenging situations. We have seen tremendous leadership emerge in the industry from all of the challenges that occurred during the last year and a half of the pandemic, Gilbert said. HSMAIs Top 25 award recipients represent what it means to be a resilient leader in hospitality and those individuals deserve recognition now more than ever. Along with being recognized in person, Top 25 awardees will also be featured in a special report published online and distributed to HSMAI members and press. Top 25 Extraordinary Minds of 2020: Todd Arviso, Vice President and Commercial Director, Americas Managed Hotels, Hilton Heather Bailey, CHBA, Senior Director, Worldwide Sales Hotel Sales Optimization, BWH Hotel Group Gathan D. Borden, CHDM, Vice President, Marketing, VisitLEX Johnathan Capps, Vice President of Revenue, Charlestowne Hotels Craig Carbonniere Jr., CHDM, Senior Director of Sales, Milestone, Inc. Dana Cariss, CHDM, Vice President, Revenue Strategy and Distribution, CoralTree Hospitality Sabrina Cendral, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Club Med Denise Chapman, Director of Marketing, Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club Sonali Fernando, Regional Director of Revenue, Virgin Hotels Elana Friedman, Chief Marketing Officer, AKA Bettina Garibaldi, Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Ketchum Travel, Hospitality and Leisure Griff Garwood, Senior Director, Global Media, Marriott International Stephanie Glanzer, CMP, Chief Sales Officer and Senior Vice President, MGM Resorts International Michael J. Goldrich, CHDM, Global Head of Digital Marketing, Club Quarters Eliot Hamlisch, EVP, Loyalty and Revenue Optimization, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Rhett Hirko, CRME, Global Vice President, Revenue Optimization, Preferred Hotels & Resorts Sara Joseph, Senior Vice President, Head of Travel and Lifestyle, BerlinRosen Nicole Lierheimer, Vice President, PR and Communications, Accor Gissell Moronta CMP, RVP, Sales and Marketing, Atrium Hospitality Staci Olney, Vice President, National Sales, Red Roof Inns, Inc. Shawn Paley, CHDM, Senior Director, MDS Studio, Marriott International Eve Pare, President and CEO, AHGM Peter Ricci, CHA, CHSE, CRME, EDD, CHBA, Director, Hospitality and Tourism Management Program, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Anne Sayers, Acting Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Tourism David Warman, Principal, Red House Strategy Cesar Wurm, Vice President, Commercial and Revenue Management CMH, IHG (Positions and companies listed were accurate at the time that recipients were initially nominated.) The HSMAI Top 25 and Lifetime Awards are part of the 2021 HSMAI Adrian Awards. The 65th annual Adrians competition focuses on capturing the great work done by hotels, destinations, and their agency partners to get the country moving again, showcase safety and security, and welcome those travelling for the first time in more than a year. Nominations for all awards will be accepted through Dec. 20, 2021. Winners will be notified in 2022. Details for an in-person celebration in 2022 will be available soon. Become an Adrian Awards partner by contacting Elise Rhinehart at [email protected]. To receive more information on the Top 25, contact Kaitlin Dunn at [email protected]. For more information on the Adrian Awards competition, please contact Ellen Wilson at [email protected] or visit the Adrian Awards. Press Release 22 October 2021 The hospitality industry has been shifting its focus and taking a robust approach when it comes to sustainability. From better managing energy and water consumption to eliminating single-use plastics and food waste, the industry is working toward championing responsible business and tourism. In an effort to accurately measure their impact and provide transparency to investors, customers, and employees, companies have begun scrutinizing their sustainability practices, moving from symbolic initiatives to those that actually combat climate change. With the help of technology companies are uncovering their true environmental impact, and quantifying less-tangible indirect emissions that are adversely affecting the planet. Advertisements On June 10th, the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administrations (SHA) Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) hosted a virtual keynote webinar to explore the challenges and opportunities of sustainability in the hospitality industry. The keynote was moderated by SHA Assistant Professor Aaron Adalja. He was joined by Patrick Flynn, global head of sustainability at Salesforce; Geraldine Guichardo 10, global head of research for the hotels & hospitality group, as well as director of Americas hotels research at JLL; Denise Naguib, vice president of sustainability and supplier diversity for global operations at Marriott International; and Jake Shirmer MBA 12 senior manager and sustainability specialist at Deloitte. Here are the top takeaways from the discussion: Emissions scopes and opportunities Owing, in part, to scoping complexity and varying industry standards, Jake Shirmer explained the difficulties that companies have when attempting to understand their full and true environmental impact. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, he said, are measured in terms of scope. Scope 1 is defined as direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by a company, think diesel burned in facilities or vehicles. Scope 2 is the electricity or steam purchased to keep the lights on in an operation. And lastly, Scope 3 includes essentially everything else, for example, upstream emissions from suppliers and downstream emissions from a companys consumers. Reducing Scope 3 value chain emissions, the largest complexity, is about influencing vendors, suppliers, employees, and customers to change their sustainability practices. One way that companies are reducing Scope 3 emissions, for example, is adding climate breach and remediation fees to procurement contracts, binding suppliers and vendors into setting carbon neutral goals or paying the fees, and initiating a form of collective accountability that ensures sustainability is of utmost importance in business to business transactions. If vendors and suppliers dont buy in to their customers sustainability initiatives, they could lose that business. Greenhouse gas accounting, actionable insights, and standardization After understanding and defining emissions scopes, companies can begin to quantify their impact. Patrick Flynn explained that there is a lack of skilled individuals who can standardize and fill in the gaps in the data and asked leaders to consider how many people in their organization conduct financial accounting compared to greenhouse gas accounting, suggesting that companies need to prioritize the latter as much as they do the former. Salesforce has found ways to turn emissions data into actionable insights with their Sustainability Cloud, which Flynn described as a comprehensive single source of truth for your full Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions picture, coupled with the data analytics and visualization you need to takeaction. Meanwhile, other industry tools are tackling standardization. Denise Naguib shared how, in 2012, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, the World Travel & Tourism Council, and 23 global hospitality companies co-created the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) and the Hotel Water Measurement Initiative (HWMI), consistent methodologies to help hotels measure guests carbon footprint and water consumption. Getting stakeholder buy-in Conceptualizing and communicating the value of sustainability initiatives to guests, hotel owners, brand operators, and other stakeholders can be a challenge, but their collective buy-in is crucial to any initiatives success. Hotels have a unique ownership and management structure, which, according to Geraldine Guichardo, means that stakeholder goals are not always aligned. Oftentimes, in order to align stakeholders, sustainability leaders must appeal to their wallets. Business leaders who have a tendency to focus on the bottom line might be surprised to learn, as Naguib elaborated, that there are real revenue implications and cost reductions associated with environmental practices. For example, a hotel owner may want to introduce a sustainability initiative that may not be in line with the brand standards of the management company operating the property. If the owner can demonstrate cost-savings to the brand, she might get the green light on her initiative. Naguib also explained that matching service offerings to the needs of customers, who are increasingly interested in sustainable products and services, can reduce environmental impact and drive revenue, a practice that is critical for companies wanting to capture this demand and increase their market share. For example, organic or plant-based options at food and beverage outlets are popular, known to drive revenue, and reduce emissions associated with meat consumption and non-organic food. Similarly, replacing single-use plastic water bottles with reusable ones can encourage sustainable behavior among guests and, for the hotel, shift spending to more sustainable products. Going greenfrom niche to mainstream Today, companies that fail to take sustainability initiatives seriously risk going out of business as a result of rising conscious consumerism. Guichardo reminded viewers that Generation Z has $183 billion of buying power in the United States alone, and they are concerned about businesses efforts to combat climate change. Corporate behavior is shifting too as institutional capital increasingly favors sustainable business practices, and governments offer incentives and tax benefits for going green. Naguib challenged companies to reframe sustainability initiatives so that theyre not always predicated on guests willingness to pay more. Its about [companies] willingness to be competitive, she said, and sometimes, that means sustainability initiatives will be at parity with cost. The outcome though is a better product or service that is also better for the environment. Instead of branding sustainability initiatives as the expensive avenue, Naguib suggested focusing on ways to effectively competeto drive the best value holistically to truly make an impact. To learn more about the opportunities and challenges of sustainability in hospitality, watch the keynote. Opinion Article 22 October 2021 Opening a hotel amid even normal times is a challenge. But these times are anything but ordinary. For The Rockaway Beach Hotel, in Queens, NY, opening last fall was compounded by a raging global pandemic and a resultant labor crunch. Advertisements According to HotStats data, labor costs globally are on the rise, but still below their 2019 levels. In the U.S., total hotel payroll on a per-available-room basis sat at $52.99 in August 2021 and has been on a steady incline since the beginning of the yearnow 62% of 2019 levels. Labor costs are now more than $20 higher YOY per available room than at the same time a year ago. Europe, likewise, is seeing an uptick in labor costs and at 33.18 in August, they are now 67% of their 2019 level. Middle East labor is 73% of 2019 levels, while, in China, the percentage is even higher at 83%. The squeeze on labor varies across regions and markets. In the U.S., generous unemployment benefits, worker flight, retirement and concerns about reentering hotel workplaces have all contributed to staff shortages. Meanwhile, hotels are competing not just with themselves but other industries for talent, which is pushing up hourly wages. Earlier this month, Bank of America announced it had raised its U.S. minimum hourly wage to $21 with plans to increase it to $25 by 2025. Walmart and Amazon are also getting in on the action. Walmart increased its starting wage to $12 from the $11 in 2018. Amazon is raising its average hourly U.S. wage to $18 an hour for warehouse workers, the company said in September. All of these decisions put pressure on other employers to raise wages, which, for hotel owners, is a quick way to eat into an already fragile bottom line. In the private sector, travel and hospitality jobs are still some of the lowest-paying hourly jobs. However, from September 2020 to September 2021, the sector has had the largest YOY percentage increase of any industry, growing 12.9%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Photo: HotStats Limited Rocking Out in Rockaway How, then, did the The Rockaway Beach Hotel cope with its staffing headache? It created two unique methods to find potential workers with those talents and to make the most of their abilities. This past spring, the hotel invited anyone living in the area who was interested in hospitality, regardless of experience, to come in for a free five-to-six week hospitality training program called The Hospitality Way. The Rockaway, located on Rockaway Beach, with views of the Atlantic Ocean, Jamaica Bay and the Manhattan skyline, is a bit transportation challenged and even provided child care for the students who needed itsnacks, too. For the program to be successful, there cant be any obstacles, said Jeff Brosi, owner/operator of IGC Hospitality, the 53-room propertys parent company. Participants were taught industry key words, the different hotel types and a host of other information, in the interest of getting the right people in the door. This included those who didnt know or recognize that hospitality was a fit for them. Some people are excellent at hospitality without knowing the fine points of the industry and thats teachable, Brosi said. In the midst of the labor shortage, we were finding young people who were hungry for hospitality jobs, but they didnt know how to go about getting them. We said, If youre hungry for it, well take you there. The program was a success. Of the 19 students, 14 were placed either in one of IGCs establishments (it owns several restaurants throughout New York City, too) or with other organizations where it has connections. Meanwhile, IGC (or In Good Company) also had a job fair where, in addition to having its own team recruiting local potential workers, other area employers were able to find talent. The company plans to repeat both programs, serving as an evangelist for the industry. There are people who come into the industry without any background and they see it as just a stepping stone. We tell them it can be a career, Brosi said. Inviting interested members of the community to come into a hotel and learn about hospitality, regardless of experience, could result in a more enthusiastic labor pool, making guests more likely to flock to a property and increasing profitability. But for Brosi, IGCs efforts to teach about the industry arent all about the money. Obviously profits are important for a business, but building the right team and educating to empower employees is the success of a lifetime in any business, he said. The success of the team will lead to the monetary profits that all owners are striving for. Opinion Article 22 October 2021 As the world reopens further, hotel bookings are only accelerating. Eleven countries on the World Hotel Index are now surpassing their pre-pandemic booking volumes, while a further six sit above 90%. Whats driving this strong performance? One of the key ingredients is an uptick in international bookings, the fifth and final stage of the hotel booking reset. In my August analysis, I discussed that 44.84% of global hotel bookings made in that month were from international guests, up from 33.22% in August of 2020 a number that has only grown since. So far in October, 49.03% of bookings made to hotels globally have been from international travellers, and nearly 3-in-4 countries have received more international bookings this month than last. As the extended European summer continues to drive momentum, other regions, in part due to this increase in international reservations, are now able to play a more pivotal supporting role in the holistic recovery of travel. Asia Pacific takes its biggest steps yet to reopening In the Asia Pacific, some of the worlds longest and toughest restrictions are finally being eased, with countries taking their biggest steps yet toward reopening as the year-end holiday season approaches. Fiji, which has been sitting at below 10% of 2019 levels for the majority of the pandemic, is one such example. Bookings to local hotels have boomed in recent days, growing from 23% of 2019 levels to 67% in recent days, as their November reopening to international tourists was confirmed. The Christmas and early 2022 period is the clear focus for travellers, with almost 30% of booked stays to Fijian hotels squeezed into the three weeks around New Years Eve. In Thailand, while domestic travel is already in full swing, some international travellers will no longer be required to quarantine from November and the effect of that is already being seen in the World Hotel Index. With booking momentum building to almost 50% of 2019 volumes, reservations from international guests have grown to 28% this month, from 22% in September, and 56% of current booked stays for December are from international travellers. Looking to North America, the United States and Canada continue their strong and consistent performances. Off the back of falling Covid case numbers and a steady resumption of international travel, the U.S. is at 89% of 2019 booking volumes, led by hotels in Los Angeles and Tampa, while Canada is ahead at 97% of its pre-pandemic level. In both instances, international traveller numbers are set to continue their growth into 2022. In recent weeks, as part of our 15 birthday celebrations, the SiteMinder team was asked to reflect on why it is they travel, which for me has added a fresh perspective to the above trend. While some of the international trips discussed will be workations, to escape the monotony of life at home, or first-time trips to secluded locations, a large number will simply be to visit family and friends overseas who, for the first time in years, they get to see and enjoy in person, without a Zoom icon in sight. For SiteMinder to be playing just a small part in this special moment in history makes me extremely proud. To visit the live World Hotel Index or for direct access to my analyses, subscribe at www.siteminder.com/world-hotel-index. It was once a unifying policy for Democrats. But now, child tax credits are at the center of an increasingly bitter budget fight on Capitol Hill, a battle that will have profound implications for the millions of poor families in Harris County and Texas. At issue are child tax credits that were expanded in March as part of the latest federal COVID-19 stimulus package. The legislation upped the per-child credits from $2,000 to $3,600 per child under age 6 and from $2,000 to $3,000 for children older than 6. The expansion also allowed families to receive some of the money in direct, monthly installments. On HoustonChronicle.com: New child tax credits pull Houstonians from the brink of financial ruin And, per Columbia University researchers, it also helped raise millions of children out of poverty just as the delta variant began to overwhelm hospitals, shutter businesses and, yet again, push millions of Americans into unemployment seemingly overnight. About 1 in 6 American children live in poverty one of the highest rates among all developed nations and so it makes sense the widespread use and popularity of the child tax credit expansion. In the four months since the program was opened, more than $61 billion has been allocated to American families in need, according to a report released last week by the U.S. Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service. Texans have received about one-tenth of that money, with about $6.2 billion paid through roughly 3,600 credits an average of roughly $444 per month, per child, according to the report. Now, with the extension set to sunset at years end, child tax credits are among a handful of policies that have left Congressional Democrats at an impasse as they try to pass an ambitious, budget bill of around $2 trillion that would, among things, extend the credits through 2025. On HoustonChronicle.com: Parents can still get two child tax credit payments in 2021 if they sign up now The budget proposal, once pegged at $3.5 trillion, is being scaled back to win over two moderate Democrats West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Arizona Sen. Krysten Sinema. With united Republican opposition, Democratic leaders need support from both to pass the bill in the evenly divided Senate. President Joe Biden is reportedly considering extending the child tax credit expansion for just one year as a compromise to satisfy moderates. Manchin has proposed means-testing the program, which would shrink the number of eligible children by an estimated 37 million. Regardless of how the standoff shakes out, it will have real consequences for millions of low-income people in Texas and Harris County, where roughly 1 in 5 children live in poverty. That is hundreds of thousands of children in Harris County, one of the most prosperous counties in the most prosperous country in the world, County Judge Lina Hidalgo said this week. Texas was one of two dozen states that opted to end other COVID relief programs before they were set to expire in September. The move was favored by Republicans and some businesses who argued that the programs were keeping people out of the workforce claims that have been questioned by economists and poverty researchers. No wonder, then, that Harris County leaders have gone on the offensive while they can. Last week, county commissioners approved $500,000 to fund outreach efforts to low-income families who may qualify for the child tax credits, but have been unable to navigate an application process that some have decried as confusing and arbitrary. Hidalgo said the outreach efforts are part of a broader paradigm shift in poverty prevention. Parents seeking the credits still have until Nov. 15 to apply for the program. What happens after that? All bets are off and all eyes are on two senators who can turn into reality what was once a Democratic Party pipedream. robert.downen@chron.com Testifying at the Legislature? Writing a letter to an elected official? Those wont get a company looking to change public policy anywhere. To get a politicians attention, executives write checks. And sometimes, executives have to look the other way when an incumbent does something unsavory. A Walmart spokesperson said as much when CNBC Newss Brian Schwartz noticed the companys PAC for sustainable government had donated $10,000 to Abbotts campaign on Sept. 29. The governor had just signed some of the nations most restrictive abortion and voting laws and was doing his best to hobble efforts to slow the COVID-19 pandemic. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Texas' most powerful oil family also regulates the industry As a company that operates in all 50 states, it is necessary for us to engage political leaders from both parties across a broad spectrum of policy matters. Our company and PAC engage in a bipartisan manner based on a range of issues that impact our associates, customers and shareholders, CNBC quoted an unnamed Walmart representative as saying. Polls show most Americans and Texans consider the abortion and voting measures outrageous, but Abbott is more worried about rightwing challenger Don Huffines than moderates. And Walmart is more worried about losing influence than defending human rights. We have not been and will never be a single-issue contributor, and we recognize that at times elected officials will back legislation we dont support or condone, a representative told CNBC News. However, its important that we continue to engage in the political process and make our views known to policymakers and other stakeholders. In other words, businesses must keep writing checks to get what they want. Most people will consider Walmarts gift a tacit endorsement of Abbotts increasingly extremist policies, even if the company insists its not. The PAC also gave $5,000 to Abbotts erstwhile rival for the rightwing crown, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Walmarts statement is kind of sweet in an old-timey way, suggesting that voters should not expect corporations to care about social issues. Aw, shucks, Walmart says, were just buying influence for issues like taxes, leave us out of the culture war. Meanwhile, activists from both parties are downloading campaign finance reports to see who is collecting corporate money. They then weaponize the data to let voters know who is enabling the politicians theyve come to despise. Both Democratic and Republican activists have gone after AT&T for donating $132,000 not only to Abbott but to other Texas politicians who made it more difficult to vote. Corporate PACs should expect more scrutiny as politicians fundraise for next years election. Some elected officials rely on corporate money more than others. U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, who represents the Dallas-Fort Worth area, gets 52 percent of his money from business PACs, according to a recent analysis. Sen. Ted Cruz relies on them for less than 2 percent. Politicians often claim campaign donations do not influence them, but Walmarts statement suggests otherwise. Why else give money to every incumbent regardless of party? The money is clearly not about backing a specific ideology, so whats the point if youre not buying influence from someone with power? The way American politicians raise money would be considered bald-faced corruption in other nations. Non-stop, year-round fundraising is illegal in many places. Other systems cap how much a politician can raise and spend. Whats shocking about Texas is the absence of effective conflict-of-interest laws. Commission Shift, a nonprofit campaign seeking an overhaul ethics at the Texas Railroad Commission, recently studied who finances the reelection campaigns of the three people who regulate the oil and gas industry. No big surprise that 67 percent of donations come from people or organizations connected to the oil and gas industry. Most of the money comes from pipeline and wastewater disposal companies, the sectors where commissioners have the most power to resolve disputes and issue permits. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Abbott puts Elon Musk on the spot over abortion ban, other extreme policies A comparison of the agencys docket with campaign finance records reveals activity that would be felonious elsewhere. The commissioners take campaign funds from parties with active cases pending before their agency, the non-profits analysis found. Too often, the commission has focused on accelerated oil and gas development at the expense of safety, economic vitality and stewardship of natural resources and the environment. None of this is new, and no statewide elected official will whisper a word about campaign finance reform. (For the record, they are all Republicans.) No bill to tighten conflict of interest laws has emerged from a legislative committee in years. (Democrats chair some committees in Austin.) The private sector exerts enormous effort to ensure the interests of the company and its leaders are aligned. Too bad we dont do the same in politics. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and politics. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com WASHINGTON - With efforts to rapidly shift the nations power sector from fossil fuels faltering, Democrats are moving ahead on a climate policy that makes greater room for natural gas and possibly even coal on the U.S. power grid. Democratic leaders have failed to convince Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and other party moderates to support a budget package that includes the Clean Electricity Performance Program, which would force power companies to switch from carbon-emitting power plants to wind, solar and other clean energy. They are now focusing on using tax credits to speed the adoption of those technologies, as well as electric cars, advanced nuclear reactors and carbon capture, to get the nation on track to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century. Whether tax credits alone without penalizing companies that dont clean up emissions will be enough to meet President Joe Bidens climate goal remains to be seen. But that lack of penalties will likely give power generators more leeway in continuing to burn fossil fuels, in particular natural gas, which produces less emissions of coal and is a critical market for Texass oil and gas industry. Utilities are already under tremendous pressure to green their fleet, but (without CEPP) it allows power companies who are seeking to reducing carbon a more diverse portfolio, which benefits gas, said Scott Segal, a Washington energy attorney. On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas natural gas industry showing limited progress in winter prep Under the proposed Clean Electricity Performance Program, or CEPP, the U.S. power sector would have to produce 80 percent of electricity from clean energy sources by 2030, requiring a massive shift for a power grid that currently gets 60 percent of its generation from burning coal and natural gas. With that policy effectively off the table, Democrats are now banking on what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., described this week as a half-trillion dollar spending package for clean energy, building on a system of tax credits that has already enabled booms in wind and solar energy. Analysis by the California-based think tank Energy Innovation this month predicted that the Democrats clean energy tax credits, along with existing policies and trends, would result in a U.S. power grid that was between 61 and 69 percent clean energy - not that far off President Joe Bidens goal of 80 percent. Under a CEPP, you would have seen more utilities go further on installing renewables, especially those dragging their feet right now, said Matthew Davis, senior director of government affairs at the League of Conservation Voters. Any time a tool is taken away, its a setback. Does it mean fossil fuels might run a little longer? It might. But its a multi-faceted problem and theres a lot of different levers to pull. On HoustonChronicle.com: Can Congress finally come to terms on climate? The pull back on the CEPP represents a win for a U.S. gas industry that has seen its fortunes diminish in recent years, as climate scientists call for emissions reductions far beyond what continuing to burn natural gas would allow. With not only politicians but also their customers and investors calling for the energy sector to clean up, gas companies have joined efforts they once opposed, including cracking down on methane leaks from their operations. Exxon Mobil announced last month that a portion of its gas production in New Mexico would be analyzed for methane emissions by an environmental nonprofit. And lobbyists for the gas industry, along with politicians like Manchin, have made the case that natural gas is critical to maintaining stability and avoiding blackouts on a power grid dominated by renewable energy - which depends on the weather to generate electricity. Natural gas is already enabling the growth of renewable energy and reducing our nations carbon footprint while ensuring affordable, reliable energy for 180 million Americans., said Karen Harbert, president of the American Gas Association. More: Read the latest oil and gas news from HoustonChronicle.com Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have set a goal of reaching a budget agreement by Oct. 31. But with a long list of issues still to work out, from climate to child tax credits to drug pricing, negotiations could easily extend into November, potentially leaving room for alternative climate strategies to emerge. Progressives led by Sen Tina Smith, D-Minn., are already working on figuring out a way to make up for the emissions reductions they were expecting from the CEPP, Politico reported Thursday. One option under discussion, Davis said, would be to boost funding for the expansion of U.S. manufacturers producing clean energy technology such as batteries and solar panels, which have struggled to keep pace with competitors in lower-wage nations like China. And discussions continue within the Democratic caucus around a carbon fee or tax despite comments by Senate Democrats Manchin and John Tester, of Montana, indicating they would not support such a policy - said Brad Townsend, vice president for policy and outreach at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a Washington think tank. Its a long shot, but I dont think the door has been closed, he said. Its getting increasingly difficult to understand how theyre going pay for this budget, and a carbon fee gives you revenue and emissions reductions. But with time winding down, the question hanging over the Democrats new strategy is whether progressives will go for a clean energy package that is long on financial incentives, but short on penalties for polluters. That might not make much difference in states like New York and California, which already have tough clean energy standards in place. But in states like Texas, power companies are largely left to decide for themselves how fast to clean up their generation That could be a tough pill to swallow for some progressive Democrats, but at least for now environmentalists are urging them to go ahead. These tax credits have a history of working. They have gotten us to where we are, Davis, of the League of Conservation Voters, said. james.osborne@chron.com Twitter.com/@osborneja The Public Utility Commission of Texas approved weatherization standards for electricity generators on Thursday, requiring them to be ready for winter cold by by Dec. 1 but allowing them to seek exemptions if they fail to comply. Among the new requirements, generators will be required to shelter systems from wind, protect sensors for components vital to cold-weather operations, inspect insulation, establish schedules for testing systems that guard against freezing and improve installation of systems to monitor components vital to cold-weather operations. Theyll also be required to train workers on cold-weather protocols and file winter weather readiness reports. Power producers can seek exemptions if they fail to comply with any of the measures, even if they never plan to implement some of the requirements. Exemptions would require approval of the PUC, which regulates the states utilities, and ERCOT, which manages the states power grid. ERCOT, which is overseen by the PUC, will be required to inspect power generators this winter. Any generator that experiences multiple forced outages will have to hire an engineer to assess weatherization efforts. PUC Chairman Peter Lake said Thursday that the weatherization rules were the first wave of other, more permanent standards that will be developed and implemented by ERCOT at a later day. The rules approved Thursday will ensure that the grid is ready for the coming winter. Weve got to make sure this is in place by winter, Lake said. This makes sure the reliability of grid will be vastly improved this year compared to last year. MORE WARNINGS: ERCOT, PUC announce plans to overhaul Texas electricity market The new weatherization standards come more than eight months after millions of Texans were plunged into freezing darkness during a winter storm in February, killing hundreds across the state. An average of 34,000 megawatts of power was knocked off ERCOTs grid, representing nearly half of the record winter demand of 69,871 megawatts. One megawatt is enough electricity to power about 200 homes on a hot summer day. Ed Hirs, an energy fellow at the University of Houston, said the weatherization mandates mirror those recommended but never enacted after the 2011 freeze and subsequent power outages. He said theyre also similar to rules set up in the federally regulated grids, which have had more success staying online during severe weather. He cautioned, however, that could take a couple of years before generators across Texas finish weatherization efforts, and some may skip making changes by applying for the so-called good-cause exemption. Generation companies are concerned about these mandates and not having the revenue stream to fund it, Hirs said. If theres no progress in that direction, and I dont think there is, we may see a bunch of them say Hey, were not ready, please grant us an exemption. Alison Silverstein, an Austin-based energy consultant who worked for the PUC from 1995 to 2001 and with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from 2001 to 2004, said she doesnt think the PUC or ERCOT will rubber stamp exemption requests. A much more lenient rule would have been like the (Railroad Commission)s for gas system critical facilities, which appeared to allow a facility to exempt itself from weatherization requirements simply by declaring that it couldnt perform the requirements and wasnt critical to the system, with no regulatory approval check at all, she said. The commissioners on Thursday also discussed a plan to overhaul Texas electricity market, although details of the plan wont be released until next week. Lake said one thing it wont include is a capacity market, in which ratepayers pay electricity generators to have a certain amount of power ready at any time. He also took aim at renewable energy generators, saying the market redesign should steer profits toward power generators that can immediately get power on to the grid. He said the intermittent nature of wind and solar generators makes them unreliable. We have to be honest about how unreliable some of these resources are, Lake said. The majority of the generation that went offline in February, however, came from thermal sources of power, like natural gas and coal plants. shelby.webb@chron.com Isaiah Gonzalez grimaced as the nurse approached his hospital bed, his small hands bound with surgical tape to safeguard the tubes delivering a steady flow of antibodies to his bloodstream. He squeezed his pink-stained eyelids shut as the masked nurse put a thermometer in his armpit to check whether his skyhigh fever had fallen. He was thinking of monkeys. I want to go to the zoo, the 3-year-old said, reaching for his mother as his face twisted in distress. It has taken all Isaiahs powers of imagination to escape the confines of his bed in the intensive care unit at Texas Childrens Hospital. He is battling multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, a dangerous but poorly understood illness that arose with the coronavirus pandemic last year. Fevered and weak, the Baytown resident was hospitalized earlier this month as the inflammation attacked his heart, kidneys and blood vessels. COVID HELP DESK: What should I change about my grocery store habits? Hospitalizations like Isaiahs were relatively rare throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But as the delta tsunami recedes, it has left in its wake a troubling chain of infections among children too young to be vaccinated and a deepening exhaustion among the health workers caring for them. The uncertainty about the coming months is adding to their fatigue, in a region where vaccination rates remain far below the levels required to stamp out community spread. Our resilience is not unlimited, said Dr. Lara Shekerdemian, chief of critical care at Texas Childrens and the physician overseeing Isaiahs treatment. Shekerdemian and her staff are still reeling from the stress of the surprise summertime surge that sickened children at an alarming rate, inundating the five units devoted to intensive care at the nations largest pediatric hospital. Soft-spoken but formidable, with a gentle English accent, she leaned against a nurses station as she recalled recent months when patients waited in the hallways for an empty bed. The hospitals intensive care units are no longer jammed with young coronavirus patients, but MIS-C presents a new challenge, even as the virus appears to be in retreat. Of the many mysteries of the pandemic, the rise of MIS-C a rare but treatable syndrome that typically affects school-aged children weeks after a COVID exposure may be the most puzzling for pediatricians. More than 5,200 American children have been diagnosed with MIS-C since it was first observed at the beginning of the pandemic; 46 have died. We never thought, 20 months ago, that it would be like this, said Shekerdemian. *** The future of the pandemic, and how deeply it may affect the holiday season, depends, as ever, on the vagaries of viral mutation and human behavior. Thats according to Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist at UTHealth School of Public Health who studied HIV/AIDS before shifting her focus to coronavirus last year. Is a new variant going to arrive that is more infectious than delta? Troisi said. The answer, for now, appears to be no. The waning delta variant, which sickened children far more than previous strains, is still out-competing all other mutations. More critical, she said, is whether mandates and other efforts aimed at vaccine hold-outs some 30 percent of eligible Americans will curb case counts before families gather at Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. Troisi is monitoring the data for signs of hope, both as an epidemiologist and as a grandmother who wants to visit her grandchildren at Christmastime. But vaccination rates among Texas teenagers remain stubbornly below 50 percent, even as many high schoolers return to their classrooms unmasked. That may be a worrying harbinger for what is to come when vaccines are approved for kids ages 5 to 11, Troisi said, as some parents remain hesitant despite public health messaging promoting the shots. A lot of it is in our control as a community, she said. While children suffered from severe COVID infections at a far lower rate than adults early on in the pandemic, the idea that kids like Isaiah are safe from the disease crumbled with the delta wave, blindsiding pediatric health care providers with an unprecedented crush of childhood cases. The persistence of MIS-C is compounding their anxiety about the coming months. We got a false sense of security, said Nicole Leathers, an ICU nurse manager at Texas Childrens. And then we had this delta variant followed by a bunch of MIS-C and we were like, Oh wait, this is completely different. *** When Gia Gonzalez, 19, fell ill with a mild case of COVID last month, she monitored her son Isaiah for signs of sickness; he never showed any, so she didnt worry. Then came the phone call every mother dreads. On HoustonChronicle.com: New moms fight for their lives away from newborns, as Houston sees rise in pregnant COVID patients She was finishing her shift at the Circle K convenience store where she works earlier this month when her mother called to say Isaiah was lethargic and running a high fever. Gia rushed home to nurse her son through the night. He woke every few minutes to sip the diluted yellow Gatorade she put in his Spider-Man sippy cup. By morning, a vivid rash had bloomed across his eyes and cheeks. He was so weak he couldnt move. It was scary, Gia said. He wouldnt talk or eat. The listless boy in the bed bore no resemblance to the normally energetic 3-year-old Gia had raised: a shaggy-haired troublemaker who loved to jump on the bed and race around the backyard with his cousins. As Gia looked at her son, she felt fear and confusion. It had happened so fast. Like the facial rash, the sudden onset of Isaiahs symptoms is typical of the inflammatory syndrome, which can infect otherwise healthy children, even those who had no discernible signs of COVID. It usually begins two to three weeks after a COVID exposure. When Isaiah became unresponsive the following afternoon, Gia called an ambulance. She packed a backpack of essentials, including the fraying Paw Patrol blanket that Isaiah carried everywhere. Paramedics transported them to the hospital, where he was admitted to the ICU. Timing was on his side. Had he fallen ill during the summer surge, he may have had to wait for a bed. At its peak in late August, nearly 100 children were hospitalized daily with COVID in the greater Houston area. Two months later, pediatric COVID hospitalizations have dropped by two-thirds. But those numbers do not capture the steady trickle of patients like Isaiah, who are nominally negative for the virus but suffering from its cruel after-effects. Gia had never heard of MIS-C, so the doctors explained the diagnosis. They told her it is treatable with intravenous medicines to protect her sons heart, kidneys and other organs from lasting damage. With braces taped to his hands to prevent the intravenous tubes from kinking, Isaiah barely slept their first night in the ICU. Mature beyond her years, with a streak of blonde in her dark hair, Gia lay awake beside him, their bodies fitting snugly in the child-sized hospital bed. She is not the only one who has been losing sleep. Even at a well-funded metroplitan hospital like Texas Childrens, the relentless pace and erratic trajectory of the pandemic has left staffers fatigued and overworked. Leathers, the ICU nurse manager, said the experience has broken down the hierarchy between doctors and nurses, and forced many to jettison the brash, tough Navy Seal mentality that used to predominate. Leathers worked the pediatric ICU floors one recent Sunday, even though she wasnt on duty. It was a taxing shift. One patient died, another went into cardiac arrest. Before the pandemic, she might have brushed it off. But instead, Leathers called her manager to decompress. I cried the whole way home, Leathers said. *** Isaiah was discharged from the ICU late Wednesday, but he is due back at the hospital in five days for an echocardiogram. The doctors must determine whether the inflammation has caused any lasting damage to his heart. Gia hopes Isaiah recovers in time for his 4th birthday on Oct. 30. To celebrate, she is planning to take him trick-or-treating for Halloween. He will be dressed as Spider-Man. Mother and son are looking forward to resuming their regular trips to the zoo, where they made bi-weekly visits throughout the pandemic. Its been a while since theyve seen the monkeys. nora.mishanec@chron.com Houston mechanic Corey Roehrick leaves work on Friday and heads to his other job, puts on his quick Friday makeup, and spends the weekend roaming the halls of a haunted house and making people scream. WANT TO GO? Here are 11 of Houston's best haunted houses for 2021 There was a constant flow of people into Kindred Stories and Gulf Coast Cosmos Comicbook Co. as they opened their doors in Third Ward. If I hadnt been there on that weekday afternoon, I could not have imagined there would be two new bookstores in our neighborhood, which has long lacked the resources for such amenities. But we deserve this. Despite challenges from the pandemic, both stores, which are side by side in a complex owned by Project Row Houses, recently opened and welcomed neighbors eager for a chance to connect over conversation and books. People are yearning for a Black book space. We want to make people feel welcome and feel prioritized, like family, said Terri Hamm, owner of Kindred Stories, which has an impressive collection of fiction, nonfiction, childrens books and gifts, all by Black authors and artists. Her shelves are beautifully curated in a space filled with natural light, cozy seating and an outdoor patio. Sewing: At home in Third Ward, an appreciation of the 'Tre' Ive had this deep desire to build a space for community, said Hamm, a New York native who opened the store with her husband, Troy Hamm. They met in college at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The events of last summer have prompted people to become intentional in finding a safe space to connect. People are craving social interaction. I want to sell books, but if someone wants to come and just hang out, they can do that. Sometimes its the therapy we need. Many, like me, entered Hamms store with a childlike gaze, as if this was our first time in a place like this. Ashley Hoskins, a trial coordinator, was finishing a cup of tea. Shes the founder of the Houston chapter of the Free Black Womens Library, a project started in Brooklyn, N.Y., to create community among women through book exchanges. Last month, Hoskins hosted a book discussion on All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks at Hamms store, which she called a divine space. Its very comforting and warm. I always envisioned a space where I could retreat and be surrounded by books, Hoskins said. In February, Hamm held her first book pop-up with BLCK Market Houston at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum. She was testing the vibe to see if people would actually buy books during a pandemic, and they did. She continued hosting pop-ups weekly and connecting with other Black booksellers nationally, gleaning valuable insight about the book industry. She also received encouragement and advice from Blue Willow Book Shop, another dreamy bookstore on the west side of town. Her vision was to own her own store, and she shared that with Project Row Houses, which had just the right the space. Word about Kindred Stories spread quickly, and it helped that Hamm has hosted several major celebrity book events (Gabrielle Union, Tabitha Brown) with the Metamorphosis Conference at the Fountain of Praise church. On HoustonChronicle.com: Jennifer Reyna returns to Houston on KHOU 11 covering traffic She has many recommendations on good reads, such as Wings of Ebony by Houston young-adult fantasy writer J. Elle, a Third Ward native who graduated from Yates High School. Her book was on the New York Times bestseller list earlier this year. Next door to Kindred Stories, Byron Canady and Sharmane Fury were almost giddy sharing their story of opening Gulf Coast Cosmos Comicbook Co. in September. The two met in graduate school and shared a love of comic books and a frustration over the lack of books with characters of color. After graduation, Canady, a Houston native who is also an adjunct professor in marketing at University of Houston-Downtown, was accepted to the small-business entrepreneurship program of the Emancipation Economic Development Council, which nurtures businesses in Third Ward, in 2019. Like Hamm, Canady and Fury had a dream to open a store, but the pandemic forced them online first. Fury handled the online retail shop from her home in Los Angeles while Canady hosted pop-ups around Houston. Once they found the brick-and-mortar space in July, Fury packed her things and moved to Houston. I needed to be in a space and in a community that reflected us, said Fury, who is Black and Japanese. Black and brown people see themselves on the walls here. I want to live vicariously through the people who come to our space because I didnt have that growing up. The store has comic books and graphic novels with Asian, Black, Latino and Native American characters. I learned about Moon Girl, a 9-year-old Black superhero who is the smartest character in the Marvel Comic universe; Jessica Cruz, an immigrant and a Dreamer who is also the greatest Green Lantern figure in the DC Comics world; and Miles Morales, a Black and Puerto Rican Spider-Man. While Houston has a number of comic-book stores, Canady said, none are in Black and brown communities. Were the first Black-owned comic-book store here. When you see yourself on covers and in the pages, you feel seen, he said. The pandemic has forced many businesses to shutter, but according to the American Booksellers Association, there has been a rise in small, independent bookstores. Many Black-owned bookstores nationwide also saw some increase in sales as people scurried to buy books about race and anti-racism. Hamm is already thinking about a bigger store where she can host larger community groups, book events and gatherings. What I want to do is deeply rooted in serving the community, she said. Books are a powerful medium in passing on history and amplifying our voices. joy.sewing@chron.com After many months when Texas bars were closed and restaurants struggled, Houston was more than ready to start cocktail-fueled socializing again. Thirsty partiers returned to their favorite spots, but they also found new haunts like these to enjoy. Chef Thomas Stacys tasting-menu restaurant at CityCentre launched a new cocktail menu to coincide with the opening of Cafe @ ReikiNa, a walk-in friendly cafe and bar area with seating for 42. The cocktails include Fish House Punch (peach brandy, dark rum, ginger, citrus and spices); Hibiscus Zen (herbal tea cocktail with gin, hibiscus flowers, fresh basil and white pepper); and Mezcal Last Word (mezcal, cherry liqueur, Chartreuse, and lime). An a la carte food menu also is offered, as well as wines by the glass, at this art-filled space. 799 Town & Country; reikna.xyz Alex Montoya / Alex Montoya Casa Nomad The partners of Wicklow Heights bar have created a chic Tulum, Mexico-inspired lounge, a charming sliver space in the hot M-K-T Heights retail and restaurant collection. With only 28 seats, Casa Nomad features a coastal Mexican menu that includes tropical, vacation dreaming craft cocktails such as the Tuluminati (reposado tequila, dry Curacao, lime, agave, and dragon fruit syrup). The breezy new bar sits adjacent to the partners new Highline Park patio bar. 600 N. Shepherd; casanomadhtx.com Amy Scott / Amy Scott Shoot the Moon Billed as Houstons first self-service bar and restaurant, this Spring Branch newcomer allows guests to pour themselves cider, beer, and spirits. Cocktails also are on tap, including the Red Shirt (vodka, strawberry-infused Aperol and lime), Oaxacan Viejo (white tequila, mezcal, Grand Marnier and lime); Bramble (gin, cassis, lemon and turbinado syrup), and a classic Old Fashioned. Theres also a food menu that includes specialty pizzas, chicken wings, fried calamari, and sweet potato fritters. 8155 Long Point, 281-888-4801; shootthemoontexas.com McIntyre's McIntryres Downtown This bar is a doozy: a full-service, three-level space (the former Spaghetti Warehouse location) boasting downtowns largest covered patio bar with views of the Houston skyline and Buffalo Bayou. Arcade games and TVs galore and two dozen beers on tap and cocktails (including a highball Ranch Water machine) for the thirsty. Check out the watermelon sangria called Its Always Sunny in Houston; food trucks service the bar five days a week in addition to a permanent food counter offering pizza, hot dogs and nachos. 901 Commerce, 713-225-5581; mcintyresusa.com Dylan Scardino / Dylan Scardino Space Cowboy This clever bar is set next to the pool of Heights House Hotel, a former sketchy motel that is now a hip boutique inn. The indoor-outdoor space with a tropical design offers vacation island-inspired cocktails such as Spation Wagon (gin, vermouth, watermelon syrup and bitters), Sun Soaked on Montie Beach (rum, passion fruit, ginger and mint) and Big Daddy Sam (rye, mezcal, creme de banana and chocolate bitters). Hawaiian leanings from the food menu include ahi poke, coconut shrimp bao, Maui short ribs, fish tacos, shrimp cocktail and Spam musibi. 100 W. Cavalcade; spacecowboyhou.com Jenn Duncan / Jenn Duncan Julep This bar specializing in Southern-inspired cocktails is slinging boozy classics and a new slate of imaginative (and somewhat idiosyncratic) charmers. The skill and thought poured into every cocktail might be lost on the casual drinker. But one sip of the house Mint Julep, Old Fashioned, Pimms Cup, Sazerac or Ramos Gin Fizz, and youll recognize instantly someone cared quite a lot about your date with very special spirits. Theres also a menu of new snacks including French onion dip, an oyster picnic (oysters, sausage, bread and butter) and a crazy-good burger. 1919 Washington; julephouston.com Al Torres Photography / Al Torres Photography Field & Tides The Heights has plenty of neighborhood joints, but few are as satisfying and charming as chef Travis Lenigs spiffy restaurant with welcoming bar, patio drinking and side bar. Its a perfect place to enjoy cocktails such as the Peacemaker (Paloma-inspired marriage of mezcal, ruby grapefruit, lime, ginger and Jarritos soda); High Sea (reposado tequila, strawberry puree, Aperol and lemon juice); and Hey Joe (Jim Beam Black, sweet vermouth, bitters, simple syrup and absinthe). Theres also a dessert-cocktail menu offering a throwback such as the Grasshopper (creme de menthe, cacao and cherry liqueurs, and chocolate bitters). 705 E. 11th; fieldandtides.com Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer East End Backyard If kicking back on a massive, dog-friendly patio is your speed, this bar from former Houston Dynamo star Brian Ching will probably meet your casual drinking/socializing needs. The 16,000-square-foot patio is anchored by a sweet bungalow bar. Theres a full cocktail menu and 25 beers and ciders on tap. Murals from local artists lend a welcome touch of East End realness; a rotating selection of food trucks provides the grub. 1105 Sampson; saqrmediacom/eastend/ Cherry / Cherry Cherry Set below Captain Foxhearts Bad News Bar & Spirits Lodge, this micro-club is dedicated to the dance-party spirit of the 80s and 90s. Yes, theres a disco ball overhead, as well as tables designed to look like albums, zebra-striped flooring and glittery cherry-red walls. Table service and bottles of champagne are ready to fuel your night fever, as well as signature cocktails such as Dream in a Bottle (whipped vodka, lemon and orange soda served in a pop bottle) and Raspberry Bered (vodka, raspberries and pineapple juice). Open Friday and Saturday nights. 308 Main; cherryhtx.com After years of planning, Johnson Development Corp. anticipates beginning construction on a new 1,620-acre community in northwest Harris County before the year is out. Johnson Development purchased the property near U.S. 290 and the Grand Parkway in 2017. The company has spent the last two years conducting research and developing concepts to create a community that lives up to its name: Jubilee. Retail wrap: Experiential retailers fill Houston centers A lot of research has gone into how we can make this community different, said Haley Peck, director of marketing for Harvest Green and Tuscan Lakes two of Johnson Developments master-planned communities designed around their own unique themes. The farm-centric Harvest Green in Richmond, for example, focuses on providing residents with healthy lifestyle opportunities, offering produce from farms within the community; while the design of Tuscan Lakes in League City as its name suggests was inspired by Italys Tuscany region. Also named for its intended vibe, the Jubilee community in Hockley will be designed to elicit joy from its residents. Life is hard and the everyday grind can wear us all down. We wanted our residents to come home and be in an environment that just made them happier, Peck said. On HoustonChronicle.com: CityCentre project to bring new hotel, office building to west Houston The communitys visual and design elements will be a major factor in achieving that goal, she explained. Aesthetic plays a large part on peoples mindsets whether they realize it or not, Peck said. Shapes, colors, lighting, etc. all evoke certain responses in our brains that affect our moods. Were being very intentional with the colors, shapes and patterns we choose to create an aesthetic that evokes positivity. Everything from its architecture to landscaping will be aimed at creating an environment that promotes health not only physically, but also mentally, she said. Johnson Development has been studying wellness elements incorporated into communities around the world, adopting those they believe will be successful and adding a few concepts of their own. Were not ready to divulge the details on our amenities, but we can say that we are being very strategic with the design of both indoor and outdoor spaces throughout the neighborhood. Each amenitized space will have a specific intention, Peck said, such as interacting with nature, relaxing and meditating, or socializing. Johnson Development, which has been creating master-planned communities since 1975, has preserved or planted almost 2 million trees in its communities, according to the companys website. Peck said Jubilee will carry on this tradition. Tree-lined corridors are a staple of Johnson communities and we do not plan on straying from that, she said. Jubilee is planned for about 4,800 homes. Home builders and price points have not yet been announced, but multiple product types will be offered, Peck said, and presales are projected to start in early 2023. The communitys residents will be zoned to Waller ISD schools. We are working with Waller ISD to determine number and locations for future schools located within the boundaries of Jubilee as well, she said. In addition to the schools, Jubilees location was chosen because of its proximity to U.S. 290, as well as access to shopping and health care. According to Peck, the front of the property already includes land planned for commercial use, though land use is subject to change. We can certainly consider additional land uses in Jubilee based on market demand, she said. Jubilee will be Johnson Developments first active community in northwest Houston, and its 19th overall. The plan to build a community focused on mental health predated COVID, however the pandemic has reinforced their confidence in Jubilees concept and potential benefits. The pandemic has turned our focus to health and has shown us just how important where you live can be, said Trey Reichert, general manager of Jubilee. Imagine living in a home that has all the room you need in a community specifically designed to elicit peace and harmony. Its something we can all use right now. To learn more, visit www.johnsondevelopment.com. mfeuk@hcnonline.com THIBODAUX, La (AP) A state appeal court has upheld a Louisiana mans conviction and consecutive life sentences for a double murder in December 2018. Jerrell Alexander, 31, of Raceland, is in the Louisiana State Penitentiary for killing Marcel Turner, 26, of Thibodaux, and Jeremiah Ballard, 23, of Raceland, during a holdup in the garage of a home in Raceland. His lawyers argued, among other things, that jury instructions about unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling were confusing because the garage was a neighborhood gathering spot, The Courier reported. "Whatever the relationship between the victims and the defendant, there was nothing presented at trial to indicate the victims authorized armed gunmen wearing masks to enter the garage to rob and/or kill them, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal wrote in a ruling handed down Monday. The instruction in question involved manslaughter, which jurors could have chosen rather than the second-degree murder charges on which they convicted Alexander. His brother, Kerry Alexander, was convicted in June on the same charge. The appellate court in Baton Rouge also rejected claims that Jerrell Alexander's sentence was excessive. Life in prison is the only possible sentence for second-degree murder. But making the sentences back-to-back was too much, the appeal argued. Consecutive sentences were warranted both by the crime's brutality and Alexander's record as a repeat offender with convictions for armed robbery and attempted second-degree murder, the three-judge panel said. It also rejected a challenge to the states gunshot-residue expert and claims that Alexander's lawyer should have been allowed to see whether the witness who identified him from a photo lineup could do so from alternative photo lineups. Assistant District Attorney Joe Soignet, who handles appeals for Lafourche Parish, declined to comment because Kerry Alexander's case is still pending. WASHINGTON (AP) The House has voted to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. In a rare show of bipartisanship on the House floor, the committee's Democratic chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, led the floor debate along with Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of two Republicans on the panel. Still, the vote Thursday was 229-202 with all but nine GOP lawmakers who voted saying no." The House vote sends the matter to the U.S. attorneys office in Washington, where it will now be up to prosecutors in that office to decide whether to present the case to a grand jury for possible criminal charges. It's still uncertain whether they will pursue the case Attorney General Merrick Garland would only say at a House hearing on Thursday that they plan to make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution. The partisan split over Bannon's subpoena and over the committee's investigation in general is emblematic of the raw tensions that still grip Congress nine months after the Capitol attack. Democrats have vowed to comprehensively probe the assault in which hundreds of Trump's supporters battered their way past police, injured dozens of officers and interrupted the electoral count certifying President Joe Biden's November victory. Lawmakers on the panel say they will move swiftly and forcefully to punish anyone who wont cooperate with the probe. We will not allow anyone to derail our work, because our work is too important, Thompson said ahead of the vote. Republicans call it a witch hunt, say it is a waste of time and argue that Congress should be focusing on more important matters. Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, leading the GOP opposition on the floor, called the probe an illicit criminal investigation into American citizens and said Bannon is a Democrat party boogeyman. Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger are the only two Republicans on the Jan. 6 panel, and both have openly criticized Trump and his role in fomenting the insurrection while the majority of House Republicans have remained silent in the face of Trump's falsehoods about massive fraud in the election. Trump's claims were rejected by election officials, courts across the country and by his own attorney general. The Jan. 6 committee voted 9-0 Tuesday to recommend the contempt charges after Bannon missed a scheduled interview with the panel last week, citing a letter from Trumps lawyer that directed him not to answer questions. The committee noted that Bannon did not work at the White House at the time of the attack, and that he not only spoke with Trump before it but also promoted the protests on his podcast and predicted there would be unrest. On Jan. 5, Bannon said that all hell is going to break loose." Lawmakers on the panel said Bannon was alone in completely defying its subpoena, while more than a dozen other subpoenaed witnesses were at least negotiating with them. Mr. Bannons own public statements make clear he knew what was going to happen before it did, and thus he must have been aware of -- and may well have been involved in -- the planning of everything that played out on that day, Cheney said ahead of the vote. The American people deserve to know what he knew and what he did. Joining Cheney and Kinzinger in voting to hold Bannon in contempt were Republican Reps. Peter Meijer and Fred Upton of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington. Mace, who represents a political swing district, told reporters after the vote that she wants to maintain the power of subpoenas for future Republican majorities. I want the power to subpoena, when we start investigating some of the crises that are facing the Biden administration right now, she said, mentioning immigration and the withdrawal from from Afghanistan. Biden himself invoked the insurrection and linked it to the nations turbulent history as he marked the 10th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall. Were confronting the stains of what remains a deep stain in the soul of the nation: hate and white supremacy, Biden said, describing what he said is a line in American history from slavery to the present day. In a violent, deadly insurrection on the Capitol nine months ago it was about white supremacy in my view, he said. Biden, who had previously said the Justice Department should prosecute those who ignore congressional subpoenas, apologized Thursday for appearing to interfere with the agency's decisions in comments last week. I should have chosen my words more wisely," Biden said during a CNN town hall. "I did not, have not and will not pick up the phone and call the attorney general and tell him what he should or should not do. Even if the Justice Department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation. There's still considerable uncertainty about whether the department will pursue the charges, despite Democratic demands for action. It's a decision that will determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation but also the strength of Congress power to call witnesses and demand information. While the department has historically been reluctant to use its prosecution power against witnesses found in contempt of Congress, the circumstances are exceptional as lawmakers investigate the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol in two centuries. Democrats are pressuring Justice to take the case, arguing that nothing less than democracy is on the line. The stakes are enormous, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said. "What were talking about is this massive, violent assault on American democracy. If the Justice Department doesn't prosecute, the House has other options, including a civil lawsuit. That could also take years but would force Bannon and any other witnesses to defend themselves in court. The lingering acrimony over the insurrection, and the Bannon subpoena, flared Wednesday at a House Rules Committee hearing held to set the parameters of Thursdays debate. Under intense questioning from Raskin, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican who defended Trump and opposed the Bannon contempt effort, said he accepted that Biden is the president but would not say that Biden won the election. Raskin said, I know that might work on Steve Bannons podcast, but thats not going to work in the Rules Committee of the United States House of Representatives, Mr. Gaetz. Im sorry." ___ Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Alan G and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) An Ohio woman who has spent nearly two decades in prison on charges of killing a baby in her care could be released as soon as Thursday after new evidence in the shaken baby syndrome case led to charges being dropped. The evidence now shows that the injury that killed the 9-month-old girl in the care of Kim Hoover-Moore happened days before Hoover-Moore noticed problems with the baby in her home day care in 2002, according to a court filing requesting a new trial. Hoover-Moore, 57, was convicted at trial the following year based on a coroners assessment that the child, Samaisha Benson, had shaken baby syndrome. Then, earlier this year, a former deputy Franklin County coroner signed an affidavit indicating that a new analysis showed evidence of an older, undetected injury that could have led to the bleeding that killed the child. Based on the new review, I cannot conclude at the present time that pathologically the injuries suffered by Samaisha definitely occurred within the time window that Ms. Hoover-Moore was in charge of her care, Dr. Patrick Fardal wrote in a Feb. 18 affidavit. The acute changes all occurred within a 4-5 day window before her death. Fardal declined to comment Thursday. Franklin County Judge Carl Aveni granted the new trial request, vacated Hoover-Moore's conviction and ordered her immediate release. Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack previously represented Hoover-Moore and recused himself. A different prosecutor dismissed all charges in the interest of justice. The prosecutor and defense attorneys agreed in a court motion that the evidence at the time was sufficient to prosecute Hoover-Moore. An attorney for Hoover-Moore said Thursday that justice had been done after 19 years. The medical evidence proves what Ms. Hoover-Moore has always said: She is innocent," Joanna Sanchez, director of the Ohio Public Defender's Wrongful Conviction Project, said Thursday. Hoover-Moore's attorneys believe the case might be the first exoneration in Ohio involving a shaken baby conviction, according to data compiled by the University of Michigan's National Registry of Exonerations. Nationally, shaken baby convictions have come under scrutiny as new evidence challenges the diagnosis, with multiple exonerations. In April, a California man was freed after 15 years in prison after prosecutors and a judge agreed that the scientific research underlying shaken baby syndrome has changed significantly in recent years. The infants father dropped the girl off at Hoover-Moores Columbus home on Nov. 29, 2002, according to Hoover-Moores June motion for a new trial by attorney Kort Gatterdam. After seeing the baby couldnt hold her head up and wasnt breathing properly, Hoover-Moore called 911. The baby was taken to the Columbus Childrens Hospital where she was treated and diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome based on a CAT scan showing a skull fracture and internal brain bleeding. The girl died Dec. 1, 2002. Following a 2018 request for a new trial, Hoover-Moores attorneys were able to access the victims medical records, radiology images and autopsy reports, and a new analysis found evidence of an injury weeks or even months old. Hoover-Moores motion for a new trial also included police reports referring to domestic violence involving the infants parents, among them a case in which the father struck the mother while she was holding another child, and in which the father shook that child to quiet her. The new testimony indicates that, rather than the medical evidence pinpointing Ms. Hoover-Moore as the only possible perpetrator, any number of people who had access to Samaisha in the weeks or months before her death could have been responsible for her fatal injuries, according to the filing. A message was left with a phone listing for Samaisha Bensons mother. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) Rhode Island residents penned dozens of letters welcoming Afghan families who will soon make a new home in the state, following the U.S. military withdrawal from the country in August. The community letter-writing service Dear Rhode Island, in partnership with a nonprofit providing immigrant services, will place the letters in the apartments of Afghan families arriving in the coming weeks, The Boston Globe reported. A 50-year-old man was fatally shot in southeast Houston overnight, according to HPD. Officers were dispatched after midnight to the 7700 block of Magnolia Street in the Lawndale neighborhood and found a Ford Mustang convertible that appeared to be parked in a home's front yard with the driver seated inside, Detective Kyle Heaverlo said. The man was wounded by a gunshot, and HFD arrived and pronounced him dead, according to Heaverlo. On HoustonChronicle.com: Man charged with murder after mother's dismembered body found at northwest Houston home Officials saw video showing the vehicle was driving on Coral Street, when multiple gunshots were heard in the 700 block of that street and then other possible people in the vehicle got out and fled, police said. Heaverlo said they weren't sure what caused the shooting, and the investigation is ongoing. The shooter appeared to have been in the vehicle with the man, according to Heaverlo. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Four teens have been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of a man lured to an abandoned apartment near Hobby Airport by a woman he met on Facebook and who was then robbed, according to authorities. Police believe Josue Climaco, 18, Andres Lopez, 17, and two other teens a 16-year-old boy and girl who face the same charges in juvenile court killed Raul Yamamoto, whom investigators revealed in court records had been chatting with a woman on Facebook prior to his death. Climaco and Lopez were arrested Thursday afternoon. Courtesy The suspects may be linked to at least one prior incident where a victim was also lured to a location and then robbed, according to court records. Officers found the 38-year-old construction contractor dead around 10 p.m. Sept. 21 in the apartment in the 8800 block of Glencrest Street, just north of the airport. A man who worked with Yamamoto expressed worry to police that his communications with a woman on Facebook may have played a role in his death, police said. The co-worker showed investigators a photo of the woman and it appeared to be an 18-year-old with ties to one of the male suspects, according to a search warrant affidavit used to search a phone in the homicide case. She has not been charged in Yamamotos death. Investigators, in the affidavit, outlined Lopezs connection to a 16-year-old girl through Chavez High School, where he previously attended and she was still a student. The girl is friends with the woman who may have had contact with Yamamoto prior to his death, court records show. Police encountered Lopez and the girl around 3 a.m., about five hours after the deadly robbery following a report of someone firing a gun into the air at an apartment complex in the 10900 block of Telephone Road. Officers found a 9mm cartridge casing nearby, but no gun was found. Based on surveillance footage, police believe the two teens were at the Glencrest Street apartment complex when Yamamoto was shot and that they were wearing the same clothes there as what they wore during the Telephone Road encounter. The vehicle that Yamamoto was driving the night of his death was also taken to the Telephone Road apartments at some point and towed from there, records show. The 18-year-old woman was involved in a similar, but separate January 2021 plot to lure a man to a location and then rob him, according to police. In that case, a man said a female contacted him on Facebook to say her friend had been assaulted and needed help. He picked up the girl and one of her friends. They directed him to a location where three armed men robbed him of more than $1,000 in cash and his vehicle at gunpoint, police said. She faces a criminal charge in that incident. She was out on a personal bond of $30,000 at the time of Yamamotos death. Earlier this month, prosecutors requested her GPS monitor records through Harris County Pretrial Services. The state has reason to believe that the defendant may have information and knowledge regarding a homicide investigation due to her being present at the apartment complex where the homicide took place, court records show. Court records list Lopezs residence as the same Glencrest Street apartment complex where Yamamoto was shot. nicole.hensley@chron.com A man was arrested and charged Thursday night in connection with posing as a truancy officer to get a high school student into his car before allegedly sexually assaulting her, according to the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office. Police said that, around 10 p.m., 36-year-old John Orozco was arrested and charged with two felonies of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault. He is currently at the Brazoria County Jail on a $550,000 bond. Authorities also said that Orozco had an outstanding felony warrant in Beeville for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in a family violence incident. A man was named Thursday afternoon as a wanted suspect in a Sept. 22 fatal shooting of two in north Harris County, according to a Harris County Sheriff's Office press release. The Harris County Sheriff's Office is looking for 31-year-old Rishaud Womack who they say shot and killed Isaiah McCoy, 27, and Reginald JJ Jackson, 30, at around 9:45 a.m. in the Portofino Apartments on Cypress Station Drive. Authorities say video footage from the complex shows Womack shooting McCoy and Jackson while they were seated inside of a vehicle. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. The day before COVID-19 claimed its first Texas victim in 2020, Dr. Peter Hotez was a guest on the popular Austin-based podcast The Drive. After 10 years of research into coronavirus vaccines, Hotez and his Houston team needed an infusion of cash to build on their past work and make a vaccine that could, as Hotez told listeners then, rescue the world from the deadly emerging coronavirus pandemic. Youd think that people would be pretty eager to support us to move this forward, but so far it hasnt happened, the Houston pediatrician and vaccine scientist told the host, Dr. Peter Attia, on March 14, 2020. By the following week, major cities in Texas began to shut down to avoid widespread community outbreaks. But Hotezs plea worked. The donations started coming in support of efforts in the deadly new pandemic at the Baylor College of Medicine at the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, co-directed by Hotez and Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi in Houston both of whom are celebrated pioneers in the area of vaccines for neglected tropical diseases like chagas and schistosomiasis. Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Among the gifts was a $1 million infusion of cash in May 2020 by the philanthropic arm of Texas-based Titos Handmade Vodka, whose director of global impact and research, Sarah Everett, was tuned in when Hotez asked for help in reviving their research. We decided that somebody should help restart that work immediately, Everett said. Now, nearly 18 months later, the Houston teams vaccine, called Corbevax by its maker in India, is cheap, has no patent, can be made by many vaccine producers globally including those in low- and middle-income countries and is poised to receive approval for widespread global use. The Indian government has promised the biopharmaceutical company Biological E Limited, which is making the vaccine in that country, that it will buy 300 million doses with the potential for more. A halal version of the vaccine, for use in Islamic countries because it doesnt contain animal-based ingredients, is also about to start clinical trials in Indonesia. And later this year, the company hopes the vaccine will be endorsed by the World Health Organization for use globally, which could open the doors to quicker authorization in several countries that need it. But here in the United States, this truly Texas vaccine, as its creators like to call it, has no home. A Texas-style vaccine The fact that the vaccine even exists can be traced to a lot of Texas money, including funds from The Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation and the M.D. Anderson Foundation. Several high-level and anonymous individual donors pitched in, as well as the JPB Foundation in New York. Those donations funded a vaccine prototype with the initial doses mixed in the Houston lab and transferred to Biological E in India in May 2020. By November, BioE began clinical trials of the vaccine in India, where the delta variant was first identified and which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the world. Total cost from creation to market was between $5 million and $7 million, Bottazzi said. The U.S. government has yet to get on board. Operation Warp Speed, the public-private partnership created by the federal government to accelerate treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, spent none of its billions at the Houston lab. Most experts, including Hotez and Bottazzi, agree thats because most of the funding and the attention and the bets are on the vaccines made earliest in the pandemic, and with the newest technology, by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson and a few others. Were pushing the new ways because theyre better and faster, said Dr. Benjamin Neuman, a Texas A&M University virologist who has been doing coronavirus research since 1996, though he was not involved in any of the approved vaccines' development. Why wouldn't you want to have it all? Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Competition from new tech The mRNA vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna use messenger RNA, a molecule the virus needs to produce a spike protein and bind to human cells, to prompt the immune system to produce antibodies against that protein. Five years ago, Neuman said, that process hadnt been made effective yet. But by the time Hotez was making his plea on Attias podcast, Moderna was already starting up clinical trials of its mRNA vaccine in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, the biomedical research arm of the U.S. government and the largest center of its kind in the world. And by late 2020, when BioE was rolling out its phase 1 clinical trials with Corbevax in India, Pfizer was already getting emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Bottazi and Hotez vaccine relies on a production process very similar to the way the Hepatitis B vaccine is made thats been produced and used around the world for decades. The two argue that the familiarity with the process and the ease with which the materials can be gotten makes it easier to quickly ramp up global production compared to the newer vaccines, even if they came onto the market a little later. But aside from a handful of philanthropies who can see the value of the domino effect more vaccinations outside this country help lower infections around the world and here Hotez and Bottazzi have heard nothing about producing or distributing here at home. Why werent conventional vaccine technologies given the opportunity of being at the same table as all these other technologies? Bottazzi said. The answer, Neuman says, is that while conventional technologies or what he jokingly derided as the obvious answer have a role in global vaccine development, the newer vaccines are stronger than the traditional types that Bottazzi, Hotez and other scientists around the world are developing. Newer vaccines also have a quicker production process than the conventional vaccines, said Neuman, a member of the international committee that named SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic. But Neuman agrees that the newer vaccines have distribution challenges: the tangles of intellectual property patents, the availability of materials to produce billions of doses in a short period of time and the logistics of a more complicated transport and storage process. Those challenges can be solved, Neuman said, but until then, the majority of the planet should be vaccinated by any means necessary, including with conventional vaccines like the one created by Bottazzi and Hotez, if it proves to be safe and effective. Whatever gets the job done the fastest as long as it's safe for everybody involved, he said. One plane flight away While the Houston team waits for a production and distribution partner, the team fields calls every week from other countries asking them for help getting access to the vaccine, Bottazzi said. They ask if they can get the spare doses that Americans are declining or if they can get connected to BioE to export to them from their Indian-made stocks or if the scientists will share the formula for the prototype. The scientists share the formula with any country or lab who asks for it and help in other ways, however they can. Were kind of practicing our own version of Texas vaccine diplomacy, Hotez said. Vaccination rates for developing countries are still in the single digits. About 38% of the world population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Many African countries, such as Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia, have a rate below 2%. In India, where nearly a billion doses of three different vaccines Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V have been distributed, more than 80% of the population remains unvaccinated. In Brazil, less than a third of the country is inoculated. Were one plane flight away from seeing a variant that developed in a country that has very little vaccine end up on our shores and set off a new wave of the pandemic, said Dr. James Cutrell, an infectious disease expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Right now, the World Health Organization is already monitoring several variants that have been traced to developing countries including Indonesia (21% fully vaccinated), Peru (with one of the highest COVID-19 mortality rates in the world), Colombia, the Dominican Republic and South Africa. Much of sub-Saharan Africa, large swaths of Latin America and other places like that they really dont have access to the [mRNA] vaccines, said Cutrell, an associate professor in the department of internal medicine. That makes it really important and attractive to have some of these cheaper, easier-to-distribute but hopefully similarly effective vaccines with more traditional technology, which I think this vaccine and other vaccines like it can contribute. American problem, international solution As the world scrambles for doses to meet the vaccination demand elsewhere, this nations vaccination effort has flagged, hitting a wall of hesitation by a significant portion of the American public that is declining the new vaccines, although they have proven to be safe and effective. Hotez and Bottazzi believe their vaccine would likely be more accepted by those who dont trust a vaccine that is unfamiliar to them, like those by Pfizer and Moderna. But from the start, inoculating reticent Americans was never the Houston teams first priority. Bottazzi and Hotez began their work developing coronavirus vaccines as part of their mission at the National School of Tropical Medicine, where Hotez is dean and Bottazzi is associate dean, to inoculate developing nations against tropical viruses. Fast forward to January 2020, when SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was setting off alarms in the U.S. medical community. Bottazzi and Hotez began working to repurpose their coronavirus research program to develop a vaccine against the new virus and distribute it to the same countries theyd focused on throughout their careers. The speed with which the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were developed and the fact they used newer formulas seemed to spook some Americans and helped fuel politically motivated misinformation campaigns that chipped away at public acceptance. And as this nations vaccination rate hovers around 57%, its a matter of debate what is needed to achieve a higher level of immunity as a country. Neuman said he isnt so sure that a more familiar vaccine formula would change a lot of minds in the United States, where the resistance appears to be more political than scientific. I think that comes from a lot of different places, and I think the main place is sort of, Youre not the boss of me, he said. Who says you get to tell me what to do? And I don't think it matters what it is. Even if it would make a difference, the path to emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine in this country starts with money for research, for trials, for materials and ends with firm commitments from the U.S. to support its mass production. The Bottazzi-Hotez shot, at this point, has neither. And so Hotez, who is an internationally known and outspoken warrior against the anti-vaccine movement, and Bottazzi redouble their attention abroad to protect Americans who cant or wont protect themselves. If they can get more of their vaccine overseas within a few months, they can keep the variants from percolating and landing on U.S. soil. Its a pretty ambitious, audacious goal, Hotez said. But I think we could get there. Disclosure: UT Southwestern Medical Center has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. A Fort Bend ISD trustee accused by her fellow board members of misconduct and making inappropriate comments about a district employees sexuality, said she is saddened by the allegations made against her because she considers herself an ally to LGBTQ+ people. The (allegations) read as if Im homophobic and thats sad to me because Im an ally, Trustee Denetta Williams said during a telephone interview Thursday. Anyone who is gay or transgender, I see you and you deserve to be heard. Williams said she adamantly denies allegations that she created a hostile work environment or harassed anyone based on gender or race. She did, however, admit to parts of some allegations made against her, offered an apology to members of the public who were offended and said she will not repeat her missteps. Im new at this, she said. I was an activist and now I need to learn how to be on the board. It took me some time to adjust. Im coming in a little heavy-handed because Im used to fighting for the marginalized. A third-party investigative report by the district concluded Williams, who unseated an incumbent last November, acted inappropriately in her position as a member of the board of trustee. The report claimed Williams questioned the sexuality of a former executive assistant to the board. The rest of the board voted Monday to approve a resolution that condemned Williams alleged actions and called for her resignation. The resolution also accuses the Position 5 trustee of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act by sending emails to a quorum of trustees regarding the school systems operations, publicly sharing confidential information from executive sessions and repeatedly misrepresenting facts. It also alleged that Williams tried to coerce other trustees to make the employees grievance go away. Williams denied all of those accusations and claims the board and the district conspired against her in retaliation for her calling out what she believes are a violation of the law. The trustee said she plans to file a defamation lawsuit against the other board members of the board and the district for the statements made in the resolution and investigative report. On HoustonChronicle.com: Fort Bend ISD rebukes trustee accused of questioning employee's sexuality, 'Hitler' name-calling A Fort Bend ISD spokeswoman on Thursday declined comment on Williams alleged actions or the districts position on whether the trustee should resign, saying it was a matter for the board, not the administration. Williams claims she never directly questioned the employee who filed a complaint against her about his sexuality, but admitted to making a comment insinuating he could be gay to the attorney who conducted the third-party investigation. Williams said she made the comment when the attorney asked her how well she knew the employee and his spouse, who also worked in the district. My response was that I dont know anything about (the employee or his wife) and that if I were to guess, I would assume hes gay, Williams said. I didnt mean any harm. I meant that I dont know anything about the guy and didnt have an issue with him. Williams said she understands the statement may be offensive to some because she made an assumption about the employees sexuality, but said she did not intend to demean the LGBTQ+ community She also denied calling board President Dave Rosenthal Hitler. I didnt call anyone Hitler, she said. I called (his) behavior Hitler-like. I was saying that he was acting like a dictator. I find the man reprehensible and repulsive. The investigative report also alleged that Williams referred to another trustee as a Nazi, which she denied. Williams said she does not want to apologize to Rosenthal for the comment she made. She did, however, say she apologized to community members who were offended by the remark and said she would not do it again. Rosenthal declined to comment on Williams remarks. He, along with every board member but Williams, voted to denounce her statements and proclaim her unfit to serve in office. I really have nothing more to add, Rosenthal said in an email Thursday. On HoustonChronicle.com: Challengers defeat incumbents in Fort Bend ISD trustee election Williams also took issue with the investigative report claiming she discriminated against the white male employee because of his race. She added that she aims to serve everyone in the district, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. Its offensive for them to think I ran just to serve underserved kids, she said. I didnt just run for poor kids. Im fighting for anyone whos attending classes. Pigeonholing me is insulting. As for the alleged pejorative comments Williams made about district constituents on social media, the trustee said she was responding to trolls in a way that she has learned is not appropriate for an elected official. I was being called dumb, stupid and crazy, she said. They were harassing me and I reacted. Williams said she has learned the best thing she can do is to ignore such comments. (Reacting) is childish, she said. I apologize if my actions offended you. Williams said she has heard messages of support from some of her constituents and that she does not plan to resign in the wake of the boards rebuke. hannah.dellinger@chron.com Benny Agosto remembers when he was a child and his Puerto Rican father would come home and tell stories of struggle at the jewelry shop where he worked as a helper. His father said people would put him down because he didnt speak English well or have an education. Agosto, who was born in New York and raised in Puerto Rico, said those stories from his father, a World War II veteran with a sixth-grade education, would be repeated over and over: Benny should get a higher education and the doors will open for him, his father said. He came to Houston and did just that. Agosto earned a masters degree in microbiology and was a teacher for six years before changing careers and graduating from the South Texas College of Law in 1995. Now he is the managing partner with personal injury law firm Abraham Watkins Nichols Agosto Aziz and Stogner in Houston. He wants to change a pattern that marked a good part of his life journey. So he and his wife Nichole donated $3 million to his alma mater, the South Texas College of Law Houston. The gift will create a diversity center at the law school. Unfortunately, the legal profession does not reflect our society, said Agosto of the lack of diversity in law education and the legal field. Im not aware of any larger individual gifts to diversity, equity and inclusion at another law school in the country, said South Texas College of Law President and Dean Michael F. Barry. Barry said he is grateful to the couple for helping the law school fulfill its mission to be the most intentionally and successfully diverse law school in the nation. 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. LAW SCHOOL IN THE NEWS: Houston law schools Harvey prep led to quick coronavirus response The Benny Agosto Jr. Diversity Center will be inside the colleges campus in an area that is currently under renovation. The center will foster a positive and engaging community where students are welcomed and embraced, Barry said. He added that it will also host speaker series and symposia, and create opportunities for the larger legal community to come together to discuss issues around diversity and to identify ways to improve the diversity within the legal profession. The share of minority attorneys is still less than 20 percent in Texas, Agosto said, while over 60 percent of the state population is composed of Hispanics and other minority groups. The legal profession is one of the less diverse working fields in the country, according to data from the American Bar Association. Although with some improvements, the organization said the legal profession has been very slow to diversify by race and ethnicity over the past decade. Now in 2021, only 14.6 percent of all lawyers are members of minorities, compared to 11.7 in 2011, ABA said. Only 10.2 of all partners in law firms are lawyers of color and while men continue to dominate leadership positions at 70 percent. In those decision-making positions, only 3 percent are women of color and 7, men from minority groups. On HoustonChronicle.com: Richness of Latino culture and history celebrated in Houston With the new diversity center, we mean being programmatic to fix equity issues, justice issues, inclusion issues, minority retention, Agosto said. He wants the center to work with minority students to increase enrollment and to prepare them with leadership programs, action plans and confidence that they can go out and make an impact. Agosto, a frequent donor for scholarship programs in Houston, said his investment in diversity comes from this Latino passion that I have, a passion instilled by my father for education and a passion to give back. He noted, however, that his passion is also informed by his conviction that diversity works. As an example, he said that he was the only minority lawyer when he joined his law firm 30 years ago. As the company increased the diversity of its attorneys it gained a larger pool of clients that want to work with us. Diversity has made us more successful. Nichole Agosto said she feels blessed and fortunate to have this opportunity to establish The Benny Agosto Jr Diversity Center. It is a true honor. The news of the new center sparked enthusiasm among students. I believe the success of the legal industry as a whole rests on embracing and cultivating diverse attorneys from all backgrounds, said Eric B Williams II, editor in chief of the South Texas Law Review and the first black male to serve in that role in the colleges history. Williams said he chose South Texas College of Law because of its continuous diversity efforts. The new center will be an incredible step forward to foster minority representation in the legal field, he said. Diana Davila, president of the Hispanic Law Students Association at the law school said she is excited about the opportunities the center will bring. We have a lot of people, especially Mexican Americans and people with Latin American backgrounds, who come to us, I think, to find that sense of community we grew up with, said Davila who was born into a binational family at the Texas border with Mexico. Having the diversity center will provide a physical space for unity, she said, and will be an important message for new students to know that we care about diversity. For Agosto, his family gift to create the center is a legacy he sees as coming full circle in honoring the humble parents who worked hard to provide an education for their children. If I can be impactful to make us better, a better city, a better community, a better profession, then I feel like Ive done the part that God gave me the blessing to do, Agosto said. I want it to be my legacy. olivia.tallet@chron.com Twitter.com/oliviaptallet Katia Elisea Escobar isnt shy about her aspirations to become a surgeon. She wants to make hospitals more inclusive for people of color and non-English speakers. But shes also keenly aware of the obstacles that stand in her way as an undocumented, first-generation college student. I want to take on a lot of small jobs before I start medical school. I want to be a medical scribe, or a phlebotomist, EKG technician, the 18-year-old said. But I can't do those, obviously, because I don't have citizenship. Elisea Escobar is one of up to 741,000 undocumented immigrants across the country 133,000 of whom are in Texas blocked from receiving protection from deportation through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA program, following a July decision by a federal judge in Houston. The program also grants work authorization to this group, who was brought to the U.S. illegally as children. A freshman biology student at University of Houston, Elisea Escobar has a full-ride scholarship from a fund for immigrants and is determined not to squander that or her parents sacrifices. Elisea Escobars parents brought her and her older sisters to the U.S. when she was 1. Her parents had little formal education in Mexico. Today they make below minimum wage at a poultry farm in Texas, where they tend to thousands of chickens at all hours of the day. She didnt realize she was undocumented until she was a teenager. That was around the same time she started to become politically aware. She remembers in 8th grade, in 2016, she voted for Hillary Clinton in her schools mock presidential election. The day after the election, the fear of deportation suddenly became more real among her mostly Latino classmates. We were all 13-year-olds freaking out over our future, she said. We already had to be immersing ourselves in politics because it directly impacted our lives even at such a young age, said Elisea Escobar, who for the next four years heard stories of friends and relatives of classmates being deported. DACA, which could have protected Elisea Escobar from deportation, faced multiple blows during those four years. The Trump administration tried to end it, but ultimately failed due to a Supreme Court ruling in 2020. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Texas and several other Republican-led states also challenged the program. In July 2021, that legal challenge came to a head. Texas federal judge Andrew Hanen opted to stop the government from granting DACA to new applicants, essentially ending the program for hundreds of thousands of people like Elisea Escobar, who hadnt been granted DACA yet. DACA fees cost $495, which Katias family couldnt afford, since they also were paying those fees for her older sisters. Then the program was suddenly in jeopardy. She applied last spring, but it was too late. Under Hanens ruling, the program has continued for the some 600,000 people already protected by DACA, if they continue to renew their applications every two years. Lucas Aisenberg, an attorney with the University of Houstons immigration law clinic, said the numerous legal issues cast lingering doubts on the DACA program. He led a conversation with 60 to 70 young people on Zoom through the University of Houston Downtown earlier this month, answering several questions about who is still eligible. They were curious about whether renewal was a possibility, Aisenberg said. Everybody's emotionally scarred from a really rough four years of immigration policy changes. And the legal saga over DACA continues. Ultimately, the case will have to be heard on appeal, said Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF, which has defended DACA in federal court as an intervenor. Both the United States and the intervenors filed appeals to the Fifth Circuit. And we're just getting that process started, he said. Other relief could come in the form of federal rule making. A few weeks ago, the Biden administration introduced a policy in the federal register that would essentially create a DACA program through an official rule-making process. It addresses one of the principal legal concerns Hanen described in his decision: when President Barack Obama created the DACA program, it was an overreach of presidential powers and violated the procedure for creating federal regulations, outlined in the Administrative Procedures Act. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer MALDEF disagrees and argues that DACA was within the scope of Obamas authority and the law. However, a higher court likely the Supreme Court will have the final say, according to Saenz, if Congress refuses to step in. Congress can always act, could always act and needs to act to put in place a more permanent solution for these young people, said Saenz. He added that its unlikely a Dream Act could pass without bypassing the filibuster, despite overwhelming support from American voters. Elisea Escobar is new to this fight and energized. Shes gone to Washington D.C., to meet with members of Congress, pleading for legislation that would create a path to citizenship for her and others. There's a moral urgency to pass the pathway to citizenship. Because we can't live like that. We're tired, said Elisea Escobar. Most recently she joined protesters in front of the Harris County Democratic Party Headquarters, asking Democrats to ignore the Senate parliamentarian and push through immigration reform in budget reconciliation, which would bypass the GOP filibuster. The Senate parliamentarian recently decided that immigration reform could not be passed this way. Fighting for DACA: Advocates call for immigration reform outside locked doors of Harris County Democratic Party headquarters Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer It's so crazy to me that the people who are making those decisions have the luxury of going home, eating their delicious food and going to sleep, knowing full well that they won't get deported, Elisea Escobar said. She remains optimistic that reform is coming. Hope motivates my fight a lot. I find hope in little places, she said. I like to find the good. Because there's too much bad already. elizabeth.trovall@chron.com Webster-based Nanoracks is partnering with Lockheed Martin to build a space station that, with the help of inflatable components, could become a commercial successor to the International Space Station. The Starlab space station would launch in 2027. Its usable space will be comparable to the International Space Station. Its use of both sturdy metal and more compact inflatable components, however, means Starlab could require just one launch to get into orbit, saving tens of millions of dollars. The ISS was built over many space shuttle missions. Congress has long wanted to see that industry will step up to maintain American leadership in (low-Earth orbit) as the ISS phases out, said Jeffrey Manber, CEO and co-founder of Nanoracks, and this announcement shows that industry is indeed ready, and were raring to go. The announcement was made on Thursday. COMMERCIAL STATIONS: What happens when NASA retires the International Space Station? Nanoracks was founded in 2009 by building racks providing its namesake that were placed inside the International Space Station to provide power and data for research cubes. This allowed universities and corporations to more affordably get their experiments, such as biological tests or whiskey aging, into microgravity. The company then began attaching space telescopes, sensors and electronics to the stations exterior, and it deployed small satellites from an airlock on the stations Japanese Experiment Module. In December, an airlock designed, owned and operated by Nanoracks was attached to the space station. Nanoracks was acquired by Denver-based Voyager Space Holdings in May, though Nanoracks remains based in Webster. Because of its experience on the International Space Station, Nanoracks is well connected to potential customers. It also has an understanding on how to best optimize Starlab for science and manufacturing. Nanoracks is leading the Starlab project. Lockheed Martin will serve as the manufacturer and technical integrator. The basic elements of the Starlab space station include a large inflatable habitat, a power and propulsion element, a large robotic arm for servicing cargo and payloads, and a laboratory for research, science and manufacturing. Starlab will be able to continuously host up to four astronauts. "Lockheed Martin's extensive experience in building complex spacecraft and systems, coupled with Nanoracks' commercial business innovation and Voyager's financial expertise allows our team to create a customer-focused space station that will fuel our future vision, Lisa Callahan, vice president and general manager of Commercial Civil Space at Lockheed Martin, said in a news release. The companies plan to raise hundreds of millions of dollars from private investors. They also want to participate in NASAs Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Destinations project. This project is seeking to stimulate the development of free-flying space stations where NASA and the private sector can be customers. Early space stations will need NASAs support through initial funding and intentions to be a customer as a public endorsement, the companies said. They did not say if the future of Starlab would be contingent on being selected for NASAs Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Destinations project. RECENT SCARE: Space Station stable after tilting following the docking of new Russian module This project is part of NASAs effort to find a commercial successor for the International Space Station. This station is authorized for human habitation through Sept. 30, 2024, and Congress is expected to extend that to 2030. All of us in industry want to make sure there is no space station gap, Manber said. But in recent years, Congress has not fully funded NASAs requests for commercial low-Earth orbit development. To get a new station into orbit this decade, Nanoracks has put a more ambitious space station plan on the back burner. It had previously announced plans to build space stations out of the upper stages of rockets that are discarded in space. Manber would still like to create these stations, but he said this would come later as the technology gets tested and proven. Nanoracks is not the only Houston-area company building a commercial space station. Axiom Space was selected by NASA in January 2020 to develop a commercial module that will attach to the International Space Station. This first module is set to launch in 2024. Then the company will launch additional modules that can be added to that first module to provide areas for housing, research and manufacturing. When the International Space Station retires, the Axiom Station would detach and become its own space station. andrea.leinfelder@chron.com twitter.com/a_leinfelder Heres an idea that has surely occurred to at least some members of the Magnolia ISD school board as it confronts a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. court by seven students and their parents over district rules barring long hair. Give up. Fold your cards. Settle. Change your policy. Heck, saying youre sorry wouldnt hurt, either. How many other ways can we say it? Fighting this lawsuit, brought on the kids behalf by the ACLU of Texas, is the wrong thing to do. Its a waste of taxpayer money. It sets a bad example, being stubborn. Worse, it puts some students there in real misery all for no good reason. As any parent knows, breaking your kids hearts by creating rules to keep them safe, or on the right track, is part of the job no matter how much they may say they hate them (or you). But everyone knows the rules go down a lot smoother when they can be explained by more than a version of because I said so. And thats the problem with the districts policy. Its only real value is in the fact that its been on the books so long. The districts message to its boys is, more or less, Cut your hair because we said so. Thats not just unfair, its utterly unpersuasive to young people wondering why such a basic decision about how they present themselves to the world one often tied up in issues of religion, family tradition, the nature of masculinity or even just basic self-esteem is subject to such firm control by people they barely know. On HoustonChronicle.com: 7 students sue over requirements that boys cut long hair In August, when students and parents were asking for a reprieve, Magnolia officials cited the longevity of the policy and noted that Texas courts have supported the hair codes in the past. At other times, they have said they worry that a boy with long hair could be a distraction to other students. But how, exactly? Not having good reasons to create separate rules for boys and girls, it turns out, isnt going to help their case should they reject our advice to settle quickly. More and more, federal courts are asking government officials to point to specific evidence that discrimination on the basis of gender that is, rules that affect one sex differently than another accomplish something important in order to justify the separate rules. Students have been suing over hair codes for generations. But the U.S. Supreme Court has never clearly spelled out the rules. For decades most of the cases that did reach appellate courts were decided on First Amendment grounds. The landmark 1969 student free speech decision, Tinker v Des Moines, ruled that high school students do not lose their constitutional rights to free speech when they are on campus. So long as the speech in that case, black armbands protesting the Vietnam War didnt unduly disrupt teaching, officials had to allow students to speak out. That would be a good basis for a common sense approach to hair, too. But the court explicitly excluded hair codes from its decision, leaving that question for another day. That day hasnt yet come. The Magnolia case isnt about free speech, anyway. Its about gender, and the courts approach to gender-discrimination cases is evolving quickly and not in ways that tend to favor the district. Courts are increasingly looking for evidence of how different rules are substantially related to achieving an important government goal. Whats so important about keeping boys hair at the collar or above? We cant think of anything at all. Whats more, the two aging cases from the Texas Supreme Court, both of which upheld gender-specific hair codes, were decided under state law and sidestepped the question of the U.S. Constitutions equal protection clause, ACLU of Texas lawyer Brian Klosterboer told us. If the trustees dont yet know how traumatic the rules can be for some young people, they should ask. We did. And Danielle Miller of Magnolia, whose fifth-grader is one of the plaintiffs, told us Thursday long hair helps Tristan, 11, present inconspicuously as a female essentially making them more comfortable. When she asked why the policy had caused such trauma, Tristan had a simple answer: Mom, its just dumb. Miller said Tristans teachers have been kind, and for the most part so have classmates. But school officials keep telling her their hands were tied: Hes a boy, they said, and has to follow the boys rules. Other children in the suit say they just want to be like their father and grandfather, or simply because its what they prefer. So what do you say, Magnolia ISD? Why not call it quits and admit the world, its a-changing. Teaching students to succeed wont be any harder if some of the pupils hair falls down across their shoulders not even if some of them are boys. When Bilal, a recent immigrant from South Asia, started his sophomore year at a high school in a large southern U.S. city in 2014, it wasnt a welcoming experience. Upon entering the school, Bilal had to go through a metal detector. Then a school police officer patted him down. Bilal did not understand why a school would need such high security measures. Still, he tried to adjust. While he did his best, teachers and administrators peppered him with questions that made him feel as if he were under extra scrutiny. They asked why his attire a kurta, or long shirt, that he wore over his jeans was the same as that worn by the terrorists they had seen on YouTube videos. They asked about his familys loyalty: If given the choice, would he and his family choose America or their homeland? All of the questions made it challenging for Bilal to focus. He felt as if the teachers were targeting him. A common experience As experts in education, immigration and race, we know that Bilals experience as a recent immigrant of color is by no means isolated. We interviewed hundreds of immigrant students and their teachers across seven American cities. During our observations from 2013 through 2018, we learned that many immigrant high school students fear something we refer to in peer-reviewed research as the school-to-deportation pipeline. This is a situation in which students worry that minor infractions at school could lead to penal consequences ranging from being arrested to being subjected to deportation. Many of the students we interviewed claimed to know someone who had been deported for those reasons. Disturbingly, we found that some of the teachers and administrators not only believed there to be a school-to-deportation pipeline but actually used it to strategically exclude students. The reason, as we explain in a different peer-reviewed article, is they didnt want the immigrant students to lower their standardized school test scores and jeopardize funding. Teacher worries Some teachers and administrators expressed concerns that immigrant students would score poorly on standardized exams, which can have negative consequences for teachers and administrators. Low test scores can trigger increased oversight, a change in a schools administration or even a school shutdown. Even a few scores particularly very low ones can make a large difference to schools that are teetering between making adequate progress and those rated as failing. Zoya, a recent immigrant from East Africa, experienced such teacher worries. While she generally understood the academic content well when asked verbally, standardized tests confused her. Additionally, Zoyas teachers did not understand her obligations of caring for siblings and helping with the family business, which occasionally made her inattentive or late or made her miss class entirely. One time she fell asleep during a standardized test and didnt have time to complete all the questions. Zoyas story was not uncommon. Many immigrant students we spoke with expressed a strong desire for academic achievement yet found themselves seen by teachers as having a poor work ethic or low content comprehension. Acting upon their perceptions, some teachers attempted to dissuade immigrant students of color from attending test days by alluding to additional police presence and consequent potential for initiating deportation proceedings. Of the nearly 40 schools we sampled, threatening immigrant students with deportation via police was widely accepted at six schools and lesser known but still present at another three. We dont know of any cases in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were contacted. However, we did often see or hear of local police being called. We dont have any data on how often actual deportations arise from minor infractions at school. Yet the mere threat of potential deportation or being sent to a detention center was intimidation enough to keep students from entering the school premises. ICEs official policy is to avoid enforcement in sensitive locations, such as schools and places of worship, unless there are exigent circumstances. Law enforcement presence The presence of police in schools is nothing new. However, now that some police officers have essentially been deputized to act as immigration officers, immigrant students worry that getting into trouble at school can lead to deportation. Research shows students of color are disproportionately disciplined and arrested for offenses for which their white classmates receive lighter punishment. Our study found immigrant students face similar consequences. As disproportionately people of color, immigrants can often be subjected to police encounters on school premises. A criminal record can be a serious detriment in an immigration hearing. ICE was established as an agency under the Department of Homeland Security in 2003 to enforce customs and immigration laws. In 2006 ICE began using a section of an existing federal law, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, to start forming partnerships with local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law. These partnerships were named 287(g) agreements after the subsection of the law granting that power. As such, local police needed only suspicion of undocumented status as cause to arrest, detain and issue a notice to appear, which initiates the deportation process. Thus, interactions with local and school police can be risky for immigrant students. Some schools protect students Not all teachers and school administrators isolate problematic students. Some actively protect students by forgetting to file disciplinary paperwork or using their professional relationships with police to protect students. One school administrator told us about his interactions with a trusted student who was forced to transport drugs. Instead of calling 911, the administrator called a police officer with whom he had struck up a professional friendship. The officer flushed the drugs and then gave the student a police report to show the dealer as cover for the lost contraband, but never officially filed the report. In the administrators view, this saved the student. Just as the school-to-prison pipeline has gotten well-deserved attention, we believe that similar attention should be given to concerns about the school-to-deportation pipeline and the way that some immigrant students are threatened with deportation at school. Public schools have a mandate to educate all students, including immigrants of color. If teachers and administrators in schools use the threat of deportation to intimidate students, schools become spaces for policing rather than learning. Patricia Maloney is an associate professor and SaunJuhi Verma is an adjunct faculty of sociology at Texas Tech University. Duke W. Austin Associate Professor of Sociology, California State University, East Bay. This piece was first published by The Conversation. Regarding Opinion: Critical race theory is already in schools. Its up to parents to fight it. (Oct. 17): Contrary to Brooke L. Rollins assertion, Critical Race Theory concepts and terminology are not working their way into classrooms and libraries. They have existed since CRT originated 50 years ago; however, they exist in the classrooms and libraries of colleges and universities, not in those of K-12. As for Rollins objection to the term anti-racist, it is difficult to understand why one would not delight in fighting racism. If one believes systemic racism is non-existent, then what is the explanation for lower percentages of Blacks enjoying similar success rates as whites in housing, education, health, employment or criminal justice? White people established many U.S. laws and regulations in an atmosphere of slavery and segregation. To imply that racism does not exist in the laws governing our institutions is disingenuous. Parents should not fight the introduction of a theory in a classroom; they should fight attempts to prevent learners from examining their own thinking. I agree with Rollins that educators should not tell students what to think; however, I disagree that educators should not expose students to certain things because we fear the conclusion learners may reach. After witnessing the concepts and terminology of white supremacy prevalent during the Trump administration and the insurrection of Jan. 6, now seems like the perfect time to have a discussion about the repercussions of racism and how they affect our nation. Evelyn F. McClain, La Porte Thank you, Ms. Rollins, for once again giving me the reassurance that I made the right decision to retire after nearly 40 years of teaching. I would have probably been dragged before the school board and accused of teaching CRT. Using the books The Iron Dragon Never Sleeps, by Stephen Krensky and In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, by Bette Bao Lord in my classes, children heard stories of microaggressions involving Asians in America during 1867 and 1947, respectively. The stories did not depict jerks in middle school, but how good people from a small town and elementary school classmates treated Asians. All my students third to fifth graders of every race and gender felt indignant at the protagonists unfair treatment. They wanted to be like the hero of the stories; the characters who stood up to the jerks. My young readers discussed solutions to what else could have been done to stop the unfair treatment. They questioned why the adults in the stories didnt do something to make the situations better. These are lessons I wanted to teach. Not CRT. No leftist agenda. No conservative agenda. Not even right or wrong. The agenda was to teach thinking so right and wrong could be a personal decision. My right is not everyones right. To learn that our history was not all wonderful, but that there were mistakes along the way and understanding how to right them is part of our greatness. Recognizing those mistakes, attempting many times to correct them, is part of learning, part of growing, part of life. Pansy Gee, Houston I am stunned and appalled that the Houston Chronicle ran an opinion piece presenting fascist tripe about critical race theory in its highly respected Opinion section. I have no idea what editors were thinking when they gave such honor to bogus Republican propaganda presented by the author, but its very disappointing. The opinion writer is the CEO of the America First Policy Institute that uses, in its name, the motto of Nazi-friendly Americans in the 1930s and 40s.. In the op-ed, the author dismisses microaggressions of white students against Black children as merely kids being jerks to other kids. Apparently, to the author, jerks being jerks is OK in middle school, so student-to-student microaggressions should not be addressed in the school curriculum. The problem, which she conveniently ignores, is that middle school jerks, if not properly corrected and taught acceptable behavior, will become tomorrows adult jerks that believe white aggression toward Black citizens is OK. Thats not OK with me and other non-racist white Americans. Dismayed, disillusioned and disappointed. Thats all I can say. Patrick J. Killman, Spring Thank you I want to thank the Chronicle for publishing Brooke L. Rollins article. After reading her viewpoint, she makes the most convincing arguments I have ever read in favor of teaching people to be decent to each other. Randy Suhl, Houston Kudos for running Rollins op-ed on how CRT has infected Texas schools and how to fight back. The great irony of CRT, I think, is that those who promote it are in fact promoting racism. Jon Elmendorf, Houston Trust issues Regarding Katy ISD caved to pressure in returning books to library, petition organizer says, (Oct. 14): Katy ISD has so little regard for their librarians that it seems they have a guilty until proven innocent policy for library books. So much controversy and bad press could have been avoided if they assumed that their librarians were honorable and diligent, and assumed that the books were innocent until proven guilty. But they chose to listen to some random parents instead of their experts. Alan Jackson, Houston WASHINGTON There arent any high-profile elections in Texas this year, but the states politics specifically its new abortion ban are weighing on what is perhaps the most closely watched race in the nation. The Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, and his allies have started warning that Virginia may soon look like GOP-run Texas if the Trump-backed Republican, Glenn Youngkin, wins next month. That includes Vice President Kamala Harris, who said at a campaign stop for McAuliffe on Thursday night that abortion is one of the biggest issues in the race, pointing to Texas new ban, the strictest in the nation. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Dont Texas Virginia, Harris said. We dont even have to imagine. We have seen, we have empirical evidence right before us, guys, of a governor in the state of Texas who is telling women what and who they can be based on some arbitrary decision that includes empowering bounty hunters to intimidate, to instill fear in women. This is the power of a governor. Lets be clear about that. Abbott signed the bill, which passed the Republican-dominated Legislature earlier this year, in May, declaring it ensures that the life of every unborn child who has a heartbeat will be saved from the ravages of abortion. It took effect Sept. 1 and encourages private lawsuits against people who perform abortions or help women obtain them, guaranteeing successful plaintiffs at least $10,000. The U.S. Supreme Court did not intervene to stop the law from taking effect, leading to the shutdown of abortion clinics in the state. Most have remained closed even after a federal judge ordered its enforcement halted pending a lawsuit challenge. With the midterms still a year away, the surprisingly close race between McAuliffe, who previously served as governor from 2014 to 2018, and Youngkin, a former private equity executive, is seen as the first real test of the political landscape since President Joe Biden took office. Virginia hasnt elected a Republican governor since 2010, but recent polls indicate the race is essentially a dead heat as Bidens approval rating has sunk. Republicans believe a victory there would be a sign of momentum heading into the midterms, when they aim to retake control of Congress. ben.wermund@chron.com As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! 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Radio pays labels, artists 2X what it pays songwriters, publishers [NMPAs David Israelite] David Israelite, the President & CEO of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) details radios broken payment system which devalues songwriters and publishers. Record labels and recording artists collect twice as much as songwriters and music publishers from the radio industry, despite terrestrial radio (AM-FM) not paying record labels. By David Israelite, President & CEO of the National Music Publishers Association They say there are no secrets in the music industry. But heres one Ill bet you didnt know. In the United States, record labels and recording artists collect twice as much as songwriters and music publishers from the radio industry, despite terrestrial radio (AM-FM) not paying record labels and artists anything at all. You read that correctly. How is that possible? The answer is in how disproportionately digital radio compensates the music industry. SoundExchange, the organization that collects digital radio money for record labels and artists, revealed in its latest annual revenue numbers that digital radio (primarily SiriusXM, Pandora, and iHeartRadio) pays labels and artists so much more than songwriters and publishers, that AM-FM radio isnt even close to making up for the staggering disparity. In 2020, purely digital radio services paid record labels and artists approximately $1.2 billion. Meanwhile, songwriters and publishers were paid just $157 million by the same digital platforms, more than a 6:1 gap. Terrestrial radio paid songwriters and publishers approximately $478 million, while paying record labels and artists nothing. That means while record labels and artists collected $1.2 billion from the radio industry, songwriters and music publishers collected a grand total of around $635 million approximately half of the amount paid for the sound recordings. In the rest of the civilized world, where terrestrial radio does pay record labels and artists, the balance of payments is usually equal, which makes sense. While everyone in the music business knows that labels and artists are being cheated by broadcast radio, few are aware that digital radio payouts to songwriters and publishers are so low that the overall radio disparity is 2:1. How did we get here? To make up for labels not being paid by terrestrial radio, when digital and satellite radio were introduced, the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act of 1995 (DRPA) was passed to give labels and artists the right to be paid by new entrants like Sirius and Pandora. While this was a good step forward, it did not benefit songwriters as it should have and their payments have lagged over the years to a miniscule amount. The assumption was they were making enough from terrestrial broadcasters to balance things out, but this couldnt have been more wrong. How is the radio industry getting away with this? The problem is the completely broken system of how digital radio pays for songs. Songwriters bargaining power with relatively enormous licensees continues to be burdened by a complex legal framework. SiriusXM, its subsidiary Pandora, and iHeartRadio have a combined market cap of approximately $33 billion, and yet they still benefit from consent decrees from the 1940s which demand that performance rights organizations (PROs) ASCAP and BMI negotiate within restrictions overseen by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). These regulations and the rates they produce have a chilling effect on the entire market. The other two PROs, SESAC and Global Music Rights (GMR), are technically in a free market but often are forced into litigation or arbitration to achieve a semblance of fairness. The good news is the Music Modernization Act (MMA), which was signed into law in 2018, offers an improved landscape. Rotating judges and the ability to offer better evidence give the PROs renewed optimism. The PROs will be the champions in this fight, and all songwriters and music publishers should support their efforts and thank them for standing up to this inequity. The numbers show that weve never needed it more. there are several fronts to this war The courtroom battles will be critical, but the first step is educating the industry on just how underpaid music creators are by some of the biggest radio conglomerates in the world. While its become common knowledge that songwriters have been forced to battle streaming services like Spotify to survive, the reality is there are several fronts to this war. The digital radio divide faced by songwriters exposes yet another music industry value gap that must be closed. The rates being paid by digital radio to songwriters are scandalous. They have only escaped scrutiny because of the focus placed on the perennial fight for performance rights by record labels. While that deserves attention, songwriters do not have the same streaming revenue to fall back on as record labels and artists do, and therefore the effects of the digital radio divide are arguably more dire. The profit margins for radio giants prove that there is enough to go around and the pie must expand. We must reevaluate the 2:1 artist-songwriter radio revenue ratio and push for a more equitable future where everyone is paid, fairly, for their contributions to digital radio platforms. Share on: The European Commission launched on Tuesday (12 October) an expert group on disinformation and digital literacy to develop common guidelines for educators when it comes to combating the former and training citizens in the latter. The group, made up of companies, organisations and individuals from a number of sectors, is jointly run by DG EAC and DG CNECT, the Commissions departments in charge of education and culture, and digital affairs, respectively. It will work to construct a standardised framework for teachers in Europe to tackle disinformation and promote digital literacy. The initiative is part of the Commissions Digital Education Action Plan, which began this year and seeks to address the twin challenges of transitioning into the digital age and post-pandemic world. It follows a similar high-level expert group on fake news, established in 2018 to counter the spread of online disinformation. Nowadays, critical thinking and assessing the quality of the information we access online is as crucial a competence as reading and writing, said Mariya Gabriel, the commissioner for innovation, research, culture, education and youth. We want to empower our young people to contribute to the world of online debate and discussion. To succeed, we will work, through this expert group, with our teachers and educators, as the true driving force of change in education and training. The group The group has 25 members including those from academia, the media, education and cybersecurity, and a number of research institutes, NGOs, and international and EU agencies. Its participants will work to produce common approaches to educating young people in digital skills and awareness, to be deployed throughout EU countries. As part of its Digital Decade plan, the Commission has set a target of ensuring that, by 2030, 80% of Europes population have basic digital skills. In 2019, this figure sat at 56%. Speaking at the launch, Gabriel said that a key aim of the group was to provide young people with the reflexes and critical spirit required to question the content they come across online and distinguish fact from fiction. Among the bodies recruited for the group is Facebook Ireland, a potentially controversial inclusion given the criticism levelled at the platform for its failure to tackle disinformation. New research into vaccine misinformation on Facebook shows that the platforms content recommendation algorithm can lead users towards, rather than away from, harmful conspiratorial material. On the issue of Facebooks involvement, Sonia Livingstone, a professor in the London School of Economics Media and Communications department, told EURACTIV that she was more struck by the absence of some key disinformation and media literacy experts across Europe both individuals and organisations. Of course, what will matter regarding the inclusion of Facebook is that the whole group operates in a way that is robust, independent and transparentthose of us on the outside will be watching closely! Juliane von Reppert-Bismark, founder and executive director of news literacy organisation Lie Detectors, one of the groups members, told EURACTIV Europe needs to think about the role that training and education can play in tackling disinformation and its corrosive effect on democracy. Teachers tell us every day their concern about the polarising effect of information silos online, and its important that we get the answer right. Measuring the effects of media literacy work must be a key part of the work we do within this advisory process. We remain concerned about the role of big tech companies in misinformation on social networks, she said. Media initiatives Under the Digital Education Action Plan, the Commission intends to bolster connectivity and digitalisation in EU countries and enhance the digital capabilities of their citizens. Todays launch is not the only disinformation-related Commission initiative currently underway, however. As part of its 2018 Action Plan against Disinformation, the Commission launched the European Digital Media Observatory, a consortium of fact-checking organisations, media outlets and academics working to coordinate an approach to monitoring and combatting disinformation. Last month saw the launch of Italys branch of the eight-part network. Italy launched its national hub to fight disinformation the Italian Digital Media Observatory at the University LUISS of Rome on Monday (20 September) as part of a European network of eight national hubs. Also in motion is the update of the Code of Practice on Disinformation, a self-regulatory tool subscribed to by online platforms, which was launched in 2018 and gained eight new potential signatories earlier this month. The Commission, however, remains concerned over the likelihood of progress on the voluntary agreement and the scope for compliance once the update is complete. Key in their concerns is the potential for negotiations over the upcoming Digital Services Act to distract major online platforms from their commitments under the Code. About This Property A great place to call home! Well maintained 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom Cape with 1st floor master bedroom, hardwood floors, garage & nice fenced in backyard. Located in quiet residential neighborhood of western Pittsfield; close to Conte & Crosby Elementary schools, shopping, St. Mark's Church and all the amenities of downtown. Enclosed front sunporch - used year round, central vac & brick rear porch. Upgrades include bathroom, newer fridge, washer & dryer, energy efficient improvements: new windows, insulation, programmable thermostats & new gutters. Land Details Community Details Acres Apx: 0.20 Parking Spaces: 2 Parking Type: Garaged & Off-Street Lot Description: Paved Drive Region: Berkshire - Central Elem School: Silvio O Conte Comm Middle School: John T Reid High School: Taconic Exterior Details Interior Details Color: White Style: Cape Construction: Wood Frame Exterior: Vinyl,Wood Water: Public Sewer: Public Underground Oil Tank: No Views: Distant,Hill/Mountain Garage: Auto Opener,Detached Total Rooms: 6 Total Full Baths: 1 Fuel: Electric Hot Water: Electric Electric: 200 Amp,Circuit Breaker Floor: Laminate,Linoleum,Wood Lead Paint: Unk Heat/Cool: Ceiling Fan,Electric,Multizone Insulation: Cellulose,Mixed Appliances Incl: Dishwasher,Dryer,Microwave,Range/Stove,Refrigerator,Washer Accessibility: 1st Fl Bdrm,1st Flr Full Bath Search More Properties With these Features Curbside Recycling Deciduous Shade Trees Fenced Yard Porch Public Transportation within 1/2 Mile Trash Public Cedar Closet Central Vacuum MCLA to Distribute State, Federal Funding Directly to Students NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will distribute $1 million in federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF), as part of the American Rescue Plan, in 2021, along with $689,200 via the state-funded MassGrant Plus program. "Many of our students have considerations beyond getting to class on timethey are often balancing their studies with work, family obligations, and other commitments," said MCLA President James F. Birge. "I'm grateful for this federal and state funding, which will go directly to support our students. A college education can change lives, and for many of our students, receiving financial help along the way will make a difference in the long term." MassGrant Plus funding is allocated according to the percentage of enrolled students eligible for federal Pell grants, and is available for full-time or part-time students who need assistance paying for tuition and fees. More than 45 percent of MCLA students are eligible for Pell Grants. During the 2020-21 academic year, MCLA was able to distribute $208,800 in MassGrant Plus funding; the allocation for the 2021-22 academic year is $689,200. MCLA Director of Student Financial Services Bonnie Howland said the College is currently working on awarding funds for the 2021-22 academic year, and will likely distribute half during the current Fall 2021 semester, with the other half distributed in Spring 2022. HEERF funding is part of the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP). One of the largest investments ever made in American higher education, the ARP allocates $40 billion to colleges in order to mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A third round of pandemic relief for higher education institutions, the ARP funds are more than double the first two COVID recovery packages combined. HEERF funding, which exists under the umbrella of ARP, is meant specifically for students. MCLA received $1.9 million in HEERF funding, announced in August 2021. Students enrolled for summer 2021 courses already received some of this funding, and Howland said the College plans to distribute $1 million in HEERF funding to all students enrolled in credit-bearing courses in mid-November. The remainder will be disbursed to enrolled students in spring 2022. Students with the highest need, demonstrated via FAFSA information, will receive the majority of this funding, but all enrolled students will receive a check along with the option to use the funds to pay off student debt or pay for future semesters of college. The Public Health and Safety Subcommittee last week votes to opt out of the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project. Pittsfield Public Health & Safety Panel Opts Out of Mosquito Control Project PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Public Health and Safety Subcommittee last week voted to opt out of the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project. The petition was put forward by Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Maffuccio, who said the program is inefficient and cited concern safety concerns with the chemicals used for mosquito mitigation. It passed in a 3-2 vote with Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi and Ward 4 Councilor Chris Connell in opposition. Connell said he has been pleased with the program and Morandi was not comfortable voting to opt out of it without another plan. In April, the council voted "no" on the adulticide mosquito spraying portion of the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project. This vote only eliminated the mosquito spraying aspect of the project; the pre-emptive larval control and catch basin operations remained. The subcommittee had also voted to discontinue the spraying in April. Because of heavy rainfalls and flooding that occurred in the county, there was a significant amount of mosquitos in the community this summer. Despite a large number of mosquitos, it was not an active year mosquito-borne viruses West Nile virus and Triple E (eastern equine encephalitis.) A majority of the councilors in support of opting out of the program used this reasoning to back up their decisions. Interim Director of Public Health Andrew Cambi defended the Board of Health on the mosquito spraying project. "The first item that I want to discuss is the petition in itself, which states that the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project program is a failed program and not environmentally safe, toxic and demonstrates corrupt scam, that statement I feel is completely out of line, because the Berkshire County mosquito control project program works directly with the city of Pittsfield Board of Health members and the city Department for Health, specifically our previous health director Gina Armstrong," he said. "They started this in 2012, and they work collaboratively together to make sure that there's a comprehensive mosquito program, so when this has been stated that it's a corrupt scam you're essentially saying that the Board of Health's work that's been done throughout the years is a corrupt scam, which is not true and I feel is out of line and should be corrected." Cambi brought up the fact that mosquito spraying can still be conducted at the will of the state even though the council voted to opt-out. He added that it is not done randomly, as there is a process for it that was approved by the Board of Health, which includes identification, surveillance, and monitoring. In the future, Cambi hopes to have more communication before decisions are made and invited anyone with concerns about the mosquito control program to attend a board meeting and express them so that adjustments can be made. In 2019, the city gave residents the option to opt out of spraying because of concerns that were brought to its attention. "First of all, when I said, it's a scam it had no bearing on the staff, or it's plan that you have provided, I am just echoing some of the comments that have been made by other communities that have opted out of this program, calling it a scam," Maffuccio clarified. "There are many articles written that says it's a scam, it was not a direct attack on Director Armstrong, our Board of Health, or anybody in our Health Department, it's the program itself. The reason I brought forth this petition is because many people have contacted me, or environmental analysts now, about how the program itself is using toxic chemicals the flow into our rivers and streams." He added that his petition was put on the agenda to start a dialogue. Pittsfield is assessed at approximately $150,000 of its unrestricted local aid that comes from the state for the program, which is how it is funded. The current total budget is $260,000 and the city pays about 55 percent of that. Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales said performing just pre-emptive larvae and catch basin treatments would be around $40,000 for three months. If not accompanied by other forms of treatments, he said it would be a waste of money. When Morandi asked if the city has an alternative plan to the project, Morales said alternative methods could be sought and put out to bid but there is no current plan. "At this time in Pittsfield, we do catch basin treatments, wetland larval treatments and then we also have available adult control which is ultra low- volume spray to kill adult mosquitoes," the mosquito project's Superintendent Chris Horton said. "In addition to that, and when the mosquito season is done, we do what's called source reduction and that's working drainage structures, existing drainage structures to improve flow water quality, which reduces the scope of mosquito breeding habitat." He said the product they use for larval control is a bacterial agent that is considered non-toxic to animals and most target species, as it is specific to mosquitos, black flies, and midges. The agent, Horton added, is designed to have a short life in the environment and doesn't transport through the water drainage system. The amount of mosquito spraying chemicals that are applied to the air is .62 ounces per acre. The program uses DeWitt mosquito spray, which was approved by the U.S. Environmental protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control. Horton said the project received so mosquito complaints after halting spraying that voicemails exceeded the capacity of answering machines on Aug. 2, following flooding in July. Moon said the EPA often turns back on what they consider safe and cited a situation that happened earlier this year where toxic compounds polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were found in sprays used in the state. The PFAS had leached into the product from the containers and triggered the manufacturers to make different packaging for them. "Those PFAS, the level was of significance but that being said, EPA has regulations on pesticides that say, there can't be undocumented substances in pesticides, and when they found this trace level, that was a documented substance, and it had to be addressed," Horton said. "So that's what the issue was, but in terms of safety of mosquito spray, the level of PFOS that was found in the mosquito spray was 1/10 the level that is, if you Google PFOS levels in human blood, it's 10 times the level they found in the actual mosquito product, which is being distributed at point six two ounces per acre." Moon reiterated that it was supported enough for the company to change the product's containers. She said that part of the problem is that the EPA had determined the product was safe and then found a known component that was leeching into it. She also pointed out that even though residents had the option to stop spraying on their homes, the areas around them would still be sprayed. "I feel like I'm hearing two sides of an argument, people are people are saying we need the spray because of safety, but when we look at this year again, we had zero cases of West Nile and we had zero cases of Triple E," Moon said. Horton explained that the BCMCP does the surveillance for mosquito-borne disease and without mosquito control, the first indication of the disease would be with human infection. "There are a lot of factors that have to be considered by a town before they get into this, we've had this ongoing controversy, they call me a liar, a bamboozler, and, that colors the whole issue," he said. "I'd like to know what I have said that has not been true, what I have put forward, that has not been supported by science." Mayoral candidates Lynette Bond and Jennifer Macksey meet Thursday at the MCLA Church Street Center in the second and final debate before the Nov. 2 election. North Adams Mayoral Candidates Debate at MCLA Forum The candidates take questions from a panel of four at MCLA on Thursday. The forum was hosted by iBerkshires.com and the MCLA Political Science Club and recorded by NBCTC for later broadcast. The unedited livestream can be found here. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The two candidates running to be the first woman mayor of North Adams debated for the second time at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on Thursday. This debate was sponsored by iBerkshires.com and the MCLA Political Science Club, and hosted by the MCLA. It was held at the Church Street Center and attracted a robust audience of more than 150 people. Lynette Bond, director of development for grants and research at MCLA, and Jennifer Macksey, assistant superintendent for the Northern Berkshire School Union, were asked questions by panelists iBerkshires Executive Editor Tammy Daniels, WAMC News Berkshire Bureau Chief Josh Landes, Berkshire Eagle staff writer Greta Jochem, and MCLA Political Science Club member Miranda Maciejowski. Questions were also solicited from a community survey and some were asked by Adams Town Moderator Myra Wilk, who moderated the event. Macksey and Bond largely spoke about diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, housing issues within the city, and the current administration. This debate was more contested than the first, as the two candidates aimed to distinguish themselves from the other on multiple topics. Both candidates have present or past involvement with MCLA, as Macksey previously worked in the college's finance administration and Bond has worked there for five years. Bond said being a member of a mixed-race family makes issues of diversity and inclusion close to her heart. She also recognizes that they are important to the city. "We need to bring diverse voices to our city, we need to be a welcoming community, we know that we have struggled with population for many many years, many decades, so it is this inclusivity, it is bringing in newcomers who will be welcomed into our community that is quite important, we can do that through diverse hiring, using those best practices, we know we need to bring in more people," she said. "North Adams was built by immigrants, immigrants who built the city who worked in our mills and we know that they wanted the best for their families, just like we all want the best for our families, so we want everyone to be invested, to come and work for the city, to open businesses to enroll in our schools to invest in our community and to share in the tax burden so we need to be welcoming and inclusive." To amplify the voices of people who are underrepresented, Bond would like to see diverse panels on city boards and commissions. Macksey said she spent a lot of time on the MCLA campus working with students who weren't sure that they fit into North Adams. "As part of my administration, everyone will be welcome, everyone will have a seat at the table, I will be a mayor that represents all voices, I want to ensure that there is equity in our community, I spent a lot of time on this very campus working with students who weren't sure that they fit in here in North Adams," she said. "I worked hard to make them feel comfortable, I embraced them, I invited them to be part of the community to even sit and have breakfast with my mother and I. I know how to make people feel welcome and I will continue that through my administration, and lead with kindness and compassion, and inclusion and I think it's important as a community, we all do that as well." Macksey said she would encourage inclusion by meeting with different groups and talking to the community. She reiterated the importance of leading with kindness and compassion. When asked if there should be changes to the Police Department in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, the two agreed that the police need a new public safety building but did not agree on the proper way to police substance abuse. Bond said we live in a racist society that needs to be addressed and she considers racism a public health issue. To support the police, she suggested giving them suitable facilities and supporting them with specialists when responding to mental health and substance abuse cases. Macksey agreed, emphasizing the need for a compassionate response. She later spoke of her support for a no-tolerance drug policy. "I know I can't stop it completely, but I'm going to work very hard to slow it down, and how I'm going to do that is I'm going to try to convince [District Attorney Andrea Harrington] that we can't be letting people off for $40 bail so they're back on the streets dealing again, and we're not going to tolerate people dealing drugs on our playgrounds or to our students," she said. "And at the end of the day, it is going to require more work for the Police Department, but I'm going to support those efforts." Bond responded by saying the city cannot arrest its way out of the problem and that more police officers are not going to solve it. "People are trying to help themselves and we need to provide the resources to do that," she said, adding she would work with organizations such as the Brien Center and Berkshire Health Systems to provide those resources. Macksey said she didn't think the answer was arresting everyone, "the solution is for those who need help to get them into the system and provide them resources." Both candidates support a temporary solution for the city's public safety building. The city has $1.2 million earmarked in a state capital bond bill toward design and engineering for a new facility that has yet to be released and some are worried about the building's current condition in the meantime. Macksey said the city needs to get funds released by Gov. Charlie Baker to run a feasibility and engineering study. She would like to provide a funding solution that doesn't cause a tax burden and suggested being creative with state and federal monies or using private investment. Bond said securing that $1.2 million and constructing a new public safety building project are a top priority of hers. On the topic of housing, both agreed that something needs to be done to address the city's stock but not on the way to do it. Bond emphasized the city's Smart Growth program and the use of Community Development Block Grant funds to address housing. Smart Growth zoning, under the state's Chapter 40R legislation, allows the opportunity for the development of high-density housing with a minimum of 20 percent remaining as "affordable." The entire overlay would have a maximum of 60 percent with the balance as market rate. Macksey said the program is great, but it is better to preserve what the city already has for housing and to work on blight. Bond, a member of the Planning Board that recommended the adoption of the zoning overlay, said the city was getting $600,000 from the state and another $3,000 per unit to address those very issues. When asked how North Adams should welcome new people and encourage MCLA students to stay, Bond said housing is the No. 1 component to making the city an admirable place to live. In addition to housing, she would like to see internships available for students at City Hall. Early in the debate, Bond addressed Macksey about a campaign letter that suggested Macksey did not welcome the support of those who were supportive of the past two administrations. "What I meant by that statement was, there's been a lot of good work done in North Adams, but there have also been things that have left out there, things that haven't been accomplished," Macksey said. "And we can do better for downtown, we can do better for our neighborhoods, my priorities look different than the past administrations, and I hope your administration will look different to if you were successful." The candidates had been given the opportunity to ask each other a question, with Macksey quizzing Bond on Smart Growth. Bond in turn asked Macksey about her term as city treasurer when an independent report determined the city failed to pay its fair share of public employee insurance premiums costing $1.1 million from 2008 to 2010. "I do think it's important that we bring this issue to light because that is the thing that people keep coming to me and talking about and I know after you left the city had to pay out over a million dollars, so this was a huge sore point for the city and I don't think anyone wants to see something like this continue if something like this happened again," Bond said. "So it's important that we understand your role, we understand what happened because the city lost a lot of money that was a big, big mistake." Macksey said she happy to answer the question, as it has not been asked so far during the campaign. "As treasurer collector, I do not have the ability or did not have the ability to appropriate money, so if anyone claims by misappropriating funds, you're just wrong," she said. "Every bill for health insurance was paid during my time, and no one ever had their health insurance canceled, many times I advocated for rates and benefits for all employees. So for anyone to think that I did not work in the best interest of the employees, you're just a fool." The two were asked their opinions on Mayor Thomas Bernard's administration. Bernard is stepping down after two terns in the corner office. Bond is supportive of Bernard and admired the work he has done to keep the community safe during COVID-19. She reiterated that where the administration can do better is in housing. Macksey also likes Bernard but has been disappointed with his lack of responsiveness. She added that staffing levels at City Hall are low and there is "hardly anyone there." When asked how the city can be more transparent, she said having meeting minutes posted in a timely manner and a more robust website would be improvements. When queried on how to stabilize the city's political climate there have been four resignations from the City Council elected in 2019 Bond recognized that whenever there is a group of concerned citizens emotions can run high. The audience held its applause until the end, when they gave the candidates a standing ovation. "It's difficult, I know just running for this office is difficult and emotions can run high but we are here at the table because we believe that we are the best people for the job and for those who are serving in our government or on boards and commission, in our city council, they are doing it with their best intention," she said. "So we need to remember that people, I believe are coming to the table with the best intention in mind, but we know that honest debate is hard, and there's a deliberative process, so we want to provide an open forum to have that debate to have that that communication." Macksey said elected officials have to have respectful debate, professional demeanor and act in the best interest of the community, adding she won't be keeping score. "We don't have to be best friends but we have to be leaders to move this city forward," she said. "... When people talk about toxicity on the City Council, I think it's really embarrassing. I don't see it completely. I just think it's a bunch of people with different ideas, some vocal, some not." The two also weighed in on the $3.8 million American Rescue Plan Act funds the city is receiving. Bond would like to see it dedicated to water and sewer improvements. She recognizes that the ARPA funds are community money and its spending should be discussed in an open format with hybrid meetings that accommodate people in person and online. Macksey would like to see a long-term and short-term capital outlay plan that includes water and sewer improvements and flood control. She would also like to see the funds go toward a feasibility study for broadband access in the hopes of attracting more businesses. The candidates also answered a number of short-answer lightning round questions. Neither supported vaccine mandates for city employees or North Adams having a single tax rate. Both support Black Lives Matter and a bike path in the city. When asked if there should be roundabouts on Main Street, Macksey said "no" and Bond said "yes." Macksey jokingly added that roundabouts are her worst enemy. Northern Berkshire Community Television recorded this event for later broadcast and it will also be uploaded to iBerkshires' YouTube channel. This is a contributed article by Anthony Finbow, Chief Executive Officer at Eagle Genomics Ltd There has been a lot of conversation around our ongoing digital and silicon-based revolution, including the rise of the robots in the media. However, at least as big a revolution, if not larger, is happening alongside thesethe Bio Revolution one that McKinsey says could have a direct economic impact of up to $4 trillion a year over the next 10 to 20 years. The Bio Revolution promises to provide some of the most convincing regenerative capitalist answers to our current climate crisis by fuelling a new wave of biology and/or nature-inspired innovation. This concept overlaps with what Klaus Schwab describes as the 4th industrial revolutiona fusing of the physical, digital and biological worlds. And when Boston Consulting Group talks about Nature Co-Design, its to some extent the same or similar mega-trend were talking abouta new industrial revolution harnessing natures design principles and manufacturing capabilities to produce beneficial new materials from the atomic level up. One critical component of the Bio Revolution is the microbiomethe ecosystem of microorganisms coexisting within and without our bodies and our environment. The microbiome: unit of currency for the Bio Revolution When better understood, microbiome ecology promises to have a very significant impact on our health and wellbeing. In fact, the potential for microbiomes to speed development of innovative medicines, improve global food production and produce industry-leading, sustainable consumer goods is huge. Despite this great potential however, the complex, multi-dimensional nature of data relating to the microbiome has proven to be a significant challenge, including its manifold networks and interactions with the body. Given the right tools and datasets, combined with more standardised approaches to understanding and gaining insights from data, it will soon be possible to unlock the promise of the microbiome to better support the accelerating Bio Revolution. Due to historically poor data curation and management processes that dont comply with current FAIR data practices, another challenge faced is that far too many research environments are inefficient in their processing and management of data. They rely on outmoded technology and suffer from excessively deferred change processes. This has led to a marked decrease in the rate of innovation, as well as wasted time and effort associated with incessant data wrangling, unreliable reproducibility and unnecessary, resource-draining replication of experiments, in addition to processes that do not readily transfer or scale-up to further stages of development. To make the Bio Revolution work, we need this to change. The fortunate news is that change is already here. Allowing consumers of complex data to visualise and contextualise promising patterns The complexity of multi-omics data management requires technology and platforms that can handle large volumes of information, process it, and provide valuable outputs. Such platforms must enable consumers of data, be they scientists, data scientists, product marketers, researchers, members of legal and compliance, and line of business owners, to quickly see how complex data can be productively applied and translated into innovation. To respond to this growing demand, an industry of multi-omics and real-world data management software has arisen to meaningfully understand and apply complex data. R&D teams in science-focused industries are generating agricultural innovation and environmental sustainability and renewal through the use of data fabrics, for example. Fit-for-purpose data fabrics ensure comprehensive sets of microbiome-related data are available and can be exchanged, compared and understood in meaningful ways by non-data scientists. Gartner, the analyst firm, has made a number of important predictions about fit-for-purpose data fabric features as the demand for complex analytics grows. Another key tool, perhaps unsurprisingly, is artificial intelligence (AI), which can help decode patterns that might not be obvious to human observers without this type of support. Finally, advanced application of the causal inference programming approach is proving highly effective to microbiome researchers, as a valuable way to pick out associations in diverse data, allowing scientists to design new studies to delve deeper into root cause analysis. Causal inference work and network science therefore delivers great potential for understanding the environmental role of the microbiome. From little acorns... I am the first to admit that the microbiome industry is only now starting to accelerate. What encourages me, other companies and investors entering the field is the fact that other early-stage industries that leverage data effectively have moved on to deliver great rewards that have benefited both the economy and wider society. Examples include small molecule drug discovery and semiconductor process and product development. What got these industries off the ground, and what will also help the unfolding microbiome industry, is how each moved quickly to help customers through swift agreement on common standards, best practices, and sophisticated tools. In a similar fashion, improved understanding of the microbiome is set to significantly contribute to our understanding of biology, and will ultimately translate to a better quality of life for all. To get there, a deep, data-driven partnership between science and technology is needed that not only drives, but reinvents, science as we know it. And in our own modest way, we think that were making that kind of change start to happen. Anthony Finbow is Chief Executive Officer at Eagle Genomics Ltd, a Cambridge-based pioneer in applying network science to biology. It is working with 5 of the top 10 household and personal care companies in the world to create new products working in harmony with the human and environmental microbiome. Explore this analysis of microbiome trends from Eagle Genomics and 20/15 Visioneers in greater detail in The New Frontier: Unlocking the Opportunities of the Microbiome Staff members of the Belarusian political weekly newspaper Novy Chas were searched by the authorities, temporarily detained and interrogated on 19 and 20 October. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined their affiliate, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), in calling on the authorities to stop persecuting journalists and media outlets in the country. On 20 October in the morning, Novy Chas employees could not be reached, before BAJ later reported that journalists' homes and the editorial offices were being searched. Novy Chas editor-in-chief Aksana Kolb and deputy editor Siarhei Pulsha were interrogated and later released. On 19 October, the house of Novy Chas photographer Dzmitry Dzmitryjeu was searched and all his equipment confiscated. According to Novy Chas, "the reason for the search was the case of threats to the deputy head of the Savetski District Department of Internal Affairs." Last year, the photographer was interrogated by the KGB as part of the case. These latest incidents against Novy Chas follow various previous detentions and administrative arrests of its staff. For instance, on 5 August 2021, photographer Dzmitry Dzmitryjeu was taken for questioning by police and sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest for "resisting a police officer". While Novy Chas has been published since March 2002, the state-run publications distribution chain Beldruk terminated the contract with Novy Chas to distribute the publication in kiosks from 1 February 2021. Since then, the newspaper has been circulated only by subscription. "On 7 June, the Belarusian Post informed the editorial office that the newspaper was excluded from the subscription catalog for the second half of the year. The editorial office sent the newspaper to the subscribers independently," BAJ said. The IFJ and EFJ condemn yet another attack on critical media workers. "We need an international coordinated response to the ongoing attacks on media in Belarus. Belarus deserves democracy and its citizens need to know what is going on. The attacks against our colleagues at Novy Chas are shameful and totally unjustified. Let the press do its job," said IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger. Ricardo Gutierrez, EFJ General Secretary, said "This ongoing crackdown must end. We call on the international journalism community to continue their solidarity campaign to show their support to their Belarusian colleagues." BAJ, which was dissolved by the Supreme Court on 27 August, continuously monitors the repression against Belarusian journalists and their findings are available here. Famous Pakistani female journalist Asma Shirazi was harassed by a slew of online followers and supporters of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafs (PTI) party following a column published on BBC Urdu. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns online harassment against media and urges authorities and social media companies to act accordingly relating to any threat, intimidation and abuse by online users in breach of protocols and calls for due police investigation. BBCs journalist Asma Shirazi, known for critical remarks against censorship of journalists, was allegedly harassed and trolled on social media in response to a recent articlethat said the current PTI-led government was responsible the downfall of the economy. Organized troll campaigners channeled the attack online, accusing Asma of insulting Prime Minister Imran Khans wife Bushra Bibi in the article. Dr Shahbaz Gill, a spokesperson and special assistant to Prime Minister on political communication, tweeted in response to her article while another senior leader and minister of PTI, Hammad Azhar, expressed his disappointment with the article. Sad to see @BBCUrdu allowing their platform for such pathetic insinuations, his tweet said. Another high journalist accused her of being associated with anti-government political party PML-N while many other journalists threw their support behind her. The PTI official Twitter account posted a video conversation between Asma and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif accusing her of obedience to a certified chor [thief] and absconder. Asma has faced online harassment in the past. She was the target of harsh online abuse after interviewing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2018. In July 2019, she and other journalists critical of the PTI were targeted online. According to the IFJs South Asia Press Freedom Report 2020-2021 , several well-known Pakistani female journalists and commentators have been routinely trolled for their opinion, which makes it incredibly difficult for them to carry out their professional duties. PFUJ secretary general, Rana Azeem, said: The PFUJ has always been supporting freedom of speech and expression but at the same time understands that journalists should be impartial and follow the journalistic norms when filing comments against someone. There is a law for everyone to follow but undue trolling should not be appreciable. The IFJ said: The IFJ strongly condemns the series of online harassment against Asma Shirazi by cadres of the ruling political party. The IFJ is against any threat or violence against journalists and media offline or online. On October 21, Taliban militants attacked several journalists covering a protest rally organized by a group of women demanding work, bread, and education" in Kabul. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Afghanistan affiliate, the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) express serious concern on the attacks and urges the Taliban to respect the media, freedom of expression and womens rights. Taliban militants beat several print and electronic media journalists to prevent them from covering the womens protest held in the morning of October 21 in Kabul. In a video received by the IFJ, Taliban members are seen punching and kicking journalists. A foreign journalist who was reporting from the protest venue was hit with the butt of a rifle. The journalist was kicked in the back and punched. According to the AIJA, AFP photojournalist Bulent Kilic and Afghan News Agency reporter Shafiullah Kakar were among those attacked. The protest rally, attended by around 20 women, was organisedin response to a rapid deterioration in womens rights in Afghanistan including the right to education and the right to work following the Taliban takeover of the country in mid-August. Since then, the Taliban went on to close down Afghanistans womens affairs ministry on September 16, replacing it with a controversial virtue and vice ministry. Journalists covering an earlier protest on September 7 and 8 were also attacked when militants arrested more than 14 media workers while covering anti-Pakistan and womens protests in Kabul. According to a research report byAfghanistan National Journalists Union (ANJU), Reflecting the current situation of Afghan Journalists and Media Workers in Afghanistan, more than 70% of journalists surveyed reported receiving threats since the Taliban occupation. The AIJA said: Although officials promised the AIJA that there would be no more violence against journalists, yesterday's military attack on journalists during the aftermath of the protests was alarming and terrifying. AIJA calls on the security authorities, in addition to punishing the perpetrators of the incident seen in the picture, to take the necessary measures to ensure the continuity of the information work. The IFJ said: Talibans attack on journalists in a bid to prevent them from covering the protest rally is against the freedom of press and the expression. IFJ urges the Taliban to adhere to its commitment to press freedom, media independence and womens rights. Since 1963, The Independent has helped create a great community! Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region. remaining of Thank you for Reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. A striking idea, solid business plan, and practical execution - the formula to being an entrepreneur seems pretty simple, right? But only a few people make it to the top. Starting a business is easier said than done - as entrepreneurs get their feet wet, theyre introduced to several aspects of a start-up they didnt even know existed. In a bid to make the journey simpler for budding CEOs, we made a list of 10 insider tips that no one tells you about building a company: 1) Its Not Easy Being Your Own Boss iStock While the idea of reporting to yourself, having people work for you, not clocking in and out is exciting - it comes with sleepless nights and endless hustle. It takes enormous amounts of discipline and constraint to build a successful business. 2) Dont Underestimate Networking iStock When it comes to start-ups, connections are everything. Make sure you interact with like-minded entrepreneurs, stay open to partnerships, attend media events and build your network along the way. 3) Emergency Fund & Tax Savings iStock Its extremely important to invest in an emergency fund and a tax savings account. In fact, hiring an accountant to monitor cash flow and finances is always a good practice. 4) Say Yes To Peer Learning iStock Interacting with fellow entrepreneurs is crucial - talk about their accomplishments, failures, biggest milestones and everything in between. Theres no better teacher than experience. 5) Loneliness Is Often Unavoidable iStock A start-up demands your undivided attention, sleepless nights and unfettered focus. In this journey, you might miss out on social gatherings, frequent getaways, and might even have your employees leave you mid-way. However, make sure your eyes are always at the end goal and you stay true to your plan! 6) Theres No Correct Path iStock In the start-up life, everyday is a fresh start - therell be unexpected victories and hiccups as well. So stay true to your end goal and cross stepping stones and hurdles as they come. Every entrepreneur's journey is different. 7) You Cant Run Away From Failure iStock Dont be afraid of failures. Some of your marketing plans may work, but not all. A seasoned start-up has a list of failures that helped form its rock solid foundation. Trust the process. 8) Pick The Right Employees iStock While your ideas may be brilliant, they may get lost in translation if you dont have a dedicated team to execute them. Building the right workforce will decide your start-ups destiny. 9) Extreme Highs & Extreme Lows iStock Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster, at least at first. So embrace all the ups and downs and make sure you learn from them. 10) Bid Adieu To Fixed Working Hours iStock Its time to say goodbye to the 9 to 5 life where you could stop responding to mails after logging out. Out here, theres no clocking out, youre in charge and everyone is counting on you. If youre someone who dreams of starting his/her business, or have already started one, wed 10/10 recommend the podcast Wisdom from the Top by host Guy Raz. It has several episodes which unravel the hard-hitting stories of success, hardships and burning the midnight oil from the horses mouth itself. Guy Raz interviews renowned personalities like Indra Nooyi (former Chairperson and CEO of PepsiCo), Ken Chenault (former CEO and Chairman of American Express), Jrgen Vig Knudstorp (executive chairman and CEO of the Lego Group), and many more genius minds. These inspirational episodes take us to the backstage, the hustle phase and motivate us with stories of turnarounds and triumphs. Click here to start streaming the podcast on Luminary. A total of 39 serving women officers in the Indian Army have been given Permanent Commission, the government has informed the Supreme Court. 72 women officers had applied for Permanent Commission but, one of them had later appealed for release from service. The government considered the applications of the remaining 71 and found that 39 of them were eligible for Permanent Commission. BCCL According to the government, seven of the applicants were medically unfit, while 25 others had "issues of discipline". The government was responding to an October 8 order of a two-judge bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice BV Nagarathna which had directed the Centre and the Indian Army to come back with orders granting permanent commission to those among the 72 women short service commission officers (WSSCO) who do not have any disciplinary or vigilance cases pending against them. The court had directed the governments counsel to complete this exercise by October 22. File Photo SC had asked for report The SC on Friday instructed the government to centre to give a detailed report explaining the reasons why the 25 were not eligible for Permanent Commission. On October 1, the court had told the government not to relieve any of the officers from service. The women officers have alleged that the top court's March 25 ruling was not considered by the Army and all 72 of them were rejected from consideration for the PC at one go. In its March 25 verdict, the Army was directed by the top court to consider granting PC to the WSSCOs subject to their obtaining 60 per cent marks in the assessment subjects, being found fit on medical criteria as per the August 1, 2020 order of the Army and having received disciplinary and vigilance clearances. BCCL/ File On March 25, the top court had said that the evaluation criteria set by the Army for granting permanent commission to women SSC officers constituted systemic discrimination which has caused economic and psychological harm and an affront to their dignity. A Permanent Commission means a career in the army till retirement, while Short Service Commission is for 10 years, with the option of either leaving or opting for a Permanent Commission at the end of 10 years. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, has said he will definitely look into the issue after a passenger accused IndiGo of forcing people to buy seats paying extra under mandatory web check-in. Journalist Rohan Dua had said in a tweet that the airline is forcing people to buy seats at Rs 750 apiece under mandatory web check-in and pay for baggage at Mohali airport. Dua added that he saw an elderly couple in tears before the Indigo staff who argued with him for the same. So @IndiGo6E, whose crew during last 10 years have several times manhandled passengers, is forcing people to buy seats at Rs 750 apiece under mandatory web check in & pay for baggage at Mohali airport Saw an elderly couple in tears before this man who argued with me for the same pic.twitter.com/g08P25gqc3 Rohan Dua (@rohanduaT02) October 21, 2021 The minister responded to the tweet saying "Will definitely look into this." Will definitely look into this. Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) October 21, 2021 Following this IndiGo, in a statement said that Dua and his co-passenger were charged extra as they had excess baggage of 7 Kg. Dua contested this claim and said that "We only had three baggages. One weighed 9.6 kg, others were 12.3 kg & 14 kg all of which met criterion of weight less than 15 kg. I tried best to explain that difference was 2 kg for hand baggage but crew didnt listen to us." He further said that neither baggage weighed more than 15 kg. Only one hand baggage weighed 9.6 kg, which was clubbed as a check-in baggage. When this was brought in to notice of gentleman at counter, he readily agreed the mistake but card was already charged by then. I also tried best to explain that neither baggage weighed more than 15 kg. Only one hand baggage weighed 9.6 kg, which was clubbed as a check-in baggage. When this was brought in to notice of gentleman at counter,he readily agreed the mistake but card was already charged by then. Rohan Dua (@rohanduaT02) October 22, 2021 Similar experiences Many others on Twitter also shared similar experiences and some even said that IndiGo charged them Rs 200 for the printing of a boarding pass. On 15th this month I was traveling with two kids, Guwahat - Kolkata, flight was empty, still they gave me three different seats, they said I need to pay extra to seat together. This guy's are horrible, they ask money for everything. In name of rule they trouble passengers. @ Devil that Dares (@devil_dares) October 21, 2021 On 15th this month I was traveling with two kids, Guwahat - Kolkata, flight was empty, still they gave me three different seats, they said I need to pay extra to seat together. This guy's are horrible, they ask money for everything. In name of rule they trouble passengers. @ Devil that Dares (@devil_dares) October 21, 2021 "They must be exposed for fabricating and manufacturing pleasant experience while they fleece innocent passengers who dont have a voice and are forced to follow their high handedness," Dua said, responding to a Twitter user who shared her experience. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. In a shocking incident, two boys, aged 11, who got addicted to porn allegedly killed a six-year-old girl after she resisted their attempts to replicate sexual acts from the videos. The incident happened in Assams Nagaon district on Monday. The girl was found in an unconscious state inside the toilet of a stone-crushing unit near her house, with her head crushed using a stone. Representational Image/iStock The girl was rushed to a hospital where she was declared brought dead. Three boys arrested Police have arrested three boys, all of whom are neighbours of the victim for the murder. According to the police, the two boys who were using their parents' mobile phones for online classes had become addicted to porn. YouTube On Monday, they tried to replicate the adult videos they had watched on the 6-year-old girl. But the girl resisted and threatened to tell her parents about what happened. The boys then attacked her and took her to the stone-crushing unit where they hit her with a stone, resulting in her death. According to the police, another minor boy, aged 8, and a relative of the other two boys was also involved in the crime. He allegedly stood guard when the two 11-year-olds committed the murder and helped them to destroy evidence. Representational Image Two of the boys first tried to replicate the pornograpic acts they had been watching on their mobiles and tried to molest their neighbours girl. When she resisted and threatened to tell her parents, they hit her head with a stone and carried her to the toilet in the crusher plant where they hit her again with the stone on her chest. The third child stood guard outside the toilet, Kaliabor sub-divisional police officer Mrinmoy Das claimed. Police have also arrested the father of one of the boys, for allegedly trying to cover up the crime. Cops zeroed in on the boys after the father of one of them, who used to work as the guard at the crushing unit and the boys gave contradictory statements on who spotted the body first. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. Neera Tanden, Indian American former nominee for director of the Office of Management and Budget, testifies at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Budget Committee on Feb. 10, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Tanden helped found the Center for American Progress, a policy research and advocacy organization, and has held senior advisory positions in Democratic politics since the Clinton administration. (Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images) As booster COVID-19 shots become available for more Virginians, the numbers of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to decline and are rapidly approaching 2020 levels. Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for booster shots for certain people who previously received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, Virginians will be able to receive boosters for Moderna and J&J beginning Friday, the Virginia Department of Health announced. VDH has been working with our vaccination partners pharmacies, healthcare providers, hospitals and other institutions to prepare for the booster rollout," said Dr. Danny Avula, the state's vaccine coordinator. Meanwhile, health department data show that the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases is at 1,688.1, its lowest level since early August. That's down 20% in the past week and 51.6% in the past month, but is still 65% more than the average on this date in 2020, before vaccines were available. However, in early September, cases were over three times the level of 2020. Average new daily cases reported in Northern Virginia are down about another 10% in the past week to a seven-day average of 314.1, 30.4% above the average on Oct. 22, 2020. Meanwhile, the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association reported that hospitalizations for treatment of COVID-19 have declined another 14.1% in the past week, to 1,266 patients as of Friday. That's 42.7% below the Sept. 21 Delta variant peak of 2,211 patients. However, hospitalizations were as low as 195 in early July. The state reported 277 new COVID-related deaths this week, down slightly from the prior week. Of those, 18 were in Northern Virginia: eight apiece in Fairfax and Prince William counties and one apiece in Loudoun County and the city of Manassas. The health department reported 424 new COVID-19 outbreaks across the state Friday that had not been previously reported due to a gap in reporting data. The new data show 22 outbreaks considered "in progress" in Northern Virginia, with 16 of those being at K-12 schools and another two at pre-kindergarten or daycare facilities. The school outbreaks now being reported include the one at Bennett Elementary School in Prince William County, which has resulted in 39 positive cases. The school was forced to close last week due to the outbreak and the large number of students required to quarantine, but it reopened this week. Most of the school outbreaks have resulted in just a handful of cases, but Willard Middle School in Loudoun County reported an outbreak of 30 cases, and Pennington Traditional School in Prince William reported an outbreak of 29 cases. The health department defines an outbreak as two or more confirmed positive cases that can be traced to the same source. The health department's dashboard tracking the number of breakthrough infections shows that between Jan. 17 and Oct. 9, 9,310 infections had been reported in fully vaccinated people in Northern Virginia, resulting in 40 deaths. Statewide, 35,045 such infections had been reported, a small percentage of the nearly 480,000 overall cases reported in that time. The health department says the data show that unvaccinated people are 6.8 times more likely to develop COVID-19 than fully vaccinated individuals and are 6.7 times more likely to die from COVID-19. The health department's vaccination dashboard, which now reflects third doses, shows that average number of doses administered per day has remained relatively steady at about 19,800 a day. Vaccinations were as high as 86,000 a day in late March. As of Friday, over 11.2 million vaccine doses had been administered to Virginians, with 74% of the adult population and 62.3% of the total population now fully vaccinated. Third doses have been administered to about 344,000 Virginia residents. Average positivity rate for diagnostic COVID-19 tests both statewide and in Northern Virginia continue to fall with the decline in cases. Every Northern Virginia health district except Prince William has a rate below 5%, which experts generally believe indicates the spread of the virus is under control. LATEST COVID-19 DATA New Cases/Deaths (Seven days ending Friday, Oct. 22) Northern Virginia: 2,199 new cases (down from 2,424 prior week); 18 new deaths (down from 22 prior week) Statewide: 11,817 new cases (down from 14,779 prior week); 277 new deaths (down from 316 prior week) Statewide Testing: 143,450 PCR diagnostic test results (down from 150,332 prior week) Overall Totals Northern Virginia: 219,925 cases, 2,539 deaths Statewide: 914,755 cases, 13,668 deaths Statewide Testing: 9.79 million PCR diagnostic tests (13.60 million when including antibody and antigen tests) Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) cases: 97 (including 14 in Fairfax, 11 in Prince William, two in Loudoun and Alexandria and one in Arlington). Three new cases reported statewide this week. *Provided by Virginia Department of Health. The health department's COVID-19 data is updated each morning (Monday through Friday) by 10 a.m. and includes reports by local health agencies before 5 p.m. the previous day. Statewide Hospital Data (as of Friday, Oct. 22): Hospitalizations: 1,266 (down from 1,474 on Oct. 15) Peak Hospitalizations: 3,209 reached Jan. 13 Patients in ICU: 313 (down from 385 on Oct. 15) Patients Discharged: 70,779 (705 this week) *Provided by Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association For updated national and international COVID-19 data, visit the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus dashboard. Editor's note: InsideNoVa is providing regular COVID-19 updates every week. For daily reports, visit the Virginia Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard. InsideNoVa and its newspapers in Prince William, Culpeper and Rappahannock counties will again honor local military veterans this year with a special publication on Nov. 11, Veterans Day. Readers may submit information about active-duty military personnel or veterans to be included in the special section through this link. Information that can be submitted includes honors received, details about their tour of duty, and other details about their service. Photos may also be included. There is no charge. Write-ups and photos of selected veterans will be included in the Nov. 11 edition of InsideNoVa's weekly newspapers in Prince William, Culpeper and Rappahannock counties. The deadline to submit information is Tuesday, Nov. 2. Real-time social media posts from local businesses and organizations across Northern Virginia, powered by Friends2Follow. To add your business to the stream, email cfields@insidenova.com or click on the green button below. A 20-acre estate on Tucsons east side recently sold for $4,080,000, making it the citys most expensive residential real estate sale on the multiple listing service of southern Arizona since 2007. The property on 1416 N. Smokey Springs is a 8,860 square-foot home with six bedrooms, seven ba The "biosymbiotic devices" created at the University of Arizona are custom-made and 3D-printed based on body scans. The devices can even operate without needing a charging cable thanks to a combination of wireless power transfer and compact energy storage. Local Twin Cities artists Enzyrose, Eyenga Bokamba, Noah Lawrence-Holder, LeShon Lee, and Meadow Gillispie, talk about their reaction to the murder of George Floyd, the trial of Derek Chauvin, and life as a black artist during this time. Late last month in New Castle County, Delaware, a grand jury indicted multiple residents for insurance fraud. The indictments stem from Department of Insurance Fraud Prevention Bureau investigations, in partnership with the Delaware Department of Justice. They allege that following vehicle accidents, each indicted resident knowingly presented false information to auto insurers or otherwise caused false information to be presented. I want to commend our Fraud Prevention Bureau for their work identifying deceitful activity and helping to bring those who would defraud Delaware residents and companies to justice. Their efforts continue to send a strong message that fraud will not go unnoticed here, which can prevent future crimes, said Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro in a press release issued by his office. Through this work, we can help keep insurance premiums from rising by helping to make sure companies do not have to pay out fraudulent claims, and we can educate residents that engaging in fraud is very costly. A resident of Wilmington was indicted on September 27 following a two-vehicle auto accident and a fraudulent claim filed with Permanent General Insurance. The resident had no insurance at the time of the accident but obtained it afterward and intentionally misrepresented the date of the accident to obtain a benefit that they were not entitled to. Video evidence was uncovered that confirmed the accurate date of the accident. A resident of Newark was indicted on September 27 for knowingly misrepresenting the time of an auto accident. During the investigation, evidence was obtained that confirmed that the resident had no auto insurance coverage at the time of their accident and that their auto insurance policy was obtained after the accident had occurred. They engaged in insurance fraud through intentionally providing false information to obtain a benefit that they were not entitled to from Good to Go Insurance. An additional resident was indicted for similar activity in an attempt to defraud Progressive Insurance. The resident obtained an auto insurance policy and filed a claim two days later, stating their vehicle was struck by an unknown vehicle while parked at their residence. An examination of vehicle damage was inconsistent with this depiction, and the investigation further identified that the vehicle was involved in an accident three days prior to obtaining insurance coverage. An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Insurance fraud is a felony. Source: Delaware Department of Insurance Topics Auto Fraud VENICE, Italy (AP) After Venice suffered the second-worst flood in its history in November 2019, it was inundated with four more exceptional tides within six weeks, shocking Venetians and triggering fears about the worsening impact of climate change. The repeated invasion of brackish lagoon water into St. Marks Basilica this summer is a quiet reminder that the threat hasnt receded. I can only say that in August, a month when this never used to happen, we had tides over a meter five times. I am talking about the month of August, when we are quiet, St. Marks chief caretaker, Carlo Alberto Tesserin, told The Associated Press. Venices unique topography, built on log piles among canals, has made it particularly vulnerable to climate change. Rising sea levels are increasing the frequency of high tides that inundate the 1,600-year-old Italian lagoon city, which is also gradually sinking. It is the fate of coastal cities like Venice that will be on the minds of climate scientists and global leaders meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, at a U.N. climate conference that begins Oct. 31. Venices worse-case scenario for sea level rise by the end of the century is a startling 120 centimeters (3 feet, 11 inches), according to a new study published by the European Geosciences Union. That is 50% higher than the worse-case global sea-rise average of 80 centimeters (2 feet, 7 1/2 inches) forecast by the U.N. science panel. The citys interplay of canals and architecture, of natural habitat and human ingenuity, also has earned it recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its outstanding universal value, a designation put at risk of late because of the impact of over-tourism and cruise ship traffic. It escaped the endangered list after Italy banned cruise ships from passing through St. Marks Basin, but alarm bells are still ringing. Sitting at Venices lowest spot, St. Marks Basilica offers a unique position to monitor the impact of rising seas on the city. The piazza outside floods at 80 centimeters (around 30 inches), and water passes the narthex into the church at 88 centimeters (34.5 inches), which has been reinforced up from a previous 65 centimeters (25.5 inches). Conditions are continuing to worsen since the flooding of November 2019. We therefore have the certainty that in these months, flooding is no longer an occasional phenomenon. It is an everyday occurrence, said Tesserin, whose honorific, First Procurator of St. Marks, dates back to the ninth century. In the last two decades, there have been nearly as many inundations in Venice over 1.1 meters the official level for acqua alta, or high water, provoked by tides, winds and lunar cycles as during the previous 100 years: 163 vs. 166, according to city data. Exceptional floods over 140 centimeters (4 feet, 7 inches) also are accelerating. That mark has been hit 25 times since Venice started keeping such records in 1872. Two-thirds of those have been registered in the last 20 years, with five, or one-fifth of the total, from Nov. 12-Dec. 23, 2019. What is happening now is on the continuum for Venetians, who have always lived with periodic flooding, said Jane Da Mosto, executive director of We Are Here Venice. We are living with flooding that has become increasingly frequent, so my concern is that people havent really realized we are in a climate crisis. We are already living it now. It is not a question of plans to deal with it in the future. We need to have solutions ready for today. Venices defense has been entrusted to the Moses system of moveable underwater barriers, a project costing around 6 billion euros (nearly $7 billion) and which, after decades of cost overruns, delays and a bribery scandal, is still officially in the testing phase. Following the devastation of the 2019 floods, the Rome government put the project under ministry control to speed its completion, and last year start activating the barriers when floods of 1.3 meters (4 feet, 3 inches) are imminent. The barriers have been raised 20 times since October 2020, sparing the city a season of serious flooding but not from the lower-level tides that are becoming more frequent. The extraordinary commissioner, Elisabetta Spitz, stands by the soundness of the undersea barriers, despite concerns by scientists and experts that their usefulness may be outstripped within decades because of climate change. The project has been delayed yet again, until 2023, with another 500 million euros ($580 million) in spending, for improvements that Spitz said will ensure its long-term efficiency. We can say that the effective life of the Moses is 100 years, taking into account the necessary maintenance and interventions that will be implemented, Spitz said. Paolo Vielmo, an engineer who has written expert reports on the project, points out that the sea level rise was projected at 22 centimeters (8 1/2 inches) when the Moses was first proposed more than 30 years ago, far below the U.N. scientists current worse-case scenario of 80 centimeters. That puts the Moses out of contention, he said. According to current plans, the Moses barriers wont be raised for floods of 1.1 meters (3 feet, 7 inches) until the project receives final approval. That leaves St. Marks exposed. Tesserin is overseeing work to protect the Basilica by installing a glass wall around its base, which eventually will protect marshy lagoon water from seeping inside, where it deposits salt that eats away at marble columns, wall cladding and stone mosaics. The project, which continues to be interrupted by high tides, was supposed to be finished by Christmas. Now Tesserin says they will be lucky to have it finished by Easter. Regular high tides elicit a blase response from Venetians, who are accustomed to lugging around rubber boots at every flood warning, and delight from tourists, fascinated by the sight of St. Marks golden mosaics and domes reflected in rising waters. But businesses along St. Marks Square increasingly see themselves at ground zero of the climate crisis. We need to help this city. It was a light for the world, but now it needs the whole world to understand it, said Annapaola Lavena, speaking from behind metal barriers that kept waters reaching 1.05 meters (3 feet, 5 inches) from invading her marble-floored cafe. The acqua alta is getting worse, and it completely blocks business. Venice lives thanks to its artisans and tourism. If there is no more tourism, Venice dies, she explained. We have a great responsibility in trying to save it, but we are suffering a lot. Photograph: In this Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020 file photo, people wade their way through water in flooded St. Marks Square following a high tide, in Venice, Italy. Lashing winds that pushed 1.87 meters (nearly 6 feet 2 inches) of water into Venice in November 2019 and ripped the lead tiles off St. Marks Basilica for the first time ever, bringing the citys second-worst flood in history, but it was the additional four exceptional floods over the next six weeks that triggered fears about the impact of worsening climate change. Photo credit: Anteo Marinoni/LaPresse via AP, file. Related: Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Flood Climate Change Insurance broker Aon and cyber security specialist Cybereason announced an alliance to help protect clients from sophisticated cyber attacks. Cybereasons Cyber Defence Platform, together with Aons Cyber Solutions, will enable clients to better prevent, detect and respond to cyber threats utilizing a combination of services and solutions, according to the companies in a statement. This alliance will help to improve the overall security resilience of clients of both firms, to help prevent cyber risks from materializing into consequential breaches, while managing the impact of cyber incidents through enhanced incident response capabilities. Through this alliance, clients will benefit from Cybereasons early attack detection and response to improve client security and maximize return on investment, together with Aons extensive experience in cyber risk management, technical proficiency and cyber incident response, helping clients assess, define and improve security capabilities to navigate this long-tail risk, the companies said. Clients are making critical business decisions daily and rely on Aons Cyber Solutions for insights that align security, risk and insurance. Their security advisory services assist in enhancing existing cyber security strategies, the development of security and threat management capabilities, as well as incident response plans, which we then deliver through our advanced EDR capabilities, said Tristian Elder, vice president of EMEA Partnerships, Cybereason. We are honored to work with Aon and we look forward to seeing our clients draw a wealth of benefits from our offerings. Aons Cyber Solutions offers holistic cyber security, risk and insurance management, investigative skills, and proprietary technologies to help clients uncover and quantify cyber risks, protect critical assets, and recover from cyber incidents. As a trusted adviser, we strongly believe in providing organizations with the critical insights they need to make better-informed, risk-based decisions relating to cyber security, especially during an incident or potential breach. We want to help our clients remain resilient when preparing for evolving threats such as ransomware in todays dynamic threat landscape, said Kraig Rutland, vice president, Cyber Security EMEA at Aon. The alliance with Cybereason will provide clients with world-class threat analysis, investigation and response at scale. About Cybereason The Cybereason Defense Platform combines the 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. Source: Aon and Cybereason Topics Cyber Aon Bermudas advantageous tax status for the re/insurance industry will be reduced at the margin with the expected passage of the recent multilateral agreement to establish a 15% global minimum tax rate, according to Fitch Ratings in a market commentary. The overall benefits of maintaining a Bermuda market domicile and operations will likely endure, but the net profitability gap between Bermuda and non-Bermuda incorporated companies is expected to narrow over time, Fitch said. We view the current 2023 target effective date as aggressive, given the large number of countries that have to pass legislation Fitch Ratings Fitch does not expect to take any near-term rating actions on its universe of Bermuda re/insurers as a result of the agreement, although the long-term implications remain to be seen. Bermuda continues to benefit from an established position in the global re/insurance marketplace, with demonstrated underwriting expertise, a strong and efficient regulatory regime, Solvency II equivalence and reciprocal jurisdiction status in the U.S., the ratings agency explained in the report titled Bermuda (Re)Insurer Benefits to Narrow Amid 15% Global Minimum Tax, published on Oct. 19. Bermuda is a member of the OECD Inclusive Framework and joined the OECD statement in July 2021 as it seeks to be an active participant in shaping the final details of the OECD plan, known as the OECD Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS). Fitch noted that Bermuda was able to withstand The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), which lowered the U.S. corporate tax rate to 21% from 35% and established the base erosion and anti-abuse tax (BEAT). The TCJA reduced the long-standing tax advantage of companies incorporated in Bermuda versus the U.S. to a greater extent than is expected with the passage of a 15% global minimum tax rate. The 15% minimum tax rate will reduce the gap between the effective tax rate of non-Bermuda re/insurers and Bermuda re/insurers, although it will not be entirely eliminated as most jurisdictions will have tax rates above the minimum, Fitch said. While Bermuda-based re/insurers have benefited from a low effective tax rate as a result of the lack of a Bermuda corporate income tax, Bermuda companies pay taxes to other jurisdictions given the international, diversified nature of their operations, said Fitch, noting that they also pay a U.S. excise tax on premium payments from the U.S. to offshore affiliates. Bermuda companies responded to the passage of TCJA with various strategic changes in how they manage offshore operations to mitigate the overall negative impact of the tax change. Further, Bermuda-based company start-up and scale-up formations have continued, particularly in response to the increased underwriting opportunities in the hardening market environment. Further, many Bermuda entities have filed 953(d) elections to be taxed as if they were a U.S. company, partly because it eliminates the requirement to pay the BEAT. Bermuda re/insurers should have time to make necessary adjustments before the 15% global minimum tax is finally implemented, which is likely to serve as a catalyst for price increases to help offset added costs, Fitch commented. However, we view the current 2023 target effective date as aggressive, given the large number of countries that have to pass legislation. Source: Fitch Ratings Related: Topics Carriers Reinsurance Bermuda This edition of International People Moves details appointments at three insurers: FM Global, Beazley and Rokstone. A summary of these new hires follows here. FM Global Promotes Johnson and Dempsey in Senior EMEA Roles Commercial property insurer FM Global has made two senior-level moves in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region Philip Johnson and Christopher M. Dempsey. Johnson, FM Globals senior vice president, EMEA division manager, and a 25-year veteran of the company, has been promoted and named the companys first chief learning officer, a new global role based in London, UK. He will be responsible for leading the development of the FM Global Academy, as it globally expands its focus on providing a range of in-person and on-demand learning programs to meet the business and development needs of clients and the insurers employees. Since joining FM Global in 1995 as a consultant engineer, Johnson has served in various leadership roles encompassing client service, engineering, business process improvement and operations. Prior to that, Johnson worked on nuclear power station design and held project management roles in large infrastructure projects across Europe. He holds a bachelors degree in civil engineering from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK, and completed postgraduate studies at Luxembourg School of Business. Dempsey, operations senior vice president, Chicago operations manager, who has worked for the company for two decades, will assume Johnsons role as senior vice president, EMEA division manager. Dempsey will be based in Luxembourg and be responsible for operations and strategic direction across EMEA, including underwriting, client service and engineering. He joined FM Global in 2001 as a customer service consultant before becoming a senior consultant engineer and then assuming various engineering and underwriting management roles of increasing responsibility, including a role as Boston operations branch manager. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire and Safety Engineering from Eastern Kentucky University in the U.S. *** Beazley Appoints Hiscoxs Wilson as Head of Open Market London Beazley has appointed Simon Wilson as head of Open Market for the UK and the Rest of the World (RoW). A seasoned underwriter with success in primary and excess property direct and facultative (D&F) products, Wilson will join Beazley in mid-January, and will be based out of its London headquarters. Wilson comes to Beazley from Hiscox, where he underwrote a large primary and excess portfolio, encompassing worldwide territories such as property, mining, power generation and downstream energy. Prior to this, he was a senior technical underwriter property direct and facultative, at CNA Hardy, where he managed a global portfolio encompassing primary and excess-of-loss business as an established and respected lead market within Lloyds. Wilsons role will involve directing and managing the Open Market UK/RoW teams, underwriting open market accounts within the property team and providing expert insight on market issues. (Beazleys open market business is its property business). Simon is an experienced Lloyds-based underwriter with deep expertise and technical knowledge in both primary and excess property D&F products, commented Richard Montminy, group head of Property at Beazley. His appointment demonstrates our continued investment in the open market space, and we are looking forward to working with him to find progressive solutions to increasingly complex market demands. *** MGA Rokstone Hires Pickard as D&F Property Underwriter Rokstone, the international speciality re/insurance MGA, part of Aventum Group, has announced the appointment of Jack Pickard as senior property underwriter. Pickard joins Rokstone as it expects to hit US$200 million in GWP in its direct and facultative (D&F) property book alone, having seen huge organic growth. As a whole, Rokstone is anticipating that it will write circa US$750 million GWP across all lines this year. Pickard joins the company from Geo Specialty, where he was property underwriter for five years. Before that he spent six years with The Channel Syndicate where he was international property underwriter. He has excellent long-standing relationships with brokers and significant capacity providers and has particular expertise in the Australian and Canadian Direct & Facultative (D&F) Property markets. London-based specialist MGA Rokstone has offices in the UK, Europe, U.S., Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Rokstone currently underwrites US$600 million GWP in several specialty lines including marine, aviation, terrorism & political violence, D&F property, treaty property, construction & engineering, extended warranty and liability. Topics Property London Help for roughly 100,000 teachers whose Social Security numbers were made vulnerable in a massive state data breach could cost Missouri as much as $50 million, the governors office confirmed. The estimate includes the cost of credit monitoring and a call center to help affected teachers. Republican Gov. Mike Parsons spokeswoman confirmed reports from state House budget officials that explained the $50 million price tag. The information was publicized by Democratic House lawmakers. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch broke the news about the security flaw. The newspaper said it discovered the vulnerability in a web application that allowed the public to search teacher certifications and credentials. Paper Uncovers Major Security Flaw in Missouri State Database Parson, who has deflected his administrations responsibility for the breach and instead cast blame on the newspaper for identifying the issue and warning the education department about it, last week said the breach may cost Missouri taxpayers as much as $50 million and divert workers and resources from other state agencies. Parson declined to answer questions after slamming the Post-Dispatch in a livestreamed press conference last week. Until House Democrats publicized the $50 million cost breakdown Tuesday, Parsons office had declined to provide further information, citing a pending investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Spokeswoman Kelli Jones in an email said the administration doesnt have a cost estimate for the investigation yet. Parson has also said his administration flagged the security issue to the Cole County prosecutor. During his tirade last week against the free press, Governor Parson strongly implied the states investigation and prosecution of a Post-Dispatch reporter would cost Missouri taxpayers $50 million, Democratic Rep. Peter Merideth said in a statement. Merideth said Democratic lawmakers inquiry to Parsons administration instead found that most of the estimated $50 million would pay for credit monitoring for teachers put at risk by the states mistake. He called that a much worthier endeavor than bullying a reporter who did the right thing by bringing this issue to light. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Cyber Missouri The University of North Dakotas aerospace school has cancelled all flight activities after a student pilot from Chicago died in a plane crash. The University of North Dakota plane went down about 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 in a field near the Traill County community of Buxton, in northeastern North Dakota, according to the Highway Patrol. The Grand Forks-based school identified the victim as 19-year-old John Hauser, a student majoring in commercial aviation from Chicago. Hauser, a sophomore, was pronounced dead at the scene. UND flight instructor Andrew Fox told the Star Tribune that he met Hauser at the Grand Forks airport and signed him off that night for a solo flight. He was building (training) time. Fox said Hauser, who was a licensed pilot, was going to arrive at the Fargo airport, do a couple landings and come back to Grand Forks. The National Transportation Safety Board said the plane that crashed was a Piper PA-28-180. Robert Kraus, dean of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, ordered a safety stand down, halting all flight activity Tuesday. Out of respect for the family we stress that you should not speculate about this event and let the investigation takes its course, Kraus said in an email to students and school officials. University officials said counseling services are being offered to students. The loss of a member of our UND community affects us all, UND President Andrew Armacost said in a statement. University spokesman David Dodds said flight activities were being halted so the school could review safety protocols, but also out of respect for the victim and to provide counseling to fellow students. UNDs aviation school is one of the largest such programs in the country, with more than 1,800 students and 500 faculty members. The fatal crash was the first involving a UND airplane since 2007, when a student and flight instructor were killed in central Minnesota after their aircraft collided with geese, the National Transportation Safety Board said. In 2000, an aviation student died when he crashed a UND-owned twin-engine plane in Rapid City, South Dakota, and authorities suspected he had taken his own life. The student had been charged with his second drunken-driving offense a day earlier a charge that would have made it difficult for him to get a flying job. In 1995, two UND students died in a plane crash in Wisconsin. That flight, which was not school-sanctioned, involved UND aviation students and a friend in a rented plane. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Aviation K 12 North Dakota Aerospace Months before putting one of its units into bankruptcy, Johnson & Johnson offered $4 billion to settle with victims of its talc-based powder twice the amount its now proposing to pay through a forced resolution, according to people familiar with the matter. The $4 billion offer was aimed at ending more than seven years of litigation over claims its iconic baby powder caused different types of cancers. J&J faces nearly 40,000 suits targeting its talc-based products, and has agreed to about $3.5 billion in settlements so far, according to court filings. The worlds largest maker of health-care products wanted to split the $4 billion between trusts established to settle current and future suits, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they werent authorized to speak publicly. The trusts would have been created as part of the 2019 bankruptcy case filed by Imerys Talc America Inc., J&Js talc miner, the people said. Representatives for J&J and Imerys declined to comment. Lawyers representing a substantial number of talc plaintiffs rejected the $4 billion settlement offer as part of the Imerys case as too low, the people said. Plaintiffs would have each received about $40,000 for their cases on average, the people added. J&J last made the proposal in March. After it was rebuffed, the companys attorneys told their counterparts to prepare for a bankruptcy filing by a J&J unit later in the year, the people said. Bankruptcy Filing On Oct. 14, a newly created J&J subsidiary filed for bankruptcy protection after arguing it was struggling to contain more than 38,000 suits blaming its iconic baby powder and other talc-based products of causing cancer. Its planning to put $2 billion into a trust as part of the units bankruptcy to resolve all of its talc liability. J&J Baby Powder Bankruptcy Brings 50 Angry Lawyers to Charlotte In a hearing this week in Charlotte, North Carolina, J&J lawyer Greg Gordon told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Craig Whitley that the $2 billion is the companys opening bid in a new effort to settle the talc litigation. Gordon said the $2 billion is not intended to set a ceiling for any talc accord. J&J officials argue they had no choice but to turn to the bankruptcy process to corral the litigation, warning it could take decades to resolve all the cases. The company has said its already paid $1 billion in talc-related legal fees over the last five years. Last year, it pulled the talc version of its baby powder off the U.S. and Canadian markets. The New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company proposed using the Imerys case for the deal because its currently battling with the talc miner over its claims that indemnity agreements put the baby-powder maker on the hook for Imerys talc exposure. J&J offered to take over Imerys talc defenses and negotiated settlements of suits against both companies, according to court filings. Trust Fund J&J wants to use federal laws allowing companies to file for bankruptcy to deal with litigation that poses a threat. Once in Chapter 11, companies can set up trusts to pay current and future claims and plaintiffs are required to participate in the process. Such trusts were made popular during decades-long litigation over asbestos, a cancer-causing material used as insulation in construction and car brake pads. Some talc plaintiffs contend J&Js baby powder was tainted with asbestos, which can cause a variety of cancers. Others say talc by itself can cause ovarian cancer. Elizabeth Burch, a University of Georgia law professor who follows talc litigation, said $4 billion wouldnt provide proper payouts for women fighting an often-fatal disease such as ovarian cancer. That wouldnt even cover most peoples economic damages, such as health costs and lost wages, she said. J&Js decision to turn to bankruptcy is also questionable, Burch added. J&J is trying to cram down a settlement that will give these folks pennies-on-the-dollar for their damages, she added. The case is LTL Management LLC, 21-30589, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina (Charlotte). Photo: Johnsons baby powder. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images. Topics Claims The White House on Thursday called on all World Trade Organization members to support an intellectual property waiver for COVID-19 vaccines. We need every WTO member to step up as well and support an intellectual property waiver, and every company must act ambitiously and urgently to expand manufacturing now, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. A year after South Africa and India introduced a proposal to temporarily waive intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines and therapies at the WTO, negotiations have failed to make any progress. More than 100 countries backing the waiver say it will help save lives by allowing developing countries to produce COVID-19 vaccines, but the European Union and several countries, including Switzerland, remain opposed. U.S. President Joe Biden reversed the previous U.S. position to back the proposal in May, but a breakthrough has so far failed to materialize. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala last week conceded the formal negotiations about a temporary waiver were stuck, but said she believed informal talks were intensifying. Okonjo-Iweala told a Washington think tank she believed that WTO members could find a pragmatic compromise on the IP waiver that would ensure equitable access to vaccines, while preserving incentives for research and innovation. An EU official described intense talks with South Africa about how to boost the availability of vaccines to developing countries, potentially breaking the deadlock. The WTO wants to reach an agreement on the global response to the pandemic at its ministerial conference in Geneva from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3. (Reporting by Steve Holland, Jeff Mason and Andrea Shalal; editing by Grant McCool) Topics COVID-19 USA Property Climate change is an emerging threat to U.S. financial stability that regulators should address in their everyday work, a top U.S. regulatory panel said on Thursday, a first for the United States which has lagged other wealthy countries on tackling financial climate risks. The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) issued a 133-page report that could ultimately lead to new rules and stricter oversight for Wall Street. It provided a roadmap for integrating climate risk management into the financial regulatory system. That includes filling in data gaps, pushing for climate-related disclosures by companies, beefing up climate expertise at agencies, and building tools to better model and forecast financial risks, such as scenario analysis. The FSOC comprises heads of the top financial agencies and is chaired by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Created following the 2007-09 financial crisis, its role is to identify and address vulnerabilities in the U.S. financial system. The report is part of President Joe Bidens plan to aggressively tackle climate change and comes ahead of his trip to Glasgow, Scotland, for a United Nations climate summit. Its a critical first step forward to the threat of addressing climate change, but will by no means be the end of this work, Yellen said of the report. Key Recommendations from Treasurys Financial Climate Risk Report By Pete Schroeder and Andrea Shalal Reuters The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), a U.S. regulatory panel comprising top financial regulators, on Thursday published a roadmap for how financial agencies should integrate climate risk management into the regulatory system. It comes during a broad push of Democratic President Joe Bidens administration to tackle climate change. Here are some of its key recommendations. CLIMATE COMMITTEES: The report recommends FSOC should create new internal panels devoted to climate issues, in the first reworking of the oversight body created in 2010. One panel would be staffed by regulators and charged with tracking agency efforts to measure and monitor climate risk. It would frequently report on its findings, seeking to maintain regulatory momentum to tackle climate risks, according to a senior Treasury official. The second new panel will be filled with external advisors from academia, finance, environmental groups, among others. The FSOC has never before established an advisory committee on a specific issue. PLUG DATA GAPS: A significant chunk of the recommendations are aimed at strengthening and refining data available to regulators, industry and the public in measuring climate-related financial risks. The report urges regulators to ensure they have consistent and reliable data to asses climate risks, including tallying internal data and figuring out how to find necessary external data sources. The report identifies the Office of Financial Research, an agency created alongside FSOC following the 2007-09 financial crisis, as a potential data repository and analytical resource for regulators. CLIMATE DISCLOSURES: The FSOC also backs a major regulatory initiative already underway at the Securities and Exchange Commission. These rules would establish standard climate disclosure requirements for public companies. The panel said all agencies should review their disclosure requirements and update them if necessary to capture climate risks. VULNERABLE POPULATIONS In a nod to the Biden administrations focus on social equity, the report recommended regulators explore policies that could help protect populations that are most financially vulnerable to climate change. Another recommendation called for the Federal Insurance Office to act quickly to analyze the impact of climate change on insurance and reinsurance coverage, particularly in hard-hit regions. SCENARIO ANALYSIS Another recommendation is to work with outside parties, including overseas regulators, to build forecasting tools that will help U.S. agencies gauge future risks from climate change. Specifically, the FSOC recommended agencies consider scenario analysis to test how the institutions they supervise would fare in different hypothetical climate scenarios. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Pete Schroeder; Editing by David Gregorio) This is the first time that all of the banking and financial regulators will come out in one document and talk about what they can do on climate change, said Todd Phillips, director of financial regulation at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think-tank. Climate change could upend the financial system because physical threats such as rising sea levels, as well as policies and carbon-neutral technologies aimed at slowing global warming, could destroy trillions of dollars of assets, risk experts say. In a 2020 report, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) cited data estimating that $1 trillion to $4 trillion of global wealth tied to fossil fuel assets could ultimately be lost. With a record $51 billion pouring into U.S. sustainable funds in 2020, investors are pushing for better information on risks companies face from climate change. U.S. regulators have done little to date to tackle climate risks, and the United States lags its peers on the issue. Biden, a Democrat, has said he wants every government agency to begin incorporating climate risk into its agenda. The report also calls for the FSOC to create two new internal committees. One would consist of regulatory staff who will frequently report on efforts to police climate risks. The second will be an advisory committee of outside experts, including from academia, non-profits and the private sector. The lack of recommendations for tough new rules frustrated some progressives and environmental groups, who are anxious for bold steps from Washington to address what Biden himself has called an existential crisis. Steven Rothstein, managing director of Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, a climate advocacy group, said it was good regulators identified climate change as an undeniable risk, but more needs to come quickly. With a very small window to prevent the next climate disaster, each agency must now provide specific timelines when they plan to put in place measures to protect the safety and soundness of our financial system, our institutions, our savings and our communities, he said in a statement. (Reporting by Pete Schroeder; Editing by Michelle Price, Leslie Adler, Paul Simao and David Gregorio) Topics USA Climate Change A Louisiana mayor says 300 to 400 commercial buildings damaged last year by Hurricane Laura are being condemned or marked for demolition. Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter told the City Council on Wednesday that he realizes business owners have needed time to work with insurance companies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, The American Press reported. Property owners have been through a lot, he said. We also hear cries from the neighbors _ people who are living or working across the street or next door to some of these properties. We cant allow these things to exist forever in the city. The council doubled the daily fine for unsecured commercial properties to $1,000 in certain instances. It also cut in half the 24 months previously allowed for commercial buildings to be boarded up. Demolishing every commercial and residential building condemned because of the storm could cost more than $15 million, Hunter said. FEMA has approved reimbursement for demolishing some homes damaged by Laura. Disaster block grants approved by Congress can help homeowners, he said. He said the city is confident the state will launch a housing effort similar to the Road Home program after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Louisiana Hurricane Opinion Policies Editorials are longer opinion pieces that are written by a group of community members recruited across campus who address relevant issues on a local, national and international level. Editorials are research-based. The purpose of the Editorial Board is to promote discussion concerning relevant issues in the community while advising on possible solutions. Topics are chosen via relevancy and interests of the members, which are then discussed by the Editorial Board in order to reach a general consensus concerning the topic or issue. Feedback policy If you have a grievance concerning the content or argument of the Editorial Board, please contact either Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or the Editorial Board as a whole (editorialboard@iowastatedaily.com). Those wanting to respond to editorials can also submit a letter to the editor through the Iowa State Daily website or by emailing the letter to Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or Editor-in-Chief Sage Smith (sage.smith@iowastatedaily.com). Column Policy Columns are hyper-specific to opinion and are written by only columnists employed by the Iowa State Daily. Columnists are unique because they have a specific writing day and only publish on those writing days. Each column undergoes a thorough editing process ensuring the integrity of the writer, and their claim is maintained while remaining research-based and respectful. Columns may be submitted from community members. These are labelled as Guest Columns. These contain similar research-based content and need to be at least 400 words in length. The following requirements should be met: first and last name, email and relation or position to Iowa State. Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions. Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020 During an interview in New York, Irish writer Nuala OFaolain commented that she both loved and hated Ireland. I feel the same. I love Ireland for many reasons. I love how we collectively mourn the deaths of our poets and musicians, how we laugh a lot, cry a lot too. I hate Ireland for one reason. I hate the way it hates women, and again and again and again the ways in which it fails to protect them. How ceaseless the violence against Irish women and children has been across the decades. Teachers have some small contributions to make in changing this culture. Discussions about sex and consent, respect and equality should exist along the very spine of our education system. And yet, in many schools in Ireland of all places, of all places, we curtail these conversations. We curtail the role of the educator. The State proactively silences open conversations about sex and consent and pornography. Ethos trumps freedom. The State permits 90% of its primary schools to teach Flourish, a programme designed by the Irish Catholic Bishops conference, a group of celibate men. The same programme tells small girls that they are perfectly designed to procreate with God. It denies them bodily autonomy and it tells them what a family should look like. There is no room for God or silence in how Ireland discusses sex. The Union of Students Ireland (USI) surveyed 6,000 people last year and found that 30% of female college students had experienced non-consensual sexual penetration. NUI Galway surveyed over 600 secondary school students and found that only 58% of boys felt verbal consent was necessary, 67% of girls said the same. Open, secular relationship and sex education is essential for Ireland to change its gruesome legacy of violence against women and children. Last Friday, Pat Kennys Newstalk decided to explore the importance of Catholic schooling for Irish parents. They invited David Quinn, the director of the Iona Institute to speak. Just him. He confidently declared that most parents are happy to go along with a catholic lite school system, suggesting that a removal of the sacraments would be an inconvenience. Yet every single message sent into the show from listeners, from Irish parents, seemed to say otherwise. What people fail, or indeed refuse, to see is the line between this censorship of education, this societal laziness, and the continuation of abuse in our country. It is not simply about sacraments and the inconvenience of doing them ourselves. The integrated curriculum, the influence of Catholicism on other subjects, like relationship and sex education is something we need to acknowledge. We tell ourselves Ireland is known internationally for our education system for the lauded Leaving Certificate. We forget we are far better known for the horrors of the Magdalene Laundries. I read about proposed changes in the primary curriculum with some relish this week until I read the small print. The plan, to be finalised by 2026, is to reduce the teaching of faith formation by half an hour a week. Such reforms offer too little, too late, for too many. Nuala O Faolains comment came back to me this week when I read Ms Justice Deirdre Murphys sentencing in the case of a young man raping his small cousin. The man received a suspended sentence and was advised to stay away from young children for five years. One of Justice Deirdre Murphys stellar recommendations was for primary schools to address pornography. The 19-year-old is guilty of seven Section 4 rapes and 10 sexual assault offences. Research indicates that child molesters have the highest risk of sexual reoffending. Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy suggests that schools and teachers might magic this blight away by addressing it in our censored Catholic classrooms. Her comment came a week before CBS Primary school in Wexford was ordered to re-open, reversing a decision made by the board of management and despite having over 30 cases of Covid-19. Our judicial system gives schools impossible tasks to complete while our State denies the same schools basic autonomy and respect. If we really cared about protecting women, vulnerable children, and vulnerable men, wed demand open conversations in our schools, and we would expect nothing but the most robust and consistent supports for our staff and students. We have a very long road and a constant struggle ahead. Young people deserve open, age-appropriate discussions in our schools. They deserve a judicial system that doesnt sweep problems under the school gates. They deserve far better than what theyre getting. We all do. Alec Baldwin has been famous for more than three decades, best known for his roles in 30 Rock, Glengarry Glen Ross and The Cooler, as well as his impression of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, He was starring in a western film called Rust in Santa Fe, New Mexico, when he discharged a prop firearm, killing his director of photography and injuring the director, police said. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to hospital where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel, authorities said, while director Joel Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance and is being treated for his injuries. A spokesman for Baldwin said there was an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. Baldwin, 63, is the eldest of the four actor brothers of his family the others are Daniel, Stephen and William. Acting brothers William (left) and Alec Baldwin in 2004 (Ian West/PA) He first found fame in the soap opera Knots Landing in the 1980s, but made a name for himself on the big screen in films such as Beetlejuice and The Hunt For Red October, as well as his collaborations with directors Woody Allen, in films such as Alice, To Rome With Love and Blue Jasmine, and Martin Scorsese in The Aviator and The Departed. He also stars opposite Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossible films. He was nominated for an Oscar for the 2003 film The Cooler, but found a new audience in the hit sitcom 30 Rock, playing Jack Donaghy opposite Tina Fey, for which he won a slew of awards, including two Emmys and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards. He returned to television during the 2016 presidential campaign to play candidate Donald Trump on US sketch show Saturday Night Live, and continued his skewering impression after the 2017 inauguration until Trumps defeat in the 2020 election. The president appeared to take umbrage at the impression, tweeting that the Baldwin impersonation just cant get any worse. Baldwin, who is a Democrat, was a vocal critic of Donald Trump during his time in the White House. Despite his many professional successes, the star, who is also a popular podcast host, has often made more headlines for his private life. In 1995 he allegedly assaulted a photographer for videotaping his then-wife Kim Basinger and their three-day-old daughter Ireland. The couple divorced in 2003 and went through a lengthy legal battle. In 2007 he left an infamous voicemail in which he called his then 11-year-old daughter a rude, thoughtless little pig for missing a scheduled phone call from him. Alec Baldwin with Kim Basinger (Peter Jordan/PA) He faced a backlash for the leaked comment and later referred to the incident as a scab that never heals, saying it was thrown in your face every day. In 2011 he was removed from a flight after reportedly becoming belligerent when he was asked to put away his phone while playing the game Words With Friends while waiting for take-off. In 2014, he was arrested in New York for allegedly being hostile with police who said they stopped him for cycling the wrong way on a one-way street. The case was eventually dismissed. He was arrested again in 2018 for allegedly punching someone during a dispute over a New York City parking spot. Baldwin is now married to yoga teacher Hilaria Thomas, with whom he has six children. The fitness instructor was engulfed by a social media storm after it was claimed she had spent years faking a Spanish accent. In August 2017, secondary school art teacher Catriona Brosnan was looking forward to returning to work, having taken maternity leave after the birth of her first child, Fionn. The day before school was due to start, the 40-year-old from Kilmeedy in Co Limerick got a call from her childminder, cancelling their arrangement. It was panic stations, says Catriona. Luckily, her husband Caoimhins parents live nearby, and they came to the rescue. They looked after him for a week while we found a place at the local creche, says Catriona. They then decided to offer to look after him for two whole days every week and they still do that. Weve had two more children since then, Oisin and Cuan, so they really do a lot to help with childcare. The Brosnans are one of the thousands of working families where grandparents form a part of the jigsaw of childcare. According to a 2015 Ipsos MRBI survey, grandparents are the most popular form of childcare, with 42% of working parents relying on grandparents compared to 20% for creches and childminders. Those working parents have come under unprecedented pressure in the past 18 months. When older people were advised to cocoon and stay away from children in the initial stages of the pandemic, many grandparents were suddenly unavailable for childcare. Parents were under phenomenal stress trying to balance the competing demands of childcare, home school, and Zoom meetings for work, says child psychotherapist Dr Colman Noctor. Catriona remembers it well. I had two children then and was pregnant with my third, she says. Id mind the kids during the day and prepare classes for my students in the evening once the children went to bed. It was difficult to manage, but it didnt last for long. My husband Tadhg and I missed our grandchildren too much, says Nora Brosnan, 67. After quarantining for two weeks, we made a bubble together. We didnt see anyone but them and because Catriona was pregnant, they were being careful not to see anyone either. We helped each other. New creche rules Caoimhin and Catriona Brosnan with sons Fionn, age five, Oisin age three, and Cuan age one, at home in Broadford, Co Limerick. Grandparents Tadhg and Nora Brosnan help with childcare. Picture: Brian Arthur Now that schools and childcare services have reopened, the situation has changed once more. I cant send my three-year-old to playschool with a cough unless he has a negative Covid test, says Catriona. He often has a cough so thats proving difficult. Psychotherapist and author Stella OMalley sympathises. Children have so many coughs and runny noses, she says. Parents often know that everything is fine, but they have to keep them home from school nevertheless. Its very disruptive when it comes to childcare. For the Brosnans, this means relying on grandparents more than ever. We had to call on them just this morning as Oisin was coughing all night, says Catriona. Having grandparents you can call on in times of need is certainly convenient but are there other benefits to such an arrangement? It can be reassuring for parents. Theres a peace of mind when its your parents or your partners parents who are minding your children, says Noctor. You have more trust in them than you would in anyone else. Grandparents can benefit too. A 2019 study at the University Medical Centre of Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany interviewed almost 4,000 grandparents and found that those who looked after grandchildren were less likely to suffer from loneliness. Their grandchildren kept them company and helped widen their social circle by introducing them to other parents and grandparents. Nora and Tadhg have found this. Its not just that we have the opportunity to get to know the children better and enjoy things like walks, reading books, and playing board games all over again, she says. They also get us out of our comfort zone, exposing us to new things and shaking up our routines in a good way. Unconditional love It's children who reap the biggest rewards from this type of childcare arrangement, says OMalley. There is something about the love of a grandparent that sets children up on a deep level, she says. There are not that many people in the world who will love and care for your child the way a grandparent will. The richness that relationship can bring is irreplaceable. It brings a huge boost to morale and to long-term mental health. A 2016 Boston University study used data from a long-term survey that spanned several generations of families between 1986 and 2004 and found that when young adults enjoyed strong relationships with their grandparents, both tended to suffer fewer symptoms of depression. However, there can be drawbacks to this childcare arrangement too, especially for grandparents. Id encourage parents and grandparents to treat carefully in this situation, says Noctor. Its important nobody feels taken for granted. Childminding can cause huge disruption to grandparents lives, especially if the demands being made on them are significant. They can feel obliged to help when they thought their childrearing years were over. Different parenting styles can cause conflict too. Parents can feel as if the grandparents are doing them a favour, says Noctor. This can then make them feel as if they dont have the right to dictate how their children are looked after. At the opposite end of the spectrum, some parents are too prescriptive. OMalley thinks its best to have some ground rules while also allowing grandparents some leeway. They have to be able to do things their own way, she says. Otherwise, they can end up feeling treated like staff and undervalued for the contribution they are making to the family. Financial matters Caoimhin and Catriona Brosnan with sons Fionn age 5, Oisin age 3 and Cuan age 1 pictured at home Some families pay grandparents in order to avoid this problem. Noctor advises caution here. Grandparents may find it insulting to be employed by their own children, he says. Consider the sensitivities of the people involved before you broach the subject. Far better to have an open and honest conversation at the outset about the expectations on all sides. Parents need to be clear about their needs from the very beginning, says Noctor. Be explicit about how you would like your children to be managed. OMalley agrees. Start by laying out whats important in terms of things like naps, food, and screentime, she says. But do handover some power over to the grandparents. Coming down too hard can end up with grandparents feeling resentful and put upon. Keep the grandparents needs in mind too. Many of them have cocooned during the pandemic. They have had a year and a half taken from them and they may be keen to get out into life again, not necessarily devoting all their time to their grandchildren, says Noctor. Thats something Catriona and Caoimhin make a priority. At the beginning, we let it be known that they didnt have to look after our children and that they could stop at any point if they wanted to, she says. They have to be able to live their own lives. We make sure to check in with them regularly to see if they are still happy with the situation. So far, they certainly are. Id recommend it to any grandparents out there so long as they were prepared for the fact that it can be tiring, says Nora. A lot of grandparents dont have their full health and cant look after their grandchildren. We see it as a privilege to look after ours. Its a lot of work and a big responsibility, but its so worth it. Catriona and Caoimhin are happy too. Our children have such a lovely close bond with Nora and Tadhg, says Caitriona. They are always comfortable and happy in their company. We couldnt ask for better. Agreeing on ground rules Childcare is one of the most pressing issues for Irish families. Its becoming increasingly expensive. The health concerns raised by the pandemic mean that many schools and childcare centres will not accept children with coughs and colds. These are just some of the reasons why grandparents are being drafted in to help with childcare. Here are some tips for managing that childcare arrangement so it works to the benefit of parents, grandparents, and children. 1. Set down some ground rules at the beginning. For grandparents, this means carefully considering just how much time and energy you have to give to childminding. Looking after children is a physically demanding activity. Dont promise more than you can deliver. 2. Parents need to let grandparents know when the children need to eat and sleep and any important rules regarding watching TV or other screens, eating snacks, and appropriate discipline. 3. Try not to be too strict or prescriptive with this. It might be an idea to list the deal-breakers rather than a list of demands, says child psychotherapist Dr Colman Noctor. Its vital that grandparents feel that you trust their judgement. 4. If grandparents are to be financially reimbursed for their services, the details must be agreed upon before they start. How much will they be paid? What exactly will that payment cover? Deciding all of this in advance will prevent any misunderstandings in the future. 5. Maintain an ongoing open and honest conversation. Parents should check in with grandparents regularly, keeping them informed about things like the child feeling sick, having trouble sleeping, or any fears or anxieties the child may be feeling. They should also ask the grandparents if they have any issues to report, either from their point of view or that of the child. As long as everyone involved is open and honest and fair, there is no reason why this childcare arrangement wont work out for the benefit of all, says Noctor. Judges have flagged they could do with help in the sentencing of cases involving sexual violence, driving causing death and domestic abuse-type offences. The feedback comes as a high-level judicial committee carries out the landmark development of sentencing guidelines, which, among other things, should promote consistency in sentencing, take into account the impact on victims and promote public confidence. The Judicial Council Act 2019 also tasks the Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee to assess the financial costs involved in different types of sentences and their relative effectiveness. Committee chair, Ms Justice Iseult OMalley, told a seminar on Thursday that they carried out an informal survey of the judiciary earlier this year, in which judges were asked to identify what they saw as priority areas for the committees work. Certain themes came through quite strongly, including sexual offences, driving offences that cause fatalities and recurring issues in cases concerning offences committed in the context of a past or ongoing relationship between victim and offender, the Supreme Court judge said. District court She said the last category was of particular concern to the district court, since many of the relevant offences are prosecuted on a summary basis there. She said the committee planned to engage a researcher in the coming months to carry out a project with those judges. Ms Justice OMalley told the seminar, organised by the Irish Penal Reform Trust and the Irish Criminal Bar Association, that a great deal of work needs to be done to gather and analyse sentencing data and that an international team has been engaged. Commenting on the "financial cost" matter, she said this might lead the committee into a new area, as it involved consideration of factors that would not up to now have been considered by a sentencing judge. These have traditionally been seen as matters for the executive, and not part of the administration of justice, she said. She said this matter would "have to be considered carefully and perhaps revised in the light of experience". She said she did not think judges in individual cases would end up having to "calculate the cost" of sentences. In the Czech Republic, the focus is on maternity care, says Siun Creedon Prochazka. The 39-year-old Dingle native lives in Prague with her two children Marketa (3) and Alvy (9). She recently returned from three years of maternity leave after giving birth to Marketa, and is in the process of setting up her own business as a coach for children with ADHD. Theres a chunk of money awarded to everyone who has a baby, a quarter of a million krona (about 10,000), and you can take from a month up to four years and stretch that money accordingly, she says. Czech children dont enter childcare normally until the age of three, so there is no public funding for such care, although an EU-funded programme for under-3s can see a parents workplace fund 15% of such care in a private creche for children aged six months and older, meaning the care is effectively free. At present, Siun pays 58 per month for full-time kindergarten for Marketa. The standard is amazing, its just incredible, she says. The nursery my daughter is in is as good as a private nursery, and the standard of care is the same all about the place. In the Czech Republic the average wage is lower than in most of Western Europe, at about 1,400 per month however. That does not alter the fact the country is a very parent-friendly place to raise children. Its very family-oriented, you even get a bonus for having a child of like 100. "Everything is very child-friendly, and the goal is to get parents back into work as easily as possible, Siun says. Everyone pays into social insurance, so when I had my daughter I had four days in a private room and didnt have to pay anything. You dont have to worry so much about money when having a child here. For older children, after-school care runs until 5pm and costs a bit less than kindergarten, she says. Would she consider staying there for good? Definitely. I just have a feeling here that childhood is treasured and cherished. Like theyre having childrens puppetry at the weekend, theres a real culture of childhood. Even during communism they had free childcare for infants, she says. Its a wonderful place for children to grow up, and the healthcare is amazing - you pay about 100 per month out of your wages and everything is covered. 'If people think of childcare as a glorified nanny, that is not the case in Sweden' Cork native Rob Hilliard moved to Sweden after doing his masters when he was 23. With a Swedish mother, the decision for the 32-year-old technical director with games studio Electronic Arts was probably easier than you might think. He and his Georgian wife Ana now have a son, Matthew, who is two. So whats it like to raise a child in a country renowned for its childcare. Oh its an absolutely pleasant place to live, he says of his life in Stockholm. But the main thing that would prevent me from moving country again is the quality of life for a kid. If people think of childcare as a glorified nanny, that is not the case in Sweden. Childcare hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm. We dont let our son stay that long but for others without the option its there, Rob says. They learn how to share, how to talk, they have themes each week, and its divided by age, so the older kids go to museums, or they take the subway, different kinds of parks, maybe a play, and its all completely covered. Swedish childcare isnt free, but it is very highly subsidised proportional to a parents income. For the first child its 3% of your household income, Rob explains. That works out about 150 per month. For the second its 100, for the third 50 or 1% of income, so its extremely highly subsidised. All childcare services are priced the same in Sweden. You apply for your top five choices when your child is six months old. They dont go into care until theyre a year old though, Rob says. Youre guaranteed a place in your municipality. It might not be your first choice, but youre guaranteed a place. Fees meanwhile drop by an additional 33% once a child turns three as the years between then and six are considered a necessity for social development. And all sundries - textbooks, pens, snacks, catered lunches - are free. What of the most frequent argument against publicly-funded childcare - that better terms for parents equates to higher taxes for everyone else? Rob Hilliard with his his Georgian wife, Ana, and their son, Matthew, in Sweden. "Childcare hours are 7.30am to 5.30pm. We dont let our son stay that long but for others without the option its there." Thats a bit of a common misconception, he says. The system is both very complex and very straightforward. They are two brackets for municipality-based tax, which the authority uses to run itself. Thats about 30% in Stockholm, with a further 20% if you earn above 60,000, but there are also lots of tax subsidies to reduce what you pay. Those who get paid more dont get that much more money maybe, but the payoff is that you get this great standard of care for everybody. 'You dont have to be loaded before you can have a child here' Finland isnt a giant economy like Sweden. It doesnt have enormous oil reserves like Norway. If anything, Finland is highly comparable to Ireland given its population. One thing it does have in common with its Scandinavian neighbours is affordable childcare. 33-year-old Dan Nickstrom from Mullingar (he took his wifes name through marriage) is married to a Finn, Paulina. A physics lecturer and a graphic designer/animator respectively, they have one son, two-year-old Daithi, with a second baby on the way. Dan Nickstrom with his wife Paulina and Baby Daithi in Finland. "There are daycare clubs in parks, people in the park who take care of your child for you for a couple of hours. The couple pay 190 per month for full-time childcare. Over here everything is publicly run by the local authority and state-funded. The absolute maximum you can pay is 288 per month. If you have a second child youre charged at 40% of the cost of your first. And if youre a couple and your collective income is less than 3,800 per month then your childcare is completely free, Dan says. Tax is a little bit higher, but not so much youd notice, he says, being split between the municipality and income tax. If you earn 3,500 per month youll pay 30%. If its 6,000 youd pay 39%, Dan says. Childcare workers themselves are funded properly, he says, with a qualified worker starting on a salary of 30,000 per year. 33-year-old Dan Nickstrom is married to a Finn, Paulina, and they have a son, two-year-old Daithi, who is in full-time childcare for 190 per month. He is quite emotive regarding the disparity between what Finnish and Irish parents pay. The difference is unbelievable, he says. People in Dublin could be paying 1,500 a month. Over here youre far more encouraged to have children. Almost every child goes to daycare from a year onwards. It gives you the freedom to get a job if you dont have one, theres no negative feedback loop. How about quality of life? For families its very, very good. If Im on the bus in Helsinki with my son I dont pay for the ticket because Im minding my child. Theyre very child-centric, he says. There are also daycare clubs in parks, people in the park who take care of your child for you for a couple of hours. Ive friends here doing PhDs who have kids on the way. You dont have to be loaded before you can have a child, Dan says. The idea is that its in everyones interests that this service be provided. It just seems to be a far more economical way of doing things. Its been like this for years here. Finland is a small country, it doesnt have money, its just managed well and has been left-leaning since it was founded. Even homer nods. For all you Michael D Higgins fans out there, even a very good President can make a mistake. Ours did so in not being present in St Patricks Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh today for the service to mark the centenary of partition and Northern Irelands foundation. On a crisp but lovely morning, people gathered on what the Dean of Armagh, Rev Shane Forster, described as this ancient hill of Armagh in this ecclesiastical capital of Ireland where St Patrick established a faith community and church over 1,500 years ago. To say there was many the slip between cup and lip ahead of this service hardly does the situation justice. We do not know exactly the circumstances of what occurred once President Higgins decided he was unhappy with aspects of the event, especially the description of it being a service of reflection and hope to mark the centenary of the partition of Ireland and the formation of Northern Ireland. Just ahead of proceedings yesterday, the Church of Ireland representative said there was no guest list to issue to the media as a lot of these people are involved in quiet peace-building work. Not to mention that no journalist would be able to tell if yet another significant invitee did not turn up. The news had previously broken that Queen Elizabeth would not be attending after getting medical advice to rest for a few days, but that British prime minister Boris Johnson would be. Prime Minister @BorisJohnson arrives at St Patricks Cathedral in Armagh where he greeted church leaders with elbow bumps before heading inside for a service to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland @PA pic.twitter.com/Aw3yCKppoD Rebecca Black (@RBlackPA) October 21, 2021 After so many decades of service, Queen Elizabeth at 95 years of age needs to make no apology to anyone if she needs to put her feet up. But in any case, it would have been a protocol anomaly to not have had her equivalent, our President, had she been in attendance. Instead, we got that man so well known for making things better when it comes to Northern Ireland Boris. Foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney, British prime minister Boris Johnson, and Archbishop Eamon Martin. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA Wire It was President Higgins prerogative not to go, but Ive no doubt that if he had attended, along with the queen, the photograph of the two of them would have been on the front of this newspaper tomorrow morning. In this depressing Covid-laden week, such an image lets imagine them both smiling would have brought a much-needed moment of optimism, as well as being of wider importance in the current, very edgy, situation in the North. His refusal of the invitation resulted in a domino effect where Sinn Fein despite attending similar events stayed away. It also resulted in some objections from the rank-and-file in Fianna Fail at the attendance of chief whip Jack Chambers, who accompanied foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney. Both were seated together at the front. The leaders of the main churches in Northern Ireland prepare to welcome Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Irish Foreign Affairs Minister to St Patricks Cathedral in Armagh for a service to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland pic.twitter.com/RMfArV2vKo Rebecca Black (@RBlackPA) October 21, 2021 Those who pointed to the self-serving responses of loyalists to all this hardly brought news to any of us. It did nothing to back up the non-attendance argument, indeed it served to only emphasise the value in such a service taking place. Even those who pay the most casual of attention to the situation in the North will know that the political situation has been rockier of late than it has been for a very long time. The edges of the Good Friday Agreement are becoming frighteningly frayed. Surely a group of church leaders from across the community who were making a serious effort to co-operate on a collective programme of engagement with the 1921 centenaries deserved the benefit of a few doubts. Children from local schools sing during the service. Picture: PA Wire During the service, there were prayers in Irish, involvement of children from local, maintained, controlled, and integrated schools, as well as a choir of children from different backgrounds from the local area. There was mention of memories of hurt and injury, and how we might set aside divisions of the past, celebrate our shared present and re-commit ourselves to working for a future of common understanding, respect and peace in this land, in these islands and throughout the world. President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Rev Dr Sahr Yambasu, gave the sermon. He acknowledged that we have been blighted by sectarian divisions, terrible injustices, destructive violence, and win-lose political attitudes. "And for this, we have cause to lament," he said. "So this service provides us with an opportunity to give thanks and, also, lament; to imagine what could be, and to choose the way forward that can be mutually beneficial. Bringing an interesting and relevant perspective to all that has gone on, he mentioned being born and raised outside of the island of Ireland in Sierra Leone on the continent of Africa. He spoke as one whose people were bought, sold, and used for profit; whose continent was partitioned without any reference to or consultation with its inhabitants and owners; and whose colour is seen as sufficient excuse to ignore their equal humanity with others. President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Rev Dr Sahr Yambasu speaking the service. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA Wire He continued: Consequently, I have spent the last 26 years on this island negotiating my acceptance as of equal value with Irish people. In his contribution, Archbishop Eamon Martin spoke of growing up in Derry and how his home city was cut off from its natural hinterland in beautiful Donegal where they would travel to visit his granny. The archbishop, who has been bruised by the controversy surrounding the service, and subject to some horrible abuse on social media, also spoke of loss and sadness because for the past 100 years partition has polarised people on this island, institutionalised difference, and remains a symbol of cultural, political, and religious divisions between our communities. As a Church leader now reflecting on the past 100 years, he said that perhaps those in the Church had to face the difficult truth that perhaps we could have done more to deepen our understanding of each other and to bring healing and peace to our divided and wounded communities. On first hearing that President Higgins was turning down this invitation, I thought about it for a little while and decided he had a good record in this area and it was the correct decision. I said so publicly on a radio programme. A few weeks later though, after thinking about it further a lot further I said on the same programme that I had got it wrong and had changed my mind. It says a lot about where were at now that even the fact of having a change of mind on something and stating it in public was deemed remarkable by some. Feelings would already have been running high on both sides, understandably, but this unforgiving attitude that currently pervades across almost all societies has certainly heightened the response to this ceremony, and shown the real need there was for leadership. It is not a straightforward situation perspective is everything here but surely we are mature, and indeed sophisticated enough to recognise the importance of being seen to mark this event through a contemporary lens. There was much bungling behind the scenes on this one. Where did it all fall down between Aras an Uachtarain and the Department of Foreign Affairs? Was it felt the President might be persuaded to change his mind on not going, but no proper effort made to bring this about? Not marking something does not erase it, or mean it never happened. Its all in the manner in which it is carried out. There was nothing to criticise about yesterdays meaningful event as it happened. President Higgins should have gone. Amnesty International is calling for an independent parliamentary inquiry into Covid-19 deaths in Italian nursing homes and reports of retaliation against nursing home staff who spoke out about unsafe conditions there. Amnesty based its findings on interviews with 34 health care workers, as well as union leaders and lawyers. A third of the workers raised concerns about a climate of fear and retaliation in their workplace, Amnesty said in a statement on Friday. Italys nursing homes, like those elsewhere in Europe, the US and beyond, saw a major share of Covid-19 deaths, and prosecutors in dozens of jurisdictions have opened criminal investigations into whether the deaths could have been prevented. Italy was the first country in the West to be hit by the outbreak and soon found itself critically short of protective equipment, face masks and hospital beds, particularly in the hardest-hit Lombardy region. There were reports about retaliation against staff who spoke out about conditions at the Pio Albergo Trivulzio nursing home, in Milan (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, file) During the first wave of contagion, many residents of elderly care facilities in Lombardy were not even taken to the hospital because there was no room for them. In addition to the high toll on nursing home residents, Amnesty said some employees who complained about lack of protective equipment or raised other concerns about unsafe working conditions in the facilities were subjected to disciplinary proceedings. One case cited by Amnesty concerned the suspension of Pietro La Grassa, a union representative at Milans Pio Albergo Trivulzio nursing home, Italys largest. Italian prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into the Trivulzio home after La Grassa and a handful of doctors and employees raised alarm about high numbers of deaths early on in the outbreak. Some alleged that managers had told them not to wear masks for fear of spooking residents, a charge management denied. Milan prosecutors recently decided to close their Trivulzio investigation without filing any charges, Italian news agency Ansa reported on October 18. La Grassa was ordered to be reinstated in his job by a Milan tribunal in December 2020. 9,154 The official number of people recorded as dying of Covid in Italy's care homes between February and May 2020 Overall, the death toll among residents of elderly care facilities is not known, since residents were not tested early on in the outbreak and suspected Covid-19 deaths do not feature into Italys official count Italys Superior Institute of Health found that at least 9,154 people died in nursing homes from February-May 2020, but that survey was based on partial responses to a voluntary survey of a quarter of Italys estimated 4,600 nursing homes. Amnestys call for a parliamentary inquiry follows a decision by lawmakers in July to greatly limit the scope of a parliamentary commission of inquest into the pandemic to merely look into the events prior to January 30 2020, when the government declared a state of emergency and suspended flights to and from China. As a result, the Italian inquiry will not consider the actual outbreak in Italy or how it was handled here, since the first locally transmitted case was only confirmed in northern Lombardy in late February. Last week, relatives of victims launched an online petition for Parliament to return to the original scope of an inquiry into the causes of the outbreak here and the actions taken by the government and World Health Organisation to try to limit it. Aside from that, the consumer rights group Codacons has been gathering data on behalf of relatives of people who died in elderly care homes and has turned the information over to prosecutors. If those cases ever reach trial, the relatives could join the prosecution as injured parties in the civil portion of the case. Separately, one class-action lawsuit against the government, health ministry and Lombardy region, filed on behalf of some 500 relatives of victims, has begun in Romes civil tribunal. The only other major criminal investigation is being handled by prosecutors in hard-hit Bergamo province looking into Italys preparedness and whether a delayed lockdown there helped fuel the contagion. Interview Myanmar Junta Chiefs Exclusion From ASEAN Summit a Huge Blow to Regime ASEAN Summit in Jakarta in April. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers held an emergency meeting on Myanmar on October 15. The ministers decided to exclude coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing from an upcoming ASEAN summit to be held October 26-28, despite objections from Myanmars military regime. Daw Moe Thuzar, Myanmar Studies Program joint coordinator at the Yusof Ishak Institute, recently talked to The Irrawaddy about the possible consequences of ASEANs decision not to invite the junta chief to the October summit. The ASEAN foreign ministers decided to exclude the coup leader from the upcoming ASEAN Summit and invite a non-political representative from Myanmar instead. What is your opinion of that decision? We can assume that it is a rare move. This is the first time in ASEANs history that the bloc has imposed restrictions on a member country regarding its representation at politically important summits. It is important to note that ASEAN has made this decision as it responds to the Myanmar crisis. Such summits are normally attended by heads of state and heads of government, such as prime ministers and presidents. When heads of state cant attend a summit, they nominate appropriate people to represent them. ASEAN has never said who can and who cant attend its summits. As it said it would invite a non-political representative, we can assume that ASEAN does not want anyone from the military regime to attend. Is it a big blow to the junta? We can interpret that ASEAN does not want the coup leader to attend the summit as the leader of Myanmar. From that perspective, it is a huge blow to the military regime because since the coup it has been trying to establish the legitimacy of its governing body, the State Administration Council. The parallel National Unity Government (NUG) issued a statement on October 17 welcoming ASEANs decision. The NUG proposed that ASEAN choose someone who represents the Myanmar people to attend the meeting. Will ASEAN do that? Since the NUG was formed in April, it has been in contact with ASEAN seeking recognition of the NUG. ASEANs decision-making is based on consensus. High-ranking officials and ministers working under the military regime are attending ASEANs working-level committees. Even if ASEAN is considering the NUGs proposal, the military regimes representatives to ASEAN would object. ASEAN is aware of that. But that doesnt mean that ASEAN isnt considering the NUGs proposal. When Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing was invited to Jakarta in April to discuss ASEANs five-point consensus on Myanmar [immediate cessation of violence; dialogue among all parties concerned; appoint a special envoy to facilitate mediation in the dialogue process; provide humanitarian assistance to Myanmar; special envoy and delegation shall visit Myanmar to meet with all parties concerned], ASEAN foreign ministers discussed the NUGs letter prior to the meeting of ASEAN leaders. So, we could say that ASEAN is considering the NUGs requests, but not formally as yet. The statement issued by ASEANs current chair, Brunei, also mentions the NUG in the paragraphs related to discussion of Myanmars representation at the summit. That is worth noting. Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said on October 18 that ASEAN is ignoring the armed struggle against the regime by the NUG and its allies. He also said that the ASEAN special envoy had made demands that were impossible to meet. What is your view on his response? Optimistically, it is good if his regime cooperates on the five-point consensus. The situation has worsened because of weak cooperation. In the five-point consensus, ASEAN called on both sides to end violence. Everyone knows the root cause [the coup] that led to the violence. The junta released political prisoners and detainees on October 18 and 19. Do you think it did that to try and persuade ASEAN to change its decision? As the two events happened so closely, some might think that there is a connection between them. But my view is that it was the fourth time that the regime has released detainees. The first time was on Union Day, the second time during the Thingyan Water Festival. Those releases took place before the April ASEAN Summit. So it is fair to say that the first two releases of detainees had nothing to do with ASEANs proposals and demands. Detainees were released for the third time in June after the April ASEAN Summit and now again. But we dont know if the junta told the ASEAN special envoy its plan to release political prisoners when they discussed the envoys visit to Myanmar. If the Myanmar side did inform the envoy about it, he should have reported that to the ASEAN leaders. But ASEANs statement didnt mention that. Who do you think will attend the summit as Myanmars representative? It could be a civil servant whose rank is not minister or deputy minister. My guess is that it could be a permanent secretary or a director-general. As the decision is for a nonpolitical figure, there is also the Myanmar permanent representative to ASEAN, who is similar in rank to a director-general or permanent secretary. We shall have to wait and see. The Myanmar permanent representative to ASEAN is at the Myanmar permanent mission based in Jakarta. The summit is going to be held online, as I understand it, so the Myanmar representative to the summit could connect either from Naypyitaw or from Jakarta. How will the relationship between the military regime and ASEAN develop in the long term? There have been many ups and downs in the ASEAN-Myanmar relationship since the country became a member of the bloc in 1997. There are always ups and downs when issues arise between member countries or in the entire ASEAN community. We cant predict a black and white scenario about the relationship. It will depend on the progress made in implementing the five-point consensus. The military regime has one thing to considerdoes it want to earn approbation for its actions or be blamed continuously for them? This interview was edited for length and clarity. The version of the article above was edited on October 25, 2021 to clarify the translation from Burmese in a few places. You may also like these stories: Myanmars Civilian Finance Minister Calls on Public to Voluntarily Pay Tax Prosecutions Being Prepared for Myanmar Military: NUG Human Rights Minister No Future for Myanmar People Unless Spring Revolution Succeeds Burma Junta Troops Killed Across Myanmar in Resistance Ambushes Loikaw PDF troops in Kayah State. / Loikaw PDF Numerous Myanmar junta soldiers have reportedly been killed or wounded in civilian resistance ambushes in Bago and Mandalay regions and Kayah State on Thursday. At least three shootouts between regime troops and the combined Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) and Karenni Army, the armed wing of the Karenni National Progressive Party, broke out in Bawlakhe and Hpruso townships in Kayah State on Thursday. Some military vehicles were damaged by Karenni landmines, according to the KNDF. It said there were many military casualties and no injuries for Karenni forces. On Thursday afternoon, two junta soldiers were killed in a blast near the university in Kayah States capital, Loikaw. The KNDFs Battalion 19 raided junta soldiers deployed at a monastery near a police station in Demoso on Thursday evening. The KNDF said there were many junta casualties while its forces were unhurt. It said junta troops randomly used artillery on surrounding villages. More than 10 junta soldiers were reportedly killed or wounded in a Peoples Defense Force (PDF) raid in Sintgaing Township, Mandalay Region, on Thursday morning. The Kyaukse PDF used bombs against junta troops deployed at a hall in Ywarbo village in the township. A resident told The Irrawaddy that more than 10 killed or injured soldiers were driven out of the village. Residents said around 70 junta soldiers have been stationed at the village hall for two months. At least five junta soldiers were reportedly killed after the Pyay Underground Force, a civilian resistance group, bombed a military checkpoint at a battalion headquarters in Pyay Township, Bago Region, on Thursday night. With exception of Rakhine State, PDFs across the country continue to step up operations against the regime and junta-run businesses, including Mytel telecoms masts, factories and military products. The regime is also facing fierce attacks by ethnic armed forces, including the Kachin Independence Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the armed wing of the Karen National Union. The juntas deputy, Vice Senior General Soe Win, on Oct. 13 instructed the military to annihilate the PDFs and other guerrilla resistance groups. You may also like these stories: US Vows to Work With ASEAN Partners to Support People of Myanmar Myanmar Amnesty Ends in Tears as Regime Rearrests Political Prisoners UK Says Myanmar Junta Not Invited to G7-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting Burma US, Singapore Discuss Ways to Cut Myanmar Juntas Overseas Financial Lifelines US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet (left) meets Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan in Singapore on Oct. 20. / Vivian Balakrishnan / Facebook Myanmars military regime may soon find it more difficult to access its financial assets in Singapore, following discussions between authorities there and US officials on how to partner effectively to wield the city states financial leverage over the junta. Derek Chollet, counselor of the US Department of State, who was in Southeast Asia this week to work with regional countries to help restore democracy in Myanmar, had a meeting with the Monetary Authority of Singapore on Wednesday to discuss ways to limit the Myanmar military regimes access to overseas financial assets. The counselor tweeted that the meeting was productive. He said on Thursday that the city state has significant financial leverage over the regime, and this has to be a very important part of efforts to try to bring about greater pressure on the junta. We had very good discussions with our partners there about the way ahead and the way that were going to continue to work together as we seek to wield whatever leverage we can over the regime to put Burma back on the course of democracy, he said during a telephone press briefing from Jakarta. Singapore is the largest foreign investor in Myanmar and has become a preferred destination for Myanmars military rulers and their associates, who make periodic visits for medical trips, recreation or to squirrel their money away in various accounts under different names. Furthermore, some companies there have commercial ties with the Myanmar military junta and its conglomerates. Since the coup in February, the Myanmar regime has been under international sanctions for overthrowing the countrys democratically elected government, killing more than 1,000 people and arresting thousands for opposing military rule in the country. The US and other Western democracies have pressured the regime by singling out certain key individuals as well as entities to make it harder for them to transact business in the international community, forcing the regime to struggle with a hard currency shortage. As a result, some Singaporean companies have become a lifeline for the junta by channeling money to it. In February, for example, Justice For Myanmar reported that Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX)-listed Emerging Towns & Cities Singapore (ETC) made payments worth millions of dollars to the regime as the developer of the Golden City complex in Yangon. The land is owned by the military and ETC has a build-operate-transfer agreement with the Myanmar Armys Quartermaster Generals Office. According to ETCs 2017 annual report, the Golden City deal with the military involves a land use premium payment of US$6.3 million, plus annual payments of $2.8 million, with exemptions on lease payments from 2013-16. The total in payments to the military over the maximum 70-year term amounts to US$191.1 million. As of Dec. 31, 2019, ETC had accrued US$32.185 million for land lease payments to the Myanmar army, the report says. On Wednesday, Justice For Myanmar said a legal memorandum has found that international law and guidance places due diligence obligations on the SGX, and possible liability on the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Singapore government, in relation to companies like ETC doing business with the Myanmar military. The legal memo also raised the possibility of reputational and sanctions risks for the SGX, its regulator the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and by extension, the Singapore government, should it not prevent continued payments from ETC to the Myanmar army. On Thursday, Chollet didnt provide details when asked about the outcomes of his meeting with the Monetary Authority of Singapore on how to limit the juntas access to overseas assets. But he said, Singapore has a very, very important role to play, adding that they had very good discussions there on how to wield whatever leverage they could over the regime. You may also like these stories: Junta Troops Killed Across Myanmar in Resistance Ambushes US Vows to Work With ASEAN Partners to Support People of Myanmar Myanmar Amnesty Ends in Tears as Regime Rearrests Political Prisoners Burma US Vows to Work With ASEAN Partners to Support People of Myanmar US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet (right) and delegation meet Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai on Oct. 19. / Thailand MOFA The United States said it has reached a turning point in reaching its objectives to handle the crisis resulting from the Myanmar militarys Feb. 1 coup and pledged its continuous support to the Myanmar people through cooperation with regional countries. During a trip this week to Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet, who led an interagency delegation, said Myanmars deteriorating situation has been the main focus of the teams meetings with ASEAN partners at each stop. The trip followed ASEANs decision last week not to invite the junta leader to its summit next weeka decision the US counselor said was an example of how international pressure can make a difference. The counselor said the US and ASEAN countries agreed on the overall objectives of pushing the regime to put Myanmar back on the path to democracy, to cease the violence, and to release all those unjustly detained, and to adhere to ASEANs Five-Point Consensus set out in April. Weighing the potential leverage offered by an array of economic, political and diplomatic tools, the counselor said, We are at an inflection point on how to reach these objectives in Burma, referring to the country by its former name. We are committed to the Burmese people for the long haul, both because its the right thing to do and because it is in our strategic interest. Working with our partners in ASEAN and the region must be at the center of our strategy, he added. We do need to be realistic about the limited tools we have to influence the regime, but there are tools we have at our disposal, especially diplomatic pressure, that have helped us make some progress. The US is also committed to staying deeply engaged in resolving the Myanmar crisis as best it can and as long as it persists, Chollet told The Irrawaddy during a telephone press conference on Thursday. The US is in lockstep with our ASEAN partners to provide humanitarian assistance to Myanmars people, as the humanitarian situation in Myanmar is deteriorating rapidly, he said. The US and Thailand on Tuesday discussed providing critical humanitarian aid to the Myanmar people though the Thai-Myanmar border, while the US and Singapore discussed finding ways to limit the regimes overseas financial assets on Wednesday. The confluence of the regimes violent repression, the widespread prevalence of COVID-19, and a collapsing economy have really devastated the Burmese people and have put us at risk of seeing a failed state in the heart of Asia, he said. The US is consulting with its ASEAN partners to identify the potential impacts of using the tools at its disposal, the counselor said, adding that the USs partnerships with ASEAN at the center will be critical to making progress in the restoration of democracy and freedom in Myanmar. Kin Moy, principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the US Department of State, said the US wont pull the trigger unilaterally, adding that the delegation had held very close consultations and developed a list of tools during its trip. He added, [I]t was very effective, wherever we seemed to go, there was quite a lot of interest in searching for tools that would have an impact. From February to date, the Myanmar junta has killed at least 1,183 civilians during lethal crackdowns against peaceful anti-regime protests and arrested more than 9,000 people, according to the advocacy group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. On Monday, junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing pardoned more than 5,600 political detainees, but at least 110 were rearrested within hours and days. The US is also closely monitoring the detainees releases. The counselor said, Were skeptical that this is necessarily genuine and were also watching very carefully that this is just not an empty gesture that then is quickly reversed on the ground. The US also repeated its call for the release of the American journalist Danny Fenster, 37, who has been detained unjustly since May. Chollet stressed that the international community has an urgent responsibility to pressure the military regime to cease violence, to release those unjustly detained and to respect the will of the Burmese people, who are demanding a return to democracy. On its engagement with the parallel civilian National Unity Government (NUG), the US said it is very supportive of the efforts of the pro-democracy movement, including the NUG and others working to peacefully restore Myanmars path to inclusive democracy. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Amnesty Ends in Tears as Regime Rearrests Political Prisoners UK Says Myanmar Junta Not Invited to G7-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting Myanmar Resistance Gives Telecoms Firms Three Days to Restore Internet Guest Column Myanmars Junta Has No Diplomatic Cards to Play An ASEAN summit on Myanmar in progress in Jakarta in April 2021. / Flickr At the very outset of the Myanmar militarys coup, Myanmar watchers predictably observed that coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing had tugged at the tigers tail. That observation seems to be spot on. In the nine months since the February 1 coup, the illegitimate rule of the junta has been confronted with unprecedented pressure on multiple fronts. The initially peaceful anti-regime protests have morphed into armed resistance, posing a significant threat to the juntas rule across the country. Basic administration is a shambles, the economy is in tatters and the country is rapidly becoming a failing state. But besides all that, the most pressing challenge for the regime is the ever-increasing opprobrium from the international community. Since the first day of the coup, the generals appeared to expect the inevitability of pressure, condemnation and sanctions from the international community. Therefore, in his meeting with the United Nations (UN) Special Envoy Christine Schraner Burgener, the second-highest ranking leader of the junta, Deputy Senior General Soe Win snapped that we have to learn to walk with only a few friends. That message obviously reflected the regimes myopic and devil-may-care attitude towards the countrys previous pariah status. In fact, the juntas plan was to dust off the old diplomatic playbook of the military dictatorship era. Since the militarys first coup in 1962, the successive dictators of Myanmar have survived in power with just a few international friends. The latest generation of officers has admired that modus operandi as a diplomatic tour de force. Therefore, Dep. Snr. Gen. Soe Wins remarks came as no surprise. Who he meant by a few friends were China, Russia, ASEAN countries and a few congenial pariah states. The junta has undoubtedly banked on China and Russia, two powerful players on the UN Security Council with the power of veto and their devils alliances, as well as presuming that with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on their side, they are insulated from the pressure and sanctions of the West. The Devils Alliances The script went as planned initially. The West unanimously denounced the coup and subsequently imposed sanctions on the coup leaders and their economic interests. China, Russia and the ASEAN countries early on took a hand-off approach to the coup. A day after the military takeover, Chinese state media downplayed the coup as cabinet reshuffles and at the UN, China and Russia blocked a UN Security Council Statement condemning the putsch. In fact, one week prior to the coup, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Myanmar to sign off on a deal to increase the supply of military equipment. During that trip, the Russian defense minister did not meet the representatives of the civilian National League for Democracy (NLD) government, but only the military chief and signed the deal even without the presence of the government. In line with this preference for the military, Russias representatives at the UN Human Rights Council understated the coup as a purely domestic affair of the sovereign state. In mid-February, when the nationwide anti-regime protests gained momentum, the Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar said, the current development in Myanmar is absolutely not what China wants to see and urged all parties to handle differences properly under the framework of the constitution and law. China apparently adhered to the point, but it had gradually extended its normal relations with the junta behind the scenes with the hope that the regime would control the situation sooner or later. Amidst the bloodshed, as junta forces killed scores of non-violent protesters in shocking violence, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin attended the Armed Forces Day military parade in Naypyitaw on March 27, in a demonstration of Russias support for the regime. Junta chief Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing also visited Russia on June 24. ASEAN countries did not adopt a unanimous position on the coup. Within days of the takeover, Thailand and Philippines labelled the coup as an internal affair. Singapore expressed grave concern but offered no support for the broad sanctions imposed by the West. Malaysia and Indonesia took a further step by urging ASEAN to hold a special meeting to discuss the coups potential impact on regional stability. Due to the juntas increasingly violent crackdown on civilians, ASEAN foreign ministers duly met in an informal meeting a month after the coup, but they failed to agree a collective condemnation of the coup. Belying this effort, three members of ASEAN Thailand, Vietnam and Laos sent representatives to the Myanmar militarys March 27 parade, hosted by the junta chief. The juntas few friends strategy appeared to be working with the support at least tacitly of certain important regional countries. Five Points of Consensus The coup leaders ratcheted up their brute force terror campaign against the non-violent civilian resistance in order to make the recalcitrant protestors submit to their authority. Much of Myanmar has become a battlefield overwhelmed by the savage violence of the junta. Its security forces have murdered more than 1,100 people and arbitrarily detained over 9,000. In the age of livestreaming, the world was stunned to witness the scale of the juntas violence and its sheer barbarity. As a consequence, international pressure and condemnation surged and China and Russia later converted to more cautious approaches towards the coup. With growing instability and threats to its interests in Myanmar, China started to mull over the possible ways to restore normalcy to its neighbor and failing state. In contrast to its early designation of Myanmars coup as a domestic affair, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi encouraged the leaders of ASEAN in early April to hold a special meeting as soon as possible to mediate in Myanmar. Even Russia voiced its deep concern at the growing number of civilian casualties. Likewise, ASEAN could also not remain indifferent to the deteriorating situation of its member state. On April 24, it held a special summit on Myanmar, resulting in the Five Points of Consensus to facilitate a peaceful solution to the crisis. Although there were several criticisms of ASEANs soft approach to the junta, the international community, including but not limited to the UN, United States, European Union (EU), China, Russia, India and Japan, supported the blocs consensus as an encouraging step towards resolving the political impasse. However, as expected, ASEAN struggled to implement its five-point consensus and, owing to its internal divisions and lack of leverage over the junta, it took over three months even to appoint a special envoy. The junta has been obstinate about making even small concessions to the consensus, despite grudgingly subscribing to ASEANs plan at a time of heightened pressure on it. Criticism had grown that ASEAN was buying time for the junta to consolidate its rule. Twists and Turns In reality, the junta has failed to consolidate its rule over Myanmar. With only coercive power at its disposal, its brutal and lethal suppression of peaceful protests has transformed a non-violent movement into widespread armed resistance. The violence is spiraling out of control across the country, heading in an unwelcome direction for the regimes few friends, especially China. Although China is carefully hedging its bets on the junta and its opposition, it has assessed that the Myanmar military is the likeliest victor since day one of the coup. However, the growing instability, and the subsequent spillover impact on its interests and the stability of its shared border with Myanmar, has prompted China to reconsider its position. Moreover, Beijing seems unhappy with the juntas moves to draw Russia closer to avoid over-reliance on China. In contrast, Beijing has had more cozy relations with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD than with the military. Thus, Beijing increasingly calculates that Suu Kyi and the NLD are still the key players for de-escalating the rising conflicts and returning Myanmar to the old status quo. In late August, Chinas special envoy for Asian Affairs, Sun Guoxiang, turned up for a week-long visit to Naypyitaw and reportedly insisted on meeting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but to no avail. When the juntas Union Election Commission stepped up the push to dissolve the NLD, China demonstrated its opposition to that decision by issuing its response to the NLDs congratulatory letter on the Communist Party of China (CPC) centenary and, later, by inviting the NLD to the meeting of Political Parties Cooperation in Joint Pursuit of Economic Development organized by CPC. A big hit to the regime was that China reportedly struck a deal with the US to keep U Kyaw Moe Tun, who stands with the anti-junta movement, in Myanmars UN seat by blocking the juntas representative. The regimes hopes for international legitimacy have therefore waned with time. The EU also adopted a resolution that supports the CRPH [Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw] and the National Unity Government as the only legitimate representatives of the democratic wishes of the people of Myanmar. However, the junta still hoped to retain support from ASEAN. The Crumbling of Hopes Considering ASEANs long-standing commitment to non-interference and consensus-based decision-making, the coup leaders certainly presumed that they could manipulate the bloc in their favor. Shortly after accepting the five-point consensus, the junta leader walked back his commitment by saying that the proposals would be considered after stability has been restored. The junta also highly anticipated that ASEANs special envoy Erywan Yusof would dance to its tune. Before reaching the detailed agreement for the envoys trip, the junta already invited its close political parties to meet him in Naypyitaw. They rejected his request to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on the farcical grounds that she is facing trial on several charges, and tried to convince him to build trust and confidence on his first trip. The junta took it for granted that its maneuvering would prevail over an indecisive ASEAN but the ASEAN envoy unexpectedly cancelled his trip to Myanmar. International pressure on ASEAN has been increasing: the UN general secretary cancelled a scheduled virtual meeting with ASEAN ministers at the last minute so as not to be present with the juntas representative in the same online room. Some members came to the realisation that this is a matter of life and death for the credibility of ASEAN. It eventually resulted in an emergency meeting of ASEAN which decided to exclude the junta leader from the upcoming ASEAN summit. It was an unprecedented move by the consensus-based ASEAN, and a death blow to the juntas hope for international legitimacy. The junta said that it was extremely disappointed with ASEANs decision, and no doubt it was. The old diplomatic playbook of the dictatorship is not working anymore. The regimes few friends, whom they have relied upon too much, turned their backs. As usual, the junta blamed foreign intervention US and EU pressure on ASEAN for the decision. Snr. Gen, Min Aung Hlaing questioned ASEANs failure to be concerned about the rising violence provoked by the opposition. As well as growling back at ASEAN to cover its humiliation, the junta tried to put on a political trick-show in order to pull its estranged few friends back to its side. Two days after ASEANs decision, the junta announced the release of 1,316 political prisoners and 4,320 political detainees held for anti-junta protests. However, it was not enough to coax ASEAN into rolling back its precedent-setting decision. ASEANs decision has had a devastating impact not only on the junta, but on the former generals who always bragged about their political and diplomatic success from surviving intense international pressure with the support of a few friends during the period 1988 to 2010. The decision has also clearly demonstrated the illegitimate rule of the junta and the incompetence of Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who is unable to consolidate his power. It may even lead to the military questioning his leadership, fueled by the frustration of retired generals. Nine months after the coup, the junta has achieved nothing except to plunge Myanmar into political chaos that threatens to turn the country into a failed state, sparking more violence and wrecking the entire economy. Now, the regime cannot even rely on the old diplomatic playbook of previous dictators. Among the juntas many failures, that may prove to be extremely costly, not least to the regimes own internal cohesion. Ye Myo Hein is the executive director of the Taguang Institute of Political Studies and a fellow with the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. You may also like these stories: Pagodas Damaged in Myanmars Temple City Ethnic Minority Student Killed in Myanmar Junta Custody Senior NLD Official, Prominent Myanmar Comedian Freed Alongside Activists, Journalists OK, so 8K is the new normal for business displays, providing incredible sharpness and visual quality, with Samsung's new Neo QLED range expanding Samsung's QLED display business with displays that let businesses set the stage with really clear content. As businesses increasingly need larger displays to create unique brand moments, promote collaborations or require content to be viewed in with accuracy, it's no surprise to see Samsung state its new Neo QLED 8K Display provides the clarity required for when detail matters. As Senior Director Display and Memory Solutions for Samsung Australia, Phil Gaut gets it, stating: "The release of our Neo QLED 8K signals a new era in premium display design and is set to completely transform how business can take advantage of digital displays, from creating wow moments for their teams and customers, to viewing information and content with clear precision up and close to the detail. Given the considerable changes in recent times, the way we use visual displays in a commercial setting has evolved, and the need to create exceptional experiences has never been more prevalent as businesses look to win and retain customers as we move into a post COVID world. Samsungs Neo QLED 8K Display is a way for businesses to ensure they stay aligned with what stakeholders are now looking for and future-proof their business. Gaut adds. So, why do businesses need such display brilliance, and how does Samsung create it? As Samsung reminds us, picture quality continues to be essential for businesses across a range of industries. "Whether it is in the boardroom, shopping center, medial practice or control room, the same objective to deliver outstanding picture quality remains at the core. The introduction of Neo QLED 8K Display not only future proofs businesses but also delivers a next-generation display experience thanks to AI Upscaling technology that enhances content to be displayed in a crisp 8K picture quality." How is it done? Well, to deliver the high level of detail, Samsung says its Neo QLED 8K Displays are packed with more light sources than previous Samsung Professional Displays, and it is this improved backlight which "provides enhanced detail and a bold contrast with precise dimming which is powered by Quantum Matrix Technology Pro that controls the Quantum Mini LEDs with optimum precision." Indeed, we're told this new range of displays is powered "by more than 33 million pixels to ensure that the visual output is ideally suited for large screens whether showcased at work or in customer-facing engagements. Neo QLED 8K Display allows for high level of detail to be captured and images to be presented with real-life accuracy." And just to emphasise how accurate these displays are, the eo QLED 8K Display also features DICOM Simulation Mode. The Mose allows the display to meet 100 percent of grayscale which is required by DICOM standard to help to simulate medical images such as X-rays. Fit to match any room Samsung explains its Neo QLED 8K Display features "a slim silhouette and minimal bezel that almost disappears providing clear screen real estate with no distractions. Samsung has made significant enhancements to its portfolio of digital signage, streamlining its design and minimising clutter. Businesses now have the tools to be creative in how exactly they want their message displayed whether hanging on a wall or hanging vertically. "Samsungs Neo QLED 8K Display has been designed to match the lighting conditions of its surroundings to deliver a consistently clear picture quality. Adaptive Picture Mode and Anti-Reflection Technology reduces distraction in brightly lit areas, while Adaptive Picture Mode delivers real-time optimisation of content brightness and picture quality in varying lighting conditions." Availability Now, obviously these premium displays are presumably offered at premium prices, because there's no mention of pricing in its press release. However, the Samsung Neo QLED 8K Display is available now in a range of sizings to accommodate for differing business needs, and naturally, this includes models sized from 65, 75, to 85. To find out more, contact Samsung here! GUEST OPINION: Mental health issues were growing at an alarming rate before COVID-19, with one in five Australians experiencing a mental or behavioural disorder in any given year. The pandemic has accelerated this trend and made it harder for already stretched mental health services to deal with demand. Mental health hospitalisations among children have increased substantially during the pandemic, while mental health distress levels have doubled for young workers. While this data is startling, a lack of data is one of the key issues in the gaps we have in mental healthcare, much more-so than other chronic and acute healthcare issues. Improving our data on mental health is made harder by the fact that those suffering seek help from a range of services that are not necessarily interconnected, creating a fragmented record of their care. From a data gathering perspective, many people suffering with mental health issues are hesitant to come forward. Incomplete data makes it difficult to identify the true extent of mental health issues. Further, incomplete patient records mean clinicians dont always have the full context when treating a patient, not just for mental health, but for other issues where mental health problems can impact health outcomes. The federal governments $2.3 billion National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention plan is allocating specific funding to these issues, as well as the opportunity to use digital tools to augment mental health service delivery. Armed with data, leading healthcare institutions across the globe are detecting disease early, improving engagement with patients, and reducing consumption of healthcare resources. Allina Health in the US for example was able to reduce mental health readmission rates by 27% using good quality data and analytics tools. It used its data to understand where care gaps existed and where transitions of care were causing patients to fall through the gap. In much the same way that the new National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan is aiming to do, Allina Health ensured that it had good quality data to inform the redesign of its mental health care pathways and that the impact of the redesign could be measured. It also made it easier for the various members of the care team to share information enabling more effective transitions of care. It is not just data that offers better support those that are suffering. There are a range of digital patient engagement tools that have been demonstrated to be highly effective in improving health outcomes across a broad spectrum of diseases including mental health. Unlike satellite navigation in our cars that make it easy for us to find our way around cities, patients are seldom provided more than paper handouts to inform them about their treatment plans and thus have the added burden of navigating care service complexity. A large Midwestern health system in the US is using a digital patient engagement platform called Twistle to collect behavioural problem information on children exhibiting self-harm behaviour prior to their appointment. The conversion from paper to an electronic system like Twistle is enabling the organisation to provide more effective engagement with these families. It is also now able to monitor the child between visits to stay across their improvement or intervene early on deterioration. Another large health system on the West Coast in the US uses the same technology platform to provide monitoring to patients who are discharged from their substance abuse disorder facilities. The health system had identified that discharged patients were falling through the cracks and relapsing. To provide more continuous support to patients, the health system converted to a digital patient engagement platform. Discharged patients now undergo home monitoring in three phases that span six months, where they are connected to local resources and given education and self-assessments that allow the care team to closely monitor their progress. Monthly check-ins continue after, and in the case of relapse, patients are taken through the process as needed. British firm Softiron says it will start manufacturing computer hardware in Sydney, having begun the process of commissioning, and aiming for a start in early 2022. In a statement, the company claimed its products "radically out-perform industry norms on all critical metrics including: density, energy efficiency, capacity, speed and heat emission". The new factory seeks to manufacture the "world-first open-source optimised appliances for scale-out data centres private and public cloud, and enterprise scale facilities". The aim is not to compete with China, where most of the world's hardware is manufactured, on price. Andrew Moloney, chief marketing officer, told iTWire in response to queries that the primary goal was not building products more cheaply than in other places. "Indeed, the 'race to the bottom' in homogeneous hardware design is how the industry has ended up in the state it is today," he claimed. "The goal is to build products close to the end user and in a way that supports local programs designed to build sovereign capability in IT for Australia. "That said, we clearly have to produce a competitive product and, using the latest manufacturing techniques and equipment, and from the optimisation we achieve in design in the end-to-end product and process, that we are mirroring in other facilities, we believe we can manufacture at least as competitively in Australia as we do today in the US." In 2018, the news agency Bloomberg published a sensational story, claiming that chips had been implanted in servers made in China for US server manufacturer Supermicro Computer and which were also supplied to a company named Elemental which Amazon acquired and used to spy on companies, and also a number of government agencies. The story named Apple, Amazon, the US Department of Defence and data processors for the CIA as being among those who had been using servers with these chips, which had been destroyed after being discovered. Denials came thick and fast after the story surfaced on 4 October 2018; there were strong denials from Apple and Amazon, and the tale was also contradicted by the US Department of Homeland Security and the British National Cyber Security Centre. Early in 2021, the same news agency issued a similar report, with the difference being that the tampering was claimed to have taken place in government servers in the main. No other publication has been able to confirm either story. Moloney did not provide a direct answer when asked whether the venture was capitalising on the "national security" fever whipped up by the US. He also did not give a direct response when asked how, if a British business was building the hardware, it would be able to ensure that neither GCHQ nor America's NSA nor the Australian Signals Directorate would not push to get a chip or two in the hardware to spy on companies or individuals. "This is where its key to understand what we uniquely offer compared to any other major IT manufacturer in the world today," Moloney responded. "The key concept here is that we provide a capability to create transparency and audit in the product design and realisation process (something we call secure provenance), not to make a product which we claim to be (..and the customer would have to trust us that it is) 'secure'. "This is the concept of 'Zero Trust', but uniquely applied in hardware design and manufacture. "For customers that really care about security, they shouldnt have to trust anyone - us included. They should be able to get access, visibility and information to make their own risk assessment on the kit they are receiving - down to a component and source code level so that they can then factor this into their overall security architecture and plan." The Australian Department of Defence has provided a grant of $1.5 million for the new manufacturing facility to be built. However, that will not go very far. Asked about funding, Moloney said Softiron was venture-backed and had raised more than US$40 million (A$53.5 million) so far and was "on a rapid growth trajectory right now where adding extra manufacturing capacity to support global demand was already a necessity". He added, "The strategy we call 'edge manufacturing' running a leading edge, global manufacturing operation where actual product realisation happens 'in-market' perfectly aligns with sovereign industrial capability programs. [Thus] coming to Australia as our first location outside the US made both strategic and practical sense." Softiron has a manufacturing unit in Newark, California, and, after Australia, is planning to expand into Europe. Jason Van der Schyff, Softiron's chief operating officer, said in a statement: "The global supply chain is quite complex, with major security gaps. The reality is that most data centres don't know if their appliances are secure since manufacturers tend to operate opaque processes. "Our goal is to offer our customers in Australia complete transparency with a range of appliances that are true to their design. Nothing more, nothing less." As a member of the program, Green Light says it is now able to clear its technology services teams up to NV1 levelone more step to offer the best security cleared IT services in Australia. Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) clearances require background assessments of individuals, security training and certification, and include physical and virtual security accreditations, standards and governance. Like the rest of the world, the Australian IT market is suffering from a dramatic IT skills shortage, particularly for security cleared individuals. This accreditation allows Green Light to boost its security cleared personnel pool in a time of peak demand, Green Light says. Demand for federal government cleared IT resources has never been higher in Australia. While Canberra is the major growth market for our NV1 security cleared IT capability, we are also fulfilling demand in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia, comments Green Light CEO Gary Hinksman. Our growing security-cleared teams are solving business problems from network capacity issues, to compliance, to national technology refreshes, to the nuances of work from home and bring your own device, adds Hinksman. Over the past 14 years, Green Light has expanded from Sydney into Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Auckland, Singapore, and Hong Kong, and deploys more than 1,000 technologists every year on major IT projects. The REvil ransomware group was taken offline by intelligence agencies and law enforcement from the US and a number of its allies, the news agency Reuters claims . The agency cited three private sector security experts working with the US Government and one ex-official as it sources. On Wednesday, the news surfaced that the REvil site on the dark web was offline. One Dmitry Smilyanets, who works for the threat intelligence firm Recorded Future and also writes for The Record, a website belonging to the company, claimed to have found a thread claiming to offer the reason for the disappearance of REvil. The CIA's investment arm, In-Q-Tel is an investor in Recorded Future. Ransomware threat researcher Brett Callow, from the New zealand-headquartered security outfit Emsisoft, had cautioned the same day about believing any of the chatter around the incident. REvil, which is also known as Sodinokibi, attacks only systems running Microsoft's Windows operating system. VMware head of cyber security strategy Tom Kellerman was quoted by Reuters as saying: "The FBI, in conjunction with Cyber Command, the Secret Service and like-minded countries, have truly engaged in significant disruptive actions against these groups." Kellerman is an adviser to the US Secret Service on cyber crime. Replace 64 with 65. https://t.co/duNpMcyO0a Brett Callow (@BrettCallow) October 21, 2021 REvil went offline in July for the first time, after the ransomware had been used to attack about 60 managed service providers, using a zero-day flaw in the Kaseya VSA remote management software. Kaseya is a solutions developer for MSPs. Roughly two months later, REvil came back online. There has been speculation that the dark web operations of REvil disappeared in July due to a technical issue. Once the site came back online, it was taken to mean that the operators had been merely lying low. Pressure on ransomware gangs has increased after a hit on the Colonial pipeline in the US in May by the DarkSide ransomware gang. That was ramped up further after the Kaseya incident, with US President Joe Biden raising the issue with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during talks. The US convened an online meeting of some 31 countries recently to discuss steps to prevent ransomware attacks, but for some unknown reason did not invite either Russia or China Oleg Skulkin, deputy head of the forensics lab at Russian security company Group-IB, said: The REvil ransomware gang restored the infrastructure from the backups under the assumption that they had not been compromised. Ironically, the gang's own favorite tactic of compromising the backups was turned against them. Aussie Broadband provided a trading update for the quarter ending 30 September 2021. Overall active broadband connections increased by 44,932 or 11% QoQ, business broadband connections increased by 4,639 or 13% QoQ, and mobile services increased by 3,841 or 15% QoQ. Aussie Broadband says that revenue for the quarter was $111.4 million, an increase of $11.3 million or 11.3% QoQ. During the quarter, first-month-free promotions on broadband and two months free promotions for mobile services were expanded, driving new customer uptake and mobile customer migration. The gross value of promotional credits doubled QoQ. Were extremely pleased with performance across all segments for the quarter, said managing director Phillip Britt. Momentum with residential connections increased due to updated marketing and promotional campaigns. We are continuing to see significant demand for our services, even though the migration onto the NBN is largely complete, demonstrating the appeal for our high-quality network with award-winning customer service. Our business segment has shown consistent growth and has increased by 85% in the last year. Demand has been strong around Australia, especially in regional areas. The value our regional business customers see in our offers and service quality has shown the resilience of our business when growth rates in Melbourne and Sydney have been lower during their lockdowns. We continue to expand our business product set and capabilities and, in this quarter, have added Fortinet as a key security and SD-WAN hardware vendor which will significantly increase the security products we can offer. The first quarter also saw the first of our white label customers connected with new services commencing on 19 July. This is an additional revenue stream, allowing other businesses to expand into telecommunications services or provide a higher quality customer experience that matches their brand promise by selling Aussies internet and VoIP services under their own brand. Our customer has seen increased demand for their broadband services since moving across to the Aussie Broadband network. NBN CVC update Aussie Broadband reported that NBN CVC management during the quarter was extremely challenging due to the ongoing lockdowns in Victoria and New South Wales. National usage increased by 15% when compared to pre lockdown levels in May 2021. The company reported that total CVC expense for the period was $3.3 million, an increase of 137% on the previous quarter after accounting for NBN relief and increased inclusion benefits from NBNs focus on fast campaign. During the quarter the company received rebates of $0.8 million from NBN for increased CVC usage relating to the ongoing lockdowns. As reported on 1 October 2021, NBN announced further changes to the lockdown CVC rebate scheme following ongoing appeals from Aussie Broadband and the industry that the rebates provided were insufficient to cover increased usage due to lockdowns. The updated scheme will apply from 1 October 2021 and will not be backdated to prior periods, when lockdowns were most prevalent. Aussie Broadband contends that although NBNs new rebate proposal will provide some additional relief, this modest increase doesnt cover the true increase in costs due to lockdowns and will result in above expected CVC charges for 2Q as well. In essence, Aussie Broadband believes that retailers are bearing an unfair proportion of the COVID lockdown driven network costs, and NBN should be doing more to support Australians during this difficult period. Early in 1Q FY22 the company said it migrated 51,000 broadband services onto NBNs higher speed tiers to take advantage of the increased CVC inclusions under NBNs focus on fast campaign. This action reduced the overall CVC expense for the quarter by an estimated $1 million, and will continue to reduce overage expense during 2Q. Had the company not proactively migrated customers under the focus on fast campaign, and had NBN not provided relief during the period, total CVC expense for the quarter would have been an estimated $5.1 million, an increase of 264% on the previous quarter, the company said. Aussie Broadband says it believes NBN is earning additional CVC overage revenue as a direct result of the lockdowns, whilst incurring little to no incremental cost for providing this additional capacity. Despite these challenges Aussie Broadband seems to be mitigating the CVC risk as best as can be expected under the circumstances. It's a shame that NBN isn't stepping up more and didn't make their 1 October arrangements retrospective. An NBN Co spokesperson on seeing Aussie Broadband's 1Q FY22 results said, "Since the start of the pandemic, NBN Co has helped retailers provide Australian households more data than ever before during this difficult period, by absorbing more than $100 million in net revenue reduction and additional capacity-related network investment. "NBN continues to support the industry during lockdown, and has so far offered COVID relief credits of around $11 million in total to help with the higher data demand (over and above the standard year on year data growth) during COVID lockdown. Earlier this month, NBN advised the industry that the company will continue to provide the COVID relief credit payments until 31 December 2021 but may consider extending the offer into 2022, if Stay at Home Public Health Orders remain in effect," the spokesperson concluded. The comment from NBN is a restating the information provided earlier, when they responsed to the open letter from the five RSP CEOs. Now that Aussie Broadband has released actual CVC expense costs, it can be assume that the larger carriers have paid much more during the 1Q FY22, which has flowed into NBN as additional revenue. While NBN has probably brought forward some capital investment in capacity augmentation, I expect the variable cost of providing this additional capacity is relatively low. It is clear that NBN has benefited considerably during our collective confinement in Q1, and the RSPs seem to be bearing considerable incremental cost. Aussie Broadband's 1Q FY22 update can be viewed in full here. This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 20 October 2021. 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. FILE - In this Jan. 23, 2019 photo, Thomas Bruce appears in St. Louis County Circuit Court in Clayton, Mo. Bruce, a former pastor accused of sexually assaulting two women inside a suburban St. Louis Catholic supply store, then killing a third when she refused his sexual demands pleaded guilty Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, to first-degree murder and other charges. UpNest used data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments State of the Cities Data Systems to rank the states and Washington, D.C., according to how many new housing permits were issued between August 2020 and August 2021. Click for more. I am planning to host family and friends at my home. I am planning to travel to the home of a friend or family member. I am working on Thanksgiving Day. I plan to stay home with my immediate family for a low-key holiday. I am taking off the entire week and traveling. My plans for Thanksgiving aren't listed here as an option. I don't have plans. I don't celebrate Thanksgiving. Vote View Results - , - , , , 17 , 24-25 20 , 17 , Gary Franks served three terms as U.S. representative for Connecticuts 5th District. He was the first Black Republican elected to the House in nearly 60 years and New Englands first Black member of the House. Betty Jean Pulley, 95, passed away November 4, 2021, at Windridge Nursing Home, Miami, Oklahoma. Betty was born September 7, 1926, at home in Riverton, Kansas, to Albert Petty Cutright and Alta Elizabeth (Newkirk). She graduated from Riverton High School Class of 1944, and attended Joplin Ju The Supreme Court is allowing the Texas law that bans most abortions to remain in place for now, but has agreed to hear arguments in the case on Nov. 1 A community resource fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office in conjunction with the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Reporter Susan covers the towns of Somers and Ellington. She joined the JI in May 2021 and graduated from Skidmore College. She recently completed docent training for the Wadsworth Atheneum and hopes to start giving tours some time next year. Deep divisions over the EUs legal order and energy took an EU summit into late Thursday, with eastern member states Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic standing in defiance against Brussels. The rule of law issue was especially thorny, with the potential to shake the very foundations of the 27-nation bloc. The east-west divide was set to continue on Friday, when leaders would return to discuss migration, a topic that turned Europeans bitterly against each other when Germany opened its doors to asylum-seekers fleeing war in 2015. Poland again defended an October 7 ruling by its Constitutional Court that said EU law applied only in specific, limited areas and Polish law prevailed in all others. The European Commission and countries including the Netherlands, Finland and Belgium countered that the position undermined EU cohesion and was legal cover for Warsaw to strip independence from its judicial branch and roll back democratic norms. But under the authority of heavyweights France and Germany, a measure of calm prevailed in the row, as they pressed for dialogue, not duelling, with Poland. Just before the summit started, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held one-on-one talks with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Macron urged Morawiecki to find a solution in line with our principles and common rules, according to an Elysee official. Leaders then held a relatively short two-hour discussion on the issue, kicked off by Morawiecki. The debate took place in a serene atmosphere, an EU official said on condition of anonymity. The debate was a step that should help lead to solutions, the official added. But that was preceded by four hours of wrangling over energy, which was the original main agenda item when the summit was organised. Europe is struggling to find ways to cope with a global energy crunch while sticking to goals to mitigate climate change. Diplomats said that Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, backed by Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, refused to sign off on the summit conclusions on energy, wanting to get new language on the EUs landmark carbon emissions system which he opposes. Both Orban and Babis are allies of Morawiecki, and Hungary and Poland have a pact to veto any EU moves to punish the other. The friction from the two disputes soured a EU summit that was likely to be the last for Merkel, who is bowing out to hand over the reins to a new German government being formed following September elections she did not contest. A group photo of the leaders socially spaced nevertheless presented a show of unity that belied the disagreements behind closed doors. Red line Arriving for the talks, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that its very clear that a red line has been crossed with Polands stance on the blocs legal order. This discussion really goes to the heart of Europe, he said. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin both said it was time to get tough with Warsaw. They and several other leaders said Brussels should not release 36 billion euros ($42 billion) in pandemic recovery money that Poland badly wants while the issue stood unresolved. A few said all EU budget money for Warsaw should be subject to an untested conditionality mechanism tying disbursement to member states upholding the rule of law. One EU diplomat warned that the commission was preparing the mechanism and that the moment of truth was getting close for Warsaw. Merkel wary As he arrived, Morawiecki showed no sign of backing down. While he said he was ready for dialogue he warned: We wont act under the pressure of blackmail. Orban gave him his full support, saying the pressure on Poland was a witch-hunt. Merkel who has always urged a cautious approach in her 16 years of EU summits said she did not want to see the row with Poland end up before the European Court of Justice. A cascade of legal disputes before the European Court of Justice is not a solution to the problem of how the rule of law can be applied, she said. Forty-three countries have called on China to ensure full respect for the rule of law for the Muslim Uyghur community in Xinjiang, in a statement read at the United Nations on Thursday that sparked outrage from Beijing. The declaration, signed by the United States as well as several European and Asian member states and others, accused China of a litany of human rights violations against the Uyghurs, including torture, forced sterilization and forced disappearances. We call on China to allow immediate, meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang for independent observers, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and her office, the countries said in a joint statement, read at the United Nations by France. We are particularly concerned about the situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the statement continued, citing credible reports that indicate the existence of a large network of political reeducation camps where over a million people have been arbitrarily detained. Beijing has long denied accusations of ethnic cleansing against Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic people in Xinjiang, where experts have estimated that more than one million people are incarcerated in camps. Its ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun furiously denounced Thursday what he termed the lies and a plot to hurt China. Xinjiang enjoys development and the people are emancipating themselves every day and are proud of the progress made, he said. And while Zhang told media that China was willing to host a friendly visit to the region, he did not agree to an inquiry by the UN human rights commissioner. He accused Washington, Paris and London of having a terrible human rights record. In a statement to media, Beijing accused the US for inhumane ethnic cleansing against Native Americans and accused France of committing crimes against humanity in its former colonies. Similar declarations in 2019 and 2020 condemned China for its policies in Xinjiang, where United States has accused Beijing of carrying out genocide. China has in response upped pressure on UN member states not to support the declarations, according to diplomats. Montenegrin police arrested a man accused of killing and raping civilians as a member of Serb forces during the 1990s war in neighbouring Bosnia, authorities said Friday. Slobodan Pekovic has been charged with killing two Muslim civilians and raping Muslim women in 1992 at the onset of Bosnias conflict, prosecutors said. Pekovic, who was arrested earlier this week, has been remanded into custody for 30 days, his lawyer Adrijana Razic told AFP. The crimes were committed in the area of the southeast Bosnian town of Foca. According to media reports, Pekovic was a member of the Bosnian Serb army during Bosnias 1992-1995 war. The war between the countrys ethnic Croats, Muslims and Serbs claimed 100,000 lives. Since Montenegros independence from Serbia in 2006, the country has held eight trials of low-ranking officers accused of war crimes in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. Montenegro adopted a national war crimes investigation strategy in 2015, but so far just one case has ended in conviction. In 2019, a former Yugoslav Army soldier was sentenced to 14 years in jail after he was found guilty of murdering four Albanian civilians during Kosovos war. The European Union, which Montenegro wants to join, has increased pressure on the Balkan country to do more to prosecute war crimes. The European Commissions latest report on progress for Montenegros bid to join the bloc said Podgorica needed to step up its efforts to fight impunity for war crimes. The former Yugoslav republic has to be more proactive in investigating, prosecuting, trying and punishing war crimes, it added in the report published earlier this week. A week after the Central African Republics president surprised observers by calling a unilateral ceasefire, experts and the countrys opposition warn the truce may prove unviable. President Faustin-Archange Touadera issued the ceasefire declaration, vowing to pursue dialogue, and said all but two of the main armed rebel groups had agreed to put down their weapons. But there is as yet no start date for a republican dialogue Touadera promised on his re-election and reiterated as he ordered the halt to hostilities. Meanwhile, his spokesman Albert Yaloke Mokpeme told AFP that our objective is to get rid of the rebellion one does not engage in a dialogue with those who take up arms. Reconciliation with armed groups is a peace prerequisite, said Roland Marchal, a regional expert at Frances Center for International Studies (Ceri). You make peace with your enemies, not your friends, he added. One of the worlds poorest nations, the CAR has repeatedly been wracked by conflict since obtaining independence from France in 1960. Civil war broke out in 2013 after a coup toppled president Francois Bozize, who had seized power a decade earlier. While that conflict has dropped in intensity in the past three years, unrest remains rife. Since 2007, there have been 13 peace accords and a welter of ceasefires but none has held in the long term. Excluded from dialogue Last December, the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), an alliance of armed groups which together occupied roughly two-thirds of the country, launched a major offensive aimed at preventing Touaderas re-election. Having won a second term, he promptly called in the help of a Russian paramilitary group and Rwandan elite troops to aid a floundering army as the rebels closed in on the capital Bangui. The armed forces were then able to wrest back control of several rebel-held towns. Even after the ceasefire, two rebel groups have broken withe the CPCs openness to dialogue. One, the Union for Peace (UPC), the countrys most powerful armed group, quit the CPC alliance last April. Opposition lawmaker and former prime minister Martin Ziguele says the government must bring the rebels inside the peace tent. If armed groups lay down their arms it is a contradiction to keep them outside political dialogue, Ziguele told AFP. We shall see what the government proposes but to refuse to allow them in risks throwing everything up in the air, he warned. Playing for time Thierry Vircoulon of the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri) suggested the truce offer could be designed to polish Banguis image with international partners, a month after a Luanda summit of neighbouring states and the UN underlined the need for a ceasefire. The true condition to make a ceasefire stick is that the president engages in inclusive dialogue, CPC spokesman Serge Bozanga told AFP. Touadera is just playing for time so he can reinforce himself militarily. Much will likely depend on the difference Russian mercenaries can make as they fight alongside the governments poorly-equipped and -trained army. France and the UN which has a 12,000-strong mission in the country have accused them of possible war crimes and of making money notably through taking over gold and diamond mining areas. The rebels remain capable of harassing the government forces even after beating a retreat and being forced to change tactics by the losses of their fiefdoms. From holding sway over much of the country a year ago, they have switched to guerrilla tactics and the use of improvised explosive devices. The rebels disperse easily and have time to reorganise, says Ceri expert Marchal. Lewis Mudge of Human Rights Watch predicts they will continue to operate across several territories and kill civilians. Vircoulon said that November heralds the dry season traditionally the time for military action. Even if the rebels are not presently an existential threat to Touadera, they can wear the government down financially, notes Marchal. Person 1: This song slaps. Person 2: Your mom slaps. Person 1: Thank you, my mom is a kind and wonderful lady. Person 1: Im so sick of alcohol. Person 2: I dont know, Im getting stronger every day. I love it. Person 1: Do you do the vegan wrap here? Person 2: We can do the chicken wrap with no cheese? Person 1: Ill take the Beyond Burger please. Person 1: Oh my God! I feel like I know you somehow Person 2: Yeah, we went to high school together. Person 1: Oh! *walks off* Guy 1: Is the black market even real? Has anyone ever been on it? Guy 2: I tried once but I couldnt figure out how to get on. Guy 1: I stayed up until 2 am watching Disney plus Guy 2: I told my girlfriend I fell asleep but I was actually watching the Mandalorian. Girl 1: How long have you guys been dating? Girl 2: Since the summer, well actually for like two years but its a long story. Girl 1: Who are you looking for? Girl 2: This guy, wait I found him. Fanny pack boy. He flipped off my professor after a test and ran out of the classroom. Girl 1: How did you choose KU? Girl 2: Honestly, I flipped a coin. Boy 1: Did I tell you? I think I had a threesome this weekend. Boy 2: Woah, hold up. You think? Boy 1: I was born a Phi Delt. Boy 2: Please dont ever say that again. Girl 1: How do you get your boobs to look like that? Girl 2: I dont ever wear a bra? I dont know. Girl 1: I just really want a guy to bend me over you know? Girl 2: How do you know? Youre a virgin! Guy: Sometimes I wish I could just be a dog and sleep all day. Girl: You wake up at like three every day. Guy: I know. Girl: So Guy: So does that make me a dog or something? Girl 1: I wish I was a little bit taller. Girl 2: I wish I was balder. Girl 1: I wish I had a...wait, wait, wait balder? Guy 1: Lets slap dicks Guy 2: You ever pee and it feels like throwing up? Woman 1: *holding baby* He would have been safer at the Hawk Woman 2: Oh absolutely. Girl 1: I would never date that guy. Girl 2: Well, it depends how much money he has. Girl 1: Im going to the doctor to see if I have bronchitis before I hook up with him again. Girl 2: Yeah thats smart so you dont give it to anyone else. Girl 1: No I mean I want to make sure I infect him. Guy 1: I'm cutting some of my unnecessary costs, starting with Juuling. Guy 2: Ight man, good luck. Guy 1: Actually I might just start chewing Guy 1: How was work? Guy 2: My manager was chastising me for not dressing up in a Halloween costume, she doesnt understand Im strictly here to get paid. Guy 1: I am so tired of this week, man Guy 2: Dude its Monday Guy 1: I know Person#1: I want to be on the first ship to mars Person#2: Not me, I doubt they have Wi-Fi Perons#1: Yeah but at least theyre evolving up there. Were all just devolving. Girl 1: Um, I dont eat pig. Girl 2: You eat bacon all the time, bitch. Guy 1: You better get going. Guy 2: Yeah, see ya. Im off to get some Adderall. Girl 1: Are you home right now? Girl 2: Yeah, why? Girl 1: I bought a cat Girl 1: I just don't understand what fishing is for. Girl 2: I don't know. Food, maybe? Guy: Im just gonna have to like carry an entire box of spiders up the hill tomorrow. Girl: What? Guy: Yeah, just like a hundred spiders in a box. Guy 1: Sometimes ya just gotta give yourself a haircut. Guy 2: Dude, you shaved half your head. Thats not a haircut, thats a mess. Girl 1: Can you eat fruit raw? Girl 2: How else are you supposed to eat it? Girl: That class is killing us. But they say rest is for the dead. Guy: Well, at least we'll be rested. Girl: She's not in class this semester. Guy: Maybe she's dead. Girl: Or studying abroad. Girl: They're like oil and water. Guy: Wow, you're so good with analogies. The University of Kansas will impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees to abide by President Joe Bidens executive order, Chancellor Douglas Girod announced in a statement Friday afternoon. Employees will be required to abide by the vaccine mandate starting Dec. 8. The mandate applies to all KU employees, including student employees. Because of the scope of the federal order, this mandate applies to all KU employees including student employees on all campuses and in all KU affiliates and auxiliaries, unless an employee applies for and receives a religious or medical exemption, Girod said. Employees who do not comply with the vaccine requirement are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination from employment. The Kansas Board of Regents, along with federal and state partners, determined the mandate was necessary at Kansas three research institutions, the statement said. The determination that KU needs to comply with the federal order was made in consultation with federal and state partners, including the Kansas Board of Regents, which has provided formal guidance illustrating the necessity that the states three research universities comply with the federal order, Girod said. KU will implement systems for employees to submit documentation of their vaccination status in the coming days, but employees who are not yet fully vaccinated need to set up an appointment for their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine immediately, Girod said. Unvaccinated employees need to seek their first vaccine dose immediately, Girod said. Per the federal order, employees must be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8. Because the full vaccination process can take up to six weeks, unvaccinated employees should plan to receive their first vaccine dose as soon as possible. President Bidens executive order requires all employees of institutions that contract with the federal government to be vaccinated against COVID-19. KU participates in millions of dollars in federal contracts that fund research, employment and educational efforts all of which are at risk if we are not aligned with the executive order, Girod said. For this reason, we cannot be flexible with employees who choose not to comply with the vaccine requirement. The University of Kansas Public Safety Office announced Thursday, Oct. 21 that the suspects who vandalized the Native Hosts artwork at the Spencer Museum of Art have been identified. Kim Soo Hyun and Cha Seung Won return to the small screen together, with talents and skills combined, through the newest Coupang Play action crime drama "One Ordinary Day." On October 22, broadcast media Coupang Play released the drama's heart-shaking and action-filled drama teaser. "One Ordinary Day" premiere date was also revealed. Kim Soo Hyun and Cha Seung Won Team Up in 'One Ordinary Day' Seasoned actors Kim Soo Hyun and Cha Seung Won work together to decorate the small screen with the action thriller drama "One Ordinary Day." The drama is a South Korean remake of BBC's British series "Criminal Justice," and it follows the story of Kim Hyun Soo, played by Kim Soo Hyun, a regular college student whose life changes when he suddenly becomes the primary suspect in a grave murder case. On the other hand, Shin Joong Han, played by Cha Seung Won, a lawyer who barely passed the bar exam, reaches out to help Kim Hyun Soo despite not knowing the truth of what went down on that one fateful night. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kim Soo Hyun and Cha Seung Won Show Unlikely Friendship in 'One Ordinary Day' Teaser Kim Hyun Soo and Shin Joong Han work hand-in-hand to survive the harsh and cold reality of the world. To prove his innocence, Kim Hyun Soo needs Shin Joong Han. To prove his worth and value as a lawyer, Shin Joong Han needs to win Kim Hyun Soo's case. Attention is focused on what kind of performance the two experienced actors, who work together for the first time as lead actors, will show in the upcoming drama. 'One Ordinary Day' Drama Teaser and Premiere Date Revealed On October 22, Coupang Play finally unveiled the main trailer for the upcoming thriller drama "One Ordinary Day". Kim Soo Hyun and Cha Seung Won, who are portraying Kim Hyun Soo and Shin Joong Han, showed their impeccable dynamics, raising expectations. The video teaser begins with Shin Joong Han visiting a sullen Kim Hyun Soo in jail. He tells him, "Starting from now on, do not say a single thing about what happened that night." Then a glimpse of the crime scene was shown on the screen. A nervous Kim Hyun Soo says, "You know the truth, don't you?" Sternly, Shin Joong Han replies, "If you keep thinking about the truth, you will never be able to get anything done." Tension and anticipation rise up to the roof. However, a spine-chilling question in the end haunted potential viewers. "The girl... she did, didn't she?" Kim Shin Rok, Lee Seol, Kim Sung Kyu, Yang Kyung Won and Moon Ye Won are also part of the drama. The Lee Myung Woo-directed drama, "One Ordinary Day," is set to air for the first time on November 27 on Coupang Play. Follow KDramaStars for more KMovie, KDrama, and celebrity updates! KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. By Aya Elamroussi, Taylor Romine, Leyla Santiago, Randi Kaye and Sara Weisfeldt, CNN (CNN) -- The FBI's Denver office said Thursday that remains found a day earlier in a Florida nature reserve are those of Brian Laundrie, who disappeared last month just days after his fiancee Gabby Petito was reported missing. The FBI said dental records confirmed the identification. The identification came hours after police in North Port, Florida, said the remains that were found were skeletal and belonged to a human. "They are human remains, no doubt there. I would say that the remains were consistent with one individual, you know skeletal remains," North Port police spokesperson Josh Taylor told CNN. Investigators also found clothing believed to be consistent with what Laundrie was wearing when he took off September 13, according to Taylor. Less than a week after Laundrie went missing last month, authorities in Wyoming found Petito's remains in a national forest. Her death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation. On Wednesday, investigators also found a backpack and a notebook belonging to Laundrie, 23, near the remains while they were searching the Carlton Reserve in North Port, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson. "The notebook to my understanding has not been opened. You know, that will need to be processed," Taylor said. A source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN the notebook is "possibly salvageable." The source said the notebook was "outside of the dry bag." "It had been clearly wet and they are going to use any potential means to dry that out before opening it," according to the source, who added: "They'll be very careful with it." The source said it is unclear how the notebook ended up outside the dry bag. When Taylor was asked about whether a weapon was found, he said he could not comment. When asked if there is an ongoing search for the murderer of Gabby Petito, he responded, "That is certainly not in the North Port Police Department's purview." During a search with police, Brian's father, Chris Laundrie, was the first to spot an item belonging to his son, according to Taylor. Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino told CNN's Chris Cuomo on Wednesday that "the probability is strong that it is Brian's remains." The discovery came on Wednesday morning when Laundrie's parents and law enforcement searched an area of the reserve that had been underwater but recently reopened to the public. "It's quite sad, you can imagine as a parent, finding your son's belongings alongside some remains. That's got to be heartbreaking. And I can tell you that they are heartbroken," Bertolino told Cuomo. Search conditions had been very difficult Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Thursday law enforcement had been searching in treacherous conditions, including nearly chest-high water full of snakes and alligators. "These are very, very difficult conditions. You're searching in areas that you just can't walk up and look. It's not like you're searching a house or a car," he said. "These areas are huge and they're covered by water." The exhaustive search for Laundrie stretched over a month as authorities tried to piece together what happened to him and Petito during their road trip through the Western US this summer. Petito, 22, disappeared on the trip amid tensions in their relationship, and her remains were later found near where the couple had last been seen together. Laundrie, who had returned by himself to his parents' home in Florida, refused to talk with investigators and didn't return after telling his parents he was going to the nature reserve to hike. He was not charged in Petito's death, although he was indicted for allegedly using two financial accounts that did not belong to him in the days following her killing. Authorities, including several K-9 units and off-road vehicles, returned to the reserve on Thursday morning to further search the area. Brian Laundrie's parents were on scene when remains were found Laundrie's family had declined to talk publicly following legal advice, but they had directed authorities to where they believed Laundrie may be staying in the reserve, Bertolino said. The parents -- Chris and Roberta Laundrie -- joined in the search Wednesday morning and found a bag belonging to their son at the park, which their attorney described as "happenstance." According to Bertolino, Laundrie's parents informed the FBI and the North Port Police Department on Tuesday night that they wanted to visit the park Wednesday morning to search for their son. Law enforcement met them there and closely accompanied them as they entered the park, Bertolino said. "As they went further in, Chris ventured off the trail into the woods. He was zigzagging in different areas, law enforcement was doing the same thing. And Roberta Laundrie was walking down the trail," Bertolino said. "At some point, Chris locates what's called a dry bag. The dry bag is a white bag, laying in the woods, say 20 feet or so off the trail." The dry bag was in some brambles and he didn't want to move it because he wanted his law enforcement to see it, Bertolino said. However, Chris Laundrie couldn't find law enforcement and didn't want to leave the bag there with a news reporter standing nearby, so he picked it up, Bertolino explained. "He did meet up shortly with law enforcement, they looked at the contents of the bag. At that time, law enforcement officers showed him a picture on the phone of a backpack that law enforcement had located also nearby and also some distance off the trail," Bertolino told CNN. "At that point, the Laundries were notified there was also remains near the backpack, and they were asked to leave the preserve." The remains were found "about 2 to 3 miles inside the Carlton Reserve, or about a 45-minute walk" from the entrance at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, Taylor said Wednesday. When asked why the parents chose to go to the park on Wednesday, Bertolino said it was the first day it was reopened to the public. "The parents had assumed that the experts, the FBI and all the tracking teams they had would be able to locate Brian based upon the information that we had provided them to the specific areas and trails in the park that Brian liked to visit," Bertolino said. "The park had been closed to the public. There was really no other reason for the Laundries to go search anywhere else." By David Shortell, Matt Rivers, AnneClaire Stapleton, Natalie Gallon and Caitlin Hu, CNN (CNN) -- The leader of the Haitian gang who kidnapped 17 US and Canadian missionaries has threatened to kill the hostages if he doesn't get what he's demanding, according to a video released Thursday. The video was taken Wednesday at a funeral for gang members he alleges were killed at the hands of police, a Haitian security force source tells CNN. The missionary group, which includes several children, has been held captive since Saturday. A spokesman for their organization, Christian Aid Ministries, declined to comment to CNN on the gang leader's remarks. The missionaries was kidnapped over the weekend by the 400 Mawozo gang, while traveling by car northeast of capital city Port-au-Prince. Their captors have demanded $1 million per hostage, according to Haitian Justice and Interior Minister Liszt Quitel. Among the kidnapped are an 8-month-old infant, a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old, as well as two young teenagers. All of the group's members hail from Amish, Mennonite and other conservative Anabaptist communities across six US states and Ontario, according to Weston Showalter, a Christian Aid Ministries official. The threat follows the first public statement by the victims' families, who on Thursday thanked supporters and describing the kidnapping as a "unique opportunity" to show compassion. "God has given our loved ones the unique opportunity to live out our Lord's command to love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you," the families said in a message read outside of the Ohio headquarters of Christian Aid Ministries. Quitel said Haitian police negotiators and the FBI are involved in helping to resolve the kidnapping, which has focused global attention on an epidemic of gang violence and insecurity in the impoverished Caribbean nation. At least 782 people were kidnapped in Haiti between January 1 and October 16, according to the latest estimates by the Port-au-Prince organization Center for Analysis and Research for Human Rights (CARDH). At least 53 were foreign nationals. Kidnappings for ransom have spiked in recent months following the assassination of Haiti's president in July, according to CARDH. At least 119 kidnappings were recorded in the first half of October alone, including 10 group kidnappings in just two days in the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Martissant. The gang 400 Mawozo in particular has become notorious for group kidnappings, forcing whole buses off the road, according to CARDH. Father Michel Briand, a French priest who survived his own kidnapping by 400 Mawozo this spring, points to poverty and inequality as drivers of crime in a country where many Haitians live on the equivalent of a few dollars per day. "The problem in Haiti is that what is abnormal has become normal, that which is illegal has become a part of daily life, and seeds trouble in the country. (The kidnappers) are doing a job. It's a means of subsistence." He and several other priests and nuns were held for more than two weeks in April before being released. He says his captors began to withhold food toward the end, which he believes to have been a pressure tactic. "If the kidnapped missionaries are together, their captivity will be easier and they can comfort each other. But they must not lose hope. The kidnappers play with time and play on people's nerves and the nerves of the negotiators," he said. Briand, who has lived in Haiti for more than 30 years, also blamed the Haitian government for failing to put a stop to the rash of kidnapping. "Things seem out of their control," he told CNN. "One day, the whole country will be a hostage." The government is working tirelessly to bring a peaceful solution to the current kidnapping, Quitel said. But there little doubt about the immense power exerted by well-armed Haitian gangs in the country's capital. On the same weekend as the Christian Aid Ministries kidnapping, security concerns forced Prime Minister Ariel Henry to backtrack on plans to lay a wreath for the Haitian Revolution leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines at a memorial located in a gang-controlled area of Port-au-Prince. By Aya Elamroussi and Virginia Langmaid, CNN (CNN) -- A salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 600 people in 37 states has been linked to various types of imported onions, federal health officials said Wednesday. OUTBREAK UPDATE: Fresh whole onions causing large Salmonella outbreak in 37 states. Throw away any unlabeled onions at home. Do not eat, sell, or serve red, white, or yellow onions imported from Mexico and distributed U.S.-wide by ProSource Inc. https://t.co/SH3Iy7JeEG pic.twitter.com/ukttkDi5pp CDC (@CDCgov) October 20, 2021 "Throw away any unlabeled onions at home. Do not eat, sell, or serve red, white, or yellow onions imported from Mexico and distributed U.S.-wide by ProSource Inc," the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned in a tweet. The CDC said 652 people have been infected with salmonella -- and there have been 129 hospitalizations. No deaths have been reported. "Epidemiologic and traceback data show that one source of infections in this outbreak are whole red, white, and yellow onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, and distributed throughout the United States by ProSource Inc," the CDC said in a statement. Multiple people who contracted salmonella ate onions at the same restaurant, according to epidemiological interviews conducted by the CDC. The number of people sick with this salmonella outbreak is likely higher than reported, and it's possible the outbreak isn't limited to the reported states, the CDC said. "This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella," the agency said. In addition to throwing away onions, people should wash surfaces where there was contact and reach out to a doctor if severe salmonella symptoms develop. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea and a high fever, extensive vomiting and signs of dehydration, which usually begin six hours to six days after infection, according to the CDC. Federal health officials are investigating to determine whether other onions and suppliers are linked to this outbreak. An estimated 1.35 million Salmonella cases occur annually in the US, with about 420 deaths, according to the CDC. Infection usually happens by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. Onions last year were also the cause of a salmonella outbreak that infected 640 people from more than 40 states. Also last year, at least 55 people became sick in 12 different states after a salmonella outbreak was linked to dried wood ear mushrooms, the CDC said. And peaches and their products were recalled in 2020 after 101 people were sickened in 17 states by salmonella poisoning linked to the fruit. DUNSMUIR, Calif. The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office said Friday morning that it received a tip indicating that the plane of missing pilot William Bushling may have been found. According to the agency, a man reported around 10 a.m. that he saw a black Cessna matching the description of Bushling's plane. Siskiyou County search and rescue teams are headed out to the area where the plane was reportedly seen. Photo courtesy of Harry Bushling Photo courtesy of Harry Bushling "We ask that our readers be respectful regarding information and not putting out details that have not been confirmed by law enforcement. We want to be respectful to the family of William, not perpetuate speculation," the Sheriff's Office said. Bushling reportedly took off from the airstrip in Ashland on Wednesday morning, heading for his hometown of Orland, California. He was flying a black Cessna with the tail number N5268Q. Friends of Bushling's became concerned when the plane was overdue for arrival in Orland. Officials in Trinity County reported receiving a request for an emergency landing, but the plane never arrived. According to the Trinity County Sheriff's Office, the last known location of Bushling's phone via cell tower triangulation or "ping" was an area northeast of Dunsmuir and south of where Highway 89 joins I-5. The ping was recorded around 8 p.m. on Wednesday night. The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that it had mobilized its search and rescue team to scout out the last known location of the pilot's phone. This is a developing story and will be updated with more details as they emerge. GLENN COUNTY, Calif. A Northern California man remains missing on Thursday after he took off in a small plane from Ashland but never arrived at his destination in Orland, California. According to an update from the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office, Orland resident William Bushling left Ashland around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, headed south. He was flying a black Cessna 150 with the tail number N5268Q. Photo courtesy of Harry Bushling Photo courtesy of Harry Bushling When Bushling was overdue for arrival in Orland, the Trinity County Sheriff's Office contacted their counterparts in Siskiyou County and asked that they check out local airports for the Cessna. Trinity County said that they had received a request for an emergency landing, but the plane never arrived. Siskiyou County deputies were unable to locate Bushling's plane. According to Trinity County, the last known location of Bushling's phone via cell tower triangulation or "ping" was an area northeast of Dunsmuir and south of where Highway 89 joins I-5. The ping was recorded around 8 p.m. on Wednesday night. The Sheriff's Office said that it has mobilized its search and rescue team to scout out the last known location of the pilot's phone. "There are many federal, state and local agencies working to locate the pilot and his plane," the Sheriff's Office said. "It is still unclear if the plane had to perform an emergency landing somewhere or if the plane and pilot are safe and sound and just unable to call in." A friend of Bushling contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to make the initial report. The Leidos Flight Service, a third party to the FAA, was also notified and advised law enforcement within 50 kilometers of the airplanes departure and arrival locations to locate the plane. The Glenn County Sheriff said there is a missing person report for Bushling and the plane in Glenn County and Trinity County. The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office put out a call for information on Thursday, asking the community if they saw or heard a low-flying aircraft between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m, on Wednesday from the Highway 89 intersection of I-5 south of Castella and along the I-5 corridor east to Girard Ridge. EAGLE POINT, Ore. Deputies are searching for a potentially "armed and dangerous" suspect following a home-invasion robbery at an illegal marijuana grow operation east of Eagle Point on Thursday night, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. The robbery victim described the suspect as an Asian male, possibly armed with a handgun. He abandoned a vehicle outside of Eagle Point on Highway 140 and is believed to be in the area on foot. Anyone who sees him is asked not to approach and instead to call 911 immediately. Sheriff's Office deputies, Oregon State Police troopers, and officers from the Eagle Point Police Department responded to a home-invasion armed robbery and assault in-progress at a marijuana grow near Eagle Point on Thursday evening. Dispatch received a call reporting a break-in and assault at a warehouse on Lake Creek Loop, which is off Highway 140 east of Eagle Point. Upon arrival, officers were able to arrest one suspect, but two more got away. JCSO said that one of the suspects was found and arrested while trying to hitchhike along Highway 140 two hours later. The other suspect remains on the loose and is considered armed and dangerous. "Investigations are ongoing with deputies working several leads to identify and track the outstanding suspect," the agency said. The Sheriff's Office identified the two suspects in custody as 49-year-old Kien Vihn Vong and 51-year-old Vay San Duong, both of Sacramento. Both face charges for four counts of first-degree robbery, four counts of second-degree robbery, one count first-degree burglary, unlawful use of a weapon, four counts of second-degree assault, and one count first-degree theft. It took some time, but the Jackson County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the grow and processing site where the home invasion happened was an unlicensed operation. Detectives from Major Assault Death Investigative Unit (MADIU) and the Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) are assisting investigations. WASHINGTON An Oregon Congressman is making southern Oregons illegal marijuana problems an issue for the nations highest law enforcement officer. Oregons 2nd District Representative Cliff Bentz addressed the issue with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland today. While Garland was testifying to the US House Judiciary Committee about a school board memo, Bentz also prioritized illegal marijuana enforcement. The Representative said the illegal production of cannabis and marijuana in Southern Oregon has reached an almost unbelievable industrial scale. He said local police are watching the problem, including how drug cartels use the possibility of immigration to keep immigrant workers indebted to work for illegal drug operations. Bentz told Merrick that his agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation needs to be doing something about it at all the levels that you can. Bentz said the school board memo shows a misprioritization of issues by the Attorney General, while thousands of migrant workers are subjected to forced labor for illegal marijuana in Oregon. Bentz named Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties, and said that just one county in the region produces an estimated revenue in excess of $13.5 billion for illegal growers. Representative Bentz told Garland about a cartel exchange with an Oregon watermaster whose life was threatened when trying to enforce water usage policy. Bentz also placed into the Congressional record Josephine Countys letter to Oregon Governor Kate Brown asking for law enforcement assistance and Jackson Countys state of emergency declaration, both tied to illegal marijuana proliferation. DUNSMUIR, Calif. Siskiyou County search and rescue teams found the crash site on Friday of William Bushling, a pilot who went missing Wednesday after taking off from the airstrip in Ashland as he headed home to Orland, California. Authorities confirmed Friday afternoon that Bushling had been found dead at the crash site. Photo courtesy of Harry Bushling Photo courtesy of Harry Bushling "The Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office regretfully reports the positive identification of the decease person at the plane crash site on Bradley Peak," the agency said in a Facebook post. "Mr William Bushling was positively identified by our investigators. His family has been notified. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family." Debris from Bushling's plane was found on the south side of Mt. Bradley west of Dunsmuir, toward Castle Crags. Search teams were able to confirm the tail number of Bushling's distinctive black Cessna. The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office said Friday morning that it received a tip indicating that Bushling's plane may have been found. According to the agency, a man reported around 10 a.m. that he saw a black Cessna matching the description of Bushling's plane. Siskiyou County search and rescue teams then were sent out to the area where the plane was reportedly seen. "We ask that our readers be respectful regarding information and not putting out details that have not been confirmed by law enforcement. We want to be respectful to the family of William, not perpetuate speculation," the Sheriff's Office said at the time. Bushling reportedly took off from the airstrip in Ashland on Wednesday morning, heading for his hometown of Orland, California. He was flying a black Cessna with the tail number N5268Q. Friends of Bushling's became concerned when the plane was overdue for arrival in Orland. Officials in Trinity County reported receiving a request for an emergency landing, but the plane never arrived. According to the Trinity County Sheriff's Office, the last known location of Bushling's phone via cell tower triangulation or "ping" was an area northeast of Dunsmuir and south of where Highway 89 joins I-5. The ping was recorded around 8 p.m. on Wednesday night. The plane crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. GRANTS PASS, Ore. A multi-agency task force raided a Grants Pass massage parlor on Thursday, arresting or citing several people for alleged prostitution and human trafficking. Officials said that this was a Grants Pass Police Department investigation into commercial sexual solicitation at the Silk Road Massage parlor, located in the 1500-block of NE 7th Street in Grants Pass. The raid involved a combined force of Grants Pass detectives, the Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) and the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement team (RADE). While this was initially a prostitution investigation, police said that human trafficking concerns came up during the investigation. During the raid, officers arrested 58-year-old Wei Zhang of Grants Pass, charged with promoting prostitution. 41-year-old Kul Assavaphoom, also of Grants Pass, was cited for prostitution and released. A customer, 52-year-old Yhang Zhao, was found to have a US Marshals warrant out of Virginia and was lodged in jail. Police said that the business is owned by 48-year-old Min Zhang of Grants Pass. "We greatly value our community partnerships and would like to thank the Womens Crisis Support Team in Grants Pass who assisted with victim advocacy," police said in a statement. WOLF CREEK, Ore. The northern Josephine County community of Wolf Creek was left without its own local fire protection after the entirety of its volunteer firefighter force resigned last week, leaving the district's elected board of directors scrambling for an alternative. The problem was thrown into stark relief early Wednesday morning when the store attached to a 76 gas station in Wolf Creek caught fire. Mutual aid proved to be the one saving grace, as Rural Metro Fire and a constellation of fire agencies from across Josephine and Jackson counties responded. "The expectations of the public today are such that no single fire department can stand alone, and this system allows us to back each other up in real-time, with basically an exchange of services agreement," said Chief Philip Turnbull with Rural Metro Fire. Firefighters managed to keep the flames from spreading to the nearby gas pumps, but the store was a total loss. Meanwhile, just yards away, the Wolf Creek Fire Department station stood inactive. Chief Steve Scruggs and the Wolf Creek volunteer firefighters resigned on October 13, citing a list of complaints against the district's board of directors claiming that board members lacked integrity, put the budget ahead of safety, interfered in the daily operations of the fire district, allowed people to berate volunteers at public meetings, and failed to declare conflicts of interest, among other accusations. The Wolf Creek firefighter force was not large when it dissolved. They were consistently short-staffed, according to former Lieutenant Mike Putnam, and there were no more than seven volunteer firefighters with the department when they walked away last week. One part-time paid office manager stayed. "We got disrespected by the board and the citizens," Putnam told NewsWatch 12 in a call on Thursday. "You know when you show up on a call, citizens come by and say things to you negative things. The disrespect was no good." Putnam lives in Grants Pass and commuted to Wolf Creek for the department. He says that while he did enjoy the job and wanted to help out a neighboring community, he feels they were treated unfairly and it was time to move on. "The board has a meeting I believe every week, and they were continuously disrespecting the Chief," Putnam continued. "They had it out for him since I've been there. I don't know why, but they've been trying to get rid of Chief Scruggs since I've been there ... and he works hard, he's a hard worker." Wednesday night, after the fire at the 76 station, the Wolf Creek Rural Fire Protection board of directors held a meeting with the fire chiefs of other local districts, looking for advice on a way forward one that will likely lean heavily on the mutual aid network, at least for the time being. "The first thing is to get some personnel in place, and I've got the other chiefs that are willing to do some of the administration for us ... because the board doesn't know about firefighting," said David Clark, board president for the district. "You know, we're board members. But the other chiefs are willing to step in and help train our people and get our people on track. Then hopefully we'll find a local person who wants to become chief do the training and get promoted up to a chief." Austin Prince, operations chief for Rural Metro Fire, said that the Wolf Creek board of directors faces some unique challenges as they learn how to run a community-based fire protection system, but they've been seeking guidance from neighboring agencies like Rural Metro and the Glendale Fire Department. Clark expressed his respect for the nearby fire agencies and thanked them for the work they've done for the Wolf Creek community. The City of Kelowna will review its snow-clearing methods after the Supreme Court of Canada sided with a Nelson woman who was injured when she fell into a snowbank on a sidewalk in that city. There are likely as many as 200 City of Kelowna workers who are not yet fully vaccinated against COVID-19. All staff must be fully vaxxed by mid-December, city officials announced Friday, or they will be put on leave without pay. Jasmine Lovett and her daughter Aliyah Sanderson are shown in this undated police handout photo. The murder trial of Robert Leeming has heard that an undercover police operation helped find their bodies. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Calgary Police Service, *MANDATORY CREDIT* A man who was shot by Kenosha County deputies Thursday and the police dog the man is alleged to have shot before deputies fired at the suspect remained hospitalized Friday, both in stable condition. The Kenosha County Sheriffs Department identified the man as Allen M. Brown, 33, of Countryside, Ill., a western Chicago suburb. Brown was shot in the abdomen and leg by deputies outside the Benson Corners convenience store in Bristol after Brown allegedly shot the departments K-9 dog Riggs in the head. The shooting happened after the dog knocked Brown to the ground as he was fleeing arrest. Deputies had been trying to take him into custody in connection with a homicide investigation in Chicago. Sheriffs Sgt. David Wright said Brown remained hospitalized at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital, and is expected to be charged in connection with the incident. In Wisconsin, a person who intentionally injures a police dog could be charged with a felony. The Racine County Sheriffs Department is investigating the shooting. Under state law, when a police officer or deputy is involved in a shooting, an outside agency must conduct the investigation to determine if the shooting is justified and remove potential conflicts of interest. The Kenosha County deputies involved in Thursdays incident are on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Wright said Riggs was being cared for at a specialized veterinary trauma center in Illinois Friday. He was shot in the head, but is expected to survive, although Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said Thursday that the dog is unlikely to return to work with the department. According to the county website, Riggs and his handler Deputy Terry Tifft have been assigned to first shift patrol since September 2014. Witness account Gursahib Singh, the owner of Benson Corners, 20000 75th St. (Highway 50), said that Brown had come into his store before the shooting and bought a Snapple and other items. He had a mask on, a COVID mask, Singh said, adding there did not seem to be anything unusual about the man who he said had parked a vehicle on the side of the station. But a short time later he heard gunfire. I was by the door and I heard gunshots, Singh said, saying he heard five or six shots. I went outside and I saw police pointing guns at someone, he was in the ditch, and I saw the dog running around. Singh said there were a few customers in the parking lot when the shooting occurred. He said deputies stayed with the man until an ambulance arrived, and that other law enforcement quickly arrived. The police did a great job actually, they handled it very well, he said. It was a frightening experience, Singh said. This never happened around here, nothing like that has ever happened before, he said. K-9 a hero At a press conference Thursday at the nearby Kenosha County Center at highways 45 and 50, Beth called the dog Riggs a hero. In a lot of ways hes a hero today because he at least initially took the suspect down, kept him from running onto Highway 50 a felon with a handgun and who knows what the felon would have done, who knows if he would have gone up there and tried carjacking somebody at gunpoint, Beth said. In my world, Riggs is a hero and possibly saved someone else from being injured today. Deputies had gone to Benson Corners at about 11:15 a.m. Thursday after receiving a request from the Chicago Police to check for a homicide suspect they believed was at the station with a stolen vehicle. When the three deputies arrived, they found the stolen vehicle with Brown inside. According to the Sheriffs Department, the deputies conducted a high-risk traffic stop, which typically means they approached the vehicle with weapons drawn. They went and called out orders to come out, put his hands up. The suspect did not follow those orders, he took off running. I heard in some body cam footage that I saw, the deputies were hollering for him to drop his weapon, Beth said at Thursdays press conference. Riggs (the K-9 dog) was released and captured the suspect just before running onto Highway 50 while the suspect still had the gun in his hands. And Riggs took the suspect to the ground. During the struggle, Brown allegedly fired his weapon, striking the dog in the forehead. Beth said that after the gunshot the dog trotted off and deputies then fired at Brown. After the shooting, investigators closed Highway 50 near the station while detectives were on the scene. Wright on Friday said he had no information on the homicide case with which Chicago Police were seeking Brown. National Night Out K9 demo Kenosha County Sheriffs Department K-9 Riggs is shown participating in a demonstration at a National Night Out event in Twin Lakes in 2017. R Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Courageous journalists Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Dmitry Muratov of Russia have just received the Nobel Peace Prize. Each of these remarkable leaders personifies great courage and reflects a nation experiencing challenge to internal repression. Russia will be the focus of this column, the Philippines of a later column. Vladimir Putins Russia remains fundamentally different from the United States and the wider western world. Courageous reporters highlight ongoing repression. Alexei Navalny, a prominent and influential Russia opposition leader, is a prisoner following his brave return to Russia early this year. This followed evacuation to Germany for emergency medical treatment after being poisoned. Before Navalny returned to Russia, authorities there tried to intimidate journalists and restrict protests supporting him. State media regulator Roskomnadzor demanded social media not post information related to protests. In Britain in March 2018, a police officer found Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury, a city near London. Authorities immediately hospitalized them in intensive care. The nerve agent responsible sickened the responding officer, who likewise was hospitalized. Skripal worked for the GRU, the military intelligence arm of Russia. He also worked as a double agent for British intelligence from 1995. In September 2018, opposition activist Peter Verzilov became severely ill after a court hearing related to a protest and his subsequent arrest. He also was flown to Berlin for specialist medical treatment, where poisoning was diagnosed as the likely cause. Vladimir Kara-Murza, an opposition leader and journalist, suffered two severe health attacks in 2015 and 2017. The diagnosis in each case was probable poisoning. He is vice chairman of Open Russia, an organization founded by successful business entrepreneur Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a strong Putin opponent who has been persecuted and imprisoned. A particularly prominent victim is Alexander Litvinenko, who died in London in November 2006 from acute radiation poisoning. Litvinenko was a former colleague of Putin in the KGB, the principal arms of state security in the Soviet Union, an agency rightly feared for ruthless methods and effective results. Putin is a product of distinctive KGB culture. Litvinenko defected to Britain, where he, until silenced, was a prominent and influential public critic of Putin and the government of Russia. After a meticulous thorough investigation, representatives of Scotland Yard testified in a public inquiry the Russian government was involved in this killing. Earlier, critics of Russias regime sometimes died violently gangland style, in public. In early 2009, near the Kremlin on a sunny day on a public street, a gunman murdered activist attorney Stanislav Markelov. Journalist Anastasia Baburova tried to help him and she was killed. The hit man was a practiced pro, his pistol equipped with a silencer. Markelov had publicly denounced early release from prison of Colonel Yuri Budanov, sentenced to ten years for strangling a woman during the war in Chechnya. Winston Churchill observed the key to Russia was national interest. Alliance with the Soviet Union was vital during World War II, when interests joined profoundly. Today, as in the past, national interest should guide policy. Most apparent in the news are instances of Russian military aggression and related espionage and sabotage. Military exercises and involvements range from the Arctic to the Mediterranean and beyond. Interference in U.S. elections is notorious. We should continue collaboration in such areas as space exploration, and professional communication between our militaries. We must condemn repression and honor Russians who speak out. Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of After the Cold War (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan). Contact Art at acyr@carthage.edu. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Ketchikan, AK (99901) Today A few showers this evening changing to snow showers overnight. Low 34F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 70%.. Tonight A few showers this evening changing to snow showers overnight. Low 34F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 70%. The goal of movies and TV series is to make scenes look realistic. When it comes to prop guns, they don't just look dangerous. Such was the case in the death Thursday of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie "Rust" in New Mexico. The 42-year-old director of photography died after actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun, according to investigators. The film's director Joel Souza, 48, was also injured during the incident. Prop master Joseph Fisher told CNN on Friday that extreme safety measures are taken when it comes to weapons on set. "Typically we will do a safety brief with the cast and crew," he said. "We'll let them examine it, we'll explain safety precautions that go with each type of prop weapon. In this case [the "Rust" incident], it was a blank firing weapon and with that there are inherent risks." Fisher mentioned the case of actor Brandon Lee who died in 1993 after a prop gun accident in which a fragment of a .44 bullet accidentally ended up lodged in the gun, which resulted Lee being wounded in the abdomen. The prop master said even when there is no "bullet" in a prop gun, there are still projectiles, including gun powder and gas which can be dangerous within a certain range. Ben Simmons of Bare Arms, a company in the UK that works with firearms on sets, told CNN a variety of "prop guns" can be used in TV and film productions. They range, he said, from "a completely fake firearm that's been constructed" from materials such as rubber or wood to an actual working gun or a formerly working gun that has been rendered inoperable. Simmons explained that the type of gun used depends on the production, but often guns that fire blanks are used on sets. In a regular gun, a charge fires the projectile which is a bullet. "Blanks" refer to a blank cartridge which usually consists of a shell or casing, gunpowder, but no bullet. Instead there is a tip that has has been "crimped" by wadding or wax, according to the "Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics." "It doesn't mean the blank rounds are safe because if you were to get in the way of that or get too close to it, lots of dirt and debris can get thrown out the end of the gun, and that can cause harm," Simmons said. "It's extremely rare for it to happen and it's even rarer for it to cause death." Dave Brown, a professional firearms instructor and a firearms safety coordinator, wrote a piece for American Cinematographer magazine in 2019 in which he explained that "CGI [computer generated imagery] may be used for close-range gunshots that could not be safely achieved otherwise, but yes, even with all the advancements in visual effects and computer-generated imagery, we still fire guns with blanks." "The reason is simple: We want the scene to look as real as possible. We want the story and characters to be believable," Brown wrote. "Blanks help contribute to the authenticity of a scene in ways that cannot be achieved in any other manner. If the cinematographer is there to paint a story with light and framing, firearms experts are there to enhance a story with drama and excitement." The more gunpowder that is used, the bigger the flash and blast from a prop gun. Brown's piece reiterated that using blanks still requires someone on set who is experienced with firearms. "Blanks expel gunpowder and hot gases out of the front of the barrel in a cone shape," he wrote. "This is harmless at longer ranges, but the explosion can seriously injure someone if it's too close." Daniel Oates, former police chief for Miami Beach, Florida, and Aurora, Colorado, told CNN that in policing "you treat every gun as if it's dangerous and it's loaded all the time." And while prop guns on sets generally use blanks instead of live ammunition, Oates explained that they all use powder as a charge agent and wadding to create the noise and visual of an actual gun shot. "Even at close range these weapons can be very, very dangerous," he said. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office said the investigation into what happened on the set of "Rust" is "open and active" and no charges have been filed. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. (CNN) -- The FBI's Denver office said Thursday that remains found in a Florida nature reserve are those of Brian Laundrie, who went missing last month. The FBI said dental records confirmed the identification. Earlier, police in Florida confirmed that the skeletal remains found during the search for Brian Laundrie at the Carlton Reserve on Wednesday were human. "They are human remains, no doubt there. I would say that the remains were consistent with one individual, you know skeletal remains," North Port Police spokesperson Josh Taylor said in an on-camera interview with CNN. Investigators found clothing believed to belong to Laundrie, he said. "It's consistent with what he was believed to be wearing," Taylor said. Taylor indicated the belongings had been out there for some time. Laundrie went missing last month, a few days before authorities in Wyoming found the remains of his fiancee, Gabby Petito, whose death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation. Investigators also found a backpack and a notebook belonging to Laundrie, 23, near the remains while they were searching the Carlton Reserve in North Port, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson. "The notebook to my understanding has not been opened. You know, that will need to be processed," Taylor said. A source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN the notebook is "possibly salvageable." The source said the notebook was "outside of the dry bag." "It had been clearly wet and they are going to use any potential means to dry that out before opening it," according to the source, who added: "They'll be very careful with it." The source said it is unclear how the notebook ended up outside the dry bag. When Taylor was asked about whether a weapon was found, he said he could not comment. When asked if there is an ongoing search for the murderer of Gabby Petito, he responded, "That is certainly not in the North Port Police Department's purview." During a search with police, Brian's father, Chris Laundrie, was the first to spot an item belonging to his son, according to Taylor. Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino told CNN's Chris Cuomo on Wednesday that "the probability is strong that it is Brian's remains." The discovery came on Wednesday morning when Laundrie's parents and law enforcement searched an area of the reserve that had been underwater but recently reopened to the public. "It's quite sad, you can imagine as a parent, finding your son's belongings alongside some remains. That's got to be heartbreaking. And I can tell you that they are heartbroken," Bertolino told Cuomo. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Thursday law enforcement had been searching in treacherous conditions, including nearly chest-high water full of snakes and alligators. "These are very, very difficult conditions. You're searching in areas that you just can't walk up and look. It's not like you're searching a house or a car," he said. "These areas are huge and they're covered by water." The exhaustive search for Laundrie stretched over a month as authorities tried to piece together what happened to him and Petito during their road trip through the Western US this summer. Petito, 22, disappeared on the trip amid tensions in their relationship, and her remains were later found in Wyoming near where the couple had last been seen together. Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue ruled her death a homicide and said she died by manual strangulation. Laundrie, who had returned by himself to his parents' home in Florida, refused to talk with investigators and then went missing in the nearby nature reserve. He has not been seen since September 13. He has not been charged in her death, although he was indicted for allegedly using two financial accounts that did not belong to him in the days following her killing. Authorities, including several K-9 units and off-road vehicles, returned to the reserve on Thursday morning to further search the area. A medical examiner arrived to the reserve on Wednesday, and a formal identification of the remains could take some time. A source close to the investigation told CNN that the remains "appear to have been there a while." "Based on the condition of the remains, it may take some time to officially identify. It is going to be a very thorough process with the medical examiner," the source said. Brian Laundrie's parents were on scene when remains were found Laundrie's family had declined to talk publicly following legal advice, but they had directed authorities to where they believed Laundrie may be staying in the reserve, Bertolino said. The parents -- Chris and Roberta Laundrie -- joined in the search Wednesday morning and found a bag belonging to their son at the park, which their attorney described as "happenstance." According to Bertolino, Laundrie's parents informed the FBI and the North Port Police Department on Tuesday night that they wanted to visit the park Wednesday morning to search for their son. Law enforcement met them there and closely accompanied them as they entered the park, Bertolino said. "As they went further in, Chris ventured off the trail into the woods. He was zigzagging in different areas, law enforcement was doing the same thing. And Roberta Laundrie was walking down the trail," Bertolino said. "At some point, Chris locates what's called a dry bag. The dry bag is a white bag, laying in the woods, say 20 feet or so off the trail." The dry bag was in some brambles and he didn't want to move it because he wanted his law enforcement to see it, Bertolino said. However, Chris Laundrie couldn't find law enforcement and didn't want to leave the bag there with a news reporter standing nearby, so he picked it up, Bertolino explained. "He did meet up shortly with law enforcement, they looked at the contents of the bag. At that time, law enforcement officers showed him a picture on the phone of a backpack that law enforcement had located also nearby and also some distance off the trail," Bertolino told CNN. "At that point, the Laundries were notified there was also remains near the backpack, and they were asked to leave the preserve." The remains were found "about 2 to 3 miles inside the Carlton Reserve, or about a 45-minute walk" from the entrance at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, Taylor said Wednesday. When asked why the parents chose to go to the park on Wednesday, Bertolino said it was the first day it was reopened to the public. "The parents had assumed that the experts, the FBI and all the tracking teams they had would be able to locate Brian based upon the information that we had provided them to the specific areas and trails in the park that Brian liked to visit," Bertolino said. "The park had been closed to the public. There was really no other reason for the Laundries to go search anywhere else." COOS BAY, Ore. -- Fifty years ago, a teen left his Boise home for Coos County and was never heard from again. Now, thanks to DNA analysis, the daughter he never knew existed has some closure. The Coos County Sheriffs Office said they have confirmed the identity of remains found back in July 1971 in the Engelwood area of Snedden Creek as Winston Arthur Maxey III. Maxey had left Boise at the age of 15 that spring after a friend told him there were job opportunities in Oregon. He shared his plans of hitchhiking to the coast with his sister. What he didnt know was that he had fathered a child before leaving Idaho. That child was adopted and grew up in Idaho. When she turned 18, she hired a private investigator to locate her birth parents and got her fathers name from her biological mother. In 2016, the woman started a Facebook page called Where in the world is Winston Maxey to share her search for her biological father. Deputies said she also filed a missing person report and was working with local law enforcement officials. Maxeys case left detectives in 1971 stumped, with leads and canvassing going nowhere. Deputies said limited technology and the condition of the body made it difficult to build a timeline and identify the youth. He was buried in a local cemetery, still unidentified. However, the case stayed open over the years, and in 2017 his body was exhumed to obtain a DNA sample with technology having advanced significantly in the decades after his death. A laboratory provided a DNA profile of the youth in May this year, providing information about ancestry and eye, skin and hair color, as well as face morphology and a composite profile. Detectives took this and hit the ground running, searching through missing people, cold cases and ancestry sites. Additional information rolled in from the laboratory in July, identifying the youths family and someone from the Idaho area that matched the genealogy and ancestry history from the initial profile. Coos County detectives then contacted family members, and Maxeys sister provided DNA, allowing authorities to confirm the youths identity in the 50-year-old case. Maxey's family can now rest a little easier, knowing where he ended up. Moving forward, the sheriffs office is working with the family to produce a death certificate and return the remains to Idaho. ROSEBURG, Ore. The Douglas County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Wednesday to declare a state of emergency over illegal marijuana operations. In a letter, the commissioners said more than 300,000 cannabis plants have been confiscated and destroyed in the county this year alone. A decade ago, 100,000 was reportedly a "big year." These illegal operations have an impact on waterways and jeopardize public health and safety, according to the commissioners. This is important work for us to do! The amount of calls and concerns that our office receives regarding illegal marijuana growing operations is staggering. When residents call in, they are scared. They are scared about where they live, afraid of what's going on around them and in many cases, they are afraid to leave their homes. Nobody in our county should ever have to live in fear! said Commissioner Tim Freeman. Among the issues cited in the letter are: Possible poor working conditions, unfair treatment and lack of pay for workers Chemicals associated with marijuana production ending up in rivers and creeks Garbage and hazardous materials leaching into soil and streams and creating a haven for rodents and disease Known ties to large drug cartels in the US and Mexico Commissioners also claimed that while the passage of Ballot Measure 91, which legalized recreational marijuana in Oregon, was meant to weaken the grip of cartels, the situation has only worsened. Along with the declaration, commissioners are pushing for help from the state to provide enough personnel or funding to employ enough personnel to enforce drug laws, as local resources are reportedly being spread thin. They also are asking for the Oregon National Guard to be called in to assist. The declaration will be in effect through Dec. 20 next year unless rescinded or extended. EUGENE, Ore. The owner of local Indian restaurants has been indicted for tax evasion. The US Attorneys Office said Meeraali Shaik of Corvallis is accused of hiding cash from the Evergreen Indian Cuisine restaurants he owned and operated in Eugene and Corvallis. A federal grand jury in Eugene returned the indictment on Thursday. Court documents say Shaik evaded paying taxes from before 2013 to 2017. He allegedly provided his tax preparer with incomplete bank and income records and false information regarding cash receipts at the businesses. Some of the underreported money was used to pay off mortgages on properties in Eugene, Corvallis, and Chandler, Arizona, according to the US Attorneys Office. Shaik also allegedly made wire transfers to a bank account in India. Shaik will be arraigned in federal court on Nov. 2. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison, three years of post-prison supervised release and a $100,000 fine. EUGENE, Ore. -- The nationwide supply shortage has businesses in limbo right now with extra-long wait times for packages. But at Associated Heating and Air Conditioning, they've managed to keep their shelves full. Operations manager Jason Peterson said this took months of preparation, going all the way back to the summer. They bought things in bulk once they noticed things starting to get thin. "This summer is when we really started to notice the supply chain problem, and we made adjustments from that point on to today," Peterson said. Peterson said a communication problem is the reason things are taking so long to get shipped. He said the manufacturers and distributers are not in sync, causing a timeline issue. It's only predicted to get worse. They're also struggling with their labor force. To put this into perspective, normally Peterson would order a product and get it within a few days or the next day. Now he orders it immediately but warns customers it could take weeks or months. Their systems require several parts, and if one is missing, they can't start to work. This is why he's encouraging customers to call immediately. "If you are on the fence about purchasing a new heater/cooling system, I cannot stress enough that you make it a point to put that discussion on the forefront because I don't see things getting better anytime soon," Peterson said. Peterson said they typically install four to six systems a day. This isn't just a business issue; he said if things don't improve, customers needing repairs could be left without heat during the winter. "Because we are in trouble now, if the supply chain issues don't come up with a resolution, we'll get to the point in the entire industry for all contractors where we will not be able to serve the customer with what our normal approach is. We'll have to put people out a decent amount," Peterson said. The problems at the ports aren't just the big ports like Seattle and California. Margaret Barber, director of external affairs at the Port of Coos Bay, said it could be a few years before things get back to normal. "I think the truck driver shortage is the biggest challenge, and why you aren't seeing a lot of food on the grocery store shelves," Barber said. Barber called this a "black-swan event." "For us, if there's a shortage of workers, whether it's up the waterfront or truck drivers to move stuff for our customers -- that's our largest challenge," Barber said. She said they are seeing slow movement throughout their port right now because of this labor shortage. Michael B. Jordan's model girlfriend says her boyfriend's skin has never been so healthy since she encouraged him to start a skincare routine. Do you know a person or family who is in need of a new ride? Submit them here and they could win a pre-owned 2018 Chevrolet Trax LT AWD. A well-known Irish fast food company has asked its customers in Kildare to help support Trocaire's vaccine rollout in the African nation of Somalia. Supermacs is asking customers to donate in-store to ensure communities in Somalia, which is currently undergoing a health crisis. Paul Healy, Trocaires Country Director in Somalia, said the support of Supermacs customers in Kildare and Ireland will be vital in helping the agency administer Covid-19 vaccines to communities in Gedo, southern Somalia, where Trocaire manages the health system. He said: "While Ireland is emerging from lockdown, with 90 per cent of people over 16 years fully vaccinated, only 1.5 PER CENT of the population of over 17 million people are vaccinated in Somalia; this is reflective of the massive vaccine inequity in the world." "The impact of Covid-19, conflict and climate change have left people hungry, without livelihoods, and in urgent need of medical care. Mr Healy also revealed that Trocaire is the main vaccinator in Gedo region, an area slightly bigger than Ireland, where the agency runs four district hospitals. It is currently overseeing the storage and administration of vaccines, as well as Covid and PCR testing. He added a huge challenge is vaccine hesitancy and awareness amongst high-risk people including those who have been internally displaced due to conflict and climate change. "Even getting people to adopt simple measures like handwashing can be a challenge." Mr Healy continued: "As well as administering the vaccine we have reached over 160,000 people with screening, treatment of cases and COVID-19 awareness messages... but there are millions more in need of support. "The donations from Supermacs customers are greatly appreciated and have helped change the lives of so many." "We look forward to continued support for the most vulnerable people in the world," he concluded. Supermacs MD, Pat McDonagh also commented on the appeal, saying that while Ireland has seen the impact of COVID-19 on communities, it is important that we support those in need of vaccines throughout the world. He explained: "Trocaire is a charity very close to the hearts of myself and my wife Una; we are delighted to support its lifechanging work." "Our family and teams across the organisation have seen for ourselves the impact of Trocaires work on the ground in Africa and Central America... it is devastating to see the levels of poverty." "We would like to thank our customers, suppliers and the entire Supermacs family for their fantastic contributions to the charity," he added. First set up in 1978, Supermac's first restaurant was located in Ballinasloe in Galway. As of 2019 the chain consists of a total of 118 restaurants spread throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland. The company also claims that its customers have contributed over 500,000 to support Trocaires work over the years. Trocaire, which was founded in 1973, is the official overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland. It was named after the Irish word for "compassion." Trocaire is arguably best known for their annual fundraising appeal during Lent, with Trocaire boxes distributed through churches and schools, then collected after Easter. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Funding of 187,625 has been awarded for the development of outdoor recreational infrastructure across Kilkenny. Under the Department of Rural and Community Developments Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, the funding will help develop resources that contribute to healthy active lifestyles. The Kilkenny projects to receive funding are: 19,800 to Trail Kilkenny and local community groups for the establishment of a countywide network of community walks. This application includes four proposed routes ranging from 2kms to 5kms in length in the villages of Johnstown, Stoneyford and Skeoughvasteen. 19,125 to Kells Region Economic Enterprise Ltd for the rehabilitation of a 200m section of walking trail along the Kings River and repairs to the pedestrian bridge over the river which connects the walk to the Kells Augustine Priory. 19,800 to Trail Kilkenny and Coillte for the Tory Hill Looped Walk Enhancement Works. Sections of the trail have deteriorated and are in need of significant rehabilitation, particularly along the approaches to the summit. The proposal also includes for the supply and installation of interpretative signage to give an enhanced visitor experience by providing walkers with a better understanding of the surrounding landscape. 19,350 to Kilkenny Water Safety for enhancements to the traditional open water swimming area located in the Nore Valley Park in Kilkenny City. Improvements include facilities for smarter travel, enhanced amenity space and the installation of interpretative signage 13,500 to Trail Kilkenny, Coillte and Kilkenny Tourism for the further development and continuation of the promotion and marketing campaign for Woodstock Estate. 18,000 to Kilkenny Tourism, LEO, Trail Kilkenny and outdoor activity providers in the county for the continuation/ development of the promotion and marketing campaign for Outdoor Kilkenny, a new brand and website that promotes all outdoor attractions that Kilkenny has to offer 19,800 to Trail Kilkenny and Kilkenny Tourism to extend the existing walking trail at Silaire Wood by 500m, giving a total trail length of 1.5km. This will make this section of the walk available for use all year round and more accessible for all users. 19,350 to Mountain Grove Community Group to upgrade and strengthening of a 300m section of the trail surface along the bank of the stream, which becomes impassable in winter. 20,000 to Kilkenny Leader to upgrade and strengthening of a 300m section of the trail surface on the South Leinster Way at Mullinavat, to include improvement works at the trail entrance from the local road, stock proofing fencing and drainage works. 18,900 to Kilkenny Leader for the Installation of built heritage and habitat interpretation boards along 22km route of the Nore Valley Walk, Kilkennys most popular trail. This is aimed at enhancing the visitor experience. The locations are along a 10 km route between Kilkenny and Bennettsbridge and 12km route between Thomastown and Inistioge. Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan has welcomed the funding and says the infrastructural improvements will support the economic and tourism potential of Kilkenny for both local communities and tourist visitors alike, further enhancing unique natural amenities and supporting rural Ireland as a destination for adventure tourism. This funding supports projects that are, in the main, freely available to the public and there is also an emphasis on recreational facilities that promote inclusivity. It is welcome investment in the physical infrastructure that underpins sporting and recreational activities based on the use of the resources of the countryside will bring widespread benefits to Kilkenny, positioning rural areas to respond to the post-Covid-19 economic environment," he said. A TD has called the latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "truly alarming". Deputy Ivana Bacik raised the issue with Minister Eamon Ryan in the Dail yesterday, seeking an explanation about what she called a lack of urgency on climate action and why Ireland's carbon budgets remain unpublished. Speaking on the issue, Deputy Bacik said, "The report published by the EPA this morning is truly alarming. The fact that our 2020 emissions slowed by 0.4% in a world that had ground to a halt due to the pandemic is really worrying. There can be no further delay, as the EPA itself said, Ireland must implement effective policies and measures as quickly as possible." According to Minister Ryan, publication of carbon budgets and consideration by government of the draft climate action plan will not take place until approximately November 3rd and beyond. Deputy Bacik said it showed "quite significant slippage" and called the delay "simply not good enough". She said, "The very fact that the publication and scrutiny of Irelands fiscal and carbon budgets was not aligned is troubling. It would have been useful to scrutinise Budget 2022 in the context of our vital climate action targets to ensure that they were aligned." According to figures in the EPA report, Ireland exceeded its 2020 annual EU emissions allocation by 6.7 metric tonnes. Although transport emissions declined due to Covid-19 transport restrictions, agriculture emissions increased by 1.4% and have increased by 12% in the last 10 years. Increases in 2020 were reportedly due to increased fertiliser nitrogen use and increased number of livestock including a 3.2% rise in dairy cows. As world leaders prepare to meet at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, Climate Activists across Ireland are beginning to mobilise for a day of Global Action. On November 6th Demonstrations will be taking place in every major city in Ireland and across the world. The COP26 Coalition was set up to help build these demonstrations, coalition members include environment and development NGOs, trade unions, farmers, grassroots community campaigns, youth groups, migrant and racial justice networks and progressive political parties. Local activists have organised a public online meeting ahead of the Demos with activists from Kildare, Laois and Dublin uniting. Local Cllr Adrienne Wallace will be speaking at the event alongside People Before Profit TD Brid Smith, environmental scientists and others. The meeting will take place on Zoom on Monday 1st of November at 7pm, the link can be found on Facebook and Instagram by searching @WallacePBP. The COP26 summit takes place in Glasgow in November. People will be mobilising all over the world & across Ireland on November 6th to demand #systemchange & #climatejustice. Time to get feet on the street! pic.twitter.com/7WTiaYtmgQ COP26 Coalition Ireland (@COP26Ireland) October 20, 2021 Brid Smith TD said: The COP26 Coalition will be mobilising on November 6th across the world to demand climate justice. "The Irish demands are: Invest in Green Jobs and a Just Transition, Free, Green and Frequent Public Transport, No More Unsustainable Data Centres, Ban Investment in New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure, Including LNG Terminal, Sustainable Agriculture and a Just Transition for Small Farmers. The decisions made at COP26 will shape how governments respond (or not) to the climate crisis. So far, governments have done too little too late; colluding with corporations behind green washed 'solutions' that actually don't exist yet, that don't address the scale of the problem, and in many cases rely on more exploitation of people and planet. Justice won't be handed to us by world leaders or delivered by corporations. "Only we can imagine and build the future that works for all of us", she added. Cllr Wallace concluded: Its important we act local but think Global. The climate crisis poses the biggest threat yet to Rural Ireland. Farmers and small villages and towns will be the worst hit with the increased risk of floods and droughts that will lead to unsustainable crop yields. "We have also already seen local Special Areas of Conservation threatened with industrial scale wind farms. We need sustainable renewable energy that works in tandem with the local environment and community but we need people power if we want to see real change. "Anyone interested in getting involved in climate activism should join the meeting and the demo. AUSTIN, Minn. A teen facing 15 charges for six separate crimes is pleading not guilty. Elias James Wells, 18 of Austin, is charged with two counts of first-degree burglary, two counts of second-degree burglary, three counts of third-degree burglary, four counts of theft, third-degree damage to property, two counts of fourth-degree damage to property, and possession of stolen property. The Austin Police Department says Wells broke into a garage at Austin Ford on July 22 and stole a vehicle. Wells is also accused of breaking into two garages in the 1000 block of 10th Avenue SW in Austin on September 17, stealing three security cameras. Investigators say on September 18 Wells then broke into a vehicle in the 800 block of 11th Avenue SW in Austin, a home in the 1000 block of 11th Avenue SW, and a garage in the 600 block of 19th Street NW. Wells is accused of taking two laptop computers, two video game controllers, a subwoofer/amplifier combo, a handgun, ammunition, and $300 cash. Wells has pleaded not guilty to all crimes. He has a trial scheduled to begin on March 28, 2022, for the July burglary and another trial set to start April 18, 2022, for the September thefts. CERRO GORDO COUNTY, Iowa An encounter with deer caused a one-vehicle rollover Thursday night. The Cerro Gordo County Sheriffs Office says Terrance Matlock, 20 of Rockwell, was driving on Thrush Avenue around 8:26 pm when he hit one deer and then, while trying to miss a second, lost control in the 13000 block, went into the east ditch, and rolled his vehicle several times. The Sheriffs Office says both Matlock and a passenger, Anna Yerman, 18 of Latimer, suffered minor injuries but the vehicle was totaled. Neither Matlock nor Yerman was taken to the hospital for treatment. Mason City Fire Medics assisted at the scene of this accident. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A person was shot to death in northeast Des Moines. Police say officers responded to multiple reports of gunfire at 5:41 a.m. Friday and found a person who had been shot. Although officers attempted lifesaving efforts, the person died at the scene. It was the citys ninth homicide of the year. ROCHESTER, Minn. Three potential new operators for the Chateau Theatre will discuss their applications with the Rochester City Council on Monday. City staff say the three applicants included members of the local Rochester community and they are recommending their proposals be evaluated on the following criteria: 1. Activation: How often is the space open? Does the team have a clear program vision? 2. Public Utilization: Is the space available for public use? 3. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Does the space feel inclusive for all? Are there specific attempts in the proposal to further this goal? 4. Financial Burden: Does the proposal reduce the financial burden on the City? 5. Leadership Team: Does the team have experience in day to day operations of a facility? It is expected that Councilmembers will provide city staff with direction after hearing from the applicants at the 3:30 meeting on Monday. For more information on the potential Chateau Theatre operators, click here. The Chateau Theatre was built in 1927 and is seen as a significant location for activities like film, retail, gallery exhibitions, theatre + music, special events, meeting space, daily activities, cafe, as well as information and hospitality services. WEST DES MOINES, Iowa Hy-Vee is now offering free booster shots of both the Moderna and Janssen (J&J) COVID-19 vaccines. Federal health officials are recommending the additional doses, at least six months after the Moderna l vaccination, for the following groups: Long-term care facility residents Individuals ages 65+ Individuals ages 18+ with underlying medical conditions,(as outlined by the CDC) Individuals ages 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting A booster shot of the J&J vaccine is recommended for all recipients ages 18 and older at least 2 months after their first vaccine dose. Hy-Vee strongly recommends individuals schedule their COVID-19 vaccination in advance by visiting www.hy-vee.com/covidvaccine. Individuals receiving a COVID-19 first, second, booster or third dose can receive their flu shot during the same appointment by requesting it with the pharmacy team. MASON CITY, Iowa - The Mason City city council approved an application for a federal grant that will help identify environmental issues on brownfield sites within the city limits. The $500,000 grant through the Environmental Protection Agency will allow the assessment of 'perceived or legitimate environmental issues' on local sites, such as a former industrial site, in need of cleanup in order to turn them around for development. It allows the city to give a potential land buyer of the environmental risks on the site and what needs to be done. Mediation costs would not be covered in this initial grant, as they would be covered in a second phase grant. The grant has no local match, and would be of no cost to taxpayers. KIMT NEWS 3.- MnDOT is putting money toward an important goal, getting students to school safely. The agency is offering $8 million in grants to develop safes routes to and from school. Schools will be encouraged to use the windfall for developing strategies. The goal is geared towards children in grades K-12 to walk and bike to school safely. According to MnDOT spokesperson Mike Dougherty, Rochester Public Schools applied for such funding in the past. KIMT News 3 contacted them to see if they will apply for funding again this year. No word if they will. Dougherty says parents should encourage administrators to seek MnDOT funding. "Parents, community members, encourage your schools, your communities, to apply for these grants. It's money that can help achieve a goal that everybody supports and that's getting kids to and from school safely but also getting that physical activity. It's something that they might carry forward into the future." Since 2006, MnDOT has been working with schools to fund improvements to infrastructure and planning that will make walking or riding a bike to school safer. "It shows MnDOT is really more about roads and bridges. It's about everyone that uses our transportation system," explains Dougherty. "It's great to be able to support ideas that come forward. We're not telling them that they have to do it a certain way. They bring forward an idea and a group determines if it fits with the scope of the project." Applications for the grants must be complete by the first week of the new year. Recipients will be announced in February. ROCHESTER, Minn. A Rochester man is accused of a knifepoint abduction. Richard Eaton, 31, has been booked into the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center on charges of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, false imprisonment, threats of violence, domestic assault, first-degree tampering with a witness, fifth-degree drug possession, and violating a no-contact order. Authorities say a resident in the 1300 block of Marion Road SE reported hearing a knock at the door Thursday and a woman saying someone was after her and she needed help. The resident says thats when a man drove up on the grass, got out with a knife, grabbed and punched the woman, pulled her into the car, and drove away. Investigators say witnesses gave great descriptions of the man and the car and surveillance video from nearby areas identified him as Richard Eaton. Law enforcement then located the female victim at work and spoke with her. She reportedly said Eaton was her on-and-off boyfriend. Authorities say they located Eatons home and then arrested him after seeing him driving with another female. Investigators say the female in Eatons vehicle also had a warrant out for her arrest and had a no-contact order in place against Eaton. MASON CITY, Iowa - Every 10 years, the U.S. Census updates our population numbers, and that results in changing legislative districts. Each map, including the Iowa state Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the U.S. House of Representatives, is drawn up by the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency, and has to meet certain criteria based on population, contiguousness and compactness. After the first set of maps was rejected by legislators, a second set of maps was released Thursday morning, and will be voted on by legislators next week. State Senator Amanda Ragan has grown accustomed to changing district lines. "I've had a different district every time I've run in the 10 years and the redistricting. The first year it was two different districts because it was a special election." The first proposal of maps expanded her district to Algona, but removed Clear Lake. The second proposal shows her district would change to include Worth, Mitchell and a portion of Floyd Counties, in addition to Cerro Gordo County. "The last map had me in a new territory, and this one brings me back to some familiar faces, which is really great too." Gerrymandering of districts in some states, including Texas, has resulted in criticism. Iowa, though, appears to be taking a far more neutral approach through the state-run Legislative Services Agency. "When you're looking at gerrymandering, you run the risk of disenfranchising voters. What we're there to do is represent voters." State Senator Dennis Guth is also seeing changes with his district in the new proposal. The new map would add Franklin, Hamilton, Humboldt, and a sliver of northern Story Counties, and would retain Wright County, but would remove Winnebago, Kossuth and Emmet Counties. "My new district is slightly smaller in area. It has five counties plus a little sliver, but we don't have Kossuth with the double size. I may be a third of a county smaller than what I was before in land area." The first proposal would have expanded his district to include a large portion of Cerro Gordo County, as well as retaining Winnebago County. "This one is a more rural area like I have now. I think it'll be fairly similar to what I've got for constituents at the current time." No matter the size of his district, Senator Guth says he's looking to represent his constituents. "It's a blessing as you go through all of that to meet people, and get to know their concerns and what they would like to see in their government." If the updated proposals are approved next Thursday, the new district lines are set to go into effect beginning with the 2022 election for the 118th General Assembly. If they are rejected, the Legislative Services Agency will have 35 days to draw a third set of maps, which could be amended on the legislative floor. To find if your residence will be affected by the updated district maps, click here. The United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy gave an update on the White House's plan to support a kids vaccination rollout on Thursday. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the COVID-19 vaccines for kids five to 11 years old, with authorization pending. Murthy said If approved by the FDA and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House would ensure medical providers across the nation are equipped to vaccinate the next phase of Americans. "I want parents out there to know that if and when CDC and FDA authorize and recommend the vaccine, there will be tens of thousands of locations around the country where you can get a vaccine for your child and many of those include doctors offices, which is why they have been such an important partner and they also include children hospitals, which are also critical," Murthy said. Approximately 190 million Americans are fully vaccinated and roughly 65 million eligible Americans have not received a COVID vaccination. Murthy said as a father, he eagerly awaits authorization of a COVID vaccine from the FDA. "We now are finally at a place where we are finally seeing the possibility of a vaccine for kids under twelve. I say that not just as Surgeon General or as the doctor but as a dad of two kids under twelve who has been looking forward to that moment for a long time. The CDC and FDA are actively looking at that data. In the coming weeks, they will offer a decision on whether or not to recommend those vaccines for our kids but all of this means we are taking steps to get closer and closer until we can ultimately put this pandemic behind us," Murthy said. The FDA authorized booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines on Wednesday. AUSTIN, Minn. Two men accused of dealing meth in Mower County are both pleading not guilty. Joseph Perry White and Christopher Alan Rickerl were both arrested in September and charged with first-degree sale of drugs. White, 35 of Austin, is accused of selling 27.807 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the City of Austin on November 12, 2020. Rickerl, 27 of Austin, is accused of selling 27.388 grams of meth to a confidential informant on May 17, 2021. No trial dates have been scheduled. Both men remain in the Mower County Jail. White is being held on $250,000 bond and Rickerl is detained on $100,000 bond. Two Easy Ways To Subscribe! The Kodiak Daily Mirror offers full-service, five-day a week subscriptions with home delivery in addition to unlimited access to our online services (including our e-Edition). Online-access-only subscriptions include unlimited access to the Mirror's online services without delivery of the printed newspaper. (Note: New users: You must register and login before purchasing a subscription. Kokomo, IN (46901) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low around 30F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low around 30F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Dental records show remains found at Carlton Reserve are those of Brian Laundrie, FBI says The leader of the Haitian gang who kidnapped 17 US and Canadian missionaries has threatened to kill the hostages if he doesn't get what he's demanding, according to a video released October 21. An entrance to the Christian Aid Ministries compound in Titanyen, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti is seen. A North Korean flag flies on a mast at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva, Oct. 2, 2014. Reuters-Yonhap Climate change may lead to increased risks for the United States on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea stands unable to cope with growing physical effects of the environmental challenge, a U.S. intelligence report said Thursday. The report, National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on climate change, published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, lists North Korea as one of 11 countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. "Scientific forecasts indicate that intensifying physical effects of climate change out to 2040 and beyond will be most acutely felt in developing countries, which we assess are also the least able to adapt to such changes," said the NIE report. "These physical effects will increase the potential for instability and possibly internal conflict in these countries, in some cases creating additional demands on U.S. diplomatic, economic, humanitarian, and military resources," it added. The report said the 11 countries of concern, including North Korea, are "highly vulnerable to the physical effects and lack the capacity to adapt, suggesting that building resilience to climate change in these countries would be especially helpful in mitigating future risks to US interests." A computer generated image of the CVX aircraft carrier / Courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy By Kim Hyun-bin Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) are in a heated race to win a 2 trillion won ($1.7 billion) order to build Korea's first aircraft carrier, known as the CVX. The sheer size of the first aircraft carrier project for the two shipbuilders could lead to additional deals for such huge vessels both domestically and abroad. According to sources, the defense ministry is expected to start receiving bids for the preliminary design of the CVX as early as next year. The project is worth 3 trillion won with the construction accounting for over 2 trillion won. The vessel will weigh 30,000 tons with a length of 260m and width of 40m. That size will make the aircraft carrier capable of transporting 12 F-35Bs and eight attack helicopters. The vessel can carry up to 16 fighter jets by reducing the number of helicopters. If the National Assembly passes the budget for the CVX at the end of this year, the preliminary design will take around two to three years to complete, while construction will take five to seven years. In October 2019, HHI was assigned to provide a conceptual design for the vessel, which was finished in December last year. The start of the preliminary bidding will officially mark the launch of the CVX project. Only HHI and DSME are allowed to participate in the CVX bid and the two companies have been busy expanding cooperation with both local and foreign firms to win the order. HHI recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), which is the only domestic company capable of building fighter jets as well as military helicopters. In August, HHI also inked a partnership with one of the UK's leading shipbuilders, Babcock International, which took part in the development of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, and possesses state-of-the-art technology in yhe construction of these vessels. In June, DSME joined hands with Italy's state-run Fincantieri, which has prior experience in developing next-generation destroyers and helicopter carriers. In August, DSME also inked an MOU with Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction, which has built over 1,000 vessels over the last 50 years. Karla Hart of Kendallville shared this picture of their granddaughters who didnt last long in the haunted castle they visited with the Girl Scouts. After about three minutes they and their mother bailed. The film industry has been left shocked and in mourning after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on set when actor and producer Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm. Hutchins, who was 42, was director of photography for Baldwin's latest movie, "Rust," a Western which was being filmed in New Mexico and stars Baldwin, Travis Fimmel and Jensen Ackles. According to law enforcement statements provided to CNN, Hutchins was shot around 1:50 p.m. Thursday local time and was airlifted to hospital but died of her injuries. In a tweet Friday, Baldwin said he was heartbroken and was fully cooperating with police over the tragic accident. "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours," Baldwin said. "My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna." Her husband, Michael Hutchins, told the Insider he appreciated the sympathy he has received. "I don't think there are words to communicate the situation," he told the online news website. "I think that we will need a little bit of time before we can really encapsulate her life in a way that is easy to communicate." Hutchins said he would not comment on the facts of his wife's death. She was named a rising star two years ago Born in Ukraine, Halyna Hutchins lived in Los Angeles and graduated from the American Film Institute in 2015. She was credited with involvement in the production of 49 film, TV and video titles during her career, according to IMDB. She worked on movies including "Archenemy," starring Joe Manganiello, which was released last year, and was named a rising star by American Cinematographer magazine in 2019. According to her website, Hutchins was raised at a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle and initially studied as a journalist, graduating from Kyiv National University with a degree in international journalism, before going on to work on documentary productions across Europe and switching to film. On her Instagram page, she described herself as a "Restless Dreamer. Adrenaline junkie. Cinematographer" and shared photos of the "Rust" set. Her final post, on Wednesday, showed a video of her riding on horseback in New Mexico. Film director James Cullen Bressack commented on her post to say: "I will miss you my friend.... This is devastating." Other directors paid tribute to Hutchins. "Archenemy" director Adam Egypt Mortimer said: "I'm so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film." He said in a further tweet she had "a brilliant mind." AFI Conservatory, a film school which is part of the American Film Institute, tweeted Friday: "As is profoundly true in the art of cinematography, words alone cannot capture the loss of one so dear to the AFI community. At AFI, we pledge to see that Halyna Hutchins will live on in the spirit of all who strive to see their dreams realized in stories well told." A talented woman in a male-dominated industry Hutchins' achievements as a cinematographer were notable in an industry dominated by men. Casting director, producer and writer Sidra Smith posted on Instagram she was left "devastated" by the news about Hutchins, with whom she worked on the TV miniseries "A Luv Tale." "It's hard out here for women cinematographers and this was a HUGE opportunity for her. She was so young and so talented. Halyna and I spent so much time together. She was so beautifully gracious and words cannot express how supportive she was to me," Smith wrote. "God bless her beautiful heart and soul." Director Joel Souza, 48, was also injured in the incident and taken to Christus St. Vincent's Regional Medical Center for care. Baldwin was photographed looking distraught in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office on Thursday after being questioned. Investigations remain ongoing, with many people asking how such a tragedy could happen on a film set -- 28 years after Bruce Lee's son Brandon Lee was accidentally killed on set by a firearm. A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Ukraine's consulate general in San Francisco was cooperating with US law enforcement representatives as they investigate and was reaching out to Hutchins' relatives "in order to provide the necessary consular and legal assistance." The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. HELENA, Mont. (AP) Montana's redistricting commission has honed in on two maps dividing the state into two congressional districts, after the commission's nonpartisan chair said she disapproved of all nine maps proposed earlier this month by the two Republican and two Democratic commissioners. Commission Chair Maylinn Smith, who was appointed to the commission by the states Supreme Court, said during a commission meeting on Thursday that she found various flaws in previously proposed maps, including that they unnecessarily divided counties and failed to take into consideration the distribution of Montana's Native American population between the districts. In response, the Republican and Democratic commissioners each submitted one new map for consideration. The maps both divide the state into eastern and western districts with nearly equal populations and only one county split. The Republicans' map puts Helena the traditionally blue-leaning state capital in the eastern district, giving them a slight advantage in the western district, which includes Democratic strongholds Bozeman and Missoula. It splits Gallatin County, placing Bozeman in the western district and the majority of the remainder of the county in the east. Democrats instead proposed to place Helena in the western district and put Kalispell a heavily Republican region in the northwest corner of the state in the eastern district. They split Flathead County, with the affluent ski town Whitefish, a blue island, in the western district. Democrats argue their map would create a more competitive district in the west where they would have a fighting chance of winning. Republicans, whose map creates two GOP-leaning districts, say they are not interested in taking the competitiveness of districts into consideration. The two maps will be discussed by the commission at a meeting later this month before commissioners finalize the districts by the Nov. 14 deadline. Montana residents will vote in the new congressional districts in November 2022. The 2020 Census gave Montana a second congressional district for the first time in 30 years, spurring a redistricting process that had included debate about the changing nature of the state, with booming towns such as Bozeman and Missoula in western Montana providing a contrast to the stagnating agricultural communities in the prairie region that covers the eastern half of the state. Smith said she hoped the four partisan commissioners would be able to reach a consensus on the districts after receiving public comment, but if not she would select one of the two proposals during a planned Oct. 30 meeting. During the commission meeting on Thursday, Smith said she would like the final map not to favor any political party, to the extent possible given Montana's Republican tilt. Im a realist here. I know what the makeup of Montana is. I dont see that we are going to have two districts that are not going to favor a party, she said. I do think we need to strive to achieve that for a district whenever we can. Democrats also emphasized the importance of drawing a district where either a Democrat or a Republican could win. You can walk down any street in Montana and say do you believe these districts should unduly favor a political party? And theyll say, no, Democratic Commissioner Joe Lampson said. But Republican Commissioner Jeff Essmann called the effort to draw a competitive district a fallacy," given the state's increasingly red political hue. We can fight all the numerical battles we want to, but were not going to be stopping long-term trends, he said. Iris Samuels is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 21, 2021-- Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS), the leading data research platform and business intelligence tool for global corporate, academic, and government institutions, is pleased to announce the addition of PitchBook to its data offerings. PitchBook is the premier data provider for the private and public equity markets. A part of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, WRDS provides global corporations, universities, and regulatory agencies the thought leadership, data access and insights needed to enable impactful research. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005644/en/ PitchBook serves more 60,000 customers throughout the entire investment and due diligence workflow, to provide timely data and insights on global financial market trends. It tracks more than 3 million companies, 1.6 million deals, more than 300,000 investors, and is constantly adding new datasets and research to its platform. Leveraging its best-in-class data, PitchBook helps clients understand the nuances and complexities of opportunities in the market to inform investment and business developing strategies. University Research conducted using PitchBook data: Angel Investors Around the World, Douglas J. Cumming (Florida Atlantic University), Minjie Zhang (University of Windsor) How Resilient is Venture-Backed Innovation? Evidence from Four Decades of U.S. Patenting, Sabrina Howell (New York University; NBER), Josh Lerner (Harvard University; NBER), Ramana Nanda (Harvard University; NBER), Richard Townsend (University of California, San Diego) Venture Capital's Role in Financing Innovation: What We Know and How Much We Still Need to Learn, Ramana Nanda and Josh Lerner (Harvard University; NBER) WRDS is extremely pleased to offer PitchBook data to our users, said Robert Zarazowski, Managing Director of WRDS. A comprehensive view of a companys critical business decisions is integral to analysis for our researchersthey will value access to this detailed information. PitchBook has become an authoritative resource for investors and business leaders across the private and public financial markets, said Joanna McGinley, VP at PitchBook. Extending the reach of our data and insights to WRDS users, will increase understanding of the factors that impact dealmaking and performance, as well as provide greater transparency into the lifecycle of private capital markets. Along with best paper awards, research support, and the latest data available, WRDS is a leader in enabling impactful research. Through a first-of-its-kind collaboration with SSRN, WRDS is elevating the visibility of universities and researchers working across an array of fields. The WRDS Research Paper Series is a searchable repository of all papers submitted to SSRN that cite WRDS in their work, which will increase researcher visibility and build a specialized research base that will advance shared knowledge. In addition, the organizations have launched the WRDS-SSRN Innovation Award to honor rising business schools in North America, Asia-Pacific, and EMEIA. Learn more about how WRDS is driving impact. About PitchBook PitchBook is a financial research and information company providing transparency across capital markets to help professionals discover and execute investment opportunities and strategies with confidence and efficiency. PitchBook collects and analyzes detailed data on the entire venture capital, private equity and M&A landscapeincluding public and private companies, investors, funds, investments, exits and people. Founded in 2007, PitchBook has offices in Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, London, and Hong Kong and serves 60,000 professionals around the world. In 2016, Morningstar acquired PitchBook, which now operates as an independent subsidiary. About WRDS Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) provides the leading business intelligence, data analytics, and research platform to global institutionsenabling comprehensive thought leadership, historical analysis, and insight into the latest innovations in research. WRDS democratizes data access so that all disciplines can easily search for concepts across the data repository. WRDS unique array of Services include access to a suite of Analytics tools and Learning Pathways providing curated, guided resources for Researchers, Instructors, and Information Professionals. Supporting over 75,000 commercial, academic, and government users at 500+ institutions in 35+ countries, WRDS is the global gold standard in data management, innovative tools, analytics, and research services all backed by the credibility and leadership of the Wharton School. About the Wharton School Founded in 1881 as the worlds first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With a faculty of more than 235 renowned professors, Wharton has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Educations individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 100,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. For more information, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005644/en/ CONTACT: Media Contact: Robin Nussbaum Gold, Director of Marketing Wharton Research Data Services Rnuss@wharton.upenn.edu KEYWORD: PENNSYLVANIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: DATA MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE EDUCATION SOURCE: Wharton Research Data Services Copyright Business Wire 2021. PUB: 10/21/2021 11:02 AM/DISC: 10/21/2021 11:03 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005644/en MOOSE, Wyo. - Search operations are underway to find a missing 26-year-old Texas man last seen in Grand Teton National Park. Jared Hembree was last seen in the park on Thursday, Oct. 21 near Game Warden Point in Moran, Wyoming. Hembree is described as being 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He may be wearing a green t-shirt with black pants and is believed to be carrying a black backpack, according to a release. Park law enforcement received a call expressing concern about Hembrees welfare after an interaction with him outside of the parks eastern boundary. Hembrees vehicle was located unattended at Game Warden Point parking area in the eastern part of the park. Search efforts have included ground and aerial operations. Grand Teton National Park law enforcement rangers, Teton County Sherriffs Office deputies and Teton County Search and Rescue are involved. The Civil Air Patrol has provided assistance with a fixed wing airplane. Teton County Search and Rescue has provided assistance with a helicopter and a drone. Search and rescue dog teams have also been deployed. Anyone who has been traveling in the area since Thursday may have seen Hembree. Those with information regarding his whereabouts are urged to contact Teton Interagency Dispatch Center at 307-739-3301. BUTTE, Mont. - Montana Tech University is hosting a number of occasions this week, including Digger Integrity Day on Wednesday morning. Now in its second year of existence, Digger Integrity Day is an educational outreach event, and the main purpose is to teach students that you can do your work honestly and still have fun. To emphasize that idea, the university hosted a handful of events, the most notable being the escape room: a sort of game where you use your wits and the clues around you to find a way out. This escape room was themed against plagiarism and promoted academic integrity. "We have some student interest, and prizes always help," said Dawn Atkinson, the writing director at Montana Tech. "We're very excited this year to be able to do it in person." For those not interested in escape rooms, the university also hosted a pumpkin painting event in the Student Union Building. MISSOULA, Mont. - The University of Montana law school has announced interim leadership changes while a search for a permanent dean takes place. An email announcing the acting deans was sent from the Office of the Provost to UM staff, faculty, and administrators as well as Blewett School of Law students Tuesday afternoon. Professors Monte Mills, Sara Rinfret, and Cathy Y.N. Smith will service as the acting deans of the Alexander Blewett III School of Law starting Monday, October 25. The email indicates the Acting Deans were selected after discussion among law school faculty. The three will lead the school in the coming months while a nationwide search for a permanent dean is underway. "Im grateful to Professors Mills, Rinfret, and Smith for stepping forward at this critical time to ensure the Blewett School of Law will continue to fulfill its mission for students, the legal community, and the state of Montana. Im confident this leadership team will make progress toward a fresh start and a new era of excellence for the Blewett School of Law," reads the email from Reed Humphrey, Acting Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs The change in leadership follows the resignation of Dean Paul Kirgis who stepped down from his position earlier this month 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. At the time Kirgis also announced Associate Dean Sally Weaver would step aside from her position. UPDATE: OCT. 21 The Department of Homeland Security's spokesperson released the following statement in response to reports that an Afghan refugee was arrested in Missoula for sexual intercourse without consent: Afghan parolees are expected to abide by the laws of the United States, both while in military installations and as resettled members of local communities. Criminal behavior is not tolerated and those who violate the law are subject to prosecution and may be put into removal proceedings. While at military installations, Afghan parolees are briefed about the conditions of their parole and that violating the law violates their parole. Before individuals are permitted to enter the United States, they are subject to rigorous, multi-layered screening and vetting processes that involve biometric and biographic screenings conducted by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and additional Intelligence Community partners. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: MISSOULA, Mont. Governor Greg Gianforte and Senator Steve Daines are asking that the federal government put a stop to resettlements in Montana after an Afghan refugee was arrested in Missoula. Zabihullah Mohmand, 19, was arrested in Missoula early Sunday morning for sexual intercourse without consent. The victim told police Mohmand told her he was visiting from Afghanistan. He is being held in the Missoula County Detention Facility on a $50,000 bond. Montana Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials confirmed Mohmand is one of 20 individuals in the state as part of the Afghan Placement and Assistance Program. DPHHS Public Information Officer Jon Ebelt, said his office provided information about Mohmand to Governor Greg Gianfortes office. Ebelt said DPHHS manages the Montana State Refugee Program, which is working with people arriving in Montana from Afghanistan. Ebelt said federal agencies are responsible for vetting the refugees prior to their arrival. Republican leaders in the state have been critical of that vetting process. Thursday, Governor Greg Gianforte, Senator Steve Daines and Representative Matt Rosendale issued statements regarding Mohmands arrest. Gov Gianforte called on President Joe Biden to stop resettlements in the state. "While I welcome our fully-vetted Afghan allies to Montana, this situation and others across the country raise serious concerns about whether the Biden administration is meeting its obligations to fully vet Afghans prior to resettlement, the governor said. I'm calling on President Biden to immediately halt resettlements to Montana until federal agencies provide me with adequate assurance that Afghans coming to Montana are fully vetted in accordance with federal law." Sen. Daines said he stands by the governors request. The fallout and consequences from President Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan continue, Sen. Daines said. While I support assisting our fully-vetted Afghan allies who served alongside our armed forces, President Biden has failed to provide answers as to who has come into the country or if they have been fully vetted according to whats required by law. I've spoken to Governor Gianforte about this situation, and I stand with him in calling on President Biden to stop all Afghan resettlements to Montana until we get answers. Sen. Daines office said they received confirmation of Mohmands refugee status from the International Rescue Committee (IRC), after seeing in media reports of his arrest that he was from Afghanistan. A representative from Rosendales office said they received the information from Sen. Daines office and responded on Twitter. We reached out to Democratic Senator Jon Tester's office for a statement. His office sent the following: This report is deeply disturbing, and Senator Tester is closely monitoring the situation to get answers for Montanans. As he has said from the beginning, Senator Tester believes all Afghan evacuees must be fully vetted before being allowed to enter the United States. Montana Right Now reached out, and a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson gave the following statement: Afghan parolees are expected to abide by the laws of the United States, both while in military installations and as resettled members of local communities. Criminal behavior is not tolerated and those who violate the law are subject to prosecution and may be put into removal proceedings. While at military installations, Afghan parolees are briefed about the conditions of their parole and that violating the law violates their parole. Before individuals are permitted to enter the United States, they are subject to rigorous, multi-layered screening and vetting processes that involve biometric and biographic screenings conducted by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and additional Intelligence Community partners. We refer you to the Missoula Police Department for further information. We reached out to the IRC branch in Missoula and was told they could not answer questions. The national office for the IRC has yet to respond. We are working to get more information about the vetting process for refugees. This story will be updated as additional information is available. We noticed there was a bunch of water on the floor in the kitchen and we couldnt figure out where it was coming from, said Alyssa Yerian, who moved to Tucson from Georgia. Body camera footage from the Moab Police Department shows them talking with Brian Laundrie on August 12, 2021. Its a great day for good deeds at Lake of the Ozarks! On Wednesday, Oct. 20, the Make-a-Wish Foundation received a whopping $53,500 donation from the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. Twenty people gathered at OakStar Bank in Camdenton near the square, to celebrate with a check presentation. Make A Wish participates annually in the Shootout with a special event called "Wishing On A Ride." There, Wish-kids and adults with serious illnesses get a chance to take a ride on a powerboat. This year's Wishing On A Ride gave 156 boat rides, and it went beyond boats. In addition to boat rides, more than 20 helicopter rides were provided by Tom Cline Helicopter, and kids and adults were also given the chance to ride in a Lamborghini and on motorcycles. Wishing On A Ride organizer Tiffany Maasen praised the many individuals and organizations that help make the event happen. Big-hearted racers bring their boats and give of their time and fuel and they take such good care of each one of the children, and their families, filling their day with fun and making it an unforgettable boat ride experience! Maasen said. OakStar Bank and Shore Magazine, both named sponsors of the event, were significant donors, with much of the remaining funds coming from the Super Cat Fest For Kids Shootout Auction. During the check presentation event, Alisha Abbott, with Make A Wish Mo/Kan, told her story about being a volunteer wish granter for a little girl named Amelia. Amelias wish was to have a Barbie shopping spree. She was 4 years old and it was such a special and fun day, Abbott said. It was so sweet to hear her say thank you for her wish and the many, many things she purchased. The first stop of the shopping spree was Walmart and we filled up the limo so much that the poor driver had to have items in the front seat next to her. Wishing On A Ride is expected to remain a staple at Shootout 2022 and will continue to provide these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for kids and adults. For more information about Make A Wish, click here. The Shootout is the Lake area's largest fundraising event for local charities, with $445,000 raised this year. Learn more about the Shootout and Shootout charities, at LakeOfTheOzarksShootout.com. If the ghosts of presidents past could talk, what would they say? How would Ulysses S. Grant tell the story of his own life? Lucky for history enthusiasts around Geneva Lake, the Big Foot Community Fine Arts Foundation (BFCFAF) will host actor Wayne Issleb portraying the military leader and eighteenth president on Friday, Oct. 29. Isslebs interactive performance will mark the beginning of the foundations fifth season bringing arts and education to the Big Foot community and beyond. The October event will include a tribute to the late Bruce Thompson, renowned photographer and founding member of the Fine Arts Foundation. Thompsons photography will be on display, presented by his two children, both Big Foot High School alums like their father. After last years programs were cancelled to reduce the spread of COVID-19, BFCFAF President Becky Merwin is excited to resume the foundations mission. Were proud to give folks from all the communities around Geneva Lake to see artists perform that they wouldnt otherwise get to see, Merwin said. Alongside Issleb as President Grant, this years lineup includes Chicagos Shout Section Big Band, pianist Barron Ryan in whose music classic meets cool, songs and stories of the Civil War performed by Bobby Horton, and the famed Apollo Chorus of Chicago. Big Foot High School students will get the opportunity to learn directly from some of these performers. Student musicians will work with the Shout Big Band before the groups performance on Nov. 13. Merwin also hopes to bring in younger students from area feeder schools for the Civil War program. Of course we couldnt do that during COVID, she said. So were excited about that. We want to include our students when we can, when we bring in these outstanding artists. The Fine Arts Foundation has offered a variety of programs since 2016, following the renovation of Big Foot High Schools auditorium. The $1.4 million, 9,000 square-foot remodel brought in modifications for disability access, upgraded lighting and sound, new seating and more. After construction was completed in 2015, Big Foots administration saw an opportunity for community outreach and enrichment. They thought it would be a good opportunity to have activities and events so the community could enjoy the new renovated auditorium, Merwin said. Attendees of the Oct. 29 program will get a chance to enjoy featured works of artist photographer Bruce Thompson in the foyer before the show. Thompson passed away last year in December at age 73, survived by his wife Joan and his children Ben and Emily. A Big Foot High School graduate, Thompson returned to the community in 1979 after completing his studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He brought with him photography experience from Portugal, France, Israel and more. Together, Bruce and Joan Thompson ran the Thompson Gallery & Studio at N1381 US-14 in Walworth. Bruce Thompsons works still live in the gallery, along with pieces by Thompsons father, the late impressionist painter Richard Earl Thompson. (Bruce) was always seen wearing his bright red hat and coat, capturing images of ice boats in the winter and gazing at the breathtaking sunsets on clear summer nights, reads the artists obituary published Dec. 31. Thompson and his wife Joan were founding members of the Fine Arts Foundation at its conception in 2016. He was very involved, Merwin said. We want to honor him and his legacy. Tickets can be purchased online at the BFCFAF website, at 262-275-2117 or in person at the Big Foot Recreation Office located within the high school at 401 Devils Lane. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BRISTOL Kenosha County Sheriffs deputies, attempting to stop a stolen vehicle associated with a homicide in Chicago, shot an armed suspect after the man opened fire on a department K-9 dog late Thursday morning outside the Benson Corners gas station on Highway 50. According to the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department, the injured suspect was taken by ambulance to Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital. The man was reported to be conscious after the shooting according to police radio traffic. At a press conference Thursday afternoon at the nearby Kenosha County Center, Sheriff David Beth said the suspect was shot in the abdomen and leg and was reported to be in surgery as of Thursday afternoon. Beth said Chicago Police asked sheriffs deputies to check for a suspect in a Chicago homicide who was reported to be in a stolen vehicle that they believed was at the Benson Corners Shell Station, 20000 75th St. (Highway 50). Beth said the man was in the victim of the homicides vehicle. Three deputies went to the gas station and convenience store at 11:16 a.m., found the vehicle and attempted a high-risk traffic stop, but the man in the vehicle fled on foot. Sheriff: Commands were loud and clear Beth said while the man and the dog were entangled, the dog was shot and deputies then shot the man. Our deputies did fire more than one shot, I cant tell you how many right now, Beth said. The sheriff said that deputies immediately rendered first aid to the suspect and cared for him until the arrival of Bristol paramedics. The person shot, described by the department only as a white male, was not yet being identified by the department as of Thursday afternoon. Sheriffs Sgt. David Wright said he did not know the mans age or where he is from. He was the only occupant of the vehicle deputies had attempted to stop. Beth said he had no information on the Chicago homicide, and did not know when it occurred. Beth said that Riggs was taken to a veterinary clinic in Illinois for treatment. The dog was also reported to be in surgery Thursday and his condition was not released as of Thursday afternoon. But Beth said that the dog is expected to survive. Beth said Racine County Sheriffs Office was asked to investigate the incident, which the sheriff described as an active investigation. He said the deputies involved in the incident will be on administrative leave while the investigation is underway. Beth said he had spoken to the K9 deputy whose dog was shot in the incident and said he was very emotional. First such incident since 2015 The Kenosha County Sheriffs Department was last involved in a shooting in 2015 when deputies investigating a motorcycle crash shot a Paddock Lake man when he pointed a shotgun at deputies. That shooting was determined to be justified. After Thursdays shooting, law enforcement had the area around Benson Corners, located just west of Highway 45, blocked off by squad cars and tape. Westbound Highway 50 was also closed west of Highway 45 for a time to aid the investigation. This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information is available. Democratic mayors Satya Rhodes-Conway of Madison and Cory Mason of Racine indicated they would be willing to testify regarding the conduction of the 2020 presidential election in their cities so long as the testimony was public, preferably in front of media members and the Legislature, they both said during a call with reporters Thursday. The mayors were among those subpoenaed by Michael Gableman the retired Wisconsin Supreme Court justice picked by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, to lead an investigation of the state's 2020 election to testify in regard to the probe. Gableman requested thousands of documents from Democratic-leaning cities at the beginning of the month and had demanded, through subpoenas signed by Vos, that the mayors and certain other city staff members testify at his office on Brookfield. But within a week, Gableman changed course and said there wouldn't be any such testimony at this time. We keep getting really mixed messages from Gableman and his folks," Rhodes-Conway said in response to a question from Matt Smith, a politics reporter with WISN-TV. Of the potential of testifying, Mason said: That should be in the Legislature, where the public is able to interact and see what is going on. We will wait to see what is next. After the subpoenas were issued, City of Racine officials called to testify had not indicated whether they would comply before Gableman changed course. Rhodes-Conway has said she would testify being told that wouldn't be necessary. Take advantage of this limited-time offer Stay connected with local news, sports and politics. Unlock six months of unlimited access for only $1. During Thursday's press call, Rhodes-Conway complimented the directness of Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, who on Oct. 12 called the probe a "fake investigation" and claimed its affiliated subpoenas were unlawful for, among other things, being overly broad and almost impossible to fulfill by deadlines given due to their size. Kaul also questioned whether Gableman had the legal right to grant immunity to those he called to testify, as Gableman had promised to the displeasure of state Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, and others who have claimed that laws were broken by cities' elections officials despite no courts or investigators having determined that. Kaul also questioned if a planned, behind-closed-doors meeting with Wisconsin Elections Commission Meagan Wolfe or other officials would be legal. Kaul called Gableman's request on that matter "improper," attesting that such meetings should be in front of the Legislature. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) The FBI on Thursday identified human remains found in a Florida nature preserve as those of Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the death of girlfriend Gabby Petito while the couple was on a cross-country road trip. The remains, a backpack and notebook believed to belong to Laundrie were discovered Wednesday in a Florida wilderness park, according to the FBI. The area where they were found had been under water during earlier searches. The FBI's Denver office said in a news release a comparison of dental records confirmed that the remains were Laundrie. A lawyer for his parents, Steve Bertolino, also confirmed in a statement they were told the remains were those of their son. We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundries privacy at this time, the statement said. The FBI statement did not list a cause of death. It wasn't clear how long the remains may have been submerged in water. The discovery of the remains concluded a massive search involving federal, state and local law enforcement that began shortly after Laundrie disappeared Sept. 14, two weeks after the 23-year-old returned alone to his parents home in North Port, Florida. The investigation into Petito's slaying, however, is not yet concluded. But only Laundrie has ever been identified by law enforcement officials as a person of interest in the case. Petitos family reported her missing Sept. 11, launching a search that garnered worldwide media attention and, in Laundrie's case, focused largely on the Carlton Reserve wilderness park near the Laundrie home. It is a densely wooded, swampy area that's home to alligators, coyotes, bobcats, snakes and numerous other creatures. The couple first met as teenagers on Long Island, New York, and more recently moved to Florida's Gulf Coast to live with his parents. They first gained an online following while on their trip in a converted Ford Transit van in videos filled with happy scenes that may have concealed deeper problems. After Petito disappeared, the case became a true-crime obsession on social media. The intense focus on Petitos case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing Indigenous women and other people of color. Petito, 22, was white. Her body was found Sept. 19 on the edge of Wyomings Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. The coroner there concluded she died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks. The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no domestic violence charges were filed. The police department there is conducting an internal review to determine if policy was followed. Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the van the couple took on their trip, which was later impounded by authorities. He was reported missing after telling his parents that he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve. Dozens of unconfirmed tips poured into authorities about spotting Laundrie from Wyoming to the Appalachian Trail, but none panned out. The remains were found Wednesday as searches concentrated on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found. That park is directly adjacent to the Carlton Reserve, both of which are about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Sarasota, Florida. Laundrie was charged in a federal Wyoming indictment with unauthorized use of a debit card, which alleged Laundrie used a Capital One Bank card and someones personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000. It does not say to whom the card belonged or what type of charges were made. Had Laundrie lived, that indictment would have permitted authorities to arrest him. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. A missing Onalaska 3-year-old has been found dead in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Police Department said the body of Major Harris was discovered Thursday close to where his mother, 25-year-old Mallery Muenzenberger, was found shot to death Oct. 14. Milwaukee police arrested six people Wednesday in connection with Muenzenberger's death but have yet to release their names. Four days after Muenzenberger's body was discovered, Milwaukee police found a person of interest in Muenzenberger's death and Major's disapperance, 20-year-old Jaheem Clark, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Major was reportedly seen in La Crosse Oct. 9 with Clark, and one report says the boy's last known location was at the residence where Muenzenberger's body was found. An Amber Alert for Major was issued Oct. 16. Police found the vehicle driven by Clark in Milwaukee Oct. 18. Muenzenberger's family earlier Thursday issued a plea for Major's safe return and said they are "heartbroken" over Muenzenberger's death. "It has truly been a helpless feeling for all of us that have not been able to assist in the search for Major due to having to prepare for Mallerys funeral," the statement reads. The statement describes Muenzenberger as a "beautiful kind soul who loved her little boy with all of her heart." It says Muenzenberger worked two jobs while raising Major as a single mother. "You couldnt help but be drawn to her lovable personality," the statement says. "She had a quiet innocence about her. She never had to be the center of attention; more than likely she was the one smirking in the corner of the room with that devious look of hers. Mallerys life will not be forgotten. We will never let her memory go." The family said Muenzenberger died as a result of domestic violence. "Mallery became involved in a life she never shared with our family," the statement says. "She was much too private. She was an honest person with too much trust, we have found out." The statement thanked the Milwaukee Police Department for its efforts in the case and said "we will continue to search for her beautiful baby boy, Major, and bring him home to La Crosse." Major's father, Carlton Harris, also issued an appeal for his safe return during a Wednesday press conference in Milwaukee. He has been critical of police response to the case. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Milwaukee police at 414-935-7405. The Associated Press contributed to this story. SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a Cook County tax on gun purchases is unconstitutional, but it left the door open for a more tailored tax that specifically goes toward mitigating gun violence and its effects. The Cook County gun tax, which took effect in April 2013, imposed a $25 fee for retail gun purchases in the county, as well as a 5 cent fee per cartridge of centerfire ammunition and 1 cent per cartridge fee for rimfire ammunition. The taxes were challenged by the trade group Guns Save Life Inc. in a lawsuit against the county. The Supreme Courts Thursday opinion, written by Justice Mary Jane Theis, stated that, While the taxes do not directly burden a law-abiding citizens right to use a firearm for self-defense, they do directly burden a law-abiding citizens right to acquire a firearm and the necessary ammunition for self-defense. In the 14-page, 6-0 opinion, the Supreme Court reversed an appellate court ruling that would have allowed the taxes to stay in place. Chief Justice Anne Burke did not take part in the decision. While the court rejected the tax, it did specifically note that the countys failure to earmark the revenue from the tax for gun violence prevention programs played a major role in the decision. It gave particular scrutiny to the question of whether the tax violated the uniformity clause of the Illinois Constitution, which states: In any law classifying the subjects or objects of non-property taxes or fees, the classes shall be reasonable and the subjects and objects within each class shall be taxed uniformly. Citing previous court precedent related to that clause, the court wrote it had to determine whether the tax on guns bears some reasonable relationship to the object of the legislation or to public policy. Under the plain language of the ordinances, the revenue generated from the firearm tax is not directed to any fund or program specifically related to curbing the cost of gun violence, the court wrote. Additionally, nothing in the ordinance indicates that the proceeds generated from the ammunition tax must be specifically directed to initiatives aimed at reducing gun violence. Thus, we hold the tax ordinances are unconstitutional under the uniformity clause. Justice Michael Burke agreed with the opinion, but issued a four-page special concurrence disagreeing with the majoritys analysis that the countys spending plans affected whether the tax was permissible. The majoritys analysis is problematic because it leaves space for a municipality to enact a future tax singling out guns and ammunition sales that is more narrowly tailored to the purpose of ameliorating gun violence, Michael Burke wrote. He argued the majority opinion is leading the county down a road of futility, citing Article 1, Section 22 of the state constitution, which reads: Subject only to the police power, the right of the individual citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The only problem with the majoritys approach and the guidance it offers the county is that such counsel, if followed, would still violate the provision of the Illinois Constitution noted above that plainly states that the right of the individual to keep and bear arms is subject only to the police power, not the power to tax, he wrote. Thus, the majority is leading the county down a road of futility, he added. One major precedent cited by the court was from Boynton vs. Kusper, a 1986 Supreme Court ruling which struck down a $10 state tax on marriage licenses in certain counties that went to the Domestic Violence Shelter and Services fund. The court said at the time the marriage license tax directly impeded the exercise of the fundamental right to marry, and should be subject to greater scrutiny. The court ruled in the Boynton case that even though the $10 fee was de minimis, or small, if the court granted that authority, it would essentially mean there is no limit on the amount of the tax that may be imposed, according to previous case law. The same argument can be applied to the gun tax, the court wrote, noting that a stricter level of scrutiny is needed because the tax applies to a fundamental right. Given that necessary scrutiny, the court ruled the gun taxes unconstitutional. In applying that standard to the firearm and ammunition taxes, we recognize that the uniformity clause was not designed as a straitjacket for the county and acknowledge the costs that gun violence imposes on society, the court wrote. Nevertheless, the relationship between the tax classification and the use of the tax proceeds is not sufficiently tied to the stated objective of ameliorating those costs. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has asked a Dane County Circuit Court judge to prohibit former Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman from enforcing subpoenas he filed with the state elections commission as part of an ongoing investigation into how the 2020 election was conducted. Kauls request for a restraining order, which was filed Thursday, alleges Gablemans special counsel has issued numerous subpoenas to state and local election officials in furtherance of an unlawful investigation focused on debunked theories about the November 2020 Election. The motion for a restraining order relates to subpoenas issued to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which Kaul represents, and its administrator, Meagan Wolfe. Kauls motion comes about one week after the state Department of Justice and Gableman, who was hired by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, to lead the probe, reached a mutual agreement to reduce the special counsels overall request for election-related documents. Gableman also agreed to hold off on his initial demand to have Wolfe and the mayors and city clerks in the states largest cities testify in private meetings last Friday, though he did reserve the right to request interviews in the future. In Thursdays motion, Kaul said Gablemans subpoenas suffer multiple legal defects and should be invalidated on those legal bases. He added that subpoenas requesting depositions have no basis in statute and exceed the scope of legislative authority. Kaul said Wolfe and Elections Commission officials stand ready to provide testimony and additional documents for the investigation, but only to the state Legislature or one of its committees. But the current Subpoenas, infected with the numerous legal flaws discussed herein, cannot be lawfully enforced and must therefore be immediately enjoined, he wrote in the motion. Kaul earlier this month questioned the legality of the subpoenas, while calling on Vos to call off the fake investigation that he said has been irrevocably tainted by bias. Vos responded earlier this month that Gablemans investigation would continue. Gablemans special counsel and Vos office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. During an interview with Wisconsin Public Radios The Morning Show, on Tuesday, Vos said the investigation, which had originally been planned to be complete by the end of October, will now be finished before the end of the year. Vos did not say if the investigation could cost more than the $676,000 in taxpayer dollars allocated to the effort in June. In the interview, Vos said the goal of the investigation is to shine a light on all of the problems that occurred in 2020 so we dont see them happening again in 2022 and going forward. If theres nothing to hide, why are there all these Democrats literally now working with liberal lawyers to try to ensure that nothing becomes public and that nothing sees the light of day? They obviously have something to hide, Vos said. The one-party investigation 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. A recount and court decisions have affirmed that President Joe 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. The nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau is also reviewing the 2020 election. That review was also ordered by Republicans and is expected to be completed this fall. Eric Hurlock is digital editor at Lancaster Farming and host of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast. He can be reached at (717) 721-4462 or ehurlock@lancasterfarming.com African swine fever would be bad enough if it hit a a U.S. farm. But if the deadly disease were to infect feral hogs, the nations swine industry could be in for a long-running nightmare. Walking her Milking Shorthorn under a bright spotlight in the Large Arena of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, Natalee Zug was part of the Premier National Junior Show supreme champion pageant on Sept. 20 at the All-American Dairy Show. The University of Maryland plans to begin a mentoring program pairing agronomy students with farmers for most of their college years. Its a pairing meant to immerse students in the community and culture of farming while giving them the benefit of experience. For farmers, its a chance to pass on their skills and influence a younger generation still trying to find its way. New Delhi [India], October 22 (ANI): The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav underlined the need for initiating the process to resolve all the pending issues between the countries at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) during his discussion with Executive VP of European Green Deal. Minister held the meeting with the Executive Vice President for European Green Deal, European Union, Frans Timmermans on Thursday to discuss the issues related to COP26, European Union, Indian climate policies and bilateral relations between India and EU, as per the press note released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Also Read | Bihar Horror: Angry Man Throws Acid on Wife, Children After Verbal Spat in Saharsa District, Booked. "At COP 26, all important pending issues should be resolved mutually taking into account national priorities and circumstances," said Yadav. The release further said, Yadav highlighted India's ambitious climate action plans under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards a green transition covering the priority areas of renewable energy, sustainable transport including e-vehicles, energy efficiency, forest, and biodiversity conservation, etc. Also Read | Uttarakhand Rains: 64 Dead in Rain-Related Incidents, 3,500 People Rescued So Far; Over 16,000 Evacuated to Safer Places. "Applauding, India's leadership on Climate Actions, Timmermans said that the whole World is in admiration of India's ambitious target of 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030," reads the release. COP26 is scheduled to be held from October 31 to November 12 at Glasgow in the United Kingdom. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], October 22 (ANI): While hearing the Dhanbad Judge death case, Jharkhand High Court on Friday said that the investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case is at the same place where it was earlier. A bench headed by the Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court Justice Ravi Ranjan and comprising of Justice Sujeet Narayan said, " the CBI has once again disappointed. Investigation pace is at the same place where it was earlier". Also Read | Apple iPhone SE 3 With LCD Display Likely To Be Launched in Q1 2022: Report. The court came down heavily on the agency and expressed strong discontent stating that the agency "did not inform the High Court before filing the charge sheet despite the bench comprising the chief justice monitoring the process". The court has also asked the CBI Director to be present at the next hearing through video conferencing. Also Read | Assam Shocker: 3 Minors Sent to Juvenile Home for Killing 6-Yr-Old Girl Who Refused To Watch Porn in Nagaon. The next hearing of the case is scheduled on October 29. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday has filed a charge sheet before a special court in Jharkhand in connection with Dhanbad judge Uttam Anand, who was allegedly mowed down by an autorickshaw. The case has been registered under Sections 302 (Murder), 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offence), and 34 (Common Intention). Further investigation is underway. Uttam Anand was an Additional District Judge posted in the Dhanbad district of Jharkhand was allegedly murdered after being mowed down by an autorickshaw in July this year. Two people involved in the alleged killing were arrested by Jharkhand police, and the vehicle used for the crime was seized. On August 19, CBI submitted a progress report of probe into the death of Dhanbad additional session judge Uttam Anand in a sealed cover in the Jharkhand High Court. The Supreme Court had also taken a suo motu cognizance of the alleged killing of ASG Anand. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand), Oct 22 (PTI) Two more members of an 11-strong trekking team which had gone missing have been found dead taking the death toll to seven, while a search was underway for the remaining two, officials said here on Friday. Two members of the team had been rescued alive on Thursday. They are injured and being treated in Harsil and Uttarkashi, an official said. Also Read | Hyderabad Shocker: Two Minor Girls Raped in Separate Incidents, 1 Accused Arrested. They had gone missing on a trek to Chitkul in Himachal Pradesh via Harsil in Uttarkashi. Search and rescue teams from Uttarkashi spotted five bodies of trekkers on Thursday, while two members of the team were found dead by a rescue team in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarkashi district disaster management officer Devendra Patwal said. Also Read | AP EAMCET 2021 Counselling Dates Announced, Check Complete Schedule and Important Dates Here. A search is on for the two missing members of the team on a war footing with the help of a helicopter, Colonel Rajendra Prasad of 9 Bihar Regiment said. The team consisting of eight trekkers -- one from Delhi and the rest from West Bengal -- and three cooks went missing on a trek to Chitkul recently. They had begun the trek from Harsil in Uttarkashi district on October 11 and were to reach Chitkul via Lamkhaga pass. Members of the trekking team included Anita Rawat (38) from Delhi, Mithun Dari (31) from West Bengal, Tanmay Tiwari (30), Vikash Makal (33), Saurav Ghosh (34), Saviayan Das (28), Richard Mandal (30) and Suken Manjhi (43), all from Kolkata. The cooking staff have been identified as Devendra (37), Gyan Chandra (33) and Upendra (32) all from Purola in Uttarkashi. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Oct 22 (PTI) Top US officials from the FBI and the Department of Justice have held a meeting with their counterparts from the CBI to further strengthen the law enforcement cooperation between India and America, according to an official statement. The Department of Justice on Thursday said that the meeting took place in New Delhi this week and the US delegation was led by Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun G Rao. Also Read | Hong Kong's Wet Markets Report Outbreak of Bacterial Infection Linked to Freshwater Fish, 7 Dead So Far; Authorities on Alert. It said in the statement that top officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) along with those from the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch of Department of Justice and the Consumer Protection Branch met with their counterparts from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They discussed means for combating emerging crime trends, including fighting rising telemarketing fraud, it said. Also Read | China Fights New COVID-19 Outbreak; Hundreds of Flights Cancelled, Schools and Tourist Sites Shut, Testing Ramped Up. In their meetings, the parties affirmed their shared commitment to strengthen cooperation in combating crime, specifically with respect to efforts to investigate and prosecute cyber-enabled financial frauds and global telemarketing frauds, including international robocalls and communications, it said. They additionally discussed the need for continued cooperation in tackling emerging technology-based crimes through faster information exchange and evidence sharing, with a view to ensure security and protection of citizens of both jurisdictions, the Department of Justice added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Oct 22 (AP) Vice President Kamala Harris will head next month to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the White House. The White House announced Harris' visit to France as President Joe Biden and Macron spoke by phone on Friday. The two presidents are scheduled to meet in Rome later this month on the margins of the Group of 20 summit. Also Read | China Bans Quran Apps, LinkedIn and Yahoo News As Major Crack Down on Foreign Content. Macron's office said in a statement that he and Biden discussed the establishment of a stronger European defense, complementary to NATO and contributing to global security. In addition to meeting with Macron, Harris will deliver a speech on Nov. 11 at the annual Paris Peace Forum and participate the following day in the Paris Conference on Libya. She will be joined by her husband Douglas Emhoff for the visit. Also Read | Jupiter Hit by Another Space Rock in Rare Views Captured by Skywatchers in Japan. The scheduled meeting comes amid an effort by the Biden administration to soothe its relationship with the French which became strained by a U.S. deal announced last month to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. The move by the U.S. undercut a more than $60 billion deal by a French defense contractor to sell diesel-powered submarines to Australia. They will discuss the importance of the transatlantic relationship to global peace and security and underscore the importance of our partnership on global challenges from COVID-19 and the climate crisis to issues affecting the Sahel and the Indo-Pacific, Harris senior adviser Symone Sanders said in a statement. Harris and Emhoff's visit coincides with Veterans Day in the U.S. and Armistice Day in France. The two plan to mark the solemn commemorations with a visit to Suresnes American Cemetery outside Paris, Sanders said. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Berlin, Oct 23 (AP) Large technology companies such as SAP, IBM and Google are underreporting their greenhouse gas emissions at a time of heightened scrutiny over the role of corporations in driving climate change, a study released Friday claimed. Research published in the journal Nature Communications found inconsistencies in the way companies declare their carbon footprint, a measure that is increasingly considered important for investors. Also Read | China Bans Quran Apps, LinkedIn and Yahoo News As Major Crack Down on Foreign Content. The study, conducted by researchers at the Technical University of Munich, examined so-called scope 3 emissions that account for a large share of corporate carbon footprints, such as business travel, employee commuting and how companies' products are used. Focusing on 56 companies in the tech industry, they found that on average these failed to disclose about half of their emissions. Also Read | Jupiter Hit by Another Space Rock in Rare Views Captured by Skywatchers in Japan. Christian Stoll, one of the report's authors, said some companies such as Google's parent Alphabet were found to have been consistent in how they reported their carbon footprint, but excluded some emissions that should have been counted. Others, such as IBM, had reported their carbon footprint differently depending on the audience and excluded emissions that should have been included. Neither Google nor IBM immediately responded to requests for comment. The authors suggested ways in which companies can improve their emissions reporting. Laura Draucker, senior manager of corporate greenhouse gas emissions at nonprofit business research firm Ceres, said she agreed with the Nature paper's conclusion that companies' emissions disclosure needs to improve. However, we cannot wait for perfect data, said Draucker, who wasn't involved in the study. Companies can use estimates and screening tools to identify hot spots for climate risk along their value chain, and they can set goals and take actions now to meet those goals while at the same time, working to improve data collection and quality. Ceres' own research showed many of the largest U.S companies lack ambitious climate goals, she added. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bangkok, Oct 22 (AP) Five men robbed a bank in Yangon on Friday, in at least the third major bank heist in Myanmar's largest city in just over three months, the military-installed government said. The government blamed the previous robberies on opposition groups opposed to military rule, though none is known to have claimed responsibility. Also Read | China Bans Quran Apps, LinkedIn and Yahoo News As Major Crack Down on Foreign Content. Friday's robbery, in which 313,910,000 kyats (about $157,000) was reported stolen, took place at a KBZ Bank branch in a shopping mall in Yangon's Botahtaung neighborhood, the government's information team said in a statement posted on the Facebook page of People Media, an online news site. KBZ, also known as Kanbawza Bank, is a private commercial bank and has the largest number of branches in the country. Also Read | Jupiter Hit by Another Space Rock in Rare Views Captured by Skywatchers in Japan. There is widespread opposition to the military's ouster of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February. Opponents initially staged peaceful protests but confrontations have escalated after authorities used deadly force to quell the demonstrations. A low-level insurgency is occurring in many parts of the country, with opponents of the military employing violence in self-defense and in targeted killings and sabotage. Banks are generally unpopular with opponents of military rule because they are seen as helping to prop it up with measures such as strict currency controls. The economy has nosedived since the army takeover, due in part to general unrest, a civil disobedience movement and foreign sanctions targeting the military and its cronies. Two branches of the government-owned Global Treasure Bank in Yangon were robbed in July and August. At least seven people were arrested in September in connection with those incidents. The government's information team said the seven stole more than 100 million kyats ($68,000) which was used to fund anti-government militants in Yangon and buy ammunition for them. The government said Friday's robbers arrived in a white Toyota sedan and beat a guard and wielded pistols before seizing the money and fleeing. A woman who was making a withdrawal from the bank said the robbery lasted about 10 minutes. The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for her safety, said the robbers forced those inside the bank to close their eyes and lie on the floor, and seized the cellphones of customers and staff. There were no shots fired, she said. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Oct 22 (PTI) Top US lawmakers have congratulated India after the cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country surpassed the 100-crore milestone, saying India's success will help the world defeat the pandemic. Congressman Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday said: Congratulations to India on reaching this important milestone in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Also Read | Hong Kong's Wet Markets Report Outbreak of Bacterial Infection Linked to Freshwater Fish, 7 Dead So Far; Authorities on Alert. As a global leader in pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing, India's success will help the world defeat this pandemic, he said. Great to see that India has reached 1 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccination. What an achievement! Senator Steve Daines from Montana said. Also Read | China Fights New COVID-19 Outbreak; Hundreds of Flights Cancelled, Schools and Tourist Sites Shut, Testing Ramped Up. Congresswoman Robin Kelly said India has now administered more than one billion doses of the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine. This is a promising milestone. Vaccination rates across the world are an important factor in our global recovery from this pandemic, she said. The New York Times said the billion-dose milestone represented a turnaround in a vaccination drive that got off to a slow start, as India's governing party prioritised elections and took up a lax attitude in tackling the virus, continuing to hold crowded political rallies and allowing religious festivals to take place even as cases surged. Wishes also poured in for India from the World Health Organisation and the leadership of Israel, Bhutan and Sri Lanka along with other countries, after it scripted history on Thursday with the cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country surpassing the 100-crore milestone. Vaccine Maitri is a humanitarian initiative undertaken by the Indian government to provide COVID-19 vaccines to countries around the world. The government started providing vaccines from January 20. India has so far delivered around 66.3 million doses of vaccines to 95 countries, including Canada, the UK, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Nepal, South Africa, Ukraine and Bahrain. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Clare (US), Oct 22 (AP) Authorities on Thursday arrested a woman whom they had been seeking in the deaths of four people in central Michigan. Clare County Sheriff John Wilson said Judy Boyer was taken into custody about 10:40 a.m. Thursday, the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun reported. Also Read | Hong Kong's Wet Markets Report Outbreak of Bacterial Infection Linked to Freshwater Fish, 7 Dead So Far; Authorities on Alert. Authorities had been looking for Boyer, 54, since Wednesday night. She had not been charged in the deaths as of Thursday afternoon. Two men, ages 39 and 36, were found wounded about 4 p.m. Wednesday in Clare after police responded to reports of a shooting. Those men later died, police said. Also Read | China Fights New COVID-19 Outbreak; Hundreds of Flights Cancelled, Schools and Tourist Sites Shut, Testing Ramped Up. The bodies of an 85-year-old man and 61-year-old woman were found elsewhere on the same property, Wilson said Thursday. Authorities did not say how they died and did not disclose a possible motive for the killings. Wilson said police were searching a house in nearby Wexford County when they found Boyer, WNEM-TV reported. And they checked it and she was there this morning, Wilson said. It's a big weight off your shoulders when you get somebody that you believe is involved in something like this. Criminal charges many not be filed until Monday, he added. Clare is about 160 miles (257 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. According to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, only three mass shootings occurred at public places in 2020 the lowest total for that category in a decade out of 19 total mass shootings. The database tracks all mass killings including shootings, defined as four or more people dead not including the perpetrator. According to that definition and assuming the victims in Clare were slain within 24 hours, there have been 27 mass killings, 25 of those shootings, already this year, said James Alan Fox, a criminologist and professor at Northeastern University. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Beijing, October 21: Hong Kong is grappling with a health scare after an outbreak of a potentially dangerous bacterial infection which is being linked to freshwater fish. According to a report by hongkongfp.com, seafood experts have cautioned shoppers against touching freshwater fish at these wet markets. The warning comes after health authorities saw 79 cases of the invasive Group B Streptococcus bacteria infection in September and October 2021. The report adds that as many as seven deaths were reported to be linked to the outbreak. According to the report, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) on Thursday confirmed that it had identified a cluster of 32 people infected by the same ST283 strain of the bacteria. It added that a surge in the number of infections were observed as compared to nearly 26 cases per month. The new cases that were reported were connected to a wet market in Tsuen Wan, and a company in Yuen Long. China Fights New COVID-19 Outbreak; Hundreds of Flights Cancelled, Schools and Tourist Sites Shut, Testing Ramped Up. A statement by the CHP was quoted in the report saying that a probe into the infection showed that some of the patients had a history of handling freshwater fish, including grass carp, before onset. Some of them had reported the handling of raw freshwater fish with hand wounds. Group B Streptococcus bacteria infection The Group B Streptococcus, also known as Group B Strep, is commonly seen in the intestinal, urinary and reproductive tracts. It usually does not cause harm in healthy adults and does not lead to any symptoms, but it has the potential to cause infections in blood, bone, lungs or the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. However, it can be dangerous to newborns, the elderly, or the ones with underlying health conditions like chronic illnesses. The common symptoms include pneumonia, urinary tract infections (UTI), blood infections, or skin infections. In the wake of the outbreak, experts have urged the public to avoid eating raw seafood. A report by South China Morning Post informed that an alert was sounded after 79 cases of invasive Group B Streptococcus bacteria infection were detected in patients at public hospitals between September and October 10. The Centre for Health Protection reported another nine cases on Thursday, bringing the total to 88. The report adds that cases have been linked to grass carp, bighead carp and snakehead fish. The South China Morning Post quoted Lee Choi-wah, chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Seafood Merchants, saying that he feared businesses would be hurt, and urged sellers and shoppers to take precautions when handling fish. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 21, 2021 10:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). The #Kuwait International Airport is ready to operate at full capacity from Sunday, according to aviation authorities. pic.twitter.com/LoUCSkHYmb IANS Tweets (@ians_india) October 22, 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.) The #US announced that it has reached a deal with Austria, the UK, France, Italy and Spain on digital services taxes (DSTs) during the interim period prior to the implementation of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) global tax agreement. pic.twitter.com/URKvBP0Zms IANS Tweets (@ians_india) October 22, 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.) Actor Brandon Lee, the 28-year-old son of the late kung fu star Bruce Lee, was killed Wednesday after a small explosive charge used to simulate gunfire went off inside a grocery bag during filming on a movie set in Wilmington, N.C. Lee, who many believed was on the threshold of stardom similar to that attained by his father two decades earlier, had been working on the $14-million movie The Crow, produced by Edward Pressman and Jeff Most. Lee played a rock star brought back from the grave who adopts the persona of a night bird to avenge his own and his girlfriends untimely deaths. For the scene, directed by Alex Proyas, Lee was walking through a doorway carrying the grocery bag as another actor fired blanks at him from 15 feet away, police said. At that moment, according to a spokesman for the producers, Lee activated a toggle switch underneath the grocery bag and set off the small charge, called a squib, a device commonly used on movie sets to simulate the effects of gunfire. Advertisement It wasnt the first time they tried the scene, the spokesman said. But this time, Lee was struck in the abdomen by a projectile, which lodged in his body. It is still unclear whether the projectile came from the gun or the grocery bag or both. When the other actor fired a shot, the explosive charge went off inside the bag, said Wilmington police Officer Michael Overton. After that, we dont know what happened. Police released only sketchy details of the incident, declining to identify the actor who fired the gun or who else on the Carolco Studios set was a witness. Wilmington police Sgt. R.E. Norvell said detectives would have to wait for an autopsy--which is planned for today--to find out what kind of projectile struck the actor. Police said that the incident was being treated as an accident, but was still under investigation. Lee collapsed on the set at 12:30 a.m. and was rushed to New Hanover Regional Medical Center. Doctors said he showed vital signs when he arrived at the emergency room but was unresponsive. The actor died at 1:04 p.m. after surgery without regaining consciousness, a hospital spokeswoman said. Lees mother was at the hospital when he died, the spokeswoman said. Surgeon Warren W. McMurray said Lee suffered intestinal injuries and major vascular injuries with extensive bleeding. He said the entry wound was the size of a silver dollar, and that X-rays showed a metallic object lodged against Lees spine. A source close to the actor said Lee suffered two severed arteries. Filming, which began on Feb. 1 and had eight more days to go, was temporarily suspended. Proyas, the director, did not issue a statement after Lees death. Spokesman Harry Clein said he believed that Proyas was beside the camera or looking at the monitor when the explosion occurred. John Soet, editor of Inside Kung Fu magazine, had known Brandon Lee since the actor was a child. Ive worked in films and directed a few low-budget features. As powerful as squibs are, I cant recall a single incident where anyone was (seriously) injured by them, he said. Generally, they are pretty powerful, he added. They do carry a hefty explosive charge. If you are not well-padded, you can get a bruise even if it goes off correctly. The movie set had been the scene of a February incident, Wilmington fire officials said, in which a carpenter was severely burned by power lines. There was also a magazine report recently that a disgruntled sculptor went berserk on the backlot and drove a car through the studios plaster shop. Lees publicist, Alan Nierob, told Reuters in Los Angeles that Lee had a promising career ahead of him and was engaged to be married this month to Eliza Hutton, who works for a film production company in Los Angeles. He wanted to take his career step by step, Nierob said. He had a nice touch for both comedy and drama. I was just stunned. Lees death came almost 20 years after the mysterious death of his father, who reached international superstardom in kung fu movies like Enter the Dragon and Fists of Fury. Bruce Lee died of a cerebral edema on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32. A handsome Eurasian, Brandon Lee was born in Oakland. He spent the first eight years of his life in Hong Kong and then moved with his mother, Linda, and sister, Shannon, to Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. Friends said Lee spent years trying to avoid living under his fathers lengthening shadow. He avoided taking up kung fu. He didnt want to step in his fathers footsteps, said screenwriter Lee Lankford. Eventually he gave up, to be an action star like his father. They were grooming Brandon to be a big star. His first professional job as an actor came at age 20, when he had a part in the CBS movie Kung Fu: The Movie, starring David Carradine. He went on to make several low-budget action films overseas, including Legacy of Rage and Laser Mission. In 1991, he teamed with actor Dolph Lundgren in Showdown in Little Tokyo, his debut in an American feature film. Los Angeles Times critic Kevin Thomas called Showdown in Little Tokyo a smart, fast-moving martial arts action-adventure and said Lee was humorous in his role. Last summer, Lee starred in 20th Century Foxs Rapid Fire, the first in a three-picture deal the actor had with the studio. The Crow did not yet have a domestic distributor. Lee was known as something of a comedian to his friends. Some recalled how he once drove around Los Angeles in a hearse, while others said he could act wild and weird. Instead of knocking on your door, Lankford recalled, he would climb up the wall of your house and go in through your window just for the fun of it. The search for Gabby Petito's fiance finally came to an end on Thursday as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed that the human remains discovered in the Florida park on Wednesday belonged to Brian Laundrie. It can be recalled that the skeletal remains were found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port, Florida, on Wednesday, ABC News reported. The said park was known to be the center of the search for Laundrie. Aside from the skeletal remains confirmed to be Laundrie, his personal belonging such as his notebook and his backpack were also discovered in the area. It was still unclear what was written on the notebook and what was inside the backpack discovered by the authorities. Moreover, it was also unclear what caused Laundrie's death. READ NEXT: Brian Laundrie Manhunt: Human Remains Found Along Possession of Gabby Petito's Fiance in Florida Park Human Remains Found in Florida Park Confirmed to be Brian Laundrie The partial remains were confirmed to belong to the Florida fugitive after a review of dental records was conducted by the authorities, NBC News reported. "On October 21, 2021, a comparison of dental records confirmed that the human remains found at the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve and Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park are those of Brian Laundrie," FBI public affairs specialist Amy Jewett Sampson said in a statement. Just before the news about the confirmation of the remains surfaced, law enforcement officers reportedly visited Laundrie's home for about two minutes, Fox News reported. Laundrie's attorney, Steve Bertolino, said that the parents of Petito's fiance were informed about the search's development. "Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed that the remains found yesterday in the reserve are indeed Brian's," Bertolino said, adding that the elder Laundries have no comment at this time. The lawyer also urged the public to respect the privacy of the Laundries' family at this time. Meanwhile, Petito's family did not also comment on the discovery of Laundrie's remains. "Gabby's [Petito] family is not doing interviews or making a statement right now... They are grieving the loss of their beautiful daughter," Petito's attorney, Rick Stafford said, adding that Petito's side will give comments when they are "emotionally ready." Ex-Police Chief Thinks the Discovery of Laundrie's Remains Is "Quite Strange" Despite the confirmation of Laundrie's remains, a former police chief thinks that the discovery of the body in the Florida park was "quite strange." Former New York Police Department Chief of Detectives, Robert Boyce, said to Eyewitness News there are "too many strange turns that Chris and Roberta Laundrie haven't been involved in it [disappearance] to not believe that something is amiss here." "The day the park reopens, they go into this specific area... they go to this exact spot, and they find the backpack and they identify the backpack from what I understand and the notebook in this particular area, so it's quite strange," Boyce emphasized. The former police chief also noted that the discovery of the remains on the "remote location" was odd. "So they go to this location... and they're being told by the FBI that all of a sudden they found something, 'we found remains'... there's a lot of things here that don't add up to coincidence," Boyce furthered, adding that it makes people "wonder" how Laundrie's parents got to the area and "what they knew all along." It can be recalled that Laundrie's parents helped lead the FBI and the North Port police to the Florida park where Laundrie's possessions and remains were discovered. Gabby Petito went missing on a road trip with his fiance Brian Laundrie. Her remains were found in a Wyoming campground on September 19, and her cause of death was ruled to be strangulation. Meanwhile, Laundrie went home alone in Florida on September 1. He was reported missing by her parents on September 17, and his parents claimed that they last saw him on September 13. Laundrie was charged with debit card fraud, but he was never charged with the death of his fiancee. READ NEXT: Dog the Bounty Hunter to Hunt for Brian Laundrie Again if He's Still Alive, but Family Lawyer Says Remains Found in Florida Park Are Likely His This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: Brian Laundrie's 'Bones' Found in Previously Underwater Area of Florida Preserve: FBI - From FOX 13 Tampa Bay The National Institutes of Health has admitted funding gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses at China's Wuhan lab. A top NIH official also revealed that EcoHealth, the U.S. non-profit that was funded by NIH money, was not transparent about the work it was doing, according to a National Review report. Dr. Anthony Fauci had earlier insisted to Congress that no such thing had happened. Republican Sen. Rand Paul was put into a heated argument with the National Institute of Health and Infectious disease director in May and July testimonials. A letter to Rep. James Comer cites that "limited experiment" tested to see if "spike proteins from naturally occurring bat coronaviruses circulating in China" can be bound to the human ACES receptor in a mouse model. Lawrence A. Tabak of NIH said that the lab mice infected with the modified bat virus had become sicker than those infected with the unmodified type. READ NEXT: Dr. Anthony Fauci Misled Trump Administration to Kickstart Gain-of-Function Research in Wuhan, New Book Claims Gain-of-Function Research in Wuhan Lab Fauci has repeatedly gone against Republican senators for accusing him of lying about the funded gain-of-function research, particularly Paul. Paul had taken to Twitter his sentiments after the emergency of the NIH letter, saying "I told you so" is not even enough to cover it, according to a New York Post report. Tabak had not used the term gain-of-function research in his letter. However, he applied it. He added that EcoHealth failed to comply with the grant terms, requiring them to immediately report a one log increase in growth. Tabak said in his letter that EcoHealth is being notified that they have five days to submit to NIH any and all unpublished data from the experiments, as well as work done under the grant. Tabak said that if EcoHealth had made the growth known to NIH, they would have prompted a review to determine if the research plan should be re-evaluated. NIH had funneled funds to EcoHealth when it was awarded a grant in 2014 to look into possible coronavirus from bats. Fauci's Denial of Funding Gain-of-Function Research EcoHealth had received $3.7 million from the NIH, with $600,000 being given to the Wuhan lab, according to a BBC News report. Its project was renewed for another five years in 2019. However, it was halted by the Trump administration in April 2020 after the onset of the COVID pandemic. Fauci had denied that NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan lab, which Paul asked Fauci if he wanted to retract that statement. Paul said that it is a crime to lie to Congress. Paul believed that the research qualified as gain-of-function research and cited two academic papers by the Wuhan lab and another. One was from 2015, written with the University of North Carolina, and the other one was from 2017. NIH and EcoHealth had also earlier rejected suggestions that they supported or funded the research in the Wuhan lab. The two organizations earlier said that they funded a project to examine "at the molecular level" without "affecting the environment or development of the organism." READ MORE: Experts Suggest Novel Coronavirus Originated From Lab in Wuhan This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by Mary Webber WATCH: Dr. Anthony Fauci testifies on booster shots and Covid's origin - from CNBC Television Donald Trump's social media was hacked on Thursday, a day after the former president announced the upcoming launch of his social network platform. The breach, which happened ahead of the social media's beta launch in November, was first noticed by Tech reporter Drew Harwell from The Washington Post, Tech Times reported. READ NEXT: Facebook Reportedly Plans to Change Its Social Media Platform's Name Donald Trump Truth Hacked The "donaldjtrump" account of Trump's TRUTH Social has already been hacked. pic.twitter.com/LDQ5w24tcV Drew Harwell (@drewharwell) October 21, 2021 Harwell took to Twitter to report that Truth Social was hacked, with the journalist posting an account named "Donald J Trump," who has a pinned post of an NSFW photo of a pig. However, Harwell pointed out that the recent breach on Truth Social was "not quite a hack." Ok, not quite a hack. Pranksters found an unreleased test version of what appeared to be Trump's social network site, made a fake account in Trump's name, and then used it to post the meme image "Pig Poop Balls." Just bringing you the important news, folks Drew Harwell (@drewharwell) October 21, 2021 The journalist explained that "pranksters" found an unreleased test version of Truth Social, then made a fake account in the name of the previews POTUS and used it to post on the photo with sensitive content. Donald Trump's camp has not yet issued an official statement regarding their social media breach. Donald Trump Social Media Could Make Ex-President Face Legal Challenges Aside from the recent breach experienced by Truth Social, Donald Trump's social media could also make the former president face legal challenges, as early users of the platform noticed similarities on Truth Social's code to Mastodon, Gizmodo reported. Mastodon is known to be an open-source alternative social network that focuses on user privacy and autonomy. The company is known to lease its software on an AGPLv3 license, that permits users to use their code, but they must acknowledge where it came from and make it open for public inspection. However, Donald Trump's social media claims all the source code from their software is proprietary without mentioning that they got their code from somewhere else. In an interview, Mastodon founder, Eugen Rochko claimed that Trump's social media was "absolutely" based on their platform, adding that he would seek legal counsel about the incident. "I do intend to seek legal counsel on the situation... Compliance with the AGPLv3 license is very important to me," Rochko said, adding that the license is the "sole basis" why he and other developers are kind enough to give years of their work free of charge. Donald Trump Truth It can be recalled that on Wednesday, Trump excitedly announced the upcoming launch of his social media platform, which according to him aims to fight other giant Tech companies. "I'm excited to soon begin sharing my thoughts on TRUTH social to fight back against Big Tech," Trump said. Gizmodo called Trump's social media a "reincarnation" of Twitter, as the platform offers UI that offers Truth just Tweets; Re-Truths just like Retweets; as well as featuring a Truth Feed synonymous to the Twitter feed. Truth Social was a product of the Trump Media and Technology Group and Digital World Acquisition Corporation. Aside from social media, Donald Trump's technology group also aims to release a subscription-based video service called TMTG+, that will stream "non-woke" programs. READ NEXT: Paris Hilton Visits Capitol Hill, Urges Lawmakers to Reform 'Troubled Teen Industry' After Own Experiences of Abuse This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: Trump Launching Social Media Company 'TRUTH social' - From Yahoo Finance The Queen spent a night in hospital for some tests, prompting other royalties to cancel her official duties. Queen Elizabeth Stays Overnight in Hospital According to CBS News, the 95-year-old, Queen Elizabeth II, was taken to the hospital on Wednesday for preliminary observations, but she was immediately released Thursday based on the statement of the Buckingham Palace. On the same day, the palace said that the Queen canceled her official trip to Northern Ireland after her doctors advised her to have some rest for days. Based on the statement of Buckingham Palace, the Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations. The Queen came back to Windsor Castle at lunchtime after doctors ran some tests. Queen Elizabeth II remained in good spirits after staying a night at the hospital. She would be resting for days based on the advice of the Queen's doctors. The recent overnight stay was her first in a hospital in a span of eight years. She stayed overnight for practical reasons based on doctors. The Queen was brought to a hospital in 2013 after she was treated for a stomach bug at King Edward VII's Hospital in Marylebone, located in central London. The recent visit to a medical facility was believed to be just her fifth major hospital trip in 40 years, Page Six reported. CBS News' Holly Williams reported that a royal source shared that the Queen stayed the night at the unnamed London hospital only as it was getting too late to take her on a 26-mile trip back to Windsor Castle. The news was first reported by the U.K.'s The Sun newspaper. READ MORE: Meghan Markle Writes a Letter to U.S. Congress Advocating Paid Parental Leave Queen Elizabeth's Official Duties On Tuesday night, the Queen was seen at an event for global business leaders with United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Windsor Castle. Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace said Wednesday that the Queen was disappointed that she would no longer be able to visit Northern Ireland. In the next two weeks, Queen Elizabeth is expected to lead the royal delegation at the climate summit in Glasgow. After she decided to give up alcohol since the death of Prince Philip, 99, in April, Queen Elizabeth kept a busy schedule of royal duties even after the death of her husband earlier this year. Queen Elizabeth and Philip were married for 73 years. Their relationship with the royalties followed four children, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. Furthermore, Queen Elizabeth took the throne in the United Kingdom and 15 other Commonwealth realms in 1952 at the age of 25. The Queen is the longest-serving monarch in British history. Her eldest son, the 72-year-old Prince Charles, would be next in line for the throne. The Prince has been next in the line of succession for 69 years, making him the longest-serving heir apparent in history. READ NEXT: Facebook Reportedly Plans to Change Its Social Media Platform's Name This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Jess Smith WATCH: Queen Elizabeth spends night in hospital -CBS Evening News GOP Rep. Jason Smith has called on the royal family to remove Meghan Markle's royal titles for her interference with U.S. politics. Smith said that Markle insists on sending her interference as being under the pretense of being the Duchess of Sussex, according to a Daily Mail report. Smith is not the only Republican who has a say about Markle's move when she wrote a letter to Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, calling for paid family leave. The letter had caused rumors that Markle was using the "tactics of an aspiring politician" to lobby two prominent Washington figures. Rep. Lisa McClain said that Markle is "incredibly out of touch" with the American people and should stay on acting instead of trying to "play politics." McClain added that the last thing they need right now is wealthy celebrities prompting their liberal agendas on Americans. Royal experts had also questioned whether Americans would be impressed by Markle's account of how she struggled when her estranged father Thomas had enrolled her through private school from kindergarten. They also noted that she now lives in a $14 million Los Angeles mansion while banking a $100 million fortune. READ NEXT: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Had Considered Naming 'Royal Racist' Who Asked About Archie's Skin Color Paid Parent Leave Letter Markle noted in her letter that she grew up on the $4.99 salad bar at Sizzler, which may have cost less back then. She added that she remembered feeling how hard her parents worked to afford it because "even at five bucks," eating out was something special for her and that she felt lucky, according to a People report. The Duchess of Sussex said that even saving money was a luxury as it was usually about making ends meet and having enough to pay her rent and put gas in her car. She also wrote about how she and her husband, Prince Harry, had welcomed their second child. She said that they were also confronted with the harsh reality of either spending the first few critical months with their daughter or going back to work. Angela Levin, journalist and biographer of Prince Harry, noted that Markle signing the letter with "on behalf of my family, Archie, Lili, and Harry" amounts to using her British title and marriage to the sixth in line to the throne to meddle with U.S. politics. Levin said that it was "obviously" another step to turn herself into a politician. Calls for Prince Harry's and Meghan Markle's Royal Titles to be Removed This isn't the first time the Sussex couple had faced calls of having their royal titles removed. In July, Piers Morgan has demanded that Prince Harry and Markle be stripped of their royal titles after the news that the Duke of Sussex is publishing a tell-all memoir. Morgan said that the Queen should strip the Sussexes of all their titles with immediate effect, according to a Yahoo News report. The two had withdrawn from their royal duties in January 2020 and moved to the U.S. after signing a number of deals with Netflix, Spotify, and Penguin Random House. Morgan said the memoirs are a "slap in the face" for a family that has used all their patience with the two. 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: Meghan Markle lobbies US Congress over paid parental leave - from Sky News Australia The leader of the Haiti group, known as the 400 Mawazo gang, appeared on a video on Thursday, claiming that they will kill the captive missionaries if the authorities will not meet their demands. In a video that surfaced on social media, the gang leader, identified as Wilson Joseph, issued the ultimatum claiming that he will put a bullet on the heads of the missionaries, Al Jazeera reported. #Breaking 17 American missionaries kidnapped in Haiti by 400 Mawozo gang leader (Joseph Wilson) threatened in a video to kill all the kidnapped hostages if the Americans did not pay the $17 million ransom #BreakingNews #Haiti #Usa #HaitiKidnapping #UK pic.twitter.com/W19jlF33R0 The HbK (@The5HbK) October 21, 2021 It can be recalled that the Haitian gang demanded a $1 million ransom for each of the missionaries that included 16 Americans and one Canadian. A Haitian security force confirmed with CNN on Thursday that Joseph, who goes with the alias Lanmo Sanjou, meaning death without days, was indeed in the video, speaking at a funeral of whom they alleged were members of their gang killed by the Haiti police. Aside from threatening to kill the missionaries, the gang leader also reportedly threatened Haiti's prime minister, Ariel Henry, and the country's chief of National Police, Leon Charles. "You guys make me cry. I cry water. But I'm going to make you guys cry blood," Joseph said. READ NEXT: Haitian Gang Demands $1M Ransom for Each Abducted American Missionaries Florida Group on Haiti Gang Leader's Threat On Thursday, the Florida group where the captive missionaries belong did not comment on the threat given by the leader of the 400 Mawazo gang. "We will not comment on the video until those directly involved in obtaining the release of the hostages have determined that comments will not jeopardize the safety and well-being of our staff and family," Christian Aid Ministries said. Instead, the group invited people to join them in praying for the kidnappers and the abducted, The Guardian reported. "God has given our loved ones the unique opportunity to live out our Lord's command to love your enemies," spokesman Weston Showalter said in a letter. The group also expressed their gratitude to the "knowledgeable and experienced" people who know how to deal with the situation. Previous Captive of Haitian Gang Reveals Experience The threat of the Haiti gang leader to kill the missionaries came a day after a previous victim of the 400 Mawazo gang's abduction shared her experience while she was held captive in the hands of the group. Sister Agnes Bordeau from the Sisters of Providence was kidnapped by the Haitian gang in April. She revealed that the 400 Mawazo gang changed locations three times while they were held captive. The sister added that they slept on cardboard outdoors in the middle of the forest, without moving, and they were escorted by a gang member when they needed to go to the restroom. "We were afraid for our lives as the room was very dirty and it was very hot. Only one person could stand or sit," Bordeau said. The sister also revealed that the 400 Mawazo gang also prepared for their "pauper's grave." The group spent 20 days in captivity, and they were abruptly released in the middle of the night. It was not clear if a ransom was paid to the group. The sister furthered that the leader of the gang asked for prayers when they were released. READ NEXT: Haiti PM to Hold Elections, Modify Constitution by Next Year This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: Haiti Gang Leader Says Missionaries Will be Killed if Demands Aren't' Met - From Click on Detroit WDIV Environmental Integrity Project's new research shows that the U.S. oil and gas industry could emit 227 million tons of additional greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2025 with its plans to expand and build 175 projects. That translates to the U.S. producing 30 percent more greenhouse gas pollution by 2025 than in 2018. Gizmodo reported that state and federal records noted that oil, gas, and petrochemical industries are eyeing to create 157 projects, such as refineries, oil and gas drilling sites, as well as plastics plants in the next five years. Oil and gas companies are reportedly preparing to offset the reduction recorded in last year's U.S. greenhouse gas emissions with their projects. In a statement, Courtney Bernhardt, Research Director at the Environmental Integrity Project, said the analysis shows that the country is heading in "the wrong direction," adding that there's a need is to slow emissions from the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. Aside from contributing to the climate crisis, the report noted that the 157 new oil and gas projects would also be a public health disaster. They could emit thousands of tons of toxins that contribute to air and water pollution, leading to more asthma and heart attacks, damaging the lungs, and killing fish in waterways. According to Bernhardt, about half of the future projects are in Texas and Louisiana. The research director said people who live in the area would bear its effects, especially those in low-income communities. Bernhardt noted that the industries responsible for driving fossil fuel production should "be held more fully accountable" for their actions and the consequences. READ NEXT: Queen Elizabeth Overheard on Livestream Saying She's 'Irritated' by World Leaders' Inaction on Climate Change U.S. Oil and Gas Industry Projects The U.S. is seen to account for 70 percent of the total projects expected to start operations by 2025, according to GlobalData. GlobalData's report noted that 417 projects are expected to start operations in the U.S. between 2021 and 2025, according to a World Pipelines report in February. Out of the total projects, 47 are upstream projects, while midstream projects will be at 234, with the refinery at 18 and petrochemical at 118. Soorya Tejomoortula, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, said the U.S. has a significant count of projects set to start operations by 2025. Tejomoortula noted that some of the projects had been delayed due to the COVID pandemic. However, he said the gradual recovery of the U.S. economy is expected to slowly gather momentum in the oil and gas industry. A key project, known as the Point Thomson Expansion, will be having a total production capacity of 203,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. It is set to start its operations in 2025, and it aims to monetize natural gas condensate in North Slope, Alaska. Climate Change Plan World leaders are set to meet at the U.N. Climate Summit, COP26, in Glasgow on October 31. According to NPR, executive director of U.N. Environment Programme Inger Andersen said governments must step up and do rapid actions to close the fossil fuel production gap. Scientists noted that limiting the planet's warming is important to avoid the worst-case scenarios of climate change. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries had committed to limiting average temperature rises to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and attempting to limit them even further to 1.5 degrees. It was adopted by 196 parties at COP21 in Paris on December 12, 2015. Countries will have to submit their plans for climate action, known as "nationally determined contributions," by 2020 and every five years thereafter. READ MORE: Costa Rica Bags Prince William's Earthshot Prize Worth $1.4 Million for Its Climate Change Initiative This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Climate Change: Can Gas and Oil Companies Change Their Ways? - From BBC News Two female tourists were killed, and three others were wounded after an exchange of gunfires between rival Mexican drug cartels at a bar in Mexico. According to Daily Mail, the tourists were dining at a bar known as La Malquerida in Tulum, Mexico on Wednesday night, when drug dealers from rival Mexican drug cartels had opened fire. One of the shooters, Jose Antonio Lira Perez, was arrested after security cameras tracked him down to a local hospital, where his wound was being treated. Local media reported that the gunmen were only after 24-year-old Lira Perez, who entered the bar for refuge as the gunmen shot at him. The Quintana Roo State Attorney General's Office did not issue the names, ages, and nationalities of those who died and were injured. However, local media outlets Las Noticias de Tulum and Noticias Pedro Canche had identified those who died as Indian nationals Jennifer Itenzold, 35, and a woman named Angeli, whose last name and age were still unknown. The wounded victims were identified as Evan der Kooij Eline, 21, of Holland; Maicol, 32, of England; and Anima Gandaf, 27, of Germany. The Guardian reported that one of the fatalities died at the scene, while the other died in a hospital. Preliminary investigations suggested that the shooting was an armed clash between rival Mexican drug cartels operating in the area. Tulum's mayor Marciano Dzul told Milenio that the victims appeared to have been caught in the crossfire as they had no known links to the members of the cartels dedicated to selling illegal drugs. READ NEXT: Warning Made on Behalf of Jalisco Cartel Boss: TV Reporter Azucena Uresti Threatened To Be Killed for Alleged Unfair Coverage Violence in Tulum, Mexico According to Dzul, Tulum is facing a wave of violence linked to rival Mexican drug cartels involved in drug dealing and extortion. Tulum is one of Mexico's top tourist destinations due to its ancient Mayan ruins and turquoise waters. The town grew from a laid-back beach retreat to a major international destination. However, it has been shaken by turf wars between Mexican drug cartels. The administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was eyeing to boost tourism in town and nearby areas, with its plans to build an international airport and a stop for the Maya train, which would run around the Yucatan peninsula, according to ABC News. However, the Quintana Roo state, where beach resorts like Tulum, Cancun, and Playa del Carmen are located, has been plagued by violence. In 2019, law enforcement noted that a dispute over street-level drug dealing was also the motive behind a bar shooting in a resort at Playa del Carmen that left seven men dead. Several Mexican drug cartels operate in the state, which is known for a lucrative drug trafficking market and as a landing area for drug shipments. Villages Turn Into Ghost Towns Due to Wave of Violence Linked to Mexican Drug Cartels Due to a wave of crime and violence linked to Mexican drug cartels, many villages near the U.S.-Mexico border had transformed into ghost towns. El Cajon is one of the hundreds of villages near the U.S.-Mexico border that has become a ghost town due to the wave of crime and violence that prompted people to leave. According to USA Today, this small village in Mexico's western state of Michoacan has around 60 abandoned houses full of bull bullet holes. The report said more than 100 people lived in El Cajon two years ago, and now, there are only eight. The brutal attacks by Mexican drug cartels had reportedly forced people to flee. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center in Mexico said there were 9,700 new displacements due to conflict in 2020. As of last December, the total count of people displaced in Mexico was 357,000. A recent report said that about 24,000 displaced migrants, many from Michoacan, are seen to go to Tijuana to seek asylum in the U.S. Falko Ernst, a senior security analyst for the International Crisis Group, said Mexican drug cartels have moved toward deep territorial penetration, adding that they're not only seeking to control lands but also populations. The Tierra Caliente region of Michoacan was reportedly one of the most dangerous and forgotten places in Mexico. The ongoing conflict between the Jalisco cartel, Los Viagras drug cartel, and armed self-defense groups in the area has led to many deaths, thousands of internally displaced people, and increasing numbers of people fleeing to cross the U.S. border. The Jalisco cartel or Jalisco New Generation Cartel is the most dangerous and powerful drug cartel in Mexico. READ MORE: Clashing Mexican Drug Cartels Leave 2 Police and 7 Others Dead in Mexico This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Cartel Violence Leaves a Trail of Ghost Towns in Mexico - From Al Jazeera English Dog The Bounty Hunter said the hunt for Brian Laundrie is officially over after officials confirmed that the human remains found in a Florida park belonged to Gabby Petito's fiance. "We are praying for Gabby's family as yet another day ends with seemingly more questions than answers though it does seem the search for Brian is indeed over," the 68-year-old reality star told Newsweek. Dog the Bounty Hunter, whose real name is Duane Chapman, has started a high-profile search for Laundrie late last month. Following the discovery of the skeletal remains in Florida's Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on Wednesday, Chapman lauded the law enforcement for their efforts in finding Laundrie. He said he was grateful to the authorities also "working to process the evidence as quickly as possible." However, Dog The Bounty Hunter questioned Laundrie's parents about the timing of their involvement in the search that led to the discovery of their son's belongings and remains. Accompanied by Laundrie's parents, authorities found the Florida fugitive's backpack and notebook, along with the human remains, on Wednesday. Chapman also questioned Laundrie's parents if they helped their son disappear, although he noted that answers to these questions likely put off to the future. "There will be a time to ask questions such as what was the extent of the Laundries' involvement in aiding Brian, how exactly did the discovery of the belongings happen today, did the looming possibility of potential indictments prompt more cooperation, and so forth," the reality star told Newsweek. "But now we wait." Dog The Bounty Hunter earlier suggested that Laundrie's family know more about the disappearance of Petito's fiance and what he had done than what they have shared with authorities. READ NEXT: Despite Dog the Bounty Hunter Publicized Manhunt for Brian Laundrie, Here's Why There's No Official Bounty on Gabby Petito's Fiance Public Attention Turns to Brian Laundrie's Parents The FBI field office in Denver announced Thursday that the skeletal remains found by authorities searching for Gabby Petito's fiance were confirmed to be Brian Laundrie after a review of dental records. This came after the elder Laundries parents directed North Port police and FBI agents to an area where "some articles" belonging to Laundrie were found, NBC News reported. Laundrie's family attorney, Steven Bertolino, said Wednesday that the elder Laundries found the items in an area where they had initially advised law enforcement that their son might be. Former Florida and Michigan police officer David Thomas told NBC that it's likely that Laundrie's parents involved themselves in the search with the direction of their attorney. "I would suspect that any move that they made when the dad went out and helped them with the search... anything you see them do, I don't think they would do that without the advice of their attorney," Thomas said. Bertolino has defended the elder Laundries' involvement in the search, noting that they "have been cooperating with law enforcement" since the first day. He dismissed speculation on why it took so long to find the belongings and remains, saying the evidence was only discovered because the water in the area where they were found had receded. He noted that this area was previously submerged and inaccessible. "If Laundrie's parents went to the reserve by themselves and discovered evidence, law enforcement would never believe them," the lawyer said. "The Laundrie family don't want to be an accessory after the fact... It may help them avoid a criminal charge down the line." Bertolino added that speculation that Laundrie's parents helped their son escape was also "wrong." But another former police officer questioned the events leading up to the discovery of remains and items that were "quite strange." Former chief of detectives Robert Boyce of NYPD told ABC 7 that it's quite strange that the elder Laundries went "to this exact spot" and found the backpack and the notebook in this particular area. Boyce noted that there were just too many strange turns that Laundrie's parents have not been involved in it "to not believe that something is amiss here." "So, they go to this one remote location... all of a sudden we found something, we found the remains... There's a lot of things here that don't add up to coincidence, so you wonder how they got there and what they knew all along," Boyce said. Meanwhile, Kyle Heyen, a K-9 handler and former police officer, said even if the remains were located underwater, it is "highly suspicious" that cadaver dogs missed the remains. Heyen told NewsNation if authorities went there with cadaver dogs, "and the body had been there for more than two or three minutes, the odor would have come through the water." Ex-FBI agent Bryanna Fox said charging Laundrie's parents for aiding and abetting or obstruction of justice requires a high bar of proof of an "awareness of an illegal act and intent to assist." Florida Home of Brian Laundrie Remains Quiet Brian Laundrie's home in North Port, Florida remained quiet on Thursday, without any signs of the elder Laundries, ABC 7 reported. The report said a memorial for Gabby Petito continues to grow outside of the house. Visitors continued to place flowers at the front door. 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 Petito was reported missing by her family. Gabby Petito's body was found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19. READ MORE: Dog the Bounty Hunter to Hunt for Brian Laundrie Again if He's Still Alive, but Family Lawyer Says Remains Found in Florida Park Are Likely His This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: Brian Laundrie Remains Found, Dog The Bounty Hunter Reacts - From Us Weekly A film crew member has died, and a director was injured after Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun on the set of the Western feature film in New Mexico on Thursday. According to Deadline, the Santa Fe Sheriff's Department confirmed Thursday night that the 63-year-old actor discharged the prop gun that killed "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on the set in New Mexico. Alec Baldwin Fatally Shoots Cinematographer, Injures Director After Prop Gun Misfire Police said sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the film set at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe at around 13:50 local time after receiving an emergency call about the accidental shooting on the set. The Sheriff's Office said Alec Baldwin discharged the weapon during filming for the 19th Century western, "Rust." BBC reported that the 42-year-old director of photography was taken to the hospital after the misfiring incident, but she later died due to her injuries. The film's 48-year-old director is currently recovering after receiving emergency care. A spokesman for the actor said the incident involved the misfiring of a prop gun with blanks. A Santa Fe sheriff spokesman told AFP that Alec Baldwin had already spoken to detectives. The spokesman noted that the actor came in voluntarily and left the building after he finished his interviews. In a statement, the Santa Fe Sheriff's Department said they were still investigating the incident at Bonanza Creek Ranch, an area considered in the film industry as a popular filming location. The police department noted that detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged. It added that no charges have yet been filed regarding the incident. READ NEXT: One Dead, Another Injured After Gun Accident in Alec Baldwin's Film Set in New Mexico Halyna Hutchins: Victim of Prop Gun Misfire on New Mexico Set Halyna Hutchins was from Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle, based on her website. The cinematographer studied journalism in Kyiv and studied film in Los Angeles. The late cinematographer was named as one of the rising stars in her chosen field by the American Cinematographer magazine in 2019. Hutchins was the director of photography for the 2020 action film "Archenemy." Adam Egypt Mortimer directed the film. In his social media account, Mortimer said he was so sad after hearing the news about Hutchins. The director further noted that he's "so infuriated" that it could happen on a set. The International Cinematographer's Guild said Hutchins' death was devastating news and a terrible loss in the film industry. The guild president, John Lindley, and executive director Rebecca Rhine said that the details about the misfiring were still not clear, and they were still learning more about the incident. They also said that they were fully supporting the investigation conducted by authorities in the tragic event. Alec Baldwin is a co-producer of the film and plays its namesake, an outlaw whose 13-year-old grandson is convicted of killing. In 1993, Brandon Lee died on set after he was also accidentally shot with a prop gun while filming the movie "The Crow." Lee, 28, is the son of the late martial-arts star, Bruce Lee. READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth Spends Night in Hospital for Some Tests; Cancels Northern Ireland Trip Following Medical Advice to Rest This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Jess Smith WATCH: Alec Baldwin Fired Prop Gun That Killed Photography Chief, Injured Director on Film Set - From ABC7 The price of closing banks is already being paid in Laois where the local SuperValu cash machine has run short. The operators of the shop in Rathdowney have updated local people on the issue and how to find other means of withdrawing cash. "We are aware that since Bank of Ireland closed in Rathdowney, it has put more pressure on our in-store ATM, and we are struggling to meet that demand. We recycle all our cash into the ATM, but since people are using more and more debit/credit cards, we only receive a limited amount of cash," said the notice on Facebook. The SuperValu advised shoppers about where else they could get notes locally. "please be aware that anyone with an AIB or Bank Of Ireland account can withdraw cash with their debit card from the Post Office in the store 9am-5:30pm Monday - Friday, and 9am-1pm Saturdays," said the notice on Facebook. Bank of Ireland closed three branches in Laois in October - Rathdowney, Mountrath and Durrow. It closed some 80 branches in the Republic and more in Northern Ireland. The bank retains branches in Portlaoise, Mountmellick and Abbeyleix. A large Laois town has been notified by Irish Water that the water will be turned off all morning on a day during the coming week. Irish Water and Laois County Council have issued a notice, to advise that an essential outage is required on Wednesday 27 October. They say it is for works to secure the water supply for homes and businesses in Portarlington. "Irish Water and Laois County Council wish to advise customers in Portarlington that an essential water outage is required on Wednesday 27 October due to essential works at Lough Water Treatment Plant securing the water supply. While works are ongoing customers will experience water outages between 9am and 1pm. Water will be turned back on at 1pm it may take up to 2 or 3 hours for supply to be fully restored to all customers. James OToole is with Irish Water. Irish Water understands the inconvenience when a planned outage occurs and thanks customers for their patience while we complete these essential works. "Irish Water is responsible for the delivery of all public water and wastewater services in Ireland. We are committed to continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies." For further information visit their supply and service section on www.water.ie. The Irish Water customer care helpline is open 24/7 and customers can call us on 1850 278 278 and contact them on Twitter @IWCare. An interim report of the Export Advisory Group on Rapid Testing (RTEAG) has been published today by Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly. The group was convened in July to consider the use of rapid tests in areas deemed important to the safe reopening of society. According to the minister, rapid testing is already in widespread use across Irish society in areas like long term residential care facilities, meat-processing factories, early childhood settings and in the higher and further education sectors. He has asked the group to further investigation other areas where it "makes sense" to deploy rapid testing. He said, "The suite of materials published with the report today are a useful tool to anyone wishing to use rapid testing, either for personal use or in a wider programme of testing." Chair of the advisory group, Professor Mary Horgan, said, "The use of [rapid tests] is an area in which the scientific evidence is rapidly evolving. As such, the RTEAG has commissioned an evidence synthesis which has informed the interim report and will continue to contribute to our knowledge of RADT use in the coming months. This work will continue to inform the work of the group and any future recommendations we may make. A Minister of State for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has welcomed the announcement that County Kildare has been awarded over 74,000 as part of new scheme. Fine Gael (FG) Deputy Martin Heydon TD has said that he is happy to hear that a total of 74,029 has been allocated to five County Kildare projects through the Outdoor Recreation Scheme. The news was announced by Minister for Justice and fellow FG politician Heather Humphreys under the Our Rural Future programme earlier today. Deputy Heydon explained: "Working with Cllr. Tracey ODwyer, I am particularly delighted to see that Kilcullen has secured 9,900 for the provision of directional signage and information on a pedestrian and cycle looped route." "The proposed route is a section of road from Kilcullen Church out along the Newabbey Road and would have formed part of the original SlI na Slainte route." He added that other successful projects include funding of 19,579 to prepare an illustrated guide to the canal trails in Kildare, 16,200 for self guided maps for the Greenway and Blueway Trials in County Kildare, 17,370 for Greenway and Ancillary Infrastructure in Ardclough such as picnic tables, bicycle racks, and 10,980 for the provision of cycle parking in St. Catherines Park in Leixlip. Deputy Heydon continued: "Congratulations to the Parks Team in Kildare County Council for their success with these outdoor projects that will bring greater outdoor activities and connectivity to many rural areas of County Kildare." "Investment in outdoor activities and provision of infrastructure to facilitate a safe outdoor experience is to be encouraged and I will continue to support Kildare County Council for any such funding opportunities," he concluded. Earlier this week, Deputy Heydon made headlines after he publicly offered an idea for a new use of the Patrician Monastery, which is currently up for sale in Newbridge. A Kildare Senator has welcomed the recent easing of maternity restrictions. Chair of the Oireachtas Womens Caucus and Fianna Fail Senator Fiona OLoughlin said about the news: "From November 1, there will be open access for support partners from 8am to 9pm, and this is very welcome." "I have been contacted by numerous women from across the country in my role as Chair of the Womens caucus, and their stories were truly harrowing." "At a recent demonstration outside Leinster House, many brave women spoke of their horrific experiences of loss and isolation as they gave birth or dealt with the loss of a baby." She continued: "Their speeches were powerful and devastating, including one from a Kildare activist Emma Carroll, who gave one of the most moving speeches of the day. "I have no doubt that the tenacity and dedication of all of these women, and their partners has led to this easing." She added that Ireland must also remember the six babies that unfortunately passed away from COVID-19: "We are thinking of their heartbroken parents today, and we must also be cognisant of the seven pregnant women on any given day battling with Covid in ICU, and we must keep them in our thoughts." "We all know that babies are born outside of the hours of 8am and 9pm, and that women will need further supports, but this is a move in the right direction." She concluded: "Covid is still a real and present risk, but as we have seen the easing of numerous restrictions this week, this measure is absolutely appropriate." Senator O' Loughlin's comments follow after protests which first started two weeks calling for the government to get rid of restrictions for partners who wish to accompany pregnant women in maternity care. Earlier today, Health Service Executive CEO Paul Reid thanked all women and their partners on behalf of the HSE for their support and patience during the pandemic after his official announcement of the restrictions being lifted. Politicians in Kildare can't quite agree on whether St Brigid, who has a strong association with the county, should be honoured by a public holiday. A raft of Fianna Fail councillors want support for the first Monday in February to be declared a national public holiday - acknowledge the losses and sacrifices made during the Covid-19 pandemic and to honour the saint herself. They added that her message has a remarkable resonance for modern life, the importance of the delicate balance of nature and that justice is the cornerstone of peace." Read more Kildare news Cllr Suzanne Doyle suggested that the holiday would be focus of an international festival which would help local tourist enterprises. Cllr Doyle also said that St Brigid was born into a Pagan culture but ultimately became a Christian. However Cllr Mark Stafford (FG) said that we live in a more secular society today and he referred to the saint as an ancient Greta Thunberg. He said mixing the many attributes of the saint risked crafting a hodge podge event which might in time become known as Bridies Day or Biddy's Day." However Cllr Ide Cussen said that we are all beginning to get afraid of professing our Christianity or Catholism. However Cllr Angela Feeney was supportive and noted that since Ireland already has a patron saint, a matron saint would be appropriate. A Senator has joined a Maynooth University professor in urging the Irish govt to conduct a review on how the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) can assist the housing crisis. Labour politician Mark Wall recently told the Seanad: "In asking for a debate, I want to reference an interview I heard recently on my local radio station, KFM, on my way to the House." "Professor Rory Hearne of Maynooth University was interviewed about an article he had written about NAMA the previous day in the Irish Examiner: he called for an urgent review from a social and economic perspective of what NAMA does and how it contributes to the State from that point of view." "I join him in that call; some headlines from what he said refer to the fact that NAMA has 1.2 billion in funding reserves and 577 h.a. of residential development land." Senator Wall continued: "NAMA is currently selling 400 homes across the country." "Professor Hearne stated NAMA could be directed to provide 4,000 cost rental and 4,000 affordable homes a year. Given the crisis, and I totally agree with him. "We cannot ignore what NAMA is doing and could do: too many families in the State are continuing to cry out for housing and are in need of help." Following the debate , Senator Wall elaborated: "I continue to receive calls from desperate families seeking a roof over their heads." "I continue to deal with those who are working and cannot get a mortgage to provide a family home, these figures are an eye opener and should be such for the Minister for housing." "We cannot sell potential family homes on the open market when the housing waiting list in Kildare and all over the country is growing... it is time we relooked at what NAMA does and how it can help this crisis," he concluded. Earlier this morning, Dr Rory Hearne expanded on his views on NAMA to the Leinster Leader. He explained: "The disagraceful thing has been that NAMA has sold enough land to build 81,000 homes yet just 8 per cent of that land has been built on!" "It has sold land to investor funds that they have hoarded - which actually runs contrary to NAMA's own legislative basis- the NAMA Act 2009 which states NAMA should not distort the land market." Dr Hearne added that it is his belief that NAMA is potentially evicting people into homelessness. The full article featuring Dr Hearne's views, including his proposed reform of the organisation's social mandate, can be viewed here. In related news, Senator Mark Wall hit out at the presence of illegal dumping in Kildare in the Seanad. The jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering a 24-year-old Dubliner, whose decapitated body was found in a Kildare woods, has watched a CCTV montage of the men's movements on the day of the killing. Stephen Penrose (38), of Newtown Court, Malahide Road, Coolock, Dublin 17, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Philip Finnegan at Rahin Woods, Rahin, Edenderry, Co Kildare on August 10, 2016. The trial has heard that Mr Finnegan went missing before his decapitated body was found buried in a shallow grave in a Kildare woods. The accused man, who was representing himself in the trial, has hired new lawyers but has declined to continue attending his trial. Garda Shauna Nolan today told prosecuting counsel, John Berry BL, that the jury would see a montage of footage from between August 8 to 10, 2016. Referring to CCTV footage from August 10, Gda Nolan said a blue saloon car pulled up at Sweeney's filling station in Edenderry, Co Offaly at 3.46pm and a man identified as Mr Finnegan can be seen getting out of the left hand side of the car. He is dressed in a grey top and striped tracksuit bottoms, said Gda Nolan. In the next clip, Mr Finnegan can be seen entering the shop. That clip shows he was wearing a grey hoodie with a blue top underneath and dark bottoms with a white emblem on the left thigh. Gda Nolan identified the second person to walk into the shop as Mr Penrose. He is wearing a dark-coloured top, trousers and dark coloured shoes. Rahin Woods, where the deceased's remains were discovered by a man out walking his dog 30 days later, is a few kilometres north of Sweeney's filling station, the court has heard. It is the prosecution case that Mr Finnegan was killed shortly after he was seen on the CCTV footage from Sweeney's filling station. The trial continues on Tuesday before Mr Justice Alexander Owens and the 12 jurors. In his opening address, prosecuting barrister Brendan Grehan SC said Mr Finnegan's decapitated body was found buried in a shallow grave in a Kildare woods. Counsel said Mr Finnegan had "certain troubles in the past" and had taken to wearing a protective vest. The lawyer also told the jury in his opening address that attempts had been made to cut up and burn the body of Mr Finnegan, who had been missing for almost a month and who had met a "gruesome death". Significantly, the barrister said, the jury will hear evidence that a bloodied glove was found in the woods which was a DNA match to the accused man Mr Penrose. A Professor at Maynooth University (MU) has elaborated on his criticism of NAMA's ownership of Kildare lands. Earlier this week, it was revealed that the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) has 1.2 billion in funding reserves and 577 hectares of residential development land, much of which is located in Kildare. At around the same time, Dr Rory Hearne, who has been an Assistant Professor in Social Policy at the Department of Applied Social Studies at MU since 2018 (and previously a researcher there since 2013), claimed that the landholding and cash reserves of NAMA are capable of delivering 81,000 homes in the county. After making his stance known on Twitter, a KFM Radio station interview and also in a recent article published in The Irish Examiner, he further stuck to his beliefs in a recent interview with the Leinster Leader. Dr Hearne, who has spent over twenty years studying housing and inequality, explained: "We have a situation whereby NAMA was set up in 2009 and borrowed 32 billion to take the toxic property loans (with land and property), also known as the bailout, off the Irish banks in 2009." "It has spent the last 12 years paying that debt off by selling the property and land and assets at discount to international vulture funds and Real Estate Investment Trusts." He continued: "In recent years NAMA has been selling its property at prices that are at the height of the market prices - essentially adding to rising prices." "The disagraceful thing has been that NAMA has sold enough land to build 81,000 homes yet just 8 per cent of that land has been built on!" he claimed. "It has sold land to investor funds that they have hoarded - which actually runs contrary to NAMA's own legislative basis- the NAMA Act 2009 which states NAMA should not distort the land market." Dr Hearne also claimed that, to make matters worse, NAMA has not built on its own land either as it does not deem it "commercially viable." He elaborated: "NAMA is selling blocks of apartments to cuckoo investor funds, and leaving them vacant... the important point is that NAMA has paid back all its debt, it is now a debt-free state agency; it is owned by the state." "So why is then that a state agency selling land and property that could be used for affordable housing to investor vulture funds who will just rent it out at unaffordable rents or hoard the land or use it to build more unaffordable build to rent units?" he asked. Dr Hearne added that he believes that NAMA is potentially evicting people into homelessness: "We don't know if receivers acting on behalf of NAMA are evicting tenants in NAMA properties in order to make them vacant for sale to get a 'maximum commercial return'." He further criticised that the exact type of properties on the lands owned by NAMA in Kildare is unknown, and added that it should be made public what NAMA owns and where, and whether it is vacant or not. In addition, Dr Hearne pointed to Austria as an example of a country whose housing system he feels is operating at a satisfactory level: "It (the housing system) provides public quality housing essentially for low and middle income earners - its really good quality, and it is not stigmatised." "I think that we have the potential here with deliving affordable housing, like what the O Cuallann Cohousing Alliance are doing in North Dublin, and cost rental... we just need to do it on a massive scale and stop the investor funds taking over our housing system." In conclusion, he said that he believes that NAMA has gotten "nothing right" when it comes to Irish property, and further called on the Irish government to monitor building regulation: "The Minister for Finance should direct NAMA to prioritise its social mandate, and halt all sale of its land and property, in order to do an assessment on how they could be used to fulfill the social mandate to deliver as much affordable homes as soon as possible." Dr Rory Hearne released a book last year titled "Housing Shock: The Irish Housing Crisis and how to solve it" and is also a host on the Reboot Republic podcast. Previously, between 2007 and 2013, he worked on social housing in Dublin. A SPECIAL programme of chilling events with hair raising surprises awaits visitors to King John's Castle and Bunratty Castle & Folk Park this Halloween. King John's Castle is partnering with Fidget Feet Aerial Dance, Lumen Street Theatre and the Samhain Halloween festival to bring a spine-tingling schedule of events to the iconic riverside visitor attraction from this Saturday and throughout the mid-term break. Fidget Feet will perform a daring aerial dance and bring witches, werewolves and spirits flying high above the castle in search of young victims with three daily performances on October 29, 30 and 31. On October 28, at 5.30pm, the Castle will resound with the sound of children from 'Sing out with Strings', the Irish Chamber Orchestra's flagship community engagement programme. They will perform spine tingling Halloween music presented as part of the Samhain Halloween Festival. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, King John's Castle will welcome the return of Planet Science Kidz as they host a series of Spooktacular Science workshops across the two days. This hands-on STEM Halloween Lab will allow kids to discover science and explore gooey topics in Chemistry. Courtesy of Lumen Steet Theatre, King John's Castle will also showcase a display of extraordinary Halloween costumes and props. Visitors can stop for a selfie in the spooky surrounds of Limerick's most formidable fortress. Meanwhile, monsters, misfits and mayhem will be the order of the day at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park as it returns to its Irish pagan roots to mark the festival of Samhain in its own unique way. Focusing on the old Irish traditions associated with this time of year, visitors are invited to come and experience a traditional Irish Samhain (or Halloween) from this Saturday, October 23, to Sunday, October 31. Over the past few weeks, local primary schools have been busy getting into the Samhain Spirit creating lifestyle scarecrows which will be on display throughout the park over mid-term. Visitors, who dare to visit, are invited to take a stroll across the spooky 26-acre park and rate their favourite scarecrow based on design, originality and of course scary-ness. The school with the winning scarecrow will receive a special prize. The Bunratty Folk Park fairies are also getting into the Halloween spirit and have transformed their magical fairy village into a frightening forest for all to enjoy. B For more and to prebook tickets see kingjohnscastle.com/halloween and bunrattycastle.ie/halloween. An asylum seeker based in Cork says his "life is in danger" as he takes part in a hunger strike with the aim of staying in Ireland and avoiding being deported to India. Nadim Hussain came to Ireland from India after his parents were killed during a conflict in March of 2018. He applied for refugee status in Ireland and was placed in the Direct Provision system while awaiting approval. Hussain was then informed that he was not eligible for refugee status from the government, and is yet to receive permission to remain in Ireland. He began his hunger strike last Thursday October 14th, and his condition has rapidly deteriorated since. His progress has been documented in photos posted to his Twitter account. Hunger strike Day 6 help pic.twitter.com/dzgA4gPiVc Nadim (@Nadim62970973) October 19, 2021 His GP has informed him that his kidneys have started to fail and his condition could be fatal if he continues the strike for another three days. When asked why he chose hunger striking as a form of protest, he said that he was inspired by the Irish hunger strikers and their "strike for freedom" and that this strike "is for [his] freedom". He encouraged those in government to read the messages of support that people have sent in response to his progress pictures each day. Both the Irish Refugee Council and the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) are also urging the Irish government to act. A spokesperson for the Irish Refugee Council told Cork newspaper The Echo on Thursday: We call on Government to address Mr. Hussains situation as soon as possible and before his health further deteriorates. We are very concerned about his welfare and health, more than seven days into a hunger strike. We have repeatedly called for people who worked in the healthcare sector during the pandemic to be offered permission to remain as an exceptional recognition of their contribution to Irish society. We wrote to Ministers Humphreys and Browne on Wednesday morning requesting that permission to remain be granted. We call on government to address @Nadim62970973 situation as soon as possible and before his health further deteriorates. We have repeatedly called for people who worked in healthcare sector during the pandemic to be offered permission to remain. From our 'Powerless' report. https://t.co/iAD16I59EF pic.twitter.com/KG1Rs0eFQM Irish Refugee Council (@IrishRefugeeCo) October 19, 2021 MASI noted: "Ireland does not provide legal aid for an asylum seeker to challenge the appeal tribunals decisions in the high court. Thus, people like Mr. Hussain who may well have a winnable case end up being unjustly served with expulsion notices." The group added: "MASI wishes to express solidarity with Nadim and all other frontline workers who face potential expulsion from the State after putting their lives on the line throughout the pandemic." On October 19, TD Mick Barry raised Hussain's story in the Dail, and urged James Browne, Minister of State for Law Reform, Youth Justice, and Immigration, to take action. Calling Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu a "fraud and cheat", former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday said Sidhu is clueless about the state's and its farmers' interests. "What a fraud and cheat you are Navjot Singh Sidhu! You are trying to pass off my 15-year-old crop diversification initiative as connected with farm laws, against which I am still fighting and with which I have linked my own political future! It is obvious Navjot Singh Sidhu you are clueless about Punjab's and its farmers' interests. You clearly do not know the difference between diversification and what the farm laws are all about. And yet you dream of leading Punjab. How dreadful if that ever happens!" "And it's hilarious Navjot Singh Sidhu that you have chosen to post this video at a time when Congress government in Punjab is going all out to promote its upcoming Progressive Punjab Investors' Summit. Or are you opposed to that too?" he said. Captain's remarks came after Sidhu's tweet where he called former Punjab Chief Minister as the architect of Centre's three farm laws. "The Architect of 3 Black Laws...Who destroyed Punjab's farmers, small traders and labour for benefiting 1-2 Big Corporates !!" tweeted Sidhu. Notably, Amarinder Singh had on Tuesday said he will launch a new political party soon to fight the forthcoming assembly polls in the state and is hopeful of a tie-up with BJP if the ongoing protest by farmer unions against three farm laws is resolved "in farmers' interest". Punjab is slated to go to the polls early next year and Amarinder Singh resigning months before has added a new dimension to the poll arithmetic in the state. Charanjeet Singh Channi took oath as Chief Minister days after Amarinder Singh stepped down. Amarinder Singh had also taken a dig at Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu after he tendered his resignation. The former chief minister said he had stated earlier that Sidhu is "not a stable man" and not fit for the border state of Punjab. (ANI) Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Click here to read the full article. Jacques-Yves Cousteau had one of those faces that seemed to come from an earlier time before the world wars, maybe even before the 20th century. It was a face so thin and tapered yet open, so creased with character, so French. The hawkish Gallic nose. The Aznavour eyes. The big wide stretchy geek smile that seemed to grin back at the entire world. (By the late 60s, he was doing just that.) Cousteau didnt just popularize undersea diving as we know it; he created it. To accomplish what he did, he needed to be an athlete, a scientist, an inventor, an adventurer, a filmmaker, and a sea-dog ringleader. Somehow he was a man who fit each of those roles. Standing aboard his American-made vessel, the Calypso, in his red wool cap and bathing suit, surrounded by a crew of devoted French roughnecks, he looked too skinny to be a mere jock, too earthy to be a professor, too worldly to hide himself away when the cameras were rolling. More than just an explorer of the oceans mysteries, he became our ambassador to the sea, the one who took us under for the ride. You may go into it thinking you already know a lot about the subject. Like many people of a certain age, I grew up watching The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, the 60s TV documentary series that made Cousteau a household name. But the movie, as its title suggests, takes a deep dive into Cousteau way before he knew what he was onto. Born in 1910, he joined the French Navy and was fixated on becoming a pilot. It was a stroke of fate a car accident that led him to the water. He sustained enough skeletal injury to nix the possibility of becoming a military pilot, but two comrades said they would rehabilitate him with ocean therapy. Snorkeling was big, but Cousteau, diving with Philippe Tailliez and Frederic Dumas, wanted to go deeper. Diving is the most fabulous distraction you can experience, he says in the quote that opens the film. (His words are read by the actor Vincent Cassel.) I am miserable out of the water. Its as though you have been introduced to heaven, and then forced back to Earth. We see a good deal of footage of Cousteau from the 30s and 40s (he dove all through WWII), and some crude black-and-white undersea footage as well. He and his two comrades started out as glorified spear-fishers they keep emerging from the depths with exotic fish at the end of their spikes, as if that was their goal. It was Cousteaus inspiration to invent the aqualung, though as Garbus shows us in a series of historical drawings, going back to an extraordinary sketch by Leonardo da Vinci, the dream of going underwater with a breathing apparatus was centuries old. Cousteau didnt want to do it with tubes or pipes. He wanted to be free of the surface. It was a utopian vision. Cousteau and his comrades were taking dives of 50 meters, until Maurice Fargues, a diver with the French Navy, became the first man to attempt a dive of 100 meters. He died while doing it; we see disquieting footage of the calamity. Yet the Cousteau crew swam on. Cousteau had been making amateur movies since he was a kid, and he was nearly as passionate about filmmaking as he was about diving. He grasped that they were made to go together. From the start, he and his companions recorded their adventures, and when they got the funding to make The Silent World (Cousteau won over his backers using fake storyboards), it was planned as a major production. We see this seminal film being shot, with multiple divers in the water holding lights and cameras. It premiered at Cannes in 1956, where, astoundingly, it won the Palme dOr. Garbus shows us Picasso arriving for the screening, and he thought the film was amazing according to Becoming Cousteau, it introduced him to the colors of the deep sea. The Silent World went on to win the Oscar for best documentary, and it became a huge success. But Cousteau still needed funds to keep the Calypso afloat, which is why he signed contracts to do explorations for the oil industry. (Abu Dhabi owes its oil wealth to him.) The films fixation on life aboard the Calypso, and Cousteaus burgeoning celebrity, mirrors its subject. Cousteaus wife, the spiky, chain-smoking Simone (who came from a line of admirals), also wanted to live at sea, and essentially did, as the one woman aboard the ship. They sent their two sons to boarding school, and Cousteau confesses that he was a bad husband and father. The film doesnt dwell on his infidelities but asks us to read between the lines. I think it was right to downplay the gossip angle, because it allows Becoming Cousteau to turn into a portrait of the consuming nature of explorers. As Cousteau put it, We must go and see for ourselves. Too many movies these days, including documentaries, are too long. Liz Garbus is a great documentarian, but part of her mastery is that she makes every piece of film the archival clips, the interviews speak; thats why she doesnt have to overload you. In What Happened, Miss Simone?, Garbus told Nina Simones complicated story the classical youth, the high-priestess-of-soul glory, the grinding tours and bad marriages, the unstable behavior, the fearless activism, the expatriate years, the comeback, the incredible musical performances that ran through it and packed it all into a little over 90 minutes. Becoming Cousteau is 93 minutes long, but it lets us live, at every moment, alongside Jacques Cousteau, reveling in his addiction to the experience of being underwater, sharing his profound distress when he learns that the oceans he loves are decaying, and maybe even dying. The last third of the film is devoted to the environmental passion that took over Cousteaus life. As he saw it, this wasnt just a matter of saving the oceans the coral reefs he saw disintegrating, the floor of the continental shelf that became, over the 30 years of his explorations, a burnt-out shadow of itself. The oceans, as Cousteau grasped before so many others did, were already a sign that the planet was out of balance, that the warming of it was (and is) a slow-motion disaster. We see Cousteau at the 1992 climate summit in Rio, where he was the one major presence who was not a head of state, and where he all but singlehandedly got dozens of countries to agree to put the brakes on the industrialization of Antarctica. I have seen many environmental documentaries, but in Becoming Cousteau theres something uniquely moving about Jacques Cousteaus mission to rescue the ocean. In the late 50s and 60s, when his explorations echoed the rise of the space program, there were popular fantasies that both spheres the deep sea and outer space could provide human beings with alternate places to live. Those ideas fell out of fashion (they were never really practical), but whats remarkable now is how they were predicated on the dystopian vision: that the human race would need to escape what it was doing to earth. Becoming Cousteau lives up to its title; it shows you the evolution of Jacques Cousteau becoming an entertainer-adventurer. But whats most resonant about the film is it then shows you what he became a man who fell in love with life underwater, but allowed his heart to break seeing what had happened to the heart of the ocean. Reviewed online, Oct 20, 2021. MPAA Rating: Not rated. Running time: 93 MIN. Production A Picturehouse release of a National Geographic Documentary Films, Story Syndicate production. Producers: Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan, Mridu Chandra, Evan Hayes. Executive producers: Julie Gaither, Carolyn Bernstein, Ryan Harrington. Crew Director: Liz Garbus. Screenplay: Mark Monroe, Pax Wasserman. Editor: Pax Wasserman. Music: Daniel Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans. With Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Vincent Cassel. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Flowers Are Not Silent, a film about the brutal suppression of demonstrations against last years rigged presidential election in Belarus, will open the 25th Ji.hlava Intl. Documentary Film Festival on Tuesday. Oliver Stone will deliver a masterclass at the festival as will Russian filmmaker Vitaly Mansky. Festival chief Marek Hovorka said that Flowers Are Not Silent, which plays in the main international competition section, Opus Bonum, is a brave testimony of the states violent repression against peaceful protests. He added: It shows how brutally this last European dictatorship resists the transformation of Belarus into a freer society. The films Belarusian director, Andrei Kutsila, will attend the screening. The festivals Contribution to World Cinema Award will be presented to Czech director Jana Sevcikova, whose films have been shown at festivals in Berlin, Rotterdam, Paris, Nyon and Leipzig, among others, and screened at MOMA in the U.S. Sevcikova won the Audience Award at Ji.hlava for The Rite of Spring (2002). Hovorka said Sevcikova had always been ahead of her time. He added: Her deep empathy, dedication to the film genre, liveliness and authentic humanism run through her entire film work. Her 2001 film Old Believers will screen at Ji.hlava. In his masterclass, Stone will talk about his new film, JFK Revisited, in which he goes back not only to the assassination of President Kennedy but also to his 1991 feature film JFK. Kennedys murder was motivated by change: Kennedy was changing things. If he had succeeded, we would have been in a very different place today, said Stone at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. In his masterclass, Mansky, whose film Gorbachev. Heaven will play in the Testimonies section of Ji.hlava, will speak about his creative approach. I wanted to look behind the cold marble and see a man who decided to make the world a better place, Mansky said. The winner in the Opus Bonum section will be selected by a six-member jury composed of Syrian writer and filmmaker Orwa Al Mokdad, Romanian producer Anamaria Antoci, Czech-Japanese documentary filmmaker Haruna Honcoop, Dutch film critic Sofie Cato Maas, Slovenian director Olmo Omerzu, and Mexican festival programmer and distributor Pedro Emilio Segura Bernal. The Czech Joy awards will be in the hands of last years winner, documentarian Jindrich Andrs, with director and cinematographer Tomas Klein, film and theater music composer Jakub Kudlac, Slovak editor and musician Monika Omerzu Midriakova, Czech art theorist Tomas Pospiszyl, and Jihlava native and collaborator of the Czech Center in Paris Marie Sykorova. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Buenos Aires-based Bikini Films, led by Edson Sidonie, has boarded Ofelia, the sophomore pic of Juan Pablo Felix whose acclaimed feature debut Karnawal won best direction at last years Guadalajara fest and best Ibero-American film at the Malaga Film Festival in June. Frances Luz Verde has also come on board as a producer. Ofelia has been selected to participate in Ibermedias Ibero-American Project Development Course currently taking place in Madrid. The political drama, set in 2009 Argentina during the tenure of controversial president Cristina Kirchner, exposes the hypocrisies of the Argentine bourgeoisie and the ideological rift in which the country found itself. Ofelia tells the story of an elderly lesbian woman in Argentina who still has not been able to face her sexuality with freedom because she lives in a bourgeois, conservative and patriarchal system, dominated by the men of the family, said Felix. Its a political film, narrated through the eyes of this woman in full maturity, and with which I try to make a work of observation of Argentine society and the ideological chasm in which all its citizens have been submerged, he added. Said Sidonie: After the fabulous experience of producing Karnawal, it is a great pleasure to accompany Juan Pablo once again with Ofelia, a demanding and ambitious project at an aesthetic and narrative level, with a strong political charge and a direct resonance with current societal issues. It is also a challenge at the production level, for which we are currently in the process of joining forces with European partners, he added. I was very excited about the project from the first reading of the script. Ofelias character is a type of woman that we dont see very often in movies. A mature woman who experiences a poignant and bittersweet late-life flowering, through a secret gay love story set among the complacent wealthy gerontocracy of Buenos Aires, observed Sidonie of the film which turns on the conflict between the big landowners, of which Ofelia is part, and the Kirchner government. Ofelia is a perceptive study of class, sexuality and personal awakening that elegantly balances character study with shrewd commentary on class, desire, and the lingering privileges of the Buenos Aires elite, he continued. This political crisis has been a defining moment in Argentine recent history, because it was the starting point of the ideological and political polarization in Argentina, whose consequences we are still living today, he pointed out. On the surface, Ofelia seems like a departure from Felixs feature debut Karnawal, a coming-of-age thriller that revolves around the malambo dance culture on the Argentine-Peru border. Bikini films is also finalizing the feature film The Once and Future by Singaporean director Siew Hua Yeo, a Golden Leopard Winner at the 2018 Locarno Festival with A Land Imagined. The film has been shot and post-produced in Argentina, and is co-produced by Roger Garcias General Films and Bikini Films. It is set to hit the festival circuit next year. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Indian filmmaker Aditya Chopras immensely popular 1995 Bollywood film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, commonly abbreviated to DDLJ, is being adapted as a Broadway stage musical titled Come Fall In Love The DDLJ Musical. Set between the U.K. and India, the film, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol as Raj and Simran, is the story of lovers who must overcome parental opposition to be together. It has been playing at Mumbais Maratha Mandir cinema since release and has had several elongated theatrical runs elsewhere. Chopra will direct the Broadway adaptation, which will feature book and lyrics by Laurence Oliver Award-winner Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and choreography by Tony and Emmy winner Rob Ashford (Frozen, Thoroughly Modern Millie) and associate choreographer Shruti Merchant. The set design will be by Emmy and Tony Award winner Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge!) Leading Indian songwriters Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani will serve as composers. Music supervision is from Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning Bill Sherman (In The Heights, Hamilton). Adam Zotovich serves as executive producer. Come Fall In Love The DDLJ Musical will debut in the Broadway season of 2022-2023, with a world premiere at the Old Globe theater in San Diego in Sept. 2022. A global casting search headed by Duncan Stewart of Stewart/Whitley casting and Yash Raj Films casting head Shanoo Sharma will begin imminently. Chopra shared a note on the process that led to the musical. Summer 1985. I was 14 and on a holiday in London. My parents took my brother and me for our first musical theatre experience, Chopra wrote. The lights dimmed, the curtains lifted and what unfolded in the next three hours left me speechless and stunned. Now, till then, I was a kid who was an avid movie watcher and what I loved the most was big screen Indian blockbusters. But that day what I saw on stage blew my mind. I couldnt believe that this kind of spectacle could be created live on stage. But the most significant aspect that resonated with me was how similar musical theatre was to our Indian films. It was just not the fact that both use songs to tell the story, it was much more than that, it was the feeling they evoked which was exactly the same. The burst of colors, the heightened drama, the passionate singing, the unabashed dancing, a classic story, a happy end. It filled me with the same joy and emotions that a good Indian film does. I realised then, that worlds apart, languages apart, western musical theatre and Indian films are two long lost lovers separated in time. Autumn 2021 Im embarking on my most ambitious project till date, Chopra added. Im reuniting two long lost lovers, Broadway Musical and Indian Films. 26 years back I started my career with a film called Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ, what it is more famously known as). The film created history and changed my life and many others forever. But what many dont know is that I never intended to make DDLJ in Hindi. As a 23-year-old young man greatly influenced by Hollywood and American pop culture, I thought I would make a couple of Indian films and then I would be off to Hollywood and make DDLJ for a worldwide English speaking audience with Tom Cruise as my leading man. That obviously didnt happen. DDLJ released in 1995 and became the longest running film of Indian cinema. It gave me my identity and kickstarted an amazing journey for which Ill always be grateful. 26 years later Im going back to my original vision of the story of DDLJ, a love story of an American boy and an Indian girl, a love story of two cultures two worlds. But this time the medium is not cinema but theatre. 26 years later I will be directing DDLJ all over again but this time as an English language Broadway musical for a worldwide audience. Im terribly nervous and incredibly excited. Im a hardcore cinema guy, I have never done theatre in my life and here I am trying to pull off the craziest ambition of my life. But what is giving me confidence is the fantastic team that I have. Each one of them are masters of their field and their brilliance and expertise is going to make this a fantastic show. See you on stage in Autumn 2022 with Come Fall In Love The DDLJ Musical, Chopra added. DDLJ was my introduction to Indian filmmaking before I even knew who the amazing Aditya Chopra was, and the movie had such joy and heart that I fell in love with it, said Benjamin. I was so happy to be approached to do the musical and I hope my work helps everyone fall in love with Simran and Raj and their journey across multiple cultures to love. Its a dream come true to bring the best of Indias Bollywood tradition to the Broadway stage, said Zotovich. Both cultures feature rich tapestries and ingenious storytelling for multi-generational audiences. I cant wait for Broadway to experience this joyous new musical. Akshaye Widhani, senior VP of Yash Raj Films, said: We look forward to sharing this story of love and happiness with an international audience and hope it touches their hearts like the film did for millions worldwide over the last 26 years. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. As a songwriter of supreme resourcefulness and extraordinary wit, Caetano Veloso knows where to find the most superb melodies in life. The quiet centerpiece of the 79-year-old's latest album was inspired by the bedtime vocalizations of his newest grandchild, now 17 months old, who learned to sing himself to sleep. The song is called "Autoacalento" - "self-lullaby" - and Veloso is more than happy to imitate his grandson's sleepy vowels over a video call from his living room in Rio de Janeiro: Ou-ah-ahh! Ou-ah-ahh! "That was astonishing," Veloso says of hearing it for the first time. "He would sing until he fell asleep!" Even more astonishing was news from Veloso's daughter-in-law that her friend's infant does the same thing. Same for the child of Carminho, the Portuguese fado singer whom Veloso duets with on this new record. "Well, this is a generational phenomenon," Veloso says, his pixelated smile beaming wisdom and delight through the computer screen. So much of Veloso's songbook lives at that contact point between human intimacy and societal shift. He's renowned for kick-starting tropicalia, one of the most vibrant musical protest movements in history - a style-slash-ethos in which Veloso and his compatriots met the brutality of Brazil's rising military dictatorship in the 1960s with playfulness, tenderness, imagination and grace. The highly omnivorous music of the tropicalistas combined the delicate vitality of bossa nova with the electric zest of the Beatles to such dazzling effect, the sound got Veloso and fellow songwriter Gilberto Gil exiled in 1969. After a few lonely years in London, they returned home as national superstars committed to Brazil's democratic future. And with Brazil's election of far-right president Jair Bolsonaro in 2018, Veloso has made it clear that his commitment will not waver. "Having a military government is awful and Bolsonaro is so confused, so incompetent," Veloso told the Guardian last year amid the Brazilian president's flagrant undermining of the environment and education, as well as his botched response to the coronavirus pandemic. "There's been no government - just a racket of insanities." Bolsanaro isn't monopolizing Veloso's brainspace, though. This new album - unsurprisingly gorgeous, adventurously polyrhythmic, sung in Portuguese, recorded while quarantined in his home studio - is titled "Meu Coco." The face-value translation is "My Coconut," but Veloso offers a more precise read while gently rapping his knuckles on the side of his head: "'My Noggin.' " These days, it's filled with ideas about race, technology, the sensation of watching sunlight bounce across a body of water and more. One especially sumptuous song, "Enzo Gabriel," cites the most popular name for newborn boys in Brazil in 2018 and 2019 as evidence of a national hivemind, or maybe even a collective subconsciousness. Veloso thinks he understands the popularity of "Enzo" - he says a famous Brazilian actress had given her child that name, "but who put it together with Gabriel, I don't know," he says. "So it's a song directed to one person who is called Enzo Gabriel, and he is asked, 'What will be your role in the salvation of the world?' " In a world of endless questions, Veloso sometimes worries that he's written too many songs - but not too much. "To like songs is to like quantity," Veloso says, reciting a new mantra of his, and "with the internet and streaming, every Friday lots of songs are launched. ... There's some pleasure in living in the quantity, but of course, one has to be able to have a criterion, a perspective. And it's more difficult to have a perspective and a criterion nowadays than it used to be." Promiscuous yet principled. That's clearly one of the most wonderful paradoxes in Veloso's songwriting. But if you try to bend all of his music around one singular idea, one signature virtue, it might look something like optimism. Across 50-plus years, through all of its wild shapes and prismatic iterations, Veloso's music has routinely refused the notion of despair. "I don't feel attracted to being like that," he explains. "I also programmatically choose some kind of optimism, because cynicism, and even pessimism, free you from responsibility." To Veloso, without "a stubborn optimism" in Brazil, the world would have never experienced the bossa nova of Joao Gilberto, or the films of Glauber Rocha, or the revolutionary pop of the tropicalistas. His idea here feels vast, and simple, and true: Art can help people feel "responsible for their future and the future of their society." In that light, Veloso's lullabies and protest anthems suddenly seem to bind together so tightly, they almost become one and the same. Both types of songs seek to comfort us as we move into the unknowable. So maybe it isn't totally absurd to ask Veloso the biggest question there is: What does he think happens when we die? Perhaps at a loss, he smiles, unbothered. "I don't know," Veloso says. "I've never died." Click here to read the full article. As popular songs increasingly rely on name producers, the field for producer of the year, non-classical, has gotten increasingly crowded. Will Finneas become only the third producer to win in consecutive years? (Greg Kurstin triumphed in 2017 and 2018, while Babyface took home the award three times in a row between 1996 and 1998.) Is the so-called new guard of producers going to be acknowledged? Potential contenders in this ever-unpredictable category may include some Grammy first-timers. Omer Fedi Born in Tel Aviv and based in Los Angeles, Omer Fedi is arguably the breakout hip-hop producer of 2021. The 21-year-old has landed three No. 1s this year with Mood by 24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior, Lil Nas Xs Montero (Call Me By Your Name) and The Kid Laroi and Justin Biebers Stay. The latter two songs are possible contenders in marquee categories, as are Lil Nas Xs album and Machine Gun Kellys Tickets For My Downfall, both of which Fedi co-produced. Finneas Needing no introduction, the 24-year-old has already won eight Grammy Awards including the top producer (non-classical) honor in 2020. He will, no doubt, be in contention once again thanks to his production on Billie Eilishs chart-topping sophomore album Happier Than Ever. His work on Justin Bieber & Benny Blancos Lonely as well as his contributions to Kid Cudis Man In The Moon III: The Chosen (Beautiful Trip and Sept. 16) add weight to the possibility of a repeat showing. Aaron Dessner In many ways, Aaron Dessner, a founding member of The National, was conspicuously absent from last years nominations considering his key role in crafting the sound of Taylor Swifts Folklore. (Co-producer Jack Antonoff was nominated, however.) Things might go Dessners way in 2022 given that his fingerprints are all over Evermore, producing or co-producing all but one song. Swifts latest is also a strong contender for album of the year, which could privde more ammo for the 45-year-olds bid. Tainy Puerto Ricos Tainy has arguably shaped the sound of Latin music more than any other producer over the last couple of years with production credits on crossover hits from Bad Bunny, Anuel AA, Selena Gomez, Kali Uchis, Ozuna and Rosalia. His hot streak continued in 2021, landing a feature on Shawn Mendes Summer Of Love as well as helming Ozuna and Anuel AAs collaborative album XYZ. The 32-year-old also worked on Bad Bunnys El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo and crafted Gomezs first venture into music in Spanish, Revelacion. Dan Nigro Nigros role in crafting Olivia Rodrigos sound on the superstar-making Sour a practical shoo-in for an album of the year nom may make him the leading contender in the producers race. Contributing to his bonafides: that singles Drivers License and Good 4 U were both chart-toppers, with Deja Vu and Traitor not far behind. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Michael Nell knew he needed somebody great to help him capture the darker side of Los Angeles a world of low-rent motels, bar rooms and back alleys for Blindfire. The movie, which was set to mark Nells feature debut, was a tense police thriller that examined issues of social justice and race, and it would take a master of the camera to help him pull it off. Thats how the neophyte director first connected with Halyna Hutchins, a rising cinematographer who was making a name for herself shooting short films and low-budget indies like Darlin' and Snowbound. On Thursday, while Hutchins was in New Mexico shooting Rust, a Western starring Alec Baldwin, she was shot by a prop gun that contained a live round of ammunition and died at the age of 42. Authorities have confirmed that Baldwin discharged the shot that killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza, but an investigation is ongoing and key details about the lead-up to the fatal accident have yet to be made public. When she came to the interview it was clear I was being interviewed to see if I was worth her time, not the other way around, says Nell. Nell was impressed and tapped Hutchins to help him develop the look and feel of Blindfire. During the long days and nights making the film, Nells respect for his cinematographer, for her artistry and her professionalism, only grew. She brought a crew to the project that loved and respected her as a leader, he says. She always treated them with the utmost care, while delivering an image that she believed in. Hutchins own social media channels, in which she described herself as a restless dreamer and an adrenaline junkie, show snapshots of life behind-the-camera, one that sometimes involved exotic locations and travel, as well as the mechanics of moviemaking such as dollies and massive cameras. They also demonstrate her deep appreciation for moody, evocative imagery and a painterly command of light sunsets, rocky shorelines, even lattes explode in bursts of vibrant color. Hutchins, 42, was born in Ukraine and started her career working on British documentary productions in Eastern Europe. After moving to Los Angeles, she began working in production jobs and graduated from UCLAs Professional Producing program in 2010. She went on to graduate from AFI Conservatory, and in 2019, was selected as a rising star by American Cinematographer magazine. Her credits include Archenemy, Snowbound, Darlin,' Blindfire and The Mad Hatter. Filmmaker Rachel Mason, a close friend of Hutchins, said the pair would bond and let off steam by going on hikes. They would sometimes talk about the difficulty of getting ahead in an industry that remains male-dominated. Hutchins, who had over 32 credits which include short and feature films, impressed all the guys, says Mason. She could do anything She commanded the world. Sometimes the peripatetic nature of filmmaking meant that Mason and Hutchins couldnt meet up in person, but they remained in frequent communication by text. She was the most enthusiastic DP I could ever imagine because all she ever wanted to do was talk about working on the set, Mason says. Despite that devotion to work and the demands of the job, Hutchins remained deeply enmeshed in the business of raising her son. Nobody realizes that being a dedicated mother was a huge part of who she was, she just kept that separate because, in this industry, its hard to get jobs, says Mason. In general as a female, you dont often talk about having kids because its just one more thing that brings attention to you if youre trying to get work. Hutchins had a particular talent for putting people at ease, something that came in handy in the high-stress world of moviemaking. Stas Bondarenko, a fellow cinematographer, remembers meeting Hutchins when they were both students at AFI Conservatory, a prestigious Los Angeles-based film school that counts Darren Aronofsky and Patty Jenkins among its list of alums. Hutchins was in her second year, while Bondarenko was in his first. Both had grown up in the former Soviet Union (Hutchins was born in Ukraine), and she recognized her classmates Slavic name. She continued calling me by a Russian diminutive of my first name that no one other than my mother has used in years, which I always found very sweet and endearing, particularly on all-English speaking film sets, Bondarenko remembers. Film school can be a pretty intimidating place to be thrown into, and being welcomed into the community, particularly in my native language, meant a lot. She was always an inspiration, even in film school, taking on incredibly ambitious projects with very limited student resources, and somehow always knocking it out of the park. Later, Hutchins tapped Bondarenko to be a camera operator on one of her projects, where he was able to observe her in her element. We lost a truly unique artist, and it pains me to think of the images she never had a chance to create, he says. Hutchins death, coming as her career was kicking into another level of prominence, has stunned the film industry and left her family, friends and colleagues reeling. Its also spurring a wider debate about the need for more stringent on-set safety measures. But those discussions, important as they are, should not come at the expense of honoring Hutchinss life and legacy, her friends and colleagues say. On social media, crew members and filmmakers who had worked alongside Hutchins remembered her as a consummate pro, loving wife to her husband Matthew Hutchins, and an attentive mother to her 9-year-old son. Sidra Smith, a casting director and producer who had worked with Hutchins on the mini-series A Luv Tale, remembered her on Instagram as so young and so talented. She added, Halyna and I spent so much time together. She was so beautifully gracious and words cannot express how supportive she was to me. And Joe Manganiello, who worked with Hutchins on Archenemy, tweeted that she was an incredible talent & great person. I cant believe this could happen in this day and age gunfire from a prop gun could kill a crew member? What a horrible tragedy. My heart goes out to her family. Nell says that Hutchins kept in touch with her AFI friends long after graduation, referring to them as her family at times. Hes one of many admirers who was left thinking not only of the personal tragedy of her death at such a young age, but also the great work and future triumphs that will now be lost. Her imagery has her DNA all over it, and I hope everyone goes and sees her art and understands the talent we senselessly lost, he says. We lost a real one, an actual artist who stood out in a world of quickly thrown together content driven by business. Theres no need for live ammo or even blanks onset in this day and age. We create distant planets and space creatures in post production. There is no reason to risk lives with gun powder on set. There is no excuse I can accept for this loss, Nell added. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not watched The Skinner, the Season 9 premiere of The Blacklist. The Blacklist has officially moved on from Liz Keens death. The NBC drama returned for its ninth season on Oct. 21 with the first episode since the exit of Megan Boone, who starred as the former FBI profiler since the pilot. While Boone left to work on other projects, Liz was shot and killed just as she was about to kill the terminally ill Raymond Reddington (James Spader) in order to take over his criminal empire and valuable blacklist. Of course, that happened just before Liz could learn Reds real identity once and for all, but the show gave viewers enough information to guess that Red might actually be the adopted identity of Lizs mother, Katarina. The premiere picked up two years after Lizs death, with Dembe (Hisham Tawfiq), now an undercover FBI agent, getting badly injured in an explosion and ending up in the hospital while his partner was killed. His assailants, who were trying to steal important microchips, were sporting mysterious tattoos, which led a retired Cooper (Harry Lennix) to get his team back together to figure out which dangerous person or organization was responsible. He pulled Aram (Amir Arison) out of an investor meeting for his new cyber security business and took Alina (Laura Sohn) away from a class she was teaching, but a bearded Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) wasnt interested in abandoning the car he was working on to get back in on the action, especially if Red was involved. Ressler still blamed Red for Lizs death, and he wasnt the only one. Red, of course, was the only person who could help identify this villainous tattoo, so Cooper had to track the man down in Havana. That meant Cooper had to be drugged in a bar, then taken to some strange place where Red was being guarded and cared for by a shaman. Once Cooper was suitably rubbed down with an egg (dont ask), he got to have a chat with his old friend and learned quite a bit about a man known as the Skinner, who might be a 700 year-old pirate but is also the leader of a group of criminals who burn people alive, and his identity changes over time in a line of succession. Hes more myth than man, Red said, but they had to find the man who personifies the myth. While Red wasnt exactly interested in joining Coopers little meetings with his recreated team, he was interested in the fact that Cooper is taking care of Lizs daughter, Agnes, though Cooper didnt think it was the best idea for Red to see her. Red eventually agreed to help the team by tracking down the Skinners predecessor, Vincent, who Red kidnapped with some acting work from Cooper, Aram and Alina. Red convinced Vincent that it was in both of their best interests for him to reveal the Skinners current identity, and got the name of a guy who just checked into a hotel in New York. Cooper and Alina got on a plane, joined by a surprise Ressler while Aram chased down his investor. Things went badly for Aram when he had to use the investors computer to hack into a database to identify a man being tracked by the Skinner, but he was able to find out that the Skinner was after the chief tech officer for the only company that makes the worlds most advanced microchips. Red then took off, taking all his resources with him, after Cooper still refused to let him back into Agnes life. The rest of the team, armed with only a unicorn printer courtesy of Agnes, visited Dembe to brief him on the somewhat dire situation. They got the name of the man who was kidnapped, but they didnt have a whole lot more than that. Ressler then went after Red to tell him that he still had to care about the blacklist in honor of Liz, and the next name on the list is a former Skinner. Looks like Red and Ressler are going to be working together, and a new era for The Blacklist has begun, even if we still have no official confirmation on the identity of Raymond Reddington. The Blacklist airs Thursday at 8 p.m. on NBC. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Minderoo Pictures, which pitches itself as a social impact film enterprise is being launched by the Minderoo Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the Asia-Pacific. The new company starts life with a commitment of A$10 million ($7.7 million) from the foundation and a mission to develop, produce and assist in the release of screen projects that inspire change. The first four projects in development will span themes of ocean conservation, plastics and human health and early childhood development in Indigenous communities. Louie Psihoyos, director of The Cove, the controversial 2009 documentary about dolphin slaughter in Japan, is among the first to be backed by Minderoo Pictures. He will work Josh Murphy (Artifishal) on an untitled feature film. Australian director Robert Connolly (The Dry) is receiving backing for his Blueback film which shot in West Australai between March and May this year. It stars Radha Mitchell, Mia Wasikowska and Star Trek and The Dry star Eric Bana. Other early commitments go to Honey Ant Dreamers, directed by Michael Cordell (Year of the Dogs), and Emily-Anyupa Butcher and First Born, produced by Workshop TV. Minderoo Pictures is headed by Australian film veteran Richard Harris as executive producer. Harris previously held leadership roles at Screen Australia and the South Australian Film Corporation. Minderoo Pictures will be a strategic and active collaborator seeking the best films, the best teams and the best ways to invest across the film value chain, from development through to production and release, said Harris. In addition to the film slate, Minderoo Pictures is also working to produce high profile, cross-platform impact campaigns, to reach diverse audiences across policy makers, schools, and the business sector. Lasting change doesnt just happen by itself. To have real impact we must motivate people, companies, and governments to act, to reassess their behaviors or start a movement. This is what we hope to achieve through Minderoo Pictures, said foundation chairman Andrew Forrest. Long form storytelling through film speaks to us in a unique way. It has the capacity to cut through, it can create movements for change and even trigger cultural shifts. Minderoo Pictures is seeking projects that will reach new audiences and inspire them to work towards a better, fairer world, said Minderoo Foundation co-chair Nicola Forrest. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The issue of climate change is becoming more urgent, but thankfully, that means the movement for sustainability is becoming easier to join. Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford Motor Company (and the great-grandson of Ford founder Henry Ford), keeps that in mind in his approach to environmental progress in the automotive industry. At the Variety Sustainability in Hollywood event presented by Ford Motor Company, Ford shared how much times have changed in his career. Ever since I joined the company in the early 80s, Ive been pushing the company to be much more progressive, environmentally, he said. But in the early days there wasnt a whole lot you could really do. To be an environmentalist back in the 80s meant you were kind of against everything. There was nothing to be for. So it was, Do less. Use less. And the products that were environmentally friendly werent wonderful. And thats true of our cars, but frankly, that was true around society as well. And yet, we kept pushing and kept pushing, and in recent years, technology has started to bring us to the point where you can actually have it all. You can have, in our case, a vehicle thats really fun to drive, a vehicle that is completely clean and a vehicle thats very safe, he continued, referring to the recent announcement that the company will invest $30 billion in electric battery technology by 2025. You dont have to make the tradeoffs that you had to make some years ago. But environmental progress comes in many different forms. We cant all act as islands, said Nikki Reed, the former actress who now leads the sustainable jewelry company Bayou With Love. Everybody has a different area of passion that they focus on, and one is not necessarily more important than the other. The truth is theyre all connected. Whatever position youre in, or whatever cause you are fighting for, its not necessarily separate from everything else. For example, creating media to help young people begin to understand climate issues is an important place to start, according to PBS CEO Paula Kerger. We focus very much on instilling the idea that we are all responsible for this planet, and part of that is a love of nature and animals. We really encourage children to think about their role as good stewards of this land, she said. We developed a series, Molly of Denali, that talks about Indigenous experience. The creators of the program really helped us build themes into it that dealt with some of the issues. There are issues that children can very much understand. Sometimes, one thinks of childrens programming, that its all very watered down. But children are inquisitive. They want to understand the world around them. And Molly has been an extraordinary series in being able to help children see. Drew and Jonathan Scott, perhaps better known as The Property Brothers for their hit HGTV series, focus on grounding the big ideas of environmentalism on a human level. Just yesterday we were talking to a couple of doctors, and it was all about the impact of climate change on human health, Drew said. And the whole purpose of that was to look at doctors as an example. People trust doctors; thats just how it is. If were feeling sick, we go to them. But a lot of times, if the professionals that we trust are not the ones that are setting the example or using their expertise and information to educate us, then where do we get it? If Jonathan is the one that just comes and tells me something random, Im like, Yeah, yeah, brother. Youre not the expert. What does the expert say? So I really love that there is that family chat but then theres also the professional side of things, and the corporate side of things, where theyre coming together. Banding together to make a difference, and educate us, too. Whats the point of embracing this technology if it doesnt actually improve your life? Jonathan added. When we look at indoor air quality, thats what decarbonization is all about, its improving your air. Its improving your water. Its improving how you function in your home. Sarah Sunshine Manning, director of communications for the NDN Collective and producer of the NDN podcast While Indigenous, concurred. She spoke on the reasons that NDN has established the Radical Imagination grant for artists. The most important, the most impactful and powerful stories [of sustainability] arent coming from corporations. Theyre coming from people that are in the trenches, in the grassroots spaces, doing that work in community. And I think we really have to be willing to invest into those people as well, those storytellers that empower agency and creativity. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On Thursday morning, the mayors from both sister cities gathered in the spirit of beautifying their communities. Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz and Nuevo Laredo Mayor Carmen Lilia Canturosas binationally proclaimed Oct. 21 as Dia del Rio and Make a Difference Day at the Las Palmas Nature Trail. The green love will continue on Saturday. According to TAMIU, the proclamation will also lead into the universitys Community Work Day. This will see almost 400 volunteers gathering at Las Palmas Trail in what they state is the largest single day of volunteering in the country. Rio Grande International Study Center Executive Director Tricia Cortez said the volunteers will work throughout the day to give the trail some love and care in an effort to reopen it. She added that it will be a joint effort between the university, RGISC, Rotary International, Keep Laredo Beautiful, I Love Laredo, the City of Laredo Parks & Recreation Department and the Consulate General of Mexico. TAMIU students have volunteered in various forms of community service with the ultimate goal being improving the lives of others through providing meals, playing with and cleaning up animals in the shelters, cleaning neighborhoods and more. With such a rich history, the Rio Grande is an international river that provides water and life to approximately six million people. It is critical for Laredoans and Nuevo Laredoans to preserve and see the benefits of the Rio Grande, Mayor Pete Saenz said. With the occasion joining both a U.S. and Mexican city, Saenz said the two cities are interconnected and cannot achieve success without one another. Canturosas, who officially took office on Oct. 1, said the relationship between the cities is sure to be strengthened with their cooperation. As sister cities, it is important actions are taken instead of just words said to prove that bond, she added. Closing in on the reopening of the border, Canturosas said it will be a time where both cities can finally reunite after a long two years amid the pandemic. Regardless of the closure, the Rio Grande unites the two cities as families and represents the partnership of two nations. It is an honor for me to celebrate with you this special day, a day where we proclaim the cooperation for the representation, care and responsible use of the river, so that our children, grandchildren and further descendants can continue to enjoy and be proud of what the Rio Grande represents, said Canturosas. The ceremony was concluded with both mayors reciting the proclamations side by side, highlighting its importance, recognition of the importance of community involvement in caring for the environment and its connection between cities. According to NASA, the earths average temperature increased by approximately two degrees in 2020 tying it as the warmest year on record. Its a strange occurrence that can have a large impact on the environment. Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. Glaciers have shrunk, ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner, NASA stated. With the state of climate change and the continued man-made damage done to the environment, steps have been taken to care for the green space in Laredo. Melissa Cigarroa, RGISCs board president, said the 2021 Dia del Rio was sweeter as a result of the cancellation with the federal contracts for a border wall. One of the most important assets of a city is its vibrant public spaces, Cigarroa said. This includes the nature trail and bird sanctuary at Las Palmas that will ultimately preserve the ecology of Laredo and make the city more livable, desirable and special, she added. District VIII Councilmember Alyssa Cigarroa was praised by Cortez during the event for the efforts made in designating Las Palmas as one of Laredos first natural landmarks and a birding sanctuary. Cortez added the site is known throughout the birding world and is the home to rare neo-tropical visiting birds. TAMIU President Dr. Pablo Arenaz said the Make a Difference Day and the big event are ways to involve students and the community to help. He praised students for their commitment and dedication on those days as they wake up in the morning for community service lasting throughout the day. He added that between March 2020 through October 2021, students contributed over 56,000 volunteer hours and saved the community over $1 million. cocampo@lmtonline.com PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) The leader of the 400 Mawozo gang that police say is holding 17 members of a kidnapped missionary group is seen in a video released Thursday saying he will kill them if he doesnt get what hes demanding. The video posted on social media shows Wilson Joseph dressed in a blue suit, carrying a blue hat and wearing a large cross around his neck. I swear by thunder that if I dont get what Im asking for, I will put a bullet in the heads of these Americans, he said in the video. He also threatened Prime Minister Ariel Henry and Haiti's national police chief as he spoke in front of the open coffins that apparently held several members of his gang who were recently killed. You guys make me cry. I cry water. But Im going to make you guys cry blood, he said. On Thursday afternoon, Henry's office announced that Leon Charles had resigned as head of the National Police and was replaced by Frantz Elbe. The newspaper Le Nouvelliste said Elbe was director of the police departments of the South East and Nippes and previously served as general security coordinator of the National Palace when Jocelerme Privert was provisional president. We would like for public peace to be restored, that we return to normal life and that we regain our way to democracy, Henry said. There was no immediate comment from Charles or Elbe. Earlier this week, authorities said that the gang was demanding $1 million per person, although it wasnt immediately clear that included the five children in the group, among them an 8-month-old. Sixteen Americans and one Canadian were abducted, along with their Haitian driver. The missionaries are with Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries, which held a news conference before someone posted the video of the gang leader. Weston Showalter, spokesman for the religious group, said that the families of those whod been kidnapped are from Amish, Mennonite and other conservative Anabaptist communities in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Ontario, Canada. He read a letter from the families, who werent identified by name, in which they said, God has given our loved ones the unique opportunity to live out our Lords command to love your enemies. The group invited people to join them in prayer for the kidnappers as well as those kidnapped and expressed gratitude for help from people that are knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with such situations. Pray for these families, Showalter said. They are in a difficult spot. The organization later issued a statement saying it would not comment on the video until those directly involved in obtaining the release of the hostages have determined that comments will not jeopardize the safety and well-being of our staff and family members. The gang leaders death threat added to the already intense concern in and around Holmes County, Ohio, where Christian Aid Ministries is based and has one of the nations largest concentrations of Amish, conservative Mennonite and related groups. Many members of those groups have supported the organization through donations or by volunteering at its warehouse. These kinds of things erase some of the boundaries that exist within our circles, added Marcus Yoder, executive director of the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center in Millersburg. Many people in the community feel helpless, but they also realize the power of prayer and the power of our historic theology, he said, including the Anabaptist belief in nonresistance to violence. The same day that the missionaries were kidnapped, a gang also abducted a Haiti university professor, according to a statement that Haitis ombudsman-like Office of Citizen Protection issued on Tuesday. It also noted that a Haitian pastor abducted earlier this month has not been released despite a ransom being paid. The criminals ... operate with complete impunity, attacking all members of society, the organization said. UNICEF said Thursday that the number of women and children kidnapped in the first eight months of this year has surpassed the total for all of last year. Nowhere is safe for children in Haiti anymore, Jean Gough, UNICEF regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said in a statement. Whether on their way to school, at home or even at church, girls and boys are at risk of being kidnapped anywhere, at any time of the day or night. UNICEF said 71 women and 30 children were kidnapped this year, up from 59 women and 37 children last year. They represent one third of the 455 kidnappings reported this year, the agency said. Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrators blocked roads and burned tires in Haitis capital to decry a severe fuel shortage and a spike in insecurity and to demand that the prime minister step down. The scattered protest took place across the Delmas neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. In addition to kidnappings, the gangs also are blamed for blocking gas distribution terminals and hijacking supply trucks, which officials say has led to a shortage of fuel. Many gas stations now remain closed for days at a time, and the lack of fuel is so dire that the CEO of Digicel Haiti announced on Tuesday that 150 of its 1,500 branches countrywide are out of diesel. Nothing works! complained Davidson Meiuce, who joined Thursdays protest. We are suffering a lot. Some protestors held up signs including one that read, Down with the high cost of living. Demonstrators clashed with police in some areas, with officers firing tear gas that mixed with the heavy black smoke rising from burning tires that served as barricades. Alexandre Simon, a 34-year-old English and French teacher, said he and others are protesting because Haitians are facing such dire situations. There are a lot of people who cannot eat, he said. There is no work ... There are a lot of things we dont have. ___ Associated Press writers Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Kantele Franko in Columbus, Ohio, and Peter Smith in Pittsburgh contributed to this report. WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) New Zealand's government on Friday set an ambitious target of fully vaccinating 90% of all eligible people to end coronavirus lockdowns. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had been under pressure to provide a pathway to freedom for people living in Auckland, who have been in lockdown for more than two months. Under the new framework, people living in the largest city will regain many of their freedoms once 90% of people 12 and older across each of three districts are fully vaccinated. Other parts of the country without community spread of the virus will gain even broader freedoms once they hit the 90% target. However, people will be required to use new vaccine certificates to visit places like bars, restaurants and gyms. The government also promised more money to help businesses struggling under the lockdown restrictions and to boost vaccinations among Indigenous Maori, whose rates have been lagging. New Zealand's vaccination target is set higher than in many other countries, but Ardern said Auckland could reach it within weeks. However, as vaccination rates have risen, health officials have found it increasingly difficult to convince remaining holdouts to get jabbed. Currently 89% of eligible Aucklanders have had at least one dose and 73% have had both doses, a rate slightly ahead of the national average. The new plan requires each of 20 health districts in New Zealand to reach the 90% target. Ardern didn't directly address what would happen if some places fell short of the goal, although indicated there could be some flexibility if they were close. But Opposition Leader Judith Collins said the targets would be hard to achieve and that lockdowns could last for months. Collins is advocating to fully reopen New Zealand by Dec. 1 at the latest. New Zealand has so far avoided the worst of the pandemic after managing to completely extinguish all previous outbreaks through strict lockdowns, aggressive contact tracing and tight border controls. But an outbreak of the more contagious delta variant in August has proved more problematic and has continued to grow in Auckland despite the lockdown measures. Ardern said the emergence of the delta variant had forced her government to rethink its previous elimination strategy and focus on vaccines. My message to the New Zealanders who have not yet had their first dose: If you want summer, if you want to go to bars and restaurants, get vaccinated, Ardern said. If you want to get a haircut, get vaccinated. If you want to go to a concert, or a festival, get vaccinated." Ardern said New Zealand would switch from alert levels to a traffic-light system to indicate whether outbreaks were worsening and putting pressure on the health system. A green designation would allow most business to continue as usual, orange would require more mask wearing and distancing, while red would limit gathering sizes even with vaccination certificates. Maximilian Stock Ltd./Getty Images NEW YORK (AP) A salmonella outbreak tied to onions has sickened more than 650 people in 37 states, U.S. health officials said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at least 129 people have been hospitalized. No one has died. Nearly all of the illnesses were reported in August and September, and the largest numbers of cases were in Texas and Oklahoma. An Austin hemp manufacturer and retailer asked a judge Wednesday to temporarily suspend the Texas Department of State Health Services classification of Delta 8 THC as a controlled substance, the first legal step taken since the department quietly announced the change last week. Delta 8 THC is a cousin of marijuana's active ingredient and is sold over the counter across the state. Up until last week, retailers and manufacturers worked under the assumption that Delta 8 THC products were legal to sell and possess under Texas law after the federal Farm Bill of 2018 and subsequent changes to Texas law legalized certain hemp products, according to attorneys for Austin-based Hometown Hero CBD. But a sudden change to DSHS's website on the state's Consumable Hemp Program detailing Delta 8's controlled substance designation left the industry in a lurch. "These recent developments have caught companies that sell hemp-derived products as well as their consumers off guard, immediately turning them into potential felons subject to arrest despite years of engaging in this same business without issue or law enforcement interference, and without having any knowledge of or intention to violate the law," attorney David Sergi wrote in the petition provided by the Texas Hemp Federation. Attorneys claim DSHS and Commissioner John Hellerstedt didn't have the authority to change the list of controlled substances, despite the department claiming otherwise. In August 2020, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency updated its list of controlled substances to reflect the changes made by the Farm Bill, paving the way for other types of THC to be legal under the new hemp law including Delta 8 THC. Any time the DEA "designates, reschedules, or deletes" any part of the federal controlled substances, individual states are allowed to choose whether or not to adopt the changes or stick with their existing rules. In Texas, that decision is solely up to Hellerstedt. However, attorneys argue that the changes implemented by the DEA in 2019 were merely "conforming" the list to the new federal law rather than taking action that "designates, reschedules, or deletes" anything. That means, according to the attorneys, that DSHS had no legal authority to object to the changes. State law already mirrored the Farm Bill's language on hemp-derived products, but the state's controlled substance list reflected otherwise because of the department's decision. A public notice for the hearing to decide the change was posted online in September 2020 titled "Objection to Implementing DEA Rule Changes," but it provided no further context. No one showed up to the public hearing in question, and no one wrote in any comments. Then, when publishing their ruling in Texas' official record March 19, they used screen grabs of a document rather than the text itself, records show and attorneys argue. Typically, attorneys and those in the industry use web services to comb through expansive documents published online by the government to find relevant information based on specific keywords. But those programs don't work on pictures of text, only the text itself meaning no one in the industry knew that the rules had been changed. In Houston, some shops stopped selling Delta 8 products upon learning of the questionable legality earlier this week. The Texas Department of Public Safety did not respond to questions about any plans to enforce the law, including what shop owners are to do with Delta 8 products they've amassed. In Harris County, a spokesperson for the District Attorney Kim Ogg said any arrest for Delta 8 possession brought by by law enforcement will be treated on a case-by-case basis. In College Station, one person is already facing charges. Bayou City Hemp, which manufactures and sells CBD and Delta 8 products to customers and retailers, helped finance Hometown Hero CBD's legal effort to fight the so-called ban on Delta 8 products. "Prohibition is very tough," Bayou City Hemp CEO Ben Meggs said. "We don't think that's the right direction." Meggs said the timing of DSHS' announcement is questionable. Crop growers typically harvest this time of year, but could be unable to sell any products if bulk buyers and manufacturers are skeptical of the plant's legality. It follows the same timing pattern of 2019's smokeable hemp ban, which also hurt the industry that season, according to Meggs. But despite the ban in 2019, industry leaders fought back and eventually got the new law overturned, according to Hemp Industry Daily. Meggs said they're hoping for similar results regarding Delta 8's legality. "Here we are again," Meggs said. "We're going to go through another round of issues on a slightly different case but within the same field." From here, a judge will decide whether or not to grant the temporary restraining order, which will last 14 days if approved. During that time period, attorneys will be exploring additional legal remedies, according to Jay Maguire of the Texas Hemp Federation. A man who violently assaulted his former partner by choking her has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison with the final year and nine months suspended for a period of seven years. Brendan Kelleher (33) of Drumlish Hill, Drumlish, Co Longford, appeared at a Longford Circuit Court sitting in Mullingar courthouse this morning before Judge Keenan Johnson. Mr Kelleher was charged with violently assaulting his former partner who told the court in evidence last February that she had left the door ajar for gardai who were having difficulty finding the house, stating that if she hadnt done so, she wouldnt be here today. When Gda Shane OConnor arrived at the house, he entered the bedroom where he saw Mr Kelleher pinning the woman to the bed with one hand gripped around her neck and the other over her mouth. The victim told the court, I owe Gda OConnor my life. A few minutes later and I fear hed have been facing a tragic scene. Following a lengthy hearing, Judge Johnson indicated that he would hand down a two and a half year sentence but would suspend it for a period of ten years if the probation report is positive. However, last week, it was revealed by Gda Declan Brislane and Gda Allen Doherty that Mr Kelleher had been arrested for public order incidents and public intoxication in June and September. Addressing the court himself, Mr Kelleher explained that he was struggling with his mental health and that, while he tried to get support at AA meetings, he felt he couldnt share at them because stories were coming back to me in the community. The court also heard that, while Mr Kelleher spent more than three months in Cuan Mhuire Treatment Centre, he consumed alcohol within hours of leaving the facility. Judge Johnson remanded Mr Kelleher in custody to today so that he could reflect on the gravity of his actions and the need to stay sober. "This was an extremely serious offence in which the victim was terrorised and left with severe adverse psychological sequelae," said Judge Johnson at this morning's sentencing. "It has shattered the victim's sense of security and confidence. It was fortunate that the gardai arrived when they did as it is clear that the victim was in real danger." The probation report, he added, showed that the accused has "a tendency to minimise his culpability" and that he is "still deemed to be a threat to his ex-partner". The probation officer also expressed concern about the vulnerability of Mr Kelleher's new partner and the court was advised that, on June 4, the accused was in "a verbal disagreement" with his new partner while intoxicated. He was subsequently arrested under the Public Order Act for being a danger to himself and others. He is also charged with threatening and abusive behaviour. "He has been assessed at the high end of moderate risk of reoffending," said Judge Johnson. "The main causative factors are his abuse of alcohol. He has ten previous convictions, most of which are due to his abuse of alcohol." In mitigation, Judge Johnson noted the early plea of guilt but also noted that "the accused was caught red handed in the course of committing the assault; he had little option but to admit guilt". He commended the accused for cooperating with gardai and for paying a total of 7,000 in compensation to the victim so far. "When this matter came before the court in February, it was adjourned on terms including inter alia that the accused would stay out of trouble and remain sober," said Judge Johnson. "The court indicated that the offence carried a headline sentence of four years and with mitigation would be reduced to two years and six months. It was the court's intention to suspend the sentence for a period of ten years on terms. "That indicative sentence was predicated on the accused remaining sober and remaining out of trouble. Unfortunately the failure of the accused to comply with those fundamental terms has left the court with no option but to activate a custodial element in the finalisation of this matter." Accordingly, Judge Johnson imposed a sentence of two years and six months imprisonment, suspending the final one year and nine months for a period of seven years on the condition that Mr Kelleher enter into a bond of 500 to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for seven years post release. He has also been ordered to submit himself to the supervision of the probation service for one year post-release, to go immediately on his release from prison to a residential treatment course, to remain sober and continue to attend AA and all after care meetings, and that he engage in the MOVE programme. He has also been ordered to have no contact with the victim either direct or indirect. This inclusive project gave members of the public the autonomy to be creative and give participants a free, engaging and positive experience with emerging artists in the Midlands. The project revolved around a four-part series of virtual workshops centred on mindfulness and creativity. Painter and visual artist Una Cahill demonstrated how to paint and decorate textiles while encouraging the digital participants to value the characteristics of found materials and their ability to transform sustainably. Participant Ciara Baker described the experience as a way of connecting with other people and the sense of togetherness that came from knowing that our paintings will be sewn together to create a physical tapestry of artwork that documents our time together. This opinion was mirrored by Luke Casserly who found the workshops to be a very centering experience in which the project coordinators created a relaxed and informal atmosphere over the hour which drew on ideas of poetry, mindfulness and meditation as a way of accessing creativity. This project was made possible by grant funding from Creative Ireland and Westmeath County Council with additional resources made available by Viking Tours. The final tapestry of collected memories is on public display and is currently placed on the mast of Viking Ship in Athlone and visible every evening at Athlone Town Marina until the end of October. Community, Charity & Cause By Chris Boyle Published: October 22 2021 It was wonderful to see the culmination of Destination: Great Necks hard work in the Gatsby Fest, Legislator Birnbaum said. Nassau County Legislator Ellen W. Birnbaum (D - Great Neck) joined her colleagues in government and community leaders recently at Destination: Great Necks inaugural Gatsby Fest, a street fair with live jazz, dancing, speakers and more. A centerpiece of the event was the ceremonial renaming of a portion of Middle Neck Road at Cedar Drive in Great Neck Estates as Great Gatsby Way. Legislator Birnbaum cleared the way for this tribute by securing unanimous support for a measure that the Legislature approved on Monday, Sept. 27. It was wonderful to see the culmination of Destination: Great Necks hard work in the Gatsby Fest, Legislator Birnbaum said. Thank you to all of my colleagues in government and our local community leaders for their many contributions to the success of this wonderful celebration of the Roaring Twenties and American literature. Lets capitalize on this successful event by shopping and dining in our lovely Great Neck community! Local News, Business & Finance, Community, Charity & Cause By Chris Boyle Published: October 22 2021 Renters in need can now get three additional months of rent paid. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran has announced an expansion of the Nassau County Rental Assistance Program that will increase rental payments for eligible recipients from three months to six months if recipients can demonstrate an ongoing need. Nassau County is increasing payments for eligible recipients of the Rent Relief Program to include not only 3 month rent arrears, but also an additional 3 months of rental payments for the period beginning April 2020 so long as recipients can demonstrate on-going need. Applicants who were previously qualified to receive three months of rental arrears may be able to take advantage of this as well. Under the County's Rental Assistance Program, payments are made directly to the landlord or property owner after the tenants loss in wages/pay and income eligibility has been demonstrated. The County is also taking new steps to ensure that residents in need can access the Rental Assistance Program, including simplifying what is required as proof of loss of income. The County has also expanded multi-lingual staffing at the Department of Services and the Boost Nassau Resource Center in partnership with Community Development Corporation of Long Island (CDC-LI), which administers the Rent Relief Program. Residents can visit cdcli.org to learn more and apply. COVID-19 has put tenants and landlords in a difficult place, and I am pleased to say that more help is on the way. By providing this additional relief and making it more accessible, Nassau is extending a lifeline to those struggling from the financial burden and uncertainty of the pandemic. This is another example of Nassau County effectively utilizing federal COVID relief funds to help those in need and support a strong economic recovery for all communities, said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. Nassau County residents continue to struggle with the multi-faceted impacts of COVID 19. The changes to the Countys program strive to address the housing, financial and mental health concerns the pandemic has created. CDCLI is proud to continue its partnership with the County and bring greater, more accessible relief to renters and landlords throughout our communities, said Gwen OShea, President & CEO, CDC LI. The County will continue to utilize funding set aside from its allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant COVID-19 (CDBG-CV) relief funds through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The County has directed CDBG-CV funds throughout the pandemic to support Nassau residents and businesses, including food distribution efforts, Boost Nassau grants for restaurants, business loans and free PPE kits for small businesses, increased mental health and support services. Separately, Nassau County and CDC-LI continue to assist with outreach for the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), specifically for the City of Long Beach and Glen Cove. The Countys team at the Boost Nassau Resource Center also direct residents from other communities in how to apply for ERAP assistance available through separate Town programs. Nassau County Rent Relief Program Overview Eligible Applicants: Individuals renting a home or apartment in Nassau County as indicated in a lease agreement in effect as of March 2020. Renters TOTAL household income must be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income. For a single person the maximum income is $70,900; for two persons $81,050; for three persons $91,150, etc. Monthly rental payments can go up to HUDs established 2020 Fair Market Rents by unit size, as follows: Efficiency ($1,298); One-Bedroom ($1,624); Two-Bedroom ($1,992); Three-Bedroom ($2,563), etc. (full details will be available on-line.) Renter must have a demonstrated loss of income due to COVID 19 Renter must have been current on their rent prior to March 2020 and not be related to the property owner/landlord. Applicants will have to disclose any funds they received to assist with missed rent payments such as the New York State COVID Rent Relief Program. Individuals may still qualify for the Nassau County Rent Arrears Program if there is still an outstanding rental arrears, but they are not permitted to accept a duplication of award/rent from both programs. Application Process: Impacted renters submit an online Initial Inquiry Form (Only ONE is necessary per household). Although residents are encouraged to complete the process on-line, support will be available by phone if needed. Arrangement with Landlords: Payments will be made directly to the property owner/property manager Property owner/landlord must agree to accept the program funds as payment in full for the covered months "By enhancing the assistance that is available to qualified renters, Nassau County is taking an important step toward addressing the economic challenges faced by tenants and landlords alike. This is especially important for homeowners who rely upon the revenue from an accessory apartment to pay a portion of their bills, said Nassau County Legislator Debra Mule. I applaud County Executive Curran for embracing a comprehensive approach to rent relief and dedicating the necessary resources to overcoming any language barriers we may encounter during this process." Ensure you get a print copy of the Loudoun Times-Mirror delivered weekly to your home or business! Complete online access is included with all print subscriptions purchased online. Plus, up to four other members of your household can share online access through this subscription with their own, individual linked accounts at no additional charge. (Are you a current advertiser? Ask your sales rep for our special advertiser rate code!) (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of share dealings by London-listed company directors and managers announced on Friday and not separately reported by Alliance News: Reabold Resources PLC - invests in upstream oil & gas projects - Four directors buy 43.4 million shares in total at 0.19 pence to 0.20p, worth GBP85,014, on Thursday. Co-chief executive officers Stephen Williams and Sachin Oza buy 12.4 million and 15.7 million shares, respectively. Non-Executive Director Mike Felton buys 12.3 million shares and Executive Director Anthony Samaha buys 3.0 million. Williams now has 29.6 million shares, a 0.3% stake. Oza has 36.6 million, an 0.4% holding. Felton has 25.2 million shares, and Samaha has 7.8 million. PensionBee Group PLC - London-based pension management app - Chief Financial Officer Christoph Martin buys 42,490 shares at average GBP1.39, worth GBP58,959, on Thursday. Now has 407,120 shares. GetBusy PLC - Cambridge, England-based document management and productivity software provider - Non-Executive Director Paul Huberman buys 50,000 shares at 66.38p, worth GBP33,190, on Thursday. The purchase is Huberman's only holding, having joined the board in March 2020. By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - Trade ministers from some of the world's biggest economies will consider how to strengthen global supply chains in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan will call for co-operation from colleagues in the G7 group of industrialised democracies to identify and tackle bottlenecks. A lack of lorry drivers and Brexit-related complications have caused queues at petrol stations and empty shelves in parts of the UK, while Felixstowe and other big ports around the world have suffered backlogs. As the G7 ministers prepared to meet in London, Trevelyan said: "Global challenges require global solutions. "We have seen from the Covid-19 pandemic how fragile our global supply chains can be. "The UK will work with our G7 and trade partners to build stronger, greener supply chains and a more resilient economy." The ministers will hear from Mark Sedwill, chair of the Economic Resilience Panel convened under the UK's leadership of the G7, who will give a briefing on how the group can work on improving resilience in critical supply chains. The ministers are also expected to agree on the G7's first ever set of digital trade principles. Trevelyan said the UK would send a clear signal that "digital trade should be open and free, with proper safeguards to protect workers, consumers and businesses". The cabinet minister will hold talks with US trade representative Katherine Tai, although British sources have played down expectations of a transatlantic trade deal since Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump in the White House. She will also have meetings with European Commission trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis and Germany's economic affairs minister Peter Altmaier. By David Hughes source: PA Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Contango Holdings PLC - natural resource development company - Receives results from samples collected from the Lubu Coal project in Zimbabwe, which reveals high swelling indices, low ash content and high yields to produce the coal product, as well as the high strength of coal, and low sulphur values. "We are delighted with the results from this study, which have demonstrated the commercial characteristics of the metallurgical coal at Lubu, as well as its viability in the manufacture of coke. This positive news has come at a time when demand for all forms of coal has risen significantly and has led to an increase in the metallurgical coal price from USD161/tonne to USD451/tonne over the last year," says Chief Executive Officer Carl Esprey. Current stock price: 7.80 pence, up 7.6% on Friday Year-to-date change: down 2.5% By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Global Invacom Group Ltd - Whitstable, Kent and Singapore-based satellite communications equipment and electronics firm - Says it has been awarded European Space Agency funding under the Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems programme towards developing a low-cost Ka-band user terminal and a larger enterprise solution in partnership with Methera Global Communications Ltd. Says project is designed to meet Methera's and the wider industry's needs for connectivity to non-geostationary satellite orbit constellations. The aim is to deliver terminals to market in 2024, offering service providers and operators constellations to provide affordable satellite broadband to under-connected global communities. Chair Tony Taylor comments: "This project is a great opportunity for our business, enabling us to develop our next generation of low-cost tracking terminals for use with data over satellite on NGSO constellations. Collaborating with Methera on such an exciting project is testament to the strength of our partnership that has been in place for over two years." Current stock price: 6.50 pence Year-to-date change: up 8.3% By Arvind Bhunjun; arvindbhunjun@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. JPMorgan European Investment Trust PLC - investment firm - Decides that it would be in best interests of shareholders to consolidate dual share class structure into one single class. "The investment objective and investment policy of the new ordinary shares will be the same as that of the company's Growth shares, reflecting the board's confidence in the Investment Manager's strength and depth of team, as well as its track record," it says. Company has also proposed to change name to JPMorgan European Growth & Income PLC. Expects to implement changes by late 2021 to early 2022. In addition, will conduct tender offer should NAV total performance be behind benchmark for five years in a row since the consolidation. Current stock price: income shares 154.00 pence; growth shares 368.63p Year-to-date change: income shares 14 higher; growth shares up 22% By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will use a two-day visit to India to announce a series of technology and infrastructure deals aimed at boosting trade links and combating climate change. In the run-up to the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, Truss will also urge India's environment minister Bhupender Yadav to commit to more ambitious goals on emission reduction. The announcements made during the trip will help drive forward the Build Back Better World initiative launched by G7 leaders including Joe Biden and Boris Johnson, which will see wealthy democracies investing in developing countries' infrastructure as a counterweight to China's growing global influence. Truss will outline agreements to deepen investment ties between the two countries and work together on finance and technical support packages for the developing world. The deals include technology transfer and knowledge-sharing with developing countries, alongside heavy capital investment a a model that the UK is looking to replicate with nations around the world. In Delhi, the Foreign Secretary will meet external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and the environment minister before heading to Mumbai, where she will visit the UK carrier strike group. During the trip, she will announce a GBP50.4 million investment by the Foreign Office's investment arm CDC to fund green tech infrastructure, GBP11.5 million for two venture capital funds aimed at supporting the transition to cleaner energy and GBP500,000 to build a virtual network of UK-Indian labs working to promote net zero targets in key industries. Truss said: "I want the UK and India to step up their partnership in critical areas like technology, investment, security and defence. "India is the world's largest democracy, a tech and economic powerhouse and a vital strategic partner for the UK. "Closer ties a including in areas like tech and infrastructure a will deliver jobs and growth in both countries, boost developing world economies and help us promote our values on the global stage." The Foreign Secretary and Jaishankar will announce a new Strategic Futures Forum, bringing together leading figures from Government, business and academia in both countries to drive closer links in areas like tech and security. By David Hughes source: PA Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Britain's Queen Elizabeth, 95, was back at her desk at Windsor Castle on Friday after she spent a night in hospital for the first time in years for what Buckingham Palace termed "preliminary investigations". The world's oldest and longest-reigning monarch stayed in hospital overnight on Wednesday but returned to Windsor Castle to the west of London the following day, with officials saying she was in good spirits and back at work. The queen, who cancelled an official trip to Northern Ireland on Wednesday, had been told to rest by her medical staff, the Palace said, but her ailment was not related to COVID-19. "Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today, and remains in good spirits," the palace said late on Thursday. Aides gave no details on what had prompted the medical attention, and some royal correspondents said they hoped the official version of events painted the full picture. Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent his best wishes and said the monarch was back at her desk. "I am given to understand that actually Her Majesty is, characteristically, back at her desk at Windsor as we speak," Johnson told reporters. A royal source said the queen had stayed at the King Edward VII hospital in central London for practical reasons and that her medical team had taken a cautious approach. The source said she was now resting and undertaking light official duties. Elizabeth, who is queen of 15 other realms including Australia, Canada and New Zealand, returned to her desk for work on Thursday afternoon and was undertaking some light duties, the source said. Elizabeth, who acceded to the throne as Britain was shedding its imperial power, has symbolised stability for generations of British people, building the popularity of the monarchy despite seismic political, social and cultural changes that threatened to make it an anachronism. A quiet and uncomplaining dedication to duty, even in old age, has earned her widespread respect in Britain and abroad, even from republicans who are eager for the monarchy to be abolished. Billionaires' drinks Elizabeth spent Tuesday night hosting a drinks reception at Windsor for billionaire business leaders including Bill Gates after Prime Minister Boris Johnson convened a green investment conference ahead of the COP26 climate summit. Elizabeth, along with her son and heir Prince Charles, 72, and grandson Prince William, 39, greeted guests including U.S. climate envoy John Kerry without masks. The queen, wearing a teal skirt and jacket with pearls, was photographed beside Johnson, smiling and chatting with guests. The head of state, who next year celebrates 70 years on the throne, is known for her robust health. The last time she is thought to have spent a night in hospital was in 2013 when she was suffering from symptoms of gastroenteritis. She had a successful surgery to treat an eye cataract in 2018 and a knee operation in 2003, but royal officials are loathe to discuss health issues in general. Prince Philip, her husband of more than seven decades, died in April aged 99. That has not stopped her from carrying out her official engagements, although her age has meant she has handed more duties to Charles and other members of the royal family. She was this month seen using a walking stick for support in public for the first time, apart from after her knee operation. Not only has she lost her husband, who she described as her "strength and stay", but her second son Prince Andrew has quit royal duties over his links to U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, a registered sex offender who killed himself in a Manhattan jail in 2019. Her grandson Prince Harry and his American wife Meghan have also stepped away from royal duties to move to Los Angeles from where they delivered some barbed attacks on Buckingham Palace. Elizabeth's next major engagement is at the end of the month when she is due to welcome world leaders at the opening of COP26 in Glasgow. Spain plans more flights this winter than before the pandemic as an incipient recovery buoys hard-hit airlines, although surging fuel prices are a concern, the head of the country's ALA airline association said this afternoon. "There are currently 1.9% more flights programmed for this winter period - roughly from November to March - compared to 2019," ALA president Javier Gandara told reporters, referring to domestic and international flights. "And for the Canary and Balearic islands, planned flights are over 10% higher than in 2019." But skyrocketing energy prices and fuel shortages could jeopardise that recovery in Spain, the world's second-most visited country before the pandemic struck. As airlines return to the skies, increasingly congested airspace could create traffic jams and delay flights across Europe, Gandara noted, potentially putting off the holidaymakers who are now the market's key customers. One bright spot for aviation, however, is the cargo sector, which transported 28% more freight in September year-on-year to reach nearly 99% of pre-pandemic levels, boosted by a lockdown-induced pivot to e-commerce. Air travel's recovery needs a harmonised system of health passes, bilateral agreements with Spain's main tourism markets and more border control staff to reduce wait times, Gandara said, before renewing calls for the European Commission to establish a single sky policy. The hope is for Spanish air traffic to reach 2019 levels of passenger numbers by the second half of 2022, said the head of ALA, which represents over 60 airlines that together fly around 80% of Spain's passengers. Air travel to Spain has slowly begun to recover in recent months with 16.3 million passengers travelling in September, according to Spanish airport operator Aena, up 199% from a year ago but still less than half pre-pandemic levels. Manchester, TN (37355) Today Mostly clear early followed by mostly cloudy skies overnight. Low 29F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear early followed by mostly cloudy skies overnight. Low 29F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. MICHIGAN Michigan citizens in the hundreds of jurisdictions holding local elections Nov. 2 who have not yet registered to vote can do so in person at their local clerks office now through 8 p.m. on Election Day. They can also apply for and return an absentee ballot at the clerks office in the same trip. Online registration closes 15 days before an election and is no longer available for the Nov. 2 election. Mankato, MN (56001) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 30F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 30F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. The induction of Lionel Messi into life in Ligue 1 will take another step on Sunday as Marseille welcome the Argentinian and his Paris Saint-Germain team to the Stade Velodrome. All eyes will be on Messi, who is yet to score in Ligue 1 since making his debut in late August. The diminutive superstar has scored three in three in the Champions League, including a brace against RB Leipzig in midweek, but is yet to open his account domestically. He won't be the first blockbuster signing to be under pressure when making their debut in the fixture. Kylian Mbappe The youngster failed to score on his Le Classique debut after joining from Monaco in 2017, but has since scored in every Ligue 1 meeting between the two. Since then, he's recorded six goals in five meetings, though he has failed to find the back of the net in two fixtures in the Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions. Christophe Ena AP Neymar Messi's friend scored on his Le Classique debut in 2017, before going on to be sent off, but has not repeated the feat in a Ligue 1 fixture since. An 85th minute penalty in the 2020/21 Trophee des Champions is the only time that he's found the back of the next against PSG's rivals since then. Edinson Cavani Never beaten in the fixture, the Uruguayan averaged a goal every other game up in Le Classique. His first goal came in the second meeting of his debut season in 2013/14, though a tremendous freekick deep into injury time to rescue a draw in 2017 is what most fans will remember. Zlatan Ibrahimovic The Swede made an immediate impact, scoring twice in two minutes on his Le Classique debut in 2012. With nine goals from 10 meetings, Zlatan certainly knew what it took to score against Marseille, with the most memorable goals being his 2016 Coupe de France brace. Ronaldinho The Brazilian wizard didn't score in either of his first three meetings with Marseille in his debut season, but he did then score three in three in his second season in Paris. In such a historic fixture like El Clasico, so many questions can be asked. Who will score the first goal? Who will star as the man of the match? Which side will win? Some legendary players have shone in this encounter in the past, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Raul, but this time, a new group of youngsters are to feature. At the moment, Real Madrid's No.20, and Barcelona's No.10 are the two players that standout. With Barcelona set to take on Real Madrid at the Camp Nou on Sunday, October 24, we assess the differences between two of the sides' young stars. Barcelona's Ansu Fati has a much higher scoring rate than his Brazilian counterpart, with an average of 0.38 goals per game compared with Vinicius's 0.14. To date, Vinicius is the player subject to more fouls than his opponent, but both forwards are likely to receive some rough treatment when they encounter each other on Sunday. It would be harsh to compare the two players' seasons so far considering Fati has just recovered from injury. However, the youngster has been in blistering form, scoring on his return to the action. In three appearances this LaLiga Santander season, Fati has scored two goals, with Vinicius having found the net five times in eight league matches. Low and medium-income families across the United States are being offered a financial boost through various forms of stimulus checks to contend with the economic turmoil brought upon by COVID-19 and, in various states, the prolonged measures imposed on the back of it. However, there has been a shift which means that states are now the ones now responsible for looking after their citizens, so some of the 50 states across the USA have either sent out stimulus checks or created programs to support those in need. In this guide, we explain what is happening in the USA when it comes to financial aid being offered. Federal stimulus checks initially came to the rescue at the start of this pandemic, but it is now the states who are tasked to provide new and various economic offerings that will come as a welcome relief to families across the United States. Below, we have outlined states where stimulus checks are either being prepared or debated, or where money is already being given out to residents. We'll also explain how to qualify for these fourth stimulus checks. Stimulus Checks status Various states are already in the process of sending out checks to ease some of the financial pain brought upon by COVID-19 and the subsequent lasting measures. In addition, every new month can bring fresh updates, so here comes a look at the stimulus check situation in every state for October 2021. Below, we take a detailed look at the various states and what they are currently proposing in terms of stimulus check support to citizens. Alabama Stimulus Checks It remains unclear if Alabama residents will receive further COVID-19 relief checks, but it doesn't look too promising. The latest news out of the state with regard to the COVID-19 relief funds is that Gov. Kay Ivey has signed into law numerous bills that would pave the way for the state to start the construction of new prisons using federal aid money. Alaska Stimulus Checks Those people living in Alaska could receive financial aid through the Federal State Extended Benefit program, which could bring another 13 to 20 weeks of checks. This, though, is only possible for certain residents and it depends on how much of this pot of money has already been claimed. Furthermore, Alaskans are waiting for updates regarding what will happen with the annual oil wealth checks. Arizona Stimulus Checks There is little sign of Arizona offering a new form of financial aid amid COVID-19, with Governor Doug Ducey set to use federal money to encourage people to find employment rather than paying people not to work. The state's Back to Work Program is offering a one-off 1,000 dollar payment for unemployed persons who accept part-time work and 2,000 dollars to anyone unemployed person who takes on a full-time post. Arkansas Stimulus Checks Talk of a fourth stimulus check in Arkansas will have to wait, as the Arkansas state government is currently involved in a legal battle with its own residents over the end of the federal unemployment benefits that were worth 300 dollars per week. Until that battle is resolved, a fourth check is unlikely. California Stimulus Checks - Golden State Stimulus II As things stand, California is the only state that have sent a stimulus check from their own money in the form of the Golden State Stimulus, as the state has a budget surplus due to their tax system. Residents earning 30,000-75,000 dollars a year are entitled to 500 or 600 dollars, as well as 500 dollars to be paid to households with dependent children. Beginning on September 17, these Golden State Stimulus payments have begun to be sent out to eligible citizens across California, however if you are expecting to receive the check via mail, these will be sent from October 5. An important thing to remember with California is that by midnight on Friday, October 15, you must have filed your 2020 tax return in order to gain access to the Golden State Stimulus payments. Colorado Stimulus Checks People who received at least one unemployment payment between March 15, 2020, and October 24, 2020, will receive 375 dollars. However, those on higher incomes who qualified for more than 500 per week in employment benefits will not be eligible. Connecticut Stimulus Checks Connecticut's "Back to Work" plan involved the provision of a 1,000 dollar check to eligible applicants who get back into the workforce after eight weeks off of unemployment, as announced by Governor Ned Lamont in September 2021. Delaware Stimulus Checks Delawareans who do not typically file federal income tax returns are being urged to keep an eye out in their mailboxes for a letter from the IRS notifying them that they may qualify for a federal Economic Impact Payment (EIP). "According to the IRS, letters are going to 32,875 Delawareans who don't have to file a return. Though the federal government has already sent payments to almost 500,000 people in Delaware, I want to make sure everyone gets a payment who is entitled to," State Treasurer Colleen Davis said. Florida Stimulus Checks Most teachers and administrators were allocated a 1,000 dollar payment, though things are still in development. Georgia Stimulus Checks Georgia's plan is generous, and full-time teachers and administrators will pocket 1,000 dollars, while part-time teachers will take 500 dollars. Pre-K educators will also likely have payments to claim. Hawaii Stimulus Checks In Hawaii, lawmakers sought to offer 2,200 dollars to teachers, yet it was vetoed by Governor David Ige, as he said that lawmakers didn't have the authority to instruct the Department of Education on how to utilise federal money. Idaho Stimulus Checks According to Boise State Public Radio, some Idaho residents are expected to receive a one-time tax rebate in the coming months. This financial rebate will be sent to full-time residents who sent in their income tax returns in 2019 and 2020, and will receive either a minimum of 50, in addition to a further 50 for each dependent, or nine percent of the state income tax that they paid in 2019, depending on which is the greater sum. Illinois Stimulus Checks Illinoisans have been entitled for stimulus checks from the government like any other state but with such payments ceasing from the federal level, it appears as that there are no plans for for an all-encompassing stimulus check to be issued, which means that citizens in cities like Chicago will miss out. People from Illinois, however, can still apply for a Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit should they be eligible. Indiana Stimulus Checks Indiana governor Eric Holcomb ended unemployment benefits early, doing so on June 19. That was well ahead of the September 6 end date that was written in the American Rescue Plan. Jobseekers in Indiana took action against the state and a legal battle broke out. After much toing and froing, the end result is that Indiana will keep paying federal unemployment benefits to those eligible. Iowa Stimulus Checks While there is not a clear stimulus check on the way, current and prospective college students are able to make an application for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) ahead of the 2021-22 school year. This could save families as much as 30,000 dollars. Kansas Stimulus Checks According to Internal Revenue Service records, the state of Kansas either refused, paid back or failed to cash over 17 million dollars in stimulus checks (12,921 checks). There is currently no new information on whether Kansas will be offering further stimulus checks. Kentucky Stimulus Checks Local reports suggest that new stimulus payments could be distributed in Kentucky due to a drastic rise in jobless claims, although nothing concrete has yet been announced. Louisiana Stimulus Checks Unemployment has shot up in Louisiana, in large part due to the recent Hurricane Ida, and calls for additional assistance in this regard is mounting, yet no official word has been given in terms of amounts or payment dates. Maine Stimulus Checks Maine does not appear to be planning another round of stimulus payments before the year's end. Maryland Stimulus Checks All state and local taxes on unemployment benefits have been repealed, and stimulus payments of 500 dollars for families and 300 dollars for individuals who filed for the Earned Income Tax Credit were also passed in the legislation. Some 700m dollars have been set aside for farmworkers and meat packers and around 20 million of that will go to grocery store workers, with the funds provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Massachussetts Stimulus Checks It seems that Massachussetts does not have another stimulus payment coming, with much of the coronavirus relief money in recent months having gone towards areas such as housing. Michigan Stimulus Checks In a bid to boost the locals' economic situation in Michigan, the state has started to send 500 dollar hazard pay bonuses to their teachers. Minnesota Stimulus Checks Some 116,000 Minnesotans are being called to register for their COVID-19 stimulus check for up to 1,200 dollars. Mississippi Stimulus Checks Mississippi was one of the first states where the unemployment benefits stimulus payments ended early and there are currently no plans for more stimulus checks to be paid out, which is a contrast to many states across the USA. This is one of the states where a fresh round of payments looks unlikely. Yet, there are increasing calls for more money to be distrubted to citizens in Mississippi. Missouri Stimulus Checks Missouri families in the low-income category who are unemployed as a result of COVID-19 are now entitled to a temporary Child Care Subsidy benefit for up to 60 days while they look for work. This benefit is available through May 31, 2021. Montana Stimulus Checks Funding from Montana's share of the March federal coronavirus relief bill will go towards a variety of local infrastructure projects, including 86 water and sewer projects around the state. Nebraska Stimulus Checks The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) has allocated 1,099,058 dollars to the state of Nebraska, although there has been no update in the last month on whether any new financial assistance will be given to residents in need. Nevada Stimulus Checks The Child Tax Credit sees between 3,000 and 3,600 dollars per child handed to almost all working families in Nevada. Half of the credit is going out in monthly payments, which has started going out since July and will continue until December 2021, while the remaining half will be given through 2021 tax refunds. The state of Nevada is doing very well in terms of its response from the COVID-19 pandemic, with the gaming industry in the state bringing in around a billion dollars a month, although they recognise that once stimulus checks are a thing of the past this may decrease. New Hampshire Stimulus Checks An American family of three with no income in New Hampshire receives a grant worth 1,086 dollars per month. New Jersey Stimulus Checks A fourth stimulus check is not expected in New Jersey, but residents could be entitled for 500 dollar tax rebates. New Mexico Stimulus Checks The state of New Mexico has set aside five million dollars for its citizens to cope with the economic pain caused by COVID-19. This will be a one-time payment which will prioritise households with the lowest incomes before a limited number of applicants are accepted based on funding availability. New York Stimulus Checks In New York, there is a 2.1 billion dollar fund for undocumented workers who were unable to claim financial aid via the federal stimulus. In order to qualify, you will need to be a resident of the state and have made less than 26,208 dollars in 2020. Furthermore, the New York City Artist Corps will be supporting local artists in the form of a one-off payment set to be distributed in the month of October. North Carolina Stimulus Checks There is currently no information out of North Carolina regarding stimulus payments and other forms of financial aid. North Dakota Stimulus Checks In August 2021, the US Department of Education gave the green light to North Dakota to use its American Rescue Plan funds to support K-12 schools and students, with 101m dollars allocated to the state in this area. Ohio Stimulus Checks In September, the state of Ohio announced that 46m dollars would be allocated to support students in need, with grants of 250 dollars to 3,000 dollars handed out depending on each individual's need. Oklahoma Stimulus Checks The Oklahoma State Department of Education will allocate 13 million dollars of its COVID-19 relief money to pay student teachers. Oregon Stimulus Checks There have been no new updates since August on COVID-19 related relief funds for Oregon residents. Pennsylvania Stimulus Checks Pennsylvania is not among the states to have given extra stimulus payments or relief money to its residents. Rhode Island Stimulus Checks Workers in Rhode Island are hoping that Congress can deliver legislation that would provide a fourth stimulus check of 1,400 to Social Security recipients, yet despite online campaigns, it has not yet been seen. South Carolina Stimulus Checks South Carolina is among the slowest states in terms of COVID recovery, yet no additional relief has been announced. South Dakota Stimulus Checks South Dakota was the only state that chose not to receive the federally funded 300 dollar weekly unemployment benefit, in the form of the Lost Wages Assistance, which was issued for up to six weeks starting in August. Tennessee Stimulus Checks Checks of 1,000 dollars will be sent to teachers, labelled as hazard pay bonuses, and part-time teachers will get 500 dollars. Texas Stimulus Checks Nothing state-wide has been confirmed, but Fort Worth and Arlington will increase the pay of district employees by four percent. Denton and Mansfile will increase pay by two percent, while Denton employees will also be given a bonus of 500 dollars. In Irving, a 2,000 dollar payment will be given to staff who return to classrooms in September. Utah Stimulus Checks In July, it was announced that Utah households received the most valuable stimulus checks in the third round of payments, with the average check worth 2,784 dollars. Vermont Stimulus Checks Vermont is trying to incentivise people to move to its state by offering to reimburse up to 7,500 dollars in moving expenses when relocating for a job in a selection of industries. And in February 2022, this will also apply to remote workers. Virginia Stimulus Checks In West Virginia, around 7,700 stimulus checks remain unclaimed and residents could receive additional payments if the state is holding onto any of that money from either stimulus checks or child tax credit money, according the US Sun. Meanwhile, the town of Boyce in Virginia is planning to provide a stimulus check for its residents by using the ARPA funds. Washington Stimulus Checks Despite calls for a fourth round of checks in Washington, the state has cooled talks of such a possibility. West Virginia Stimulus Checks In West Virginia, there are more than 7,700 unclaimed stimulus checks, Child Tax Credit and others. The question, of course, is whether any of those stimulus checks can be recovered. "If you haven't you need to file one, or you can go to IRS.GOV, 'Where's my Stimulus Check?', and look on there and enter your information and that may be able to help you, but filing a tax return will help and if you don't have any taxable income you can still file a tax return electronically, and that's the best way to get one soon," said John Empson, a Certified Public Accountant. Wisconsin Stimulus Checks In Wisconsin, the expanded federal child tax credit will supplement families of more than 1.15 million children which will receive the money, and it is estimated that some 46,000 families will rise above the federal poverty line as a result. Wyoming Stimulus Checks Wyoming discontinued its additional relief in the summer of 2021. 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 It's almost been a month since Aryan Khan, the 23-year-old son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was arrested by the NCB in a drugs case on a Goa-bound cruise ship just off the Mumbai coast. However, there are continuous developments in the case, with the ongoing saga becoming the most talked about incident in the country. BCCL On Thursday (October 21), SRK, for the first time, visited his eldest at the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, a day after Aryan's bail application was yet again denied by the court. The Bollywood Baadshaah could be seen coming out of the prison with folded hands amid people and an army of media persons. BCCL Soon after, multiple NCB officials were spotted at SRK's Mannat home to collect more evidence in connection with the charges against Aryan. Now, in light of the ongoing events, a jail inmate of Aryan's has given details on the treatment of the star kid inside the jail. The inmate, Shravan Nadar, while speaking to Aaj Tak, revealed how he has seen Aryan crying in his cell. Nadar also mentioned how there is absolutely no kind of special or VIP treatment awarded to Aryan by the prison authorities. He said that the star kid just eats regular jail food along with biscuits. However, with the money given by his parents, he can also buy food from the canteen. Twitter Aryan's bail was rejected by the Mumbai court for the third time with the next hearing set to take place on October 26. At the time of rejecting the appeal, a special NDPS court said there is a possibility that he could tamper with evidence or commit a similar offence while on bail. They also said that Aryan had been involved in unlawful drug activities in the past. A court order read, There is ample evidence in the form of WhatsApp chats of accused no. 1 (Aryan Khan) with foreign national and unknown persons dealing in drugs. There is a reference of hard drugs and bulk quantity in WhatsApp chats which cannot be meant for consumption, with unknown persons who are suspected to be part of international drug racket. SRK had spent around 20 minutes speaking to Aryan during his Thursday morning visit in which he asked about his well-being. As per reports, the Bollywood superstar had also asked jail authorities if Aryan could be provided home-cooked food but was denied permission after authorities told him that he would have to get special permission from the court for it. Call it what you may, but it sort of looks like Bollywood actors have clearly been having a very hard time in the last one or two years. Whether it was things in the aftermath of the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case, the Covid-pandemic hitting the earnings for films from movie theatres, or the Aryan Khan drug scandal, Bollywood superstars just cannot get a break. BCCL Now, as if we were not getting enough about the developments on Aryan Khan's arrest, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has landed himself in trouble after his new ad created a stir amid Hindus. In the new Ceat Tyre ad, Aamir Khan can be seen advising people not to burst crackers on the streets, in what could be viewed as a moral lesson on catering for the safety of commuters. Diwali is a major Hindu festival, where bursting crackers is seen as one of the go-to things that many children and adults do. However, the things come at a cost in terms of air & noise pollution along with the safety of people and stray animals in general. Just soon after the ad was released for the public, BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde could be heard taking objection to it. Twitter The lawmaker asked Ceat directly to also address the "problem of blocking roads in the name of Namaz and noise emitted from mosques during Azan." Hegde, in a letter to the company's MD and CEO Anant Vardhan Goenka, requested them to take notice as to how the recent ad has created "unrest among the Hindus", and how they can design them better to be more respectful. "Your company's recent advertisement in which Aamir Khan advising people, not to firecrackers on the streets is giving a very good message. Your concern for public issues needs applause. In this regard, I request you to address one more problem faced by people on roads, i.e., blocking roads in the name of Namaz on Fridays and other important festive days by Muslims," he said. Further, the BJP MP said "As you are very keen and sensitive towards the problems faced by the general public and you also belong to the Hindu community, I am sure you can feel the discrimination done to the Hindus for centuries. Nowadays, a group of Anti-Hindu actors always hurt the Hindu sentiments whereas they never try to expose the wrongdoings of their community." As per reports, another lawmaker requested the company to highlight the issue of noise pollution coming from mosques in general. "Every day loud noise is emitted from mikes arranged on the top of mosques in our country when Azan is given". he said. Whatever Ceat now chooses to do, Aamir Khan is quite in the centre of things. 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. MSU Meridian photo 2021-2022 Jerry and Ruth Scott Scholarship recipients: Mary Lauren Wilson, trust administrator of Citizens National Bank Wealth Management Division; Hampton Thames, president of Citizens National Bank; Nagelys Rojas Palacios of Meridian, a senior; Catherine Hoffer of Meridian, a graduate student; Archie McDonnell, Jr., chief executive officer, Citizens National Bank; Vericka Naylor of Meridian, a junior; Alan Bracken of Meridian, a graduate student; Terry Dale Cruse, associate vice president and head of campus, MSU-Meridian; Ashley McLeod, a senior, and Parker Dixon, assistant portfolio manager of Citizens National Bank Wealth Management Division. Not pictured is April Bonner of Lisman, Ala., a graduate student. The Scott Trust, designated for students who are employed outside of MSU, awarded $21,000 this school year and more than $115,000 to MSU-Meridian students over the past five years. Second Harvest works to help even more during the holidays Click here to log in and see all of our other subscription options for the Mesabi Tribune, including online only & auto-renewal subscriptions. 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 Technology provider Midrex Technologies and engineering company Primetals will supply the new HBI Plant (HBI-4) at Lebedinsky GOK (LGOK), Metalloinvest said. The plant will be built at Gubkin in west Russia, and will produce 2.08 million tonnes of HBI per year, making it the worlds largest HBI facility, the company announced on Thursday October 21.It said investment in the construction of the plant is estimated at more than $600 million and the plant is expected to become operational in the first half of 2025.HBI is a low-carbon raw material used for steel production in electric furnaces and generates up to 50% less CO2 than steel produced using blast furnaces under scope 1 and scope 2 of the greenhouse gas (GHG) Protocol.HBI-4 will [reinforce] Metalloinvests dominant position in supplying merchant HBI to meet the growing demand for low-CO2 metallics. Our H2-ready technology is the right step towards green steelmaking and carbon neutrality, Midrex president and chief executive officer, Stephen Montague, said.The plant can be converted to use up to 100% hydrogen as a reducing agent, which would further reduce CO2 emissions.Earlier this year Mikhailovsky HBI, which was jointly established by Metalloinvest parent company USM and Mikhailovsky GOK, announced plans to construct another HBI plant to be built in Russia with Midrex and Primetals.The two new facilities will double the joint production capacity of USM and Metalloinvest from 4.6 to 9 million tonnes of HBI per year, Nazim Efendiev, chief executive officer of Metalloinvest, said. This will strengthen our position as a leading provider of this crucial element in the transition to greener steel production. That is a significant milestone in the global steel industrys decarbonisation efforts.The chief executive officer of Primetals Technologies Austria, Etsuro Hirai, added: HBI helps steel producers to reduce the carbon footprint of their products while increasing competitiveness. Together with Alisher Usmanovs companies - [USM, Metalloinvest and their subsidiaries] - we are creating the basis for the development and steady movement [toward] European green metallurgy. A 10,000-tonne parcel of Indian HRC was heard sold into Vietnam at $872 per tonne cfr this past week.A major Europe-based steelmaker was heard offering HRC from Kazakhstan and Brazil at $880 per tonne cfr Vietnam. The steelmaker did not confirm its offers to Fastmarkets when contacted."They should be able to accept $870-880 per tonne cfr Vietnam if they want to conclude any transactions," a Vietnamese trader told Fastmarkets on Friday. Russian HRC from Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel (MMK) was offered at $880 per tonne cfr Vietnam by a South Korean trader. But... Ambassador of Belarus A.Konyuk meets the Minister of Economy of Armenia On October 22, 2021, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Armenia Alexander Konyuk met with Minister of Economy of Armenia, co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Belarusian-Armenian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation Vahan Kerobyan. During the meeting, the parties discussed the state and prospects for the development of the Belarusian-Armenian cooperation in the trade and economic sphere. Particular attention was paid to preparations for the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission. print version Deputy Minister M.Barysevich meets the Vice Speaker of the Council of People's Representatives of Indonesia On October 21, 2021, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Mikalai Barysevich held a meeting with Vice Speaker of the Council of People's Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia for Industry and Development Rachmad Gobel. The parties discussed the development of the Belarusian-Indonesian trade, economic and investment cooperation, as well as holding joint events. print version College of Education, Health and Society will improve English language instruction across Southwest Ohio By James Loy, College of Education, Health and Society The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $2.5 million to Miami University to support the Preparing English Learner Educational Allies (PELEA) program and improve English language instruction across southwest Ohio K-12 schools. The grant will equip educators, paraprofessionals, and preservice teachers with skills, strategies, and best practices to improve instruction for English language learning children. In the last decade, the number of English language learning children across Ohio has doubled to nearly 60,000, according to PELEA research. Many of these students arrive unaccompanied, or alone, and may have suffered additional trauma from poverty, natural disasters, and political unrest. The PELEA team has found that many local schools lack the expertise and resources to work with this growing population of students. English language learning children have to adjust to a new culture and environment, said Martha Castaneda, Miami University professor of teacher education and principal investigator of PELEA. [They] have to simultaneously learn a new language and master content in that new language, and they may have experienced traumatic events during the time that their education was interrupted, or because they are away from their family. Castaneda said that since 2017, Cincinnati Public Schools saw the number of English language learning children increase by 86%, and of the 4,800 ELs now attending, over 850 are identified as Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE). Across Hamilton County, the number of unaccompanied minors is also up by 88%. The grant will allow PELEA to continue to offer scholarships toward the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) endorsement, and support PELEAs work with parents and families to promote literacy growth at home. "The PELEA grant extends Miami's role in leading Ohio's efforts to strengthen and diversify the teacher education pipeline, and fill a critical shortage of teachers able to work with the growing number of students for whom English is not their first language, said Jason Lane, dean of EHS. PELEA will also focus on a variety of trauma-responsive strategies, which are especially vital for students who might come from war-torn areas and for unaccompanied minors who have been separated from their families. When students have faced that kind of trauma, the brain becomes altered, said Robin Schell, PELEA project director and Miami visiting assistant professor of teacher education. So we work on strategies that help teachers recognize the signs of this trauma, how it affects their learning, and how to create environments that make students feel more comfortable and more relaxed. So they can actually learn instead of being on alert all the time. According to Schell, supporting the increasing number of SLIFE students in Cincinnati Public Schools has been overwhelming. They just don't have enough teachers who are qualified or certified to work with these students, she said. Alongside creating trauma-responsive learning environments, the PELEA project will also support significant efforts to expand and diversify the teacher pipeline at large to further support English language learning children who typically come from different cultural backgrounds. The PELEA project will follow a Grow Your Own program model by supporting culturally and linguistically diverse educators, who are community insiders, to gain licensure and teach in their home communities, Castaneda said. When we prepare teachers within the community, we provide the ELs with professionals that know their lived reality, who better understand their experience, and have already made a commitment to live and work in that community. The project is the direct result of years of work from Castaneda and others from across EHS, which is dedicated to positively impacting schools and communities through innovative projects and partnerships. There has been a rise in sightings of all-black American flags in Florida and across the country. While not only sinister in appearance, the meaning is even more so: no quarter. Their sharp spike began with a tweet about a police officer in Illinois who hung this flag outside his house and AG Nessel's Consumer Advocacy Continues During MPSC's Technical Conference AG Nessel's Consumer Advocacy Continues During MPSC's Technical Conference Media contact: Lynsey Mukomel 517-599-2746 Public inquiries: 517-335-7622 October 22, 2021 LANSING - Today, the Department of Attorney General is participating in the Michigan Public Service Commission's (MPSC) first day of its Technical Conference on Emergency Preparedness, Distribution Reliability, and Storm Damage. The conference is open to the public and scheduled until 1 p.m. today. "I applaud MPSC for taking this proactive step to more closely examine utility oversight," Attorney General Dana Nessel said. "We must approach our ongoing utility shortfalls with urgency, which is why I've been dedicating additional time and resources to gathering feedback from consumers who dealt with outages all summer long. Prioritizing customer impact remains our best approach to well-informed policies and expectations for the utility companies." The MPSC organized the conference as part of its response to prolonged summer power outages. As the state's Chief Consumer Advocate, Nessel intervenes in utility cases before the commission on behalf of Michigan consumers. Friday's participation focuses on expanding on recent comments submitted to the commission related to ongoing utility oversight. In August, Nessel launched an online feedback initiative focused on the state's power companies, which has received close to 4,500 responses to date. Her Power Outage Listening Tour is another way in which the public can provide feedback. The Attorney General will host a discussion Monday in Battle Creek as the second stop on the tour. "The consumer feedback we've gathered thus far is invaluable in assisting our advocacy before the MPSC," Nessel said. "I look forward to speaking with area residents during my Battle Creek stop of the listening tour Monday night." Those unable to attend, as well as residents statewide, are encouraged to share their outage experience online through the Department's Outage Feedback Form. ### AG Nessel Urges U.S. Supreme Court To Halt Unconstitutional Texas Abortion Ban Through Multistate Amicus Brief AG Nessel Urges U.S. Supreme Court To Halt Unconstitutional Texas Abortion Ban Through Multistate Amicus Brief Attorney General Media contact: Lynsey Mukomel 517-599-2746 Public inquiries: 517-335-7622 October 22, 2021 LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general in urging the United States Supreme Court to stop Texas' unconstitutional six-week abortion ban, Senate Bill 8 (S.B. 8), by vacating the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals' stay of a District Court order blocking the ban from going into effect. The amicus brief, filed with the Supreme Court in the case of United States of America v. State of Texas et al., supports a challenge by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and calls on the Court not to allow Texas to openly disregard nearly a half century of precedent by keeping this unconstitutional, across-the-board ban in place within its borders. "My sentiments on this issue have never changed, nor has my commitment to protecting a woman's right to make decisions that affect her own body," Nessel said. "We cannot stand idly by as legislators show blatant disregard for federal precedent surrounding reproductive rights - a precedent set by the very Court that is now being asked to ignore its own ruling. Outlawing abortion will not prevent abortions - it only prevents access to safe abortions. We, as elected officials, have a responsibility to recognize the harm this law inflicts. I will continue to fight back against these efforts alongside my colleagues, and remain committed to protecting a woman's right to choose." According to the brief, S.B. 8 not only imposes a ban on almost all abortions in Texas in open disregard of the Supreme Court's precedent, but also attempts to thwart judicial review and insulate Texas from accountability by purporting to create only a private enforcement scheme. Texas created a structure within its state court system that requires courts to award at least $10,000 as well as injunctive relief to claimants who bring cases against providers and those who "aid or abet" such constitutionally protected care. As such, the law threatens potential liability for anyone who so much as gives a patient a ride to an abortion provider. In accordance with the ban, providers in Texas have largely stopped providing abortion care to their patients. This has affected not only patients in Texas, but clinics and patients in states like California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Nevada, and Oklahoma. In New Mexico, in particular, an influx of patients from Texas has already strained provider resources and made it more difficult for New Mexico residents to receive timely care. "Most patients now must travel out of state, which makes abortion for many people too difficult, too time-intensive, and too costly," the brief states. "Consequently, many will now be forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, resulting in negative health and socioeconomic consequences for both them and their children. And the harms caused by S.B. 8 are rippling well beyond Texas into other states, as people are forced to seek care elsewhere, in many places overwhelming capacity and threatening our own residents' access to care." The brief urges the Supreme Court to stop S.B. 8 from inflicting further irreparable harm. It cites back to past examples from our Nation's history, particularly related to some states' resistance to desegregation, in arguing that the Court should not permit states to violate constitutional rights through state laws ostensibly enforced only by private parties. The Court "should not permit Texas to 'nullif[y] indirectly' the constitutional rights recognized in Roe and Casey through the 'evasive scheme' that it has created in S.B. 8," the brief argues. Joining AG Nessel in the brief, led by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Oct. 22, 2021 The Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Western Upper Peninsula Citizens' Advisory Council will hear updates on several issues when it meets Nov. 3 in Marquette Township. Among the agenda items, DNR staffers will provide updates on the proposed Marquette County shooting range, a solar project in Sands Township, hunting season projections and check station information. In addition, the latest on chronic wasting disease research and a demonstration of the new online deer harvest registration will be presented. The meeting will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Nov. 3 at the Marquette Township Community Center, 1000 Commerce Drive. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services coronavirus-related recommendations and mandates in place at the time of the meeting will be followed. Masks are strongly encouraged. For public comment instructions or additional details please, contact Kristi Dahlstrom at dahlstromk@michigan.gov or 906-226-1331. The DNR's eastern and western Upper Peninsula citizens' advisory councils are designed to provide local input to advise the DNR on regional programs and policies, identify areas in which the department can be more effective and responsive and offer insight and guidance from members' own experiences and constituencies. The council members represent a wide variety of natural resource and recreation interests. Agenda items are set by the council members and council recommendations are forwarded to the DNR for consideration. To find application forms to be considered for a future council member vacancy, or to locate meeting packets and agendas, visit the council's DNR webpage. For more information, contact the DNR Upper Peninsula field deputy's office at 906-226-1331. LARA Hosts Child Care Provider Access Fairs to Help Open New Sites LARA Hosts Child Care Provider Access Fairs to Help Open New Sites October 21, 2021 - The Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Child Care Licensing Bureau (CCLB), announced today that they will be hosting Access Fairs in Detroit on October 23, 2021 and November 6, 2021. These fairs can help speed up the licensing process in order to meet Michigan's need for child care. Fairs will also have free childcare onsite and the Wayne Health Mobile Unit will be available to provide COVID-19 vaccinations. During the pandemic, it has become more evident that Michiganders need access to safe, quality and affordable child care. Many families have had to leave the workforce because they were unable to find care for their kids which has added pressure to Michigan's economic recovery. "Child care providers play such an important role in supporting children, families, and our community. These fairs will make it easier than ever for new providers to start their business. We'll be on site with answers to all of your questions and a few freebies to get you started," said CCLB Director, Emily Laidlaw. "Having access to affordable, quality child care is important for working families in our state. Parents need to have access to child care so they may go to their work and be comfortable knowing their child is being cared for in a safe, enriching and quality environment." Staff at the fair will help attendees walk through the steps to becoming a licensed child care provider such as: Submitting a complete application packet that includes: An application Verification that the applicant has completed required health and safety training Passing a facility inspection that includes radon and environmental health inspections Obtaining medical clearance, including a current TB test Registering fingerprints and establishing eligibility to work with children Attending a LARA Rules Orientation Session Passing a final facility inspection prior to opening CCLB plans on holding additional Child Care Access Fairs during the remainder of 2021 and throughout 2022. The goal of these fairs is to provide more information to anyone thinking about becoming a child care provider and to provide business startup supports that move them more quickly through the process of becoming licensed. Free business startup support is available to interested persons and include: Up to $750 reimbursed for compliance startup costs for new businesses FREE AT&T Hot Spots- with an AT&T service contract required for activation FREE Radon test kits- 1000 kits available courtesy of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy (EGLE) FREE background checks FREE professional development Child Care Provider Access Fair Details: Westside Detroit - Northwest Activities Center: 18100 Meyers Rd., Detroit, MI October 23, 2021, 11am-1pm Eastside Detroit - Farwell Recreation Center: 2711 Outer Dr. E., Detroit, MI November 6, 2021, 12:30pm-2:30pm To learn more about child care licensing and regulations, or how to file a complaint, please visit www.michigan.gov/cclb. BIG RAPIDS Big Rapids city commissioners approved amendments this week to the city's peddlers and transient merchant ordinance. The ordinance is a section of the city code dealing with business regulations pertaining to door-to-door sales, temporary sales, or mobile food vendors. The changes were brought to the attention of the board following a review by city staff. According to information provided to the board, the current ordinance requires applicants to consent to a background check, however, there is no criteria for denying a permit based on the background check. Criteria as been added to the amended ordinance, city attorney Eric Williams said. It was requested that we insert wording, checking to make sure we are staying within the legal boundaries, for issuing permits and disqualifying applicants based on felonies. The amended ordinance states that no peddlers license shall be issued to any person who has been under any sentence, including parole, probation, or actual incarceration, for commission of a felony within five years preceding the date of the application, or to anyone who has been convicted of a felony involving sexual conduct. It further states that the police chief or their designated representative may approve a peddlers license when, after investigation, it appears that a disqualified applicant is a law abiding citizen. In determining whether an applicant is a law abiding citizen, they may consider the "nature and circumstances of the felony conviction, the length of time that has passed between the date of application and the conviction, and the nature and circumstances of the conviction involving prohibited sexual conduct." No license will be granted without the approval of the department of public safety, and all mobile food vendors must obtain a permit from the health department, according to the ordinance. In addition, previously, only mobile food vendors that sell hot items were required to have their food carts or vehicles inspected by the health department. The ordinance has been amended to require that vendors that sell pre-packaged items "have their vehicle examined and inspected, at the expense of the food vendor, by the Department of Public Safety" to ensure that it is equipped with all required safety devices, and that it is in a clean and sanitary condition. Mobile food vendors are getting more popular, and the city has seen as increase of interested vendors wanting to come to Big Rapids, city clerk Tamyra Gillis told the board. Under the current ordinance, food vendors could not use any parking spaces. To accommodate small food carts, one space has been designated for small food carts. "If a mobile food vendor cart or trailer is larger than the dimensions of one parking space, they must park in an approved designated area" as permitted by the city, the ordinance states. An additional section has been added to deny a permit for door-to-door sales of alcohol, tobacco or marijuana, either by door hangers or by in-person soliciting. IN OTHER BUSINESS During the meeting the board also approved a bid from Midwest Geodrill LLC DBA Mahlon Mechanical Services for the replacement of 10 unit heaters at the water treatment plant in the amount of $54,060. City manager Mark Gifford told the board that the heater replacement project was part of the approved capital improvement plan, and had previously been approved by the board. "We awarded the bid, but unfortunately the contractor misjudged the scope of the job," Gifford said. "We ended up rebidding the project and received two new bids. I feel comfortable recommending Malone for the project." In addition, the board approved a change order in the Colburn Road water main project that calls for city services to install three 12-inch insert-a-valves for the cost of $10,500 each, totaling $31,500. "The whole community is being challenged by the project that is going on on Colburn Avenue," Gifford said. "This (the valves) is important in trying to limit the impact to the surrounding community. This is an expansion of the project that could not be foreseen until the work was underway. The implementation of valving will allow us to prevent residents needlessly being without water." During the meeting the board also approved the following: A motion to approve an agreement between the City of Big Rapids and Michigan Public Transit Association which accepts funding from the Rural Transit Assistance Program from the Michigan Department of Transportation for training purposes. RTAP is designed primarily for rural transit agencies the dispersal of funds for exclusive use in training and/or training materials. The maximum amount not to exceed $5,500 for the fiscal year. A motion to approve a contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation for state and/or federal funds for passenger transportation related services for Fiscal Years 2022-25. MANISTEE The girls of Scout Troop 4734 teamed up with local veterans to help keep a Manistee roadway free of litter. Volunteers from the Disabled American Veterans Salt City Chapter No. 43 typically collect trash along U.S. 31 between Eight Mile and Kerry Roads, but when they were short handed for this months pickup, the local scout troop volunteered to help. DAV post commander Eric Sullivan said the volunteers spent three hours picking up trash from the site. When the work was completed on Oct. 3, the volunteers had collected 14 bags of trash. It's quite disappointing how much trash you find that people actually throw purposely out of their vehicle, said scout leader Melissa Willard. We actually found that somebody had thrown a full garbage bag of trash out. DAV members hold three clean-up events each year through the states Adopt-A-Highway program. This is the last roadside cleanup in which the volunteers will participate in this year, with previous work being done in May and July. As post commander, Sullivan is usually responsible for coordinating the clean-up efforts, but when he was unable to do so this month, Willard and her girl scouts stepped in to help. I wasnt going to be available, so I left it up to my senior and junior vice commander for my chapter, Sullivan said. And it just so happened that my junior vice commanders daughter is Missy Willard ... He contacted her and she said the girls would love to help. Willard said her scouts were up to the challenge, and had even recently discussed adopting a section of highway for themselves. Its something we had been talking about at our last meeting if we wanted to adopt a part of the highway for our troops, Willard said. And the girls were quite excited about that. To be able to have something like that and have our name on the side of the road and say you know that section of the highway was adopted by troop 4734? Sullivan said that in addition to cleaning up roadside litter, volunteers spent the day dodging cloud bursts and talking to the cows, in an email. They seemed to enjoy themselves, other than the rain, Willard said. It was quite funny there was some cows on the side of the road and the cows were getting quite a kick out of the girls and were following them down the entire fence line and were mooing at them. The DAV chapters help returning veterans transition back to civilian life by linking them with services that address their needs. They also provide free, professional assistance to veterans in obtaining benefits earned through their service. Continued service to the community is important for many veterans, Sullivan said. The reason veterans choose to serve their country is because they're proud of their country. So they serve their country to protect the freedom and the rights that we all have, Sullivan said. So when they do that, whether it be two years, four years or 20 years, and they get out of the service, most of us still have that drive, or that desire to continue to serve." Clean-up efforts like the one on Oct. 3 is just one way for veterans to continue that service, Sullivan said. We all look for something, so most of us join veteran organizations or nonprofits ... we get on school boards, we become teachers, police officers and things of that nature, he said. It's all to help the community in one form or another. That's what a lot of our veterans do. We just can't get that out of our system. And that's why we do this. Salt City Chapter No. 43 is currently looking for additional volunteers to help continue its work with local veterans. Those interested can volunteer by contacting Sullivan at 231-690-2879. For more information on the state roads cleanup program, contact Betsy Taylor, Michigan Department of Transportation program coordinator for Manistee County, via email at TaylorB@Michigan.gov or by dialing 231-775-3487, ext. 332. ATMORE, Ala. (AP) An Alabama man who avoided execution in February was put to death Thursday for the 1991 killing of a woman who was abducted during a robbery and then shot in a cemetery. Willie B. Smith III, 52, received a lethal injection at a prison in southwest Alabama. He was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m. local time. The execution went forward after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request for a stay by his lawyers, who had argued the execution should be blocked on grounds that Smith had an intellectual disability meriting further scrutiny by the courts. Smith was convicted of kidnapping and murdering 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson in Birmingham. Prosecutors said Smith had a shotgun when he abducted Johnson in October 1991 from an ATM location in the Birmingham area. He withdrew money using her bank card and then took her to a cemetery and shot her in the back of the head, they said. Johnson was the sister of a Birmingham police officer. After waiting for 30 years, justice has been served, Johnson's family said in a statement read by Alabama Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn. The execution began shortly after 9:30 p.m. Smith declined to give any final words. The state allowed a personal pastor with the inmate for the first time during the execution. Pastor Robert Wiley appeared to pray with Smith and put his hand on his leg as the lethal injection procedure began. One of his attorneys held his fist up to the witness room glass in an apparent sign of support. The court had halted an earlier execution date for Smith in February when he was already in a holding cell near the death chamber and the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with his appeal that he could not be put to death without his pastor present. Smith appeared to quickly jerk twice upward on the gurney as the first drugs hit his system. That's the midazolam, one of his attorneys said in reference to the sedative, used at the start of executions, that has been the subject of litigation. His breathing was initially labored, but then slowed and stopped. Members of Johnson's family watched the execution in a separate room from Smith's attorneys and the media. Dunn said the execution went according to our protocol. Sharma Ruth Johnson was abducted at gunpoint, threatened while in the trunk of the car, terrorized, assaulted, and ultimately, Willie B. Smith, III brutally killed her, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement issued after the execution. The evidence in this case was overwhelming, and justice has been rightfully served, she added. Recently, Smith's lawyers had argued unsuccessfully that the inmate had an intellectual disability that prevented him from understanding the prison paperwork related to the selection of an execution method. The Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that executing intellectually disabled people is unconstitutional, but courts have ruled that Smith was eligible for the death penalty. Experts had estimated Smiths IQ from 64 on the low end and 75 on the high end, but courts have ruled he was eligible for the death penalty. An expert in a post-trial appeal said while Smiths IQ was measured at 64, his language, reading, and mathematics skills, and that these particular results were inconsistent with a diagnosis of intellectual disability. Last-minute court filings had centered on whether Smith should have been given assistance under the Americans With Disabilities Act to understand the form distributed to death row inmates in 2018 regarding selection of an execution method. After adopting nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method, state law gave inmates a 30-day window to request that as their preferred execution method. If Smith had requested nitrogen hypoxia, his death sentence could not have been carried out to date because the state has not yet developed a system for using nitrogen to execute inmates. Smith's attorneys had unsuccessfully asked the Supreme Court to stay the execution until a trial could be held in his ongoing lawsuit arguing that the Americans with Disabilities Act required him to have assistance in understanding the form. The state of Alabama argued that Smith had received access to his lawyers for help. While the Supreme Court let the execution go forward, Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized Alabama's haphazard approach but noted that she was respecting the denial of the stay. Alabama does not dispute that Willie Smith has significantly below-average intellectual functioning. Although the State debates his precise reading level and IQ, those disputes do not resolve the fundamental inequity: the States compressed timeline for notifying eligible inmates and haphazard approach to doing so, Sotomayor wrote. Alabama's Department of Corrections changed some procedures in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The prison system limited media witnesses to the execution to one journalist, a representative from The Associated Press, instead of the five previously allowed. JERUSALEM (AP) Israel on Friday effectively outlawed six prominent Palestinian human rights groups by declaring them terrorist organizations, a major escalation of its decades-long crackdown on political activism in the occupied territories. The declaration appeared to pave the way for Israel to raid their offices, seize assets, arrest staff and criminalize any public expressions of support for the groups. Most of the targeted organizations document alleged human rights violations by Israel as well as the Palestinian Authority, both of which routinely detain Palestinian activists. Israeli and international rights groups condemned the move as an assault on civil society and expressed solidarity with the targeted organizations. Many noted that Israel already outlaws even peaceful political activities in the occupied West Bank. Palestinians want the territory which Israel captured in the 1967 war to form the main part of their future state. The designated groups are Al-Haq, a human rights group founded in 1979, as well as the Addameer rights group, Defense for Children International-Palestine, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees. The Israeli Defense Ministry said they are secretly linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a secular, left-wing movement with a political party as well as an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis. Israel and Western countries consider the PFLP a terrorist organization. The ministrys statement was released during the Israeli and Palestinian weekend. Representatives from the targeted organizations could not immediately be reached for comment. The Defense Ministry said the organizations are controlled by senior leaders of the PFLP and employ its members, including some who have participated in terror activity. It said the groups serve as a central source of financing for the PFLP and had received large sums of money from European countries and international organizations," without elaborating. Israel has long accused human rights groups and international bodies of being biased against it and of singling it out while ignoring graver violations by other countries. The European Union delegation to the Palestinian territories acknowledged financing activities by some of the groups. It said past allegations of the misuse of EU funds by partners have not been substantiated" but that it takes the matter seriously and is looking into it. EU funding to Palestinian civil society organizations is an important element of our support for the two state solution, it said. The local office of the U.N. high commissioner for human rights said that in making the declaration, Israel had listed extremely vague or irrelevant reasons, including entirely peaceful and legitimate activities. It called on Israel to fully respect the rights to freedom of association and expression, without any interference or harassment against the organizations or their staff, adding that it considers some of the Palestinian organizations to be key partners. The U.S. State Department said it would seek more information from Israel on the designation and had not been given advance warning about it. We believe respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, and a strong civil society are critically important to responsible and responsive governance," spokesman Ned Price told reporters in Washington. The Palestinian Authority, which has recently cracked down on its own critics, condemned what it said was a strategic assault on Palestinian civil society and the Palestinian peoples fundamental right to oppose Israels illegal occupation and expose its continuing crimes." New York-based Human Rights Watch and London-based Amnesty International released a joint statement condemning the move as an attack by the Israeli government on the international human rights movement." For decades, Israeli authorities have systematically sought to muzzle human rights monitoring and punish those who criticize its repressive rule over Palestinians, they said. This decision is an alarming escalation that threatens to shut down the work of Palestines most prominent civil society organizations. The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem called the government's declaration an act characteristic of totalitarian regimes, with the clear purpose of shutting down these organizations." BTselem stands in solidarity with our Palestinian colleagues, is proud of our joint work over the years and is steadfast to continue so. Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed from Washington. Senate Bill 687, Create school choice tax credit and K-12 scholarships program: Passed 20 to 16 in the Senate To create a K-12 student opportunity scholarship program that would allow individuals and companies to get a tax credit for contributing to a nonprofit scholarship organization that would provide grants to lower income families to pay tuition at a non-pubic school, or pay for other education expenses, services and supplies. Beneficiaries would get individual accounts from which families could draw money for permitted expenses. Senate Bill 688 and House Bill 5405 would authorize up to $500 million in annual tax credits for this, which would increase with demand according to a specified formula. 31 Sen. Kevin Daley R - Attica Y 32 Sen. Kenneth Horn R - Frankenmuth Y 36 Sen. Jim Stamas R - Midland Y House Bill 5404, Create school choice tax credit and K-12 scholarships: Passed 55 to 48 in the House The House version of the school choice tax credit bill described above. 95 Rep. Amos O'Neal D - Saginaw N 96 Rep. Timothy Beson R - Bay City Y 97 Rep. Jason Wentworth R - Clare Y 98 Rep. Annette Glenn R - Midland Y 99 Rep. Roger Hauck R - Mount Pleasant Y Senate Bill 637, Add social/therapeutic welfare provisions to 9-1-1 call responses: Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate To authorize state grants to local governments, with the amounts determined using criteria devised by a particular social-welfare organization. This would pay for sending one or more community crisis responder clinicians or community crisis responder peers on 911 calls, who among other things would do screening and assessment for referral of individuals to mental health, substance use disorder, social, health, or other services and supports as needed. Reportedly there are 51 organizations that would be the ultimate recipients of the money. 31 Sen. Kevin Daley R - Attica Y 32 Sen. Kenneth Horn R - Frankenmuth Y 36 Sen. Jim Stamas R - Midland Y House Bill 4637, Authorize process to change townships name: Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate To establish a process to allow a township to change the townships name. Two thirds of the township board would have to agree to put the question on the ballot in a regular November or August election, and voters would have to approve it. 31 Sen. Kevin Daley R - Attica Y 32 Sen. Kenneth Horn R - Frankenmuth Y 36 Sen. Jim Stamas R - Midland Y House Bill 5290, Revise posting of seasonal road weight limits: Passed 104 to 0 in the House To require the state and local road agencies to post the names of the highways and streets that are not subject to seasonal load limit restrictions, rather than posting those that are. This could be satisfied by posting an electronic map showing these roads. 95 Rep. Amos O'Neal D - Saginaw Y 96 Rep. Timothy Beson R - Bay City Y 97 Rep. Jason Wentworth R - Clare Y 98 Rep. Annette Glenn R - Midland Y 99 Rep. Roger Hauck R - Mount Pleasant Y House Bill 4535, Ban wheelers from snowmobile trails in winter: Passed 101 to 2 in the House To ban wheeled vehicles from snowmobile trails from December 1 to April 1. 95 Rep. Amos O'Neal D - Saginaw Y 96 Rep. Timothy Beson R - Bay City Y 97 Rep. Jason Wentworth R - Clare Y 98 Rep. Annette Glenn R - Midland Y 99 Rep. Roger Hauck R - Mount Pleasant Y House Bill 5080, Exempt delivery and installation costs from sales tax: Passed 69 to 34 in the House To exempt from sales tax the delivery and installation costs necessary to complete a purchase, which are taxable under current law. 95 Rep. Amos O'Neal D - Saginaw N 96 Rep. Timothy Beson R - Bay City Y 97 Rep. Jason Wentworth R - Clare Y 98 Rep. Annette Glenn R - Midland Y 99 Rep. Roger Hauck R - Mount Pleasant Y House Bill 4801, Impose licensure mandate on paid electric vehicle charging services: Passed 85 to 18 in the House To impose a new licensure and $75 per charger fee regime on paid electric vehicle charging services. 95 Rep. Amos O'Neal D - Saginaw Y 96 Rep. Timothy Beson R - Bay City Y 97 Rep. Jason Wentworth R - Clare Y 98 Rep. Annette Glenn R - Midland N 99 Rep. Roger Hauck R - Mount Pleasant Y Source: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit www.MichiganVotes.org. DORAL, Fla. (AP) Two Florida police officers were wounded Friday morning during a shootout before returning fire and killing the gunman, officials said. Both Doral police officers were expected to survive, police spokesman Rey Valdes said. The officers were responding to some dispute between drivers, where one car was chasing the other, officials said. The man being chased was attempting to reach the nearby Miami-Dade Police Department headquarters, which is located along a busy street in Doral. The chaser lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree, police said. He then exited his vehicle and immediately opened fire on the officers. One officer was injured in the face by shrapnel or broken glass, and the other was shot in the chest, arm and leg, officials said. The second officer was taken to a Miami trauma center. Also wounded in the shooting was a man riding in panel truck that had no apparent connection to confrontation. Officials didn't immediately know whether that man was hit in the leg by the officers or the gunman. Officials didn't immediately identify the names or races of the officers or dead man. State law enforcement officials will investigate the shooting. LONDON (AP) Britain and New Zealand have agreed on a trade deal that eliminates tariffs on a wide range of goods as the U.K. expands economic links around the world following its exit from the European Union. The deal was cemented late Wednesday in a conference call between U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his New Zealand counterpart, Jacinda Ardern, after 16 months of talks by negotiators. Although trade with New Zealand accounts for only 0.2% of the U.K.'s trade, Britain hopes it will help open the door toward membership in the trans-Pacific trade partnership. The partnership, which includes Japan, Canada, and Vietnam, had GDP of 8.4 trillion pounds ($11.6 trillion) in 2020. This is a great trade deal for the United Kingdom, cementing our long friendship with New Zealand and furthering our ties with the Indo-Pacific, Johnson said. It will benefit businesses and consumers across the country, cutting costs for exporters and opening up access for our workers.'' Ardern said the deal was among the best ever achieved by New Zealand and would boost the nation's economy by about 1 billion New Zealand dollars ($720 million) as it opens the way for more sales of the country's wine, butter, cheese and beef. This is a historic but substantial deal and it's been achieved basically in a year, Ardern said. That has never been done before. Trade officials in the U.K. trumpeted the benefits of the deal, declaring that sauvignon blanc wine, Manuka honey and kiwi fruit from New Zealand would be cheaper for British consumers. Clothing, buses and bulldozers will also no longer face tariffs. British farmers expressed disquiet, however, saying the deal, and another signed with Australia earlier this year, may boost food imports at a time when labor shortages and rising costs are already hurting many U.K. farmers. This could damage the viability of many British farms in the years ahead, to the detriment of the public, who want more British food on their shelves, and to the detriment of our rural communities and cherished farmed landscapes,'' National Farmers Union President Minette Batters said. Instead of repeating the refrain that these deals will be good for British agriculture, our government now needs to explain how these deals will tangibly benefit farming, the future of food production and the high standards that go along with it on these shores, Batters said. Asked if the deal meant New Zealand would be less reliant on China for its exports, Ardern said diversification would improve options and resilience for its exporters. When Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community back in 1973 many New Zealand exporters felt abandoned. Ardern said the new deal meant that perhaps it was time to draw a line under that period of history. Some of the details of the deal are still being finalized, and officials expect it to take effect next year. Johnsons Conservative government is negotiating free trade deals around the world to try to boost economic growth following Brexit. The biggest prize would be a trade deal with the United States, although a deal with America seems far off. ___ Perry reported from Wellington, New Zealand. ___ Follow all AP stories on post-Brexit developments in Britain at https://apnews.com/hub/Brexit. MIDDLETOWN The city is turning its focus to booster shots in a series of clinics aimed at lowering the number of COVID-19 cases as well as transmission rates. The health department receives data from the state health office on a biweekly basis. Between Sept. 26 and Oct. 9, a total of 14,594 tests were conducted, similar to the previous two weeks, at 14,296. The percent of positive cases over that period were 0.7 percent, according to the city COVID summary. Acting Health Director Kevin Elak said the positivity rate is relatively low, because a lot of testing is done in Middletown, between pharmacies and the new testing site at Cross Street (AME Zion Church), as well as Wesleyan University regularly testing its staff and students. Since the pandemic began, the total number of cases in Middletown is 5,018 (up 38 in the last two weeks). The total number of confirmed deaths rose by two in that period, for a total of 148, according to Elaks weekly report. Elak said Friday that the enormous amount of testing being done will reflect an uptick in cases, which have risen recently. Weve seen a little spike of cases again, he said. I have a feeling we are going to head north again next week. That may be due to a number of factors, including that winter is coming, when more people will be moving indoors. We may see a little uptick again after that, but hopefully its not going to be anything near what weve seen before, Elak said. He predicts the numbers will fluctuate up and down for a little while. Local testing efforts include a drive-through saliva-based testing site at the AME Zion Church parking lot at 440 West St., runs Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m.;Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon; and Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary. On Wednesday, U.S. regulators signed off on extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and said anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially. Starting Monday, the city will be sponsoring booster clinics at the senior center for those who got both their inoculations there. We are going back to the same model as almost a year ago, Elak said. The city will distribute the boosters with the population thats more vulnerable to serious infection. Were going to be prioritizing our seniors and focusing on first responders, he said. The availability of shots in Middletown has increased greatly since 2020, the acting health director said. One positive thing is were in a much different place than last year, said Elak, referring to the number of places where people can get their booster shots, including the pharmacies at both Stop & Shop and Price Chopper, as well as Walgreens and CVS. Middlesex Health is also conducting vaccination clinics, he said. Since August in Middletown, the delta strain has been dominant in Connecticut, but, looking at other parts of the country, Elak is hopeful that those transmission levels will begin to wane. In Florida and the South, the delta wave is just about over, and we hope that moves north, he said. No one really seems to know at this point what is really going to happen. I cant foresee that well get to the point over the summer unless another variant comes. The UK is now experiencing another strain, and cases there are on the rise, Elak said, but, as far as Connecticut goes, we still could be a ways away if that even happens. Hes been seeing positive cases in both the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, but luckily, not too many severe cases. Most of them are mild. One of the departments contact tracers told Elak Friday that there were 15 new cases. About half were kids under 12. Thats a little bit alarming. For a list of vaccination and testing locations, as well as other information, visit middletownct.gov. LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) Thirty Nigerian students abducted in the northwest by gunmen have been released, Kebbi state governors office announced Thursday, but dozens remain in captivity in the state. The students of the Federal Government College arrived in the Kebbi state capital on Thursday and shall undergo medical screening and support while being reunited with their families, according to Yahaya Sarki, Kebbi state governors spokesperson. A statement issued by Sarki did not give details of how the students were freed but added that efforts are ongoing to secure the release of those still in detention. Kidnap ransoms for the release of hundreds of abducted students in the West African country are common. The Kebbi students were abducted on June 17 when the gunmen stormed their school in Birnin-Yauri, which is about 220 kilometers (136 miles) from the state capital. The assailants overpowered security officers guarding the school and killed a police officer before driving off with the students. Authorities could not provide the exact number of those missing from the Kebbi school after the attack but residents had said they were more than 70. In the weeks following the incident, six of the students were rescued while one was killed. Security forces continued to hunt for their abductors believed to be bandits operating out of abandoned forests in northwest and central parts of Nigeria. The Kebbi school abduction is just one out of at least 10 cases of school abductions this year in the West African country, particularly in the troubled northern region. At least 1,400 children have been abducted from their schools over the last year and about 200 of them have yet to be released, UNICEF said in September. Sixteen children have died in the attacks, UNICEF Nigeria Representative Peter Hawkins also told The Associated Press. Many schools across northern Nigeria remain shut over the crisis as governors battle to find a solution. With school resumption fast approaching, UNICEF has said at least 1 million children are afraid to return to their classrooms because of insecurity. That worsens Nigerias education crisis with more than 10 million children already out of school. Moreover, some of the freed captives have told the AP of how they continue to face trauma after their freedom with little or no support for their healthcare from the government. In Kaduna, more than 20 students released after nearly two months in the custody of gunmen are now seeking overseas education, The AP has reported. The first mass school abduction in Nigeria was in 2014 when Boko Haram extremist rebels seized 276 girls from a school in Chibok, drawing international outrage. Local authorities believe that the Jihadi group may be aligning with the armed groups in carrying out some of the attacks in Nigerias north. Nnamdi Obasi of the International Crisis Group said authorities must improve the security presence and resources in the region as a first step in addressing the challenge. Clearly the security operatives are outnumbered by the armed groups, he said. OCALA, Fla. (AP) A Florida man is accused of killing his neighbor in a dispute over a cat that wandered into his yard, sheriff's officials said. Clifford Anthony Bliss Jr., 58, became angry when the cat went into his yard Wednesday, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said. He went to his neighbor's home in Umatilla and threatened to shoot the cat, officials said. James Arland Taylor Jr., 41, asked him not to shoot the cat, according to deputies. That's when Bliss shot Taylor, they said. Deputies said they interviewed a woman who was at Taylor's home when Bliss knocked on the door. She said he was angry about the cat and that Taylor asked him not to shoot the cat, the Ocala Star-Banner reported. Taylor was shot at least once in the chest, officials said. Bliss was arrested without incident. He is charged with second-degree murder and was being held without bond in the Marion County Jail. Court records did not list a lawyer for Bliss. Umatilla is near Ocala in north Florida. Chase Stevens/AP LAS VEGAS (AP) Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak was found at-fault, and he and another driver were each ticketed for traffic infractions following a two-car crash during the weekend in Las Vegas, according to a police report. The Democratic governor, who was driving alone without a security detail, and the 30-year-old woman driving the other vehicle were each treated for minor injuries after the Sunday afternoon crash at a busy intersection several miles west of the Las Vegas Strip, according to an accident report released Wednesday. WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs has started disciplining employees who refuse to comply with the agency's vaccine mandate, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said Wednesday. The VA was the first federal agency to mandate that its employees be vaccinated against the coronavirus. There are 420,000 employees at the agency, and most workers had until Oct. 8 to provide proof of vaccination to their local VA Occupational Health Office. So far, about 70% of employees have shared their vaccination status with the VA. The department didn't provide data Wednesday about how many employees had been vaccinated. McDonough said he would provide updates on those numbers as they became available. The disciplinary process has begun for those employees who are refusing vaccines or who haven't shared their vaccination status, he said. Undergoing counseling is the first step in the process, followed by several other measures before employees are terminated if they continue to refuse vaccines. "If they choose not to do it, and after our disciplinary process continue not to do it, they'll be fired," McDonough said. "It starts with counseling and ends with separation." Employees were allowed to request exemptions from the mandate for health or religious reasons. It was unknown Wednesday how many exemptions had been filed, but McDonough said the number of requests for religious exemptions was larger than those who sought exemptions for the flu vaccine last year. McDonough said he might deny some of those requests if faced with a situation of "undue hardship." That might occur if there aren't enough vaccinated health care workers to treat veterans, he said. VA officials are trying to determine the locations and job duties of employees who might refuse vaccines. The agency could use its authority to move other VA employees to regions where hospitals and clinics could become short-staffed, McDonough said. "We're looking really hard at it," he said. "We're trying to get a sense as best we can where people might be and what the nature of employment might be so we're in a position to do that." Army National Guard troops must get the COVID-19 vaccine by a December deadline, not the previously announced June 2022 date, if they will be mobilized on federal orders, according to a policy memo obtained by Military.com. Any National Guard soldier mobilized on federal orders after Dec. 15 must be fully vaccinated, according to the memo dated Oct. 7. Previously, the only guidance given to Guard troops was that they had to be vaccinated by June 30, 2022, a deadline that was far later than any other issued by the military services. By comparison, troops in the Air National Guard and Reserve must be fully vaccinated by Dec. 2. The Army National Guard's goal is to have at least 90% of the force vaccinated by April 2022, according to Army guidelines obtained by Military.com in September, months after the rest of the military's deadlines to have the full force vaccinated. More than 92% of the active-duty force has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Read Next: Military Families Can See Moving Company Red Flags on New Website Guardsmen can train and deploy on several different types of orders, ranging from state to federal activations. The Dec. 15 deadline will apply only to troops on federal Title 10 orders, usually reserved for Guardsmen deploying abroad or to the U.S.-Mexico border. This also can include some troops training at active-duty schools, such as basic training. As of Friday morning, there were 15,820 Guard troops deployed overseas who will be affected by the earlier deadline, according to National Guard Bureau data. And any Guard unit deploying abroad after the Dec. 15 deadline will have to have a fully vaccinated force. There are also some 3,000 troops deployed to the southern border on federal orders. However, there are more than 2,500 Guardsmen at the border and 12,140 on pandemic-related missions on state orders who won't be affected by the December deadline. Like other military components, Guardsmen can seek an exemption to the vaccine, such as for religious reasons or medical concerns like adverse reactions to previous shots. But doing so may be an uphill climb if troops had not previously objected to the smorgasbord of other vaccines required to make them eligible for military service. It is unclear how many Guard soldiers are fully vaccinated. In an interview with Military.com in July, Col. Jennifer Schmidt, deputy surgeon general of the National Guard Bureau's Joint Staff, said the data will not be publicly shared because units cannot accurately track who in the ranks is vaccinated. Unlike active-duty units, which are largely vaccinated through the Army, some Guardsmen are getting the shots through civilian sources and the Department of Veterans Affairs, something National Guard units do not automatically track. Military.com obtained Guard vaccination data in July that showed 30% of the force is vaccinated. However, Guard officials said the data was not accurate, given the lack of accounting for all sources of shots received by troops. In the meantime, states have the authority to order more aggressive vaccine deadlines than the federal government. Military.com was first to report that California issued the first vaccine mandate in the military in July, ordering its Guardsmen to be fully inoculated by August. USA Today on Wednesday reported that New York Guardsmen on pandemic-related missions must be fully vaccinated. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: What Happens to Soldiers Who Refuse the COVID Vaccine? CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea North Korea says its test of a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile earlier this week should be considered normal activities for the country, and that it posed no threat to the United States. A spokesperson for North Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that the launch was a defensive measure, a claim the communist regime frequently makes to justify its nuclear and ballistic missile tests, according to a statement released Thursday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. The test was part of the normal activities for carrying out the medium and long-term plan for the development of defense science and it did not pose any threat or damage to the security of the neighboring countries and the region, the spokesperson said through KCNA. The statement added that we did not have the U.S. in mind nor aimed at it and that there is no need for the U.S. to worry or trouble itself over the test-firing. South Korean military officials assessed that a short-range ballistic missile flew 279 miles at a maximum altitude of 37 miles at 10:17 a.m. Tuesday. The Japan Coast Guard, however, said two missiles were fired from North Koreas eastern coast. Related Video: The missile appeared to have been launched from Sinpo, according to South Korean military officials, where a North Korean shipyard is believed to be working on a new ballistic missile submarine. The North last conducted an SLBM test from an underwater platform in 2019, and claims it fired a separate SLBM from an outdated submarine in 2016. Experts have widely remained skeptical of North Koreas claims of self-defense, particularly with the development of its SLBM program. The missiles are typically viewed as retaliatory, second-strike weapons due to the difficulty in detecting submarines prior to a launch. Sea-based missiles are more survivable and more difficult to destroy through pre-emptive attack than land-based systems, Ankit Panda, a North Korea analyst and Stanton senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Wednesday. Pyongyangs latest missile launch is the fifth weapons test in recent weeks. In September and so far in October it has launched an anti-aircraft missile, a ballistic missile from a train, long-range cruise missiles capable of reaching Japan and a hypersonic short-range missile. The U.N. Security Council held a closed-door meeting Wednesday to discuss the most recent launch. The U.S. and several other member nations condemned the test, calling it the latest in a series of reckless provocations. These are unlawful activities, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement. They are in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions. And they are unacceptable. Thomas-Greenfield did not say whether the council was considering additional sanctions against North Korea and said we just need to be more serious about the implementation of existing sanctions. South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong during a parliamentary briefing Wednesday appeared to rebuff the notion of imposing additional sanctions, saying that sanctions relief" may be taken into consideration to bring North Korea to the negotiation table. Thirteen percent of military spouses are unemployed, and 43% of military spouses are under-employed. In both unemployment and under-employment, military spouses cited specific challenges around relocation, childcare responsibilities, and the economic impact of COVID-19. Thats according to research by Navy Federal Credit Union and Hire Heroes USA. The two organizations surveyed more than 2,000 military spouses and identified 10 industries or career paths that meet the values and attributes that matter most to this community. Government and public administration topped the list, which nearly half of respondents said an analyst role in this field best-suits frequent relocation via permanent change of station. Other industries on the top 10 list include business support and human resources, healthcare and social assistance, educational services, and information technology. For Marine Corps spouse Debbie Evans, who serves as assistant manager of operation risk at Navy Federal, technology is a growing and expanding field. Technology is a growing business. We have to be ready to invent new processes and preserve and protect our infrastructures, said Evans. Earning an MBA and working in banking are two key factors keeping Air Force spouse Matthew Veans skills transferable from one city to another. And he says location plays a major role too. Its critical for military spouses to have transferable skills that can help advance their career due to their spouse moving every 2-4 years, said Vean, commercial banking team lead at Navy Federal. If a military spouse is relocating to a smaller city or town, the job market can be more difficult versus moving to cities such as Washington, D.C., San Diego, or Colorado Springs. In addition to building a broad skillset, military spouses need to take advantage of free resources available through the military spouse community. "Since Ive worked in transitioning military and military spouse employment support for almost 10 years, I sometimes incorrectly assume that military spouses know there are resources developed specifically to assist them in their continued job search, said Amy Dodson, human resources manager at Hire Heroes USA. Resources like this Best Careers for Military Spouses list are great step in the right direction to reach more military spouses and make them more comfortable with reaching out for support. Vean echoes this sentiment, noting that LinkedIn and other social platforms have been instrumental resources as he progresses in his career. These are great tools to help build your network virtually. Make your profile stick out and do not be afraid to reach out to other people. As one looks for career advice, get as specific as possible with your desired role. When finding a satisfying career experience, Dodson encourages military spouses to get comfortable with reinventing yourself and try to find the positives in each change of location. She also encourages them to find and target employers who have military spouse hiring initiatives where their role as a military spouse is sought after when selecting employees. My career experience, like many other military spouses, took many twists and turns during the 22 years my husband was in the military. I never saw myself as a public speaker, teacher, or expert on military employment, but I ended up loving that job which set me on a career path I never thought I would be on, but am still on to this day, said Dodson. Evans agrees and never thought her career would be in the financial industry. Like any young military spouse, most jobs were entry-level, whether you had a college degree or not. Its when we were stationed at a small Navy Communications Station in San Miguel, Philippines that my ideal job came to fruition. I interviewed at Navy Federal and was hired on the spot. My story continues today, 29 years and 8 months later. Heres the full list of the top 10 Military Spouses industries according to the Navy Federal Report Find Out More About the Best Careers for Military Spouses and Other Resources Read the whole report or check out the Navy Federal Blog for more articles and tips on important topics for military spouses. As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. All you have to do is activate your access. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. Sometimes life produces a most unique and wonderful person. His name was Monte A. Bowthorpe. Monte was born on Sept. 15, 1942, to Bud (Ander Last week, a 19-year-old man, later identified as Tu Ngo, posed as a student at both Grand County High School and Margaret L. Hopkin Middle Sc One outcome of the devastating, once-in-a lifetime pandemic is a grim realisation about our lack of preparedness for unexpected tragedies. Those who have lost loved ones over the past 20 months had to run the harrowing gauntlet of succession issues, while trying to come to terms with their loss. The problem is not limited to the pandemic and its enormity is clear from these numbers. A collation by Recoversy.in puts the value of unclaimed financial assets at a stupendous Rs1.4 lakh crore as on 30 March 2020. This was before the pandemic really unleashed its devastation and the new numbers would be significantly higher. The sheer number of deaths, often within a family, ought to create a sense of urgency to put in place a holistic, humane and speedy system to deal with transmission and succession issues. Remember, a Will allows a person to decide how to distribute her assets, but the process of fulfilling those wishes is harrowing and urgently needs disruptive reform. In the hierarchy of vital changes that are needed, fixing our slow, expensive and broken legal system would be at the top of the list, but it is also the most challenging and least likely to happen. A white paper titled Making Succession Smoother and Simpler by Pramod Rao for the Association of Registered Investment Advisers (ARIA) notes that it takes 8-10 months (and a fat fee) to obtain a probate in uncontested Wills and around 6-9 years if it is contestedoften longer. Succession certificates have a similar time frame. The pandemic has only extended these timelines. Imagine the plight of people who lost multiple family members to COVID-19 after having already depleted their resources on hospitalisation costs. At a time when savings and investment records are all digitally stored, it is possible to move past incremental improvements and work at a holistic, technology-based solution that will bring about transformational change. The key is for our financial and realty regulators to work together to make this happen. We need to build public pressure to make it happen and move past small modifications. For instance, on 18th October, the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) asked ( SEBI Asks RTAs To Transmit Securities in Favour of Surviving Joint-holder ) registrars to issues and share transfer agents to transmit securities in favour of surviving joint-holder/s on the death of one or more joint-holder/s. This clarification followed a complaint to the regulator. A few days before this, a Whatsapp forward had resurfaced claiming that a survivor with a joint fixed deposit in a bank cannot break it prematurely and access funds without concurrence from all legal heirs. Astonishingly, this message remains in circulation in October 2021, although the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has clarified the issue in August 2012 . On the death of a joint-holder, banks have been told to permit premature withdrawal without penalty subject to the existence of a joint mandate obtained from both account-holders while opening the account. But RBI found that banks have neither included this clause in account opening forms nor followed RBI directives to spread awareness about it. A previous circular dated 9 June 2005 was entirely devoted to simplify the nomination and transmission process, which has been updated to insert this clarification. The core of the circular says that banks need to take necessary precautions while transferring account proceeds to nominees, but cannot make superfluous and unwarranted demands such as seeking bonds, indemnities and sureties from the nominees, or it would invite serious supervisory disapproval. Even where there is no nomination, RBI is clear that banks should keep in view the imperative need to avoid inconvenience and undue hardship to the common person. This continues to be ignored. The 2005 circular says that the Indian Banks Association was to formulate a Model Operating Procedure to settle claims of deceased account-holders in various circumstances; but banks continue to follow arbitrary processes and demand indemnities and sureties. The continued harassment of nominees is solely due to RBIs half-hearted instructions allowing banks to use their discretion rather than issuing standard operating procedures (SOP) for dealing with nominations and transmission. As the ARIA paper says, the need of the hour is a holistic system that works across all assets, puts in place standard rules and protocols for transmission of financial assets and covers the needs of minor children and incapacitated seniors. The question is: Who will bell the cat? Leading banker KV Kamath, in a foreword to the ARIA report, says: All that this needs is a short and coordinated effort of say six months, from all the parties involved, and if required, facilitated by the Regulators who could consider modifying the regulations to enable the institutions to use these new approaches. In a few cases, the government might need to modify the governing laws to make this happen, he adds. Some simple steps suggested by ARIA are: Nominees: Equate or elevate nominees to legal and beneficial owners of assets (as opposed to holding them in trust for the heirs) in order to avoid legal processes. Equate or elevate nominees to legal and beneficial owners of assets (as opposed to holding them in trust for the heirs) in order to avoid legal processes. Centralised Link: Link nominations to the Customer ID and provide for a mandatory default nomination. I am not in favour of eliminating a persons right to make an informed decision with regard to a nominee; so the nomination ought to be a default option without making it mandatory. Link nominations to the Customer ID and provide for a mandatory default nomination. I am not in favour of eliminating a persons right to make an informed decision with regard to a nominee; so the nomination ought to be a default option without making it mandatory. Common Form: Have a simple, common form for nominations across the financial services sector. Have a simple, common form for nominations across the financial services sector. E-nomination: Develop an e-nomination facility that allows online changes and authentication via OTP or digital signatures. Develop an e-nomination facility that allows online changes and authentication via OTP or digital signatures. Specific, Successive and Proportional Nomination: Create a simple system that allows specific nominations for various assets, including successive and proportional nomination. Create a simple system that allows specific nominations for various assets, including successive and proportional nomination. Additional Information: An important suggestion, in the online facility, is to capture additional information about nominees such as contact and identity details. The paper-based systems today do not capture such information. An important suggestion, in the online facility, is to capture additional information about nominees such as contact and identity details. The paper-based systems today do not capture such information. Central Database: The ARIA paper suggests a common blockchain-based ledger across banks to maintain a credible history of nomination changes. This would be an important record in case of disputes and can easily be implemented by agencies such as Central Registry of Securitisation Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest of India (CERSAI). Centralised reporting of the demise or incapacitation of a financial consumer could trigger proactive outreach by financial service-providers to the nominees. The ARIA paper suggests a common blockchain-based ledger across banks to maintain a credible history of nomination changes. This would be an important record in case of disputes and can easily be implemented by agencies such as Central Registry of Securitisation Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest of India (CERSAI). Centralised reporting of the demise or incapacitation of a financial consumer could trigger proactive outreach by financial service-providers to the nominees. Incapacitated Persons: ARIA seeks a change in rules to enable nominees to access and transact in financial assets of incapacitated persons, after certification by an independent medical practitioner which can be submitted to the financial service-provider. This is a difficult but important requirement, whose need was acutely felt when entire families, and especially the breadearners, were affected by COVID and could not access their funds. It is also required to care for senior citizens suffering from irreversible brain disorders such as dementia. In case of people with savings, there is an urgent need to formulate a policy to allow care-givers to access these funds for their care and treatment, with adequate checks to ensure proper utilisation. There are plenty of reports where wives or daughters of savers have had to approach the high court for permission to access the accounts of their incapacitated spouse and mother, respectively. At present, RBI rules allow a person who cannot sign to withdraw money using a thumbprint or even a toe impression on the cheque/withdrawal form, so long as it is identified by two independent witnesses known to the bank, one of whom must be a bank official. This does not help in degenerative mental disorders which require a permanent solution while the person is still alive and needs his or her money. ARIA seeks a change in rules to enable nominees to access and transact in financial assets of incapacitated persons, after certification by an independent medical practitioner which can be submitted to the financial service-provider. This is a difficult but important requirement, whose need was acutely felt when entire families, and especially the breadearners, were affected by COVID and could not access their funds. It is also required to care for senior citizens suffering from irreversible brain disorders such as dementia. In case of people with savings, there is an urgent need to formulate a policy to allow care-givers to access these funds for their care and treatment, with adequate checks to ensure proper utilisation. There are plenty of reports where wives or daughters of savers have had to approach the high court for permission to access the accounts of their incapacitated spouse and mother, respectively. At present, RBI rules allow a person who cannot sign to withdraw money using a thumbprint or even a toe impression on the cheque/withdrawal form, so long as it is identified by two independent witnesses known to the bank, one of whom must be a bank official. This does not help in degenerative mental disorders which require a permanent solution while the person is still alive and needs his or her money. Minors or Orphans: A similar situation would arise in the case of minor children orphaned in the pandemic or other calamities, where the savings of deceased parents have to be used, accessed and protected on their behalf until they are independent or capable of managing on their own. The need for a clear policy and processes with adequate safeguards (to prevent misuse and loot) will become more acute as families continue to shrink. A similar situation would arise in the case of minor children orphaned in the pandemic or other calamities, where the savings of deceased parents have to be used, accessed and protected on their behalf until they are independent or capable of managing on their own. The need for a clear policy and processes with adequate safeguards (to prevent misuse and loot) will become more acute as families continue to shrink. Notarising: ARIA also suggests notarised nominations for proof of validity and would like on officer at each major branch to be recognised as a Notary. While the idea of strengthening nominations is good, this adds needless friction to the process as even large tech-savvy private banks may be unwilling to implement it. In a recent case before Moneylife Foundation, a large bank insisted on a branch visit with identification documents to close a demat account. Despite a 30-minute process that included form-filling, verification and a personal sign-off by the manager, the demat closure was rejected since a signature mis-match was flagged by the banks automated process. The customer was forced to visit to the bank again for resubmission. It transpires that the bank does not trust its 6,000-odd branch managers to have a final say on signature verification for fear of fraud. But signing is a physical act and signatures change with age and physical conditionmachines cannot decide and unleash harassment either. Moreover, for many decades, public sector branch managers have been entrusted with signature verification during a personal visit to the bank. So accepting bankers as notaries may not be an easy proposition. A high-powered group at the finance ministry or NITI Aayog with a time-bound mandate to set the rules and processes and ensure that these are implemented by all regulators is the ideal way forward. But we will need to build public pressure to get the policy-makers to perceive and recognise the problem. Project finance is a structure in which financing for the project is secured and serviced by the projects assets and cash-flows. A typical project finance structure entails no recourse to the promoters existing business except that the promoter undertakes to set up the project as planned and invest agreed capital, including estimated cost overrun. Hence, the structure encourages the promoter to undertake larger projects relative to the existing business size. Such large projects are risky due to uncertainties underlying future assets and cash-flow build-up. If these risks are fully mitigated, the project succeeds and benefits to all the stakeholders are substantial. In project finance, particularly infrastructure projects, the investment decision is catalysed by financing decisions characterised by high debt levels. Salman Shah and Anjan V Thakor, in their seminal paper titled Optimal Capital Structure and Project Financing (1987), observed that high leverage for highly risky project financing is a reward by the lenders for the absence of information asymmetry. This means that in project finance, the lenders information of the project must equal that of the promoters. This entails rigorous due diligence by the lenders for project financing and any laxity can cause disproportionate losses to the lenders. Properly implemented, project financing can help speedy addition of productive assets in the country and catalyse sustained economic development. No wonder, after independence, the country embarked upon project financing as a growth model for financing all types of projects, small and big, through development finance institutions (DFIs), while commercial banks financed working capital. For small project financing, SFCs were set up, aided by refinancing. Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) was set up in 1948 to finance medium size projects. The Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) was set up in 1964 as an apex financial institution (FI) for large projects. Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI), the International Finance Corporation, Washington (IFC-W) backed by private financial institutions was set up in 1955, focusing on private sector project finance. Growth in Infrastructure Financing Before 1991, Indias project financing was predominantly in the manufacturing sector. After that, large infrastructure project financing began following the policy changes in the power sector. Later, other infrastructure projects were also awarded under public-private-partnership (PPP) structure. The power generating capacity of 69,065 megawatts (MW) in FY1991-92 rose to 3,70,107 MW by FY19-20 aided by the private sector (PPP projects), whose capacity addition grew from 2,862MWto 173,308MW during the same period, clocking an 18-year CAGR of 15.8%. Aided by private sector participation in National Highway Development Programme and state government project awards under PPP, the national road length, which aggregated 2.327mn (million) km in FY1990-91, spurted to 5.89mn km in FY20-21. The telecom revolution, which began with the announcement of the National Telecom Policy in 1994, also catalysed significant investment by the private sector and project financing. Over the years, the PPP structure was extended to other infrastructure sectors such as airports, seaports, water distribution, railways and other public utilities such as hospitals bus terminuses etc. Since the PPP projects are amenable to comprehensive risk identification and mitigation in a contractual bundle with government support, these presented enormous business opportunities for the banks and FIs. Hence, large infrastructure projects were undertaken in various sectors such as power generation, transmission, distribution, toll, annuity roads, seaports, airports, telecom services and water distribution with high debt levels from banks and FIs. A debt-equity ratio (DER) of 70:30 or more almost became a standard for infrastructure project financing in anticipation of steady cash-flows from contractual off-take in case of power projects or anticipated demand or cash-flow levels from other infrastructure projects. As a result, the banks exposure to the infrastructure sector grew steadily from the mid-1990s. In June 2020, the exposure of 14 scheduled banks in infrastructure projects peaked at Rs10.69 trillion (lakh crore), representing a 13-year CAGR of 16.4% (Figure-1). Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) periodically releases detailed data on the bank performance under the head Statistical Tables Relating to Banks in India (STRBs). Bar chart of gross NPA figures of Indian banks from STRB (Figure-2) shows continuing high NPA levels of the banks, whereas the tolerable NPA level is less than 5%. The STRs do not contain NPA levels specific to the infrastructure sector or type of financing, i.e., project finance, corporate finance, asset finance, etc. However, periodic statements by RBI show that the infrastructure project finance NPAs are disproportionately large. For example, in his address to the ASSOCHAMs Sixth International Summit on Infrastructure financing on 15 November 2016, NS Viswanathan, deputy governor of RBI, had stated that the gross NPAs of the infrastructure sector is about 8% of the total advances to that sector and accounts for nearly 13% of the NPAs of the banking sector. Applying the figure of 8% as NPA in infrastructure projects in Figure-1, NPAs in infrastructure projects work out to Rs85.52 billion (Rs85,520 crore) in June 2020. The NPAs primarily relate to the power and road sector, which accounted for 71.5% of the banks total exposure to infrastructure project financing. The gross NPA figures exclude the loans written off and, hence, are understated. Figure-3 shows a spurt in the banks bad debt write-offs from FY14-15 onward. The write-offs aggregated a whopping Rs9.08 trillion during the period FY2011-21. If loan write-offs are included, the scenario becomes more alarming. It entails speedy remediation of assignable causes since the economy cannot endure the burden of ongoing bank recapitalisation from taxpayers' money due to perpetually excessive NPAs and abysmal recovery (shown later) from the failed project financing. RBIs Asset Quality Review (AQR) of the banks assets in FY15-16 uncovered hidden NPAs of the banks. In February 2018, RBI withdrew debt restructuring schemes such as corporate debt restructuring (CDR), flexible structuring of long-term project loans to infrastructure and core industries (5/25 structure), strategic debt restructuring (SDR), and scheme for sustainable structuring of stressed assets (S4A), which aided evergreening of essentially the infrastructure project loans. Hence, the NPA levels now are realistic. The apparent tapering off of NPAs in FY18-19 was due to the highest ever write off by the banks. The NPAs are primarily attributed to defaults of project finance loans. But does this confirm the project finance failure? Let us analyse further. A successful project is one whose enterprise value (EV) exceeds project cost by a good margin. The EV of the project financed company is the present value of free cash-flow to the firm for the economic life of the project company. The value of equity is EV minus debt. This can be represented by a formula as under. Equity = Min (EV Debt, 0) Bankruptcy results when the debt exceeds EV. If the EV exceeds the liquidation value of assets, bankruptcy resolution with debt, equity or assets restructuring is possible. Bankruptcy can occur due to market forces for a carefully crafted project and financing by the banks after requisite due diligence. However, bankruptcies in project financed entities are relatively fewer, since these are based on proven technologies and operate in mature industries with experienced promoters. The probability of bankruptcy of infrastructure projects, particularly with bankable off-take contracts such as power purchase agreement (PPA), is even lesser except if the PPA is revoked or some unmitigated force majeure events occur. Bankruptcy of project financed entity during project construction can happen if the project is abandoned due to the business viability for a product being lost, as was seen with the launch of smartphones 20 years ago, but is rare. In all these cases, the credit recovery depends on EV or liquidation value. Since the project financed entities operate based on current technologies in mature industries with experienced promoters, the credit recovery must be substantial even based on asset values. Credit recovery in power generation projects should be better since the technologies and engineering do not vary significantly. Do the recovery expectations match the actuals? Nine projects are resolved out of over 40 power projects admitted for insolvency resolution process under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC). The anticipated average recovery of the banks from these insolvency resolutions is a paltry 28.9% (table below). About 30 power projects are under liquidation. Going by the experience of recovery under liquidation (Lanco discussed later), the recovery from these projects is expected to be a fraction of the above. Such failures in power generation projects that are amenable to effective risk mitigation clearly show that project financing continues to fail in the country. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday issued revised regulatory framework for scale-based regulation (SBR) for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs). The revised ceiling on initial public offering (IPO) funding will come into effect from 1st April, while its guidelines would come into force from 1 October 2022. In a notification, RBI says , "As the SBR framework encompasses different facets of regulation of NBFCs covering capital requirements, governance standards, and prudential regulation, it has been decided to first issue an integrated regulatory framework for NBFCs under SBR providing a holistic view of the SBR structure, and introduce set of fresh regulations and respective timelines. The detailed guidelines as delineated will be issued subsequently." For financing subscription to an IPO, a ceiling of Rs1 crore per borrower has been fixed. Talking about sensitive sector exposure (SSE), RBI says, "Exposure to capital market (direct and indirect) and commercial real estate should be reckoned as sensitive exposure for NBFCs. NBFCs should fix board-approved internal limits for SSE separately for capital market and commercial real estate exposures. Dynamic vulnerability assessments of various sectors and their likely impact on business, as evaluated periodically, should help NBFCs determine such internal exposure limits." Further NBFCs would be subjected to regulatory restrictions while granting loans and advances to directors, their relatives and to entities where directors or their relatives have major shareholding. "Granting loans and advances to senior officers of the NBFC and while appraising loan proposals involving real estate, NBFCs should ensure that the borrowers have obtained prior permission from the government or local governments and other statutory authorities for the project, wherever required," RBI says. Further to ensure that the loan approval process is not hampered on account of this, the central bank says, while the proposals could be sanctioned in the normal course, the disbursements should be made only after the borrower has obtained requisite clearances from the government authorities. RBI will issue a detailed circular on this in due course. Under the SBR, the central bank also decided to increase to Rs10 crore regulatory minimum net owned fund (NOF) for NBFC investment and credit companies (NBFC-ICC), NBFC microfinance institution (NBFC-MFI) and NBFC-Factors in a phased manner. However, RBI says, for NBFC-peer-to-peer (P2P_lending platform (NBFC-P2P), NBFC-account aggregator (NBFC-AA), and NBFCs with no public funds and no customer interface, the NOF will continue to be Rs2 crore. The central bank clarified that there is no change in the existing regulatory minimum NOF for NBFC-infrastructure debt fund (NBFC-IDF), infrastructure finance companies (NBFC-IFCs), mortgage guarantee companies (MGCs), housing finance companies (HFC) and stand-alone primary dealers (SPD). SREI Mutual Fund Asset Management Pvt Ltd (SREI AMC) has surrendered the registration certificate granted to SREI Mutual Fund Infrastructure Debt Fund (IDF) by the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI). In a release, the market regulator says it has accepted the request for surrender of the certificate of registration of SREI MF and, consequently, the MF has ceased to exist as a mutual fund from 22 October 2021. SREI MF will continue to be responsible for all the liabilities and obligations which may arise for the period before the surrender of the certificate of registration, SEBI says. SREI AMC is owned by Srei Infrastructure Finance Ltd (SIFL). Earlier this month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) superseded the boards of SIFL and Srei Equipment Finance Ltd (SEFL) due to governance concerns and defaults. RBI appointed Rajneesh Sharma, former chief general manager (CGM) of Bank of Baroda as an administrator of these companies. In a release, the central bank says, "The Reserve Bank also intends to shortly initiate the process of resolution of the two non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Insolvency and Liquidation Proceedings of Financial Service Providers and Application to Adjudicating Authority) Rules, 2019 and would also apply to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for appointing the administrator as the insolvency resolution professional (IRP)." Srei group, however, expressed shock at RBI's decision. In a statement, a spokesperson of the Srei group says, "We are shocked by the RBI's move as banks have been regularly appropriating funds from the escrow account they have controlled since November 2020. Moreover, we have not received any communications from banks on any defaults. We are also surprised because the NCLT order for all creditors is still in process. There is also an order for "no coercive measures" by the creditors and regulators. We will take all necessary steps as advised by our lawyers in this regard." However, he says, "we had submitted a proposal to pay the full amount to banks under a scheme filed under Section 230 of the Companies Act 2013 in October 2020. However, they have neither accepted the scheme nor proposed a payment schedule acceptable to them." This story was originally published by ProPublica. The Education Departments limited tracking of $190 billion in pandemic support funds sent to schools has left officials in the dark about how effective the aid has been in helping students. After the pandemic shut down schools across the country, the federal government provided about $190 billion in aid to help them reopen and respond to the effects of the pandemic. In the year and a half since millions of children were sent home, the Education Department has done only limited tracking of how the money has been spent. That has left officials in Washington largely in the dark about how effective the aid has been in helping students, especially those whose schools and communities were among the hardest hit by the pandemic. Weve been in the pandemic now for nearly a year and a half, said Anne Hyslop, the director of policy development at the education advocacy group Alliance for Excellent Education. There is a responsibility to the public to make sure the funds are spent responsibly, but also make sure that the funding that is spent is accountable to supporting students and educators. Provisional annual reports submitted to the federal government by state education agencies underscored the dearth of clear, detailed data. Agencies classified how the funds were spent using six very broad categories, including technology and sanitization. According to a ProPublica analysis of more than 16,000 of the reports covering March 2020 to September 2020, just over half of the $3 billion in aid was categorized as other, providing no insight into how the funds were allocated. In the absence of a centralized and detailed federal tracking system, the monitoring of relief funds flowing to the nations more than 13,000 school districts has largely been left to states. Some districts have been found to be spending their federal funds on projects seemingly at odds with the spirit of the aid program, such as track and field facilities and bleachers. While such spending is not prohibited by the federal government, the stated goals of the relief program were to open schools safely to maximize in-person learning and, more broadly, to address the impact of the pandemic. The Biden administration wants to collect more data. But its efforts have come more than a year after the previous administration began disbursing the relief funds, and some school districts have bristled at the belated push for more detailed data collection. Hyslop said that while this may place an added burden on districts, the information is essential. We need this data to make sure the needs are met, to make sure high-needs schools are not being shortchanged. We have to make sure this is actually supporting students. A Ballantine man is being charged with deliberate homicide after allegedly killing his ex-girlfriend in front of her three children. Above, the Bach Festival in recent years included packed stages; this year players will be spaced out. Below, the poster from the very first Carmel Bach Festival in 1935. October 22, 2021 How Biden's Too-Clever-By-Half Iran Strategy Failed Last week I remarked on the Iran talks: The diplomatic talks with Iran will fail only if the Biden administration fails to return to the nuclear deal and does not lift the sanctions imposed on Iran by the Trump administration. The sole problem is that Biden wants more concessions from Iran than it had given under the JCPOA agreement. We now learn that Biden not only wants more concessions from Iran but he also wants to be able to reimpose sanctions even when concessions are given. Biden wants his cake and eat it too. Trita Parsi, who has excellent sources on the nuclear deal (JCPOA) issues, writes for Responsible Statecraft: A crucial turning point in the negotiations occurred earlier in May of this year. The Iranians had insisted on legally binding commitments that the United States would respect its signature and not re-quit the JCPOA, were it to be revived. Though the U.S. team found the Iranian demand understandable, it insisted it could not bind the hands of the next administration, nor guarantee that a future administration hostile to the JCPOA wouldnt again abandon it. But according to both Western and Iranian diplomats involved in the negotiations, the Iranians then lowered their demand and requested a commitment that Biden would simply commit to staying within the deal for the rest of his own term, granted that Iran also would remain in compliance. According to these sources, the U.S. negotiation team took the matter back to Washington but to the surprise of Tehran and others, the White House was not ready to make such a commitment, citing legal obstacles. Instead, it offered changes to the negotiating text that fell short of a legal commitment. This is something Iran can not agree to. The U.S. would rejoin the nuclear deal and lift some sanctions. Iran would in parallel dismantle the progress in nuclear developments it had made over the last three years and thereby lose its leverage. Biden would then reimpose the sanctions he had lifted to demand a lengthening of the restrictions on Iran's program and more on other issues like Iran's missile program and its support for Syria, Hizbullah and Yemen. This is of course not acceptable and the reason why Iran is currently slow-walking its return to the talks: Bidens decision has caused both Iranian and EU officials to suspect that the United States seeks to use the threat or actual reimposition of sanctions as leverage in post-JCPOA negotiations for a longer deal. Meaning, Biden would take a page from the Trump playbook and seek more concessions from Iran by threatening to reimpose sanctions it already has lifted as part of the JCPOA. Iranian and some EU officials suspect that committing to respect the terms of the JCPOA will deprive Biden of leverage in post-JCPOA talks. The trap is obvious. Seeing it Iran will calculate that a return of the U.S. to the JCPOA deal has no value for it but would potentially increase the danger of U.S. action at the UN Security Council which the U.S. as none JCPOA member can currently not take: Tehran may consequently see the current status quo in which most sanctions remain in place while Iran still manages to sell oil to the Chinese as preferable to allowing the United States to get back into the JCPOA only to see the deal collapse soon thereafter over Washingtons insistence on an unacceptable lengthening of the agreements strictest terms. The U.S. had already tried to convince China to stop buying oil from Iran. The response was a hearty f... y.. spelled out in diplomatese. Trita Parsi thinks that Tehran will continue to negotiate with the U.S. but will slow the talks down as much as possible. I agree. Parsi also thinks that there is danger that Biden will then break off the talks and go with some Plan B which might include a military option. There is however, as I have written before, no plausible Plan B and no chance for the U.S. to win in a conflict: It is funny then to hear Blinken talk of 'other options' when everyone knows that the U.S. does not have any. Any U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear installations will invite a strong military response. A war with Iran would destroy Israel and whatever is left of the U.S. position in the Middle East. Obama had recognized that. Trump had recognized that. It is high time for Biden to recognize that too and to act accordingly. Biden could have solved the whole issue in January by lifting the sanctions on Iran and by recommitting to the JCPOA. But instead of solving the problem he waited three month to start talks about a return to the JCPOA with a too clever by half strategy of pressing Iran into more commitments. 'Maximum pressure' had already failed under Trump. Six weeks before Biden's inauguration I already explained why Biden's version of the same plan would likewise fail: After four years of tight sanctions from the Trump administration, which were greatly supported by the Europeans, Iran has changed its economic structure and orientation. Oil revenues now play a much smaller role in the government budget than they did before the sanctions. The economy has adapted by concentrating on business with non-western countries. Iran is looking east. ... Sanctions will not give the 'west' the results it desires. The only alternative to get to those results is a large scale war against Iran with the aim to overthrow its government. But such a war can not be waged because it would destroy the Middle East and would push the global economy into a deep recession. In short - it is no alternative. ... A JCPOA Plus + Plus deal will not happen. There is no realistic way to achieve it. Despite that being obvious Biden still tried to go that route. That was a stupid idea to begin with and he has failed to achieve anything by it. Posted by b on October 22, 2021 at 17:05 UTC | Permalink Comments Goodbye alert levels, hello traffic light. Today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed the next stage of New Zealand's COVID-19 protection framework. The new framework is made up of 3 steps; Green, Orange, and Red (a.k.a the traffic light). Once 90% of eligible New Zealanders are full vaccinated, we will move to the new framework, until then we will remain under the alert levels. Vaccine certificate requirments will play a big role in the new traffic light framework. Requiring a vaccination certificate will be optional for many locations. There will be some higher-risk settings where they will be a requirement in order to open to the public. At all levels, businesses, retail, and public facilities will generally be able to remain open for vaccinated people. Businesses, events, organisations, community, and a range of sectors may legally choose to implement a vaccination entry requirement for customers. If a business, organisation or service does not wish to request proof of vaccine, they will have to operate with strict limits on capacity and space requirements. They may need to close in Orange and/or Red levels. Unite against COVID-19 has done a full breakdown of everything you need to know about each of the 3 steps: It may only be October but the countdown to Christmas has begun and Netflix has just released the lineup of Christmas films we can look forward to. Love Hard After meeting her perfect match on a dating app, an LA writer learns shes been catfished when she flies 3,000 miles to surprise him for Christmas. Eric Risberg/STF A former assistant manager at an Odessa Office Depot store has filed a lawsuit alleging she was fired after voicing concerns about the companys actions during the 2019 mass shooting that left seven dead and two dozen injured. Sara Luebano filed the civil suit against Office Depot with the Ector County District Clerks Office on Sept. 27, according to court records. The law firm representing Luebano, Houston-based NLC Law Group, published a press release Thursday stating the suit is connected to the 2019 Labor Day weekend shooting when a gunman drove through Odessa on an hour-long rampage. A continued rise in demand for crude in the face of natural gas and coal shortages is giving oil markets their best performance in over six years. West Texas Intermediate on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose four of five trading days this week, capping the week with a $1.26 or 1.5 percent increase, closing at $83.76 per barrel, a level not seen since 2014. According to Bloomberg, this is the ninth consecutive weekly rise for crude prices and the longest stretch since 2015. The posted price ended the week at $80.24, according to Plains All American. Natural gas on the NYMEX also recovered from Mondays 42-cent slide that pushed prices below $5 per Mcf for the one day. Prices added 16.5 cents Friday to close at $5.28 per Mcf. OPEC continues to hold the line on production and that makes the easiest path forward for crude higher, Mickey Cargile of Cargile Investment Management told the Reporter-Telegram by email. We expect mid-80s to be the range for the remainder of the year. A cold winter will drive prices higher, and a warm winter will soften prices a bit. He noted that some analysts are calling for $100 oil by year end. Cargile went on to predict the Permian Basin rig count will continue its slow climb, which is good for the local economy. Turning to natural gas prices, which reached levels not seen in 13 years before moving lower, Cargile said supply restrictions are driving prices higher. The shutdown in drilling activity during the COVID months of 2020 restricted the production of natural gas. It is in short supply in the Eastern Hemisphere and driving all prices higher, he explained. Again, the severity of winter will determine demand and prices. Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association, agreed rising demand and tight supplies are impacting commodity prices, Global demand for oil and natural gas continues to increase as economies stabilize and more people are on the move Staples told the Reporter-Telegram by email. Supply remains tight globally and we need policies here in the United States that encourage domestic production, not discourage it, to meet our growing energy needs without depending on other nations. Bloomberg attributed the stretch of price advances to members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allied nations only modestly supplying the market while US crude supplies shrink. Bloomberg reported that President Joe Biden said Thursday night that Americans should expect high gasoline prices to continue into next year because of supply being withheld by OPEC and other foreign oil producers. Stockpiles at the biggest U.S. storage hub are draining to levels last seen when crude prices were at $100. While headline prices have been volatile over the past two sessions, the structural tightness in supply has been the biggest driver in the markets, John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC, told Bloomberg. Theres no real sense in the market that OPEC+ is going to be coming forward with any meaningful amount of additional crude oil in the near future. What I see is a market correctly pricing very tight conditions, and conditions that will get tighter, David Martin, head of commodity-desk strategy at BNP Paribas, told Bloomberg. Were going to draw stocks this quarter and next. US oil and gas producers continue to focus on fiscal discipline and resist implementing a drilling surge despite commodity prices being at multi-year highs. Oilfield service company Baker Hughes and data analytics company Enverus said Friday the US rig count dropped by one to 542, though the count is 255 more than the 287 at work nationwide last October. The number of rigs seeking crude also dropped, by two, to 443, 232 more than the 211 at work last year. The number of rigs drilling for natural gas rose by one to 99, 26 more than the 73 drilling for natural gas a year earlier. Texas dropped one rig to 249 124 more than the 125 working statewide last year. New Mexico added two rigs for 87. California (1) and Louisiana (1) joined New Mexico as producing states with a rise in rig activity while Utah (1) and Wyoming (3) joined Texas in seeing a decline. The Permian Basin inched up one rig to see 268 at work regionwide, 135 more than the 133 active rigs last year. Lea County, New Mexico, remains the most active county in the Permian with 57 rigs, up two for the week. Eddy County, New Mexico, is second with 27, unchanged for the week. Midland and Reeves counties each reported 23 rigs, down two for Midland County and unchanged for Reeves County. Martin County added one rig for 21, and Howard County was unchanged at 18 rigs. Loving County reported 17 rigs at work within county lines, up one, and Upton County had 15, also up one rig. Ward County saw the steepest drop among Permian counties, dropping three rigs to nine for the week. According to Enverus Rig Analytics, the U.S. rig count inched up by one in the last week to 639 as of Oct. 20. The count is up 4 percent over the last month and up 95 percent in the last year. The largest week-over-week changes occurred in the Gulf Coast, where four rigs were added. The Permian and Anadarko basins dropped by four rigs each to hit 237 and 54, respectively. All major plays tallied month-over-month increases except the Anadarko Basin, which was flat. The Permian added the most rigs, at seven, with an increase of three on the New Mexico side, to 75, and four more on the Texas side, to 162. The most notable county-level change was in Lea County, New Mexico, where five rigs have been added. At 51 total, Lea is by far the most active county in the basin followed by Midland County, where 29 rigs are running. Drilling down further, Mewbourne Oil has added the most rigs in Lea County over the last month, with three new rigs bringing its total to seven. Only EOG Resources is running more rigs in Lea at nine, up by two on the month. Sun Valley, ID (83353) Today On and off snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 24F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 30%.. Tonight On and off snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 24F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 30%. The Cherokee Nation is investing an additional $29 million in the next three years to help Cherokee citizens negatively impacted by the COVID-19 receive vocational training in a wide array of skilled trade sectors. 79, formerly of Muskogee left us November 15, 2021 in Nebraska. Her Service of Memory will be on Tuesday, 12pm at Worship Community Center 820 E. Okmulgee. Keith D. Biglow Funeral Directors, Inc- Muskogee The state on Thursday offered up evidence to claim that Derrick Rivera was running from the crimes for which hes charged, citing phone call and text message records from the destroyed phone allegedly belonging to him. Rivera and co-defendant Bradford Britton are charged with the murders of Steven Johnson Sr. and Steven "Sparky" Johnson Jr. during the Waccamaw Bingo Parlor robbery on July 26, 2019. Britton pled guilty to robbery and accessory after the fact to murder. He has not yet been sentenced and testified for the prosecution on Wednesday. Rivera pleaded not guilty, and he is on trial this week. So far, 15th Circuit Chief Deputy Solicitor Scott Hixson has tried to make the case that Rivera recruited Britton to drive him to the bingo hall where he robbed the business and killed the father and son. The state has made its case using Brittons testimony and Riveras DNA, which was found on objects left at the scene, and the clothes used by the suspect. William McGuire, Riveras attorney, has spent the week attempting to discredit Britton by pointing out previous lies he told police and inconsistencies in his testimony. McGuire has argued that Brittons accomplice used Riveras clothes and that Riveras DNA ended up on the items through transference, a process by which a third party can transfer a persons DNA to other objects. McGuire has attempted to show flaws in how the investigation was handled, raising the possibility of a different accomplice. He has also questioned why police didnt show Riveras picture to a witness who claimed he could identify the murderer at the bingo hall. And McGuire has pointed out that neither Riveras DNA nor fingerprints were found at the bingo hall except for the items left by the assailant and that neither his DNA nor fingerprints were found on the getaway car used in the double murder and robbery. Riveras DNA was also not the only DNA found on the items left at the crime scene, DNA analysts testified. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Iranian hard-liners, now back at the helm of the country, may regularly rail against the poisoning of Islamic society by Western culture, but in Tehran, Iranians are flocking to the contemporary art museum to marvel at American pop artist Andy Warhols iconic soup cans. The circular floors of the Iranian capitals Museum of Contemporary Art display a sprawling line-up of 18 classic Warhol works, recognizable at first glance: silk-screen portraits of Communist Chinas founding leader Mao Zedong and Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe, paintings of Campbell Soup cans and a vintage print of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. The exhibit, simply named A Review of Andy Warhols Works, first opened in June and closes on Sunday. The still-surging coronavirus, which has killed more people in Iran than any other country in the Middle East, forced the museum to close its doors to Warhol fans for a few weeks in August. I love this painting, gushed 46-year-old Fatemeh Rezaee, taking in the colored ink of Marilyn Monroes face, which Warhol produced in 1962 soon after the actress killed herself. By looking at it, I visualized Marilyn Monroes life story in my head. It makes the concept of death really tangible for me. Rezaee, a retired teacher in a loose silk hijab, was so enthralled by the exhibit that she flew all the way from her home in the southern city of Shiraz to see it twice. She went on: His selection of colors is outstanding and to me conveys a combination of feelings such as melancholy and mortality. Warhols works are among a permanent art collection worth billions of dollars kept in the Tehran museum vault. As oil boomed during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the country acquired thousands of pieces, including Monets, Picassos and Jackson Pollocks, before the 1979 Islamic Revolution ousted the pro-Western monarchy and vaulted Shiite clerics to power. Irans new theocracy first banned modern art and packed away the famous paintings. But in recent decades as cultural restrictions eased, some 1,500 Western art pieces from the dynastic era have gone back on display with much fanfare. In 2015, Tehrans municipal council even plastered the citys billboards with hundreds of works by great American painters, from Rothko to Hopper, transforming the sprawling city into a giant, open-air exhibit. Still, a visitor wont find Warhol's grittier fare, like his notorious experimental films, on display in Tehran. In 2005, when the museum showcased its entire collection of 20th-century American and European masterworks, choice pieces including a Renoir nude were hidden to avoid offending conservative Islamic sensibilities. The audience in Tehran on Wednesday nonetheless appeared satisfied with Warhols silk-screen printings that tested orthodoxies by portraying consumerist themes in the early 1960s. People have exceptionally welcomed Andy Warhol paintings exhibition, said museum spokesperson Hasan Noferesti, noting the crowds amid the coronavirus pandemic required the museum cap the number of visitors per hour. One visitor, 21-year-old microbiology student Shahin Gandomi dressed in a black shirt and wearing his hair in a ponytail, praised the Mao Zedong painting series. When an artist portrays a dictator in an artwork, it appears like that dictator has been taken down from his sacred position," he said. The showcase may be coming to an end, but Noferesti said the museum plans to put more Warhols and Western artists on display soon. Although Iran has no diplomatic relations with the United States and hostilities have simmered between the countries since 1979, bootleg copies of Hollywood blockbusters and Western music remain popular in the country, particularly among young urbanites. Tensions with the U.S. have surged in recent months, as the election of President Ebrahim Raisi, the protege of Irans supreme leader, brought hard-liners to power across every branch of government. Iran has accelerated its atomic program and talks to revive Tehran's now-tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers have stalled for months. Three years ago, then-President Donald Trump reneged on the accord and mounted an economic pressure campaign that has crippled the country's economy. But at Tehran's sleek, white-walled exhibit this week, there was no talk of political tensions or American sanctions. There have been great artists in history, and it is tremendously good that we can get to see their artworks here, said 20-year-old graphics student Kourosh Aminzadeh, who had come back for a second visit. The legislative action was light during the General Assemblys first week of fall session, and lawmakers in both chambers left town a day early after leadership canceled the Thursday session. That means bigger items, such as a vote on congressional maps and potential changes to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act and a repeal of the Parental Notice of Abortion Act, will have to wait until next week for substantive action. Republicans used the light legislative days to make a case against one of the main Democratic agenda items and to push for some of their own including public safety reforms and checks on the governors power in a series of news conferences. On Tuesday, the four women in the Senate Republican Caucus made clear their opposition to repealing the Parental Notice of Abortion Act, which requires that a physician give 48 hours notice to a parent or guardian of a person under the age of 18 who intends to get an abortion. The law does not require the guardian to give consent, and doesnt apply if an adult family member waives the notice in writing. Additionally, there are exceptions for minors who are victims of physical or sexual abuse or neglect by an adult family member, if the minor is married or emancipated, or if the provider determines there is a medical emergency. A judge can also waive the requirement. Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, characterized the issue as one of parents rights that is independent of the typical pro-life vs. pro-choice debate. Parents should have a right to know when their child is going to undergo a major medical procedure such as an abortion, the GOP senators argued. Sen. Sally Turner, R-Beason, said repealing the parental notice requirement will not help the minor but may harm the minor. She said a repeal would make it easier for sexual predators and sex traffickers to abuse our children. The ACLU of Illinois countered that claim Wednesday in a news release, circulating a letter cosigned by several groups that aid sexual assault victims, such as the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation. Repealing the Parental Notice of Abortion Act in Illinois would not result in more child trafficking, the groups wrote in the letter. It would also not impact the ability for child trafficking victims to be identified. They said the Republican claims rely on an erroneous belief that parents and/or social networks are always safe and healthy individuals in a young persons life and that, if notified, they would assist in an intervention to help the young person. However, what we know is that victims are often lured into a trafficking or exploitative situation because they lack parental and/or familial support, they wrote in the letter. Traffickers often come along to fill such a void in the young persons life. In fact, traffickers can be and often are the young persons parents or family members. Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, however, argued that the existing exceptions in the law are protection enough for minors who have been abused. Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, who carries the repeal bill in the House, told Capitol News Illinois she still hopes to call it for a vote next week, although she did not indicate whether she had enough votes lined up in support of the repeal. Public safety push While Moeller said next week will be a busy one, theres been no indication that the majority party Democrats will take up the other two matters pushed by Republicans this week checks on executive authority and public safety reforms. Republicans from both chambers gathered outside of the Illinois Police Officers Memorial on the Capitol Grounds Wednesday to push for a reform package spearheaded by former prosecutor and current state Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet. That package includes a bill that would appropriate $100 million to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board to fund grants to local departments for gang violence, carjacking and motor vehicle theft prevention, as well as officer staffing. Another bill would eliminate good time sentence reductions for someone who brought a weapon to a penal institution or attacked a law officer. Another would require a prosecutor to provide a written explanation if a weapons offense is plea bargained to a lesser sentence. Rose also touted a 10 and life provision, requiring a minimum 10-year sentence for aggravated discharge of a firearm, use of a stolen or illegally acquired firearm in an offense, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, armed habitual criminal offenses or aggravated hijacking or carjacking. A second such offense would come with a life sentence. Were not talking about the so called low-level nonviolent offender, Rose said. Were talking about violent offenders who are walking our streets, gun traffickers, carjackers. The brunt of our effort is to take the violent criminals, the gun traffickers the carjackers, the shooters, off the streets. The Republicans were critical of a sweeping criminal justice reform passed by Democrats in January that included an end to cash bail in favor of a to-be-developed system that allows pretrial release based on the offenders threat level. The sponsors of some of the main provisions in that January criminal justice package Sen. Robert Peters and Rep. Justin Slaughter, both Chicago Democrats wrote an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune this week criticizing the GOPs public safety push. Their op-ed touted a $65 million investment in the Reimagining Public Safety Act that was passed in the budgeting process this year and is aimed at strengthening community-based approaches to reducing gun violence. The letter also signified the Democrats lack of willingness to support the GOP bills which still had not been assigned to a committee as of Wednesday. If Republicans in Illinois really want to make our streets safer, they should sit down with us and our partners at the local level, get a better understanding of the work already underway in our communities, and offer a genuine and sincere helping hand, Slaughter and Peters wrote. Governor authority House Republicans held their own news conference Wednesday to push for the passage of House Bill 843, which would limit the governors ability to issue consecutive disaster proclamations. Pritzker has issued successive proclamations due to the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. In the future, the bill would limit the governor to one 30-day declaration, and if it is extended it would need written approval from three legislative leaders or an affirmative resolution from the General Assembly. Democrats have shown no indication that they were willing to provide such a check on the governors disaster authority, instead allowing him to continue under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act without intervention. Tacit approval is not appropriate in this situation, Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, who sponsors HB843, said at the news conference. That does not allow for public hearing and debate that the people of the state get to see and hear and know that their viewpoints are being considered and heard by the people making decisions. Its still just allowing one person to rule and not allowing the people to have their voice heard. Andrew Wegley/AP SUPERIOR, Neb. (AP) An employee who returned fire after a gunman killed two people at a Nebraska grain elevator likely prevented more deaths, a Nebraska State Patrol official said Friday. The employee, who was not named, retrieved a weapon and shot Max Hoskinson, 61, after Hoskinson began shooting at the Agrex Elevator in Superior, Nebraska, on Thursday. Hoskinson, of Superior, was pronounced dead at a hospital. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Qantas Airways on Friday brought forward its plans to restart international travel from Sydney as Prime Minister Scott Morrison predicted tourists would be welcomed back to Australia this year. Vaccinated Australian permanent residents and citizens will be free to travel through Sydney from Nov. 1 without the need for hotel quarantine on their return. Two weeks ago, Morrison said Australians, skilled migrants and students would be given priority over foreign travelers in coming to Sydney. He predicted tourists would return in 2022 or later. But while tourists would retain their low priority, Morrison now expects they will return this year. That is very possible and very achievable before the end of the year, Morrison said. Sydney-based Qantas announced services to Thailand, Singapore, South Africa and Fiji had been brought forward by weeks or months. A new service to New Delhi would begin in December, the first to India in almost a decade. The New South Wales state governments decision to dispense with quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers in Sydney had significantly increased travel demand, a Qantas statement said. The 22,000 staff employed by Qantas and its budget subsidiary Jetstar would return to work in December, six months earlier than planned. The changes are being driven by New South Wales rapid uptake of vaccines. By Friday, 83% of the population aged 16 and older was fully vaccinated and almost 93% had at least one dose of a vaccine. Only the national capital Canberra has a higher proportion of the population vaccinated. Australia had one the lowest vaccination rates of any wealthy country due to supply problems and public distrust of locally manufactured AstraZeneca. It now has one of the highest due in part to supply deals done with Britain, Poland and Singapore. Melbourne, Australias most populous city after Sydney, came out of 77 days of lockdown on Friday after Victoria state reached a benchmark of 70% of the target population fully vaccinated. Pandemic restrictions were eased despite Victoria recording its deadliest day of the delta variant outbreak with 16 COVID-19 deaths. There were also 2,189 new infections detected in the latest 24 hours. Victorians, its fair to say, have done a quite amazing thing. So many people going and getting vaccinated so quickly, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said. Weve always said that lockdowns were a function of not having the vaccine that we needed but if we got vaccinated, wed have so many more options, he added. Sydney, where the delta outbreak began in June, came out of lockdown last week after reaching the same 70% vaccination benchmark. New South Wales reported five COVID-19 deaths on Friday and 345 new infections. NEW YORK (AP) Millionaire real estate scion Robert Durst has been charged with murder in the death of his first wife, Kathie Durst, nearly four decades after she disappeared and just days after he was sentenced to life in prison in California for killing a confidante who helped him cover up the slaying. Authorities in the New York City suburbs confirmed Friday that they have charged Durst, 78, whose lawyers say has been hospitalized on a ventilator in Los Angeles after testing positive for COVID-19. A state police investigator filed a criminal complaint Tuesday in a town court in Lewisboro, New York charging Durst with second-degree murder in the death of Kathie Durst, who vanished in 1982. He had not been previously charged in Kathie Dursts disappearance. The case garnered renewed public interest after HBO aired a documentary in 2015 in which the eccentric heir appeared to admit killing people, stepping off camera and muttering to himself on a live microphone: Killed them all, of course. The complaint charging Durst wasn't announced at the time by law enforcement officials or Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah, who recently convened a grand jury as she seeks to indict him for the killing. The grand jury continues to meet and hear witnesses and could eventually return an indictment. The Westchester County District Attorneys Office can confirm that a complaint charging Robert Durst with the murder of Kathleen Durst was filed in Lewisboro Town Court on October 19, 2021. We have no further comment at this time, Rocah's office said in a statement Friday. Robert Abrams, a lawyer for Kathie Durst's family, said in a statement: "Robert Durst has now been formally charged with the murder of Kathleen McCormack Durst. We are very happy with this development. At this time, however, we will not be making any further comments until the grand jury process is completed. Messages seeking comment were left with Dursts lawyers. The one-page felony complaint filed in Lewisboro cites evidence in the files of the Westchester district attorney, the New York State Police and the Los Angeles district attorney, as well as conversations with numerous witnesses and observations of defendants, recorded interviews and observations of Mr. Dursts recorded interviews and court testimony in related proceedings. Kathie Durst was 29 and in her final months of medical school when she was last seen. She and Robert Durst, who was 38 at the time, had been married nearly nine years and were living in South Salem, a community in Lewisboro. Her body was never found. At the request of her family, she was declared legally dead in 2017. The complaint charging Robert Durst bears the name of state police Investigator Joseph Becerra, who reopened the probe in 1999 after receiving a tip about Kathie Dursts disappearance. Authorities searched a lake and the couples home but turned up little evidence, with Becerra equating the search to a a needle in a haystack. Becerra testified in July at Robert Dursts California trial that he wanted to interview Robert Durst's friend, Susan Berman, but never got the chance because Durst shot and killed her in 2000. Los Angeles prosecutors said Robert Durst killed Berman because she was preparing to confess to police how she helped him cover up Kathie Durst's death. The criminal complaint filed Tuesday against Robert Durst was done parallel to the grand jury proceedings, which could continue for several more weeks. Such filings are often seen as a first step in the criminal process because, in New York, all felony cases require a grand jury indictment to proceed to trial unless a defendant waives that requirement. After Bermans death, Durst went into hiding, disguising himself as a mute woman living in a cheap apartment in Galveston, Texas. There, he killed a neighbor and chopped up his body, but was later acquitted after telling the jury he did it in self-defense. Durst was also sentenced in 2016 to over seven years in prison after pleading guilty to a federal weapons charge stemming from a 2015 arrest in New Orleans. Dursts family owns more than 16 million square feet of real estate in New York and Philadelphia, including a 10% stake in One World Trade Center, the Manhattan skyscraper formerly known as the Freedom Tower. Family members bought out Robert Dursts stake in the business for $65 million in 2006. In the 2015 HBO documentary The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, Durst appeared to admit killing people and admitted he made up details about what happened the night she disappeared because he was hoping that would just make everything go away. Durst, who has numerous medical issues, sat in a wheelchair for much of the California trial and sentencing hearing. He read his lawyers questions from a tablet giving live transcriptions because he struggles with hearing. Durst, testifying in the Los Angeles trial in August, denied killing Kathie Durst. After her medical school called to report that she hadnt been going to class, he said he figured she was out someplace having fun and suggested that perhaps drug use was to blame. It hadnt occurred to me that anything had happened to her, Durst said, speaking slowly in a strained, raspy voice. It was more like: What had Kathie done to Kathie? ___ On Twitter, follow Karen Matthews at twitter.com/1karenmatthews and Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak On a fall day in 1974, I walked into a Russian language course at Hunter College, one of the Manhattan campuses of the public City University of New York system. In New York for back-to-back college internships at the Paris Review literary magazine and The New York Times, I chose Hunter because it offered evening classes. As editor of my high school newspaper outside Detroit, Id had a strong interest in current events, and no ongoing story was bigger or more consequential than the global superpower rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. But what brought me to that nighttime class at Hunter was less weighty: Id just read Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment. So brilliant was his monumental novel about a misguided young man who becomes a murderer, I vowed to someday read it in Russian. Little did I know then that the decision to master Russian would lead, 15 years later, to my assignment as a Moscow correspondent covering the collapse of the Soviet Union. By then, I was fluent enough to conduct interviews with Russians in their native tongue. Soon after my arrival, the Nobel laureate Andrei Sakharov died. Hed become the most prominent anti-Communist dissident, as famous for his political activism as for his science. His death caused an outpouring of grief across the vast country, and the line to view his open casket stretched for miles. Thousands of Muscovites waited in line for hours in the bitter winter cold to pay their last respects. Other foreign correspondents walked the line with their translators to interview the mourners while I was able to speak with them alone. Did it make a difference? The Russians I interviewed were touched that we could talk in their own language. More important, the translators who worked for foreign bureaus were known to be spies, using the coveted posts to file reports to the KGB about international journalists sources and subject matters. It was clear to me that the Sakharov mourners I interviewed felt more at ease and were more willing to share their true feelings about him. Many wept as they spoke. One of the sad ironies of our current era is that at a time when the United States is becoming more diverse and globalization is outsourcing more American jobs, fewer young people are studying foreign languages. Among the nations top 10 universities, according to U.S. News & World Report, only Columbia University requires foreign-language study (three years) for admission. My alma mater, the University of California at Berkeley, is one of a shrinking number of other elite schools to require it. And once in college, fewer students are required to show even basic proficiency in a foreign language in order to graduate. Only 12% of institutions of higher learning retain such a mandate, according to a survey last year by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. My experience with Russian shows how acquiring skills at a young age can pay unforeseen benefits down the road as the winding, surprising path of life takes us on its mysterious journey. There are other reasons to study a foreign language. By the time I started with Russian, Id taken four years of Spanish classes at my high school a requirement it would later shed. And I would take an intensive German course while spending a year abroad in Munich. In ways I didnt fully appreciate at the time, grappling with other tongues made me a better writer in my own tongue. The grammatical thorns of English were less prickly after Id struggled to learn the six cases in Russian and the four cases in German, which change words forms to show their functions in sentences. Those experiences, too, enhanced my subsequent career as a journalist and book author. You might not become a reporter and a writer as I did. Instead you might become an international lawyer specializing in Chinese investment in the United States, a hot job source these days. You might become a chef or restaurateur deciphering French recipes. You might become an automobile engineer working for Volvo or BMW or Toyota. You might become a missionary spreading the word in Brazil or India or Congo. You might find yourself living in a demographically diverse community surrounded by neighbors speaking in a dozen tongues. If you think these scenarios are unlikely, you simply havent lived long enough to understand the twists and turns of life. James Rosen is a longtime Washington correspondent who has covered Congress, the White House and the Pentagon. He recently received the top award for column writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. Columbia, CA The Yosemite Community College Board of Trustees voted in favor of developing a COVID-19 testing policy for students to access campus, but there will be no vaccine mandate. It is a different approach than the University of California and California State University systems are taking. Governor Gavin Newsom has issued vaccine mandates for students attending those four-year campuses. He has also announced a similar future directive for K-12 students. However, at this time, he is allowing the leaders of the 116 community colleges to make their own decisions about vaccine requirements at their campuses. This week the YCCD Board of Directors voted 5-2 to develop a testing policy for students instead of any form of vaccine requirement. The vote was 5-2 in favor. Board Chair Margie Bulkin and board member Darin Gharat were the two votes in opposition. At the meeting, a survey was referenced noting that 51-percent of YCCD students preferred a vaccine mandate for the spring semester, but 41-percent said they would consider going elsewhere for education if there was a vaccine directive. The YCCD includes both Columbia College and Modesto Junior College. You can view the entire board meeting by clicking here. A Lubbock man and a Dallas man were arrested last week as a result of crime stoppers tips. Cory Lee Reed, 30, of Lubbock, was arrested in Canyon on Oct. 14 and Alberto Mendoza, 21, of Dallas, was arrested in Dallas the day before. Reed was arrested by members of the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force, including Texas Department of Public Safety Special Agents and the Dalhart Police Department. Reed has been on the Texas Most Wanted list since Sept. 22. He has been wanted since September 2020 when a warrant was issued for his arrest for failure to register as a sex offender. He was convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child following incidents involving a 14-year-old girl, according to a news release from DPS. He was sentenced to 10 years probation. Reed was sentenced in 2011 for failure to register and received five years probation. His probation was revoked in 2012 and he was sentenced to eight years in prison. Reed was released on parole in March 2019. Men Mendoza was arrested by the Dallas Police Department. He was added to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive List on Sept. 7 but had been wanted by authorities since Dec. 2020 for engaging in organized criminal activity and a parole violation. He was convicted in 2016 on four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to eight years in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison. He was released on parole in November 2018. Texas Crime Stoppers is funded by the Governors Criminal Justice Division and offers rewards for tips that lead to the apprehension of the states most wanted. To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters can provide information to authorities through the phone hotline at 1(800)252-8477, submit a tip through the DPS website or submit a Facebook tip through Submit A Tip link on the pages about section. All tips are anonymous, regardless of how they are submitted. It is beautiful because it has more songs of praise, more prayers, and exclamations of praise to God than the other gospels. It has hymns which have been sung by worshippers for 2,000 years. They are radiant songs with great depths of joy. But the greatest thing about the book of Luke is its universality, salvation is for all humanity. The Jews generally did not associate with the Samaritans in their land. Samaritans were descended from Jews who married gentiles. They worshipped God, read the scriptures, but they built their own temple because they were not welcome in the Jerusalem Temple. But Luke teaches that the kingdom of God can be entered by Samaritans and other non-Jewish people. Luke 10:30-37 is the story of who is a real neighbor and it was the Samaritan. In Luke 17:11-19 is the story of 10 lepers whom Jesus healed and they go on their way. But one turned back to thank Jesus for the healing. And he was a Samaritan. Jesus praised the Samaritan who was the only one to show gratitude. Johns gospel says in 4:9 that the Jews generally had no dealing with the Samaritans. But Luke does not stand for such a statement, even if it is true. In Luke, Jesus approval of the gentiles that Jews considered unclean is very clear. Jesus honors the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian as shining examples of faith for all (Luke 7:9). Luke records Jesus as showing a broad scope of people from east and west and north and south and sitting at the table in the kingdom of God (13:29). Lukes gospel is often referred to as the gospel for the underdog. For he is interested in the poor of the world. He shows great appreciation of Marys small offering for her purification. When Johns disciples came to Jesus to ask of his credentials as the Christ, Jesus climatic was, The poor have the good news preached to them. (Luke 7:22) Luke is the only writer who tells Jesus parable of the rich man and the poor man. (Luke 16:19-31) Mathew writes, Blessed are the poor in spirit. But Luke simply states, Blessed are the poor. (6:26). Luke always emphasizes the underdog in life. He pulled for everyone who found life a struggle by showing Gods love for the underdog. Luke shows Jesus as the great friend of outcasts and sinners. Only Luke tells the story of the outcast woman who bathed Jesus feet with tears and wiped them with her hair. (7:36-50) Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector, and the penitent thief on the cross are more of the downtrodden that Jesus greatly loved. When Matthew tells Jesus of Jesus sending his disciples out to preach, he says Jesus told them not to go to the Samaritans or gentiles. But Luke totally omits this. When the four gospel writers quote from Isaiah 40 to introduce John The Baptist, they quote only part of the verse saying prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. However, Luke quotes the last of the verse which says gloriously, And all flesh shall see the salvation of God! Luke, more than others see everywhere, no limits to the love of God. (from Barclays commentary). Convicted killer Diane Zamora married a fellow Texas prison inmate, a man she's never met face to face, by proxy on Tuesday. State District Judge John Gabriel performed the short ceremony with Zamora's mother, Gloria Mendoza Zamora, and her mother's friend standing in for the couple. Gabriel said the two sealed the vows with a kiss. "I think she was just happy to be able to do something for her daughter," Gabriel said in a story in Wednesday's San Antonio Express-News. "The whole thing was unusual _ I've done marriages before where either the bride or groom was in prison. But it was legal and they were entitled to it, so it was all right with me." Zamora, who attended the U.S. Naval Academy, and ex-boyfriend David Graham, who was at the Air Force Academy, were convicted of capital murder in the 1995 slaying of 16-year-old Adrianne Jones of Mansfield. Prosecutors contended that Zamora urged Graham to kill Jones after he had a purported one-time sexual encounter with her. Zamora and Graham were sentenced to life prison terms. Earlier this year, Zamora and Steven Mora wrote the county clerk office asking for permission to get a marriage license. KDFW-TV in Dallas obtained a copy of the marriage certificate _ dated June 17 and issued by Bexar County _ naming Zamora, 25, and Mora, 27, of San Antonio. Bexar County Clerk Gerry Rickhoff said the wedding was the first with a double proxy in the county. "We've had three other requests for double-proxy marriages since then, and I attribute that to people who had read about this case in the media," Rickhoff told the Express-News. Zamora remains at the Mountain View Unit near Gatesville, according to Texas prison spokesman Larry Todd. Zamora is eligible for parole in 2036. Mora is serving four years for retaliation. He previously served time for unauthorized use of a vehicle, theft and arson. He remains at the Ramsey Unit near Houston, Todd said. Family members say the two have never met in person, but Mora started writing to Zamora after seeing her on television. Zamora's and Graham's cases and trials were the subject of extensive TV news coverage. Information from: San Antonio Express-News PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) A U.S. religious organization whose 17 members were kidnapped in Haiti asked supporters on Friday to pray and share stories with the victims' families of how their faith helped them through difficult times as efforts to recover them entered a sixth day. Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries issued the statement a day after a video was released showing the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang threatening to kill those abducted if his demands are not met. Haitian officials have said the gang is seeking $1 million ransom per person, although they said it wasn't clear if that includes the five children in the group, the youngest being 8 months old. You may wonder why our workers chose to live in a difficult and dangerous context, despite the apparent risks, the organization said. "Before leaving for Haiti, our workers who are now being held hostage expressed a desire to faithfully serve God in Haiti." The FBI is helping Haitian authorities recover the 16 Americans and one Canadian. A local human rights group said their Haitian driver also was kidnapped. Pray that their commitment to God could become even stronger during this difficult experience," Christian Aid Ministries said. At the White House on Friday, U.S. press secretary Jen Psaki sidestepped questions about whether the Biden administration would look to halt deportations of Haitians to their home country or consider adding a U.S. military presence on the ground in response to the missionaries' kidnappings. We are working around the clock to bring these people home," she said. "They are U.S. citizens, and there has been targeting over the course of the last few years of U.S. citizens in Haiti and other countries too...for kidnapping for ransom. That is one of the reasons that the State Department issued the warning they did in August about the risk of kidnapping for ransom. Psaki spoke a day after a couple hundred protestors shut down one neighborhood in Haiti's capital to decry the country's deepening insecurity and lack of fuel blamed on gangs, with some demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The streets of Port-au-Prince were largely quiet and empty on Friday, although hundreds of supporters of Jimmy Cherizier, leader of G9 Family and Allies, a federation of nine gangs, marched through the seaside slum of Cite Soleil. We are not involved in kidnapping. We will never be involved in kidnapping, Cherizier, known as Barbecue, claimed during a speech to supporters. As they marched, the supporters sang and chanted that G9 is not involved in kidnappings. Some of them were carrying high caliber automatic weapons. This is the way they are running the country, Cherizier, who is implicated in several massacres, said as he pointed to trash lining the streets with his assault weapon. Amid the worsening insecurity, the office of Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced late Thursday that Leon Charles had resigned as head of Haiti's National Police and was replaced by Frantz Elbe. The newspaper Le Nouvelliste said Elbe was director of the police departments of the South East and Nippes and previously served as general security coordinator at the National Palace when Jocelerme Privert was provisional president. We would like for public peace to be restored, that we return to normal life and that we regain our way to democracy, Henry said. Weston Showalter, spokesman for the religious group, has said the families of those kidnapped are from Amish, Mennonite and other conservative Anabaptist communities in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Ontario, Canada. He read a letter from the families, who werent identified by name, in which they said, God has given our loved ones the unique opportunity to live out our Lords command to love your enemies. The organization later issued a statement saying it would not comment on the video. The gang leaders death threat added to the already intense concern in and around Holmes County, Ohio, where Christian Aid Ministries is based and which has one of the nations largest concentrations of Amish, conservative Mennonite and related groups. Many members of those groups have supported the organization through donations or by volunteering at its warehouse. UNICEF said Thursday that 71 women and 30 children have been kidnapped so far this year surpassing the 59 women and 37 children abducted in all of last year. They represent one third of the 455 kidnappings reported this year, the agency said. ___ Associated Press writers Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Aamer Madhani in Washington, D.C., Kantele Franko in Columbus, Ohio, Peter Smith in Pittsburgh contributed to this report. WASHINGTON (AP) The House voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. In a rare show of bipartisanship on the House floor, the committee's Democratic chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, led the floor debate along with Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of two Republicans on the panel. Still, the vote was 229-202 with all but nine GOP lawmakers who voted saying no." The House vote sends the matter to the U.S. attorneys office in Washington, where it will now be up to prosecutors in that office to decide whether to present the case to a grand jury for possible criminal charges. It's still uncertain whether they will pursue the case Attorney General Merrick Garland would only say at a House hearing on Thursday that they plan to make a decision consistent with the principles of prosecution. The partisan split over Bannon's subpoena and over the committee's investigation in general is emblematic of the raw tensions that still grip Congress nine months after the Capitol attack. Democrats have vowed to comprehensively probe the assault in which hundreds of Trump's supporters battered their way past police, injured dozens of officers and interrupted the electoral count certifying President Joe Biden's November victory. Lawmakers on the panel say they will move swiftly and forcefully to punish anyone who wont cooperate with the probe. We will not allow anyone to derail our work, because our work is too important, Thompson said ahead of the vote. Republicans call it a witch hunt, say it is a waste of time and argue that Congress should be focusing on more important matters. Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, leading the GOP opposition on the floor, called the probe an illicit criminal investigation into American citizens and said Bannon is a Democrat party boogeyman. Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger are the only two Republicans on the Jan. 6 panel, and both have openly criticized Trump and his role in fomenting the insurrection while the majority of House Republicans have remained silent in the face of Trump's falsehoods about massive fraud in the election. Trump's claims were rejected by election officials, courts across the country and by his own attorney general. The Jan. 6 committee voted 9-0 Tuesday to recommend the contempt charges after Bannon missed a scheduled interview with the panel last week, citing a letter from Trumps lawyer that directed him not to answer questions. The committee noted that Bannon did not work at the White House at the time of the attack, and that he not only spoke with Trump before it but also promoted the protests on his podcast and predicted there would be unrest. On Jan. 5, Bannon said that all hell is going to break loose." Lawmakers on the panel said Bannon was alone in completely defying its subpoena, while more than a dozen other subpoenaed witnesses were at least negotiating with them. Mr. Bannons own public statements make clear he knew what was going to happen before it did, and thus he must have been aware of -- and may well have been involved in -- the planning of everything that played out on that day, Cheney said ahead of the vote. The American people deserve to know what he knew and what he did. Joining Cheney and Kinzinger in voting to hold Bannon in contempt were Republican Reps. Peter Meijer and Fred Upton of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington. Mace, who represents a political swing district, told reporters after the vote that she wants to maintain the power of subpoenas for future Republican majorities. I want the power to subpoena, when we start investigating some of the crises that are facing the Biden administration right now, she said, mentioning immigration and the withdrawal from from Afghanistan. Biden himself invoked the insurrection and linked it to the nations turbulent history as he marked the 10th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall. Were confronting the stains of what remains a deep stain in the soul of the nation: hate and white supremacy, Biden said, describing what he said is a line in American history from slavery to the present day. In a violent, deadly insurrection on the Capitol nine months ago it was about white supremacy in my view, he said. Biden, who had previously said the Justice Department should prosecute those who ignore congressional subpoenas, apologized Thursday for appearing to interfere with the agency's decisions in comments last week. I should have chosen my words more wisely," Biden said during a CNN town hall. "I did not, have not and will not pick up the phone and call the attorney general and tell him what he should or should not do. Even if the Justice Department does decide to prosecute, the case could take years to play out potentially pushing past the 2022 election when Republicans could win control of the House and end the investigation. There's still considerable uncertainty about whether the department will pursue the charges, despite Democratic demands for action. It's a decision that will determine not only the effectiveness of the House investigation but also the strength of Congress power to call witnesses and demand information. While the department has historically been reluctant to use its prosecution power against witnesses found in contempt of Congress, the circumstances are exceptional as lawmakers investigate the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol in two centuries. Democrats are pressuring Justice to take the case, arguing that nothing less than democracy is on the line. The stakes are enormous, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said. "What were talking about is this massive, violent assault on American democracy. If the Justice Department doesn't prosecute, the House has other options, including a civil lawsuit. That could also take years but would force Bannon and any other witnesses to defend themselves in court. The lingering acrimony over the insurrection, and the Bannon subpoena, flared Wednesday at a House Rules Committee hearing held to set the parameters of Thursdays debate. Under intense questioning from Raskin, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican who defended Trump and opposed the Bannon contempt effort, said he accepted that Biden is the president but would not say that Biden won the election. Raskin said, I know that might work on Steve Bannons podcast, but thats not going to work in the Rules Committee of the United States House of Representatives, Mr. Gaetz. Im sorry." ___ Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Alan G and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report. Andrew Wegley/AP SUPERIOR, Neb. (AP) A man who had been fired from a grain elevator in Nebraska on Thursday returned with a gun and shot three people, killing two, before he was shot and killed by another employee, the Nebraska State Patrol said. The patrol said the shooting occurred at the Agrex Elevator in Superior, a town in southeast Nebraska near the Kansas border. BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION Generations of Texans are poised to benefit from action by the Texas Legislature on Tuesday to fund $3.35 billion in specific capital projects for Texas higher education institutions. Capital projects at universities of The Texas A&M University System would total $727.4 million under SB52. That is 22% of the total authorization. Separately, the Legislature appropriated $300 million in federal COVID relief funds to build a new state operations center in Austin for the Texas Department of Emergency Management, one of eight state agencies overseen by The Texas A&M System. The COVID-related appropriations bill, SB8, also invests $20 million toward supporting at-risk students at the states regional universities, including those associated with the A&M System. Both bills now go to Gov. Greg Abbott for approval. Chancellor John Sharp thanked Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker Dade Phelan, Sen. Brandon Creighton, Sen. Jane Nelson and Rep. Greg Bonnen for their leadership and all of the members of the House and Senate who supported the legislation. We are gratified by the confidence the Legislature shows in The Texas A&M System to be good stewards of tax dollars, Sharp said. We will continue to earn that trust as we serve the students and citizens of this great state. The Chancellor also thanked Abbott for including higher education in the third special session this fall. SB52 is the first legislation since 2015 to tackle a comprehensive list of capital projects for the states public colleges and universities. TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz concurred. We are truly grateful for the Legislatures generous support of Capital Construction Assistance Projects, and the strong partnership of our local legislative delegation. Well be discussing next steps for TAMIU with our Texas A&M University System Board of Regents over the next several months, Arenaz said. The Texas A&M System educates more than 150,000 students, about half of them attend one of 10 regional universities throughout Texas from A&M Texarkana to Texas A&M International in Laredo, and from West Texas A&M in Canyon to A&M Corpus Christi. Funding for capital projects in SB52 includes: Prairie View A&M: $45 million. Tarleton State-Stephenville: $65 million. Tarleton State- Ft. Worth: $25 million. A&M Central Texas: $45 million. A&M Corpus Christi: $45 million. A&M Kingsville: $45 million. A&M San Antonio: $45 million. A&M International: $45 million. West Texas A&M: $45 million. A&M Commerce: $45 million. A&M Texarkana: $45 million. A&M HSC-McAllen: $30 million. A&M Galveston: $34 million. Texas A&M College-Station: $56 million. Texas A&M System-RELLIS: $43 million. The legislation also includes $70 million for each of three public institutions who helped start the new biomedical research campus at the Texas Medical Center in Houston: The Texas A&M Health Science Center, the University of Texas Health Science Center and University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. In College Station, the $56 million would fund a new clinical teaching and research complex for the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, where class sizes have grown dramatically to address the need for veterinarians across the state. The separate proposal for $300 million in COVID relief funding for TDEM would put disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation under one roof. The current State Emergency Operations Center (SOC), built in the 1950s, is considered outdated, too small, and without the high-tech capabilities to manage state-level emergency management operations. Texas has more federal disaster declarations than any other state and coordinates 3,000 to 4,000 local incidents each year. About The Texas A&M University System The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $9.6 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities, a comprehensive health science center, eight state agencies, and the RELLIS Campus, the Texas A&M System educates more than 153,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceed $1 billion and help drive the states economy. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's standing bounty offer for proof of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election didn't quite turn out like he planned, it would appear. The Republican this week cut a $25,000 check to progressive poll worker Eric Frank in Pennsylvania, whose tip led to a single conviction of illegal voting by a registered Republican, according to Lauren McGaughy of the Dallas Morning News. "It's my belief that they were trying to get cases of Democrats doing voter fraud. And that just wasn't the case," Frank, whose father is an election judge and mother a campaign manager for Pennsylvania Democrats, told the Dallas Morning News. "This kind of blew up in their face." Just a week after the 2020 election, as former President Donald Trump refused to admit defeat, Patrick announced he had set aside $1 million for whistleblowers in exchange for evidence of voter fraud. Anyone whose information resulted in a conviction would receive at least $25,000, according to a press release. In his announcement, Patrick blamed Democrats for not passing stricter voting laws to prevent election fraud. "The Democrats have no one to blame but themselves for creating suspicion of final vote totals," the lieutenant governor said in the release, citing reasons like last minute election law changes in battleground states and alleged improper verification of mail-in ballots. This lack of transparency has led many to believe that the final count is not accurate in states where the winner was determined be a very small percentage of the vote." In Pennsylvania, five cases of voter fraud from last year's presidential election have been prosecuted, four of which involved Republican voters, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The latest instance centered on Ralph Thurman, a 72-year-old Republican whom Frank turned in after seeing the man vote twice on Election Day, once for himself and once for his son, a registered Democrat, McGaughy wrote. Frank said that after applying to to claim his prize, he was told by Patrick's spokesperson Allen Blakemore that he was the first and only person to actually seek the money and added he didn't receive more because higher dollar rewards were reserved for "bigger fish." Blakemore did not respond to a request for comment from the Dallas Morning News. "Was he looking for a celebrity or a political group as a whole?" Frank asked. "I don't know what he meant by bigger fish." Frank told the Dallas Morning News he plans to use some of the cash toward a house for him and his fiancee, and reserve a small amount for political or philanthropic causes. A crowd formed downtown Wednesday morning while officers worked to rescue a baby gray fox odd a high window ledge. The City of San Antonio Animal Care Services responded to the unusual scene to find a scared 1-year-old kit about 25 feet above the ground in a vacant building under renovation on the 100 block of East Houston Street. ACS officer Bethany Snowden tells MySA they believed the fox used the bridge next to the building to walk to the window ledge. While gray foxes are common in the San Antonio area, it's not typical fox behavior to be seen in broad daylight as they are nocturnal animals, Snowden notes. If spotted during the day, foxes tend to move quickly away from humans. The baby fox didn't, which led officers to believe it was sick or injured. Animal Care Services The San Antonio Fire Department assisted in the rescue by using its extension ladder to safely rescue the kit off the building. Snowden mentioned the fox didn't put up much of a fight and run away. Once they secured the animal, the gathering crowd cheered in support of the rescue mission. ACS transported the fox to its partners at Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation. Snowden adds that there weren't obvious injuries or symptoms of any illness, but believed from the fox's behavior that it needed rehabilitation. Animal Care Services In San Antonio, Snowden says residents will typically find foxes roaming in areas near local parks, creeks, and natural areas. The gray fox is named for its gray, salt-and-pepper coat. It has a white throat, cheeks and underbelly, reddish brown legs and a distinctive black-tipped tail. Foxes prey on rodents, lizards, and small birds. Snowden notes that pet owners don't need to worry too much about foxes preying on cats or dogs. However, if you do encounter a fox, here are some tips from ACS: Update at 4:45 p.m. on October 22: This story has been updated to include a statement from Torchy's Tacos. A family has filed a lawsuit against Austin-based Torchy's Tacos after a mother claims her son developed salmonella after eating contaminated onions at one of its San Antonio restaurants. The suit was filed by a San Antonio woman on behalf of her minor son, and includes Torchy's, its parent company Success Foods Management Group LLC and ProSource Produce LLC, a food distributor among the defendants. According to court documents, the plaintiff ate dinner at the Torchy's Tacos on 18210 Sonterra Place on August 21. Six days later, the court filing stated the minor began to "experience exhaustion and a headache." The mother claimed his symptoms progressed over the next 10 days with increasing intensity, including fever, diarrhea, and intense pain in his lower back. The minor was taken to an emergency room on September 3. However, an examination failed to yield a diagnosis, according to the suit. His mother reported he was in such intense pain that he could not walk or sit up. The document stated he was taken to Methodist Children's Hospital where he received treatment for complications from a salmonella infection in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. According to the court filing, the infection reportedly led to sepsis, organ failure, pneumonia, acidosis, thrombocytopenia, pericardial effusion, interstitial emphysema, and extreme pain when it reached the bones around his sacroiliac joint. On October 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a salmonella outbreak linked to onions from Chihuahua, Mexic, and distributed by ProSource, which is based in Hailey, Idaho. As of Thursday morning, the outbreak has sickened more than 650 people in 37 states. Torchy's Tacos included the statement below: "This week we learned that we are being sued based on an allegation that on August 21 a guest ate food from our Sonterra San Antonio restaurant and a week later became ill. This October lawsuit filing was the first notice we have received about this claim. At Torchys, our number one priority is providing safe and delicious food to our guests. We take this claim very seriously and have retained nationally respected food safety experts to track our food supply in August to see if they can find a connection between the food we served then and this claim. We can report our Sonterra location has a uniform record of excellent health inspection scores, including a 100-score routine inspection from the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District as recently as October 8, 2021. Our thoughts are with this guest and his family and we hope for continued recovery." The family is seeking more than $200,000 of compensation to cover the family's medical bills and to compensate the minor for pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, future lost wages, and more. The plaintiff in the suit is represented by Seattle's Marler Clark LLC and the Hill Law Firm of San Antonio. The UK governments love affair with tech-enabled surveillance knows no bounds. [This story is a little dated, having first surfaced in the Financial Times on Monday. But on that day I decided to write a piece on what I thought was an even more pressing issue: Italys no jab, no job vaccine mandate, which threatens to render millions of people unemployed. But this story from the UK is such an outrageous example of creeping surveillance in the so-called liberal West that I thought it still worth sharing] As the pink paper reported, nine schools in the Scottish region of North Ayrshire have started using facial recognition systems as a form of contactless payment in cashless canteens (cafeterias in the US). The BBC later reported that two schools in England were also piloting the system. At a time when many schools in the UK are facing crippling budget cuts, this speaks volumes about the local councils educational priorities. In response to the revelations, the Information Commissioners Office issued a weak-tea statement, encouraging schools to carefully consider the necessity and proportionality of collecting biometric data before they do so. A statement from childrens digital rights group Defend Digital Me packed a meatier punch: Biometrics should never be used for children in educational settings no ifs, no buts. Its not necessary. Just ban it. Normalising Biometric Surveillance In its defence, North Ayrshire council said it had sent out a flyer explaining the technology to the childrens parents ahead of the enrollment. That flyer included this lovely little nugget: With Facial Recognition, pupils simply select their meal, look at the camera and go, making for a faster lunch service whilst removing any contact at the point of sale. Apparently a whopping 97% of the school children or their parents consented to be enrolled in the pilot scheme. It seems that the council believes that preteens and teenagers are adequately equipped to decide for themselves whether or not the installation of facial recognition technologies in the school canteen infringes their privacy. Similar facial recognition systems have been in use in the United States for years, though usually as a security measure. In the case of the schools in Ayrshire, this is all about ease, speed and efficiency. Or so we are told. Its the fastest way of recognising someone at the till, said David Swanston, the managing director of CRB Cunninghams, the company that provided the system. Swanston added that the average transaction time using the system was five seconds per pupil: In a secondary school you have about a 25-minute period to serve potentially 1,000 pupils. So we need fast throughput at the point of sale. One wonders how school cafeterias were able to cope with demand for so long without digital and biometric payment technologies. But critics argue that these pilot schemes have a much darker purpose than expediting school lunch queues; they are about conditioning children to the widespread use of facial recognition and other biometric technologies. Its normalising biometric identity checks for something that is mundane, Silkie Carlo of the UK campaign group Big Brother Watch told the FT. You dont need to resort to airport style [technology] for children getting their lunch. Checkpoint Britain The UK has on average 1 surveillance camera for every 6.5 people, according to a 2019 analysis by IHS Markit. Thats more than any other country in the world, except for China, which has 1 camera per 4.1 people, the US (4.6) and Taiwan (5.5). This data was featured in a 2019 CBS article warning about the US increasing adoption of surveillance technologies: During the past few years, coverage of the surveillance market has focused heavily on Chinas massive deployments of cameras and artificial intelligence technology. Whats received far less attention is the high level of penetration of surveillance cameras in the United States, report author Oliver Philippou, an analyst at IHS Markit, said in a note. With the U.S. nearly on par with China in terms of camera penetration, future debate over mass surveillance is likely to concern America as much as China.' Like their US counterparts, UK authorities have been trialling live facial recognition (LFR) surveillance in public places for several years. Many of the trials were monitored by activist group Big Brother Watch. In a 2019 article for Yahoo, Silkie Carlo wrote that watching these live facial recognition trials is to watch your civil liberties slip away before your eyes. She recounted an anecdote from an LFR trial in the East London borough of Romford. When a passing pedestrian called John (not his real name) noticed the Police cameras, he pulled his jumper over his chin. It was, Carlo says, a small act of resistance to encroaching surveillance in his town, for which he ended up paying a price: I watched a plainclothes officer who had been loitering near us radio through to uniformed officers, instructing them to stop him. John was then surrounded and grabbed by officers, pushed to a wall and questioned. They demanded to know why he was covering his face. If I want to cover my face, Ill cover my face, he said. Dont push me over when Im walking down the street. The plainclothes officer then took a photo of him on a mobile device anyway for facial recognition. Police had not told us, or anyone, that they had not only the capability to scan faces with fixed cameras but to point and shoot with handheld, mobile devices. He was made to hand over his ID as well. After police aggravated him and threatened to handcuff him, they issued him with a 90 ($115) fine for disorderly behaviour. The New Frontier of Facial Recognition Surveillance Since the Covid-19 pandemic police forces around the world have been given much broader surveillance powers. In August this year, the Mayor of London quietly green lighted a controversial proposal that will permit the Metropolitan Police, the UKs biggest police force, to use Retrospective Facial Recognition (RFR), as part of a 3 million deal with Japanese tech firm NEC Corporation, reports Wired magazine: The system examines images of people obtained by the police before comparing them against the forces internal image database to try and find a match. Those deploying it can in effect turn back the clock to see who you are, where youve been, what you have done and with whom, over many months or even years, says Ella Jakubowska, policy advisor at European Digital Rights, an advocacy group. Jakubowska says the technology can suppress peoples free expression, assembly and ability to live without fear. The purchase of the system is one of the first times the Mets use of RFR has been publicly acknowledged. Previous versions of its facial recognition web page on the Wayback Machine shows references to RFR were added at some stage between November 27, 2020, and February 22, 2021. The technology is currently used by six police forces in England and Wales, according to a report published in March. The purchase of a modern, high-performing facial recognition search capability reflects an upgrade to capabilities long used by the Met as well as a number of other police forces, a spokesperson for the Met says. Critics argue that the use of RFR encroaches on peoples privacy, is unreliable and could exacerbate racial discrimination. In the US, we have seen people being wrongly jailed thanks to RFR, says Silkie Carlo, director of civil liberties group Big Brother Watch. A wider public conversation and strict safeguards are vital before even contemplating an extreme technology like this, but the Mayor of London has continued to support expensive, pointless and rights-abusive police technologies. The Backlash Begins (in Brussels) In September, the Geneva-based Human Rights Council (HRC) published a report recommending that the protection of human rights must be front and centre of the development of AI-based systems. While the report conceded that AI can be a force for good, it also flagged concerns around how data is stored, what its used for, and how it might be misused AI technologies can have negative, even catastrophic, effects if they are used without sufficient regard to how they affect peoples human rights, Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement. One of the biggest problems is the prevailing legal vacuum that makes it all but impossible to guarantee the safety of all the biometric data being harvested. As I reported for NC a few weeks ago, the facial recognition data of over 16 million UK residents, handed over to the NHS App, is being managed by undisclosed companies. The NHS appears to be sharing some of that facial recognition data with law enforcement bodies, according to The Guardian. The data is also likely to be of interest to UK and foreign intelligence services. Yesterday (Oct. 21), continental rail operator Eurostar unveiled a new pilot scheme for a biometric identity verification technology that offers seamless travel across borders. The system allows travellers to upload their face and passport ahead of travel for a seamless touch-free passage through border checks. Its fast, smooth, convenient and easy. One just has to hope that ones facial recognition data is in safe hands. The European Parliament does not seem convinced. In a recent unanimous vote MEPs called for a ban not only on police use of facial recognition technology in public places but also private facial recognition databases. The vote was non binding, of course, and some EU Member States are desperate to deploy facial recognition technologies to fortify their security apparatuses, but at least its a step in the right direction. My position with Nashville Post has evolved since 2000 when I began work with the now-defunct The City Paper. TCP became a Post sister pub in 2008 (when I began some Post work) and folded in 2013. I have worked mainly with the Post since late 2011. Follow William Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today (Natural News) A Canadian judge is ordering a Christian pastor to speak about what the judge claims is the scientific consensus of medical experts, compelling speech as a sentence for violating Canadas draconian mask and coronavirus state of emergency laws. (Article by Richard Moorhead republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com) Pastor Artur Pawlowski and his brother Dawid were sentenced this week for inciting citizens to violate Canadas coronavirus obedience laws, having been previously convicted of contempt of court in an Alberta Court. The second any scientific theory is ordered as a mandatory belief on the part of the state, it ceases being legitimate scientific inquiry and becomes a religion in its own right. The sentencing judge criminalized the men for encouraging their congregations and members of the public to assemble as citizens of a free country and refrain from wearing a face mask. Artur is being fined $23,000 Canadian dollars, and must serve 18 months on probation. As a condition of his sham conviction, the Christian Pastor must place the other side of the argument on the record, and is being forced to defend the governments demands for obedience to coronavirus rules. Pawlowski will be forced to propagate claims that assert social distancing and masks are necessary, even as increasing evidence suggests wearing masks has been a waste of time with little to no antiviral utility since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. A CBC report on Justice Adam Germains ruling quotes the authoritarian judge as declaring that if the three pandemic-denying, anti-mask leaders continued to preach to their followers, they must also present the perspective of medical experts. Examples of literal compelled speech ordered by governments are rare in democratic societies in modern times, with the judges order more closely resembling occasional edicts attempting to coerce Christians into worshiping the Roman Emperor as a god in Antiquity. Pawlowskis conviction appears to be enough to make the tyrants of Fascist Australia jealous. Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com (Natural News) New research published in the European Journal of Epidemiology has confirmed that getting vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) does absolutely nothing to help decrease infection rates. A team of researchers looked at data from 168 countries, including from 2,947 individual counties within the United States, to see how vaccination rates correlate to caseloads. They determined that there is no correlation at all, as the jabs do not provide the protection promised. California, which is mentioned in the paper as having one of the lowest case rates in the country, also has a relatively low injection rate. Somehow, the Golden State is faring well compared to other states like Vermont that are almost entirely vaccinated but that are now seeing a massive surge in new cases of the Chinese Disease. One clear example is the New England states of Vermont and Maine, reported the San Francisco Chronicle, citing the study in question. Relatively shielded from the worst of the nations previous surges, they have struggled against the delta variant, which has sent their case rates soaring. Vermont currently boasts the highest percentage of residents 65 years of age and older who are fully vaccinated at a whopping 99.9 percent. About 74 percent of Vermonters between the ages of 18 and 64 are also fully vaccinated. Despite this, people all over Vermont are flooding their local hospitals as they become diseased from the shots they took. So much for being safe and effective, right? What are covid vaccines supposed to do again? Amazingly, Vermont recently set its single-day case record for the entire pandemic which, just to be clear, occurred after most of the state got fully vaccinated. How can this be if the vaccines from Operation Warp Speed really are as safe and effective as Donald Trump, who calls himself father of the vaccine, recently told Bill OReilly they are. as of Oct. 1, Vermonts seven-day average case rate per 100k people was 30 triple that of the Bay Area, reported FEE. The claim all along, even from government authorities, has never been that these injections prevent infection or spread of Chinese Germs. At best, all they supposedly do is make symptoms a little less severe, maybe, though there is really no legitimate science to back even this measly claim. Still, the medical establishment is towing the narrative that getting jabbed is better than not getting jabbed when it comes to the risks involved with testing positive for the virus. We are confident vaccination against COVID-19 reduces the chances of transmitting the virus, claim Johns Hopkins University (JHU) epidemiologists M. Kate Grabowski and Justin Lessler. Confidence does not necessarily equate to science, though. Neither does a gut feeling, but that is what the medical establishment is going on to try to push more people towards getting injected. At the country-level, there appears to be no discernable relationship between percentage of population fully vaccinated and new COVID-19 cases in the last 7 days, the new study reveals. In fact, the trend line suggests a marginally positive association such that countries with higher percentage of population fully vaccinated have higher COVID-19 cases per 1 million people. At the county level, they further found, there also appears to be no significant signaling of COVID-19 cases decreasing with higher percentages of population fully vaccinated. As usual, the media that is actually reporting on this controversial study is still telling people to get jabbed just because. If it might help, possibly, then people are being told to take the shots without question. The latest news about injuries and deaths caused by Wuhan Flu shots can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: FEE.org ncbi.nlm.nih.gov NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) General Electric (GE) told its 56,000 employees that they must be fully vaccinated against Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) by December 8. This is in compliance with President Joe Bidens vaccine mandate to federal contractors. GE sells jet engines and other equipment to the government. Headquartered in Boston and running its global operations from Cincinnati, GE is one of the largest companies in the U.S. to comply with Bidens executive order. GE employees can avoid the vaccine through approved medical or religious exemptions. Other big companies requiring some or all of their staff to be vaccinated include IBM, Alphabet Inc. and Facebook. IBM said that all of its employees, regardless of where they work, must comply with the vaccine deadline or face unpaid suspensions. IBM employs more than 100,000 people. Meanwhile, United Airlines and American Airlines threatened to fire unvaccinated employees. According to United Airlines, 99 percent of its employees were already vaccinated against COVID-19. The U.S. is currently recovering from a spike in COVID-19 cases that started in late August due to the delta variant. The country reported nearly 600,000 new cases and more than 11,000 deaths last week, according to Johns Hopkins University. Senator Ted Cruz hits Bidens vaccine mandate Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas took to Twitter to slam Bidens vaccine mandate. He wrote: Joe Bidens illegal vaccine mandate at work. Suddenly were short on pilots and air traffic controllers. The social media tirade appeared not long after Southwest Airlines employees walked off the job, forcing the company to cancel thousands of flights. According to Southwest, which is based in Texas, the flights were not cancelled because of protests, but rather because of disruptive weather. In a travel advisory, Southwest claimed that it is working to recover our operation. Back in August, Cruz appeared with Sean Hannity of Fox News to declare that the COVID-19 vaccine mandates are an invasion of personal privacy. Having to show proof of vaccination, he said, is a violation of individual liberty. The left doesnt believe in your privacy, it doesnt believe in your freedom, Cruz told Hannity. Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a new executive order prohibiting any entity to impose a vaccine mandate in the state. Abbott issued EU No. GA-40 on October 11. The executive order states that no entity in the Lone Star State 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. Southwest Airlines employees oppose vaccine mandate Calling it unlawful, over 200 employees of Southwest Airlines protested outside its Dallas headquarters to publicly oppose the vaccine mandate. Southwest Airlines is considered a federal contractor but is pushing back against the governments unlawful vaccine mandate. Dozens of pilots joined flight attendants and employees to express their opposition to the mandate. The Biden administration apparently thinks that all federal contractors are now properties of the federal government. It requires all federal contractors to give up their medical privacy and body autonomy and submit to selective vaccine mandates. Steve Goldberg, Southwests senior vice president of operations and hospitality, issued a memo saying that the company will not terminate employees on December 8 as it reviews employees exemption forms. Greenbergs memo states that employees may continue to work as long as they follow health protocols like social distancing and wearing of masks. (Related: Southwest Airlines backs down from vaccine mandate after massive protests.) This is a change from what was previously communicated. Initially, we communicated that these employees would be put on unpaid leave and that is no longer the case, the memo states. However, newly-hired employees are being discriminated by Southwest Airlines which is demanding proof of COVID 19 vaccination as a pre-condition to employment. Current Southwest employees are also profiled and segregated based on their private medical decisions, which is a violation of medical privacy. Follow Immunization.news for more news and information related to vaccine mandates and coronavirus vaccines. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk ThePostMillennial.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Sisters Leah and Michelle Svensson, also known as the Resistance Chicks, talk about how Joe Rogan eviscerated CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta over the lies propagated by the network against ivermectin, which is an effective drug against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). It happened in one of the recent episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience. Leah points out during their show Headline News on Brighteon.TV that ivermectin helped people recover faster from the disease and also played a key role in lowering the number of new infections and hospitalizations in India. The sisters note that news networks are unfavorably framing ivermectin as just a veterinary medicine. Federal agencies are doing the same. Rogan has slammed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for posting on Twitter about ivermectin being a drug for horses and cows. Why would you say that when youre talking about a drug thats been given out to billions and billions of people, a drug that was responsible for one of the inventors of it making Nobel Prize in 2015? Rogan asks. But his heated discussion with Gupta has attracted more attention. It started while they were discussing Rogans bout with COVID-19 earlier this year. Rogan said that he took ivermectin in addition to receiving monoclonal antibodies. The host noted that mainstream media were lying about him taking horse medication, which bothered him as there are ivermectin doses specifically meant for humans. Its a lie. Its a lie on a news network and its a lie that theyre conscious of. Its not a mistake. Theyre unfavorably framing it as veterinary medicine, he said. Rogan then called out some of Guptas colleagues from CNN for referring to ivermectin as a livestock drug before summing up that the description is simply a lie. Gupta acknowledged that calling ivermectin a horse dewormer was not in good taste. It can be used for humans. I get it, Gupta conceded. Not just could be used for humans, is often used for humans along with all the other drugs that I took. All human drugs. They know its a human drug and they lied. Its defamatory, Rogan went on. Ivermectin prescribed by physicians to treat COVID-19 Physicians have prescribed ivermectin for COVID-19. Maryland Congressman Andy Harris, a physician, admits that he has prescribed ivermectin to a patient diagnosed with the disease. In a statement, Harris has said that he prescribed ivermectin as a treatment for early COVID because data from India and elsewhere have supported its off-label use. The effectiveness of ivermectin and its derivatives in treating parasitic worm infections has transformed human and veterinary medicine and led to a Nobel Prize for the researchers who discovered it William C. Campbell and Satoshi Omura. Ivermectin, while approved mostly for animal use, has a human-grade equivalent that can be used to treat some parasitic worms, head lice and skin conditions like rosacea. In 2020, a paper made public showed that ivermectin can suppress the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus under laboratory conditions. There are two key ways in which the drug could prevent this replication. First is to prevent the virus from suppressing the cells natural antiviral responses, and second is to prevent the spike protein on the surface of the virus from binding with receptors that allow them to enter cells making ivermectin an effective treatment in viral diseases that causes significant inflammation. (Related: Media smear campaign against ivermectin timed to clear market for Pfizers new ivermectin-like clone drug, which will be hailed as a miracle.) The FDA has not authorized or approved ivermectin for use in preventing or treating COVID-19. But under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines, it is marked as one of the drugs in a chart titled Characteristics of Antiviral Agents that are Approved or Under Evaluation for the Treatment of COVID-19. Catch the Resistance Chicks, Leah and Michelle Svensson on Headline News where they talk about headlines and current events that the public should know. Headline News airs on Fridays at 7 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. Learn more about drugs and treatments in connection with COVID-19 at Pandemic.news. Sources include: Brighteon.com NYPost.com WBalTV.com GAVI.org COVID19TreatmentGuidelines.NIH.gov (Natural News) A hospital in Maine fired so many of its employees for being unvaccinated that the place was forced to close its ICU because it didnt have enough workers to staff it. (Article by Warner Todd Huston republished from FlagAndCross.com) The administrators of Central Maine Healthcare in Lewiston, Maine, enacted a vax policy demanding all employees to take the vaccine. But more than 250 employees refused to comply before the deadline. These employees were subsequently fired. Unfortunately for patients, about 170 of those employees were needed to staff the intensive care unit. Consequently, the hospital had to shut down its ICU because of the firings. Because it lost so many employees, the hospital plans on cutting intensive care beds by 50% and reducing the number of medical surgical beds by 40%, the Bangor Daily News reported. Other healthcare companies in Maine have also quit their jobs. MaineHealth said 69 staffers resigned, Central Maine Healthcare reported 70 resignations at the time and 500 open positions at the hospital, and another 89 staffers left at Northern Light Health over their refusal to take the vax. One has to wonder why tens of thousands of health care workers across the nation refuse to take the vaccine? What do they know that the rest of us dont? Read more at: FlagAndCross.com (Natural News) Liberty Counsel on Friday announced a class action lawsuit on behalf of members of all five branches of the U.S. military the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard against President Joe Biden over his orders they take the experimental COVID shots or face dishonorable discharge. (Article by Bob Unruh republished from WNDNewsCenter.org) The Biden administration has no authority to require the COVID shots for the military or for federal employees or civilian contractors, explained Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel chairman. Nor can the Biden administration pretend that the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment do not apply to its unlawful mandates. The commander-in-chief must end this shameful treatment and abuse of our brave military heroes. Forcing the COVID shots without consent or consideration for their sincere religious beliefs is illegal. The action in U.S. District Court in Florida is on behalf of two Navy SEALs, a Navy EOD Officer, a Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer, a Navy Chaplain, two Marine Lt. Colonels, two Marine Lance Corporals, an Air Force Major, an Air Force Technical Sergeant, an Army National Guardsman, an Army Colonel, and a Coast Guard Lieutenant. It seeks a temporary restraining order preventing Biden and his appointees from enforcing, threatening to enforce, attempting to enforce, or otherwise requiring compliance with the Federal COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Other defendants are Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Liberty Counsel said the non-military plaintiffs include a Department of Defense contractor who has conducted Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance quantitative and qualitative assessments and studies, whose assessments are briefed to DOD senior leadership to inform decisions on future employment, allocation, and procurement; a federal civilian engineer employed by a large military defense contractor that provides LCD screens used in United States Armed Forces aircraft; a federal civilian contractor employer whose company develops and supports military weapons systems, including current and next generation land vehicles for the Army and next generation Navy vessels; a federal nuclear contractor employee who is a young woman opposed to abortion and who desires to have children of her own one day; and a Department of Energy Civilian Nuclear Tech who works at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The individuals for whom the case was filed are not named, but in a sworn statement one Navy chaplain explained, I personally observed (and the Sailors told me in the course of counseling about) tremendous amounts of coercion, bullying, censorship, and intimidation being brought forth by the command to bear against the personnel who expressed objections of any kind to the COVID shot mandates, including religious objectionsAnd clearly, the military has lost more lives to the increase in suicide from 2020-2021 (at least 1,012) than to all of COVID in 2 years (~52), but suicide has not been a focus. It was Austin who dispatched on August 24 the Mandatory Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination of Department of Defense Service Members. But Matthew Oster, who is on Bidens COVID task force, admitted the shots are causing myocarditis in young men, and the Journal of the American Medical Association Cardiology confirmed, Myocarditis Following Immunization with mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines in Members of the U.S. Military. Then on Sept. 9 Biden issued a similar order for federal workers. The case charges that under the federal Emergency Use Authorization law none of the vaccines has gotten full Food and Drug Administration Approval, so they cannot be mandated. Under the above statute, there is no legal basis on which the president may waive the EUA in order to mandate the COVID-19 vaccines for the military. Indeed, he has not done so because he has no statutory authority under the law, Liberty Counsel explained. Further, the mandates violate the constitutionally protected right to religion. The plaintiffs all hold sincere religious beliefs against the COVID shots on the basis that their body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and to defile it is a sin against God. In addition, the plaintiffs do not want to participate directly or indirectly or otherwise be associated with the destruction of human life through abortion by injecting a product that contains or was tested or developed with aborted fetal cell lines, Liberty Counsel said. But the military is telling the plaintiffs there are NO RELIGIOUS exemptions, and merely submitting such a request will subject them to dishonorable discharge. Liberty Counsel said it also is representing clients on behalf of the 3.7 million employees under federal government contracts and two million federal employees who are under the Biden administrations COVID shot mandate. Read more at: WNDNewsCenter.org (Natural News) The natural gas and energy shortages sweeping across Europe, Asia and the United States have now affected the cost of shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG). One of the first disastrous changes to occur to the shipping industrys prices was the cost of shipping containers soaring. This was followed by the cost of dry bulk cargo shipping rates jumping to levels not seen in over a decade. Now, the cost of shipping LNG has also started to soar. LNG shipping is different from dry bulk or container shipping because of its much higher level of long-term charter coverage. This difference made the cost of shipping LNG even more pronounced during this crisis. I dont remember a time when so many extreme events were happening in shipping, said Ben Nolan, an industry analyst who has covered the sector for nearly two decades. According to him, spot shipping rates, or the one-off cost of shipping LNG, surged 40 percent in one day Oct. 15 on already high levels. (Related: Extended energy supply shortage looms as prices for oil and natural gas soar.) Other analysts have pointed out that tanker rates to ship LNG have more than doubled since the supply chain crisis escalated around a month ago. Price of shipping liquefied natural gas has not peaked yet On Monday, Oct. 18, analysts reported that benchmark spot rates for tri-fuel, diesel engine (TFDE) vessels that can carry LNG were $157,500 per day. This represents an 86 percent surge in prices compared to the previous weak. For M-type, electronically controlled gas engine-propulsion vessels, spot rates were $180,000 per day, up 65 percent from the previous week. Even rates for older steam-powered vessels, which do not see as much activity as newer ships, rose to six digits at $110,000 per day, up 60 percent from last week. These costs surged even further on Tuesday, Oct. 19, as the daily charter rate for TFDE vessels carrying LNG to ports in the Pacific basin rose to $202,500, representing a 28.5 percent rise in prices compared to the previous day. This also represents the highest shipping rates for LNG since Jan. 15, according to Singaporean LNG analysis company, Spark Commodities. Analysts expect LNG rates to surge even higher as the winter months approach and demand for heating increases. They believe the price will peak sometime in early 2022. They point to one voyage in early January, which had a record LNG spot rate of $350,000 per day. LNG shipping executives do not believe spot rates will break that record this season, but they do expect the rates to peak at or around $300,000 per day. There are very limited spot vessels, so if there is a prompt vessel requirement for those lifting [free-on-board] then the potential cargo margin could mean the rates could go much higher, said Spark Commodities CEO Tim Mendelssohn. Price of shipping oil could surge soon Shipping industry analysts are now concerned that the price of shipping crude oil and product tankers would follow. The price of shipping these essential goods has not followed the sudden price surges seen with shipping containers, dry bulk and LNG. The main reason for this is inventories. Crude oil and product inventories surged to excessively high levels due to the sudden drop in demand brought about by the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns. On the product side, refineries couldnt ramp down production quickly enough to match collapsing consumption. Analysts are now worried if oil production doesnt scale back up with increased demand, crude and product tankers could belatedly join the rate boom seen in other shipping segments. Not all energy markets are equal, as the tanker markets are still struggling with oil demand that has not recovered to pre-COVID levels, said Nolan. However, there is increasing optimism that a seasonal tanker rally could materialize spurred by heating oil and fuel oil given the spillover from high natural gas and coal prices. Learn more about shipping rates and the many other factors of the supply chain crisis by reading the latest articles at MarketCrash.news. Sources include: FreightWaves.com Reuters.com (Natural News) Experts say that the Biden administration needs to focus on long-term and realistic policies to diversify where imports are coming into, especially as the holiday season nears. Margaret Kidd, a supply chain and logistics professor at the University of Houston, said that the amount of cargo that will be supported in President Joe Bidens plan for 24/7 port operations in California will not be impactful enough in the long term. If we had economic development and economic prosperity in the northern triangle countries and Mexico, that would solve our nearshoring and it would also assist with immigration, she said. Kidd suggested that the government needs to stop counting ships and start thinking realistic solutions to the problem. One of the first things that come to mind is to consider policies that drive imports through the U.S. port system, with 36 to 40 percent of all import containers from Asia going into LA Long Beach. With U.S. consumers spending record amounts, it is necessary to diversify where the imports are coming from because one or two ports cannot handle the volume of trade. Kidd said that the government could look into the Gulf Coast ports like that in Houston, or Freeport Mobile Southeast Atlantic ports like Charleston, Savannah or Florida. Fixing supply chain will take time, patience, money and more Experts who are closely watching the upcoming holiday shopping season said that the rush to buy items amplifies the problem in the supply chain system. To fix the problem would take time, patience, a lot of money and imagination by key leaders in transport and logistics and significant policy changes. In a separate interview, Kidd said that consumers have insatiable demands and they are spending a lot of money: e-commerce numbers through the second quarter is up 57 percent from two years ago. Kidd also noted that the supply chain challenges are exacerbated by the enormous amount of cargo waiting to be unloaded at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. U.S. imports from Asia range between 36 percent to 40 percent to Los Angeles and Long Beach. That is not sustainable. They are landlocked, and their warehouse vacancy rate is under 2 percent. There is nowhere to go, she said. Kidd said several things must happen in the next few years, one of which is bringing manufacturing closer to the United States. She added that the supply chain problems, including the power supply problems in Vietnam and China, are worsened by the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) in Asia. At the recent American Association of Port Authorities convention in Austin, Texas, officials said they need to become more efficient and ports will need to share more information and cooperate to a much greater extent than they do now. (Related: Experts explain the link between labor shortages and current supply chain issues.) Adding to the supply chain challenges, the Department of Labor said in July that the warehouse and transport industry was 490,000 employees short. That number includes the need for some 60,000 truck drivers. To encourage more people to consider transportation-related careers, employers may have to increase spending on technology, as well as higher salaries and benefits, said Terry Esper, Logistics professor at Ohio State University. Part of our supply chain constraint is labor. If you want access to labor, youre going to start to have to look at what you pay, Esper added. Read more about the supply chain issues at Bubble.news. Sources include: News.Yahoo.com TTNews.com (Natural News) The Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has become an excuse for hospitals to exercise discrimination on unvaccinated people. This disdain has even extended to those needing organ transplants. Lawyer Tom Renz condemned this medical violence during the Oct. 19 edition of Lawfare with Tom Renz on Brighteon.TV. Colorado resident Leilani Lutali joins Renz in his program to share her first-hand experience of this medical violence. The Associated Press (AP) reports that Lutali, who has a stage five renal disease, has been prohibited by a hospital from undergoing a kidney transplant operation. The 56-year-old objects to COVID-19 vaccination as fetal cell lines were used to develop the shots. As a Christian, I cant support anything that has to do with abortion of babies. [The] sanctity of life for me is precious, Lutali tells AP. Renz notes that Lutalis friend Jaimee Fougner has offered to donate her kidney, and is found to be a compatible donor. He says: You get a person in desperate need of a kidney, and a person whos willing to give a kidney. Well, the healthcare system in Colorado has decided that its going to keep them safe by not giving [Lutali] a kidney transplant. Im not sure how thats keeping anybody safe. Lutali tells Renz: Both donors and recipients need to receive the [COVID-19] shot in order to move forward with the transplant. She adds that Fougner herself refuses to get the vaccine for her reasons in terms of being a woman of faith. Lutali also reiterates why she will not get the injection as a person of faith and [one] who appreciates the sanctity of life. Seeing how this shot was developed and tested back in the 1970s using fetal line tissue cells, I couldnt bring myself to take the shot. The studies that we had both done, and some of the data that we had researched, didnt make me feel good about what the outcomes could be for me as a post-transplant patient with that particular shot, Lutali says. Vaccines not a matter of safety, but of control According to Renz, the situation faced by Lutali and Fougner constitutes religious discrimination and violates the Hippocratic Oath medical professionals have sworn to uphold. (Related: Doctors, hospitals are now refusing to treat unvaccinated patients.) Theyre willing to kill you and force you to do something that you dont want to do. Theyre coercing you into an experimental shot. Neither you nor your donor believe that this is morally acceptable, but the hospital doesnt care about that, Renz says. Lutali agrees with the lawyers remarks, adding that she has even proposed some workarounds to the hospitals policy. The religious exemption, they give that to their employees. Yet for myself, I was told that was not an option because I was a kidney transplant patient, she says. Even Lutalis natural immunity following a bout of COVID-19 in July 2021 was not considered. I felt like every door that I tried to knock on and open was immediately closed without really any thought given to it. It was take the shot or you dont get your transplant. I guess playing politics with peoples health just doesnt set well with me, she continues. Lutali then points out to Renz the double standards of hospitals. Ive come to a place where Im starting to understand that this really doesnt have anything to do with my health. Because if this was about health, people that were being added to transplant lists would be denied for having been smokers at some point, having been obese or having any number of issues. But people can still get those transplants with those issues. I just cant get the transplant because I refuse the COVID-19 shot, she says. Renz agrees with his guest on the matter of COVID-19 vaccines having nothing to do with peoples health. The vaccines dont have anything to do with anybodys health, he says. He then quotes remarks from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Back in August 2021, Walensky said during an interview that fully vaccinated people who contract SARS-CoV-2 can still transmit the virus. What vaccines cant do anymore is prevent transmission, she said at the time. The CDC director also suggested that those living with unvaccinated people should mask up when indoors. Well, why in Gods name would you want to get it, then? Its not approved, its not safe, its not effective, it doesnt do anything. This isnt about life. They dont even care if they kill you, they just want to control you. Its only about control [and] this is the most unbelievable example of that, Renz says. (Related: Stew Peters slams medical violence in the hospital system Brighteon.TV.) The Brighteon.TV host concludes: I really want people to see this isnt about safety. This is about money, this is about power, this is about control. Theres a war being waged against the American people, and theres no better example of this on the planet than the fact that theyre denying transplants to people like Leilani [Lutali]. Watch the full Oct. 19 episode of Lawfare with Tom Renz below. Lawfare with Tom Renz airs every Tuesday at 11:30-12 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. MedicalViolence.com has more stories about hospitals discriminating against Leilani Lutali and other unvaccinated organ transplant patients. Sources include: Brighteon.com APNews.com RealClearPolitics.com (Natural News) The latest large company to mandate that all of its employees get vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus is Union Pacific, which says that workers have until Dec. 8 to comply. As if the situation at Americas ports was not already bad enough, Union Pacific has decided to make it worse by forcing the Operation Warp Speed jabs on its roughly 31,000 employees, who are spread across 23 states. Every employee at Union Pacific was sent an email informing them about the jabs, including where to get them and how to receive proper documentation to show the company as proof of injection. After reviewing the White Houses COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Union Pacific is complying with the executive order requiring employees of federal contractors be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8, a Union Pacific spokesperson told 6 News. As a federal contractor who ships goods supporting our nations armed services, Union Pacific is fulfilling this federal requirement. All employees are required to report their vaccination status or have an approved medical or religious accommodation by the federally mandated deadline. One of the incentives Union Pacific is offering its employees who comply is a free vacation and extra pay. Employees must get their shots outside of work hours, though, or else they are being told that they must follow standard time-off or lay-off processes. Unvaccinated employees at Union Pacific who receive a religious or medical exemption must mask up as punishment While Union Pacific has not provided any data publicly to show how many of its employees are already fully vaccinated, chances are the number is low if the company is resorting to this new extreme measure. The company has not yet indicated whether non-compliant employees will be terminated. However, employees always have the option to obtain a religious or medical exemption, though their punishment will be that they must still wear a mask while on the job. Unvaccinated employees with legal exemptions are also being told they must socially distance from other employees and agree to get tested for Chinese Germs periodically. One Union Pacific employee who spoke to 6 News on the condition of anonymity said that he is concerned about the long-term effects of getting jabbed, as well as how aggressively the vaccine is being pushed out. I believe in maintaining autonomy over ones own body, this person added. With the shipping containers sitting out at sea indefinitely and now the impending threat of trains no longer running due to this latest mandate, Americas already delicate supply chain is certainly hanging by a thread. The Biden regime has made it clear that things will not get back to normal unless everyone complies with the fake presidents demands. In other words, the entire economy is being held hostage until compliance goals are met. The consequence of all this is bare shelves all across the country, which prompted the #EmptyShelvesJoe hashtag to go viral. None of this would even be happening, of course, had Donald father of the vaccine Trump not fast-tracked these injections into widespread use. Trump continues to go around bragging about the jabs and claiming full credit for them his words, by the way. Ive learned that you cannot criticize Trump on conservative sites even when it is a legitimate concern that he may not be all that he appears, wrote one Natural News commenter who was able to break free from the Trump spell. I dont think Trump was simply duped or made a mistake (10 times over) How can you trust a man like that either way? The latest news about Chinese Virus injection coercion can be found at Fascism.news. Sources for this article include: WOWT.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The mainstream media is now widely reporting the actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with a prop gun, characterizing the shooting as a mishap that also involved the wounding of film director Joel Souza who, is expected to survive, according to media reports. According to the UK Daily Mail, when Baldwin pulled the trigger of the so-called prop gun, it somehow unintentionally launched a projectile or projectiles at the crew members. I have news for the UK Daily Mail. Thats a real gun, not a prop gun. Any gun that, when the trigger is pulled, accelerates a projectile down a barrel with enough speed to strike and kill another person is, in fact, a functioning REAL gun. Calling it a prop gun is deliberately misleading, because it implies the firearm does not function. Clearly, Baldwin was firing a functioning gun. Make no mistake, if you tried to sneak this gun through TSA security at the airport, you would be arrested and charged with carrying a real gun. You cant just explain it away as a prop gun. Furthermore, the description of this shooting raises the huge question: Why was Alec Baldwin pointing this gun at the cinematographer and pulling the trigger? There is likely no scene in the movie where the actor (Baldwin) shoots at the person behind the camera. The fact that the Director of Photography and the film Director were both shot indicates, almost certainly, that this was the result of off-camera gun play. In other words, it seems likely that Alec Baldwin was goofing around with a real gun off camera, pointing it at people and pulling the trigger, seemingly more than once. Although we cant yet confirm this for sure, it is the best interpretation of what we know so far. The entire media establishment will no doubt go to tremendous lengths to try to cover up the truth about this and protect Alec Baldwins career, given that hes a raging leftist and anti-gun freak. But thats part of the problem: People who dont know how to handle guns shouldnt play around with them, because when they do, they sometimes end up shooting innocent people. Alec Baldwin just proved that, sadly. Every person who has undergone firearms training knows about the four rules of gun safety: Assume all firearms are loaded. Never point the gun at any person you dont intend to kill. Keep your finger off the trigger until the moment you have made the decision to fire. Know whats behind your target, because bullets can travel a long distance and hit things you didnt intend to hit. It seems clear, based on current reports, that Alec Baldwin violated at least three out of those four rules. Thats on him, not the prop gun that apparently fires real projectiles. We know the gun was real because Hutchins is really dead, sadly. That means she was really shot by a real projectile accelerated by a real gun that was really fired by Alec Baldwin, according to multiple media reports. That sounds like a clear-cut case of manslaughter / womanslaughter to me. He killed her. The media claims the killing was unintentional, of course, and thats likely true. But theres a word for the unintentional killing of another innocent human being: Manslaughter. It begs the question: Will Alec Baldwin be criminally charged for the mass shooting that he apparently carried out? Somehow we doubt it. Can anyone who accidentally shoots and kills people now claim it was just an accident and get away with manslaughter? Or is that a special privilege reserved for prominent anti-gun Hollywood elitists like Baldwin? We dont think Baldwin intentionally harmed anyone, but according to media reports, hes the one who pointed the gun and pulled the trigger. Seemingly more than once. Did he not notice the recoil from the first shot? We have many questions about all this, and we hope further revelations will provide additional answers. Until then, we mourn the passing of this innocent victim of a senseless mass shooting carried out by an anti-gun leftist. If anyone should be denied access to guns, its those who hate them so much that they fail to learn how to handle them safely. (Natural News) The communist authorities controlling China have imposed new restrictions on exporting fertilizers. Such a move is expected to have a disastrous effect on the ongoing surge in the prices of fertilizers and food. Fertilizer prices are being spurred on by ongoing energy crises in Europe, China and elsewhere. The cost increase comes just as global food prices hit a 10-year high. (Related: THE WORLD GOES HUNGRY: Fertilizer prices projected to reach near-record high in 2022.) The General Administration of Customs implemented the new regulations on Oct. 15. The agency placed additional inspection requirements on 29 categories of fertilizer products, including urea and ammonium nitrate fertilizers. China is one of the worlds largest producers of fertilizer. It leads the world in the production of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer, and is the fourth-largest producer of potash fertilizer. It is also one of the worlds largest exporters of fertilizer, accounting for about 30 percent of global trade. Most of Chinas imports of fertilizer go to India, Pakistan and Southeast Asian countries. But that doesnt mean the communist nations new regulations wont affect fertilizer prices and supplies in other countries, including the United States. There are already signs that a fertilizer shortage is emerging. In Brazil, farmers reported that many deliveries of fertilizer have been canceled. In France, the largest agricultural producer in the European Union, an official warned that the country will soon face difficulties sourcing fertilizer supplies. These net importers will have to rely on other countries for some of their fertilizer orders, which will increase competition and lead to even higher prices of fertilizer. This could negatively impact American farmers, who are already dealing with a lot of problems related to the supply chain crisis. (Related: Parts shortage hitting farmers hard as supply chain crisis expected to persist well into 2022.) New regulations meant to safeguard Chinas own stocks of fertilizer The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Chinas top economic planning agency, is taking steps to safeguard the countrys fertilizer supplies and stabilize prices. The added inspection requirements for fertilizer exports are just the tip of the iceberg. NDRC spokeswoman Meng Wei said on Wednesday, Oct. 20, that the economic planning agency will ensure that the enterprises in China get adequate supplies of sulfur, natural gas, electricity and coal to produce chemical fertilizers. She added that the NDRC will take steps to ensure the release of relevant chemical fertilizer reserves. The agency will also keep an eye on the domestic and foreign fertilizer markets and import and export trends. This is not the first time that China has imposed new regulations on the countrys fertilizer production industry. Earlier this year, Chinese authorities launched investigations into the urea market, announced key fertilizer companies would temporarily suspend exports and said it would release potash fertilizer reserves to keep the supply and prices of fertilizers stable. The order to place additional inspection requirements on fertilizer exports considered by many analysts to be a de facto temporary ban on exporting any fertilizer is just the latest move by the regulation-dependent communist countrys economic planning agency. It is unclear how long China will maintain its restrictions on the export of fertilizer. If the situation does not change soon, it could cause shortages in Pakistan, India and much of Southeast Asia, which would inevitably lead to smaller harvests and food shortages. Learn more about the effects of Chinas new regulations on world food prices, supplies and future harvests at Harvest.news. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com Bloomberg.com NationMaster.com Reuters.com (Natural News) A disturbing, but not surprising, revelation has surfaced about how Pfizer harvested organs and other body parts from live babies in order to produce Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines. Whistleblower Melissa Strickler, who works as a manufacturing quality auditor for Pfizer, recently came forward with internal company emails revealing the horrific practices that Pfizer employs to produce the injections that are dispensed into peoples bodies for public health. In one of the emails, Pfizer Senior Director of Worldwide Research Vanessa Gelman petitioned others within the company to keep what you are about to read from ever going public. From the perspective of corporate affairs, Gelman wrote, we want to avoid having the information on fetal cells floating out there. The risk of communicating this right now outweighs any potential benefit we could see, particularly with general members of the public who may take this information and use it in ways we may not want out there. While it has been known for some time now that all of the currently available covid vaccines from Operation Warp Speed were made using aborted baby fetal cells, what was not necessarily known is that the babies from which body parts were extracted were still alive when the procedures were done. To harvest a viable embryonic kidney sufficiently healthy children old enough to have adequately-developed kidneys must be removed from the womb, alive, typically by cesarean section, and have their kidneys cut out, a Pfizer document explains. This must take place without anesthesia for the child, which would lessen the viability of the organs. Getting vaccinated for covid is akin to committing child sacrifices For one of the cell lines, known as HEK 293, that was used in Pfizers covid injection, an innocent little girl had to be murdered in a tortuous manner. Her organs were then used for research on the resultant jab. The harvest of her organs was the direct cause of her death, prior to which, she was a living child, outside the womb, documents further state. What this means is that anyone who gets jabbed with a covid vaccine from Pfizer is participating in a ritual child sacrifice. Recipients of these injections are quite literally having mystery chemicals derived from murdered babies put straight into their bodies, supposedly to keep them safe against the Chinese Disease. The vaccines were made by destroying lives in the most brutal way and the use of these vaccines seriously harms many who have received them, even though the damage may not be recognized as such, Americas Frontline Doctors (AFLDS) reported. This is sick stuff, and it is important to remind our readers that all of this was sanctioned and even partially bankrolled during the presidency of Donald Trump, who to this very day continues to brag about how he got these syringes to market in a matter of months versus the multiple years it usually takes to unveil a new vaccine. Trump and Sleepy Joe Biden are battling it out over who deserves credit for these monstrosities. Meanwhile, neither one of them has even so much as mentioned the innocent newborn lives that were brutally ended in order to make the jabs a reality. We can be fairly confident that in the same way that aborted fetal cells are being used for developing many childhood vaccines and the COVID-19 vaccines, they are being used in the production of the upcoming Marburg Virus vaccine, which will be used for the upcoming Marburg Virus pandemic, warns AFLDS about what it sees as the next plandemic installment coming down the pike. More related news about the innocent children who were murdered in order to produce Fauci Flu shots can be found at Evil.news. Sources for this article include: AmericasFrontlineDoctors.org NaturalNews.com Yahoo.com Twitter.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Many shipping containers that spent weeks in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are being dumped in nearby neighborhoods after they are emptied. One of the main companies responsible for just abandoning shipping containers is United Clean Trucks Inc. (UCTI), whose headquarters is in Wilmington in southern Los Angeles, around two miles north of the Port of Los Angeles. Workers at UCTI, a freight shipping and trucking company, have been working overtime due to the massive congestion in the ports and the ramping up of delivery services to twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. (Related: Efforts to keep ports open 24-7 to reduce cargo ship backlog arent going to work because insane trucking regulations in Dem-controlled California are keeping trucks off the road.) But the problem is UCTIs lot in Wilmington can only hold up to 65 shipping containers. California regulations prevent the company from maximizing the use of its lot by stacking the shipping containers on top of each other. Because of the need for more space, the company has been lining the neighborhoods streets with shipping containers. Sometimes the large containers are just sitting in front of the homes of the neighborhoods residents. One of the neighborhood residents affected by this is Sonia Cervantes, who lives in the same street as UCTI. Its a bunch of neighbors that are very upset because its a nonstop situation, she said. I would have to go in at 6:30 a.m. to go to work. There was a trailer already blocking my driveway so I couldnt get out. With no driver in the trailer, so we would honk and honk, and it was just crazy. Theyre sitting in the street for like 15, 20 minutes, Cervantes continued. Sometimes they just unload the trailer in the street with no front part of it, and they just leave it there. Frank Arrieran, the owner of UCTI, said he has no choice but to leave the containers in the streets. Right now with the ports and everything thats going on over there, were stuck with the containers, having to bring them all to the yard, and we only have so much space. Arrieran said he is doing everything he can to make sure the spillover of shipping containers will no longer affect Wilmingtons residents. He is asking for their understanding in the meantime. Weve been messed with tickets and being harassed, said Arrieran. We ask the community to help us because were only in the middle. Arrieran is set to meet with city officials soon. He is hoping they will help him relocate the extra shipping containers to a bigger lot. Ramping up of trucking operations is causing accidents Due to Wilmingtons proximity to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, a lot more trucks pass through the neighborhood on average. This, coupled with the longer hours truckers are forced to work due to the labor shortages, is causing accidents. Just recently, a shipping container crushed a car in the neighborhood. Residents said they already expected this to happen, as the congestion at the ports spills over into their neighborhood. The accident occurred at around 3 p.m. in the same block as UCTIs lot. Police officers who responded to the incident said the shipping container was improperly attached to the truck. The container shifted and fell when the driver turned onto the street. Aerial footage shows a Maersk shipping container on top of a car and partially covering the sidewalk. Fortunately, the car was parked and its owner was at work in the neighborhood. Nobody was hurt. Wilmington resident John Salas says living conditions in the neighborhood have gotten worse due to the truck traffic. Kids cant even play [outside], he said. Thats why we put barricades up and put signs. Trucks come down the street and theyre not even supposed to. Its not even a through street. Theyve got to make a left or right. Valerie Contreras, a member of the Wilmington Neighborhood Council, believes trucks should be barred from passing through the neighborhood. The trucks should not be going through the residential street and we need to put a stop to that, she said. There are too many trucks coming to Wilmington, meaning there are too many storage yards and facilities and we need to make sure its regulated. Residents like Salas and Contreras claim the truck drivers are ignoring signs that say trucks over 6,000 pounds are barred from entering the neighborhood. More members of the Los Angeles Police Department have been dispatched to Wilmington to keep a close eye on the traffic and make sure truckers are following the rules of the road. Learn more about the disastrous levels of congestion at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach by reading the latest articles at CaliforniaCollapse.news. Sources include: LosAngeles.CBSLocal.com 1 KTLA.com ABC7.com LosAngeles.CBSLocal.com 2 LosAngeles.CBSLocal.com 3 (Natural News) Thousands of John Deere workers have been on strike since Oct. 14, impacting farmers who are busy during harvest season. From sourcing parts to manufacturing tractors and planters, the strike could severely affect an already strained supply chain. In what is already the biggest private-sector labor strike in over two years, over 10,000 hourly John Deere workers who are part of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union can be seen picketing outside 14 of their manufacturing sites. The strike comes at a critical time for farmers who are now harvesting and searching for parts of their agricultural machinery and technology. Scott Bohnert, who farms just outside Moline, Illinois, said that both the strike and supply chain problems are making it difficult for farmers to find parts for broken farming equipment. He experienced it firsthand when his combine broke down. Bohnert said he would typically drive to Milan, which is nearby, to pick up the part. But the part he needed wasnt available there because of the supply issues. He finally found it at an after-market parts company 10 miles from the farm. But citing the John Deere strike in Milan, the company wouldnt allow Bohnert to pick it up. Instead, the parts company told Bohnert he would have to ship the part by freight, which would take days and add more costs. In the end, Bohnert had to drive seven hours round-trip to pick up the part from a John Deere dealer in Indiana. Despite the ongoing strike, the company says that it remains committed to keep the operations going. Salaried employees are being recruited to backfill vacancies on production floors. John Deere is committed to a favorable outcome for everyone involved and is committed to reaching an agreement with UAW, a spokesperson for the company said. Our immediate concern is meeting the needs of our customers, who work in time-sensitive and critical industries, such as agriculture and construction, and also to protect the livelihoods of others who rely on us, including employees, dealers, suppliers and communities. (Related: Farmers hit hard as supply chain crisis causes massive shortage in machinery and parts.) Strike feared to last for months The strike started after UAW workers rejected an offer that would have given them five to six percent wage hikes. However, one worker said that the disagreement with the corporation is not fueled simply by wages. While wage issues are on the list, there are other concerns that workers are picketing for, including health insurance and profit-sharing. The supply chain issues have also created irregular hours and schedules at the plants, adding to the frustrations of some hourly workers. The consensus is that the strike could last until the end of the year, as a settlement may not be reached between John Deere and UAW before the holidays. Neither of the parties commented on the timeline of the talks, or if a deadline has been set to resolve the labor disagreement. Paul Iversen, a labor educator at the University of Iowas Labor Center said that the strike reflects a trend of workers who are now reevaluating their relationship with work and what theyre willing to work for. The pandemic contributed to workers looking to get more out of their jobs, as many continued to go to work in hazardous conditions throughout 2020. And they did that, and they produced, and the companys making huge sums of money, and theyre just saying, Youve got to give me the dignity and the respect to give us a share,' Iversen shared. In the meantime, those on strike are going without pay, and local restaurants are supplying their food. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts voiced her support for the workers on strike, saying that they have gotten the short end of the stick for decades. The last time UAW had a strike against John Deere was in 1986, which lasted 163 days. Iowa unions support striking workers As the workers at John Deere plants continue to strike, Iowa City union representatives said their unions were in full support of the striking workers. Jesse Case, the secretary-treasurer and principal officer of Teamsters Local 238 in Cedar Rapids, said that they have been standing on the picket line with John Deere workers over the past days in Waterloo and elsewhere. When members of one union get attacked, its an attack on all workers, Case said. Thats why we stand in solidarity with other unions that are being attacked by these global companies that are making record profits. Meanwhile, members of the United Steelworkers Local 105 and Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 25 have given donations to the striking workers and joined the picket line in Davenport in the last few days. Steve Nienhaus, business representative of the North Central States Region Council of Carpenters in Iowa City, said the carpenters union supports the measures the John Deere workers are taking to improve work conditions. Were in favor of guys getting what they can get, he said. The last resort is to go on strike, but if they have to go on strike, they did it for a reason. Get more news and updates about workers fighting for their rights at Resist.news. Sources include: AGWeb.com DailyIowan.com (Natural News) The endless Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown in Australias second-largest city of Melbourne is primarily responsible for the significant decline in the mental health of the citys youths. Two notable teenagers have turned to social media to speak out regarding the terrible situation they find themselves in. In a four-minute video posted on social media, two anonymous teenagers from Melbourne talked freely about how their lives have been negatively transformed by the citys COVID-19 lockdowns over the past two years. The two teenagers said the lockdown imposed upon Melbourne has left them with little motivation to continue living. They have also seen what this lockdown has done to their friends. (Related: COVID-19 lockdowns causing deterioration of childrens mental health.) I have lots of friends who Ive seen it turned to drugs and alcohol over lockdown. Ive really seen it changing people, said one of the teens. So, when we were at school, two or so years ago thats what they would do for the day. They would go to school, theyd go home, theyd sleep and theyd go to school the next day. When theyre at home all day, its not healthy, you know. Youd get your two hours of exercise, youd go see a friend and its affecting people. I need to have a social life, said the other teen, who was dismayed at the fact that he has missed out on so much of his life during the lockdowns. Ive never been a person who gets depressed much. But you know, recently, Ive started to feel the effects of the lockdown. Ive started to feel depressed. We shouldnt feel like that. Were just kids. Were people, he continued. Were not meant to be locked down for nearly 300 days now within two years. People got to work, people got to make money. But no, were told to stay at home and everything. The two teenagers also lamented the fact that their academic performance has been negatively affected by the lockdowns. One of them is in eleventh grade and is strongly considering repeating the year instead of moving on to twelfth grade. I dont want to have to start year 11 again but its got to the point where I have to, he said. Melbournes lockdown is due to end on Thursday, October 21 at 11:59 p.m., five days earlier than originally planned. The citys curfew and restriction on traveling more than 15 kilometers (9.32 miles) away from a persons home will be lifted after the end of the lockdown. Restrictions for indoor and outdoor social venues like pools, cafes and restaurants will remain. Listen to the full testimonial of the two Melbourne teenagers here: Melbourne children have spent more time in lockdown than the rest of Australia According to the latest report from the international humanitarian aid group Save the Children, the number of days children in Melbourne have spent confined to their homes during the pandemic has exceeded the global average by 67 days. Save the Childrens analysis found that children around the world have lived under mandatory lockdowns for an average of 184 days since early 2020. For Melbourne, that number rose by over a third to an average of 251 days of lockdown. Australias national average for children is just 60 days. Only three other places in the world have a higher national average for children in lockdown. In Lebanon, children have had to stay home for 418 days. In Venezuela, intermittent lockdowns have kept children from going outside for up to 491 days. In Zimbabwe, children have been prevented from leaving their homes for nearly nine months this year alone. Save the Children released this report on Oct. 10 to mark World Mental health Day. The organization pointed out that the extended lockdowns in Melbourne and other parts of the world were taking a devastating toll by putting children and teenagers at increased risk of loneliness, emotional distress and even abuse. Children are resilient but they are also vulnerable in disasters like the Black Summer bushfires [from late 2019 to early 2020] and the COVID-19 pandemic, said Save the Children Australia CEO Paul Ronalds. Ronalds believes if Australia isnt going to take the children out of lockdown, the least the country can do for them is to provide them with better mental health and wellbeing support, stronger educational services and a coherent national strategy to keep students engaged with learning. They have specific needs and require specialist support to recover, said Ronalds. Schools are ideal settings for providing this support. Yet school systems are already heavily overburdened. Specialist programs are urgently needed to complement existing efforts. Ronalds noted that Australia already had high rates of student disengagement even before the pandemic. The continued lockdowns threaten to turn this national crisis into a generational rupture. Learn more about how COVID-19 lockdowns are affecting children around the world by reading the latest articles at Pandemic.news. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk Standard.net.au (Natural News) The new owner of Politico, a mainstream media news outlet, has a lengthy track record of collusion with the Central Intelligence Agency to print stories considered favorable to the agencys policy preferences. (Article republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com) Axel Springer SE is a German media conglomerate set to acquire Politico for a billion dollars by the end of October. The company, founded by and named after a German journalist who started his career writing for an antisemitic newspaper affiliated with the Nazi Party, accepted millions of dollars during the Cold War era to print editorial content at the behest of the CIA. Journalist Murray Waas has cited sources within the intelligence community who indicate Springer had accepted more than seven million dollars in the 1950s to print CIA propaganda. Axel Springers relationship with the American CIA seems to have continued for several decades, with the corporation going so far as to train Afghan mujahideen armed and equipped by the CIA to film their encounters with Soviet forces. An editor of Axel Springers flagship magazine Bild- fired this week for sexual misconduct with subordinate employees of the publication in the workplace- had accused journalist Glenn Greenwald and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden of enabling terrorism and cooperation with Al Qaeda. Schadenfreude is bad for the soul so I'm doing what I can to fight it. No luck so far but I'll keep trying. https://t.co/RSaPSGbYtw pic.twitter.com/U9UCUls0d2 Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 18, 2021 Springer has already indicated it intends to mandate a series of liberal policy preferences among the writers who work at Politico, including support for the German-dominated European Union, support for Israel, and what they define as a free market economy. Other Axel Springer internal material expresses political affiliation with American libertarian principles, referring to political philosophy that the average American and the CIA would interpret quite differently. The American corporate media is notorious for taking direction from the powerful and unelected intelligence community in its editorial content, with writers for Jeff Bezos Washington Post caught directly writing stories at the direction of CIA personnel. In an age where social media monopolies increasingly act to censor and silence alternative media outlets willing to report on the Biden administration critically, a union between powerful and unaccountable entities of government and media outlets is even more dangerous than ever. Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com (Natural News) Less than a year after assuming office, the truth about President Joe Biden being a willing puppet has emerged. This is what Liberty RoundTable host Sam Bushman talked about during the Oct. 19 edition of The Sheriff Mack Show on Brighteon.TV. Filling in for Sherriff Richard Mack, Bushman and his guest Mel K closely scrutinize the Biden administration. Bushman pitches the idea of a screenplay to Mel K, who has carved a reputation for herself as an exemplary writer of historical dramatic screenplay. It would be called The Biden Horror Picture Show,' he quips. Mel K says shell probably pass on that one. All I ever wanted to do was make movies, but this one I want out of. It is such a nightmare. She continues: You know what? Its all by design, and thats where a lot of people are getting stuck. They were first looking at it about [Donald] Trump and the election or every little Marxist-communist executive order. The host of The Mel K Show says there are people behind the scenes who want to undermine the United States. She calls them the puppet masters. Ive been looking at it the whole time [through] the puppet masters [who are] really behind whats going on in this country. I believe this was planned 50 years ago and they were getting Trump out no matter what because he ruined their grand plan to overthrow America and turn us into basically a nation-state [that is] no longer sovereign, Mel K says. Joe Biden right now is the puppet of the puppet masters, and I dont foresee him lasting much longer. In my opinion, I think the people are waking up and are going to demand a lot of accountability for whats going on over the last year and a half, but at least the last five years. Bushman: If Biden is bad, then commie Kamala is worse Bushman thinks Vice President Kamala Harris is worse than Biden. He asks his guest: But if Joe Biden gets out whether he gets too sick to carry on, whether he gets impeached because we find out there was vote fraud, who knows the scenario do we really want commie Kamala [Harris]? Mel K says the incumbent vice president has her own dirt. Heres the problem: Kamala [Harris] has a lot of skeletons in her closet, including her husbands relationship with China. Harris is married to lawyer Douglas Emhoff, who is a partner at the multinational law firm DLA Piper. (Related: Kamala Harris named in Hunter Biden email as key contact on China deal.) DLA Piper has done business in China for a long period of time by means of its China Desks in both the U.S. and Europe. In addition, the firm employs former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials to help deal with Chinese authorities. These erstwhile CCP officials aid with liaising with the central and local authorities in the country. Ernest Yang and Jessica Zhao are two Chinese executives on DLA Pipers payroll. Yang has served as a member of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, which advises the top CCP leadership. Meanwhile, Zhao has served as the deputy secretary for the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission responsible for promoting Chinese trade. Mel K also points out the link between Harris and actor Jussie Smollett. Im kind of looking forward to the Jussie Smollett trial, because I always thought that Kamala was a little too close to that. Back in January 2019, Smollett alleged that he had been victimized by Trump supporters. The actor was later found to have staged the attack, paying two individuals to assault him. (Related: Nigerian brothers say actor Jussie Smollett orchestrated his fake attack; will Chicago DA prosecute him NOW?) Harris tweeted about the incident the next day, calling it an attempted modern-day lynching. She added: No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or [skin] color. We must confront this hate. Mel K mentions an interesting fact about the hoax. You know, its not a coincidence that [Harris] and [Sen. Cory] Booker (D-NJ) put up an anti-lynching bill in the House right before Smollett pulled off his hoax about being lynched, she tells Bushman. A June 2018 statement from Bookers office confirmed this. The June 29, 2018 statement noted that the bill was introduced by Booker, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Harris while she was still a senator for California. Its a travesty that despite repeated attempts to do so, Congress still hasnt put anti-lynching legislation on the books. This bill will right historical wrongs by acknowledging our countrys stained past and codifying into law our commitment to abolishing this shameful practice, Booker said that time. I think all roads [there] lead right to Kamala Harris. We have a bunch of criminals running the U.S. right now, and I dont think the majority of America is okay with it, Mel K tells Bushman. Watch the full Oct. 19 edition of The Sheriff Mack Show below. Tune in to The Sheriff Mack Show every Tuesday at 10-11 a.m. on Brighteon.TV. JoeBiden.news has more articles about Biden being controlled by parties who want to undermine the United States. Sources include: Brighteon.com WeThePeopleConvention.org Twitter.com Booker.Senate.gov (Natural News) Rail labor unions have sued railroad operator Union Pacific over the implementation of President Joe Bidens mandate that requires employees of federal contractors to be vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). The unions argued that the Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad operator should have negotiated with them before announcing that it would require all employees to get COVID-19 vaccines. The railroad operator contends that it has the authority to require vaccination under its existing contracts because it can set its own standards regarding whether or not employees are fit for duty. Union Pacific has filed its own suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to prevent union members from striking or taking other actions that could affect the railroads operations. Both sides say that the other is failing at negotiating accordingly under the guidelines as per the Railway Labor Act. The parties are in the middle of multi-year negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The railroad operator, which announced earlier this month that it would require all employees to be vaccinated by December 8, wants any dispute over the mandate issued by Biden to be resolved through dispute resolution procedures as outlined in the Railway Labor Act. Union Pacific is offering union employees a $300 bonus if they get the COVID-19 vaccine. Non-union employees, on the other hand, are offered a half-day vacation if they get vaccinated. Lawsuits filed over vaccine mandates On the same day the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD) union filed its lawsuit, Union Pacific filed its own lawsuit against SMART-TD and two other unions that objected to the vaccine mandate. This action is necessary to prevent any disruption of the national rail network and to avoid any impact on Americas supply chain, as it continues to recover from the pandemic. We continue to work with our employees and their union representatives as we comply with the law. We look forward to the courts help in that effort, Union Pacific says in a statement. Vaccine mandates from governments and private businesses have generated resistance in workplaces. Union Pacific has told its employees that they will be medically disqualified under their contracts rather than fired if they refuse to get vaccinated. However, the unions argue that Union Pacific is unfairly changing the conditions of their employment without negotiating with them first. We have been in contract negotiations with Union Pacific since November of 2019, and federal law absolutely bars railroads from changing rates of pay, rules and working conditions while negotiations are ongoing. Not only is Union Pacific in violation of the law, it has explicitly spurned our demands that these matters be bargained, SMART-TD says in a statement. (Related: Soldiers sue Pentagon over COVID-19 vaccination mandates.) The other unions that objected to the mandate are the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way unit of the International Teamsters union and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. The engineers union points out that many people across the country have been reluctant about getting vaccinated, and that they must be aware of the substantial divide. It should come as no surprise that many of our members are opposed to being forced to get a vaccination for a variety of reasons, while many have already been vaccinated, the union says. In its lawsuit, Union Pacific says that it is willing to meet with the unions to discuss any concerns related to their compliance with the mandate for federal contractors. It is Union Pacifics position that its implied right to set fitness for duty standards includes the right to require employees to comply with the requirements of the [federal] mandate. Union Pacifics position is supported by decades of past practice, and is, at a minimum, not frivolous or obviously insubstantial, its lawsuit states. Get more news and updates regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates at Pandemic.news. Sources include: MarketWatch.com FreightWaves.com The Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this week that a La Nina has formed in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to continue through the winter and into next spring. That's terrible news for the West's historic drought. This is the second year in a straight that a La Nina has developed, resulting in a "double-dip La Nina," as it's affectionately called. In the eastern tropical Pacific, the phrase is used to indicate frigid seas. However, as the ocean cools, it affects the atmosphere and weather all around the planet. Last Year's La Nina Last winter's La Nina served as a forewarning of what was to come: the cold period in the tropical Pacific aided in creating drier conditions in the West, exacerbating the drought in the region even before the dry summer arrived. NOAA will announce its winter weather prediction for the United States later this week, and La Nina will undoubtedly play a role in what the agency predicts. La Nina is here! And for the second straight year, it is expected to last through the northern hemisphere winter. Find out more at the ENSO Blog!https://t.co/ErmvatEtjp pic.twitter.com/ZfakWfeJGW NOAA Climate.gov (@NOAAClimate) October 14, 2021 In a press release, Mike Halpert, deputy director of NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, stated that "we scientists have been watching the possible formation of a La Nina since this summer, and it was a component in the above-normal hurricane season forecast, which we have seen unfold." In addition, "During the winter, La Nina has an impact on whether across the country, and it will have an impact on our forthcoming temperature and precipitation forecasts." Related Article: How Will the Damp La Nina Season Affect the Scorching American West? Worldwide Jet Stream The jet stream, which travels from West to east around the planet, is influenced by the colder-than-normal waters of La Nina. As a result, the jet stream in North America has a wavy pattern, bringing storms to the Pacific Northwest and holding cold air over western Canada while leaving the Southwest warmer and drier than usual. El Nino, the polar opposite of La Nina, essentially reverses the pattern. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. It's essential to remember that La Nina doesn't always mean a warm, dry winter in the Southwest. Instead, it raises the chances of getting one. La Nina occurrences occur every few years, and scientists have only found eight examples of double dips on record. However, other research predicts that during the second consecutive La Nina winter, drought conditions may worsen. What is certain is that the West does not require drier weather this winter. According to the Drought Monitor, more than half of the western United States is now experiencing severe or exceptional drought. This summer saw many alarming drought milestones, including Lake Mead's water levels dropping so low that the Colorado River was forced to implement its first-ever water restrictions. The effects of La Nina on weather patterns might be particularly severe in states like Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and areas of Southern California. Impact of the La Nina Even regions that would not be affected by dry weather might have difficulties. For example, La Nina is expected to bring wetter conditions to certain parts of the Northwest. However, because most of that region experienced a record-breaking fire season, powerful storms pouring rain and snow might cause mudslides and flooding because the soil cannot absorb the water. These impacts might be considerably more severe than average due to climate change's tendency to modify rainfall intensity, resulting in bursts of precipitation. "Many times, when we talk about whether it was a rainy or dry year, we average the entire season," John Fasullo, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, told the Guardian. "However, due to climate change, larger volumes of rainfall are delivered in shorter bursts." Also Read: Changes in Oceanic Temperature and Current are Direly Affecting Extreme Weather Events For more news about making the environment sustainable, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Bali Elephant Camp has been accused of starving more than a dozen elephants after being forced to close due to the pandemic. Starving Elephants The Bali Elephant Camp provides a variety of outdoor activities as well as elephant-related attractions such as elephant rides. When tourists stopped visiting as a result of the outbreak, the park was forced to stop receiving visitors and they tried to make ends meet. They left the elephants in the camp to starve to death, their feet still shackled to posts in the ground. These massive beasts were skin and bones when they were discovered. Their skin has sagged at areas where there used to be healthy amounts of fat. However, a Dutch veterinarian, Femke Den Haas, told Al Jazeera in May about the several malnourished elephants in Bali. People are not permitted to view their bones because they're big creatures, but that's precisely what they were, according to Haas, who has worked in Indonesia for 20 years to protect wildlife. Also Read: How Studying Elephant Trunks are Helping Scientists to Build Next-Gen Robots Government Intervention The government had no choice but to intervene and provide supports. As a representative of Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Bali (BKSDA), the government agency in charge of regulating Sumatran elephant adoption programs at safari parks and zoos, Haas paid a visit to the camp. According to Al Jazeera, several enterprises in Bali had failed as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, with small firms such as Bali Elephant Camp being particularly badly affected. When tourists stopped visiting, they were no longer able to cover operating expenditures, especially the cost of feeding the elephants. The government had no choice but to provide food and energy for them. Neither the forestry department nor the BKSDA had responded to Al Jazeera's request for comment. The camp also failed to compensate its staff for their efforts. Some stayed to try caring for the elephants, but they lacked the financial means to do so. The government eventually intervened and gave the Bali Elephant Park a deadline to find a solution for its elephants. The elephants were seized and transported to nearby zoos when they failed to do so. The Recovery At this time, all of the elephants have recovered and regained their weight. Unfortunately, these poor elephants have endured a life of exploitation, and it does not appear like this will change anytime soon. Even if they are no longer compelled to give people rides and receive better treatment, they will still have to live in confined enclosures, have their family groupings broken up, and have profit prevail over their well-being. We can only hope that one day they will be able to live in a sanctuary with enough space and no noisy guests. The Elephants are the world's largest land creatures, and they also have one of the most distinctive appearances. There is no other animal with a physique like theirs, with their long noses, or trunks; enormous, floppy ears; and wide, thick legs. Related Article: Will Namibia's Elephant Auction Really Improve Conservation of the Critically Endangered Specie? For more news, updates about elephants and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! You've probably heard of the saying "a cat got your tongue," but have you ever heard of a parasite eating and becoming a fish's tongue. According to San Antonio ABC station KSAT, authorities with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department got a snapshot of a bizarre parasite that looks like a pill insect and is also known as the snapper-choking isopod. Galveston Island State Park was where the parasite-carrying fish was discovered. Before providing the real science underlying the crustacean, officials joked on Facebook that the critter was a Martian. According to the Houston Chronicle, the tongue-eating louse attaches itself to the fish's mouth and subsequently replaces the tongue. The parasite then feeds on the host animal's mucus in the fish's mouth, the only known instance of a parasite replacing an organ of its host. Although the tongue-eating louse's method of operation may seem terrifying, authorities claimed in a Facebook post that the critter "does not harm the fish or damage humans." So far, one person's reaction to the scary monster may be summarized as follows: "Thanks for the additional nightmare fodder." The old monsters were starting to bore me." Related Article: Experts Warn Pet Owners to be Vigilant of Hookworms, a Parasite Immune to All Treatments Tongue-Eating Louse (Cymothoa exigua) The tongue-eating louse, Cymothoa exigua, is a parasitic isopod belonging to the Cymothoidae family. It enters fish through the gills, with the female adhering to the tongue and the male attaching beneath and behind the female on the gill arches. Females have a length of 8-29 mm (0.3-1.1 in) and a width of 4-14 mm (0.16-0.55 in). Males have a length of 7.5-15 mm (0.3-0.6 in) and a width of 3-7 mm (0.12-0.28 in). The parasite causes the fish's tongue to fall out by severing the blood vessels in the tongue. It subsequently joins the remaining stub of the fish's tongue and forms the fish's new tongue. The horrific stowaway was discovered when scientists X-rayed a fish's head recently: the "vampire" crustacean had consumed, then replaced, its host's tongue. The Parasite's Behavior While scanning X-rays of fish bones, biologist Kory Evans, an assistant professor in Rice University's Department of BioSciences in Houston, Texas, found the tongue biter. On Aug. 10, he posted photos of the startling and terrifying discovery on Twitter: In the tweet, Evans joked, "Mondays aren't typically this exciting." The bug-like isopod, commonly known as a tongue biter or tongue-eating louse, feeds on a fish's blood until the entire structure withers away. The ultimate tragedy starts when the parasite takes the organ's place in the mouth of the still-living fish. Will they infect people? According to Evans of, they primarily feed on salty game fish, such as snappers, and do not injure the fish other than replacing its tongue. However, multiple parasites may cling to the tongue, causing the host fish to become underweight owing to a lack of food. Aside from the visceral reaction to hearing the phrase "tongue-eating lice," it's nothing to be concerned about for humans. It is, however, an interesting insight into our aquatic companions. "They're nothing to worry about for the fish or humans," he added. Also Read: Rat Bite Fever: Deadly Rat-Borne Disease is Spreading Quickly in the US For more health and medicine related news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Researchers have discovered that decades of ivory hunting have resulted in tuskless elephants' development, demonstrating that people are "actually altering the anatomy" of wild creatures. According to research published in the journal Science, a previously unusual genetic mutation causing tusklessness had become quite widespread in some populations of African elephants following a period when many were murdered for their tusks. Researchers investigated why female elephants in Mozambique's Gorongosa national park were commonly born without tusks and discovered that the animals had been genetically modified due to ivory poaching. Related Article: Herd Matriarch Helped Struggling Baby Elephant Whose Mom Was Briefly Sidetracked During Journey Increased Poaching During the Mozambican civil war, when military forces on both sides murdered 90 percent of the elephant population to create ivory sold to fund the fight, elephants with tusks were highly likely to be hunted. Those lacking tusks were left alone, which enhanced their breeding chances and gave their progeny the tuskless characteristic. The repercussions of this are still apparent in around 700 elephants that reside in the national park a few generations later. The study's lead author, Robert Pringle of Princeton University's ecology and evolutionary biology department, claimed it demonstrated the influence of human involvement in nature. "What I think this study demonstrates is that it's more than statistics," he added. People have such an influence that we are physically changing the structure of animals." An Elephant Anomaly According to Pringle, the Gorongosa national park has long piqued the curiosity of academics, who thought the previous poaching was to blame for the anomaly, although the specific mechanics of the problem were unclear. "One of the noticeable aspects is that many female elephants lack tusks, and we were interested in this occurrence," he added. We realized that, although there had been a lot published about elephants becoming tuskless at times, especially in areas where there had been much poaching, nobody knew why. And no one had measured or recorded the phenomena, allowing them to link it to a reason rather than merely guessing about its causes." A Genetic Phenomena The researchers thought the phenomena had a genetic origin, and the fact that it was only seen in females showed it had something to do with sex. In addition, the researchers discovered a genetic difference between tusked and tuskless elephants after analyzing their genomes. Researchers discovered two potential genes on the X chromosome, one of which is known to have a role in mammalian tooth formation. These genes are connected to an X-linked dominant condition in humans that causes lateral incisor development to be stunted. Genetic Adaptation Female elephants are protected from poaching by the probable mutation of one or more genes, while male elephants are killed because they do not grow correctly in the womb. Tuskless Elephants About half of male elephant calves born to a tuskless mother will have this genetic defect, meaning heavily poached elephant populations may be severely reduced in males. However, according to Pringle, this problem is reversible over time because populations have been rising for two decades and have more than quadrupled since they were on the verge of extinction in the 1990s. "As a result, we expect this condition to become less common in our study group," he added, "given that the conservation picture remains as favorable as it has been previously." "There is a deluge of dismal news about biodiversity and people in the ecosystem, and I believe it is critical to emphasize that there are some bright spots in that picture." Also Read: Elephant Herd to be Moved to Kenya for "Rewilding" in a Monumental Conservation Effort For the most recent updates from the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Scientists working to resurrect the near-extinct northern white rhinoceros said on Thursday that they would no longer be collecting eggs from one of the two surviving living individuals in an extraordinary breeding experiment. Northern White Rhinoceros The northern white rhinoceros, also known as the northern square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni), is one of two subspecies of white rhinoceros (the other being the southern white rhinoceros). This subspecies is a grazer in grasslands and savanna woods and was once prevalent in numerous nations in East and Central Africa south of the Sahara. However, only two rhinos of this subspecies exist as of March 19, 2018, and their names are Najin and Fatu. The subspecies is classified as "Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct in the Wild)" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its most recent assessment from 2020. Related Article: 8 Members of Organized Crime Found Guilty of Trafficking Rhino Horn and Ivory Najin and Fatu Biorescue said it has chosen to withdraw the elder of the two ladies, 32-year-old Najin, as an egg cell donor for the ambitious project due to risk and safety concerns. As a result, Fatu, Najin's daughter and the world's only other northern white rhino is the lone donor for a campaign to conserve the functionally extinct species. "Weighing the risks and benefits for individuals and the species as a whole made this option unavoidable," Biorescue stated in a statement. Artificial Reproduction Since 2019, a global partnership has been collecting eggs from Najin and Fatu in preparation for a first-of-its-kind assisted reproduction program in rhinos. They were anesthetized for over two hours, and their eggs were removed using procedures that took years of study and development. Then, a team of international veterinarians operated on them. Using sperm from two separate deceased guys, the eggs were flown to an Italian lab for fertilization, development, and preservation. In July, the collaboration reported that they had produced three more subspecies embryos, increasing the total to 12. However, the viable embryos all come from the younger rhinos, and the program, despite the precautions taken, is not without hazards, according to Jan Stejskal, head of international programs at Safari Park Dvur Kralovs, where Najin was born in 1989. "She will continue to be a part of the program," Stejskal said, "for example, by supplying tissue samples for stem cell methods that can be done with minimum invasion." Because neither Fatu nor Najin can take a calf to term, embryo surrogate moms will be chosen from a population of southern white rhinos. The beautiful creatures' only hope of survival is via reproduction. Sudan, the last male, died in 2018 in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where Najin and Fatu are guarded 24 hours a day. Rhinos in the Wild Rhinos have few natural predators, but poaching has devastated their populations since the 1970s. Modern rhinos have been on the earth for 26 million years, and more than a million were thought to be roaming the wild in the mid-nineteenth century. Also Read: Suspected Poacher 'Trampled to Death by Elephants' Splits Netizens For the most recent updates from the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News! According to the statement released by the United Nations Climate Change Agency on Tuesday, Africa and its nation's famed east Himalayas is expected to disappear within the next 2 decades. Where in about 118 million impoverished inhabitants would experience water stress, flooding, or high temperatures, and the anthropogenic global warming is currently assumed to reduce the continent's GDP by 3% during mid-century. Africa's Melting Glaciers The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and African Union agencies' newest assessment on the condition of Africa's temperature portrays a pessimistic view of the nation's adaptability to more recurring natural catastrophes. Per the study, last year, the country, Africa was the 3rd hottest on history with 0.86 degrees Celsius above normal in the previous 3 decades before the year 2010. It has heated up at a lesser speed than elevated tropics, but the consequences have been severe. "The dramatic shrinkage of last surviving glaciation in eastern Africa, which become likely to vanish completely anytime soon, underlines the possibility of irreversible change to the Earth system," says by the WMO Secretary-General, Petteri Taalas in the report's preface. The study was released as African countries requested a new mechanism to track funds from affluent nations that are failing to achieve a $100 billion yearly commitment to assist developing countries in combating climate change. Tanguy Gahouma, Africa's chief environmental mediator, made the proposal prior to the COP26 global conference, highlighting concerns between world 's top 20 wealthiest nations, which create over three-quarters of greenhouse emissions, and underdeveloped nations, who suffer the severity of environmental degradation. Also read: Plans to Extract Fossil Fuels May Put Global Temperatures at Unsafe Levels Extreme Drought and Floods At present estimates, the research predicts that the all 3 of Africa's mediterranean climate cold regions which are the Tanzania's Kilimanjaro, Kenya's Mount Kenya, and Uganda's Rwenzoris, are sometimes cited as the source of the mythical Highlands of the Moon that will be disappear by the year 2040s. Furthermore, "it is predicted that on year 2030, up to 118 million incredibly disadvantaged individuals, living on far less than $1.90 a day would be vulnerable to shortages, storms, and hot temperatures. If sufficient mitigation actions are not done," stated African Union Agriculture Commissioner Josefa Sacko. Global warming has long widely predicted to have a devastating burden on Africa, which contributes with less than 4% of greenhouse gases. Its agriculture is now extremely dry, several of its main towns are located along the coastline, and pervasive deprivation makes it difficult to adjust. Besides water shortages on a region highly dependent on agribusiness, the research observed heavy floods in East and West Africa in 2020, whereas a record insect pest invasion, that begun a year prior, remained to cause havoc. According to the research, Sub-Saharan Africa will need to invest $30-$50 billion, or 2% to 3% of GDP, on adaptability per year to avoid significantly severe impacts. Typhoons and torrents affected an approximately 1.2 million residents in the year 2020, about twice of the affected residents abandoned their residences due to violence the same year. Also read: People's Perspective on Environmental Conservation May be Linked to Genes Sign up to get breaking news, weather forecasts, and more in your email inbox. Sign Up Now This police camera video provided by The Moab Police Department shows Brian Laundrie talking 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 on Aug. 12, 2021. The couple was pulled over while they were having an emotional fight. Petito was reported missing by her family a month later and is now the subject of a nationwide search. (The Moab Police Department via AP) MUMBAI, India (AP) Movie theaters in Indias entertainment capital Mumbai reopened on Friday after more than 18 months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the last of the many virus restrictions to go amid a decline in infections. Theaters opened to half capacity, following the guidelines released last month, but struggled to lure the public back and mostly re-released earlier hits. Many shows were running with fewer audiences, movie ticketing portal BookMyShow showed. To minimize the danger of the virus, only those with COVID-19 vaccination certificates or with a safe status on the state-run health app will be allowed to enter the theaters. Masks and temperature checks are mandatory and no food or beverages will be allowed inside. Theaters elsewhere in the country are already running shows. Mumbai city has been one of the countrys worst-affected by the pandemic but has gradually reopened following a decline in both COVID-19 cases and deaths. Cinemas there, however, are among the last public places to reopen a hugely symbolic move in the country's financial capital also known for its Bollywood film industry. Every year, the $2.8 billion industry produces more than 2,000 films. Bollywoods success over the years has embedded moviegoing into Indias contemporary culture and been a boon for the economy. The restrictions imposed on movie theaters to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have hurt operators. But the industry is expected to rebound. Indian filmmakers have lined up major big-ticket releases ahead of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, when sales peak and audiences flock to theaters. The return to cinemas in Mumbai comes a day after India celebrated its one billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose. About half of Indias nearly 1.4 billion people have received at least one dose while around 20% are fully immunized, according to Our World in Data. India witnessed a crushing coronavirus surge earlier this year but life has swung back to normal. Markets buzz with activity, foreign tourists are allowed again and the country is gearing up to celebrate Diwali. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said Indias vaccine drive is an example of what it can achieve if the citizens and the government come together with a common goal. He said the milestone has silenced Indias critics. Injecting 1 billion doses is not a mere figure but a reflection of the countrys determination. India has scripted a new chapter in its history. The world will now take India more seriously after this landmark, Modi said in a speech that was televised live across the country. Modi also exhorted people to buy Indian-made goods to boost the economy, which is expected to gain from the festival season purchases. "There are some among us who only trust foreign brands even for everyday necessities. The success of Made in India vaccines is a paradigm shift," he said. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden botched the numbers behind the COVID-19 vaccine rollout Thursday as he stretched to take all the credit for the surge of shots once he was in office. A look at his remarks during a CNN town hall event: COVID BIDEN: When I first was elected, there were only 2 million people who had COVID shots in the United States of America and the vaccine. Now we got 190 million, because I went out and bought everything I could do and buy in sight and it worked." THE FACTS: No, thats not how the vaccine rollout in the U.S. happened. Biden is overstating his part. First, it's not true that 2 million people had shots when he was elected in November. The COVID-19 vaccines were still awaiting emergency authorization then. The first shots were administered to the public in mid-December. Nearly 16 million doses had been administered by Jan. 20, the day Biden took office. And Biden didnt buy up all the doses the Trump administration had purchased 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna in December, weeks before Biden was inaugurated. The Trump administration's vaccine plan fell short of its goals and suffered from disarray out of the gate. On Inauguration Day, less than half of the 36 million doses distributed to the states by the federal government had been administered. Even so, the plan set the stage for an acceleration of vaccinations that did not happen solely because Biden "went out and bought everything I could do." ___ BORDER: BIDEN, asked why he hasn't visited the U.S.-Mexico border as president: Ive been there before and I havent, I mean I know it well. I guess I should go down but the whole point of it is I havent had a whole hell of a lot of time to get down. Ive been spending time going around looking at the $900 billion worth of damage done by hurricanes and floods and weather and traveling around the world. but I plan on now, my wife Jill has been down. Shes been on both sides of the river. THE FACTS: Yes, Jill Biden has been to the border but not, as he implies, as the eyes and ears of a president consumed with crises. She wasn't first lady and he wasn't president when she went to Brownsville, Texas, in December 2019 and walked across to Matamoros, Mexico, to hand out Christmas meals and toys to the families of asylum seekers and witness their living conditions. ___ Seitz reported from Columbus, Ohio. David Klepper in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE A look at the veracity of claims by political figures. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) In California, new coronavirus cases are at their lowest point since the start of the pandemic, schools have fully reopened and the more generous unemployment benefits from the federal government have expired all signs pointing to what should have been a robust economic recovery in September. Instead, California is now tied with Nevada for the highest unemployment rate in the country at 7.5% after adding just 47,400 new jobs last month, according to data released Friday. The most populous U.S. state lost more than 2.1 million jobs in two months at the start of the pandemic following Gov. Gavin Newsom's first-in-the-nation statewide lockdown because of the coronavirus. Since February, California has been adding jobs at a relentless pace, averaging more than 100,000 new jobs each month. But Friday's report, coupled with other economic indicators, shows California's recovery is slowing down. Last week, new unemployment claims rose sharply in California to more than 80,700, accounting for 31% of all claims nationally despite the state accounting for 11.7% of the nation's civilian labor force. While job postings nationally were 19.2% higher than before the pandemic, in California they were just 2% higher, according to Michael Bernick, a former director of the California Employment Development Department who is now a lawyer with the Duane Morris firm. Clearly, the states job machine has throttled down to a slower speed in September, said Sung Won Sohn, a professor of finance and economics at Loyola Marymount University. This is not exactly what we want to boast about. Conservatives and some business leaders had bemoaned an extra $300-per-week federal supplement to weekly unemployment benefits, arguing it discouraged people from returning to work. But those extra benefits expired on Sept. 4, and Friday's report did not show a massive increase in new jobs. California's workforce the number of people who have a job or are looking for one increased by 30,500 people in September, similar to gains from previous months. Other states that ended the extra benefits early also did not see an increase in their workforces compared to states that did not. California's job growth has been driven mostly by new jobs in hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions as coronavirus restrictions were lifted. Data made public Friday by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed California's job gains were behind Texas (95,800 jobs) and Florida (84,500 jobs). They are Republican-led states with leaders who have been highly critical of California's pandemic approach, as has California with their approaches. Nine of Californias 11 industry sectors gained jobs in September, led by leisure and hospitality based on what state officials said was strength in performing arts and spectator sports. Of the more than 2.1 million jobs lost in California at the start of the pandemic in March and April of 2020, the state has regained just over 1.7 million of them, or 63.5%. Our economic recovery continues to make promising progress, with 812,000 new jobs this year and regaining over 63% of those jobs we lost to the pandemic, said Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. September's hiring slowdown appears to have not impacted California's finances. California gets most of its money from taxes on personal income, sales and corporations. So far, the state is collecting a lot more money than officials thought it would. New estimates published Friday show the state is on pace to have between $8 billion and $30 billion in unanticipated revenue this year, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. That's mostly because of the state's high concentration of billion-dollar tech companies and their wealthy executives who pay a higher tax rate on capital gains than most other states. It's also because most of the state's job losses during the pandemic were of people with lower-wage jobs. The state's higher wage earners mostly kept their jobs and transitioned to working from home. That doesn't mean California could have a $30 billion surplus next year. Every dollar of unanticipated revenue equals about 40 cents of state surplus because of constitutional requirements on how the state's money must be spent. Still, Newsom was giddy about the numbers during an interview on Wednesday with NBC's Chuck Todd in Beverly Hills. Responding to a question about California's homelessness crisis, Newsom said California has all of this extra money because of the economic output that's second to none in all Western democracies over the last five years." He said the money has allowed the state to make recent investments in homelessness services and affordable housing. We're investing an unprecedented amount of money, and we have political will and new accountability measures that have never ben in place at the local level to delver on the reforms necessary, he said. NEW YORK (AP) A Florida businessman who helped Rudy Giulianis effort to dig up dirt on Joe Biden in Ukraine was convicted Friday of campaign finance crimes, including funneling a Russian entrepreneur's money to U.S. politicians. Lev Parnas was on trial for more than two weeks as prosecutors accused him of using other peoples money to pose as a powerful political broker and cozy up to some of the nations star Republicans. One part of the case alleged that Parnas and an associate made illegal donations through a corporate entity in 2018 as they tried to jump-start a new energy company, including a $325,000 donation to America First Action, a super PAC supporting former President Donald Trump. Another part said he used the wealth of a Russian financier, Andrey Muraviev, to donate to Republicans in Nevada, Florida and other states, ostensibly in support of an effort to launch a legal, recreational marijuana business. Parnas, 49, was convicted on all six counts after about five hours of jury deliberations. The Soviet-born businessman had insisted through his lawyer that he never used the Russians money for political donations. He briefly closed his eyes and shook his head as the verdict was read. Ive never hid from nobody. Ive always stood to tell the truth, Parnas said as he emerged from the courtroom. His lawyer, Joseph Bondy, promised an appeal Parnas said it was not the end of the story. Im sad. But at this time, I just want to get home to my wife and kids," he said. A co-defendant, Ukraine-born investor Andrey Kukushkin, was convicted of being part of the effort to use Muravievs money for political contributions. He had also denied any wrongdoing. Kukushkin and his attorney left the courthouse without speaking to reporters. The case had drawn interest because of the deep involvement of Parnas and a former co-defendant, Igor Fruman, in Giulianis efforts to get Ukrainian officials to investigate Joe Bidens son during Bidens campaign for president. Giuliani remains under criminal investigation as authorities decide whether his interactions with Ukraine officials required him to register as a foreign agent, but he wasnt alleged to have been involved in illegal campaign contributions and wasnt part of the New York trial. The case did, though, give an up-close look at how Parnas entered Republican circles in 2018 with a pattern of campaign donations big enough to get him meetings with the partys stars. In order to gain influence with American politicians and candidates, they illegally funneled foreign money into the 2018 midterm elections with an eye toward making huge profits in the cannabis business," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement following the verdict. Campaign finance laws are designed to protect the integrity of our free and fair elections unencumbered by foreign interests or influence and safeguarding those laws is essential to preserving the freedoms that Americans hold sacred. In addition to the $325,000 donation to America First Action, prosecutors said Parnas and Fruman orchestrated donations to U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, of Texas, and to other committees supporting House Republicans. Giuliani and Trump were sparsely mentioned during the trial, although a photograph featuring Parnas with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, was one of the first exhibits shown to jurors during closing arguments. DeSantis was among those who received campaign contributions that prosecutors said were traced to $1 million that Parnas and Fruman received from Muraviev, who has been involved in several U.S. cannabis ventures. About $100,000 of Muravievs money went toward campaign contributions in what Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten called a conspiracy to secretly bring his wealth and corruption into American politics in violation of laws barring foreign donations to U.S. political candidates. The voters would never know whose money was pouring into our elections, Scotten said. Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, now a candidate for U.S. Senate, testified during the trial that a blustering Parnas suggested he could raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for him in 2018. He eventually came through only with a $10,000 check that Laxalts lawyers told him to reject. Bondy, representing Parnas, had called the allegations against his client absurd. He insisted in his closing argument that Muravievs money went toward supporting legal marijuana businesses looking to expand. Muraviev was not charged in the case. Kukushkins lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, sought to portray his client as an unknowing dupe who was mocked behind his back by other participants as mentally challenged. Following the verdict, prosecutors asked for immediate incarceration of Parnas and Kukushkin, citing a risk of flight, but the judge allowed them to remain free on bail while awaiting sentencing. The charges against Parnas collectively carry the potential for decades behind bars, but any prison sentence would likely be measured in years, rather than decades. Fruman pleaded guilty earlier this year to a single count of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national. He awaits sentencing. Another co-defendant, David Correia, also pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to a year in prison for crimes including defrauding investors in an insurance company that had paid Giuliani a $500,000 consulting fee. Parnas awaits a second trial in connection with that scheme. Giuliani barely factored in the trial, though a video of him with Parnas was among exhibits jurors could view during deliberations. The former New York mayor insisted he knew nothing about potentially illegal campaign contributions and has said everything he did in Ukraine was done on Trumps behalf and there is no reason he would have had to register as a foreign agent. Giulianis company and attorney didnt immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the verdict. Greenwich residents can tour a state-of-the-art submersible vehicle that has recently traveled to the wreckage of the Titanic. The exhibit is part of an initiative by OceanGate Expeditions and its founder, Stockton Rush. Guests take on the label of crew member or mission specialist, and enter the actual vessel that has been to the Titanic wreck. Inside, crew members can view 4k footage of the Titanics current state and learn about ocean exploration. I founded Ocean Gate to expand mankind's understanding of the ocean, and just generally increase ocean awareness, Rush said. So as part of that, we developed this submersible that you go and explore half the ocean bottom We go and do these missions to the Titanic, but when we're done, we have all this amazing content pieces, these 4k videos and films and stories to tell, and we're doing this tour of the sub to spread the word. Rush makes it clear: this is not your grandmas or, rather, Captain Nemos submarine. Its a state-of-the art submersible. Submersibles are different from submarines in that submarines operate on their own and submersibles require a support ship, according to the events news release. Rush said the decision to explore the Titanic was easy. He believes its the best thing to attract the public to ocean exploration. It's the one thing in the ocean that everybody knows, if you if you ask someone named manmade objects in the ocean, or just even named something in the ocean, they're going to say whales, sharks and the Titanic, everything else is way down there, so the Family Feud contest is very short, he said. Four or five people will be able to enter the submersible at a time during the event, where they will learn about the vessel and view real footage of deep ocean exploration captured by crew members. The submersible will travel to Greenwich Water Club, with expeditions from 10 a.m.-noon Oct. 29 and 30. Additional tour stops include cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Palm Springs, San Francisco and Seattle. For more information, visit oceangateexpeditions.com. Help support your local hometown newspaper/website. Independent local news reporting matters. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, for as little as $3, so we can continue to provide independent local reporting on our communities. NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) Terry McAuliffe is a blur of handshakes, hugs, backslaps and smiles as he glides through the friendly crowd at Gethsemane Baptist Church seeking help from above. For the former Virginia governor running again for his old job, it's not necessarily God's grace he's after at this moment. He's seeking assistance from another higher power a few hours north in Washington, where McAuliffe's longtime friends in Congress are struggling to pass an infrastructure package that could help millions of Virginia residents and his own campaign. McAuliffe's desperation to turn that legislation, with its billions of dollars for new roads and bridges, into a final pitch to voters is clear when he runs into Rep. Bobby Scott, a Virginia Democrat and close political ally for more than a decade. Greatest member of Congress to ever serve! Hes our man! McAuliffe proclaims with his arm around the 15-term congressman. You gonna get me an infrastructure bill? Scott pauses for a few moments of awkward silence. Uhhh, itll be last minute, he says not-so-confidently as McAuliffe moves to shake another hand. Such high-touch bravado worked for McAuliffe in 2013, when he became the only Virginia candidate in 44 years to win the governor's mansion when his party occupied the White House. But in the closing days of the 2021 election, the 64-year-old graying Democrat's intensely personal brand of politics, one that leverages decades-old friendships, frenetic hands-on campaigning and unrestrained authenticity, is facing a more formidable test. McAuliffe is locked in a close race with Republican newcomer Glenn Youngkin in a state President Joe Biden carried by 10 points just last fall. Shifts in the state's swelling suburbs to the north near Washington, D.C., and around Richmond have benefited Democrats in recent years particularly when former President Donald Trump was in office. And while no Republican has won statewide here in more than a decade, Biden's rough summer, dominated by the messy U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and a stalled domestic agenda, threatens to undermine McAuliffe's apparent advantages. Much like Biden, McAuliffe is in some ways a throwback to the politics of the past, when the Democratic Party's leadership was dominated by older, white men who conducted business in smoke-filled rooms where the booze flowed freely. He developed his political playbook looking over the shoulders of Bill and Hillary Clinton, for whom he raised hundreds of millions of dollars as a chief political fundraiser in the 1990s and 2000s. The Syracuse, New York, native wrote openly about his fundraising jaunts at casinos and golf courses with the political elite in the book What a Party! published years before he became governor. More recently, however, the Democratic Party has become much more diverse, much less friendly to wealthy donors and much more sensitive to the behavior of its leaders. While McAuliffe is eager to talk about his accomplishments during his single term as governor, his gregarious personality can overshadow his policies during campaign swings. He's equally as enthusiastic meeting a 4-year-old preschool student as a four-term U.S. senator, constantly joking, asking questions, citing statistics, squeezing shoulders. One of his favorite quips: I got as much energy today as the day I was born!" Jake Rubenstein, who served as McAuliffe's personal assistant during his 2013 campaign and his traveling chief of staff in 2021, said his boss is the same man he's always been. His style has never changed, he said. He's full go, all the time. He's the campaign manager. He's the chief of staff. He never stops working. McAuliffe proudly proclaims that he attends 10 to 15 political events each day, seven days a week. There have been few large rallies, however. Most of his gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic have been invitation-only, policy-focused events with small groups of local health officials, educators and faith leaders, among others. Closed-door fundraising events are a regular part of the schedule as well. McAuliffe will draw bigger crowds when a collection of high-profile, longtime political allies visit the state on his behalf in the coming days, including former President Barack Obama and Biden. Bill and Hillary Clinton, who attended his first inauguration, have not been a visible part of the campaign, though they hosted two private fundraising events and Hillary Clinton signed three fundraising emails on McAuliffe's behalf. Democratic Del. Marcia Price, who is Black, acknowledged that some of her constituents are not excited about participating in the election but suggested the pandemic was to blame far more than McAuliffe's appeal. McAuliffe remains a dominant force in Virginia politics. He won every one of Virginia's cities and localities, earning more votes than all his competitors combined in his party's nominating contest this spring, which included three candidates of color. Still, Price, who declined to endorse anyone in the primary, is ready for more diverse party leadership. Im not voting on who in the entire world I want to be governor. I have two choices ... and Terry is the best choice, she said in an interview. Is it time for diversity? Yes. Is it time for the party to really take a look at itself? Absolutely. But I can walk and chew gum at the same time. Terrys got to be elected. McAuliffe's appeal to African Americans, who represent 20% of the state's population and a critical slice of the Democratic base, is central to his candidacy. His focus on racial equity also plays well among college-educated white people in the growing suburbs. Almost every day on the trail, he highlights his decision as governor to restore voting rights to more than 200,000 felons many of them Black. He also frequently reminds voters that in 2015 he ordered the removal of a state-sponsored license plate that featured the Confederate flag. Thats what they think of me. They dont (think of) my age or the color of my skin thats not what they think of, McAuliffe said in an interview. When asked, he stopped short of saying that Virginia still has a problem with systemic racism. You still have to go and deal with issues that go back many years here in Virginia, but were in a different place from when I was governor, McAuliffe said. The former governor is also eager to promote his plans for moving past the pandemic, for education and for protecting women's access to abortion, all of which he says are under attack by his Republican opponent. But McAuliffe may be most proud of his economic record while governor, which has drawn praise from some business-minded Republicans and independents. As a businessman himself, McAuliffe led more than 30 trade and marketing missions to other countries to bring new business to the state. Unemployment fell from 5.7% to 3.3% while he was in office. In making the business deals, McAuliffe acknowledges that he worked long hours and sometimes enjoyed a glass of wine. Robert Vaughn, who worked under Republicans and Democrats as a staffer and later the director of the House Appropriations Committee, described the former governor as a hard worker who surrounded himself with conscientious people and expected good government. Vaughn, who occasionally attended business functions and social events at the governor's mansion, said McAuliffe seemed to truly relish the job, including the chance to press the flesh and entertain. McAuliffe kept quality liquor stocked for parties and enjoyed good wine and scotch but always emphasized that he paid for it himself, according to Vaughn. He said he once saw McAuliffe at a bar in the Shockoe Slip district, enjoying the libations and buying folks a round. McAuliffe was blunt when asked if he thinks he should curtail the partying culture he's known for. I have nothing to change, he told The Associated Press. Thats how I recruited 1,100 companies to come to Virginia. But yeah, they would come over, and I would stay up till 1 (a.m.) talking. But I was always working for Virginia. I had business leaders, legislative leaders. These weren't parties. These were working hard," McAuliffe explained. "You bet I work hard. No one will ever outwork me. Thats how I got so much done." Aubrey Layne, who describes himself as an independent and served as McAuliffes secretary of transportation, said the former governor has both character and competence. He said he set high expectations for his staff, held them accountable and worked hard himself. He never slept, Layne said. ___ Associated Press writer Sarah Rankin in Richmond contributed to this report. Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). Reporter Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey). One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 A jogger runs along McCovey Cove outside Oracle Park in San Francisco, under darkened skies from wildfire smoke in this September 9, 2020, photo. Worsening climate change requires that the United States do much more to track and manage flows of migrants fleeing natural disasters. Thats the finding of a multiagency study from the Biden administration. President Joe Biden ordered the assessment. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton waits on the flight line for the arrival of Vice President Mike Pence in June 2020 at Love Field in Dallas. Although the healthcare industry is responsible for saving millions of human lives, its current operations have a significant impact on the environment. More specifically, estimates suggest that 4.4 to 4.6% of worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are released by the global healthcare industry. In terms of the carbon footprint of clinical trials, one recent study estimates that the emissions attributed to the over 350,000 national and international trials are equivalent to 27.5 million tons of GHG emissions. To put this value into perspective, the emissions released by clinical trials alone are a little over 30% of the total emissions released by the nation of Bangladesh, which is a country home to over 163 million people. Image Credit: Den Rise/Shutterstock.com How do clinical trials cause increased GHG emissions? Notably, almost half of all clinical trials investigate novel drugs, which account for up to 20% of the carbon footprint of the National Health Service (NHS) of England. Both upstream and downstream processes within the pharmaceutical industry contribute to their carbon emissions. The upstream processes within the pharmaceutical industry that are associated with high energy costs include the manufacturing and researching of drugs, as well as the high transportation costs for drug distribution. Furthermore, manufacturing byproducts within this industry, which are often referred to as pharmaceutical waste, are also considered significant environmental problems. In fact, a 2019 study estimated that an additional 23,000 to 105,000 metric tons of CO 2 each year was generated from unused quantities of eyedrops, ocular injections, and systemic medications that are prescribed following cataract surgeries alone. Aside from the production of drugs that are used in clinical trials, there are also several other aspects of the clinical trials themselves that contribute to their large carbon footprint. One recent study of a sample clinical trial found that the trial coordination center for this study alone was responsible for 39% of the trials total emissions, which was equivalent to 50 tons of CO 2. Out of these 50 tons of CO 2, 45 was directly linked to electricity usage, with the remaining 5 tons due to office waste disposal. The next largest producer of CO 2 in this study was the distribution of drugs and documents, which amounted to 35 tons of CO 2. The majority of these emissions were due to airfreight of treatment packages or documents that were sent to hospitals. Trial-related travel, which was responsible for 29 tons of CO 2, primarily included air travel, as well as hospital, stays for site visits, on-site data verification, and meetings. Approaches to reduce the carbon footprint of clinical trials In 2007, the sustainable Clinical Trials group published several guidelines for reducing the carbon footprint of clinical trials. These guidelines were found to improve the carbon efficiency of trials through a more rapid patient recruitment process, reducing the weight of trial materials, and allowing for data entry to be shifted to web-based. Through the implementation of these efforts, a 2009 study of 12 randomized trials found that the average carbon emission of these U.K.-based trials was equivalent to that of nine people in one year. Despite these improvements since 2007, few additional efforts have been made to reduce the carbon consumption of clinical trials, aside from the U.K. National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Carbon Reduction Guidelines. Thus, there remains an urgent need to develop tools that are capable of adequately measuring the carbon footprint of clinical trials and assist in the identification of exactly which elements of the trials are likely to be carbon-heavy. Recently, NHS England has introduced the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, which consists of triallists, clinicians, commercial suppliers, and others within the public health sector to reduce the carbon footprint of clinical trials to zero. To achieve this goal, this coalition has developed a novel tool that will be used to measure the carbon footprint of trials and provide benchmarking values. Several other recommendations have been put forward to support this goal. For example, any individual who has a role in planning a given clinical trial should perform a systematic review to identify the value of the carbon that will be used throughout the trial. This information could be incorporated into the grant application that is accompanied by possible methods to reduce the carbon footprint, such as through the use of NIHR guidelines. It has also been proposed that incentives could be provided to trials with lower carbon footprints. This would not only prioritize funding trials with lower carbon requirements but will also require researchers to justify the carbon footprint to their stakeholders. References: Healthy patients, healthy planet: tackling the carbon footprint of clinical trials [Online]. Available from: https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/analysis/healthy-patients-healthy-planet-tackling-the-carbon-footprint-of-clinical-trials/. Sustainable Trials Study Group (2007). Towards sustainable clinical trials. The BMJ 334(7595); 671-673. doi:10.1136/bmj.39140.623137.BE. Adshead, F., Salman, R. A., Aumonier, S., et al. (2021). A strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of clinical trials. The Lancet 398(10297); 281-282. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01384-2. Richie, C. (2020). Environmental sustainability and the carbon emissions of pharmaceuticals. Journal of Medical Ethics. doi:10.1136/medethics-2020-106842. Clinical trials are saving lives but may be killing the environment [Online]. Available from: https://www.outsourcing-pharma.com/Article/2007/04/12/Clinical-trials-are-saving-lives-but-may-be-killing-the-environment Further Reading The emergence and spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), have been one of the defining global health crises of this century. As a result, the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. Study: Social Distancing Policies in the Coronavirus Battle: A Comparison of Denmark and Sweden. Image Credit: Aleksander Mijatovic / Shutterstock.com The efficacy of social distancing Social distancing was adopted as the main strategy to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 throughout the world. Various social distancing strategies were implemented, the most common being nationwide lockdown. Notably, these measures simultaneously mitigated the spread of the influenza virus throughout the pandemic as well. Unfortunately, however, there is little evidence on the effectiveness of many social distancing measures. The current study included the national response of Denmark and Sweden to the COVID-19 pandemic. Denmark and Sweden are neighboring Scandinavian countries that share many economic, political, and cultural characteristics. However, their responsiveness to COVID-19 was found to be strikingly different. Denmark, for example, was found to have a faster response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This nation implemented mandatory social distancing measures and other restrictions such as limiting the gathering of people, closure of the national border, and closure of bars and restaurants. Comparatively, Sweden took voluntary measures that emphasized peoples willingness to maintain social distancing measures. This country was criticized for its relaxed strategy that led to the extensive spread of the virus that inevitably increased hospitalization and mortality rates, particularly when compared to Denmark's. The current study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, involved a comparative analysis of Denmarks more common strategy and Swedens more unusual strategy that further helped understand the factors that affect the adoption of policies by governments. In addition, the study aimed to identify, compare, and analyze the different social distancing policies that Denmark and Sweden adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. About the study The current study involved the analysis of officially published documents describing both countries' social distancing public policies from March 2020 to October 2020. The documents included executive orders, laws, general guidelines, news, as well as press releases. The study involved comparative research, as it could provide general conclusions beyond single cases. It also helps to provide differences and similarities based on the contextual condition of the cases. Policy measures are defined as actions that are carried out for the implementation of a public policy. Policy measures can be categorized into three types, including sticks, sermons, and carrots. Sticks, also known as regulations, are mandatory measures requiring people to follow what is ordered. Sermons, which are also known as information, are voluntary and non-binding recommendations that attempt to influence people by transfer of knowledge, persuasion, and argument. Carrots, also known as economic measures involve grants and subsidies for the removal or provision of material resources. The current study also involved several steps of data collection and analysis. At first, the government, parliaments, and authorities involved in adopting social distancing policies were identified. Following this, policy measures were identified, retrieved, and mapped onto a table or matrix. The documents from each of the countries were updated and revised as new measures were continuously implemented. Finally, the documents from Denmark and Sweden were compared, analyzed, and discussed by the researchers over Zoom meetings. Comparison of the general types of policy measures Three types of policy measures for social distancing were identified in both Denmark and Sweden. The measures of Denmark included executive orders, laws, recommendations, and travel advice, while the three measures of Sweden included executive orders, laws, and general guidelines and recommendations. Denmark was found to use a larger number of sticks as compared to Sweden, where sermons were found to be more common. The policy measures in both countries were updated several times, depending on the information of the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Notably, the sermons were later found to convert into sticks in Sweden. Comparing social distancing policies In both Denmark and Sweden, the categories of social distancing policy measures were highly consistent with the previously published taxonomy. However, the restrictions of Denmark were stricter as compared to Sweden. Denmark implemented the closure of schools, workplaces, shopping malls, restaurants, cafes, and areas where mass gatherings occur. Anyone who had COVID-19 or was assumed to have COVID-19 was suggested to isolate themselves. Travel restrictions were imposed and only those with legitimate purposes were allowed to travel. However, in Sweden, the closure of schools and workplaces did not take place. Mass gatherings that exceeded 500 people were canceled, which was later adjusted to 50 people. People over 70 years of age were advised not to use public transport, especially during rush hours; however, no restrictions were imposed on the rest of the people. Thus, although most of the policy measures were following Rashid et al., few measures existed in both the countries that did not fall under this taxonomy. Comparison of policy adopters The key policy adopters of Denmark were the Danish Government and the Parliament. Several ministries were also involved; however, most of the recommendations and advice were adopted by the Danish Health Authority. In contrast, the government and parliament of Sweden were found to be less active in the adoption of policies and measures. The Public Health Agency was responsible for the adoption of policy measures in Sweden. Comparison of time of adoption Both Denmark and Sweden adopted policy measures in March 2020. However, the policy measures were stricter in Denmark during the early stages of the pandemic as compared to Sweden. This allowed better control of COVID-19 in Denmark as compared to Sweden. Comparison of policy implementers The role of the implementers included implementation of policy measures, monitoring and controlling of the measures, and providing support to facilitate compliance with the measures. The organizations responsible for implementing the adopted policy measures involved both public and private authorities in both countries. However, many more policy measures were compulsory in Denmark compared to Sweden, which suggests greater monitoring and controlling in Denmark. Comparison of policy target groups The policy target groups were quite similar in both Denmark and Sweden. It involved the general population, as well as specific subgroups such as healthcare professionals, individuals belonging to the older age group, travelers, individuals belonging to certain risk groups, and employees in public and private organizations. Conclusion Since the implementation of policy measures was less strict in Sweden as compared to Denmark, this nation experienced a higher rate of hospitalizations and deaths during the study period. The Swedish Government was criticized for its lack of leadership during the pandemic. However, during the second wave of the pandemic, a Pandemic Law was developed. This law adopted many more sticks, thus making Swedens strategy ultimately similar to that of Denmarks. A new clinical trial designed by Maile Young Karris, MD, internal medicine physician and infectious disease specialist at UC San Diego Health, seeks to discover whether people living with HIV can benefit from emotional support offered by a virtual community, and from physical support and services delivered by community volunteers. According to a study of 356 patients with HIV, published in the journal AIDS and Behavior in November 2017, 58 percent reported symptoms of loneliness, which has been associated with functional decline and increased mortality risk. Karris' "2nd AC+: New Village Model," funded by a $750,000 grant from Gilead Sciences, will connect participants within a secure online community that can arrange for lifts to the grocery store, tech support for a home computer or just a friendly face to talk to on a screen. Delayed by COVID-19, the three-year trial is currently recruiting participants. It's about changing the culture back to how it used to be, where neighbors actually knew each other and helped each other and you didn't have to worry so much about your poor dad who lives by himself, far away from you, because you knew that his neighbors would call you if anything happened or would make sure that he was eating." Maile Young Karris, MD, internal medicine physician and infectious disease specialist at UC San Diego Health Karris first became aware of loneliness among seniors with HIV in 2018, when she noticed a growing number of her patients asking to see her monthly. This puzzled her because medical advances meant most patients required just a couple of clinical visits per year. "A lot of these patients were pretty adamant and I couldn't really understand why," she said. Then one patient offered a revelatory explanation: "He told me that when he sits at home alone, he feels like he's just waiting to die. And when he comes to clinic, he said he feels like there's someone who actually cares that he is alive." Persons with HIV in their 50s and 60s are less likely to have a partner to share their lives with, or even a lifelong friend to call, than persons without HIV, said Karris, because having contracted the disease in the 1980s and 1990s means many of their friends or family members may have already passed away. Though the 2nd AC+ trial will primarily operate in a virtual setting, all participants must reside within reasonable driving distance of each other. Karris chose Central San Diego for its diversity, its history in dealing with the HIV/AIDS crisis and its proximity to the San Diego LGBT Community Center, which is partnering with Karris to administer the study because of its extensive resource knowledge, commitment and existing senior program. The trail will focus primarily on people living with HIV, Karris said it welcomes anyone who feels unsafe or lonely living on their own, or who desires to give back or be generous to their community. A research team led by Professor Lim Chwee Teck from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech), in collaboration with clinical partners from Singapore General Hospital, has developed a smart wearable sensor that can conduct real-time, point-of-care assessment of chronic wounds wirelessly via an app. A world's first, the novel sensor technology can detect temperature, pH, bacteria type and inflammatory factors specific to chronic wounds within 15 minutes, hence enabling fast and accurate wound assessment. With a rapidly aging population, healthcare providers are seeing more patients suffering from non-healing wounds such as diabetic foot and chronic venous leg ulcers. It has been estimated that about two per cent of the world's population suffer from chronic wounds. The healing processes for these chronic wounds are often interrupted due to reasons such as infection and repeated trauma, leading to severe stress, pain and discomfort to afflicted patients. For patients with diabetic foot ulcers, this can lead to more severe outcomes such as foot amputation. Timely care and proper treatment of chronic wounds are needed to speed up wound recovery. However, this requires multiple clinical visits for lengthy wound assessment and treatment, which adds to the healthcare cost. The NUS team's innovation can help mitigate these consequences and relieve patients with chronic wounds from unnecessary distress. The research was first published in the journal Science Advances on 21 May 2021. Applying digital health for personal healthcare Current clinical assessments of wounds rely on visual inspection, or collecting and sending wound fluid to a centralised lab to detect and analyse specific biomarkers. The whole process usually takes about one to two days and may impede proper, timely and precise medical interventions. Although there are recent developments in flexible sensors designed for wound care, they can only probe a limited set of markers such as acidity, temperature, oxygen, uric acid, and impedance to diagnose wound inflammation. In response to these current limitations, the researchers developed VeCare, a point-of-care wound assessment platform consisting of an innovative wound sensing bandage, an electronic chip and a mobile app. The bandage comprises a wound contact layer, a breathable outer barrier, a microfluidic wound fluid collector and a flexible immunosensor. VeCare is the first wound assessment platform that can detect bacteria type and probe inflammatory factors, in addition to measuring acidity and temperature, within a single 15-minute test. The immunosensing bandage enables rapid assessment of wound microenvironment, inflammation, and infection state by detecting multiple chronic wound-specific biomarkers from wound fluid using an electrochemical system. The microfluidic wound fluid collector attached to the sensor directs and boosts wound fluid delivery to the sensor by up to 180 per cent. The design ensures reliable sensing performance regardless of the ulcer shape or size. In addition, a chip integrated with flexible electronics is connected to the sensor to transmit data wirelessly to an app for convenient, real-time wound assessment and analysis onsite. The chip component, powered with a rechargeable battery, can be reused for subsequent applications. The VeCare platform and mobile app enable doctors to monitor the condition of patients' chronic wounds remotely, reducing the hassle for patients to travel to a clinic. The bandage complements the patient's existing medical treatment while facilitating timely medical intervention for wound healing processes. Point-of-care devices coupled with telehealth or digital health capability can play a significant role in transforming the healthcare industry and our society, which is catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic requirements for safe distancing. Our smart bandage technology is the first of its kind designed for chronic wound management to give patients the freedom to perform the test and monitor their wound conditions at home." Professor Lim Chwee Teck, Director of iHealthtech at NUS In collaboration with the Singapore General Hospital, a small clinical test of VeCare was conducted on patients with chronic venous leg ulcers. They successfully demonstrated that the platform is effective in the assessment of chronic wounds and enabling monitoring of the progress of wound healing with timely medical intervention. Using smart sensors for better clinical management "The VeCare platform is easily scalable and customizable to accommodate different panels of biomarkers to monitor various types of wounds. The aim is to have an effective and easy to use diagnostic and prognostic tool for precise and data-driven clinical management of patients," commented Prof Lim. The next step for the research team is to further develop VeCare to meet safety, regulatory and mass production considerations. The team will explore the incorporation of other appropriate biomarkers suitable for other wound types and utilize data in existing clinical workflows to improve diagnosis and treatment. They hope to test the technology on a larger prospective randomized clinical trial with different types of non-healing chronic ulcers such as diabetic foot and pressure ulcers. Cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV are again on the rise in the U.S., giving new urgency to ongoing efforts to make STI and HIV services more accessible. In recent years, crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) have begun to offer some STI and HIV services, but new research from the University of Georgia suggests that these services may actually be hurting public health efforts to prevent and treat these infections. "They advertise in ways to make themselves appear to be medical facilities, though most people who work at CPCs aren't medically trained, and they do not offer comprehensive medical services or follow evidence-based medical practices. For example, they have policies against promoting condoms," said study author Andrea Swartzendruber, an associate professor at UGA's College of Public Health who studies CPCs' impact on public health. "From a public health perspective, those are major concerns that could cause real harm," she said. Not meeting quality of care standards CPCs are nonprofit, mainly religiously affiliated organizations whose main purpose is deterring abortions. In previous studies, Swartzendruber has shown that these centers frequently share misinformation about abortions as well as prevention methods such as condom use. National guidelines recommend that anyone seeking STI testing services should be tested for HIV and a full range of STIs based on individual risk factors and community prevalence. Clinics should have a plan to treat positive cases on site, provide a prescription, or refer them for treatment. Partners of people testing positive for STIs also need testing and treatment services. Using data from CPC Map, an online directory of crisis pregnancy centers developed by Swartzendruber and Lambert, the researchers identified over 2,500 CPCs operating in the U.S. between December 2018 and August 2019. They assessed STI and HIV services advertised on CPC websites and used a standard script to call CPCs about the availability of services. They were able to reach 99% of all CPCs. About 20% of CPCs offered testing for at least one STI but often failed to offer testing for other STIs, including HIV. Approximately one-quarter of centers that offered testing appeared to have no strategy for making sure people got appropriate treatment." Danielle Lambert, co-author, assistant professor, College of Public Health In Georgia, where HIV rates are among the highest in the nation, nearly one-third of CPCs that offered STI testing failed to offer STI treatment, and nearly half failed to offer HIV testing. None of the 77 CPCs in Georgia where HIV testing was unavailable provided a referral. As 2021 draws to its close, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to threaten human health. As thousands of infections continue to be reported, the impact of the outbreak is evident in the estimated reduction of life expectancy at birth for the second successive year. Unfortunately, the impact is higher for the Black and Latino populations as compared to Whites. Study: Reductions in US life Expectancy From COVID-19 By Race and Ethnicity: Is 2021 A Repetition Of 2020? Image Credit: Hyejin Kang / Shutterstock.com Background In 2020, over 350,000 deaths in the United States were attributed to COVID-19. This staggering death toll has been held responsible for approximately 75% of the reduction in life expectancy at birth by 1.5 years, a direct reversal of the upward trend observed over the last 16 years. The emergency approval of two vaccines built on the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology was followed by their mass distribution across the country. COVID-19 vaccine rollout was expected to rapidly reduce mortality due to COVID-19 and subsequently limit the worsening of COVID-19s impact on life expectancy in 2021. Even though the vaccines were not likely to restore life expectancy at birth to previous levels before the pandemic began, a significant improvement was expected. However, vaccine coverage has not reached expected levels in the U.S., and the degree of immunity achieved is inadequate to arrest the transmission of the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2. As a result, the U.S. has continued to experience more than 2,000 deaths per day before the fall began, with the total number of deaths by October 15, 2021, matching over 90% of the total deaths in 2020. A disturbing aspect of these deaths was that the average age shifted downwards during 2021, partly because a larger proportion of older individuals had been protected by vaccination. These two factors must be considered to understand how COVID-19 affects life expectancy in 2021. Secondly, the pandemic affected Latinos and Blacks in America much more severely than Whites. The decline in life expectancy in these vulnerable groups was twice as large as for Whites due to a mix of interwoven factors. This includes crowded housing, large families living together, as well as frontline jobs entailing high levels of exposure with lower priority for personal protective equipment and vaccination. These populations are also more likely to use public transport, experience poverty due to low-paying jobs, poor access to healthcare, and exhibit increased rates of comorbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. As a result, these population groups remain highly susceptible to severe COVID-19 and fatal outcomes. Simultaneously, there were difficulties in the path of vaccination of these groups, including the lack of skills and/or facilities needed to book vaccine appointments online, lack of transport facilities to vaccination sites, and the inability to take leave from the workplace or job in order to get the vaccine and recover from any side effects. The fact remains that far more Whites were vaccinated than other ethnic groups in the initial phase of the pandemic. In addition, the already lower life expectancy of below 72 years among these groups led to the virtual exclusion of the elderly from the initial priority-based vaccination efforts that targeted the above-75 age group. Notably, these inequalities are improving as a result of the increased availability of vaccines. However, partisan political views, religious stances, and rural/urban location exert greater influence on vaccination rates than racial-ethnic factors. It is now almost certain that life expectancy estimates for 2021 will continue to reflect a huge toll experienced by all groups. In the current study, which is available as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, the scientists estimate the effect of the pandemic on life expectancy at birth, at 65 years overall, as well as for individual populations. These estimates are based on the projections of COVID-19 mortality provided by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) for the rest of the year. Study findings The authors found that COVID-19 deaths up to October 2021 had exceeded the number that would lead to a reduction in life expectancy at birth by 1.2 years, and at age 65 by 0.8 years. The greatest decline was at 2.4 years for the Latinos, 1.5 years for Blacks, and 1 year for Whites. Even for the Whites, this is 0.1 years more than the 0.9 years of reduced life expectancy that was reported after the course of the pandemic over the whole of 2020. For Blacks and Latinos, there is a further reduction by 0.4-0.5 years as compared to the 2020 decline. In terms of the projected reduction in life expectancy at the end of 2021, the researchers used IHME statistics to estimate a reduction in life expectancy at birth of 1.8 years. This is in excess of the 1.3-year drop experienced last year. At age 65, the overall drop will be 1.1 years, which is equal to the estimates for 2020. Disturbingly, life expectancy estimates at birth in 2021 show a larger decline across all three ethnic groups than for 2020. The greatest drop is seen with Whites, who lost another 0.4 years. For Latinos and Blacks, life expectancy is reduced by 3.1 years and 2.1 years, respectively. This reduction is 2.4 and 1.6 times that experienced by the Whites, respectively. These disparities reveal another year of especially large racial/ethnic inequities underlying a large overall impact of COVID-19 on life expectancy. Implications The findings of this study indicate that the impact of COVID-19 on life expectancy at birth and at age 65 will be as destructive, if not more, in 2021 as in 2020. Since these estimates did not include deaths from non-COVID-19 causes such as inadvertent trauma, disease, and murders, the actual figures may be even greater. The presence of marked disparities between racial/ethnic groups with respect to the COVID-19 pandemics impact is evident. The narrowing of the gap in life expectancy between the population groups is due to the further lowering of this measure among Whites, rather than as a result of a decline in the reduction rate among the other groups. Since Blacks have a disproportionate number of deaths from other causes, the ultimate reduction in life expectancy in 2021 will inevitably exceed the aforementioned estimate as well. Delays in receiving, processing, and reporting COVID-19 deaths will further lower the projected figures. There is still much uncertainty regarding COVID-19 mortality in the final months of 2021, which will depend on further vaccine uptake, waning vaccine efficacy, and whether the US experiences another winter surge in cases, among other factors. *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. For parents living in poverty, "diaper math" is a familiar and distressingly pressing daily calculation. Babies in the U.S. go through six to 10 disposable diapers a day, at an average cost of $70 to $80 a month. Name-brand diapers with high-end absorption sell for as much as a half a dollar each, and can result in upwards of $120 a month in expenses. One in every three American families cannot afford enough diapers to keep their infants and toddlers clean, dry and healthy, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. For many parents, that leads to wrenching choices: diapers, food or rent? The covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation, both by expanding unemployment rolls and by causing supply chain disruptions that have triggered higher prices for a multitude of products, including diapers. Diaper banks community-funded programs that offer free diapers to low-income families distributed 86% more diapers on average in 2020 than in 2019, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. In some locations, distribution increased by as much as 800%. Yet no federal program helps parents pay for this childhood essential. The government's food assistance program does not cover diapers, nor do most state-level public aid programs. California is the only state to directly fund diapers for families, but support is limited. CalWORKS, a financial assistance program for families with children, provides $30 a month to help families pay for diapers for kids under age 3. Federal policy shifts also may be in the works: Democratic lawmakers are pushing to include $200 million for diaper distribution in the massive budget reconciliation package. Without adequate resources, low-income parents are left scrambling for ways to get the most use out of each diaper. This stressful undertaking is the subject of a recent article in American Sociological Review by Jennifer Randles, a professor of sociology at California State University-Fresno. In 2018, Randles conducted phone interviews with 70 mothers in California over nine months. She tried to recruit fathers as well, but only two men responded. Randles spoke with KHN's Jenny Gold about how the cost of diapers weighs on low-income moms, and the "inventive mothering" many low-income women adopt to shield their children from the harms of poverty. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Q: How do diapers play into day-to-day anxieties for low-income mothers? In my sample, half of the mothers told me that they worried more about diapers than they worried about food or housing. I started to ask mothers, "Can you tell me how many diapers you have on hand right now?" Almost every one told me with exact specificity how many they had five or seven or 12. And they knew exactly how long that number of diapers would last, based on how often their children defecated and urinated, if their kid was sick, if they had a diaper rash at the time. So just all the emotional and cognitive labor that goes into keeping such careful track of diaper supplies. They were worrying and figuring out, "OK, Im down to almost my last diaper. What do I do now? Do I go find some cans [to sell]? Do I go sell some things in my house? Who in my social network might have some extra cash right now?" I talked to moms who sell blood plasma just to get their infants diapers. Q: What coping strategies stood out to you? Those of us who study diapers often call them diaper-stretching strategies. One was leaving on a diaper a little bit longer than someone might otherwise leave it on and letting it get completely full. Some mothers figured out if they bought a [more expensive] diaper that held more and leaked less, they could leave the diaper on longer. They would also do things like letting the baby go diaperless, especially when they were at home and felt like they wouldnt be judged for letting their baby go without a diaper. And they used every household good you can imagine to make makeshift diapers. Mothers are using cloth, sheets and pillowcases. Theyre using things that are disposable like paper towels with duct tape. Theyre making diapers out their own period supplies or adult incontinence supplies when they can get a sample. One of the questions I often get is, "Why dont they just use cloth?" A lot of the mothers that I spoke with had tried cloth diapers and they found that they were very cost- and labor-prohibitive. If you pay for a full startup set of cloth diapers, youre looking at anywhere from $500 to $1,000. And these moms never had that much money. Most of them didnt have in-home washers and dryers. Some of them didnt even have homes or consistent access to water, and it's illegal in a lot of laundromats and public laundry facilities to wash your old diapers. So the same conditions that would prevent moms from being able to readily afford disposable diapers are the same conditions that keep them from being able to use cloth. Q: You found that many women's concept of being a good mother is wrapped up in diapering. Why is that? Diapers and managing diapers was so fundamental to their identity as good moms. Most of the mothers in my sample went without their own food. They werent paying a cellphone bill or buying their own medicine or their own menstrual supplies, as a way of saving diaper money. I talked to a lot of moms who said, when your baby is hungry, thats horrible. Obviously, you do everything to prevent that. But theres something about a diaper that covers this vulnerable part of a very young babys body, this very delicate skin. And being able to do something to meet this human need that we all have, and to maintain dignity and cleanliness. A lot of the moms had been through the welfare system, and so they're living in this constant fear [of losing their children]. This is especially true among mothers of color, who are much more likely to get wrapped up in the child welfare system. People cant necessarily see when your babys hungry. But people can see a saggy diaper. That's going to be one of the things that tags you as a bad mom. Q: Was your work on diapers influenced by your experience as a parent? When I was doing these interviews, my daughter was about 2 or 3. So still in diapers. When my daughter peed during a diaper change, I thought, "Oh, I can just toss that one. Here, let me get another clean one." Thats a really easy choice. For me. Thats a crisis for the mothers I interviewed. Many of them told me they have an anxiety attack with every diaper change. Q: Do you see a clear policy solution to diaper stress? Whats kind of ironic is how much physical, emotional and cognitive labor goes into managing something that society and lawmakers dont even recognize. Diapers are still not really recognized as a basic need, as evidenced by the fact that theyre still taxed in 35 states. I think what California is doing is an excellent start. And I think diaper banks are a fabulous type of community-based organization that are filling a huge need that is not being filled by safety net policies. So, public support for diaper banks. The direct cash aid part of the social safety net has been all but dismantled in the last 25 years. California is pretty generous. But there are some states where just the cost of diapers alone would use almost half of the average state TANF [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families] benefit for a family of three. I think we really do have to address the fact that the value of cash aid buys so much less than it used to. Q: Your body of work on marriage and families is fascinating and unusual. Is there a single animating question behind your research? The common thread is: How do our safety net policies support low-income families' parenting goals? And do they equalize the conditions of parenting? I think of it as a reproductive justice issue. The ability to have a child or to not have a child, and then to parent that child in conditions where the childs basic needs are met. We like to say that were child and family friendly. The diaper issue is just one of many, many issues where we dont really put our money or our policies where our mouth is, in terms of supporting families and supporting children. I think my work is trying to get people to think more collectively about having a social responsibility to all families and to each other. No country, but especially the richest country on the planet, should have 1 in 3 very young children not having one of their basic needs met. I interviewed one dad who was incarcerated because he wrote a bad check. And as he described it to me, he had a certain amount of money, and they needed both diapers and milk for the baby. And Ill never forget, he said, "I didnt make a good choice, but I made the right one." These are not fancy shoes. These are not name-brand clothes. This was a dad needing both milk and diapers. I dont think it gets much more basic than that. In a new paper, scientists suggest that efforts to understand human cognition should expand beyond the study of individual brains. They call on neuroscientists to incorporate evidence from social science disciplines to better understand how people think. "Accumulating evidence indicates that memory, reasoning, decision-making and other higher-level functions take place across people," the researchers wrote in a review in the journal Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience. "Cognition extends into the physical world and the brains of others." The co-authors neuroscientist Aron Barbey, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Richard Patterson, a professor emeritus of philosophy at Emory University; and Steven Sloman, a professor of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences at Brown University wanted to address the limitations of studying brains in isolation, out of the context in which they operate and stripped of the resources they rely on for optimal function. In cognitive neuroscience, the standard approach is essentially to assume that knowledge is represented in the individual brain and transferred between individuals. But there are, we think, important cases where those assumptions begin to break down." Aron Barbey, Neuroscientist and Professor of Psychology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Take, for instance, the fact that people often "outsource" the task of understanding or coming to conclusions about complex subject matter, using other people's expertise to guide their own decision-making. "Most people will agree that smoking contributes to the incidence of lung cancer without necessarily understanding precisely how that occurs," Barbey said. "And when doctors diagnose and treat disease, they don't transfer all of their knowledge to their patients. Instead, patients rely on doctors to help them decide the best course of action. "Without relying on experts in our community, our beliefs would become untethered from the social conventions and scientific evidence that are necessary to support them," he said. "It would become unclear, for example, whether 'smoking causes lung cancer,' bringing into question the truth of our beliefs, the motivation for our actions." To understand the role that knowledge serves in human intelligence, the researchers wrote that it is necessary to look beyond the individual and to study the community. "Cognition is, to a large extent, a group activity, not an individual one," Sloman said. "People depend on others for their reasoning, judgment and decision-making. Cognitive neuroscience is not able to shed light on this aspect of cognitive processing." The limitations of individual knowledge and human dependence on others for understanding are the themes of "The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone," a book Sloman wrote with Phil Fernbach, a cognitive scientist and professor of marketing at the University of Colorado. "The challenge for cognitive neuroscience becomes how to capture knowledge that does not reside in the individual brain but is outsourced to the community," Barbey said. Neuroscientific methods such as functional MRI were designed to track activity in one brain at a time and have limited capacity for capturing the dynamics that occur when individuals interact in large communities, he said. Some neuroscientists are trying to overcome this limitation. In a recent study, researchers placed two people face-to-face in a scanner and tracked their brain activity and eye movements while they interacted. Other teams use a technique called "hyperscanning," which allows the simultaneous recording of brain activity in people who are physically distant from each another but interacting online. Such efforts have found evidence suggesting that the same brain regions are activated in people who are effectively communicating with one another or cooperating on a task, Barbey said. These studies are also showing how brains operate differently from one another, depending on the type of interaction and the context. Several fields of research are ahead of neuroscience in understanding and embracing the collective, collaborative nature of knowledge, Patterson said. For example, "social epistemology" recognizes that knowledge is a social phenomenon that depends on community norms, a shared language and a reliable method for testing the trustworthiness of potential sources. "Philosophers studying natural language also illustrate how knowledge relies on the community," Patterson said. "For example, according to 'externalism,' the meaning of words depends on how they are used and represented within a social context. Thus, the meaning of the word and its correct use depends on collected knowledge that extends beyond the individual." To address these shortfalls, neuroscientists can look to other social science fields, Barbey said. "We need to incorporate not only neuroscience evidence, but also evidence from social psychology, social anthropology and other disciplines that are better positioned to study the community of knowledge," he said As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to take a heavy toll on the world population, scientists are seeking to identify the protective impact of prior infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Study: Impact of baseline SARS-CoV-2 antibody status on syndromic surveillance and the risk of subsequent COVID-19a prospective multicenter cohort study. Image Credit: visuals21/ Shutterstock A new study published in the journal BMC Medicine concludes that at least with predominantly wild-type variants, the risk of reinfection with the virus among unvaccinated people is reduced by 80% or more. Background The induction of immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection by natural infection or vaccination protects against subsequent infection. The centrality of this to the successful containment of this virus has led to multiple studies exploring the magnitude and duration of protection against reinfection, especially that specific antibodies offer. More reinfection cases are being reported with a mean interval of over 100 days between the first and second infection. Nonetheless, many researchers have shown the presence of neutralizing antibodies against the virus for nine months or more and their ability to block reinfection. Especially important is one UK study that included 12,000 healthcare workers (HCW) monitored for six months, which showed a lower risk of having virus in their nasopharyngeal swabs. The current study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, looks at both reinfection rates and COVID-19-specific symptoms among the participants based on the baseline detection of anti-nucleocapsid antibodies. What did the study show? The researchers conducted the study in Switzerland, in approximately 4,800 HCW. The participants were followed up for almost eight months. The results show that the presence of specific antibodies to the nucleocapsid antigen of the virus is correlated with protection against a positive nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) later, as well as with the occurrence of COVID-19-specific symptoms like anosmia and muscle pain. At baseline, 3% of the participants, or 144, had antibodies to the virus. All participants were followed up by symptom diaries at about 24 questionnaires (median) until vaccination, which comes to 0.71 diaries per person per week. Over 5,300 swabs were carried out, with almost two-thirds being tested by polymerase chain reaction and the rest by antigen tests. This covered over 2,700 individuals, called the NPS group. Both tests showed comparable accuracy, but the mean number of swabs was lower among seropositive individuals vs. seronegative, at 47% and 57%, respectively. At least one swab tested positive during the follow-up period in 550 participants. Only three of these came from the 67 seropositive individuals in the group. In contrast, of the 2,645 seronegative participants, there were 547 positives, making up over one-fifth of the group. All three were detected in January 2021, at about six months from the baseline positive antibody test. One of them, who had the highest anti-spike antibody titer, had an asymptomatic infection. The relative risk (RR) of testing positive for the virus by NPS is thus 78% less for seropositive individuals. When the full cohort is included in the analysis, the RR is still lower, at 72% below that of seronegative individuals. The timing of the infection suggests that they were infected when the Alpha variant made up less than a fifth of all isolates, and the Delta virus was largely absent from the picture. Other studies have shown that immunity to prior strains is less than 80% after natural infection vs. vaccine-induced immunity. Further research will show how long vaccine immunity lasts compared to that induced by infection. Symptom surveillance Of the total. 60% of HCWs had one or more symptoms over the follow-up period, including 60% of those who were seronegative at baseline and 55% of the seropositive subset. This means that the symptom number was comparable in both groups. Interestingly, three out of fifteen symptoms were found to be less common in the seropositive group. The RR of anosmia or dysgeusia was reduced by 66%, while chills were 40% less common and pain in the limbs or muscles 32% less frequent. Most symptoms (14/15) were less frequent in those who tested positive compared to the negative NPS group. The greatest specific predictive power was thus associated with changes in taste/smell, weakness, and limb or muscle pain. Those with dysgeusia/anosmia were at 22 times higher risk of testing positive, while the other two symptom sets were linked to a 4.4-4.7 times higher risk. What are the implications? The results underline the protective effect of anti-SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies against infection. Earlier studies showed a 90% reduction in infections among seropositive individuals compared to seronegative at three to six months. Another study suggested that while 80% of people with antibodies at baseline were protected against infection at six months, the efficacy waned to 47% in the elderly (65 years or above). The risk reduction by 78% in the current study matches these earlier findings. By using seropositivity rather than confirmed infection as the baseline, the risk of missing seropositive cases because of lack of testing was avoided. The current study shows that the NPS testing rate is lower among the seropositive group. While both groups showed an equal number of symptoms over the follow-up period, discriminative symptoms such as muscle pain and sensory changes were less common among the seropositive group, confirming that these individuals had a reduced risk of infection. Some symptoms may have been reported by seropositive patients, such as anosmia, which tends to persist for weeks in a few patients. If all seropositive participants with such symptoms had been excluded from the analysis, the discriminative power of this symptom might have been even higher. Newer variants of the virus are emerging, which can break through the immune defenses erected by the host against the ancestral strains. Recently, scientists have reported severe COVID-19 occurring due to reinfection with a novel variant in an immunocompetent individual who had anti-nucleocapsid antibodies at baseline. This agrees with the finding of reinfection in three nurse assistants with anti-spike antibodies at the time of the test. The use of anti-nucleocapsid antibodies may have led to missing a few cases since anti-spike antibodies are more largely neutralizing. However, using these antibodies helps distinguish infection from vaccination since the titers of both anti-N and anti-S antibodies were observed to be equal. The protective effect of anti-S antibodies maybe even higher than that offered by anti-N antibodies. Cellular immunity was also not measured, which may have contributed to underestimating the true efficacy of seropositivity on subsequent infection rates. This may be offset by the reduced sensitivity of antigen tests used in over a third of the swabs. We conclude that anti-nucleocapsid antibodies acquired after natural infection convey an approximately 80% protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, at least for a period of 8 months. The participants came from an unvaccinated setting without the newer variants." Finally, they observed the utility of symptom surveillance, commenting, Syndromic surveillance for specific COVID-19 symptoms allows estimating the probability of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection irrespective of whether participants undergo NPS testing or not. A fascinating new preprint shows that the immune cell status varies considerably over time, in healthy individuals going about their normal lives, even over a single day. This study contributes to building a basic database of immune responses that underline the unique nature of immunity in individuals. Study: Intensive Single Cell Analysis Reveals Immune Cell Diversity among Healthy Individuals. Image Credit: Naumova Marina/ Shutterstock Background The human immune system consists of immune cells designed to respond to a wide array of antigenic stimuli. The total of these responses makes up the individuals immune profile. It is thus influenced by the medical history and lifestyle, the genetic background, and the place of residence. Most of what is known about these responses come from experiments on laboratory animals or sick people. The occurrence of infection leads to various immune responses, mild or severe, at the site of infection. Circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) represent an important component of the immune profile, comprising innate immune cells such as monocytes (classical CD14+ and non-classical CD16+). Once they reach the infection site, they transform into macrophages or dendritic cells (DCs), engulfing the antigen. These phagocytes travel to the local lymph nodes, where the antigen is presented on the cell surface to T lymphocytes, kicking off the adaptive phase of the immune response. Simultaneously, natural killer (NK) cells are activated to release cytotoxic proteins that eliminate the infected cells, enhancing the adaptive response. Both B and T lymphocytes recognize a specific antigen by the bit called the epitope. The T cell receptor (TCR) contains VDJ segments comprising alpha and beta chains, each set of VDJ segments unique to the cell. T cell clonotypes have the same VDJ sequence. Effector CD8+ T cells or cytotoxic CD8+ T cells are activated when they recognize antigens presented via class I major histocompatibility (MHC) molecules. These activate to kill the target cells. B cell receptors (BCRs) are made up of immunoglobulin molecules on the outer surface of the cell. These can be any of a staggering array of receptors, rendered specific by the variability of the heavy and light chains of the immunoglobulins (IgK and IgL). Following antigen exposure, the naive B cells differentiate into memory B cells or plasmablasts, the precursors of antibody-producing plasma cells. Conventional methods such as flow cytometry, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), or bulk-RNA-seq have been used extensively to understand how PBMCs act as part of the underlying immune system. They can offer high-throughput gene detection over an extensive range of genes, but for the whole mass of cells rather than individual cells. Secondly, they cannot help to reveal the VDJ sequences of each cell. In the current study, available as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, the researchers opted to use single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) to observe single cells in detail as they encounter a specific antigen. Such studies are already abundant, exploring single-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 and their correlation with disease severity. However, in the current paper, the focus is on immunity among healthy individuals, including how the diversity of the immune response is acquired, sustained, and used. In addition, the scientists describe the changes that occurred after vaccination with influenza and COVID-19 vaccines in the context of a healthy individual. The aim is to help delineate the fundamental diversity of immune responses among healthy controls typically used to study the immunological aspects of disease. What did the study show? Using highly reproducible and reliable data collection methods, the researchers found that while cell composition was in overall agreement with the expected patterns, there was a difference in individual profiles and at different time points within the same person. For instance, one had more B cells, while another had more NK and CD8+ T cells. The exact profile suggested a bias towards humoral responses in the first but a T cell-dependent response in the second. Both subjects showed similar activation levels in NK and T cells and B cells, however. In the first subject, represented as H1, plasmablasts were far more frequent than in other samples, while another B cell population was highest in H3 and H4. H7 had a unique profile with activated NK cells, perhaps because of the history of malignant B cell lymphoma in this older adult. NK cells are cytotoxic to tumor cells, and while inactive during the malignant phase, they recover to a reactive phase causing the disease to remit. Even five years after chemotherapy, leading to the complete clearance of the malignant B cells, it is possible that the NK cell population that expanded during therapy remained high in number. Chronic stimulation or the presence of new somatic mutations can cause persistent expansion of NK cells, as sometimes seen after such patients recover. Overall, the immunological diversity seems to be high in healthy people. TCR profiles Over the course of a month, samples showed highly variable T cell clonotypes, with the top ten accounting for only a small percentage of the total cell population. These were unique to each subject, mostly derived from naive T cells. This may indicate they come from a unique repertoire of naive T cells waiting to be stimulated. Over time, effector and memory CD8+ T cells dominated those clonotypes that were repeatedly identified, with a high frequency of mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. A change from effector CD8+ T cells to memory CD8+ T cells was observed in one clonotype, perhaps because of a missed infection. It appears that T cell activation happens all the time, even when healthy. The increases and decreases, in 85 and 209 immune cell clonotypes from two subjects, during this period confirmed the constantly shifting immune profile that results in a unique landscape over many years. In one Indonesian subject, two clonotypes were found to be mostly for effector CD8+ T cells. When tested against cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus, both of which are common in such a setting, the scientists found high responses in the samples from this individual. The constant alerted state of the immune system in this subject may reflect the general trend in developing countries. BCR profiles The BCR clonotypes also showed a non-overlapping profile, most prominently for the immunoglobulin heavy chain with 99% uniqueness. The first subject showed mostly IgM heavy chain unique clonotypes, indicating that this person might be encountering new antigens to which the B cells are constantly reacting. IgG heavy chains were more frequent among a small set of overlapping clonotypes, perhaps due to continued activation of this cell set. Naive BCRs are more diverse than memory B cell BCRs that have already been expanded by stimulation with a specific antigen. Knowing this, it appears that the increased diversity of BCRs in this subject is due to a higher naive B cells frequency. This was found to be in the form of certain specific variants, each having clonotype diversity. These findings showed that even though B cell responses dominate this individual, BCR patterns differ between individuals. Vaccine responses Exploiting the known antigenic profile and time of exposure of the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine, the researchers examined the immune cell profile after administering these vaccines to the same set of individuals. This showed differences in the response elicited in H1 and H2, with a common background. Both showed an immediate classical monocyte expansion, with a subsequent decline in naive B cell, T cells, and CD4+ T cell frequency in peripheral blood, leaving other T cell populations intact. This was a temporary drop, however, recovering completely by the 28th day from vaccination. This is considered the time point when the immune response is complete, and memory cells have been established. Individual differences such as a drop in MAIT cells in the initial phase and a greater decline in CD4+ T cells in one subject but not the other, coupled with an increased CD8+ T cells throughout. After vaccination, some sporadic and other persistent clonotypes were identified, the former being characteristically comprised of CD4+ and CD8+ naive T cells. Persistent T cells included both CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells and MAIT cells, representing the early vaccine-induced clonotypes. B cells were also found to respond to the vaccination. The features agreed with those reported by others, such as an early monocyte response with eventual complete recovery. These were more prominent with the COVID-19 vaccine than the influenza vaccine, especially the monocyte response to the former, perhaps because of its greater immunogenicity. Both non-classical and classical monocytes were induced in this case after the first and second doses. The T cells responses in the persistent populations appeared to be in an activated phase, mostly induced after the first dose and then increasing in frequency after the second. These may be the cells that were specifically elicited by the COVID-19 vaccine. Again, subject H7 showed fewer changes after vaccination, perhaps because of the subjects age or because the immune activity centered on the NK cells was already high. Antibody responses were delayed but adequate, though lower than some others. Again, activated T cells were less affected, indicating that the baseline immune state determines the response to the vaccine. What are the implications? We revealed that the gene cellular components and gene expression profiles are diverse even in healthy individuals, possibly reflecting the personal history of previous immune responses. The influence of ethnicity on immune response can be traced through such studies to help uncover the inequalities in healthcare access and other aspects of health, as well as the social factors that underlie individual and community health status. By incorporating the healthcare records and environmental factors, the effect of ethnicity can be teased out. Future studies investigating immune system fluctuations in disease should account for the baseline diversity amongst healthy individuals, as demonstrated in this study. *Important notice bioRxiv 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. The World Health Organization and partners have issued an urgent call for concrete action to better protect health and care workers worldwide from COVID-19 and other health issues. The organizations are concerned that large numbers of health and care workers have died from COVID-19, but also that an increasing proportion of the workforce are suffering from burnout, stress, anxiety and fatigue. In a Joint Statement issued this week, WHO and partners are calling on all Member State governments and stakeholders to strengthen the monitoring and reporting of COVID-19 infections, ill-health and deaths among health and care workers. They should also include disaggregation by age, gender and occupation as a standard procedure, to enable decision makers and scientists to identify and implement mitigation measures that will further reduce the risk of infections and ill-health. The Statement also urges political leaders and policy makers to do all within their power to make regulatory, policy and investment decisions that ensure the protection of health and care workers. It highlights the opportunity to align this with a forthcoming global health and care worker compact and the International Labour Organization's call for a human-centered recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. Finally, the partners call upon leaders and policy makers to ensure equitable access to vaccines so that health and care workers are prioritized in the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations. Available data from 119 countries suggest that by September 2021, 2 in 5 health and care workers were fully vaccinated on average, with considerable difference across regions and economic groupings. Less than 1 in 10 have been fully vaccinated in the African and Western Pacific regions while 22 mostly high-income countries reported that above 80% of their health and care workers are fully vaccinated. A few large high-income countries have not yet reported data to WHO. We have a moral obligation to protect all health and care workers, ensure their rights and provide them with decent work in a safe and enabling practice environment. This must include access to vaccines. Beyond vaccines , economic recovery and all new investments in emergency preparedness and response must prioritize the education and employment of health and care workers, linking to the UN Secretary-General's Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection." Jim Campbell, Director, WHO Health Workforce Department A new WHO working paper estimates that between 80 000 to 180 000 health and care workers could have died from COVID-19 in the period between January 2020 to May 2021, converging to a medium scenario of 115 500 deaths. These estimates are derived from the 3.45 million COVID-19 related deaths reported to WHO as at May 2021; a number by itself considered to be much lower than the real death toll (60% or more than what is reported to WHO). "This WHO working paper provides a stark number to stimulate greater action; we cannot afford to lose more health and care workers and our world will not recover from the pandemic without long-term, sustainable investments in the health workforce," said Catherine Duggan, Chief Executive Officer of the International Pharmaceutical Federation and one of several members of the World Health Professions Alliance allied with the Joint Statement. WHO is currently leading efforts to develop a global health and care worker compact, based on existing legal instruments, conventions and resolutions. The compact aims to provide Member States, stakeholders and institutions with comprehensive guidance on their existing obligations to protect health and care workers, safeguard their rights, and to promote and ensure decent work, free from gender, racial and all other forms of discrimination. The guidance will be presented to the 75th World Health Assembly in May 2022. The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating two additional imported COVID-19 cases, both involving the L452R mutant strain. One of the patients, a 31-year-old woman, arrived in Hong Kong from the Maldives via Doha. She is a close contact of a previous imported case and tested positive at a public hospital where she accompanied that patient. The other case is a 43-year-old female foreign domestic helper who arrived from the Philippines and tested positive during quarantine. In view of a non-locally confirmed case involving a patient who had stayed in Hong Kong, one specified premises is included in the compulsory testing notice. Three schools are also covered in the notice due to outbreaks of upper respiratory tract infection or influenza-like illness. The service period of several mobile specimen collection stations will be extended to facilitate people subject to compulsory testing. A total of 60 cases were reported in Hong Kong in the past 14 days. One is a local case with an unknown infection source and the rest are imported. For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage. Jeffersonville, IN (47130) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low near 30F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low near 30F. Winds light and variable. (Newser) Update: An Alabama man who avoided execution in February was put to death Thursday for the 1991 killing of a woman who was abducted during a robbery and then shot in a cemetery. Willie B. Smith III, 52, received a lethal injection at a prison in southwest Alabama, the AP reports. He was pronounced dead at 9:47pm local time. The execution went forward after the US Supreme Court rejected a request for a stay by his lawyers, who had argued the execution should be blocked on grounds that Smith had an intellectual disability meriting further scrutiny by the courts. Our original story from Feb. 12 follows: story continues below An Alabama inmate on Thursday won a reprieve from a scheduled lethal injection after the US Supreme Court said the state could not proceed without his pastor in the death chamber. The state prison system said the execution of Willie B. Smith III, planned for Thursday evening, would not proceed given the ruling, the AP reports. Alabama has maintained that non-prison staff should not be in the room for security reasons. Alabama has not carried its burden of showing that the exclusion of all clergy members from the execution chamber is necessary to ensure prison security. So the State cannot now execute Smith without his pastor present, to ease what Smith calls the 'transition between the worlds of the living and the dead,'" Justice Elena Kagan wrote in the order maintaining injunction. Smith, 51, was scheduled to receive a lethal injection at a south Alabama prison for the 1991 murder of 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson in Birmingham. "Mr. Smith pled that he believes that the point of transition between life and death is important, and that having his spiritual advisor physically present at that moment is integral to his faith," Smiths lawyers wrote in court documents. In the past, Alabama routinely brought in a Christian prison chaplain who would pray with an inmate if requested. The state stopped that practice after Muslim inmates asked to have an imam present, saying it would no longer allow non-prison staff in the chamber. If the execution had gone forward, it would have been the first by a state in 2021 and one of the few at the state level since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. (More on the crime here.) (Newser) The story of a horrific rape last week aboard a SEPTA train on the outskirts of Philly seemed to get even worse when cops revealed that bystanders sat by and did nothing to help, instead holding up their phones to record the incident. Now, Delaware County's chief prosecutor says that narrative is a false one, and that there's surveillance video to prove it. "That is simply not true. It did not happen," District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said Thursday of the story floating that fellow passengers "watched this transpire and took videos of it for their own gratification," per NBC Philadelphia. story continues below Stollsteimer says SEPTA security footage shows a "handful" of travelers hopping on and off the elevated commuter train on Oct. 13, but he adds they may not have realized exactly what was happening, especially during the times when the train was moving. As for everyone sitting around recording the rape, Stollsteimer says there may have been two people who did so, but at least one of them "probably" flagged down SEPTA staff. "People in this region are not, in my experience, so inhuman and callous" that they would do such a thing "for their own private enjoyment," Stollsteimer notes. The original passengers-did-nothing narrative emerged from SEPTA officials and Upper Darby Police Department Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt, with Bernhardt calling it "disturbing." On Thursday, Stollsteimer didn't appear to point the finger at anyone in particular, but he slammed what he said was "misinformation" and compared the case to that of Kitty Genovese, who was stabbed to death in Queens in 1964. The story at the time was that dozens of witnesses similarly ignored her pleas for help, but it's a tale that's since been debunked, Stollsteimer noted, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. Whatever the true narrative, some SEPTA regulars are now wary. "I would never take SEPTA alone ever again without somebody being with me," one commuter tells CBS Philadelphia. A suspect, 35-year-old Fiston Ngoy, is in custody, being held on $180,000 bail. Meanwhile, Stollsteimer is also trying to get any witnesses to come tell what they saw, assuring them they won't be prosecuted for not intervening. (Read more Philadelphia stories.) (Newser) The California family that died mysteriously while on a hike near the Merced River likely died from hyperthermia and possible dehydration, the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office revealed Thursday. John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their one-year-old daughter, and their dog were all found dead along the trail Aug. 17, and for months authorities have been ruling out possible causes of their mysterious deaths. While extreme heat was originally ruled out, the sheriff's office says hyperthermia deaths are difficult to determine and take a while to fully investigate, but that authorities are now fairly certain hyperthermia is in fact the cause, the Mercury News reports. story continues below A witness reported seeing the family's truck going toward the Hite Cove Trail on the morning of Aug. 15, when it was 75 degrees Fahrenheit at an elevation of around 3,800 feet, ABC 30 reports. While Gerrish and Chung were experienced hikers, they had just recently moved to the area and weren't familiar with it. Gerrish mapped out the trail on his phone, but the app he used did not show the steepness of the trailby the time they'd hiked 2.2 miles, down to an elevation of around 1,900 feet, the temperature had hit 92 to 99 degrees. Even further on, the temperature got higher; it hit 109 in the area that day, and much of the trail has no shade, thanks to a 2018 wildfire that burned the tree cover. They had an 85-ounce water bladder with them, but it was empty when their bodies were found. Authorities believe they had hiked around 6 miles; they were found a mile and a half from their vehicle. The sheriff says the elevation change and temperature in the Devil's Gulch Valley would likely come as a surprise to people not familiar with the area, and that the app may have made the hike appear to be easier than it actually was. The cause of death for the dog has not been determined, but authorities believe it was also likely heat-related. Gerrish's phone has been sent to the FBI to investigate whether it holds any clues to the family's final hours. (Read more California stories.) (Newser) As he turned to leave a gas station convenience store, James Kilcer saw a handgun pointed in his direction. He didn't hesitate. Within about a second, the 32-year-old Marine veteran reached out, disarmed the masked individual who'd just walked in, and pushed him toward the floor, per USA Today. A second person wearing a bandana over the face, who'd followed the armed individual into the store, turned around and raced out the door, stumbling a little. A third individual in a white Halloween-style mask, who'd yet to make it through the door, took off, too. story continues below Surveillance footage of the interaction has now been watched millions of time across platforms since it was shared Wednesday by the Yuma County Sheriffs Office of Arizona. The sheriff's office said deputies arrived at the Chevron in Yuma around 4:30am Wednesday to find Kilcer holding the juvenile suspect, who was booked into a detention facility on charges including armed robbery and aggravated assault, per KNXV. Asked how he took control of the situation, Kilcer reportedly told deputies, "the Marine Corps taught me not to [mess] around." "The situation had to be dealt with, and there was really only one way to deal with it," Kilcer, now a contractor with the Defense Department, told KNXV. "I picked my target and he took an extra step towards me, towards the counter and he was in my reach," he added. "I hit him and the gun before my keys hit the ground." Kilcer said he also hit the suspect, who claimed to be 14, in the face with his shopping bag and "may or may not have broke his nose because he was bleeding all over the place." Deputies are continuing to search for the pair who fled. (Read more armed robbery stories.) (Newser) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II spent a night in a hospital for checks this week after canceling an official trip to Northern Ireland on medical advice, Buckingham Palace said Thursday. The palace said the 95-year-old British monarch went to the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Wednesday for preliminary investigations. It said she returned to her Windsor Castle home at lunchtime on Thursday, "and remains in good spirits," the AP reports. Elizabeth has cut back on her workload in recent years but still keeps a busy schedule of royal duties. On Tuesday, she held audiences with diplomats and hosted a reception at Windsor Castle for global business leaders. story continues below On Wednesday, the queen canceled a scheduled trip to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, and the palace said she had reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for a few days. It did not elaborate, but the decision was understood not to be related to COVID-19. The queen has been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The palace confirmed the queen's hospital stay after the Sun newspaper reported the news. The decision came just days after Elizabeth was seen using a walking stick at a major public event when attending a Westminster Abbey service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion, an armed forces charity. She had previously been photographed using a cane in 2003, but that was after she underwent knee surgery. Britains longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch, Elizabeth is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee70 years on the thronenext year. (But don't call her an "oldie.") (Newser) Wildfires that swept through Syria last year were intentionally lit, and now 24 individuals linked to setting them have been executed, per the country's Ministry of Justice. Al Jazeera notes that while executions aren't uncommon in Syria, so many being killed at once is unusual. It's not clear where the executions happened or how they were carried out. Those put to death weren't accused of arson but of "terrorist acts that led to death and damage to state infrastructure and public and private property through the use of flammable material," the ministry noted in its statement. story continues below CNN reports four other individuals who were tied to the fires were given temporary hard-labor stints, while nearly a dozen more were sentenced to life doing the same, per the ministry. Five underage perpetrators also received jail time, with sentences of up to 12 years. The ministry says the perpetrators admitted planning and setting the fires, which started in August 2020 and continued "intermittently" through October last year. They burned through hundreds of towns in three provinces, killing three and damaging nearly 400 homes. The blazes also charred more than 25,000 acres of land and damaged farm equipment, livestock, and infrastructure. The suspects were IDed and arrested last year. Human rights activists are "shocked" by the severity of the punishment, reports the New York Times. "The idea that 24 people were executed in relation to wildfires just smacks of the farce that [President] Bashar al-Assad has made of the justice system over the last decade," says Sara Kayyali of Human Rights Watch. She notes that those accused of terrorism are often just people who oppose the government, and they're sent to a special court where they're pressured to confess to their alleged crimes and aren't given adequate legal representation. "We have seen the counterterrorism law and this court be used to stifle dissent, to send hundreds of people to their deaths," Kayyali says. (Read more Syria stories.) (Newser) In a tragic accident Thursday, Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of his new movie Rust that, somehow, killed the film's cinematographer and left the director injured. Authorities were called to the Bonanza Creek Ranch set Thursday afternoon; they airlifted Halyna Hutchins, 42, to a New Mexico hospital where she later died, People reports. Joel Souza, 48, also received emergency treatment for injuries that were initially described as critical; his current condition has not been made public, Deadline reports. The movie's production company says in a statement that the cast and crew are "absolutely devastated," and that production has been halted for an undetermined amount of time, the New York Times reports. story continues below "There was an accident today on the New Mexico set of Rust involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks," Baldwin's rep says in a statement. Authorities are still investigating exactly what happened and what type of projectile was discharged. "Mr. Baldwin was questioned by investigators and released," a Santa Fe Sheriffs Department official says. "No arrests or charges have been filed." Earlier in the day, Fox News reports, Baldwin had shared a photo of himself in full costume for the western, captioned, "Back to in person at the office. Blimey its exhausting." The post has since been deleted. (Read more Alec Baldwin stories.) (Newser) According to GovTrack's 2020 report card, Sens. Joe Manchin and Bernie Sanders are 46 places apart on the politically right-to-left scale, with Manchin at 54 and Sanders at 100. Two senators tell Axios that the men were just as far apart during a heated closed-door meeting on the Democrats' social spending bill Wednesday. Sen. Jon Tester says Manchin said he was "comfortable with zero" while Sanders insisted the package should be $3.5 trillion. Sen. Chris Coons says that during the "vigorous" discussion, Sanders also said "$6 trillion." story continues below President Biden said at a CNN town hall Thursday night that a deal is close but he acknowledged that cuts were being made to secure the votes of Manchin and fellow centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Biden said he doesn't believe there are enough Democratic votes to raise the corporate tax rate, a move Sinema opposes. "When youre president of the United States, you have 50 Democratsevery one is a president. Every single one. So you gotta work things out," Biden said, per the AP. The president said free community college, which Sinema and Manchin oppose, is also no longer in the reconciliation bill, which has been pared down to around $2 trillion. Biden said the bill's 12 weeks of paid family leave have been cut to four weeks, and expanding Medicare for dental and vision benefits, a key Sanders priority, will now be a "reach" because of Sinema and Manchin's opposition, Axios reports. The president also acknowledged that climate change provisions are being taken out of what he called the "social economy" bill due to Manchin's opposition, per CNN. Biden said discussions are now down to four or five issuesand he praised the holdouts for their negotiating skills, Politico reports. "Joes not a bad guy. Hes a friend," he said of Manchin. He described Sinema as "smart as the devil" but added that she "will not raise a single penny on taxes for the corporate side and or on wealthy people" when it comes to the top tax rates. "Look, I was a senator for 370 years," Biden quipped. "I was relatively good at putting together deals." The AP adds that in terms of which taxes would help pay for the package, the new approach that seems to be gaining steam abandons the idea of reversing Trump-era tax cuts and would instead involve taxing billionaires' stock gains. (Read more spending bill stories.) (Newser) Human behavior is "literally changing the anatomy of animals," according to the author of a new study that finds decades of ivory poaching in Mozambique has encouraged the evolution of elephants without tusks. What was once a rare genetic mutation causing tusklessness in female elephants at Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park has become more common in recent decades, following widespread poaching during a civil war that stretched from 1977 to 1992, the Guardian reports. Armed forces on both sides funded the conflict in part by hunting elephants for their ivory. Some 90% of the park's 2,500 elephants were killed, but those without tusks went untouched. story continues below Princeton University evolutionary biologist Robert Pringle, co-author of the study published Thursday in Science, had heard that the rate of females born tuskless within the park had increased from 18.5% before the war to 33% after it, per Nature, but it was unclear why. In sequencing the genomes of tusked and tuskless elephants, he and his team discovered a genetic mutation on the X chromosomereportedly in the genes AMELX and MEP1a, which are involved in the growth of incisor teeth in humansthat is believed to keep female elephants from developing tusks. The downside is that the mutation appears to be fatal to male elephants, which do not develop properly as fetuses. About 50% of male calves born to tuskless mothers carry the mutation. With fewer males, there will be fewer elephants born overall, which isn't great for population recovery. With time, however, "we actually expect that this syndrome will decrease in frequency in our study population, provided that the conservation picture continues to stay as positive as it has been recently," Pringle tells the Guardian. The park's herd has more than tripled in number since the war, rising from 200 elephants in the 1990s to 700 today. (These elephants shrunk nearly 85% in size over generations.) (Newser) A California teacher accused of mocking Native Americans in an effort to teach a trigonometry mnemonic has been placed on leave. In video apparently taken by a student at John W. North High School in Riverside, the teacher, wearing a faux headdress, whoops and makes tomahawk motions as she chants "SohCahToa," a mnemonic used to remember the sine, cosine, and tangent functions. The teacher also refers to a "rock god" and a "water goddess," CNN reports. Riverside Unified School District spokesperson Diana Meza says the teacher is now on administrative leave and the district has launched an investigation. story continues below According to an Instagram post that shared the video Wednesday, the teacher was filmed by a Native American student. The studentwho "has a Native first name and outwardly identifies as Native American""noticed the teacher was pulling out a fake feather headdress and when she put it on he thought, 'what is she going to do?'" the post says. Laura Boling, president of the Riverside City Teachers Association, said that while the teacher "may not have intended to cause harm, we are disappointed by the insensitive and inappropriate behavior." A statement from a group of state lawmakers said it was "damaging and disheartening to see Native American and Indigenous culture represented in such a trite and insensitive way." Kim Kirkpatrick, a 2012 North High graduate, tells the Press-Enterprise that she found a photo of the teacher doing the same thing in her senior yearbook. The caption said the teacher was "dancing from one end of the room to the other" and wearing "an Indian headdress to emphasize geometry basics, Kirkpatrick says. (Read more California stories.) (Newser) The cinematographer tragically killed Thursday when Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of the movie Rust was about to get her big break, according to friends. Halyna Hutchins, named one of American Cinematographer's Rising Stars of 2019, was shot around 1:50pm local time while working as director of photography for the film shoot at New Mexico's Bonanza Creek Ranch. The 42-year-old died of her injuries at a hospital, per CNN. Her last Instagram post from Wednesday shows her riding on horseback. "One of the perks of shooting a western is you get to ride horses on your day off," reads the caption. story continues below Born in Ukraine in 1979, Hutchins was raised on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle "surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines," according to her website. She studied journalism before going to work on documentaries, which is how she discovered her love of filmmaking. She then moved to Los Angeles and attended the American Film Institute, from which she graduated in 2015. She received credits on 49 film, TV, and other titles, including the 2020 indie film Archenemy, starring Joe Manganiello, and the BET+ original series A Luv Tale: The Series, per CNN and the Hollywood Reporter. "An incredible talent & great person. I can't believe this could happen in this day and age gunfire from a prop gun could kill a crew member? What a horrible tragedy," tweeted Manganiello. "It's hard out here for women cinematographers and this was a HUGE opportunity for her," added casting director, writer, and producer Sidra Smith. "I think she was going to be a very famous, very successful DP," Archenemy director Adam Egypt Mortimer told the Los Angeles Times. "She was building a reputation. She was showing people what she could do." Mortimer expressed dismay at the accidental shooting, which also left Rust director Joel Souza, 48, critically injured. "The level of protocol and safety that we tend to have on any production of any size, when you get down to handling weapons, guns, it's so involved that the fact that a gun went off and killed Halyna is ... shocking from an industry point of view," he told the BBC. CNN reports Baldwin was "photographed looking distraught" outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, where he was questioned on Thursday. (Read more accidental death stories.) (Newser) New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had to ask a reporter to repeat a question at a press conference Friday because she had been somewhat distracted by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake. Video from the Wellington press conference shows the prime minister gripping the podium before smiling and saying, "Sorry, a slight distraction. Would you mind repeating that question?" Authorities said the quake, felt by hundreds of thousands of people, hit the central North Island Friday morning but did not cause major damage. Ardern also kept her cool when a 5.9 quake hit during an interview last year. "Quite a decent shake, here," she calmly remarked. story continues below Wellington is known for earthquakes, and Ardern said at the end of the Friday conference that Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson "just said to me that he wanted to check whether or not it was windhe wasnt entirely convinced it was an earthquake. I would expect such a statement from the MP for Wellington Central." The New Zealand Herald reports that Ardern announced a new "traffic light" system that will be used to manage COVID-19 when local health boards have vaccinated 90% of eligible people. She said that hard borders around Auckland while be retained for now, but residents of the country's biggest city should "absolutely" be able to visit family in other parts of New Zealand for Christmas. (Read more New Zealand stories.) (Newser) Donald Trump created Truth Social to "stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech," but the former president's new social media platform doesn't have the legs yet to stand up to hackers. Just a couple of hours after Trump on Wednesday introduced Truth Social and its parent company, the Trump Media & Technology Group, someone breached a private version of the still-to-be-launched social media site. They went to town, first creating a fake "donaldjtrump" account, then setting up even more not-real handles under the names of Steve Bannon, Mike Pence, and Twitter's own Jack Dorsey, reports the New York Times. story continues below From there, the hackers went the scatological route, posting profane rants that targeted Dorsey, as well as photos of defecating pigs. Claiming responsibility for the breach: the infamous hacking collective Anonymous, with members telling the Times the move was part of their "online war against hate." "We had a fun time trolling it to high heaven," one hacker says. Mikael Thalen of the Daily Dot talked to a representative from the group, who told him they sussed out the name of a developer involved in the project then used the Shodan search engine to do some digging. Not long after, they found a web domain "that appeared to be running the mobile beta for Truth Social." Thalen himself demonstrated how easy it was to infiltrate the site, setting himself up as donaldtrump. Truth Social eventually caught on to what was happening and took the domain offline. This hack comes just days after Trump's regular DonaldJTrump.com site was breached, apparently by a Turkish "hacktivist" who embedded a nationalist video of controversial President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reports Gizmodo. (Read more TRUTH Social stories.) (Newser) As a private equity firm, making deals is what Partners Group Holdings doesbut CEO David Layton has banned the D-word and set up the equivalent of a swear jar. Partners who write or say the word "deal" have to make a $1,000 donation to charity, while the fine is $100 for junior employees, the Wall Street Journal reports. Soon after the 40-year-old CEO introduced the policy in June, he fined co-founder Marcel $3,000 for using the word three times in a speech at the Swiss firm's annual retreat. Layton says he banned the word because he wants colleagues at the buyout firm, which has assets of $119 billion, to move away from a viewpoint that treats buying a business as a one-time event instead of an ongoing process. story continues below Employees have started saying "investment" instead of "deal." Layton tells the Journal that he also likes the words "stewardship, governance, strategy, culture, entrepreneurship, operational excellence, and sustainability." He says the vocabulary is part of an effort to change the industry's image. "People in our business are called sharks, vultures, wolves," Layton says. "In Germany they call us locusts. At Partners, were like penguins. When it gets cold they all huddle together to protect the young penguins." The Journal describes the firm as "quirky," noting that it was the first private-equity firm to go publicand after it was founded in 1996, it made a point of giving employees and partners a sabbatical every five years. Layton, who works out of the firm's new US headquarters in Denver, says the "deal" ban relies on the honor system, unless he personally overhears itand he believes it is linked to a 65% rise in donations to its charitable arm this year. Avoiding the D-word at the company must have been a difficult task in recent weeks: Reuters reported last month that Partners Group had made deals to acquire stakes in 17 companies after raising $15 billion to invest in assets including tech and healthcare companies as the economy recovers from the pandemic. (Read more private equity stories.) (Newser) China on Friday said there is "no room" for compromise or concessions on the issue of Taiwan, following a comment by President Biden that the US is committed to defending the island if it is attacked. In his comments at a CNN town hall, Biden said the US doesn't want a new Cold War, but expressed concern about whether China was "going to engage in activities that will put them in a position where they may make a serious mistake," the AP reports. "I just want to make China understand that we are not going to step back, we are not going to change any of our views." Biden said. Asked whether the US would come to Taiwan's defense if it were attacked, he replied: "Yes, we have a commitment to do that." story continues below China has recently upped its threat to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary by flying warplanes near the island and rehearsing beach landings. Biden's comments were viewed as stretching the "strategic ambiguity" Washington has maintained over how it would respond to an assault on the self-governing island republic. After his remarks, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reasserted Chinas longstanding claim that the island is its territory. "No one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will, and strong ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wang said. "Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. The Taiwan issue is purely an internal affair of China that allows no foreign intervention," Wang said. He added that the US should "be cautious with its words and actions on the Taiwan issue, and not send any wrong signals to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence, so as not to seriously damage China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait." After Biden's remarks Thursday, the White House clarified that there had been no change in US policy, as it did after similar comments from the president in August, the Guardian reports. (Read more Taiwan stories.) (Newser) Alec Baldwin has broken his silence on the deadly prop gun accident that left a woman dead on his movie set. Police in New Mexico say Baldwin himself fired the prop gun, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42. Director Joel Souza, 48, was injured. Details and more: His tweet: "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours," Baldwin tweeted. "I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred." Baldwin added that he is in touch with her husband. "My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna." story continues below Live round? There's still no full explanation of what happened, including what type of projectile might have hit the victims. However, a union representing prop makers says a "live single round" somehow got fired, reports the Los Angeles Times. A live single round was accidentally fired on set by the principal actor," says the statement from Local 44, which represents employees in the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) in North Hollywood. The Sante Fe County Sheriff's Department likely won't have a complete picture for days, per the Hollywood Reporter. There's still no full explanation of what happened, including what type of projectile might have hit the victims. However, a union representing prop makers says a "live single round" somehow got fired, reports the Los Angeles Times. A live single round was accidentally fired on set by the principal actor," says the statement from Local 44, which represents employees in the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) in North Hollywood. The Sante Fe County Sheriff's Department likely won't have a complete picture for days, per the Hollywood Reporter. Director apparently OK: Souza, who was directing the movie Rust, has been released from the hospital after suffering unspecified injuries, reports Deadline Hollywood. Souza, who was directing the movie Rust, has been released from the hospital after suffering unspecified injuries, reports Deadline Hollywood. Previous deaths: Coverage points to two similar fatalities, the most famous occurring in 1993 when Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, was killed while working on The Crow. He was struck by a bullet from a gun that was supposed to be firing blanks. In 1984, John-Eric Hexum died after jokingly putting a blank-firing gun to his head and pulling the trigger while on the set of Cover Up: Golden Opportunity. At such close distances, even "blanks" can be deadly. "They all contain a charge, a powder that creates the noise and the explosive, the visual blast, and usually it's some kind of wire or something that explodes out of the weapon when it's fired," Daniel Oates, a former police chief, tells CNN. Coverage points to two similar fatalities, the most famous occurring in 1993 when Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, was killed while working on The Crow. He was struck by a bullet from a gun that was supposed to be firing blanks. In 1984, John-Eric Hexum died after jokingly putting a blank-firing gun to his head and pulling the trigger while on the set of Cover Up: Golden Opportunity. At such close distances, even "blanks" can be deadly. "They all contain a charge, a powder that creates the noise and the explosive, the visual blast, and usually it's some kind of wire or something that explodes out of the weapon when it's fired," Daniel Oates, a former police chief, tells CNN. Lee family: The Twitter account of Brandon Lee, run by sister Sharon Lee, offered condolences, reports CBS News. "Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on 'Rust,' reads the tweet. "No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period." The Twitter account of Brandon Lee, run by sister Sharon Lee, offered condolences, reports CBS News. "Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on 'Rust,' reads the tweet. "No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period." Prop guns: The term "prop gun" is a wide-ranging oneit might mean a fake gun or a real gun that fires blanksand USA Today digs into the particulars. CNN talks to a "prop master" (he wasn't working on Rust) who explains the dangers of movie-set guns in general. "Even though there is no actual physical projectile mounted on the cartridge, there will be gas, heat and air coming out of the weapon since there is gunpowder load present," says Joseph Fisher. (Read more about Hutchins here .) (Newser) On Thursday, the FBI confirmed that remains found in a Florida preserve were those of Brian Laundrie, the person of interest in the death of his fiancee, Gabby Petito. After the announcement of that development, Steven Bertolino, the Laundrie family's attorney, began revealing more info about what went down when Laundrie took off from the Florida home he shared with his parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie. Coverage: 'Upset': Per TMZ, Bertolino told MSNBC on Thursday that Laundrie had been "extremely upset" when he left the house on Sept. 13, the last time his parents say they saw him. "Chris and Roberta were extremely concerned about him," Bertolino elaborated to George Stephanopoulos the next day on Good Morning America, per WABC. "They wish they could have stopped him. Chris said to me, 'I know in hindsight I couldn't stop him, but I just wish I could have.'" Per TMZ, Bertolino told MSNBC on Thursday that Laundrie had been "extremely upset" when he left the house on Sept. 13, the last time his parents say they saw him. "Chris and Roberta were extremely concerned about him," Bertolino elaborated to George Stephanopoulos the next day on Good Morning America, per WABC. "They wish they could have stopped him. Chris said to me, 'I know in hindsight I couldn't stop him, but I just wish I could have.'" Cause of death: On GMA, Bertolino told Stephanopoulos that the family may have more info from the medical examiner on what happened to Laundrie as soon as Friday afternoon. On GMA, Bertolino told Stephanopoulos that the family may have more info from the medical examiner on what happened to Laundrie as soon as Friday afternoon. Pressure from Stephanopoulos: Bertolino hedged at a direct line of questioning from the show's host, who asked, "Did Brian tell the Laundries anything about what happened to Gabby before he disappeared?" Bertolino's response: "George, that's not something I can comment on right now, and I'd like to just leave it at that." Stephanopoulos pressed on, asking: "Well, if you can't comment on it, that means you know something about it." From a reticent Bertolino: "I think everybody out there knows that whether the family or myself have some information [to] share, there's not that much that we can say at this point in time and I'm going to leave it at, no comment." Bertolino hedged at a direct line of questioning from the show's host, who asked, "Did Brian tell the Laundries anything about what happened to Gabby before he disappeared?" Bertolino's response: "George, that's not something I can comment on right now, and I'd like to just leave it at that." Stephanopoulos pressed on, asking: "Well, if you can't comment on it, that means you know something about it." From a reticent Bertolino: "I think everybody out there knows that whether the family or myself have some information [to] share, there's not that much that we can say at this point in time and I'm going to leave it at, no comment." Petito's family speaks: In a statement, attorney Richard Stafford passed along a message from the victim's family. "They are grieving the loss of their beautiful daughter," Stafford said in an email to the AP. "Gabby's family will make a statement at the appropriate time and when they are emotionally ready." In a statement, attorney Richard Stafford passed along a message from the victim's family. "They are grieving the loss of their beautiful daughter," Stafford said in an email to the AP. "Gabby's family will make a statement at the appropriate time and when they are emotionally ready." The notebook: Found near the remains was a notebook that some are hoping will offer clues about what happened between Laundrie and Petito. A source tells CNN the notebook was wet when found, but that it's "possibly salvageable" and that authorities are going to "be very careful with it." Experts hope advances in forensic science will help the process along. Found near the remains was a notebook that some are hoping will offer clues about what happened between Laundrie and Petito. A source tells CNN the notebook was wet when found, but that it's "possibly salvageable" and that authorities are going to "be very careful with it." Experts hope advances in forensic science will help the process along. Focus on the Laundries: Questions remain now that Laundrie's fate is known. NBC News notes that many of these inquiries are circling around his parents, with some wondering if they helped their son flee. Others want to know about the timing of finding Laundrie's remains in a Florida preserve, which happened the day Chris and Roberta Laundrie joined the search there. Bertolino is waving away the "conjectures" and "theories," noting that the site where the remains were found had simply been underwater previously. "When does it stop?" he said of the speculation. Questions remain now that Laundrie's fate is known. NBC News notes that many of these inquiries are circling around his parents, with some wondering if they helped their son flee. Others want to know about the timing of finding Laundrie's remains in a Florida preserve, which happened the day Chris and Roberta Laundrie joined the search there. Bertolino is waving away the "conjectures" and "theories," noting that the site where the remains were found had simply been underwater previously. "When does it stop?" he said of the speculation. New pics: What may be the last known set of candid photos of Petito and Laundrie have emerged, taken just two days before they were pulled over by police in Moab, Utah. The photographer who took the pictures at Arches National Park on Aug. 10 didn't know the couple, but he says "they stood out because they had the 'van life' look to them, and I remember feeling envious because they seemed like enthusiasts," per the New York Post. The man says he and his wife asked Laundrie, seen sporting a "woven hat," and Petito for tips on how to get down a steep rock slope. "They ended up pulling out moments later, and we exchanged a friendly nod as they passed," the photographer says, per Fox News. "Truly tragic to know how this all has played out." (Read more Brian Laundrie stories.) (Newser) Another former Facebook employee has told the SEC that profit and growth are more important to the company than stopping misinformation and hate speech. The allegations by a former member of Facebook's Integrity team were made in a new affidavit for the Securities and Exchange Commission, which carries penalties for perjury, the Washington Post reports. The Post has reviewed a copy of the filing and interviewed but did not identify the whistleblower. Many of the whistleblower's accusations are similar to those made earlier this month by Frances Haugen, who testified before a Senate subcommittee. story continues below Among them is a communications official's dismissive attitude toward Russia's use of Facebook to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. The affidavit quotes Tucker Bounds, a Facebook communications official, as saying: "It will be a flash in the pan. Some legislators will get pissy. And then in a few weeks they will move onto something else. Meanwhile we are printing money in the basement, and we are fine." Bounds told the Post that "being asked about a purported one-on-one conversation four years ago with a faceless person, with no other sourcing than the empty accusation itself, is a first for me." The whistleblower said Bounds' quote reflects the attitude in Facebook about troublesome, even illegal, content in Facebook Groups. The company undercut efforts to block misinformation and hate speech, the affidavit said. The former employee said Facebook didn't want to upset then-President Donald Trump or endanger the user growth driving profits. In one meeting, the whistleblower said, the leader of the Public Policy team defended not applying rules on misinformation to Breitbart News by saying, "Do you want to start a fight with Steve Bannon?" Haugen, who also took her complaints to the SEC, met this week with leaders of the antitrust subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. House legislation is in the works that could ease the grip Facebook and other tech giants have on the market, per Politico. Facebook issued a statement critical of the Post's report on the new whistleblower. "It sets a dangerous precedent to hang an entire story on a single source making a wide range of claims without any apparent corroboration," a spokeswoman said. (Read more Facebook stories.) Local top story Transitions wants survivors to know they are not alone ERIKA KAPUSHINSKI/STAFF PHOTO Pictured, from left, are Janet McGrath, finance director; Heather Drer, grants compliance director; Aquene Prindle, fiscal operations administrator; and Mae-Ling Kranz, chief executive officer of Transitions of PA all pose in purple in recognition of Purple Thursday, a day recognizing domestic abuse. LEWISBURG I want to help domestic abuse survivors realize they are not alone, said Nina Blair, a home advocate for Transitions and survivor of domestic abuse. Transitions is a comprehensive crime center that handles domestic violence, sexual abuse and other forms of physical aggression in Snyder, Union and Northumberland counties. They provide a variety of services at no cost to individuals in crisis, including therapy, housing and legal advocacy. Blair said she was guided by an advocate and that her experience inspired her to pursue a career as one. She was there as support. I knew then I wanted to do that for other women. Fighting against stigmas When someone thinks of abuse they think of a woman with a black eye, said Tara Day Ulrich, program director of Transitions. There is a stigma that men can not be abused. ... Women can be abusers, too. Men who come forward typically do so in extreme cases or when children are involved, said Day Ulrich, adding men have a harder time recognizing their abuse, not realizing they are victims themselves. According to Day Ulrich, minority groups, like the LGBTQA+, face unique circumstances that make coming forward a challenge. She said reports of domestic abuse among LGBTQA+, especially within the conservative regions they service, are largely underreported. Receiving help means coming out and in this area it can be a very difficult thing to do. Victims would actually rather stay in an abusive relationship then come forward. Blair added societys perception of what constitutes domestic violence as soley physical abuse. There are other forms of abuse, such as isolation and financial abuse. Many abusers use these manipulative tactics to cut off their victims support systems and control their finances, making it harder for victims to leave on their own. They force you to be solely dependent on them, Blair said. I had one survivor who stayed with her abuser for 17 years. Transitions Chief Executive Officer Mae-Ling Kranz said certain environmental factors can increase the risk of domestic violence. She said the COVID-19 pandemic created an extremely isolating environment for victims. It created this environment for violence to progress, Kranz said. We saw this huge burst of requests for our services. Our hotline calls have gone up, our requests for counseling have gone up. Education can end a cycle We see younger populations talking about their relationships, Day Ulrich said, adding they had great success with a teen group that ran in 2019. The group met at the Selinsgrove Regional Engagement Center every Monday prior to the pandemic and theyre bringing it back in November. Day Ulrich said it was an open support group that facilitated discussions about a range of relational topics, such as dating and sex. There were no parents involved. It was just a safe space for them to talk, Day Ulrich said. Blair added educating the youth is vital to ending abusive cycles. She said children who witness violence at home have a higher likelihood of perpetuating abuse in the future. In one of their sessions, one individual shared they were experiencing such conditions. If we can educate children growing up in violent households, we can interrupt the cycle. Kranz said another part of their education initiative is their medical advocacy program, which educates medical professionals around triggers and sensitivities individuals who suffered abuse may experience during appointments. This training has been provided to physicians, nurses and even dentists. In dentistry, some patients can show physical abuse symptoms such as missing teeth. It can be an extremely vulnerable experience, Kranz said. Life-saving services Transitions offers the community a plethora of life-saving resources. The Fairl Family Justice Center, located in Sunbury, opened its doors to the public in 2020. The organization created this center to provide a safe environment for supervised visitation and monitored custody exchanges. In Pennsylvania, many of the homicides that weve seen in domestic violence occur during a custody visitation, Day Ulrich said, adding they have had such homicide cases in Lycoming and Clinton counties. For individuals in crisis the organization has two confidential, emergency safe houses. Blair said her role in transitions involves rapid rehousing, which assists victims of domestic violence find a more permanent shelter and helps survivors reach financial independence. We pay their first months rent, Blair said. We help them find work to eventually be self-sustaining. Two years ago, Kranz said Transitions began providing counseling services to victims in the Shamokin area at 2 E. Arch St. Weve seen a larger demand for services here. Blair said, the job can have hard days but the greatest reward is seeing her clients flourish. Blair shared the joy of a mothers recent victory, a trip to the ice cream store with her son, something she would not have been allowed to do under her abusers control. She was so excited she was able to get ice cream and he was so excited they were able to get sprinkles. She said its those small instances that make her job joyous and really feel like she is making a difference for someone. Individuals experiencing abuse are encouraged to call their hotline, if they are safely able to, at 1-800-850-7948. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa yesterday called for strengthening accountability and responsibility in government works for Bahrain to achieve its development goals under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The Deputy King also highlighted the importance of upholding Integrity, Honesty and professionalism across government agencies to preserve public money and ensure the sustainability of resources. His Royal Highness said this during a meeting with Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Auditor-General of the National Audit Office, at Riffa Palace. Shaikh Ahmed presented HRH Prince Salman with the 18th National Audit Office Annual Report 2020-2021. The Crown Prince and Prime Minister told Shaikh Ahmed that nation-building is a continuous process that requires the determination and collaboration of all who keeps Bahrains interest above all else. We count on them to support the Kingdoms development march by promoting correct practices in government work and control mechanism, said HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Investing in society is the right way to succeed and overcome challenges, said Deputy King, adding COVID-19 pandemic had proved this to the world. The awareness of the people of Bahrain, their determination and responsibility in following COVID-19 measures resulted in Bahrain winning the battle against the pandemic, said HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, hailing the tremendous efforts of frontline healthcare professionals and supporting staff. The exceptional health circumstances the world had gone through due to outbreak has proven that investing in people is the right bet and way to achieve success amid challenges, added HRH Prince Salman. His Royal Highness further stressed the importance of preserving the achievements of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations in the health sector and continue pushing it towards broader horizons to achieve sustainability in providing health services with high quality and efficiency. This came as the Deputy King received at Riffa Palace the GCC Ministers of Health participating in the 7th meeting of the GCC Ministers of Health Committee and the 84th GCC Health Ministers General Conference, hosted by Bahrain. His Royal Highness welcomed the Ministers to Bahrain and wished them success in enhancing health cooperation among the GCC countries. Prince Salman highlighted the Council of the GCC Health Ministers role in following up with health plans and programmes that aim to continue preserving the health and safety of GCC citizens and residents. The GCC Ministers thanked His Royal Highness for the commitment to continue strengthening joint GCC cooperation within the health sector and Bahrains contribution to the success of the 84th GCC Health Ministers General Conference. The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Dr Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf, the Minister of Finance and National Economy, Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and the Minister of Health, Faeqa bint Saeed Al-Saleh also attended the meeting. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com There is a lack of 4,000 medicines and medical materials in the stores operated by the Ministry of Health, according to the 18th National Audit Office Annual Report 2020-2021. This scenario, the report points out, is equivalent to 47% of the medicines and materials that the ministrys drug manual requires to stock up due to their importance. The report also highlights the absence of sufficient stock of medicine and medical material in the warehouse of Salmaniya Medical Complex for as many as 149 items. Meanwhile, municipal fees arrears in Bahrain touched BD28 million as of November 9, 2020, according to the report. The report also states that 54% of the arrears are more than three years old, according to AlAyam. The report blames the municipalities for not taking any measures against some subscribers for failing to pay the dues. The issue happened, the report said, despite the dues exceeding five years, in some cases. The report also highlights 240 instances in which municipal fees levied were lower than required. It also points out that the difference between the minimum required and total fees applied amounted to 44 thousand dinars per month. Thank you for trusting us for your local news coverage. You have reached the maximum number of free articles per month. Subscribe today for unlimited access to News-Press NOW. It's a fast and easy way to support local journalism. DANBURY For most of her life, all Jessica Dudley knew about her father was that he was an American soldier during the Vietnam War named Lee who wore a brace on his leg. She said she felt like an outsider being raised in Vietnam by distant relatives of her mothers in a community that looked down on children who were half-Asian and half-American. Now, she wears a necklace with a picture of her and her father, a broach that once belonged to her paternal grandmother and a bracelet that says cousins. Photos of her father and her paternal grandparents hang on her walls. Dudley discovered the identity of her late father last year after connecting with a cousin through 23andMe, a genetics testing service. Since I connected with the family, I feel like I belong somewhere, she said. I feel like Im home. Before that, it was like this piece of me was missing. Learning about her father led Dudley, who has lived in the United States for 31 years, to become a U.S. citizen on Oct. 15. She has now taken her dads last name, Dudley, too. It was a little bit emotional because he wasnt here, she said of the citizenship ceremony. It would have been extra, extra special if he was. To congratulate Dudley, her aunt sent her flowers that were displayed in her living room on Monday morning. Dudley, who is visually impaired, lives in Danbury with her cat and seeing-eye dog, Lotus. She plans to move to California next year to be closer to her newly discovered family. Upbringing Dudley was born either in 1971 or 1972 in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. Her mother, who is originally from Cambodia, didnt keep track of her birthday. Known as Amerasians, children whose fathers were U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam War were seen as not one of us, Dudley said. So she was sent to live with her grandfathers cousin, who she called her grandmother, in Tra Vinh, Vietnam. My mother was kind of cruel to me because of my mixed blood and disability, Dudley said. I was hoping having one parent that rejected me, if I found my dad, maybe he wouldn't reject me. Its unknown how many Amerasian children were born during the Vietnam War. Many of their births were unregistered, according to the Smithsonian Magazine. Dudley said it wasnt safe for Amerasian children in Vietnam. My grandmothers biggest fear was that if she passed away before I left Vietnam that she was worried that it wouldnt be safe for me to be there, she said. Dudley was among the Amerasian children who the United States settled in America in the 1980s. She left Vietnam in 1989 for the Philippines, where she stayed in a refugee camp. She was 18 at the time, but legal documents were changed so that it looked like she was 17 and could go into the foster care system. She landed at LaGuardia Airport in January 1990, when she met her social worker and foster care mother. She was told to go to school and that she would stay in the foster care system until she turned 21. She knew little English or braille and had to learn how to navigate New York City a much more bustling place than her town in Vietnam with a cane. When we were younger, we probably had more guts, Dudley said. Growing up kind of rough, not raised by my mother and just always under survival mode, Im used to it. Dudley lost her eyesight when she was a few years old. By the time she got medical care in the United States, she was told it was too late to fix her sight. I never think of myself like being depressed because I cant see, she said. Thats my least problem, I always tell people. Dudley attended The New York Institute for Special Education, where she met her ex-husband, who was also blind. She left the foster care system as soon as her papers said she was 18, and the two married and had three children. The couple split up after six years. He moved to his home country of Mexico, and Dudley raised her daughter and two sons on her own, earning her GED and massage therapist license. Her children are 29, 28 and 26. Finding her father Dudley knows her maternal aunts and uncles. She has a half-sister on her mothers side who was born after Dudley left Vietnam, so she doesnt know her well. She had always wanted to find her dad, but had little information to go off of. Her mother had told her that he knew she was pregnant and wanted her to move to the United States with him, but she declined. Even though I never met him, I just had this feeling like we would be close and that just the sense of knowing where Im from, knowing my root, she said. For Christmas 2018, her boyfriend got her a 23andMe testing kit. She was excited to discover she had DNA match with a woman named Lisa Whitsitt, but Whitsitt said she didnt know anyone named Lee. I was crushed because that sounded so promising, Dudley said. Last September, she woke up to six messages on 23andMe. It was Whitsitt, who had realized Lee was her late uncle. She had known him as Uncle Gene, although his full name is Lee Eugene Dudley. I was totally shocked and super excited, said Whitsitt, who lives in California. Through Whitsitt, Dudley received photos of her dad and learned that he had served four tours in the Vietnam War. He was an army sergeant, who was shot in the leg, but fought to return to Vietnam, Dudley said. My aunt said he took his duty very seriously, duty to his country, she said. If he did not go back, I wouldnt have been born. Her father taught ROTC and served during Operation Desert Storm. He lived in North Carolina and died at 62 in 2005. His sister and three brothers are still alive. I was happy because his legacy continues, Whitsitt said. He was my favorite uncle. I was so delighted, and just talking to Jessica, I could hear him in her, her sense of humor and her dry wit. Dudley looks like her paternal grandmother and shares certain characteristics with her dad, Whitsitt said. They like the same beer, dont have sweet tooths dont like long letters or sweets. Whitsitts mother and twin sister have taken DNA tests too that solidified that theyre related to Dudley. Dudleys mother confirmed his identity through one of the photos, Whitsitt said. Due to COVID-19, Dudley couldnt visit her relatives until June, when she flew to California and met four of her 12 cousins. Whitsitt and her parents ran toward Dudley when they saw her coming down the elevator at Los Angeles International Airport. It was very comfortable, Whitsitt said. It wasnt awkward. It just felt natural. Whitsitts father is of Japanese descent, so she and Dudley have connected over being half-Asian and half-white. Whitsitt has since imagined that she and her sister may have reminded their uncle of the daughter he never knew. He loved Vietnamese food and culture, the family said. Whenever he came out here he loved Vietnamese restaurants, Whitsitt said. He was the most himself there and joyful and exposing us to different foods. Dudley doesnt hold any ill-will toward her father. She said she understands why he didnt mention her to his family or wasnt able to find her. He wouldnt have known if she alive, Dudley said. But I could just imagine the secret probably eating away because my aunt was telling me that sometimes she would catch him have like a far-away look, Dudley said. If her uncle were around, Whitsitt would want to tell him its all good. I have a sense he knows, she said. Everything is good. His daughter is a survivor. She deserves this family connection and love and connection to him. Dudley will meet more of her cousins this Thanksgiving and has visited her fathers grave at Fort Bragg. Im very proud of him, she said. I think hes my hero. Even though I never had the chance to know him, I feel very close to him. I feel his presence. WASHINGTON (AP) Illegal border crossings from Mexico fell in September for only the second time in 17 months, but the federal fiscal year ended with the highest count ever, authorities said Friday. Migrants were stopped 192,001 times, down 9% from August and below 200,000 for the first time since June, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Authorities stopped migrants more than 1.7 million times during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, nearly quadruple from 458,088 in the previous fiscal year, when COVID-19 first struck. The annual total broke a previous high of more than 1.6 million in the 2000 fiscal year and is the highest since the Border Patrol was created in 1924. The numbers aren't directly comparable because pandemic rules since March 2020 to expel migrants without giving them a chance to seek asylum carry no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. In 27% of crossings during the latest fiscal year, migrants had been stopped at least once in the previous 12 months, compared with a recidivism rate of only 7% two years earlier, before the pandemic rules known as Title 42 authority took effect. In September, the number of single adults jumped from a year earlier but was more than offset by declines in people arriving in families or as unaccompanied children. The monthly total includes about 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants who camped under a bridge in the small Texas border town of Del Rio. Haitians were encountered 17,966 times during September, up from 7,757 in August to become the fourth most common nationality after Mexicans, Hondurans and Guatemalans. The number of Ecuadorians encountered at the border by U.S. authorities fell sharply after Mexico began requiring visas last month. MONTREAL, Oct. 22, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada (OTCQX: ACDVF) (TSX: AC) has been further recognized by Achievers as being one of the 'Elite 8' companies within the 2021 Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces Awards , which celebrates the top 50 employers that make engagement, alignment and recognition central to the employee experience. This latest award follows the airline being recently named as one of the 50 Most Engaged Workplaces for the fifth consecutive year for its commitment to employee engagement. "We are thrilled that Achievers has named Air Canada as one of the top eight organizations this year, specifically for connecting employees through purpose and leadership. I am especially proud that over the past 18 months of COVID-19 and its severe disruption to our industry, so many of our employees volunteered to give back to their communities such as through working as Emergency Care Workers in Long Term Care homes, or assisting in the recruitment of more than 400 medical support staff for the Centre integre universitaire de sante et de services sociaux. Other employees together with the Air Canada Foundation, initiated a food rescue effort across Canada of more than 770,789 kg of fresh food from April to December, providing more than 1.3 million meals for Canadian people in need. And there are many more examples. Our 'win as one' approach and culture supports our business priority and belief that a resilient, engaged workforce is important to our ongoing recovery, as well as being a competitive advantage when we recruit the brightest and the best people to join our organization," said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer and Public Affairs at Air Canada. "With employee resignations and labour shortages plaguing the workforce, it has never been more important for companies to commit to improving the employee experience," said Jeff Cates, CEO and president at Achievers. "The number of submissions we received for the Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces Awards proved not only that employers understand this need, but also shows their willingness to put people first during a crisis. The Elite 8 have exemplified what it looks like to be an employee-first company, and I want to congratulate them on both the well-deserved award and their dedication to their employees." The Achievers 'Elite 8' award is the most recent recognition Air Canada has received for human resources, corporate culture and employee engagement. The airline was also recently honoured in the 2021 Skytrax World Airline Awards with honours for Best Airline Staff in North America, Best Airline Staff in Canada, Best Business Class Lounge in North America, and Excellence for COVID-19, among others: FXExpress Publications, Inc. with six awards, including the Trazee Travel readership's Favourite Airline in North America , and is the only Skytrax Four Star international network carrier in North America . Recognized as one of Montreal Top Employers 2021 by Mediacorp. as having exceptional human resources programs and forward-thinking workplace policies, as compared to others in their industry and region. , and is the only Skytrax Four Star international network carrier in . Recognized as one of Montreal Top Employers 2021 by Mediacorp. as having exceptional human resources programs and forward-thinking workplace policies, as compared to others in their industry and region. Recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers 2021 by Mediacorp for its partnerships to create inclusive workplaces for employees from five diverse groups: women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Aboriginal peoples, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ2) people. Best Diversity Employers 2021 by Mediacorp for its partnerships to create inclusive workplaces for employees from five diverse groups: women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Aboriginal peoples, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ2) people. Employment Equity Achievement Award for Diversity & Inclusion from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) APEX 5-Star rating reflects performance based on passenger feedback Loyalty360 Platinum award for Innovation in Corporate Social Responsibility Additional information about Air Canada's People and Human Resources is in the "Employees" section of the 2020 Corporate Sustainability Report at: www.aircanada.com/citizensoftheworld . About Air Canada Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline, and in 2019 was among the top 20 largest airlines in the world. It is Canada's flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax. In 2020, Air Canada was named Global Traveler's Best Airline in North America for the second straight year. In January 2021, Air Canada received APEX's Diamond Status Certification for the Air Canada CleanCare+ biosafety program for managing COVID-19, the only airline in Canada to attain the highest APEX ranking. Air Canada has also committed to a net zero emissions goal from all global operations by 2050. For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/media, follow Air Canada on Twitter and LinkedIn, and join Air Canada on Facebook. Internet: aircanada.com/media Sign up for Air Canada news: aircanada.com Media Resources: Photos Videos B-Roll Articles SOURCE Air Canada For further information: Contacts: [email protected] Related Links www.aircanada.com As per the NCB sources, Ananya denied the allegation of supplying drugs to Aryan Khan, who is an accused in the case, and said that she has never consumed the drugs. Bollywood actor Ananya Panday, who was summoned by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Thursday and Friday in connection with the Mumbai cruise raid case, has denied the allegations of supplying and consuming drugs. As per the NCB sources, Ananya denied the allegation of supplying drugs to Aryan Khan, who is an accused in the case, and said that she has never consumed the drugs. The chats recovered from Aryan Khans mobile phone reveal that in the year 2018-19, she helped supply drugs to Aryan thrice by providing him the numbers of drug dealers, NCB sources told ANI. Ananya denied the supply related talks in the chat conversation and told the NCB officials that she has never consumed or supplied the drugs, they added. Ananya Panday has been summoned by NCB today in connection with the Mumbai cruise raid case as well on suspicion of drug consumption. The summon has been issued based on the chats recovered from Aryan Khans mobile. Earlier on Thursday, an NCB team was seen at Ananya Pandays house, following which, the actor was summoned by the probe agency at its office. Later, Ananya Panday, along with her father Chunky Panday, reached NCBs office. Meanwhile, one more drug peddler was detained by NCB on Friday morning in connection with the cruise raid case. The probe agency has conducted six raids or searches in Mumbai and nearby areas in the last two days in connection with the cruise drugs case, said sources. An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on October 2. A total of 20 people, including Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khans son Aryan Khan, have been arrested so far in the case. Chinese companies like Xiaomi are running festive offers for Indian consumers, with celebrities like Bobby Deol, Himesh Reshamiya and Mouni Roy being the face of it. As the festival of joy and prosperity Diwali nears, India is witnessing a slew of hate comments over Indian brands. Be it outrage over Fab Indias Jashn-E-Riwaaz campaign to Aamir Khans no-cracker Diwali, we have found ourselves divided on religious sentiments. While it started with Fab Indias Jashn-E-Riwaaz, prompting the brand to pull back the ad after accusations of it defacing Diwali by linking the festival to an Urdu term, now the focus is on CEAT. In a latest development, Karnataka MP Anant Kumar Hegde has written a letter to the tyre company objecting an advertisement starring Aamir Khan, which urges people to not burst crackers on the streets. Anant Kumar Hegde said that the companys concern for public issues are to be applauded but along with raising awareness around not bursting crackers, it should also address the issue of blocking roads in the name of namaaz on Fridays and other important days by Muslims. He further added, Nowadays, a group of anti-Hindu actors always hurt Hindu sentiments whereas they never try to expose the wrongdoings of their community. Amid the religious back and forth and fuelling hatred among the people of India, what we are neglecting are countries who are minting money by fooling Indians, as they are engaged in months-long deadlock at the border. Even as Indians find fallacies in CEAT and Fab India, Chinese companies like Xiaomi are running festive offers for Indian consumers, with celebrities like Bobby Deol, Himesh Reshamiya and Mouni Roy being the face of it. Do we continue bashing Indian companies and let the real enemy mint big money; or do we say no to Chinese products and companies this Diwali, the choice is ours. But, we must remember that India will progress when each and every citizen of this country comes forward to support and promote Made In India brands and contribute towards building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. In the last two years, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus sickness or COVID-19, has rapidly spread around the world including India, affecting people of any age, including children. Children made for 8.5 percent of all Covid-19 cases documented. With the danger of a third wave looming large in India, and many predicting that it would affect children, it is both a medical and social responsibility to work to get children vaccinated. As India crosses the 100-crore vaccination dosage mark, the big question on everyones mind is when will we commence vaccinating children. Vaccination preparations have already commenced in Uttar Pradesh, with the government collecting data on children aged 2 to 18. The state plans to vaccinate over 7.5 crore children. The particular mechanism for vaccination rollout is unknown at this timewhether it will be done solely through government facilities or whether private hospitals will be included as well. The government plans to begin immunisation for children aged 12 to 18 years old, with co-morbidities such as congenital heart disease, malnutrition, hematopoietic difficulties, immunodeficiencies, neurological disorders, renal illnesses, TB, malignancies, and obesity receiving priority. A vaccination drive for children requires a strong and positive approach on the part of the government, as well as effective role modelling on the part of the community. While the former is anticipated to improve as a result of adult vaccination, the latter does not require celebrities or celebrities. Instead, community leaders who act as parents and inoculate their children should be celebrated as role models. When it comes to trying anything new for their child, parents are more likely to follow other parents than celebrities. Indian parents finally have a good opportunity to play a proactive role and take a strong step forward with their child after a lengthy period of uncertainty and inaction on numerous fronts. The move is part of a larger effort in China to crack down on foreign content, or at the very least make it more difficult for that content to exist within the Great Firewall. In a fresh censorship row, China has banned Quran apps, LinkedIn and Yahoo news, adding to the list of US-based social media platforms banned in the country. Quran Majeed, a popular app for reading the Islamic religious text and other prayer-related information, is the latest app to be banned in China in response to Chinese government requests. The move is part of a larger effort in China to crack down on foreign content, or at the very least make it more difficult for that content to exist within the Great Firewall. The Quran Majeed app is still available on the App Store and Google Play in other countries, albeit Google Play is not available in China. After seven years of continuous operation, Microsoft had earlier announced that the China-localised version of LinkedIn will be shut down. Biological activists, professors, and journalists had claimed that their LinkedIn profiles had been blocked in China, preventing them from accessing their accounts, and the news arrived four months later. Meanwhile, in addition to the governments suppression goal, Yahoo has also been withdrawn from Apples App Store in China, making the people of the country lose one of their final resorts for foreign news. This isnt the first time the Chinese Communist Party has retaliated against international media. Last May, China barred and suspended Bible apps and Christian WeChat public accounts, claiming that they violated Chinas Internet User Public Account Information Services Management Provisions, and thus needed to be restricted and suspended. The Open Doors report quoted , the new limits on the internet, social media, and non-governmental organisations, as well as religious rules are vigorously implemented and represent a serious restriction on freedom. Interestingly, when India was banning apps, China was miffed. Now, when China is throwing out apps, where is the criticism and outrage on its censorship crackdown. The big question is, Should the US also ban Chinese companies and Is it time for a 2nd round of app bans in India. A joint statement issued after talks stated, "being concerned about the activities of proscribed terrorist organisations in Afghanistan'. Member countries taking part in the Moscow Format Dialogue in a joint statement expressed concern over the use of Afghan soil by proscribed terrorists. Russia on Thursday expressed concerns over the increasing presence of ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan after the Taliban take over. Delhi is also accusing Pakistan spy agency of supporting anti-India terror groups Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish on Afghan soil. Interestingly, India, Pakistan and the Taliban took part in 10 nation Moscow format talks. A joint statement issued after talks stated, being concerned about the activities of proscribed terrorist organisations in Afghanistan, the sides reaffirmed their willingness to continue to promote security in Afghanistan to contribute to regional stability. Participating countries also called on the current Afghan leadership to take further steps to improve governance and to form a truly inclusive government that adequately reflects the interests of all major ethnopolitical forces in the country. This will be a fundamental prerequisite for the completion of the national reconciliation process in Afghanistan, the joint statement added. Expressing deep concern over the deteriorating economic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the sides expressed confidence in the need for the international community to mobilise consolidated efforts to provide urgent humanitarian and economic assistance to the people of Afghanistan in the post-conflict reconstruction of the country. In this context, the sides have proposed to launch a collective initiative to convene a broad-based international donor conference under the auspices of the United Nations as soon as possible. A steady stream of holiday movies have been filming in Connecticut over the past six months, and starting tonight, viewers can finally start watching them on the small screen. Hallmark Channel has begun its Countdown to Christmas programming, launching a schedule of new holiday movies for the 2021 season. The network kicks off its holiday film series with the premiere of a new film called, You, Me & The Christmas Trees. Set in Connecticut on an Avon tree farm, the film stars Danica McKellar as Olivia and Benjamin Ayres as Jack as they work together to solve a mystery illness causing the Christmas trees on Jacks farm to die out and fall for each other in the process, according to a Hallmark press release. But the setting isnt the films only connection to the Nutmeg State. The script for the movie was written by Julie Sherman Wolfe, a Hallmark screenwriter based in Avon who has set a number of the networks film in Connecticut. Her 2020 Christmas film "One Royal Holiday," was shot in Putnam and set in Kentsbury, a fictional mash-up of Kent and Simsbury. Scoops & Sprinkles / Contributed Photo Theres something about fall and winter in Connecticut in particular that feels romantic, Wolfe told Connecticut Magazine in an interview about setting Hallmark films in Connecticut. On Nov. 6, Hallmark will debut Next Stop, Christmas, starring Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Lyndsy Fonseca and Chandler Massey in the film about a time-traveling Christmas train that drops main character Angie off in her hometown in 2011. While there are no details yet on where this film is set, Rocky Hill-based film and production company Synthetic Cinema International worked on the film, according to the companys IMDB. Gernhards Synthetic Cinema will also have another holiday film premiering in Hallmarks Countdown to Christmas on Nov. 14. Called A Holiday in Harlem, the film stars Olivia Washington, Will Adams and Tina Lifford and tells a Christmas tale of Jazmin, who returns to Harlem to visit her grandmother, co-chairs a Christmas Jamboree and reconnects with an old friend in the process, according to ET Online. While set in Harlem, the film was shot in September in and around the Hartford area. Scoops & Sprinkles / Contributed Photo For Gernhard, shooting the Harlem-set movie in Connecticut was a matter of finding similarities between the two locations. We shot basically all of it in the Hartford area, he said. We obviously looked at a lot of research, and we were able to find little bits of Hartford and East Hartford sections that match up with Harlem, and we recreated all that in Connecticut. Filming Hallmarks Christmas films in the summer adds an extra layer of movie magic necessary to produce wintry effects in unseasonable weather. What we do is we'll shoot a wide shot of a store, and we'll put fake snow there and our actors will interact there, but we'll shoot really wide and then we'll digitally take the tree down or we'll add snow to the roof, he said. It's just a matter of choosing your shots and how to frame them and how to use computer graphics to make it feel like winter. According to IMDB, Synthetic Cinema also worked on the Hallmark film premiering on Dec. 17, Sugar Plum Twist. Information on the films plot is not yet public. In addition to Hallmark Channels Countdown to Christmas lineup, its Movies & Mysteries sister network also has schedule of new holiday movies for this season. Called Miracles of Christmas, the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Network has nine holiday movies slated to premiere every Saturday starting Oct. 23 through Dec. 18. MIDDLETOWN Shortly after Andrew Mercado was released from Whiting Forensic Hospital in Middletown in 2019, he found himself in the midst of a pandemic with a story he felt had to be told. Mercado used his spare time during lockdown to finish writing a book of poems, turning it into his first published work. Poetry from Behind Mental Walls, written under the pen name Chris Smith, which came out in late August. It has since brought Mercado a sense of self-fulfillment, he said. During COVID-19, there was a lot of dead time, Mercado said. I said lets put pen to paper and see what we can do. Mercado was born and raised in Warrenton, Va. He briefly attended the Air Force Academy before earning a master of science degree in engineering physics from the University of Virginia. After a brief period working at a lab in Cleveland, Ohio, he enrolled at the University of Connecticut to earn his PhD. It was in the final stretch of his PhD program when Mercado said things took a downturn. I had my mental illness kick in and I couldnt finish, he said. He admitted himself to Whiting Forensic Hospital in May 2013 after being overcome by auditory hallucinations. Mercado, who is also diabetic and legally blind, remained at the hospital for almost six years. He said he spent that time learning how to cope with his illness and writing poetry. I did everything I could to make myself better, Mercado said. Many of the poems give rarely seen insight into his time at Whiting, as many were written during his time there. The book is about my life, and Whiting is a big part of it, he said. The subjects of his poems range from stories about hospital staff and fellow patients to memories of his childhood in Virginia. He said he feels that writing and publishing a book is another step in the right direction for his mental health. Its cathartic, Mercado said. There are three main things Mercado hopes readers take away from his book. The first is to eliminate the stigma of mental illness by showing the public that people with these diagnoses are similar to everyone else and not monsters. The second is to inspire other people with or without mental illness to tell their story, too. The third is for professionals in the mental health field to learn from the story told through his perspective. I wanted to tell about the plight of mental health from a patients perspective, Mercado said. He said that this is a rarity in the mental health field, since most publications on the subject are written by people who study or work in the field, rather than those with the issues themselves. He said this doesnt allow for a complete picture. Sometimes the other side of the story has to be told, Mercado said. Mercado, now living in Danbury, spends his time working at CVS and writing future books. I stick to my routines and I feel comfortable, he said. He already has two publications planned for the near future. The first is another poetry book that will serve as a sequel to his first work. The second he described as a guide for patients with mental illness who are entering a hospital for the first time. Poetry from Behind Mental Walls is available to purchase at amazon.com. PITTSBURGH (AP) As the three-year mark since the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue approaches, survivors are planning now-familiar annual rituals of remembrance, the criminal case involving the suspect plods on, and the site is in line for restoration. The landmark synagogue in Pittsburgh's leafy Squirrel Hill neighborhood remains dormant, but a renowned architect is among those working to transform the site where 11 people were killed in Americas deadliest antisemitic attack. No trial date is in sight for the suspect, Robert G. Bowers. Nor is there any indication the U.S. Justice Department is heeding the calls of some members of the targeted congregations to avert a trial by dropping its quest for a death penalty and accepting a guilty plea accompanied by a life sentence. In the coming days, members of the three congregations whose Sabbath services were underway during the Oct. 27, 2018, attack will join with supporters to pay quiet tribute, gathering for community-service projects and studying the Torah. And on Wednesday afternoon, three years to the day since the shooting, they will assemble outdoors for a memorial service at Schenley Park, among 11 trees planted there to remember the slain. People are having a really difficult time in this COVID era, said Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, formed to help those affected by the synagogue shooting and hate crimes. The goal this year was to come together safely. Its been a long road of not being able to do that. Bowers' lawyers and federal prosecutors were in a Pittsburgh courtroom this month to argue whether incriminating statements he made at the scene can be used against him. Some members of the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light congregations say their grief has been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic because it further isolated them from one another and from in-person worship. Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of Tree of Life, who survived the attack, said the dual traumas have left congregants at various stages of recovery. There are some who say theyre healed, he said. If thats the case, I say thank God. I can only say for myself, I will always be healing. The pandemic has also caused delays and logistical challenges in the federal capital murder case against Bowers, a former truck driver whose statements that day and trail of online posts suggest he was consumed by hatred for Jewish people when, authorities say, he launched the attack. Bowers, 49, has avoided public statements from behind bars as his team of attorneys has fought to prevent him from being executed, even offering to have him plead guilty in return for a life sentence. U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose has sealed about 100 of the roughly 600 docket entries in the case, restricting how much the public can know about the proceedings. The acting U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh, Stephen R. Kaufman, declined to comment for this article, and Bowers' legal team did not respond to messages. Bowers, armed with an assault-style rifle and three handguns, is accused of shooting 18 people and trading gunfire with officers, getting shot three times before he was taken into police custody. His social media history included posts about a false conspiracy theory that the Holocaust was a hoax and expressed contempt for a nonprofit Jewish group that helps refugees. In 2019, Bowers lawyers told Ambrose this case would already be over and interests in a speedy resolution vindicated had the government accepted the defendants offer to plead guilty as charged and be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release. Under then-President Donald Trump, the Justice Department pursued the killings as a death penalty case. But in July, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a moratorium on federal executions while his agency reviews policies and procedures, adding to the uncertainty. Prosecutors continue to treat it as a capital case, but it's unclear what would happen to Bowers if he is convicted. Over the past two years, the defense and prosecutors have battled over evidence, search warrants and court procedures, as well as the effect of the pandemic on Bowers' right to a fair trial. The defense team has insisted on safe conditions and expressed concern about the risks of travel, while the U.S. attorneys office has complained about what they deem delay tactics. Dave Freed, a former U.S. attorney in Harrisburg, called three years an unusually long period between arrest and trial for any criminal case, but said the intense public interest in the synagogue shooting and the potential death penalty both put added pressure on lawyers to get it right. I think you have to add COVID to mix Im sure its contributed, said Freed, who did not have a role in the Tree of Life case when he worked for the Justice Department. Some members of the three congregations want the Justice Department to take the deal that would spare Bowers' life. Dor Hadash, as a congregation, has urged Garland to abandon pursuit of the death penalty. Individual members of New Light also are opposed to a potential sentence of death. Author Beth Kissileff urged against the death penalty on religious grounds and because a plea would spare survivors the trauma of a trial. Her husband, New Light Rabbi Jonathan Perlman, survived the shooting. As angry as I am that the lives of our friends and congregants were brutally ended, it is Gods responsibility, not ours, to avenge their death, she wrote in the Jewish news site, The Forward. Kissileff said she is encouraged by President Joe Bidens campaign pledge to support legislation eliminating the federal death penalty and to give states incentives to do the same. She is also encouraged by the moratorium imposed by Garland. Survivors said that they understand that capital cases take a long time, and that the pandemic has made this one take longer, but they want to get it behind them. We would like to move on with our lives and we would like to get this over a done with, said Carol Black, who lived through the attack by hiding in a storeroom. Survivors are also redoubling efforts to combat violent extremism. Featured speakers at a three-day Eradicate Hate Global Summit, held in Pittsburgh this week, included experts alongside survivors and relatives of victims. Meanwhile, the Tree of Life Congregation has chosen architect Daniel Libeskind, the master planner for the reconstruction of New Yorks World Trade Center, to redesign the sprawling synagogue complex, with plans to share space with the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. The goal is to create a solemn memorial as well as a place of regular activity. Were all excited about the potential of what the premier architect of his generation could come up with at Tree of Life, Myers said. ___ Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content. BOSTON (AP) For several years, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools had toyed with replacing some of its 1,000 diesel buses with cleaner electric vehicles. But school leaders said the change would be too costly. Then 12-year-old student Holly Thorpe showed up at a school board meeting to tout the benefits of going electric and returned to encourage the district to apply for a state grant. Two years on, the school board on Wednesday approved a district plan to use state money to replace up to 50 diesel buses with electric models over the next several years. Thorpe is overjoyed the district is making the switch. It wasn't imaginary any more, she said. It just wasnt like an idea. It was coming to life. The transition is part of a small but growing movement led by parents, students and lawmakers to purchase electric school buses to improve the health of students and cut planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions. Roughly 25 million children ride school buses every year. And though only about 1% of 480,000 U.S. school buses are electric, there are signs the push to abandon diesel buses is gaining momentum: Late last year, the World Resources Institute announced a $37.5 million Bezos Earth Fund grant to help electrify all school buses in the country by 2030. The nonprofit will work over the next five years on the project with school districts, communities, environmental justice groups, utilities, bus manufacturers and policymakers. This year, a suburban Maryland district became the country's largest to commit to going completely electric. It plans to replace 1,442 diesel buses by 2035. The first 326 electric ones will be leased from Massachusetts-based Highland Electric Transportation. California, the countrys electric school bus leader, has funded the purchase of 1,167 and budgeted for another 1,000 over the next three fiscal years. This is an opportunity to make sure that we are doing all we can to protect kids health, said California Energy Commission member Patty Monahan. Some of these kids in parts of Los Angeles are on the bus for an hour, two hours a day. So we want to make sure that they are breathing clean air. At Twin Rivers Unified School District in Northern California, where diesel buses have been replaced by 40 electric buses and 34 that run on compressed natural gas, officials say clouds of dirty air have disappeared. One of the drivers said I cant believe the change I'm seeing in my lifetime,' said Tim Shannon, the district's director of transportation services. He said I used to have to hold a handkerchief over my face to walk through the yard because of the thick diesel soot. The electric buses are 60% cheaper to operate and will pay for themselves over time, Shannon said. Some districts are planning to sell excess energy from batteries back to the grid, a move welcomed by utilities who themselves have launched programs to buy electric school buses. This summer, a school bus in a Massachusetts district delivered power back to the grid. Efforts to replace diesel school buses are driven by the fact that children are more susceptible to health impacts of air pollution. Exposure to diesel exhaust, according to the EPA, can lead to asthma and respiratory illnesses and worsen heart and lung ailments, especially in children and the elderly. A study of school buses in Washington state found using cleaner fuels or upgrading older diesel reduced children's exposure to airborne particles by as much as 50% and improved their health. Their findings suggest a nationwide switch to cleaner school buses could result in around 14 million fewer absences each year. The researchers at the universities of Washington and Michigan did not examine electric buses, which produce less local pollution than those using fossil fuels. Lead author Sara Adar, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said older diesel buses resulted in children in the Seattle area getting higher levels of air pollution during their commute. The pollutants those kids were experiencing also did seem to be linked to worse health, she said. We saw kids lungs werent quite as healthy. Diesel school bus engines are much cleaner, since the EPA implemented standards that required them to produce 90% less particulate matter. The EPA also has awarded $55 million to replace more than 2,700 old diesel school buses since 2012 and announced in October that $17 million more would be available. With the improved standards, the diesel industry argues that switching to electric wont significantly reduce emissions or address concerns about global warming especially since electricity for buses still often comes from fossil fuels. They note that more than 54% of school buses are newer models with far fewer emissions. School districts should be able to choose the bus type and technology that works for them, said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. Some may find electric buses a good fit while others will stick with diesel and utilize low-carbon renewable fuels to cut their carbon footprint and other emissions. Advocates point out that nearly half of diesel buses are older ones that produce dangerous pollutants and are much more expensive to maintain. But they acknowledge the challenge is getting districts with older buses funds to transition to electric ones, which often cost three times more. Many districts are eyeing funding from several bills in Congress. The nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill includes $5 billion for electric and hybrid school buses. Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a former preschool teacher who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor & Pensions, and other advocates want $5 billion more for electric school buses in President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion rebuilding plan. Several congressional bills would provide billions more for electric school buses. Some states, including Florida and Virginia, are buying electric buses with billions of dollars from the Volkswagen settlement of its diesel emissions cheating scandal. Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district will use $11.6 million from the settlement to start buying electric buses, but said a full transition would be impossible without federal help. If we as a nation prioritize environmental protection, the reduction of greenhouse gases, the maximization of new technologies that reduce our dependency on carbon fuels, then the federal investment must incentivize these transitions with actual funding, he said. And thats exactly what our country needs. Thats exactly what Miami needs. ___ Follow Michael Casey on Twitter: @mcasey1 HAMDEN Two skeleton riders are perched on the pillars of the cemetery gate. From atop their skeletal steeds, they gaze ominously at Whitney Avenues many passersby, guarding the entrance to a yard filled with row after row of gravestones. Each stone has its own design, and many bear names that might be familiar their creators asked real, live neighborhood residents whether they were willing to play dead this Halloween season. Skeletons, possibly the undead Hamdenites, fly through the air above the graveyard. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media A stone walkway cuts through the scene. At the end of it sits a dark blue house, more skeletons crawling from its second-story window. The eerie display is what homeowner Eric Andrewsen calls the Spring Glen Cemetery. And as he puts it, theres nothing cute about this place. Each year, in honor of Americas spookiest holiday, Andrewsen designs and constructs an elaborate front-yard display with the help of his partner, Alfred Lee, and friend, Tyler Shamaly. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Andrewsen stocks up on candy and hires actors to haunt his home on Oct. 31, when the houses doors open as wide as the cemetery gates, and visitors may enter if they dare. Its an awesome thing that Eric does, Shamaly said. Him and Alfred really put together great, great things for the community, and I think its really admirable. Located near the intersection of Whitney Avenue and Wakefield Street, the home draws between 600 and 800 trick-or-treaters each year, according to Andrewsen. Though he never has charged entry, visitors this year will be able to make donations, all of which will go to the nonprofit organization Big Brothers Big Sisters, he said. This holiday marks Andrewsens sixth year putting on a haunt, he said. The tradition was inspired by a house he visited one Halloween night as a child. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media I have never forgotten the house ... Halloween, that experience. All the other ones to me are a blur, Andrewsen said. I know that people coming through here, adults and children, will walk away with a memory. Andrewsen puts on his own annual Halloween experience for the joy it brings others, he said. Its not about me, its about you, he said. Each year has its own theme. In 2020, the year of the pumpkin, Andrewsen hired a farmer to provide more than 4,000 stalks of corn, which he used to make a maze, he said. He begins work on the designs every February of the year before. In other words, this year, everything that you see out there was designed in 2020, he said. Lee, his partner, did the lettering on the gravestones, according to Andrewsen. A blowtorch was used to age the stones, each of which took four days to complete, he said. They all bear the same date of death: Oct. 31, 2021. What exactly might visitors expect to find at the cemetery that night? Theyll have to stop by to find out, as Andrewsen would not give away any of his secrets. Thats part of the surprise, the haunt, he said. meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) Students at state colleges and universities will be able to opt out of some fees under a plan approved by the Idaho State Board of Education on Thursday. The new fee structure allowing students to opt out of fees for activities, clubs and on-campus organizations goes into effect in the 2022-23 school year, the Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported. Students who decide to opt out of those fees will receive a refund from their school. Student fees particularly the ones that go to support extracurricular activities, clubs and cultural events have long been a source of debate in Idaho as lawmakers and administrators struggle to keep the state's higher education institutions affordable and robust. Officials spent the spring and summer evaluating which student fees could be optional, and how all the fees should be labeled. The new plan breaks the fees into four categories. The student enrollment, engagement and success category goes partly toward scholarships, and the institutional operations, services and support category helps fund maintenance. The student health and wellness category of fees helps cover the cost of fitness centers and counseling. The last category student government fees pays for student government and helps subsidize student clubs, organizations and activities. A portion of the student government fee is now optional under the new plan. After the vote, Board Member Dave Hill thanked the institutions for working to restructure the original fee system. We should just recognize that the institutions really did a lot of work here, Hill said. They embraced this challenge and took it on in a very positive way. The state board also approved an online undergraduate program in cybersecurity management at Lewis-Clark State College. The new degree incorporates cybersecurity and business management, said Fred Chilson, interim vice president for academic affairs at LCSC. It will be available in collaboration with other state colleges and universities. University of Idaho President Scott Green said the new LCSC program helps higher education programs across the state. This program is really important for not only us but our sister institutions, and it truly is a collaborative effort, he said. Our employers tell us this is critical for graduating students to be ready to contribute to our economy right away. NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) Ethiopian military airstrikes on Friday forced a United Nations humanitarian flight to abandon its landing in the capital of the countrys Tigray region, and a government spokesman said authorities were aware of the inbound flight. It appeared to be a sharp escalation in intimidation tactics authorities have used against aid workers amid the intensifying, year-long Tigray war. Further U.N. flights have been suspended to Mekele, the base of humanitarian operations in Tigray, the World Food Program told The Associated Press. It said the flight with 11 passengers had been cleared by federal authorities but received instructions to abort landing by the Mekele airport control tower. It safely returned to Addis Ababa. U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said: The U.N. had not received any prior warning of the attacks on Mekelle and had received the necessary clearances for the flight. He expressed grave concern for civilians facing airstrikes in Mekele and insufficient humanitarian assistance into Tigray, and alarm at the worsening toll of fighting on civilians in the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions. Weve had flights turned around because of weather," Gemma Connell, head of the U.N.s regional humanitarian office for southern and eastern Africa, told reporters. But this is the first time weve had a flight turn around, at least to my knowledge, in Ethiopia because of airstrikes on the ground. The friction between the government and humanitarian groups is occurring amid the world's worst hunger crisis in a decade, with close to a half-million people in Tigray said to be facing famine-like conditions. The government since June has imposed what the U.N. calls a de facto humanitarian blockade on the region of some 6 million people, and the AP has reported that people have begun to starve to death. Ethiopian government spokesman Legesse Tulu told the AP authorities were aware the U.N. flight was in the area but said the U.N. and military flights had a different time and direction. It wasnt immediately clear how close the planes came to each other. Tigray forces spokesman Getachew Reda in a tweet said our air defense units knew the U.N. plane was scheduled to land and it was due in large measure to their restraint it was not caught in a crossfire. He suggested that Ethiopian authorities were setting up the U.N. plane to be hit by our guns. A military spokesman didnt respond to questions. Legesse said Fridays airstrikes in Mekele targeted a former military training center being used as a battle network hub by rival Tigray forces. Residents said they hit a field near Mekele University. Tigray spokesman Kindeya Gebrehiwot told the AP about a dozen people were wounded. Ethiopias government in recent months has accused some humanitarian groups of supporting the Tigray forces, and last month it took the extraordinary step of expelling seven U.N. officials while accusing them without evidence of falsely inflating the scale of the Tigray crisis. Authorities have subjected aid workers on U.N. flights to intrusive searches and removed medical cargo. Meanwhile, the U.N. says just 1% of the targeted 5.2 million people in urgent need received food aid between Oct. 7 and 13. Now the airstrikes that began this week in Mekele have halted aid deliveries, the U.,N.'s Connell said, adding that not a single truck has entered Tigray since Monday. Thousands of people have been killed since November, when a political falling-out between the Tigray forces who long dominated the national government and the current administration of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed erupted in fighting. Tigray forces in recent months have retaken the Tigray region and brought the fighting into the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions. The U.N. says more than 2 million people are now displaced overall. And yet our operations will come to a grinding halt in the not so distant future in Tigray if current conditions continue, Connell said. The airstrikes in Mekele were the first in several months, killing three children and injuring more than a dozen people, despite repeated international calls for a cease-fire and the threat of further sanctions. On Thursday, the government claimed a successful strike against another military base used by the Tigray forces near Mekele, but the Tigray forces spokesman asserted that air defenses prevented the plane from hitting targets. An airstrike on Wednesday hit an industrial compound the government said was used by the Tigray forces to repair weapons. A Tigray spokesman denied that and said it was used to produce cars and tractors. Two other airstrikes hit the city on Monday. Tigray remains under a communications blackout, making it difficult to verify claims, while areas of fighting in Amhara are largely unreachable as well. The airstrikes come amid reports of renewed heavy fighting in Amhara. On Wednesday, the Tigray forces spokesman claimed advances had put the government-held towns of Dessie and Kombolcha within artillery range, prompting alarm. Dessie hosts a large number of displaced people who have fled fighting further north. One resident told the AP he has seen many cars leaving the town with mattresses, cooking equipment and other household items strapped to their roofs in the last few days, but many displaced people are stuck because they cant afford to leave. He also reported plenty of vehicles carrying troops north to the front and the constant sound of shelling. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. NEW HAVEN New research conducted in New Haven documents how it takes accurate information and trust built over time to overcome Black and Hispanic residents hesitancy to getting vaccinated for COVID-19. Eight focus groups with 72 city residents, four in English and four in Spanish, revealed that there is much work to do in order to lower the infection and death rates among people of color, the researchers found. Theres so many coalitions here to get people vaccinated, but I do think one of the most important things and what we talked about in the paper is that a lot of this work cant be done in just a year or two. Building trust doesnt happen overnight, said Jessica Ainooson, a research assistant with the Community Alliance for Research and Engagement. The need is critical, because Black and Hispanic people suffer from COVID at higher rates than whites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Black people get COVID at about the same rate as whites and Latinos are about twice as likely to contract the virus, but both groups record almost three times as many hospitalizations and twice the number of deaths, the CDC reports. CARE, which led the research, is a partnership between the Yale School of Public Health, where Ainooson is a student, and the College of Health and Human Services at Southern Connecticut State University. The members of the focus groups had a lot to say about both past and current mistreatment of people of color in the health care system, with the Tuskegee syphilis experiments still alive in many peoples memories. But the researchers also heard personal experiences of poor treatment. According to one participant quoted in the paper: Black women, when it comes to going to a hospital, its a fear. Theyll tell somebody they know 100 percent what theyre going through and will get it undermined or get their opinion thrown away. Black voices are regularly not listened to. People just bring up this idea, if I feel like I cant go to the hospital when Im sick, because Im scared of what will happen to me, why should I accept the COVID vaccine from the same people? Ainooson said. And I think it was really important ... to really create a space for people to share that. The focus groups themselves helped break down barriers and created a healing space, she said. The participants who joined our conversation did a great job in encouraging each other to speak and also letting each other know that they were heard and that they had similar experiences themselves, she said. In addition to distrust, people reported barriers to getting the vaccine, including difficulty in making appointments, getting time off from work, not being fluent in English or concerns they would need health insurance. We talked about this idea of the workplace being a facilitator for getting a vaccination and partnerships that employers made [so] people could get the vaccine straight at their jobs, Ainoosin said. They dont have to worry about taking time off or finding additional child care if they do get a vaccine on a certain day. She said it was important to realize that burdens that were experiencing as an overall country might be multiplied based on your racial background or your income level. And I think thats what this paper is really about and really highlighting disproportionate burden that weve seen throughout this whole entire pandemic. Bernard Macklin, a vaccination outreach coordinator at CARE, said its important to go where people gather and share information. Among the best places are beauty salons and barbershops, he said. Thats the best place to have a conversation, and youre talking about stuff, Macklin said. Some people generate their opinions of those type of conversations, right or wrong, Macklin said. And sometimes if you get one or two people to go in with you, all of a sudden its a fact, because one or two people agree with you. To counter those kinds of rumors, consistent, accurate information must be delivered by trusted messengers, as the researchers called them: family members, clergy, friends, health care workers. People who know the community, people who know me, I think thats the deciding factor that would make me actually want to get it, said one study participant. Other things that our participants shared was the idea of having social support around the vaccine process from signing up at the beginning to actually going in and getting your vaccine, being able to have a family member with you or someone by your side, said Dr. Lily Balasuriya, a psychiatrist at the Yale School of Medicine who is a member of the National Clinician Scholars Program and lead author of the paper. Another key thing our participants shared was the ability to have choice, Balasuriya said. Our participants shared that it was so meaningful and valuable to be able to choose which vaccine manufacturer you wanted or choose which day you wanted to get vaccinated, or even choosing which lane or chair you were going to get to sit in when you were vaccinated. Those were so, so important. Finally, she said, focus group participants said diversity at the vaccination site gave them confidence. It meant a lot to them to see people who look like them, but also see their health care providers, see people from different walks of New Haven, all present there working together to get vaccinated, she said. The researchers said it is just as important for public health workers to learn from those they are reaching out to in order to be more effective. I think our big take-home message was that community-informed insights have to inform the health care strategies that we use to maximize vaccine access and acceptance in the communities that have been hardest hit by the pandemic and moving forward in all that we do, Balasuriya said. We want to make sure that we are working together and partnering with our communities. Those partners include Yale New Haven Health, Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, Fair Haven Community Health Care and the New Haven Health Department. These partnerships need to continue beyond just the COVID-19 vaccine and that will make it easier for the next time, Ainooson said. It doesnt have to be a global pandemic and hopefully it wont be, but just thinking about how relations can improve between like the health care system and New Haven residents on a general basis. I think its really important to emphasize that theres a lot of work left to be done and this is only the beginning, Ainooson said. In the end, CARE Director Alycia Santilli said the research affirmed CAREs approach since its beginnings in 2007: the importance of community involvement in any public health interventions that are being led in the community, and ensuring that the work that we do and the people who are leading the work that we do is reflective of the communities that we work in, she said. A website has been set up, vaccinatenhv.org, that lists locations and times when COVID vaccines are available. Also, clinics have been taking place on the New Haven Green from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. near the Long Wharf food trucks Saturdays and Sundays. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382 MOMIRAK FIRING RANGE, Tajikistan (AP) Russian and Tajik troops conducted joint drills Friday near Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan, as part of efforts to prepare for possible security threats issuing from Afghanistan. The exercises at the Momirak firing range about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the Afghan border involved armored vehicles and helicopter gunships. It was part of weeklong war games that brought together about 5,000 troops and over 700 armored vehicles from Russia, Tajikistan and several other ex-Soviet nations, which are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Moscow-dominated security pact. Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Mirzo said the drills were decided amid the catastrophic changes after the withdrawal of the international coalition from Afghanistan. Terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan ... have obtained many modern weapons, significantly improved their positions and using the current situation create conditions for its transformation into a foothold for further destructive actions in the region, Mirzo added. Russian officials said they trusted the Talibans pledge that they wouldnt threaten neighboring countries, but noted that the Islamic State group, al-Qaida and other militants in northern Afghanistan could try to destabilize the neighboring ex-Soviet Central Asian nations. They also said drug trafficking from Afghanistan will continue to present a challenge. Moscow has vowed to provide military assistance to its ex-Soviet allies in Central Asia to help counter possible threats and held a series of joint drills in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which neighbor Afghanistan. Russia has a military base in Tajikistan, its largest military outpost in the former Soviet Union. It also maintains an air base in Kyrgyzstan, and jets based there took part in this weeks war games. Lt. Gen. Yevgeniy Poplavsky, deputy commander of the Russian armed forces Central Military District who oversaw the drills, described them as part of training to counter possible security challenges. The fighting between the Taliban and the Islamic State in northern Afghanistan raised fears of IS fighters and other militants flowing into Central Asian nations. (The Taliban) will try to push all pro-ISIS military groups out its territory or to destroy them and to become the only one (in power), Poplavsky said. Thats why we dont exclude the option that they will push them to Tajikistans territory. The Soviet Union fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with its troops withdrawing in 1989. In recent years, Russia has made a strong diplomatic comeback as an influential power broker on Afghanistan, hosting several rounds of talks with various Afghan factions. Russia had worked for years to establish contacts with the Taliban, even though it designated the group a terror organization in 2003 and never took it off the list, Unlike many other countries, it hasnt evacuated its embassy in Kabul after they took over the Afghan capital in August. On Wednesday, Russia hosted another round of talks that involved the Taliban along with senior diplomats from China, Pakistan, Iran, India and the former Soviet nations in Central Asia. Speaking during a panel with international foreign policy experts on Thursday, Russian President Vladmir Putin said that the international community is getting close to officially recognizing the Taliban as the new rulers of Afghanistan, saying the decision must be made by the United Nations. He emphasized the need for the Taliban to recognize the interests of all Afghan ethnic groups and respect human rights, but noted its efforts to combat the Islamic State group and other militants. ___ Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. ABINGTON, Mass. (AP) The search for a young boy missing for a month in New Hampshire shifted to Massachusetts on Friday. New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in a statement that investigators are searching an area in the town of Abington, about 20 miles south of Boston, in connection with the disappearance of Elijah Lewis. Thirty to 40 law enforcement officials, including K-9 and other specialized units, are assisting in the search in a heavily wooded part of Ames Nowell State Park, Massachusetts officials said late Friday. A second area was also being searched in nearby Randolph, investigators said. Im confident that if that little boy is here, were going to find him, said Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz. Massachusetts and New Hampshire state police, Merrimack police and the Plymouth County District Attorneys Office are involved in the search, which authorities said is based on information learned in the investigation. The 5-year-old was last seen at his home in Merrimack, New Hampshire, sometime within the last 30 days, but was never reported missing prior to state child welfare officials notifying authorities. Previously, state troopers and the attorney generals office said Elijah had not been seen in 6 months, but now have shortened that timeline. Searches in the area around his home by helicopter and a nearby lake by boat turned up nothing. Lewis' mother and a man were arrested last weekend in New York and pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to witness tampering and child endangerment charges related to the case. Danielle Dauphinais, 35, and Joseph Stapf, 30, will remain in custody and plan to meet with their lawyers to discuss bail hearings. Outside the Hillsborough County courthouse on Wednesday, Dauphinais two brothers made a public plea to her to come forward and say something to investigators about her sons location. The New Hampshire Division for Children Youth and Families notified police on Oct. 14 that Elijah was missing. The agencys involvement with the boy is unclear. New York City transit officers located and arrested Dauphinais and Stapf on Sunday in the Bronx. The witness tampering charges allege that they each asked other people to lie about Elijah and where he was living, knowing that child protection service workers were searching for him. The endangerment charges allege that they violated a duty of care, protection or support for Elijah. Court affidavits supporting the charges were sealed. BEIRUT (AP) The first round of talks between the Syrian government and the opposition to draft constitutional reforms in Geneva ended in disappointment and no new date has been set for the next meeting, the United Nations envoy for Syria said Friday. The talks started Monday following a nine-month hiatus of the U.N.-led meetings of the Syrian constitutional committee where government, opposition and civil society are represented. This week, the delegations returned to Geneva after mediation by Geir Pedersen, the U.N. envoy for Syria. They had agreed on a mechanism to begin drafting the constitution for the war-torn country, part of the U.N.-led political process, since 2012, aimed at ending the decade-old conflict. But Pedersen said discussions on Friday were a big disappointment when it was time to find a provisional agreement or at least identify areas of disagreement. Over the last four days, each side presented their view on four basic principles, divided among them. We didnt manage to achieve what we had hoped to achieve; that we would have a good discussion on how to reach forward on some kind of consensus, Pedersen told reporters. We lacked a proper understanding on how to move that process forward. The government delegation had prepared a text on Syrias sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and on terrorism. Representatives of the exiled opposition drafted a text on the armed forces, security and intelligence agencies, while civil society groups wrote the section on the rule of law. Pedersen said the last day of talks didnt produce any understanding between the different delegations. It was not immediately clear what they disagreed on, but the government and opposition representatives later traded blame for the failure. Syrias 10-year conflict has killed between 350,000 and 450,000 people and displaced half the countrys pre-war 23 million population, including more than 5 million refugees mostly in neighboring countries. Even though the fighting has subsided in the last months, there are still pockets controlled by Syrian opposition, where millions of people live. Nine out of ten Syrians live in poverty while the country's infrastructure is in ruins. A government representative, Ahmad Kuzbari, said some of the principles presented by the opposition were out of touch with reality and said some of them sought to legitimize the presence of foreign troops in Syria. Hadi Albahra, an opposition representative, said the government side did not produce any consensus paper, neither did it have the will to do so. Pedersen said there was no agreement on a new date for the next meeting. We need to develop a proper understanding on how we could move this into a proper substantial drafting process, Pedersen told reporters. Pedersen announced late September an agreement on methodology for a sixth round that involved regular meetings between him and the heads of delegations. At a Russia-hosted Syrian peace conference in January 2018, an agreement was reached to form a 150-member committee to draft a new constitution. It took over a year to agree on the composition the 45-member committee. The 2012 U.N. road map to peace in Syria calls for the drafting of a new constitution and ends with U.N.-supervised elections with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, eligible to participate. The United States and several Western allies accused Assad of deliberately stalling and delaying the drafting of a new constitution until after presidential elections to avoid a U.N.-supervised vote, as called for by the Security Council. In late May, Assad was re-elected in what the government called a landslide for a fourth seven-year term. The West and his opposition described the election as illegitimate and a sham. NEW HAVEN Yale Law School is looking further into a controversy over a students emailed party invitation, after the student was urged by administrators and other students to apologize for what some considered racially insensitive language. Trent Colbert, a second-year law student from Seattle who is part Cherokee, sent the email Sept. 15 to about 20 members of the Native American Law Students Association, most of whom he said are friends. But he said someone then posted a screenshot of his invitation on a chat board seen by all second-year law students, and several complained to the administration. Colberts email began, This Friday at 7:30, we will be christening our very own (soon to be) world-renowned NALSA Trap House by throwing a Constitution Day Bash in collaboration with FedSoc, referring to the conservative and libertarian Federalist Society. Colbert is vice president of membership in the Yale chapter. The email went on to refer to Popeyes chicken, among other food and drink. A.J. Hudson, a second-year student and member of the Black Students Law Association, said Trap House, which originated as a description of a place to buy drugs, is another way of saying crackhouse and is used colloquially among Blacks, but was racially insensitive in an email. Rather than sending out an email protest, Hudson said, he and others started a teaching campaign where multiple people explained why they word trap house in the context of that email was offensive and hurtful to people of color. The intent was really giving people a chance to talk about it and start a conversation. But he said Colbert wouldnt participate or apologize. Colbert said he received just one email from students and that he offered to speak to anyone individually. I said my DMs [direct messages] were open and no one DMd me, he said. When administrators asked him to apologize he refused because the way they were framing that apology, it sounded like they would want me to admit that it was a racist email, which isnt something that I admit. I still didnt understand what people were offended by and no one would answer me when I asked, Colbert said of his first meeting with Associate Dean Ellen Cosgrove and Yaseen Eldik, director of diversity in the law schools Student Affairs Department. So part of that was them telling me to the effect that people were offended by the term trap house and they explained to me in this long-winded form about frat boys in the South listening to trap music and putting charcoal on their faces, he said. Colbert said he did not intend any racial overtones to his email, using trap house to refer to a party house kind of like saying frat house but without the frat. He said he and two male housemates hold a lot of parties and that Popeyes is among the places they order food from because its near their residence. Colbert said his major concern is that the administration still is looking into the issue, after implying to him that the legal community is really small and that they wouldnt want this to have to go beyond Yale and to have a lingering effect on my reputation, he said. On Monday, law school Dean Heather Gerken sent out a message saying she had asked Deputy Dean Ian Ayres and others to assess the situation, to listen to the views of members of our own community, and to help us think how best to move forward. For all I know they havent considered it resolved even now, Colbert said. Colbert said there also is a movement to have me impeached as student rep, which, while not close to a threat to his career, isnt nothing. When the story broke Oct. 13 in the Washington Free Beacon, Gerken issued a statement that said, Yale University and Yale Law School have strong free speech protections, and no student is investigated or sanctioned for protected speech. She said discipline was not considered and the Law School has a longstanding policy of reporting only formal disciplinary action to the Bar Association. Law school spokeswoman Debra Kroszner said, There will not be any action against the student as our statement last week made clear. This is protected free speech. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382 Niagara Falls, NY (14301) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 31F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 31F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson-Okojie has debunked rumours that she stormed her daughters school with thugs on Thursday. The actr... Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson-Okojie has debunked rumours that she stormed her daughters school with thugs on Thursday. The actress earlier on Friday revealed that a certain teacher in her daughters school was bullying her just because her mother was a celebrity. A teacher at my childs school has been bullying my daughter constantly for two whole weeks. She tells her to her face that she does not like her mother, tells her that celebrity kids are badly behaved, she wrote on her Instagram page. She also added that on Thursday, in an altercation involving her daughter, Purity, and another student, the said teacher picked only her child for punishment. According to her, she had to meet with the teacher after hearing her daughters account. While she tried to be polite with the teacher, the latter rudely replied and told her she could punish the student anytime she likes. The mother of four also said she reported to the deputy Head Teacher in the absence of the Head Teacher and was waiting for response. However, a certain Instagram user, @thenancychidera, who claimed to be an eye witness of Thursdays incident, accused Mercy Johnson of harassing the schools Head Teacher with thugs after her daughter was corrected for fighting another child during school hours. On her Instagram stories, @thenancychidera, also alleged that during the squabble, Johnson-Okojie, called her husband who in turn came to school with three hefty men to beat up the Head Teacher for supposedly disturbing his wife and child. In response to the allegations, the actress went live on Instagram while on a visit to the school. In the live video, Mercy speaking with the Head Teacher asked if they met on Thursday. The Head Teacher replied in the negative. Turning the camera to a school official who she claimed was a witness to the incident, she asked Did I come with thugs to this school? Did I fight anybody in this school? Did I meet the Head Mistress yesterday? The school official answered no to all her questions, and affirmed that the Head Teacher was not on seat when the actress visited the school on Thursday. Are you people hearing that? She said turning back to the camera. Somebody went online and said I came with thugs and they beat up the Head Teacher, because we have money. Thats the hate. You dont know the truth, you wont keep quiet, and then you start to lie. Johnson also added that the said Teacher had been rude to her before the Thursday incident but she had decided to ignore it. Guys Im sorry I have to go off now, I just wanted my team to understand the truth, the true nature of what happened, that has been cleared. Im here with with the Teacher trying to sort out my issue, she tearfully said before ending the video. Nigerian authorities had knowledge of the latest attack on the Abuja-Kaduna rail line, intelligence shows. The train was bombed on Wednesday... Nigerian authorities had knowledge of the latest attack on the Abuja-Kaduna rail line, intelligence shows. The train was bombed on Wednesday and Thursday with the intention of abducting passengers. The incursion was carried out by Boko Haram and bandits, a joint operation that confirmed their collaboration in the North-West. Eons Intelligence reports the sighting of classified messages between a notorious bandit, Baffa, and his ally, Bala. On October 19, 2021, a document titled PLANNED ATTACK ON TRAIN AROUND RIJANA, KADUNA STATE was sent to relevant government agencies. It stated how the mission was planned and executed by the Darussalam, an Arabic code word for Boko Haram. Baffa, whose communication was intercepted, told Bala that Darussalam and bandits led by Danlami and Lawan were going to plant a bomb on the railway. Baffa said he decided not to participate in the operation because it is risky but believed the duo will strike successfully. After Wednesdays hit, the terrorists went back the next morning to bury an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The bomb exploded but the train was able to reach the terminus at Rigasa, moving another 7 kilometers. The plan to hijack it, seize civilians and move them to the forest is the modus operandi of outlaws controlling territories in North-West states. The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) blamed hoodlums for the attack. The Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria, called it an act of vandalism. On Friday, Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna, Mohammed Jalige told Daily Post that he could not comment, explaining that the railway is not under the preview of the command. Nigerian Railway Commands CP Oyediran Oyeyemi said only the Force Headquarters could speak. Operations on the Abuja-Kaduna route have been suspended, bringing to reality the fear that activities of non-state armed actors may shut down train services. In July, security agencies were informed that bandits were attending training conducted by Boko Haram and the Islamic States West Africa Province (ISWAP). Several bandits travelled from Zamfara State to attend drills in terrorist hideouts in Borno State, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) revealed. A memo titled Movement of Armed Bandits from Zamfara to Borno for Intensive Boko Haram Training was signed by ACG Usman Auna. The intel, conveyed with Ref. No. NIS/HQ/CGI/943, directed immigration comptrollers to intensify surveillance. The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, on Friday warned President Muhammadu Buhari over the current econom... The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, on Friday warned President Muhammadu Buhari over the current economic crisis that has led to an increase in prices of essential commodities. Primate Ayodele warned of an upcoming nationwide protest due to the hike in food prices, which has affected every Nigerian. In a statement by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the clergyman said that unless the Federal Government provides a solution to the lingering economic crisis, the protest will be severe. Primate Ayodele said the masses, the youths, women, men, and children will be part of the nationwide protest. According to the clergyman, the hardship already being experienced will not be subsided, and unless the government does the needful, it would lead to a serious issue in the country. He urged President Buhari to look into it as soon as possible to avert the impediment. Nigerians will protest because of the hike in food prices. There will be so much hardship which will cause the government the unexpected. The president must see into food matters otherwise Nigeria will go up in flames as a result of this. The price of things will keep increasing. Essential commodities like pepper, palm oil, and gas will keep increasing and these are what the average Nigerian use on a daily basis, he said. The government must do something to avert this coming protest, it will involve the youths, old men and women, it will be very serious. The government needs to look into it as soon as possible. Folks who hoped to watch the Krewe of BOO! Halloween parade on Canal Street in New Orleans on Saturday night must find another viewing spot, because that portion of the route has been lopped off. A City Hall spokesperson said Friday afternoon the parade was shortened because of a lack of available police officers. The Krewe of BOO! will be the citys first float parade in 18 months, because the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed Carnival 2021. The New Orleans Health Department and Louisiana Department of Health plan to conduct a coronavirus study during and the parade. If the parade does not precipitate a spike in COVID infections, New Orleans likely will move forward with the 2022 Mardi Gras season. The krewe ordinarily hires scores of police officers to ensure public safety its parade, but BOO! captain Brian Kern said that in the past few days it became clear there werent enough for the entire trek. Kern said he was disappointed the parade cant roll on its full route, as the riders and spectators expected. He said he also fears that the lack of police could affect the return of parades next year. This needs to be resolved before Carnival, he said. The truncation of the Krewe of BOO! came just days after Mayor LaToya Cantrell disclosed that her administration is considering consolidating the routes of all 2022 Carnival parades due to staffing shortages. Two more small New Orleans neighborhood restaurants have shut their doors for good, joining a roster of businesses to close in the weeks since Hurricane Ida. Pho Cam Ly, the Vietnamese restaurant at 3418 Magazine St., served its last soup on Oct. 18. Across town, Kebab, the doner and falafel spot at 2315 St. Claude Ave., has been closed since the hurricane. Owner Walker Reisman confirmed it would not reopen. +7 Battered by pandemic, now Ida, these New Orleans-area restaurants permanently closing As restaurant operators assess the damage wrought by Hurricane Ida, some have determined that they have to close for good, including the LaPla Both restaurants first opened in 2014 but have called it quits after the turmoil of the pandemic coupled with the latest blow from Hurricane Ida. The pandemic knocked us down and the hurricane was another hit, we just couldnt get back up, said Pho Cam Ly owner Kristina Bui. Bui reopened Pho Cam Ly after Hurricane Ida for a final run, and she tried to sell the business and its recipes. But with no takers, she closed for good last week. The experience of running Pho Cam Ly brought many great memories through the years, she said. Her family connected with neighbors, introduced many to new pleasures from the Vietnamese culinary tradition and hosted celebrations under their roof. But since the pandemic, she reached the conclusion that the business cant support their family needs. Food and restaurant news in your inbox Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Resiman opened Kebab with his then-business partner Benjamin Harlow, after the two had run a pop-up called the Pizza Speakeasy. House-made bread, crisp fries and garlicky sauces were hallmarks of the restaurant, which specialized in the falafel and sliced, rotisserie-cooked meats, inspired by the doner kebab shops common in Europe. The restaurant doubled as an art gallery and was once home to a remarkable collection of vintage pinball machines on loan from the Mystic Krewe of the Silver Ball. For Reisman, who became a dad earlier this year, the hurricane was a final push to leave the business he'd seen change dramatically through the pandemic. Seven and half years was a great run, we made a lot of people happy, we had a lot of great times, but by the end it wasnt doing what I needed it to do, he said. +5 New Orleans restaurants helped neighbors post-Ida. Could solar extend that help next time? Immediately after Hurricane Ida, some of the first grassroots disaster response in New Orleans came through small independent restaurants. +11 'A game changer.' Pandemic propelled outdoor dining, New Orleans restaurants want to keep it Along the run of small strip mall storefronts on busy Earhart Boulevard, Nice Guys Bar & Grill has added something different: an outdoor o Big changes could be on the horizon for Abita Springs residents when it comes to their natural gas bills. Prices are expected to skyrocket even more than they already have, Mayor Dan Curtis said at a recent council meeting, confirming that town officials are already being warned about the upward trend. We got an email about natural gas and the possibility of the cost increase being so exorbitant that theyre giving us ways to break it to people about the increased price, he said. The town is currently forming its 2022 budget, and revenue for natural gas is expected to keep on trend with rising prices. The town estimated $587,000 of revenue would come in from gas sales and fees in 2021, and that number has already been surpassed with actual revenue of $652,700 so far this year. The town supplies and stores natural gas for residents but is part of the Louisiana Municipal Gas Association, a third party that actively seeks the most competitive natural gas prices for local municipalities, said Curtis. Abita Springs currently gets its natural gas from Black Belt Energy, based in Alabama. Theyre out shopping the market right now trying to get natural gas, and they (came) to us and what they told us is theyve been looking for natural gas cheaper, but heres where we are, and its going to go higher, said Curtis. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The association tries to buy as much gas as it can at a cheaper rate to keep prices down. However, those prices have been steadily rising. The town already has a supply of gas in storage, and as long as that lasts, prices will remain the same. However, the future is based on how harsh a winter the area experiences this year, he added. If more residents are running gas heaters and the towns supply runs out, more gas has to be purchased at a new, higher rate. If the winter is mild, the issue could be pushed off to a later date and costs may come down by then. Ive been saying for months natural gas prices are going up, theyve doubled so far this year and will probably go up through the winter months, depending how bad a winter we have in terms of temperature, said Jay Hawkins, finance and program analyst for the Abita Springs. In the meantime, Curtis suggested looking into alternative heating sources, such as burning logs in the fireplace, to deter the potential spike. Kid-size doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine appear safe and nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in 5- to 11-year-olds, according to study details released Friday as the U.S. considers opening vaccinations to that age group. The shots could begin in early November with the first children in line fully protected by Christmas if regulators give the go-ahead. Details of Pfizer's study were posted online. The Food and Drug Administration was expected to post its independent review of the company's safety and effectiveness data later in the day. Louisiana is only state where White people's COVID vaccination rates lag behind other races Louisiana's Black residents have gotten COVID vaccinations at higher rates than the state's White residents, closing what was a significant ga Advisers to the FDA will publicly debate the evidence next week. If the agency ultimately authorizes the shots, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make the final decision on who should receive them. Full-strength Pfizer shots already are authorized for anyone 12 or older, but pediatricians and many parents are anxiously awaiting protection for younger children to stem rising infections from the extra-contagious delta variant and help keep kids in school. More than 25,000 pediatricians and primary care providers already have signed up to get the shots into little arms. The Biden administration has purchased enough kid-size doses in special orange-capped vials to distinguish them from adult vaccine for the nations roughly 28 million 5- to 11-year-olds. If the vaccine is cleared, millions of doses will be promptly shipped around the country, along with kid-size needles. A Pfizer study tracked 2,268 kids in that age group who got two shots three weeks apart of either a placebo or the low-dose vaccine. Each dose was one-third the amount given to teens and adults. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Researchers calculated the low-dose vaccine was nearly 91% effective, based on 16 COVID-19 cases in youngsters given dummy shots versus three cases among vaccinated children. There were no severe illnesses reported among any of the youngsters, but the vaccinated ones had much milder symptoms than their unvaccinated counterparts. In addition, young children given the low-dose shots developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teens and young adults who got regular-strength vaccinations. Thats important information considering that hospitalizations of mostly unvaccinated children reached record levels last month. FDA approves mixing COVID vaccines for J&J, Moderna boosters U.S. regulators on Wednesday signed off on extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine and said anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially. The CDC reported earlier this week that even as the delta mutant surged between June and September, Pfizer vaccinations were 93% effective at preventing hospitalizations among 12- to 18-year-olds. Pfizers study of younger kids found the low-dose shots proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects such as sore arms, fever or achiness that teens experience. The study isnt large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that occasionally occurs after the second dose, mostly in young men. While children run a lower risk of severe illness or death than older people, COVID-19 has killed more than 630 Americans 18 and under, according to the CDC. Nearly 6.2 million children have been infected with the coronavirus, more than 1.1 million in the last six weeks as the delta mutant surged, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. Moderna also is studying its COVID-19 shots in elementary school-age youngsters. Pfizer and Moderna are studying even younger children as well, down to 6-month-olds. Results are expected later in the year. New Orleans first attempt at a criminal jury trial since the coronavirus pandemic began came to an abrupt halt Thursday when the defendant pleaded guilty to a reduced charge. The plea cut short a symbolic first for Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, which has prohibited jury trials for most of the previous 17 months. Jurors heard the case, but did not get to vote on the guilt or innocence of the defendant, who was accused of a gunpoint robbery in Central City. Instead, prosecutors agreed to amend the armed robbery charge against Nashawhan Thompson to first-degree robbery. Judge Angel Harris sentenced him to the minimum, three-year sentence. Thompson also pleaded guilty to two more felony charges. Thompsons trial was a first for the court system and Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, who took office Jan. 11 with vows to reform the legal system while going after violent offenders. In a statement, Williams noted that the trial yielded three felony convictions and praised the court. "The state took no position on sentencing. In return for the agreement to resolve the case through plea negotiations, the state obtained immediate finality of its conviction. There will be no need for any potential appeals," said Williams. We commend the Criminal District Court judges and the judicial administrators for taking all necessary COVID precautions to ensure the safety of everyone in the courthouse. After a day-and-a-half jury selection process prolonged by COVID-19 precautions, the state and defense admitted during their opening statements that Thompson and the victim each had their flaws. Thompson was a drug dealer who sold out of an open-air market at a S. Claiborne Avenue car wash, defense attorney John Fuller said. Meanwhile, his victim was a pill user and convicted felon, prosecutors said. According to police, the victim crashed his Jeep into another vehicle near the carwash on April 21. The victim fled to Third and S. Galvez Streets, where police said Thompson and another man caught up to him and stole the Jeep at gunpoint. The victim never claimed he could identify Thompson. Instead, police relied on Thompsons fingerprints, which they recovered from the outside of the Jeep. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Thompson gave a recorded statement to police in which he claimed he never came near the Jeep, said Assistant District Attorney Sharry Scott, who tried the case with the offices chief of trials, Ned McGowan. He says he never touches the car, was never near the car, but his two fingerprints were on that car, said Scott. Fuller said there were no fingerprints inside the vehicle and they must have been from an earlier drug transaction. His client may have followed the victim to Third and Galvez, but there was no evidence that he took part in a robbery, said Fuller. A person who sells drugs -- whos not on trial for selling drugs -- has the right to have his case heard fairly as well, said Fuller. Fuller said holes in the states case became clearer over the trial, and it was ultimately his clients decision to plead guilty to a reduced charge. +2 New Orleans DA Jason Williams prosecutes fewer battery, assault, robbery arrests, group says Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams is rejecting more battery, assault and robbery charges than his predecessor, leading to a shar I felt that we were going to win, said Fuller. At the end of the day, when youre going to trial for a crime that carries 99 years, three dont sound so bad. New Orleans DA Jason Williams charges more juveniles in adult court, bringing total to 6 Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams has charged two more juveniles with murder in adult court, continuing a controversial practice Thompson also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and illegal possession of a stolen auto, receiving seven and three-year prison terms respectively. Fuller estimated that with credit for time served and state good time credit, his client will be released in roughly 18 months. Attorneys Devin Jones and James Moffett rounded out the defense team. The trial process earned praised from jurors in a talk-back session with the judge, although one man complained bitterly about technical difficulties playing videos. I deal a lot with city bureaucracy -- a lot -- so my level of expectation from municipal employees is zero, said another juror. I was really pleasantly surprised at how pleasant you and your staff are. The face that Jack Strain projected to St. Tammany Parish during his 20 years as sheriff that of a tough-talking, steely-eyed lawman remains familiar even six years after voters in the staunchly conservative parish denied him a sixth term in office. But when Strain goes to trial this week on eight counts of sex crimes with underage boys, prosecutors with the 22nd Judicial District Attorney's Office on the north shore will strive to show the jury a different face, one of a nearly-lifelong sexual predator who began abusing children when he was still a teenager himself. Over the next two weeks, jurors will decide which face is the real Jack Strain. The stakes couldn't be higher. The 58-year-old Strain, who has been free on bond since his arrest in June of 2019, faces life in prison if he's convicted on aggravated rape charges, which make up half of the eight counts against him. District Attorney Warren Montgomery also is under pressure his tenure as the parish's top law enforcement officer will likely be defined by his success or failure in this case, easily the biggest on the north shore in recent memory. For St. Tammany Parish residents, who have seen former Coroner Peter Galvan and former District Attorney Walter Reed convicted of crimes and sentenced to time in federal prisons, what seemed at first to be yet another public corruption case has taken a darker turn, one that is deeply unsettling to a community that views itself as a bastion of family values. How it began The sex crime charges grew out of a years-long federal investigation into an alleged kickback scheme at a work release program that Strain had privatized during his final term as sheriff. David Hanson Sr. and Clifford "Skip" Keen, members of Strain's inner circle, pleaded guilty to their involvement in the scheme in 2019 and were recently sentenced to four years in prison. Both are expected to testify against Strain when he is tried on 16 corruption counts in federal court later this year. But Keen, who grew up in Abita Springs where his family and Strain's were close, will also testify for the prosecution in the sex crimes trial that begins Monday at the St. Tammany Parish Justice Center in Covington. Keen, who is six years younger than Strain, has been identified in federal court documents as the alleged victim in three of the four aggravated rape charges. Aggravated rape, which has no statute of limitations, is defined in part by whether a victim falls into one of several categories, including being under 13. Keen identified himself as a child sex victim of Strain's in his federal guilty plea, saying that the abuse began when he was younger than 12. Keen also said Strain kept him close and was generous to him as he grew up in an effort to prevent him from talking, ultimately involving him in the scheme to skim more than $1 million from the work release program. Keen is the link between the federal and state cases, and prosecutors want to present evidence that Strain used the work release as a form of hush money to keep victims quiet. But they'll have to be careful. The first judge appointed to preside over Strain's state trial, Edward "Jimmy" Gaidry, said in a 2019 hearing that witnesses testifying about the work release program must not mention that Strain is under federal indictment, warning that doing so could cause a mistrial. Who will testify? Besides Keen, three other alleged victims are expected to testify against Strain. He also was indicted for one count of aggravated rape involving Mark Finn, another close family friend. Finn, who has been in and out of prison most of his adult life, has acknowledged getting favorable treatment from Strain, including a private room in the dormitory-type building where work-release prisoners lived. Finn is nearly seven years younger than Strain. He has said in previous interviews that the sexual abuse began when he was only 6 years old and continued for years until Strain was legally an adult. He agreed to be publicly identified in previous stories in the news media. Strain is also charged with aggravated incest involving two other victims, both of whom were under 17, along with one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile and one count of aggravated sexual battery. Those alleged crimes occurred much later, when Strain was not only an adult but a sitting sheriff. The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate is not naming these alleged victims. The jury is likely to hear from three other alleged victims, one of them female, although Strain has not been charged with crimes involving them. Gaidry, who has since been replaced by A. Bruce Simpson as the judge in the case, agreed to allow them to appear. Prosecutors argued that the state's code of evidence allows testimony that shows a lustful disposition toward children in sex crime cases involving victims under 17. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The prosecution has also called Strain's wife, Lisa Palmer Strain, as a witness, along with several former Sheriff's Office employees and family members of the alleged victims. Hurdles for the prosecution Collin Sims, who heads the DA's criminal division and will lead the prosecution, and Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Authement will have to persuade a jury that a well-known political figure, one who voters kept in office for 20 years, is not who he seemed to be. They clearly view Strain's former position and deep family roots in St. Tammany as a challenge since the DA's Office sought a change of venue. Strain's attorney, Billy Gibbens, successfully opposed moving the trial out of St. Tammany, a sign that the defense recognizes the advantage of a home-grown jury. David Katner, director of Tulane Law School's Juvenile Law Clinic, said that people who liked Strain when he was sheriff probably still do and are more likely to be skeptical. That's true for public figures generally, he said, and it's especially true if their accusers are viewed as having problems, such as addiction. Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue, who formerly handled child sex crime cases as a prosecutors with the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office, said that the trial will come down to witness credibility. If some of the victims have a checkered past, the prosecution will have to acknowledge at the beginning and ask jurors not to decide until they've heard the victim out, she said. Other difficulties for the prosecution include the length of time that has elapsed since the alleged crimes and the lack of physical evidence. "You have to explain to the jury that this is coming down to testimony alone...That's tough for a juror, they want CSI," Rodrigue said. As for the delay in victims coming forward, Katner said that is a common pattern for sex crime victims, particularly those who are young. He said it's easy to manipulate a child into not disclosing abuse, and that conditioning doesn't dissipate over time. In such cases, testimony from experts on delayed reporting and family or friends to whom victims have disclosed the abuse will prove critical, legal experts say. The prosecution has issued a witness summons for Scott Benton, a forensic pediatrician who has testified as an expert witness about delayed reporting by child sex abuse victims. Family members of Finn and Keen have also received summonses. The fact that Strain was police chief of the small town of Abita Springs at 23 and was then elected sheriff a decade later is also a reason victims could have had for keeping quiet, Rodrigue said. What the defense faces Efforts to contact Gibbens for this story were not successful. But he will have to convince the jury that the alleged victims are not credible, a task made more difficult by the number of them that will take the stand. In arguing against allowing testimony from additional alleged victims, Gibbens said in a previous hearing that allowing them to take the stand would nearly double the number of abusive acts his client is accused of committing. "If I'm Billy Gibbens, I'm going to say how terrible these people are, that they lie for a living," Rodrigue said. It will be harder to overcome family members coming forward, Rodrigue said, noting that Strain is charged with incest regarding two of the victims. "You have four different victims, you'd have to believe all of them are conspiring together to go after this guy. Why would they? Nobody is signing up for this," she said, calling rape a crime where the victim can become the accused. Defense attorney Richard Simmons, who represented Walter Reed in his federal corruption case, agreed that credibility will be the key. For the defense, it comes down to the number of credibility disputes between witnesses and the accused, he said. One can be overcome, he said, but when you get to three, you're in trouble. "The jury's going to make the ultimate decision," he said. After a fierce and menacing argument on Instagram, Nathaniel Stevenson wanted to use his fists to put an end to the conflict, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office investigators say. Friends warned the 27-year-old New Orleans resident not to go to the Terrytown home of Derrick Everfield, 24, the rival with whom Stevenson intended to fight on the evening of May 25. They were afraid that Stevenson might end up shot or worse, authorities said. His friends' fears were tragically confirmed when Stevenson was gunned down during a parking lot confrontation. He was unarmed, but Everfield and his co-defendant, Robert Bovia, 24, had guns, according to Jefferson Parish sheriff's Detective Ryan Vaught. "[Stevenson] indicated that it was going to be a fistfight, not a gunfight," Vaught said. A Jefferson Parish grand jury indicted Bovia and Everfield on charges of second-degree murder, obstruction of justice and drug possession, court records show. Both men pleaded not guilty Wednesday. The shooting took place at the Oak Alley Apartments in the 1600 block of Carole Sue Avenue. Everyfield lived there with his girlfriend, according to Vaught, who testified about the investigation during a probable cause hearing in the case. Investigators didn't say what triggered the disagreement between Stevenson and Everfield, but the two exchanged angry messages with one another on Instagram. "Everfield sent many voice messages to the decedent laced with obscenities and threats," Vaught said. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Despite the warnings from friends, Stevenson went to Everfield's apartment complex just before 6 p.m., accompanied by a friend, Roderick Barnes, 26, authorities said. In video captured by a nearby surveillance camera, Bovia and Everfield can be seen walking out of Everfield's apartment, both armed with guns, Vaught testified. As they walked over, Stevenson lifted his shirt, exposing his waistband to show that he was not armed, Vaught said. After a brief conversation, Bovia raised his gun and began firing towards Carol Sue Avenue. Stevenson took off running, followed by Bovia, who shot him in the back, Vaught testified. Stevenson was pronounced dead at the scene. Bovia and Everfield then returned to the latter's apartment before fleeing the complex. Though Everfield never fired his gun, detectives arrested him and booked him as a principal to second-degree murder because he allegedly set up the confrontation with Stevenson, brought in Bovia and was armed, according to authorities. The Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office upgraded the charge against Everfield to second-degree murder, court records said. Barnes was also arrested and later charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and obstruction of justice. He, too, was armed during the confrontation. He ran for cover behind an apartment building when Bovia began shooting and fired his gun from there, Vaught said. No one else was injured. In addition to the murder, Bovia was charged with use of a firearm in connection with drug-related activity and illegal use of a weapon. Everfield was additionally charged with two counts of being a convicted felon with a weapon, court records said. After the indictment, bond for Bovia was increased to $975,000. Everfield's bond was increased to more than $1 million. Both were being held Thursday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. On Friday, the New Orleans coroner identified the victims of two different homicides that happened on Wednesday night. The first man, who police said they believe was shot at I-10 East and Crowder Boulevard in New Orleans East before getting into a three-car wreck roughly two miles away, was identified as Norbert Housey, 28. Housey suffered multiple gunshot wounds before being taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. Two other people involved in the wreck were injured and taken to the hospital, but their conditions were not yet released, the NOPD said in a press release. There were no further details released about the case. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The second man identified by the coroner was Lawrence Wells, 38, who was shot and killed in the St. Claude neighborhood, according to police. Wells was found in a crashed vehicle in the 1100 block of Pauline with multiple gunshot wounds; he was later taken to a hospital, where he later died, the NOPD said. Anyone with information about either of these incidents is asked to call NOPD Det. Leonard Bendy at 504-658-5300 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111. A state advisory committee on Friday recommended candidates to fill four seats next summer on the New Orleans area's east bank and west bank regional levee authorities. The east bank members of the selection committee, made up of engineers, scientists and business leaders, recommended that Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards appoint Herbert Weysham III of Slidell to a second term beginning July 1 on the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East. Weysham is an electrical engineer and major of estimating and projects for VersaTech Automation Services in Harvey. He was first appointed to the authority in 2018. They also recommended Mandeville geologist Christopher McLindon to succeed Mark Morgan, the president of the east authority, when his term expires June 30. Last year, the committee nominated McLindon and Baton Rouge resident Roy Arrigo for an open seat; Edwards appointed Arrigo, who now serves as vice president. McLindon is manager of McLindon Geosciences and, in addition to working for oil and gas firms, has led efforts by state and local geological societies to understand the role of geological faults in the states coastal zone. Both Weysham and McLindon were selected with unanimous votes of the nominating committee. There were no other candidates for either board seat. Under the complicated state law governing who sits on the two authority boards, the board selected only one candidate, Weysham, to fill the professional slot he held, although it could have endorsed two candidates for that seat. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The committee chose to move authority member Herbert Miller to Morgans slot, which is reserved for a civil engineer, and to appoint McLindon to the seat as an engineer or scientist, because hes not a civil engineer. Both of those slots require only one nominee be sent to the governor. Under state law, Edwards must appoint board members only from candidates selected by the committee. The Legislature could reject Edwards' choice during its spring session. The west bank members of the committee recommended reappointing Stephen Gauthe, director of security and emergency operations with the U.S. Department of Energys Strategic Petroleum Reserve, to the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West. Gauthe was first appointed in 2018. They selected Algiers resident Kyle Galloway, a civil engineer who is director of operations for GIS Engineering LLC, to fill a seat now held by Kerwin Julien Jr., president of Julien Engineer and Consulting. Julien was appointed to the authority in 2007 but resigned a year later to avoid a potential conflict of interest. He was reappointed in 2014 by Gov. Bobby Jindal and in 2018 by Edwards. Others who applied for west bank seats but were not selected include Joseph Tyson of Algiers, a senior vice president with Canal Barge Co.; and Mitchell Kirkland of Algiers, a forensic engineer with U.S. Forensic in Metairie. The New Orleans City Council adopted new laws Thursday for independent living centers, to ensure the citys most vulnerable residents have access to vital resources during disasters. The rules represent City Hall's response to the deaths of seven elderly residents during the Hurricane Ida blackout, but some advocates worry it does not address an underlying failure in New Orleans' disaster response: lack of provisions for shelter and transportation. Before, during and for at least five brutally hot days after Hurricane Ida, when the power was out citywide, neither evacuation nor a local shelter were available in New Orleans, Martha Kegel, executive director of UNITY of Greater of New Orleans, told the council. We have a very large population of low-income seniors and people with disabilities in our city. The overwhelming majority of them do not live in senior apartment buildings. Council member Kristin Gisleson Palmer, who pioneered the ordinance with Mayor LaToya Cantrells administration, promised it was only the first step in a more comprehensive effort to improve post-disaster procedures. The administration's health director, Jennifer Avegno, said the rules are intended as a straightforward fix to foster better coordination between operators of independent living properties and city officials during disasters. Additional improvements are still being worked out, she said. Avegno said the purpose is to ensure that we know where our concentrations of vulnerable residents are. Not necessarily that one person here or there, but concentrations of vulnerable individuals that really heightened what we saw this time, she said. For years, City Hall's emergency preparation plans have included outreach to independent living centers, including assistance with evacuating the largest buildings. The most recent version of the plan, completed just weeks before Ida struck Aug. 29, highlights the seven largest complexes, including estimates of how many residents they house. City officials shut down six of those after Ida, upon discovering that residents had been left with limited access to food, water and backup power for oxygen tanks and dialysis machines. Building managers, with no duty of care to residents, had fled their posts in advance of the storm without coordinating plans for the immediate aftermath. Although city officials acted quickly to shut down a total of 10 properties where residents were considered trapped in life-threatening situations, a special needs shelter and buses to shelters elsewhere in the state were not provided until six days after the storm. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up +2 After resident deaths in New Orleans apartments, city officials, building owners trade accusations When Larry Tyler gathered with other residents outside of the Flint-Goodridge Apartments for seniors in Central City on Friday, he saw somethi The new ordinance creates a licensing regime for a new residential classification that is separate from nursing homes. To obtain the license, operators of independent living centers must coordinate emergency plans with city officials and maintain on-site personnel and a detailed tenant census during disasters. Kegel, whose organization provides services for homeless people, said in an interview that she understood we are all a little rusty when it comes to post-storm evacuations, because it had been more than a decade since New Orleans faced a hurricane threat comparable to Ida. She said she hopes to work with the Cantrell administration on improving procedures. Ida showed us that our commitment as a community to taking care of people who cant evacuate themselves is really frayed, Kegel said. Its just really missing the mark of what the real problem was, and its just focusing on a relatively few buildings. Kegel was initially concerned with a draft ordinance covering any residential complex that houses persons receiving permanent housing services. The draft also allowed the City Hall to bill operators for city-assisted evacuations. That would have squeezed landlords with whom UNITY works to house people who would otherwise be on the streets, ultimately jeopardizing the supply of housing, Kegel told the council. For these properties, UNITYs case management services already fulfill most of the new requirements, she said. A series of late amendments scrapped the billing allowance and refined the supportive housing provision to restrict eligibility to complexes where most residents receive support. While there are hundreds of complexes with individual tenants receiving support services, only a handful meet the criteria passed Thursday, Kegel said. The amendments placated most of Kegels concerns about alienating landlords. But she and her staff worry the ordinance will do little to help the residents they support, not to mention thousands of other vulnerable residents. It focuses on our communication with the Health Department, and with the city, but it doesnt commit the city to doing anything in particular with that information, said Heather Searles, director of UNITYs supportive housing program. Stay up to date on local news Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Cybersecurity threats have launched national and local responses as the public faces a growing amount of scam calls, identity fraud, and other privacy invasions. As the public faces cybersecurity threats, legislators are considering economic impacts, while leaders in the field are offering their expert advice. See online resources for information on how to prevent and/or respond to cyber security attacks: https://www.ready.gov/cybersecurity. Find additional resource links at the bottom of the page. Current Cybersecurity legislation In September, legislators proposed a bill that would strengthen U.S. cyber defenses and create federal work programs in the cybersecurity field. The proposed programs would specifically employ veterans and members of the Armed Forces. The bill details approximately 500,000 available jobs in cybersecurity in the U.S. Legislators have not yet voted on the bill. Cybersecurity expert at Penn College An expert on cybersecurity is set to visit Penn College for a presentation on ransomware attacks, offering a local learning opportunity to Penn College students and the public. Jon Matthews, vice president of digital forensics and incident response for CyberMaxx, will present on Tuesday, Oct. 26, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Room 1056 of the Student & Administrative Services Center. The colleges current masking policy requires everyone, including visitors to campus, to be masked while indoors, regardless of vaccination status. In his role at CyberMaxx, a cybersecurity firm for 1,000-plus health care facilities, Matthews helps clients determine the cause and extent of security breaches. His extensive cybersecurity background includes work as a cyber counterintelligence special agent for the U.S. Army. Matthews presentation will cover recent ransomware attacks, identify common tools used by threat actors and describe mitigation measures that companies can employ to help prevent future attacks. Time will be allotted for questions. Williamsport -- Educational efforts to promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) learning are often reinforced by local communities. In the Williamsport area, the James V. Brown library, is offering a "Tinkering kit" program to students. James V. Brown's After School Fun in a Box Tinkering kit is made possible by the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), a component of Pennsylvanias Out-of-School Time project. The purpose of the Tinkering Kit project is to enhance, expand, and increase STEAM programming to youth ages 8-18. The After School Fun in a Box Tinkering Kit provides an overview of STEAM concepts that appeal to school-age students. Youth can experiment and test technology with resources such as Edison Robots, circuit projects, LED engineering activities, and a digital fabricator and design software. Kit items, made available for use through library programming, will encourage critical and computational thinking and will develop problem-solving skills. For decades libraries have been the portal for individuals to be introduced to the latest technologies and receive instruction to be proficient users of all kinds of software, hardware and internet resources, said Susan Banks, Acting Deputy Secretary and State Librarian. These Tinkering Kits and the accompanying programs that libraries of all sizes can do put Maker activities in the hands of all kids across the Commonwealth. Everyone belongs in this Maker world and libraries can help young Makers connect to their interests and dreams for the future. Tinkering kit items will be made available on the second Thursday of each month in the Teen Cafe, starting at 4:30 p.m. The first program will use Strawbees on November 11, during which participants will make a mechanical arm using accordion linkage with Strawbees. The program will be presented by Nina White, childrens librarian, who will be accompanied by a representative from BLaST Intermediate Unit 17, in honor of National STEM Day. This program is limited to six participants and registration can be made by visiting calendar.jvbrown.edu or calling (570) 326-0536. Registration opens at 10 a.m. two weeks before each event. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Educations Office of Commonwealth Libraries. Jersey Shore, Pa. A long forgotten transportation relic is returning to its home in Jersey Shore after the better part of a century. According to Tina Cooney, president of the Jersey Shore Historical Society, it was Skip Cochran of River Valley Transit, who approached her in April during a Historical Organizations of Lycoming County (HOLC) meeting. He said to me that the River Valley Transit had a trolley car that was in service in Jersey Shore and he asked if we would like to have it, Cooney said. She explained that the trolley had been out of service since the 1930s, had spent a decade as a hunting cabin in Pine Creek, and it was eventually transported to Williamsport. Cochran, in a phone interview, said that the Williamsport River Valley Transit (RVT) had received it before the mid-1980s. As to when it officially arrived, he said that he has researched the cars history but some information still remains lost to history. However, he said he is happy that giving the trolley car to the Jersey Shore would give the streetcar a new purpose. I knew in my heart that this could be repurposed and salvaged instead of it being trashed or junked, said Cochran, who serves as the marketing director for the RVT. He added that Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter had been interested in donating the trolley car to the Jersey Shore Historical Society. Mayor Slaughter also encouraged that the car be repurposed and the Williamsport City Council approved of the donation earlier in 2021. Cooney said the Jersey Shore City Council approved of the donation back in April of this year. This past Monday, the Jersey Shore governing body approved the trolley to be placed on the north side of Locust Street on the old canal bed. Cooney said by the end of the year, she expects the trolley to be transported from Williamsport to Jersey Shore. While the efforts are still being discussed, she said she is optimistic, pointing to the recent successful transportation of an A-6 Intruder the 10 miles from the Williamsport Regional Airport in Montoursville to the Lycoming County Veterans Memorial Park on Fourth Street in Williamsport. However, Cooney said the ultimate goal is to have the car refurbished and a structure built around it to protect it from the elements. It was estimated that it would cost $50,000 to $150,000. Cochran said that he remains positive for the Jersey Shore Historical Society thanks to Cooneys dedication. Tinas enthusiasm blows my mind and she was so instrumental in finding it a home, Cochran said. This type of thing gives people a good feeling and it is good for nostalgia reasons. Cooney said that Jersey Shore is very fortunate to receive this donation. Originally, Jersey Shore had two trolley routes. One went from South Main Street to Avis and the other went down Alleghany Street to Oak Street, Cooney said. They did the same circuit several times a day. Car 14, as it is called, was built in 1894 and used in the Philadelphia Rapid Transit System. It was then sold to Williamsport; and in 1912 it was sold to Jersey Shore. So this is the second time this car has come from Williamsport to Jersey Shore, Cooney said with a laugh. Ultimately, with the advent of the automobile, buses and repaving in Jersey Shore, along with the shifting economy, the private trolley company, closed shop in 1930. Cooney said that trolleys had their problems ... Visit On the PULSE for the whole story. About the author Writer Don Everett Smith Jr. is a recent transplant to Lycoming County with his wife, Laura, and their cats and tortoise. Don has written professionally for over 25 years with several articles, short stories and books to his credit. He is also a known horror and true-crime writer with a specific interest in history. Berwick, Pa. In the late-night hours of Oct. 5, Briar Creek Township Police said they responded to the scene of a head-on collision near the 100 block of S Market Street in Berwick. Once on scene, officer Clinton Libby said two vehicles were observed in the roadway. Libby described one as severely damaged to the point of being disabled. Other officers said the occupant of the vehicle fled the scene. Inside the vehicle, Libby said officers discovered an empty beer can along with papers from the Berwick Hospital with the name Joseph Scott Rish on them. Rish, 27, of Berwick was identified as the driver of the disabled vehicle. Court records show he currently has three active cases that feature DUIs of varying degrees. Some include felonies. According to an affidavit, the driver of the driver who remained on scene was transported to the Berwick Hospital. On Oct. 6, Libby said offices spoke with the person on the vehicles registration, who allegedly said Rish took the keys late in the evening of Oct. 5. On Oct. 9, the person was contacted a second time, initially telling police they did not know where Rish was located. Libby said after a few moments, the person alerted authorities Rish was inside the residence and he was taken into custody. Rish is being held at the Columbia Count Prison after a judge denied him bail. Rish faces charges of first-degree misdemeanor accidents involving death or personal injury, third-degree misdemeanor driving with a suspended license, and third-degree misdemeanor accident involving attended vehicle. He was also charged with three summary traffic offenses. Rish has two other active cases in Columbia County. Both feature third-degree felony DUI charges. Docket sheet Canton, Pa. A man being accused of assault is scheduled to appear for a formal arraignment on Nov. 8 in Bradford County. Michael Jason Kimball, 40, of Canton is facing two counts of felony first-degree aggravated assaultattempts to cause serious bodily harm with extreme indifference. He is also facing two counts of misdemeanor second-degree recklessly endangering another person, first-degree misdemeanor terroristic threats, and second-degree simple assault. Kimball allegedly held a knife against a womans throat and threatened another person while brandishing the knife on the night of Sept. 26. According to an affidavit filed by Trooper Philip Semenza of Towanda PSP, Kimball pushed the woman into the street before holding the knife to her neck. Semenza said contact was made with Kimball near the 500 block of Springbook Drive in Canton. Kimball was taken into custody without further incident and was read his Miranda Rights, wrote Semenza. Kimball allegedly admitted to brandishing the knife during a verbal altercation. According to the report, Kimball told troopers he admitted to an altercation with the woman, too, but couldnt remember if he had a knife. Semenza said Kimball showed officers where he threw the knife along Lycoming Street. According to the affidavit, troopers located a gold and silver pocketknife. Semenza said Kimball admitted it was the weapon used in the incident. Kimball is being held at the Bradford County Prison in lieu of $200,000 monetary bail as he awaits the Nov. arraignment. Docket sheet Northumberland, Pa. Charges have been filed in Northumberland County Court against a Williamsport man who allegedly allowed two men to smoke marijuana in a vehicle with a two-year-old child. According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by State Trooper Tyler Arbogast, on July 25 a black BMW was stopped in Northumberland due to window tint. Arbogast said as the vehicle came to a stop, a male was observed exiting from the backseat. Troopers stopped the male after a short chase, identifying him as Eric Locke, 23, of Williamsport. Related reading: Williamsport man in jail for allegedly discarding gun, drugs during police pursuit near Sunbury Locke discarded several items while fleeing on foot, Arbogast said. The remaining occupants were taken into custody and identified. The driver, identified as Daimeer Abuld Ale Clark, 22, of Williamsport, was mirandized by troopers once in custody. Troopers said a faint smell of marijuana was detected on Clark as he spoke with authorities. According to the affidavit, a second passenger in the vehicle was identified as Isaiah Keyes, 19, of Williamsport. Troopers said both Keyes and Locke were seated in the backseat of the vehicle with the young child. Both possessed fully loaded firearms and were smoking marijuana at the time of the stop, according to the affidavit by State Police. Arbogast said Clark admitted to letting both Keyes and Clark smoke marijuana inside the vehicle. Later in the evening of July 25, authorities said a search warrant was executed on the vehicle which turned up an additional weapon and 44 grams of marijuana. Clark was charged with felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, third-degree felony endangering the welfare of children, misdemeanor use or possession of a controlled substance, and a summary charge of improper window tint. Eric Locke was charged with third-degree felony firearm not to be carried without a license and receiving stolen property. Keyes, who is being held at the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $200,000 monetary bail, was charged with one count each of third-degree felony firearms not to be carried without a license and second-degree misdemeanor tamper with physical evidence. Clark docket sheet Locke docket sheet Keyes docket sheet Local Rome, Floyd County schools well above state high school graduation rate Both Rome and Floyd County schools ranked well above the states graduation rate in reports released this week. The Floyd County school systems four-year graduation rate for the Class of 2021 is 94.1%. The Rome City School system was close behind with a graduation rate of 93%, according to data released by the Georgia Department of Education. Both local school systems ranked nearly 10 percentage points above the state graduation rate of 83.7% for the 2020-2021 school term. John Parker I am extremely proud of our ability to maintain a 94% graduation rate during a pandemic year. I would also like to point out that our minority subgroups are graduating at a higher rate than the system, said FCS Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer John Parker. I am most pleased with the performance of our Students with Disabilities subgroup who is graduating at a rate of 83%, which matches the mark set by the state for all students, he added. It sends a great message to our community when we can ensure that our most vulnerable students are achieving and graduating at a high rate. All four high schools in the county system were also above 90% in the state report. Model High had the highest graduation rate in the system at 96.6%, Armuchee High wasnt far behind with 96%, Pepperell High had a rate of 93.9%, and Coosa High completed the trend at 90.9%. COVID-19 forced school districts to make a series of adjustments during the last school year, with some resorting to virtual instruction for long periods. Others were able to get students back into their classrooms by exercising safety precautions that included mask wearing and social distancing. Richard Woods Given the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am pleased to see Georgias graduation rate holding steady, State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. Combined with the class of 2021s increases in ACT and SAT scores, this is an encouraging indicator about the work being done in public schools. Teachers and students have continued to succeed in the face of challenging circumstances. High-school graduation rates have risen steadily during the past decade. This years rate marked an increase of 14% over the class of 2012. Meanwhile, two Georgia high schools Berrien Academy Performance Learning Center and Clarkston High School have been taken off a federal list of schools targeted for having low graduation rates. An exit from CSI (Comprehensive Support and Improvement) status means a school has done hard work that produced measurable improvements for their students, Woods said. Microsoft has unveiled two new Seagate expansion cards for the Xbox Series S|X. The 512GB variant will cost US$140, and it is available for pre-order in the United States. On the other hand, the 2TB version costs US$399 and will be available for pre-order sometime in November 2021. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Education , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Human 2.0 , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker One of the defining features of current-generation consoles such as the Xbox Series S|X and PlayStation 5 is high-speed, SSD-based storage. However, Microsoft and Sony have approached the problem of expanding the said storage differently. Sony's solution involves some mild disassembly, while Microsoft has opted for a plug-and-play route. The former lets users choose between many aftermarket SSDs, whereas the latter is restricted to proprietary hardware. Until now, one could expand their Xbox Series S|X with only a 1TB Seagate SSD. That is set to change soon, as Microsoft has unveiled two new storage tiers. The Seagate-branded SSD for the Xbox Series S|X is now available in 512GB and 2TB variants. The former costs US$140 and is available for pre-order now on Walmart in the United States. Microsoft states that the expansion card will hit shelves in November 2021. Its availability in other regions will be revealed later. The 2TB expansion drive for the Xbox Series S|X will cost eye-watering US$399. That's US$100 higher than the asking price of an Xbox Series S. It will be available for pre-order sometime in November and go on sale shortly after. Microsoft tries to justify these sky-high prices by stating that both expansion cards are rated for 2.4 GB/s throughputs, identical to the internal SSD found on the Xbox Series S|X. The 512GB variant could come as a godsend for Xbox Series S owners, as the console ships with a paltry 364GB of usable internal storage. That's barely enough to install two or three modern-day AAA titles. Oct 22, 2021 KRR Actor Vishak Nair of film Anandam fame is getting ready to enter wedlock. The actor will be getting hitched with Jayapriya Nair soon. Vishak announced the news of his wedding on his Instagram page. The post reads: The 21st of October. The day Aanandam came out and changed my life completely. The day Atom walked into our lives and brought out the mommy in me. The day I'm going to make what is probably the biggest announcement I've ever made. There comes a point in one's life where one does the seemingly unthinkable - one willingly decides to hand over one's free will and peg one's every joy and sadness to another of the opposite sex. Sounds scary right? Well, it was... But then I met the young lady in the pictures above and just like that...those fears dissipated and I was able to see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. For I had found what I didn't even know I was looking for...the missing piece of the puzzle. So it's with a heart full of hope, joy, excitement and everything in between that I introduce to you my soon to be fiance' Ms. Jayapria Nair. We will be "putting a ring on it" real soon but until then, please do keep us in your hearts and prayers. The 21st of October. A day that keeps giving me more reasons to say #iniaanandame Love, V. Vishak has also acted in movies such as Puthenpanam, Matchbox, Chunks, Aana Alarodalaral, and Lonappante Mamodisa LaPorte County Works honors the many businesses who call LaPorte County home," she said. "We aim to highlight our local businesses and industries so our residents know they can grow their careers and earn a good living right here in LaPorte County." "With the hard few years weve had with the pandemic, it is more important than ever to put a spotlight on our businesses, industries and manufacturing which provide many good family-wage jobs right here in LaPorte County," she said. "My hope is to highlight their products, services and history because each of the companies contribute to making our great county the premiere place to work, live and raise our families. We want to ensure that LaPorte County residents who are seeking a new career, a better job or an opportunity for success can look no further than the many great employers right here in beautiful LaPorte County, Indiana. Referendum ballots are being mailed to United Auto Workers union members, including those who work at the Chicago Assembly Plant in Hegewisch and the Chicago Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights. The union is having an election on whether to continue to elect members to its executive board via a delegate system at constitutional conventions or directly via democratic vote. An independent monitor appointed by the U.S. District Court is overseeing the election, which was mandated by a consent decree after the union's recent corruption scandal. All eligible members and retired members can vote on how the union will decide its leadership going forward. As many as 1 million active and retired UAW members will be able to vote via mail. "This week UAW members have an important choice," said Scott Houldieson, a Chicago Ford worker and former vice president of Local 551. "We can keep the status quo of corrupt officials, cooperation with management, and bad contracts. Or we can choose 'One Member, One Vote' and allow the membership to rebuild our union. A Food Truck Fest pop-up will bring a variety of international cuisines to Valparaiso. The pop-up will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Four Corners Winery, 294 E. 600 N. in Valparaiso. Las Mamacitas will have a made-to-order taqueria station. The new Trailyard food truck out of Porter County will serve pulled pork sandwiches and other fare. Bao Pastries in Valparaiso will have authentic French pastries and other traditional desserts. People also will be able to buy a variety of food from Manta Food Truck, Smoke Stack Pizza Shack, Big D's Phillys and Whitefield Cheesecake. "We are excited to take part and help to organize such a great event," said Monica Jimenez-Susoreny, owner of Las Mamacitas food truck. "The winery is a beautiful space and it is going to be perfect weather-wise. What a fun way to spend the day, trying different foods all while supporting local." The event is free and open to the public. In addition to the food trucks, there will be live music, a DJ, craft vendors, and a bounce house. The popular children's television entertainer CoComelon will visit between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in an appearance sponsored by Everlasting Smiles & Memories. VALPARAISO 1st Source Foundation presented Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana A $50,000 check on Wednesday in support of the new Valparaiso Boys & Girls Club. The award comes as part of the Foundations grant program. Ryan Smiley, Boys & Girls Clubs president & CEO, thanked the Foundation and regional president Matt Vessely, noting that 1st Source also contributed to the youth organizations renovation of Duneland Boys & Girls Club. Were grateful to 1st Source Foundation for believing in our mission of helping youth reach their full potential and supporting our work in the community, Smiley said. For them to support two different projects in such a big way speaks to their commitment to giving back. Their partnership means a lot to us and our Club members. 1st Source Bank has been involved in community philanthropy for over 155 years. The Foundation provides support to organizations working in social welfare and human services, education, arts and culture and community and economic development with the goal of helping build good places to live, work and raise families Vessely said community service is one of the companys principal values. GARY Police are seeking the public's help in locating a 14-year-old girl who has been missing since Sept. 7 and may in the company of a man in his early to mid-30s, according to a news release. The missing girl was identified by Gary police as Alyssa Casalin. "Investigators have exhausted all leads and are now seeking assistance from the community, " Gary Police Public Information Officer Lt. Dawn Westerfield said. "Alyssa has made contact with family and friends during this time but no information as to her whereabouts was able to be obtained." The girl is described as white, 5 feet 3 inches in height, weighing approximately 160 pounds, with long brown hair and blue eyes, police said. She may be in the Northwest Indiana or Chicago areas. "Although Alyssa Casalin's absence still appears to be voluntary, investigators have concerns about Alyssa's health and well-being and are still hoping that she will be located safely," according to police. Anyone with information is urged to contact Sgt. Jon Basaldua at 219-881-7300, extension 22013, the Crime Tip Line at 866-CRIME-GP or call 911. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. HAMMOND An everyday traffic crash last year is now the subject of a lawsuit with a cast of prominent Lake County politicians. Two cars collided the afternoon of Jan. 27, 2020, at the intersection of Hohman Avenue and Russell Street in downtown Hammond. Lawyers for the those involved in the crash are now asking a U.S. District Court judge to decide who was at fault and whether one of the prominent victims, Lorenzo Arredondo, deserves thousands of dollars in restitution. Arredondo, a passenger in one of the cars, is one of the best known lawyers in Lake County. He served as Lake Superior Court and Lake Circuit Court judge from the 1970s until 2010 when he retired from the bench. Three years ago, voters elected Arredondo as the clerk of the Superior and Circuit Courts, to administer thousands of civil suits pending in those state courts. A fellow passenger with Arredondo was Michael A. Brown, who is in his third year as a member of the Gary City Common since 2018. Brown previously served 14 years as county clerk prior to Arredondos election and county recorder. MUNSTER After their quick thinking saved a woman suffering a serious neurological emergency, two Superior Ambulance employees were honored by the hospital they transported the patient to. Paramedic Janiece Cox and EMT Michelle Devaney, are the first recipients of the Life Saving Partner Award, which was presented by Community Healthcare System. Cox and Devaney received the honors on behalf of Community Hospitals Comprehensive Stroke Center in Munster, according to a news release from the hospital. Recognition like this means more than we could ever express, Cox said. The award recognizes outstanding efforts by EMS personnel for critical lifesaving efforts on behalf of stroke patients. I appreciate it, but we were just doing our job, Devaney said. The two EMS professionals were working at Superior Ambulance's Dyer station recently when they responded to a 911 call for a sick person. They found a 61-year-old woman who said she had neck pain that began while she washed her hair. She said she also felt a pounding headache and briefly experienced blurred vision. INDIANAPOLIS The Indiana Appellate Court has vacated one of the convictions in the double murder case of Valparaiso resident Connor Kerner, saying it violated the prohibition against being tried twice for the same offense. The ruling shaves 25 years off the sentence, but the 20-year-old still faces a 154-year term, which amounts to a lifetime behind bars. The defense had argued Kerner's convictions and sentences on the two counts each of murder and attempted robbery violate the prohibition against double jeopardy. The appellate court did not agree, but it did opt to toss out one of the attempted robbery convictions on an issue not raised by the defense. "Although both Thomas (Grill) and Molley (Lanham) suffered serious bodily injury, there was only one act of attempted robbery," the court said. Kerner was convicted of murdering Grill, of Cedar Lake, and Lanham, of St. John, Feb. 25, 2019 at his grandparents home near Hebron. A jury found Kerner guilty on Oct. 22, 2020 on two counts of murder, two counts of murder in perpetration of a robbery, two counts of attempted robbery and one count of arson. He was given a 179-year sentence. CEDAR LAKE Police found a loaded handgun in the waistband of a felon who attempted to flee in Cedar Lake on Thursday evening, police said. Around 5 p.m. officers were patrolling in the area of 133rd Avenue and U.S. 41 when they saw a Jeep Cherokee with Illinois license plates, said Cedar Lake Police Department Chief Bill Fisher. The vehicle was parked at the BP gas station nearby and while leaving the parking lot, drove around another vehicle waiting to pull onto 133rd Avenue and disregarded a stop sign. Police pulled the vehicle over and it stopped at 119th Avenue and U.S. 41. While officers spoke to one of the suspects, another suspect began running away, Fisher said. Officers chased after the suspect, who doubled back and got back into the Jeep to try and drive away. The vehicle was disabled, preventing the suspect from fleeing. The suspect was arrested and police found a loaded handgun in his waistband, Fisher said. He was found to be a felon and criminal charges are pending. The second suspect was arrested and will be charged with resisting law enforcement. Both suspects are being held at the Lake County Jail and their names will be released once formal charges are filed. "I would love to be able to do anything I can to help our public school systems," Rodney Pol said. "I think it's a shame that our districts have to consistently go back and ask for referendum money from our taxpayers." Pol was born into a Mexican-American and Puerto Rican family of union workers in East Chicago, grew up in Chesterton, earned his bachelor's degree at Indiana University in Bloomington, and a law degree at Indiana University in Indianapolis. He's very familiar with the Statehouse after working as a legislative aide to his uncle, former state Rep. John Aguilera, D-East Chicago, as well as former state Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, and spending four years as an attorney in the state public defender's office. Pol has been city attorney for the city of Gary since 2014 and plans to continue in that role when he's not fulfilling his duties at the Statehouse. "I love working with the city. It's a challenging job," he said. "It's never a dull moment, ever." At the same time, Pol said his experience working in Lake County, living in Porter County, and representing a district that includes portions of Porter and LaPorte counties makes him will suited to lead at the Statehouse on issues affecting all of Northwest Indiana. VALPARAISO The Porter County Election Board shifted a few precinct boundaries Thursday after new Indiana House of Representatives districts sliced through them. Boone Townships Precinct 1 was split between District 4 and District 11. The portion of Boone the district in District 11 is shifting to Boone Township Precinct 5. In Union Townships Precinct 7, the part of the precinct in House District 19 was shifted to Precinct 2. The portion of Precinct 7 in District 4 merged with Precinct 3. Some other precincts were affected by legislative maps, County Clerk Jessica Bailey said, but action on that is awaiting a closer view by a county GIS specialist. We were forced to do this by the state, Bailey said. If the county Election Board hadnt taken action, candidates filing for office in January could have been affected. Board member Jeff Chidester asked if the state Legislature is supposed to follow precinct boundaries. They can do whatever they want, and we have to redraw the lines, said Sundae Schoon, director of the Elections and Voter Registration Office. Porter County has a total of 124 precincts. A former Wisconsin high school teacher was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison and 20 years of supervised release for hiding video cameras in student bathrooms during field trips. Seventeen Madison East High School students, former students, parents and teachers addressed U.S. District Judge James Peterson during the four-hour sentencing hearing, nearly all fought back tears as they described the "manipulative" and "grooming" behavior of David Kruchten, 39, of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. Many asked Peterson to hand down 20 years in prison, the maximum sentence. I have no doubt in my mind he was actually grooming the girls he wanted to see on camera, a parent of one of the victims said, her voice heavy with emotion, during the hearing. Some of the victims said they were as young as 14 years old the first time they went on an overnight field trip with Kruchten. Most said their lives had changed dramatically since the December 2019 discovery. I have no sense of privacy even in my own home, one, who also babysat for Kruchten, said. Repairing that breach has been a longstanding commitment of the patriarch, said the Rev. Alexis Torrance, a professor of Byzantine theology at Notre Dame and an Orthodox priest. The gathering will also include a talk on environmental stewardship, underscoring Bartholomews reputation as the green patriarch. The patriarch is considered first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox hierarchy, which gives him prominence but not the power of a Catholic pope. Just as his influence is limited in Turkey, it is also limited in the Eastern Orthodox communion, rooted in Eastern Europe and the Middle East with a worldwide diaspora. Large portions of the communion are in national churches that are independently governed, with the ecumenical patriarch having only symbolic prominence, though he does directly oversee Greek Orthodox and some other jurisdictions. The Russian Orthodox Church, with about 100 million adherents, has in particular asserted its independence and influence and rejected Bartholomew's 2019 recognition of the independence of Orthodox churches in Ukraine, where Moscows patriarch still claims sovereignty. The Indiana Hospital Association recognized Franciscan Health hospitals in Crown Point and Michigan City and Methodist Hospitals in Merrillville and Gary for their infant and maternal health care at the second annual INspire Hospital of Distinction recognition program. Franciscan Health Hammond, which soon will be radically downsized, also won a Center of Excellence distinction. Indiana hospitals are grateful for the leadership of Gov. Eric Holcomb and Dr. Kris Box and are thrilled to be a partner in Indianas effort to reduce infant mortality, said IHA President Brian Tabor. We look forward to building on the progress weve made. The Indiana Department of Healths Safety PIN grant program funded INspire to address infant mortality levels in the state. The program encourages best practices in care of new mothers and their babies in Indiana. It also honors hospitals for excellence in addressing drivers of maternal and infant health. CARACAS, Venezuela From an unremarkable apartment in a quiet residential area of Venezuelas capital, a slender young man in a tie wages an increasingly lonely battle against the countrys authoritarian government. Two years ago, Juan Guaido transformed himself from little-known lawmaker to national hero by posing the most serious threat to date to the deeply unpopular president, Nicolas Maduro. During a euphoric anti-government protest, Mr. Guaido declared Mr. Maduro an illegitimate ruler and himself the interim head of state, drawing an outpouring of support from Venezuelans, the diplomatic recognition of around sixty democracies, and staunch American backing. Against great odds, he united the countrys fractured opposition and offered hope in a nation crushed by repression and economic collapse. Today, the adoring crowds are gone, many international allies are wavering, and the opposition coalition is crumbling while Mr. Maduro appears more entrenched than ever. A very different look into the history of the museum and its artworks is found in a limited-edition 2018 coffee-table book, Iran Modern: The Empress of Art. A foreword by Farah Diba Pahlavi tells the story from her point of view, including her personal encounters with artists like Chagall, Moore, Dali and Warhol. We could not afford old foreign masterpieces, but we could afford modern art, she wrote. She started on a sure footing with the French Impressionists and moved forward in time. Lavishly illustrated, protected in a linen clamshell presentation case, the book comes with white gloves and a signature canvas tote bag. It costs $895. As for the museum, its Western art collection remains intact, except for a Warhol portrait of Farah Diba Pahlavi slashed long ago at one of the former palaces by a vandal and Willem de Koonings Woman III, which the museum traded in 1994 for the remnants of a 16th-century book, known as the Shahnameh, or Book of Kings, containing miniatures. (Purchased for less than $1 million by the Iranians, according to Stein, Woman III sold privately in 2006 to the hedge-fund billionaire Steven A. Cohen for $137.5 million.) The Islamic Republics first comprehensive exhibition of the Western art collection was in 2005, and some works, such as the Pollock, are on permanent display. Others, including Renoirs Gabrielle With Open Blouse (1907), featuring a woman with naked breasts, have never been publicly shown. After a 32-month renovation, the museum reopened in late January with an exhibition of conceptual photography and selections from 700 artworks donated by the estate of a well-known Iranian collector. The museum will publish its own study of the collection it will require six volumes to tell the story. That base lies close to Kiruna, Swedens northernmost city and home to the largest underground iron ore mine in the world. It is so huge, in fact, that several neighborhoods are being moved, as the city is slowly sinking into the excavated caverns below. A 50-foot rocket stands at one of the main intersections, a testament to Swedens space ambitions. Space is woven into the fabric of the city. The Swedish Institute of Space Physics is based in Kiruna, as is the Space High School for gifted teenagers. The space engineering program at Lulea University of Technology, also in Kiruna, attracts Ph.D. students from across Europe. An enormous satellite receiver dish, sticking out from the woods in a vast white valley, serves as a geographical landmark. Esrange has many of the attributes of other spaceports high fences and warning signs, and some used rockets on display. But it also has a church, a visitor center and the Aurora hotel, named for the northern lights that color the winter skies. Snow is everywhere, of course, and reindeer roam the terrain (no one knows how they get past the fences), but astronauts and moon landers are nowhere to be found. SOACHA, Colombia Already, two of Gloria Vasquezs children had dropped out of school during the pandemic, including her 8-year-old, Ximena, who had fallen so far behind that she struggled with the most basic arithmetic. One plus one? Ms. Vasquez quizzed her daughter one afternoon. Four? the little girl guessed helplessly. Now, Ms. Vasquez, a 33-year-old single mother and motel housekeeper who had never made it past the fifth grade, told herself she couldnt let a third child leave school. Wheres Maicol? she asked her children, calling home one night during another long shift scrubbing floors. Is he studying? If children arent local, Dr. Palmiter said, parents could arrange a weekly phone call or FaceTime and wait to establish that connection before broaching the subject of getting help. Ms. Garon said that if parents fear that a young adult may be suicidal or likely to harm others, it would be appropriate to act immediately and call 9-1-1. Show empathy. Parents should avoid the temptation to lecture, which comes across as criticism and may shut down communication, Dr. Palmiter said. Instead, he suggested a sequence he called pain, empathy, question. Start by asking questions that help parents understand how the young adult is hurting, with language like: Hows your mood these days? Youre doing so much. The next step, empathy, can promote more open sharing. If a child complains that their boss is yelling at them all the time, dont step in and try to problem solve. Instead, say, Its terrible to go into work and be yelled at when youre working as hard as you are. Im sorry youre experiencing that. Then the parent can raise the issue of getting support. If this does not lead to a child being more open to help, he said dont fight it. Instead say, If you ever change your mind, Id be happy to partner with you in thinking about possible solutions. Laura Dollinger, of Beaver, Pa., tried this approach. She began to worry about the mental state of her daughter Emily after two distressing events: the breakup with her boyfriend in November of 2018 and the loss of one of her best friends in a car accident in February 2019. A straight-A student, Emily, now 19, said that she began to push people away, slept a lot, skipped classes, and made friends with people who filled their own voids with unhealthy things. Concerned about her daughter, Ms. Dollinger got a recommendation for a good therapist. My mom presented it in a nonthreatening way; I knew she cared about me and loved me, Emily Dollinger said. She took the recommendation and said her counselor helped her to develop healthy coping skills, which she used in dealing with a recent breakup. The difference therapy made was night and day, Laura Dollinger said. Today, when the humidity drops, Mr. Kochanowski sees the anxiety on his neighbors faces. Hot days stretch across more of the year and dewy, cool mornings are rare. Sometimes, he wonders if they should move on. You realize the larger forces that have always been beyond your control, he said. That level of realization makes you feel a little helpless. Andi Poland, 49, a technical recruiter who lives near Denver, said she too experiences anxiety, grief and dread about a hotter planet. I am glad that I am short for this earth, she said. I figure I have one-third of my life left. I am not upset that I only have that much time. But experts say those dark emotions can also be the basis for empowerment and progress. Writing in The Lancet, researchers recently argued that climate anxiety may be the crucible through which humanity must pass to harness the energy and conviction that are needed for the lifesaving changes now required. Your feelings about climate are justified. Anxiety is a rational response to the growing risks of climate change, according to Merritt Juliano, a therapist in Westport, Conn., and the co-president of the Climate Psychology Alliance North America. But we shouldnt hide from it or ignore it. Our emotions are not something to be solved, Ms. Juliano said. Rather than shove concerns about climate away, people need to identify them and realize they are there for a reason. Embracing them makes us that much stronger. Connection to other people is key. In one poll of 1,000 people by the American Psychiatric Association, more than half said theyre concerned about the impact climate change is having on mental health. You dont have to survive a hurricane to experience climate anxiety, said Britt Wray, a post-doctorate fellow who studies the mental health impacts of climate change at Stanford University. Suffering a longer mosquito season in Pennsylvania, seeing orcas disappear from Puget Sound or simply reading about catastrophic flooding in Germany can prompt a deeper emotional reaction to changing climate. Three months after Australias biggest city locked down to contain its latest coronavirus outbreak, the authorities have outlined a path to reopening. If it reaches a series of milestones in vaccination rates, Sydney will see restrictions start to lift in early October, with the aim of returning to normal life by December. The citys five million residents will begin to emerge from lockdown on Oct. 11, Gladys Berejiklian, premier of the state of New South Wales, said on Monday. That is the date by which officials expect to have vaccinated 70 percent of the states population over the age of 16, she said. Residents of Sydney, as well as some parts of rural New South Wales still under lockdown, will once again be able to go to hairdressers and attend weddings, funerals and small gatherings. By late October, when 80 percent of the state is projected to be fully vaccinated, Sydney residents will be able to drink standing up in restaurants and bars, and attend larger events. Unvaccinated people will still be barred from those activities, officials said, but they will be able to attend places of worship. And New South Wales will allow more Australians stranded overseas to return. On Dec. 1, most venues including cinemas, nightclubs and museums will reopen, masks will no longer be mandatory indoors and restrictions will be lifted for unvaccinated residents. Melbourne, Australias second biggest city, is set to start emerging from lockdown on Oct. 26, when 70 percent of residents aged over 16 are expected to be fully vaccinated. Earl Old Person, the chief of the Blackfeet Nation who for nearly 70 years pushed for its economic development and self-sufficiency and against what he saw as an unreliable, at times untrustworthy federal government, died on Oct. 13 in Browning, Mont. He was 92. The death, in a hospital, was confirmed in a statement by the Blackfeet Nation, which said the cause was cancer. Beginning in 1954, when he was first elected to the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council, the tribes governing body, Chief Old Person positioned himself as a go-between linking his isolated, impoverished Native American community with the rest of the country and beyond. At his retirement from the council, in 2016, he was the longest-serving elected tribal leader in the country. He was a regular witness at congressional hearings and a frequent guest of heads of state around the world. He drank tea with the shah of Iran and spoke at the 1988 Republican National Convention. He urged his tribe to be more entrepreneurial, and he persuaded government officials and venture capitalists to provide seed money for Blackfeet-owned businesses. A prominent Chinese pianist, Li Yundi, has been detained on prostitution suspicion in Beijing, state-run news outlets in China reported on Thursday. Mr. Li, 39, who had gained celebrity in China as a performer and a reality television personality, was accused of soliciting a 29-year-old woman, according to Peoples Daily, the official newspaper of the ruling Communist Party. The authorities in Beijing did not provide many details of the incident, saying in a statement that a 39-year-old man with the last name Li had acknowledged wrongdoing and had been detained in accordance with the law. In an apparent reference to Mr. Lis case, the Beijing authorities later posted a photo of piano keys alongside the text: The world is not simply black and white, but one must distinguish between black and white. It must never be mistaken. Climate change threatens national security The Biden administration released several reports about the risk of climate change to national security, laying out in stark terms the ways in which the warming world is beginning to significantly challenge stability worldwide, through developments such as worsening international conflict and increased dislocation and migration as people flee climate-fueled instability. The release of the documents is the first time that the nations security agencies have collectively communicated the climate risks they face. President Biden will soon attend a major U.N. climate conference in Glasgow known as COP26. The national security warnings came on the same day that top financial regulators for the first time flagged climate change as an emerging threat to the American economy. More frequent and destructive natural disasters are resulting in property damage, lost income and business disruptions that threaten to change the way real estate and other assets are valued. Examples: Climate change could work on numerous levels to sap the strength of a nation. Countries like Iraq and Algeria could be hit by lost revenue from fossil fuels, even as their region faces worsening heat and drought. Food shortages could in turn lead to unrest, along with fights between countries over water. HONG KONG China Evergrande, the troubled property giant that is teetering on the edge of collapse, appears to have bought itself a little more time. On Friday, the worlds most indebted property developer made an $83.5 million interest payment to bondholders, according to Securities Times, an official newspaper. The outlet, which is backed by Peoples Daily, the Communist Partys official newspaper, didnt offer further details. The payment came with just one day left on a 30-day grace period to avoid a default. The company gripped global financial markets a month ago when it skipped a payment to foreign bondholders, raising the prospect that it could leave global investors with billions of dollars in losses and cause ripples within Chinas property market, a key component of the countrys economic growth engine. Evergrande did not respond to a request for comment. Lawyers representing the bondholders declined to comment. Among Americans initially immunized with an mRNA vaccine, adults over 65, adults who are 50 to 65 with certain medical conditions, and those who reside in long-term care settings should receive a single booster dose six months or longer after their second dose, the committee decided. For adults ages 18 to 49 with certain medical conditions and adults whose jobs regularly expose them to the virus, the panel opted for softer language, saying they may choose to get a booster after considering their individual risk. The experts emphasized that people who have received two mRNA vaccine doses or a single Johnson & Johnson dose should still consider themselves fully vaccinated. Federal health officials said they would continue to study whether those who had weak immune systems and had already received a third dose of a vaccine should go on to get a fourth dose. Some advisers were concerned that young and healthy Americans who dont need a booster might choose to get one anyway. Side effects are uncommon, but in younger Americans they may outweigh the potential benefits of booster doses, the scientists said. Those that are not at high risk should really be thoughtful about getting that dose, said Dr. Helen Talbot, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University. The committees final votes contrasted sharply with discussions earlier in the day. The panel heard that in adults under 65, even those with chronic conditions, the Moderna vaccine remained highly protective against severe illness and showed only a small decline in effectiveness over time, if any at all. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine showed less efficacy than the Moderna vaccine overall, but the data were too limited to determine whether there might be a decline over time. Clifford Jones spent three decades in prison for rape and murder, crimes he knew he did not commit. So even as his yearslong effort to clear his name advanced through New Yorks courts, he feared the criminal justice system would fail him again. But he drew confidence from his lawyer, Breon S. Peace. I would always watch Breon hes cool, like James Bond, Mr. Jones said. A partner at an elite corporate law firm, Mr. Peace led the pro bono legal team that secured Mr. Jones a new evidentiary hearing in state court, paving the way for his 2016 exoneration and a $12.5 million settlement. I never seen him sweat, Mr. Jones said. I never seen him get out of step. Mr. Peaces friends and colleagues say that experiences like Mr. Joness case and his career as a white-collar civil litigator, along with high-stakes work on matters of criminal justice and racial equity have shaped Mr. Peaces approach to the law and prepared him for a high-profile new role: U.S. attorney for New Yorks Eastern District. Mr. Peace was sworn in last week as the top federal prosecutor for a sprawling and diverse region that includes Brooklyn, Long Island, Queens and Staten Island. People who know him, and his new jurisdiction, said that Mr. Peace a Black man with Brooklyn roots, a pastors son, a former assistant U.S. attorney in the office could bring stability and community credibility to the office, at a time when it is sorely needed. Former President Donald J. Trump declared on Wednesday evening that he would start a media powerhouse. Its flagship operation would be Truth Social, a Twitter-like social network that would stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech, he said in a statement. Within two hours, hackers had gained access to a private version of the social network, creating fake accounts for Mr. Trump; the far-right personality Stephen K. Bannon; Ron Watkins, the QAnon conspiracy theorist; and Twitters chief executive, Jack Dorsey, who barred Mr. Trump from Twitter after his supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. Using a false donaldjtrump account, hackers posted images of defecating pigs, wrote expletive-laced rants aimed at Mr. Dorsey and inquired about the whereabouts of the former first lady Melania Trump. Images of the hackers handiwork were circulated on other social media platforms. In interviews on Thursday, the hackers, who are affiliated with Anonymous, the loose hacking collective, said the effort was part of their online war against hate. The report made a series of broad recommendations; however; it avoided the type of policy prescriptions that environmental groups and progressive Democrats have been demanding from the Biden administration. For instance, it did not recommend that banks be subjected to tougher rules such as assessing their ability to withstand climate-related losses, new capital requirements or curbs on extending financing to fossil fuel companies. Nor did it include specific timelines or other milestones that it wants financial regulatory agencies to meet. The report did recommend the formation of a financial risk committee, more rigorous analysis of the effects of climate change on the insurance industry and greater coordination with climate experts to better understand the economic and financial impact of the emerging threat. The council did say it supports work that the Securities and Exchange Commission is doing to develop rules that could require companies to disclose how climate change risks could affect their operations or earnings. It added that regulators should review whether to require banks to report more information about their climate-related risks. The council includes the leaders of the S.E.C., the Federal Reserve and other banking regulators. The Biden administration has previously said climate change is an existential crisis, but large portions of its climate agenda remain stalled in Congress. Environmental groups have argued that the Biden administration is not acting quickly or ambitiously enough after four years during which the Trump administration dismissed the threat of climate change and rolled back environmental safeguards. Some environmental groups have suggested that the recommendations were scaled back because Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen, the councils chair, was seeking a consensus document that would be acceptable to all members. Two members Jerome H. Powell from the Fed and Jelena McWilliams from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation were appointed to lead their agencies by former President Donald J. Trump. Ms. McWilliams was the lone member of the council who abstained from voting to endorse the report on Thursday. WASHINGTON The House Committee on Ethics on Thursday released four reports into separate violations of ethics rules by four congressmen, portraying what investigators suggested was a sweeping array of improper financial conduct. The allegations against three Republicans and one Democrat center on stock trades and the improper use of campaign funds, according to the Office of Congressional Ethics, which investigated the cases. Representative Mike Kelly, Republican of Pennsylvania, is under scrutiny over stock purchases by his wife that investigators say were affected by his actions as a member of Congress. Representative Tom Malinowski, Democrat of New Jersey, is facing allegations that he failed to properly disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock trades. Representative Alex X. Mooney, Republican of West Virginia, is accused of improperly using campaign funds for personal expenses, and Representative Jim Hagedorn, Republican of Minnesota, of improperly awarding contracts to companies owned by his aides relatives. All four cases will continue to be reviewed by the House Ethics Committee, a bipartisan panel of lawmakers charged with enforcing the chambers internal rules. WASHINGTON A Pentagon inspector generals report released on Thursday concluded that there was no undue pressure from the Trump White House to appoint Michael J. Ellis to the sensitive post of general counsel of the National Security Agency just before President Donald J. Trump left office. But the report also found that the N.S.A.s leadership acted appropriately in suspending Mr. Ellis days after he had been installed as the agencys top lawyer because of two security incidents. He left the N.S.A. three months later. The inspector general recommended reopening an investigation into Mr. Elliss handling of classified documents. The review largely confirmed the public reporting surrounding Mr. Elliss hiring, noting that Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, the N.S.A. director, had reservations about whether Mr. Ellis was the best candidate and balked at appointing him until directly ordered to do so by Christopher C. Miller, the acting secretary of defense at the time. Mr. Ellis had been chosen by Paul C. Ney Jr., the Defense Departments general counsel at the time, over two other candidates. The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau. Sign up to get it by email. One of the first stories I wrote when I got to Australia focused on climate change and its damaging impact on the Great Barrier Reef. Four years later, the consequences of a warming planet have only become more visible, with fires, droughts and extreme storms, but Australias policy settings have not shifted to match the urgency of the problem. At the federal level, the government is still tying itself in knots debating whether to commit to a pledge that most developed countries (and a few Australian states) have already embraced: net zero emissions by 2050. And thats probably not enough. With just a few days to go before next months U.N. climate conference in Scotland, many of Australias closest allies including the United States, Britain and many of its own neighbors in the Pacific have made clear that the country has fallen behind and must do more to cut its emissions this decade and shift away from its role as a major user and exporter of fossil fuels. Australias defiant inaction is already affecting the countrys image. As I wrote in a news analysis piece this week, at a time when coal is being treated more like tobacco, as a danger wherever its burned, Australia increasingly looks like the guy at the end of the bar selling cheap cigarettes and promising to bring more tomorrow. For a dancer to explain, mid-show, that she has never before performed with her accompanying musicians and that they have barely rehearsed might seem like an excuse or an apology for roughness. But in her solo performance at Dixon Place on Thursday, Rachna Nivas said those words with pride. The title of her show, after all, was Unedited. And such in-the-moment risk is part of the tradition of kathak, the Indian classical dance form to which she has devoted her life. She wasnt making excuses. She was educating. The show was a production of Leela Dance Collective, which Nivas helped found in 2016 with fellow disciples of the kathak guru Chitresh Das. The collective, started in San Francisco, also runs a series of schools across the country. Nivas recently moved to New York to open an outpost here. At Dixon Place, local students danced an invocation, then they sat at Nivass feet as she gave them and the rest of the audience a master class. (A repeat performance on Saturday will also be available as a livestream.) In the variable timing of her cyclonic spins and thrown poses, in the wit and mathematical wizardry of her bare feet and bell-ringed ankles, in her broad and amusing storytelling, precise enough to make the invisible palpable, she showed herself an expert in all sides of her art. And if the performance, her first in 20 months, was a little rougher than tradition endorses, she kept her composure, managing to turn wardrobe malfunctions, microphone trouble and miscommunications into teaching moments. Edita Gruberova, a Slovak soprano who enchanted audiences with gleaming, vibrant and technically dazzling singing over a 50-year career, becoming a leading exponent of the coloratura soprano repertory, died on Monday in Zurich. She was 74. The cause was a head injury from a fall in her home, said Markus Thiel, a music journalist and her biographer. Ms. Gruberova, whose career was mainly in Europe, was a true coloratura soprano. She had a high, light and agile voice that was easily capable of dispatching embellished runs, all manner of trills and leaps to shimmering top notes. She excelled in the roles associated with her voice type, especially in the early-19th-century bel canto operas of Bellini (Elvira in I Puritani and Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi), Donizetti (the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor and Elizabeth I in Roberto Devereux) and Rossini (notably Rosina in Il Barbieri di Siviglia). In addition to the talking heads, American Veteran features plenty of archival footage of life in the field and back home. We see these veterans now and as they looked when they served. Film clips and Public Service Announcements show how much the world has changed over the years. The interviewers the story producer Kathleen Horan, the writer and director Stephen Ives and the producer and director Leah Williams spent as much time as possible getting to know the veterans and gaining their trust. It took time to convince them that we were going to be good stewards of their story, Vecchione said. We did four- and five-hour interviews with most of these veterans. We had a lot to work with. In an email, Williams described the space those long hours gave for serendipity: Sometimes things happen while sitting in the chair that are incredible and wholly unexpected, she said. You feel as if you have been given this unbelievable gift, that someone trusted you enough to open up, to be vulnerable. For all the ways it celebrates the contributions of veterans, American Veteran should not be mistaken for a recruiting ad. One prominent theme in the series speaks to the internal tensions of the veteran experience. We see one veteran after another attest to how serving in the military made them better people: more skilled, mentally and physically stronger, more attuned to people from other cultures. But many of these same veterans underwent traumatic experiences during their service, from sexual assault and harassment to battlefield combat leading to post-traumatic stress disorder, or P.T.S.D. Take Anuradha Bhagwati. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she became a company commander in 2002 and trained enlisted Marines in combat skills. She was part of an initial wave of female leaders who integrated the School of Infantry, which trains enlisted Marines in basic infantry and combat skills after they complete boot camp. MONSTER IN THE MIDDLE By Tiphanie Yanique Monster in the Middle, Tiphanie Yaniques third work of fiction, begins with a map; and were already primed to go wherever she wants to take us. Both her debut collection, How to Escape From a Leper Colony, and her subsequent novel, Land of Love and Drowning, dived deep into the Caribbean Sea, leaving us magnificently unmoored amid the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her latest, a novel in stories (previously published everywhere from The Best American Short Stories to The New Yorker), is a marriage of these forms, but it is a departure from all of our expectations. We know this map its America, and its here to orient us for the two generations worth of narrative ahead. The novel itself is a mapping: of parents and their children who feel worlds apart in experience, but who are linked by lofty dreams and lowered expectations, by the journey through all the bittersweet peaks and shadowed valleys of a love affair with this country. What follows will be a cartographical examination of marriage, sorrow and madness as carefully plotted as the map the novel begins with. The opening tells us we will meet a young Black couple, a music theorist named Fly and a biology teacher in training, Stela; but before they meet each other in a locked-down New York in 2020 we will hear from their two sets of parents, who together have written Love Letter, the books epistolary preamble. Please pay attention, knuckleheads, the collective parents implore their children. Here Yanique lays out her premise, simple on its face, loud and clear: When you meet your love, you are meeting all the people who ever loved them or who were supposed to love them but didnt love them enough or, hell, didnt love them at all. A year after Goldman Sachs clawed back or cut compensation from its top bosses over a corruption scandal, its paying them multimillion-dollar bonuses to stick around. David M. Solomon, the banks chief executive, will be awarded $30 million at the end of five years if Goldman reaches its stock price targets, Goldman said in a filing made public on Friday. John E. Waldron, the banks president and chief operating officer, is eligible for a $20 million bonus under the same terms. The payouts are being given to ensure leadership continuity as the firm seeks to grow while competition for talent increases, according to the filing. A year ago, Goldman announced that it would claw back or cut $174 million in total pay from past and present executives including Mr. Solomon after the bank admitted criminal wrongdoing by its Malaysian subsidiary for its role in the looting of 1MDB, the Malaysian governments sovereign wealth fund. Mr. Solomons pay was cut to $17.5 million in 2020, down from $27.5 million in 2019, while Mr. Waldrons compensation fell to $18.5 million, from $24.5 million, according to a separate filing in January. Send questions about the office, money, careers and work-life balance to workfriend@nytimes.com. Include your name and location, or a request to remain anonymous. Letters may be edited. Making a Midwest Move My partner and I are considering a move to Ohio because of the lower cost of living and the opportunity to have a good work-life balance for our midlife while building for our retirement. I dearly love West Coast living, but the high cost makes it difficult. Eventually, wed like to find local jobs in our professions, but as two butch lesbians, we have concerns about fitting into the office culture in a more conservative area. What is something you would want two midlife lesbians to know about thriving in the beautiful Midwest? Anonymous If you so choose, I wish you and your partner the best in your move. I am from Nebraska and live on the West Coast, so Im fairly well-versed in both places. My best advice is to just be yourselves. It is not your responsibility to contort yourself to fit into a more conservative environment. There are plenty of liberal, open-minded people in the Midwest just as there are moderate and conservative folks, too. People tend to be nice, albeit somewhat passive aggressive. They pride themselves on this niceness, especially in professional settings. Now, this is a generalization, but on the whole, whether the niceness is genuine or not, people wont be openly bigoted. They may not socialize with you outside of work, but in the office, they will be cordial. As you try to settle in to your new workplace, do what you can to get to know your co-workers. Maybe bring some homemade baked goods. Everyone loves baked goods. Be curious about the people you work with and try to get to know them. Be open to letting them get to know you. Ask for recommendations for things to do in your new city people love giving advice. Clearly. It can be hard to acclimate to a new environment, but go into the situation knowing that you are not a problem. You dont need to explain yourself or to apologize for who you are. But truly, just be yourself. And have a little faith that you will be embraced rather than rejected for all the wonderful things you are. United for All, Not Just Some Im in a teachers union at a university in California, and we have been negotiating with the administration for two years to gain job security for lecturers. Currently, theres an offer on the table Id really benefit from. And most of us in the union would really benefit from this current contract proposal. However, it doesnt provide job security for early-career lecturers, so that means the administration can fire people before they benefit from the job security that comes with longer employment. We are preparing to go on strike, and honestly, Im very nervous. I dont really want to go on strike in the middle of a budget crisis because Im worried about my own job security. At the same time, I dont want to leave the more vulnerable faculty high and dry. Is it worth the risk of my own job to go on strike? Anonymous, California Yes, it is worth going on strike. I understand your concerns about the risk youre taking, and those feelings are entirely valid. But the whole point of a union is collective bargaining for the benefit of all, not just bargaining for some. If you dont fight to protect early-career lecturers, what are you even doing? It is imperative for every member of your union to do everything in your power to support the most vulnerable lecturers in your institution. Would you want to be abandoned if you were in their position? Last Man Standing I work at a strategy agency that has experienced a significant amount of attrition over the past year. Ive been here three years and am mostly content. The work continues to be challenging and interesting; I feel fairly compensated and valued; and I feel that an overdue promotion may be happening shortly. Recently, two colleagues at the same level left to go to other agencies, and that has gotten me thinking. Is there something wrong here that I cannot see, or have I just gotten complacent in what Im doing? Any advice on how to navigate the situation would be greatly appreciated. Jon, New York You havent really given me enough information to determine whats going on at your agency, but I imagine your colleagues are leaving because theres little room for advancement. In addition to the recent departures of your peers, your promotion is overdue. For many ambitious people, a stagnant professional trajectory is more than enough reason to look for another position. It may well behoove you to see what other opportunities are out there if advancement is important to you. You can also ask your supervisor if there is a timetable for the promotion youre expecting. The response might help you get clarity on how to proceed. These phenomenal stock returns are awkward, to say the least. The long-term needs of the planet are clear, if the world is to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change: Burn much less coal, and cut back on it as rapidly as possible. Consider that the International Energy Agency has warned that all coal-fired power plants need to be shut down or retrofitted with carbon-capture technology within the next 20 years. Of all the stranded assets those owned but unlikely ever to be used held by fossil-fuel companies, coal is usually deemed most likely to be abandoned in the years ahead. That dim outlook had weighed on coal company share prices in recent years. In Peabodys case, the share price peaked above $42 in 2018, and then headed on a long trend downward. It scraped near $1 per share last year as the global recession reduced energy demand and electric utilities proceeded to phase out their most inefficient coal-fired power plants. But that was then. Now, with demand soaring and supplies constrained, the world is enduring something of a crisis one that The Economist has labeled the first big energy shock of the green era. Despite significant global investments in green energy, the old standby fuels are in vogue again. On Monday, a new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration concluded that in 2021, annual U.S. coal-fired electricity generation will increase for the first time since 2014, a 21 percent increase over 2020. It expects that increase to be temporary. But the world economy has been growing rapidly and there is an acute shortage of energy, particularly in China and in Europe. Natural gas in the United States has been relatively plentiful and cheap and has been displacing coal and oil as a source of electric generation. But its price has risen as supplies have tightened. That has increased demand for coal and contributed to the rise in coal prices, too. A cold, expensive winter is forecast for the United States. As global energy demand has increased, coal exports from the United States to China and other regions have leapt. China relies heavily on coal for power generation. Already, it has begun rationing electricity, forcing a downturn in its factory production and worsening global supply chain troubles. Despite its stated commitment to curb greenhouse emissions, China has been scrambling to add coal supplies (along with cleaner fossil fuels like liquid natural gas and oil). But chances for success are slim; the approach faces significant legal, logistical and political challenges. The process of crafting regulations could take years and the conservative-leaning Supreme Court could overrule them or a future president could simply roll them back. And relying on states to amp up their clean energy laws just shifts the fight to statehouses for environmentalists and fossil fuel interests to battle it out on the local level. That mix of tax credits, and new federal regulations, and new state actions puts the target within reach. But there are a lot of ifs, said John Larsen, an author of the Rhodium analysis. You need states to up the ante on clean energy at a level they havent yet done. You need the Environmental Protection Agency to put regulations on every power plant in America in a way they havent yet done. And then you have to hope the Supreme Court doesnt throw that out. Everything has to break in the right way. The White House fell back on the plan after its main hope to significantly cut emissions, a clean electricity program, was blocked by Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, a pivotal vote in an evenly divided Senate. The clean electricity program would have rapidly cleaned up the electricity sector by rewarding power plants that switched from burning coal, oil and gas to wind, solar, nuclear and other clean energy, and penalizing those that do not switch. It was intended to push the nations electricity sector to generate 80 percent of its power from clean energy sources by 2030, from 40 percent now. Mr. Manchin, who has financial ties to the coal industry and whose state also produces natural gas, has said he is opposed to any measure that would hurt coal and gas companies. The lack of peer review made some in the scientific community uncomfortable, Dr. Cullen said. We were still trying to convince other scientists that this could be done, she said, adding that Dr. van Oldenborghs expertise and leadership were critical to gaining acceptance. Geert Jan van Oldenborgh was born on Oct. 22, 1961, in Rotterdam. His father, Jan, was a lawyer; his mother, Wil Lijbrink, was a psychoanalyst. He studied in British Columbia before receiving a masters degree at Leiden University in the Netherlands and a doctorate at the University of Amsterdam, both in theoretical physics. He is survived by his wife, Mandy, and three sons, Elwin, Leon and Ingo. Dr. van Oldenborgh joined the meteorological institute in 1996 as a postdoctoral researcher. Up to that point his focus had been on particle physics, but at the institute he began to study El Nino, the recurring climate phenomenon that affects weather worldwide. Climate research turned out to be much more suited to my personality and offer more possibilities, as it was a newer field and hence it was simpler to make significant contributions, he said in an interview last year. It was also much easier to explain to the public, and the answers were more relevant for society. His early work at the institute included developing Climate Explorer, an online platform through which anyone can analyze climate data. It has been used by probably every meteorology or climate science student in the world, said Dr. Otto, who is now a senior lecturer at Imperial College London. Dr. van Oldenborgh soon became interested in climate extremes, said Maarten van Aalst, the director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center, because it was extreme events, rather than gradual impacts like rising sea level, that affected most people, particularly in poorer areas. It was changing extremes we were interested in, said Dr. van Aalst, who first worked with Dr. van Oldenborgh in the mid-2000s. There was basically nothing on that in the literature. Ms. Barrett said she funded the business herself and is not looking for investment. She declined to share numbers, but said she sold half her inventory in the first six weeks and now two models are sold out (although she is still taking orders). Sales have been through her own website and WhatsApp, but she said she has been in talks with retailers, including Hodinkee. When it came to design, Ms. Barrett said she used her industry experience. When you look at the big brands, the most successful are the ones with the simplest designs, she said. I wanted to implant longevity into Parchie, to make it timeless. She said she designed the watch and the whimsical Parchie Pal character a watch gear that has sprouted arms and legs, with a big U-shaped smile and worked with a New York design agency on branding and the typeface that appears on the dial. I wanted them to be wearable for everybody, she said. So I incorporated colors that are not traditionally for boys or girls and kept things as unisex as possible. Ms. Barrett said she believes childrens watches made in partnership with toy brands and movies do not stand the test of time. Oliver Muller of the Swiss luxury watch industry consultancy LuxeConsult appeared to agree. There are many gimmicky kids watches and most of the time these are just accessories of a toy brand, he said in an email. Parchie takes the angle of being an instrument for the child to teach them to measure their day. Thats the right approach, but compared with Flik Flak, the learning element is very thin. Mathematics, art and watchmaking collided in late summer when the new watch brand Bianchet introduced its first timepiece at Geneva Watch Days. Because we were not coming from the horology industry, so it was a long process of learning, Emmanuelle Festa Bianchet, 55, said in a Zoom interview from the brands headquarters in Montfaucon, in Switzerlands Jura region. We spent a lot of time working first on the design of the case and then we decided to do completely the movement as well. She and her husband, Rodolfo Festa Bianchet, 57, established the brand in 2017, after selling the foreign exchange mobile app, Trade Interceptor, that he had developed. The couple decided they wanted to do something we really like, Mr. Festa Bianchet said. I like watches, and Emmanuelle likes nice, artistic, classy luxury things, and you know, we just went for it because we are dreamers. That dreaming included incorporating the golden ratio, a proportion said to have been discovered by Euclid and linked to the work of the 13th-century mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, into the brands watches. But not just because it results in a pleasing aesthetic (for example, da Vincis Mona Lisa or some automobiles). If you think buying a choice Rolex has become nearly impossible, try buying a Gronefeld. Last month Bart and Tim Gronefeld the Horological Brothers, as the co-founders of Gronefeld Watches are known announced on Instagram that they were fully booked and would not be taking orders until further notice. It is very sad news and a difficult decision, Bart Gronefeld said in a video interview from their workshop in Oldenzaal, the Netherlands, near the border with Germany. But we felt we had to do it to keep our promise to clients. The post on Gronefeld Watches Instagram account which drew more than 100 comments, ranging from congratulatory to disappointed was not that business was bad, but that it was too good. We have been getting 200 emails for every watch and 50 orders every weekend, Mr. Gronefeld said. We were falling behind in production and having a genuine problem deciding what to produce and when to work on new ideas. In 2017, shortly after Georges Kern became the chief executive of Breitling, his personal Instagram account began to draw comments from people with strong opinions about his plans to reposition the Swiss watchmaker as a purveyor of casual luxury. Although he encountered his fair share of critics on the platform, Mr. Kern also quickly noticed who was adding value to the discussion, he said on a recent phone call. What Mr. Kern did next might have surprised his more conservative colleagues in the Swiss watch industry: He invited a few of those Instagram commenters to join a new advisory board. The group, which ranges from 25 to 30 people and includes journalists, clients and collectors, gathers in Switzerland once a year; its most recent meeting was in late August in Geneva. We show them new products, concepts or ideas one to two years in advance, Mr. Kern said. And here and there, we change our mind or our approach to designs, and test designs in other directions. A new analysis underscores concerns about how federal aid was allocated to health care institutions under the Provider Relief Fund, a $175-billion program that has drawn sharp criticism for giving so much money to the wealthiest U.S. hospitals. The study, published Friday in JAMA Health Forum, shows that more money flowed to hospitals that were in a strong financial position before the pandemic than went to hospitals with weaker balance sheets and smaller endowments. Small rural hospitals, called critical access hospitals, received lower levels of funding, according to the study, by researchers at the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit group. Those rural facilities often operate under extremely tight budget constraints, and some have closed or been acquired over the course of the pandemic. More aid also flowed to those hospitals caring for the greatest number of Covid patients, many of which were large academic medical centers and big hospitals. Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. On the 15th floor of The New York Times Building, near a newspaper that traveled close to 1.8 million miles aboard the space shuttle Columbia, is a slab of metal shaped as the letter S. It is a piece from the zipper, a belt of 14,800 bulbs that The New York Times operated to send news bulletins around Times Square, beginning in 1928. The Times has always, even the pre-Ochs ownership, done unorthodox things to get the word out to more people, David W. Dunlap, a former Times reporter, said. Mr. Dunlap was speaking inside the Museum at The Times, an exhibition that opened last month in a corner space high above the heart of the newsroom in New York. Dating to the newspapers earliest days, the collection of artifacts showcases The Timess mission, focus, missteps and achievements over the past 170 years. Times artifacts were previously on display at the Timeseum, a collection without as much cohesion. To evolve into a more vivid portrait of the institution, the new museum has to be part of a greater voice, Mr. Dunlap, the museums lead curator, said. Behind the magic of movies and television are actors and props, crew members, stunt performers and a sometimes dangerous set of circumstances for the people filming scenes. On Thursday, the potential danger on some sets made news around the world, after the actor Alec Baldwin discharged a gun that was used as a prop on the set of a western in New Mexico, killing the films director of photography and wounding the movies director. The authorities said the shooting took place in the middle of a scene that was either being rehearsed or filmed. Many other details of what happened remained unclear on Friday. Accidents on movie and television sets, like stuntmen and stuntwomen being injured during action sequences or actors getting killed when props malfunction, have occurred with some regularity over the last several decades. There have been at least 194 serious television- and film-set accidents in the United States from 1990 to 2014, and at least 43 deaths, according to The Associated Press. My name is Denis Villeneuve and Im the director of Dune. Dont stand with your back to the door! This scene needed to serve four purposes. First, to establish the nature of the relationship between Paul Atreides and Gurney Halleck. Two, to give more insight about the context in which the Atreides will move to a new planet named Arrakis. Three, to induce the idea that Paul Atreides has been training for combat, but has never really experienced real violence. And four, to introduce the concept of the Holtzman Shields, and how they change the essence of combat. An Holtzman Shield is a technology that protects individuals or vehicles from any fast objects. Therefore, bullets or rockets are obsolete. So it means that man to man combat came back to sword fighting. The choreography between Timothee Chalamet, who plays Paul, and Josh Brolin, who plays Gurney Halleck, illustrate that each opponent is trying to distract his adversary by doing very fast moves in order to create an opportunity to insert slowly a blade inside the opponents shield. Guess Im not in the mood today. Mood? Mm. Whats mood to do with it? You fight when the necessity arises, no matter the mood. Now fight! That choreography was designed by Roger Yuan. He developed the Atreides fighting style borrowing from a martial art technique developed in the 50s. This technique was called balintawak eskrima. Its a style that involves blocking the opponents attack with both a weapon and the free hand. I have you. Aye. But look down, my Lord. Youd have joined me in death. I see you found the mood. Cinematographer Greig Fraser and I shot the fight like we will shoot a dance performance. The goal was to embrace the complexity of the movements with objective camera angles. We tried to make sure that the audience will understand the nature of this new way of fighting. You dont really understand the grave nature of whats happening to us. But more importantly, I wanted to feel that Josh Brolins character was caring about Paul like if he was his own son. Can you imagine the wealth? In your eyes I need to see it in your eyes. You never met Harkonnens before. I have. Theyre not human. Theyre brutal! You have to be ready. Shortly before the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on a film set in the foothills of New Mexico, she smiled at the camera as she recorded herself riding a chestnut horse through the desert brush. One of the perks of shooting a western is you get to ride horses on your day off, Ms. Hutchins wrote this week in an Instagram post. On Thursday, Ms. Hutchins, 42, was killed when the actor Alec Baldwin discharged a firearm being used as a prop on the set of Rust, a western about a teenage boy who goes on the run with his grandfather after the accidental killing of a local rancher. Ms. Hutchins, the films director of photography, died after being flown to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. The films director, Joel Souza, was injured in the shooting and was released from a hospital. Its his first film set in France, and the first done as an anthology. But Wes Andersons 10th movie, The French Dispatch, was made in much the same way, and with much the same cast, as many of the features that preceded it. Along with his fastidious and vibrant visual sense and staccato pacing, his company of free spirits has become his signature. I dont know who gravitated toward whom, Anderson said, in a voice message sent from the production of his 11th film, outside Madrid. But as soon as Owen Wilson and I started making a movie, well, I wanted Owen to be involved with the other movies I would do. As soon as I had Bill Murray, I wanted him on the next one. I wanted Jason Schwartzman. It was natural to me. The French Dispatch, about writers at a midcentury magazine based on The New Yorker, is set in the fictional town of Ennui-sur-Blase and was filmed in Angouleme, France. What I like to do is go to a place and have us all live there and become a real local sort of production, like a little theater company everything works better for me that way, said Anderson, who lives in Paris. He even likes verisimilitude in the extras: I often employ people with their own pets in the background. That meant going from 70 staff members to 15. Several servers per shift became only one with truncated hours. And then there were the safety issues. Parents with young children are concerned. They want to sit outside, Lauren Fox said. They get mad when seating isnt available because everyone who is booking parties wants to sit outside or needs to because one person in their party isnt vaccinated. So indoor seating isnt an option. We take the rules and mask requirements seriously. For all these reasons, the Fox sisters, feeling burned out, have decided to look for investors to keep the business going or perhaps, for new owners. We are having a hard time keeping up with demand, said Haley Fox. We are sitting on something that needs expansion and the right people who understand our vision and know how to do that. We dont. We can no longer grow it or help it thrive. And so a new reality and realization have materialized; the duo are ready to step down and pass the baton, ideally to someone who will keep their vision alive. I will be devastated if this magical, uniquely New York place closes, said Blake Ross, 39, who recently brought her daughter Tess, 3, to Alices for the first time. Tess was channeling her inner Elsa from the movie Frozen, wearing a light blue princess dress and matching wings and carrying a sparkly wand. I knew when my daughter was old enough to understand this experience that we would come here. It will be a real hardship for the neighborhood if this iconic place is gone. Approached outside the courthouse on Friday, a man who served on the jury said the documents had made for a convincing case. The man, who declined to give his name because of the controversy surrounding Mr. Parnas and the case, said that Mr. Bondys suggestion that his client had been ignorant of campaign finance laws was not convincing. That, the man said, was at least partly because prosecutors had shown that contributions attributed to Mr. Parnas required a sign-off that the donations source understood campaign finance regulations. The evidence presented at trial helped fill out a picture of Mr. Parnas, who was born in Ukraine, grew up with humble roots in Brooklyn, worked his way into an upper echelon of Republican donors and became a key figure in the impeachment of an American president. Prosecutors said records showed that a $325,000 donation to the super PAC backing Mr. Trump, America First Action, Inc. had been falsely reported as coming from a company started by Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman. In reality, the prosecutors said, the money came from a loan Mr. Fruman had taken out on a condo he owned. In court papers, prosecutors said the purpose of the donation was to present the company, Global Energy Producers, as successful and to obtain access to exclusive political events and gain influence with politicians. Prosecutors also introduced financial records that they said showed donations to the Nevada governor candidate, Adam Laxalt, and another Nevada Republican had been made with a credit card tied to a New York company controlled by Mr. Frumans brother. Records also showed that two companies owned by Mr. Muraviev had wired $500,000 apiece to the company in fall 2018. Prosecutors pointed to several text message exchanges that they said revealed the purpose of the transfers. Among them was a message from Mr. Parnass assistant, who wrote to Mr. Kukushkin asking when Adam Laxalts team could expect two checks. Ms. Dursts disappearance nearly 40 years ago marked the beginning of a long, strange, cross-country saga as the authorities sought to ensnare Mr. Durst, who was eventually tried for two other murders. But Mr. Durst proved a cunning, if odd, foe for investigators. Until this month, he had never been convicted despite decades of suspicion and occasionally incriminating behavior. Mr. Becerra, who declined to comment, has been involved with the case for more than 20 years, and is one of the investigators who has been working on a case against Mr. Durst that is being pursued by Miriam E. Rocah, the Westchester district attorney. Her office is bringing about two dozen witnesses before a grand jury with the goal of charging Mr. Durst with murder, according to three people with knowledge of the proceedings. Mr. Becerras single-page complaint is short on details. It says that the grounds for the allegations against Mr. Durst are contained in the files of the Westchester district attorney, the New York State Police and the Los Angeles district attorney, as well as conversations with numerous witnesses and observations of defendants recorded interviews and court testimony in related proceedings. The charge offers the promise of a resolution to a case that has long been the focus of speculation, but has provided precious little real evidence; Ms. Dursts body was never found, and there was no official crime scene. But whether the new charge, and an eventual indictment, will provide new details of Ms. Dursts disappearance remains unknown. Robert Abrams, the attorney for Kathie McCormack Dursts family, expressed surprise at the news of the complaint. My clients, Kathies siblings, and I were unaware of this development, he said. Sometimes it takes 40 years for justice. We are grateful for the work, dedication and commitment of District Attorney Rocah and her staff. In and of themselves, slower growth and a demographic transition neednt imply a crisis. But heres the problem: Chinese spending patterns havent adjusted to the needs of a slower-growth economy. In particular, the country still has a very high savings rate, so to maintain full employment it needs to invest an incredibly high share of G.D.P. more than 40 percent. What drives investment? Normally, it depends a lot on how fast the economy is growing: growth is what creates a demand for new factories, office buildings, shopping malls and so on. So very high investment as a share of G.D.P. is sustainable if the economy is growing at 9 or 10 percent a year. If growth drops to 3 or 4 percent, however, the returns on investment drop. Thats why China really needs to change its economic mix to save less and consume more. But Chinese savings have stayed stubbornly high and yes, excessive saving is an economic problem. A few years ago a study from the International Monetary Fund tried to explain high Chinese savings. It suggested that the biggest culprit was the same demographic transition that is one cause of slowing growth: A declining birthrate means that Chinese adults cant expect their children to support them later in life, so they save a lot to prepare for retirement. This demographic factor is reinforced by the weakness of Chinas social safety net: People cant count on the government to support them in their later years or to pay for health care, so they feel the need to accumulate assets as a precaution. Chinese policymakers know all this, but somehow havent been able to deal with these underlying issues. Instead, theyve kept the rate of investment very high despite slowing growth mainly by encouraging huge spending on housing construction. A 2020 paper by Kenneth Rogoff and Yuanchen Yang shows that Chinese investment in real estate now greatly exceeds U.S. levels at the height of the 2000s housing bubble, both in dollar terms and as a share of G.D.P.: To the Editor: I suspect that Im not the only Times reader who found it unsettling to learn that M.I.T. had canceled the lecture of a distinguished professor because some faculty members and students had sought to disinvite him solely on the basis of his political views (Science, Ideology and Politics Jostle in the Halls of Academia, front page, Oct. 21). A few years ago the acclaimed author Salman Rushdie said: The university is the place where young people should be challenged every day, where everything they know should be put into question, so that they can think and learn and grow up. And the idea that they should be protected from ideas that they might not like is the opposite of what a university should be. Mr. Rushdie delivered these remarks in 2015, when he received The Chicago Tribunes Literary Award. He eloquently spoke against the trend on college campuses to censor disagreeable speakers, a trend that has only intensified in recent years. Mr. Rushdie spoke against those who would use threats, intimidation and even violence to silence the voice of others whose viewpoints might differ from their own. It was an impassioned rebuke of anyone who would dare attempt to limit the free speech of others. A university is a place where minds should be opened, not closed; where perspectives should be broadened, not narrowed; where biases should be challenged, not confirmed. It would appear that many of our universities are failing at this critically important role. To date, the Canadian government has failed to recognize the special standing of U.S. tribes. But the law may be shifting. In April, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a member of the Colville tribes in Washington State, whose ancestral land extends across the border, should have the rights of a First Nations citizen. The Lummi Nation intervened in that case, submitting evidence on the Colville mans behalf. We have usual and accustomed areas in Canada. The treaty says, from the mouth of the Fraser River to the environs of Seattle, as far as you can see from Mount Constitution, near the Canadian border, Mr. Solomon, the Lummi chairman, told me. A final decision on the Roberts Bank project is expected in the next few months. The Lummi challenge to the project takes aim not only at Canadian authorities but at all of us living through the climate crisis. It demands a basic shift in perception: from a focus on growth and individual needs to communal endurance. As a former attorney for the Lummi told me, the question can no longer be how to make more money or ship more things; it must be what the ecosystem can bear. Ive never thought about global warming more in my life than I have in the last two months, Mr. Wilson, the Lummi fisher, told me. We, as Native people and Native fishermen, we have such an intimate relationship with the water, he added. I dont know how to put that into words. Were on the front lines here. This article was supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, a journalism nonprofit. If Sullivan is overruled, defendants in libel cases will lose constitutional protections they now have, and the United States could well return to a libel regime akin to Englands. England is the mother country of the United States, a democracy from which America has learned much. But its libel law is at war with First Amendment principles. English law does not provide anything close to the protections of the Sullivan decision. Inaccurate statements about even the most powerful individuals in society receive little legal protection in England; a defendant could be liable for a false statement even if he was unaware that it was false. Moreover, the burden of proof is on the defendant; the defendant must prove that what he said was true. In the United States, the plaintiff must prove it was false. A return by the Supreme Court to anything like the English approach could significantly chill speech of the most important sort. That has happened disturbingly often in England. In 2014, Cambridge University Press declined to publish a book about connections between President Vladimir Putin of Russia and organized crime because of Englands strict libel laws. In a letter to the author, Karen Dawisha, an executive for the publisher, wrote: The decision has nothing to do with the quality of your research or your scholarly credibility. It is simply a question of risk tolerance in light of our limited resources. The book was ultimately published in the United States. No libel action was filed. A recent example of the potentially chilling impact of English libel law can be seen in libel litigations brought this year by supporters of Mr. Putin in courts in London against the journalist Catherine Belton and her publisher, HarperCollins, for her widely lauded book, Putins People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West. The ruinous legal action, according to Toomas Hendrik Ilves, a former president of Estonia and a journalist before that, is intended not just to crush her, but to deter anyone else who dares to investigate the nexus of intelligence, business, organized crime and state power that gave birth to and sustains Russias ruling elite. That is, of course, precisely the sort of threat that the Sullivan decision seeks to protect against. The stark difference in approach between American and English libel law led Congress to unanimously pass legislation, signed by President Barack Obama in 2010, barring state or federal courts from enforcing foreign libel judgments against U.S. defendants that are not consistent with First Amendment protections as set forth in the Sullivan decision. Evidence for such a reappraisal is, admittedly, more anecdotal than rigorous. It might well be that as soon as labor markets loosen up, workers will again answer to their bosses every beck and call. But David Frayne, a sociologist who is the author of The Refusal of Work, noted that traumatic events often cause people to reassess their lives and goals. The pandemic has had the potential to create that kind of disruption on a mass scale, Frayne told me, and the disruption has created new political opportunities for regulating labor markets in a way that favors workers. He pointed out that in Britain, where he lives, politicians have begun to entertain the idea of a four-day workweek, a plan that was long considered a no-go. In the United States, the Biden administrations huge social policy legislation now stalled in Congress was also conceived in part as a way to address the kind of problems working people experienced during the pandemic. And the pandemic cracked open space to discuss more far-flung ideas for a society that is no longer centered on work especially a universal basic income, a policy that is being tested in pilot programs across the country. You can get a peek of a post-job world at /antiwork, a Reddit forum for those who want to end work that has gone viral in recent months, with hundreds of thousands following its subversive cause. /antiwork teems with posts from workers who are mad as hell and are not going to take it anymore including many screenshots from folks saying they are telling off their managers, quitting in a rage after years of abuse. Ive been reading /antiwork for months, and Ive been surprised to find myself joining in the visceral thrill of seeing people wrest the reins of their lives from the soul-sucking, health-destroying maw of capitalism. I was surprised to find common cause with people on /antiwork because, of course, I have very little to complain about, job-wise. Indeed, at least once a day I revel in open-mouthed gratitude. What I do to make a living writing this column is less physically demanding and more intellectually rewarding than anything my ancestors had to endure to earn their supper, and dont tell my bosses more than fair compensation for my time and effort. The Velvet Underground story is hardly obscure, and in outline it might fit fairly neatly in the standard music-documentary template. Early struggle gives way to (relative) triumph, and then the whole thing blows up in a squall of battling egos, substance abuse and self-destructive behavior. In the aftermath, life goes on, solo careers are pursued, and the survivors fans as much as artists look back with mellow affection. The Velvet Underground has some of those elements, but its directed by Todd Haynes, a protean filmmaker who never met a genre he couldnt deconstruct. Haynes doesnt just want you to listen to the reminiscences of band members and their friends, lovers and collaborators, or to groove on vintage video of the band in action. He wants you to hear just how strange and new the Velvets sounded, to grasp where that sound came from. And also to see to feel, to experience the aesthetic ferment and sensory overload of mid-60s Manhattan. Written and narrated by Dave Itzkoff Eric Ingram typically moves through the world on his wheelchair. The 31-year-old chief executive of SCOUT Inc., a smart satellite components company, was born with Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome, a rare condition that affects his joints and blocked him from his dream of becoming an astronaut. He applied and was rejected, twice. But onboard a special airplane flight this week, he spun effortlessly through the air, touching nothing. Moving around, he found, was easier in the simulated zero-gravity environment where he needed so few tools to help. While simulating lunar gravity on the flight which is about one-sixth of Earths he discovered something even more surprising: for the first time in his life, he could stand up. It was legitimately weird, he said. Just the act of standing was probably almost as alien to me as floating in zero gravity. [Follow the latest updates on SpaceXs NASA crew-3 launch mission.] NASA set dates on Friday for its giant rocket to launch a spacecraft to the moon and back, beginning in mid-February next year. No, for real this time. In a news conference, officials from the space agency announced a two-week period beginning Feb. 12 for a flight without astronauts aboard of the Space Launch System, the biggest rocket flown by the agency in decades. It will loft Orion, a capsule for transporting astronauts to deep space, on an uncrewed trip that orbits the moon then returns to Earth. We are on track to fly, and this team will be ready when our flight hardware is ready, said Mike Sarafin, the NASA official who is the missions manager. Whether NASA will proceed with this February timeline depends on the results of testing on the ground leading up to the launch window, including a January dress rehearsal of the launch. The officials also announced more two-week flight periods in March and in April, both without astronauts, which are based on the moons alignment with Earth. When Benjamin Allen met Courtney Thomas on a kickball field in Harrisburg, Pa., in August 2015, he said it was her lack of skill that attracted him. Once I saw how bad she was at kickball, I had a sense that this could actually work out, he said. I never thought that I would meet someone whos goofy and awkward and who can laugh at themselves and just enjoy life as much as I do. Ms. Thomas felt similarly, citing Mr. Allens confidence, charisma and how he was always joking around and having fun at kickball. After their first kiss, which followed a kickball game in September 2015, Ms. Thomas said they became attached at the hip pretty quickly. The couple became official in January 2016. Mr. Allen, 32, said he knew that there was something special about Ms. Thomas soon after, when she agreed later that month to go with him to see Bruce Springsteen on tour in Washington, the day before the event. It may have taken a mutual friend three years to set up Noelle Jasmine Kennedy-White with Charles Joseph Mahoney IV, but the moment they finally met, in the fall of 2017, they knew they were meant to be together. From the start, we had an incredible connection, said Mr. Mahoney, 30, an associate specializing in labor and employment law at OMelveny & Myers, a law firm in New York. Noelle was beautiful and intelligent, said Mr. Mahoney, who graduated from N.Y.U. and received a law degree from Columbia. She was also someone I could count on. We have a shared interest in the world there isnt one thing we cant talk about. Ms. Kennedy-White, 31, a founding partner of Naranji, a Manhattan-based online retailer of cooking spices, didnt realize what she was missing out on during those years she failed to meet Mr. Mahoney. The researcher later ran polarization experiments on a left-leaning test account and found that Facebooks algorithms fed it low quality memes and political misinformation. She left the company in August 2020, the same month that Facebook cracked down on QAnon pages and groups. In her exit note, which was reviewed by The Times and was previously reported by BuzzFeed News, she said Facebook was knowingly exposing users to risks of integrity harms and cited the companys slowness in acting on QAnon as a reason for her departure. Weve known for over a year now that our recommendation systems can very quickly lead users down the path to conspiracy theories and groups, the researcher wrote. In the meantime, the fringe group/set of beliefs has grown to national prominence with QAnon congressional candidates and QAnon hashtags and groups trending in the mainstream. Into Election Day Facebook tried leaving little to chance with the 2020 election. For months, the company refined emergency measures known as break glass plans such as slowing down the formation of new Facebook groups in case of a contested result. Facebook also hired tens of thousands of employees to secure the site for the election, consulted with legal and policy experts and expanded partnerships with fact-checking organizations. In a September 2020 public post, Mr. Zuckerberg wrote that his company had a responsibility to protect our democracy. He highlighted a voter registration campaign that Facebook had funded and laid out steps the company had taken such as removing voter misinformation and blocking political ads to reduce the chances of violence and unrest. Many measures appeared to help. Election Day came and went without major hitches at Facebook. But after the vote counts showed a tight race between Mr. Trump and Joseph R. Biden Jr., then the Democratic presidential candidate, Mr. Trump posted in the early hours of Nov. 4 on Facebook and Twitter: They are trying to STEAL the Election. The internal documents show that users had found ways on Facebook to undermine confidence in the vote. WASHINGTON Google said in an internal document that it had successfully slowed down European privacy rules in collaboration with other tech companies, according to a legal filing released on Friday. Ahead of a 2019 meeting with other major tech companies, Google said in a memo that it had been successful in slowing down and delaying the European Unions ePrivacy Regulation process and had been working behind the scenes hand in hand with the other companies, according to the filing. The new details appeared in an unredacted version of a lawsuit filed by Texas and 11 other states, which argued that Google had abused its dominance over the intricate technology that delivers ads to consumers online. News organizations, including The New York Times, had asked the judge in the case to remove the redactions from the complaint. The details offer a rare look into how major tech companies have lobbied against a growing array of proposed regulations. In recent years, lawmakers around the world have proposed laws to limit the market power of the major tech companies, restrict their use of consumer data and set new rules for how they can moderate user-generated content. Before the social media exchanges, the lawsuit said, Kimball, who had appeared in more than 1,000 performances of the show before the shutdown in March 2020, had never received any reprimand or complaint, and had never been told by anyone connected with the show that he made them feel unsafe. But subsequently, he was forced to explain and defend his Nov. 15, 2020, tweet to Defendants agents and employees, the suit claims. Then, on Jan. 18, the suit said, he was contacted by a producer, Susan Frost, who allegedly informed him that there was conversation around his conservative Christian faith and his freedom to believe. Frost, the suit claims, also mentioned the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection and said that there were concerns that the events at the Capitol, Josh Hawley and the conservative Christian movement were tied together and implied a connection between Kimballs faith and the ideas and actions of that day. On Jan. 22, according to the lawsuit, Frost told Kimball he would not be invited back to the production, which he was told needed to focus on bringing the show back together and ensure peoples safety. At the suggestion of Frost, the suit said, he spoke with the shows director, Christopher Ashley, on Feb. 2, and asked him if he had been let go because of disagreements with colleagues or his religious beliefs. In response, the lawsuit continues, Ashley stated that it was everything. As a result, according to the lawsuit, Kimball was made to suffer significant economic and professional harm, as well as emotional and physical pain and suffering. The lawsuit is seeking compensatory and punitive damages and lost wages, as well as legal costs. Kimball was nominated for a Tony Award in 2010 for his role in the musical Memphis. While he has always been a Christian, the lawsuit said, it was following his recovery from an injury while in the show that he started becoming more outspoken regarding his beliefs. Now that federal regulators have cleared booster shots of all three coronavirus vaccines in use in the United States, state health authorities and pharmacies have begun rolling out plans to get even more shots in arms. Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommended Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters on Thursday for tens of millions of Americans, a move that came nearly a month after many Pfizer-BioNTech recipients were cleared for boosters of that companys vaccine. The C.D.C. also gave a green light to a mix-and-match strategy so people who are eligible for boosters can decide to get a dose of a different type than the one they first received. And as states, pharmacies and doctors began on Friday trying to get these shots into arms, they faced a variety of complex issues they will have to help people understand whether they are eligible and answer questions about which booster to get. ALBUQUERQUE When the makers of Stranger Things were scouting for locations this year, they zeroed in on one of the most sought-after hubs in the United States for new film production: New Mexicos high desert. Never mind that much of the sci-fi thrillers new season is set in a fictional Indiana town and the former Soviet Union. The sizzling growth of New Mexicos film industry made it a no-brainer for Netflix to shift significant portions of production to the state from Atlanta. Coming out of the pandemic, studios are looking to create again, said Ivan Wiener, 51, a former assistant to the actor Dennis Hopper who operates a concierge service at the Albuquerque airport for actors and executives from Netflix and other studios. Albuquerque seems to be the best place to do that right now. Alec Baldwins fatal shooting of a crew member on the set of a film in Santa Fe County on Thursday has drawn attention to New Mexicos emergence as a production hub where streaming giants, including Netflix and NBCUniversal, are ramping up investments. Over the past year, there was a significant jump in the number of migrants mostly families from Brazil, which has been in the grips of the worst Covid crisis in South America. More migrants also arrived from Venezuela, Nicaragua and India, among many others. Southern border apprehensions previously reached such high levels in the late 1990s, peaking in 2000, when many migrants who entered the country unlawfully were drawn to jobs in construction, food processing and restaurants. As in the past year, most of those who entered were single adults from Mexico. Many of them tried more than once to sneak into the country, usually until they succeeded, because they did not face significant legal consequences, said Jessica Bolter, an analyst with the Migration Policy Institute. She added that there were lots of incentives for migrants to try to cross over and over. When the Trump administration first invoked the current public health rule, known as Title 42, officials said it was needed to avoid the spread of the coronavirus in the United States. But it has had the unintended consequence of encouraging hundreds of thousands of desperate people to make repeated attempts to enter the country. Many of those subjected to the rule are expeditiously returned to Mexico, often by bus, only to try again a few days later. Before the public health rule was put in place at the beginning of the pandemic, migrants caught entering the country without authorization could be criminally prosecuted and detained for months. In September, about 25 percent of the arrests were of repeat crossers. The high rate of recidivism suggests the majority of border crossers in recent years have been caught, which was not the case during previous peaks. The number of Border Patrol agents has increased substantially in the last decade, and technology like heat sensors, cameras and drones makes it difficult to evade capture. There were not nearly as many agents, they had little technology, and there were a lot of easy places to cross, said Jeff Passel, a demographer at the nonpartisan Pew Research Center who studies the population of those who enter without authorization. Data shows the Border Patrol now catch almost everybody who tries to cross illegally. BETHESDA, Md. Chinese firms are collecting genetic data from around the world, part of an effort by the Chinese government and companies to develop the worlds largest bio-database, American intelligence officials reported on Friday. The National Counterintelligence and Security Center said in a new paper that the United States needed to better secure critical technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors and other technologies related to the so-called bioeconomy. China and other countries are trying to dominate these technologies, and are using both legal and illegal means to acquire American know how, said Michael Orlando, the acting director of the counterintelligence center, an arm of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The American private sector has long been in the cross hairs of China and other countries trying to steal American technology and intellectual property. Other countries like Russia also remain a threat, but the economic might of China makes it the biggest threat, officials said. More than 150 years after Maryland stuck with the Union, the state is facing a peculiar request by its three westernmost counties to secede. Lawmakers from the counties Garrett, Allegany and Washington say their rural, conservative constituents have long been fed up with their overwhelmingly liberal and Democratic fellow Marylanders. They say they have more in common with the folks on the other side of the country road in neighboring West Virginia. The secession plan was floated by six Republican lawmakers from the counties who wrote a letter to Republican legislative leaders in West Virginia this month asking whether their counties could join that state. We believe this arrangement may be mutually beneficial for both states and for our local constituencies, they wrote. Please advise on next steps. WASHINGTON President Biden on Friday named Neera Tanden, a longtime Democratic insider in Washington, to be White House staff secretary, moving her into a little-known but influential West Wing post after failing earlier this year to install her as the director of the Office of Management and Budget. For the last several months, Ms. Tanden has been a senior adviser to the president, working quietly behind the scenes to build support among interest groups for his social spending agenda and overseeing a government reform agenda with officials at the budget office. Ms. Tanden had previously served as the president of the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, and was a close adviser to former Senator Hillary Clinton. In her new job, Ms. Tanden will be at the center of the flow of information between Mr. Biden and his senior White House advisers. A White House official, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak publicly about internal staff moves, described Ms. Tandens new role as the central nervous system of the White House, helping to facilitate presidential decision-making. Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah and another one of the chambers most affluent members, said the billionaires tax was a very bad idea, because it would distort the behavior of the superwealthy, who would flee stocks, bonds and other liquid assets to hide their money in real estate, diamonds, paintings and other items that are harder to value. The new direction that Democrats are heading goes beyond wealth taxation. To cobble together $2 trillion in revenue over 10 years without rate increases, Democrats are looking at other dramatic changes. They would tighten the rules around business partnerships that have allowed rich companies and executives to shield profits and income from taxation. They would limit access to low rates created by the 2017 Trump tax cut for so-called pass-through businesses that pay through the personal income tax system, not using the corporate tax code. And they would tax the value of stocks that companies buy back from the market to raise their share prices, a proposal championed by Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio and the chambers biggest union champion. None of those measures were approved by the House Ways and Means Committee or included in the Houses version of the social policy bill. The tax-writing committees chairman, Richard E. Neal, Democrat of Massachusetts, only drafted or marked up more conventional measures that would hit high earners but leave the wealth of the richest Americans untouched. Mr. Neal said Thursday he was not necessarily philosophically against Mr. Wydens wealth tax, but it hasnt been marked up, and theres been no vetting of it, and I think that its a bit of a challenge. Thats for sure. He said he had talked to Ms. Sinema on Thursday and had his staff meet hers to discuss rate increases which he said he had not given up on and the alternative. Talks to hammer out other aspects of the social policy bill continued behind the scenes on Friday. White House officials presented a scaled-back version of their plan to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices to two balking House Democrats, Representatives Scott Peters of California and Kathleen Rice of New York. The legal limbo is excruciating for both patients and our clinic staff, she said. Lack of access to safe abortion care is harming our families and communities and will have lasting effects on Texas for decades to come. Weve had to turn hundreds of patients away since this ban took effect, and this ruling means well have to keep denying patients the abortion care that they need and deserve. The Texas law was designed to evade review in federal court. Usually, a lawsuit seeking to block a law because it is unconstitutional would name state officials as defendants. However, the Texas law, which makes no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from incest or rape, bars state officials from enforcing it and instead deputizes private individuals to sue anyone who performs the procedure or aids and abets it. The patient may not be sued, but doctors, staff members at clinics, counselors and people who help pay for the procedure or drive patients to it are all potential defendants. Plaintiffs do not need to live in Texas, have any connection to the abortion or show any injury from it, and they are entitled to $10,000 and their legal fees if they win. Defendants who win their cases are not entitled to legal fees. The Supreme Courts earlier encounter with the case left the justices bitterly divided. In an unsigned opinion in that earlier case, the five-justice majority cited complex and novel procedural obstacles to blocking the law and stressed that it was not ruling on the constitutionality of the law. The majority wrote that its ruling in no way limits other procedurally proper challenges to the Texas law, including in Texas state courts. Officials in Texas have said that providers can challenge the law by violating it, getting sued and asserting the laws unconstitutionality as part of their defense. All four dissenting justices filed opinions in the earlier case. The courts order is stunning, Justice Sotomayor wrote in her dissent at the time. Presented with an application to enjoin a flagrantly unconstitutional law engineered to prohibit women from exercising their constitutional rights and evade judicial scrutiny, a majority of justices have opted to bury their heads in the sand. After the Supreme Court rejected the providers request for emergency relief, the Justice Department filed its own challenge to the law, one that it said was not subject to the procedural barriers the providers had faced. A United Nations humanitarian flight to the Ethiopian region of Tigray, epicenter of a year-old war that threatens to cause deepening famine, was ordered to abort a landing on Friday as government airstrikes hit the area for a fourth day. The flight by the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service, bound for the Tigrayan capital, Mekelle, returned to the national capital, Addis Ababa, and all such flights were suspended, said Steve Taravella, a spokesman for the World Food Program, the U.N. anti-hunger agency that manages the air service. It was the first time a U.N. humanitarian flight had been forced to abandon a mission into the Tigrayan region because of airstrikes, said Gemma Connell, the top U.N. aid official for southern and eastern Africa. Were obviously concerned about what has taken place today, Ms. Connell said in a conference call with reporters. She said 11 humanitarian workers were aboard but did not elaborate on their work or the cargo they had carried. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti The gang kept them for 19 days, giving the captives nearly everything they asked for: soap, decent food and even Gatorade. But as time wore on, the gang grew more nervous, ripping apart the priests gowns to make blindfolds and handcuffs. When they feared the ransom would not be paid, they withheld food as a pressure tactic to speed up payment. In Port-au-Prince this week, the Rev. Michel Briand, a French citizen, recalled his abduction in April by 400 Mawozo, the same gang that is holding 16 Americans and a Canadian hostage. Gunshots rang out nearby as he described the nearly three weeks in captivity he spent with nine others, but he did not flinch at the crack of bullets. Instead, he expressed his worry that Haiti, the country he has called home for 35 years through natural disasters, political upheaval and crippling poverty is facing its harshest chapter yet. In a country where crime has run rampant and jobs are scarce, a growing number of young men are joining gangs, Father Briand said. And as these criminal organizations turn to kidnappings to raise funds, even the church, an institution that has long been a pillar of Haitian society, with a history of supporting the population through difficult times, has become a target. The brazen seizure of 17 people, who are with a U.S.-based missionary group, underscored that shift, with 400 Mawozo threatening to kill them unless it receives $17 million for their release. Each ransom paid encourages more banditry, he said. You can try to talk to these people, to give them nice speeches, he said, his shoulder-length hair tucked behind his ears and his wooden cross hanging down his chest. But we will never get these people back. Morally, they are lost. AUCKLAND, New Zealand Rawiri Jansen, a Maori doctor, had an urgent message for the 150 people, mostly patch-wearing members of New Zealands plentiful street gangs and their families, who sat before him on a bright Saturday afternoon. Covid is coming for them, he said. Cases in New Zealands hospitals are rising rapidly. Soon, dozens of new infections a day might be hundreds or even a thousand. People will die. And vaccination is the only defense. When your doctors are scared, you should be scared, he said. By the end of the day, after an exhaustive question-and-answer session with other health professionals, roughly a third of those present chose to receive a dose then and there. Having abandoned its highly successful Covid-zero elimination strategy in response to an outbreak of the Delta variant, New Zealand is now undergoing a difficult transition to trying to keep coronavirus cases as low as possible. On Friday, the country set a target of getting at least 90 percent of the eligible population fully vaccinated a goal, the highest in the developed world, whose success hinges on persuading people like those who gathered to hear Dr. Jansen. BRUSSELS The European Union is facing a growing challenge from Poland that is pitting its own institutions against each other and leaving member states divided: What to do when a member repeatedly violates rules agreed on by the blocs 27 countries, but shows no intention of leaving? For years, European Union officials and leaders have tried to counter Polands attacks on the rule of law, its illiberal views on issues like L.G.B.T.Q. rights and media freedom, and the dismantling of the judiciarys independence. Professing deep concern E.U.-speak that doesnt quite convey the depth of the frustration among many in the bloc they have deployed first dialogue, then lengthy legal proceedings, and now threats of sanctions to get Poland to reverse its policies. But Poland has showed no intention of backing down, and took a provocative step this month when its top court ruled that the countrys Constitution trumps European Union law in certain aspects, thus rejecting a key pillar of the European project. The bad blood escalated this week after the president of the European Commission and the Polish prime minister clashed in the European Parliament. Talks on the rule of law also dominated a summit of E.U. national leaders in Brussels on Thursday and Friday along with energy prices. JERUSALEM Israel designated six major Palestinian rights watchdogs as terrorist organizations on Friday, a move that critics said would restrict the ability of Palestinian civil society to scrutinize and challenge Israeli government activity in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Benny Gantz, Israels defense minister, ruled that the six groups were a front for a small leftist militant group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, that does not recognize the State of Israel. The group rose to prominence in the 1960s and 70s for its hijacking of several passenger aircraft, and later claimed responsibility for suicide attacks during a Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s. The six groups named were: Al Haq; Addameer; Defense For Children International-Palestine; Bisan; the Union of Agricultural Work Committees; and the Union of Palestinian Womens Committees. The six are variously involved in highlighting rights abuses by Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, as well as in promoting the rights of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, women, farmworkers and children. The European Hornet Moth (Sesia apiformis) looks terrifying at first glance, but its uncanny resemblance to a giant wasp is just an elaborate disguise meant to keep predators at bay. The hornet moth is a prime example of Batesian mimicry, a form of mimicry where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the look and/or behavior of a harmful species in order to protect itself from predators. In this case, the yellow and back combination, the shape of the abdomen, and of the see-through wings do a great job of creating the illusion of a menacing wasp. Its only on closer inspection that you notice the insects lack of a clearly defined, wasp-like waste, a furry body, and two uncharacteristically small eyes. Photo: Gyorgy Csoka/Wikimedia Commons Despite the above-mentioned differences between actual giant wasps and hornet moths, telling the two apart is very tough, because the moth not only mimics the hornets look but actually has the hornets rather jerky flight when disturbed, to make its disguise even more convincing. Despite the ominous look of the European hornet moth, the species is completely harmless to humans, as it lacks any kind of stinger, as well as the ability to bite. But it doesnt need either of those, as its appearance alone is enough to keep most humans at a safe distance. To get an idea of just how scared humans are of the harmless hornet moth, the most popular Google search regarding the insect is can a hornet moth sting you? Sesia apiformis can be found across Europe, the UK, in parts of the Middle East, and it has recently been introduced to North America as well. Although harmless to humans, it is considered a secondary threat to poplar trees, especially in Great Britain, as they feed on their wood and also deposit their larvae in the trees, from which they emerge as adults. The hornet moth is only one of the amazing moths we have featured on Oddity Central. Oher noteworthy examples include the humongous Giant Wood Moth, and this tiny moth camouflaged as a twig fragment. Walking through the streets of Sweden Hills, with its traditional read-and-white Swedish houses, Swedish flags and traditional Swedish outfits, youd never guess you were on the island of Hokkaido, in Japan. Located in Tobetsu, about 30 kilometers from Sapporo, the largest city on Hokkaido, Sweden Hills () was inspired by the visit of a Swedish ambassador in the area. During their visit, the Swedish diplomat remarked how similar the climate and landscape were to his native land, and that inspired developers in the area to build a settlement modeled on idyllic Swedish towns. Planning started in 1979, and the actual construction began in 1984. Today, Sweden Hills or Sueden Hiruzu is home to about 400 permanent residents, as well several hundred who only vacation here. Its safe to say they are all massive fans of Swedish culture. Photo: Gaudi9223/Wikimedia Commons If the picturesque red-and-white houses of Sweden Hills look remarkably similar to those in actual Swedish towns and villages, its because they are actually from Sweden. The original homes were built in the town of Leksand in Dalarna, Sweden by a Japanese company and were later on shipped to Japan. But theres more to Sweden Hills than its Sweden-hinting name, Swedish houses, and Swedish climate. The locals have embraced both the Swedish language and Swedish traditions. They celebrate Midsummer every year, enjoy crayfish parties, and love indulging in Swedish culinary treats like Fika. Although Sweden Hills may seem like a gimmicky tourist attraction, visitors are always reminded that this is not some fake town designed solely as a tourist destination. Its a residential area where people actually live, so visitors need to respect the privacy of the residents. According to Swedish Nomad, about 1/3 of the homes in Sweden Hills are vacation homes, and 2/3 are residential homes with permanent residents. Some of these fully-furnished vacation homes can be rented to anyone wanting to experience life in Sweden about 5,000 miles from the actual country, with monthly rent costs estimated at 170,000 Yen ($1,500) in the summer, and 190,000 Yen ($1,650) in the winter. Kelly Dencker If there was ever an urgent health issue that had the punch to share headlines and mindshare with the likes of COVID-19, it's the current waning state of mental health in America. Over the past year, we saw a significant surge in self-reported depression and anxietyespecially among younger peopleas we grappled with issues like isolation and job security, in addition to COVID-related exposure fears and loss of life within our communities. Poor mental health doesn't just affect a person's quality of life; it can also have a profound impact on the workplace. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, $193 billion in earnings is lost each year because of mental illness. Unaddressed, mental health issues and stress can affect workplace performance and productivity, interpersonal engagement and collaboration, and an overall ability to function physically. This article is featured in O'Dwyer's Oct. '21 Healthcare & Medical PR Magazine (view PDF version) However, there was a silver lining from the past year that we can collectively nurture if we are to help turn this crisis into a better state of control: people were willing to talk openly about their mental health struggles, which experts say is an important step towards care. World-class champions Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka sparked global conversations on mental health in recent months when they courageously spoke out about their personal struggles with anxiety. In fact, according to Axios, Simone's comments drove a greater discussion on mental health than either Prince Harry and Meghan Markle or Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the French Open. Her message was simple: "It's ok to not be ok." Promoting mental health wellness in the workplace Unlike other chronic illnesses like heart disease or diabetes, there's no "simple lab test" for mental illness, which makes education and conversation critical catalysts for dialogue, diagnosis and treatment. As October is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month, there's no better time to explore and adopt year-round workplace strategies that can help combat stigma, promote awareness and provide resources for help. Some simple, cost-effective considerations include: Show that mental wellness matters. Many companies offer workplace wellness programs, but few go deep on mental health alone. A number of organizations provide free tools and resources for use in the workplace. Of note, the American Psychiatric Association created the Center for Workplace Mental Health that aims to eliminate stigma, reduce barriers to care and raise broader mental health awareness through turn-key programs, toolkits, case studies, publications and more. Suppress stigma through sensitivity. Stigma in mental health can be exacerbated by insensitive comments in the workplace. While passing comments like, "She can be so bipolar sometimes" or "He must be mental if he thinks that idea will work" may not be malicious, these words can be offensive to people managing a mental illness or caring for someone who does. Companies should consider adding sensitivity training on the way we talk about mental health into all employee training programs. Maintain year-round mindshare. There are a number of annual observances that businesses can support each year, including World Bipolar Day (March 30th), Mental Health Awareness Month (May), World Schizophrenia Day (May 24th) and World Mental Health Day (October 10th), to name a few. These and other observances can provide timely opportunities to bring in outside speakers, host an office-wide mental health fair, provide mental health days off or offer meditation events. Amplify access to the experts. Many times, people with mental health issues are reluctant to seek help or don't know where to turn. In addition to highlighting a company's own Employee Assistance Program, there are many excellent organizations that can provide direction, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness or Mental Health America. In crisis situations, employees can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Consider content for caregivers. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, as many as 8.4 million Americans are providing care to an adult with an emotional or mental health issue. The pressures of caring for and seeing a friend or loved one work through a serious mental illness can greatly affect a person's own mental health. Therefore, it's important to consider content and resources for caregivers (e.g., support groups and other resources) when developing programs and materials for your employees. We're living in extraordinary and uncertain times. While we may feel powerless in preventing the surging needs for mental health care in America, we have a unique opportunity to make a difference in someone's life by activating the credibility, influence and reach of our collective workplace communities to drive education. It's easy to do, often free of cost and can deliver priceless value to someone in need. *** Kelly Dencker is Executive Vice President and Director of Health and Academics at Coyne PR. The Circular Economy in Glasgow, United Kingdom The transition to a circular economy in Glasgow is part of a broader journey of the city aiming to transition from being one of the greatest industrial places in the world back in the 19th century, to becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2030. The 2020 Glasgow Circular Economy Route Map seeks to enable a system where people can access local jobs and where green business practices contribute to achieving zero carbon goals. This new path, primarily driven by the collaboration between Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, Zero Waste Scotland and Glasgow City Council, can also contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely affected the local economy. This report summarises the findings from a 20-month policy dialogue between the OECD, the city of Glasgow and several stakeholders, presenting the state of the art of the circular transition, the main challenges and the ways forward for the implementation of the citys Route Map. In series:OECD Urban Studiesview more titles A garda spotted "a lot of blood" inside a car associated with a man who is on trial for murder, the Central Criminal Court has heard. Stephen Penrose (38), of Newtown Court, Malahide Road, Coolock, Dublin 17, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Philip Finnegan (24) at Rahin Woods in Kildare, just outside Edenderry on August 10, 2016. The trial has heard that Mr Finnegan went missing before his decapitated body was found buried in a shallow grave in a Kildare woods. The accused man, who was representing himself in the trial, has hired new lawyers but has declined to continue attending his trial. Garda Padraic Reilly today told prosecuting counsel, Brendan Grehan SC, that he got a call from Garda Gerard Moore of Leixlip Garda Station on August 12. He was asked to search The Square in Kilcock, Co Kildare for a blue Alfa Romeo car, which had been involved in an accident on August 10. The witness said he was not provided with the model or registration number for the vehicle. Gda Moore was investigating "a stabbing of a Stephen Penrose" at the time and the injuries he had received, said Gda Reilly. The witness said he found a blue Alfa Romeo car parked in a parking space in a housing estate called The Courtyard, in Kilcock on August 13 at 00.37. The number plate was mounted on "the left front side" of the car, the bonnet of the car was a "darker navy" to the rest of the car and the vehicle had alloy wheels, he said. The witness said the car was registered to a person in Portarlington and the vehicle had no connections to Kilcock. Gda Reilly carried out a closer examination of the car by using a torch to look through the window and saw "a lot of blood on the gearstick and driver's door". The car was locked and the witness could not find a key belonging to it. The witness received a phone call from Gda Moore at 1.53am and was asked to gain entry to the vehicle to ensure that there was no evidence in the car in relation to a missing person. Gda Reilly broke the back window of the driver's seat to gain access to the vehicle and searched the boot. He told Mr Grehan that he did not find anybody in the car. A tow truck then arrived to bring the car to a garda compound in Naas. The witness agreed with Mr Grehan that the car was seized as he believed it contained evidence in relation to the assault of Mr Finnegan. Evidence has been given by paramedic Terry Devine that he attended to Mr Penrose, who had a stab wound to the inside of his left arm, at Kilcock on August 10 at 6.45pm. The accused had socks wrapped around his wrist, he said, and his blood had "soaked" through the socks. Mr Penrose later told Detective Garda Robert Fitzharris that at least five males were involved in an incident in Kilcock and he saw a male striking Mr Finnegan, who he said had been involved in a lot of "shit", over the head with a pipe or hammer. Mr Penrose said he got a stab wound and made his escape in a car. Inspector Aidan Hannon gave evidence last week that he went to see Mr Penrose in Beaumont Hospital around 11.40pm on August 12. "Mr Penrose said Mr Finnegan had been in a dispute with a number of people and wanted to get himself a firearm for his own protection. He said that he pulled his Alfa Romeo car in behind the other men's car and Mr Finnegan got out of the car and approached the other vehicle. As he did so, a man approached him, whom he recognised, and immediately stabbed Mr Penrose through the window. He said he drove away at speed, realised he had been stabbed in the wrist, stopped his car and took off his sock and wrapped it," said Insp Hannon. Insp Hannon said he and the accused had discussed where the blue Alfa Romeo car was and Mr Penrose told him it was "got rid of or sold" and it was "blood-stained". The trial continues Friday before Mr Justice Alexander Owens and the 12 jurors. In his opening address, prosecuting barrister Mr Grehan said Mr Finnegan's decapitated body was found buried in a shallow grave in a Kildare woods. Counsel said Mr Finnegan had "certain troubles in the past" and had taken to wearing a protective vest. The lawyer also told the jury in his opening address that attempts had been made to cut up and burn the body of Mr Finnegan, who had been missing for almost a month and who had met a "gruesome death". Significantly, the barrister said, the jury will hear evidence that a bloodied glove was found in the woods which was a DNA match to the accused man Mr Penrose. The Health Service Executive (HSE) has said some regions will run additional walk-in vaccine clinics this weekend. It said it is part of a national drive to encourage uptake of the vaccine as Covid-19 numbers rise across the country. Over the bank holiday weekend, vaccines will be available at walk-in clinics or by registering online or by telephone for an appointment. Appointments are not needed for the walk-in clinics, which are open to adults and children over the age of 12. Government and health officials have been encouraging the approximately 370,000 people who are not vaccinated, or are not fully vaccinated, to get the jab. The HSE said the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine, dose one and two only, will be available at the clinics. Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Group Clinical Lead for Covid-19 for the region Dr Sarah O'Connell said because of the higher risk of hospitalisation for unvaccinated people that they should attend a walk-in clinic this weekend. "Recently we have seen very high rates of community transmission and an increased number of hospitalisations. This has put a further strain on our healthcare system, and it continues to do so unfortunately. "Walk-in clinics are a great way to get your vaccine if you're unvaccinated, as no appointment is necessary. Before Winter comes, now is the time to protect yourself, your family and friends as much as possible against Covid-19," Dr O'Connell added. The HSE said anyone attending a clinic or appointment should bring photo identification. A full list of walk-in vaccination clinics can be found here. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Venture capital funds worldwide recorded the best performance among all private capital strategies in the first quarter of 2021, according to the latest data from Pitchbook. VC funds had an internal rate of return of 19.8% for the quarter. PitchBook's preliminary returns data for Q2 2021 also shows venture capital ranked first among private strategies, followed by funds-of-funds, secondaries, and debt. Benchmark data shows that buyout and growth funds are also doing well - returning 17.8% and 17.1%, respectively. On the other end of the performance spectrum, were real estate and real assets, with respective IRRs of 5.4% and 3.4%. Private capital strategies are swimming in dried powder which, was at record levels before the pandemic and have only kept climbing. Many VC funds are generating returns with investments in human resources tech startups, Pitchbook notes. HR tech startups have collected more than $9.2 billion in VC funding globally, a 130% jump from 2020's total. The pandemic turned HR into a frontline position, and VCs are interested in funding software that makes those jobs easier. As well as making data collection and analysis more comprehensive. Many of these new services help with employee onboarding and training for virtual teams. Other services manage data collection and policy analysis. HR software that integrates with remote office platforms like Zoom and Microsoft teams is also popular with VCs....................... To view our full article Click here RV University, Bangalore establishes around 100 new university scholarships in 2021 for eligible students and those disadvantaged by COVID-19. These are being implemented from the first year of college to promote educational access. For eligible students who have lost one or both parents due to COVID-19, RVU has decided to provide a scholarship equivalent to 100% of the tuition fee. This scholarship will be provided to 10 students from each Oregon Fire Department member John Maasch, a trainer for the Traffic Incident Management Enhancement program, featured Oregon volunteers in this years effort to get the work out for drivers to move or and slow down on the road when around emergency workers. The Polish writer Jan Dobraczynski, in his book The Shadow of the Father, tells the story of Saint Josephs life in the form of a novel. He uses the evocative image of a shadow to define Joseph. In his relationship to Jesus, Joseph was the earthly shadow of the heavenly Father: he watched over him and protected him, never leaving him to go his own way. We can think of Moses words to Israel: In the wilderness you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way that you travelled (Deut 1:31). In a similar way, Joseph acted as a father for his whole life. Fathers are not born, but made. A man does not become a father simply by bringing a child into the world, but by taking up the responsibility to care for that child. Whenever a man accepts responsibility for the life of another, in some way he becomes a father to that person. Children today often seem orphans, lacking fathers. The Church too needs fathers. Saint Pauls words to the Corinthians remain timely: Though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers (1 Cor 4:15). Every priest or bishop should be able to add, with the Apostle: I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel (ibid.). Paul likewise calls the Galatians: My little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you! (4:19). Being a father entails introducing children to life and reality. Not holding them back, being overprotective or possessive, but rather making them capable of deciding for themselves, enjoying freedom and exploring new possibilities. Perhaps for this reason, Joseph is traditionally called a most chaste father. That title is not simply a sign of affection, but the summation of an attitude that is the opposite of possessiveness. Chastity is freedom from possessiveness in every sphere of ones life. Only when love is chaste, is it truly love. A possessive love ultimately becomes dangerous: it imprisons, constricts and makes for misery. God himself loved humanity with a chaste love; he left us free even to go astray and set ourselves against him. The logic of love is always the logic of freedom, and Joseph knew how to love with extraordinary freedom. He never made himself the centre of things. He did not think of himself, but focused instead on the lives of Mary and Jesus. Joseph found happiness not in mere self-sacrifice but in self-gift. In him, we never see frustration but only trust. His patient silence was the prelude to concrete expressions of trust. Our world today needs fathers. It has no use for tyrants who would domineer others as a means of compensating for their own needs. It rejects those who confuse authority with authoritarianism, service with servility, discussion with oppression, charity with a welfare mentality, power with destruction. Every true vocation is born of the gift of oneself, which is the fruit of mature sacrifice. The priesthood and consecrated life likewise require this kind of maturity. Whatever our vocation, whether to marriage, celibacy or virginity, our gift of self will not come to fulfilment if it stops at sacrifice; were that the case, instead of becoming a sign of the beauty and joy of love, the gift of self would risk being an expression of unhappiness, sadness and frustration. When fathers refuse to live the lives of their children for them, new and unexpected vistas open up. Every child is the bearer of a unique mystery that can only be brought to light with the help of a father who respects that childs freedom. A father who realizes that he is most a father and educator at the point when he becomes useless, when he sees that his child has become independent and can walk the paths of life unaccompanied. When he becomes like Joseph, who always knew that his child was not his own but had merely been entrusted to his care. In the end, this is what Jesus would have us understand when he says: Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven (Mt 23:9). In every exercise of our fatherhood, we should always keep in mind that it has nothing to do with possession, but is rather a sign pointing to a greater fatherhood. In a way, we are all like Joseph: a shadow of the heavenly Father, who makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Mt 5:45). And a shadow that follows his Son. Chapter 7 Francis May every girl and young woman, in every country ... have access to quality education, so that each one of them may flourish, expand their own potential and talents, and dedicate themselves to the development and progress of cohesive societies. This was Pope Francis strong encouragement. Speaking on behalf of the Holy Father in a video message on Monday, 18 October, the Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin welcomed the participants in the Womens Forum G20 Italy meeting. The forum has the objective of achieving a new inclusive leadership with the greater involvement of women in the business world. This Womens Forum G20 Italy is most welcome, especially as our world needs womens partnership, their leadership and skills, as well as their intuition and dedication, Cardinal Parolin said. The world which is continuing to fight against Covid and seeks recovery needs resilience, flexibility, intelligence and intuition. It needs to appreciate the contribution of women. In this regard, the Cardinal recalled Pope Francis magisterium as well as John Paul ii s 1995 Letter to Women, in which the Pontiff wrote: women will increasingly play a part in the solution of the serious problems of the future and this will force systems to be redesigned in a way which favours the process of humanization which mark the civilization of love. Pope Francis, Parolin continued, has often underscored the irreplaceable contribution of women in building a world that can be a home for all (Discourse to the American Jewish Committee, 8 March 2019 at the Vatican). And he has also often said that women are concrete and know how to weave lifes threads with quiet patience (Homily, 1 January 2021). This weaving, the Secretary of State stressed, could foster a change of paradigm which, far from being technocratic, must be driven by a renewed sense of humanity and the profound dignity that characterizes every human person. Reading Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, at a certain point, we come upon the quotation of a novel on the life of Saint Joseph, The Shadow of the Father by Polish author Jan Dobraczynski. When the Apostolic Letter was issued on 8 December 2020, I was finishing reading the book for the first time. I had just discovered this volume, published in 1977 and reprinted in Italian more than 20 times. It was curious that the Pope had quoted it in one of his magisterial texts. From that moment, in less than a year, I read it another two times. In fact, there is something extraordinary in the book, a message that reaches my heart unrelentingly and questions me as a woman, wife and mother. Indeed, The Shadow of the Father is not just the story of a fatherhood, but even more, it is the story of a great love, the one between Joseph ... This content is reserved for Subscribers Dear Reader, access to all editions of LOsservatore Romano is reserved for Subscribers. Click here to subscribe Subscribe by 30 November to receive the promotional yearly price of 20. Ottumwa, IA (52501) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 34F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 34F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Do you appreciate the work we do as the only independent media outlet dedicated to serving OU students, faculty, staff and alumni on campus and around the world for more than 100 years? Then consider helping fund our endeavors. Around the world, communities are grappling with what journalism is worth and how to fund the civic good that robust news organizations can generate. We believe The OU Daily and Crimson Quarterly magazine provide real value to this community both now by covering OU, and tomorrow by helping launch the careers of media professionals. If youre able, please SUPPORT US TODAY FOR AS LITTLE AS $1. You can make a one-time donation or a recurring pledge. SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) Snapchat's corporate parent disclosed Thursday that its ad sales are being hurt by a privacy crackdown that rolled out on Apple's iPhones earlier this year, raising investor fears that the app's financial growth is going into a tailspin. The revelation in Snap Inc.'s third-quarter earnings report sparked a sell-off in after-hours trading that could foreshadow one of the biggest one-day drops in the company's stock since it went public in 2017. Snap's shares plunged by nearly 22% in Thursday's extended trading. If that decrease is mirrored in Friday's regular trading session, it will approach the stock's previous one-day nadir in May 2018 when its price also plummeted by nearly 22%. A decline of that magnitude would wipe out nearly $30 billion in shareholder wealth. The alarms set off by Snap's disappointing performance could foreshadow troubles for other apps that may be having more problems tracking their users online activities because of an Apple update to the iPhone's iOS software released in April. The change blocks online tracking on iPhones unless a user grants explicit permission to do so, making it more difficult for companies that sell ads based on the information they collect about people's interests and location. In a statement, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said the Santa Monica, California, company has had to recalibrate its operations to navigate significant headwinds, including changes to the iOS platform that impact the way advertising is targeted." Facebook, an outspoken critic of Apple's new privacy controls, had already told investors that its ad sales could suffer because of the change, but Snap's results indicated the blow may be even bigger than Wall Street anticipated. Facebook's shares shed more than 4% in Thursday's extending trading. The social networking company is scheduled to release its latest quarterly results Monday. Snap reported revenue of $1.07 billion for the July-September period, a 57% increase from the same time last year, but that was about $30 million below the projections of Wall Street analysts who steer investor expectations. Perhaps even more troubling to investors, Snap predicted its revenue for the current quarter will range from $1.17 billion to $1.21 billion. Analysts had been forecasting revenue of $1.36 billion, according to FactSet. SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (AP) Michigan's largest health care provider suspended 1 percent of its workers after they failed to get a COVID-19 vaccine, a spokesman said Thursday. Beaumont Health had set an Oct. 18 deadline. The 370 employees now have until Nov. 16 to get a shot or they will be discharged, spokesman Mark Geary told Crain's Detroit Business. First Lady Jill Biden plans to spend much of Sunday, Oct. 24, in Michigan. She is scheduled to pay a visit to Mount Pleasant as the first stop in her two-day travels from Michigan to South Carolina, according to reporting by CM Life, Central Michigan University's student newspaper. The First Lady is scheduled to land at roughly 12:30 p.m. at MBS International Airport in Freeland. After landing, Biden will head to the Ziibiwing Center for a listening session focused on youth mental health with members of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. NEW YORK (AP) Two months after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, one of the countrys once-prominent female leaders a former parliament member, candidate for president and a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize is visiting the United Nations, not as a representative of her government but as a woman in exile. In an interview with The Associated Press, Fawzia Koofi called for humanitarian aid sent to Afghanistan to be contingent on the participation of women in its distribution, as well as free and safe travel for Afghans into and out of the country. Aid should not be politicized. ... Women should be involved in every stage of it and they should be listened to. Women should not be only the recipients, said Koofi, part of a delegation of Afghan women visiting the U.N. to urge member states not to compromise on inclusion and equal rights in Afghanistan. Since fleeing Kabul in August, Koofi has been living in hotel rooms in Europe. She described the pain of separation from her country, of two decades of hopes dashed and of searching for permanent residence for herself and her two daughters. This is not an Afghanistan I fought for, she told the AP. The Afghanistan that I was hoping for was (that) women should not suffer as much as I suffered during my childhood, during the time that I was a teenager, when (the) Taliban took over. I wanted other girls to enjoy at least the freedom of choosing which school they should go. But now, their choice is limited to which room in their houses they should spend during the day. This is heartbreaking. Koofi, a former deputy speaker of parliament, was one of only four women in talks to reach a power-sharing deal with the Taliban, which ultimately failed. She described watching the Taliban's commitment to negotiations change after they signed a peace agreement with the United States in February 2020. After they signed the agreement, they were more extreme and they were more into buying time, preferring a military strategy, she said. Taliban fighters pursued that strategy in the summer, seizing province after province until they reached Kabul in August. When then-President Ashraf Ghani fled, the Taliban entered the capital, sparking panic among many who had opposed their rule and feared for their lives and futures. That was the fatal blow to reaching a political settlement many had hoped would cement the gains women had achieved in access to education, work and the legal system, Koofi said. She also blamed world leaders, seeming to point a finger at U.S. President Joe Biden. As a superpower, the United States has a major responsibility and should be held accountable, she said. When he announced withdrawal plans, Biden said he was bound by the timetable set by the Trump administration and that the U.S. could not continue to extend the military presence in Afghanistan and expect a different result. Still, Koofi said she thinks the breakdown of peace talks and the Taliban takeover could have been avoided. Pausing as tears ran down her face, she said: I mean, every day we are actually dealing with this trauma. Her former female colleagues in parliament, female judges who used to sentence people affiliated with the Taliban and some journalists who spoke out against the group are now fearful, she said. The Taliban must also be held accountable, she added, for their pledges that women would be able to go to school and work within the principles of Islam. Each day, Koofi said she gets hundreds of text and voice messages largely from women still in Afghanistan, hoping she can help them. Theyre very angry ... that I am not with them at these difficult times, she said. The women, especially, they keep sending me messages expressing their anger that, you know, We need you to be here with us in the streets of Kabul, and they are right. Women she used to work with and who were the breadwinners in their families send her photos of themselves as reminders. Psychologically to process this and to be able to adjust and accept, its not been easy, she said. Not only for me, for every woman and man that I have met in the last two months after I left Kabul. For now, Koofi is focused on resolving residency status for herself and her daughters, ages 22 and 23. For security reasons, she declined to say where. Some 100,000 Afghans have fled the country since the Taliban took power, though many were unable to leave in the final chaotic airlifts. The 38 million Afghans who remain are facing universal poverty within a year, the U.N. development agency said in September. Koofi also warned of the threat from the Islamic State group in Afghanistan known by its Arabic acronym Daesh and called for renewed political negotiations because, she said, stability does not just come from the cessation of violence, but strong and inclusive institutions. If we think that one military extremist group, which is Taliban, is going to defeat Daesh its not going to work that way, she said. You need to continue to empower the nation, empower the people, educate them, support the political process. Michigan's outdoor traditions and economy are at risk due to the impacts of a changing climate on the landscape, according to Michigan United Conservation Clubs Executive Director Amy Trotter. A film debuting on Michigan Out-of-Doors T.V. tonight made by Trotter, the MUCC and the National Wildlife Federation aims to address the issue. The film, "Changing Seasons," details how earlier warming periods and extreme swings from drought to heavy rains can increase the parasitic midges that cause Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease in deer, as it did in the 2012 die-off experienced here in Michigan. And deer aren't the only creature affected by the changing climate in Michigan, creating trouble for hunters and anglers. Waterfowl migration patterns are being disrupted by warming weather later into the winter and habitat could be lost by a reduction in wetlands. Ruffed grouse nesting is also impacted by droughts and flooding. Warming weather can increase the risk of mosquito-born West Nile Virus and Brook trout are particularly susceptible to warming streams, reducing their available stream habitat. Salmon fishing opportunities are lost when increased extreme weather events brought on by climate change create hazardous conditions more often on the Great Lakes. Additionally, the short film features the observations of hunters and anglers and recommendations from biologists and conservation organizations on both policy solutions and how hunters and anglers can mitigate the impacts of climate change to fish and wildlife. Here in Michigan, we enjoy world-class hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities. However, that quality of life is at risk due to climate change, said Marc Smith, policy director for the Great Lakes Regional Center of the National Wildlife Federation, in a press release. The hunting and fishing organizations in this state understand that we can no longer sit on the sidelines we have to be at the table because were seeing these changes. Trotter echoed Smith's sentiments. "Michigan hunters and anglers contribute $11.2 billion to the state's economy annually, supporting communities and jobs throughout," Trotter said in a press release. "Hunters, anglers and trappers must be at the table with decision-makers to mitigate impacts like warming trout streams, northward regression of habitat and frequent blow days on the Great Lakes to protect our environmental, recreational and economic well-being." The film is a companion to the report of the same title released by the organizations earlier this year. You can watch "Changing Seasons" for free on Vimeo here. And, more information about climate change impacts to Michigan's fish and wildlife can be found here. TACOMA, Wash. (AP) Four people were killed in a shooting in Tacoma, Washington, on Thursday afternoon and authorities were searching for at least one suspect, police said. The Tacoma Police Department said on Twitter that two females and one male had died at the scene and that a male was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) A Northern California family found dead on a hiking trail near the Merced River died after they overheated and ran out of drinking water on a sunny August afternoon when temperatures reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) in the steep mountain terrain, authorities said Thursday. The deaths of Jonathan Gerrish, his wife, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter, Aurelia Miju Chung-Gerrish, and their dog, Oski, had baffled investigators. The case involved more than 30 law enforcement agencies who had painstakingly reviewed and ruled out causes such as murder, lightning strikes, poisoning, illegal drugs and suicide. On Thursday, Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese said investigators concluded the family died from hyperthermia, a condition caused when a person's body temperature is dangerously high after exposure to hot, humid weather. It's unclear what killed the dog, an 8-year-old Australian shepherd and Akita mix. But Briese said evidence indicates the dog was possibly suffering from heat-related issues. This is an unfortunate and tragic event due to the weather, he said. Briese described Gerrish, 45, as an experienced hiker who used an app on his phone to plot a route along the Hite Cove Trail, an approximately 8-mile (13-kilometer) loop that hugs the south fork of the Merced River and is a popular spot to view wildflowers in the spring. But many of the trees had been destroyed in a wildfire three years ago, leaving much of the trail with very little shade. The family and their dog began the hike at about 8 a.m. on Aug. 15. It was about 74 F (23 C) when they started. But the temperature quickly climbed as the trail descended and the day heated up. By the time they reached the steep uphill section of the hike known as the Savage Lundy Trail, Briese said it was 109 F (43 C). Officials found the family two days later after relatives had reported them missing. The family had hiked 6.4 miles (2.5 kilometers) with the baby in a backpack-type carrier. They were only 1.6 miles (2.5 kilometers) away from their car. The family had an 85-ounce (2.5-liter) water container with them that was empty. A portion of the trail ran along the Merced River, where tests of the water showed it was contaminated with Anatoxin A, a lethal toxin produced by blue-green algae. That prompted the Bureau of Land Management to close campgrounds and recreation areas along 28 miles (45 kilometers) of the river, between the towns of Briceburg and Bagby. But Briese said Thursday there was no evidence the family had drunk any of the river water. Briese said the FBI is attempting to unlock one of the couple's cellphones, saying the agency is making good progress. Our hope is that that cellphone will continue to give us more answers about that day, he said. Kristie Mitchell, the public information officer for the sheriff's office, read a statement from unnamed family members during a news conference on Thursday. Some questions have been answered, and we will use this information as a way of helping us come to terms with the situation, relatives said, according to the statement read by Mitchell. Our hearts will never forget the beautiful lives of Jonathan, Ellen, Miju, and, of course, Oski. They will remain with us wherever we go. According to its owner, Midlands newest salon, VIP Beauty Bar, has a versatile staff that goes to great lengths to create the kind of welcoming environment that everyone can feel comfortable in. Salon owner Halie Philipp has been through a circuitous journey that took her to Maryland (where she graduated from beauty school after some starts and stops) for a couple of years. She is now back in Midland after deciding that working for others just wasnt going to cut it for her. My whole life, I knew I wanted to be a business owner, Philipp said. I just didnt know what field of expertise to go into. She once was enrolled in Delta Colleges physical therapist assisting program. She then switched course to become a hair stylist. Philipp worked at salons, first in Maryland and later in Midland, before she and her fiance decided to return permanently to a city where she has spent most of her life. Life, Philipp said, explaining her reason for returning home. Beauty school was rough. I worked at Super Cuts in Maryland for a couple of months and discovered my passion wasnt just in hair. Philipp googled "lash extensions" and ended up driving to Grand Rapids for a Paul Mitchell eyelash extension class in March of 2020. She did one lash extension, on her sister, before the world shut down due to COVID. I had a new skill and I could only practice it on a mannequin head. Anyone in our industry knows that is just not the same. Now, she and her co-workers, Samantha Nortley, and Lexus Weedon, are slowly but surely outfitting their VIP Beauty Bar, located at the corner of Saginaw and Stark Roads, in anticipation of a Thursday, Nov. 4 grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony. I tell people we are comfortably out of town, she said. The salon was empty when I took over and Ive started it piece by piece. I transferred my clients on July 1. If I made $50 or a $100 in a day, I would purchase what I could, be it mirrors, salon chairs and shampoo bowls. Its shaping up now. Philipp specializes in a number of beauty procedures, including lash extensions, eyebrow tinting and waxing, brow laminations, teeth whitening and lash lifts. Weedon is the resident expert in skin care and body waxing, while Nortley specializes in hair coloring and cuts. They each share a common goal to respect and value each client as an individual. We value this place as a safe space where people can come in and be comfortable with who they are, Philipp said. I have really instilled the importance of establishing and valuing relationships. Theres a lot going on with raising awareness of Black Lives Matter, mental health and the LGBTQ community. We want to respect that. Philipp is driven to establish a caring and inclusive environment at VIP Beauty Bar through her personal relationships with members of the LGBTQ community, some of whom she said have felt ostracized for how they present themselves. We care about the LGBTQ community, she said. I know people that felt judged when they went in for a gender-affirming haircut or hair removal. People close to me in this community have had bad experiences. Ive seen the effect that this can have on them. Thats why being a stylist often involves being more than a technician. Like a bartender who often serves as a listening ear as a customer downs drinks and spins tales of woe, People come in to get work done and the next thing you know they are crying," Philipp said. "A lot of people are going through heavy stuff and just spill it. Everyones going through something. VIP Beauty Bars grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 4 begins at 4 p.m. The new salon will raffle off three service packages and will also have goodie bags and a photo booth. The salon has been seeing clients for a couple of weeks. Its going pretty well, Philipp said. We started out slowly, but business is starting to pick up. The word is getting out and were beginning to do more advertising. There have been some bumps in the road, but Philipp is now the entrepreneur she always wanted to be. I wanted more freedom to do things my way, she said. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Earlier this year, an insistent cry arose from business leaders and Republican governors: Cut off a $300-a-week federal supplement for unemployed Americans. Many people, they argued, would then come off the sidelines and take the millions of jobs that employers were desperate to fill. Yet three months after half the states began ending that federal payment, there's been no significant influx of job seekers. In states that cut off the $300 check, the workforce the number of people who either have a job or are looking for one has risen no more than it has in the states that maintained the payment. That federal aid, along with two jobless aid programs that served gig workers and the long-term unemployed, ended nationally Sept. 6. Yet America's overall workforce actually shrank that month. Policymakers were pinning too many hopes on ending unemployment insurance as a labor market boost, said Fiona Greig, managing director of the JPMorgan Chase Institute, which used JPMorgan bank account data to study the issue. The work disincentive effects were clearly small. Labor shortages have persisted longer than many economists expected, deepening a mystery at the heart of the job market. Companies are eager to add workers and have posted a near-record number of available jobs. Unemployment remains elevated. The economy still has 5 million fewer jobs than it did before the pandemic. Yet job growth slowed in August and September. An analysis of state-by-state data by The Associated Press found that workforces in the 25 states that maintained the $300 payment actually grew slightly more from May through September, according to data released Friday, than they did in the 25 states that cut off the payment early, most of them in June. The $300-a-week federal check, on top of regular state jobless aid, meant that many of the unemployed received more in benefits than they earned at their old jobs. An earlier study by Arindrajit Dube, an economist at University of Massachusetts, Amherst and several colleagues found that the states that cut off the $300 federal payment saw a small increase in the number of unemployed taking jobs. But it also found that it didn't draw more people off the sidelines to look for work. Economists point to a range of factors that are likely keeping millions of former recipients of federal jobless aid from returning to the workforce. Many Americans in public-facing jobs still fear contracting COVID-19, for example. Some families lack child care. Other people, like Rachel Montgomery of Anderson, Indiana, have grown to cherish the opportunity to spend more time with their families and feel they can get by financially, at least for now. Montgomery, a 37-year-old mother, said she has become much pickier" about where shes willing to work after having lost a catering job last year. Losing the $300-a-week federal payment hasnt changed her mind. She'll receive her regular state jobless aid for a few more weeks. Once youve stayed home with your kids and family like this, who wants to physically have to go back to work? she said. As Im looking and looking, Ive told myself that Im not going to sacrifice pay or flexibility working remotely when I know Im qualified to do certain things. But what that also means is that its taking longer to find those kinds of jobs. Indeed, the pandemic appears to have caused a re-evaluation of priorities, with some people deciding to spend more time with family and others insistent on working remotely or gaining more flexible hours. Some former recipients, especially older, more affluent ones, have decided to retire earlier than they had planned. With Americans' overall home values and stock portfolios having surged since the pandemic struck, Fed officials estimate that up to 2 million more people have retired since then than otherwise would have. And after having received three stimulus checks in 18 months, plus federal jobless aid in some cases, most households have larger cash cushions than they did before the pandemic. Greig and her colleagues at JPMorgan found in a study that the median bank balance for the poorest one-quarter of households has jumped 70% since COVID hit. A result is that some people are taking time to consider their options before rushing back into the job market. Graham Berryman, a 44-year-old resident of Springfield, Missouri, has been living off savings since Missouri cut off the $300-a-week federal jobless payment in June. He has had temporary work reviewing documents for law firms in the past. But he hasnt found anything permanent since August 2020. Im not lazy, Berryman said. I am unemployed. That does not mean Im lazy. Just because someone cannot find suitable work in their profession doesnt mean theyre trash to be thrown away. Likewise, some couples have decided that they can get by with only one income, rather than two, at least temporarily. Sarah Hamby of Kokomo, Indiana, lost her $300-a-week federal payment this summer after Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, ended that benefit early. Hamby's husband, who is 65, has kept his job working an overnight shift at a printing press throughout the pandemic. But he may decide to join the ranks of people retiring earlier than they'd planned. And Hamby, 51, may do so herself if she doesn't find work soon. The jobs she had for decades at auto factories have largely disappeared. The positions that she sees available now require skills she doesnt have. Yet she isnt desperate for just any job. Im at a point where I feel too old to go off and get educated or trained to do other type of work," she said. "And to be honest, I dont want to go work at a computer, in an office, like what a lot of us are being pushed to do. So now Im stuck between doing some line of work that pays too little for what its worth or is too physically demanding or I just dont work. Nationally, the proportion of women who were either working or looking for work in September fell for a second straight month, evidence that many parents mostly mothers are still unable to manage their childcare duties to return to work. Staffing at childcare centers has fallen, reducing the care that is available. And while schools have reopened for in-person learning, frequent closings because of COVID outbreaks have been disruptive for some working parents. Exacerbating the labor shortfall, a record number of people quit their jobs in August, in some cases spurred by the prospect of higher pay elsewhere. In Missouri, a group of businesses, still frustrated by labor shortages more than three months after the state cut off the $300-a-week federal jobless checks, paid for billboards in Springfield that said: Get Off Your Butt! and Get. To. Work. The state has seen no growth in its workforce since ending emergency benefits. We dont know where people are, said Brad Parke, general manager of Greek Corner Screen Printing and Embroidery, who helped pay for the billboards. Obviously, theyre not at work. Apparently, theyre at home. Richard von Glahn, policy director for Missouri Jobs With Justice, an advocacy group, suggested that many people on the sidelines of the job market want more benefits or the flexibility to care for children. People dont want to go back" to the pre-pandemic job market, von Glahn said. Employers have a role in creating a work environment and offering a package that provides workers the security they need." In Wyoming, fewer people are in the workforce now than when the state cut off all emergency jobless aid. Fear of contracting COVID-19 likely discouraged some people from seeking jobs, Wenlin Liu, chief economist at the state Economic Analysis Division, said last week. Wyoming has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, he noted, and has been a COVID-19 hotspot since late summer. The surge in infections, Liu said, may be causing some parents to keep their children home. State Rep. Landon Brown, a Republican, defended the cutoff of federal unemployment aid. Wyoming," Brown said, is not interested in continuing to allow the federal government to keep people away from jobs, paying them as much to stay home in some cases as to go and get a job. Mississippi ended all emergency jobless aid on June 12. Yet it had fewer people working in August than in May. In Tupelo last week, a job fair attracted 60 companies, including a recruiter from VT Halter Marine, a shipbuilder located 300 miles south. About 150 to 200 job seekers also attended, fewer than some businesses had hoped. Adam Todd had organized the job fair for the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, which helps people find jobs and distributes unemployment benefits. The agency has received calls of desperation, Todd said, "from businesses needing to recruit workers during the pandemic. We're in a different point in time than we have been in a very long time, Todd said. The job seeker is truly in the drivers seat right now." ___ Fenn is a data journalist based in New York. Smith is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. ___ Rugaber reported from Arlington, Virginia. AP Writers Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Andrew Mullin. Saturday, Oct. 16: 10:13 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Mount Haley Township residence to speak with a 20-year-old female regarding a verbal dispute between her and her 19-year-old boyfriend. Nothing physical occurred and both parties were separated for the night. 9:19 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Jerome Township location for a car fire. All occupants of the vehicle were able to exit and were uninjured. Jerome Township Fire assisted in extinguishing the fire. 9:05 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Lincoln Township business for a welfare check. A 34-year-old female Beaverton resident stated she attempted to harm herself earlier in the day. Deputies contacted the female and she advised she was not suicidal and had no plans to harm herself. 7:45 p.m. Officers responded to a drug overdose on Seminole Court. 6:07 p.m. Officers responded to a hit-and-run crash on South Saginaw Road. 5:02 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence for a 911 hang-up. Deputies spoke to a 30-year-old Lee Township female, who stated her ex-boyfriend came to her residence, which is a violation of his bond. Deputies ultimately made contact with the 36-year-old Edenville Township male, who was arrested and transported to the Midland County Jail without incident. 2:40 p.m. A 26-year-old male was arrested on warrants after a traffic stop in Lee Township. He was turned over to the Michigan State Police on the warrants and was issued a citation. 12:35 p.m. A deputy was dispatched to a Jerome Township residence for a well-being check on a 40-year-old female and her 17-year-old son. Deputies had been dispatched to the same residence regarding a verbal argument earlier in the morning. The deputy confirmed that the two individuals were still fine and nothing new had developed since the last time deputies checked on them. 12:15 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Hope Township park regarding property damage. Deputies spoke to a 62-year-old Hope Township male who was reporting damage to the park. Damage to the park was estimated at $500. There are no suspects at this time. 10:53 a.m. Officers responded to a private property crash on Eastman Avenue. 8:29 a.m. Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of George Street and East Buttles Street. 2:04 a.m. A deputy was dispatched regarding a missing person complaint. The 92-year-old male complainant suffers from dementia and couldn't remember his wife's death. His 60-year-old daughter was contacted, and she drove to the house to stay with him. The deputy discussed possible options and services available in the county for the man and his family. 1:33 a.m. Deputies were dispatched to an Edenville Township residence for a well-being check. An 18-year-old Coleman female reported that her friend, a 17-year-old Edenville Township male, texted her saying he wanted to harm himself. Deputies contacted the male, who said the messages he sent to her were misunderstood and he had no intention of harming himself. Deputies cleared the scene without incident. 1:19 a.m. A deputy was dispatched to a Midland Township location about a shots fired complaint. The deputy checked the area and all was quiet. Nothing suspicious was discovered. 12:36 a.m. Officers made a warrant arrest on Haley Street. Friday, Oct. 15: 10:28 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence to assist EMS with a 27-year-old male who had smoked too much marijuana. The male was transported to the MidMichigan Medical Center by EMS for treatment. 10:24 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a vehicle in the ditch in Mills Township. There were no injuries and no damage. 10:06 p.m. A Jerome Township business received threats over the telephone from another part of the state. They wanted to make the Sheriff's Office aware in case something did happen in the future. A briefing sheet was completed. 9:21 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Mills Township residence regarding a verbal dispute between a 37-year-old Mills Township male and a 57-year-old Mills Township male. It was determined there was no assault, and the parties were separated for the remainder of the night. 8:00 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence to speak with a 30-year-old Lee Township female advising that her ex-boyfriend violated bond by coming to her residence. It was forwarded to the prosecutors office for review. 6:55 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Warren Township location regarding a haybale in the roadway. Deputies checked the area, but the haybale had been removed from the roadway prior to their arrival on scene. 4:32 p.m. A 27-year-old Coleman female attempted suicide. She was transported to the ER for treatment and a mental health petition was completed. 4:05 p.m. Deputies contacted a 23-year-old Jasper Township female at her residence regarding a possible bond violation. The female advised her father violated his bond. Deputies took statements from both parties and a report will be forwarded to prosecutors office for review. 3:39 p.m. A deputy cited a 39-year-old Pinconning male for driving with a suspended license after a traffic stop in Mount Haley Township. A report will be forwarded to the prosecutors office. 2:26 p.m. A 69-year-old male reported a destruction of property to his residence valued at $100. There are no suspects. 12:36 p.m. A deputy cited a 27-year-old Coleman male for driving with no insurance and with a suspended license, after a traffic stop in the Village of Sanford. A report will be forwarded to the prosecutors office. 10:45 a.m. Deputies were dispatched to an Edenville Township residence for a possible destruction of property complaint. Deputies contacted the complainant, a 63-year-old Edenville Township female, who was concerned because someone mowed across her property line. Deputies advised the female that she needed to get her property line surveyed and posted. The female advised she would speak to her neighbors and solve the issue civilly. 2:46 a.m. Deputies responded to an Edenville Township location regarding an unknown traffic crash. Deputies arrived on scene and contacted the 45-year-old female driver. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the female was under the influence of drugs and had drugs in the vehicle. A report is being sent to the prosecutors office. Director of Content and Operations Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half. Cora Heart Crether, 64 of Palestine, died on November 10th in Tyler. Funeral service will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rising Star Baptist Church in Grapeland. Burial will follow in Golden Gate Cemetery in Grapeland. The viewing will be Friday from 10 to 6 at Emanuel Funeral Home Palestine. Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA) - Mauritian health authorities said on Friday that they identified 91 positive cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, including 5 patients with severe symptoms who were admitted to hospital Photo: (Photo : MARVIN RECINOS/AFP via Getty Images)) Sharon Burns did not expect her appreciation for a heavy metal band would lead to an international controversy that would put her job at risk. Called the Iron Maiden principal for outing herself as a fan of the '70s rock band on social media, Burns had to face angry parents who worried she could influence their kids as her favorite music group has links to Satanism. But the District School Board of Niagara has decided not to put Burns under disciplinary action despite publicly acknowledging her love for Iron Maiden. In a statement to National Post, Kim Sweeny, the school board's Chief Communications Officer, said that Burns, the principal of Eden High School in Ontario, is "a passionate and dedicated educator" focused on her job could connect to the students. Sweeney also said that they had a dialogue with Burns and the concerned parents. They arrived at a decision not to sanction the principal after she removed her post about her rock band fandom. Read Also: Gabby Petito Saga: Florida Woman Sues Father of Brian Laundrie for $40 Two Petitions Started by the Parents The Iron Maiden principal uploaded two photos of herself in a truck full of Iron Maiden memorabilia, including a handmade 666 sign, to show her fandom. Some parents didn't find this amusing, especially since this was shared on the school's official Instagram page. In a petition, the parents said they were "deeply disturbed" that Burns would blatantly display the satanic symbol and "her allegiance to Satanic practices" as an Iron Maiden fan on a public social media profile. They sought her removal from the school, even as Burns removed the controversial photos from the school's page. According to reports, nearly 500 parents signed off on her termination. Soon after the first petition, another one was launched in support of Burns' retention. Gathering more than 23,000 signatures, the petition stated that calls for her termination were "ridiculous" as the school is not a religious entity. One father with two kids in Eden said that Burns created "one of the most inclusive school cultures in the DSBN and has gained the support of parents and students alike." Another parent said that the Iron Maiden principal "spreads nothing but love and kindness" among the school community. A city council member said that the whole incident has been "funny, silly, and frustrating." Meanwhile, the first petition was updated to indicate that the parents didn't want Burns gone for her Iron Maiden devotion but for displaying Satanic symbols like 666, which has been associated with the anti-Christ. After updating their statement, the petition was subsequently removed. Who is Iron Maiden? Iron Maiden was formed in 1975 in East London, and they sold millions of albums during the 80s. The group remains active to this day but has not commented on the controversy surrounding the school principal. In 2019, the band's bassist and songwriter, Steve Harris, said their fibs on Satanism were a response to something they considered absurd, so they did songs like "Children of the Damned" or "Hallowed Be Thy Name" following accusations of their cult leanings. The band still had the last laugh, though, as three of their albums reached millions of sales, landing on Rolling Stone's Greatest Metal Albums list. Related Article: Witchtok Rises in Popularity on Tiktok With Young People Doing Rituals, Hexes, and Witchcraft Photo: (Photo : LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images) Social media is once again abuzz with a viral issue surrounding the Hellmaxxing TikTok trend, where kids are allegedly encouraged to do evil and sinful things, much to the shock and fear of their parents. However, the Hellmaxxing TikTok trend is not a real challenge on the popular social media app. According to Business Insider, it started off as a joke on Twitter, complete with a fake story about the challenge to trigger fearmongering among the parents. The fake story even highlighted "concerns" from the police and the clergy since the challenges allegedly have teenagers committing sins that "even the devil" would not tolerate. The tweet has since gained over 28,000 likes and nearly 2,500 retweets. well i never pic.twitter.com/hlFuVbWeHn venus wormwood (@wormwood_stars) October 18, 2021 Read Also: Facebook Intentionally Created Products to Attract Preteen Users, Research Showed What is "Hellmaxxing"? Per the Urban Dictionary, hellmaxxing has been defined as a "one-way ticket to hell" where a person does something "incredibly bad, evil or shameful." But a #hellmaxxing hashtag is not trending on TikTok despite the fake article saying its content has over a million views. However, the fears among parents and school teachers about similar dangerous challenges on the video-sharing app are real. In September, young students in the U.S. and all the way to Australia vandalized school properties for the Devious Lick TikTok challenge. In October, schools issued warnings in advance as word got around that a Slap a Teacher TikTok challenge would be underway. They informed parents that their kids could likely face police sanctions and have a permanent police record if they joined challenges bordering on criminal activities. TikTok said it would be taking down video content relating to these challenges as it goes against their community guidelines. The social site also said that they would not condone criminal activities among their users. What Parents Must Do While TikTok is largely known for its crazy challenges, there are also plenty of creative, informative, and entertaining contents on the platform, which is why it appeals to young users. One way or another, kids will figure out how to sign up on TikTok, and Dr. Deborah Gilboa said their parents must serve as their guides on how to navigate these platforms. "You've got to create some sort of program for them to learn the strategies and the tools and the rules," parenting expert Dr. Deborah Gilboa said in an interview with Today. On the other hand, pediatrician Dr. Candice Jones said that it might help for parents also to be receptive to their teenager's social media use, especially if they like sending silly videos from TikTok. They could also start a conversation with their kids about what they've seen on the platform or social media in general. Asking their opinion about the trends and issues can help foster open communication between them. From there, moms or dads would be able to gauge how much their children understand about what's really happening on social media. Related Article: 'Slap a Teacher' Tiktok Challenge Sparks School Response, Zero Tolerance Enforced Photo: (Photo : RODRIGO BUENDIA/AFP via Getty Images) The United States has over 28 million COVID-19 vaccines for kids on standby at various immunization clinics, to be administered as soon as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) authorize the Pfizer rollout for children between five to 11 years old. In a press briefing Wednesday, October 20, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said that on-the-ground operations for the vaccine rollout had been set up ahead of time to ensure that the children would receive their COVID-19 vaccines from day one of the approval. Zients said that they learned from their mistakes in the previous rollouts when they didn't anticipate the logistics ahead of time. Thus, the adults could not get the vaccines as "efficiently, equitably as possible." This time, they are ready for the kids and could administer 15 million doses in the first week alone. Zients said that the White House wants to hit the ground running with the children's rollout. Read Also: The Centner Academy: Miami School Orders Students Who Got Vaccinated to Quarantine for 30 Days Schedule Vaccine Appointments Now According to the White House, 25,000 physicians had enlisted for the rollout as they have shifted the vaccination strategy from pop-up sites or health centers to the doctor's offices. Dr. Gerald Harmon, the president of the American Medical Association, applauded the move to get the patient's own physician on board because it will matter to the success of the initiative. Atlanta's Roswell Pediatrics Center has started taking vaccine appointments from parents who want their children first in line. Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York also encouraged parents to start preparing and to schedule the kids' shots with their pediatrician. She said she would be speaking with the state's American Academy of Pediatrics this week to ensure that the supplies are there. "I anticipate, as a mom who took my kids to get doctor appointments for many years, that there could be actually a rush of interest in this, which is good," the governor said. "But I want to make sure that the doctor's offices, where I think the majority of parents will get those vaccines, are ready for this." Parents should also know that the COVID-19 vaccines for kids are in a smaller dose of 10 micrograms than adults (30 micrograms). Smaller vials and needles will be used as well. Immunization will be done twice and will be spaced out for 21 days. National Campaign for COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Meanwhile, federal officials are looking to launch a national campaign to give parents and guardians more accurate information about the children's vaccine. Grassroots efforts have been mobilized so that high-risk communities will get more support. Zients said that the White House wants the vaccination for kids to be convenient, easy, and accessible. Authorization for Pfizers kids' vaccine is expected after the FDA officials convene on October 26 to discuss the results of clinical trials. This will be the only vaccine offered for U.S. children between the ages of 5 and 11, as Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are still not authorized for those under 18 years old. Related Article: FDA Holds off Moderna Vaccine for Teens Due to Myocarditis Concerns Photo: (Photo : Michael Jarmalouk/Pixabay) State universities in Kentucky and Missouri have suspended all fraternity activities following the death of 18-year-old student Thomas "Lofton" Hazelwood due to suspected alcohol poisoning. University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto sent an email to the student body about the indefinite suspension. He also stated plans to implement training and education to raise awareness on critical issues like "hazing, alcohol use and bystander intervention" among fraternities. School officials at the University of Missouri, on the other hand, also called for a similar suspension after an unresponsive freshman was transported to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. Witnesses said that several students who attended a frat party drank "significant amounts of alcohol." Both schools investigate the incidents while the police are filing criminal charges against those held accountable for breaking the law. Read Also: Experts Say Common Painkiller, Acetaminophen, Not Safe for Pregnant Women What Happened to Lofton Hazelwood? The spokesperson for the University of Kentucky, Jay Blanton, said that foul play had not been considered in Hazelwood's death. He was brought to the school's Healthcare Chandler Hospital and was pronounced dead in the early evening of October 18. Initial reports stated that his death was presumed as alcohol poisoning and was listed as an "accident." However, further investigations are still underway with the school officials, indicating that they will release the findings to the public while protecting the privacy of the students who may be involved. Hazelwood, the youngest of four siblings, was a freshman taking up agricultural economics. He was a new member of the FarmHouse Fraternity, founded in 1905 at the University of Missouri and has around 48 chapters across the U.S. and Canada. The fraternity became active at the University of Kentucky in 1951. In a statement, FarmHouse leaders said that they were saddened to learn of Hazelwood's death and encouraged the members to cooperate with the investigations. In Greek life culture among college campuses, alcohol-related incidents are increasingly common. Part of the hazing ritual for new members includes forced food or alcohol consumption. Meanwhile, the frat party at the University of Missouri was unrelated to the FarmHouse incident, and it involved members of the Phi Gamma Delta house. Greek leaders across the school agreed to abide by the suspension and cooperate with the investigations. The fraternity also said that they would review and make changes, if needed, to the organization's activities to ensure the safety of its members. What is Alcohol Poisoning? According to the Mayo Clinic, alcohol poisoning happens when a person drinks too much alcohol too quickly, making it harder for the body to process the substance. Initial signs of alcohol poisoning include irregular breathing, vomiting, confusion, pale skin, hypothermia, and passing out. A person suffering from alcohol poisoning will be unconscious, and at risk of dying, so it should be treated as an emergency case. Experts said that even if a person has stopped drinking after a binge, alcohol will still be released into the body and bloodstream. The outcome could increase heart rate and body temperature, breathing problems, gag reflex, coma, and even death. Related Article: Sodium Nitrate Poisoning Ruled as Cause of Death for Former Child Actor Matthew Mindler Photo: (Photo : John Lamparski/Getty Images) The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has openly expressed her support for a national paid family leave program, which is currently under debate at the U.S. Congress. In her letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the mother-of-two, detailed that this is a "national right." The Duchess of Sussex said that the pandemic had exposed "long-existing" problems in the community, particularly among family units. Millions of working moms or parents had no choice but to quit their jobs to assume homeschooling duties with their children during the lockdowns. Markle said parents continue to face a "conflict of being present or being paid" amid the return to normalcy, post-pandemic. The duchess, who married British royal Prince Harry, said that after giving birth to her second child in the summer, she was also faced with the reality of going back to work or spending time with her new baby's critical months. She acknowledged that she was lucky to take her job with the Archewell Foundation home while spending 20 weeks of parental leave. However, Markle said that no family should grapple with choices between "earning a living and having the freedom to take care of their child." Thus, she believes that paid family leave is a national right instead of a "patchwork of options." Read Also: Prince Harry to Address Rumors Prince Charles Isn't His Real Father in Upcoming Book The Heart of 'Build Back Better' Paid family leave is the heart of President Joe Biden's massive Build Back Better proposal, which will undergo a vote on the floor in the coming weeks. Markle's push comes as 15 members of the Senate Democrats also wrote Pelosi and Schumer, urging the leaders to provide American families a permanent, universal, and comprehensive national paid leave program. On Wednesday, October 20, Biden informed the Democrats in a meeting at the White House that the Build Back Better proposal could be scaled down to four weeks paid family leave from the original 12-week plan. The coverage could also be tested to just lower-income families due to budget constraints. However, some of the senators have contested the potential cuts who said that a substantial paid family leave program would boost the country's economy and solve the crisis in child care. The group urged their leaders to "make a bold and robust investment in our nation's working families." To date, only 23 percent of Americans in the workforce have access to paid family leave if they work in a private company or live in a state where such a program exists. The U.S. is the only developed nation in the world without a national paid family leave. Biden Talks Child Care Struggles During a visit to Connecticut, Biden made a deeply personal comment about a time in his past when he could not afford child care as a single parent raising two boys. He told the crowd that he realized that majority of families in America were in the same boat. "I've been conscious of the concern in a lack of access, and a lack of financial ability to have child care, for a long time," Biden said. The president said that passing the proposal would be a game-changer as it will allow many working parents to retain their status in the workforce and afford the cost of childcare at the same time. He said that it was time for the country to invest in the people because that's how "American democracy works." Related Article: Meghan Markle Snubs Father's Peace Offering for Her 40th Birthday Photo: (Photo : Elizabeth A Ferry/Pixabay) Mateo Caballero from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Hawaii, representing mom Tamara Taylor and her 10-year-old girl, said that the arrest violated the child's constitutional rights. In a letter addressed to the Honolulu Police Department and the state's Department of Education, the ACLU demanded policy changes and the deletion of the child's arrest record. The lawyers are also asking for $500,000 in damages. Read Also: Iron Maiden Principal Keeps Her Job Despite 'Satanism' Allegations from Angry Parents Why the Black Girl was Arrested In January 2020, a parent went to the Honowai Elementary School to complain about the 10-year-old, identified only as "N.B.," because she made an "offensive drawing" of a classmate. Witnesses said that the Black girl was handcuffed in front of her peers and taken away in a police car. Taylor was asked to go to the school but was prevented from seeing nor talking to her daughter. The mother said that because she was "illegally detained" at the school, her rights as a parent were also taken away as the authorities failed to acknowledge her child's right to protection as a minor. A few hours later, N.B. was released to her mother. "My daughter and I are traumatized from these events and I'm disheartened to know that this day will live with my daughter forever," Taylor said. Taylor later learned that her daughter, a child with a disability, made the offensive drawing because the said student was bullying her. A teacher took the sketch and called the parents of the kids involved. One school staff noted that one of the other parents, who was not the bully's, insisted on calling the police and detaining the Black girl. Because of the incident, Taylor transferred her daughter to another school and filed a complaint to the police department in May 2020. She reiterated that they were not informed of the changes, and there was no probable cause for her daughter's arrest. She also said that N.B. was interrogated without her mother or a lawyer present. In September 2020, the Professional Standards Office of the Honolulu Police Department found no sufficient evidence for the charges. In October, Caballero then sent a list of demands from the Taylor family against "the city, the State, and their agents." They will have until November 8 to fulfill the demands; otherwise, the ACLU will represent the Taylors in the litigation. The police department said that the Corporation Counsel is reviewing the demands while the Department of Education has not commented on the case. More Black Students Referred to Cops According to the Center for Public Integrity (CPI), some 25 percent of school referrals to the cops in Hawaii involved Black students or kids with disabilities. For every 1,000 students subjected to police interference, about 8.4 of these have been Black kids, and 4.5 have been disabled children. Caballero said police involvement should be the last resort, especially in a situation where the girl arrested did not make explicit threats, did not resort to violence, or had a weapon in class. If a minor has to be questioned for a misdeed in school, Caballero said that a parent or guardian should be involved. Related Article: New York City Scraps Gifted Children Program Following Segregation Criticisms This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions National Aviation Services (NAS) has acquired a 51% stake in Siginon Groups subsidiary, Siginon Aviation, an airport ground handling and cargo management service provider. Through this partnership, NAS intends to expand its presence in Africa with two airports in Kenya Nairobi and Eldoret. Alongside these additions, NAS has begun operations at 14 new airports across South Africa, DRC, Guinea Bissau and Zambia in the last year. ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> In the last decade, Siginon Aviation focused on improving its ground handling capacity through building a new air cargo terminal and acquiring ramp equipment to boost its operations in JKIA, Nairobi. Commenting on the partnership, Hassan El-Houry, CEO of NAS, said, With the ongoing vaccine requirements around the world, we also handled almost a million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine at different African airports. With this growing demand, we expanded our focus on cargo management in Africa and the partnership with Siginon Aviation is indeed timely. El-Houry also highlighted, In 2018, we committed to investing US$50m into the African aviation sector over a period of three years. With the pandemic, the global aviation industry suffered a major slowdown and NAS experienced an 85% drop in revenue. Despite the challenges, we remained focused on our commitment to the sector and thrived during a very difficult period. This is greatly because of the exceptional goodwill we built with all our stakeholders our employees, customers, partners and governments, all mutually supporting each other during this difficult time. It's being reported in Hong Kong that Apple has lost another legal attempt to block Huawei Technology Cos use of the "MatePod" branding, this time for a pair of earbuds, according to the Trademark Office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). Like in the U.S., before a trademark is issued, there is a period of opposition granted to those who feel a certain trademark shouldn't be granted. In this same process in China, Apple opposed Huawei's trademark application for 'MatePod" during this period of opposition on the basis that it was too similar to Apples own trademarks for the terms Pod, iPod, EarPods and AirPods, according to a recently publicized document on the CNIPA website. The iPhone maker argued that Huawei "maliciously copied" Apples trademarks, which could have a negative impact on society. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) is reporting that "Apple opposed the Shenzhen-based companys use of the "Huawei MatePod" brand in the earphone category," but the argument didn't prove compelling enough for the trademark authority. There was "insufficient evidence" to prove Huaweis applications to be copycats. Huawei was granted the MatePod trademark, but Apple still has the right to make further appeals to CNIPA to annul the decision. In its ruling, the CNIPA acknowledged that the companies trademarks share similar "functionalities, sales channels and target consumers," but "the English spelling of the trademarks are different, and the differentiations in pronunciation and the overall appearance are distinct." The ruling added: "Therefore, the trademarks of the two companies are not similar trademarks on similar products, and the coexistence would not cause confusion among the consumers." In June, the agency rejected another attempt by Apple to block Huawei from using the MatePod name, but in the advertising and online advertising categories." For more, read the full report by The South China Morning Post. The argument by the Chinese authorities that the differentiations in pronunciation and overall appearance of the trademark are distinct while acknowledging that the two products share similar functionalities, appears to be a clear contradiction. Huawei's history clearly points to their use of "Buds" for describing their wireless earphones. The company's purposeful shift to the use of "Pods" when describing future earphones was done purposely to blur the line with Apple's product which is the number wireless earphones brand around the globe. The fact that the trademark authorities didn't acknowledge Huawei's shift in marketing was deceitfully designed be closer to Apple's branding but rather depended on phonetics alone as the determining standard for granting a trademark registered status is rather disturbing. Hopefully Apple will win on appeal to restore some sanity to the Chinese Trademark system. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo doubts if his government has a weak communication mechanism as widely alleged. He believes he has one of the strongest communication teams and is very satisfied with their work so far. His thought was, conversely, disputed by the host of PEACE FMs morning show, Kwame Sefa Kayi who told the president what the masses think about his communication team. You are doing good things but people are not hearing it, Kwame said But President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a quick response said but the people are feeling it. He, however, promised that his communication team will improve on spreading his good works to the masses. What aspect of political engagement can you not improve, we can improve it, he questioned in a studio interview with PEACE FMs morning show, Kokrokoo during his Greater Accra tour. Adding that, Propaganda has its own power and that is what my government has been facing. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/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. Featured Video The Ghana Police Service is mourning the death of two officers, described as highly-trained, who lost their lives in a road crash on Thursday night. The two were part of a five-member Anti-robbery Taskforce responding to an emergency on the Walewale-Bolgatanga road. The other three officers are said to be in critical conditions on admission in a hospital in Walewale in the North-East Region. According to a police statement on Thursday, October 21, plans are far advanced to airlift the critically injured from Walewale for further treatment. Already, the families of the two victims have been informed about the sad event, including a call by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, the former trade minister, has sued the Ashanti Regional chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi for defamation. Wontumi was on Wednesday (20 October) arraigned before the Kumasi Human Rights Court for allegedly making defamatory statements against Dr Spio-Garbrah during a live political show on Wontumi TV. Dr Spio-Garbrah alleged that during the show back in September 2020, Wontumi called him a thief. The lawyer for the plaintiff, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, explained the reputation of his client has been woefully derailed, thus, prays the court for a compensation of a minimum of US$10 million, which he describes as the value for Dr Spio-Garbrahs global reputation. Dr Spio-Garbrah being a former presidential candidate, he has held global positions, he is a former ambassador of Ghana, he is also a former minister, cabinet minister in different NDC administrations in this country. He feels aggrieved, because he has global reputation to protect, and so he has brought this matter, he has put forward that his reputation conservatively is about US$10 million, minimum, so the court should look at the statement, look at the person who is making the statement, look at his reputation and give him justice, and that is all we are asking for, Addo said. According to the writ, Wontumi said: All that Inusah Fuseini is saying is that even him, Inusah Fuseini is a thief. If you mention Spio-Garbrahs name he is a thief, Sylvester Mensah is a thief, Joshua Alabi is a thief, all their Presidential candidates are thieves so if John Mahama is a thief then let us allow him to continue stealing. Dr Spio-Gabrah, in his suit, indicated that the words used on him were uttered without caution by the defendant with the intent to cause damage and injury to his hard-earned global reputation, which he values in excess of ten million dollars. The Plaintiff says that the defamatory words were uttered, without caution by the defendant in a malicious manner with the intent to cause damage and injury to the plaintiffs hard-earned global reputation. Meanwhile, the Defendant, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, in his written response to the court insists that he meant no malice but was only interpreting the statement made by Inusah Fuseini. Source: asaaseradio.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has criticized the poor management of the Komenda Sugar Factory under the erstwhile John Mahama administration. The President, in an interview with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme Thursday morning, refuted some claims by former President John Mahama regarding the factory. He asked the former President not to blame him for his (Mahama) mismanagement of the factory stressing he collapsed the sugar factory before leaving government. He noted that a claim by the former President that his government secured a $24 million is ridiculous. The money was there before he left office. Why didnt he access it? The money was there before he left office but in fact, it was going to be difficult to access the money because the factory itself that he had built had collapsed. How are you going to go and tell people you want some more money when the thing that you built is in, itself, on the back fold he slammed Ex-President Mahama. The whole planning of the Komenda Sugar Factory was wrong from the get-go, he exclaimed, adding that the factory will be up and running by next year February. ''Immediately after its commission on the 30th of May, 2016 , the factory was shut down because of lack of access to raw materials. And soon after the Transaction Advisor who is appointed by the then NDC government, I think it was Pricewaterhouse...came to try and assist the government to sell 70% of the shares in the factory...and all this is happening in the Mahama era. It's not my time. Up and down; up and down, no progress. Why? Because the fundamental issue which has dogged the Komenda Sugar Factory, the absence of plan for supply of raw material makes very, very difficult project'', he elucidated. He indicated that the Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen, is reconfiguring the investment to revamp the factory. 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. Featured Video President Nana Akufo-Addo has reiterated his aversion towards corrupt practices. According to him, investigations into allegations of corruption against his government officials and public institutions are conducted by the appropriate State authorities. I cannot conduct investigations from Jubilee House. The ones who can conduct investigations are the institutions on the ground, whether it is the Police, the CID, in some cases the Parliament and those investigative power; the EOCO. These are the institutions that carry out these investigations and then produce a report and it is on the basis of the report that I act, he said. The President was responding to accusations by his political opponents that he has become a "clearing agent" for consistently absolving several of his appointees embroiled in scandals from blame. Cautioning against the use of unsubstantiated allegations to pin corruption on people, he stated allegations without substance shouldnt be used to stigmatize people. He made these statements in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FMs morning show Kokrokoo. The President is currently on a tour of the Greater Accra Region as part of his regional tours in the country. 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. Featured Video President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has refuted claims that he absolves his government officials cited in corruption scandals. The issue of the President clearing his agents alleged to have misconducted themselves came up when the President, as part of his tour of the Greater Accra Region, granted an exclusive interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo'. The President stated categorically that he is not a "clearing agent" adding there's not a single corruption allegation brought against any of his government officials that he has taken keen interest in investigating it. Some cases raised on the programme ranged from his Deputy Chief of Staff accused of some corrupt acts, the Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen's infamous cash-for-seat saga in which he was cited to have extorted $100,000 from expatriates to offer them the chance to sit close to President Nana Akufo-Addo during the Ghana Expatriates Business Awards in December 2017, among other allegations against the President's appointees and some State institutions like Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST). "I am not the clearing agent. There's not one single one of these allegations that were made that I did the clearing. I announced the results. Yes! I announce the results and that is my responsibility because, in many cases, the investigations were initiated by me. If my attitude was to condone and pushing under the table, hiding under the carpet, why would I even begin the investigative process?", he queried. With regard to his resolve to curbing corruption, the President clarified; "The reference of my Deputy Chief of Staff to the CID was made by me. I don't remember the last time a President in this country did that." He further stated he refers all the cases of corruption about his officials to the appropriate State institutions and acts on the report he gets from the investigative bodies. I cannot conduct investigations from Jubilee House. The ones who can conduct investigations are the institutions on the ground, whether it is the Police, the CID, in some cases the Parliament and those investigative power; the EOCO. These are the institutions that carry out these investigations and then produce a report and it is on the basis of the report that I act. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/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. Featured Video Members of the Concerned Youth of Volta Region have served notice to demonstrate against President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo if he does not apologize to the Aflao Chief Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V. This comes after President Akufo-Addo had, in a sarcastic manner, asked the Chief to complete Mahamas E-block by himself. The President said most of the E-block projects started by the Mahama administration have been completed by his government. Others are also at various stages of completion, he said. Mr Akufo-Addos comments came after Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti, had given the government a four-month ultimatum to open the e-block community day senior high school which in his view, has stalled since 2016. The 9 million project which was part of some 200 classroom blocks the erstwhile Mahama administration started was supposed to have some 26 classrooms attached and 5 departments including a science block. Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti speaking with the Minority side of the Education Committee who toured the uncompleted school buildings in the Ketu South constituency says, governments approach to education is appalling. After senior high school education, the next degree that my people have to do is to go to border and go and do kayayo, no school. The only school that we have is the RC Senior High School that belongs to the Catholic Mission Minor Seminary. So this thick population have no place to go and people sit down in that big hall called parliament and not thinking about Aflao, a place after the Tema Harbour, the next revenue generation is from the Aflao border. I had to push the former President Mahama for the structure to be constructed over there. I had to be running from here to Accra begging. Should we beg for education? But Mr Akufo-Addo questioned why the Chief is giving the sector minister an ultimatum. He said on Peace FM Thursday, October 21 that Many of the E-blocks are being worked on across the country. Is he [Aflao Chief] the one to give the minister ultimatum then he should go ahead and complete the project. But the Volta youth members who are unhappy with the Presidents response said in a statement on Friday October 22 that President Akuffo Addos intolerant posture of mounting vitriolic attacks on citizens who voted him into office to get things done the right way is not only disrespectful but also nauseating and reprehensible. It is about time he wholeheartedly accepted criticism without having emotions attached. We are also calling and appealing to the President to complete the E-Blocks and other infrastructures which are at various stages of completion across the country for use as governance is continuous process. Our chiefs have every right to demand their share of the national cake from the Central government and air their views on pertinent issues that bothers them. Below is their full statement CONCERNED YOUTH OF VOLTA REGION GHANA For Immediate Release 22/10/2021 PRESIDENT AKUFFO MUST IMMEDIATELY RETRACT AND RENDER AN UNQUALIFIED APOLOGY TO THE PARAMOUNT CHIEF OF AFLAO AND THE PEOPLE OF THE VOLTA REGION The attention of the Concerned Youth of the Volta region has been drawn to a video circulating on social media where the President,His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo was seen throwing a jab at Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V,the Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional Area,for demanding one of the Community Day Senior High Schools constructed by the erstwhile Mahama administration to be completed and put to good use. The unfortunate comment was made when the President was having a one on one interview on an Accra based radio station,Peace FM s Kokoroko morning show hosted by Mr Kwame Sefa Kayi. The subtle attempt by the NPP government to be consistently denigrating,disrespecting and undermining our Traditional rulers will not be countenanced in any way,as it will be resisted without fear of favour. The demands by the revered chief was made when minority caucus of the education committee of parliament paid a courtesy call on him his palace. In the just ended voters registration exercise,Mr John Boadu,the General Secretary of the governing party also accused some Volta chiefs for serving as polling station chairmen and station wardens. Such a lame,blatant falsehood statement was peddled without any scintilla of evidence. Their national Chairman,Mr Freddie Blay also labelled Torgbui Afede,the immediate past President of the National House of Chiefs,who also doubles as the Agbogbomefiaof the Asogli State and President of the Asogli Traditional Area as a Palm wine tapper and got away with it. The brazen impunity with these callous name callings and attacks is gradually dragging the names of our eminent chiefs into disrepute. President Akuffo Addos intolerant posture of mounting vitriolic attacks on citizens who voted him into office to get things done the right way is not only disrespectful but also nauseating and reprehensible. It is about time he wholeheartedly accepted criticism without having emotions attached. We are therefore, calling on the President to as a matter of urgency retract and apologize to the Paramount Chief and to the good people of the volta region else we will hold a mammoth demonstration against him and his government. The people of Volta region are peaceful and loving people,but it does not mean we are vindictive people. It is imperative and instructive to note that; It is not only Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V, the Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional Area who made such request. Other eminent chiefs also did same. The eminent and revered chief doesnt take tax from citizens and should be ordered to complete an uncompleted projects. We are also calling and appealing to the President to complete the E-Blocks and other infrastructures which are at various stages of completion across the country for use as governance is continuous process. Our chiefs have every right to demand their share of the national cake from the Central government and air their views on pertinent issues that bothers them. It is obvious and crystal that the President will no contest in the next elections hence,his recent posture and comments. Our greatest shock and dismay was the host of the program,Mr Kwame Sefa Kayi, who partly hailed from the region laughed at the Presidents response. His hypocrital behaviour over the years is sickening and should be controlled. We condemn his comments in the strongest terms We will not sit aloof for any individual or group of persons to denigrate our leaders for nothing. God bless our motherland Ghana. Long live Volta Long live Ghana Signed: Wonder Setsoafia Deynu Convenor Bernard Edem Ahiekpor P.R.O 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. Featured Video Prime Minister Justin Trudeau puts on a mask as he listens to Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Dr. Theresa Tam speak via video during a news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic, in Ottawa, Friday, March 12, 2021. Canadians should carefully weigh any future decisions on taking foreign trips even though the federal government has lifted a global advisory asking Canadians to avoid non-essential travel, health officials cautioned Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Logansport, IN (46947) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 29F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 29F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. 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. Thank you for reading the Philadelphia Tribune. You have exhausted your free article views for this month. Please press the "subscribe" button below and see our introductory price of $0.10 per week for 10 weeks. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you next month. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. TRENTON S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster on Thursday vowed to fight every aspect of federal overreach, including COVID-19 vaccination mandates, but again declined to intervene at the Savannah River Site, where he said he lacks the power to act. Unfortunately, just like in the military, the Savannah River Site is a federal installation with federal contracts, McMaster said, and its something the governors of states do not have the authority over. Instead, McMaster leaned on the states congressional delegation, which deals often with the Department of Energy. Three members Republicans Joe Wilson, Jeff Duncan and William Timmons on Oct. 15 sent a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm outlining concerns about U.S. nuclear security and the departments performance following President Joe Bidens vaccine-or-test fiat. DOE sites across the country are facing employees leaving because of the federal mandate, the congressmen wrote. Contractors at the Savannah River Site expected some retirements, resignations and terminations after enacting COVID-19 vaccine rules. Officials have said workforce losses would be minimal and would not jeopardize Energy Department operations, which include the upkeep of U.S. nuclear weapons. I think it is unnecessary. I think vaccine mandates have no place. We have ample vaccines, McMaster told reporters Thursday, after touring a new manufacturing facility in Edgefield County. People who want to get them can get them. People who dont want should not be forced to get them, and certainly not forced to get them in order to keep a job. McMasters arrival at the plant, a cutting-edge Generac Power Systems footprint, was protested by the Aiken Citizens for Freedom, a grassroots group that has organized several demonstrations. Some protesters on Thursday said they were disappointed by McMasters inaction as well as unfulfilled promises to fight to the gates of hell, a reference to tweets the governor sent in September. McMaster saw the protesters on the way in. Get the SC business stories that matter. Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us - it's free. Charleston officials have released their first sketch of how to pay for a seawall to protect the city's downtown peninsula, the most expensive proposal to date to defend the low-lying city from storm surge and rising seas. The $1.1 billion project comes from the Army Corps of Engineers, which is suggesting an 8-mile wall to wrap around Charleston's historic core, several gates to let water flow in and out when there's no hurricane coming, and about 10 pump stations to pump out water when the gates are closed. The federal government would pay the majority of the cost, leaving Charleston with a roughly $385 million obligation. How to pay for the protection package, the most ambitious to shield the city from rising sea levels and climate change, has been a persistent question since spring 2020. Charleston already faces several ongoing drainage projects that range far beyond downtown. All together, the price tag to address flooding that the city sees today stands at some $3 billion. But at an Oct. 21 presentation to City Council, Charleston Chief Resiliency Officer Dale Morris laid out a tentative plan to fund the wall, which is intended to stop the wall of water pushed onto land by hurricanes. Most important, he stressed, is funding the upcoming preconstruction engineering and design phase, or PED. Weve got to start into PED and get this structure designed and engineered to see if we want to buy it," Morris said in the evening workshop. For the roughly $17 million PED phase, city staff are suggesting: $9.3 million in hospitality and accommodations fees, because the wall would run along and protect the city's tourist districts. $600,000 from South Carolina's relatively new Office of Resilience, which has funding for both flood mitigation projects and planning. About $7.1 million in property tax money. That would be about $10 in taxes for a house worth $250,000. City Council will have to decide roughly by the end of this year whether it wants to proceed with the PED phase of design, which among other things will answer several outstanding questions about the wall's placement and look. Allen Davis, director of civic design for the city, said staff want to work with the Army Corps to move the barrier's placement in several sections of the city, including around the James Island connector on the southwest edge of the peninsula, and along much of the path that faces the Cooper River, on Charleston's East Side. The eastern edge of the city is potentially the most complex setting for the barrier, and one conflict already has emerged with the State Ports Authority, which has two terminals in the area and has said it can't support the current alignment proposed by the Corps. Without proceeding into the next phase of design, "We can't really sink our teeth into this, and we can't make these really critical design decisions," Davis said. But past PED, the funding plan is less clear. There's about $285 million left to fund for construction, after deducting the PED funding and the value of public land where the Corps plans to site the barrier. Charleston would again use property tax and hospitality fee proceeds to cover the remainder, and ask Charleston County for $25 million and the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank for about $75 million. In an interview, Morris said he had started reaching out to the state and country for that funding help, but stressed that a specific ask had not been made yet because there's still design left to do and the final cost of the project isn't known. "No one has said no yet," he said. Even with that outside help, there's still $101 million that the city has no firm funding source for, though Morris suggested using special tax districts, a resilience bond, more property tax monies or a special sales tax. But aside from asking the county and state for money, there's still a question as to whether the whole city will get on board with a project that only protects downtown. Councilman Harry Griffin, who represents the outer suburbs of West Ashley, asked as much during the Oct. 21 meeting. Griffin asked the Corps' project manager, Wes Wilson, how the project should be justified to his constituents, who live in the Church Creek basin, an area where flooding in the past six years has severely damaged some homes. "What would you say to my constituents who do flood out?" Griffin said. Wilson replied that there are resources downtown that benefit the whole area, like colleges, hospitals and other job centers. Morris added, "The economic heart of this region is on the peninsula ... a surge event would most likely knock that out." What happens when you put a South Carolina chef ambassador and an accomplished culinary historian in a room with a database full of centuries-old newspapers? That scenario birthed Kevin Mitchell and David S. Shields Taste the State South Carolina cookery book that debuted Oct. 12. Mitchell, one of the states four chef ambassadors for 2020 and 2021, and Shields formulated the idea for the 248-page book in 2018. Initially, Taste the State was meant to be a list of 10 or 15 ingredients, but they decided South Carolina deserved something more comprehensive. They landed on 82 of the states "most distinctive ingredients. Shields, a distinguished University of South Carolina English professor and author of The Culinarians and Southern Provisions, grew up in Japan before moving to the United States in the 1950s. He first encountered Southern food in college over a decade later at William & Mary in Virginia, discovering Southern food to be the first U.S. cuisine he felt was a type of cookery that had the integrity of Japanese food. Chronicling the work of the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation for Southern Provisions provided a path to discovering the states most essential ingredients. But for Taste the State, Shields knew he needed help from a chef well versed in Southern cuisine. I was interested in how traditions shift and adapt, and one of the great joys about working with Kevin is he is an active chef who works with other chefs, Shields said. Mitchell grew up in New Jersey before moving to South Carolina in 2008 when he became the first African American chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston. Hes studied the states native ingredients since, cooking in the kitchen and teaching his students how to make S.C.s bounty shine. David and I kind of went through how we wanted (the book) to look. He had a list of ingredients and dishes connected to South Carolina that he passed on to me, Mitchell said. Shields and Mitchell each tackled around 30 ingredients, teaming up to research the remaining entries. Using genealogy.com, they found newspapers dating back to the 1700s. The writers used these to pull recipes and historical context. Thats how we did it, and it was basically this manuscript put together via email and then everything put into a Dropbox, Mitchell said. During their research, Shields made the unfortunate realization that many Southern dishes and ingredients disappeared over the years. Staunch segregationists suppressed Black voices, pushing out delicacies key to the Palmetto States past. I suppose the racial history of the state has led to a kind of insularity of some of the Gullah-Geechee foodways, Shields said when asked how racial inequity impacted South Carolinas food system. Take the groundnut cake, Charlestons signature candy from 1800-1950 and one of the 82 foods listed in Taste the State that did not make it through the Jim Crow era. According to the book, the sweet treat combined the Carolina African runner peanut, first brought to America in the 1600s by enslaved West Africans, with sugar and flavoring from lemon or vanilla. In 1918, the candy fell out of favor when government health inspectors decided the outdoor stalls where groundnut cakes were sold were unsanitary. I was fascinated by the loss of the groundnut cake, which is peanuts, molasses, brown sugar and butter, Shields said. They were sold by these African American women on every street in the cities of South Carolina. As a whole, the books list runs the gamut of ingredients most associate with the Lowcountry, including Carolina Gold rice, okra, she-crab soup, benne seeds and biscuits. Others jumped off the page inside the 7-by-10-inch hardcover. Persimmons, liver pudding, watermelon. Some even caught Mitchell by surprise. Asparagus in my mind was something I thought would never be associated with South Carolina, Mitchell said. We write about oranges, which of course when I think about oranges I think about Florida. It was a really amusing thing to find some of those things that I think will make people scratch their heads. Combining the lost or hidden Southern treasures with ingredients some believe define the state are what makes Mitchells first foray into cookbook writing a true taste of South Carolina. With recipes, history and expert insights, its the type of Southern encyclopedia youll turn to regularly. GREENVILLE Liberty Tap Room and Grill, located next to Fluor Field in the West End, will permanently close after its owner chose not to extend the lease. The restaurant posted an announcement about the closure on social media and hung signs in its windows at 941 S. Main St. in Greenville. It will close after its happy hour on Oct. 22. Liberty Tap Room and Grill is owned and operated by the Charleston-based Homegrown Hospitality Group. "We love the Greenville community and truly appreciate all the support, but efforts in Greenville have not continued to yield the success that we had hoped," said Jerry Scheer, co-owner of Homegrown Hospitality Group, in a company release. "We are proud of our team members and what we accomplished being a participant in the development and growth of downtown Greenville in our 15 years here." The closure is the third significant hospitality change in the West End in the last two months. On Sept. 24, High Spirits Hospitality announced its lease for The Old Cigar Warehouse had been terminated early. The event management business will relocate to the Judson Mill district in spring 2022. Atlanta-based New Realm Brewing company will move into the warehouse venue on South Main Street by fall 2022. After struggling through the COVID-19 shutdown and a rebranding from southern cuisine to casual barbecue, Husk Barbeque announced it would close its 722 S. Main Street location on Oct. 3 Hometown Hospitality Group manages nine different restaurant concepts, ranging from steakhouses to dessert cafes, with more than 20 locations across the Carolinas and Georgia. Liberty Tap Room and Grill has three other locations in the Palmetto State in Myrtle Beach, Columbia and Irmo. The South Marin location was the group's only Greenville-based restaurant, with most others being on the coast. Seven World War II veterans from the Battle of the Bulge, the stingy winter defense put up by the Army, came to The Citadel as part of the soldiers' historic reunion this weekend in the Lowcountry. The veterans are some of the few remaining soldiers from one of the most important battles of the European front. Vernon Brantley, 97, is from Kentucky and moved to Columbia after the war. He was just 19 years old when he was in the woods in Belgium, fighting against the German military. He received a Purple Heart during combat. Brantley said the number of surviving veterans from the battle has dwindled every year. That's why he's grateful when he can get together with others. "It's hard to put it into words," Brantley told The Post and Courier on Oct. 22. "You try to remember the good times and forget the bad times. You have to enjoy the moment. It's just such a blessing to see another day. This is probably the last reunion for most of us." Between December 1944 and January 1945, German forces attempted one last major offensive against the Americans in the heavily forested Ardennes region between Belgium and Luxembourg. It was one of the largest battles in the Army's history, with more than 600,000 soldiers taking to the frigid forests to fight. More than 80,000 Americans died, equating to 10 percent of all U.S. casualties in World War II. After the German military's defeat, they were forced to retreat for the remainder of the war. This winter will mark the 76th anniversary of the fight. Living veterans from the battle and their families were supposed to meet in 2020, but plans for the reunion were sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's nearly impossible to calculate the number of Battle of the Bulge veterans who are living across the country, but many of them are in their mid 90s to early 100s. Sign up for our SC Military Digest newsletter Get exclusive military reporting, updates from Palmetto State bases, headlines from around the globe and more delivered to your inbox each Tuesday. Email Sign up! Jim Triesler, a volunteer historian with the Battle of the Bulge Association, said the reunion of the seven living soldiers in Charleston is a momentous occasion. "There are maybe 2 or 3 percent of the veterans from the Battle living now," Triesler said. "We're just thankful to have seven here. This is a big deal." The living Battle of the Bulge veterans and their families were given a tour of The Citadel's campus by cadets, attended a service in Summerall Chapel and watched a formal dress parade on the quad. Retired Marine Corps Gen. Glenn Walters, president of The Citadel, said he was honored to have the soldiers on campus and shook their hands. He also pointed out that nine of the names on the campus' War Memorial died in combat at the Battle of the Bulge. The Citadel is privileged to host and recognize these American heroes, Walters said in a statement. Were proud to have these men, who made our country what it is today, on campus and to thank them and their families for their selfless service and sacrifices. Gerald White, a 95-year-old Battle of the Bulge veteran, was 18 when he was in the war. "I've been all over this state, but this is my first time at The Citadel," White said. "It's an honor." The number of living World War II veterans, who would later be dubbed members of The Greatest Generation, are slowly fading away. According to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, 240,329 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II are alive in 2021. In South Carolina, there are at least 3,000 living WWII veterans. Two more men have been charged in connection with the July double-homicide of two men in the shed of a Johns Island home, police said. Joshua Cromwell, 21, of Charleston and Keyshawn McFarlane, 20, of Johns Island each face two counts of murder and two counts of robbery. In addition, McFarlane is charged with one count of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Both men waived their bond hearings on Oct. 22. Taiwan Green and Ravin Smalls, both 24, were found shot to death in a shed at 1104 Bethlehem Court on July 20. When they arrived, Charleston police were directed to the shed where the two young men were found. Officers found a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana and a large number of plastic sandwich baggies there. A video on Smalls phone timestamped 12:22 p.m. showed a large quantity of marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags in the shed, arrest affidavits state. Authorities initially arrested William Green Jr., 22, of Johns Island on Aug. 27. He was charged with two counts of murder and one count of armed robbery in the July 20 shootings. In September court documents, authorities said social media messages found on Smalls' phone indicate the men had arranged to sell marijuana to a Snapchat user named "topshotta_doubl" shortly before their deaths. Authorities claim William Green Jr., who lived close to the shooting scene, admitted the username belonged to him. Detectives said he told them he planned to buy marijuana from the victims but that he did not follow through with the transaction. It was unclear on Oct. 22 what role Cromwell and McFarlane had in the slayings. They were being held in the Charleston County jail. Police records indicate a 73-year-old man was also involved in the incident, but the man had not been named as a suspect. When he announced William Green's arrest, Charleston police Chief Luther Reynolds spoke on Sept. 2 along with members of Smalls family. Reynolds said the victims were ruthlessly gunned down. Many of the family members cried as Reynolds, Smalls mother and her pastor spoke. Please just pray for us, Lesley Smalls Terry said, breaking into tears. She emphasized the men hadnt been bothering anyone when they were shot. On Oct. 22, police said the investigation is ongoing and those with information can call dispatchers at 843-743-7200 and ask for the on-duty central detective. HANAHAN A former DUI prosecutor for the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office has been arrested on allegations he repeatedly abused his children, at one point choking his 3-year-old son violently. Attorney Justin Mims was arrested Oct. 21 by the Hanahan Police Department on one count of attempted murder and five counts of neglect by a legal custodian. Mims was denied bail at a hearing the same day as his arrest in Berkeley County's bond court. Mims is accused of choking, striking and throwing his children in several violent encounters that occurred in 2018 or 2019, according to arrest warrant affidavits. All the encounters, which were video recorded, took place at the Mims' residence, the affidavits state. Late Oct. 22, Mims' law license was placed on interim suspension by the S.C. Supreme Court. Attorney Peyre T. Lumpkin was appointed to handling his legal and client' fiscal matters. The attempted murder charge stems from allegations that Mims threw one young child onto a bed and choked the child, stating, "I'm going to (expletive) kill you." The child coughed and gasped for air after his father released him from the hold, the affidavit states. In another encounter, Mims allegedly grabbed another child by the back of the neck and threw the child onto a chair. When the child began to cry, Mims allegedly "thumped" the child's face and slapped the child three more times, then twice more on a couch, the affidavit states. In a third encounter, Mims is accused of kicking his young child while his wife held their infant, according to the affidavit. Mims is also accused of leaving a long gun, which appears to be a BB gun, on the floor of his house within reach of his three children, the affidavit states. Mims was hired in December as the Berkeley County Sheriff Office's first full-time special DUI prosecutor. He was responsible for prosecuting first-time drunken driving offenses in the county's municipal courts on behalf of the agency. Sheriff Duane Lewis said Oct. 22 that Mims was fired shortly before his arrest on the child abuse charges. Mims' wife filed for divorce in early 2020. Her attorney, Ryan Schwartz, said on Oct. 22 he first became aware of the videos after Mims' wife retained him on Oct. 19. He reported the incidents to Hanahan police. "In my eight years as an attorney, this is the worst thing I've ever seen," he said. The abuse in this case was captured by "nanny cameras," or surveillance cameras installed in the Mims' family home, Schwartz said. He said his client is seeking custody of the children. It's not clear from court records whether Mims has retained legal counsel. Mims also owns a North Charleston law firm. Mims was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 2007, according to state records. On his law firm's website, Mims states he began his career as an assistant public defender in Aiken County before becoming an associate with Mlynarczyk Law Firm. Mims has also taught college-level courses in law and English at Trident Technical College, his website states. FLORENCE The family of a slain Florence County sheriff's investigator claims in a new lawsuit that U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs employees were aware of the danger posed by Fred Hopkins, who is accused of killing two law enforcement officers at his home near Florence in October 2018. Farrah Turner's family claims in the lawsuit filed Oct. 21 in the U.S. District Court for South Carolina that Hopkins, a Vietnam War veteran, had told staff at a VA hospital numerous times that "if the police ever come to my house, they aren't leaving alive." Staff were also aware that Hopkins possessed "nearly 100 firearms" and suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the lawsuit. The family alleges hospital staff had a duty to inform law enforcement officials of Hopkins' antipathy toward police. Hopkins faces charges of murder and attempted murder in the shootings of seven law enforcement officers at his home on Oct. 3, 2018. Five officers were injured and two killed in the shooting. Florence County sheriff's deputies were at Hopkins' home that day to interview his son, Seth, and execute a search warrant in a child sexual assault investigation. As they approached, gunfire erupted from the home. Florence police Sgt. Terrence Carraway was shot in the chest, just above his body armor, and died. Turner, a Florence County investigator, was shot in the abdomen. She died several weeks later following several surgeries. Five other officers were injured in the ambush before Hopkins surrendered. Turner's family is suing the U.S. government for wrongful death. Jerry Meehan, an attorney for the Turner family, said Oct. 22 they are seeking $50 million in damages. The government has not filed a response. Turner's family, as well as the families of several other officers injured or killed in the October 2018 mass shooting, filed wrongful death lawsuits last month against the Hopkins family. Those lawsuits were filed in the 12th Judicial Circuit common pleas court. Post and Courier columnist Norris Burkes, who writes of spirituality and his experiences as a chaplain, is coming to Charleston starting Oct. 24 for a speaking tour. Burkes, who lives in California, said he is looking forward to hitting the Lowcountry shores to eat the cuisine he cant get back home. Shrimp N Grits, baby, Burkes said. I got a place downtown and I am really looking forward to ordering it. Alongside trying the local flavors, Burkes is looking forward to the speaking tour. Burkes will speak at four events open to the public, two at Edisto Beach and two in downtown Charleston. He will speak at a private retreat for pastors at Church Creek. Burkes' daughter, Sara Brakhane, will also attend the events and speak about her experiences working in community service in Honduras, he said. It will be an opportunity for Burkes to meet the readers who have steadfastly read his column, he said. Where to See Burkes: 8 a.m. Oct 24: Trinity Episcopal beach service, Coots Bar & Grill 102 Palmetto Blvd., Edisto Beach, SC 29438. 843-869-3568 10:30 a.m. Oct 24: Trinity Episcopal 1589 Highway 174, Edisto Island, SC 29438 843-869-3568 5 p.m. Oct 24: Thriving Beyond Surviving, First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Hall 53 Meeting St. Charleston, SC 29401 843-722-8882 7 p.m. Oct 25: Faith and the other 5 F-words I live by, Grace United Methodist 1601 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., Charleston, SC 29407 843-766-1621 I cant wait to see them, he said. So many of them have written to me. I write for 35 papers around the country, and I probably get most of my responses from my columns in Charleston. Burkes intends to mainly speak about how to incorporate spirituality through daily life, citing his own experiences. Burkes is a former Air Force and National Guard chaplain. He served as a combat hospital chaplain in Iraq with additional deployments to Saudi Arabia and Panama, he said. I plan to speak on forgiveness, he said. Forgiveness is what you do for yourself. It's what I learned when I was in Iraq; I listened to a soldier ask me to help him pray for the guys that killed his team leader, and that he could forgive them. Burkes will speaking about different experiences and pillars of spirituality at each talk; no event would be the same, he said. He intends for the events to be authentic to each audience. Unless the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources moves to stop the commercial harvest of horseshoe crabs, this ancient creature, along with a host of other animals that depend on this species, are destined to vanish from our states beaches and coastal waters. The Oct. 10 op-ed by Christian Hunt with Defenders of Wildlife makes a compelling ecological case for action. As a health care professional, I can confirm that the continued harvesting of these harmless animals is as unnecessary for human health as it is harmful to the environment. The blood that is extracted by Charles River Labs is used for medical testing. But a synthetic alternative is available. Despite arguments by Charles River Labs that this fatal harvest is critical for human health, the real purpose seems to be to enrich company owners. The tragic history of species extinction is highlighted by such arguments as we need more data, or calls for a few more seasons of exploitation. The shocking reality is that horseshoe crabs or the beautiful red knot, a shorebird that depends on horseshoe crab eggs for its hemispheric migration, may not have a few more seasons. Both populations are in free fall. Kudos to Defenders of Wildlife and the Southern Environmental Law Center for pushing our state wildlife agency to do the right thing for nature. BILL KEE Charleston Banking on USPS In a Thursday commentary, syndicated columnist Paul Steidler asserted that Postal banking is harmful and unnecessary. That couldnt be further from the truth. Whats harmful is the fact that in 2006 Congress imposed a mandate on the Postal Service requiring prefunding of future retiree health benefits for 75 years into the future. No other federal agency, and no corporation, is subject to such a burden. Almost all of the Postal Services financial woes today are linked to this mandate. And whats unnecessary are the recent cuts to delivery standards that took effect Oct. 1. Without any taxpayer funding, the USPS provides affordable, universal mail service to 160 million households and businesses. And the Postal Service has a long history of providing financial services, including postal savings accounts from 1911 to 1967. Today, USPS cashes Treasury checks, sells millions of money orders and provides international wire services to selected countries. Expanding to include paycheck cashing, low-fee ATMs, bill-paying and expanded wire transfers could bring in an estimated $1.1 billion annually to strengthen the Postal Service. As banks continue to shutter branches in low-income communities, postal financial services can fill part of this void, saving low-wage workers from paying high fees to access their own money. The Postal Service consistently ranks as the most trusted federal agency. With our nation now so divided and trust in government so low, its more important than ever to protect and expand our public Postal Service. ERIN MCKEE Former president S.C. AFL-CIO North Charleston Customer service I was taking a break from exercising at the Summerville Family YMCA and watching through the front windows as an elderly couple walked along Cedar Street. Each had a cane and had just left Matts Burgers heading for their vehicle. The man got into the passenger side and the woman, with some effort, made it into the drivers side of the SUV. I noticed the diagonal parking space and thought it could be a challenge for the driver. Just then the waitress from Matts came jogging down the sidewalk. Instead of carrying a forgotten doggie bag, she waved at the couple and walked behind their SUV. When it was safe, the waitress waved the woman out of the parking space. The driver backed out and then headed on her way. Thank you, Matts, for good burgers and great customer service. PAUL BRUSTOWICZ Summerville Abandon I-73 plan I agree with Tuesdays commentary by the Coastal Conservation Leagues Rikki Parker outlining the myriad reasons I-73 is a waste of taxpayer money and a direct harm to the Horry County environment. As she notes, numerous other local road projects would bring tangible, needed benefits to local traffic flows. Lets give up on an environmentally destructive project that other states have already abandoned, and spend that money on upgrades and repairs instead. STEVE WERBER Mount Pleasant I will vote for keeping most of them in elected office I will vote to replace most of them I will vote to replace some of them I will vote for just a few, if any I will not vote Vote View Results The Washington Free Beacon has afforded us an invaluable peek into the diversity regime that rules higher education and roughly speaking every other governing institution in the United States. I refer of course to Aaron Sibariums Free Beacon story A Yale Law Student Sent a Lighthearted Email Inviting Classmates to His Trap House. The School Is Now Calling Him To Account. Sibariums story includes the Trent Colberts audio recording of his meetings with Associate Dean Ellen Cosgrove and Office of Student Affairs diversity czar Yaseen Eldik. The audio takes us inside the asylum. (The Office of Student Affairs page that I consulted over the past week to get Eldiks official position right appears to have been altered to conceal the cast of characters.) Sibariums story has prompted much commentary and reflection. It is, as they used to say in the good old days at the Drudge Report, impacting. See, for example, the parenthetical note above regarding the YLS Office of Student Affairs home page. At the Atlantic, staff writer Conor Friedersdorf makes five observations based on Sibariums story and Colberts recordings. Friedersdorf calls them five major errors, but I think that is slightly off. The errors appear to me to be pillars of the regime. They intimate that it is rotten to the core. Friedersdorfs five points in any event help to flesh out aspects of the malfeasance committed by YLS, all of which are compounded by Dean Heather Gerkens disingenuous public statement. I posted Gerkens statement as well as the draft apology Eldik wrote for Colbert in Getting minds right at Yale: In their own words. Friedersdorfs story is here and worth reading in its entirety. I am posting Friedersdorfs five points regarding the YLS authorities treatment of Colbert below the break. There is much more to be said, but this is a useful start (links omitted, emphasis and italics in original). * * * * * 1. They failed to share important context with the community. In their first meeting with Colbert, the administrators listened to him explain at length that he had no idea trap house had racial connotations. Eldik then told him, Having met with you and spoken with you, youre an honest person; youre someone who clearly has integrity; youre a good person, and I want that to be what people see from you. And I would hate to have to spend however much longer in this vortex of people making claims about who you are without even having met you once. So Im very protective over you. Later, when those same diversity bureaucrats put out a public statement about the matter, they did not include the temperature-lowering fact that Colbert had said he didnt know that trap house had any racial connotations, or that they judged him to be honest, or that he clearly has integrity, or that his classmates should not make claims about him without knowing him. Instead, they emailed the law students, We understand that an invitation was recently circulated containing pejorative and racist language. We condemn this in the strongest possible terms. As the Law Schools Discrimination and Harassment Coordinators, we are working on addressing this. If anyone has concerns they would like to discuss further, please reach out to us. That was two-faced behavior, and most people subjected to it would feel betrayed. 2. The diversity officers exploited the complexity of Yales rules and procedures to pressure Colbert. The American legal system that Yale Law students will enter after graduation is typically at its most abusive when authority figures in government or corporations exploit their own superior knowledge of its intricacies to mislead and manipulate the inexperienced. The law school ought to be teaching students to eschew and oppose such abuses. In this matter, Eldik and Cosgrove used their private meeting with Colbert to urge the outcome they wanted: a written apology from him to his classmates. While pushing for that outcome, they could have told Colbert what Yale later clarified in a public statement: Yale University and Yale Law School have strong free speech protections, and no student is investigated or sanctioned for protected speech. But the administrators wouldve had less leverage over Colbert if he had understood that the speech at issue was protected and that he would not be officially investigated or sanctioned for it. So they kept Colbert guessing as to whether or how he was being investigated or disciplined, and whether Yale administrators might report him to the bar, making vague insinuations and maintaining strategic ambiguityeven as Colbert explicitly, repeatedly, asked for clarity. They modeled abuse of authority of a kind Yale Law graduates denounce furiously when their clients are subjected to it, and gave all students and faculty reason to distrust the forthrightness of Yale diversity administrators. 3. Yale diversity officials acted like a crisis-PR team. At multiple points in the recording, Eldik and Cosgrove talk of wanting the matter to go away as soon as possible (a goal Colbert himself suggested that he shared), rather than wanting it to play out in the way that is most just, procedurally sound, and educationally rich. When Colbert expressed his willingness to converse one-on-one with upset peersinteractions that would have value for all involvedthe diversity bureaucrats discouraged him. As Eldik put it, I dont want to put the onus on Black students to reach out to you to talk more. The administrators also said that nipping this in the bud, as Cosgrove put it, would be best. Eldik went so far as to explain that they needed to make sure their office looked good. As he put it: I also dont want to make our office look like an ineffective source of resolution because were just writing to students and telling them, Hes so sorry; accept our expression of his apology on your behalf, so it looks almost as if, like, weve all just sort of folded into each other. And it erases your individuality and your agency in this. But any concern for Colberts individuality and agency was called into question soon after, whenaccording to the Free Beacons account and other outlets subsequent interviews with ColbertYales diversity administrators composed a draft apology for Colbert, apparently preferring the PR value of a quick letter of contrition over the educational benefits of letting a student reflect and write to his peers in his own words. What kind of educators interject themselves as ghostwriters for students? Colbert declined to sign the letter. (He did implement a review process for future NALSA emails and post a conciliatory message in an online forum offering to discuss the matter with anyone who wanted.) But if he had put out their statement as if he had written it himself, he arguably would have been violating Yale Laws code of conduct. One wonders if bygone apologies at Yale were actually drafted by diversity officers. I emailed Eldik, Cosgrove, and Yale Law Dean Heather Gerken to clarify, among other things, how often the school writes apologies for others and whether doing so is standard procedure, but the officials didnt respond to specific questions. 4. The officials failed to acknowledge their own conflicts of interest. Students can learn from writing their own apologies, insofar as apologies are warranted, and more generally from working out problems among themselves. But that process can include conflict that makes administrators nervous, and if students succeed in working out their problems on their own, then the diversity bureaucracies will look less necessary. When he recorded parts of his meetings, Colbert correctly sensed that, in his case, his interests and those of the diversity office were divergent. Yet in the recordings, Eldik and Cosgrove repeatedly talk as if all of their interests are aligned, even as they say and prepare to do things that illustrate the divergences. Colbert worried that the written apology they sought would afford antagonists an opportunity to pick apart whatever he wrote, extending the controversy and leaving him worse off than if he did nothing. Eldik acknowledged that an apology would be scrutinized but minimized that concern, assuring Colbert, I cant imagine that that would do anything other than make you a thoughtful, reasonable, kind person, and that is more likely to have this go away, which is clearly what you want, than, I think, any other alternative. A better-informed and more transparent adviser would have directed him to the academic literature on apologiesincluding the strongest case for and against making one. As the USC Marshall School of Business scholar Peter Kim once explained to me, if a transgression is seen as intentionalas was true in Colberts casean apology can be quite harmful. Rather than finding an apology appropriate, it is typically seen in these circumstances as confirmation of the belief that someone has done wrong and has character flaws. Deans are not obligated to give any PR advice to a student. But if they do, they shouldnt omit all information that cuts against their desired outcome. A law school, of all places, should be especially attentive to the ethical obligations that go along with representing oneself as someones mentor and advocate. 5. The university failed to safeguard student expression. In Yales telling, the university does not investigate or punish protected speech. Administrators may not technically violate that standard by asking you probing questions in multiple meetings and condemning your actions in an all-student email. But the universitys excuse that no formal investigation occurred is woefully inadequate, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a nonpartisan organization that works to protect free expression and due process for faculty and students, declared in a statement, because Eldik and Cosgrove were at best, exceedingly vague about the process the student was undergoing and what consequences he might face if he failed to cooperate, and, to the ears of any reasonable student, some of these remarks were at best negligent, and at worst veiled threats. The foundation is right: If administrators want to invite a student to participate in an informal and optional conflict resolution process, the burden is on administrators to make crystal clear to the student that participation is wholly voluntary and that the student will in no circumstances face any punitive consequences for declining the invitation. Today Attorney General Merrick Garland testified before the House Judiciary Committee. The testimony lasted for more than five hours, and I havent had time to watch any significant part of it. But here are a couple of excerpts. The first is Rep. Jim Jordan, excoriating the Biden administration and the Obama administration that preceded it for their many violations of Americans civil rights. I think it is quite well done: Later, Jordan tried to get Garland to explain the basis for his memo to the FBI directing an investigation of parents who are unhappy about Critical Race Theory and other leftist dogmas that have infiltrated the public schools. Garlands memo followed hard on the heels of a letter to Joe Biden by officials of the National School Boards Association asking for a federal crackdown on disgruntled parents of school children. While Jordan couldnt get a straight answer out of the crooked Garland, it is obvious that the Department of Justice rubber-stamped the NSBA request without doing any investigation of whether there is, in fact, some kind of epidemic of violence against school board members. There isnt. Biden's Attorney General Merrick Garland admits he launched the probe targeting concerned parents for "possible acts of domestic terrorism" because of a letter from the National School Boards Association. pic.twitter.com/TBtbb5oYEu RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 21, 2021 The Biden administration has placed itself squarely in opposition to American parents who are concerned about their childrens education, and do not want that education to be dominated by racism and anti-Americanism. Terry McAuliffe notoriously asserted that parents should have no role in determining what their children are taught, but the truth is that he speaks for the entire Democratic Party. Colin Powells death from the Wuhan coronavirus evoked dueling liberal mainstream media thoughts. On the hand, Powell rose to heights never before reached by an African-American military leader/statesman. This made him an American hero in the thinking of the liberal MSM. On the other hand, Powell publicly advocated war against Iraq in 2003, most notably in a speech at the UN, and cited intelligence that proved to be faulty as the centerpiece of his advocacy. This undercut the case for Powell as a hero, in the MSMs view. Thus, the liberal mainstream media settled on this narrative: Powell is an American hero whose record is blotted by his support of the second war against Iraq. Is Powell a hero? I guess the answer resides in the eye of the beholder. Tevi Troys obituary of Powell for the City Journal paints the picture of an above-average bureaucratic in-fighter and a world class leaker. My sense is that these traits, rather than heroism or greatness in any traditional sense, explain Powells ascent. (Tevi, by the way, is an expert on the history of White House in-fighting under recent presidents, having published an outstanding book on the subject). What about the claim that Powells statements in support of going to war in Iraq are a blot on his record? On the one hand, the claim lacks merits. On the other, Powell arguably deserves the tag because he subscribed to it maybe out of a genuine sense of guilt, maybe in order to regain good standing with his friends in the liberal MSM and the rest of the liberal establishment. In his UN speech, Powell relied, in general, on the same intelligence that persuaded nearly everyone who saw it that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. It has been suggested (to use the word employed by the Washington Post) that intelligence officials had cautioned then-CIA Director George Tenet before Powells speech about concerns over some of the specific evidence Powell cited in the speech. Tenet has denied this, but lets say its true. Ive seen no suggestion that Powell knew about the alleged doubts. He was not an intelligence specialist, and neither anything on the face of the intelligence nor anything he was told should have raised concerns. Thus, it is not a blot on Powells record that he relied on the CIAs intelligence and presented it in a speech. But the U.S. didnt find substantial WMD and the war in Iraq went badly for a few years. Thus, Powell chose to view his pre-war record as a blot, or at least to accept that characterization. He had no alternative if he wished to be other than a pariah in the eyes of those whose favor he desired in retirement from public office. By accepting the blot theory and endorsing a series of Democrats for president, Powell regained much of his stature in those eyes. The man who, as Tevi describes, was mostly successful in gaining favor with influential Republicans, including at least two Republican presidents, was mostly successful in regaining favor with the liberal D.C. establishment. Cynthia Abdallah is a Kenyan-born writer, poet and educator. She is the author of My Six Little Fears (poetry) and The Musunzu Tree (short stories). She currently lives and works in Venezuela, South America, where she teaches Language and Literature. Her work has appeared in numerous online magazines and in print. These include The Tokyo Poetry Journal (Japan), Kwani? Uchaguzi Edition (Kenya), Ake Review (Nigeria), Quailbell Magazine (USA), Kalahari Review (Kenya), Nalubaale Review (Uganda), Active Muse (India), and the Bodies and Scars anthology by Ghana Literary Journal. What My Six Little Fears is a collection of 32 poems that addresses various themes. With its settings ranging from the villages of Eldoret, Kenya, to the little town of Providence, Rhode Island, the poems delve into secrets, mystery and passion taking its readers on a nostalgic journey. The Musunzu Tree and Other Stories is a collection of short stories that shows different facets of personhood, shades of happiness, and despair. Rich in imagery, mothers, machetes, a singing contest, a small blue room and the shade of a Musunzu tree all find a place in this slim volume. The characters are anchored by a sense of community yet probe the limitations of their existence. Woven underneath these complex playful yet contorted tales is a bold exploration of African consciousness and culture. Why At a time when East African literature is in a slump exacerbated but not caused by the COVID-19 pandemic Cynthia Abdallah has emerged seemingly from nowhere and quickly earned a reputation as a talent to watch. In a review for The Star newspaper, Dr. Justus Makokha described My Six Little Fears as poems full of imagery and colour of sights and sounds from places that are memorable to the poet and her personas. The sheer splendour of sounds and bright colour of stanzas from these three poems are an exercise of exquisite euphonya poet of great promise. How Ms Abdallah is building an audience around her work by telling relatable stories, in poetry and prose, packaged in very affordable quick read books. The books are available online as well as in stores in order to cater to a global audience. Ms Abdallahs books are currently available for sale. More information about the books is available on Cynthias social media accounts: Official website/blog: http://Missabdallah.com/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCowLm43G04Quf5gB4K1tmg Twitter: @cynthiaabdallah Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthiaKauthor Yoruba movie actor, Olanrewaju Imiyinka, also known as Baba Ijesha, has been in the news since April 22, when he was arrested for allegedly raping the foster daughter of his female colleague, Adekola Adekanya, also known as Princess. The actor was charged on six counts of sexual assault by penetration, indecent treatment of a child, and sexual assault, which contravene sections 259, 135, and 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011, as well as 135, 263, and 262 Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015. At the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, on Thursday, the Counsel to the Directorate of Public Prosecution, Olayinka Adeyemi, presented another witness in court following the viewing of the previous forensic video. The prosecution counsel witness is a medical practitioner, Olayemi Aneikan. Mr Adeyemi, on Wednesday, presented the forensic video, the prosecution submitted as evidence during the last sitting. The video is an interview between the alleged 14-year-old victim and Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a child forensic expert from Cece Yara Foundation, a child-centred non-profit organisation, which works to prevent sexual abuse and provides support and access to care for children who have been sexually abused. Medical Report Ms Aneikan, who presented to the court the medical reports of the survivor, told the court that four medical tests were conducted on the alleged rape victim when she was brought to the hospital by her foster mother and the police. Ms Aneikan, who has been a medical practitioner for 11 years, said she and four other medical experts conducted the tests. According to her, the tests conducted were Hepatitis , HIV, Syphilis and pregnancy which all resulted to be negative. She ,however, revealed that the survivors vagina was ruptured and added that it could be as a result of the key penetration seven years ago. The survivor said the actor allegedly violated her with his car key seven years ago. Cross examination Baba Ijeshas lead counsel, Babatunde Ogala, argued that there is a possibility that his client was not responsible for the vagina rupture since there was a discharge according to the doctors report. Mr Ogala quizzed the doctor to ascertain if it was possible for there to be a discharge from the vagina of a seven-year-old. He also said that the evidence was not substantial enough to prove that Baba Ijesha caused the rupture since the event happened seven years ago. The medical practitioner, however, explained that the developmental stages of a womans body could begin late or early. Although she could not explicitly ascertain the development of the survivor, she maintained that the rupture could be as a result of forceful penetration. However, the judge, Oluwatoyin Taiwo, adjourned the case to November 5 and 12, where the prosecution counsel would present their last three witnesses. The Nigerian judiciary has proposed an all-time high spending estimate of N120 billion for 2022. But as has been the case over the years, the breakdown of the proposed budget is hidden from the public, a development that detracts from the credibility of the arm of government expected to set high standards of transparency, accountability, and democratic ethos. The proposed budgetary spending of N120 billion represents about nine per cent increase from the N110 billion that has remained the judiciarys total vote for three consecutive years 2019 to 2021. The proposed allocation, if approved or further raised by the National Assembly currently scrutinising the total N16.39 trillion proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari earlier this month, will be a partial grant of the judiciarys perennial clamour for more funding. But Muiz Banire, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said the estimate for the judiciary is a far cry from satisfying the needs of the judiciary. For several years, successive Chief Justices of Nigeria (CJNs) have lamented the poor funding of the judiciary. In September 2013, then CJN, Aloma Mukhtar, during a new legal year ceremony, bemoaned the judiciarys steady budgetary decline from N95 billion in 2010 to N67 billion in 2013. Since 2014, however, the budget has managed to climb from N68 billion to N110 billion in 2019 and remained so in 2020 and 2021. It implies that by 2021, if the budget is approved as presented, the judiciarys budget would have only increased by N15 billion from what it was 12 years ago in 2010. Advocates of more funding for the judiciary contrast its budget with that of the National Assembly. This is despite that, in the 12 years period from 2010 to 2021, the National Assemblys budget dropped from N154.2 billion to N134 billion. Although the National Assemblys budget slumped during the period, its estimates always dwarfed the judiciarys in each of the 12 years. Also, despite the judiciary being responsible for the salaries of all state and federal judges, in addition to the capital and recurrent expenditures of all the countrys federal courts and institutions, its budget declined from N95 billion in 2010 to N68 billion in 2014, the year the National Assembly got N150 billion. While appearing before a House of Representatives committee to defend the judiciarys 2021 budget, the Secretary of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Ahmed Saleh, appealed to the legislative and executive arms of government to increase budgetary allocations to the judiciary. The Supreme Court was expanded to 20, the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court is in the process of appointing 20 additional judges, Mr Saleh had said. There is a consensus among players in the Nigerian judiciary on the need for an increased budget for the third arm of government at both the state and federal levels. Aside from this, the acute shortage of infrastructure resulting in most Nigerian judges still recording proceedings in long hands and sitting in dilapidated or unconducive courthouses across the country, including the federal capital, is evidence of years-long underfunding. A recent revelation by the President of the Court of Appeal, Monica Dongban-Mensem, about how poorly Nigerian judges are paid while federal legislators continue to enjoy jumbo allowances which analysts say are much higher than what most of their counterparts around the world receive, is another testimony of how poor the funding the judiciary gets. Budgetary secrecy However, the calls for more allocations to the judiciary is not being complemented with an attitude of financial transparency and probity, many have said. To some like Eze Onyekpere, a lawyer and fiscal accountability expert, poor budgetary allocation to the judiciary is not a justification for the lack of transparency and probity. The National Judicial Council (NJC) would also say, we dont have enough money to run our affairs, but what about the money they gave you? What are the details? Mr Onyekpere said. Interestingly, many who call for a substantial rise in the judiciarys budget also criticised the National Assembly for shrouding its budget in secrecy, overlooking the fact that the judiciary is as guilty. This is setting a different standard for the judiciary. The NJC and the National Assembly do not reveal the breakdowns of their budgets to the public. Journalists and members of the public are also blocked from witnessing legislative proceedings on the judiciarys budget defence. Not only that, the NJC, which is the custodian of the budgets of all federal courts and institutions as well as the estimates of the salaries and allowances of all state judges, ignores requests for information on its budget details and finances, despite the request being anchored on the FoI Act. The last of such letters sent to the council in August by PREMIUM TIMES was not replied to. It is a conduct that betrays the calling of an institution set up to, among other mandates, take disciplinary actions against judges that breach their oath of office by flagrantly violating the law, transparency activists say. The CJN (who chairs the NJC) should tell us which section of the law authorises them not to release the judiciarys budget details, Mr Onyekpere said. Some journalists and organisations confirmed to our reporter how the managements of some courts have repeatedly ignored requests for financial information anchored on the FoI Act. Mr Onyekpere described the lack of public transparency in the judiciarys finances as unconstitutional, illegal, immoral, unjust and unfair. He said it is unethical for the judiciary to withhold its financial dealings from the public whose taxes are being used to fund their affairs. Judiciarys budgetary secrecy violation of court judgement To Mr Onyekpere who heads the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), a public accountability-focused civil society organisation, the judiciarys non-disclosure of its budget details is in disobedience of a court judgment. He challenged the CJN, Tanko Muhammad, to disclose the budget details of the judiciary in line with a Federal High Court order in 2013, which ruled that details of all statutory transfers in the 2013 Appropriation Act (Budget) be released to the public. The judiciary enjoys statutory transfers from the federation account in accordance with the First Line Charge principle. The judgement referred to by Mr Onyekpere was delivered on April 29, 2014, by a judge of the Federal High Court, Abdu Kafarati (who died after retiring as the Chief Judge of the court) in CSJs suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/301/2013. The CSJ had asked the court for an order of mandamus compelling Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in her capacity as then Minister of Finance to grant it access to the details of the statutory transfers in the 2013 budget. The judge approved the request. The court specifically granted the organisation access to the details of the money released by the Federal Government to the NJC, Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Universal Basic Education (UBE), the National Assembly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Mr Onyekpere said the NJC and other public institutions enjoying statutory transfers have yet to comply with the order. It is wrong in a constitutional democracy to want to use taxpayers money and keep the taxpayers in the dark as to how you want to use their money, he said. Judiciary a disappointment An anti-corruption activist, Hamzat Lawal, said the Nigerian judiciary is meant to ensure fiscal transparency and accountability, wondering why it would not open its books for public scrutiny. Mr Lawal who founded Follow the Money, a fiscal accountability platform, had led a campaign to compel the National Assembly to disclose its budget details. He noted that for the judiciary to uphold the democratic tenet of rule of law, it must ensure that its budget breakdowns are available for public auditing. He expressed disappointment with the judiciary for shrouding its finances in secrecy. So, our budget process must be strengthened in a way that the judiciary would be responsible to ensure that their expenditures are open to public scrutiny, Mr Lawal added. No to budgetary secrecy in judiciary Also, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Itse Sagay, said there can be no secret spending of public expenditure. Mr Sagay, a professor of law and Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), said it is wrong for the judiciary to keep its budget breakdowns away from public view. If that is the attitude of the judiciary in that respect, then it is not correct. The public has the right to know how much is being allocated to the judiciary, Mr Sagay said when this reporter intimated him of PREMIUM TIMES futile efforts to get the judiciarys budget details from the NJC. Unbelievable Another SAN, Yusuf Ali, also expressed consternation over the opacity. I will find it hard to believe that the budget details of the judiciary are not contained in the appropriation bill, Mr Ali said. For Debo Adediran, Chairman, Centre for Anti-corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), the judiciary is not above the law, adding that it should throw its books open. Everything done by the judiciary is supposed to be transparent; it is supposed to be open for scrutiny. So, if they (judiciary) are opaque in the way they run their financial dealings, then they will have no moral standing to adjudicate on cases that come before them, he said. No arm of government is above the law Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre(CISLAC) and Head of Transparency International (Nigeria), said the judiciarys unwillingness to be transparent is a huge blow to the Muhammadu Buhari-led governments mantra of anti-corruption. The judiciarys nondisclosure of its budget details makes a mockery of the federal governments anti-corruption efforts. There is so much judicial corruption going on at several levels. And the reason why this problem has persisted is because the judiciary itself is not keen about keying into governments anti-graft efforts, Mr Rafsanjani said, while referencing the federal governments Open Partnership Agreement policy. Open Partnership Agreement policy seeks to promote transparency and accountability in public governance in Nigeria. So, we are advocating that part of the judicial reform to deal with judicial corruption and ensure openness within the system is to ensure that its budgetary allocations are made public. No arm of government is above the law, he said. Judiciary should be sued In the same vein, Jide Ojo, a public affairs analyst, urged Nigerians to file a class suit against the judiciary for refusing to make its budget details public. And this is a government that has signed up to the Open Partnership Agreement. So, if it signed up to Open Partnership Agreement and the Freedom of Information Act, I really dont know what they want to hide, he added. The Nigerian government on Friday blamed the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its military wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), for some violent attacks in Lagos and other parts of the country during the October 2020 #EndSARS protest. Abubakar Malami, the justice minister, said Mr Kanu, through his online broadcasts, instigated the large scale destruction of public assets during the #EndSARS protest particularly in Lagos, as well as the South-east and South-south regions. The AGF addressed journalists in Abuja on the update on investigations on Mr Kanu and another separatist, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho. He said Mr Kanu set up the ESN, an armed wing of IPOB, to carry out subversive activities against Nigeria. Violent activities of IPOB have always been known to be restricted to the South-east, where the ESN violently enforces a sit-at-home order on Mondays, and the South-south region. Friday would be the first time major violent attacks would be linked to the proscribed group outside the two regions. Mr Malami said the IPOB leader, who is currently standing trial on an amended seven-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja, desecrated and looted the Oba of Lagos Palace under the cover of #EndSARS anti-police brutality protest in Lagos in October 2020. The internet was awash with video clips and photos of the invasion and looting of the palace by those considered to be hoodlums who hijacked the #EndSARS protest at that time Some the marauders made away with the Obas staff of office, shoes and other paraphernalia of office. The Oba himself, Rilwan Akiolu, was rescued and evacuated from the palace by security agents. The EndSARS protests of October 2020 played into the sinister plans of Nnamdi Kanu, whereby he seized the protests through subversive and inciting online broadcasts and actively commanded and directed attacks on security personnel and facilities, Mr Malami said on Friday. He added, That there were several IPOB/ESN attacks and destruction (arson) of public and private properties during the EndSARS and Biafra agitations across the country, especially in the South-East and South-South regions, notably the Palace of the Oba of Lagos where twelve (12) flats were completely looted and vandalized. He blamed the IPOB/ESN for similar attacks in Lagos. Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, City Hall Race Course, First Bank Branch Lagos, Lagos State Public Works Commission, Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Marina, Lagos, High Court Igbosere, Lagos, were all burnt, amongst other heinous crimes committed. He added that the country home of the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, was burnt, over one hundred and fifty (150) buses burnt at the Lagos Bus Terminal, Sen. Ndoma Egbas home in Calabar Municipal, Cross River State, was completely looted and vandalised. Mr Malami blamed the group for 10 attacks in the three regions of the southern part of the country. As a result of these broadcasts, members of IPOB attacked and killed security personnel and burnt down police stations, correctional centers, INEC offices, bus terminals, the Palace of Oba of Lagos, banks, hospitals, shopping malls and vehicles, amongst others, the AGF alleged. Mr Malami said the press conference was meant to intimate Nigerians on the findings of a presidential ad-hoc committee investigative that was set up to inquire into the causes of widespread violence in Nigerias South-east region, following Mr Kanus re-arrest and repatriation from Kenya to Nigeria last June. Giving a list of prominent Nigerians who have been allegedly killed by the ESN operatives on orders of Mr Kanu, the AGF named the gruesome killing of All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Ahmed Gulak, on May 30 in Owerri, Imo State. He highlighted other violent killings to include: Obi 1 of Okwudor autonomous community, Eze E. Anayochukwu Durueburuo and Eze Sampson Osunwa of Ihebineowerre autonomous community as well as the killing of Chike Akunyili, who was the widower of the late Dora Akunyili, and eight others. Background The separatist, Mr Kanu, who was granted bail in April 2017, fled the country after the invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, by the military in September that year, a situation one of his lawyers, Alloy Ejimakor, described as the rule of self-preservation. A judge subsequently revoked his bail for ditching his trial, and ordered his trial to be separated from the rest of the co-defendants. While the trial of the rest of the defendants has made some progress, Mr Kanus has been stalled since 2017. On June 29, 2021, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, announced that Mr Kanu had been rearrested and brought back to Nigeria to continue facing his trial. He said the IPOB leader was intercepted days earlier but did not give details. Although there has been no official disclosure about where and how Mr Kanu was arrested, relatives and lawyers to the IPOB leader, have described how he was kidnapped in Kenya under controversial circumstances. The Nigerian government says members of the outlawed separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), have so far attacked 164 police facilities across several states. The armed separatists killed a 175 security personnel, and a number of high-profile persons between October 2020 and June 2021, according to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who addressed journalists at his office in Abuja on Friday. He said, on October 21, 2020, Nnamdi Kanu through an online call-in radio programme (Radio Biafra), further instigated IPOB members to burn down all police stations and kill government security forces, which was carried out and several security personnel (especially police officers) were killed and public and private properties destroyed. One hundred and seventy-five (175) security personnel were killed by IPOB/ESN, comprising one hundred and twenty eight (128) policemen, thirty seven (37) military personnel and ten (10) other security operatives. Other killings On the killings of prominent Nigerians blamed on the group, Mr Malami said, recently there were gruesome killings of traditional leaders: Obi 1 of Okwudor autonomous community, Eze E. Anayochukwu Durueburuo and Eze Sampson Osunwa of Ihebineowerre autonomous community as well as the killings of Dr. Chike Akunyili and eight others. Mr Akunyili was the widower of the late Dora Akunyili, on-time Nigerias Minister of Information and Director-General of the National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Mr Malami also said the proscribed separatist group was responsible the killing of Ahmed Gulak, a former political adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, on May 30. The destructive activities of IPOB/ESN pose serious threat to Nigerias national security and its corporate existence, which resulted into re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and members of his group, official said on Friday. Attacks on INEC, police, prisons, others The government also alleged that IPOB members carried out 19 attacks on the facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) resulting in the burning of 18 vehicles. He said, that as a consequence of Nnamdi Kanus broadcasts, there were nineteen (19) attacks on INEC facilities that resulted in the destruction of offices as well as burning of eighteen (18) INEC logistical vehicles, several election materials, equipment and ICT gadgets in Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo States; That one hundred and sixty-four (164) police stations and formations, including police headquarters, Owerri, Imo State were attacked by IPOB/ESN leading to the death of one hundred and twenty-eight (128) police men {as stated in III above}; one hundred forty four (144) injured while six hundred twenty eight (628) vehicles were destroyed. The government said 396 firearms and 17,738) ammunition were carted away during the IPOB/ESN attacks. Mr Malami also blamed three attacks on Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), including the Headquarters of NCoS, Owerri, Imo State on IPOB/ESN. He said 1,841 inmates escaped during the attacks. That the Headquarters of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Umuahia, Abia State was also attacked by IPOB/ESN leading to the death of one (1) officer, he added. Investigations IPOB is led by Nnamdi Kanu who is being prosecuted on charges of treasonable felony and terrorism. The group had denied responsibility for many of the attacks linked to it. Mr Malami headed a 24-member presidential ad hoc committee that investigated Mr Kanu after his re-arrest outside Nigeria in June, and a Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Igboho. The minister said IPOB was determined to truncate Nigerias democratic system by setting ablaze various offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices in the South-east. The committee finds as a fact, that consequent upon the instigating directives of Nnamdi Kanu, members of IPOB/ESN carried out massive attacks on democratic institutions especially INEC Facilities with a view to hampering democratic process in Nigeria. He also blamed IPOB/ESN for attacks in Lagos during last years #EndSARS protest. The Nigerian government Friday called on foreign nations allegedly supporting Nnamdi Kanu, and his proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to desist. The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, said such nations were supporting the subversive activities of Mr Kanu, and IPOB, despite the designation of the group as a terrorist organisation in Nigeria. Mr Malami addressed journalists at his office in Abuja barely 24 hours after Mr Kanu was, on Thursday, produced from custody for re-arraignment at the Federal High Court in Abuja on seven charges related to treasonable felony and terrorism. His address centred on the report of investigations carried out by a 24-member Presidential Ad-hoc Committee, inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari, following Mr Kanus rearrest outside Nigeria in June. The committee led by Mr Malami linked various destructive activities including killings of prominent persons and 175 security agents, destruction of about 164 police stations and formations, among other violent crimes to IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). The destructive activities of IPOB/ESN pose serious threat to Nigerias national security and its corporate existence, which resulted into re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and members of his group, Mr Malami said. We have also established that Kanu is not alone in his subversive activities. He has accomplices in Nigeria and abroad, individuals and groups as well as state and non-state actors who are aiding and facilitating his campaign against the people and state of Nigeria. Some of the state actors aided Kanu, even as a fugitive, in his destructive mission, ignoring the terrorist nature of his activities. We call on these countries to desist from aiding subversive acts by KANU and IPOB against the state of Nigeria and its people. The official did not name the countries he was referring to. But the United Kingdom and the United States of America are among notable nations that have resisted calls by the Nigerian government to designate IPOB as a terrorist organisation since it was proscribed in Nigeria in September 2017. Friendly nations Mr Malami also said there are friendly nations that have either banned the activities of IPOB or placed Mr Kanu on Stop List. Conversely, there are some friendly countries which, recognising the status of IPOB as a terrorist organisation, have either banned the activities of IPOB or placed Kanu on Stop List. To these peace-loving countries that have put Kanu on their Stop Lists and banned IPOB from operating in their territories, we express our appreciation, Mr Malami said. Kanu, IPOB Mr Kanu was first arrested in October 2015 regarding his separatist activities using IPOB to galvanise an agitation for the carving out of the Igbo-dominated South-east region and part of the South-south as an independent Republic of Biafra. He was charged with treasonable felony before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Mr Kanu, who was granted bail in April 2017, fled the country in September of the same year a development that coincided with the invasion of his home by soldiers in Afara-Ukwu near Umuahia in Abia State. In that same month, the Nigerian government designated IPOB as a terrorist organisation. Both the UK and the U.S. have resisted calls by the Nigerian government designate IPOB as a terrorist organisation. The Nigerian government has, on a number of occasions, fumed over the soft spot the UK allegedly has for Mr Kanu, who has dual citizenship in the UK and Nigeria. Mr Malami said on Friday that despite the proscription of IPOB Nnamdi Kanu continued the subversive campaign, instigating and inciting broadcasts to direct members of the IPOB to launch attacks on government. He added that the #EndSARS anti-police brutality protests of October 2020 played into the sinister plans of Nnamdi Kanu, whereby he seized the protests through subversive and inciting online broadcasts and actively commanded and directed attacks on security personnel and facilities. As a result of these broadcasts, members of IPOB attacked and killed security personnel and burnt down police stations, correctional centers, INEC offices, bus terminals, the Palace of Oba of Lagos, banks, hospitals, shopping malls and vehicles, amongst others. In June, Mr Malami announced the re-arrest of Mr Kanu, without disclosing how and where. He did not give the details in his address on Friday. Mr Kanu who was remanded in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS) was re-arraigned on seven counts of terrorism and treasonable felony. He pleaded not guilty and proceedings were adjourned till November. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos has said the state government, under his leadership, would not make an attempt to cover up the findings and recommendations of the states Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the investigation of the Lekki toll gate incident and abuse of powers by the police. Mr Sanwo-Olu said this on Thursday while speaking on the experience of the state during the #EndSARS protest. The governor said the state will make a full disclosure of the final report of the panel to the public. While concluding the judicial panels during on Monday, Doris Okuwobi, a retired judge heading the panel, earlier said the panel would submit its findings on Lekki shooting, which include individual petitions on the incident to the state government and recommend compensation to the petitioners. She said the report and recommendation would be made public by the state government. Mr Sanwo-Olu, however, said whether the report is in favour of the state or not, the government would not make an attempt to cover it up, as the report would be helpful in strengthening true reconciliation and preventing re-occurrence of violence in the state. The panel concluded its sittings about three days ago and has asked for time to put the reports together behind closed doors. We do not know the content of the report, but we want to say publicly that, upon the handover of the report, we will be making it public. We will not cover up anything. This is not who we are and that is not what our government stands for. We will make full disclosure of whatever recommendations that the panel will come up with. I assure citizens of Lagos that we will not leave anything to chance, he said. Speaking on the procession held by youths at the Lekki tollgate in memory of the #EndSARS protests and those that died, Mr Sanwo-Olu said he ordered an unconditional release of those detained by the police, except one person who was caught with dangerous weapons at the scene. He commended the police for being alive with their responsibility to identify and isolate troublemakers from among law-abiding people who conduct themselves in line with the laws. Mr Sanwo-Olu also urged the youth to be stakeholders in the rebuilding and development of the state, reiterating his commitment to reconciliation. It is exactly a year ago today when Lagos was hit by violence in the aftermath of the EndSARS protests. Lagos witnessed massive destruction of infrastructure, iconic buildings, transport infrastructure, police station and others. Today being a year after the event, there is no better time to say how difficult it has been for us as a state and how committed it has been for us. As tough as it is, the government will certainly not shy away from its responsibility. We see the incident as a challenge and we will fix it with everything that we have. He said although the destruction had slowed down operational activities of the affected public institutions, the government needs the cooperation of the youths towards a greater Lagos. The Lagos state Police Command on Thursday said it had arrested 34 suspects following the #EndSars anniversary protest on Wednesday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protest, which was to commemorate the one year anniversary of ENDSARS , was carried out by a motorcade bearing protesters moving through the Lekki toll gate. The protest, which began at 8 a.m. and ended two hours later, was largely peaceful without threat to security, except for a brief traffic gridlock experienced by motorists during the period. In a statement made available to journalists, the spokesperson for the Lagos police command, Adekunle Ajisebutu, said some hoodlums took advantage of the gridlock to attack motorists, after the protest had ended. At about 11:30 a.m., after the real protesters had left peacefully without any confrontation, hoodlums took advantage of the gridlock, with criminal intentions to start attacking innocent law-abiding citizens. One Shina Edun of Man O War Nigeria, attached to the Lekki Concession Company, was stabbed in the stomach by the hoodlums. The victim was immediately rushed to the hospital where he is currently receiving medical attention. Following the criminal acts by the hoodlums, the police responded swiftly and dispersed them with minimum force. Consequently, 34 of the hoodlums were arrested. Two cutlasses, one hammer, a jack knife and assorted charms were recovered from them, he said. The PPRO said the suspects were arraigned on the same day at Oshodi Magistrates Court 5, before Magistrate Israel Adelakunon, for conduct likely to cause breach of the peace. While two of the accused persons pleaded guilty and were fined N10,000 each, 30 others pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sum of N20,000 with one surety in like sum. One of them was discharged and acquitted, while one other, named Chukwu Chika, who was arrested with a sharp cutlass and assorted charms, confessed that he deliberately came to cause violence and mayhem, he said. Mr Ajisebutu said the court ordered the police to carry out a thorough investigation on his case and charge him to court appropriately. The police spokesperson added that Hakeem Odumosu, the police commissioner, expressed the commands profound gratitude to members of the public for their overwhelming support before, during and after the protests. The CP equally rendered his apologies to any media person whose right might have been inadvertently infringed upon while the security personnel were trying to prevent the breakdown of law and order. Also, the CP assures members of the public that, in line with the policy of IGP Alkali Baba Usman, of making the police accountable to members of the public, training and retraining of the officers and men shall continue to be intensified. The Commissioner of Police uses this medium to thank Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the State Executive Council members for their unalloyed support to security agencies during the protest, he said. Similarly, Mr Ajisebutu said the CP also appreciated the youth and other groups for their understanding of the prevailing peace and the states secure environment, noting that their cooperation and assistance helped to safeguard the state from witnessing another mayhem similar to the 2020 protests. In order to achieve all these, the command has on its own, resolved to redouble its efforts in providing watertight security and protection of lives and property of all law-abiding citizens in the state, he said. (NAN) A High Court in Ibadan on Friday ordered an internet fraudster, Adewale Tosin, to sweep the court premises for six months. Justice Bayo Taiwo sentenced Mr Tosin, after he pleaded guilty to defrauding an American man, Lylian Zamarippa, for $2,400 while pretending to be a female with the name, Zielone Nyson. Justice Taiwo ordered that the community service would be observed by the convict from 8 a.m to noon every working day. The convict will serve two years imprisonment if he fails to show up for the community service or arrives late on any of the day, even if it occurred at the last day of the service. The convict must refund the 2,400 dollars to the victim and forfeit his SUV car, laptop and iPhone to the Federal Government, the judge held. Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Festus Ojo, informed the court that the convict committed the offence between February 2020 and January 2021. Mr Ojo said that the convict entered a plea bargain and urged the court to enter it as judgment of the court. The defence counsel, M.A. Rufai, had pleaded with the court to convert the sentence to non-constodial or an option of fine. In a related development, the judge ordered another convicted internet fraudster, Tunde Adejuwon, to sweep the court premises for five months and to forfeit his Lexus car and blue iPhone to the Federal Government. (NAN) A non-profit organisation, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), has said the increasing intolerance of the Nigerian government towards the call by youth for an end to police brutality is elevating the #EndSARS protest into an undying movement. Akinbode Oluwafemi, the Executive Director of CAPPA, said this during the launch of a report: Lies and the Hail of Bullets The Story of Lekki Shooting, in Lagos on Thursday. Mr Oluwafemi said rather than heed the demands of the youth and bring perpetrators of the Lekki shooting incident to book, the government has continued to make attempts towards gagging the youth and stifling the civic space. Believing that you can suppress and cow this generation to submission will never work. The government cannot rule a digital generation using analog manual, no matter how they try, they will fail. We need a government that listens, the social media is becoming a feedback mechanism and they should recognise that and use it for good governance. With the intolerance of the government towards anything #EndSARS, this government is elevating #EndSARS into a movement. Beyond the youths that started #EndSARS, what the government needs to do is to expand public space, public discourse and let Nigerians give their feedback and respond appropriately like a reasonable government, Mr Oluwafemi said. The CAPPA boss said the events of Wednesday, where youth that went on a procession in memory of the #EndSARS protest and those that lost their lives is another pointer that the present generation cannot bow to oppression. Mr Oluwafemi said rather than respect the position of the youth towards the #EndSARS memorial, the Nigerian government became more intolerant with several youths arrested at the Lekki tollgate during the procession. Why is the government so intolerant of even a memorial for the #EndSARS victims? Events of Wednesday are gory affirmation that the government has not learnt any lessons. Nigerian youths have spoken, there must be an end to police brutality in Nigeria. Nigerians are all demanding just and accountable government. Mr Oluwafemi added that individuals at the seat of power in Nigeria do not take the time to read the operating manual of the country which is the constitution. Some of them dont understand that citizens have basic rights, rights to freedom, free speech, rights to assemble and others. We totally reject the attempt by this government to take away those rights from us. Nigerians have the right to protest, Nigerians have the right to dissent, there is no democracy without dissent, he said. The story of Lekki shooting In the report, CAPPA presented the timeline of the #EndSARS protest of last year and travails of Nigerian youth. The report also contains interviews with some victims of police brutality and testimonies of 16 victims that were present at the Lekki tollgate on the night of October 2020. The survivors interviewed in the report suffered different degrees of injuries, some with their legs amputated at a result of severe gunshot injury. In the interviews, Ajumobi Olajide, a baker, reportedly said when he started hearing gun shots while they were at the tollgate, he decided to run for his life, but was hit on his leg in the process. I started shouting, I have been shot, please help, but no one came to my rescue. When I opened my eyes, I found out I was at LASUTH, that was around 6 a.m. the following day, he said. The mother to one of the survivors, Olufunmi Ayedungbe, said her son was shot in the forehead and was placed on oxygen for five days at LASUTH, where a surgery was also done on him. She said her son lost his ability to speak as a result and suffered other changes in behavioral patterns. When the surgery was about to be carried out, they asked me to sign a document and that it will take six months before he would be able to regain his memory, she said. During the launch of the report, Mr Oluwafemi said the perpetrators of the Lekki tollgate shooting should be brought to book by the Nigerian government. The United States government will continue to play a crucial role in helping Nigeria tackle her security challenges, Stephen Ibelli, the Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, has said. Speaking at a security summit recently organised by the Nigeria Info FM, Mr Ibelli said the core of the US Missions partnership with the Nigerian government is to counter the security threats. The security issues in north-east Nigeria has become one of the worlds most complex humanitarian crises due to the fact that more than 350,000 people have been killed since 2009, while about three million people have been displaced across the Lake Chad Basin, he said. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been coordinating the US humanitarian response as well as helping to rebuild basic civic institutions essential to reestablishing civil and social life in the hardest hit states within northern Nigeria. The US is the largest humanitarian donor in response to the north-east crisis, providing $1.45billion since 2015 and supporting almost two million conflict-affected households, he said. The security summit was organised by the radio station to commemorate its 10th year anniversary. Other speakers at the event include Remi Sonaiya, a professor and former presidential candidate of KOWA Party; Umar Aliyu, a retired military officer, and Rotimi Sankore, a development expert and journalist, among others. Mrs Sonaiya, who spoke on how politics undermines the nations security architecture, stressed on the need for Nigerians to focus on the kind of leaders they elect. The greatest threat to security are terrible leaders that do not have compassion for the people, Mrs Sonaiya said. We should ensure we elect people of integrity and sound moral character, who by their speech and example of their sound moral lives, will inspire us all to greatness and ensure prosperity for all. According to Mr Sankore, the state of insecurity across Nigeria is a true reflection of the countrys underdevelopment. The major cause of insecurity is hinged on the underdevelopment of the nation, he said. This is because just 12 years ago, research estimated that there were 4.4 million out of school children in northwest Nigerian, while northeast Nigeria had about three million out of school children. However, with the population growth nationwide, we are most likely to have 20 million out-of-school children in ten years time. The former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, has revealed some of the steps he took to abort the tenure elongation agenda (otherwise known as Third Term) of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Mr Nnamani, while speaking at the public presentation of his book: STANDING STRONG: Legislative Reforms, Third Term and Other Issues of the 5th Senate, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, on Thursday, said by adjourning the senate in the course of the constitutional amendment process, some senators in support of the bill had a change of mind after interacting with their constituents. Mr Nnamani, who represented Enugu East Senatorial District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was senate president between 2005 and 2007. It was during his tenure that Mr Obasanjo, in 2006, sought to extend his tenure beyond the constitutionally-allowed two terms of four years each in 2006. The former president, who was also the countrys military ruler between 1976 and 1979, wanted the National Assembly to amend the 1999 Constitution to enable him prolong his stay in office. The move generated tension in the land at the time. Mr Obasanjo has repeatedly denied he had a plan to spend another four years in office. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is nothing I wanted that God has not given me, he told Channels Television in 2012. But narrating how the third term agenda was killed, Mr Nnamani said, I wanted senators to vote with their mind on the question of whether we should amend the constitution to allow President Obasanjo a third term. I also wanted their votes to represent the views of their constituents. To be an informed trustee, the senators need to understand the view of their constituents before casting their votes. On this basis, the senate adjourned to allow the senators to consult with their constituents about the constitution amendment. With this intervention, some senators returned with enlightened views, he said. Mr Nnamani further disclosed that the live transmission of the plenary on May 16, 2006, when an alteration of the constitution to allow three terms for Nigerias presidents, forced some senators to abandon support for the bill seeking a third term for Mr Obasanjo. He said forces within the government tried to stop the televised proceedings to prevent Nigerians from following the process. We decided to televise the proceedings. Publicising the proceedings was not supported by those who wanted to smuggle into the Constitution the extension of tenure through undefined and darkened procedure, the former senate president, who is currently a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said. They knew that if we had sidelined Nigerians from the proceedings, and therefore reduced public pressure on the legislature, it would be possible to ram through, but I stood strong. We overcame intense pressure even from the highest level of government. We continued to broadcast the proceedings. The result of the publicity and openness was that we secured our democracy. The degree of public interest the debate generated owed largely to the decision to televise our proceedings. This was the origin of the now institutionalised used television to publicise proceedings of the National Assembly. The publicising of the proceedings made lawmakers to seat up and take the act of law-making, because no one wants to be caught on camera, either sleeping. The reviewer of the book, Adebayo Williams, a professor, said Mr Obasanjo saw himself as God specially anointed with a divine mandate to treat the territory handed over to him as he deems fit. He said that mindset explains why the former president could not tolerate any opposition from the legislature or the judiciary. In an interactive session with President Obasanjo, the retired general, a master in the act of psych up, noted that Nnamanis successful business might help him, he added a rider that it might also injure him. Obasanjo deliberately left it hanging, Mr Williams said. In his remarks, a former Minister of Defence, Theophilus Danjuma, who was the chairman of the occasion, said the book should be a textbook for all Nigerian students and aspiring future politicians. We do not value our history, that is why the distortions that hit the headlines survive, Mr Danjuma, who was chief of army staff during the military regime of Mr Obasanjo, said In a goodwill message, another former senate president, Adolphus Wabara, asked Mr Nnamani to ensure Nigeria remained democratic. You have to make sure that the country remains democratic and we must thank Buhari for not nursing ambition for a third term. I doff my hat for him. If he wanted an amendment of the constitution to extend his tenure, I am sure this current National Assembly will grant it. Keep standing strong, Mr Wabara, a member of the PDP, said. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, and the Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi, were some of the dignitaries at the event. The PREMIUM TIMES Academy, in partnership with the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), has concluded a two-day training for journalists in Nigeria on conflict-sensitive reporting. The training began on Wednesday and ended on Thursday. The project was organised to help selected Nigerian journalists effectively report on conflict and other sensitive issues in their various beats. A total of 34 journalists were selected from online, print and electronic media across different newsrooms in the country. Participants were taught diverse topics ranging from the consequences of non-sensitive reporting, news-gathering in an era of fake news, to the dangers of ethnic profiling, as well as the workings of the NGF in different sectors. At the training, the Publisher of PREMIUM TIMES, Dapo Olorunyomi, described non-sensitive reporting as unprofessional reporting. The consequences, he said, of unprofessional reporting can lead to negative and tragic outcomes. Referring to an eminent scholar, Robert Manoff, Mr Olorunyomi said professional journalism, in the context of conflict, can help counter misconceptions and rumours; build consensus; facilitate communication between conflicting parties; analyse the conflict and educate on the process of resolution, and propose options and solutions to the conflict. On his part, the Director-General of the NGF, Asishana Okauru, said the training was in response to the new dynamics, which has brought the media to the fore in the types of reporting that would either keep the country together or drive us all apart. He described media reports in recent times as disappointing. According to him, some of the news headlines sometimes threaten the fabrics that keep the country together. The NGF, he added, believes in the fundamental and the inalienable importance of freedom of speech and would continue to partner with the media not just to keep the country together. To achieve this, he said the Forum will ensure that media practitioners that associate with the body are trained and retrained to live up to the responsibility of the profession. Most of you cover sensitive beats because you are trusted by your media organisation. This beat is just one of the sensitive ones, and for us, bringing you up to speed on modern techniques of your trade and its trends of reporting is not negotiable. At the NGF Secretariat, we are convinced that no nation develops without a responsible media. The Rwandan experience is both frightening and appropriate to cite at this stage. On our part, we expect high standards of professionalism and a keen eye to details from all of you, Mr Okauru said. Other seasoned journalists like the PREMIUM TIMES Editor-in-chief, Musikilu Mojeed, the papers Managing Editor, Idris Akinbajo, Dayo Aiyetan, the Director, International Centre For Investigative Reporting (ICIR), and Kadaria Ahmed, Founder, Radio NOW, were also present to share tools for effective conflict-sensitive reporting. One common point the facilitators made is that it is the duty of journalists to provide truthful, factual, balanced, and objective information to society. At the end of the training, participants were issued certificates. The participants appreciated the organisers for the workshop and promised to apply the new knowledge in their reporting. President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a massive deployment of security agents in Anambra State to ensure peaceful conduct of the November 6 governorship election in the state. National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, disclosed this to journalists after a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) at the State House, Abuja on Thursday. The meeting was presided over by Mr Buhari. There has been an upsurge of violent activities in Anambra in the past months, leading to the death of some persons and destruction of properties. Apart from the killings, the facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other government agencies have also been attacked, thereby threatening the peaceful conduct of the governorship poll. The attacks have been linked to the proscribed IPOB and its militant wing, ESN. Mr Monguno, a retired major general, said NCS observed that non-state actors had made attempts to frustrate the smooth conduct of the polls, following their violent activities in Anambra State. Todays meeting of the National Security Council focused its attention on several issues, primarily the elections in Anambra State, which will be held on the 6th of November, he said. Council observed recent trends in which a lot of violent activities have been taking place and Council is desirous of seeing a hitch-free election being conducted by next month. Now the problem here is that in as much as the government wants to conduct peaceful elections, there are non-state actors who have been heating up the polity, who have made all kinds of attempts to stymie orderly elections for next month. The president has directed that under no circumstances will anything be allowed to stop the elections from taking place successfully. The people have a right to vote, they have a right to select their leader, and no group or individual will be allowed to stimulate anarchy and chaos leading to murderous activities. The president has made it very clear that the armed forces, security agencies and law enforcement agencies must make sure that the elections take place, if it means overwhelming the entire environment with the presence of security agencies. Mr Monguno said there are implications if the governorship poll is sabotaged by the non-state actors. According to him, if they succeed in stopping the election, other parts of the country would want to follow suit to stop future elections. He said, There are so many implications for elections to be sabotaged by non-state actors. In the first place, were in a democracy. Secondly, it is important to note that if these non-state actors should succeed in destroying the potential for orderly elections, then it is natural that other parts of the country will also want to copy this situation. Secondly, its not something that President Buhari will even contemplate in a situation in which he is boxed into a corner. The mere thought that a group of non-state actors want to portray his government as not being able to be firm is totally out of the question. The tail cant wag the dog, it is totally unacceptable, and again, we in the security and intelligence community have been trying as much as possible to talk with the leadership in the Southeast, to make them aware of the fact that President Buhari is not averse to the aspirations of the people of the South-east, so long as whatever they desire to achieve, they do it through the normal prescribed manner, either legislative, legal, or whatever. For as long as it is within the confines of legitimacy, President Buhari does not have a problem with that. But any action that is outlandish, any action that typifies roguery, the usurpation of the authority of the state is not going to be tolerated. Again, were also mindful of the fact that Nigerians, being what they are, also need to understand that if these non-state actors should go out on a limb and extend the frontiers of violence, and begin to kill people, there is a possibility that reprisal attacks can take place in other parts of the country, which is what we do not want to happen. So, were working with the community leaders, with the governors and everybody to ensure that they bring their people, restrain them on the leash. Other security measures The police on 14 October announced it would deploy 34,587 personnel to Anambra to ensure peace during the poll. The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, said the deployment would consist of conventional police officers, Police Mobile Force, the Counter-Terrorism Unit, Special Forces, Explosive Ordnance Unit, Force Intelligence Bureau, INTERPOL, Special Protection Unit and a medical team. He said three helicopters would be deployed for aerial surveillance while detachments of Marine Police operatives would also be deployed to ensure a safe, secure and credible electoral process. Mr Baba had earlier deployed a new commissioner of police to Anambra State, after a spate of deadly gun attacks in the South-east state. The new commissioner is Echeng Echeng. Also, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, had hinted that the federal government was considering imposing a state of emergency in the state to ensure peaceful conduct of the poll. And you cannot rule out possibilities inclusive of the possibility of declaration of state of emergency where it is established, in essence, that there is a failure on the part of the state government to ensure the sanctity of security of lives, properties and democratic order. READ ALSO: So, our position as a government is; election is going to hold, necessary security in terms of democratic order most certainly prevail for the purpose of this election, the minister said. But after a meeting with Mr Buhari at the State House, Abuja the following day, the governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, told journalists that the president was against the declaration of a state of emergency in the south-eastern state. I just finished meeting with the president and I mentioned it and the president didnt suggest that. The president is firm, he wants a peaceful election in Anambra State. He wants a free and fair election in Anambra State, thats the president for you. But if people in his party are going around making insinuations, using his name to do things, the president clearly told me that he does not support that, full stop, Mr Obiano said. The Nigerian government said on Friday that its investigation has established a link between Sunday Adeyemo and a suspected financier of terrorism. The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja on update on the investigations carried out on Mr Adeyemo, and Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Mr Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho, is pushing for an independent country for the Yoruba. The separatist, who is currently being held in the Republic of Benin, has repeatedly insisted that he employs only peaceful means to achieve his goal. Mr Malami said the governments findings show that a company controlled by Mr Adeyemo transferred N12.75 million to another controlled by Abdullahi Usman, who is suspected of financing terrorism in Nigeria. He said: Investigation reveals that Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) transferred the sum of twelve million seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N12, 750,000) to Abbal Bako & Sons. It might be recalled that Abbal Bako & Sons and its promoter Abdullahi Umar Usman are suspects in the on-going Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation. Abdullahi Umar Usman is by way of financial transaction connected to SURAJO ABUBAKAR MUHAMMAD (who was sentenced to life imprisonment in UAE on charges of financing terrorism [Boko Haram]). This report shows the nexus between separatists agitation, terrorism financing and disruptions of peace in the country. Mr Malami also said the report found connections of financial transaction between Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) and some construction companies and businesses among others. Federal lawmaker funding Sunday Igboho The government also echoed President Muhammadu Buharis Independence Day remark that a serving federal lawmaker is among Mr Adeyemos sponsors. The major financier of the fugitive and separatists was found to be a federal lawmaker in the National Assembly, Mr Malami said. He also said Sunday Igboho is linked to 43 bank accounts in nine banks. Giving a breakdown of various sums of money allegedly received by Mr Igboho from his financiers, Mr said, A total sum of ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN MILLION, ONE AND FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND NAIRA ONLY (N127, 145,000.00) was received by Igboho from his financiers between 22nd October, 2013 and 28th September, 2020 through Adesun International Concept Ltd accounts, a firm linked to the Yoraba nation separatist. A total sum of TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-THREE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-EIGHT THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED NAIRA ONLY (N273,198,200.00) transaction outflows was recorded from Sunday Igbohos account between 15th March, 2013 and 11 the March, 2021. Investigation reveals that Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) transferred the sum of twelve million seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N12, 750,000) to Abbal Bako & Sons, a company linked to Abdullahi Umar Usman who are suspects in the on-going Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation, the AGF said. This report shows the nexus between separatists agitation, terrorism financing and disruptions of peace in the country, the minister noted. Mr Adeyemo escalated his agitation for an independent Yoruba nation following incessant cases of kidnapping allegedly attributable to Fulani herders in Oyo State and other parts of South-west states earlier this year. Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers engaged solders in a shootout in two different locations in Ayebode and Ilasa communities in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Thursday. The police spokesperson, Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the incident to journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, said the gunmen abducted three persons during the confrontation. Mr Abutu said the combined forces of the military and the police rescued six other captives from the gunmen. The information we heard was that four persons were abducted. Security operatives responded swiftly to the situation and rescued six persons. We have begun investigation and we will try and ensure that the abductees are brought back safe and sound, he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that though the solders foiled kidnap attempts in the two communities, three commuters were later picked up by the gunmen as they escaped into the bush. NAN also gathered that those kidnapped were held at Ayedun-Ekiti, a town near Ayebode-Ekiti where soldiers had earlier botched a kidnap attempt. The Thursday incident, which witnesses said occurred around 10 a.m., led to desertion of the Ayedun-Ilasa-Ayebode Highway for several hours. A witness, also a victim, told journalists in Ado Ekiti that the soldiers engaged the gunmen at two different locations Ayebode and Ilasa and pursued them into the bush to ensure that their operations didnt succeed. According to the source, three passengers traveling from Ayedun-Ekiti to Ilasa-Ekiti were not that lucky as the gunmen picked them up after escaping from soldiers. The source added that those who became victims were traveling along Ayebode-Ilasa Road, when the gunmen started to shoot. Those who escaped the scene quickly called the nearby Army post and the troops responded swiftly. Two of the occupants of a vehicle that forcefully escaped the scene were hit by bullets and sustained fractures in their legs, while their car was riddled with bullets. The soldiers succeeded in pursuing the kidnappers into the bush, but I dont think they were able to apprehend any of them, the source said. The shootout between the soldiers and gunmen was said to have forced motorists to quickly take detours to prevent being hit by bullets. It was sporadic shootings for some minutes as the soldiers engaged the kidnappers. The soldiers acted gallantly, but the kidnappers escaped into the bush through a secondary school in Ilasa. I think another gang surfaced on Ayedun-Ilasa Road and kidnapped three persons as they escaped into the bush, the witness said. (NAN) The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on Friday, gave updates on investigations into alleged acts of terrorism perpetrated by Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and identities of alleged sponsors of a Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, Sunday Igboho. Mr Malami addressed journalists at his office in Abuja barely 24 hours after Mr Kanu was produced from custody for re-arraignment at the Federal High Court in Abuja on seven treasonable felony and terrorism-related charges on Thursday. His address centred on the report of investigations carried out by a 24-man Presidential Ad-hoc Committee, inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari, following Mr Kanus rearrest outside Nigeria in June. Members of the committee, according to Mr Malami, were drawn from the Federal Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Federal Ministry of Information (MoI), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the State Security Services (SSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). The committee headed by Mr Malami linked various destructive activities including killings of prominent persons and 175 security agents, destruction of about 164 police stations and formations, among other violent crimes to IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). The destructive activities of IPOB/ESN pose serious threat to Nigerias national security and its corporate existence, which resulted into re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and members of his group, Mr Malami said. He also said Mr Igboho, who is still being detained in Republic of Benin, is linked to a Boko Haram sponsor convicted in the United Arab Emirate (UAE). Mr Adeyemo escalated his agitation for an independent Yoruba nation following incessant cases of kidnapping allegedly attributable to Fulani herders in Oyo State and other parts of South-west states earlier this year. He was to fly to Germany with his wife when he was arrested at an airport in Republic of Benin in July. Mr Malami said his committees investigations revealed he had received over N127 million from sponsors between October 22, 2013 and September 28, 2020. The AGF also repeated President Muhammadu Buharis Independence Day remark that a federal lawmaker is among Mr Adeyemos sponsors. He claimed the unnamed lawmaker and other sponsors had been paying money to him (Adeyemo) through his Adesun International Concept Ltd accounts. Read Mr Malamis full address: Text Press Of Conference On Friday 22nd October, 2021 By The Honourable Attorney General Of The Federation And Minister Of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN On Investigation Reports On Acts Of Terrorism And Allied Offences Perpetrated By Nnamdi Kanu And Report On the Sponsors And Financiers Of Sunday Igboho And Associates Protocol Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, I welcome you to this very important press conference. As you are aware Nnamdi Kanu, the self-acclaimed leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been at the center of a subversive campaign against the Nigerian State. Consequently, Nnamdi Kanu was arrested on 14th October, 2015. He was charged to court for treasonable felony, among other crimes. He was granted bail by the Federal High Court, Abuja on 25th April 2017. He however breached the bail conditions and fled abroad. While in self-exile, Nnamdi Kanu intensified his subversive campaign, using online Radio Biafra to instigate violence and incite members of IPOB to commit violent attacks against civil and democratic institutions, particularly the security personnel, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and civilians. He instigated the destruction of public and private properties across the country. As a result of these criminal activities, IPOB was proscribed and designated a terrorist organization by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in an Order made on 20th September 2017. Despite the proscription of IPOB by the Federal Government, Nnamdi Kanu continued the subversive campaign, instigating and inciting broadcasts to direct members of the IPOB to launch attacks on government. The EndSARS protests of October 2020 played into the sinister plans of Nnamdi Kanu, whereby he seized the protests through subversive and inciting online broadcasts and actively commanded and directed attacks on security personnel and facilities. As a result of these broadcasts, members of IPOB attacked and killed security personnel and burnt down Police stations, Correctional centers, INEC offices, bus terminals, the Palace of Oba of Lagos, Banks, hospitals, shopping malls and vehicles, amongst others. On 12th December, 2020, Eastern Security Network (ESN) was formed by Nnamdi Kanu as an armed wing of IPOB with the mandate to advance the nefarious agenda of the outlawed group. ESN continued to launch attacks on security personnel, civilians perceived as enemies as well as destruction of private and public properties. The destructive activities of IPOB/ESN pose serious threat to Nigerias National Security and its corporate existence, which resulted into re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and members of his group. The eventual re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu in June 2021, and some members of his group led to the inauguration of a Presidential Ad-hoc Committee, comprising twenty-four (24) members drawn from: Federal Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Federal Ministry of Information (MoI), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), The Committee, inaugurated by the President, and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), was headed by the Honorable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. The Committee finds as a fact, that consequent upon the instigating directives of Nnamdi Kanu, members of IPOB/ESN carried out massive attacks on democratic institutions especially INEC Facilities with a view to hampering democratic process in Nigeria. These attacks that were carried out between October 2020 and June 2021 include the following: I. That acting on the instigating directives of Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB members and #EndSARS protesters attacked and killed many security agents, destroyed several public and private properties, including Police stations, public transport buses and other facilities across the country. II. That on 21st October 2020, Nnamdi Kanu through an online call-in radio programme (Radio Biafra), further instigated IPOB members to burn down all police stations and kill Government security forces, which was carried out and several Security personnel (especially Police Officers) were killed and public and private properties destroyed. III. One hundred and seventy-five (175) security personnel were killed by IPOB/ESN, comprising one hundred and twenty eight (128) Police men, thirty seven (37) military personnel and ten (10) other security operatives; IV. Killing of prominent Nigerians, (recently there were gruesome killings of traditional leaders: Obi 1 of Okwudor autonomous community, Eze E. Anayochukwu Durueburuo and Eze Sampson Osunwa of Ihebineowerre autonomous community as well as the killings of Dr. Chike Akunyili and eight others as well as the killing of Alhaji Ahmed Gulak on 30th May. 2021); V. That as a consequence of Nnamdi Kanus broadcasts, there were nineteen (19) attacks on INEC facilities that resulted in the destruction of offices as well as burning of eighteen (18) INEC logistical vehicles, several election materials, equipment and ICT gadgets in Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo States; VI. That one hundred and sixty-four (164) police stations and formations, including Police Headquarters, Owerri, Imo State were attacked by IPOB/ESN leading to the death of one hundred and twenty-eight (128) police men {as stated in III above}; one hundred forty four (144) injured while six hundred twenty eight (628) vehicles were destroyed. VII. That three hundred and ninety-six (396) firearms and seventeen thousand seven hundred and thirty eight (17,738) ammunition were carted away during the IPOB/ESN attacks; VIII. That there were three (3) IPOB/ESN attacks on Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), including the Headquarters of NCoS, Owerri, Imo State where one thousand eight hundred and forty one (1,841) inmates escaped; IX. That the Headquarters of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Umuahia, Abia State was also attacked by IPOB/ESN leading to the death of one (1) officer; X. That there were several IPOB/ESN attacks and destruction (arson) of public and private properties during the EndSARS and Biafra agitations across the country, especially in the South-East and South-South regions, notably the Palace of the Oba of Lagos where twelve (12) flats were completely looted and vandalized, the country home of the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, was burnt, over one hundred and fifty (150) buses burnt at the Lagos Bus Terminal, Sen. Ndoma Egbas home in Calabar Municipal, Cross River State, was completely looted and vandalized, Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, City Hall Race Course, First Bank Branch Lagos, Lagos State Public Works Commission, Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Marina, Lagos, High Court Igbosere, Lagos, were all burnt, amongst other heinous crimes committed. We have also established that KANU is not alone in his subversive activities. He has accomplices in Nigeria and abroad, individuals and groups as well as state and non-state actors who are aiding and facilitating his campaign against the people and state of Nigeria. Some of the state actors aided KANU, even as a fugitive, in his destructive mission, ignoring the terrorist nature of his activities. We call on these countries to desist from aiding subversive acts by KANU and IPOB against the state of Nigeria and its people. Conversely, there are some friendly countries which, recognising the status of IPOB as a terrorist organization, have either banned the activities of IPOB or placed KANU on Stop List. To these peace loving countries that have put KANU on their Stop Lists and banned IPOB from operating in their territories, we express our appreciation. Similarly, the Federal Government has received the report on financers of Adeniyi Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Sunday Igboho. The report revealed that Sunday Igboho is a Director and signatory to Adesun International Concept Limited registered on 23rd April, 2010. Adesun International Concept Limited also has Oladele Oyetunji and Aderopo Adeyemo as Directors. Sunday Igboho is linked to 43 bank accounts in 9 banks. The major financier of the fugitive and separatists was found to be a Federal Law Maker in the National Assembly. A total sum of ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN MILLION, ONE AND FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND NAIRA ONLY (N127, 145,000.00) was received by Igboho from his financiers between 22nd October, 2013 and 28th September, 2020 through Adesun International Concept Ltd accounts. A total sum of TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-THREE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-EIGHT THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED NAIRA ONLY (N273,198,200.00) transaction outflows was recorded from Sunday Igbohos account between 15th March, 2013 and 11 the March, 2021. Investigation reveals that Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) transferred the sum of twelve million seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N12, 750,000) to Abbal Bako & Sons. It might be recalled that Abbal Bako & Sons and its promoter Abdullahi Umar Usman are suspects in the on-going Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation. Abdullahi Umar Usman is by way of financial transaction connected to SURAJO ABUBAKAR MUHAMMAD (who was sentenced to life imprisonment in UAE on charges of financing terrorism [Boko Haram]). This report shows the nexus between separatists agitation, terrorism financing and disruptions of peace in the country. The report found connections of financial transaction between Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) and some construction companies and businesses among others. Having received the reports, the Federal Government remains solute in its determination to have a peaceful Nigeria. The Federal Government will do the needful, within the context of the legal provisions, in ensuring that the matter is giving the deserved attention and those found guilty will be made to face the wrath of the law. I thank you most sincerely. Abubakar Malami, SAN Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Two top United States government officials have asked a court in Washington to dismiss a suit filed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) seeking to stop the American government from selling fighter aircraft to Nigeria, Bloomberg Quint reports. IPOB, a separatist organisation already proscribed as a terrorist organisation in Nigeria, contends in its suit that the aircraft will be deployed to persecute its supporters if allowed to be sold to the Nigerian government. It filed its suit against the senior members of President Joe Bidens cabinet in August, asking the judge to compel them to reverse the recently completed sale of a dozen A-29 Super Tucano aircraft to Nigerias air force. The Nigerian Air Force had on July 22 taken delivery of the first batch of six of the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft from the United States. Edward Gabkwet, Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, who made the announcement, said the aircraft arrived in Kano. The second and final batch of the aircrafts arrived Nigeria a few days ago, the NAF said. IPOB, according to Bloomberg Quint, complained that the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin sued as defendants in the suit violated laws intended to protect civilians from harm caused by U.S. weapons in the possession of foreign security forces. IPOB said in its suit filed at the federal court in Washington in August that if the sale of the aircraft was not reversed, the planes would be deployed against its sympathisers. But both U.S. officials argued in their motion filed on October 18 that the federal court in Washington lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate on IPOBs claim. It would be inappropriate for the court to weigh in on a sensitive foreign affairs matter, the U.S. officials said in their response requesting the dismissal of the case There have been reports media that the Super Tucano aircrafts were sold to Nigeria on the grounds that it they would only be deployed to combat terrorists. The separatist organisation leading agitation for an independent Republic of Biafra mainly constituted by the Igbo-dominated states in the South-eastern Nigeria and some parts of the South-south, has been linked to many violent attacks in the regions. Nigerias Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on Friday, blamed the killing of some prominent Nigerians and 175 security agents between October 2020 and June 2021 on IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN). About 164 police stations and formations were also attacked by the group during the period, Mr Malami said. The leader of the group, Nnamdi Kanu, who was recently rearrested outside Nigeria after fleeing the country in 2017, was re-arraigned on charges of terrorism and treasonable felony on Thursday. The State Security Service (SSS) has released two associates of Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, after 114 days in detention, their lawyer said on Friday. The just-released detainees- Jamiu Oyetunji and Amudat Babatunde- were arrested along with 10 others during a raid by SSS operatives on Mr Adeyemos home in Ibadan, Oyo State, on July 1. Initially, all the 12 aides of Mr Adeyemo were illegally detained without charge for 61 days, in defiance of a court order granting them bail, before eight of them were released on August 29. SSS, a governments secret service notorious for little regard for court orders, subsequently released two others Tajudeen Oyinloye and Uthman Adelabu on September 3. Instead of releasing Mr Oyetunji and Ms Babatunde, the security agency, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, on September 1, filed five counts of terrorism-related charges against them. Release But their lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, announced their release in a short statement on Tuesday after 114 days in detention. This is to officially announce the release of Amudat Babatunde Abibat AKA Lady-K and Jamiu Noah Oyetunji from the State Security Service custody SSS today 22 October, 2021, he said. Mr Olajengbesi noted in the statement that he would not give further comments since their case was still pending in court. While the matter is still a subject of litigation, we shall have no comment further on this for now, he said. The release of the two detainees came on the same day the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, gave updates on the investigations on Sunday Igboho, in whose residence they were arrested. Mr Adeyemo managed to escape arrest during the invasion of his home in Ibadan, Oyo State, on July 1, but was arrested weeks later at an airport in the Republic of Benin while trying to fly to Germany along with his wife. In the fresh charges filed against Mr Oyetunji and Ms Babatunde, the SSS accused them of committing acts of terrorism, including being in possession of prohibited firearms, and over 1,500 rounds of ammunition without lawful authority. The secret police also accused them of involving in activities in preparation to commit acts of terrorism. In the fifth count which concerns only Ms Babatunde, SSS alleged that she used her Facebook account as a platform to promote terrorist activities. The details of the acts of terrorism or terrorist activities were not provided in the charges. Their lawyer, Mr Olajengbesi, described the charges as baseless, vexatious, shameful and without limbs. The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Jabi, Abuja, on Friday, granted bail to a former board chairperson of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Ngozi Olejeme, who faces N1.4 billion fraud charges. The News of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court adjourned the matter till November 8 for hearing. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on Thursday arraigned Ms Olejeme on nine counts of abuse of office and using her position to obtain over N1.4 billion and $48,485,127 as the chair of NSITF between 2012 and 2015. She denied the charges when read to her. Her lawyer, Paul Erokoro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, subsequently notified the trial judge, Maryam Aliyu, of his clients pending bail application. Mr Erokoro pleaded with the court to grant her bail based on self-recognition or on liberal terms. EFCCs prosecuting counsel, Steve Odiase, did not oppose the bail application, but urged the court to refuse the grant of bail on self-recognition as suggested by the defence counsel. Ruling on Friday, the judge adopted the same conditions of the administrative bail which the commission imposed on the defendant while investigating the case. The conditions include presentation of two assistant directors in a government establishment as sureties. In addition, the judge, Ms Hassan, directed that the travel documents of the defendant be submitted at the courts registry. Charges Ms Olejeme is charged with criminal conspiracy, abuse of oce, diversion of public funds and money laundering. The offence it was alleged she committed between 2012 and 2015, when she was the board chairperson of the NSITF. The nine-count charge includes alleged mismanagement, giving false statement, taking kickback from contracts and diversion of NSITF funds into personal accounts and companies she had interest in. In one of the charges, Ms Olejeme was accused of dishonestly receiving the sum of N350million paid into Able Jes Nigeria Limited, a company she was said to have interest in, and used her position to confer unfair advantage upon the said company by receiving various payments from BDCs. She allegedly committed the offence while being the chairperson of the NSITF sometime between 2012 and 2015 in Abuja. The offence, EFCC said, contravened the provisions of sections 8,19 (1) (b) (1), punishable under the Corrupt Practice & other Related Offence Act 2000 and Section 17, (1) (2), 39 of EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004 and punishable under the same section. She was also accused of receiving benefit to grant favour in the discharge of her official duties to (NSITF) by receiving N505 million sourced from the monies paid by NSTTF to Fountain Media Consults Ltd and Fountain Legal Services accounts as kickback. She pleaded not guilty to all the nine counts on Thursday. (NAN) It has been one year already since that Tuesday, 20th October 2020, when the nation was rudely shocked by a premeditated violent crackdown on youth protestors against police brutality. Earlier on that day, the Lagos State Government had declared a 24-hour curfew which would take effect from 4pm. As the deadline was not practical due to traffic chaos in Lagos, the state government extended the time for compliance to 9pm. However, before the reviewed curfew time, armed men in the uniform of the Nigerian military were deployed to the protest site at Lekki toll gate in Lagos. Available evidence suggests that they did not order the crowd to disperse and they did not engage in non-lethal crowd dispersal action, but rather opened live ammunitions on the defenceless assembled youth, some of whom were reportedly killed or wounded. This attack on unarmed protesters holding the nations flag and singing the national anthem will go down in infamy and will be engraved in the minds of Nigerians as one of the worst abuses of citizens. For the past year, there has been classic disinformation interventions debate on whether a massacre happened or did not at the Lekki tollgate. Amnesty International has been insistent that at least 12 people were killed. The Lagos State Governor said only one person was killed, the Federal Government said no one was killed and just two days ago, Lai Mohammed, the Information Minister said the massacre story is fake news by CNN and Amnesty International. Following the events, 29 States and the Federal Capital Territory set up Commissions of Inquiry to investigate the matter. So far, only three have concluded their work and submitted reports, which are yet to be made public. We await the reports and their findings. One year later, our focus should be on the root causes of these protests by our youth bad governance and lack of accountability. Currently, 65% of Nigerians are young persons under 35 years of age. The majority of them do not feel that Nigeria works for them or supports their interests or aspirations. They have been victims of police brutality and extortion all their lives and collectively decided the situation was no longer acceptable. It was on that basis that they began the EndSARS protests to end police brutality and ultimately to defend their basic rights, including the fundamental right to life. From accounts by ken observers, their protests were peaceful, and disciplined. They were focused on defending the rule of law and good governance, on many occasions symbolically raising the national flag or singing the national anthem. The response of the Government to these protests was slow, unconvincing, and half-hearted. By formally accepting the youths demand to end SARS but immediately announcing it would be replaced with a similar SWAT, they failed to demonstrate good faith. This has happened several times previously when our youth had protested against police brutality and extortion and government had promised to disband the unit but never did. What was tragic about the whole affair was that agents of government or other affiliated political actors sought to break the legitimate protests by the youth through sponsoring or promoting thugs to attack the protestors and damage properties which were then attributed to the youth protestors. The cynical and brutal response, to the protests by the government or its agencies took over the protests from the hands of concerned, peaceful, orderly protesters for the rule of law and delivered the streets to the mobs, hoodlums and arsonists. Let it be known, no Nation can survive a prolonged war between its security agencies and its youth. The genie is out of the bottle and henceforth the new normal in Nigeria is that youth agency, both positive and negative, will determine the course of events in the country. Nigeria, alas, has a gerontocratic ruling class with little capacity or will to listen to or understand what the youth are saying and doing. Saving the Nation would require that they seek a better understanding of social trends in Nigeria and commit more seriously to addressing the lack of hope for a better future for most of our youth who have been constituted into the largest precariat, (young, displaced people living precariously and with no perspective for a better life), in the contemporary world. Lets start with the good story, the #EndSARS movement developed as a liberal movement among the minority within the youth young, educated and smart people who decided to organise against police brutality and extortion. The movement was about rule of law, respect for human rights and the Constitution. Their focus was deepening democracy and although there has been massive propaganda to portray them as evil and violent arsonists, no campaign of calumny can hide the truth. Part of the problem of the Nigerian State is that the movement evaded normal treatment. The normal is that the leaders of a protest movement are identified and depending on the situation, bribed into abandoning its objectives or smashed using repressive means. The EndSARS movement was different, it was technologically savvy, conversant with decentralised block chain operations, immersed in the global communicative nexus and simply great in its messaging. When they started using banks to raise money for food and medical support of members, government forced the banks to close the accounts, they responded by raising bitcoins locally and internationally. The mistake of the Nigerian State was in not recognising the liberal and democratic content of their demands for police reform, which has been on the table of the Nigerian Government itself since the 2006, 2008 and 2012 Presidential Police Reform Panels, none of those recommendations have been implemented. The Government should have read their demands as allies urging it to do what is in its own programme. The National Human Rights Commission Panel set up by the Buhari Administration has made the same recommendations that #EndSARS was making and again had not been implemented. The response of regime supporters was to send paid thugs to break up #EndSARS protests and introduce violence and arson into the peaceful acts of the protesters. By so doing, they activated hoodlum violence and opened the route to the orgy of violence and looting that took over the movement. The bad story was that once the precariat saw that thugs had been activated to step into the fray, their own needs to quench their hunger was aroused and they started looking for the palliatives they had been promised during the Covid-19 lockdown but did not get. Criminality took over and generalised looting became the order of the day. As the criminal elements took over leadership, they started attacking police personnel and stations and many of them were killed creating a crisis for law enforcement. They turned a movement that had been established to reform the police and improve the rule of law into one that was killing the police and sending the country along the path of chaos and anarchy. It was a very sad outcome for a virtuous movement that was hijacked and turned into generalised violence and looting. At the same time, the political enablers set out to activate ethno-religious sentiments to seek to destroy the legitimacy of the #EndSARS movement. In the North, the completely legitimate argument the insecurity around rural banditry and the Boko Haram insurgency were the most important security threats was turned into an argument against #EndSARS. In Lagos, the narrative became the thugs were all Igbo and were out to destroy Yoruba leaders. Ethno-religious manipulation in Nigeria is easy, we have a skilled political class that can do it. The social reality of Nigeria is ugly and frightening. Youth agency has activated rural banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping, militancy, widespread paganism and wanton killing that characterise daily life. One hundred million Nigerians today live in extreme, mostly urban poverty. Over 60% of Nigerians have abandoned their villages and moved to cities and towns. As urbanisation has grown, the signifier of social trends has been the growth of informality at the level of the economy, society and above all in religion. Nigerian informality is located in poverty for the masses and obscene wealth for a vocal, crass minority. At any urban junction or slum, there are thousands ready to be mobilised. The most important contemporary problem for Nigeria is the lack of opportunity for the youth. We have developed a huge youth bulge that has been growing rapidly. This is happening at a time in which formal opportunities for employment are declining and having a job has become a minority experience. Meanwhile, the marginalised youth who are glued to the social media know we have massive wealth for a few and conspicuous consumption of the obscene ruling class. That was how they saw the need to activate their own agency. A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES. A group of indigenes of Gombe State has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not to grant any fresh request for loan by their state government. It said the plea was to avoid burying the state under a mountain of debts from frivolous loans allegedly being obtained by Governor Inuwa Yahaya. The Gombe Good Leadership Association (GGLA) made the appeal to the CBN in a statement on Friday signed by one of its trustees, Salisu Abdullahi. The same group had in an earlier statement raised an alarm over debts being incurred by the governor ostensibly for development purposes. It said the governor has ignored its warnings against mortgaging the states future and has gone ahead to seek additional loans running into billions of naira from banks. The group, in the new statement titled The Gombe State Borrowing Governor Is At It Again, warned of the dangers of the governors borrowings. The Governor has plunged Gombe State into a quagmire of crippling debts. Nothing is more reckless than borrowing money to repay a debt or cope with the crushing effect of existing debts. The public will recall that we have recently made a press release concerning the spate of reckless borrowing by the Muhammadu Inuwa Yaya-led Administration of Gombe State. Just when we thought we had seen it all from the Governor, a copy of the letter by the Governor to the Honourable Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly dated 20 October 2021 with reference number GO/GD/FED-98/V.I proved us wrong. In the letter, the Governor is requesting for the resolution of the Gombe State House of Assembly allowing him to access the Federal Governments Bridging Finance Facility in the sum of N18,746,059,992.57(Eighteen Billion, Seven Hundred and Forty -Six Million, Fifty-Nine Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Two Naira, Fifty-Seven Kobo), the GGLA added. According to the statement, In the words of the Governor, Mr. President has approved : Six Hundred and Fifty-Six Billion, One Hundred and Twelve Million, Nine Thousand, Seven Hundred and Forty Naira, Three Kobo (656,112,9,740.03) Bridging Finance to 35 States of the Federation to cushion the effect of the repayment of the existing Federal Government Intervention Facilities (Budget Support Facility, Excess Crude Account- Backed Loan Facility and Salary Arrears Bailout Facility). For emphasis, we reiterate that the Muhammadu Inuwa Yaya-led Administration of Gombe State has, between March 2020 and July 2021, procured the following debts: N14.5 Billion from Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc; N2.0 Billion to finance Healthcare Infrastructure Development in Gombe State; N12.0 Billion Credit Facility from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc; N10.8 Billion Finance Facility from United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, and N5.0 Billion from Family Homes Funds for the provision of one thousand units of Affordable Housing Units, it added. According to the group, The above-listed debts do not include the N11 Billion borrowed by the previous Administration for the Gombe Revenue Optimization Company Limited (GROCOL) but received by the present Government. This N11 Billion brings the total amount of money obtained as debt by the Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya-led Administration with a space of a little over two years to N55.3 Billion. If the Governor is allowed to obtain the N35 Billion debt that has been hurriedly approved by the Gombe State House of Assembly on 13 October 2021 and the proposed debt of N18,746,059,992.57, for which it is seeking approval in his latest letter to the Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, the Governor would have succeeded in amassing a total debt of over N109 Billion (One Hundred and Nine Billion Naira) in a little over of two years of his administration. There is no gainsaying that the debt service to the overall revenue of Gombe State is excessive and inimical to the economic and developmental aspirations of the State. From the Governors showing, the revenue of the state cannot even take care of the recurrent and debt servicing portfolio of the State. The Federal Government t has been indulging State Governors and pressuring the Central Bank to lend monies (it doesnt have) to Governors under all sorts of dubious projects and schemes. We, therefore, call on the Central Bank to resist any temptation to further advance any loan to the borrowing Governor of Gombe State who is hell-bent on mortgaging the state to satisfy his selfish ends, it added. The Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, has urged the students of Federal Government College, Yauri, who regained freedom on Thursday four months after they were abducted from the school, to consider their ordeal as a trial from God. Addressing the students in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, Mr Bagudu thanked God for their release. He urged the students to take heart and consider their ordeals as a trial from God, the News Agency of Nigeria reported. The governor said efforts are still ongoing to secure the release of the remaining abductees. Even Prophets of Allah, who are the best and most faithful people, had been tested and tried; but one thing is certain that if you are tested and tried and at the same time you become patient, definitely the sky is your limit and only Allah knows your reward, he said. The governor directed that the students undergo medical screening and be supported, while being reunited with their families. He thanked the security agencies and all those that helped in ensuring the release of the students. The students, who were abducted four months ago by bandits, were released on Thursday. PREMIUM TIMES reported how bandits abducted an undisclosed number of staff and students of the public secondary school in June. On Thursday, 30 of them regained freedom but an undisclosed number remain with the kidnappers. Four motorcyclists were on Friday docked in an Ikeja Chief Magistrates Court for allegedly beating up a police officer and causing his teeth to fall out. The police charged James Dayo, 38, Musa Saheed , 27, Ganiyu Aliyu, 25 and Samuel Udoh, 27 with conspiracy, breach of peace and assault. The prosecution counsel, Clifford Ogu, told the court that the offence was committed on September 22 at 8 & 9 Bus stop, Ayobo, Lagos. Mr Ogu said that a police patrol team arrested Mr Dayo who drove against traffic on a one-way lane. The prosecutor also said that his other accomplice came down from their motorcycles and attacked the policemen. The prosecutor said they injured Bada Adebayo, a police sergeant, removed two of his teeth and injured his face. The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 97, 168 ,174 ,and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Chief Magistrate, S. K. Matepo admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum. Mr Matepo adjourned the case until November 3 for mention. (NAN) On paper, privacy rights for citizens of countries throughout Africa are well protected. Privacy rights are written into constitutions, international human rights conventions and domestic law. But, in the first comparative review of privacy protections across Africa, the evidence is clear: governments are purposefully using laws that lack clarity. Or they ignore laws completely in order to carry out illegal digital surveillance of their citizens. Whats more, they are doing so with impunity. This matters because peoples lives are increasingly being lived online, through conversations on social media, online banking and the like. Weve just published research on privacy protections in six African countries Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Sudan. And the evidence is clear: governments are using laws that lack clarity, or ignoring laws completely, to carry out illegal surveillance of their citizens. Those targeted include political opponents, business rivals and peaceful activists. In many cases they were conducting mass surveillance of citizens. Our report finds that existing surveillance law is being eroded by six factors: the introduction of new laws that expand state surveillance powers lack of legal precision and privacy safeguards in existing surveillance legislation increased supply of new surveillance technologies that enable illegitimate surveillance state agencies regularly conducting surveillance outside of what is permitted in law impunity for those committing illegitimate acts of surveillance insufficient capacity in civil society to hold the state fully accountable in law. Governments argue that it is occasionally necessary to violate the privacy rights of a citizen in order to prevent a much greater crime. For instance, a person may be a suspected terrorist. But the covert nature of surveillance, and the large power imbalance between the state and the people being watched, presents a clear opportunity to abuse power. Robust surveillance laws are key to preventing this. They must define exactly when it is legal to conduct narrowly targeted surveillance of the most serious criminals, while protecting the privacy rights of the rest of the population. African Digital Rights Network We are a team of researchers from the Institute of Development Studies and the African Digital Rights Network. We assessed surveillance laws in the six countries using principles from globally accepted human rights frameworks. These included International Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communications Surveillance, the UN Draft Instrument on Government-led Surveillance and Privacy and the African Commissions Declaration of Principles of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information. Our team of researchers produced six country reports that detailed specific cases. These included rulings from the constitutional courts in South Africa and Kenya. We found that all six countries had conducted surveillance that violated citizens constitutional rights. There were many examples of surveillance violating rights or laws. There were no examples of those responsible being charged, subject to legal sanctions, resigning or being fired. Where the problems lie To understand whether privacy rights are being violated, its necessary to monitor the legality of surveillance. But this is hard to do due to weak legal provisions, and a lack of transparency and oversight. Monitoring surveillance practice against privacy right protections requires well defined transparency and independent oversight mechanisms. These are entirely missing or deficient in all of the countries studied. With the exception of South Africa, countries studied lacked a single law clearly defining legal surveillance and privacy safeguards. In addition, piecemeal provisions, spread across multiple pieces of legislation, can conflict with each other. This makes it impossible for citizens to know what law is applicable. We found a number of barriers to making surveillance more accountable. Legal provisions enabling surveillance are found in different laws. This makes it difficult to tell which law applies. Independent oversight bodies to monitor the activities of law enforcement authorities are absent. Investigating authorities do not publicly report on their activities. Individuals subject surveillance are not notified about it nor are they afforded the opportunity to appeal. There are several surveillance provisions that are not subject to the supervision of a judge. For instance, access to a database of subscribers by security agencies only requires the approval of a government agency (such as the Nigeria Communication Commission) which is granted under the Registration of Telephone Subscribers Regulations. Beyond the use (or abuse) of law we also found evidence of states investing in new surveillance technologies. These included artificial intelligence-based internet and mobile surveillance, mobile spyware, biometric digital ID systems, CCTV with facial recognition and vehicle licence plate recognition. In Nigeria, for example, the government increased spending in the last decade on acquiring various surveillance technologies. More recently it approved a supplementary budget to purchase tools capable of monitoring encrypted WhatsApp communications. This combination of new technologies and surveillance law breaches points to an urgent need to strengthen existing laws by applying human rights principles. How to close the gaps We recommend that an independent oversight body should supervise the activities of the investigating authorities. We also recommend the use of strategic litigation to challenge existing laws and actions that violate constitutionally guaranteed rights. Alongside improving the law must be action to raise public awareness of privacy rights and surveillance practices. A strong civil society, independent media and independent courts are needed to challenge government actions. This is critical for holding governments accountable and upholding the privacy rights of citizens everywhere. Abrar Mohamed Ali, Mohamed Farahat, Ridwan Oloyede and Grace Mutungu were the researchers on this project. Ridwan Oloyede assisted in the writing of this article. Tony Roberts, Digital Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. PREMIUM TIMES and The Conversation are syndication partners, we have permission to republish this article. Plattsburgh, NY (12901) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 26F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 26F. Winds light and variable. The Philippines Department of Tourism (PDOT) highlights the country's food traditions through different programs that encourage new dining discoveries such as the Halal Culinary Heritage Series. Launched in July 2021, the initiative showcases unique food finds in Mindanao through a video series posted on the Department's social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. "Food is an important part of a tourism experience. It gives us a glimpse of a place's culture and heritage. Through the development of our Halal Culinary Tourism, we are encouraging the discovery and familiarity with the culinary traditions of our Muslim brothers and sisters in the Philippines," says Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo Puyat. The Mindanao Halal Culinary Tourism is a project of the PDOT with the Brunei DarussalamIndonesiaMalaysiaPhilippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). Aside from promoting the heritage of Mindanao and familiarity with its culture, the project also aims to document culinary practices of the area through food mapping. With this initiative, there will be more knowledge and a better understanding of Filipino Halal cuisines and cooking traditions. The Philippines is creating new experiences and attractions in its different regions, so there is always more to explore. Halal food trip Halal food takes on many forms throughout the Philippines. In Manila, there are restaurants and eateries that offer Halal-certified food, ranging from the stalls located at the area known as Muslim Town near the Golden Mosque in Quiapo that offer culinary delights such as Bakas or Bamboo-smoked tuna and a glutinous rice cake called Dodol. For Halal-certified Filipino fare in the Makati district, the El Prado dining outlet of the Berjaya Hotel Makati offers dishes such as Tinolang Manok (chicken in ginger broth with vegetables), a Halal Nilagang Baka (boiled beef with vegetables) and Sinigang na Baka (Beef simmered in a clear sour soup with vegetables). In the CARAGA region, visitors can have fruits and vegetables served with Guinamos or salt fermented fish as their starter. In Cagayan de Oro, one can have a dry curry Beef Rendang or its fusion version as a Beef Rendang Penne at a restaurant called Torogan Kape. Diners can also try Piaparan a Manok or chicken stewed in coconut milk, turmeric and a special paste called 'Palapa' which is made with scallions, ginger, and turmeric along with local pastry snacks called Tyatag, Lokatis, Apang a Margas, Browa, Dodol, Tapay asa Torogan (Fermented Cassava dessert). When in Cotabato, travellers can try the Sinina Kambing or goat meat stewed in spices and served with Crab Rice from Hashy's Cuisine, which is one of the pioneering Halal restaurants in the region. From the Maguindanaoan kitchens comes Linigid na Manok, a curry-like dish of chicken stewed in ginger, fresh coconut milk, and turmeric. Palapa is added to the dish to give it depth of flavour. Visitors can try this Halal dish at a restaurant called Mama Ping, a fixture in Cotabato's dining scene. In General Santos City, where tuna is abundant, their Halal fish dish is Buntot ng Tuna in Curry sauce and Palapa by Tambilawan Kamayan Restaurant. The Al Kuwait eatery in Iligan offers Pater or Pastil, dish made with shredded chicken, beef or fish that is wrapped with steamed rice in a banana leaf for convenient eating. In the Zamboanga Peninsula, composed of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay, there are culinary delights that await. Warm up with a bowl of Tiyula, which is the Tausug word for soup. Its most popular iteration is the Tiyula Itum, distinctive because of its dark-colored broth that comes from the addition of charred coconut. It is usually made with beef but sometimes goat meat is used. It is one of the anticipated dishes at Tausug gatherings. There is Satti as well which is a breakfast staple in Zamboanga, and can be bought from Satti houses like Jimmy's, Morning Sun, Andy's, Dennis, and Baytal Mal serving these skewers of beef, chicken, or liver cubes with their own version of the spice-laden sauce as part of their morning offerings. In the Davao Region, the food culture of the indigenous Kaagans can be tasted through their Amik, a confection that is made by frying a thin sweetened ground rice batter that is swirled dexterously in hot oil by practiced hands. Chili is a favorite ingredient and condiment in Mindanao cuisine and there are many varieties of chili sauce that are available, with innovations such as the Mango Pineapple Hot Sauce from the SpiChef in Davao that serves up sweet-spicy-tangy goodness. Eat like a local It is not an understatement that Filipinos love to eat. Get a Filipino picnic feel by packing a coffee break in a handcrafted rattan box that is filled with Filipino mementos. Set the mood with an Inabel table rug, handwoven from the communities of the Cordillera Mountains using weaving traditions that have been passed down through generations. The Philippines is also home to artisan woodcarvers who craft wood pieces into home decorations and utilitarian items such as an Acacia wooden cup. Fuel up with a hot brew made from world-class coffee beans that are tended by Filipino farmers. Barako coffee from Batangas is known for its strong flavour and fragrance, which is why it is named after the Filipino word that describes a male wild boar. Benguet coffee comes from a single-origin Arabica varietal that grows in the highlands of the Cordilleras that is loved for its chocolate, fruity, and floral notes. The Robusta coffee harvested from the country's lowlands in Cavite, Bulacan, and Mindoro has a high caffeine content and is the most commercialized varietal, used in local instant coffee products. Sweeten the deal with Muscovado sugar from the sugar plantations of Negros whose hacienderos like to pair their afternoon drinks with crisp bites of Paborita Biscuits. These are flaky discs made with wheat flour, sugar, and skim milk which originated from the Noceda Bakery that was established in Negros back in 1947. More dishes to discover There are even more food discoveries to be found in the Philippines, with a culinary heritage that has been passed down from generations. While there are new dishes that have evolved from the basic recipes through the years, the flavors are just as rich and exciting. The Philippines Department of Tourism has launched its #MoreFunAwaits campaign to showcase its preparations for the eventual resumption of international travel with a priority on health, hygiene, and safety. As of the October 1, 55 percent of tourism workers in the country have been vaccinated. In the nation's bustling capital of Metro Manila, 99% of tourism workers in DOT-accredited hotels and accommodation establishments, as well as 99% of tourism workers in accredited restaurants have had their anti-COVID jabs. In addition, this fascinating destination has received the Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) which selects destinations that meet international health and safety standards to travel without worries. Learn more about the Philippines' new and exciting adventures, as well as safety and travel updates, visit http://www.morefunawaits.com/ or download the Travel Philippines app at the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. For photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RT5dzupbEw5jPDFeRkoAnts-G3Zuvy5o?usp=sharing Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667526/Sinigang_na_Hipon.jpg SOURCE Philippines Department of Tourism DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Successful entrepreneurs are an ambitious bunch; whether it be expansion, market share, profit, brand recognition, or otherwise, they always crave more, and the good news is, that is exactly what Europe offers more of everything including Citizenship by Investment. The EU alone boasts the world's largest free trade markets and its member states rank first on the ease of doing business report in terms of trading across borders. But it isn't just the EU, as the entirety of the continent proves extremely enticing for those looking to cement their business on a global stage while simultaneously granting their brand greater credibility. The Perfect Destination If you are thinking about setting up a shop in Europe you first need to decide on the country your business will call home. The perfect destination is not just the most recognized name brand, but instead a country that provides you with two things; a fertile business environment and a simple way of getting to it through Citizenship by Investment. Business Environment Operating a business is no easy task, and doing so in a hostile environment makes it near impossible, which is why you should choose a nation that has a strong economic landscape lush with financial and corporate services that can bolster your company's pursuit of glory. You Might Also Like: Grenada Offers The Ultimate "Business Passport" For Global Investors The ease of registering a business, finding good employees, working under an acceptable tax regime and regulations structure, and conducting business with favourable operating costs all make a business environment more hospitable, boosting the chances your business will not just survive, but actually thrive. Getting A Residency With all the planning, capital, and effort you put into a business you wouldn't want it to fail over something as trivial as you not being able to get a residency permit to actively run it, would you? Well, sadly, that happens more often than not. Getting a residency in many countries is a complex, draining process that may require years of patience before actually getting an approval. This conundrum is especially evident in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many others. Related Article: Portugal or Spain Which Golden Visa Program Should You Pick? Some nations, such as Germany, boast general, unspecific requirements and leave it up to immigration authorities to use their discretion in assessing a file. And in most nations, if you want to get a residency card based on your company, you have to actually register and start up the company before applying. So being able to plan ahead you need to choose a country that is both easy to get to and easy to operate a business in, and that is exactly what the following 4 nations provide. The European Countries That Tick All The Boxes Sometimes the stars align and you are presented with an opportunity that meets all of your needs. In the case of opening a business in Europe, the alignment is so perfect that you have not one, but four outstanding options. Portugal The Atlantic bound country offers one of the best business environments in the world, strategically located in the center of the world's map allows for easy global communication, the regulatory framework is both robust yet favorable, and it has an outstanding workforce especially in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing). Find Out How To Apply For The Portuguese Golden Visa Here Not only is the workforce extremely talented, but it is cost-effective as well. On average, software engineers in Portugal demand a salary 72% lower than those in the UK. And communicating with the team is also quite simple, as English is prevalent in the nation. Portugal also ranks first worldwide in the ease of trading across borders, while corporate taxation is simple and paid at a flat rate of 21%. However, residents of the nation can apply for the Non-Habitual Residency scheme and gain amazing tax benefits for a decade at a time. The European nation hosts one of the world's most popular Residency by Investment Programs the Portuguese Golden Visa Program. By buying a qualified property for 280,000 euros you and the family can gain residency in Portugal within a matter of months. Greece The birthplace of democracy, Greece still boasts favourable laws and regulations that make living in the nation as well as running a business in it an absolute pleasure. An open market with low operating costs compared to Europe's elite, Greece is another nation that you should consider for your company's European HQ. Find Out How To Apply For Greece Residency by Investment Here The pleasant weather and living expenses, which are on average 106% lower in Athens than they are in London, make it a great place to live. Registering a business in Greece is extremely simple, as it ranks 11th worldwide in the ease of starting a business. Its strategic location connecting Europe to the MENA is also great for international trade. Getting a residency in Greece is fairly simple, as it also has its version of the Golden Visa. Foreigners who buy a property, or properties, amounting to 250,000 euros can get a residency card in less than half a year. Spain Being able to choose between Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville as a new home for your business is enticing enough for someone to consider Spain and its Golden Visa Program for their new European HQ. Add to that the fact that English is widely spoken in major cities thanks to tourism, and that the workforce is extremely capable, then you have a destination with few drawbacks. Find Out How To Apply For Spain Residency by Investment Here Corporate tax is paid at a flat rate of 25% while operating costs are extremely competitive. Renting an office in Madrid is, on average, 73% cheaper than doing so in London. Free trade across borders in Spain is especially strong, as it ranks first worldwide alongside Portugal in that regard. The "land of castles" also has a simple immigration route, another version of the golden visa in which investors only need to buy immovable property for the among of 500,000 euros to gain a Spanish residency card. Turkey While not part of the EU, and while technically being a transcontinental country connecting Europe to Asia, Turkey remains a robust destination for global entrepreneurs. A country with endless economic potential, low overhead costs, a high standard of living, and average consumer prices 248% lower than the UK; Turkey is one of the best places in the world to live and operate a business. Find Out How To Apply For Turkish Citizenship by Investment Here English and Arabic are prevalent in major cities, while the talented workforce has outstanding experience and a low operating cost. Turkey even ranks higher on the ease of doing business report than the likes of Switzerland, Netherlands, and Belgium. It also boasts a Citizenship by Investment Program, through which a foreign investor that purchases real estate in the among of 250,000 USD can become a full-fledged Turkish citizen. The Options Are Plenty There are a lot of options to consider when setting up shop in Europe, but it is important that you be able to be there running your business, which is why considering the immigration aspect is critical to your success. That is where we come in, through our extensive expertise in both corporate and immigration matters, we can help you find the best destination for you, your family, and your business; all you need to do is contact us today to book a free consultation. Savory & Partners is an accredited agent for multiple governments where citizenship by investment is offered. Founded in 1797, the agency has evolved from pharmaceuticals to family assets and legacy protection through second citizenship and residency. The company's professional, multinational staff is made up of expert advisors who have guided thousands of clients, including many North African investors, on their journey to find the most suitable CBI program for them. The Savory & Partners team will be happy to answer your enquiries in English, Arabic and French. For more information, please send an email to [email protected]. You can also call +971 04 430 1717 or send a WhatsApp message to +971 54 440 2955. SOURCE Savory & Partners BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AdvisorShares, a leading sponsor of actively managed ETFs, announced today that effective on November 1, 2021, the AdvisorShares Trust's Board of Trustees has approved sub-advisor changes for the AdvisorShares FolioBeyond Smart Core Bond ETF (FWDB) and the AdvisorShares Sage Core Reserves ETF (HOLD). North Square Investments (North Square) will assume sub-advisor responsibilities for both funds which will be renamed the AdvisorShares North Square McKee ESG Core Bond ETF and the AdvisorShares North Square McKee Core Reserves ETF. FWDB will change its ticker symbol to MENV while HOLD will maintain its current ticker symbol. Headquartered in Chicago, North Square is a multi-boutique manager with a range of equity, fixed income and multi-strategy product offerings. "The opportunity to partner with North Square and their deep fixed income expertise we feel will benefit prospective allocators and the shareholders of these ETFs," said James Carl, managing director at AdvisorShares. "We look forward to share more about their portfolio management approach in pursuing the funds' investment objectives once the sub-advisor changes become effective." About AdvisorShares AdvisorShares is a leading provider of active ETFs. For financial professionals and investors requesting more information, call 1-877-843-3831 or visit advisorshares.com. Follow @AdvisorShares on Twitter and on Facebook for more insights. Before investing you should carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other information is in the prospectus, a copy of which may be obtained by visiting the Fund's website at www.AdvisorShares.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest. Foreside Fund Services, LLC, distributor. An investment in the ETFs is subject to risk, including the possible loss of principal amount invested. The risks associated with each Fund include the risks associated with the underlying ETFs, which can result in higher volatility, and are detailed in each Fund's prospectus and on each Fund's webpage. The Funds may not be suitable for all investors. SOURCE AdvisorShares Related Links https://advisorshares.com NEW YORK and LONDON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ATP, a leader in life sciences venture capital, announced today the appointment of Raj Chopra, FRCP, FRCPath, FRSB, Ph.D., as Head of Oncology. In this role, Dr. Chopra is responsible for identifying and evaluating investment opportunities in oncology, horizon scanning for emerging scientific and business trends, facilitating synergies across ATP's oncology portfolio, and building and maintaining relationships across global cancer research and clinical communities on behalf of ATP and its portfolio companies. Dr. Chopra also continues as a venture partner at ATP based in the firm's London office. "Within our current fund, to date ATP has created 15 new companies, of which nine are either exclusively focused on new scientific ideas in oncology or are platform companies that include potentially groundbreaking oncology programs," said Seth Harrison, M.D., founder and Managing Partner of ATP. "We created the Head of Oncology role both to acknowledge the critical work Raj has been doing at ATP and to sharpen and amplify our oncology strategy. "ATP has assembled a team with unmatched expertise in the areas that will produce the next generation of oncology therapeuticsnovel immuno-oncology approaches, RNA metabolism and processing, and protein dynamics (formation, degradation, and interactions)as well as engineering and manufacturing complex modalities, designing and running clinical trials, and bringing to market new classes of cancer medicines," Dr. Harrison continued. "Given Raj's experience, capabilities, and network, the vision is for him to direct and orchestrate our efforts to create synergies within the portfolio." "ATP's oncology strategy is to create flagship oncology companies in two ways," Dr. Chopra said. "The first is making connections within the ATP portfolio between sciences and technologies that at first glance may look unexpected but in the end could enable major leaps forward in delivering better treatments for people with cancer. The second is attracting researchers who may have a brilliant scientific idea but lack the right platform or translational know-how to make it work. We want those scientists and entrepreneurs to think of ATP as their preferred partner." Dr. Chopra joined ATP in 2019 as a venture partner from The Institute of Cancer Research in London, where as director of the Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, he led one of the largest academic drug discovery groups in the world and focused on targeted protein degradation and complex 3D cell culture models. Prior to that, he worked at Celgene from 2009 to 2016 as corporate vice president of Translational and Early Drug Development, leading an international team of more than 100 scientists. Before joining Celgene, he held leadership positions in AstraZeneca's Oncology Therapeutics group in the UK and US. Dr. Chopra started his academic career as the director of Hematological Oncology at Christie Hospital and was group leader at the Paterson Institute of Cancer Research, both located in Manchester, UK. He was a non-executive director of Artios Pharma, established to develop a next-generation DNA Damage Response target pipeline of cancer therapeutics, and co-founder of Monte Rosa Therapeutics, a biotech focused on targeted protein degradation. Dr. Chopra earned his Ph.D. in medicine, cell and molecular biology at University College London. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London, the Royal College of Pathologists, and the Royal Society of Biology. About ATP Founded in 1999, ATP is a leader in life sciences venture capital, with $2.65 billion in committed capital and offices in New York, London, San Francisco, and Cambridge, MA. ATP creates companies starting at various stages, from pre-IP ideas to asset spinouts, investing in them from seed stage through IPO and beyond. The core of ATP's strategy is providing flexible capital and access to a world-class team of venture partners and EIRs, to build sustainable, research-driven enterprises that deliver therapeutics to improve human lives. For more information, visit www.appletreepartners.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Sally Jacob / 212-468-5800 / [email protected] SOURCE ATP SEATTLE, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Avanade, the leading digital innovator on the Microsoft ecosystem, has been ranked #31 in Newsweek 's inaugural Most Loved Workplaces list. The list recognizes Avanade as one of the top 100 companies in the U.S. for employee happiness and satisfaction at work and is produced in collaboration with the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development and benchmark research company. The final rankings were determined after surveying more than 800,000 employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 50 to over 10,000. "Our mission at Avanade is to create a genuine human impact for our clients, our people and the communities we serve," said Avanade CEO, Pam Maynard. "We strongly believe that an exceptional employee experience leads to an exceptional client experience and our goal every day is to make sure our people feel inspired, confident and cared for. To be recognized by such an influential and respected publication as Newsweek is validation of our strategy and the journey we've been on for more than twenty years to create an environment where our people can show up, be themselves and do their best work." A joint venture between Accenture and Microsoft, Avanade is Microsoft's largest dedicated global partner, and was recently named Microsoft 2021 Global Alliance SI Partner of the Year the 16th time receiving the recognition. With one of the largest numbers of Microsoft certified professionals worldwide, Avanade has grown significantly over the course of the pandemic, welcoming more than 15,000 new hires and reaching 50,000 people globally. As an expert in employee experience, staff enjoy flexible work schedules so they can prioritize their personal and home lives and achieve a tangible work-life balance. "In the wake of the pandemic, businesses hit hurdles in terms of retaining and attracting employees but the companies that made this list are delivering the respect, care, and appreciation that it takes to create a positive workplace that nurtures talent," said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief, Newsweek. With Maynard at the helm, Avanade has greatly enhanced its support systems for employees and placed a large focus on inclusion and diversity. In addition to fostering an inclusive culture and hiring the company's first Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, Maynard and Avanade have instituted specific programs to recruit and retain talent from underrepresented backgrounds. These include: actively recruiting neurodiverse candidates providing gender transition leave and coverage hiring and promoting more women into leadership positions establishing employee networks for a wide array of identities and providing dedicated support for them bolstering global training resources with mandatory all-employee courses on unconscious bias and anti-racism mandating executive diversity interview training to mitigate bias in the selection system setting specific I&D metrics that departments must report on to increase representation across underrepresented communities with bold goals for progress over the next few years. creating a clear and differentiated Employee Value Proposition that outlines the promises we make to our people and the workplace experiences that make us unique. "The best way to determine the strength of a company's culture is by measuring the degree of love employees feel for their workplace," said Louis Carter, CEO and Founder of Best Practice Institute and Most Loved Workplace. The full Newsweek list of 2021's Most Loved Workplaces will be featured in the magazine's October 29 print edition and is currently available online. For Avanade's specific Most Loved Workplaces landing page please click here. Methodology To identify the top 100 companies for the Newsweek ranking, companies were evaluated and scored as follows: 35 percent of the initial score was based on employee survey responses; 25 percent was derived from analysis of external public ratings from sites such as Comparably, Careerbliss, Glassdoor, Indeed and Google; and 40 percent came from direct interviews with and written responses from company officials. Newsweek then conducted additional research into every company on the list, as well as the top runners up, to determine the final list of 100 companies and their ranking. (The list includes both U.S. firms and companies with a strong U.S. presence that are based overseas.) About Avanade Avanade is the leading provider of innovative digital and cloud services, business solutions and design-led experiences on the Microsoft ecosystem. Our professionals bring bold, fresh thinking combined with technology, business and industry expertise to help make a genuine human impact on our clients, their customers and their employees. We are the power behind the Accenture Microsoft Business Group, helping companies to engage customers, empower employees, optimize operations and transform products, leveraging the Microsoft platform. Avanade has 50,000 professionals in 25 countries, bringing clients our best thinking through a collaborative culture that honors diversity and reflects the communities in which we operate. Majority owned by Accenture, Avanade was founded in 2000 by Accenture LLP and Microsoft Corporation. About Newsweek Newsweek is the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic, over 85-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches 100 million people each month with its thought-provoking news, opinion, images, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia. About Best Practice Institute Best Practice Institute is an award-winning leadership and organization development center, benchmark research company, think tank, and solutions provider. BPI is the certifying body for Most Loved Workplace and conducted the original research to create the model and criteria for becoming a Most Loved Workplace. BPI's research proves that Most Loved Workplaces produce 3-4 times better customer service, employee performance, and retention than companies not loved by their employees. For more information on how to apply to become a 2022 Most Loved Workplace, go to: http://www.mostlovedworkplace.com SOURCE Avanade LUXEMBOURG, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Consolidated Energy Finance S.A. (the "Company") announced today that $55,067,000 of its outstanding Floating Rate Notes due 2022 (the "Notes") were validly tendered by holders of the Notes at or prior to the early tender deadline of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 22, 2021 (the "Early Tender Deadline"), pursuant to the Company's previously announced cash tender offer (the "Tender Offer") to purchase up to $105,001,000 aggregate principal amount (the "Notes Maximum Tender Amount") of its Notes. The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to the offer to purchase dated October 8, 2021, as supplemented by this release (the "Offer to Purchase"). The following table summarizes the early tender results as of the Early Tender Deadline and the aggregate principal amount of Notes that the Company has accepted for purchase: Title of Security CUSIP / ISIN Outstanding Aggregate Principal Amount Total Consideration(1)(2) Principal Amount Tendered at Early Tender Deadline Principal Amount Accepted for Purchase at Early Tender Deadline Senior Floating Rate Notes due 2022 Reg S: L1957QAC4 / USL1957QAC44 Rule 144A: 20914UAC0 / US20914UAC09 $215,001,000 $1,000 $55,067,000 $55,067,000 (1) Per $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered and accepted for payment. (2) Includes the Early Tender Payment of $30 per $1,000 principal amount of Notes. The Company has accepted for purchase $55,067,000 aggregate principal amount of its Notes validly tendered prior and not withdrawn to the Early Tender Deadline. The early settlement date on which the Company will make payment for such Notes accepted in the Tender Offer is expected to be on October 26, 2021 (the "Early Settlement Date"). The Tender Offer is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions as described in the Offer to Purchase in relation to the Tender Offer that is being sent to holders of the Notes, including certain general conditions as described in more detail in the Offer to Purchase. If any of the conditions are not satisfied, the Company may terminate the Tender Offer and return tendered Notes, may waive unsatisfied conditions and accept for payment and purchase all validly tendered Notes. Holders of Notes that validly tendered their Notes on or prior to the Early Tender Deadline and whose Notes have been accepted for purchase are entitled to receive the "Total Consideration" for each $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer in an amount equal to $1,000, which includes an "Early Tender Payment" of $30 per $1,000 principal amount of Notes. Holders of Notes who validly tendered their Notes on or prior to the Early Tender Deadline and whose Notes have been accepted for purchase will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on their accepted Notes from the last interest payment date to, but not including, the Early Settlement Date. All Notes purchased pursuant to the Tender Offer will be cancelled. The Tender Offer will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on November 5, 2021, unless extended or earlier terminated by the Company. The complete terms and conditions of the Tender Offer are set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Holders are urged to read the Offer to Purchase carefully. The Company has engaged Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC to act as dealer manager (the "Dealer Manager") for the Tender Offer. Persons with questions regarding the Tender Offer should contact Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC toll-free at (800) 624-1808 or collect at (212) 761-1057. Requests for documents should be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc., acting as tender and information agent (the "Tender and Information Agent") for the Tender Offer, at (212) 269-5550 (for banks and brokers) or (800) 591-8263 (for noteholders) or by email at [email protected]. This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to purchase with respect to any of the Notes. The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to the Tender Offer documents, including the Offer to Purchase that the Company is distributing to holders of the Notes. The Tender Offer is not being made to holders of Notes in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities or other laws of such jurisdiction. None of the Company, the Dealer Manager, the Tender and Information Agent or their respective affiliates is making any recommendation as to whether or not holders should tender all or any portion of their Notes in the Tender Offer. Forward-Looking Statements Statements made in this news release which describe the Company's intentions, expectations, beliefs or predictions may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities laws. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by, or including the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," or similar expressions. Examples of forward looking statements in this news release are statements about the expected size and timing of the Tender Offer. The Company cautions that, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. The Company does not intend, and the Company disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Consolidated Energy Finance S.A. SHANGHAI, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry, today announced that it will hold its annual general meeting (the "AGM") at Daqo New Energy Corp. Shanghai Office, 29th Floor, Huadu Building, No. 838, Zhangyang Road, Pudong District, Shanghai 200122, People's Republic of China on December 3, 2021 at 10 A.M. (Beijing time). Holders of record of the Company's ordinary shares at the close of business in the Cayman Islands on November 2, 2021 will be entitled to attend the AGM and any adjournment or postponement thereof in person. Holders of the Company's ordinary shares or ADSs may obtain a hard copy of the Company's annual report on Form 20-F, free of charge, from its website at http://www.dqsolar.com, by emailing the Company's Investor Relations Department at [email protected], or by writing to: Daqo New Energy Corp. Shanghai Office 29th Floor, Huadu Building No. 838, Zhangyang Road Pudong District, Shanghai 200122 People's Republic of China Attention: Investor Relations Department About Daqo New Energy Corp. Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo" or the "Company") is a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry. Founded in 2007, the Company is one of the world's lowest cost producers of high-purity polysilicon. It has a total annual capacity of 70,000 metric tons of high-purity polysilicon, with another 35,000 metric tons polysilicon capacity under construction, which is expected to reach full capacity by the end of the first quarter of 2022. For more information, please visit www.dqsolar.com For further information, please contact: Daqo New Energy Corp. Investor Relations Department Email: [email protected] Christensen In China Mr. Rene Vanguestaine Phone: +86 178 1749 0483 E-mail: [email protected] In the U.S. Mr. Tip Fleming Phone: +1-917-412-3333 Email: [email protected] For more information, please visit www.dqsolar.com SOURCE Daqo New Energy Corp. Related Links http://www.dqsolar.com/ VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Deep-South Resources Inc. ("Deep-South" or the "Company") (TSXV: DSM) announces that it will extend the exercise period of the first tranche of 800,000 share purchase warrants for a further two years term and the second tranche of 2,731,500 share purchase warrants for a further two years term. The warrants which are exercisable at a price of $0.20 per common share, were scheduled to expire for the first tranche November 22, 2021 and for the second tranche March 5, 2022. Upon receipt of TSX Venture Exchange acceptance of this transaction, the warrants will expire after the close of business for the first tranche on November 22, 2023 and the second tranche March 5, 2024. The share purchase warrants were originally issued pursuant to a 7,125,000 units private placement, which closed on November 22, 2018 and March 5, 2019. About Deep-South Resources Inc. Deep-South Resources is a mineral exploration and development company Deep-South growth strategy is to focus on the exploration and development of quality assets in significant mineralized trends and in proximity to infrastructure in stable countries. In using and assessing environmentally friendly technologies in the development of its copper project, Deep-South embraces the green revolution. 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. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Information contained in this news release which are not statements of historical facts may be "forward-looking information" for the purposes of Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking information. The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "contemplate", "plan", "intends", "continue", "budget", "estimate", "may", "will", "schedule", "understand" and similar expressions identify forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things: the Minister's refusal to renew the Company's Licence, the Company's intention to contest the Minister's decision before the Courts of Namibia and the outcome of such proceedings. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Deep-South, are inherently subject to significant technical, political, business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Factors and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: political risks associated with the Company's operations in Namibia; the failure of the Namibian Government to comply with its continuing obligations under the Act to allow for the renewal of the Licence; the impact of changes in, or to the more aggressive enforcement of, laws, regulations and government practices; the inability of the Company and its subsidiaries to enforce their legal rights in certain circumstances. For additional risk factors, please see the Company's most recently filed Management Discussions & Analysis for its quarter ended ended February 28, 2021 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurances that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as many factors and future events, both known and unknown could cause actual results, performance or achievements to vary or differ materially from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained herein or incorporated by reference. Accordingly, all such factors should be considered carefully when making decisions with respect to Deep-South, and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release is made as at the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. SOURCE Deep-South Resources Inc. SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Demonstrate , a leading full-service marketing and communications agency announced it has been ranked #20 on San Francisco Business Times' " 2021 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Bay Area ." The annual list is an exclusive ranking of the region's fastest-growing private companies across tech, finance, marketing and public relations, construction, food and veterinary care to real estate and e-commerce, representing one of the most important segments of the local economy. The winners and rankings were unveiled at a virtual awards gala on October 21, 2021. Demonstrate Leadership Team (L-R) Joey Hodges, Sean DallasKidd, Tennyson Wilson, Victoria Rainone and Cody Goins (Photo Credit: Scott Iverson for Demonstrate) "We are honored to be named amongst this stellar group of companies," said Joey Hodges, founder and CEO of Demonstrate. "It has been an unbelievable journey delivering groundbreaking results on behalf of our client partners, and as a result, Demonstrate has had an incredible year. It is both humbling and fulfilling to see the hard work of our team be acknowledged." Companies on the list are ranked by percent growth in revenue from 2018 to 2020. Those on this year's list logged astounding growth, the the collective of 100 companies achieved $19.2B in total revenue while 25 companies grew by 100% or more and five saw revenue skyrocket 500% or higher. In order to be considered, the companies must also have had at least $200,000 in revenue in fiscal 2018 and must be independent, privately held corporation, proprietorship or partnership (not a subsidiary or a division) and headquartered in counties covered by SF Business Times - San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Contra Costa and Marin. Since inception, Demonstrate has been steadfast in delivering valuable insights and cultural truths to inspire impactful work for the audiences reached through a variety of its client partners. In reflection of this growth and the ever-evolving wants and needs of both established and emerging audiences, the agency applies strategy and creativity to help brands deliver on their purpose and promise. Most recently, in an effort to build thoughtful platforms for an audience many brands are seeking connection with, Demonstrate developed a comprehensive assessment of the largest generation on the planet: Gen Z. "As communicators inspired by creativity and brand truths, we've always put a heavy weight on how our clients can establish an authentic connection with their audiences," said Sean DallasKidd, partner and CCO of Demonstrate. "We looked to Gen Z as a super creative, savvy, and purpose-focused audience. Gen Z challenges the status quo, and our report offers brands insights and actions to rise to that challenge." This last year has proven to be monumental for Demonstrate. Preceding the recognition from the San Francisco Business Times' "2021 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Bay Area", the agency has received numerous accolades including being awarded "Best of Best" in animation by C2A Creative Communications Awards for its work on Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water, and "Winner of Best Social Media Campaign" for its work on f'real, named #11 on San Francisco Business Times' "Largest Bay Area LGBTQ-Owned Businesses", and most recently named in the inaugural "The PR Net 100" list. The list recognizes talent, innovation and influence in the PR industry, compiled of agencies that have shown agility, resilience and a reimagining of the communications business. Demonstrate's current roster of client partners spans a variety of verticals including consumer technology, sustainability, wellness and nutrition, food technology, fintech, adult beverage, education technology, nonprofit, and consumer packaged goods, with key new client signings including Adam Hall Group, Bi-Rite, HomeValet, Lagunitas, MyFitnessPal, ReserveBar, Springboard, The Caviar Co., The Goldman Environmental Prize, The Mom Project and Volta Charging. The agency doubled its revenue and staffing in the last year, and earlier this year, Demonstrate announced the rollout of its new website, agency manifesto, in addition to establishing two new satellite offices in Austin, Texas and Miami, Florida. To learn more about Demonstrate, inquire about business opportunities, or download its Gen Z report, visit www.wearedemonstrate.com . About Demonstrate Founded in 2015, Demonstrate is an award-winning, independently owned, boutique full-service marketing and communications agency with headquarters in San Francisco and presence across the U.S. with offices in New York, New York, Miami, Florida, and Austin, Texas. Boasting a team of driven, imaginative, and solutions-oriented innovators, the agency partners with clients to navigate the current cultural landscape and align their initiatives with relevant trends and niche markets. Demonstrate excels at developing and executing insight-based, integrated marketing programs consisting of strategic brand communications planning, public relations, creative strategy and content production, influencer and social campaigns, bespoke experiential brand events and paid media amplification. For more information about the agency, please visit wearedemonstrate.com . Follow Demonstrate on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and Twitter . Media Contact: Joey Hodges Demonstrate [email protected] (415) 400-4214 SOURCE Demonstrate Related Links http://wearedemonstrate.com YIWU, China, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Yiwugo.com, the official website of the Yiwu Commodity Market, which is the largest commodity wholesale market in the world, celebrated its 9th anniversary on 21st October. Yiwugo APP ranked second only after 1688.com in domestic wholesale APP downloads, home to 53,000 businesses, with more than 8 million registered buyers at home and abroad, received over 800,000 customer visits and 15 million page views on daily average, and saw 6 million page views of products and shops on daily average. This "transcript" which constantly hit new highs was the best birthday gift for Yiwugo.com. Yiwugo.com grew from a regional e-commerce platform that "moves the physical market online" to a first-tier commodity wholesale e-commerce platform with prominent Yiwu characteristics over 9 years of efforts and practice, demonstrating a new path towards and supporting the transformation and development of the physical market. As COVID-19 spread globally, Yiwugo.com provided the physical market suppliers with a secure channel for online transactions, and global buyers with a platform where they can keep in contact with suppliers in Yiwu market. Yiwugo.com played an important role in ensuring the global supply of Yiwu small commodities globally despite the pandemic. Facing fierce competition in the e-commerce industry, Yiwugo.com was fully devoted to small commodity wholesale for a development differentiated from mainstream e-commerce. Yiwugo.com always put the needs of suppliers and buyers first, focusing on meeting the needs for e-commerce functions in the small commodity wholesale business. Built upon 9 years of improvement, Yiwugo.com realized intelligent algorithms for functional modules in the background, thereby simplifying foreground operations; and looked deep into users' needs for business process, to offer more convenient foreground function process. The big data accumulated in the background also provided scientific data support in business operations and decision-making for merchants on many occasions, thereby helping them avoid risks and promoting the sound development of the market. Over the past 9 years, backed by the world's largest physical wholesale market for small commodities, Yiwugo.com focused on the digital transformation of small commodity trade, prioritized the solution to various problems in such links as goods display, release, search and transactions, continuously optimized and upgraded functional modules including browsing, search, recommendation and consulting, and highlighted the advantage of "convenience + effectiveness", attracting more and more high-quality suppliers of industrial belts outside the Yiwu market. More than 3,000 high-quality suppliers of industrial belts outside Yiwu joined the platform, which increased the number of products at the platform by nearly 1 million, and provided overseas buyers with more choices of Chinese goods. Facing the ups and downs in the e-commerce industry, Yiwugo.com started from the digital transformation and upgrading of the physical market in Yiwu. Stick to its original aspiration, Yiwugo.com will empower the small and micro enterprises in the small commodity industry through digital means for the sound development of the entire industry. SOURCE Yiwugo HOLLAND, Mich., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- eoStar, today announced that the company has appointed Chris Timmer as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective September 30th. Chris will assume day-to-day leadership of the company and will also join eoStar's Board of Directors. Chris has over 20 years in executive leadership. His skills in team building, strategy development, sales management, marketing, operations management, and culture development will ensure a collaborative organization that strives to help each other succeed. Most recently, Chris was the Chief Revenue Officer at BluJay Solutions, which was an evolution of a West Michigan company, Lean Logistics, that Chris helped to both start and grow to unexpected levels of success. "Chris is a proven leader with strong technical skills and great business insights. He has a remarkable ability to see what's going on in the market, to sense opportunity, and to really understand how we come together to execute against those opportunities in a collaborative way." President, Paul Rutherford In conjunction with eoStar's new CEO Chris Timmer, the company welcomes Sumit Sakalle as the new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Sumit joins eoStar with over 22 years of progressive engineering leadership and the right mix of experience to evolve and support the organization execute its ambitious plans for growth. Sumit has led globally distributed architecture, development, quality control, UI/UX, tech/dev ops, and machine learning programming teams of 120+ resources, developing multiple product lines. His experience includes designing and building an AI-based architecture platform to support multiple SaaS-based ERPs for Sourcing, Procurement, Marketplace, and spend analytics applications. "We are proud of eoStar's ability to attract a person of Sumit's experience and caliber. Sumit has proven success with developing and launching comprehensive platforms as a scalable enterprise, multi-tenant SaaS product, with web and mobile applications." CEO, Chris Timmer About eoStar eoStar, formally known as Rutherford & Associates was founded in 1986. eoStar provides an end-to-end software solution for direct store delivery distributors, including route accounting, warehouse management, voice picking, forecasting, and mobile sales capabilities. The eoStar platform is now serving over 14,000 users in beverage, wine & spirits, and food service. eoStar is a strategic partner with MillerCoors and the preferred technology and solution for Coca-Cola North America, North Star. SOURCE eoStar DUBLIN, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Geospatial Market Growth Opportunities 2020-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This research service covers the global geospatial market opportunity assessment across 20 applications, which are agriculture, automotive, aviation, banking & insurance, civil government/infrastructure, defense, disaster management, energy, forestry, healthcare, IoT, location-based services, logistics, maritime, operation/asset management, rail, security, telecommunication, natural resource monitoring, and weather forecasting. The study covers the global geospatial industry landscape along with market forecast over the timeline of 2020 to 2030. The revenue estimation is done based on a top-down approach with only headquartered companies' estimated revenue taken for analysis. The present study consists of 7 regional forecast analyses and 20 application forecast analyses. The research service discusses: Key developments and market trends for each application. Government/commercial award/contract details for each application. Key developments and trends that are driving growth in the geospatial market are: New products and developments, such as new services, navigation services, and connectivity services, location-based services, UAV used for field services, end-to-end services. Data services, such as new earth observation and remote sensing satellite data services, UAV data services. The demand for high-resolution data services at an affordable price. Increasing government spending on near-real-time services across various applications, such as smart city, defense, civil infrastructure, maritime, weather monitoring, land use land cover, and natural resource monitoring. Advanced data analytics solutions, such as AI, ML, image processing, and advanced sensors are used for providing low-cost end-to-end services. As the UAV services can provide cost effective services, the demand for UAV data and services across various applications, such as mining, transportation, logistics, agriculture, disaster management, and healthcare applications will grow tremendously in the future. Digital transformation and automation are leading the growth in the global geospatial market. The demand for big data services for storage of large volumes of data with a secure platform is increasing. The demand for LIDAR-based technology services to get precise 3D imaging and 3D mapping data is also increasing. More start-ups are entering the geospatial market. From 2011 to 2020, 49.7% of the companies were working on the geospatial market. During the timeline from 2011 to 2020, 295 new companies entered the geospatial market. This is a positive indication that more new start-ups have started investing money in developing new solutions/services. In the future, more geospatial start-ups are expected to enter the market. Key Topics Covered: 1. Strategic Imperatives 2. Growth Opportunity Analysis 3. Defense 4. Natural Recourse Monitoring 5. Agriculture 6. Energy 7. Location-based Services 8. Maritime 9. Disaster Management 10. Aviation 11. Weather Forecasting 12. Operations/Asset Management 13. Rail 14. Logistics 15. Internet of Things (IoT) 16. Telecommunication 17. Forestry 18. Banking & Insurance 19. Civil Government/Infrastructure 20. Automotive 21. Security 22. Healthcare 23. Growth Opportunity Universe Growth Opportunity 1: Real-time Services for Government/Commercial Need, 2020 Growth Opportunity 2: Increasing Demand of LIDAR-based Services for 3D Mapping, 2020 Growth Opportunity 3: Data Analytics Solutions Used for End-to-end Services, 2020 Companies Mentioned Airbus DJI Eagle View Eart-i Esri Hexagon Geospatial Kongsberg Geospatial Maxar Technologies Pixalytics Planet RMSI Taranis TomTom For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i9pgvj Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SAN DIEGO, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Helixmith, a gene therapy company based in Seoul, Korea and San Diego, CA, announced today the results of a Phase 3 study for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers with their novel gene therapy VM202 (Engensis) at the 2021 annual meeting of the Diabetic Foot Conference (DFCon) held in San Francisco and virtually. The study, "Gene Therapy for Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Analysis of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 Study of Engensis (VM202), a Plasmid DNA Expressing Two Isoforms of Human Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF)," demonstrated a positive trend toward wound closure, potential healing effects and an acceptable safety profile. This is the first study using gene therapy for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. DFCon is the premier international, interdisciplinary diabetic foot conference in North America. The purpose of the un-prespecified interim analysis was to evaluate the status of a 7-month Phase 3 study conducted to test the effect of intramuscular injection of Engensis into the calf muscles of participants having chronic nonhealing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) with concomitant peripheral artery disease. In the interim ITT population (n=44), there was a positive trend toward wound closure in the VM202 group from month 3 to month 7. Ulcer closure effects were prominent, particularly in neuroischemic ulcer. In 23 patients having this type of foot ulcers, the percentage of subjects reaching complete ulcer closure was significantly higher in the VM202 group at months 3, 4 and 5 (p = 0.0391, 0.0391, and 0.0361, respectively). Engensis seems to also improve hemodynamic features; a potentially clinically meaningful 0.15 increase in ABI was observed in the VM202 group at day 210 in ITT population (p=0.0776). The company believes that intramuscular injections of VM202 plasmid DNA to calf muscle may have promise in treatment of chronic neuroischemic DFUs. "Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the most serious complications associated with diabetes, contributing to high levels of morbidity, mortality, and health-care costs in this population, and there have been limited treatment options to date," said David G. Armstrong, DPM, MD, PhD Principal Investigator and Professor of Surgery, Co-Director, USC Limb Preservation Program, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California (USC). "Given the safety profile and potential healing effects we identified in this study, continuing a larger DFU study is warranted with iterations of the current protocol and expansion of the number of sites." About Diabetic Foot Ulcers Diabetes mellitus affects more than 451 million people worldwide and is predicted to rise to nearly 700 million people by 2045. Persons with diabetes mellitus have a 19-34% chance of developing a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) during their lifetime with a recurrence rate as high as 50-70% within 5 years. Despite the serious nature of DFUs, current treatment methods are limited. The standard therapy (ST) for DFUs includes debridement, dressing, offloading, vascular assessment, and infection and glycemic control. However, complete healing rates are reported to be low 24% and 31% at 12 and 20 weeks, respectively, for those receiving ST. Many patients progress to more serious stages, which may include gangrene, amputation, and when combined with peripheral artery problems, critical limb ischemia (CLI). Unmet medical need is indeed high for patients with DFUs. A series of adjuvant therapies have been investigated, including acellular matrix therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and shockwave therapy. However, the clinical effectiveness of these treatments has yet to be demonstrated. About VM202 (Engensis) Engensis (VM202) is an innovative gene therapy drug that provides fundamental treatment through tissue regeneration. Built on 20 years of experience in gene therapy, Engensis is designed to overcome the limitations of previous DNA plasmid candidates by expressing therapeutic levels of protein and inducing durable therapeutic effects. Helixmith's non-viral plasmid DNA product, Engensis, is designed to express recombinant HGF protein in nerve and Schwann cells to promote nerve system regeneration and induce the formation of microvascular blood vessels. HGF has a short half-life (5 minutes or less) and is quickly removed from the body by the liver, creating an obstacle to effective treatment with previous injectable recombinant HGF protein products. A single injection of Helixmith's proprietary plasmid DNA product expresses the HGF gene at levels 30-40 times higher than conventional plasmid DNA and provides sustained gene expression in mouse models for 2 weeks, with peak protein expression at Day 7 and a gradual decrease over the next week To date, more than 500 patients have been treated with Engensis across ten clinical trials in six different diseases and conditions. Data from previous clinical studies suggest that Engensis is well tolerated and has the potential to provide durable analgesic and/or symptomatic relief in a variety of disease settings. Beyond potentially alleviating pain, Engensis is designed to target the underlying causes of neuropathy through its predicted angiogenic and neuroregenerative properties. The US FDA recognized the potential for Engensis to meet the unmet need for this condition in 2018 by designating it as a Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) for the treatment of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, making it the first RMAT-designated gene therapy for a prevalent disease with over one million patients. This designation grants all the benefits afforded by the fast track and breakthrough designations, including priority review, to Engensis. About Helixmith Helixmith is a gene therapy company headquartered in Seoul, Korea, developing new and innovative biopharmaceuticals to address previously untreated diseases, and is listed on the KOSDAQ. The company has an extensive gene therapy pipeline, including a CAR-T program targeting several different types of solid tumors and an AAV vector program targeting neuromuscular diseases. Engensis (VM202), the most advanced pipeline candidate, is a plasmid DNA therapy being studied for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic foot ulcers, claudication, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, coronary artery disease, and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. SOURCE Helixmith USA Inc. Related Links https://www.helixmith.com/ Riyad Adamou, Holborns Chief Commercial Officer, said: Holborn has more than twenty years of presence in the Middle East. The region has and is a vital part of our firms strategic plans. We always like to promote from within the most capable people in our arsenal. Stefans appointment will allow us to further focus on developing our organisation to be able to meet new challenges. Commenting on his new position, Stefan Terry said: It is a great honour for me to be a part of Holborns senior management team. Despite the adverse conditions, we have gone from strength to strength in the Middle East region, making new plans and setting new ambitious goals. Alongside my accomplished colleagues, we aim to expand our client base and capabilities in the region, adding new offices and expanding into new markets. Stefan Terry has been with Holborn since 2017, a popular and well-regarded figure in the industry he won the International Investment Emerging Talent of the Year award in 2020 and is a regular contributor in the media and at industry events. About Holborn Assets Established in 1999, Holborn is a multi-award-winning, international financial services company, specialising in independent financial advice to the expatriate market. A British family-owned and operated business, the firm has over 450 employees, including 230 financial advisers, and 13 offices around the world. Holborn Assets' experienced team of professional fully qualified advisers specialise in delivering clients quality, independent financial advice and services. Core areas of operation include: Independent Financial Services, Financial Solutions, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Shariah Wealth, Currency Exchange, Employee Benefits, Management Services, Insurance, Investments, Protection & Insurance, Pensions, Mortgages, Offshore Services, Tax Planning, Will Writing, Pension Transfers, and QROPS. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1666850/Stefan_Terry.jpg SOURCE Holborn Assets TROY, Mich., Oct. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With attention to detail and preservation, KIRCO MANIX announced today that it has completed the renovation and expansion of Webasto's new Americas headquarters at its existing building located at 2500 Executive Hills Boulevard in Auburn Hills, Mich. "Webasto selected our company for this project, not only because of the scale of the renovations, but also because of our personal history," said Douglas W. Manix, president of KIRCO MANIX. "The existing building was originally constructed by Campbell/Manix in 1995." Phase one of the expansion for the tier one global supplier of roof systems to automotive OEMs in the field of mobility began in May 2019 with demolition of the interior of the existing 109,000-square-foot building and was completed in July 2019. In phase two, KIRCO MANIX broke ground on a 40,000-square-foot addition in October 2019, which included adding a testing lab, office space and a dining area. Simultaneously, phase three began in February 2020 with interior renovations. According to Manix, it has been an architecturally interesting project for KIRCO MANIX to have been a part of. The building has a unique style of architecture, not typical for an office building in the metro Detroit area. It was modeled after an anthropology museum in Veracruz, Mexico. Webasto was firmly dedicated to preserving the original characteristics and design intent, so KIRCO MANIX worked carefully to match building styles and elements throughout the new addition. For example, replacement and improvements to the building's original skylights and matching the 3,000 existing punched out windows from the original design carried over to the new addition. With an investment of $40 million, the expansion will support Webasto's forecasted engineering and testing requirements, as well as consolidate its existing staff from locations in Rochester Hills, Troy and Plymouth, Mich. About Webasto: The Webasto Group is a global innovative systems partner to the mobility industry and one of the 100 largest suppliers to the automotive sector worldwide. The company's offering includes in-house developed roof, heating and cooling systems for various types of vehicles, batteries and charging solutions for hybrid and electric vehicles, and additional services related to thermal management and electro mobility. Among the customers of Webasto are manufacturers of passenger cars, commercial vehicles and boats, as well as dealers and end customers. In 2020, the Group generated sales of around 3.3 billion euros and employed more than 14,000 people at over 50 locations. The headquarters of the company, which was founded in 1901, is located in Stockdorf near Munich (Germany). For more information, please visit www.webasto-group.com About KIRCO MANIX Operating throughout the region since 1929, KIRCO MANIX provides construction services in the following market sectors: corporate office and headquarters; advanced manufacturing / research and design; warehouse / distribution; retail; healthcare; and senior living market. The company offers customers a unique, full-service approach by managing the design, engineering and construction phase through the eyes of an owner. For more information, please visit www.kircomanix.com or call 248.354.5100. SOURCE KIRCO MANIX WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Media accreditation is open for the upcoming launch of NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission, which will measure polarized X-rays from exotic cosmic objects, such as black holes and neutron stars, to better understand these types of phenomena and extreme environments. IXPE is scheduled to launch no earlier than Dec. 9 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credentialing deadlines are as follows: International media residing in the U.S. must apply by Friday, Nov 5, 2021 . . U.S. media must apply by Monday, Nov 15, 2021 . NASA's media accreditation policy is available online. Requests must be submitted online at: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov Para obtener informacion sobre cobertura en espanol en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en espanol, comuniquese con Antonia Jaramillo 321-501-8425. COVID-19 protocols at Kennedy NASA's COVID-19 policies are updated as necessary and to remain consistent with guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the White House Safer Federal Workforce Taskforce. COVID-19 safety protocols for this event will be communicated closer to the date of the event. The agency also will communicate any updates that may impact mission planning or media access as necessary. More about IXPE This astrophysics mission will allow astronomers to discover, for the first time, the hidden details of some of the most exotic astronomical objects in our universe. IXPE is the first satellite mission dedicated to measuring the polarization of X-rays from a variety of cosmic sources. Polarization is an intrinsic characteristic of light that can vary as it travels through different environments. The mission will fly three space telescopes with sensitive detectors capable of measuring the polarization of cosmic X-rays, allowing scientists to answer fundamental questions about these extremely complex environments where gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields are at their limits. IXPE is a collaboration between NASA and the Italian Space Agency, led by principal investigator Martin Weisskopf at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Ball Aerospace, headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, manages spacecraft operations with support from the University of Colorado at Boulder. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the Explorers Program for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The launch is managed by NASA's Launch Services Program. For more information about the IXPE mission, visit: https://ixpe.msfc.nasa.gov/ SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov Receive FREE Sample Report in Minutes! 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SpendEdge's SUBSCRIPTION platform Table of Content Executive Summary Market Insights Category Pricing Insights Cost-saving Opportunities Best Practices Category Ecosystem Category Management Strategy Category Management Enablers Suppliers Selection Suppliers under Coverage US Market Insights Category scope Appendix About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. Contacts: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge MAITLAND, Fla., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SESCO Lighting, Inc., headquartered in Maitland, FL and The Schneider Company, headquartered in Greenville, SC have announced they will join forces to become one company, expanding SESCO Lighting's footprint into South Carolina. The transition will occur officially in December 2021. This move will combine the existing 280+ employees of SESCO Lighting with the 24 employees and three offices of The Schneider Company. SESCO Lighting moves into South Carolina The Schneider company, founded in 1977, has a long, successful history of bringing excellent value to the design and construction community in South Carolina. Over the past several years, Greg Schneider, Founder of The Schneider Company, has put together a strong management team that will soon be the local leadership for SESCO in the state of South Carolina. President and CEO of SESCO Lighting, John Palk noted, "We are humbled and honored to be able to bring The Schneider Company into the SESCO family. We have had a long relationship with Greg and several members of the team through the years, so we are very familiar with each other. As we began exploring this possibility, it was immediately visible that our cultures, motivation and ultimate goals aligned well, so the rest just came down to timing. And fortunately, it was the right time for all parties to move forward together." Greg Schneider adds, "The Schneider Company is excited about the opportunity to join forces with SESCO, the leading lighting and controls agency in North America. It opens a plethora of new, exciting avenues for The Schneider Company to grow. Even though The Schneider Company has been in business in excess of 44 years, I feel that we can still learn a great deal from their personnel and many resources. We are looking forward to taking our small family and blending it into becoming a part of the larger SESCO family." ABOUT SESCO Lighting, Inc: Founded in 1967, SESCO Lighting has become the nation's largest and most successful lighting manufacturers' representative company, with more than 280 employees and annual sales exceeding $300 million. The company is 100% employee-owned with 15 branch offices and eight support divisions covering Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and the Caribbean. SOURCE SESCO Lighting Related Links http://www.sescolighting.com PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Smarsh, enabling organizations to manage the risk and uncover the value within their electronic communications, announced today it is collaborating with Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) in Canada to deliver its Capture and Enterprise Archive solutions. The move accelerates the company's growth strategy in the country, adding to a range of offerings available to Canadian enterprises already leveraging Smarsh technology for their archiving strategies, including some of the largest banks and financial services firms. The engagement with AWS will also further the company's ability to serve its Professional Archive customers in the country. Brian Cramer, CEO of Smarsh, said, "Canada is a major market for our company, given the flourishing financial services industry across the country, combined with a stringent regulatory environment that demands sophisticated digital communications compliance solutions to drive long-term success. Our decision to collaborate with AWS is consistent with the importance we attach to that market and demonstrates our responsiveness to Canadian customers that want their data housed domestically." Mr. Cramer continued, "Working with AWS positions Smarsh as a preferred provider of communications retention and supervision solutions to a broader cross-section of Canada's financial services industry, thereby eliminating unnecessary complexities related to cross-border regulatory or privacy issues." The solutions deployed on the Canadian-based cloud will help dealer members and other wealth management firms comply with oversight responsibilities based on current Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) regulations. Such entities must have the capability to capture, archive, and reproduce content across multiple communication and collaboration platforms, spanning everything from email to mobile text to instant messaging services to social media platforms. Going forward as hybrid and work-from-home models endure these responsibilities will only intensify as the volume of communications data continues to proliferate. Best-in-class cloud tools from Smarsh enable firms to handle them in an efficient, cost-effective, and compliant manner. On October 26, Smarsh and IT World Canada will host a discussion about critical regulatory and technology questions financial organizations need to consider as they choose the suitable cloud and cloud provider to help them grow. The discussion will feature Robert Cruz, Vice President of Information Governance at Smarsh, Dan Mackay, a Compliance Specialist with AWS, and consulting CIO Rob Meikle, the former Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of Toronto and the City of Brampton. "Advancing technologies and increased enforcement by regulatory agencies are changing the way financial organizations are doing business. Once seen as a conservative inclination, leaders in the Canadian financial sector are now embracing change (and cloud) to stay ahead of their competitors," said Cramer. To register for our October 26 virtual executive roundtable, please visit this link. About Smarsh: Smarsh is a recognized global leader in electronic communications archiving solutions for regulated organizations. It provides innovative capture, archiving, e-discovery, and supervision solutions across the industry's widest breadth of communication channels. Scalable for organizations of all sizes, the Smarsh platform provides customers with compliance built on confidence. It enables them to strategically future-proof as new communication channels are adopted, and to realize more insight and value from the data in their archive. Customers strengthen their compliance and e-discovery initiatives, and benefit from the productive use of email, social media, mobile/text messaging, instant messaging and collaboration, web, and voice channels. Smarsh serves a global client base that spans the top banks in North America and Europe, along with leading brokerage firms, insurers, and registered investment advisors. Smarsh also enables federal and state government agencies to meet their public records and e-discovery requirements. For more information, visit www.smarsh.com. Media Contacts Michael Dugan or Donald Cutler Haven Tower Group 424 317 4852 or 424 317 4864 [email protected] Ken Anderson Smarsh 503 946 6044 [email protected] SOURCE Smarsh Related Links http://www.smarsh.com Sweaty Betty has been on a mission to empower women through fitness and beyond for over 20 years. The brand found an undeniable synergy with Halle Berry and her brand, respin, the inclusive community and resourceful destination for health and wellness content that she launched in 2020. "I loved designing my first collection with the Sweaty Betty team and my Style Director at respin Lindsay Flores and I'm so excited to be launching a second drop," says Halle Berry. "I'm so proud of this collection - it's my ideal fall wardrobe. It's effortless, adaptable, and complements my lifestyle perfectly." Pieces from the first collaboration in May sold out within 24 hours. This follow up naturally builds on the high-performance, technical wardrobe for active women with sophisticated, seasonal pieces in relaxed fits and natural fabrics. The brand's bum-sculpting Power Leggings, so popular a pair is sold every 60 seconds, feature in a reflective HBSB print, playing on Sweaty Betty and Halle Berry's initials and named "Jinx" after Halle's character in Die Another Day. This collection also debuts Sweaty Betty's newest franchise, Super Soft - an innovative fabric range ideal for multi-sport workouts that is not only sweat-wicking, bum sculpting, and high compression, but with a soft touch, a super flattering fit and leg-lengthening seamlines. This collection showcases the best of Sweaty Betty's lounge and layering pieces; waffle bodysuits and hoodies are paired with relaxed joggers, statement coats made from recycled down come in relaxed, ready-to-layer fits, and voluminous, soft wool scarves and luxe cashmere socks offer stylish finishing touches to complete the look. Adds Halle, "I've been a longtime fan of Sweaty Betty's Power Leggings and wore them to train for my new movie and directorial debut, Bruised. I train five times a week and like to mix up my workout wardrobe, so I'm honored to launch Sweaty Betty's new Super Soft range in my collection. We named it after Athena, the goddess of war, as that's how they will make you feel - like a warrior. I can't wait to send everyone I know the beautiful accessories - cashmere socks, soft beanies, and oversized scarves - this Holiday season." "Expanding on our first sold out collab with Halle has been the dream," remarks Jemma Cassidy, Sweaty Betty's Chief Product Officer. "We're constantly pushing ourselves to test the boundaries of activewear innovation and I'm thrilled we're partnering with her to launch our new Super Soft franchise in this collection. We've sourced the best technical fabric in the world, fitted the pieces in-house and strategically placed seams to give a leg-lengthening effect and sculpt the body. Working together for a second time has really allowed us to explore Halle's vision; building on the lounge and layering pieces she wears and loves in addition to technical activewear, to complete a full wardrobe for active women that reflects her strength and rebellious spirit." The limited edition collection is available in sizes XXS to XXL, with prices ranging from $14-$348. Inspired by Halle's love of nature and the tension between strength and softness seen in the collection, Halle fronts the campaign shot in the iconic Topanga Valley by frequent collaborators photographer Cliff Watts, stylist Lindsay Flores, and videographer Mark Roe. The collection will be available from October 22nd on sweatybetty.com and through select retail partners worldwide. For more information, please visit sweatybetty.com. To download assets: Campaign images: here Cut-out images: here Video: here ABOUT SWEATY BETTY Leading global activewear and lifestyle brand Sweaty Betty has been on a mission to empower women through fitness and beyond since 1998. The brand's loyal, fast-growing and global community of active women has female empowerment and inclusivity at its core. Famous for bum-sculpting leggings and innovative prints, Sweaty Betty combines fitness and style with technical, high-performance fabrics and responsibly sourced materials. Based in London, the design team create multi-sport, beautiful and technical clothes that flatter a woman's body, giving her the confidence to take on the world. In addition to its website which services customers globally, Sweaty Betty has shops in the UK and Asia, in addition to being in Selfridges, Harrods and shop-in-shops in over 99 Nordstrom stores across North America. The brand's products can also be found at leading retailers all over the world. For more information, please visit www.sweatybetty.com. Sweaty Betty is a division of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW). About respin respin is a health and wellness platform created to engage through learning and exploration around its core pillars: connect, nourish, strengthen, awaken, give, and eternal. Founded by Halle Berry, respin aims to shift the way readers view their health and wellness journey. It does so by providing an inclusive community, content and products for an accessible, multi-dimensional model of health and wellness through the conventional lens with a modern-day respin. For more information, visit www.re-spin.com. SOURCE SWEATY BETTY USA INC. Related Links https://www.sweatybetty.com/ MONTREAL, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tacora Resources Inc. ("Tacora" or the "Company") today announced changes to its executive management team and Board of Directors. Following a strategic review, Tacora's Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Broking as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, replacing Thierry Martel, effective immediately. Mr. Broking has also been appointed to the Board of Directors. Mr. Broking has worked in senior executive positions at Tacora since formation, including most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company. "On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Thierry for his commitment and contribution to building the Tacora business, and we wish him the very best as he embarks on his next chapter," said Nick Carter, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Investor and Analyst Contact: Joe Broking President and Chief Executive Officer T +1 (218) 398-0079 E [email protected] About Tacora Resources Inc. Tacora is a private company that is focused on the production and sale of high-grade and quality iron ore products that improve the efficiency and environmental performance of steel making. The Company owns and operates the Scully Mine, an iron ore concentrate producer located in Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada with a production capacity of 6 million tonnes per year, and owns the Sydvaranger Mine, a mine located in Sr-Varanger, Norway that is currently idled with a feasibility study recently completed for an expansion to 4 million tonnes per year of iron ore concentrate. The Company's equity investors include funds managed by Proterra Investment Partners LP; Aequor Holdings LLC; Cargill, Inc.; a fund managed by Orion Mine Finance; Titlis Mining AS; and MagGlobal LLC. 100% of the Scully Mine concentrate is purchased and marketed globally by a subsidiary of Cargill Inc. Additional information about the company is available at www.tacoraresources.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that are forward-looking in nature and relate to our expectations, beliefs, and intentions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed to be forward-looking. Although Tacora believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may accordingly differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, and these statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause outcomes to differ from our expectations. The forward-looking information set forth herein reflects Tacora's expectations as at the date of this press release and is subject to change after such date. Tacora 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 Tacora Resources Inc. The relaunched, user-friendly Bahamas.com allows travellers to dive deep into Bahamian culture while planning their next vacation NASSAU, Bahamas, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation took home Gold in the "Destination Marketing Website" category during the 2021 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards for its newly relaunched website. "Travel Weekly is an influential provider of travel industry news, research and analysis, and to be recognized by esteemed industry experts is a great honour," said Deputy Prime Minister The Honourable I. Chester Cooper, Bahamas Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation. "We are so proud to be acknowledged amongst the best in the industry." Highlights of the redesigned website, which is now available in six languages, include an "Itinerary Planner" that allows travelers to build a custom itinerary and in-depth "Experiences" pages that leverage the power of storytelling to showcase the islands' most unique experiences. In addition, the revamped website offers new features and functionalities that make planning a vacation in The Bahamas fun, easy and informative. "The relaunch of Bahamas.com was truly a team effort. Each new feature on the website was meticulously designed to ensure that every person who visits the site leaves with a deeper understanding of our beautiful destination," said Joy Jibrilu, Director General of Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation. "We wanted to make the vacation planning experience seamless, while inspiring visitors with real, culturally enriching Bahamian stories." "We are proud to work alongside The Bahamas to help share the story of its 16 islands across the world," said Rafael Cardozo, founder and CEO of Tambourine, The Bahamas' agency of record. "To receive the Magellan Gold Award, which is easily one of the industry's most coveted and widely recognised awards, is the icing on the cake." Travellers can check out the interactive website and plan their next Caribbean escape by visiting Bahamas.com. ### ABOUT THE MAGELLAN AWARDS Honouring industry leaders in a broad range of segments including Hotels and Resorts, Travel Destinations, Cruise Lines, Online Travel Services and much more, the Magellan Awards recognise the best in the travel industry and salute outstanding travel professionals and agencies. Winners are selected by an advisory board consisting of top travel industry professionals. All winners are highlighted in the October 2021 issue of Travel Weekly, read by travel enthusiasts globally. ABOUT THE BAHAMAS With over 700 islands and cays and 16 unique island destinations, The Bahamas lies just 50 miles off the coast of Florida, offering an easy fly away escape that transports travellers away from their everyday. The Islands of The Bahamas offer world-class fishing, diving, boating and thousands of miles of the earth's most spectacular water and beaches waiting for families, couples and adventurers. 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, Investments & Aviation [email protected] SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation Related Links https://www.bahamas.com/ STOCKHOLM, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tobii, the world leader in eye tracking and pioneer in attention computing, announced today its partnership with Pimax Innovation, a direct-to-consumer technology company specializing in advanced virtual reality (VR) hardware products. The partnership will make eye tracking a standard feature and implement dynamic foveated rendering in the upcoming generation of Pimax's high-end headsets. With Tobii eye tracking, users can have an embodied presence, stay comfortably in different worlds for long hours, and immerse themselves in the most natural way. This brings the full potential of the Metaverse close to consumers. "We are excited by the opportunity to, together with Pimax, help push the boundaries for state-of-the-art and truly immersive VR experiences," said Johan Hellqvist, VP of XR at Tobii. "Our first collaboration on premium VR headsets for consumers is an important milestone in our path to mass market adoption, and it confirms Tobii's leadership position for extended-reality (XR) market." "Tobii's proven track record in deploying eye tracking in the VR head-mounted display (HMDs) market makes it the best partner to work with on our direct-to-consumer products," said Robin Weng, founder and chairman of Pimax. "Its eye-tracking solution enables Pimax to create more powerful devices and immersive experiences in the Metaverse, where users have a strong sense of presence and enjoy themselves naturally in boundless ways." To learn more about Tobii's offerings within VR and augmented reality (AR), please visit Tobii VR | Eye Tracking Technology in Virtual Reality. To learn more details about Pimax, please visit Pimax.com. Tobii expects limited revenue in 2022 from the partnership with Pimax but sees attractive long-term potential in the partnership. In addition, it provides further evidence of eye tracking as a foundational technology in the future of XR headsets. It shows that Tobii is a preferred partner for some of the most innovative companies in the industry. Contact Lina Perdius, Head of Communications, Tobii AB, phone: +46 (0)70 018 78 75, email: [email protected] Henrik Mawby, Head of Investor Relations, Tobii Group, phone: +46 (0)72 219 82 15, email: [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/r/tobii-and-pimax-announce-new-partnership-to-bring-eye-tracking-to-consumer-virtual-reality-headsets,c3436555 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/2874/3436555/1484976.pdf Tobii and Pimax Announce New Partnership - press release - 22Oct2021 https://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/i/tobii-pimax,c2971260 Tobii Pimax SOURCE Tobii AB US policymakers, as shown in H. Res. 445, fail to fully hold the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) accountable. Tweet this "Despite the facts, US policymakers, as shown in H. Res. 445, fail to fully hold the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) accountable for the unprovoked attack of the Ethiopian Defense Forces on November 4, 2020. It is unspeakable to ask the Ethiopian Government to engage in talks with the TPLF terrorists, as H. Res. 445 does. The TPLF is a designated terrorist group and did not accept the Government issued unilateral ceasefire. More so, the TPLF continued the fighting that spread into the Afar and Amhara regions. "The EACC asks for a complete surrender by the TPLF. With a full and unequivocal surrender by the TPLF, we welcome the Government of Ethiopia allowing the African Union to independently review and oversee the peace process and country-wide stabilization. "We are, however, encouraged to see Rep. Chris Smith's (D-NJ) remarks explaining an amendment to H. Res 445, which is a more fair and balanced approach. The EACC will continue to work with Rep. Bass and other policymakers to ensure onerous economic sanctions or other measures with unintended consequences to the civilian people of Ethiopia do not make their way into U.S. policy." --EACC Chairman and Founder Deacon Yoseph Tafari Background: To view the full contents of H. Res 445, click here. Ethiopian American Civic Council: Is one the largest Ethiopian American diaspora community in the United States with approximately 750,000 supporters in all 50 states. The EACC represents all of the nearly 90 Ethiopian ethnic groups. The EACC is a US-based, 501(c) 4, nonprofit organization. SOURCE Ethiopian American Civic Council (EACC) The summit was attended by a number of big names, including Wei Yuquan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and former vice president of Sichuan University; Professor Wang Hongguang, director of the International Center for Bioeconomy at Tsinghua University and a specially-invited expert to the CPPCC National Committee; Professor Yu Rong, director of the Department of Biotechnology and Pharmacology and doctoral supervisor of West China College of Pharmacy, Sichuan University; Dr. Luo Xia, director of the Institute of Mycological Herbs, Sichuan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine; and Dr. Tang Can, graduate student tutor at Chengdu Medical College; as well as representatives from food companies such as Muyuan Foods and Longda Food, bio-enzyme preparation companies such as Livzon Pharm, Shunsheng Pharmaceutical, Livu Pharmaceutical, Tongde Pharmacy and Sichuan Deebiotech, and securities companies in Dongguan Securities, Zheshang Securities, PingAn Securities and Dongxing Securities, to discuss the development plans of the industry. New opportunities and challenges coexist as the industry moves into a new era 2021 marks the initial year of China's "14th Five-Year Plan", which highlights innovation-driven development. The pharmaceutical industry has rolled out five-year plans for various segments, which, coupled with the implementation of new medicine policies and environmental protection policies, is bringing the pharmaceutical industry a new wave of opportunities for industrial transformation and upgrading. The biochemical pharmaceutical sector, as a branch of the biopharmaceutical industry, started in China in the 1970s. It is a booming and growing force in China's pharmaceutical industry, and has become one of the three major pharmaceutical industries in China. "Enzyme preparations is also an important part of biologics," said Wei Yuquan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and former vice president of Sichuan Universit. "There are more than two thousand kinds of enzymes in our body. They are really a great machine. Therefore, developing enzymes as a drug is very promising." However, when compared with foreign countries, China's biochemical pharmaceutical and enzyme preparation industries started late and have a weak foundation. In addition, the industries suffer from insufficient investment in R&D, low product application and development capabilities, inadequate technical innovation capabilities, and the need to upgrade product quality, which seriously restricts the biochemical industry to seize the development opportunities in the new era. "The bio-enzyme community in China in our country is not broad-minded enough compared with foreign countries, in terms of both product quality and the development of varieties," said Dr. Tang Can, graduate student tutor at Chengdu Medical College. "Some countries have produced many products we dare not imagine. Therefore, there may be a certain gap between China and foreign countries in terms of development speed and quality of bio-enzymes." Effectively promote industrial transformation and upgrading by setting up an alliance and a fund For this reason, the first Bio-enzyme Application Explorer Summit organized by Sichuan Deebiotech is of great significance to driving the development of the biochemical pharmaceutical industry. On the one hand, the quality and safety of pharmaceuticals is not only related to the survival of patients and pharmaceutical companies, but also to the rise and fall of the drug industry. Ensuring the quality and safety of pharmaceuticals requires the concerted efforts of the entire industry. Therefore, Sichuan Deebiotech, joining hands with Muyuan Foods, Longda Food in Liaocheng, Livzon Pharm in Shanghai, Shunsheng Pharmaceutical in Sichuan, Tongde Pharmacy in Chengdu and Livu Pharmaceutical in Henan, set up the "Bio-enzyme Industry Chain Quality and Safety Alliance". Upstream, midstream and downstream players in the entire industry chain all have sworn to work together and do their best to protect patients' medication safety from the perspectives of raw materials and manufacturing. "The original purpose of setting up the Quality and Safety Alliance is to ensure and improve the quality of pharmaceuticals and ensure the safe use of pharmaceuticals by patients," said Zhang Ge, chairman of Sichuan Deebiotech. "Next, the Alliance plans to do four things. Firstly, it will set a quality benchmark, which will let everyone knows what is good; secondly, we will develop a quality convention which we will all comply with, to strengthen self-discipline within industry; thirdly, we still hope to expand the Alliance, to enhance the communication between member companies; and fourthly, we hope that the Alliance members could act as industry representatives to make some achievements." On the other hand, Sichuan Deebiotech set up the "Bio-enzyme Innovation and Application R&D Fund" with a start-up capital of 10 million yuan, in an effort to promote the development of the biochemical pharmaceutical industry in China, improve technologies and cultivate innovation talents in the biochemical industry. Outstanding scientific researchers and R&D teams targeting the development of biological enzyme products and product improvement and innovation are eligible to apply for the fund. This fund aims to encourage companies, universities and research institutes to engage in innovative research and development of biochemical products and technologies, thereby comprehensively enhancing the independent innovation capability of Chinese biochemical enterprises and their core competitiveness in the international arena. Gathering wisdom to build a new future led by leading enterprises The transformation and development of the industry needs not only the leadership from leading companies, but also the support and cooperation of the entire industry chain. The organizer of the summit, Sichuan Deebiotech, is a leading company in the global bio-enzymes sector and the largest pancreatin supplier in the global market, with a market share of more than 30% in both pepsin and trypsin-chymotrypsin markets. It is the only supplier of elastase, clear solution pepsin and high-lipase pancreatin in China. The company has passed the GMP certifications in EU and China since 2005, and has the production technologies for high-activity, high-purity and high-stability bio-enzymes. Its products have been exported to Europe, the US, Japan and Korea for more than 20 years and marketed in 30 countries and regions worldwide. As a veteran who has been working in the bio-enzyme industry for nearly 30 years, Zhang Ge, chairman of Sichuan Deebiotech, understands the close ties between industry development and industry-university-research cooperation. "The work we have done on the application and development of medicinal bio-enzymes is far from enough, especially for the naturally derived ones," Zhang said. "Therefore, opening a broader space for the application of pharmaceutical bio-enzymes is the key to the development of bio-enzymes enterprises. We are committed to practicing the industrial concept of unity of knowledge and action, and to creating a platform for the whole industry of bio-enzymes in order to develop a broader space for applications of bio-enzymes. The such a platform, industry experts, scholars and entrepreneurs can exchange ideas, discuss topics and cooperate to jointly promote the innovative development and application of bio-enzymes." On the day of the summit, Deebiotech (Chengdu) Co., Ltd. was successfully completed, in order to further realize industry-university-research cooperation and the transformation of research results for expanding the applications of bio-enzymes. The firm serves as an open window and development center for Deebiotech, with a core focus on promoting the implementation of applied research and development of bio-enzymes. Going ahead, Deebiotech (Chengdu) will bring together more excellent R&D professionals and teams from China and abroad to jointly support the biologics industry in China to seize opportunities and address challenges, and create a better future for the industry. The Bio-enzyme Application Explorer Summit is not only a great event for industry pioneers and builders, but also a milestone event for Deebiotech to continue its in-depth expansion in the field of bio-enzymes. "As a pharmaceutical company, we have a bigger dream, that is, we hope to let bio-enzymes play their important role to benefit human beings, and I believe that this is also the dream of the whole bio-enzyme industry," said Zhang. Media contact: Contact Person: Selina Liu E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.deebiotech.com SOURCE Sichuan Deebiotech Corp., Ltd "The Santa Cruz boasts versatility, innovative design and the additional benefit of an open rear bed for those seeking flexible storage for an adventurous lifestyle," said Ricky Lao, director, product planning, Hyundai Motor North America. "While Hyundai refers to their new Santa Cruz as a Sport Adventure Vehicle, some consumers will think of it as a right-sized pickup truck that fits their everyday lifestyle," said William West Hopper, president emeritus, Washington Automotive Press Association. "Plus, it's a blast to drive which is why the members of the Washington Automotive Press Association chose it as a winner for the 2021 WAPA Fall Rally category of Best Pickup Truck. Look for it to be awarded at the 2022 Washington D.C. Auto Show in January." About the Washington Automotive Press Association (WAPA) The Washington Automotive Press Association promotes education and professional awareness in the field of motor vehicles regarding their manufacturing and regulation. It seeks to enhance and encourage the professionalism of journalists and specialists in automotive and related fields. For more information, please visit www.washautopress.org 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 Titled "On Road to Prosperity", the third leg, covering Tianjin, Suzhou, Shenzhen and Hainan, will take China-based foreign media correspondents, foreign internet influencers and domestic journalists to experience China's achievements in reform and opening-up. The third leg of the tour was jointly launched by Niu Yibing, deputy minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China, and Zhou Derui, member of the CPC's Tianjin Standing Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee, at the launch ceremony. Zhang Yong, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China's news and communications bureau, said he hoped participants tell the governance stories of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people's stories striving for their dreams, and the country's stories in pursuit of peaceful development. "We should present a true, multi-dimensional and panoramic view of China, just like Edgar Snow did in his classic Red Star Over China," Zhang said. Wang Yun, director of the Cyberspace Administration of Tianjin, shared more about Tianjin. As the biggest port in northern China, Tianjin is an important window of China to the world. She invited participants to hear the "sounds" of Tianjin with its various Chinese folk art forms, like cross-talk and drums. "The city is full of the atmosphere of life," she said. Wang Hao, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily, said China's reform and opening-up have benefited its people and people worldwide, during the country's accelerated steps onto the world stage. China has new changes and new stories every day, Wang added. China Daily journalist Erik Nilsson, who is from the United States, said he is always happy to return to Tianjin, which he has visited many times. "And even though the location is the same, I return to a different Tianjin each time, because the city has continued developing so quickly." A series of Chinese culture documentaries titled Let's Go to China was also released at the launch ceremony. The documentaries are divided into six themed chapters: porcelain, paper-making and calligraphy, traditional Chinese medicine, silk and clothing design, animation and games, and red tourism. It will be broadcast simultaneously on the China Daily website, app, and social media accounts at home and abroad starting Oct 25, and will also be put on Aiqiyi, Tencent, and Bilibili in November. Beginning in April this year, the first two legs of the "A Date with China" tour covered more than 100 interview sites in Shaanxi, Hubei, Guizhou, Guangxi, Xinjiang and Fujian, which generated thousands of reports on different platforms receiving more than 900 million views. SOURCE PRNA MEDIA DEVELOPMENT SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Thursday evening adopted Plan Bay Area 2050 and its associated Environmental Impact Report. The unanimous votes by both boards cap a nearly four-year process during which more than 20,000 Bay Area residents contributed to the development of the new plan. Defined by 35 strategies for housing, transportation, economic vitality and the environment, Plan Bay Area 2050 lays out a $1.4 trillion vision for policies and investments to make the nine-county region more affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and economically vibrant for all its residents through 2050 and beyond. From housing strategies that would produce more than 1 million new permanently affordable homes by 2050 to transit-fare reforms that would reduce cost burdens for riders with low incomes and paths to economic mobility through job training and a universal basic income, the goal of a more equitable Bay Area is interwoven throughout the plan. With a groundbreaking focus on climate change, strategies also are crafted for resilience against future uncertainties, including protection from hazards such sea-level rise and wildfires. "Plan Bay Area 2050 reflects a shared vision that can't be implemented by any single agency," explained ABAG Executive Board President and Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin. "To bring all these strategies to fruition will require ABAG and MTC to strengthen our existing partnerships and to form new ones not just with our cities and counties and the state government, but also with the federal government, businesses and nonprofits." MTC Chair and Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza acknowledged the work ahead. "Building and preserving affordable housing. Adapting to sea level rise. Getting more people closer to their jobs and more jobs closer to the people. Sharing prosperity equitably. All of these are big lifts. But the new plan can serve as a north star for the Bay Area's journey to 2050." Among the features that distinguish Plan Bay Area 2050 from previous regional plans is an associated Implementation Plan that details the specific actions ABAG and MTC can take in the next five years to put the new plan into action. "The Implementation Plan is a commitment to do hard things, not just think about them," said ABAG-MTC Executive Director Therese W. McMillan. "Even if these steps have to be taken incrementally, they will lead us to a more equitable and resilient Bay Area." The adopted final Plan Bay Area 2050, the EIR, and all the supplemental reports accompanying the new plan are available online at planbayarea.org/finalplan2050. ABAG is the council of governments and the regional planning agency for the 101 cities and towns, and nine counties of the Bay Area. MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. ### SOURCE Metropolitan Transportation Commission; Association of Bay Area Governments Related Links http://www.mtc.ca.gov HOUSTON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Collaborative Health Systems (CHS) announced today the Accountable Care Coalition (ACC) of Southeast Texas, Inc. generated nearly $64 million in shared savings under the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model for performance years 2017 through 2020, according to performance year 2020 figures released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In performance year 2020, the ACC of Southeast Texas achieved the following outcomes: Served more than 18,000 Medicare beneficiaries across southeast Texas ; ; Achieved an overall savings rate of 12.2%, the third highest of all Next Generation ACOs; and, Generated $30 million in shared savings a 70% increase from performance year 2019. The ACC of Southeast Texas also partnered with CHS to improve care and quality outcomes through timely and preventive care. Leveraging innovative technology to track population health trends, CHS supported the ACC of Southeast Texas to meet quality standards annually, and, most recently, helped them achieve a 94.6% overall quality score. This higher quality level of care has helped keep patients out of the hospital and ER resulting in a 20% decrease in inpatient discharges per 1,000 and a 29% decrease in ER visits per 1,000 since 2012. "We are proud to report the ACC of Southeast Texas has generated shared savings for both our providers and the Medicare program for the fourth year in a row," said Dr. Raul Rivera, Medical Director, ACC of Southeast Texas. "We remain committed to providing high-quality, cost-effective care and services to our patients across the state." "The ACC of Southeast Texas is demonstrating how value-based care can help providers deliver better health outcomes while lowering the cost of care," said Anthony Valdes, President of Collaborative Health Systems. "We look forward to our continued partnership with providers across Texas as they explore new opportunities to manage costs and deliver higher quality care to Medicare beneficiaries." The Next Generation ACO Model was designed under the CMS Innovation Center to test whether strong financial incentives for ACOs can improve health outcomes and reduce expenditures for Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) beneficiaries. Under the Model, groups of doctors and other healthcare providers come together voluntarily to provide coordinated, high-quality care at lower costs to their Medicare FFS beneficiaries. Provider groups in this Model assume higher levels of financial risk and reward than are available under the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). The Model engages beneficiaries in their care through benefit enhancements designed to improve the patient experience and rewards seeking appropriate care from providers and suppliers participating in ACOs. Performance year 2021 represents that last year of the Next Generation ACO Model. The CMS Innovation Center has rolled out a new value-based care initiative, Direct Contracting, with April 2021 and January 2022 start dates for initial adopters. Collaborative Health Systems will be managing four Direct Contracting Entities with a presence across 24 states. For more information about the ACC of Southeast Texas and Collaborative Health Systems, visit www.CollaborativeHealthSystems.com. About the Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Texas, Inc. The Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Texas, Inc. is a Next Generation ACO focused on value-based healthcare. Our providers, who are located in Texas, are dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare and lowering the growth rate of healthcare costs. The Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Texas has participated in the CMS Innovation Center's Next Generation ACO initiative under annual participation agreements with CMS since being one of 18 participants for the first performance year in 2016. For more information, visit accofsetexas.com. The Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Texas has been approved by CMS to participate in the Direct Contracting program with a January 2022 start. About Collaborative Health Systems Collaborative Health Systems (CHS) is a management services organization that partners with independent primary care physicians as they move to value-based models. Its core belief is that primary care physicians are in the best position to influence the quality and cost of healthcare. CHS provides comprehensive support for its physician partners by providing management services, risk contracting, and population health capabilities, including actionable data and other tools, to deliver care coordination and closure of gaps in care. CHS provides additional services to secure and deliver favorable value-based contracts with commercial and other health plans. CHS currently manages two Next Generation ACOs, one Direct Contracting entity, eight MSSP ACOs, a Care Transformation Organization, and three Independent Practice Associations. CHS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation. Collaborative Health Systems operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. For more information, call 866-245-7043. SOURCE Collaborative Health Systems KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Collaborative Health Systems (CHS) announced today the Accountable Care Coalition (ACC) of Tennessee, LLC generated nearly $41 million in shared savings under the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model for performance years 2018 through 2020, according to performance year 2020 figures released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In performance year 2020, the ACC of Tennessee achieved the following outcomes: Served more than 24,000 Medicare beneficiaries across Tennessee ; ; Achieved an overall savings rate of 8.3%; and, Generated $19.3 million in shared savings a 260% increase from performance year 2018. The ACC of Tennessee also partnered with CHS to improve care and quality outcomes through timely and preventive care. Leveraging innovative technology to track population health trends, CHS supported the ACC of Tennessee to meet quality standards annually, and, most recently, helped them achieve a nearly perfect quality score of 99%. This score was the third highest of all Next Generation ACOs. This higher-quality level of care has also helped keep patients out of the hospital and ER resulting in a 16% decrease in inpatient discharges per 1,000 and a 24% decrease in ER visits per 1,000 since 2019. "We are proud to report the ACC of Tennessee has continued to lead the nation in patient-care quality while generating savings for our providers and the Medicare program for the third consecutive year," said Dr. Jeff Stevens, Medical Director, ACC of Tennessee. "We remain committed to providing high-quality, affordable care and services to our patients across the state." "The ACC of Tennessee continues to demonstrate how physicians committed to efficiency and enhancing patient care can succeed by embracing value-based models that increase accountability, lower costs, and improve quality of care," said Anthony Valdes, President of Collaborative Health Systems. "We look forward to our continued partnership with providers as we work to achieve quality health outcomes, healthier patient populations, and lower costs in Tennessee communities." The Next Generation ACO Model was designed under the CMS Innovation Center to test whether strong financial incentives for ACOs can improve health outcomes and reduce expenditures for Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) beneficiaries. Under the Model, groups of doctors and other healthcare providers come together voluntarily to provide coordinated, high-quality care at lower costs to their Medicare FFS beneficiaries. Provider groups in this Model assume higher levels of financial risk and reward than are available under the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). The Model engages beneficiaries in their care through benefit enhancements designed to improve the patient experience and rewards seeking appropriate care from providers and suppliers participating in ACOs. Performance year 2021 represents the last year of the Next Generation ACO Model. The CMS Innovation Center has rolled out a new value-based care initiative, Direct Contracting, with April 2021 and January 2022 start dates for initial adopters. Collaborative Health Systems will be managing four Direct Contracting Entities with a presence across 24 states. For more information about the ACC of Tennessee and Collaborative Health Systems, visit www.CollaborativeHealthSystems.com. About the Accountable Care Coalition of Tennessee, LLC The Accountable Care Coalition of Tennessee, Inc. is a Next Generation ACO focused on value-based healthcare. Our providers, who are located in East Tennessee, are dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare and lowering the growth rate of healthcare costs. The Accountable Care Coalition of Tennessee participates in the CMS Innovation Center's Next Generation ACO initiative under an annual participation agreement with CMS. For more information, visit accoftennessee.com. The Accountable Care Coalition of Tennessee has been approved by CMS to participate in the Direct Contracting program with a January 2022 start. About Collaborative Health Systems Collaborative Health Systems (CHS) is a management services organization that partners with independent primary care physicians as they move to value-based models. Its core belief is that primary care physicians are in the best position to influence the quality and cost of healthcare. CHS provides comprehensive support for its physician partners by providing management services, risk contracting, and population health capabilities, including actionable data and other tools, to deliver care coordination and closure of gaps in care. CHS provides additional services to secure and deliver favorable value-based contracts with commercial and other health plans. CHS currently manages two Next Generation ACOs, one Direct Contracting entity, eight MSSP ACOs, a Care Transformation Organization, and three Independent Practice Associations. CHS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation. Collaborative Health Systems operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. For more information, call 866-245-7043. SOURCE Collaborative Health Systems CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, today announced its intent for strategic investments in China in support of the expansion of its lithium conversion capacity. The company recently signed investment agreements with the Yangtze River International Chemical Industrial Park in the Zhangjiagang Free Trade Zone (Jiangsu province), and the Pengshan Economic Development Park in the Pengshan District (Sichuan province). "These agreements are important steps in our continued commitment to invest in new capacity that will support our customers' growth plans," said Eric Norris, President, Lithium. "We are excited to expand our network of high-quality, battery-grade hydroxide production capacity in China." With these agreements, Albemarle will move forward with its design, engineering and permitting plans to build a conversion plant at each site, each of which has planned production capacity initially targeting 50,000 metric tons lithium hydroxide per annum. Subject to additional studies and approvals, it is expected these plants would start construction during 2022 and complete construction by the end of 2024. "We are excited to work with our local teams in China to deliver Albemarle's next-generation lithium hydroxide plants," added Jac Fourie, Chief Capital Projects Officer. "These projects represent the next step in our Capital Excellence Program to capture benefits in speed to market, lower capital intensity, lower product cost, and improved sustainability." About Albemarle Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and catalysts. We think beyond business as usual to power the potential of companies in many of the world's largest and most critical industries, such as energy, electronics, and transportation. We actively pursue a sustainable approach to managing our diverse global footprint of world-class resources. In conjunction with our highly experienced and talented global teams, our deep-seated values, and our collaborative customer relationships, we create value-added and performance-based solutions that enable a safer and more sustainable future. We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings and other information regarding our company, its businesses, and the markets it serves. Forward-Looking Statements Some of the information presented in this press release, including, without limitation, information related to expected capacity expansion, plans and anticipated benefits in relation to the capacity expansion, the targeted construction and completion dates for the capacity expansion and all other information relating to matters that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ materially from the views expressed herein. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the outlook expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement include, without limitation: changes in economic and business conditions; changes priorities, financial, and operating performance of Albemarle's major customers and industries and markets served by Albemarle; the timing of orders received from customers; the gain or loss of significant customers; competition from other manufacturers; changes in the demand for Albemarle's products or the end-user markets in which its products are sold; the availability of financing; the satisfaction of conditions to completion, including regulatory approvals; the occurrence of regulatory actions, proceedings, claims, or litigation; and the other factors detailed from time to time in the reports Albemarle files with the SEC, including those described under "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. We assume no obligation to provide any revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws. SOURCE Albemarle Corporation Related Links http://www.albemarle.com FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- It's hard to stay motivated in the fall and winter. The days are short and they tend to start and end in darkness. Altitude is a great way to stay healthy and energized during the cold, dark months of the year. A wide variety of professionals already use Altitude to stay energized and motivated. However, the multifunctional tonic was originally created for a distinct purpose which also had to do with tired, long workdays. Company co-founder Ali Asghari explains the brand's origin story, "Back in 2003, a group of European pilots met in Italy. They shared the concern about the side effects of drinking too much coffee." Asghari goes on to detail the issues that pilots faced when consuming common energy drinks, including things "such as dehydration, stomach irritation, anxiety, jitters, and the crash," punctuating the list with the statement that "those were not acceptable for the already highly stressful profession." Without an adequate alternative to turn to, the group decided to create their own "healthy espresso." Soon the concept of an espresso expanded to the desire for a multifunctional drink that could help pilots stay both healthy and awake while they plied their trade. The founders hired a team of doctors and nutritionists to help with the research, and after ten years of R&D, the result was a tasty, 100% natural, organic, multifunctional tonic. Asghari points out that the entire process "started with a genuine intention of serving a healthy beverage to busy professionals while keeping the connection to Mother Nature as alive as possible. The rest is history." Altitude started with the goal of keeping pilots healthy and stimulated without a sugar crash at the end. It didn't take long, however, before the delectable tonic became a fan favorite for professionals from all walks of life throughout Europe and Canada. With a strong international customer base already behind it, Altitude recently took the next step by entering the health- and energy-friendly U.S. marketplace. This means American consumers can also finally tap into the energy tonic's potent effect as they face the long, dark winter days ahead. About Altitude: Altitude is an organic energy tonic owned and produced by the Austrian/Italian company PilotsFriend. The brand has operations in Europe and Canada and recently entered the U.S. marketplace under the direction of Ali Asghari, co-founder and president of the brand's Canadian wing PilotsFriend West. Originally created to help keep jet pilots awake at the controls, the drink has become a popular source of energy for professionals across the globe. Its quality ingredients work together to offer an organic, natural, long-lasting, crash-free way to achieve peak performance in any and all circumstances. Learn more about Altitude at pilotsfriend.ca . Please direct inquiries to: Leland Stirling (954) 721-5345 [email protected] SOURCE Altitude Related Links https://pilotsfriend.ca FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Altitude is an all-natural organic energy tonic that has been crafted to perfection. This comes from the strong purpose that has driven the founders of the brand from day one. Altitude was born out of the desire to find a healthy, multifunctional option to help pilots stay awake at the controls. The brand's website describes its origin by stating that "over the past 10 years, a team of European bio-scientists and nutritionists meticulously crafted and perfected PilotsFriend." The goal in this process started with the need for an energy tonic that didn't use aspartame or leave drinkers with jittery hands and sugar crashes. As time went on, the goal grew until it became nothing less than creating a multifunctional drink that delivered in four key areas: Stimulating the body; Helping with digestive health; Reducing inflammation; Boosting the immune system. What's more, the research team was determined to utilize only 100% natural ingredients of the highest quality. This included adopting standards that refused to use monocultures, pesticides, and genetic engineering. Instead, they prioritize natural forms of nutrients. Altitude's digestive benefits come from ginger, cardamom, and Great yellow gentian. Its anti-inflammatory properties are derived from Quinine and Black carrot. Its immunity-boosting powers are sourced from nature's very own antioxidant and vitamin sources found in things like lemons, oranges, chokeberry, and acerola. Even the product's caffeine comes straight from nature. The formula includes a balanced mixture of caffeine from kola nut and guarana extracts. This adds up to a gentle yet effective 48mg dose of caffeine per can. All combined, the wunderkind concoction offers a healthy, prolonged, crash-free energy boost. This makes Altitude a one-of-a-kind tonic that combines excellence and purity together to truly offer, in the words of the brand, "a taste of clarity." About Altitude: Altitude is an organic energy tonic owned and produced by the Austrian/Italian company PilotsFriend. The brand has operations in Europe and Canada and recently entered the U.S. marketplace under the direction of Ali Asghari, co-founder and president of the brand's Canadian wing PilotsFriend West. Originally created to help keep jet pilots awake at the controls, the drink has become a popular source of energy for professionals across the globe. Its quality ingredients work together to offer an organic, natural, long-lasting, crash-free way to achieve peak performance in any and all circumstances. Learn more about Altitude at pilotsfriend.ca . Please direct inquiries to: Gabriele Fryar (954) 719-6585 [email protected] SOURCE Altitude HOUSTON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ICIS, a global source of commodity intelligence, today has announced that Dr. T. Kevin Swift, formerly the American Chemistry Council (ACC)'s Chief Economist and Managing Director, will be joining the business on 1 November as the firm's Senior Economist, Global Chemicals. Kevin specialises in chemical industry economics and the interaction of strategy, management and economic developments. His interests specifically focus on analytics and how organisations process and analyse potential strategic futures. Kevin has extensive knowledge of the chemical and energy industries, including market research within an international context. Kevin has about 45 years of chemical industry experience, with the last 30 spent with the ACC. His invaluable and extensive experience will add to ICIS' talent and expertise as the business continues its digital transformation and provide the intelligence required to operate effectively in rapidly changing global markets. Alex Lidback, Vice President of Chemical Analytics at Chemical Data part of ICIS, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Kevin to our business. Kevin's renowned expertise in the chemical and economic sectors will bring a wealth of insight to our consulting and analytics work. We are pleased to have Kevin onboard and look forward to working with him as we continue to our journey to connect markets, customers and data." Dr T. Kevin Swift added: "I am humbled to be joining ICIS at this point in my career and have the opportunity to work alongside their specialists in Chemicals is very exciting. I am aware that the team at Chemical Data and ICIS develop their analysis by thoroughly examining and surveying each of the major petroleum and petrochemical markets, providing clients with an up-to-date portfolio of the markets as well the longer-term scenarios, including sustainability strategies, along the entire supply chain. It's a great time for me to be joining the team as the business focusses in its digital evolution." About ICIS ICIS is a trusted source of intelligence for the global energy, chemical and fertilizer industries. We are a division of RELX, a FTSE 15 company with a market cap of $60.3bn and an employee base of over 30,000 experts across 40 countries. In 2020, ICIS acquired Chemical Data (CDI), a leading provider of US petrochemical price benchmarks, market analysis, and predictive analytics, based in Houston. The combined capabilities create a global presence and trusted intelligence in key petrochemical markets worldwide. At ICIS, we help businesses make strategic decisions, mitigate risk, improve productivity, and capitalise on new opportunities. We make some of the world's most important markets more trusted and predictable by providing data services, thought leadership and decision tools. As a result of our unmatched global presence, we can deliver targeted connected intelligence to influence thousands of decisions across supply chains every single day. We shape the world by connecting markets to optimise the world's valuable resources. With a global team of more than 600 experts, ICIS has employees based in London, New York, Houston, Karlsruhe, Milan, Mumbai, Singapore, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Dubai, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Tokyo, and Perth. https://www.icis.com/explore/. About RELX RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs over 33,000 people, of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. The market capitalisation is approximately 43.7bn, 51.8bn, $60.3bn. SOURCE ICIS BOWIE, Md., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Apostle Crystal Moore Naylor is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Distinguished Executive and Senior Pastor for her work at the Total Salvation Church. Apostle Naylor is the Founder and President of the Total Salvation Church, located in Bowie, MD. She and her husband, Pastor Louis Naylor, felt called to start their church in 1996. Apostle Naylor preaches that her congregants will become FVIPs - people of Faith, Vision, Integrity, and Pure Hearts. Apostle Crystal Moore Naylor Apostle Naylor is an artist, author, poet, songwriter, and Christian playwright. She sells e-books and poems on her website, https://osck.org/, which stands for Our Soon Coming King. She is the author of the e-books What Total Salvation Gives Through Jesus Christ the Son, Why Three Baptisms, Rapture! Victorious! Glorious! Church!, and Come Lord Jesus! Apostle Naylor sells color and black and white print versions of her poems, complete with illustrations. Throughout her literature and art, Apostle Naylor discusses Vision I and Vision II, which were messages sent to her by the Lord regarding the Rapture. She also writes about her love of Jesus Christ and her personal experiences working with members of her congregation. Apostle Naylor says her work will "greatly encourage you, as well as others, in their walk with the Lord Jesus Christ." Alongside her local ministry, Apostle Naylor has traveled to Nigeria, China, London, England, and Egypt to preach internationally. While meeting with people, she saves their souls, heals them, and encourages miracles, as parts of the Almighty God's Total Salvation Package. To obtain her college education, Apostle Naylor earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education, followed by a Master's degree in Special Education. She is also a graduate of Bible College. She is an anointed Christian Minister, and is ordained to the office of Apostle by the Christian International Apostolic Network, and the International Congress of Churches & Ministers. Awarded for her work, the Copyright Office chose a drawing of the Rapture that Apostle Naylor drew for special recognition in 1996. She has been recognized on Who's Who Among American Colleges, PRWeb, and Cision News. Apostle Naylor was also featured in a Blog Talk Radio interview. Apostle Crystal Moore Naylor's greatest desire is that everyone would accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. She also hopes that every Christian would be like the five wise virgins that Jesus Christ spoke of in Matthew 25:1-13, and be ready when Our Soon Coming King, Jesus Christ, comes to Rapture his Church. For more information, visit https://osck.org/ and https://www.totalsalvationchurch.org/. SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com OSLO, Norway, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Asetek will release its financial results for the third quarter of 2021 on Thursday, 28 October at 7:00 AM CEST. CEO Andre Sloth Eriksen and CFO Peter Dam Madsen will present the Company's results at 8:00 AM CEST and invites investors, analysts and media to join the presentation. The presentation is expected to last up to one hour, including Q&A, and can be followed via live webcast or conference call. Webcast - audio and slide presentation: Please join the results webcast via the following link: https://streams.eventcdn.net/asetek/2021q3 Conference call - audio only: Please dial in 5-10 minutes prior using the phone numbers and confirmation code below: Copenhagen, Denmark: +45 7872 3250 Oslo, Norway +47 2396 3938 Frankfurt, Germany +49 69222 2391 66 London, United Kingdom: +44 (0) 3333 00 9262 New York, United States of America: +1 631 913 1422 (US only PIN: 80618629#) The third quarter 2021 report and presentation will be made available online at www.asetek.com and www.newsweb.no, as well as through news agencies. A recorded version of the presentation will be made available at www.asetek.com approximately two hours after the presentation has concluded. Q&A: The conference call lines will be opened for participants to ask question at the end of the presentation. Questions can also be submitted through the online webcast during the presentation. For further information, please contact: Peter Madsen, Chief Financial Officer Mobile: +45 2080 7200 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] About Asetek Asetek is the global leader in liquid cooling solutions for gaming and enthusiast PCs, data centers and servers. In 2021, Asetek is introducing its line of products for next-level immersive SimSports gaming experiences. Founded in 2000, Asetek is headquartered in Denmark and has operations in California, Texas, China and Taiwan. Asetek is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ASTK.OL). www.asetek.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/asetek/r/asetek-presents-third-quarter-2021-results-on-thursday--28-october,c3438564 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Asetek NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ATSG, a leading, tech-enabled managed services and solutions company, today announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named ATSG, as a 2021 Triple Crown Award recipient. This award celebrates standout solution providers for the impressive accomplishment of being featured on three of CRN's prestigious lists, the Solution Provider 500, Fast Growth 150, and Tech Elite 250 in the same year. For eight consecutive years, the Triple Crown Award has accredited unparalleled performance from top solution providers in North America based on revenue, growth, and technical expertise within the IT channel. "ATSG is honored to be named to this very exclusive list of only forty-five IT Solution Providers for the second consecutive year," said Anthony J. D'Ambrosi, Chief Executive Officer, ATSG. "Our ongoing culture of innovation, quality of service, and overall commitment to our clients' digital transformation success have helped us obtain this noteworthy achievement. I am extremely proud of the skills, dedication, and collaboration across our organization, in conjunction with our strategic partners, for the superb execution against our mission and vision." The Triple Crown accreditation recognizes ATSG as one of the largest, fastest-growing IT solution providers in North America who hold the highest-level certifications from leading vendors in the industry. This achievement emphasizes ATSG's ability to provide innovative technology services that drive positive business outcomes and ensure a delighted consumer from both an IT organizational and end-user perspective. "What an achievement to attain the Triple Crown Award we are thrilled to congratulate these top solution providers who are leading the pack by revenue in North America, and whom have experienced more substantial growth this year than many other channel organizations while maintaining and building upon the technical skills that result in the highest level of service in the IT channel," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "This award is the trifecta of honor, highlighting truly extraordinary solution providers who continue to go above and beyond in their contributions to the channel and to the future of the industry with their dedication and expertise." This year's Triple Crown Award winners will be featured in the October 2021 issue of CRN and online at www.crn.com/triplecrown. About ATSG ATSG is a global tech-enabled managed services and solutions company focused on innovative solutions to enhance today's digital enterprise and end-user experiences. ATSG provides Intelligent IT through Technology Solutions as a Service (TSaaS) to a variety of customers; leveraging an offerings portfolio of rediTech, rediManage, rediCloud, and rediSecure, which delivers reliable, elastic, dynamic infrastructure, collaboration, applications, as well as world-class IT operations. ATSG is a privately held company headquartered in Manhattan, New York. For more information on ATSG, please visit us on the web at www.atsg.net, like us on LinkedIn, follow us on Twitter or become a fan on our Facebook page. #AboutATSG ATSG is a portfolio company of RunTide Capital, a private equity firm focused on building tech-enabled growth companies. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and, end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com Press Contact: Elizabeth Kubycheck Chief Marketing & Administrative Officer [email protected] SOURCE ATSG Related Links http://www.atsg.net DALLAS, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkshire Biomedical Corporation ("Berkshire" or "the Company"), focused on developing drug delivery devices designed to accurately and precisely deliver oral liquid drugs only to the biometrically authenticated Intended User, provide remote monitoring and enhance patient wellness, announced today that the company issued $2.75 million in 8% convertible promissory notes (the "Notes") to a group of qualified investors, including founding and other investors who participated in the previous capital raise. The Notes, which were approved by Berkshire Biomedical's board of directors, accrue interest at the rate of 8% per annum and have a maturity date of 5 years post issuance (the "Maturity Date"). Prior to the conversion, the Company can repay all or any portion of the notes without penalty. In the event the Company consummates, prior to the maturity date of the Notes, a qualified equity financing event ("Financing Event") pursuant to which it sells shares of preferred stock (the "Preferred Stock") in a single transaction or group of related transactions, then all outstanding principal, together with all accrued but unpaid interest under the Notes, will automatically convert into shares of the Preferred Stock in the same class as being issued, but at a pre-defined discount to the price per share paid by the other purchasers of stock in the Financing Event. "This infusion of new capital is important as it supports the late-stage development of our COPATM System, as we advance the program toward achieving regulatory clearance," said John Timberlake, Chief Executive Officer of Berkshire. "We appreciate the ongoing support of our loyal investors as it underscores their commitment to and alignment with our vision to enhance patient wellness by leveraging technology to improve medical outcomes." "Chronic pain and opioid addiction medication assisted therapy have been identified as potential indications with the greatest need for which the COPA System's unique security, compliance support metrics and precise liquid dispensing features could benefit. There is a growing need for safer, better ways to deliver important drugs to only those Intended Users, and we look forward to advancing the COPA System to address these growing unmet medical needs and enhance patient outcomes," added Mr. Timberlake. Separately, the Company announces that prior to the issuance of the convertible notes, it converted from a limited liability company to a Delaware corporation. This conversion became effective as of September 30, 2021. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor will there be any sales of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. About Berkshire Biomedical Corporation Berkshire Biomedical Corporation is a privately held medical device company. Berkshire is developing drug delivery devices designed to accurately and precisely deliver oral liquid drugs by pioneering the use of biometric technologies, combined with cloud-based and physician-enabled remote management systems to provide accurate personalized medication delivery to the authenticated Intended User. The Company's lead product under development, the Computerized Oral Prescription Administration (COPATM) System, is an authenticated Intended User automated oral liquid dispensing system designed to deliver controlled and non-controlled liquid oral medications to only the Intended User upon confirmation of dual biometric identifications (fingerprint and dentition). Three overarching features combine to make the COPA technology unique: security, compliance support (metrics) with remote monitoring and precise liquid dispensing. Chronic pain and opioid addiction medication assisted therapy have been identified as potential indications with the greatest need for the benefits of these features. The Company intends to initially seek opportunities to leverage COPA in the delivery and remote management of controlled liquid oral medications and to expand COPA use in broader medical markets, drug applications, and businesses that manage the commercialization and data analytics provided by the electronic devices to improve outcomes and reduce risk. Additional information about Berkshire Biomedical and the COPA System can be found at www.berkbiomed.com. CONTACT: Berkshire Biomedical Corporation [email protected] Anne Marie Fields Managing Director Rx Communications Group, LLC [email protected] SOURCE Berkshire Biomedical Corporation Related Links https://www.berkshirebiomedical.com/ CHICAGO, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Biostimulants Market by Active Ingredients (Humic Substances, Seaweed Extracts, Microbial Amendments, Amino Acids), Mode of Application (Folier, Soil Treatment, Seed Treatment), Form (Liquid, and Dry), Crop Type, & by Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is estimated at USD 3.2 billion in 2021; it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.1% to reach USD 5.6 billion by 2026. Biostimulants aid the efficiency of the plant's metabolism, increase a plant's natural tolerance to stressors like pests and disease and propel faster recovery from stressful events, such as bad weather. Presently agriculture practices have advanced in the last decade to become not only more sustainable, but climate-wise too. To further drive the trends in sustainable agriculture software-as-a-service solutions for orchard management, yield monitoring and estimation and the growth of farm management integrated platforms are being rapidly developed. With rapid growth of the integrated management practices the use of biostimulants for farming is estimated to grow. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=1081 The amino acids sub-segment is estimated to account for the largest market share in the by active ingredient segment for the biostimulants market. For the production of biostimulants, amino acids can be obtained through chemical synthesis of plant proteins and by enzymatic hydrolysis of animal proteins. Amino acids are the monomers of the protein chain being involved in many plant physiological processes, such as metabolic and nutrient transport functions. Plants have the ability to produce amino acids, but the process of synthesis is tedious and slow, which can be overcome by external application of amino acids. Thus their larger use is estimated to account for their higher market shares. By mode of application, the seed treatment sub-segment is estimated to account for the fastest growth in the biostimulants market. Application of biostimulants as seed treatment aids to reduce environmental stress at the time of sowing, and improving yield, all starting from seed germination. These benefits of seed treatment are driving their growth in the biostimulants market. Browse in-depth TOC on "Biostimulants Market" 372 Tables 67 Figures 343 Pages The liquid sub-segment by form is estimated to account for the largest market share of the biostimulants market over the forecast period. Liquid biostimulants are manufactured on large industrial scale levels and also can be developed according to the increasing demands without further addition to manufacturing costs. Ease of application, and transports are some of the driving factors for their growth in the biostimulants market. Major companies that manufacture liquid-based biostimulants include UPL (India), Koppert (Netherlands), BASF SE (Germany). The cereals & grains sub-segment is estimated to observe the fastest market growth in the biostimulants market during the forecast period. The global production of cereals and grains is ever-increasing and simultaneously with the increase in population and per capita income of the countries such as India, China, Japan the Asian region the populations there are increasingly becoming aware of agricultural sustainability and consumption of nutritious and organically produced food, thus their market is projected to grow speedily. Europe is estimated to be the largest market. The EU has boosted many biostimulant companies in Europe who have been expanding their global network to reach the untapped market. The region has also launched the "European Green Deal" initiative under which aims to expand the use of sustainable practices such as precision agriculture, organic farming, agroecology, agro-forestry and stricter animal welfare standards. Further the new Farm to Fork Strategy aims at reducing the environmental and climate footprint of the EU food system, strengthening its resilience, ensuring food security, facilitating the transition towards competitive sustainability from farm to fork and making use of new business opportunities. Request for Customization: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=1081 Key Players: Key players in this market include BASF SE (Germany), UPL (India), Valagro S.p.A (Italy), Gowan Group (US), FMC Corporation (US), ILSA S.p.A (Italy), Rallis India Limited (India), and Haifa Group (Israel). These players in this market are focusing on increasing their presence through agreements and collaborations. These companies have a strong presence in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe. They also have manufacturing facilities along with strong distribution networks across these regions. Related Reports: Biofertilizers Market by Form (Liquid, Carrier-Based), Mode of Application (Soil Treatment, Seed Treatment), Type (Nitrogen-fixing, Phosphate solubilizing & Mobilizing, Potash Solubilizing & Mobilizing), Crop Type, and Region - Global Forecast to 2026 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/compound-biofertilizers-customized-fertilizers-market-856.html Biological Seed Treatment Market by Type (Microbials and Botanicals), Crop (Corn, Wheat, Soybean, Cotton, Sunflower, and Vegetable Crops), Function (Seed Protection and Seed Enhancement), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/biological-seed-treatment-market-162422288.html Browse Adjacent Reports: Agriculture Industry Market Research Reports & Consulting About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/biostimulant-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/biostimulant.asp SOURCE MarketsandMarkets NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BizVibe has added key challenges and trends for specialty food manufacturing industry profiles on their platform. All 3,500+ specialty food 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 specialty food manufacturing industry group. One challenge which is being highlighted is an increase in the price of raw materials. The prices of several fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, and oranges have been rising of late, adversely impacting the operational costs of manufacturers. Local demand-supply dynamics, the negotiation power of co-operatives, and foreign trade policies strongly influence the prices of these raw materials. 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 Specialty Food Manufacturing 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 Specialty Food Product and Service Categories BizVibe's platform provides access to 30M+ 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 specialty food manufacturing industry group features 3,500+ company profiles categorized into 20+ product and service categories, enabling clients to identify and connect with potential new business partners across diverse market segments. Product and service categories for the specialty food manufacturing industry include: Fresh fruit juice Canned fruit Frozen desserts Dehydrated food Baby food 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 Related Links http://www.bizvibe.com/ "Being included in Newsweek is huge, but it's even more meaningful this year," said founder and CEO Brian Scudamore . "There's been an upheaval of what 'going to work' even means. As a 'Most Loved Workplace', we're among companies who display a remarkable commitment to respecting and appreciating their people. And that's what this is really about: the people who bring their whole selves to work to make O2E Brands exceptional." "While everyone is talking about the great resignation, we're thinking about it as the great progression." As businesses grapple with the compounded effects of returning employees to the office from remote work and the so-called "great resignation" brought on by the pandemic, this win sets O2E Brands apart as a top employer in North America. Now, they're poised to double down on that reputation with an innovative reintegration strategy. "We talked to dozens of businesses to find out their approach about back-to-the-office. We considered every single person on every team, and used data in a new way to build a framework around reintegration called the 4Cs: Connect, Collaborate, Communicate, and Celebrate," said Kerrie Shakespeare, Chief Purpose Officer. "Our goal was to establish the office as a cultural gathering space to inspire our people to do their best work." TAKING ORDINARY 2 EXCEPTIONAL O2E Brands was established in 2015 to bring Brian Scudamore's three home-service brands; 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, and Shack Shine. Based in Vancouver, B.C., our uniquely branded companies are leaders in customer experience, company culture, and franchise development, Each service focuses on providing exceptional customer service in traditionally "ordinary" home service industries and offers uniformed employees, up-front pricing, on-time service and clean, shiny trucks. O2E Brands' greatest asset is its people. Culture at O2E Brands is based on the core company values of PIPE: Passion, Integrity, Professionalism and Empathy. All aspects of the company speak to our daily focus: that no matter where you're looking, "It's All About People." O2E = Ordinary to Exceptional! ABOUT NEWSWEEK Newsweek is the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic, 85-year-old American magazine. SOURCE O2E Brands Inc. She also invited Karina Banda and Ingrid Macher, both remarkable women in their own right. Karina, for her charisma, and Ingrid for being a breast cancer survivor. The influencers capped off their campaign with the unveiling of a three-sided billboard on Broadway in Times Square. "We send this message to the world from the most iconic street in New York, this year especially with men in mind," explained Dr. Pablo Medina. The male version is a rare cancer that forms in the breast tissue. It's most common in older men, though it can develop at any age. One of every hundred men may suffer from it. Men diagnosed at an early stage are very likely to be cured. Symptoms of male breast cancer: -A painless lump or thickening -Changes to the skin covering the breast, such as dimpling, puckering, redness or scaling -Changes to the nipple, such as redness or scaling, or a nipple that begins to turn inward -Nipple discharge About Dr. Tania Medina: Featured in media like Hola Magazine, Listin Diario, Univision, among others. Has graced the covers of magazines like Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, In style, L'officiel Paris, Elle, Estylo, Cosas Mexico, and Mujer Ejecutiva Mexico. Contributor to Univision's "Despierta America." www.instagram.com/drataniamedina About Dr. Pablo Garcia: Author of the bestseller "Soy mas que mi balanza," specialist in bariatric and laparoscopic surgery. Over 10 years of experience in weight loss. Featured in media and a special guest at congresses and training events. Instagram @doctorbariatrica Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667113/Dra_Tania_Medina_y_Pablo_Garcia.jpg SOURCE Dra. Tania Medina y Dr. Pablo Garcia Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited the Yellow River estuary wharf, the Yellow River Delta Ecological Monitoring Center, and the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve on Wednesday afternoon, checked upon the status of the Yellow River and the ecological environment of the Yellow River Delta on site, while being briefed on the work of conserving the ecology and driving high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. ATLANTA, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Clark Atlanta University will be one of four HBCUs to lead a Regional Center for Entrepreneurship, thanks to a $16.8 million PNC grant. The national center will be located on the campus of Howard University, and will use a regional structure to include programming at three regional HBCUsClark Atlanta University, Morgan State University, and Texas Southern University. CAU will lead the South region, including HBCUs in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Each regional center will lead HBCU partners in their respective areas to coordinate education programs, research strategies, business outreach, and other community outreach efforts at partner HBCUs across the country. A significant focus for the Center and its regional HBCU partners is to engage the black business community in growing their enterprises, thereby positively impacting the community and increasing employment and wealth for the black community. "Clark Atlanta University's entrepreneurial legacy extends back to the intellectual genealogy of W. E. B. Du Bois, who served as a professor of economics and sociology at Atlanta University for over 23 years in the early 20th century," said CAU President, Dr. George T. French, Jr. "Clark Atlanta University, as well as many HBCUs, are engaged with passion and unfettered creativity to initiatives to enhance black entrepreneurship within the university and their communities. We have always been at the forefront of entrepreneurship education, including established partnerships with entrepreneurs globally." The CAU School of Business Administration (CAUSBA), celebrating 75 years of excellence this year, will oversee the Regional Center and will complement ongoing and evolving activities in the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED). CIED was established to develop a campus-wide entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem and Lab/Maker Space. It offers Innovation and Design Thinking Courses and Workshops; Ideation, Lean Start-Up, and Small Business Mentoring; 3D Printing & Prototyping; Tech Transfer and Commercialization Support; Hackathons; and Business Pitch Competitions. "CIED is the optimal focal point for innovative initiatives involving campus and community stakeholders," says School of Business Administration Dean Silvanus Udoka. "The Regional Center for Entrepreneurship will broaden the platform for our scholars to accelerate discovery, spark innovation, and creativity to spawn the launching of our students' entrepreneurial endeavors and professional careers." CAU's School of Business also has an Entrepreneur-In-Residence program that brings experienced entrepreneurs to the School of Business Administration to advise and assist students and faculty as they launch startups or explore the commercialization of research. EIRs provide mentorship and guidance to the CAU community on business strategy and design, and social impact. They also connect investors with inventors, creators, and researchers. "We are grateful to PNC for providing us with the means to enhance our entrepreneurial initiatives, while promoting collaborations as amongst HBCUs such as Howard University and other prominent regional collaborators" said President French. About Clark Atlanta University Established in 1988 by the historic consolidation of Atlanta University (1865) and Clark College (1869). Clark Atlanta University continues a more than 150-year legacy rooted in African-American tradition and focused on the future. Through global innovation, transformative educational experiences, and high-value engagement. CAU cultivates lifted lives that transform the world. Notable alumni include: James Weldon Johnson; American civil rights activist, poet, and songwriter (Lift Every Voice and Sing "The Black National Anthem"; Ralph David Abernathy Sr., American civil rights activist; Congressman Hank Johnson, Georgia District 4; Kenya Barris, American award-winning television and movie producer; Kenny Leon, Tony Award-winning Broadway Director; Jacque Reid, Emmy Award-winning Television Personality and Journalist; Brandon Thompson, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for NASCAR; Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Recording Academy. To learn more about Clark Atlanta University, visit www.cau.edu . SOURCE Clark Atlanta University Related Links www.cau.edu NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 22, 2021, a class action lawsuit was filed in federal court in Manhattan against ClassPass Inc. on behalf of potentially thousands of businesses alleging that the health, spa, and fitness "aggregator" improperly used business' identities for its own use. According to the Complaint, ClassPass's website and mobile application list thousands of businesses with which ClassPass has no relationship or affiliation. The suit alleges that ClassPass included these false listings to attract new users to ClassPasstricking customers into thinking ClassPass had far more participating businesses than in realityand then luring the improperly-listed business to actually list on the platform. In so doing, the suit claims, ClassPass engaged in unfair competition and false affiliation, false advertising, and unfair and deceptive trade practices in violation of federal, New York, and New Jersey law. "Customers deserve an honest count of the spas, gyms, and salons actually available to them. And businesses deserve to control their own brand and business strategy," said Raphael Janove, the attorney at New York-based Pollock Cohen LLP leading the fight. The plaintiff representing the proposed class of thousands of aggrieved businesses is Tipsy Nail Club LLC, which operates as Leeah Nails in Montclair, New Jersey. On September 1, 2021, a customer came to the store and received manicure and pedicure services. When it was time to pay, the customer showed proof that she had already paid through ClassPass. But Leeah Nails had no relationship with ClassPass and had received no prepayment from ClassPass for the reservation. Prompted by this incident, Leeah Nails began investigating, and found that it wasn't alone. It discover that dozens of other spas, nail salons, and gyms had similar fake listings and entirely fabricated appointment schedules. And when Leeah Nails' owner tried to clear up the situation with ClassPass, the company's customer service department refused to deal with him because he had no ClassPass account. "Leeah Nails has the right to control its own brand, and to pursue its own strategy," said Janove. "Reputation is incredibly important in a service business, and ClassPass has no right to hijack or appropriate any entrepreneur's dream," said Janove. The federal class action complaint is available here. Contact: Raphael Janove [email protected] 215-667-8607 SOURCE Pollock Cohen LLP Related Links https://www.pollockcohen.com The San Francisco Achievers supports African American male students and graduates of San Francisco Unified School District schools to lead and thrive in higher education and beyond. They focus on closing the opportunity gap through college scholarships, leadership training, mentoring and more. "We're thrilled to start working with San Francisco Achievers to make a direct, positive impact in the Black community locally through this partnership," said Jeff Hayes, President and CEO of The Myers-Briggs Company. "As a Certified B Corp, we're dedicated to the triple bottom line and this partnership is just one of the many ways we're making good on that B Corp promise." In addition to providing access to The Myers-Briggs Company's personality assessments for professional development, leadership development and improving self-awareness, the partnership will also support San Francisco Achievers through career development, mentoring, web, marketing, and fundraising support. "To date, SFA has awarded 244 scholarships, matched 217 students with mentors, and 74% of our scholars engaged with our program are still enrolled," says Gregg Zaire, Executive Director at San Francisco Achievers. "We're looking forward to working with The Myers-Briggs Company to expand our reach and results for these young men." About The Myers-Briggs Company In our fast-changing world, your edge lies in harnessing 100 percent of your talent at work, at home, and everywhere in between. The Myers-Briggs Company helps organizations worldwide improve teams, develop inspirational leaders, and solve the most perplexing people challenges. We empower individuals to be the best versions of themselves by enriching their understanding of themselves and others. As a Certified B Corporation, The Myers-Briggs Company is a force for good. And we're ready to help you succeed. +1 800.624.1765 : themyersbriggs.com : The Myers-Briggs Company Contact: Michael Burke MSR Communications [email protected] 415-989-9000 Melissa Summer The Myers-Briggs Company [email protected] 650-691-9105 SOURCE The Myers-Briggs Company Related Links https://www.themyersbriggs.com JACKSON, Mich., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of CMS Energy has declared a quarterly dividend on the company's common stock. The dividend for the common stock (CUSIP: 125896100) is 43.50 cents per share. It is payable Nov. 30, 2021, to shareholders of record on Nov. 5, 2021. CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS) is a Michigan-based energy company featuring Consumers Energy as its primary business. It also owns and operates independent power generation businesses. For more information on CMS Energy, please visit our website at cmsenergy.com. To sign up for email alert notifications, please visit the Investor Relations section of our website. SOURCE CMS Energy Related Links http://www.cmsenergy.com "The entire Forever Well product line was developed using an ideal blend of natural ingredients research shows enhance a healthy lifestyle," said Tony Little, known for his enthusiasm and his inspiring mantras, You can do it! and There's always a way! "After seeing in-person how Global Widget formulates and manufactures Forever Well, I'm excited to partner with this industry leader and award-winning company that encourages people to take a proactive role in their health and wellness." According to Kevin Collins, co-founder of Global Widget, the partnership naturally fell into place. "Tony has helped so many people improve themselves that it made sense to team up with him to promote products that help you get more from yourself, more from your life. Unlike any other brand, Forever Well is truly direct from the manufacturer." Besides offering its own brands of CBD and health and wellness products, Global Widget also manufactures gummies and other products through its contract manufacturing division for many top CBD and health and wellness brands. From the sourcing of premium ingredients to formulating, manufacturing, lab testing and product packaging, all products are made in-house to monitor quality, compliance and safety. Forever Well Nutrition will feature five gummy varieties at launch: Immune Well made with elderberry extract, echinacea, vitamins C and D and zinc; vegan friendly Sleep Well featuring melatonin, L-Theanine, chamomile, lemon balm and passion flower extract; vegan friendly Energy Well featuring vitamin B12, apple cider vinegar, beetroot and pomegranate powder; vegan friendly Glow Well (skin care) featuring biotin, collagen and vitamin E Focus Well featuring several B and C vitamins, ginseng and taurine; vegan friendly All Forever Well gummies are third-party lab tested and made in the USA in Global Widget's cGMP-certified facility in Tampa, Florida. For more information on Forever Well Nutrition, visit www.beforeverwell.com. About Us Global Widget, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida, is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and marketer of CBD and health and wellness products, and a leader in gummy production and packaging. The company is the trusted powerhouse behind CBD brands Hemp Bombs and Nature's Script and the wellness brand, Defense Boost. With more than 150,000 square feet of manufacturing space and over 300 employees, Global Widget is one of the nation's largest CBD companies and a leading contract manufacturer providing quality products and support services to retailers, distributors and private brands worldwide. https://globalwidget.com/. Media Contact: Joe Agostinelli, PR Manager 813.497.5752 | [email protected] SOURCE Global Widget Related Links global-widget.com NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DailyPay the industry-leading technology platform that's disrupting the financial system, was featured today in Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces list for 2021, ranking at #84 among the top 100 companies recognized for employee happiness and satisfaction at work. Produced in collaboration with the Best Practice Institute (BPI), leadership development and benchmark research company, the Newsweek list results were determined after surveying more than 800,000 employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 50 to more than 10,000. "As an organization, we've stayed true to our company culture and values by championing an inclusive and collaborative environment, " said Jason Lee, Founder, and CEO of DailyPay. "Our employees love working at DailyPay because we encourage employees to come to work each day as their true authentic selves, knowing they will be accepted, respected, seen and heard." DailyPay is committed to creating opportunities for its employees that build connections within the DailyPay community and encourage its employees to become the best versions of themselves. As a company, DailyPay lays a solid foundation and culture in support of development, offering LinkedIn Learning, annual education stipends, unlimited free books from Amazon, daily lunch stipends. In addition, DailyPay offers stock options and outstanding medical, dental, and retirement benefits. "In the wake of the pandemic, business hit hurdles in terms of retaining and attracting employees but the companies that made this list are delivering the respect, care, and appreciation that it takes to create a positive workplace that nurtures talent," said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief, Newsweek "The best way to determine the strength of a company's culture is by measuring the degree of love employees feel for their workplace," said Louis Carter, CEO and Founder of Best Practice Institute and Most Loved Workplace. The full Newsweek list of 2021's Most Loved Workplaces will be featured in the magazine's October 29 print edition and is currently available online . Methodology To identify the top 100 companies for the Newsweek ranking, companies were evaluated and scored as follows: 35 percent of the initial score was based on employee survey responses; 25 percent was derived from analysis of external public ratings from sites such as Comparably, Careerbliss, Glassdoor, Indeed and Google; and 40 percent came from direct interviews with and written responses from company officials. Newsweek then conducted additional research into every company on the list, as well as the top runners up, to determine the final list of 100 companies and their ranking. (The list includes both U.S. firms and companies with a strong U.S. presence that are based overseas.) About DailyPay DailyPay, Inc. powered by its industry-leading technology platform, is on a mission to build a new financial system. Partnering with America's best-in-class employers, including Dollar Tree, Berkshire Hathaway, and Adecco, DailyPay is the recognized gold standard in on-demand pay. Through its massive data network, proprietary funding model and connections into over 6,000 endpoints in the banking system, DailyPay works to ensure that money is always in the right place at the right time for employers, merchants and financial institutions. DailyPay is building technology and the mindset to reimagine the way money moves, from the moment work starts. DailyPay is headquartered in New York City, with operations based in Minneapolis. For more information, visit www.dailypay.com/press About Newsweek Newsweek is the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic, over 85-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches 100 million people each month with its thought-provoking news, opinion, images, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia. About Best Practice Institute Best Practice Institute is an award-winning leadership and organization development center, benchmark research company, think tank, and solutions provider. BPI is the certifying body for Most Loved Workplace and conducted the original research to create the model and criteria for becoming a Most Loved Workplace. BPI's research proves that Most Loved Workplaces produce 3-4 times better customer service, employee performance, and retention than companies not loved by their employees. For more information on how to apply to become a 2022 Most Loved Workplace, go to: http://www.mostlovedworkplace.com Media Contacts: David Schwarz Email: [email protected] Adriana Ball Email: [email protected] SOURCE DailyPay Related Links www.dailypay.com DALLAS, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Evolon Technology, Inc., a developer of proprietary software technology that takes surveillance video and turns it into real-time actionable information, today announced the appointment of Keith Archer to the Evolon Board of Directors, effective October 21, 2021. Following the appointment of Mr. Archer, the Board will comprise four directors. "We are extremely pleased to welcome Keith Archer to the Evolon Board," said Kevin Stadler, Evolon's CEO. "Keith's addition to the board brings a dimension of technical expertise that will be invaluable in helping Evolon grow our business and pursue our mission of providing better-faster-cheaper perimeter surveillance software solutions." Archer also currently serves on the board of San Francisco-based CodeLogic, a developer of automated application dependency mapping tools. Prior to this Mr. Archer held several leadership roles with Mission Cloud Services, an AWS Premier Consulting Partner. Leading up to the creation of Mission, Mr. Archer managed all facets of technology, services, and operations culminating in the successful sale of the company to private equity in 2017. Prior to Mission, he held senior leadership roles with Activision Blizzard, Nissan Motor Corporation, Braun Consulting, and Ernst & Young. Mr. Archer received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Southern California. He is a Project Management Institute certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and is AWS Certified by Amazon Web Services. About Evolon Technology, Inc. Evolon (formerly Jemez Technology) provides advanced, highly accurate perimeter surveillance software technology for critical infrastructure protection and central station monitoring, and its patented software & analytics transform video security cameras and security systems into smart devices by eliminating nuisance alerts. Evolon's award-winning edge-based video analytics and AI/deep learning solutions are fully scalable for commercial and government organizations that require real-time situational intelligence to enhance security effectiveness and to reduce the potential for loss due to criminal activity or business downtime. Evolon was founded by a talented team of former engineers and scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory, with decades of national security experience in the design and deployment of advanced surveillance technologies. For more information, visit www.evolontech.com. Evolon is a registered trademark of Evolon Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. SOURCE Evolon Technology, Inc. Related Links evolontech.com OKLAHOMA CITY, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The fall is shaping up to be a good time for selling land in Oklahoma, if three recent Schrader land auctions are a good indication. "Just in the past week, we've had large bidder turnouts and strong sale prices on farmland, pasture, recreational land and land with development potential," said Brent Wellings, Southwest manager for Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company. Back-to-back auctions offering diverse tracts of land in McClain and Garvin Counties resulted in sales of a combined $4.68 million. That included a $3.55 million October 14 auction of 1,061 acres in 21 tracts, including tillable cropland, pasture and recreational land. The auction attracted 50 registered bidders. "We had six different buyers in this auction, including three farmers and three investors. The highest quality land sold for $4,744 per acre, and all of the cropland did well," said Wellings. A day earlier, Schrader auctioned 308 acres for a total of $1.13 million. The land, offered in 10 tracts, attracted 29 registered bidders and sold to three different buyers. Tracts included frontage on the South Canadian River, pasture and hunting land near Elmore City, and land with development potential along Highway 74 south of Purcell. On Oct. 19, the auction of 250 acres with development potential in Stillwater attracted 17 registered bidders and sold for $1.426 million. "The farmland included some very desirable soils, and bidders rewarded that with high prices for Oklahoma cropland," said R.D. Schrader, president of the company. Those seeking additional information may visit www.schraderauction.com or call 800-451-2709. Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company, based in Columbia City, Indiana, is a leading auctioneer of agricultural land and equipment throughout the United States. The company is a five-time USA Today/National Auctioneers Association Auction of the Year winner. For more information: Carl Carter, 205-910-1952 SOURCE Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company Related Links www.schraderauction.com BOSTON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The market and competitive intelligence (M&CI) function within an enterprise delivers the most value to the business when its professionals possess a combination of consulting, communication, and content curation skills. That was one of the recommendations Forrester Principal Analyst Cinny Little shared with attendees at Northern Light's virtual 2021 Customer Forum on Sept. 30, where she was the featured guest speaker. [Watch Cinny Little's presentation here.] Northern Light webinar with featured guest speaker Cinny Little, senior analyst, Forrester Little's presentation, entitled "Market & Competitive Intelligence: How to Drive More Actions and Value," was part of a day-long agenda for users of Northern Light SinglePoint, an enterprise knowledge management platform optimized for competitive intelligence and customer insights. Little noted in her presentation that the key to deriving business value from market and competitive intelligence is having it acted upon by decision-makers, which, as a practical matter, can be difficult to measure. "Our job is not to just gather intel and analyze it, it's to drive change," Little quoted one M&CI leader as telling her in an interview. That can necessitate having difficult conversations with senior executives at times, but it's a critical part of the job, she noted, which is why strong communication skills are a key prerequisite for success in the market and competitive intelligence function. Little also shared findings of her research into setting M&CI priorities within the enterprise. "You should have 4-6 major initiatives that are mapping to what's visibly important," she told the Northern Light conference attendees. "Some will be related to optimizing business as usual; others to innovation, disruptive forces, what's changing and how to act on that. Always be looking at 'What does this mean for us?' and 'How will we respond to this change?'" "Know that you'll need to continuously invest time in changing the way you and stakeholders work," Little concluded. Cinny Little is a Principal Analyst at Forrester, one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. She serves customer insights professionals, covering the skills and ways of working required to build a culture of data activation. She helps market research/consumer intelligence, digital analytics, customer analytics, market and competitive intelligence, and business analyst pros drive more value from their work. "Having Cinny Little as keynote presenter at our annual Customer Forum was an honor, and her presentation was enlightening and insightful," Northern Light CEO C. David Seuss said. "Northern Light prides itself on bringing best practices in competitive intelligence to our clients. Cinny is one of the foremost thought leaders in the market and competitive intelligence industry, and our conference attendees very much appreciated her perspective and its relevance to their daily jobs leading M&CI activities at their organizations." About Northern Light Northern Light has been providing knowledge management platforms for competitive intelligence and market research insights to global enterprises since 1996. Its SinglePoint enterprise knowledge management platform received the KMWorld 2020 Readers' Choice award for best content management services; and Northern Light was honored as one of KMWorld's AI50 "Companies Empowering Intelligent Knowledge Management" in 2021. Northern Light's current clients include Fortune 1000 leaders across multiple industries such as information technology, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and life sciences. Northern Light has over 250,000 users of its strategic research portals. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Northern Light is a charter member of the Center for Complex Systems and Enterprises at the Stevens Institute of Technology . Media Contact: David Domeshek (508) 873-7068 [email protected] SOURCE Northern Light JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fintainium Inc. ("Fintainium" or the "Company") announced today the intent to launch a Joint Venture with Aspire Fund Management, a Trinidad & Tobago based Private Equity and Financial Advisory company that bridges the gap between investors and next-generation innovative, transformative businesses. The joint venture will redefine Fintech in a large part of the region. Fintainium's Chief Executive Officer, Richard Jackman remarked, "For the last several years we have been working closely with Aspire. It has been the vision of both companies to build to this point; we have both wanted to create a joint venture that would disrupt some large markets and create value for all involved." Fintainium, an SME workflow automation supply chain finance and fintech payments company, facilitates the relationship between financial institutions, businesses, and other technology companies by combining world-class domestic and international money movement products with workflow, accounting, and reconciliation automation. As a result, Fintainium enhances back-office operations for institutions and streamlines working capital management for end-users. Kerwyn Valley, Aspire's Managing Director, remarked, "We are excited about the possibilities that a joint venture between our two companies can create. The combination of Fintainium's technology and the brand name of Aspire Fund Management will create a powerful growth vehicle for CARICOM and LATAM. Our region has been seeking solutions like these to make doing business easier, lower the working capital costs and automate repetitive processes. Our solutions and technology will facilitate trade finance and other SME-focused lending opportunities." The new joint venture, when formed, will also bring North American expertise working with banks and credit unions to the region. Fintainium has been working with banks and credit unions in the United States and Canada for the past three years. As a result, some of the exciting features have been developed with the deep expertise curated by working with financial institutions. "There is a great unmet need in this region to automate back-end processes, centralize data and create an easy to use, streamlined solution to underwrite and fund loans with a very low back office burden. Working capital Is critical to any business's success, but the SME market has specific needs due to their size. This joint venture, when formed, is going to enable companies to operate better than they ever have before and free them up to execute on their core business by providing working capital more efficiently." (Rich Jackman, CEO) To learn more about Fintainium and the services it provides, visit: https://www.fintainium.com To learn more about Aspire Funds, visit its website, http://www.aspirefundstt.com/ 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. About Aspire Funds Aspire Fund Management was founded by financial leaders and successful entrepreneurs, uniting with the purpose of channeling -private equity capital into enterprising, aspiring Caribbean companies while providing intelligent investment management and generating capital returns for investors. Aspire believes the ability to seize a viable opportunity to help realize and grow a sustainable business is the foundation of its service and central to its overall value proposition. Aspire bridges the gap between innovative entrepreneurs needing capital and investors looking to intelligently fund worthy businesses to create returns above benchmark indexes. For further information: FINTAINIUM INC. Richard Jackman Chief Executive Officer [email protected] Brandon Rosenblatt Chief Strategy Officer [email protected] ASPIRE FUNDS Aspire Contact #1 Name: Kriss Marcus Title: General Manager Email: [email protected] Aspire Contact #2 Name: Liesel Alexander Title: Director Email: [email protected] SOURCE Fintainium, Inc. Related Links http://www.fintainium.com DUBLIN, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Radiation Oncology Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Type (External Beam Radiation Therapy, Internal Beam Radiation Therapy), by Application, by Technology, by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2021-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global radiation oncology market size is expected to reach USD 11.7 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 7.0% The rising incidence of cancer and technological advancement in radiation therapy equipment are some of the major factors driving the growth of the market. There have been various technological advancements in radiotherapy equipment over the last decade, which has been a major factor for growth. Advancement from 2D to 3D conformal radiotherapy, motion tracking, and real-time imaging has helped improve radiation targeting and thereby reduce exposure to the surrounding healthy tissues. Strategies such as partnerships, innovative product launches, and acquisitions are the priority of major players in the industry. For instance, in February 2020, Varian received FDA 510K clearance for its Ethos Therapy. It is an AI-driven solution designed to deliver an entire adaptive treatment plan in 15 minutes, including patient set-up to treatment delivery. In December 2019, Elekta signed a non-binding MoU with ViewRay, Inc. for the advancement of the knowledge and application of MR-LINACs. According to an article published in Seminars in Radiation Oncology in 2017, it is expected that in low- and middle-income countries alone, more than 12,000 additional treatment machines will be needed by 2035. Besides, by 2035, it is projected that China, India, and Brazil will need over 3,800, 1,200, and 400 additional equipment, respectively. Companies are taking several initiatives to meet this demand. For instance, in 2019, Tata Trust signed a 3-year agreement with Varian Medical Systems Inc. for the installation of new advanced radiotherapy equipment in India, to improve patient access to treatment. However, the lack of skilled radiotherapy professionals is expected to be a major restraining factor for the growth of the market, particularly in developing countries. The recommended number of radiation oncologists in the developed world is around 4 per million population. There are around 0.8 radiation oncologists per million population in India. Similar is the situation in other countries in the Indian sub-continent. Radiation Oncology Market Report Highlights Due to the high availability of External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) equipment and penetration of innovative diagnostic instruments and understanding of available treatment options, EBRT dominated the market in 2020 In IBRT application, the prostate cancer segment dominated the market in 2020, majorly due to the promising applications for brachytherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer In 2020, North America dominated the market and accounted for a revenue share of more than 44.0%. Favorable reimbursement policies, quality of healthcare infrastructure, and the presence of key players in the region are some of the factors driving the market in the region Market Variables, Trends & Scope Market Driver Analysis Rising Adoption Of Radiotherapy Technological Advancements In Radiotherapy Rising Prevalence Of Cancer Increase In Healthcare Expenditure Increasing Application Of Radiopharmaceuticals Market Restraint Analysis Lack Of Skilled Radiotherapy Professionals Inadequate Radiation Infrastructure Adverse Effects Of Radiotherapy Companies Mentioned Varian Medical Systems, Inc. Elekta AB Accuray Incorporated Ion Beam Applications (IBA) C.R. BARD, INC. (BD) Isoray Medical Mevion Medical Systems, Inc. Nordion Inc. NTP Radioisotopes SOC Ltd. Curium Pharma Viewray Technologies, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5iydpz Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com DUBLIN, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Tire Tread Resins and RPOs 2021" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Tire tread performance resin (TPR) and rubber process oil (RPO) market analysis for the period 2015 to 2050 covering global and regional market demand, pricing and value. TPR and RPO market prospects are inter-related due to changing tire technologies driven by sustainability and automotive market developments. This report details the market drivers and explores the outcomes for both TPR and RPO looking at current/short-term trends and also the longer term impact of tire company sustainability visions and aspirations. The report is based upon a combination of primary and secondary research combined with the publisher's proprietary market modelling systems and wide ranging experience in rubber segment market analysis. The report aims to provide transparency for all market analysis and industry reports. Assumptions, methodology and key inputs are clearly explained and documented. Purchasers of this report can arrange to run reports using their preferred input variables, this can be done at a reduced daily consultation rate. The report details the TPR and RPO manufacturing landscapes covering key manufacturers and product offerings. This is followed by a detailed quantitative look at the tire market looking at tire types and sub types, growth patterns and market trends. With a firm understanding of the tire market, focus in transferred to specific tire industry drivers relating to TPRs and RPOs. Tire industry drivers influencing the use of TPRs and RPOs cover high value added tire types, segmental positioning, geographical influences and external drivers. The primary focus of the report is to generate meaningful and robust market demand and value estimates. The report provides comprehensive coverage of TPR and RPO market demand broken down by region, and TPR/RPO type. Market values are provided based upon average regional pricing. Long term TPR/RPO demand is modelled using drivers from tire manufacturer's sustainability 'visions' stretching out to 2050. The publisher's has applied estimated fossil material reductions based on tire manufacturer targets and ease of development for underlying tire types. The comprehensive executive summary provides concise, practical key takeaways and conclusions which can be easily transferred to management presentations. This is complimented by the accompanying client data Excel workbook with summary data. Key Features: Comprehensive Executive Summary with Practical Findings and Key Takeaways Global & Regional Analysis Covering the Years 2015 to 2050 Quantitative TPR and RPO Market Drivers Qualitative TPR and RPO Markt Drivers TPR and RPO Manufacturing Landscapes TPR and RPO developments & Related Tire Patent/Brand Analysis Market Demand by Current and Tire Manufacturers' Vision Scenarios Market Demand 2015 to 2050 by Region and TPR/RPO Type Market Pricing for 2017 to 2020 by TPR/RPO Type Market Values 2020 projected to 2030/40/50 Supporting Data in Excel Workbook Client Support Exclusive Content: Detailed quantitative tire market and manufacturing analysis. Key Quantitative TPR and RPO Market Drivers Key Qualitative TPR and RPO Market Drivers TPR and RPO Market Demand 2015 to 2050 by: Market Scenario Resin Type RPO Type Region Report Scope: Market Segment: Tire segment focusing on TPRs and RPOs used to enhance the performance of tread compounds, specifically traction, handling, rolling resistance and wear for the Products below. Tire segment focusing on TPRs and RPOs used to enhance the performance of tread compounds, specifically traction, handling, rolling resistance and wear for the Products below. Tread Performance Resin (TPR): Resin used to enhance the end performance of a tread compound. This excludes tack resins. Examples and categorisation are provided in the download documents (sample and contents). Resin used to enhance the end performance of a tread compound. This excludes tack resins. Examples and categorisation are provided in the download documents (sample and contents). Rubber Process Oil (RPO): Oils used to enhance the processability and end performance of a tread compound. Examples and categorisation are provided in the download documents (sample and contents). Oils used to enhance the processability and end performance of a tread compound. Examples and categorisation are provided in the download documents (sample and contents). Products: Car, SUV, LT, Motorcycle and Scooter tires and associated subtypes. Car, SUV, LT, Motorcycle and Scooter tires and associated subtypes. Geographies: Global coverage split by the publisher defined regions: Africa , China , CIS, Europe , India , Middle East , North America , North Asia , South America and South Asia . Global coverage split by the publisher defined regions: , , CIS, , , , , , and . Time Frame: Market demand for years 2015 to 2050. Market pricing for APAC, EMEA, USMCA for 2017 to 2020. Market values for 2020/30/40/50. Companies Mentioned APAR Industries Arakawa ATDM Bridgestone Cargill Cheeshine Chemicals Co., Ltd Chevron Phillips CNOOC Continental Cray Valley (Total) Cross Oil Daelim DRT Eastman Chemical Company ENEOS Eni Ergon Evonik ExxonMobil Gazprom Goodyear GP Petroleums H&R Group Hankook Hollyfrontier Imperial Oil IRPC Kelpen Kolon Industries Kraton Corporation Kumho Kuraray LyondellBasell Michelin Mitsui Chemicals Nynas Orgkhim Orlen Unipetrol Panamaa Petrochem Performance Additives Pertamina Petrobras PetroChina Pirelli Raj Petro Specialities Repsol Rutgers Novares GmbH Sadara Chemicals Saipol Shell Songwon Sumitomo Suzhou Jiutai Thai Lube Base Total Toyo Ube Yasuhara Chemical Yokohama Zeon Corporation For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8g63ai About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com The event highlighted 18 electric cars -- that ranged in price from $32,000 to $100,000 and can travel from 100 to more than 300 miles on a single charge -- for the legislators to drive and talk with product specialists about. Its goal was to show off the electric vehicles that are being sold by local new car retailers and bring a wide range of interested groups together to the discuss the tremendous opportunities available in reaching the State's goal of moving to all-electric vehicles by 2035. "The only way to get millions of consumers into EVs is through local franchised new car dealers!" said Mark Schienberg "Local franchise new car dealers are the key to mass electric vehicle adoption. We have more than 55 models available in showrooms now and another 50 new models coming in the next two years. There is a great infrastructure in place with hundreds of community-based retailers who are ready to sell, service, and finance electric vehicles today," said GNYADA president Mark Schienberg. "We staged this event to showcase the incredible vehicles available to consumers at their local franchised new car dealerships across the State and to demystify electric vehicle ownership as state and federal plans move towards an EV future. It is important to remember that as electrics vehicles start to become mainstream, it is local franchised new car dealers who are stepping up to achieve these goals and to help consumers purchase, finance, and service them," said Schienberg. Local dealerships are excited about EV adoption and have already invested millions of dollars in electric charging infrastructure, new equipment, tools, and in training technicians and salespeople to be experts on electric vehicles. If the goal is to get millions of consumers into new electric vehicles, the single best way to achieve it is by leveraging the nation's local new car dealership network and their skilled employees. It is franchised new car retailers who are already in place to offer an impressive array of electric vehicle options. Franchised dealers are all in on electric vehicles. PARTICIPATING VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS : AUDI, BMW, CHEVROLET, FORD, HYUNDAI, KIA, NISSAN, POLESTAR, PORSCHE, TOYOTA, VOLKSWAGEN, VOLVO ABOUT GNYADA: Headquartered in Whitestone, Queens, the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association represents 425 franchised automobile dealerships in metro of New York, generating $39.3 billion in new vehicle sales, $2.4 billion in taxes. The Association opened its doors in 1910 and has continued to serve the needs of the industry and the car-buying public ever since. GNYADA organizes the New York International Automobile Show the largest publicly attended auto show in North America each spring, in Manhattan's Jacob Javits Convention Center. At the next Show in April 2022 the largest and most expansive electric ride and drive will be on display. SOURCE Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA); New York International Auto Show Related Links wcoty.com LOS ANGELES, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Car Journal has announced finalists for six award categories in its prestigious 2022 Green Car Awards program, including the industry's coveted Green Car of the Year. Finalists for the magazine's signature 2022 Green Car of the Year award are the Audi Q4 e-tron, BMW i4, Kia EV6, Rivian R1T, and Volvo C40 Recharge. Green Car Journal's 2022 Green Car Awards "This marks the first time in Green Car of the Year's 17 year history that all finalists are battery electric vehicles, and the only time a truck has made the Green Car of the Year field," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and GreenCarJournal.com. "In fact, electrification is so important to 'green' cars today that almost every 2022 Green Car Awards finalist includes a battery electric, plug-in hybrid, or hybrid powertrain option." Green Car Journal's annual Green Car of the Year winner is selected by an esteemed jury representing the nation's important energy efficiency and environmental organizations, plus celebrity auto expert Jay Leno and Green Car Journal staff. This year's invited Green Car of the Year jury includes Dr. Alan Lloyd, president emeritus of the International Council on Clean Transportation and senior research fellow at the Energy Institute, University of Texas at Austin; Mindy Lubber, president of CERES; Paula Glover, president of the Alliance to Save Energy; Matt Petersen, president and CEO of Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator and advisory board chair of Climate Mayors; and Joseph K. Lyou, president and CEO of the Coalition for Clean Air. Green Car of the Year has headlined the Green Car Awards since 2005 and has been joined by awards in other significant categories over the years. In addition to Green Car of the Year, here are this year's other outstanding 2022 Green Car Awards candidates: 2022 Luxury Green Car of the Year Finalists: Audi e-tron GT, BMW iX, Karma GS-6, Lucid Air, Mercedes-Benz EQS 2022 Urban Green Car of the Year Finalists: Chevrolet Bolt EUV, Hyundai Kona Electric, Hyundai Venue, Kia Seltos, MINI Cooper SE 2022 Commercial Green Car of the Year Finalists: BrightDrop EV600, ELMS Urban Delivery EV, Ford E-Transit, Lightning eMotors Electric Van, Rivian Electric Delivery Van 2022 Performance Green Car of the Year Finalists: Audi e-tron GT RS, Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, Lucid Air Dream Performance, Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Turbo S, Tesla Model S Plaid 2022 Green SUV of the Year Finalists Hyundai IONIQ 5, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, Lexus NX, Volkswagen ID.4 By virtue of rising to the top as finalists in the Green Car Awards, all award nominees earn Green Car Journal' s 2022 Product of Excellence honor, an acknowledgement of their important environmental achievements. About Green Car Journal Since its launch in 1992, the award-winning Green Car Journal, and its companion website GreenCarJournal.com, have focused on the intersection of automobiles, energy, and environment. As part of its mission, the magazine strives to educate consumers on better and more environmentally sustainable vehicle choices that have a more positive impact on our lives and the world around us. CONTACT: Ron Cogan [email protected] (805) 541-9173 SOURCE Green Car Journal SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Invitae (NYSE: NVTA), University College London (UCL), and the Francis Crick Institute today announced new data from their TRACERx lung cancer research collaboration funded by Cancer Research UK and sponsored by UCL. The data, presented by Professor Charles Swanton of UCL and the Francis Crick Institute at the International Society of Liquid Biopsy (ISLB) Congress, further validate the value of liquid biopsy as a less invasive and more comprehensive approach to guiding personalized cancer treatment in the absence of detectable disease by clinical imaging. Previously reported findings from the TRACERx cohort found that monitoring for cancer circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) based minimal residual disease (MRD) detected relapse of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) up to three years earlier than standard of care imaging surveillance in some instances.1 The study used a new blood-based informatic tool called ECLIPSE (Extraction of CLonality from LIquid bioPSiEs) with an earlier iteration of the Invitae Personalized Cancer Monitoring (PCM) liquid biopsy assay to analyze plasma samples of patients in the TRACERx study. With this approach, data demonstrated multiplex-anchored PCR sequencing of the plasma samples enhanced MRD lead times relative to standard of care surveillance scanning and allowed holistic sampling of clonal dynamics, or tumor heterogeneity, with prognostic implications for disease progression. "Tumours are highly heterogeneous and standard biopsies can miss important tumor traits. Our findings from applying our novel ECLIPSE software with Invitae's multiplex-anchored PCR technology, which powers the Invitae PCM assay, are promising. They underscore the tremendous potential of PCM for providing representative tumor sampling throughout the disease course, and most importantly at an early stage or at early recurrence in the absence of disease on standard imaging, which may in the future inform clinical trial stratification and the best treatment plans for patients," said Professor Charles Swanton, Cancer Research UK's Chief Clinician and a 2021 ISLB award recipient for outstanding scientific contribution in liquid biopsy. "Better understanding the true pathology of a patient's tumor, including driver and passenger clonal mutations, and identifying MRD earlier, are key to unlocking personalized cancer care and changing the paradigm of cancer drug development towards earlier intervention in the adjuvant setting where cures are more readily achievable." Invitae's PCM is a pan-cancer, tumor-informed liquid biopsy assay that uses next-generation sequencing powered by Anchored Multiplex PCR (AMP) to monitor MRD with high sensitivity at low variant allele fractions. The service employs a combination of a tumor profile, blood tests and personalized assays based on a patient's tumor with the goal of earlier detection of cancer recurrence through ctDNA before it is detectable by imaging or other conventional methods. ECLIPSE, developed by the Cancer Research UK TRACERx team at UCL and the Francis Crick Institute, uses a standardized algorithm that helps resolve tumor tissue-based sample bias. Coupling Invitae's PCM assay with ECLIPSE, the researchers analyzed 972 longitudinal plasma samples from 136 TNM I-III NSCLC patients in TRACERx who had undergone multiregion whole exome sequencing of primary tumor and relapse tissue and had 364 surveillance scans. Seventy-five of these patients experienced a recurrence of their surgically resected disease. The researchers concluded that multiplex-anchored PCR with trinucleotide specific background models improves NSCLC relapse detection compared to standard of care clinical follow up. Using ECLIPSE, plasma samples of less than 1% purity can be used to accurately profile the clonal structure of tumors at diagnosis, during treatment and at relapse, which impacts patient outcome and has the potential to guide personalized medicine. "Determining the best treatment plan for a cancer patient depends on several factors, including the results of current disease monitoring. Unfortunately, traditional monitoring methods such as imaging and tissue biopsy are insensitive when it comes to adequately representing a tumor or detecting relapse early in a patient's treatment cycle," said Robert Nussbaum, M.D., chief medical officer of Invitae. "These findings further validate the role of PCM in determining a therapy's effectiveness and identifying relapses more quickly, both of which are essential to optimizing personalized treatment plans." PCM and other liquid biopsy approaches for monitoring MRD have the potential to become a mainstay in personalized oncology. PCM could be applied in a variety of ways to help improve patient care and prolong survival outcomes, including monitoring for recurrence, monitoring a patient's response to therapy to inform treatment decisions, and improving clinical trial designs to help get new therapies to market sooner. About TRACERx Study TRACERx (Tracking Cancer Evolution through therapy (Rx)) lung study is the single biggest investment in lung cancer research by Cancer Research UK. Taking place over nine years, we believe the translational research programme is the first study to look at the evolution of cancer in real time and immense detail. Researchers follow patients with lung cancer all the way from diagnosis through to either disease relapse or cure after surgery, tracking and analysing how their cancer develops. TRACERx is led by UCL (University College London) via the Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence and also supported by the National Institute for Health Research, University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Francis Crick Institute and the Rosetrees Trust. About Cancer Research UK Cancer Research UK is the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. Cancer Research UK's pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives. Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival in the UK double in the last 40 years. Today, 2 in 4 people survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK's ambition is to accelerate progress so that by 2034, 3 in 4 people will survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses. Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1022 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org . Follow us on Twitter and Facebook . About UCL (University College London) London's Global University UCL is a diverse community with the freedom to challenge and think differently. Our community of more than 41,500 students from 150 countries and over 12,500 staff pursues academic excellence, breaks boundaries and makes a positive impact on real world problems. We are consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the world and are one of only a handful of institutions rated as having the strongest academic reputation and the broadest research impact. We have a progressive and integrated approach to our teaching and research championing innovation, creativity and cross-disciplinary working. We teach our students how to think, not what to think, and see them as partners, collaborators and contributors. For almost 200 years, we are proud to have opened higher education to students from a wide range of backgrounds and to change the way we create and share knowledge. We were the first in England to welcome women to university education and that courageous attitude and disruptive spirit is still alive today. We are UCL. About The Francis Crick Institute The Francis Crick Institute is a biomedical discovery institute dedicated to understanding the fundamental biology underlying health and disease. Its work is helping to understand why disease develops and to translate discoveries into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, infections, and neurodegenerative diseases. An independent organisation, its founding partners are the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK, Wellcome, UCL (University College London), Imperial College London and King's College London. The Crick was formed in 2015, and in 2016 it moved into a brand new state-of-the-art building in central London which brings together 1500 scientists and support staff working collaboratively across disciplines, making it the biggest biomedical research facility under a single roof in Europe. http://crick.ac.uk/ About Invitae Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA) is a leading medical genetics company, whose mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people. Invitae's goal is to aggregate the world's genetic tests into a single service with higher quality, faster turnaround time, and lower prices. For more information, visit the company's website at invitae.com . Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the study results and implications thereof; the company's beliefs regarding the study, including that it highlights the promise of personalized care and further validates the value of liquid biopsy and the potential benefits of the company's PCM assay; and statements relating to the potential applications of PCM. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the company's history of losses; the company's ability to compete; the company's failure to manage growth effectively; the company's need to scale its infrastructure in advance of demand for its tests and to increase demand for its tests; the company's ability to use rapidly changing genetic data to interpret test results accurately and consistently; security breaches, loss of data and other disruptions; laws and regulations applicable to the company's business; regulatory approval and market acceptance of PCM; and the other risks set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks set forth in the company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Invitae Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Contact: [email protected] (628) 213-3283 1 Abbosh Chris et al, Abstract CT023: Phylogenetic tracking and minimal residual disease detection using ctDNA in early-stage NSCLC: A lung TRACERx study. Cancer Res August 15 2020 (80) (16 Supplement) CT023; DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.AM2020-CT023 SOURCE Invitae Corporation Related Links www.invitae.com NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IPC Systems, Inc. ("IPC" or the "Company"), a leading global provider of secure, compliant communications and networking solutions for the global financial markets, today announced that Doug Gilstrap has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors. As an expert in IT and Telecom related infrastructure for both enterprise and service-provider markets, Gilstrap is expected to contribute extensive, global perspective as IPC's new Chairman. He also possesses a deep breadth of experience working with companies in the business services and FinTech industries. "Doug's expertise will be incredibly valuable in continuing IPC's mission to provide our customers with best-in-class trading solutions and support," said Bob Santella, Chief Executive Officer of IPC. "He has a proven track record leading high-performing teams and is an ideal choice to lead IPC's Board of Directors." Victor Khosla, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of SVPGlobal, said: "We are excited to welcome Doug to the Board at a pivotal moment for IPC. Doug is a visionary leader with deep industry experience, and we look forward to partnering with him as well as the other talented members of IPC's Board." "We look forward to Doug joining IPC and working with Bob and the rest of the team," said Jared Hendricks, Senior Managing Director of Centerbridge Partners, L.P. "Doug's perspective and skillset will be highly additive to IPC as part of the Company's next phase of growth and innovation." Gilstrap is a Venture Partner with TCV, a leading provider of capital to growth-stage private and public companies in the technology industry, as well as an advisor to another global investment firm that has delivered consistent returns across multiple geographies and industries. Previously, Gilstrap served as Chief Strategy Officer for Ericsson, a role that included chairing the company's M&A Investment Committee. Prior to that, Gilstrap was Head of Strategy for Cable and Wireless; CEO of Radianz, a secure low latency and hosting financial services data extranet; and CFO and COO of Equant Networks, a global data network services company. Gilstrap received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Richmond and his Master of Business Administration from Emory University. He was a qualified CPA. About IPC IPC is a technology and service leader powering the global financial markets. We help clients anticipate change and solve problems, setting the standard with industry expertise, exceptional service and comprehensive technology. With a customer-first mentality, IPC brings together one of the largest and most diverse global financial ecosystems spanning all asset classes and market participants. As the enabler of this ecosystem, IPC empowers the community to interact, transact and react to market changes and challenges, and we collaborate with our customers to help make them secure, productive, compliant and connected. Visit www.ipc.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter (@IPC_Systems_Inc). About SVPGlobal SVPGlobal is a global investment firm focused on distressed debt, special situations and private equity opportunities with more than $18.4 billion in assets under management. The firm, established by Victor Khosla in 2001, has approximately 130 employees, including approximately 50 investment professionals, across its main offices in Greenwich (CT), London and a presence in Tokyo. SVPGlobal is a signatory of the United Nations supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The PRI is recognized as the leading global network for investors committed to integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into their investment decision making. Learn more at www.svpglobal.com . About Centerbridge Partners Centerbridge Partners, L.P. is a private investment management firm employing a flexible approach across investment disciplines private equity, private credit and real estate in an effort to develop the most attractive opportunities for our investors. The Firm was founded in 2005 and as of August 31, 2021 has approximately $32 billion in capital under management with offices in New York and London. Centerbridge is dedicated to partnering with world-class management teams across targeted industry sectors and geographies. For more information, please visit www.centerbridge.com. Certain statements contained in this press release may be forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. MEDIA CONTACTS Ganesh Iyer, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer [email protected] Juliana Correa, Marketing Director [email protected] SOURCE IPC Systems, Inc. Related Links http://www.ipc.com "iQuanti delivered good results at a very difficult time with smart improvements across the user journey." - IPMA 2021 Tweet this "We are honored to be recognized on a global platform like the IPMA," said Vish Sastry Rachakonda (CEO, iQuanti). "The award is a testament to our relentless focus on driving results for our clients." Sreekant Lanka (SVP Digital Solutions, iQuanti) added "This is a recognition of the depth of our work with our clients in a very competitive search landscape. Our paid search program is based on the fundamental understanding of the search auction and layering it with audience and automation." iQuanti has found success in creating winning results for its clients over the years through its focus on developing innovative, industry-leading digital programs with deep data and insights. About iQuanti Founded in 2008, iQuanti ignites powerful and predictable digital marketing performance for global brands through a unique blend of channel management services, strategic consulting expertise, and proprietary product offerings. iQuanti was featured in Inc 5000. list for the seventh time in 2021. iQuanti has 400+ employees across New York, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Mexico City, London, Toronto, Bangalore and Singapore. Learn more at iQuanti.com. About IPMA PerformanceIN, a leading global performance marketing publication has been celebrating excellence in performance marketing by hosting the industry's annual awards for over 15 years. More here: performancemarketingawards.com Contact: Reshma Muralidhar [email protected] SOURCE iQuanti Related Links www.iquanti.com LONDON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Brand Awards is an annual event held by Global Brands Magazine (GBM), an international publication headquartered in the UK. The award aims to recognise global brands achieving excellence in performance across a broad range of sectors while keeping its readers updated on the branding world's key trends. Katch Investment Group was evaluated based on customer service, satisfaction, digital innovation, strategic relationships and new business development. Commenting on Katch Investment Group winning the awards, Shiv Kumar (CEO) of Global Brands magazine said, "Katch rose from the ashes of the global financial crisis, identifying a gap in the market, and took the challenge upon themselves to fill it. Very deservedly, they win this year's award for the "Fastest Growing Asset Management Boutique in the UK" as they're a relatively young company for their industry and have got off to a lightning-fast start." Commenting on winning the award, Stephane Prigent (CEO) said, "Private Debt has been in the spotlight for private investors looking to diversify away from traditional assets, which are more volatile and structurally unattractive given the expensive valuations. As asset managers, we always aspire to deliver higher returns while increasing protection and transparency to investors. Thanks to our products' uniqueness, we have raised about 300M over the past 3 years and are honoured to be recognised as the "Fastest Growing Asset Management Boutique in the UK" by the Global Brand Awards jury." About Katch Investment Group "Katch Investment Group is a private debt asset management boutique that offers innovative investment solutions in an ever-changing and challenging financial market environment. The group was founded by Laurent Jeanmart, Stephane Prigent and Pascal Rohner, who combine strong credentials in the alternative investment space and a history of consistent outperformance. Katch focuses on sophisticated investment strategies in niche areas within private debt that offer strong diversification, downside protection, short duration and attractive yields. In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, major central banks' liquidity injections have inflated traditional asset classes, and new regulations, such as Basel III, the Dodd-Frank Act, and the Volcker rule have reduced the banks ability to lend to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The scarcity of capital means that SMEs are willing to pay high rates and offer strong guarantees to secure funding for short term business opportunities. Katch identified these trends and created a Luxembourg-based mutual fund structure (SICAF-RAIF), exposing investors to different niche strategies within the private debt area. The different sub-funds primarily expose senior-secured short-term lending strategies that provide attractive returns, low volatility and strong protection via collaterals and guarantees. Katch strongly believes in diversification. It is an important technique that reduces economic, industry, country and other risks. In contrast to other private debt boutiques, we analyse and select investment opportunities globally to find and implement the strategies with the most attractive risk/reward profile." About Global Brands Magazine (England) Global Brands Magazine (GBM) has been at the forefront, bringing news, views and opinions on brands shaping the future of their industry. The UK-based magazine provides its readers with the latest news and information on 'best-in-class brands across the globe. Each year, GBM develops a series of awards for companies that stand out, having a unique vision, exceptional service, innovative solutions and consumer-centric products among their industry leaders. About Global Brand Awards Global Brand Awards honours the best brands for their excellence in performance and rewards companies across different sectors for the quality of their services. The Brand Awards highlight the accomplishments of organisations that have performed remarkably well in finance, education, hospitality, automotive, lifestyle, education, real estate, technology, and more. Global Brand Awards recognise vital players who progress towards excellence by providing a platform to acknowledge their efforts. In addition, GBM strives to create awareness concerning the significance of such organisations and rewards them for their notable efforts with the ultimate global recognition. SOURCE Global Brands Publications Limited MEXICO CITY, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Maxcom Telecomunicaciones S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: MAXCOM A, OTC: MXMTY. (BMV: MAXCOM A, OTC: MXMTY) (" Maxcom " or the " Company ") announces that Transtelco Acquisition III, S. de R.L. de C.V. (the " Offeror "), announced today, as per the Securities Market Law (the " LMV "), the extension of the period and due date of the previously announced mandatory tender offer (the " Tender Offer ") to acquire through Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, S.A.B. de C.V., up to all the shares representing the capital stock of the Company, which represent 276'471,081 ordinary, nominative, without par value, subscribed and fully paid series "A" shares, at a purchase price of $2.20 (two Pesos 20/100, Mexican pesos), per share. As a result of these amendments, the Tender Offer period will now be 30 (thirty) Business Days starting on September 24, 2021, and ending on November 5, 2021; in the understanding that the Offeror may extend the Tender Offer at its sole discretion, complying with the Law's requirements. Accordingly, as a result of the preceding, the expiration date of the Tender Offer is modified, which will now be November 5, 2021, as long as there are no additional extensions. As previously announced, the successful completion of the Tender Offer is conditioned upon the successful completion of the cash tender offer (the " Notes Offer ") to purchase the outstanding principal amount of the 8% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 (the " Notes ") issued by Maxcom, as well as the solicitation of consents to amend the indenture governing the Notes (the " Consent Solicitation "), the previous according to the terms and subject to the conditions outlined in the Notes Offer and the Consent Solicitation Statement made by Transtelco as of September 23, 2021. To view the amended documents of the Tender Offer, please visit the Company's website: http://ri.maxcom.com/. Maxcom thanks the continued support of all its stakeholders and confirms its commitment to maintaining close communication with the investing public. About Transtelco Transtelco, headquartered in El Paso, Texas, is a leading global provider of digital infrastructure solutions, including a state-of-the-art long-haul and metro fiber network in the southwestern U.S., Mexico, and Latin America. It provides dedicated Internet access, long-haul and metropolitan transport, co-location, and telephony services to global telecommunications carriers and blue-chip enterprise customers. Transtelco's differentiated bi-national and bi-cultural approach enables it to deliver superior customer results and exceed expectations consistently. In addition, Transtelco offers services on its own infrastructure that spans more than 15,000 miles from Los Angeles to Dallas and Tijuana to Mexico City through a unique network that provides route diversity, redundancy, and security. For more information, visit transtelco.net. About Maxcom Maxcom launched commercial operations in May 1999; its headquarters are in Mexico City. The Company is an integrated telecommunications service provider that uses an "intelligent construction" strategy to provide last-mile connection services, metropolitan and long haul transport services, co-location, and other value-added services to both the business and domestic and international carrier markets. Maxcom delivers its services through a fiber-optic network of more than 8,500 kilometers, which allows it to have a footprint in Mexico's main cities. The information in this press release is the exclusive responsibility of Maxcom Telecomunicaciones, SAB de CV, and has not been reviewed by the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) or any other authority. The trading of these securities by an investor will be made under such investor's responsibility. SOURCE Maxcom Telecomunicaciones, S.A.B. de C.V. Related Links http://www.maxcom.com TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Weber Shandwick, one of the world's leading global communications and marketing solutions agencies, has been selected to lead global consumer communications for leading online protection provider McAfee. Since its founding in 1987, McAfee, inspired by the purpose to make life online safe and enjoyable for everyone, has led the way and created a legacy in online protection. As it redefines its focus to a consumer brand, the firm will partner with Weber Shandwick to create and execute a global consumer communications strategy that reflects the brand's security focus on people, not just devices. "We took a decisive step forward with our brand to place our focus on consumers, on people. It's a bold move that's been years in the making. To help us communicate this shift to consumers, we wanted a partner that was as bold at driving big changes," said Judith Bitterli, Senior Vice President, McAfee Consumer Marketing. "Weber Shandwick's integrated global network matches our own, and with their deep experience in consumer brand marketing and communications, they are a natural partner to take on storytelling in this new direction, on this scale." Based out of the Toronto office, Weber Shandwick will work with McAfee's global consumer marketing team led by Bitterli in a truly global fashion with an agency team spanning countries across Europe, APAC, LATAM, the United States and Canada. The agency's extensive media relations experience, corporate reputation capabilities and emphasis on data-driven intelligence will be brought to bear in all markets to further the reach of McAfee's new brand promise with an insights-first approach. "McAfee is a powerful name in the online security world. The move to redefine itself as a consumer-focused brand is an exciting challenge well suited to our strengths as a global agency," said Greg Power, President and CEO, Weber Shandwick Canada. "Becoming a pure-play consumer brand requires changing perception, enhanced reputation and creating connections with consumers around shared value. We look forward to working closely with McAfee to share a new face of the brand with the world." About Weber Shandwick Weber Shandwick is a leading global communications network that delivers next-generation solutions to brands, businesses and organizations in major markets around the world. Led by world-class strategic and creative thinkers and activators, we have won some of the most prestigious awards in the industry. Weber Shandwick was named to Ad Age's Agency A-List in 2020 and Best Places to Work in 2019. Weber Shandwick was also honored as PRovoke's Global Agency of the Decade in 2020 and PRWeek's Global Agency of the Year in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The firm earned 25 Lions at the 2019 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Data-led, with earned ideas at the core, the agency deploys leading and emerging technologies to inform strategy, develop critical insights and heighten impact across sectors and specialty areas, including brand and B2B marketing, healthcare marketing, change management, employee engagement, corporate reputation, crisis management, data and analytics, technology, public affairs, social impact and financial communications. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit http://www.webershandwick.com About McAfee McAfee is a global leader in online protection. We make life online safe and enjoyable for everyone. We are focused on protecting people, not devices. Our solutions adapt to our customers' needs in this always online world. We empower our customers to confidently experience life online through integrated, easy-to-use solutions that provide total protection for their families and communities. www.mcafee.com Contact: Jill Tannenbaum Company: Weber Shandwick Phone: 212-546-7815 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Weber Shandwick Related Links http://www.webershandwick.com MCALLEN, Texas, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- McAllen Surgical Specialty Center, Ltd. ("McAllen Surgical") is providing notice of an incident that could affect the privacy of information of certain employees and patients for whom it provided medical care. While McAllen Surgical is unaware of any actual or attempted misuse of this information, McAllen Surgical takes this incident very seriously and are providing information about the incident, their response to it, and resources available to individuals to help protect their information, should they feel it appropriate to do so. What Happened? On May 14, 2021, McAllen Surgical discovered encrypted files on one of its servers. McAllen Surgical immediately launched an investigation, with the assistance of third-party forensic specialists, to determine the nature and scope of the activity. McAllen Surgical's investigation determined that an unauthorized actor gained access to certain computers and servers between May 12, 2021 and May 14, 2021. McAllen Surgical then worked diligently to identify which computers were impacted, what information was stored on those computers, and to whom the information on those computers relates. On July 22, 2021, as part of the investigation, McAllen Surgical determined it was unable to rule out whether any computers or servers housing patient information were accessed. Therefore, although McAllen Surgical has no indication that any patient information was actually viewed or taken, they are providing notice in an abundance of caution because sensitive information was present on the network at the time of the unauthorized access. What Information Was Involved? McAllen Surgical conducted a thorough review of the relevant systems to identify the types of information stored there and to whom it related. McAllen Surgical's review determined that sensitive information was present in the affected systems and it is possible that this information could have been accessed or acquired by an unauthorized actor. While the specific data elements vary for each potentially affected individual, the scope of information potentially involved includes: name; address; Social Security number; health insurance information; date of service; provider name; medical record number; and patient number. How Will Individuals Know If They Are Affected By This Incident? McAllen Surgical is mailing notice letters to the individuals identified as impacted. If an individual did not receive a letter but would like to know if they are affected, they may call McAllen Surgical's dedicated assistance line, detailed below. What McAllen Surgical is Doing. McAllen Surgical takes the confidentiality, privacy, and security of information in its care seriously. Upon discovery, McAllen Surgical immediately commenced an investigation to confirm the nature and scope of the incident. In response to this incident, McAllen Surgical is reviewing and enhancing existing policies and procedures. Whom Should Individuals Contact For More Information? If individuals have questions or would like additional information, they may call McAllen Surgical's dedicated assistance line, 866-581-1076 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., Central Time, Monday through Friday. What You Can Do? McAllen Surgical encourages individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, to review account statements and explanation of benefits forms, and to monitor free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Under U.S. law individuals are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Individuals may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of their credit report, place a fraud alert, or a security freeze. Contact information for the credit bureaus is below: Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below. As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a "credit freeze" on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer's express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report. To request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information: Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.); Social Security number; Date of birth; Addresses for the prior two to five years; Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill; A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, military identification, etc.); and A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if you are a victim of identity theft. Should you wish to place a fraud alert or credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below: Equifax Experian TransUnion https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ https://www.experian.com/help/ https://www.transunion.com/credit-help 888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 833-395-6938 Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016 Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094 Additional Information You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement. For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov . For New Mexico residents, you have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from violator. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage you to review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra .pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov/ .Individuals can further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and steps to protect their information by contacting the Federal Trade Commission. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should be reported to law enforcement and the state attorney general. SOURCE McAllen Surgical Specialty Center, Ltd. With this increased activity on the horizon, insurers are being more selective and less competitive. Tweet this "This month is a good example of how shifts in insurer demand for pension risk transfers can affect buyout prices," says Mary Leong, a consulting actuary with Milliman and co-author of the study. "Many insurers have closed a number of deals in Q3 and are expecting a high volume in Q4. With this increased activity on the horizon, insurers are being more selective and less competitive. This likely explains the uptick in our index this month." The MPBI uses the FTSE Above Median AA Curve, along with annuity purchase composite interest rates from eight insurers, to estimate the average and competitive costs of a PRT annuity de-risking strategy. Individual plan annuity buyouts can vary based on plan size, complexity, and competitive landscape. To view the complete Milliman Pension Buyout Index, go to https://www.milliman.com/mpbi. About Milliman Milliman is among the world's largest providers of actuarial and related products and services. The firm has consulting practices in healthcare, property & casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services, and employee benefits. Founded in 1947, Milliman is an independent firm with offices in major cities around the globe. For further information, visit milliman.com. SOURCE Milliman, Inc. Related Links http://www.milliman.com NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mutual of America Financial Group, which specializes in providing retirement and investment services to organizations and individuals, is pleased to introduce Tara Favors as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. As a member of the executive team, she will report to John R. Greed, Chairman, President and CEO. Tara Favors In this role, Favors will be responsible for all aspects of human resources strategy for the company, which has more than 1,100 employees nationwide. This includes talent acquisition, development and retention; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); organizational learning; compensation programs; employee benefits; and the development of a hybrid employee work policy. She will work closely with the Executive Committee to implement the company's transformational business initiatives and update its long-term strategic plan. Favors has more than 20 years of experience in human resources leadership roles in financial services and other sectors. Most recently, she was Vice President of Human Resources for the Global Merchant and Network Services business of American Express, where she led a global team that provided strategic human resources support to approximately 4,000 employees. Previously, she also worked at Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank, where she held a wide range of leadership roles across human resources. "I am excited to join Mutual of America, an organization with a strong employee culture and unwavering commitment to its clients," said Favors. "I look forward to working with the Executive Committee to ensure we are attracting, retaining and developing our talent for today and the years to come." "Mutual of America's culture of caring starts with our own employees," said Greed. "Tara's track record of effective leadership; expertise in talent acquisition and management; and commitment to building a diverse, inclusive and exceptional workforce uniquely positions her to provide valuable support to our employees and contribute to our Company's long-term success." Favors earned a BA in Psychology from Syracuse University and an MS in Human Resources from The New School University. She has also served on several nonprofit boards in the fields of education and health care. About Mutual of America Financial Group Mutual of America Financial Group is a leading provider of retirement and investment services. We offer personalized service at a competitive price to help retirement plan participants and individuals build and preserve assets for a financially secure future. Integrity, prudence and reliability are values that have guided us since our inception in 1945 and that continue to serve us and our customers well. For more information, visit mutualofamerica.com, and connect with us via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. SOURCE Mutual of America WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded $28 million to fund the next five years of research infrastructure development across 28 jurisdictions. The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), a part of NASA's Office of Stem Engagement and based out of the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, supports science and technology research and development at colleges and universities while also funding studies in Earth science, aeronautics, and human and robotic deep space exploration all of which are disciplines critical to the NASA mission. Started almost 30 years ago, EPSCoR focuses on 25 states and three territories, and seeks to lessen the disparity in funding between states across the nation to create an equitable competition in aerospace and aerospace-related research activities. While California receives 12% of all federal research funding, all 28 EPSCoR jurisdictions combined receive less than 10%, so participating states and territories depend heavily on these research investments. NASA funds these areas so they remain competitive in the aerospace research and development field. The EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Development award further strengthens long-term research capabilities by pledging $200,000 a year to each of the 28 jurisdictions for the next half decade, increasing and diversifying technology and research development, higher education, and economic development on both a state and national level. EPSCoR also solicits proposals for Rapid Response Research, which awards funding to researchers as they work with NASA on issues impacting the agency's mission and programs, as well as International Space Station collaborations and suborbital flight opportunities, which provide researchers the opportunity to fly mature research projects in low-Earth orbit. Jurisdictions receiving the RID awards are: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, the U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Wyoming. To learn more about EPSCoR, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/stem/epscor/home/index.html SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov DUBLIN, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Brake System Market by Type, Technology, On & Off-Highway Vehicle, OHV Brake, Actuation and Region - Global Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The automotive industry plays a crucial role in building the global economy. However, the COVID-19 outbreak disrupted the entire automotive supply chain on a global scale during the second and third quarters of 2020, impacting new vehicle sales in FY 2020. According to the analysis, vehicle production (including LDV and HDV) witnessed a decline of 19.6% in 2020. The pandemic presented an uncertain recovery timeline for the automotive industry due to lockdowns and shutdown of manufacturing facilities in various parts of the world. The automotive industry faced four major challenges amid COVID-19 - limited supply of vehicle parts, reduced sales of new vehicles, shutdown of production facilities, and decline in working capital. As the brake system market is dependent on the production of vehicles, this market was impacted due to the outbreak. However, according to various industry experts, the recovery may regain momentum by the second half of 2021. The brake system market is projected to reach USD 26.5 billion by 2026 from an estimated USD 20.9 billion in 2021, at a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period. Various governments globally are implementing safety standards by making safety features such as ABS, ESC, TCS, and EBD a mandatory feature in vehicles. This has strongly driven the brake system market in developed as well developing countries. Also, the growing popularity of high-end and luxury cars is boosting the brake system market. Countries such as India, China, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina are focusing on enhanced automotive safety standards. However, the high maintenance and repair costs can hinder market growth, especially in developing countries. The Asia Pacific brake system market is estimated to be the fastest-growing regional market. The growing adoption of advanced braking system technologies in China, Japan, South Korea, and India is expected to drive market growth in the region. China's passenger car production is expected to reach 24 million units by 2026, presenting a huge opportunity for brake system manufacturers globally as well as domestically. Not only passenger cars but trucks are also set to reach 2 million units by 2026. According to the European Transport Safety Council, the South Korean transport ministry announced that it requires all new large passenger vehicles and trucks to be fitted with AEB and LDW systems from January 2019. Also, ABS and ESC are already mandatory in passenger cars and LCVs. Thus, the implementation of government mandates is expected to drive the South Korean brake system market. Such factors would boost the growth of the installation of advanced braking systems, which in turn would drive the growth of the brake system market during the forecast period. The brake system market is segmented by region, vehicle type, brake type, technology, off-highway application, off-highway brake type and actuation. The study also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market along with their company profiles, key observations related to product and business offerings, recent developments, and key market strategies. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Stringent Automotive Active Safety Regulations 5.2.1.1.1 Stopping Distance for Light- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles 5.2.1.1.2 Enhanced Vehicle Safety with ABS and EBD 5.2.1.2 Integration of ACC in Electronic Braking Systems 5.2.1.3 Impact of NCAP on Electronic Brake Systems 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 High Development and Maintenance Costs 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Brake-By-Wire Systems 5.2.3.2 Regenerative Braking to Create Lucrative Growth in Ev Ecosystem 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Malfunctioning of Electronic Braking Systems 5.2.4.2 Air Brake Freeze-Ups 5.2.5 Impact of COVID-19 on Brake System Market 5.3 Trends/Disruptions Impacting Customer's Business 5.4 Brake System Market, Scenarios (2021-2026) 5.5 Ecosystem/Market Map 5.6 Technology Analysis 5.7 Case Study Analysis 5.9 Average Selling Price Analysis, 2021-E 5.10 Value Chain Analysis 5.11 Trade Analysis 5.12 Tariff and Regulatory Landscape 5.13 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 6 Brake System Market, by Brake Type 7 Brake System Market, by Technology 8 Brake System Market, by Vehicle Type 9 Brake System Market, by Actuation 10 Off-Highway Brake System Market, by Application 11 Off-Highway Brake System Market, by Brake Type 12 Brake System Market, by Region 13 Competitive Landscape 14 Company Profiles Advics Co., Ltd. Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd. Beringer Brembo S.P.A BWI Group Continental Ag Denso Corporation EBC Brakes Haldex Ab Hitachi Astemo Ltd. Hyundai Mobis Knorr-Bremse AG Mando Corporation Meritor, Inc. Muller Brakes America Inc. Nifo Srl Robert Bosch GmbH Wagner Brake Wuhan Youfin Auto Parts Co., Ltd. Wuhu Bethel Automotive Safety System Co., Ltd. ZF Friedrichshafen AG For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xhptpi About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] 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 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Finkelstein & Partners trial attorneys Kenneth Fromson and Andrew Finkelstein argued successfully that distracted drivers who cause bodily harm and mayhem must be held accountable for their actions. Noted Mr. Finkelstein, "On behalf of our client, who has truly suffered, we are relieved and grateful to the members of the jury for acknowledging the driver's responsibility. Their decision sends a powerful message to our community. On a personal note, they have also provided our client financial relief, not only for the past 8 years' worth of medical expenses, but the reward also enables her to finally look to the future with hope." RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Piemonte Holding announces today that it has signed an agreement with the Private Credit business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management to invest equity in Elea Digital, Piemonte Holding's Brazilian edge data centers ecosystem. The consummation of the transaction remains subject to regulatory and other approvals, including that of the Brazilian antitrust authority (Cade). The investment in Elea Digital will allow the Brazilian company to boost the standardization of a platform of five scale data centers, spread across five Brazilian metro-areas (Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Brasilia and Sao Paulo), and to further increase geographical footprint around Latin America. Elea Digital's primary focus is to support the development of cloud computing and 5G technologies, by upgrading and building a digital infrastructure that sits at the edge and extends the central cloud within various regions of Brazil. About Elea Digital Founded by Piemonte Holding in 2019, Elea Digital is a data center infrastructure platform with the differential of having wide geographical presence across Brazil. Elea Digital's five data centers are at the edge of the central Latam cloud region in key Brazilian metro-areas: Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Brasilia and Sao Paulo. Currently Elea Digital's core revenues derive from colocation and cross-connectivity infrastructure services provided to a wide range of customers, mainly concentrated in the information technology, telecom, banking, media, and public sectors. About Piemonte Holding Headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Piemonte Holding is a financial group founded in 2012. Piemonte holding provides highly sophisticated services to selected clients and invests its own capital to foster a sustainable digitalization of the economy. Piemonte Holding endeavors to excellence and ethical values in any transaction it engages with, employing above benchmark competences to design and manage large scale projects, driven by technological innovation as well as infrastructure and economic development. About Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Bringing together traditional and alternative investments, Goldman Sachs Asset Management provides clients around the world with a dedicated partnership and focus on long-term performance. As the primary investing area within Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), we deliver investment and advisory services for the world's leading institutions, financial advisors and individuals, drawing from our deeply connected global network and tailored expert insights, across every region and marketoverseeing more than $2 trillion in assets under supervision worldwide as of September 30, 2021. Driven by a passion for our clients' performance, we seek to build long-term relationships based on conviction, sustainable outcomes, and shared success over time. Goldman Sachs Asset Management invests in the full spectrum of alternatives, including private equity, growth equity, private credit, real estate and infrastructure. Established in 1996, the Private Credit business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management is one of the world's largest private credit investors with over $75 billion in assets across direct lending, mezzanine debt, hybrid capital and asset-based lending strategies. Our deep industry and product knowledge, extensive relationships and global footprint position us to deliver scaled outcomes SOURCE Piemonte Holding Mr. Fang Weihao, Chairman and CEO of Ping An Good Doctor , said, "Ping An Good Doctor will further strengthen its strategic upgrade, focus on B2C premium users and introduce the family doctor memberships. We will continue to improve our O2O services and strive to provide our customers with an easier, faster and more affordable user experience." Strengthen strategic upgrade, staying focused on user experience and service quality Since mid-2020, Ping An Good Doctor launched its strategic upgrade on three fronts, namely channels, services and capabilities. In terms of service channels, Ping An Good Doctor has always been focusing on exploring synergies with individual users, insurance customers and corporate clients. As of 30 June 2021, the number of registered users on its platform exceeded 400 million while cumulative consultations nearing 1.2 billion. The Company said that it would further focus on setting up more integrated financial channels and corporate clients' channels with stronger synergies and higher value, as well as bridge the gap between providers and payers in medical and healthcare industry. Ping An Good Doctor has a huge advantage as it can harness the potential presented by the 220 million financial customers of the Ping An Group. As the flagship platform in the Group's healthcare ecosystem, the Company seeks greater synergies with the Group's valuable resources by focusing on membership service products to provide full-lifecycle services for the Group's high value integrated financial customers. As the Company pursues strategic upgrade, Ping An Good Doctor will continue to explore ways to leverage Ping An Group's integrated finance channels to offer medical and health service products with stronger synergies and higher value. This in turn will boost traffic on the platform. For corporate clients, Ping An Good Doctor customizes products according to the industry's attributes and employee profiles, with an aim to optimize consultation efficiency and provide employees with prevention-oriented health management. Introducing family doctor memberships to empower heartwarming services During the event, Ping An Good Doctor also introduced the "Family doctor memberships". The scheme will take "1 family doctor + 5 specialized services + 1 health profile " as the core service content, and match users with resources according to following categories: health management, sub-health management, diseases management, chronic illness management and eldercare management. A full-lifecycle electronic health profile for each user will be created and appropriate O2O healthcare services will be arranged accordingly. The family doctor memberships will provide professional guidance, link high-quality resources, provide professional empowerment for the government, provide differentiated supplements for people with multi-level needs, and achieve social healthcare efficiency under the background of unbalanced supply and demand of medical resources and low utilization efficiency. Strengthen O2O medical services to optimize eco-systems With the strategic upgrade, Ping An Good Doctor continues to improve its offline healthcare service network while improving its online service capabilities, and fully connects massive healthcare and traffic resources with offline influential hospitals and healthcare institutions through O2O, aiming to achieve a seamless online-to-offline experience. As of 30 September 2021, Ping An Good Doctor has forged O2O co-operation deals with 189,000 pharmacies, over 4,000 hospitals, around 1,700 checkup centers and more than 1,800 medical institutions. The alliances have laid a solid foundation for Ping An Good Doctor to tap corporate clients and introduce its family doctor memberships. The Investor Day also showcased the technological preeminence of Ping An Group and Ping An Good Doctor World's top healthtech company with over 1,000 medical patents, top-notch healthcare AI technologies and an over 95% diagnosis accuracy rate. Forging ahead, leveraging Ping An Group's experience, technology, customers and resources, Ping An Good Doctor will further integrate its business model of insurance + healthcare, family doctor memberships, O2O medical service and advance its heartwarming healthcare services under its value proposition to providing customers with "easier, faster and more affordable" user experience. About Ping An Healthcare And Technology Company Limited Ping An Healthcare and Technology Company Limited ("Ping An Good Doctor"; stock code: 01833.HK) is the leading online medical and healthcare service platform in China. Ping An Good Doctor strives to bridge the communication gap between doctors and patients with expertise, convenience and trust. It is committed to building an Internet healthcare platform with the largest scale, the most advanced models, and the highest entry barriers in China. Currently, Ping An Good Doctor has formed key business sectors including online medical services, consumer healthcare, Health Mall, health management and wellness interaction. SOURCE Ping An Healthcare and Technology Company Limited PITTSBURGH, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC) announced today that Robert Q. Reilly, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will discuss business performance, strategy and banking at 10:30 a.m. (ET) Friday, Nov. 5, at the BancAnalysts Association of Boston Conference in Boston. The following will be accessible at www.pnc.com/investorevents: a link to the live webcast; related materials, including cautionary statements regarding forward-looking information, available prior to the start of the webcast; and a webcast replay available for 30 days. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com. CONTACTS: MEDIA: Marcey Zwiebel (412) 762-4550 [email protected] INVESTORS: Bryan Gill (412) 768-4143 [email protected] SOURCE PNC Financial Services Group Related Links https://www.pnc.com/ ROCKLAND COUNTY, New York, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sentinel of Rockland, a member of The Polaris Healthcare Network, announced the opening of its newest Assisted Living Community located in beautiful Montebello, New York on October 20, 2021. With this newly constructed state-of-the-art Community, Polaris continues to expand its portfolio of high-quality affordable assisted livings in New York. Serenely situated on a bucolic seven-acres in Rockland County, The Sentinel consists of beautifully designed and well-appointed common areas, lounges, and patios. The Sentinel offers both private and companion suites, available for immediate occupancy. The Sentinel of Rockland is a proud participant in the New York State Medicaid Program as an Assisted Living Program which enables residents to age in place, gracefully. "As a lifelong resident of Rockland County, I am extremely excited about this Community which has been a true labor of love." said Eric Newhouse, President of The Sentinel. This acquisition follows The Sentinel's integrated approach of selectively building, acquiring, and managing well-located properties to offer assisted living throughout the Hudson Valley and upstate New York regions. Neil Zelman, CEO of The Sentinel, added "The provision of quality senior care is what we love to do. We are proud to add the Sentinel of Rockland, as our flagship Community, to our portfolio. We thank our partners at the various levels of government, both local and State for working with us to see this project completed. We are grateful to M&T Bank for being a great financial partner. We look forward to many years as part of the wonderful Rockland County community and to deliver the highest level of care for our residents." To learn more about The Sentinel of Rockland, please visit us at www.sentinelalf.com or arrange an onsite tour by calling Debbie Corwin, Director of Community Relations at 845-203-4500 . SOURCE Polaris Healthcare Related Links http://www.sentinelalf.com This acquisition was based on Rapid Fired Pizza's brand strength and proven market concept. Tweet this Pie Guys Restaurants LLC is based in South Carolina and led by Mike Kern and Chip Hurst, co-owners and operators of the Rapid Fired Pizza Spartanburg, Greenville, and Easley South Carolina locations and area developers for Rapid Fired Pizza in South and North Carolina. Kern has enjoyed a successful career in the chain restaurant industry. He previously served as CEO of Long John Silver's, Inc., CMO of Long John Silver's, Inc., and Vice President of Brand Marketing for KFC. He has owned and operated over 30 Long John Silver's and A&W All American Food restaurants. Hurst brings over two decades of experience in commercial real estate development in a variety of industries, including chain restaurants. With their combined insights and experience developing world-class franchises, the duo hopes to fuel Rapid Fired Pizza's next chapters of growth and expansion. "Having been part of large chain brands built on a franchisee model, as well as running the front lines of daily operations, we understand how to work with franchisees as partners in driving brand growth and mutual success," said Mike Kern. "This acquisition was based on Rapid Fired Pizza's brand strength and proven market concept," said Chip Hurst. "We quickly recognized that the fast-casual pizza space has short- and long-term growth potential as evidenced by market entries and overall segment growth." Rapid Fired Pizza's new owners are poised to enhance and optimize the brand proposition to participate in the overall sector growth by increasing relevancy and market share. They believe that the quality of the brand's offerings and strong consumer relationships have resulted in a loyal following and differentiates the franchise from the competition. Above all, the investors are focused on continued expansion and building brand recognition. Plans for the brand include franchise development throughout the proven existing footprint of the Midwest, Southeast, and Texas. The brand is slated to open five new locations within the next 12 months, including restaurants in Anderson and Greenwood in South Carolina, Parkersburg in West Virginia, and Indiana and Texas. Headquarters will remain in Kettering, Ohio, while options for relocation to South Carolina are evaluated. The brand also aims to grow the non-traditional market by adding a brand presence in grocery stores, stadiums, and student centers. Rapid Fired Pizza enjoys an existing relationship with a grocer in Ohio and has contracted with a second grocer to develop a similar brand partnership in South Carolina. About Rapid Fired Pizza Founded in Kettering, Ohio, Rapid Fired Pizza opened its first store in September 2015. Today, the company continues to offer delicious craft and custom pizzas in 180 seconds and fresh craft and custom salads. The company is fast-growing, with 33 stores open in six states. For more information, visit rapidfiredpizza.com. About Pie Guys Restaurants LLC Pie Guys Restaurants LLC is led by Mike Kern and Chip Hurst, co-owners and operators of the Rapid Fired Pizza Spartanburg, Greenville, and Easley South Carolina locations and franchise area developers for Rapid Fired Pizza in South and North Carolina. Kern brings over 30 years of franchise restaurant experience, and Hurst brings 20 years of real estate development experience in various industries. SOURCE Rapid Fired Pizza Related Links https://www.rapidfiredpizza.com Under the terms of the agreement, two parties will develop an AI-powered test-prep solution for JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) and NEET (National Eligibility Entrance Test), an admissions exam for various technical and medical undergraduate programs across India with over three million test-takers annually. The solution will be accessible through the web, iOS, and Android. In the process, BasicFirst Learning will provide contents, key features, and specifications for the product, while Riiid will provide Al modeling components, such as score prediction and content recommendation, as well as AI algorithm pre-training capabilities. When combined, those components are expected to exert a vast amount of synergy, generating high learning efficacy and personalized learning paths for the users. According to HolonIQ, a global education intelligence platform, India is "an education giant to watch" and is expected to dethrone China as the most populous country on earth by 2022 with more than 1.5 billion residents. Since India's economic growth and development are expected to rely heavily on the education sector, this partnership can serve as a catalyst for capturing enormous opportunities in the Indian education market. "We are thrilled to enter into a partnership with BasicFirst Learning because when AI meets the right platforms, powerful things happen," said David Yi, CEO of Riiid Labs. "Because BasicFirst Learning is well aligned with us on the mission of democratizing education for everyone and its learning platform has a strong reputation among local users, we expect our collective efforts to make a major leap in providing personalized learning experiences. We believe this partnership also has a potential to generate a great deal of market opportunities in India." Elaborating on the partnership, Randhir Kumar, Founder & CEO, BasicFirst Learning said, "We are excited to be entering into an innovative and industry-first partnership with Riiid Labs to provide AI-enabled test assessment solutions to students. Every year over three million students appear for JEE, NEET exams in the country, therefore we are focusing on bringing solution that is student-centric and bring innovation to the current education system. Aligned with our commitment to offering a holistic learning experience, this partnership aims to offer students a one-of-a-kind personalized, focused, and result-driven experience. Our AI-powered learning mechanism is a step towards improved future of students and brings competitiveness among the industry peers" BasicFirst Learning is a personalized e-learning platform in India started by the country's top education professionals and experts in 2017. The company has made quick penetrations in a number of markets including US, UAE, Singapore as well as its home turf in India. Riiid's proprietary AI technology analyzes student data and content, predicts scores and user behavior, and recommends personalized study plans in real-time to help students optimize their learning potential. The company provides solutions for K-12 education, postsecondary education, and corporate training in more than 10 countries across the globe. For more detailed information on Riiid, visit https://company.riiid.co/en/main. About Riiid Headquartered in Korea, Riiid (https://company.riiid.co/en/main ) is a global leader in AI solutions for education, backed by more than $250 million (USD) in funding and named to the 2021 CB Insights AI 100 list of the most innovative AI startups. Leveraging the power of AI, the company is driving a paradigm shift in education with technology that personalizes instruction for all students, with the aim of democratizing quality education anywhere in the world. The company provides solutions for K-12 education, postsecondary education, and corporate training. As a leading force in AI technology, Riiid has published research papers at top AI conferences including NeurIPS, CSEDU, and LAK. The company has applied for more than 103 patents, 27 of which are registered. In 2020, Riiid established the company's global arm based in Silicon Valley, California, to expand its business across the U.S., South America, Middle East and beyond. About BasicFirst Learning BasicFirst Learning (www.basicfirst.com), founded in 2017, is a personalized live e-learning platform enabled with Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Data Analytics for enhanced adaptive learning. Started by the country's top education professionals and experts, BasicFirst provides personalized academic support and high-quality mentor-based content to the students situated at the remotest locations across India. To empower students with the confidence, BasicFirst helps them build a strong scholastic foundation through live one-on-one & one-to-many interactive learning modules, online doubt clearing sessions, and multiple revision rounds. The affordable e-learning platform offers targeted courses for JEE, AIIMS, NTSE, NEET, and Olympiads along with courses for students of classes 6th to 12th. BasicFirst consists of over 150+ experienced teachers/instructors from India's top institutions/ schools that are available for all education boards across the country in all languages including local languages, providing quality education to more than 20,000 students spread across tier 1, 2 & 3 cities in India. About Born2Global Centre Born2Global Centre (www.born2global.com) is a full-cycle service platform for global expansion. Since its inception in 2013, Born2Global has been setting the standard for successful startup ecosystem as the main Korean government agency under the Ministry of Science and ICT. Born2Global has expanded and transformed startups to be engaged, equipped and connected with the global market. Media contact Riiid: [email protected] Born2Global Centre: [email protected] SOURCE Born2Global Centre According to the CDC there are 652 laboratory-confirmed salmonella cases linked to consumption of fresh red, yellow, and white onions imported by ProSource Inc. This number is expected to grow as victims continue to consume these contaminated onions, which have a shelf life of up to three months. Nearly a quarter of these illnesses are in Texas. Today the FDA Included Keeler Family Farms of Deming, New Mexico, as another Source of the Contaminated Onions The lawsuit was filed against ProSource Inc. in Washington County, Idaho on behalf of Terry McLean, who purchased a hot dog with onions at a local establishment. After eating it he began experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea, dehydration, and heart issues. He was forced to seek medical treatment, was hospitalized, and was found to have salmonella. He was interviewed by county health officials who confirmed he was part of the ProSource Inc. onions Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak. Mr. McLean continues to recover from Salmonella food poisoning. ProSource Inc. Onions Salmonella Outbreak On October 20, 2021, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified fresh whole onions as the source of a large outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg. The fresh whole red, white, and yellow onions were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico and distributed by ProSource Inc., a company located in Weiser, Idaho. These onions were sold to restaurants and grocery stores throughout the United States. According to ProSource Inc., the onions were last imported on August 27, but can last up to three months in storage and may still be in homes and businesses. The outbreak has already been linked to 652 illnesses in 37 states with 129 of the victims requiring hospitalization. No deaths have been reported. Food Safety Attorney Ron Simon Issues Statement for Victims and Establishes Salmonella Claim Center National food safety attorney Ron Simon, who represents Mr. McLean and many other victims of the ProSource Inc. Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak, issued the following statement: "Many outbreaks are eventually linked to produce that is imported from companies that do not operate under the strict guidelines imposed by the FDA domestically. We will be using this and similar lawsuits to understand how this happened and to work to prevent future outbreaks." Mr. Simon and his law firm have established a Salmonella Claim Center to assist victims in the outbreak. The Salmonella Claim Center can be reached toll-free at 1-888-335-4901, or at either https://www.onionsalmonellalawsuit.com/ or https://www.salmonellaoutbreaklawsuit.com/. About Food Safety Attorney Ron Simon Over the last 25 years, Ron Simon and his colleagues have prosecuted thousands of food poisoning cases for victims across the United States. His work has resulted in numerous upgrades to food safety procedures in Fortune 500 companies and in legislation designed to protect consumers from dangerous food-borne pathogens. Mr. Simon and his clients have been featured on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX and virtually all other major television networks and print media. Mr. Simon and his legal team have collected over $750,000,000 for their clients. He regularly publishes articles about food safety and litigation at www.foodpoisoningnews.com which are read by viewers in over 180 countries. Through litigation, media commentary, and his food poisoning publications, Mr. Simon relentlessly challenges food manufacturers, distributors, and restaurants to do a better job in making our food safe. For media inquiries or more information on the Salmonella outbreak and ongoing litigation, please contact Ron Simon directly at (713) 819-8116 or [email protected]. SOURCE Ron Simon & Associates Related Links foodpoisoningnews.com MIAMI, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) has scheduled a conference call for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, Friday, October 29, 2021, to provide a business update and discuss third quarter 2021 financial results. The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations website, www.rclinvestor.com. To listen to the call by phone, please dial (833) 608-1479 in the US and Canada. International phone calls should be made to (270) 240-0549. The conference call access code is 1858830. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call. You are encouraged to dial-in/register at least 15 minutes prior to start time to ensure your participation. About Royal Caribbean Group Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) is one of the leading cruise companies in the world with a global fleet of 60 ships traveling to more than 800 destinations around the world. Royal Caribbean Group is the owner and operator of three award winning cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises, and it is also a 50% owner of a joint venture that operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Together, the brands have an additional 13 ships on order as of September 30, 2021. Learn more at www.royalcaribbeangroup.com or www.rclinvestor.com. SOURCE Royal Caribbean Group Related Links http://www.rclcorporate.com SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Seeed, a leading global electronics manufacturer based in Shenzhen, is adding SnapEDA computer-aided design (CAD) models to the Seeed and Shenzhen Open Parts Libraries (OPLs), to help electronics designers move from idea to fabrication with ease. Seeed Fusion PCBA OPL adds new SnapEDA CAD model integration The OPLs are a collection of commonly used components, designed to be used with the Seeed Fusion PCB Assembly (PCBA) service, that are widely available in the supply chain, cost effective, and design-for-manufacturing (DFM) friendly. Today it contains a wide selection of over 150,000 commonly used parts, from integrated circuits (ICs) to passives, to cut costs and reduce the turnaround times for turnkey PCB assembly. During the parts selection stage, the OPLs save engineers time and reduce delays, since the parts are carefully selected to ensure they are widely available in the local supply chain, eliminating the need to import parts and undergo lengthy and costly customs clearance processes. This is especially helpful given the current global component shortage affecting the electronics industry. In addition to preventing delays, engineers also save money since the components in these libraries are sourced from Seeed's affiliated partners network and/or are purchased in bulk. During the design and manufacturing stage, the addition of the SnapEDA CAD models to the OPLs make them even more valuable. By downloading ready-to-use CAD models for the parts they select, engineers can save weeks of time, and reduce costly prototype iterations during the manufacturing process. To get started with the new SnapEDA integration, engineers simply visit the Downloads section on the Seeed's OPLs. Once they click the Symbol, Footprint and 3D model link, a viewer will popup allowing engineers to preview the models, and download instantly. "With the current constraints in the global electronic component supply chain, we're pleased to be able to support the Seeed and ShenZhen open parts libraries, which are helping engineers streamline part selection and manufacturing. With the addition of SnapEDA models, engineers will now be able to design-in these parts in mere seconds," said Natasha Baker, Founder and CEO of SnapEDA. Before SnapEDA, engineers needed to spend hours of time creating digital models from scratch. With the sheer number of components a project can have, the process of creating and verifying each component can be tedious and error ridden. This is why SnapEDA created the first search engine focused on CAD models, as well as its own patented verification technology to optimize the quality of each model. Over 15 PCB design formats are accessible with the new SnapEDA integration in the Seeed and ShenZhen OPLs, including Altium, KiCad, Fusion360, Cadence Allegro, OrCAD, EAGLE, DesignSpark PCB, DipTrace, Proteus & more. Engineers can also find SnapEDA's symbols, footprints and 3D models on the main SnapEDA website, as well as on distributors' websites including Digikey, Mouser, and RS Components' DesignSpark. SnapEDA can also be found in software tools like Autodesk Fusion 360, Proteus and DipTrace. Millions of engineers are benefiting from the syndication of these CAD models on over 30 affiliated partners' platforms. To learn more about the SnapEDA's network, visit www.snapeda.com/syndication About SnapEDA SnapEDA helps engineers design electronics faster by removing barriers. Its search engine for electronics design is used by over 1 million electronics engineers and PCB designers each year, creating everything from medical devices to automotive electronics. By providing ready-to-use building blocks for design, including symbols & PCB footprints, its library shaves days off product development, allowing designers to focus on optimization and innovation. SnapEDA's models are created using proprietary and patented creation, verification, and translation technology. Learn more at www.snapeda.com. About Seeed Since 2008, Seeed Studio has always been committed to providing developers around the world with faster and higher-quality manufacturing services. Our mission is to make hardware more accessible and lower the boundaries of hardware innovation. From free Design for Assembly service, to free functional testing, Seeed Fusion PCB Assembly service focuses on providing customers with fast and high-quality one-stop prototyping and batch manufacturing services. Get a complete online quotation in seconds with Seeed Fusion's smart platform www.seeedstudio.com/prototype-pcb-assembly.html Contact: Carmen Zheng 18565055449 [email protected] SOURCE Seeed Studio Related Links https://www.seeedstudio.com/ JERSEY CITY, N.J., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A cutting-edge high-tech hospital simulation space designed to showcase the future of digital health and home healthcare is coming to Jersey City from Israel. At the groundbreaking today for SciTech Scity, the 30-acre "City of Tomorrow" innovation campus that Liberty Science Center is developing to launch and grow world-changing science and technology companies and reimagine public school science education, LSC's President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Hoffman and Dr. Eyal Zimlichman, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at Sheba Medical Center, announced that Sheba will become the first Innovation Partner and first international tenant at SciTech Scity. With New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop as witnesses, Mr. Hoffman and Dr. Zimlichman executed a Memorandum of Understanding between their respective organizations. Through this partnership, cutting-edge technologies in healthtech out of Israel, "The Start-Up Nation," will be showcased in a state-of-the-art simulation facility in NJ as Sheba transforms a floor of the eight-story Edge Works "business optimizer" at SciTech Scity into Liberty ARC HealthSpace2030. The simulation space will leverage the expertise of Sheba's existing world-renowned medical simulation center (MSR) in Tel HaShomer, near Tel Aviv, and focus on advances in digital health and home healthcare, employing a host of technologies that integrate sensing, monitoring, AI, communication, augmented reality and robotic technologies to maximize patient care and comfort while minimizing risk to staff. Solutions will be focused on promoting healthy living, coping with chronic diseases (such as diabetes) at home, and promoting health equity. "Advances in digital health and home healthcare promise to help people everywhere, but these advances will particularly help underserved populations who don't have easy access to specialized care," said Mr. Hoffman. "Liberty ARC HealthSpace2030 complements Liberty Science Center and SciTech Scity's mission to innovate and promote science and technology for all. Sheba is the largest hospital system in the Middle East and one of the top 10 hospitals in the world. We are delighted that they are partnering with us." Of particular note, Mr. Hoffman added that SciTech Scity and Liberty Science Center will assist Sheba in testing and introducing digital health and home health products in underserved communities in Jersey City and beyond. And it is anticipated that new technologies, products, and companies emerging from the Liberty ARC HealthSpace2030 will create jobs in Jersey City. "It is an honor to play an integral role in the development of this evolutionary and revolutionary SciTech Scity/Liberty Science Center project, which will enable Sheba Medical Center to spur the digital healthcare revolution within the realm of ARC HealthSpace 2030, providing an engine of economic growth, as well as creating a myriad of cutting-edge healthcare options for the citizens of New Jersey and the metropolitan region," said Professor Yitshak Kreiss, CEO of Sheba Medical Center. "This is also an important development for the State of Israel, collaborating with our partners in New Jersey on ground-breaking medical innovation for the benefit of all." Dr. Zimlichman explained that SciTech Scity is a natural home for the Liberty ARC HealthSpace2030, noting, "We wanted to bring all the technologies into one space to see how they work in the healthcare environment and with the entirety of the medical team. This space will allow companies to come in and help us design the future." He said Sheba expects to adopt these technologies widely over the next few years, "hopefully sooner than 2030. COVID gave us the opportunity to accelerate innovation and especially digital health solutions. We have much more in store." ARC stands for Accelerate Redesign Collaborate, and Dr. Zimlichman emphasized that feedback on all the technologies being piloted currently at Sheba and in the new SciTech Scity space will be shared with partner hospitals throughout North America and Europe. Dr. Zimlichman indicated that LAH will collaborate closely and be synergistic with Sheba ARC's planned innovation center in Chicago that will host many startups coming out of Israel and these ARC Chicago technologies will be showcased in New Jersey as well. The most advanced technologies will be displayed at the Liberty ARC HealthSpace2030 and implemented in residences in Scholars Village and elsewhere in Jersey City. Scholars Village is a complex of residential housing being developed for innovators, scientists, entrepreneurs, STEM graduate students, and individuals and families who desire to be a part of the SciTech Scity community. Thanks to the collaboration with Sheba, SciTech Scity will be the place to see the near-term future of healthcare technology come to life. SciTech Scity is currently seeking select Innovation Partners in energy, consumer electronics, life sciences, fintech, computer hardware, personal transportation, edtech, and other industrial sectors that are key to our future on the planet, Mr. Hoffman said. With the New York City skyline and Statue of Liberty as a backdrop, Liberty Science Center broke ground on the $300-million first phase of SciTech Scity in a ceremony that included the participation of Governor Murphy, Mayor Fulop, Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise, LSC Co-Chair Stephen Howe, LSC Vice Chair Laura Overdeck, and Hudson County Schools of Technology Superintendent Amy Lin-Rodriguez among other dignitaries. Phase I of SciTech Scity is scheduled to open in late 2023 and 2024. About Liberty Science Center Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a 300,000-square-foot, not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and bringing the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology to learners of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. Before COVID more than 250,000 students visited the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participated in the Center's off-site and online programs. Welcoming more than 750,000 visitors annually, LSC is the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area. About Sheba Medical Center The largest and most comprehensive medical center in the Middle East, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer is generating global impact through its medical care, research and healthcare transformation. Sheba's City of Health boasts an acute-care hospital, rehabilitation hospital, research and innovation hubs, medical simulation center and center for disaster response on one comprehensive campus in the center of Israel. A university teaching hospital affiliated with the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University, Sheba is shaping the future of healthcare, educating the next generation of care providers. Sheba serves as a true hospital without borders, welcoming patients and healthcare professionals from all over the world and consistently providing the highest-level medical care to all in need. Sheba has been ranked a Top 10 hospital in the world by Newsweek three years in a row (2019, 2020, 2021). SOURCE Liberty Science Center Part of the Building Our Future project, the 600,000 square-foot facility located in Brecksville, Ohio, will bring chemists, engineers, technicians and support teams together into a state-of-the-art hub for innovation and development of the Company's future products and services. The new R&D Center will support product development, coatings research, color technology and process engineering. "This is a monumental day for our organization," said John G. Morikis, Sherwin-Williams Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "This new R&D Center will be the global innovation epicenter for creating solutions that solve our customers' problems, as well as a key to us to retaining and attracting top talent. We're also celebrating the broad and diverse group of companies and individuals that will be working on this project, along with the ongoing impact the project will have on the community and region for years to come. And we're proud to be building it right here in Northeast Ohio, our home for more than 155 years." The Building Our Future project includes both the new R&D Center in Brecksville and a new global headquarters in Downtown Cleveland, which will be approximately 1,000,000 square-feet in size. Sherwin-Williams plans to invest a minimum of $600 million to build both the headquarters and R&D facility. "We appreciate the investment made by Sherwin-Williams in creating world-class facilities for research and development in Brecksville and a new global headquarters in downtown Cleveland," said State of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. "Combined, these new facilities will generate positive economic impact as well as serve as a catalyst for future development throughout the region." Together, the two facilities will house more than 3,500 employees with room to accommodate future growth. Sherwin-Williams estimates it will add a minimum of 400 jobs at these facilities over time, an increase of 11 percent to the Company's current local workforce. Many of these jobs will include professional staff, engineers and chemists. "We have been incredibly fortunate to have Sherwin-Williams be part of our community for the past 155 years, and Cuyahoga County is pleased that we were part of a strong public-private partnership that provided the necessary financial commitments designed to support the Company's decision to remain in Northeast Ohio," said Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish. "And we are incredibly fortunate that they want to invest in our region with both a new global R&D Center in our own backyard while a new headquarters site is being developed in the heart of downtown Cleveland." In addition to Governor Mike DeWine, County Executive Armond Budish and Mayor Jerry Hruby, Sherwin-Williams was honored to have additional public dignitaries provide remarks at the ceremony. They included Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator Rob Portman, State Senator Matt Dolan and State Representative Phil Robinson. "The investment in this new R&D Center will spur additional investment by others and continue to strengthen and develop our local economy and translate into incremental tax dollars for the city and the schools," said City of Brecksville Mayor Jerry Hruby. "Sherwin-Williams has been a fantastic partner in working with us to strengthen this area of our city. We are looking forward to welcoming Sherwin-Williams employees to their new R&D Center in 2024." The R&D Center is expected to open by the end of 2024 and is projected to generate 3,000 construction jobs. Sherwin-Williams has extended its corporate inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E) commitment to the construction of the two facilities. The Company has developed and is executing a strategic and deliberate approach to include minority-owned, female-owned and small businesses. Sherwin-Williams continues to work proactively with community, city, county and state leaders, local organizations and trade partners to identify further opportunities for involvement. For ongoing updates on the Company's new global headquarters and new R&D Center, please visit buildingourfuture.com . Firms that are interested in working on the Building Our Future project should register at buildingourfuture.gilbaneco.com/ . ABOUT THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY Founded in 1866, The Sherwin-Williams Company is a global leader in the manufacture, development, distribution, and sale of paint, coatings and related products to professional, industrial, commercial, and retail customers. The Company manufactures products under well-known brands such as Sherwin-Williams, Valspar, HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams, Dutch Boy, Krylon, Minwax, Thompson's Water Seal, Cabot and many more. With global headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, Sherwin-Williams branded products are sold exclusively through a chain of more than 5,000 Company-operated stores and facilities, while the Company's other brands are sold through leading mass merchandisers, home centers, independent paint dealers, hardware stores, automotive retailers, and industrial distributors. The Sherwin-Williams Performance Coatings Group supplies a broad range of highly-engineered solutions for the construction, industrial, packaging and transportation markets in more than 120 countries around the world. Sherwin-Williams shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: SHW). For more information, visit www.sherwin.com. Investor Relations Contacts: Media Contact: Jim Jaye Julie Young Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Vice President, Global Corporate Corporate Communications Communications Sherwin-Williams Sherwin-Williams Direct: 216.515.8682 Direct: 216.515.8849 [email protected] [email protected] Eric Swanson Vice President, Investor Relations Sherwin-Williams Direct: 216.566.2766 [email protected] SOURCE The Sherwin-Williams Company Related Links http://www.sherwin.com One of the few full service logistics providers in Florida, Cargo Cove Fulfillment offers fulfillment and shipping services to over 50 partnering e-commerce brands, which will now be fully integrated into ShipHero's fulfillment offering. Cargo Cove's philosophy of making shipping and logistics easy and affordable mirrors ShipHero's customer-centric mission, making it a seamless partnership for both parties. Cargo Cove Fulfillment was established in 2017 to solve the problem of outsourced shipping in the e-commerce industry and has shipped over one million orders to date. Cargo Cove Fulfillment offers a range of services in picking and packing, order fulfillment, inventory management, product sourcing, prep assembly, and returns management. This business acquisition is crucial to building ShipHero's fulfillment brand. The acquisition means ShipHero is now connected to the retail supply chain in Jacksonville, the most populous city in Florida. Situated along the Atlantic Ocean, ShipHero's new location is a strategic one echoing its commitment to growth as a result of its recent $50 million round led by Riverwood Capital. ShipHero will continue to offer its dedicated customers more warehouse options across the U.S. and first-class technology solutions as the business continues to scale. "We are thrilled to have Cargo Cove Fulfillment join ShipHero. Robert and his team are committed to excellent customer service, so it already feels like an incredibly natural integration. On top of that, the location enables us to do even more for our customers. We'll now have a dedicated team that can reach Florida and much of the South East in the next business day," says Aaron Rubin, Founder and CEO of ShipHero. Cargo Cove Fulfillment customers will be fully integrated into ShipHero's fulfillment company. For more information about ShipHero, visit https://shiphero.com/. About ShipHero ShipHero is a US based, leading provider of cloud-based e-commerce fulfillment solutions that gives online retailers and third-party logistics providers the tools to ship more efficiently anywhere in the world. With more than 5,000 customers located around the globe, ShipHero offers online retailers a suite of services ranging from warehouse management software to outsourced fulfillment as a service. Some notable customers include Mars, Universal Music Group and Canadian Tire. Additionally, ShipHero is the official fulfillment network partner for Shopify, and is rapidly scaling a network of warehouses throughout the US to meet the growing demands of today's online retailers. Media Inquires: [email protected] SOURCE ShipHero Related Links http://shiphero.com TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Simply Healthcare has donated $180,000 to Project LINK's eMerging Healthy Students program, a school-based behavioral health program offered at four Title 1 middle schools in Hillsborough County, Florida. (L to R)Tina Young, CEO Project LINK, Inc. and Angela Blaylock, Manager, Medicaid Plan Marketing, FL (Community Relations & Outreach) (Front L to R) Christine Moore,Ph.D.-Therapist, Sonya Colon, Esq.-(Board Member), Tina Young-CEO Project LINK, Inc., Orlando Gudes-Tampa City Council Member, Angela Blaylock, Paul Vargas-Board Member, Kevin McDonald-RiverWalk Academy, Principal eMerging Healthy Students was developed by Project LINK and a team of healthcare professionals to support children who have been demonstrating behavior and emotional stressors related to COVID-19, in addition to social, school, and home life challenges. Student participants will engage in an online prevention focused emotional wellness resiliency app called "K'Bro," developed by YouROK Corporation; which will enable behavioral health counselors, school social workers, and therapist to capture a real-time assessment of an adolescent's emotional well-being via the use of its gaming features. A second innovative mobile technology called "CopeNotes" was also integrated in this student wellness program as a preventative digital health intervention that uses daily text messages to improve mental and emotional health. The eMerging Healthy Students will benefit adolescents who have been experiencing low self-esteem, feeling bad about themselves, demonstrating an increase in anger and aggression, lacking coping skills, and problematic struggles with gaming and online engagement. The program's intervention strategies include student individual therapy, group counseling, meditation, yoga, music therapy, practicing self-care and device management to help students regain their self-confidence and reconnect with their life. Our goal is to reduce the risk factors associated with behavioral health challenges among our students" states Tina Young, CEO of Project LINK. She explained, "these risk factors often lead to poor academic performance, behavior problems, school violence, substance abuse, and sadly - suicide." One in six U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year. While research on the pandemic's effects on mental health is still in the initial stages, current evidence shows a surge in anxiety and depression among children and adolescents since the pandemic began, including young people of color and among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and/or questioning (LGBTQ) youth. "A healthy mind is as important as a healthy body," said Holly Prince, President of Simply Healthcare Medicaid Plans in Florida. "At Simply Healthcare, we're proud to support programs that strengthen the well-being of teens in Hillsborough County. When students get the support, they need during challenging times like these, they're better prepared to learn, grow and thrive." For more information about eMerging Healthy Students, please visit their website at www.project-link.org. Project LINK Contact: Jonathan Means EmergU Telehealth Project Director (813) 830.1219 cell | [email protected] SOURCE Project LINK, Inc Related Links http://www.project-link.org OSTERSUND, Sweden, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska invests USD 128M, about SEK 1.1 billion, in OZMA, a multi-family development project in Washington, DC, USA. The construction contract is worth USD 96M, about SEK 800M, which will be included in the US order bookings for the third quarter 2021. Located in Northeast Washington, DC, Skanska plans to develop and build OZMA, a 13-story, 275-unit luxury apartment building. The project will feature 5,200 square meter of amenity space, below grade parking, 2,400 square meter of ground floor retail space and is targeting LEED Gold, WiredScore Gold and Fitwel Certifications. Construction starts in October and the project is scheduled to be completed in 2024. Since 2009, Skanska has invested a total of USD 3.2 billion in commercial and multi-family projects, creating more than 1 million square meters of sustainable and community focused developments in select U.S. markets. Skanska is one of the leading construction- and project development companies in U.S., specialized in building construction, civil infrastructure and developing commercial properties in select U.S. markets. Skanska USA had sales of SEK 66 billion in 2020 and had about 7,600 employees in its operations. CONTACT: For further information please contact: Alicia Jones, Director Communications, Skanska USA, tel + 1 703 835 2762 Andreas Joons, Press Officer, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 449 04 94 Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99 This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/skanska/r/skanska-invests-usd-128m--about-sek-1-1-billion--in-ozma--a-multi-family-development-project-in-wash,c3437949 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/95/3437949/1484498.pdf 20211022 US investment OZMA https://news.cision.com/skanska/i/image-20211022-us-investment-ozma,c2970889 Image 20211022 US investment OZMA SOURCE Skanska Smith College has announced that it will eliminate loans from its undergraduate financial aid packages Tweet this Announcing the program, Smith College President Kathleen McCartney noted, "Eliminating loans from financial aid packages will enable Smith to recruit and enroll the best students, regardless of family resources, and enable future alums to begin their careers or continue their studies with their debts greatly reduced or eliminated." Reducing college debt, McCartney said, "will be life-changing for students, families and future alums." In making this investment, Smith joins a select group of institutionsincluding Harvard, Princeton and Yale as well as Amherst, Bowdoin and Grinnellthat have eliminated loans as part of their financial aid packages. Smith is the first women's college in this group. In addition to providing financial aid, Smith will award one-time "start-up grants" of $1,000 to entering students with an expected family contribution of less than $7,000. The start-up grants are intended to help students from families with fewer economic resources afford the everyday expenses associated with starting college. And for seniors graduating in 2022 with need-based institutional grants, Smith will offer one-time "launch grants" of $2,000 to help with the cost of transitioning to life after college. Smith's new initiatives will be funded through gifts to the college and recent endowment gains. Alison Overseth, chair of the Smith College Board of Trustees, said, "This is a bold and significant investment for Smith, one that reflects the college's commitment to its students and their futures. I am grateful to our president and fellow trustees, as well as to the many donors and friends of the college who have helped Smith become a leader in education access." Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, noted, "Eliminating student loans is a huge decision in the life of any college or university. All of us in higher education, as well as the public we serve, are increasingly concerned about the extent of student indebtedness. It's terrific that Smith has the ability to take this important step toward making a Smith education available to any eligible student, regardless of means." In her letter to the Smith community, McCartney noted that these new aid programs advance the college's goal to make a Smith education accessible to all qualified students regardless of family resources. "Eliminating loans from our aid packages also aligns strongly with our institutional commitment to racial justice and equity, given that Black and Latina/o studentsat Smith and across the nationgraduate on average with more student debt than their peers." A central focus of McCartney's presidency has been increasing access for every student who wants to study at Smith. In her letter, McCartney spoke of her own experience as a first-generation college student who benefited from generous financial aid . "Financial aid changes lives," she wrote. "Higher education should be a right, not a privilege." Additional information about the financial aid initiatives Smith announced today is available in an online FAQ . SOURCE Smith College Related Links smith.edu BEIJING, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Songshan Forum-2021 Annual Conference of Dialogue between Chinese Civilization and World Civilization was held at the China International Cultural Exchange Center in Beijing. More than 100 cultural scholars from home and abroad, centering on the theme of Global Dialogue and Sharing the Future, held online discussions and dialogues to carry out a two-day collision of ideas and exchanges of academic views. Songshan Forum-2021 Online seminar on the dialogue of world civilizations to exchange The Songshan Forum 2021 Annual Meeting is sponsored by China International Cultural Exchange Center, China Cultural Heritage Society, Advanced Humanities Research Institute of Peking University. Chime Culture Co., Ltd is responsible for the international promotion of this event. The annual meeting explored the dialogue, exchange, integration, and symbiosis mechanism of human cooperation and development, and contributed wisdom and strength to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. At the opening ceremony, a congratulatory letter from former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on the 10th anniversary of the Songshan Forum was read out. Deputy Secretary and Vice Chairman of the 11th Henan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Chairman of Henan International Cultural Exchange Center, Zhang Guangzhi.Dean of Peking University Advanced Humanities Research Institute, Academician of International Philosophy Du Weiming, and Secretary General of China International Cultural Exchange Center Xu Honghai, etc. delivered speeches successively. In the congratulatory letter, Yukio Hatoyama said that for ten years, the Songshan Forum has made contributions to the exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations through the dialogue between world civilization and Chinese civilization. Zhang Guangzhi said in his speech that after dealing with the spread of the epidemic in the century and overcoming the devastating rain in Henan, experts and scholars at home and abroad gathered at the Songshan Forum 2021 Annual Meeting, which further demonstrated the profound significance of dialogue and exchanges of world civilizations. In his speech, Du Weiming said that the Songshan Forum had a clear self-position from the beginning, standing in the heaven and earth, where the Chinese civilization originated, and having a dialogue with world civilizations. Therefore, "dialogue" has become our theme and has always been the goal we need to explore. The forum also discussed topics such as: Dialogue Practice and Mechanism Construction, Human Ethical Awareness and Improvement. The Forum's annual meeting held an online seminar on the dialogue of world civilizations to exchange Up to now, the "Songshan Forum" has successfully held its tenth annual meeting. It attracted more than 300 academic leaders from more than 20 countries and regions including the United States, Russia, Turkey, Israel, India, Iran, Italy, Germany, France, Denmark, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to conduct dialogues and exchanges in Henan. Nearly a hundred academicians of the International Academy of Philosophy from around the world came to the Songshan Forum to give speeches 41 times, collected 400 redundant academic papers, and built a good platform for the dialogue between civilizations. The Songshan Forum embodies the cultural responsibility of the hometown of Henan of the Chinese nation, and enhances cultural self-confidence for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Media Contact Zhixu Cai 086-13592533899 [email protected] SOURCE Chimeculture Co., Ltd. SprintRay is the only dental technology company that has designed an ecosystem of 3D printing products that incorporates power, speed, artificial intelligence and a user experience that enables dental professionals to move from scan to placement in less than one hour delivering a faster, more efficient and less costly chairside experience for patients. "Leveraging power, speed and AI, SprintRay's Speed to Care ecosystem of innovative 3D printing products is transforming the digital dentistry space. With the new ProCure 2 launched today, dental professionals will be able to compress one week of dental work into one day, delivering a most cost-effective, efficient and improved chairside experience," said SprintRay CEO and Co-Founder Amir Mansouri, Ph.D. "We have convened over 140 dental industry leaders at our inaugural 3D Next Summit on the heels of our two major partnership announcements over the past few days. We hope everyone here and all of our other stakeholders will join us as we continue to build SprintRay and further our commitment to designing and developing innovative technology and products that improve dental care quality and delivery times." SprintRay's new ProCure 2 reduces post-curing times by 10x or more, opening the doors to chairside 3D printing in dentistry. With 25x more light power from a custom curing engine, dental professionals can cure a night guard in just 3 minutes - no preheating required. Mated to a user-friendly, cloud-connected touchscreen computer, chairside 3D printing is now as simple as pressing a button. SprintRay OnX is the first radio-opaque 3D printer resin for implant-supported hybrid dentures. Delivering best-in-class flexural strength, the OnX offers the best balance of strength and modulus for full arch restorations. OnX is a nanoceramic hybrid class II 3D printing resin used for the production of denture teeth and featuring an optimal combination of translucency and opacity to mimic natural dentition. With industry-leading ceramic content, OnX is exceptionally aesthetic and easy to characterize. On October 15, SprintRay announced its multi-year partnership with eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, who will represent SprintRay as its Global Brand Ambassador. In addition, SprintRay Foundation, in association with Bolt Foundation, will launch Bolt Labs Powered by SprintRay an initiative with a mission to make world-class digital dental care accessible and affordable to patients across the world, starting with Jamaica. About SprintRay SprintRay is a dental technology company that builds end-to-end 3D printing ecosystems for dental professionals. SprintRay designs and manufactures user-friendly and cutting-edge manufacturing solutions including dental 3D printers, 3D printing software, curing technology, washing systems, and innovative materials. Dental care providers can deliver best-in-class care by leveraging SprintRay's highly-specialized, affordable technologies. For more information, visit www.sprintray.com . MEDIA CONTACTS: Media: Melanie Lilly-Buster, [email protected] SOURCE SprintRay Inc. NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Kennel Club (AKC), the world's largest purebred registry and leading advocate for all dogs, has appointed Heather McManus as its General Counsel. McManus was appointed to Vice President in 2017 and has served as Deputy General Counsel. In this new role, McManus will serve as the chief in-house attorney of the AKC. She will report to Dennis B. Sprung, President and CEO of the AKC. Said Sprung of Heather's appointment, "She has been a dedicated member of AKC's legal department, and her experience will continue to help our organization." Heather McManus joined the AKC in January of 1993. In addition to serving as the chief lawyer of AKC, she manages the law department functions, and is responsible for the Insurance Programs for AKC and its affiliates. Heather serves as a Board Member of MAC Casualty. She has successfully handled litigation matters filed for AKC and its affiliates and represents AKC at Trial Board hearings. Prior to joining AKC, McManus was Assistant State's Attorney with the Will County, Illinois State's Attorney's Office serving as both a felony prosecutor and Chief of the Misdemeanor Division. McManus earned her law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School and her bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. About the American Kennel Club Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization, which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred and mixed breed dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog. AKC Clubs comprise America's largest rescue network. For more information, visit www.akc.org. AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc. Become a fan of the American Kennel Club on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @AKCDogLovers SOURCE American Kennel Club Related Links www.akc.org Indeed, The Band, made up of four Canadians and one American, was still purposefully shrouded in mystery at the turn of the decade, allowing for listeners and the music press to let their imaginations run afield about who these men were and what this music was that sounded unlike anything else happening as the psychedelic '60s officially wound down. Dressed like 19 th century fire-and-brimstone preachers and singing rustic, sepia-toned songs about America and the deep south, The Band Garth Hudson (keyboards, accordion, horns) , Levon Helm (drums, vocals, mandolin, guitar) , Richard Manuel (keyboards, vocals, drums) , Rick Danko (bass, vocals) and Robbie Robertson (guitar, piano, vocals) was still somewhat enigmatic as the '70s began to unfold and unravel around them, but there's no denying how The Band was able to forge such an ineradicable impact on the music scene at large heretofore unmatched by any group that came before them, or since. On December 10, Capitol/UMe will celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Band's classic fourth album, Cahoots, with an assembly of newly remixed, remastered and expanded 50th Anniversary Edition packages, including a multi-format Super Deluxe 2CD/Blu-ray/1LP/7-inch vinyl box set along with digital, 2CD, 180-gram half-speed-mastered black vinyl and limited-edition 180-gram black vinyl packages. All the Anniversary Edition releases were overseen by principal songwriter Robbie Robertson and sport a new stereo mix by Bob Clearmountain from the original multi-track masters. The box set, CD and digital configurations boast a bevy of unreleased recordings, including Live at the Olympia Theatre, Paris, May 1971, a rousing bootleg partial concert consisting of 11 tracks culled from the initial throes of a European tour that found The Band perched at the top of their live game; and early and alternate versions of "Endless Highway" and "When I Paint My Masterpiece" along with six other early takes, outtakes, instrumentals, and stripped-down mixes. LISTEN/SHARE "LIFE IS A CARNIVAL" (2021 STEREO MIX) WATCH/SHARE UNBOXING TRAILER Exclusively for this box set, Clearmountain has also created new Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround-sound mixes of both the album and four bonus tracks, presented in high resolution on Blu-ray, alongside the new stereo mix. Every new audio mix has been mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering. The lift-top box set also includes an exclusive reproduction of the Japanese pressing of The Band's 1971 7-inch vinyl single for "Life Is A Carnival" b/w "The Moon Struck One" in their new stereo mixes; a 20-page booklet with new notes by Robbie Robertson and extensive insider liner notes by Rob Bowman; three classic photo lithographs, one each by Barry Feinstein, Richard Avedon (his infamous eyes-closed group portrait from the back cover) and noted New York artist/illustrator Gilbert Stone (who painted the still stunning stretched-out portrait of The Band on the album's front cover); plus a wealth of additional material and other historical data from the original recordings sessions. The limited-edition 180-gram black vinyl release that features a tip-on jacket also contains a photo lithograph by Barrie Wentzell that's unique to the package. Pre-order for the Cahoots 50th anniversary editions is available now, and the first flavor of the new mix can be heard with today's release of "Life Is A Carnival" (2021 Stereo Mix), streaming now and available for immediate download with digital album pre-order. Listen to "Life Is A Carnival" and pre-order Cahoots (50th Anniversary Edition) here: https://TheBand.lnk.to/CahootsPR As with the acclaimed 50th anniversary collections for the winning trio of Music From Big Pink, the self-titled record and Stage Fright, Clearmountain and Robertson's approach to remixing Cahoots was undertaken with the utmost care and respect for the music and what The Band represents. That said, Robertson's instructions for how his right-hand mixing partner should handle the Cahoots mixes possessed one key difference: Robertson wanted Clearmountain to transform them based on what he felt was lacking from the original mixes. As Clearmountain shares in the liners, "Robbie told me, 'Just think of the original mixes as rough mixes. Pretty much don't pay attention to the mixes themselves.'" This directive gave Clearmountain the leeway to unclutter some of the album's original arrangements, all with Robertson's blessing: "In the beginning of these sessions, we didn't know if we were making another Basement Tapes where nobody would hear the music or if we were actually making a real record," Robertson admits. Though Robertson felt the first three Band records wound up sounding better due to a combination of how today's technology actually enhances the limitations of yesterday's technology, he doubled down with his instructions to Clearmountain for Cahoots: "I told Bob, 'There are no rules. So, every mix we do, I want to start from scratch. I don't even want to listen to the original. I want to listen to the way we hear it now and be fearless and experimental with it." Clearly, Clearmountain took Robertson's wishes to heart not only in terms of his 2021 stereo mix as is instantly evident in the greater clarity of the punch of the drums and bass and how putting guitar and organ lines a bit back in the mix enables certain vocal elements to be more out front but most especially in terms of the breadth so readily apparent in his groundbreaking Dolby Atmos mix, a first for The Band's core catalog. In his Atmos mix of Cahoots, Clearmountain puts the listener dead-center and smack dab in the middle of the band in the most "you-are-there" fashion imaginable. Concludes Robertson, "This is what I really meant. This is the honesty of this now. This is a trip. This is something special." In May and June of 1971, The Band set off to tour Europe, where they hadn't played since their tumultuous tour with Bob Dylan in 1966, during which they were booed every night as folk rock purists felt betrayed by Dylan's going electric as backed by The Hawks, who would soon enough become The Band. Not having played the continent in five years, the guys were justifiably wary and didn't really know what to expect in Europe but rather than garnering boos and catcalls, they received a rapturous response at their first concert in Hamburg, Germany and would continue performing for one enthusiastic crowd after another. Playing at the Olympia Theatre in Paris on May 25, 1971 was one such gig especially near and dear to The Band's collective heart. "We hadn't been back to this place since playing there with Bob Dylan, when the Paris show was a complete disaster," Robertson recalls. "We wanted so much to do a special performance for the French. We wanted a certain kind of feeling in the Olympia. When we played the show, I felt like we did it." The set list that night reflected each of The Band's ten two-set European concerts, and it was recorded by a French radio station and filmed by French media. Sadly, only the second half of that show survives, but it's full of a slew of Band classics, such as "The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show," "We Can Talk," the Stevie Wonder-penned Four Tops hit "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever," "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," "Across The Great Divide," "The Unfaithful Servant," "Don't Do It," the Garth Hudson showcase "The Genetic Method" that leads into "Chest Fever," "Rag Mama Rag" and a rousing cover of the Little Richard barnburner, "Slippin' And Slidin'." This portion of the Paris show is presented on CD2 as a "bootleg partial concert," but even so, each of these 11 electrifying live tracks serve as even more evidence of just how good The Band sounded onstage at this point in their career. Originally released on September 15, 1971, Cahoots contains a number of The Band's best-loved and most enduring songs, including "Life Is A Carnival" and "When I Paint My Masterpiece." As recounted in the liner notes, longtime Band road manager Jonathan Taplin notes how "Carnival" was born in part out of Robertson's infatuation with some of the more peculiar characters on display in Marcel Carne's 1945 film Les Enfants du Paradise, not to mention his having worked on the midway at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in his youth. In addition to The Band's own impeccable style of groove-making, the song's Mardi Gras-esque atmospherics are also due to legendary New Orleans R&B producer Allen Toussaint having been deployed to compose a most excellent, and decidedly funky, horn arrangement to buttress the track. Meanwhile, "When I Paint My Masterpiece" ensued from a visit by lifelong Band compadre Bob Dylan, an instant classic that's bolstered by Levon Helm's mandolin and Garth Hudson's accordion, both of which lent the track a European feel that best matched Dylan's lyrical axis. Be sure to spend time with the "Masterpiece" alternate take near the end of CD1, which begins with a more prominent mandolin chord and world-weary Levon vocal, rather than the song's more familiar 25-second fade-in. You'll also discern differences in Garth's accordion accompaniment, Rick Danko's animated bass playing and Richard Manuel's insistent drumming. (Manuel often took to the drum chair whenever Levon would switch off to mandolin.) Incidentally, Cahoots features another guest of note who also happened to be a Woodstock resident at the time: namely, Van Morrison, who adds his indelible vocal stamp to "4% Pantomime." One afternoon, Morrison stopped by Robertson's writing studio, heard Robertson noodling on some chord changes and a melody on piano, and the next thing anyone knew, Morrison was singing and creating lyrics on the spot while looking right at Richard Manuel. Morrison (whom Robertson dubbed the "Belfast Cowboy") was so galvanized by the tune that he suggested they all head to the studio to cut it that same night. A few hours and a few false starts later, "4% Pantomime" was officially on tape. In the finished version, Morrison and Richard Manuel trade impassioned face-to-face vocals captured only a few feet apart (with Manuel also turning in double duty on piano), Levon Helm supplying the unmistakable backbeat, and Garth Hudson adding all the right organ fills. (You can hear that initial false start version on one of the key outtakes on CD1.) Cahoots peaked at #21 on Billboard, marking The Band's fourth consecutive Top 30 album appearance. Fifty years on, Cahoots remains a stone-cold masterpiece, reinforced with a vibrant swath of refreshing stereo and surround-sound mixes alike for lifelong fans and those discovering the wonders of The Band for the very first time. Believe it or not, Cahoots is most definitely worth more than "two bits a shot." Cahoots (50th Anniversary Edition) Tracklisting CD1 1. Life Is A Carnival 2. When I Paint My Masterpiece 3. Last Of The Blacksmiths 4. Where Do We Go From Here? 5. 4% Pantomime 6. Shoot Out In Chinatown 7. The Moon Struck One 8. Thinkin' Out Loud 9. Smoke Signal 10. Volcano 11. The River Hymn Bonus Tracks 12. Endless Highway (Early Studio Take, 2021 Mix) 13. When I Paint My Masterpiece (Alternate Take, 2021 Mix) 14. 4% Pantomime (Takes 1 & 2) 15. Don't Do It (Outtake Studio Version, 2021 Mix) 16. Bessie Smith (Outtake) CD2 Live at The Olympia Theatre, Paris, May 1971 (Bootleg, Partial Concert)* 1. The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show 2. We Can Talk 3. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever 4. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down 5. Across The Great Divide 6. The Unfaithful Servant 7. Don't Do It 8. The Genetic Method 9. Chest Fever 10. Rag Mama Rag 11. Slippin' And Slidin' Bonus Tracks 12. Life Is A Carnival (Instrumental)* 13. Volcano (Instrumental)* 14. Thinkin' Out Loud (Stripped Down Mix)* Blu-ray Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and Stereo High Resolution Audio: 96 kHz/24 bit 1. Life Is A Carnival 2. When I Paint My Masterpiece 3. Last Of The Blacksmiths 4. Where Do We Go From Here? 5. 4% Pantomime 6. Shoot Out In Chinatown 7. The Moon Struck One 8. Thinkin' Out Loud 9. Smoke Signal 10. Volcano 11. The River Hymn Bonus Tracks 12. Endless Highway (Early Studio Take, 2021 Mix) 13. When I Paint My Masterpiece (Alternate Take, 2021 Mix) 14. 4% Pantomime (Takes 1 & 2) 15. Don't Do It (Outtake Studio Version, 2021 Mix) 1LP (33 1/3 RPM) 180g black vinyl (included in the box set and available individually); ltd. edition 180g black vinyl with tip-on jacket (available individually) Side One 1. Life Is A Carnival 2. When I Paint My Masterpiece 3. Last Of The Blacksmiths 4. Where Do We Go From Here? 5. 4% Pantomime Side Two 1. Shoot Out In Chinatown 2. The Moon Struck One 3. Thinkin' Out Loud 4. Smoke Signal 5. Volcano 6. The River Hymn Original 1971 7" Capitol Single, Japanese Pressing (45 RPM) A. Life Is A Carnival B. The Moon Struck One * Previously unreleased SOURCE Capitol/UMe This month's episode will explore what justice means at different levels of government and what it means to truly offer redemption to those who need a second chance. Guests will discuss a wide range of issues including the Boston Mayoral contest, new editorial projects launching later this year, and the Fresh Start initiative, which was announced by the Globe earlier this year. The initiative provides people who have been referenced in past Globe stories the opportunity to request that the work be changed, de-indexed from search engines or updated with new and relevant information, upon review. Tune in Friday, October 22nd @ 8:00AM ET. Live radio broadcast 102.9 FM and livestream at globe.com/blacknewshour. Featured guests include Boston mayoral candidate Michelle Wu; Suffolk County District Attorney and U.S. Attorney Nominee, Rachael Rollins; and Emmy-winning director, Stanley Nelson, who will discuss his new documentary, ATTICA . Nelson was recently awarded the 2021 Filmmaker Fund Award by the Globe's annual GlobeDocs Film Festival , an award and grant which supports visionary work in the field of documentary filmmaking. Listeners can tune in live on 102.9FM and via livestream from the show's homepage at globe.com/blacknewshour . For more information, visit globe.com/blacknewshour and sign up for the Black News Hour newsletter . Listeners and viewers are invited to submit questions and ideas directly to the Globe's team here . Media Contacts: Jessicah Pierre, [email protected] , (617) 401-1470 Heidi Flood, [email protected] , (617) 363-6054 About Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC provides news and information, entertainment, opinion and analysis through its multimedia properties. BGMP includes The Boston Globe, Globe.com, Boston.com, STAT, and Globe Direct. SOURCE Boston Globe Media Group Related Links https://www.bostonglobemedia.com/ TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University has announced plans to launch its highly ranked Master of Accountancy and Data Analytics (MACC) in downtown Los Angeles at the ASU California Center for the fall 2022 semester. The 10-month MACC in L.A. curriculum will be delivered on a flexible schedule designed for working professionals. Students will take virtual classes live two nights a week from 6 to 10 p.m. via ASU Sync, a technology-enhanced, and fully interactive remote learning modality that includes live lectures via Zoom technology. Additionally, a live, in-person orientation and program wrap-up event will take place at the ASU California Center, allowing students to engage with fellow students, faculty, and industry professionals. The MACC in L.A. offers Southern California students an affordable and highly ranked master's degree, as well as one with an eye on the future of the discipline. "By enhancing our time-tested accountancy curriculum with a deep focus in data analytics, we're reflecting where firms are headed," said Amy Ostrom, interim dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business and the PetSmart Chair in Services Leadership. "We constantly seek input from hiring companies and corporate partners to keep our programs market-relevant, and the application of data and analytics with accounting will make our graduates and the companies they join upon graduation more competitive in the future," Ostrom said. The W. P. Carey School is currently ranked No. 12 in accounting by U.S. News & World Report, above the University of California, Berkeley, MIT, and Harvard. In 2021, 30 W. P. Carey programs and disciplines are ranked top 25 by U.S. News, the most for any business school in the nation. Meanwhile, ASU was recently ranked the No. 1 school in innovation in the country for the seventh year in a row, ahead of MIT, Stanford, and Cal Tech. The ASU California Center is located in the historic Los Angeles Herald Examiner building, constructed by William Randolph Hearst and completed in 1914. ASU's new home in California includes classrooms, conference spaces, venues for community events, and more. In addition to the W. P. Carey School, more than 15 academic colleges and administrative units call the ASU California Center home, including the recently christened Sidney Poitier New American Film School. Applications for the Master of Accountancy and Data Analytics in Los Angeles are currently being accepted for fall 2022. More information is available at wpcarey.asu.edu/macc-la. About Arizona State University Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American Research University, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it. W. P. CAREY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University is one of the top-ranked business schools in the United States. The school is internationally regarded for its research productivity and its distinguished faculty members, including a Nobel Prize winner. Students come from more than 100 countries and W. P. Carey is represented by alumni in over 160 countries. Visit wpcarey.asu.edu. For more information/media contact: Shay Moser W. P. Carey School of Business 480-965-3963 [email protected] SOURCE W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University Related Links https://wpcarey.asu.edu SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tradewind Voyages regrets to inform that the inaugural Caribbean season planned for winter 2021 will no longer take place. With concerns regarding the ability to deliver an exceptional guest experience, that have been heavily impacted by continuing external factors, the difficult decision has been made to cancel the 17 planned voyages between December and April. Guest concerns about accessibility to certain islands and resistance to travelling in bubbles which is a key part of the brand experience has brought the company to this conclusion. Alan McGrory, CEO Tradewind Voyages commented, "As a company, the passion and vision has been to deliver an exceptional guest experience, however with the current culmination of ongoing travel restrictions in place for the winter season does not allow us to deliver the exceptional customer experience which the brand stands for. Our commitment is always to deliver an outstanding experience for our guests. With so many variables at play for us this winter, we have made the tough decision to cancel these Caribbean voyages. Instead, we plan to focus all our efforts in delivering our European 2022 summer season and return to the Caribbean for our winter season in 2022. We thank everyone who has supported us on this journey so far and those that have experienced Golden Horizon, know that travellers aboard this spectacular ship deserve nothing but the best." Tradewind Voyages has reconfirmed that the world's largest tall ship, Golden Horizon, will be based in the Mediterranean from May-October 2022, and reposition to the Caribbean for winter 2022 season. Three new collections, Western Mediterranean, Central Mediterranean and Eastern Mediterranean (including Greece and Turkey) have been confirmed for the Mediterranean summer season 2022, which will begin in Palma in May and end in Piraeus (Athens) next October. The extensive program will offer 22 different voyages and include visits to Spain, France, Italy, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece and Turkey. ABOUT TRADEWIND VOYAGES UK LTD A British start up cruise company who began trading in the year 2020, commissioned to operate the world's largest square-rigged sailing ship, Golden Horizon. The luxurious ship will carry up to 272 passengers and operate under the new brand Tradewind Voyages. Golden Horizon is a near replica of the 1913-built ocean vessel France II and will retain its historic charm. Tradewind Voyages has designed a comprehensive set of itineraries for Golden Horizon to offer an exemplary guest experience. For further queries on Tradewind Voyages please call Guest Services for Canada: 437 826 9600 or US: 480 405 8808 or email at [email protected] SOURCE Tradewind Voyages BRUNSWICK, Ga., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 22, family members of Ahmaud Arbery, will join the Transformative Justice Coalition at a press conference to address recent attacks raised in court proceedings against the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC). The press conference will precede a March sponsored by TJC and the family of Ahmaud Arbery at approximately 2:00 PM EDT. Following the press conference, the march demanding justice for Ahmaud Arbery will commence and go through the community in which Ahmaud was raised. The Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) sponsored 100 activists from around the nation to attend the first week of the trial of Ahmaud Arbery's accused killers. Kicking off the march with a press conference, TJC will also discuss its impressions from the first week of the murder trial and its response to the scurrilous and unfounded attacks on TJC and the First Amendment. What: Justice at the First Amendment Who: Diane Arbery, Matriarch of Ahmaud Arbery Family Marcus Arbery, Father of Ahmaud Arbery Barbara Arnwine, Esquire Founder/President/Co-Leader, Transformative Justice Coalition Daryl D. Jones, Esquire, Board Chair/Co-Leader, Transformative Justice Coalition When: October 22, 2021 at 2:00 pm Where: Brunswick, GA Founded in 2015 by Barbara Arnwine, president emeritus of the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights, the Transformative Justice Coalition seeks to be a catalyst for transformative institutional changes that bring about justice and equality in the United States and abroad. Learn more at tjcoalition.org. For more information, contact: Lynn Whitfield, Esq. [email protected] (561) 856-6757 Ricky Parker Cell: (347) 524-2530 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Transformative Justice Coalition NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson (the Company) (NYSE: JNJ) today announced that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), has recommended its COVID-19 vaccine as a booster for all eligible individuals who receive an authorized COVID-19 vaccine. "Today's recommendation supports the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as a booster for eligible individuals in the U.S. regardless of which vaccine they initially receive," said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson. "The Johnson & Johnson vaccine provided 94 percent protection in the U.S. against COVID-19 when given as a booster following the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and due to its unique mechanism of action, offers long-lasting, durable protection. We remain confident in the benefit it will provide to millions around the world." The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was recommended as a booster for adults aged 18 and older who received the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine at least two months earlier. A booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was also recommended for eligible adults at least six months following the second dose of an authorized mRNA vaccine. The ACIP recommendation has been forwarded to the Director of the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for review and adoption. The Company's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine received FDA Emergency Use Authorization for adults aged 18 and older on February 27, 2021. On October 20, 2021, the FDA authorized for emergency use a booster shot of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for adults aged 18 and older at least two months following primary vaccination with the Company's single-dose vaccine. For more information on the Company's multi-pronged approach to helping combat the pandemic, visit: www.jnj.com/covid-19. Authorized Use The Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is authorized for use under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for active immunization to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to provide: Primary vaccination regimen for the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is a single-dose (0.5 mL) administered to individuals 18 years of age and older. A single Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine booster dose (0.5 mL) may be administered at least 2 months after the primary vaccination to individuals 18 years of age and older. A single booster dose of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (0.5 mL) may be administered as a heterologous booster dose following completion of primary vaccination with another authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. The eligible population(s) and dosing interval for the heterologous booster dose are the same as those authorized for a booster dose of the vaccine used for primary vaccination. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION WHAT SHOULD YOU MENTION TO YOUR VACCINATION PROVIDER BEFORE YOU GET THE JANSSEN COVID-19 VACCINE? Tell the vaccination provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: have any allergies have a fever have a bleeding disorder or are on a blood thinner are immunocompromised or are on a medicine that affects your immune system are pregnant or plan to become pregnant are breastfeeding have received another COVID-19 vaccine have ever fainted in association with an injection WHO SHOULD NOT GET THE JANSSEN COVID-19 VACCINE? You should not get the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine if you: had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose of this vaccine had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient of this vaccine. HOW IS THE JANSSEN COVID-19 VACCINE GIVEN? The Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine will be given to you as an injection into the muscle. Primary Vaccination: The Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is administered as a single dose. Booster Dose: A single booster dose of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered at least two months after primary vaccination with the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. A single booster dose of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to eligible individuals who have completed primary vaccination with a different authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. Please check with your health care provider regarding eligibility for and timing of the booster dose. WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF THE JANSSEN COVID-19 VACCINE? Side effects that have been reported with the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine include: Injection site reactions: pain, redness of the skin, and swelling. General side effects: headache, feeling very tired, muscle aches, nausea, fever. Swollen lymph nodes. Blood clots. Unusual feeling in the skin (such as tingling or a crawling feeling) (paresthesia), decreased feeling or sensitivity, especially in the skin (hypoesthesia). Persistent ringing in the ears (tinnitus). Diarrhea, vomiting. Severe Allergic Reactions There is a remote chance that the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine could cause a severe allergic reaction. A severe allergic reaction would usually occur within a few minutes to one hour after getting a dose of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. For this reason, your vaccination provider may ask you to stay at the place where you received your vaccine for monitoring after vaccination. Signs of a severe allergic reaction can include: Difficulty breathing Swelling of your face and throat A fast heartbeat A bad rash all over your body Dizziness and weakness Blood Clots with Low Levels of Platelets Blood clots involving blood vessels in the brain, lungs, abdomen, and legs along with low levels of platelets (blood cells that help your body stop bleeding), have occurred in some people who have received the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. In people who developed these blood clots and low levels of platelets, symptoms began approximately one to two-weeks after vaccination. Reporting of these blood clots and low levels of platelets has been highest in females ages 18 through 49 years. The chance of having this occur is remote. You should seek medical attention right away if you have any of the following symptoms after receiving Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine: Shortness of breath, Chest pain, Leg swelling, Persistent abdominal pain, Severe or persistent headaches or blurred vision, Easy bruising or tiny blood spots under the skin beyond the site of the injection. These may not be all the possible side effects of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. Serious and unexpected effects may occur. The Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is still being studied in clinical trials. Guillain Barre Syndrome Guillain Barre syndrome (a neurological disorder in which the body's immune system damages nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis) has occurred in some people who have received the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. In most of these people, symptoms began within 42 days following receipt of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. The chance of having this occur is very low. You should seek medical attention right away if you develop any of the following symptoms after receiving the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine: Weakness or tingling sensations, especially in the legs or arms, that's worsening and spreading to other parts of the body. Difficulty walking. Difficulty with facial movements, including speaking, chewing, or swallowing. Double vision or inability to move eyes. Difficulty with bladder control or bowel function. WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS? If you experience a severe allergic reaction, call 9-1-1, or go to the nearest hospital. Call the vaccination provider or your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away. Report vaccine side effects to FDA/CDC Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The VAERS toll-free number is 1-800-822-7967 or report online to https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html. Please include "Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine EUA" in the first line of box #18 of the report form. In addition, you can report side effects to Janssen Biotech Inc. at 1-800-565-4008. CAN I RECEIVE THE JANSSEN COVID-19 VACCINE AT THE SAME TIME AS OTHER VACCINES? Data have not yet been submitted to FDA on administration of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine at the same time as other vaccines. If you are considering receiving the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine with other vaccines, discuss your options with your healthcare provider. Please read Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine (Vaccination Providers) including full EUA Prescribing Information available at: www.JanssenCOVID19Vaccine.com/EUA-factsheet. About Johnson & Johnson At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That's why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world's largest and most broadly-based healthcare company, we are committed to using our reach and size for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity. Learn more at www.jnj.com. Follow us at @JNJNews. About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension. Learn more at www.janssen.com. Follow us at @JanssenGlobal. Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding development of a potential preventive vaccine for COVID-19. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2021, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments. SOURCE Johnson & Johnson Related Links www.jnj.com DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- USClaims (USClaims.com), the longest continuously operating pre-settlement funding firm in the U.S., today announced its $77.5MM 144A litigation finance securitization. This marks the company's seventh securitization transaction involving this asset class. It primes USClaims to continue its run of impressive growth across the United States. USClaims CEO, Steve Bashmakov, commented, "We are excited with the market's response to this continuously growing asset class." He continued, "This positions USClaims for amazing growth and further energizes our pursuit to make Litigation Funding Simplified. We are changing the perspective about the pre-settlement funding industry by being a major asset to trial attorneys and their clients." Scott Shey, USClaims CFO, added, "We were delighted to see the level of interest we had in this deal. Stifel (the arranger) continues to be a key partner and really helped us achieve a great result on pricing and syndicating to a diverse investor mix. This deal continues to highlight the growing acceptance and adoption of the asset class. " USClaims was established in 1996 and has been consistently voted among the best in the nation within the pre-settlement funding category. In 2021 alone, USClaims earned first place rankings by the audiences of national legal publications in several categories, including "Best Consumer Litigation Funding Provider," "Best Law Firm Funding Provider," and the coveted "Hall of Fame" award from the New York Law Journal. About USClaims: For 25 years, USClaims has been one of America's largest providers of non-recourse financial support to personal injury victims, some of whom may have suffered catastrophic injuries from defective products, unsafe premises, motor vehicle accidents, and other types of accidents. This financial support provides the injured plaintiff with the means to pay bills and endure the often long and arduous litigation process. USClaims is here to help plaintiffs and their attorneys stay in the fight. For additional information on USClaims pre-settlement funding, please call (877) 872-5246 or visit USClaims.com. SOURCE USClaims Related Links https://usclaims.com/ CINCINNATI, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Verdant Commercial Capital announced today that the company has surpassed its first $1 billion in equipment financing originations. This milestone means that Verdant has helped its equipment vendor business partners finance more than $1 billion in equipment for their customers. Verdant Commercial Capital In July 2017, founders Mike Rooney, Chris Kelley and John Merritt started Verdant Commercial Capital. Four years later, the company has grown to more than 60 employees with offices around the country. In 2020, Verdant was the sixth largest independent equipment finance company in the US, and 67th in the Monitor 100 for new business volume.* "Hitting $1 billion in financing in such a short time is a huge achievement for Verdant," said Mike Rooney, CEO of Verdant Commercial Capital. "We literally started the company with a blank sheet of paper and a vision, and here we are four years later at $1 billion." When the founders launched Verdant, they each had years of experience as both entrepreneurs and banking executives. They knew that a big key to success was bringing in the right people. Verdant's rapid growth has been fueled by the quality of the team members, and because Verdant gives its employees the resources they need, as well as the room and encouragement to grow, innovate and achieve. "We were able to accomplish this $1 billion milestone so quickly by bringing in the best people, staying true to our mission of helping our customers sell more equipment through financing and conducting business the right way. I am so proud of what they have achieved," said Rooney. ABOUT VERDANT COMMERCIAL CAPITAL Verdant Commercial Capital is a national, independent commercial equipment finance company that provides financing solutions for the acquisition of critical equipment and software in six industry verticals: industrials, manufacturing, specialty vehicles, office products, information technology and energy efficiency/ renewables. Verdant works with OEMs, vendors, dealers, distributors, software developers, resellers and energy contractors. Sponsored by leading private equity investors, Verdant is the 6th largest independent equipment finance company in the US and is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH with offices in Dallas, Los Angeles and Minneapolis. For more information, visit www.verdantcc.com or call 513.769.2033. *Sources: - 6th largest independent finance company: https://www.magazine.monitordaily.com/standing-strong-after-the-storm-monitors-top-private-independents-achieve-91-growth-in-2020 - 67th in new business volume: https://monitor100.monitordaily.com/ Media Contact: Jane Vanderhorst [email protected] 513.484.0753 SOURCE Verdant Commercial Capital Related Links http://www.verdantcc.com NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The following event roundup from Virtual Press Office is a list of featured exhibitors for MWC Los Angeles, GSMA's flagship event in North America in partnership with CTIA, showcasing the hottest trends in connectivity and mobile innovation, which takes place from October 26 28 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. MWC Los Angeles press kits, news releases and photos are available on the Official Online Press Office, managed by Virtual Press Office/Cision PR Newswire: https://mwcamericas.vporoom.com/ MWC Los Angeles 2021 press kits on Virtual Press Office Parallel Wireless Hall South Stand 1581Ex Press Kit: mwcamericas.vporoom.com/ParallelWireless Parallel Wireless is reimagining the wireless infrastructure market, enabling carriers to deploy any G cellular networks as easily and as cost-effectively as enterprise Wi-Fi whether for rural, enterprise, public safety, M2M, Smart Cities, or dense urban. Currently, the company in production deployment or in trials with major leading operators on six continents. Parallel Wireless' innovation and excellence in multi-technology virtualized RAN (vRAN) has been recognized with 31 industry awards. For more information, please visit parallelwireless.com. Sequans Communications Hall South Stand 1736 Press Kit: mwcamericas.vporoom.com/Sequans Sequans Communications S.A. is a leading developer and supplier of cellular IoT connectivity solutions, providing chips and modules for 5G/4G massive and broadband IoT. For 5G/4G massive IoT applications, Sequans provides a comprehensive product portfolio based on its flagship Monarch LTE-M/NB-IoT and Calliope Cat 1 chip platforms, featuring industry-leading low power consumption, a large set of integrated functionalities, and global deployment capability. For 5G/4G broadband IoT applications, Sequans offers a product portfolio based on its Cassiopeia Cat 4/Cat 6 4G and high-end Taurus 5G chip platforms, optimized for low-cost residential, enterprise, and industrial applications. Founded in 2003, Sequans is based in Paris, France with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Finland, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Visit Sequans online at sequans.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Valid Hall South Stand 1916 Press Kit: mwcamericas.vporoom.com/Valid Valid (B: VLID3 ON) provides tailored solutions that integrate emerging technologies to enable secure, trusted experiences. From Data, Payments, Identity, and Mobile to IoT, Track and Trace, Digital Certification, and Agritech, Valid offers a wide portfolio of services and solutions that accelerate the digital transformation of our clients' business. With over 60 years of experience and more than 6,000 employees in 16 countries, Valid is the largest issuer of identification documents in Brazil, among the top 5 producers of SIM cards and the world's largest manufacturers of banking cards. To learn more, visit valid.com. The above press kits will continue to be updated throughout the show. Please check back during MWC Los Angeles for the latest news. Virtual Press Office (http://www.vporoom.com/) is a Cision PR Newswire company. Follow us on Twitter @VPOEventZone or subscribe to our RSS feed for more trade show news. If you have questions about Virtual Press Office services, or if you would like to offer feedback on this exhibitor profile roundup, please email [email protected]. SOURCE Virtual Press Office Related Links http://www.vporoom.com HOUSTON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Western Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: WES) ("WES" or the "Partnership") announced that the board of directors of its general partner declared a quarterly cash distribution of $0.323 per unit for the third quarter of 2021. This distribution represents a 1.3-percent increase over the prior quarter's distribution and is consistent with an annualized distribution growth of 5-percent. WES's third-quarter 2021 distribution is payable November 12, 2021, to unitholders of record at the close of business November 1, 2021. The Partnership plans to report its third-quarter 2021 results after market close Tuesday, November 9, 2021. Management will host a conference call Wednesday, November 10, 2021, at 1 p.m. CST (2 p.m. EST) to discuss WES's quarterly results. The full text of the release announcing the results will be available on the Partnership's website at www.westernmidstream.com. Third-Quarter 2021 Results Wednesday, November 10, 2021 1 p.m. CST (2 p.m. EST) Dial-in number: 877-883-0383 International dial-in number: 412-902-6506 Participant access code: 9861840 To participate in WES's scheduled third-quarter earnings call, refer to the above-listed dial-in number and participant access code. To access the live audio webcast of the conference call, please visit the investor relations section of the Partnership's website at www.westernmidstream.com. A replay of the conference call also will be available on the website following the call. ABOUT WESTERN MIDSTREAM Western Midstream Partners, LP ("WES") is a Delaware master limited partnership formed to acquire, own, develop, and operate midstream assets. With midstream assets located in the Rocky Mountains, North-central Pennsylvania, Texas, and New Mexico, WES is engaged in the business of gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and transporting natural gas; gathering, stabilizing, and transporting condensate, NGLs, and crude oil; and gathering and disposing of produced water for its customers. In addition, in its capacity as a processor of natural gas, WES also buys and sells natural gas, NGLs, and condensate on behalf of itself and as an agent for its customers under certain of its contracts. For more information about Western Midstream Partners, LP and Western Midstream Flash Feed updates, please visit www.westernmidstream.com. This news release contains forward-looking statements. WES and its general partner believe that their expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. No assurance, however, can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this news release. These factors include our ability to meet distribution expectations and financial guidance; the timeline for a full recovery in commodity demand and prices; our ability to safely and efficiently operate WES's assets; the supply of, demand for, and price of oil, natural gas, NGLs, and related products or services; our ability to meet projected in-service dates for capital-growth projects; construction costs or capital expenditures exceeding estimated or budgeted costs or expenditures; and the other factors described in the "Risk Factors" section of WES's most-recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other public filings and press releases. WES undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Note regarding Non-United States Investors: This release is intended to be a qualified notice under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1446-4(b). Brokers and nominees should treat one hundred percent (100.0%) of Western Midstream Partners, LP's distributions to non-U.S. investors as being attributable to income that is effectively connected with a United States trade or business. Accordingly, Western Midstream Partners, LP's distributions to non-U.S. investors are subject to federal income tax withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate. WESTERN MIDSTREAM CONTACTS Kristen Shults Senior Vice President, Finance and Communications [email protected] 832.636.1009 Daniel Jenkins Director, Investor Relations [email protected] 832.636.1009 Shelby Keltner Manager, Investor Relations [email protected] 832.636.1009 SOURCE Western Midstream Partners, LP Related Links http://www.westernmidstream.com FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cymcorp is a Canadian company that has been zeroed in on cellular health for nearly two decades. Founder Robert Gauthier is well aware that his company's health and wellness products are good for more than addressing existing health concerns. They also offer a powerful way to avoid catching viruses like the flu. The flu is a common illness that tens of millions of Americans fall victim to each and every year. The perennial nature of the flu makes it an ongoing concern especially during the chilly fall and winter months. Experts suggest that the most likely reason people get sick during the colder months is due to the fact that they spend more time indoors. Inhabiting enclosed spaces where proximity to others is prolonged and the same air is circulated is a perfect recipe for spreading an airborne illness like the flu. Once you catch the flu, it can lead to many symptoms especially respiratory ones that can last for days and even weeks. This can lead to missed time at work, failing to attend classes, and general isolation from others as you rest and recover. Robert Gauthier was aware of the frustrating conditions surrounding viruses like the flu when he created his company Cymcorp back in 2003. The goal of his innovative enterprise was to develop products that would genuinely impact how individuals live their lives. "We offer a true quality of life," the founder explains, adding that "we go at the root cause of any dysfunction at the intracellular level." This focus on cellular health has enabled Cymcorp to create a line of holistic health products that don't just address symptoms in a "spilled milk" approach to health. They also help with avoiding sickness in the first place. "Our products are as much for prevention as they are for healing," Gauthier explains. This can be easily seen in Cymcorp's popular Viprox therapy regiment . The holistic focus is evident throughout the three products included in the package. Cymcorp's signature product, GSH Complex, utilizes precursors for glutathione (GSH) production. GSH is known to strengthen cellular health and has been reported as a useful tool in antiviral therapy . Viprox also includes Une-Vie and Triozyme Complex. These help to enhance hydration and digestion, respectively. This trio of supplements gives the body support through hydration, digestion, and optimized cellular health, enabling the immune system to operate at peak efficiency and, by extension, helping to guard against foreign invaders such as the flu. For those concerned about catching the flu this season, Viprox offers bonafide cellular and immune support. This can be the perfect addition to normal flu prevention activities such as washing hands and avoiding contact with those who are already sick. About Cymcorp: Cymcorp is a Canadian health and wellness brand that has been at the forefront of cellular health for over two decades. The company was created after founder Robert Gauthier asked himself the question "Isn't there a better way to combat illness and maintain our health?" The answer led to VIPROX, Cymcorp's complete health care treatment which specializes in providing GSH and supportive elements to the body in order to maintain its inherent health properties over time. Learn more about Cymcorp at cymcorp.us . Please direct inquiries to: Virginia Mead (954) 611-5367 [email protected] SOURCE Cymcorp Related Links http://cymcorp.us CHARLESTON, W.Va., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WV State Police officers along with employees of the WV Department of Corrections are calling for hazard pay for their commitment and service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders of both the WV State Troopers Association and the National Coalition of Public Safety Officers (NCPSO) made the formal request to Governor Jim Justice and members of the WV Legislature last week. Jeff Chumley, President of the WV Troopers' Association/CWA Local 2019, along Matthew Brock, President of the NCPSO/CWA LOCAL 2055, have asked Governor Justice and Lawmakers to appropriate monies from the $1.355 billion given to the state from the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) earlier this year. "On behalf of the 1,000 members and employees at our state's prisons, jails and juvenile facilities, we think a hazard pay bonus would be extremely meaningful," said Brock. "Sadly, two correctional officers in West Virginia died from exposure to COVID-19. We knew the risks, we showed up daily and now we're seeking hazard pay for all of West Virginia's public safety heroes." "Every member of the Department served with dedication and distinction throughout this pandemic," stated Chumley. "Now that the Federal Government has gifted these ARPA funds to the state, recognizing frontline public safety workers with a hazard pay bonus would be a win-win for all West Virginians." Elaine Harris, Staff Representative for the CWA International, said that awarding hazard pay to public safety workers is a top priority for their international union. "Our sister NCPSO affiliate in Virginia successfully secured $3,000 in bonus pay for correctional employees in August," said Harris. "We won't rest here in West Virginia until every correctional worker and every employee of the West Virginia State Police is recognized with the front-line duty hazard pay that they deserve." The West Virginia State Trooper Association made the request by letter to Governor Jim Justice. The NCPSO/CWA Local 2055 also wrote to the Governor under separate request. Additionally, members of the West Virginia Legislature were mailed and emailed copies of the request. The American Rescue Plan Act was passed by Congress and signed into law March 11, 2021. On August 9, 2021 the Virginia Legislature passed H.B. 2007 giving State Troopers and corrections workers a hazard pay bonus using federal ARPA funds that were given to the State of Virginia. Contact: Larry LaCorte, 13046108251, [email protected] SOURCE CWA Local 2055; West Virginia Troopers Association Related Links cwa2055.org BEIJING, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Themed "Smart Technology: Empowering Economy, Enriching Life", the Smart China Expo 2021 Kaizhou Forum was held in Kaizhou District, Chongqing Municipality on Monday. Jointly organized by the Organizing Committee of Smart China Expo, the Chongqing Municipal Big Data Application and Development Administration and the People's Government of Kaizhou District, Chongqing, the forum attracted top experts and scholars nationwide to discuss on big data intelligence. Big data intelligence field in Kaizhou District has shown a strong growth momentum in recent years, and it contributes to building Kaizhou into a national digital economy innovation and development pilot zone and a scientific and technological innovation center with influence across China, said Pu Binbin, Secretary of Kaizhou District Party Committee, in his speech. Xu Yuchang, chairman and president of China Economic Information Service (CEIS), delivered an online speech saying that CEIS will strengthen its cooperation with Kaizhou District on big data in four major areas, including economic information businesses, data support, think tank research, and experience summary in the future. Yang Fan, deputy director of the Chongqing Municipal Big Data Application and Development Administration, said he hoped that Kaizhou District will focus on growing the digital economy, promoting the convergence, connectivity and application of data, expanding application scenarios, consolidating digital infrastructure and strengthening external cooperation, in an effort to further promote the innovation and development of big data intelligence. The cooperation framework agreement between Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications and the People's Government of Kaizhou District, the cooperation framework agreement on universal access to government matter services in Wanzhou, Kaizhou and Yunyang, and cooperation agreements between enterprises and Kaizhou District government were signed at the forum. SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road SHANGHAI, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO and SEHK: 2057) ("ZTO" or the "Company"), a leading and fast-growing express delivery company in China, today announced that it will release its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021, after the U.S. markets closes on November 17, 2021. ZTO's management team will host an earnings conference call at 7:30 P.M. U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, which is 8:30 A.M. Beijing Time on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows: United States: 1-888-317-6003 Hong Kong: 852-5808-1995 Singapore: 800-120-5863 Mainland China: 4001-206-115 International: 1-412-317-6061 Passcode: 3551081 A replay of the conference call may be accessible through November 24, 2021 by dialing the following numbers: United States: 1-877-344-7529 International: 1-412-317-0088 Canada: 855-669-9658 Passcode: 10161579 A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company's investor relations website at http://zto.investorroom.com . About ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO and SEHK: 2057) ("ZTO" or the "Company") is a leading and fast-growing express delivery company in China. ZTO provides express delivery service as well as other value-added logistics services through its extensive and reliable nationwide network coverage in China. ZTO operates a highly scalable network partner model, which the Company believes is best suited to support the significant growth of e-commerce in China. The Company leverages its network partners to provide pickup and last-mile delivery services, while controlling the mission-critical line-haul transportation and sorting network within the express delivery service value chain. For more information, please visit http://zto.investorroom.com . For investor and media inquiries, please contact: Investor Relations Tel: (86) 21 5980 4508 Email: [email protected] Media Tel: (86) 21 3108 0370 Email: [email protected] SOURCE ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. Bengaluru, Oct 22 : National Students Union of India (NSUI) in a letter to National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) has sought 'urgent mental health care' for Karnataka BJP leaders. The BJP leaders named in the letter includes state BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel, National General Secretary C.T.Ravi, Minister for Rural Development K.S.Eshwarappa and BJP MLA Basavanagouda Patil Yatnal. "The BJP leaders are repeatedly making racist, casteist, baseless and unwarranted statements against senior Congress politicians by calling them a'drug peddler' and yearning to open Hookah bar in the name of former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru," said NSUI National General Secretary Nagesh Kariyappa. "Such conduct from so called BJP leaders only swerve youth of the nation towards substance abuse but also imparts ill effects on mental health of the general public. This kind of behavior from such senior politicians essentially indicates that they are suffering from high degrees of psychiatric disabilities, which require immediate medical assistance," Nagesh Kariyappa told IANS. NIMHANS is a renowned mental health centre and known for providing high standards of clinical care. "I am very hopeful that your institute will surely be able to help them. We are also contemplating to request rehabilitation centres to accommodate BJP leaders," he said in the letter to NIMHANS. Washington, Oct 22 : The US House has voted to refer Steve Bannon, the onetime adviser to former President Donald Trump, to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution, accusing him of contempt of Congress over his refusal to cooperate with the investigation into the January 6 Capitol riot. The resolution was adopted in a largely party-line vote of 229-202, with only nine Republicans joining all Democrats in approving it, Xinhua news agency reported. It came two days after the House special committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot unanimously voted to hold Bannon, who defied the committee's subpoena and refused to appear for a deposition, in contempt of Congress. In the report released on Monday recommending that the House hold Bannon in criminal contempt of Congress, the special committee cited Bannon's remarks made on his radio show on January 5 - when he said "all hell is going to break loose tomorrow" -- as evidence that "he had some foreknowledge about extreme events that would occur the next day." House Republican leadership sent out a statement in the lead-up to Thursday's vote rallying against the contempt resolution, saying Congress has no authority to conduct the January 6 investigation for a legislative purpose, nor does its oversight authority include law enforcement powers. In her remarks during the floor debate over the resolution, Liz Cheney, vice chairwoman of the special committee, criticized her fellow Republican members who opposed the measure for seeming to "have forgotten the danger of the moment, the assault on the Constitution, the assault on our Congress." The House vote will set up a referral to the Justice Department, which will have to decide whether Bannon, one of the central figures targeted by the special committee in its probe, should be prosecuted. With the passage of the recommendation, all eyes are now turning to Attorney General Merrick Garland, who testified Thursday before the House Judiciary Committee that the Justice Department would review any referral, however, he refused to give any hint on the agency's decision on prosecution. "The Department of Justice will do what it always does in such circumstances, we'll apply the facts and the law and make a decision, consistent with the principles of prosecution," Garland said when asked by lawmakers about referrals related to the January 6 probe. Bannon, the former chief strategist of Trump, has told the special committee through his attorney that he won't cooperate with the investigators until the dispute is settled about Trump's invocation of executive privilege to block certain documents sought by the committee. The select committee has requested a trove of documents and communications within the White House concerning what happened on January 6, when a mob of Trump's supporters raided the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. In defiance of the request, Trump claimed that some of the documents are covered by "presidential communications and deliberative process privileges." He sued the special committee and the National Archives, which is the custodian of those records, after President Biden decided not to grant him the executive privilege in such context. In a letter to the special committee cited by CNN, Bannon's lawyer said "the executive privileges belong to President Trump" and "we must accept his direction and honor his invocation of executive privilege." The letter suggested that the courts may ultimately decide whether Bannon should be forced to cooperate with the House investigators. Cheney said Tuesday night when the special committee was voting on the recommendation that Bannon and Trump's privilege arguments "do appear to reveal one thing." "They suggest that President Trump was personally involved in the planning and execution of Jan. 6," said Cheney, a Republican who was stripped of her leadership role in the party over her public feud with Trump. "And we will get to the bottom of that." Contempt of Congress is a crime that can result in the person convicted being fined and sentenced to between one and 12 months in jail, but precedents of such litigations are very rare and proven notoriously difficult to succeed. Historically, contempt of Congress prosecutions oftentimes ended up being appealed or concluded with the defendant being acquitted. The last time such a case took place was in 1983 against an official in the Ronald Reagan administration. Seoul, Oct 22 : The top US envoy for North Korea will visit Seoul this weekend, with his arrival delayed a day for an unspecified reason, an informed source said Friday. Sung Kim, special representative for North Korea, was initially scheduled to begin a three-day trip here on Friday for consultations with his South Korean counterpart, Noh Kyu-duk, Yonhap news agency reported. However his itinerary has changed, and he plans to fly to Seoul on Saturday, according to the source, who requested anonymity and did not elaborate on the reason. Kim and Noh are widely expected to meet again Sunday and continue discussions on pending issues related to the Korean Peninsula, including South Korean President Moon Jae-in's proposal to declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War, as Seoul and Washington step up diplomacy to revive long-stalled talks with the reclusive regime. Seoul hopes to use the declaration as a stepping stone to improve cross-border relations and achieve lasting peace on the peninsula. "The end-of-war declaration is one of several options to restart the peace process," Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong told lawmakers during a parliamentary audit Wednesday. "It is the first gateway for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula and an essential step." Pyongyang has sent mixed signals regarding a possible return to dialogue, firing a submarine-launched ballistic missile Tuesday -- its eighth known major missile test this year. The North, however, backed off from further ratcheting up tensions as its foreign ministry spokesperson said the launch was not aimed at the United States. Kim and Noh met in Washington on Monday for consultations on North Korea. They were joined by their Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, the following day for trilateral discussions where the three agreed to work closely together to restart the peace process on the peninsula at an early date. Denuclearisation talks between Washington and Pyongyang remain stalled since the no-deal Hanoi summit in 2019, although the Joe Biden administration has maintained that it is willing to meet with the North "without preconditions." Srinagar, Oct 22 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a mega public rally, flag off the first Srinagar-Sharjah direct flight, lay foundation stones of two medical colleges and chair a high level security review meeting during his three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir which will begin on Saturday. This will be Shah's first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories. Shah will arrive first in Srinagar on Saturday accompanied by the Home Secretary A.K. Bhalla, other senior officials of the Home Ministry, heads of most of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the intelligence agencies including the IB. He will lay the foundation stones of two new government medical colleges (GMCs) for Udhampur and Handwara, after which he will flag off the first Srinagar-Sharjah direct flight and address a mega public rally in Jammu city. He will also inaugurate an IIT block in Jammu on Sunday. The Home Minister will review various developmental projects under the Prime Minister's package in addition to a scheduled interaction with Panchayat Raj representatives including Panchs, Sarpanchs, BDC and DDC members. Union Minister of State (PMO), Jitendra Singh will arrive ahead of Shahh's visit to review the arrangements. Singh will reach Jammu on Friday and later meet the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha towards the afternoon to finalise the arrangements. The Home Minister will also hold a top level meeting in Srinagar which will be the first major security review after the targeted civilian killings by the militants. Jitendra Singh and the Lt Governor will also attend the meeting. Ahead of Shah's visit, security has been heightened across Srinagar and Jammu cities. Makeshift checkposts have come up in and around the two cities. CCTV cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles, sniffer dogs etc are supporting the security paraphernalia that has been worked out to the minutest detail in order to secure the Home Minister's visit. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed New York, Oct 22 : While asking Bangladesh authorities to protect Hindus, the international group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said law enforcement should act "with caution and restraint". "The authorities need to be de-escalating violence, not shooting live ammunition into a crowd," HRW's Asia Director Brad Adams said in a statement issued by the group here. "Bangladesh authorities are dealing with an extremely stressful situation that could easily escalate into even more bloodshed, unless law enforcement acts with caution and restraint," he added. HRW's statement did not identify or directly condemn those carrying out the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, but turning to India it said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has "called on Narendra Modi's government to quell communal violence in India, where the ruling party has fueled violence targeting the minority Muslim community". However, HRW acknowledged that "Hindus, who make up about 10 per cent of Bangladesh's Muslim-majority population, have repeatedly come under attack". "Since the first attacks, mobs have torched dozens of Hindu homes and vandalized temples and statues throughout the country." The HRW statement quoted a Bangladeshi human rights group, Ain o Salish Kendra, as reporting that "at least 3,679 attacks on the Hindu community since January 2013, including vandalism, arson, and targeted violence" have taken place. Adams said that Hasina "is facing a critical moment to show in words and action that she is serious about her party's commitments to democracy and human rights" and "her calls for an end to the violence should lead to transparent investigations and real legal protections for the Hindu community in Bangladesh". The statement said that "authorities have reportedly filed at least 71 cases in connection with the violence and arrested 450 people" and added that Hasina "has promised strong action, declairing 'Nobody will be spared. It doesn't matter which religion they belong to'". Backing up its call for restraint by law enforcement, HRW said: "The UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials states that security forces must 'apply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force and firearms,' and that 'whenever the lawful use of force and firearms is unavoidable, law enforcement officials shall: (a) Exercise restraint in such use and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and the legitimate objective to be achieved; (b) Minimize damage and injury, and respect and preserve human life'." (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Los Angeles, Oct 22 : Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal hangs out of a moving ambulance and shoots at a police helicopter in the explosive first trailer for filmmaker Michael Bay's actionier 'Ambulance'. Based on the 2005 Danish film of the same name, 'Ambulance' stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as an army veteran down on his luck who turns to "brother" Gyllenhaal for help when he needs $231,000 to pay for his wife's surgery. Gyllenhaal finds the solution - $32 million bank robbery, reports variety.com. Set in Los Angeles over the course of one day, the movie, written by Chris Fedak, also stars Eiza Gonzalez, Garret Dillahunt and Devan Long. The fast-paced trailer shows the duo trying to outrun SWAT teams, cop cars and LAPD helicopters. "We're not the bad guys," Gyllenhaal tries to reassure Yahya Abdul-Mateen and himself in the trailer. "We're just the guys trying to get home. We don't get to walk off into the sunset," Yahya Abdul-Mateen counters. Gyllenhaal told USA Today that shooting action scenes in the small, enclosed space gave him a newfound "respect for first responders". "A lot of the movie I'm in an ambulance, so there's not a lot of space (laughs)," Gyllenhaal told the paper last month. "There are a lot of scenes where I'm just being thrown around an ambulance and I've got to say, that gave me even more respect for first responders because there are so many sharp edges in an ambulance nobody thinks about when it's driving as fast it is." Gyllenhaal also detailed Bay's "wild" shoot. "I'd heard all these amazing stories about Michael Bay and what it's like working with him. He's wild, man, but I adore him. Driving around the streets of LA at like 100 mph, shooting guns at helicopters. There are many stories out of that movie that are really fun and crazy." Gyllenhaal most recently starred in Netflix's 'The Guilty', another remake of a Danish movie. He will next appear in the video game adaptation 'The Division'. Abdul-Mateen last toplined 'Candyman' and has 'The Matrix Resurrections' lined up. Beirut, Oct 22 : Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said the country has increased control over its borders to prevent all kinds of smuggling activities and protect its ties with Arab nations. "I am personally monitoring control work on the borders as we are concerned about the safety and security of our friendly and brotherly countries, and we are conscious enough to work on preventing the smuggling of weapons and drugs through all border crossings," Xinhua news agency quoted Mawlawi as saying to reporters on Thursday. Mawlawi assured that Lebanon is concerned about protecting its reputation and the social security of all countries, especially Saudi Arabia. The Minister added that he hopes the Arab countries take into account the increased efforts of Lebanon in this area to restore their trade activities with the country. Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia imposed a ban on the entry of consignments of Lebanese vegetables and fruits after the kingdom foiled an attempt to smuggle 5.3 million pills of Captagon hidden in a consignment of "pomegranate" fruit imported from Lebanon. Los Angeles, Oct 22 : The first trailer for 'Uncharted', an adaptation of the hit Playstation video game franchise, starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, has been unveiled, with the duo globetrotting and searching for treasure. 'Uncharted' is directed by Ruben Fleischer, with a script penned by 'Iron Man' duo Art Marcum and Matt Holloway and Rafe Judkins, based off of a screen story by Judkins. Holland plays Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter who is accompanied by Wahlberg's Sully and Sophia Ali as Chloe Frazer, who may have a spark with Drake. Holland recently spoke with British GQ about the challenges of playing the iconic video game protagonist. "As soon as you start worrying about aDo I look good in this shot?aA acting becomes something other than playing a character," he said. "I think there are elements of my performance in 'Uncharted' where I kind of fell under that spell of being aI want to look good now. I want this to be my cool moment'. I had to play this very tough, very stoic guy, basically be Mark Wahlberg. My character is supposed to be a fucking action hero in this moment. Look, I haven't seen it, so I don't know if I succeeded in that. "But it was an important lesson learned, because, at times, it was less about land a mark and go through this scene and more about land a mark, stand like this and see my bulging biceps. a It was a mistake and is something that I will probably never do again," Holland added. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Oct 22 : This truly is the outcome of a lifetime of devotion to the work of Mirza Ghalib from the time Najeeb Jungs mother recited his poetry to him to the time his daughters helped him with the translation by finding the closest words to do justice to the original. It's a journey that began when he was four years old but it was only in mid-2010 that the 70-year-old Jung, a former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and former Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, found the right "Ustad" to guide him through the translation process. The outcome is "DEEWAAN-E-GHALIB - Sariir-e-Khaama" (Rekhta Books), a rendering in English of 235 of Ghalib's poems along with the originals in the Roman script. "In these disturbed times, Ghalib's open discourse, his compassion and understanding, and his plurality assume huge importance. He demolishes routinely held views on man, and his relationship with God, or the existence of heaven or hell, or man's allurement for heaven and his fear of hell, sin and goodness. For him truth was not the monopoly of any religion or dogma and the path to truth was open to all. To this end he is critical for our times," Jung told IANS in an interview. "This is precisely why I have done this translation - a step to bring him closer to those who speak Urdu/Hindustani but their vocabulary is limited, or those who know English and wish to read and understand him. The Roman script needs a bit of practice to familiarise and make reading easy, and the translation gives meaning to the words. I have not provided a commentary to the translations because that would make the book too complex and more of a commentary," he added. It's been quite an inspirational journey and bears telling in its totality. "As I recall, I was around 4-years-old when my late mother (Ammi) made me learn Ghalib. We also did a bit of Iqbal but Ghalib was her passion. So while my friends in class were reciting English nursery rhymes, I was spouting Ghalib - not that I understood the meanings!! I was a popular child in family gatherings for this. In fact, my mother often told a story how Maulana Azad, who was a family friend and we often visited his home at Edward Road, now renamed the Maulana Azad Road, would insist on listening to Ghalib being recited by a 4/5 year-old child," Jung said. As time went by and school (St Columba's) gained importance, Ghalib receded into the background "but Ammi and I continued reciting once in a while to each other. I kept reading the Deewan (in the original) whenever I could, having acquired many editions and prints over time". In early 2000, he was at Oxford as a Visiting Fellow and had access to some outstanding libraries. "I thought I had read enough and should try my hand at translating the Master for English speaking people or those who understood Urdu but did not have an adequate vocabulary. It did not take any time to realise I was not equipped for the task - neither was my vocabulary so good, nor did I fully comprehend the nuances and depth of his thought. I needed to read much more, and research the various "sharas" (commentaries) by other well know thinkers and writers and therefore to find the right Ustad. The big question was how to get THAT person," Jung explained. As luck would have it, he came to the Jamia Millia Islamia in August 2009 and here began his search for the Ustad. His secretary, Zafar Hashmi, introduced him to Prof Khalid Mahmood who, at that time, was the Head of the Urdu department. "Something clicked" at their first interaction and Jung knew he had found his teacher. "Khalid sahib is not just an extremely good human being, but a profound thinker. He knew Ghalib, but above all, was happy to read and re-read Ghalib, and spend time with me. Let me add, this was a labour of love by him too - and all the hours and years we worked together, there was never any fee paid or even expected. It was a sacred relationship between a master and pupil on a subject they loved and therefore enjoyed working on together," Jung said. From mid-2010 to the end of 2016, every day they read Ghalib; re- read Ghalib, discussed the "ashaar" (nuances of the couplets), looked at commentaries and different interpretations, agreed and at times disagreed. "By this time I felt ready to attempt a translation. The big question before me whether I should translate the whole Deewan or pick out the popular ghazals, already well known through films and popular ghazals sung by the greats like (K.L.) Saigal, Begum Akhtar, Jagjit Singh etc. and stick to translating them. I do not know why I decided to translate the entire Deewan. "It has taken me four years to do this. It has been a back-breaking labour of love, a dream I have lived with. Sometimes, a couplet would not be difficult but some would be back-breaking. For instance, I spent months agonising over the first couplet in the Deewan: 'Naqsh faryadi hai kiskii shokhi-e-tahreer ka/Kaaghazi hai pairahan har paikar-e-tasweer ka'," Jung elaborated. He found it impossible to give true impression to this. So he would wake up at night and think over it, think on it during long walks, during long flights - and never be satisfied. What eventually emerged was: Against whose playful writings can an image petition/For made of paper is the attire of each image. There were more like this and hours were spent looking for words that would convey the most appropriate meaning to what Ghalib meant. "I would seek out my daughters, discuss the couplet and more often than not, they came up with the right expression. It is difficult for a family to be with a husband or parent obsessed with a passion but play along with him with patience and fortitude. In fact for the latter half of 2020, we were all together in New York with everyone contributing to complete the work. I guess every one of us wished to complete this work as soon as possible. Ten years was enough," Jung said. He also pointed out that Ghalib is multi-layered and that different meanings can be derived from the same couplet. "Take the popular couplet: 'Aah ko chahiye ik umr asar hone tak/Kaun jiita hai teri zulf ke sar hone tak'. The simplest interpretation is of a lover moaning how long it would take for his sighs to take effect and whether he would even live till the beloved was ready. But could it not be a question to God that how long would a person wait for his prayer to be answered, whether he would not be dead till the prayer was answered?" "Ghalib has a strange informal relationship with God. He is a Muslim believing in Allah and his Prophet, but rejects dogma and ritualism and opens a world of modern thought and iconoclasm: 'Bandagi mein bhi vo aazada o khudbiin hain ke hum/Ulte phir aaye dar-e-Kaaba agar vaa na hua' (While being a believer, I am so independent and proud/ That I would turn back from the Kaaba were its door not open) "Or even challenging established Islamic belief: 'Hum ko maloom hai jannat ki haqeeqat lekin/Dil ke khush rakhne ko Ghalib ye khayaal achha hai' (We know the reality of Paradise but/To keep the heart happy, Ghalib, this thought is good)," Jung said. Has Ghalib received his due in India? "Well, despite Urdu not being widely read in India, and most people having inadequate vocabularies, Ghalib's ghazals have been sung manifold by the best in India. While it is near impossible to sing a ghazal in Qawali form, even that has happened. Masterpiece films have been made commencing from the 1940s when Saigal sahib played Ghalib, to Sohrab Modi's successful film in the early 1950s to the recent TV serial by Gulzar sahib - which will always remain a pure masterpiece bringing Ghalib into our homes," Jung said. In 1969, the government celebrated Ghalib's death centenary with seminars, discussions and even a Mushiara at the Red Fort in Delhi. In addition, the Rekhta Foundation has brought him to the public and vast numbers of non-Urdu speaking people attend these recitations, and talks on him each year. "So while the poetry may not be understood with its subtleties and nuances, Ghalib is most certainly heard, and admired by millions in India - and with time, his popularity grows," Jung concluded. (Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in) New Delhi, Oct 22 : A day after India achieved the 100 crore vaccine-mark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hailed the nation for the joint efforts in achieving the target and said the post-pandemic economy of the country is bouncing back at a fast pace. Addressing the nation, the Prime Minister said, "Experts and many international agencies have given a positive forecast of the Indian Economy, not only India is getting record investment, but it is also creating new job avenues for the youth." He said, "Startups are getting record investment and they are becoming unicorns." He also emphasized upon buying local products to boost domestic manufacturers. "Just like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which is a Jan Andolan, buying things made in India, made by Indians, being VocalForLocal, also has to be made a mass movement." We should insist on buying every little thing which is 'Made In India', and this will be possible only with our combined efforts. The Prime Minister also hailed the nation for achieving the 100 crore-mark. "Yesterday, 21st Oct, India has achieved the difficult but extraordinary target of 1 Billion, 100 Crore COVID19 #Vaccine doses. This success is the success of India, success of every citizen." He said during the pandemic questions were raised about India's capability and now the pharma sector has strengthened more after this and has shown to the world what the country can give. He said leaders from across the world congratulated India on crossing the milestone of 100 crore vaccinations, terming it a huge and extraordinary accomplishment. But, the PM said that during the festivals caution should be observed and wearing masks should now be a part of life. He appealed to all citizens to get vaccinated and asked people to encourage each other. He said the first line of defence against pandemic was people's participation, as part of which people lit 'diyas', clanged utensils, but some people had questioned this, saying 'Will it help country get rid of the pandemic', but it exhibited the nation's unity in fighting the disease. Modi also said that there has been no discrimination in vaccination and the VIP culture did not overshadow the vaccination drive in the nation. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Shimla, Oct 22 : Women farmers of Himachal Pradesh are breaking the mindset barriers not only at home but also in society with the new confidence attained through the latest information and knowledge about natural farming, discarding the conventional practices that have effects on both -- environmental and human health. The movement, launched in the state in 2018 to adopt natural farming under the state-run Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana, is gaining ground. This year, October 22 is being observed as 'Mahila Kisan Diwas' or Women Farmers' Day. Project officials told IANS on Friday that with a growing concern about the intensive usage of pesticides in farming, there is a noticeable change as more and more women, either individually or in self-help groups, are turning up as catalysts. One such group with over 20 women farmers is in Chagaon village in Tapri block of Kinnaur district. They have adopted the low cost, non-chemical and climate resilient Subhash Palekar Natural Farming (SPNF) technique being promoted under Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana on some portion of their farms for cultivation of apples, rajmash, garlic, maize and traditional crops like ogla phaphra and koda. Like other womenfolk, middle-aged farmer Charna Devi from Chagaon village is happy after switching over to natural ways of farming as she believes it contributes significantly in saving humans and nature from the harmful effects of pesticides. In an interview, Devi told IANS, "I could have never thought of going beyond Shimla. The travel not only changed my outlook towards agriculture but taught me so many other things." She, along with others, got an opportunity to visit Kurukshetra in Haryana, some 400 km from her remote village, for exposure to natural farming. As per official records, the women farmers are doing natural farming individually on around 12.5 bigha of land. The SPNF technique has helped them take multiple crops alongside apples, like pulses and vegetables, which not only supplement their family income but the farm health also. "Women have an important role in agriculture. Their inclusion in natural farming as trainers and master trainers will certainly give good overall results," Project Executive Director Rajeshwar Singh Chandel told IANS. Over 1.5 lakh farmers in the state have been trained in SPNF technique. The number of women participants in all training sessions is reasonably good. The results in the field are encouraging too, he said. Unlike her, the journey has not been not so smooth for Jaswinder Kaur, 50, from Kanshipur village in Paonta Sahib block in Sirmaur district while adopting natural farming in family farm. "Everyone doubted me when I talked about adopting SPNF technique at home. My husband once threw away the dung and urine of a desi' cow that I collected for natural farming. However, when I persuaded him to try it and get training, he agreed. He was happy with the results. Both of us are now doing natural farming on more than five bigha and growing 20 types of fruits and vegetables," said Kaur. She is now a part of the women farmers group and markets the produce via social media. Even the women groups are collectively making pickles, chutneys and garlands to supplement their livelihood from agriculture. Officials say the knowledge imparted to the women farmers and their capacity building through trainings and exposure visits to other farms are doing more good to them than just providing them the option of healthy and sustainable agriculture for livelihood. The knowledge has visibly instilled confidence in women farmers in totality that has led to their inclusion in decision making even at home. An elated young woman farmer Harshita Rana Bhandari, 28, who is the Prakritik Kheti Mahila Khushhal Kisan Samiti president, said, "Our apple orchards were not giving good yield due to overuse of chemicals. Moreover, the expenditure on cultivation was rising every year. When we were specifically trained for natural farming and motivated to contribute significantly with knowledge, we adopted natural farming." Educated up to Class 12, she is now leading the natural farming initiative by propagating it among other women in the village. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in) New Delhi, Oct 22 : The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), an industry body for more than 440 digital startups, on Friday hit out at Google, calling its Play Store commission cut a deflect and distract tactic -- nothing but a reduced 'Lagaan'. The search engine giant Google has announced that it will cut the service fee for all subscriptions on Play Store to 15 per cent from 30 per cent for app developers starting January 1, 2022. In a statement, Sijo Kuruvilla George, Executive Director, ADIF, said that the fact that Google is able to unilaterally declare and dictate prices, as is evident from this announcement as well, lies at the heart of the issue. "What developers are asking for is fairness and not benevolence in the form of 'reduced' commission percentages. It has never been about the percentages. Price discovery should be left to the market forces," he argued. "As long as Google gets to unilaterally dictate prices and people don't have choices, it's still a 'Lagaan' - be it 30, 15 or even 2, the percentages do not matter," George added. In a blog post late on Thursday, Google had said that to help support the specific needs of developers offering subscriptions, starting on January 1, 2022, "we're decreasing the service fee for all subscriptions on Google Play from 30 per cent to 15 per cent starting from day one". In addition, Google announced that ebook and music streaming apps would be eligible for a service fee as low as 10 per cent. Apple already offers reduced 15 per cent subscription fees, but that's limited to developers who are part of its App Store Small Business Programme, which is available to those who earn up to but don't exceed $1 million in a calendar year. In India, start-ups have been claiming that Google abuses its monopoly, enforcing the billing system. Google had said this wasn't new and its payments policy has always required this. George further said that "deflect and distract" seems to be what's in play here. "The portrayal and grandstanding, as a measure that fully acknowledges and addresses the concerns of developers, is misleading and objectionable," he added. The announcement might come as a source of happiness for the subset of developers who are already on the Google billing system. The cut will improve their margins - should they fall into the "right" categories that the company deemed fit for Google's relaxation in margins. "The announcement does nothing to address the issues and challenges of scores of developers who stand to be affected by the earlier announcement by Google of forced adoption of their billing system by March 2022," the ADIF stressed. Moreover, apart from the additional work they would have to undertake, both with integration and re-onboarding of customers, almost all of them would see their margins get thinner owing to migrating to a much higher commission rate (30 per cent/15 per cent) from the present rates (1 per cent-2 per cent) being levied by their existing payment providers, the industry body elaborated. "The differential pricing system that Google is attempting to implement with this announcement is also unfair and arbitrary," it said. The ADIF urged Google to pay heed to the concerns of all developers, and not just the ones already on their billing system. Ankara, Oct 22 : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to expel the Ambassadors of 10 countries, including the US, Germany and France, over their statement for the release of a detained businessman. "I told our foreign minister that we cannot afford to host them in our country. Is it your place to teach such a lesson to Turkey?" Erdogan told journalists on Thursday. Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the Ambassadors over a joint statement calling for the release of jailed activist and businessman Osman Kavala. In a joint statement on Monday, the Ambassadors said: "Together, the embassies of Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America believe a just and speedy resolution to his case must be in line with Turkey's international obligations and domestic laws. "Noting the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights on the matter, we call for Turkey to secure his urgent release." Kavala was acquitted in 2020 of charges related to nationwide Gezi protests in 2013. But his ruling was overturned and was combined with a probe into a coup attempt in 2016 on the accusation of spying. Erdogan earlier accused Kavala of being the "Turkish leg" of US billionaire philanthropist George Soros. "Why do these 10 Ambassadors make this statement? Those who defend this leftover of Soros are striving to get him released," Erdogan said on Thursday. Islamabad, Oct 22 : Shaukat Tarin, adviser to the Pakistan Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, left Washington without concluding the talks that could have led to a much-needed endorsement of the governments economic policies by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dawn reported. Tarin, however, left behind Finance Secretary Yousaf Khan to further pursue the talks for the resumption of a $6 billion loan facility that would bring an immediate relief to the cash-starved government by delivering a suspended tranche of $1 billion. Tarin first came to Washington in early October and went to New York on October 15 after a 10-day stay. He was scheduled to fly to London from there, but returned to Washington on Tuesday as an IMF official said at a news briefing that the talks had progressed to "a very good step". Till Wednesday evening, the Pakistan delegation expected a positive outcome and scheduled a news briefing on Thursday morning to share the good news with the media. However, they sent another alert to the media late at night, cancelling the briefing, the report said. Later Thursday, Tarin quietly left Washington, hopping on a train to catch an international flight from New York. He may join Prime Minister Imran Khan who is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia this weekend. During his two visits to Washington, Tarin met IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and other officials twice, and after both meetings each side expressed the hope that the consultations would soon lead to a positive conclusion. They did not, the report added. Pakistani officials, however, still insist that it would be a mistake to say the talks had failed. "I think we are in a good place," said one of them. "We are getting positive vibes." United Nations, Oct 22 : Karima Bennoune, the Special Rapporteur for Cultural Rights, has praised a viral dance video of two Kerala medical students, but said the criticism of it shows the dangers to "cultural mixing". It also pointed to a creative way to further the cultural rights of everyone, she said on Thursday at an informal meeting of the General Assembly's Third committee that deals with social and humanitarian issues. "We cannot take cultural mixing for granted in a world where it is often under attack," she said citing the negative reactions to the video. "For daring to dance across cultures, the two young people received an outpouring of support, as well as tirades and hate speech on social media that may have been motivated by Hindu fundamentalism, even accusing them of 'dance jihad'," Bennoune said. "The reply from the students to the criticism was: 'We will still dance together'. This must be our collective reply. "The only way to guarantee the cultural rights of everyone without discrimination in the 21st century is to creatively and vigorously defend open and multiple understandings of culture and identity, and rights-respecting cultural mixing and syncretism," she added. Thrissur Government Medical College students Naveen Razak and Janaki Omkumar dancing in medical scrubs to the Euro-Caribbean pop group Boney M's "Rasputin" went viral on YouTube. The video drew was overwhelmingly praised and criticism was drowned by support for the dancing future doctors. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Oct 22 : Former Pakistani diplomat Abdul Basit said the UAE's Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir for development projects is a "major success for India", Geo News reported. What has made Pakistan more unhappy over the MoU is that the UAE has a powerful presence in the OIC, an alliance of currently 56 countries in which Islam plays a significant role, with Islam as the state religion, or countries where Muslims form the majority of the population, the report said. Basit, a former high commissioner of Pakistan to India, said in his YouTube vlog that the details of the pact are not yet known, adding that no one knows whether the investment will be made in the 'occupied' territory or not Criticising Prime Minister Imran Khan's foreign policy, Basit said the MoU has been signed, it's clear that Pakistan is losing control over the matter. "There should be efforts to find a solution. But is it acceptable that everything is one-sided and the ground has been ceded to India. Now, the condition is that Muslim nations are signing MoUs with India," Basit said. Basit said the recent dossier presented by Pakistan, highlighting the atrocities of the Indian government in 'occupied Kashmir', failed to work. "Presenting the dossier isn't enough. Pakistan is weak on follow-up on a sustained basis. There is no reason why we don't achieve the results (when it comes to Kashmir0. Maybe, we failed to strengthen our civilian platforms to meet the challenges of the 21st century," he said, the report added. As India's business and diplomatic ties with nations like the UAE grow, Basit said, "At this rate, it's a possibility that soon the UAE and Iran may open their consulates in Kashmir. If this is the state of our diplomatic efforts on Kashmir, this can happen." Pakistan has attempted to keep Srinagar isolated in various ways in the past. More than a decade ago, it had lobbied strongly against the UAE opening a visa office there, the report said. Then, for example, it sabotaged the move to turn Srinagar airport into an international destination. The airport was designated as an international airport in March 2005. An expanded terminal to serve both domestic and international flights was inaugurated on February 14, 2009, by Congress President Sonia Gandhi. On the same day, Air India Express started weekly flights to Dubai. Soon, Pakistan denied permission to fly aircraft from the airport over its airspace. The detour meant longer flights and this made the flights economically unviable, the report added. The MoU has been signed to enhance real estate development, building infrastructure, industrial parks, IT towers, multipurpose towers, logistics, medical college, super speciality hospital and more in Kashmir. "This (signing of MoU) is a major success for India in the context of both Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir as OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) members have always kept Pakistan's sensibilities on Kashmir at the forefront," Basit said. "In the past, they (OIC member nations) have never done something to make Pakistan feel that Muslim nations and the OIC are not standing behind us on the Kashmir issue. "They may not have been very vocal, but have ensured not to work against our sentiment on Kashmir. That's why we saw many times that representatives of the OIC nations used to refrain from visiting Kashmir. Many times, even if they were invited, the OIC nations kept in mind the feelings of Pakistan," he said. (Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in) -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Lahore/New Delhi, Oct 22 : Lahore police have allegedly detained over 1,000 activists and workers of the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) during a crackdown that was intensified across the Punjab province after the group announced a long march to Islamabad after the Friday prayers, Dawn reported. Dozens of fourth schedulers of the proscribed group were also among those taken into custody from all 36 districts of the province besides at least 40 in Lahore, the report said. An official said the situation was not as alarming in other parts of the province as it was in Lahore where around 900 workers and second-tier leadership of the TLP were protesting outside the Jamia Masjid Rehmatul Lil Aalamin on Multan Road. Tension escalated in the city on Thursday after a group of charged workers vandalised the Multan Road Orange Line train station near the protest venue, damaging CCTV cameras and infrastructure there. They also snatched a bus of a government educational institute and tortured two police constables, the Dawn news report said. There were also reports that the TLP activists blocked roads in some parts of the city with containers and other vehicles and got into heated arguments with commuters for demanding removal of the blockade. In the wake of this situation, the Lahore police lodged five cases against TLP workers, the official said, adding the government also suspended internet and mobile phone services in the TLP strongholds of Samanabad, Sherakot, Nawankot, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Sabzazar and Iqbal Town. Announcing the long march on Islamabad, TLP leader Pir Ajmal Qadri said the "peaceful" procession would begin after Friday prayers. "If any hurdles are created, the party also has a Plan B to thwart any official attempts," he told a charged crowd at the protest site. In what appears to be a change of heart, the group delinked the march from the release of its incarcerated leader, Saad Hussain Rizvi, the report added. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Washington, Oct 22 : The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended Moderna and Johnson & Johnson's Covid booster doses and has given the freedom for people to mix and match the third shot. "Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC's recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots," the agency said in a statement late on Thursday. The boosters were unanimously recommended by the CDC during its vaccine advisory's two-day meeting held between October 20-21. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee last week. Moderna's booster shots were recommended for elderly people and at-risk adults six months after they complete their primary series of shots, similar to PfizeraAs booster. But unlike Pfizer Moderna has been recommended for only half-dose booster to bolster protection against the virus. The agency also endorsed J&J boosters for everyone 18 and older who received the initial shot at least two months ago. "These recommendations are another example of our fundamental commitment to protect as many people as possible from Covid-19. The evidence shows that all three Covid-19 vaccines authorised in the US are safe -- as demonstrated by the over 400 million vaccine doses already given," said Rochelle P. Walensky, CDC Director, in the statement. "And, they are all highly effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even in the midst of the widely circulating Delta variant," Walensky added. The 'mix and match' approach may help nearly 15 million people who got the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine and more than 39 million Moderna recipients. It will also provide flexibility to doctors and other vaccinators. While the approval makes millions of people eligible to receive a booster shot and to benefit from additional protection, "it should not distract from the critical work of ensuring that unvaccinated people take the first step and get an initial Covid-19 vaccine", the statement said. According to the CDC, more than 65 million Americans remain unvaccinated, making them vulnerable for the infectious disease. Three vaccines have been to date authorised for use against Covid in the US: Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. However, several studies have pointed out that the effectiveness of the two-dose vaccine against infection wanes over time, stressing the need for booster doses. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Seoul, Oct 22 : A North Korean delegation is expected to attend the UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland, later this month, a Seoul official said on Friday. Officials at the North Korean Embassy in London will participate in the COP26 which will take place from October 31 to November 12, reports Yonhap News Agency. "As far as I know, the North Korean mission in Britain is sending a delegation," a Foreign Ministry official said. According to a recent US intelligence report, North Korea was listed as one of 11 countries most vulnerable to climate change due to its inability to adapt to such changes. The North's planned participation is one of a series of diplomatic activities Pyongyang has recently resumed after they were hampered due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, North Korea has imposed highly restrictive virus control measures, leading many countries operating missions in Pyongyang to pull out their diplomats. Bengaluru, Oct 22 : Popular Kannada actor and 'Power Star' Puneeth Rajkumar took to social media to shower praise on 'Ratnan Prapancha', which started streaming on Friday on the OTT platform Prime Video. After seeing the movie, Rajkumar tweeted: "I saw the movie. It's a wonderful show. I am very happy. Dhananjay, Reba Monica, Pramod Manju, Umashree have given brilliant performances. The dialogues, cinematography and music are superb. All the best to the whole team." Speaking to IANS, Dhananjay said the movie will fulfil what it has promised in the trailer and the plot will "haunt" the audience. "The audiences who have loved me in negative shades until now will also like my character, Ratnakar, a common man in the movie," the actor said. The film was shot over 15 days in picturesque locations of Kashmir. Besides 'Daali' Dhananjay, the film, directed by Rohith Padaki, stars Reba Monica John, who plays an aspiring journalist, Panju, Umashree, Shruthi, Anu Prabhakar and Achyut Kumar. Earlier, Sandalwood actress Ramya had taken to social media to say that she had been laughing her heart out ever since she watched the trailer. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Oct 22 : After the long dull period of the pandemic and lockdowns, one must be looking forward to the festival season with new excitement and zest. So obviously you want to look and feel your best. Beauty regimes are not just skin deep, they de-stress and uplift your spirits. Prepare for the special celebrations this festive season with the ultimate beauty well-being checklist which will not only make you look good on the outside but also shine from the inside. Rachit Gupta, Director, OxyGlow Cosmetics Pvt. Ltd, said, "Festivals are a time to shine bright and invest in a proper beauty well-being regime from head to toe. The key is to know what ingredients suit you and choose the brand which ensures good quality products. Especially in the day and time when there is so much stress, pollution, sun damage, etc. One cannot go wrong with the beauty product that they are using. The right products can unleash one's true beauty and make them refreshed to be able to enjoy the festivities fully." Headturner -- How your hair looks to make a lot of difference to your complete look. But do not forget a proper hair care regime can relax and clear your mind. Start with a good oil massage which provides nourishment to the hair and scalp. It throws the stress right out. Coconut oil, Amla oil, Argan oil and Red onion oil are especially recommended. Special occasions call for special treatment, after a good hair wash deep condition your hair with a mask. A Keratin hair mask works wonders by putting life into your hair. Finish up with a vitamin-enriched serum for lustrous hair. No makeup can match the beauty and softness of a fresh face -- get rid of those tension lines and that stress off your skin with a well-rounded face care routine. Start with a D-tan bleach to make your skin brighter. Follow-up with a facial kit for cleansing, toning and hydration. Best facial kits are the ones that have activated charcoal or acne treatment. Even a gold or diamond facial kit gives excellent results. Cucumber-based toners are recommended. This routine would restore your glow and leave you radiant and pampered. Wink, Pout and Brows -- We often forget about small things like lips, eyelashes and eyebrows. Don't underestimate their role in perfecting the look. A dash of castor oil massaged on eyelashes and eyebrows would render a natural shine. For the photo-ready pout start with a natural lip scrub and apply lip balm for hydration and protection. Body positivity -- scrub, tone, polish and moisturise for gleaming skin. One can never go wrong with skin moisturizing with shea butter and aloe vera based body lotions. Happy hands and feet -- a good manicure and pedicure which massages the tension out leaving the hands and feet eased are a must on the list. Opt for products that have Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Aloe Vera. They reduce fine lines, treat sun damage and rehydrate for younger-looking skin. Great nails don't happen by chance -- beautiful looking nails add liveliness, it elevates the look of your attire as much as the right accessories. Shape them and nourish them. Paint them bold or paint them chic to suit your personality. Just before the festive season, we pay attention to our beauty well-being, but the best practice is to include the things that suit you in your lifestyle. It is important to repair and rejuvenate to stay well, and feel good. So, take care of yourself with simple regimes and good quality products. (N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe can be contacted at lothungbeni.h@ians.in) New Delhi, Oct 22 : A court here on Friday refused to entertain the bail plea of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student and activist Sharjeel Imam in a 2019 case related to alleged inflammatory speeches against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). While dismissing the plea, Saket Court Additional Sessions Judge Anuj Aggarwal stated that the tone and tenor of incendiary speech tend to have a debilitating effect upon public tranquility, peace, and harmony. Citing a quote by Swami Vivekananda, Judge Aggarwal said: "We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think; Words are secondary; Thoughts live; they travel far." Earlier, his counsel Tanveer Ahmed Mir had argued that being critical of the government cannot be the cause of sedition. However, the Judge refused to comment if the speech falls under the ambit of section 124A (sedition), stating that the same requires "deeper analysis". As per the case, Sharjeel made the alleged inflammatory speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia on December 13, 2019, and at Aligarh Muslim University on December 16, 2019. He has been in judicial custody since January 2020. The case relates to FIR 242 registered at PS Crime Branch, New Friends Colony. As per the prosecution, "On December 15, 2019 at about 11.15 a.m., information regarding a demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) by the students and residents of Jamia Nagar was received at the concerned police station. It was reported that the students would march towards Parliament. "At around 2.20 p.m., a large gathering of about 2,500 people armed with lathis assembled near Escort Hospital, Sarai Julena Chowk. At about 3.22 p.m., despite the warning, the mob consisting of around 3,000 to 3,500 people started advancing towards Sarai Julena Village and Sujan Mahindra Road. When the mob tried to cross the barricades placed by the police at Surya Hotel for marching towards Parliament, they were stopped from marching ahead," the FIR read. Geneva, Oct 22 : The Covid-19 pandemic has killed an estimated 80,000 to 180,000 healthcare workers from January 2020 till May this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The estimates are derived from a new WHO working paper based on the 3.45 million Covid-19 related deaths reported to WHO as at May 2021. "The backbone of every health system is its workforce. Covid-19 is a powerful demonstration of just how much we rely on these men and women, and how vulnerable we all are when the people who protect our health are themselves unprotected," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at the WHO weekly Covid-19 briefing on Thursday. Available data from 119 countries, in the working paper, suggest that by September 2021, two in five healthcare workers were fully vaccinated on average, with considerable difference across regions and economic groupings. Less than one in 10 have been fully vaccinated in the African and Western Pacific regions while 22 mostly high-income countries reported that above 80 per cent of their healthcare workers are fully vaccinated. A few large high-income countries have not yet reported data to WHO. "We have a moral obligation to protect all health and care workers, ensure their rights and provide them with decent work in a safe and enabling practice environment. This must include access to vaccines," said Jim Campbell, Director of the WHO Health Workforce Department, in a statement. Besides the death of healthcare workers, the WHO is also concerned that an increasing proportion of the workforce are suffering from burnout, stress, anxiety and fatigue. The global health body has called on leaders and policy makers to ensure equitable access to vaccines so that health and care workers are prioritised. Tedros noted that more than 10 months since the first vaccines were approved, "the fact that millions of health workers still haven't been vaccinated is an indictment on the countries and companies that control the global supply of vaccines". Further, the WHO stated that the Covid-19 pandemic will drag on until 2022, much longer than it needs to, because several poor countries have not received vaccines against the deadly infectious disease. It would be a "moral catastrophe of historic proportions" if G20 countries cannot act quickly, said Gordon Brown, former British Prime Minister and currently WHO's Ambassador for Global Health Financing. These nations have pledged to donate more than 1.2 billion vaccine doses to COVAX. According to the WHO, so far, only 150 million have been delivered. Moreover, just one in seven of the doses promised by pharmaceutical companies and wealthy countries are actually reaching their destinations in poorer countries, new figures from The People's Vaccine -- an alliance of charities, have suggested. The vast majority of Covid vaccines have been given in high-income or upper middle-income countries. Africa accounts for just 2.6 per cent of doses administered globally. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Mumbai, Oct 22 : Vikrant Massey and Kriti Kharbanda-starrer '14 Phere' released on OTT a few months back and it received rave reviews from the audience and critics alike. The film tells the story of two lovers who belong to different castes and how they go about convincing their parents to allow them to get married. The film is notable for providing a healthy dose of humour and portraying how simple situations can give birth to a comedy of errors. After leaving people in splits with its OTT release on ZEE5, the film is now set to reach Indian households with its world television premiere on &pictures. Talking about the film, an excited Vikrant told IANS, "Fresh characters and scripts are what fuel my passion. '14 Phere' is a young, fresh love story with elements of comedy, 'dhamaal', romance all while encompassing a great message so it was an honour to be a part of this story." He also praised his co-actors, the two ladies from the film as he added, "And then, of course, there is the experience of working with Kriti and Gauahar, two women I've had the biggest crush on for the longest time." He was also struck with epiphany as he said that if what has been shown in the film actually happens during the process of convincing parents to get married, he can only wonder what would happen at the time of his own marriage. Vikrant went on to say, "With '14 Phere' I am at the epicentre of drama with double the wedding 'siyappa', makes me wonder of the possible 'siyappas' at my own wedding." The actor cherishes the experience of collaborating with fine talents and working with an amazing team in the film. "This film has really given me a lifetime of experiences which I think will definitely come in handy in the future. So, join me and witness the chaos unfold with the world television premiere of '14 Phere' on &pictures", the actor concluded. Directed by Devanshu Singh and produced by Zee Studios, the film will have its world TV premiere on October 24. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Kochi, Oct 22 : After 15 long months, the Customs on Friday submitted a 3,000-page charge sheet in the infamous Kerala gold smuggling case at the economic offences court here. The Customs have arraigned 29 people as accused in the case which hogged the headlines ever since top bureaucrat and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Pinnarayi Vijayan -- M. Sivasankar was arrested. After spending several months in jail, he is now out on bail and stands suspended from the service. According to sources, the charge sheet has arraigned Sivasankar as the 29th accused for failing to take any action despite being aware of the happenings. It also mentions that the probe, however, did not lead to any evidence of using the money raised through smuggling gold for any terrorist activities. The 29 people include those who were directly involved in carrying gold, those who bought it and those who acted as agents. The smuggling case came to light on July 5, 2020, when the Customs arrested Sarith, a former employee of the UAE Consulate here, for allegedly smuggling gold in a diplomatic baggage destined for the Consulate. Swapna Suresh, who was a former employee of the UAE Consulate, and her associate Sandip Nair were arrested by the National Investigation Agency from Bengaluru a few days later. While Sarith is the first accused, Swapna is second and Sandeep is the third accused. Islamabad, Oct 22 : The Taliban-led interim government in Afghanistan has assured Pakistan that it will not support or allow its soil to be used by terror outfits, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), against Islamabad, expressing desire to maintain good relations between the two neighbours. The statement came during the visit of Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Director General (DG) Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) Lt. General Faiz Hameed and other members of various ministries to Kabul. Qureshi had expressed Pakistan's concerns over the presence of the banned terrorist outfits in Afghanistan and their continued support to their affiliates in Pakistan, who have been carrying out terror strikes and bombings in the country. "The interim Afghan government had given a firm assurance that it would not allow their soil to be used against Pakistan by the banned TTP and BLA," he said. Even though such assurances have been given by the Taliban in the past. However, with the Taliban interim government in power, this particular assurance is a first from the interim Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Hasan Akhund. During the visit, the two sides held delegation level talks. As per details, discussions were done on a wide-ranging subjects including security, trade, humanitarian assistance and the expectations from the international community from the Taliban led government in Afghanistan. Qureshi, after returning from his daylong visit to Kabul, termed the visit as highly productive, stating that he could see a visible change in the current Afghan government. He said there was a clear intent to improve ties between the two countries. "I told the Afghan Taliban government that it needed to take confidence building measures to address the concerns of other regional countries on terrorism," he said. "Russia had concerns over the presence of ISIS in Afghanistan; Iran had reservations over the killing of Hazara community, while China was also concerned over the presence of East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM)." The Minister insisted that "the Afghan Taliban need to enhance cooperation with these regional countries on counterterrorism". Qureshi maintained that he also highlighted that the global community has some expectations from the Afghan government, which should be treated and met with priority. "An inclusive government, women rights and denying terrorist outfits from using the Afghan soil are some of the conditions that the international community want the Taliban to meet," he said. Pakistan also announced that the country will keep forwarding and helping Afghanistan with humanitarian aid, announcing a Rs. 5 billion worth aid in form of pharmaceuticals or any other goods of Afghanistan's choice. Pakistan has also decided to open the border crossing as Chaman and Torkhan for 24 hours of trade. Tel Aviv, Oct 22 : Starting from November 1, Israel will be reopened to tourists fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to a plan jointly drafted by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office and the Ministries of Tourism and Health. Under the plan, individual tourists who are fully inoculated with vaccines produced by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sinovac, and Sinopharm will be allowed to enter the country, reports Xinhua news agency. People who have recently recovered from Covid-19 would also be allowed to enter the country if they had received a booster dose of a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization, according to the plan. The plan is subjected to updates "according to developments and the discovery of new variants," and will be brought for final approval of the cabinet later this month. Tokyo, Oct 22 : Skywatchers in Japan have observed a flash in the atmosphere of the planet's northern hemisphere likely caused by an asteroid slamming into Jupiter, the media reported. Last month a skywatcher in Brazil had made a similar observation. "The flash felt like it was shining for a very long time to me," Twitter user @yotsuyubi21, who photographed the flash with a Celestron C6 telescope, was quoted as saying to Space.com. The skywatchers confirmed the observation with a team led by Ko Arimatsu, an astronomer at Japan's Kyoto University who takes part in the Organised Autotelescopes for Serendipitous Event Survey (OASES) project. According to a tweet posted by the project, the October 15 observation included two different types of light, visible and infrared, giving Jupiter an eerie pink glow, the report said. "Jupiter regularly experiences such impacts because of the powerful gravitational tug associated with its mass: Smaller objects, like the asteroids that litter the solar system, can easily end up pulled into the planet's thick, turbulent atmosphere," the report said. Objects at least 45 metres across hit Jupiter every few months on average, although observational constraints mean that even the most thorough monitoring programme might be able to catch just one impact or so per year, as per some researchers. According to Sky & Telescope, the October 15 flash hit the planet's North Tropical Zone, near the southern edge of the North Temperate Belt. The observers aren't yet sure whether the impact left a debris field that scientists can monitor, which depends on several factors including the object's size and the impact's location factor into observability. The September flash, however, did not not leave any debris, the report said. Bengaluru, Oct 22 : The Kannada film industry is upbeat after the success of two big movies - 'Kotigobba 3' and 'Salaga' - that released last week. Both movies managed to get fantastic openings, drawing huge crowds after the Covid restrictions were lifted and they are running to packed houses across Karnataka. The 'Salaga' team held a party to celebrate the success of the movie. The team announced that they will start working on the 'Salaga' sequel. Duniya Vjay, an established hero, managed to taste success in his debut directorial venture. On the other hand, the fans of Kichcha Sudeep, disappointed with the postponement of his movie 'Kotigobba 3' for a day, gave a thunderous opening at the box-office. Producer Soorappa Babu has thanked the audience for loving the movie. Sudeep also shared a poster stating that 'Kotigobba 3' has grossed Rs 40.5 crore in four days. The film is now being released in Telugu as well. Both movies released in 1,000-plus screens across Karnataka and are pulling in crowds and going stronger day by day providing much needed impetus for the Kannada film industry which suffered heavily during the Covid lockdown. Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 22 : A top CPI-M leader on Friday slammed the Kerala Police for failing to register the case of a young mother looking for her missing baby. Twenty-two-year-old Anupama, hailing from the state capital city, has been running from pillar to post to get back her child which, she claimed, was snatched by her parents last October, immediately after she gave birth at a hospital here. Daughter of a local CPI-M leader Jayachandran, Anupama fell in love with the youth wing leader of the party -- Ajith, a Dalit Christian, who was already married. After Ajith got officially divorced early this year, the two have been living together. The couple had approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the state police chief, and several others to get the infant back, but to no avail. However, things started to move only after the incident grabbed media attention last week forcing even the otherwise agile Kerala State Women's Commission to take up the case. Apparently, agencies like the Child Welfare Committee, Women's Commission and the police all went silent on the complaint as the woman's grandfather was one of the tallest CPI-M leader in the state capital. On Friday, CPI-M district secretary Anavoor Nagappan said the woman has not met him but spoke to him over the phone. "This issue is not something which the party can settle. The police should have done a proper job. Now the court has to take a decision and the child should be given back to its mother. In fact it's the right of the child too," said Nagappan. Reacting to this, Anupama and Ajith said they had gone to the CPI-M district party office but could not meet Nagappan as he was having some Covid issues and submitted their complaint to the office. "When we spoke to him, he said the party is not here to look after our child's issues. He is lying through his teeth. He lied that this issue was discussed in the party secretariat meeting, but former State Minister P.K. Sreemathi said though she wanted to raise it, but could not," the couple said. The Kerala Police has registered a case and started a probe. Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Friday said it was unfortunate that the authorities remained silent on the complaint. "It's the right of a mother to get her child and the allegations raised by the mother against the Police, Child Welfare Committee, Chief Minister, Social Justice Ministry is very serious and it's extremely sad none has acted on the complaint," said Satheesan. Anupama is a Students' Federation of India activist. Her parents were not keen on the alliance of their daughter as they were Hindus. Amaravati, Oct 22 : Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders and workers from different parts of Andhra Pradesh were pouring at the Mangalagiri party headquarters where party president N. Chandrababu Naidu continued his sit-in on Friday to protest Tuesday's attacks allegedly by the workers of ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). A large number of party supporters from various parts of the State descended on the party's central office to express solidarity with their leader. TDP leaders alleged that due to the traffic restrictions imposed by police, those coming from other parts of the state were being forced to leave their vehicles and walk long distances to reach the party office. Naidu, who began the 36-hour protest at 8 a.m. on Thursday, spent the night at the protest site and resumed the protest on Friday morning after garlanding the statue of party founder and former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao. The protest with the title 'fight against state terrorism' will continue till 8 p.m. on Friday. TDP leaders and workers coming to the party office were gathering in front of Naidu sitting on a specially arranged sofa. The TDP chief was responding with folded hands. Party leaders were addressing the gathering to condemn the attacks on party offices and leaders. Naidu has demanded the Centre's intervention to save the people of Andhra Pradesh from what he called the drug mafia and the undemocratic and fascist regime. The leader of opposition has urged the Centre to invoke Article 356, saying Andhra Pradesh in its present situation was a fit case for imposition of the President's rule. He alleged that Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy was growing impatient over the increasing public resentment against his government's atrocities, all round corruption and attacks on all constitutional institutions. Tuesday's attack on TDP main office was not a sporadic, isolated incident but a culmination of two-and-a-half years of lawless, anarchic and oppressive regime, he said. Alleged workers of YSRCP attacked TDP's central office on Tuesday in an apparent reaction to TDP spokesman Pattabhi Ram using abusive words while criticising Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. TDP offices in some other places in the state and Pattabhi Ram's house in Vijayawada were also attacked. Ram was arrested by the police on Wednesday and a court in Vijayawada sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. Chennai, Oct 22 : PMK founder S. Ramdoss has said his party would hold protests against the proposed sand quarries in Tamil Nadu. The state government has announced that it would open 15 new sand quarries and do away with the practice of importing sand. Ramdoss slammed the DMK government's decision to stop imports and open new sand quarries in the state. In a statement on Thursday, the veteran leader said the state government must construct check dams every five kilometre in rivers to increase the water table. He urged the state government to continue import of sand, adding that mining sand would alter the ecological balance. He urged the state government to improve the production of M-sand in the state so that the construction industry is not affected. The PMK leader said there is no benefit for the state government in opening new sand quarries, adding that it had earned little profit from sand quarries in the state since 2003. Ramadoss said with the opening of new sand quarries, it would be the middlemen who would benefit from it and not the state government. He asked the DMK government whether it was necessary to destroy the environment for middlemen to earn profit. The PMK leader said the new sand quarries would pave the way for destruction of ecology and environment, adding that the party would stage protests against proposed sand mines in the state. Kuwait City, Oct 22 : The Kuwait International Airport is ready to operate at full capacity from Sunday, according to aviation authorities. The airport will gradually operate commercial flights of all aviation companies in accordance with the government's decision, Xinhua news agency quoted Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Director General Yousef Al-Fawzan, as saying. The DGCA succeeded in operating under the challenges and requirements of the coronavirus pandemic crisis, he said, calling on airliners and passengers to abide by the Covid-19 safety restrictions needed to enter Kuwait. The Kuwaiti government announced on Wednesday the start of the last phase of the five-phase plan for a gradual return to normal life, easing health restrictions in the country. According to the government spokesman Tareq Al-Mezrem, the government decided to allow outdoor activities without wearing masks from Sunday. In addition, the government will issue all types of visas for those who are fully vaccinated, Tareq Al-Mezrem said. New Delhi, Oct 22 : As weather cleared up in Uttarakhand, Char Dham Yatra restored on Friday with more than 16,000 devotees resuming the pilgrimage from the Rishikesh camp. According to sources, road leading to Badrinath has been repaired and helicopter service has also resumed. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Dungi village and met families of people who were missing after the landslip incident, and consoled them. Dhami assured them of all possible assistance. Two people from the village are still reported to be missing. Pilgrims were seen leaving from Rishikesh Char Dham Bus terminal and Haridwar bus station for the pilgrimage since morning. As per the state government, various departments -- Devasthanam Board, police are assisting the pilgrims. Police Chowki Yatra Bus Terminal, Rishikesh, was announcing passenger-information via loudspeaker. Free RT-PCR tests of pilgrims were being conducted at Rishikesh bus terminal. Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board's media in-charge Dr Harish Gaur said pilgrimage was on in Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, while for Kedarnath, helicopter service was also available. Though the weather was cold in all dhams, thankfully there was no rain, he added. Portals of the temple in Badrinath will close on November 20, Gangotri on November 5, while that of Kedarnath and Yamunotri on November 6. Uttarakhand floods, triggered by a major downpour from October 17 to 19, have claimed 65 lives so far, 3,500 people have been rescued while 16,000 evacuated to safety. Seventeen teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), seven teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), 15 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and 5,000 police personnel have been engaged in rescue and relief operations. The state has already been provided with Rs 250 crore Disaster Fund which is being used for relief works. To prevent spread of the diseases, the Central and state governments have decided to send medical teams to the affected areas. Snapped power lines will be restored at the earliest, the government assured. The state government said that as soon as alert for heavy rainfall was issued, the Incident Response System was activated at state and district levels, and pilgrims were halted at safer places. Mumbai, Oct 22 : Actor Anil Charanjeett who is known for his memorable roles in 'PK', 'Raees', 'Golmaal Again', 'Sanju', 'Simmba', 'Shershaah' and more, has won praise from ace director Rohit Shetty for his series 'Suraj Aur Saanjh'. 'Suraj Aur Saanjh' is a quirky, romantic comedy series, starring Anil Charanjeett along with Anjali Anand, Avinash Sachdev and Garima Yagnik, the series will premiere on Pocket Films' YouTube channel and Facebook Watch on October 22. When asked about screening the series for filmmakers, Anil said, "I have shown the series to the filmmakers that I have worked with. Director Rohit Shetty liked it, he said this will work, this movie is entertaining, and it is well made and crafted. So half the battle is won". 'Suraj And Saanjh' is Anil's first outing as a solo hero. Talking about the responsibility and challenges a solo movie brings, he said, "While doing a solo film the responsibility increases. The entire load is on your shoulders. Challenging part as an actor was, mimicry and then you're someone's fan". Anil' character is obsessed with Bollywood actors in the series, and takes a lot of references from hit comic characters, "Main objective was that it shouldn't come across as mimicry as a lot of actors have done the parts brilliantly and other have mimicked them, but I didn't want my performance to fall into that category, because my character is a fan, so there was a very thin line, I had to walk to this character." When asked if his digital release comes with a lot of provocative elements, he said, "It's a family entertainer; anyone can watch it with their family and can easily relate with the story and characters. The film has a lot of references from other movies, which most people have watched". The series is directed by Vedd Rawtaani, written by Krishna Agarwal, produced by Priya Rawtani (Priya Rawtani Productions) and Sanjana Parmar (House of Joy Productions). Shot entirely amid the Covid lockdown within 15 days, the show is set to be one of the very first projects to resume during the pandemic. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Chennai, Oct 22 : Many wholesale shops in Tamil Nadu selling firecrackers have witnessed a slump in business and traders have attributed the reduced demand due to a shortage of funds in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the high rates of the products. With under two weeks left for Diwali on November 4, wholesale and retail shops for firecrackers in the state are wearing a festive look but with brisk business. Business is quite dull in the busy Parry's corner in Chennai which has a huge wholesale market for firecrackers. Abdul Hameed, a wholesale firecracker shop owner at T-Nagar in Chennai, while speaking to IANS said: "Business is quite slow and we are not able to meet our daily expenses. The main reason people cite for the shortage in business is lack of funds after the Covid-19 pandemic." The shopkeepers unequivocally say that the rate of firecrackers has also increased manifold and this is again another reason for the poor sale. Rajmohan Muruganatham, a wholesaler at Anderson street in Parry's, told IANS: "It seems to be a dull season and people have no money. However, we are expecting the business to pick up at least in the last four to five days and Deepavali business sustains us. It will be a dull year as far as business is concerned but I think we may do the bare minimum business to survive." In several places across the state, retail shops are being set up in an effort to increase business. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) generally leases out nearly 3.25 lakh square feet of its space in Chennai to set up retail firecracker shops every year. Sales at Island grounds where the TTDC land will be leased out for setting up retail firecracker outlets are expecting 1,000 visitors per shop each day till November 5. The firecracker manufacturing industry in Sivakasi is however happy after Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin wrote to his counterparts in north Indian states to lift the ban on sale and use of firecrackers. Many states have lifted the ban and this has helped the Sivakasi manufacturing units to send their products. Rajendra Raja, Vice-President, the Indian Fireworks Manufacturing Association, said they have already sent crackers to north Indian states, adding that most of the firecracker manufacturers are shifting to green firecrackers in the coming days to cope up with the environmental regulations. Mumbai, Oct 22 : Bengali film 'F.I.R. No. 339/07/06' starring Bonny Sengupta, Ankush Hazra, Falaque Rashid Roy and Ritabhari Chakraborty is digitally releasing on Friday after a theatrical stint. After a theatrical release on October 10, the Joydeep Mukherjee directorial 'F.I.R. No. 339/07/06' is now available on ZEE5. Mukherjee said: "The film reflects a society where a situation may not always be black and white." It is a story about Raghunathpur, a small village in Birbhum, which is run by two powerful men from two rival political families. Things come to a sudden stupendous halt when key members of Mishra and Samaddar's gangs are found dead one after the other, under mysterious circumstances. This naturally propels the rivalry between Mishra and Samaddar to an altogether different point, as they suspect the other party to be behind it and a police investigation begins to uncover the truth and the murderers. Actor Bonny Sengupta added: "'F.I.R. No. 339/07/06' is a great film with an engaging plot. It was a treat to play this character which was challenging and gratifying in equal parts." Speaking about the world digital premiere, Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India, shared: "'F.I.R. No. 339/07/06' is a striking edge-of-the-seat thriller which will keep you glued to the screen from start to end and we are happy to bring this experience to your home". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Auckland, Oct 22 : In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, New Zealand's population growth slowed down with the largest city of Auckland recording a decline for the first time ever, the country's statistics department Stats NZ said on Friday. New Zealand saw slowing population growth in all regions, population estimates and projections manager Hamish Slack said in a statement. Covid-19 international travel restrictions continued to curb population increases from international migration in the June 2021 year, Slack said. Nationally, the population growth rate dropped from 2.2 per cent in the June 2020 year to 0.6 per cent in the June 2021 year, the lowest it has been since the June 2012 year, Xinhua news agency quoted Stats NZ as saying. The population decreased in the Auckland, West Coast, and Southland regions, and other regions experienced lower growth, Slack said, adding in contrast, all regions had population growth in the June 2020 year. While the population decrease in the Auckland region was just 1,300 or 0.1 per cent in 2021, this was still a significant change, he said, adding the Auckland region has averaged population growth of 1.8 per cent a year over the previous 20 years, higher than the national average growth of 1.4 per cent a year. Auckland's population is provisionally estimated as 1.72 million on June 31, 2021, statistics show. The fastest growing regions in the June 2021 year were Northland with a growth rate of 1.9 per cent, and Tasman and Bay of Plenty, both growing at 1.5 per cent. The population growth in these three regions was mainly driven by people moving there from other areas of the country, Slack said. Canberra, Oct 22 : Australia's flag carrier Qantas on Friday announced its plans to launch a new route from Sydney to Delhi in December with three return flights per week, building to daily flights by end of the year. The plan is subject to discussions with the Indian authorities to finalise necessary approvals, according to the company's announcement on Friday. If approved, it would be the first commercial flight for Qantas between Australia and India in almost a decade, reports xinhua news agency. The flights would initially operate until at least late March 2022, with a view to continuing if there is sufficient demand. Flights from Sydney to Delhi would operate via Darwin, while flights from Delhi to Sydney would operate non-stop. The new route is among an array of movements as Qantas and Jetstar gear up for accelerated border opening. Qantas flights between Sydney to Singapore will resume on November 23 this year, four weeks earlier than scheduled, operating three days per week. Jetstar will fly from Melbourne and Darwin to Singapore from December 16 this year. Qantas flights between Sydney to Fiji will be brought forward to December 7 with four return flights a week. Jetstar flights to Fiji will resume on December 17. Flights from Sydney to Johannesburg will resume on January 5, 2022, three months earlier than scheduled with three return flights a week. Flights from Sydney to Bangkok will resume on January 14, 2022, more than two months earlier than scheduled with five return flights a week. Jetstar will also resume flights from Sydney to Phuket on January 12, 2022, more than two months earlier than scheduled with three return flights a week. Flights to Honolulu, Vancouver, Tokyo and New Zealand are still scheduled to commence from mid-December this year, with other destinations to restart in the new year. Due to the current border policy, all these flights are limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families and parents, but Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said he expects tourists from Singapore, South Africa and India to take advantage of these flights once borders reopen to international visitors. He also hailed the scraping of hotel quarantine for arrived international travellers by the state of New South Wales (NSW). "The decision by the NSW government to join many cities from around the world by removing quarantine for fully vaccinated travelers means we're able to add these flights from Sydney much earlier than we would have otherwise," said Joyce. For domestic routes, Qantas and Jetstar are also preparing to ramp up capacity between Melbourne and Sydney as quarantine-free travel is set to resume between Australia's two largest cities. With all these decisions, the group's 22,000 employees, who were stood down in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, will be able to return to work in December. "This is the best news we've had in almost two years and it will make a massive difference to thousands of our people who finally get to fly again," Joyce said. New Delhi, Oct 22 : With the festive season on in full swing, iconic brand Johnnie Walker, is all set to re-energize the country's after-hour culture. Through its one-of-a-kind campaign #RevibeTheNight, the brand brings together beloved music artists like Divine, Ritviz, Lisa Mishra, Taba Chake along with popular indie bands like When Chai Met Toast and Mad Boy Mink, among others to perform live across iconic community spaces in India. The collaborative effort by Johnnie Walker aims to bring back the after-hour culture through live performances across popular hotspots in India. The brand's goal is drive social regeneration in India and bring back the vibe of socializing through local music artists and reignite the trade, driving social culture by executing the live events with Covid measures in place and a limited capacity audience capacity. Prior to the world going into lockdown, the after-hour culture in India bloomed at celebrated community hubs, that eventually became a safe-haven for individuals, a place where they found their sense of self-expression and belonging, that fuelled progress. This community was driven through the culture of live music and enthralling performances that created their very own vibe, a vibe that built extraordinary, forever-lasting relationships. Through #ReVibeTheNight, one can reconnect with this community bringing music curated by artists who have a history of captivating crowds with their one-of-a-kind live experiences. Catch the gigs and live performances for artists in these venues/cities for the live performances. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) Film: Babloo Bachelor (running in theatres) Duration: 135 minutes Director: Agnidev Chatterjee Cast: Sharman Joshi, Pooja Chopra, Tejashri Pradhan, Aakash Dabhade, Rajesh Sharma, Neeraj Khetripal, Sumeet Gulati, Asrani, Beena Bhat and Raju Kher IANS Rating: **1/2'Babloo Bachelor' is a simple romantic drama with a hackneyed premise. Nevertheless, it is executed with earnestness. Set in Lucknow, 'Babloo Bachelor' is the story of Ranvijay aka Babloo, a zamindar's son who basks in his father's glory. A simpleton and a writer of sorts, Babloo in his endeavour to find "the perfect bride" has rejected many proposals. Very soon, the best matchmaker of Lucknow, Premanand Tiwari (Asrani), is roped in to find a perfect match for Babloo, who by now is tainted as the eternal bachelor. At 35 and under duress, Babloo is introduced to Avantika (Pooja Chopra), an ambitious young woman who confesses to him that she had five boyfriends in the past. Babloo agrees to marry her, despite her confession, after being convinced by his best friend Chotu (Aakash Dabhade) that having affairs is a norm in modern times. It does not take long for Babloo to fall head-over-heels with Avantika. But a few days before the wedding, Avantika confesses to him that she is not interested in settling down with an unambitious man and requests him to call off the wedding. Once again, the heartbroken Babloo finds himself asserting that he is jinxed to remain a bachelor all his life. A few months later, at his cousin's wedding, he chances upon Swati (Tejashri Pradhan), an aspiring actress who takes advantage of Babloo's naivety and forces him to marry her. How she does not allow him to consummate the marriage forms the crux of the tale. Director Agnidev Chatterjee's oeuvre seems to be mounted on an outdated and perfunctory script packed with high-handed dialogues mouthed by Babloo's dad (Rajesh Sharma) and frivolous ones by Chotu and Babloo's uncle (Manoj Joshi). Treated in a lighter vein, the plot, though focused, lacks the seriousness to connect emotionally. The comic scenes appear to be amateurishly handled and the resultant humour appears trite and forced. On the performance front, the actors delivers their part with sincerity. Sharman Joshi, as the middle-aged, dejected Babloo, fits the bill perfectly. He brings a comedic heart to the character, who seems to prefer staying in his comfort zone. He displays a subdued nervousness, which is in contrast to selfish and mean streaks of the characters played by Pooja Chopra and Tejashri Pradhan's selfish and mean streak. Pooja and Tejashri deliver their parts competently, but their scenes with Sharman lack chemistry on-screen. Aakash Dabhade and Sumeet Gulati (who plays his cousin) are over-the-top, loud and stereotyped in their roles, but they are relatable. Given Asrani's talent, in a minuscule part, he is short-changed by the script. The songs, despite being loud, are melodious and well-picturised, considering the film's moderate production values. The numbers 'Kasam', 'Aye Meri Zindagi', 'Jiya Nahin Lagta', 'Banna Banni', 'Jealous' and 'Tum Ho' mesh seamlessly into the narrative, bringing relief to the staid storytelling. Overall, 'Babloo Bachelor' is a mildly funny but sweet film that will make you smile. (Troy Ribeiro can be contacted at troy.r@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Suva, Oct 22 : The Fijian Parliament on Friday elected Ratu Wiliame Katonivere as the new President after he received majority votes. He replaces Jioji Konrote who has held this position for two terms since November 2015, reports Xinhua news agency. Katonivere was nominated by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama while Opposition Whip Lynda Tabuya nominated Social Democratic Liberal Party member of Parliament Ro Teimumu Kepa for the President's post. Katonivere received 28 votes while Kepa garnered 23 in the parliamentary vote. Speaker of Parliament Ratu Epeli Nailatikau conveyed Parliament's congratulations to Katonivere after his appointment. Katonivere is the former president of the FijiFirst party. He will officially take up the President's post from next month. Tel Aviv, Oct 22 : For the first time after taking office earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett departed for Sochi on Friday where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. Bennett will pay a one-day visit to the seaside resort city of Sochi and has only one scheduled meeting, his office said in a statement. Before his departure, Bennett told reporters at the airport that "the ties between Russia and Israel are a significant element in the foreign policy of the State of Israel" due to Moscow's regional and international role, and to the Russian-speakers in Israel who constitute "a bridge between the two countries", reports Xinhua news agency. Earlier this week, Bennett's office said that the two leaders will discuss political, security and economic issues involving both countries and regional matters, "primarily Iran's nuclear program", according to the statement. This is Bennett's first official trip to Russia after becoming Prime Minister in June. His predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, held many meetings with Putin. Washington, Oct 22 : The US announced that it has reached a deal with Austria, the UK, France, Italy and Spain on digital services taxes (DSTs) during the interim period prior to the implementation of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) global tax agreement. The OECD announced in July that over 130 countries and jurisdictions have joined a two-pillar framework to reform international corporate taxation rules, which has recently been endorsed by G20 financial leaders, Xinhua news agency reported on FRiday. The so-called Pillar One of the framework aims to re-allocate some taxing rights over multinational enterprises from their home countries to the markets where they have business activities and earn profits, an attempt to settle the longstanding battle between the United States and European countries over DSTs. "In coordination with Treasury, we will work together with these governments to ensure implementation of the agreement and rollback of existing DSTs when Pillar One enters into effect," US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement. "We will also continue to oppose the implementation of unilateral digital services taxes by other trading partners," Tai added. Under the deal, in defined circumstances, digital services taxes liability that US companies accrue during the interim period will be creditable against future income taxes accrued under Pillar One under the OECD agreement, according to the statement. In return, the US will terminate the currently-suspended additional duties on goods of the five countries that had been adopted in the DST Section 301 investigations. The statement added that Turkey and India, the other two countries covered by the DST investigations, have not joined the deal. Dhaka, Oct 22 : At least seven people were killed and seven others injured in clashes between two rival factions of Rohingya refugees at a camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district on Friday. Shihab Kaiser Khan, a senior Armed Police Battalion (APBn) official, told journalists that "the bodies of the seven Rohingya refugees have been recovered following the early Friday morning clashes", reports Xinhua news agency. He said a Rohingya refugee has already been detained with weapons in this connection. Law enforcers were conducting raids in the refugee camp to arrest culprits responsible for the incident, he added. He could not immediately confirm the cause of the clash. The incident occurred weeks after a Rohingya leader was killed in a Cox's Bazar refugee camp. Mohib Ullah, chair of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in Cox's Bazar's Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp on September 29. The displaced Rohingya live in extremely congested conditions in Cox's Bazar, some 300 km southeast of capital Dhaka. Bhopal, Oct 22 : Amid spirited campaigning for the by-elections to three Assembly constituencies and a Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh, the absence of Congress veteran and former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh from the scene has raised questions. Will Digvijaya Singh campaign for the Congress or is his absence a part of the party's strategy are issues being widely discussed on social media, and elsewhere. Death of the sitting MLAs from Jobat, Prithvipur and Raigaon Assembly seats as well as the Khandwa Parliamentary constituency has necessitated the bypolls. Both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are sparing no effort for victory and have an active campaign programme slated. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state BJP President Vishnu Datt Sharma are in charge of the campaigning for the saffron party, and will hold more than half-a-dozen meetings or poll programmes daily. Former Chief Minister and state Congress President Kamal Nath is actively leading the charge for his party, while former state Congress chief President Arun Yadav is leading it in Khandwa. However, the absence of Digvijaya Singh continues to be the primary focus of the media. Whether it is slamming the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led state government or the BJP as an organisation, the silence of Digvijaya Singh has raised several questions ahead of the upcoming bypolls. He had recently visited Prithvipur while Congress candidate Nitendra Rathore had filed his nomination papers but has not returned since. However, party's state organisation in-charge Chandra Prabhas Shekhar told IANS that Digvijaya Singh will visit Khandwa in the coming days and address three public rallies. A Congress leader requesting anonymity said Digvijaya Singh has always criticised the use of religion in politics by the BJP and its Hindutva ideology, and his repeated statements slamming the BJP government are seen as hurting the Congress. Hyderabad, Oct 22 : A six-year-old boy, who had gone missing from his house in Rajendranagar, was found dead in a lake on Friday, police said. The body of Anvesh, a Class 2 student of a private school, was recovered from a lake near his house in Hyderguda under the limits of Rajendranagar police station of Cyberabad police commissionerate. The police suspect that he accidentally fell into the lake and drowned. They shifted the body to government-run Osmania General Hospital for autopsy and took up the investigation. According to the boy's parents, he had gone out to play in the afternoon on Thursday and when he did not return home till the evening they searched for him in the area but found no trace of him. They subsequently lodged a missing complaint on Thursday with the police, which swung into action. The family stays on the four floor of an apartment building in Sirimalle Colony. They suspected that somebody might have kidnapped the child when he came downstairs. Police tried to trace the child by scanning footage from CCTV cameras in the area. However, the child's body was found in a lake on Friday morning. A police officer said they were investigating the case. New Delhi, Oct 22 : Smartphone brand realme on Friday said it has elevated Madhav Sheth as President of the International Business Unit (IBU), touted as the first Indian global CEO in the smartphone industry. Sheth would now be fully responsible for the company's overseas business operation, and report directly to the Founder and CEO of realme, Sky Li. "Sheth has made tremendous contributions to the development of realme's overseas business in the past, and we fully believe that in the future, he will lead realme to make new breakthroughs and bring realme's products with leap-forward technologies and trend-setting designs to more young people around the world," Li said in a statement. Sheth will be fully responsible for realme's business operations in Africa, Asia Pacific (excluding mainland China), Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Western Europe. realme was co-founded in 2018 by Sheth and Li. A brand born in India, realme scaled massive growth, in just three years, as it spread to 61 markets worldwide. realme recently became the sixth top smartphone vendor globally, with 15 million shipments and 134 per cent (on-year) growth in Q2 2021. The company aims is to achieve a dual-100 million target, by shipping another 100 million handsets by the end of 2022 and completing the same milestone within the 2023 calendar year. The elevation marks a significant milestone with Sheth emerging as the first Indian global CEO in the smartphone industry, the company said. Ranchi, Oct 22 : BJP President J.P. Nadda will inaugurate a two-day national working committee meeting of the party's Scheduled Tribe (ST) morcha in Ranchi on Saturday. Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda will be among top leaders attending the meet, which will focus on strategy to win voters in the upcoming five Assembly polls. BJP state ST Morcha chief Samir Oraon told IANS that the meeting will divided into eight sessions where deliberations on various issues will be held. Various morcha leaders will get responsibilty to ensure successful implementation of all the welfare schemes of the Central government. The meeting will also discuss political, social, religious and traditional values of the ST. In one session, the contribution of leading figures from the community in nation- building will also be specially discussed. Besides this, organisational aspects of the morcha and the party will also be discussed, and several resolutions will be passed. Tribal leaders and representatives from all over the country have started reaching Ranchi to attend the meeting. Union Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste as well as all other tribal Union Ministers as well as 46 tribal Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members will also attend the event. Apart from these, BJP's national General Secretary B.L. Santosh, national Organiser V. Satish, national Vice President Raghubar Das, and former ST Morcha chiefs Jual Oram, and Ramvichar Netam will also participate. New Delhi, Oct 22 : As pressure mounts on social media platforms to pay news publishers for using their content, Facebook has reached a multi-year pact to pay French publishers for resharing their content on its platforms. The social network will also launch Facebook News in France in January, to create a dedicated destination for reputable news content. Google has already reached a deal with news publishers in France at the beginning of this year. In a statement, the company said that it is announcing a partnership with 'Alliance' in France. "After constructive negotiations, this solution will further our investment in the news industry, and strengthen the news experience for both people and publishers on Facebook," the social network said on Thursday. Facebook News was launched in the US last year. The social network is planning to expand the platform to other countries including India, the UK, Germany, France and Brazil. "We believe that continued collaboration is the best path forward for both publishers and platforms -- especially for the many people who now prefer to consume news online," Alliance Chairman Pierre Louette said. In 2020, Facebook News Feed sent over 180 billion clicks to news publishers - additional free traffic worth about $9 billion in estimated value. The company said it will be investing "at least" a billion dollars to support media companies over the next three years. In the calendar year 2020, Facebook's revenue was up 20 per cent to $86 billion from $70.7 billion in the previous fiscal year and digital advertising is the core business for the social network. New Delhi, Oct 22 : After the US, fresh voices are now being raised in the European Union (EU) to widen its probe into anti-competition practices of Amazon after it was accused of allegedly copying popular products and manipulating search results to boost its own brands in India. A Reuters report said on Friday that UNI Global Union has shot off a letter to the European Commission, demanding to widen their antitrust investigation of Amazon. "As further revelations of the scale of Amazon's operations to undermine that level playing field surface, further action is needed to ensure it is held accountable at every turn," according to the letter seen by Reuters. UNI Global Union, formerly Union Network International, is a global union federation for the skills and services sectors, gathering national and regional trade unions. It has affiliated unions in 150 countries representing 20 million workers. The head office is in Nyon, Switzerland. The European authorities are already investigating the e-commerce behemoth. Amazon was fined $886.6 million (largest penalty under the 2018 GDPR to date) by the European Union in July this year and 35 million euros by France in 2020. Amazon said the fine by the Luxembourg National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) had no merit and "it plans to challenge the ruling". Meanwhile, five members of a US congressional committee have told Amazon that it led them on the wrong road during a probe on business practices. Following up on a Reuters report from New Delhi, the lawmakers shot off a blunt six-page letter as well as a press statement. In a letter, addressed to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, the lawmakers asked Amazon to provide "exculpatory evidence" to corroborate the sworn testimony that several leaders, including then CEO, Jeff Bezos, provided to the antitrust subcommittee in 2019 and 2020. Amazon has been accused of using data from third-party sellers to determine products it would create in India. The Reuters report reviewed "thousands of internal Amazon documents, that the US company's India operations ran a systematic campaign of creating knockoffs and manipulating search results to boost its own private brands in the country, one of the company's largest growth markets". Chandigarh, Oct 22 : The Punjab government on Friday ordered a probe into former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's relations with his Pakistani woman friend Aroosa Alam and her relation with the ISI. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa said the government would probe the ISI links of Aroosa Alam. "Captain Amarinder Singh is now saying that there is a threat from the ISI. We will look into the woman's connection with it. Captain kept raising drones issue coming from Pakistan for last four-five years," Randhawa told the media. "Captain Amarinder Singh kept raising the issue of drones coming over from Pakistan for the last four-and-a-half years. So Captain sahab first raised this issue and later got the BSF deployed in Punjab. So it seems a big plot which needs to be probed," he said. Randhawa, who also hold the Home portfolio, added he asked the Punjab Police chief to investigate the allegations. In political circles, the decision to order probe by the government against its own party's former Chief Minister is seen as a major embarrassment for Amarinder Singh, who on October 19 announced that he would soon announce the launch of his own political party to serve the interests of the people, including the farmers who've been fighting for their rights for over a year now. The former Chief Minister also said he is hopeful of a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP for next year's Assembly elections in the state, if the farmers' issues are resolved in their interest. New Delhi, Oct 22 : The Centre has told the Supreme Court it is not understood why a state government would come in the way of an investigation, and have the inevitable effect of shielding those who are guilty in multi-state/pan-India offences. It further added that a state government cannot claim a right to issue omnibus, sweeping, and overarching directions to withdraw consent for a CBI probe into any matter. The Centre's response came to an original suit filed by the West Bengal government against a CBI probe into many cases, which included cases related to post-poll violence and coal pilferage case allegedly involving Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is the nephew of party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In an affidavit, filed in the Supreme Court, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said: "The power to take a decision not to grant consent in any case to the Central agency and/or power to pass a sweeping order withdrawing consent in all cases is an ultra vires exercise of power and is non-est." The affidavit emphasised the state government can exercise the power to grant/refuse consent only on a case-to-case basis and for the same, good, sufficient, and germane reasons have to be recorded. "That the power of the state government to give consent for an investigation by the CBI, cannot and would not include a right of an omnibus power, to pass over-arching sweeping directions not to grant consent in any case and/or withdraw the consent already granted." On Friday, a bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and B.R. Gavai, after taking the response on record, scheduled the matter for hearing on November 16. The affidavit said: "A statutory power conferred upon the state government is always coupled with a responsibility to exercise that power on a case-to-case basis with an inbuilt condition of exercising the same in larger public interest and not to shield any accused or purely on political considerations." The Centre emphasised that the principle of federalism with a unitary bias does not imply a complete embargo on the powers of the CBI in all possible factual circumstances. On the aspect of offences committed in railways areas, which have pan-India ramifications, the affidavit said: "it is inconsequential whether the concerned state government has accorded its consent or not, as the Constitution and the DSPE Act unequivocally grants the power to investigate in such case to the CBI." The Centre said the prayers in the suit are directed either towards restraining the Centre from investigating any case or towards quashing cases where it has allegedly registered FIRs. It further added that surprisingly the CBI has not made a party to the suit. It said out of 12 cases listed by the West Bengal government in connection with the CBI probe, six cases were pending adjudication before the apex court separately. Washington, Oct 22 : The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has finally accepted that they have given in funding for gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses at China's Wuhan lab, the media reported. The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), which is also central to the lab leak theory for Covid-19's origins, is thought to practise gain-of-function research -- the controversial practice of increasing a virus' transmissibility or lethality to study the development of new diseases. The NIH reportedly gave a $600,000 donation to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in 2014, through US-based non-profit EcoHealth Alliance to study bat coronaviruses. But US President's Covid advisor Anthony Fauci, who is also the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has repeatedly asserted that the US funding was not used for gain-of-function research. According to NIH's Principal Deputy Director Lawrence A. Tabak, the agency funded for a "limited experiment", the Daily Mail reported. The experiment was conducted to test if "spike proteins from naturally occurring bat coronaviruses circulating in China were capable of binding to the human ACE2 receptor in a mouse model", at the Wuhan lab. The results showed that mice infected with the modified bat virus "became sicker" than those infected with the unmodified bat virus, Tabak said in a letter addressed to Kentucky Congressman James Comer. "As sometimes occurs in science, this was an unexpected result of the research, as opposed to something that the researchers set out to do," Tabak was quoted as saying. Tabak did not, however, use the term, but essentially confirmed that gain of function research took place at the Chinese lab despite consistent denials from Dr Fauci, the report said. The letter shifted the blame to EcoHealth Alliance, which used NIH money to fund research at the WIV, for not being transparent about the kind of research they were doing. "EcoHealth failed to report this finding right away, as was required by the terms of the grant," Tabak wrote in his letter. The company has been notified "to submit to NIH any and all unpublished data from the experiments and work conducted under this award," within five days. Federal funding for the practice was banned under President Barack Obama in 2014, but the NIH overturned the decision in 2017, the report said. Meanwhile, a group of US Republicans are planning to push legislation to ban all federal funding for gain-of-function research. "For the last decade, Dr Fauci has funded gain-of-function research on SARS viruses, and until we get to the bottom of the origins of Covid-19, the federal government should not provide another dime in funding for viral gain-of-function research in the name of global health," Senator Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, said in a statement recently. The moratorium would ban all federal research grants to universities and other organisations funding gain-of-function research, the report said. Agartala, Oct 22 : Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Sushmita Dev and 10 other party members were attacked allegedly by the members of ruling BJP on Friday at Amtali in western Tripura. According to West Tripura district police chief Manik Lal Das, the Trinamool has lodged a complaint with police who are now probing the incident. "One of the TMC cars was damaged. No physical injury to Dev or her party members has been reported," Das told IANS. The BJP, however, rejected the accusations. "The incident is a part of their internal feud. The Trinamool members who could not make it to the recently constituted Tripura steering committee, are behind it," BJP spokesman Nabendu Bhattacharjee told the media. In a complaint at the Amtali police station, the Trinamool leaders alleged that their car was damaged when the BJP workers attacked them during an outreach programme. While Dev was injured, mobile and other valuables of the accompanying TMC workers were looted by the attackers, a party statement said. Condemning the incident, Trinamool's General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee tweeted: "Under @Bjp Biplab's #Duare GundaRaj, attack on political opponents is setting new records! Physically manhandling a sitting female Rajya Sabha MP, @SushmitaDevAITC is beyond shameful & political terrorism by @BJP4Tripura goons !The time is near. People of Tripura will answer !" On Thursday, the Trinamool launched a 12-day statewide programme -- 'Tripurar Jonno Trinamool (Trinamool for Tripura)' -- to highlight the vision, schemes and messages of party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Announcing the party's first mega event in Tripura, Dev and the state's steering committee convener Subal Bhowmik told the media on Thursday that through the Tripurar Jonno Trinamool' programme, party leaders would reach out to the people at the grassroots level across the state. She said that covering eight districts, 58 blocks and 20 urban local bodies of Tripura, the party leaders would interact with the people and listen to their issues arising out of the 'miss-governance' of the BJP. Dev, whose father and former Union minister late Santosh Mohan Dev was instrumental in installing a Congress-led government in Tripura in 1988, quit the Congress and joined the Trinamool on August 16 and has been touring the entire state to strengthen the party organisation. Eyeing the Assembly polls in Tripura scheduled in 2023, senior Trinamool leaders, including ministers and MPs, are frequently visiting the state since July to build the organisation and garner support in BJP-ruled Tripura. A series of violent incidents involving Trinamool leaders from West Bengal and Tripura occurred in the state after which many leaders were also arrested. Bengaluru, Oct 22 : Financial solutions company Razorpay on Friday has announced the launch of 'TokenHQ', a secure multi-network Card-on-File (CoF) tokenisation solution, in line with the recently-issued guidelines by the RBI to secure customers' financial data. The company said that this will be a turnkey solution for businesses, allowing their end-customers to continue experiencing the convenience of saved card transactions, now with added security and in compliance with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines. "India's First Multi-Network tokenisation solution, 'TokenHQ', will work across all major card networks, thus enabling every business in India to tokenise customer card information," Razorpay CTP and co-founder Shashank Kumar said in a statement. TokenHQ will work across all major card networks including Mastercard, RuPay, and Visa. Almost the entire base of five million businesses using Razorpay's services will be ready to support tokenised card transactions. Using Razorpay TokenHQ, businesses would be able to create, process, delete and modify tokens for online card payments with customers' consent. Razorpay TokenHQ enables the company's existing customers (on standard and custom checkouts) to support card tokenisation at zero cost and effort. Merchants with customised setups can start integrating Razorpay TokenHQ immediately via its developer friendly APIs, Razorpay said. Over the past few months, the RBI has introduced fresh guidelines, tightening the noose on digital payments security in India and Razorpay has been working towards introducing solutions that help banks and businesses comply with the new regulatory requirements. New Delhi, Oct 22 : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who is leading her party's charge in Uttar Pradesh, and Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav were co-passengers on an afternoon flight to Lucknow and had a brief interaction. Both the leaders were taking Vistara's 1.35 p.m. Delhi to Lucknow flight, and according to sources, they exchanged pleasantries, briefly spoke to each other, and said that they will meet soon. The Samajwadi Party is pitted against the BJP while the Congress leader is fighting for her party's survival in the state. Priyanka Gandhi will flag off "Pratigya Yatra" on Saturday from Barabanki to Bundelkhand to galvanise support for the party. Both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party had fought the 2017 Assembly election in alliance, but failed miserably. Akhilesh Yadav is now stitching alliances with the smaller parties and has asserted that that he will not ally with any big parties. The SP has also alleged that the Congress is being positioned as the main challenger to the BJP by the Yogi Adityanath government itself. It is also smelling a BJP conspiracy in the hype Priyanka Gandhi is getting and claims the ruling party is seeking to promote her "struggles". Pune, Oct 22 : At least two persons were killed during indiscriminate exchange of between two groups of people at Urlikanchan on the Pune-Solapur Highway this afternoon, police said. According to an official of Pune Police Control Room, the incident happened around 3 p.m., when at least 4-5 persons casually walked over to a restaurant and opened fire at local sand-dealer, Santosh S. Jagtap who was standing there with some others. Though injured and collapsing, Jagtap fired back and managed to kill one of his assailants, identified as Swagat B. Khaire, while the others fled. Jagtap's personal bodyguard, who also fired back at the gangsters, was seriously hurt in the fierce gun battle which struck terror in the vicinity. After the firing ended, some locals rushed the badly wounded duo to a hospital where Jagtap succumbed a short while later, while the bodyguard is undergoing treatment. Crack teams from Loni Kalbhor Police Station rushed to the spot, sealed all exit points, deployed road-blocks and launched a manhunt to trace the attackers. Though the exact motives behind Jagtap's killing is not clear, preliminary investigations point to a previous business rivalry, but police are probing from all fronts. San Francisco, Oct 22 : Elon Musk has talked about stepping down from Tesla for a couple of years and his absence from the regularly scheduled conference call to discuss quarterly financial results this week has sparked fresh rumours about a 'sleep-deprived billionaire CEO taking a much-needed break. During the earnings call with analysts late on Wednesday, Tesla's chief financial officer Zachary Kirkhorn took Musk's place, along with vice presidents Lars Moravy and Drew Baglino. "His (Musk) absence took what's normally a venue for his rants and ramblings, dismissals of Wall Street, and attacks on the press and turned it into a coherent (if scripted) presentation of the company's recent progress," reports The Verge. "There were fewer sideshows and a more measured tone, though the executives who spoke in Musk's place still made some contradictions," the report said on Thursday. Musk has talked about stepping down from Tesla in the past, especially after the Model 3 and Model Y helped the electric-car maker find financial stability. In July, Musk testified in court that he had "tried hard not to be the CEO at Tesla, but I had to or it would die." In late 2017, Musk yelled "shame" at journalists and their editors for writing about the company's layoffs during the conference call. "In early 2018, he cut off Wall Street analysts for asking 'boring, bonehead' questions and started the practice of fielding inquiries from retail shareholders," the report noted. Despite the ongoing chip shortage, electric vehicle company Tesla reported a net income of $1.62 billion in the third quarter of 2021, which is five times more than it did this time last year. The company's operating income grew some 54 per cent over the past quarter to $2 billion. In the third quarter, the company said it produced approximately 238,000 vehicles and delivered over 240,000 vehicles. San Francisco, Oct 22 : Google-owned YouTube said its app will no longer be available on streaming content provider Roku devices after December 9 as the two sides remain engaged in an ongoing carriage dispute. In a statement to USA Today, YouTube said its "partnership with Roku for all new devices to access YouTube apps will end in December". As per the report, current Roku owners will still have access to YouTube and YouTube TV, the company's live TV platform. YouTube also said it has continued to work with Roku on a deal to benefit their mutual users. On Thursday, Roku posted an update on the negotiations with YouTube parent company Google, lashing out at Google and other big tech companies. "Rather than embracing a mutually beneficial partnership approach, some Big Tech enterprises are using their market power to extend control over independent businesses, like Roku, to benefit their broader business objectives at the expense of the consumer, putting a fair and open competitive streaming marketplace at risk," the company said in the update. YouTube called Roku's claims unproductive and baseless in its statement. In April, Roku said it was pulling YouTube TV from its streaming device after its contract to carry it lapsed, the report said. In response, Google wrote a blog post claiming it wanted to renew its deal with Roku under current conditions, but Roku sought to renegotiate a separate deal involving the primary YouTube app. Google then added access to YouTube TV through the main YouTube app. Hyderabad, Oct 22 : The intermediate first year exams in Telangana will be held as scheduled from October 25 as the Telangana High Court on Friday refused to interfere with the process. Hearing a petition filed by Parents' Association seeking directions to the state government to cancel the exams, the court refused to pass any orders to stop the process of examination. It pulled up the petitioner for filing the petition at the last minute and made it clear that it can't interfere at this stage. The Association had questioned the rationale behind the government's move to conduct the exams for intermediate first year (Class 11) when the students were already promoted to second year (Class 12). It had pleaded to the court to order the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) to cancel the exams and declare all students passed. The government's counsel defended the decision to conduct the exams saying these could not be conducted earlier due to the pandemic situation. The court was informed that these students had not appeared for the Class 10 exams as these could not be conducted last year due to the pandemic. The counsel argued that in case the exams are not conducted for second year due to the same situation, there will be no method to evaluate them and this will affect their academic future. The move is being opposed by many students on the ground that they are already in the second year and it will not be possible to appear in the first year exams and manage the second year studies as they also have to appear in various competitive exams. The TSBIE had promoted all first year students to the second year as the exams could not be conducted due to Covid-19 pandemic. The intermediate exams are usually held in February-March. However, the Board on September 24 decided to conduct the exams for the first year and declared that 70 per cent syllabus will be considered for the exams. A section of the students even launched an online petition demanding cancellation of the exams. Managements of private colleges also refused to cooperate in conducting the exams demanding the government to address their long-pending demands. The government, however, decided to go ahead with the exams. Education Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy said about 4.58 lakh students will be appearing for these exams at 1,768 centres across the state. She said all arrangements were being made in line with the Covid-19 safety protocol. The minister appealed to private colleges to cooperate in conducting the exams. However, they are insisting that the government first address their issues Members of the Telangana Private Junior Colleges Managements' Association (TPJMA) said the officials were not even ready to discuss their issues. They said they are suffering because of pending scholarship amounts. The government owes them Rs 315 crore towards scholarships for the last couple of years. TSBIE Secretary Omer Jaleel said action would be taken against those colleges who boycott the exams. Pune, Oct 22 : At least two persons were killed during an exchange of fire between two groups of people at Urlikanchan on the Pune-Solapur Highway on Friday afternoon, police said. According to an official of Pune Police Control Room, the incident happened around 3 p.m., when at least 4-5 persons casually walked over to a restaurant and opened fire at local sand-dealer, Santosh S. Jagtap who was standing there with some others. Though injured and collapsing, Jagtap fired back and managed to kill one of his assailants, identified as Swagat B. Khaire, while the others fled. Jagtap's personal bodyguard, who also fired back at the gangsters, was seriously hurt in the fierce gun battle which struck terror in the vicinity. After the firing ended, some locals rushed the badly wounded duo to a hospital where Jagtap succumbed a short while later, while the bodyguard is undergoing treatment. Crack teams from Loni Kalbhor Police Station rushed to the spot, sealed all exit points, deployed road-blocks and launched a manhunt to trace the attackers. Though the exact motives behind Jagtap's killing is not clear, preliminary investigations point to a previous business rivalry, but police are probing from all fronts. Washington, Oct 22 : NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft, intended to deliberately crash into an asteroid, is preparing to launch next month -- world's first mission to test planetary defense techniques, demonstrating one mitigation method of asteroid deflection, called kinetic impact. The spacecraft will go through a series of final tests and checks, as well as fueling, in the next few weeks as the team prepares for DART's scheduled launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on November 24, NASA said in a statement on Thursday. The spacecraft will impact the small asteroid moonlet Dimorphos, which orbits a larger companion, Didymos, in a binary asteroid system to change its orbital period. Although neither asteroid poses a threat to Earth, the collision with Dimorphos enables researchers to demonstrate the deflection technique along with several new technologies, and collect important data to enhance our modeling and predictive capabilities for asteroid deflection. Those enhancements will help us better prepare should an asteroid ever be discovered as a threat to Earth, NASA said. The binary near-Earth asteroid Didymos is the target for the DART demonstration. While the Didymos primary body is approximately 780 metres across, its secondary body (or "moonlet") is about 160-metres in size, which is more typical of the size of asteroids that could pose the most likely significant threat to Earth. The US space agency is intensely observing 'Didymos' binary using telescopes on Earth to precisely measure its properties before DART arrives. Once launched, DART will deploy Roll Out Solar Arrays (ROSA) to provide the solar power needed for DART's electric propulsion system. The DART spacecraft will demonstrate the NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster -- Commercial (NEXT-C)solar electric propulsion system as part of its in-space propulsion. In mid-September, the DART team also successfully went through a flight operational readiness review to assess its readiness to start spacecraft operations once DART enters space. "We spent the last one and a half years testing DART on the ground, practicing for what's the most highly anticipated part yet: its flight to Dimorphos," said Elena Adams, DART mission systems engineer from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland. "We have a few more mission rehearsals to do, with the team practicing spacecraft launch operations from Vandenberg in California and the APL Mission Operations Center in Maryland. Once completed, we will be ready for launch and operations," Adams added. New Delhi, Oct 22 : The Supreme Court on Friday said it is a settled law that juvenile claims can be raised even post-conviction and also before the top court. Advocate Rishi Malhotra, representing the petitioners, submitted before a bench comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and J.K. Maheshwari that his clients are languishing in the jail and they had already undergone imprisonment for periods ranging from 12 years to 25 years. The top court was hearing a writ petition filed by 23 prisoners who are undergoing imprisonment in Agra central jail, and had sought directions to the Uttar Pradesh government to verify their claim of juvenility. The bench observed that delay in raising the claim of juvenility could not be a ground for rejection of the petition, and noted that all petitioners have undergone imprisonment for over six years and some have undergone imprisonment for over 20 years. The plea claimed that one of the petitioners has undergone imprisonment for 26 years, and two other petitioners have undergone imprisonment over 20 years. The petitioners have claimed that they were all well below 18 years on the date of commission of the offence, and maximum jail term under Juvenile Justice Act is 3 years, in special juvenile homes. The bench directed the UP government to get verified the petitioners' claim of juvenility by the trial court concerned within a period of one month from the date of order. The top court had earlier issued directions for the immediate release of the petitioners if all or any one of them were found to be juveniles. The UP government counsel contended that petitioners had not been declared juvenile, and they have not taken the plea of juvenility even before the court where their appeal against conviction was pending. The bench orally observed that if a person is found to be juvenile, the person can't be kept in custody for more than three years, irrespective of the nature of offence, and added that the claim of juvenility has to be examined. However, the bench clarified that it is not releasing the prisoners without examining their claim of juvenility. Panaji, Oct 22 : The Congress' Goa unit on Friday said it had gifted a copy of the Constitution as a "pre-Diwali gift" to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, as he had repeatedly failed to understand the importance of its Article 19(1), which deals with the Freedom of Speech and Expression. A statement issued here by the party's social media wing in-charge Himanshu Tivrekar also said that the ruling BJP was "using" official machinery to crush any protest against the government. "We have, therefore, sent a pre-Diwali gift to our Chief Minister Pramod Sawant a copy of the Constitution of India. We urge CM Sawant to read the Constitution from page to page and understand that he is not the king of a dictatorship, instead, he is a public servant of a democracy," Tivrekear said. "He may also learn about the rights of the citizens before he behaves this way again. This democracy is very dear to us Goans. Chief Minister Sawant, do not forget that a government is of the people, for the people and by the people. Without us Goan people, there is no Government!" he added. Congress' pre-Diwali gift comes two days after Youth Congress workers, including women members, were baton-charged by the police, while they were staging a peaceful protest march against an ongoing poker tournament onboard an offshore casino in Panaji. The Congress has claimed that the local administrative officials had not issued baton-charge orders, saying the police action was without cause or direction by the district administration authorities. "The CM also fails to understand that police may use force only in exceptional circumstances and that too upon instructions of the District Magistrate. There was no such written order issued by the DM (District Magistrate) given for lathi charge. Such unconstitutional behavior by the Chief Minister of Goa is highly unprecedented and extremely dangerous," Tivrekar said. Ranchi, Oct 22 : Expressing displeasure over the probe ordered by the CBI into the death of Dhanbad Additional District Judge Uttam Anand, the Jharkhand High Court on Friday ordered the CBI Director to appear before it on the case's next hearing on October 29. A division bench of Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad termed the charge sheet filed by the CBI in a special court on October 20 as "incomplete" and "faulty", saying that in the investigation conducted till now, the agency has failed to explain the motive behind the judge's murder. It said the CBI has been unable to arrest the accused persons behind the murder and ascertain their motive The high court said since the matter is being monitored by it, why was the information not shared with it by the agency before it filed a charge sheet in the special CBI court at Dhanbad. "Why did the CBI hide this information from us? This was not expected from the CBI. It is a flawed charge sheet. The matter is being monitored by the High Court and monitoring does not mean merely discharging your responsibility," it added. On July 28, District Sessions Judge Uttam Anand was hit by a speeding autorickshaw at Randhir Verma Chowk in Dhanbad while on a morning walk and died on the spot. The judge's wife had filed a case of murder. Later, autorickshaw driver Lakhan Verma and his associate Rahul Verma were arrested by the police and investigation in the matter was handed over to the CBI. In the charge sheet filed by the CBI, the autorickshaw driver and helper were charged with murder and the central agency was on the hunt for more people involved in the case for which an investigation is on. New Delhi, Oct 22 : China's Foreign Ministry on Friday warned the US that China has no room for compromise when it comes to safeguarding sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, Global Times reported. "No one should underestimate the strong resolve, determination and capability of the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, urging the US to not "stand against the 1.4 billion Chinese people". "We urge the US side to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, be cautious in words and deeds on the Taiwan question, and refrain from sending any wrong signals to secessionists, so as not to seriously damage China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," Wang said. The US would come to Taiwan's defence if the island faces a Chinese mainland "incursion," US President Joe Biden confirmed on Thursday. The strongest comments from the 78-year-old leader were believed as challenging Chinese mainland's redline and also deviating from Washington's "strategic ambiguity" on the Taiwan question. The White House attempted to clarify Biden's comments to calm the situation, saying the President was "not announcing any change in our policy and there is no change in our policy. Asked in a CNN town hall meeting on Thursday night about whether the US would protect Taiwan if China attacked, Biden said: "Yes," and the US has "a commitment to do that," US media reported. Biden's comments came amid rising tension in the Taiwan Straits, with EU Parliament lawmakers pushing forward a resolution to deepen so-called political and economic ties with the island of Taiwan and the Biden administration's pick for ambassador to China vowing to make the island "a tough nut to crack", Global Times reported. Observers said the overall US policy toward the Taiwan question is becoming clearer, and that China should not interpret some of the US moves seeking cooperation with China as signs of softening, the report added. Guwahati, Oct 22 : Three jawans of the Assam Rifles, along with a civilian, were arrested and heroin valued at over Rs 1 crore recovered from them in Assam's Dibrugarh district early on Friday, police said. Dibrugarh's Additional Superintendent of Police Bitul Chetia said that acting on an intelligence input, four people were arrested at Dergaon when they were seek to carry the drugs from Nagaland's Dimapur to Assam's Tinsukia, and 269 gm heroin seized from them. He said that during the overnight operations, uniforms of Assam Rifles and cash Rs 48,000 recovered from them, and three found to be troopers of the paramilitary force. All three Assam Rifles personnel were posted in Dimapur Transit Camp of the force's Kohima division, Chetia, who led the raids, told the media. The accused told the interrogators they had procured the heroin from a woman in Nagaland's commercial hub and the drugs were to be delivered to a dealer in Tinsukia, the SP added. He said that police have registered a case under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the probe is on. New Delhi, Oct 22 : The Supreme Court on Friday slammed the government over the delay in appointment of presidents and members in consumer fora, saying if it is not keen on filling up vacancies to allow full-fledged functioning, then it can do away with the fora. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M.M. Sundresh said: "We are stretching our jurisdictions to see if the vacancies are filled in. It is unfortunate that the judiciary is called upon to look into this issue. "This is not a very happy situation." Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, acting as amicus curiae in the matter, submitted before the bench that the Bombay High Court had struck down Rules 3(2)(b), 4(2)(c) and 6(9) of the Consumer Protection (Qualification for appointment, method of recruitment, procedure of appointment, term of office, resignation and removal of president and member of the State Commission and District Commission) Rules, 2020. He added that the same may have an impact on the process already started for the other states. During the hearing, the bench said if the government does not want consumer fora to function, then it should abolish the Consumer Protection Act. Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi submitted that two weeks' window was provided by the judgment of the high court to enable Centre or any party aggrieved by the judgment to assail it, and the Centre and Maharashtra government are in process of filing the special leave petition. But to this, the court said: "Be that as it may, the question is whether the process which has been initiated in the different states in pursuance to our comprehensive order passed on August 11, 2021 should be kept in abeyance in view of this judgment." On the aspect of the importance of filling up of the vacancies, it said: "We are of the view that the timeline and processes fixed by us must continue as in some of the cases the appointments have been made and in others the appointment process is at an advanced stage." The bench emphasised that the process initiated should not be impeded by the high court judgment. It asked state governments to provide details on infrastructure available to consumer fora to the amicus curiae within a week. "The states which have not done so will positively do so within one week from today, failing which the concerned Secretary of the State Government shall remain personally present," said the bench, fixing the matter for further hearing on November 10. On August 11, the top court had directed states to fill up around 800 vacancies in consumer courts across the country within eight weeks, as it heard a suo motu matter in connection with filling up vacancies in consumer courts. Mumbai, Oct 22 : For the second consecutive day, Bollywood actress Ananya Panday was on Friday grilled by a team of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), for over 3 hours, in connection with its ongoing probe into the October 2 "rave party" aboard a cruise ship. An NCB official said she has been summoned again on Monday morning for a third round of questioning. NCB official sources have hinted that there is apparently no evidence of any "drug-related exchanges" in her alleged WhatsApp chats with Aryan Khan - the son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan - who has been arrested in the drugs case and currently in judicial custody till October 30. The sources divulged that there are "no traces or references" of any marijuana (Ganja) or weed-related three chats in the two star-kids' WhatsApp communication being scanned in-detail by the NCB. Ananya, 23, daughter of veteran actor Chunky Panday, is now being questioned for her version by the NCB for certain different fresh leads it has collected in the case, but the officials declined to elaborate. In a series of quick developments on Thursday, the NCB sleuths "visited" Ananya's residence in Khar and summoned her for questioning and she was quizzed for over two hours. While the Khan-Panday families are close to each other, the upcoming actress Ananya is friends with Aryan and his sister Suhana too. Besides Aryan Khan, the NCB has so far nabbed 19 other persons as the cruise ship progresses at a quick pace, and more arrests are not ruled out, the sources said. Meanwhile, the bail plea of Aryan Khan - in detention and custody for the past 21 days, currently lodged in the Arthur Road Central Jail - is slated to come up before the Bombay High Court on October 26. Hyderabad, Oct 22 : Police in Telangana's Mahabubabad district on Friday arrested five employees of a cash management firm for a Rs 52 lakh fraud and for trying to cover up the crime by setting an ATM afire. The police busted the gang during the investigation into the fire in Axis Bank ATM. The accused had made the officials believe that the money was gutted in the fire. The police, who conducted an investigation, found that the accused staged a drama to make officials believe that the cash was burnt in the fire. The incident had occurred last week in Mahbubabad town. The investigations revealed that the accused had hired a person to set the ATM afire and promised to pay him Rs 2 lakh. Police found involvement of an eight-member gang in the case. Five of them were arrested while search was on for three other accused. Police also recovered Rs 6.70 lakh cash from the accused. Documents of two plots worth Rs 23 lakh were also seized from them. A police officer said the accused while loading cash in ATMs were keeping some money with them. Main accused Nagarjuna alone was involved in swindling Rs 42 lakh during the last few weeks. Mumbai, Oct 22 : The process of selecting India's official entry for the Academy Awards is in full swing at the Bijoli cinema in Kolkata. Leading the shortlist are the Vidya Balan-starrer "Sherni" and Shoojit Sarkar's "Sardar Udham" starring Vicky Kaushal in the titular role. Giving them competition are 14 regional language films, including the Malayalam 'Nayattu' and the Tamil 'Mandela'. Filmmaker Shaji N. Karun and a panel of 14 other judges have been given the task of zeroing down on the film that would best represent India at the world's largest carnival of cinema -- the Oscars, which will be held on March 27, 2022, at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. Both "Sherni" and "Sardar Udham" released to wide critical acclaim this year on Prime Video. 'Sherni', directed by Amit Masurkar of "Newton" fame, is the story of a woman forest officer who tries to bring things under control after a tigress runs amuck, leading to a human-animal conflict. Vidya Balan's performance in the film was widely applauded and the film was praised in particular for its realistic approach to storytelling and making use of humour at key places to drive home its message. "Sardar Udham" is a historical biographical drama based on the life of Udham Singh, who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer, who was the Lt-Governor of Punjab when the Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in 1919. "Sardar Udham", directed by Shoojit Sarkar, too, has been appreciated particularly for its technical brilliance and the use of silences and moods to steer the story. New Delhi, Oct 22 : The Supreme Court on Friday said a candidate, as a matter of right, cannot claim allocation of cadre of his/her choice, after qualifying the civil services examination. Citing the Rajiv Yadav case, a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian said the allocation of cadre is not a matter of right. It noted it was held that a selected candidate has a right to be considered for appointment to the IAS but he/she has no such right to be allocated to a cadre of their choice or to their home state. "Allotment of cadre is an incidence of service. The applicant as a candidate for the All-India Service with eyes wide open has opted to serve anywhere in the country. Once an applicant gets selected to service, the scramble for the home cadre starts," the bench said. The top court noted that procedure for allocation of cadre is a mechanical process and admits no exception except under certain rules, and the state has no discretion on allocation of a cadre at its whims and fancies. It said it is fallacy that consultation has to be held with the state to whom the officer is to be allocated, not with the state with whom officers claim allocation. The top court passed the order deciding the 14-year legal battle of an IAS officer seeking Kerala cadre, being her home state. The Kerala High Court in 2017, directed the Centre to change A. Shainamol's cadre from Himachal Pradesh to Kerala. It said the tribunal or the high court should have refrained from interfering with the allocation of cadre on the argument of alleged violation of the allocation circular. The observation of the high court that there was a lack of consultation with Kerala, is not acceptable, it added. Setting aside the high court order, the court emphasised that the consistent view of the top court has been that even if the name of the candidate appears on the merit list, such candidate has no right to claim appointment. "The High Court had exceeded its jurisdiction to order allocation of Kerala cadre to the applicant without examining the policy decision of the Union to fill up only 89 vacancies. The High Court again erred in law that an OBC candidate, who has not availed relaxation or concession, had to be treated as general category candidate," it noted. The top court noted that the entire basis of the claim of the applicant is that there was no consultation with the Kerala government. The bench said: "The applicant was allocated to the state of Himachal Pradesh and there was a consent duly given by the state of Himachal Pradesh for her allocation to that state. In fact, no consultation was required to be carried out in respect of the applicant with Kerala state." The bench pointed out that the mandate of Rule 5(1) of the Cadre Rules was satisfied when consultation was made with the state to which allocation was made. New Oct 22 : The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday conducted searches and registered a case against two Directors of Indore-based private company for bank fraud to the tune of approximately Rs 30 crore. The CBI conducted searches at the premises of accused in Bhopal and Indore which led to recovery of incriminating documents. As per the CBI, it has registered a case against the said private company based at Indore and unknown public servants on a complaint from the Bank of Baroda, Indore. "It was alleged that borrower company had committed fraud during the period of 2014 to 2017 in conspiracy with its directors and unknown public servants and cheated Bank of Baroda to the tune of Rs 29.41 crore (approx)." It was further alleged that the said private company was advanced the working capital loan and term loan amounting to Rs 36 crore by the Bank of Baroda on September 13,2014 after taking over credit facilities extended by IDBI Bank. The said loan account became NPA on May 2, 2017 and was subsequently reported as fraud to the RBI. The outstanding loan amount was Rs 29.41 crore. It was also alleged that the forensic accounting had revealed siphoning of funds and diversion of funds by the company. Colombo, Oct 22 : After nearly three months of travel restrictions, Sri Lanka on Friday decided to allow inter-provincial public movements from November 1 amidst health officials warning of the spread of new Delta-plus variant. Sri Lanka's Army Commander and head of the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of Covid-19, General Shavendra Silva said prevailing travel restrictions crossing provinces would be lifted from early hours of November 1. He also said frontline health workers, military and police personnel would be given a booster vaccine with Pfizer-BionTech. However, health officials warned about the spread of new variant like Delta-plus if people do not act responsibly. Consultant virologist Dr Jude Jayamaha said the new variant has been reported from several countries including the UK and the US. "In a similar move last May, we warned about the spread of Delta variant from Alpha variant of Covid-19 pandemic. "We are right now sitting on a volcano. According to the examinations so far, we have not reported Delta plus, but it is necessary to be aware about the danger," the virologist cautioned. "This could turn out to be a dangerous or can die down. Or a new variant also could be emerged spontaneously as well," he added. With plans to fully re-open schools that were closed in October 2020, the island nation on Friday started to inoculate teenagers aged 16 and 17 years with the Pfizer-BionTech vaccine. The age groups covers those sitting for General Certificate Examination (GCE) Ordinary Level examination and those who do not attend school also coud get their jab, Director General of Health Services Dr Asela Gunawrdena told media. Having inoculated undergraduates, the country on October 15 started vaccinating teenagers between 18 and 19, those sitting for GCE Advanced Level, and the university entrance examination. According to statistics, there are about 1.8 million teenagers between 15 and 19 years of age in Sri Lanka. Gurugram, Oct 22 : As the Covid vaccination drive in the country has crossed 100 crore, Gurugram became the first district in Haryana in administering the vaccines with 34,56,378 doses, of which 21,52,399 people have received the first vaccine dose and 12,83,462 have been given the second dose. Gurugram Civil Surgeon, Virender Yadav said it was a great achievement of the state Health Department. "It was a joint effort of the Health Department as well as people of the district who took Covid-19 vaccine on priority which helps Gurugram to achieve first position across the state. The Health department will continue to plan such vaccination drive of Covid jabs to cover maximum people in Gurugram," Yadav told IANS. On Thursday, the Covid vaccination in the state crossed 2.5 crore. M.P. Singh, the Nodal Officer and Deputy Civil Surgeon of the vaccination campaign, informed that 21,52,399 people above 18 years have been given the first dose and 12,83,462 have been given the second dose so far in the district. Vaccination camps were organized at 180 places in the district on Thursday. The first and second doses of the vaccine were administered to 20,517 people. Singh informed that Gurugram is leading the whole state in the vaccination campaign due to tireless efforts of its health workers. So far, a total of 2.5 crore people have been vaccinated against the Covid-19 infection in the state, of which Gurugram became the first district by administering more than 34 lakh doses. Faridabad is the second district administering more than 23 lakh doses of vaccine. Ambala came in third where a total of 14 lakh doses of vaccine have been administered so far. Nuh district came in last where more than three lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered till now. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hyderabad, Oct 22 : A 46-year-old techie died after falling from 16th floor of a building in Hyderabad's Narsingi police said. The body of Joseph George Pradeep was found lying on the ground. The incident occurred at PBEL City building under the limits of Narsingi police station of Cyberabad police commissionerate on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. The police shifted the body for autopsy and took up investigation. A police officer said they were trying to find out if the man fell accidentally or died of suicide. The techie, hailing from Kerala, was living with his wife and two children in a flat on the 16th floor of the 19th floor building. He was working as IT manager in a leading firm at Gachibowli in the city. Joseph's wife told police that when she woke up around midnight and was going to the kitchen to drink water, she found him standing on the balcony. Minutes later, he fell down. After the autopsy, police handed over the body to his relatives. It was Friday airlifted to his home town Thrissur. New Delhi, Oct 22 : The Delhi Police on Friday apprised the Delhi High Court that the security of the AIl India Hindu Mahasabha chief Swami Chakrapani will be assessed regularly, following his complaint about a "threat" to his life from underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. While disposing of the plea filed by Chakrapani for restoration of his 'Z category' security on police's assurance, a single judge bench of Justice Rekha Palli also remarked that one Indian Prime Minister was killed with security too. Police told the court that it will assess the security threats to Chakrapani afresh on or before November 5. If the security is not upgraded by then, it will carry out another assessment within six weeks from the date of the previous assessment, the police added. In his petition, Chakrapani stated that the withdrawal of his security was "politically motivated" due to some political vendetta as he has been vocal over various issues being faced by the society at large and Hindu religion specifically. The plea contended that he is vulnerable to the attacks by "associates of Dawood Ibrahim, Chota Shakeel, and other antisocial and anti-national elements". Swami Chakrapani Maharaj, known for his controversial statements. had recently stated that cow urine and cow dung can be used for treating novel coronavirus disease. He also said that a special yagna will be performed to "kill the novel coronavirus and end its effects on the world". Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Jaipur, Oct 22 : Rajasthan Revenue Minister Harish Chaudhary on Friday was appointed the Congress in-charge of Punjab and Chandigarh. General Secretary, Organisation K.C. Venugopal issued this order appointing Chaudhury, who becomes the second minister in the Ashok Gehlot government to be given a key organisational post. A few days back, state Health Minister Raghu Sharma was made Congress' in-charge of Gujarat. Former Union Minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, who also hails from the state, is the Assam in-charge. Chaudhary succeeds senior party leader Harish Rawat, who had sought to relinquish charge so as to concentrate on home state Uttarakhand, where polls are also due next year. Chaudhary has been quite active in Punjab since the time the Navjot Singh Siddhu controversy started till the removal of Captain Amarinder Singh. He had expressed his desire to work in the organisation too. There were discussions in the Congress to make him in-charge for a long time. Sources said that there are possibilities that under the rule of one person one post in Rajasthan government, during the next cabinet reshuffle, Chaudhary and Sharma will be divested of their ministerial responsibilities to concentrate on their party roles. New Delhi, Oct 22 : Security agencies have decided to set up a "drone grid" to monitor the security of the minorities living in the Kashmir Valley in wake of the recent killings of civilians. The sources aware of this development said that the decision was taken after a meeting held with the all security agencies recently and it was decided that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, will keep constant surveillance at at least 15 identified pockets in the Valley wherein most of the minorities reside via drone. Other central security agencies will also cooperate in this surveillance to prevent the killings of innocent non-Kashmiris and migrant workers, who are also living in these pockets. Under the drone grid system, the identified areas will be monitored directly from the control room and any suspicious movements of persons in those areas will be marked to the local security personnel deployed on the spot to prevent any attacks. Sources in the central security agencies said that adequate numbers of drones are available with the Central forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police. The control room will be set up by the Jammu and Kashmir Police wherein personnel of all security stakeholders will be keeping an eye on the terrorists who have recently killed 11 civilians in the last 16 days. The officials aware of these developments said that most of the migrant labourers and people from other states have been residing in these 15 identified areas, therefore, the security agencies pitched in for these new security arrangements. In coming days, additional CCTV cameras will also be installed for better surveillance networks in most of the places which are prone to terror attacks, they added. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir from October 23- 25 for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370. During his state he will review the security situation along with the progress of the ongoing developmental projects there. The officials also indicated that the security grid may be operational during the visit of Shah to Kashmir. Ribandar: Former Goa Minister Churchill Alemao arrives to appear before Goa Crime Branch in connection with the Louis Berger bribery case at Ribandar in Goa on July 29, 2015. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Panaji, Oct 22 : Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar is still in talks with the Congress for an alliance for the 2022 Goa Assembly polls, NCP's lone MLA and former Chief Minister Churchill Alemao said on Friday. Addressing a press conference, two days after meeting Pawar in Mumbai, he said that the party was seeking 10 out of 40 seats as part of its share of the potential alliance with the Congress. "We have asked for 10 seats. Sharad Pawar is in talks with the Congress," Alemao said, hinting that a decision on the alliance would be finalised by the end of this month. "If there is no alliance, the party may field 26 candidates," he added. New Delhi, Oct 22 : Amid increased pressure on India to agree for "net zero" ahead of the annual climate change conference starting from October 31, top Environment Ministry officials said the Union Cabinet meeting on October 27 will approve of what India's stand should be at the COP. The 26th edition of the annual Conference of Parties (COP26) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be taking place from October 31 for two weeks at UK's Glasgow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who would be attending the G20 summit on October 30 and 31, will then head to the UK for the high-level segment. The major ask at the COP26, Ministry officials said, will be climate finance. India and other developing countries have been insisting on the developed world to fulfill their promises to provide $0100 billion per year before asking the poorer countries to enhance their ambition. India's annual emissions - according to the latest biennial report submitted to the UNFCCC in 2018 - is 1.96 tonnes per person. Compared to that, China's annual emissions stands at 8.4 tonnes per person, the US is 18.6 tonnes per person while the EU's is 7.16 per cent. India's quantum is not just way below all these high emitting nations but also well below 6.64 tonnes per person. Plus, India is already on the verge of achieving its Renewal Energy (RE) target as promised under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - individual nation's actions leading to collective actions to ensure that emissions are kept in check to restrict global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial era - and has even announced a further target of 450 GW of RE by 2030. As per Paris Agreement, it is not compulsory now to update NDCs but any nation that wants can do so. "Given this situation, India will walk in with a position of strength and focus, apart from climate finance, on climate justice, market mechanism, Article 6, loss and damage and the actual framework of the Paris Agreement," an official said. Officials agreed that at the bilateral meetings in the run up to the COP with major world leaders or their representatives or even before the foreign delegates have been keen to know when would India declare net zero? But, the officials said, "net zero is not compulsory for all countries; under the 'Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR)', rich nations going negative would be enough to balance it." To a pointed question as to why the whole talk ahead of the COP26 is focused only on 'energy' when there are multiple aspects to the NDCs, an official said: "Major damage is due to energy. Major contribution in carbon emissions, almost 75-80 per cent, comes from the energy sector." The Indian position ahead of the COP would be an outcome of inter-ministerial deliberations with a role set out for each of the Ministry. But the details have been kept under wraps for the surprise element. "You will need to wait till next week to know that!" is all that officials say. Chennai, Oct 22 : BJP's Tamil Nadu unit President K. Annamalai on Friday refused to apologise for accusing state Power Minister V Senthil Balaji of corruption. The former IPS officer, who had levelled serious corruption charges against the Minister on social media, was responding to media queries whether he would tender an apology. "I will not apologise. Let him move the court," he asserted. The BJP leader, had on Twitter, accused Balaji of indulging in huge corruption at the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO). The Minister, in turn, refuted the claim and demanded an apology from him. Annamalai, along with the paty's national general secretary Arun Singh, was at Tiruppur to inspect the under-contruction party district committee office. BJP President J.P. Nadda would reach Tiruppur on November 11 to inaugurate it, he said. Bengaluru, Oct 22 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that what Lord Rama did in Lanka, and and Lord Krishna did in Mathura, the Indian armed forces did the same in Bangladesh in 1971. He was speaking at the inaugural session of three-day conclave under Swarnim Vijay Varsh celebrations at Yelahanka Air Base here organised to celebrate the comprehensive victory of Indian armed forces that led to the birth of Bangladesh. "1971 war was not fought for taking land, or gaining control of skies... the main objective of the war was humanity and upholding the highest traditions of democracy. The neighbouring country which imposes martial law and emergency rule, instead of handing over power to Banga Bandhu's party leaders had put them in jail. To put an end to human suffering and genocide caused by neighbouring country was the 'Raja Dharma' (duty of a ruler) and 'Rashtra Dharma' (duty of a nation) of our country," he said. He said that whenever there is a necessity, India has stood with justice and humanity. "The 1971 war was fought on this basis. Even today, the country is treading the same path and in future also it will continue to be on the same path," he noted. About the 1971 war, Rajnath Singh said India had to manage on many fronts, and the victory would not have been possible without politico-military synergy. "On one hand we had to support the Mukti Bahini movement, on the other hand we had to deal with lakhs of refugees on the East Pakistan border. Fourth was to ensure China does not meddle on the northern front and India was also obliged to retain its credibility with the international community," he said. He praised that the Indian government's decision to forge friendship ties with the then Soviet Union proved crucial as the world's other powers declined to support India. "When the 14 day war was waged from December 3, 1971, India was fully prepared politically, diplomatically, and militarily. The 14 day war had decimated Pakistan's army and became a glorious chapter in the history of Indian armed forces. The world witnessed the largest military surrender - of 93,000 soldiers - after the Second World War," he added. It was a triumph of 'dharma', he said. "When I say Dharma it won't mean a particular religion. The total Bangladesh war was managed by General Sam Manekshaw, a Parsi by religion; Indian Air Force chief was P.C Lal, a Hindu; Northern sector Air Marshal Latif was a Muslim; Eastern front was led by Jagjit Singh Aurora a Sikh; Major General J.F.R. Jacob who marched to Dhaka to negotiate surrender with Pakistan was a Jew. "It did not make any difference, all fought for humanity," he maintained. The scholars say that it was a classic example of a just war. Instead of military victory, India without taking any political control handed over the reins of the country to the local leaders, he said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Chennai, Oct 22 : Police in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore on Friday launched a mobile app 'Safe Kovai (SaKo)' to prevent burglaries at locked houses. In a statement, the Coimbatore rural police said the respective police stations will receive information through the mobile app and cover the area where the locked houses are situated during day and night patrolling. The project was conceived by the Coimbatore rural police with technical support by the Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College, Vattamalaipalayam, the statement said. According to the Superintendent of Police, Coimbatore Rural, Selvanagarathinam, around 20 lakh people are residing in the Coimbatore district police limits and police on patrol can collect details of a maximum of 300 to 350 locked houses. He said that people can download the app from Play Store, provide their mobile telephone numbers and they will get a one-time password (OTP). Residents can later provide their address details on the mobile app, mention the details of their absence and upload the photographs of their locked houses. The SP said that the cops with tablet and internet connection would go to the spot and verify the locked houses, take their photographs and upload them in the app which can be verified by the owner of the house. Selvanagarathinam in the statement said that the mobile app is presently in English and the Tamil version will be included soon. Police would also help residents get CCTV cameras and alarm bells on rental basis from private providers to safeguard their houses while they are away from their residences, he added. New Delhi, Oct 23 : A Delhi judge cited Swami Vivekananda to John Milton in his order rejecting the bail plea of Jawaharlal Nehru University student and activist Sharjeel Imam in a case relating to the February 2020 Delhi riots. "We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think; Words are secondary; Thoughts live; they travel far," Additional Sessions Judge, Saket court, Anuj Aggarwal said in its order, citing ths Swami. "...suffice it would be to observe that a cursory and plain reading of the speech dated December 13, 2019 reveals that same is clearly on communal/divisive lines. In my view, the tone and tenor of the incendiary speech tend to have a debilitating effect upon public tranquility, peace and harmony of the society," the order read, referring to the alleged inflammatory speech given by Imam at Jamia Milia Islamia area on December 13, 2019 . The judge, however, at this stage, refused to comment if the speech falls under the ambit of Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, saying that the same requires deeper analysis. "Thus in view of settled position of law, the issue whether the said speech would fall within ambit of of 124A IPC or not, requires a deeper analysis at an appropriate stage," the order read. The court also stated that fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression cannot be exercised at the cost of communal peace and harmony of the society. The fundamental right of 'freedom of speech and expression as enshrined under Article 19 has been placed upon a very high pedestal in constitution of this country and its essence is well captured in statement of John Milton, the famous British poet and intellectual who says "give me the liberty to know, to argue freely, and to utter according to conscience, above all liberties", it said. "However, the very same Constitution places, reasonable restriction upon exercise of said right inter alia on the grounds of public order and incitement to offence," it added. "....article 51A(e) of the Constitution also casts a fundamental duty upon citizens of this country to promote harmony and spread common brotherhood amongst all the people of India, transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities. Therefore, it is no gainsaying that fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression cannot be exercised at the cost of communal peace and harmony of the society," it added. New Delhi, Oct 23 : The Centre on Friday told the Delhi High Court that WhatsApp has already violated the fundamental rights of users in the country by denying dispute resolution rights while opposing a plea filed by WhatsApp and Facebook against the new IT rules. Through an affidavit, the Ministry of Electronics and IT stated that the US-based tech giants challenge is not maintainable. WhatsApp had moved the High Court, challenging the new IT rules on the grounds that they violate the right to privacy and are unconstitutional. Objecting to the new IT rules, WhatsApp claimed that they are forced to 'track' the origin of messages received through the network.A According to reports, the Mark Zuckerberg-owned platform filed the petition on May 25, the last day to comply with the new criteria. WhatsApp had previously stated that it would not breach encryption because it jeopardises the privacy of its users. According to the new Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, it is mandatory for social media intermediaries like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to trace chats and make provisions to identify the first originator of the information. Earlier, WhatsApp had told the Delhi High Court that till the Data Protection Bill comes into force, it would not compel users to opt for its new privacy policy as it has been put on hold. In June, the Delhi High Court refused to stay a notice issued by the Competition Commission of India, asking the platform to furnish certain information in connection with the probe, ordered in March, on the instant messaging app's new updated privacy policy. Bengaluru, Oct 23 : Two drug peddlers, who sent drugs in the guise of court documents through speed post, gift articles and home delivery services in Bengaluru, have been arrested, police said on Friday. The police have also recovered 300 MDMA ecstasy tablets, 100 LSD Paper Blots, 350 grams of charas, and 1.5 kg of hydro ganja from the accused. Joint Commissioner, Crime, Sandeep Patil said that the kingpin operated from New Delhi by using WICKR-ME, VOIP, SESSION applications. He bought drugs from foreign operators through the 'dark net' and delivered them here through post. Sources said that the accused sent drugs in the name of an advocate as "court documents" through speed post. He took orders from customers through the WICKR-ME app and used the arrested drug peddlers to deliver them to the customers' doorsteps. The accused persons transported drugs inside soaps, along photos, greeting cards, and in the middle of books. They covered boxes with gift wrappers and delivered to the doorsteps of customers making it look like a Swiggy, Genie or Dunzo delivery. Based on specific inputs, the police team had raided a PG hostel in Bellandur police station limits and arrested the accused. A case has been registered under NDPS Act. Hyderabad, Oct 23 : The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has launched an innovative, online interdisciplinary programme which aims to teach Sanskrit with the help of computer tools. The goal of the OE102: Samsaadhanii Praveshika course is to develop a confidence in the minds of the student that with the help of these computational tools they can understand any Sanskrit text with some effort. The Department of Sanskrit Studies, since its inception in 2006, is engaged in the study of Indian Grammatical Theories with a computational perspective. The research undertaken by the students during the last 15 years has resulted into a computational platform that hosts several computational tools for accessing and understanding Sanskrit texts. Prof. Amba Kulkarni, the coordinator of the course, said: "On the one hand we are looking at how to leverage computer technology to overcome the language barrier, how to reduce the time to learn a new language, and on the other hand we are also exploring the IGT for building these computational tools." The department collaborated with a computer scientist turned computational linguist, Prof. Gerard Huet from a prestigious research institute Inria, in France. The collaboration between these two groups has resulted in a joint system that can analyse any Sanskrit text. This led to the development of this innovative course, where the traditional methods of teaching are combined with the modern technology without compromising the 'understanding' of Sanskrit texts. A four-member team comprising Dr. Arjuna of Manipal University, Dr. Pavankumar Satuluri of Chinmaya Vishwasvidyalaya, Kochi, Prof. Huet and Prof. Amba Kulkarni from University of Hyderabad, will be handling the course. The course has reviewed good response, with 250 people registering from abroad, India and the students from University of Hyderabad. The students have varied backgrounds from Arts and Humanities to Engineering and Medicine; they range from 20 to 80 years of age, geographically from Fiji to California covering the whole world. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. B.J. Rao considered the launch of this course as the celebration where Panini is being rediscovered through modern computational tools. According to him this course would be trendsetter to understand how language analysis, rigour of computation and scientific methods can be utilized for understanding thoughts as well as also understanding the construction of ideas through languages. Prof. Varakhedi, the Vice Chancellor of Kavi Kulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Ramtek, pointed out that the computational platform is based on the Indian theories of analysis, generation and cognition of Sanskrit sentences that were discussed in Vyakaranam (Grammar), Nyaya (Logic) and Mimansa from about the last three millennia and acts as a testing bed to test their practicality. New Delhi, Oct 23 : On the occasion of the Police Commemoration Day on October 21 and the ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav being celebrated to rejoice 75 years of Independence, the families of serving Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and martyred bravehearts on Friday were facilitated a visit to the National Police Memorial at Chanakyapuri here. They paid homage to the martyrs by offering flower petals at the monolithic memorial and the martyrs' families also toured around the 'Wall of Valour' where the names of all the CAPF and police bravehearts who made supreme sacrifice for the nation are engraved in stone. The senior officers of the force then interacted with the families of martyrs and inquired about their grievances. The families were then given a tour of the Police Museum and were shown the video clips that were prepared by the force as a tribute to supreme sacrifice of its martyrs and on the diverse role of CRPF on national security. A total of 2,236 bravehearts of the CRPF have made supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation, the CRPF officials said. On this occasion, the senior officers of the force including CRPF Special Director General Zulfiquar Hasan laid wreaths at the memorial before the retreat ceremony. Captivating band display was performed by CRPF's band team followed by open air display of movies on freedom struggle, valour and sacrifice of CAPF personnel, and the invaluable contributions of CAPF and Police Bravehearts in the service of the nation. On Thursday, the Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai along with the senior officers of the central armed police forces paid tribute at National Police Memorial (NPM) on the Police Commemoration Day. October 21 is observed as 'Police Commemoration Day' every year in memory of ten valiant CRPF personnel martyred during patrol duty in an ambush laid by heavily armed Chinese troops in Hot Springs, Ladakh on October 21, 1959. New Delhi, Oct 23 : While we have to infuse lots of funds into infrastructure, we also have to infuse more efforts and activities for capacity creation - both from public as well as the private sector, said Dr K Madan Gopal, Senior Consultant, NITI Aayog, on Friday here. Talking about capacity building, he expressed concern on the present health infrastructure in the country. Dr Gopal was speaking on the third conclusive day at 15th edition of Annual Healthcare Phygital & Virtual Conference - FICCI HEAL 2021: 'Transforming Healthcare beyond COVID', held from October 20 to 22. The healthcare conference was held on how to bring healthcare at everybody's doorstep and the future of med-tech industry in India. While talking about the changing landscapes of Diagnostics, Dr Om Manchanda, MD, Dr Lal PathLabs shared that Indian market is larger as compared to many other countries and there is a huge potential for organized players and a shift from unorganized to organised is required. There are many enablers for this shift- initially it was quality but today service is playing a big role too". Speaking on the event, Dr Shravan Subramanyam, FICCI Medical Devices Committee and President & CEO, GE Healthcare South Asia said, "The med-tech industry today could not be in a better place to address the needs of the market, patients and communities. The mandate from our government to be self-reliant is very critical, and med-tech sector which faced many challenges during the pandemic, has benefited quite a lot through production linked incentives and various other schemes". Madan Krishnan, Vice President and Managing Director, India Medtronic shared his view on infrastructure, "Today we need a single window clearance system so that there is an ease of expansion of health infrastructure". Dr Alok Roy, Chair, FICCI Health Services Committee, closed the conference saying that the three-day conference was organized with a view to converge all healthcare stakeholders and provide a forum for sharing of learnings and experiences as well as deliberate on the opportunities for transforming Indian healthcare system beyond COVID. FICCI-KPMG Knowledge Paper on aCOVID Induced Healthcare Transformation', was released during the inaugural session of the conference. The conference was supported by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and NITI Aayog. Nicholas Stallard, chief growth officer of The Reserves Network states: As we strategically look at ways to grow our company, opportunities to unify with great organizations like Resource Staffing are unmistakable. We are excited about our continued expansion in the great state of Texas. The Reserves Network, a leading staffing provider of office, industrial, professional and technical talent, has acquired Texas-based staffing firm Resource Staffing. Founded in 1989, Resource Staffing serves job seekers and customers in office administration, accounting, finance, real estate, customer care and non-clinical healthcare/medical. The company has five offices, Sugar Land, Houston Galleria, Houston Northwest, Austin/San Antonio and Dallas Metroplex. This past year, they placed more than 3400 employees with hundreds of clients throughout the state of Texas. Locations will maintain the Resource Staffing name and brand, operating as an affiliate of The Reserves Network. Resource Staffing co-founders Dan Hines and Ricky Moorer will remain to ensure a seamless transition. All internal employees will remain with the company. The merger became official on Oct. 18. As two companies with very rich histories come together, we anticipate many great opportunities will lie ahead, says Hines. Not only do we share similar business models, customers and geographic locations, but we also hold the same core values of developing successful partnerships with our customers based on trust and confidence, adds Moorer. The Reserves Network joined the Texas business community in 2019 through the acquisition of Houston-based ExecuTeam and Team1Medical. Resource Staffing joining The Reserves Network is a natural fit, says Neil Stallard, CEO of The Reserves Network. Both companies share a vision of providing elite service to our customers and employees. The company, with its talented team, is the right partner for us to grow and expand our business offerings, and were excited to now have them as a part of our family. Nicholas Stallard, chief growth officer of The Reserves Network states: As we strategically look at ways to grow our company, opportunities to unify with great organizations like Resource Staffing are unmistakable. We are excited about our continued expansion in the great state of Texas. Headquartered in the Cleveland suburb of Fairview Park, Ohio, The Reserves Network was founded in 1984. The veteran-founded and family-owned company is privately held and has received multiple honors for customer loyalty, outstanding growth and management excellence. The Reserves Network employs more than 20,000 employees annually through its more than 40 operating locations in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest, and works with customers nationwide. Access Garage Doors, the Southeast-based residential and commercial garage door repair and installation franchise is excited to continue its national expansion with a new location in North Carolina. The newest franchise in Fayetteville, N.C. is owned by successful business entrepreneur Will Rogers. As a previous owner of a successful service-based business, I feel that Will knows what it takes to not only build a successful business but also how to sustain it through the many stages of growth that our business model experiences, said Jesse Cox, President and CEO of Access Garage Doors. This 12th location for Access Garage Doors comes at a time when people are realizing the value in following a proven franchise system along with having a support team with almost two decades of experience. Access Garage Doors prides itself in being an industry leader that specializes in offering homeowners and other customers a comprehensive selection of services and high-quality products. Access Garage Doors is a Master Authorized Clopay dealer and an Authorized Service Provider for LiftMaster, Home Depot, Genie, Clopay, and Amarr. The scalable and recession-resistant franchise concept offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to start their garage door business from a home office and expand their operations as the business grows. The Access Garage Doors tested business model provides new owners with industry-leading training, marketing, sales, and management support from a national franchisor. I like the idea of buying a franchise because the last business I built from the ground up, so I knew I wanted to invest in something with more structure, said Will. I looked at 100 different franchise opportunities and I was immediately drawn to Access Garage Doors. Jesse and his team are really dialed in, and theyve created an incredible business model. Starting a business is still a lot of hard work, but Im confident knowing that Im part of the Access Garage Doors team. Im excited to get started! This franchise venture took many years to develop, said Jesse. But in just two short years, we are proud to see the exceptional quality and good old fashion services we built ourselves on, being delivered every day across America Its What We Do! For more information about Access Garage Doors franchise opportunities, please visit: https://accessdoorcompany.com/franchise/. To learn more about Access Garage Doors, please visit: https://accessdoorcompany.com/. ### ABOUT ACCESS GARAGE DOORS Founded in 2005, Access Garage Doors provides service, installation, and sales of state-of-the-art residential and electric openers. Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Access is a top-tier Master Authorized Dealer for one of the largest garage door manufacturers, Clopay, and is a top-tier LiftMaster ProVantage Dealer. Access also carries brands such as Amarr Doors, Genie, Craftsman, Chamberlain, Marantec, and Sommer, and services Hormann, Wayne Dalton, CHI, Raynor, Sears, Linear, Lynx, Overhead Door, Ideal Door, Windsor Door, Stanley, Door Link, Ryobi brands. Access is a long-term member of the International Door Association as well as the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga. Led by Satish Muluk, MD, director of vascular surgery at AGH, AHN will be the first health system to offer this technology in the state "IOPS is an exciting breakthrough in the field. This advanced technology significantly improves the accuracy of catheter placement, reducing procedural time and minimizing patient and healthcare provider exposure to harmful radiation," said Dr. Muluk. A team of vascular surgeons at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), part of Allegheny Health Network (AHN), is one of the first in the country to advance the care of complex aortic aneurysms by utilizing a cutting-edge intra-operative positioning system (IOPS) by Centerline Biomedical. The minimally invasive, technology platform creates three-dimensional perspectives of the vascular system to improve navigation, quickly locate aortic aneurysms and precisely implant stent grafting to perform complex endovascular aortic interventions. Led by Satish Muluk, MD, director of vascular surgery at AGH, AHN will also be the first health system to offer this technology in the state. In addition to Dr. Muluk, Drs., Bart Chess and Carlos Rosales of the AHN Cardiovascular Institute also perform the procedure using IOPS. Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are weakened sections of an artery wall, in the lower part of the aorta, which cause the area to bulge beyond a blood vessels normal width. Theyre typically managed with close monitoring, medical therapies and modifications of certain lifestyle factors. However, if the AAA is at risk of a life-threatening rupture or significantly increases in size, patients will undergo either open or minimally invasive endovascular procedures to repair the aneurysm. During the latter, a vascular surgeon goes through the groin with a catheter and places a stent within the aorta which allows for eased blow flow and results in a decompression of the aneurysm. The procedure requires significant navigation from the point of entry through the vascular system to the abdominal area. To view the aneurysm and accurately perform the repair, physicians have to use fluoroscopy imaging thats like an X-ray and also inject an iodine-based contrast agent into the patient to see their blood vessels clearly. Previously, we would navigate catheters and wires through the body and rely primarily on fluoroscopy and dyes. This method has served us well, but it involves a lot of radiation exposure to the patient and the clinicians in the operating room, explained Dr. Muluk. IOPS is an exciting breakthrough for the field as it allows for improved visualization of the vascular system. This advanced technology significantly improves the accuracy of catheter placement, reducing procedural time and minimizing patient and healthcare provider exposure to harmful radiation. IOPS uses a low-intensity electromagnetic tracking system, or a GPS-like guide, to help surgeons navigate to a patients aortic aneurysm. The program uses pre-op CT scans to generate a computerized map of the anatomy and blood vessels. The IOPS cart is wheeled into the OR and attaches to the tracking system thats located on the operating table. The OR team places the tracking pad a sticky device with three clear sensors onto the patient in the location of the aneurysm; from there, the process mimics the existing process provided by fluoroscopy. IOPS technology gives us a three-dimensional view of the vascular system during the entire procedure rather than our current two-dimensional view, and we also have added control of the instrumentation, continued Dr. Muluk. The tracking system on the table under the patient has a grid that can sense the catheters and wires that we place into the patient, all in real time. The increase of clarity has proven highly effective in minimizing radiation and significantly reducing procedure times. A recent study, conducted by Centerline, found that the mean time necessary to introduce thin tube through an artery using 3D navigation was nearly cut in half compared to 2D. According to the Society for Vascular Surgery, every year approximately 200,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with AAA, and its rupturing is among the top 20 leading causes of death in the country and the 10th leading cause of death in men older than 55. We are thrilled to partner with Dr. Muluk and Allegheny General Hospitals world class Cardiovascular Institute and believe our IOPS technology addresses four key tenets of healthcare today: improved patient experience, improved health of populations, reducing healthcare costs, and minimizing staff burnout, said Centerline CEO Phil Rackliffe. To make an appointment or learn more about the AHN Cardiovascular Institute, please visit ahn.org or call 412-DOCTORS. ### About the Allegheny Health Network: Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of 13 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, trauma care, cardiovascular disease, organ transplantation, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, womens health, diabetes, autoimmune disease and more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than 2,500 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. ARTAVIA App We are in the early phases of what will be a community to over 5,000 families. As our community grows, we wanted to develop a scalable method to communicate with our residents and provide technology for access to events and amenities. ARTAVIA , a master-planned community located in Montgomery County, Texas, has collaborated with real estate technology company Alosant to launch a branded, lifestyle app for residents and prospects. In addition to the communitys sprawling residential offerings, which will include approximately 5,200 homes at build out, ARTAVIA will encompass over 120 acres of mixed-use, commercial, and retail spaces. Developed by AIRIA Development Company, the community features miles of winding trails that lead to Dapple Park, a 13-acre community park with a five-acre lake, 24-hour FitCenter, Palate Cafe and gathering spaces. The artfully designed amenities promote connectivity with neighbors and the great outdoors. We are in the early phases of what will be a community to over 5,000 families. As our community grows, we wanted to develop a scalable method to communicate with our residents and provide technology for access to events and amenities, said Lisa Connell, Marketing Director of AIRIA Development Company. The branded, native Simply ARTAVIA lifestyle app features two unique views a Resident View, which requires login credentials, and a Guest Experience View for the greater community and prospective home buyers. The app is already streamlining communication among the growing community, its residents, and prospects in a variety of ways, and achieved an 80% adoption rate within the first seven weeks. The Resident View provides an all-in-one resource where homeowners can connect with neighbors, share events of interest and HOA information, and make reservations for paddle boats, meeting, or party rooms. Additionally, through the app, those who opt-in for push notifications can receive real-time community updates from the homeowners association. The apps home feed is also tailored to each homeowner and adapts the contents displayed based on an individuals usage and preferences over time. The dedicated Guest Experience View provides prospective home buyers with direct access to information about the ARTAVIA community, including builders, Dapple Park amenities, and past events. By powering a branded lifestyle app for ARTAVIA, our goal is to support their efforts in seamlessly communicating and engaging with their growing community, said April LaMon, CEO and Co-Founder of Alosant. We expect the app will reach 90% adoption within the first 90 days, which is a strong indicator of its success. Based in Bozeman, Mont., Alosant powers branded mobile apps for more than 60 of the most innovative and fastest-growing communities across the nation, and ARTAVIA is among the latest communities to join that number. The Simply ARTAVIA app is available to download via the Apple App Store or Google Play today. About Alosant Bozeman, Mont.-based Alosant developed and powers the Alosant ResX operating system (aOS), a purpose-built software solution that connects people and places, specifically the key constituents within a residential community, including developers, home builders, residents, home shoppers, property managers, homeowner associations, local businesses, service providers and more. Offering Everything in One Place, Alosant ResX starts with a branded native app, which is designed and configured to best suit each communitys unique needs. Alosant ResX is now implemented in over 60 of the countrys most innovative and fastest growing communities, including master-planned, single-family, multi-family, mixed-use, age-restricted, and member club. Alosant was founded in 2017 by real estate tech entrepreneurs April LaMon and Michael Swanson. ### The year was 1987, gas cost about 89 cents per gallon, The Simpsons were making their TV debut, and Allan Baum began selling ball bearings to radio controlled car enthusiasts. Wherever the RC people would meet up, for rallys or races or what have you, Baum remembered, I would go and set up a table and sell my bearings to everyone in that community. Much like the Simpsons, Baum would keep at it for the next 35 years. He founded the company under the name Boca Bearings, and expanded his audience to include anglers looking to upgrade their fishing reels, bicyclists, motorcyclists, skateboarders, as well as manufacturers of everything from MRI machines to 3D printers. Boca Bearings even supplied bearings for scientists in the search for dark matter and the creation of a 10,000-year clock. Now, the family-owned company is celebrating its 35th anniversary with the launch of a fresh new brand. We have come so far as a company, said Baum, the old brand just isnt who we are anymore. His son, Jason Flanzbaum, who serves as the company President, agreed. We have always been forward-thinking innovators in this industry, and that aspect is now captured in our new brand. For example, Flanzbaum noted, Boca Bearings was one of the very first to introduce ceramic bearings to American consumer markets. Today, ceramic ball bearings are a billion-dollar market, about a twentieth of the $21 billion global market for ball bearings, which is exactly where the companys growth is leading to. Both Flanzbaum and Baum attribute their success to being there when their customers need them. We have a huge inventory of over 9,000 different products, said Flanzbaum. During the recent pandemic when everything became hard to get, we were one of the only suppliers able to fill orders and provide the bearings needed to make life saving medical ventilators, for example. Staying ahead of our customers needs has always been to our advantage, said Baum. Its what differentiates us from everyone else in this business. Baum is also quick to point out another key advantage for the company. This is a great business, and we are very fortunate to have great suppliers, along with amazing staff and incredible customers who have been with us for years, said Baum. If anyone deserves the credit for 35 years in business, its them, and I thank them for it. Im really proud of this company, and everything my father has accomplished, Flanzbaum said. But the real story here is not the 35 years that are behind us, but the many years ahead, starting with 2022, which is going to be absolutely huge for us. For additional information contact us by email at info@bocabearins.com or by phone at 800-332-3256 We carry a very large inventory of American made flooring. Our ability to get this specialty European shipment is a huge deal particularly because of the supply chain issues we are currently experiencing with overseas shipping. This European collection wont last long. The Flooring Resource, Central Floridas premier flooring store, announces the arrival of their newest European line of mosaic floor and wall decor. Richard Etscorn, owner of the The Flooring Resource, stated We carry a very large inventory of American made flooring. Our ability to get this specialty European shipment is a huge deal particularly because of the supply chain issues we are currently experiencing with overseas shipping. This European collection wont last long. We pride ourselves in offering high quality, American made products at very competitive prices. I encourage people to not settle on an average floor covering just because the vendor is out of stock or there are limited selections available. Shop around and dont settle. The big box stores generally dont carry the vast inventory like we do. Thats one positive of working with The Flooring Resource is that we receive container trucks weekly with new American made flooring. From laminate to porcelain tile, hardwood, carpeting and mosaics we pretty much carry it all. Consumers and businesses looking to upgrade their flooring can visit The Flooring Resources showroom located at 2480 Silver Star Road in Orlando, FL 32804. Their showroom is open Monday through Friday from 9am 5pm EST. Visitors can see a variety of flooring and discuss options with their product consultants. For those looking online, they will find the Flooring Resources website to be chock full of flooring samples, for more information visit: https://www.theflooringresource.com/. The Flooring Resource caters to both the hospitality industry and residential. As an active member of the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association (CFHLA), The Flooring Resource has worked with many general managers to renovate the flooring in ball rooms, meeting rooms, lobbies, common areas, bathrooms, pool areas and individual hotel rooms. Etscorn stated A flooring trend we are seeing now in hospitality is the desire for antimicrobial flooring for ease of cleaning and sanitation. As travelers are now starting to venture out since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many are choosing to stay at hotels where they advertise sanitation as part of their daily routine. Consumers are desiring cleanliness and safety over comfortable beds and access to the beach or pool area. General managers are looking at our Rokplank line of LifeProof vinyl flooring for many areas throughout their property. Its ability to withstand spills and heavy foot traffic make this type of flooring highly desirable. We offer a variety of colors and styles including a wood look. Traditional wood flooring typically wont hold up to heavy foot traffic and spills. We offer waterproof vinyl flooring that has a wood look to it and its less expensive than a typical hardwood flooring application and a thousand times more durable. In addition to catering to the hospitality industry, The Flooring Resource also offers a large inventory of flooring for the residential sector including those DIY projects. As a distributor of Shaw Floors and Parkay Floors, homeowners flock to The Flooring Resource for their variety in colors, quality, and competitive pricing. We sell flooring to many homeowners looking to do their own flooring. Often homeowners will be looking to renovate a bathroom, their kitchen or laundry room all of which are exposed to water in some capacity. Our staff can help make an educated decision on which flooring would be appropriate considering the room use. We encourage consumers to read our newest blog entitled Considerations When Selecting New Flooring as the DIY projects are in the planning phase. For homeowners looking to outsource their flooring renovations, we are happy to help. We have a team of installers on staff who are available to install carpet, tile, waterproof vinyl, laminate, hardwoods, mosaics and all that we carry. For more information on The Flooring Resources newest European line of Mosaic coverings or for a flooring estimate, call 321-245-7780 or visit online at: https://www.theflooringresource.com/. The Employee Ownership Expansion Network (http://www.eoxnetwork.org) is pleased to announce the hiring of Cher Molle as its first Director of Development. In this role, Cher will play a key part in supporting Employee Ownership Expansion Networks mission to expand employee ownership across the United States by establishing and supporting a network of State Centers for Employee Ownership, using employee ownership as a tool to help reduce income and wealth disparity, increase community wealth, and create a more vibrant, participatory economy. In the Director of Development role, Cher will be working to identify funding opportunities for Employee Ownership Expansion Network to support the organizations critical work centered around employee ownership. Cher will establish and build upon current relationships with government, charitable, and individual funders and donors to help grow the Employee Ownership Expansion Networks donor base. As part of her development work, she will also engage in outreach and awareness-raising on behalf of the organization. Over the course of the last seven years, Cher has worked with a diverse portfolio of local, national, and international nonprofit organizations. She has worked in public policy, community development, economic development, and educational institutions. Most relevant to the work she will be doing with the Employee Ownership Expansion Network, Cher served as the Vice President of Development and Marketing at FINANTA, a Community Development Financial Institution in Philadelphia, where she secured millions of dollars in annual community and economic development funding through her work at the organization. Chers commitment to community and economic development extends beyond her work. At home in Philadelphia, she serves on the Board of Directors of her local Community Development Corporation and as the Founding Director of LoHo Community Fund, an initiative to bring community members together and raise funding for safety, greening, and beautification projects in her neighborhood. She has also served as the Vice President and Greening Committee Chair of her local Civic Association and has provided pro-bono consulting services to her local Business Improvement District. After three years of growing the Employee Ownership Expansion Network from a startup organization to a network of 10 state centers, the board members and I are excited to welcome Cher as our first Director of Development. Her extensive experience in nonprofit fundraising and marketing will be extremely beneficial in helping us increase our capacity to better match the opportunity before us. With 2.9 million baby boomers set to transition the ownership of their businesses in the next five to seven years, this is a critical time for us to try and create more employee owners in the United States says Employee Ownership Expansion Networks Executive Director, Steve Storkan. ### The Employee Ownership Expansion Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to significantly expand employee ownership in the United States through establishing and supporting a network of independent non-profit Centers for Employee Ownership. Since officially launching in 2019, Employee Ownership Expansion Network has provided funding and technical assistance in the opening of ten state centers for employee ownership. The goal of the Employee Ownership Expansion Network is to have at least 70% of the United States population living in a state with a center for employee ownership, with the aim of creating one-million new employee owners by 2025. Learn more at http://www.eoxnetwork.org. The AMSA Connect IRM platform will help Governor State University drastically change their current donor creation process from a 30 minute 4-step manual process PER DONOR to an automated and real-time processing structure. As Governors State University (GSU) grew beyond its Chicago campus to an expansive 200 online course offerings, its student population grew significantly. GSU serves approximately 6,000 students annually in 85 different bachelors, masters, doctoral, and certificate programs. They feature a highly diverse faculty and staff of roughly 1,000 employees that reflect the students and community it serves today. This growth drove the college to cloud-based solutions as it scaled its operations. This month, GSU has chosen AMSimpkins & Associates data Integration Relationship Platform (IRM), AMSA Connect, for their Slate CRM for Advancement to Ellucian Colleague integration. In searching for a data integration provider, Governors State University narrowed it down to two platforms: AMSA Connect IRM platform or Jitterbits iPaaS solution. After an in-depth screening process and between the two platforms, they chose the AMSA Connect IRM platform for their real-time and robust data enhancement capabilities that better suited the needs of the institution. Expressing his gratitude, Maurice Simpkins, CTO of AMSimpkins and Associates says, We are honored to have been selected as GSUs ongoing integration provider for this project and look forward to serving any and all ongoing data integration needs. Simpkins further explains what the project consists of and how AMSA Connect will help improve current processes at GSU, The AMSA Connect IRM platform will help Governor State University drastically change their current donor creation process from a 30 minute 4-step manual process PER DONOR to an automated and real-time processing structure. Governor State Universitys donor data will appear automatically within both the Slate CRM and the Ellucian Colleague databases simultaneously. By moving to Slate CRM as their primary tool for Advancement and gift entry, the AMSA Connect platform will help create a digital and real-time transformation for the institution. With the intuitive interface for error handling, duplicate resolution, plus data enhancement and verification that the AMSA Connect IRM platform provides, leaders anticipate time and significant time and cost savings that staff can rededicate to more strategic fundraising and donor-focused campaigns. Integration features: Biographic data import and export bidirectional between Colleague and Slate. Gift Entry - import from Slate into Colleague and payment posting into Colleague Finance. This feature replaces manual entry in Colleague and manual payment posting in Colleague Finance (Accounting system) RunnerEDQ - Real-Time address verification Real-Time - verification in-transit (bidirectional data moving between Colleague and Slate). Real-Time bulk upload (address cleansing in Colleague and Slate) Persons academic credentials export from Colleague Enhance data in Slate Advancement Real-TIme Data Analytics: Insightful reports and dashboards to show accounting details of a Gift Entry information for Received Gifts, Pledged, and Pledged payment. Error logs and corrections: Identify duplicate gifts, donors and Journal Entries in the accounting system. This helps to eliminate duplicate postings in the accounting system. Payment reversal processing - automated update of a gift correction from Slate Advancement to Colleague Finance and Journal structure. AMSA Connect has been recognized as a first-class software partner, offering its cutting-edge IRM platform for phone and email verification along with a valuable data deduplication feature. Departments now have the option of simultaneously updating multiple systems to streamline shared information with integrity. Higher education institutions are now searching for and adopting better data management options to replace outdated legacy programs, and many are converting existing iPaaS-based architectures to IRM platforms. iPaaS is increasingly being replaced by newer, more agile choices. AMSA Connect enables educational organizations to effortlessly integrate SaaS and cloud-based applications, verify data and facilitate real-time reportingdriving better and more cost-effective interdepartmental communication. In this way, they represent the leading edge of a trend away from iPaaS. AMSimpkins & Associates has recently partnered with Dordt University, which adopted AMSA Connects Integration Relationship Management platform, and with Adler University, which is using AMSA Connect to manage integrations for the Salesforce (EnrollmentRx) admissions CRM in use at the institution. Other higher education institutions AMSimpkins has upgraded include Dallas Baptist University, El Camino College, Barry University and Columbia College. About Governor State University Governors State University is a public university in University Park, Illinois. The 750 acres campus is located 30 miles south of Chicago, Illinois. GSU was founded in 1969. It is a public university offering degree programs at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels. GSU has four colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Education, and the College of Health and Human Services. About AMSimpkins & Associates AMSimpkins & Associates (AMSA) is a minority owned IT consulting firm specializing in integration, innovation and automation for organizations and higher education institutions. AMSAs team specializes in Oracles PeopleSoft, Oracle E-Business Suite, Workday, and higher education related systems such as Salesforce, Banner by Ellucian and Colleague by Ellucian. Integration-as-a-service by AMSA allows software partners the ability to deliver an enterprise-wide integration solution providing connectivity to operational applications through defined integration platforms and data sources. AMSA Connect, the first software offering from AMSimpkins & Associates, offers a unique integration management platform for providing organizations and institutions insight and enhancement of their integration data and operations. To learn more about AMSimpkins and Associates visit https://amsaconnect.com. For a free demonstration of the AMSA Connect software, email info@amsa-consulting.com Charter Oak State College is Connecticut's Public Online College. Calling all leaders or aspiring leaders! Charter Oak State College, Connecticut's public online College, will host a virtual Open House for its Graduate Division programs on Wed., November 17 @ 5:30 PM EST. All individuals interested in elevating their career paths by completing a Graduate degree are invited to attend. Please RSVP at http://www.CharterOak.edu/masters. The event will include Program Directors from the College's M.S. Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership program and M.S. Health Informatics and M.S. Health Care Administration program. All three degree programs are online and led and taught by credentialed experts in the field of business, healthcare and healthcare coding. The Program Directors will be joined by Admissions Directors who will guide participants through the Admissions requirements, costs to attend and provide a program overview. Charter Oak State College Graduate Division programs do not require GRE/entrance exams. Attendees of the Open House can apply to any of the three Graduate programs FREE. For more information and to RSVP please visit http://www.CharterOak.edu/masters. Founded in 1973, Charter Oak State College (http://www.CharterOak.edu) is Connecticuts public online college, offering associate and bachelors degrees in high-demand fields including Health Information Management, Nursing, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education and Business Administration. The College offers masters degrees in Health Informatics, Health Care Administration and Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership. Charter Oak is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education and governed by Connecticuts Board of Regents for Higher Education. Biocom California Purchasing Group, the life science group purchasing organization serving Californias largest membership association, supports the Governor and the Legislature in their recent decision to allow health trusts to operate under special conditions, enabling the critical industry health insurance program, Beyond Benefits, to continue serving small-to mid-tier life science employers. Since 2012, Beyond Benefits has helped emerging life science companies in California with more than 4 employees secure competitive healthcare benefits that aim to attract and retain highly-skilled talent. Beyond Benefits covers 35,000 lives and has realized $6.2 million in first-year savings for over 260 participating companies. Compared to annual market trend rate increases of up to 12%, Beyond Benefits 5% average renewal increase since 2012 is well below what employers experience outside the trust. Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) operates the trust that was built in 2012. This bill is a major win for Californias dynamic life science industry and for the states economy, said Greg Giandomenico, vp and managing director of Biocom California Purchasing Group. The legislation will enable choice, flexibility, and efficiency in life science healthcare plans poised to attract top talent while protecting the bottom line. Biocom California Purchasing Group thanks Governor Newsom and the state Legislature for supporting an industry that creates many high-quality jobs, drives innovation and represents the entrepreneurial spirt of California. According to Biocom Californias 2021 Economic Impact Report, the life science industry in California supports over 1.38 million jobs in the region, with economic activity generating a total of $405B in total business sales in 2020 alone. With venture capital in the state up 60% from 2019 to an all-time high of $15B, and over $6.23B in research funding from NIH and NSF in 2020, the state is primed to invest in a highly-skilled and talented workforce. Trevor Walker, Principal, Employee Health & Benefits Division at MMA, the entity that operates the trust, said: Beyond Benefits addresses key challenges facing life science companies in California, including the ability to fill and retain a diverse pipeline of skilled workers, especially post-pandemic when demand for top talent is at an all-time high. Beyond Benefits rich benefit plan designs offered by best-in-class insurers offer stability and scalability for small-group life science employers looking to compete nationwide. About Biocom California Purchasing Group Biocom California Purchasing Group is the life science group purchasing organization (GPO) serving the largest statewide membership association, with 1,500+ members in various sectors of the life science, biotech, medical device, and pharmaceutical industries. As a trusted advisor and industry partner, Biocom California Purchasing Group aims to accelerate life science success by leveraging innovative, member-driven strategic sourcing solutions that significantly lower the total cost of doing business in California and beyond. In 2020, members collectively saved $384M and brought more ideas to market through a broad range of products, services and technologies offered by endorsed Purchasing Group suppliers supporting members nationwide. For more information on Biocom California Purchasing Group, please visit our website at http://www.biocompurchasinggroup.org. The cost to businesses offering employees a traditional health insurance plan is significant and increases yearly without any significant improvement in the quality or value of care. Were changing that for small and medium-sized businesses in our community." South Florida businesses seeking to improve the health and wellness of their workforce while reducing healthcare costs now have a trusted, local healthcare provider who can offer everything needed to become self-funded. Hollywood-based Memorial Healthcare System is offering small and medium-sized businesses (50-1,000 employees) the opportunity to become self-funded. Memorial Health Assurances agency captive helps lower costs and risk while assuring accountability, transparency, and quality of coverage and care for employees by consolidating resources of hundreds of local businesses. Memorial is the first healthcare system in South Florida to offer its services directly to businesses interested in becoming self-insured, enabling them to customize their benefit program to best suit the needs of their workforce. The cost to businesses offering employees a traditional health insurance plan is significant and increases yearly without any significant improvement in the quality or value of care, said Richard Ashenoff II, executive director, Memorial Health Network. Were changing that for small and medium-sized businesses in our community by offering a solution for self-funding that better suits their individual needs and provides the high-quality care Memorial is known to deliver. Memorial Health Assurance pools small and medium-sized employers, providing economies of scale typically reserved for much larger employers. Participating companies now benefit by the strength in numbers the program provides, allowing them the ability to become self-funded and backed by reinsurance for claims above a defined dollar amount. We are essentially providing a turnkey solution that allows small and medium-sized businesses to enjoy all the benefits of self-funding, without the usual risks, said Ashenoff. With thousands of its own employees already successfully served by this program, Memorial Healthcare System inherently understood the benefits to local businesses of becoming self-insured. Cost savings, data transparency on health outcomes, and control over the design of their benefit plans all come within a risk-controlled, concierge experience. Memorial and its clinically integrated network of physicians is a vital provider of medical services and remains committed to moving population health forward by helping to ensure our community has access to high quality care that focuses on improving total health, not just episodic care, said Matthew Muhart, executive vice president and chief strategy officer of Memorial Healthcare System. With our Assurance program, were extending our impact to proactively care for small business employees who are the backbone of our local economy. Memorial Health Assurance services will be delivered through Memorial Health Network and Holy Cross Physician Partners, two well-established, clinically-integrated networks that are part of Atlantic Coast Health Network. That network includes over 2,000 physicians, seven hospitals, four urgent care centers, four outpatient surgery centers, and two free-standing emergency departments. It also features both adult and pediatric heart and kidney transplant programs, inpatient/outpatient behavioral health services, a skilled nursing facility, and a home health agency. Memorial Health Assurance includes partner services provided by reputable and long-standing companies, including back-office operations by Health Plans, Inc. and stop-loss coverage by Swiss Re Group. For more information on Memorial Health Assurance, visit http://www.MHS.net/Assurance or call 800-987-6151. About Memorial Healthcare System: Memorial Healthcare System is one of the largest public healthcare systems in the country and is a national leader in quality care and patient satisfaction. Its facilities include Memorial Regional Hospital, Memorial Regional Hospital South, Joe DiMaggio Childrens Hospital, Memorial Hospital West, Memorial Hospital Miramar, Memorial Hospital Pembroke and Memorial Manor nursing home. The system received the following recognitions: Modern Healthcare magazines Best Place to Work in Healthcare, Florida Trends Floridas Best Companies to Work For, and Beckers Hospital Reviews 150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare. For more information, visit mhs.net. Family of Families: Force of Control: a thoroughly detailed exploration of life in one of the most tumultuous periods in the nations history. Family of Families: Force of Control is the creation of published author Milano Authors LLC. The primary researcher and writer is Evan K. Slaughenhoupt, Jr., who earned a bachelors degree from the University of Maryland, majoring in geography and minoring in history, and a Master of Science degree from the National Intelligence College. He served in the Air Force and later as a civilian employee within the department of defense, taking various overseas assignments and early retirement in 2002. He was then employed by a major aerospace company before retiring in 2018. From 2010 to 2018, Evan served two terms as an elected county commissioner in Calvert County, Maryland. While an elected official, he also served on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Association of Counties and graduated from the Academy of Excellence in Local Government, University of Maryland School of Public Policy. He previously authored the book Camp Cadet. Upon retirement in 2018, Evan and his wife and son relocated to Venice, Florida. Milano Authors LLC shares, Family of Families: Force of Control is a fictionalized account of families over several generations and is the third of three Family of Families series. Though fiction, all the individuals were real except for some of those introduced by a first name only. They were the everyday common people who struggled in a country that began losing its freedoms and liberties through changes occurring within the government as well as challenges caused by political corruption. Though a fictional narration, places and dates were as accurate as possible. Some of the stories contained, however, happened as portrayed. The storyline was intended to reflect life as largely experienced by the common individual during their time. A listing of references is provided as sources for any reader wanting to learn more. Credit is also given to contributors of this story. Milano Authors LLC wished to recognize and thank volunteer editor, Ron McClain. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Milano Authors LLCs new book is the third compelling installment in the Family of Families series. As the culmination of Slaughenhoupts research that led to the original Family of Families work, this installment offers the same passion for historical correctness and detailed examples of the day-to-day lives of the common citizen. Consumers can purchase Family of Families: Force of Control at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Family of Families: Force of Control, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Low literacy is often a silent issue, so the annual Great American Book Sale is one of the ways that ProLiteracy is committed to raising awareness about adult literacy while supporting local programs," said Kevin Morgan, president and CEO of ProLiteracy. ProLiteracys Great American Book Sale, held September 20-26, raised $38,000 for adult literacy. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to ProLiteracys National Book Fund and Mobile Learning Fund. These programs provide adult literacy and basic education programs with print and digital materials to help teach adults to read. More than 120 authors donated over 600 titles to the fundraising event--including New York Times bestsellers Nora Roberts, Richard Blanco, Julia Quinn, Kevin Kwan, Brit Bennett, Debbie Macomber, and more. This sale was made possible through a generous sponsorship and match totaling $35,000 from the Nora Roberts Foundation. There are 43 million adults in the United States who lack basic education and literacy skills. These individuals are some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and many were among the first to lose their jobs during the economic downturn of the pandemic, said Kevin Morgan, president and CEO of ProLiteracy. Low literacy is often a silent issue, so the annual Great American Book Sale is one of the ways that ProLiteracy is committed to raising awareness about adult literacy while supporting local programs. For a list of participating authors and additional information on how to invest in the future of adult literacy, visit ProLiteracy.org ### About ProLiteracy ProLiteracy is the largest adult literacy and basic education nonprofit membership organization in the nation. ProLiteracy is the leader in adult literacy content development, programs, and advocacy for more than 60 years. ProLiteracy works with its member organizations to help adults gain the reading, writing, math, English, and digital skills they need to be successful. ProLiteracy advocates on behalf of adult learners and the programs that serve them, provides training and professional development, and publishes materials used in adult literacy and basic education instruction. ProLiteracy has 1,000 member programs in all 50 states, and works with 21 nongovernmental organizations in 35 developing countries. For more information, visit http://www.ProLiteracy.org. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. SGFs new website creates a better experience for mobile users, places patients at the forefront of the site, and implements better search functions. Our goal in the redesign is to provide patients with greater access to relevant and comprehensive content that supports, educates, and empowers. As Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) celebrates 30 years of fertility care and 100,000 babies born, it unveils a fully redesigned website that achieves a better experience for users and confirms SGFs commitment to being the gold standard for fertility websites. SGF partnered with Grafik, an Alexandria, Virginia-based marketing agency to accomplish this monumental task. Ranked as the number one fertility website in the United States by SimilarWeb.com, SGFs new website creates a better experience for mobile users, places patients at the forefront of the site, and implements better search functions and heightened visibility for important and needed fertility care information. Our goal in the redesign is to provide patients with greater access to relevant and comprehensive content that supports, educates, and empowers, shares Eric A. Widra, M.D., Medical Director of Shady Grove Fertility. With the expanded website, we hope to convey the importance of providing resources to individuals and couples who are seeking fertility care to grow their families. Increasing access to fertility care resources SGFs website is well-known for being a valuable asset to its patients and the fertility community. The resource library on the new website was designed with patients in mind. SGFs dynamic resource library allows users to search, filter, and view approximately 2,000 educational and support resources all in one place to aid readers along every stage of their family-building journeys. By organizing the content into various resource types (e.g., articles, eBooks, events, patient stories, press releases, and videos), and topic categories (e.g., diagnosing infertility, get started, inspiration, treatment, etc.), readers can customize their own experience suited for their educational needs. As a part of the library build, the site has also introduced dynamic tagging, offering patients related articles and stories at the end of the page or with a single click, viewing all content about a given topic. Additionally, the new site uses predictive search and sort filtering, which is designed to get smarter as artificial intelligence gathers datalearning what content visitors engage with the most and then providing the most popular and valuable content as a higher priority for future search queries. Focusing on patients and inclusivity Many visual updates to the website directly reflect SGFs patient-focused values. SGF celebrates the diversity of its staff, patients, and community and strives for inclusivity. Through more diverse photography and images throughout the site featuring SGFs very own patients, SGF shows its commitment to our community while continuing an effort to better recognize and celebrate all families. Other important features for patients include easier access to the Patient Portal, where they can accomplish key tasks and manage one-on-one communications with medical teams. An updated guide to SGFs Wellness Center and Psychological Support Services includes a directory for recommended holistic practitioners and mental health providers. SGF is a trusted name for over 5,000 physicians who refer their patients to the practice currently comprised of 43 offices across seven states and Washington, D.C. annually for fertility care. The more robust directory reflects the partnerships SGF has established within the health and wellness communities to further offer patients complementary holistic health services. Ultimately, SGFs new website reiterates a commitment to patient-centered fertility care. The enhanced features that allow users to find and filter through content better help patients to be more informed and confident in their fertility journey. To experience the redesigned SGF digital presence, visit the website at ShadyGroveFertility.com. 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. Located within Spring Groves main funeral home, the facility features multiple remodeled rooms that can host visitations, funeral or memorial services, and family gatherings for up to 300. Families of Greater Cincinnati now have another way to honor the lives of their loved ones through Spring Groves newly opened 10,000-square-foot Event Center. The state-of-the-art facility gives families the option to host receptions before or after any service at Spring Grove Funeral Homes. Spring Grove can connect families with a catering service to choose the options that best honor their needs and budget. Whether families want to gather for a formal sit-down meal or light hors d'oeuvres, the choices are limitless. The Event Centers decor is elegant yet inviting, featuring beautiful chandeliers, windows offering ample natural light, and a large fireplace. Located within Spring Groves main funeral home, the facility features multiple remodeled rooms that can host visitations, funeral or memorial services, and family gatherings for up to 300. The facilitys large parking lot can accommodate all guests. The location is also used for specific community events, such as hospice events and grief support groups. Spring Grove Funeral Homes offers unparalleled convenience to Cincinnati families by offering funerals, cremation, memorialization, burials, and receptions all in one location. This takes additional stress off grieving families, so they dont have to coordinate the logistics of moving from different parts of town within the same day. The use of the Event Center is available to families who choose Spring Grove Funeral Homes for their services and can also be added into any preplanning arrangements made with Spring Grove Funeral Homes. Those with questions about Spring Groves Event Center and reception services are encouraged to contact Spring Groves team of caring professionals at (513) 853-1035. SPCEA believes that increased awareness and knowledge of cost engineering within manufacturing will lead to improved accuracy of cost estimates and analysis, better organizational cost control, and highly cost optimized products The Society of Product Cost Engineering & Analytics (SPCEA) is excited to announce their 2021 virtual conference: Cost Engineering: Cost Optimization, Estimating, and Controlling in the World of Uncertainty. SPCEA is passionate about providing training, certification, information sharing, job boards, and networking opportunities for cost engineering professionals. SPCEA believes that increased awareness and knowledge of cost engineering within manufacturing will lead to improved accuracy of cost estimates and analysis, better organizational cost control, and highly cost optimized products. This, in turn, will lead to higher levels of industry profitability and increased employment. Rob Lidster, GE Appliances Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer, will deliver the SPCEA 2021 Conference keynote address Cost Engineering in the World of Uncertainty, discussing strategic sourcing using cost knowledge, the challenges of cost engineering within an unpredictable business environment. Rob will share his experiences, including the challenges of the last few years, such as China tariffs, COVID shutdown, post COVID restart, raw material price volatility, and electronic component shortages. Other speakers include: Chris Domanski, President SPCEA and Senior Costing Manager, Faurecia USA Suresh Palaniswamy, Engineering Group Manager, Electrification Cost Optimization General Motors USA Pradeep Seneviratne, President Campfire Interactive USA Robert Hurley, Senior Manager, Value Chain Strategy and Costing Bose Corporation USA Rich Buttrey, Senior Manager Cost Estimation Lucid Motors USA Emmanuel Mary, Head of Delivery Price USA Dan Sharkey, Co-Founder and Managing Partner Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco, PLLC USA Dr. Bob Mills, President ACostE UK Nis-Peter Iwersen, Interim Procurement Transformation Manager NP Iwersen Consulting Germany Jeoff Burris, Founder and Managing Partner Advanced Purchasing Dynamics USA Matt Smith, President/CEO 3C Software USA Jeff Miller, President Senoia Engineering Solutions and SPCEA Secretary/Treasurer USA Michael Betz, CEO and Managing Partner Advanced Purchasing Dynamics USA Dave Tween, Head of Automotive Segment Price USA Alex Swoboda, CEO FACTON Germany John Monica, Portfolio Development Executive Siemens USA Chris Jeznach, Senior Manager, Product Marketing aPriori USA Ralf Altpeter, Partner Umlaut Germany Javier Masini, Partner at RHA LLC and Past Director of Education at SAVE International USA To learn more and sign up for the conference go to https://spcea.org/2021-virtual-conference/ Brokerage websites can help you obtain extremely accurate car insurance quotes. However, to obtain extremely accurate quotes, you will need to provide correct and truthful information while completing complex online questionnaires, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of IMC Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that explains how drivers can obtain some very accurate car insurance quotes. For more info and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/tips-getting-accurate-car-insurance-quotes Comparing car insurance offers from multiple insurance carriers is not that hard anymore. With the help of a brokerage website, drivers will only need to complete a questionnaire with data about themselves, their vehicles, and their driving history in order to obtain multiple offers from various insurance companies that are licensed to sell policies in their areas. Using a brokerage website can help drivers find the policy they need without wasting too much time. The next tips will help drivers obtain accurate quotes: Determine insurance needs. Before looking for insurance, drivers should decide what coverage they need. Besides purchasing the minimum coverage, drivers can have different insurance needs. Drivers who just recently bought a new vehicle should consider getting collision and comprehensive coverage to protect their investment. Also, new car replacement coverage and gap insurance should be bought by owners of new and valuable vehicles who want to have their vehicles fully protected. Additional options like windshield coverage and roadside assistance can help drivers overcome different delicate situations. In the end, the policyholder is the one who decides how much protection is needed. Check how much money is available. Drivers who know how much money they can spend on insurance can better simulate different insurance plans. Online quotes will help drivers simulate different insurance policies with different coverage limits, add-ons, and deductibles with their available budgets. Use only correct information. While getting online quotes, drivers should keep some relevant documents nearby. An online questionnaire will ask for data about the car make, model, sub-model, year of production, safety and anti-theft devices, and driving history. The online questionnaire can ask drivers to provide some really accurate info like the exact sub-model of a vehicle or the number of cylinders. Provide truthful information. There are many drivers who have driving records that are not so good. However, this is not a reason to lie an insurer. Before offering an insurance deal to someone, car insurance companies will do their own investigations. Drivers who are caught lying can face some harsh penalties like increased premiums or policy denial. Use complex questionnaires. The more complex is an online questionnaire, the more accurate are the results. Drivers who complete long questionnaires about vehicle history, driving history and their personal details will obtain quotes that are extremely accurate. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/ Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. The JOBS Group and Valcourt Building Services have a rich history of scalability and service. Theyre continuing that mission of an industry-wide standard by partnering with A1 Orange Exterior Building Services in Florida. This brings another window cleaning company, one with 95+ years experience, under the Valcourt and JOBS umbrella, following another recent acquisition of Martins Window Cleaning Corp as well. The move to partner with A1 Orange also creates new opportunities for expansion of waterproofing services in the Orlando, Jacksonville, and Tampa areas, and it will only be a matter of time before Valcourts added services, including concrete and facade maintenance, become synonymous with A1 Orange too. This will also make top-level services of The JOBS Group, including stonework, metal refinishing, and custom elevator interiors readily available to building owners in Florida as well. Vickie Couture, President of A1 Orange since 1991 and the third-generation Couture family member to become president of the organization, expressed her excitement over this partnership: I am thrilled to lead Team Orange as we join the Valcourt/Jobs Group. Ive known the principals of this organization on a personal level for over 30 years. They are true leaders in our industry. We share a vision of safety, professionalism, client appreciation, and employee recognition. We are most definitely stronger together, which benefits our clients and our team members. Those same values were echoed by John (JD) McGrath, VP of JOBS Group: The addition of the A1 Orange team brings instant credibility to Valcourt and The JOBS Group as we expand our Florida footprint into window cleaning and further enhance our waterproofing offerings. A1 Orange has been the premier provider of exterior maintenance for over 95 years in Orlando, Jacksonville, and Tampa. Their proven track record and passion for excellence in safety, customer relationships, and service align completely with our core values. We are proud to be partnering with such a great business and look forward to helping A1 Orange continue their growth with expanded service line capabilities. These comments also align with what Eric Crabb, CEO of The JOBS Group, had to say about the new partnership: Weve continued to expand on the original mission of Jeff Valcourt and LaRue Coleman to bring safety-, quality- and integrity-first building services to more building owners, and our acquisitions and partnerships over the last 19 months have demonstrated our approach is world-class and in-demand. Im excited to see our brands alignment and look forward to reaching more customers in Florida. This new partnership is clearly a new beginning for The JOBS Group as expansion continues and services become more focused, consolidated and efficient in an industry that remains in-demand throughout disruptions of the world. About A1 Orange Exterior Building Services A1 Orange Exterior Building Services provides window cleaning, pressure cleaning, and waterproofing to commercial, industrial, and medical properties from Tampa/St. Petersburg Bay Area to Orlando/Central Florida, and up to Jacksonville/Northeast Florida. Since 1925, A1 Orange has been committed to leading the industry in safety, exceptional service and customer satisfaction About The JOBS Group Founded in 1970 by LaRue Coleman, JOBS Group operates subsidiaries under the names "JOBS", "AMST", April Building Services, Exterior Diagnostic Services (EDS), HSG, Scotties, Martins Window Cleaning and now A1 Orange, specializing in high-rise facade maintenance (including window cleaning and waterproofing), architectural surface maintenance, elevator cab interior refurbishment, and other related property maintenance services. JOBS Group companies service the market-leading property management firms, building owners, and corporations as its clientele. For more information on The JOBS Group, visit https://www.jobs-amst.com or request a consultation here. About Valcourt Building Services Valcourt was founded in 1986 by Mr. Jeffery Valcourt and has grown from a small window cleaning company serving the Washington, D.C. area into one of the largest exterior maintenance companies in the country. Valcourt has expanded to ten regional offices with numerous service lines, including window cleaning, waterproofing, SafeSite compliance, Valcourt Safety Systems, and ProXpress repairs. For more information about Valcourt a list of services provided, visit http://www.valcourt.net About Littlejohn & Co., LLC Littlejohn & Co. is a Greenwich, Connecticut-based investment firm focused on private equity and debt investments primarily in middle-market companies. With approximately $12 billion in regulatory assets under management, the firm seeks to build sustainable success for its portfolio companies through a disciplined approach to engineering change. For more information about Littlejohn, visit http://www.littlejohnllc.com. Lucy, Pet Partners Therapy Dog posing in front of the Capitol Building, Washington, DC The entire pet care community came together during virtual Pet Week on Capitol Hill to share this message and the data behind the importance of the human-animal bond in American society. The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) brought the love of pets to Congress this week through a virtual Pet Week on Capitol Hill. Featuring conversations with leaders in animal health, animal welfare, pet business, celebrity guests, Members of Congress, therapy animals, and some very cute pets, Pet Week on Capitol Hill focused on key data showing the growing importance of pets in society and how policies supporting pet ownership and care have the potential to save lives, enhance wellbeing, and protect public health. Americans love their pets and support policies that strengthen pet ownership as a positive force for our health and wellbeing, said Steven Feldman, President of HABRI. The entire pet care community came together during virtual Pet Week on Capitol Hill to share this message and the data behind the importance of the human-animal bond in American society. Pet Week on Capitol Hill addressed a wide array of timely issues including data-driven updates on animal shelters and pet adoption in the United States, the importance of pet ownership and pet care to the economy, and the positive impact of pet-friendly policies and legislation. Congressman Kurt Schrader (OR-5) discussed the importance of veterinarians during the pandemic and legislation aimed at protecting people and pets from zoonotic diseases and natural disasters. As the only veterinarian serving in Congress, I welcome opportunities like this to spread the word to pet owners, the public and my colleagues about the real, tangible benefits pets bring to our lives, and the importance of veterinary medicine in safeguarding public health, said Representative Schrader. It was also my honor to announce the winners of the AHI Cutest Pets on Capitol Hill Contest. Pet Week on Capitol Hill is a wonderful event that brings us together and lifts spirits at a time when everyone really needs it. A highlight of Pet Week on Capitol Hill, the Animal Health Institute (AHI) unveiled the winners of the 13th annual Cutest Pets on Capitol Hill contest, which recognizes the most adorable animals owned by Members of Congress and their staff. Dog: Reily Owner: Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-1) Cat: Dorothy Owner: Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-1) Exotic: Dublin Owner: Emma Settle Office of Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-8) In special guest appearances, Tamron Hall, journalist and TV personality, advocated for Congress to increase funding for pet-friendly domestic violence shelters. Bobby Bones, best-selling author and TV personality, delivered a heartfelt message in support of veterans with post-traumatic stress, who will now be able to train and have access to service dogs after recent passage of the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act. We are grateful to the many pet care companies and organizations who made virtual Pet Week on Capitol Hill possible, added Feldman. We hope to be back in person in 2022 with our much-anticipated Pet Night on Capitol Hill reception! All recorded discussions from Pet Week on Capitol Hill are now available to view on-demand at http://www.petnight.com, where people can also sign up to be invited to Pet Night on Capitol Hill 2022. Pet Night on Capitol Hill is an annual event, hosted by HABRI and sponsored by the pet care community. For more information, please visit http://www.petnight.com. Images available upon request. ### About HABRI HABRI is a not-for-profit organization that maintains the worlds largest online library of human-animal bond research and information; funds innovative research projects to scientifically document the health benefits of companion animals; and informs the public about human-animal bond research and the beneficial role of companion animals in society. For more information, please visit http://www.habri.org. Visiting Angels, the nations leading provider of in-home care for seniors, has announced the launch of its non-profit arm, The Visiting Angels Foundation. The goal of the foundation is to help every senior citizen age with dignity, compassion, and care, no matter their financial situation. The Visiting Angels Foundation partners with community-based organizations dedicated to serving seniors most in need and provides the resources and funding necessary for these organizations to continue their important and life-changing work. Far too many seniors today cannot pay for even basic necessities like food, rent, and medicine, said Larry Meigs, CEO of Visiting Angels. Its time to ensure that every senior has access to the care they need. Thats why we launched the Visiting Angels Foundation to support organizations that are providing for vulnerable seniors. For the past 20 years, the Visiting Angels corporation has been providing top-quality in-home care to senior citizens. One of the companys primary commitments in its day-to-day business is ensuring that seniors can maintain their dignity as they age. Visiting Angels believes that all seniors should enjoy that same right. Supported by the Visiting Angels home office and over 600 franchisees throughout North America, the Visiting Angels Foundation has already begun providing grants to outstanding senior care organizations. These include The Salvation Armys COVID-19 relief funds as well as the Holy Family Home, run by Little Sisters of the Poor. Organizations wishing to receive a grant must be recommended by a Visiting Angels franchise location. The Visiting Angels Foundation is a tremendous resource for America's seniors to obtain the care they need and deserve, said Dan Drennen, President of Visiting Angels Foundation. We hope everyone who cares about the well-being of our seniors will join us in this important effort. For more information about the Visiting Angels Foundation, you can visit their website at visitingangelsfoundation.org. This years Twin Cities Book Festival, sponsored by the literary journal Rain Taxi, was once again a hybrid event that included a series of virtual author appearances, followed by a day of programming and a book fair, held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds located between Minneapolis and St. Paul. Packed with high-profile authors of both adult and childrens books, the virtual program kicked off on September 16 with Mary Roach in conversation with Erik Larson about her latest book, Fuzz, and culminated on October 14 with Kate DiCamillo and Sophie Blackall in conversation with Ann Patchett. The three discussed The Beatryce Prophecy, the new middle grade novel that DiCamillo wrote and Blackall illustrated, as well as the creative process and the importance of love and courage both in ones life and in ones career as an author, and in Blackalls case, an artist. This book is such a treat. If you already have a favorite Kate DiCamillo book, be ready to add this to the list, Rain Taxi editor Eric Lorberer declared while introducing the three authors to almost 400 online viewers (though there were probably many more people watching and listening with those 400), who hailed from all over the U.S. and from as far away as Portugal and South Korea. Kate DiCamillo is a Minnesota treasure, he said. Around here, she is as treasured as the Mississippi River. Kate, Sophie, I am really glad you two are here, Patchett said, and we get to talk about this book. She added that before The Beatryce Prophecy pubbed, DiCamillo had confessed to her feeling nervous about its reception. And I said, it doesnt make any difference when the book comes out, Patchett recalled. This is a book that is going to be around forever and forever. Its a classic. A book can be great, but a book cant very often be a classic. And that is thanks to [DiCamillo and Blackall], and the intersection of your gorgeous work. The Beatryce Prophecy (Candlewick, Sept.) received a starred review from PW, which described it as an engrossing medieval fable that is tenderly illuminated by Blackall in her first collaboration with DiCamillo. After being found, covered in blood and dirt, in a monastery barn, Beatryce and her protector, a goat named Answelica, are sent by the monks out into the world to evade the realms evil king. Fearing that she represents the fulfillment of a prophecy of a girl child who will unseat a king, the ruler is intent on finding her and will stop at nothing to do so. Explaining that she had re-read The Beatryce Prophecy in the days immediately preceding the event, Patchett started off the discussion by noting that she had been marveling at the structure of the novel, rather than simply being swept away by the story. The way its put together, both in terms of the writing and the illustrations and how they play together, I could give an hour-long lecture just on the first chapter of this book and how its structuredwhich is perfectly. In response, DiCamillo pointed out that, unlike Patchett, who outlines her story arcs, she does not know in advance whats going to happen, as she weaves tales; she simply writes. Discussing the text and the illustrations, Patchett noted the contrasts in both, that theres either propulsion forward, or stillness and symmetry. DiCamillo responded, Im always going instinctually towards that feeling in every story, not just the goat and the girl and the book. Thats part of what telling a story is for methis chaosand going towards that thing where you are bringing everything together. As for the illustrations, Blackall said that while she was immersed in the manuscript, she was also thinking about the relationship of being friends and collaborators and compatriotsso I had them balanced. [DiCamillos] stories have these meandering parts, and roads, and journeys, and processions and parades. I think of it all as this dynamic trajectory. While the trio discussed the illustrations, Patchett noted that she appreciated how Blackall pulls back [on her art] when theres a lot of action, and then, at the end, when you are really moving into resolution, you get these gorgeous full pictures of all these people. DiCamillo acknowledged that she had not realized this, and described Blackalls technique as like a crescendoit becomes symphonic. She also noted that she and Blackall did not make decisions together, and did not collaborate at all on text and art while creating The Beatryce Propecy. We are purposely kept apart, DiCamillo said of the typical relationship between an author and an illustrator. Disclosing that Candlewick originally only wanted six, or 12, or something illustrations for The Beatryce Prophecy, Blackall recalled thinking at the time, Thats not nearly enough. She explained that when she reads a manuscript she has been contracted to illustrate, she reads it from the point of view of somebody who loves illustrated books and also tries to understand it from a childs perspective: What do I really want to see on this page, who do I want to know what they look like? What does that tree look like? When they climb up in the tree, where are they, and what does the inside of the tree look like? Thats how the pictures ended up where they are, she said, noting that, especially in the beginning of the story, theres such momentum in the text that you dont need [illustrations] so much there, youre just rollicking along through those pages. The Writers Life As is to be expected when two or more authors talk shop, the conversation switched to the creative process. Citing Because of Winn-Dixie, Patchett noted that DiCamillo repeatedly writes stories with a child protagonist and their primary relationship with an animal that nobody else can tame, and laughingly asked her if she is in a rut. Denying this, DiCamillo explained that one common thread running throughout her books is the transforming power of love. That is one of the themes that I keep on unwittingly end up turning over again and again in every story. It seems to be a preoccupation with me and Im not aware that Im doing it. Despite the online presence of hundreds of audience members, the conversation became an even more intimate discussion of the writing life after Blackall referred to a comment made by Patchett earlier. Why were you nervous about this book coming out? Blackall asked DiCamillo, I was just the opposite: I could not wait for people to read this book, because I knew they would love it. I always feel like its going out into the world without any armor at all, DiCamillo responded, referring to all of her published books, not just The Beatryce Prophecy. You have to take off all the armor to write it, and then you get to put the armor back on. And then when it goes out, anybody can say to you, I do not like that, and it hurts because its a part of you. Noting that she has participated in hundreds of signings throughout her career, Patchett recalled that nobody has ever given her a good review of one of her books that they had cut out of a newspaper or magazine, but that she has many times been given copies of negative reviews of her books by people at signings. That is a real thing that happens, Patchett reported. If you get one bad review for a book, everyones going to cut it out, and very quietly give you the news. Sharing a memory of somebody who once stood in line for two hours just to criticize The Tale of Despereaux to her face, DiCamillo explained that in order to do it right, you have to go out unprotected. You cant protect yourself in order to tell the story and you cant protect yourself when you go out into the world, because otherwise the whole thing is pointless. Patchett disagreed, insisting she refuses to let herself take criticism too personally, explaining that someone once wrote to her, complaining that Bel Canto was so badly written that not only will I not be able to read one of your books again, this book is so bad that I dont know if I will be able to read fiction again. In response, Patchett sent him two tens, a five, and a one and informed him that she was refunding his money. And then he writes me back, returning her money, and promising to read all of her books because she had real moxie and I like that. It takes huge courage to create, DiCamillo said, prompting Blackall to add, Part of the courage is letting it go, and knowing when you are willing to say, its out of my handsthats one of the hardest things for me. You know its never going to be this beautiful thing thats in your head, its always going to be a shadow of that, DiCamillo responded, referring to the creative and publishing process, Its never going to be perfect. I could work on this and try to make it perfect, and its going to start unraveling if I keep at it. Its time to let it go. In visual art, theres a much better understanding that you can ruin something by over-working it, Patchett pointed out, whereas writers always believe that they can somehow magically scroll back three drafts. Things have an energy and a life force that if you take it too far, you will kill it. Im very good at letting things go, Patchett said. I would rather let things go two or three percent before its as good as it could be, rather than take it two or three percent past where it should be. As the conversation concluded and before the three answered audience questions, a clearly appreciative Lorberer returned to the screen, marveling that so many people had had an opportunity to listen to three of the greatest living creators in their respective genres. You are electrifying all of us watching. We are so grateful. After a years hiatus as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Frankfurt Book Fair returned October 2022 as a hybrid event, featuring a mix of online programming, in-person presentations, exhibit halls, and the agents center. The number of participants for the in-person fair was significantly scaled down from previous years, with daily capacity limited to 25,000 to accommodate social distancing. In all 36,000 trade visitors from 105 countries attended the fair. A further 37,500 private visitors from 85 countries also attended. More than 2,013 companies from 80 countries participated, as part of the Literary and Agents Center, rented one of the fair's new workstations, or rented a booth. By way of comparison, the 2019 fair attracted more than 300,000 people and 7,500 exhibitors. Many of the largest publishers, particularly those from the U.S. and U.K., chose to stay home, creating room for smaller and medium-size publishers to gain more visibility and interact with a larger range of potential business partners. Georgina Segarra Ros, publisher of Gemser Publications, a childrens book press and packager from Barcelona, took a stand in Hall 4.1. She summed up what many publishers surveyed said they felt about the fair when she said, We were worried at first, but it has been a good experience this year. Yes, it is empty compared with other fairs, but there are still people coming through the aisles. Previously, we would have made many appointments in advance, but this time we had only a few, so we were able to meet with people spontaneously and had longer conversations. The people who did come are very eager to work, and we think that quite a lot of business will come out of our having come this year. Altogether, we are very happy. Michael Z. Wise, cofounder of New Vessel Press, a publishing house specializing in literary translation based in New York City, made the trip to Frankfurt. Being one of a handful of Americans at this years Frankfurt Book Fair has meant a particularly warm welcome for New Vessel Press, Wise said. Yes, its notably quieter than usual, although having 35 appointments spread out over three days, when I usually have over 50, its been hectic enough. Ive been coming to Frankfurt annually since 2013, and this fair is a strange one. Still, being here has been incredibly rewarding. Kate Wilson, managing director of U.K. childrens publishing house Nosy Crow, was among a handful of publishers from the U.K. attending. While the 2021 Frankfurt Book Fair wasnt ever going to be as lively and packed as the 2019 fair and its forerunners, Wilson said, we are nevertheless pleased to be here, engaging culturally and commercially with other publishers from around the world. We filled two days with appointments and made over 20 new contacts from walk-ins to the stand. Though it was far from a normal show, those who attended said it was great to reconnect with other publishers and agents. I think that prior to 2020 and this year, people may have taken the Frankfurt Book Fair a bit for granted, said Juergen Boos, director of the book fair. But this year was a reminder of just how important it is to meet face-to-face, how important those chance meetings and serendipitous discussions are to our creative industry. Boos emphasized that one of the lessons learned in the past two years is to emphasize quality over quantity. We are implementing that idea here at the fair and with our online activities, Boos added. He pointed to the presence of collective stands from more than 80 countries that participated this yearIt is a model that is working well for many publishersand suggested that grouping together publishers from the same country, who might otherwise have individual booths, creates more spontaneous business interactions. Central to the book fair is the LitAg, the literary agents and rights center, which was filled to only 25% of capacity. Boos said the fair is exploring ways of reviving the center, which has lost numerous clients, many of whom have adapted to using online communications to handle deals. Were looking at allowing publishers to take tables in the LitAg going forward, which is something they have wanted to do, he noted. This is just one of the ways in which Boos said the fair may evolve in the coming years, with international publishers grouped in collective stands and individual publishers taking the best of several optionswhich may include a booth, renting a workstation, or paying for a table at the LitAg. On the other hand, Boos said, German-language publishers are looking at expanding their booths to incorporate stages to host more author events. With Covid-19 having curtailed author tours and public events, German publishers see the fair as an opportunity for more customer interaction, he added. Several programs that were initiated in 2019 and 2020 have become central to the Frankfurt Book Fairs activities, including a focus on audiobooksthe hot topic of the fair, according to Boos. In addition, the fair will retain its digital platforms, which include broadcasting events online from its studio set up in the Festhalle, and the Frankfurt Rights digital platform. Social media interaction has been normalized, said Boos, who noted that the fairs social media feeds have become a lively forum for cultural and political discussions. As for the live event itself, Boos pointed out that initially the fair was quiet, but things really picked up in activity as the week progressed. Even the party scene at the Frankfurter Hof, the hotel in the city center where publishers typically gather for drinks at the end of each day, had reemerged. I couldnt get my usual table at Oscars [the hotel restaurant], he said. Asked what his highlight of the week was, Boos responded that it was the opportunity to socialize with the young publishers participating in the Frankfurt Book Fairs fellowship program. It wasnt easy, but this year we brought in several people from Africathree from Mozambique, Cameroon, and Rwandaas well as from Nepal and Kazakhstan. I was surprised at how professional these young people are already. Everyone spoke English and is in touch with the world. Its very encouraging to see this new generation of publishers emerge. Canada was the guest of honor country at this years fair. The country had two large booths, one for French and one for English, pictured here. This story has been updated with the final attendance figures. Inside the 2021 College Free Speech Rankings Hillsdale College and Baylor University are both private Christian schools that prioritize their faith. Despite their shared religious convictions, a new survey suggests that the two schools depart in one key area protecting student speech on campus. Both schools were included in the 2021 College Free Speech Rankings, a project sponsored by RealClearEducation, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), and the research firm College Pulse. The rankings are based on a survey of more than 37,000 students at 159 colleges and universities around the country. Each school received a composite score based on student responses to the survey and its written speech-related policies. According to those results, Hillsdale (67.9 composite score) significantly outperformed Baylor (51.2). Despite their students participation in the survey, neither Hillsdale nor Baylor were ranked in the Free Speech Rankings because FIRE deems them Warning schools private institutions that clearly and consistently hold a certain set of values above a commitment to freedom of speech. Even so, Hillsdale students responses to pollsters demonstrate that a robust speech culture exists on the Michigan campus. Seventy-three percent of Hillsdale students surveyed said they were comfortable publicly disagreeing with a professor on a controversial subject, the highest percentage recorded at any of the 159 schools in the survey. Additionally, 93% of students are comfortable expressing their view on a controversial subject in a common campus space, like the quad. Hillsdale is one of the few four-year colleges and universities in the United States that rejects federal aid. The school puts an institutional emphasis on classical liberalism, the documents and principles of the American founding, and Judeo-Christian values. Those priorities have endeared the school to many conservatives and have shaped the composition of the student body 76% of Hillsdale students surveyed identify as conservative. One student told pollsters that the conservative climate on campus can be suffocating for liberal students. Regarding the heavily conservative nature of Hillsdales campus even neutral-thinking students are judged harshly if they do not comply with the norm, one Hillsdale student said. The last election was a fair, free, and legitimate election. I hesitate to say that on this campus. Other students said it was difficult to criticize the administration. Our administration does not respond well to criticism of its own choices. I dont feel comfortable standing up against absurd policies for students on campus for fear of retaliation on their part, a Hillsdale student said. A Hillsdale spokesman told RealClearEducation that while the school welcomes all students who are willing to advance civil and constructive arguments, it is at root a Christian school with Christian priorities. From the beginning, the moral tenets of Christianity as commonly understood in the Christian tradition have been essential to the mission of the College. As a Christian college, Hillsdale College does not support activities that contravene this commitment, the spokesman said. Despite its religious commitments, the Hillsdale spokesman emphasized that free speech and inquiry were central to the schools mission, pointing to a portion of Hillsdales student handbook that informs students that they may assert and defend any argument [they] conceive, as long as [they] do so in a way that is civil, academic, and conducive to thought and deliberation. An overwhelming majority of Hillsdale students surveyed believe the administration is committed to protecting free speech on campus. Almost 98% of Hillsdale students surveyed said that if a speech-related controversy broke out on campus, the school would be likely to defend the speakers right to advance his point of view. Eighty-four percent said it was very or extremely clear that the administration protects free speech on campus. At Baylor University, by contrast, students felt relatively little confidence in the administrations commitment to free expression. Only 19% of Baylor students said it was very or extremely clear that the administration protects free speech on campus, and a comparatively low proportion (64%) believed the school would defend an embattled speakers rights in a speech-related controversy. Baylors speech troubles extended beyond the administration. Only 36% of Baylor students surveyed said they were comfortable publicly disagreeing with a professor on a controversial subject, the highest percentage recorded at any of the 159 schools in the survey. Additionally, 37% of students are uncomfortable expressing their view on a controversial subject in a common campus space, like the quad. The divided campus 40% of surveyed Baylor students self-identified as conservative, and 37 percent identified as liberal contributed to some students reluctance to speak on controversial subjects. The atmosphere of the campus is very conservative and sometimes it can be intimidating to speak about more liberal issues, one Baylor student said. A spokesman for Baylor University told RealClearEducation that the school is committed to fostering an academic community that values the freedoms that create this marketplace of ideas and safeguards them, and to creating a social community in which civil discourse and mutual respect are expected and encouraged. While Baylor expressed support for the freedoms that create a marketplace of ideas, it also has policies limiting speech forms that undermine its institutional commitment to Christianity. For example, the school prohibits students from participating in advocacy groups which promote understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching. The apparent contradiction between the schools nominal commitments to free speech and its Christian values may be one reason why students on both sides of the political divide seem confused about the administrations policies. Hillsdale, by contrast, has made its policies clearer. A spokesman told RealClearEducation that the private school has the right to set its own speech policies and restrict those speakers who would undermine its institutional mission. In maintaining the required atmosphere of civility and preserving the noble pursuit of the Colleges goals, the spokesman said, Hillsdale College reserves the right to place limits on student conduct and speech to ensure the proper functioning of the College. The following is an excerpt from "The Green Raw Deal" chapter in Sean Spicer's new book, Radical Nation: Joe Biden and Kamala Harriss Dangerous Plan for America. On Monday, February 15, 2021, eleven-year-old Cristian Pavon Pineda was excitedly playing in the snow outside his familys mobile home in Conroe, a suburb of Houston. The sixth grader had never seen snow before. The snowstorm was more severe than any living Texans had ever experienced. It caused massive power outages, food and water shortages, and deaths all across the state. Cristians home had been without electricity and heat for two days. That night, as the temperature outside dropped to 12 degrees, Cristians mother bundled him up alongside his three-year-old brother under a pile of blankets. The next morning, she went in to check on Cristian and his brotherand found Cristian dead. The suspected cause: hypothermia. The Great Texas Blackout of 2021 took the lives of more than 80 people. Causes ranged from hypothermia to carbon monoxide poisoning to house fires to traffic accidents. Those deaths were caused by political decisions. A decade earlier, federal regulators had explicitly warned Texas that its electric grid would likely fail under extreme cold conditions. That warning went unheeded. The storm froze wind turbines, solar panels, and natural gas pipeline equipment. Unlike other states, Texas has its own independent power grid, separate from the two major interstate power grids. Suddenly, the most energy-rich state in the Union could not generate its own powerand it could not import electricity from other states. Nearby states were just as cold but kept the power on. The tragedy of the Texas blackout was partially the result of the growth of the green energy industry. Texas conducted an experiment with a limited version of the Green New Deal: 42 percent of the states electricity came from wind energy. But when the storm froze half the states wind turbines, that figure dropped to 8 percent. Texas lacked an adequate infrastructure of coal and nuclear power plants to make up for the sudden shortfall in renewable energy. For decades, political leaders of both parties have enacted laws that create cash incentives to convert the power grid to renew-ableand unreliableenergy sources. Across the nation, we are retiring coal and nuclear plants in favor of undependable green energy sources. As the Wall Street Journal noted, many states: have renewable mandates that will force more fossil-fuel generators to shut down. New York has required that renewables account for 70 percent of state power by 2030. Then layer on Democratic policies at the federal level that limit fossil-fuel production and distribution. When you look at the environmental and energy policies of the Biden-Harris administration, its clear that Joe Biden refuses to learn the lessons of the Great Texas Blackout of 2021. President Biden and his Democratic allies are dragging the entire nation into a suicide pact with the radical environmental left. I call that suicide pact the Green Raw Deal. During the first Biden-Trump debate in Cleveland on September 29, 2020, moderator Chris Wallace asked Joe Biden whether America needed to balance environmental concerns with eco-nomic concerns. When Biden started to talk about rejoining the Paris Agreement and building a green infrastructure, Trump said, Hes talking about the Green New Deal. Over the next few minutes, Biden made a confusing and contradictory series of statements: That is not my plan. The Green New Deal is not my plan. The Green New Deal will pay for itself as we move forward. No, I dont support the Green New Deal. I support the Biden plan that I put forward. The Biden plan, which is different than what he [Trump] calls the radical Green New Deal. Moments later, Twitter went wild with tweets about this state-ment on Joe Bidens campaign website, which seemed to contradict the candidates statements in the debate: Biden believes the Green New Deal is a crucial framework for meeting the climate challenges we face. Also on that webpage: As president, Biden will lead the world to address the climate emergency and lead through the power of example, by ensuring the U.S. achieves a 100 percent clean energy economy and net-zero emissions no later than 2050. Whether Joe Biden embraces the crucial framework of the Green New Deal or advances his own Joe Biden version, he intends to take America down a perilous road of complete reliance on unreliable energy sources. He intends to rerun the failed Texas blackout experiment all over againbut on a national scale and with the security and survival of the American people as the stakes. TRAVERSE CITY Whether or not to extend the districts universal mask mandate will be considered in an upcoming Traverse City Area Public Schools board of education meeting. On Oct. 25, board members will vote again on the mask mandate. The board first voted to implement a universal mask mandate before the start of the school year and decided on Sept. 27 to extend it, agreeing to revisit the issue in a month. Board President Scott Newman-Bale said he will look at attendance rates at TCAPS schools and local hospital occupancy numbers in preparation for Mondays meeting. The latest on COVID-19 Continuing coverage of COVID-19 and its impact. If you have a question about the novel coronavirus pandemic and haven't been able to find an a My big key thing until everyone has a chance to get vaccinated is: can we keep our kids in face-to-face learning and can our hospital system cope? Newman-Bale said. Trustee Josey Ballenger said in an email that she will be looking at public health data on COVID cases and hospitalizations as well as data on students who have missed schools due to quarantine requirements. Trustee Flournoy Humphreys said in an email she will be looking at infection rates, common sense and recommendations from local doctors, teachers and health departments. Trustee Andrew Raymond said he plans to focus on local COVID case numbers. Im a healthcare administrator so I mean Im very well aware of what our local numbers are, Raymond said. Other than that, Im interested in what some of the schools that are mask-optional, and have been for a little while what their numbers are. A new report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services found that school districts with fewer rules regarding masks saw more COVID cases than those with rules regarding masks. This week, three TCAPS schools Eastern Elementary, Cherry Knoll Elementary and Central High School were added to the state list of new school outbreaks and clusters. Recently, TCAPS board of education meetings have been flooded with spectators and hours-long public comment as the board debates whether or not students, staff and visitors should be required to wear masks inside school buildings. This upcoming meeting is expected to be no different, however the TCAPS board as well as Grand Traverse Academys board of education is now facing a new lawsuit that alleges its mask mandate is unlawful. Grand Rapids lawyer James Thomas is taking on the case against the boards of education, and his legal expenses are being paid through a GoFundMe set up by Sally Roeser. The page has raised over $8,500 of their $15,000 goal. We all have a responsibility to fight back against what we know is wrong, especially when it involves our children, Roeser wrote on the GoFundMes page. In mid-September, Roeser made an appearance on a Cheboygan 97.7 FM WCHY radio show Your Defending Fathers with Trucker Randy, during which she said she fronted the costs of the lawyer in order to get the lawsuit started as soon as possible and is waiting for other parents to pitch in. As soon as they made that mandate a couple weeks ago we were just all up in arms and basically just left the meeting saying, well I guess were gonna sue them, Roeser said on the radio show. And so we started looking around for an attorney that could help us and we did find one that has already filed other similar lawsuits across the state. Hes very passionate about this and thinks this is all just sickening and we should stop obeying. Lawsuits regarding mask mandates are seen throughout Michigan and much of the nation, some against school districts without mask mandates and others against school districts with mask mandates. Many allege that school districts are being either negligent or harmful to students. Newman-Bale said he plans to wait for a decision to be made by the judge in the lawsuit before allowing it to impact the his own opinions on mask mandates in schools. Raymond also said the lawsuit will not sway his thoughts about the mandate going into Mondays meeting. I think that we all understand that this is a pretty divisive conversation and that either way were gonna make people unhappy, Raymond said. So, I dont think that a pending lawsuit is going to change anyones opinion. In the past week, Raymond has received around 300 emails encouraging him and the board to vote to extend the mask mandate on Mondays meeting, he said. Based on the discussion in the last board meeting, Newman-Bale said he doesnt think the board is likely to extend the mask mandate for more than a month at a time. I think it was pretty clear that everyone wants the mask mandate to end as soon as possible as long as its done responsibly and safely, Newman-Bale said. Raymond said he thinks revisiting this issue monthly is the best thing to do. 64, of Traverse City, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021, at Munson Medical Center, in Traverse City, with her daughter, Tina, by her side. She is survived by: her daughters, Tina Tuller-Buist, Meagan Eby, and Rachael Eby. Cremation has taken place and there are no services planned at thi About the candidates Tim Pulliam, 47, has lived in Traverse City for 27 years and owns Keen Technical Solutions, a company focused on energy and process efficiency for commercial and industrial clients. Merek Roman, 34, is a Glen Arbor native living in Traverse City since 2017. The former directional driller works in construction and for a start-up company focused on energy data analysis. Mitchell Treadwell, 32, has lived in Traverse City since 1995. He's a landscaper and also wrangles fish at the Jim Price Trap & Transfer Facility. He serves on the city Parks and Recreation commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals and Traverse City Housing Commission. Porterville, CA (93257) Today A few clouds. Low near 45F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few clouds. Low near 45F. Winds light and variable. Though June is the official national Pride month in celebration of LGBTQ+ people as it was the month of the historic Stonewall riots, many pride-centered events in Athens take place in the month of November to allow the university community to participate. D.G. Martin is a retired law-yer, politician and university administrator and is host of UNC-TVs North Carolina Book-watch at 3 p.m. on Sundays and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays. Follow @jmoseshall on Facebook. Joy Moses-Hall teaches physics and astronomy at Pitt Community College. She has a PhD in oceanography and is also the author of the novel Wretched Refuge. Contact Bobby Burns at baburns@reflector.com and 329.9572. You are the owner of this article. A parcel of land being subdivided for the West River Trail expansion plans sits about 2 miles from the trailhead near the Marina (restaurant). Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook. Anthony Pollina is the chair of the Vermont Progressive Party and a state Senator from Washington County. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of the Brattleboro Reformer. Lake Superior is among the fastest-warming lakes on the planet. Climate change may be the culprit behind its algae blooms too FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, file photo, the top part of the General Robert E. Lee statue is lifted during its removal on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Plaintiffs who failed to block the statue's removal want Virginias Supreme Court to reconsider its decision allowing it. Two days after arriving at a Fredericksburg, Va., hospital with covid-19 in September, Misty Mitchem was put on a ventilator. Another two days later, she died. Misty's husband, Kevin Mitchem, got the news as he arrived at a separate hospital with an unshakable cough. He also had covid-19, and within a week or so he couldn't breathe on his own, Kevin's younger brother, Mike Mitchem, told The Washington Post. Kevin died on Oct. 8, orphaning the four children he and Misty had raised together - and leaving behind a 22-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. But before he did, he expressed regret that he had not been immunized. "His last words to my mom were, 'Mom, I love you. I wish I would have got the shot,'" Mike Mitchem told The Post. Neither Kevin, 48, nor Misty, 46, were vaccinated against the coronavirus, Mike Mitchem told The Post. He said the Stafford County couple had regularly taken in online misinformation about the virus and vaccines. "He liked to listen to different memes he would see - or different people saying . . . covid is not real." "I remember him telling me . . . 'I ain't ever going to get it. It ain't going to happen to me,'" Mike Mitchem added. The Mitchems are among numerous covid-19 patients who have expressed regret about their vaccine hesitation shortly before dying. Like Mike Mitchem, many surviving family members have blamed misinformation for their loved ones' deaths. In September, a California man said he wished he and his wife had been vaccinated after their unborn child died as the mother lay hospitalized on a ventilator. That same month, an Illinois woman died soon after missing her scheduled wedding day because she was hospitalized with covid. And around the same time, a Southern California couple died two weeks apart, leaving behind five children. Social media platforms have struggled to control the flow of misinformation, which has ranged from the promotion of unproven therapies to questioning vaccine safety and coronavirus's existence. "It's incredibly frustrating to be a medical provider right now with all the misinformation being spread online," Rachael Rhodes, Mike Mitchem's daughter-in-law and a nurse practitioner, told the Free Lance-Star. "It's become very discouraging to hear reasons why vaccines are being declined by patients/people. It's gotten to the point where it's not even worth the discussion anymore because it's completely unrelated to anything medical or scientific." Since the Mitchems' deaths have made headlines, Mike Mitchem said, almost a dozen people have reached out to tell him they have been vaccinated because they heard Kevin and Misty's story. Yet he's also noticed that others online have called the story "fake news." "Why would the media make up a story this tragic?" Mike said. "I would give anything for it to not be true, just to have my brother back." He described Kevin, Misty and their children as an "average American family." Kevin Mitchem's main interest, his brother said, was his children. "If you go on to his Facebook page, you can see . . . 95 percent of his pictures are him and at least one of his kids," Mike said. Kevin worked as an equipment operator. In his spare time, he sold scrap metal and cut grass to make extra money. Mike, a former mechanic, said his brother often asked him to look at his truck when it was making strange noises. Two weeks before Kevin was hospitalized, Mike was planning to help his brother with his truck. Kevin canceled the plan because he wasn't feeling well. "He had a cough he couldn't get rid of," Mike recalled. "Then we found out that cough was covid." Not long after Kevin's wife, Misty, became sick with covid and died, Kevin was hospitalized. Before being placed on a ventilator, according to Mike, Kevin begged doctors to give him a vaccine. The doctors told him it was too late, Mike said. Don Mitchem, Kevin's father, told WVEC the last thing his son told him was: "Dad, I'm scared to death." Kevin and Misty's children - a 17-year-old daughter, 14-year-old daughter and 11-year-old twins, a boy and girl - are living with Misty's sister in South Carolina, Mike said. At the funeral, he said, "the tough kids . . . all broke down; they were crying, but I do think they took it pretty well." RICHMOND, Va. (AP) When Glenn Youngkin threw his hat and his cash into the Republican nominating contest for Virginia governor this year, he was a rich former private equity executive with no experience as a candidate, and few insider connections or public political views. Most party loyalists and insiders didnt know much about him," said Todd Gilbert, the state House minority leader, who initially endorsed a fellow lawmaker in the race. Nearly nine months later, Gilbert and much of his party have come around. Republicans from all factions of the GOP now say Youngkin may be the ideal candidate to reverse more than a decade of stinging losses in Democratic-leaning Virginia and show a path forward for a national party riddled with division after the turmoil of the Trump years. A blank slate, Youngkin has scant public record to examine. He's self-funded much of his bid. He's proved to be a natural campaigner, deftly seizing on dissatisfaction with Richmond and Washington. In style, the genial, 54-year-old suburban dad who often opens meetings with prayer is nothing like former President Donald Trump, who galvanized a surge of Democratic resistance before losing the state last year by 10 percentage points. But in substance, Democrats see an extremist with softer packaging. They have accused Youngkin of promoting democracy-eroding election fraud conspiracies. Youngkin has embraced Trump's endorsement and kept up ties to far-right figures. He's dodged when pressed for details on policies on abortion rights and gun control, and leaned into culture war fights over schools and pandemic precautions. Like many Republicans, he's preferred interviews with right-leaning news organizations. His opponent, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, calls Youngkin a Trump wannabe. Youngkin's chances may hinge on whether voters believe that characterization. How do we bring people together, as opposed to push them apart and separate them? Youngkin said in a recent interview when asked about what inspired his run for office. There's little doubt his approach is working with Republicans. The former co-CEO of The Carlyle Group has poured millions of his own fortune into an energetic campaign that has peppered swaths of Virginia with red lawn signs and left Democrats, currently in full control of state government, increasingly nervous. Less than two weeks out from an election whose results are likely to ripple far beyond Virginia, polls show a tight race. But if Youngkin has trouble broadening his appeal in the states critical, swingy and moderate suburbs, it may stretch back to his fight for the GOP nomination. Then, he ran on election integrity and refused for months to say plainly whether President Joe Biden had been legitimately elected. Brad Hobbs, a close friend who has helped the campaign fundraise, donated personally and traveled to campaign stops with Youngkin, said the candidate was just appeasing the base. Youngkin told him early on in the nomination contest that Biden had legitimately won the election, Hobbs said. But Youngkin was facing rabid party activists who wanted to hear that the candidate shared their concerns about the election, said Hobbs, who described himself as a moderate who voted for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020. If he just dismissed it, no way he could have won the primary. I mean, just no way," said Hobbs, who allowed that maybe things would have been different if Youngkin had more time to campaign. "Once you meet him, you really don't care what he believes. You just go, I want him to win. Youngkin's campaign declined comment about Hobbs' remarks. Now, as he courts independents and moderates, Youngkin talks about pumping the brakes on Democrats' progressive drive in Richmond. But he largely campaigns on solidly conservative positions. He opposes mask and vaccine mandates, rails against critical race theory and wants to expand Virginias limited charter schools. He pitches substantial tax cuts, promises to overhaul dysfunctional state agencies, opposes a major clean energy mandate passed two years ago and objects to abortion in most circumstances. In his ads and campaign appearances, he emphasizes hes a homegrown Virginian. Born just outside Richmond, Youngkin's mother, his hero," was a nurse and accomplished nursing educator. His father worked as an accountant and bookkeeper, he said. The family relocated to Virginia Beach after his father a good dad but not a good career guy lost his job. Childhood friends described him living a comfortable but not lavish middle-class life. The 6-foot-6 Youngkin said he received a partial scholarship to attend a prestigious private school, Norfolk Academy, where he excelled at basketball and was recruited to play at Rice University in Texas. He wasnt the best player, said teammate Dwayne Tanner, but he worked exceptionally hard. By Youngkins senior year, the two were co-captains and Youngkin was honored as the most inspirational player. After graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering and managerial studies, he worked in investment banking before earning an MBA at Harvard University and eventually joining The Carlyle Group, where he would spend 25 years rising through the ranks, eventually becoming co-CEO. Youngkin, who retired from Carlyle in September 2020, described leaving because he felt "called into public service." Reporting from Bloomberg has suggested his retirement also came after a power struggle with Kewsong Lee, his co-CEO, who declined an interview request for this story. Several other people with whom Youngkin worked with closely at Carlyle did not respond to interview requests. Youngkin accumulated a fortune at the firm; one Forbes estimate says his net worth is roughly $440 million. He now lives in a seven-bedroom home in Great Falls, a pocket of mansions in the well-off Washington suburbs. He also owns properties in Texas and Wyoming, according to tax records and financial disclosures. His friends say Youngkin's rise up the professional ladder hasn't changed him and he remains down to earth, hardworking and humble. In public, Youngkin, who dresses down in boots and zip-up fleece vests, is warm and upbeat, speaking with a folksy sincerity. ("Man, all right, this is just out-of-bounds awesome!" Youngkin said as he came on stage at a rally in Chesterfield County.) He's earnest and he is honest. ... It's almost like a throwback. Glenn's a throwback of just old-school hard work," said Stock Watson, a childhood friend. Hes been married to his wife, Suzanne, whom he calls Suzie, for 27 years, and the couple has four children, the oldest in his early 20s and the youngest in high school. Hes typically up before the sun. If you start checking your email at 7, theres going to already be 10 emails, or 20, from Glenn, said Caren Merrick, a friend and CEO of a nonprofit job training initiative the Youngkins founded last year. Merrick also worships with the family at the nondenominational Holy Trinity Church, which the Youngkins helped found in the basement of their home with 12 people and has since grown to a much larger congregation with a brick-and-mortar location. Merrick said Glenn Youngkins faith informs everything he does. According to Merrick, it was important to the Youngkins that the church offer an evangelical faith education course called Alpha, which Youngkin has said he's taken and which got its start at the church Holy Trinity Brompton, which they attended when Carlyle took them to England. In an interview, Youngkin said his faith impresses on him the importance of loving others and informs his view that the deeply divided country needs to come back together. Asked in the same interview whether his faith shapes his view of same-sex marriage, Youngkin responded with a vagueness common in his answers to questions about policy. He reiterated that he feels called to love everyone. Pressed on whether that was intended to convey support for same-sex marriage, he responded: No, before saying that gay marriage was legally acceptable in Virginia and that I, as governor, will support that. The interview, the first Youngkin's campaign had granted to The Associated Press since he won the nomination, was cut off by campaign aides when the subject turned to his policy positions. Youngkin often talks about his faith on the campaign trail, where he sports a small yellow bracelet with an inscription about prayer. At the recent rally in Chesterfield County, he quoted from Psalms. He's also used his religion to attack others. At the Chesterfield campaign stop, he slammed Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam for allowing liquor stores to remain open but keeping churches closed early in the pandemic. I knew he didn't start the morning every day like I do, which is in prayer," Youngkin said. Northams spokeswoman, Alena Yarmosky, called the remark a new low. But overall, many voters say much of his appeal is in his kinder, softer approach to politics. He lingers at events, listening and asking questions of the voters who often crowd around him afterward. "Just to talk to him, you feel like he has your interests at heart. Hes not a politician, said Sue Bridenstine, who typically votes for Republicans and was at her fifth Youngkin rally in Chesterfield. Some longtime observers say they havent seen a similar type of enthusiasm for a candidate for statewide office since the 1990s. Gilbert, the GOP lawmaker who says he's come around on Youngkin, said he sees that ability to connect with people as Youngkins best attribute. The shifting political winds from Washington arent hurting either, he said. This is going to be a historic effort when its all said and done, he predicted. RENO, Nev. (AP) A Salvadoran immigrant agreed Thursday to plead guilty to all crimes in the killing of four Nevada residents as part of a deal with prosecutors that will spare him from two death penalty trials and put him in prison for the rest of his life with no possibility of appeals or parole. Wilber Ernesto Martinez Guzman, 22, pleaded guilty after intense questioning by Washoe County District Court Judge Connie Steinheimer in Reno to two counts of first-degree murder in the January 2019 deaths of Gerald and Sharon David in their Reno home. Steinheimer acknowledged the plea took the death penalty off the table and told Martinez Guzman he will have to enter formal guilty pleas in Douglas County to the killings of two women in Gardnerville during his two-week string of crimes. In addition to four consecutive life terms with no possibility of parole, Martinez Guzman faces a minimum of another 214 years in prison for multiple burglary, larceny, weapons and possession of stolen property charges under the plea agreement outlined in court. He will never be free, Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks said about the deal unveiled just before a status hearing was scheduled Thursday morning. Hicks told reporters after the two-hour hearing that the decision to drop pursuit of the death penalty came as a result of a direct appeal from families of the victims who didnt want the case to continue for years longer. They shared a collective request for closure and finality in the case, Hicks said. As a result of his pleas, there will not be decades of appeals that have become common in death penalty litigation. Douglas County District Attorney Mark Jackson added: They want this nightmare to end. They want justice. Larry David, a son of the Reno couple, joined the prosecutors at the news conference to express his family's full support for the decision. Martinez Guzman told police he committed the series of break-ins, thefts and shootings over a three-week stretch because he needed money to buy methamphetamine. Steinheimer told Martinez Guzman on Thursday if he fails to plead guilty in Douglas County, prosecutors there and Washoe County can void his plea deal and again seek the death penalty. Martinez Guzman also has agreed to plead guilty to multiple burglary and possession of stolen property charges in Carson City. The judge tentatively set sentencing for Feb. 28. Speaking through a Spanish interpreter, Martinez Guzman responded to dozens of questions from the judge intended to establish that he was making an informed decision to plead guilty based on his own choice and understanding of the law. I spoke with my attorneys and understand after I plead, I will spend the rest of my life in prison, Martinez Guzman said. I believe it is the best way to close my case ... It makes it so they remove the death penalty. Public defender John Arrascada assured Steinheimer Martinez Guzmans decision was his own. Hicks and Jackson initially planned one death penalty trial for Martinez Guzman in Reno, but the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Sept. 30 that the defendant would have to be tried separately in the two county jurisdictions. Authorities said Martinez Guzman stole a .22-caliber handgun from the Davids southwest Reno home on Jan. 4, 2019; shot and killed Constance Koontz, 56, and Sophia Renken, 74, in separate attacks in their Gardnerville homes several days later; and returned to the Davids house to rob and kill them Jan 15. Gerald David, 81, and his 80-year-old wife were prominent in the Reno Rodeo Association and had employed Martinez Guzman as a landscaper the summer before. Martinez Guzman was arrested in Carson City during a manhunt that had investigators track an Apple watch stolen from Koontz to Martinez Guzmans mother. Martinez Guzman has been held without bail at the Washoe County jail in Reno. Washoe County sheriffs Detective Stefanie Brady told a grand jury several weeks after Martinez Guzmans arrest that he initially denied wrongdoing but later acknowledged through an interpreter he had done something thats unforgiveable. He said he needed the money for the meth, Brady testified. The case drew attention at the time from then-President Donald Trump, who said it showed the need to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Authorities said he was in the country illegally but they didnt how or when he arrived. ___ Associated Press reporter Ken Ritter in Las Vegas contributed to this report. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) A Colorado day care owner convicted of keeping 26 children hidden in the basement of her business two years ago has been sentenced to six years in prison after parents said some of the children suffered trauma including sleeping problems and anxiety. A judge issued the sentence to Carla Faith on Thursday following her conviction by a jury in August of more than two dozen misdemeanor child abuse charges and other crimes. Faith was only licensed to care for up to six children at her Colorado Springs private day care and only two of them were allowed to be under the age of 2. But police who went to her Mountain Play Place day care in November 2019 after receiving reports there were more children than allowed found 25 children in the basement, including 12 children under age 2, prosecutors said. There were two adult employees supervising them in the basement and one of them, Valerie Fresquez, accepted a plea deal and testified at Faith's trial, KRDO-TV reported. The 26th child who had been in the basement was picked up by a parent while police were at the day care, authorities said. Many of the children had soiled or wet diapers and were sweaty and thirsty, according to an arrest affidavit. When police arrived, Faith repeatedly told an officer that no children were there and that the home did not have a basement, but the officer heard childrens music and a childs cry from the basement, the affidavit said. Another officer discovered a false wall and moved it to reveal the basement staircase, the affidavit said. At Faith's sentencing on Thursday, parents of the children and relatives filled the courtroom, telling the judge that their children have suffered trauma since being at the day care, citing sleep and anxiety issues, KOAA-TV reported. Parent Kim Marshall said that both of her children still receive counseling. We sleep with the lights on in our house, she said. My kids are anxious. They are fearful of the world. Faith's lawyer, Josh Tolini, said she had difficulty saying to no to parents who wanted to place their children at her day care and that the situation snowballed. She made some incredibly poor decisions about how to do this, Tolini said. Faith was convicted of 26 counts of misdemeanor child abuse, attempting to influence a public servant and obstructing a peace officer. KRDO-TV reported that charges against Fresquez will be dropped if she meets some unspecified steps. Day care employee Christina Swauger was convicted of the same charges as Faith and is awaiting sentencing. An arrest warrant has been issued for another former day care employee who failed to appear in court, said Howard Black, a spokesperson for the 4th Judicial District Attorneys Office in Colorado. Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media HARTFORD A city man will serve four years in federal prison for selling oxycodone out of a New Britain grocery store, according to federal prosecutors. Eliezer Ka-King Perez, 42, was sentenced Thursday by Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On May 11, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, oxycodone. ST. LOUIS (AP) A former pastor accused of sexually assaulting two women inside a suburban St. Louis Catholic supply store, then killing a third when she refused his sexual demands pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree murder and other charges. Thomas Bruce's plea came days before jury selection was to begin in a trial scheduled to start Nov. 1 for the attacks in Ballwin, Missouri, on Nov. 19, 2018. He received a mandatory sentence of life without parole, 11 other life sentences and four 15-year prison terms. At Friday's hearing, Bruce appeared to be practicing reading from a piece of paper he had in his hand. But after the victims read their impact statements, Bruce told the judge he had nothing to say and started to weep, KSDK-TV reported. Bruce, now 56, was on the run for two days before his arrest, prompting some schools, churches and businesses to close. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, eight counts of armed criminal action, two counts of first-degree sodomy, three counts of first-degree kidnapping, burglary and attempted first-degree sodomy. Authorities said that Bruce, armed with a handgun, forced the three women into a back room of the store, told them to strip, exposed himself and ordered them to perform deviant sexual acts on him, detectives wrote in a criminal complaint. Two of the women complied but 53-year-old Jamie Schmidt of House Springs refused, so he shot her in the head, prosecutors said. He ordered the other women to continue performing the sexual acts on him, then fled, apparently able to blend in on a busy street in broad daylight. The two women assaulted in the store read victim impact statements Friday describing what they went through that day and in the years that have followed. Schmidts husband and family members also described the pain her death has caused them. In a way my kids lost two parents that day. I havent been same since, Schmidts husband said. After the hearing, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell praised the two women for facing Bruce to read their statements. "The courage that they showed, the strength, I don't know if I would have been able to do that under those set of circumstances," Bell said. "It's a blessing that they are still here, obviously, because it could have gone differently." The prosecutor at the time of the crime, Bob McCulloch, said he did not believe the store was targeted because of its religious affiliation but simply that Bruce saw an opportunity three women in the store alone. St. Louis Countys police chief at the time, Jon Belmar, said the crime shocked the senses. The Missouri secretary of states office identified Bruce as the operator of a nonprofit church formed in 2003 that was dissolved in 2007. Pastor David Fitzgerald at Calvary Chapel in Maryland Heights told The Post-Dispatch that Bruce was a pastor at Calvary Chapel of Cape Girardeau, in southeast Missouri, during that time. Bruce also was a Navy veteran, according to his LinkedIn page. Schmidt, of House Springs, was a married mother of three who worked as a secretarial assistant at a community college. She was active at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in High Ridge and friends have said she may have been at the store to buy supplies to make rosaries for parishioners. As part of the plea, prosecutors in Jefferson County agreed to drop separate charges of kidnapping, sexual abuse, burglary and harassment for an attack on a then-77-year-old woman just weeks before the Catholic Supply attack. The woman was attacked at her home near Hillsboro, another eastern Missouri town not far from where Bruce lived in Imperial. She later recognized Bruce from his photo after the Catholic store attack, which led to charges in January 2019. Jefferson County Prosecutor Trisha Stefanski said in a news release Friday the woman agreed to dropping the charges and is ready to move on from the attack. Stefanski said her office and the victim agreed that that having a mandatory life sentence without parole is a satisfactory resolution. _____ Jim Salter in St. Louis contributed to this report. MOSCOW (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed hope on Friday that new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett would continue in the footsteps of his predecessor in maintaining close and trusting" relations with his country. After talks at Putin's lush Black Sea residence in Sochi, Bennett hailed bilateral ties as strategic and emphasized the need to maintain an intimate dialogue with Moscow. Greeting the Israeli prime minister at the start of their first meeting, Putin described Russian-Israeli ties as unique, noting that Israel is home to the largest Russian-speaking community. Putin kept close personal ties with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly visited Russia. On Friday, Putin pointed to Russias business-like and trusting relationship with Netanyahus government and expressed hope that Bennetts government would pursue a policy of continuity in Russian-Israeli ties. Bennett extolled the great contribution made by his country's 1 million Russian speakers, and emphasized the deep connection between the two countries while praising Putin for bringing them closer during his 20-year rule. I can tell you on behalf of the citizens of Israel that we consider you a true friend of the Jewish people, Bennett said. Bennett hailed the Soviet role in World War II and talked about a new museum in Israel that honors Jewish soldiers who fought in allied armies, primarily the Red Army. It's impossible not to appreciate the heroism of the entire Russian nation during those difficult years, he said in remarks that likely resonated with Putin who cherishes his country's decisive contribution to the victory over the Nazis. Russia and Israel have developed close political, economic and cultural ties that have helped them tackle delicate and divisive issues, such as the situation in Syria where Moscow has teamed up with Tehran to shore up Syrian President Bashar Assad's rule. We will also talk about the situation in Syria, and the efforts to halt the Iranian military nuclear program, Bennett said at the start of his talks with Putin. Putin said that Russia has been making efforts to help restore Syrias statehood and to strengthen it. He noted that despite some problems regarding the situation in Syria, "there is also common ground and opportunities for cooperation, especially in terms of the fight against terrorism. Bennett said on Facebook that he had an excellent meeting with Putin, adding that they discussed a wide range of issues, including ways to deal with Fundamentalist Islam, in talks that stretched over five hours. Russia is a very important player in the region, he said, noting that the relations between the two countries are "both strategic and almost daily, and we must maintain a direct and intimate line of dialogue. Israel views Iranian entrenchment on its northern frontier as a red line, and it has repeatedly struck what it says are Iran-linked facilities and weapons convoys destined for Lebanese Hezbollah. The Iran-backed militant group has fought alongside Syrian government forces in the countrys civil war. Russia has waged a military campaign in Syria since 2015, helping Assads government reclaim control over most of the country. Moscow also has helped modernize Syrias military, including providing Assad with air defense systems, and trained its personnel. Russia and Israel established a military hotline to coordinate air force operations over Syria to avoid clashes. Israel often attacks Iranian-linked targets in Syria, while Russia has provided support to the Syrian government. In 2018, Russia-Israeli ties were severely tested by the downing of a Russian warplane by Syrian forces that responded to an Israeli air raid and mistook a Russian reconnaissance plane for Israeli jets. All 15 members of the Russian crew died. Moscow also has played a delicate diplomatic game of maintaining friendly ties with both Israel and Iran. In 2018, Moscow struck a deal with Tehran to keep its fighters away from the Golan Heights to accommodate Israeli concerns about the Iranian presence in Syria. Russia is one of the international parties that negotiated a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. The deal fell apart after then-President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018. But President Joe Biden's administration is now trying to revive the deal with other international powers a step that Israel opposes. ___ Jack Jeffery contributed to this report from Jerusalem. After revealing her intimate wedding ceremony with fiance Cory Tran on The Kelly Clarkson Show recently, Freida Pinto has now made the news official on Instagram. The actor has dismissed rumours of the duo keeping their nuptials a secret, stating that they "happily shared the news with anyone who asked." She also unveiled a string of photos from their wedding ceremony, which took place at the Honda Centre in Anaheim, California last year. The clarification about them secretly tying the knot comes right after she told Clarkson about their 'pretty and simple' affair in the midst of the COVID-19 induced lockdown. Pinto and Tran, who sparked dating rumours after being introduced by her The Path co-star Aaron Paul, are also reportedly expecting their first child together. Freida Pinto makes marriage with Cory Tran official on Instagram Taking to her Instagram handle on Thursday, October 21, the Slumdog Millionaire star uploaded photos from her wedding celebrations, as they are cheered on by their friends and mark their registration at the Honda Centre. For the caption, Pinto wrote, "Yes, yes, it's true. One year ago I married this gorgeous man of my dreams. No, we were not keeping it a secret or anything. We were simply just enjoying life and happily shared the news with anyone who asked[sic]." Further talking about why they took this sudden decision, Freida mentioned, "@coryt and I believe so much in balancing spontaneity with just the right amount of planning. One day it felt so right and so genuinely aligned that we decided we wanted to make it official. This felt so special and fun and let's be honest it reflected the time in our world just perfectly! The Honda centre has a whole new meaning in our lives now[sic]." Divulging other details about the 'very romantic story' on the show, Pinto also joked about not wanting to get 'stomach ulcers' from the extravagant planning, deeming their intimate ceremony as an ideal event. Earlier this month, Freida also shared glimpses from her baby shower and wrote, "Reminiscing about this sweet baby shower! Thank you to my awesome tribe of sisters who made this such a special day for me[sic]." (Image: @freidapinto/Instagram) After South Korean actor Kim Seon Ho issued an official apology to his ex-girlfriend, 'A,' she has announced she will be taking legal action against death threats and personal attacks, reported Soompi. She also confirmed that she has received an apology from the actor. Seon Ho came under fire for his alleged behaviour towards his ex-girlfriend, who took to a South Korean online community forum, Nate Pann, and accused 'Actor K' of forcing her to have an abortion on the false promise of marriage. After many netizens speculated of Kim Seon Ho to be 'Actor K', the actor issued an official apology and announced to be withdrawing from KBS2s variety show 2 Days & 1 Night Season 4. Kim Seon Ho's ex-girlfriend to seek legal action On Wednesday, in his official apology confirmed that he was the actor mentioned in the anonymous post. The same day, the identity of his former girlfriend who penned the post began spreading on the internet. Addressing the same, her attorneys have released an official announcement saying that she would seek legal action against the death threats and invasions of her privacy. The statement is as follows: We are attorneys Lee Dong Hoon and Jung Da Eun of the law firm Best Way, who are representing Kim Seon Hos ex-girlfriend A. At the moment, personal information about A is being recklessly released through certain media outlets, social media, and online communities; and she is facing endless attacks and even death threats based on falsehoods about her identity and personal life. As a result, A is currently suffering from severe psychological stress, to the point where it is difficult for her to even go about her everyday life. In order to prevent A, who is not a celebrity, from suffering additional damage, we respectfully request that you refrain from over-the-top speculation and defamation of character, and we also ask that [reporters] refrain from investigating A as an individual or requesting interviews. Our law firm will do our utmost to protect A, and we are informing you of our plans to take all possible legal measures in response to malicious reports, posts, or comments related to A. The Good Manager actor's ex-girlfriend also revealed that she received an apology from the actor and she had chosen to accept it. Her new addition to the statement reads: Im sorry for having unintentionally hurt many people with my post. There was a time when that person and I were both genuinely in love, so I feel bad seeing him collapse in an instant due to what I wrote, part of which was very strong. I have received an apology from that person, and I think there were some parts that were a misunderstanding. I dont want things that are different from the truth to be spread, and I dont want our story to be exaggerated anymore. My heart is heavy because I feel that I have caused a lot of damage to many people through this incident. I will take down this post soon. Image: Instagram/@seonho__kim New Delhi, Oct 22 (PTI) India and the UK have agreed to strengthen climate initiatives and further their green partnership, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Friday. At a bilateral meeting with a delegation from the United Kingdom (UK) led by Foreign Minister Liz Truss, Yadav said India will support the UK COP Presidency. "Had an engaging bilateral with the UK delegation led by foreign minister Liz Truss. Both sides agreed to strengthen climate initiatives and further our green partnership. Assured India's support for UK COP Presidency, wishing COP26 would be the COP of action and implementation," the minister tweeted after the meeting. The UK will host the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12. COP26 holds significance this year as it is expected to discuss the status of the climate finance promises made by the developed nations to the developing nations. India has time and again maintained that it is suffering because of the mistakes of others and is not responsible for climate change. It has also reiterated that the countries responsible for climate change should finance what they have committed to and make technology available at an affordable cost. Under the Copenhagen Accord, the developed countries committed to a goal of mobilising USD 100 billion a year by 2020 to help the developing countries mitigate climate change. Under the Paris Agreement, India has three quantifiable nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which include lowering the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35 per cent compared to the 2005 levels by 2030, increasing the cumulative electricity generation from fossil-free energy sources to 40 per cent by 2030 and creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to three billion tons through additional forest and tree cover. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) New Delhi, Oct 22 (PTI) India and the United Kingdom have agreed to strengthen climate initiatives and further their green partnership, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Friday. In a bilateral meeting with a UK delegation led by Foreign Minister Liz Truss, the minister said India will support the UK COP Presidency and that the huge expectations in COP 26 include arriving at a consensus on unresolved issues of the Paris Agreement Rule Book, long-term climate finance, market-based mechanisms, etc. Had an engaging bilateral with the UK delegation led by foreign minister Liz Truss. Both Sides agreed to strengthen climate initiatives and further our green partnership. Assured India's support for UK COP Presidency, wishing COP26 would be the COP of action and implementation, the minister tweeted after the meeting. The UK will host the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12. Stressing that COP26 should also initiate the process of setting the long-term climate finance for the post-2025 period, Yadav stated that India welcomes the UK COP 26 Presidency's five key initiatives on sustainable land use, energy transition, low emission vehicle transition, climate finance, and adaptation. In the meeting, both the countries underlined the need for strengthening bilateral partnership and collaboration to facilitate the collective R&D of cutting-edge technologies and the transfer of proven technologies to drive low carbon pathways. Both sides also agreed to explore ways and means to also strengthen global climate initiatives including the International Solar Alliance, Coalition Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT Group), Call for Action on Adaptation and Resilience, and Mission Innovation, the ministry said in a statement. Earlier in the day, Yadav met Executive V-P for European Green Deal Frans Timmermans at the ministry headquarters wherein several issues, including climate finance, technology transfer and ways to promote low carbon pathways, were discussed. COP26 holds significance this year as it is expected to discuss the status of the climate finance promises made by the developed nations to the developing nations. India has time and again maintained that it is suffering because of the mistakes of others and is not responsible for climate change. It has also reiterated that the countries responsible for climate change should finance what they have committed to and make technology available at an affordable cost. Under the Copenhagen Accord, developed countries committed to a goal of mobilising 100 billion US dollar a year by 2020 to help developing countries mitigate climate change. Under the Paris Agreement, India has three quantifiable nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which include lowering the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35 per cent compared to 2005 levels by 2030; increase total cumulative electricity generation from fossil free energy sources to 40 per cent by 2030 and create additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons through additional forest and tree cover. PTI AG SMN SMN (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Indian Army's Chief of Staff (COAS) General MM Naravane on Friday complimented the jawans of the Gorkha Rifles who had made the country proud by winning the gold medal at the exercises in Cambrian Patrol in the UK. The Indian Army jawans had won a gold at the event dubbed as, Olympic of the army. The Indian Army on Friday tweeted, General MM Naravane #COAS complimented the members of #IndianArmy team for the remarkable achievement of winning #GoldMedal in premier patrolling event #ExerciseCambrianPatrol, conducted every year at #Wales by #BritishArmy. In another tweet on Friday, the Indian Army shared pictures of trained coastal gunners. They wrote in the tweet, Giving a boost to #Jointmanship and inter-operability, School of Artillery, #IndianArmy trained coastal gunners of #IndianNavy on 105/37 mm LFG. A step forward in streamlining common drills and battle procedures amongst the services. "Victory Through Jointness" Giving a boost to #Jointmanship and inter-operability, School of Artillery, #IndianArmy trained coastal gunners of #IndianNavy on 105/37 mm LFG. A step forward in streamlining common drills and battle procedures amongst the services. pic.twitter.com/XvgnwO9QIS ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) October 22, 2021 Indian Army team wins Gold at patrol exercise The Indian Army, represented by the 4/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force), won the coveted Gold medal at the "Olympics of Military Patrolling" in the United Kingdom. Only three out of 96 teams competing in the Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2021 in Brecon, Wales, won the gold medal at the end of phase six of the exercises, which took place between October 13 and 15. Gaitri Issar Kumar, the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, congratulated the winning team at India House in London. The team has performed extremely well under the harsh terrain conditions and inclement weather. These, in itself, presented various challenges in addition to the complex real-world situations which were simulated to assess their reactions in a combat setting, the Indian High Commission in London said in a statement. The Indian Army team was complimented on its excellent navigation skills, delivery of patrol orders and overall endurance for completing the Patrol. The team captain stated that his team adhered to the basics that the Indian Army follows in its battle drills and procedures, it added. General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, the British Army's Chief of General Staff, was present at the awards event and gave the Gold medal to the Indian Army team. From the Indian side, Brigadier Vikramjit Singh Gill, Military Advisor at the High Commission of India in London, was present. (With PTI inputs) (Image: Twitter) The Bajrang Dal on Friday staged a massive protest in Jammu, against the atrocities that Hindus have had to face in Bangladesh at the time of Durga Puja. While expressing anguish against the sentiments that had been hurt among the Hindu community, Bajrang Dal member Rakesh Bajrangi said, "There are some specific countries where Hindus are being targeted. It is the duty of the government to protect the basic human rights of the Hindus and that is exactly the same why we are staging a protest here today." The members of the Bajrang Dal who had come together to stage the protest, went on to light an effigy on fire while chanting slogans against the Bangladeshi government. The Bajrang Dal further mentioned the drop in population in Hindus while going on to urge the central govt to ensure protection. Rakesh Bajrang also pointed how the population among Hindus had fallen from 30% to 7-9% in Bangladesh since the time of Independence. He added, "Similarly, in Pakistan, there were almost 90 lakh Hindus residing which now had dropped to 2/3 lakhs. I ask why are only Hindus being targeted?" Bajrang Dal stages protest as Hindu community faces violence in Bangladesh Rakesh Bajrangi while interacting with the media on the recent atrocities that Hindus had been subjected to in Bangladesh said, "We are staging this protest on Bangladesh. Till now at least six Hindus have been murdered there and Hindu Temples and maths have been mutilated." Rakesh Bajrangi while mentioning the cases of violence even brought up the troubles that Hindus had to face on during Durga Puja. On this, he said that "No politician was ready to talk on these. We (Bajrang Dal) demand that the central government take note of the troubles that Hindus in Bangladesh were facing." Rising communal tensions in Bangladesh As reports of violence against the Hindu community has been gaining traction at least 71 cases of violence across the country were registered with more than 450 additional arrests made for spreading rumours on social media. Another 500 people have been arrested over the past week for attacks on puja venues, temples, Hindu homes and businesses during the Durga Puja. Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Md Kamruzzaman of the police headquarters said in a statement on Monday that the police are investigating cases and the attackers will be caught soon. Due to a rumour in Bangladesh that the Quran was being dishonoured at a puja pavilion in Cumilla, communal tensions have been at their peak. This triggered violence in several parts of the country. Furthermore, an attack at the ISKCON temple in Noakhali's Choumuhani had left two people dead on October 15. Image Credits - Republic World Pakistan Army exudes a hubris of fighting capability and martial tradition. However, Stephen Cohen once described it as the finest army in the world which never won a war. The fact that it has lost all wars with the Indian Army and that too at a time and place of its choosing underscores this statement. Pakistan Army has kept its nation at war forever. This formidable force has constantly failed Pakistan. This journey of failure started on 22 October 1947 when it invaded J&K to wrest the state from India. An analysis of the 1947 war and events of that time indicates that the character and traits it showed then have surfaced and resurfaced consistently over seven decades in all conflicts thereafter. Pakistan Army now boasts of defeating USSR and USA in Afghanistan through proxy means. The concept of fomenting armed insurrection by using non-state actors as state proxies started in 1947 when it armed and trained tribesmen to infiltrate and invade Kashmir. Interestingly these tribesmen were commanded by Pakistani Officers. The practice of officering proxies, terrorists and mercenaries is now par for the course and was reported even in the Panjshir Valley recently. It was in 1947 that Pakistan started the practice of unofficially going to war while officially denying it. This was also the start of using terror through ideologically motivated mercenaries to prosecute war. The 1947 war was the first hybrid war which Pakistan fought. Ever since then, hybrid proxy wars have been the mainstay of Pakistans grand strategy. Examine the 1965 Indo Pak War, the Kashmir insurgency from 1988 to date, Kargil War of 1999 and war against USSR and USA. There is an established pattern of heavy reliance and usage of non-state actors. It is a different matter that seven decades of this strategy has neither liberated Kashmir nor tamed Afghanistan. On the other hand it weakened the state, its recognised political processes, militarized society and gave birth to domestic terrorism which is now an existential threat to Pakistan itself. In 1947, the invaders had Srinagar at their mercy. However, the tribesmen stopped to carry out loot, pillage and rape. They massacred Kashmiris mercilessly without even sparing children or women. This diverted the Pakistani Army from its aim. The offensive petered out on the outskirts of Srinagar. It gave time for India to get its act together and push back the invaders. Analysis indicates that had there been some discipline, stronger command and control and good leadership, Kashmir would have been part of Pakistan. This has been a recurring feature of the Pakistanis Army - poor leadership and discipline. Poor military leadership and discipline led to Pakistan losing half the nation and the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. Poor military leadership was to resurface during Kargil, in which the Pakistanis even refused to recognise those who made the supreme sacrifice for the country. The 1947 war also saw Pakistan adopt offensive-defence as its national strategic concept. There was no room for defence in their militarised thinking. Their offensive outlook which commenced on 22 Oct 1947 brought them often to the cusp of success and victory. However, each and every time when victory was within Pakistans grasp, it failed. The military and national leadership simply did not have the vision to finish what they started. Pakistans senior military leaders have consistently failed their lower-level commanders, rank and file with poorly conceived military adventures. Whenever the chips were down, the Pakistani nation and its senior leaders never had the courage to stand by their men. There is nothing worse for soldiers than their leaders abandoning or disowning them. The ultimate result has been that starting from 1947, the Pakistani Army has always seized the initiative, made great inroads, put the opposition on the ropes and finally lost. This has been the recurring feature of every conflict that the Pakistani Army has been in. Pakistan and its Army have been brilliant first-half players who inevitably lose in the second half. At a national level, Pakistan had an out and out offensive outlook for the first half of its existence. Till the late 80s. Offensive remained Pakistan Armys major strategic concept. Thereafter the Army took its toll on the State to debilitate it. In the second half of its existence, Pakistan has been only on the defensive. A very interesting and curious aspect of the 1947 operations was the diversion of Pashtun nationalism away from Pakistan to India. Pashtun nationalism was in the air with Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan seeking a Pathanistan. Pakistans North-West frontiers were restive and the Durand Line was not acceptable to Pashtuns either side. Hence the solution to the problem was that the Pashtun tribesmen were motivated, trained and armed to invade Kashmir. Their nationalism was funnelled into Kashmir. Later, Zia ul Haq replicated this strategy when he created the mujahideen, who were largely Pashtun, to fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan. He diverted Pashtun nationalism into Afghanistan. The modern-day version of this diversification is Taliban. The strategy has worked so far but has now run its course. There is no space left where this phenomenon can be exported. The TTP and PTM are now focussing within to create space for Pashtun aspirations. They threaten to destabilise Pakistan. The chickens have come home to roost. In August 1947, Pakistan signed a standstill agreement with Maharaja Hari Singh, the erstwhile ruler of Jammu and Kashmir. On 22 Oct it invaded Kashmir. It was perfidy of the highest order. Since 1972, they have broken the Shimla Agreement in letter and spirit repeatedly as they kept sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir. They have also reneged on all understandings with USA to engineer the defeat of their ally in Afghanistan. Reneging on promises, understanding and agreements has been a signature feature of Pakistan since 1947 to date. In the ultimate analysis, armed forces are protectors of the nations. In the case of the Pakistani Army, the opposite has been true. Far from protecting the nation, it lost half of it in 1971. Even after 1971, the Army has continued its disastrous wars and battles irrespective of the fact that Pakistan has been beggared. It remains to be seen as to when the Pakistan Army will lose the other half of the nation. (This article is written by Lt Gen P R Shankar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retired). Lt Gen P R Shankar is a retired Director General of Artillery. He is now a professor in the Aerospace Department of IIT Madras.) Every year on October 21, the anniversary of the formation of the Azad Hind Government is celebrated across the country. On this day, Indias first independent provisional government named Azad Hind Government was announced. First established in 1942 by Mohan Singh, Azad Hind Fauj or the Indian National Army (INA), was revived by Subhas Chandra Bose on October 21, 1943. Major General (Retd) GD Bakshi during the Azad Hind Fauj INA commemoration event on June 21, 2021, paid his tribute to 'Netaji' Subash Chandra Bose. Speaking at the event, Major General (Retd) GD Bakshi said, "The freedom which we got, if today we are breathing the free air, there was a time we couldn't even do that. During the British era, boards were put on saying 'Indians and dogs are not allowed'. Can you all understand what kind of free air you all are breathing in? I would like to say that that if today we are free then Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and Azad Hind Fauj are one of the key reasons behind that. " Furthermore, GD Bakshi added, "Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a visionary. In fact, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and his Azad Hind Fauz forced countries like Japan, America, and China to bow down." 'When Non-violence crumbled, INA came in': Major General (Retd) GD Bakshi In another event in 2020, GD Bakshi had talked about Netaji's death and what was his role in India's independence. "Every time we talk about Netaji, we get bogged down on how did he die. Empirical research has been done in the transfer of power archives to look for a documentary trail of evidence to prove how India exactly got its freedom? "The picture that emerges after going through the documents proves that the Quit India movement in 1942 had failed. The British had used 52 gora paltans (British troops) because they could not afford to use Indian soldiers as it might have turned into a mutiny. Congress leaders were jailed and Gandhiji went on fast. In such a backdrop, Churchill asked why Gandhi is not dead? In such a scenario, non-violence crumbled," said GD Bakshi. "When Gandhiji was released, he was a broken man. Many of his letters say that he supported the Britisher's war-time effort. So, how did India get its freedom? The best-kept secret was the Indian National Army (INA)," added GD Bakshi. Who was Subhas Chandra Bose? Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack. He completed his school education and studied at Presidency College for a short time. Later, he went on to study philosophy at Scottish Church College, University of Calcutta, and then moved to Britain for higher studies. As he was a brilliant student, Subhas Chandra Bose cracked the prestigious Indian Civil Services Examination (ICS). However, Bose soon quit it, as he did not want to work under the British government. He played an important role in Indias independence struggle. Netaji, who joined Congress, was ousted after having differences in opinion with Mahatma Gandhi and the partys high command. Netaji wanted to wage a war against the colonial rulers as he differed from Mahatma Gandhis methods of non-violence. In 1944, his fauj clashed with the British forces around Kohima and Imphal. Britains struggle to repel Japan during World War II and Netaji-led INAs combined force was declared to be the 'greatest ever battle involving British forces' in a contest, by the National Army Museum situated in London. (Image: ANI/@ipriyasinghbjp/Twitter) On the verge of alliance with the BJP and breakaway Akali groups, former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, launched an unsparing attack on the Congress, his party of more than 40 years. Captain said Congress is in no position to talk about 'secularism', given its alliance with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, and the induction of multiple BJP and RSS leaders, including its current Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. The attacks were mainly directed at Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat, who claimed that Captain had "killed the secular Amarinder within him" by deciding to launch a new party and allying with the BJP. "Stop talking about secularism Harish Rawat ji. Don't forget that Congress took in Sidhu after he was with the BJP for 14 years. And where did Nana Patole and Revnath Reddy come from if not RSS? And Pargat Singh was with the Akali Dal for 4 years!" said the former Chief Minister, as per a tweet by his media advisor Raveen Thukral. Reacting to claims that he colluded with the rival Shiromani Akali Dal during his 4 and a half years' tenure as CM, Captain asked, "Is that why I've been fighting court cases against them for the last 10 years? And why Ive won all elections for Congress in Punjab since 2017?" One of the tallest leaders in Punjab, who single-handedly heralded the party to victory in 2017, Captain Amarinder said Congress has damaged its own interests by not trusting him and handing over the state to an 'unstable' person like Navjot Singh Sidhu who is 'only loyal to himself.' "Your apprehension is that I will damage the interests of Congress in Punjab. But the fact is, the party has damaged its own interests by not trusting me and giving the state unit into the hands of an unstable person like Sidhu who is only loyal to himself," said Captain. 'What a fraud you are!': Captain tells Sidhu Navjot Singh Sidhu, who accused the ex-CM of being an architect of farm laws and benefiting a few corporates, was not spared either. Lashing out at his bete noire, Captain Amarinder said, "What a fraud and cheat you are Sidhu! Youre trying to pass off my 15-year-old crop diversification initiative as connected with Farm Laws, against which Im still fighting and with which Ive linked my own political future!" Captain Amarinder Singh announced on Tuesday that he will form his own party, weeks after quitting Congress following an internal tussle. Reacting to the development, senior leader Harish Rawat opined that Captain has proven the apprehensions of MLAs to be correct. "If he wants to eat crow and go with the BJP, he can. Who can stop him if he can't stay with his old commitment to secularism?" he said. Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday attacked Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa after he claimed that the government would probe Captain's friend from Pakistan Aroosa Alam's alleged links with Inter-Services Intelligence. "You were a minister in my cabinet @Sukhjinder_INC. Never heard you complain about Aroosa Alam. And shed been coming for 16 years with due GoI clearances. Or are you alleging that both NDA and @INCIndia led UPA govts in this period connived with Pak ISI?" Raveen Thukral quoted Captain Amarinder Singh as saying. Capt Amarinder Singh alleged that Punjab Deputy CM was resorting to personal attacks. He also questioned the tall promises of Congress on Bargari sacrilege and drugs cases. "Punjab is still waiting for your promised action," he said. What Im worried about @Sukhjinder_INC is that instead of focusing on maintaining law & order at a time when terror threat is high and festivals are around the corner, youve put @DGPPunjabPolice on a baseless investigation at the cost of Punjabs safety: @capt_amarinder 3/3 Raveen Thukral (@RT_Media_Capt) October 22, 2021 The former Punjab Chief Minister said that instead of focusing on maintaining law and order at a time when terror threats were high and festivals are around the corner, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had put Punjab Police on a baseless investigation at the cost of the state's safety. Congress attacks Amarinder Singh Congress has launched a series of attacks on Amarinder Singh since he announced plans to form his own party and tip up with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and breakaway Akali groups. "Hopeful of a seat arrangement with @BJP4India in 2022 Punjab Assembly polls if #FarmersProtest is resolved in farmers interest. Also looking at an alliance with like-minded parties such as breakaway Akali groups, particularly Dhindsa & Brahmpura factions," Thukral had said quoting Captain Amarinder Singh. On Thursday, Navjot Singh Sidhu called Amarinder Singh the architect of three farm laws. Harish Rawat, who has now been sacked as Punjab Congress in-charge, said Captain has proved what MLAs were claiming that he is with the saffron party and Akalis. "If he wants to eat crow and go with the BJP, he can. Who can stop him if he can't stay with his old commitment to secularism?" Rawat said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to address the upcoming United Nations 26th conference of parties (COP 26) to be held in the United Kingdom (UK). The global weather convention is scheduled from October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow. Taking a dig at this, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has cited critical remarks on PM Modi's visit to the COP 26, saying that the PM will speak on climate change when his own government was diluting environmental and forest laws in India. Jairam Ramesh on PM Modi While expressing his opinion over a series of posts on Twitter, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said, "So our Prime Minister will indeed go to Glasgow to give gyaan to the world on climate change. But at home, his Govt dilutes all environmental and forest laws, weakens institutions and muzzles civil society." Ramesh went on to claim that PM Modi was a master in lying and that he had erased the memories of the lives lost during the COVID pandemic, attesting that it was a major failure of his governance. Ramesh added, "He (PM Modi) excelled himself today rewriting history, twisting facts, distorting reality, making meaningless comparisons, beating his own chest." These comments from the Congress MP come a day after India surpassed the first world to go on to register more than a billion COVID vaccine doses to its population in what could be hailed as a historic achievement by PM Modi's government. Jagadguru of Jhoot excelled himself today rewriting history, twisting facts, distorting reality, making meaningless comparisons, beating his own chestin short,being himself. While he forgot those who suffered loss of lives and livelihoods from COVID19 due to his Govts failures. Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 22, 2021 PM Modi proposed to fly in directly from Rome to address COP 26 Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav informed PTI on Friday about PM Modi's visit to the COP 26. He said that it was yet to be determined how much financial support each country would get to combat climate change. While informing the media about his visit, Union Min Yadav did not confirm the exact day on which the PM will address the COP 26. Reportedly, PM Modi, who is currently overtaking responsibilities of a number of summits around the globe, will fly into Scotland from the G20 Summit that is taking place in Italy's Rome. Image Credits - PTI/ANI/AP The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said on Thursday, that some assistance programmes in Ethiopia had to be curtailed or closed due to intensifying and unpredictable conflict. Calling for attention to the blockade to the contested region, the global aid body asserted that even basic goods and services like fuel are also not allowed to enter the region. According to the data provided by OCHA, there are at least 14 fuel tankers in Samera, waiting for permissions to Tigray at present. Out now: updated situation report on Northern #Ethiopia Click on the link below to read more about: the food response in Tigray & Amhara malnutrition rates in Tigray the current situation in #Afar, #Amhara & #Tigray the ongoing response in all 3 regions & more! UN OCHA Ethiopia (@OCHA_Ethiopia) October 22, 2021 Not only fuel, but the UN body said that cash and other humanitarian supplies have also been denied entry to Tigray-which is controlled by Tigray Defence Forces (TDF). Roughly 100 trucks with succour are required by the conflict-hit region every day, as per official data. However, only 1% of the total population was able to access humanitarian supplies. Between 7-13 October, only about 52,000 people reached with food or 1 per cent of the targeted population in Tigray, in which half of them received only one or two food items, OCHA said in a situational report. The percentage of children identified with severe acute malnutrition in Tigray is rising on weekly basis and alarming at above two per cent," it added. Furthermore, humanitarian officials reminded all involved parties-Ethiopian government and rebel forces- that they are obligated under the UN mandate to protect civilians and infrastructure. On October 21, two airstrikes on Mekelle killed three children and injured ten other people. Just a day earlier, a separate aerial attack had inflicted severe wounds on several people. "Several UN and non-governmental organisations have reduced or shut down programs due to the depletion or severe shortages of fuel, cash and supplies," the humanitarian office said. Tigray-Ethiopia Conflict Months after Nobel Peace Prize winner Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took the chair, he launched a "coordinated attack" against the rebel forces in the Northern Tigray region in November 2020. The Prime Minister made the call after the Afar leftist political front TPLF sieged a key Ethiopian military base at Sero by using tanks and machine guns. This had led to the ignition of a 10-months long prolonged war in the region. Image: AP With the war between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government intensifying, the number of people getting killed in small-scale clashes has also increased. On Thursday, Xinhua, citing sources at the frontline, reported that a total of 38 Houthi rebels were killed in a fight against the Yemeni army in the central province of Marib. As of now, 130,000 people- both soldiers and civilians have died in the gruesome civil war that began nearly seven years ago. Despite repeated strikes, oil-rich Marib still remains under the control of the Yemeni administration. In the latest armed clash, there were no casualties on the military side, albeit as many as ten soldiers were wounded. Yemeni army manage to neutralise 38 rebels in the seven-hour-long battle. "The army forces killed 38 Houthi rebels in Al-Kasarah frontline in northwestern Marib and destroyed nine of their weapon-mounted vehicles in this morning," the anonymous source told Xinhua news agency. What is happening in Yemen? Yemen has been engulfed in chaos since a civil war began in late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and even forced the globally-recognised government headed by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. Later in 2015, the Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemen conflict to back Hadis government. According to AP, the conflict has been disastrous for Yemen, the Arab worlds poorest country, killing more than 113,000 people, creating a humanitarian disaster, and wrecking infrastructure from roads and hospitals to water and electricity networks. Status of Houthis Earlier, Saudi Arabia, an ally of the Yemeni government, said that it will continue to treat Houthis as a terrorist organisation despite the US' decision to lift the designation on the group. On 12 February, the Joe Biden administration rescinded terrorist group designation from the Yemeni group, fearing it would block global aid to the country. However, Saudi Arabia, which has been engaged in a battle against them since 2014, stated that it would continue to forward with the designation. (File Image: AP) The European Parliament's report on the political ties and collaboration between the European Union (EU) and Taiwan was vehemently criticised and rejected by China on Thursday, October 21. Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, asked the European Parliament to immediately stop its "words and deeds" undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. These remarks follow the adoption of a report on EU-Taiwan political ties and collaboration by the European Parliament's plenary session on Thursday, October 21. The European Union's trade office in Taipei has also been renamed the European Union office in Taiwan, according to EU parliamentarians, ANI reported. In response to the EU report, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, stated that there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. "The one-China principle is an international consensus and the political foundation of Chinas diplomatic relations with the EU," said Wenbin according to ANI. The European Parliament should immediately stop its words and deeds that undermined Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity and stop provocation and confrontation. We urge relevant parties not to underestimate the strong resolution, determination and capability of the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wenbin said, ANI reported. EU expresses its desire to strengthen ties with Taiwan The European Union (EU) reiterated its desire to strengthen ties with Taiwan earlier on Tuesday, October 19, but also stated that the Union must address China's aggression and attempts to frighten Taiwan's like-minded partners. Margrethe Vestager, EU Commissioner for Competition, stated during a plenary session focused on Taiwan-EU relations in the European Parliament, "while enhancing ties with Taiwan, the EU has to address Chinas assertiveness and attempts to intimidate Taiwans like-minded partners." China's growing military presence in the Taiwan Strait, including flying sorties near Taiwan's southwest coast, was also mentioned by Vestager. Despite Taiwan's self-government for more than seven decades, Beijing claims absolute sovereignty over the island. Meanwhile, Taipei is strengthening strategic connections with democracies, especially the United States, to fight Chinese aggression. With inputs from ANI Image: AP Amid rising tensions between Beijing and Washington, Chinas Ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun, said that the international community should call on the US to stop dragging Taiwan into a war. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal had reported that the US marines and special operations forces have been secretly training Taiwanese soldiers on the island in a bid to defend against possible Chinese aggression. China, on the other hand, has been sending military aircrafts close to Taiwan, while US and other allied forces conducted drills in the South China Sea. Now, while speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, 21 October, Zhang said, Some countries, the US, in particular, is taking dangerous actions, leading the situation in Taiwan Strait into a dangerous direction. He added, At this moment, what we should call is that the United States stops such practice. Dragging Taiwan into a war, definitely, is in nobody's interest." Zhangs remarks come the same day US President Joe Biden, while speaking at a press meet at CNN town hall, vowed to protect Taiwan against Chinese incursion. Biden stated that the US has a commitment to protect Taiwan against any potential threat from the latters neighbour. However, it is to be noted that a White House spokesperson later clarified that Bidens comments do not indicate any change in the policies under the Taiwan Relations Act and asserted that the latter's comments came following the 'unintentional escalation' of aggression by Beijing. China-US tensions over Taiwan Meanwhile, China had previously asked America to not only recognise the sensitivity of the China-Taiwan issue but also warned Washington to abide by the one-China principle. China recently again urged the US to handle Taiwan-related issues carefully and properly and not to send wrong signals to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, "China has no room for compromise on issues involving its core interests. US should act and speak cautiously on the Taiwan issue. Tensions between China and Taiwan have gained momentum since October 1 after the former flew over 100 fighter jets into Taiwan's Air Defence zone. This was followed by the latter's dependence on the US for military support. Meanwhile, self-ruled Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly expressed willingness to remain independent against the Chinese goal of 'reunification.' On the other hand, US and China have remained geopolitical rivals for decades and relations between them have further frayed due to Beijing's aggressive claims of sovereignty along the South China Sea fuelled by Chinese engagement in testing high-tech projectiles. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo stated on Thursday that he had spoken with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, suggesting he take positive action to bring Poland onside with the EU's laws. European Union leaders gathered at a summit in Brussels pressured a defiant Morawiecki to fall back into line on recognizing that EU law trumps national decision-making, hoping that dialogue will stave off a crisis in the bloc. Morawiecki instead painted a picture of an overbearing union that treats its 27 member nations as mere provinces, usurping ever more powers and imposing its values against the wishes of sovereign peoples. Almost all other countries replied that respecting common rules and values is essential in a bloc if it is not to unravel and lose political and economic clout in the world. "My message to our Polish colleague was to say, 'do not wait for the action of the (European) Commission, you can take actions yourself and not wait for the Commission to bring results'," De Croo said. According to a senior official with direct knowledge of the talks, the debate on rule of law took place in a "serene" atmosphere as EU leaders stopped short of adopting confronting stances once gathered in the same room. The official spoke anonymously according to EU practice. Most member states supported dialogue with Morawiecki, while agreeing that the bloc should act to try and make Warsaw comply with EU law, the official said. Beyond holding up Poland's access to billions of euros in help to revive its economy in the wake of the pandemic, the EU's executive arm can start infringement procedures, or activate a mechanism allowing the suspension of other EU payments to a member country breaching the principles of the rule of law. The dispute stems from a recent ruling from Poland's constitutional court challenging the supremacy of EU laws. If the sniping and accusations continue unchecked, it could turn into the biggest institutional crisis for the EU since the United Kingdom decided to leave five years ago. IMAGE: AP (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) A volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma continued to erupt in the early hours of Friday morning, shooting hot streams of lava into the air. A total of around 7,500 people have been forced to flee since the Cumbre Vieja began erupting more than a month ago. Scientists say the eruption could go on for three months. Though most of the island of 85,000 people off northwest Africa is unaffected by the eruption, part of the western side has seen the lava ruin livelihoods and destroy homes. The molten rock has covered more than 866 hectares (2,100 acres) and crushed or damaged around 2,185 buildings. The volcanos constant roar and numerous earthquakes have also kept locals on edge. The economy of La Palma, part of Spains Canary Islands, is based mainly on tourism and banana plantations. The Spanish government has pledged millions of euros (dollars) to help rebuild damaged infrastructure. IMAGE: AP (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) Pakistan will continue to be on the 'Grey List' of the FATF as it needs to "further demonstrate" that action is being taken against UN-designated terrorists like India's most wanted Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar, the global body against terror financing said on Thursday. Turkey, Jordan and Mali have been added to the Grey List while Mauritius and Botswana have been taken off the list, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) president Marcus Pleyer said while addressing a virtual press conference from Paris. Pakistan continues to remain on the "increased monitoring list", he said. The increased monitoring list is another name for the 'Grey List'. Inclusion in the 'Grey List' implies "strategic deficiencies" detected in a jurisdiction's policies to prevent money laundering and terror financing, according to an IMF working paper. It makes it difficult for a country to get financial aid from international organisations like the IMF. Not as severe as black listing, inclusion in the Grey List shows that a country is working to remove the flagged deficiencies. The president of Paris-based FATF said that Pakistan along with 34 action plan items has two concurrent action plans -- its actions against UN-designated terror groups and anti-money laundering. It has now largely addressed 30 of the items, he said. Regarding its earlier action plan which focused on terrorist financing issues and dates back to June 2018, Pakistan is still assessed to have largely addressed 26 out of 27 items, Pleyer said. "Pakistan has taken a number of important steps but needs to further demonstrate that investigations and prosecutions are being pursued against the senior leadership of UN-designated terror groups," he said. FATF is a global body which focusses on setting standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. Refuting allegations of political interference in the FATF listing process, Pleyer said the organisation works on the basis of "technical arguments". One of the outstanding items from the 2018 action plan focussing on terror financing is that Pakistan needs to demonstrate that terrorist financing investigations and prosecutions are targeting senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups, Pleyer said. Then there is this 2021 action plan which is focusing more on anti-money laundering issues, he said. "Its most recent action plan from June this year which largely focused on money laundering deficiencies was issued after FATF regional partner the Asian Pacific Group identified a number of serious issues," Pleyer said. The UN-designated terrorists based in Pakistan include Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Azhar, Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Saeed and its 'operational commander' Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. Azhar, Saeed and Lakhvi are most wanted terrorists in India for their involvement in numerous terrorist acts, including 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and bombing of a CRPF bus at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. PTI ABS ANB ANB (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Thailand on Thursday declared that vaccinated tourists from 46 low-risk nations and areas would be allowed to enter Thailand without being quarantined from November onwards. The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Thailand has issued a list of countries from which travellers were permitted quarantine-free entry, including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia. According to the Ministry's spokesperson Tanee Sangrat, authorised tourists would be able to travel freely in Thailand starting November 1, if they clear their post-arrival COVID-19 test. The Ministry statement is released following last week's announcement of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, in which he stated that from the next month beginning, vaccinated visitors from at least 10 low-risk nations and areas will be allowed to enter the nation by air without having to go through quarantine. Thailand is stepping up attempts to restore its economy since the epidemic has wreaked havoc on the tourist sector, which contributed about 20% of the country's GDP before COVID-19. Travelers to travel freely in Thailand As per the Nikkei Asia website, tourists would still be required to produce confirmation of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result obtained before leaving their native country, along with the test which will be conducted upon their arrival. Further, Visitors arriving from nations that are not on the list will be permitted to visit Thailand, but they will be subjected to quarantine. Those coming by air must be quarantined for seven days, while those entering by sea must be quarantined for ten days. During the period from December 1 and January 1, Thailand is likely to add further low-risk nations to the list. These travel relaxations have come after the increase in vaccine roll out in the country. According to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), Thailand has delivered over 66 million doses of vaccinations as of Monday, October 18, with roughly 37% of the country's entire population having been completely immunised. Complete vaccination coverage is significantly greater in popular tourist locations, with Phuket leading the way with 76.7% and Bangkok with 69.7%. By the end of the year, Thailand hopes to have vaccinated around 70% of its population of over 70 million people. Meanwhile, according to the latest numbers provided by the Worldometer, the total number of confirmed cases in the nation is 1,831,389 whereas the total number of fatalities is 18,625. More than 1,710,447 have been recovered from the disease. (Image: AP) With only a few weeks left until Barbados becomes a republic, the Caribbean Island has elected Dame Sandra Mason as its very first president. The 72-year-old will replace British Queen Elizabeth as head of state. Mason will take the oath of the office on 30 November, further marking the nation's 55th anniversary of independence from the United Kingdom. Mason was the governor-general of the island nation since 2018. She was the first woman to serve on the Barbados Court of Appeals. Following a combined session of the House of Assembly and the Senate on 20 October, Wednesday, the election to choose president took place. Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley described the election as a "seminal moment" for the country. The elections took place almost a year after the Barbados administration proclaimed its intention to become a republic. Previously, in the 1998 constitutional review, the change of status of the nation to the republic was suggested. Barbados is one of the most populated and affluent Caribbean islands, constituting a population of over 285,000 Barbadians. Its economy, which was once highly reliant on sugar exports, has now expanded into tourist industry and commerce. 'First president of the nation to serve as a mobilising & a uniting factor' As per the Guardian, Mottley, while speaking about the elections, said that she hopes the first president of the nation will serve as a "mobilising and a uniting factor" that will allow the country to fight issues which it had never fought in an independent Barbados. She went on to say that Dame Sandra Mason's victory was also a setback for sexism. Quoting Mottley, the Guardian reported, "I know only too well the journey that it has taken for women to come to any position that they did not hold before." It is pertinent to mention that Barbados has not been the first Caribbean nation to reject the UK monarchy. Guyana claimed complete liberty four years after gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1970, which was then followed by Trinidad and Tobago in 1976 and Dominica, two years later in 1978. There is also a possibility that Barbados won't be the last to become a republic. The choice of becoming a republic has reignited a long-running discussion in Jamaica over whether the monarchy should be abolished as well. Barbados was conquered by the British in the year 1627 and stayed as a British colony till the year 1961 when it gained internal sovereignty. The island acquired complete independence in 1966, although the Governor-General of Barbados maintains connections to the British monarch and it belonged to the Commonwealth of Nations of the UK administration. (Image: AP/ Twitter/ @Kevpolitics) Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Thursday, 21 October removed Mauritius and Botswana from its grey list and congratulated the nations for their significant progress in addressing the deficiencies which were previously noted by the global anti-terror watchdog. While Pakistan has been retained in the list, Jordan, Mali and Turkey have been included in the grey list. As per the official FATF release, Jordan, Mali and Turkey have agreed to work with the intergovernmental organisation in addressing the issues. Meanwhile, for Mauritius and Botswana, both nations will no longer be subjected to the organisations increased monitoring process. FATF, which sets standards for over 200 nations and jurisdictions to assist the battle against serious crimes such as drug smuggling, human trafficking and terrorism, made the latest updates in its grey lits following a three-day hybrid plenary October 2021 that started on Tuesday. FATF said in the official statement, The FATF congratulated Botswana and Mauritius for the significant progress they have made in addressing the strategic AML/CFT deficiencies identified earlier by the FATF and included in their respective action plans. Both countries will no longer be subject to the FATFs increased monitoring process. This comes after both countries received an on-site visit, despite the COVID-19 crisis. Botswana and Mauritius will work with ESAAMLG of which both countries are a member, to continue to strengthen their AML/CFT regime, it added. Additionally, FATF President Marcus Pleyer said in a press conference, as per ANI that Mauritius and Botswana gave a high-level political commitment to implement reforms that have improved their anti-money laundering an counter-terrorism financial system". After a busy three days, the FATF plenary has concluded. Delegates of governments from around the world discussed a range of money laundering and terrorist financing issues. See the outcomes of the plenary here https://t.co/QkCfDaqXwp #FollowTheMoney pic.twitter.com/8Ss8ab8A7A FATF (@FATFNews) October 21, 2021 Turkey joins Pakistan in FATF grey list The global terror financing watchdog retained Pakistan while adding Turkey and two other nations to its grey list. In the press briefing, FATF President Marcus Pleyer said that three countries are coming onto the list. They are Jordan, Mali and Turkey. They have all agreed action plans at the FATF and are actively working to address the strategic deficiencies identified in their system. Additionally, while referring to Pakistan, the FATF President said that the nation remains under increased monitoring. (IMAGE: Twitter/PTI) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been undergoing intense military training for a possible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Israeli television Channel 12 reported Thursday. This comes after in April, this year, Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen had warned in a statement to the press that a bad Iran nuclear deal negotiated between the United States and Iran will send the region spiralling into war. Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi has now ordered to set aside an additional defense budget for war readiness and military exercises. Israel will not allow Iran to attain nuclear arms. Iran has no immunity anywhere. Our planes can reach everywhere in the Middle East and certainly Iran, Cohen had said earlier, in clear warnings to the Islamic Republic. [Israel Air Force's F-15 fighter jets of the twin tale 133 squadron fly above Ovda Air Base. Image: AP] Israel Air Force 'simulating' airstrikes on Iran Israel Air Force has been simulating airstrikes on Irans nuclear facilities, Channel 12 reported, although no official source was cited. It also remains unclear if the military drills were undertaken, were simulated, or being rehearsed. The state television network claimed that Naftali Bennets administration has allocated close to $1.5 billion, or NIS 5 billion, with additional funding of $620 million [NIS 2 billion] in the 2022 defense budget for striking Iran. Israels Defense Minister Benny Gantz, meanwhile, also told the Hebrew press that Tel Aviv ramped up the military budget in order to conduct the possible air raids on Iranian nuclear sites. Kohvi labelled the funding as essential for the Israeli militarys operational plans against the Islamic Republic. Israel is currently hosting Blue Flag 2021 military exercise with Germany, Italy, Britain, France, India, Greece, and the US Air Force. Head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, had earlier warned, that Iran has commenced enriching the uranium at purity levels that only countries making bombs are reaching. The director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, in a statement termed the situation as very concerning, adding that Iran was enriching the uranium to a degree that requires a vigilant eye. A country enriching at 60 percent " is a serious thing," IAEA director-general said. He warned that 60% was almost "weapons-grade" as the commercial enrichment was approximately two or three percent. In the aftermath of the electrical grid compromise earlier this year at the Natanz atomic site, which Irans Hassan Rouhani called an act of nuclear terrorism, Iran, meanwhile, swore to install another 1,000 centrifuges with 50 percent more capacity to the enrichment machines, in addition to replacing the damaged ones. The Islamic Republic blamed Israels spy agency Mossad for launching an attack on the key facility in Isfahan Province. [In this image, made from video released by the state-run TV station Islamic Republic Iran Broadcasting, various centrifuge machines line a hall at the Natanz Uranium Enrichment Facility. Image: IRIB via AP] Irans nuclear program 'has hit a watershed moment', says Israel PM Tel-Aviv has been extremely critical about the US-negotiated JCPOA arrangement with Iran. The then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel had strongly backed former-US President Donald Trump's unilateral decision of secretly circumventing the deal alleging that Iran had failed to adhere to the terms listed in the contract and has been stockpiling nuclear weaponry. At the 76th United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stressed that Irans nuclear program "has hit a watershed moment, and so has our [Israel's] tolerance." Words do not stop centrifuges from spinning," the Israeli leader said. Iran's great goal is crystal clear to anybody who cares to open their eyes: Iran seeks to dominate the region and seeks to do so under a nuclear umbrella," Bennett said. Calling Irans new president, Ebrahim Raisi, the butcher of Tehran," Bennett said that Israel is a 'lighthouse in a stormy sea' of the volatile Mideast, as he warned the world about the threat of terrorism emerging out of the country. Image: AP/Twitter/@IDF New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) The relationship between the Maldives and India today is "stronger than ever" and New Delhi has been the first and best responder to Male in all times of need, the island nation's Defence Minister Mariya Didi has said. In a recorded video message played during a defence conclave here on Thursday, Didi also appreciated India's support to the Maldives in all areas of development. "Today, the relationship between the Maldives and India is stronger than ever. It's not anchored by our shared values, history and perspectives alone, India is and has been our first and best responder in all times of need," she said. From extending help after the 2004 tsunami disaster to recently assisting in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, India's helping hand was "the most immediate and visible," she added. In September last year, India provided financial assistance of USD 250 million to the Maldives to help it mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic. Later, the Maldives thanked India for what it said was the "single-largest financial assistance from a donor during this pandemic". "On behalf of the president and the people of the Maldives, I express my deepest appreciation to the government and people of India for the long-standing tradition of assistance and support extended in all areas of our nation's development," Didi said. In February this year, India had reaffirmed its commitment to the Maldives' security and signed a USD 50 million defence Line of Credit agreement with the strategically vital Indian Ocean island nation to boost its maritime capabilities. "We wish India all the best in its efforts to build an 'Atmanirbhar India', a beacon of self-reliance and a hinge of stability in our neighbourhood and beyond," Didi said. The defence conclave was held at the Constitution Club of India here and attended by defence experts, industry leaders and military attaches of various foreign countries among others. Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka Gen (retd) Kamal Gunaratne also sent a video message for the event, while Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar joined via a video link from Bengaluru. "The large and diverse Indian Ocean Region, through which two-thirds of global oil trade and one-third of global cargo trade passes faces multiple trans-border security challenges in the form of non-traditional threats. This includes piracy, arm robberies at sea, terrorism, trafficking in narcotics, illegal fishing and the dangers posed by natural and man-made disasters and climate change," Gunaratne said in his video message. All neighbouring countries in the region should enhance collaboration on maritime safety and security in order to ensure peace, stability and sustainable economic growth in the Indian Ocean Region, he said. He touched upon the massive global implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and urged that it called for collaboration among the countries in the region. Friendly countries in the IOR must enhance their collaboration to discover different avenues in redefining the aspects of environmental security as well, he added. India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives had participated in the fourth National Security Advisor-level trilateral meeting in Colombo last year and "intense deliberations" were held on enhancing maritime security cooperation in the IOR, the Lankan defence secretary said. Didi, in her address also, said the defence conclave was a "testament to India's unmistakable leadership in fostering collaboration and cooperation in IOR" under her robust SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policy. The initiative also signifies India's keen interest towards building a "free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific" as part of the QUAD grouping comprising, Japan, India, Australia and the United States, she said. There is no doubt that India, given its size, geography, wealth and vitality is "central to creating an atmosphere of confidence and goodwill in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond", she said. "And, we cannot overstate how important maritime security is for the Maldives. The ocean has been our life blood since as far as back of our history reaches," Didi said and underlined that the Indian Ocean is to the Maldives, what the Ganges has been for the Indian subcontinent for millennia. The Maldivian defence minister also highlighted the problems faced in the region such as illicit maritime activities, including piracy, smuggling of migrants, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking and the need to ensue safeguarding of Maldives' essential fish stocks from encroachment by foreign vessels in the form of "illegal unreported and unegulated fishing". "We continue to implement measures internally to increase our maritime domain awareness while partnering with neighbouring military for joint patrol and exercises, India being the foremost among them. "We are also strengthening our response and preparedness against terrorism and violent extremism, which has become a regular threat in the 21st century, as seen in Christchurch attacks in New Zealand, Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka and May 6 terror attack in Male," she added. PTI KND AAR (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) On Friday, North Atlantic Treaty Organisations (NATO) defence ministers approved the alliance's first artificial intelligence strategy and the creation of the NATO Innovation Fund. Following the second day of the NATO defence ministerial conference in Brussels, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that NATO allies have signed an agreement to establish the alliance's first Innovation Fund. He stated that NATO's new innovation fund will guarantee that organisations do not miss out on the most cutting-edge technology and capabilities that are crucial for its security, reported Anadolu Agency. With approximately $1 billion in funding from 17 NATO member states, the programme will promote research and development on new and disruptive technologies. NATO defence ministers also approved the alliance's first Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which establishes guidelines for the use of AI in accordance with international law. "The strategy details how we will accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence in what we do, set out how we will defend this technology, and address the challenges presented by enemies' use of artificial intelligence," Stoltenberg was quoted as saying by the news agency. On the final day of their summit, NATO ministers also met with partners Finland, Sweden, and the EU. Citing examples such as cybersecurity cooperation and the Aegean Sea maritime mission as examples, Stoltenberg said that NATO-EU collaboration has already reached historic levels. He also applauded the EU's renewed efforts to strengthen defence capabilities but warned that more investment in high-end capabilities, rather than new defence structures, was needed. He stated that their transatlantic alliance remains the bedrock of security, and Europe and North America will continue to stand strong together in NATO. Russia suspends NATO mission In retaliation to the expulsion of eight members of the Russian military alliance, Moscow declared disengagement from the intergovernmental military alliance on October 18, stating that the NATO Mission in Moscow's accreditation will be revoked on November 1. It should be mentioned here that NATO's practical operations with Russia were terminated in 2014 after Russia acquired Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. NATO is a military alliance that includes 28 European countries and two North American countries. The organisation is responsible for carrying out the North Atlantic Treaty, which was signed on April 4, 1949. (Image: Twitter/@Jens Stoltenberg/AP) The Defence Ministers from 17 Allied countries agreed to take the lead on the development of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisations (NATO) first Innovation Fund. The plan was endorsed on Friday during the signing ceremony hosted by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at Brussels Summit, the multinational organisation said in a statement. The 17 member nations include Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. The expansion plan is to ensure NATO "continues to have right forces at the right place at the right time," Xinhua quoted Secretary-General Stoltenberg as saying at the ministerial meeting on Thursday. This multinational Fund will help NATO retain its technological edge by enabling investment worth 1 billion euros - in dual-use technologies of potential application to defence and security, NATO said in a statement. Additionally, the fund is also expected to facilitate closer and "trusted cooperation" with deep-tech innovators, who may otherwise be unable to develop successfully the innovative solutions most needed for the protection of the Alliance. At the Brussels Summit, NATO leaders committed to strengthening our Alliance, including by promoting and protecting transatlantic innovation, the Secretary-General said at the ceremony. With the first Innovation Fund, NATOs Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic or DIANA - the Innovation Fund will support the development of a protected transatlantic innovation community, NATO said. "Since its launch at NATOs Brussels Summit, several allies have made offers to host the headquarters, test centres and accelerator sites that will make the DIANA network in both Europe and North America," it added. Both initiatives are expected to be fully in effect by NATOs Madrid Summit in 2022. Meanwhile, referring to the ongoing spat between NATO members (France and Germany over Europe) and Russia's sudden exit from the international military alliance, Secretary General Stoltenberg looked forward to "making important progress" on how to work more closely on technology and the fund. At the Brussels Summit, #NATO leaders committed to strengthening our Alliance in order to keep our people safe in a rapidly changing world. Today, Allies are making progress towards this goal Swipe to read more #DefMin NATO (@NATO) October 22, 2021 #NATO ministers have taken important steps to improve defence innovation by establishing a new NATO innovation fund. The fund will support innovators across the Alliance working on emerging and disruptive technologies, which are reshaping our world & our security. #DefMin pic.twitter.com/gdlzzzx7q1 Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) October 22, 2021 Russia suspends NATO mission In a retaliatory move to counter the expulsion of eight members of the Russian military alliance, Moscow on October 18 announced disengagement with the intergovernmental military alliance saying that the NATO Mission in Moscow would be stripped of their accreditation from November 1. It is to be noted that NATO had suspended practical operations with Russian in 2014 after it annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. As per Guardian, although, NATO kept channels open for high-level military talks, both the parties had only met "sporadically." Image: @JensStoltenberg_Twitter In a key development amid Russia's exit from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said the United Nations and its allies are looking to turn the Black Sea region into a military confrontation zone. Grushko stated NATO's move as "extremely dangerous" and also pointed out the Baltic Sea issue. This came a day after the Russian defense minister met with his counterpart of neighboring Belarus with an aim to strengthen military ties. "Now they have taken up the Black Sea region. We are witnessing increased activity on the territory of Bulgaria and Romania and are on our way towards turning the Black Sea into an arena of military rivalry, as the Baltic Sea has already turned into a confrontation zone." He further stated that NATO is on an "extremely dangerous path." This may lead to risks of military incidents as well as escalations, reported the Russian news agency TASS citing Russia24 news channel. "I would like to emphasise that in 2014, a decision was made to cease any practical cooperation with Russia, and contacts along the military track were interrupted. When NATO tells us that it is necessary to improve the preventive mechanisms of dangerous military incidents and we are saying that we are ready to discuss the maximum acceptable distances of approach between a warship and an aircraft, they dont let us include the military [in the discussion]," the senior diplomat added. The deputy foreign minister said that at this juncture, that the Russian Federation is not at all willing to hold any political dialogue with the UN and its allies, while the military is quite capable of reaching agreements. The senior diplomat concluded saying that he was not talking about some measures that they developed with regards to the Baltic region. The measures were developed thanks to a very depoliticized approach, thanks to the initiative of Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, the participation of neutral Sweden, the participation of Baltic states, experts, the civilian employees of the military. "Thanks to them, measures were developed that maybe slightly improved the situation. We were ready to proceed further, but NATO was not ready," he said. NATO-Russia tension To counter the expulsion of the United Nation allies of the Russian military alliance, the Russian federation announced disengagement with the intergovernmental military alliance on October 18, 2021. Moscow blamed NATO for not providing equal dialogue opportunities and showing any effort to neutralize the military-political tension. It is pertinent to mention here that the Russian government is ready to cooperate with NATO in further "de-escalation" in the Baltic region, but the United Nations and its allies have strongly refused the offer. Meanwhile, Moscow believes that the actions of the United States and its allies are deliberate and that their goal is to conquer the region. Image: AP One crew member was killed and six others still missing when a South Korean boat capsized in the sea of Japan earlier this week. Aircraft and ships have been deployed for the search operation in an attempt to find the missing persons. On Wednesday, October 20, the 72-ton ship, with nine crew members aboard, had overturned in the waters halfway between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Among nine crew members, three were from South Korea, two from Indonesia and four from China, according to The Associated Press (AP). According to the South Korean coast guard, their ship left the eastern port of Hupo last Sunday to catch red crabs. The South Korean Coast guard informed that the hunt for missing crew members will continue. As of Thursday, October 21, ten ships, three helicopters, and two planes were involved in the operation. However, Japan wrapped up searches on Friday. Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy stated it is working with local governments to contact the four Chinese crew members' relatives, reported Xinhua news agency. In a separate incident last week, as many as 15 migrants died in the hold of a small wooden boat while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya, reported AP. The Libyan coast guard stated its personnel had returned to a naval facility in Tripoli with 140 survivors and 15 dead bodies. South Korea concerned about Japan's potential radioactive dump in Pacific Ocean It should be mentioned here that South Korea's Foreign Ministry has expressed worry about Japan's planned release of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean to cool the reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which has been crippled by the disaster. According to the Yonhap news agency, the official stated that they have expressed serious concerns and opposition to the plan, which could have a negative influence on many people's health, security, and the maritime environment. According to Sputnik, Japan said earlier this year that the wastewater would be released in stages beginning in 2023. Notably, many people in the Commonwealth, Oceania, and East Asia rely on the Pacific Ocean for food, economic subsistence, transportation, and a number of other things that are easily threatened by human activities such as pollution and nuclear testing. Image: AP In a major development, the Torkham border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been reopened for travellers with visas and stickers, Tolo News reported citing border officials on Thursday. Since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, Islamabad has shut down major commercial borders with its neighbouring country-including the Chaman border, which it shut down last month. Notably, Torkham is the largest commercial crossing between the two countries and connects Nangarhar province in Afghanistan with Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Meanwhile, the report stated that Pakistan has also allowed two batches of students to cross over to Afghanistan. All the students were stranded in Pakistan for over two months and waiting to return home. Later a report in Khaama Press stated that up to a thousand students returned to their native land on Friday. Tokhram crossing has been used by the Imran Khan administration to supply succor to hundreds of thousands of Afghan residents. Last week, Pakistans envoy to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan said that 148 tons of rice were delivered to the Afghan Ministry of Refugees via the border. A separate report by Geo TV said that Islamabad had used the border to send 17 trucks, all loaded with flour, cooking oil, rice, sugar, and pulses under the Pak-Afghan Cooperation forum. Taliban tears Pak flag at the border In September, Pak PM Imran Khan was faced with ridicule after the Taliban, whom he considers his friend, unfurled their true colors. In a development coming from Afghanistan's Torkham, a border city between both countries, the terrorist group removed a flag from a truck carrying aid supplies and tore it apart. According to a video widely shared on social media platforms, Taliban terrorists can be seen taking down the Pakistan flag from a truck carrying Pakistan's aid to the war-torn nation. After removing it, the extremists tore apart the flag and chanted "Nara e Takbeer, Allahu Akbar" (God is great) slogans. Reportedly, one of the Taliban terrorists also said that the flag should be burnt. Representative Image: AP Turkey is determined to get back funds the Unites States owes to Ankara for the scrapped F-35s program in July 2019, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, as talks for the purchase of Lockheed Martin-made Viper class F-16 fighter jets are underway. Turkey paid $1.4 billion to the US in a deal to upgrade its fleet with F-35 jets which were never delivered as Washington stalled the contract over Turkeys Russian missile defence system S-400s purchase. US had also hit Turkey with CAATSA sanctions. The United States scrapped a defence contract with Ankara over security concerns as it said that the Russian air-defence system can gather intelligence on the American manufactured F35s crucial stealth abilities. US lawmakers and defence officials had protested Turkeys decision of acquiring the Russian S-400 alongside the F-35 joint strike fighter over IFF tactical data concerns, as the Russian missile system could easily compromise F-35s technology intelligence that makes the US manufactured fighter jets lethal. Defence analysts believe that the US Air Force operating F-35s out of Incirlik Air Base has been a mounting challenge with Russias S-400 nearby. On October 20, however, as he deplaned after a trip to Africa, Turkish leader Erdogan told the Ankaras reporters We will get back the $1.4 billion in one way or another. Furthermore, he revealed that he would hold talks about the deal with US President Joe Biden during this weekends G20 meeting in Rome. [Military vehicles and equipment, parts of the S-400 air defence systems, are unloaded from a Russian transport aircraft, at Murted military airport in Ankara, Turkey. Image: AP] 'No way will we let anyone abuse Turkey's rights,' warns Erdogan I believe we will make progress," Turkish outlet TRT quoted Erdogan as saying. Clarifying the controversy surrounding the US embargo on Turkey, Erdogan said that Turkey purchased the Russian missile system long after it failed to reach terms on the protracted negotiations with the US on the defence deal. Turkey had placed an order for more than 100 F-35 jets manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp, but the US snubbed the deal stating that the S-400s would expose the F-35s to possible Russian subterfuge. Erdogan now says that talks between the Turkish defence minister and the US defence secretary have been ongoing. In no way will we let anyone abuse Turkeys rights, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters. [ US F-35A fighter jet prepares to land at Chungju Air Base in Chungju. Image: AP] At a press conference in Istanbul earlier this week, Erdogan claimed that the United States offered Anakara's fleet of upgraded F-16s as a form of potential reimbursement for cancelled F-35 contract. Turkey is working on reimbursement for the F-35 payment," Erdogan said. Although, at least two Turkish official sources familiar with the development informed the Ankara press that Turkey first made a formal request for acquiring up to 40 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft from Lockheed Martin Corp as well as 80 kits to modernize the existing F-35 fleet. US denies it made 'financing offers' to Turkey for F-16s purchase Responding to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's remarks, the United States clarified this week that it has made no official financing offer to Ankara for the sale of F-16 warplanes. "We would refer you to the Turkish government to speak to its defence procurement plans. What I can say is the United States has not made any financing offers on Turkey's F-16 request," US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at a White House presser. Furthermore, Price stressed that such defence deals such as the sale of F-16 fighter jets first needs approval from the US State Department and Congress, adding that the US Defense Department has been in consultations with Turkey on the blocked order of F-35 fighter planes but financing options for F-16 were not on the table. When it comes to Turkey, we strongly value our partnership with our Nato ally Turkey. Its an important Nato ally. We have longstanding and deep bilateral ties, and Turkeys continued Nato interoperability remains a priority, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at the briefing. He went on to add: The Department of Defense does remain in consultations with Turkey on the F-35 programme. Turkish officials have publicly acknowledged their interest in purchasing F-16 aircraft. We would refer you to the Turkish Government to speak to its defense procurement plans. Image: AP Russian President Vladimir Putin called Thursday for Afghanistan to be given international help to solve its economic problems and for the U.S. and its allies to unfreeze Afghan assets. Speaking at the Valdai International Discussion Club in Sochi, Vladimer Putin said help is needed to help Afghanistan "restore its economy," particularly as without this they are unlikely to crack down on the drugs being produced in the country. The comments follow Russia hosting talks on Afghanistan on Wednesday involving senior representatives of the Taliban and neighboring nations, a round of diplomacy that underlined Moscow's clout in Central Asia. Russia had worked for years to establish contacts with the Taliban, even though it designated the group a terror organization in 2003 and never took it off the list. Any contact with such groups is punishable under Russian law, but the Foreign Ministry has responded to questions about the apparent contradiction by saying its exchanges with the Taliban are essential for helping stabilize Afghanistan. Unlike many other countries, Russia hasn't evacuated its embassy in Kabul and its ambassador has maintained regular contacts with the Taliban since they took over the Afghan capital of Kabul in August. Also asked at the Valdai conference about his view of U.S.-Russian relations following his June's summit with President Joe Biden in Geneva, Putin said that Moscow and Washington have launched consultations on arms control and cyber security in line with their agreements. He noted that they "are on the right track," but continued that there has also been some rollback on certain issues that he didn't specify. Touching on Ukraine, Putin said that Russia is concerned about its growing military ties with the U.S. and its NATO allies. "Formal membership in NATO may not take place, but military development of the territory is taking place and it really creates threat for the Russian Federation and we are acknowledging it," Putin said. Russia and Ukraine have remained in a tug-of-war after Moscow's 2014 annexation of Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula and support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine. IMAGE: AP (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday warned that he will not hesitate to deploy heavy weaponry and more Turkish forces in northern Syria against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), in renewed discontentment against the Syrian Kurds in the war-torn country. "At the moment, our operations are continuing in the critically important points of the region, there are absolutely no compromises, Ankaras President Erdogan told Turkish reporters on October 20. Furthermore, he added that Turkey will not cease to have the military presence in Syria, adding that he has no knowledge about what decision the regime of the internationally recognized Syrian President Bashar Assad -ed will make. We will continue to respond with all our heavy weaponry. We will not leave this situation as it is, the Turkish press quoted the leader as saying while he was deplaning during his return from Africa trip. Erdogan warns US, says will 'kick out' ambassadors Erdogan also threatened the United States, saying that he will kick out ambassadors of 10 countries from Ankara if they made demands about the release of Turkish Open Society Foundation cofounder and activist Osman Kavala. The philanthropist and human rights activist, renowned member of Turkish civil society, was acquitted in February in one trial and has since been jailed for over three years without a trial. The US State Department had made remarks against the Turkish regime citing human rights violation as it issued a statement earlier saying: The specious charges against Kavala, his ongoing detention, and the continuing delays in the conclusion of his trial, including through the merger of cases against him, undermine respect for the rule of law and democracy. Turkey had strongly responded to the US, saying that the country is a state of law. Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement responded to the US: No country or person can give orders to Turkish courts about legal proceedings. Turkey has conducted at least three military operations in Syria against Syrian Democratic Forces, to back President Bashar al-Assad's regime and denounce the Syrian Kurds, an issue that has strained the US-Turkey bilateral relations over the past several years due to conflict of interest in the region. Earlier last month, an attack on the Turkish troops by supporters of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Company in Syrias northwestern Idlib province killed two Turkish soldiers and wounded three others. Turkey had then vowed to ramp up the sporadic military activities to restore control. The UN special envoy for Myanmar on October 21, Thursday warned that Februarys military coup in Myanmar has wreaked havoc in the Southeast Asian nations as several armed conflicts have erupted in different parts of the city. As the conflict between the civilians and ethnic minorities intensified, Christine Schraner Burgener told a UN news conference Thursday that if the power wasnt handed back to the civilians, Myanmar will go in the direction of a failed state, Associated Press reported. The repression of the military has led to more than 1,180 deaths, Burgener was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. The army uses a range of tactics against civilian populations, including burning villages, looting properties, mass arrests, torture and execution of prisoners, gender-based violence, and random artillery fire into residential areas, she added. 'Huge scale of violence' all over country remind of 1997 Rohingya violence: UN Envoy The UN special envoy stressed that while the military Junta has launched a mass crackdown against the pro-democratic citizens in Chin and several other states, conflict in other areas such as Kachin and Shan states have swelled. This is an indication that all over the country we have a huge scale of violence, UNs special envoy Christine Schraner Burgener warned. The latter stated that the conflict situation in Myanmar between Myanmars Tatmadaw and the Burmese citizens reminds of the conflict between Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine state when Myanmars security forces attacked the minority community in 1997-98. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya were displaced as they fled the atrocities in Myanmar. The movement launched by the military Junta against the civilians is once again militarized in the same manner, and the supporters of the ousted government led by Aung San Suu Kyi that formed the National Unity Government have started mobilizing civilians in large numbers for an uprising labelling movement peoples defense war, warned the UN envoy. Clearly, in the absence of international action, violence has been justified as the last resort, Burgener said, as per AP. US to dispatch delegation for Myanmar crisis United States earlier said that it was planning to dispatch a group of officials from the State Department, as well as its international development and other agencies, will travel to Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia next week to address the crisis in Myanmar, a Kyodo News report confirmed. The situation in Myanmar has deteriorated since the military coup in the month of February. A senior State Department official stated the delegation, led by State Department Counselor Derek Chollet, who also serves as a policy adviser to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, planned to make a stop at Japan on its way home to discuss Myanmar crisis. In a key development, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met United Kingdom Chief of Defence Staff General Nicholas Carter in the national capital on Friday. Reports suggest that both delegates deliberated on the ongoing situation in Afghanistan and issues pertaining to Indo-Pacific. Taking to Twitter, EAM Jaishankar said, "Received UK CDS General Nicholas Carter. The conversation centred around Afghanistan and Indo-Pacific." Received UK CDS General Nicholas Carter. Conversation centered around Afghanistan and Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/G0k2y59N3E Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 22, 2021 The UK Chief of Defence Staff is on a three-day visit to the country and had laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and received a Guard of Honour at the South Block. This marks his first visit since the Taliban advanced a successful and violent conquest of the war-ravaged state on August 15, 2021. Apparently, China's ascending assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. On October 22, the UK Chief of Defence Staff called on his Indian counterpart General Bipin Rawat to discuss the enhancement of the defence cooperation between the two countries. The official Twitter handle of the Indian Army had shared, "General Sir Nicholas Carter, the Chief of Defence Staff, UK called on General Bipin Rawat and discussed steps to take forward the defence cooperation between India and UK." General Sir Nicholas Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, #UK called on General Bipin Rawat #CDS and discussed steps to take forward the defence cooperation between #India and #UK.#DefenceCooperation#IndiaUKFriendship pic.twitter.com/ppRpJLIzZr ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) October 21, 2021 India & UK conduct joint military exercises On October 22, the Indian Navy stated that maritime cooperation is a 'distinguishable symbol of the commitment of both nations in ensuring a positive climate at sea for enhancing strategic stability and promoting global economic prosperity," and the 'interoperability achieved over the years, as a result of such exercises, has proved to be operationally beneficial to armed forces of both countries." Notably, the joint maritime exercise will be carried out on the west coast in two phases. While the sea phase will conclude on October 27, the harbour phase will be conducted in Mumbai, between October 21-23. The English Navy is represented by its Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier with her F35 fighter jets and helicopters. The Royal Navy's participating fleet will also have Type 45 Daring Class air-defence destroyer HMS Defender, Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, a Royal Fleet Auxilliary (RFA) Fort Victoria, and a Royal Netherland Navy Frigate HNLMS Evertsen. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force will comprise Jaguars, Su-30 Mki, AWACA, AEW&C and sea exercises will feature advanced warfare tactics, anti-submarine warfare exercises, over the horizon targeting drills, air defence exercise, cross deck landings and other mechanisms too, the Indian Navy had stated. Furthermore, the landed phase of the joint exercise is set to be conducted at Chaubatia in Uttarakhand with UK troops and the Indian Army's Gorkha Rifles 1/11. A Southern California man entered a not guilty plea on Thursday after being charged with the murder of his wife who remains missing more than nine months after her disappearance, according to local media reports. Larry Millete, 40, entered the plea during a court hearing in the San Diego suburb of Chula Vista. Millete was arrested on Tuesday at his home in Chula Vista, a day after prosecutors charged him with murder and illegal possession of an assault weapon. He is accused of killing May Millete, the mother of his three children. Maya Millete, 40, vanished in early January, authorities said. She left her mobile phone and other valuables along with the couple's children, authorities said. Larry Millete told police that his wife voluntarily left the family. But investigators said he had been considered a "person of interest" in her disappearance. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) The United States does not want a cold war with China, US President Joe Biden said at a live broadcast event CNN town hall in Baltimore on October 21, Thursday. When asked what will be the US response to the Peoples Republic of China that just tested a hypersonic missile, and whether the USA can protect Taiwan, Biden responded by saying that he has spoken and spent more time with Xi Jinping than any other world leader, and was therefore not interested in starting a new cold war with China. You know, you hear people saying, Biden wants to start a new Cold War with China, I dont want a Cold War with China. I just want to make China understand that we are not going to step back. We are not going to change any of our views, said the US president. Biden added, that militarily, China, Russia, have the most powerful military in the history of the world, but the US only has to worry whether or not theyre going to engage in activities that will put them in a position where there they make a serious mistake. When asked by Anderson Cooper if the United States would come to Taiwans defense if China attacked, President Joe Biden replied: Yes, adding we [US] have a commitment to do that. Biden administration has been supportive of democratically-ruled Taiwans sovereignty and has been a leading supplier of defensive weaponry to the island. Thus far, the US has approved close to $5.1 billion in arms sales to the island which includes Lockheed Martin Corps High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) Missiles, related equipment made by Boeing, and six MS-110 Recce external sensor pods and at least a hundred Boeing manufactured Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems. United States should provide consistent arms sales to Taiwan to deter Chinese aggression in the Pacific region, the head of US Indo-Pacific Command Adm. Philip Davidson had earlier stated at an event hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, stressing that America was 'fully involved' in providing military support to Taiwan to deter Chinese belligerence. Experts have speculated that China might be getting close to successfully invading Taiwan as the PLA ramped up military activities around the region in recent months. Taiwan has reported about routine incursions by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) inside its Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) as tensions have escalated on both sides in recent years. [PLA Air Force J-20 fighter jets patrol in the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Image: Twitter/@louischeung_hk] US national security adviser Robert O'Brien had warned at a presser that while he did not believe China was just yet ready to invade Taiwan, the island needed to "fortify itself," Taiwan meanwhile agreed, saying that it needed to "build credible combat capabilities and strengthen the development of asymmetric warfare". US shifting from 'relentless wars' to diplomacy: Biden Earlier at the 76th UN General Assembly address, President of the United States, Joe Biden had similarly emphasised that he had no intention of starting a new Cold War with China after UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres stressed that the world could plunge into the dangerous Cold War if China and the United States didnt repair their completely dysfunctional relationship. Guterres asked the two countries to shun the volatile and challenging dynamics of hostility, and instead promote multilateralism to exercise international strategic security and stability. Biden had then acknowledged UN's concerns in his maiden speech, saying that the US, under his administration, was shifting policy of 'relentless wars' and military intervention to "relentless diplomacy. The United States is not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs, Biden stressed, without mentioning the name of China. Image: AP In a significant development, Texas requested the Supreme Court to keep the state's abortion law in place, citing the Biden administration's desperate attempt to denounce the law. Texas informed the court that the federal government lacks standing to sue over the matter, and this came after the Justice Department this week asked the Supreme Court to take immediate action to freeze Texas' novel abortion ban law from being enforced in the state. On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear appeals from abortion-rights advocates before passing the final decision in the lower courts. The Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to block the "unconstitutional" law until its validity was proven. Meanwhile, state Attorney General Ken Paxton showed confidence in the state's law due to its unique enforcement scheme that relies on suits filed by private parties, rather than non-private prosecutors. Amid protests, Texas authorities urge Supreme Court to allow abortion ban to stand Urging the Supreme Court to keep the states near-total abortion ban in place, Texas authority also asked the court to step in after the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals moves the decision on whether the clinics have standing to sue, which the court will take up in December, according to news site Politico. So far, the legal proceeding over Texas's abortion law has progressed without challenging the constitutional right of a person's right to abortion because the district court had temporarily blocked implementation of the law. Meanwhile, the federal government is asking the Supreme Court to resume district court proceedings and permanently block the law. Notably, the enforcement of the abortion law in Texas lies in the hand of the Supreme Court, and a decision over the case is expected to be taken soon. What is Texas Abortion Law? The law implemented by Texas authorities imposes a strict restriction on abortion after six weeks. The law states that once after pregnancy, if a medical professional detects cardiac activity, also known as the "heartbeat" of the child in the mother's womb, then the mother is not allowed to opt for an abortion. The law is also called a "six-week ban". However, the law has attracted a considerable number of controversies from across the state, because doctors claim that in the sixth week of pregnancy, women do not even know if they are pregnant. (Image: AP) In a key development, US President Joe Biden on Thursday publicly vowed to protect Taiwan against Chinese incursion. Speaking at a press meet at CNN town hall, Biden stated that the US has a 'commitment' to protect Taiwan against any potential threat from the latter's neighbour. It is to be noted that Biden's comments come amid China's recurrent sovereignty claims over Taiwanese territory under the 'One China' policy and Beijing's escalated aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. Joe Biden's comments seem to shake the decade-long 'strategic ambiguity' of Washington over its military role in Taiwan during a Chinese attack. However, a White House official later clarified that the President's comments do not indicate any change in the policies under the Taiwan Relations Act and asserted that the latter's comments came following the 'unintentional escalation' of aggression by Beijing, CNN reported. Meanwhile, the US has also remained alarmed by Beijing's hypersonic missile test last summer. However, on Thursday, Biden stated that he is 'not concerned' about 'intentional' military conflict with China, instead, he was worried whether "China and Russia...are going to engage in activities that put them in a position where they make a more serious mistake." China responds to Biden, asks US to be careful of what it says on Taiwan China has urged the US to handle Taiwan-related issues carefully and properly and not to send wrong signals to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said "China has no room for compromise on issues involving its core interests. US should act and speak cautiously on the Taiwan issue." Tensions between the US, China and Taiwan Tensions between China and Taiwan have gained momentum since October 1 after the former flew over 100 fighter jets into Taiwan's Air Defence zone. This was followed by the latter's dependence on the US for military support. Meanwhile, self-ruled Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly expressed willingness to remain independent against the Chinese goal of 'reunification.' On the other hand, US and China have remained geopolitical rivals for decades and relations between them have further frayed due to Beijing's aggressive claims of sovereignty along the South China Sea fuelled by Chinese engagement in testing high-tech projectiles. Beijing's assertive behaviour in Taiwan Meanwhile, Beijing has sent a record number of warplanes into the Taiwan Air Defense territory, including nuclear-capable H-6 bombers, which were intercepted close to the self-ruled nation on October 3 while Beijing marked National Day, Kyodo News reported citing Defence Ministry. As per reports, Taipei Defence Military deployed combat aircraft to warn the Chinese warplanes and activated missile systems to monitor them. Claiming to be one of the biggest intended infringements by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters on Saturday that China has been 'bellicose' and ''damaging regional peace engaging in many bullying acts," Al Jazeera had reported. Earlier this month, Taiwan intercepted two Chinese J-16 fighters and an anti-submarine aircraft once again into its airspace. Image: AP United States Navy and Army said it successfully tested hypersonic weapon component prototypes on Wednesday, 20 October that will further be used to inform the development of new weapons. In a statement, US Indo-Pacific Command (PACOM) on Thursday said that the flight campaign was executed from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility and the test demonstrated advanced hypersonic technologies, capabilities, and prototype systems in a realistic operating environment. Notably, the US Army has noted that three precision sounding rocket launches were conducted containing hypersonic experiments from partners, including several defence contractors. The US Navy and Army's statement said, The Navy Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) and the Army Hypersonic Program Office (AHPO) successfully conducted a High Operational Tempo for Hypersonics flight campaign on October 20, 2021. This flight campaign was executed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Wallops Flight Facility. This test will be used to inform the development of the Navys Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) and the Armys Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) offensive hypersonic strike capability, it added. Pentagon spokesperson said test did not occur' However, on the contrary, the US Department of Defence or Pentagon spokesperson told news agency Sputnik that the test related to the development of its hypersonic weapon was "unsuccessful" after a missile booster failed to work. The news agency quoted the spokesperson as saying, On Oct. 21, the Department of Defense conducted a data collection experiment from the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska, Kodiak, AK [Alaska], to inform the departments hypersonic technology development adding that The test did not occur as planned due to a failure of the booster stack. As per the report, the spokesperson also said that the booster stack which was used in the test conducted on Wednesday was not part of the hypersonic program and is also unrelated to the Navy-designed Common Hypersonic Glide Body which the Pentagon tested successfully on 20 March, 2020. Additionally, the defence officials have reportedly initiated a review to determine the cause of the booster system failure which made the test unsuccessful, revealed the spokesperson to Sputnik. It is also pertinent to note that the United States carried out the tests to advance its hypersonic weapon programs just as it flagged concerns over reports of Chinas development of hypersonic technology. As per The Guardian report, the US disarmament ambassador, Robert Wood told the reporters in Geneva, We are very concerned by what China has been doing on the hypersonic front, after reports stated that Beijing had launched a hypersonic missile with nuclear capacity. The latest tensions come in the backdrop of Beijing and Washington attempting to normalise their ties in recent weeks with a series of meetings. (IMAGE: AP) The majority of diplomatic protests in the last five years have been filed this year alone. Activists stage a protest outside the Chinese Consulate, guarded by Philippine police, on the fifth anniversary of an international arbitral court ruling invalidating Beijing's historical claims over the waters of the South China Sea, in Makati City, Philippines, July 12, 2021. More than 70 percent of diplomatic protests by the Philippines government against Chinese activities in the South China Sea in the last five years were filed this year alone, the nations foreign ministry says, hinting at a tougher stance in Manilas dealings with China. The state-run Philippine News Agency quoted Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Menez as saying on Thursday that a total of 153 out of the 211 notes verbales, or diplomatic notes, were filed in 2021 alone. China has responded to all but two communications, Menez added. In addition, the DFA said on Wednesday it protested the "issuance of over 200 radio challenges, sounding of sirens, and blowing of horns by Chinese government vessels against Philippine authorities" patrolling in the South China Sea. It is unclear when these incidents took place. While the hundreds of diplomatic notes against China might be seen as public posturing, it also shows that the government has become more open in their intention of how to deal with Beijing, according to Jay Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea at the University of the Philippines. It may also indicate a shift in President Dutertes approach, that he has become less involved in managing this aspect [maritime disputes] of Philippine-China relations and [is] leaving it to relevant departments, said Batongbacal. And so the DFA has got back to what theyre supposed to do: filing protests when necessary, he told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. President Rodrigo Duterte, whose presidential term ends next year, took office in 2016, just two weeks before Manila won a landmark case against Chinas expansive claims in the South China Sea at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The tribunal found that Beijings historical claims as demarcated by the so-called nine-dash line that straddles the South China Sea have no legal basis. The president, however, did not press the tribunal victory, as he pursued a rapprochement with Beijing in exchange for economic benefits like loans and investments, most of which have yet to materialize. Some of the 220 Chinese vessels reported by the Philippine Coast Guard are pictured at the disputed Whitsun Reef, claimed by Manila, in the South China Sea, March 7, 2021. Credit: Reuters Mild effect One of the earliest diplomatic protests lodged by the Philippines this year was in March when hundreds of Chinese vessels were sighted mooring at Whitsun Reef in the Spratly Islands. The Philippines says the reef, which it calls Julian Felipe, lies entirely within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) but Vietnam and China also hold separate claims. Whitsun Reef is located 175 nautical miles west Palawan Island in the Philippines and 638 nautical miles from Chinas Hainan Island. The Philippine military alleged that the Chinese ships belonged to its increasingly powerful maritime militia but Beijing denied the accusation, saying they were fishing boats taking shelter from bad weather. As the Whitsun Reef incident escalated, Manila summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian to demand that China withdraw their vessels. Before that, the DFA also filed another diplomatic protest and Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. threatened to do so daily till the last ones gone like it should be by now if it is really fishing." The number of Chinese ships at Whitsun dwindled to single digits by mid-May but increased again by mid-June. By then, the Philippines had filed 100 diplomatic protests since June 2016 against Chinas various incursions, including in the waters off Pag-asa, also known as Thitu Island. Batongbacal said the diplomatic protests do have a mild effect. He noted that incursions by Chinese fishing vessels into Philippine waters this year are markedly less than in previous years. But the territorial disputes in the South China Sea are much larger, more complex and involve multiple players, thus require more coordinated actions than notes verbales, he added. Coordination among Southeast Asian nations, even those with overlapping claims with China in the South China Sea, is rarely straightforward. While Malaysia and Indonesia expressed concern about the announcement of a trilateral security pact between the U.S., U.K. and Australia (AUKUS) last month, the Philippines welcomed it. AUKUS, which will help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, is widely viewed as a pushback against Chinas growing military power in the Indo-Pacific. Even within the administration of a single government, such as the Philippines, there can be conflicting messages. A week after Locsin hailed the pact as helpful in addressing a military imbalance in favor of China, Duterte expressed concerns that the pact could trigger a nuclear arms race. Jason Gutierrez in Manila contributed to this report. The National Unity Government said it has evidence of at least 400 serious violations since February. Myanmars shadow National Unity Government (NUG) said Friday that it had documented more than 400 serious human rights abuses nationwide in the nearly nine months since the military seized power and intends to seek justice for the victims through both domestic and international courts. NUG Human Rights Minister Aung Myo Min told RFAs Myanmar Service that since the Feb. 1 coup, more than 1,000 people have been killed as the result of suspected torture in police custody, amid an ongoing crackdown on anti-junta activities. Not only was brutal violence used against street protesters in large cities like Yangon and Mandalay, he said, but the military has also stepped up its response to anti-junta groups in rural areas by burning down resistance camps and killing scores of villagers in Magway region, as well as Chin and Kayah states. Aung Myo Min said that since the NUG Ministry of Home Affairs and Justice launched a website on Aug. 12 inviting people to report human rights abuses, it had gathered information on more than 400 serious human rights abuses, which it has referred to the United Nations Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court (ICC). He said justice for the abuses will be sought through domestic courts as soon as the situation allows. What we have gathered now is not just for the ICC. The information will be used when people win the Spring Revolution, and the country regains a proper rule of law and a strong judiciary, he said. It will be used to prepare reports for the U.N. as the complaints contain strong evidence [of junta brutalities]. When Myanmar gets a chance to become a member of the ICC, we intend to use it to take legal action against the perpetrators. It will be used in every process to find truth and justice. Aung Myo Min said the NUG had received several complaints from within the country and that the most serious human rights violations were confirmed after interviewing victims by telephone. The ICC, based in The Hague, is the only international criminal tribunal that can prosecute individuals convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. In order for the ICC to prosecute human rights abuses by a military or government, the country must be a signatory to the Rome Statute. The Rome Statute, which established the ICC, was signed on July 1, 2002, and currently has 123 member states. Forty-two countries, including Myanmar, have yet to sign the treaty. Aung Myo Min noted that on July 17 the NUG had sent a letter to the ICC calling for the court to prosecute the junta for crimes since its prior rule of the country in 2002, adding that his shadow administration would sign the Rome Statute if necessary. Nearly nine months after the militarys Feb. 1 coup, security forces have killed 1,186 civilians and arrested at least 7,036, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)mostly during crackdowns on anti-junta protests. The junta says it unseated the National League for Democracy government because, they claimed, the party had engineered a landslide victory in Myanmars November 2020 election through widespread voter fraud. It has yet to present evidence of its claims and public unrest is at an all-time high. Protesters take part in a demonstration against the military coup and to mark the anniversary of 1962 student protests against the country's first junta in Yangon, July 7, 2021. AFP Seeking to file A man who has been sentenced to death in absentia after being charged with involvement in a murder in Nya Ward, in Yangons North Okkalapa township, told RFA that he would file a complaint with the ICC against the military regime if he could. I have heard about this option, but I dont know how to contact anyone. I want to file a complaint if possible. We want to complain about the destruction of our homes, the looting of all our belongings and the indictment against us, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. We didnt have a chance to defend ourselves [in court] and they just handed us the death sentence one-sidedly. There are a lot of people who have died and others who are in hiding. We want them to get pay-back for what they have done to us. A resident of Kinma village, in Magway regions Pauk township, said he would file a complaint with the ICC against the military for not only burning down the entire village but also for looting and the killing of its inhabitants. We have to file a complaint. They not only took away our food, other belongings and destroyed our houses, but they also set fire to the school. If individuals could file a complaint, we would produce all the evidence along with photographs, said the man, who also declined to be named. The killings were not just ordinary killings. Three men were taken away and blown up with an explosive. Two men on a motorcycle, who were passing by, were shot dead and burned along with their vehicle. Nyunt Shwe, who stayed behind in the village, had his hands tied and was set on fire. Human rights experts say that what is happening in Myanmar following the military coup amounts to war crimes that can be reported to the ICC because they constitute a form of genocide and crimes against humanity. But asked by RFA about NUGs efforts to report human rights abuses to the ICC, junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun denied that the military was knowingly involved in such actions. He acknowledged that there could be some violations by local security forces, and said such incidents are being tackled with existing local laws. The military as well as the government is taking action in accordance with existing laws on terrorist activities and riots. No action can be taken beyond the existing law, he said. We acknowledge some of the incidents. There may be a few cases where members of our security forces lose control of their emotions These things happen in controlling riots or violence. These incidents happen everywhere in the world. So, whether they file complaints or not, we have to take action according to the existing laws of our country. Protecting victims Nikky Diamond, a Myanmar doctoral student studying law and politics in Germany, told RFA that victims are entirely within their rights to file complaints with the ICC through NUG. But he urged the NUG to ensure that its website for collecting documentation on rights abuses is safe and secure. This is of paramount importanceif the junta feels threatened and knows that people are trying to send information, the complainants might be in great danger, he said. NUG needs to implement measures to provide these people with protection, working hand in hand with international groups. Some of the victims are very important witnesses. If they stay in the country, they will not be safe. If they are well-protected, they will be of great support to the ongoing litigation process. Human rights activists also point out that the ICC will only be able to prosecute effectively if evidence is strong and say individual testimonies will be crucial to the process. The ICC and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have been arenas where Myanmars previous government and some generals stand accused of forced deportation of more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims in 2017 to neighboring Bangladesh as the military targeted the minority community in Rakhine state. Thousands of Rohingya perished as a result of the 2017 violence, which included indiscriminate killings, mass rape, torture, and village burnings. The hundreds of thousands who fled to Bangladesh now live-in massive displacement camps. Former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyis deposed government dismissed the ICC, arguing that the court has no jurisdiction over Myanmar, while she appeared at the ICJ in late 2019 and defended the country in a suit brought by Gambia accusing Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention during the 2017 violence. The ICJ ordered Myanmar to take measures to protect the Rohingya and document evidence of the Rakhine atrocities, but the ruling was shrugged off by the Myanmar government. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Qeyimahun Qari survived 15 years in a prison only to die in an internment camp. Uyghur Muslims arrive at the Id Kah Mosque for morning prayers on Eid al-Fitr in the old town of Kashgar in northwestern China's Xinjiang region, June 26, 2017. A Uyghur imam who survived 15 years in prison for separatism in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang only to die during a two-year stint in an internment camp, raises questions of torture and highlights the abusive nature of the camp system that has drawn accusations of genocide, said Uyghurs with knowledge of the case. Qeyimahun Qari, whose death in 2018 has only recently come to light, was sentenced in 1991 for separatism and served a 15-year sentence in the No. 1 prison in Xinjiangs capital Urumqi (in Chinese, Wulumuqi). Authorities arrested him again in 2017 and put him in an internment camp, the usual practice with former prisoners, said a Uyghur from the same county as the imam and who is now living in exile. He was the imam of our No. 4 township mosque from 2007 to 2010, said the source who is from Tokkuzak county in Kashgar (Kashi) prefecture, where Qeyimahun lived and worked. He was arrested in 2017 and died in 2018. He was a healthy man who was able to handle all the physical work in courtyards and on farms, and no one had ever observed that he had any health issues, even on the day when he was working in a cornfield and was taken away by the police, he said. At the time of his initial arrest 30 years ago, Qeyimahun respected in his community for his religious and social activities as well as his charisma, he said. Qeyimahuns second arrest came when a village policeman seized him after morning prayers while the imam was taking water to his field, according to the source. At the time, Qeyimahun was 59 and had no health problems, said the Uyghur in exile. About two years later, authorities handed over his dead body to his family, the source said. Qeyimahuns case underscores that the treatment of Uyghurs in the four-year-old internment camp system is far worse than regular prison life, said Memettursun Osman, a Uyghur former camp detainee. Based on my personal experience I can say that regulations and conditions in the camps, including torture are tenfold harsher than in prisons and other detention facilities before 2017, he said. China has held up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in a network of detention camps since 2017. Beijing has said that the camps are vocational training centers and has denied widespread and documented allegations that it has mistreated and tortured incarcerated Muslims. Until their last breath One police officer who had been stationed at a camp in Opal township for two years confirmed that Qeyimahun was found dead there at the end of 2018. I heard that the one with the name Qeyimahun Qari died in the camp, said the officer who did not give his name. Qeyimahun was rushed to the hospital a few hours before his death, the policeman said, adding that he did not know which illness or ailment the imam was suffering from. He died in the hospital, he said. I dont what he was taken to the hospital for, he added. Officers at police stations in two other townships where Qeyimahun had been held Aral and Bulaqsu townships told RFA that they were not authorized to speak about sensitive issues. Because Qeyimahun was an imam who had overseen many weddings and ceremonies, the police frequently interrogated him inside the camp to try to obtain information about the Uyghurs who came to his mosque, the source said. During the interrogation sessions, Qeyimahun declined to reveal their names and other personal details to prevent them from being arrested and detained, prompting authorities to torture him, said the source. The former imams sudden death caused residents of Bulaqsu, where Qeyimahun lived and where his mosque was located, to fret over the condition of their relatives interned in the same camp, especially the elderly and the weak. Because the interrogations and torture inside the camp were harsher than those that detainees were subjected to in prison, many Uyghurs confessed to charges they hadnt committed. Authorities also continued to hold some of the detainees after they confessed to crimes they were charged with, hoping to get them to expose the crimes of others, Memettursun said. Authorities told the camp detainees that they would be released after they had demonstrated good behavior and had confessed to their crimes, he said. Mehmettursun told RFA that during his detention in a camp in Hotan (Hetian) prefecture in southwestern Xinjiang, he saw other inmates confess to crimes just to avoid being tortured and then be transferred to a prison. I know they torture the detainees until they are about to take their last breath, and sometimes they dont even care if the subject is still breathing or not, he said. Breaking the silence Increasing international awareness of the camp system and other abuses including forced sterilization of women and forced labor has prompted parliaments in Canada, the Netherlands, the U.K., and Lithuania, as well the U.S. State Department to brand Chinas actions in the region as genocide. Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), said the 43 countries made history with their statement condemning Chinas atrocities against the Uyghur people and calling on China to grant the U.N. unfettered access to Xinjiang. Sadly, there have been many countries that are not speaking out on Uyghur genocide due to Chinese pressure or economic relations with China, he told RFA. Some are even shamelessly supporting and defending Chinas ongoing genocide. Isa noted the signature of Turkey, where some 50,000 Uyghurs live, was important because China has used pressure and deceptive tactics in the past to keep Turkey silent on the Uyghur crisis. Apparently, these tactics backfired, he said. The signing of the joint statement by Turkey will definitely help break the silence of some Muslim countries and take active measures in the future. The Washington-based Uyghur Human Rights Project also praised the action by the U.N. member states that signed the statement. U.N. member states have just taken the next step towards accountability for the Chinese governments brutal treatment of Uyghurs, said Omer Kanat, the organizations executive director. Zhang Jun, Chinas ambassador to the U.N., later rejected what he called groundless accusations at a press conference on China's position on human rights issues. Ambassador Zhang said that the attempts by the U.S. and a few other countries to politicize and manipulate human rights issues will find no support, said a statement on the website of Chinas permanent mission to the U.N. People around the world are clear-eyed about the truth. More than 80 countries have made statements to support China. At a regular press conference in Beijing on Friday, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin echoed Zhangs comments, saying that a small number of Western countries, based on disinformation, rumors and lies, keep attacking and maligning China on issues relating to Xinjiang and other matters and interfering in Chinas domestic affairs with human rights as a disguise. Translated by the Uyghur Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. The 43 nations urged Beijing to protect human rights and to allow independent monitors into the region. Zhang Jun, China's ambassador to the United Nations, speaks during a meeting of the 76th UN General Assembly in New York, Sept. 23, 2021. More than 40 Western-led countries criticized Chinas widely reported atrocities against the Uyghurs in a statement issued Thursday at the United Nations, calling on Beijing to immediately allow independent observers into the Xinjiang region. The statement by 43 nations, including the U.S., cited credible reports of a large network of political re-education camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) where over a million people have been arbitrarily detained. We have seen an increasing number of reports of widespread and systematic human rights violations, including reports documenting torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, forced sterilization, sexual and gender-based violence, and forced separation of children, said the statement, read by Nicolas De Riviere, Frances ambassador to the U.N., at a meeting of the General Assemblys Human Rights Committee. The countries cited severe restrictions on the freedoms of religion and movement, association, and expression and on Uyghur culture, as well as widespread surveillance of Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities. They also called on Beijing to allow unfettered access to Xinjiang by independent observers, including the U.N. high commissioner for human rights. We urge China to ensure full respect for the rule of law and to comply with its obligations under national and international law with regard to the protection of human rights, the statement said. It was the third time in three years that western nations have criticized Chinas policies on the Uyghurs at U.N. Human Rights Committee meetings. In 2019, 23 nations signed a statement read by the United Kingdom, and in 2020, nearly 40 U.N. member states signed a statement read by Germany. China has held up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and others in the camps since 2017, while dismissing widely documented evidence that it has mistreated Muslims living inside and outside the camps including testimony from former detainees and guards describing widespread abuses in well-documented reports by rights organizations, international media, and the United Nations. Increasing international awareness of the camp system and other abuses including forced sterilization of women and forced labor has prompted parliaments in Canada, the Netherlands, the U.K., and Lithuania, as well the U.S. State Department to brand Chinas actions in the region as genocide. Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), said the 43 countries made history with their statement condemning Chinas atrocities against the Uyghur people and calling on China to grant the U.N. unfettered access to Xinjiang. Sadly, there have been many countries that are not speaking out on Uyghur genocide due to Chinese pressure or economic relations with China, he told RFA. Some are even shamelessly supporting and defending Chinas ongoing genocide. Isa noted the signature of Turkey, where some 50,000 Uyghurs live, was important because China has used pressure and deceptive tactics in the past to keep Turkey silent on the Uyghur crisis. Apparently, these tactics backfired, he said. The signing of the joint statement by Turkey will definitely help break the silence of some Muslim countries and take active measures in the future. The Washington-based Uyghur Human Rights Project also praised the action by the U.N. member states that signed the statement. U.N. member states have just taken the next step towards accountability for the Chinese governments brutal treatment of Uyghurs, said Omer Kanat, the organizations executive director. Zhang Jun, Chinas ambassador to the U.N., later rejected what he called groundless accusations at a press conference on China's position on human rights issues. Ambassador Zhang said that the attempts by the U.S. and a few other countries to politicize and manipulate human rights issues will find no support, said a statement on the website of Chinas permanent mission to the U.N. People around the world are clear-eyed about the truth. More than 80 countries have made statements to support China. At a regular press conference in Beijing on Friday, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin echoed Zhangs comments, saying that a small number of Western countries, based on disinformation, rumors and lies, keep attacking and maligning China on issues relating to Xinjiang and other matters and interfering in Chinas domestic affairs with human rights as a disguise. Translated by Alim Seytoff. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. MINSK -- Belarus's authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka has signed into law legislation that allows police and security forces to shoot at demonstrators. The law, endorsed by Lukashenka on May 17, frees law enforcement officers from responsibility for damages inflicted on protesters by physical attack, firearms, combatant and special equipment if in such cases the actions are deemed "legal." The law is part of a broad legislative move approved by lawmakers in April that severely restricts civil rights and the free flow of information amid a crackdown on the country's pro-democracy movement. Tens of thousands of Belarusians have rallied across the country since a presidential election in August 2020 that Lukashenka claims to have won but opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya and her supporters have deemed fraudulent. The demonstrators have demanded Lukashenka's resignation and fresh elections, but Belarus's strongman has been defiant. Security officials have arrested thousands and forced Tsikhanouskaya and other top opposition figures out of the country. Several protesters have been killed in the violence and some rights organizations say there is credible evidence of torture being used against some of those detained. Lukashenka, who has run Belarus since 1994, and other top officials have been slapped with sanctions by the West, which refuses to recognize him as the legitimate leader of the country. 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. According to the new law endorsed by Lukashenka, police can also ban taking recordings of the dispersal of unsanctioned demonstrations, search the personal belongings and vehicles of individuals, and obtain citizens' personal data without a warrant. The law also says that officials, law enforcement officers, judges, members of electoral bodies, and pro-government journalists are eligible for state protection, including a secured job change and plastic surgery if they face a threat to their lives, health, and property. Though the size and frequency of demonstrations have waned in recent months, Lukashenka has ramped up the crackdown on activists and independent journalists. Many media outlets and websites have come under pressure for covering the demonstrations and reporting on police brutality. On May 18, financial police searched the central and regional offices of media outlets Tut.by and Hoster.by, which have closely followed the violent crackdown. According to the websites' staff, police also searched the homes of editors for the two websites. Coronavirus cases and deaths hit new highs, prompting lockdowns and changing the Kremlin's tone as President Vladimir Putin urged Russians to get vaccinated. Putin's imprisoned foe Aleksei Navalny won the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought and Moscow's relations with the West got a little bit colder. Here are some of the key developments in Russia over the past week and some of the takeaways going forward. What's Going On? In public appearances, Putin seems to take pride in having facts and figures at his fingertips. He appears to enjoy being able to rattle off explanatory remarks on almost any subject, from the minutiae of the Russian economy to cancel culture and U.S. politics -- even if many in the audience think he's missing the mark. So a comment he made on October 20 came off as unusual, even strikingly so: "I just -- I don't understand. I don't understand what's going on," he said. Putin was talking about the coronavirus and was wondering out loud why so many Russians, including people close to him -- "well-educated people with graduate degrees" -- have resisted getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Of course, Putin's words don't always reflect what he really thinks or knows, and he may not be as baffled as he suggested about the root causes of vaccine hesitancy in Russia -- one of which, according to analysts and opinion polls, is a deep-seated distrust in the authorities. Putin himself has seen his public trust rating fall, and observers said the mixed signals he sent about vaccination for months after Russia became the first country to approve a COVID-19 shot, back in August 2020, probably contributed to a problem that just won't go away. But however honest or dishonest his remark, it seemed to reflect a growing sense of concern in the Kremlin about a vital matter that Putin and his government have, the rising numbers of coronavirus cases and fatalities starkly suggest, failed to conquer, contain, or control. On October 21, Russia reported a record 36,339 new cases -- up from about 21,000 one month earlier -- as well as the highest single-day death toll since the start of the pandemic, 1,036. And some experts believe those figures are major undercounts, estimating the real daily death toll at 3,000 or higher. Meanwhile, on the Johns Hopkins University map showing vaccination rates wordwide, Russia was colored a palish green, with fewer than 33 percent of its citizens fully vaccinated. The United States was at more than 57 percent while Canada and China were dark blue, at 73 percent and 75 percent respectively. On the ground, those figures translate into what one Moscow-based journalist called a "catastrophe." As the human toll climbed and Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities and regions imposed new lockdowns, there seemed to be a sense -- 20 months after Russia's first COVID-19 case was reported -- that this was an outcome that could have been avoided. "Our country had a real chance to avoid the current battle with the coronavirus. But it didn't use that chance," Mikhail Rostovsky, a political commentator at the daily tabloid Moskovsky komsomolets (MK), wrote in an October 21 article under the headline "Russia's Capitulation: The Country Has Surrendered To The Mercy Of The Coronavirus." 'A Dead End' But the author seemed careful to spare Putin the blame, writing that "Russian society has driven itself into a dead end." Blaming society, essentially, was what Putin did when he said he did not understand why reasonable Russians would hesitate. The message, which has been sent repeatedly by him and other officials -- was that the state has done its part but that the people -- or many people, at least -- have not done theirs. In taking that approach, Putin may be banking on Russians forgetting the slow pace of the state's response as the coronavirus spread early in 2020. That March he said the government had "the situation under control," adding, "We have managed to prevent the mass penetration and spread of the illness in Russia." As COVID raged in Russia, Putin suffered a blow in the international arena this week when his most prominent foe, imprisoned opposition politician and anti-corruption crusader Aleksei Navalny, was declared the winner of the European Union's top human rights honor, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. It was a high-profile piece of recognition for a man whose name Putin has rarely spoken, referring to him instead by terms such as "the blogger" and "the Berlin patient," and who asserts that the Russian president tried to assassinate him by having him poisoned with a lethal nerve agent in August 2020. Amid a major, persistent clampdown targeting not just Navalny and his supporters but other Kremlin opponents, independent media, and civil society groups, the prize is unlikely to have much of an effect on the course of events in Russia, at least for now. And while it accentuates the rift between Putin's government and the West, that divide is already deep -- and sometimes seems to widen every day. Russia is suspending operations of its diplomatic mission to NATO next month, while alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said on October 21 that relations with Moscow had not been this bad since the Cold War. At this point, Putin is far more likely to be worried about a threat that cannot even be seen, let alone jailed, banned, or driven abroad by the pressure of the state: the coronavirus. In the MK article, Rostovsky suggested that Putin had wisely preserved his political capital by avoiding an unpopular campaign of forced vaccinations, which he indicated would cross a red line for many Russians by interfering in their personal lives. But the author warned that Putin will need that political capital, because the way things are going with COVID, "He's definitely going to have to use it." "The country is creeping -- or rather, flying full speed -- into a new, very difficult period of its history," he added. European Union leaders have backed new sanctions on Belarus to pressure authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka to halt the flow of illegal migrants that the bloc says amounts to a hybrid attack. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after an EU leaders' summit on October 22 that the bloc will "keep up the pressure" on Lukashenka, accusing him of instrumentalizing migration to retaliate against the European Union. Thousands of illegal migrants have crossed from Belarus -- mainly into neighboring Lithuania and Poland -- prompting the two EU members to declare a state of emergency and bolster their borders. The EU accuses Lukashenka of funneling migrants across the bloc's borders to retaliate against sanctions on his government over a brutal crackdown on the opposition following last year's presidential election that is widely considered to have been rigged. After nearly five hours of discussions, EU leaders agreed in a final statement to "continue countering the ongoing hybrid attack launched by the Belarusian regime, including by adopting further restrictive measures against persons and legal entities, in line with its gradual approach, as a matter of urgency." Most of the migrants flew to Belarus from the Middle East and Africa, and were then helped across the border to Poland and Lithuania. Earlier this week, EU foreign ministers discussed possible measures against the Belarusian airline Belavia. Von der Leyen, whose EU executive is responsible for drawing up sanctions, said Belarus is now looking at opening new routes to bring in migrants. "It has offered further visa waivers to additional third countries. We will continue our engagement with these countries to limit this state-sponsored smuggling," she said. EU leaders also called for the return and full implementation of readmission agreements with countries where the migrants are coming from, "using the necessary leverage." Led by the EUs Baltic members and Poland, about a dozen countries said before the summit that the bloc should fund the construction of physical barriers and use surveillance drones to stem migration. But von der Leyen said the EU executive opposed such demands. "I was very clear that there is a longstanding view in the European Commission and in the European Parliament that there will be no funding of barbed wire and walls," she said. ORAL, Kazakhstan -- Activists in the western Kazakh city of Oral are under pressure ahead of planned opposition protest rallies scheduled for October 23. On October 22, a court in Oral sentenced Amangeldy Orazbaev to 20 days in jail for "violating the law on peaceful demonstrations" by organizing an unsanctioned rally last month. Orazbaev rejected the charge, saying that "every Kazakh citizen has a constitutional right to hold public events and publicly express opinions." Another activist in Oral, Bekbolat Otebekov, told RFE/RL that during a recent regular health check-up, doctors tried to "persuade" him to check in to the hospital even though his state of health is "very good." Another rights activist and Orazbaev associate, Marua Eskendirova, told RFE/RL that she had been under surveillance, adding that a car had been parked next to her house in Oral for hours as men in civilian clothing watched her house. A day earlier, Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev publicly warned about legal repercussions of "illegal mass gatherings" in the country. The anti-government rallies scheduled to be held across the country were planned by Mukhtar Ablyazov, the exiled former head of BTA Bank and an outspoken critic of the Kazakh government who resides in France. The authorities declared Ablyazov's Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) and the associated, unregistered Koshe (Street) party "extremist" organizations in March 2018. Human Rights Watch earlier this year criticized the Kazakh government for using anti-extremism laws as a tool to persecute critics and civic activists. Several hundred people have been prosecuted for supporting or being members of the DVK or Koshe. The Kazakh authorities have insisted there are no political prisoners in the Central Asian country. Six officials at the Moscow regional prosecutor's office have reportedly been fired for liking social media posts by jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which is banned in the country as extremist. The Baza Telegram channel cited sources in the prosecutors office on October 21 as saying that a deputy prosecutor for the town of Lytkarino is among the officials who were fired. According to the sources, the officials were relieved of their duties after a campaign was held to check the online history of all employees to see if they had any ties to "organizations hostile to Russia." Earlier this year, dozens of workers at the Moscow Metropolitan Company were fired for joining an online campaign to support Navalny. Some of them managed to get their jobs back via courts later. In August, Moscow police used leaked online personal data from projects linked to Navalny and visited almost 500 residents of the Russian capital demanding explanations as to how their names were included in the leaked data. In some cases, police tried to force people to file legal complaints against Navalny to accuse him of sharing personal data. Navalny associates said earlier in April that a former FBK worker had stolen the personal data of those who registered at the pro-Navalny site. In June, a court in Moscow labeled FBK and Navalny's other projects and groups extremist and banned them. Under Russian law, cooperation with such groups is considered illegal and may lead to criminal prosecution. Navalny was arrested on January 17 after returning to Russia from Germany, where he went through a life-saving treatment for poisoning with a Novichok-type nerve agent that he says was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has denied any role in the incident, which was the latest of numerous attacks on Navalny. More than 10,000 people were rounded up during nationwide rallies protesting Navalny's arrest organized in more than 100 Russian towns and cities on January 23 and January 31. On February 2, Navalny was convicted of violating the terms of his suspended sentence related to an embezzlement case that he has called politically motivated. The remainder of Navalny's suspended sentence, 2 1/2 years, was then replaced by a real prison term. That ruling sparked new protests that were also forcibly dispersed by police. More than 1,400 people were detained by police in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other Russian cities during those demonstrations. Russian opposition politician Lyubov Sobol says she doesn't feel "fully safe" after recently fleeing Russia in the summer, but she insists she will continue to fight against President Vladimir Putin's "criminal regime" and widespread corruption in her country. Speaking in an October 21 interview with Current Time via a video link from an unknown location, Sobol declined to reveal her whereabouts. Sobol, a close associate of Aleksei Navalny, fled Russia in August after she was handed a parole-like sentence amid an intensifying crackdown on groups and individual linked to the jailed opposition leader and anti-corruption campaigner. Media reports last month placed the 34-year-old lawyer, who was recently added to Russia's wanted list, in neighboring Estonia. Asked about possible concerns regarding her safety, Sobol said she had switched from a "more dangerous" location to a "little less dangerous" one. "But do I feel fully safe? Of course not. I think that no one who fights against Putin's criminal regime can feel fully safe," she told the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.. "The key issue is whether I will continue to engage in political activities and fight against corruption, speak the truth, and be the voice of ordinary people -- and I will continue doing all that," she added. The opposition politician and lawyer for Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) fled Russia days after a Moscow court found her guilty of publicly calling for people to attend rallies supporting Navalny after he was jailed upon his return to Russia from Germany where he was receiving treatment for a poisoning he blames on the Kremlin. The court ruled Sobol's actions violated measures aimed at curbing the coronavirus pandemic and sentenced her to 18 months of parole-like limits on her freedom. Several Navalny associates have been found guilty on similar charges, which justice officials have been using as a thinly veiled pretense for rounding up those around the Kremlin's most vocal critic. Separately, another court in the Russian capital in April handed Sobol a one-year suspended sentence of correctional labor after finding her guilty of trespassing in what she described as a ruling designed to silence her. Sobol was added recently to Russia's database of wanted persons at the Interior Ministry with the designation that she is "wanted under an article of the Criminal Code." Sobol told Current Time that she learned about the move through the media and that she still had not received an official notice of the designation, nor the reason behind it. She said, however, she assumed the decision is linked to the April court verdict. "I personally did not receive any warnings from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. And as far as I understand, my lawyer [Vladimir] Voronin, who represents my interests in criminal cases, also didn't," she said. Navalny was arrested in January after returning to Russia from Germany, where he was treated for a near-fatal poisoning with a Novichok-type nerve agent that he says was ordered by Putin. In February, Navalny was convicted of violating the terms of a suspended sentence related to an embezzlement case that he has called politically motivated. Due to the violation, which occurred because he needed life-saving treatment in Germany, his suspended sentence of 2 1/2 years was changed to real prison time. Navalny was awarded the European Union's top human rights honor -- the Sakharov prize -- earlier this week, which the opposition politician said was a "great honor and responsibility" that sends a signal of support to anti-corruption crusaders around the globe. Commenting on Navalnys award, Sobol said the prize "is very important and fully deserved." Putin "is seriously upset that Navalny hasn't been forgotten -- especially given that they are trying to isolate him in a prison, to make his life hard in detention," she said. She said she didn't expect "any immediate effect" from Navalny receiving the award, but that it will "definitely contribute to the struggle for Navalny's release from prison." A U.S. jury will begin deliberations on October 22 in the case of Lev Parnas, who stands accused of funneling money from a Russian financier into U.S. elections in violation of campaign finance laws. Manhattan prosecutors say Parnas, a Ukrainian-born U.S. citizen, used funds from Russian businessman Andrey Muraviev to contribute to candidates while lying about the source of money. "It is plain as day that these defendants agreed to donate Muraviev's money to U.S. political campaigns," Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten said in closing arguments. Another Muraviev associate, Ukrainian-born U.S. citizen Andrey Kukushkin, is on trial alongside Parnas. The defendants' attorneys argued in the trial that the two men were not involved in campaign contributions but rather conducting business, including an energy company and legal marijuana industry startups. The trial has drawn attention because Parnas and another Soviet-born Florida businessman, Igor Fruman, helped Rudy Giuliani investigate Democrat Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election campaign. At the time, Giuliani was former President Donald Trump's personal attorney. Fruman pleaded guilty in September to one count of soliciting a campaign contribution from a foreigner. Based on reporting by AP and Reuters The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is urging authorities in Uzbekistan to swiftly investigate the numerous online death threats received by staff members of RFE/RL's Uzbek Service ahead of next week's presidential election, and to ensure that the journalists can work safely. The "unprecedented and repugnant" threats made to the RFE/RL employees in recent days should trigger a "clear response" from the authorities, the New York-based media-freedom watchdog said in a statement on October 21. "No journalist should have to work in the face of such threats, and the Uzbek government should take immediate steps to investigate these threats origins and hold those responsible to account," said Gulnoza Said, CPJ's Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. On a single day, October 16, mostly anonymous users of the Telegram messaging app sent dozens of death threats to staff members of RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, known in Uzbekistan as Ozodlik. Over the course of 30 minutes, the service's Telegram channel received posts hurling insults at staff members and their mothers, and carrying threats of beheadings and sexual assaults. The posts were accompanied by images with pornographic elements. Many of the images appeared to have been created by the same person or group, as they featured an identical caption reading, "Ozodlik's real goal is to marshal a mutiny in Uzbekistan, to disrupt peace, to discredit our president." The service's Telegram communication managers found out that at least two threats came from accounts associated with users promoting the Uzbek government's policies related to the armed forces. RFE/RL President Jamie Fly called the online threats "disgusting," and urged the government in Tashkent to immediately end its intimidation tactics against independent media. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has positioned himself as a democratic reformer after he took over Central Asia's most populous state following the death of authoritarian predecessor Islam Karimov in September 2016. However, arrests and attacks on bloggers and journalists have been on the rise across Uzbekistan ahead of a presidential election scheduled for October 24. The website of RFE/RL's Uzbek Service was blocked several times, and RFE/RL's requests for official accreditation of its correspondents in the country have remained unanswered. Uzbekistan ranked 157th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2021 World Press Freedom Index. USSURIISK, Russia -- A court in Russia's Far East has sentenced a woman to three months in prison after she played the role of an Interior Ministry spokeswoman in an online satirical series about a fictional official. Police in the Primorye region said on October 21 that 43-year-old Larisa Krivonosova, who has a criminal record, was sent to prison for a parole violation. Last month, Krivonosova was sentenced to 10 days in jail after she performed the role of Interior Ministry spokeswoman Marina Vulf ("Vulf" is a Russified variant of the German surname Wolf) in the YouTube series about Vitaly Nalivkin, a fictional chairman of the executive committee of the city of Ussuriisk. Many in Russia saw the parallel between Krivonosova's character and the real Interior Ministry spokeswoman, Irina Volk. Volk means wolf in Russian. Police said at the time that Krivonosova was jailed for illegally wearing a police uniform, but later changed their statement to say that she was jailed for a parole violation. According to police, Krivonosova was released on parole in 2017 after she served an unspecified amount of time for the "premeditated infliction of injury." There were no further details given concerning the charge. In 2020, police said her parole restrictions were toughened after Krivonosova "started committing violations endangering social order and public security." The satirical online show about Nalivkin mocks the everyday life of ordinary people and the behavior of local authorities in Russian provinces. Earlier in the year, Andrei Neretin, who plays the role of Nalivkin in the show, was sentenced to five days in prison and fined for "minor hooliganism" after an episode about a corrupt police officer was placed on YouTube. MOSCOW -- "You deal with your lockdowns first, then we can shake hands. Those were the words with which Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of Russias upper house of parliament, greeted a group of European delegates last June at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an event hailed as a grand ceremony to signal Russias emergence from the pandemic. Four months later, infections and deaths from COVID-19 have skyrocketed in Russia amid intractable vaccine hesitancy and pandemic fatigue, and various stay-at-home measures have been introduced across the country to curb the rapid spread of the virus. And on October 21, Moscow announced it was imposing the kind of lockdown that Matviyenko, and many other Russian officials, had publicly ridiculed. The announcement by Mayor Sergei Sobyanin -- who avoided the word lockdown but ordered so-called nonworking days and the closure of most indoor public spaces between October 28 and November 7 -- came the same day authorities reported a record 36,339 new coronavirus cases throughout Russia and 1,036 deaths from the illness in the previous 24 hours. The situation in Moscow is developing according to the worst-case scenario, Sobyanin wrote in a message posted to his website. In coming days we will reach historical peaks in terms of COVID infection. Calling a paid holiday the most effective way to lower the infection and fatality rates from COVID, the mayor urged Muscovites to use the unplanned break to spend more time breathing fresh air in the park, among other things. Previous experiments with nonworking days show that Russians sometimes take such advice quite literally. In March 2020, a weeklong holiday aimed at curbing community transmission prompted hundreds to flood Sochi and other Black Sea resort towns and gather at parks to grill kebabs and enjoy time off work. This time around, there are fears the same thing will happen, and the signs of another southward tourist surge are already emerging. Shortly after the lockdown measures were announced, Russian flight search website Tutu.ru reported that demand for plane tickets across Russia had risen by 50 percent, with 87.6 percent of buyers opting for flights within the country, Gazeta.ru reported. Many foreign destinations are off-limits due to COVID-related restrictions and requirements. Experts chalk the longevity and severity of Russias coronavirus epidemic up to widespread vaccine hesitancy. Only 30 percent of Russians have been fully vaccinated, according to official figures, and the uptake for Russias three freely available COVID-19 shots remains low, even as most people eschew masks or other precautions against the virus. Months of mixed messaging from the government, which has variously touted its victory over the pandemic, downplayed its dangers, and urged people to vaccinate, have most likely only made things worse. The authorities are unfortunately acting so opaquely and dishonestly that such crisis situations make clear how much [public] goodwill there does or doesnt exist, psychologist Aleksandr Kolmanovsky told Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. Other Russian cities have introduced requirements for QR codes to be shown as proof of vaccination at entrances to cafes and other venues, without going as far as Moscow has in temporarily shutting down public spaces. In the Russian capital, unvaccinated residents over the age of 60 have been barred from going outdoors altogether, until the current infection spike recedes. QR codes can only be effective if there is a high vaccine rate in the population, restaurant owner Sergei Mironov told Current Time. This works when enough people are vaccinated, so that venues dont remain empty, he said. But we have too few people whove taken the shot. The latest measures, which come as many European states with high vaccination rates are cautiously reopening, have prompted not only anger from critics but also frustration among medical and government officials who now admit that the vacillating official strategy was a mistake. We have to be honest. The government lost the information campaign on the fight against the coronavirus, Pyotr Tolstoi, the deputy speaker of Russias parliament, said on October 16. Denis Protsenko, an early hero of the pandemic who took charge of the countrys flagship coronavirus hospital in Moscow last March, took to the Telegram messenger app to urge people to secure protection against the virus. We have to get vaccinated, he wrote. Guys, honestly, the coronavirus is not a joke or a fabrication. Its amazing that in the second year of the pandemic we still have to convince people of this. Others have publicly wondered why Russia has stopped short of a full lockdown, issuing orders that residents stay at home until cases drop. The only time Moscow and other Russian cities introduced a series of lockdowns, at the end of March 2020, widespread anger over the measures caused government approval ratings to plummet. Critics say it is because of this political effect that the government of President Vladimir Putin has opted for lockdown lite -- not confining people indoors but promising vague subsidies for businesses while essentially forcing the businesses themselves to cover the costs of nationwide closures. Introducing a lockdown or mandatory vaccination will mean an immediate drop in trust toward the authorities, journalist Dmitry Aleshkovsky wrote in a Facebook post. But not doing so means that health care fails, which by itself will lead to anger and a crisis of trust. Russia has notched yet another daily record for coronavirus infections and deaths as authorities prepare to reintroduce lockdown restrictions. The government's coronavirus crisis center on October 22 reported 37,141 new COVID-19 cases with 1,064 people dying over the past 24 hours in what is the second successive daily case record and the fourth straight day of record deaths. President Vladimir Putin has ordered a nationwide "nonworking" week, starting on October 30, in a bid to stem the rise in infections, which has been attributed to vaccine hesitancy, virus variants, and lax health measures. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reintroduced lockdown measures between October 28 and November 7 -- with all shops, bars, and restaurants due to close, except those selling essential goods. Russia has by far the largest official death toll in Europe -- 228,453 -- and the fourth-highest in the world. Although Russia was the first country to announce the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, only about a third of its nearly 146 million people are fully vaccinated. A European Union report said on October 21 that a systematic disinformation campaign by Russia to promote COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the West has backfired. The EU study said Russian state broadcaster RT and other media outlets had sown mistrust about the efficacy and safety of vaccines in several European languages, including in Russian. "Disinformation can kill. That should be kept in mind when we see Kremlin media continue spreading lies on COVID-19 and the vaccines, even as the death tolls in Russia are surging," said the EU study, entitled "Disinformation Review." The Kremlin denies it conducts disinformation about vaccines. Countries across Eastern Europe have experienced a surge of infections in recent weeks, prompting authorities to announce a raft of restrictions. In Ukraine, government data showed a record 614 new COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, up from 546 the day before. Ukraine's number of infections in the pandemic stands at 2.72 million, with 63,003 deaths. Schools were shut in high-infection areas on October 22, including the capital, Kyiv, where a two-week holiday was announced. The government also announced a requirement for vaccine certificates or negative tests to access public transport in the capital, adding new measures on the unvaccinated, whose access to restaurants, sports, and other public events is restricted. Only 6.8 million in a population of 41 million are fully vaccinated. Latvia has begun a monthlong lockdown as the number of new coronavirus cases reached an all-time high in the country, while hospitals in Bulgaria and Romania feel the strain of a surge in COVID-19 cases. Coronavirus hospitalizations in Bulgaria have risen 30 percent over the last month and hospitals in the capital have suspended nonessential surgeries. Just one adult in four is fully vaccinated in Bulgaria, and many still resist getting the shot. Hundreds protested in Sofia and other cities against vaccination certificates that limit access to many indoor public spaces to those who have been vaccinated. In Romania, where new daily cases have soared toward 19,000 this week, about one adult in three has been vaccinated, the second-lowest rate in the European Union. With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters Pyotr Manyakhin, a Novosibirsk-based journalist with the investigative-journalism outlet Proyekt, was designated a "foreign agent" by the Russian government in July. He recently filed his first obligatory financial accounting, a 45-page report that he says cost him considerable time and aggravation. "It is essentially an accounting of my expenditures," he explained to Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "Say I went into a store and bought some bread and meat. I have to report to the Justice Ministry, and I have to account for where the money came from that I used to buy the bread and where the money came from that I used to buy the meat. That is, you have to remember how every single ruble ended up in your account." If a report is deemed erroneous, a designated "foreign agent" could face a fine of up to 300,000 rubles ($4,250) or a prison term from two to five years. In comments regarding Russia's "foreign agent" legislation on October 21, President Vladimir Putin repeated the Kremlin's disputed argument that the United States has similar legislation that "goes all the way to felony liability." "It's not like that here," Putin claimed. However, while the Russian "foreign agent" laws do not themselves include criminal penalties, designees can face criminal charges and years in prison under other laws if they fail to comply properly with the requirements set out in the "foreign agent" legislation. Media defense lawyer Galina Arapova, herself twice branded a "foreign agent" by the government, described the designation as a "sword of Damocles" that could at any moment bring down severe consequences. "Every three months you have to account to the Justice Ministry," she said. "It takes less time to do your tax returns. And in addition, it is an extremely unpleasant intrusion into your personal life." Understanding the requirements of Russia's frequently amended "foreign agent" laws is difficult, even for lawyers, Arapova added. (The requirements for "foreign agent" designees and links to the forms they are required to complete and submit can be found here.) "How to get through this labyrinth is very difficult for the layman to understand," she said. Inclusion on one of the Russian government's "foreign agent" lists does not mean that a person or an organization has done anything illegal. However, failure to comply with the laws' requirements following the designation could have serious consequences. On October 12, news appeared that the first administrative case had been filed against a designated "foreign agent." Activist Stepan Petrov, leader of the nongovernmental organization Yakutia-Our Opinion and head of the regional branch of the For Human Rights NGO, was added to the "foreign agent-mass media" list in August. This month, he received a summons for allegedly violating the law, although the nature of his supposed violation was not disclosed. He faces a fine of up to 10,000 rubles ($142). Later the same day, an administrative case was opened against prominent Moscow-based human rights activist Lev Ponomaryov, the 80-year-old head of For Human Rights. The Russian state monitoring agency Roskomnadzor accused him of failing to include the mandatory disclaimer that information was produced or distributed by a designated "foreign agent" on 20 Facebook posts, two Instagram posts, and 13 Twitter posts. Ponomaryov was even cited for failing to include the required text when he changed his profile photograph on Facebook. I have to mark everything that people post on my page in Facebook. That is, if someone wishes me a happy birthday, I have to mark it or the Roskomnadzor bots might count it as an unmarked publication." "I can see now that they are trying to make it difficult for me to be on Facebook," Ponomaryov told RFE/RL. "Even reposts have to be accompanied by the marking, which is complete nonsense. I most likely will stop reposting things, but instead will write more complete posts instead of reposting. They are stimulating me to work more." Repeated violations of the provisions of the "foreign agent" laws could lead to criminal charges. "I am not going to intentionally run toward a criminal case, but if they open one, then that is my fate," he added. Liza Surnacheva is an editor with Current Time and a designated "foreign agent." She has managed to register the legal entity required to file the reports to the Justice Ministry and is working with lawyers to submit her first financial report. She says the main effect on her life so far has been dealing with the marking of social-media posts. "I have to mark everything that people post on my page in Facebook," Surnacheva said. "That is, if someone wishes me a happy birthday, I have to mark it or the Roskomnadzor bots might count it as an unmarked publication. If I post that I am selling a cupboard, I have to mark that, as well. If I register on a dating site, I have to mark in my profile that I am designated." Denis Kamalyagin, a journalist from Pskov, was one of the first individuals designated a "foreign agent" back in December 2020. "I wasn't afraid from the beginning, and I'm even less afraid now," he told RFE/RL. "The more of us who are listed, the more inspiration I feel because five people can't defend themselves from the state; even 100 people probably can't. But when there are dozens of major media outlets, the best media outlets, then it isn't so scary. A sort of a team is forming." Lawyer Arapova says the law is like a weapon: It was adopted in order to be fired. "They passed it in order to use it," she said. "What they want to use it for is not a legal question but a matter of their political intentions. I think they are doing it to prevent people from speaking out, to block the free distribution of information, and to ensure there are no more critical statements about the authorities." The initial administrative cases, she says, are something of a warning shot for journalists, media outlets, and all Russian citizens. "Everyone now has to decide for themselves -- either they are free people who have the right to free expression, to be international experts, to work for foreign media companies," she said. "Or they can go to some village and never speak publicly about politics, not stick their noses into anything or work with anybody. That is the choice." Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson based on reporting by RFE/RL Russian Service correspondent Lyudmila Savitskaya and Current Time correspondent Daria Ali-zade. A fire caused by an explosion at a gunpowder workshop has killed at least 16 people in Russia's Ryazan region. Local media reports, citing sources at regional law enforcement and emergency services, said that the explosion at a gunpowder workshop of the Elastik synthetic-fibers plant occurred early in the morning on October 22. According to the local authorities, there were 17 people in the workshop when the blast hit the building. Firefighters and rescue teams are working at the site. The deputy governor of the Ryazan region, Dmitry Filippov, and acting Emergency Situations Minister Aleksandr Chuprian have also arrived at the scene, local media reported. The Emergency Situations Ministry said that a "violation of the technology process" may have caused the explosion. The Investigative Committee said it had launched a probe into the deadly explosion and fire. Based on reporting by RIA Novosti, TASS, and Interfax A Kazakh-American with a history of controversial comments on the Soviet Union may become America's next comptroller of the currency. In late September, U.S. President Joe Biden nominated Saule Omarova, a law school professor at Cornell University, to be Americas next comptroller of the currency. The powerful role would make her responsible for the regulation of Americas largest banks. Omarova is a controversial pick. Born in the Kazakh S.S.R. in 1966, she attended school in the provincial town of Oral (known in Russian as Uralsk). After excelling in school, she studied philosophy at Moscow State University, winning a V.I. Lenin Scholarship for academic excellence. Her career trajectory took a dramatic turn in December 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed while Omarova was on a university exchange in the United States. The young Kazakh was able to stay on in Wisconsin to complete her PhD in political science, then embarked on a successful career in law and academia. In a 2020 interview, Omarova said of her unplanned departure from the U.S.S.R.: Frankly, to this day, I kind of feel guilty for having left the country at such a momentous time, and joked, because obviously they couldnt hold it together without me. While many emigrants from the former Soviet Union used the freedom enjoyed in the West to speak out against authoritarian socialism, Omarova has suggested the free market is in some ways inferior to the state control found in the U.S.S.R. In 2019, she tweeted: Until I came to the US, I couldn't imagine that things like gender pay gap still existed in today's world. Say what you will about old USSR, there was no gender pay gap there. Market doesn't always know best. That take generated widespread criticism, especially among Republican observers. A 2020 article written by Omarova that suggests the need for a government-controlled peoples ledger that would end banking as we know it has caused further friction over her nomination, with some reports suggesting that moderate Democrats may oppose her appointment. In Orals School No. 21, principal Laura Sharkubenova told RFE/RL that Omarova was the first student to graduate from the school with a gold medal, an academic distinction only awarded to a tiny fraction of students in the Soviet Union. She was brought up in an intellectual family, the principal added. Omarovas mother worked in a tuberculosis hospital. Vlasta Kaptelova, who was childhood friends with Omarova, remembers her having an interest in fashion but little money to source new clothing. Her mother used to make dresses from old clothes, then Saule started to sew well, too, Kaptelova said. Kaptelova says Omarova was raised by her mother and grandmother and that the family lived a modest life. She was persistent, Kaptelova says of her former high school friend. For example, if she started to get a bad grade in physical education, she would refocus and start to do well. She was the smartest among us, but she was humble. Kaptelova lost touch with Omarova after her unplanned move to the United States, but said that when my daughter died 10 years ago, Saule found me on [social media] and offered her condolences. A Republican senator has called on Omarova to hand over her university thesis from her time at Moscow State University, which was titled Karl Marxs Economic Analysis And The Theory Of Revolution In Das Kapital. In the Soviet Union, it was nearly impossible for ambitious academics to avoid extolling the virtues of socialism and Marxist theory. Transport authorities in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, plan to restore a Soviet-era cable car line more than 30 years after a deadly accident shut down the service. Work has begun to restore the lower cable car station, which was typical of Soviet post-war monumental architecture. Located on Rustaveli Avenue, the grand station has fallen into disrepair after decades of neglect. The new cable car line, known locally as a "ropeway," will link the lower part of Tbilisi to Mtatsminda Park, which towers 770 meters above the capital. Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze says the restoration project will cost 50 million Georgian lari or almost $16 million. Workers have demolished several buildings so the old cable car station can be expanded. A digger knocks down walls next to the old cable car station. Arches adorn the entrance of the lower cable car station that is located in the courtyard of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences on Rustaveli Avenue. Two spiral walkways inside the grand Rustaveli Avenue station will be refurbished. The derelict boarding platform of Tbilisi's Soviet-era cable car station. Graffiti lines the walls and windows of the cable car station. Workers told RFE/RL that several youths begged them to leave some of the graffiti intact but they said that seemed unlikely. The Rustaveli Avenue-Mtatsminda Park cable car line opened in 1959. It went past the Mtatsminda Pantheon, a burial site for legendary Georgian authors, dancers, and national heroes. The service was stopped following the Soviet Union's deadliest cable car accident on June 1, 1990, in which 19 people were killed and more than 40 were injured. The cabins were overcrowded and most of the passengers were school children visiting Tbilisi on a sightseeing tour to celebrate Childrens Day. The accident occurred when a hauling cable broke, sending one cabin slamming into Rustaveli Avenue station. A second cabin that was approaching the upper station on Mount Mtatsminda began rolling backward at high speed. It was torn apart when it hit the broken hauling cable and tower. Some of the victims fell 20 meters onto the buildings below. An investigation later found that an emergency brake system had not been installed when the cabins were replaced. Officials say the new cable car line will be safe and modern. It will be similar to the cable car line that currently brings passengers to Tbilisi's Narikala Fortress and crosses the Mtkvari River. Crews have broken ground for the construction of the upper cable car station on Tbilisi's Mount Mtatsminda. Officials say the new cable car line will be capable of carrying up to 1,200 passengers per hour. A self-described hacking group has called for nationwide protests in Iran and the release of political prisoners after it obtained security-camera footage showing abuses at Tehran's notorious Evin prison. Videos sent to RFE/RL's Radio Farda and other media by the group, Edalat-e Ali (Ali's Justice), showed guards beating and dragging prisoners. In a rare admission, the head of the country's prisons apologized for the "unacceptable behavior" and promised "to deal seriously with the wrongdoers." (Warning: this video contains disturbing content) Imprisoned RFE/RL freelance correspondent Vladyslav Yesypenko has appealed to U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. lawmakers to do more to free the more than 100 political prisoners detained by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) over their activities in Crimea. Yesypenko, who has been in detention in Russian-occupied Crimea since March, made the appeal in a letter read publicly for the first time on October 21 at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington. "There can be no greater hell than being trapped in these four walls day after day, month after month, for half a year now, only allowed outside on command for a few breaths of fresh air and then back to your cell, helpless to change a thing," Yesypenko said. He called on Biden and members of Congress to send a "clear signal" to Russian President Vladimir Putin that "America stands with Ukraine, which has demanded time and again that the occupying power put a stop to violations of human rights in Crimea and release all political prisoners." The letter was carried by hand to the United States by Yesypenko's wife, Kateryna Yesypenko, who is currently visiting the United States to meet with members of Congress and U.S. State Department officials as part of an effort to raise awareness of the situation in Crimea. Kateryna Yesypenko read the letter during a briefing at the Ukrainian Embassy. In the letter, Yesypenko tells Biden and the U.S. lawmakers that the only thing that keeps him and the other prisoners going "is your profound understanding of Ukraine's situation and your stated intent to unite the democratic world against Russia's aggression and secure the release of Kremlin's political prisoners." Yesypenko's letter details how he was "abducted" by the FSB and graphically describes torture by electric shock that was "melting" his brain and making it feel like his heart would burst out of his chest unless he waived his right to a lawyer and testified against himself. He has previously said in court that he was tortured for two days from the moment he was detained until his transfer to a detention center in Simferopol in Crimea. The journalist names several other people, including Oleksiy Bessarabov and Volodymyr Dudka -- two Ukrainian men sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2019 for plotting sabotage in Crimea -- who are among more than 100 others who were "unlawfully detained and thrown behind bars" and now await sentencing. Many, he says, were coerced into confessing after being tortured and threatened with death, and after enduring threats against their families and loved ones. "We are doing all we can to resist, renouncing what we said under torture, speaking out in courts, writing letters to the outside world, to let you all know we are not giving up," he said. Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova told the briefing that Yesypenko was arrested just for doing his job and that he is one of 115 prisoners from Crimea who are currently held on political charges. She appealed for urgent action, saying every life put on hold "must lead to immediate response from all of us, not only from Ukraine, but from all around the world who believe in the same values and principles and who believe this is not the way to behave in the 21st century." Yesypenko, a dual Russian-Ukrainian citizen who contributes to Crimea.Realities, was detained on suspicion of collecting information for Ukrainian intelligence. The father of one had worked in Crimea for five years, reporting on the social and environmental situation on the peninsula, before being detained. A court in Simferopol on July 15 formally charged him with possession and transport of explosives. He pleaded not guilty and faces up to 18 years in prison if convicted. RFE/RL President Jamie Fly has described the case as the latest example of the Kremlin's campaign to target independent media outlets and called it "a mockery of justice." Press-freedom advocates, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, along with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and the U.S. State Department, are among those who have called for Yesypenko's immediate release in the absence of any evidence of wrongdoing. Join the Desert Valleys Federal Credit Union for the 2021 International Credit Union Day Thursday, Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Trick or Treating can be done safely this year while practicing safety precautions, said the staff at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. Written By Joe Schulz served as the reporter of the Green Laker in 2019 and 2020, before being hired as a reporter for the Commonwealth in October 2020. He is from Oshkosh and graduated from UW-Oshkosh in December with a bachelor's degree in journalism. | Support local journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute Help Our Community Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community. The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com $1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, "Thank You" for your time. Thank You! Take The Survey Salem - Joanne E. (Roulier) Bomarsi, 81, of Salem, passed away Tuesday morning, November 16, 2021 in Peabody. Born in Salem, MA, Joanne was the daughter of the late Lionel E. and Alice (Frasier) Roulier. A graduate of the former St. Chretienne Academy in Salem, Joanne worked for many years a 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. STOCKHOLM (AP) An award-winning 19-year-old Swedish rapper was shot to death in southern Stockholm in an incident that media reports on Friday said was likely to be gang-related. The case has shocked the Swedish entertainment world and highlighted what officials said was the urgent need to deal with growing criminal gang activity in the Nordic country. The rapper Einar was struck by several bullets in the Hammarby Sjostad suburb south of central Stockholm and died on the spot late Thursday, police spokesman Ola Osterling told the Swedish news agency TT. Police are looking for at least two suspects who allegedly shot the rapper. The motive of the shooting remains unclear but the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that the rapper had received several threats recently. It said without providing details that Einar was shot from point-blank range, execution style. According to the Swedish public broadcaster SVT, the rapper's shooting was gang-related. Einar, whose real name is Nils Gronberg, was born in Stockholm and rose to fame at the age of 16 when his song Katten i trakten, from his debut album Forsta klass topped the Swedish charts in 2019. He won the song of the year award in 2019 and the newcomer of the year award a year later. Einars songs have been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times on Spotify. I understand that he (Einar) meant a lot to many young people, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told SVT. This is of course tragic. It is a young life that has been extinguished. Christian Democratic party leader Ebba Busch posted on Twitter that if politicians don't take responsibility for dealing with gang-related crime, we can't stand up for human dignity or security in the country. Center Party leader Annie Loof said most people have had enough of the senseless violence and want to see gang crime fought." Swedish tabloid Expressen said that Einars songs often dealt with criminality including guns, drugs and violence and the rapper allegedly had strong connections with local criminal gangs. He had been seen hanging out and partying with gang members According to Expressen, Einar was due to testify in a gang trial next week but Swedish prosecutors had earlier said they didnt expect him to show up in court. The rapper himself had earlier been convicted of minor drug offenses, an assault and illegal driving, among other things, SVT said. Sweden has seen a rise in organized crime activity in the past few years and several gang-related shootings have occurred in Stockholm, Goteborg and Malmo. In July, two young children were accidentally shot and injured by unknown criminals in a suburb just outside Stockholm and in August three people were wounded in a shooting in the southern city of Kristianstad that was linked to gangs. A report by the Swedish national council for crime prevention said earlier this year that Sweden is the only European country where fatal shootings have risen significantly since 2000, primarily because of the violent activities of organized gangs. The cold waters of Washington's Salish Sea experienced a record-breaking humpback whale baby boom this year. The Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) said a total of 21 humpback calves have been documented in the waters around Washington and British Columbia this year, marking the highest annual number on record. For comparison, only 11 were spotted in 2020. "[This] has been a banner year for female humpbacks coming into the Salish Sea with new calves," Wendi Robinson, naturalist with Puget Sound Express, said in a news release Friday. "Calves only travel with mom for a year or so and then theyre on their own. Once theyre familiar with our waters, they will often return year after year to feed." Humpback whales are most likely to be seen in inland waters of Puget Sound between May and August, according to Orca Network. Fall presents the last feeding opportunities of the year before the whales travel south to breeding grounds in Hawaii, Mexico and Central America. An adult humpback whale can eat up to 2,000 pounds of fish and krill in a single day. The cause of this year's baby boom is still unsure. The species is not considered endangered, and their current conservation status is listed as "least concern." "We're not sure why there were so many calves this year," said PWWA Exectuive Director Erin Gless in a news release Friday. "Its possible the last two years had an abundance of food for the whales, or it could be as simple as the fact that as the number of adult whales in the population grows, so too does the number of calves we can expect to see each year." Washington's endangered resident orca whale pods have seen some new births in the last year as well, though not nearly as much. So far, only one whale calf has been born in 2021, a female (L125) in the L pod born in February. Last year, the J pod welcomed two new calves within a single month of each other: one female, born to Eclipse, and one male, born to Tahlequah. The K pod the smallest of the three resident pods has not had any viable offspring since 2011. However, the pods have seen at least two deaths of older members, including the most prolific grandmother whale (L47) who was presumed dead earlier in the summer, and the oldest male of any of the pods (K21) who was seen in distress in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. With the loss of both L47 and K21, the population of the southern resident orcas dwindles to 73. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden on Thursday tied his legislative priorities on voting rights, police reform and climate change to Martin Luther King Jr.s push for racial justice as he marked the 10th anniversary of the opening of the civil rights leaders memorial on the National Mall. Biden, introduced by Vice President Kamala Harris, sought to reassure his supporters that he wouldn't let up the fight as he works to muscle his massive social spending bill through a divided Congress. Invoking King, Biden said the country was still working to live up to its ideals as a nation and had reached an inflection point on issues including fighting voting restrictions. I know that progress does not come fast enough, Biden said. It never has. But he reiterated that protecting the right to vote was central to his administration. I know the stakes. You know the stakes. This is far from over," he said. Biden spoke at the memorial a day after Senate Republicans blocked debate on Democrats elections legislation that they tout as a powerful counterweight to new voting restrictions passing in conservative-controlled states. Biden has promised to push for the legislation, but supporters are growing impatient that he has not embraced changing Senate rules to end the filibuster to break through the logjam. Speaking during a CNN town hall Thursday night, Biden said those calling for a change to the filibuster make a very good point and predicted potentially eliminating the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation and maybe more. Were gonna have to move to the point where we fundamentally alter the filibuster, he said. He also said during the town hall that his greatest regret was that his work on the COVID-19 relief bill and his infrastructure and social safety net spending packages has prevented me from getting deep up to my ears in dealing with police reform and voting rights, which he said he would focus on when he's done with his spending bills. Highlighting his agenda of social spending, which remains the subject of heated intraparty negotiations, Biden said during his remarks at the memorial that the bill would cut prescription drug costs, reduce poverty and fight housing discrimination. We can afford to do this, Biden said. We cant afford not to do this. Biden is hoping to rally Democrats around an agreement on that legislation before he departs for an international climate summit next week. The memorial was dedicated in the fall of 2011 and is the first honor for an African American on the National Mall. Located on Independence Avenue along the Tidal Basin, the memorial features a huge likeness of King carved out of stone and a separate wall etched with some of his most notable quotes. Recalling the struggles of King's time, Biden said in his speech that white nationalism still poses a threat to the nation and that, in his view, it inspired the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Biden said people of his generation always thought that hate would go away. But it doesnt," he said. "It only hides until some seemingly legitimate person breathes some oxygen under the rocks where theyre hiding and gives it some breath. In a reference to former President Donald Trump, Biden said, We had a president who appealed to the prejudice. He added, We cannot and must not give hate any safe harbor. Harris, for her part, praised King as a prophet and said the monument is dedicated to a man who lived among us. This monument, whatever your age, is dedicated to a man whose voice we still hear, whose words still echo not only across this city, but throughout our country and our world, she added. ___ Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report. State officials on Thursday defended their response to a lead crisis in a small southwestern Michigan city, telling lawmakers that steps to reduce corrosion in aging water pipes began in 2019, just a few months after tests revealed troubling results. Benton Harbor residents will be urged to use free bottled water for drinking and cooking for weeks more, until a federal study confirms that filters can work effectively with the city's tap water, Liesl Clark, the head of Michigan's environmental agency, said. But Clark said the ultimate remedy is the replacement of about 6,000 old water lines at homes, a job that could take nearly two years. Nearly $19 million in state and federal money has been set aside, but the goal is $30 million. High lead level tests in Benton Harbor homes result from the water picking up lead as it moves to the faucets. ... The situation in Benton Harbor is urgent and inexcusable," Clark said. Her remarks to the House Oversight Committee came as Benton Harbor was dealing with yet another water woe: A pipe rupture Wednesday cut off water to virtually the entire community. Mayor Marcus Muhammad told lawmakers that he had only a bird bath before driving to Lansing. Benton Harbor is a predominantly Black, mostly low-income community of 9,700 people, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Chicago. Residents have been urged to use bottled water due to elevated levels of lead, though bathing and washing clothes with tap water is OK. Eric Oswald, head of Michigan's drinking water division, said chemicals to control corrosion inside old pipes were first injected into Benton Harbor's system in 2019, followed by higher doses in 2020. It's shown some improvement, Oswald said. These systems take a long time. ... When you don't have corrosion control in your drinking water, you dont have any coating on the pipes. He said the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has been working far more aggressively than the law dictates. The committee chairman, Republican Rep. Steven Johnson, said he wasn't trying to turn Benton Harbor into a Flint water crisis for Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. But he repeatedly wondered why the city seemed to be getting so much attention lately from her administration. Oswald said bottled water has been pushed hard because of questions about the effectiveness of tap filters in Newark, New Jersey. Before we go back and say the filters are absolutely, positively effective, they want to make sure the water chemistry in Benton Harbor" doesn't pose a challenge, Oswald said. Chris Cook, an engineer for the city, said 100 water line replacements are under contract so far with a federal grant and 200 more could be added by the end of 2021. ___ Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez Thank you for reading! You have reached your 30-day limit of free access to SentinelSource.com, The Keene Sentinels website. If you would like to read two more articles for free at this time, please register for an account by clicking the sign up button below. We hope you find The Sentinels coverage of the Monadnock Region valuable. We rely on our subscribers to bring you strong local journalism and hope you will consider supporting our work by taking advantage of this special subscription offer here. San Franciscans may get the chance to purchase Dungeness crab directly from boats at Fishermans Wharf this season, which is due to start Nov. 15. Thats if the Port of San Franciscos proposal to allow direct sales of Dungeness crab from commercial fishing boats is approved. The plan will be presented Tuesday to the Port Commission, which will vote on the issue two weeks later. If its approved, fishers with berths at Fishermans Wharf will be able to begin selling live, whole crabs from their boats immediately. For the first time people will be able to get crab from the wharf. They wont have to go all the way to Pillar Point, said Randy Quezada, the ports communications director, referring to the closest place to buy crab from the boat, Half Moon Bay. He said he thinks the sales will revitalize interest in Fishermans Wharf, where most of the major restaurants have been closed since the pandemic began. I think this is a new draw for locals, for folks in the neighborhood to get something brand-new. The Port of San Francisco has allowed direct sales at the wharf since 2017 but only for whole fish, not Dungeness crab, to avoid competition with stands that already sell cooked crab at the wharf. Since its inception, only three boats have taken part, but one of them, the Pioneer, sold as much as 57,000 pounds of fish at one point; that vessel has since moved to Redwood City. Quezada said expanding the program to include crab is a way to support fishermen who have had to deal with several crises in a row, including a 2020 fire on Pier 45 that destroyed much of the fleets gear, decreased sales because of restaurant closures during the pandemic and limited fishing seasons in recent years mostly because of new state rules requiring greater protections for whales from getting entangled in gear. The amount of Dungeness crab brought in to San Francisco dropped from 5.3 million pounds in 2016, representing $16 million in sales, to 1.9 million pounds in 2019, worth $6 million, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The department will soon announce whether the commercial season will be delayed because a number of humpback whales have recently been observed in crab fishing zones. If boat sales are approved, its likely to be a fairly limited market, said John Barnett, president of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association. Since many fishers dont have time to devote to retail sales, he expects about five or six smaller boats to take part. Nick Krieger of the Arianna Rose is one. Finally! You literally go to Fishermans Wharf and theres a picture of a huge crab, said Krieger, referring to the sign posted prominently at the foot of Pier 45. But you cant buy crab anywhere. Krieger previously sold whole black cod directly from his boat before the 2020 fire took out his black cod pots along with rock cod gear and about 350 crab pots that hes had to replace at about $400 each. When he sold black cod, he enjoyed talking to customers and selling extra fish that didnt go to his wholesale customers. Its a fun way to connect with the community, he said. Krieger said he would likely follow the lead of fishing boats in Half Moon Bay to set his price and would announce his sales on his Instagram account. 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. Barnett expects prices would be similar to a fish market and lower than a Whole Foods or other high-end retailer. Though there has been pushback against the program from wholesalers and crab stands, he doesnt think the crab sales would compete with them, because of the small number of boats and the different customer base. They sell to the tourists. The tourists are buying cooked crabs, they arent buying live crabs. This is a local thing, he said. Longtime San Francisco fisher Sarah Bates isnt so sure the boat sales would draw in locals. Also a salmon fisher, she declined to sell whole fish from her boat, the Bounty, for the same reason. Bates also isnt convinced people will want to buy live crab and have to cook it. But Barnett and Krieger are hoping that some wholesalers may be willing to cook and clean the shellfish for customers for an extra fee. I dont think people realize we have such good seafood here, and there isnt really a great outlet for people in the community to take advantage of it, said Krieger. Its unbelievable that its taken this long for us to just be able sell crab to people. Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan A conservative media host drew widespread condemnation this week for racist remarks he levied at Bay Area television news reporter Betty Yu. Steven Crowder, who hosts a podcast and YouTube show, made the remarks this week while playing a report Yu filed to KPIX on the recent closure of a San Francisco In-N-Out restaurant because of its refusal to comply with a San Francisco health mandate requiring it to check customers vaccination status. Crowder and a co-host made racist, misogynistic comments about Yus appearance as her story played. Yu is Asian American. Crowder had recently been allowed back onto YouTube following a week-long suspension initiated after the company said Crowder violated its hate speech policies by airing a segment targeting transgender people. Messages of support for Yu from the Asian American community, journalists and other community members flooded social media on Wednesday and Thursday, many of which called for YouTube to take Crowder off the platform entirely. YouTube officials could not be reached for comment on Thursday. Yu told The Chronicle that she was being interviewed by KPIX in a segment that would air at 11 p.m. Thursday. In a 34-second clip of the interview shared on Thursday night by fellow KPIX reporter Andrea Nakano, Yu responds to a question about if she feels hopeful that one day she wont be perceived as an aggressive Asian face, alluding to language used by Crowder. Its going to take a lot of time because here we are in 2021, and whats triggering about that is that, what gave this guy the authority to decide whats Americanized? Yu said. Thats triggering. And thats racist. In a statement Wednesday, KPIX and CBS Television condemned Crowders racist online attack against Yu. The statement, read by KPIX anchors during a segment Wednesday, said station officials stand in solidarity with Betty, an accomplished journalist and valued member of our CBS family. These hateful and offensive remarks are outrageous and destructive and reaffirm the importance of our work as journalists to shine a light on anti-Asian violence and hate speech when it occurs, the statement read. Crowder could not be reached for comment on Thursday. The Asian American Journalists Association said in a statement Thursday that Crowders comments against Yu were particularly egregious at a time of increased violence and xenophobia against the Asian American community. The Bay Area region has seen its own surge of anti-Asian violence, which is part of a nationwide swell of violent hate crimes against Asian Americans during the coronavirus pandemic. The incident reinforces the perpetual foreigner stereotype of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, AAJA officials said, and highlights the constant otherizing that they must navigate while simply trying to do their jobs. 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. It is unacceptable for any journalist to be targeted by such racist and sexist comments. It is never appropriate to treat a journalist in this manner. We call on all employers in the journalism industry to pay attention to such hate aimed at our journalists, respond with empathy, swiftness and accountability, provide resources for journalists safety and well-being, and to support all journalists of color and women journalists in their news organizations, the AAJA said. Several Chronicle employees hold leadership positions with the AAJAs San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. The organizations Bay Area chapter echoed its support of Yu in a separate statement, adding that offensive comments create an unsafe working environment for journalists, particularly women of color. AAJA-SF Bay Area believes journalists should feel safe as they report the news, the statement read. Our chapter stands by Betty and supports her right to do her job without being targeted for her race or gender. In a statement in response to Crowders remarks, SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union, said Thursday that Online hate and dehumanizing rhetoric ... can have a ripple effect, encouraging physical attacks and emboldening like-minded racists. The union pointed to a Federal Bureau of Investigation report released last month that the number of reported hate crimes in the United States in 2020 reached the highest levels since 2008, with Asian and Black people among the most targeted groups. Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com On a recent sunny and windy Wednesday, I had a lunch date with retired Chronicle columnist Leah Garchik at the Boulangerie. I write this not only because it gives me the chance to name-drop, but because she told me to meet her at the Octavia Green. The part of me that is male refused to ask for directions. But other than a guess that it was near Octavia Street, I had no clue where to go. Siri was no help, telling me about movies with Sydney Greenstreet. So, I found a parking spot on Hayes Street and walked until I found trees. A sign read Patricias Green, and it must have been the right place because Leah Garchik showed up, big as life and twice as elegant. San Francisco is a patchwork of neighborhoods sewn together to fit into 49 square miles. Those neighborhoods choose their names and are rarely the ones you see on the map. When Brian and I first moved to the city, we lived in the Mission above Guerrero Street, but the Realtor called it Liberty Heights. My friends who live in the Inner and Outer Parkside call their neighborhood the Avenues. One of my friends, Crazy Mike, lives in Visitacion Valley. His son has tried calling it Upper Vis, but it hasn't caught on just yet. This fall, for the first time in six years, Zane and Aidan will go to school on the same block (Frida Kahlo Way), in a neighborhood that I just found out is called Sunnyside, not to be confused with the much sunnier Sunnydale to the right. Ask any three people on Market Street where Lone Mountain or Little Hollywood is, and you will get a blank stare. This is not just a San Francisco issue. My co-worker, also named Brian, reluctantly told me that the recognized name for his district in Oakland is the Bottoms, which is ironic only if you know his lifestyle. Which brings me to the mysterious outer, outer, outer, outer Excelsior. One reader, Amy Nachman, read the clues over the years and tracked down our blue bungalow, discovering the area real-estate agents call Crocker-Amazon. Now, Ive got nothing against Charles Crocker, and God knows I love Amazons. But theres no poetry to that name. Butchertown and Dogpatch resonate, but not Crocker. Besides, he never actually lived in the neighborhood, but rather was one of the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad, a robber baron nabob for which Nob Hill was named. His mansion was on the land that is now occupied by Grace Cathedral. 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 outer, outer, outer, outer Excelsior deserves its cachet. Let us name it, not the robber barons. We live in the one neighborhood in San Francisco devoid of tourist sites: No Painted Ladies, cable car turnaround or Jazz Center. All we have are a cow on a roof, an armadillo in a box and the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater. We also have a mural on the side of Cordova Market & Deli, titled A Neighborhood Inspired by History and Champions, with images of Giants, 49ers and the Amazon Theatre. Sohel, the manager there, runs the only corner store where you cant get rye bread, but you can get aesthetic appreciation (and Mitchells Grasshopper Pie ice cream!) So, whats in a name? I grew up in South Ozone Park, named after an inorganic molecule famous as a respiratory hazard. But we called it the Block, and what made it a neighborhood was Sadie Caddens soda bread, Jeannie McCormicks pool and Nurse Vivian. Its the same with us. Excelsior means ever upward, and so we live in the outer part of the upward. We live with Susans sourdough bread, Uncle Quentins piano playing, Nonas pancit and all the little kindnesses that bind our community together. And the thing is, you, like the artists who painted that mural, can make any quarter into a neighborhood inspired by history and champions. A neighborhood of kindness. Kevin Fisher-Paulsons column appears Wednesdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com A housing advocacy group is threatening to sue Oakland if the City Council doesnt reverse a decision that asked for more environmental review on a 200-plus-unit housing project near the West Oakland BART Station. Attorneys representing the Housing Action Coalition, a San Francisco nonprofit, sent a letter Thursday to Oaklands city attorney, Barbara Parker, saying that the city is at risk of violating state law after it delayed approvals for the West Oakland development proposal. At stake is the delay of more than 200 units near transit in a city desperately in need of more housing. Oakland like the rest of the state is grappling with a homelessness crisis exacerbated by the lack of housing. The threat of the lawsuit comes as housing advocates are pushing their agenda hard in Sacramento and at the local level, lobbying for legislation and using new legal tactics to force cities to allow more homes to be built. The Oakland City Attorneys Office declined to comment Friday. The Michaels Organization proposed an eight-story residential building with 222 units at 1396 Fifth St., a vacant parcel one block from the West Oakland BART Station. The project includes 16 very low-income units. The city council unanimously voted in a Sept. 21 meeting to direct the city to conduct more specific environmental review after a union-backed group appealed the project, arguing there was evidence of harmful chemicals at the project site. Its not yet clear how long a review will take if conducted or how it will impact the outcome of the development. The office of Council Member Carroll Fife, whose district includes the project and who introduced the motion to ask for more environmental review in the September meeting, did not immediately respond to request for comment Friday. During the Sept. 21 meeting, Fife said shed heard from neighbors who didnt know about the proposed development or potential hazards. Im really concerned about the historic harm of the pollution in the air and the water and the ground in West Oakland, she said. Sooner than later, I would ask that we do a focused study on how this project is going to impact their lives. In Thursdays letter, the Housing Action Coalitions attorneys said Fife didnt articulate an assertion supported by substantial evidence in the record about project-specific significant environmental impacts beyond what was studied in previous reviews. The attorneys understood the desire to ensure appropriate health and safety protections, but encouraged the council to review and enforce the already strict conditions of Project approval that ensure neighbors will be fully protected. If the councils move is intended to deny the project, the city could violate law that put substantial limitation on the governments discretion to shoot down projects that comply with city regulations. Todd David, executive director of the Housing Action Coalition, said the letter could preface a lawsuit. We are giving the city fair warning that that is an option that we are leaving on the table, he told The Chronicle. Our hope is that the city attorney will advise its clients that they should take another look at the project and should follow the very clear state law that says this project should be approved. The Planning Commission unanimously approved the project this spring after conducting environmental reviews required by state law as well as referring to a city environmental review of West Oakland conducted in 2014. But some werent satisfied. East Bay Residents for Responsible Development, a self-described coalition of four local unions that has challenged other housing around the region, appealed the planning commissions decision, alleging the city hadnt analyzed site-specific hazardous waste. The groups attorney told the City Council in last months meeting that there is substantial evidence in the record that the soil and groundwater are contaminated with chemicals, including lead from its previous use as an industrial facility, and asked for a more in-depth review of the public health hazards. The housing group and developer counter that the city already conducted adequate assessments. 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. Oakland required us to do initial studies for a lot of the things that the appellant is challenging, Scott Cooper, with the developer, told The Chronicle. The city analyzed air quality. They analyzed greenhouse gases. They analyzed traffic. They analyzed noise and vibration. Cooper said he is waiting on the city attorney to find out exactly what kind of further review is required. If the process is going to take close to a year or maybe longer, I think our company has a tough decision to make, citing the uncertainty of the financial markets for development at a future date. The project has already been in the works for a dozen years, but an arson fire in 2012 destroyed the start of construction and delayed development, Cooper told the city council last month. Cooper alleged in the meeting that the group opposing the project has ulterior motives other than environmentalism. He said the group basically offered to drop the environmental review appeal if he would bid only to union subcontractors. He said doing so would add more than $11 million to his costs and he couldnt afford to promise it after financial setbacks from the arson, although some contracts would be union. The group didnt immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. A union organizer and group member who spoke during the council meeting deferred to another member who lives in the council district to respond, but he did not get back by deadline. David, of the Housing Action Coalition, called the appeal a total bastardization of environmental law. It is in our opinion a misuse of a law that had very good intentions to protect the environment is actually being used to stop environmentally friendly housing, he said. Mallory Moench and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench, @SarRavani Redistricting is underway in Oakland, with the citys redistricting commission drafting new council district boundaries, which must be finalized by the end of the year. One novel aspect of the current redistricting is that this time just about anybody can easily make and submit their own map using a slick new online tool. Redistricting is a process in which district boundary lines are redrawn for cities, counties and states. These lines determine which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together for various elections in Oakland, they are used for City Council and Oakland Unified School District Board elections. This process happens every ten years, after the Decennial Census population data is published. If a citys population growth is not equally distributed across neighborhoods which is most often the case redistricting is then needed to maintain equal population across districts. From 2010 to 2020, Oaklands population grew by 13%, from roughly 390,000 residents to over 440,000. But much of the growth was concentrated in a few select areas: West Oakland, downtown and the eastern part of the city. These areas largely fall into two council districts: District 3 and District 7. Both had large population gains over the past decade and became the most populated of the citys seven districts, with over 65,000 residents, while the least populated district, District 4, has around 58,000 residents. The districts now have populations that are too unequal to be considered constitutional. To evaluate this, cartographers use a metric called total deviation which measures the difference between the most populated and least populated districts. In 2010, Oaklands districts had a 5.4% score. A decade later, the score is now 22.5%, which far exceeds the 10% industry-standard maximum. Oaklands redistricting falls in the hands of 15 members on the Oakland Redistricting Commission, an independent, non-political commission that was formed in 2020. This will be the first time the commission redraws the citys districts, which they are required to do by the end of the year. Prior to this, city council members had control over the process. Redistricting commissions or local bodies are required to involve the community in their redistricting process. Oakland is gathering community feedback in several ways. People can fill out an online survey, speak at commission meetings or draw and submit their own map proposals. This third option uses the free web tool, Districtr, built by the MGGG Redistricting Lab, a research group at Tufts University. The tool allows users to draw districts for states, counties, cities and school districts across the country. While drawing, users can see population and demographic data to evaluate their maps population and racial balance. Some areas also show socioeconomic data and partisan lean based on past elections. (Here is a full guide for how to use the tool.) Residents can use the Districtr tool to propose their own district boundaries or indicate communities of interest. These communities are groups of people who share common social and economic interests, like residents who speak the same language, use the same transportation facilities or have similar work opportunities. The commission is required under the California Voting Rights Act to keep communities of interest together when redrawing districts. Districtr and Giphy As of Thursday, 19 maps for Oakland came from Districtr. Some district maps use boundaries that closely resemble the 2010 lines, while others deviate drastically from them. For instance, one map has all of the Oakland hills, stretching from the northern to southern edge of the city, in one district. According to the commission, each map submitted will be reviewed by the commissioners and its consultant, Redistricting Partners, a firm tasked to draft Oaklands maps. In an October 13 meeting, Paul Mitchell from Redistricting Partners explained the different criteria that go into drafting maps. Those include the traditional criteria, like districts having equal population, being contiguous and regularly-sized, and minimizing neighborhood or community of interest divisions. They also incorporated nearly 100 pages of public written input, as well as the community of interest and district maps submitted through the Districtr tool. During the October 13 meeting, Mitchell presented four maps, from which the commissioners selected the two that factored in communities of interest input as starting points for discussion. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. We want to focus on honoring the fact that this is community-led and community-voiced, making sure that we are reiterating the importance of having community input, said Redistricting Commission Co-Vice Chair Lilibeth Gangas during the October 13 meeting. Its not too late to submit maps. The commission is asking for more community input before they provide map revisions to Redistricting Partners. They plan to meet seven more times before the end of the year, with the next meeting scheduled for Wednesday, October 27. The upcoming meeting will have a public hearing portion where members of the public can call in and share their thoughts directly with commissioners. Where we are right now in releasing potential draft maps is an opportunity to really spark feedback and get meaningful information from community members, said Mitchell. Nami Sumida is a San Francisco Chronicle data visualization developer. Email: nami.sumida@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @namisumida I have been doing so much cooking and eating lately that Im honestly surprised Im still hungry. Ive been baking testing out multiple pies and cakes for a certain upcoming holiday. Every morning Im forced to drink smoothies by a certain hubby. For lunch Ive been eating at old haunts in San Francisco, and on top of that I still cook dinner almost every night. And then theres the late-night snacks. Its a lot. So when dinnertime comes around and my appetite hasnt faded, Im confused, but maybe thats just who I am! Ive never been one to diagnose why I eat things. However, I do know that I go through food cycles. Sometimes that means I only want to eat one thing like dairy or carbs or a combination of both. Sometimes its just that I cant stop eating perhaps thats partly because of the type of career Ive chosen, but its my appetite, too. When I was younger, my parents would have Top Ramen lying around for this very moment when they were away. I didnt know how to cook back then and they knew Id be hungry. It was something easy, cheap, delicious and, most importantly, I could cook it on my own because the only cooking skill needed is to know how to boil water. Id add other things to that steamy bowl of flavored noodles, doctoring it up as my brother would call it. Sometimes that was an egg hed fry for me, very roughly chopped green onions that Id cut myself or sometimes it was some hot sauce, frozen peas and sesame oil. I like to think of these simple add-ons as a nod to the Japanese dish that, back then, I didnt realize was a thing. I blame this partly on the fact that my hometown only had, like, 12 restaurants; none were Japanese and mostly had a Euro vibe. My current incessant hunger has me cooking ramen noodles again. This time my process is a little different but my noodles are still from a package. Only now I prefer the fresh, curly wheat noodles that I get at my local market. Dried noodles work, too. I start by searing and roasting chunks of the yellow-y orange flesh of the Kabocha squash. It gets a little sweeter when roasted and its slight dryness eventually marries well with the brothy stew. While the squash is roasting, I cook a pork shoulder steak in my Dutch oven. It gets caramelized and renders its fat in the pan, which I then use to my advantage to saute a robust amount of ginger, garlic and curry spices along with miso for extra umami. If youre not familiar, a pork shoulder steak is like a pork chop, but its cut from the shoulder and has more fat marbling equaling more flavor. If you dont see these in the case at the butcher counter, just ask for one. That being said, a pork chop also works here. I then add coconut milk that adds a creaminess and makes a broth thats just thick enough to coat everything it touches. In my recipe I dont call for individual spices, but instead a curry spice blend. Its a convenience I like that I admit is not very specific. Its absolutely OK to make your own for a more pronounced flavor, especially if you have fresh spices you want to use up. To serve, I like to add scallions, herbs like cilantro, and pomegranate seeds (they add a tart-sweet-crunchy chew that I love) to the bowl after I ladle the hot coconut broth over the noodles and roasted squash. After that I top it off with a few slices of pork, and sometimes I add a squeeze of lime or even a spoonful of chile crisp for good measure. My hunger has subsided, for now. Christian Reynoso is a chef, recipe developer and writer. Originally from Sonoma, he lives in San Francisco. Email: food@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @christianreynoso Twitter: @xtianreynoso Roasted Squash & Pork Curry Ramen With Pomegranate Serves 6 This is a warming, coconut milk and curry spice-based soup with noodles, chunks of roasted squash and sliced pork shoulder steak on top. Super great for the weather. Your local butcher should be able to easily slice a pork shoulder steak, but you can also use a thick-cut pork chop here. The kabocha squash can be peeled or not here; I prefer it peeled in this recipe. 1 small kabocha squash (about 2 pounds) 2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil Salt Pepper 1 to 1-pound pork shoulder steak sliced into 1-inch thick pieces Ginger, a 3-inch piece, finely grated or chopped (about 3 tablespoons) 4 garlic cloves, finely grated or chopped (about 1 tablespoon) cup white miso 1 tablespoon curry spice Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. 2 cans unsweetened coconut milk 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth 10 ounces freshly cooked ramen noodles 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems Chopped scallions for finishing cup pomegranate seeds (from about large pomegranate) 1 lime, cut in wedges Instructions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice the top and bottom off the squash, making two flat ends. Peel off the green skin, leaving only the yellow flesh. Cut the squash in half from flat end to flat end, scoop out and discard seeds and pulp, and then cut the squash into 1-inch chunks. Toss the chunks in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of oil, season generously with salt, and lay the chunks flat on a lined sheet pan or large skillet and roast until tender with caramelized bits, about 30-40 minutes. While the squash is roasting, heat a Dutch oven over high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season the pork steak with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot, add the pork to the pan, pressing down firmly and cook until browned to your desired doneness, about 5-7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain. In the same Dutch oven, turn down the heat to medium low. Add the ginger, garlic, miso, curry spices and cook, stirring often until very fragrant, slightly browned and the miso begins to stick to the bottom, about 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, broth and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to help break up the clumped pieces of miso and ginger, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and taste. Turn off heat if serving immediately. To serve: Place the noodles and squash in bowls, ladle hot broth over, and then garnish with sliced pork, cilantro, scallions, pomegranate and lime on the side. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle 2017 Hing Lung Co. has been slinging crisp-skinned roast pork and duck for decades in San Franciscos Chinatown. Now, the 41-year-old Cantonese barbecue specialist is expanding for the first time, with a Bernal Heights restaurant slated to open next summer. Owners and brothers Eric and Simon Cheung are calling it Go Duck Yourself, the same brand name they launched during the pandemic for Hing Lung on delivery apps. Located at 439 Cortland Ave., itll offer a pared-down version of Hing Lungs meaty lineup: roast duck, roast pork, barbecue pork, soy sauce chicken and poached chicken, paired with greens and rice. A Sebastopol bakery is receiving a flood of support after a video went viral showing a woman refusing to wear a mask inside and comparing the employee a high school student to a death camp worker in Nazi Germany. Harrowing stories about customers arguing with restaurant employees over pandemic-related safety measures have been a constant during the pandemic. But its been relatively rare to see one of these interactions play out on video in the Bay Area. The incident took place last Sunday afternoon at Patisserie Angelica, a cozy spot known for custom cakes. The video shows a woman telling the employee that the bakerys policy to not serve maskless customers is discriminatory, and then she suggests calling law enforcement. There is currently an indoor mask mandate in Sonoma County, and private businesses can legally refuse to serve people based on not wearing a mask or not showing proof of vaccination. So in Nazi Germany when people told you to shove people in the ovens, you would do that I guess? Im asking a real question. You have ovens, dont you? she said to a stunned and quiet employee. At the end, the woman threatened to make a citizens arrest of the employee. Patisserie owner Gergana Karabelov, who was not present at the time, said more customers arrived and the maskless woman left without fanfare. She praised her young employee for handling the situation professionally. Karabelov said she hasnt heard more from the woman beyond a few private messages from a since-deleted social media account. The woman reportedly told Karabelov to go to hell and that shed no longer patronize the bakery, according to the owner. There was a lot I dont want to repeat. I did not reply other than saying, If you need croissants, I can deliver them to you, but I cant have you on my property without a mask, Karabelov said. Im really hoping she doesnt come back. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Patisserie Angelicas Yelp page got several positive new reviews this week praising the bakerys safety measures and the impeccable service, particularly from the staffer in the video. On Thursday, business was exceptionally busy, Karabelov said, and people from across the country have been calling with words of support. A lot from New York called and just wanted to talk to me. Its been a little different here to say the least, she said. I still have cakes to be produced, cookies to be decorated, but Im happy to talk to them and know theyre behind us. Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker As COVID-19 continues to subside in California, a part of the world that had charted a similar course for much of the pandemic is seeing a very worrisome new coronavirus surge. The United Kingdom had seemed like it was recovering from a delta wave in July, with its coronavirus case rates converging with Californias once more. But since the beginning of September, cases have diverged dramatically, spiking in the U.K. and diving in California. Why are things going the wrong direction in the U.K.? Experts say the countrys path now differs from Californias in several ways some involving timing, some involving health policies, some involving the evolution of the coronavirus itself that are fueling the new rise in cases. Experts say the United Kingdoms current struggles are an instructive contrast with California, which has one of the lowest case rates among U.S. states while the U.K., meanwhile, has one of the worlds worst case rates. California is doing great, said UC Berkeley infectious disease expert Dr. John Swartzberg. With some local exceptions, he said, Were the poster child of how a pandemic should be, and how people both in public health and the public should conduct themselves, not just now with the delta surge but during the entire pandemic. A successful but early vaccine rollout One factor in the U.K.s surge is vaccinations with that countrys strong start possibly now working against it, experts say. In the U.K., which comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Island, vaccinations launched in early December 2020. The aggressive approach prioritized getting first shots in as many arms as possible, rather than reserving shots for second doses. Now, nearly a year later, 68% of the U.K. population of 67 million is fully vaccinated, compared with 60% of Californias 39 million people but according to experts, declining immunity after the U.K.s early vaccine launch could be contributing to a spike in case rates there. The U.K. ironically did a good job of getting at-risk people vaccinated faster than the rest of western Europe, which is great, but they may be paying the price now in terms of waning immunity, Swartzberg said. The AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are the two most widely used in the U.K., according to Reuters. A recent U.K. study of more than 1 million people fully vaccinated with those two brands found that AstraZenecas effectiveness fell from 77% one month after vaccination to 67% after four to five months. By comparison, the Pfizer vaccines effectiveness showed 88% protection after one month, falling to 74% after five to six months. Another U.K. study in August found that the AstraZeneca vaccine was 69% effective against a high viral load two weeks after the second dose, falling to 61% after 90 days. Alberto Pezzali/Associated Press Kids less protected in the U.K. Coronavirus cases in U.K. schools have also escalated, with more than 8% of children ages 11 to 16 in English secondary schools testing positive for the virus the week ending Oct. 9, according to Bloomberg. The publication reports that the figure is eight times higher than the rate for adults. England has suboptimal vaccination rates for kids compared to ... Western European countries that are not having the surge the U.K. is having, Swartzberg said. In the U.S., the Pfizer vaccine was given emergency use authorization for children ages 12 to 15 in May. The U.K. didnt start its campaign for 12- to 15-year-olds until late September, and they were authorized to receive only one dose of the Pfizer vaccine. By that time, children were not required to self-isolate if they were exposed to the virus. Currently in the U.S., about 46% of children ages 12 to 15 are fully vaccinated, compared to just 18% partially vaccinated in the U.K. In California, 58% of eligible 12- to 17-year-olds have been fully vaccinated, according to statewide data. The U.K. and California also differ in their school mask policies. In the U.K., masks are not required for any students or staff, and are recommended only when in contact with strangers in enclosed spaces. California requires all K-12 students and adults in school settings to wear masks indoors, with a few exemptions. Masking outdoors is optional. Its a terrible mistake that theyre not requiring masking in schools, Swartzberg said of the U.K. We have really good data in the U.S. that those K-12 schools that mask have far fewer problems than those that dont mask. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Relaxed COVID restrictions The U.K. and California also have diverged on general public health restrictions. When the alpha variant fueled the winter surge in the U.K., which at the time had one of the highest death rates in Europe, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that Christmas was essentially canceled by not allowing households to mix over the holidays. But that cautious approach is no longer part of the countrys strategy. On July 19, despite surging cases from the delta variant, England lifted remaining COVID restrictions including mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing in what was dubbed Freedom Day. Cases began falling, but shortly after started to zig-zag and gradually increase through early September. After another drop in mid-September, cases made a turnaround and have been on the rise ever since. The U.K. relaxed their restrictions back in July, and a lot of people are just not following the regular recommended mitigation practices, said UC Berkeley infectious disease expert Dr. Lee Riley. Most people are probably not wearing masks. This week scientists urged government officials to tighten COVID restrictions, which have not been reimposed since July. The U.K.s health secretary declined Wednesday to implement a contingency plan that includes mask-wearing and working from home, but also warned that cases could rise to 100,000 per day. Instead, the country is banking on its vaccine booster campaign, with government leaders urging people to get their third shots. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said the upcoming fall break in schools could help lower high case rates among children. Matt Dunham/Associated Press An increase of cases from delta sublineage 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. An increase of cases from a delta variant descendant known as AY.4.2 may also be contributing to the spike in case rates in the U.K., experts say though they add that it is too soon to tell for sure. The subvariant currently accounts for about 7-8% of genetically sequenced coronavirus cases in the country. Only nine total sequenced cases of the sublineage have been recorded in the U.S. so far, including one in California. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday that there is no current cause for concern in the U.S. Swartzberg said the bump in cases related to AY.4.2 feels like deja vu after what happened with the delta variant, and that it should continue to be monitored. He said its not yet clear how big of a role the AY.4.2 sublineage is playing in the U.K.s COVID resurgence. That should be on the list, but I dont know if I would put it on the top, he said. Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, said the world is keeping a watchful eye on this variant, and that it could possibly be increasing infections in the U.K. The rise in cases is not yet accompanied by a rise in hospitalizations, however, so that has to be tracked carefully if the virus is just outcompeting delta but not causing severe disease in the vaccinated, she said in an email. Riley also noted that the U.K. is a world leader in genomic sequencing of the COVID-19, which is why it usually catches worrisome variants early and quickly. Cases rising, but what about hospitalizations? Experts point to one encouraging indicator in the U.K.s surge: While coronavirus cases are rising quickly, hospitalizations and deaths are not on a similarly sharp trajectory. That suggests that even if immunity is waning, the vaccines are still protecting people from severe illness and death, Riley said as they are in California as well. The Financial Times reported that more than 8,000 people are in U.K. hospitals with COVID-19 for the first time in more than a month, and COVID deaths have increased more than 10% this past week compared with the previous week. According to the New York Times COVID tracker, the U.K. has a rate of 0.2 deaths per 100,000, compared with 0.27 in California. The U.K.s hospitalization rate was 116 hospitalizations per 1 million people on Oct. 19, versus 93 in California. Swartzberg urges everyone in the Bay Area and California to hurry slowly in returning to more pre-pandemic activities and habits so we dont see a big COVID spike in the coming months. Were all anxious to take our masks off, were anxious to be with our loved ones and travel, were anxious to do a lot of things, he said. But we have to be cautious over the next three months and that will really pay off for us going into the late winter and spring. Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang BOSTON (AP) For several years, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools had toyed with replacing some of its 1,000 diesel buses with cleaner electric vehicles. But school leaders said the change would be too costly. Then 12-year-old student Holly Thorpe showed up at a school board meeting to tout the benefits of going electric and returned to encourage the district to apply for a state grant. Two years on, the school board on Wednesday approved a district plan to use state money to replace up to 50 diesel buses with electric models over the next several years. Thorpe is overjoyed the district is making the switch. It wasn't imaginary any more, she said. It just wasnt like an idea. It was coming to life. The transition is part of a small but growing movement led by parents, students and lawmakers to purchase electric school buses to improve the health of students and cut planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions. Roughly 25 million children ride school buses every year. And though only about 1% of 480,000 U.S. school buses are electric, there are signs the push to abandon diesel buses is gaining momentum: Late last year, the World Resources Institute announced a $37.5 million Bezos Earth Fund grant to help electrify all school buses in the country by 2030. The nonprofit will work over the next five years on the project with school districts, communities, environmental justice groups, utilities, bus manufacturers and policymakers. This year, a suburban Maryland district became the country's largest to commit to going completely electric. It plans to replace 1,442 diesel buses by 2035. The first 326 electric ones will be leased from Massachusetts-based Highland Electric Transportation. California, the countrys electric school bus leader, has funded the purchase of 1,167 and budgeted for another 1,000 over the next three fiscal years. This is an opportunity to make sure that we are doing all we can to protect kids health, said California Energy Commission member Patty Monahan. Some of these kids in parts of Los Angeles are on the bus for an hour, two hours a day. So we want to make sure that they are breathing clean air. At Twin Rivers Unified School District in Northern California, where diesel buses have been replaced by 40 electric buses and 34 that run on compressed natural gas, officials say clouds of dirty air have disappeared. One of the drivers said I cant believe the change I'm seeing in my lifetime,' said Tim Shannon, the district's director of transportation services. He said I used to have to hold a handkerchief over my face to walk through the yard because of the thick diesel soot. The electric buses are 60% cheaper to operate and will pay for themselves over time, Shannon said. Some districts are planning to sell excess energy from batteries back to the grid, a move welcomed by utilities who themselves have launched programs to buy electric school buses. This summer, a school bus in a Massachusetts district delivered power back to the grid. Efforts to replace diesel school buses are driven by the fact that children are more susceptible to health impacts of air pollution. Exposure to diesel exhaust, according to the EPA, can lead to asthma and respiratory illnesses and worsen heart and lung ailments, especially in children and the elderly. A study of school buses in Washington state found using cleaner fuels or upgrading older diesel reduced children's exposure to airborne particles by as much as 50% and improved their health. Their findings suggest a nationwide switch to cleaner school buses could result in around 14 million fewer absences each year. The researchers at the universities of Washington and Michigan did not examine electric buses, which produce less local pollution than those using fossil fuels. Lead author Sara Adar, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said older diesel buses resulted in children in the Seattle area getting higher levels of air pollution during their commute. The pollutants those kids were experiencing also did seem to be linked to worse health, she said. We saw kids lungs werent quite as healthy. Diesel school bus engines are much cleaner, since the EPA implemented standards that required them to produce 90% less particulate matter. The EPA also has awarded $55 million to replace more than 2,700 old diesel school buses since 2012 and announced in October that $17 million more would be available. With the improved standards, the diesel industry argues that switching to electric wont significantly reduce emissions or address concerns about global warming especially since electricity for buses still often comes from fossil fuels. They note that more than 54% of school buses are newer models with far fewer emissions. School districts should be able to choose the bus type and technology that works for them, said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. Some may find electric buses a good fit while others will stick with diesel and utilize low-carbon renewable fuels to cut their carbon footprint and other emissions. 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. Advocates point out that nearly half of diesel buses are older ones that produce dangerous pollutants and are much more expensive to maintain. But they acknowledge the challenge is getting districts with older buses funds to transition to electric ones, which often cost three times more. Many districts are eyeing funding from several bills in Congress. The nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill includes $5 billion for electric and hybrid school buses. Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a former preschool teacher who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor & Pensions, and other advocates want $5 billion more for electric school buses in President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion rebuilding plan. Several congressional bills would provide billions more for electric school buses. Some states, including Florida and Virginia, are buying electric buses with billions of dollars from the Volkswagen settlement of its diesel emissions cheating scandal. Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district will use $11.6 million from the settlement to start buying electric buses, but said a full transition would be impossible without federal help. If we as a nation prioritize environmental protection, the reduction of greenhouse gases, the maximization of new technologies that reduce our dependency on carbon fuels, then the federal investment must incentivize these transitions with actual funding, he said. And thats exactly what our country needs. Thats exactly what Miami needs. ___ Follow Michael Casey on Twitter: @mcasey1 A police officer won't face any state charges for fatally shooting a 19-year-old man after a car chase that began with a stop for a loud muffler near Cleveland, Ohios attorney general said Friday. A Cuyahoga County grand jury on Thursday declined to indict the East Cleveland officer, who said he fired after seeing Vincent Belmonte reach for a gun in his hoodie, said Attorney General Dave Yost. Belmonte was shot three times after he ran from a car he was driving and climbed over a fence Jan. 5, authorities have said. Shortly afterward, East Clevelands police chief said Belmonte had pointed a gun at Sgt. Larry McDonald before he fired back. McDonald told another officer that Belmontes gun was in his hand, police said. Body camera video later released from another officer showed that Belmontes gun fell out of the front of his sweatshirt after he had been shot, Cleveland.com reported. McDonald could be heard yelling stop and dont do it before the shooting on audio from the other officers body camera, said Assistant Attorney General Anthony Pierson. Body camera footage did not capture the shooting. McDonald had briefly turned on his camera but turned it off seconds later before the shooting, Pierson said. McDonald told investigators he thought he had turned it on, Pierson said. Tiana Bohanon, an attorney representing Belmontes family, said his relatives were disappointed with the grand jurys decision and believe that his death was unjustified. 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. McDonald pulled over Belmonte, of Garrettsville, for a loud muffler, but he took off and led the officer on a chase before he hit a fire hydrant and his car caught fire, Pierson said. The car had been reported stolen in October, he said. Belmonte's relatives said he had borrowed the car in January to take his girlfriend to work. At the time of the shooting, McDonald was on departmental probation for getting a woman released from jail, pressuring her for a date and harassing her over the following weeks, Cleveland.com reported. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday picked as the state's new elections chief an attorney who briefly joined former President Donald Trump's legal team last year as it challenged the 2020 election results. John Scott is also a former state litigator who defended Texas' strict voter ID law, which was eventually upheld after a federal judge found it was designed to intentionally discriminate against minorities. His appointment as secretary of state troubled voting rights groups near the end of an already highly charged year in Texas over elections, and at a moment when Trump and GOP activists are pressuring Abbott to perform a full audit of the 2020 election results even though Trump won the state by 300,000 votes. In what world does it make sense to appoint someone who took an active role to discredit the will of voters?" said Stephanie Gomez, associate director of Common Cause Texas. Scott, who has served in other roles for Abbott over the past decade, did not immediately return a phone message Thursday. Shortly after President Joe Biden's victory last November, Scott filed notice in federal court that he was joining the Trump campaign's legal team as it challenged the outcome in Pennsylvania. Biden beat Trump in the state by more than 80,000 votes, according to certified results. Scott withdrew from the case after just three days, along with fellow Texas attorney Bryan Hughes, a Republican state senator. Hughes was the main author behind a sweeping a new elections law in Texas that imposes new voter restrictions and led to Democrats walking out of the state Capitol in protest. Abbott made no mention of Scott's brief stint with Trump's legal team in announcing the appointment. John understands the importance of protecting the integrity of our elections and building the Texas brand on an international stage, Abbott said in a statement. 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. Because Abbott waited to reveal his pick until after the Legislature was no longer in session lawmakers went home Tuesday Scott can take the job without immediately submitting to a confirmation process that derailed one of the Abbott's former elections chiefs in 2019. State Rep. Chris Turner, the Democratic leader in the Texas House, said the timing denies Texans the fair and transparent process they deserve. Abbott, who is up for reelection in 2022, has not given in to Trump's demands for a full audit. In September, hours after Trump first prodded Abbott, the Texas secretary of state's office said it would audit four large counties three of which were won by Democrats but those efforts include standard post-election reviews. Still, Abbott said Scott's experience will enhance his oversight and leadership over the biggest and most thorough election audit in the country. Republicans have also sought election reviews in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin all battlegrounds lost by Trump. In practically every case, the reviews were launched under pressure from Trump and his allies to carry out an investigation into ballots, voting machines and voter rolls for evidence of fraud to legitimize claims that have universally been debunked. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin's unemployment rate for September remained unchanged at 3.9% for the sixth month in a row, the state Department of Workforce Development reported Thursday. The report is the first since enhanced federal unemployment benefits expired on Sept. 6. Republicans had argued that the benefit motivated people not to work, only worsening the state's worker shortage problem. But Democrats and labor force experts said the shortage, which has been a problem for years, was driven by a variety of factors. They must feel like a goldfish every hour of their lives. That was my thought the first few hundred times I looked at the Painted Ladies houses along Alamo Square. I felt a little pity or at least as much pity as can be mustered for someone living in a stunning house in San Francisco. It seemed like some kind of dark magic curse: Your home is on puzzles for sale at the San Francisco airport. Your home is on a Starbucks coffee cup. Your home is the backdrop for a potluck picnic on Full House reruns, eternally. The receiving line of people in newly purchased Alcatraz sweatshirts, aiming cameras at the front of your house, will never end. But cynicism, it turns out, doesnt live in the most famous three-story Victorians in the world. George Horsfall, owner of the light blue Painted Lady with royal blue trim, does. He invited three Chronicle journalists in for a tour. It was a lesson in San Francisco history, San Francisco pride, and the unexpected gifts of living in a city that attracts millions of tourists a year. I love meeting people, and Ive met people all over the world, Horsfall says, listing his new friends, including a Bavarian SWAT policeman who hosted Horsfall at Oktoberfest in Germany, and a Belgian family that writes to him weekly. Youd be really setting yourself up for a miserable life if you didnt like people and bought one of these houses. Its a great icebreaker. If you meet somebody in the park, they all want to talk to you. Now Playing: Long-time San Francisco resident George Horsfall lives in one of the iconic Painted Ladies. Here's what it's like. Video: Ryce Stoughtenborough Horsfall, 65, bid on his Painted Lady in 1999, but was knocked out at the last minute and settled into a different tourism epicenter: an apartment with a rooftop deck across from the curvy block of Lombard Street. His mother, Catherine Sheehan Horsfall, bought the blue Painted Lady a few years later, and he inherited it when she died in January. Horsfall and his mother had always enjoyed sharing the house with corporate groups or historians. But his viewpoint changed about 15 years ago, he says, when a lady in a car ahead of Horsfall on the Bay Bridge paid his toll. At a time when his mother was sick, he was working too hard, and needed the kindness reminder. Im driving across the bridge with tears across my face, Horsfall remembers. So, what I did after that, if I ran into somebody in the park, if somebody would come up to me and talk, Id invite them in and ask them if they knew what pay it forward was. Hes since received more than 100 letters from the new friends hes met, explaining what they did to pay it forward. Horsfall took the next step about two months ago, setting up an Instagram account under the handle @bluepaintedladyhousetour, and meeting people outside his house most days at 4 p.m., and giving them a tour of the home. (He requires a mask and accepts $20 for the hour-long tour, mostly for some planned upgrades to the Painted Lady.) As we walk through the house with Horsfall, two happy golden retrievers bang against a back door near a more modern kitchen thats immediately striking; unlike most of the rest of the house it has 21st Century appliances. The house itself is stunning throughout. Much of the interior is unchanged from its original design (though Horsfall confirms the Painted Lady has Wi-Fi). He has added his own museum pieces, including San Francisco history and family history Horsfall has relics from the citys 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, and a piece of family wedding cake from 1885. In the front room, theres a collection of more modern souvenirs hes been given with his Painted Lady house on the front. His favorite: That Starbucks cup, which includes a golden retriever in front of a Painted Lady. But the tour gets truly meditative when were up on the top floor, looking out the small window directly underneath the peaked roof. A steady stream of tourists walk on the grass hill directly in front of the house. Theres no sound with the thick redwood walls and the window closed; in the darkened room the feeling is not exposure but invisibility. Can you believe how quiet it is when I look out the window? Horsfall says. We can see the park and we can see everybody out there, but it never feels like someone is staring at you. There are at least a handful of people at any given time, gazing at the house or taking photos, conversing, selfie-ing, then moving along, always replaced by more. And then, I realize in one lovely moment, that the world is a little less sardonic than I thought and that we were the goldfish all along. The 20-minute ride west on the California Street cable car unrolls a vivid sequence of San Francisco sights: Nob Hill mansions and Chinatown shops, views north to the bay and south into a tumble of towers and hills. Only to leave you at a glorified bus stop on a drab block with two lanes of traffic on either side. That, anyway, is the scene for as long as anyone can remember on the California Street cable car line, which dates back to 1878. But now, with cable cars locked into lore as a constant attraction in a changing city, a handful of Polk Street neighborhood organizations are exploring ways to make it into something more. Its very much driven by the fact that this could be such a place, said Zoee Astrachan, co-founder of Interstice Architects, a small firm thats been in the Lower Polk area for six years. Were not looking to do anything overcomplicated, but to make a pretty big change. The effort is a variation of what goes on across the city: Community groups shape ideas and then see if they have enough traction to gain support and funding from City Hall. In this case, the starting point is the westernmost spot where residents and visitors can catch those little cars that climb halfway to the stars. The terminus, located just east of Van Ness Avenue, consists of a narrow median that holds a bus shelter and a cryptic, tall wooden box that contains sand used by cable car drivers to improve the traction for the brakes and cables when needed. A small traffic direction sign is set square in the middle of the medians access ramp. Interstice Architects The conceptual design drawn up by Interstice would replace this with a wider and longer median, removing one lane of eastbound automobile traffic in the process. The shelter would make way for a tilted canopy wide enough to cover the new platform. There would be wider sidewalks and generous new street trees on either side. The aim of all this, suggested Interstice co-founder Andrew Dunbar, is to turn the westernmost spot on San Franciscos cable car system into a green moment something that is comfortable and more pedestrian-friendly indicator, as well as a visible oasis that would serve to signal, in a sense, that youre part of something special. The $35,000 study was funded by the Lower Polk Community Benefit District, which sees another purpose to raise the prominence of the Polk Street commercial blocks that, yards away, stretch to the north and south. There are destinations such as Swan Oyster Depot around the corner, but also no shortage of empty storefronts. We have a real untapped potential if this terminus becomes something that people find attractive, that they want to visit, said Chris Schulman. Hes executive director of the benefit district, which is funded by local property owners. Other aspects make the transformation worth pursuing, he hastened to add. We also want to create a safe resource for residents who use the cable cars in their daily lives, Schulman said. This would be a tangible improvement. The plan, which designers estimate would cost somewhere between $5 million and $10 million to build, evolved from online community workshops that coincided with the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. 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. Schulman admits he initially heard complaints about misplaced priorities beautification of a transit stop when residents and businesses are hurting. But proponents emphasize that conceptual visions are a way to embark on the process of getting agencies on board. If an idea wins favor at an official scale, it can be incorporated into upcoming capital improvements efforts as has been the case with an alley improvement effort nearby that gained city support after Interstice and another community group, Lower Polk Neighbors, released it in 2016. With an eye to practicality, Interstice held meetings with representatives from Public Works and the Municipal Transportation Agency as the conceptual design for the terminus evolved. More elaborate visions such as an actual turnaround a la the one at Powell and Market streets were soon discarded. The transportation agency said in a statement Thursday that whatever the merits of such a makeover, we do not have bandwidth or resources to move forward right now. Thats to be expected, proponents say. We know that this is a major project that will take a number of years, Schulman said. But you have to start with a vision before getting something done. John King is The San Francisco Chronicles urban design critic. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnkingsfchron A report by a conservative news outlet that Target is planning to shutter a prominent San Francisco store due to unchecked shoplifting is false, the company said Friday. The California Globe incorrectly reported that the central Target store on Mission Street, a part of the Metreon shopping complex, was shuttering. The report, which spread across social media and was picked up by other outlets including the Washington Times, relied on unnamed San Francisco police officers who purportedly had inside information on the companys plans. The Mission Street store is not closing. That was incorrectly reported and we have followed up on that, a Target spokesperson said in an email. Target is, however, closing a small storefront at 225 Bush Street in San Francisco next month, due to years of under-performing sales, the spokesperson said. Eligible employees will be offered the option to transfer to other Target stores in their areas. The erroneous report comes on the heels of a decision by Walgreens to shutter five San Francisco stores. Walgreens said the reason was unchecked retail theft, but provided no proof, and some San Francisco officials pushed back on that explanation. 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. Data from the San Francisco Police Department on those five Walgreens stores showed relatively low reported incidents of thefts from 2018 to October 2021 though shoplifting is known to be underreported. Retail theft and its effects on both large and small businesses in San Francisco has become the center of a divisive debate as the city grapples with questions of policing and criminal justice. Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa UPDATE: More wet weather continued on Monday. Go here for latest updates on the strongest storm to hit the Bay Area in 26 years Tens of thousands of Pacific Gas & Electric customers have endured power outages this week, despite only light or moderate rainfall. Friday will bring a brief respite from the rain before the first atmospheric river of the year makes landfall. The last such bout of widespread outages occurred Wednesday, but more were expected as the intensity of the weather systems making landfall increased. A $31 million radar system promises to drastically improve the accuracy and specificity weather predictions in the Bay Area. Latest updates: Temporary homeless shelter to open at Moscone Convention Center West on Sunday, Monday nights: A 100-person capacity temporary shelter at Moscone Convention Center West will be opened on Sunday and Monday nights as part of the citys Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housings response to the storms forecast for Sunday, San Francisco officials said Friday. The shelter is available through referral on a first-come, first-served basis and will involve transportation via shuttle, city officials said. The citys Homeless Outreach Team is planning to distribute emergency blankets, ponchos, socks, and warm clothes to people experiencing homelessness in the city and will check for medical needs, including signs of hypothermia as part of citywide wellness checks, city officials said. Tents located at San Franciscos Safe Sleep Sites have been given platforms and additional tarps to prevent local flooding and exposure, city officials said. S.F. residents should prepare for severe weekend weather, city officials say: In the event of power outages in San Francisco due to severe weather and significant rain forecast for Sunday, residents should unplug and turn off appliances, leaving only one light on to signal when power is restored, San Francisco emergency management officials said Friday. During power outages, officials said people should avoid using candles because they are a fire hazard, and urged residents to have flashlights and extra batteries handy. To sign up for emergency text and email alerts from AlertSF, text your zip code to 888-777 or visit www.alertsf.org to subscribe, city officials said. Historically flood-prone areas in San Francisco will likely flood, city officials say: Coastal flooding is possible along San Francisco shorelines during high tides on Sunday, San Francisco emergency management officials said Friday. An atmospheric river is expected to move into the Bay Area region on Sunday, and Low-lying and historically flood-prone areas in San Francisco will likely flood, city officials said. Officials said gusty winds may blow down trees and power lines, but said city crews are prepared to respond to weather-related incidents like downed trees and tree limbs. City officials said residents should expect power outages and urged people to call 311 to report downed trees and flooding. Downed power lines should be treated as live wires, city officials said, and residents should call 911 to report downed lines. S.F. officials to provide free sandbags on Sunday: San Francisco public works officials will provide city residents and businesses up to 10 free sandbags on Sunday, when an atmospheric river is expected to move into the Bay Area region. Public works officials distribute sandbags ahead of and during severe rainstorms, officials said. People can pick up sandbags from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Public Works operations yard, located at Marin and Kansas streets. Visitors must wear face coverings, bring proof of their address and load sandbags onto their own vehicles. Entire Bay Area under a wind advisory Sunday: The National Weather Service placed the entire Bay Area under a wind advisory for parts of the day Sunday. The advisory will last from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. for the North Bay, from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. for San Francisco, the East Bay and the South Bay and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. for the Monterey area. Winds in some places, like at higher elevations, could reach up to 60 mph, the NWS said. Road through Yosemite closed until further notice: Caltrans said Friday that Tioga Pass, which runs through Yosemite, was closed until further notice due to inclement weather. High surf advisory issued for some Bay Area beaches: A high surf advisory for west- and northwest-facing Bay Area beaches from the Sonoma Coast south to the Monterey Coast will last until 11 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service said. Waves of up to 20 feet were possible, the NWS said, along with a heightened risk of rip currents. Flash flood watch issued for parts of the Bay Area: The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch that will kick in Sunday for parts of the North Bay and Peninsula with an emphasis on regions scarred by 2020 wildfires. Minor flooding will also be possible in urban areas and poor drainage locations, the NWS said. One system fizzles, but an atmospheric river is on the way: A storm system that brought a moderate around of rain to the region is moving on, giving way to an atmospheric river expected to make landfall in the Bay Area late Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Heres when the Bay Areas first atmospheric river of the season will make landfall: After a rainy week, Bay Area residents can expect a slight break from the showers Friday and Saturday before Sunday brings another wave of wet weather expected to be the most rainfall this season. Read the full story here. 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. 6:50 a.m. Flood advisories issued for parts of Northern California: Portions of Northern California, including Oroville, Paradise and Redding, were placed under flood advisories expected to expire before noon Friday. The National Weather Service warned that moderate to heavy rain in those region could lead to minor floods and ash or debris flows near recent burn scars. Rain falling up to a half-inch per hour in parts of Bay Area: Spots in southern Marin County and Sonoma County saw rainfall measured at between .3 inches to up to one-half inch per hour, according to the National Weather Service. Rain is extending to Napa county and a stronger band of rain is nearing San Francisco and San Mateo counties, the agency said. Caltrans issues road closures ahead of storm: Caltrans officials issued several road closures in Kern, Inyo, and Mono counties ahead of whats expected to be a powerful snowstorm in those regions. The first closure took effect Thursday evening on Highway 120. A rainfall record at SFO: Rain gauges at San Francisco International Airport recorded a record amount of precipitation for Oct. 21. On Thursday, .44 inches of rain was recorded, as of around 6 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. That beats the previous Oct. 21 record set in 1970 of .13 inches. Heres why light rain is knocking out power for thousands of PG&E customers: Recent rains so far this week werent intense enough to immediately wash away the dust, instead turning it to mud, which conducts electricity and causes equipment to malfunction or even ignite small fires on power poles. Read the full story here. Six inches of rain recorded at Mt. Tam: Rain gauges at Mount Tamalpais recorded 6 inches of rainfall over the past 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service. Downtown San Francisco recorded just over an inch of rain but more is on the way as an atmospheric river approaches the region. Storms to create hazardous surf conditions: The National Weather Service warned of potential hazardous conditions along the Bay Area coastline on Thursday as stormy weather rolls across the region. Waves could reach up to 24 feet near the coast and could wash up close to beaches, the NWS said. Target is not shutting down its location in San Francisco's Metreon, despite a viral story that wrongly claimed that it would shut down due to retail theft. A spokesperson for Target told SFGATE Friday that the branch located in the downtown shopping center will not be closing down, despite a report from the California Globe, a self-proclaimed "independent" publication. The story was widely circulated on Twitter, Facebook and Reddit as evidence of unfettered theft becoming an epidemic in San Francisco, and shared by prominent Fox News contributor Leo Terrell and a host of other conservatives. "The Metreon store is not closing," the spokesperson told SFGATE. Based on alleged, anonymous interviews with San Francisco police officers, the California Globe story stated that this Target location was shutting down due to a shoplifting "epidemic." The Globe did not appear to quote Target in this story. Retail theft has, indeed, proven to be a serious issue in San Francisco, and Target has had its hours affected due to an uptick in theft. The issue has reached national headlines, following a viral video shared by KGO reporter Lyanne Melendez and the recent closures of multiple Walgreens locations in the city, due to what the company says is mass shoplifting. However, follow-ups from SFGATE, the San Francisco Chronicle and other outlets have found that retail theft may not be the sole issue for those stores shutting down. (SFGATE and the Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently of one another.) The Globe story was also largely critical of District Attorney Chesa Boudin and Mayor London Breed, with the story claiming that the mayor "begged" the company to not shut this location down. (Breed's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE.) The article was written by Ken Kurson, the owner of a holding company that publishes the California Globe and the former editor-in-chief of the Observer in New York, appointed in 2013 by then-publisher Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump's husband and an official in former President Donald Trump's administration. Kurson was charged by the Department of Justice in the Eastern District of New York in 2020 for the cyberstalking and harassment of three individuals; he was pardoned by Trump earlier this year. Another Target location, the spokesperson told SFGATE, is closing down on 225 Bush St. but not due to theft. The store is closing "due to years of underperforming sales," they said, and all employees at this location will have the option to transfer to a different location. More than 1,800 sexual assaults occurred during Lyft rides in 2019, the company said Thursday in its first-ever safety report on sexual and physical assaults, fatal crashes and other serious incidents. Lyfts safety report had been long awaited in the ride-hailing industry, as the company is facing lawsuits from victims of sexual assaults that occurred during rides. It committed to releasing its sexual assault statistics in 2019, when Uber released a similar report. While safety incidents on our platform are incredibly rare, we realize that even one is too many, Lyfts head of policy development and research, Jennifer Brandenburger, said in a blog post Thursday. Behind every report is a real person and real experience. The 1,807 sexual assaults during Lyft rides in 2019, the most recent year for data in the report, were a 64% increase from 2017, the company said. But because the number of rides rose even faster, safety improved overall, Lyft said, with the incident rate of sexual assaults declining 19% during the period. Four people were killed during physical assaults in 2019, and 49 were killed during motor vehicle accidents, Lyft said in the report. The type of safety incidents detailed in this report occurred on 0.0002% of rides, and well over 99% of all rides occur without any safety report at all, Brandenburger said. The statistics are in line with similar incidents on Ubers platform. Uber said in its 2019 safety report that the number of sexual assaults on its platform the previous year represented just 0.0002% of all rides. Rachel Abrams, a lawyer who represents about 1,000 sexual assault victims in lawsuits against Uber and Lyft, said the report from Lyft was long overdue. Weve all been waiting for it, she said. They are not implementing the safety measures to prevent this from happening, and its just going to keep mounting, Abrams added. She said Lyft should incorporate video surveillance in its vehicles to monitor for safety problems. Lyft said it was working to make its platform as safe as possible, requiring drivers to undergo rigorous background checks and offering riders safety check-ins and emergency assistance during rides that veer off course. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. NEW YORK (AP) Days shy of his 86th birthday, Robert A. Caro has reached the point where his own life is a piece of history. The New-York Historical Society has established a permanent exhibit dedicated to Caro, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes and many other honors for his epic biography of Robert Moses, The Power Broker, and his ongoing series on President Lyndon Johnson. The exhibit, "Turn Every Page, begins Friday and draws upon Caros archives, which he donated to the society in 2020. It includes videos, photographs, draft manuscripts, reporters notebooks, an outline he keeps on the wall of his office, newspaper clippings and such everyday items as a Smith-Corona typewriter. Walking through the exhibit on a recent morning, Caro explains that his only dream growing up was to be a writer, maybe a well known writer." The wall displays on the second floor of the society trace his evolution from editor of his high school newspaper, The Horace Mann Record, to his years as an investigative reporter for Newsday, to his famously lengthy and detailed books. Asked what kind of impression Turn Every Page might leave with young visitors who don't know a lot about him, he responds that "the quality of the writing matters as much in nonfiction as in fiction. He also anticipates a less reverent take: This guy is sort of nuts. Caro began The Power Broker more than 50 years ago, but has completed just five other books since the Moses biography came out in 1974: his first four Johnson books and the relatively brief Working, a compilation of essays and speeches released in 2019. His most recent Johnson biography, The Passage of Power, was published in 2012, and he answers the inevitable question about the fifth and presumed last volume by saying no release is likely in the near future. Some artifacts here help explain why. Caro points out a handwritten list he compiled in the early 1970s when he was trying to show that Moses had plotted to keep people of color out of Jones Beach State Park, which opened in 1929. Caro knew that Moses had worked to limit mass transportation to Jones Beach, but he wanted tangible evidence of the results. So Caro and his wife and collaborator, Ina Caro, stood near the entrance to the beach, tracked the people coming in and determined that the overwhelming majority were white. Pictures from rural Texas, where Johnson was born and raised, remind Caro of how much he a child of New York City private schools and Princeton University needed to educate himself. For his Johnson books, he expected to interview a few Texans for a little more color." He ended up living there for three years, at the edge of the Hill Country." He remembers the heavy water buckets that women had to haul because their homes had no plumbing, and poking the hard, infertile earth on the former Johnson family ranch. The exhibit includes a manuscript page from Master of the Senate, Caro's third Johnson book. He recalls spending so much time in the Senate in Washington that pages called him the nut in the gallery. Tourist groups would come and go, sessions on the floor would open and adjourn, but Caro would remain, just absorbing the world that Johnson dominated as Majority Leader in the 1950s. There is no substitute for going there yourself, he says, because you never know what youre going to find out. That's why my books keep taking so long. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of the historical society, says the exhibit came out of conversations she had about the archives with Caro, who lives nearby and has been visiting the museum since childhood. He didnt want his work confined to a research room. He wanted attendees to understand the world as he did. He's a quintessential New Yorker through whom you can see American history, she says. The exhibit is called Turn Every Page in honor of advice Caro received decades ago from Newsday managing editor Alan Hathway about the importance of looking through every document in hand. That's the fun part, he says, the research, finding out: the manuscript from a long-lost Johnson crony that acknowledged votes were stolen in Johnson's notorious, narrowly won 1948 Senate race; the boxes of papers Caro has reviewed at the Johnson presidential library in Austin, Texas; the time he and his wife sat on a floor in the pre-Internet years and looked through telephone books to track down old classmates of Johnson. The pain begins with the writing. Behind one glass front at the exhibit is a heavily marked-up manuscript page for The Passage of Power. Johnson is only a month into his presidency, which began after John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, and Caro wants to describe a late-night phone conversation between LBJ and civil rights leader Roy Wilkins. Like many of his peers, Wilkins has come to admire Johnson, after initially distrusting the Texas Democrat who had allied himself with Southern segregationists when he joined the Senate. Near the end of their call, as Johnson is about to hang up, Wilkins tells him, Please take care of yourself." When Johnson appears not to take him seriously, Wilkins repeats, Please take care of yourself," and adds, "We need you. Lines throughout the page are crossed out and written over. Caro remembers chastising himself You, Bob, feel this is such a telling and revealing moment and you're not doing it" before making a couple of small but satisfying revisions. He changed one sentence from They believed him, referring to how civil rights leaders felt about Johnson, to They believed in him. And he set Wilkins' closing words off in their own paragraph, writing in red in the left margin to instruct his typist not to miss the paragraph sign. I re-wrote this so many times, he says. Click here to read the full article. Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun while filming a scene in New Mexico on Thursday, causing the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. The incident occurred on the set of Rust, an independent feature that was filming at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a popular production location south of Santa Fe. Hutchins, 42, was transported by helicopter to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, where she died. Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, where he received emergency treatment for his injuries, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriffs office. The Sheriffs office said in a statement that Hutchins and Souza were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin, 68, producer and actor. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that Baldwin was questioned by investigators, and was in tears. No one was arrested in the incident, and no charges have been filed, the office said. Detectives were interviewing witnesses, and the incident remains under an open and active investigation, according to the Sheriffs office. Baldwins reps did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hutchins death was confirmed by the Sheriffs office and by the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600. We received the devastating news this evening, that one of our members, Halyna Hutchins, the Director of Photography on a production called Rust in New Mexico died from injuries sustained on the set, said John Lindley, the president of the guild, and Rebecca Rhine, the executive director, in a statement. The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guilds family. Frances Fisher, one of the stars of the film, tweeted on Thursday night that Souza had told her that he is out of the hospital. Rust Movie Productions LLC, the production entity behind the film, issued a statement on Thursday night, saying that the cast and crew are devastated and that the company is cooperating fully with the investigation. The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by todays tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halynas family and loved ones, the company said. We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Departments investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event. The Sheriffs office received a 911 call reporting the incident at 1:50 p.m. Mountain Time. ABC News broadcast scanner audio, in which someone could be heard reporting that, We have a person who was shot accidentally. The production company issued its initial statement on Thursday afternoon, saying, There was an accident today on the New Mexico set of Rust involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. However, the Sheriffs office indicated that it was too soon to say what type of round was involved. The office also did not use the word accident, leaving that determination up to the investigators. The Sheriffs office is referring to this incident as a shooting investigation, Sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios said. That detail will be addressed by detectives as they work their case. The Sheriffs office did say that the shooting occurred during filming of a scene. According to investigators it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged, the office said. Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged. Hutchins graduated from the American Film Institute in 2015, and had worked on several short films before shooting Archenemy, a 2020 feature starring Joe Manganiello. She was named a rising star by American Cinematographer in 2019. Shes a wonderful, positive, creative person that was so excited to be breaking through and making movies, said Michael Pessah, a cinematographer who was a friend of Hutchins. She was really on the upswing. Lesli Linka Glatter, the president of the Directors Guild of America, expressed condolences on behalf of the guild. The DGA is incredibly saddened to hear of the tragic passing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, and the serious injuries sustained by DGA director Joel Souza in an on-set incident in New Mexico today, she said. We await further details and a full investigation. Our hearts go out to Halynas family, to Joel, and to everyone impacted. Souza is writing and directing the Western, which also stars Jensen Ackles, Brady Noon and Travis Fimmel. Albuquerque station KOB4s news helicopter photographed the incident, showing an old church set blocked off, and reported that set security confirmed it is on lockdown. #BREAKING: @santafesheriff investigating incident at #Rust movie set on Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe. Pic from @KOB4 #Chopper4 shows an old church set blocked off, and set security confirms its lockdown. Other pic of Rust cast/crew. pic.twitter.com/8Cw9eg8kec Tessa Mentus (@TessaMentus) October 21, 2021 Baldwin is a co-producer on the film and plays infamous outlaw Rust, whose 13-year-old grandson is convicted of an accidental murder. Ackles plays a U.S. Marshal and Fimmel plays a bounty hunter who are on the pairs tail as Rust tries to break his grandson out of prison. An unexpected bond forms between the outlaw and his estranged grandson as they go on the run. CAA Media Finance and Highland Film Group were launching sales on the film at last years Cannes virtual film market, with Baldwin producing through his El Dorado Pictures banner alongside Anjul Nigam and executive producer Matthew Helderman. Baldwin and Nigam produced Souzas previous feature, 2019s Crown Vic. Anna Granucci is also producing with Elizabeth L. Barbatelli as an executive producer. New Mexico is a busy film location, and the Bonanza Creek Ranch has hosted productions including Hostiles, Cowboys & Aliens, 3:10 to Yuma, Appaloosa and Longmire. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Mike Moore/AP Former Vice President Mike Pence, who, according to a Friday report from Axios, is running for president in 2024 and "has no plans to defer to his former boss" if former President Donald Trump runs again, is apparently seeking to improve his conservative credentials by visiting a California In-N-Out. The burger chain has become the latest flashpoint in the country's endless culture war on account of its refusal to comply with Bay Area laws requiring businesses to screen customers for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for indoor dining. This stance has made the chain a darling among conservatives and seriously disappointed some California liberals. LEWISTON, Maine (AP) Three teenagers accused of starting a fatal apartment building fire have been charged with felony murder, officials said. Two 13-year-olds and a 14-year-old were charged last month with arson, but those charges have been upgraded to felony murder, the attorney general's office said Friday. ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) A man who set two fires at a central Louisiana strip mall has been sentenced to five years in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Friday. Jasmine Roberson of Baton Rouge was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee Drell. Court records show Roberson pleaded guilty in June. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) An Alabama woman was convicted on charges of conspiring with a friend to bomb the pickup truck of her estranged boyfriend, who survived the blast. Court records show a federal judge in Montgomery convicted Ashley Nicole Haydt, 36, of Dothan on explosives and conspiracy charges on Thursday. WTVY-TV reports her co-defendant, Sylvio Joseph King, pleaded guilty previously and testified against Haydt during the four-day trial. Currently Reading Alert: Aid workers say Ethiopian military airstrikes forced a United Nations flight to abandon its landing in Tigray's capital. Currently Reading Alert: Prosecutor charges Minneapolis police officer with manslaughter in July pursuit that ended in death of motorist BEIJING (AP) Police in Chinas capital Beijing say famed international pianist Li Yundi is a suspect in a prostitution case. A message on the forces microblog said a suspect had been placed in administrative detention and an investigation opened on Thursday involving a woman identified by her surname Chen and a man named as Li di," with the first part of his personal name deleted as is standard in police cases. The post was followed by another message depicting a piano keyboard and the words one must definitely see clearly the difference between black and white. The official China Musicians Association also said it was expelling Li from the organization based on the Beijing Chaoyang District police notice that he had been arrested. Li, 39, began playing piano as a small child and studied in China and Germany before becoming the youngest winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2000 at age 18. He has since toured the world and recorded frequently, making him one of China's best known international artists. GLENNS, Va. (AP) The second and final debate in Virginia's closely watched governor's race had been underway for about 10 minutes when a woman started shouting from the audience. I worked very hard to be on the ballot. I should be up on the stage!" she yelled, as Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin stood by awkwardly and NBC News moderator Chuck Todd eventually called for security and went to a commercial break. For Princess Blanding, disrupting the debate was all in a day's work. Blanding, a Black activist and educator known for her dogged advocacy for racial justice and police reforms, is making a long-shot third-party bid for governor. Shes determined to make her presence in the race known, despite the structural hurdles of a two-party system. When the debate sponsor told her she could sit in the audience but wouldn't be allowed to participate citing a long tradition of inviting only major party candidates Blanding said it felt like she was being told, Yes, you can come and get on the bus like everybody else ... but youre going to sit in the back of the bus. I came, I sat, I clapped and played right along, and when the time was right, I made my voice heard, she said. Blanding, 39, may not need to be on stage to leave her mark. Polls show the race between McAuliffe and Youngkin is tight, leaving Democrats worried that Blanding may siphon off enough votes to help Youngkin win. Blanding says she's not concerned with Democrats' anxiety: Im their worst nightmare, but guess what? Im my ancestors wildest dreams, she said. Blanding's activism came to the forefront in 2018 after her brother, a 24-year-old high school biology teacher named Marcus-David Peters, was fatally shot by a Richmond police officer. Peters was experiencing a mental health crisis and ran naked and unarmed into rush-hour traffic. He ran toward an officer, threatening to kill him, before the officer shot him. Blanding maintains that the officer who said over his police radio that he was dealing with a mentally unstable man should not have used lethal force. She led protest marches and pushed for criminal charges against the officer, but prosecutors found that the shooting was justified. Blanding went on to push for legislation to establish an alert system to dispatch mental health providers along with police to help stabilize people in crisis situations. She also was a leading voice in the protest movement and demand for police reforms after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020. But neither the Marcus Alert law, named after her brother, nor the reforms went far enough for Blanding. She said it was then that she decided to start the new Liberation Party and run for governor as a third-party candidate. It was the continuous failure of the two-party system, especially the Democratic Party, Blanding said in an interview with The Associated Press. She rails against Democratic lawmakers who she says passed weak reforms after Floyd's killing and rejected a bill that would have eliminated qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that shields police from most lawsuits that stem from work performed in the line of duty. During a ceremonial bill-signing for the Marcus Alert, Blanding slammed legislators for a law she believes gives police too much power when responding to calls involving people with mental health issues. Please take a moment to pat yourselves on the back for doing exactly what this racist, corrupt system ... expected you all to do, make the Marcus Alert bill a watered down, ineffective bill that will continue to ensure that having a mental health crisis results in a death sentence, she said. None of the three main sponsors of the legislation Del. Jeff Bourne, Sen. Jeremy McPike and Sen. Jennifer McClellan returned calls seeking comment on Blandings candidacy. Phil Wilayto, a community organizer and activist with the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality, says Blanding's style is passionate, at times, dramatic." Shes motivated by an intense desire for justice for the people who have been denied justice, historically and in the present. That's what her strength is; people see that. She's the real thing," Wilayto said. Running for political office was not something Blanding envisioned for herself. Raised by an aunt in Newburgh, New York, Blanding was one of 16 siblings and grew up wanting to become a pediatrician. During college, she had her first child. After she graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology, she worked three jobs, including as a substitute teacher, an experience that would lead her toward a career in education. She taught middle school science and later became an assistant principal. Gyna Jones, a friend who attended Morgan State University with Blanding, said she was a fierce advocate even then as a student, recalling a time when a multiday power outage caused the food in her refrigerator to spoil. Jones, who had two young children, said she was receiving public assistance and called the local social services agency to see if she could get additional food stamps to replace the spoiled food, but was told she'd have to wait until the following month. Blanding took over. She called them right up and said, My sister lost all her food during the outage, and she needs her food back, Jones recalled. They replaced the food stamps that we lost." Blanding, now a single mother of three daughters, ages 20, 13 and 5, works as a science teacher at a middle school in Alexandria, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) from her home in Middlesex County on Virginia's Middle Peninsula. Her round-trip commute through metro Washington traffic congestion in northern Virginia often takes about eight hours a day, but she said the driving and long days are worth it so she can earn a livable salary to support her family. Blanding contrasts her life experiences with those of her opponents, McAuliffe, Virginia's former governor, and Youngkin, a former top executive at a private equity firm. Im watching and Im listening to these two privileged millionaires speak about how to address the issues that are felt in our most marginalized communities, and they cant relate," Blanding said. You haven't been here. You dont know what its like. Blanding has raised a small fraction of what her opponents have about $30,200, compared to nearly $44.5 million by McAuliffe and $42.3 million by Youngkin. But she appears to have built up a loyal following among college students and people who participated in last year's racial justice protests in Richmond. She said she's taken a three-month leave of absence from her teaching job to focus on the campaign, meeting people where they are by knocking on doors and attending festivals, outdoor markets and other events. Her audiences tend to be on the smaller side, from about 30 to 75 people. Lawrence West Jr., founder of the Richmond chapter of Black Lives Matter, said he wouldn't be surprised if Blanding is able to capture 5% of the vote. I see her as a leader of the new age, what America is moving toward, West said. She is somebody who kind of says, Look, it's not about Democrats, it's not about Republicans ... let's try to build some equity, let's try to create some diversity, let's try to include people.' She really believes that, and she really stands behind that," he said. CRESCENT, Okla. (AP) A body found near Crescent is believed to be that of a missing Guthrie man and an arrest has been made in connection with his death, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The remains are thought to be those of Brent Mack, 50, who was reported missing on Sept. 29, the OSBI said Thursday, COVINGTON, La. (AP) Arraignment is scheduled Dec. 18 for an 18-year-old Louisiana high school student accused of punching a teacher who uses a wheelchair. The motive apparently was a social media challenge, police have said. Larrianna Jameese Jackson of Covington could get up to 10 years in prison if convicted on charges of second-degree battery and cruelty to the infirmed, District Attorney Warren Montgomery said in a news release. NEW YORK (AP) A Turkish bank must face criminal charges that it evaded sanctions against Iran by processing billions of dollars of Iranian oil revenue, an appeals court ruled Friday. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision by U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman. An indictment returned in 2019 said the bank illegally moved about $20 billion in Iranian oil and gas revenues. It also said the state-owned bank sometimes disguised money movements as purchases of food and medicine so theyd qualify for a humanitarian exception to sanctions. A lawyer for Halkbank declined to comment on the ruling. In a decision written by Circuit Judge Jose A. Cabranes, a three-judge panel concluded that assertions that Halkbank was protected from prosecution by immunity given to foreign sovereigns through the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act is overcome by an exception for crimes committed during commercial activity. Although the bank was not charged until two years ago, the allegations involving it surfaced in 2015 when a wealthy Turkish-Iranian gold trader was arrested on sanctions charges as he arrived in the U.S. to take his family to Disney World in Florida. The trader Reza Zarrab eventually testified he paid over $50 million in bribes to a former Turkish finance minister to help a sanction-busting scheme prosecutors say was run by Halkbanks deputy general manager for international banking, Mehmet Hakan Atilla. Prosecutors maintained that Atilla used his position to help build and protect the scheme that enabled billions of dollars in profits from Iranian oil sales to flow through world financial markets since 2011. Atilla was convicted of five of six criminal charges against him, including conspiring to defraud the U.S., bank fraud and conspiracy to violate sanctions against Iran. Zarrab hired Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, to try to broker a deal between Turkeys president and the U.S. government to resolve the charges. The talks in 2017 failed to result in a deal. Zarrab eventually cooperated and testified against Atilla at his trial. Atilla was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. After Atillas release from a U.S. prison, he returned to Turkey. The earlier prosecution against Zarrab and Atilla and the current case against Halkbank has further strained ties between the two countries. HELENA, Mont. (AP) Democratic leaders in the Montana Legislature are asking for an investigation into whether the attorney general abused his power by sending a Montana Highway Patrol trooper to a Helena hospital over a complaint from the family of a COVID-19 patient. St. Peter's Health said Monday that three public officials threatened to use their positions to force doctors and nurses to treat the patient with ivermectin, a drug used for parasites that is not federally approved for the respiratory disease, the Montana State News Bureau reported. Attorney General Austin Knudsen's office acknowledged getting involved, but has said it was to investigate a report that the woman's family was not allowed to contact her and that legal documents were not being delivered. The hospital's statement said otherwise. These officials have no medical training or experience, yet they were insisting our providers give treatments for COVID-19 that are not authorized, clinically approved, or within the guidelines established by the" Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospital spokesperson Andrea Groom said. Senate Minority Leader Jill Cohenour and House Minority Leader Kim Abbott wrote to Senate President Mark Blasdel and House Speaker Wylie Galt on Thursday and asked them to appoint a special counsel to investigate Knudsen's actions and those of any other public officials who involved themselves in the complaint against the hospital. Knudsen's office sent a trooper to the hospital to take statements from the family of the woman in her 80s, and Knudsen later contacted a hospital board member who set up a teleconference with hospital officials, said Kyler Nerison, a spokesperson for Knudsen. Lewis and Clark County Attorney Leo Gallagher received the trooper's report and said he found no criminal offense on the part of the hospital that needed investigating. The patrol's involvement raised jurisdictional issues. Helena police are usually called for security issues at the hospital. As chief law enforcement officer of the state, the Attorney General holds an office of incredible authority and public trust, Cohenour and Abbott wrote. Accordingly, Montanans expect that whoever holds that office will conduct themselves with impeccable judgement and impartiality. The Montana State News Bureau story raises serious questions if Attorney General Knudsen can meet those standards and whether he is abusing the powers of his office to further his personal agenda, the letter continues. Blasdel and Galt planned to discuss the minority leaders request on Friday, said Kyle Schmauch, a spokesperson for legislative Republicans. On Wednesday, Nerison said the Department of Justice has jurisdiction to investigate any complaints of patient abuse and neglect, pointing to the authority of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The unit has four investigators, according to a federal report of its 2019 investigations. When the Montana State News Bureau asked Nerison why the department didn't send a member of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to investigate, Nerison said: It's literally the same agency. However, federal funding for the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is conditional upon it being a single, identifiable entity in its own continuous space within the office of the state Attorney General." The Montana Highway Patrols jurisdiction, under state law, involves offenses on highways, rest areas and state highway properties adjacent to the highway or involving motor vehicles. St. Peter's Health is not adjacent to a highway. When asked about the situation on Thursday, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte told the Montana State News Bureau that he supported health care workers, but did not address Knudsen's involvement. I dont have the details on what happened there, but I stand with our health care workers," Gianforte said. We need to support them so we can get through this together. VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) The names of the Clark County sheriffs deputies who fatally shot a man Sunday in Vancouver, Washington, have been released along with more details on why they attempted to stop his vehicle. Police on Thursday identified deputies David Delin and Forrest Gonzales as those who shot at Kfin Karuo, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Delin has worked for the Clark County Sheriffs Office for 3.5 years, and Gonzales has been with the agency 3 years. Officials also said Thursday that Karuo, 28, was stopped because of his suspected involvement in an assault case three weeks prior. Vancouver police say Karuo briefly pointed a gun at a man in a parked car Sept. 29. Authorities had only previously said deputies stopped Karuo because he was suspected of first-degree assault. Video footage of the Sept. 29 incident provided by police shows a man identified by investigators as Karuo approaching a car in the parking lot of Tola Angkor Asian Market in Vancouver, officials said. Police said Karuo asked the driver of the other car if hes a cop although there's no audio with the footage. The other driver told Karuo it was none of his business, officials said, and Karuo told him to leave. Officials didn't say whether the other driver was a law enforcement officer, nor did they give other details. Deputies tried to pull over Karuo on Sunday, then used a tactical maneuver to force him to stop. Officials said Karuo pointed a gun at the deputies, prompting them to fire at Karuo. He ran a short distance from his car, officials said, and deputies found him dead with a gun in his hand. The Southwest Washington Independent Investigative Response Team is investigating the incident. After the investigation is completed, the case will be sent to the Clark County Prosecuting Attorneys Office for review. About 100 family members and friends of Karuo gathered in protest Wednesday, demanding justice for him. Karuo was a leader at the Chuukese Community Church and often organized activities in the community. The Chuuk Islands are a part of the Federated States of Micronesia, and Karuos family was originally from Paata, according to Kiwae Anuki, one of his cousins. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A woman known for 37 years only as Horseshoe Harriet, one of dozen or so victims of a notorious Alaska serial killer, has been identified through genetic genealogy and a DNA match, authorities said Friday. The victim was identified Friday as Robin Pelkey, who was 19 and living on the streets of Anchorage when she was killed by Robert Hansen in the early 1980s, the Alaska Bureau of Investigations Cold Case Investigation Unit said. I would like to thank all of the troopers, investigators, and analysts that have diligently worked on this case over the last 37 years. Without their hard work and tenacity, the identity of Ms. Pelkey may have never been known, Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell said in a statement. Hansen, who owned a bakery, gained the nickname Butcher Baker for abducting and hunting down women many of them sex workers in the wilderness just north of Anchorage through the early 1980s, when the states largest city was booming because of construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline. Construction of the 800-mile (nearly 1,288-kilometer) pipeline offered good paying jobs for workers, but it also attracted those who wished to make money off of them, everyone from sex workers to drug dealers. Many of those people looking for fast money left as quickly as they came, and exotic dancers traveled a circuit along West Coast cities, making sudden disappearances commonplace. Retired trooper Glenn Flothe, who helped put Hansen behind bars, told the Anchorage Daily News in 2008 that Hansens victims initially included any woman who caught his eye, but he quickly learned that strippers and prostitutes were harder to track and less likely to be missed. The 2013 movie Frozen Ground, starring Nicolas Cage and John Cusack, chronicled the troopers' investigation and capture of Hansen. Hansen was convicted in the deaths of four women but confessed to killing several more, troopers said. At one point, he flew with investigators over an area north of Anchorage, where he pointed out where 17 of his victims were buried. In 1984, Alaska State Troopers returned to those areas, where the remains of eight women were discovered. In total, 12 bodies have been found, and 11 of those have been identified, trooper spokesperson Austin McDaniel said. The only person not yet identified is known only as Eklutna Annie, who is believed to have been Hansens first victim, McDaniel said. Her body was found near Eklutna Lake just north of Anchorage. Genetic genealogy efforts are underway in hopes of also identifying her, Randy McPherron, an Alaska State Troopers cold case investigator, told The Associated Press. "We really got our fingers crossed that we may know, find out who Eklutna Annie is, he said, adding the timeframe could take up to a year. Among the skeletal remains found in 1984, Pelsky was discovered lying on the ground near Horseshoe Lake, near the Little Susitna River just a few miles northwest of Anchorage, troopers said. There was no ID on the body that became known as Horseshoe Harriet. Hansen told investigators she was a sex worker he abducted from downtown Anchorage sometime in the winter of 1983. He told investigators he flew her to the lake in his small airplane, murdered her and discarded the body. He didnt know her name or much else about her. An autopsy confirmed the body was that of a white woman between the ages of 17 and 23. There were no missing persons reports that matched, and she was buried in the Anchorage municipal cemetery as an unknown. The case was reopened in 2014, the same year Hansen died in prison at the age of 75. The body was exhumed, and samples were sent to create a DNA profile, which was added to the FBIs national missing person database. It didnt provide an identification. In September 2020, investigators made another attempt to identify the remains using genetic genealogy. A bone sample was sent to a private lab and additional DNA was extracted and sent for Whole Genome Sequencing, troopers said. This data was then sent to another lab, where a DNA profile was generated and uploaded into a public access genealogy database in April. Troopers said several close matches were found and used to create a family tree for the victim. Research indicated that the victim might be a woman named Robin Pelkey, who was born in Colorado in 1963, troopers said. Troopers traced her to living in Anchorage in the early 1980s, but no record indicated she was alive after 1984. Eventually close relatives were located in Arkansas and Alaska. Family members told troopers that Pelkey lived in Anchorage in the late 1970s, but moved to Arkansas as a teenager before returning to Alaska in 1981 to live with her father and stepmother. Troopers said she wound up living on the streets of Anchorage but had vanished by late 1982 or early 1983. Relatives told troopers they didnt know for certain why Pelkeys parents, who are now deceased, didnt report her missing. A DNA match with a close relative in Arkansas confirmed Pelkeys identity and the family was notified in September. Through the troopers, family members said they did not want to be contacted by the media. Obviously, Im very happy to have finally figured out who she is and give her family some closure, McPherron said. Genetic genealogy has been quite a great leap forward in solving unsolved homicides but in also identifying people, so this is very satisfying to see it finally come together like this. Troopers have purchased a new grave marker for Pelkey, McDaniel said. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A person was shot to death Friday morning in northeast Des Moines, police said. Officers responded to multiple reports of gunfire at 5:41 a.m. and found a person who had been shot. Although officers attempted lifesaving efforts, the person died at the scene. BRUSSELS (AP) European Union leaders pledged on Friday to keep up the pressure" on Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to halt the flow of migrants from his country and raised the prospect of new sanctions amid calls by some bloc members to build walls and fences to thwart new arrivals. EU members Poland and Lithuania have been struggling to cope with an unusually high number of migrants arriving at their borders with Belarus in recent months. The EU is accusing Lukashenkos government of using them to destabilize the 27-country region in retaliation for EU sanctions. After nearly five hours of discussions, leaders agreed that they will not accept any attempt by third countries to instrumentalise migrants for political purposes." They also condemned all hybrid attacks at the EU's borders." Migrant arrivals began increasing a year ago after the EU slapped sanctions on Lukashenkos government over the August 2020 presidential election, which the West views as rigged, and the security crackdown on the Belarusian opposition and peaceful protesters that followed. Leaders promised to continue countering what European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called state-sponsored smuggling." The people used by Lukashenko are victims, we must help them," von der Leyen said. The EU's executive arm has already proposed to tighten visa restrictions on members of Lukashenkos government and Von der Leyen said the EU is ready to explore additional sanctions against individuals and entities. Earlier this week, EU foreign ministers discussed possible measures against Belarusian airline Belavia. Migration has been a sensitive and divisive topic since the arrival in Europe in 2015 of well over 1 million migrants, most of them refugees fleeing conflict in Syria. The exodus sparked one of the EUs biggest political crises and member states have yet to find an agreement on a system that would guarantee shared responsibility for the new arrivals. A dozen EU countries said before the summit that the bloc should fund construction of physical barriers to better protect itself. The European Commission says it has never financed fences, although it acknowledges the right, or need, for EU countries to put up protective barriers. Von der Leyen said that although EU funds are used for border management including equipment, personnel and logistics she said there will be no funding of barbed wire and walls." French president Emmanuel Macron said von der Leyen made that clear the commission would not finance such structures. Several powers consider that migration has become an instrument for the destabilization of Europe," he said. And so we should protect ourselves. But we should never do so by abandoning our values." Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda, who wants a physical barrier on the Baltic countrys border with Belarus, was among those pushing for a review of the blocs legislation on migration policy. Other EU states have been thinking about building fences. Earlier this month, the Polish government approved a bill that would regulate the construction of a high barrier with motion sensors on the border with Belarus to deter people from crossing over. In their conclusions, leaders invited the commission to propose any necessary changes to the EUs legal framework and concrete measures underpinned by adequate financial support. The Lukashenko regime now will see that the European Union is able to react, is able to take the decisions and is ready to defend itself, Nauseda said. Thousands of migrants have been lured to Belarus on tourist visas and encouraged to cross into Poland, Lithuania and to a lesser extent Latvia. Several have died of exhaustion at the Polish-Belarusian border since August, when large numbers of people from Iraq, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan, but also from Africa, started trying to cross, hoping to eventually reach western European nations. Germany said it has noticed an increase of illegal entries along the German-Polish border since August, registering about 4,500 such entries. ___ Angela Charlton in Paris, Raf Casert in Brussels and Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed to this story. BRUSSELS (AP) Angela Merkel is still Germany's Chancellor, and might be still when European Union leaders meet again, yet they gave her a big farewell party at Friday's EU summit. Even Barack Obama made a cameo video appearance. Attending her 107th summit, Merkel was feted by friend and foe alike in an informal ceremony behind closed doors early Friday, where they called her anything from a compromise machine to the EU's Eiffel Tower. Merkel has been the embodiment of the drive for a stronger united Europe for years since she attended her first meeting of EU leaders 16 years ago, at a time when Jacques Chirac was still the French president and Tony Blair the British prime minister. You are a monument, said EU Council President Charles Michel, adding that a summit meeting without her will be like Rome without the Vatican or Paris without the Eiffel Tower. Former U.S. president Obama was equally gushing. So many people, girls and boys, men and women, have had a role model who they could look up to through challenging times, he said. I know because I am one of them. Danke schon, he added. Merkel, often using the clout of juggernaut Germany to the fullest, always sought to keep the EU as tightly knit as possible but also defended national interests with equal fervor, especially during the financial crisis which saw her clash often with struggling Greece. In the end, though, she embodied what the EU summit itself all too often is. Frau Merkel was a compromise machine, said Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. So, many will be sad to see her go. Your spirit and experience will remain with us, said Michel. You are not leaving us. Michel could still be right. Merkel did not put herself up for re-election in last month's German polls and her CDU/CSU Christian Democrats fared so badly that they will likely end up in opposition. The left-leaning SPD, Greens and free-market FDP announced that they want to get their coalition government in place in the week starting Dec. 6. Until then, Merkel remains chancellor in a caretaker capacity, and only a few days' delay could well see her come back to Brussels for the mid-December summit. CAIRO (AP) The United Nations said on Friday that it has resumed humanitarian evacuation flights for migrants stranded in Libya after authorities suspended them for several months. The announcement comes after a massive crackdown on migrants by Libyan security forces. The U.N.s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement that it had evacuated 127 people to Gambia from the Libyan city of Misrata on Thursday. It said the Gambian migrants were among thousands more who are waiting to go home through the organizations voluntary return program. Evacuation flights for migrants have operated sporadically amid Libyas conflict, and been periodically suspended because of fighting. The latest suspension came from the country's ministry of interior on Aug. 8, according to the IOM. Libya was plunged into turmoil by the NATO-backed 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The North African nation has since emerged as a popular, if extremely dangerous, route to Europe for those fleeing poverty and civil war in Africa and the Middle East. Many set out for Italy, packed by traffickers into unseaworthy boats. Earlier this month, Libyan authorities started a massive crackdown against migrants in the western coastal town of Gargaresh, detaining more than 5,000 people over the course of a few days. In response, many turned to a community center operated by the UNs refugee agencys office in nearby Tripoli, camping outside and asking to be evacuated. On Friday, the UNHCR refugee agency said that there are still 3,000 vulnerable people staying outside its community center for fear of government raids. The agency said it had suspended the centers operations for security reasons but was still able to offer some limited provisions to the migrants there. It welcomed the resumption of humanitarian flights, but also called on the government to urgently address the needs of asylum-seekers and refugees in a humane and rights-based manner, especially those who cannot return to their countries of origin. Detained migrants in Libya have been held in overcrowded detention centers where torture, sexual assault and other abuses are rife. U.N.-commissioned investigators said Oct. 4 that abuse and ill treatment of migrants in Libya could amount to crimes against humanity. The migration agency has operated evacuation flights for those wanting to return home since 2015 and since then returned some 53,000 migrants. The program receives funding from the European Union and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Migration Fund, according to the IOM statement. - Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration PEORIA, Ill. (AP) The Illinois Supreme Court has reinstated a former Peoria police officer's child pornography conviction, finding that an appellate court erred when it ordered a new trial two years ago. A jury convicted John McCavitt in 2016 of possession of child pornography based on evidence showing his home computer contained thousands of child porn images when police seized it in 2013 for a sexual assault investigation. MADISON, Wis. (AP) A former Wisconsin high school teacher accused of secretly videotaping undressed students during field trips was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison after reaching a plea deal with federal prosecutors. David Kruchten, 39, of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to produce child pornography. Prosecutors alleged Kruchten used his position as a business teacher at Madison East High School to secretly videotape students during field trips in Wisconsin and Minnesota. According to court documents, he accompanied East Highs business club students on overnight trips to Wisconsin Dells and Lake Geneva as well as Minneapolis in 2019. Students discovered hidden cameras planted in air fresheners in their hotel rooms during the Minneapolis trip. Investigators discovered similar air freshener cans in photos taken by students during the Wisconsin trips, prosecutors said. Kruchten was charged last year with multiple counts of attempting to produce child pornography and resigned from his teaching job. In an eight-page handwritten letter filed earlier this week in U.S. District Court, Kruchten wrote that he started spying on family to deal with stress and fulfill a need for adrenaline and to find out what they said about him when he wasnt around, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. That led to planting hidden cameras to capture pets, family, friends, babysitters and even his parents and grandparents, before he began spying on his students, Kruchten wrote in the letter to U.S. District Judge James Peterson. That was not my goal when I went into teaching and it was not my goal when I started on this course of behavior, Kruchten wrote. My goal was not a collection of child pornography. My interest in these voyeuristic videos was not to capture students engaged in sex acts, my interest was the same (as) it was with my grandparents, and my pets and my wife to see what people do when Im not there. However, he wrote, it would be a lie to say there was zero sexual component. Peterson also sentenced Kruchten to 20 years of supervised release to follow his time in prison. BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) A Georgia pastor has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to stealing thousands of dollars in COVID-19 assistance funds and using some of the money to buy a luxury car. Mack Devon Knight, 45, is accused of lying to the Small Business Administration in applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Georgia. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa doctors accused of doing something dangerous or inappropriate could keep the allegations private until a regulatory board makes a final determination and issues a report under a state Supreme Court decision issued Friday. In its unanimous decision, the court said the Iowa Board of Medicine should not have publicly disclosed information about a doctor under investigation, as was standard for the agency. Its ruling likely will lead to changes in how dozens of other boards handle complaints. Read in its entirety, we do not believe the statute is ambiguous. Investigative information cannot be released to the public prior to a final decision in a disciplinary proceeding, Justice Edward Mansfield wrote. Iowa Freedom of Information Council Executive Director Randy Evans called the decision disappointing and said he hopes the Legislature revises the statute. Those facts and circumstances need full and timely disclosure to patients and consumers so they can make an informed selection of a treating physician, he said. The court ruled in the case of Dr. Domenico Calcaterra, a cardiothoracic surgeon who formerly practiced in Iowa City but now practices in another state. The Iowa Board of Medicine in 2013 considered allegations of disruptive behavior and unethical or unprofessional misconduct. The board sent out a press release with information about the allegations, which Calcaterra has long denied. Ultimately, it settled the complaint in 2014, with Calcaterra agreeing to accept a citation, a warning and a $5,000 civil penalty without admitting wrongdoing. The board detailed the settlement in another press release, which was posted on its website and repeated the allegations. Calcaterras attorney, Trent Nelson, said Calcaterra has suffered because of the accusations and noted that there has never been a concern about our clients competence or patient care. Calcaterra sought to get the information removed in 2018, but the board declined, saying its administrative rules have long provided that statements of charges are public records. In April 2020, a state court judge reversed the board, concluding Iowa law clearly prohibits the disclosure of investigative information prior to a regulatory board's final written decision. The law in question applies to more than 30 other licensing boards, including those regulating nurses and pharmacists, dentists, foot doctors, psychologists, eye doctors, veterinarians and plumbers. The high court's ruling reverses decades-old policies for the disclosure of information about such professionals under investigation. The court said it doesn't need to abide by long-standing rules if they conflict with a law. Mansfield wrote that the court doesn't discount the need for transparency in government and acknowledges the public may find value in having information about a professional when a complaint is filed with a licensing board. He said confidentiality allows people involved in an investigation to speak freely. In addition, a professionals livelihood can be damaged by putting unproved allegations in public view on an official government website," Mansfield wrote. "It is the Legislatures role to balance these considerations, not ours. Lynn Hicks, a spokesman for the Iowa attorney general's office who represented the Iowa Board of Medicine, said state lawyers are "evaluating the ruling and will be working with the licensing boards to determine next steps. Nelson, Calcaterra's attorney, said the decision restores protections that have been ignored by licensing boards for decades. This ends the practice by licensing boards of publishing unvetted and often inaccurate allegations before the licensee has even had the opportunity to defend themselves or see the evidence against them, Nelson said. MADISON, Wis. (AP) A highly anticipated nonpartisan audit of the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin released Friday did not identify any widespread fraud in the battleground state, which a key Republican legislative leader said shows its elections are safe and secure. The report from the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau did make dozens of recommendations on how the state might improve its elections. It also determined that dozens of voting machines it reviewed worked correctly. Some conservatives have called for reviews of all voting machines. Despite concerns with statewide elections procedures, this audit showed us that the election was largely safe and secure, tweeted Republican state Sen. Robert Cowles, who co-chairs the Legislature's Audit Committee, which assigned the audit bureau to conduct the review. Its my hope that we can now look at election law changes & agency accountability measures in a bipartisan manner based on these nonpartisan recommendations. The audit didn't offer any evidence that the election won by President Joe Biden was stolen from Donald Trump, as Trump and some fellow conservatives have falsely claimed. Bidens roughly 21,000-vote win over Trump in Wisconsin has withstood recounts and multiple court rulings. Democrats hailed the audit as evidence that elections are safe, secure and accurate, but said they feared Republicans would cherry pick the findings to sow distrust. The Audit Bureau report did identify inconsistent administration of election law based on surveys of ballots it reviewed across the state. It made 30 recommendations for the Wisconsin Elections Commission to consider and 18 possible legal changes for the Legislature to weigh. Republican state Sen. Kathy Bernier, a former county elections clerk and current chair of Senate elections committee, said the audit did not reveal any sizable or organized attempt at voter fraud. But it did show sloppy and inconsistent election administration that must be addressed, she said. Republican state Rep. Samantha Kerkman, the other Audit Committee co-chair, said the report will serve as a blueprint for the Legislature to address areas identified where current election law is not being followed. It is critically important that we restore trust in our elections process, she said. In an unusual move, state auditors did not give elections officials subject to the review a chance to respond and have their comments be a part of the report. The Audit Bureau said it didnt solicit comment because so many people were involved with the audit, it would have compromised the confidentiality of its work. Meagan Wolfe, administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commissions which oversees elections in the state, called the move a missed opportunity and that the agency was still reviewing the 168-page report to determine its response. The report is one of two investigations in Wisconsin. Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos ordered a second investigation after Trump criticized him for doing too little to scrutinize the election. That probe is being overseen by conservative former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman who said last year that he thinks the election was stolen. Vos said the audit showed the need for more investigation into the election. On Thursday, Democratic Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul asked a court to block a subpoena for Wolfe, the states top elections official, issued by Gableman. A judge set a Monday hearing on the request. Gableman did not immediately respond to a message Friday seeking comment. Wisconsin is one of several states pursuing investigations into the 2020 presidential election. The audit said the elections commission should issue a rule, which would need legislative approval, saying whether local elections clerks can fill in missing information on absentee ballots or allow drop boxes. The audit reviewed a sample of 14,710 absentee ballots that were cast in 29 municipalities across Wisconsin. It found that nearly 7%, or 1,022 ballots, had partial witness signatures; only 15 ballots did not have a witness address in its entirety; eight did not have a witness signature and three did not have a voter signature. It also found that state law requires clerks to write their initials on absentee ballot certificates in certain situations, but fewer than 1% of the certificates reviewed were initialed. The audit also found just 24 people who might have two active voter registrations and of those, only four who might have voted twice. The names of the four people, which weren't included in the audit summary, were referred to the elections commission, which could forward them to local prosecutors. The findings back up the fact that few cases of election fraud have been charged in Wisconsin. Only four cases have been brought to date, including one involving a man accused of having voted twice. It wasn't immediately clear if that man's case was among the four discovered by the audit. A Kentucky couple who pleaded guilty to misdemeanors in connection with the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol were sentenced to five years of probation Friday and fined $5,000 each. Lori Vinson and Roy Vinson of Morganfield were also ordered to perform 120 hours of community service. Prosecutors had asked for one month in jail for Lori Vinson and three months of house arrest for her husband. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton raised his voice as he imposed the couples sentences, chastising them for being gullible enough to believe the lie that the election was stolen from former President Donald Trump. Were tearing our country apart, he said. We are so divided as a country that we are killing ourselves as a country." Both of the Vinsons pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, a misdemeanor charge that carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison. The Vinsons apologized for their actions. It was never, ever my intention to go to Washington, D.C., and break the law, said Lori Vinson, who said in January that she lost her nursing job at Ascension St. Vincent in Evansville, Indiana. Its going to have a lasting impression on my reputation for probably the rest of my life. Thomas Vinson said he and his wife went to the Capitol as peaceful people. I made a terrible decision by going into that building and escorting my wife into that building, Thomas Vinson said. Sir, I havent had even a traffic stop in 25 years much less any kind of altercation with the law. Walton, now a senior judge, has served on the district court for the District of Columbia since October 2001 after being nominated by Republican President George W. Bush. LAS VEGAS (AP) A Las Vegas businessman is facing criminal charges of voting twice in the November 2020 election, including with his dead wifes ballot, Nevada state Attorney General Aaron Ford announced Thursday. Donald Kirk Hartle, 55, faces two felony charges in a criminal complaint filed Oct. 6 and made public Thursday, three days after Hartles initial appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court, according to court records. He is due again in court Nov. 18. Mr. Hartle looks forward to responding to the allegations, his attorney, David Chesnoff, said Thursday. Hartle is the only person currently being prosecuted on allegations of voter fraud in Nevada, said John Sadler, spokesman for the attorney general. The November election saw now-President Joe Biden, a Democrat, defeat Republican President Donald Trump. Biden won in Nevada by 33,596 of 1.4 million votes cast, or about 2.4%. State and federal courts in Nevada and other states rejected dozens of election challenges by Republicans and Trumps presidential campaign, including claims of widespread voter fraud. Sadler didnt immediately respond to a question about the timing of Thursday's announcement, which included quotes from Ford calling voter fraud rare, saying it undercuts trust in our election system and vowing that it will not be tolerated by my office. Ford, a Democrat, used the same words in July, when a 53-year-old Nevada man was sentenced to up to two years of probation for his guilty plea to one felony charge of voting twice in the 2016 presidential election: in Benton, Arkansas, and in Las Vegas. At least five other people have been convicted in Nevada since 2011 of registration fraud during voter recruitment, and one woman pleaded guilty to trying to vote twice in 2012. I want to stress that our office will pursue any credible allegations of voter fraud and will work to bring any offenders to justice, Ford said Thursday. A conviction on the two charges voting more than once and voting using the name of another person could get Hartle up to eight years in prison, the statement said. Hartle is an executive at Ahern Rentals Inc., a company that was fined $3,000 for violations of COVID-19 mask and crowd-size restrictions while hosting a Trump campaign event in September 2020. The rally drew thousands of people to a sprawling indoor facility in suburban Henderson. Company owner Donald Ahern also owns a Las Vegas hotel at which a national group espousing fringe QAnon conspiracy theories planned a gathering this weekend billed as a Great Awakening Weekend. The event promised speakers featured on Fox TV, News Max, The Victory Channel, One America Network and other sites favored by Trump. Hartles wife, Rosemarie Hartle, died in 2017 at age 52 from breast cancer, he told KLAS-TV, the CBS affiliate in Las Vegas, last November. The Nevada state Republican Party featured Hartles account on social media as a concrete case of voter fraud. Records showed a ballot for Rosemarie Hartle was issued in October and later received by the county, but Hartle told KLAS it never came to his house. The TV station found Rosemarie Hartle listed as an active voter and reported that officials said the signature on her ballot matched Clark County voter records. Kirk Hartle expressed disbelief to KLAS, but he added the account lent some credence to what youve been hearing in the media about these possibilities and now it makes me wonder how pervasive is this? Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, a Republican, said in April that reviews of election fraud allegations delivered to her office by the state GOP in March found some were already under investigation and most were baseless or inaccurately interpreted. NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) It seems a strange place to pitch a tent. Plump in the middle of the United Nations-patrolled buffer zone that has divided Cyprus along ethnic lines since 1974, in the heart of the island's medieval capital, two Cameroonian asylum-seekers have lived in a small blue tent for nearly five months. The breakaway Turkish Cypriot north, through which they entered hoping to reach the European Union-member, Greek Cypriot south, will deport them if they go back. And the south seems determined not to let them in to discourage more would-be migrants from trying the same route. To make things worse, the two can see people freely moving between north and south all the time, as their tent is beside a main authorized crossing one of nine linking the two communities. Enjei Grace says that she and Daniel Ejube were wrong to try to enter the internationally recognized south that way to apply for asylum. We are sorry," the 24 year-old says with tear-filled eyes, adding that she hopes authorities won't leave them in limbo forever. We just pray that they sort things out, its not been easy on us, she said. Neither the Cyprus government nor authorities in the breakaway north have directly referred to the case so far. And the government has given no indication that it would let them in, for fear that could encourage other migrants from the Middle East and Africa to see the buffer zone as an easy gateway to asylum. Cyprus says it has the highest number of first-time asylum applications among all 27 EU members, relative to its population of roughly 1.1 million. Interior Minister Nicos Nouris has told EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson that the country can't host more asylum seekers due to the severe burden" on its reception system. At an EU Asylum Support Office conference in Malta last week, Nouris said Cyprus is obliged to take significant and drastic" measures along the buffer zone, adding that about 800 migrants crossed it recently within a 10-day span. Nouris added that 15,000 migrants have had their asylum applications rejected but can't be deported because there's no coherent EU policy or agreement with their home countries on sending them back. Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades told fellow EU leaders at a Brussels summit on Friday that so far this year the country's authorities have received 6,800 asylum claims, with 6,250 of those filed by people who crossed over from the north. The Cypriot government claims that Turkey systematically forwards asylum seekers to the Mediterranean island's Turkish Cypriot north so that they can create a new pressure point on the south. It says almost 80% of arriving migrants enter illegally across the buffer zone. Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence in the north. Only the Greek Cypriot south enjoys full membership benefits. Decades of reunification talks have got nowhere. The island's convoluted politics were lost on Grace and 20-year-old Ejube when they flew, separately, to an airport in the north with hopes of leaving a troubled past behind. Grace says she fled Cameroon to escape civil war and an uncle who sexually harassed her. Ejube said his father paid for his trip to Cyprus where he would study and avoid being recruited by Cameroon's rebel forces. Both he and Grace said they didn't know about Cyprus' division. Grace said the island appeared the main" available EU destination when she decided to emigrate. After realizing asylum wasn't available in the Turkish-Cypriot north, Grace and Ejube say a friend told them in May that they could easily jump a fence at night to reach the south. Luck was not on their side. U.N. police officers patrolling the fenced area at a section of the capital's 16th century Venetian-built walls happened to notice them and returned them into the buffer zone. Normally, the U.N. passes asylum seekers over to authorities in the south, but this didn't happen with Ejube and Grace. They've lived there since, with food and clothing donated by the U.N. refugee agency and individuals from both the Greek and the Turkish Cypriot community. U.N. Peacekeeping Force spokesman Aleem Sidiqque said the Cyprus government has the responsibility" to accept asylum seekers and that the Force's job is to coordinate between the two sides to prevent unauthorized access" to the buffer zone. Emilia Strovolidou, spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency said Grace and Ejube should be allowed access to asylum procedures according to national, EU and international law. Despite our interventions with the authorities, access has been denied," she said. ___ Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration LOS ANGELES (AP) Levels of wretched-smelling hydrogen sulfide gas that have plagued south Los Angeles County communities for weeks are declining as authorities use various mitigation methods in a flood control channel emitting the gross odors, authorities said Friday in an online news conference. The problem was reported Oct. 7 and traced to the 15-mile-long (24-kilometer) Dominguez Channel, which flows into Los Angeles harbor. The smell has chiefly affected the city of Carson and several other Los Angeles suburbs. The gas is being created by a natural phenomenon called anaerobic digestion which occurs when bacteria break down vegetation when theres a lack of oxygen in the water, said Mark Pestrella, the countys public works director and chief engineer of the flood control district. In addition, the investigation revealed the presence of chemicals that are contributing to the problem. Pestrella did not identify those chemicals and he said he could not comment further because it may involve criminal or civil actions. Public works is spraying the channel with a biodegradable odor neutralizer called Epoleon, which converts hydrogen sulfide to a salt. Daily tides are being relied on to spread the neutralizer, and Pestrella said drones are being considered to help that process. A system of bubblers is being installed in the channel to oxygenate the water and convert the decay process into aerobic decomposition, eliminating production of hydrogen sulfide, Pestrella said. Also, high intensity lighting is being placed along the channel for use at night because its believed the bacteria involved is photosensitive, he said. Measurements by air-quality regulators are showing drastic reductions in gas readings, Pestrella said, but he could not estimate when the problem would be eliminated because people have individual levels of sensitivity. Authorities have recommended that residents keep windows closed, buy special air filters or leave the area, if necessary. The county has placed 26 households in hotels and so far has approved 857 of more than 2,000 reimbursement requests, Pestrella said. Some area residents claim the problem originated Sept. 30 when a big commercial fire in the city of Carson erupted among pallets and boxes of ethanol-based hand sanitizer, and that debris and sanitizer then flowed into Dominguez Channel Pestrella said he could not speculate on those materials. Public health teams have visited more than 7,000 homes, nearly 200 business and all the schools in the area to share health recommendations, answer questions and provide technical assistance on how to reduce odors indoors. What we hear time and time again is that people are frustrated and they are worried, and thats understandable, said Dr. Muntu Davis, the county health officer. Exposure to hydrogen sulfide can cause headaches, dizziness, irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs, Davis said. Symptoms also may include nausea and abdominal discomfort that may lead to vomiting. The smell might also cause an asthma attack. Since the beginning of the incident, hydrogen sulfide readings in the air have been low enough that these symptoms are expected to be transient, short-term and reversible, Davis said. The symptoms are due to the smell of the odors and not due to hydrogen sulfide accumulating in the body, he said. Symptoms tend to go away when you leave the area or when the odors decrease or are no longer present, which is what we all hope will happen in the near future, he said. Davis said that people in Carson have expressed concern about exposure to hydrogen over days, weeks or months even though the levels are low. Based on what we are currently seeing, we generally do not expect people to develop long-term health issues after this odor event goes away, Davis said. Hydrogen sulfide is a gas that does not stay in your body for very long. Pestrella said there is no green vegetation left because it has been completely broken down into what looks like inky black soot. The long-term plan is to dredge the channel and remove the vegetation but that cant be done immediately to solve the problem because that could create additional health hazards by exposing legacy pollutants such as sulfur and metals trapped in 100 years of sediment, Pestrella said. That project will take two years. LOS ANGELES (AP) A Los Angeles police officer who acknowledged touching a dead womans breast while on duty has been ordered to stand trial on a felony charge. David Rojas, 29, is charged with felony sexual contact with human remains after authorities said he touched Elizabeth Baggetts right breast following her death on Oct. 20, 2019. WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A suspect in a shooting at a Wichita club that killed one and injured six others has been charged with first-degree murder after being extradited from Arizona. Keshawn Dawson made his first court appearance Thursday in Sedgwick County after being returned to Kansas on Wednesday. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) A Florida man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for lying about damage caused by Hurricane Irma in order to receive disaster relief money. Deontre Javan Taylor, 27, was sentenced Friday in Jacksonville federal court, according to court records. Besides the prison time, he was also ordered to repay money the he received from the federal government. Taylor pleaded guilty in June to disaster assistance fraud. FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) A federal judge on Friday tossed out involuntary manslaughter charges against two U.S. Park Police officers who fatally shot an unarmed motorist in northern Virginia four years ago. U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton issued an opinion declaring the actions of officers Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya necessary and proper in the shooting of 25-year-old Bijan Ghaisar in November 2017. Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano charged both officers with involuntary manslaughter last year, after the Justice Department declined to bring any criminal charges. Both officers claimed their status as federal officers granted them immunity from local prosecution, and Hilton agreed in Friday's ruling. Hilton wrote that the officers were entitled to immunity as long as the officers were authorized under federal law to act as they did, and that their actions were no more than necessary and proper under the circumstances. Hilton said that both officers reasonably feared that Amaya could be struck and killed after attempting to stop Ghaisar's Jeep, and it instead lurched forward in the direction of Amaya. (T)here is no evidence that the officers acted with malice, criminal intent, or any improper motivation, Hilton wrote. Descano and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, who also argued that the manslaughter case should be allowed to proceed, said in a joint statement that they will appeal Hilton's ruling to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond. We believe that a jury should have the opportunity to hear all of the evidence and determine whether these men committed a crime when they shot and killed Bijan Ghaisar, they said. A statement from Ghaisars family said the judges shameful ruling is another affirmation that the system is built to cover up wrongdoing by police in our country. These officers shot at Bijan 10 times, including several times as his car rolled away from them into a ditch. Thats not fearing for their lives, thats murder, the statement said. Ghaisar was fatally shot after authorities say he left the scene of an accident on the George Washington Memorial Parkway outside the nation's capital and led officers on a stop-and-go chase. Dashcam video released by Fairfax County Police, which played a supporting role in the chase, shows the pursuit starting on the parkway, then continuing into a residential neighborhood. It shows the car driven by Ghaisar stopping twice during the chase, and officers approaching the car with guns drawn. In both cases, Ghaisar drives off. At the third and final stop, the officers again approach with guns drawn, and Amaya stands in front of the drivers door. When the car starts to move, Amaya opens fire. Seconds later, when the car begins moving again, both Amaya and Vinyard fire multiple shots. The FBI conducted an investigation that stretched two years before federal prosecutors declined to bring charges Ghaisar's family and some members of Congress faulted the investigation for a lack of transparency and accountability. GREENBELT, Md. (AP) A Maryland man has been convicted of charges stemming from a scheme to defraud account holders at a credit union, a federal prosecutor says. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Maryland says in a news release that a federal jury convicted Francis Arthur, 35, of Silver Spring for a money laundering conspiracy and for money laundering. The verdict, which was announced Thursday, was returned on Wednesday, RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) A Palestinian militant group called off a hunger strike among dozens of prisoners held by Israel after nine days on Friday, saying its demands had been met. An Israeli official denied the claim. The Islamic Jihad group said Israeli authorities agreed to cancel financial penalties and the relocation of imprisoned militants to wings where members of other factions are being held. The group had said 250 prisoners took part in the strike. TACOMA, Wash. (AP) Gunshots rang out across several streets during a shooting that killed four people in a neighborhood in Tacoma, Washington, authorities said. A search for a suspect or suspects continued Friday, and investigators have not yet said what led to the Thursday afternoon violence outside a residence on the citys east side in the Salishan neighborhood. Authorities havent released the names of the victims. But The News Tribune reports relatives confirmed Friday that 42-year-old Maria Nunez; her 19-year-old son, Emery Iese; Nunezs brother, 22-year-old Raymond Williams; and Williams 22-year-old girlfriend, Natasha Brincefield, died in the shooting. Police had released their ages and genders. Multiple family members spoke to the newspaper Friday, expressing grief and bewilderment over their losses. None knew why their loved ones would be targeted by an assailant. My mom was just so loving, Mary Nunez said of her mother, Maria Nunez. She was just so kind and always willing to help people. And my brother was just the most genuine, nicest, smartest kid. Police on Twitter Friday asked anyone with information about the shootings to contact the national Crime Stoppers hotline. The shooting started in the alleyway, Tacoma Police spokesperson Wendy Haddow said. It transitioned to the front yard of a residence, but it did all occur outside. Haddow said at least one victim was found in the street in front of the residence after the shooting around 4:30 p.m. The News Tribune reports a neighbor who heard the gunshots said she saw a man run away and get in a waiting black car, which drove off. It was multiple shots, Justin Jones told KOMO TV. I dont know how many shots exactly. As soon as we heard them, I was just down to the ground, making sure I got all my family down. Crime scene technicians and detectives blocked off several blocks to investigate. Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards and City Council member Catherine Ushka on Friday extended sympathy to the neighborhood and those affected. We know our police will diligently collect the facts of this case, they said in a statement. As we learn more, we as a community will find our way through this together. There have been 27 homicides in Tacoma so far this year, Haddow said. Last years 32 recorded homicides was the most since 1994, when there were 33. The city has a population of about 220,000. NEW ORLEANS (AP) A former New Orleans prosecutor and ex-judge has lost an attempt to make the state reimburse him for money he spent defending himself in a civil lawsuit over a notorious wrongful murder conviction in the 1980s. Thursday's ruling by the state's 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge was a loss for Ronald Bodenheimer. Bodenheimer is best known in Louisiana as a former state judge in Jefferson Parish who went to prison after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges in 2003. But he was also a former assistant district attorney in New Orleans who prosecuted Reginald Adams for murder. Adams was cleared after serving 34 years in prison for a killing he did not commit. The case prompted a public apology in 2014 from then-District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro after it was found police and prosecutors under an earlier district attorney had made false statements and concealed information about physical evidence and other suspects. In 2017, Adams sued the city and others, including Bodenheimer, over the wrongful conviction. The city agreed to pay Adams $1.25 million in a settlement that ended the civil case for all involved. According to Thursday's 1st Circuit opinion, however, Bodenheimer sought state reimbursement for $70,000 in legal costs, saying Louisiana law obligated the state to cover his costs for claims arising from his official duties. Thursday's appeal court ruling said the Adams case was settled with no court determination that Bodenheimer was acting in the scope of his official duties, or that he was free of misconduct in the case two factors that would have to be met before the state would be required to reimburse him. Bodenheimer's attorney, John Venezia, said in response to an email query that he was considering whether to seek a rehearing at the appeal court or appeal to the state Supreme Court. SALISBURY, N.C. (AP) An anonymous donor has given a North Carolina college $200 million for its endowment, the largest gift in its history, officials announced. Catawba College, with an enrollment of 1,200, announced the gift on Thursday. The school is located in Salisbury, about 45 miles (72 km) northeast of Charlotte. A police officer won't face any state charges for fatally shooting a 19-year-old man after a car chase that began with a stop for a loud muffler near Cleveland, Ohios attorney general said Friday. A Cuyahoga County grand jury on Thursday declined to indict the East Cleveland officer, who said he fired after seeing Vincent Belmonte reach for a gun in his hoodie, said Attorney General Dave Yost. Belmonte was shot three times after he ran from a car he was driving and climbed over a fence Jan. 5, authorities have said. Shortly afterward, East Clevelands police chief said Belmonte had pointed a gun at Sgt. Larry McDonald before he fired back. McDonald told another officer that Belmontes gun was in his hand, police said. Body camera video later released from another officer showed that Belmontes gun fell out of the front of his sweatshirt after he had been shot, Cleveland.com reported. McDonald could be heard yelling stop and dont do it before the shooting on audio from the other officers body camera, said Assistant Attorney General Anthony Pierson. Body camera footage did not capture the shooting. McDonald had briefly turned on his camera but turned it off seconds later before the shooting, Pierson said. McDonald told investigators he thought he had turned it on, Pierson said. Tiana Bohanon, an attorney representing Belmontes family, said his relatives were disappointed with the grand jurys decision and believe that his death was unjustified. McDonald pulled over Belmonte, of Garrettsville, for a loud muffler, but he took off and led the officer on a chase before he hit a fire hydrant and his car caught fire, Pierson said. The car had been reported stolen in October, he said. Belmonte's relatives said he had borrowed the car in January to take his girlfriend to work. At the time of the shooting, McDonald was on departmental probation for getting a woman released from jail, pressuring her for a date and harassing her over the following weeks, Cleveland.com reported. WASHINGTON (AP) A congressional ethics watchdog has concluded there is substantial reason to believe that the wife of Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly used nonpublic information gained through her husband's position in Congress to earn thousands of dollars through a well-timed stock purchase, a likely violation of federal law and House rules. A report from the Office of Congressional Ethics released late Thursday detailed the April 2020 purchase of stock in an Ohio steelmaker. The company had threatened to shut down a plant in Kelly's district unless the Trump administration took action that would help make it more competitive steps the administration took after Kelly, a Republican, and others intervened. The ethics office has recommended that subpoenas be issued for Kelly, his wife, Victoria, a senior staffer and former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross because they declined to be interviewed or participate in the investigation. Victoria Kelly made an uncharacteristic stock purchase ... on April 29, 2020 and profited from this purchase. The purchase occurred just after her husband, in the course of his official job duties, learned confidential information about the company, the report states. Though the ethics office investigates complaints, only the House Ethics Committee has the power to punish a lawmaker for wrongdoing. The committee said in a statement that it would review the report and investigate further. Kelly is just the latest in a collection of lawmakers from both parties to draw scrutiny for conspicuous stock trading in recent years. This underscores the shortcomings of a law known as the Stock Act, which was enacted in 2012 following a congressional trading scandal but has yet to produce a conviction. Legal experts say such insider trading cases are exceptionally difficult to prosecute because they hinge on definitely proving whether someone acted on nonpublic information. Neither Kelly nor his wife has been criminally charged. Kelly spokesman Matt Knoedler said in a statement Friday that the congressman has always been open and transparent about his finances. That includes filing regular disclosures, which led to news stories about his wifes stock purchase. The statement did not directly address the purchase but called Kelly a vocal leader in efforts to save the plant. The ethics report details a timeline of events beginning in early 2020, when Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. threatened to shut down a plant in Kelly's northwest Pennsylvania district. The factory employed 1,400 making a specialty steel used in power grid transformers. The company argued that foreign producers were exploiting a loophole in federal trade law that gave them an unfair competitive advantage and requested new tariff enforcement. Kelly and other members of Pennsylvania's and Ohio's congressional delegations quickly lobbied the Trump administration. The ethics report details an aggressive push by Kelly, who worked closely with the company while pressing administration officials, including Mark Meadows, who was Trump's chief of staff at the time. Though the administration initially rebuffed their efforts, it eventually acquiesced, culminating with a phone call from Ross to Cleveland-Cliff's CEO on April 28, 2020, informing him that the agency would soon make an announcement. Word of the development spread quickly through Kelly's office, and the following day several days before the announcement was made public Victoria Kelly purchased between $15,001 and $50,000 worth of stock in the company, the report states. She purchased the stock at roughly $4.70 a share and later sold it when the price hit $18.11 a share, the report states. Kelly's office defended the purchase after it drew media scrutiny in September 2020, calling it a "small investment to show her support for the workers and management of this 100-year old bedrock of their hometown, where they both are life-long residents." But investigators found no public announcement by the Kellys about this purchase that would have elicited or demonstrated support for the plant employees. Additionally, investigators noted the purchase was out of the norm with her stock-buying practices. Months before, Victoria Kelly liquidated all of her individual stocks and invested the money in bond and mutual fund holdings, which are often considered the best investments for members of Congress looking to avoid questions about stock-buying impropriety. The Kellys are hardly alone in facing ethics scrutiny. The Associated Press previously reported that Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey repeatedly failed to disclose trades worth as much as $1 million in medical and tech companies that had a stake in the coronavirus response. On Thursday, the House Ethics Committee revealed Malinowski had been fined for repeatedly failing to report his stock transactions to Congress, as required by law. Republican Rep. Jim Hagedorn also faces an ethics probe over whether taxpayer money allotted to his office was used to contract for services from businesses owned by his staff. And Republican Rep. Alex Mooney faces an investigation over whether he used campaign cash to make personal purchases. But stock purchases, like those made by Victoria Kelly, have drawn the most attention in recent months. Former Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, of Georgia, both lost their runoff bids for the Senate in January after their own stock trades became a major campaign issue. Both were investigated by the Justice Department and ultimately cleared. Perdue had dumped between $1 million and $5 million worth of stock in a company where he was formerly a board member. After markets crashed, he bought it back and earned a windfall after its price skyrocketed. Loeffler and her husband, the CEO and chairman of the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, dumped millions of dollars in stock following a briefing on the virus. Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina drew perhaps the most scrutiny for his trades. He stepped aside as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee after the FBI obtained a search warrant to seize a cellphone. Burr and his wife sold between $600,000 and $1.7 million in more than 30 transactions in late January and mid-February, just before the market began to dive and government health officials began to sound alarms about the virus. Burr was captured in a recording privately warning a group of influential constituents in early 2020 to prepare for economic devastation. The Justice Department investigated Burrs actions, but did not file charges and closed the case. PHILADELPHIA (AP) The School District of Philadelphia is working to repatriate Native American skeletal remains found in a high school classroom closet this summer. A letter sent to parents of Central High School students Friday said the human skeletal item was previously used as a teaching aid and dated back to the 1850s. The district consulted with the Department of Interior, Temple University and other experts about how to handle the remains, Evelyn Nunez, the district's chief of schools wrote in the letter to parents. The District is also working with these partners to return this person, who has been identified as a male Native American, to his home tribe, she said. Central High School, founded in 1836, is the second-oldest continuously operating public high school in the country, but it is not alone in its history of using skeletal remains as learning tools. In a statement Friday, the district said the remains were likely used in teaching through the mid-1900s at the latest, but the districts schools have not used skeletal remains in classrooms for more than a decade. The district has launched a search of inventories at all of its schools to make sure any other skeletal remains are identified, treated with respect and also repatriated if possible. This is part of the story of early medicine around the world where the deceased entered collections without their consent from cemeteries and other contexts, said Temple Universitys Chair of the Department of Anthropology Dr. Kimberly Williams, who is working with the school district. She added that archaeological remains from Indigenous communities and communities of color were also frequently sold and traded during an era of inquiry about the differences between the races. This is and was unequivocally wrong and unacceptable." Experts often run tests with small fragments of the remains that can determine race, gender and age of the person when they died, as well as an estimate of when they died. Shannon OLoughlin, chief executive and attorney at the Association on American Indian Affairs, said researchers may never be able to determine which of the hundreds of federally and state-recognized tribes the ancestor's remains are affiliated with especially if there aren't any records of provenance for how or where the remains were obtained. What normally happens is they'll send what's called a tribal leader letter, asking if their tribes are interested in participating and affiliating the remains and accepting them to bring that ancestor's remains to rest, O'Loughlin said. When there are no records, she said federal officials often reach out to tribes with homelands historically affiliated with where the remains have been housed. It's not going to be easy. Someone has stolen someone's relative and used their remains for whatever reason, and in the process disconnected them from their people. And that's not something that can easily be undone, OLoughlin said. Several other Philadelphia institutions have had high profile reckonings recently with the treatment and continued display of skeletal remains belonging to people of color. The Penn Museum drew fire when it was disclosed that a staff member had displayed remains from a child victim killed in the MOVE bombing in 1985 as part of an online course. Eleven people were killed including five children when police dropped a bomb on the headquarters of the Black organization. The city's public health director also resigned earlier this year after telling city leaders he had ordered a box of bone fragments and possible remains from the bombing investigation be destroyed. A worker in the medical examiner's office discovered the remains had not been destroyed, and the city after more than 30 years, arranged to return them to surviving relatives. For several days now, news outlets across the country have reported updates about an alleged rape that took place last week on a train car outside of Philadelphia. Police said other riders had witnessed the attack but not intervened, with some even filming the incident. At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said that claim - that train riders callously ignored a violent crime as it unfolded before their eyes - is "simply not true." "There is a narrative out there that people sat on the El train and watched this transpire and took videos of it for their own gratification. . . . It did not happen," Stollsteimer said. The alleged sexual assault took place on Oct. 13 after 9 p.m. According to investigators, surveillance footage showed a man getting onto the train around 9:15 and harassing the victim for about 40 minutes before ripping off her pants and raping her. Officers intervened around 10 p.m. after being contacted by an employee of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Police charged 35-year-old Fiston M. Ngoy with rape, aggravated indecent assault and nine other criminal charges related to the assault. He is due back in court on Monday. Over the weekend, Upper Darby Township Police Department Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt and SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch had told news outlets that bystanders watched what happened but took no action. Both expressed dismay. "I don't know where we are in society that people can't help other people out in a time of need," Bernhardt said. "If you see something horrendous like this horrible incident, you have to do something, you have to intervene." "If somebody who witnessed this had called 911, it's possible that we would have been able to intervene even sooner," Busch said. But on Thursday, Stollsteimer said there was no evidence to suggest any of the riders understood what was taking place. "This is the El, guys - we've all ridden it. People get off and on at every single stop. That doesn't mean when they get on and they see people interacting that they know a rape is occurring," he said at the news conference. Stollsteimer added that while at least two people had filmed portions of the encounter, one of them had shared the video with police, contributing to the investigation. One reporter pushed back at Stollsteimer's claim that the media was to blame for the narrative of the indifferent bystanders, pointing out that it was police who had provided those statements. "You're saying it's the media's narrative, but if I'm not mistaken, the narrative comes from the [police] superintendent making statements about . . ." Stollsteimer interrupted and seemed to implicate train authority personnel: "No, it's not from the superintendent . . . I think you're really thinking of SEPTA officials." Earlier in the week, Bernhardt had suggested that the witnesses could be criminally charged for failing to intervene. On Thursday, the district attorney said there is no law in Pennsylvania that would allow for such charges, adding that he feared witnesses may have been scared off by that suggestion. Stollsteimer encouraged riders who saw the incident to come forward and share that information with police. "We don't ever arrest witnesses," he insisted. Perhaps the most well-known case of witnesses purportedly failing to report a crime took place in New York City. Many know Kitty Genovese as the woman whose neighbors ignored her screams as she was stabbed to death in 1964. The New York Times reported that more than three dozen "respectable, law-abiding citizens" watched or heard the attack but said not one called police before Genovese died. That narrative - which became synonymous with the so-called "bystander effect" - was not the whole story. In reality, only a few people were able to see what was happening, and some of Genovese's neighbors did call police. One rushed to her side and held her as she died. In the vast majority of crimes that take place in public, bystanders do intervene, Elizabeth Jeglic, a researcher on sexual violence prevention at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told the Associated Press this week. In Pennsylvania, Stollsteimer defended the people of Delaware County and said he believed residents there would come to the aid of someone clearly being victimized. "People in this region are not, in my experience, so inhuman and, you know, callous human beings that they're going to just sit there and just watch this happen," he said. NEW YORK (AP) A police officer fired at a man who was threatening people with knives in lower Manhattan on Friday, police said. The single gunshot fired by the officer shortly after 8:30 a.m. on the Bowery did not strike anyone or damage any property, a police spokesperson said. COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) A Council Bluffs woman was fatally shot in her home early Friday, and police were searching for a 28-year-old man in the killing. Police said officers were called to a home just before 3:30 a.m. Friday and found McKayla Glover, 24, of Council Bluffs, with a gunshot wound. She was rushed to a hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, where she died. WARSAW, Poland (AP) Some 2,000 Polish coal miners traveled to Luxembourg to stage a noisy protest Friday against a decision by the European Union's top court to shut down a major brown coal mine in Poland and to fine the country for flouting the ruling. Clad in yellow vests emblazoned with Hands off Turow, blowing horns and waving white-and-red Solidarity trade union flags, the protesters shouted in front of the EU's Court of Justice that its rulings were unjustified and threatened Polands energy security. To stress the importance of the occasion, they sang the national anthem. If they want to shut us down, we will shut down the EU court, said Wojciech Ilnicki, head of Solidarity at the mine. Brown coal, or lignite, is a major source of pollutant greenhouse gases when burnt, and is still used in Poland to fuel some power plants. The demonstrators chanted We will not give Turow away" and left a protest letter at the court before marching to the Czech Embassy to protest Prague's role in the rulings. Closing the mine would mean a big shortage of energy and a cataclysm in Poland's energy system, Jaroslaw Grzesik, head of the Solidarity union's branch for mining, told The Associated Press. In May, the court ordered the open-cast Turow mine closed following complaints by the Czech Republic that the mine's operations negatively impacted nearby Czech villages, draining water from the area. Poland has ignored the injunction, saying that Turow and an adjacent power plant generate some 7% of the nation's energy and light up millions of households. Warsaw also argues that Prague finds no problem with a number of other large lignite mines that operate in the same area on the Czech side of the border and in nearby Germany. Last month, the court ordered that Poland pay a fine of 500,000 euros ($586,000) for each day it ignores its decision. Talks with the Czech government have so far brought no solution, despite Warsaw saying it has made generous offers to reach a compromise. Polands trade union leaders say Prague is defending the interests of its own mines in the region. Poland is among the most coal-dependent nations in the EU, and among the slowest in reducing that dependency. Despite development of renewable energy sources, and the rising popularity of wind and solar power, coal mostly black coal still accounts for nearly 70% of the countrys energy mix in 2020. MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) A University of Montana professor who was placed on administrative leave while the university investigated blog posts about his religious beliefs that maligned women, Muslims and people who are LGBTQ resigned on Friday. It is apparent to me that this investigation is not being handled with the objective due process I was assured it would, computer science professor Rob Smith said in a statement released by his attorney, Matthew Monforton. Rather than lend legitimacy to an investigation that I believe is being conducted dishonestly and, in the interest of sparing my wife and children the need to endure another investigation where merit is trumped by ideology, I am choosing to resign, effective today," Smith wrote. The UM student newspaper, the Montana Kaimin, was first to report the blog posts in which Smith wrote that women begin to lose value after age 16, that faithful Muslims are not peaceful and that child sex trafficking and pedophilia are driven by the sins of accepting LGBTQ people. At the time, Smith said the posts were his private beliefs and such comments have not been made in his capacity as a professor. UM President Seth Bodnar announced an investigation on Oct. 12, calling Smiths views homophobic and misogynistic. Smith began his blog, called Upward Thought, in 2013. By late September, Smith had deleted his previous posts and wrote that his blog was a way for him to be able to think out loud and hear the feedback of others. The Kaimin had saved some of the posts. In January 2019, Smith wrote that a mans value keeps increasing over time, in terms of his earnings and wisdom, but the longer a woman waits to marry, the less currency she has to attract a valuable man. In a November 2020 post, Smith called it a "false idea that girls should experience the same education as boys, suggesting it can delay a woman from starting a family until she is in her 30s when her ability to qualify for a good husband and learn what it takes to be a good wife and mother is exceedingly reduced. A week before Smith went on leave, the dean and associate dean of the universitys law school stepped down after students complained the administrators failed to take seriously reports of sexual harassment and assault. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) A retired Oakland police captain was shot Thursday in an exchange of gunfire during an apparent robbery attempt at a gas station that left one of his attackers dead. Ersie Joyner, who once headed the city's Ceasefire anti-violence initiative, was rushed to a hospital where he underwent surgery, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Surveillance camera footage reviewed by the Chronicle shows Joyner approached by three people as he pumped gas around 1 p.m. Less than a minute later, Joyner pulled a handgun and fired multiple shots at his assailants at close range as they appeared to try and rob him, the footage shows. One of the assailants fell to the ground, and Joyner, who appeared to be shot, took cover behind a pump while the two other men sped away in a dark-colored sedan, the video shows. The man who died was not immediately identified. Addressing reporters outside Highland Hospital, Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong did not name Joyner, but confirmed that the victim was a retired police officer and that police were looking for a black sedan. Armstrong said the wounded victim is in serious but stable condition and fighting for his life, the Chronicle reported. The retired officer, was lawfully permitted to carry a gun, Armstrong said. Joyner, an Oakland native, led the Ceasefire initiative through a period of expansion from 2013 until his retirement in 2019. After leaving the force, he began a new career in the cannabis industry and now owns dispensaries in Oakland and San Francisco, according to the newspaper. Investigators to not have reason to believe Joyner was targeted for his work in law enforcement or in cannabis, Armstrong said, but noted that at this point, we will be looking into everything. LOS ANGELES (AP) A teen driver was sentenced on Thursday to seven to nine months in a juvenile camp after crashing his fathers Lamborghini and killing another motorist. Monique Munoz, 32, died at the scene of the collision Feb. 17 near the Westwood area of Los Angeles. CARYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Police in Tennessee fatally shot a man while attempting to take him into custody after a pursuit on Interstate 75, authorities said. Officers attempted to stop a car traveling along the Appalachian Highway in Caryville in connection to a robbery in Jacksboro, but the driver refused to pull over, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) A state trooper who could be charged in a pursuit on the Thruway that led to the death of an 11-year-old girl had been involved in two similar collisions on the highway, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul. Hochul said in an executive order signed Wednesday that a grand jury will be asked to consider charges against Trooper Christopher Baldner for his role in a Dec. 22, 2020, crash that killed Monica Goods, of Brooklyn. The order also said Baldner engaged in prior similar conduct on two occasions" that led to collisions on the Thruway north of New York City in 2017 and 2019. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The University of Tennessee system has increased the amount a family can earn and still have a student qualify for a UT Promise scholarship, the system announced Thursday. UT Promise is a last-dollar scholarship that guarantees free tuition and fees after other financial aid is received. It is available to undergraduate Tennessee residents enrolling at UT campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Martin, Memphis or Pulaski. Beginning in August 2022, students with a family income under $60,000 who meet academic criteria will be eligible. The previous household income limit was $50,000. NEW ORLEANS (AP) Eight missing or endangered children were rescued and 18 sex offenders were arrested during recent investigations around New Orleans, the U.S. Marshals Service says. Two operations led by the Eastern District of Louisiana New Orleans Task Force ran from Aug. 1 until Sept. 30, according to a news release from the agency. The Louisiana State Police and Department of Child and Family Services as well as the FBI, three sheriffs offices and three police departments assisted. This was another example of the results that can be accomplished with continuing law enforcement teamwork, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana Scott Illing said. Much of this work was also accomplished while dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in the New Orleans metro area. Investigations that were part of the Missing Child Units operation found allegations of human sex trafficking of minors in several cases. In addition to the eight children who were recovered, three returned on their own and three more were located elsewhere. A teenage female was found in Phoenix while on her way to see an older man she met online in Las Vegas. Two other minors were found in a rural area of southern Mississippi. The Sex Offender Investigations Branchs operation checked sex offender registrations in Jefferson and Orleans parishes. One suspect, who was in violation of his registration in Georgia since at least 2017, was found living in New Orleans and was arrested for failing to register. Another lifetime registration sex offender was also found living in the city who had been wanted on a warrant related to cutting off his electric monitor and fleeing probation in Delaware. Six other fugitives wanted for sex crimes were arrested in addition to the 18 sex offenders with registration violations, the agency said. RENO, Nev. (AP) A wet prewinter storm is expected to bring heavy rain, snow and wind to Lake Tahoe and northern Nevada this weekend, with possible flooding on wildfire-scarred mountain hillsides. The National Weather Service said Friday an atmospheric river is expected to funnel moisture toward the region, lowering mountain snow levels to elevations of about 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) on Monday and making travel difficult over Carson Pass and Mt. Rose Summit. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Earlier this year, an insistent cry arose from business leaders and Republican governors: Cut off a $300-a-week federal supplement for unemployed Americans. Many people, they argued, would then come off the sidelines and take the millions of jobs that employers were desperate to fill. Yet three months after half the states began ending that federal payment, there's been no significant influx of job seekers. In states that cut off the $300 check, the workforce the number of people who either have a job or are looking for one has risen no more than it has in the states that maintained the payment. That federal aid, along with two jobless aid programs that served gig workers and the long-term unemployed, ended nationally Sept. 6. Yet America's overall workforce actually shrank that month. Policymakers were pinning too many hopes on ending unemployment insurance as a labor market boost, said Fiona Greig, managing director of the JPMorgan Chase Institute, who has studied the issue. Labor shortages have persisted longer than many economists expected, deepening a mystery at the heart of the job market. Companies are eager to add workers and have posted a near-record number of available jobs. Yet job growth slowed in August and September. An Associated Press analysis of state data found that workforces in the 25 states that maintained the $300 payment actually grew slightly more from May through September, according to data released Friday, than in the 25 states that cut off the payment early, most of them in June. The $300-a-week federal check, on top of state jobless aid, meant that many of the unemployed received more in benefits than they earned at their old jobs. Economists cite a range of factors that are likely keeping former recipients of federal jobless aid from returning to the workforce. Many Americans in public-facing jobs still fear contracting COVID-19. Some families lack child care. Other people, like Rachel Montgomery of Anderson, Indiana, have grown to cherish more time with their families and feel they can get by financially, at least for now. Montgomery, a 37-year-old mother, said she has become much pickier" about where shes willing to work after having lost a catering job last year. Losing the $300-a-week federal payment hasnt changed her mind. She'll receive her regular state jobless aid for a few more weeks. Once youve stayed home with your kids and family like this, who wants to physically have to go back to work? she said. Im not going to sacrifice pay or flexibility working remotely when I know Im qualified to do certain things. But what that also means is that its taking longer to find those kinds of jobs. Some former recipients, especially older, affluent ones, have decided to retire earlier than they had planned. And after having received three stimulus checks in 18 months, plus federal jobless aid in some cases, most households have larger cash cushions than they did before the pandemic. So some people are taking time to consider their options. Graham Berryman, a 44-year-old resident of Springfield, Missouri, has been living off savings since Missouri cut off the $300-a-week federal jobless payment in June. He has had temporary work reviewing documents for law firms in the past. But he hasnt found anything permanent since August 2020. I am unemployed, Berryman said. That does not mean Im lazy. Just because someone cannot find suitable work in their profession doesnt mean theyre trash to be thrown away. Likewise, some couples have decided that they can get by with only one income, rather than two, at least temporarily. Sarah Hamby of Kokomo, Indiana, lost her $300-a-week federal payment this summer after her state ended it early. Hamby's husband, who is 65, kept his job at a printing press throughout the pandemic. But he may decide to join the ranks of people retiring earlier than they'd planned. And Hamby, 51, may do so herself if she doesn't find work soon. The jobs she had for decades at auto factories have largely disappeared. I dont want to go work at a computer, in an office, like what a lot of us are being pushed to do, she said. "So now Im stuck between doing some line of work that pays too little for what its worth or is too physically demanding or I just dont work. Nationally, the proportion of women either working or seeking work in September fell for a second straight month, evidence that many parents are still unable to manage their childcare duties to return to work. Staffing at childcare centers has fallen, reducing available care. Exacerbating the labor shortfall, a record number of people quit jobs in August. In Missouri, a group of businesses, still frustrated by labor shortages more than three months after the state cut off the $300-a-week federal jobless checks, paid for billboards in Springfield that said: Get Off Your Butt! and Get. To. Work. The state has seen no growth in its workforce since ending emergency benefits. Mississippi ended all emergency jobless aid in June. Yet it had fewer people working in August than in May. In Tupelo, a recent job fair attracted 60 companies, including VT Halter Marine, a shipbuilder. About 150 to 200 job seekers attended, fewer than some businesses had hoped. Adam Todd had organized the job fair for the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, which helps people find jobs and distributes unemployment benefits. The agency has received calls of desperation, Todd said, "from businesses needing to recruit workers during the pandemic. We're in a different point in time than we have been in a very long time, Todd said. The job seeker is truly in the drivers seat right now." ___ Fenn is a data journalist based in New York. Smith is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. ___ Rugaber reported from Arlington, Virginia. AP Writers Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report. DUNSMUIR, Calif. (AP) A wreckage found on a ridge in far Northern California on Friday is that of a small plane that requested an emergency landing but never arrived at its expected destination, authorities said. Someone spotted the black Cessna 150 near Dunsmuir, about 45 miles north of Redding, and was able to confirm it was the missing plane after seeing its tail number, Siskiyou County Sheriff's spokeswoman Kelly Giordano said. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) San Francisco city employees insured through Kaiser Permanente and seeking mental health treatment sometimes have to wait up to three months for an appointment with a therapist, a hearing during the Board of Supervisors' Government Audit and Oversight Committee on Thursday revealed. Supervisor Connie Chan, who sit on the committee, called the hearing in response to complaints about Kaiser-insured city employees and retirees who aren't getting timely access to mental health care. Chan is the board's representative on the Health Service Board, the governing body of the San Francisco Health Service System, the agency that negotiates the contracts for some 135,000 city employees, retirees, and their family members. A majority of them are covered by Kaiser. "I know the hard work that goes into putting the best options that the city can for our workers, but we all know that we're working within a fairly broken healthcare system. The global pandemic has only highlighted this problem has increase demand for mental health care significantly," Chan said. Although both SFHSS and Kaiser said they want to provide immediate, nonurgent mental health treatment for patients, the resources aren't there. Kaiser said it has stepped up access to mental health care, but a national shortage of health care specialists is part of the problem, "We are the midst of a mental health crisis," said Dr. Maria Koshy. "The pandemic has exacerbated preexisting mental health issues in the community and it's reduced access to vital social support systems. So, while our country moves through a broad public health crisis, the ongoing national shortage of qualified mental health care professionals has stretched our caregivers." A Kaiser patient seeking mental health treatment will get a 30-minute phone assessment within about ten days. Then after that, the type of treatment recommended will dictate how soon the patient can get access to treatment, Koshy said. But for most moderate to severe patients, access to treatment can take months, "making treatment dangerously ineffective," said Ilana Marcucci-Morris, a Kaiser social worker. "Paradoxically, the more severe patients typically face the most wait times for appointments unless they are actively seeking to commit suicide or deemed an immediate threat to themselves or others. They will have to wait months for an appointment with a treating therapist," she said. Currently, Marcucci-Morris said, the earliest appointments being offered for people seeking treatment are in late January. "We're talking about a depressed, anxious, or otherwise really troubled individual waiting three months," said Jeffrey Chen-Harding, a Kaiser social worker. "It's travesty, not even on a humanitarian level, it's a travesty on a safety level, on a liability level. I should think Kaiser would be extremely concerned about that." Supervisor Rafael Mandelman called the wait times "unacceptable." "It is true that this is a problem that is bigger than Kaiser, but Kaiser is a huge actor in this space and I think we look to Kaiser to help figure out how to solve this and actually be a leader in solving it. And I remain concerned after this hearing that we're not there and Kaiser needs to do more," he said. According to Kaiser, it's aggressively hiring mental health specialists, hiring more than 600 therapists in California since between 2016 and 2020. Copyright 2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Copyright 2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. By Eli Walsh Bay City News Foundation Sonoma County eased its indoor mask requirements Thursday, allowing residents to forego their face coverings in small, controlled settings in which everyone is fully vaccinated. Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase amended the county's health order, which has required since Aug. 3 that residents wear masks indoors in public spaces. With the county's surge of delta variant cases and hospitalizations declining, Mase acknowledged it is safe to unmask in some public spaces. "Our face covering requirement has been a critical tool in our community's battle to control the spread of COVID-19," she said. "Given that our case rate is now on the decline, it makes sense to loosen the requirement for certain stable groups of fully vaccinated people." The changes will apply to settings of 100 or fewer people that meet regularly and verify their full vaccination status. These settings must also be closed to the general public. Eligible settings include offices, gyms and fitness centers, employee commuter vehicles, religious gatherings and college classes, according to county officials. The use of masks and other face coverings will still be required, regardless of vaccination status, in larger indoor settings like grocery stores and bars and in any indoor public space for unvaccinated people. San Francisco, Marin and Contra Costa counties have also enacted or announced plans to implement similar changes to their indoor masking orders. Sonoma County and eight other Bay Area jurisdictions announced criteria earlier this month to fully lift indoor requirements, which include 80 percent of a county's total population being fully vaccinated and reaching the moderate or yellow tier of COVID-19 transmission as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. County officials have said meeting the requisite metrics is unlikely before New Year's. Copyright 2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Copyright 2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A retired police officer who was the victim of a brazen robbery and shooting at a gas station Thursday afternoon is in critical but stable condition late Thursday evening, according to an Oakland police spokesperson. Police continue to investigate the incident, which also involved the fatal shooting of one of the suspects involved in the robbery. A ShotSpotter activiation alerted Oakland officers to the incident, which occurred just after 1 p.m. in the 1700 block of Castro Street, near 17th Street. Upon arrival, officers located two individuals suffering from gunshot wounds. The preliminary investigation shows several individuals exited a vehicle and began to rob the victim of his belongings. Multiple gunshots were fired and one of the robbery suspects was fatally wounded. The robbery victim was struck and sustained several gunshot wounds. The suspects fled in a waiting black four-door sedan. The robbery victim underwent emergency surgery at Highland Hospital in Oakland. With today's incident, Oakland recorded its 115th homicide of 2021. Police are still looking for the getaway vehicle. Anyone with information about the shooting may call the Oakland Police Department's homicide section at (510) 238-3821 or the tip line at (510) 238-7950. State officials announced a regulatory proposal Thursday to prevent new oil and gas drilling wells and facilities within 3,200 feet of buildings like houses, schools, hospitals and nursing homes. The proposal, issued by the state Department of Conservation's Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), is intended to reduce the numbers of adverse health conditions like heart disease, asthma and birth defects, which are more common for households near oil and gas drilling sites. The proposal would also require pollution controls for drilling sites that already exist within the 3,200-foot "setback" area, equal to roughly one half-mile. According to Gov. Gavin Newsom, roughly 30 percent of the state's oil drilling sites sit within the 3,200-foot setback. "The issue that really unites us here today is around the issue of justice -- environmental justice, economic justice ... social justice," Newsom said during a briefing to announce the proposal. "It's about public health. It's about safety." Since 2019, CalGEM has held 10 public meetings and received more than 40,000 public comments on ways to improve the health and safety of communities that sit near drilling sites, which state officials used to draft the regulatory proposal announced Thursday. CalGEM opened a 60-day public comment period on the proposal, after which it will begin analyzing the proposal's economic effects. The proposal will not become an official regulation until that analysis is complete and it has been submitted to and approved by the state's Office of Administrative Law. Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, lauded Newsom and his administration for the proposal's limits for new drilling sites but remained measured about only implementing new health and safety standards for existing drilling sites that sit near residential areas. A federal grand jury indicted a 59-year-old Walnut Creek man on Wednesday on charges of wire fraud and securities fraud. The charges against Alan Anderson are in connection with his scheme to use materially false and fraudulent pretenses to induce investors to make contributions to his three businesses that were marketed as providing child-friendly internet services, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI. Prosecutors allege that from 2010 to 2019, Anderson raised money for his companies by making false representations and creating false documents to support his bogus claims. According to prosecutors, Anderson owns Imbee Inc., a Delaware corporation based in Walnut Creek marketed as a child-friendly social media platform; Fanlala, a California corporation marketed as a service providing internet-based music streaming for children; and Fruit Punch, a California corporation marketed as providing music-streaming service for children. The charges include four counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud. If convicted, each count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. The securities fraud charge carries a maximum 20 years of imprisonment and a $5,000,000 fine. A 56-year-old man died last week after being struck by a truck in Hayward, police said Thursday. Officers responded at 12:58 a.m. to the area of Huntwood Avenue and Salmon Way and found the victim, who was taken to a hospital and died later that same day, police Sgt. Tasha DeCosta said. The truck driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Police did not provide more details about what led to the collision. The man who died has been identified but his name is not being released until his family has been notified of his death, police said. Anyone with more details about the case, the ninth fatal collision in Hayward in 2021, is asked to call Sgt. DeCosta at (510) 293-7169. Berkeley police are reminding the public of a $50,000 reward that is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of everyone responsible for the fatal shooting of Sereinat'e Henderson exactly one year ago. Henderson, 19, of Oakland, was shot on the night of Oct. 21, 2020, on Prince Street in Berkeley and died later. Reports of the shooting were made to police shortly before 7 p.m. Henderson was found in a vehicle on Prince Street between King and Harper streets near Malcom X Elementary School. Someone may have information related to the killing and even the smallest detail may help officers solve the case, police said Thursday. Anyone with information is urged to call the Berkeley Police Department's homicide unit at (510) 981-5741 or the 24-hour non-emergency number at (510) 981-5900. The National Weather Service forecast for Friday for the San Francisco Bay Area calls for rain in the morning leading to cloudy skies in the afternoon. Highs in the 50s and 60s. Overnight lows in the 50s. Copyright 2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Copyright 2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. In a neighborhood of brick Colonials and ramblers in Chevy Chase, MD, a gatehouse billed as "Scottish Tudor" is a one-of-a-kind slice of royalty. On the market for $1,875,000, it was built in 1927 on the grounds of a castlealthough the castle is now gone. As the story goes, the woman who lived there and had it built was named Daisy Calhoun. During the Depression, she was forced to leave the castle because she was bankrupt, and moved into the gatehouse, says the listing agent, Alyssa Crilley with Washington Fine Properties. For a time, the castle served as a nightclub. Calhoun died in 1949, and the castle was torn down in 1957. Meanwhile, the imposing gatehouse soldiers on. Every time I've gone there, I notice something different, says Crilley, noting the passion her clients have for the property and its many idiosyncratic features. They want nothing more than for someone to love it as much as they have. Exterior of gatehouse in Chevy Chase, MD Home Visit Entry Home Visit Interior Home Visit Exterior Home Visit Kitchen Home Visit Kitchen Home Visit Over the decades, the gatehouse has changed hands several times, with its custodians leaving their own stamp on the property. One was a decorator, and contributed a wealth of intricate paintings on the bookshelves in the library, on the walls in the entry, and on the kitchen cabinets. The property itself has stood the test of time. The original bones and feel of the castle still remain, Crilley says. ___ Watch: $3.8 Million Castle in Maine Lords Over the Landscape ___ The current owners purchased the place in 2014 and made a few alterations of their own. They added a half-bath on the main level and they opened up the kitchen, so the flow was a little bit better, the agent says. Thankfully, they didnt touch the embellishments on the cabinets. Bedroom Home Visit Bedroom Home Visit Interior Home Visit Staircase Home Visit Rooftop Home Visit Rooftop Home Visit At present, the 4,600-square-foot residence has four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and two half-bathrooms. A staircase leads up to a living room, dining room, kitchen, and a balcony overlooking a circular fountain. A turret houses another staircase, leading to a rooftop deck. The main level is the most castlelike, because of the stone floor and the doors, says Crilley. Early on, when the property first hit the market, she says, the showings had the feel of a Disney attraction, rather than an open house. One visitor brought her young daughter dressed up as a princess. Recently, the gatehouse has attracted sustained interest. It definitely gets to the romantic side in a lot of people, Crilley says. "For the people that love it, they're just passionate about it." Outdoor space Home Visit Interior Home Visit Porch Home Visit Fountain Home Visit Interior Home Visit Interior Home Visit Library Home Visit Interior with painted detail Home Visit Fountain and porte-cochere Home Visit Outdoor space Home Visit The post What Do You Call a Castle Gatehouse Without a Castle? A Fascinating Residence appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. LATEST Oct. 22, 5 p.m. The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office posted a storm threat alert today, warning residents near the Caldor burn scars to be prepared as the weekend approaches. Properties in and adjacent to the burn area of the Caldor Fire, as well as downstream from the burn area, are at high risk for flash flooding, debris flow, or mudslides, the agency wrote. Areas that receive accumulated snow fall may be at higher risk for avalanche. Be vigilant and be prepared with a plan for evacuation or to self-sustain should you need to shelter in place. If your residence has only one route for evacuation, you may consider temporarily relocating. Oct. 22, 4 a.m. More than two months after it ignited, the U.S. Forest Service declared the Caldor Fire fully contained Thursday, but the aftermath is just beginning. As weather forecasters warned of an impending atmospheric river, South Tahoe residents were piling up free sandbags on Thursday to protect their homes from debris flows that could rip from the scalded earth in the Caldor Fire burn scars. The National Weather Service, anticipating a storm for the record books, issued watches for ash and debris flows this weekend at recent burn scars caused by the Dixie and Caldor fires. Be prepared to evacuate if told by local officials! the agency warned. The first wave of the storm arrived Thursday; rain was pouring in South Lake Tahoe in the afternoon. But the second punch of the storm system, forecast to begin Sunday, is likely to be bigger. The forecast discussion issued by the National Weather Service in Reno said liquid totals from Sundays storm could easily exceed several inches along the Sierra crest. The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab on Donner Summit expects three to five feet of snow by Tuesday. A little over an inch of rain an hour is all it would take to trigger flash flooding and debris flows in the burn scars that stripe the mountains above South Lake Tahoe, said Drew Coe, a hydrologist who works for Cal Fire. The scars left behind by the Caldor Fire and the Dixie Fire are so large and so severe that Coe says its hard to predict what will happen when this much rain falls. And in the Tahoe Basin, the storm system may very well deliver a mixture of rain and snow, a combo notoriously called Sierra cement that makes it harder to anticipate what will happen on burn scars. With climate change pushing snow levels to higher elevations, this winter could present more rain than snow on lower portions of the fire, said Jeff Cowen, spokesperson for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. Rain-on-snow events can cause massive flushes of sediment and flooding. Coe specifically looks at burn scars to determine how much rainfall they can handle before giving way to flooding and debris flows. He also looks for the biggest risks, whether thats homes lying in a mudslide path or entire ecosystems that could be vulnerable. A healthy forested slope can endure hours of rain before flooding occurs, he explained, because the canopy above and the roots below anchor the soil, which is further protected by layers of pine needles and ground cover. A five to 15 minute burst of rainfall could be all it takes, Coe cautioned, to trigger a debris flow in a raw, exposed burn scar. Thats because the trees, shrubs and ground cover has been so scorched and damaged, the rain runs over the soil surface instead of infiltrating the ground. Since theres no more vegetation, theres nothing slowing down that water, Coe said. So you have this sort of snowball effect. Jane Tyska / Getty Images Coe has studied rainfall on burn scars for 20 years, but Sierra cement is something the scientific literature doesnt say much about, he said. The impacts of a heavy sleet falling on an exposed burn scar, Coe said, are an open question. Sundays storm is supposed to be a whopper, Coe said. I hate to say this, but I learn a lot by seeing what happens, and I think we are going to learn something from these next two storms, unfortunately. I think were going to get a response. Southern California is prone to massive mudslides that wipe out homes after a fire, Coe said. But in Northern California, the risks are different. Theres still safety issues, especially in communities that are surrounded by steep corridors in the mountains, like Strawberry and Kyburz. However, across the Caldor and Dixie Fire burn scars, Coe says debris flows and flooding have more potential to wreak havoc on water quality. These forested areas, we rely on them heavily for water supply, for high-quality water, Coe said. Those ecosystem services are taking a real hit. Across the Caldor Fires 220,000 acres, Coe said 54% registered the highest levels of soil burn severity, an indicator of how hot the flames were and how much damage was done. Thats a very, very high percentage, Coe said, and really the lions share of that moderate-to-high [soil burn severity] is on the Western slope. In the Consumnes River watershed, which flows down the western slope of the Sierra Nevada into the Central Valley, the Caldor Fire burned so hot, it left scars that were larger and more severe than what Coe typically sees in fires across the state. The Dixie Fire also shares some of that same pattern, as well, in that you have very large patches with moderate and high [burn severity] that are contiguous, Coe said. The scars from the Caldor and Dixie fires are so big and so far-reaching, Coe said, that theyre complicating the effort to predict thresholds for flooding and debris flows. Were in this area of high uncertainty with the scale of these fires and how they affect watershed processes, said Coe. The scale of [the fires] is just so large. In the days leading up to this weekends storm, Forest Service and El Dorado County crews were at work in the Tahoe basin to clear storm drains and roadside gutters, fell dying and unstable trees, and secure contaminated materials that were left exposed after structures burned to the ground. Street sweepers were getting a head start to collect fine sediment off the roads. Volunteers started the long process of recovering trails the Caldor Fire eviscerated. Then came the rain. Scientists and officials expect ash and debris to flow into the lake. But there are more questions than answers about what the long-term impacts will be. This is a learning opportunity, said Geoffrey Schladow, program director for the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center. The damage is done, so what can we learn and how can we reduce the effects on future events, is what were trying to determine. Protecting Tahoes water clarity has been a top priority in the basin for decades, and storms that push fine particles of sediment including ash are one of the big factors impeding those efforts. A lot of that ash is falling on the ground and that will be washed in with these first rains, Schladow said. On the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada crest, the Caldor Fire left scars in some of Lake Tahoes most critical watersheds, including the Upper Truckee River, a wetland that stretches from Echo Summit to Tahoes south shore and has historically filtered sediment and debris before the runoff reaches the lake. Coe said only a very small part of the Upper Truckee watershed burned at the moderate-to-high levels that are the most prone to debris flow, about 5%. But Lake Tahoe scientists and officials remain concerned about flooding in the Upper Truckee, because a large swath of those wetlands were destroyed when the Tahoe Keys were built in the 1950s and 1960s. When the homes in the Tahoe Keys were built, developers dredged the marsh and stripped its ability to filter sediment and protect Lake Tahoes famed clarity. In the mountains above the city of South Lake Tahoe, about a third of the forest surrounding Trout Creek also sustained damage from the Caldor Fire. Coe said 22% of the Trout Creek watershed burned at moderate-to-high severity. Large restoration projects, led by the California Tahoe Conservancy, have been under way in both the Upper Truckee marsh and Trout Creek. And those projects may help protect Tahoe this winter from Caldor Fire ash. The thing we have going for us in Tahoe is 40 to 50 years of experience in water quality and stormwater mitigation, said Cowen. The new cinematic version of Dune begins with a voice-over from an actress who will be very familiar to Bay Area residents: Zendaya. As the camera pans over sandy windswept hills filmed on location in Jordan and Abu Dhabi, Zendaya introduces the viewer to her desert-dwelling character Chanis home planet of Arrakis. Rich in a resource known as spice, which functions as both a powerful drug and helps facilitate interstellar travel, Arrakis has become a pawn in a sprawling geopolitical conflict. Timothee Chalamet plays Paul Atreides, the heir to House Atreides, a dynasty that has been tasked with managing spice exporting from the planet. Even without spice, Atreides has extraordinary powers that some think fulfill a prophecy believed by the natives of Arrakis, who otherwise resent his family as colonizers. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures This isnt the first time Dune has been brought to the screen, nor is it likely to be the last, given how it is only part one of an epic saga. Based on a 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, the first attempt to bring the series to the big screen came in the mid-1970s. The failed venture from psychedelic Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky (The Holy Mountain) was later recounted in the 2013 documentary Jodorowskys Dune. After Jodorowsky, Ridley Scott was attached to the project in the late 70s (he also planned to split it into two films), but gave up, after writing several drafts, to film Blade Runner instead. David Lynch came next, and the studio edited his initial three-hour version so heavily that Lynch eventually took his name off of the project and refuses to discuss it in interviews. Chiabella James French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve the director behind several other big-budget sci-fi films in recent years, including Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 helms the latest version. Villeneuve visited San Francisco this month, when Dune premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival. While he did see photos of SFs epic "Orange Day," when smoke colored the skies the same hue as in his Blade Runner film (which he called daunting and frightening), this marked his first proper visit to the Bay Area. Its a place Ive been wanting to come [to] for a very long time. For some mystery of life, there was always something obstructing me from coming here. Eighteen months ago, my wife and I planned a trip to come here, Villeneuve told SFGATE, but the pandemic derailed their plans. Although the outer-space epic takes place far from Earth, San Francisco plays heavily into the films history. Herbert, then a night editor for the Examiner, lived in San Francisco during the writing of the novel; the house in Potrero Hill recently went up for sale. Villeneuve hasnt visited the Dune house personally, but the local connections arent lost on him. Courtesy Paul Herman Ive heard all the legends of Frank writing part of it in a van, part of it here in San Francisco. Theres currents that are definitely San Francisco, West Coast, the psychedelic movement and all that. In the DNA of 'Dune,' there is San Francisco, he says. Villeneuve first read Dune as a teenager, but he feels like the themes have only grown more relevant over time. Frank Herbert had the genius to inspire himself from the main currents that were shaping the world in the 20th century. The impact of colonialism, exploitation of natural resources, the link between extreme capitalism and pumping oil, and religion, he says. He was already talking about climate change and the ecological challenge we would face 50 years ago. He was ahead of his time. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures In addition to Chalamet in the lead and Zendaya as a Fremen villager, the cast features a star-studded line up, including Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Josh Brolin (Avenger: Endgame) and Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible: Fallout). As a teenager, Villeneuve identified with Paul and calls him the epicenter of the movie, but over time, his favorite characters became the women in the story: Pauls mother, Lady Jessica Atreidies (Ferguson), and matriarch figure Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling). I think the female characters were among the best idea that Frank Herbert had when he wrote the novel, he told SFGATE. Controlling humanity, manipulating the politics from the shadows. It was a fresh and powerful idea, and I tried to put them at the forefront of the story. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Although Zendayas screen time is relatively limited, her characters presence is felt throughout. She first appears in Paul Atreides prophetic dreams as a love interest, then as a foreboding part of visions of his own death. However, when House Atreides arrives in Arrakis and face unexpected trouble, Zendaya and her fellow Fremen villagers come to Pauls familys aid. The second installment of the film has yet to be officially greenlit, but should it be produced, the ending of Dune implies that Zendaya will be stepping into more of a co-starring role. Villeneuve was so impressed with the young Emmy winner from Oakland that he actually changed the shooting schedule to expand her character. I was blown away right as I started the camera. The more I work with Zendaya on Dune, I improvised scenes with her and added unscripted elements. I added shooting days to work with her more. She has an insane presence in front of the camera, a charisma like Ive rarely witnessed, he says. Chiabella James That charisma was put to the test with grueling shoots in the remote desert. The crews base camp in Jordan required six weeks and 200 laborers to build. High-altitude hiking and ever-changing winds that shifted the sands complicated matters even more. But according to Villeneuve, the crew enjoyed the whole experience, even working through sandstorms. In the end, the directors deep love of the desert and its importance to the story made the logistical complications worthwhile. The impact of the landscape is that it brings humility inside me, says Villeneuve. The deeper you go into the desert, the deeper you go into yourself. Thats what Pauls journey is. As human beings, we experience the same thing when we go into the desert. But despite the challenge of sandstorms and heat that can peak at 113 degrees, adapting Herberts novel to the screen was the hardest part of the whole process. The goal was to make sure audience members didnt need to read the book to enjoy the movie, he explains We want the movie to please the hard-core fans, but also welcome the people who know nothing about the book. ... Technically, it was by far the most challenging [movie] Ive ever done, but the technical challenge was nothing compared to the screenwriting challenge. There I was, sitting alone in a darkened hotel room, hoping that something terrifying would jump out of a corner. Was that a shadow of a tree branch in the window, I asked myself, or a ghost? As I walked the courtyard of the historic building, I peered into every corner, really getting myself into a spooky mindset to fit not just the Halloween season but the perfectly old setting of Santa Barbara. I wasnt just trying to find something spooky. I wanted to be scared down to my bones. The dark was immense, with shadows lurking at every turn. Then I looked up and saw what I swear to you looked exactly like a glowing face in a tree. I have a habit of seeking out creepy vacations. That same day, I had risked my life ok, not really by going on a tarantula walk just up the Central Coast in Gaviota. Maybe its because I had just held a live, wild tarantula and survived that I was feeling extra bold. I went to the 150-year-old Upham Hotel looking for ghosts. If I didnt get to see anything creepy, I was hoping to get at least a few spine tingles out of sleeping alone in one of Californias oldest continuously operating hotels. I had chosen the Upham not just for its age, but because a friend who lives in Santa Barbara heard some interesting stories from a former employee about things shed seen and experienced but couldnt explain. It wasnt my first time sleeping alone in a haunted hotel room, either. Ive done it on the Queen Mary in Long Beach that was absolutely terrifying and in a very haunted hotel in New Hampshire where something unseen moved the furniture while I stood still and watched it happen. That was, by far, one of the coolest things Ive ever experienced. But, to my disappointment (but very much not to the disappointment of the hotel) I didnt find anything creepy at the Upham, aside from what turned out to be a spooky not-really-a-face face in the tree, just a knot lit with a spotlight from underneath. I even asked the night staff if they had ever seen anything paranormal in the building. We dont have any ghosts, the front desk clerk said, exasperated. Weve never had any ghosts, and we are not haunted. Julie Tremaine But, he added, youre not the first person to ask me that. I don't know why people are always asking. Aha. Maybe there was something there after all, and I just wasnt fortunate enough to experience it. I wasnt surprised by the clerks reaction. Some hotels, like the Queen Mary, when it was operational, lean into their haunted history and go as far as to put Ouija boards in the haunted rooms, which they then happily upcharge for. Others do the opposite. Earlier in the week, I emailed a hotel asking about rumors that it was haunted, and I got not one but two emails back: one saying the place didnt want to be associated with any kind of haunted reputation. It was followed quickly by a second email demanding that I not include that place in any kind of story about hauntings in Santa Barbara. (I wont say which hotel here, but I will definitely tell you all the spooky stories I heard from the hotels restaurant staff over drinks sometime.) That wasnt the only creepy tale I heard during my visit. I might not have found a ghost in Santa Barbara this time, but I definitely found a lot of ghost stories. Talking to a friend in an Uber about the puzzling reaction at the Upham I felt like maybe that clerk was protesting a little too much the driver interrupted us as we passed by one of the large, historic buildings along Santa Barbaras Presidio to tell us about his own brush with the unexplained. See that building there? he asked. Thats City Hall. I used to be the night janitor who locked up every night. Though not a believer in ghosts by any means, he said as people usually do when theyre about to deliver a really juicy ghost story he once saw someone in old-fashioned clothes walking up and down an unused set of stairs, over and over. The floor the person kept walking back and forth to, the driver explained, wasnt even in use. He couldnt explain why someone would be in the building at that hour, let alone in an abandoned spot, especially dressed like that. It was really weird, he said. Julie Tremaine But being kind of a weirdo, especially one who wants to be as creeped out as possible all October long, I wanted more ghosts. So I sought out Julie Ann Brown, owner of Santa Barbara Ghost Tours, who is a business professor by day and a raconteur of fascinating haunted history at night. Brown said she wasnt surprised I didnt find a ghost in my hotel, or that I wasnt having much luck turning up haunted hotels in Santa Barbara. Those tend to be outside the city, in the neighboring communities of Montecito and Goleta, she explained. We have visiting ghosts here, she said. They dont come to stay. Brown has researched hauntings in Santa Barbara extensively, but she actually started her paranormal research when she was a guide on the Queen Mary before they were so para-friendly. A lot of the ghost stories that you heard on the Queen Mary were mine, she said. Brown started sprinkling spooky anecdotes into her tour scripts that she thought were so boring, got censured several times for spreading scary stories, and then all of a sudden found that her anecdotes were being shared by other guides on the boat. So, having experienced those phenomena on the Queen Mary myself, when Brown said she had solid information on hauntings in Santa Barbara much of it pulled from newspaper archives and city records I believed her. Theyre visiting, Brown said of the majority of ghosts shes encountered in Santa Barbara. Theyre having a good time. They dont come to stay. Brown believes the transient nature of the city, being such a popular vacation spot and having been an area sacred to the Chumash tribe that was then colonized by the Spanish, leads to a lot of people coming and going not just in life, but also in the afterlife. Jay Sinclair, Courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara Once, Brown said, she had a mother book a tour for her and her two daughters who were in town from the East Coast. It quickly became clear that one of the daughters was sensitive to spirits. The psychic sister went, what is this place? I've never seen so many ghosts congregating in one place. They're walking through people walking in the street. They're dressed like Spanish people, Native Americans, people that died yesterday. They're all having fun. You know, it's like they're on vacation, Brown recalled. I laughed. We're the happiest city in the United States, Brown said. No wonder our ghosts are happy. Among the most haunted locations in town: the Lobero Theatre, where in the Victorian era, there were seances every Sunday night for tourists and on Tuesday nights in the basement for locals. Its a place many people mentioned to me during my explorations in the city. When you go inside the Lobero, if youre sensitive in any way, Brown said, you can feel a heaviness. City Hall has a lot of ghost stories, too, she said, including one about the ghost of a woman murdered by her husband there in 1920. I wonder if I know someone whos seen her. Bay Area outdoor lovers are welcoming the first storms of the season with mixed emotions. Californias parched landscapes clearly need the water, but then again, itll put a literal damper on our time in nature. And even when storms pass, some fear that a new problem will emerge. While Im very excited about [the Bay Area storms], it also means mountain biking season is over with the dogs, because rain brings the much dreaded and hated ticks!!! MaiTheDane tweeted earlier this week. I absolutely hate them with a venom, she continued in a comment. Does the rain actually bring out more ticks than usual, though? And if so, what does that mean for 2021, a year that the Weather Channel recently announced would turn the United States into a tick time bomb? To find out just how bad things might get, tick-wise, SFGATE contacted Daniel Salkeld, a research scientist who has been studying the disgusting creatures for the past 15 years. Courtesy of Bay Area Lyme Foundation Salkeld authored a recent and terrifying study on suitable tick habitats in California, and was also part of a team that just published a new research paper about the importance of citizen science when it comes to reporting ticks. Salkeld didnt have any good news, but he tried to keep the mood light. The adult western black-legged ticks emerge after the first rains of the fall in California, he wrote in an email. And amusingly enough that's normally around Halloween. Blood-sucking ghouls and all! The rains bring humidity, which the ticks prefer, he continued, but the rain doesnt actually increase their numbers. Thats determined by the weather patterns during the years the ticks were developing. But for someone hiking, yes, ticks will have gone from practically zero a couple of weeks ago to being out, he wrote. And their numbers will probably be increasing through January." As if that wasnt bad enough, a study by the Environmental Protection Agency has found that warming temperatures associated with climate change are projected to expand the range of habitat favorable to ticks. That expansion will, in turn, contribute to the spread of Lyme disease, an infection characterized by fever, headache, fatigue and sometimes a skin rash. Left untreated, Lyme disease can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system. In rare cases, it can be fatal. Not all tick encounters result in Lyme disease, however. Of the 48 species of ticks in California, only six have demonstrated serious interest in sucking human blood. Only one of those, the western black-legged tick, is known to carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Pacific Coast ticks and American dog ticks are also rampant on the California coast, though. They are known to carry spotted fever pathogens and occasionally transmit tularemia, a rare infectious disease that attacks the skin, eyes, lymph nodes and lungs. BSIP/BSIP/Universal Images Group via So what can a concerned person do about all of this? Well, for the past few years, some citizen scientists have actually been documenting tick presence all over the United States. The Bay Area Lyme Foundation collected this data, and on Tuesday, it posted interactive maps from the project that are helpful in gauging the risk for encountering ticks by county. Citizen science plays a critical role in understanding where harmful ticks might be found, a new research paper found. To protect yourself and your family from ticks, a commonly available substance called permethrin can help, according to experts. You spray it on your clothes and let them dry for a day. Ticks will die when they come in contact with the sprayed clothing, and you can also buy clothes pre-treated with the chemical. If you or your dog is bitten by a tick, grab the ticks head with a pair of tweezers. Pull it straight out. Dont twist the ticks body, which might cause the head to detach while still embedded in the skin. If that sounds hard, maybe a family member or a neighbor can help. Just keep in mind that itll mostly be over by January. You are now listening to the sounds of the New Generation. A podcast created for those who desire a new way of gaining information rather than reading a traditional newspaper. In our show we will discuss everything from sports, pop culture, politics, and local news. To stay up to date on our latest episodes every week be sure to follow us on your favorite podcast service. And dont worry, we keep it short. Clays for Nathan fundraiser set Clays for Nathan, a sporting clays fundraiser in support of Nathan Pelletier and his family, will take place Saturday at the Lawrence County Sportsmens Association, 3380 N. Mill St., Wampum. Fueled by his desire to help others, Jeremy Pelletier joined the Army National Guard. Now, 12 years later, Sgt. Pelletiers fellow Guard members are offering their support to him as his 7-year-old son, Nathan, battles a rare form of cancer. Clays for Nathan, a fundraiser organized by Staff Sgt. Zach Cowher, is planned for Saturday at the Lawrence County Sportsmens Association in Wampum. In addition to the sporting clays event, the day will include prizes, raffles and a luncheon. While the doctors are doing everything they can to care for Nathan, we are doing what we can to support the family, explained Cowher, a New Castle resident, who, like Jeremy Pelletier, serves with the Guard unit based in Grove City. When one of my men need help, we find a way, said Cowher, whos also a shop teacher at Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, Ohio. Former residents of New Castles North Hill, Jeremy, his wife Jamie and their four children moved to Ohio to be closer to the Cleveland Clinic where Nathan began monthly chemotherapy treatments last December. Jeremy, a mechanic with Estes Express Lines, travels regularly between Ohio and Grove City for his Guard duties. While the move also allows the Pelletier family, which also includes 8-year-old Baylee, 3-year-old Amaya and 18-month-old Zane, to be closer to some of Jamies relatives who help with childcare, it was in New Castle that their battle with cancer began. Jamie explained that Nathan, who was homeschooled, suddenly began drinking copious amounts of water. Honestly, at first we thought it might be a good thing because he never did drink much, Jamie recalled of the experience in August 2020. But it got worse and worse, to the point where he was drinking 90 ounces a day. Thats when we called the doctor. After a series of consultations with physicians and trips to the ER, an endocrinologist-ordered MRI revealed the cause, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, or LCH, a rare form of cancer. According to stjude.org, LCH causes the body to make too many dendritic cells, which are a form of white blood cells that play a role in the bodys immune system. The dendritic cells then build up, forming lesions and tumors that disrupt the normal function of tissues and organs. Each year, about one in 200,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with LCH, which can affect any organ, from skin and bones to lymph nodes and bone marrow. In Nathans case, LCH caused a lesion in his brain, which was deemed inoperable because of its location between the organs two hemispheres. The Pelletiers also learned that LCH caused swelling in Nathans cerebellum, affecting motor skills and balance, and had caused the stalk of Nathans pituitary gland to thicken, affecting that organs function. With that comes diabetes insipidus, which explained the thirst, Jamie said, adding that shes unfortunately learned a lot about medical terminology, hospitals and insurance in the past year. Shortly after his diagnosis, Nathan began chemotherapy, undergoing one week of daily six-hour treatments a month. He begins his ninth round in the 12-month treatment plan next week. Jamie explained that as of Nathans last MRI, taken in August, the lesion had lessened in size and the thickening of the pituitary gland had subsided. However, the cerebral swelling had worsened. This month, doctors will add a new experimental medication to Nathans mix in an effort to reduce the swelling in his brain. He also does physical therapy regularly to work on his gross motor skills. Overall, hes doing good. Weve gotten into a routine, but hes getting tired of it. He told me he didnt want to do chemo next week. But, really, who would? I just keep telling him were more than halfway through and, right now, its looking that he wont have to do more, Jamie said. Its hard because hes tired and he wants to see his friends and do normal kid things, Jeremy added. In the week following his chemo treatments, Nathan is closely monitored due to his weakened immune system. For those two weeks, he attends school virtually. However, for the remainder of the month, he goes to his regular second-grade classroom at a small church-related private school. We have to be super careful, because if he gets a temperature of 100.4, hes automatically back in the hospital, Jamie said. His immune system isnt what it should be. We dont like to talk about whats next, its more of whats going on now, she continued, explaining that the hope is for remission after the year of chemo concludes. However, some patients require another six months of treatment to achieve remission and LCH, which also affects adults, can reoccur. Its caused by good cells that mutated, and they can do it again in the future. For now, the family relies on their faith, family and friends to get them through. I honestly dont know how people can handle things like this without God, and family and friends, Jamie said. Noting that they are extremely thankful for those whove reached out to them with freshly prepared meals and other assistance, Jeremy added that they were shocked and overwhelmed when Cowher approached them about the fundraiser. People have been incredibly supportive; people we dont even know, Jamie said through tears. Im not one to ask for help, so Im just overwhelmed, amazed and thankful. Shelbyville, IN (46176) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 31F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 31F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Party: Democrat Are you an incumbent? (if yes, how many years in office): yes, 2 Current job: Portfolio Manager, Commercial Lending, Wells Fargo Volunteering background, if any: Board of Directors of The Animal Center of Newtown, Stratford, Cat Project, Operation Christmas Child, Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce Women in Networking, Sunset Run for the Warriors, New Haven Symphony Orchestra Young Peoples Concert. Education: Bachelor of Science, Psychology, Keene State College If elected, what will be your primary focus budget, curriculum, another topic? We will be hiring a new finance director and I am hoping to use my background in finance to make this a smooth transition that will allow the BoE to have a more efficient budget process. This would include pinpointing what areas have the biggest need and getting the budget completed in a timelier manner. In addition, I would like to ensure that the bus contract that is expiring in 6/2022 be put out to bid with a comprehensive cost analysis. The current provider claims it is $1 million cheaper than the previous provider, this is not the case as the city-run transportation contract does not include propane fuel and bus aide salaries. These were services that were included by the prior provider. When like expenses are compared, the savings from the city run transportation company compared to the prior provider is less than $200,000. With new bids there must be a comparison of like services to fully understand how much the bus contract will truly cost the BoE. In addition, the quality of service needs to be assessed. We must look over the log of bus issues being kept at Central Office and see what the shortfalls are of the current provider. Poor service can lead to loss of classroom time for our students and losses to parents who must provide transportation or childcare when there are failures in service. There is also a burden on school staff that has had to sacrifice time from their normal duties to field phone calls from parents and contact parents when there is no bus service. Due to the many issues, the school created a new paid position of a bus liaison. These are all items that must be assessed in a cost benefit analysis. What is your stance on the city-run bus company? A positive or negative for the school district, and what would your stance be when time to go back to bid/negotiate with the city? School transportation has been a challenge all over the state. However, the challenges in Shelton started pre-COVID when the first day of school in September 2019 was delayed. This was due to the fact that the city run bus company could not confirm it had enough drivers and also failed to confirm drivers were certified with drug tests and background checks by DMV officials. In the spring of 2020, a Shelton Aldermen stated that he was aware of nine school districts with transportation issues. With approximately 170 school districts in the state, I would like to see Shelton in the 160 who are not having issues. Taxpayers need to also be made aware of what a city run bus company would cost them. The school district pays a flat fee for transportation services and the city has failed to provide a breakdown of how much it costs them to run the bus company. Any costs above the flat fee the BoE is paying gets covered by the Shelton taxpayers. However taxpayers have no idea what it is costing them as during the budget meeting on 4/27/2021 the city refused to provide any itemized expense breakdowns. My stance is we need to open up the bidding process to other providers. Your thoughts on the school budget how it stands now for what is needed in the schools? How would you help to continue better relations between the BOE/mayor/ Aldermen? With the various COVID grants the BoE has been able to complete long term projects including much needed technology upgrades to our buildings, Chromebooks for all students, and laptops for all teachers. This has taken much of the capital project burdens off the city and taxpayers. However, it is important that the city fund our day-to-day operational needs. In this years budget process, we were able to decrease our budget request from $2 million to $1.2 million due to the American Rescue Plan grant. Despite that we were only funded less than $610,000 by the city, which resulted in qualifying grant money to meet daily operational needs. When these grants run out, we will still need the city to fund day-to-day operations or we will be faced with more cuts to staff and basic services. I am delighted that the current President of the Aldermen and the Superintendent have engaged in regular meetings. It has helped the President have a better understanding of the needs of the school. However, I think there should be at least 2-3 annual meetings between the BoE members and the entire Board of Aldermen. All of the Aldermen vote on the BoE budget and should have a better understanding of the needs of the school. While we did have one joint meeting during the 2021 budget season, it was a lot of information for the Aldermen to understand in one meeting. Spreading out a few meetings throughout the year would make it much easier for all parties involved. The current mayor has only met with a select few BoE members of his political party. Better relations could be achieved with a new mayor. Reasons for running time I have lived in the city: I have been a Shelton resident since 1999. I am running for reelection to help our new superintendent achieve his vision for Shelton schools. In addition, I feel my interaction with students, staff, and parents allows me to hear their issues and advocate for what they need. Convenient home delivery Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! Get the Ludington Daily News delivered straight to your door and receive unlimited access to our website and e-Edition when you purchase a Print + Digital Subscription. Page Content On Sept. 16, the government of Ontario once again extended the period that the infectious disease emergency leave (IDEL) will apply pursuant to Ontario Regulation 228/20: Infectious Disease Emergency Leave under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the ESA). While previously scheduled to expire on Sept. 25, IDEL will now extend to Jan. 1, 2022. This recent extension signals the provincial government's efforts to assist employers in managing their workforces with the possibility of rising cases in the coming fall and winter months. A previous article provided an overview of IDEL. Put simply, under the IDEL regulation, nonunionized employees whose wages or hours are reduced or eliminated due to COVID-19 are not considered to have been statutorily laid off or constructively dismissed under the ESA. Instead, such employees are deemed to be on job-protected leave. Employers should recall that the IDEL regulation does not necessarily protect against a common law claim of constructive dismissal in the absence of contractual language allowing the employer to temporarily lay off an employee. A recent article on IDEL provided an overview of conflicting case law on this topic that has emerged as a result of the IDEL regulation. These cases have yet to be considered by the Ontario Court of Appeal and, as such, further clarity and perhaps finality is expected in the coming months. Assuming another extension is not provided beyond Jan. 1, 2022, the applicable rules of the ESA pertaining to constructive dismissal and temporary layoffs will resume on that date. Therefore, an employee's "temporary layoff clock" will reset on Jan. 2, 2022. To view all formatting for this article (e.g., tables, footnotes), please access the original here. Daria (Dasha) Peregoudova and Jessica Schissler are attorneys with Aird & Berlis LLP in Toronto. 2021 Aird & Berlis LLP. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission of Lexology. Page Content Organizations in India have had to revamp their approaches to numerous aspects of the workplace as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Employee training is no exception. That process is continuing to evolve, said HR experts speaking at the recent SHRM Tech 21 India conference. "Learning and development [L&D] strategy today is revisiting questions around learning what, learning how, learning when and how much," said Sampada Inamdar, vice president and group learning head at Anand Group India, an automotive components manufacturer in Pune. These questions need to be asked not just so organizations can cope with changes that are happening today, she said, but also to prepare for impending changes in the form of new regulations and technologies. "So the way we dance, the way we walk, the way we talkhuge change is coming there," Inamdar said. Some companies have used pandemic-related disruptions as an opportunity to step back and analyze what skills their employees have versus what is needed for the future, and have prepared training modules accordingly. At Societe Generale Global Solution Center, an India-based development center for the French bank, the company conducted a strategic workforce planning exercise to understand what roles their 12,000 employees currently fill and how those roles will change as the banking industry evolves. With more consumers now banking digitally rather than visiting a bank branch, many banking roles already have disappeared. "Can you imagine us preparing our workforce for that future?" said Sangeetha Gera, Bengaluru-based head of L&D and talent management for the Global Solution Center. With the workforce planning exercise, Gera said, they categorized roles into those that are sunsetting and others that are emerging, and created role-specific training as a result. "We have very clear career paths, and in each career path we've described the roles and what qualifies you to apply for those roles," Gera said. This way, employees know what they need to learn to earn any role they aspire to and they can access relevant company training programs available through online platforms. Managers also have been trained to have career development conversations with their team members. "We went down to doing hyper-personalization," Gera said. SHRM Resource Hub Page Future of Work Getting Personal with Technology Many companies have adopted the practice of providing personalized training for employees via online learning courses offered by vendors, while some large companies have designed their own learning platforms. At Tata Communications, a telecom network provider, leaders wanted to create a training experience for their employees that was as intuitive and user-friendly as a consumer's experience is when using Amazon or Netflix. "How do you build a consumer-grade experience for employees?" said Aadesh Goyal, Tata's chief human resource officer in Gurgaon, near New Delhi. With that question in mind, the company built its own digital learning platform and gave control to employees to decide when and how they wanted to complete their training. The effort has been successful, Goyal said. For example, only 10 percent of Tata's training was offered digitally in early 2017, but by March 2020, even before the pandemic struck, 90 percent of its L&D programs were delivered digitally, Goyal said, noting that many employees would even choose to do their trainings on weekends. "When you create a platform that is intelligent, hyper-personalized, and open and not controlled, usage just goes through the roof," he said. Many employers have tried other approaches to make their training modules engaging. At Altisource, a real estate services provider, some training content was converted into a movie. "It was more entertaining and therefore more likely to get [employees] engaged," said Tulika Srivastava, Bengaluru-based senior manager for Altisource's L&D program. As a result of the new format, Srivastava said, the company could compress a 24-day training program into 20 days and saved $1,000 to $1,200 per group in training costs. Additional Skills to Impart While most companies continue to train employees on core skills, some are also looking to instill skills that are not directly related to employees' roles. One key focus area is automation and digital savvy, even for those who are not in technology roles. "Digital mindset and digital dexterity would be the primary area that I would say we need to focus on," said Divyesh Sindhwaad, a regional vice president at Skillsoft India, an education technology company in Mumbai. At Anand Group, Inamdar said, the company also is seeking to instill problem-solving skills and innovation as a mindset, as well as people-influencing skills for leaders and the ability for all employees to be emotionally resilient. Such soft or behavioral skills have taken greater importance during the pandemic as employees have been working from home (WFH) and are less connected to the organization than they were in the past. "This whole WFH thing has kept people in silos," Inamdar said. "So having those social skills and conversations is also a focus." Companies are particularly keen on instilling such capabilities in their managers by training them how to build informal connections and engagement with their teams. "All of these are new skills that we are getting all of our managers across the pyramid to develop," Gera said. Experts at the SHRM Tech conference agreed that employees need to accept that they have to constantly learn new skills to stay productive. Many companies now assess employees not only based on their intelligence and emotional quotient, but also their "learning quotient," which is the ability to keep learning. "We're living in a world right now where range is important because we're asking employees to do a lot more than one task," said Nitin Rakesh, CEO of IT services firm Mphasis in New York City. Companies also need to do their bit in creating an environment of lifelong learning. "Organizations should look at learning as a culture. It should not just be a function or a method," Srivastava said. Shefali Anand is a New Delhi-based journalist and former correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. You can follow her on Twitter. "We fired five ballistic missiles at the headquarters, weapons depot and warplane hangars in Alwajib camp in Jizan city," Houthi military spokesman Yehya Sarea was quoted by the militia's al-Masirah TV as saying on Thursday night. Sanaa, Oct 22 (IANS) Yemen's Houthi militia have claimed responsibility for launching five ballistic missiles at a military base in Saudi Arabia. "The attack killed and wounded more than 35 Saudi soldiers and pilots," Sarea claimed, adding "the attack was in response to the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on the group in Yemen". Earlier in the day, the Saudi-led coalition launched a series of airstrikes targeting Houthi militia's positions in the capital Sanaa and the adjacent Marib Province. Cross-border missile and drone attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis have escalated since February when the group began a major offensive against the Saudi-backed Yemeni government army to capture the oil-rich province of Marib. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa. The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government. --IANS ksk/ "The flash felt like it was shining for a very long time to me," Twitter user @yotsuyubi21, who photographed the flash with a Celestron C6 telescope, was quoted as saying to Space.com. Tokyo, Oct 22 (IANS) Skywatchers in Japan have observed a flash in the atmosphere of the planet's northern hemisphere likely caused by an asteroid slamming into Jupiter, the media reported. The skywatchers confirmed the observation with a team led by Ko Arimatsu, an astronomer at Japan's Kyoto University who takes part in the Organised Autotelescopes for Serendipitous Event Survey (OASES) project. According to a tweet posted by the project, the October 15 observation included two different types of light, visible and infrared, giving Jupiter an eerie pink glow, the report said. "Jupiter regularly experiences such impacts because of the powerful gravitational tug associated with its mass: Smaller objects, like the asteroids that litter the solar system, can easily end up pulled into the planet's thick, turbulent atmosphere," the report said. Objects at least 45 metres across hit Jupiter every few months on average, although observational constraints mean that even the most thorough monitoring programme might be able to catch just one impact or so per year, as per some researchers. According to Sky & Telescope, the October 15 flash hit the planet's North Tropical Zone, near the southern edge of the North Temperate Belt. The observers aren't yet sure whether the impact left a debris field that scientists can monitor, which depends on several factors including the object's size and the impact's location factor into observability. The September flash, however, did not not leave any debris, the report said. --IANS rvt/ksk/ India has proposed the creation of a new Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, presented the concept at the 20th meeting of the SCO Ministers. Anupriya Patel is an Indian politician from Uttar Pradesh who is presently serving as the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry of India from July 7, 2021. She is a member of the Apna Dal party. She has been a member of the Lok Sabha since 2014, representing Mirzapur. From 2016 until 2019, she served as a Minister of State in the Government of India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Patel proposed the creation of a new Special Working Group on Start-ups and Innovation, as well as a new Expert Working Group on Traditional Medicine Collaboration, noting the significance of effective cooperation between member states in achieving a balanced and equitable growth in trade and commerce. She also noted that collaboration in the sphere of start-ups and innovation can be a focal point in restoring our economies from the effects of the epidemic, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. She remarked that there is a "big digital technology gap" between industrialised and underdeveloped countries, which she believes can be closed by bolstering digital capabilities. The minister praised the importance of environmental conservation and reducing the detrimental effects of climate change when it came to the environment. She also stated that policies that generate unnecessary trade obstacles should not be included in the climate agenda. Patel stressed in her closing remarks that SCO members must prepare, act, and stand in solidarity with one another in order to achieve an agenda that is fair, inclusive, and development-oriented. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! A bell strikes six on a late-summer evening in the central square in Huanggang, where residents sit barefoot on the stone steps of the ancestral hall. The surrounding streets are alive with commerce. Eateries offer roast duck and bowls of pork-and-noodle soup. People in flip-flops whiz by in electric scooters. But look above those huge trees near the old shrine: rising up is a sleek steel-and-glass skyscraper. Thats Huanggang Commercial Tower and the village owns a piece of it. A stake in that 62-storey building, home to a luxury hotel and a shopping mall, is only part of the villages sprawling portfolio. Like pros on Wall Street or in the City of London, most of the Shenzhen villages have embraced a cardinal rule of todays global investor: diversify. Huanggang, known locally as Little Hong Kong, also owns the Shenzhen Futian Asta Hotel, the Wong On office building and a small stake in a local bank, among other assets. In 1980, Communist China declared Shenzhen its first capitalist-friendly special economic zone. Today the villages enclaves with names like Huanggang and Futian literally sit on some of the most expensive real estate anywhere in the world. Credit:Bloomberg Huanggang traces its history back six centuries. Before the 1980s, its people eked out a living from fishing and rice-farming. Before that, in the early days of the Peoples Republic, many plunged into nearby Deep Bay and swam for the British colony of Hong Kong. The ones who stayed, along with their descendants, are considered original villagers: they bear that coveted 44030 on their IDs. All of them are members of the Zhuang clan. Four bronze bulls stand near the centre of this urban village, in tribute to the Zhuang known here as Cowboy. His real name is Zhuang Shunfu, and he was the village chief who first made Huanggang rich. In multiple calls to the village corporation, Zhuang, said to be 71, declined to be interviewed for this article. His story is something of a local legend. The Chinese real estate tycoon Wang Shi recalled in his autobiography how, in the late 70s, the enterprising Cowboy peddled him around Shenzhen on the back of a bicycle. Huanggang was a backwater then: Cowboy, like most everyone else, lived in a house with threadbare furnishing, an iron wok and a wood-burning stove. But when Shenzhen embraced the market, so did Cowboy. He quickly formed teams of truckers to collect sand from the Shenzhen River for use in concrete, according to The Shenzhen Experiment a book by Du Juan, an associate professor at the Hong Kong University. He built industrial ventures and invested the money that the government paid the villagers for land in apartment towers, office buildings and shopping malls. Huanggang also worked with major real-estate developers on several landmark high-rises. Part of Cowboys story is enshrined at the village library. In a letter he wrote in 2010 to Wen Jiabao, then Chinas premier, Cowboy recalled Huanggangs centuries of poverty. After the inception of Shenzhen economic zone, he wrote, we washed our feet and walked away from the paddy field. Today at one end of the village square, beyond the library and the wet market, Cowboys son, Zhuang Chuangyu, presides at the headquarters of the village corporation, Shenzhen Huanggang Industry Co. The younger Zhuang, educated in Canada and the UK, has been running operations since 2007 and, among other things, hes teamed up with real-estate developer, Excellence Group, on the towering Excellence Century Plaza. The financial affairs of these villages have not always been transparent a recipe for corruption in some quarters of Shenzhen. In recent years the Shenzhen Discipline Inspection Commission has investigated or taken action against 40 chairmen of village-owned joint stock firms. Some village officials have been accused of bribery, others of gambling away money. Since 2018, the commission has been tightening up. Leaders in Huanggang and the other villages all declined to be interviewed for this article. The few times theyve spoken to Chinas state-run media, theyve attributed their success to hard work, good leadership and a commitment to providing for everyone in their villages. The Zhuangs tend to trust their village company to keep clans fortune growing, if only because the money has always flowed. As stakeholders in the village businesses, all Zhuangs collect annual dividends. In recent years, villagers say, the payouts have totalled about 20,000 yuan ($US3,100) for every man, woman and child, the equivalent of about 30% of average Chinese households entire annual income. Loading The dividends are just the beginning. As original villagers, many Zhuangs are landlords in a city of tenants. They own much of the housing in Huanggang and collect rent from the new arrivals whove been flocking to Shenzhen and driving prices through the roof. Harry Zhuang, 25, is one of the lucky ones. His family owns a pink-tiled, 12-story building in Huanggang. It is home to dozens of small apartments and shops. Flats like these serve as landing spots for migrants from other parts of the country. Ones like these go for 3,000 yuan ($US463) a month in Shenzhen more than many people in rural China take home. Shenzhen is now the least affordable city on the Chinese mainland. Rent devours nearly 44 per cent of the average workers income. Thats not far behind Hong Kong, the least affordable city in the world. Only two years ago, the technology giant Huawei announced plans to build housing for 30,000 employees in Dongguan, 40 minutes away by bullet train. Rents there are about a fifth of what they are here. The Beijing government, meantime, has selected the rich coastal province of Zhejiang, to the north, to test various ways to redistribute income. That could be a sign of things to come elsewhere. For now, the gap between Chinas haves and have nots in Shenzhen, often between the villagers and newcomers keeps growing. Each of the 12 floors in that pink building has been cut up into several tight units. Rents net Harry Zhuangs family of four and his other relatives more than 2 million yuan a year. Thats on top of the dividends they collect from the village corporation, plus any income from other work. Things are changing very fast, Harry Zhuang says. His fathers generation dreamed of escaping to Hong Kong, now part of the PRC. We dont need to go through such hardships, and we are much better off. Zhuang adds: I think we are very lucky. The economy of Shenzhen, a city that scarcely existed 40 years ago, is bigger than all of Norways. Credit:Bloomberg Huanggang villagers could be in for another big windfall. The Excellence Group, the big developer, is planning to buy up land in Huanggang for a huge urban renewal project. At going prices, Harry Zhuangs familys pink building is worth, on paper, an estimated 240 million yuan. In Yulv, another other urban village, members of the Zeng clan collect about 100,000 yuan apiece in dividends annually. Many young people there have cushy jobs at the village corporation. As in other villages, some there are reluctant to discuss their family backgrounds for fear of antagonising those less well-off. One 24-year-old Catherine Zeng, a social worker, recalled that one potential employer rejected her job application simply because she was a villager. The financial affairs of these villages have not always been transparent a recipe for corruption in some quarters of Shenzhen. When she finally landed another job, her new boss was incredulous that she was willing to work. Why dont you just go home and collect rent? he told her. The womans immediate family owns two apartment blocks. The four of them together collect 400,000 yuan in village dividends. Its Tuesday night and the Evening Show is hopping. The venue, on the ground floor of the Huanggang Commercial Tower, feels like a mashup of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Saturday Night Fever. The young crowd is a sea of black T-shirts and jangling jewellery. On this September night, theyre prepared to pay hundred dollars for a table and up to 15,800 yuan ($3,311) for a bottle of Armand de Brignac champagne. Two DJs keep the beat. Security guards hover. Female models can be hired to join the table. The man behind the bar, in a fedora and sunglasses, is a Belarusian who says his name is Danny. He assesses the crowd. Its all just rich young Chinese, Danny says. To some, the villagers of Shenzhen some of them partying here tonight, if Danny is right symbolise the success of this hyperkinetic, modern city. When others ran, their forebears stayed, and have reaped the rewards of southern Chinas explosive growth. Nowadays, the economy of Shenzhen, a city that scarcely existed 40 years ago, is bigger than all of Norways. Loading Others are less charitable. As people from all over China have poured into Shenzhen, many have struggled to find a footing. Authorities have taken notice. In February, Shenzhen became the first city in China to cap prices of existing homes. Since then, investors around the world have been watching Chinas property market with growing anxiety. China Evergrande Group, the huge and highly indebted property company, is in trouble. The countrys top banking regulator has warned that people who think Chinese home prices can never fall are sorely mistaken. Zhiwei Zhang, the chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management in Shenzhen, says China must strike a fine balance. Yes, the government wants to make housing more affordable for everyone. But it also wants to avoid anything that might send prices into a tailspin. Jock Serong didnt have the ideal schooling for a historical novelist. Yes, he studied the subject, but all he learned was about serfs, lords and European medieval history and that put him right off. So much so that he rejected the Australian history course on offer in year 12. As he puts it now, I got nothing out of it. Things didnt improve massively when he went to university. He majored in archaeology, hoping he might be able to study Australia. No such luck: It was all Mesopotamian sherds. Fast-forward well into a new millennium and Serong has won the $50,000 ARA Historical Novel prize for his fifth book, The Burning Island. Other books on the shortlist were Anita Heiss Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams), and Our Shadows, by Gail Jones. Jock Serong says the great challenge is to tell the story so the history informs it closely, Credit:Nicole Cleary The inaugural $30,000 prize for childrens or young adults historical fiction went to We are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad. Also on the shortlist were Amelia Mellors The Grandest Bookshop in the World, and The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle, by Pamela Rushby. The shortlisted authors each received $5000. He is more familiar with the roughhouse mining and cattle industries but Australias richest man, Andrew Forrest, believes a film can change the world. I think it can, the billionaire mining magnate said from London. Awareness changes the world. Were going to give this a real crack: Minderoo Pictures executive producer Richard Harris (left) with Nicola and Andrew Forrest. Credit: Kate Geraghty We have a planet in the process of global warming. The awareness around it is making countries everywhere sit up and take notice - politically sit up and take notice. If youre not aware of the problem, you can sail straight into it. Forrest and wife Nicola have established a film and television production and funding company, Minderoo Pictures, with the aim of teaming up with filmmakers to inspire social change. Holed up in a palatial home deep in Californias Santa Monica Mountains, Gwyneth Paltrow is holding court. Basking in the glow of her movie star wattage are six normal couples of different ages, races and sexual orientations. Its an appropriately mixed bag, the kind of crowd that would make for an interesting dinner party: a pair of smiley seniors, a hip lesbian couple, attractive young mixed-race parents. From the outside looking in, it could easily be mistaken for a fancy dinner party at Paltrows home, but we soon learn there will be no first course, or second course, only intercourse. Gwyneth Paltrow in Sex, Love & Goop. Credit:Netflix Were having sex, this is a show about sex, were going to talk about sex, Paltrow promises during the opening credits of her new Netflix series, Sex, Love & Goop. As the spotlight turns on the failure of authorities to seize the $30 million the Obeids secured from a corrupt coal tender, the Herald can reveal that some of those ill-gotten gains were used to expand the familys vast property interests, now worth millions and spanning the globe. The family patriarch Eddie Obeid, 77, has been ordered to report to Silverwater jail on Saturday morning to commence his three-year and ten-month sentence, amid a political firestorm following revelations in the Herald that authorities had declined to recoup the $30 million proceeds of crime. Former Labor minister Eddie Obeid leaving Darlinghurst court on bail on Thursday. Credit:Edwina Pickles Premier Dominic Perrottet expressed shock and outrage following the Heralds report that the Obeids would keep the $30 million. You cant act corruptly, you cant make $30 million and keep it, he told 2GB. Its outrageous if thats the case. Everyone loves an added extra. At a five-star hotel, it might be a chocolate on your pillow. At a regenerative farm stay, its more likely to be tips on how to live more sustainably. Increasingly, we have people who come and stay specifically to tour the property and learn about what we do, says Mara Ripani. Ripani and her partner, Ralf Pflederer, host guests at a straw-built cottage on their six-hectare farm outside Daylesford in Victoria, a property they run on organic and permaculture principles. They detail the process on their blog, villagedreaming.com.au. Kestrel Nest EcoHut is a secluded retreat, but guests often have more than romance on their minds. People are particularly interested in how we grow soil, Ripani says, her term for the process of regenerating the earth through recatalysing microbial activity. We grow pasture as a sacrificial crop and dig it back into the soil. Its like creating compost directly in the soil. Farm stays are changing. Always popular with parents who want to give their children the chance to cuddle a lamb or chase a chicken, many farm stays now offer lessons in sustainability. Farm stays and regenerative agritourism are becoming increasingly popular, providing opportunities to relax while connecting and learning more about farm life, says Tourism Australias managing director, Phillipa Harrison. People want to support agriculture thats giving back, trying to be as low-impact as possible, agrees Louise Freckelton, who raises cattle and sheep on Highfield Farm & Woodland, east of Wagga Wagga in NSW, with her partner, David Bray. Roberts early childhood was spent enjoying the rough and tumble of life with the newly arrived orphans from the British Isles. He remembers having no shoes until he went away to school aged 10. Robert Kynnersley Woods was born on November 12, 1939, in Molong north-west of Orange. He was the first born to Ruth and Frederick Kynnersley Smithies Woods who had arrived in Australia to take up positions at the new child migrant home Fairbridge Farm School in Molong. Robert Woods was a Sydney lawyer who helped draft Papua New Guineas constitution before independence in 1975. He was also described as the hanging judge by the countrys media after sentencing three men to hang after the gang reprisal rape and murder of a woman in her forties. Educated at All Saints College, Bathurst, he excelled at sport and was an enthusiastic member of the drama and debating clubs. He then continued his education at Sydney University studying for an arts degree at St Pauls College. He loved his years at university where he joined different clubs such as Sydney University Music Society and the Gilbert and Sullivan Society. It was there that he developed an interest in music and singing which gave lifelong enjoyment. He had a great tenor voice and was an asset to any choir he joined. Deciding to switch to law after a couple of years, he and financed his studies by working on the Snowy Mountains Scheme, fruit picking and at David Jones. He enjoyed sailing and was a crew member on a number of Sydney to Hobart yacht races. After graduation he worked in law firms in Sydney and Wellington but in the late 1960s went to PNG as a lawyer. His first legal work was in the Lands Title area and he had to travel to remote areas to settle land disputes between mining companies and tribal representatives. Robert Woods, peacemaker judge in PNG. In 1982 he became a Supreme Court judge in PNG. His job was not an easy one and he had to preside over serious tribal payback cases which gave him many sleepless nights. When mandatory sentencing came into the legal system in PNG, Sir Robert became known as the hanging judge by the PNG media as his was one of the first cases where the death penalty was imposed for first-degree murder. Balloons in school colours and a big WELCOME BACK sign greeted kindy and year 1 students as they arrived at Oatley Public School on Monday. The children were nervous, excited and relieved; so were their parents. After 16 weeks, life was finally returning to normal. But shortly after the final school bell on Wednesday, parents received the email they dreaded; there had been a positive case, and the school would shut for contact tracing and cleaning. Close contacts would have to isolate. There was a sense of worry that this might happen, said one parent, speaking on the condition of anonymity. It felt kind of inevitable it would. But this week? On day three, week one? That was shocking. Students in one class were told to isolate for 14 days. Balloons welcomed students back on Monday, but on Wednesday the school was closed due to COVID-19 Children cannot isolate alone, so at least one parent must isolate with them. After so much build-up to the big day, after what seemed like an eternity of remote learning, more than 20 families at Oatley Public School were right back to square one. Now, an eight-month investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald has unearthed compelling new lines of inquiry that appear to have been missed in the long-running murder probe. Two decades later, the identity of the cars driver remains elusive. Three police strike forces, a coronial inquest and a police integrity commission inquiry have all raked over the case, but failed to unravel the mystery. Within days, police feared the worst. Homicide detectives were dispatched from Sydney to Bathurst, interviewing dozens of witnesses, making pleas to the public for information and swarming over the rugged countryside in the hunt for clues. Janine Vaughan a pretty and vivacious shopkeeper with a trademark mop of blonde hair had vanished after a night out. As rain pounded down on Keppel Street, the 31-year-old stepped into a red car and was never seen again. But in the summer of 2001, the mood was tense. The summer months in Bathurst are usually uneventful as the university students who are the lifeblood of the NSW Central Tablelands town head for home, emptying out from pubs and share houses. However, the new witnesses confirmed they had been contacted and interviewed by detectives for the first time in recent weeks after the Herald passed their details to police. NSW Police did not respond to the Heralds detailed questions about whether they have ever searched the property or intend to do so in the future on the basis of the new information. The identity of the person of interest cannot be published for legal reasons, but the Herald has shared the findings of its investigation with detectives assigned to the cold case. Past associates of the person of interest described troubling encounters with him. The Herald has also uncovered the existence of a hidden cellar within metres of the spot where the odour and insects were identified. Multiple new witnesses tracked down by the Herald have spoken for the first time of a foul smell, buzzing sound and plague of insects around the time of Janines disappearance at a property connected to one of the polices 47 persons of interest. She flung herself back into Bathursts social scene, spending the night of Thursday, December 6, 2001, drinking and dancing with friends Jordan Morris and Wonita Murphy. By early adulthood, Janine yearned to settle down and form a family of her own. She felt adrift after her relationship broke down in 2000. Janines otherwise happy childhood in a loving household with extended family was marred by her estrangement from her biological mother, who abandoned her at birth. Customers immediately felt at ease around Janine Vaughan, a pretty and vivacious shopkeeper with a trademark mop of blonde hair. Janine was a relative newcomer to the town, having relocated there from her hometown of Muswellbrook in 1998 to move in with her then boyfriend. In late 2001, Janine Vaughan was managing the Ed Harry menswear store in Bathurst, 200 kilometres west of Sydney. The immaculately put together shopkeeper was warm, funny and unpretentious. Customers immediately felt at ease around her. Grainy CCTV footage indicated the car stopped for around 27 seconds, while multiple eyewitnesses recall it was red. A car appeared, performing a U-turn before pulling alongside Janine, who entered and was never seen again. As Janine strode 40 metres ahead of the bickering couple onto Keppel Street, a drizzle of rain became a downpour. However, Janine rallied the group to push on to the nearby Oxford Hotel, a few blocks away, for a last round of drinks. The Metro Tavern in Bathurst in 2001, where Janine Vaughan visited moments before she disappeared. Credit:Simon Alekna CCTV footage captured a lovers quarrel between Jordan and Wonita, while Janine was visibly distressed after losing her handbag. At 3.47am on Friday, revellers spilled out of the Metro Tavern, the trio among them. Its lead investigators, Inspector Paul Jacob and Senior Constable Ritchie Sim, were frustrated at delays, the fragmentation of resources and the lack of progress including cancelled trips to Bathurst, a police integrity commission report noted. The investigation by the first team, Strike Force Toko, began to lose momentum after the first six months. Three police strike forces Toko, Mountbatten and Toko II have investigated Janines disappearance, the last of which is still actively pursuing the case. Locals were warned her disappearance could be at the hands of a serial attacker, following a string of unsettling incidents around town. The alarm was raised when Janine failed to open the menswear store on Friday morning. Family insist Janine was security conscious and wouldnt have entered the vehicle unless familiar with the driver. The investigation appears to have been initially well resourced but as time went on resources were deployed to other investigations, the report said. The lack of resources contributed to the lack of progress. The investigation was diverted in 2005 to deal with allegations that a local detective had shown a romantic interest in Janine before leading the investigation into her suspected murder. Multiple inquiries exonerated him of involvement and Strike Force Mountbatten was formed in late 2006 to resume the investigation. A missing persons poster of Janine Vaughan. A list of searches it conducted, obtained by the Herald, showed it looked extensively around Bathurst for Janines remains however, the person of interests property is not included on the list. Lead investigator, Detective Superintendent Peter Houlahan, told reporters he was handed a contaminated case. Weve had to reinterview people again, there has been a fair element of contamination of content in statements, he said at the inquest in 2009. The same year, state coroner Mary Jerram said she feared the trail had gone cold as she handed down a finding that Janine was murdered by a person or persons unknown. All three of the persons of interest named at the inquest have denied responsibility for Janines disappearance and were cleared of any involvement by Ms Jerram. Horrendous odour The Herald has since delved into the past of one of the original 47 persons of interest presented by police to Ms Jerram. The investigation tracked down dozens of witnesses who knew the person of interest, worked with him or who had been to his property, many of whom now live interstate and have never spoken to police before. Two witnesses still had vivid recollections of strange happenings at or within metres of the person of interests residence between late 2001 and 2002, the same period in which Janine vanished. Janine Vaughans sister Kylie, left, and mother Jenny, right, pictured in 2012. Credit:Fairfax Media They did not want their identities disclosed over concerns for their personal safety. One man described a horrendous odour in an indoor area that lasted for at least several weeks. I distinctly remember saying this place stinks, the man recalled. He said the smell was accompanied by a beehive sound. There was a lot of buzzing, said the man, who formerly lived on a farm. Surely a dead animal wouldnt be large enough to draw that many flies. During a visit to the residence the witness noticed something unusual written on the person of interests fridge and quizzed him about it. Details cannot be published for legal reasons. A woman who came to the property in early 2002 did not recall a smell. However, she pinpointed the same area where the smell had been as being insanely full of insects at the time. They looked like bees or wasps, she recalled. I distinctly remember saying this place stinks. There was a lot of buzzing. Surely a dead animal wouldnt be large enough to draw that many flies. A witness vivid recollections of strange happenings at or within metres of the person of interests residence None of the insects were flying around; but hundreds of them were crawling all over the floor or laying there dying. Id sweep them up and go back and then there would be a hundred more, she said. At first glance it looked like they were all dead but if you looked closely, they were still running their legs, the woman recalled. The woman said the infestation lasted for months. The Herald put the witnesss account to internationally renowned forensic biologist Dr Paola Magni, who is based at Murdoch University in Western Australia and acts as an expert witness in homicide cases. Dr Magni said it was possible that what the woman had observed was two species of hoverflies that can be found at the site of decaying corpses and bear a striking resemblance to bees or wasps. A missing person sign for Janine Vaughan in the window of a sandwich shop in Bathurst. Credit:Simon Alekna So they are actually black and yellow, they really look like wasps, Dr Magni said of the species, Eristalis tenax and Syritta pipiens. Dr Magni said that in biblical times people mistakenly thought that honey bees would colonise the decomposing remains of certain noble animals when it was likely they were actually observing hoverflies. She said it was possible to detect remnants of the insects and DNA inside them centuries later, under certain circumstances. The Herald obtained historic development applications from the local council which referred to the existence of a cellar at the person of interests property. Janine Vaughan was managing the Ed Harry menswear store in Bathurst before her disappearance. Credit:Simon Alekna A man who owned the property in the 1980s marked the rough location of the cellar on a floor plan for the Herald placing it within metres of where the odour and insect infestation were identified. The man said the cellar was accessible via a trapdoor and he used it to store building supplies during a renovation project. We only covered the access for safety purposes and the cellar was never filled in, he said. After police did not respond to requests to search the property, the Herald sought the assistance of a specialist forensics investigator to organise a private search of the property, its sub-floor and the cellar. The owners initially gave permission for the property to be searched but reneged on Tuesday, before the search could be carried out. Janine Vaughans sister, Kylie Spelde, said the family felt a search of the property had to be done to rule it in or out of the investigation. Janine Vaughans sister, Kylie Spelde, wants the person of interests property searched 100 per cent. Credit:Wolter Peeters We as a family wont leave any stone unturned, she said. Interviews with people who knew the person of interest over the years painted a picture of a man with a Jekyll and Hyde personality. To some, he seemed caring, decent and genuine. To others, he was arrogant, imposing and nasty. One former co-worker recalled the man could fly into fits of rage, leaving other workers feeling very scared. He had that temper that was quite volatile he shouted, the woman recalled. We as a family wont leave any stone unturned. Janine Vaughans sister, Kylie Spelde She said the man tried to be on his best behaviour at work, but in a simpering kind of way. There was something seething below the surface, she felt. Another male employee from the same workplace got along with the man himself, but remembered he was in constant conflict with female workers. My impression [was] hes not such a bad person, but I could be wrong, the man said. When you see him fighting with the women he was a nasty person, no doubt about that the confrontation was real. Why that was so, I dont know. Another former co-worker said she was in shock and disbelief after she was the subject of unwanted sexual advances from the man. Staff remembered the man turning up to work dirty, dishevelled and sweating profusely. Ms Spelde said she would chase to the end of every rabbit hole until she finds out what happened to her sister. She just had this vibrant personality that everyone was attracted to, Ms Spelde said. Male, female, children, old people, young people. She was absolutely beautiful. I just want the world to keep remembering those things about her. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here. Pintupi artist Patrick Tjungurrayi left behind a formidable to-do list when he died in 2017 of kidney failure. To continue work that began 21 years ago when an auction at the Art Gallery of NSW raised $1 million from the sale of Central Desert works to launch Aboriginal health service Purple House, he listed tiny communities that still needed dialysis units to keep elders with renal failure alive and on country. It was too late for him, but a new and small exhibition called Purple House at the Art Gallery of NSW until next February and a fundraising appeal may see his final wish come true. A new exhibition will open at the Art Gallery of NSW, curated by Coby Edgar and called The Purple House. Artwork by Marrapinti, Umari, Tjintjintjin. Credit:Wolter Peeters Sitting with Purple Houses chief executive Sarah Brown before he died, Tjungurrayi urged her to put dialysis units in Balgo, Nyirripi and Ernabella. The culpability of a woman who researched and planned the murder of her partner for months, laying a false trail over time to make his death look like a suicide, is so extreme it can only be met by a lifetime in jail, a court has been told. A NSW Supreme Court jury in June found Natasha Beth Darcy, 46, guilty of murdering Walcha sheep farmer Mathew Dunbar, who died in his bed from helium poisoning in the early hours of August 2, 2017, after ingesting a cocktail of sedatives including a veterinary tranquiliser. Walcha sheep grazier Mathew Dunbar with partner Natasha Beth Darcy, who was found guilty of murdering him. As first responders arrived, Darcy told them it was a suicide, adding that her partner was depressed about his sexuality, his relationship with his mother and a serious leg infection that led to his admission to hospital amid amputation fears weeks earlier. At a sentence hearing on Friday, Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield said Darcys comments were part of a long-running, cold-blooded and calculated plan, and that she had been laying a trail of false evidence for weeks to make Mr Dunbar appear suicidal and ultimately help her get away with his murder. More than $60 million in tolling credits will be refunded to Sydney motorists as the NSW government moves to phase out its E-Toll deposit system. More than 1.2 million drivers will get back the $40 deposit over coming weeks, Transport for NSW says, though any overdue or unpaid bills could be subtracted. More than 1.2 million Sydndrivers will receive back the $40 deposit over coming week Credit:Robert Pearce E-tag customers who have paid a $40 tag deposit will have this credited back to their tolling account, starting this month, a Transport for NSW spokeswoman said, adding that new customers would not have to pay the deposit. Opposition roads spokesman John Graham said the government should not frame the refund as toll relief, given motorists were only getting back the credit for what they had already spent. NSW Police have been ordered to pay costs of more than $20,000 after they abandoned an attempt to remove several videos from a popular YouTube channel. Police sought a court order this month to remove videos from the Friendlyjordies channel that referred to the arrest of its producer, Kristo Langker. They also sought an order stopping the face of the channel, Jordan Shanks, from commenting on Mr Langkers case until it proceeds to a hearing. Kristo Langker and Jordan Shanks outside court last week. Credit:Kate Geraghty Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge rejected the application last week on the basis that it was defective and ordered it to be filed again. On Friday, a solicitor for NSW Police told the court the application would be withdrawn entirely. Ms Milledge ordered police to pay Mr Shanks legal costs of $19,250 and Mr Langkers legal costs of $2772. NSW reported 345 new local coronavirus cases on Friday, as Premier Dominic Perrottet flagged a possible change to arrangements for travel from Victoria after that state ended its lockdown. About a third of the cases were located outside the Greater Sydney area, which includes the Illawarra and Central Coast. High numbers continued to be recorded in the Hunter and Murrumbidgee regions. Of the 61 new cases reported in the Hunter New England Local Health District on Friday, 17 were in Newcastle across 14 suburbs and 10 were in Lake Macquarie. Thirty of the 35 cases in the Murrumbidgee region were in Albury, which, on Thursday, experienced a spike in cases that the mayor attributed to increased testing in young people. Police have arrested an alleged high-ranking gang member and made 70 extra officers available for a crackdown on underworld conflict, pledging to intensify their targeting of organised crime networks following the fatal shooting of a father and son in Sydneys west this week. NSW Police Minister David Elliott, flanked by three senior officers on Friday morning, acknowledged community anxiety in suburbs where the violent tensions have been flaring. He said police were not going to allow the rival crime families to terrorise neighbourhoods. A burnt out car was found following the Wednesday morning shooting in Guildford. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer The head of the NSW Police State Crime Command has authorised the targeting of 310 people linked to warring criminal networks, who will face ongoing disruption to their lives, including early morning visits from police, prevention of gatherings and being pulled over when driving. The long-running feud between the Hamze and Alameddine networks has escalated into a cycle of violent retribution over the past year because of a dispute over drugs, police believe. The tensions have resulted in the deaths of at least four men with the name Hamzy or Hamze, including Salim Hamze, 18, and his father Toufik, killed in Guildford on Wednesday. A hearing into child sex and drugs charges against sacked NSW government minister Milton Orkopoulos has been adjourned to allow further examination of audio evidence. Orkopoulos, 49, of Belmont North, faces 33 charges relating to child sex, drugs and child pornography. A week after being first charged on November 8 last year, the former Aboriginal affairs minister and MP for Swansea was hospitalised following an apparent suicide attempt. Orkopoulos was not present in Newcastle Local Court when the matter was briefly heard. His solicitor Greg Murray asked Magistrate Richard Wakely for an adjournment because of the large amount of evidence, in particular audio evidence, that needed to be studied. WA Police have launched an investigation after Premier Mark McGowans personal mobile phone was bombarded with death threats on Wednesday and Thursday. Mr McGowans personal mobile number was plastered across anti-vaccination and freedom social media pages and WhatsApp groups on Wednesday night, hours after he announced an expansion of mandatory vaccination rules covering more than 1 million of the states workforce. Protestors gathered outside Parliament in Perth on Friday. Credit:WAtoday The Premiers phone rang throughout the night, with constant threats to himself and his family to the point where he was forced to turn it off. A police spokesman would not comment on what extra precautions were being taken to protect Mr McGowan and his family but WAtoday understands the Premiers security detail has been beefed up. ALLEN GARDNER: 1930 - 2021 Allen Gardner, who has died aged 91, was an ethologist who hit the headlines when it emerged that he and his zoologist wife, Beatrix Gardner, had apparently taught sign language to a chimpanzee named Washoe. The animal, it was claimed, had learnt as many as 350 signs, and was able to combine them. She would look in the mirror, for example, and sign Me, Washoe, and would sign bird and water to signify swan which, according to a Harvard psychologist, Roger Brown, at the time, was like getting an SOS from outer space. But another researcher, Herbert Terrace, analysed a video of Washoe and concluded that she was simply reacting to prompts: There was no spontaneity, no real use of grammar. Psychologists Dr Beatrice and Dr Allen Gardner talking to Washoe, a female chimpanzee taught to communicate using American Sign Language, in Nevada, 1976. Credit:AP Robert Allen Gardner was born in Brooklyn on February 21, 1930, the son of Milton and May Goldberg, who owned a bar; Milton was an engineer who made a living as a bootlegger during the Prohibition, and the couple would take their children with them on trips to deliver booze, on the grounds that they were less likely to be stopped with youngsters in the car. Allens brother Herb went on to be a noted playwright. Queenslands fledgling councillor conduct watchdog will face a parliamentary inquiry after recent concerns raised about its investigative methods and complaint handling processes, including demands a rural newspaper hand over notes and recordings from a journalist and editor. The government announcement on Friday follows requests from the Independent Assessor, Kathleen Florian, earlier this year for legislative changes to allow her to dismiss lower level misconduct complaints she is required to assess in an all or nothing approach. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she had spoken to Deputy Premier Steven Miles also the Local Government Minister who agreed it is time to call for a review of the assessors legislation and functions. Credit:Matt Dennien The state development and regional industries committee, which has oversight of the Office of the Independent Assessor and to which those comments were made, called Ms Florian and two other members of the agency in for a private briefing this month in the wake of the newspaper case. Committee chair and Bancroft Labor MP Chris Whiting said the October 11 meeting related to the assessors annual report but a range of matters were addressed. Examination of the annual report is a regular function of the committee. Queensland stands to lose $6 billion every year international tourists are kept from the Sunshine State because of border closures and COVID-19, according to industry experts. With higher vaccination rates in NSW and Victoria prompting those states to reopen sooner, there are fears Queensland could be left behind. Brisbane Airport Corporation wants a firm date for international tourists to return to Brisbane like November 1 for Sydney and Melbourne but has only been given a target rate: 90 per cent of eligible Queenslanders vaccinated, as set out on the roadmap released this week. Brisbane Airport Corporation pleads for a date when international flights can return, not an undefined 90 per cent vaccination rate. Credit:Tertius Pickard We need a return date, not a return rate, BAC general manager of aviation Jim Parashos said, having warned of airlines looking to other markets to support tourism. The tone darkened on Tuesday as the Ms Palaszczuk and fellow frontbenchers started a vax-a-thon tour of regional centres, with the Premier warning 400,000 Queenslanders they had just 12 days to get vaccinated in time to develop full immunity before borders reopened in December. We cannot protect you if you wont protect yourself, the Premier said. The next day she insisted the storm is coming and Queensland would best weather it if the state was fully vaccinated, but I cant help you unless youre on the lifeboat. Queenslands 15-day streak of no community cases was broken on Thursday when it was revealed a COVID-positive unvaccinated man was infectious on the Gold Coast for up to 10 days. A December to remember At the start of the week, Ms Palaszczuk launched her COVID-19 Vaccine Plan to Unite Families by Christmas, revealing the long-anticipated date for reopening December 17. On that date, fully vaccinated people from interstate hotspots will be allowed to enter Queensland without quarantine, even if an 80 per cent vaccination target is not reached by then. The borders could open sooner if the 80 per cent target is reached earlier. A forecast influx of COVID cases will likely come as a shock to Queenslanders, who have only witnessed seven deaths during the entire pandemic. Modelling used by the government to set its roadmap to reopening predicts reopening at 80 per cent could lead to 100 deaths within the first 90 days, and more than 1000 new daily cases by August 2022. Ms Palaszczuk had resisted providing a clear answer on whether Queensland would open up at an 80 per cent vaccination target, despite that being the point at which vaccinated residents should be exempt from domestic restrictions, under the national plan. Loading A litany of excuses were proffered as barriers to lifting border restrictions but this week those concerns seem to have been resolved. Ms Palaszczuk had called for a plan for the children as there were no COVID vaccines approved for under 12s, even though studies had shown illness was generally mild in children. If you open up this state and you let the virus in here, every child under 12 is vulnerable. Every single child, Ms Palaszczuk told State Parliament in September. Every child from zero to 12 is vulnerable because they are the unvaccinated. Until I can get answers on that, we will stand firm and we will stand strong. There remains no vaccine approved for children under 12. But, on Tuesday, Ms Palaszczuk said she was very comfortable after the Therapeutic Goods Administration allowed Pfizer to apply for approvals to vaccinate five-to-11-year-olds. The Premier also argued the best way to protect children was for adults to get vaccinated. Were going to have the 12 to 15-year-olds vaccinated and if we get the whole adult population vaccinated, guess what? That protects the young children, she said. However, the official modelling, by the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, stated adding children aged five to 11 to the vaccine schedule may also significantly reduce cases, including in older age groups. Delta will spread like wildfire Ms Palaszczuk previously called for the federal government to plan the booster shots, which was part of the national plan agreed to in July, and then weve got to get everyone a booster shot. Now, the Premier says: The federal government has addressed the need for boosters, and that was part of the national plan, so they have satisfied that. In news this week, authorities have revealed booster shots are likely to be administered six months after second doses. This could begin by the end of the year for the general public, but will stretch into 2022, particularly in Queensland where uptake of the vaccine has been slower. On October 1, Ms Palaszczuk called for extra federal funding for hospitals to ensure they have extra capacity because when Delta comes in, it will spread like wildfire. But this week, despite the federal government not agreeing to a 50/50 hospital funding split, Ms Palaszczuk pointed to ongoing conversations. The Health Minister [Yvette DAth] and all the other health ministers have written to the federal government asking for more money for surge capacity. I still think that is needed, so they are conversations that will still be had, she said. The state government raised concerns about the availability of Pfizer supplies in September, but that has been ticked off, with the Premier arguing this week there is plenty of vaccine, there is no reason why you cannot go and get that vaccine. Best or worst of scenarios There has also been variation in the way she talks about best-case and worst-case scenarios. The Premier was criticised for using worst-case Doherty Institute modelling in a speech in State Parliament and on Twitter in September, claiming it showed even with 70 per cent of the population vaccinated, 2240 people would die each month. If New South Wales is the model of what lies in store for all of us, then serious discussions are needed, she tweeted. But she was at pains to downplay the outcomes of opening up Queensland. She argued modelling by the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute showed a worst-case scenario of 1200 cases per day, but it could be around 400. These are big steps on the journey to treaty, but they are early steps and we want and need more community guidance about many of the details, assembly co-chair and Bangerang and Wiradjuri elder Geraldine Atkinson said. Loading Nothing is off the table at this stage, so we need to think big and push hard. But to get it over the line, were going to need community to get behind us. The assemblys other co-chair, Marcus Stewart, said, Were still yarning with community about details, but we know that well be pushing hard for significant systemic reform. Whether its called a Voice or something else well work that out, as long as it delivers real change and puts traditional owners in the drivers seat when it comes to our communities and our Country. A government spokeswoman said it would be inappropriate to comment on proposals at this early stage of the treaty process but agreed that nothing is off the table. The Victorian Labor governments Indigenous agenda is expansive. It passed reconciliation laws to achieve a treaty in 2018. To gather evidence that will guide treaty outcomes, a truth-telling commission with the powers of a royal commission was established to examine the ongoing effects of colonisation. Victoria is the only state or territory that has enacted both the treaty and truth elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart manifesto from 2017. However, Victorias Indigenous leaders have pushed back against the concept of a voice as recommended in the Uluru statement, saying the shape of a permanent voice in Victorias power structures would need to be agreed to by their community. First Peoples Assembly co-chair Geraldine Atkinson, Ms Williams and acting Premier James Merlino at the launch of the Yoo-rrook Justice Commission at Coranderrk, near Healesville on March 9. Credit:Simon Schluter Any reforms would be negotiated as part of the years-long treaty process. The government is in the second of three stages of treaty negotiations with First Peoples, which includes the establishment of a self-determination fund to provide an independent source of revenue to support Indigenous advancement. The third phase will involve substantive discussions on what the treaty will entail. Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, who was a member of the federal governments Indigenous Voice co-design group, said he supported the idea of a state-based Voice to Parliament. However, he said it was important the body would provide instructive advice that can be listened to, but cant override Parliament. What the Victorian government has done with the Indigenous community is excellent. There are some great models around the country that have given the Indigenous community a real opportunity to incorporate their views into government considerations, he said. I am very much in favour of a Voice, but it cant initiate legislation It not only recognises the role of the Indigenous community, but gives a view back on the things that might affect them. Mr Kennett said the assembly in its current form was appropriate to provide ongoing advocacy. His belief that a prospective representative body should have limited powers highlights the pushback the Andrews government would probably face from conservative politicians and commentators if it chose to create new legislative frameworks. The Victorian opposition did not support the treaty bill in 2018. While the proposed Commonwealth Voice would be an advisory body that might act similarly to the human rights or productivity commissions, the assemblys proposals represent a more powerful and tangible version of a voice. Mr Kennetts position aligns with that of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who in 2017 rejected a proposal for a constitutionally enshrined voice to Parliament on the basis that it had little chance of succeeding in a referendum and would inevitably become seen as a third chamber. Loading The constitutional model stemmed from an extensive consultation process that culminated in the Uluru statement, which favoured a body with meaningful powers rather than a symbolic recognition. Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt has committed the federal government to legislate a Voice to Parliament, having released an interim report on the co-design process in January this year. The consultative process was planned to run for four months. A final report has been delivered to the government but not yet publicly released. State opposition spokesman Lee Anderson said whatever was agreed must deliver positive outcomes on the Closing the Gap targets, particularly housing, education, employment opportunities, increasing life expectancy and reducing incarceration rates. Victorias Health Department has faced court over workplace safety charges related to mistakes in the hotel quarantine system that seeded the states deadly second wave of COVID-19 last year. The department is charged with 58 breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, where WorkSafe the states workplace watchdog alleges the department failed to provide a safe environment for its staff and failed to ensure people werent exposed to risks. The Rydges on Swanston, used in Victorias hotel quarantine system. Credit:Penny Stephens Seventeen charges allege the department failed to provide and maintain, as far as reasonably practicable, a working environment that was safe and without risks for its employees. The other 41 charges cover alleged breaches related to people who werent employees for example, contracted security guards being exposed to risks to their health and safety. Four birthdays! When friends Kate Ritchie and Hana Assafiri reunited after missing each other madly during Melbournes latest lockdown, they counted the cost in celebrations they had missed. The pair marks every significant milestone with brunch at Spring Street institution, The European. Before Ms Assafiri arrived on Friday, Ms Ritchie said she was most looking forward to a long, long, squeezy hug. Kate Ritchie and Hana Assafiri reunite at The European. Credit:Justin McManus The friends met by chance 20 years ago when Ms Ritchie dined in Ms Assafiris restaurant, Moroccan Soup Bar. We just hit it off and we chatted for hours, and we havent stopped chatting since, Ms Ritchie says. I feel a waft of PTSD typing this, but my way of coping with Melbournes long lockdown last winter was to run the three kilometres from my Collingwood place into the city each weekday by 6am. When I say run, I mean stagger. Picture a middle-aged asthmatic peeling off polar fleece layers between Foo Fighters songs, eyes leaking from the cold and the effort. Not pretty, but on a mission. Lockdown comes to an end at Melbournes Captain Melville pub on Friday. Credit:Luis Ascui At the top of Spring and Bourke streets, Id yell into the emptiness: Were still here. Were coming back to you. My little mantra. It was probably whacky, but I wanted to let my beautiful Melbourne know its humans hadnt abandoned it forever. That we werent doing it by choice. That better days were ahead. And now, those better days are here. Sort of. With the 70 per cent double-vaxxed target hit and 80 just days away, Melbourne is having a gentle reawakening after 18 months of lockdowns. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The sun would have nearly set when the family of four from Carnarvon caught sight of the Indian Ocean. After driving north for just under an hour passing dusty orange plains, the vast flats of Lake MacLeod, and thick Acacia shrublands beautician Ellie Smith and salt mine worker Jake Gliddon reached the T-junction at the Quobba Blowholes with her daughter Cleo Smith, 4, and their baby Isla in tow. There they would have been greeted by a message of death all too familiar to locals like themselves: a wooden board painted with white capital letters and suspended between two telegraph-like poles framing the raging water in the background, KING WAVES KILL. Mother Ellie Smith with Cleo, who is now missing, and baby Isla. Credit:Facebook The sign is an unsubtle reminder of the lives lost along the stretch of low rocky coastal cliffs which start several hundred metres to the left and run northward. Several locals have met their end at those cliffs, consumed by gigantic waves that come out of the blue. But taking the left at the T-junction and meandering for a kilometre down the limestone track past the blowholes where seawater blasts through the ground (a coveted sight for Instagram-loving tourists) the family arrived at about 6.30pm on October 15 at a picturesque cul-de-sac featuring a coral lagoon and campsite protected from the fury of the raging sea. Littered with shacks owned by Carnarvon locals, the spot has served as the perfect weekend family getaway for generations of residents or as an overnight stopover for travellers on their way to tourist-driven pastoral stations and remote surfing breaks further north. Advertisement Cleo Smiths mother Ellie Smith and partner Jake Gliddon. The Blowholes campsite has always had an inherent feeling of safety for the people who grew up spending their holidays there thanks to its calm waters and neighbours who watch out for each other. Those feelings were shattered one week ago when Ellie and Jake woke up the morning after the late camp set-up to every parents nightmare. A wide open flap at the front of their tent and no sign of Cleo. Her sleeping bag was gone. One week later and the disappearance of Cleo Smith a bubbly girl with bright eyes and a love for rocks and wearing princess dresses has gone from a desperate land and sea search around the campsite to being treated as a presumed abduction. The case has captured the nations attention as the sleepy town of Carnarvon finds itself in the headlines for a mystery which could loom over the town for years to come. Carnarvon was gazetted as a town in 1883 to support several pastoral stations established in the area. Jetties were built and the horticultural industry soon became one of the Gascoyne shires strongest sectors known for its lunchbox-friendly little bananas. Rio Tinto is a major employer with its salt and gypsum mine while the big dish in Carnarvon, part of the communications chain for moon landings, is now a museum. The town is also used to facing the worst of natures elements as it falls within WAs cyclone alley. Advertisement Floods have ruined crops, property and lives while storms have done just as much damage. The town always rebuilds and the community rallies. There is a $1 million rewardfor information leading to finding Cleo or convicting someone involved in her disappearance. Credit:WA Government They have certainly rallied this week in a mammoth search effort to find Cleo, who was last seen wearing her pink and blue butterfly pyjamas. But all the helicopters, drones, the army, mounted police, boats, and hundreds of volunteers have been unable to find any trace of Cleo at the Blowholes camp. Searchers believe it unlikely the girl would have wandered a kilometre in the dark sometime between 1.30am when she woke her mum to get a drink and 6am when she was discovered missing, all the way to the cliffs and blowholes while dragging her sleeping bag. To walk inland also seems unlikely. It is rocky and hilly terrain with spiky prickle grasses and dense Acacia shrub. The dunes and shrublands parallel to the camp have been difficult for the State Emergency Service volunteers to navigate in the daylight, let alone for a four-year-old in the dark. Advertisement Ellie said Cleo did not even like to walk five minutes to the shops from her house without her mum. She would never leave us, shed never leave the tent. She was wearing when she left a jumpsuit, and she cant go to the toilet without my help unzipping it, she said on Tuesday. Ellie and Jake had been within a separate section of the tent but the front zip had been opened to a point that was out of reach for Cleo, police said on Wednesday. With no physical leads to show Cleo had wandered off alone, it was announced on Thursday the camp search would be wound back. The criminal arm of the investigation, codenamed Rodia, has been ramped up to include a taskforce of 100 officers led by Superintendent Rod Wilde. Wilde has led the cold case investigative unit in the past and was in charge of a taskforce which found and arrested the assassin of former WA Rebels bikie boss Nick Martin shot dead in December at a crowded Perth motorplex. WA Premier Mark McGowan announced on Thursday a $1 million reward for information which resulted in finding Cleo or securing a conviction for anyone involved in her disappearance. University of Newcastle criminology associate professor Xanthe Mallett told this masthead that announcing such a sizeable reward after one week was unusual but positive. Advertisement Such lofty rewards have come decades down the track for missing people in WA but in the case of three-year-old William Tyrrell who disappeared from his foster-grandmothers house in Kendall, NSW in 2014 it was two years. Mallett says Cleos case was similar to Williams as they were both in cul-de-sac-type location with no trace of what direction they may have gone. Cleo Smith loves princess dresses and collecting rocks. She says offering an early reward could be the sign of a lesson learnt by government in not leaving such monetary options until its too late. It is a sign theyre struggling with [finding] information but on the flipside theyre highly incentivised to get as much information as possible, Mallett says. It just shows how quickly they want to move on this and how quickly they want to be seen to be moving on this. Its such a high-profile case now they really need to be doing the right thing and be seen to be doing the right thing. And to dampen wider fears in the community as well ... until we know who took her and why, its really difficult to say whether there is any recurring risk. Advertisement A WA Police officer who fatally shot a Geraldton woman while on duty has been found not guilty of murder. The first class constable, whose name has been suppressed for legal reasons, was acquitted of murder by a Supreme Court jury on Friday after a three-week trial and three hours of deliberation. The Yamitji woman, referred to as JC for cultural reasons, was killed after police were called to a street in the regional town of Geraldton, 415 kilometres north of Perth, responding to a welfare call from JCs sister, who was concerned that she was walking down a street holding a knife and pair of scissors. At the crux of the prosecutions case against the police officer was CCTV footage from a nearby house which Director of Public Prosecutions Amanda Forrester SC alleged showed JC was standing still with the knife by her side, and was not a threat, when the officer fired his gun. State border closures are finally ending and that should turn the focus onto the sketchiness of the federal governments plans to reopen international borders. The closure of state borders has, for the past two years, been one of the most controversial pandemic measures, viewed by some as a totalitarian attack on the Federation. Billionaire Clive Palmer has tried, and failed, to challenge them in the courts. Loading This criticism has always been too simplistic. By and large, state border closures have proved their worth. With no vaccines available, they saved other states from the exhausting and economically disastrous lockdown NSW and Victoria have suffered for the past three months. With adequate supplies of vaccines now freely available, however, states are making the right move by reopening. News Corps global chief executive Robert Thomson says he did not know about his Australian newspapers climate campaign ahead of time, but he did discuss the upcoming UN Glasgow climate talks with Prime Minister Scott Morrison when they met in New York last month. Mr Thomson said News Corp Australias Mission Zero campaign was the brainchild of local editors and he first learned about it when The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed in September the companys papers would shift their long-held stance on climate change. News Corp Australias Robert Thomson appears via videolink for the Senate hearing on media diversity. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen I first heard when I read a story somewhat accurate, somewhat inaccurate in the Channel Nine press about the plan. So it was very much generated by editors, he told a Senate inquiry into media diversity on Friday. Mr Thomson told the inquiry neither he nor the companys other global executives in New York were involved in the Mission Zero campaign, which has coincided with a standoff between the Liberals and Nationals over locking in a target of net zero emissions by 2050 ahead of the Glasgow summit. Historians have criticised federal Education Minister Alan Tudge for playing politics with Australian children, warning that his push to make the national curriculum more positive about the nation would not give students a full account of the past. Mr Tudge maintained he wanted school children to be taught an accurate account of Australian history, as he redoubled his criticism of the draft national curriculum on Friday, saying it presented a negative, miserable view of Australia. Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge during a doorstop interview at Parliament House. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Professor Melanie Oppenheimer, president of the Australian Historical Association, the peak national body for historians, said there was a very strong belief among historians that Mr Tudges comments were not helping the debate. He is playing politics with Australian children. It is unhelpful what he is doing, Professor Oppenheimer, the chair of history at Flinders University, said. Households were not only hoarding canned goods and toilet paper during the coronavirus pandemic, they were also stockpiling rolls of coins. Demand was so high for 20, 10 and even 5 pieces when COVID-19 sent the nation into lockdown that the Royal Australian Mint was forced to double shifts to produce enough change to keep up over the past financial year. Five-cent pieces were among the coins being stockpiled during the pandemic. Credit:Adam Hollingworth The rush for change was unexpected as restaurants, cafes and retail outlets went cashless during COVID-19 and lockdowns meant many were switching to online shopping. Royal Australian Mint chief executive Leigh Gordon said he believed some of the coins were being stockpiled by individual households. Very few people thought that former premier Gladys Berejiklian would one day become a lightning rod for a discussion about public integrity. But when she gives evidence before the Independent Commission Against Corruption next week, she will be at the centre of a discussion about what should be expected of elected representatives and whether there can be political life after ICAC. As soon as she announced her resignation from the NSW Parliament, wild speculation began about a possible federal run. Berejiklian has, in the course of her career, garnered respect across the partisan divide. She is widely regarded by people in politics and outside it as someone who consistently acquitted herself with integrity. Former Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson insists shes an honest woman, saying that If shes corrupt then I dont understand the meaning of the word. Richardson, who has been around for long enough to see malfeasance on all sides of politics, most definitely understands the meaning of the word. Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian outside her Northbridge office in Sydney on Friday. Credit:Rhett Wyman Speaking to The Australian Financial Review Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar praised her stewardship of NSW as servant leadership. A junior service provider who worked in the department serving Berejiklian as transport minister years ago told me in wrapt tones about Berejiklians unfailing courtesy during a project focused on making government documents as accessible to constituents as possible by rendering them in plain English. I mention that because, as most people can agree, the way a person treats a junior provider is more indicative of her true nature than the way she interacts with a billionaire. The character references continued to pour forth during the ICAC hearings. Both former Premier Mike Baird and his then head of strategy told ICAC that they didnt believe they had seen Berejiklian exhibit any bias or partiality towards McGuire though both agree that she should have disclosed what might be perceived as a conflict of interest. From what we know so far, next weeks hearings will focus on whether she should have disclosed the relationship and whether it caused her to approve a project that didnt stack up. Trade and Industry Minister Stuart Ayres has told a corruption inquiry a multimillion-dollar upgrade of a gun club in Wagga Wagga was backed by a strong business case, while NSW bureaucrats have given evidence the same proposal was flimsy and deficient. Mr Ayres on Friday insisted he strongly supported funding an upgrade to the clay target facility and club in 2016, for which then-local member Daryl Maguire had strongly lobbied. Stuart Ayres arrives at the ICAC in Sydney on Friday. Credit:Kate Geraghty I thought the project had a lot of merit. They had a world championship [clay shooting] event coming up in 2018, Mr Ayres told the Independent Commission Against Corruption. I was quite predisposed particularly to the clubhouse concept. Mr Andrews said he expected to reach the 80 per cent threshold slightly before next weekend a few days sooner than anticipated but warned that reopening would inevitably mean more cases of COVID-19 in the community. Victoria recorded 2189 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the third-highest number of the third wave. There were also 16 deaths, the highest number since September last year. As restrictions eased on Friday, the head of Victorias Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Paul Guerra, welcomed the end of lockdown and said the key to economic recovery would be when regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne were reunited. Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said today is a good day, but there was still a way to go. It is a good step, but it has been marked with a lot of inconsistencies and strange, arbitrary decisions on the way through. A lot of businesses still are not able to open. Many Melburnians headed out to celebrate the easing of restrictions on Friday. Jody Brodribb and Joanne Taylor celebrate the easing of restrictions in Yarraville on Friday afternoon. Credit:Paul Jeffers Friends Jody Brodribb and Joanne Taylor met for a couple of gin and tonics in Yarraville on Friday. The reopening of the world it feels like, Ms Brodribb said. Ive put on makeup for the first time in three months. Yarraville barber Henry Minassain was so busy trimming the overgrown locks of his loyal customers he had to skip lunch. Yarraville Barber Henry Minassian cuts Tim Sus hair on Friday. Photograph by Paul Jeffers The Age NEWS 22 Oct 2021 Credit:Paul Jeffers He didnt get a chance to have a coffee either, as a steady stream of customers flowed into the Ballarat Street shop from 6am. Mr Minassain said he had done more than 30 haircuts since rolling up the shutters, and estimated he would be going home closer to 8pm. He plans to work seven days a week for the next three weeks just to deal with the demand. Its good to be wanted again, he said. Getting a haircut before hitting Melbourne for a meal with friends, Yarraville project manager Tim Su joked he looked like an unkempt Beatle. Mr Su said it was the first time he had cut his hair since his wedding day in May after missing the cut-off date before the latest lockdown. Loading He planned to meet friends for a Korean feast at Hansang in West Melbourne, even if it meant lining up for hours. Well just wait in line until we can, we have no back-up plan, he said. The citys cafes, restaurants and bars opened their doors to patrons on Friday but a last-minute clarification to the rules requiring all hospitality staff to be fully vaccinated left some businesses unable to open. Oakleigh cafe 5Five Bakehouse Kitchen had been looking forward to welcoming sit-down guests, but owner Dimitra Kourelis said the vaccine mandate, which initially only required workers to have had their first dose booked in this month, had left her short-staffed. I have four staff double dosed and the rest single dosed, Ms Kourelis said. You cant open a business with only four staff. We have been one of the lucky ones who survived two years of lockdown only to be hit by this whammy. Victorians who want to dine or drink in a venue must provide evidence of their vaccination status to pubs and restaurants using the Service Victoria app or by presenting certification of vaccination status to the business. Some restaurant owners and publicans are bracing for abuse from unvaccinated patrons, not allowed to get a pint or a meal after months of lockdown measures. Post Office Hotel owner Danial Caneva said the industry was worried about the safety of staff but said those keen to grab a beer at his Coburg pub on Friday morning had checked in without incident. Thats something that all my mates, who are publicans, are worried about. Theyre worried about their staff, he said. We were among the first to close, and now well be the first to get abused. With more than 90 per cent of Victorians expected to be fully vaccinated by the middle of next month, the state government will follow NSW and scrap rules requiring international travellers to quarantine from November 1, if they have been fully vaccinated and agree to get tested. Under the plan, a handful of quarantine hotels will remain active and a cap of 250 beds be put in place for unvaccinated travellers or those who have received a vaccine that is not approved by the federal government. Mr Andrews said the state government was committed to building a scaled-back quarantine facility at Mickleham, which could also be used to house victims of natural disasters if the number of people needing to quarantine dropped. While arrivals would initially be limited to Australians returning from overseas, Mr Andrews said he was optimistic international tourists would return by Christmas. I want tourists back quickly as we can, as safely as we can and the no-quarantine [rules] for the double-dosed with some testing, is a really important step. Tasmania announced it would reopen its borders to all of Australia on December 15, allowing entry to anyone who is fully vaccinated and tests negative within 72 hours of travel. Free travel between Canberra and Victoria will restart on November 1. Singapore: Australians could be cleared to begin travelling to Bali again as soon as this weekend as Indonesian authorities will on Saturday discuss approvals for what was once the islands biggest international tourist market. It comes as Thailand confirmed it would exempt fully vaccinated Australian tourists from November 1 from quarantine, alongside citizens of several other nations now welcome for holidays. There has been confusion about Australia not being included among the first 19 countries Indonesia has approved for the resumption of international travel to its top holiday destination. Bali holidays will be a possibility from November 1, as long as visitors spend the first five days in resort quarantine. Senior Indonesian minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan threw a potential spanner in the works when he indicated this week that reciprocal travel would need to be offered for countries to make the cut for Balis reopening. The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our guilds family. Hutchins, 42, who is from Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle, once worked as an investigative reporter in Europe, according to her website. She graduated from the American Film Institute in 2015 and was selected as one of American Cinematographers Rising Stars of 2019. Her last Instagram post, two days ago, shows her grinning under a wide-brimmed hat as she rides a horse. One of the perks of shooting a western is you get to ride horses on your day off:) she captioned the video. April Wright, a writer, director and producer, paid tribute to her on Facebook. Loading Im in disbelief, wrote Wright. So young, vibrant, and talented. Such a wonderful soul. My heart goes out to her son and family. Representatives for Hutchins did not immediately respond to a request for information about her death. Souza had previously filmed Hannas Gold (2010) with Luke Perry, kids film Ghost Squad (2015), thriller Break Night (2017), and crime drama Crown Vic (2019) which Baldwin produced. Filming for Rust was set to continue into early November, according to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office. But the production released a statement on Friday saying they would be pausing for an undetermined period of time. The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by todays tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halynas family and loved ones, a spokesperson for Rust Movies Productions LLC said. We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully co-operating with the Santa Fe Police Departments investigation. We will be providing counselling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event. Director Joel Souza, pictured in November 2019, was taken to hospital to be treated for his injuries. Credit:Getty Images The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. In 1993, Brandon Lee, 28, son of the late martial-arts star Bruce Lee, died after being hit by a .44-calibre slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. Earlier on Thursday, Baldwin posted a picture of himself on Instagram sporting a grey beard and dressed in Western cowboy-style attire in front of trailers. He appeared to have a fake blood stain on his shirt and jacket. Back to in person at the office. Blimey its exhausting, he wrote. The post was deleted late on Thursday night (Friday AEDT). Known for his impersonations of former US president Donald Trump on NBCs comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live, Baldwin has a long history in film and television, including roles in Glengarry Glen Ross and 30 Rock. Baldwin was charged in 2018 after a fight over a New York parking spot. He pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment and agreed to participate in an anger management program. In 2014, he was given a summons for disorderly conduct after an argument with police who stopped him from riding his bike down a one-way street in New York. And in 2011, he was thrown off a plane for refusing to stop playing the game Words with Friends before take-off. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn was among the Hollywood filmmakers and actors expressing dismay at the tragedy online. Loading My greatest fear is that someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets. I pray this will never happen. My heart goes out to all of those affected by the tragedy today on Rust, especially Halyna Hutchins & her family, he wrote. Actor and director Alex Winter added, Crew should never be unsafe on set and when they are, there is always a clearly definable reason why. Australian actor Remy Hii said he had previously suffered a scar from shrapnel fired from a prop gun that was fired on set. They are no joke, Hii wrote on Twitter. I was lucky, this is an absolute tragedy. Actor Elijah Wood also paid tribute: Absolutely horrifying and devastating news about cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. My heart goes out to her family. Workers union DSA-LA Hollywood Labor said, So many safety protocols had to be ignored in order to get to this point. The price of a f---ing Alec Baldwin movie shouldnt be a workers life. AP, staff reporters WILLEMSTAD:--- United States, France, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands host Trilateral Conference to combat transnational crime in the Caribbean Working in coordination with the government of Curacao, the Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-South) hosted their annual Trilateral Conference on Curacao from Tuesday, October 19 to Thursday, October 21. This multinational collaboration between the United States, France, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands increases regional stability and security by reducing the flow of drugs and degrading and dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations. Currently, twenty-two Partner Nations provide counter-narcotics support for JIATF-South operations, resulting in multi-ton seizures of illicit drugs and hundreds of arrests and underscoring a strong global commitment to counter drug trafficking, combat transnational crime, and promote the rule of law. The United States Air Force is proud to provide support for JIATF-South's operations through the U.S. Forward Operating Location on Curacao. Photo: Dutch Ministry of Defence To request higher resolution of this picture, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. PHILIPSBURG:--- It is with great sadness that the Government of Sint Maarten received news concerning the passing of civil servant Vivian Philips on Monday, October 18. Ms. Philips served as a government security guard and receptionist at various locations for the past 32 years. Ms. Philips was very loving, always asking her colleagues about their loved ones as they passed her. Colleagues of Ms. Philips describe her as a quiet, kind-hearted, and helpful person who always had good stories to recount of her past years working for government. On behalf of the Council of Ministers, we extend our deepest condolences to the late Vivian Philips son Natalian Philips, family and friends. The Department of Facility Services has lost a dedicated and committed colleague whose impact will remain for years to come," stated Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs. POINTE BLANCHE:--- During the Caribbeans largest and only official Cruise event in the region, the 27th Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) took place in Panama this week, Port St. Maarten Group and the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (Minister of TEATT) Hon. Roger Lawrence, held great discussions with cruise industry leaders regarding aligning visions of St. Maarten and the cruise industry. One of the key meetings held by Minister Lawrence, accompanied by Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alexander Gumbs, was with MSC Cruise Chairman for North America, Rick Sasso. MSC is 1000% interested in working with St. Maarten, stated Sasso. MSC Cruises is the worlds third-largest cruise brand, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, employing over 30,000 staff globally and sells cruise holidays in many countries around the world. MSC Cruises has six classes of vessels, and the fleet is expected to grow. MSC is rolling out with four new ships from November 2022 April 2023. In total MSC expects to grow to 23 cruise ships by 2025, with options for six vessel orders in place through 2030. Both Lawrence and Gumbs had held initial discussions over the past weeks with MSC Cruises discussing alternatives to turn one of their newest ships MSC Seaview into a homeport vessel out of Port St. Maarten as early as December 2021. MSC Seaview was launched in 2018 and is part of the Seaside Class and has a guest capacity of over 5000 passengers. Minister Lawrence and Gumbs said on Thursday that this is potentially a great opportunity for the destination. Operation teams from Port St. Maarten Group and MSC Cruises will meet to discuss and review logistical operations to make sure that all is up to par, assuring smooth and efficient turn arounds can be accomplished. Based on current discussions the vessel may have up to 85% occupancy in guests who will travel to the destination through multiple charter flights from Europe prior to embarking on their Caribbean cruise out of Port St. Maarten. CEO Gumbs also alluded to the fact that he has had preliminary discussions with Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) CEO Brian Mingo last week regarding the potential to cater to such an operation during the week. The initial talks are about catering to this opportunity for the next four-five months as the cruise line assesses challenges in the other destinations that generally cater to this magnitude of operation. Port St. Maarten Group identifies that additional investments will be required in homeporting facilities in order to strategically move ahead as a major cruise destination in the Northeastern Caribbean if it is the intention of the destination to cater to this scale of operations structurally in the future. Great potential is identified as St. Maarten is well positioned and already functions as a hub for the neighbouring destinations within the region further strengthening the destinations potential to tap into such opportunities. We are simultaneously looking at strategically planning with MSC Cruises from an investment perspective for long term initiatives and becoming strategic partners in future port developments. Rick Sasso Chairman of MSC Cruises North America said the company still has great interest in exploring opportunities with St. Maarten as they see great potential and a great product, Port St. Maarten CEO Alexander Gumbs said on Thursday. Minister Lawrence said that the Port St. Maarten Group has his full support in terms of its strategic objectives, and also looks forward to the engagements Port St. Maarten has with the industry going forward with regards to their strategic initiatives which was recently presented to the St. Maarten House of Parliament. Minister Hon. Roger Lawrence further stated that these discussions are currently ongoing and not limited to only homeporting in terms of developing this niche, will also be further developed in conjunction with other key stakeholders such as PJIA, St. Maarten Tourism Bureau and transportation companies, adding that in the near future, meetings will have to take place with the hospitality sector regarding catering to this potential market. Gumbs added that with the potential penetration of MSC Cruises to the homeporting niche of the destination, it also diversifies the product mix of country St. Maarten along with beneficial factors to the cargo pillar where provisioning of vessels and providing additional auxiliary services are concerned. The 27th Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), took place from October 18th to 21st in Panama City, Panama. The cruise conference offered participants a series of meetings, workshops, networking opportunities and more with 100 high-level executives from FCCA Member Lines, which operate about 200 vessels and 95 percent of the global ocean cruising capacity were present to give industry updates. Created in 1972, the FCCA is a not-for-profit trade organization that provides a forum for discussion on tourism development, ports, safety, security, and other cruise industry issue and builds bilateral relationships with destinations' private and public sectors. The FCCA Conference was a four-day event designed to create a better understanding of the inner workings of the cruise industry and help attendees improve their cruise tourism business. PHILIPSBURG:--- ;[As of October 21st, there was one (1) person who tested positive for COVID-19; however three (3) persons have recovered; bringing the total active cases to forty-six (46). The total number of confirmed cases is now four thousand four hundred sixty-eight (4468). The Collective Prevention Services (CPS) are monitoring forty-six (46) people in home isolation. Zero (0) patients are hospitalized at the St. Maarten Medical Center. The total number of deaths due to COVID-19 remains at seventy-five (75). The number of people recovered since the first case surfaced on St. Maarten has increased to four thousand three hundred forty-seven (4347). Twenty-eight (28) people are in quarantine based on contact tracing investigations carried out by CPS. The total number of persons tested is 58,955. As the numbers continue to fluctuate, CPS will continue to actively execute its contact tracing measures. Minister Ottley invites all unvaccinated persons to come out to the community COVID-19 vaccination pop-up on Saturday, October 23rd, at SMMC premises in Cayhill from 9:00am to 3:00pm. On site there will also be free clinical breast exams and a health check corner. PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on October 22, 2021. The Central Committee meeting is scheduled for Friday at 14.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Ardwell Irion will be present. The agenda point is: Draft National Decree, containing general measures, in connection with the implementation of Article 61a of the General National Ordinance on Country Taxes (National Decree on international assistance with the levying of taxes (IS/081/2021-2022 dated October 1, 2021) Due to measures taken to mitigate the coronavirus (COVID-19), the House of Parliament is only allowing persons with an appointment to enter the Parliament building. The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 115, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, and www.pearlfmradio.sx PHILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday 21st October 2021, Member of Parliament Ludmila Duncan sent a letter to the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport requesting information in relation to the general eye health of students and the possibility of creating programs to integrate eye health into the education system. I believe that if you struggle to see, you struggle to learn, and although we may not have comprehensive data readily available, I am aware of the fact that a number of our children struggle with vision impairment and conditions that cause eye damage and blindness. Over the last few years I have met and bought glasses for children whose parents cannot afford to buy them, and its scary to think of the fact that there are children walking around our communities and failing in schools simply because they cannot see clearly, noted Duncan. In 2018, Lions Club launched an initiative called the Lions Eye Screening Project which had an impressive budget as a result of international fundraising. Optometrists from the United States flew to St. Maarten to volunteer optometric services for primary school students in groups 3 to 8. As a policy advisor with the Ministry of Education, at the time, MP Duncan was informed that students who were tested and needed glasses, received a free pair through the project. It is commendable that organizations like Lions Club host projects such as these. In fact, I believe that teachers were also included. In my opinion, Government should be working regularly with NGOs to ensure that such projects occur on a regular, sustainable basis. Duncan believes that integrating eye health into St. Maartens education systems will improve the quality of education for those students who are fighting vision impairment but whose families cannot afford prescriptive eyewear. Because glasses are so expensive, it is not only practical but efficient to create private-public partnerships with key organizations on the island that may be willing to assist vulnerable students who desperately need it, noted Duncan. Prescriptive eyewear for children with special needs may offer even more complexities because of the style, quality, and sensitivity of the child. These glasses may be extremely expensive, added the MP. Because our vision affects our quality of life, I do not believe that this should be a private problem but rather a national concern to be included in both national preventative health programs and quality education policymaking and programming, concluded Duncan. Duncan will now await answers to questions posed to the Minister of ECYS concerning the collection of data on eye health, school screenings, and the introduction of policies and programs to prevent vision impairment. She has also suggested the creation of projects to not only assess the current state of eye health in schools but to increase assistance to vulnerable students. She hopes that there can be an increase in eye health subject matter in curriculums, regular eye screenings and personnel training in schools. The Philipsburg Methodist Chapel Christian witness was established and dedicated on October 19th 1851. Various activities commemorating the 170th Anniversary are being held with the theme Trust God in difficult times: transforming obstacles into opportunities. Some of these activities: Virtual Morning Devotions by Past and Present Minister, Virtual Prayers by current officers, Community Outreach Free Soup Day & Flea Market, Youth Explosion, Anniversary Service of Thanksgiving where Bishop the Rev. Charles A. Seaton preached and A lecture entitled: Philipsburg Chapel, Then and Now, presenters were Rev. E. Lloyd Brissett and Bro. Dennis Baptiste. An historical Collage Exhibition is being hosted at the Louisann Augusta Illidge Hall -The Brick building, Back Street # 91. The Exhibition gives an overview of the history of the church, its members, groups and organizations, and more. The public can visit the Exhibition on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 1:00 pm to 7.00 pm, and on Sundays after worship for a short period. Anniversary Memorabilia are on sale at the Exhibition. Reports and reviews have indicated that the celebrations have highlighted the significant historical milestone of this national monument and landmark strategically located in the heart of the business district of Philipsburg. We, the inheritors of this glorious legacy, give God thanks for the pioneers whose role was instrumental with the establishment, dedication, and maintenance of the Chapel. Mention must be made of: The wealthy and prominent Mrs. Louisann Augusta Illidge who was commonly referred to as the Mother of Methodism on St. Maarten and whose residence became the favorite resort of Methodists as well as dignitaries of the day; her residence known then as the Brick Mansion is now known as the Louisann Augusta Illdge Hall, the Brickbuilding. Gezaghebber J.D. Crol who approved and forwarded the petition in 1840 to His Majesty, to grant a plot of land in Philipsburg known as The Old English Church Lot, to the Methodist church. Rev. James Cox, Superintendent of the St. Kitts Circuit who conducted the dedication and opening services. Reverend Franklyn Roberts (1955 1958) who during his ministry, the renovation was done to the Chapel; the late Mr. Bernard Scott and the late Mr. Irad Doncher who did the renovation building scheme. The late Rev. Dr. Birchfield Aymer supervised the replacement of the original two-story wooden church building with the present concrete Chapel, while maintaining its original shape and design. The Federal Government of the then Netherlands Antilles declared the building a national monument. Rev. Neville Brodie who at the time, was Chairman and General Superintendent of the Leeward Islands District of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA), laid the cornerstone for the renovated building. The Philipsburg Methodist Chapel is a famous tourist attraction partly due to its strategic location. Over the year, many memorial services took place in this Chapel and it has also been the worship place of the Royal Family of the Netherlands for generations, whenever visiting Sint Maarten. Whether you are a visitor, a local resident, or a person who may not have a place of worship, a hearty and warm welcome awaits you with an evangelical, inspirational worship experience, 9.00 am each Sunday. Local featured No charges against trooper in Leonardtown teen's shooting Ham said he wanted to die, according to Azzari, who fired 15 rounds No charges will be filed against the state trooper who shot and killed 16-year-old Peyton Ham in Leonardtown on April 13. St. Marys County States Attorney Richard D. Fritz (R) released his offices report on the case on Wednesday morning, Oct. 20, shortly before he was scheduled to meet with Hams family. danbelson / File photo Deputy States Attorney Daniel White, on right, confers with investigators at the scene of the shooting of Peyton Ham, who was shot dead on April 13 in a confrontation with Maryland State Police Trooper Joseph Azzari. According to the report, Trooper Joseph Azzari responded to Hams home in the 23200 block of Hollywood Road on the day of the incident. Azzari, who parked behind a neighboring home, was only 550 feet away at the state police barrack and was about ready to go to court when two calls came in, the report states. Fritzs office concluded that Ham intentionally engaged in behavior that posed an apparent risk of imminent serious injury or death, with the intent to precipitate the use of deadly force by law enforcement personnel towards himself. danbelson / Submitted photo Peyton Ham was 16 when he was shot and killed by a state trooper in Leonardtown. Peyton Ham According to the report, the police recovered a hand-written note from the teenagers shorts pocket that had just one word written Sorry. Ham made two 911 calls reporting a suspicious man with a gun at his residence at 1:21 and 1:23 p.m., the report states. Azzari was immediately confronted by Ham, who came from behind a parked vehicle, the report states. Azzari said Ham walked toward him and said, I have a gun. Witnesses said that Ham pointed a gun at Azzari when Ham was approximately 17 feet away. The gun was a replica Sig Sauer P250, designed to shoot BB-style projectiles. However, the gun was nearly impossible to distinguish from a real firearm without close inspection, the report states, and it was not outfitted with an orange tip or other indication that it was designed to shoot pellets. Azzari gave Ham numerous commands to drop his gun, but Ham continued to approach the trooper with his weapon pointed at him, according to the report. Azzari fired 11 rounds initially at Ham and ordered him to the ground, and then advised dispatch that shots had been fired and the suspect was down. csoptelean / Submitted photo A Sig Sauer P250 replica gun that was used by Peyton Ham the day he died, according to a report from States Attorney Richard D. Fritz. Azzari gave numerous commands for Ham to lay on the ground in order to search him for any other weapons. As Azzari approached Ham, the teenager removed a knife from his pocket and brandished it while beginning to stand up, the report states. During this encounter, Ham stated to Trooper Azzari that he wanted to die, according to the report. Ham's family disappointed with decision not to charge trooper in teen's death Late Wednesday morning, five of Peyton Hams family members took time to comment on a decision by the St. Marys states attorney not to charge Joseph Azzari, the state trooper who shot and killed the 16-year-old in April. The state trooper and other people near the scene gave numerous commands for Ham to drop his knife, according to the report, and Azzari fired four more rounds at Ham after he ignored repeated orders. The report notes that a 2-second live photo from a neighbors iPhone supports Azzaris statements. A witness, identified in the report only as Patricia W., was headed south on Hollywood Road in her vehicle with her adult son at the time of the incident. The woman said she saw Ham pointing a gun at Azzari, who had his weapon drawn 15 feet away. Patricia W. said Azzari appeared to be calm and Ham very angry. A short time later she heard gunfire. A witness identified as Michelle M., who lives next door, was inside the home and heard gunshots. She looked out the window and heard Azzari ordering Ham to the ground, and saw him comply for a short time. Azzari was very close to Ham when he retrieved a knife from his pocket and began to stand up, Michelle M. said. She said she heard a relative of Hams at another nearby home shout at him to drop his knife. Michelle M. said she also told Ham to drop the knife. When Ham attempted to stand up, he was still holding the knife and was facing Azzari, who fired again, the witness said. Michelle M. took a live photo at 1:27 p.m. that showed Ham on the ground with an object in his hand. In the photo, another witness, identified as Kellee B., was on her porch a short distance away. Kellee B., a relative of Ham, declined to speak to investigators on scene, but was interviewed three days later. She said she was inside her home and heard seven gunshots and then heard Azzari say, Drop the knife. That witness said she began yelling for Ham to drop the knife. She said Ham said something to Azzari, but she could not make out what it was. She said Ham was shaking his head and mumbling. Ham was standing up with knife in hand when Azzari fired three or four more shots, she said. Another relative identified in the report as Victoria B., who lived in the same home as Ham, also initially declined to be interviewed, but was interviewed three days later. Victoria B. said that when Ham turned to face the police officer, he said, You dropped the gun, now drop the knife. She said Azzari repeatedly ordered Ham to drop the knife, but he refused. Victoria B. said she heard Kellee B. yell for Ham to drop the knife, and Victoria B. cried twice, [Peyton], just drop the knife. Azzari then fired shots that struck Ham in the chest and caused him to fall to the ground. Victoria said she was unsure why Ham would engage in such behavior. Letter from state's attorney clearing officer in shooting of Leonardtown teen According to the report, 15 rounds in total were fired from Azzaris Glock 22. Investigators recovered 15 .40-caliber shells and took numerous location and aerial drone photos. Investigators obtained Amazon Blink security cameras from Hams residence, but none recorded events during or immediately preceding the incident. A search warrant showed that an iPhone that belonged to Michael B., an authorized account user, deleted most of the 72 videos from April 13 to 14, according to the report. During an interview with investigators, Michael B., who also lived at Hams residence, allegedly said he did not delete any videos and that they were probably deleted by the system due to storage space issues. However, an Amazon search warrant stated that any videos would show a 0 in the deleted by client number column and not Michaels iPhone. csoptelean / Staff photo by Caleb M. Soptelean Kristee Boyle, mother of 16-year-old Peyton Ham, stands next to a poster that Leonardtown High School Assistant Principal Katie Kortokrax made for a student-led memorial service. Four of Hams Model United Nations Club members made the podium, Boyle said. On Wednesday morning, Michael Boyle, Hams father, said in an interview with Southern Maryland News that he told investigators he did delete some of the videos, which he said didnt show anything relevant because the shooting took place on the side of their home and the video camera was next to their front door. The video took tunnel vision, he said. An autopsy showed seven gunshot wounds to Ham, including two to the neck, two to his left arm and one each to his chest, left shoulder and right forearm. An April 14 report from the Baltimore Sun said that three bullets wound up in Jean Kenney Combs garage across the street from the shooting and one lodged in a stepladder inside the garage. One also struck another neighbors boarded-up window, according to the daily newspaper. Body camera footage was obtained from St. Marys sheriffs officers who responded. None was obtained from Azzaris vehicle because he arrived on scene without lights and sirens activated, the report states. According to an Oct. 14 Maryland State Police briefing, Azzari, who had been with the state police for about 2 years at the time of the shooting, was reassigned to the Prince Frederick barrack for administrative duty. mmadden / STAFF PHOTO BY MARTY MADDEN Peyton Hams parents, Michael and Kristee Boyle, address attendees of a Justice for Peyton rally on July 17.Kristee Ham was an honors student at Leonardtown High School. He was the son of Michael and Kristee Boyle. Twitter: @CalebSoMdNews HID Global hails the renewed promise of mobile access Its been almost exactly a decade since HID Global launched the world's first university pilot of smartphones carrying secure mobile IDs. A lot has changed in the following 10 years. Todays technology has matured, advanced, and proliferated across a variety of high-value use cases. To catch up on the latest developments in mobile access, we contacted Luc Merredew, Product Marketing Director, Physical Access Control, at HID Global. Q: What has changed since the first pilot implementation of smartphones used for secure mobile identification? Merredew: One of the biggest milestones several years ago was when mobile access solutions achieved certification to the ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System (ISMS) standard. With increasing awareness of cloud-based security threats and resulting high expectations from a solution, todays system owners, operators, and users insist on companies being able to demonstrate that they have had their services vetted by independent laboratories and/or agencies. When adopting mobile access solutions that maximise convenience and efficiency, and deliver dramatically improved user experiences, it is neither necessary nor acceptable to compromise security in either the physical or digital domains. Q: Do universities continue to be the biggest users? Mobile IDs on devices eliminate person-to-person credentials when accessing secured areas Merredew: The use cases have grown dramatically, spread evenly across all types of organisations in locations ranging from high-rise buildings to multi-campus global enterprises. But yes, universities continue to be big adopters, and they were among those most eager to leverage the technology so they could bring people back to campus in person during the pandemic. In this environment, mobile IDs on smartphones and other devices eliminate person-to-person credential (e.g., badge or ID card) issuance or revocation, as well as the need to physically touch cards, readers, or keypads when accessing secured areas. Q: How were mobile IDs employed by your customers as they brought people back to physical locations after the pandemic shutdown? Merredew: One example is Vanderbilt University, where the challenges of COVID-19 brought renewed attention to the importance of a modern system for identity management and access control that was compatible with Near Field Communication (NFC) and Bluetooth technologies. Members of the campus community could more conveniently access buildings and services with their mobile devices, and the university could efficiently provision and de-provision credentials remotely without person-to-person contact. More recently, Vanderbilt leveraged HID Mobile Access to deploy campus IDs on iPhone and Apple Watch through Apple Wallet. Q: Is there another example outside the university vertical? Merredew: Another example is the iconic tower Arcos Bosques Torre 1 in Mexico City, where the owners and tenants enjoy the simplicity of using their trusted mobile devices to seamlessly access their spaces. As with the Vanderbilt deployment, the drive for operational efficiency and convenience in the tower was combined with a desire to minimise the need for users to come in physical contact with the system. Having a solution like HID Mobile Access that delivers touchless entry and increased safety and security is important. Q: What have been the biggest mobile access advancements? The mobile credential provides contactless, seamless access to a wide range of devices and services Merredew: One of the most important advancements was simplifying upgrade paths to mobile access. In the Vanderbilt example, our HID Reader Manager was used to upgrade the firmware on the universitys physical access control readers and extend support for NFC-based credentials in Apple Wallet. The university uses the HID Origo Mobile Identities API integrated with CS Gold, a higher education transaction system from CBORD, for credential lifecycle management. Another significant enhancement has been the expanded range of uses cases for the mobile credential, going beyond simply opening doors to include providing contactless, seamless access to a wide range of devices and services such as time-and-attendance terminals, cashless vending machines, printers, computers, workstations, and many other applications. Q: Wearables are also having an impact. Merredew: Contactless mobile experiences are also delivered through wearable wristbands. One example is the Nymi band which, once authenticated, continuously authenticates the identity of the user until its removed from the wrist. This delivers zero-trust security principles and access control using convenient fingerprint and heartbeat biometrics to users seeking touchless authentication. Q: What is the impact of the cloud? Merredew: The move to a cloud-based system to issue and manage mobile identity credentials has unified, automated, and simplified identity issuance at a single facility or across any number of distributed office or remote work locations. Q: What should end users look for in a mobile access solution? Look for solutions that use a secure element in the reader as well as cloud certificates, to ensure security and data privacy Merredew: Solutions should support the largest possible number of popular mobile devices in HIDs case, this includes more than 250. Look for solutions that use a secure element in the reader, and a secure key management process, as well as cloud certificates, to ensure both security and data privacy. Make sure the solution supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), and both iOS and Android operating systems. Solutions that provide Application Programming Interface (API) and Software Development Kit (SDK) support offer direct access to the solutions access control hardware, speeding deployment while enabling integration partners to continue innovating products that deliver even better user experiences. Q: Wonder what this market will look like in 10 more years. Whats next for mobile access? Merredew: Future innovations are on the horizon with technologies such as Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wireless connectivity, which HID expects will become ubiquitous on mobile devices. It provides unprecedented accuracy and security when measuring the distance or determining the relative position of a target. It is not HIDs expectation that UWB will replace Near Field Communication (NFC) or Bluetooth, but rather supplement Bluetooth and other technologies to provide the assurance, reliability, and granularity of device position that enables truly seamless experiences. Well episode three of CSI: Vegas was not bad. The case of the week was good enough to keep me interested and the overarching story got some development. The case of the week focused on the murder of Sandra King, a game designer. She was murdered while out on a run. This was an interesting case in that nothing was what it seemed. The process the characters followed was straightforward and the evidence involved was simple but provided a well thought out plot. However, the episode showed that a first look doesn't always provide you with the correct answer. At the beginning, both the viewer and the characters believed it was a simple murder by stabbing, but it turned out the knives were not metallic. They 3D printed knives into the shape of a weapon used in the victims game. I thought this was pretty cool! The 3D printing idea, not the murder... obviously. The scenes at the water fountain between Allie and Josh were amusing and pleasant. The dumpster diving with Allie was very practical, it was likely something was disposed of there as the bins were so close to the scene. The scene where Josh uses a solution of copper sulfate and an oxidizing reagent to track the killers footprints (which were dried fountain water) was quite refreshing. I wouldn't have thought to do anything like that, but the ATM machine would've likely been found no matter what. The CCTV footage leads them to Sandra's company partner Ben Miller, who swears he didn't do it, even though his face is clearly visible. This is another time where everything is not as it seems, another run-through of the scene and the water itself produces a brown contact lens. This coupled with the footage showing the murderer a blue and brown eye, and gait analysis (where they measure the way a person walks) points to Ron Keane. Josh believed that a 3D mask had been made to incriminate Miller for the murder of his partner. Roy Keane apparently had the experience and expertise to carry this out. It certainly smart plan and devious as she was killed with a weapon designed within her own creation. The team eventually manage to catch Ron as he slips up when trying to destroy the mask. He leaves a digger bee stinger on his hoodie which allows Max to find the burnt up mask and put Ron Keane in jail. I like Josh and Allie as partners in crime, however, it is a little odd because they used to date. I would hope they didn't date while being professional partners at the crime lab, I would have thought that inappropriate. They also got a few goofy scenes together, they were trying to work out how the killer was scratched by flinging themselves into a inflatable pool of water. An interesting way to help solve a case. Josh was even more upbeat and different to his pilot episode, there must've been a change in writing after the pilot. We also found out what their views on Hodges innocence are, Allie doesn't believe Hodges would do it because he's worked in that lab before. However, Josh doesnt know, he maybe did do it to be a star or didn't do it at all. Interesting views and sounds familiar. Cough Sara and Grissom replacements Cough. For the overarching story, there were several lines of investigating Sara and Grissom followed. Behind the scenes though, Internal Affairs Agent Nora Cross was introduced i.e. spelling trouble for everyone at the Las Vegas Crime Lab. The David Hodges case is also been scheduled for trial, not giving the team much time to prove innocence. By the end of the episode, Gil, Sara, and Maxine had narrowed the burglar to Male, between 45 & 60, and of South American Descent. Back at Hodges house, a framed photograph was missing which Gil theorised is where the fingermarks at the locker had come from. Another piece of evidence was a smudge on a box which Sara later determined to be makeup suggesting the burglar had a possible skin condition. With all leads run to the end, Gil and Sara suggest a visit to the police evidence warehouse to see who could have collected the evidence found in the locker. Maxine is hesitant though because Gil and Sara should be working an animal cruelty case. It makes sense why Max is nervous. If, for example, IA found out all the evidence collected would be inadmissible in court and would seal Davids fate. Maxine eventually gives them a book filled with the names of everyone who visited the lab over the year, which Gil and Sara go through and narrow based on parameters mentioned previously. The final scene of the episode ends with Maxine receiving a text that Nora Cross will be taking the case to Washoe County, spelling trouble for the Las Vegas Team. Sara, Gil, and Maxine are the best team in the show. They all work together smoothly and all interactions are fluid and fun to watch. A particularly good scene from this episode was with them in the lab determining phenotypes of the burglar. Sara and Maxine joke that Gil broke into the house because the burglar was likely between 45 & 60. Gil just looks confused at them while they laugh about it. Speaking of Grissom, I was nervous for him throughout the episode. He kept getting dizzy and blurry vision which was affecting his ability to work at times. It turns out he has Land Sickness, something I've never heard of. Grissom tells Sara that it may or may not ever go away, so she hugs him and that they'll get through it together. A very heartfelt scene! On a completely separate note, Gil Grissoms knowledge of insects freaks me out a little. Let me know what you all thought about this episode of CSI: Vegas in the comments I will leave you with this final quote which gives us a fantastic question! "If you're Crime Scene Investigators, why aren't you at the crime scene?" - SarahR Is age mental? It seems that Queen Elizabeth II thinks so, or something very similar. After a British Oldie magazine chose her to award her the Old Woman of the Year award, the head of the crown rejected it with great reason. This was expressed by means of a letter sent by his personal secretary, in which he assures that one is "as old as he feels" , therefore, " he does not believe that he meets the relevant criteria to accept the award." The Oldie of the year awards have already been 29 editions, in which they have celebrated the achievements of those who have made a spatial contribution to public life, as explained on their website. Who have they awarded? Winners include Oscar or Nobel Prize winning actors, the Queen Mother, artist David Hockney, and even the late Duke of Edinburgh was mentioned in the 2011 edition when he was 90 years old. The latter responded that he was very grateful for the invitation, there is nothing like this to remind the moral that the years go by faster and faster and that the parts of an old body begin to fall. But it's nice to be remembered , however, he did not attend the delivery. Maybe you're interested: The Crown and its 10 leadership lessons According to the BBC , Maureen Lipman was one of the jurors to suggest the queen to receive the award "for her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic" and as a pre-celebration of her 70th anniversary on the throne. Regardless of what the queen says about her age, there is a recent concern regarding her health. The monarch has decided to cancel a visit to Northern Ireland following the advice of her doctors, who have asked her to rest. Also, according to Vanity Fair , two sources close to the queen, doctors have advised Elizabeth II to leave her usual evening martini, to avoid alcohol and consume only on special occasions. In addition, on October 12, he was seen using a cane during a ceremony held at Westminster Abbey, something that had not happened since 2013 after undergoing a knee operation. Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Regulators in Connecticut and New York have approved the merger between Buffalo-based M&T Bank and People United Bank, which is headquartered in Bridgeport. News of the regulatory approval from the New York State Department of Financial Services and the Connecticut Department of Banking came Thursday after the close of U.S. financial markets to complete the merger of M&T Bank with People's United Bank. Officials with M&T said the merger was unanimously approved by both regulatory agencies. The deal, which shareholders of both banks approved in May, is still awaiting federal regulatory approval, according to Maya Dillon, an M&T spokeswoman. She declined further comment when reached Thursday evening. The $6.7 billion deal was announced earlier and raised the ire of state political leaders when M&T filed a notice with the Connecticut Department of Labor in July that it planned to lay off 747 employees starting this month and continuing through May 20, 2022. M&T pledged to retain approximately 80 percent of Peoples United workforce, which was at 5,600 when the announcement of the layoffs was first made. That pledge included a promise to retain all of the 1,068 Peoples United employees who deal with the public. M&T officials also said they would keep at least 1,000 people in Bridgeport within a year after the two banks merge their computer systems in February 2022. John Carusone, president of the Bank Analysis Center, a Hartford-based industry consulting firm, said among the approvals that must be obtained for the merger to be completed are the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Department of Justice, which will review the deal to determine if it is anti-competitive. He said there are safeguards in place that would prevent M&T from reneging on the promises it has made. They have to file a business plan, a plan of reorganization with all the regulatory agencies, Carusone said. In those plans, they have to layout what the implications the merger will have to all of the local economies served by Peoples United. They would risk a tremendous loss of confidence with regulators if they were to be cute and deviate from that plan in any way. Carusone said he is surprised there hasnt been more community activism surrounding the deal in an effort to extract more concessions as part of the merger. Its disappointing that these transactions have become so ho-hum, so run of the mill that activists arent really paying attention to them, he said. In addition to New York, M&T has banking offices in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (AP) A second student charged in the fraternity hazing death of a Bowling Green State University sophomore has pleaded guilty. Aaron Lehane, 21, of Loveland, entered his pleas Thursday as part of a deal with Wood County prosecutors. He is due to be sentenced in February and could face a potential jail term. Lehane pleaded guilty to eight counts of hazing, two misdemeanor obstruction counts, and violation of underage alcohol laws. The counts stem from the March death of 20-year-old Stone Foltz, a sophomore from Delaware, Ohio. Foltz, who was trying to join Pi Kappa Alpha, was found unconscious by a roommate after the hazing ritual and died three days later. He drank an entire bottle of bourbon and could not walk on his own afterward, according to findings from a law firm hired by the university to investigate the death. Charges ranging from involuntary manslaughter to hazing are still pending against six other defendants. Foltzs parents attended Thursday's hearing with their attorney Rex Elliot, who said he anticipates more defendants will plead guilty in the coming weeks, judging by the significant amount of evidence from the hazing event. Every time we have a plea, that translates into accountability and responsibility for the death of Stone Foltz, Elliot said. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden botched the numbers behind the COVID-19 vaccine rollout Thursday as he stretched to take all the credit for the surge of shots once he was in office. A look at his remarks during a CNN town hall event: COVID BIDEN: When I first was elected, there were only 2 million people who had COVID shots in the United States of America and the vaccine. Now we got 190 million, because I went out and bought everything I could do and buy in sight and it worked." THE FACTS: No, thats not how the vaccine rollout in the U.S. happened. Biden is overstating his part. First, it's not true that 2 million people had shots when he was elected in November. The COVID-19 vaccines were still awaiting emergency authorization then. The first shots were administered to the public in mid-December. Nearly 16 million doses had been administered by Jan. 20, the day Biden took office. And Biden didnt buy up all the doses the Trump administration had purchased 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna in December, weeks before Biden was inaugurated. The Trump administration's vaccine plan fell short of its goals and suffered from disarray out of the gate. On Inauguration Day, less than half of the 36 million doses distributed to the states by the federal government had been administered. Even so, the plan set the stage for an acceleration of vaccinations that did not happen solely because Biden "went out and bought everything I could do." ___ BORDER: BIDEN, asked why he hasn't visited the U.S.-Mexico border as president: Ive been there before and I havent, I mean I know it well. I guess I should go down but the whole point of it is I havent had a whole hell of a lot of time to get down. Ive been spending time going around looking at the $900 billion worth of damage done by hurricanes and floods and weather and traveling around the world. but I plan on now, my wife Jill has been down. Shes been on both sides of the river. THE FACTS: Yes, Jill Biden has been to the border but not, as he implies, as the eyes and ears of a president consumed with crises. She wasn't first lady and he wasn't president when she went to Brownsville, Texas, in December 2019 and walked across to Matamoros, Mexico, to hand out Christmas meals and toys to the families of asylum seekers and witness their living conditions. Vice President Kamala Harris in June visited the U.S.-Mexico border and spent a half-day, touring a Customs and Border Protection processing center, meeting with migrant children there, visiting an intake center on the border and holding a roundtable with local service providers. Harriss trip came after months of criticism from Republicans and some in her own party over the absence of Biden and her from the border at a time when immigration officers had logged record numbers of encounters with migrants attempting to cross into the U.S. - Seitz reported from Columbus, Ohio. Darlene Superville in Washington and David Klepper in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE A look at the veracity of claims by political figures. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck The number of state employees flouting Gov. Ned Lamonts order to be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing more than doubled over the last two weeks, the administration said Friday, even as the overall percentage of fully vaccinated workers rose slightly. A total of 1,482 workers roughly 5 percent of the states 30,623 executive branch employees were not in compliance with Lamonts vaccine mandate, according to the latest data released Friday. Thats up from 671 non-compliant workers listed in the administrations last report on Oct. 7. The spike in non-compliance was largely driven by unvaccinated employees who failed to submit proper proof of weekly testing. The vast majority of state workers have chosen to comply with Lamonts order by getting vaccinated. That number rose even higher this month, going from 78.5 percent of workers on Oct. 7 to 80.8 percent as of Fridays report. The majority of employees who are not in compliance at the moment are due to incomplete or late testing result submissions and have indicated to us that they are in the process of getting that rectified, said David Bednarz, a spokesman for Lamont. When those temporary situations are rectified, we anticipate more than 99 percent will be in compliance. Lamont has backed up his order by placing veteran workers on unpaid leave for refusing to comply as well as firing workers who are within their six-month probationary period. His administration clarified on Friday that 22 probationary workers have been fired, down from the 28 cited last week due to an error that caused six employees to be included in the count who were fired for reasons other than non-compliance with the vaccine mandate. There were 29 veteran employees on unpaid leave for non-compliance Friday up from 14 last week and another 70 employees who were in the process of being placed on unpaid leave. The state also announced Friday another 453 Connecticut residents had tested positive for the virus, with a daily positivity rate of 1.79 percent. There were 211 people hospitalized Friday with COVID, a net decrease of 13 patients. While the number of daily coronavirus infections in Connecticut have waned slightly since August, when Lamont first announced the vaccine mandate for state employees, health experts this week said it was still too soon to begin easing up on other public safety precautions such as indoor mask wearing. State hospital employees and workers at long-term care facilities were not given the option to forgo vaccination in lieu of weekly testing, unless they have a religious or medical exemption. The data released by the Lamont administration on Friday showed that agency workers in those categories such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Developmental Services were vaccinated at a rate of 86 percent, and that 4 percent were out of compliance with the mandate. State agencies with the highest rates of non-compliant workers included the Department of Correction and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection each at 9 percent as well as the Department of Education and Connecticut Technical Education and Career Systems, at 7 percent. The Office of Early Childhood Education, with 118 employees, was the only executive branch agency to report complete compliance with the governors mandate. BRIDGEPORT A Darien man, who is also awaiting trial on multiple charges including DUI and strangulation, was charged Thursday with driving drunk and killing a Stamford woman last year. Robert Oxer, 26, of Pear Tree Road, Darien, was charged in a warrant with second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, operating under the influence and motor vehicle charges by state police. During his arraignment Thursday afternoon, Supervisory Assistant States Attorney Ann Lawlor urged Superior Court Judge Tracy Lee Dayton to set a high bond for Oxer because of the serious allegation and his criminal history. But Oxers lawyer, Eugene Riccio, asked the judge for lenience for his client, who glanced back at his parents sitting in the rear of the courtroom. Ive known him for many years and all his problems arise from substance abuse, Riccio told the judge. He continued that his client has spent the last three months at an inpatient alcohol treatment facility in Florida. I understand these are serious charges but we have never had any problems getting him to court, the lawyer said. Im not so concerned with his coming to court, Dayton replied. She said she was more concerned with Oxers criminal history, including the pending DUI. This is a terrible case, Dayton said. She ordered Oxer held in lieu of $250,000 bond and continued the case to Dec. 2. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, shortly after 1 a.m. on Sept. 19, 2020, state police were dispatched to Route 8 in Trumbull for a crash. When troopers got to the scene, southbound between Exit 10 and the Merritt Parkway overpass, the affidavit states they found a womans body in the roadway several yards from the remains of a motorcycle. The woman, identified as 36-year-old Shirley Regado-Rodriguez, of Stamford, was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple injuries to her head and torso, the affidavit states. Troopers found Oxer lying near the median. They said he complained that his legs were hurting, the result of being run over by a passing vehicle that continued driving and left the scene, the affidavit states. The affidavit continues that Oxer smelled strongly of alcohol and a blood test later done at St. Vincents Medical Center determined he had a blood/alcohol content of .23 or nearly three times the legal limit. The affidavit states that a subsequent investigation of the scene determined that Oxer, with Regado-Rodriguez as a passenger, had been driving the motorcycle at more than 80 miles per hour on the highway when he struck the back of a Volkswagen sedan. Both Oxer and Regado-Rodriguez were thrown from the bike by the impact. Only Oxer was wearing a helmet, the affidavit states. According to court records, Oxer is awaiting trial on several charges, including second-degree strangulation as a result of a 2019 arrest in Darien. It was the first time in decades that shed seen his glow. At the California foundry that fired a bust of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey Percy Newton, his widow supervised as a bronze caster put finishing touches on what is to become the first permanent public art piece honoring the party in the city of its founding. It just glowed, like he did, Fredrika Newton said. His skin just glistened. The unveiling is scheduled for Sunday at Dr. Huey P. Newton Way and Mandela Parkway, near the spot where Newton was murdered in 1989. It comes as Panther alumni, descendants and others gathered to mark the 55th anniversary of a party that has long been both celebrated and vilified. Newton remains a divisive figure. Many people still dismiss him as the leader of a band of beret-wearing, gun-toting hustlers -- and no doubt would deplore the prospect of an American city memorializing him with a statue. Others say his failings were a drag on the Black Power movement. Still, many love him to this day, venerating him as a man who, with Bobby Seale, sought to unite all Black, impoverished and oppressed people against what they considered Americas racist, capitalistic and unjust interests. His influence on the Black Lives Matter movement is undeniable. Huey was maybe the only man Ive ever known that was a truly free man, said his older brother, Melvin Newton. He was universal. He felt that no one could be on his back, if he stood up. And he always stood ram-rod straight. The youngest of seven children, Newton was born on Feb. 17, 1942, in Monroe, Louisiana. His parents, Walter and Armelia Newton, moved the family to Oakland during a wave of the Great Migration, when the promise of work and less overt racial oppression lured thousands of African American families out of the Jim Crow South. Newton struggled with his education, unable to read or write in high school even as he was arrested for petty crimes. It was only after graduation from high school that his real education began; a self-taught reader, he studied the works of W.E.B. DuBois, Frantz Fanon and James Baldwin. By his late 30s, he had a doctorate in social philosophy from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and he was well on his way to global fame and notoriety. After meeting at a community college in Oakland, Newton and Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self Defense in October 1966. Newton, the minister for defense, and Seale, the chairman, were frustrated with the largely Southern civil rights movement spearheaded by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which they felt had failed to address the problems of Black people in the North and West. Historian Robert W. Widell, Jr., who as a graduate student helped catalog Newtons writings at Stanford University, said Newton was not a natural front man. My sense is that he sort of pushed himself out there to be this public, confrontational figure on the streets, said Widell, now the history department chair at the University of Rhode Island. But I dont know that that was his natural inclination, personality-wise. He was more of a theoretician. And I think he was pretty surprised at how rapidly (the Panthers) grew in exposure, whether it was fame or infamy. Newton and Seale wrote the partys Ten Point Program, which laid out the partys beliefs and its demands. The partys Survival Programs were beloved in nearly 70 communities the U.S. and abroad where it had chapters. The Panthers were known, among other things, for free breakfast programs for schoolchildren and a pioneering sickle cell disease testing program. Panthers antagonistic relationship with law enforcement has long cast a shadow over its legacy. In 1967, Newton was jailed for the shooting death of an Oakland police officer who had pulled him over. Although Newton was himself shot during the encounter and denied being responsible for the officers death, he was tried and convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 1968. While imprisoned, the Free Huey campaign helped make him a symbol of racial injustice in the American criminal legal system. His conviction was overturned in 1970, and he emerged from prison to discover the party had grown well beyond Oakland. Its image largely centered on armed self-defense, including violent and lethal encounters between Panthers and police, both in Oakland and around the country. I think we also need to recognize the very real ways in which a lot of the violence that surrounded the Panthers was instigated and provoked by law enforcement themselves, Widell said. Newton sought to rehabilitate the Panthers image, urging members to focus on the popular Survival Programs. He advocated for the rights of the Black community to defend itself from police, but changed his view that party members should openly carry guns as a check on police brutality. Peter Coyote, the American actor and founder of the Diggers, a San Francisco improv troupe that worked with Panthers early on, grew close to Newton. The actor said the two communicated by phone almost weekly while Newton was incarcerated. He was funny, Coyote said, and he was also deadly serious. He knew he was putting his life at risk and he was playing for keeps. And when you meet people like that, you dont forget them. Although it had been in decline for several years, the Black Panther Party didnt fold until 1982. That was after years of police surveillance, as well as dwindling national membership, infighting, allegations of embezzlement and scandals in which Newton was implicated and criminally charged. Newtons addictions to alcohol and drugs overtook him. On Aug. 22, 1989, he was murdered in Oakland, California, by a drug dealer. He was 47. Newtons bust, Fredrika Newton said, is meant to celebrate someone whose life and contributions to American history mean much more than his decline and demise. I would like for people to see him as a total human being, said Newton, co-founder of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation. That he wasnt just an iconic figure in a wicker chair. This was a man with vulnerabilities, with feelings, with insecurities, with frailties, just like anybody. ___ Morrison, a native of Oakland, California, is a member of the APs Race and Ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aaronlmorrison. GOSHEN, Ind. (AP) A northern Indiana woman has been charged with allegedly setting a May house fire that killed a man and an 8-year-old boy. Genessa Jones of Elkhart appeared for an initial hearing Thursday where she was formally charged with two counts of causing a death while committing arson. An Elkhart County judge entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf and appointed a public defender to represent her. President Joe Biden's long-sought goal of free community college appears to be a victim of cost-cutting in his social spending plan, dealing a major blow to his vision for a historic expansion of educational opportunity to all Americans. Biden acknowledged as much in a televised town hall on Thursday night, citing the political realities created by Democratic holdout Sen. Joe Manchin and "one other person." Still, he pledged that the fight was not over. I promise you I guarantee you were going to get free community college in the next several years and across the board. For Biden, it represents yet another setback to a plan he has been pushing for years. He backed a proposal for free community college in 2015 under the Obama administration, made it a key issue in his 2020 presidential campaign and has remained a staunch champion of the idea along with his wife, Jill, who teaches English at a community college. During the CNN town hall, Biden pointed to other provisions in the legislation, including increased Pell Grants for low-income students, as a way to make up some of the difference. Supporters are lobbying to preserve the free community college. They say it would help more Americans earn degrees while also stabilizing the nation's community colleges, which saw enrollments plummet during the pandemic. Peter Granville, a senior policy associate at the left-leaning Century Foundation, said the plan would have given a financial boost to students who need it most. An investment in community college is an investment in student-parents, in workers who are looking for a second chance and in the foundations of our workforce, he said. Too much of the burden rests on families, and college costs keep rising. Rise, a student-run nonprofit that supports free college, was urging supporters to call lawmakers on Friday in hopes of keeping the proposal alive. The group argues that millions of students were relying on the plan to improve their futures. Biden included the proposal in his social spending package along with a separate proposal for two years of free preschool. Taken together, it promised to expand free public education by four years and expand education opportunities from childhood through college. But free community college has drawn sharp opposition from Republicans and even some Democrats who prefer benefits that are limited to low-income students. Those who have opposed it include Manchin, D-W. Va., a key holdout of Bidens spending plan. The proposal from House Democrats included a five-year, $45 billion plan to give Americans two years of free community college. It required states to opt in and eventually cover 20% of the cost. It was already a scaled-back version of Biden's initial proposal, which called for $109 billion to fund the program for 10 years. Biden pitched it as an economic driver that would help more Americans get workforce training or transfer their credits to a four-year university. The plan was seen as a lifeline for some community colleges that have faced state funding cuts and smaller student enrollments. The number of students at two-year public colleges was down 10% this spring compared to last year, while four-year universities saw a decrease of less than 1%. Advocates say the pandemic has taken a heavier toll on students at community colleges. Many juggle jobs, parenting and other responsibilities that took priority during the pandemic, and many were put on furlough or lost their jobs, putting tuition out of reach. The proposal was also intended to help address racial inequities in education. Black and Hispanic students graduate from college at lower rates than white students, but those who do graduate are more likely to have attended a community college. Granville, of the Century Foundation, said Bidens plan would have sent students a clear message that there are affordable college options. The financial aid system has particularly left behind Black and brown communities and low-income communities, leading to many students from those communities turning to lower quality programs at for-profit schools, he said. Removing the free tuition proposal misses an opportunity to make college more affordable and to prevent states from slashing higher education funding in the future, said Kate Tromble, vice president of the nonprofit Institute for College Access and Success. A key provision in the proposal would have required states to maintain their funding for colleges. In times of economic downturn, states often cut higher education funding, leading schools to increase costs to families. Without that stable funding, youre looking at potential volatility in tuition prices, she said. If the proposal isnt salvaged, advocates are pressing for funding increases to other higher education plans in the bill. The package already calls for a $500 increase to the maximum Pell Grant award, but advocates say it should now be expanded further. About 20 states already offer some version of free college, and dozens of smaller programs are offered by cities, counties and nonprofits. At the state level, it crosses political lines, with programs offered in New York and California along with Tennessee and Oklahoma. But in Congress, Republicans have firmly opposed it. Some say its unfair to offer free tuition to wealthier students at the expense of taxpayers who choose not to attend college. And some Democrats, such as Manchin, want benefits limited to those under certain incomes. Removing Bidens community college plan would also deliver a blow to Democrats in Congress who made college affordability a focal point of the 2020 presidential primary. Candidates including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren campaigned on promises to forgive huge swaths of student debt and to make tuition free at public colleges and universities. With input from his wife, Biden proposed a more modest plan: $750 billion to make community and technical colleges tuition-free, among other higher education initiatives. He also promised to double Pell grants top value for additional expenses such as housing, books and food. The day after Sanders ended his campaign in April 2020, Biden promised to wipe out student debt for most low and middle-income borrowers. But as president, he has scaled back those ambitions and now questions whether he has the legal authority to forgive student debt at that scale. Instead, he has focused on making community college affordable. Now, with that at risk of evaporating, it shows the stark differences between sweeping campaign promises and the realities of Congress. ___ Associated Press writer Will Weissert contributed to this report. Anticipating that federal officials will soon grant emergency authorization to a coronavirus vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, Connecticuts Department of Public Health has reached out to 1,100 providers across the state to begin developing a network for administering the shots. As of last week, at least 200 pediatricians had responded and said they would administer the vaccine, Dr. Manisha Juthani, Connecticuts public health commissioner, said in an interview. The state will pre-order 39,000 doses of the vaccine for children in that age group by the end of the week, health officials said, and it is expected to have about 150,000 doses available across pediatric offices, pharmacies and other locations by the time the rollout begins. In Connecticut, about 277,630 children fall into the 5- to 11-year-old age bracket. We have pediatrician practices that have signed up to be able to give the vaccine; we have anticipated pharmacies that will be available also to give vaccines to kids, Juthani said. And we have the DPH vans that have been going around the state, so setting up vans in different places to have outreach would be another potential option. The mass vaccination sites that played an important role in getting adolescents and adults inoculated this year will not be part of the states strategy for young children, she said. Instead, pediatric offices that are comfortable and familiar to families will be a key area for vaccine administration. There are going to be multiple places where people can go for children - their familiar places, and then maybe their neighborhood places, Juthani said. I dont think the large mass-vax sites are going to happen like they did for adults. School-based health centers could also play a crucial part in helping administer the vaccine. For children who dont have good access to the health care system or who want the convenience of being immunized at school, Juthani said the state is considering partnering with those centers. Melanie Bonjour, who served as president of the Connecticut Association of School-Based Health Centers for more than a decade until this month, said the health centers have provided numerous services in response to the pandemic, including rapid and PCR testing and screening for COVID-19, along with continuing to offer primary care. Some facilities have also vaccinated teachers and students against the coronavirus. The Pfizer vaccine is approved for emergency use in 12- to 17-year-olds. Bonjour envisions the health centers providing critical support as the shot is expanded to include 5- to 11-year-olds. Because weve been demonstrating our support in assisting with COVID testing and COVID vaccines, both in school and in the community, I think theyll play a fairly vital role, she said. It may not necessarily be that there are mass vaccine clinics in the elementary schools, but certainly they will be instrumental and part of the vaccine administrative process. School leaders are also in discussions with the state about administration of vaccines in school buildings. They have not yet revealed how the clinics would work. At the Hartford Public School District, spokesman John Fergus said officials believe parents will primarily turn to family doctors once the shot is approved for 5- to 11-year-olds. However, he said, HPS has ongoing discussions with the Hartford Health Department and our other local health partners about opportunities for vaccination access to all our students and families. We expect to know more in the near future. Earlier this month, Pfizer and BioNTech sought emergency use approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to open their coronavirus vaccine to children ages 5 to 11. A meeting to review the request has been scheduled for Tuesday, and a decision could quickly follow. Connecticuts plan to roll out the shots mirrors the national strategy laid out by the Biden administration Wednesday. Federal officials are leaning away from mass vaccination sites and engaging pediatricians and school clinics to help in the effort. The Biden administration is seeking the aid of more than 25,000 pediatric or primary care offices, more than 100 childrens hospitals and health systems, tens of thousands of pharmacies, hundreds of school and community-based health centers and hundreds of community health clinics and rural health clinics, it said in a statement. The Administrations plan will mobilize a comprehensive effort across the public and private sectors to ensure that we have the supply, the sites, and the support needed to get our nations children vaccinated and protected against the virus, it said. Encouraging participation In Connecticut, state leaders and medical personnel are preparing to listen to parents concerns, dispel myths about the vaccine and encourage participation. For Dr. Scott Schoem, president of the Connecticut chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and head of pediatric otolaryngology at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center, those conversations have already begun. While many parents are eager to vaccinate their children, he said, others have concerns about possible side effects. There are those who tell me they got vaccinated themselves, but theyre still reticent about the safety issues in younger children because they dont feel there was enough of a robust, big study with a long-term look at potential side effects, he said. Well, of course no ones going to have five-year data on long-term, potential side effects. But one of the reasons why it took the FDA longer to approve [the vaccine] for the 12- to 17-year-old group is that they really wanted to look at the side effects. And the reason why its taking longer now for the 5- to 11-year-old group is that they made Pfizer and Moderna go back and look at lower doses. The childrens vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech is expected to be a third of the dose - 10 micrograms - of the immunization given to adults and teenagers. The adult dose is 30 micrograms. They were able to show that it has the same efficacy, but fewer side effects, Schoem said. For parents, he said, I think a lot of it is fear of the unknown, where they say, Im willing to do it for myself, but Im not so sure, for my younger child, whether Im ready for this. I think many parents will come around to it once they see enough data, once its been FDA approved, and there are thousands and thousands of children around the country who have been vaccinated and theyre not showing some kind of different or unusual adverse effect. Another concern physicians have heard is that parents feel the vaccine is not needed because their child has lived through the pandemic so far without catching the virus. What I tell parents is that there are still fewer risks in getting the vaccine and having some measure of protection than in getting COVID and potentially getting very sick, Schoem said. I try to frame the discussion in a risk assessment - you cant protect your child from getting COVID, theyre out there in the world; theyre mixing with all these other kids. And their chances of eventually getting it are pretty high. Of course, the vaccine doesnt prevent you from getting it 100 percent, he added. But your chances of getting really sick will be much less if you get the vaccine. Some parents have expressed fears about incidences of myocarditis and pericarditis that were reported following the vaccine, mostly in adolescent boys and young men. As of July, 1,226 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis had been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), after administration of about 300 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna shots. Not all had been verified. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle. Pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart. In both cases, the bodys immune system causes inflammation in response to an infection or some other trigger, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Juthani, who is also an infectious disease physician, said the risk for myocarditis is higher when someone gets COVID-19 than when they receive the vaccine. Children, adolescents and adults who get COVID get myocarditis at a higher rate than people who have gotten myocarditis from the vaccine, she said. If you look at myocarditis from COVID or from the vaccine, and your risk of getting it is higher with COVID, I always go with the vaccine. Juthani said she will also promote the vaccine as a vehicle for families to return to a sense of normalcy. The sooner children get vaccinated, she said, the more quickly restrictions like masks in schools will be lifted. What are we all trying to do for our children? We want them to be able to live their lives as normally as possible, Juthani said. I cant give you a date on when masks are going to come off. But I can tell you that vaccines are our road to that for sure. As more people get vaccinated and the safer it is in school, the more likely we will be to return to normalcy in the school system. BANGKOK (AP) Thailand is accelerating plans to reopen the country to foreign tourists, slashing mandatory quarantines beginning Nov. 1 for fully vaccinated visitors arriving by air from 46 countries and territories, officials announced Friday. The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration also announced a loosening of local restrictions, including cancellation of a curfew in some areas where risks have lessened and tourists can move freely. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha announced earlier this month that Thailand no longer planned to require visitors from at least 10 low-risk nations to quarantine if they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. He said the list would be expanded on Dec. 1, and then made even more extensive on Jan. 1. Under the new rules, vaccinated travelers to Thailand from the approved 45 countries plus Hong Kong will be required to show negative results from RT-PCR tests before flying and upon their arrival. They will need to spend their first night in a government-approved hotel awaiting their test results, though the government is not calling that a quarantine. If the results are negative, the person can travel anywhere in Thailand. Prayuth, announcing the expanded list of countries with eased quarantine rules late Thursday on his Facebook page, wrote: To wait until everything is ready might be too late. Tourists may decide to visit other countries instead. Thailand shut its borders to most foreign visitors in April last year after local transmission of the coronavirus started to climb. Foreign tourist arrivals in 2019 were almost 40 million but plunged to 6.7 million in 2020. Tourism is estimated to have accounted for 12-20% of GDP before the pandemic. Visitors from other countries are also allowed to enter Thailand but face additional restrictions. The new rules coming into effect Nov. 1 include ending a late-night curfew in some areas, including Bangkok. The consumption of alcoholic drinks in public places, including restaurants, bars and nightclubs, remains banned, though the government has said the ban will be lifted in December to promote tourism during the New Year holiday season. WASHINGTON (AP) After months of talks, Democrats are edging closer to an agreement on what programs and policies to include in President Joe Biden's massive plan to expand health and safety net programs and combat global warming. The plan seems likely to include universal preschool, paid family leave and the continuation of a child tax credit that was increased earlier this year and applied to more families. Democrats are scaling back some investments or shortening the timeframe for when those programs would be up and running to fit within an approximately $2 trillion budget over 10 years, rather than the $3.5 trillion budget plan originally envisioned. Still, Democrats are hoping the programs will prove so popular that future Congresses will continue to fund them in the years ahead. It seems unlikely that any Republican will support the measure. Negotiations are fluid and the package is very much in flux. It also won't be possible to fully assess the details until legislative text is released. But here's where the bill stands so far, according to lawmakers and aides: A child tax credit increase would continue for another year. As part of a COVID relief bill, Democrats increased the tax credit to $3,000 per child age 6-17 and $3,600 per child age 5 and under. Limiting the program to one year would disappoint many of its backers, but they are hoping the programs popularity will move Congress to extend it in the years ahead. Budget hawks worry that a one-year extension is a budgetary tool that will lower the cost of the program on paper, but mask its true costs since lawmakers tend to continue programs rather than let them expire. Plans to expand Medicare to include dental, vision and hearing aids are being pared back. Biden said he likes the idea, but with Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona objecting, the proposal is a reach. Instead, Democrats, he said are looking at offering seniors an $800 voucher to access dental care as well as another program for hearing aids that Sinema may support. However, the vision care component, Biden said, has been harder to resolve and there is no consensus yet. Expanding Medicaid in about a dozen states and providing subsidies that reduce a participant's cost of Obamacare" plans are also still part of the mix. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the health insurance components in the bill would reduce the number of uninsured by about 3.9 million people over the next decade. Big boosts in Medicaid and Affordable Care Act plans would be partly offset by a 2.8 million decrease in employment-based coverage. The U.S. would join a long list of nations with a paid family leave program allowing workers to take time off for childbirth, to care for a new child or to deal with a serious health issue of a family member. But the 12 weeks of paid time off that Biden had proposed will likely be pared back four, he said. Universal prekindergarten for all 3- and 4-year-olds and child-care subsidies for poorer and middle-income Americans are still in. Bidens plan calls for parents earning up to 150% of the states median income (about $115,000 nationally) to pay no more than 7% of their income on child care, with the poorest families getting free child care. He has proposed a tax credit for as much as half of a familys spending on child care, up to $4,000 for one child or $8,000 for two or more children. Free community college is probably out, though Biden is looking to increase the size of Pell grants to help pay tuition costs. It's also looking like a program considered a cornerstone of Biden's plan to fight climate change is out, largely due to opposition from Manchin. That program would have offered grants to power companies that increase clean energy generation by 4% each year and fines for those that do not. Still, hundreds of billions of dollars are expected to be included for programs designed to help the U.S. meet Biden's goal of a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas pollution in 2030 from 2005 levels. AVOCA Fresh off winning a local entrepreneur of the year award, Zubeen Saeed got a call Tuesday from U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwrights office asking if she wanted to meet the president. The president of what? she responded. The president of United States, the staffer told the shocked business owner. She excitedly agreed. About 24 hours later, Saeed was among the first to greet President Joe Biden on Wednesday afternoon shortly after he exited Air Force One at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport prior to his Build Back Better event in his hometown of Scranton. The two talked at length about her business, Building Blocks Learning Center, an early childhood education program that has 12 locations in Luzerne County. It was a pretty amazing conversation, Saeed, 50, said afterward. I was awestruck by the magnitude of it. The Fairview Twp. woman started her business about 20 years ago and it now helps more than 600 children daily and employs more than 100 people. She supports Bidens Build Back Better agenda because she thinks it will help programs like hers that she says not only help prepare children for the future, but help the economy. It will allow parents to go back to work so they could have extra money to better their families. Then the employers are happy because you have stable workers, Saeed said. Junior Achievement of Northeastern Pennsylvania recently honored Saeed with its Entrepreneur of the Year award which was presented to her by Cartwright, D-Moosic, who represents the areas 8th Congressional District. It was a connection that led to Wednesdays special moment of being Cartwrights guest to greet the president. Saeed is also set to be awarded the Emerging Business of the Year award at the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerces annual dinner next month. The businesswoman from Mountain Top said it was an honor to get so much time to talk to Biden on his busy day and he was impressed with her programs. We were just talking about how important investing in education is. By impacting early childhood education, we are having a positive ripple effect on the economy, she said. He said, That is awesome. I said, If youd like to come back and visit, the invitation is open. He said maybe hell come and visit. And he said, We can do this. 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Nurseries are the only ones that will stay open," Arafat said at the Victoria Governmental Palace. Head of the Department Emergency Situations (DSU) Raed Arafat announced on Friday, after the Government meeting, that two experts from Denmark are in Romania and are analysing the situation of ICU beds at the "Matei Bals" Hospital in the Capital. "The most important thing that is happening today in terms of activating ICU beds, a team of two experts from Denmark, who are already in Romania, arrived in Bucharest, they will analyse the situation at 'Matei Bals' regarding the increase in the number of ICU beds, and the first medical team from Denmark will arrive at the beginning of next week and will work at the 'Matei Bals' Hospital," Arafat told a press conference. The DSU head brought to mind that a team of doctors from the Republic of Moldova is in Iasi, and the Romanian authorities are also talking to other countries to receive medical teams. President Klaus Iohannis attended the European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday in Brussels, reiterating Romania's request to become a member of the border-free Schengen Area as soon as possible. The main subjects of the meeting regarded the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic, rising energy prices and the energy crisis, migration, European trade policy, the European Union's digital agenda and the European Union's external relations. The Presidential Administration points out that with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conclusions of the European Council adopted by the EU leaders reflect the significant progress made at EU level with the fight against the pandemic as a result of vaccination campaigns in the member states, mentioning that the situation in some member states is worrying. There is also a need to step up efforts to reduce vaccination reluctance, including by combating misinformation, especially on social media platforms.The European Council conclusions also underline the importance of continuing coordination to facilitate free movement inside and outside the EU. In order to strengthen the EU resilience to health crises, the European Council called for the completion of negotiations on the Health Union legislative package and for ensuring that member states are properly involved in the governance of the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA)."President Klaus Iohannis mentioned the crisis that Romania is facing in terms of an increased number of COVID-19 cases and thanked the EU member states for their support to Romania under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism," according to the Presidential Administration.Iohannis also called for intensified efforts to combat vaccination reluctance and misinformation, which is one of the main causes for the low vaccination rate.European leaders discussed at length the recent developments in energy prices. In its conclusions, the European Council calls on the member states to make urgent and effective use of the measures proposed by the European Commission to protect, in the short term, the most vulnerable consumers and to support European companies. The European Commission and the EU Council are also called upon to consider medium- and long-term measures to secure affordable energy for consumers and businesses, increase the resilience of the energy system and the internal energy market, ensure security of supply and support the transition to climate neutrality. The European Council calls on the European Commission to study the functioning of the European gas, electricity and carbon markets and to consider whether certain trading practices, including in relation to the prices of CO2 emissions certificates, require additional regulatory measures. The subject will remain in the attention of the European Council for its forthcoming summit in December.President Iohannis mentioned the major concern about rising electricity and gas prices, given the impact on the public, businesses and, in particular, on vulnerable consumers.The Presidential Administration mentions that the measures proposed by the European Commission for managing the multiple consequences generated by the increase in energy prices are a first step towards identifying solutions.President Iohannis called for the urgent identification of effective short-term solutions aimed first and foremost at protecting vulnerable consumers and avoiding energy poverty. He also advocated for a responsible approach in the medium and long term, which would not affect the competitiveness of European economies and provide predictability to the business environment."The President of Romania emphasised the importance of using all the union's sustainable energy resources in order to reduce the current energy dependence on third party suppliers. President Klaus Iohannis insisted that European energy security depends on the use of a balanced mix of technologies and energy sources that includes natural gas and nuclear energy, which should guide European policies on taxonomy," the Presidential Administration shows.Iohannis is also quoted as having requested the EC to publish, as soon as possible, the Complementary Delegated Act on Sustainable Financing Rules that will include nuclear energy and natural gas.The summit also discussed the digital transformation of Europe and the growing trend of malicious cyber activities, which aim to undermine the democratic values and security of European society. The conclusions reaffirm the EU's commitment to an open, free, stable and secure cyberspace, and the world countries are encouraged to join and contribute to strengthening such rules. The European leaders emphasised the importance of developing the European management and response to cybercrime framework and strengthening cooperation with partner states, including in international fora.Leaders' discussions also focused on digital connectivity, with mention of the development and promotion of a European model of connectivity based on EU values of trust, transparency and accountability, as well as the fact that partnerships with like-minded countries play a central role in advancing the EU interests globally.Discussions on migration focused on the external dimension of this phenomenon, analysing the progress made in line with the European Council conclusions in this field of June 2021. The European Council calls on the European Commission to urgently advance financial solutions to support actions on all migration routes. The European Council also stresses that it will not accept any attempt by third countries to exploit migration for political purposes and condemns all recent hybrid attacks at the European Union's borders, pointing out that the EU will respond accordingly. It is underlined that the EU remains determined to ensure effective control of its external borders. The European Council also points out that efforts to reduce secondary movements must be strengthened, as well as ensuring a fair balance between responsibility and solidarity among member states."The President of Romania reiterated the request of Romania to become a member of the Schengen Area as soon as possible, with this objective being a strategic one, not only for Romania, but also for the entire European Union. President Klaus Iohannis showed that in the more than 10 years since Romania should have become part of the Schengen area, the country has de facto acted as a responsible and efficient Schengen member state," the Presidential Administration shows.At the level of foreign relations, in the run-up to the EU-Asia Summit (ASEM), the European Council expressed support for the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, and called for its swift implementation. With regard to the Eastern Partnership Summit in December, the text of the European Council conclusions mentions that the Union's relations with this region remain of major strategic importance.President Iohannis pointed out that the Eastern Partnership remains one of the Union's key policies in its immediate vicinity, and it is of the utmost importance to define a long-term strategic vision of the EU for co-operation with the Eastern Partnership states."President Klaus Iohannis called for the adoption of a joint declaration of the EU-Eastern Partnership Summit, to be held in Brussels in December, with a high level of ambition, while deepening co-operation with advanced partner states, based on their performance. Romania underscored the need for the European Union to support, through concrete measures, the three partner countries under the Eastern Partnership that want to strengthen their relationships with the European Union," the Presidential Administration shows.The chief of state said that Romania supports a more active involvement of the EU in endorsing the efforts of the Eastern Partnership countries to deal with prolonged conflicts and to combat hybrid threats in order to strengthen their resilience. He called for the development of co-operation and dialogue on security issues with the Eastern Partnership countries.At the summit, the European leaders also had a discussion on the rule of law amidst the recent developments in Poland and a strategic debate on the future of European trade policy, without adopting European Council conclusions on these issues. President Iohannis was asked if the future minority Government has chances to last until 2024 and to complete reforms if supported by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), a party accused countless times of blocking reform, agerpres reports. "Now we must get to work. And we must get to work with the people who want to be with us. Where else to seek majorities if not in the Romanian Parliament? Somebody has to govern and somebody has to support the Government through majorities. This is the political calculation and it's a calculation I made for Romania and for Romanians and that's what will happen. If this is the government's composition for a year or two or three, we will see, but the issues, my dears, must be resolved. At some point they must be resolved and someone must govern," said the head of state before attending the European Council meeting. "We must see things as Romanians see them. There needs to be an end to the political crisis, which is not Romania, is not about the Romanians' problems, it's a crisis created by some who wanted to show how important they are and managed to show only how unimportant they are, to say it frankly. On the other hand, now I have designated Mr. Ciuca to form a Government to start.., so the Government can start and fix Romanians' problems and Romania's problems: the pandemic, the energy crisis, the coming of winter and reforms. I have assumed these reforms since 2014 and I am still determined to be fully involved so that we have a well-finalized reform in justice - we have absolute need for an independent justice, right and fair - we need changes, the justice laws are as they resulted from the time of [Liviu] Dragnea's PSD. We can't remain like this. We need reform in administration. We need reform in the pension domain, we need it in the public wage domain. All these things remained not worked on. The coalition that governed until now has not managed to resolve these issues. There is no need for me to explain, now, from Brussels, why they didn't manage it, but these past days have somewhat shown who the crisis-makers were, those who instead of carrying out reform produced crises. This is currently the situation in our country," said Iohannis. Romania supports the Republic of Moldova on the "irreversible" path to getting a place among the members of the European Union, said the chairman of the European Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Stefan Musoiu, who is paying a working visit to Chisinau. "The visit is an opportunity to reconfirm the special relation between our countries, as well as to assure Moldovan counterparts of full openness and support in the processes of transformation, modernisation and implementation of reforms in the Republic of Moldova," Musoiu said, according to a Chamber of Deputies release sent on Friday. He emphasised the importance of interparliamentary cooperation, especially at the level of specialist committees, "as an essential tool in the transfer of expertise and good practice in the field of European affairs."The delegation of the Commission for European Affairs is in Chisinau from Thursday to Saturday, and includes deputies Ana-Maria Catauta, Nicolae Georgescu and Silviu Nicu Macovei. The Romanian Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, Daniel Ionita, also attended the meetings.Romanian officials attended the plenary session of the Chisinau Parliament, held talks with Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Natalia Gavrilita, and the Vice President of the Chisinau Parliament, Mihail Popsoi.The agenda of the visit also included a joint meeting with counterparts from the Committee on Foreign Policy and European Integration of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova.On this occasion, Stefan Musoiu reaffirmed Romania's firm and consistent support for the comprehensive programme of reforms necessary for the European course of the Republic of Moldova.The discussions focused on cooperation at all levels, joint projects of strategic interest, increasing resilience to current and future challenges and boosting the connection of the Republic of Moldova to the European space, the quoted source also shows. Deputy Ludovic Orban announced on Thursday that he will not vote for the Ciuca Government, and next week he will resign from the National Liberal Party (PNL) parliamentary group. "I will definitely not vote for the Ciuca Government, and for me this is the last straw. Next week I will resign from the PNL parliamentary group. (...) For me, both Iohannis and the illegitimate leadership, the demolition clique, as I call those who called themselves the 'winning team', seriously betrayed the interests of Romanian citizens (...). They put on hold Romania's future and Romania's chance at an honest development with a coalition that had a government program, had a coalition agreement, we had agreed on the great reforms we had to carry out. Here that now all the agreements that have been made are blown up and I really can't find any rational explanation for the totally harmful behavior to the interests of Romania of President Iohannis," Orban told private broadcaster B1 TV. He maintained that the PNL no longer exists, having a leadership "without any backbone" and "full of obedience"."Basically, the PNL no longer exists, the statutory forums no longer exist. The PNL is a will-less extension that no longer takes into account the will of the citizens, of the party members. It is simply an obedient leadership that has no backbone, no opinions and no thoughts, being dictated," he said.Ludovic Orban also said that the Ciuca Government will be invested "at the mercy of PSD [the Social Democratic Party]" and will not be able to carry out reforms in Romania."For me, Iohannis' decision to force the PNL leadership to impose Ciuca based on a deal with PSD (...) is a serious betrayal of the voters who voted for Klaus Iohannis in both the first and second rounds and a serious betrayal of voters who voted PNL precisely to war off the PSD government, to form a right-wing governing coalition, to ensure a government for the development of Romania. (...) Today, through a minority government invested at PSD's mercy, without a parliamentary majority to support the necessary reforms for modernization, for development, to do justice to different social categories, will simply be a government without any capacity to make reforms in Romania, to ensure Romania's development," added Orban. National chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Florin Citu said on Friday, after a meeting with Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) national leader Kelemen Hunor that discussions on a governing agenda started, and on Monday a list of the government members will be completed, and a vote on it may follow on Thursday, agerpres reports. Citu said that the prime minister-designate is responsible for negotiating to mount a parliamentary majority in order for the government to clear Parliament, mentioning that he does not have a pact with the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and that he will discuss parliamentary support with the Save Romanian Union (USR). "We have started talks on a government agenda; we have not discussed or negotiated new ministries. Today it was just a discussion about the government agenda. (...) I think the schedule goes like this: tomorrow the government agenda, after that we talk about portfolios, and that will be simple because we have six portfolios there, all important; after that, on Monday evening or Tuesday, we come up before Parliament: realistically speaking, I think that on Wednesday there will be committee hearings and a vote on Thursday. Let everyone be realistic and understand that," said Citu.Asked if PNL is willing to give up important ministries, Citu said: "We have six ministries there, we will see. Let's get there; first we do the government agenda tomorrow; rest assured that there will be a government agenda that meets the needs and emergencies facing Romania today: healthcare, and energy. We have a discussion on portfolios and names in the coming days, and you will see them, it is not that much until Monday."The PNL leader said, when asked if he will negotiate with PSD, that "negotiations and the majority is the responsibility of the prime minister, who will negotiate with lawmakers to mount a majority for the vote.""For support in Parliament, I think we will also discuss with USR," added Citu.He said that PNL does not make any pact with PSD."No pact is made [with PSD]. We will go before the Romanian Parliament. There is no pact with PSD, we will go to Parliament and USR has a chance to vote on this government. To be very clear: we are here today because USR voted a PSD motion," added Citu.Citu and Prime Minister-designate Nicolae Ciuca had a meeting with UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor on Friday, at the PNL headquarters, to discuss putting together a government. President Klaus Iohannis said on Friday that Romania has received actual support from eight European states in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and has made a new call for vaccination, showing that Romanians should not listen to those who "talk nonsense in public and on Facebook." "At home, the situation is very, very complicated. I have talked about a tragedy, about a catastrophe in the field. Hospitals are crowded, doctors, medical staff are overwhelmed, they work non-stop, ICU beds are no longer available. We turned to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and we have already received actual support from eight European countries, others have already declared their willingness to help us. It is an important thing and it shows, in our desperate situation, that European solidarity is not just an expression, but a fact. I thanked our partners and friends who help us and come up with places for intensive care, medicines, oxygen devices and so on and come to our aid. But we have to play our part. And here I repeat very clearly: there is no other solution than vaccination and we have to be serious and accept this once and for all," said the head of state before attending the European Council meeting, agerpres reports. He made a new call for Romanians to go and get vaccinated."Please take a look at others in Western Europe. We are here in Brussels. In all the states of Western Europe, the pandemic has been abated by vaccination. There are vaccination rates of 80% - 90% and few people ended up in intensive care and in hospitals in recent weeks. Why can't we do that? Why do we have to listen to some who talk nonsense in public and on Facebook and convince you not to get vaccinated to end up in the hospital and intensive care? It is fundamentally wrong. The solution is clear, it is free, it is available, it is called vaccine. Dear Romanians, go and get vaccinated, don't end up in hospital, don't spread the disease on, let's end this pandemic! Until then, we have support from all sides, everybody is helping us, but let's be honest, no one can get vaccinated in our place, that's for us to do," Iohannis underlined.President Klaus Iohannis is attending the European Council meeting in Brussels, which began on Thursday. Social Democratic Party (PSD) floor leader in the Chamber of Deputies Alfred Simonis said on Friday that Prime Minister-designate Nicolae Ciuca has so far not requested a discussion or any support from PSD, adding that any decision to support a government must be taken by the party's statutory forums, and the critical situation in which Romania finds itself "leaves a smaller room for maneuvering," because "in wartimes, war cabinets are made." "Any decision to support a government must be taken by the party's statutory forums and that discussion will be by the statutory forums; it may be tomorrow, it may be on Monday, it may be on Tuesday, depending on the schedule to be unveiled by the prime minister-designate. In the end, if the prime minister-designate finds a majority with USR [Save Romania Union] - which a few days ago argued that a minority government led by Dacian Ciolos would be a solution - he may conclude that a minority government with Mr Ciuca as prime minister may be a solution as well. If Mr Ciolos could be a minority prime minister, why shouldn't there be someone else? There might not be a need for a discussion with us from PSD," said Simonis at the PSD headquarters. Asked about possible signals from PSD local leaders regarding support for a minority government, Simonis said: "There have been no signals, because there has been no discussion with Nicolae Ciuca, there are no signals in that regard and we cannot decide without first an invitation, without having anything to decide."According to the leader of the PSD MPs, consultations could be held between the National Liberal Party (PNL) and USR, but he does not have any information.He pointed out that, given the critical situation in the country, the political class needs a truce.Asked if PSD's support for the government will depend on the agenda to be unveiled or if there are additional conditions, Simonis replied: "Let's wait and see, let's get to our support being requested first: so far we have not been asked for any support." There were more than 10 million open jobs in the U.S. in August, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and employers are scrambling to fill the gaps. Its a job market where workers have an increasing amount of leverage, and where hefty signing bonuses have become the norm across industries. On the employment site Indeed, 5% of all job postings included hiring incentives, such as cash or signing bonuses earlier this month. Thats more than double from a year ago. Theres some fine print: Many companies require new hires to stay in a role for a minimum length of time before collecting their bonuses. Still, any way you slice it, applicants today have a good chance of earning an extra check just by signing hiring paperwork. Here are some of the highest bonuses weve seen so far. This is a great product for short-term traders, and its maybe a good enough product right now for long-term investors, says Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise Asset Management. But its not a perfect product and investors should understand that it wont track the price of bitcoin perfectly over long periods of time. Build your ultimate crypto portfolio. Coinbase provides investors, from beginners to experts, with a comprehensive crypto trading experience, on a powerful yet user-friendly platform. Start investing today by clicking on your state! Why a bitcoin futures ETF wont track the price of bitcoin Investing in a bitcoin futures ETF means you dont own bitcoin directly, the way would with an ETF that hold stocks or bonds. Instead, you own bitcoin futures. Im not lazy, Berryman said. I am unemployed. That does not mean Im lazy. Just because someone cannot find suitable work in their profession doesnt mean theyre trash to be thrown away. Likewise, some couples have decided that they can get by with only one income, rather than two, at least temporarily. Sarah Hamby of Kokomo, Indiana, lost her $300-a-week federal payment this summer after Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, ended that benefit early. Hambys husband, who is 65, has kept his job working an overnight shift at a printing press throughout the pandemic. But he may decide to join the ranks of people retiring earlier than theyd planned. And Hamby, 51, may do so herself if she doesnt find work soon. The jobs she had for decades at auto factories have largely disappeared. The positions that she sees available now require skills she doesnt have. Yet she isnt desperate for just any job. Im at a point where I feel too old to go off and get educated or trained to do other type of work," she said. "And to be honest, I dont want to go work at a computer, in an office, like what a lot of us are being pushed to do. So now Im stuck between doing some line of work that pays too little for what its worth or is too physically demanding or I just dont work. Here are a few of our staff picks for things to do Nov. 12-18 Hlatshwayo Davis also praised Dr. Fredrick Echols, who has been acting health director throughout the pandemic, for laying the foundation for the expected rollout by building strong relationships with schools and childrens health providers and advocates. Echols, who continues to serve as health commissioner, said that in addition to building confidence in the vaccine, health officials must build confidence in health and government systems administering the vaccine. There is still a lot of mistrust, Echols said. As we engage communities in more intimate settings, our focus is making sure we take the opportunity to explain the development process as well as answer any questions they may have about components of the vaccine, side effects, safety and effectiveness. Taking those simple steps really go a long way. The percent of population over age 12 that has completed vaccination range from 35% to 45% in the citys majority-Black ZIP code areas, while they fall mostly between 59% and 66% in the citys mostly white ZIP codes, data shows. Statewide data shows that 39% of whites have completed vaccination compared to 32% of Blacks. In the city, about 75% of all new COVID-19 cases in October have been among Black residents, who make up about 46% of the population. For much of this countrys early history, women aborting a pregnancy was fairly common even openly advertised with little to do with morality or laws. It wasn't until 1873 that Congress passed the Comstock Act criminalizing contraception and abortion. But even then, women continued to seek abortions to end unwanted pregnancies, often resulting in serious injuries or death. For women born after Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision guaranteeing a constitutional right to abortion, that era may seem like ancient history. It's a history that may soon be revisited. In December, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider the legality of Mississippis 15-week abortion ban. That ruling could reverse Roe v. Wade. If that happens, 26 states are ready to ban abortion, according to Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights policy organization. In Texas, abortion rights have already shutdown due to a state ban that allows unaffected residents to file lawsuits and claim bounties on those who perform or help a woman obtain an abortion. When I've written columns about the impending legal decisions and ramifications of them, I hear stories from women who came of age before Roe, whose reproductive lives were restricted in ways many younger women cant fathom. The pre-Roe and post-Roe reality is a false dichotomy, in many ways. Back then, abortion was illegal but not for everyone, they say. Nowadays, it is legal not but not an available option for everyone who desires it. Across generations, there are commonalities that run through their experiences feelings of shame, secrecy and helplessness and the persistent streak of inequity. If the past is prologue, these experiences may offer a window of what might happen in states where abortion becomes completely inaccessible. As the women who shared their personal stories reminded me: Weve lived this history before. The doctor Dr. Frederick Joseph Taussig, a professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine, treated women whose bodies were broken from botched, back-alley abortions beginning in the early 1900s. He saw in those years how many women were suffering. ... There were so many self-inflicted abortions, and women dying from them, said his granddaughter Anne Taussig, who has spent the past year and a half researching his work. In 1932, Taussig and other doctors established a clinic in the Central West End, across the street from Left Bank Books. It was called the Maternal Health Association of Missouri. In 1936, a federal appeals court ruled that physicians had the right to distribute contraceptives to patients for medical purposes. The St. Louis clinic began providing diaphragms and spermicides. Initially, they could only dispense contraceptives to married white women. Taussig was a pioneer in the field in many ways. He traveled to Russia, where abortion was legal and took extensive notes on how the procedure could be performed safely. He published a book for physicians, Abortion: Spontaneous and Induced, which became a seminal text for decades. In 1943, the clinic changed its name to Planned Parenthood, as part of the national movement to increase access to birth control. We should not close our eyes to the direct effect of a burden of more children upon an already impoverished and unfed family, he wrote. Burdens that are safely carried out by one woman may readily undermine the health of another. The wife Earl and Anne Broden married in 1948 in Nashville, Tennessee. A year later, Earl contracted polio when his wife was seven months pregnant with their first child. The disease paralyzed him from the neck down. He spent nine months in an iron lung and was transferred to the Veterans Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Anne packed up and moved with their baby to be close to her husband. She cared for him for the next 30 years he spent in the hospital. But Anne knew she would have to find a way to provide for herself and their daughter, Cathy. She became a real estate agent in the 1950s, eventually owning her own business. She was in her 80s when she confided a secret she had harbored for nearly three decades. One of her work colleagues had raped her in 1955, she told Cathy. The assault resulted in a pregnancy. Anne, a practicing Catholic, faced an impossible decision. She could not bear the thought of breaking her husbands heart by telling him what had happened to her. A former Marine, now paralyzed, he would have blamed himself for being unable to protect her. She traveled to the Ozarks for an illegal abortion. She told her daughter she carried so much guilt for what she had done. If you were in the exact same position, would you make the same decision today? Cathy asked her. In a heartbeat, her mother said. Even though they had barely been married a year when Earl became paralyzed, Anne never wavered from his side. Mom and my dad were devoted to one another to his dying day, Cathy said. The nurse Ther Ab. Ann Marie Anderson wondered what that abbreviation on the Labor and Delivery board meant. It was scrawled next to a few patients names every few weeks. Anderson was in training as a student nurse at Jewish Hospital in St. Louis in 1970. She asked one of the experienced nurses during her obstetrics rotation about the unfamiliar notation. Those patients would be getting therapeutic abortions, the nurse informed her. Shocked by that response, she said, I thought that was illegal. She now recognizes how naive her question must have sounded. Despite state law outlawing the procedure, abortion was indeed a legal option for certain girls and women those whose families had the means to get doctors to say a pregnancy would be detrimental to their physical or mental health. In my brief experience, these patients were always white and always privileged, she said. It was a stark contrast to what she experienced in her clinic rotations, where they treated poor patients. She remembers a Black mother bringing in her pregnant 14-year-old daughter. The doctor told her daughter she had no choice but to carry the pregnancy to term. I can remember the mothers eyes swimming in tears. She was devastated, Anderson, now 71, said. She retired around 2000 after nearly 30 years of nursing. Even now, sitting on my patio in Kirkwood, I can remember how stunned I was at the inequity, she said. The college student Maureen Jordan, now 73, of Manchester, was studying at Michigan State University in the late '60s. One of her close friends became pregnant and sought an illegal abortion scheduled late at night. Jordan, along with her other friends, waited up to hear how it went. She received word that it was gruesome and extraordinarily painful. Her friend began running a fever and felt extremely sick. Friends persuaded her to go to a hospital in East Lansing. Doctors discovered she was infected and that the botched abortion had failed. She was still pregnant. She was just devastated, Jordan recalled. The hospital had a therapeutic abortion committee that ruled against completing the abortion. Jordans friend became suicidal. She was in anguish. Depressed and beside herself, she said. Someone got her case before the doctors committee at the University of Michigan hospital, which considered her high risk for suicide. They ruled in favor of allowing the procedure. That story stuck with me my entire life, Jordan said. It was pivotal to how she viewed the debate around life her friend had nearly lost hers. In 2019, Jordan joined the board for Planned Parenthood of Missouri and Southwest Region. Who would have known that I would be protesting again after 50 years, she said. The mother Love Holt began dating a year after her divorce in 2017. She became seriously involved with a man for several months. The relationship was on the brink of falling apart when they attempted to make up. They went to Mardi Gras together, and they took an Uber back to his place. They had been drinking during the day, and she passed out in bed next to him. She woke up naked and feeling as though he may have had sex with her. Obviously, this was not a consensual thing, she said to him. She dumped him and moved on with her life. Months later, she started feeling sick and began vomiting. She went to a clinic, where she learned she was 22 weeks pregnant. Oh my God, thats impossible, she said. How did I miss a whole five months of pregnancy? The Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis told her that after the mandatory 72-hour waiting period, she would be too far along to get an abortion under Missouri law. Holt called a clinic in Illinois, but she didnt have health insurance and couldnt afford the fee. She already had four children. How am I going to feed another kid when I cant even come up with $800? she thought. As she got further along in the pregnancy, the procedure would be twice as expensive. She became deeply depressed. Part of the horror was the feeling that each step of the way someone else had made decisions about her body for her against her will. Its already tough to decide to have an abortion, she said. Even though that was what I felt was best, I still did not have a choice. She was dealing with an unwanted pregnancy decades after Roe, but the abortion she wanted was still not an option for her. At 34 weeks of pregnancy, her liver began to shut down. Doctors induced her, but she could not get an epidural because of the babys position. After 26 hours of labor, she delivered a boy. He and I almost died, she said. She had decided to give him up for adoption, but a snowstorm delayed the prospective parents from arriving at the hospital. The next day, Holt decided to hold him for the first time. I cant see anyone else giving you the love you deserve, she said to him. She called the adoptive parents and said she was going to keep her son. Earlier this year she started a congregation that is part of the New Thought movement. She also advocates for reproductive rights. Its about more than protecting Roe v. Wade, Holt said. Whether or not someone can access abortion is about more than that. Its about how much money they have, whether they have health insurance, their race. The teenager It was the summer before her senior year at Mary Institute, and Anne Taussig, then 18, was on the phone waiting for news that could change her life. The test came back positive, the doctor said. You are pregnant. She was stunned into silence. She gazed out the window, the hair standing up on the back of her neck. Well, what did you expect? the doctor added. She was a straight-A student, headed to Wellesley College after graduation. She grew up in a wealthy family in Ladue. Abortion was not yet legal, but she knew she would not carry this pregnancy to term. I knew I would find a way out of it, she said. Her father said she could go to New York to have an abortion. She ended up miscarrying before her appointment. Taussig, now 70, living in St. Louis, says despite her privileged circumstances as a teenager, she remembers her desperation and panic as soon as she heard the test results. She knew she was no longer in control of her situation. That experience may have been part of the reason that she began researching her grandfathers legacy. Frederick Joseph Taussig died in 1943, long before Roe became law, years before his granddaughter, Anne, was born. The obstetrician who had devoted his career to womens reproductive freedom and health kept a sign posted in his surgery room. It read, SAVE THE MOTHER. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The other woman Bruce assaulted described the attack in detail and said she felt survivors guilt for not being able to protect her coworker and Schmidt. She said that without her counselors, church support, therapy and friends over the past three years, shed probably be dead. She said Bruce had destroyed her sense of security. She now owns two firearms for protection. The woman said that because Bruce forced her to kneel before him, she can no longer kneel in church and instead worships in a gymnasium. He has taken that from me, but I will get it back one day, she said. I believe in my heart that God saved (her coworker) and I. Theres a reason were here. ... After today, Im free, and Ive been waiting for that freedom for three years. On Friday, St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell said the women showed tremendous acts of courage. Schmidts transgender son Atlas, now in his 20s, said it was his mothers strength that helped him through his transition and that he carries that with him today. My mom was stolen from me and I can never get her back, but I carry her pride. I carry it well, and I carry it always, he said. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ST. LOUIS Witnesses said multiple shots were fired during an argument among two or three men in downtown St. Louis on Thursday night. It was unclear if anyone was injured, but police had taped off an area on Lucas Avenue near 11th Street just after 8:30 p.m. and were talking to witnesses. At least one witness indicated a man who may have been hurt crawled into a vehicle that then drove off. The scene was near Lucas Lofts, 1114 Lucas Avenue. Multiple residents of the building were outside as police investigated, and some said they witnessed the lead-up to the shooting. "I was standing here walking my dog and there seemed to be a disagreement between two guys," said Ellen DeMucci, who had been walking her dog Daphne. "When I turned to walk away shots were fired and I saw three guys running away toward Washington Avenue." No other details were available about Thursday's shooting, but crime in and around downtown St. Louis has been an ongoing topic in recent months. A month ago, two people were killed and three others injured in two shootings within 24 hours in the nearby Downtown West neighborhood. Fitch countered the Democrats werent giving the electorate credit of knowing who theyre voting for. I would think the public would listen to the candidates and see if they align with how they want them to vote and represent them. We need to give the people the opportunity to vote on this. Fitch asked for the bill to be ready for a council vote for first-round approval as soon as Nov. 2; it would need final approval by a Jan. 25 deadline to be placed on the April ballot. It was unclear whether Fitch would have enough votes to approve the measure. Council members Shalonda Webb, D-4th District, and Mark Harder, R-7th District, did not respond to requests for comment. Days said Fitch had mentioned the proposal to her but that she had not given it much thought. At the end of the day, the citizens of St. Louis County will ultimately make the decision, she said. Councilman Ernie Trakas, R-6th District, said he supports the idea. Anyone that resists this, I think, takes the position that they dont want anything to pass the authority or power of political party machines as they exist in this county on both sides of the aisle. Reed added that he expects the process to move swiftly in the coming weeks, now that the Board of Aldermen has received the mapping software its leasing and city IT staffers have installed neighborhood maps and other items to aid aldermen. The board faces a Dec. 31 deadline under the city charter to produce a new map. This year the board also must reduce the number of wards and ward aldermanic seats in half to 14 from 28 because of a charter amendment passed by voters in 2012. On Sept. 28 the committee held the first of four redistricting meetings so far, including two this week. Two are scheduled next week and more will follow. Reed spent much of Thursdays session explaining how the mapping software works and how it can be used to meet various goals, such as striving for racial balance and keeping as many neighborhoods as possible from being split between wards. A final map needs approval by the full Board of Aldermen. They were five nuns from Illinois who felt called to do good works in Liberia founding schools, caring for orphaned children, offering medical care to families when a bloody civil war seized the country and the nuns were brutally gunned down. This month marks the 29th anniversary of their deaths. Now, a local woman hopes to keep the nuns memory alive by helping thousands of Liberian nationals become American citizens. They knew themselves that they were going into danger, and they still went, Alissa Connelly said of the nuns. They went there because of the people. Connelly, 44, of St. Louis, first heard the story of the nuns in 2017. She has long worked in the social services sector and has written several childrens books. She wanted to write another that taught children about notable people of each religious faith. While searching for a Catholic figure to profile, she found the story of the nuns who had lived in a convent an hours drive from St. Louis, right in my backyard, she said. Once she started researching the women, she found she couldnt stop. She read every article she could find about their deaths in 1992 and dove deep into the details of the bloody war that stole their lives as well as the lives of nearly 250,000 Liberians. The situation never should have gotten to that point, she said of the freshmans hospitalization. Others said the university should have taken a tougher stance toward fraternity misconduct before the incident. Christian Basi, a university spokesman, said risky behavior isnt isolated to Greek life. This is something that we have actually seen across the campus, he said. We have seen an uptick in concerning behaviors and believe that there is a possibility that the return to normalcy (from the pandemic) could be part of the issue with that. So thats one of the reasons why were taking a pause right now to take a look at the various policies that are in place. The university warned students on Sept. 17 of predatory drugs in alcoholic drinks after receiving multiple reports of suspected drugging incidents, some of which may have involved fraternity social events, according to an MU police news release. The complaints were made to the universitys Title IX office, according to the Columbia Missourian. The frequency of what Title IX saw and the way the reports came in was a concern, Basi told the newspaper. NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) It seems a strange place to pitch a tent. Plump in the middle of the United Nations-patrolled buffer zone that has divided Cyprus along ethnic lines since 1974, in the heart of the island's medieval capital, two Cameroonian asylum-seekers have lived in a small blue tent for nearly five months. The breakaway Turkish Cypriot north, through which they entered hoping to reach the European Union-member, Greek Cypriot south, will deport them if they go back. And the south seems determined not to let them in to discourage more would-be migrants from trying the same route. To make things worse, the two can see people freely moving between north and south all the time, as their tent is beside a main authorized crossing one of nine linking the two communities. Enjei Grace says that she and Daniel Ejube were wrong to try to enter the internationally recognized south that way to apply for asylum. We are sorry," the 24 year-old says with tear-filled eyes, adding that she hopes authorities won't leave them in limbo forever. We just pray that they sort things out, its not been easy on us, she said. But the Missouri Ethics Commission rules on disclosure do, and thats where some questions arise. Thats because between the two PACs most closely associated with him, about $169,000 appears to be unaccounted for. In the last filing of 2020, in October, MO Majority ended the reporting period with $126,843.16, and Missouri Growth reported $103,949.90. Those numbers should then appear on the top line of the next ethics report, due in January of 2021. That report would document any money spent between October and January. Neither committee filed a January report, so, again, that number should carry over to the April report. That line item is important to the ethics commission because it tells regulators that one report properly connects to the other one, so all the money can be tracked. For example, Parsons last ethics report in 2020 shows $358,522 on hand, and his first report of 2021 starts with that same number. That is how the system is supposed to work. As former Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder used to say: Every dollar counts. The years of unrest "changed the trajectory of evolution in that population," said evolutionary biologist Shane Campbell-Staton, based at Princeton University. With colleagues, he set out to understand how the pressure of the ivory trade had tipped the scale of natural selection. Their findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Researchers in Mozambique, including biologists Dominique Goncalves and Joyce Poole, observed the national park 's roughly 800 elephants over several years to create a catalogue of mothers and offspring. "Female calves stay by their mothers, and so do males up to a certain age," said Poole, who is scientific director and co-founder of the nonprofit ElephantVoices. Poole had previously seen other cases of elephant populations with a disproportionately large number of tuskless females after intense poaching, including in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. "I've been puzzling over why it's the females who are tuskless for a very long time," said Poole, who is a co-author of the study. In Gorongosa, the team collected blood samples from seven tusked and 11 tuskless female elephants, then analyzed their DNA for differences. 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. Paramount Group, a South African defense firm established in 1994, has survived and thrived by appealing to markets in Africa and elsewhere that need specific types of armored vehicles, and functions. Paramount was also willing to set up licensed production deals with oil-rich countries, mainly in the Middle East eager to diversify their economies. Part of this strategy included designing and manufacturing MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) armored trucks that are particularly mobile in difficult terrain. Their Matador and Marauder MRAPs are particularly popular in Africa and the Middle East. MRAPs were first developed and built in South Africa in the late 1970s and for years were considered too specialized for use outside of Africa. That changed after 2001 when the U.S. discovered the MRAP design was particularly suited to dealing with the roadside bombs and anti-vehicle landmines favored by Islamic terrorists. The market for MRAPs increased enormously and was soon too large for South African firms to handle. After that most MRAPs were manufactured in the West. South African firms continued to produce MRAPs and firms like Paramount Group went back to basics and concentrated on MRAP models designed for African terrain and particularly rugged off-road conditions. For example, Paramounts Marauder, which resembles a much-updated version of the original 1978 Buffalo vehicle, showed it could maneuver in nasty terrain the American hummer could not handle. Some British and American firms had established MRAP manufacturing operations in South Africa to produce the popular (for very rough terrain) RG-31 MRAP that was popular in Afghanistan, where the off-road terrain was nearly as bad as Africa. The RG-31 was based on the South African Mamba, a 1980s design which was the successor to the original 1978 Buffalo. While the RG-31 was designed for Western forces to use worldwide, the Paramount Marauder was an African-oriented update of the Mamba. Over 2,400 of the original Buffalos and 800 of the Mamba were produced. So far the Marauder has sold only 300 vehicles, mostly for peacekeeping and security operations in Africa, the Middle East and Azerbaijan. Overseas production is handled by firms in Azerbaijan, Jordan, Kazakhstan and Singapore. These four countries made these deals to learn how to build MRAP type security vehicles for local markets. It brough additional revenue to Paramount and popularized the specialized Paramount family of MRAPs. One of the first export customers was Azerbaijan, which bought 30 Paramount vehicles; 15 Marauders and 15 Matadors in 2009 and was so satisfied with their performance that Paramount offered to set up production in Azerbaijan. The vehicles are assembled in Azerbaijan from South African components. The Matador is a 4x4 15-ton vehicle with a crew of two and room for 12 passengers or four tons of cargo. The slightly smaller Marauder carries up to ten people, and comes in 4x4 or 6x6 configurations. Both can be equipped with a turret, while the larger Matador can be configured to carry a mortar. Paramount MRAPs have most of the modern features, like blast-resistant seats, that Western models feature, but Paramount leaves out the very expensive and high-tech features that are not needed by most African and peace-keeper users, Most MRAPs share design and construction techniques pioneered by South African firms which have, over the years, delivered thousands of landmine resistant vehicles to the South African armed forces. These were a great success in the 1980s. This South African technology was imported into the U.S. in 1998, and has already been used in the design of vehicles used by peacekeepers in the Balkans and elsewhere ever since. Basically, MRAPs are heavy trucks (12 tons or more) that are hardened to survive bombs and mines, and cost about five to ten times more than an armored hummer. Foreign firms have grabbed most of the MRAP export business, and pioneering South African manufacturers have had to scramble for whatever they can get. Paramount was one of those who adapted and their MRAPs are popular with peacekeepers in Africa and a growing number of African countries that buy them for internal security duties. One thing that hurt sales in Africa was the American program of giving away war surplus MRAPs after most American forces had left Iraq and Afghanistan. Thats a short-term problem for Paramount, as they will see sales grow as that surplus offer eventually disappears. Testing Wowza's Real-Time Streaming at Scale With all the hype surrounding low latency, Streaming Media contributing editor Tim Siglin took a look at the claims Wowza is making around its new real-time streaming at scale offering. Siglin, a veteran consultant and reviewer with more than three decades of testing interactive video, streaming, and videoconferencing hardware and software, now provides test validation as part of his role as founding executive director at the not-for-profit Help Me Stream Research Foundation. Wowza approached Help Me Stream about reviewing its Wowza Streaming Cloud addition, known as Real-Time Streaming at Scale, a few weeks before general availability (GA). [Disclosure: Streaming Media editor and VP Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen is volunteer chairman of Help Me Stream Research Foundation.] The results of his detailed review, including high marks and still-to-be-addressed issues, can be found on the Wowza blog. While Wowza reviewed Siglin's results, the testing was done at Help Me Stream's testing facility in Kingsport, Tennessee and the company did not influence the testing environment. Wowza's contention is that there are numerous users looking to achieve real-time deliver to audiences above the typical Zoom-based dozen or even a hundred viewers. "In a recent Wowza survey, 57% of respondents indicated that they desired sub-one-second latency for their live streaming workflows," Wowza's Jon Duncan wrote in the official GA announcement from Wowza, noting that the survey responses indicated a need for a solution that would scale to more than 300 viewers. "Despite this, most are still experiencing a delay in the 3-45 second range." "We designed our Real-Time Streaming at Scale feature to answer these needs, thereby ensuring a time-synchronized experience across the globe," wrote Duncan. Siglin's testing looked at synchronization and latency, which are two different areas of concern for StreamingMedia.com readers. Some are interested in full synchronization of live streams across multiple viewers, even if it means a short delay, while others are more concerned about the lowest possible latency. With a background in videoconferencing, before entering the streaming space 24 years ago, Siglin's experience testing ultra low latency (less than 250 milliseconds glass-to-glass) served well in testing Wowza's solution. He'd also written an article for StreamingMedia.com several years ago titled "Latency Sucks! So Which Companies Are Creating a Solution?" that quoted Wowza's then-streaming evangelist, Chris Knowlton, on the need to balance between RTMP streamsa mainstay in the streaming industry, even though it's decades oldwith newer, more interactive low-latency protocols. Siglin notes that RTMP has found new uses, including for open-source video mixing and streaming tools like OBS, a version of which Wowza is also offering for it's Real-Time Streaming at Scale customers. "We're not only using RTMP quite a bit longer after its initial required server has been deprecated (think Flash Media Server), but the streaming industry is finding new uses for RTMP," said Siglin in his review. "One of those is RTMP's ability to generate low-latency encodes that can now be scaled by solutions like Wowza's that the original RTMP streaming servers were incapable of performing." The version of OBS that Wowza is offering can either generate a WebRTC stream or an RTMP stream, and Siglin noted in his review that WebRTC did offer a lower overall latency on the Help Me Stream Research test bench. "Our cellular data playback test exhibited slightly lower latencies than the playback via a WiFi access point attached to a cable modem," said Siglin. "But the difference appeared to be less than 250 ms between all the devices on each network, meaning overall latency from publish glass to playback glass fell between 400650 ms when using the OBS WebRTC ingest." Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Related Articles Customers order from a Chipotle restaurant at the King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, U.S. November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Mark Makela/Files By Hilary Russ and Praveen Paramasivam (Reuters) -Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc beat estimates for quarterly same-store sales on Thursday, as customers returned to eating inside restaurants and paid more than ever for a new meat - smoked brisket - and other menu items. The burrito and bowl chain has raised regular menu prices twice and its delivery prices three times since August 2020. Prices are now about 10% higher - which includes a total 17% hike in items for delivery - to offset rising beef, freight and labor costs. CEO Brian Niccol told Reuters that customers can still get a lot of value out of a Chipotle meal, noting that its chicken burrito is still priced under $8 in many places. "Because we've got such a strong value proposition, we like to take things in phases to make sure that the pricing we're taking is balanced with the growth that we're experiencing and that the cost is really not a transitory cost but a new, permanent cost," he said. Overall, fast-food chains have raised menu prices by 6.7% over the last 12 months, and other restaurants by 5.2%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Oct. 13. Some of Chipotle's price hikes will roll off this quarter and customers have not resisted paying more for their quesadillas, Niccol said. More customers are also coming to Chipotle restaurants as seating areas reopen, and the chain is still on track to build 200 new locations this year, he said. Chipotle's limited-time smoked brisket, which launched in September, costs $10.25 on average as an entree in restaurants, its most expensive new meat ever. The fast-casual chain posted a 15.1% surge in comparable sales for the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with analysts' average estimate of 13.4% growth, according to Refinitiv data. The company also forecast sales growth in the low to mid double-digits range in the current quarter, compared with estimates of 14% growth. Americans who were cooking more in their kitchens during the pandemic-induced, work-from-home situation are now grabbing burritos and bowls on the way to work and social gatherings, and are trying new dishes. Sales from digital orders - as opposed to those placed in person - grew 8.6% and accounted for 42.8% of sales. Chipotle also said its board increased its share repurchase authorization by $100 million, with $209.8 million available to buy back shares as of Sept. 30. (Reporting by Hilary Russ in New York and Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni, Jonathan Oatis and Daniel Wallis) Some painting restorations, for various reasons, are more famous than others. (iStock) The restoration of an old painting, when properly carried out, can reveal startling new aspects of a familiar work of art, and at the same time, raise many questions. Was it the original artist who altered the image, one of his or her students or contemporaries, or an altogether unknown individual? Was the picture changed for a particular reason? As one ponders such things, one can simultaneously appreciate the beauty of the freshly restored painting. Heres a look at a trio of restorations that have made waves in Europe over the past few years. Dresden, Germany The Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister, regarded as one of Germanys leading art museums, is showing a temporary exhibition titled "Johannes Vermeer. On reflection" through Jan. 22, 2022. Ten of the 36 surviving paintings accredited to Vermeer have been assembled from collections around the world, including the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The centerpiece of the exhibition is "Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window," a restoration completed on Aug. 26 of this year. The well-known painting has been returned to the condition in which it left Vermeers studio over two and a half centuries ago. The restoration of the painting, part of the Gemaldegaleries permanent collection, was carried out only after careful deliberation. An X-ray taken of the painting in 1979 revealed a fully overpainted picture-within-a-picture of a nude Cupid in the upper right hand walls background. Although many academics had assumed that Vermeer, unhappy with the composition, had painted over the Cupid painting himself, a research project launched in 2017 to analyze many attributes of the image, including the composition of the paint, ascertained that the change was made several decades later. Further study attributed the brushstrokes in the Cupid to Vermeers hand. Given the convincing evidence of a third-party intervention, the painting was restored to reveal a standing Cupid with a bow and arrows, treading upon two masks, which serve as a symbol of pretense. Cupids presence adds to the paintings message of true love conquering deception and hypocrisy. Tickets to the exhibition can and should be booked before traveling to Dresden, as many time slots are already fully booked. Tickets to the exhibition only go for 12 euros; 20 euros gets one through to see not only the exhibition but many other collections of the Zwinger Museum. Online: tinyurl.com/4ceca3js Ghent, Belgium The Ghent Altarpiece, also known as the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, is a 15th-century altarpiece in St. Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. The work, attributed to brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck, consists of 18 panels and is considered a masterpiece of European art. The central panel of the lower register, which depicts a large gathering of saints, sinners, clergy and soldiers attending an adoration of the Lamb of God, has been undergoing a multi-phased renovation since 2012. In the second phase of the project, restorers discovered evidence of a 16th-century alteration of the lambs face. Stripping away the overpaint revealed the lambs intense gaze and large frontal eyes, a look termed startlingly humanoid by Smithsonian Magazine. The lambs disturbing new appearance made headlines around the world and created a huge buzz on social media. The altarpiece remains on view at St. Bavo's Cathedral, and tickets are available on site. It is also possible to book online tickets in advance, which offer an enhanced encounter with the cathedrals crypt through Augmented Reality (AR). Unlike Virtual Reality (VR), AR technology adds extra, three-dimensional figures that merge with the physical surroundings. Tours lasting either 40 or 60 minutes are available, and both include a face-to-face encounter with the altarpiece. Adult tickets go for 16 euros. Online: tinyurl.com/2nhebdju Borja, Spain Not much was ever heard of Borja, a town of less than 5,000 souls in northeastern Spain, until would-be artist Cecilia Gimenez turned her hand to the restoration of a painting in the Santuario de Misericordia, a small church nestled in the foothills of the nearby mountains. In 2012, a devout elderly parishioner, alarmed at the poor condition of a painting on the churchs wall, set to work. Diligently blocking over a face of Christ rendered by an artist nearly a century previously, the results of her good-faith restoration fell far short of spectacular. A local journalist poked fun at her work, a story that was quickly picked up by major news networks. The painting originally titled Ecce Homo soon gained a new nickname: Ecce Mono, or Behold the Monkey. Monkey Christ, clumsy and amateurish as it was, turned out to be a boon for the small town. Visitors continue to flock to the town to take in the image that enjoyed such a generous run of viral fame and scoop up T-shirts, magnets and other merch. The modest two-euro entry fee includes a visit to an interpretation center dedicated to the original artist, its restorer and other restoration tales. Perhaps best of all, the funds raised help to support a church-affiliated nursing home. Online: borja.es/25523-2 Army Sgt. Michael Dumpson drifts in his R33 Skyline at Yanbaru Circuit on Okinawas northeastern coast, in this undated photo. (Michael Dumpson) TORII STATION, Okinawa Michael Dumpson punches into second gear as he spots a sharp, left-hand curve ahead on an Okinawa speedway and pushes his R33 Skyline as fast as it can go. He quickly flicks the steering wheel to the left in a move known as a feint. The tires momentarily lose traction. Then he pushes the clutch and rips the emergency brake, keeping the RPMs high, as the steering wheel spins the other way, hands-free. The car begins to slide. Sgt. Dumpson, 25, an Army human resources specialist with 10th Support Group at Torii Station, is an especially skilled driver known as a drifter. Hes one of the U.S. service members helping the sport make a comeback on the car-crazy island of Okinawa. He qualified in December 2019 for the American-only drift competition Gaijin Power Grand Prix at Yanbaru Circuit in Kunigami village, a first-of-its-kind event on the island. Though he was knocked out in the first round, Dumpson believes he made a significant achievement by qualifying in a car equipped with stock parts. The art of drifting is to be in control of something that is out of control, Dumpson said during a series of recent interviews with Stars and Stripes. Youre intentionally sliding the car around corners sideways for fun, for glory, for sport, for competition. The point is to go as fast as possible with as much angle as possible, which collectively is known as style. His fathers son An Army brat and the middle of nine children who spent his formative years in Anchorage, Alaska, Dumpson gets his love of cars from his father, Gary Dumpson, who was always racing or working on engines. His father has owned five versions of the same car, the Nissan 300ZX. My main thing pretty much has always been cars, Dumpson said. Im always trying to be faster than my dad; Im trying to be cooler than my dad. Hes always been a big supporter. Dumpson said he played racing video games before he could drive, got his learners permit at 14 and his own 1985 300ZX at 16. He joined the Army in 2015, a year after graduating from high school in North Carolina. At Joint Base LewisMcChord, Wash., he spent his off-hours at two nearby tracks. Before drifting, he raced. But as drifting became popular in the U.S., he modified his car by installing a more powerful motor and a wide-body kit. On a good run, a drifter will slide sideways through an entire bend in the track, then use various tricks and techniques to link the entire course, Dumpson said. Drifters participate in exhibitions, mainly, but also in competitions where theyre judged on speed, placement or style. Dumpson typically drifts on the first Saturday of each month with a Facebook group called Oki Track Days that reserves the Yanbaru Circuit. The events are supported by local auto shops like B&M Okinawa and Trinity Works. I try to stand out, he said. My goal is to not fit in. If youve ever seen my car; its pretty wild. Dumpson drives a silver 1996 Nissan Skyline GTS-T, also known as an R33 Skyline, with rear-wheel drive, a wide body and an oversized, rear-mounted wing that features a heart-and-star end plate. That theme extends to hearts-and-stars taillights and a heart-shaped steering wheel. Army Sgt. Michael Dumpson, a 10th Support Group human resources specialist, poses atop his R33 Skyline at Torii Station, Okinawa, Sept. 23, 2021. (U.S. Army) Army Sgt. Michael Dumpson, top, drifts through a turn in tandem with another vehicle at Okinawa's Yanbaru Circuit, in this undated photo. (Michael Dumpson) Okinawa dreaming Japan has always been at the forefront of drifting, Ryusuke Kawasaki, editor-in-chief of Drift Tengoku, or Drift Heaven, magazine, told Stars and Stripes by phone on Oct. 14. What started as racing on mountain roads in the 1980s quickly developed into a motorsport thanks to events organized by car enthusiast magazines. A scoring system was developed at events like Drift Contest and Ikaten, or Cool Drivers Heaven, Kawasaki said. The D1 Grand Prix made drifting a professional sport in Japan in 2001. Today, about 20,000-30,000 drifters are active on about 40 tracks. Despite its popularity, the sport lost some of its allure when it moved from the mountainside to the track, Kawasaki said. But the move was necessary. You dont have to drive illegally anymore, Kawasaki said. You can go to a circuit to practice and there are so many competitions you can sign up to. He said Okinawa is one of the best places to drift thanks to Yanbaru Circuit and the islands warmer temperatures. You can drive anytime year-round because you dont have snow, he said. Drift off, drift on Drifting on Okinawa declined for several years, and the last drift track on the island closed in 2014, said Tsukasa Miyagi, 43, a lifelong drifter. Two years later, hoping to spark a renaissance, he founded Yanbaru Circuit on the islands northeastern coast, he told Stars and Stripes by phone Sept 21. It was much more vibrant when I was younger, he said. Okinawa is a car society. Many people love driving. After Yanbaru opened, drifting has made a comeback, Miyagi said, with the children of his generation discovering the sport as adults. Television programs like Formula Drift Japan and films like Fast & Furious, called Wild Speed in Japan, have also captured imaginations. During the coronavirus pandemic, Miyagi stayed open but his business took a major hit. Where 20-30 cars turned up on weekends, now he sees half that many. People cancel when new restrictions are placed, but I wanted to keep it open so that people can come and release stress, he said. Key to driftings revival on Okinawa are Americans like Dumpson, Miyagi said. He said Dumpsons driving skills put him in the middle of the pack. There are many foreigners. Most of them are Americans, he said. Some are really good. Dumpson said the culture extends far beyond the track. Drifting is very popular in the military here in Japan, he said. Theres probably 1,000 people who modify and drift their cars. Theres a sense of tradition, being that drifting originated in Japan. Okinawa Tuners Underground is another active Facebook group for enthusiasts, Dumpson said. There are also local teams and clubs, both amateur and professional. Through his YouTube channel, Streeties, Dumpson has racked up about 60,000 views documenting Okinawa drift life for an online audience. Dumpson, still recovering from a motorcycle crash in August, expects to continue drifting while he serves his final year on Okinawa. I like extreme stuff, he said with a smile. I like speed. An interceptor launches from an Iron Dome missile-defense system at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., in this undated photo posted online by the U.S. Army. (Darrell Ames/U.S. Army) The U.S. Army has deployed Israels Iron Dome missile-defense system to Guam through November to gauge how well the battery can be integrated with the Pacific islands existing defenses. The system arrived on Guam this past week via commercial sealift, Capt. Nicholas Chopp, a spokesman for 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday. Its an entire battery the radar system, the control center and launchers, said Chopp from the 94ths headquarters at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Soldiers from the 2-43 Air Defense Artillery Battalion from Fort Bliss, Texas, arrived on Guam several weeks ago and are manning the system, he said. No live-fire operations are planned during the temporary deployment, Chopp said. The Iron Dome battery on Guam is one of two the Army procured last year. The pair cost $373 million, part of $1.6 billion the U.S. has pumped into the program since 2011, according to a May report by Bloomberg news service. Israel-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems developed the system, which U.S. defense contractor Raytheon started co-producing in 2014, according to Bloomberg. Congress in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act required the system be deployed to an operational theater before the end of 2021, Chopp said. Congress mandated the purchase of two Iron Dome batteries as an interim measure until the Army develops a long-term solution to threats from missiles, rockets, drones and mortars. The test battery has been set up in remote jungle in the northwest part of Andersen Air Force Base. It sits near the existing Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, anti-ballistic missile system, which the Army has operated on Guam since 2013. Iron Dome is designed to protect ground troops by destroying short-range missiles and drones. It complements THAAD, which intercepts short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their final descending stage. The system has brought down more than 1,500 targets with a success rate exceeding 90%, according to the Raytheon Missiles & Defense website. Israel has used the Iron Dome successfully several times during conflicts in Gaza. The Army live-fire tested the system for the first time in August at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., where it successfully engaged eight cruise missile surrogate targets, the Army said in an Aug. 23 news release. The Department of the Army identified Guam as the location they wanted to send the system for testing, which is why 94th is responsible for this mission, Chopp said. The Guam trial is three-pronged, he said. First is the test of deployability, determining how easily and how best to get it where it is needed, he said. The missile-defense command is interested in whether the battery can be airlifted back to the U.S., Chopp said. Second is gaining a better understanding of the logistics required to sustain the system when deployed. Do we have the right soldiers assigned? he said. Do we have the right numbers for the amount of fuel were going to need? Third, the Army wants to see how Iron Dome integrates with the THAAD unit. Are we able to integrate it into THAAD architecture to make it work toward a more layered defense? he said. Wyatt Olson Images released by the Korean Central News Agency show a submarine-launched ballistic missile test by North Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (KCNA) CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea North Koreas submarine-launched ballistic missile program is at the beginner level and years behind in development, South Korean military officials told lawmakers Thursday. Defense Minister Suh Wook during a parliamentary meeting with lawmakers in Seoul said North Koreas SLBM test earlier this week cannot yet prove its intended functionality compared to the Souths missile capabilities. Suhs comments follow North Koreas test-firing of at least one SLBM on Tuesday morning. The missile, according to the communist regimes state-run news outlet, was successfully fired from an older submarine and included lots of advanced control guidance technologies. South Korean military officials estimated the short-range ballistic missile flew 279 miles at a maximum altitude of 37 miles. The Japanese military, however, said North Korea fired two missiles, an assessment Suh disputed, citing a number of sources. North Koreas SLBM launched this time is, we think that it is at the beginner level and cannot yet prove its platform itself, the defense minister told lawmakers. South Korea in September joined a handful of other countries to successfully test-fire an SLBM from a submarine and is the first country without nuclear weapons to have done so. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who attended that test, said the country now had the capability to deter against omnidirectional threats, including from North Korea. North Korea is believed to be developing a new submarine capable of launching ballistic missiles. Most of its few dozen submarines are outdated, according to military analysts, and only capable of firing older weapons, such as torpedoes. Park Jong-seung, the president of the Defense Development Agency, told lawmakers during the briefing that North Korea may be at least five years behind South Korea in its development of submarine-launched missiles. Park noted that the Norths SLBM specification had an abnormal launch platform. Our SLBMs accuracy is very high to compare with North Koreas, Park said. In fact, North Korea is currently conducting various tests, but its videos of precision strikes have been rarely made public. In my judgment, North Korea has no ability to do such a measurement. North Koreas latest SLBM test is its fifth such weapon test in recent weeks. A North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson in a statement said the test was part of the normal activities and that it did not pose any threat or damage to the security of the neighboring countries and the region. We did not have the U.S. in mind nor aimed at it, the spokesperson said in a statement from the state-run Korean Central News Agency. There is no need for the U.S. to worry or trouble itself over the test-firing. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks with British Defense Minister Ben Wallace at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 22, 2021. NATO leaders conducted their first in-person defense ministerial meeting since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Chad J. McNeeley/Defense Department) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Taiwan on Friday, but stopped short of saying whether the U.S. military would help defend the country if it were to come under attack from China. I wont engage in hypotheticals with respect to Taiwan, Austin said at the conclusion of talks with allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels. On Thursday, President Joe Biden caused a stir during a CNN town hall meeting when asked if the U.S. would defend Taiwan if it came under attack. "Yes, we have a commitment to do that," Biden said, raising questions about whether the U.S. was shifting from its long-standing policy of strategic ambiguity. The U.S. offers support to Taiwan though military aid, weapons sales and training. Austin said the U.S. was still committed to its one China policy. The 1979 policy acknowledges Beijing as the sole legal government of China but takes no clear position on Taiwans sovereignty. For NATOs part, China has become more of a focal point. In 2019, the alliance declared for the first time that Chinas rise brings with it security implications for Europe. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Taiwan during the NATO defense ministerial conference in Brussels, Oct. 22, 2021. NATO leaders also agreed to establish an innovation fund that aims to funnel more than $1 billion into new technologies. (Chad J. McNeeley/Defense Department) And in June, NATO issued a declaration saying members are increasingly confronted by cyber, hybrid, and other asymmetric threats, including disinformation campaigns, and by the malicious use of ever-more sophisticated emerging and disruptive technologies at the hands of China and Russia. Among NATO members, Austin said there is an increasing interest in checking that kind of behavior. Still, there are mixed views within the alliance about how to deal with Chinas increasing assertiveness. Germany, an economic powerhouse in Europe that relies heavily on exports to China, has been especially reluctant to take a more critical stance against Beijing. But with China and Russia in mind, allies on Friday agreed to establish an innovation fund that aims to funnel more than $1 billion into new technologies intended to help futureproof the alliance. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the fund will ensure allies get the latest technology and capabilities that will be critical to security. Allies also agreed to an artificial intelligence strategy for the first time during the Brussels talks. New technologies are reshaping our world and our security, Stoltenberg said. Someone dressed as Pennywise the Dancing Clown from the 2017 and 2019 adaptations of the Stephen King novel ''It'' enjoys a carnival ride Oct. 17, 2021, at the Barbarossaland fair in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alexis Smith took the photo and sent it to alert her husband after the sight gave her chills, she told Stars and Stripes Oct. 22, 2021. (Alexis Smith) An Air Force staff sergeant in Germany said she got chills while attending a local fall festival with her family but they werent brought on by the weather. The source of Alexis Smiths shudder was the sight of horror-movie clown Pennywise sitting on a nearby carnival ride. Smith snapped a photo of the spooky sight and texted it as a warning to her husband. He was inside the Kaiserslautern fairgrounds with their 4-year-old daughter, who hates clowns. Both the Smiths and the clown from It are repeat visitors this year to the Barbarossaland fair on Kaiserslauterns Messeplatz. The fairs weekend popularity has been so great that organizers are extending it through Halloween, they told local newspaper Die Rheinpfalz this week. Smith said her family was on its second visit to the fair when she encountered the harlequin dressed like the child-killing monster from the film adaptation of Stephen Kings 1986 novel about an evil entity that feeds off childrens fear. The clown looks dead inside, Smith said Friday in a phone interview. Someone dressed as Pennywise the Dancing Clown from the 2017 and 2019 adaptations of the Stephen King novel ''It'' enjoys a carnival ride Oct. 17, 2021, at the Barbarossaland fair in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The sight of the clown spooked Air Force Staff Sgt. Alexis Smith, whose husband was later creeped out when he ran into the laughing harlequin outside a mirror maze attraction. (Alexis Smith) And just as is the case with any good horror movie monster, it seemed inescapable. Smiths husband didnt get her warning text, but as he was guiding their little girl through a mirror maze at the other end of the park, he saw the clown waiting at the end. He got creeped out, Smith said. He was like, I didnt know if it was real or not. When they exited, there was no sign of Pennywise. But he turned to find the clown, who was a woman under the makeup, standing right beside him. Then the woman began laughing. Obviously you cant deck a girl, but he was super scared, Smith said. Still, he managed to keep their daughter from seeing the clown. Smith posted her photo to a 14,500-member Facebook group for military families in Ramstein and Kaiserslautern with a caption saying she felt it completely sums up 2021. In her photo, Pennywise is seated on an umbrella ride right behind a seemingly oblivious child, with a medical mask obscuring its facial expression. Some group members shared their own photos or reported spotting Pennywise on other rides that weekend or earlier. Staci Ann Franklin spoke of her encounter Oct. 10. They were most definitely enjoying the fair, Franklin told Stars and Stripes. That (umbrella) ride seemed to be a favorite because they rode it while we were there as well. Pennywise also stopped to take photos with those who asked, she said. While Smith had been worried that the clown would freak out her daughter, she said its also great because its so close to Halloween. The carnival is scheduled to remain open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily until Nov. 1. It wasnt clear if Pennywise would be back, though, as a visit to the fairgrounds Friday revealed a different attraction where the umbrella ride had been. In this handout photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Soldiers aim their weapons during joint war games conducted by Russian and Tajik troops at the Momirak firing range about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) north of the Afghan border, Tajikistan, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) MOMIRAK FIRING RANGE, Tajikistan Russian and Tajik troops conducted joint drills Friday near Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan, as part of efforts to prepare for possible security threats issuing from Afghanistan. The exercises at the Momirak firing range about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the Afghan border involved armored vehicles and helicopter gunships. It was part of weeklong war games that brought together about 5,000 troops and over 700 armored vehicles from Russia, Tajikistan and several other ex-Soviet nations, which are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Moscow-dominated security pact. Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Mirzo said the drills were decided amid the "catastrophic changes after the withdrawal of the international coalition" from Afghanistan. "Terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan ... have obtained many modern weapons, significantly improved their positions and using the current situation create conditions for its transformation into a foothold for further destructive actions in the region," Mirzo added. Russian officials said they trusted the Taliban's pledge that they wouldn't threaten neighboring countries, but noted that the Islamic State group, al-Qaida and other militants in northern Afghanistan could try to destabilize the neighboring ex-Soviet Central Asian nations. They also said drug trafficking from Afghanistan will continue to present a challenge. Moscow has vowed to provide military assistance to its ex-Soviet allies in Central Asia to help counter possible threats and held a series of joint drills in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which neighbor Afghanistan. Russia has a military base in Tajikistan, its largest military outpost in the former Soviet Union. It also maintains an air base in Kyrgyzstan, and jets based there took part in this week's war games. Lt. Gen. Yevgeniy Poplavsky, deputy commander of the Russian armed forces' Central Military District who oversaw the drills, described them as part of training to counter possible security challenges. The fighting between the Taliban and the Islamic State in northern Afghanistan raised fears of IS fighters and other militants flowing into Central Asian nations. "(The Taliban) will try to push all pro-ISIS military groups out its territory or to destroy them and to become the only one (in power)," Poplavsky said. "That's why we don't exclude the option that they will push them to Tajikistan's territory." The Soviet Union fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with its troops withdrawing in 1989. In recent years, Russia has made a strong diplomatic comeback as an influential power broker on Afghanistan, hosting several rounds of talks with various Afghan factions. Russia had worked for years to establish contacts with the Taliban, even though it designated the group a terror organization in 2003 and never took it off the list, Unlike many other countries, it hasn't evacuated its embassy in Kabul after they took over the Afghan capital in August. On Wednesday, Russia hosted another round of talks that involved the Taliban along with senior diplomats from China, Pakistan, Iran, India and the former Soviet nations in Central Asia. Speaking during a panel with international foreign policy experts on Thursday, Russian President Vladmir Putin said that the international community "is getting close" to officially recognizing the Taliban as the new rulers of Afghanistan, saying the decision must be made by the United Nations. He emphasized the need for the Taliban to recognize the interests of all Afghan ethnic groups and respect human rights, but noted its efforts to combat the Islamic State group and other militants. ___ Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. Climate change is already affecting the combat readiness of the U.S. military and providing opportunities for China to exploit, the Pentagons No. 2 official said Friday. Climate change and extreme weather events caused by climate change affect everything from the number of days we can be flying in the air and training to the ability to use military installations as sea levels rise or drought sets in, Kathleen Hicks, the deputy defense secretary, said in an interview with host Joe Mathieu on Bloomberg Radios Sound On program. Climate change could affect the militarys fuel lines and even the ability of its planes to loiter in the air, she said. Hicks commented after the Pentagon published a new climate risk analysis, which warned of worsening implications for U.S. national security, including the danger that China will try to take advantage of climate hazards in the Indo-Pacific region. Hicks said that in areas such as the Arctic, were starting to see much more competition from Russia and China in and around strategic minerals and strategic reserves and resources. She said there was a need to protect scientific missions in these areas and to manage potential conflicts and miscalculations with China and Russia. Climate change is also increasing the extent to which the military is called upon to conduct disaster and humanitarian relief missions abroad and at home in the U.S., Hicks said. She cited a surge in the use of the National Guard in recent years to help combat threats such as year-round wildfires across the U.S. Hicks said the Defense Department is working to reduce its own carbon footprint from the fuel it buys through its use of planes, tanks and military installations. She said that the use of microgrids and electric vehicle charging stations would be part of the solution. We are building the 2023 budget to get after what the costs are for reducing the carbon footprint, Hicks said. We are making sure that our force is trained and equipped to operate in extreme conditions and have the right test equipment for climate effects, she said. we are making sure we have a resilient infrastructure, that our supply chain is resilient and innovative. Hicks is the first woman to serve as deputy defense secretary. She previously headed President Joe Bidens Pentagon transition team and worked as an expert on national security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She served as deputy undersecretary of defense for strategy, plans and forces from 2009 to 2012 and as principal deputy undersecretary of Defense for policy from 2012-2013. Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught enlisted in the Air Force in 1957 and retired in 1985 after breaking multiple barriers for women in the armed forces. Vaught later led the creation of the national Military Womens Memorial. (U.S. Air Force) WASHINGTON Twenty senators, all women, urged President Joe Biden on Friday to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to retired Brig. Gen. Wilma L. Vaught, who broke barriers for women during her military service and later helped create the Military Womens Memorial. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who both served in the military, sent a letter to Biden asking that he award the medal to Vaught at his first opportunity. Eighteen other senators signed onto the letter. For over 60 years, Brigadier General Vaught has served this nation both in uniform and as a staunch advocate and tireless voice for the women who have and are serving in Americas armed forces, they wrote. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the United States and is bestowed by sitting presidents to recognize people who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The senators argued the timing would be especially meaningful because this year marks the 80th anniversary of the legislation that created the Womens Army Auxiliary Corps, which was the first formal path to military service for women. Vaught, 91, served in the Air Force for 29 years. She enlisted in 1957 and broke through the many bureaucratic and gender discriminating barriers that military women faced, the senators wrote. According to her citation for her entry into the National Womens Hall of Fame, Vaught in 1966 became the first woman to deploy with a strategic air command bombardment wing. In 1972, she was the first female Air Force officer to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and, in 1980, she became the first woman promoted to brigadier general in the comptroller career field. She served in Europe, Vietnam and at various posts throughout the United States. She once served as the chairwoman of the NATO Women in Allied Forces Committee and she was the first woman to command a unit that received the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. After retiring in 1985, Vaught fought for the creation of a national memorial honoring military women. She helped establish the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Inc., and raised more than $45 million to help establish the Military Womens Memorial, a 33,000-square-foot memorial and education center located at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. The memorial opened in 1997. Throughout her life, Brigadier General Wilma Vaught has led the way, forging new paths and opportunities for other women to succeed with a career in Americas military services, the senators wrote to Biden. From her commissioning in 1957 to the combined 34 years she has served as president and president emeritus of the Women in Military Service to America Foundation, Brigadier General Vaught remains a pioneer. U.S. counterintelligence officials have begun a concerted push to warn companies and universities about the risks of working with Chinese entities in key emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and quantum computing. They stressed they are not advocating that industry and researchers decouple or cut all ties with these entities, but they say they want people to understand that the Chinese government has a sweeping national plan to dominate in these fields. Beijings strategy includes acquiring data and know-how not just by hacking and other illicit acts but also through legal means such as acquisitions, investments and partnerships that businesses and researchers may not realize pose risks, top officials at the National Counterintelligence and Security Center said. We think theres a lot at stake with a lot of these technologies, said Mike Orlando, acting director of the NCSC, an arm of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. If we lose supremacy in these areas . . . we could be eclipsed as an international superpower. He said hundreds of billions of dollars worth of American technology is being targeted by the Chinese government. Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly urged scientists to make advances that can help ensure the countrys self-reliance. In a speech a year ago, he called for efforts to foster strategic emerging industries such as quantum communications to gain an upper hand in international competition and build new advantages for development. NCSC officials have begun their outreach in the past few months to raise awareness primarily about China but also about Russia, which is striving to make advances in AI and quantum technologies. Other areas that China is particularly active in are semiconductors and autonomous systems, officials said at a briefing for reporters Thursday. Both China and Russia are recruiting talent abroad and seeking to acquire technology through foreign investments, academic collaborations and joint ventures, although Chinas activities in this area are much more extensive, officials said. China, for instance, is making a concerted effort to buy Western semiconductor firms, Orlando said. In what U.S. officials call the bioeconomy, the Chinese are targeting genomic technology that can be used to design disease therapies and identify genetic vulnerabilities in a population, said Edward You, the national counterintelligence officer for emerging and disruptive technologies. He pointed to Chinas largest genomics company, BGI, which purchased the U.S. firm Complete Genomics in 2013. Over the years, BGI has made inroads in American hospitals and health care institutions, offering inexpensive large-scale DNA sequencing, he said. Providing such services is not illegal, but at the same time, he said, BGI is gaining access to massive amounts of Americans genetic data. Unbeknownst to patients, your data might be transferred to the Chinese government, he said. All Chinese entities are compelled by law to share data and technology with the Chinese government, NCSC spokesman Dean Boyd said. There is no mechanism for refusal. In July 2020, the United States imposed sanctions on two BGI subsidiaries for using genetic analysis to further the Chinese governments repression of Uyghur Muslims in Chinas Xinjiang province. BGI denied the claims. You, the counterintelligence officer, said the risk is not just to privacy but to national security. If China can pair such genetic data sets, including the data authorities are already gathering domestically, with artificial intelligence and quantum computing, he said, it may be able to advance to the point where it is first to market with cures for diseases. Because of our shortsightedness, we might wake up one day and weve become health care crack addicts and Chinas become our pusher, he said. In May, Chinas WuXi Biologics, a biotech firm, announced it had purchased Bayers manufacturing plant in Germany and Pfizers manufacturing plant in China. In June, it announced plans to build a major drug plant in Delaware, aided by a $19 million state subsidy. Last year, it said it was building a 46-acre plant in Massachusetts. If they can gain access to Western technology legally, they dont need to steal our [intellectual property], You said. Theyre in it to win it. Orlando and You said they are not telling businesses and universities to halt collaboration with China. Orlando said academics have made clear there are benefits from such partnerships. But, he said, people can make much better decisions, smarter decisions, on how they collaborate. The officials urged companies and universities to come up with best practices, review how data is stored and transferred, determine who has access to what and ensure vetting of contractors and subcontractors. If we can get the research community and private sector to be aware of what theyre doing and engineer security measures, we have a much better chance of mitigating the risks, You said. Sgt. Francis Wiemerslage was killed in a midair explosion aboard an aircraft on a bombing run in Germany in March 1945. His remains were located and flown to Chicago for burial in River Grove, Ill. (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency) CHICAGO (Tribune News Service) When a B-17 bomber exploded over Germany 76 years ago killing 20-year-old Sgt. Francis Wiemerslage, it left a hole in his River Grove, Ill., family that never healed. With his body unaccounted for, Wiemerslages grieving mother, Vivian, for several years after his disappearance set a place for him at the Thanksgiving dinner table in case her beloved son miraculously came home. His kid brother Roland, just 9 when Wiemerslage died in battle, spent much of his life trying to fill the void of his missing brother. Before his death in 2019, Roland Wiemerslage provided a DNA sample for unidentified remains discovered in German fields that same year. On Saturday, several Wiemerslage relatives plan to fulfill the wish of other departed family members and say goodbye to a son of River Grove cut down in his prime during the war. A military funeral will be held for Sgt. Wiemerslage at St. Cyprian Catholic Church in his hometown, where his family were early settlers and deeply involved in the community. An urn with Wiemerslages remains will be buried in a family plot at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, along with his mother and brother, who mourned his death for years. Its kind of like a homecoming, Phil Wiemerslage said of his Uncle Frankie, whom he never met. One of the last times I spoke with him, (Roland) said Phil never forget about Frankie, Phil Wiemerslage recalled. I think he knew he wasnt going to make it, and he wanted to see us carry it through. Frankie Wiemerslages legacy loomed large for surviving relatives, who grew up with stories of the high-spirited young man. None of us ever met him, but its just part of family history ... but more so than family, it feels like history, Phil Wiemerslage, 62, said. Barely 5-foot-3 and 125 pounds, Frankie Wiemerslage sported a big personality and toughness that belied his size, his family said. My grandmother described him as being full of piss and vinegar, said Phil Wiemerslage. He was a tough little German-Irish kid. Born in 1924, Frankie Wiemerslage, along with his brothers, Roland and Harold, and sister Audrey grew up in River Grove when it was populated by the families of early German settlers, who had flocked to the area. The family had long ties to the community, and their grandfather, Frank, was a longtime police chief known to ride his bicycle around the village until a motorcycle and sidecar were purchased. Despite a mischievous persona and a general disregard for academics, at age 16 he tried enlisting in the Army following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Delayed from service because of a heart murmur, he entered the service at 18 and later joined the 385th Bomber Group, Heavy, 549th Bomb Squadron in the Army Air Corps. His size made him ideal as a ball turret operator in the heart of the massive bombing vessel. On March 2, 1945, Wiemerslage and eight soldiers from his crew were on a bombing run in Dresden aboard their B-17G Flying Fortress when the bomber was disabled by enemy aircraft, according to the U.S. Army. Two soldiers managed to safely parachute, but Wiemerslage and six crew members died when the plane exploded in midair. Following the explosion, Wiemerslage was reported missing and later declared dead. In the postwar years, all of the bodies on the plane were located, except for Wiemerslages. At home, his mother had difficulty coping with his death. For several years, his family ran death notices expressing their anguish. She never wanted to admit that he was dead. Maybe hes just living in the forest, or maybe hes living with another family and forgot who he was, Phil Wiemerslage said of his grandmother. In November 1953, searchers working for the American Graves Registration Command found several bones and a wallet with F.W. in a field in Zuhlsdorf, according to the U.S. Army. The remains were buried the next year and remained so until they were unearthed in 2019 and later matched after a DNA comparison with Roland Wiemerslage. Phil Wiemerslage was present earlier this month at Midway Airport with his wife, two sisters and cousin when the arrival of his uncles remains received a heros welcome, followed by a long procession of American Legionnaires and bikers. Phil Wiemerslage said he felt the added weight and loss as the funeral drew near. I feel (the family legacy) immensely, he said. Its almost bigger than him and my family ... its almost like a symbol. Its just a reminder of what generations before us sacrificed to give us a lot of good things that we enjoy today. 2021 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Noted Pawnee artist and activist Bunky Echo-Hawk (right) and his 15-year-old daughter Alexie (left) were struck head-on Saturday by a vehicle traveling the wrong way on I-70. Alexie was killed in the collision and Bunky was injured. A GoFundMe account has been established for the family. Jerry Glenn Howell, 88, passed away on Monday, November 15, 2021 at his home in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Visitation will be held on Friday, November 19, 2021 from 5-7pm at Dighton Marler Funeral Home in Stillwater. www.dightonmarler.com. 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. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has set a 90 percent vaccination rate target for each DHB across New Zealand before a new traffic light system will come into place. The Government has announced the plans as part of the new Covid-19 Protection Framework to re-open the country. Vaccinated New Zealanders will regain everyday freedoms when the country moves to the new framework. The traffic light system will signify a move away from nationwide lockdowns as the main measure to stop the virus spreading. The new traffic light framework will allow businesses previously considered high-risk to fully open to vaccinated customers at green and orange and continue to operate with some restrictions at red. Businesses that choose to open to the unvaccinated will face restrictions in order to suppress the virus amongst those most likely to have it. Speaking to the nation today, Ardern put an emphasis on the tool of vaccines and the tentacles of the more transmissible Delta variant forcing a step away from the current elimination approach, once vaccination rates hit 90 per cent in regions. Very few countries have had the opportunity to vaccinate people before Covid was in every corner of their communities, says Ardern. We can. Once we have done that, we then need to make sure we keep using that tool to protect ourselves as we gradually and carefully open up. Not all countries have had that chance. And some, have opened up with vaccines very quickly, or without any other public health measures in place. She says the new framework plans to minimise the threat of and protect New Zealanders against Covid-19. Minimisation means that we are aiming to keep the spread of Covid-19 as low as possible. That while there will be some level of cases in the community on an ongoing basis, we will work to contain and control any outbreaks, and if practical to do so, stamp them out. Protection means that we wont just treat Covid like a seasonal illness. We will protect people from it with vaccination, management, and a response that focusses on minimising the significant health impacts we know it can have. Auckland will be able to move out of current restrictions at an accelerated rate, once the 90 per cent target has been met. Cabinet will review the vaccination progress on Monday, November 29. Our strategy, moving forward, is to minimise and protect, says Ardern. Our alert level system has chartered us through a global pandemic in a way that kept us relatively free from the virus, and we now have our playbook written if we ever needed it again. But now we have vaccines. And we cannot ask vaccinated people to stay home forever. So now we need a new playbook to reflect a population protected from Covid. Thats what this is. On top of the new framework, the Government is also providing up to $940 million per fortnight to support businesses through the challenging period, particularly those in Auckland. $120 million is also being provided to accelerate Maori vaccination rates in the coming weeks. Medical practitioners in the Bay of Plenty have hit back after a speech at a recent event in Mount Maunganui appears to have spread misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine. Videos of the speech, in which various claims are made about the safety of Covid-19 vaccines, have been seen by tens of thousands of people online causing alarm among doctors in the region. The speaker was talking at an event organised by The Freedom & Rights Coalition at Coronation Park on Saturday, October 16. Attendees were largely protesting for freedom of choice against topics such as vaccine mandates, lockdowns and mask regulations and did so peacefully. However, vaccine efficacy and safety were also topics of concern. The speaker claims to have previously been a doctor in both Mount Maunganui and Papamoa. But as one GP who spoke to SunLive notes, the person in question has not been practicing medicine since November 2006 as verified on the Medical Council of New Zealands website. The speech has been viewed over 112,000 times on YouTube and over 19,000 times on Facebook, leaving medical practitioners in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato disheartened at the many commenters and viewers who appear to believe the information stated. We have grave concerns that anyone watching this video will believe the credibility of this person by way of her claim to be a recently practising GP, says a statement on behalf of several practitioners. The content of the video is gross misinformation. All GP's in New Zealand are required to meet high competency standards to obtain a practising certificate which is reviewed annually. We have to undergo regular training to ensure we are up to date with the current evidence and guidelines. I would implore anyone who has watched this video and may have doubts about the vaccination process to talk to someone they trust who is qualified, such as their own GP. The statement is on behalf of several doctors in the region, including Dr Hannah Jenkins and Dr Geoff Esterman of Gate Pa Medical Centre; Dr Jen Holloway, Dr Amrita Kumar and Dr Alison James of Fifth Ave Family Practice; Dr Linda Dear and Dr Al Johnson of Bethlehem Medical Centre; Dr Ruth Cameron and Dr Sue Genner of Pyes Pa Family Doctors; Dr Malcolm Scott of Accident and Healthcare; Dr Satvinder Chauhan of City Centre Medical; Dr Tineke Iversen Douglas of Waihi Family Doctors, Dr Virginia McGowan and Dr Julie Edwards of The Doctors Papamoa; Dr Cheryl Pittar of Te Aroha Health; Dr Victoria Jones of Katikati Medical Centre; Dr David Offner of Ngati Kahu Hauora; Dr Brooke Vosper of Te Puke Medical; Dr Natasha Roberton of Papamoa Pines Medical Centre; Dr Claire McNally of Farm Street Doctors; Dr Jenny Hill of Otumoetai Doctors and Dr Jethro Leroy of Med Central Whakatane. We completely endorse the Covid vaccination which is backed by robust evidence to be safe, they conclude. The Bay of Plenty District Health Board say they are aware of the speech and are concerned of the impact it may have in the region. We are aware of an event at Coronation Park, says BOPDHB operations manager for Covid Programme Brent Gilbert de Rios. Mis/disinformation about the vaccine puts our community at risk. Inaccurate information about the Covid-19 vaccine, whether intentional, or accidental, could seriously impact the immunisation programme. We encourage the public to check trusted sources. The Bay of Plenty District Health Boards region currently remains below the national average for first and second dose vaccinations with some rural regions among the worst in the country Brent is therefore imploring the public to seek trusted sources with regards to Covid-19 vaccination. Mis/disinformation of any kind about the vaccine puts our community at risk, he says. Getting the vaccine is the best way to protect ourselves, our whanau and our community against Covid-19. It is free, and it is safe to have. The nationwide collective Doctors Stand Up For Vaccination, consisting of over 6600 New Zealand doctors, say they back the safety of vaccines and that the vast majority of doctors across New Zealand were honoured to be vaccinated. However, they say there remains a very small minority of doctors who do not want to get vaccinated and that can have a massive knock-on effect. Despite the small numbers, their impact can be devastating, especially amongst smaller or rural communities, says a statement from the collective. The Coronation Park event was attended by several hundred residents on the same day many across the nation were getting vaccinated as part of Super Saturday. Among the many claims made during the controversial 10-minute speech were assertions of a British Medical Journal study suggesting high miscarriage rates among vaccinated women in early pregnancy, the death of four New Zealand teenagers due to clotting diseases caused by the vaccine and a total of 204 deaths caused by the Covid-19 vaccine in New Zealand. None of these claims could be verified. When contacted by SunLive, a spokesperson for the British Medical Journal says they are unaware of anything published in their publication which resembles those figures. Instead, they point to figures from a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that have been taken out of context. The figures in question have been widely debunked as a misrepresentation and misunderstanding of findings. In April, Medsafe reviewed the risk of blood clots with bleeding after the Pfizer vaccine and found no evidence of risk. In the latest MedSafe Safety Report, there remains just one death linked to the effects of vaccination. That case, a womans death attributed to have likely been caused by vaccine-induced myocarditis, is still pending a full Coroners report. Myocarditis has been identified as a rare potential side effect of Pfizers Comirnaty vaccination currently in use in New Zealand. Myocarditis is also a potential side effect of infection with Covid-19. At the time of the report in question, 5,269,060 vaccine doses had been administered across the country with just the one likely vaccine-related death. The observed number of deaths after vaccination in New Zealand is currently less than the expected number of deaths. The Freedom & Rights Coalition have been approached for comment. The BOPDHB advises that people can report instances of misinformation, whether online, by email, phone or in a physical document to the government agency CERT NZ by visiting www.cert.govt.nz. They also state the importance of using trusted sources such as www.covid19.govt.nz, www.health.govt.nz, www.karawhiua.nz and www.vaccinations.bopdhb.health.nz to check for information on the Covid-19 vaccine programme and advise speaking to a healthcare professional you trust. If people have questions about the vaccine programme, you can email ask.covidvax@bopdhb.govt.nz or freephone 0800 829 000. A third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine that has been recommended for severely immunocompromised individuals aged 12 and older is now available to be accessed, says National Director Covid-19 Vaccination and Immunisation Programme Jo Gibbs. Individuals who are severely immunocompromised are at a higher risk of severe outcomes from Covid-19 and might not produce a sufficiently strong immune response after two doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. A third primary dose may be beneficial and can be administered at least eight weeks after the second dose. The eligibility criteria to access a third primary dose is complex and applies to only the group of people who are severely immunocompromised. Individuals who meet the eligibility criteria will need to be prescribed a third dose by their GP or other specialist and present the script when accessing the third primary dose. Jo says the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Group (CV-TAG) carefully considered a number of studies in order to make this recommendation for this group. The Ministry of Health has published the eligibility requirements that must be met to qualify for a third primary dose. Providing an optional third primary dose to individuals with severe immunosuppression will help protect our most vulnerable against severe disease and hospitalisation if they were to contract Covid-19. Everyone aged 12 and older who is a household or close contact of someone who is immunocompromised is strongly encouraged to receive two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. This will help provide indirect protection to the most vulnerable people in our communities, says Jo. A third primary dose is different to a booster dose for the general population. Booster vaccines for the general population are not yet available under the current immunisation programme. The Covid-19 Technical Advisory Group (CV-TAG) is constantly reviewing the emerging research on booster vaccines, and a recommendation on whether a booster should be offered will be made in the coming months. Cabinet will make a final decision on whether the general public will be able to access a booster vaccine, following Medsafes assessment once it receives additional data from Pfizer, says Jo. Details of access to a third dose for this group of individuals is now available on the Ministry of Health website: Like the rest of New Zealand, mental health charity I Am Hope has had to adapt and overcome Covid lockdown challenges to launch its second Gumboot Friday virtually. The move for the charitys flagship service comes amid rising uncertainties concerning level changes and Covid restrictions. Virtual Gumboot Friday, a second event for 2021, aims to raise funds for free counselling services for young people across New Zealand, and will go ahead on the originally scheduled date of November 5. I Am Hope founder and mental health champion Mike Kings 100 km walk, and other community activities originally planned at Auckland Domain, will be replaced by a two-hour online motivation marathon. The marathon will see Mike King exclusively address the Gumboot Army, made up of hundreds of dedicated volunteers across the country who organise individual and community fundraising efforts. Each volunteer or team will be allocated 15 minutes to korero with Mike, and Gumboot Fridays Facebook page will be live streaming throughout the event. Mike says its been tough times, but not as tough as it is for young people who need someone to talk to. Like all Kiwis, weve had to have some hard conversations and make tough decisions, says Mike. Its been incredibly difficult to come to the decision to postpone our Domain event, because we were trying to make up for the funding shortfall from the first one. The first Gumboot Friday event held in May saw Mike and supporters walk upwards of 60km around the Domain, raising $943,000. It wasnt easy to have to weigh things up and make the call on this, adds Mike. A lot of people had worked hard on it for a long time, and a lot of people had been really excited about it. It was a downer to have to cancel it. But all we need to do to charge up our energy again is think about all the kids that desperately need counselling and cant get it. Were ready again to think of new ways of doing things, to shake things up, to help these kids be heard and seen. We now rely solely on the Gumboot Army, made up of wonderful people and communities across Aotearoa, to help us reach our goal. These people are passionate, hardworking and dedicated and without them, we wouldnt be where we are today. With the onset of further lockdowns and isolation, I Am Hope recently launched its Gumboot Friday online counselling service nationwide, with patronage going through the roof, demonstrating young peoples urgent need to access counselling sessions promptly more than ever. I Am Hope encourages the Gumboot Army to go ahead with events while adhering to appropriate Covid level restrictions and safety protocols. Vitual Gumboot Friday will be held on November 5. World Ballet Day celebrated in Torremolinos On 19 October, fifty renowned companies from all over the world celebrated the art of dance giving a unique insight into their ballet studios via free online streaming Many people in Spain, both young and old, are passionate about ballet. This cherished art form has become a tradition on the Costa del Sol. Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and The Sleeping Beauty are always popular in the Cervantes Theatre. Ballet originated from Italy and France as an artistic dance form during the Renaissance and became quite popular in Russia by 1850. During the early 20th century, the famous theatre producer Serge Diaghilev formed the Ballet Russes that once toured Spain. Spain also prepares its leading dancers, such as Nacho Duato, to conquer international stages. There are large and small classical schools across Spain and not only in the big cities. In the towns along the Costa del Sol there are a few ballet schools too. One of them is in Torremolinos. For more than 30 years, the Centro De Danza has been training students with the goal to prepare for the ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing) examinations in Imperial Classical Ballet and Modern Theatre Dance and Jazz, and the RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) in classical ballet, which are regulated by the British QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Agency). The director of the Torremolinos Centro de Danza, Carmen Crespo, stresses that ballet is not only pretty tutus and leotards, it also involves intense physical discipline. Detailed techniques and aesthetics appeal to young people who crave creativity and routine together with a physical vehicle to express themselves. Our students try to do their best and we at the Centre do everything possible to prepare the pupils for auditions for entry to colleges in the UK. Most of the students at Torremolinos Centro de Danza are girls. However, Renaissance dances at the Italian court were originally only performed by men, as any form of women dancing was considered disgraceful. This year we could celebrate two more anniversaries as the first ballet school is thought to be founded in 1661, thanks to Louis XIV. At first, only men were allowed to dance in Paris, but in 1681 women were allowed to join them, although they had to wear floor length gowns. That means 360 years has passed since the opening of the first Ballet school, and it is the 340th anniversary of women ballet dancing, Carmen explained. Last Tuesday, students of the Torremolinos Dance Centre celebrated World Ballet Day. Several ballet companies from around the world participated in the celebrations, including The Royal Ballet, The Australia Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, and the San Francisco Ballet. This year, the 19 October, was the eighth year. Major dance companies in different countries joined forces in a world-wide celebration of dance, with live streams of rehearsals, previews of new productions as well as videos of some of the biggest stars of ballet in action. We celebrated Ballet Day in class and also rehearsed in the Principe de Asturias Auditorium of Torremolinos ready for the gala on the 30th April. Actually, this year more than ever, there is a special meaning in celebrating because, after the pandemic restrictions, friends and colleagues around the world return to the studio and the stage she added. Heavily-armed crack police team arrest two in counter-terrorism raid in Malaga city centre Members of the Guardia Civil's elite Rapid Action Group are at the scene this Friday afternoon, 22 October Heavily-armed police in the centre of Malaga this Friday afternoon, 22 October. / SALVADOR SALAS A large-scale police operation took place this Friday afternoon, 22 October, in Malaga city centre. The Guardia Civil deployed heavily-armed members of its elite Rapid Action Group in the La Victoria and Lagunillas areas. Local residents told SUR the police arrived in droves but in silence, without sirens blaring, and quickly took up positions at the main routes into and out of the districts. Uniformed officers and others in plainclothes, with their faces covered, took part in the operation. Sources told SUR that several searches were carried out and two people were detained in an operation against alleged jihadist terrorism. More to follow Emotion and tears as processions return to San Pedro The patron saint blessed onlookers on a shorter route than usual in the first procession since the pandemic People were eager to hit the streets in San Pedro Alcantara on Tuesday for a traditional event that they hadn't seen for two years. San Pedro's church was full, with others waiting outside in the square to see the procession of their patron saint being carried through the streets, the first religious one since the beginning of the pandemic. The image left the church at midday, hoisted on shoulders to the rhythm of the Spanish national anthem. Such was the emotion and the heat that there was one image carrier who fainted, although emergency services and the mayor of Marbella, Angeles Munoz, attended the man who was taken away by ambulance. Despite being a shorter route than most years, there were still plenty of onlookers, both local and from afar, including a group of English women. Linda, Barbara, Diana and another Barbara all spend half the year on the Costa del Sol and they always come to the procession in San Pedro. "First we watch the procession and after we have some wine and tapas," said Linda. Deputy mayor for San Pedro, Javier Garcia, thanked the town for their calm behaviour which meant people could "have fun but also comply with all the health measures". He also called the 'feria' festivities, the first since 2019 and which finished over the weekend, a resounding success, as well as praising the public services for their work throughout the events and making sure everyone stuck to the rules. Full terraces One of the feria's main objectives was that hotels and restaurants took centre stage. "We're very happy with San Pedro residents' enthusiasm to have fun. We wanted to recover the traditional feria's location in the centre," Garcia said. The town's streets were buzzing with activity, with terraces full of locals and visitors as San Pedro blessed his citizens again, accompanied by a local band. Latest video as volcano experts fear magnitude 6 earthquakes on La Palma On Thursday lava flows from the eruption destroyed a fuel station and a school. Now there are also concerns about collapsing roofs on the island due to the weight of volcanic ash mixed with the forecast rain The Cumbre Vieja volcano continues to spew lava and ash one month after it started to erupt. / AFP Earthquakes continue to rock the island of La Palma where the Cumbre Vieja volcano continues to erupt. On Thursday (21 October), some 50 seismic movements were registered with the strongest, a 4.3 magnitude earthquake, recorded at a depth of 37 kilometres at Villa de Mazo. Volcanologists fear that the force of the tremors will intensify. Maria Jose Blanco, director of Spains National Geographic Institute (IGN) in the Canary Islands, argued that, in light of the current level of seismicity, the earthquakes could register a magnitude of 6. The two lava flows that invaded the urban area of La Laguna, in the municipality of Los Llanos de Aridane, the day before, ended up joining together on Thursday and continued heading southwest. The incandescent rocks left a bleak panorama after destroying a fuel station, the school, a recreational society and threatened to reach the church of San Isidro, built by the residents themselves. After the latest lava advance forced the preventative evacuation of the Marina Alta, Marina Baja, La Condesa, Cuesta Zapata and San Borondon neighbourhoods in Tazacorte, as well as Las Martelas, in Los Llanos de Aridane, the number of people displaced and accommodated in hotels on La Palma rises to 416, of which 375 are staying in Fuencaliente and the rest in Los Llanos de Aridane. Roof collapse The new lava flow approaching the coast is about 120 metres from the sea and could force the complete lockdown of Tazacorte, due to toxic gases, when it enters the ocean. The quantity of ash being deposited on the island's roofs is described as extreme and, since meteorologists are forecasting rains, its weight will increase and with it the danger of the roofs collapsing. Lava has already covered 825 hectares of the island, 17 more than the previous day. According to the land registry data, there are some 1,196 buildings destroyed, while the Copernicus satellite programme puts the figure at more than two thousand. Spains Government intends to establish the headquarters of several research centres on La Palma in an effort to encourage reconstruction, the Minister of Science, Diana Morant, announced when she visited the island on Thursday. Do you already have a paid subscription to any of the SWNewsMedia newspapers? If so, you can Activate your Premium online account by clicking here. Activation will allow you to view unlimited online articles each month. To activate your Premium online account, the email address and phone number provided with your paid newspaper subscription needs to match the information you use in setting up your online user account. If you are having trouble or want to confirm what email address and phone number is listed on your subscription account, please call 952-345-6682 or email circulation@swpub.com and we'll be happy to assist. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Tahlequah, OK (74464) Today Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 39F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 39F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. Our Most Popular Magazines + Digital We get it. You live by the Ski Valleys snow report even when youre hours away. You follow every Taos post on Instagram. Our small town occupies a BIG part of your heart. Keep in touch with all things Taos when you subscribe to FIVE of our national award-winning magazines, plus access to the website and e-edition for a full year at the special low rate of just $55. Thank you for Reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and Purchase a Subscription to continue reading. The Texas Public Utility Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas say they're confident the state's main power grid can handle this summer's heat without power outages. Products containing delta-8 THC on the counter at GR8 Vapes in San Marcos on Oct. 20, 2021. svsantosh Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hosur Posts: 3,582 Thanked: 3,362 Times View My Garage 2 minute 500-rupee DIY | Day-night IRVM swap in my Maruti S-Presso Since this is more simpler mod (not involving any wires) I wanted this to be a reference thread to other maruti owners who have the El-Cheapo Pain-in-the-eyes IRVM. Car - Maruti Spresso Lxi CNG, Aug-21 Model Came with Part # - 84703M62S00-6GS - 205Rs on Boodmo Refit with - 84703M75J12-6GS - 511Rs Tools - Minus Screwdriver and Philips Screwdriver Time Needed - 2-3 Minutes max for swap Difficult Level - Beginner/Novice can pull it off Old IRVM Plastic Cover, To be pried out with Minus Screw driver And remove two Philips (Plus +) screws... After fitting Added and unknown benefit whilst ordering in Boodmo... It is about 3/4 inch wider Boodmo part reference Cannot wait to hit the dark highways... https://youtu.be/jCguhHpCpOo Side Note - thanks to 'shameless' maruti for at least keeping it as standard and swappable as possible... Happy Motoring... Encouraged by https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...-alto-k10.html (DIY : Day-Night IRVM install in a Maruti Alto K10) - thanks OP Reinhard. I drive for 65-70Kms after 6PM daily and after changing my old car to spresso Lxi I was really suffering with the basic IRVM. I spent some time on boodmo and found the part I wanted from Maruti's parts bin.Since this is more simpler mod (not involving any wires) I wanted this to be a reference thread to other maruti owners who have the El-Cheapo Pain-in-the-eyes IRVM.Car - Maruti Spresso Lxi CNG, Aug-21 ModelCame with Part # - 84703M62S00-6GS - 205Rs on BoodmoRefit with - 84703M75J12-6GS - 511RsTools - Minus Screwdriver and Philips ScrewdriverTime Needed - 2-3 Minutes max for swapDifficult Level - Beginner/Novice can pull it offOld IRVMPlastic Cover, To be pried out with Minus Screw driverAnd remove two Philips (Plus +) screws...After fittingAdded and unknown benefit whilst ordering in Boodmo... It is about 3/4 inch widerBoodmo part referenceCannot wait to hit the dark highways...Side Note - thanks to 'shameless' maruti for at least keeping it as standard and swappable as possible...Happy Motoring... What just happened? A former mobile carrier employee has been sentenced for his role in a SIM-swapping conspiracy that targeted at least nineteen people. Florida resident Stephen Defiore accepted bribes of around $500 from someone every time he swapped a customers SIM. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) writes that Defiore accepted multiple bribes for performing the switches. The act usually requires some form of social engineering but can be carried out with a lot more ease if criminals involve cellular provider employees, as was the case here. Once a victims phone number has been ported to another SIM, all their calls and texts go to that number. One of the main reasons cybercriminals do this is to intercept two-factor authentication (2FA) texts that allow access to secure services such as banks and crypto wallets. The SIM swapping incidents occurred between 2017 and 2019 while Defiore was a sales representative for an unnamed carrier. In each incident, a co-conspirator sent Defiore a customers phone number, a four-digit PIN, and a SIM card number to which the number was to be swapped. He received a total of $2,325 for his actions across a series of twelve payments. Its noted that one of the victims had their number swapped to a SIM card in an Apple iPhone 8 that was in the possession of Richard Li, who was charged with his role in the offense in June 2020 and was charged in a superseding indictment in August 2021. Defiore pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was sentenced on October 19 and will serve three months probation, a year of home confinement, and must perform 100 hours of community service. He must also pay $77,417.50 in restitution and along with a mandatory special assessment fee payment of $100. SIM swapping remains a prevalent crime. In 2018, it was reported that a 20-year-old college student hacked 40 phones and stole $5 million using the techniquehe later received a 10-year plea deal. There was also the case of an investor who tried to sue AT&T for $224 million over a $24 million theft of his cryptocurrency, but a judge threw out the case. According to a report by Princeton researchers last year, five of the largest US carriers are doing little to protect you from SIM swapping attacks. (Photo : Vinicius "amnx" Amano from Unsplash ) Ferrara Ransomware Attack Editor's note: A spokesperson from Ferrara reached out to us. Here's the official statement from the company. On October 9, 2021, Ferrara disrupted a ransomware attack that encrypted some of our systems. Upon discovery, we immediately responded to secure all systems and commence an investigation into the nature and scope of this incident. Ferrara is cooperating with law enforcement and our technical team is working closely with third-party specialists to fully restore impacted systems as expeditiously and as safely as possible. We have resumed production in select manufacturing facilities, and we are shipping from all of our distribution centers across the country, near to capacity. We are also now working to process all orders in our queue. We want to assure consumers that Ferrara's Halloween products are on shelves at retailers across the country ahead of the holiday. We appreciate our employees' and customers' patience and understanding as we work toward a resolution. Ferrara, a popular candy company based in Chicago was recently hit by a ransomware attack. The cybercriminals disrupted the firm's systems and encrypted some of them. Ransomware Gang Attacks Candy Company According to a report by NBC News on Wednesday, Oct.20, Ferrara was the latest food company to experience ransomware hacking. The company is known for its products such as Everlasting Gobstoppers, SweeTarts, Red Hots, Boston Baked Beans, Lemondhead candies, Nerds, and more. At the time of writing, the company's spokesperson said via email that they have managed to resume the production but only to a few facilities. Over the past years, ransomware attacks have been scattered across the globe. Even the food sectors from different countries did not escape the hacking scheme from the cybercriminals. Usually, the hackers want to launch a ransomware attack to ask the victim for a payment. They would also tell the victim to comply with their demands. If the victim fails to pay the attackers, they will leak the files to the public. Furthermore, many businesses struggle to keep up with the increasing need for security. The field of the food supply chain is only one of many industries that are regularly hit by ransomware attacks. In the last few weeks, the ransomware gang has hacked the system of at least three-grain distributors in the United States. Hackers Demand Payment From Ferrara According to Ferrara, the hackers started to demand the payment on Oct.9. At that time, they consulted some cybersecurity experts who could help them in restoring the computer systems. The candy company confirmed the attack on Tuesday, Oct.19. One of the company's representatives did not tell the expected number of orders that should be delivered before Halloween. The spokesperson only said that all of the distribution centers are now resuming shipping operations. "We have resumed production in select manufacturing facilities, and we are shipping from all of our distribution centers across the country, near to capacity. We are also now working to process all orders in our queue," Ferrara stated in a report by Chicago Tribune. Read Also: FiveHands Ransomware Seen to be Exploiting SonicWall--Similar to 'HelloKitty' Ransomware? Ransomware Attacks on Other Food Sectors Back in September, Tech Times reported that the ransomware attackers exploited the system of one of the largest US-based farm cooperatives. The result of the hacking could likely end up with a food shortage. According to the Iowa cooperative, the systems went offline during the attack. The devices of the company were also affected. The report stated that the New Cooperative cybercriminals are also linked to DarkSide. The said gang was the successor of the previous group who previously attacked the Colonial Pipeline. A security analyst said that BlackMatter is demanding a $5.9 million payment for the ransomware decryptor. In May, the largest meat supplier in the world encountered several server problems, which led to a cyber attack. The IT systems of JBS in Australia and North America have reportedly crashed. Related Article: Ransomware Gang Hackers Arrested in Ukraine After Attacking European and North American Firms Since 2020 This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Federal Trade and Communication (FTC) is now questioning the likes of Verizon, AT&T, Google Fi, and all six of the largest internet service providers of the US for harvesting personal data without reason. The companies are now called out by the regulatory committee because of their inexplainable act as caught by the agency. FTC Personal Data Use by ISPs The FTC has released a report on the recent investigation they had with ISPs and how they have personal data on their hands without any reason behind it. The federal agency has caught these six internet service providers with a questionable data collection practice that the FTC finds to be troubling and odd. There has been no response from these companies yet, but they are compelled to answer to the FTC, especially with its call upon them and their licenses being on the line with this. It was said that the ISPs did not provide any reason as to why it harvested data and has kept the users in the dark that their personal information is collected. Read Also: FTC Chair Lina Khan Outlines New Visions and Plans for the Agency in Her Memo Six Largest ISPs: Why Harvesting Data? According to CNET, the six ISPs in question include Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Google Fi, Comcast Xfinity, and Charter Spectrum in the data collection issue. It remains a massive talk in the industry, and it still shows that it can potentially endanger consumers and their personal information regarding this revelation by the FTC. Is My Data Safe with Verizon, AT&T, Google Fi, and MORE? The answer to the question of safety with these internet service providers remains unknown, especially as these companies have not yet revealed the reason for their lack of disclosures with the data gathering. Earlier this year, Verizon was exposed via a data breach, so they know the feeling of being at the other end of the stick where they are the ones that are being siphoned data from. Nevertheless, this did not stop them from allegedly doing the same to its customers, as it was pointed out by the FTC, one of the top regulating bodies in the country for telecommunications. This also questions that of Xfinity, a known service provider that has been focused on WiFi connectivity for the modern age. Data has and always will be a question of safety, and it would be something that can be used by a person whenever necessary. However, if these companies do not use a person's data, they may be breached by malware or threat actors that would then endanger the data of the users which they hold on, and potentially put them in harm's way. Related Article: Verizon Phishing Scam Targets Customers Through a Text Message | Beware of This Bogus Phone Number This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NASA says the United States or the US needs more nuclear-powered spacecraft to remain as the global space leader. It comes as China rapidly ramped up its space exploration endeavors. NASA: The US Needs More Nuclear Spacecraft As per FoxNews, the senior advisor for budget and finance of NASA, Bhavya Lal, bared that the "strategic competitors" of the US are already working on multiple nuclear-powered spacecraft. And, if the US wants to stop its close rivals like China from being the next global space leader, it needs to speed up its investments in nuclear-powered spacecraft. The NASA official said these pronouncements to the House Science, Space, and Tech subcommittee. China's Nuclear-Powered Spacecraft It comes as reports have been suggesting that China recently launched a two orbital rocket that could fly nuclear weapons at hypersonic fast speeds, making it hard to stop. Although the said rocket launch of the Asian country reportedly missed its target by two dozen miles, the US intelligence officials are still surprised by it. However, according to the report of Futurism, China denied these allegations, saying that it was a mere routine spacecraft check. Nevertheless, some folks are still suggesting that the US intelligence underestimated the capabilities of the military-led space agency of China, similar to what previously happened with Russia. NASA: Nuclear Spacecraft Could Speed Up Mars Mission On top of that, Lal further urged the Congress that the US "needs to move at a fast pace to stay competitive and to remain a leader in the global space community." It is worth noting that nuclear-powered rockets are drastically faster than the older chemical-propelled rockets that NASA mainly uses today. What's more, these nuclear-powered spacecraft could reach Mars in an estimate of at least three months. That said, astronauts could start their mission on the Red Planet at an earlier time frame with this kind of space technology. Read Also: China to Create Mars Helicopter Like NASA's Ingenuity; First Crewed Mission Set in 2033 NASA vs. China: Mars Human Landing Both NASA and Congress agree that human landing on Mars is planned to take place in 2033. But the co-chair of the Committee on Space Nuclear Propulsion TEchnologies at the Academies of Sciences begs to disagree, saying that humans landing on the Red Planet is "likely unobtainable by 2033." On the other hand, China remains consistent with its plan to bring its crew mission to the Martian planet in 2033, as per the report of Reuters. Futurism further added in the same report that if the pronouncements of Lal in front of the Congress subcommittee are true, then China is likely going to hit this target using their nuclear-powered spacecraft. Related Article: Japan's Mars Mission Plans to Bring Soil Samples to Earth in 2029-Ahead of NASA, China This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Teejay Boris 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Walmart will now allow shoppers to purchase Bitcoin in select Coinstar kiosks across the country. The US retail giant looks forward to expanding the cryptocurrency service to serve more customers. Walmart Aims Expansion For Bitcoin Access On Thursday, Oct.21, Walmart spokesperson Molly Blakeman said that the initiative from the company had started earlier this October, according to a Bloomberg report. With the help of Coinstar, the shoppers could now exchange cryptocurrency for paper bills and even gift cards. Coinstar, a popular company for its coin-cashing machines, sought a partnership with the digital currency exchange Coinme. Together, the collaboration aims to build Bitcoin ATMs for over 8,000 kiosks. In the meantime, Walmart has included 200 kiosks in its recent pilot test. According to BitOoda chief strategy officer Sam Doctor, Bitcoin ATMs have been used previously in some supermarkets in the US. The cryptocurrency brokerage's head of research added that the retailer is preparing to roll out more Bitcoin services soon. This would also lessen the doubts of those who are skeptical about Bitcoin's legibility. Walmart's Fake Crypto Deal Before the pilot test for Coinstar kiosks started, Walmart had been a subject of crypto hoax last month, Reuters reported on Friday, Oct.22. At that time, a fake release announced that the company was done dealing with Litecoin. Later, it was confirmed that the news about the partnership was bogus. Walmart said that it would continue to explore cryptocurrency in some of its future missions. For the shoppers to access the Bitcoin ATMs, they should first have a Coinme account and successfully pass the test to redeem the voucher. Moreover, the Bitcoin option would charge the user at 4%. On the other hand, the cash exchange fee will be 7%, according to CoinDesk. While the massive rollout of crypto ATMs continues, there are still some concerns about using them. According to DigitalMint's compliance director Seth Sattler, money laundering could arise in this adoption. Furthermore, scammers and money mules could likely surface to victimize some users, especially those who have just started exploring cryptocurrency. Read Also: Jack Dorsey's 705742 Tweet Catches Fans By Surprise | Largest Cryptocurrency Sees All-Time High Price Surge Cryptocurrency ATMs Are All Over the World In May, Tech Times reported that 355 new crypto ATMs were launched across the United States. Bitcoin Depot wanted to spread its service in 40 states in the country. The same firm said that 155 crypto machines were launched back in March. Before being allowed to use the ATM, the user should have a phone number as part of the verification process. This year, the company was rooting for an expected growth of 200%. The objective also means that it would allow more cryptos in the transactions. These include the most famous digital currencies in the world, such as Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin. At the time of the report, there were around 19,000 crypto ATMs worldwide. In June, El Salvador allowed the installation of 1,500 crypto ATMs. All adults in the country were set to receive cryptocurrency worth $30. Related Article: Best Cryptocurrencies to Buy For October 2021 |AXS, SOL, Cardano, and MORE This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. COVID-19 pandemic might be a burden for those people who have a hard time transitioning into the new normal. However, a recent study conducted by a team of researchers said that coronavirus-related memes could alleviate a person's mood. It could also help them to cope up properly with stress during this situation. Survey About Memes Amid COVID Pandemic According to a report by The Washington Post, memes have helped the Americans in their stress-coping mechanism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pennsylvania State University, together with the University of California Santa Barbara, conducted a recent study about the impact of memes on the lives of the people. Based on the research, people who usually view memes experience more positive emotions and higher humor levels. Last December, the researchers conducted an online survey involving 748 individuals. Based on the sample population, the age range of the participants sits from 18 to 88 years old. Among the people who participated in the 2020 survey, 72% were white. 63% said they did not have any college degree. 54% of them were women. The survey involved showing funny pictures or memes to the people. The participants have different responses and humor upon seeing the memes related to COVID-19. Impact of COVID Memes and How Each Types Matter In another report by NPR on Thursday, Oct.21, the researchers found out that those who regularly see memes related to the pandemic suffered from less stress. Those who are not used to viewing memes experience more stress. In addition, the researchers also noticed that meme-exposed people could process information much better than those who don't view COVID-19 memes at all. Of course, the variation of memes also has an effect on the viewer. According to the latest release, those people who are fond of viewing memes of baby animals or cute infants would likely adapt to stress better. The study's lead author Jessica Gall Myrick said their research could alleviate the lives of people who are dealing with the pandemic struggle. Through the COVID-19 memes, many will feel more confident in their daily life. "If we are all more conscious of how our behaviors, including time, spent scrolling, affect our emotional states, then we will better be able to use social media to help us when we need it and to take a break from it when we need that instead," the Pennsylvania State University professor stated in a release. To view the study entitled "Consuming memes during the COVID pandemic: Effects of memes and meme type on COVID-related stress and coping efficacy," visit APA PsycNet. Read Also: Coronavirus Best Medicine is Laughter! Reading Funny Memes Can Boost Your Immune System, Says Expert More Memes About Coronavirus You Should See Dealing with a pandemic is stressful, that's why we need something that could lighten our mood. Last year, we shared the best and funniest "Thanksgiving" memes during the COVID-19 lockdown. At that time, each family was celebrating the holidays inside their houses. These funny pictures will surely give you a dose of laughter during the virtual festivities. Back in April 2021, a lot of people took COVID memes by storm across several social media sites. All over Twitter, many users shared different memes about the recreational activities that they will do after receiving their vax. Related Article: Memes and Social Media Shape the Coronavirus Pandemic - Study Says This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Image from Commons.Wikipedia.com) Google is Set to Remove YouTube Apps from Roku App Store | Roku is Claiming Google Asked for Preferential Treatment in Search Results Google is now set to remove YouTube apps from the Roku app store. Roku is currently claiming that Google asked for preferential treatment when it comes to Roku's search results. YouTube Set to Leave Roku According to the story by CNBC, YouTube is now set to leave Roku. The fight between both companies has caught the attention of Congress members attempting to push their own Big Tech antitrust legislation. After a whole month-long fight between Roku and YouTube's parent company Google. Google recently announced that it would no longer allow Roku customers to download the YouTube or YouTube TV apps to their own devices starting Dec. 9. This means that anyone who reportedly buys a brand new Roku device after the said date will no longer be able to install YouTube apps. Roku Claims About Google This is now reportedly the latest battle between a Big Tech giant against a smaller tech firm that is trying to compete with each other. Like other small tech companies, Roku is now claiming that Google is using its own dominant market power to force other unfavorable terms on a competitor. In the meantime, an email was sent from a Google executive to Roku as the two sides were reportedly negotiating their agreement counters Google's own public statement that it hadn't asked Roku for special treatment. This was before allowing the YouTube app on certain Roku devices. Roku Catches Eye of Two Congress Members Roku's own claims had already caught the eye of two of the most important Congress members that were attempting to reign in Big Tech through particular antitrust legislation. These include Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who sided with Roku. Google TV is now most likely to stream free TV channels like Roku and Samsung TV Plus as reported in September 2021. The fight between both companies centered on a 2019 agreement that was to allow YouTube TV on Roku. Roku noted that Google demanded special access to search data from certain Roku customers as a condition of allowing YouTube TV on particular Roku devices. Read Also: YouTube TV No Longer Available on Roku as Company Settles Dispute with Google Roku on Google's Requests Roku also notes that Google asked for its own prioritized search results for YouTube videos in Roku's own search feature. Roku noted that it had agreed with those particular terms but had also asked Google not to ask for any other additional data. An article in June 2021 gave more detail about Roku's accusations on Google for monopolistic tactics. Google noted that it would not commit to that as per Roku. Both sides are currently at an impasse. Unless both companies decide to come to an agreement before Dec. 9, YouTube's apps will reportedly disappear from Roku's own app store. David Cicilline tweeted out that "we cannot allow Big Tech to continue to throw its weight around." Related Article: Can You JailBreak Roku Devices in OS Version 9.4.0 4200? Here Are Some RootMyRoku Features For Rooting This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian B. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The U.S. hypersonic development program has arrived and is now planning to conduct a total of 40 tests. Now, the nation was able to successfully complete one of its tests for the country's new weapon system. Hypersonic missiles are already being used by the U.S. Navy, Russia, as well as China. Recently, the Asian country also tested its new hypersonic space nukes. However, it still denied this alleged defense activity. Because of this, many critics claimed that the nuclear-weapon activities of China might have triggered the sudden shift of the United States. But, this is still mere speculation. "The Navy Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) and the Army Hypersonic Program Office (AHPO) successfully conducted a High Operational Tempo for Hypersonics flight campaign on October 20, 2021," said the U.S. Navy via its official website. US Hypersonic Missile Program's Importance According to The Defense Post's latest report, the U.S. Navy's latest test shows the capabilities, prototype systems, and other essential details of the advanced hypersonic missile tech in a more realistic environment. Also Read: China Tests Hypersonic Space Nukes Twice this Year, Denies Engagement in Nuclear Arms Race Right now, most of these war weapons are designed to fly more than five times the speed of sound or Mach 5. Aside from this, hypersonic rockets are also more advanced compared to ballistic missiles since operators or military personnel can easily control them to reach their targets. This just shows that the United States is still enhancing the country's defense capabilities, especially since other giant nations are also improving their weapons. In other news, various experts said that the U.S. Navy's upcoming ray gun could arrive this 2023. On the other hand, Israel is also making defense efforts of its own, including the use of a remote-controlled AI-powered machine gun. U.S. Navy Hypersonic Missile's Other Details The Maritime Executive reported that the United States mounted its first hypersonic missile to the top of a booster to achieve the Mach 5 speed. During the recent activity, the advanced rocket had an unpredictable flight path after it returned to Earth. Since this is the case, the Navy still needs to do some tests to observe the development of its new weapons system. For more news updates about hypersonic missiles and other war machines, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: US Drone Strike Kills Two ISIS-K Members, Evacuation Deadline Updated, & Uses of the American UAS This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives recently conducted a meeting to discuss the issues that are currently being faced by NASA's spaceflight initiatives. Related Article: NASA says US Needs More Nuclear Spacecraft to be Global Space Leader as China Ramps Up These include the connection of China and America and the upcoming deadline of the International Space Station. They also said that space junks currently orbiting outside Earth could also have some consequences. As of the moment, NASA is currently conducting various space activities. However, various government officials are still debating the issues that the space agency's plans could lead to. To give you more idea, here are the specific problems the U.S. government officials are debating about. US Says ISS Deadline Could Happen Earlier According to Space.Com's latest report, one of the major topics discussed during the recent U.S. Senate hearing is the uncertainty of ISS. "NASA has yet to clearly define its needs for services after the ISS ends, nor does it plan to do so for some time," said the Axiom Space Executive Vice President, Lynne Dittmar. Also Read: Nanoracks Starlab: Inflatable Space Station is the Future of Orbital Research Facility, To Launch by 2027 Meanwhile, it is also believed that the estimated deadline of ISS could happen sooner than expected. This means that the International Space Station could stop working earlier than 2030. Once this happened, the U.S. government would have a hard time supporting the astronomers orbiting space. Right now, NASA seems to be stable despite the alleged issues it could face. In other news, NASA now wants young individuals to design moon-digging robots for them. On the other hand, the international space company also said that its new Lucy Mission is now being prepared for its upcoming launch. Authorization Bill and Other Issues Aside from the ISS issue, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell said that NASA also needs to receive an authorization bill. She explained that this is as important as the funds that NASA receives from the government. Meanwhile, space junk is also becoming a more serious problem outside Earth. Government officials said that it is important to guide other country members of NASA when it comes to using their spacecraft, satellites, and other technologies. Right now, the plans of NASA are still being conducted continuously. These include the preparation of the Orion vehicle, as reported by BBC. For more news updates about NASA and other space topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Madisonville Mayor Kevin Cotton, left, and his wife, Donna, were honored on Wednesday night during the CCAI Angels in Adoption Gala. The two have fostered 46 children and adopted three through their years working with the adoption community. One of the five teenagers who escaped last week from Baton Rouge's Juvenile Detention Center is a 16-year-old awaiting trial in the 2019 slaying of a 74-year-old woman, a prosecutor revealed Thursday. The revelation emerged in a motion filed to transfer Xavier Cade from the Juvenile Detention Center to East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. The filing by East Baton Rouge Parish Assistant District Attorney Morgan Johnson came one day after a state judge ruled that Cade is competent to stand trial on a second-degree murder charge in the Dec. 30, 2019, shooting death of Angela Haymon under the carport of her Morel Avenue home in the Antioch Villa subdivision off Tiger Bend Road. +2 Teen accused of killing 74-year-old Baton Rouge woman is competent to stand trial, judge says A Baton Rouge teenager accused of fatally shooting a 74-year-old woman during a 2019 attempted burglary at her home off Tiger Bend Road is com Cade was 15 at the time. The juvenile transfer motion states that Cade was arrested Oct. 14 the day of the jailbreak on charges of aggravated escape, armed robbery, battery of a correctional officer and theft of a motor vehicle. The motion asks state District Judge Beau Higginbotham, who presides over the homicide case involving Haymon, to order the sheriff to take custody of Cade and transfer him to Parish Prison. A critical incident reporting form also filed Thursday by Johnson states that Cade and four other teens Malik Williams, Jordan Pough, Tre'Deon Hilliard and Jerrell Morrison were the ones who escaped from the Juvenile Detention Center. The names of Cade, Hilliard and Morrison had not been made public until Thursday. +10 5 escape antiquated juvenile detention center after shank attack on guards; 1 at large Five teenagers escaped from Baton Rouges antiquated Juvenile Detention Center after attacking three guards with a shank, prompting renewed ca Williams, who is the only escapee still on the run, and Pough are both 18. Williams was incarcerated for armed robbery. The incident report provides new details on the escape. The document says that while C unit youth were being placed in their room, Pough and Hilliard attacked Officer Angela Royal and "pulled her into a sleep room on C unit." Cade and Morrison helped attack Royal and stole her facility keys, the report states. "They then proceeded to lock Ms. Royal into the room," the report goes on to say. "The youth then released Malik Williams from his room. The youth ran to the front attacking Officer (Audrey) Perry, and Supervisor (Calvin) Brown. All youth exited the door near the court room." Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Police spokesman Sgt. L'Jean McKneely has said the teens attacked the guards with a shank shortly after 9 p.m. on Oct. 14 and police said they stole a car belonging to one of the officers. The term "shank" can be used to describe any makeshift knife. McKneely said the guards' injuries were not life-threatening. An arrest warrant was filed Wednesday for Williams' girlfriend, who police say helped her boyfriend get away. An affidavit says police learned that Shameka Holloman, 20, traveled to Baton Rouge on Oct. 14 to pick up Williams after the escape. Arrest warrant filed for girlfriend of juvenile facility escapee for aiding his escape, BRPD says An arrest warrant was filed Wednesday for the girlfriend of the last of five juvenile offenders still on the run after escaping from a detenti She faces one count of accessory after the fact and one count of aggravated escape. Cade was free on bail until May when he was arrested again, and Higginbotham revoked his bond. The reason for that arrest is unknown because his juvenile record is under seal. Shortly after that arrest, Cade wrote a letter to the judge begging for another chance to be sent back to his family. Accused Baton Rouge teen killer arrested again, begs for 'one more chance' Claiming he's "not a problem child," a Baton Rouge teenager awaiting trial in the 2019 shooting death of a 74-year-old woman is begging a judg "I pray every day and every night that you recognize that I'm not a problem child, all I want is one more chance," Cade wrote. "If I blow it this time you can do as you please. I just want another chance." Cade is accused of killing Haymon with a stolen hunting rifle during an attempted burglary at her home. Authorities have said Haymon was investigating a noise under her carport when Cade allegedly shot her in the chest. Her husband heard the gunfire from inside the house, went outside to confront the teens Xavier Cade and his brother and shot Cade while he fled. Cade was arrested after undergoing surgery. East Baton Rouge sheriff's officials have said the hunting rifle used to kill Haymon had been stolen a week earlier from a car parked across the street from her house. Xavier Cade's brother, Jerome Cade, was accused of taking part in the burglary at Haymon's house. A juvenile court judge last year found probable cause only for an attempted burglary charge against Jerome Cade. If convicted of second-degree murder in Haymon's slaying, Xavier Cade faces a life sentence in prison with the chance to seek parole after serving 25 years. BATON ROUGE: Overhead lines are seen with a large oak tree that fell, pushing them down Friday night at about 9 p.m. on S. Ardenwood between Government and Florida Blvd., knocking out power in the neighborhood, seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Delta, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission The book is narrated by Theo Byrne, an astrobiologist whose work involves simulating the myriad paths life might have taken on other planets, and father of nine-year-old Robbie. Still grieving the loss of Robbies mother, Aly, in a car crash two years earlier, Theo is also struggling to cope with Robbies increasing social isolation and worrying outbursts at school. Powers intensely moving new novel, Bewilderment, explores many of the same questions about grief and our responsibility to other beings, albeit in a sparer and more intimate setting. After more than three decades as something of a cult author, Richard Powers was propelled to international celebrity by his bestselling 12th novel, The Overstory. A dazzling, intensely emotional and brilliantly structured synthesis of biology, botany, and ecological grief, it won the Pulitzer, was shortlisted for the Booker, and no less importantly signalled the arrival of environmental or ecofiction as a core concern of contemporary literature. The reason for these outbursts is an open question: as Theo deadpans at one point, so far the votes are two Aspergers, one probable OCD, and one possible ADHD. But despite growing pressure from Robbies school, Theo refuses to countenance pharmaceutical intervention. Credit: Theos reasons for this are complex, and at least partly about his suspicion of the diagnostic criteria and his visceral reaction to the idea of giving psychoactive drugs to a nine-year-old. But it is also because at some fundamental level he doesnt think Robbie needs fixing. Instead he marvels at the unknowability of the pocket universe of his son, and argues life is something we need to stop correcting. The situation comes to a head when Robbie strikes one of his classmates in the face with a metal Thermos, fracturing the other boys cheekbone. Although Robbie regrets his actions (I tried to let my good parts breathe But my hands got confused), his principal makes it clear this is the last straw, and if Theo continues to refuse to seek professional help she will have no choice but to involve child services. Terrified Robbie might be removed from his care, Theo seeks the assistance of Martin Currier, a neuroscientist and Alys former lover, who has devised a process that retrains peoples emotional responses by teaching them to emulate scans of the brain states of other people. Despite Theos misgivings about both Currier and the process, Robbie responds with remarkable rapidity, displaying dramatic improvements in his capacity to control his emotions and harness his abilities. POETRY: Trigger Warning, Maria Takolander, University of Queensland Press, $24.99 A recent article suggested we had reached the pandemic condition of languishing. Things are what they are, and we are almost past caring. The most salutary antidote I can suggest is Trigger Warning, Maria Takolanders scalp-stretching collection. It isnt a trigger warning in the usual sense. Its more like, See this? I think its probably a gun. I might pull the trigger: I might not. Maria Takolander has two coups de grace at the end of her new collection. Credit:Eddie Jim The first section, Confessions, has us indoors, with two men, her husband, poet David McCooey, and her father. The loving husband is in hospital, desperately ill after heart failure, and her experience of the horror of it is stark: An orderly tests your name, but you are deaf to his call. / I am the one who must lure you home. / My voice is daemonic. / Your larynx contracts at its sound; / a moan emerges like a ghoul. When he wrote about his illness himself in 2016, McCooey maintained a studied sangfroid, but his wife, as poet, is having none of that. It is almost existentially terrifying for her, and also summons up, and is stickily enmeshed with, memories of her father, a kind of Finnish golem, abusive and monstrous even at his most mundane, waiting, stooped before the open / door of the pot-belly stove. / He was feeding in logs, one after the other, just to be destroyed, / while peering into the glowing cavity / to see what he had done. Credit: Its all quite compelling but claustrophobic, and Takolander calls on other poets to open the view out, addressing herself to them, mirroring their confessions. Sylvia Plath, Adrienne Rich, Ted Hughes, Anne Sexton, for example, all baring their souls on cue, but distanced, dwelling in an ivy-clad firmament we can only glimpse through the telescope of history. This is actually quite apt, because her father received a telescope as a birthday present but he had no interest in observing / the vestigial glitter of anything. Its the gaze that expands rather than the lungs, making the whole thing bearable, even irresistible, for the 20 pages it occupies. After this, there is a series of poems about everyday objects, as if to purify the domestic, or at least inoculate it. This is as playful as she gets, but it isnt quite play: there are plenty of ideas about our things and their freight of meaning, but she just doesnt enjoy herself enough to get them airborne. It hardly matters, though, because in the last section she blows up the house and we are hurled outside, to be confronted with the results of our (in)actions. Chernobyl, nature forced to our will (she does this on the page, with haiku and typography), fairytales bleakened almost to abstraction. A woman in Oklahoma is touched lightly on the shoulder by a fragment of falling rocket: a perfect image for the effect of this book. Occasionally, she snaps her fingers at herself and points at the mirror. One poem is a message to her family from Medellin, the murder capital in Colombia. She turns the poem on its side and puts each line in a box. The effect is monumental, percussive, whether harsh (I hammed it up for laughs / Now it remains to forgive myself) or soft (I imagine you and our son lit up by the antipodean / day, shining like something quiet and impossible). Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Essie Davis remembers the day of the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996 all too clearly. She was in Sydney. Justin Kurzel, now her husband but at that time a new romance, was there when she took the phone call from a friend in her native Tasmania, saying, Youd better turn on the TV; this is happening, she recalls. And there it was: a lone gunman, for whatever reason, had taken a cache of high-powered weapons to a tourist precinct and killed 35 people. Kurzel also remembers. How he saw her face change with the receiver to her ear. How distraught her family was. They didnt know where some of their children were. They had heard one of them was down at Port Arthur for the day. For those old enough to remember, the wound still runs deep. In Tasmania, says Davis, there is one degree of separation. There is no one I know from that period who didnt know someone involved. Essie Davis plays Helen, the woman who befriends the troubled young man in Nitram. I read it and it was so brilliant and so important, she says of the script. Credit:Stan Around a decade ago, Kurzel and scriptwriter Shaun Grant started talking about making a film, not about the shooting itself, but about the life of a man who became that kind of killer. I remember thinking, Oh no, really? Do we have to?, says Davis. But then Justin got the script for Nitram and he said, Here, read this and I read it and it was so brilliant and so important. She would eventually play the crucial role of Helen, a lonely middle-aged heiress who befriends the young man who comes round offering to mow her lawn, taking him in and taking on his creeping madness: two lost souls together. It was living in Los Angeles that prompted Grant finally to write his Port Arthur story. The citys everyday violence was shocking to him. When he started on Nitram, there had just been two mass shootings within 10 days; even his favoured grocery store was hit. The debate was up. I guess Im a writer; I cant do much more than that. It seemed to me that you had to look at these young men with a lot of common traits. I wanted to walk in the shoes of this person for a time, so when he walked into a gun shop you would say, Yes, this is why we need gun control. Nitram is not a dramatisation of real events, but it isnt fiction either. It is more of an interpretation of the real, with some characters dropped or transformed and situations invented. Judy Davis, who plays the killers mother, says she read the womans autobiography but did not try to be like her. Advertisement My understanding of Justins film is that its not attempting to be a documentary, she says. Its fictional in the sense that the mother and father are only ever called mother and father and the son is only ever called son. That was very deliberate. There was a wig, actually I went into it assuming Id try to look like her a bit but Justin really didnt want that. Judy Davis plays the killers mother in Nitram. Credit:Stan What was important was the sense of ordinariness. Here is a woman floundering, says Judy Davis, understanding almost nothing, doing her best. What was really compelling about this screenplay, says Kurzel, was that I could go, Oh my God, I know this mother; I know what these challenges are, this street looks very similar to a street I grew up on, there is a world here I recognise. Loading Nitram is the story of a person gone wrong, a family gone wrong. Mother and son are made awkward by their lack of love, but the mother keeps trying, visiting her son when he is living alone in Helens house with her dozens of dogs, trying to see that he looks after himself. The father, played by Anthony LaPaglia, is the softer touch, perhaps because he has taken refuge in despair. The sons erratic moods and impulses have long since defeated him. That fatigue of just parenting, says Kurzel. What happens when you have someone who is really hard to bring up? What do you do? Advertisement Caleb Landry Jones plays the son in a performance that won him the best actor award at the Venice Film Festival. Landry Jones comes from Texas; he has relatives who take guns to church. His character is the kid who injures himself setting off fireworks, ends up in hospital and wants to do it again. The kid who gets bullied for being weird, who grows up never fitting into any tribe, who falls through every crack. Nitram doesnt explain him, just shadows his footsteps. And the point where you fear this character the most, says Kurzel, is the moment when he walks into a gun store without a licence and is able to buy the most horrific weaponry like hes buying fishing rods. Caleb Landry Jones and Essie Davis in Nitram. Credit:Stan Within 12 days of the Port Arthur massacre, the Federal Government introduced stringent new laws controlling gun sales and declared an amnesty for weapons that were now illegal; 650,000 guns were handed in. It was really something that as a country we should be incredibly proud of, wanting to protect more and more, making sure that never ever changes, says Kurzel. In fact, perhaps because the subject is so painful, a whole generation of young Australians has barely heard of the massacre or the reforms that followed. As gun enthusiasts press for those laws to be relaxed, who will defend them? Kurzel and Essie Davis moved to Tasmania with their children four years ago. It was just as his wife had always said, says Kurzel. Its just beautiful. When Shaun sent me the script for Nitram I was incredibly scared because I love that place, you know, I love the people and I understand how incredibly traumatic it is to discuss this. Caleb Landry Jones and Justin Kurzel on the set of Nitram. Credit:Stan Essie Davis anticipated a fight. I love Tasmania; I always have come home to Tassie and I love living here, she says. But it gets very divided. I grew up here during the no-dams campaign. I was the only greenie in my school and it was dangerous. It can be a really extreme world with very few people very close together. Advertisement In 2016, developers demolished the 159-year-old Corkman Irish Pub in Carlton. The community was rightly outraged that a piece of Victorias history could be torn down without a building or planning permit. They just did it. The state government took the two developers to court, and they were eventually fined $1.1 million and sentenced to 30 days jail. For all the penalties, the building is gone. Now imagine that happening to Melbournes Flinders Street Station, or maybe even the Sydney Opera House. It would be inconceivable that such historic and cultural treasures would face the wrecking ball. The rock shelters at Juukan Gorge had evidence of continual human occupation tracing back at least 46,000 years, placing them among the most significant archaeological sites in Australia. Credit:PKKP Aboriginal Corporation And yet, in May last year, Rio Tinto dynamited the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters in Western Australia as part of the expansion of an iron ore mine. While most Australians may not have heard of the sacred site before its demolition, Juukan Gorges significance cannot be overstated, offering a snapshot of Australias past that goes far beyond any post-colonial structure or place. In 2014, an archaeologist found grinding and pounding stones and a 28,000-year-old tool made from bone, each one the oldest example of these technologies known in Australia. Also discovered was a piece of a 4000-year-old plaited-hair belt whose DNA has been linked to todays Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura traditional owners. Previous digs had found thousands of artefacts, including grinding stones that were 40,000 years old. NSW recorded 333 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday 332 of which were locally acquired, with only one new case reported in quarantine. An unvaccinated woman in her 70s died at Hornsby Hospital overnight, while a man in his 60s who had been double vaccinated died at the Albury aged care facility where he was infected. His is the second death linked to that facility, NSW Healths Dr Jeremy McAnulty said in an update on Saturday morning. Across the state, 469 people have been hospitalised with 123 of those people in intensive care. Its been some years since western Sydney developer Jean Nassif Insta-famously congratulated his wife upon gifting her a yellow Lamborghini, but no doubt the phrase congratulations Mrs Nassif would have made a comeback on Friday afternoon as the Federal Court awarded her $100,000. The Nassifs went viral in early 2019 after the developer introduced the flamboyant beast of a car to his wife Nisserine, or Nissy, in a video that would launch a series of spoofs but also caught the attention of media, including Seven News. Ms Nassif launched defamation proceedings against the Seven Network after a February 2019 report from Sevens Bryan Seymour, following the viral Lamborghini video, raised questions about the legitimacy of her Wiping Tears charity. In the report, the charity is described as having the stated aim of helping disadvantaged families, but a look at their most recently reported financials reveals they did very little to help anyone. Loading The original statement of claim against the vaccine mandate was filed in early October by casual relief teacher Belinda Cetnar and horticulturist Jack Cetnar, who claimed the policy contravened the Constitution, the Biosecurity Act, the Fair Work Act and the Nuremberg Code. The couple have been replaced as lead plaintiff by G4S corrections officer Simon Harding, who was placed on unpaid leave on October 15 after not receiving the vaccine. Mr Harding says he is not anti-vaccination, has received vaccinations as an adult and had his children vaccinated, according to an affidavit. However, I have consciously chosen not to take the COVID-19 vaccination at this present time because I am concerned about the potential short-term and long-term side effects and the current lack of long-term safety data. I am unable to provide informed consent, Mr Harding said in the affidavit. The father of three says he will lose his job if he remains unvaccinated. In total, 112 plaintiffs have joined the case, including 52 authorised workers, more than 20 employer groups and 17 healthcare workers. Several nurses, a police officer, a Department of Justice bureaucrat and a surgeon have sworn affidavits and are named as plaintiffs. Another plaintiff, Andrew Sticca has been employed as a biotech manufacturing associate with CSL since 2017 and has spent the past 18 months working on the production of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Mr Sticca is yet to receive a single jab of any vaccine because he claims they have not been rigorously tested, according to an affidavit. I have asked CSL to provide me with any data or reports available to them to inform my consent to have the vaccine. However, in substance, other than a generic letter dated the 11 October 2021, I have not been provided with any meaningful information or advice, Mr Sticca said in an affidavit. He was stood down by CSL on October 15, but continues to receive full pay. The only reason why I even contemplate taking the COVID-19 vaccine is under direct threat of losing my employment, which will result in my family not being provided for. I find it most upsetting that I am faced with such coercion, Mr Sticca said in court documents. The case will be led by barristers Marcus Clarke QC, Dr Jason Harkness and Vanessa Plain, who were involved in the recent challenge against NSW public health orders that restricted the activities of residents who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 which failed in the states Supreme Court on October 15. More than $100,000 has already been raised for the case via a GoFundMe page. Senior lecturer at Deakin Law School and former human rights adviser Dr Bruce Chen said the court would assess whether an appropriate balance was struck against the public health objectives and other human rights. Human rights under the Victorian charter are not absolute. They can be subject to restrictions which are reasonable, justified and proportionate in the circumstances, Dr Chen said. Dr Chen said the government is likely to have strong arguments in defence of mandates for health and aged care, given the exposure to vulnerable cohorts who have the right to life, and plausible arguments could be made regarding teachers. The mandates regarding other authorised workers might be more contentious, depending on the circumstances, Dr Chen said. The NSW Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the mandate last week, noting it was misconceived or misplaced to directly rely on human rights because of the lack of a national or state charter in NSW, Dr Chen said. Dr Chen said generally speaking, there are stronger human rights claims in Victorian proceedings because of the existence of the state charter. Victoria University law lecturer Dr Bill Swannie said courts were often reluctant to interfere with decisions of government, particularly concerning public health issues. The question is whether the [public health directions] are demonstrably justified, and whether proper consideration was given to Charter rights in making the directions. Ultimately, this will depend on the evidence presented to the court. In a statement, a Department of Health spokesperson said: We stand by our plans to make vaccination a requirement for all essential workers, particularly those who cant work from home. Loading The revised court action in Victoria is expected to place further pressure on the Andrews government to release documents relating to the human rights assessments and health advice it received before introducing the vaccine mandates, which were requested by Liberal Democrats MP David Limbrick on October 5. Mr Limbrick told The Age that the government needed to answer questions about how vaccine mandates can be justified according to the Victorian Human Rights Charter. The government cannot complain about conspiracy theories if they refuse to tell the public how they make their decisions, Mr Limbick said. The only independent investigation into human rights during the pandemic so far was by the Victorian Ombudsman who found clear breaches of the charter during the lockdown of public housing towers in Melbourne last year. Search efforts around the Blowholes campsite where Cleo Smith disappeared from on Western Australias remote and rugged Coral Coast were wound back on Friday as crews looking for the young girl were withdrawn. Police will instead focus on the criminal probe Taskforce RODIA, which involves 100 officers into the suspected abduction of the Carnarvon four-year-old, with no sign of Cleo or her sleeping bag, as they offer a $1 million reward for information that could find her. A police blockade which had been stopping unauthorised vehicles from entering the camp has been removed. Former WA police commissioner Karl OCallaghan said the most likely scenario if Cleo was taken was she had been moved away from the campsite by persons unknown. New York: A New York jury has convicted a former associate of Rudy Giuliani of charges that he made illegal campaign contributions to influence US politicians and advance his business interests. The verdict was returned on Friday (Saturday AEDT) in Manhattan federal court, where Lev Parnas was on trial for more than two weeks as prosecutors accused him of using other peoples money to pose as a powerful political broker and cozy up to some of the nations star Republican political figures. Lev Parnas, left, and his lawyer Joseph Bondy leave the federal courthouse in New York this week. Credit:AP One part of the case alleged that Parnas and an associate made illegal donations through a corporate entity to Republican political committees in 2018, including a $US325,000 ($435,000) donation to America First Action, a super PAC supporting former president Donald Trump. Another part said he used the wealth of a Russian financier, Andrey Muraviev, to make donations to US politicians, ostensibly in support of an effort to launch a legal, recreational marijuana business. The problem was created by comments Abbot had recently made on how universities select their staff members and students. In August, Abbot and fellow academic Ivan Marinovic wrote a piece for Newsweek opposing the increasing importance American universities are placing on diversity, equity, and inclusion (or DEI). Nearly every decision taken on campus, from admissions, to faculty hiring, to course content, to teaching methods, is made through the lens of DEI, Abbot and Marinovic wrote. Many American universities use some form of affirmative action to boost admissions for students from racial minorities, especially black and Hispanic students. This focus on racial identity, Abbot and Marinovic wrote, is distorting universities focus on academic excellence and individual achievement. Instead, they advocated a regime based on Merit, Fairness, and Equality (MFE) whereby university applicants are treated as individuals and evaluated through a rigorous and unbiased process based on their merit and qualifications alone. They argued that scrapping legacy (family) and athletic admission advantages - which favour white men - would do more for diversity than enforced inclusion. Abbots view clashed with the progressive orthodoxy that universities should take proactive steps to ensure that college campuses are racially diverse. Some were particularly incensed by a reference in his Newsweek article to the purging of academics in Nazi Germany. Loading Cue the social media storm. Many angry users made sure to tag MITS Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) department, which organises the Carlson lecture, in their tweets. One research scientist, with a PhD from MIT, posted: omg how did *anyone* in @eapsMIT think this was ok? As an alum, Im asking you to fix this - now. Totally unacceptable and sends a message to any student that isnt a white man that they dont matter... Another MIT alumus wrote: Imagine being a student/ employee of colour in an environment where someone like this is rewarded w/ one of the most prestigious platforms to speak. The Newsweek article is so disturbing that I had to pause after each sentence. Please fix this @MIT @eapsMIT. Abbot knew his lecture was generating heat. But when MIT department chair Rob van der Hilst called him to discuss the matter, he wasnt worried. I thought he was going to say something like, Theres been some silly stuff on Twitter and weve informed the students that there are the following penalties for disrupting a lecture, he says. Instead, Van de Hilst told him he was cancelling the lecture because it had become too controversial. I was so shocked that I couldnt speak for a while, Abbot says. I had no idea something like that could happen in America ... Apparently, Im so morally polluted that if anyone hears anything I have to say bad things will happen. Six days later, Abbot wrote a piece about the affair for Common Sense, a website run by former New York Times columnist Bari Weiss. The cancellation of his speech, he argued, was a striking illustration of the threat woke ideology poses to our culture, our institutions and to our freedoms. After suffering a backlash for inviting Abbot to talk, MIT was now under fire for disinviting him. Shame on MIT, once a bastion of free speech, Stephanie Seneff, a senior MIT research scientist, wrote on Twitter. In a letter to university staff, MIT Provost Martin Schmidt defended the decision, saying: While all of us can agree that Professor Abbot has the freedom to speak as he chooses on any subject, the department leadership concluded that the debate over both his views on diversity, equity, and inclusion and manner of presenting them were overshadowing the purpose and spirit of the Carlson Lecture. Loading Schmidt said that Abbot was still welcome to come and talk to MIT students - just not to deliver a public lecture. In a letter to MIT, the Academic Freedom Alliance, a group formed earlier this year to promote free expression on college campuses, said the episode represented an egregious violation of the principles of academic freedom and an abnegation of MITs own stated commitment to freedom of thought. Like a mushroom cloud, the fallout from the incident has spread far beyond its original source. When David Romps, director of the Atmospheric Sciences Centre at the University of California, Berkeley (BASC), read that Abbots talk had been cancelled he suggested to his faculty members that they invite Abbot to give his talk at Berkeley instead. But he faced resistance from his colleagues. When Romps realised that Abbot may never be welcome to speak at the centre, he resigned in protest. Romps explained on Twitter that excluding academics like Abbot signals that some opinions - even well-intentioned ones - are forbidden, thereby increasing self-censorship, degrading public discourse, and contributing to our nations political balkanisation. Keith Whittington, chair of the Academic Freedom Alliances academic committee, says the cancellation of Abbots lecture has caused such a stir because his controversial views had nothing to do with the subject of his talk. In fact, outside of academia, the views arent controversial at all. This is not an instance of someone being exposed as a neo-Nazi, Whittington says. He is just a scholar with perfectly normal disagreements about what university admissions policies ought to look like and now there are efforts to silence him as a consequence. Abbot points to a 2019 Pew Research poll that found 74 per cent of Americans oppose the consideration of race in academic admissions - the exact view he was excoriated for expressing in Newsweek. Theres almost nothing in America that 74 per cent of people can agree on, he says. Advocating one of those things was my outrageous offence. While some may dismiss a cancelled university speech as a marginal issue, Whittington says it exemplifies an alarming trend that students and academics feel increasingly intimidated to speak their minds. This is part of a larger project designed to silence and suppress those who disagree with political activists on college campuses, he says. It sends a very chilling message to everybody else. Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, says: If weve reached the point where an extremely accomplished scientist cannot speak at a place as supposedly academically serious as MIT because he expressed a political opinion - one that is not even that unpopular on campus and certainly isnt off campus - then that should be a wake-up call. While MIT and Berkeley recoiled at hosting him, Princeton University leapt at the chance to provide Abbot a platform by inviting him to deliver his planned Carlson lecture on Friday (AEST), the day it was originally scheduled at MIT. 2022 Infiniti QX55 - Review by Larry Nutson Coupe du jour By Larry Nutson Executive Editor and Bureau Chief Chicago Bureau The Auto Channel Sloping rooflines are whats happening in the world of premium utility vehicles. And, Infiniti is right there in the mix with its all-new coupe-like QX55 Having arrived in U.S. dealers this spring, the QX55 is dramatically styled and comes standard with 20-inch wheels, all-wheel drive, a 268-HP turbo engine and wireless Apple CarPlay, all for your driving pleasure. The QX55 is a new model in the Infiniti lineup, slotting in between the QX50 and QX60. Its offered in three well equipped trims, Luxe, Essential and Sensory. All are powered by Infinitis unique, and worlds first, variable compression 2.0-L turbo engine paired with a CVT that has a manual shift mode. The sleek look is enhanced by unique grille, headlight, taillight, and wheel designs, with an overall premium and quality appearance. The 268-hp four develops 280 lb-ft of torque across a wide RPM range giving the QX55 decent all-around performance. The VC-Turbo engine consistently varies its compression ratio between 14:1 and 8:1 to provide needed power and efficiency to meet demand. Active Sound Enhancement provides a slightly different and yet throaty and engaging sound from this engine. Im not a big fan of CVTsthe continuous variable transmission. The unit in the QX55 did okay. As a matter of personal preference a traditional automatic with nine-speeds, like Infiniti uses in other models might just be a better match with the VC-turbo engine. However, probably for a majority of folk not a lot of thought is focused on the particular transmission in their car. EPA fuel economy ratings are 25 mpg combined, with 22 city mpg and 28 highway mpg. Ride quality is comfortable and smooth and yet when pushed the QX55 delivers confident and precise handling helped by Infinits Body Motion Control technology. The often rough surfaces of city streets didnt prove too disturbing even with the low-profile 255/45 tires fitted to the 20-inch wheels. The cabin is nicely quiet benefiting from active noise cancellation and laminated acoustic front window glass. The five-seat QX55s stylish and sporty interior is nicely comfortable. Front seats provide good support. Theres decent room in the rear seat, although the sloping roof can make for headroom issues for tall folk. There is good rear-seat legroom. The second-row seat travels nearly six inches fore and aft to adjust between passenger or cargo space. With the rear seat slid forward theres 26.9 cu.ft. of cargo space behind the second row. Fold the rear seat and you get 54.1 cu.ft. A dual-display system with 8-inch upper and 7-inch lower touch screens, Android Auto compatibility, wireless Apple CarPlay compatibility, Wi-Fi hotspot, four USB ports, Forward Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning are standard on the QX55. The Luxe trim has a $46,500 MSRP, Essential is $51,600, and Sensory is priced at $57,050. Destination charge is $1,025. All trims are very well equipped which makes it much easier when making a purchase selection. Majestic White, Slate Gray, or Mineral Black premium paint ($695) is the only across the board option. Dynamic Sunstone Red is a $900 option on Essential and Sensory trims. For the Essential trim a ProAssist Package ($800) includes Intelligent Cruise Control, adaptive front lighting with cube design headlights, Blind Spot Intervention, and Lane Departure Prevention. Also for the Essential trim theres a ProActive Package ($1600) with head-up display, traffic-sign recognition, adaptive steering, and ProPILOT Assist lane-centering steering assist with stop-and-go function added to the intelligent cruise control. The SENSORY trim is equipped with all these features and is also uniquely equipped with natural maple open-pore wood, semi-aniline leather-appointed seats, and a motion-activated power liftgate. More information and specifications can be found at www.infinitiusa.com My drive experience in the QX55 was in a Sensory trim finished in the optional Slate Gray and had a total MSRP of $58,770. If I were buying I would be hard pressed to decide between the Essential or Sensory trim. I would rule out the Luxe trim since it lacks some convenience and comfort features that I value and use regularly. I might just be okay with the Essential trim with the ProAssist package because it provides all that I would want and need to fit my driving usage pattern. The family car continues to evolve in its looks and design. Certainly today there are many very functional choices on the market that make life easier compared to the days of the 4-door sedan doing it all. Along with e QX55 other coupe-like utilities such as the Audi Q5 Sportback, BMW X4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe are available. Or, more upright and box-like utility vehicles, such as Infinitis QX50 or QX60 offer much more versatility. Theres something for everyone and none of them are bad choices. 2021 Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy 2022 Volkswagen Taos 1.5T SEL - Review by David Colman +VIDEO It's Spiffy! By David Colman Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL VW's ever expanding SUV family is starting to look like those generational rear window decals showing baby at one end and gramps at the other. For 2022, VW's new baby is the Taos, which slots into the leadoff spot formerly occupied by the Tiguan. In 2018, VW drastically upsized the Tiguan from subcompact to compact plus, a move which left room for introduction of an all new subcompact sibling called Taos. Actually, the Taos is just over an inch wider and longer than the original Tiguan, so it feels quite spacious inside. Adding to that airy impression of our test vehicle was a $1,200 power tilting and sliding panoramic sunroof. This was the only option tacked onto the $31,490 base price of our platinum gray metallic Taos SEL. The Taos, like so many other VW products, is based on the company's MQB platform which serves as the foundation for everything from sedans to SUVs. VW builds two varieties of Taos. The front-wheel-drive version we tested connects an 8-speed automatic transmission to a 158hp turbocharged, 1.5 liter inline 4. An all-wheel-drive Taos is also available. This one connects the same engine to a DSG dual-clutch 7-speed gearbox. The FWD Taos utilizes a torsion beam rear axle while the AWD model is equipped with a fully independent multi-link rear suspension system. Various equipment levels of both models start cheap but get expensive fast. Our top echelon FWD Taos SEL trimmed the front seats with Vienna leather, added dual zone Climatronic air conditioning, rain sensing wipers, park distance control assist, and 18 inch black aluminum alloy rims shod with 215/50R18 Bridgestone Turanza LS100 radials with a treadwear rating of TW 560. The optional panoramic roof consists of two enormous glass panels which cover both the front and rear seating areas. A semi-translucent interior screen covers both panels. the inside screen can be fully retracted to expose the entire interior to filtered light. However, only the front glass pane slides open to the elements. This roof bathes the already inviting interior in waves of natural light. VW has done a commendable job of fitting the SEL with supportive and handsome two-tone leather front seats. Both are heated, as is the steering wheel. Even the outboard rear seats are leather covered. The dash layout looks upscale, and works so well that I was able to program my XM Satellite favorite channels into the unit faster than any recent vehicle. The 10.25 inch Digital Cockpit Pro instrument panel connects the large faced tachometer (6000rpm redline) to the equally large speedometer with a plan view map showing the terrain you're currently traversing. This map is simplified, with no call outs for route numbers or street names. For more detailed information, utilize the adjacent 8 inch touchscreen dash-top navigation unit. The driving dynamics of the Taos are not as scintillating as its crisp appearance would lead you to believe. The 158hp turbo needs to be micromanaged with the gearbox to extract maximum performance. Even so, acceleration will not leave you breathless. Unfortunately, VW does not equip the Taos with paddle shifts, so any gear swapping must be done by first placing the console mounted gear lever in the manual gate, then bumping the Tiptronic stick to and fro for upshifts and downshifts. The gearbox, however, is slow to respond to your commands, and sometimes chooses not to respond at all. Even if you are in manual mode, the transmission will automatically upshift to a higher gear as rpm nears redline. Likewise, the gearbox will not select the lower gear you have commanded if it senses an over-rev might occur. VW has eliminated the usual stick adjacent gear selection indicator in favor of an illuminated pattern atop the shift knob. This small type face call-out is impossible to read in daylight, so you're never really sure what gear you're in until you confirm your choice with a second glance at the dashboard enumeration. VW fits the SEL grade Taos with its full suite of safety and semi-autopilot driving aids. At Wolfsburg, this belt-and suspender approach to driving is known as IQ.DRIVE. Included in the portfolio are Travel Assist (semi-automated driving assistance), adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane keeping assist, emergency assist medical notification, front assist emergency (and pedestrian) braking, blind spot monitor, and rear traffic alert. We did test the Travel Assist on the freeway while cruising at 65mph in a heavy crosswind. The system kept shuffling the steering from one direction to the other as it coped with each new blast of wind, leading us to wonder if a vehicle rather than a human can be charged with DUI. 2022 VOLKSWAGEN TAOS 1.5T SEL ENGINE: 1.5 liter TSI 16-valve DOHC inline 4 turbocharged HORSEPOWER: 158hp TORQUE: 184lb.-ft. FUEL CONSUMPTION: 28MPG City/36MPG Highway PRICE AS TESTED: $33,885 HYPES: Cute Looker, Nicely Tailored GRIPES: Recalcitrant Gearbox STAR RATING: 8.5 Stars out of 10 WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Adam Comora and Jonathan Maurer, the co-CEOs of OPAL Fuels LLC, sent a letter to President Biden urging the Biden Administration to make use of renewable natural gas (RNG) for heavy-duty truck fleets in its efforts to combat the climate crisis. Through burning of diesel fuel, the heavy-duty trucking industry is one of the most significant contributors to harmful greenhouse gas emissions. OPAL Fuels is a leader in the production and distribution of RNG for the heavy-duty truck market. Comora and Maurer state that RNG prevents methane which, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is over 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide in heating the planet from escaping into the atmosphere. They go on to state that RNG is the right now solution to the right now problem that is climate change. Comora and Maurer are available for interviews regarding the letter, the full text of which is below: The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr. President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Biden, As people who spend our careers trying to find practical and economical solutions for combatting climate change, we cannot thank you enough for making the climate crisis an urgent national priority. As this summer has shown us with its record-breaking heat, aggressive wildfires, rampant flooding, and early hurricanes climate change is no longer a future problem. It is a right-now problem. Halting the worst effects of climate change will require immediate, vigorous action. We write today to recommend your administration bolster its support of cost-effective, immediately available solutions that fight against climate change, namely encouraging the more rapid adoption of renewable biofuels, also known as Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). With the right regulatory framework and incentives in place, the renewable biofuels industry could rapidly invest in new supply that can dramatically reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the heavy-duty trucking, dairy, and landfill industries. Further, that same supply can be used to produce hydrogen as hydrogen fuel technology develops. RNG is one of the most environmentally friendly energy sources available. By capturing and converting naturally occurring harmful methane emissions which is over 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide in heating the planet from dairies and landfills into compressed renewable natural gas for vehicles, individual large-scale RNG projects can prevent 29,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent from escaping into the atmosphere each year. As the UNs Global Methane Assessment from May 2021 said, cutting methane emissions is the strongest lever we have to slow climate change over the next 25 years. Supporting RNG is among the most effective and economical initiatives your administration could take to combat the climate crisis. Best of all, RNG proves there does not have to be a tradeoff between making the right environmental choice and the right economic choice; RNG costs half of what diesel does per gallon equivalent for heavy-duty fleets and can be transported on existing natural gas infrastructure. For dairies, RNG production takes what has been a major cost, namely manure removal, and turns it into a revenue stream that could be worth millions of dollars over the life of a project, transforming a marginal dairy into a profitable one. This is an economic win for dairies and fleets using the fuel, all while creating significant jobs from the investment and operations of the new facilities. As RNG is a domestic fuel source, it is also a benefit to our national security. We understand everyones desire to ultimately move to ZEV and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology we support and share those desires. Unfortunately, technology for the trucks, distribution systems (whether they be hydrogen pipelines or our electric grids) and just as importantly clean, renewable electricity generation is not currently available today. Supporting and investing in RNG will not slow that development down, rather it will make sure we have a continuing growing supply of RNG in the future to support either hydrogen production or again be used to generate renewable electricity. The RNG markets issue and where your administration could have an immediate, tangible impact is continuing to encourage and support new supply to expand the market. There are actions your administration could take to help the industry build more conversion facilities, including: Encourage the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish higher renewable volume obligation (RVO) standards for cellulosic biofuels. This will create greater demand for renewables like RNG, making more RNG processing facilities economically feasible and providing a framework to encourage more supply. Encourage the creation of a long-term biofuels tax credit. A long-term tax credit, unlike the current year-to-year version of the Alternative Fuels Tax Credit (AFTC), will allow heavy-duty trucking fleets to factor years of RNG-driven savings into their calculations. These calculations will, in-turn, show fleet managers that replacing their diesel fuel trucks with trucks that run on RNG makes economic sense. Install Congressional oversight and greater clarity of the Renewable Fuel Standard Program after 2023. Congressional oversight of the program would provide long-term certainty and allow companies to make long-term investments in renewable fuels. Our industry cannot be certain that whoever sits in the Oval Office will be the climate advocate you have proven to be; we can, however, be certain that Congressional mandates have staying power. Work with Congress to extend the 30% renewable fuel tax credit, now only available to wind and solar energy projects, to RNG projects. Tax credits of this magnitude would make projects at far smaller dairies and landfills economically viable, thus empowering the capture of far more harmful methane. Encourage the EPA to establish new pathways in the Renewable Fuel Standard for cellulosic biofuels to qualify for the program if the biofuels are used to power hydrogen fuel cell or battery powered vehicles. Currently there are no pathways for biofuels to qualify in the program if the RNG is used to produce low carbon intensity hydrogen or renewable electricity and then used to power vehicles. As it stands, the RNG industry is ready to build 200 facilities a year. With the above incentives and structures in place, your administration would see a dramatic acceleration in the creation of RNG facilities, in turn creating economic growth, jobs, and, most importantly, substantial emissions savings. Thank you for ensuring that fighting climate change is a national priority. We have come to believe that, while long-term commitments and bold promises are useful, climate change is a right now problem. We need to implement right now solutions to stem the tide while we wait for all those long-term answers to yield results. RNG is a right now solution. We must move forward as soon as possible. Your leadership will be essential. We thank you and your entire administration once more for its emphasis on mitigating the climate crisis we encourage you to align public policy with your administrations vision, and we stand eager to do our part. Sincerely, Adam Comora, OPAL Fuels, Co-CEO Jon Maurer, OPAL Fuels, Co-CEO About OPAL Fuels LLC OPAL Fuels LLC, a Fortistar portfolio company, brings together Fortistar Methane Group, Fortistar RNG, and TruStar Energy to create a vertically integrated renewable fuels platform. The company is an emerging leader in the production and distribution of renewable natural gas (RNG) for the Class 8 truck market. It is a proven low carbon fuel with a track record of results that has the power to rapidly decarbonize the transportation industry now. OPAL Fuels captures harmful methane emissions at the source and recycles the trapped energy into a commercially viable, low-cost alternative to diesel fuel. OPAL Fuels also manages all RNG fueling station development and construction. As a producer and distributor of carbon-reducing fuel for heavy-duty truck fleets for over 15 years, the company delivers best-in-class, complete renewable solutions to customers and production partners. To learn more about OPAL Fuels and how it is leading the effort to capture North America's harmful methane emissions and decarbonize the transportation industry, please visit www.opalfuels.com and follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter at @OPALFuels. Contacts Media Jason Stewart jstewart@opalfuels.com 203-739-5595 China's Evergrande Company Is More Than A Housing Developer - Have Big Stake In Failing Electric Car Business - Could This Be The Beginning Of The End Of The EV Fairytale? SEE ALSO: Chinese Real Estate Developer Now Electric Vehicle Maker Announces Production Capacity SEE ALSO: Electric Vehicle Companies Are Only Grown On Wall Street Before debt woes, China Evergrandes Had Government "Suggested" ambitious Electric Car Making Goals SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters reported that at the Shanghai Auto Show in April, the booth for China Evergrande Groups new energy vehicle (NEV) unit was hard to miss. One of the largest exhibitions at the event, in a prime spot opposite BMW, the property developer-backed unit showed off nine concept vehicle models under its brand Hengchi, which translates to eternally speeding. There has never been a car company that has been able to deliver such a diversified product line in such a short amount of time, Daniel Kirchert, who joined Evergrande NEV days before the auto show as vice president, told industry executives and reporters in a speech at the event. Analysts and industry executives say there have long been questions about how Evergrande NEV, founded in 2019, would meet its ambitious goals chairman Hui Ka Yan had declared that it wanted to sell one million EVs a year by 2025, a level Tesla Inc is only expected to hit this year after 18 years of operation. Six months after the auto show, the doubts are stronger than ever as the companys parent wrestles with more than $300 billion in liabilities. Those targets would be really aggressive, nearly impossible to achieve even for established, well-managed automotive companies because of the capital and human resources required to even attempt executing on the plan, said Tu Le, an auto analyst at Sino Auto Insights. Between 2019 to 2021, Evergrandes NEV arm raised more than 50 billion yuan ($7.78 billion) from its parent, as well as investors such as Sequoia Capital China, ride-hailing giant Didi Global Inc and Alibaba-linked fund Yunfeng Capital. It has announced 14 models and plans to have 10 factories across China and Sweden. So far, it has built or is constructing six, including one in Shanghai. A recent Reuters visit there found about 20 Hengchi electric vehicles for testing parked outside. But the company has yet to reveal a production model or sell a single vehicle. In comparison, Nio and Xpeng, two of Chinas most successful NEV startups by sales, struggled to raise money in their early years, and raised a combined $7.3 billion through stock market listings and pre-IPO fundraising. Nio has four models and is building its second factory. Xpeng has three and is expanding production sites to four from current two. Tesla sells four models and has four car plants. Evergrande NEV did not immediately respond to a request for comment. CARS ON PAPER Lofty goals and investor bullishness in March helped push Evergrande NEVs market capitalisation to over HK$700 billion ($89.99 billion) a value greater than that of Ford Motor Co. Its market capitalisation has since slumped to about HK$38 billion. The company has managed to lure top executives from auto giants, such as designer Walter De Silva and battery scientist Junesoo Lee from SK. Kirchert had been chief executive at Byton, another Chinese EV startup struggling in a crowded sector. He did not respond to a request for comment. But the rapid expansion also prompted criticism from Beijing, including Chinese state news agency Xinhua, which in March singled the company out as an example of the problems with the industry. The vast market potential has given birth to some powerpoint car companies that make cars on paper, Xinhua said in a report on the high valuations about electric carmakers. Evergrande NEV warned in stock exchange filings last month that it was still seeking new investors and asset sales, and that without either it might struggle to pay salaries and cover other expenses. It also ended plans to issue shares in Chinas mainland and said in an exchange filing that it had failed to pay some plant construction suppliers. A memo seen by Reuters also showed that it has instructed contract workers to stop working at Shanghai factory from September. But three sources familiar with the matter say the company is not abandoning the project, and is in talks with external investors to pay for the project, leveraging precious production licenses it has obtained through an acquisition and land linked to the auto projects. On Monday, it told suppliers and local authorities in the coastal city of Tianjin, where it is building a car plant, that management would make sure it began mass production next year. Last week, its Swedish vehicle unit, National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB, told Reuters it is in talks with U.S. and European venture capital firms and industrial partners to find new owners. A source familiar with the situation told Reuters the unit could be valued at as much as $1 billion. (Reporting for Reuters by Yilei Sun and Zhang Yan in Shanghai, Julie Zhu and Kane Wu in Hong Kong; editing by Brenda Goh and Gerry Doyle) Texas has been facing a refugee crisis along its southern border but it isn't what you might expect. Opinion writer Ozioma Mgbahurike argues that not every great researcher has the skills to be a great teacher Up for debate: Live legislation tracker Check out the latest developments on bills pending before state lawmakers in four key topics. Senate President Wilton Simpson, left, and Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls smile as they speak with members of the media after the end of a legislative session, Friday, April 30, 2021, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. An American flag and a State of Nevada flag wave with Red Rocks in the background. The New Hampshire House of Representatives at the Capitol in Concord, New Hampshire. 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. People look over the current South Carolina Senate districts at a public meeting by a Senate subcommittee on redistricting Wednesday, July 28, 2021, in Sumter, S.C. Gov. Tony Evers seen here in a picture from early June in his statehouse office. News Updates Would you like to receive our newsletter? Get local, Wyoming, and national news, the weather forecast, and more, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up today! Instant unlimited access to all of our E-Editions and content on thechronicleonline.com. The Chronicle E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Here New Castle, IN (47362) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low around 30F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low around 30F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Stinky canal. Photo: Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images A hideous stench has laid claim to Carson, California, which reportedly smells so bad that one congresswoman wants the governor to declare a state of emergency. According to Vice, top notes include decaying fish and rotten eggs, a combination so powerful that it could take out a herd of rhinoceroses, one enraged resident complained at a recent City Council meeting. The intense, foul odor as Representative Nanette Barragan put it, in a letter to California governor Gavin Newsom is believed to be the result of hydrogen sulfide emitted by decaying vegetation in the Dominguez Channel. Since initial reports came in on October 3, the stench has gotten bad enough that Los Angeles County is offering reimbursements for air purifiers and even hotel rooms for residents suffering smell-induced headaches, nausea, respiratory issues, and other ailments. This odor and the associated health impacts interfere with students ability to learn and play safely, the operations of local businesses and the wellbeing of their employees, and the overall health and quality of life of my constituents who simply cannot avoid the smell, Barragan wrote. Yet repayment takes time, she explained, and therefore some of her constituents cannot afford to escape the formidable stink. The scale of the problem has become so great that state resources and technical expertise is needed to address it. A state of emergency would allow for direct aid, she said. Which, maybe you think that is a little dramatic considering that we are talking about a bad smell, but then you probably havent experienced the fart bomb firsthand. Rather than simply smelling rotten eggs, I felt more like I was inside a rotten egg, reports Vices Jason Koebler, who arrived at the channel to find Public Works employees spraying biodegradable deodorizer to neutralize the reek. More dismaying, the city and county seem to be dragging their feet, only declaring the odor event to be a public nuisance on October 11. A Carson press release from October 8 insists, FOUL ODOR FROM DOMINGUEZ CHANNEL NOT FOUND TO POSE HEALTH THREATS, though Los Angeles County Public Works is aware that the stench escalates in intensity during the evening and early morning hours. For now, they appear to be banking on the deodorant spray. Worse still, the Los Angeles Times cites climate change as a likely culprit behind the stench, noting that storm water usually takes care of built-up organic matter in the channel. But this year, an extended drought plus people dumping crap like cardboard and wooden pallets upstream means more decay to gas up the surrounding environment. Truly, we live in hell. Stay in touch. Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Batavia, NY (14020) Today Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 29F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 29F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. This is the temporary subscription pass for users returning from the Vision Data subscription process. Your subscription will be updated within 24 hours, after your information is verified. Please click the button below to get your pass. Associated Press In this June 14 file photo, June Harkrider, who turned 18 in March, marks her ballot as she votes for the first time during the New York City mayoral primary at the Church of St. Anthony of Padua in Soho. Melanie joined The Daily Times in the early 90s and has served as the Life section editor since 1993. A William Blount and UT alum, Melanie is generally the early arriver who turns on the lights in the newsroom. Follow Melanie Tucker Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Click the image to the left and log in to get your exclusive reader perks. Meet Banjo! She's a fun and loving rescue kitten who brings smiles to everyone's face! Banjo's favorite thing to do is cuddle up to you for he Pinkys in Los Feliz reopened last week with a selection of new, 1980s beach-themed cocktails. The new bar program is run by Aly Iwamoto, who has worked at bars like Death & Co. and The Varnish. From the gin-based Straight to VHS to the Toki whiskey Highball, Iwamoto says theres a drink for every type of cocktail drinker on the menu. Atriums Executive Chef James LaLonde will also be serving up two exclusive tacos birria and vegan potato at the bar as well. Pinkys is open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. In other dining & drinking news ... Breadblok, a Santa Monica gluten-free bakery, plans on expanding to Silver Lake, reports Eater LA. The restaurant, owned by sisters Chloe and Celine Charlier, opened its original location in Santa Monica in February 2020. The new location will be located inside the former Enrique Auto Parts space. Masons Dumpling Shop and Joy on York in Highland Park and Needle in Silver Lake made The Infatuations Best Chinese Restaurants in Los Angeles roundup. Last Word Hospitality is planning on opening a new restaurant in Eagle Rock, reports What Now Los Angeles. The restaurant, possibly named Queen St. Diner, will serve low-country South Carolina fare and seafood. Last Word Hospitality owns three other restaurants in Los Angeles Red Dog Saloon, Found Oyster and Same Same Thai. Santo Nigiri is a new sushi restaurant coming to Silver Lake in winter 2021. According to What Now Los Angeles, the sushi restaurant will have just 21 seats for customers looking for sashimi, handrolls and nigiri from owner Jose Antonio Gozain Llopis. Jitlada in East Hollywood was the Eastside pick for the Infatuations Where to Eat When Youre Feeling Sad and Might Need to Cry. If youve had a particularly no bones week, maybe its a good time to stop by. Alberta Inquiry Says it Has Confirmed Significant Foreign Funding of Anti-Energy Campaign The key findings of the final report of an Alberta government-commissioned inquiry into campaigns against the provinces energy industry says it confirms the existence of well-funded foreign interests spreading misinformation to landlock Albertas oil and gas sector. The report, compiled by forensic and restructuring accountant Steve Allan, was submitted to the provincial government in July and was made public on Oct. 21. Announcing the release of the report, Energy Minister Sonya Savage said Albertans have the right to be upset about the campaigns that have helped counter fossil fuel projects and led to negative consequences for the economy. People lost their jobs, businesses went under, families were hurt, government revenues from royalties were impacted. We lost billions of dollars in royalties, she said at a press conference on Oct. 21. The report says that between 2003 and 2019, Canadian-based environmental initiatives received $1.28 billion in foreign funding, while noting that the estimate is likely understated. Of that, $925 million was used by Canadian charities for environmental initiatives, $352 million was used to fund Canadian-based environmental initiatives that remained in the United States such as anti-pipeline campaigns, and $54.1 million was used specifically for anti-Alberta resource development activity. It notes that environmental organizations campaigning against Albertas oil and gas sector appear to work in concert to advance an agenda, and that they act like an industry, attracting sources of funding and employing large numbers of personnel. While many ENGOs [environmental non-government organizations] are driven by honest concerns, the commissioner found they are also focused on their own financial sustainability, which is ensured by adapting to emerging markets and trends and jumping from cause to cause, a document highlighting the inquirys findings says. Savage said the report shines a blinding light on the broader movement and the vast amount of foreign funding that is crossing the Canadian border, often untraced. The inquiry was launched by the United Conservative Party government in 2019. Reactions The inquiry encountered a range of criticism and obstacles, from environmentalists trying to shut it down altogether, to questions regarding the expenses incurred and the delay in submitting the final report. A pumpjack near Cremona, Alta., in this file photo. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh) Did we need a multi-million dollar inquiry to discover that there were ENGOs who were opposed to the oil sands? wrote Mount Royal University political science professor Duane Bratt in a tweet. Some of the criticism from environmental organizations filtered through as members of the media asked Savage questions during the press conference. One reporter asked Savage if this whole endeavour [was] a mistake, referring to the inquiry costing $3.5 million and finding $54 million in foreign funding that was put towards these anti-Alberta energy campaigns. Allan writes in his report that he wasnt able to pinpoint precisely the portion of the $1.28 billion in foreign funding that went toward anti-Alberta energy campaigns. The $54 million was singled out since it was found by the inquiry to be earmarked specifically for anti-Alberta resource development activity. Frankly, Im surprised that any grant would blatantly say its for an anti-Alberta energy campaign. Im surprised that any money would cross the border being that blatant, Savage responded to the reporter. Another reporter remarked that the inquiry did not find illegal activities and complained that Alberta spent all this time and money investigating people who are doing legal activities, exercising their rights to free speech. A different reporter followed up on that point, asking, Are you against them doing that [exercising free speech]? Would you like people stop doing that? Savage said in a democracy people have the right to express their views, but she said the report is focused on foreign funding that influences Canadian political and regulatory decisions. What the report found was a co-ordinated campaign that ultimately targeted influencing political and regulatory change, using foreign funding. It is foreign funding, going after domestic processes and domestic policy and thats the real concern, she said, adding that the multi-billion-dollar foundations in the United States arent concerned with the day-to-day life of Albertans. Allans report also addressed concerns about free speech. Nothing in this Report should be taken as in any way seeking to limit these important rights and freedoms, as it relates to opposition to Albertas oil and gas sector, the report said. Allan noted, however, that open public debate has been stifled by activism and media bias. The environmental movement can be given credit for raising the issue of climate change on the national agenda. But I am concerned the discussion has become polarized and paralyzed to the extent it is nearly impossible to raise questions or make suggestions that dont align with the agenda of the ENGOs, which is often supported by the media, he wrote. Reacting to the report, Greenpeace Canada said the inquiry found no instance of wrongdoing on the part of the campaigners, and criticized the inquiry. Even when it makes powerful interests uncomfortable, we will press on alongside Indigenous leaders and front-line communities, and with the backing of our supportersno matter what intimidation tactics are thrown our way, Keith Stewart, senior energy strategist for the group, said in a statement. The Inquirys findings that Greenpeace Canada has engaged in Anti-Alberta activities does not follow legal requirements, ignores scientific evidence, and could have a chilling effect on freedom of expression and on the meaningful process of debate in a so-called democratic and free society, added Ali Naraghi, legal counsel for Greenpeace. The inquiry report in fact does not say any group is involved in anti-Alberta activities, but refers to anti-Alberta resource initiatives. I have also made it clear throughout my Report that I do not find that participation in an anti-Alberta energy campaign is in any way improper or constitutes conduct that should in any way be impugned, nor do I find that it indicates a party is pro or anti Albertan, Allan wrote. Tim McMillan, president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said the inquiry shed light on the foreign-funded campaigns which have cancelled billions in revenue and thousands of Alberta jobs. For years, the energy conversation has been driven by activist organizations who have influenced energy policies that are today contributing to rising energy costs for Canadians, as well as energy shortages for our trading partners around the world, said McMillan in a statement released to The Epoch Times. Hamptons International Film Festival Chairman, Alec Baldwin attends the World Premiere of National Geographic Documentary Films' 'The First Wave' at Hamptons International Film Festival, in East Hampton, New York, on Oct. 7, 2021. (Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for National Geographic) Alec Baldwin Issues First Public Response After Firing Prop Gun That Killed Photography Director Actor Alec Baldwin issued his first public response on Friday after he fatally shot a crew member and injured a director on the set of a forthcoming movie. Officials confirmed that Halyna Hutchins, the 42-year-old director of photography on the film Rust was pronounced dead after being airlifted to the University of New Mexico hospital. Joel Souza, the director of the film, was injured in the incident. There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother, and deeply admired colleague of ours. Im fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred Baldwin wrote in a Twitter statement. The actor, recently known for his portrayal of former President Donald Trump on SNL, also wrote: I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna. Sheriffs officials in Santa Fe County confirmed Thursday they are probing the shooting, saying that the gun in question appeared to be a prop firearm when it was discharged during a scene. Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged, the statement added. Halyna Hutchins at the 70th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 20, 2017. (Anthony Harvey/Getty Images) On Thursday night, a spokesman for Baldwin told The Associated Press that the prop gun that was apparently loaded with blank rounds misfired. Meanwhile, the International Cinematographers Guild said it mourned the loss of Hutchins and wants a full investigation into the matter. The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event, the group said in a statement to several news outlets. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guilds family, the statement added. An agency that represented Hutchins issued a statement after she was shot and killed. All those in her orbit knew what was coming; a star director of photography, who would be a force to be reckoned with, Innovative Artists said on Instagram. All of us at Innovative Artists are heartbroken. We mourn for her family and we hope this tragedy will reveal new lessons for how to better ensure safety for every crew member on set. The incident harks back to 1993 when Brandon Lee, the son of martial artist Bruce Lee, was shot and killed during the filming of The Crow. The gun that killed Lee was supposed to have blanks, but a bullet was lodged inside the barrel. Allan Inquiry Highlights Need to Dig Further Into Who Is Funding Anti-Alberta Energy Campaigns Commentary The indifference being shown toward the conclusions of the public inquiry into anti-Alberta energy campaigns is nothing short of astonishing. While the Allan inquiry found no legal wrongdoing on the part of environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), it did expose a dismaying amount of foreign funding into those groups. Canadian-based environmental initiatives received an eye-popping $1.28 billion in foreign funding between 2003 and 2019. People should be very concerned about this. The lack of transparency and accountability when it comes to ENGOs and their efforts to influence public policy and opinion is troubling. It is recognized that expenditures on political campaigns will influence public opinion and shape national policies. Because of this, political parties are very heavily regulated with transparency requirements and spending limits. During the 2021 general election, political parties could only spend a maximum of $30 million each on their campaigns. It is illegal for political parties to accept any foreign funding as we dont want other countries influencing Canadian public policy. Meanwhile, ENGOs brought in a combined total of $80 million per year in foreign funding alone for their campaigns on top of their domestic fundraising. Every single person who donates more than $200 to a political party has to have their name, address, and contribution amount publicly disclosed online. No one may donate more than $1,650 to any single party in a year. Can you imagine what would be discovered if ENGOs were held to that standard of transparency? Indeed, we can only imagine, as there is no way to find out exactly who has been donating to these organizations and how much. ENGOs fought quite hard against the Allan inquiry in their activities. Environmental law firm Ecojustice launched a legal action to try and block the inquiry from happening at all. The challenge was dismissed in court in the spring by a provincial judge. Why would these groups go to such trouble to avoid scrutiny of their actions? The inquiry, led by commissioner J. Stephens Allan, also exposed just how co-ordinated the foreign-funded Tar Sands Campaign is. The 2008 founding documents of the campaign indicated a plan to take a multi-pronged approach in opposition to Albertss oilsands operations, including the development of documentaries and research papers, divestment campaigns, direct action and citizen engagement, land conservation initiatives, litigation and political activism, and the achievement of legal precedents based on the rights of First Nations people. According to the Tar Sands Campaign founding document: The coordination center shall remain invisible to the outside. Why such secrecy? Canada has struggled over the last 15 years to get any major energy infrastructure projects started or completed. Co-ordinated opposition campaigns to pipelines have led to projects being mired in court challenges, delayed by well-funded protesters, and outright shut down by regulators. We cant pretend the foreign dollars being poured into Canadian ENGOs did not play a part in these roadblocks to energy infrastructure development. The Energy East pipeline project was regulated to death in 2017, when TransCanada Pipelines pulled out of the project. This led to a Central Canadian dependence on Enbridge Line 5 for its energy needs. The government of Michigan is trying to shut down Line 5, and it has the support of environmental groups on both sides of the border. If Line 5 is indeed shut down, the resulting energy shortage would be catastrophic. The actions of ENGOs in these matters are far from harmless. Canadian energy security is at risk. While the foreign-funded actions of ENGOs may not be illegal, it doesnt mean what they are doing is right. Free speech and expression are essential rights. These groups should be allowed to fundraise and lobby for their causes. However, they should also be bound by the same rules of disclosure and transparency that political parties are bound by. Canadians have a right to know just who is paying for the opposition efforts against our energy sector and what their interests are. The Allan inquiry only skimmed the surface of what is a large and convoluted yet well-organized effort to stymie conventional energy development within Canada. Can you imagine the reaction Canadians would have if it was discovered that political parties were being given $80 million per year by foreign interests? We would be outraged. We shouldnt dismiss the conclusions of the Allan inquiry. We should be concerned about what it highlighted, and we should be looking much deeper. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Jens Spahn (CDU), Federal Minister of Health, shows the app for the digital vaccination certificate at the regular press conference on the Corona situation in Berlin, Germany, on June 10, 2021. (Michael Kappeler/DAP via AP) Apple to Require Daily Covid Tests for Unvaccinated Employees Vaccinated office workers, according to Bloomberg, will only have to rapid test once per week. Every time an unvaccinated Apple employee works from the office instead of remotely, theyll be required to take a covid-19 test, according to Bloomberg. That outlet reported in September that Apple asked employees to voluntarily disclose their vaccine status. Anyone who declined will also have to test for the virus daily. Vaccinated office workers, according to Bloomberg, will only have to rapid test once per week. Notably, retail store employees will only need to test twice per week if they are unvaccinated. Vaccinated retail staffers will have to undergo weekly rapid testing, like their in-office counterparts. Because Apple sells products to the American government, there are questions around whether the tech giant will issue a mandate requiring employees to be vaccinated. President Joe Biden gave all federal contractors until Dec. 8 to require their employees to get the shot. In June, Apple loosened its lockdown-era restrictions for in-store shopping, allowing vaccinated customers to shop without a mask and relaxing physical distancing requirements. Arizona Growing Like 1980s Southern California Commentary Im just getting off work, a guy told me at 8:00 pm in the hotel elevator after I asked him how he was doing. Im a crane operator85 hours a week, he replied when I asked about his job. Theres so much construction going on in the Valley of the Sun they are shipping in workers in skilled trades, putting them up hotels, feeding them, and paying them triple time. I didnt ask his pay level, but its probably something like $200,000 a year. A trip this week to Phoenix reminded me of Southern California when I arrived there in 1987 to write editorials at the Orange County Register. In the 1980s, California grew by 6 million people, or 25 percent. It gained seven seats in the House of Representatives and seven more electoral votes in the presidential election of 1992. Now the Golden States luster has been tarnished. It has lost population the past couple of years. It will lose one seat in the House and one electoral vote in the 2024 presidential election. Meanwhile, Arizonas population doubled since 1990. After the 2020 U.S. Census, it is gaining one seat in the House and one electoral vote. In Phoenix, growth is everywhere: massive new skyscrapers, apartment complexes, and especially factories. Not the old, smokestack factories as in Detroit where I grew up. But high-tech factories turning out chips and other devices. Some of the new factories: Moov Technologies has expanded operations 1,000 percent in recent years. In March, it moved its headquarters from Silicon Valley to Tempe. It recently announced that the company, an online marketplace that sells used semiconductor manufacturing parts and equipment, has managed to profit during the global chip shortage. Intel has increased its chip fabrication labs from four to six. CP Technologies, an Israeli company and maker of rugged and specialized computer hardware, in June broke ground on a new plant in scenic Prescott, 90 miles northwest of Phoenix. According to an announcement, The company has already joined forces with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Yavapai College to foster an innovative ecosystem and plans to leverage the impressive talent produced by these educational institutions in its hiring efforts. CP Technologies goal is to bring an additional 200 jobs to the area over the next four years. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in June announced it was starting construction on a new $12 billion chip plant. This is highly significant. Taiwan Semiconductor is the sole manufacturer of some of the worlds most essential chips. When strategists talk about the Peoples Republic of China invading Taiwan, a concern always comes up: What would happen if this chip plant were destroyed? The global chip shortages would make todays problems look like a minor glitch. Putting a plant in America makes obvious good sense. And they chose Arizona. But arent things better in the states with no state income taxes, such as Texas, Florida and Nevada? I asked that of Patrick Ptak, senior vice president of executive initiatives at the Arizona Commerce Authority. We met in his fourth-floor office in downtown Phoenix, with a panoramic view of the city. I could see construction cranes raising tall buildings everywhere. He said Phoenix is incredibly competitive because of its total package. In June, Gov. Doug Ducey signed into law a flat tax of just 2.5 percent. The previous complicated tax code maxed out at 4.5 percent. Ptak said his state also has lower property and other taxes. You have to get the taxes from somewhere. We also have a straightforward incentive structure. We dont do backroom deals with discretionary funds, something other states do, he said. I asked about the labor force, mentioning the crane operator shipped in from another state. Also, other states, including California, have seen their labor forces reduced not just during the pandemic, but even after unemployment insurance for most was cut in September. In March our labor force grew back above pre-pandemic levels, he said. High-tech workers especially are being developed. Intel has a deal with Arizona State University, much as Silicon Valley has with California universities. On that, theyre still learning from their western neighbor. Ptak especially emphasized Arizona has affordable, reliable energy. He brought up the problems Texas had with its power grid earlier this year during cold weather. Thats why Microsoft and Facebook now are putting massive new data centers in Arizona. No blackouts, Ptak said. Finally, Arizona isnt shy about building houses, condos, and apartments to house all those new workers. Median prices for homes are a third of those in California. Sure, the beach isnt nearby. But who can afford to go to the beach if youre working three jobs just to catch a glimpse of the California Dream? Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III shares a laugh with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO defense ministerial at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct. 22, 2021. (Chad J. McNeeley/Department of Defense) Austin and NATO Leaders Stress Collective Defense Against China Threat During the two-day ministerial meeting in Brussel, Belgium, both Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and NATO leaders stressed unity to deal with the current challenges, including threats from the Chinese communist regime. The ministerial meeting was the first one conducted in person since the COVID-19 pandemic. Austin attended the meeting after visiting the Black Sea regionRomania, Ukraine, and Georgiaearlier this week. What we have seen in NATO in the last years, its actually a fundamental shift, and where we are now re-focusing our efforts on collective defense to respond to a more competitive world, state-to-state rivalry, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a press conference Friday. And that of course includes the rise of China, which is fundamentally changing the global balance of power. A day earlier, Stoltenberg told reporters that China is heavily modernizing its military capabilities, including advanced nuclear systems and long-range missile systems, as well as its capabilities in cyberspace. Austin also emphasized working with allies collectively. So regarding China, let me just sayand I said it in my opening commentsthat alliances like NATO [are] one of our greatest strengths, Austin said during a press conference Friday. In a 2019 leaders meeting, NATO allies for the first time publicly declared the need to address the risk posed by China. And at the summit in June this year, the allies elaborated on the challenges presented by Chinas ambitions and behavior. So weve seen increasing interest in our allies and partners to ensure that they engage our partners in the Indo-Pacific and work with our partners to ensure that we collectively work to ensure that the Indo-Pacific area, or region, remains free and open, Austin said. And the international rules-based order remains in place here. Responding to questions about Taiwan, Austin reiterated U.S. commitment to the One-China policy, saying President Joe Biden certainly doesnt want to see cross-strait issues come to blows. During the Thursday evening CNN town hall event, Biden said the United States had a commitment to defend the self-ruled island if Beijing were to attack. White House press secretary Jen Psaki clarified Friday that there has been no shift in Washingtons Taiwan policy, which is commonly known as strategic ambiguity. Stoltenberg also expressed reluctance to NATO being dragged into a U.S.China conflict over Taiwan. I will not speculate about a hypothetical situation. I think what is important now is to reduce tensions in the area, Stoltenberg told reporters. And if I started to speculate, I think I actually will contribute to the opposite. So we should solve all disputes and differences and disagreements in the region by political and diplomatic means. During the two-day meeting, NATO members agreed to increase the readiness of forces and invest more in defense, in response to the growing threat from Russias missile systems. That includes significant improvements to air and missile defenses, strengthening conventional capabilities with fifth-generation jets, and improving the readiness and effectiveness of nuclear deterrents. However, NATO wont deploy new land-based nuclear missiles in Europe. Of course, all of that is also relevant to the challenges posed by the rise of China, Stoltenberg said. NATO members also talked about Afghanistan during the meetings. People walk past a branch of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) branch in Melbourne, Australia, on Aug. 11, 2021. (William West/AFP via Getty Images) Australian Banking Taskforce to Assess Impact of Bank Branch Closures in Regional Areas A government taskforce involving the big four banks, peak bodies, and Australia Post will examine the impact of regional bank branch closures on the local communities, businesses, and industries. Regionalisation Minister Bridget McKenzie said it would provide a platform to determine how changes in the banking industry have affected regional communities. Having access to bank branches is vital for every community, particularly for residents who are unable to use online services to conduct their banking, McKenzie said. As we have heard, bank branch closures in the regions also affect the liveability of towns, and so I am pleased to announce this taskforce will be looking at how we can keep banking services in rural Australia. The Regional Banking Taskforce will hold its first meeting in early November and release issues paper for public consultation. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) revealed in June that the total number of active ATMs across the country had fallen by around 20 percent since its peak in late-2016. The decline of independent ATM deployers was steeper during this period. In addition, the network of full-service bank branches declined by around 20 percent, or 1,400 branches, over the decade to mid-2020. Banks have continued to close branches since this time; parliamentary testimonies from the 4 major banks indicate more than 220 branches have been closed or are due to close since then, and there have been significant branch closures announced by some smaller banks, the RBA said. A combination of photographs shows people using automated teller machines (ATMs) at Australias Big Four banks. (Reuters) It also found that around 1 percent, or 250,000 Australians, lived more than 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) away from their closest cash withdrawal location. For Australians living in very regional areas, one-quarter had to travel over 15 kilometres, and 5 percent needed to travel over 100 kilometres (62 miles). At the same time, it should be acknowledged that travel distances are generally larger for all services in remote areas, the RBA said. The Australian Banking Association (ABA), one of the peak bodies in the taskforce, said Australian banks remain committed to providing bank services for every Australian, especially those in regional and remote areas. As the world we live in continues to become more digitalised, the way customers want to do their banking is following the same trend, ABA CEO Anna Bligh said. Banking online platforms and apps are so incredibly advanced these days, most Australians are carrying around a bank branch in their pockets. Nurses prepare Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, Australia on March 17, 2021. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images) Australian Mayor Investigated for Expressing Concern About Vaccine Rollout for Town An Australian mayor is being investigated for alleged misconduct by his states council watchdog after he raised concerns about the COVID-19 rollout plan for his town in a Barcaldine Regional Council meeting in February. Barcaldine Mayor Sean Dillon had made comments about the Central West Hospital and Health Service (CWHHS) during a council meeting, saying he didnt think everyone in his jurisdiction could be vaccinated within the allocated timeframe of one day. Local media reported that his comments included that he had no confidence in health officials who didnt understand regional Queensland and thought they could vaccinate everyone in one pass, saying its just not going to work. Queenslands Office of the Independent Assessor (OIA) is investigating a complaint that the comments could be detrimental to public confidence in the local vaccine drive. The OIA has also reportedly told Dillon that it was alleged his comments should have been addressed directly with the CWHHS in the first instance, rather than in an open meeting of the council. The independent assessor said this decision did not demonstrate high-quality leadership. Dillon has described the probe as a farcical, protracted, way overblown storm in a teacup. What I see when I see those claims is somebody who doesnt read the transcript or watch the video, he said, according to the ABC. I was unequivocally clear that the only path out of this pandemic was with this vaccine and we needed to make sure that all communication was clear about that and relied on generic, cleared HHS communication channels, not try to make our own up because otherwise there could have been a disconnect between the two, Dillon said. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk gestures as she speaks during a press conference in Brisbane, Australia, on Oct.3, 2021. (Dan Peled/Getty Images) Dillon has also found support in high places, with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also describing the matter as a storm in a teacup. I dont think what he said was unusual, she told reporters on Wednesday. I think its a bit ridiculous but thats a matter for the Independent Assessor, but you know those comments I think were made earlier this year, and theyve had great vaccination rates out there and the Mayor, Sean, I know him, hes done a great job. Dillon has the support of the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ), who said they were prepared to take the case to the High Court if needed. LGAQ CEO Greg Hallam said in a statement that Dillon had the right to speak publicly about the COVID 19 vaccine rollout in his community. For that matter, the right to political speech is implied in the Australian Constitution, Hallam said. The vaccine rollout is discussed on a daily basis by politicians at all levels and on all sides of government. It would literally be mentioned hundreds of times a day in the Queensland media, he said. Hallam said Dillons comments were thoughtful, measured and highly articulate and was simply seeking to represent his community, as mayors must do. Liberal National Party integrity spokeswoman Fiona Simpson said the reports about Dillon were deeply concerning. She noted that elected officials in Australia should be free to express their views on policies without fear of prosecution. Simpson said the mayor was merely pointing out some possible logistical difficulties about the vaccine rollout in the Barcaldine region. I fear there is a genuine risk being posed to our democracy, Simpson said in a statement. The Chinese consulate in Perth, Australia on March 24, 2014. (Will Russell/Getty Images) Australian State Govt Officials Attend CCP Events, Drawing Ire From Persecuted Groups The state government in Western Australia (WA) is facing harsh criticism from human rights advocacy groups after the premier and cabinet members engaged regularly with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials, including attending events celebrating the establishment of the Chinese communist regime. In an open letter signed by groups persecuted in Chinaincluding Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghurs, Tibetans, and pro-democracy Hong Kong activiststhey expressed their deepest concern over WA Premier Mark McGowan and his cabinet minister decision to attend the 72nd anniversary event for the CCP. We, as pro-democracy groups and individuals, must remind you of the brutal history of this Chinese communist regime, the suffering of people under its control, and the anti-humanitarian atrocity it has committed, the open letter said. As groups and individuals speaking for human rights of Australians from East Turkistan, Tibet, Hong Kong and China who suffer under Chinese government control, we suggest that it was not a proper occasion for celebration at all. WA Premier Mark McGowan attended two of the anniversary events held in Perth in the past month, including one on Oct. 5 held at Perths Chinese consulate and another on Sep. 30 in Kings Park. On at least one of the two events, McGowan was accompanied by WA Labor government members, including Deputy Premier and Health Minister Roger Cook, Upper House Leader and Education Minister Sue Ellery, Upper House President Alanna Clohesy, Lower House Speaker Michelle Roberts, Multiculturalism and Finance Minister Tony Buti, Technology Minister Don Punch, WAs Office for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Sarah Hooper, and former Asian Engagement Minister Peter Tinleyalong with mining billionaire Andrew Forrest. The advocacy groups letter outlined the CCPs extensive history of persecution which had resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of Chinese citizens. The 72-year history of the Chinese communist regime is 72 years of massacre, genocide, and brutality, which is worth no celebration at all to people under its control, the open letter stated. In particular, it pointed to a history of oppression and death after the CCP took power on Oct 1, 1949, such as the invasion of Tibet, the great famine, the cultural revolution, and the Tiananmen Square massacre. A girl wounded during the clash between the Chinese Communist Party army, and students is carried on a cart near Tiananmen Square, China, on Jun. 4, 1989. (MANUEL CENETA/AFP/Getty Images) It also outlined humans rights abuses currently carried out by the CCP, including the forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners, imprisonment of Uyghurs, and suppression of pro-democracy Hong Kong activists. We hope you can see that: when dealing with China, it not only means opportunity and profits. Doing it improperly can also mean risks to national security and failure of our governments basic responsibility to stand up against human rights abuses. McGowan had previously been criticised after electing two CCP-linked members to a government-funded multicultural advisory council. WA Premier Mark McGowan has also personally met with CCP officials or delivered speeches at CCP organised events on at least 34 occasions since the start of 2016, with at least four visits to China between 2017 and 2019. West Australian Premier Mark McGowan speaks to media over new lockdown restrictions at Dumas House in Perth, Australia, on Jun. 29, 2021. (Photo by Matt Jelonek/Getty Images) However, the state government doubled down on defending McGowans actions, with the WA government attaching great importance to maintaining its relations and doing business with China. The Premier attended a reception held by the Australian Chinese Business Council on September 30 to acknowledge the China National Day celebrations, a WA government spokesman told WA Today. The spokesman highlighted the states and the nations economy had significantly benefitted from trade with China. WA accounted for over 56 per cent of the total value of Australias goods exports over the year to August, a WA spokesman told WA Today. The value of WA goods exports grew by 32.8 per cent over this period to $239.7 billionthe highest on record. In particular, the state recorded a record $5.6 billion budget surplus last month, fueled by skyrocketing iron ore prices and rising Chinese demand for the resource. A man walks past an office of the Cyberspace Administration of China in Beijing, on July 8, 2021. (Thomas Peter//Reuters) Beijing Updates Approved List of News Sources for Internet Content Sharing to Tighten Censorship The Chinese regime announced its latest list of approved sources for internet news, excluding certain outlets that historically published anti-graft reports rather than toeing the party line. Critics condemned the move as a further step to restrict freedom of speech on the Chinese internet. On Oct. 20, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) released a revised list of sources for internet news, naming 1,358 agencies. The number of approved organizations has nearly quadrupled since 2016. Plus, certain public accounts on social media and apps are included for the first time. The CAC spokesperson indicated that Chinas internet news service providers must adhere to the latest list, and that violators will face punishment. Notable exclusions include two influential agencies, Caixin Media and The Economic Observer. Both are well-known for publishing anti-graft and critical articles in the news service sector. Against Human Civilization China-based author, dissident, and former editor Huang Jinqiu told The Epoch Times on Oct. 20 that the move was intended to lock down all channels on which average people can speak freely and replace them with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) outlets. He said the press is supposed to function as a societal watchdog or a fourth estate independent of a states executive, legislative, and judicial branches. If its sponsored and controlled by a political party or government, it will be inclined to tell lies in favor of the government and deceive people, said the ex-editor. This is absolutely against human civilization and values. Huang viewed Chinas state media as a tool for promoting one-party rule rather than functioning as a news outlet in a strict sense. In the internet era, everyone can be a journalist, a photographer, said Huang. Any action seeking to silence citizens voices is foolhardy and will become a laughingstock of humanity and history. China-based independent commentator Wu Te criticized the CCP for suppressing media outlets in an interview with The Epoch Times on Oct. 20. Despite the extended name list, censorship has essentially been heightened, he said. The freedom space of the previous gray area of public accounts and applications is being squeezed, because theyre subject to control now. Wu described three reasons for the exclusion of Caixin Media from the approved list. First, the outlets most powerful patron, Wang Qishan, lost favor with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Second, Xi cemented his dictatorship through waves of political purging, no longer needing the media as a tool to court public support for him. And third, the outlets apparently liberal, in-depth investigations became a thorn in the side of the Chinese regime. The marginalized outlet and its editor-in-chief Hu Shuli will most likely face greater suppression, the commentator predicted. He cited that Hu vented her anger at Xi on her social media account by posting a row of five pig heads on Oct. 2. Though she later deleted the image, the intent was to scorn Xi, as pig head has become a derogatory colloquialism that refers to Xi. Another China-based expert, surnamed Tsai, told The Epoch Times that Chinese authorities were displeased with both Caixin and The Economic Observer, especially in recent years when outlets have been under strict control. Their huge influence is exactly a challenge to Beijing, said Tsai. Thats why Beijing would cut their lifeline, to say nothing of their patrons losing power. Tsai said what was behind controlling public opinion was to ideologically move back to Chinas Mao Zedong era, where authoritarianism dominated China in the 20th century. Chinese leader Xi has to purge the press and bring it under his absolute control to secure his re-election victory in the 20th national congress of the CCP in 2022, the expert added. Luo Ya contributed to this report. U.S. President Joe Biden (R) holds a bilateral meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the Oval Office of the White House on Sept. 21, 2021. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Biden and Johnson: Saviors of the World or Just a Lot of Hot Air? Commentary In what has been billed as a last effort to save the planet, thousands of politicians, journalists, and all manner of climate experts are due to fly to Glasgow, Scotland, next month for the United Nations COP26 climate summit, but is this a lot of hot air about a lot of hot air? Certainly not, according to a global survey of young people carried out by Bath University that claims three-quarters think the future is frightening and more than half (56 percent) believe humanity is doomed. Governments need to listen to the science and not pathologize young people who feel anxious, lead author Caroline Hickman told BBC News. Pathologize means to regard or treat as psychologically abnormal, but the evidence points to the contrary. Most governments are taking this issue very seriously, even pathologically so, as not one of them dares question the scary claims of the climate scientists. When President Joe Biden last met with Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the White House, they announced a new bilateral Strategic Energy Dialogue to rally all countries to strengthen their climate ambitions. The chance to be the good guys saving the planet provides a comforting and tempting respite for leaders who are both facing strong domestic criticism. For Biden, that includes the economy, Afghanistan, and growing COVID mandate resistance, plus the southern border crisis. The UK too is facing its own surge of thousands of illegal immigrants who have chosen to escape the horrors of France and the EU for a better life in Brexit Britain. Agreeing on a trade deal between their two nations has also eluded them. For a post-Brexit UK prime minister looking to fill the EU trade hole, this should be his No. 1 priority, but Nigel Farage claims that Johnson blew the phenomenal trade deal that President Donald Trump offered him and instead foolishly held out for the pro-EU and pro-Irish Biden administration. Biden and Johnson have plenty that divides them: Biden leads an increasingly leftward-leaning party while Johnson leads the party of Churchill and Thatcheralthough he has done his best to make it increasingly leftward-leaning. Biden prefers European nations to be part of the EU, while Johnson led the get-Britain-out side. And, during the recent chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, Biden refused to take the British prime ministers phone calls for 36 hours. What the two leaders do agree on is the need to defeat climate change, whatever the cost. In Bidens first speech to the U.N., he was able to dodge talking about his recent military debacle by reaffirming his commitment to fighting climate change. To back up his decision to rejoin the Paris Accord, he said: The extreme weather events that we have seen in every part of the worldand you all know it and feel itrepresent what the secretary-general has rightly called code red for humanity. To the delegates delight, he added: Were back at the table in international forums, and U.S. taxpayers will once again take on the lions share of the cost. The U.N.s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow is next up in the quest to save the planet. Indeed, the veteran British TV presenter, Sir David Attenborough, claims that this will be the last opportunity to make the necessary change to save the planet. Offering some hope, he added, If we bring emissions down with sufficient vigor, we may yet avoid the tipping points that will make runaway climate change unstoppable. The beauty of this premise is that it cant be proven wrong. Trillions of dollars are being spent and the climate will remain as normal as it ever can be, but will the outcome be due to the expenditure? The burden of proof should be on those making the claim, and yet what is usually offered up are very selective weather observations. Extreme weather isnt new. The U.S. heat wave in the summer of 1936 set records that remain in 13 states and led to 5,000 deaths. The spring of that year also saw tornadoes strike many areas and one in Tupelo, Mississippi, killed more than 200 people. Prior to that, the month of February was the pinnacle of one of the coldest winters in U.S. history. For those who believe in anthropogenic climate change, consider the role of China. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), China produces the most CO2 in the world at 30 percenttwice the amount America does. Yet under the Paris Accord, it has been given until 2030 to start imposing limits on its fossil fuel production, during which time it will have added at least 43 new coal-fired power plants and 18 new blast furnaces. Without mentioning China by name, Biden explained how U.S. taxpayers will also pay for the alleged damage caused by its huge emissions. He said: In April, I announced the United States will double our public international financing to help developing nations tackle the climate crisis. And today, Im proud to announce that well work with the Congress to double that number again, including for adaptation efforts. Johnson claims that climate change represents one of the gravest threats to global peace and security. Although the UK produces just 1 percent of global emissions, he is willing to borrow enormous sums from China to pay to reduce it, as his predecessors David Cameron and Theresa May did to pay for the UKs first low-carbon, high-cost nuclear power station, Hinkley Point C. It seems to matter not a jot to them or the entire climate change lobby how much CO2 China will have produced in making the money they need to borrow to fight climate change. Or that a report by Deutsche Bank concluded that reducing emissions may require some kind of eco-dictatorship, which will lead to massive political resistance as prosperity and employment are likely to suffer considerably. Maybe governments figure that as there was so little resistance to the COVID lockdowns, why not just keep going? In 1775, Dr. Samuel Johnson proclaimed, Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, but has climate change become the new hiding place for todays politicians? Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. President Joe Biden participates in a CNN town hall at the Baltimore Center Stage Pearlstone Theater in Baltimore, Md., on Oct. 21, 2021. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo) Biden Says Police Officers Who Refuse to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine Should Be Fired President Joe Biden says that police officers who refuse to receive a COVID-19 vaccine should be fired. At a CNN presidential town hall on Oct. 21, moderator Anderson Cooper asked Biden should police officers, first responders be mandated to get vaccines? And if not, should they be mandated to stay at home, let go? Yes, and yes, Biden responded. President Joe Biden participates in a CNN town hall hosted by anchor Anderson Cooper at Baltimore Center Stage in Baltimore, Maryland, on Oct. 21, 2021. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Bidens executive order, announced Sept. 9 but not yet released, is set to require all federal workers, as well as workers at private businesses with 100 employees to get vaccinated against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, which causes COVID-19, or show a weekly negative test. Some major cities are putting policies in place to require their police force to take the jab. Cooper noted at the town hall that as many as one in three emergency responders in some cities are refusing to comply. The president went on to say hes concerned about those who make vaccine mandates a political issue. Freedom, Biden mocked. I have the freedom to kill you with my COVID. No, I mean, come on, freedom. During the 2020 presidential campaign, Biden said he was opposed to vaccine mandates for COVID-19. At the town hall, Biden also decried the gross misinformation thats out there related to vaccine mandates. Twenty-one officers with the Chicago Police Department have been placed on no-pay leave for refusing to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status, as required by a city mandate, according to Chicago Police Superintendent David O. Brown. And New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced on Oct. 20 the city will require its municipal workforce to get the shot or go on unpaid leave. Biden continues to claim his vaccine mandates are working as many companies and localities have put their own mandates in place ahead of the federal rule expected in the coming weeks. On Oct. 12, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) finalized the initial draft of the Emergency Temporary Standard set to implement Bidens order and sent it to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). OMBs Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs is conducting a review of the emergency standard, which OSHA is allowed to issue if it determines workers are in grave danger. The review process could take as long as 90 days. Several Republican governors and attorneys general have vowed to fight the mandate in court. In an act of opposition, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued his own executive order banning Texas businesses from requiring vaccines for employees, or customers. Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel gives his opening statement during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on his nomination to be the United States Ambassador to Japan, on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Oct. 20, 2021. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters) Bidens Japan Envoy Pick Vows to Make Nissan Executive Case a Priority WASHINGTONRahm Emanuel, nominee to be the next U.S. ambassador to Tokyo, vowed at his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday to prioritize the case of an American former Nissan Motor executive who is facing a possible prison term in Japan. In September, Japanese prosecutors asked a Tokyo court to send the executive, Greg Kelly, to prison for two years for his alleged part in helping Carlos Ghosn, Nissans ousted CEO, hide earnings. When asked about the case, Emanuel, who President Joe Biden has nominated to be his ambassador to key U.S. ally Japan, told senators he would deal with it as if he was a congressman and Kelly a constituent. Ive already started to inquire about this and I want a report on my desk and if you start asking that, that goes from here to up here as a top priority, he said. This is not just another piece of business to be checked out, he said. Im going to be approaching this subject as a former U.S. congressman, who knows what it means when you have a constituent at heart. Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago, was responding to a question from Republican Senator William Hagerty of Tennessee, a former ambassador to Japan, who asked if he would make it a top priority to clear Kellys name. Hagerty referred to Kelly as a Tennessee citizen and said he had been deceived into leaving the state to go to Japan where he was arrested in 2018, even though his lawyers believed he had committed no crime. Hagerty said Japan was the number one investor in his home state and called the case a real impediment to the U.S.-Japan economic relationship. Japanese prosecutors called for the jail sentence for Kelly, who has been on bail in Japan since 2018, during closing arguments in a trial that began a last year. A ruling in the case is expected next year, and if found guilty, Kelly could join two other Americans serving time in Japan after a court sentenced them in July for helping smuggle Ghosn out of Japan on a private jet hidden in luggage to Lebanon at the end of 2019, where he remains free as a fugitive. Kelly has denied charges he helped Ghosn hide 9.3 billion yen ($81.4 million) of Ghosns earnings over eight years through deferred payments, saying that his only goal had been to retain a chief executive who could have been lured away by a rival automaker. Both former Nissan executives allege they are victims of a boardroom coup by former colleagues worried that Ghosn would push through a merger between Nissan and Renault SA, its largest shareholder. By David Brunnstrom A new type of 300 millimeter wafer with semiconductor chips and finished microchips of the semiconductor German manufacturer Bosch is pictured in Dresden, eastern Germany on May 31, 2021. (Jens Schlueter/AFP via Getty Images) Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Urge Leadership to Immediately Advance Legislation on Semiconductor Shortage A bipartisan group of over 30 lawmakers on Thursday sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) warning them of the dire consequences the automotive industry faces if they fail to swiftly advance legislation that would provide $52 billion in funding for semiconductor chips, including $2 billion set aside for chips used by automakers. A total of 38 lawmakers signed the letter, led by Reps. Debbie Dingel (D-Mich.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.), urging them to immediately set a path for advancing legislation to fully fund the Creating Helpful Incentives for the Production of Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act. A chip shortage within the auto industry was created after chip companies began diverting their production to computers and tablets, where demand was soaring, as the demand for autos fell during the early stages of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. The Senate voted 6832 in June to approve a sweeping package of legislation that aims to boost the countrys ability to compete with Chinese technology, including providing $52 billion for chips and $2 billion in funding dedicated to the type of chips automakers use. However, the measure has stalled in the House, leaving automakers across the globe forced to drastically cut production due to supply shortages. Automakers are also facing a shortage of materials and labor. In their letter on Thursday, lawmakers said there is a critical need to address the supply chain crisis and advance the legislation immediately. The ongoing semiconductor shortage is hurting the automotive industry, American workers, and our nations competitiveness by the hour, the lawmakers wrote. While you have already heard from many members on the critical need to address this ongoing supply chain crisis, we are sending this letter to reinforce the dire consequences the automotive industry as a wholeand the nationfaces if we fail to advance legislation soon that would fully fund the CHIPS Act and provide the necessary support for the industry at the same time. As you may know, the CHIPS Act authorization was enacted into law at the end of 2020 as part of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) but never received appropriations, the lawmakers continued. To address this, in June of 2021, the U.S. Senate advanced the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which contained $52 billion to expand domestic semiconductor capacity, including a provision to provide $2 billion specifically for critical mature node semiconductor chips used in the automotive industry. Lawmakers added that in order to address the chip shortage crisis both head-one and long-term, the first and best thing we can do is advance immediate, identical legislation that includes this important appropriation for mature node semiconductors. Members of the Problem-Solvers Caucus (PRC) in the House of Representatives also voted to endorse the legislation. Earlier this month, CEO of semiconductor company Marvell Technology Matt Murphy warned the global semiconductor chip shortage will last until 2022 and possibly beyond. Right now, every single end market for semiconductors is up simultaneously; Ive been in this industry 27 years, Ive never seen that happen, Murphy said during a CNBC Technology Executive Council event. If it stays business as usual, and everythings up and to the right, this is going to be a very painful period, including in 2022 for the duration of the year. While multiple chip producers, including Japanese chipmaker Renesas Electronics, Intel, and TSMC have all expressed plans to double down on manufacturing, Murphy noted thats not going to kick in until 2023 and 2024so theres this painful period. Last month, consulting firm AlixPartners predicted the global semiconductor shortage will lead to 7.7 million fewer vehicles produced in 2021, costing the auto industry $210 billion globally in lost revenue in 2021, a sharp increase from the May projections of $110 billion in foregone sales and 3.9 million fewer vehicles built. Blacklisted Huawei Pays Half a Million to Tony Podesta to Lobby White House Chinese tech giant Huawei paid longtime Democrat lobbyist Tony Podesta $500,000 from July to September to lobby the White House, according to a recent government lobbying disclosure report. Its not clear what policies Podesta lobbied on or whom he might have contacted at the White House. According to the disclosure form, it stated that lobbying was for issues related to telecommunication services and impacted trade issues. Huawei hired Podesta in July. The disclosure comes at a time when the Biden administration is under close scrutiny for its policies toward Huawei. More importantly, the revelation came less than a month after the companys chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was allowed to return to China after the Department of Justice inked a deal with her. Huawei was founded by Mengs father Ren Zhengfei, who was a former Chinese military official. In May 2019, the tech company was put on a trade blacklist by the Trump administration on national security grounds. The trade ban was expanded in August last year, when the company was prevented from acquiring U.S. semiconductors, tiny chips that power everything from cellphones, electric vehicles, to missile systems. In December 2020, Ajit Pai, who was then-chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), warned (pdf) about the threats posed by Huawei, saying the company has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese intelligence communities, and those ties are at every level of the company. The concerns about Huawei arent just hypothetical: Independent entities have identified numerous security vulnerabilities in Huawei equipment and found it to be less secure than that of other companiesperhaps deliberately so, Pai stated. A White House official told CNBC, which first reported on the lobbying disclosure report, that it had nothing to do with Mengs release, when asked about the lobbying. This was a law enforcement matter that was entirely in the Justice Departments handsnot a policy matter, the White House official stated. The official added: President Biden and this administration believe digital infrastructure equipment made by untrustworthy vendors, like Huawei, pose a threat to the security of the U.S., our allies, and our partners. Export controls against Huawei remain in place. Huawei spent nearly $3 million on lobbying in 2019, according to data from OpenSecrets, a Washington-based research group that tracks money in U.S. politics. That year, the money targeted the White House, the Department of Commerce, and the Bureau of Industry and Security, which oversees U.S. export control. Last year, Huawei spent $470,000 on lobbying. As for this year, the Chinese tech giant has spent over $1.2 million so far. There have been warnings about Huaweis lobbying campaign. In August, two members of the Washington-based think tank Heritage Foundation published a commentary in The Daily Signal, highlighting Huaweis increased lobbying activities, including the hiring of Podesta. One of the two authors is Dustin Carmack, a research fellow in technology policy at the think tank. In the coming months, it is likely that powerful and connected lobbyists working on Huaweis behalf will attempt to woo the Biden administration. The most solemn duty of any presidential administration is to protect American national security, they wrote. As such, the Biden administration must reject these lobbying efforts and hold the line on Huawei. His brother, John Podesta, served as White House chief of staff to former U.S. President Bill Clinton, as well as being the chairman of Hillary Clintons campaign for her presidential bid in 2016. Tony Podesta and Huawei did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Border Patrol agents and members of the National Guard patrol a checkpoint in Texas on Sept. 22, 2021. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) CBP: Border Patrol Agents Face Termination If Not Vaccinated The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said border patrol agents would face discipline up to termination if not vaccinated against the COVID-19, a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. DHS [Department of Homeland Security] is actively working to ensure compliance with President [Joe] Bidens Executive Order requiring that all federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 22, except in limited circumstances where an exception is required by law, CBP Media Relations Headquarters Branch Chief Justin Long told The Epoch Times Thursday via email, responding to a question of what will happen to border patrol agents if they dont get vaccinated by the deadline. Employees who choose to remain unvaccinated for COVID-19 and have not received or have a pending request for a legally required exemption will be subject to discipline, up to and including removal from federal service, the email reads. As part of the DHS, CBP is the nations largest law enforcement agency and has more than 60,000 employees. The Border Patrol has a workforce of over 20,000 agents assigned to patrol the more than 6,000 miles of Americas land borders. In the fiscal year 2019, when the total border patrol agents number was under 20,000, about 17,000 (pdf) were deployed at the southwest border. Long didnt respond to how many border patrol agents have been fully or partially vaccinated or if any exemptions have been granted. But Long said that DHS has developed an online tool for personnel to report their current vaccination status, called the Vaccination Status System (VSS). This system is available to all DHS employees except the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Coast Guard, which have their own reporting systems. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) told NTD Wednesday that he had been told up to 5,000 border patrol agents would separate over the vaccine mandate. If that many were to leave, as porous as our border already is, you truly have a national security crisis along your border, Biggs said. The government is mandating vaccine upon border patrol agents, but not people who enter the country illegally, and some estimates are well over 20 percent have COVID, Biggs said. In an interview on Aug. 9, Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said that agents vaccination rates varied widely, from a low of 30 percent in the Rio Grande Valley sector in Texas to as high as 78 percent in other sectors along the border, according to the Washington Post. Long said in the email that we expect reported vaccination rates to increase throughout the next few weeks both due to an increase in COVID-19 vaccinations and an increase in reporting. A Border Patrol agent picks up three illegal aliens after Texas state troopers arrested two U.S. citizen smugglers who were transporting them to San Antonio, in Kinney County, Texas, on Oct. 20, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Two Congressmen also expressed concern that unvaccinated border patrol agents are facing removal amid the deteriorating border crisis. For years and through multiple administrations, it has been difficult to recruit and retain men and women to serve in U.S Border patrol. The locations of the job are typically remote and the job is often dangerous and hard, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) said in a letter dated Sept. 28 to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. It is simply unbelievable that the Biden Administration will allow COVID-positive illegal aliens to surge across the border but will terminate dedicated law enforcement officers who do not comply with Bidens mandate, the letter said. The two Congressmen urged Mayorkas to find reasonable accommodations for CBP officers who choose not to receive the vaccine. However, from the email CBP sent to The Epoch Times, the only accommodations are likely religious or medical exemptions. Employees may also request a reasonable accommodation, including a religious or medical exemption, by Nov. 9, the email reads. Employees also need to certify their vaccination status by the same dayNov. 9. According to DHSs requirements, the deadline to be fully vaccinated is Nov. 22, so employees have to take the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or the single dose of Johnson & Johnson, no later than Nov. 8. CBP reported over 1.5 million encounters at the southern border during the fiscal year 2021, even without Septembers data. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testifies during a Senate hearing on the federal COVID-19 response on Capitol Hill in Washington, on March 18, 2021. (Susan Walsh/Pool/Getty Images) CDC Director: Definition of Fully Vaccinated May Change in the Future The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday suggested that the definition of what constitutes being fully vaccinated may change as boosters become more commonplace, echoing a move handed down several weeks ago by Israeli officials. For now, in order to meet the CDCs criteria for being fully vaccinated, one has to have two shots of either the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, or one dose of Johnson & Johnsons. We have not yet changed the definition of fully vaccinated. We will continue to look at this. We may need to update our definition of fully vaccinated in the future, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters in response to a question about whether the fully vaccinated status will one day be imperiled for those who have received two shots of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or one dose of the J&J vaccine. If youre eligible for a booster, go ahead and get your booster and we will continue to follow, she added. Walensky did not offer a timeline or other details about a possible change. Walenskys comments Friday represent a reversal of a previous position she took during a COVID-19 briefing. In late September, she said that federal health officials are not considering changing the definition of fully vaccinated for the time being. It comes after the CDC recently expanded the eligibility for booster doses, approving them for individuals who have received Pfizer or Moderna shots if they are either aged 65 and older or aged 18 and older in long-term care settings. The agency also ruled that anyone who is 18 and older who got the J&J vaccine can get a booster shot two months later. In recent weeks, health officials in countries like Australia have publicly toyed with the idea of continuous booster shots as a prerequisite for employment or having a valid vaccine passport. Were going to be getting into booster issues, so it wont be your first or second dose, itll be, have you had, have you had, your third?' Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said during a recent news conference. And then the other issue will be, well who knows what variants are coming? But Israel in early September became likely the first nation to say the countrys so-called green passes, or a type of vaccine passport, would expire six months after the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Authorities in Bahrain followed suit, saying that those who are eligible for booster shots but dont get them risk losing their vaccination status. Both in Israel and Bahrain, vaccine passports are required to enter many venues such as restaurants, theaters, and bars. Several European countries including France and Italy have implemented similar measures nationwide. Walensky on Friday also again called for people who havent got the COVID-19 vaccine to get vaccinated but stipulated that no vaccineeven a boosted vaccineprovides 100 percent protection. Recent CDC data, meanwhile, shows that more Americans are getting booster shots than getting their first COVID-19 vaccination shot. COVID-19 is the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. A staff member giving a live online broadcast presentation at the Museum of Wuchang Uprising of 1911 Revolution in Wuhan city, China's central Hubei Province, on April 13, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) China Delists Leading Investigative Media Outlet From Approved News Sources A leading Chinese financial news outlet has fallen out of favor with Beijing, as China has banned its online contentwell known for its investigative reportingfrom any republishing. The countrys top internet regulator unveiled an updated list on Oct. 20 of internet news providers whose content can be republished. The list, with over 1,300 news sites nationwide, is four times longer compared to the last version in 2016. More social media accounts of the central government made their mark. Outlets omitted from the so-called whitelist include one of the most liberal news sources Caixin Mediafailed to meet requirements of news quality, said the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) in a notice. The move comes in line with the ruling Communist Partys tightening grip around the flow of information and high-profile private businesses. Unlike Chinas state-run media, Beijing-headquartered Caixin is not entirely government-owned but various parties have invested in it. The media group owns a think tank, a data company, investable indices, and research firms, running news sites and apps in both English and Chinese languages. Being bolder than most peers, Caixin is known for independent investigative journalism, pushing limits imposed by policymakers. In 2016, the company publicized the CACs deletion of its online article and called the Internet watchdog a government censorship organ. The then-deleted piece quoted comments breaching the absolute loyalty to the Party demanded by its leader Xi Jinping. Over the years, Caixin has consistently reported on the failure of the ruling Party and politically sensitive topics, including pollution issues, public discontent, official corruption, also the death toll during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan city. In March 2020, the company investigated the number of boxed funeral urns delivered to a government-run funeral home, raising doubts of the much-lower official death toll. Staffers walk past a billboard at the Caixin Media offices in Beijing on Jan. 18, 2018. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo) Caixin didnt respond to requests for comment from The Epoch Times. The latest exclusion means Chinese readers can only access its news stories by visiting its website or app directly, instead of reading them on popular news aggregator websites. China observers deemed it a further blow to the media freedom of the country. China-based current affairs commentator Wu Te said the move would wipe out the revenue of the media company, which profits by subscriptions to its exclusive reports. Once Caixin is ruled out as a news source it simply cannot afford it, he told The Epoch Times on Oct. 20. Absolute Loyalty The Chinese news landscape is tightly controlled by the Communist Party. State-run media that perform as front runners are told to pledge absolute loyalty to the regime. Xi said in 2016 that Party-owned media must hold the family name of the party, claiming work of the partys media must reflect the Partys will. Wu called the state-run media propaganda tools that [regulators] must control. The press is not a freestanding body of civil society, he said. Veteran Chinese media personality Huang Jinqiu said, Strictly speaking, the so-called government-run media are not real media. It will naturally lie for the party and deceive the people, he said. Protesters hold placards with messages that read reject red media and safeguard the nations democracy during a rally against pro-China media in Taipei on June 23, 2019. (Hsu Tsun-hsu / AFP) Earlier this month, Chinas top planning body issued draft regulations, saying that private investments into newsgathering and distributing operations would be banned. Chinese officials reviewed a list of Alibabas media assets and asked for a plan to cut down most of its media assets, The Wall Street Journal reported in March. A month ago, the e-commerce giant sought to sell its entire stake in a television-based service provider following pressure from Beijing. Meanwhile, the CAC said on Sept. 8 that it had shut down nearly 1,800 social media accounts of individuals for spreading negative financial news, labeled as bad-mouthing the countrys economy. The Associated Press contributed to this report. China Offers $23,000 for a North Korean Jailbreaker Chinese police are pursuing a former North Korean special forces soldier who escaped from a northeastern China prison, offering up to $23,460 for his capture, on Oct. 18. The 39-year-old escapee, identified as Zhu Xianjian, entered China illegally in 2013, and was arrested and imprisoned after robbing several villagers and stabbing a woman while trying to take her handbag. Chinese media reported that in 22 months, Zhu would be discharged from prison and sent back to North Korea. However, the Pyongyang authorities treat defectors badly, and most of them end up being killed. The media surmised that Zhu is worried about being executed and decided to break out of jail before serving the whole sentence. The Chinese police also released video footage of Zhus dramatic escape, captured on two surveillance cameras, which has attracted peoples attention. Escaping Prison Chinese state-run CCTV published an announcement from Jilin provincial police that they are offering $23,460 reward for Zhus capture, and $15,640 for valid information leading to his capture. According to Chinese media reports, Zhu is 5 ft. 3 in. tall, and had served in the North Korean special forces where he learned to use weapons. He was a coal miner in North Koreas North Hamgyong Province when he crossed the Chinese border in 2013. In the prison surveillance footage, the short and slim fugitive quickly comes into view and climbs an iron gate on a shed next to the prison wall, around 6:00 p.m. on Oct. 18. He then runs across the roof, uses a rope to damage the electric fence, setting off a series of sparks. During the video, you can see that Zhus right foot is bare. The prison guards arrive at the shed but dont climb on it. As they stand watching, Zhu damages the electric fence and then jumps off the 19.68-foot wall. The second surveillance video shows Zhu fall down after jumping off the wall, and lay motionless on the ground for a short time. Then he stands up and runs away. Villagers who live nearby told Chinese media on Oct. 19 that police searched their villages and a nearby hill on the evening of Oct. 18 the next day, but didnt find the prisoner. Zhu Considered Dangerous Zhu crossed the border illegally on July 21, 2013. The next day, he broke into a house int Jizhong village in Tumen, Jilin Province, and stabbed a housewife as he took her handbag. The handbag contained $232 in cash, five bank deposit books, two photo IDs, and some candies, according to a court ruling. The housewife, surnamed Quan, was sent to hospital for urgent treatment, and diagnosed with bilateral pneumothorax and hemorrhagic shock. According to Chinese law, she was severely injured. Zhu didnt stop there. On July 22, he broke into two other houses, and stole food, drinks, clothing, shoes, cash, a cellphone, and bags. He was later arrested. On March 25, 2014, Zhu was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison, after which he would be returned to North Korea. Zhu performed well in prison and his sentenced was reduced twice. If he hadnt escaped the prison, he would have been sent back to North Korea on Aug. 21, 2023. A vehicle drives past unfinished residential buildings at Evergrande Oasis, a housing complex developed by Evergrande Group, in Luoyang, China, on September 16, 2021. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters) Chinas New Home Prices Fall, Signaling Market Cooling Chinas home prices fell for the first time in six years in September amid a home sales slump and developer debt crises, casting shadows on the countrys weakening economic growth. Chinas average new home price in 70 cities slightly declined in September compared with a month earlier, and the year-on-year increase continued to slow, Sheng Guoqing, the chief statistician of Chinas National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said on Oct. 20. The monthly drop is either 0.08 percent, or 0.1 percent, based on the formula analysts used. It marks the first decline since May 2015, in contrast to the 0.2 percent increase in August. Its obvious that the housing market has entered a downward cycle, said Yan Yuejin, research director of Shanghai-based E-house China Research and Development Institute, according to state-backed National Business Daily. The latest data showed 27 out of 70 cities reported new home prices increased last month, down from 46 in August. It is also the lowest point since February 2020, when the regime started to launch a stringent lockdown across the country to combat the COVID-19 outbreak Compared with a year earlier, Chinas new home prices grew 3.8 percent in September, the slowest in nine months, easing from a 4.2 percent increase in August. Yan told National Business Daily the current issue is housing prices changing from overheating to overcooling, advising regulators to be careful of possible sharp falls in prices or contagion fears, the report said. Many of the countrys developers are now facing a liquidity crunch amid Beijings tightened regulations on fresh borrowing of funds, unlike the heavy borrowing to build homes during the real estate market surge of 2016 to 2018. In recent years, Beijing has stepped up efforts to curtail developers leverage, which an analyst says chimes with the communist regimes sweeping crackdown on tech giants and the recent common prosperity drive. The move, along with other business and economic factors, left Evergrande, once the countrys top real estate developer, in financial trouble. The cash-strapped developer faces possible default under its $305 billion debt load. Evergrande, which owns 1,300 projects in more than 280 cities, has halted construction at many sites across the country. A peeling Evergrande Oasis logo for a housing complex developed by Evergrande Group, is seen outside the construction site where the residential buildings stand unfinished, in Luoyang, China on September 16, 2021. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters) The debt crisis further impacted homebuyers who have already paid deposits. The low confidence can be seen in home sale figures for September, a traditional peak season for the home market. Property sales by floor area slumped to 15.8 percent, down for a third month, according to Reuters calculations based on NBS data released on Oct. 18. The downturn also hammered the worlds second-largest economy, as the housing market contributed to more than one-quarter of Chinas gross domestic product (GDP), if related industries are added. Official data showed the year-on-year GDP growth in the third quarter hit a year low at 4.9 percent. The scale of the slowdown is sharper than economists expectations, even though they had forecast that the debt crisis and worsening power shortages would drag down economic growth. Meanwhile, new construction starts in September declined for a sixth straight month, the longest downtrend since 2015. Chinas vice premier Liu He said on Wednesday that the overall risk is controllable, while admitting that there are some problems in the property market, according to state news agency Xinhua. However, some economists said that the countrys economy is shrinking, and the trend will become more evident. Reuters contributed to this report. A researcher plants a semiconductor chip on an interface board, at the Tsinghua Unigroup research center in Beijing on Feb. 29, 2016. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters) Chip-makers Said They Will Meet Chip Data Request Amid Global Supply Crisis: Commerce Dept. Companies including Intel, GM, Infineon, and SK Hynix have signaled they will cooperate with a voluntary request for data on the global chips crisis, the U.S. Department of Commerce said on Thursday. The Department noted that while the data request is currently voluntary, it may make it compulsory depending on the number and quality of responses. The White House last month asked both foreign and domestic chip makers to submit supply chain information, including inventory data, demand, and delivery dynamics, by November 8 in an effort to boost transparency and help understand where bottlenecks may exist. It comes amid a global chip shortage within the auto industry that was prompted after chip companies began diverting their production to computers and tablets, where demand was soaring, as the demand for autos fell during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies including Intel, GM, Infineon, and SK Hynix, have indicated that they plan to be very forthcoming with their data. We are very appreciative of their efforts and encourage other companies to follow suit, a Commerce spokesperson told Reuters. The (request for information) is voluntary but this information is crucial to addressing concerns about transparency in the supply chain. Whether or not we have to use compulsory measures depends on how many companies engage and the quality of the data shared. Intel, GM, Infineon, and SK Hynix did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. In late September, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo signaled that the data disclosure may become compulsory. What I told them is, I dont want to have to do anything compulsory but if they dont comply, then theyll leave me no choice,' she told Fortune. I said today were evaluating all of our options right now, all the tools. I hope not to go there but we need to see some progress and we definitely need compliance. Raimondo said the information request was necessary due to a lack of trust among various companies in the supply chain and allegations of certain companies buying more semiconductor chips than they need and stockpiling. So suppliers say, We cant get a handle on an accurate demand signal because consumers are stockpiling, so we dont know what the accurate demand is. Some consumers are saying We cant get straight answers from suppliers, how come I was told I could have X and now Im being told I can only have half of X?' she said. But the data request has sparked concern within Taiwans semiconductor industry, with fears that the worlds largest contract chipmaker and a major Apple Inc supplier, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), would have to hand over sensitive data. TSMC said earlier this month that it would not provide any sensitive company information. In a statement to Reuters, the company said it is preparing and will respond to the voluntary data request. TSMC has been actively supporting and working with all stakeholders to overcome the global semiconductor supply challenge, it said. Looking forward, to increase the demand visibility in this complex supply chain should be the path to avoid such shortages from happening in the future. We have been a strong partner in this effort and will continue taking actions to address this challenge, it added. In an Oct. 6 statement, South Koreas trade ministry also shared concerns over the request, noting that the scope of the requested data is vast and a number of operational secrets are included, which is a big concern in South Korea. But the countrys trade minister Moon Sung-wook told a parliament committee on Thursday that companies would be compliant with the request and are preparing to review and submit data without violating laws relating to confidentially. On Thursday, a bipartisan group of over 30 lawmakers sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) warning them of the dire consequences the automotive industry faces if they fail to swiftly advance legislation that would provide $52 billion in funding for semiconductor chips, including $2 billion set aside for chips used by automakers. The Senate voted 6832 in June to approve a sweeping package of legislation that aims to boost the countrys ability to compete with Chinese technology, including providing $52 billion for chips and $2 billion in funding dedicated to the type of chips automakers use. However, the measure has stalled in the House, leaving automakers across the globe forced to drastically cut production due to supply shortages. Automakers are also facing a shortage of materials and labor. Reuters contributed to this report. Colombians Blame CCP Virus Lockdowns for Surge in Crime and Poverty Residents in Bogota, Colombia, have expressed fear and anger over a rise in violent crime that followed on the heels of pandemic restrictions, which caused inflated poverty and unemployment rates beginning in March 2020. It doesnt feel safe anymore, Camila Garcia, 23, told The Epoch Times. My family lives in Rosales [in Bogota]. It was a safe place to grow up, but my dad doesnt want my sister and I to walk alone now. People have gotten more aggressive [since the pandemic], kind of desperate, and crime is definitely worse. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus killed more than 125,000 people in Colombia since the start of the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. The government initiated a series of lockdowns and restrictions on March 16 last year meant to control the spread of the virus. The lockdown drove Colombia into an economic recession in 2020, according to a World Bank brief. Unemployment rates increased by 50 percent, 2.5 million people lost their jobs, and the portion of people working less than 20 hours per week increased from 15 percent to 22 percent. The military helping police patrol the streets in the La Candelaria neighborhood of Bogota on Oct. 15, 2021. (Alejandro Gomez/The Epoch Times) Arturo Hernandez, 40, lost his manufacturing job in May 2020. Just about every place that didnt sell food was closed, Hernandez told The Epoch Times. Its strange logic, though. How am I supposed to buy food for my family without a job? Its not a mystery why crime is worse now. Less jobs, less money, but the same number of people need to survive. Monetary poverty in Colombia reached 42.5 percent in 2020 and extreme monetary poverty reached 15.1 percent, according to a report to Colombias National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE). So far, the beginning of 2021 was the most violent start to a year since the signing of the peace accords between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2016, according to a report by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP). A bank in the El Chico neighborhood where the cousin of Diego Rodriguez was robbed on Oct. 15, 2021. (Alejandro Gomez/The Epoch Times) Armed criminals and public forces have clashed in 14 documented incidents, according to the JEP report. There have been 14 social leader assassinations and six massacres, as of Jan. 26 this year, the report said. My cousin was robbed in daylight a few weeks back, Diego Rodriguez, 31, told The Epoch Times. I mean, he wasnt even in a bad area. He walked out of an ATM in El Chico and a guy with a knife was crouched, looking like he was tying his shoe, and just stood up and grabbed my cousin. The guy demanded his wallet and ran. Rodriguez was asked if he thought crime had gotten worse since the beginning of the pandemic. Definitely, he replied. How did they [the government] expect to shut things down and leave people without a way to make money? Just about everyone I know was affected, either lost a job or has a family member who lost a job. How did they think that would go? The government deployed 360 soldiers to the streets of Bogota to assist local police with crime mitigation efforts. Minister of Defense Diego Molano said, We are changing reality, not just perception, in a public statement released on Twitter on Sept. 15 addressing the deployment. An armed soldier near Plaza Bolivar in Bogota on Oct. 15, 2021. (Alejandro Gomez/The Epoch Times) Meanwhile, a hunger strike is underway on the steps of the Cathedral Primada de Colombia and Capilla del Sagrario in the nations capital. Activists in Bogota are protesting on behalf of their people in La Guajira region, who have been decimated economically and lack access to vital resources such as potable water. Law student Jose Flores, 19, told The Epoch Times that the government claims not to have any money to help the people while the economic fallout from the pandemic response has been brutal. There is no water, no food, our children are dying, and its even worse now [this year], he said. They need to fix this. Colombias minister of defenses office didnt respond to a request for comment. The logo of job seeking website 'Seek' is seen on a screen in Canberra, Australia, Feb. 21, 2017. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) Community Organisation Calls For More Support for Disadvantaged Job Hunters Anglicare Australia has called for more support for job seekers with barriers to return to work while criticising the federal governments JobSeeker program as a failing system. According to Anglicare, there are around 27 job seekers applying for the same entry-level job and people without qualifications or work experience are spending an average of five years looking for work. Job seekers without the qualification and experience are also outnumbering entry-level vacancies by as many as eight-to-one. Our system is failing those who need the most help to find workpeople with disabilities, who did not finish year 12, or older workers who lost their jobs later in life, Anglicare Australia executive director Kasy Chambers said. We need to create entry-level opportunities for people in growing industries like aged and disability care and we need to lift job seekers out of poverty. The pandemic is still raging. The jobs are not there for the people who need them. Nobody should be trapped in poverty while they look for work. The study also added that despite all the changes the government have implemented, the number of people with barriers to work has barely changed. A study conducted by the Australian government in October 2020 demonstrated that normal working-age people have an unemployment rate of 4.7 percent whilst those suffering from disabilities have a 10 percent unemployment rate. The comments by Chambers come though as the popular job-seeking website SEEK, has reported that job advertisements have been on a rise since Sep. 2021 with job applications declining by 0.8 percent month to month in Sep. 2021. Job opportunities for hospitality, tourism, manufacturing and transport have also seen the greatest rate of growth since Aug. 2021. Meanwhile, mutual obligations for unemployed Australians restarted in the Australian Capital Territory this week, in New South Wales last week and are due to begin in Victoria towards the end of October. This means that those on the unemployment benefits will need to return to attending compulsory appointments with employment service providers, agreeing to a job plan and reporting job searches to avoid support payments being ceased or reduced. Chambers said that given this since there would be a return of the JobSeeker program she also asked for a more stable basic income for those that are unemployed. The old rate of $40 per day Chambers argued left some people with as little as $7 a day after essential bills were paid placing them below the poverty line. She called instead for the JobSeeker payment initiated in 2020 to keep them above the poverty line. Medical staff walk past the emergency entrance at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 9, 2021. (William West / AFP via Getty Images) Doctors Will Treat COVID Deniers Says Australian Medical Body After State Presidents Comments The Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has backtracked on comments made by its president, Dr. Roderick McRae, that people he deemed COVID-19 deniers and anti-vaxxers should opt out of taxpayer-funded health care. In comments published in The Guardian, McRae said, A whole lot of these people are passionate disbelievers that the virus even exists. And they should notify their nearest and dearest and ensure theres an advanced care directive that says, If I am diagnosed with this disease caused by a virus that I dont believe exists, I will not disturb the public hospital system, and Ill let nature run its course.' Responding to the comments, National AMA President Dr. Omar Khorshid wrote on Twitter that doctors will always provide care to patients and consider their right to make their own decisions, even bad ones like not getting vaccinated, he said. This includes the right to accept, or reject, advice regarding treatments and procedures, including life-sustaining treatments, he added. Citing the AMA Code of Ethics, which is rooted in the ancient Hippocratic Oath, Khorshid said doctors are guided to provide care impartially and without discrimination on the basis of age, disease or disability, creed, religion, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, criminal history, social standing or any other similar criteria. The AMA Code of Ethics guides the behaviour of doctors and is the foundation of AMA policy. Doctors will always provide care to patients considering their right to make their own decisions, even bad ones like not getting #vacced. AMA President (@amapresident) October 21, 2021 AMA Victoria later responded to the backlash from the medical and general community, publishing a statement on Friday. By way of clarification, it was not the Presidents intention to suggest that COVID deniers and anti-vaxxers should be denied treatment. Doctors will always provide care impartially and without discrimination. Dr McRae intended to make the point that COVID deniers and anti-vaxxers are at more risk of contracting COVID-19 than vaccinated members of the community. A portion are also, therefore, more likely to become seriously unwell. Dr McRae was suggesting that COVID deniers and anti-vaxxers may wish to consider updating their advance care directives so that, in the event they do contract COVID-19 and become seriously unwell but do not wish to be treated because it may be contrary to their views, medical professionals can respect their autonomy and wishes concerning medical care, the statement read. Victorian Deputy Premier James Merlino also rejected McRaes comments, saying that while he understood the sentiment, thats not the way we operate. We need to care for every single Victorian, Merlino told ABC radio on Friday. New York real estate scion Robert Durst, 78, sits in the courtroom as he is sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole at the Airport Courthouse in Los Angeles, on Oct. 14, 2021. (Myung J. Chung/Los Angeles Times via AP) Durst Faces Murder Charges in Death of His Former Wife LOS ANGELESRobert Durst, the New York real estate heir who was sentenced to life in prison without parole last week for murdering a confidante in Benedict Canyon, was charged in New York with the death of his former wife, Kathie Durst, who vanished in 1982, authorities confirmed Oct. 22. Durst is accused of second-degree murder in a criminal complaint filed Tuesday by a state police investigator at a court in Lewisboro, New York. The Westchester County District Attorneys Office can confirm that a complaint charging Robert Durst with the murder of Kathleen Durst was filed in Lewisboro Town Court on October 19, 2021. We have no further comment at this time, Mimi Rocah, Westchester district attorney, posted on Twitter Friday morning. In Los Angeles Superior Court, Durst, 78, was convicted Sept. 17 of first-degree murder for shooting Susan Berman in her home in December 2000. Prosecutors said Durst killed Berman to prevent her from incriminating him in a renewed police investigation of Kathie Dursts disappearance. Durst is the grandson of Joseph Durst, founder of the Durst Organization, one of Manhattans largest commercial real estate firms. Prosecutors estimate that Robert Dursts share of the family fortune was $100 million. In the days since he was convicted of murdering Berman, Durst has been hospitalized on a ventilator after testing positive for COVID-19. Kathie Durst was 29 when she disappeared on Jan. 31, 1982. Her body was never found and she was declared legally dead, at her familys request, in 2017. Robert Durst divorced Kathie Durst in 1990 citing abandonment. He was never charged in her disappearance despite a number of efforts to close the case. Investigators reopened the case in 1999, searching a lake and the couples home. During his Los Angeles murder trial, Durst repeated denied having any involvement in his wifes disappearance and presumed death. Shortly after the verdict, Kathie Dursts family issued a statement in which they said, Today, more than ever before, it is clear that she was murdered by Robert Durst in Westchester County, New York, on January 31, 1982. The evidence is overwhelming. Although Durst has now been rightly convicted of killing Susan Berman, who helped him conceal the truth about Kathies death, the McCormack family is still waiting for justice. Kathie is still waiting for justice. The justice system in Los Angeles has finally served the Berman family. It is now time for Westchester to do the same for the McCormack family and charge Durst for the murder of his wife, Kathie, which occurred almost 40 years ago. They have had interviews, statements and documents for months, the family said in its statement. Durst has been behind bars since March 14, 2015, when he was taken into custody in a New Orleans hotel room hours before the airing of the final episode of the six-part HBO documentary series The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, which examined the disappearance of Kathie Durst and the shooting deaths of Berman and Morris Black, Dursts then-neighbor in Texas in late 1982. Durst was tried for Blacks killing and dismemberment, but he was acquitted, arguing that the gun went off accidentally during a struggle. Prosecutors in that case also alleged that Black had figured out Dursts true identity. Durst was in hiding at the time. Film Review Claws of the Red Dragon An Expose on the Ties Between the Chinese Communist Party and Chinas Corporations Former investment banker and political strategist, Steve Bannon, has also been producing films for years. One of his latest productions, Claws of the Red Dragon, is a fictional take on the real-world arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canadahere renamed Feng Xiaozhou (played by actress Jennifer Hsiung). After the sensational arrest of Feng, a top executive of an equally fictional company, Chinese tech megacorp Huaxing, angers the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Since Huaxing is in bed with the CCP (as many Chinese institutions are), they consider the arrest to be a loss of face and an arrogant slight against them. Pampered princess of the CCP, Feng Xiaozhou (Jennifer Hsiung), is arrested in Claws of the Red Dragon. (New Tang Dynasty Television) Enter Jane Li, a Chinese-Canadian journalist (Dorren Lee), an intrepid reporter who learns of the arrest through a colleague. It looks to be a big story since it exposes a major link between the tech giant and the CCP, as well as the CCPs designs of technological dominance (and surveillance) over the entire world. However, her initial enthusiasm is short-livedalthough Janes boss encourages her to be the lead on the story, she declines the offer because her parents are currently visiting China. She reveals that upsetting the CCP could be dangerous for her parents well-being. Jane shares a beautiful apartment in Toronto, Canada with her boyfriend, Ryan Lowe (Taras Lavren), who is climbing the corporate ladder at a local Huaxing subsidiary. At first, the two hedge around the obvious topic of debatethe ethically compromised company, Huaxing, and Janes uncompromising journalistic ethics of reporting the truth (she eventually accepts the offer to cover the story). But soon, Ryans boss, David Liu (Russell Yuen), who is also a member of the CCP, taps Ryan to fill the recently vacated position of vice president. Simultaneously, Liu tells the young prospect that he should strongly encourage Jane to write a pro-Huaxing article for her newspaper. If she doesnt write the obvious propaganda piece, Liu hints to Ryan that her parents in China could face grave consequences. Ryan Lowe (Taras Lavren) left and his boss David Liu (Russell Yuen), in Claws of the Red Dragon. (New Tang Dynasty Television) Meanwhile, the United States seeks to extradite Feng for a sanctions case. The CCP responds by arresting two Canadian citizens on espionage charges and also condemns another to death for murky drug smuggling charges. Bannons film (directed by Rob W. King and Kevin Yang) plays like a taut thriller and seems as though it was ripped from todays headlines. Its 54-minute runtime punches above its weight and my only regret about watching it is that it wasnt longer. As the film ends in a rather open-ended manner, I could easily see it getting a sequel since it has top-notch production values, excellent acting, and a very intriguing plotline that begs to be explored further. A rift begins to form between Ryan (Taras Lavren) and his girlfriend Jane (Dorren Lee), in Claws of the Red Dragon. (New Tang Dynasty Television) While researching this film (and Bannons reasons for producing it), I kept seeing the alarmist phrase anti-Chinese repeatedly. Thats a little odd since Bannon has stressed all along that this film is designed to help average citizens understand how the CCP manipulates Chinese companies and the Belt and Road Initiative, in order to expand its power and influence through infiltrating the infrastructure of other countries. As stated by Bannon, Look at what theyre doing they have a geopolitical strategy to unite the Eurasian landmass into one single market then to force the United States out of the Western Pacific then out of the Pacific overall. The radical cadrethis is not the Chinese peoplethis is about a radical cadre that is taking charge of the Communist Party led by President Xi theyve been running an economic war against the industrial democracies for 20 years. Claws of the Red Dragon is a very important and prescient film to seevisit the link here. Claws of the Red Dragon Director: Rob W. King, Kevin Yang Starring: Dorren Lee, Taras Lavren, Eric Peterson Running Time: 54 minutes MPAA Rating: Unrated Release Date: 2019 Rated: 5 stars out of 5 Follow EpochTV on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The Nitrate Removal Facility at the Des Moines Water Works plant in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 15, 2015. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) Former Kansas Water Facility Employee Pleads Guilty to Remotely Shutting Down Water System While Intoxicated A former employee of a rural central Kansas water facility pleaded guilty on Wednesday to tampering with its computer system and shutting down the plant, the Justice Department announced. Wyatt Travnichek, 23, of Lorraine, pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a public water system and one count of reckless damage to a protected computer system during unauthorized access. Travnichek was hired at the Post Rock Rural Water District in Ellsworth, which supplies water to about 1,500 customers in central Kansas, in 2018 but resigned one year later in January 2019, according to court documents. While working at the plant, Travnichek was able to monitor it after hours using a remote login system which could be accessed via a shared passcode, according to the Kansas City Star. Months after he had resigned, on March 27, 2019, the former employee allegedly used his cell phone to access the remote system and shut down the plant, and turn off one of its filters. The Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and established that Travnicheks cell phone was used to perpetrate the intrusion. Travnichek later told officials that he had been intoxicated at the time of the incident and didnt remember anything about that night in March. The former employee faces a prison sentence of 12 months and one day, although a district court judge will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting the case. Ensuring the security of our nations cyber infrastructure is one of the FBIs top priorities and the plea underscores the joint dedication to that effort by the FBI, EPA, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub. There is no doubt that Travnicheks intentional actions directly placed the public in harms way. The plea should send a clear message to anyone who attempts to tamper with public facilitieslaw enforcement will remain resolute in investigating any and all threats that put the publics health at risk, Dayoub added. Special Agent in Charge Lance Ehrig of the EPAs Criminal Investigation Division in Kansas said protecting Americas drinking water is a top EPA priority. EPA will continue our focused efforts with DOJ and the states as we investigate and pursue any threats that might be directed toward vital community drinking water resources, Ehrig said. Cybersecurity has become a key focus of the Biden administration. A devastating wave of cyberattacks has compromised sensitive government records and at times led to the shutdown of the operations of energy companies, hospitals, and schools. Earlier this week, the U.S. Commerce Departments Bureau of Industry and Security announced new rules intended to curb the sale of offensive cybersecurity products to some countries with authoritarian practices. An interim rule issued Wednesday states that U.S. companies and any company that sells U.S.-made cyber software will need a license when selling hacking tools or other cybersecurity items to certain foreign governments or any buyers, including middlemen, that pose a risk to a national security or weapons of mass destruction concern, such as China and Russia. Users restricted from using these products would also include those subject to arms embargoes. These items warrant controls because these tools could be used for surveillance, espionage, or other actions that disrupt, deny or degrade the network or devices on it, the interim rule reads. It is set to take effect in 90 days. Reuters contributed to this report. A big explosion in a northern Chinese city left buildings destroyed. People covered in blood were seen carried away in ambulances. China turns to the United States for help amid a power crisis. Beijing is set to double its import of natural gas from America through deals with an American energy company. Chinas coal price tripled at its highest point. Authorities intervened, solving the problem for now. But they might have made another problem worse. The Boston Celtics Enes Kanter is calling out the Chinese regimes treatment of Tibetans. Celtics games are reportedly already being pulled in China. Japanese companies are in the spotlight. One has been fined $100,000 by China for choosing a wrong date for a new product launch. The other company is investing billions of dollars in the United States. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China. For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter. A protester taunts police as they disperse a crowd of about 150 people from around Portland City Hall, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 25, 2020. Protests and riots have been a nightly occurrence in the city since May. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images) Hamstrung by New Law, Portland Police Make No Arrests in Latest Riot As a group of about 100 anarchists raged through a Portland neighborhood on Oct. 12, police reportedly remained in their vehicles. Some say their inaction is a direct result of confusion over an Oregon police-reform law passed last summer, which restricts how they can respond to such crowds. In less than two hours, the group did an estimated $500,000 of damage to 35 locations, including banks, retail stores, coffee shops, and government buildings. Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers issued verbal warnings through a megaphone. Those who refuse to leave the area are subject to arrest, the warning blared on a loop. The bureau will investigate crimes and will make arrests either tonight, or in the future. Meanwhile, the anarchists blocked the streets, smashed windows, set off illegal fireworks, lit dumpsters and trash cans on fire, and tagged buildings with spray-painted messages like kill cops and anarchy means attack. Some group members laid down in front of bureau vehicles to attempt to prevent a police response. Police believe that some people involved in criminal activity were changing clothes to further stymie efforts to identify them. According to a public statement by Portland polices Lt. Jake Jensen, they did not intervene because of Oregon House Bill 2928 and the restrictions placed on law enforcement in a crowd-control environment. Instead, Jensen said that investigators will work to track down those behind the vandalism at a later time. The law, which took effect last summer as part of Oregons police-reform initiative, prohibits the use of crowd-control tools commonly employed by law enforcementincluding pepper spray, rubber bullets, beanbag rounds, and sound and light devices. The only exception, according to the law, is when the circumstances constitute a riot, which has also been narrowly defined in the law, and if an officer reasonably believes such tactics are necessary to prevent more destructive behavior. Lt. Jensen was providing his own interpretation of the law, said police spokesman Sgt. Kevin Allen. The entire bureau membership has been made aware of the potential implications of House Bill 2928 and that its being analyzed by the City Attorneys Office, Allen told The Epoch Times. Until we have some clarity on the bill we have to follow the most restrictive interpretation of it. Finding that clarity could be tricky. Attorneys are interpreting [the law] differently, so its a question of intent versus interpretation, Andrew Fromm, a spokesman for the Oregon House of Representatives, told The Epoch Times. The law clearly allows Portland police to use effective tools necessary to control violent crowds, said House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, a Republican. However, activist attorneys are deliberately misinterpreting legislation to prevent police from intervening, she said. They have no business putting law enforcement and community safety at risk. Democratic Portland Mayor Ted Wheelers office issued a statement as well. Our legal team at the City Attorneys office is reviewing HB2928 to better understand how it will affect PPBs operation during the management of crowds. We will be working closely with our colleagues at the Oregon State Legislature and Department of Justice for further clarification to remain in compliance with this new law. Meanwhile, no arrests have been made. In this picture released by the official website of the Iranian Army, a pilot gestures during an air force exercise, in Iran, on Oct. 21, 2021. (Iranian Army via AP) Iran Holds Nationwide Air Force Drill Featuring US-made Fighter Jets The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) kicked off a nationwide large-scale military drill on Oct. 21 that also included U.S-made F4s and F5s, according to local reports. The exercises, dubbed Air Authority of Devotees of the Sky of Velayat, are the 10th edition of the drills in Iran and included both manned and unmanned aircraft. This exercise will be held in a wide area of the whole country, Deputy Commander of Irans Air Force Brig. Gen. Mehdi Hadian elaborated on the aerial exercise, Iran Press reported. Hadian added that the goal of this years aerial exercise is to improve the combat capabilities of the air force and obtain a suitable model for combat in real conditions. Local reports said bombers, jet fighters, and attack and surveillance drones will participate in the drill, using heavy weapons including laser-guided missiles. Footage broadcast showed jet fighters and bombers in flight and at takeoff, including U.S.-made F4s and F5s, as well as the Iranian-made Saegheh. Iran bought the American fighters before Washington banned such sales following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. In this picture released by the official website of the Iranian Army, Air Force personnel work on air defense missiles during an exercise, in Iran, on Oct. 21, 2021. (Iranian Army via AP) Irans F-4 Fantom fighter jets fly during the annual army day military parade in Tehran on April 17, 2008. (Behrouz Mehri/AFP via Getty Images) The Middle Eastern country also has Russian-supplied fighters in service. Iran has previously held joint naval drills with Russia and China, with the latest being in February around the same period the United States conducted joint exercises with Australia and Japan in Guam. Similar drills were held between the three countries in the Indian Ocean in the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Iran in December 2019, a move that appeared to counter U.S. activity in the region. The Oct. 21 aerial drill came a week after Iran held a two-day annual air defense drill in the countrys sprawling central desert, with both the army and the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard taking part. Iran regularly holds such drills and says they assess the troops combat readiness and demonstrate the nations military capabilities. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From NTD News Raindrops are seen next to the Tesla logo on the bonnet of a Tesla electric car in Berlin's Kreuzberg district on March 15, 2021. (David Gannon/AFP via Getty Images) Is Tesla on Track to Deliver Apple-Like Gross Margins Amid China Demand Rebound? Bulls Munster and Ives React to Q3 Earnings Tesla Inc.s impressive third-quarter earnings and revenue beat despite the impact of chip shortage indicates a robust electric vehicle trajectory for the Elon Musk-led company in the current quarter and beyond, according to analysts from Loup Ventures and Wedbush Securities. Tesla Analysts Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives has maintained an Outperform rating and a price target of $1,000 on the Tesla stock. Gene Munster of Loup Ventures believes Teslas sales could jump from $70 billion next year to $400 billion in 2027 and the stock could hit $2,500 a share then. Tesla Thesis Ives, who has been a long-time Tesla bull, said the companys robust earnings beat speaks of a more profitable company going forward and is key to a higher re-rating on the stock. Tesla reported third-quarter earnings per share (EPS) of $1.86, beating the street consensus of $1.57. Ives said the gross margin beat during the quarter shows more efficiency that the electric vehicle maker is seeing with Giga Shanghai in China. Tesla reported a record 28.8 percent gross margins in the quarter, beating estimates of 25.1 percent. We believe China demand rebounded in the quarter, Ives said. Ives estimates China would represent over 40 percent of Teslas global deliveries in 2022 amid faster electric vehicle adoption. In China, Tesla competes with homegrown rivals such as Nio Inc. and Xpeng Inc. Munster said Teslas impressive profit indicates the company could deliver Apple-like 40 percent gross margins. The Loup analyst based this assertion on increasing manufacturing efficiencies with Austin and Berlin gigafactories, growth in high-margin software subscription growth driven by FSD pricing and FSD uptake increases, and an expected decline in battery costs over time. Tesla navigated through the chip crisis well in the third quarter but warned parts shortages have factories running below capacity. On price hikes, Tesla Chief Financial Officer Zach Kirkhorn told investors in a post-earnings call that theres an awakening for electric vehicles and its caught us a little bit off guard. Price Action Tesla shares closed 0.18 percent higher at $865.80 a share on Wednesday. Shares were down 1.36 percent in the extended hours. By Rachit Vats 2021 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Business men talk at a lobby of the headquarters of POSCO, the world's fifth largest steel maker, in Seoul, on March 9, 2006. (Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images) Korean Companies in China Complain About Strict Electricity Restrictions Korean companies in China have encountered operational difficulties due to strict power use restrictions. For these companies, a Korean expert says, it is useless to plead with Chinese authorities, regardless of the losses they suffer from the policy. Pohang Iron and Steel Co. Ltd (POSCO), a Korean steel giant, recently told the Yonhap News Agency in Seoul that its stainless steel plant in Zhangjiagang city, Jiangsu Province, restarted in early October, with the operation rate maintaining at 80 percent. The plant was compelled to shut down by the local power restrictions in late September. The power supply has not been completely cut off, citing a source the news agency, but as the local authoritys grip on electricity use for the day, the enterprise is limited to operate at night only. The report says that most of the Korean companies experience difficulty in talking about the situation over concerns in maintaining a good relationship with the Chinese local authorities. The insufficient power supply is not only affecting Korean companies, but all companies in China are facing the same problem, so it is difficult to make relevant requests to the Chinese side, said a staff member of the Korean diplomatic office in China. Kim Dong-son, director of the overseas office of Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (Courtesy of Kim Dong-son) Kim Dong-son, director of the overseas office of Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, a Korean national policy research institute, told The Epoch Times on Oct. 20 that rather than saying that these Korean companies in China are indecisive, it would be better to say they know it is useless to cry out about their difficulties. Kim said the Chinese local authorities seemed to shift the responsibility of the power cuts policy to Beijing. But since everyone in China is suffering from a power shortage, Korean companies are not exempt from getting their power supply cut. Even though some Korean companies could reflect the situation together through the embassy, they understand that this would not address the crux. It is difficult to change the status quo, said Kim. So, nothing special for them can be done in respond [to the dilemma]. Kim also noted that in China, its hard to imagine that companies will raise objections. Once the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has proposed an energy policy, companies that fail to meet their targets would be restricted by the CCP and even ordered to stop production at any time. If it becomes a thorn in the eye of the CCP, the company will endure more serious scrutiny, Kim added. In fact, not all Korean companies in China are subject to power supply restrictions, as observed by Kim, For example, semiconductor companies such as Samsung and SK Hynix, which defined as strategically important by the Chinese regime, are likely supplied with electricity. The impact of Chinas power cuts policy on some large companies like POSCO, whose factories in China are equipped with considerable automation and environmental protection devices, should be relatively less harmed, while on small and medium-sized Korean companies, would be the hardest blow. Kim also mentioned that chimney companies, like some car bolts manufacturers in Jiangsu Province, not only use a lot of electricity but also cause serious atmospheric pollution. Those companies are hard to get a concession from Chinas power cut policy, Kim said. Kim holds the view that power shortages, to some extent, are caused deliberately by the restrictions policy of CCP. China [CCP] adjusts energy policy through this kind of shock therapy, which is difficult for democracies and market economies to do so. But Chinese communist particular social system makes it possible. In recent years, power shortages and rising labor costs have driven many companies to move their production lines from China to Southeast Asian countries. For companies, it is inevitable to produce in places where production costs are low, Kim said. Khasub Lee contributed to this article. Kosovo's acting President Vjosa Osmani speaks during a press conference in Pristina on March 2, 2021. (ARMEND NIMANI/AFP via Getty Images) Kosovos President Orders 2 Russian Diplomats Expelled PRISTINA, KosovoKosovo has ordered the expulsion of two Russian diplomats for allegedly endangering national security, the Balkan countrys president said Friday, accusing Russia of trying to destabilize the region. President Vjosa Osmani said in a statement that she asked the foreign ministry to declare two officials of the Liaison Office of the Russian Federation in Kosovo persona non grata. She attributed the decision to their alleged harmful activities that risk endangering national security and the constitutional order of Kosovo. Osmani provided no further details. She said the foreign ministry has notified law enforcement institutions and relevant authorities to implement the decision. Osmanis statement added that Kosovo is determined to fight against the malign influence of (Russia) and its proxies in the region, which aim to undermine our achievements, and those of the U.S., NATO and the (European Union). Osmani added that Pristina would continue to closely co-operate with our American and European allies to prevent attempts for Kosovo and neighboring countries to fall prey to (Russian) ambitions to destabilize our region. Kosovo was a Serbian province before it declared independence in 2008. That followed fighting in 1998-1999 between Serbian troops and ethnic Albanian separatists, which ended after a NATO air campaign against Serbian forces. Serbia and its close ally Russia have not recognized Kosovos independence. LA Redistricting Commission Recommends Map that Reshapes Key Districts The Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission sent recommendations for a map that would redistribute key neighborhoods in the city to other districts. The citizen-led commission voted 156 this week to finalize the map, which redraws district boundary lines in Paul Krekorians District 2, Bob Blumenfields District 3, and Nithya Ramans District 4. The recommendations have been sent to the LA City Council, where councilmembers will have the chance to make changes to the map before the borders are finalized and go into effect for the next ten years starting Jan. 1, 2022. Council President Nury Martinez, along with Raman and Krekorian, voiced opposition to the proposed map. As it stands now drastic changes were made to the map that have confused and alienated thousands and threatened to widen the divides between neighborhoods, Martinez said in a statement on Oct. 22. While some areas kept their assets and neighborhoods whole, poverty was concentrated in other communities that have already suffered from disinvestment and neglect for generations. Raman and Krekorian argued that the redesign would be unfair to their current constituents who voted them into office; both Raman and Krekorian have three years left in their respective terms. Last week the LA City Redistricting Commission moved forward with a proposed map that effectively erases our district in its current form, Raman wrote on Twitter Oct. 5. This happened despite the fact that the minimal changes in population in L.A. show no basis whatsoever for such drastic shifts. An Oct. 6 statement from Krekorian pointed out that if he or Raman is transferred to a new district, these neighborhoods will go seven years without a chance to vote for their own representative. This is outrageous, he said. If this plan is not amended to ensure that the people of Los Angeles have a fair opportunity to elect Councilmembers of their own choosing, the public will demand to know whose political interests some of these commissioners are actually serving. Maria Sosyan, president of the NoHo Neighborhood Councilone of 99 neighborhood councilssaid the council opposes the new redistricting map and that it shows little to no consideration for our communities, and widens the divide between neighborhoods with common interests. This map also carves up the significant Armenian American community of the San Fernando Valley within Council District 2, and disenfranchises other ethnic minority groups whove laid down roots and fought hard for proper representation, Sosyan said. Furthermore, the entire feedback process has been confusing and ill-managed. What is the point of asking the public for feedback if its not going to be heard, let alone considered? (Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission/Screenshot) Other residents, however, voiced their support of the map changes by calling into commission meetings earlier this month. Lionel Marez is a resident of Sun Valley, part of which is currently represented by Krekorian. Marez said he supported the new map plan because as a predominantly Latino and Spanish-speaking neighborhood, we deserve as much attention and political representation. Ive been publicly engaged with the city council for the past year and a half, and I feel like were largely ignored by the city of LA, Marez said. Many people forget that the valley is part of LA, and I do believe we need to be unified and strengthened because many constituents dont engage in public comment as I do. Jennifer DeVore of Hancock Park said she supported the redesign of her Greater Wilshire neighborhood, saying her neighborhood asked to be a part of district J. We are a community of shared interests; this map keeps our neighborhood council, the [Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council], whole. And [with] the proposed plan shared significant community interests, including parks, historic neighborhoods, and historic sites. Orthodox Jewish institutions and schools with the neighborhoods to our west, DeVore said at a Sept. 30 commission meeting. The map didnt define borders for neighboring districts 2 and 4, and declined to assign Raman and Krekorian to specific areas, instead leaving the decision to the city council. The recommended map proposes a new district in the west San Fernando Valley that includes Winnetka and other nearby neighborhoods. Either Raman or Krekorian would represent this new district, while the other would be assigned to another district that covers other areas including Hollywood Hills, Griffith Park, and North Hollywood. Blumenfields District 2 would be stretched from the southwest Valley to Valley Village; with the switch, Blumenfield would lose neighborhoods including Canoga Park and Reseda. The city council will review and approve the new city borders before they take effect in January 2022. A spokesperson for the Redistricting Commission, along with members of neighborhood councils in Districts 2 and 4, didnt respond to a request for comment by press time. Downtown Los Angeles on June 9, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) South Africa's Democratic Alliance Party recently marched on parliament to protest against Education Minister Nzimande's stance against Afrikaans, in Cape Town, South Africa, on Oct. 21, 2021. (Democratic Alliance Party) Language War Inflames South Africa Elections JOHANNESBURGNelson Mandela said he loved Afrikaans, even though it was the language of the people who imprisoned him for 27 years during apartheid. One of the closest friends he made in prison on Robben Island was a white Afrikaans warder, whom Mandela credited with improving his Afrikaans immensely. But now, on the eve of local government elections that threaten to further loosen the African National Congresss (ANC) nearly three-decade grip on South Africa, a leader of the ANC has demonized Afrikaans as the lingo of apartheid. Blade Nzimande, South Africas education minister, says Afrikaans is a white, foreign, European language of privilege that should no longer be used as a medium of instruction at South African universities. South African education minister Blade Nzimande says Afrikaans is a language of white privilege and must no longer be a medium of instruction at colleges (South African government) Nzimande banned its use at the state-funded University of South Africa (UNISA), but the countrys apex Constitutional Court recently ordered him to reinstate it by 2023, emphasizing that references to Afrikaans as a white mans language are erroneous and inconsistent with history. Defenders of Afrikaans have waded in. The court, while acknowledging that Afrikaans was undeniably employed as a tool of oppression in the past, continued to recognize that the language is now a heterogeneous, rainbow language spoken by many South Afrikaans, the majority who are black people, Andre Gaum, a member of the South African Human Rights Commission, told The Epoch Times. On that basis, the court declared that Afrikaans deserves protection and promotion in our country. Nzimande, however, has stuck to his anti-Afrikaans guns, saying hes consulting with his legal team to find a way to circumvent the Constitutional Court ruling. He recently told South African media that there was a narrow preoccupation on Afrikaans, and neglect of the nine other official languages that had been suppressed and deliberately underdeveloped under colonialism and apartheid. According to statistics released in 2016 by the government, almost 7 million South Africans speak Afrikaans as their first language, and around 15 million use it as their second tongue. South Africa has a population of almost 60 million. An Attack on ANC Opponents Afrikaans is not a white language and has never been a white language; this was a myth created by the apartheid rulers, Danie van Wyk, a linguist and Afrikaans language activist, told The Epoch Times. Van Wyk, backed by international organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, says Afrikaans is an African language. Yes, Afrikaans sounds most like Dutch. But it originated in the mouths of slaves brought from Southeast Asia to work for white colonists, including Dutch-speaking farmers. Words like brood, which is the Afrikaans for bread, come from Malaysia; it was brought here by the slaves. So, you have this interaction between slave and colonist, and that is how the language was formed. An election poster bearing the image of Pieter Groenewald, leader of the pro-Afrikaans Freedom Front Plus party, in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa, on Oct. 21, 2021. (Darren Taylor/The Epoch Times) In South Africa, the descendants of those slaves call themselves coloreds, or people of mixed race. According to the latest government census, they number 5 million and chiefly reside in the Western Cape, the only province out of nine not controlled by the ANC. Coloreds dont vote ANC because the ANC doesnt consider us to be black enough to be indigenous, said Roy Carelse, a self-employed welder in Cape Town, the regions biggest city. Were excluded from affirmative action policies that give top jobs to blacks; the ANC considers us to be gemors [rubbish], he said. Whats further infuriating Afrikaans communities, white and black, is the governments exclusion of the language from a list of indigenous languages in its new Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions. This exclusion is unscientific, contrary to the Constitutional Courts ruling in the UNISA case, and hurtful and hateful towards the diverse Afrikaans-speaking language community, says the opposition Democratic Alliance in a media statement. Crisis Looms for ANC The Freedom Front Plus (FF+), the only mainstream political party in the country that brands itself proudly Afrikaans, says the attack on the language is a populist move by the ANC to win black votes on Nov. 1, when South Africans elect town and city councils. The ANC attacks minorities before every election, FF+ leader Pieter Groenewald told The Epoch Times. Afrikaans speakers are a minority, and, of course, white Afrikaners carry the baggage of apartheid, so theyre an easy target. The attack on our language is just another way for the ANC to distract people from their corruption and mismanagement. The ruling party certainly appears to be in big trouble as the vote looms: There are protests around South Africa against lack of delivery of basic services by ANC-controlled municipalities, several top officials are facing criminal charges, including fraud and murder, and brutal infighting has seen several ANC members shot dead, allegedly assassinated by rivals vying for positions on candidate lists. As it all rages, so too does Nzimande, who insisted without evidence that Afrikaans is being used as a means of exclusion and oppression to pursue a narrow and racist, right-wing nationalist agenda, as was the case under apartheid. He declined to be interviewed by The Epoch Times. Leaning on the rusted gate outside his dilapidated home in the Johannesburg suburb of Eldorado Park, a toothless Jan Pieterse scoffed as ANC volunteers used cable ties to secure party election posters to nearby lampposts. They dont understand my language, and I dont understand theirs, he said. But there is one Afrikaans word that all South Africans understand, and thats voertsek. The ANC must voertsek; there are no votes for ANC people here! Voertsek is an old, impolite Afrikaans word meaning go away. It cant be classified as swearing, but its pretty close. 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 November 20, 2020. (Megan Jelinger/AFP via Getty Images) Maine Hospital Suspends Emergency-Level Care Over Staffing Shortage A hospital in Maine announced it would suspend emergency-level care at its walk-in location due to a staffing shortage, coming about a week after a facility in Minnesota suspended its urgent care and emergency room service. York Hospital said it is suspending emergency care at the Wells, Maine, facility starting Oct. 25. York Hospital in Wells will temporarily suspend emergency-level care, the hospital said in a statement. Wells Walk-In Care will continue to offer urgent care to all patients seven days per week but wont operate 24 hours per day. If you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms (severe pain, difficulty breathing) please dial 911 or visit our Emergency Department located on our York campus, it said. A spokesperson for the hospital, Jean Kolak, told local media that an unspecified staffing shortage prompted the closure but stressed that Maines pending vaccine mandate isnt the reason why. The Epoch Times has contacted the facility for additional comment, including how long the suspensions of services will last. The staffing shortage, she stressed to the Portsmouth Herald, is part of a broader staffing issue that has impacted healthcare providers for the past two years around the United States and Maine. Universally, health care has seen their workers leaving for other industries, retiring early and especially in nursing, taking on traveler opportunities,' Kolak said, although she did not say how many employees quit over the states mandate. About 98 percent of the hospitals employees are vaccinated, she said. Earlier this week, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer rejected a request from thousands of healthcare workers who object to the Maine vaccine mandate on religious grounds. Unlike most other states and cities, Maines mandate does not allow for healthcare workers to opt out of the vaccine with a religious exemption, only a medical one. Breyer, however, wrote that legal aid group Liberty Counsel, who is representing the nurses, can file another emergency injunction. Breyer ordered Mills and other top Maine officials to respond to Liberty Counsels request by Oct. 25, according to the group. The group told The Epoch Times that it will file a petition for a writ of certiorari asking the Supreme Court to review the case since there is now a split in the circuits. Maines vaccine requirement will begin Oct. 29. Liberty Counsel will also file the petition for writ of certiorari on behalf of more than 2,000 Maine health care workers asking the High Court to review the case since there is now a split in the circuits, with the First Circuit (governing Maine) denying injunctive relief and the Second Circuit (governing New York), granting injunctive relief regarding virtually identical factual and legal issues, it said. Earlier in October, a three-judge panel in Boston on Friday rejected a similar emergency motion that appealed against Maines pending mandate. Meanwhile, a hospital in Minnesota announced Oct. 18 it would suspend its emergency room and urgent care services due to a nurses strike. Allina Health, located in Plymouth, told The Epoch Times that due to the strike, emergency and urgent care services at its WestHealth location were suspended from Sunday morning until Wednesday. Makes No Sense: Southwest Airlines Says It Wont Fire Workers Who Dont Get COVID Vaccine Southwest Airlines CEO said the company will not fire employees who do not get the COVID-19 vaccine by Dec. 9 following a Biden administration mandate that was announced last month for federal contractors. In a statement to news outlets Friday, the Dallas-based carrier confirmed to Fox News it does not want to lose any employee over President Joe Bidens mandate, adding that firing a worker over the vaccine makes no sense. It came a day after Southwest CEO Gary Kelly made a similar announcement during an earnings call. This is an evolving process working with the government in terms of what they expect, and very clearly, we wanted our employees to know that nobody is going to lose their job on December the 9th if were not perfectly in compliance, Kelly said, according to news reports. The Epoch Times has contacted Southwest for comment. It is a work in progress, and were going to continue working in good faith to meet the requirements of the executive order. But Ive already said, and Im sure youve heard, were not going to fire anybody who doesnt get vaccinated, he continued. Bidens mandate will start on Dec. 8, requiring federal contractors to make sure their workers are vaccinated. Employees can be granted a medical or religious exemption. But Kellys and Southwests announcements this week mark a reversal in the carriers vaccination stance. Earlier this month, Southwest stated that workers would have to be fully vaccinated or receive an exemption to continue employment with the airline after it conducted a thorough review of President Bidens COVID Action Plan and determined that the carriers contracts with the U.S. government require full compliance with the federal vaccination directive. Also on Thursday, Southwest said in its quarterly results that it lost some $75 million after thousands of flights were canceled and delayed earlier this month. The firm blamed the weather and unspecified staffing issues, although there was widespread speculation that pilots and other employees walked out over the vaccine requirement. Im not going to fire anybody, Kelly told CNBC Thursday after the quarterly results were released. Hundreds of workers and others also demonstrated outside Southwests Dallas headquarters on Monday, demanding an end to the vaccination requirement. Earlier in October, Southwests pilots union filed a lawsuit against the company, arguing that the COVID-19 shot could trigger potential career-ending side-effects for pilots. In court filings over the weekend, Southwest asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit and said an injunction against its vaccine mandate could potentially harm its business. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said this week that unvaccinated workers also will not be fired by the Dec. 9 mandate, saying the company will work with those who havent got the shot. Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Ali Harbi Ali appearing at the Old Bailey in London by video link from HMP Belmarsh, a prison in London, on Oct. 22, 2021. (Elizabeth Cook/PA) Man Charged Over Sir David Amess Death Could Face Trial in March The man accused of the terrorist murder of Sir David Amess could face trial in March next year, the Old Bailey has heard. Ali Harbi Ali, 25, appeared in the crown court for the first time on Friday by video-link from high-security Belmarsh prison accused of stabbing to death the Conservative MP for Southend West during a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. Flowers left in memory of Sir David Amess outside the Houses of Parliament, in Westminster, London, on Oct. 22, 2021. (Dominic Lipinski/PA) The defendant, wearing a grey sweatshirt and sitting at a desk, lifted up his face mask to confirm his name and date of birth, during the brief hearing. Ali was not asked to enter pleas to charges of murdering Amess, 69, last Friday and preparing acts of terrorism between May 1, 2019, and September this year. Justice Sweeney said a preliminary hearing would take place on Nov. 5 at the same court. He said a provisional trial date had been identified for March 7, 2022. Alis barrister Kevin Toomey made no application for bail and the defendant was remanded into custody. He is accused of travelling by train from his home in Kentish Town, north London, to attend Sir Davids surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church. During the meeting, he was allegedly seen using his mobile phone before standing up, producing a large knife from his pocket, and repeatedly stabbing Amess. The veteran MP was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:10 p.m. and a preliminary post-mortem report gave the cause of death as multiple stab wounds to the chest. The Crown Prosecution Service alleges the murder has a terrorist connection because of its religious and ideological motives. Ali was arrested at the scene and charged on Thursday before appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, which heard he had been plotting to kill an MP for two years. Rioters set fire to the California Bank and Trust building in Oakland, Calif., on April 16, 2021. (Ethan Swope/AP Photo) Man Pleads Guilty to Arson in Connection With La Mesa Chase Bank Fire EL CAJON, Calif.One of two men charged with setting fire to a Chase bank in La Mesa, California, following last years contentious protest outside the citys police headquarters pleaded guilty Oct. 21 to arson and burglary charges. Ricky Bernard Cooper, 34, is set to be sentenced next month for the May 30, 2020, fire inside the Chase bank branch at 4791 Spring St. He also pleaded guilty to a burglary count in connection with looting stores at the La Mesa Springs Shopping Center. The May 30 protestsparked by the Memorial Day in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the controversial arrest of another Black man, Amaurie Johnson, in La Mesa a few days priorbegan with demonstrators marching on Interstate 8 in the afternoon, before the group moved to the La Mesa police station. A confrontation broke out at nightfall, with some protesters throwing objects, and officers firing beanbag rounds and tear gas to disperse the crowd. The Chase bank was set on fire, along with another bank and the Randall Lamb and Associates building on Palm Avenue. Co-defendant Alexander King, 20, still faces charges that include arson and burglary and is due back in court in December. At Coopers arraignment, Deputy District Attorney David Vallero alleged the defendant was one of several people who broke into businesses at the shopping center and took items on the night of May 30. The prosecutor said Cooper also admitted to burning papers inside the bank, though he claimed they didnt catch. Vallero alleged that several people lit fires inside the bank, which burned to the ground. Johnsons arrest by La Mesa police officer Matthew Dages was captured on video and proliferated over social media, prompting an extensive backlash against the police department and a federal lawsuit filed by Johnson against the city. Dages has since been charged with a felony count of filing a false police report for allegedly lying about the basis of his contact with Johnson. Protestors rally against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 4, 2018. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Manufacturing a Campus Rape Crisis Commentary U.S. President Joe Biden is working hard to secure his legacy as the founder of Americas campus kangaroo courts, firmly tilted towards believe-women justice. Back in 2011, he was the prime mover in the Obama administrations use of Title IX anti-discrimination rules to force colleges to set up tribunals to adjudicate sexual misconduct. The aim was clear. Feminists had long been frustrated that juries are so reluctant to convict young men in he-said, she-said date rape cases when they dont know whom to believe. The answer was to set up a separate court system, hidden from public view, passing judgement using lower standards of proof and denying the accuseds due process rights. Biden was their man, proudly declaring that he was happy to use campuses for such social engineering. We need a fundamental change in our culture and the quickest way to change culture is to change it on the campuses of America, he said. No matter that thousands of accused young men were thrown out of colleges, their education was derailed by biased tribunal investigations. The result has been numerous civil suits, over 400 so far, where their families have sued universities, usually successfully, for failure to protect their legal rights. Biden was desperate to wind back critical reforms made by Betsy DeVos, Trumps Education Secretary. Within hours of gaining power, he was making moves to ensure these unjust tribunals can revert to business as usualmeaning any male accused of sexual misconduct is hung out to dry. Meanwhile, down under in Australia, our own campus activists have diligently followed the American sisterhoods copybook. Like America, it all started with fake statistics suggesting a campus rape crisis. The Australian Human Rights Commissions (AHRC) million-dollar survey failed to find any real evidence of a crisisonly 0.8 percent of students reported any type of sexual assault per year, including incidents such as a grope from a stranger on the train to university. The AHRC disguised these disappointing results by claiming widespread campus sexual violence, which was actually mainly low-grade harassment like unwanted staring. Such manipulation of the statistics detracts from the very real problem of sexual assault which certainly exists on campus and deserves our full and focused attention. But our mainstream media promoted the narrative of widespread sexual violence, and universities were bullied into establishing a huge industry supporting secretive committees running our own kangaroo courts adjudicating sexual assault. I spent a year conducting a campus tour speaking out about this fake rape crisiswhich encountered strenuous resistance but had one positive outcome. When the riot squad had to be called in to protect me and my audience, from violent protesters at Sydney University, the government established an inquiry into campus free speech which led to a free speech code governing these institutions. Australian sex therapist Bettina Arndt is confronted by protesters from the Victorian Socialists at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 6, 2018. (Supplied/David Geraghty/The Australian) Now universities across the country have secretive committees usurping criminal law to adjudicate sexual assaultwith devastating results for the young men concerned. I have made videos exposing the unfair treatment of these accused men. For example, one describes how a Ph.D. student warded off a committee threatening to withhold his doctorate over a false rape accusation at the University of Adelaide. More recently, the disgraceful story of a nursing student at the University of New England who spent five months unknowingly living in a college alongside a fellow student who had reported him to administrators claiming he sexually assaulted her. I also have a team of lawyers working pro bono to help the steady stream of other male students dealing with such ordeals. Meanwhile, activists keep pressuring universities to do more about sexual violence. Just two months ago a group of protesters interrupted a speech by the Australian National University Vice-Chancellor Brian Schmidt, claiming the university had done nothing to protect students from these dangers. Schmidt responded saying he was prepared to put in unlimited resources to address the problem. But theres no easy fix. Its a wicked problem, he said. Lets face it. It aint easy wiping out unwanted staring. But now this virtue signalling man will have to battle new scourges like loitering and invading personal space. These are the latest additions to the ever-expanding definition of sexual harassment included in the new National Student Safety Survey, which has just been distributed across our universities. Harassment now also includes someone making comments or asking intrusive questions about your private life, body or physical appearance and making requests for sex or repeated invitations to go out on a date. So, you are only allowed to ask once for a datetwice is harassment. All sexual acts including kissing are now also deemed sexual assault if your partner made no effort to check whether you agreed or not. Feminists have managed to slip this enthusiastic consent requirement into the surveyeven though this is not yet law in most Australian states. The survey also defines all sexual acts as assault if you were affected by drugs or alcohol. There are also endless examples of activists cooking the books, to expand the number of those who have experienced sexual assault or harassment. Students are even asked to report on not only their own experiences, but also if another student told you, or you suspected, that they may have been sexually assaulted in a university context. So the data will include not just hearsay evidencesay, something you read in a student newsletterbut students own assumptions about what might have happened to another person. It is even more alarming that this exercise is being sponsored by Universities Australia, the peak higher education body, which clearly endorses this blatant attempt to provide a funding boost for the mighty industry now supporting the kangaroo courts. But worse is the impact on students themselves, with young women encouraged to regard any awkward sexual experience as harassment or assault and their partners as dangerous sexual predators. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Britain's Health Secretary Sajid Javid holds a face mask, as he leaves the Downing Street in London, Britain, on June 30, 2021. (Henry Nicholls/Reuters) Mask-Wearing Personal Judgment for MPs, Downing Street Says Downing Street said its currently a matter of personal judgment whether people wear masks or not after Health Secretary Sajid Javid suggested lawmakers should set examples. When asked on Thursday about Javids remarks made during a televised briefing the evening before, Prime Minister Boris Johnsons spokesman said it remains the case that its a matter of personal judgment for all individuals on wearing a mask. We have very clear guidance which sets out that people are recommended to wear face coverings in crowded, enclosed spaces where they come into contact with people they do not normally meet, the spokesman said. He also said he had not discussed the issue with Johnson since Javid made the remarks. The health secretary told the nation on Wednesday that ministers didnt think it was time to deploy plan B in the governments COVID-19 winter plan, which includes mask mandates in certain settings and vaccine passports. But he also said more restrictions will more likely be reintroduced if people dont follow the advice in the governments guidelines, including wearing masks when they really should, in a really crowded place with lots of people that they dont normally hang out with. When a reporter suggested there were double standards between politicians and the others, saying nobody on the Conservative side was wearing a mask on the House of Commons chamber, the Health Secretary said it was a very fair point. Javid said the politicians have a role to play to set an example as private individuals, adding Im sure a lot of people would have heard youan apparent shift from his previous position. Questioned about the same thing on Sept. 15, the health secretary said its perfectly consistent with government guidelines to not wear face coverings in Parliament and offices, as MPs colleagues are not people [they] do not normally meet. Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the House of Commons, told MPs on Thursdays that There is no advice to wear face masks in workplaces. Asked to comment on Javids remarks, the Conservative MP told his colleagues that the advice on crowded spaces is with crowded spaces with people that you dont know. We on this side know each other. A visible divide in lawmakers attitudes towards mask-wearing has been clear ever since a full-capacity House of Commons convened for the first time in 18 months on Aug. 18when MPs were recalled from their summer recess to discuss the urgent situation in Afghanistan. The opposition side of the chamber was often filled with mostly masked MPs, with a few exceptions, while unmasked MPs were the majority on the Conservative side. There are dozens of circumstantial studies suggesting that masks work to stem the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, although there has been just one randomized-control trial during the pandemic, carried out in Denmark. The researchers found that wearing a surgical mask when outside the home among others did not reduce, at conventional levels of statistical significance, incident SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with no mask recommendation. Following the health secretarys remarks, most Conservative MPs chose to wear masks in the Commons on Thursday. Tom Ozimek contributed to this report. Chicago firefighters walk under tape at the scene of a fire that killed at least 8 people, including 6 children, in the 2200 block of South Sacramento Ave. on Aug. 26, 2018, in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) More Than 130 Chicago City Workers File Lawsuit Against COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate More than 130 Chicago city workers, consisting of firefighters, health care workers, and other first responders, filed a lawsuit against the citys COVID-19 vaccine mandate, arguing the order is unconstitutional. The lawsuit was filed in Chicagos federal court, pushing back against Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzkers mandate that health care workers and other state employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The legal move also contrasts the order by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot that required all city workers to report their vaccination status earlier in October. The lawsuit claimed the state and city mandates are government overreach and are, as a result, null and void. The city worker deadline to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination status was Oct. 15. Lightfoot said the policy is about ensuring a safe workplace, but fundamentally, its about saving lives. The mayor also thanked city workers who met the deadline. In a post on Oct. 18 on Twitter, Lightfoot announced 79 percent of city workers had confirmed their vaccination status, while 84 percent of those reporting were fully vaccinated. The lawyer representing the city workers has petitioned the court for a temporary restraining order that would block enforcement of the mandates to keep workers from being suspended or fired while the pending legal matter continues. The legal action comes as 21 officers with the Chicago Police Department have been placed on leave without pay for refusing to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status, as required by a city mandate, according to an official. Chicago Police Superintendent David O. Brown confirmed the figure during a press conference on Tuesday, a day after Lightfoot said that a very small number of officers had been put on no-pay status for refusing to comply with the mandate after being given several opportunities to do so. Brown told reporters that 67.7 percent of the departments 12,770 employees had so far complied with a city requirement to report their COVID-19 vaccination status. The department has the lowest compliance rate with the citys mandate of any city department, the Chicago Sun Times reported. This process has been obviously very emotional, Brown said on Tuesday. We have given them the time and given them the explanation as best we can on the serious nature of violating the vaccine mandate. Brown said that the 21 officers still have the option to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status. Isabel van Brugen contributed to this report. Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses on the occasion of the Day of the National Guard Troops, in Moscow, on March 27, 2021.(Photo by Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) Moscow Imposes 4-Month Stay-at-Home Order for Unvaccinated Seniors, Chronically Ill Moscow on Tuesday ordered its unvaccinated seniors and those with chronic illnesses to stay at home for four months as part of a wave of new restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. Beginning on Oct. 25, those over 60 and those with chronic diseases who are unvaccinated in the Russian capital must remain at home until Feb. 25, 2022, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced. The Moscow city government also instructed businesses to have at least 30 percent of staff work from home. Dubbed a home regime, the mayor wrote on his website that it will not apply to those who have been infected with COVID-19 in the past six months, or those who are fully vaccinated. Those whom the order applies to must remain in their place of permanent residence, the mayor said. Walks and outdoor exercise will be allowed, and those who are working will be entitled to sick leave. The mayor noted that the requirement does not apply to employees whose presence at work is critical. The moves reflect a growing sense of urgency from the authorities as they confront fast-rising cases and widespread public reluctance to get injected with the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine. The number of people hospitalized with a severe form of the disease is increasing every day, Sobyanin wrote. The most alarming thing is the situation with COVID infection among the older generation, he added, saying over-60s accounted for 60 percent of patients, nearly 80 percent of people on ventilators, and 86 percent of deaths. About 30 percent of the Russian population is fully vaccinated, despite the wide availability of the Sputnik V vaccine, which has even been exported for use in other countries. On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a proposal from the government to declare Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 non-working days across the country, as part of efforts to slow transmission of the virus. The epidemiological situation is developing differently in each region, Putin said during a televised meeting with government officials. In light of this, the heads of regions are given the right to impose additional measures. Putin said people would continue to receive salaries during those days. He also noted that the non-working days could begin earlier or be extended for certain regions. Russia on Tuesday reported a jump in CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus-related deaths. Reuters contributed to this report. Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on June 21, 2021. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) National Party Demands Plan Before Agreeing To Zero Emissions As Australia approaches adopting a net zero emissions target, Deputy Premier and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has urged the prime minister to address critical concerns on how the move should be achieved without undermining the nations economy. All eyes have settled on the resource-rich country ahead of the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference, where it is expected Prime Minister Scott Morrison will overturn Australias stance of being one of the only nations without a hard net zero emissions target. Joyce handed Morrison a set of requirements on Thursday, which were deemed by the National Party to be critical prior to settling on the policy. Joyce and other Nationals members had previously raised concerns that legislating a net zero target without concrete planning could profoundly impact industry and energy security. Workers leave Hazelwood Power Station after their final shift in Hazelwood, Australia, on Mar. 31, 2017. Around 750 workers were left jobless after the plant was closed. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images) Morrison told reporters the decision would be made early next week before attending the climate conference in Glasgow, beginning on Oct. 31. I expect to see some further information today, and well work through that and determine what well take forward to cabinet next week, Morrison said. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg reassured that the decision would not sacrifice Australias industries. Its not a binary choice between a strong economy and a lower-emissions future. We can have both. Thats our plan, Frydenberg told Sky News. While Joyce had earlier conceded the decision would ultimately be at the discretion of Morrison, Nationals members warned that refusing to adhere to the advice would spell discord within the coalition. Australia Grapples Over Net Zero Policy Opinion across Australia has been divided on the legislation of a net zero target, with Australias production of just over 1 percent of the worlds carbon dioxide inciting worry that efforts of cutting emissions will have no impact on climate. This comes in contrast to China, whose president, Xi Jinping, has yet to confirm his attendance at the climate conference despite the communist-ruled nation producing 27 percent of the worlds carbon dioxide. Nationals Senator Matt Canavan said that Australias, and other democratic countries, transition to net zero would directly weaken them against a growing threat from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)with China itself continuing to commission new coal-fired power generation for use until 2040. Canavan also said the transition to net zero could also severely undermine regional jobs and industry, with net zero requiring the offset of emissions produced from hard-to-abate industries. Nationals Senator Matthew Canavan at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Jun. 22, 2021. (AAP/Mick Tsikas) This means people who build mines, grow food or construct an airstrip will have to pay other people to plant trees or do something else to offset their emissions, Canavan wrote in an article. And that is why it hurts regional Australia more than anywhere else. To grow our country towns, we need people to build dams, mines and airports. Compared to the cities, who already have these things, we will be at a permanent disadvantage. Canavan also criticised the growing dependence on hydrogen as an emissions-free form of energy, given the technology has not been adequately developed for commercial use. Meanwhile, Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie pointed to a misunderstanding in net zero proponents push to create tens of thousands of jobs in the renewable energy industry. The reality is though that once they have been constructed, there isnt long-term, ongoing careers in those renewable energy generation spaces at the moment, she told the ABC. However, the Australian climate change communications organisation, the Climate Council, has continued to lobby for accelerated emissions reduction efforts from the government in light of a recent report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). On Thursday, the Climate Council released its report tracking Australias record and commitments for climate change against developed countries, finding that Australia is the worst performing when it comes to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and moving beyond fossil fuels. The report found that emissions in heavy emitting sectors grew, with electricity emissions increasing by around a third since 1990 and transport emissions growing by more than half. The Climate Council had already called upon the government last month to adhere to suggestions presented in the IPCC report amid calls from the public, businesses, and other government members. Protesters take part in the School Strike 4 Climate rally in Melbourne, Australia, on May 21, 2021. (Graham Denholm/Getty Images) The science is clear that the world urgently needs to reduce emissions this decade, but none of Australias commitments are a meaningful contribution to this goal, said Will Steffen, Climate Council spokesperson and Emeritus Professor at Australian National University. We are now one of the only advanced economies that havent yet taken these essential steps to reducing emissions. Steffen also suggested Australia should instead follow the lead of the United States and other nations in reducing emissions. The United States has pledged billions in new climate financing for developing nations, and China announced it will stop financing international coal power stations. This sets the tone for whats expected of all countries in the lead up to the next major U.N. climate talks, Steffen said. The Climate Council also says that the science demands Australia fast track climate change efforts and instead reduce emissions by 75 percent (below 2005 levels) by 2030 and reach net zero by 2035. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a NATO Foreign Ministers video meeting following developments in Afghanistan at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Aug. 20, 2021. (Francisco Seco/AFP via Getty Images) NATO Agrees on Plan to Caution Russia Against Increasing Hostilities NATO agreed on a new master plan on Thursday to deter Russian advances on multiple fronts amidst a new low in the relationship following the ouster of NATO-accredited Moscow envoys and reduction in the number of Russian positions within the alliance. The confidential strategy, Concept for Deterrence and Defence in the Euro-Atlantic Area, aims to prepare NATO members for attacks from the Baltic and Black Sea regions. The plan has incorporated measures for nuclear, space, and cyber attacks. As for cyber warfare, the meeting concluded with $1 billion in seed funding for developing digital technologies. We continue to strengthen our alliance with better and modernised plans, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said following the Thursday meeting. The defense ministers are in Brussels for the two-day event before the NATO summit next June. NATO diplomats say such measures do not imply that there is an upcoming Russian attack. This is the way of deterrence, German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said of the master plan, according to Reuters. And this is being adapted to the current behaviour of Russiaand we are seeing violations particularly of the airspace over the Baltic states, but also increasing incursions over the Black Sea, she told German radio Deutschlandfunk. Even as Moscow complains about NATO destabilizing Europe through such initiatives, Russia has been holding military drills and amassing almost 100,000 troops near Ukraine borders, sending military aircraft that intrudes into NATO airspace, and developing nuclear-capable missiles. Alongside ally Belarus, Russia has deployed combat robots in extensive military drills in September that have not gone well with the Baltic countries. Russia is also developing super weapons, including nuclear-capable hypersonic cruise missiles that the United States has no defense against, reported rfe/rl. The relationship with NATO had soured after Russian forces annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula back in 2014. Earlier in the month, NATO expelled eight Russian envoys who were suspected to be intelligence officers. This was combined with halving of the number of seats from 20 to 10 given to Moscow in Brussels headquarters in response to suspected malign Russian activities, including killings and espionage, a NATO official said, Sky News reported. In retaliation, Moscow announced that its mission to NATO would be ending. The assumption up until now has been that Russia is a nuisance but not an imminent threat. But the Russians are doing some worrying things. Theyre practising with robotics, and hypersonic cruise missiles could be very disruptive indeed, Jamie Shea, a former senior NATO official, said to Reuters. NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the Banquet Hall in Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Oct. 22, 2021. (Robert Kitchin- Pool/Getty Images) New Zealand Sets Ambitious 90 Percent Vaccination Target The New Zealand government has announced an ambitious 90 percent vaccination target for its population. On Oct. 22, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed the new COVID-19 Protection Framework that will take over the current Alert Level system that has kept the country under tight lockdown for the last few months. Ardern said residents in NZs most populous city, Auckland, will begin receiving freedoms and transitioning to the new framework once 90 percent of all individuals12 years or overacross the citys three district health boards (DHBs) are fully vaccinated. NZ has divided its country into 20 DHBs to monitor progress with its vaccination targets. Residents outside of Auckland will need to need to wait until all other DHBs reach the 90 percent threshold before they can transition to the new system. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern introduces a new traffic light system when dealing with Covid-19 onwards the Banquet Hall in Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Oct. 22, 2021. (Robert Kitchin- Pool/Getty Images) The governments framework (pdf) includes a traffic light system with green, orange, and red levels that will outline what restrictionsincluding vaccine passports and social distancingindividuals and businesses must follow. These new requirements are a strong incentive for those who still havent had their first dose to do so quickly. The choice is clear for anyone who wants to go to a bar, restaurant, gym, or to attend gatherings, Ardern said in a press release on Oct. 22. The framework maintains the ability to move up levels when needed to control an outbreak but is more flexible than the current alert level system, she added. If you are still unvaccinated, not only will you be more at risk of catching COVID-19, but many of the freedoms others enjoy will be out of reach. No one wants that to happen, but we need to minimise the threat of the virus, which is now mainly spreading amongst unvaccinated people. The prime minister also promised NZD$940 million per fortnight to assist businesses and NZD$120 million to accelerate Maori vaccination rates. New Zealands target is higher than other parts of the world, including Australias New South Wales, which began opening most of the state at the 80 percent mark. However, Ardern believed Auckland could hit the 90 percent target within weeks. NZ Opposition leader Judith Collins said the governments targets would be difficult to achieve and would condemn every Kiwi to months of more lockdowns and uncertainty. Its great we now have 86 percent of Kiwis who have had at least one dose. But the reality is this last four percent will be the hardest to achieve. Then to achieve this in every DHB in New Zealand could take months, she wrote on Twitter. Nationals plan is clear: at 85 percent full vaccination or by Dec. 1, whichever comes first, we reopen our economy again both domestically and internationally. This pathway is a safe way forward if NZ invests in vaccine certificates, rapid antigen testing, and contact tracing, she said. This aerial view shows the P4 laboratory (C) on the campus of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in China's central Hubei Province on May 27, 2020. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) Newly Released Documents Show NIH Funded Gain-of-Function Research in China: Experts The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded research in China that created a more potent form of a bat coronavirus, according to newly disclosed documents. An experiment conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, situated near where the first cases of COVID-19 were reported, compared mice infected with the original bat coronavirus to mice infected with a modified strain created by researchers, according to the documents. The mice infected with the modified version became sicker than those infected with the original version, Lawrence Tabak, the principal deputy director at the NIH, told lawmakers in letters (pdf) on Oct. 20. The limited experiment was aimed at seeing if spike proteins from naturally occurring bat coronaviruses circulating in China were capable of binding to the human ACE2 receptor in a mouse model, Tabak wrote, adding that the unexpected result was not something that the researchers set out to do. Whether intended or not, the research fits the definition of gain-of-function, some experts say. The genetic manipulation of both MERS and the SARS conducted in Wuhan clearly constituted gain-of-function experiments, Jonathan Latham, executive director of The Bioscience Research Project, told The Epoch Times in an email. Further, it is absurd of NIH to describe the enhanced viral pathogenicity that was observed in the experiments they funded as unexpected, when clearly these experiments were expressly designed to detect increased pathogenicity. Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist with Rutgers University, wrote on Twitter that the NIH corrects untruthful assertions by NIH Director Collins and NIAID Director Fauci that NIH had not funded gain-of-function research in Wuhan. The newly released documents primarily consist of the fifth and final progress report (pdf) for the series of grants. The report was submitted on Aug. 3, more than two years after the research concluded. EcoHealths final report also contained a description of experimenting on clones of MERS-CoV, a virus that caused an outbreak in the Middle East in 2012 and has a mortality rate of approximately 35 percent, according to the World Health Organization. The scientists said they used a similar reverse genetics strategy that they utilized in studies of the bat coronaviruses and, after constructing a full-length infectious clone of MERS-CoV, they replaced the receptor-binding domain of the virus with domains from various strains of coronaviruses identified in bats from southern China. Jack Nunberg, a virologist and director of the Montana Biotechnology Center at the University of Montana, told The Epoch Times in an email that both viruses use the same receptor protein. By keeping to the same receptor protein, Id label the experiment overly risky (due to the pathogenic backbone and their previous findings of increased virulence in some chimeras) but not blatantly gain-of-function, he said. Both Dr. Francis Collins, the outgoing director of the NIH, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, who heads the agencys National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), have denied the agency has funded gain-of-function research in China. Neither NIH nor NIAID have ever approved any grant that would have supported gain-of-function research on coronaviruses that would have increased their transmissibility or lethality for humans, Collins said in a May statement. The term generally refers to any research that increases the pathogenicity or transmissibility of a biological agent like a virus. The research in question was funded through millions of dollars of grants from the NIH to EcoHealth Alliance, which then funneled money to the lab in Wuhan. The NIH has repeatedly declined to make public the documents concerning the research, only disclosing many after being sued or pressured by members of Congress. Thanks to the hard work of the Oversight Committee Republicans, we now know that American taxpayer dollars funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, told The Epoch Times in an email. The documents were sent to Comer and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the top GOP member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The NIH says a review of EcoHealths research plan before it allocated the funding determined it didnt fit the definition of research involving enhanced pathogens of pandemic potential because the bat coronaviruses had not been shown to infect humans. However, out of an abundance of caution, language in the terms and conditions of the grant award stated that a secondary review would be triggered by multiple scenarios, including EcoHealth reporting a one log, or 10-time increase, in growth. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, appears before a Senate hearing to discuss vaccines, in Washington, on Sept. 9, 2020. (Michael Reynolds/Pool/Getty Images) This means EcoHealth should have reported if any of the viruses being tested turned out to grow 10 times faster or more than the control virus would without their new spike proteins, an NIH spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. EcoHealth failed to abide by conditions of the grant, Tabak said, and was notified that it had five days from Oct. 20 to submit to NIH all unpublished data from the experiments and work conducted under the award. Presented with the accusation by some that the new documents show Fauci and Collins lied to Congress, the NIH spokesperson said that the allegation is incorrect. The challenge appears to revolve around different definitions of gain-of-function research. The NIH has defined it as research that is reasonably anticipated to confer attributes to viruses such that the resulting virus has enhanced pathogenicity and/or transmissibility (via the respiratory route) in mammals. Its parent office, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), defines enhanced potential pandemic pathogens in a framework (pdf) as a highly transmissible and highly virulent pathogen that is enhanced through research. While the findings of this limited experiment in mice were somewhat unexpected, NIAID reviewed the progress report and has determined that the research described in the progress report would not have triggered a review under the HHS P3CO Framework, because the bat coronaviruses used in this research have not been shown to infect humans and the experiments were not reasonably expected to increase transmissibility or virulence in humans, the spokesperson said. The grant is suspended while the NIH conducts a review that includes working with EcoHealth to get more information about its noncompliance. EcoHealth hasnt responded to requests for comment, including questions sent last month after another set of documents, detailing other work the nonprofit funded with U.S. taxpayer money, were made public. The fresh disclosures add to the concern about government transparency, Gary Ruskin, executive director of U.S. Right to Know, told The Epoch Times in an email. It has been obvious for decades that our federal government is not transparent enough, that there is not nearly enough congressional oversight, and that the Freedom of Information Act badly needs strengthening. We citizens need better transparency tools to uncover all sorts of corruption, mismanagement, waste, fraud, abuse of power, and impending disasters, he said, adding that NIH, in particular, has an abysmal track record of being transparent. Even if the research EcoHealth conducted under the National Institutes of Health grant does not precisely fit the definition of gain-of-function, which is for scientists and not policy analysts to decide, government transparency certainly required the NIH to reveal this information at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. At this point, it is obvious that the NIH and other government health agencies require reform and far more intensive oversight by Congress, and in some cases outright abolition, said S.T. Karnick, publications director at The Heartland Institute. Jeff Carlson contributed to this report. White House press secretary Jen Psaki talks to reporters in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, on Oct. 22, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) No Shift in US Policy on Taiwan, Psaki Says After Biden Committed to Defending the Island White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Oct. 22 there has been no shift in Washingtons stance toward Taiwan after President Joe Biden indicated the United States had a commitment to defend the self-ruled island if Beijing were to attack. On Thursday evening , Biden told a CNN town hall event that the United States was committed to protecting Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, stirring questions about whether Washington was moving away from its longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity. Under the policy, the United States maintains working ties with Taiwan and provides arms to ensure the island can adequately defend itself, but is deliberately vague on the question of whether it would come to Taiwans defense. Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory to be taken by force, if necessary. China knows we have the most powerful military in history of the world, Biden responded when an audience posed a question about Beijings testing of hypersonic missiles and Taiwan. I dont want a cold war with China, I just want China to understand that we are not going to step back and we are not going to change any of our views. President Joe Biden participates in a CNN town hall at Baltimore Center Stage in Baltimore, Md., on Oct. 21, 2021. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Yes, we have a commitment to do that, Biden said when asked again by the host about whether the US would come to the islands defense if China attacked. Asked on Friday about Bidens unambiguous answer on the issue, Psaki maintained that the U.S. relationship with Taiwan has not changed. Biden was not intending to convey a change in policy, nor has he made a decision to change our policy, she said at a press conference. The U.S. defense relationship with Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, which includes assisting Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability, she said. Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team flies over President Office during National Day celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan on Oct. 10, 2021. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo) She added that another principle is that U.S. will regard any effort to determine the future of Taiwan other than peaceful means a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific and a grave concern to the United States. Worries about an invasion from China surged in October, after the regime, over a four-day period, sent some 149 warplanes to Taiwans air defense zone in a record show of military might. Earlier on Friday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin restated the administrations support for Taiwan, although he stopped short of saying whether the U.S. military will step in to defend the island. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin looks on at the start of the round table during the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence in Brussels, on Oct. 21, 2021. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images) You know, nobody wants to see cross-straits issues come to blows. And certainly not President Biden, and theres no reason that it should, he told reporters in Brussels. As weve done over multiple administrations, we will continue to help Taiwan with the sorts of capabilities that it needs to defend itself, he said, adding that he wont engage in any hypotheticals with respect to Taiwan. Chinas foreign ministry has responded angrily to Bidens remarks, telling the United States to be prudent with its words and actions on the Taiwan question lest it should seriously damage China-US relations. Taiwan on Friday welcomed comments from Biden, saying the administration has continued to demonstrate rock-solid support for the island. Taiwans position remains the same, which is to never cave in to pressure nor to rashly advance upon receiving support, the presidential offices spokesperson Xavier Chang said, vowing that Taiwan will defend itself and continue to work with countries with similar values to make a positive contribution toward the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific regions peace and stability. The U.S.S. Virginia returns to the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton Conn., after its first sea trials on July 30, 2004. (Jack Sauer/AP Photo) Nuclear Engineer and Wife Plead Not Guilty to Trying to Sell Restricted Navy Data to Foreign Government A U.S. Navy nuclear engineer and his wife pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to national security charges after they were accused of attempting to sell Navy secrets to a foreign government. Jonathan, 42, and Diana Toebbe, 45, from Annapolis, Maryland, appeared in separate hearings at Martinsburg federal court in West Virginia on Wednesday, a day after the Department of Justice announced indictments for conspiracy to communicate restricted data and two counts of communication of restricted data. Both of them pleaded not guilty. They face up to life in prison if convicted. Jonathan Toebbe waived his right to a detention hearing and was ordered to remain in custody pending trial. The couple was arrested by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) on Oct. 9, following a sting operation. Tuesdays indictment alleges that for almost an entire year, both Jonathan and his wife sold information known as restricted data concerning the design of nuclear-powered warships to a person they believed was a representative of a foreign power. However, the so-called representative was actually an undercover FBI agent. Prior to this, the Toebbes had been charged in a criminal complaint alleging violations of the Atomic Energy Act. Jonathan was employed in the Navy where he served as a nuclear engineer and was assigned to the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, also known as Naval Reactors. He held an active national security clearance through the U.S. Department of Defense, which granted him to access restricted data, including information concerning nuclear programs such as sensitive design elements, operating parameters, and performance characteristics of the reactors for nuclear-powered warships. The indictment alleges that on April 1, 2020, Jonathan Toebbe sent a package to a foreign government, listing a return address in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which contained a sample of restricted date along with instructions on how to establish a way to purchase further restricted date. However, the package intended for a foreign entity was instead picked up by an FBI agent, NPR reports, citing court documents, which reference the country as COUNTRY1. The package contained U.S. Navy documents, a letter containing instructions, and an SD card containing specific instructions on how COUNTRY1 should respond using an encrypted communication platform, and additional documents, investigators said in a court filing. I apologize for this poor translation into your language. Please forward this letter to your military intelligence agency, the letter, handed over to the FBI, stated. I believe this information will be of great value to your nation. This is not a hoax. Tuesdays indictment goes on to allege that after sending the package, Jonathan began corresponding with the person he believed was a representative of a foreign power using an encrypted email. The email correspondence continued for several months until it was eventually agreed that he would sell the restricted data for thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency. In this courtroom sketch, former U.S. Navy engineer Jonathan Toebbe appears for his first court hearing on charges that he and his wife Diana attempted to sell secrets about nuclear submarines to a foreign power in exchange for cryptocurrency, is seen in Martinsburg, West Virginia, on Oct. 12, 2021. (Bill Hennessey/Reuters) Diana Toebbe appears in this courtroom sketch for her first court hearing on charges that she and her husband, former U.S. Navy engineer Jonathan Toebbe, attempted to sell secrets about nuclear submarines to a foreign power in exchange for cryptocurrency, at a courthouse in Martinsburg, West Virginia, on Oct. 12, 2021. (Bill Hennessey/Reuters) In June, the undercover agent sent $10,000 in cryptocurrency to Jonathan Toebbe as good faith payment and in that same month, Jonathan and his wife traveled to West Virginia where they proceeded to place an SD card concealed within a peanut butter sandwich at an arranged drop-off location. Diana allegedly served as a lookout during the drop-off. The undercover agent retrieved the SD card and sent the couple a further $20,000 cryptocurrency payment. The couple then emailed the undercover agent a decryption key for the SD Card. Officials reviewed the SD card and discovered it contained restricted data relating to submarine nuclear reactors. Months later in August, the couple dropped another SD card into a drop-off location, this time concealing it inside of a chewing gum package. They received another $70,000 in cryptocurrency from the FBI agent, who was again sent a decryption key for the card. That SD card also contained restricted data relating to submarine nuclear reactors. The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) arrested Jonathan and Diana Toebbe on Oct. 9, after he placed yet another SD card at a second pre-arranged location point in West Virginia. Lawyers for Diana on Wednesday argued that she was unaware or had little knowledge that her husband had been stealing classified information from the navy and attempting to sell it to a foreign country. Special Agent Peter Olinits said that the FBI has not been able to find the $100,000 in cryptocurrency that it gave the defendants as part of the sting operation, NPR reports. The government has also not yet located the 50 packets containing classified information about the nuclear submarines that Jonathan said he had taken from the Navy. One of her lawyers, Edward MacMahon argued she should be released on bail with conditions such as location monitoring, which would allow her to care for her two young childrenwhich she shares with Jonathanwhile legal proceedings are active. Prosecutors argue that she is a flight risk and may be able to access the missing $100,000 and 5,000 pages of classified nuclear sub information which she could then sell to another country. The couple remains in federal custody pending trial. NYC Police Unions Say They Will Take Legal Action to Oppose Vaccine Mandate for City Workers After Mayor Bill de Blasios announcement of a vaccine mandate for city workers, police union heads say they will take legal actions to oppose the mandate and protect the rights of their employees. On Wednesday, de Blasio said any city worker who is not vaccinated with at least the first dose of the vaccine by 5 p.m. on Oct. 29 will be put on unpaid leave, prompting police unions to fight back. Police Benevolent Association President Patrick J. Lynch said in a statement Thursday that his organization will go to court to protect his employees right to make their own medical decisions. From the beginning of the de Blasio administrations haphazard vaccine rollout, we have fought to make the vaccine available to every member who chooses it, while also protecting their right to make that personal medical decision in consultation with their own doctor. Now that the city has moved to unilaterally impose a mandate, we will proceed with legal action to protect our members rights, said Lynch. Meanwhile, de Blasio said the mandate is a way out of the pandemic after having tried various financial incentives to get all workers vaccinated. Detectives Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo told a local Fox News station on Wednesday that about 70 percent of his workforce is vaccinated and some have antibodies from recovering from the virus, and that his organization will also take legal action to protect those who do not want to get the vaccine. We will go into court to fight for their rights, and we will go into the Office of Collective Bargaining to try and negotiate some sort of settlement. But there are some people in this organization that are very against this vaccine, and we have to protect those rights, as well as the rights of the people that want the vaccine, said DiGiacomo. One of New York states congressional delegates Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, told Fox News on Friday that the decision by de Blasio is going to have a negative impact on the already escalating crime rate. U.S. House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) speaks during a news conference at the U.S Capitol in Washington on June 15, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Its just another example of New York City spiraling out of control with the failed leadership from Mayor de Blasio, particularly after two years when weve seen skyrocketing crime numbers in New York City, the fact that hes instituting this mandate for law enforcement officers, for city workers, its going to have a hugely negative impact both on the way of life in New York City but also on the safety and security in New York City, said Stefanik. Mayor de Blasio said Thursday that the mandate has been set and he hopes police officers will comply with the safety measure. We are requiring them to get the vaccine, and were saying get vaccinated or you go on leave without pay. And I hope no one ends up on leave without pay, but I think thats a pretty clear line in the sand, de Blasio said at a Thursday press briefing. NYC Test and Trace Corps Executive Director Ted Long told reporters the mandate is an effort to prevent more deaths. What I tell my patients is the bottom line is that 98 percent of the people that have been in the hospital have been unvaccinated compared to only 2 percent having been vaccinated. And we know from the CDC that if you get vaccinated, you now have 11-fold protection from dying from COVID, said Long. When asked if the city was prepared for a shortage of first responders, the mayor said there are plans in place to deal with that event. But we have contingency plans in place using overtime and using other capacities to make sure we can keep the service going. And thats what we prepared for, and we feel confident in those plans, de Blasio told reporters. An aerial drone view of traffic in Carson, Calif., on April 18, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Officials Expect Carson Odor to Linger Into Weekend Carson residents expressed frustration as city officials said the foul odor emanating throughout the city for nearly four weeks may extend to the weekend. Residents began to see a glimmer of hope after LA County Public Works Director (DPW) Mark Pestrella said earlier this week that he expected to see a significant change in the air quality throughout the week as the DPW conducted several treatments in the channel. Those hopes were dashed, however, when DPW officials revised the timeline, saying the smell would likely linger into the weekend. Pestrella said previously that the stench was likely caused by a hydrogen sulfide release from decaying vegetation in the Dominguez Channel. Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes said earlier this week that the smell may have been exacerbated by bacteria feeding on decaying pallets and cardboard dumped in the channel after a nearby Prologis warehouse that stored alcohol hand wipes caught fire on Sept. 30. A DPW spokesperson told the Epoch Times that the department is conducting quite a few efforts to remedy this situation and bring relief to residents. On Oct. 15, the DPW began spraying the channel with a biodegradable neutralizer to diminish the smell. This week, the DPW also drained some of the water out of the channel and pumped in oxygen-fortified water in an attempt to dissolve the hydrogen sulfide. Despite these efforts, public health officials warned residents on Oct. 19 to avoid prolonged outdoor activities between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. Earlier this month, the city began relocating some residents to hotel rooms; it also offered to reimburse residents for air filters purchased to combat the smell in their homes. The deadline for the reimbursement program was supposed to end on Oct. 21; however, the deadline has since been extended one more week. Dr. Sharma Henderson, a Carson resident who relocated to a hotel, said on Oct. 20 that the city extended residents hotel stays by a week. Henderson is also a candidate for Carson City Council District 4. Henderson said she was frustrated with the citys lack of protocol for public health concerns. Its a multifaceted issue, Henderson said. Theres also the matter of the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the channel, which clearly has been neglected for so long. Henderson said she was livid when she heard the mayor tell a news station, Ive been here for 40 years and they get the smell every now and then but it never lasts long. Im like okay, so if it happens at all why wasnt there any type of attention brought to that issue? Henderson said. Some residents also reported brown, smelly water coming through their faucets and bathtubs. However, the city said in a statement that there is no connection between the Dominguez channel smell and sewer lines, saying that the most recent test results confirmed no elevated levels of odor in the water. Los Angeles County Sewer Management District (SMD) maintains the sewer lines, the statement said. Sewer lines have no connection to the Dominguez Channel or the odor incident. SMD recently performed a mainline cleanout and found no blockage. Chinese leader Xi Jinping applauds during the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 4, 2021. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) 1-Man Rule Drives Chinas Growing Instability Amid rising domestic and international failures, Xi Jinping faces growing pressure against his rule Commentary In Xi Jinpings comprehensive dictatorship in China, is the world witnessing the emergence of Mao Zedong 2.0? It certainly appears so. Recall that Mao was the founder of communist China, and his rule was marked by failed economic policies, social oppression and chaos, communist party purges, and famines and death on an industrial scale. This was the reality from the revolution in 1949 through the Cultural Revolution he waged from 1966 until his death in 1976. The post-Mao Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wisely concluded that one-man rule wasnt a good idea. From 1976 to 2012, China was ruled by a committee with a rotating leadership, which, by design, was deliberative and mostly cautious, though still oppressive. Then, in March 2013, Xi triumphed over powerful Party members Bo Xilai and Sun Zhengcaiboth now imprisonedas well as other formidable contenders, to become premier. In 2018, Xi was able to change the constitution and become Chinas dictator-for-life. Its no coincidence that Xi is a big admirer of Mao and believes that Maos vision of the Party structure was the right one. That doesnt bode well for Chinaor the world. The Personalization of Policy Like Mao in the mid-20th century, Xi has personalized his rule over China by assuming control over virtually every aspect of the country. Thats incredibly dangerous. Policies that were once made by committee and consensus across the entire state apparatus are now largely determined by one person. No human being can possibly make the right decisions consistently across all bureaucratic disciplinesfrom internal security to national security, financial and farming policies, foreign policy, industrial policy, and all the rest. One of the fundamental aspects of one-man rule is that everything becomes personal. Every policy decision, every political statement, every success, andmost worrisomeevery failure redounds back to the man at the top. At least, it should. But one-man rule tends to grow unstable and capricious over time, as decision-making expertise, insights, and checks and balances are stifled, and contradictory viewpoints are viewed as treason. The primary objective of one-man rule soon becomes holding on to power at any and all costs, not the development and betterment of the nation or even the Party. Grave Mistakes Are Being Made Such dictatorships leave ample room for grave mistakes, and Xi is making plenty of them. Just a couple of recent examples include halting the importation of Australian coal, upon which Chinas power grid and manufacturing sector rely heavily. The aim was to punish Australia for demanding an explanation regarding the origins of the CCP virus and joining the alliance with the UK and the United States. Coal is unloaded onto large piles at the Ulan Coal mines near the rural New South Wales town of Mudgee, Australia, on March 8, 2018. (David Gray/Reuters) The results have backfired on the Chinese people and the economy, leading to rolling power outages across major cities, as well as factory stoppages. This has caused a slowdown in both the export economy and domestic consumption, as well as water shortages. Falling gross domestic product figures (as inflated as they most certainly are) and plunging consumer sentiment have resulted in rising personal savings rates and less domestic consumption. The collapsing real estate sector is also a direct result of Xis governance over the past eight years. Millions of citizens have lost substantial sums of money or even their life savings in Chinas unraveling real estate market. Essentially, Xis mistakes have led to slowdowns in the two main engines of growth in the Chinese economy, leading to enormous pressures within the CCP and in the country as a whole. No Correction Mechanism But dictatorships have no correction mechanism. Any correction would imply that Xi is fallible and that his failures are hurting the country. Which Party member will dare to criticize Xi for his failures? Hes surrounded by yes-men. Only those who wish to be stripped of their wealth or sent to prisonor worsewould do so. This fear-borne groupthink dynamic only leads to more failures and more denials of reality. The endemic corruption and graft that saturates Chinas financial system are viewed as the problembut Xi knows of no other way to run the country. Under the dictatorship of Xi, every member of the CCP knows that holding on to power in China demands ruling by brutality and fear. The heads of critics must roll, no matter how rich, politically connected, or famous (for example, Jack Ma of Alibaba) they may be. Jack Ma, chief executive of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, speaks during his visit at the Vivatech startups and innovation fair in Paris on May 16, 2019. (Philippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images) The truth of a mistake or the condition of the country must either be hidden or deflected from the absolute ruler and reassigned to somebody else. And as Bo Xilai can tell you, that somebody must be severely punished for their sins. Fueling Nationalism and War? But worse, as internal failures continue to mount, so, too, do the chances for an external event, such as an invasion into Taiwan or an attack on foreign naval forces. Unlike Mao, who conjured up domestic enemies to help him hold on to power, Xi now has the West and Taiwan to blame. An external threat, real or imagined, may become necessary in order to divert peoples attention from the countrys problems. It also sparks the fires of nationalism and anti-U.S. or anti-Western feelings. Such an event certainly could, and likely would lead to a wider conflict. Its important to understand that Xi isnt plowing any new ground as the dictator of China, nor is his kind of rule even rare. The second decade of the 20th century saw many dictators emerge in major industrialized nations. Hitler is the obvious one, but there were also Mussolini in Italy, Stalin in Soviet Russia, and Tojo in Japan. Just as importantly, the political labels that each of these monsters used made absolutely zero difference in their actions. All of them committed heinous crimes against their own people, minorities, and those of other nations on their way to ushering in the start of World War II. Sadly, a century later, were seeing a similar scenario play out in the world today. Even George Soros sees the danger that Xi poses to the world. But like many dictators before him, it seems likely that regardless of the consequences, Xi will do whatever it takes to maintain his grip on absolute power. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Puppies play in a cage at a pet store in a file photo. After COVID-19 stay-at-home orders went into effect in the spring of 2020, the addition of a furry family member became a hot commodity. (Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images) Pandemic Puppies Trend Dogged by Animal Welfare Concerns Among all the chaos created by the COVID-19 pandemic, one industry saw an unexpected surge in demand: puppies. Before COVID, shelters and rescues across Canada were packed to the hilt with eligible dogs, waiting for their chance at a forever home. When stay-at-home orders were issued, however, one of the hottest commodities was the addition of a furry family member. Shelters ran out of dogs. Rescues began bringing in international dogs en masse. People began breeding their dogs to get in on the ground floor of what has become a booming industry, selling them for thousands of dollars more than pre-pandemic prices. But what happens to all these pandemic puppies when everyone returns to work? Eryn and Chris Tone of Toronto adopted Phoebe, a Chihuahua mix, during the pandemic. (Courtesy of Eryn Tone) A dog rescue volunteer, Ottawa resident Meagan Wiersema was a pandemic foster failthat is to say, she ended up adopting her foster dog, Toby. Wiersema said the puppy boom saw a marked increase in adoption applications compared to pre-pandemic times, but she worries about post-adoption care. Lack of access to veterinary services and reputable trainers will limit new owners abilities to adequately care for these dogs in the long run, even if they are the perfect owner in every other way, Wiersema told The Epoch Times. Im also [worried] about the long-term impact of health and behavioural issues that we will see, as there are so many new backyard breeders to meet this influx of demand who dont complete proper temperament testing, health checks, or even early socialization with their puppies. Justine Arcand owns and operates Dogs and Compagnie boarding and doggy daycare in Vars, Ont., and works with Freedom Dog Rescue. Although Arcand said business has increased since the onset of the pandemic, she is concerned about the amount of under-socialized dogs surrendered by their owners. When inadequately socialized dogs are surrendered, its harder to find new homes for them as they are not good with cats, other dogs, or strangers. Arnold, a 1-year-old Griffon mix from Egypt, is available for adoption through COAR. (Courtesy of Maria Gillinson) Socialization is key, she said. Its definitely been difficult with the stay-at-home orders. Amanda Lewandowski Lacombe, a veterinarian at the Cumberland Veterinary Hospital in Ontario, said the veterinary business has grown significantly and they have had to limit the number of new clients in order to maintain staff well-being. Staff [is] feeling the added stress from the demand for veterinarians due to the influx of new patients, Lacombe said. As a result of improper pet socialization and lack of training, she said she believes veterinary behaviourists will see an influx of business. Arcand echoes Lacombes sentiment that there are not enough vets for the amount of pets. Even emergency veterinary clinics have reportedly been sending clients home to wait. Another area of concern with pandemic puppies is the potential for separation anxiety. A lot of people may find their dogs are anxious because they havent taken the time to wean the dogs off them being home 24/7, said Maria Gillinson, who runs Central Ontario Animal Rescue (COAR) in Toronto. I get a lot of calls for [owner] surrenders and at least 50 percent of them are from these last 18 months. A lot of them are German Shepherds and bigger mixes, only about 10 months old. Now their cute little puppy is bigger, not as cute, and isnt manageable. The Kingston Humane Society is seeing a record number of animals in care, according to an article in the Kingston Whig Standard. Gord Hunter, executive director of the society, said while they have more animals in their care due to animal welfare investigations, there have also been more owner surrenders. We are seeing more surrenders, Hunter said in the article. It is really coinciding with increasing numbers of vaccinations and increasing number of people returning to workplaces after working from home for extended periods of time,. As of Oct. 18, there were 294 animals in care at the Kingston Humane Society, the highest number in the 137-year history of the agency. Pandemic or not, its hard to resist the love of furry companions. Eryn Tone of Toronto, adopted Phoebe, a Chihuahua mix, from Gillinson in early 2020. We chose to rescue because Ive always had rescue dogs, Tone said. We dont believe in paying thousands of dollars for a dog from a breeder when there are so many little ones that need homes. A rescue may come with its challenges, but so do puppies, and the love you get from a rescue dog is like no other. Cole, a one-year-old Retriever available for adoption through COAR. (Courtesy of Maria Gillinson) No matter how you add a pup to your life, Lacombe has one simple message. If I could tell a new pandemic puppy owner one thing, it would be to leave the pet by themselves for periods of time, she said. Separation anxiety is a serious concern because we have spent so much time at home. There are great training resources to help work on separation anxiety. I am a hopeful person and hope that we will see people seeking help for the behaviour concerns rather than abandoning their pets. A 15-year-old receives the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the CCP virus in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on May 13, 2021. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images) Pfizer/BioNTech Announces Child COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Results Pfizer/BioNTech announced the results of a clinical trial of 5 to 11-year-old children, the pharmaceutical company announced Friday. The news was released as the company has submitted information to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pfizer/BioNTech is currently seeking emergency authorization to administer the coronavirus vaccine to children. Children participating in the clinical trial received a dose of 10 micrograms, an amount that was one-third of the adult dose. A total of 2,268 children from ages 5 to 11-years-old were included in the trial. Twice as many were given the child-level dose of the vaccine compared to others who received a placebo. Among those who received the placebo, 16 tested positive for COVID-19. Three cases were recorded among those who were administered the trial vaccine. Pfizers clinical trial in those 5 to 11 years old was not primarily designed to measure efficacy against the virus. Instead, it compared the amount of neutralizing antibodies induced by the vaccine in the children to the response of older recipients in their adult trial. The company claims its COVID-19 vaccine usage in children 5-11 years old showed a 90.7 percent efficacy rate. The Mayo Clinic has also said that there have been reported cases of myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination, particularly in male adolescents and young adults age 16 and older. Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle, while pericarditis is the inflammation of the lining outside the heart. A White House Fact Sheet released Wednesday provided an update on advanced plans for COVID-19 vaccinations for children 5 to 11. The potential authorization of the first COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11, which is currently under consideration by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), would be another major milestone in our efforts to build on this historic progress and protect even more Americans, the fact sheet said. The plan included several steps in anticipation of the vaccines approval for young children. First, the Biden administration has procured enough vaccine to support vaccination for the countrys 28 million children ages 5-11 years old. Another focus in the fact sheet said that more than 25,000 pediatric and primary care provider sites will be made available to distribute the coronavirus vaccines to children. The plans third focus emphasized building public trust. An educational effort for parents and families will seek to provide detailed information regarding vaccines and the risks of COVID-19 as part of the effort. The FDA met earlier this month to discuss coronavirus vaccines for younger children. Another meeting is expected next week to discuss the latest information from Pfizer/BioNTech, though details have not yet been confirmed. For now, the vaccines remain unauthorized for use among young children. The FDA has not yet authorized a COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 years of age, and CDCs ACIP has not yet made a recommendation on vaccinating this age group, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website notes. Even if the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is soon approved, many American parents will have concerns or choose not to have their children vaccinated. The controversy may continue to lead to additional concerns, such as the recent walkout in California after Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom added a new requirement for children 12 and older to be vaccinated to attend public schools in the state. According to the CDC, since April, there has been an increase in reports of both myocarditis (heart inflammation) and pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart) after COVID-19 vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, particularly in adolescents and young adults. Reuters and Jennifer Margulis contributed to this report. Photos: 15-Year Project Showcases Humble Bonds of Transylvanian Shepherds and Their Herds 'I was absolutely captivated by their hospitality, peace of mind, humble and honest behavior, and warmth of soul.' Award-winning Hungarian photographer Istvan Kerekes has tapped into the inherent tenderness of the shepherding community of Transylvania in a mesmerizing 15-year portrait project. The bonds between the shepherds and the animals they care for are at once powerful and beautiful, and Kerekes has captured their remarkable centuries-old lifestyle in all its richness. In an interview with The Epoch Times, the 44-year-old photographer, who was born in the Transylvanian town of Targu Mures, said he first met shepherds in the central Romanian region on a trek to the Rodnei Mountains in 1999. I am trying to show the world from a completely unique perspective, using my own vision and color palette, said Kerekes, who has lived in Hungary since 2007. Kerekes said he once befriended three Romanian shepherds whom he met in a traditional stana, a kind of temporary shepherds lodging. They lived high up on the mountains between April and October each year, in the harsh environment above the forest line. I was absolutely captivated by their hospitality, peace of mind, humble and honest behavior, and warmth of soul, he said, not to mention their age-old faces ridden with a thousand wrinkles. Since that trip, Kerekesa physical education teacher by dayhas sought out shepherds across Transylvanias plains and Carpathian mountains for their stories, and to take photos. After 15 years, his portrait collection, Shepherds of Transylvania, has grown strong. The Romanian tradition of shepherding goes back centuries; the hilly central region is populated by lodgings and herds of thousands of animals to this day. Kerekes says his goal is to bring this humble way of life into the spotlight. Central to his work is the tender bond between the animals and their caretakers, and the precious tradition being passed down to the next generation. Wizened men are pictured alongside rosy-cheeked children, both cradling lambs in their arms with due care. I have always been looking for the company of shepherds, listening to their stories and taking photos, he said. The pictures in my series cover several years worth of work and trekking all around the plains and mountains of Transylvania. Every single shooting session is a story on its own. However, Kerekes added that there are certain places that he likes to revisit often because of the unique seasonal light conditions, which he says is paramount in photography. Kerekes said the only real challenge is that every flock is guarded by sheepdogs to help prevent attacks from wolves and bears, sometimes as many as 30 dogs per flock. Yet country life is not unfamiliar to the photographer, whose parents took him on rural outings as a child, and whose likeminded childhood friends became ornithologists, biologists, and environmentalists. Hiking, and a general attraction to natural environments, had infused my thinking as early as my childhood, he said. I started taking pictures for the same reason around 1996, to capture the fascinating details that I observed. I finally started taking pictures of people, as well. His equipment comprises a Nikon D3 camera and two lenses, sized 24-120mm and 80-400mm. The automatic P function on the Nikon, he explains, allows him to spend less time on technicalities and more time focusing on the magic of the moment. As Kerekess portfolio grew, so did his reputation. To date, his work has been exhibited over 14,000 times across six continents, amassing over 3,000 awards, including top spot in the iPhone Photography Awards 2021 with a photo from his Shepherds series. He regularly submits to competitions, presides over contest juries, and hosts solo exhibitions. The Shepherds of Transylvania collection is just one example of a rich body of work that Kerekes shares on his website. He claims success from behind the lens is not beyond the reach of others. Everybody with a camera or a mobile phone has equal chances of finding the right place and the right people for taking pictures, he said. One only has to keep looking for the perfect subject, and the perfect moment to shoot. The end results, he conceded, will be widely different for everybody, as finding and recognizing a unique face, or situation, is less difficult than capturing it in a way that makes it look even more unique. This is the real secret of my art, he said. Every single time, I aim to take a photo that has never been done before. Check more of Istvan Kerekess work below. Enjoy! Arshdeep Sarao contributed to this report. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Poland Will Not Be Blackmailed Into Accepting European Union Laws, PM Morawiecki Says Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday that his country will not bow to the European Unions blackmail on deciding legal frameworks of member states, but is open to constructive dialogue. Arriving at a summit of the 27-member bloc, Morawiecki said that Poland was as faithful to the rule of law as others and as the EU institutions are. He added, Some EU institutions assume the right to decide on issues to which they have not been entitled to decide. They assume competencies which have not been handed over to them in the treaties. Morawiecki said that EU laws maintain supremacy over national laws on matters transferred to the EU. We dont agree to the constantly broadening range of competencies but we will, of course, talk about it. On Oct. 7, Polands Constitutional Tribunal ruled that some elements of EU law were incompatible with the countrys constitution. This ruling, criticized by Brussels, essentially gave national law primacy over that of the EU. It has to clear: You are a member of a club, you have to abide by the rules of the club. And the most important rule of the club is that the European law is over national law, the EUs top diplomat, Josep Borrell, told Reuters. Since the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party took over power in 2015, the ideological conflicts have incrementally increased. European Parliament President David Sassoli said the Polish tribunals ruling challenged the legal bedrock of our Union, and that, never before has the Union been called into question so radically. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen laid out three options as a response. The first option, infringement, is where the commission legally challenges the verdict of the Polish court. The second option, which is active currently, involves the withholding of funds. Warsaw will not be able to access the 36 billion euros ($42 billion) of COVID-19 pandemic recovery grants. This could lead to a further blockage of around 70 billion euros ($81 billion) set aside for development projects in the 2021-2027 budget. The third option would be the implementation of Article 7 of the EU treaty which suspends member states of certain rights, including the right to vote on EU decisions. Morawiecki, however, maintained his countrys stance under repeated criticism in the tense debate on Tuesday. This led to the idea of Poland exiting the bloc which the prime minister dismissed. He said that there were no plans for a Polexit as there is considerable support among the Polish for remaining within the EU. A majority of European countries, including Ireland, France, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands were critical of Poland, barring staunch ally Hungary. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has not been a supporter of excessive European Union interference in the laws and decisions of member states. Poland is one of the best European countries. There is no need for any sanctions, its ridiculous, Orban said. Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Knapen implied the issue will soon need to be addressed. The time for talking is never over, but it doesnt mean that you cannot take action in the meantime, Knapen said. Its going to come soon. Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for finding ways of coming back together, and warned against isolating Poland, the largest ex-communist EU country of 38 million people. People shout slogans during the funeral procession of slain government school principal Supinder Kour in Srinagar on Oct. 8, 2021, a day after suspected anti-India militants shot dead two school teachers in Indian-administered Kashmir. (Tauseef Mustafa/AFP via Getty Images) Recent Wave of Targeted Killings Aims to Disrupt Kashmirs Integration With India NEW DELHIEleven civilians have lost their lives in a fresh wave of targeted killings in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir since Oct. 5, causing the Indian administration and military to go on high alert in a region that shares a border with Pakistan. The targeted killings of seven unsuspecting individuals from the Hindu minority community and four of the majority Muslim community include people from within Kashmir and five migrant workers from other parts of India. They were carried out by young men, in mostly a hit-and-run style. Experts said the fresh wave of killings is suspected to be the work of a new local militant group called The Resistance Front (TRF), which is backed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). It is said to be unique in several ways and is aimed at creating a narrative war supporting further unrest, violence, and alienation and at leading to Muslim exclusivity for the region. LeT is a Pakistan-based, Kashmir-focused outfit designated as terrorists by the U.N. Security Council and several countries including the United States, Australia, India, Canada, and the United Kingdom. According to the information classified by the Australian government, LeT earlier collaborated with the Haqqani Network, a Pakistan-based militant group associated with the Taliban. Experts said in a geopolitically volatile region like Kashmir, the targeted killings will ensure that the pot keeps boiling and that no resolution is possible for the Kashmir problem that utilizes a major chunk of Indias defense budget. India and Pakistan have fought four wars over Kashmir since 1947. Meanwhile, the Islamic State of Khorasan, an Afghan affiliate of the terror group Islamic State, in the 21st edition of its India mouthpiece Voice of Hind has warned of more attacks midst the targeted killings, according to India Today. Indian authorities have moved thousands of migrant workers to safer locations, and hundreds have fled the picturesque valley due to terror, according to Reuters. Immediately preceding the killings, Pakistan had brought up the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 24, criticizing Indias attempt for a final solution for Kashmir. By final solution, Prime Minister Imran Khan was hitting at Indias 2019 constitutional decision that led to India dividing the region into two federally governed territories or Union Territories (UT): The UT of Jammu and Kashmir on the border with Pakistan and the UT of Ladakh along the border with Pakistans ally, China. Khans comments led to a diplomatic war of words between the two nations. India exercised its right of reply on the next day and said Pakistan has the largest number of terrorists proscribed by the UN Security Council. This was followed by Pakistan again taking its turn to lambast India on the Kashmir issue. More recently at the UN General Assemblys Special Political and Decolonization (Fourth) Committee on Oct. 20, Pakistan termed Indias rule over Kashmir as the worst manifestation of colonialism, after which both the countries again had a verbal duel. Wife (2R) of Makhan Lal Bindroo, a pandit businessman and owner of a pharmacy, mourns around his body after terrorists killed three civilians in separate street shootings a day before, at a cremation ground in Srinagar on Oct. 6, 2021. (Tauseef Mustafa/AFP via Getty Images) The Uniqueness of the Killings Vicky Nanjappa, an Indian journalist who specializes in internal security said the boys carrying out the recent killings are unlike terrorists earlier operating in the region, who were hard-core militants and were profiled by the administration. Each of the 11 killings was done by different people, and this has created new challenges for Indian intelligence. In the absence of providing any concrete intelligence on who the killer exactly is, considering hes committing an act of terror, you really dont have intelligence. And that seems to be the new strategy, said Nanjappa. This is the reason, he said, that Indian security personnel have rounded up so many terrorist sympathizers. A week into the killings, the Indian administration arrested over 700 terrorist sympathizers according to the Indian broadcaster New Delhi Television. Its gonna be a long investigation. Where are the funds coming from? From where was the pistol procured? You need to build up a case, and only then get to the bottom of it, said Nanjappa. This new strategy is a new psychological approach to terrorism. Most of those who commit such acts are indoctrinated ideologically and are expected to come back and commit more such acts. But with the recent targeted killings, this has changed, according to Nanjappa. If theyre not repeating these people, then it is clearly a payoff, its like a hit job which they have asked them to do, with a specific list in their hands, and so on, he said. Sunanda Vashisht, a political commentator from Kashmirs minority Hindu community told The Epoch Times that the killings remind her of the late 1980s when the minorities faced similar targeted killings, which led to their mass exodus. Thats how they would identify them, they would put the hit lists everywhere, and then you knew; my own uncle was on a hit list, said Houston-based Vashisht whose family had also to flee the violence then. She testified before a U.S. Congressional hearing on Human Rights organized by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in Washington in November 2020. Vashisht highlighted the case of two teachers, a female Sikh and a male Hindu whose identity cards were checked while a recon of the school was done before they were killed at point-blank on Oct. 7. According to a 2008 report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, the mass exodus after 1989 included the displacement of 90 percent or 250,000 to 350,000 of Kashmiri Hindus, called the pandits, from Kashmir. Vashisht said the recent killings are aimed at threatening what she listed as 808 families who had not gone back then. This image will torment me forever. Virendra Paswan was in Kashmir valley to earn an honest living. Islamist Terrorists did not want him in Srinagar. Now his dead body also could not leave Kashmir. His death should not go in vain. pic.twitter.com/qjcb1TQ6lP Sunanda Vashisht (@sunandavashisht) October 8, 2021 Driving a Narrative Vashisht said the militants want to counter the narrative of normalcy that the Indian government attempted to build up after the political reorganization of the state, which was intended to initiate development projects and invite investment. By killing the Kashmiri minority people they want to threaten the larger minority community from returning, by killing Kashmiri Muslims, militants want to threaten them from siding with India or working with the Indian administration, and by killing migrant workers from other parts of India, they want to give a message to larger India of not settling in Kashmir, she said. The narrative is you cant bring any kind of change in Kashmir, she said, adding that the perpetrators dont want Kashmirs integration with the rest of India. They do want the Kashmir pot to be boiling. They do want to make this a global issue. They do want to show the world that nothing has been solved in Kashmir. There can be no businesses in Kashmir; that from the mainland they cant come and join here, said Vashisht. Suneem Khan, a Kashmir-based columnist described the recent target killers as locally bred pressure points that are being activated and utilized to manufacture a tense minority-majority relationship countrywide and instill fear, particularly among non-Kashmiris. Its also to invite reprisal from the state in terms of stringent security measures. This would further push the narrative among Indians of Kashmiris being anti-India, anti-nationals, or anti-non-Muslims, which Khan termed as dubbing the entire population as theocratic or fascist. This way, the distance between this region and the people of mainland India would widen more. And the pot would keep brewing more and more trouble. They will have more recruitmentsthey will be more local recruitments, said Khan. They wont have to send people from across the border. Maybe they have to send guides, maybe they have to send more warlords, to guide the Cabal of terrorism, but the foot soldiers theyll get from the local ground, he said. Aditya Gowdara Shivamurthy, an expert with Observers Research Foundation said in an analysis published on Oct. 20 that the militants are trying to build a narrative pole-opposite to the Indian administration because the surrendered militants of LeT have appreciated the efforts of the Indian Army in securing and normalizing the situation in Kashmir. Shivamurthy was referring to the case of a 19-year-old Pakistani militant arrested on the border by the Indian army late last month who went on record saying that LeT was sending young boys to Kashmir for armed struggle by spreading misinformation about Kashmir. Workers carry their belongings as they return back to their native places at a bus terminal in Srinagar on Oct. 19, 2021 days after two laborers from Indias Bihar state were reportedly killed by terrorists. (Tauseef Mustafa/AFP via Getty Images) Geo-politics Involved Shivamurthy said the terrorists and their mentors through the recent targeted killings are working on a more complicated and dangerous geopolitical plot. India in a three-front wartwo from Pakistan and China, and the other two halves from the Kashmiri secessionists and a hostile Afghanistan, said Shivamurthy adding that the 1980s outbreak of militancy in Kashmir is linked to Afghanistans Anti-Soviet Mujahideen era when Pakistan used various radical organizations to recruit fighters for the Kashmir cause. By soft targeting, infiltration, and killing minorities, the terrorists are inviting the wrath of the Indian state, he said. This would destabilize the passive peace and maximize non-militant violence in Kashmir. Thus, attracting the attention and sympathy of extremist elements in Afghanistan and making it difficult for the Taliban to sustain their cautious policy, said Shivamurthy adding that as Afghanistan enters a new great game, the terrorists and the Pakistani establishment will try their best to entrap India into a three-front war. The Taliban on an earlier occasion said that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan while on a later occasion its spokesperson once mentioned that it has the right to raise the cause of all Muslims, including of Kashmir. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster speaks at 2017 SelectUSA Investment Summit in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on June 19, 2017. (Joshua Roberts/File Photo via Reuters) S. Carolina Governor Calls Federal Threat to Revoke OSHA Standards Preemptive Strike, Vows to Fight South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has called the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHA) recent threat this week to rescind the states workplace safety plan a preemptive strike by the federal government. With no state regulators in the way, the federal Labor Department will be free to penalize employers who do not comply with President [Joe] Bidens unconstitutional vaccine mandate, McMaster said on Twitter. According to OSHA, three Republican-led statesSouth Carolina, Utah, and Arizonahave not adopted its COVID-19 health care policies enacted in June, which includes providing employees with personal protective equipment. There are 22 state OSHA-approved workplace safety and health program plans operated by individual states or U.S. Territories that are monitored by OSHA. In September, Biden announced that he had directed the Department of Labor to develop a rule requiring all employers with 100 or more employees to get vaccinated. OSHA, which falls under the Department of Labor, began a 35-day comment period during which the states can respond before OSHA usurps the states policies. A spokesperson for the Department of Labor said that the additional health care standards are designed to protect workers from coronavirus hazards. According to the Department of Labor, South Carolina receives more than $2.3 million through its state OSHA plan to administer and enforce it. McMaster said he has tasked Labor Licensing Regulation Director Emily Farr with immediate preparations for a vigorous and lengthy legal fight. We are disappointed that federal OSHA has decided to take this step against our very successful state OSHA program, Farr said. Both Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox rebuked OSHAs threat. The federal governments threat to strip ICA (Industrial Commission of Arizonas OSHA) of its OSHA authority is nothing short of a political stunt and a desperate power grab, Ducey said in a statement, adding that the Biden administration is attempting to silence input from citizens and stakeholders alike. We wont allow it without a fight. Cox said he rejects the assertion that Utahs plan is less effective than the federal plan. While we have not refused to adopt standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, we will ask once again for an opportunity to engage with the Biden administration about our legitimate concerns complying with the proposed Healthcare ETS (Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standards), Cox said, adding that the federal standards place an unfair burden on the healthcare industry. Wilber Ernesto Martinez-Guzman, from El Salvador, appears in Washoe District Court in Reno, Nev., on May 20, 2019. (Andy Barron/The Reno Gazette-Journal via AP) Salvadoran Man Admits Guilt in 4 Nevada Killings RENO, Nev.A Salvadoran immigrant told a judge Thursday he killed four people in northern Nevada, beginning a two-stage legal process that the judge and prosecutors said will avoid two death penalty trials and put the 22-year-old man in state prison for the rest of his life. Wilber Ernesto Martinez Guzman pleaded guilty, after intense questioning by Washoe County District Court Judge Connie Steinheimer in Reno, to two counts of first-degree murder in the January 2019 deaths of Gerald and Sharon David in their Reno home. Steinheimer acknowledged the plea took the death penalty off the table and told Martinez Guzman he will have to enter formal guilty pleas in Douglas County to the killings of two women in Gardnerville during his two-week string of crimes. Martinez Guzman told police he committed the series of break-ins, thefts and shootings because he needed money to buy methamphetamine. Steinheimer said that if Martinez Guzman fails to plead guilty in Douglas County, prosecutors there and Washoe County can void his plea deal and again seek the death penalty. Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks and and Douglas County District Attorney Mark Jackson planned to meet with reporters following the two-hour court hearing. Hicks said in a statement before proceedings began that they expected Martinez Guzman will receive maximum sentences that would run consecutively. Hicks and Jackson initially planned one death-penalty trial for Martinez Guzman, but the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Sept. 30 that the defendant would have to be tried separately in the two county jurisdictions. Authorities said Martinez Guzman stole a .22-caliber handgun from the Davids southwest Reno home on Jan. 4, 2019; shot and killed Constance Koontz, 56, and Sophia Renken, 74, in separate attacks in their Gardnerville homes several days later; and returned to the Davids house to rob and kill them Jan 15. Gerald David, 81, and his 80-year-old wife were prominent in the Reno Rodeo Association and had employed Martinez Guzman as a landscaper the summer before. Martinez Guzman was arrested in Carson City during a manhunt that had investigators track an Apple watch stolen from Koontz to Martinez Guzmans mother. Martinez Guzman has been held without bail at the Washoe County Detention Facility in Reno. Washoe County sheriffs Detective Stefanie Brady told a grand jury several weeks after Martinez Guzmans arrest that he initially denied wrongdoing but later acknowledged through a Spanish interpreter he had done something thats unforgiveable. He said he needed the money for the meth, Brady testified. The case drew attention at the time from then-President Donald Trump, who said it showed the need to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. By Scott Sonner The UK Department for Education is planning to develop new guidance to help schools meet their legal duties on political impartiality. (PA) Schools Must Not Teach Contested Views on White Privilege as Fact: UK Government The British government has instructed schools not to teach contested theories and opinions as fact, including contested views about so-called white privilege. The government on Thursday published its response to a report from the UK Parliaments Education Select Committee, which said that the use of terms such as white privilege may be one of the reasons white working-class pupils are persistently falling behind. In a report published in June, the committee said that its 14-month inquiry on left-behind white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds had shown that poor white pupils are far from privileged in education. The committee said that it agreed with the UKs Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities that discourse around the term white privilege can be divisive, and that disadvantage should be discussed without pitting different groups against each other. In its response to the report (pdf), the government said, Schools must not promote partisan political views and should take steps to ensure the balanced treatment of political issues. Schools should not teach contested theories and opinions as fact, and this includes contested views about white privilege, the government said, adding, Political issues relating to racial and social justice can be taught about in a balanced and factual manner, just as pupils are often taught about a range of different views on other topics. The government said these were important principles to uphold and it had begun working with the sector to develop guidance which will help schools understand and meet their duties in this area. It added: This guidance will support schools to teach about complex political issues, in line with their legal duties on political impartiality, covering factors including age-appropriateness and the use of external agencies. The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) responded by saying it was not convinced that the government guidance is necessary, because schools and colleges are very experienced at teaching controversial and challenging subject matter and the legal requirement for teachers to remain politically impartial is clear and well understood. This is not the first time for the Conservative government to push back against the controversial concept of white privilege. Writing in The Telegraph in June, Britains equalities minister Kemi Badenoch said schools should not teach the term white privilege unless they explain that it is a highly contentious concept, because it is divisive and unnecessarily antagonistic. Normalising the term white privilege does not eliminate racism, it reinforces the notion that everyone and everything around ethnic minorities is racist and makes the majority white population more conscious about their race and exacerbates feelings of difference, creating a less cohesive society, she wrote. Lily Zhou and PA contributed to this report. Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese points to a map to show where a missing family was found dead during a news conference in Mariposa, Calif., on Oct. 21, 2021. (Craig Kohlruss/The Fresno Bee via AP) Sheriff Says Family on California Hike Died of Extreme Heat SACRAMENTO, Calif.A Northern California family found dead on a hiking trail near the Merced River died after they overheated and ran out of drinking water on a sunny August afternoon when temperatures reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit in the steep mountain terrain, authorities said Thursday. The deaths of Jonathan Gerrish, his wife, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter, Aurelia Miju Chung-Gerrish, and their dog, Oski, had baffled investigators. The case involved more than 30 law enforcement agencies who had painstakingly reviewedand ruled outcauses such as murder, lightning strikes, poisoning, illegal drugs and suicide. On Thursday, Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese said investigators concluded the family died from hyperthermia, a condition caused when a persons body temperature is dangerously high after exposure to hot, humid weather. Its unclear what killed the dog, an 8-year-old Australian shepherd and Akita mix. But Briese said evidence indicates the dog was possibly suffering from heat-related issues. This is an unfortunate and tragic event due to the weather, he said. Briese described Gerrish, 45, as an experienced hiker who used an app on his phone to plot a route along the Hite Cove Trail, an approximately 8-mile loop that hugs the south fork of the Merced River and is a popular spot to view wildflowers in the spring. But many of the trees had been destroyed in a wildfire three years ago, leaving much of the trail with very little shade. The family and their dog began the hike at about 8 a.m. on Aug. 15. It was about 74 F when they started. But the temperature quickly climbed as the trail descended and the day heated up. By the time they reached the steep uphill section of the hike known as the Savage Lundy Trail, Briese said it was 109 F. Officials found the family two days later after relatives had reported them missing. The family had hiked 6.4 miles with the baby in a backpack-type carrier. They were only 1.6 miles away from their car. The family had an 85-ounce water container with them that was empty. A portion of the trail ran along the Merced River, where tests of the water showed it was contaminated with Anatoxin A, a lethal toxin produced by blue-green algae. That prompted the Bureau of Land Management to close campgrounds and recreation areas along 28 miles of the river, between the towns of Briceburg and Bagby. But Briese said Thursday there was no evidence the family had drunk any of the river water. Briese said the FBI is attempting to unlock one of the couples cellphones, saying the agency is making good progress. Our hope is that that cellphone will continue to give us more answers about that day, he said. Kristie Mitchell, the public information officer for the sheriffs office, read a statement from unnamed family members during a news conference on Thursday. Some questions have been answered, and we will use this information as a way of helping us come to terms with the situation, relatives said, according to the statement read by Mitchell. Our hearts will never forget the beautiful lives of Jonathan, Ellen, Miju, and, of course, Oski. They will remain with us wherever we go. By Adam Beam President Joe Biden speaks about COVID-19 vaccine booster shots in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington on Sept. 24, 2021. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Shipping Companies Warn: Biden Vaccine Mandate Will Trigger Holiday Supply Chain Chaos Cargo air shipping companies warned the White House that its proposed vaccine mandate will wreak havoc on the supply chain by putting even more strain on staffing across the industry, according to a letter sent by a cargo association to the Biden administration. We have significant concerns with the employer mandates announced on Sept. 9, 2021, and the ability of industry members to implement the required employee vaccinations by Dec. 8, 2021, Stephen Alterman, the head of the Cargo Airline Association, wrote to the Office of Management and Budget, which is currently reviewing an emergency temporary standard that was submitted last week by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that would mandate vaccines or regular testing for employees who work at firms with 100 or more workers. With supply chains already suffering due to massive backlogs at key California ports and a shortage of truckers and other workers, the Cargo Airline Associationwhich represents UPS, DHL, and FedExsaid the vaccine mandate will create chaos. President Joe Biden said that federal workers and federal contractors will have to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Contractors have until Dec. 8 to mandate their employees to get the shot. Federal contractors, which include UPS and FedEx cannot have their employees opt out of the vaccine mandate. Shipping containers are unloaded from ships at a container terminal at the Port of Long Beach-Port of Los Angeles complex in Los Angeles, California, on April 7, 2021. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) [T]he looming December 8 mandate for having fully vaccinat[ed] workforces creates a significant supply chain problem, Alterman said in the letter. This problem is further exacerbated by the fact that we are already experiencing a worker shortage, both in the air and on the ground, and any loss of employees who refuse to be vaccinated will adversely impact needed operations. Whats more, Alterman warned that many air cargo companies ship vital medical supplies, including COVID-19 vaccines. Last Wednesday, Biden met with the heads of UPS, FedEx, and other firms, as well as the heads of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, to address significant bottlenecks in shipping and supply lines. The Marine Exchange, which tracks container ships at the two major ports, said there are 169 ships in port as of Oct. 21. On Oct. 15, there were 147 ships in port, the organization reported. Spokespeople for UPS and FedEx told Politico that both companies are still reviewing Bidens executive order, but theyve urged employees to get vaccinated. Although Democrats and health officials have praised vaccine mandates as a tactic that will push the U.S. vaccination rate higher, Republicans, businesses, and unions have warned that the rule will trigger widespread economic damage and imperil the economic recovery after months of COVID-19-related lockdowns. But Jeff Zients, who heads the White Houses COVID-19 task force, said this week that the mandates are to get people vaccinated and not to punish them, referring to federal workers. The requirements for federal workers and contractors will not cause disruptions to government services that people depend on, he said, without elaborating. Alterman appeared to disagree with Zeints argument, saying that hundreds of thousands of short-term workers havent been hired to deal with holiday workloads. We therefore request that the Administration take steps to recognize this problem and to delay implementation of the vaccine mandate into 2022, he said. The Epoch Times has contacted the Office of Management and Budget for comment. The Nuri rocket, South Korea's first domestically produced space rocket, sits on its launch pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Korea, on Oct. 20, 2021. (Korea Aerospace Research Institute/Yonhap via AP) South Korea Reaches Space Milestone With Domestic Rocket Launch Into Space Marking a leap for its space program, South Korea launched a domestically made rocket into space on Thursday, but it failed short of delivering a dummy payload into orbit. After decades of U.S. restrictions on missile development, South Korea built the three-stage Nuri space launch vehicle entirely using indigenous technology. The Nuri, developed by Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), was designed to deliver a payload of 1.5 tons (3,300 pounds) into an orbit of 372 to 497 miles (600 to 800 kilometers) above Earth. The 154 foot (47-meter) Nuri is powered by five 75-ton class rocket engines placed in the rockets first and second stages. It lifted off from Naro Space Center, South Koreas only spaceport. Although (the launch) failed to achieve its objectives perfectly, it was an excellent accomplishment for a first launch, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who observed the launch on-site, said in a televised speech. According to Lim Hye-sook, South Koreas science minister, initial phases of the launch went smoothly as the first and second stages of Nuri separated properly. Based on launch data and current information, there was a glitch when the third stages engine burned out 50 seconds earlier than initially planned. This failed to provide the ejected payload with the necessary speed to stabilize in orbit. Ejected at 435 miles, the dummy payload was a 1.5-ton stainless steel and aluminum block. The debris from the payload is expected to land in waters south of Australia. The largest core booster first-stage is expected to land in waters southwest of Japan, and Nuris second stage is expected to fall in waters east of the Philippines. Further investigations by KARI will lead to more clarifications on what went wrong and improvements needed for the next launches, including one in May 2022. After the 2022 trial, KARI is expected to launch Nuri with a real satellite. KARIs future plans for Nuri include launching several Earth observation satellites like KOMPSAT and LEO reconnaissance satellites. South Korea currently employs U.S. spy satellites to monitor activities across the border in North Korea. Nuri is also expected to launch moon exploration vehicles and commercialize launch services for the Southeast Asian market. Inspired by the success of SpaceX, the objective is to develop low-cost and reliable rockets for commercial use. South Korea is vying to become the 10th country in the world to launch a satellite successfully into orbit using its own technology. Non-reliance on other nations is critical if the country plans on fulfilling its space ambitions. The Supreme Court of the United States in Washington on May 7, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Supreme Court Will Review, Wont Immediately Block, Texas Abortion Law The Supreme Court on Friday declined to immediately block a Texas anti-abortion law that bars abortions once cardiac activity is detected, but it agreed to review whether it is constitutional. The high court wrote in its order (pdf) that it would consider the question of whether the United States bring suit in federal court and obtain injunctive or declaratory relief against the State, state court judges, state court clerks, other state officials, or all private parties to prohibit S.B. 8 from being enforced, referring to Senate Bill 8, the name of the law that has been in effect since Sept. 1 in Texas. It means that a decision issued by a federal court earlier in October that stayed a ruling by a judge in Austin had blocked it. Facilities and doctors in the state of Texas are prohibited from performing nearly all procedures or face the risk of a civil lawsuit with penalties of at least $10,000. Any individual who assists a woman in obtaining an abortion after the cardiac activity is detected can be sued under the state law, and it is not enforced by any Texas state agency. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, said she would have blocked the law while the court reviews it. The Court is right to calendar this application for argument and to grant certiorari before judgment [in both cases] in recognition of the public importance of the issues these cases raise, she wrote Friday, alleging that women will suffer personal harm over the law. The promise of future adjudication offers cold comfort, however, for Texas women seeking abortion care, who are entitled to relief now. This week, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Texas law, arguing it is plainly unconstitutional. If Texas is found correct by the court, Justice Department lawyers asserted that other states would pass similar laws barring most abortions. But on Thursday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton responded by telling the Supreme Court that the laws provisions are designed to protect the lives of unborn children. Properly understood, the Constitution does not protect a right to elective abortion, Paxton also argued, saying that the law does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment. Referring to the laws enforcement mechanism, Paxton stated the Department of Justice lacks standing because its suing Texas, and Texas executive officials do not enforce SB 8. There is therefore no state executive or judicial official who can be enjoined to stop enforcing the law even if a temporary injunction is handed down, he wrote. In a prior decision, the Supreme Court ruled 54 to allow the Texas law to be enforced in early September in a separate challenge filed by pro-abortion groups and providers. Chief Justice John Roberts, who took issue with the enforcement mechanism, joined Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, and Sotomayor to say that the law should be temporarily blocked. The Supreme Court also said Friday it would take up a lawsuit filed by an organization called Whole Womens Health against SB8. Oral arguments were set by the Supreme Court for Nov. 1. It comes about a month before the Supreme Court is slated to hear a challenge to a Mississippi law that prohibits most abortion after around the 15th week of pregnancy. Tesla in Tunnels Project of Elon Musks Boring Company Gets Green Light to Expand in Las Vegas Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musks tunneling enterprise The Boring Company has received regulatory approval to build a tunnel-based transportation system under the Las Vegas Strip. What Happened The Boring Company took to Twitter to announce that the transportation system, dubbed the Vegas Loop, is expanding and thanked the regulators for their approval. Vegas Loop is expanding 29 miles and 51 stations! Thanks to the Clark County team for the great partnership and to the Commissioners for unanimous approval. https://t.co/KrfF5SUsxq The Boring Company (@boringcompany) October 20, 2021 The regulatory approval would enable the company to expand the Vegas Loop system to a 29-mile route with 51 stations. Clark County said that the system would have the capacity to transport 57,000 passengers per hour and that no taxpayer money would be spent to build the project. Expanding and moving forward with plans for the Vegas Loop. #ClarkCounty Commissioners just approved an agreement with the @boringcompany to establish and maintain a transportation system that will go under the Las Vegas Strip. It will also go to @AllegiantStadm and @UNLV. pic.twitter.com/2ju3xcFq7O Clark County Nevada (@ClarkCountyNV) October 20, 2021 Why It Matters Loop is an all-electric, zero-emissions, high-speed underground public transportation system that is also referred to as Teslas in Tunnels, the Boring Company says on its website. The company currently operates a small version of the system, consisting of 1.7 miles of tunnel, beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center. The regulatory approval will enable the infrastructure-focused firm to expand the project and connect hotels as well as other destinations between Allegiant Stadium and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Price Action Tesla shares closed almost 0.2 percent higher in Wednesdays trading at $865.80. By Madhukumar Warrier 2021 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. A construction crew installs new sections of the U.S.-Mexico border barrier replacing smaller fences on Jan. 11, 2019 as seen from Tijuana, Mexico. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Texas, Missouri AGs Sue Biden Admin to Resume Border Wall Construction The attorneys general of Texas and Missouri teamed up to sue the Biden administration on Thursday, seeking to resume construction of the wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit (pdf) against President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in the U.S. district court in Victoria, challenging the administration for refusing to spend money appropriated to continue construction of the border wall amid a worsening border crisis. They argue that the presidents refusal to use the more than $1.3 billion appropriated for construction of barrier system along the southwest border is a violation of the separation of powers and the Take Care clause of the Constitution. [It] is arbitrary and capricious, and fails to spend appropriations mandated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 and 2021, the attorneys general, both Republicans, said in a news release. Time and again, the Biden administration has refused to take concrete action to quell the worsening border crisis, inviting the cartels and human drug smugglers to take advantage of our porous border, Schmitt said in a statement. Without a border wall, illegal immigrants, coyotes, and bad actors can simply march across our southern border and into the interior. The border wall needs to be built, the funds have been appropriated to continue to build the wall, and yet the Biden Administration outright refuses to do so. Schmitt noted that the same amount of funds was also appropriated by the FY2021 DHS Appropriations Act. The Biden Administrations flat refusal to use funds that have already been set aside by Congress to build the border wall is not only illegal and unconstitutional. Its also wrong, and it leaves states like Texas and Missouri footing the bill, Paxton said in a statement. He added, I will not sit idly by while this Administration wreaks more havoc on our state. The Epoch Times has contacted the White House and DHS for comment. Since taking office in January, Biden has signed dozens of executive orders rescinding President Donald Trumps policies, including border wall construction and the remain in Mexico protocols. In issuing an order suspending border wall constructiona project that has been long championed by TrumpBiden described it as wasteful and ineffective, although DHS has spent funds on repairing some areas along already-built wall sections. The Biden administration in recent weeks has faced mounting criticism for its handling of border security and a surge in illegal immigration along the southern border. Late last month, thousands of illegal aliens of Haitian origin created a makeshift encampment underneath a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. Later, Mayorkas said that about 12,000 of the Haitians were released into the interior United States with pending court dates. The crisis triggered calls from Republicans and even some Democrats to restart the construction of the border wall, which was a major campaign promise of Trumps during his 2016 presidential campaign. Bidens pick to lead Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Chris Magnus, acknowledged during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday that the influx of illegal immigration at the southern border is an urgent matter. Jack Phillips contributed to this report. The U.S. Capitol building is seen past U.S. flags at the base of the Washington Monument on Feb. 15, 2021. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) The American Ruling Class Commentary Those who control our institutions and both parties, the commanding heights of the economy, politics, and culture, make up an elite class with shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and power. They dominate universities, media, education, Big Business, Big Sport, and Hollywood. Some scholars such as Charles Murray, and political commentators such as Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson, have come to use the term ruling class or new ruling class to describe this pan-institutional and bipartisan elite. They define class as a matter of power and attitudes, differences in access to government and education, habits, and tastes. By contrast, Marxists saw the central divide as one between owners of capital and those who worked for themcapitalists and wage-workers or, in previous class societies, between slaves and slave-owners or feudal lords and serfs. Americas Ruling Class Angelo Codevilla, political philosopher, former senior intelligence official, and critic of the main schools of foreign policy, died in a traffic accident on Sept. 21, 2021. In addition to his books, articles, and speeches on statecraft and the foreign policy establishment, Codevilla provided an influential conservative analysis of the central class divide in the United States. He published a brilliant and prescient essay (later a book) in 2010 that laid out his view of the U.S. ruling class. Codevilla emphasizes the power and attitude of the new ruling classits conviction of its own moral and intellectual superiority and its utter contempt for the rest of society. The ruling class, so understood, isnt defined by its ownership of capital or wealth. What really distinguishes these privileged people demographically is that whether in government directly or as officers in companies, their careers and fortunes depend on government, Codevilla wrote. They vote Democrat and draw their money and orientation from the same sources as the millions of teachers, consultants, and government employees in the middle ranks who aspire to be members of the ruling class and identify with what they take to be the grievances of the oppressed. Party and Class Democrats are the party of the ruling class, Codevilla argues, and the Republicans are their junior partner. Writing in 2010, he sees the mass of voters as unrepresented and voiceless. Most Democrat voters see their party as representing them well, but thats true of only a minority of Republican voters. Theres no party that represents and defends the views and values of the majoritypatriotic, putting the United States first in global economic and political matters, avoiding unnecessary and unwinnable wars, with a foreign policy that strengthens our friends and weakens our adversaries rather than the reverse, and thats consistently supportive of family, faith, and tradition. In short, the ruling class has a party, the Democrats. But some two-thirds of Americansa few Democratic voters, most Republican voters, and all independentslack a vehicle in electoral politics, Codevilla wrote. This divide and party difference persist in 2021, as reflected in the growing distrust of legacy media and other institutions. Only 6 percent of Republicans and 16 percent of all Americans trust TV news, according to a July Gallup poll. About one in five people trust newspapers. Relentless and gratuitous hostility toward President Donald Trump, contrasted with sycophantic coverage or the suppression of negative news about his successor in the White House (as in the Hunter Biden laptop scandal), no doubt accounts for much of this suspicion by Republicans and independents. Except for high bipartisan trust in the military and small businesses, the parties differ markedly on other institutions. Republicans have much more trust in the church and police. The election of Trump in 2016 suggested the possibility of weakening the establishment Republicans and turning the party into one that puts the countrys national interests first (as other countries do) and is socially conservative. Moving the party and country in a direction that reflects the views and values of most Americans, as expected, ran into fierce and unrelenting hostility within the administrative state, the media, the rest of the ruling class, and, not least, from establishment Republicans. There are formidable obstacles to sustaining a third party in the U.S. system, so conservative Republicans focus today on maintaining the support of working people, not least that of black and Latino families. Part of the task is to hold off attempts of the globalist and socially liberal old guard to regain control of the party. If those attempts fail, some former party leaders and Never Trumpers aim to sabotage the Republican Partys electoral efforts, supporting the Democrats or a third party in order to teach ordinary people a lesson. Attitude The ruling class grew and set itself apart from the rest of us by connection with ever bigger government, and above all by a certain attitude, according to Codevilla. Whether formally in government, out of it, or halfway, Americas ruling class speaks the language and has the tastes, habits, and tools of bureaucrats, he said. It rules uneasily over the majority of Americans not oriented to government. In terms of education, cultural tastes, and disdain for ordinary people (the working class, who, in Obamas memorable phrase, cling to guns or religion), the educated class is less diverse than ever. It aims to improve society, not by empowering ordinary people, but by managing them in their own best interests. This typically requires ever more centralized control of the state, with new or expanded programs and regulations. The recent threat by Attorney General Merrick Garland to use the FBI against concerned parents who challenge school boards is just one of several examples of recent abuse of federal power in ways not envisaged by the original legislation and that seem to contravene the Constitution. The Potter and the Clay In short, the attitude of the ruling class to those outside it is essentially that of potter to clay. But the potter in this case disdains and despises the clay even as he seeks to shape and control it to conform to his own desires. This attitude, seeking to limit democracy and to enhance instead the rule of experts and professionals, was common to the Progressives in the last century. As Woodrow Wilson, president of Princeton and then of the United States, put it, I have often said that the use of a university is to make young gentlemen as unlike their fathers as possible. The current administrations method illustrates this attitude. By using regulations and massive programs of increased debt and spending, the ruling class reserves for itself control over the economy and increasingly over more and more areas of everyday life. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The War on JeffersonIs Franklin Next? Commentary The final decision, after years of debate, was made on Oct. 8 to remove from the New York City Council chambers the statue of the man we all know to have been a dreaded slaveholderto the tune of 600 over his lifetimeThomas Jefferson. Despite that, writing at Bari Weisss Substack, political science professor Samuel Goldman, with whom I concur, is less than happy. The removal is disgraceful. Unlike monuments to Confederate leaders that display them in full military glory, Jefferson is depicted as a writer. Holding a quill pen in one hand and the Declaration of Independence in the other, he is clearly being honored for composing an immortal argument for liberty and equality. Ah, life, isnt it complicated? Just ask Sally Hemings. But you cant, obviously. Who knowsperhaps Jefferson went to his grave wishing he could have married Sally, his slave with whom he apparently had children. Sally may well have felt the same way. Nothing is simple. Like it or not, we are all creatures of our times. Thomas Jefferson was clearly a hypocrite, often tortured by his own hypocrisy, but he was also a genius whose writings offered great hope for humanity, all of humanity, despite the N.Y. City Councils Black, Latino, and Asian caucuses calling, as Goldman reminds us, the Declaration he authored the disgusting and racist basis on which America was founded. Having been a professional writer all my life and having had the good fortune to know many fine authors, playwrights, and essayists, some of color even, I know not one who has written anything nearly as powerful and evocative as We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Those words bring tears to my eyes, now more than ever, given the current state of our presidential rhetoric, which runs to Build back yknow the thing. What Jeffersons critics are unable to do, likely dont want to do, is practice what is known in psychoanalysis as containment and is defined in Websters as the act, process, or means of keeping something within limits. Someone with a relatively healthy mind is able to put historical revelations in context. Nothing appalls the woke more than that. They are always accusing the rest of us of contextualizing. But that is what adults do. We look at the past, evaluate it, try to take the best from it and avoid the worst, and move on. Thats the way to observe George Santayanas dictum Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. The left dont aim to remember the past. They aim to obliterate it. And thus, they are condemned to repeat it. As they are nowin the United States of Americato everybody elses dismay and horror. Who will be the next to go? Benjamin FranklinAmericas own DaVinci. No doubt hes in their crosshairs. (What about that poor little mouse from Ben and Me so many of us grew up with?) Fortunately, in the case of the Jefferson statue, it wont be destroyed, but removed to another location. (Wise move because these things often are walked back when people come to their senses.) And its not the original anyway, but a copy. The original is in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, waiting for The Squad to complain about its presence and/or existence, if they havent already. I learned something I hadnt known about that original from Goldmans article. It was commissioned by the French sculptor David dAngers in 1833 by Uriah P. Levy, a Jewish naval officer who suffered from antisemitism in his military career. That included six courts-martial, some apparently stemming from duels fought over religious slurs. Levy was devoted to Jeffersons memory, particularly because of the third presidents strong belief in religious freedom. But Levywho had commanded a vessel to suppress the slave tradehad some blemishes of his own. After Jeffersons death, he purchased more than a dozen slaves to work on the restoration of Monticello. Which, ironically, leads us to the present, when the crusade against Jefferson at the city council has been led by the pro-despot (Mugabe and Qaddafi), pro-Hamas, ally of the New Black Panther Party Assemblyman Charles Barron, who has claimed real Semites are black and accused Israel ofyou guessed itgenocide. How to explain, then, that the Arab population of Israel has grown considerably faster than the Jewish? Problem, no? Youd think after Auschwitz, the Jews would know how to do genocide. Slow learners, I guess. But no matter. Such things dont concern folks like Barron. (He also called Jefferson a pedophile who raped children.) Give me Thomas Jefferson, warts and all, over the Charles Barrons of the world any time. As for where the Jews fit into all this, I will have more to say when reporting from the Republican Jewish Coalitions annual conference in Las Vegas on Nov. 5. Its safe to say their kinsman Merrick Garland wont be popular with this group. He sure isnt with me. So, to paraphrase Sun Tzu, keep your Jefferson statues close and your Franklin statues closer. (And maybe keep a few Madisons in the closet.) Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Bar staff in PPE pour drinks at the reopening The Toll Gate, a Wetherspoons pub in Hornsey, north London, as CCP virus lockdown restrictions are eased across England, on July 4, 2020. (Aaron Chown/PA) UK Lawmakers Urge Government to Support Pubs With Tax Cuts More than 100 Conservative MPs have written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging him to support pubs cutting beer duty for draught pints. In a letter to Sunak, the MPs called for the government not to increase alcohol duties in next weeks budget and to cut the tax on draught sales to help pubs compete with supermarkets. Former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan-Smith and ex-Cabinet ministers Alun Cains and Karen Bradley are among the lawmakers who have signed the letter. Richard Holden, a Tory MP who orchestrated the campaign, said British pubs are the heart and soul of our communities, but government support for them has not been sufficient during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus. The support given to pubs through furlough and grants throughout the global pandemic has been great, but there is no denying that the hospitality sector has been hit harder than any other by the pandemic, he said. Holden said a cut in draught beer duty will not only significantly bolster our much-loved pubs across our towns and villages, but also have great knock-on effects for British agriculture and employment, especially for young people in our hospitality sector. The hospitality industry has been calling for more government support to enable them to compete with supermarkets, which have gained a significant amount of trade from pubs and restaurants as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions. Earlier this month, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which represents 170,000 pub goers and beer drinkers, urged the chancellor to use his budget to introduce a lower rate of beer duty where it is served on draught in places like pubs and social clubs. This would help pubs to compete with supermarkets, be a boost to local economies and job markets, and encourage responsible drinking in the regulated environment of the local pub, said CAMRA chairman Nik Antona. Even before the pandemic, there were calls for supermarkets to be taxed more for alcohol sales. In September 2019, the Social Market Foundation (SMF) think tank proposed a pub relief, which would make drinking at home less affordable and support the pub sector. The SMF said the government should shift taxation towards high-strength drinks bought for consumption at home, and away from weaker products bought in pubs. The Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS), which commissioned the research, said it would help to cut problem drinking. PA contributed to this report. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has increased its threats against Taiwan, with additional air incursions, escalating rhetoric, and nearby military exercises. This comes as the CCP faces growing economic concerns at home, including a worsening energy crisis and debt problems plaguing its real estate sector. As CCP leader Xi Jinping again calls for bringing Taiwan under Beijings fold under the narrative of reunification, the Taiwanese government is preparing militarily. Yet how likely would a CCP invasion of Taiwan be? Would other nations get involved? And what can we expect from both sides going forward? In this upcoming Epoch Times Live Q&A webinar, well explore the topic of the CCPs threats against Taiwan, and the deeper implications of a possible conflict with mainland China. Join host Joshua Philipp and guest speakers Captain James Fanell, Richard Bitzinger, and James Gorrie for this special online event. Join the event on Epoch TV: Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m. ET, on EpochTV.com Moderated by: Joshua Philipp, host of Crossroads, senior investigative reporter at The Epoch Times Distinguished Panelists: James Fanell, U.S. Navy Captain (Ret.), former director of intelligence and information operations for the U.S. Pacific Fleet Richard Bitzinger, visiting senior fellow with the Military Transformations Program at RSIS in Singapore James Gorrie, commentator with The Epoch Times and author of The China Crisis Were being heavily censored by Big Tech. Our solution? Create our own independent platform free of censorship. Join us today on EpochTV. Weve got a country to save: http://epochtv.com/Crossroads Follow EpochTV on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV Parler: https://parler.com/#/user/EpochTV Pedestrians walk by a "Now Hiring" sign outside a store in Arlington, Va., on Aug. 16, 2021. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) US Businesses Turn to Automation Amid Labor Shortage After September marked the end of additional pandemic-induced unemployment benefits, workers didnt flood the labor force as expected. According to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary released on Oct. 12 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 10.4 million job openings at the end of August, with 6.3 million hires. The lag in hiring highlights an ongoing challenge for businesses across the country: As businesses reopen, some industries are struggling to find and keep workers. However, a lack of applicants isnt always negative for companies and profits. The shift to software, machines, and contactless methods was already underway in certain fields pre-pandemic, and the health crisis simply spurred on the process. Prior to the pandemic, we had over 120 employees, Bret Bonnet, co-founder and president of Quality Logo Products, a Chicago-based company that prints logos on merchandise such as t-shirts, water bottles, and stress bottles, told The Epoch Times. Many of these positions were tasks that could have been automated, but the company was growing quickly and didnt have the bandwidth to pursue changes to certain processes. Our primary focus was on growth, and we simply plugged any holes or inefficiencies that popped up along the way with human capital, he said. The onset of the pandemic created a slowdown and with it, enough time for reassessment. During the height of the pandemic, we experienced a sizable decrease in business, Bonnet said. We used this opportunity to program and code many of these previous manual and human-controlled activities. Now 18 months later, the company employs 83 workers, and its managing a workload that is similar in size to its 2019 level of production. Thanks to additional automations, we anticipate additional reductions by the end of the year that could get our overall headcount below 50, he said. For other firms, having fewer staff members on site has led to a search for new efficiencies. On our website, we employ a chat feature, Isaiah Henry, CEO of Seabreeze Management, a California-based property management company that manages more than 90,000 commercial and residential properties, told The Epoch Times. While we do offer a live chat, if a customer wants to reach us outside of business hours, they can fill out a simple form and someone will get back to them as soon as possible. The asynchronous setup enables the company to avoid having to have staff available at all times to respond to chat messages. Seabreeze is also using improved response systems, including a form on the website that visitors can fill out to request a proposal. One of our team members will receive this form, input their data, and respond to the potential customer in a timely manner, Henry said. If we happen to be short-staffed that day, were not having someone wait on hold if they call us. New Shopping Model In some instances, the pandemic has opened the way to reimagine the entire customer journey. The fluctuations of the previous year and a half proved to be a time to build a new business model for Alexa Allamano, owner of the jewelry store Foamy Wader, which has a brick-and-mortar location in Whidbey Island, Washington. In late 2020, in response to COVID restrictions, I set up my window display with scannable QR codes, Allamano told The Epoch Times. Window display with scannable QR codes at the jewelry store Foamy Wader. (Courtesy of Alexa Allamano) The setup presented a true window shopping experience: Passersby could use their smartphone camera to scan the QR code next to an item in the window and be led to that exact item on the Foamy Wader website, where they could purchase it. Once ordered, the jewelry and other merchandise could be sent to the customer or be made ready for pick up at the store. I utilize my storefront window display to create an alfresco shopping space right from the sidewalk, Allamano said. Shoppers can make purchases at any time, and Allamano often sees a spike in orders around the dinner hour, as the store is located near a restaurant. Business has returned to pre-pandemic levels while I am available in-store by appointment only, she said. Customers have been so satisfied with the QR code window shopping concept that Allamano wrote a guidebook (available at ScanToShopSolution.com) for retailers who want to incorporate the method. She has also guest-taught webinars on the subject. Its been a game-changer for my business, she said. I dont have to spend time waiting for people to come through the door. I have the flexibility to work at times that best suit the needs of my family and leave new customer acquisition to the windows. Across industries, the staffing shortages could be a temporary pain, as firms further embrace automation and its benefits. I think many businesses are going to accelerate their plans to program out and eliminate many well-paying positions in the next five or six years, Bonnet said. If we dont begin to re-tool and re-train our workforce, were going to be in for a world of hurt. US Intelligence Agency Warns Companies on Chinas Comprehensive Efforts to Acquire Critical Technologies The National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) launched an outreach campaign on Oct. 22 to warn and instruct U.S. organizations engaged in critical and emerging technologies about the dangers posed by foreign states counterintelligence operations. In recent months, NCSC has begun engagements with various entities in these sectors to provide information on nation-state threats to their organizations and ways to mitigate risks, said Dean Boyd, chief communications executive for the NCSC, in an email to The Epoch Times. We plan to step up our engagements and broaden our reach going forward. Our goal is to reach the broadest audience possible. The NCSC warned that China and Russia, in particular, were seeking to steal or otherwise co-opt American technologies for their own ends, and could supersede the United States in key fields within the next decade. American technological dominance is under threat by strategic competitors like the PRC [Peoples Republic of China], which possesses the might, talent, and ambition to potentially surpass the U.S. as the worlds leader in AI in the next decade if current trends do not change, said a NCSC factsheet released to promote the campaign. The NCSCs warning echoes sentiments recently expressed by former chief software officer of the Air Force, Nicolas Chaillan, who resigned from his post, and claimed that the United States would lose a future war with China if it did not work to immediately secure and enhance its cyber capabilities. Boyd underscored the severity of the situation by noting that the NCSC had knowledge of multiple instances in which American technology was co-opted and utilized by the Chinese regime. There are multiple examples in which technology, data, talent and intellectual capital from these emerging U.S. technology sectors have been acquired by the PRC government and put to use in fulfilling the PRCs national and geopolitical goals, he said. The factsheet, titled Protecting Critical and Emerging U.S. Technologies from Foreign Threats, said that China and Russia were leveraging legal, quasi-legal, and illegal means to supplant U.S. dominance in five key sectors. Those sectors were artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, bioeconomy, semiconductors, and quantum. With US leadership in emerging #tech sectors facing growing challenges, @NCSCgov today announced it is focusing its industry outreach efforts on several key tech sectors where the stakes are potentially greatest for US economic & national security. See: https://t.co/f4M70Och3M pic.twitter.com/2LDYRKaZtx NCSC (@NCSCgov) October 22, 2021 It warned that the ability of American companies and research organizations to effectively secure their products and intellectual property would play a paramount role in whether the United States continued to maintain a technological advantage over its competitors and adversaries. These sectors produce technologies that may determine whether America remains the worlds leading superpower or is eclipsed by strategic competitors in the next few years, the factsheet said. The NCSC, which is part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, stressed that it is not urging companies to decouple from China completely, but that it is seeking to engage American organizations to better protect critical and emerging technologies. An increasing number of security experts have recommended that the United States halt and ban all transfers of AI and other technologies to China. This is because Chinese national security laws require that companies engaged in business in China share information with the government, military, and intelligence agencies, experts say. These laws also extend to Chinese nationals abroadsuch as Chinese investors who give money to American startups and thus gain access to intellectual property associated with their investmentswho could be forced by the Chinese regime to divulge that information. Boyd said that some of the organizations contacted as part of the campaign already conduct business in mainland China, while others did not. He also noted that some companies had a firm understanding of related security issues, while others were wholly unaware of Chinas national security and intelligence laws. The NCSC factsheet noted the laws, and warned that they were a key factor in Chinas continued ability to challenge U.S. dominance. The PRC ranks as the primary strategic competitor to the United States because it has a well-resourced and comprehensive strategy to acquire and use technology to advance its national goals, including technology transfers and intelligence gathering through its Military-Civil Fusion Policy and a National Intelligence Law requiring all Chinese entities to share technology and information with the PRC military, intelligence, and security services. In all, the NCSCs campaign is in line with the 2020-2022 National Counterintelligence Strategy, which calls for critical infrastructure, supply chains, the economy, and cyber operations to be taken into account along with traditional counterintelligence capabilities. As such, the NCSC is encouraging U.S.-based companies and research organizations working in the related sectors to prioritize security best practices, seek to mitigate insider threat, and maintain connections with the U.S. government regarding continuing and emerging threats. The American flag flies outside the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. on March 22, 2019. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images) US Justice Department Charges Five Individuals For Alleged Venezuela Bribery Scheme The U.S. Justice Department announced on Thursday that it was charging three Colombians and two Venezuelans for money laundering in connection with a Venezuela bribery scheme. The individuals allegedly laundered the proceeds of inflated contracts through a Venezuelan state-owned food and medicine distribution program called CLAP. In order to operate through CLAP, DOJ said the individuals bribed Venezuelan government officials to obtain the contract. The defendants were: Alvaro Pulido Vargas, 57, of Colombia; Jose Gregorio Vielma-Mora, 55, of Venezuela; Emmanuel Enrique Rubio Gonzalez, 32, of Colombia; Carlos Rolando Lizcano Manrique, 50, of Colombia; and Ana Guillermo Luis, 49, of Venezuela. The defendants and their co-conspirators knowingly inflated the costs of the contracts to pay the bribes and unjustly enrich themselves, said the Justice Department. The money laundering began around July 2015 and continued until at least 2020, said the Justice Department. The indictment stated that the five individuals and their co-conspirators received $1.6 billion from Venezuela and transferred $180 million through or to bank accounts in the U.S. Each of the defendants was charged in a five-count indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and four counts of money laundering. If convicted, they will each face a maximum penalty of 100 years in prison. One of the defendants, Vargas, was sanctioned in Britain in July this year for exploiting two of Venezuelas public programs that were intended to help poor Venezuelans with affordable food and housing. They benefitted from improperly awarded contracts, where promised goods were delivered at highly inflated prices, said the UK Foreign Office in a statement. Their actions caused further suffering to already poverty-stricken Venezuelans, for their own private enrichment. In 2019, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Vargas who was accused of being a profiteer orchestrating a vast corruption network that has enabled former President Nicolas Maduro (Maduro) and his regime to significantly profit from food imports and distribution in Venezuela. Vargas business associate, Alex Saab, was reported to have close ties with Maduros regime. Saab was frequently paying bribes and kickbacks to Government of Venezuela officials, to win overvalued government contracts, according to a statement by the U.S. Treasury Department. Defendant Jose Gregorio Vielma-Mora was sanctioned by Canada in 2017 for significant corruption and violations of human rights in Venezuela, which are contributing to the serious crisis in that country. President Joe Biden delivers his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. (Rob Carr/Getty Images) When Unity Means One-Party Rule Commentary You cant say he didnt warn us. Its true that, in his inaugural address, President Joe Bidens call for unity, coming as it did after a period of great civil strife and contention, sounded like a promise. Its only taken us nine months to discover that the promised unity was really a threat. You may remember that, having cited the challenges to the nation of the pandemic and its economic consequences, the alleged 400 years deferral of racial justice, the alleged clearly audible cry for survival from planet earth, and the alleged rise of (right-wing) political extremism, Biden went on to say the following: To overcome these challengesto restore the soul and to secure the future of Americarequires more than words. It requires that most elusive of things in a democracy: Unity. Now we know why he didnt mention the reason why unity is that most elusive of things in a democracy. Its that democracy is built on the assumption of disunity and is nothing but a fantasy, a buzz word, without it. If the nation were truly united, there would be no need to count votes. Our leaders would be elected by acclamation. Democracy is our way of dealing peacefully with the permanent state of division and discord and disunity in which we find ourselves, just as our ancestors who designed the American democracy did. We agree to allow the most numerous of the divided segments of our population to choose those who will be in charge of us all. But we do not live in a pure democracy and never have. There are protections built into our systemthe separation of powers, for instanceto prevent the majority faction from tyrannizing over the minority. These protections, like voting itself, would be unnecessary if there were unity. Even in war-time, when the nation is under existential threat, the necessary unity in opposing an external enemy is limited to unity against that threat. A greater unity than thata unity on all the inevitably contentious issues of the daywill always be beyond our reach. Unless. Unless, by rhetorical legerdemain, some demagogue can persuade people that all those contentious issues mentioned by the President in Januaryhow to deal with the pandemic and resulting economic disruption, how to achieve racial justice, how to ensure the survival of the planet, and how to deal with extremistsare really existential threats in disguise. Unless he can persuade them that these things will destroy us as a nation if we dont oppose them as we would any external enemy: with resolution and a unified will of all Americans. Unless, too, by further linguistic trickery, he can persuade people that this marshaling of one half of America to cancel the other half as a threat to its existence is somehow consistent with democracy. For on the whole, people are pretty well satisfied with our American democracy and with the way it has functioned for the last 232 years. It wont do to tell them that youve decided to trade in the old democratic-republican jalopy for a sleek new roadster called Unity. Thats why Mr. Biden began the same speech with the curious tautology that his presence on the inaugural stage meant that democracy had triumphed. As if that statement could mean anything but the obvious: I got more votes than that other guy. Well, if we didnt know it before we know now what he really meant. We know now what this administration and its many friends in the media mean by the word democracy. They mean rule by Democrats. Here are a few headlines that have appeared in recent weeks: Fiona Hill in Politico: If [Donald Trump] Makes a Successful Return in 2024, Democracys Done Robert Reich in the (UK) Observer: Supreme court, Facebook, Fed: three horsemen of democracys apocalypse Joshua A. Douglas at CNN: Supreme Court deals blow to American democracy Matt Ford in The New Republic: [Supreme Court Justice] Samuel Alitos Boundless Contempt for Democracy William Saletan in Slate: Trump Is Working Harder Than Ever to Undermine Democracy In every one of these cases, democracy is identified with what the author agrees with, the alleged threat to it with what the author does not agree with. In other words: democracy is us; non-democracy is the other people, the ones who have to be cancelled for the sake of Unity. Only in the last of the examples above do the alleged threats threaten democracy as traditionally understood: rule by the majority. And even there, author William Saletan sees former President Trump as only the local incarnation of an international authoritarian threat, even if he was legitimately elected. His main gripe, however, is against Trumps continual repetition of his claim that the election of 2020 was fraudulent. But if he genuinely believes that the election was stolen, doesnt that mean thataccording to his own lights anywayhe is working harder than ever to restore, not to undermine democracy? Saletan obviously disagrees with him, but that doesnt automatically give him the right to speak for democracy. His language is not that of rational argument and is no less stridently partisan than that of any Trump-sympathizing extremist. Democracy is also said to be under threat from laws passed by Republican-majority state legislatures to ensure the security of electionsso that those not legally eligible to vote dont vote, or that eligible voters dont vote more than once. These dangerous Republican moves to take away voting rights threaten our democracy and the rights and freedom of every American, and must be met with a new national voting rights campaign like the one Dr. Martin Luther King led in the 1960s, writes Donna Brazile in USA Today. If what Republicans intend to be reasonable measures to protect democracy are considered as threats to democracybecause they might depress Democratic vote totals arrived at by more dubious means, such as postal voting and ballot harvestingyou can be pretty sure its not really democracy theyre talking about. Its President Bidens Unity. The unity of one-party rule. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Alec Baldwin attends the NYU Tisch School of the Arts 50th Anniversary Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Centers Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York on April 4, 2016. (Andy Kropa/Invision/AP) Woman Dead, Man Injured After Alec Baldwin Fires Gun on Movie Set: Sheriffs Office A woman is dead and a man was injured after they were accidentally shot by a firearm discharged by actor Alec Baldwin on a movie set in New Mexico on Thursday. The incident took place on the movie set of Rust. According to the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to a hospital and died of her injuries. Director Joel Souza, 48, was receiving emergency care at another hospital. Halyna Hutchins at the 70th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 20, 2017. (Anthony Harvey/Getty Images) Hutchins died at University of New Mexico Hospital. Souza was taken to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. The victims were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alex Baldwin, 68, producer and actor. Filming was scheduled to continue into early November, according to the New Mexico Film Office, but now production of the Western movie has been halted. The Santa Fe County Sheriffs Officers respond to the scene of a fatal accidental shooting at a Bonanza Creek Ranch movie set near Santa Fe, N.M. on Oct. 21, 2021. (Luis Sanchez-Saturno/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP) A spokesperson for Baldwin said there was an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Baldwin was seen Thursday outside the sheriffs office in tears. Attempts to get a comment from him were unsuccessful. Sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios told the Albuquerque Journal, According to investigators, it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged. Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged. Rios said that deputies responded around 2 p.m. local time to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 reports of a person being shot on set. No one has been arrested and no charges have been filed in the incident. The Sheriffs office said that the incident remains under an open and active investigation as of late Thursday. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Members of the Stony Brook University College RepublicansGabriel Vieira (L), Thalyann Olivo (2nd L), Kenny Rothwell (3rd R), Sara Adcock (2nd R) and Anushka Bhatt (R)give the President Trump-style "thumbs up" on the campus in Stony Brook, New York, on Oct. 13, 2021. (Dave Paone/Epoch Times) Young Republicans Stick Together in Deep Blue New York Gavin Wax is president of the New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC) and a regular target of far-left extremist group Antifa. They covered my whole neighborhood with posters claiming I was all sorts of things, Wax told The Epoch Times. Meet your new neighbor. It was just a whole slew of libel and defamation. They posted my address; they posted my job, he said. Living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan places Wax in the heart of the most liberal city in America. Its an uphill fight, but it makes things interesting. Having been a guest on cable news channels Waxs politics are no secret, which has led to problems, both personal and professional. Ive lost friends, Ive lost job opportunities, Ive been pushed out of jobs, Ive gotten dirty looks. The whole gamut of things you can imagine from being a political minority in an overwhelmingly left-wing city, said the 27-year-old. The NYYRC bills itself as Americas Oldest and Largest Young Republican Club. It was founded in 1911, however, its roots go back as far as 1856. Before Wax and his administration took the helm in 2019, he said the club had fewer than 50 members and was a run-down group, kind of a drinking club and described it as basically dead. Wax and his people have changed all of that. There are now almost 1000 members, they hold $100,000 annual galas and the club regularly has speaker events. Kat Timpf was one of three speakers in Waxs first event in 2019. Shes within the demographic. We go 18 to 40 so shes well within the demographic, he said. Anushka Bhatt, of Syosset, Long Island, was too young to vote in the 2016 presidential election. But by 2020, she had become of age and not only voted for President Trump in his reelection effort, but became a registered Republican. Now shes vice president of the Stony Brook College Republicans, a club at Stony Brook University on Long Island. Bhatt is not alone. There are about 50 active members in the club and about 500 are on the mailing list. With the exception of schools such as Hillsdale College in Michigan, young conservatives are travelers in a hostile land when theyre on college campuses as well as in the workplace, so many of them feel they have to hide their political views for fear of being ostracized. The problem Ive always had is you have to be secret about who you are, Stony Brook senior Gabriel Vieira told The Epoch Times. Vieira interned at Amazon, but when it came time for management to hire employees from the intern pool, he didnt get a job. He had kept his Republican status on the quiet, but thinks word had gotten out and thats what did him in. Its well known that being a Republican is one of the most taboo things, said the 21-year-old business major. Sometimes college campuses arent the safest place for Republicans. During the Trump years, Republicans were often attacked by liberal students who preached tolerance but did not practice it. Charlie Kirk, co-founder of the conservative, campus-based groups Turning Point USA, has stated in the media that several of its membersas well as students looking to start chaptershave been assaulted by other students. He has video evidence to support these allegations. Lauren Pena, a fourth-year journalism major at SBU, told The Epoch Times of an attack she witnessed on campus a few weeks ago. Turning Point USA was there asking students to participate in a poll regarding transgender athletes. Someone who took offence at this poll hurled a can of Arizona iced tea at the Turning Point USA members, but struck a student who was participating in the poll, instead. University police were called. The guy who did it ended up running off, said the 20-year-old. Where theres a NYYRC event, theres also Antifa. They have intimidation tactics, he said. These included threats of terrorism and calling the venues and harassing the managements, leading Wax to hire armed, private security to defend the attendees. Theyve protested outside of events, said Wax. Many Americans have the perception that the Republican Party is comprised of old, white males and that people such as Candace Owens are a negligible percentage. SBUs club debunks that myth. For starters, everyone is in his 20s or younger. But the real difference comes with the members heritage. Bhatt is the daughter of Indian immigrants, secretary Thalyann Olivo is of Puerto Rican descent and freshman Elhussein Abdelhamid is an immigrant from Egypt. Of the 25 members who attended last weeks meeting, about half were white males the rest were males and females of an assortment of races. A couple of years ago I was super liberal, super left-leaning, Abdelhamid told The Epoch Times. I believed in socialism like crazy; I was a crazy socialist. Abdelhamid decided he wanted to debate conservatives so he could embarrass them. He knew he had to fully understand his opponents point of view in order to destroy it. But once he took a good, hard look at Republican arguments, he kept shifting and shifting and shifting, until he became a full-on Republican, a full-on Trump supporter. Im brown and you usually dont encounter brown people who like Trump, he said. The membership of the NYYRC also debunks the old, white-male myth. We have a Hispanic caucus; we have an Asian caucus, said Wax. In addition to its political actions, a by-product of the club is several romances have blossomed between members, some even leading to marriage. Regardless of being the political minority in New York, Wax remains optimistic. Were in the belly of the beast, said Wax. I think the fact that were in a city thats very hostile to us politically gives us an edge. Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo NORWALK The efficiency study ordered by the city and its public schools is underway and expected to be completed by spring 2022. A comprehensive study of this order is expected to take at least six months to complete, said Josh Morgan, director of communications for the city. BRUSSELS (AP) European Union leaders struggled to find a common ground during a long debate Thursday on how to ease the pain of soaring energy bills. The hours-long energy discussion at the EU leaders summit came amid spiraling prices that are pummeling households and businesses still reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In need of immediate solutions, leaders are also seeking to safeguard energy supplies to the 27-nation bloc by speeding up the transition away from polluting fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives. To help consumers and companies this winter, leaders agreed that tax cuts, state aid and other measures like bill payment deferrals proposed by the European Commission would be useful on both the short and longer terms. In their conclusions, they asked the EUs executive arm to look into the gas and electricity markets, as well as the blocs emissions trading program, under which companies pay for carbon dioxide they emit. The aim is to check whether manipulation of the market could have influenced the carbon price increase. But there was no mention of setting up a joint procurement program for gas reserves, an idea recently proposed by Spain. The talks came just 10 days ahead of the opening of a U.N. climate summit that is widely seen as the last chance to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU's executive and its member states already are working to ease the burden of soaring energy bills on households and businesses. She said leaders also will have to look at the way energy markets function but stressed that in the mid and long term, it is very clear that the strategy has to be to invest massively in clean and renewable energy produced in Europe. The debate on spiraling energy prices also took place against a backdrop of frosty relations with Russia, a key supplier of gas to Europe. Von der Leyen said Wednesday that with the bloc importing 90% of its gas much of it from strategic rival Russia this makes us vulnerable. Gas makes up one quarter of all European energy consumption. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called the energy price explosion this year the consequence "of a big geopolitical game. Von der Leyen has said that while Norway had raised its gas exports to the bloc to meet increased demand, Russia's Gazprom had not gone beyond honoring its long-term contracts with the EU. Gas prices have soared this year to 95 euros from about 19 euros per megawatt hour, affecting everything from household heating bills to farmers and food producers. The EU's executive commission says that lower-income households are hardest hit because they spend a higher proportion of their income on energy. Many countries have already offered energy tax cuts to ease the pain. While all leaders want to minimize the impact of soaring energy prices on their populations, they differ on how to do it. Entering Thursdays summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the issue of soaring energy prices should be differentiated from the long-term fight against climate change. I think that we should react calmly; we in Germany will do so in any case, she said. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country is among those that are helping households and businesses foot rising power bills. But he added that long-term solutions must also be found. And in the long term, there is only one solution invest more in renewable energy so we are less vulnerable to price fluctuations for fossil fuels, he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blamed the hike specifically on the Commissions Green Deal plans that includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and making the bloc carbon neutral by 2050. The current crisis has reignited a debate on whether the EU should promote nuclear power projects as a way of becoming more energy independent. That could be done by making them eligible for billions of euros as part of the European Green Deal and coronavirus recovery fund. Two years ago, leaders agreed that nuclear energy could be part of the EUs efforts to become carbon-neutral. However, they have yet to decide whether nuclear projects can be included in the so-called taxonomy, a classification system attempting to define what activities can qualify for sustainable investment. France recently asked for the inclusion of nuclear power in the taxonomy framework by the end of the year, leading the charge with nine other EU countries Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Energy ministers from the bloc will meet as early as next week to continue the talks, with leaders set to reassess the situation at their next summit in December. ___ Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands. ___ Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died Thursday after Alec Baldwin fired a loaded weapon that was handed to him by an assistant director who mistakenly believed it was safe to use on the New Mexico set of Rust. Director Joel Souza was also hit and injured but has since been released from the hospital. While many things still aren't known police are investigating the AP looks at the use of firearms on film and television productions and the safety protocols in place. WHAT IS A PROP FIREARM? Its a loose definition and could apply to anything from a rubber toy to a real firearm that can fire a projectile. However, if it's used for firing (even just blanks) it's considered a real gun. Chris Burbank, a former police chief in Salt Lake City who has consulted on several TV productions, said firearms for simulations during police trainings or film productions are often made so that they can only be loaded with blanks. WHAT ARE BLANKS AND CAN THEY KILL? A blank is a type of gun cartridge that contains gunpowder but no bullet. Still, it can serious hurt or kill someone who is close by, according to the Actors' Equity Association. Film firearms-safety coordinator Dave Brown wrote in a 2019 piece for American Cinematographer that, Blanks expel gunpowder and hot gases out of the front of the barrel in a cone shape. This is harmless at longer ranges, but the explosion can seriously injure someone if its too close. IN THIS INSTANCE, WERE BLANKS FIRED? The gun was loaded with live rounds, court records released Friday show. According to the records, the gun was one of three that the films armorer had set on a cart outside the wooden structure where a scene was being acted. Assistant director Dave Halls grabbed the gun from the cart and brought it inside to Baldwin, unaware that it was loaded with live rounds, a detective wrote in the search warrant application. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WEAPONS ON SET? Generally, a weapons master or armorer oversees all weapons that are used on a production. This can mean anything from selecting the correct items for a certain period in history, to taking care of the weapons on set and making sure they are being used safely and properly by actors and stuntpeople. It's a fairly new position in the history of film production, going back only to the 1980s. Before that, the prop master handled everything. Recently, its become more common to enlist specialists. WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR FIREARMS ON SET? The weapons master is required to be on set whenever a weapon is being used. The Actors' Equity Association's guidelines state that, Before each use, make sure the gun has been test-fired off stage and then ask to test fire it yourself. Watch the prop master check the cylinders and barrel to be sure no foreign object or dummy bullet has become lodged inside." Further, All loading of firearms must be done by the property master, armorer or experienced persons working under their direct supervision. HOW DOES ONE BECOME A WEAPONS MASTER? According to Backstage magazine, theres no formal path but it is common to have internships and apprenticeships or a background in stunt work, the military, police or security. Weapons masters are required to abide by state and federal laws and hold proper operating permits. WHY WOULD THE GUN HAVE BEEN POINTING AT THE CINEMATOGRAPHER? We dont know what happened on the set of Rust, but it is fairly common to have a gun pointed at the camera, and by extension the cinematographer, to get a certain angle. Weve all seen the very famous shots in films where you get that dramatic effect of a gun being pointed at you, the audience, and of course, its being pointed towards the camera, explained Steven Hall, a veteran second unit director and cinematographer who has worked on films like Fury and Thor: The Dark World. To minimize that, one would put a remote camera in that place, or at least if someone does have to operate the camera, Im normally protected by safety goggles, a safety visor and often a PERSPEX screen that withstands pretty much anything. Obviously, it wouldnt withstand a real shot from a gun, but it would certainly withstand a blank. GIVEN THE MANY REGULATIONS, HOW COULD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN? While the specific circumstances of the Rust shooting are still unknown, professionals in the business say that sometimes the crew and production are encouraged to speed things up for any number of reasons which can sometimes lead to relaxed safety protocols. DOES IT MAKE IT MORE COMPLICATED WHEN ITS A PERIOD PIECE? Rust is set in the 1880s and according to Hall, when period weapons are used you have to use actual historic period weapons and to check the safety of those weapons. I have known live rounds to be fired out of revolvers, certainly, to make sure that they do function in a way that when you put a blank in, it isnt going to blow up or explode in the actors hands. WHY DO PRODUCTIONS EVEN USE REAL GUNFIRE WHEN SPECIAL EFFECTS ARE AVAILABLE? It is becoming more common to add in gunfire in post-production when working on the visual effects. But visual effects can be expensive and it can be easier, and cheaper, to use props. Also, Dormer says that there can be advantages to using props and blanks, like getting an authentic reaction from an actor. HOW IS HOLLYWOOD RESPONDING? There has been an outpouring of dismay and anger from all levels of the industry that something like this could have happened. Director James Gunn tweeted that his greatest fear is that someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets. Alex Winter tweeted that, Crew should never be unsafe on set and when they are there is always a clearly definable reason why. - AP reporters Lizzie Knight and Adam Egan contributed from London and Lindsay Whitehurst from Salt Lake City. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) The FBI on Thursday identified human remains found in a Florida nature preserve as those of Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the death of girlfriend Gabby Petito while the couple was on a cross-country road trip. The remains, a backpack and notebook believed to belong to Laundrie were discovered Wednesday in a Florida wilderness park, according to the FBI. The area where they were found had been under water during earlier searches. The FBI's Denver office said in a news release a comparison of dental records confirmed that the remains were Laundrie. A lawyer for his parents, Steve Bertolino, also confirmed in a statement they were told the remains were those of their son. We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundries privacy at this time, the statement said. The FBI statement did not list a cause of death. It wasn't clear how long the remains may have been submerged in water. The discovery of the remains concluded a massive search involving federal, state and local law enforcement that began shortly after Laundrie disappeared Sept. 14, two weeks after the 23-year-old returned alone to his parents home in North Port, Florida. The investigation into Petito's slaying, however, is not yet concluded. But only Laundrie has ever been identified by law enforcement officials as a person of interest in the case. Petitos family reported her missing Sept. 11, launching a search that garnered worldwide media attention and, in Laundrie's case, focused largely on the Carlton Reserve wilderness park near the Laundrie home. It is a densely wooded, swampy area that's home to alligators, coyotes, bobcats, snakes and numerous other creatures. The couple first met as teenagers on Long Island, New York, and more recently moved to Florida's Gulf Coast to live with his parents. They first gained an online following while on their trip in a converted Ford Transit van in videos filled with happy scenes that may have concealed deeper problems. After Petito disappeared, the case became a true-crime obsession on social media. The intense focus on Petitos case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing Indigenous women and other people of color. Petito, 22, was white. Her body was found Sept. 19 on the edge of Wyomings Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. The coroner there concluded she died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks. The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no domestic violence charges were filed. The police department there is conducting an internal review to determine if policy was followed. Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the van the couple took on their trip, which was later impounded by authorities. He was reported missing after telling his parents that he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve. Dozens of unconfirmed tips poured into authorities about spotting Laundrie from Wyoming to the Appalachian Trail, but none panned out. The remains were found Wednesday as searches concentrated on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found. That park is directly adjacent to the Carlton Reserve, both of which are about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Sarasota, Florida. Laundrie was charged in a federal Wyoming indictment with unauthorized use of a debit card, which alleged Laundrie used a Capital One Bank card and someones personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000. It does not say to whom the card belonged or what type of charges were made. Had Laundrie lived, that indictment would have permitted authorities to arrest him. A man who pleaded guilty to posting threats on social media in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol was sentenced Thursday to 14 months in prison, the longest term to date resulting from the federal investigation of the insurrection. Troy Smocks of Dallas traveled to the nation's capital before the Jan. 6 siege but he was not accused of storming the building to support the false claims that President Donald Trump had won reelection. Smocks has been in jail since his arrest Jan. 15. One of the few Black people among the 600-plus defendants charged so far, Smocks argued that his treatment has been unfair compared with others who did enter the Capitol. Im no Dr. King, but we do share same the skin color and the same idea of justice. I just want to be treated equally, he said at his sentencing. But U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said she had not seen a scintilla of evidence that prosecutions had been racially motivated and she noted that Smocks expressed little remorse. People died fighting for civil rights, she said. For you to hold yourself up as somehow a soldier in that fight is very audacious. The sentence exceeded what prosecutors requested the time he has already served in jail, during which he tested positive for COVID-19. On Jan. 6, Smocks posted threats to hunt these cowards down, targeting RINOS, Dems, and Tech Execs words that were viewed tens of thousands of times on the social network Parler. RINO stands for Republican In Name Only." Smocks has a two-decade-long criminal history, and prosecutors said he had bought a plane ticket to leave the country shortly before his arrest. His social media accounts indicated he had been a colonel, but authorities found no record of military service. Prosecutors found evidence he had long passed himself off as veteran and had a history of fraud-related convictions from the 1980s to 2006, though he had stayed out of legal trouble over the past two decades. Smocks' sentence was the longest since an eight-month term handed down in July to a crane operator from Florida who breached the U.S. Senate chamber while carrying a Trump campaign flag. 5 1 of 5 Grace Duffield / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Grace Duffield / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Grace Duffield / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 5 of 5 NEW CANAAN The cause of a fire that left a townhouse on Park Street uninhabitable on Thursday is under investigation, according to Fire Marshal Paul Payne. Payne said heavy flames were lapping up the wall in the back of the building where the kitchen is located around noon when firefighters arrived to Unit 7 of 194 Park Street. The front door and windows facing the street were also damaged, the fire marshal said. BOISE, Idaho (AP) A far-right group launched by anti-government activist Ammon Bundy is rapidly expanding nationwide and making inroads into Canada, according to a new report from the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. The quick growth happened despite legal problems faced by some prominent People's Rights leaders, and continued even as some of the organization's Facebook groups were removed from the social media platform. The organization has grown by roughly 53% in the past year in large part because of continued anti-public health sentiment, according to the report. People's Rights started in deep-red Idaho, which remains one of the least-vaccinated states with only about 43% of its population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The group now includes activists in 38 states, according to the report. I think the report underestimates their overall strength, because they've also built out alliances with a range of groups from the Tea Party to the Proud Boys and anti-vax groups, said Chuck Tanner, IREHR's research director. In certain places they are able to mobilize at levels that make an impact on policy. People's Rights started in 2020 amid a wave of backlash against public health measures taken at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Started by Bundy who is best known for leading a group of armed activists in the occupation of an Oregon wildlife refuge in 2016, and now is one of many candidates running in Idaho's gubernatorial race the group frequently staged protests at public health districts, state Capitol buildings, schools and public officials' homes. The IREHR report analyzed internal membership data from the People's Rights network. Bundy did not immediately respond to phone and email messages left by The Associated Press. Last year, the organization had just under 22,000 members nationally, according to a report by IREHR and the Montana Human Right's Network. Now it has grown by roughly 53%, according to the new IREHR report, with more than 33,000 members including nearly 400 official leaders in 38 states. It also includes more than 100 members in Canada largely in Ontario even though most of its political ideology centers on fringe interpretations of the U.S. Constitution and Christian nationalism, according to the report. We noticed three or four months ago that they started having Canadian provinces listed on their website. It's not big, but it's kind of strange, Tanner said. Peoples Rights is still mostly focused in the northwestern states, particularly Idaho, where Bundy lives and roughly 17 out of every 10,000 are members, according to the report. Most of the growth has been around COVID-19-related activism, said Tanner. There's been rapid growth in places that didn't have very many members to begin with, but there's also been significant growth in areas that we know are really organized on the ground, like southern Washington and central Oregon," Tanner said. "They've really built this COVID-denial activism, and as a group are playing an outsized role in the attack on public health measures to address the pandemic. Prominent members of the organization have faced serious legal woes. In Idaho, Sean Anderson dropped from a leadership role after he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in a police shootout last year. Another prominent People's Rights activist, Pam Hemphill, is facing several federal charges after prosecutors said she took part in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Hemphill has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Earlier this year, Bundy was convicted of trespassing and obstructing officers after prosecutors said he refused to leave a closed room at the Idaho Statehouse following protests that were attended by hundreds, including many People's Rights members. That hasn't seemed to slow the organization's growth, Tanner said. The organization has promoted extreme political concepts including state secession and the repeal of the 14th, 15th and 19th Amendments, Tanner said. The People's Rights website calls on members to be ready to defend themselves and others against government officials. What People's Rights does is spread really radical ideas about overturning civil rights in the United States, Tanner said. This is a broad-based, anti-Democratic and bigoted social movement. But Joe Lowndes, a political science professor at the University of Oregon who researches conservatism and right-wing movements, said it's not clear if the organization's growth will have staying power in a post-pandemic world. People's Rights were kind of early adopters of the anti-mask, anti-vaccine movements, and they've been able to build through that to push this vague, conspiratorial, anti-government idea, said Lowndes. But it's hard to say how that's able to sustain itself in the long run. I can't see that there's much staying power beyond the issue of the pandemic, unless it's kind of that general, apocalyptic-prepper stuff. In places like Idaho, where some far-right political factions already had a stronghold, it's difficult to tell if People's Rights was leading the anti-pandemic movement or just going along with the far-right flow, said Jaclyn Kettler, a Boise State University political scientist. It's a little hard right now to trace what impacts they had compared to others with similar sorts of ideologies, Kettler said. It will be interesting to see what happens long-term here. For instance, a lot of the Tea Party organizations aren't active like they were in 2010, but we can still see the influence of them. Danbury was the latest municipality in Connecticut to lift its indoor mask mandate, joining the likes of Brookfield, Bethel, New Fairfield, Redding, Ridgefield and other towns and cities. Amid a rise in cases in August, municipalities were given latitude to institute mask mandates, but now as infections drop, many of those orders are being lifted. But infectious disease specialists say its too soon. I think it is too soon to lift an indoor mask mandate in our state, said Dr. Scott Roberts, associate medical director for infection prevention at Yale New Haven Hospital. COVID-19 metrics hospitalizations, cases and deaths have improved with widespread vaccinations, but the virus has not been fully suppressed in Connecticut, and some experts believe theyll get worse. I do believe starting at the end of this month our numbers are going to rise, said Dr. Ulysses Wu, head of infectious disease at Hartford HealthCare. I hope Im wrong. Colder weather is an aspect of that prediction, according to Roberts. Part of that, Roberts said, is because people will be spending more time indoors with no masks on. I am concerned going into this winter that it will be worse than the summer months, but better than last winter, he said. Seasonal changes are only one aspect of viral spread, according to Wu. Social distancing and masking play a role as well. Though he said the numbers are dropping, Wu said he would prefer if Connecticut residents continued to wear masks, at least until the spring. I would have kept it going with indoor masking through at least the winter, he said. The state announced Thursday an additional 410 COVID cases, and two fewer people in Connecticut hospitals fighting the disease in the previous 24 hours for a total of 224. There were 24,611 COVID tests reported over the previous 24 hours, 1.67 percent of which came back positive. There were an additional 14 COVID-related deaths reported in the past week. Vaccinations are on the rise in Connecticut, with nearly 2.4 million state residents fully vaccinated as of Thursday. While Roberts said vaccinations remain the best way to prevent hospitalizations and death from COVID, the Yale doctor said masking, particularly indoors, remains critical. Vaccinated individuals can still harbor the virus and transmit the virus, he said. The state also reported Thursday a total of 1,671 new COVID-19 cases among fully vaccinated residents. There have been a total of 150 COVID-related deaths among vaccinated people, 12.3 percent of all COVID-19 deaths since February. Though breakthrough cases are about evenly spread across all age groups, 71.3 percent of all breakthrough deaths have been among residents 75 years old and older. While COVID numbers have improved, Roberts said they have not made me confident that we can successfully peel back an indoor mask mandate. As of Thursday, Roberts said there were 17 COVID cases for every 100,000 residents. He compared that to June 23, when there were 1.1 cases for every 100,000. Our numbers remain at a moderate, smoldering level, Roberts said. I have not seen any substantial changes in community prevalence in the last two, three months. MARYVILLE Trustees unanimously approved a variance request from Lynsey Fugener, owner of Bennys Bed and Biscuits who first requested the variance in July. In a letter she wrote to Mayor Craig Short and the village board, she said her facility, located at 2330 South Center St. (Route 159), is on 1.5 acres but it is zoned as a community business, not agricultural, hence her request for a variance. Her main business has been to take care of pets day camps, lodging, grooming and training. They also work with the police department to house stray animals found within village limits. However, the pandemic upended her core business, as it has done for many other people. To offset our operating costs and to continue to be able to employ my staff, I looked into a second job working at Meyer Hatchery, she wrote. Some of [my] obligations at the hatchery are to raise birds from the companys breeding program, photograph birds for its website and other social media platforms, as well as record and direct instructional videos for its YouTube channel. The state department of agriculture has also approved the idea, she said. Village trustees took a field trip to view her operation and after they saw it, they had no further questions or objections. This is to supplement her income since her primary pet business dried up, Short said Thursday. Short added that she has no close neighbors, so no feathers have been ruffled. The nearest neighbor on the north side is 400 feet away while on the south side, the neighbor is 375 feet in the distance. He said the area terrain and a Madison County Transit bike trail all serve as natural barriers to keep the animals from wandering. Fugener can keep up to 25 birds total, he said. If, for example, one of the female chickens lays enough eggs to exceed that total, 10 chickens are collected and re-homed to area farmers. In other action, the trustees approved a two-phase construction project for the Lin-Hy subdivision. The streets involved are the non-concrete sections of Camrose Green, Heather Green, Wexford Green, Berwin Green, Nassau Drive and Westchester Drive. The subdivision is off of Vadalabene Drive, across from Anderson Hospital. Short said in the first phase, the subdivisions concrete curbs and gutters will be removed and replaced, funded with some of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) monies the village received from the federal government. Short said they hope to bid that work out in the next couple of weeks so it can be finished before winter arrives. The second phase will involve resurfacing the streets named above, using Rebuild Illinois funds. Since this involves asphalt and the area asphalt plants are typically closed for the winter, Short doesnt expect the resurfacing to begin until the plants re-open next spring. The next village caucus meeting is Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. and the next village board meeting is Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at village hall, 2520 N. Center St. EDWARDSVILLE District 7 is reporting that 86% of District 7 employees are fully vaccinated at this time. During the Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) Committee meeting Monday, it was discussed that many eligible students in the district are also vaccinated, but all numbers are estimates as data on COVID-19 vaccinations for students is not collected. However, the district said it appears that a significant percentage of students participating in athletics are vaccinated when compared to the total student population. The estimates are based on data collected during contact tracing. The approximately 14% of District 7 employees who are not vaccinated have agreed to weekly COVID-19 testing or have been exempt due to moral and/or religious reasons. Staff who agreed to weekly testing are able to use the service provided by the district through funding from the Illinois Department of Public Health. A saliva-based PCR test, SHIELD offers a 24-48 hour test result that can be accessed through an online portal. SHIELD testing is a highly accurate PCR test, according to Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton. According to SHIELDs policy, only unvaccinated individuals and vaccinated individuals who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 are currently able to be tested. RELATED: District 7 begins voluntary student SHIELD testing Testing, which began Oct. 13, is currently voluntary for all students. In September, the district began requiring all students and staff traveling beyond a 60-mile radius participating in extracurricular activities to be tested 48 hours prior to departure. Beginning Nov. 1, the district plans to begin mandatory testing of all unvaccinated extracurricular participants. RELATED: District 7 requiring negative COVID-19 tests for traveling students, staff District 7 has hired six new employees to help facilitate SHIELD testing. Five of the newly hired employees have been hired through a local contracting agency Employment Express. Initially, Christina Winfield was to be hired to assist the districts nurses but has since been hired as the SHIELD Testing Coordinator. The cost of employment is covered by the IDPH funding. In addition to testing, the district has implemented layered strategies such as encouraging vaccinations when eligible, mask requirements for all students and staff, three-feet distancing in all classrooms, additional cafeteria seating in all schools to allow for distancing, HEPA filtration systems in all cafeterias where six-feet distancing is not possible and contact tracing and exclusion. Data on contact tracing and exclusion is available on the districts COVID-19 dashboard and is updated every Tuesday. A statement issued by the district says: The layered strategies District #7 has in place, from the state mandated masking, to being diligent about social distancing to having testing available, along with other safety measures, has helped us with our goal of keeping students in the classroom and providing a safe learning environment. During Mondays meeting, the Citizens Advisory Council Committee also discussed the districts Strategic Planning Process. The committee discussed the rough draft goals and offered input on phrasing and missing information. The next step in the Strategic Planning Process is for goal teams to begin meeting. Anyone who is interested in joining a goal team but has not yet signed up can still do so. Contact the district for more information. Previously, Shelton said CAC members know the history of the district, know the struggles that came with Proposition E and are familiar with the relationship between District 7 and the community and therefore will be integral in creating a new five-year plan for District 7. The CAC Committee meets quarterly. Its next meeting is set for Jan. 31. PIASA The mother of a Southwestern High School student who reported being beaten because he was wearing a rainbow-colored flag, commonly a sign of gay pride, is speaking out about the incident she says not to point fingers but to promote equality and raise awareness about bullying. A friend had a gay pride flag and she was being made fun of so [her son] took it and wrapped it around his neck, mother Tammy Weber said. As he was walking, someone shouted take that [expletive] flag off. She said she was told someone offered $20 to any student who would physically remove the flag. Her son, who is on the Autism Spectrum and has Tourette syndrome, turned and walked away, according to Weber. She said he also has anxiety and depression issues. That was when, according to Weber, someone came up behind her son and the flag around his neck was pulled back. She said surveillance video shows her son being punched in the head repeatedly as he fell to the ground. One student, a juvenile, is facing an aggravated battery charge, according to States Attorney Jordan Garrison. He has been released to relatives pending a trial Nov. 23. Weber, who attended Southwestern High School, moved back to the area from Florida because she said he son was having difficulties at school there. She said she has made it her mission to turn a negative incident into something positive. Although her son didnt want to go back to the school after the incident, Weber said he has a great group of friends and has found others with whom he can associate. Weber said she doesnt want to lose the forward direction her son is taking, telling him he is a hero right now to other kids, you have to learn how to manage and overcome. Weber has found support through the organization PFLAG Edwardsville a support group for family and friends of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. She wants to funnel that into raising awareness. I want to help other kids who have been bullied, Weber said. Amy Sedor, president of PFLAG Edwardsville, attended one of the school board meetings to present and offer ways to build in education and knowledge to bring more equality among students. What happened was not acceptable, she said. Sedor said she was pleased a board member spoke up and was interested in taking the time to review the school districts anti-bullying policy and to look at what Sedor and her organization can offer. We did see progress, she said. Moving forward, Weber said the last thing she wants is for a juvenile to receive a felony and would rather students become more aware of the impact bullying can have on any person, not just her son. Tammy is very dedicated now, Sedor said. EAST ALTON St. Louis Regional Airport Director David Miller plans to spend more time with family and hobbies when he retires effective Jan. 1, he said. Miller, 78, of East Alton, came to St. Louis Regional in approximately 2003 from the Montrose Regional Airport in Montrose, Colorado. We have no immediate plans, like, to move, because were embedded in the community with a lot of other activities, said Miller, of East Alton, speaking about himself and his wife, Cora Miller, who he married in 1980. Well do some travel, get caught up with grandkids, that type of thing, he said. Whether its music with municipal bands or working with the Legendary Mustang Sanctuary or other activities, like ham radio, Ill be able to spend more time on those activities. David Miller has won numerous community service awards, including Rotarys Paul Harris Award and was honored by the Metro Area Professional Organization as a business leader. Miller will serve at the grand marshal for the 104th Alton Halloween Parades this year Saturday, Oct. 30. Miller has been involved in a background capacity each year in the Alton Halloween Parade as a volunteer ham radio operator and member of the Lewis and Clark Radio Club for amateur radio operators, which coordinates logistics for the parade. He is a member of the Granite City Municipal Band, the Edwardsville Municipal Band and the Dixie Dudes and Dance. He was a past clarinet player with the Alton Symphony Orchestra and is a past president and treasurer of the group. Miller was the RiverBend Growth Association chairman in 2009, and attends the RGBA past chairs board meeting, which acts as the executive board for the RBGA Board of Directors. He also serves on the board of the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois, and its committees of military affairs and Southwest Illinois Transportation Enhancements, as well as the board of the Southwest Illinois Trade and Investment Council. Miller, originally from Salina, Kansas, operated the Montrose Regional Airport on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the U.S. at New York Citys World Trade Center. As the leader of that airport, Miller successfully commanded the shut down of air traffic on 9/11 and reopened the airport, the first in the state to do both without the initial direction of the Federal Aviation Administration. He also successfully advanced the St. Louis Regional Airport, invited more public awareness with annual events on the airport grounds, helped to expand West Star Aviation on the airports grounds and won lawsuits on behalf of airport thereby saving taxpayers money. Miller was the past volunteer emergency coordinator for Madison Countys Amateur Radio Emergency Services and also maintained the countys status as an official emergency station under the auspices of Madison County Emergency Management. He also is on the board and past chairman of the Illinois Public Airport Association and sits on the board of the Great Rivers and Routes of Southwest Illinois tourism bureau. Miller attended the University of Denver for his undergraduate studies, immediately enlisting in the U.S. Air Force thereafter in 1966, where he was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, near Rapid City, South Dakota. While enlisted he received his masters in public administration from the University of Northern Colorado though he never set foot on its campus. Professors came to the air base, recalled Miller, who was active duty for more than 21 years as a pilot and officer, retiring as major in the mid 1980s. He flew more than 2,000 hours each in the KC-135 refueling aircraft as a gas tanker, then cross-trained as a B-52 strategic bomber pilot, flying for more than 2,000 hours. Between the two planes, Miller amassed 888 days in the Southeast Asia conflict, which included north and south Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Miller was part of the Strategic Air Command on temporary duty assignment, which allowed him to pursue his education during wartime. When the conflict terminated, he came back to the U.S. to Minot Air Force Base, near Minot, North Dakota, pulling strategic alert duty for nine months while active and where he eventually retired. During active duty he had a two-year supplemental assignment, taking him out of the cockpit while still a pilot reserve, which started at the Ellsworth base and concluded in Minot. I was fortunate in this because I got into aircraft maintenance, he said. The rated supplement program landed Miller in the Philippines for two years where he met his now wife who also was living on a U.S. military base at the time. Miller serving in a command post function capacity for four years and his final assignment as base operations at Minot Air Force Base prepared him for his civilian career managing regional airports. He was awarded several military decorations, medals, badges, citations and a campaign ribbon during his military career, including an air medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters, small arms expert, Armed Forces Expeditionary medal, Combat Readiness medal; National Defense Service Medial; Air Force Overseas Long Tour ribbon, Vietnam Service medal with one silver and three bronze stars, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with combat device, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm device and Republic of Vietnam Campaign medal. His first civilian position was as assistant airport manager in Flint, Michigan. From there he was an airport manager in Bismarck, North Dakota, then in Alaska at airports in Juneau and Ketchikan, respectively, before landing at Colorados Montrose Regional Airport, after which he came to St. Louis Regional in East Alton, where he has managed for nearly 20 years. WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. financial regulators on Thursday approved a series of steps toward addressing the dangers that climate change poses to the nations financial system. The Financial Stability Oversight Council, which is headed by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and includes Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, acknowledged in a report that climate change is a serious economic threat. Climate-related impacts in the form of warming temperatures rising sea levels, droughts, wildfires, intensifying storms and other climate related events are already imposing significant costs upon the public and the economy, the councils 133-page report says. It is the responsibility of the council and its members to ensure the financial systems resiliency to climate related risks. The report includes more than 30 proposals aimed at improving efforts to the assess risks. It put forward recommendations to upgrade the collection of risk data and also ways of making sure the public has access to the data. The report was released 10 days before a United Nations conference on climate change in Glasgow, Scotland. It signals the Biden administration's intention to tell the broader international community that it is putting together the policy architecture to address climate change and improve the resilience of financial markets. With the United States lagging behind the European Union and the United Kingdom in responding to climate changes economic threats, the administration hopes to use the report to assert more leadership on the issue. As recommended by the report, a special advisory committee would be established of scientists, Wall Street executives, business and labor leaders, environmentalists and others to help develop standards for monitoring the economic impacts of climate change. The report also advises identifying and filling gaps in data for assessing how climate change could threaten the economy, including the sharing of data across the federal government and with international counterparts. The council approved creation of two climate advisory panels that will report to the group on a regular basis to keep officials informed of progress being made. Companies and government agencies would also have new standards for public disclosures about the climate, a move designed to make it easier for the markets to appropriately weigh the impacts of climate change and the potential savings from reducing those impacts through measures like the use of renewable energy. Yellen called the changes approved by FSOC an important first step but said they were by no means the end of the group's effort to better incorporate the assessment of climate threats into the regulatory process. She said the severe weather events of this summer from the wildfires in the West to Hurricane Ida along the Gulf Coast demonstrated the need for action. Powell, calling climate change a significant challenge for the global economy and the financial system, said the Fed was committed to doing its part in such areas as using more sophisticated analyses to better assess climate risks. Yellen has made addressing climate change a top priority since joining the Biden administration. Environmental groups, however, said they were disappointed that the FSOC did not make more ambitious recommendations. Financial regulators can and must act to rein in Wall Streets contributions to the climate crisis, said Ben Cushing, the manager of the Sierra Clubs fossil-free finance campaign. This report is a step in the right direction, but bolder action from regulators is necessary in order to protect our economy from the climate crisis. FSOC is an umbrella panel made up of the heads of the governments top financial regulatory agencies. It was created by Congress in 2010 to address serious problems in coordination between agencies that had been revealed by the 2008 financial crisis. The report and its recommendations were approved by all members of the panel with the exception of Jelena McWilliams, the head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., who abstained on the grounds she felt more information was needed before reaching a conclusion. McWilliams was appointed to the FDIC by then-President Donald Trump. UNITED NATIONS (AP) North Korea has never been more isolated from the international community as a result of its drastic steps to prevent COVID-19, and the ruptured global ties are having a dramatic impact on the human rights of the people inside the country, the U.N.s independent investigator on the reclusive northeast Asian nation said Friday. Tomas Ojea Quintana told the General Assemblys human rights committee and an earlier news conference that North Koreans are facing food shortages and collapses in their livelihoods, and the most vulnerable children and elderly people are at risk of starvation. He said he is also really, really concerned about the extent of hunger in political prison camps. The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea -- the Norths official name -- closed its borders to prevent the pandemic, which Ojea Quintana said would have a devastating impact on the peoples right to health because the DPRKs health infrastructure suffers from underinvestment and a critical shortage of supplies caused by underlying human rights issues. The draconian steps the government of the DPRK has taken to prevent COVID-19 from entering reportedly include a policy of shooting individuals who attempt to enter or leave the country, he said. In his final report to the General Assembly after six years as the U.N. special investigator on human rights in the DPRK, Ojea Quintana added that increased restrictions on freedom of movement and the shutting of national borders has choked market activity that has become essential for peoples access to basic necessities, including food. He said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has recognized the grim food situation and is investing in efforts to prevent starvation in the country. Nonetheless, as a result of the border closures, he said, the lifesaving humanitarian work of the United Nations and other international actors has also ground to a halt, with no United Nations international staff currently in the country and diplomats continuing to leave. The people of the DPRK should not have to choose between the fear of hunger and the fear of COVID-19, Ojea Quintana said. He said the pandemic has demonstrated that the only way to tackle a virus that doesnt respect international borders is through international cooperation. However, the dark irony is that the absence of international personnel can buttress those within the country seeking permanent isolation, he said. The DPRK rejected an offer of vaccine from the World Health Organizations COVAX program, an ambitious project to buy and deliver coronavirus vaccines for the worlds poorest people, Ojea Quintana said, and there is a discussion about whether the international community should offer North Korea a full-scale vaccination of the population. Its clear the DPRK fears an outbreak of COVID-19 in the country, he said, and unless all the population is vaccinated it could be the case that borders may continue to be closed. Ojea Quintana said there are also some ideas of opening special zones to do trade with China in the border area while protecting the population from COVID-19. He said trade with China has given North Koreans the opportunity to survive and make a living. In his report to the General Assembly, the U.N. investigator said he recommended that in light of the pandemic, the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against the DPRK over its nuclear program should re-evaluate the sanctions regime under these circumstances, and when necessary to ease those sanctions. While humanitarian aid to the DPRK is exempt from sanctions, Ojea Quintana said sanctions have had unintended consequences on ordinary people. As one example, he said, U.N. sanctions against the export of textiles and seafood -- industries where women are the predominant workers -- have resulted in women who are family bread-winners losing their jobs. Ojea Quintana said he recognized the paradox of deteriorating social and economic rights in the DPRK while the government continues to test missiles, probably diverting resources that should be allocated in those areas. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in response to Ojea Quintanas report that the simple truth is that the DPRK regime itself is responsible for the humanitarian situation in the country. He said sanctions remain in place, but the United States is involved in efforts to provide humanitarian aid to the neediest North Koreans. EDWARDSVILLE Several firearms-related felony cases were filed Oct. 19 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office. Levell A Douglas, 34, of the 300 block of Osprey Drive, Pontoon Beach, was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm, a Class X felony; and unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony, after an incident where another person was shot. The case was presented by the Madison Police Department. According to court documents, on Oct. 16 Douglas shot another person in the left arm and right leg of the victim. It was also noted that Douglas has a prior conviction for aggravated battery with a firearm out of Madison County in 2013, making him ineligible to possess weapons. Bail was set at $250,000 In an unrelated case, an East St. Louis man faces a number of weapons-related charges after an incident on October 18. Armond L. Allen, 28, of East St. Louis, was charged Oct. 19 with two counts of possession of a firearm with revoked Firearm Owners ID card, both Class 3 felonies; and two counts of aggravated unlawful use of weapons, both Class 4 felonies. The charges were presented by the Illinois State Police. According to court documents, on Oct. 18 Allen was found to be in possession of a Glock Model 23 .40 caliber handgun, and an American Tactical Omni Hybrid pistol, and were carrying both loaded and accessible. It was noted that his Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Card, which allows the possession of weapons, has been revoked. Bail was set at $50,000. Other felony cases filed Oct. 19 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include: Deangelo K. Johnson II, 33, with a last known address in East St. Louis, was charged with threatening a public official, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. According to court documents, on Oct. 18 Johnson threatened a Collinsville police officer. Bail was set at $20,000. Judiah D. Davis, 42, of the first block of Lily Avenue, Pontoon Beach, was charged with aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Pontoon Beach Police Department. According to court documents, on Oct. 13 Davis slammed a Pontoon Beach police officers head into a wall. Bail was set at $75,000. Jim Hentges (left) and Jerry DeWitt (right) received the yoke from veterinarian A.J. Neumann (center) who was given the relic by a customer. Mankato, MN (56001) Today Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 29F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.. 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(The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) COVID patients to get coveted jabs BANGKOK: The Public Health Ministry will provide shots of AstraZeneca or Pfizer to anyone who has contracted COVID-19 but has had at least one month to recover from the disease, according to Dr Sophon Mekthon, assistant to the public health minister. ChineseCoronavirusCOVID-19healthVaccine By Bangkok Post Friday 22 October 2021, 08:56AM Photo: AFP The decision was made at a meeting on Tuesday (Oct 19) of the subcommittee on COVID-19 management including virologist Yong Poovorawan, reports the Bangkok Post. Formerly infected people who have yet to be vaccinated, or who have only received their first dose, will be eligible for shots of AstraZeneca or Pfizer starting one month after they stop showing symptoms of the new coronavirus. However, those who have been fully vaccinated are not considered to be in need of a booster shot yet. Everyone should get a third jab as a booster dose eventually, but more studies are required before we provide detailed suggestions, Dr Sophon said. DDC to approve boosters for Sinopharm recipients Meanwhile, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) plans to offer the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine as a booster shot for those who received two inactivated Sinopharm vaccine doses, according to its spokesman. Director General Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said the DDCs sub-committee on promoting disease immunity advised on Wednesday that recipients of Sinopharm should receive a third dose of one of the other two vaccines under the governments guidance. He said the DDC has made a request to the Chulabhorn Royal Academy (CRA) to submit the necessary documents to the sub-committee so it can consider approving booster shots next month or in early December for people who received their Sinopharm jabs in July. We need to see the documents from the CRA before we make an announcement to provide the booster shots to those in need, Dr Opas said. The CRA is among several organisations that have offered jabs for free. The Sinopharm vaccine is regarded as an alternative option under the governments policy, with 25 million doses in reserve. It is believed that recipients of the inactivated Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines require a booster shot from other vaccine makers to boost their immunity against coronavirus, especially the Delta variant. The AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are mRNA vaccines, believed to be more effective against this strain in particular. As of Wednesday, 6.8mn people had received their first dose of Sinopharm while 4.8mn had received two doses, says the Public Health Ministry. The DDC said the country should have provided 70mn vaccine shots by next week. So far, it has given 68.5mn doses. It said 54.2% of the public have received their first shot, 38% their second and 2.9% their third. The government is planning to provide 30mn more doses this year. together with preparing an additional 120mn doses of vaccine for next year. Some 15mn doses of AstraZeneca and 10mn doses of Pfizer are expected to arrive next month. Boys can get two Pfizer shot doses Elsewhere, the Public Health Ministry has decided that boys aged 12-16 can get two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Dr Opas said there were concerns about potential myocarditis among boys aged 12-16 so at first, the ministry decided to give only one shot. He said after consulting with paediatricians who specialise in infectious diseases and heart diseases and reviewing research findings, the ministry has concluded the risks are real but very low and those with mild symptoms can fully recover without medical assistance. It has been decided that boys aged 12-16 can get two doses of the Pfizer vaccine but on a voluntary basis. The vaccination must not be used as a condition for returning to class, he said. He said the ministry will closely monitor the health of the children after they receive the jabs. According to the ministry, as of Oct 19, a total of 1,325,527 students aged 12-18 have received their first shot of Pfizer vaccine since the launch of nationwide Pfizer inoculations for young people aged 12-18 on Oct 7 ahead of the reopening of schools next month. The target is to vaccinate five million students aged 12-18 and about 3.8mn have been registered for the vaccine. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the ministry plans to inoculate all students who study in formal and non-formal education. Jetstar to resume Sydney - Phuket flights in January PHUKET: Low-cost airline Jetstar, the wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas, will resume its Sydney to Phuket flights on Jan 12, more than two months earlier than scheduled, the airline has announced. tourismtransporteconomicsCOVID-19 By The Phuket News Friday 22 October 2021, 10:26AM Image: Qantas Three return flights a week will be operated by 787 aircraft, parent company Qantas said in an announcement issued today (Oct 22). Jetstar itself has yet to announce the news. The move comes as Qantas and Jetstar bring forward the restart of more international flights to popular destinations from Sydney and prepare to relaunch regular flights to Delhi, the first commercial flights for Qantas between Australia and India in almost a decade. The national carrier will also bring back two of its Airbus A380 aircraft earlier than planned and is in discussions with Boeing about accelerating the delivery of three brand-new 787 Dreamliners, which have been in storage for most of the pandemic. The faster ramp up follows the Australian Federal Government and the New South Wales government confirming that international borders would reopen from Nov 1 and the decision by the NSW Government to remove quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated arrivals which significantly increases travel demand. These decisions combined with plans by states and territories to reopen domestic borders support all Qantas and Jetstar workers based in Australia and New Zealand who are currently stood down to return to work by early December 2021. This includes around 5,000 employees linked to domestic flying and around 6,000 linked to international flying, the airline said in its release today. Due to extended border closures, many international crew have been stood down since the start of the pandemic. Combined with operational and corporate employees already working, the Groups 22,000 employees are able to return to work in December, which wasnt expected to happen until June 2022, it added. International schedule update Qantas plans to launch a new route from Sydney to Delhi on 6 December 2021 with three return flights per week with its A330 aircraft, building to daily flights by end of the year. This is subject to discussions with Indian authorities to finalise necessary approvals. The flights would initially operate until at least late March 2022, with a view to continuing if there is sufficient demand. Flights from Sydney to Delhi would operate via Darwin, while flights from Delhi to Sydney would operate nonstop, the airline noted. Other international services to resume include Sydney to Singapore Qantas flights to begin Nov 23, four weeks earlier than scheduled, operating three days per week with A330 aircraft. Services will ramp up to daily from Dec 18. Jetstar will fly from Melbourne and Darwin to Singapore from Dec 16. Sydney to Fiji Qantas flights will be brought forward to Dec 7. Jetstar flights to Fiji will resume on Dec 17. Within 48 hours of Fiji announcing its reopening, Jetstar saw a 200% increase in sales versus pre-COVID levels, selling more fares than a typical seven day period, the announcement noted. Bali Discussions are underway with the Indonesian Government about welcoming fully vaccinated Australians back to Bali with reduced or no quarantine requirements, which would mean the resumption of Jetstar and Qantas flights from Sydney to the holiday island months earlier than scheduled, the airline also noted. In line with current Federal Government requirements, these initial flights are limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families and parents. Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said, Australians rolling up their sleeves means our planes and our people are getting back to work much earlier than we expected. This is the best news weve had in almost two years and it will make a massive difference to thousands of our people who finally get to fly again. We know that Australians are keen to get overseas and see friends and family or have a long awaited holiday, so bringing forward the restart of flights to these popular international destinations will give customers even more options to travel this summer. Weve said for months that the key factor in ramping up international flying would be the quarantine requirement. The decision by the NSW Government to join many cities from around the world by removing quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers means were able to add these flights from Sydney much earlier than we would have otherwise. We hope that as vaccination rates in other states and territories increase, well be able to restart more international flights out of their capital cities. In the meantime, Sydney is our gateway to the rest of the world. In recent weeks, sales on international flights to and from Sydney have outstripped sales on domestic flights, which shows how important certainty is to people when making travel plans. While these flights will initially be for Australians and their families, we expect tourists from Singapore, South Africa and India to take advantage of these flights once borders reopen to international visitors, which is great news for the industry, he said. All passengers on Qantas and Jetstar international flights (aged 12 years and older) will be required to be fully vaccinated with a TGA-approved vaccine (unless they have an exemption). As part of Australian Federal Government requirements, passengers on these flights will also be required to return a negative COVID test from an approved PCR testing site within 72 hours of departure. The NSW Government will shortly advise details on additional testing requirements for arrivals. Customers are advised to check government requirements for the destination they are travelling to, the announcement concluded. Phuket local food served in domestic tourism push PHUKET: Local officials have launched a campaign to highlight local delicacies available at five villages in Phuket to help lure more tourists to the island and to distribute income from inbound tourists to much-needed areas. tourismeconomics By The Phuket News Friday 22 October 2021, 02:24PM The campaign, dubbed Check In Phuket, was launched at an event held at the Pearl Hotel in Phuket Town yesterday (Oct 21), presided over by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew. Joining the Governor were Mukda Limnukul, head of the Phuket office of the Community Development Department, and Krisada Tansakul, Advisor to the President of the Thai Hotels Association Southern Thailand Chapter. Also present for the launch were two of Thailands top chefs, Suwichak Chef Mond Kanghae and Saritawat Chef Earth Wanwichitkul, both Iron Chef Thailand champions. The project is to raise the standard of local food service and to promote the Andaman region as a world-class tourist destination, Governor Narong said. The project is for the development and upgrading of the villages and communities, he said. The project specifically targets five villages in Phuket: Baan Koh Maphrao, on Koh Maphrao (Coconut Island) off Phukets east coast in Moo 6, Koh Kaew; Baan Palai in Moo3, Chalong; Baan Pa Krongcheep in Moo 6, Thepkrasattri; Baan Manik in Moo 7 Srisoonthorn; and Baan Tha Chatchai at the northern tiptuip of the island in Moo 5, Mai Khao. The project provides visitors a way to learn about the lifestyles of local people in the community through community tourism, and generate income and develop a strong and sustainable economy for Phuket Province, Governor Narong said. Through the Phuket Provincial Community Development Office, this project can raise the standard of local food services and promote the Andaman region as a world-class tourist destination, he added. Governor Narong added that the objective is to develop an economic source that is linked to a community tourist attraction. The project also will help to develop leaders in local network and community organizations that can serve as a model for developing the potential of welcoming tourists to be able to generate income for the community, he said. Rassada launches job creation project PHUKET: Rassada Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) has unveiled an infrastructure development project aimed at revitalising the area to support tourism and increase incomes for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. CoronavirusCOVID-19tourism By The Phuket News Friday 22 October 2021, 04:11PM The campaign will create many hundreds of local jobs. Photo: PR Phuket The campaign will create many hundreds of local jobs. Photo: PR Phuket The campaign will create many hundreds of local jobs. Photo: PR Phuket The campaign will create many hundreds of local jobs. Photo: PR Phuket The campaign will create many hundreds of local jobs. Photo: PR Phuket The campaign will create many hundreds of local jobs. Photo: PR Phuket The campaign will create many hundreds of local jobs. Photo: PR Phuket The plans were unveiled at a meeting on Wednesday (Oct 20) at the Pago Design Phuket Hotel, presided over by the Rassada OrBorTor Chief Nakarin Yosangrat. Mr Nakarin was joined at the meeting by Deputy Chief Peerapong Phisitkhunanon and Chief Administration Officer (Palad) Chanthip Yingdamnun, as well as various administrators and representatives from related agencies. Ms Chanthip highlighted that the third wave of the pandemic in particular had severely affected the overall economic condition in the country specifically in relation to the manufacturing, service and export sectors. She added that the continuous conditions have created a crisis scenario for those living and working in Phuket, with business owners, employees and the broader general public all greatly affected. Rassada OrBorTor has therefore created the community infrastructure development project to help revitalise the situation, it was explained. Among the local job creation sub-projects are: 250 jobs to landscape parts of the area 150 jobs to plant bougainvillea and to decorate selected areas; 450 jobs will be created repairing and dredging public drains; 200 jobs will be in cleaning and garbage collection in public tourist sites; 300 jobs will focus on painting traffic signs and public notices; 100 jobs will be tasked with cultivating various plants, saplings, and ornamental flowers in addition to propagating plants, and tree pruning; 2,500 jobs will focus on renovating and decorating public places and carrying out various tasks that are beneficial to the development of basic community projects and the support of tourism. It is estimated the overall project will last four months and each applicant will be permitted to work approximately 20 days, excluding weekends and public holidays for a daily rate of B336. Those interested in the work were advised to apply immediately. Following a successful interview, a contract would be issued outlining the tasks and clarifying what the tasks entail which would then be signed by the employee. Meanwhile, Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor) President Rewat Areerob today urged local residents to sign up for vocational training courses being organised by the PPAO so they will be upskilled and able to find gainful employment. Mr Rewat highlighted one vocational training course, in Japanese cooking and baking, which he said would help trainees find work. This is a solution to tackle unemployment and provide supplementary occupations to increase family incomes, Mr Rewat said. The project will allow participants to develop their professional skills and create careers for people, to create jobs, and to generate income which can help financially with daily expenses and lead to a better quality of life, he added. BERLIN (AP) The head of environmental group Greenpeace on Thursday warned against efforts by countries and corporations at the forthcoming U.N. climate talks in Glasgow to greenwash their ongoing pollution of the planet. The summit hosted by Britain has been described as the worlds last best chance to prevent global warming from reaching dangerous levels, and is expected to see a flurry of new commitments from governments and businesses to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases. But climate campaigners say behind-the-scenes lobbying before the summit could hamper efforts to achieve an ambitious deal that would ensure the world stands a chance of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) as agreed in Paris in 2015. This Glasgow meeting really is a vital moment where governments need to be courageous, said Jennifer Morgan, the executive director of Greenpeace International. They need to show theyve understood the science, listen to their people and go much further than theyve been stating thus far," she told The Associated Press in an interview. By doing so, governments would "give that kind of hope and confidence to their people that they got this and that theyre willing to do things that their corporate interests dont want them to do, she added. Morgan pointed to leaked documents showing how countries such as Australia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia are apparently trying to water down an upcoming U.N. science panel report on global warming as evidence of the way in which some governments public support for climate action is undermined by their efforts behind closed doors. Documents obtained by Greenpeace indicate how those countries wanted the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to remove references to the need to shut down coal-fired power stations, reduce meat consumption and focus on actual emissions cuts rather than ways to capture carbon already released into the atmosphere. A spokesman for the IPCCs secretariat in Geneva downplayed the impact such lobbying efforts have on the panel's final reports. Review by governments and experts is a fundamental part of the IPCC process for preparing reports, said the spokesman, Jonathan Lynn. The IPCC principles are designed to ensure that this review contributes to a comprehensive, balanced and objective assessment in an open and transparent way. Australian Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylors office said in a statement that to assert Australia commenting on a draft is somehow interference is categorically false. All comments received by the IPCC are published with their reports as they are finalized. This ensures complete transparency, the statement said. Greenpeace's Morgan said much of the lobbying is driven by corporations, some of which will also be at the so-called COP26 talks including as part of government delegations. Theyll try and use this COP to show that they care, that they are really doing a lot, said Morgan. Therell be a big greenwashing effort in Glasgow that needs to be called out and recognized. Governments, too, are likely to use the U.N. talks to announce new climate measures, even as they lobby against others, she said. If you look at what theyre doing to try and hold back the world from moving forward, its stunning, she said. Its immoral, its unacceptable. Greenpeace and other environmental campaign groups have been critical of a wave of announcements by countries and industry groups, ranging from airlines to shipping firms, to aim for net zero emissions. Rather than cut greenhouse gas emissions to nil, those aiming for net zero pledge to release only as much carbon dioxide or other pollutants into the atmosphere by a certain date as can be captured again. The math around net zero is murky and activists say if its not scientifically rigorous that target risks detracting from the effort to cut emissions as quickly as possible. (Some companies) want to continue what theyre doing, but they want to pay just to plant trees somewhere else, said Morgan. That is not the solution to the nature and biodiversity crisis. She cited a recent report by the International Energy Agency which concluded that there can be no more new coal mines or oil and gas wells if the Paris goal is to be achieved. Yet last week, a separate U.N.-backed study found that even current fossil fuel production plans for the coming decade would result in over twice the emissions allowed for the world to maintain a chance of meeting the Paris goals. Morgan said the spotlight being put on the talks in Glasgow and some parties' efforts to bloc agreements on sensitive issues could embolden those countries that want an ambitious deal. They have to be ready to move, go beyond their comfort zones and come together because you can see the level of opposition thats coming in at them," she said. A group of nine nations, including Costa Rica, Sweden and the Marshall Islands, on Thursday called for countries that havent yet done so to update their climate targets ahead of the Oct. 31-Nov. 12 talks in Glasgow. They also backed a long-standing demand from poor nations for rich countries to make good on their pledge of providing $100 billion in aid each year to tackle climate change. ___ Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva and Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's climate coverage at http://apnews.com/hub/climate GODFREY Resurrection Lutheran Church Mens Group will sponsor its annual Drive-Thru Chili Sale, from which net proceeds go to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Domestic Disaster Fund. The ELCA is designated to help people suffering from hurricanes and flooding in Haiti, Louisiana and the East Coast. ROME (AP) Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian premier, was acquitted of judicial corruption charges on Thursday evening in a trial in Italy, his lawyers said. Various Italian media, reporting from Siena, Tuscany, said Judge Simone Spina, in reading the verdict, said there was no evidence for conviction. Prosecutors had alleged that Berlusconi had sought to corrupt with payoffs witnesses who would be testifying about what happened at the so-called bunga bunga parties with young female guests at his villa in Arcore, on the outskirts of Milan. La Repubblica daily quoted one of the defense lawyers, Federico Cecconi, as telling journalists he had informed Berlusconi about the acquittal, and that the 85-year-old billionaire media mogul was obviously relieved and satisfied. Also acquitted of judicial corruption was a pianist who worked at Arcore during the evenings, which the defense had described as elegant dinner parties, Italian news reports said. Prosecutors had sought conviction and a prison sentence of four years for each of the two defendants. The trial was an off-shoot of a criminal case that ended up in Italy's top criminal court. That court in 2015 upheld a 2014 appeals court acquittal of Berlusconi on charges that he had paid for sex with an underage prostitute during the bunga bunga parties and had used his influence to cover it up. Berlusconi jumped into politics three decades ago, forming his center-right party, Forza Italia, going on to serve three times as premier. BANGKOK (AP) Myanmar's military-installed government on Friday sharply challenged a pronouncement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations barring its leader from from attending the regional bloc's summit next week. Myanmar said the declaration, issued by ASEANs current chair, Brunei, violated the charter of the group, to which it belongs. A statement issued Friday night by Myanmars Foreign Ministry detailed why it believed ASEAN had violated its own rules by taking such action. The 10-member bloc acted after Myanmar refused to allow its special envoy to meet with ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. She has been detained since Myanmars military seized power from her elected government in February. ASEAN since April has sought to play a mediating role in Myanmars crisis, as the ruling military's efforts to quash opposition have only triggered increasingly violent and destabilizing resistance. The row comes ahead of the Oct. 26 start to ASEANs annual summit, which includes high-profile talks with world leaders such as U.S. President Joe Biden, as well as the leaders of China and Russia. The monthslong crisis in Myanmar, the still-raging coronavirus pandemic and security and economic issues are high on the agenda of the meeting, which will be carried out by video. Western nations such as the United States have sharply criticized military rule in Myanmar since the takeover and the deadly crackdown on military opponents, which is estimated to have killed about 1,100 civilians. Some U.N. experts suggest Myanmar is on the verge of civil war, which could destabilize the region. ASEAN itself, whose members usually refrain from criticizing each other, is also roiled by the crisis in Myanmar. Such a dispute within ASEAN is virtually unprecedented. Among the bedrock principles breached by the exclusion of Myanmars leader is an edict prohibiting ASEAN member states from interfering in each others domestic affairs. The regional bloc also decides by consensus, meaning just one member state can shoot down any proposal. In dealing with Myanmar this year, the groups chair has used its privilege to act without a formal consensus. Fridays statement from Myanmars Foreign Ministry said only a summit of the group could consider whether to bar the attendance of a member nations leader. It declared that Myanmar will endeavor to find a peaceful solution based on ASEAN Spirit and ASEAN Way through consultation and negotiation." But it did not say if another representative from Myanmar would be attending in place of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who heads the government and ruling military council. Brunei in its capacity as ASEAN chair said the bloc has decided to invite a non-political representative, instead of Myanmars military leader. ASEAN leaders at a special meeting in April issued a statement expressing a five-point consensus on Myanmars crisis. It called for the immediate cessation of violence, a dialogue among all concerned parties, mediation by an ASEAN special envoy, provision of humanitarian aid through ASEAN channels, and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties. Myanmar is widely seen as having done very little to abide by the consensus, though it claims to have helped facilitate humanitarian assistance. Along with Myanmar, the other ASEAN nations are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ___ Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report. KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) Floods and landslides triggered by days of torrential rains have killed at least 99 people in Nepal since Monday, officials said. In neighboring India, heavy downpours this week have also wreaked havoc, killing at least 88 people, while flooding roads, destroying bridges and causing landslides that washed away several homes. Police in Nepal said rescuers were looking for at least 40 people who have been reported as missing, sparking fears that the death toll could rise. A majority of the deaths occurred in the countrys eastern and western regions, which saw heavy rains this week, said police spokesperson Basanta Bahadur Kunwar. The search and rescue team have been relocating people to safer locations and taking the injured to the hospitals, he said. At least 35 injured in the rains have been rescued and are in the hospital. Crops and homes have been wiped out, which is a severe blow to families already grappling with the devastating fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Azmat Ulla of the International Federation of Red Crescent Societies in Nepal. Red Cross teams are aiding evacuation efforts in both countries. The people of Nepal and India are sandwiched between the pandemic and worsening climate disasters, heavily impacting millions of lives and livelihoods, he added. On Thursday, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba visited the flood-affected areas in the western region and directed authorities to focus on the speedy rescue, relief and rehabilitation of those vulnerable. Authorities are still trying to ascertain the number of displaced households and the full extent of damages caused by the disasters. Forecasters in Nepal are anticipating moderate rainfall later on Thursday but expect the weather to improve by the end of the week. India has seen worrisome rains across several regions this week. Flooding and landslides caused by downpours over the week have killed at least 46 people in the northern state of Uttarakhand and 42 people in the southern state of Kerala, which is on alert for more rains in the coming days. Landslides and floods are common in Indias Himalayan north. Scientists say they are becoming more frequent as global warming contributes to the melting of glaciers there. In February, flash floods killed nearly 200 people and washed away houses in Uttarakhand. In 2013, thousands of people were killed in floods there. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) The Iranian capital Tehran has held its main public Friday prayer service for the first time in 20 months, after it was halted amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers said beforehand that all health protocols would be followed to protect the expected hundreds of worshippers during the ceremony at Tehran University. Iran's National Coronavirus Taskforce, which had ordered a halt to the prayers, authorized its resumption. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukraine's coronavirus infections and deaths reached all-time highs for a second straight day Friday, in a growing challenge for the country with one of Europe's lowest shares of vaccinated people. Ukrainian health authorities reported 23,785 new confirmed infections and 614 deaths in the past 24 hours. Authorities in the capital, Kyiv, shut schools for two weeks starting Friday, and similar measures were ordered in other areas with high contagion levels. Authorities have blamed surging infections on a sluggish pace of vaccination in the nation of 41 million. Ukrainians can freely choose between Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines, but only about 15% of the population is fully vaccinated, Europes lowest level after Armenia. Overall, the country has registered over 2.7 million infections and about 63,000 deaths. The steep rise in contagion has prompted the government to tighten restrictions. Starting Thursday, proof of vaccination or a negative test is required to board planes, trains and long-distance buses. In Rivne, 300 kilometers (190 miles) west of Kyiv, the city hospital is swamped with COVID-19 patients and doctors say the situation is worse than during the wave of infections early in the pandemic that severely strained the health system. The ... course of the disease is certainly more severe and more aggressive than last year. The patients have become younger, said Valentyn Koroliuk, head of the hospitals intensive-care unit. Unfortunately, those patients who are in our department are not vaccinated. Lilia Serdiuk, 61, is fighting COVID-19 and regretting that she did heed calls to get vaccinated. I didnt believe it, I didnt even want to watch the news, she told The Associated Press as she lay on her back in a narrow bed. This disease exists and it is very terrible. I wish all people would listen to the news and the recommendations of doctors. The hospital is near capacity and doctors worry the wave of patients will grow. What if there are even more patients? What if we dont have enough oxygen? This is constant stress, said doctor Tetiana Pasichnyk. A black market for counterfeit vaccination certificates has blossomed amid the restrictions, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy chaired a meeting earlier this week on ways of combating the illegal practice. Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky said police have opened 800 criminal cases concerning the use of such certificates, adding that the ministry deployed 100 mobile units to track down their holders, who would face severe punishment. He said that a former lawmaker, Nadiya Savchenko, produced a fake proof of vaccination as she returned to Ukraine Friday. Police said they suspect workers at 15 hospitals across the country of involvement in issuing false vaccination certificates. To encourage vaccination, authorities have started offering shots in shopping malls. As infections soared, skeptical attitudes began to change and a record number of more than 270,000 people received vaccines over the past 24 hours. ___ Evgeny Maloletka in Rivne, Ukraine, contributed. - Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic For the second consecutive month, Wall Street analysts and media business forecasters badly missed the Bureau of Labor Statistics job creation total. Dow Jones projected 500,000 new jobs for September, compared to the 194,000 new jobs reported by the Biden administration. Television commentators were aghast at their second straight whiff in August, the so-called experts predicted 720,000 new jobs, while the economy created just 235,000 jobs. No surprise that COVID-19 took the brunt of the blame for the steep declines, particularly among workers in education and local/state employment, but also among bus drivers, food service workers and substitute teachers. Another variable that added to the dismal September results was the disappearance from the labor force of many older, low-wage workers still fearful about COVID-19 and its delta variant. A historic 11 million jobs are open and available. As far as the economy and job creation are concerned, the U.S. is still in COVID-19s grasp. Were hiring signs are everywhere, yet few workers have stepped up to fill the jobs. Although openings are at or near an all-time record, one hurdle to attracting employees is that many of the positions require in-person work for construction, hospitality, delivery services or warehousing, the exact types of jobs too many Americans shun in the current environment. Thanks to the pandemic fear the government and scare-mongering media have instilled in the general public, potential workers continue to stay away from close-contact employment. Consequently, most job seekers are hopeful of finding mostly unavailable remote work. A recent review of the ZipRecruiter website found that only one in 10 postings offered remote employment. When workers are in short supply, the clarion call for more immigration inevitably follows. Bill Kristol, for example, once a conservative, now a Democrat, and always an immigration advocate, put out a tweet which proclaimed that immigration could solve the economys employment doldrums. Kristol wrote: We can debate infrastructure, tax policy, government spending, etc. But its not a close call as to the one thing that would do the most for our economy across the board: More immigration. Both skilled and unskilled. Which the Administration and Congress have done nothing on. Well not exactly nothing. Kristol must not be paying attention to the immigration news. Encouraging illegal immigration, bringing Afghan evacuees to the U.S. and raising the refugee cap are definitely something. Soon the U.S. will have a worker surplus. The 15,000 Haitians who surged the border, the 50,000 or more Afghanistan evacuees and the 125,000 refugees that Biden has committed to for fiscal 2021-22, and the 2 million released-at-the-border illegal aliens will inevitably receive employment authorization. Also on their way to compete for jobs in the U.S. labor pool are the annual 1 million-plus legal immigrants who, as part of their permanent residency, receive lifetime valid work permits. Finally, add about 700,000 guest workers that traditionally enter the U.S. to perform jobs which range from medical doctors to agriculture-based employees. The approximately 1 million legal and 2 million illegal immigrants, the evacuees, the refugees and the guest workers will go a long way to making Kristol and the immigration lobbys dreams come true. And if Congress passes the reconciliation bill that its kicking around, about 8 million more aliens will be granted amnesty, receive legal status and work permits. COVID-19 restrictions could impact the foreign-born arrivals, but illegal immigrant amnesty candidates already represent several million work permits. High immigration and the lower wages immigrants earn harm those that can least withstand economic setbacks American blacks and Hispanics, other minorities, the disabled, recently arrived low-skilled legal immigrants and others without a college degree. More immigration, regardless of how much it may hurt Americans who fund it, is the blueprint that the Biden administration has, to the disappointment of most, chosen to follow, and is committed to. Joe Guzzardi is a Progressives for Immigration Reform analyst who has written about immigration for more than 30 years. He can be reached at jguzzardi@pfirdc.org. This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. 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 SAM MONTALTO, Stonington, Boys Soccer, Senior; Montalto scored three goals including the 100th of his career in the Bears 4-0 victory over Plainville in the Class M state tournament. Montalto, who missed the first three games of the season, has 32 goals and nine assists this season. GIRLS & BOYS Soccer Team, Chariho; It wouldnt be fair to single out a player from either team, both of which captured Division II titles over the weekend of Nov. 12. The girls tied their game with Prout with 1:02 left in regulation and prevailed in penalty kicks. The boys scored the winning goal in the final two minutes of the second overtime to beat North Smithfield. ZACK TUCK, Westerly, Football; Tuck rushed for 150 yards on 29 carries in a loss to unbeaten St. Raphael in the Division II semifinals. Tuck has rushed for 1,533 yards and scored 19 touchdowns this season for the 7-3 Bulldogs. Vote View Results Tax hikes are making Britain less competitive and holding back the economy, the Chancellor has been warned. As Rishi Sunak prepares for next week's Budget and Spending Review, a report by the Centre for Policy Studies shows the UK is sliding down the global rankings for competitive taxes. The UK is ranked 22nd out of 37 OECD nations in the International Tax Competitiveness Index published by the US-based Tax Foundation. Stifling business: The UK is currently ranked 22nd out of 37 OECD nations in the International Tax Competitiveness Index published by the US-based Tax Foundation But the CPS warns we will fall to 30th in 2023 after corporation tax jumps from 19 per cent to 25 per cent and the introduction of the new health and social care levy. Tom Clougherty, head of tax at the think tank, said: 'The UK's tax regime is already significantly less competitive than is generally realised. 'But our analysis also shows how much worse the planned tax rises will make things. The UK cannot afford to fall behind its international competitors especially amid reports of increasing scepticism towards the UK as an investment environment. 'The Government needs to rethink its plans, and put growth, investment and competitiveness at the heart of its agenda.' Daniel Bunn of the Tax Foundation said: 'The UK is at a critical juncture with its tax policy. The levelling up agenda could be curtailed by tax hikes.' With the tax burden in the UK heading to its highest sustained level in peacetime, business leaders also called for a rethink. CBI director general Tony Danker said: 'Are we going for growth? Or going back to tax and spend? 'There is a fundamental inconsistency where the Government wants to unlock business investment, but its tax policies do the opposite. Tax growth stunts investment.' Instant unlimited access to all of our content on tillamookheadlightherald.com. The Headlight Herald E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) The next step under Tennessee law is if Hawn contests the move, a hearing officer will rule on the matter, followed by a possible move back to the school board for another vote and then to Chancery Court. SARATOGA SPRINGS - The owner of several Golden Corral restaurants in the Capital Region is asking the U.S. Small Business Administration to intervene in his fight to get Adirondack Trust Co. to release nearly $2 million in COVID-19 business loans. About a year ago, Adirondack Trust sued Saratoga Springs businessman Niral Patel over disbursement of the loans, alleging that Patel, who owns Golden Corral locations in upstate New York and New Jersey, had misused the COVID-19 funds, which were approved through the $800 billion federal Paycheck Protection Program. Adirondack Trust froze Patel's accounts believing that he had used some of the funds for personal expenses, including the mortgage on his mother's house. Patel has steadfastly denied the accusations and has filed a counter-lawsuit against the bank. Patel sought the PPP loans after his buffet-style restaurants were forced to close under the state's COVID-19 public health measures in response to the pandemic. He has only reopened his Syracuse location since the loans were frozen. Patel has accused the bank of racism and shoddy legal and accounting work, and most recently he said he had asked the SBA to force Adirondack Trust to release the funds to him. He previously asked the state Department of Financial Services to launch an investigation into the matter. Typically, PPP loan funds are forgiven by the SBA and a business' bank if everything goes smoothly. But, according to Adirondack Trust, that is not the case with Patel's loans, so he would have to pay them back eventually. Patel's holding company is known as Northeast Dining and Lodging. He also owns the Comfort Inn & Suites in Saratoga Springs. His local Golden Corral restaurants are located in Colonie, Wilton and Queensbury. None have reopened, although Patel is trying to get them reopened. At their height, his businesses employed 500 people. The banks decision to deny me loan forgiveness is reckless and as usual, without merit, Patel said in announcing that he had asked the SBA to force Adirondack Trust to reverse its decision. Its time they ended their charade and take responsibility for all the harm and damages they have caused my family and businesses." The SBA did not respond to a request for comment. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Adirondack Trust has denied any wrongdoing. In response to questions about Patel's appeal to the SBA, bank officials pointed the Times Union to a recent filing in its lawsuit against Patel, which was filed in state Supreme Court in Saratoga County. The filing included a written deposition by Michael Raymond, a partner at the well-known accounting firm BST & Co. CPAs based in Colonie. Raymond was hired by lawyers for Adirondack Trust to look over Patel's bank records related to the PPP loans. In his deposition, he said his investigation found "improper use" of PPP loan funds. "Based upon the forgoing, and the extremely limited documentation produced thus far, it is my opinion, within a reasonable degree of professional certainty, that PPP funds were used for purposes other than those mandated by the loan program," Raymond said. The latest in New York politics This article was featured in the Capitol Confidential newsletter. Sign up here to get it each morning. Seven years after New York passed its law permitting medical cannabis, certified patients will soon be allowed to grow plants at home, following regulations announced in the second-ever Cannabis Control Board meeting Thursday afternoon. (TU) Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an unannounced executive order this week that seeks to compel the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide the state with its COVID-19 immunization records, an escalation in a back-and-forth between the state and a federal agency that has left veterans vaccinated by the VA unable to use New York's mobile Excelsior Pass. (TU) SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Authorities are investigating after confirming that a prop firearm discharged by actor Alec Baldwin, while producing and starring in a Western movie, killed the cinematographer and wounded the director. Santa Fe County Sheriffs officials said Halyna Hutchins, cinematographer on the movie Rust, and director Joel Souza were shot Thursday on the rustic film set in the desert on the southern outskirts of Santa Fe. Hutchins, 42, was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel, the sheriff's department said. Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, where he is undergoing treatment for his injuries. Production was halted on the film. A spokesperson for Baldwin said there was an accident on the set involving the misfire of a prop gun with blanks, though a charge without a metal projectile is unlikely to kill at a moderate distance. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported the 63-year-old Baldwin was seen Thursday outside the sheriffs office in tears, but attempts to get comment from him were unsuccessful. The International Cinematographers Guild confirmed that the woman fatally shot was Hutchins, a cinematographer. The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event, guild president John Lindley and executive director Rebecca Rhine said in a statement. Hutchins, a 2015 graduate of the American Film Institute, worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film Archenemy, starring Joe Manganiello. She was named a rising star by American Cinematographer in 2019. Im so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set, said Archenemy director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film. Film colleague Manganiello called her an incredible talent and a great person on his Instagram account. He said he was lucky to have worked with Hutchins. Baldwin teamed up as a producer previously with Souza on the 2019 film, Crown Vic, which starred Thomas Jane as a veteran Los Angeles police officer on a manhunt for two violent bank robbers. His first credited film, 2010s Hannas Gold, was a treasure hunt adventure featuring Luke Perry. Deputies responded about 2 p.m. to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 calls described a person being shot on set, sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios said. The ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western News of the World. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Rios said detectives were investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged. This investigation remains open and active, Rios said in a statement. No charges have been filed in regard to this incident. Witnesses continue to be interviewed by detectives. Filming for Rust was set to continue into early November, according to a news release from the New Mexico Film Office. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s' Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. In 1993, Brandon Lee, 28, son of the late martial-arts star Bruce Lee, died after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. A Twitter account run by Lee's sister Shannon said: Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on Rust. No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period. In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series Cover Up. ___ Berry reported from Phoenix. Associated Press film writer Jake Coyle contributed to this report. Oct. 25, 2021 UPDATE: A tentative one-year contract agreement has been reached between Nuvance Health and the more than 1,500 1199SEIU union healthcare workers at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie and Putnam Hospital in Carmel. "Ive worked nights where Ive had the hallways lined with patients, said Erin Mulligan, a patient care tech in the emergency room at Putnam Hospital in Carmel. We just do the best that we can. Mullligan and other 1199SEIU union members who work at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie or Putnam Hospital, both owned by Nuvance Health, are rallying for a new contract agreement. They have been working without a contract since Sept. 30. A new contract could make it easier to recruit and retain employees, they say, which they hope could in turn lessen the severe staffing shortage described by members. The union picketed on Wednesday in Poughkeepsie and Carmel and negotiations continued on Thursday and Friday. Staff at Nuvance hospitals arent alone when it comes to shortages. In Hudson, nurses and other staff members at Columbia Memorial Health said the hospital there had reached a crisis point as the ratio of staff to patients drops to alarming levels. Demand in services, and a decrease in staffing that has not improved since the start of the pandemic, are some of the reasons why hospitals are feeling the crunch. In the Capital Region, hospitals continue to scramble to find new ways to recruit and retain staff amid a staffing shortage, with reports of ambulances having to wait one to two hours to get patients into rooms. Some employees are working exceedingly long shifts, union workers we spoke with said, and others are resigning as a result of fatigue and stress in the pandemic. Nuvance Health, Vassar Brothers Medical Center and Putnam Hospitals number one priority is quality, patient-centered care, said John Nelson, assistance vice president of community, government and public relations at Nuvance Health, in a written statement. As we continue to negotiate a new contract in good faith, we are confident we will achieve a positive long-term solution for all, which will address 1199s position and the community's needs. Mulligan said the union usually asks for a three-year contract but returned to the bargaining table with a one-year contract request after Nuvance Health offered a two-month contract. The New York State Nurses Association said that Putnam Hospital laid off 11 nurses, including a 30-year veteran of the hospital, in April of this year. Similar layoffs happened at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in December 2020, when 14 of its 19 radiology technologist assistants were let go. Last year, the staff requested hazard pay for risking their lives during the peak of the pandemic but the request was denied by hospital management. The hospital has gotten much busier, and were taking care of the community, but the problem has always been the staffing issue and retention of staff over time, said Ed Jasewicz, who has worked in the laboratory at Vassar Brothers for 10 years. It was a problem before the pandemic hit and its a daily problem for the hospital now. Downtime is the best time Make the most of your Hudson Valley weekend, every week with our newsletter. Jasewicz said hes rallying for a fair compensation. Since the staffing shortage has worsened and the pandemic has continued, he and his colleagues have had to work 12-to-16-hour days, he said. Others have either taken shortened or no breaks during their shifts. We sacrifice our own time off to not only help our own staff, but to help the patients that are there, said Jasewicz. Usually there are three nurses on the day shift in the emergency room, but earlier this week Mulligan only had one, in addition to a manager who stepped in to help. When it comes to technicians, there is one, if that, said Mulligan. Additionally, Mulligan has called in early and asked to stay late to provide care. 2021 staffing reports from the New York State Nurses Association found there were 36 reports of unsafe settings in which intensive care unit nurses had more than two patients at a time. The wait times in the emergency room are atrocious, said Mulligan. There are people who wait upwards of eight hours sometimes. Its sad. We love what we do, we love our community, and we want to take care of them, said Mulligan. In order to do that, we need a decent contract. ALBANY Norman S. Rice, who during a nearly century-long life combined his twin passions of art and history to connect his beloved adopted city's past to its future, died Friday after several years of declining health and a short hospital stay. He was 95. It is hard to overstate his impact on Albany's art, culture and history scenes, of which Rice has been called the conscience and contextualizer. This is particularly true of the Albany Institute of History & Art, with which Rice was associated for nearly 70 years, starting as curator in 1953. He was executive director of the museum from 1967 to 1986, during which he grew its collections, expanded its focus and forged relationships with Old Albany money that proved invaluable when, well after his retirement, the museum embarked on a capital campaign and benefactors cultivated by Rice donated millions toward renovation and expansion. During his 33 years at the museum, Rice also curated or oversaw more than 500 exhibits and wrote authoritative museum catalogs on Albany silver and pre-1840 New York furniture. Outside of the museum, Rice was Albany city historian from 1966 to 1987, served as a board member of Albany Rural Cemetery for more than five decades after being appointed in 1967 and was an expert consulted by institutions throughout upstate New York and the Berkshires on matters as varied as museum collections, art conservation, architectural restoration and preservation, cultural parks and library collections. Through it all, he was always dapper in appearance, usually with a bow tie, both for the distinctive sartorial effect and because, as he often quipped, they were less likely to get stained when dining out. Rice surrounded himself with exquisite furniture, fixtures and art during a life spent alongside James Gwynn, an artist and interior decorator already associated with the Albany Institute when Rice arrived, who became his companion of six decades. Gwynn died in 2015 at age 93, three weeks after completing his final window design for a clothing boutique. "Norman was the link between the modern Albany Institute and its 230-year history," said F. Michael Tucker, a museum board member for 20 years and board chair for the past three. Although Rice retired 35 years ago, he relished his role as director emeritus and acted as adviser, confidant and occasional gadfly for later executive directors and board leaders. "When I started, he was still coming in at least once a week, and it was extremely helpful to hear his thoughts, to hear about his experiences and how he'd handled things long before me," said Christine Miles, Rice's immediate successor, who was executive director of the Albany Institute for 25 years, starting in 1986. The current executive director, Tammis Groft, had an even longer relationship with Rice: He hired her as an intern in 1976. "I still remember him from that first interview," Groft said. "He was in a dark suit, white shirt and red and black polka-dotted bow tie as he graciously welcomed me into his beautiful office." Speaking on the phone Friday from that same office her office since 2013, having risen from intern to assistant curator, chief curator, deputy director and interim director Groft said, "Sitting here and talking about him, I can still feel him here in his red and black polka-dotted bow tie. He was a mentor, colleague and, most importantly, a friend for 45 years." For Miles, having such a legendary predecessor still a frequent presence offered many benefits and some difficulties. His were big shoes to fill, but, "Sometimes those shoes needed to be pointed in a slightly different direction going forward," Miles said. "I was born two years after Norman started at the institute," she said. They were of different generations, literally and philosophically, Miles said, and some of the more progressive ideas she introduced, particularly about broadening and diversifying the museum's audience and holdings, were different enough to give Rice pause. However, "He was able to accept a lot of change, and I admire that greatly," Miles said. The biggest change Rice witnessed and helped with was a capital campaign, begun in 1996, that would ultimately pay for a $20 million expansion and renovation, which included state-of-the-art storage for the institute's collections. "He really loved that part," Miles said "It was very important to him to know that things would be well cared for." More for you Grondahl: The twilight of Albanys collector nonpareil Norman Rice Times Union publisher George R. Hearst III, longtime chairman of the institute's board, also chaired the fundraising campaign and remains chairman emeritus. Recalling a restaurant lunch during which he urged Rice to donate funds, Hearst said, "It was my job to solicit this guy, and he wasn't going to make it easy for me. He was a little cantankerous and was very interested in what others would be committing." Rice's direct contribution was one of the earliest and most significant to the campaign, Hearst said. But Rice was also essential to the campaign's success because of relationships he and Gwynn had long maintained with a coterie of wealthy ladies. They were widows of Albany titans of decades long past, whom Rice and Gwynn wanted to memorialize in a book they never finished, to have been titled "The Great Women of Our Lives." About a dozen in number, the women, in varying combinations, accompanied Rice and Gwynn on opera outings to Glimmerglass in Cooperstown, museum trips in Europe and art auctions in New York City, where their capacious checkbooks could be counted on to bolster the Albany Institute's holdings and their wills to boost its fundraising. "I don't think it's too bold to say that without his efforts with significant donors ... the museum might not exist today," said Hearst. Provided photo Born Aug. 11, 1926, in Salem, Mass., Rice credited an early interest in art to museum visits with his grandmother. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard, coming to Albany in 1953 as a curator for the institute. He and Gwynn lived for years in a museum-quality townhouse on Washington Park that was a showplace for their art and antiques, then moved to a Menands apartment complex. After Gwynn's death, Rice tried a senior-living community but told friends he couldn't abide it, soon relocating to a condo in downtown Albany. Regular aide visits became 24-hour nurses as Rice's health declined, but as recently as late summer of this year he'd still insist on meals at nearby restaurants, often keeping on his parka and cashmere scarf during dinner because his preferred ambient temperature leaned toward the tropical. Groft saw Rice several times at St. Peter's Hospital after he was admitted last week. Though frail, "He still had his sparkly wit and good conversation," Groft said. When Times Union columnist Paul Grondahl spent a pre-pandemic afternoon with Rice in early 2020, a tour of the condo brought repeated mention that this or that item they happened upon would be "going to the institute," as would, Rice told Grondahl, the bulk of his remaining collection of Albany art and material. Between 1988 and this year, Rice had already given the museum more than 350 objects, according to Groft. Representing 300 years of Capital Region history, they are from families such as Corning, Van Rensselaer, Cogswell, Pruyn, Van Derzee and Yates and include historic prints, sculptures, portraits, architectural renderings, silver, furniture, jewelry, photographs, reference books, manuscripts, clothing and decorative arts, Groft said. Photo courtesy Joan Dembinski At least one more donation will be going to the museum as a result of Rice's influence. Joan Dembinski, now 85, grew up in Albany, the daughter of a weightlifter who was a candidate for the 1924 Olympics and ran George's Health Club, on State Street downtown, from 1935 until 1983. Soon after Rice arrived at the institute, Dembinski's mother bought a painting at an auction of items from the estate of the Olcott family, who owned Ten Broeck Mansion for a century. The mid-19th-century painting was "The Head of Saint John," by James Edward Freeman, who had lived in Albany for a period. In 1840, Freeman used his Albany political connections to the administration of President Martin Van Buren to finagle a consular appointment in Rome, where Freeman spent the rest of his life in the art scene. The day after the Olcott auction, Rice and a colleague from the Albany Institute came by the Dembinski home. Insisting the painting had been meant for the museum, they asked if the institute could have it. "My mother told them she'd bought it fair and square and was keeping it. And she did," said Dembinski, who spent a 50-year career involved in drug trials in the pharmaceutical industry and now works as a pastry chef at Yono's restaurant in Albany coincidentally located across the street from Rice's final home. The two kept in touch over the years, she said, and she would greet him at the restaurant if one of his meals overlapped one of her shifts. Referring to "The Head of Saint John," Dembinski said, "I still have it. It's on my bedroom wall." It is also in her will, destined for the Albany Institute of History & Art. Details about a funeral service or memorial for Rice, to be held at the Cathedral of All Saints, were unavailable Friday. Jacom Stephens / Getty Image ALBANY - A Saratoga County woman was sentenced to pay thousands in restitution and serve a years worth of probation after being convicted for tax fraud, federal officials said Thursday. Betty J. Marriott, 71, of Gansevoort pleaded guilty earlier to four counts of filing false tax returns and must pay back $280,413, according to the U.S. Justice Department. ALBANY A select group of high school students took a trip to a lab on the University Albany downtown campus Thursday to learn how to fly drones and use them against security attacks. The goal is to get them interested and having hands-on experience and determining if this is the field they want to go in, said Dr. Marcie Fraser, instructor for New Visions Questar III and an adjunct professor at UAlbany's College of Emergency Preparedness. Homeland security and the protection of homeland security is our goal, to teach them how to work effectively to counter terrorism and to identify terrorism, Fraser added. Questar's Emergency Preparedness, Informatics, Cyber Security and Homeland Security program (EPICH) selects advanced students in high schools throughout the region to learn about how technology can be used in the homeland security field. Students from Hudson High School and Troy High School were in attendance on Thursday. It is expected that the program will welcome students from schools all over the Capital District next year, according to Fraser. In the program, students learn how to hone skills in technology such as building drones and robots. What we are doing today in the drone lab actually can help us understand what a terrorist would use their weaponry for and how we can counteract it, said Dreven Sesay, 17, a senior at Troy High School. Originally interested in computer science, Sesay was surprised when he realized just how his skills could span far beyond what he could have imagined. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. I got here and then started learning that I can use my skills in technology out in the real world to have a real effect on people and save lives, Sesay said. In the program, the students take three introductory college-level courses to obtain college credits to be applied to their first year of college. The EPICH program runs during the fall and spring semesters, and can accept up to 30 students who must apply to be accepted. With COVID, the applicants were down but we suspect its going to be full next year and very competitive, Fraser said. Its a really great experience for the kids. Its something thats going to launch these students into the area of homeland security. Fraser said. The program will work to begin recruitment for upcoming classes. Students who are interested can reach out to their school counselors for information on the Questar III EPICH program. RENSSELAER Michael S. Barone served as an Army paratrooper, lawyer and 20-year-plus veteran of the Albany police force. Michael Brothers served time in prison for a 2009 gunpoint robbery of a man outside a private social club in Albany. Unlikely friends who apparently met several months ago at a Central Avenue strip club, they're now on opposite sides of an attempted murder case: Barone, 55, a retired police lieutenant and onetime City Court candidate, is charged with shooting Brothers, 35, a convicted felon and admitted pot dealer, in the leg inside Brothers' apartment in downtown Rensselaer on Oct. 19. Barone initially came to Brothers' aid after his friend told him he had been robbed in a home invasion. Brothers said Barone later accused him of lying, shot him and then drove him to Albany Medical Center Hospital. While at the hospital, a witness told police, Barone told Brothers he loved him. And then, before the alleged shooter was taken into a room for apparent questioning by police, Brothers told Barone to "say it was two Black males," the witness told police. The bizarre chain of events was outlined in court documents obtained by the Times Union. In a statement, Brothers said he reached out to Barone after three men, including one to whom he wanted to sell marijuana, robbed him at gunpoint in his apartment of $1,200 and 4 ounces of marijuana just after midnight Tuesday. Brothers told police he could not reach Barone, so he drove to his home on Central Avenue in Colonie. "I told Mike what happened," Brothers said. "Mike got his gun, vest, gas mask and tactical pants on. Then both of us got into his (Mercedes) SL 550 and went back to my place." Brothers said they watched "The Sopranos" for about 10 minutes, and then he went to bed. When he got up the next morning, Brothers saw Barone in the kitchen wearing his jewelry. "I asked Mike what the hell he was doing and he pulled a gun out and pointed it at my chest and started saying I was lying to him," Brothers told police. "I was telling him to get the gun out of my face and he lowered it. I was walking toward the living room then boom. He shot me. I fell onto the couch." Brothers said he grabbed a shirt, ran downstairs and told a neighbor he had been shot. "Then," Brothers told police, "Mike came down and said 'Let's go,' and we got into my Lincoln and he drove me to the hospital." Brothers told police no one else had been in the apartment, adding, "Mike only fired one shot." Brothers told police he and Barone had met several months earlier at Shenanigans strip club in Colonie. Brothers pleaded guilty in 2009 to attempted robbery of a 34-year-old man outside Club Azzurri, a social club on North Allen Street. Brothers and other assailants planned to ambush the victim, who was pistol-whipped and robbed of $10,000. The robbers were caught after they used the man's cellphone to call each other. Brothers was paroled in 2013. Barone, a Brooklyn native and former Long Islander, is charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and possession of a weapon. Court papers show Barone had three loaded gun magazines, two with 13 rounds and two others with 12 rounds and one in the chamber. He could face 25 years in prison if convicted on the top charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Barone's son and two supporters were present in a Friday morning court appearance. "Of course, this court is aware of my client's stellar record," Steven Raiser, Barone's defense attorney, told County Judge Jennifer Sober, noting Barone had trained police officers. "He's been an upstanding citizen for many, many years and has a string of accomplishments." Barone, who has no prior record, is not a flight risk, said Raiser, who is representing Barone alongside attorney Melissa Carpinello. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Columbia County Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Ryan Carty asked the judge to keep Barone locked up without bail in the Rensselaer County jail. The office of District Attorney Paul Czajka was assigned as a special prosecutor after Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly, who is married to a retired Albany police detective, recused herself because of the potential conflict of interest. Sober set a $25,000 bond. In an earlier Friday court proceeding, when Barone appeared virtually in Rensselaer City Court, Barone tried to speak more than once against his lawyers wishes. Judge Kathleen Robichaud told Barone and his attorney he must surrender any guns he owns within 24 hours of his release on bail under an order of protection she signed. Hi, your honor, Id like to speak, please, Barone asked. The judge cut him off. Hold on, sir, she told the accused. Robichaud asked Raiser if he was advising Barone to speak on the court record without knowing what he was going to speak about. Im advising you, Michael, not to speak, Raiser told Barone, noting that they had previously addressed the issue and could speak later about it. Yes, counselor, Barone said. Barone, once again, made impromptu remarks. He told Raiser that he is a hunter who had just paid thousands of dollars" and wanted to know about the impact of the order of protection, which Barone referred to as an O.P. Raiser and the judge reminded Barone an attorney who ran for Albany City Court in 2017 that the order was temporary and could be modified. JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) The United States is at a turning point in deciding how to handle the crisis in military-ruled Myanmar, weighing further political and economic steps to pressure the government to change its behavior, a senior U.S. official said Thursday. The situation is getting worse inside Burma, both from a humanitarian point of view, from a security point of view, in terms of the economy and the lack of progress on the politics, U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet told The Associated Press in an interview. The U.S. has been one of the most vocal opponents of the military takeover that ousted Aung San Suu Kyis elected government in February. Suu Kyi was arrested and detained with top members of her National League for Democracy party, including President Win Myint. A detailed accounting by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners blames security forces for the killings of almost 1,200 civilians and arresting over 9,043 others since Feb. 1. The government now faces a growing insurgency in many parts of the country. Chollet, who serves as an adviser to the secretary of state, gave an online interview while the U.S. delegation was in Indonesia after visiting Thailand and Singapore ahead of an annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Brunei, where the situation in Myanmar is likely to dominate. We think that we have tools that can help stem the worst from happening in the near term. But as I said, I think we are at an inflection point in the process," Chollet said. There are political and economic levers that can be pulled by the U.S. and other governments to pressure the regime to try to give them the kinds of incentives to change their behavior. Part of what we are trying to do as the United States is to come in and not dictate the terms, but to offer our best perspectives and also hear from different partners here in the region, he said. In talks with the three key ASEAN members, the U.S. delegation was able to to get "a sense of their ideas of the best way forward. The U.S., along with the United Kingdom and the European Union, has already placed sanctions on high-ranking Myanmar military members and state-owned enterprises including those dealing in lucrative timber and gems that are considered revenue streams for the military. But activists have been quick to point out that the sanctions have not included American and French oil and gas companies working in Myanmar, allowing the military to maintain its single-largest source of foreign currency revenue. It allows them to make purchases such as refined petroleum, weapons, packaged medicines and other imported goods. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Not having sanctions is allowing these massive multination companies that have huge stakeholder investment to be potentially complicit in ongoing atrocities and crimes in Myanmar, said Manny Maung, a Myanmar researcher for Human Rights Watch. These business relationships are basically going directly to criminal junta. The failure to take reasonable steps ... is really quite reckless and allowing businesses to be complicit. Chollet admitted there is no question that sanctioning of the oil business is a tool available to the U.S. But he also cautioned that Washington would need to keep in mind the interests of allies and partners in the region. Thats why were here is to think through whats the way forward, what could actually work to try to change the outlook of the junta, he said. But then also how can we do so in a way that doesnt make our problems worse. He said the Biden administration has not made a final decision. On Friday, ASEAN announced that it would not invite Myanmars military leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing to the summit, a major repudiation for the country after it refused to allow an ASEAN envoy meet with Suu Kyi. The envoy, a Brunei diplomat, subsequently canceled his trip to Myanmar. The decision was applauded by the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews. He said the military government was seeking money, weapons and legitimacy from the international community. ASEANs announcement that the junta will not be welcome at its upcoming summit denies the junta the ... legitimacy, he said Monday. Sustained pressure on all three fronts ... is the best way the international community can support the people of Myanmar to protect their human rights and save their country. RENSSELAER This years election is a battle of the mayors, as Republican incumbent Mayor Michael E. Stammel and Democratic challenger former mayor Richard J. Mooney seek a four-year term in the top office in a city government that has been torn apart the last two years. Stammel and the all-Democrat seven-member Common Council have battled ceaselessly since he was elected in 2019 to fill the remaining two years of Democratic mayor Daniel Dwyer, who died in office in Nov. 2018. Mooney, as Common Council president, succeeded Dwyer in 2018 before losing the 2019 special election to Stammel by 164 votes. Since that election theres been battles over staffing, two city budgets, the Dunn Landfill, providing ambulance service to city residents and keeping Stammel from running for re-election as the citys legislator on the Rensselaer County Legislature. They have the supermajority. They do what they want, said Stammel, 67, who is retired from Amtrak. Stammel said the Democrats dont want to work with him and wont even meet. He said hes in City Hall working to encourage development while pushing back against the S.A Dunn Landfill. Mooney said Stammel is the impediment for the city to bring in new small businesses and expand its tax base. The city of Rensselaer has come to a standstill under this administration for the past two years. We have a mayor refusing to work with the Common Council, said Mooney, 52, who works in the state Assembly. Stammel ran to victory in 2019 by appearing on four lines, a Rensselaer County favorite strategy, stressing his role as chairman of the County Legislature to bring services to the city and channeling public rage over the landfill and its impact on the nearby Rensselaer City School District campus. The Democrats have stripped away those advantages. Mooney has the Working Families Party Line and the Independence Party didnt get enough votes to stay on the ballot as an active party. Stammel had both those lines in 2019 plus the Republican and Conservative ballot positions which he maintains for the 2021 election. Mooney appears on three lines, Democrat, Working Families Party and the Independent Rensselaer Party, a play on the name of the former Independence Party. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The Common Council followed the example of neighboring East Greenbush and passed a law forbidding an official who is serving in a city elected post from holding another elected position. Stammel opted to drop out from re-election to the County Legislature this year and run again for mayor. The Democrats have taken the position of standing against the landfill, but Stammels supporters have continued to push for them to do more. Stammel points to the construction of new apartments along Broadway and proposals for activity in the citys southern industrial zone as accomplishments done during his administration. Mooney says most of the housing activity began with approvals that came before Stammel was in city government. Early voting begins Saturday and runs until Sunday, Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 2. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) An assistant director unwittingly handed Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, court records released Friday show. Cold gun, the assistant director announced, according to a search warrant filed in a Santa Fe court. Instead, the gun was loaded with live rounds, and when Baldwin pulled the trigger Thursday on the set of a Western, he killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, was wounded, the records said. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office obtained the warrant Friday so investigators could document the scene at the ranch outside Santa Fe where the shooting took place. They sought to examine Baldwins blood-stained costume for the film Rust," as well as the weapon that was fired, other prop guns and ammunition, and any footage that might exist. The gun was one of three that the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, had set on a cart outside the wooden structure where a scene was being acted, according to the records. Assistant director Dave Halls grabbed the gun from the cart and brought it inside to Baldwin, unaware that it was loaded with live rounds, a detective wrote in the search warrant application. It was unclear how many rounds were fired. Gutierrez removed a shell casing from the gun after the shooting, and she turned the weapon over to police when they arrived, the court records say. Halls did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment. The Associated Press was unable to contact Gutierrez, and several messages sent to production companies affiliated with the film were not immediately returned Friday. The films script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, said she was standing next to Hutchins when she was shot. I ran out and called 911 and said Bring everybody, send everybody, Mitchell told The Associated Press. This woman is gone at the beginning of her career. She was an extraordinary, rare, very rare woman. Mitchell said she and other crew members were attending a private memorial service Friday night in Santa Fe. Baldwin described the killing as a tragic accident." There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. Im fully cooperating with the police investigation, Baldwin wrote on Twitter. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna. No immediate charges were filed, and sheriffs spokesman Juan Rios said Baldwin was permitted to travel. Hes a free man, Rios said. Images of the 63-year-old actor known for his roles in 30 Rock and The Hunt for Red October and his impression of former President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live showed him distraught outside the sheriffs office on Thursday. Guns used in making movies are sometimes real weapons that can fire either bullets or blanks, which are gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but no deadly projectile. Even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. That proved to be the case in the death of an actor in 1984. In another on-set accident in 1993, the actor Brandon Lee was killed after a bullet was left in a prop gun, and similar shootings have occurred involving stage weapons that were loaded with live rounds. Gun-safety protocol on sets in the United States has improved since then, said Steven Hall, a veteran director of photography in Britain. But he said one of the riskiest positions to be in is behind the camera because that person is in the line of fire in scenes where an actor appears to point a gun at the audience. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Sheriffs deputies responded about 2 p.m. to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 calls described a person being shot there, Rios said. The ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western News of the World. Hutchins, 42, worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film Archenemy starring Joe Manganiello. She was a 2015 graduate of the American Film Institute and was named a rising star by American Cinematographer in 2019. Im so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set, said Archenemy director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film. Manganiello called Hutchins an incredible talent and a great person on his Instagram account. He said he was lucky to have worked with her. After the shooting, production was halted on Rust. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. Lee, son of martial arts star Bruce Lee, died in 1993 after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie The Crow. The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine. In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series Cover Up. Such shootings have also happened during historical reenactments. In 2015, an actor staging a historical gunfight in Tombstone, Arizona, was shot and wounded with a live round during a show that was supposed to use blanks. In Hill City, South Dakota, a tourist town that recreates an Old West experience, three spectators were wounded in 2011 when a re-enactor fired real bullets instead of blanks. ___ Associated Press writers Jake Coyle and Jocelyn Noveck in New York; Lizzie Knight in London; Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine; Ryan Pearson in Los Angeles; Walter Berry in Phoenix; and Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report. SARATOGA SPRINGS Skidmore College officials have promised to reform the way they handle reports of sexual violence after approximately 300 students walked out of class in protest following a student's claim that she was forced to leave campus for posting about her assault online. For more than two hours on Wednesday afternoon, students testified through a bullhorn about gender-based violence they experienced on campus, stories that point to widespread distrust in Skidmore's Title IX procedures. The federal Title IX law prohibits gender-based discrimination at educational institutions that receive federal funding. The conversation around sexual assault began brewing on Yik Yak about a week ago, students said. The app, popular among college students, enables people to chatter anonymously with others located within a 5-mile radius in a Reddit-like forum. When students, protected by the anonymity of the app, began naming their alleged abusers, it divided the campus, sparking a debate on how to balance due process with safety concerns. "There's one individual whose name was mentioned like 50 times," senior political science major Willa Blake said. Some of the gut-wrenching stories were quickly deleted by Yik Yak for violating its rules and moved to an Instagram account named "Skidanonymous." In some submissions, students expressed discomfort in reporting violence or harassment to Skidmore's Title IX office because they did not think it would be handled properly. Other survivors said they reported incidents to college officials but said Skidmore's response was insufficient. On Monday, a student who named her alleged abuser in a private social media post claimed she was asked to leave campus for apparently violating a no-contact order, students said. College officials dispute that claim. Skidmore spokeswoman Sara Miga said, "Students are suspended from campus for various reasons usually related to violating campus policies. Filing a complaint would never qualify as a reason for suspension." On Tuesday night, Skidmore's Title IX coordinator hosted a Zoom session for hundreds of students to explain Title IX and some of its limitations which only infuriated students. "It was just a very emotional meeting ... we just wanted to know, if I post about my abuser on my social media account will that happen to me? All of us are scared to speak out about our experiences," Blake said. The conversation has also touched on race, the disproportionate impact of campus violence on students of color, and the whiteness of college administrators, students said. The Skidanonymous account holders, who describe themselves as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color), said in a post they have been harassed with racist messages and threatened for their activism. "To the coordinators of this meeting: Your responses were pathetic and did not hold any weight. If anything you have hurt students more than helped them," the Skidanonymous activists wrote. Some faculty members dropped by the protest on Wednesday, including political science professor Bob Turner who said he was there to listen. "There's a palpable anger and frustration seething through the campus," Turner said. In a note to the Skidmore community, President Marc C. Conner denounced sexual violence and vowed a thorough review of the campus' Title IX policies and procedures. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "I hear the voices of our students who have in recent days raised a genuine and impassioned outcry about the impacts of sexual misconduct on our campus and your lived experiences. I share your concerns and your commitment to a campus environment that is safe and welcoming," he wrote. College officials have committed to bringing in external experts and establishing listening sessions for students to share their experiences. In 2020, New York began collecting data on how colleges and universities respond to complaints of harassment and assault. Two years of data suggest that campus sexual violence is still vastly underreported, despite efforts on the federal and state level to fine-tune laws and regulations around Title IX. Lately, with each new presidential administration, Title IX laws have been completely overhauled. Under Obama-era guidance, colleges were required under the law to investigate all incidents of harassment and sexual violence on- or off-campus and take immediate action to protect the complainant. Trump education officials rewrote the regulations to reduce liability for colleges and add protections for the accused. The Biden administration has since taken action to restore and expand victims' protections. New York's 2015 Enough is Enough law was intended to streamline the way institutions investigate claims and provide support to victims, but compliance with the statute has not been strictly enforced. In his letter to the community, Conner said it's been difficult for colleges to adapt to the changes to Title IX regulations in recent years. "As we have seen most keenly over the past several years, many of our nations systems are imperfect," he wrote. "We are all deeply invested in how we as a community prevent, confront, and respond to sexual and gender-based misconduct. As a society, we can and must do better." ALBANY U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik joined all but nine of her Republican House colleagues in opposing a resolution to hold conservative political strategist Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress for his failure to respond to a subpoena issued by the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Rep. John Katko, of central New York, in contrast, added his aye to unanimous Democratic support for the measure, which passed 229-202. The Justice Department will now decide whether to proceed with a formal contempt charge. Bannon has so far refused to provide documents or testimony concerning matters such as his communications with former President Donald J. Trump in the days leading up to the storming of the Capitol, which occurred immediately after a "Stop the Steal" rally in which Trump exhorted participants to walk to the Capitol and "fight like hell." Just before the House vote, Trump released a statement: "The insurrection took place on Nov. 3, Election Day. Jan. 6 was the protest!" Trump has claimed executive privilege in a lawsuit seeking to block the release of documents sought by the committee a legal action cited by Bannon's lawyers in their attempts to justify his noncompliance. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Stefanik, who in recent years developed into one of Trump's most dogged loyalists, has appeared multiple times on Bannon's "War Room" podcast since the riot, which occurred as the House was preparing to vote to certify Electoral College results in the presidential election. Although she joined other Republicans in denouncing the violence, the Schuylerville Republican voted against the certification in four states after Congress was able to resume the process. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who was ousted from the No. 3 post in the Republican conference for her criticism of Trump's role in inciting the riot, is a member of the committee investigating the attack. Stefanik was elevated to Cheney's former post. Robert Alexander/Getty Images ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) A state trooper who could be charged in a pursuit on the Thruway that led to the death of an 11-year-old girl had been involved in two similar collisions on the highway, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul. Hochul said in an executive order signed Wednesday that a grand jury will be asked to consider charges against Trooper Christopher Baldner for his role in a Dec. 22, 2020, crash that killed Monica Goods, of Brooklyn. The order also said Baldner engaged in prior similar conduct on two occasions" that led to collisions on the Thruway north of New York City in 2017 and 2019. ALBANY Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $8.4 million for two Capital Region homeless housing developments that are intended to create or preserve 148 permanent and transitional housing units for women and their families. "Homeless women and children, often fleeing circumstances of abuse or domestic violence, are among our state's most vulnerable populations," Hochul said in a statement."These projects represent a substantial investment toward ensuring they not only have a safe, reliable place to call home, but also have the resources they need to begin building a better life." About $5.6 million was awarded to the Harbor House, which is affiliated with the YWCA of Northeastern New York in Schenectady. That money will help create 54 units, with 62 beds of permanent supportive housing for woman and their families. The total project is valued at nearly $20 million and will be in a three-story building at the campus' Stockade District. "This three-plus year journey has only reinforced how much additional supportive housing is needed in our community," YWCA of Northeastern New York CEO Kim Siciliano said in a statement. Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy called it a "critical investment to increase access to safe and affordable housing for women and their families in Schenectady. ... A beacon of safety for our most vulnerable community members." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The YWCA of the Greater Capital Region in Troy is to receive $2.8 million for "major capital improvements to our historic building, ensuring the safety and security of our residents and staff for another century," YWCA of the Greater Capital Region Executive Director Starletta Smith said in a statement. That portion will preserve 80 units of permanent housing and 14 units of transitional housing for women and children. "The availability of safe and affordable housing can be a life-saving option for vulnerable individuals and families in crisis," Troy Mayor Patrick Madden said in a statement. "This funding is crucial to preserving much-needed supportive housing in our community to bring stability for those in need. The Hochul administration also awarded $3.8 million to the Salvation Army in Jamestown, in Chautauqua County, to relocate an existing emergency and build a two-story building with seven units, 19 beds. ALBANY The number of marijuana plants seized by police across New York has plummeted this year as many law enforcement agencies have abandoned their once-annual missions often aided by State Police helicopters to locate and remove the crops. The costly missions, which usually unfolded during harvest season from August to October, have historically been a mix of State Police aerial units working with local sheriff's departments and other agencies on the ground to spot and then remove large marijuana plantings. For the State Police, the helicopter missions cost more than $1,000 per hour in fuel and maintenance costs, not including wages for pilots or others on board. Some of that money has been reimbursed by the federal government based on the amount of plants seized. But in recent years, fewer local law enforcement agencies have devoted resources to the missions as many states began legalizing the drug and some prosecutors have declined to pursue criminal cases involving marijuana possession charges. The significant drop-off in plant seizures this year comes after New York legalized possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana for adults under a law that took effect in March. A new cannabis industry regulatory board this week also initiated a public comment period to fully legalize home cultivation of medical cannabis. And once additional regulations are established, adults without medical prescriptions also will be able to grow up to six plants per residence for personal use. State Police said their "mission has always been to eradicate large, illegal marijuana grows and that work will continue." Through nearly the first 10 months of this year, State Police said their aviation units seized 1,628 plants in 71 cases, with four arrests. That's down from 4,242 plants seized in 219 cases last year, with 152 arrests. In 2019, the State Police reported 161 cases, with 2,711 plants seized and 107 arrests. Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo, whose department had in years past participated in the aviation-eradication missions with the State Police, said there have been only a few marijuana seizures this year, most involving large amounts associated with narcotics trafficking cases. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "Over the last month or so we have taken some large amounts on some search warrants ... but our road patrol arrests are really down," he said, adding that deputies often encounter "just small amounts" of marijuana in someone's possession which is now legal if they are 21 and over. Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said his department is no longer investing resources in marijuana eradication missions. "We stopped doing them a couple years back," he said. "If somebody calls us we'll usually send our drone team out to take a peek at it. But I really don't waste the resources going hunting for it." ALBANY The State Police this week shook up the leadership of a special unit that's assigned to protect the governor's office but had been pulled into the controversies that engulfed former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who was found to have directed the appointment of a young female trooper to the unit who later became a victim of his alleged sexual harassment. State Police declined earlier this week to provide an update on any leadership or structural changes within the Protective Services Unit, but on Thursday they issued an internal teletype bulletin to members saying that Maj. Douglas Larkin, who oversees the agency's New York City troop, would take over the embattled unit. On Friday, after this story was published online, a State Police spokesman said that Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen has directed that a high-ranking commissioned officer, Staff Inspector Jennifer H. Gottstine, oversee structural changes to the unit and that permanent-rank commissioned officers would take over the command staff. Superintendent Bruen directed a thorough internal review of all aspects of the PSU, which resulted in recommendations to professionalize the unit, including changes to leadership and procedures," said Beau Duffy, a State Police spokesman. Dave Dively, a technical lieutenant who had been overseeing the detail for 11 months, is being transferred to a position at the New York State Intelligence Center and will be tasked with monitoring issues related to the governor, sources briefed on the matter said. Dively, who had been on the governor's detail for about 11 years, is a "technical" lieutenant because he did not take the competitive exams required for promotion to the position. State Police sources said Cuomo's office had occasionally requested promotions for State Police members who then took command positions in the unit. Senior Investigator Timothy Dymond, president of the investigators' union, in August said his union was pressing State Police leaders to restructure the Protective Services Unit and to have the unit "answer to the same chain of command as all other members of our proud agency." On Friday, Dymond said his organization is "happy with the changes." The Times Union reported in August that Cuomo's administration, including the State Police, had given misleading statements to the newspaper in December about the governor's request to have a young female trooper that he found attractive appointed to his protective detail in 2018 a job for which she did not meet the minimum standards at the time that she was given the position. Cuomo's meddling through the years in the work and promotional decisions within the unit, which included transferring members of the unit who crossed him or pushing for promotions for those he liked, was detailed in an Aug. 21 Times Union story. Last year, the Times Union had asked both Cuomo's office and the State Police about the female trooper's appointment to the coveted job on the governor's Protective Services Unit an appointment that was made after the governor met the now-30-year-old trooper during a ceremony at the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City in November 2017. A report issued by the state attorney general's office on Aug. 3 said that Cuomo had directed that the trooper be offered the job and subsequently sexually harassed her after she was reassigned to his protective detail two months later. The trooper also quickly became Cuomo's driver, which other members said was unusual based on her level of experience at the time. In their response to the Times Union, the State Police asserted that the female trooper's reassignment was not connected to her looks or the governor's fondness for her after meeting her at the bridge ceremony. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "Any suggestion that (the trooper's) assignment to the PSU and subsequent promotion was based on anything other than her hard work and abilities is false," a spokesman for the State Police said in an emailed statement to the Times Union last year. "Such a suggestion (is) an insult to (the trooper) and the New York State Police." The Times Union has withheld the name of the trooper, who was promoted to investigator in 2019, because she is an alleged victim of sexual harassment. The attorney general's report, based on interviews and emails obtained through subpoenas, found the governor's office had collaborated with the State Police to mislead the newspaper. Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa had called a Times Union editor in December and accused the newspaper of being "sexist," and adding, "you guys are trying to reduce her hiring to being about looks. Thats what men do," according to the attorney general's report. The attorney general's investigation, including an interview with the senior investigator who had a role in executing the female trooper's transfer, found that "despite Ms. DeRosas accusations of sexism, the governors call to (Times Union Editor Casey) Seiler, and the State Polices official response, the truth was, as (the female trooper) informed us and as the documents and other witnesses confirmed, (she) in fact had been allowed to transfer to the PSU (after meeting briefly with the governor and at the governors urging) even though she did not meet the three-year service requirement for the PSU. And then the governor proceeded to engage in a pattern of sexually harassing conduct toward her." In their official responses, the State Police and governor's office had insisted that Cuomo had no role in the female trooper's reassignment. The governor, meanwhile, told the attorney general's investigators that he had instructed the senior investigator to offer jobs on the Protective Services Unit to two female troopers who were at the bridge ceremony but the investigator told the attorney general's office that was inaccurate and the governor had only asked him about the trooper he would allegedly sexually harass more than a year later. The attorney general's investigation said the female trooper, after joining the governor's detail, endured unwanted touching and advances from Cuomo, "including running his hand across her stomach, from her belly button to her right hip, while she held a door open for him at an event ... running his finger down her back, from the top of her neck down her spine to the middle of her back, saying 'hey, you,' while she was standing in front of him in an elevator ... kissing her ... in front of another trooper and asking to kiss her on another occasion, which she deflected; and ... making sexually suggestive and gender-based comments, including asking her to help him find a girlfriend and describing his criteria for a girlfriend as someone who '(c)an handle pain.'" State Police sources told the Times Union last year that the minimum qualifications for appointment to the protective detail were reduced by one year so that the reassignment of the trooper, who joined the State Police in 2015, could be made. Cuomo personally ordered the move, a source had told the paper, because he "liked the way she looked." Catholic Funeral Liturgy for Mary Casuccio will be at St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church on November 23, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Interment follows at Mt. Carmel Cemetery. Arrangements are under the care of Domico Funeral Home. HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Across the Commonwealth and the country, working people are rising up to demand better treatment and fair employment. Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced a package that recognizes workers' rights on the job. The officers of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO issued the following statements: "We are interested in the Governor's announcement today. The movement to secure rights for workers is on the rise, and this package of regulations is a testament to the power of our message. From raising the minimum wage to paid sick leave and expanding worker safety protections, this plan ensures an honest day's pay for an honest day's work. This pro-worker agenda is a great step forward for Pennsylvanians," remarked President Rick Bloomingdale. "Finally, employers who cheat their workers and the community will be held accountable for their actions. These regulations will expose 'bad actor' employers who steal from workers and skirt the system by paying no fines and taxes. You have the right to fair treatment on the job, and no employer should get away with violating your rights. If they do the crime, they should do the time," added Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder. The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO proudly supports the Governor's agenda to protect workers' rights. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pennsylvania-afl-cio-applauds-pro-worker-package-301406202.html SOURCE PA AFL-CIO A 650 million renewable energy project in Silvermines is expected to reach the formal planning process early next year. An update on the ambitious hydro-electric station has been issued by management as the Silvermines hydro project would see electricity produced by pumping water from a high reservoir to a low reservoir through giant turbines. The lower reservoir, at a depth of 70 metres, already exists by way of an open-cast mine which is flooded. The 360 Megawatt plant has already been included in the European Commissions Projects of Common Interest, and would have the capacity to generate electricity for 200,000 Irish homes. CEO Darren Quinn has announced that the plans will go to the first stage of the planning phase in the first quarter of next year, with the project still on target for commissioning in 2028. He says the pandemic has impeded progress with some exploratory work at the site, but he says that momentum has been regained. Authorities say a 58-year-old Florida man is accused of killing his neighbor in a dispute over a cat that wandered into his yard Rian Doubet (right) and Steve Kargol present information to the French Creek Council of Governments (COG) on solar energy in the region on Thursday. They explained that as the technology develops, solar energy will be something that the region will increasingly have to deal with. Top West Virginia officials says they would welcome three Maryland counties that inquired about becoming part of the Mountain State even though it's not likely to happen [October 22, 2021] 44% of Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Organizations Have Experienced a Data Breach Caused By a Third Party in the Last 12 Months AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SecureLink , a leader in critical access management, has released a new report titled A Matter of Life And Death: The State of Critical Access Management in Healthcare, revealing that third-party attacks in healthcare are on the rise and fundamentally threaten not just highly sensitive medical data, but patient care. The report, which includes data from research conducted in partnership with Ponemon Institute, reveals that within the last year, 44% of healthcare and pharmaceutical organizations experienced a data breach caused by a third party - posing compliance, reputational, and financial risks. With vendors and third parties supplying most of the components that make up the healthcare provider ecosystem, the very structure of the healthcare industry creates a greater attack surface area for data breaches, ransomware, and remote takeover of medical devices. Despite this threat, just 41% of healthcare and pharmaceutical organizations have a comprehensive inventory of all third parties with access to their network. Attacks by third parties are on the rise across industriesand healthcare is no exception. Its also clear there's an alarming disconnect between how an organization perceives a third-party threat and the actual reality of dangerous third-party access threats, as evidenced in the scarce security measures organizations employ, said Daniel Fabbri, SecureLink Chief Data Scientist. Now is a pivotal moment for improving critical access management, which is a vital step in monitoring and securing third-party access. Healthcare providers need to be armed with the information and tools to navigate the state of critical access management, mitigate future cyber attacks, and eliminate vulnerabilities that can threaten HIPAA and HITECH compliance. SecureLinks report aims to emphasize the urgent need for improving critical access management in healthcare, along with the necessary steps healthcare organizations should implement to strengthen security. To begin the process of securing critical access points especially from third partieshealthcare organizations must limit network and user access across applications. This includes implementing zero trust network access (ZTNA), monitoring application access, and regularly reviewing access rights among users and vendors using the three pillars of critical access management: access governance, access controls, and access monitoring: Access governance: Analysts noted a 55% increase in healthcare data breaches, impacting the health information of an estimated 26 million people in the United States. For this reason, the access governance practice of performing user access reviews is imperative to any healthcare organizations data management and security practices. Not only do user access reviews help prevent data beaches by inventorying the access rights of users and delegating reviews to a staff members respective manager, but they also ensure healthcare organizations comply with HIPAA and HITRUST requirements around access to electronic protected health information (ePHI). Analysts noted a in healthcare data breaches, impacting the health information of an estimated 26 million people in the United States. For this reason, the access governance practice of performing user access reviews is imperative to any healthcare organizations data management and security practices. Not only do user access reviews help prevent data beaches by inventorying the access rights of users and delegating reviews to a staff members respective manager, but they also ensure healthcare organizations comply with HIPAA and HITRUST requirements around access to electronic protected health information (ePHI). Access controls: In addition to the vulnerabilities created by broad access rights, healthcare organizations often lack visibility into which vendors have entry into their system. Just 44% of healthcare and pharmaceutical organizations have visibility into the level of access and permissions that both internal and external users have. Fine grained access controls, which include access schedules, approvals, and notifications, along with ZTNA, allow IT or security professionals to provide additional control over the exercise of user access rights to reduce risk, increase visibility, and increase friction. In addition to the vulnerabilities created by broad access rights, healthcare organizations often lack visibility into which vendors have entry into their system. Just 44% of healthcare and pharmaceutical organizations have visibility into the level of access and permissions that both internal and external users have. Fine grained access controls, which include access schedules, approvals, and notifications, along with ZTNA, allow IT or security professionals to provide additional control over the exercise of user access rights to reduce risk, increase visibility, and increase friction. Access monitoring: 60% of healthcare and pharmaceutical organizations agree that managing third-party permissions and remote access to their network can be overwhelming and a drain on their internal resources. Implementing robust machine learning-based access monitoring to electronic health records provides session audits that show who accessed what data, when, how, why, and for how long. This, in turn, helps determine misuse and flag those instances for review or investigation by a privacy or compliance professional. North Country HealthCare, a nonprofit serving over 50,000 patients across 12 Arizona communities, works with over 90 providers and numerous external entities, with 10 currently accessing its systems. Prior to implementing SecureLinks critical access management solutions, the rapidly expanding organization faced third-party vendor VPN vulnerabilities that threatened security. Because many healthcare organizationsincluding oursrely on third-party vendors to address changing healthcare needs, they must be fully aware of the risks associated with third parties, states Jon Smith, Chief Information Officer at North Country HealthCare. More than that, healthcare organizations need to be vigilant about securing their systems and sensitive patient data from potential bad actors, especially third parties. Since implementing SecureLinks vendor access management solution, weve been able to conduct regular access reviews and fine tune permissions among our vendors to ensure they have access only to the information and applications they need. This level of control around access and credentials offers us an extra layer of security and allows us to focus on our core mission of providing quality care to our rapidly growing community. The data points included in this report were from a study conducted by Ponemon Institute on behalf of SecureLink and includes responses from 69 individuals across health and pharma industries who are involved in their organizations approach to managing critical access data risks. Respondents are based in North America. To view the complete findings and download the "A matter of life and death: The state of critical access management in healthcare" report: https://www.securelink.com/research-reports/the-state-of-critical-access-management-in-healthcare/ . For more information on SecureLink: www.securelink.com About SecureLink SecureLink is the industry leader in critical access management, empowering organizations to secure access to their most valuable assets, including networks, systems, and data. By leveraging Zero Trust principles , machine learning, and artificial intelligence, SecureLink provides comprehensive security solutions to govern, control, monitor, and audit the most critical and highest risk access points. Organizations across multiple industries -- including healthcare , manufacturing , government , legal , and gaming -- trust SecureLink to secure all forms of critical access, from remote access for third parties to access to critical infrastructure, regulated information, IT, and OT. For more information visit: www.securelink.com Contact Codeword for SecureLink [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] AppGallery Drives Financial Health with Innovation, Exploring Open Banking Capabilities with Partners SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 22, 2021 /CNW/ -- Today at its annual Huawei Developer Conference 2021 (HDC 2021), Huawei announced plans to continue to drive innovation in the financial services industry by exploring Open Banking capabilities with AppGallery partners. Industry speakers joined Huawei experts to announce AppGallery's continued push for innovation while prioritising user safety and security. "We are delighted to share our plans for AppGallery in the financial services," said Siri G. Brsum, Global VP Finance Vertical Eco-development & Partnerships at Huawei Consumer Business Group. "After an exciting few months, we've experienced the potential of partnerships for the sake of innovation and growth, and can't wait to welcome more FinTech's who want to make waves in the industry." Could Open Banking Champion Financial Health? Dedicated to providing its global audience of 730 million with a choice of the latest banking and payment apps, AppGallery is leveraging new technology to support its partners. Noffe recently joined AppGallery, using Open Banking to offer a service that helps children learn saving habits in Norway. Bluecode is offering its customers in Europe a convenient payment solution, using QR codes through AppGallery's NFC capabilities. Huawei remains committed to driving global Financial Health achievable through partnerships with Fintechs. For consumers, Huawei shared how users could use Open Banking to have more control over their finances. Alongside its partners, AppGallery fosters innovation Joined by Brett King, author of The Rise of Technosocialism and host of #1 FinTech podcast Breaking Banks, Siri G. Brsum addressed the recent changes in consumer behaviour that have led to a higher demand for convenience. With 2020 seeing a 45% jump in the use of banking apps, the pair highlighted the potential for developers. "We're seeing so much innovation potential when looking at the changing landscape in the financial services industry," said Brett King. "When you look at the biggest financial institutions around the world, they tend to be digital-first organisations." With AppGallery, Huawei plans to foster innovation to help FinTech developers realise their business development potential, while advocating for financial health. Brsum explained Huawei's full-cycle security and protection system featuring developer real-name verification, a four-step review process, additional download and installation protection, and a prevention mechanism for secure app operation. About AppGallery AppGallery is an innovative ecosystem that allows developers to create unique experiences for consumers. Its HMS Core allows apps to integrate across different devices, delivering a smoother experience part of the wider "1+8+N" strategy at Huawei. With AppGallery, Huawei's vision is to make an open, innovative platform that is accessible to consumers while strictly protecting?their privacy and providing them with a unique and smart experience. AppGallery has over 560 million monthly active users and has partnered with 5.1 million developers. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/appgallery-drives-financial-health-with-innovation-exploring-open-banking-capabilities-with-partners-301406768.html SOURCE AppGallery, Huawei [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Carbon Emission Peak and Carbon Neutrality Yantai Forum 2021 kicks off YANTAI, China, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China Energy News: The "Carbon Emission Peak and Carbon Neutrality Yantai Forum 2021" hosted by Shandong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Yantai Municipal People's Government, the Chinese Nuclear Society, China Machinery Industry Federation, and China Energy News opened in Yantai on October 19. Wang Shoujun, a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Party Secretary and President of the Chinese Nuclear Society; Su Wei, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Development and Reform Commission; Zheng Deyan, Deputy Secretary of the Yantai Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Yantai; and John Edwards, British Trade Envoy to China from the Department of International Trade, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Xie Zhenhua, China's special envoy for climate change affairs,attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech online. Zhang Dailing, a member of the Standing Committee of the Yantai Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor, chaired the opening ceremony. Zheng Deyan said that Yantai City is making systematic plans for carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and moving faster to form an industrial structure, mode of production, lifestyle, and spatial layout featuring conservation and environmental protection, with a view to becoming a leader in green and low-carbon stellar development with ecological priority. It is reported that with the theme of "Green Development, Low-Carbon Future", this forum is held concurrently with the 2021 Academic Annual Meeting of the Chinese Nuclear Society, 2021 China (Yantai) Nuclear Energy Safety and Nuclear Power Industry Chain Summit Forum, 2021 China International Nuclear Power Industry and Equipment Exhibition, 2021 China (Yantai) Energy Equipment Expo for Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality, the Presentation Party of the Nuclear Industry Spirit in the New Era, etc. At the forum, leaders of the competent authorities of the energy sector, academicians and experts in the energy field, and representatives from industry associations, research institutions, industry chain-related enterprises and institutions, etc. conducted discussions on integrated smart energy, hydrogen energy and energy storage technology, developments of China's carbon trading, urban energy transformation and low-carbon development, high-end equipment manufacturing, comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy, nuclear emergency, application of nuclear technologies, China-Britain cooperation in offshore wind power, etc., and made advice and suggestions on building a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient modern energy system in China, optimizing the energy structure in Shandong Province, and building Yantai as a national demonstration city for clean energy. SOURCE China Energy News [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] DHL Express won Best Express Logistics Service Provider for 32nd time at 2021 Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Awards The award affirms the company's continued commitment to excellence in express logistics service SINGAPORE, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DHL Express, the world's leading express service provider, was named the Best Logistics Service Provider Express at the 2021 Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Awards (AFLAS) ceremony in Hong Kong last night. "We are incredibly proud that our customers' votes of confidence have brought us the Best Logistics Service Provider Express award for the 32nd time. Our global network, and employees' passion, can-do spirit and commitment to excellence have proven to be a winning formula with our customers. This will continue to serve us well as our customers ride the strong momentum in e-commerce and recovery in global trade," said , CEO, DHL Express Asia Pacific. DHL Express is investing around EUR750 million from 2020 to 2022 to bolster its aviation network and ground infrastructure across Asia Pacific to support the unprecedented growth in shipment volume and address the ever-growing demand for time-definite express deliveries. In recent months, DHL Express has introduced several new dedicated flights. Powered by the new Boeing 737, 777 and Airbus A300 freighters, the new flights enable DHL Express to expand its air freight capacity and strengthen its network that spans more than 220 countries and territories. The AFLAS Awards is organized by Asia Cargo News to honor companies in the logistics industry that exemplify excellence in leadership, as well as consistency in service quality, innovation, customer relationship management and reliability. It is the only Asian logistics awards to be decided by customer votes alone, earning them a reputation as a reliable gauge for customer sentiment in the logistics industry. End Note to editors: Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an unprecedented growth in shipment volume and express deliveries around the world followed, driven largely by the surge in e-commerce. Read more about the intra-Asia e-commerce growth potential here. DHL The logistics company for the world DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 400,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as "The logistics company for the world". DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 66 billion euros in 2020. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve zero-emissions logistics by 2050. SOURCE DHL [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] IBM teams with Acclivis to extend IBM Cloud Satellite throughout Asia and accelerate digital transformation for regulated industries Acclivis adopts IBM Cloud Satellite to help enterprises manage data sovereignty and compliance across hybrid cloud environments IBM to tap on Acclivis' regional data centre footprint and cloud expertise to accelerate customer deployment in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia SINGAPORE, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Acclivis Technologies and Solutions ("Acclivis"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Kong listed CITIC Telecom International Holdings (1883:HK), and IBM (NYSE:?IBM) today announced a collaboration to deploy IBM Cloud Satellite across Asia. Together, Acclivis and IBM will leverage hybrid cloud capabilities to help enterprises including those in highly regulated industries accelerate digital innovation while assisting the client with maintaining data sovereignty and achieving regulatory compliance. As financial institutions expand their offerings to support customers and overcome the disruption caused by COVID-19 in Southeast Asia, regulatory scrutiny has increased to protect consumer data and adhere to data sovereignty regulations. The need to process sensitive data at its source without data crossing borders while delivering consistent global processes is more critical than ever. Acclivis will be able to use IBM Cloud Satellite to extend services such as IBM Watson to its client's data centres, bringing analytics closer to where the data resides. For example, retailers could use IBM Watson services via IBM Cloud Satellite at the edge in stores to analyse data gathered on the shop floor for stock inventory and achieving "just in time" logistics to fulfil customer demands. The collaboration will see IBM leveraging the regional data centre coverage of Acclivis in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand to host and manage data. IBM Cloud Satellite helps to unify a management portal and process tools for a fintech company in Indonesia. This environment serves as a sandbox for the regional fintech industry to move workloads at the edge and deliver a more frictionless user experience. This has enabled the start up to deliver cost effective services to customers at speed and avoid expensive non-compliance issues. The partnership will combine IBM's strength in delivering security-rich and open hybrid cloud capabilities for enterprise with Acclivis' network of data centres and Internet connectivity across the region. Together, they will be able to deliver security-rich and open cloud services to the region, leveraging IBM Cloud Satellite and Acclivis' extensive data centre footprint. IBM Cloud Satellite brings IBM Cloud services to any environment where data resides whether at the edge, on premises, or on multiple public clouds. It is designed to enable clients to access cloud services with speed across any environment. Acclivis is part of IBM's partner ecosystem fueling hybrid cloud environments by helping clients manage and modernize workloads from the mainframe to the edge and everything in between with Red Hat OpenShift, the industry's renowned enterprise Kubernetes platform. IBM Cloud Satellite is engineered to give clients the flexibility to run where their data resides while leveraging the technology of IBM Cloud. Mr. Marcus Cheng, CEO of Acclivis, said: "Being a long-time collaborator with IBM and a company that has broad regional reach in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, this partnership allows us to tap IBM Cloud Satellite to strengthen our portfolio of services in the cloud and data centre hosting segment. Coupled with seamless connectivity powered by our subsidiary, Pacific Internet, and our automated Managed Services Platform that digitizes and streamlines workflows, enterprise customers experience reduced latency and superior customer experience when they build and manage their cloud with us." "IBM is collaborating with more than 65 ecosystem partners to build security-rich cloud services to help clients run workloads in any environment via IBM Cloud Satellite. As a technology partner to enterprises and government agencies, many in highly regulated industries, Acclivis has a broad regional data centre footprint which we can tap on to accelerate customer deployment. We look forward to elevating our relationship with Acclivis to enjoy the performance that they deserve," said Mr. Raymond Wong, IBM Cloud Platform Leader, ASEAN. With the common goal of supporting our joint customers' needs, IBM and Acclivis continue to collaborate in delivering integrated cloud solutions and accelerate digital innovation across Asia Pacific. About Acclivis Technologies and Solutions Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Singapore, Acclivis is the leading technology services provider in Asia Pacific offering a comprehensive suite of technology capabilities in Cloud, Connectivity and the Future of Workplace. Together with its proven technology and delivery expertise and valued ecosystem of partners, Acclivis helps private and public organisations embark on their digital transformation and unlock the future of Smart Cities. Acclivis is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. About IBM: For further information visit: www.ibm.com/cloud/. Media Contacts: IBM Selvi R Communications Leader IBM ASEAN & Singapore Mobile: +65 9795 4165 Email: [email protected] Acclivis Selina Lim Head of Corporate Development & Marketing Asia Pacific Mobile: +65 9108 3620 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Acclivis; IBM [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Kristin Lesher Named Head of Middle Market Banking for Wells Fargo Wells Fargo (News - Alert) & Company (NYSE: WFC) today announced that 21-year company veteran Kristin Lesher will lead Middle Market Banking, effective immediately. She reports to Kyle Hranicky, CEO of Wells Fargo Commercial Banking. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005430/en/ Kristin Lesher, Head of Wells Fargo Middle Market Banking (Photo: Wells Fargo) An industry leader in serving middle market companies, Wells Fargo provides financial solutions and specialized expertise across industries including agribusiness, food and hospitality, healthcare, investor real estate, government banking and technology. Serving clients with annual sales typically ranging from $5 million to $2 billion, the business operates in three regions across the U.S., including East, Central, and West. Lesher most recently served as head of the East region. "Middle Market Banking is a key business and critical growth engine for Commercial Banking," said Hranicky. "As we continue to invest in and strengthen Middle Market Banking, I'm confident Kristin is the right leader to move our business forward. She has extensive industry and leadership experience and a proven track record of building strong client relationships, leading highly successful teams, and driving growth." As head of the East region since 2018, Lesher led Middle Market Banking operations across 19 states - including Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia - as well as the District of Columbia and Eastern Canada. Since joining Wells Fargo in 2000, Lesher has served in key leadership roles across the company. She was the co-head of Investment Banking Coverage at Wells Fargo Securities, where she was responsible for managing corporate client relationships across a broad range of industry specialty groups. Before that role, Lesher led Regional Investment Banking for Wells Fargo Securities and held several senior positions in Wells Fargo's Treasury and Corporate Development Groups, as well as in Mergers and Acquisitions. Lesher has a B.A. from Duke University, and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management, where she was an F.C. Austin Scholar. An active member in her community, she is a former Board Chair and current Board member of Girls on the Run International. About Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is the leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 37 on Fortune's 2021 rankings of America's largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy. News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories. Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter (News - Alert): @WellsFargo News Release Category: WF-LO View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005430/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] The MolinaCares Accord Scholarship Program Encourages Illinois Students To Get Vaccinated The MolinaCares Accord ("MolinaCares"), in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of Illinois ("Molina"), announced a $100,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Scholarship Program designed to encourage students enrolled in a college, university, vocational school, or technical institution to get vaccinated against COVID-19. "Our mission at MolinaCares is to improve the health and daily lives of people in the communities we serve," said Carolyn Ingram, executive director of The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation. "This scholarship program helps us accomplish these goals by relieving the burden of educational costs on students and promoting the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine." Adults aged 18-24 years old have reported the lowest vaccination coverage and intent to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United States. The COVID-19 Vaccine Scholarship Program is open to all students residing in Illinois who can demonstrate financial need and are fully vaccinatedagainst COVID-19 on or before November 1, 2021. Ten students will be selected from program applicants to receive a $10,000 scholarship based on their creative responses to the question, "How did you adapt to changes during the COVID-19 pandemic?" Students may express their responses through a video, essay, story, or poem. "Molina is working hard to make sure Illinois residents stay healthy," said Matt Wolf, plan president of Molina Healthcare of Illinois. "Protecting young people and students against COVID-19 is critical to the current and future health of our community. This program will boost our protection from the virus, while providing critical funds to students in need that will help them succeed." Applications will be accepted until November 15 and winners will be announced on December 6, 2021. For more information about the Illinois MolinaCares scholarship program or to download the application, click here. To find a COVID-19 vaccination site near you, please visit www.coronavirus.illinois.gov/vaccines. About The MolinaCares Accord: Established by Molina Healthcare, Inc., The MolinaCares Accord oversees a community investment platform created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities. The MolinaCares Accord funds such measures through The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare, Inc. About Molina Healthcare of Illinois: Molina Healthcare of Illinois has been providing government-funded, quality health care since 2013. The Company serves members through Medicaid and Medicare-Medicaid programs throughout Illinois. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, served approximately 4.7 million members as of June 30, 2021. For more information about Molina Healthcare of Illinois, visit MolinaHealthcare.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005469/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] NASA Commits $28 Million to Underfunded US Jurisdictions WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded $28 million to fund the next five years of research infrastructure development across 28 jurisdictions. The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), a part of NASA's Office of Stem Engagement and based out of the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, supports science and technology research and development at colleges and universities while also funding studies in Earth science, aeronautics, and human and robotic deep space exploration all of which are disciplines critical to the NASA mission. Started almost 30 years ago, EPSCoR focuses on 25 states and three territories, and seeks to lessen the disparity in funding between states across the nation to create an equitable competition in aerspace and aerospace-related research activities. While California receives 12% of all federal research funding, all 28 EPSCoR jurisdictions combined receive less than 10%, so participating states and territories depend heavily on these research investments. NASA funds these areas so they remain competitive in the aerospace research and development field. The EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Development award further strengthens long-term research capabilities by pledging $200,000 a year to each of the 28 jurisdictions for the next half decade, increasing and diversifying technology and research development, higher education, and economic development on both a state and national level. EPSCoR also solicits proposals for Rapid Response Research, which awards funding to researchers as they work with NASA on issues impacting the agency's mission and programs, as well as International Space Station collaborations and suborbital flight opportunities, which provide researchers the opportunity to fly mature research projects in low-Earth orbit. Jurisdictions receiving the RID awards are: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, the U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Wyoming. To learn more about EPSCoR, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/stem/epscor/home/index.html View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-commits-28-million-to-underfunded-us-jurisdictions-301406946.html SOURCE NASA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] NASA Completes Mega-Moon Rocket Stacking, Invites Media to Learn More WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has completed stacking of the agency's mega-Moon rocket and spacecraft that will launch the next generation of deep space operations, including Artemis missions on and around the Moon. Engineers and technicians successfully secured the Orion spacecraft atop the fully assembled Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida just before midnight Oct. 21. NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT today, Friday, Oct. 22, to discuss the completed stacking operations and progress toward the uncrewed Artemis I mission around the Moon. The teleconference will stream live on the agency's website. "With stacking and integration of NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft complete, we're getting closer and closer to embarking on a new era of human deep space exploration," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "Thanks to the team's hard work designing, manufacturing, testing, and now completing assembly of NASA's new rocke and spacecraft, we're in the home stretch of preparations for the first launch on the Artemis I mission, paving the way to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond for many years to come." Participating in the briefing are: Tom Whitmeyer , deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development, NASA Headquarters , deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development, NASA Headquarters Mike Bolger , Exploration Ground Systems program manager, Kennedy , Exploration Ground Systems program manager, Kennedy Cathy Koerner , Orion program manager, NASA's Johnson Space Center , Orion program manager, NASA's Johnson Space Center John Honeycutt , SLS program manager, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center , SLS program manager, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center Mike Sarafin , Artemis I mission manager, NASA Headquarters To participate in the teleconference, media must contact Monica Witt at: [email protected] by noon today, Friday, Oct. 22, for dial-in information. The stack now stands 322 feet tall inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA Kennedy as it enters the final phase of testing before launch. Next up, NASA's Exploration Ground Systems teams will conduct integrated tests of Orion and SLS along with the ground equipment, prior to rolling the rocket and spacecraft to the launch pad for a final test, known as the wet dress rehearsal. This final test will run the rocket and launch team through operations to load propellant into the fuel tanks and conduct a full launch countdown. Following a successful rehearsal, NASA will roll the stack back into the VAB for final checks and set a target date for launch. Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars. Learn more about NASA's Artemis I mission at: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-completes-mega-moon-rocket-stacking-invites-media-to-learn-more-301406614.html SOURCE NASA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Netsmart Demonstrates Ways Providers Can Digitize Their Enterprise to Deliver Person-Centered Care at LeadingAge 2021 Netsmart, an industry-leading healthcare IT partner, will demonstrate how digitizing your enterprise, encompassing advanced solutions and services, can improve person-centered care delivery through the Netsmart CareFabric platform at the 2021 LeadingAge Annual Meeting and Expo, Oct. 24-27 in Atlanta. "The power of partnership comes to life at events like LeadingAge where we demonstrate our technology innovations that we build in strategic collaboration with our clients and investments we make to digitize an organization's enterprise to streamline processes, empower workflows and coordinate care," explained Netsmart CEO Mike Valentine. "Netsmart was the first technology provider to connect senior living organizations to the rest of healthcare and our myUnity platform continues to be the platform of choice for organizations that provide the full continuum of care." In Netsmart booth #1212 attendees can experience firsthand, innovative and automated referral management technology designed to streamline their referral process. Netsmart Referral Manager is a web-based, EHR-agnostic referral solution that streamlines acceptance and rejection, enabling providers to handle referrals more quickly and with fewer resources. As part of the investment in the CareFabric platform, Netsmart will showcase the Simple and GEHRIMED portfolio of solutions. The Simple portfolio includes SimpleAnalyzer, SimpleConnect and SimplePBJ offerings. The solution suite is comprised of an interactive Five-Star planner, predictive analytics dashboard, real-time quality measures, survey reports, PDPM analytics/benchmarking and Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) reporting. Demonstrating the ongoing Netsmart commitment to the senior living community, the organization will also be highlighting GEHRIMED, the leading geriatric practice management solution that provides physicians an easy-to-use, easy-to-train-on platform that shifts focus from processes to patients through simplified documentation. Visitors to the Netsmart booth an also learn about the myUnity solution, the industry's first person-centered electronic health record (EHR) offering a full continuum record across care settings. myUnity connects clinical, operational and financial workflows into one solution, driving efficiencies that make it easier for clinicians and staff to deliver quality care. Netsmart capabilities such as interoperability, mobility and predictive analytics are just a few examples of advanced functionalities designed to help optimize operations, improve care delivery and maximize efficiency. The four-day event will kick off with the first client speaker presentation, Accelerating Technology Innovation after COVID on Sunday, Oct. 24, with Ohio's Hospice CEO & President Kent Anderson, FACHE. Anderson will join a panel of experts to explore research on technology adoption and spending to provide insights into the potential role telehealth, artificial intelligence, resident engagement solutions and workforce technologies can play in transforming future models of care and business. "This past year, the post-acute care industry has continued to navigate the pandemic, regulatory and payment model changes, staffing shortages and more," said Valentine. "We look forward to hearing our client speakers share their lessons learned and ways they have overcome these organizational challenges." Throughout the education sessions, industry leaders from more than 40 Netsmart client organizations will share their perspectives on emerging and critical topics at the forefront of the industry including: Supporting staff and retention Preventing cyberattacks and security breaches Advancing technology for staff and residents Expanding care lines and achieving strategic goals Roadmapping for regulatory and policy updates Additionally, attendees can also expect to learn about this full suite of solutions and services, including the latest innovation, CareRouter, the HIPAA-compliant mobile dispatch solution that enables staff to efficiently route and track care and services. The easy-to-use CareRouter solution was developed in collaboration with long-standing partner, Ohio's Hospice, one of the nation's largest and award-winning hospice providers. Attendees who want to learn more about how to optimize staff and caregivers, increase revenue and enhance mobile care delivery should schedule a demo with Netsmart at booth #1212 in the exhibit hall at the Georgia World Congress Center. About Netsmart Netsmart, a leading provider of Software as a Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) technology and services solutions, designs, builds and delivers electronic health records (EHRs), health information exchanges (HIEs), analytics and telehealth solutions and services that are powerful, intuitive and easy-to-use. Our platform provides accurate, up-to-date information that is easily accessible to care team members in the human services and post-acute care (which is comprised of home care and hospice and senior living) markets. We make the complex simple and personalized so our clients can concentrate on what they do best: provide services and treatment that support whole-person care. By leveraging the powerful Netsmart network, care providers can seamlessly and securely integrate information across communities, collaborate on the most effective treatments and improve outcomes for those in their care. Our streamlined systems and personalized workflows put relevant information at the fingertips of users when and where they need it. For more than 50 years, Netsmart has been committed to providing a common platform to integrate care. SIMPLE. PERSONAL. POWERFUL. Our more than 2,400 associates work hand-in-hand with our 680,000+ users at our clients across the U.S. to develop and deploy technology that automates and coordinates everything from clinical to financial to administrative. Learn more about how Netsmart is changing the face of healthcare today. Visit www.ntst.com, call 1-800-472-5509, follow us on our CareThreads Blog, LinkedIn and Twitter, like us on Facebook or visit us on YouTube. Netsmart is pleased to support the EveryDayMatters Foundation, which was established for behavioral health, care at home, senior living and social services organizations to learn from each other and share their causes and stories. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005519/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] PUZZLE X takes Frontier Materials Technologies to the next level in Barcelona BARCELONA, Spain, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- From November 16 to 18, Barcelona will host the first edition of PUZZLE X, an initiative focused on using Materials Deep Tech to build a better future for humanity in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Organized by Fira de Barcelona, the Advanced Material Future Preparedness Taskforce (AMPT) and Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCB), PUZZLE X includes a yearly event and a 365-day venture builder to build a global ecosystem for Materials Deep Tech startups. The first edition will be held at the Gran Via venue together with Smart City Expo World Congress and Tomorrow.Mobility. The three-day event will feature thought leaders in innovation, deep tech science, sustainability, industry and technology investment. Nobel laureate, Konstantin Novoselov; Pablo Rodriguez, ambassador for [X], Google's Mooshot Factory; Andres De Leon, CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies; and Carolina Aguilar, CEO and Co-Founder of INBRAIN Neuroelectronics are among the keynote speakers. The event will also be live-streamed through the PUZZLE X digital platform for those who cannot attend in person. Frontier Materials startups in biotechnology, nanoelectronics and graphene applications will exhibit their products and pitch in front of an international panel of investors from Silicon Valley to Europe and Asia in the X-BIT Showcase and X-PITCH Investor Sessions. Moreover, the event will feature real time graphic facilitation to visually communicated the key concepts emerging during the keynote and panel discussions. The building blocks of the future Frontier and advanced materials, including quantum materials, low-dimensional materials, 2D materials like graphene, and intelligent composites, have a great impact in industries such as Energy, Mobility, Healthcare, Construction, Electronics, Textile and Connectivity, among others, and therefore are great tools to steer innovation for societal impact. To achieve this goal PUZZLE X will focus on four SDGs every year and in 2021 these will be SDG 3, Good Health and Well-Being; SDG 9, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities; and SDG 13, Climate Action. PUZZLE X Venture Supported by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, the Government of Catalonia and Barcelona City Council, AMPT is partnering with MWCB to create a venture ecosystem to accelerate innovative startups with globally scalable solutions. PUZZLE X Venture Barcelona will be the first entrepreneurial hub in the world for Materials Deep Tech companies, establishing Barcelona as the epicentre of Frontier Materials and SDGs. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1665738/Fira_de_Barcelona_PUZZLE_X.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/659718/Fira_Barcelona_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Six-Person Advisor Team Joins UBS in New York City UBS Private Wealth Management today announced that Financial Advisors Matthew ("Matt") T. Leone, Kevin M. Heck and Emily Barbe, have joined the firm in New York City, NY. Also joining UBS are Client Service Associates Anthony D'Anton, Rosalina Perez-Palombini and Annika Kelshiker. Co-founded and led by Matt and Kevin, the team, The Leone-Heck Group, has almost 40 years of collective experience delivering comprehensive wealth management solutions to individuals, families and businesses. Together, they manage $890 million in client assets. "We continue to focus on recruiting and retaining the most productive financial advisors in the industry," said John Alex, 1285 Avenue of the Americas Branch Manager at UBS Wealth Management USA. "We believe we have one of the strongest platforms for Private Wealth Advisors in the Americas, and with our suite of Ultra-High-Net-Worth capabilities, advisors like Matt, Kevin and Emily will be able to deliver the full power of UBS to their clients." Matt began his career in financial services in 1997 at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and co-founded the Leone-Heck Group in 2004 alongside Kevin. Along with providing wealth management advice, Matt also helps clients manage concentrated stock positions, trust and estate planning, and transition events like retirement, inheritance, or the sale of a business. Matt holds the Certified Financial Planner certification and graduated magna cum laude from Villanova University with a bachelor's degree. He later went on to receive his master's degree at New York University. att lives in Wyckoff, NJ with his wife and three daughters. Kevin joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2004 and co-founded the team together with Matt. Kevin focuses on developing investment strategies for high-net-worth individuals and business owners. As a qualified Portfolio Advisor, he also helps clients construct tailored portfolios to help them reach their financial goals. Kevin holds the Certified Financial Planner certification and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. Emily has nine years of experience in the financial services industry and joined the team while at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2013. Her focus is on developing strategies and providing advice for individuals, families and businesses on areas including retirement planning, estate planning, lending, and impact investing. Emily holds the Certified Financial Planner certification and graduated Indiana University (News - Alert) with a bachelor's degree in Spanish and Communications. She serves on the Board of Advisors to EDsnaps Inc. and is a member of the New York Junior League. Notes to Editors 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). UBS 2021. All rights reserved. The key symbol and UBS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005308/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Skechers President Michael Greenberg Is Inducted Into Best of Manhattan's Hall of Fame and Skechers Wins "Pay It Forward" Award Skechers, The Comfort Technology Company, announced that its president, Michael Greenberg, was the inaugural inductee in Best of Manhattan's Hall of Fame. He was honored for his support of Manhattan Beach and decades of philanthropic work as an individual and through Skechers-raising over $30 million in total donations for a wide range of causes, from supporting children through the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk to helping families around the world. The Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce also honored Skechers with the "Pay it Forward" award for its generosity, partnerships and investments in the Manhattan Beach community where the Company is headquartered. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005507/en/ Best of Manhattan's inaugural Hall of Fame inductee Michael Greenberg with his honor and Skechers' "Pay It Forward" award. The Skechers president and his company have raised more than $30 million for causes in the South Bay and around the world. Photo credit: Brenda Cash Photography "On behalf of the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce, we are so excited to have presented the inaugural Hall of Fame Award to Michael Greenberg," said Jill Dunn, chairwoman of the Manhattan Beach Chamber Board. "He is an integral part of Manhattan Beach and the entire Beach Cities community. His generosity is unparalleled. He and Skechers have done so much for so many organizations including the Friendship Foundation, the Roundhouse Aquarium, our local education foundations, the Hirschberg Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce and countless others. Michael is a gem, and we are truly blessed to have him as a part of our wonderful community." "Real success isn't measured by an individual's growth, but how much we can have a positive impact on other people's lives," added Skechers President Michael Greenberg, who also founded the Skechers Foundation and Skechers Restaurant COVID Relief Fund to support the South Bay. "Manhattan Beach has been a wonderful hometown-enabling us to grow the Skechers brand, care for our neighbors and raise funds to help those in need. Our company will be celebrating 30 years here next year, and I'm grateful for how generous our town has continually been to the Skechers team and our entire community." Greenberg has made Manhattan Beach the center of his philanthropic vision-partnering with Rabbi Yossi in 2005 to establish the Friendship Foundation for children with special needs; creating the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk to help raise over $17 million for the Friendship Foundation and education; and launching the Skechers Foundation's National Scholarship Program to award college scholarships to talented students annually. He also established the Harrison Greenberg Foundation, raising $4 million to rebuild Manhattan Beach's Roundhouse Aquarium and fund its Oceanographic Teaching Station programs. Over the past year, Greenberg launched the Skechers Restaurant COVID Relief Fund, raising $730,000 to save local businesses; arranged for the Skechers Foundation to donate a million dollars to help Haiti's earthquake victims; established the Skechers Haiti Relief Fund for additional contributions; and finalized plans for the South Bay's first world-class Friendship Foundation Campus-a $40 million, 66,000-square-foot college-based learning, job training and creative education center that will change the lives of young adults with special needs and their families. The Campus is scheduled to break ground in early 2022 and plans to open its doors in 2023. For three decades, Skechers has also grown and invested in the Manhattan Beach community-expanding its employment and corporate headquarters and driving business to the region-where it has cultivated charitable collections such as BOBS from Skechers, through which Skechers has donated over 16 million new shoes to children affecte by poverty, homelessness and natural disasters in over 60 countries. As part of the BOBS movement, the Company has also donated over $7 million to help save and support more than 1.3 million shelter dogs and cats in the United States and Canada. Held last night at Westdrift Manhattan Beach, the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce nominated the city's most impactful businesses and events, and the community voted for the year's winners on the Chamber's website. In addition to being honored with the "Pay it Forward" award, Skechers was also nominated as a finalist in this year's "Best of Manhattan" category. The Company previously won the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce's "Best of Manhattan Full Circle" award for best charity in 2013; "Best of Manhattan" awards in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018; and the "Pay it Forward" award in 2018, as well as the 2018 "Affair to Remember" award for the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk. About Skechers Foundation The Skechers Foundation was established to provide families around the world with the necessities and skills to succeed in life. In addition to organizing the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, the Skechers Foundation funds tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that provide education and job training, shoes, clothing, fitness and nutrition guidance to communities in need. About SKECHERS USA, Inc. Skechers (NYSE: SKX), The Comfort Technology Company based in Southern California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company's collections are available in the United States and over 170 countries and territories via department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through 4,057 Company- and third-party-owned retail stores and e-commerce websites. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia, Israel and Mexico, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Canada, Japan, India, Europe and Latin America. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, Skechers' future domestic and international growth, financial results and operations including expected net sales and earnings, its development of new products, future demand for its products, its planned domestic and international expansion, opening of new stores and additional expenditures, and advertising and marketing initiatives. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "project," "will be," "will continue," "will result," "could," "may," "might," or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include the disruption of business and operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic; delays or disruptions in our supply chain; international economic, political and market conditions including the challenging consumer retail markets in the United States; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers; decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers, especially in the highly competitive performance footwear market; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in Skechers' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2021. More specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic has had and is currently having a significant impact on Skechers' business, financial conditions, cash flow and results of operations. Forward-looking statements with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic include, without limitation, Skechers' plans in response to this pandemic. At this time, there is significant uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic, including without limitation, (i) the duration and extent of the impact of the pandemic, (ii) governmental responses to the pandemic, including how such responses could impact Skechers' business and operations, as well as the operations of its factories and other business partners, (iii) the effectiveness of Skechers' actions taken in response to these risks, and (iv) Skechers' ability to effectively and timely adjust its plans in response to the rapidly changing retail and economic environment. Taking these and other risk factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic into consideration, the dynamic nature of these circumstances means that what is stated in this press release could change at any time, and as a result, actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. The risks included here are not exhaustive. Skechers operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and we cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005507/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Sorenson Communications to Provide ASL Interpretation for FaceTime Calls SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Utah-based Sorenson Communications announced it will provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation to connect Deaf and hearing people through Apples FaceTime. With the release of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, and the upcoming release of macOS Monterey, Deaf people can use FaceTime links to access an ASL interpreter in real time for their conversations. Sorenson continues its commitment to providing functionally equivalent, accessible communication technologies for all people, notes Sorenson CEO Scott Wood. Video calling in todays world is everywhere and it is for everyone, including Deaf people who use ASL. Communicating in ones natural language spoken or signed is a powerful way we connect with one another. The process of accessing an ASL interpreter is similar to Video Relay Service (VRS), but with some slight differences. Although VRS calls are paid for by a federally funded program, interpreted calls through FaceTime are not currently compensated by the FCC. Regardless, adds Wood, Sorenson is pleased to lead out in this area and extend our rich tradition of offering customers current technology options. Sorensons announcement follows the release of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 software, which Apple made available earlier this fall. Apple users have the option to invite people, including those using Android and Windows devices, into a FaceTime call using a web link that can be shared through messages, email, social networks, or calendar invites, and used to request an ASL interpreter. The option to use Sorenson to access an ASL interpreter for FaceTime calls is available now. Visit sorenson.com/facetime for detais. Providing ASL interpreting using FaceTime is another in a series of innovative communication solutions from Sorenson, the leading provider of VRS for Deaf people who use sign language to communicate. With Sorenson Relay and the introduction of the first videophone designed for Deaf users in 2003, Sorenson revolutionized communication between Deaf and hearing callers, giving them the option to converse in real time anytime, anywhere each in their natural language, ASL or spoken English or Spanish. Since then, Sorenson re-imagined communications by introducing a host of features as well as four new generations of more powerful, more capable videophones designed by and specifically for people who are Deaf, all with the goal of bridging languages and cultures through innovative communication technologies. Lance Pickett, Sorenson vice president of marketing, says, These updates are a meaningful step toward universal and inclusive accommodations that allow everyone, including Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, to build genuine relationships with each other through communication. About Sorenson Communications Connecting Life. Sorenson Communications, an Indeo brand, was founded on the principle that communication and being understood is fundamental to the human experience. Inspired by this belief and the core values of our communities, we develop the most trusted communication offerings, including Sorenson Relay, the highest-quality video interpreting service, and Sorenson Interpreting, which matches qualified sign language interpreters to specific assignment needs. As the largest employer of sign language interpreters in the world, Sorenson endeavors to provide each person with an exceptional communication experience. Sorenson offers innovative, Deaf-specific communication products, such as ntouch videophones and ntouch software applications that connect PC, Mac, and mobile device users to Sorenson Relay. For more information, visit www.sorenson.com. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7b9a38e2-42b0-45dc-8b00-4a808d103cda Contact Georganne Hassell Communications and Public Relations Manager Sorenson Communications [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Taste the Philippines through its Halal Food and Heritage Destinations MANILA, Philippines, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Part of the charm of traditional Filipino hospitality is making sure that visitors have their fill of the best food that their home can offer. The first thing a Filipino will ask their guest is, "have you eaten?" Wherever you go in the country, the dishes offered will vary, as each region has something unique to offer, using their best and freshest ingredients. The Philippines Department of Tourism (PDOT) highlights the country's food traditions through different programs that encourage new dining discoveries such as the Halal Culinary Heritage Series. Launched in July 2021, the initiative showcases unique food finds in Mindanao through a video series posted on the Department's social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. "Food is an important part of a tourism experience. It gives us a glimpse of a place's culture and heritage. Through the development of our Halal Culinary Tourism, we are encouraging the discovery and familiarity with the culinary traditions of our Muslim brothers and sisters in the Philippines," says Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo Puyat. The Mindanao Halal Culinary Tourism is a project of the PDOT with the Brunei DarussalamIndonesiaMalaysiaPhilippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). Aside from promoting the heritage of Mindanao and familiarity with its culture, the project also aims to document culinary practices of the area through food mapping. With this initiative, there will be more knowledge and a better understanding of Filipino Halal cuisines and cooking traditions. The Philippines is creating new experiences and attractions in its different regions, so there is always more to explore. Halal food trip Halal food takes on many forms throughout the Philippines. In Manila, there are restaurants and eateries that offer Halal-certified food, ranging from the stalls located at the area known as Muslim Town near the Golden Mosque in Quiapo that offer culinary delights such as Bakas or Bamboo-smoked tuna and a glutinous rice cake called Dodol. For Halal-certified Filipino fare in the Makati district, the El Prado dining outlet of the Berjaya Hotel Makati offers dishes such as Tinolang Manok (chicken in ginger broth with vegetables), a Halal Nilagang Baka (boiled beef with vegetables) and Sinigang na Baka (Beef simmered in a clear sour soup with vegetables). In the CARAGA region, visitors can have fruits and vegetables served with Guinamos or salt fermented fish as their starter. In Cagayan de Oro, one can have a dry curry Beef Rendang or its fusion version as a Beef Rendang Penne at a restaurant called Torogan Kape. Diners can also try Piaparan a Manok or chicken stewed in coconut mlk, turmeric and a special paste called 'Palapa' which is made with scallions, ginger, and turmeric along with local pastry snacks called Tyatag, Lokatis, Apang a Margas, Browa, Dodol, Tapay asa Torogan (Fermented Cassava dessert). When in Cotabato, travellers can try the Sinina Kambing or goat meat stewed in spices and served with Crab Rice from Hashy's Cuisine, which is one of the pioneering Halal restaurants in the region. From the Maguindanaoan kitchens comes Linigid na Manok, a curry-like dish of chicken stewed in ginger, fresh coconut milk, and turmeric. Palapa is added to the dish to give it depth of flavour. Visitors can try this Halal dish at a restaurant called Mama Ping, a fixture in Cotabato's dining scene. In General Santos City, where tuna is abundant, their Halal fish dish is Buntot ng Tuna in Curry sauce and Palapa by Tambilawan Kamayan Restaurant. The Al Kuwait eatery in Iligan offers Pater or Pastil, dish made with shredded chicken, beef or fish that is wrapped with steamed rice in a banana leaf for convenient eating. In the Zamboanga Peninsula, composed of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay, there are culinary delights that await. Warm up with a bowl of Tiyula, which is the Tausug word for soup. Its most popular iteration is the Tiyula Itum, distinctive because of its dark-colored broth that comes from the addition of charred coconut. It is usually made with beef but sometimes goat meat is used. It is one of the anticipated dishes at Tausug gatherings. There is Satti as well which is a breakfast staple in Zamboanga, and can be bought from Satti houses like Jimmy's, Morning Sun, Andy's, Dennis, and Baytal Mal serving these skewers of beef, chicken, or liver cubes with their own version of the spice-laden sauce as part of their morning offerings. In the Davao Region, the food culture of the indigenous Kaagans can be tasted through their Amik, a confection that is made by frying a thin sweetened ground rice batter that is swirled dexterously in hot oil by practiced hands. Chili is a favorite ingredient and condiment in Mindanao cuisine and there are many varieties of chili sauce that are available, with innovations such as the Mango Pineapple Hot Sauce from the SpiChef in Davao that serves up sweet-spicy-tangy goodness. Eat like a local It is not an understatement that Filipinos love to eat. Get a Filipino picnic feel by packing a coffee break in a handcrafted rattan box that is filled with Filipino mementos. Set the mood with an Inabel table rug, handwoven from the communities of the Cordillera Mountains using weaving traditions that have been passed down through generations. The Philippines is also home to artisan woodcarvers who craft wood pieces into home decorations and utilitarian items such as an Acacia wooden cup. Fuel up with a hot brew made from world-class coffee beans that are tended by Filipino farmers. Barako coffee from Batangas is known for its strong flavour and fragrance, which is why it is named after the Filipino word that describes a male wild boar. Benguet coffee comes from a single-origin Arabica varietal that grows in the highlands of the Cordilleras that is loved for its chocolate, fruity, and floral notes. The Robusta coffee harvested from the country's lowlands in Cavite, Bulacan, and Mindoro has a high caffeine content and is the most commercialized varietal, used in local instant coffee products. Sweeten the deal with Muscovado sugar from the sugar plantations of Negros whose hacienderos like to pair their afternoon drinks with crisp bites of Paborita Biscuits. These are flaky discs made with wheat flour, sugar, and skim milk which originated from the Noceda Bakery that was established in Negros back in 1947. More dishes to discover There are even more food discoveries to be found in the Philippines, with a culinary heritage that has been passed down from generations. While there are new dishes that have evolved from the basic recipes through the years, the flavors are just as rich and exciting. The Philippines Department of Tourism has launched its #MoreFunAwaits campaign to showcase its preparations for the eventual resumption of international travel with a priority on health, hygiene, and safety. As of the October 1, 55 percent of tourism workers in the country have been vaccinated. In the nation's bustling capital of Metro Manila, 99% of tourism workers in DOT-accredited hotels and accommodation establishments, as well as 99% of tourism workers in accredited restaurants have had their anti-COVID jabs. In addition, this fascinating destination has received the Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) which selects destinations that meet international health and safety standards to travel without worries. Learn more about the Philippines' new and exciting adventures, as well as safety and travel updates, visit http://www.morefunawaits.com/ or download the Travel Philippines app at the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. For photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RT5dzupbEw5jPDFeRkoAnts-G3Zuvy5o?usp=sharing SOURCE Philippines Department of Tourism [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 21, 2021] Vectrus to Announce Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vectrus, Inc., (NYSE: VEC) will report its financial results for the Third quarter ended October 1, 2021 on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, after market close. Senior management will conduct a conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET that same day. U.S.-based participants may dial in to the conference call at 844-825-9789, while international participants may dial 412-317-5180. A live webcast of the conference call as well as an accompanying slide presentation will be available on the Vectrus Investor Relations website at http://investors.vectrus.com. A replay of the conference call will be posted on the Vectrus website shortly after completion of the call and will be available for one year. A telephonic replay will also be available through November 23, 2021, at 844-512-2921 (domestic) or 412-317-6671 (international) with passcode 10161138. About Vectrus For more than 70 years, Vectrus has provided critical mission support for our customers' toughest operational challenges. As a high-performing organization with exceptional talent, deep domain knowledge, a history of long-term customer relationships, and groundbreaking technical expertise, we deliver innovative, mission-matched solutions for our military and government customers worldwide. Whether it's base operations support, supply chain and logistics, IT mission support, engineering and digital integration, security, or maintenance, repair, and overhaul, our customers count on us for on-target solutions that increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve readiness, and strengthen national security. Vectrus is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., and includes about 9,200 employees spanning 206 locations in 27 countries. In 2020, Vectrus generated sales of $1.4 billion. For more information, visit the company's website at www.vectrus.com or connect with Vectrus on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Contact Information Mike Smith, CFA [email protected] (719) 637-5773 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vectrus-to-announce-third-quarter-2021-financial-results-301406305.html SOURCE Vectrus, Inc. [October 22, 2021] WIDC 2021 successfully held in Yantai, Shandong Province YANTAI, China, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2021 World Industrial Design Conference (WIDC) was successfully held in Yantai, Shandong Province from October 22 to October 24. The event was co-sponsored by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Shandong Provincial People's Government, and organized by the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Shandong Province, the China Industrial Design Association and the Yantai Municipal People's Government, with the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Global Design Industry Organization (GDIO). WIDC is a top-level and largest global industrial design event, and the only industrial design industry event sponsored by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China. Themed "Design Drives the Age of Digital Intelligence", WIDC 2021 brought together representatives of government agencies, industry organizations, experts and scholars, entrepreneurs, designers and other innovators from more than 40 countries and regions, according to the Organizing Committee of WIDC. This was facilitated through a combination of online and offline means, and it enabled a range of information and knowledge sharing, discussions, exchange and cooperation centered on the innovation and development of industrial design in the age of digital intelligence. It gathered the innovative design achievements of more than 100 manufacturing enterprises, design institutions, universities and other institutes from around the world, and comprehensively showcased the new ideas, new designs and new industries of outstanding industrial design from home and abroad. It focused on design and industry, design and intelligence, design and education, design and innovative thinking, design and sustainability, design and culture, and design and sports, as well as some other fields. There were four exhibition areas: International Design, University Design, Enterprise Design and Shandong Design, displaying in excess of 1,000 innovative design achievements of almost 200 world-famous companies. Yantai, one of the three cores of the comprehensive experimental zone for the transition from old to new economic engines in Shandong province, has pursued a combination of industrial design with upgrading industrial development and enhancing the charm of urban development. It proposed the creation of A City of Design and the planning and construction of a Park of Design. Industrial design is fast becoming the new Yantai city calling card. In the future, Yantai plans to gradually create a world-class industrial design landmark - an innovation highland that global designers will aspire to, by designing and building global top-class innovation ecology, human ecology and environmental ecology. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=404941 Caption: WIDC 2021: Design Lights Up Cities Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=404953 Caption: WIDC 2021: Yantai, A City of Design Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=404954 Caption: WIDC 2021: Digital Design & Intelligent Interconnection Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=404955 Caption: WIDC 2021: City Light Show in Jinan Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=404956 Caption: WIDC 2021: Light Show at Binhai Square View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/widc-2021-successfully-held-in-yantai-shandong-province-301406596.html SOURCE The Organizing Committee of WIDC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 21, 2021] Labuan IBFC to be Asia's Leading Digital-Based Financial Gateway with Islamic Finance Capabilities KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Labuan International Business and Financial Centre (Labuan IBFC) is rapidly revolutionising its digital offerings, entrenching its commitment to become a facilitator of Asia's digital revolution, a key driver of the centre's success in recent years. Labuan Financial Services Authority (Labuan FSA) - the jurisdiction's regulator provides an innovative licensing regime to support this evolving digital financial landscape. Allowing digital financial services (DFS) firms to operate within a live market environment, anchored on innovation, intermediation and financial inclusion. "The DFS in Labuan IBFC is continually growing in recognition of the progressive approach that the centre has taken in embracing the digital revolution, by being as facilitative as possible to enable innovative digital business to take root in Labuan IBFC," said Labuan FSA Director General, Nik Mohamed Din Nik Musa during his Welcome Address at the third Connecting Digital Ecosystems Asia (CoDE Asia 2021) today. He added: "Labuan IBFC is envisioned to become a digital-based gateway with Islamic finance capabilities for all global investors and players as the future of Islamic finance looks ever promising. The digital transformation in Islamic finance positively contributes to the evolution and innovation of Islamic financial products and services in a rapid tone." "As we continue to strengthen Islamic finance footing in the region, our focus now is to realise the full potential of digital opportunities by offering an all-inclusive solution of a shariah based digital regime leveraging on Islamic fnance and social-based finance instruments. This could further expand Islamic finance development across emerging markets while building connectivity with wider Islamic finance industry." "As digitisation for the financial sector evolves, regulatory bodies globally will be posed with the balancing act of determining appropriate ways of regulating these changes vis-a-vis promoting market breakthrough and innovations. Ensuring stability will remain of paramount importance as financial transactions become more seamless, intangible and borderless. Therefore, Labuan FSA is committed to adopting a facilitative approach by developing 'fit-for-purpose' requirements to cater for emerging business technologies," said Nik Mohamed Din. This year, Labuan FSA launched two key policy documents the Guiding Principles on Business Continuity Management to enhance the Labuan financial institutions' operational resilience; as well as a digital governance and cyber resilience framework which aims to protect DFS providers from cyber threats. Farah Jaafar, CEO of Labuan IBFC Inc, said, "Being home to one of the fastest growing digital families in Asia, our ethos of constant engagement with industry coupled with innovation and facilitation, puts us in good stead to embrace the next digital evolution, governed by sound regulatory parameters. This curates a regulated digital ecosystem, providing synergy between wholesale financial intermediation and digitalisation allowing our licensees to operate in a facilitative borderless environment." As at September 2021, the number of DFS providers that have been approved to operate in the Labuan IBFC digital space has grown to 85 licensees, having licensed 25 intermediaries as of September 2021. The key licensees include 2 digital banks, 1 insurtech and 1 digital securities exchange, 16 payment systems providers, 18 credit token issuers and 33 money brokers (digital currency exchanges). Out of the total number of DFS providers in Labuan IBFC, the majority were licensed to provide digital currency trading platform, issuance of digital token and e-payment system or e-wallet. Labuan IBFC's debut as a digital friendly jurisdiction began in 2017 with just one licence and has since expanded with a wide range of digital businesses and players, from digital banking and insurtech to intermediaries such as robo-advisory, digital asset exchanges, crypto trading platforms, tokenisation licences and e-payment systems. Having celebrated its 30th year of establishment in 2020, Labuan IBFC is now home to more than 5,000 active entities which include 70 banks, 232 insurance and insurance-related entities, 65 trust companies and other business sectors, with an ecosystem creating a robust environment promoting the growth of digital business. The 3rd edition (virtual) of Connecting Digital Ecosystems Asia 2021 (CoDE Asia 2021) themed "Future Forward: Next Gen Digital Ecosystems" was attended by more than 400 regional delegates and featured a line-up of industry players and subject matter experts, discussing the current and emerging developments in the digital financial industry. In conjunction with the conference, a joint white paper entitled 'Curating a Regulated Digital Ecosystem' was launched. The paper produced with Deloitte, examines the challenges faced by regulators in an ever-evolving digital landscape, and how jurisdictions can support and facilitate a well-balanced regulatory and business conducive environment. For more information and copy of the white paper, please visit: www.labuanibfc.com. ABOUT LABUAN IBFC ASIA PACIFIC'S MIDSHORE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL CENTRE Labuan International Business and Financial Centre (Labuan IBFC), Malaysia, through our internationally recognised yet business-friendly legal framework, is the preferred international business and financial centre in Asia. Established in 1990, Labuan IBFC is regulated by the Labuan Financial Services Authority (Labuan FSA), statutory Regulator under the purview of the Ministry of Finance, Malaysia. As a midshore jurisdiction, we offer global investors and businesses the benefits of being in a well-regulated and supervised jurisdiction, which adheres to international standards of compliance in tax transparency. We also provide fiscal neutrality and certainty in a currency neutral operating environment. Labuan IBFC, located in the centre of Asia, boasts a cost-efficient enabling environment making it an ideal location for substance creation for both global businesses looking at penetrating Asia or Asian entities aiming to go global. Offering a wide range of business structures and investment solutions catered to cross-border transactions and international business dealings including fintech related solutions. We also provide services and solutions in niches such as risk management, commodity trading, reinsurance, wealth management, international business companies and Islamic financial services. Operating with clear and comprehensive legal provisions, guidelines and practice notes, enforced by a single regulator, Labuan FSA, Labuan IBFC provides an ideal jurisdiction for both corporates and high-net-worth individuals with international exposure. To keep up with everything about Labuan IBFC, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. Alternatively, visit www.labuanibfc.com. SOURCE Labuan IBFC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Tanla Announces Second Quarter 21-22 Results HYDERABAD, India, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tanla Platforms Limited, India's largest CPaaS provider, today announced its financial results for the quarter two of FY'21-22. Key Metrics: Second Quarter Revenue increased by 44% year-over-year to ?8,416 million. Gross profit increased by 71% year-over-year to ?2,302 million. Gross margin % at 27.4% and improved by 440 basis points year-over-year. EBITDA increased by 83% year-over-year to ?1,787 million. EBITDA % at 21.2 % and improved by 452 basis points year-over-year. Profit after tax increased by 67% year-over-year to ?1,362 million. Earnings per share increased by 72% to ?10.04. Free cash flow at ?2,217 million and Cash & Cash Equivalents at ?8,457 million Key Metrics: Half Yearly Revenue increased by 41% year-over-year to ?14,680 million. Gross profit increased by 68% year-over-year to ?4,037 million. Gross margin % at 27.5% and improved by 443 basis points year-over-year. EBITDA increased by 82% year-over-year to ?3,132 million. EBITDA % at 21.3% and improved by 473 basis points year-over-year. Profit after tax increased by 50% year-over-year to ?2,407 million. Earnings per share increased by 61% to ?17.71. Free cash flow at ?3,502 million. Uday Reddy, Founder Chairman & CEO, Tanla Platforms Limited said, "Our stellar performance was contributed by higher wallet share from existing customers and additional market share expansion from newer clients." Significant events during the quarter Gartner recognizes Tanla In the latest CPaaS market guide as a key global solution provider in the Developer market. Only Asian Company to be recognized under Developer category. We celebrated the first anniversary of commercial launch of Trubloq, world's first and largest block-chain use case and increased our market share to 63%. We closed two significant partnerships on Wisely platform, which will be announced during the quarter. The customer base has expanded with addition of 87 new customers. Revenues from >?10Mn+ customers grew by 46% year-over-year. We hired 111 employees during the quarter. To date, 91% of employees have received first dose of vaccination. Our senior leadership team are back to office, and we plan to bring rest of employees back in a phased manner. Appointed PwC as our consultants to advise us on our ESG aspirations & roadmap. Under Social of ESG, Tanla Foundation signed an MoU with Education Dept, Govt of Telangana for PILLARS (Project for Improvement of Learning Levels through Academic support for Rural Schools). Completed buyback of equity shares. Total of 705,677 shares were bought back at an average price of ? 907 per equity share. ? 801 million was incurred towards buyback, out of which, ? 649.8 million was returned to shareholders, ? 151 million was paid as buyback [email protected] 23.36% on distributed amount and ? 16 million was paid towards transaction cost. The buyback was closed on September 06, 2021 . . Final dividend was approved by the shareholders in the annual general meeting, and we have completed the payouts. Invitation to conference: Tanla will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss the financial results. Conference call details: The conference call will begin at 4.00 PM IST on October 22, 2021. Interested parties may listen to the call by dialing +91 22 6280 1141 / +91 22 7115 8042, or if outside India, by dialing toll free number UK 08081011573, USA 18667462133, Hong Kong 800964448, and Singapore 8001012045. The live audio webcast link will be available on the Tanla website About Tanla Tanla transforms the way the world collaborates and communicates through innovative CPaaS solutions. Founded in 1999, it was the first company to develop and deploy A2P SMSC in India. Today, as one of the world's largest CPaaS players, it processes more than 800 billion interactions annually and about 63% of India's A2P SMS traffic is processed through Trubloq, making it the world's largest Blockchain use case. Wisely, our patented enterprise grade platform offers private, secure, and trusted experiences for enterprises and mobile carriers. Tanla Platforms Limited is headquartered in Hyderabad. Tanla is listed on two national exchanges, the NSE and BSE, (NSE: TANLA; BSE:532790) and included in prestigious indices such as the Nifty 500 and BSE 500, FTSE Russell and MSCI. Safe Harbor This document contains "forward-looking" statements, and these statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact could be deemed forward-looking, including, but not limited to, expectations of future operating results or financial performance, market size and growth opportunities, the calculation of certain of our key financial and operating metrics, plans for future operations, competitive position, technological capabilities, and strategic relationships, as well as assumptions relating to the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "expect," "anticipate," "should," "believe," "hope," "target," "project," "plan," "goals," "estimate," "potential," "predict," "may," "will," "might," "could," "intend," "shall," and variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved, if at all. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control. Our actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors. If the risks or uncertainties ever materialize or the assumptions prove incorrect, our results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation and do not intend to update these forward-looking statements or to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations, except as required by law. This document contains statistical data, estimates and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications or other publicly available information, as well as other information based on our internal sources. This information involves many assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to these estimates. We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the data contained in these industry publications and other publicly available information. Accordingly, we make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of that data nor do we undertake to update such data after the date of this document. By receiving this document, you acknowledge that you will be solely responsible for your own assessment of the market and our market position and that you will conduct your own analysis and be solely responsible for forming your own view of the potential future performance of our business. Any logos or trademarks (other than Tanla, Karix, Gamooga. Trubloq & Wisely) included herein are the property of the owners thereof and are used for refernce purpose only. Consolidated statement of Profit and Loss (Unaudited): Rs. Lakhs Particulars Q2FY22 Q1 FY 22 Q2 FY 21 I. Revenue from operations (net) 84,161.76 62,638.36 58,324.67 II. Other income 314.48 430.13 474.47 III. Total Income (I+II) 84,476.24 63,068.49 58,799.14 IV. Expenses Cost of services 61,138.78 45,292.73 44,891.65 Employee benefits expense 3,305.47 2,530.56 2,283.26 Depreciation and amortisation expense 1,041.40 914.97 992.26 Connectivity expenses 351 275.18 280.78 Finance costs 57.87 16.28 8.94 Other expenses 1,498.37 1,087.01 1,115.73 Total expenses (IV) 67,392.89 50,116.73 49,572.62 V. Profit before share of profit/loss of associate 17,083.35 12,951.76 9,226.52 and income tax (III - IV) VI. Share in net profit/(loss) of associate - - - VII. Profit before tax (V - VI) 17,083.35 12,951.76 9,226.52 VIII. Tax expense: Current tax 3,356.95 2,488.48 1,053.21 Prior period taxes/MAT credit -177.66 -195.37 - Deferred tax 287.01 210.16 26 IX. Net Profit for the period (VII - VIII) 13,617.05 10,448.49 8,147.31 X. Other comprehensive income 25.11 200.28 -330.52 XI. Total Comprehensive income for the period (IX + X) 13,642.16 10,648.77 7,816.79 XII. Earnings per equity share Basic & Diluted (not annualized for quarters) 10.04 7.68 5.85 Consolidated Abridged Cash Flow Statement (Unaudited): Rs. Lakhs Net cash provided by/(used in): H1 FY 22 FY 21 H1 FY 21 Operating activities 37,308.22 56,101.69 19,339.40 Investing activities -1,546.19 -977.64 7.78 Financing activities -9,608.81 -16,767.36 -16,013.84 Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 26,153.22 38,356.69 3,333.34 Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 58,414.15 20,057.47 20,057.47 Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 84,567.37 58,414.16 23,390.81 Consolidated statement of assets and liabilities ASSETS Rs. Lakhs Non-current assets As at Sept 30, 2021 As at Mar 31, 2021 (Audited) (Unaudited) Property, plant and equipment 3,170.21 2,966.56 Intangible assets 9,852.11 8,881.46 Intangible assets under development 1,232.23 638.67 Goodwill on Consolidation 13,455.69 13,455.69 Right-of-use assets 3,492.28 385.79 Other financial assets 728.39 627.09 Deferred tax assets 3,787.20 4,284.37 Other non-current assets 1,681.47 3,069.23 Total non-current assets 37,399.58 34,308.86 Current assets Trade receivables 44,289.49 37,314.68 Cash and cash equivalents 79,573.80 53,710.97 Bank balances other than cash and cash equivalents 4,993.57 4,703.18 Loans and advances 353.92 343.55 Other financial assets 33,502.88 25,646.05 Other current assets 5,492.04 5,233.46 Total current assets 1,68,205.70 1,26,951.89 TOTAL ASSETS 2,05,605.28 1,61,260.75 EQUITY AND LIABILITIES Equity Equity share capital 1,353.31 1,360.36 Other equity 1,02,858.23 87,949.86 Total equity 1,04,211.54 89,310.22 Non-current liabilities Lease liabilities 3,589.08 348.67 Other financial liabilities 34.6 45.35 Provisions 482.74 600.98 Other non-current liabilities 40.85 219.56 Total non-current liabilities 4,147.27 1,214.56 Current liabilities Financial liabilities Trade payables 69,500.58 50,619.82 Lease liabilities 178.68 86.24 Other financial liabilities 23,895.59 19,188.38 Other current liabilities 2,710.13 574.53 Provisions 122.88 96.41 Liabilities for current tax (net) 838.61 170.59 Total current liabilities 97,246.47 70,735.97 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 2,05,605.28 1,61,260.75 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/627459/Tanla_Solutions_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Huobi Group Attends Sir Richard Branson's Oceans 4.4 Retreat on Necker Island LONDON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Huobi Group, a world-leading blockchain company, sponsored crypto experts William Tong and Mike Prasad to attend the Oceans 4.4 retreat at Sir Richard Branson's home on Necker Island. Held from October 9-14th in the British Virgin Islands, Sir Richard Branson's Oceans 4.4 retreat was designed to raise awareness for the water crises affecting the world, and highlight the efforts of founders and change makers to fight these issues. Over the course of the retreat, different innovators presented their solutions for ocean conservation and fighting climate change. Mr. Tong is known for helping many influential artists and celebrities produce digital art pieces as NFTS. To name a few: Steve Aoki, Calvin Harris and Snoop Dogg. Mr. Prasad is the Founder & CEO of Tinysponsor, the ONLY inventory-driven and creator-first marketplace for influencer and content sponsorships. Huobi's participation in the retreat reflected their broader plans for sustainable growth and increasing its social impact on te world. "As we continue to grow our business presence around the world, we are taking an increasing interest in the communities we operate in. Furthering social impact initiatives will be one of Huobi's key goals going forward, and we will look to work with like-minded stakeholders that share our values," said Jeff Mei (Director of Global Strategy at Huobi Group) Participation in the Oceans retreat also acted as a precursor to Huobi Group's 8th founding anniversary promotions, which will be held in November to draw attention to cutting-edge blockchain and cryptocurrency projects. As part of these activities, Huobi Group will be hosting an online industry forum, dubbed Huobi Summit 2021: Blockchain and Beyond, on November 8th. Speakers will include global luminaries such as former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and other government and business leaders across the world. About Huobi Group: As a world-leading blockchain company, Huobi Group was founded in 2013 with a mission to make breakthroughs in core blockchain technology and further the integration of blockchain technology with other industries. Huobi Group has expanded its products and services to public blockchains, digital asset trading, wallets, mining pools, proprietary investments, project incubation, digital asset research, and more. Huobi Group has established a global digital ecosystem through investing in over 60 upstream and downstream companies across the blockchain industry. For more information, visit: https://www.huobi.com/ View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/huobi-group-attends-sir-richard-bransons-oceans-4-4-retreat-on-necker-island-301406453.html SOURCE Huobi Group [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Tuya Smart Cooperates with ANWIO to Create Healthy Light Environment for More Homes The cooperation will help both sides go beyond smart lighting to develop more smart application scenarios. LONDON, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amidst a boom in smart home, ANWIO, a world-renowned smart home brand, and Tuya Smart (NYSE: TUYA), a global IoT development platform, announced a new partnership today to bring more comfortable and healthier home experiences to consumers around the world. The two companies started the cooperation first with smart lighting. The IoT development tools provided by Tuya Smart have helped ANWIO to quickly develop smart downlights, smart strips and other smart lighting devices at a low cost. These smart lighting devices have been successfully sold to Europe, Asia, North America and other regions through Tuya's more than 100,000 online and offline sales channels. In the future, the cooperation will gradually extend from smart lighting to smart security and other fields to form a full-scenario solution. For example, through the collaborative operation of smart downlights, spotlights, mirror lights, door sensors, cameras and other devices, ANWIO will create smart living rooms, smart bathrooms and other scenarios so that consumers can fully enjoy the convenience and beauty o smart life. Leo Li, the General Manager of ANWIO, said, "we are excited about this partnership. Using Tuya's platform and expertise in chip manufacturing allows us to adapt to and bring in the latest products and technology to the market in the most efficient way." When night falls, your fingerprint unlocks the code and the light in the living room automatically lights up, creating a warm yellow light environment for you to relax after an exhausting day. When overtime working happens occasionally on weekends, the light in the study changes from warm tone to bright office lighting, creating an environment for you to concentrate. This list can go on. Perhaps you haven't noticed that smart lamps with lighting as the core are penetrating into all aspects of life. In addition to creating a healthy lighting environment, smart lamps are also be connected with other smart device categories to create a smart home ecosystem for consumers. Smart devices are turning from mere tools into flavorings for everyday life. The cooperation between Tuya Smart and ANWIO reveals to the market that the era of smart individual products has come to the end, and only by connecting devices and creating full-scenario solutions can we grasp the magic weapon of the next era. About ANWIO ANWIO, a brand of the listed company "Unilumin", is a well-known supplier of LED application products, mainly dealing with LED lighting products and LED smart home products. By the end of 2020, ANWIO has provided high-quality LED lighting products to millions of homes worldwide, including over 100,000 smart lighting devices. In the future, ANWIO will continue to uphold the principle of providing consumers with cost-effective home products. About Tuya Smart Tuya Smart (NYSE: TUYA) is a global IoT development platform with a unique, all-in-one offering of cloud + connectivity + app that makes it easy and affordable for brands, retailers, and OEMs to make their products smart. Tuya's platform has smart-enabled more than 410,000 SKUs in hundreds of categories worldwide, serving over 384,000 developers globally. Tuya is internationally operated with headquarters in the U.S., Germany, India, Japan, Colombia, and China. For more information, please visit: Tuya's website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Noah Holdings Limited to Hold 2021 Annual General Meeting on November 29, 2021 SHANGHAI, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Noah Holdings Limited ("Noah" or the "Company") (NYSE: NOAH), a leading and pioneer wealth management service provider in China offering comprehensive one-stop advisory services on global investment and asset allocation primarily for high net worth investors, today announced that an annual general meeting (the "AGM") of the Company will be held at Wanda Vista Guilin, No.398 Dayan Road, Yanshan District, Guilin, Guangxi Province, People's Republic of China, on November 29, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (local time). No proposal will be submitted for shareholder approval at the AGM. Instead, the AGM will serve as an open forum for shareholders and beneficial owners of the Company's American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") to discuss Company affairs with management. The record date (the "Record Date") for determining the shareholders entitled to receive notice of the AGM or any adjournment or postponement thereof has been set as the close of business on November 2, 2021. Holders of record of our ordinary shares at the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to attend the AGM and any adjournment or postponement thereof in person. Beneficial owners of the Company's ADSs are also welcome to attend the AGM in person. In order to assist us in our preparation for the AGM, please RSVP by email to [email protected] Shareholders and ADS holders may obtain a copy of the Company's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020, free of charge, from our website at http://ir.noahgroup.com, or by sending an email to [email protected] ABOUT NOAH HOLDINGS LIMITED Noah Holdings Limited (NYSE: NOAH) is a leading and pioneer wealth management service provider in China offering comprehensive one-stop advisory services on global investment and asset allocation primarily for high net worth investors. In the first half of 2021, Noah distributed RMB52.1 billion (US$8.1 billion) of investment products. Through Gopher Asset Management, Noah had assets under management of RMB155.9 billion (US$24.1 billion) as of June 30, 2021. Noah's wealth management business primarily distributes private equity, private secondary, mutual fund and other products denominated in RMB and other currencies. Noah delivers customized financial solutions to clients through a network of 1,268 relationship managers in 81 cities in mainland China, and serves the international investment needs of its clients through offices in Hong Kong, Taiwan, United States and Singapore. The Company's wealth management business had 397,235 registered clients as of June 30, 2021. As a leading multi-asset manager in China, Gopher Asset Management manages private equity, real estate, public securities, multi-strategy and other investments denominated in RMB and other currencies. The Company also provides other businesses. For more information, please visit Noah at ir.noahgroup.com. Noah Holdings Limited Sonia Han, Melo Xi, Ryan Teng Tel: +86-21-8035-8294 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/noah-holdings-limited-to-hold-2021-annual-general-meeting-on-november-29-2021-301406508.html SOURCE Noah Holdings Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Technological supremacy reigns in Chengdu CHENGDU, China, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, is accelerating its development driven by technological innovation thanks to the Chengdu Science and Technology Bureau. Qitan Tech, founded in Chengdu in 2016, is in the DNA sequencing business. Through years of research and development, the company has launched China's first nanopore-based single molecule gene sequencer. Different from the mainstream next-generation sequencing technology, it has broad prospects for future applications due to its advantages of long-read capability, portability, direct-sequencing ability and the real-time output of results. "The application scenarios of the nanopore-based sequencing technology are manifold and beyond our imagination," said Xie Dan, one of the fouders of Qitan Tech. In the area of public health, the technology is helpful because of its small size. This helps end the dependence on laboratory-based testing. Testers can be brought to the frontline at anytime and anyplace to solve problems. "As a company engaged in biomedicine, the benefits brought by Chengdu's industry supporting facilities and business environment are clear," Xie said. He added that Chengdu Science and Technology Bureau is continually improving the business-support system, so that startups can focus on their R&D. Another Chengdu company said it will bring an on-demand "special air bus" into public life to solve travel problems in big cities. On Sept 22, urban air traffic pioneer Volocopter joined hands with Aerofugia - a subsidiary of Geely that is engaged in unmanned aerial vehicles - and launched a joint venture in the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone. The joint venture will be responsible for the production and market operation of Volocopter's products in China. It plans to help launch urban air transport within three to five years. Chengdu will be one of the first cities to test the project. In addition to the two innovation-driven companies, there are a handful of similar enterprises in Chengdu, as the city is making every effort to boost high-level scientific and technological innovation. In 2020, there were 62 city-level and above technology business incubators and spaces launched, with some 6,000 high-tech enterprises registered in total. The revenue of the city's high-tech industry has hit a 1-trillion-yuan ($154.5 billion) scale. The city government is rolling out policies for the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-City Economic Circle. It hopes to build itself into a national-level scientific and technological innovation center. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/technological-supremacy-reigns-in-chengdu-301406613.html SOURCE Chengdu Science and Technology Bureau [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Applied Blockchain Increases Long-Term Hosting Contracts by 61% to 185MW DALLAS, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Blockchain, Inc. ("Applied Blockchain" or the "Company") (PINK: APLD) today announced the addition of 70MW of long-term hosting contracts, bringing the Company's total long-term hosting contracts to 185MW. The newly added hosting agreements represent a 61% increase in Applied Blockchain's long-term hosting services, demonstrating the Companys execution on the growing demand for cryptocurrency mining solutions. With regulatory challenges worldwide, cryptocurrency miners are facing a significant displacement of hosting capacity. Applied Blockchain's 185MW of long-term hosting contracts, and strategic approach to building the necessary infrastructure to meet increasing demand, position the Company to become a leader in pool and hosting services. "The broad adoption of cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies is accelerating, and we are building and scaling our business to be a leading provider of hosting services and solutions," said Wes Cummins, Applied Blockchain's CEO and Chairman. "Our long-term contracts represent our customers' confidence in our ability to bring large amounts of capacity online in a timely fashion. We're on the cutting edge of new technology, and our ability to deliver increased capacity at a high level of service will be critical to our continued success and upward trajectory." Applied Blockchain broke ground in September 2021 on its innovative hosting facility, which will provide 50MW of capacity by the end of the year. The facility's hosting and pooling operations are projected to begin in Q4 2021, and the Company plans to scale capacity up to 100MW in early 2022. About Applied Blockchain Applied Blockchain, Inc. (PINK: APLD) is a leading provider in the growth and development of Blockchin Infrastructure by delivering high-performance crypto mining, hosting, and pooling solutions to customers around the globe. The Company has partnered with the most recognized names in the industry to develop, deploy, and scale its business. The Company is backed by some of the largest family offices and institutional investors in the U.S. Find more information at www.appliedblockchaininc.com . Follow us on Twitter at @APLDBlockchain . Forward-Looking Statements This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, future operating and financial performance, product development, market position, business strategy and objectives. These statements use words, and variations of words, such as "continue," "build," "future," "increase," "drive," "believe," "look," "ahead," "confident," "deliver," "outlook," "expect," and "predict." Other examples of forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, (i) statements of Company plans and objectives, including our evolving business model, or estimates or predictions of actions by suppliers, (ii) statements of future economic performance, and (iii) statements of assumptions underlying other statements and statements about the Company or its business. You are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events and thus are inherently subject to uncertainty. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the Company's expectations and projections. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include: decline in demand for our products and services; the volatility of the crypto asset industry; the inability to comply with developments and changes in regulation; cash flow and access to capital; and maintenance of third party relationships. Information in this release is as of the dates and time periods indicated herein, and the Company does not undertake to update any of the information contained in these materials, except as required by law. Media Contacts Jordan Schmidt Gateway Group, Inc. (949) 574-3860 [email protected] Investor Relations Contacts Matt Glover or Jeff Grampp, CFA Gateway Group, Inc. (949) 574-3860 [email protected] Company Contact Wes Cummins, Chief Executive Officer Applied Blockchain, Inc. (214) 427-1704 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Tompkins Financial Corporation Reports Increased Cash Dividend Tompkins Financial Corporation (NYSE American:TMP) Tompkins Financial Corporation announced today that its Board of Directors approved payment of a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.57 per share, payable on November 15, 2021, to common shareholders of record on November 2, 2021. The dividend amount represents an increase of $0.03 or 5.6% over the dividend paid in the third quarter of 2021. Tompkins Financial Corporation is a financial services company serving the Central, Western, and Hudson Valley regions of New York and the Southeastern region of Pennsylvania. Headquartered in Ithaca, NY, Tompkins Financial is parent to Tompkins Trust Company, Tompkins Bank of Cstile, Tompkins Mahopac Bank, Tompkins VIST Bank, and Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Inc., and offers wealth management services through Tompkins Financial Advisors. The Company's banks have announced plans for a rebranding effort, pursuant to which the Company's four wholly-owned banking subsidiaries will be combined into one bank, with The Bank of Castile, Mahopac Bank, and VIST Bank merging with and into Tompkins Trust Company. The combined bank will conduct business under the "Tompkins" brand name, with a legal name of "Tompkins Community Bank." www.tompkinsfinancial.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005051/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] MoxiWorks adds to leading suite of technology, acquires reeazily SEATTLE, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MoxiWorks, the leading real estate technology platform, announced today they have acquired reeazily, an enterprise back-office solution that helps manage real estate transactions across the entire real estate organization. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Reeazily, like MoxiWorks, was born out of real estate for real estate Reeazily, like MoxiWorks, was born out of real estate for real estate. The company was founded in 2005 out of the need to develop a better system for franchise membership management, billing, and reporting for their clients at RE/MAX Northern Illinois. Over the last 16 years they have continued to evolve and enhance their products. Now, on its fourth generation, reeazily includes a complete brokerage back-office solution, broker.ez, which integrates QuickBooks Online for accounting. Reeazily also integrates with DocuSign, SkySlope and Dotloop for transaction document management, all of which are existing partners in MoxiWorks' MoxiCloud Partner Program. "We are so thrilled to welcome not only the reeazily products into the MoxiWorks universe, but the whole reeazily community," said York Baur, CEO MoxiWorks. "reeazily has been a partner in our MoxiCloud partner program for over three years and we're excited to expand our produt offering as we integrate them fully into our products." The entire reeazily team will be joining MoxiWorks and will become Moxians. reeazily CSO and co-founder Casey Reagan, will stay on board as MoxiWorks' Director of Product Management for back-office solutions, helping to drive innovation. "We recognized a common focus on client service and drive to get things done at MoxiWorks," said Reagan. "That drive made it clear there is amazing synergy and that the Moxi culture was an amazing fit for us. We are excited to join the team." Reeazily products will add to MoxiWorks' array of solutions including MoxiWorks' sphere-based CRM, MoxiEngage, leading CMA interactive presentation product, MoxiPresent, as well as their recruiting system, MoxiTalent, marketing suite, MoxiImpress and websites platform, MoxiWebsites alongside their renowned MoxiCloud open platform. MoxiWorks acquired marketing automation platform, Imprev in November of 2019 which has expanded MoxiWorks' marketing offering, MoxiImpress, powering agent marketing efforts though the complete automation of listing materials. As for future acquisitions, Baur shared, "We plan to continue to help consolidate the highly fragmented real estate tech market as the industry matures. We are highly selective and believe it's important to keep the long-term interests of the residential real estate brokerage to heart. We will look for acquisitions that help further that cause and reinforce the amazing customer loyalty that MoxiWorks enjoys as a result of great products on an open platform, backed up by great support." About MoxiWorks MoxiWorks is a comprehensive open platform system for large residential real estate brokerages that serves over 260 brokerages and 340,000 agents nationwide that account for more than 13% of the transactions in the U.S. MoxiWorks' customer retention over the past seven years stands proudly at 96%. Their integrated tools are centered on sphere methodology that increases agents' repeat and referral business by 54%, while lowering overall technology, training, and support costs for the brokerage. The open platform known as the MoxiCloud has tools from more than 50 partners that integrate to create unique brokerage solutions. Find more information at moxiworks.com. About reeazily Created as a solution for RE/MAX Northern Illinois in 2005 to manage their franchisor operation, it supported a network of independent offices closing with as much as $380 million in commission. reeazily was spun off in 2018 to focus on delivering better brokerage and franchise systems. reeazily is closing thousands of transactions monthly from coast to coast. MoxiWorks Let's sell more homes together For more information on this topic and other press inquiries at MoxiWorks, please contact Jordan Barrish at [email protected]. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/moxiworks-adds-to-leading-suite-of-technology-acquires-reeazily-301406430.html SOURCE MoxiWorks [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Voya selected as new Health Savings Account provider for ABA Retirement Funds Program Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), announced today that it has been selected as the new health savings account (HSA) provider for the ABA Retirement Funds Program (the Program), a fully bundled retirement offering to organizations in the legal community established nearly 60 years ago. The new Voya HSA administration solution is available to all Program clients as of Oct. 1, 2021. In addition to the new HSA offering, the Program has remained a long-term client of Voya's retirement savings offerings, which today administers services to nearly 37,000 participants whose collective assets total more than $7.5 billion. "One of our main goals through the Program is to provide plan participants with holistic financial solutions, and the HSA solution is a continuation of that goal," said Scarlett Ungurean, executive director, ABA Retirement Funds (ABA RF). "As a long-term client with Voya's retirement plan savings offerings, we also see tremendous value in the integrated solution to offer the HSA solution along with the Program's 401(k) plans as a way to help people manage both near- and longer-term health care expenses, which is one of the primary concerns of plan participants." HSAs have increased in popularity in recent years to help pay for eligible medical costs now and in retirement. According to industry research, despite the pandemic, the average balance of HSAs that received either an employee contribution or an employer contribution grew more than 50% in 2020.1 "With employees increasingly turning to their employer for help to advance the financial well-being of their households, we believe HSAs are a powerful savings and spending vehicle that sit at the intersection of the health and wealth needs of individuals today," added Nate Black, vice president, Consumer Health Driven Product, Voya Financial. "At Voya, we have been conducting research on the convergence of health and wealth in the workplace and have found that 77% of employers are interested in integrated solutions across health and wealth.2 As the workplace continues to increase in its importance in helping Americans address their health and wealth needs, we look forward to working with our plan sponsors, including those in the Program, to help their participants acheve their financial wellness goals with confidence." "We look forward to growing our valued and longstanding relationship with the ABA RF and all of the participants in the Program," said Bill Harmon, chief client officer at Voya Financial. "Both Voya's Wealth and Health Solutions businesses play an integral role in delivering valuable solutions to help individuals as they work to achieve holistic financial wellness, and we are delighted to be able to help the thousands of Program plan sponsors and their participants as they work to achieve a secure financial future." Since its inception, the Program, established by the American Bar Association, has been committed to providing a solution to help all legal professionals achieve retirement security. Voya is uniquely positioned in the market to serve the health and wealth needs of employers of all sizes and across all segments, including large, complex 401(k) plans. As an industry leader focused on the delivery of health, wealth and investment solutions to and through the workplace, Voya Financial is committed to delivering on its mission to make a secure financial future possible for all Americans - one person, one family, one institution at a time. 1. Employee Benefit Research Institute, "Health Savings Account Balances, Contributions, Distributions, and Other Vital Statistics: Evidence From the EBRI HSA Database," (Oct. 2021). 2. Voya study conducted with McKinsey (2021). Health Savings Accounts offered by Voya Benefits Company, LLC (in New York, doing business as Voya BC, LLC). Custodial services provided by WEX Inc. About Voya Financial Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), provides health, wealth and investment solutions that enable its approximately 14.8 million individual, workplace and institutional clients to achieve their financial wellness goals with confidence. With a vision to be America's Retirement Company, Voya's products, solutions and digital capabilities help create a better financial future for all. Voya is a Fortune 500 company that had $7.6 billion in revenue in 2020 and $721 billion in total assets under management and administration as of June 30, 2021. Certified as a "Great Place to Work" by the Great Place to Work Institute, Voya is equally committed to conducting business in a way that is socially, environmentally, economically and ethically responsible. Voya has earned recognition as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute; as the No. 1-ranked financial services firm among Barron's 100 Most Sustainable Companies for three consecutive years; as a member of the Bloomberg (News - Alert) Gender-Equality Index; and as a "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion" on the Disability Equality Index. For more information, visit voya.com. Follow Voya Financial on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (News - Alert) @Voya. VOYA-RET VOYA-EB VOYA-IR View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005008/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] MobiDev's AI solution to Biometric Authentication ATLANTA, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to IBM, 20% of breaches are caused by compromised credentials. In 2021 25% of businesses have completed deployment of AI based security, while 40% are partially deployed. Investing in AI-based security can save a business up to $3.81 million in 2021. One of the most important takeaways for any business considering biometric security methods is that it is not always wise to rely on only one form of biometric technology, i.e. unimodal. Instead, a multimodal approach that uses more than one type of biometrics is much more secure. It can include facial/voice recognition, iris scanning or fingerprints authentication. To improve accuracy and effectiveness of biometric authentication technology, it's important to layer security with multimodal biometric recognition solutions. Evgeniy Krasnokutsky PhD, AI/ML Solution Architect at MobiDev, explains: "Deploying AI-powered Biometric Authentication solutions to a cloud with uninterrupted communication channels and computing power for neural networks is quite convenient and scalable. On the other han, such solutions have to be reliable and diversified. And it brings us to a point, where there's a combination of cloud computing and local hardware components". MobiDev engineers have expertise creating AI-powered Biometric Authentication solutions for different verticals. For example, they developed a single sign-on (SSO) biometric authentication product for an enterprise client. This verification as-a-service solution is based on AI voice and face recognition, NLP for question-answering, anti-spoofing techniques, and WebRTC protocol with extra security measures. More detailed information about AI biometric authentication technologies can be found at: https://mobidev.biz/blog/ai-biometrics-technology-authentication-verification-security MobiDev is a US/Ukraine software engineering company focused on helping visionaries create their products. The company invests into technology research and has years of experience building AI-powered solutions, implementing machine learning, augmented reality, and IoT. Media Contact Nana Hrytsenko 888-380-0276 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mobidevs-ai-solution-to-biometric-authentication-301406625.html SOURCE MobiDev [October 22, 2021] Columbus Consulting International Celebrates 20 Years of Transforming Businesses Columbus Consulting, one of the retail industry's leading consulting firms, is celebrating its 20th year in business. The firm has grown to a team of over 200 industry experts serving over 300 clients globally, across all product categories and channels of distribution. "We believe success comes down to treating each client individually," said Jon Beck, CEO. "Our team has extensive industry experience, and we know the right questions to ask to get to the right solutions. This is why 96% of our projects result in repeat, long-term relationships." "Twenty years ago, we set out to prove that assembling a team of best-in-class individuals working as a nimble team could offer clients a higher value structure," said Rick Amari, founder. "Our business model was unique, but the success we've experienced is still a result of putting clients first." Columbus Consulting believes in developing long-lasting relationships based on honesty, integrity and the value of experience. The team is dedicated to listening to the retailer and approaching all retail challenges with practical, approachable and inclusive strategies. The last 20 years have seen monumental shifts in consumer behavior and power, fueled by the digital age. The pandemic accelerated these changes exponentially. The evolving landscape requires expertise and collaboration more than ever, two things on which Columbus has built its reputation. Whether it's streamlining omnichannel operations, optimizing the supply chain or driving digital transformation, if retailers do it, Columbus supports them. "We've assembled a team of big-picture thinkers who consider the entire customer journey," said Kate Gorman, board chair. "It's humbling to look back at the projects and people our consultants have worked with over the past two decades. We take a lot of pride in seeing the positive impacts our partnerships have made - not just on the immediate, day-to-day workflows of a retailer's team, but also on long-term business resiliency. It has been a fun and rewarding journey for us all, and we look forward to seeing where the next two decades will take us." To celebrate its anniversary, Columbus has unveiled a new logo and a refreshed brand look. The company will be in attendance at NRF 2022 in booth #5370, Jan. 16-18, at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. About Columbus Consulting International Columbus Consulting has been building trust within the retail and consumer goods markets for over two decades. We're more than consultants; we're executive-level practitioners who have sat in the same seat as our clients - so we understand their challenges and know the right questions to ask. It's a unique, customer-focused perspective that allows us to identify and implement solutions that drive true value and operational excellence. To learn more, visit www.columbusconsulting.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005282/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Blackmagic Design Announces DaVinci Resolve 17.4 Blackmagic Design today announced DaVinci Resolve 17.4 which transforms the speed of DaVinci Resolve to work up to 5 times faster on the new Apple Mac models with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. With this massive speed increase, customers can now play back, edit and grade 8K projects even faster, and can work with up to 12 streams of 8K footage. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005295/en/ DaVinci Resolve 17.4 now up to 5 times faster for 8K editing and grading on Apple Mac models with M1 Pro and Max, plus Dropbox Replay integration and more! (Photo: Business Wire) DaVinci Resolve 17.4 is available for download now from the Blackmagic Design website. DaVinci Resolve 17.4 also increases the decoding speed of 12K Blackmagic RAW files, making it over 3 times faster and H.265 rendering is also 1.5 times faster. Plus, DaVinci Neural Engine performance is up to 4 times faster, for real time facial recognition, object detection and smart reframing! Support for ProMotion 120Hz displays makes playback and editing incredibly smooth and HDR (News - Alert) viewers are also supported on the new Apple MacBook HDR displays. DaVinci Resolve 17.4 also adds Dropbox Replay integration. Projects will flow smoothly from DaVinci Resolve Studio directly to Dropbox Replay for easy video review and approval. Frame accurate colored markers, comments and annotations made in Dropbox Replay are almost instantaneously synced to the DaVinci Resolve timeline. Plus with a simple login, customers will only have to sign in once. Other features include quick and easy render set up with dedicated Dropbox and Dropbox Replay presets as well as automatic background uploads that are monitored for status and confirmed when complete. For subtitling, DaVinci Resolve 17.4 includes automatic resizing of backgrounds and cursor placement when creating captions, as well as nested timeline subtitle tracks now auto-populating the main timeline to speed up creating captions. There are also improvements to the edit page such as better functionality for position curves in the timeline, so customers can more easily adjust the ease in and out points. This creates a more custom transition from one point to another when applying zoom or image position adjustments. Customers will also now be able to use DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor to switch between cameras in multicam clips on the edit page making it faster to cut programs together. Additional support for asymmetrical trimming allows customers to adjust a transition's in point without affecting its out point or vice versa, enabling them to fine tune work more quickly. With Fusion, customers get additional support for languages with combined glyphs and those that may write right to left such as Arabic and Hebrew. Combined with improved vertical layouts, rotation and line direction when working with Text+, this will enable customers to work in a wider range of languages and layouts. DaVinci Resolve 17.4 adds greater support for automatic color management, making it faster and simpler to set up projects. Additionally, this update adds support for ACES 1.3, including gamut compression, so customers can now more accurately display wide gamut images to be certain they are getting the best representation of the source image. A new Resolve FX called custom mixer allows customers to combine effects and make adjustments to grades with finer control. Plus, a new 3D keyer adds the ability to make finer adjustments to the key and matte finesse settings to make it easier to create clean masks with more accurate keys and finer edges. For DaVinci Resolve Studio, there's also a new film halation which will add the effect of a glow or light reflections around high contrast edges, giving images a more filmic look. Fairlight audio now has support for Steinberg VST3 audio plugins, giving access to more audio effects so customers can create the perfect soundtrack. Plus, there are keyboard shortcuts or click and drag to reorder, move and duplicate effects in the Fairlight mixer, displays single sided audio transitions as fades and added support for multi channel audio outputs. When finishing projects customers can now export projects with YouTube (News - Alert) video chapters, improved encode settings for the YouTube render preset and the ability to use hardware accelerated H.265 on Windows. "This amazing update gives customers massive performance gains on the new Apple MacBook Pro models with the M1 Pro and Max processors. It completely transforms workflows and unlocks some incredible creative potential. What's exciting is simply by downloading this free DaVinci Resolve update customers will get all these features for free," said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. "To have the capability now to easily edit and color grade Blackmagic RAW 8K footage in HDR and all on a laptop while you're miles away from the studio is incredible. Plus the ability to easily collaborate on projects with Dropbox Replay makes it such an exciting time for our customers to be out there creating content. We're very excited to see what our customers can do with this amazing update to DaVinci Resolve." DaVinci Resolve 17.4 Features Key Features Hardware accelerated Apple ProRes on Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max. 120Hz support on Apple 1 Pro and M1 Max for smoother UI and playback. Faster DaVinci Neural Engine performance on Mac OS 12. Native HDR viewers on supported Mac hardware. Comments and annotations sync between Dropbox Replay and DaVinci Resolve Studio. Markers and comments sync between Dropbox and DaVinci Resolve Studio. Export timeline markers titles as YouTube video or Quicktime chapters. Steinberg VST3 support giving access to even more audio effects. Simplified color management, SDR and HDR selection and new automatic project settings. New Resolve FX including film halation. Improved 3D keyer and matte finesse controls. Text+ support for combining glyphs, vertical layouts and right to left for Arabic, Hebrew etc. Significantly faster ProRes decode, encode and AI performance for M1. Subtitle backgrounds auto resize and nested timelines decompose to parent. Hardware accelerated Apple ProRes on Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max. 120Hz support on Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max for smoother UI and playback. Faster DaVinci Neural Engine performance on Mac OS 12. Native HDR viewers on supported Mac hardware. Native full screen mode on Mac. Dropbox Comment Integration Dropbox login within DaVinci Resolve preferences. Render directly to Dropbox or Dropbox Replay. Automatic background uploads when render completes. Comments and annotations sync between Dropbox Replay and DaVinci Resolve Studio. Markers and comments sync between Dropbox and DaVinci Resolve Studio. Edit Subtitle and caption backgrounds now auto-resize to fit text content. Subtitle tracks in nested timelines now decompose to the main timeline. Adding a new subtitle caption now auto-focuses on the text area. Simple titles and subtitles are faster on Apple Silicon systems. Improved ease in and out functionality for position curves in the timeline. Options to include effects and grades for render in place operations. Switch multicam angles in the edit page with the speed editor. Ability to mark selection for timeline gaps. Edit asymmetric audio transitions created in the Fairlight page. Trim video and audio transitions asymmetrically using cmd/ctrl. Fine audio clip gain adjustments using shift + mouse drag. Support for pasting retime attributes on audio clips. Option to limit audio sync to the first timecode match. Preview composite modes by hovering over each mode in the inspector. Ability to set per-clip deinterlace quality in the inspector. New square iris transition. Support for custom aspect ratio controls for shape transitions. Improved overlays for Fusion tools in the viewer. Improved undo support for Fusion effects and Text+ in the inspector. Support for folder based organization of effect templates. New customizable key actions to go to previous/next timeline tabs. Ability to close timeline tabs with middle click. Preview generators and titles from the effects panel in the cut viewer. Color Support for an automatic mode for color managed projects. Support for ACES 1.3, gamut compression and new CSC (News - Alert) transforms. New 3D Keyer with new modes, better selection/stroke logic, live feedback. Improved HSL and Luma keyers with updated matte finesse controls. Track forward and back with a single action in trackers and magic masks. Node tooltips now indicate LUT and effect type present. Dragging new links to layer and key mixers auto-creates node inputs. Dragging color nodes over key links creates key-to-RGB connections. Added individual primary and secondary tool icons for faster switching. Clip filters for timeline clips with Dolby Vision analysis or trim. Disabled clips are now shown as gray in the timeline. Support for applying camera LUTs and CDLs to ARRI MXF ProRes clips. The printer light state is now persisted across application restart. Navigating to markers in the timeline now auto scrolls to center marker. Resolve FX Film halation emulates film stock reflections and scatter with Studio. Custom mixer to combine effects and grades with finer control. Improved 3D, HSL and Luma keyers in edit and Fusion. Better noise handling and key refinement for existing keyers. Improved patch replacer with ability to align source and target. Film grain with interactive previews and grain freeze options. Fairlight Support for Steinberg VST3 audio plugins on Mac OS and Windows. Ability to reorder, move and duplicate effects in the mixer. Support for copying clip ranges with partial fades. Single sided audio transitions are now displayed as fades. Support for multi channel audio outputs on Linux. Better waveform displays at smaller track heights and lower zoom levels. Ability to shift-click and cmd-click on keyframe selections in the timeline. Navigating to previous or next timeline marker now selects the marker. Improved default processing order in Fairlight mixers. Automation curves display current values when no automation is present. Point selections now flash in edit selection mode. Improved column order and search behavior in the clip index. Improved jog, scroll and shuttle with the editing keyboard and speed editor. Fairlight FX meters have resizable displays and improved channel labels. Improved audio performance when using Blackmagic monitoring devices. Fusion Text+ support for combined glyphs and right to left language layouts. Improved vertical Text+ layout, vertical glyphs, rotation and line direction. Improved Text+ character grouping, spacing, underlining and borders. Text+ supports per-character stylistic sets for supported fonts. Support for OpenType features, including old-style numbers in Text+. Multiple Text+ improvements for character styling and animation. Hover to show tool descriptions in the effects panel and add tool window. Improved default tracker search and pattern size for grid warps. New search area scale slider in tracker options. Codecs and File I/O Improved encode settings for YouTube render preset. Option to export a timeline marker color as YouTube video chapters. Option to export a timeline marker color as QuickTime chapter markers. Support for decoding opus audio in QuickTime and MP4 clips. Hardware accelerated Panasonic (News - Alert) 8K AVC decodes on Apple Silicon. Improved decode speeds for ARRI ARX clips. Hardware accelerated H.265 encodes on free version on Windows. H.264 encode profile options on supported Nvidia systems with Studio. H.264/H.265 encode bit rate controls on supported Windows Intel (News - Alert) systems. Faster encodes and decodes for Windows Intel systems with Studio. Support for encoding to ZIP1 EXR format. Ability to add custom languages in DCP/IMF composition naming options. Ability to use approved operator / rating / region lists for DCP naming. Marker support in the IO encode plugin SDK Ability to bypass re-encodes for Sony XAVC Intra clips. Improved retention of comments metadata for third party XML workflows. Improved display of render job names with tooltips. General Right click audio icon to adjust volume on media, color and deliver pages. Auto-identifying media storage sequential image formats as stills or clips. Prompt to overwrite existing projects when invoking save as. Locked project indicator for PostgreSQL databases with usage info tooltip. Ability to clone a PostgreSQL database from the project manager. Ability to export PostgreSQL access keys from the project manager. Option to import into current timeline when importing an AAF. Scripting API support to access inspector properties for video clips. Scripting API support to set playhead position on the timeline. Scripting API support to get color version for video clips. Scripting API support for reflecting upload status in render job APIs. Scripting API support for setting network optimization in render jobs. Scripting API support for H.264 multi-pass encode option in Mac OS. Improved scripting property set when querying MediaIn nodes. General performance and stability improvements. Availability and Price DaVinci Resolve 17.4 is available now for download free of charge from the Blackmagic Design website. Press Photography Product photos of DaVinci Resolve, as well as all other Blackmagic Design products, are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/images. About Blackmagic Design Blackmagic Design creates the world's highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design's DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company's Emmy award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005295/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Citcon Closes $30M Series C Funding Citcon, the leading mobile wallet payment provider enabling global commerce at scale, today announced that it has received $30 million in Series C financing led by Norwest Venture Partners and Cota Capital. Sierra Ventures and Sonae IM also joined the round. The new funding will support the rapid addition of world-class staff and global expansion that builds on the company's international presence on four continents. "Citcon enables global commerce at scale by allowing merchants to accept payments by mobile wallet and alternative currencies with the same ease as they process traditional credit card payments today," said Chuck Huang, CEO and founder at Citcon. "We are honored to have earned the support of incredible investors that will strengthen our efforts to continue driving innovation and global expansion." Poised for Accelerated (News - Alert) Growth Moving into the final half of 2021, Citcon's annualized payment volume is more than $1 billion, representing 300%+ year-on-year growth. With the acceleration of cross-border commerce and evolving consumer preferences, Citcon's offerings strongly resonate with global merchants, as well as domestic companies seeking to serve global customers. Citcon payment solutions are currently deployed at more than 30,000 merchants' sites and locations, including world-renowned brands such as L'Oreal, Tumi, Texas Instruments, Revolve, Macy's, and Panda Express. Citcon's global enterprise payments gateway allows merchants to participate in global commerce by enabling secure online or in-store transactions with more than 100 different payment methods, including mobile wallets, local payment schemes, and traditional credit cards -- all through one single integration and reconciliation platform. Citcon's solution integrates a variety of globally popular digital wallet brands including PayPal (News - Alert), Venmo, AliPay, WeChat Pay, as well as buy now pay later services, cryptocurrency, and more. In the past quarter, the company has added key members to its executive team, including: Andrew Meimes, former vice president of Mastercard's Pre-paid Unit in Japan, who joined as vice president and general manager in Asia; Dan Farrell, former vice president of sales at Loop Commerce, who joined as VP, GM of E-commerce; and Jamie Elgie, former CMO of Wilson Electronics (News - Alert), who joined as vice president and headof marketing. Citcon is also rolling out new programs to accelerate the retail adoption of wallets with PayPal and Venmo, as well as integrating their solution with new partners ranging from Toshiba (News - Alert) and Cegid to Shopify, Oracle and SAP. "Citcon is addressing the global digital wallet market with an omnichannel payments platform that creates a simple, efficient, and safe way for merchants to accept alternative and traditional payments," said Priti Youssef Choksi, partner of Norwest Venture Partners. "As mobile wallets continue toward ubiquity, buoyed by today's post-Covid consumer behaviors, we expect to see explosive growth in this category and we believe Citcon has the ingredients to own the leadership position." Cross-border e-commerce is expected to continue its torrid expansion, growing at 27% CAGR to reach $4.8T by 2026.i This growing, connected, global marketplace is being fueled by consumer interest in software-based, handset agnostic, and bank-free payment methods like AliPay, WeChat Pay, PayPal, Venmo, and emerging payment schemes from cryptocurrencies to buy now, pay later services. By contrast, traditional credit card penetration has not kept pace with globalization. In 2020, credit card penetration stood at 3% in India and 21% in Chinaii, while in 2017 averaged just 33% in Europe, 14% in Latin America, and 17% in Asiaiii. "Citcon allows merchants to tap into the marketplace of more than two billion mobile wallet users worldwide," said Ben Malka, Partner at Cota Capital. "Providing merchants with globally preferred payment methods ensures that merchants can attract customers, successfully enter new markets, and improve customer experience. Citcon is already powering top merchants' global payments and continues to see growth year on year. We are delighted to be able to partner with Citcon and provide support as it enters a new era of growth." About Citcon Founded in 2015, Citcon's fintech platform enables seamless global commerce at scale by connecting the world's businesses with more than 100+ mobile wallets, local and alternative payment methods. Citcon integrates with POS and ecommerce systems such as Toshiba, Oracle, Cegid, Shopify and SAP (News - Alert) and is currently deployed at more than 30,000 merchants' sites and locations, including major brands such as L'Oreal, Tumi, Texas Instruments, Revolve, Macy's, and Panda Express. Citcon is backed by leading global investors Norwest Venture Partners, Cota Capital, Sierra Ventures, Sonae, and East-West Bank. The company has five regional offices in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia to service its global clientele. Learn more at https://www.citcon.com. ________________ i Facts & Factors, Cross Border B2C E-Commerce Market Report, May 2020 ii Statista, Credit Card Penetration in the Asia Pacific Region in 2020, July 2021 iii The World Bank, average of 40 European countries in 2017. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005089/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] EQUITY ALERT: ROSEN, A TOP RANKED LAW FIRM, Encourages Gaotu Techedu Inc. f/k/a GSX Techedu Inc. Investors with Losses to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action - GOTU, GSX WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Gaotu Techedu Inc. f/k/a GSX (News - Alert) Techedu Inc. (NYSE: GOTU, GSX) between March 22, 2021 and March 29, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 20, 2021. SO WHAT: If you purchased Gaotu securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Gaotu class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2182.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than December 20, 2021. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating is practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley sold a large amount of Gaotu American Depository Shares (ADSs) during the Class Period while in possession of material non-public information about Archegos Capital Management (at the time a family office with $10 billion under management) and its need to fully liquidate its position in Gaotu because of margin call pressure. As a result of these sales, the defendants in the case, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, avoided billions in losses combined. To join the Gaotu class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2182.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn (News - Alert): https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter (News - Alert): https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook (News - Alert): https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005412/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Capital Senior Living Shareholders Approve Amended Investment Agreement with Conversant Capital Capital Senior Living Corporation ("Capital Senior Living" or the "Company") (NYSE: CSU), a leading owner-operator of senior living communities across the United States, today announced that, based on preliminary vote estimates provided by its proxy solicitor, the Company received the requisite votes to approve all proposals, including the plan to raise up to $154.8 million through a series of financing transactions with Conversant Capital ("Conversant") (collectively, the "Amended Transactions"), at the Special Meeting of Stockholders (the "Special Meeting") held on October 22, 2021. "We are very pleased with the outcome of today's Special Meeting and want to thank our shareholders for their continued support, engagement and feedback throughout this process," said Capital Senior Living Chief Executive Officer and Director Kimberly S. Lody. "We strongly believe that the Amended Transactions represent the best path forward by providing the capital to address our immediate liquidity needs and Going Concern issues, while stabilizing and positioning the Company for future growth. We look forward to continued engagement with all of our shareholders and to working towards long-term financial success and delivering enhanced value." The expiration date for the Company's pending rights offering is 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 27, 2021, unless extended by the Company. Pursuant to the rights offering, existing stockholders have the right to purchase 1.1 shares of common stock for each share of common stock they held as of the record date of September 10, 2021, at $30 per share. The results announced today are considered preliminary until tabulated and certified by the independent Inspector of Election. Final results will be reported on a Form 8-K that will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, at which time they will become available on https://www.sec.gov/. No Offer or Solicitation / Additional Information and Where to Find It This letter does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor will there be any sale of any securities in any state or other 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. The amended rights offering is being made pursuant to the Company's shelf registration statement on Form S-3, which became effective on May 6, 2020, a prospectus supplement containing the detailed terms of the rights offering filed with the SEC (News - Alert) on September 10, 2021, and an amendment to the prospectus suplement filed with the SEC on October 4, 2021. Any offer will be made only by means of a prospectus and prospectus supplement forming part of the registration statement. Investors should read the prospectus and prospectus supplement and consider the investment objective, risks, fees and expenses of the Company carefully before investing. Copies of the prospectus and prospectus supplement may be obtained at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. About Capital Senior Living Dallas-based Capital Senior Living Corporation is one of the nation's leading operators of independent living, assisted living and memory care communities for senior adults. The Company operates 75 communities that are home to nearly 7,000 residents across 18 states providing compassionate, resident-centric services and care and engaging programming. The Company offers seniors the freedom and opportunity to successfully, comfortably and happily age in place. For more information, visit http://www.capitalsenior.com or connect with the Company on Facebook or Twitter (News - Alert). About Conversant Conversant Capital LLC is a private investment adviser founded in 2020. The firm pursues credit and equity investments in the real estate, digital infrastructure and hospitality sectors in both the public and private markets. Further information is available at www.conversantcap.com. Safe Harbor The forward-looking statements in this letter are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results and financial condition to differ materially, including, but not limited to, the Company's ability to obtain stockholder approval for the proposed transaction; the satisfaction of all conditions to the closing of the proposed transaction; other risks related to the consummation of the proposed transaction, including the risk that the transaction will not be consummated within the expected time period or at all; the costs related to the proposed transaction; the impact of the proposed transaction on the Company's business; any legal proceedings that may be brought related to the proposed transaction; the continued spread of COVID-19, including the speed, depth, geographic reach and duration of such spread; new information that may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19; the actions taken to prevent or contain the spread of COVID-19 or treat its impact; the legal, regulatory and administrative developments that occur at the federal, state and local levels in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; the frequency and magnitude of legal actions and liability claims that may arise due to COVID-19 or the Company's response efforts; the impact of COVID-19 and the Company's near-term debt maturities on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's ability to generate sufficient cash flows from operations, additional proceeds from debt refinancings, and proceeds from the sale of assets to satisfy its short and long-term debt obligations and to fund the Company's capital improvement projects to expand, redevelop, and/or reposition its senior living communities; the Company's ability to obtain additional capital on terms acceptable to it; the Company's ability to extend or refinance its existing debt as such debt matures; the Company's compliance with its debt agreements, including certain financial covenants, and the risk of cross-default in the event such non-compliance occurs; the Company's ability to complete acquisitions and dispositions upon favorable terms or at all, including the transfer of certain communities managed by the Company on behalf of other owners; the Company's ability to improve and maintain adequate controls over financial reporting and remediate the identified material weakness; the risk of oversupply and increased competition in the markets which the Company operates; the risk of increased competition for skilled workers due to wage pressure and changes in regulatory requirements; the departure of the Company's key officers and personnel; the cost and difficulty of complying with applicable licensure, legislative oversight, or regulatory changes; the risks associated with a decline in economic conditions generally; the adequacy and continued availability of the Company's insurance policies and the Company's ability to recover any losses it sustains under such policies; changes in accounting principles and interpretations; and the other risks and factors identified from time to time in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005423/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Ixian-Next generation of data streaming Tallinn, Estonia, Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (via Blockchain Wire) Recent years have seen frequent debates around peoples ability to exist and express themselves online. From censorship and data breaches to WhatsApps controversial new terms of service, trust is low for many of the big names in social media and streaming. Ixian is a self-funded project which is five years in the making. Its a platform enabling streaming and messaging services on the blockchain, along with the ability to trade and transfer funds in IxiCash - which is currently surging in value. The Ixian platform is entirely decentralised, as it is maintained by nodes which users can set up themselves to earn rewards. This means there is no central point of failure, minimising the risk of downtime for apps built on the platform. Meanwhile, user data is stored on users own devices, safe from central data breaches and intrusive governments. This focus on privacy and security puts Ixian in a great position to capitalise on the growing mistrust against traditional streaming and messaging platforms. The rise of IxiCash US and China residents were unable to purchase IxiCash without considerable workarounds as the token was only available on Vitex up until a few months ago. However, the Ixian dev team has built a bridge from the ground up, to the ethereum network to allow wrapping of the Ixicash(IXI) token to be traded on UniSwap, a move which is predicted to boost its alue even further. Currently an ongoing liquidity drive has been started to allow trading in higher volume on the Uniswap Dex. Photo Available: IxiCash Uniswap Dex A new type of blockchain Unable to find a blockchain that offered sufficient functionality, Ixians team set out in 2016 to build their own blockchain from scratch. There are two central parts to the project: Ixian DLT and Ixian S2. Ixian DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) is a blockchain which processes a high volume of micro transactions every second. Its optimised to maintain high speeds while consuming a low amount of processing power, disk space and energy. This efficiency is possible thanks to a new, consensus-based block acceptance algorithm. It mitigates some common concerns about blockchain technologies demanding significant computing power, and the cost and carbon footprint that comes with it. Meanwhile, Ixian S2 is a decentralised streaming network built for text, voice and video. It enables secure communication between users along with the opportunity to trade and earn revenue. The system is highly scalable and able to cater for both indie app developers and bigger projects. What the future holds Currently, the best example of Ixians power is Spixi, a decentralised messaging app available on Google Play and App Store. It keeps each users data solely contained on their own mobile device, offering a degree of privacy lacking on many other platforms. The app also includes a wallet feature, allowing users to trade or transfer IxiCash within the app. Among other things, this opens up for content creators to offer direct communication and receive donations from their fans. Ixians latest roadmap, which stretches into 2022. It includes upgrades to the DLT network, new functionality for streaming and monetization, as well as a host of new features for Spixi such as video calls and self-destructing chats. Website: ixian.io Medium: https://medium.com/ixian Telegram: https://t.me/Ixianofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/ixian_IO IXIAN OU +38671233551 info(at)ixian.io https://www.ixian.io [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Industrial Human Capital, Inc. Announces Closing of $115 Million Initial Public Offering Industrial Human Capital, Inc. (the "Company") announced today that it has closed its initial public offering of 11,500,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit. This includes the exercise in full by the underwriters of their over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 1,500,000 units. The units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") and began trading under the ticker symbol "AXHU" on October 20, 2021. Each unit consists of one share of the Company's common stock and one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at a price of $11.50 per share (subject to adjustment). Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the common stock and the warrants are expected to be listed on the NYSE under the symbols "AXH" and "AXHW," respectively. Industrial Human Capital, Inc. is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The Company intends to focus its search on target businesses that provide staffing solutions to the light industrial sector in North America. The Company is sponsored by ShiftPixy Investments, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ShiftPixy, Inc., and is led by Scott W. Absher, its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering, and the simultaneous private placement of warrants, to consummate the Company's initial businss combination. A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acted as the sole book-running manager for the IPO and Brookline Capital Markets, a division of Arcadia Securities, LLC, acted as co-manager for the offering. A registration statement relating to these securities was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC (News - Alert)") on October 19, 2021. 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 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. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, 590 Madison Avenue, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at (212) 624-2060, or by email at [email protected] or by visiting EDGAR on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements," including with respect to the initial public offering, the anticipated use of the net proceeds thereof, and search for an initial business combination. No assurance can be given that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company's registration statement and final prospectus for the initial public offering filed with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005493/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Q4 Inc. Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering Q4 Inc. ("Q4" or the "Company") today announced that it has filed, and obtained a receipt for a final long form prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada and has entered into an underwriting agreement in respect of its previously announced proposed initial public offering of common shares (the "Offering"). The Offering consists of a treasury offering of 8,334,000 common shares of the Company at a price of $12.00 per common share, for gross proceeds of approximately $100 million. The Company and a member of Company management (the "Selling Shareholder") have also granted to the underwriters an over-allotment option (the "Over-Allotment Option"), exercisable, in whole or in part, at any time for a period of 30 days following the closing of the Offering, to purchase up to an additional 1,250,100 common shares at the offering price, for additional gross proceeds of up to $14 million to the Company and up to $1 million to the Selling Shareholder, if the Over-Allotment Option is exercised in full. The Company will not receive any proceeds from the sale of common shares by the Selling Shareholder. The Offering is being made through a syndicate of underwriters led by CIBC Capital Markets, National Bank Financial Inc. and Credit Suisse Securities (Canada), Inc. (together, the "Joint Bookrunners"), and including Canaccord Genuity Corp., Raymond James Ltd., RBC Capital Markets, Stifel Nicolaus (News - Alert) Canada Inc., TD Securities Inc. and INFOR Financial Inc. The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about October 29, 2021 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. The Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") has conditionally approved the listing of the common shares, subject to the fulfillment by the Company of customary TSX requirements. The common shares are expected to begin trading on the TSX on an "if, as and when issued" basis on October 25, 2021 under the symbol "QFOR". This Offering is only made by prospectus. A copy of the Company's final prospectus has been filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The prospectus contains important information about the securities being offered. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained from CIBC Capital Markets, 161 Bay Street, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON (News - Alert) M5J 2S8 by telephone at 1-416-956-6378 or by email at [email protected]; from National Bank Financial Inc. 130 King Street West, 4th Floor Podium, Toronto, Ontario, M5X 1J9, by telephone at 416-869-6534 or by email at [email protected]; from Credit Suisse Securities (Canada), Inc., 100 King Street West, Suite 2900, Toronto, ON M5X 1C9 by telephone at 1-416-352-4594 or by email at [email protected]. Investors should read the prospectus before making an investment decision. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of Q4 in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities offered 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 U.S. state securities law and may not be offered or sold in the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption therefrom. About Q4 Inc. Q4 Inc., is a leading capital markets communications platform that is transforming the way publicly traded companies, investors and investment banks make decisions to efficiently discover, communicate and engage with each other. The Q4 end-to-end technology platform facilitates interactions across the capital markets through its IR website products, virtual events solutions, capital markets customer relationship management solution, and shareholder and market analytics tools. The firm is a trusted partner to over 2,500 public companies including approximately 50% of the S&P 500 constituent companies. Q4 is based in Toronto, with offices in New York and London. To learn more, visit: www.q4inc.com. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events. Such information includes, but is not limited to statements related to the expected closing date of the Offering, the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, and the date that trading of the Company's common shares is expected to commence on the TSX. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, failure to complete the Offering and the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's final long form prospectus. Actual results could differ materially from those projected herein. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required under applicable securities laws. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005516/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 22, 2021] Indonesia Poised to be the Next Great Startup Hub in Southeast Asia JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The pandemic has brought down almost every major industry in the world, yet the startup ecosystem has managed to thrive amid the challenging moment. In Indonesia, the support from the government and the Ministry of Communication and Informatics has reinforced the startup growth, enabling more education platforms and research to accelerate digital financial literacy across the country. According to research , Indonesia received the lion's share of funds raised in 2020 in Southeast Asia to the tune of US$2.7 billion. The Indonesian Venture Capital and Startup Association (Amvesindo) data also show that US$1.9 billion has been raised by at least 52 startups as of September 2020. These numbers are indicative of Indonesia being one of the most promising country to invest in across the region. Hiro Kiga, co-founder of payment solution company Wallex predicts that the trend seems to be in fintech and digitalisation for the offline economy. "Now it's come to a point where the next segment of the offlie users will be digitized. Also, anything that surrounds MSMEs such as logistics and last-mile deliveries would be interesting sectors to look at," said Hiro Kiga. Supporting for the startup scene While the majority of the startups are based in Jakarta, the trend is spreading out to other parts of Indonesia. "We are fully in support of the startup's culture, and we will continue to develop programs and activities that will help spread the startup scene to more provinces other than Jakarta," said Indonesia's Director General of ICT Applications, Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan. The support for startup culture is evident in the series of startup-focused programs such as Gerakan National 1000 Startup Digital (1000 Digital Startups National Initiative) and Startup Studio Indonesia, in which the Ministry assists early-stage startup founders to create their MVP and achieve their product market fit by opening access to resources and connections to prominent and active startup founders and business opportunities. In addition, the Ministry is also promoting investment opportunities at the upcoming Joint Exhibition & Junction of Startup Landscape in Indonesia or JEJALA ID, a matchmaking event for startups and investors. JEJALA ID is a multi-faceted event aimed at sharing critical information for investors such as the benefits in investing in Indonesia, the most promising sectors, as well as success stories from Indonesia's startup scene. The entire event will run from October to January, with the first pre-event roadshow will be held online on October 29, 2021, for Japan participants and venture capitals (VCs), addressing "The Myth Surrounding Indonesian Startup Investment". Keynote speakers from different companies will share their knowledge to help attendees gain insight to the Indonesia's startups ecosystem. Participants will also hear from other business luminaries, including Indonesia's Director General of ICT Applications, Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan; Hiro Kiga, CEO of Wallex; Chendy Jaya, CEO of Imajin; and Italo Gani, Managing Partner of Impactto. The main thrust of the event is connecting 30 well-curated, investible, early-stage startup companies to 30 foreign venture capital firms in each of the participating regions and countries, which are Europe, Singapore, Japan, the United States, and others. For more information, and to register, please visit https://jejala.id About the Ministry of Communication and Informatics The Ministry of Communication and Informatics is the official government agency of Indonesia tasked with formulating and implementing national policies in the field of communication and informatics. It is also responsible for accelerating the distribution of information technology and digital infrastructure so that the public can have efficient access to up-to-date telecommunications and internet networks. SOURCE Ministry of Communication and Informatics of Republic of Indonesia [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Kansas City's top ranking transit activists contends that his plan is more likely to earn federal help. Here's the word . . . Clay Chastain Contends his light rail petition initiative is right for Kansas City and right for the times When the United States District Court finally orders leaderless City Hall to place Clay's comprehensive light rail plan before voters, as supported by 3,000 Kansas City registered voters, it will prevail in a landslide because it's not only right for Kansas City, it's also right for the times. Right for Kansas City because...it will make Kansas City more competitive, thriving and livable as America's newest re-engineered city. People no longer want to live and do business in expensive, car-congested and noisy asphalt jungles. By partly replacing Kansas City's automobile-oriented infrastructure with new quick, quiet and clean (rapid rail / electric bus / bicycle / pedestrian) transportation lanes, we can blast the City out of its economic and population doldrums. But, you can't find such an exciting inspiring plan at our local City Hall. The elected officials here don't have the wherewithal to imagine such a thing. The petition plan is anchored by a 30-mile spine of rapid rail that will stretch from Cerner at Bannister, through downtown and the northland and all the way to Kansas City's new airport. The light rail spine will crisscross a new electric bus system / the City's downtown streetcar system / a new Union Station Regional Transportation Hub, pedestrian & bicycle lanes and a downtown aerial gondola transport system. Much of the new innovative and Citywide transportation system will operate (separated from traffic) in new "Greeway Corridors". The new light rail-based transit system will connect riders to all of KC's major job centers and destinations. Right for the times because...our nation's new and coming infrastructure rebuild plan will likely include a hundred billion dollars for modernizing transit across the country. Kansas City will go to the head of the line to secure the plan's (called for) ONE BILLION DOLLAR federal matching grant, if local voters have already approved a local tax for Clay's petition initiative proposal. It's our time, our opportunity and our future to grab hold of. Kansas City Community Activist, Clay Chastain ############## Developing . . . KCMO has a track record of making big promises during election season and then ignoring their commitments after they cash the checks. Here's the latest example . . . "Since 2017, the city has inspected roughly 750 centerline miles of sidewalk. Another 300 is currently under inspection, which leaves roughly 1,150 centerline miles to be inspected. "Another priority is repairing ramps and corners where sidewalks meet intersections. The citys goal is to bring those areas into compliance with federal regulations from the Americans with Disabilities Act . . . "The city now estimates it will take until 2025 to complete the remaining 47 blocks, instead of a 2022 estimate it gave back in 2017. " This my seem like a minor detail in a BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET but it's important given that there are more tax increases and promises underway. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . . Here's the problem with municipal recalls . . . They don't work. TKC noted as much and earned some rebuke via social media. We tried to be fair but so often over the past year police supporters fell into a silly trap as newbies to local politics . . . They mistakenly believed that so much cloak & dagger political chatter is real. Heck even local media fell for the recent Kansas City "recall them all" hype and mistakenly reported a sketchy effort. Thanks to insiders, we know the real deal . . . Here's the word because TKC actually bothered to ask some very nice and hardworking locals . . . "There are no active petitions on file in the city clerks office." We had our doubts about the 4th or 5th recall effort against Mayor Q and now our suspicions have been confirmed. Whilst the recall against council dude Bunch was fun . . . Ultimately it was a waste of time. Take Back KC housewives, seniors and malcontents earned a few nice write-ups but clearly didn't know what they were doing if they were unable to gather up a modicum of signatures for a smallish KCMO in-district recall. Accordingly . . . Much smarter and REAL conservative readers from every demographic background were proven correct on this topic . . . It's much more important for pro-police "activists" to build a real connection with their communities, talk with one another and support VIABLE candidates with solid backgrounds and experience . . . Recall efforts sparked out of anger BACKFIRED and earned a reactionary reputation for support of police which is actually the MAINSTREAM opinion in most Kansas City neighborhoods. Developing . . . Credit on this one goes to TOP ECHELON KANSAS CITY INSIDERS . . . Our blog community predicted layoffs for this local corporate giant BACK IN JUNE because COVID, outsourcing and health tech competitors have consistently hammered the company. Confirmation from a lesser blog that used to be a newspaper offers credit to a message board whose shares are owned by their parent company but word of impending doom for Cerner employees has been commonplace throughout social media for more than a month . . . "A Cerner spokesperson said those cuts would impact U.S. workers, though its unclear how many will come from the companys Kansas City area workforce. Cerner is the largest private employer in the metro area, where it has several campuses and its global headquarters." And so here's the www.TonysKansasCity.com skinny . . . WHITE COLLAR KANSAS CITY LAYOFFS ARE THE NEW HOTNESS AND CERNER CUTS START THE CARNAGE!!! Updated: Bare minimum we're hearing that at least 150 people are getting the ax by the end of the year. Developing . . . Veda Yowell, 90, of Clinton, passed away on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at IU West Hospital in Avon, surrounded by her loving family. Veda was born in Parke County on August 30, 1931, to Harry and Angeline Ladiha Crossley. She married her husband, Fred, on July 22, 1949, and together, they Terre Haute, IN (47803) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 31F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 31F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Summary of NCC press conference 22.10.2021 (credits GIS) The Minister of Health informed the press this afternoon that three experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) are presently in Mauritius to, among others, train local technicians in effecting nanopore sequencing. He stated that the WHO experts would observe the way the local authorities identify variants as well as collect and assess this data. The results of sequencing of 29 COVID-19 positive samples, collected from 28 September to 13 October 2021, revealed that 20 were the Delta variant. Out of the 29 samples, 23 were local cases, out of which 16 were Delta variants. From the six imported cases, four were Delta variants. The rest belonged to the variant B.1.1.318. Over the past week, 408 local positive infections and 16 imported cases were detected. The imported cases were fully vaccinated and asymptomatic travellers, who were placed in isolation. Quarantine centres are hosting 203 unvaccinated people from abroad. 8 COVID-19 related deaths were registered, six of the deceased were under 60 years old, 14 were not vaccinated, and four fully vaccinated, including two people with comorbidities. From March to date, 137 COVID-19 deaths were reported. 31 patients were taken in the New ENT Hospital; of whom, six fully vaccinated persons were under artificial respiration, 18 required oxygen support (12 vaccinated, five unvaccinated, one status unknown), and 11 placed under observation because of their comorbidities. The New ENT Hospital admitted 110 patients from 1st October 2021 to date, and discharged 83 people. 168 COVID-19 positive patients were being treated in other hospitals across Mauritius. 66% of the population, 824,665 citizens, were fully vaccinated. 873,817 people, representing 70% of the population, received their first dose, and 14,707 their booster dose. The dry season for 2022 is shaping up to be drier and warner than usual. Joining us to talk some more about the death of Imam Yasin Abu Bakr, we have Jamaal Shabazz -- one of the insurrectionists, in the attempted c Ukrainian counterintelligence operatives with the SBU Security Service have prevented the illegal shipment to Russia of Ukrainian spare parts to combat fighter jets. Thats according to the SBU press center, Ukrinform reports. "SBU counterintelligence has exposed a large-scale scheme of shadow production, theft, and shipment to Russia of components for Russian combat aircraft. The perpetrators were stealing military products in the production process at one of the state-run defense companies in Kharkiv region," the statement reads. At the request of Russian counterparts, the conspirators illegally supplied them with spare parts for warplane engines. Among them were those to MiG-29, Su-27, and Su-30 fighters, as well as Mi-24 attack helicopters and Mi-35 transport and combat helicopters. Read also: SBU uncovers two drug trafficking schemes In order to smuggle spare parts out of Ukraine, the culprits filed false data into the relevant customs documentation. It was established that the scheme had been organized by the defense company officials and heads of affiliated firms. For the illegal sale of military products to foreign clients, the perpetrators established contacts with Russian military industry officials and those from one of the countries of East Asia. During a warranted search at the offices and homes of those believed to be complicit in the crime, law enforcers discovered a massive number of spare parts already prepared for illegal export, as well as draft accounting paperwork and electronic media confirming the unlawful operations. The conspirators are facing charges of violating the rules for the cross-border movement of goods subject to export control, as well as misappropriation of property, including by abuse of office. A pre-trial inquiry is underway to establish all circumstances of the illegal scheme and to bring to justice other complicit individuals. Read also: SBU nabs FSB asset As Ukrinform reported earlier, in July, the SBU blocked a channel for the illegal export of goods subject to state export control where the perpetrators attempted to ship to Russia components for attack aircraft. im On October 21, the Russian occupation forces violated the ceasefire four times, including once with the use of weapons proscribed by the Minsk agreements. Thats according to the press service of the Joint Forces Operation Headquarters, Ukrinform reports. In Luhansk region, the enemy twice employed easel-mounted anti-tank grenade launchers and small arms. Near Pivdenne, Russian mercenaries fired small arms. In the direction of Krymske, the invaders fired 82 mm and 120 mm mortars, as well as anti-tank grenade launchers. Read also: OSCE SMM members still blocked in occupied Donetsk Ukrainian troops returned fire to the enemy's armed provocations, forcing the latter to cease the attacks. As of 7:00 Kyiv time on October 22, another ceasefire violation was recorded near Zolote-4 where the enemy fired large-caliber machine guns. The Joint Forces reported no casualties over the past 24 hours. im The United States is urging Russia to return to the Joint Center for Ceasefire Control and Coordination (JCCC) in eastern Ukraine and to instruct militants under its control to stop impersonating JCCC staff. Thats according to the U.S. Charge d'Affaires to the OSCE, Courtney Austrian, who spoke at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. We also urge Russia to rejoin the JCCC, which would greatly help the current situation, and to instruct the forces it leads to cease impersonating JCCC personnel, including the wearing of JCCC insignia, the mission chief said. Commenting on the situation surrounding the blocking of the SMM's work in Donetsk, the U.S. diplomat called on Russia "to end these manufactured demonstrations and allow the SMM monitors to return to their work monitoring the Russia-led conflict in eastern Ukraine." During the meeting of the Permanent Council, Ukraines Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, also raised the topic of the JCCC. He reminded the Permanent Council that the JCCC shall consist exclusively of Ukraine and Russias representatives. As Ukrinform reported, earlier, on October 13, a group of three militants who are part of Russian occupation forces in Donbas, sporting JCCC armbands and declaring their intention to carry out a demining effort, were spotted reconnoitering the positions abandoned by the Ukrainian Army at the disengagement area in Zolote. This was a gross violation of the Additional Measures to Strengthen the Ceasefire Regime of July 22, 2020, prohibiting offensive, reconnaissance, and sabotage operations. Following multiple demands to cease the violation, one of the group members wielding a loaded handgun was detained. As it turned out, the detainee had been taking part in hostilities against the Armed Forces since 2014. As is known, the Joint Center for Ceasefire Control and Coordination (JCCC) was established in September 2014 by representatives of the defense agencies of Ukraine and Russia through the OSCE mediation. In December 2017, Russia unilaterally terminated cooperation agreements within the JCCC by withdrawing its delegates. Since then, the Ukrainian side to the JCCC was the only remaining party to the body. im Ukraine condemns Russia's intention to conduct a census in the temporarily occupied Crimea, stressing that in this way Moscow seeks to legitimize demographic change on the peninsula. "The situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea is extremely alarming. This time Russia intends to legitimize demographic change on the peninsula by conducting a nationwide census in the temporarily occupied territory. We condemn this yet another aggressive action against Ukraine's sovereignty," Ambassador Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna said at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The Ukrainian diplomat pointed out that according to UN General Assembly resolution 68/262, the so-called "referendum" on the Crimean peninsula, held by the Russian occupation administration on March 16, 2014, was invalid. And it cannot be the basis for any change of the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea or Sevastopol, including for conducting a census. "Unfortunately, all Russia's legitimization efforts are accompanied by terrible repressions against disloyal people and dissidents. To this end, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment are used," Tsymbaliuk said. As reported, the Foreign Ministry stated that Ukraine condemned the Russian nationwide census in the territory of the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. ol Cooperation between Ukraine and the United States in the field of security and defense is currently gaining pace, including through developing new areas of cooperation, while the Pentagon chief's recent visit to Kyiv only confirms this push. Thats according to Ukraines Ambassador to the USA, Oksana Markarova, who offered Ukrinform her exclusive comment. "First of all, we are accelerating and developing to the maximum the areas of cooperation that have already been planned, starting with boats (which the United States is handing over to Ukraine - ed.), preparing and training the crews. But there will also be new elements of cooperation that we are discussing now. They will be reflected in both the budgets of the coming years and separate documents that are yet to be signed," Markarova said. She stressed that the plans for bilateral cooperation in the field of security and defense are very extensive, "but we will be able to reveal details once they are implemented." On the Ukrainian side, the envoy added, the main role in this process will be assigned to the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense, "but diplomats both the embassy and the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine in general, are also very actively engaged in the process." In this context, the ambassador also focused on the Kyiv visit of U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his meetings with the countrys top leadership, which took place earlier this week. "This visit was very important, and we are glad that it took place shortly after the signing during our President's visit to the United States of the Framework Agreement between our countries on the strategic foundations of defense partnership," the ambassador said. She noted that the document "opens opportunities and lays foundations for our cooperation on all key priorities." According to the ambassador, one of these priorities concerns the development of Ukraine's naval capabilities and security in the Black Sea region. "This is important for us, this is important for the United States as our strategic partner, and in general the issue is extremely important for our entire region," Markarova said. Therefore, the visit of the U.S. Secretary of Defense to Ukraine sends a powerful signal as such. "Also, during the visit, the President, the Minister of Defense, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had the opportunity to discuss multiple issues. Therefore, this is another, but not the last, step in expanding our cooperation," Markarova said. As Ukrinform reported earlier, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Ukraine on October 19 as part of a European tour, during which he also visited Georgia and Romania and then completed the trip at the NATO defense ministerial in Brussels. im Russia continues to block progress on security measures within the Trilateral Contact Group talks. Russia continues to block progress on security measures within the Trilateral Contact Group. Why wont Russia show it cares for the people living in the territory it controls and implement once again the additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire, which saved lives and cost Russia nothing? Charge dAffaires of the U.S. Mission to OSCE Courtney Austrian said at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The U.S. diplomat called on Russia and the forces it leads to reopen the five entry-exit crossing points that were functioning prior to the pandemic, as well as those at Shchastiya and Zolote. Not only would this demonstrate Russias political will to abide by its commitments under the Minsk agreements, reopening the crossing points would have a profound positive impact on the lives of civilians who seek to move freely in their own country, Ukraine, said the Charge dAffaires of the U.S. Mission to OSCE. In addition, she called on Russia to engage in mine action talks within TCG. The SMM can monitor this conflict, but it cannot end it only Russia can do that. We call on Russia to cease impeding the SMM and allow it to fulfill the Missions mandate and monitor throughout Ukraine, which includes Crimea, Austrian stressed. As a reminder, Russia has long blocked any meaningful talks within the TCGs Security Working Group. Instead, Russian armed formations continue to violate the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine daily. Photo credit: twitter.com/USAmbOSCE ol More than 70 tonnes of humanitarian cargo has been delivered to the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the press service of the Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine has reported. "Today, October 22, humanitarian cargo weighing a total of 70.98 tonnes has been delivered to Russia-occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions," the report says. The cargo was transferred from all member states of the Geneva Conventions that make contributions to the global budget of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "We would like to thank you for the long-term cooperation between the ICRC and the Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. In accordance with paragraph 1 of the ministrys order, No.51, of July 17, 2020, the ICRC informs about the intentions to deliver humanitarian aid to the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are not under the control of the Ukrainian governor, the ICRC wrote in a letter to the Ukrainian ministry. Thus, four trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossed the Novotroitske entry-exit checkpoint, according to the ministry. As Ukrinform reported, on October 13, humanitarian cargo weighing over 71 tonnes was delivered to Russia-occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. iy Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said that the European Union should give a European perspective to Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, including by offering the possibility of their full integration into the EU's single market. He said this at a meeting of the European Council on Thursday, October 22, Ukrinform reports, with reference to the Office of the President of Lithuania. "The EU's global role begins in our neighborhood. We must seek the EU's widest possible involvement in the region at a strategic level. We must strive for the most ambitious results of the meeting," Nauseda said. According to him, is important to give a European perspective to the Association Trio countries - Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. According to Nauseda, integration into the EU's internal market would be a timely incentive for the associated partners, while other integration could be offered to other Eastern Partnership countries according to their needs. The EU summit is being held in Brussels on October 21-22. During Thursday's meeting, the heads of state and government discussed the rule of law in the EU, measures to respond to a sharp surge in energy prices, and the coordination of the fight against COVID-19. Among other issues, the EU leaders discussed preparations for summits with Asian and Eastern Partnership countries. op Ukraine will continue to cooperate with Moldova on natural gas supply, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said. He said this at a joint press conference with his Moldovan counterpart, Nicu Popescu, in Kyiv on Friday, October 22, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "An important topic of our talks was the energy security of Moldova and Ukraine. We have already provided some assistance to Moldova and we will continue to cooperate on gas supply. Ukraine's solidarity with Moldova in difficult times for this country is beyond doubt. Together we can overcome any pressure from the Russian Federation," Kuleba said. He added that the Ukrainian side also seeks to develop trade relations with Moldova, including through the presence of Ukrainian companies in the Moldovan electricity market. Popescu, in turn, said that the talks with his Ukrainian counterpart on energy issues were "very good." He also said that he had meetings at Naftogaz on October 21. "Moldova is experiencing a gas supply crisis, and Ukraine has expressed very strong support in terms of gas supply and energy security over the past few weeks. We are grateful for this support and we hope it will continue," Popescu said. Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said the country would declare a state of emergency due to the gas crisis. op Ukraines farmers have harvested cereals and legumes off 12.2 million hectares, or 76% of the target area, while 6.3 million tonnes of grain has been threshed. Thats according to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, Ukrinform reports. "Harvesting of grain and legumes, which has been completed on an area of 12.2 million hectares, or 76% of the forecast, with a yield of 46.2 centners per hectare, continues, while 56.3 million tonnes of grain has been threshed," the statement reads. It is noted that the largest volumes of grain were threshed in Odesa region (almost 4.5M tonnes), Kharkiv region (4.4M tonnes, and Dnipropetrovsk region (4.3M tonnes). The highest yield was seen in Khmelnytskyi region with a rate of 61.1 kg per hectare. In particular, corn has been threshed off an area of 1.7 million hectares (32% to the overall target), amounting to 11.2 million tonnes, with a yield of 63.4 c/ha. The largest area was threshed by farmers across Mykolayiv region (87% to the forecast). The highest yield of this crop was recorded in Khmelnytsky region with 110.6 c/ha. Buckwheat harvesting has already been completed in 15 regions, while the crop has been threshed off an area of 78,500 hectares (94%), with a total of 106,700 tonnes already threshed (a yield of 13.6 c/ha). The highest yield was reported in Vinnytsia region (15.9 c/ha). According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the harvesting of millet has already been completed. It has been threshed off 98% of the forecast area) in the amount of 179,000 tonnes, with a yield of 23.4 kg/ha. As Ukrinform reported earlier, 60% of food wheat, or 19.8 million tonnes, was harvested in Ukraine this year. Also, 40% of fodder was collected, which amounts to 13.2 million tonnes. Ukraine annually requires 5 million tonnes of quality wheat to cover domestic demand, while the other 14.8 tonnes can be exported. In financial terms, it can bring the country more than $6 billion in revenue. On July 5, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and grain market players for the 2021/2022 marketing year, and on October 19 an Annex to the Memo defining the wheat export cap at 25.3 million tonnes. im Ukraine is among the seven worlds largest exporters of raspberries, with a share of about 3% of world exports, Ukrinform reports, referring to the astFruit platform for fruit and vegetable business. It is noted that in terms of net exports, Ukraine rises to fifth place over a five-year period and to fourth place if considering 2020. Serbia, Poland and Chile remain ahead of Ukraine According to astFruit, in the last five years, Ukraine has been the worlds leader in terms of the relative growth of raspberry exports among the top ten net exporters and ranks second among exporters in terms of absolute growth rates of net exports. Ukraine annually increases exports of frozen raspberries by 17% or 2,500 tonnes. Experts note that in the first seven months of 2021, Ukraine increased exports of frozen raspberries by 32% or about 2,500 tonnes. Therefore, the growth of raspberry exports may significantly grow in 2021, because the raspberry harvest in Ukraine was high and exports were very active. As Ukrinform reported, in 2021, Ukraine started exporting frozen raspberries to the United States and Canada for the first time. iy The number of credit unions in Ukraine reached 289 as of the beginning of October 2021, according to Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Kyrylo Shevchenko. "As of the beginning of October, there were 289 credit unions in Ukraine. The number of their members is about 400,000, and the population coverage index by services of these financial institutions was 1.45% last year," Shevchenko wrote on Facebook, Ukrinform reports. At the same time he noted that, unfortunately, there are many problems in this market in Ukraine. "The National Bank is working to resolve every issue that slows down the development of the industry. In particular, together with the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the regulator has developed the relevant bill On Credit Unions (5125). After parliamentarians approve it at second reading, significant changes will begin on the market, Shevchenko noted. As Ukrinform reported, on July 1, 2020, the National Bank became a regulator of the nonbank financial services market. iy President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had a phone conversation with Prime Minister of the State of Israel Naftali Bennett. Volodymyr Zelensky noted the symbolism of the state visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Ukraine in October 2021, during which the leaders took part in events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy, the press service of the Head of State informs. Naftali Bennett thanked the President of Ukraine for passing the law on preventing and combating anti-Semitism in Ukraine. In turn, the President of Ukraine thanked Bennett for Israel's consistent support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, in particular within the UN. The parties also discussed further steps to deepen UkraineIsrael cooperation in the areas of mutual interest. ol Russia has been massively applying punitive psychiatry against Crimean residents speaking up against the occupation of the peninsula as 49 such cases have already been registered. Thats according to Ukraines Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, who spoke at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. "Nariman Dzhelyalov is forced to undergo a so-called 'psychological and psychiatric examination.' And this is yet another example of Russia applying punitive psychiatry in relation to Crimean residents opposing the occupation, Tsymbaliuk said. The diplomat recalled the first such case, of August 2016, involving Crimean Tatars Ilmi Umerov who later described his forcible inpatient treatment at a mental clinic as "one continuous torture." The Ukrainian ambassador informed foreign diplomats, referring to the Crimean Human Rights Protection Group, that in at least 49 criminal cases launched on political grounds, Russia-controlled courts in Crimea would rule that the targeted Crimean activists undergo compulsory examination in a mental clinic. As reported earlier, lawyer Mykola Polozov said First Deputy Chairman of Crimean Tatars Mejlis, Nariman Dzhelyalov, illegally detained by the occupation authorities in Crimea on trumped-up sabotage charges, was moved on October 7 from a local pre-trial detention center to a psychiatric hospital. His compulsory examination will last from 21 to 28 days. The lawyer reminded that earlier Dzhelyalov protested the psychiatric examination citing the lack of grounds for its appointment. im The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the presidential bill On Ukraine's Accession to the Convention on the European Forest Institute (EFI Convention). According to an Ukrinform correspondent, 278 MPs voted for relevant ratification resolution No.0094 at an extraordinary meeting of the parliament on October 21. The purpose of the document is to promote the mobilization of research potential and the effective grouping of resources of many European countries (including Ukraine) in the field of forest research and advanced methods and technologies of forest management. "Ukraine's acceding to the Convention on the European Forest Institute will be useful for our country, given the opportunity to influence the policy and work of the organization," an explanatory note to the document says. It is noted that acceding to the Convention does not entail any budgetary costs. "Membership in the organization is free of charge. Voluntary contributions are provided by member countries only when they consider it necessary," Article 10 of the EFI Convention says. The European Forest Institute is an international organization, established by European States for scientific and applied research in the field of forest use and forest management. According to the EFI Convention, individual countries can be members of the organization. Scientific institutions of a state can acquire the status of associate (European organizations) or affiliated (organizations outside Europe) member organizations. Almost 30 European countries have already acceded to the Convention, and 115 organizations from 36 countries have the status of associate or affiliated members. Among them, two scientific institutions are from Ukraine. iy The United States condemns the use of punitive psychiatry by the Russian occupation authorities against those who disagree with the occupation of the peninsula. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE Courtney Austrian said this at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday, October 22. "We continue to receive reports of serious abuses in Russia-occupied Crimea. Russias occupation authorities transferred imprisoned Deputy Head of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis Nariman Dzhelyal to a psychiatric facility for evaluation without any apparent legitimate basis. We condemn Russia's use of punitive psychiatry in Crimea to pressure opponents of the occupation and falsely equate peaceful dissent with mental illness," she said. Referring to human rights activists, the U.S. diplomat said that at least 49 such cases have been documented in Crimea since the occupation began. "We again call for Russia to release Dzhelyal and all other political prisoners. We are troubled by the reports that at least 15 Crimean Tatars were detained on October 11 for merely standing outside a Simferopol court to show their support for political prisoners standing trial inside. When five other Crimean Tatars sought to confirm the whereabouts of those detained at a local police station, they too were detained," Austrian said. Earlier, lawyer Nikolai Polozov said that First Deputy Head of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis Nariman Dzhelyal, illegally detained by the occupation authorities in Crimea, was moved on October 7 from a local pretrial detention center to a psychiatric hospital. His compulsory examination will last from 21 to 28 days. The lawyer recalled that Dzhelyal earlier protested the psychiatric examination citing the lack of grounds for its appointment. op Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Moldovan counterpart Nicu Popescu have started their meeting in Kyiv. According to Ukrinform, Kuleba announced this on Twitter. "Pleased to welcome my Moldovan counterpart Nicu Popescu in Kyiv. His first visit after the new pro-European government was formed in Moldova. Maia Sandu's election has opened a historic window of opportunity for both of our nations. We are determined to make full use of it," he wrote. Earlier reports said that the key topics of talks between the chief diplomats of Ukraine and Moldova would be the implementation of agreements reached by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and President of Moldova Maia Sandu, as well as increasing trade, developing border infrastructure, countering common security challenges, and combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Both ministers will pay special attention to the topic of European integration and further cooperation in the format of the Association Trio. After the talks, the ministers will hold a joint press conference. op The Prosecutor General's Office again requested Iran to provide the files into the downing of the UIA plane near Tehran in January 2020. As Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova posted on Facebook, "in 2.5 months, we will mark the second anniversary of the downing of Ukrainian plane near Tehran, which killed 176 people. Two of them were the wife and 9-year-old daughter of Hamed Esmaeilion, President of the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims, Canadian citizen of Iranian descent. He and Assistant to Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine Mavourneen Mooney paid a visit to the Prosecutor General's Office." As Venediktova noted, Ukraine conducts a pre-trial investigation "under conditions of extraterritoriality, without access to aircraft wreckage, key witnesses and suspects. Unfortunately, the affected countries refused to set up a joint investigation team to facilitate and expedite the pre-trial investigation. However, Canada is our biggest partner in this case and contributes in every way to establishing the truth," the Prosecutor General said. According to Venediktova, "one of the tools we are actively resorting to during the investigation is requests for international legal assistance. We have already sent 24 such requests. At the same time, the period for their implementation is too protracted amid the global pandemic. The Iranian side has not yet provided full answers to Ukraine's requests for international legal assistance, and the last one was left unanswered." As noted, "Iran has its own qualification of the event and its own case, the files of which are unavailable to us. This year, Iran announced it had submitted the case against 10 suspects to court, but the information about them is carefully concealed. During the UkraineIran talks, we have heard proposals from the Iranian side on possible forms of cooperation, which have remained promises." According to Venediktova, following the third round of talks held in early June 2021 in Kyiv, the Ukrainian side agreed to the Iranian offer to get acquainted with the files of the criminal case in the Iranian courts and the possibility for Ukrainian representatives to be present during the trial in Iran without the right to interfere. Immediately after the talks, the Prosecutor General's Office sent a letter to agree on all procedures, but no response has been received from the competent authorities of Iran for four months, she stressed. "Irans announcement about submission of the case to court, following the investigation closed to the affected countries, and the failure to provide access to files for Ukrainian prosecutors, indicates a violation of international obligations," Venediktova said. She said that in October, the Prosecutor General's Office again appealed to the competent authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, seeking to obtain answers and get acquainted with the files of the Iranian case. "At the end of our meeting, Hamed Esmaeilion, President of the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims said that 22 months without relatives were months of pain and suffering, tears and hope for justice. Together we must do everything possible to achieve justice in this case," Venediktova added. On January 8, 2020, the Ukraine International Airlines plane (Flight PS752) heading from Tehran to Kyiv crashed shortly after taking off from the Imam Khomeini International Airport. There were 176 people on board nine crew members (all Ukrainians) and 167 passengers (citizens of Ukraine, Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the UK). All of them died. On January 11, Iran admitted that its military had accidentally shot down the Ukrainian passenger jet. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accepted full responsibility for the downing of the Ukrainian airliner. Ukraine and Canada agreed to work closely together to obtain appropriate compensation from Iran for the relatives of the victims. l The Crimea Platform initiative is an important tool that will not allow the issue of Russia's occupation of the Crimean peninsula to be left out of the international agenda and is expected to facilitate deoccupation. Thats according to the participants in the international discussion titled "Crimea Platform, the beginning of the end of the occupation?" held in Warsaw in a hybrid conference mode on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. During the discussion, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Andriy Deshchytsia noted that Russia's occupation of Crimea more than seven years ago came as a shock to Ukraine and the entire international community. According to the envoy, Ukrainian diplomacy then managed to build a coalition of powers that condemned Moscow's action. He stressed that the Crimea Platform Summit, held in Kyiv in late August, was a notable international event. He said the statements by heads of state and government who took part in the summit, as well as their joint declaration, were "very resolute." "Now there is a need for the topic of Crimea to return to the agenda of international politics," Deshchytsia stressed. He noted that the Platform was launched to make this topic relevant worldwide again and to develop a strategy for the liberation of Crimea. The Ambassador of Ukraine thanked Poland, and in particular President Andrzej Duda, for continued support for steps aimed at restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity and strengthening sanctions against Russia. The representative of the President of Ukraine for the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Anton Korynevych, who joined the online discussion, stressed that the occupation of Crimea by Russia should be discussed at all international forums. "We sincerely believe that by uniting the efforts of Ukraine and the international community, and demonstrating a pro-active stance within Ukraine, we will bring the moment of the Crimea closer," Korynevych stressed. He said the August summit of the Crimea Platform concluded in a "very strong, positional document" that actually covers all key issues related to the deoccupation of the Crimean peninsula. He noted that Ukraine had never previously had such a comprehensive document signed by more than 40 heads of state and government and leaders of international organizations, which would address all issues related to the Russian occupation of Crimea. At the same time, the Presidents envoy for the ARC pointed out that the Platform is important not only in the international dimension, but also in that within Ukraine. He noted that a package of bills had been tabled in the Verkhovna Rada, including those concerning Russia's illegal actions in Crimea and the issue of the release of Ukrainian political prisoners. Korynevych expressed hope that the bills on Crimea will soon be passed. Wed like to show that the Platform really changes people's lives. We are currently launching an educational portal for Ukrainian youths in Crimea. It will contain all the necessary information regarding the admission of Crimean youths to Ukrainian universities, the Ukrainian official said. Korynevych also said that a few days ago in Kyiv, the "Virtual Museum of Russian Aggression" was presented in an online format. Those visiting the homepage will find information on dozens of documented facts in the context of Russian aggression in Crimea. "We are not going to stop, because we have a clear understanding of how to move forward. Within the framework of the Platform, we can do a lot both inside the country and beyond, Korynevych emphasized. In turn, the Secretary of State of Polands Presidential Office, chief of the Bureau of International Policy Jakub Kumoch stressed that Poland actively opposes the occupation of Crimea, considering it a violation by Russia of international norms on the inviolability of other countries borders. "In Poland, neither now nor in the future will there be options for considering Crimea as part of non-Ukrainian territory. Crimea is Ukraine and this is what President Andrzej Duda says, this is what every Polish politician and official will say, said the official. Kumoch noted that not only did Duda arrive in Kyiv to participate in the Crimea Platform summit in August, he also mentioned the initiative recently at the UN General Assembly summit in New York. "Poland will always support Ukraine and will never stop. However, there is a question: can we count on Western partners in this context? We must constantly remind them of this," said the Polish official. He stressed that the condemnation as such is not enough because at the same time some countries are doing business with Russia. According to him, it is impossible to move to a policy of "business as usual" in relations with Russia, given the facts of the occupation of Crimea, Russia's armed aggression in eastern Ukraine, and aggressive moves targeting other countries. Kumoch expressed his conviction that Russia must agree with the fact that Crimea will never become a taboo theme and that most countries do not recognize the Crimea grab by Russia. Other Ukrainian and Polish experts also took part in the discussion, drawing attention to the importance of the Crimea Platform and the existing problems on the path of deoccupation of the Crimean peninsula. im Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova Nicolae Popescu agreed to create a negotiating mechanism to resolve problematic issues in bilateral relations. "Ukraine and Moldova are not just friendly peoples, we are very close to each other. We also have issues that need to be resolved, and today we agreed to form a negotiation mechanism within which we will look for comprehensive solutions to problematic issues," Kuleba said at a joint press conference with Popescu in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. In particular, it is planned to prepare decisions and documents for political approval during the first meeting of the Council of Presidents of Ukraine and Moldova, which will take place soon. In turn, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova Nicolae Popescu noted that some issues could not be resolved for three decades. "These are issues related to the Dniester River, the settlement of property rights, the completion of the demarcation of the MoldovaUkraine border. We both have a very strong political will to move forward on these issues," Popescu said. As reported, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova Nicolae Popescu is on a working visit to Ukraine. Photo credit: Dmytro Kuleba, Twitter ol The plenum of the Supreme Court has elected Vsevolod Kniaziev as the new chairman of the Supreme Court. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, 98 judges voted for him. Three candidates were nominated at the plenum. The Administrative Court of Cassation nominated Kniaziev, the Commercial Court of Cassation nominated Volodymyr Pohrebniak (49 judges voted for him), and Judge Oleh Tkachuk was a self-nominee (seven votes). Prior to his election as chairman of the Supreme Court, Kniaziev worked as a judge of the Administrative Court of Cassation within the Supreme Court and secretary of the Grand Chamber of the Court. Before his work in the Supreme Court, Kniaziev served as chairman of Mykolaiv District Administrative Court. Vsevolod Kniaziev, photo: sud.ua The new head of the Supreme Court will take office after the current head of the court, Valentyna Danishevska, steps down on November 30. Danishevska tendered her resignation on October 8. She proposed convening a plenary session on October 22 to consider the election of a new head of the court. Danishevska was elected chairwoman of the Supreme Court at the end of 2017, when a new court was formed after the reform. op Russia should not be afraid of NATO enlargement or worry about the accession of independent nations, including Ukraine, to NATO because the enlargement process has always contributed to peace and stability throughout Europe. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this at a press conference in Brussels on Friday, October 22, following the second day of the meeting of NATO defense ministers, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. Stoltenberg was asked whether he was worried about the fact that proposals to give Ukraine the prospect of NATO membership could provoke Russian aggression. "No, partly because NATO is a defensive alliance and partly because it is for Ukraine and 30 NATO Allies to decide on when Ukraine is ready to join the Alliance. No other country has any right to intervene or to have any say in that process because Ukraine is a sovereign independent nation. And sovereign independent nations have the right to choose their own path. And therefore, it is up to Ukraine to decide that they aspire for NATO membership and then, of course, for 30 Allies to decide when Ukraine is ready, when Ukraine meets the NATO standards," he said. "The enlargement of NATO over the last decades has actually contributed to peace and stability throughout Europe and, therefore, there's no way that Russia should be afraid of or have any right to try to veto or to stop any sovereign nation from joining the Alliance," Stoltenberg added. The NATO summit held in Brussels in June this year confirmed the prospect of Euro-Atlantic integration for Ukraine and Georgia, when these countries are ready for such a step and when all Allies reach a political agreement on such membership. Photo: NATO Kateryna Yesypenko, the wife of Vladyslav Yesypenko, an RFE/RL journalist illegally imprisoned in Russian-occupied Crimea, has brought to Washington her husband's appeal calling on the U.S. president, government and U.S. Congress to increase pressure on Russia to release political prisoners. She said this at a conference at the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States on Thursday, sharing a copy of the appeal with Ukrinform. In his letter, Yesypenko describes in detail the torture he was subjected to by Russia's FSB in order to force him to testify against himself and waive his right to independent counsels. In addition, the journalist shares information about other political prisoners and calls on the United States to send a "clear signal" to Russia about U.S. support for Ukraine and the return of all political prisoners. Yesypenko was detained in temporarily occupied Crimea on March 10. He was charged with illegally producing an explosive device. Russia's FSB claimed it had detained Yesypenko in order to prevent him from carrying out acts of sabotage in the interests of Ukrainian intelligence services. The journalist was taken into custody on March 12. Lawyers were not allowed to see him for 27 days. Defense lawyer Alexei Ladin later stated that FSB investigators had not found Yesypenko's fingerprints on the explosive allegedly found in the journalist's car. The prosecution demands that the Ukrainian be jailed for 18 years. Yesipenko said at a court hearing on September 6 that he had testified to the invaders under torture. op President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the 30th anniversary of his enthronement and thanked him for supporting Ukraine, the Ukrainian people, and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Thats according to the text of the greeting, shared on Facebook by the Embassy of Ukraine in Turkey, as seen by Ukrinform. "On behalf of the Ukrainian people and on my own behalf, I sincerely congratulate Your Holiness on the 30th anniversary of your election as Ecumenical Patriarch. Thirty years of ministry by Your Holiness have become an example of devotion to the ideals of love and justice, an expression of mercy and wisdom, fostering mutual respect and brotherhood between nations and representatives of different denominations and religions," the president wrote in his greeting. Read also: Orthodox Church of Ukraine launches own app The text states that the 30 years of Ukraine's Independence are inextricably marked by the constant care, guardianship, and prayers of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for Ukraine and its people. "The invaluable support by the Mother Church of Ukraine during its formation and amid difficult times of trials has enabled the Ukrainian people to defend their civilized choice, restore justice to the Orthodox Church of Ukrainian, and embark on the path of its strengthening and further development," the letter said. President Volodymyr Zelensky wished Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew good health, many years of service to humanity, inspiration in the important and honorable mission of the Green Patriarch to protect the environment and fight for social justice around the world. Read also: Patriarch Bartholomew blesses Ukrainians "Wishing your Holiness and the Mother Church of Constantinople peace, new achievements and prosperity, I hope for further fruitful communication and cooperation," the greeting letter reads. The president thanked the Ecumenical Patriarch for his visit to Ukraine on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the countrys Independence. The Deputy Head of the Office of the Ukrainian Presidents Office, Andriy Sybyha, arrived in Istanbul to convey the greeting from the head of state and to take part in the solemn events, also attended by the Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, the Consul General of Ukraine in Istanbul, Oleksandr Haman, members of the Ukrainian community in Istanbul, OCU clergy, and the leadership of the Ternopil Regional Council. As Ukrinform reported earlier, a festive service was held in Istanbul today on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the enthronement of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. im | By Charles Schelle When will the vaccines for young children be ready? And how accessible will they be once released? Neijma Celestine-Donnor, MSW '09, LCSW-C, of the University of Maryland School of Social Work asks President Biden about vaccines for young children. (CNN) Those are the questions posed to President Biden by Neijma Celestine-Donnor, MSW 09, LCSW-C, assistant dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW), during a CNN Presidential Town Hall on Thursday, Oct. 21, in Baltimore. I was really honored to be able to ask him something that is important to me as a mother, as a social worker, as a professional who does equity and inclusion work, Celestine-Donnor said Friday afternoon, taking a day off after a whirlwind experience. Celestine-Donnor found herself and husband Carl Donner in the front row at Baltimore Center Stage, mere steps from the president and host Anderson Cooper and a few seats away from First Lady Jill Biden, EdD. I literally did not know until the commercial break when the producer tapped me on the shoulder and said, Youre going to get to speak to the president, Celestine-Donnor said. As a mom of two boys and also being Black and an immigrant, accessibility to the vaccine was really important to me, said Celestine-Donnor, a Trinidad native and mother to sons Zaelon, 7, and Zaikiai, 4. The sons were at home with a babysitter, watching their mother on TV that earned her a lot of good parent points. This all started earlier in the week when a colleague of hers at Morgan State University sent her an RSVP link to the town hall, asking if shed be able to attend and what she would like the president to talk about. On Wednesday, CNN called making sure she could come along with a plus-one. That point in time I thought they were calling everyone, she said. It was not registering to me that Im actually going to speak to the president. Being in the front row, it was like the president was speaking to her the entire time. About halfway through the event, he certainly did. The presidents full response to Celestine-Donnor: I believe and I want to make it clear: Unlike past administrations, science will dictate this. Im not telling anyone at (applause) no, I really mean it. (Applause.) But I do ask my COVID team what the expectations are. The expectations are itll be ready in the near term meaning weeks, not, not months and months. OK? Thats number one. Number two, there are over 800,000 sites right now that exist in America where you can go get a vaccine. And youre going to be able to do that with your children, particularly were going to try to work it out to deal with child care centers make it available there as well as your pediatricians and the you know, and the docs and finding places where you can do it. Some places are talking about doing at you know, in churches on the weekend and that kind of thing. So therell be plenty of places to to be able to get the vaccine when if and when it is approved. And its likely to be approved. I spent a lot of time with the team on these things. And its likely to be approved and what whether its Moderna or whether its Pfizer or whether its J&J its going to be approved. And it will be a much smaller dose basically the same dose, but a smaller dose. And theyre doing a lot of tests on it right now. And and those of you who have children or brothers or sisters who are between you know, who are in that age category above 12, get get the vaccine for them. Get the vaccine. (Applause.) Get it now. Celestine-Donnor, who identifies as an independent, appreciated Bidens answer. I think the answer that he gave was a truthful answer, she said. I appreciate his honesty and that he didn't make something up and have a realistic understanding. However, she wanted to hear more about accessibility to the vaccine. Also being dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion, access is something I think about all the time, said Celestine-Donnor, who is in the final year of studying for her Juris Doctor degree at the University of Baltimore. Even though I dont necessarily agree with all of the policies the president has, being able to meet and have a conversation with him is something I do consider to be a really good experience. Yes, the University of Maryland, Baltimore does have experts who are well-versed in vaccine approvals and accessibility, including Wilbur H. Chen, MD, MS, FIDSA, FACP, professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and a voting member of the federal governments Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. With all due respect to Chen, when the president speaks, the world listens. Even though we have people who can speak on vaccines at UMB, theyre not the leaders of the free world, Celestine-Donnor said. There is a particular significance hearing that from their president. Theres a sense of security. Legal counselors collect information from forcibly displaced people to issue them with new identification cards in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. UNHCR/Juliana Ghazi After almost a year of being separated from her family and scraping a living in Pemba, the capital of Mozambiques Cabo Delgado province, Nana Ali can finally see an end to her struggles. She has received new identity documents that will make it easier for her to find work and earn some much-needed income. The 22-year-old mother of two fled Mocimboa da Praia in embattled Cabo Delgado in March last year, after non-state armed groups invaded the town. When gunfire erupted around midnight, she fled with her family, finding temporary safety at a neighbours house. We couldnt afford transport for the whole family so only one of us could leave, Nana explains. The journey from her coastal hometown to Montepuez, 200 miles inland, costs 500 meticais (about US$8). Nana and her husband agreed that she would go ahead, and the rest of the family would follow later. After a few weeks in Montepuez, Nana ran out of money, but she managed to hitch a ride in a truck heading to the busy port city of Pemba where she hoped to find work and save some money to send to her family. She soon realized that this would not be easy as her documentation had long expired, putting her in a difficult position. To be employed legally in Mozambique, valid national identity documents are a requirement. The beauty of this project is that [its] encouraging a safer environment for all. Unable to work and support her family, Nana was forced to scavenge for food in the city. Like Nana, Nambit, 21, also fled her village in Mocimboa da Praia in July last year, arriving first in Palma where she stayed for nine months, before fleeing again after the town was attacked last March. I dont know where my husband is. We were separated in the chaos, she says. She finally arrived in Pemba, where she has been living with her five-year-old daughter who lacks a birth certificate. The two womens situation is common among internally displaced people (IDPs), many of whom lack proper civil documentation, either lost while escaping or expired, or never had one in the first place. They face many obstacles as they cannot move freely, have limited access to life-saving assistance and services such as healthcare and jobs. They are also at risk of harassment or arbitrary arrest and detention. Since the conflict started in October 2017, about 745,000 people have been displaced, with the most recent bout of fighting in March and April driving 100,000 people, many already IDPs, to flee from Mocimboa da Praia and Palma. Lacking documentation exacerbates living conditions for vulnerable IDPs. But thanks to a joint legal project by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and the Catholic University of Mozambique (UCM), IDPs who lack identification documents are being assisted to acquire new ones. Margarida Loureiro, UNHCRs Head of Office in Pemba emphasized the importance of civil documentation in such conflict situations. The beauty of this project is that both displaced and host communities are being assisted with civil documentation, encouraging a safer environment for all, she said. Samuel Chakwera, UNHCRs Representative in Mozambique added that alongside the last years of fighting, Cabo Delgados residents have long faced chronic underdevelopment, as well as cyclones and other challenges. The documentation allows the displaced and local residents to play an active role in rebuilding their lives, he added. Currently underway in Mahate, a neighbourhood in Pemba, the project offers legal counselling to IDPs and their hosts and facilitates access to birth registration and legal documentation. It will also expand to the neighbouring districts of Metuge and Montepuez. I can bring my family here so we can be together again. Additionally, the programme gives law students the chance to put their legal skills into practice. Maria Abilio and Jesuino Sumaila, both in their fourth year of law school at UCM, joined the project as legal advisors. It feels good to help others. Its like helping my family, said Jesuino, 22, adding that most of the beneficiaries are from Mocimboa da Praia, which is not far from his hometown, Mueda. Maria adds that the work is one way to help alleviate IDPs suffering as it gives them some hope. Its quite overwhelming to hear about the abuses and violations these people have faced. We have a common responsibility to help them with opportunities for a fresh start, she added. The legal clinics are open three times a week, assisting an average of 80 to 100 people daily. Since last December, almost 13,000 IDPs, mostly women and children, have been helped. Nambit has started the process of getting a new ID and a birth certificate for her daughter. With these new documents, she can look for a job and provide for her little family. Meanwhile, Nana is anxious to reunite with her family after receiving her new documents. I can now look for a job and educate my children, she says. More importantly, I can bring my family here so we can be together again. A refugee feeds her baby while waiting to receive assistance at an emergency distribution by UNHCR and partners in Tripoli, Libya. UNHCR/Mohamed Alalem UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today urged the Libyan government to immediately address the dire situation of asylum-seekers and refugees in a humane and rights-based manner. Raids and arbitrary arrests by the authorities this month targeted areas largely populated by refugees and asylum-seekers that resulted in several deaths, thousands detained, and many homeless and destitute. Since the start of the security raids and arrests by the Libyan authorities in October, we have witnessed a sharp deterioration in the situation facing vulnerable asylum-seekers and refugees in Tripoli, said Vincent Cochetel, UNHCRs Special Envoy for the Western and Central Mediterranean Situation. The Libyan authorities must come up with a proper plan that respects their rights and identifies durable solutions. Some 3,000 people are currently sheltering outside the Community Day Centre (CDC) in Tripoli, where UNHCR and its partners have been providing medical assistance and other services. Their situation is very precarious. Many were affected by the raids, demolition of their homes, and have escaped from detention in terrible conditions. Others have joined the group hoping to be evacuated. Many have been left homeless and lost all their belongings as a result of the security operation and are now sleeping in the cold and in a very unsafe environment. This is utterly unacceptable, said Cochetel. UNHCR and partners had to suspend operations at the Community Day Centre for security and safety reasons, but remain engaged in an active dialogue with representatives of the protesters outside the CDC to explain the limited assistance it can offer, including cash and food assistance. Together with other UN agencies, UNHCR stands ready to support an urgent plan of action that could help alleviate the terrible suffering of asylum-seekers and refugees in Libya. UNHCR continues to call on the authorities to respect the human rights and dignity of asylum-seekers and refugees, stop their arbitrary arrest and release them from detention. The UN Refugee Agency has welcomed authorization to restart humanitarian evacuation flights, but warns that it is not enough. This is a positive development for some of the most vulnerable refugees, who have been waiting anxiously for many months to depart. Our teams are already working to ensure humanitarian flights can restart as soon as possible, said Cochetel But we also need to be realistic: resettlement or evacuation flights will only benefit a limited number of people. More than 1,000 vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers are currently prioritized for humanitarian flights and awaiting their resumption. UNHCR continues to urge the international community to offer more legal pathways to safety outside Libya. For more information on this topic, please contact: An Iraqi family in a military truck in Hajnowka, Poland, after they crossed the border from Belarus on October 14, 2021. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is appealing for urgent action to save lives and prevent further suffering at the border areas between Belarus and the European Union (Latvia, Lithuania, Poland) after the latest tragic death of an asylum-seeker was reported this week. This is now the eighth death to be reported in this border region, where several groups of asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants have been stranded for weeks in increasingly dire conditions. UNHCR has warned that the situation will further and rapidly deteriorate as winter approaches, putting lives in danger. When fundamental human rights are not protected, lives are at stake. It is unacceptable that people have died and the lives of others are precariously hanging in the balance. They are held hostage by a political stalemate which needs to be solved now, said Pascale Moreau, UNHCRs Regional Director for Europe. Among those stranded at the border are people with international protection needs, including 32 Afghan women, men and children. They have been left in limbo at the border between Poland and Belarus since mid-August in dire conditions and are unable to access asylum and any form of assistance on either side. They do not have proper shelter or protection from the elements, and no secure source of food or water. UNHCR learned that 16 Afghans from this group made an attempt to cross into Poland this week, only to be apprehended and denied the opportunity to apply for asylum. They were also denied access to legal assistance. This group was subsequently pushed back across the border to Belarus, within the span of a few hours. UNHCR has so far not been granted access to meet with the group from the Polish side - despite repeated requests - and only could access them a few times from the Belarusian side to deliver life-saving aid. The Agency has been advocating for this group to have access to asylum, since the Afghans have expressed their wish to seek asylum either in Belarus or in Poland. However, their asylum request has been ignored by both sides, constituting a clear violation of international refugee law and international human rights law. We urge Belarus and Poland, as signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention, to abide by their international legal obligations and provide access to asylum for those seeking it at their borders. Pushbacks, that deny access to territory and asylum, violate human rights in breach of international law, said Moreau. People must be able to exercise their rights where they are, be it in Belarus or in Poland or other EU States where they may be located. This must include the possibility to seek asylum, access to legal aid, information and appropriate accommodation. UNHCR urges all concerned authorities to conduct individual assessments to determine and address humanitarian and international protection needs and find viable solutions for each. UNHCR stands ready to support all concerned authorities in this process, together with other relevant stakeholders. For more information on this topic, please contact: Martha Manzo drops off Christopher at his school, the Blind Childrenas Center, in the East Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The center is a free preschool for children who are blind or visually impaired. (Heidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News/TNS) Mrs. Evelyn Holland Reddick Dixon, 81, passed away on Nov. 14, 2021. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, at 11 a.m. in the Williams Funeral Home Chapel in Milledgeville. A burial service will be held at 2 p.m. in the Alligood Cemetery in Laurens County. The family wil Ouagadougou, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Oct, 2021 ) :Burkina Faso on Thursday lifted a ban on the Norwegian Refugee Council from working in camps for displaced people in the jihadist-hit north after accusing the body of discrediting the government. It was the first time an international NGO has been temporarily stopped from working in the West African country, where jihadist attacks have burgeoned since 2015 claiming nearly 2,000 lives. "I have the pleasure of informing the humanitarian community that the suspension on the activities of the Norwegian Refugee Council has been lifted as of October 21," Minister for Humanitarian Action Helene Marie Laurence Ilboudo said. She had banned the NRC on September 27 after accusing it of "discrediting the government" and saying it had stopped NGOs from registering internally displaced people "in the most inaccessible zones". The NRC in mid-September had said government authorities took weeks to register displaced people to allow them to source food and other aid, thereby forcing them to return to dangerous zones. "The failure to address urgent humanitarian needs forces vulnerable families to make an impossible choice between feeding their children and their own safety. Many people tell NRC that they want to return home to access their food stocks and feed their families, but fear attacks," it said in a statement. The NRC has been working in Burkina Faso since July 2019. (@FahadShabbir) SOCHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2021) Russian President Vladimir Putin said that private military companies in Mali do not reflect Russia's interests and are not there on behalf of the state. "Some private companies. Not state (companies). They do not reflect the interests of the Russian Federation. And if they are located somewhere, they are there not on behalf of the Russian state," Putin said at the Valdai Forum. In late September, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explained that in the face of the reduction of the counter-terrorism contingent in Mali, the country's authorities turned to a private military company from Russia. Baltimore, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Oct, 2021 ) :President Joe Biden said Thursday he is confident about getting his major infrastructure and social spending packages through Congress, but downplayed chances of securing his aim for a higher corporate tax rate. "I do think I'll get a deal," Biden told a town hall with a live audience on CNN. Biden said his feuding Democratic party was "down to four or five issues" but "I think we can get there." Democrats have razor-thin majorities in both houses of Congress. However, internal divisions are preventing passage of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure revamp and a huge, separate social spending bill that Biden says will transform finances and fairness for ordinary Americans. With pressure growing on the party not to come away empty handed, Biden is stepping up efforts to broker a truce between more conservative members and the left-leaning progressive wing. At issue are the items on Biden's original wish list and how to pay for it all. He originally pushed for $3.5 trillion in spending on the social support bill, but the latest figure under consideration is about $2 trillion. That means axing a lot from the original proposal. For example, one big item that Biden and his English teacher wife Jill Biden have championed -- two years of free higher education at community college -- looks set to miss out for now, Biden said. However, he said there was backing for an increase in scholarship money. But beyond the haggling over where to spend the money is an equally fierce debate over how to pay for the bill. A keystone of Biden's pitch has been his call to raise the corporate tax rate, reversing a cut made under his Republican predecessor Donald Trump. An increase from 21 to 28 percent, along with a hike on taxes for the very richest Americans, would pay for the major spending splurge he sought, Biden says. Those tax increases, opposed by a minority of Democrats, especially Senator Kyrsten Sinema, now seem unlikely. "I don't think we're going to be able to get the vote," Biden said. The sudden exit of the United State from Afghanistan has caught Indian drug trafficking network in a highly compromising situation as the country is currently trying to destroy evidences of its links to drug money there ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Oct, 2021 ) :The sudden exit of the United State from Afghanistan has caught Indian drug trafficking network in a highly compromising situation as the country is currently trying to destroy evidences of its links to drug money there. Ignoring its disastrous impacts on Indian society and pouring of illicit money in national kitty, India has got indulged into drug trade to satisfy its greed for money. According to an estimate, India's illegal drug business has swelled to Rs 300 billion and the seizure made roughly around 10 percent of the trade. The exponential increase in size of Indian domestic drug consumption owing to cheap and uninterrupted supply can be judged by a 2019 report by the Indian union ministry of social justice and empowerment pegs opioid use in Indian at 2.6% of total drug use, thrice the global average of 0.7% the veins and windpipes of an estimated 57.8 million users worldwide. After the Taliban ouster in 2001, poppy cultivation in Afghanistan jumped to 3400 tons in just a period of two years from 180 tons because the Taliban had banned opium cultivation. According to UNODC, by 2003 the Afghan drugs were raking in $2.3 billion from growing poppies to trafficking its derivatives. Even amidst the exit of international forces from Afghanistan, the poppy production had reached astronomical levels of around 9000 tons. The drug mafia is rescuing this bountiful crop of 2020-21 from the Taliban, who ironically are being accused by the India and the West for living off drug proceeds. The children in Indian society are the most susceptible to the easy availability of drugs. Juvenile cases registered under the NDPS Act rose to 264 in 2020 from only 123 in 2015 and 82 in 2010. An estimated one million cocaine users in India can afford to pay upwards of Rs 5000 a gram. When the heroin leaves Afghanistan, it has a value of around Rs 10000 a kilo. A 2019 study by two JNU professors, based on the National Family Health Survey 2015-2016, found that, at 70.8 percent, the prevalence of substance abuse among northeastern men is 20 percent higher than the rest of India. A report by the National AIDS control Organization (NACO) last year found that the AIDS-related mortality per 100,000 population in India was estimated to be the highest in Manipur (36.86), followed by Mizoram (28.34) and Nagaland (26.20). The two major seizures of drugs in India within a month have raised alarm bells and serious concerns regarding the credibility of Indian security agencies in international Drug Regulatory bodies. A fortnight later, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested a group of partygoers in Mumbai for consuming drugs. Among them was also the son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan. The narcotics were headed to Delhi, the Mundra Port shipload of heroin originated from Kandahar and was loaded into two containers at Iran's Bandar Abbas Prot. An earlier seizure in Mumbai had originated from Iran's Chabahar Port, owned by an Indian company and managed by India business tycoon Adani. This raised serious questions as how the Mundra Adani Prot benefited from the consignment landing there. It also raised questions whether the drug cartels were aware of the coming of the Taliban so they wanted to clean up the fields as they had earlier banned opium cultivation. The analysts believed that it required a paradigm shift for the world from the biggest democracy to drug haven to deal with India. But strangely, what never gets traction is the complicity of Western powers in the enlargement of poppy plantations in the war-ravaged country. The western media, which monopolized the coverage of Afghanistan, never seriously blamed the occupiers as they went about perpetuating a myth of the country being a "graveyard of empires. The acclaimed analysts and mainstream international media are inclined to draw solid conclusions based on recent events and past facts regarding Indian state's involvement in worldwide sophisticated drug peddling network. In the recent past, the world has witnessed how India has become an international market of radio-active material. Indian state's patronage in dangerous business of sale and purchase of weapon grad radioactive material has further supported the flourishing India radioactive market. This indicates towards Indian governments' greed for easy money to further speed up its regional power ambitions. The analysts believed that the Indian intelligence network managed and controlled compete supply chain of poppy products starting from plantation, processing, smuggling and sale in international drug market. They urged the world not to turn a blind eye towards Indian involvement in illegal highly dangerous business of drug trafficking, believed to a threat to humanity. The UNODC should inquire the issue to unearth the ground realities and that the international community must fulfill its combined responsibility to demand immediate control measures to safeguard the future of human generation. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Friday that after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa every family in Punjab will now be able to get up to Rs 1 million every year through Sehat Insaf Card ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Oct, 2021 ) :Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Friday that after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa every family in Punjab will now be able to get up to Rs 1 million every year through Sehat Insaf Card. In a tweet, he said through this extensive facility quality treatment will now be available to everyone from the poorest to the middle class. Big relief, he said, would be given on health, education and the four basic necessities including flour, sugar, pulses and ghee. Fawad said the process of issuance of Sehat Insaf Cards would start in December and by March the whole Punjab will have these cards. He said that the card holders will be free to use them at any doctor's clinic or hospital of their choice. The minister said that not only public but private doctors and hospitals will also be available for free of cost treatment. US Artemis engineers have completed the stacking process of putting the Orion spacecraft on top of the Space Launch System (SLS) giant rocket at Kennedy Space Center for the Artemis I uncrewed mission around the Moon, NASA announced on Friday WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2021) US Artemis engineers have completed the stacking process of putting the Orion spacecraft on top of the Space Launch System (SLS) giant rocket at Kennedy Space Center for the Artemis I uncrewed mission around the Moon, NASA announced on Friday. "NASA has completed stacking of the agency's mega-Moon rocket and spacecraft that will launch the next generation of deep space operations, including Artemis missions on and around the Moon," the US space agency said in a press release. Engineers and technicians successfully secured the Orion spacecraft atop the fully assembled SLS just before midnight on Thursday in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the space center, the release continued. "Next up, NASA's Exploration Ground Systems teams will conduct integrated tests of Orion and SLS along with the ground equipment, prior to rolling the rocket and spacecraft to the launch pad for a final test, known as the wet dress rehearsal," the release said. This final test will run the rocket and launch team through operations to load propellant into the fuel tanks and conduct a full launch countdown. Following a successful rehearsal, NASA will roll the stack back into the Vehicle Assembly Building for final checks and set a target date for launch, the release added. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2021) The EU Council should discuss creating a physical fence on the border with Belarus amid the influx of migrants, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Friday. "We also should talk about a physical fence, a physical border which is extremely needed as a short-term measure to deal with this crisis," Nauseda said. Sixteen people were killed and one person was missing after a deadly fire broke out at a Russian explosives factory southeast of Moscow on Friday, local authorities said Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Oct, 2021 ) :Sixteen people were killed and one person was missing after a deadly fire broke out at a Russian explosives factory southeast of Moscow on Friday, local authorities said. The blaze took place in the village of Lesnoy, 300 kilometres (185 miles) from the capital in the region of Ryazan. Authorities originally said 15 people had died, but later said one man who received severe burns had died in hospital. "The fate of one more person is unknown," the local government said on its website, adding that rescuers are "looking for him". Seventeen people were believed to have been inside the plant's workshop at the time of the fire. Images released by authorities showed firefighters working their way through the debris at the severely damaged factory building. The plant is considered a "strategic company" by the Russian government. According to its website, it produces explosives for both the civilian and military sectors. Russia's emergencies ministry said the fire could have broken out as a result of "violations of technological processes and safety measures" at the local PGUP Elastic factory. Detectives were dispatched to the village to probe if the factory had complied with "industrial safety" standards, said the Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes in Russia. The blaze is the latest in a string of deadly accidental fires in Russia, where non-compliance with safety standards -- that are already lax -- is common. - Psychologists working with families - The acting head of the emergencies ministry, Alexander Chupriyan, arrived at the site by helicopter. He took charge of the ministry after its chief Yevgeny Zinichev died falling off a cliff during Arctic exercises last month. Firefighters first received a report that a fire had broken out at the plant at 08:22 am local time, the emergencies ministry said. Around 100 rescuers were working in the area, it added. The fire, which covered an area of 160 square metres, had been put out and did not pose a danger to locals. The Ryazan government said it had brought in psychologists to "work with the families of the victims." The governor of the Ryazan region, Nikolai Lyubimov, said that authorities would provide "all necessary help and support" to the families. According to its website, the factory belongs to state conglomerate Rostec, which brings together a range of companies supplying industrial or high-tech products to civilian and military sectors. But local media said the factory went bankrupt in 2015 and that its workshops were used by other companies of the explosives sector. Accidental fires are common in Russia, where hundreds of blazes are recorded each year due to lax safety standard compliance as well as ageing and dilapidated infrastructure. In Russia's worst fire disaster in recent memory, an inferno at a shopping centre in the Siberian city of Kemerovo in 2018 left 64 people dead, including 41 children. Investigators said that blaze resulted from "flagrant violations" of safety norms including locked emergency exits and non-functioning alarm systems, prompting President Vladimir Putin to demand answers. Authorities in the aftermath found that hundreds of commercial and cultural sites across the country fall below fire safety standards. Government critics say graft is at the heart of safety rules being violated more broadly as building permits are given by officials in exchange for bribes. (@FahadShabbir) PORT-AU-PRINCE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2021) AU-PRINCE, October 21 (Sputnik) - Haitian police chief Leon Charles has resigned as the number of kidnappings and killings has surged in the country over the recent months, sparking mass protests, Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced on Thursday. "The director general of the Haitian National Police, Leon Charles, has submitted his resignation letter. Franz Elbe will replace him," Henry was quoted as saying by the Nouvelliste daily newspaper. Earlier in the week, Haitians went on mass strikes protesting against the violence in the country and demanding that the government take action to fight gangs. The strikes were prompted by the recent kidnappings of believers and the assassination of a pastor in the center of the capital. The latest in the series of kidnappings happened last weekend, when 17 Christian missionaries, 16 Americans and one Canadian, including five children, were abducted and taken hostage during a trip to an orphanage outside the capital city, Port-au-Prince. The missionaries were reportedly kidnapped by the notorious armed gang called 400 Mawozo, who are known for extorting businesses and ransoming kidnapped victims. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the kidnapping of missionaries was indicative of a much larger problem, calling the current security situation in Haiti unsustainable as gangs dominate large parts of the country and national police cannot do anything about it. The Centre for Analysis and Research in Human Rights reported last week that the number of kidnappings in Haiti has increased threefold from July to September compared to previous months. (@FahadShabbir) BISHKEK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2021) Kyrgyzstan will purchase Turkey's Bayraktar drones, Kamchybek Tashiev, the Kyrgyz deputy prime minister and chairman of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan, said. "We purchase military equipment to boost our troops. The relevant funds have been already allocated from the budget. Turkey is currently constructing Bayraktar drones for us. Only five countries have such aircraft now, Kyrgyzstan will be one of them. The drones will soon arrive in our country," Tashiev told reporters on late Thursday. Bayraktar is a medium altitude long endurance combat drone with missiles on a sling, produced by the Baykar company primarily for the Turkish army. The massive usage of Turkish and Israeli drones has recently contributed to the successful outcome of the Azerbaijani offensive in the Armenian-dominated breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh as the Armenian forces lacked air defense systems capable of counteracting Baku's UAVs. The coalition said Friday it had killed at least 92 Huthi rebels in air strikes on two districts near Yemen's strategic city of Marib Riyadh, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Oct, 2021 ) :The coalition said Friday it had killed at least 92 Huthi rebels in air strikes on two districts near Yemen's strategic city of Marib. The deaths are the latest among hundreds to have been reported killed in recent fighting around Marib, and come during a second week of intense bombing. "Operations targeted 16 military vehicles and killed more than 92 terrorist elements" in the past 24 hours in the districts of Al-Jawba and Al-Kassara, the coalition fighting in Yemen said, in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. Myanmar's military-aligned party urged Friday for the junta to open dialogue with coup opponents, as the generals face increasing pressure to end nearly nine months of bloody turmoil Yangon, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Oct, 2021 ) :Myanmar's military-aligned party urged Friday for the junta to open dialogue with coup opponents, as the generals face increasing pressure to end nearly nine months of bloody turmoil. The Southeast Asian nation has been in chaos since the February coup, with more than 1,100 killed in a crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitoring group. "We must talk for the interest of all our people in the country... It will be difficult to find a solution if we continue like this," Nandar Hla Myint, spokesman for the military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party, told AFP. "Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing took responsibility for the country... His caretaker government is the most responsible for making the dialogue happen," he said. While Nandar Hla Myint did not say whether discussions should include ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, he pointed out that the Nobel laureate has not encouraged violence from the junta's opponents. Her National League for Democracy party trounced the USDP in elections last year, which the military has alleged was due to fraud. The junta, which has since dubbed itself the State Administration Council, has said it will hold fresh elections in 2023 -- but Nandar Hla Myint said the poll could see more bloodshed if the crisis is unresolved. "More people will be killed if there are no guarantees for lives... of candidates who will compete in the (next) election," he said. Nine months after seizing power, and unable to stamp out opposition to their regime, the generals are under increasing international pressure to engage with their opponents. Last week, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) decided to exclude Min Aung Hlaing from an upcoming summit of the 10-country bloc over doubts about his commitment to defuse the bloody crisis. The United States welcomed the rare move by the ASEAN -- long criticised as toothless -- Derek Chollet, counselor of the State Department, told reporters Thursday. Chollet was speaking during a tour to the region to consult with US allies on ways to press the junta. Earlier this week, Britain said it would not be inviting Myanmar's junta to a G7-ASEAN foreign ministers meeting. The coup snuffed out the country's short-lived experiment with democracy, with Suu Kyi now facing a raft of charges in a junta court that could see her jailed for decades. (@FahadShabbir) The United States supports the resolution of the Organization of American States (OAS) accusing the Nicaraguan government of subverting the democratic electoral process ahead of the November presidential race, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2021) The United States supports the resolution of the Organization of American States (OAS) accusing the Nicaraguan government of subverting the democratic electoral process ahead of the November presidential race, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday. "With 26 countries voting in favor and zero votes against, this latest OAS action demonstrates that the (Nicaraguan) government stands isolated without supporters in a region committed to democratic principles," Blinken said in a statement. The resolution denounces "undemocratic electoral process and ongoing repression," he added. The Nicaraguan authorities have signed the Inter-American Democratic Charter but failed to adhere to it, Blinken continued. "President (Daniel) Ortega and Vice President (Rosario) Murillo have failed to honor this commitment by preparing a sham election devoid of credibility, by silencing and arresting opponents, and, ultimately, by attempting to establish an authoritarian dynasty unaccountable to the Nicaraguan people," he noted. The US will continue to cooperate with its partners in the region and across the world in order to promote accountability for Ortega's supporters, Blinken promised. Since early June, several dozen opposition politicians and activists have been arrested in Nicaragua on various charges, including seven presidential candidates and the daughter of an ex-president of the country, Cristiana Chamorro. The presidential election in Nicaragua is scheduled for November 7. The ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front has confirmed longtime President Ortega and his wife, Vice President Murillo, as their candidate and running mate, respectively. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Uzbekistan believes there is no need for the country to join the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) at the moment, Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov said on Friday, adding that Tashkent considers important to be able to repel precise terrorist threats together with Russia and Central Asia states TASHKENT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2021) Uzbekistan believes there is no need for the country to join the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) at the moment, Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov said on Friday, adding that Tashkent considers important to be able to repel precise terrorist threats together with Russia and Central Asia states. "Today, for example, we do not see the need for Uzbekistan to return to the CSTO, assuming that there will be some kind of frontal offensive of regiments, armies, divisions towards Central Asia, towards Uzbekistan," Kalimov told a press conference. The minister added that terrorist threats emanating from the Afghan territory cannot be excluded. "Therefore, today we see the task as even more urgent, not so much preparing for some big war, but the CSTO is a very serious organization with huge potential, ... to timely repel the precise challenges of the threat of terrorism," Kalimov said. USM Childrens Center Cuts Ribbon on New Playground Funded by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation Thu, 10/21/2021 - 16:08pm | By: Courtney Tesh On Tuesday, Oct. 19, The Childrens Center for Communication and Development officially cut the ribbon on its brand-new playground on The University of Southern Mississippis Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach, made possible by a gift from the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation through the USM Foundation. A beautiful fall day set the scene for the Centers guests as they celebrated the space and listened to representatives from The Childrens Center, USM, and the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation speak to the impact that it will have on countless families for years to come. At The Childrens Center, a playground is more than a playground. For this non-profit that provides cost-free services for babies and young children with disabilities on both USMs campuses, a playground is a therapy setting. And in many cases, it can be one of the most naturally motivating settings for therapy as it provides innumerable opportunities to work on language, motor, and social skills through play. We are incredibly grateful to the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation for their partnership in the construction of this playground and outdoor therapy space, said Sarah Myers, Director at The Childrens Center. The grant award totaled $323,540 and the goals of the grant project were to target therapeutic milestones like peer-to-peer social interaction and active movement, including age-appropriate play skills. We worked closely with the Foundation and playground designer, Moonshot Recreation with Landscape Structures, to design a space that would encourage children to work on these skills through the act of outdoor play. And those in attendance got to see these skills being targeted in person as children from The Childrens Center walked along the balance beam, raced each other on the bike track, took turns pushing buttons and pulling levers on the water feature, and interacted with one another on the two-person swing. The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation is proud of its partnership with The University of Southern Mississippi Foundation and The Childrens Center to provide a playground to encourage children and their families to spend more time outside engaging in fun play activities, said Sheila Grogan, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation President. The Foundation has a vision for a healthy Mississippi, and studies show there are a variety of health benefits through interactive outdoor play, including physical and cognitive development and social and emotional well-being. Thanks to the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, we now have a custom-designed space that will be used as an essential therapy resource for the 50 families we are currently serving at this location, as well as many more in future years, said Myers. What a beautiful gift the Foundation has given us the gift of therapy through play. About The Childrens Center for Communication and Development The Childrens Center for Communication and Development at The University of Southern Mississippi is a non-profit that provides cost-free comprehensive early intervention therapy for children age 0-5 with complex disabilities while educating, training and supporting families, university students and professionals. For more information, visit www.usm.edu/childrenscenter. About the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation has a vision for a healthy Mississippi and provides targeted grants to fund initiatives and programs to improve the health and well-being of Mississippians. Learn more about the Foundation at www.healthiermississippi.org. Cornelius Eady (lower left) is joined by fellow Black poets to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his most celebrated collection. In this episode of the Checkerboard Chat, Josh Lane, Ethan Stone, Riley Thomas and Andrew Peters talk Georgia, South Alabama and a potential bowl game, men's and women's basketball, Tennessee soccer and more! A group of Catholic students in Port Moresby has urged extractive companies in Papua New Guinea to respect the environment for the wellbeing of indigenous people and future generations. Their call echoes one of the nine Appeals in the name of God addressed by Pope Francis in his message to the Fourth World Meeting of Popular Movements. By Lisa Zengarini Among the many issues brought up by Pope Francis in his recent Video Message to the Fourth World Meeting of Popular Movements, was the damage caused by mining activities to environment and the livelihoods of many poor communities across the world. His call on extractive industries to stop destroying forests, wetlands and mountains, to stop polluting rivers and seas and to stop poisoning food and people resounded strongly in a youth panel of discussion hosted on 20 October by Papuan Catholic radio station NBC - Tribe FM. Five students from St Josephs International Catholic College of Port Moresby were invited to talk about the Impacts of the Extraction Industries" on the weekly discussion programme Chat Room. The talk focused on various aspects of the topic that dwelled on the background information of the extractive industry; its impact in developing economies and improving livelihoods; comparison of benefits and disadvantages the industry possesses; mention of local and international case studies; the reality of the industrys operations in Papua New Guinea; the harm caused by the extractive industry and the essential role youth play in creating awareness, reducing adverse effects and boosting social change. Irreversible damage to the environment and people While acknowledging the positive impact of the extractive industry on Papuan economy and society at large, the high-school students pointed out that it has also left serious and irreversible damages to the environment and people. They mentioned loss of environmental biodiversity, deforestation, erosion, alteration of soil profiles, contamination of local streams and wetlands, as well as the displacement of indigenous landowners. A classic example in this respect, they noted, is Australia, which was taken over by Europeans who had the locals forcefully and harshly driven out from their homeland into the margins of society. Political and economic unrest Participants also remarked that if the extractive industry is not managed carefully it can cause long-term political and economic unrest which further impacts on the lives of people. As an example of mismanagement one student cited the 10-year Bougainville Conflict which was triggered by tensions between indigenous landowners and Papuan miners in the Panguna Copper Mine. The conflict, which ended in 1998, caused thousands of civilian casualties. Youth called to play a central role in boosting change Bringing their discussion to a close, participants emphasized the essential role youth are called to play in creating awareness and boosting change. They said the younger generations and the general public should be informed and need to better understand the impacts of the extractive industry so they can speak up for people's rights. The Catholic students also called on the Papuan government to be more transparent and accountable in managing national resources ensuring they benefit local communities. United Nations agencies say that 3 years of consecutive severe drought as well as floods, cyclones and locust outbreaks in southern Madagascar have wiped out harvests and hampered peoples access to food. By Vatican News staff reporter More than one million people in southern Madagascar are struggling to get enough to eat, due to what could become the first famine caused by climate change, according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Acute drought The UNs Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says 3 years of consecutive severe drought in the Grand Sud region have wiped out harvests and hampered peoples access to food, leading to alarming levels of acute food insecurity and malnutrition. Families in rural communities are resorting to desperate measures just to survive. The 4th largest island in the world, Madagascar has a unique ecosystem that includes animals and plants found nowhere else on the planet. It is highly prone to natural hazards, including drought, floods, cyclones and locust outbreaks, with significant humanitarian consequences. According to the World Bank, despite the countrys vast and unique natural resources, it is one of the poorest countries in the world. Over 78 per cent of its some 27 million people live on less than $2 a day. FAO says that a recent upsurge of Malagasy migratory locusts is expected to affect the upcoming agricultural season (November 2021March 2022), further aggravating an already dire situation. At least 4,000 square kilometres are likely to be infested by locusts, covering six regions that include 21 districts. Five of these districts have been classified as emergency, two as crisis and two as stressed. Impacts of climate change The country experiences a dry season, usually from May to October, and a rainy season that starts in November. However, climate change has disrupted the cycle, affecting smallholder farmers and their neighbours, said Alice Rahmoun, WFP Communications Officer in the capital, Antananarivo. So, what we can say is that the impacts of climate change are really stronger and stronger.so harvests fail constantly, so people dont have anything to harvest and anything to renew their food stocks, she told UN News in an interview on Thursday. Families barely able to cope On a recent visit to southern Madagascar, she noted that while some communities have not had a proper rainy season for three years, the situation might be even worse 100 kilometres away. She saw villages surrounded by dried-out fields and tomato plants that were completely yellow, or even brown, from lack of water. Rahmoun said that in some areas, people barely manage to grow sweet potatoes, but in other areas where even that is not possible, they are just surviving on locusts, fruits and cactus leaves that are usually fed to cattle. Even that is becoming impossible as the cacti are dying due to the drought. Families that were able to feed themselves from their own field produce are now selling their cattle for money to buy food. Some families are even selling their fields and houses and pulling their children out of schools to engage them in income-generating activities. WFPs response WFP is collaborating with humanitarian partners, and the Malagasy Government, to provide immediate and long-term responses to the food security crisis. It is providing some 700,000 people life-saving food aid, including supplementary products to prevent malnutrition. Its long-term response prepares communities to cope with and recover from climate shocks better. This includes water projects such as building irrigation canals, reforestation and even microinsurance to help smallholder farmers to recover from a lost harvest, for example. WFP ultimately aims to support up to one million people between now and April 2022 and is seeking nearly $70 million to fund operations. COP26 Referring to the crucial COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, starting end of October, Rahmoun said WFP wants to use the conference to shift the focus from crisis response, to risk management. Countries must be prepared for climate shocks and they must act together to reduce severe impacts on the worlds most vulnerable people, which includes the villagers of southern Madagascar. She said the upcoming summit is also an opportunity for WFP to ask governments and donors to prioritize funding relating to climate adaptation programmes, to help countries to build a better risk management system. Rahmoun warned that if nothing is done, hunger will increase exponentially in the coming years because of climate change, not only in Madagascar, but also in other countries. (Source: WFP, FAO, UN News) Displaced Yemeni children at play at an IDP camp on the outskirts of Sana'a, Yemen (ANSA) Philippe Duamelle, UNICEF representative in Yemen, highlights the devastating toll of the war in Yemen, which has claimed the lives of at least 10,000 children since it started in 2015. He says that despite dwindling funds, UNICEF continues to work to respond to the needs of the conflict-hit Yemeni population. By Xavier Sartre and Benedict Mayaki, SJ After over six years of war, Yemen the worlds worst humanitarian crisis according to the United Nations continues to be a conflict hot spot. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions have been uprooted from their homes or have fled for their lives in search of safer refuge. The conflict has also put more than 20 million people in dire need of humanitarian assistance, with many facing the risk of starvation due to famine-like conditions in the country. On Wednesday, the UN Security Council called for de-escalation in Yemen to counter the growing risk of large-scale famine in the country. It also condemned the recruitment and use of children, and sexual violence, in conflict. This appeal came a day after the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) expressed concern that at least ten thousand children have been killed or maimed since the start of the civil war in Yemen. A figure that could be higher, since it only represents cases that the UN was able to verify from a mission to the north and south of Yemen. Devastating toll of conflict on Yemeni children As is the case in conflict situations, children are always the first victims, noted Philippe Duamelle, UNICEFs representative in Yemen, in an interview with Vatican News' Xavier Sartre. They are directly affected by the conflict: they are killed, they are maimed by the fighting, he said. Moreover, they are also affected indirectly, as the protracted conflict situation has an impact on access for children to health services which is largely affected by the conflict or other basic services, including child nutritional assistance and clean water. The civil war in Yemen began in 2015 after Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital Sanaa, prompting Saudi-led forces to intervene and start a campaign aimed at defeating the Houthis, with logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France. According to UNICEF, the war in Yemen represents a convergence of four threats: a violent and protracted conflict, economic devastation, shattered services for every support system (health, nutrition, water and sanitation, protection and education), and a critically under-funded UN response. Listen to our interview with Philippe Duamelle, UNICEF representative for Yemen Humanitarian response In the face of the situation, UNICEF is trying to respond to the needs of the Yemeni population through a wide range of interventions. The UN agencys job is not made any easier by the reduction in humanitarian funding at a time when the needs are expanding. UNICEF needs $235 million USD just to respond to the most urgent needs and continue life-saving interventions that will save childrens lives in the coming months, Duamelle said. Nonetheless, even with dwindling funds, the UN agency is engaged in providing healthcare, nutritional assistance, access to water and education for the conflict-ridden nation and for the estimated 4 million people who have been internally displaced by the fighting. Healthcare In Yemen today, more than 51% of health facilities are not usable, Duamelle said. They have either been destroyed or are damaged by the conflict. Or they are occupied by armed forces or by internally displaced populations. UNICEF is helping by supporting health facilities with essential equipment like incubators and ventilators, and providing financial support to medical staff in medical facilities, many of whom have not been paid their salaries for long periods of time. Food and water Duamelle points out that the conflict situation has put 2.3 million children in situations of acute malnutrition, with 400,000 suffering from severe acute malnutrition with a high risk of death without intervention. In this regard, UNICEF is providing nutritional support for thousands of nutritional centers across Yemen. UNICEF is also promoting access and distribution of clean water to the population, as well as addressing issues related to water sanitation. Education Education, Duamelle points out, is a very important element of the consolidated response in Yemen. He explains that though it is not the major life-saving activity, it is important because it helps the children maintain a sense of normalcy in their lives, and also equips them with essential skills and knowledge that will be critical for their future and the future of Yemen. The more individuals they see that are like them, the more possibilities that it opens up for children as they grow, as they develop schema of their place in the world. The more positive representation that there is, the more degrees of freedom they have for development. Eric Wesselmann, ISU psychology professor Pull Quote The latest issue of Vietnam Briefing Magazine, titled A Guide to Exporting from Vietnam, is out now and currently available to subscribers as a complimentary download in the Asia Briefing Publication Store. In this issue: Export Requirements in Vietnam Rules of Origin Export Duties Explained Vietnam follows an export-led growth model, combining trade liberalization and investment incentives to spur export-oriented manufacturing. This has allowed Vietnam to accelerate growth, steadily, over the last decade, and become a leading low-cost sourcing destination. External factors like US-China trade tensions, and the countrys initial handling of the pandemic, both contributed to recent foreign direct investment-led spikes in growth trends. Vietnams exports to the US rose by 50 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2021, making the US the largest importer of Vietnamese goods. Another appealing factor is Vietnams dense network of free trade agreements (FTAs), which makes it competitive to serve as an export hub. Key trade arrangements include the recently ratified European Union Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Foreign investors interested in export-oriented manufacturing and accessing global markets may consider a low-cost destination in Asia, such as Vietnam, which is suitably a part of or located near major supply chains. As such, knowledge of Vietnams trade environment and regulations that detail export procedures will be necessary to tap into incentives and optimize operations. In this issue of Vietnam Briefing, we detail export procedures in Vietnam, followed by rules of origin guidelines. We conclude with an introduction of duties, exemptions, and tax rates that traders need to be aware of. This magazine is based on Dezan Shira & Associates years of experience in supporting foreign enterprises in Vietnam. For more information and advice on how to plan a relocation to Vietnam please contact us at vietnam@dezshira.com. Vietnam recently issued Decree 57 for businesses involved in supporting industry projects to qualify for corporate income tax incentives. The Decree came into effect on June 4, 2021, is retroactive, and is welcomed by businesses given the current business environment. Investors should study the Decree carefully and consider taking advantage of the CIT incentives given the substantial tax savings. Vietnam issued Decree No. 57/2021/ND-CP (Decree 57) allowing enterprises access corporate income tax (CIT) incentives for those businesses invested in projects manufacturing prioritized supporting industry products before 2015. Decree 57 went into effect on June 4, 2021. While projects involved in supporting industries were always eligible for CIT incentives, projects that began operations before January 2015 were unable to avail CIT incentives. Decree 57 allows those manufacturing projects that meet the required criteria and that began operations before January 2015 to be eligible for CIT incentives. Decree 57 highlights Eligible businesses are therefore entitled to CIT exemption for four years, 50 percent CIT reduction for nine years, and a 10 percent preferential tax rate for the first 15 years on income coming from the project. In addition, as per the Decree, the incentive is retroactive, meaning the business can claim back the additional tax paid with a request to the tax authorities. In addition, manufacturing projects that are claiming or have claimed CIT incentives under other incentive programs can claim CIT under Decree 57 for the remaining period. CIT incentives for projects supporting the supporting industry have been detailed in Circular 21/2016/TT-BTC which include industries such as textile and garments, footwear, electronics, and so on. The new decree has been welcomed by businesses and is worth incorporating due to the significant tax savings that are possible given the business environment particularly due to the effects of the pandemic. Supporting industries remain priority for government Decree 57 comes on the heels of Resolution 115 last year promoting the development of supporting industries for the 2020-2030 period. Vietnams supporting industries are increasingly developing and play an essential role in Vietnams participation in global supply and value chains. The sectors development also helps the economy grow in a more sustainable manner, avoid the middle-income trap, and attract quality foreign investment with positive technological spillover. Supporting and building up the supporting industry sector is one of the priority areas for Vietnams government as it will help Vietnam develop into a hi-tech manufacturing base shifting from a low-cost manufacturing center. Decree 57 is the latest regulation in line with this vision. Investors unsure of how to apply the incentives for their business should seek professional tax advice to avail of the CIT incentives. The government issued Decision No. 10/2021/QD-TTg which details criteria for identifying hi-tech businesses. The Decision will be effective April 30. The decision lists certain conditions that are applicable for businesses to be considered as hi-tech enterprises. While businesses need to satisfy conditions as stated in the Law on High Technology as well as the Law on Investment, in addition to this, Decision 10 lists specific conditions needed to qualify as a high-tech business. Conditions to be qualified as hi-tech include: at least 70 percent of total annual net revenue derived from hi-tech products; at least 0.5 to 2 percent of total annual net revenue allocated to research and development (R&D) activities, or at least 0.5 percent for enterprises with total capital over VND 6 trillion (US$260.87 million) and more than 3000 employees; Businesses with total capital of VND 100 billion (US$4.35 million) and more than 200 employees must allocate at least 1 percent to R&D activities; and All other businesses should spend at least 2 percent. High-tech businesses are also required to hire employees that are educated at college level or higher depending on the total number of employees. This ranges from 1 to 5 percent depending on the total investment and number of employees. However, employees with college-level degrees cannot exceed 30 percent of the total workforce for high-tech businesses. Businesses that have currently applied for hi-tech certification are likely to be subject to the new rules. Tax incentives for hi-tech businesses In Vietnam, businesses carrying out activities defined as hi-tech are eligible for tax incentives. A corporate income tax (CIT) rate of 10 percent for 15 years, four years of CIT exemption and 50 percent tax reduction for the next nine years is applicable to hi-tech enterprises. Income from the transfer of hi-technology in difficult socio-economic conditions is also tax-exempt. Preferential tax rates may be extended up to a further 15 years depending on the decision of the government. Land rental exemption is also possible for up to 15 years or even the whole project duration. Import duty exemptions are applied to imported goods that are used to build fixed assets. Duty exemptions also apply to imported raw materials and supplies that have not been manufactured locally within a five-year period. Hi-tech businesses are also eligible for state funding and loans depending on the industry. In addition, a 15 percent tax rate is applied to projects in agriculture and aquaculture products Vietnam keen on attracting hi-tech industries The new regulations are in line with Resolution 50 on attracting FDI in select hi-tech industries. As Vietnams economy grows it is set to become selective in attractive FDI as wants to move up the value chain from a low-cost labor destination to a center for hi-tech industry keeping the environment in mind. In its socio-economic plan, the government has reiterated that the digital economy and manufacturing are a priority for the government. One of the goals is that hi-tech production from manufacturing and processing will reach at least 45 percent by 2030. Given these goals, it makes sense that the government is tightening up on criteria for hi-tech businesses as the government moves to attract hi-tech investment. The adoption of Industry 4.0 and AI will further help augment this transformation. Note: This article was published in July 2015, and has been updated to include the latest developments. On Thursday, Oct. 21, the U.S. Department of State released a press statement titled On the Continued Erosion of Freedoms in Hong Kong calling upon the mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to release those unjustly detained and cease their crackdown on peaceful civil society organizations. It also once more urge[s] Beijing to abide by its treaty obligations in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The statement follows the Oct. 16 sentencing of seven Hong Kong democracy activists, including former legislators, who received up to 12 months in prison for their participation in a protest against the Chinese Communist Partys implementation of the National Security Law (NSL) in Hong Kong. The United States remains seriously concerned at the continued erosion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including political participation, in Hong Kong. We note in particular the increase in politically-motivated prosecutions, including through the National Security Law, targeting Hong Kongs teachers, labor unions, lawyers, journalists, health care workers, student unions, and individual citizens, the statement reads. In September alone, more than a dozen District Council members were disqualified by the Hong Kong government after their oaths were determined to be invalid, including James To Kun-sun and Edith Leung Yik-ting of the Democratic Party, and Lawrence Lau Wai-chung, who is on bail and involved in the Hong Kong pro-democracy primaries. Hong Kong authorities continue to disqualify scores of pro-democracy district councilors, who received their public mandate from free and fair elections in 2019, the State Department noted. These retroactive and targeted disqualifications, based on the Hong Kong authorities arbitrary determination that these district councilors loyalty oaths are invalid, prevent people in Hong Kong from participating meaningfully in their own governance. The State Department also stressed the important role of Hongkongers and their civil society, which suffered its worst blow last June when Beijing imposed the NSL on the former British colony. The law prohibits any speech deemed a threat to national security that is, any expression critical of the CCP or the Peoples Republic of China. Its passage following a year of massive pro-democracy demonstrations represented a functional end to the political freedoms that Hong Kong used to have. In 1984, Beijing had promised that Hong Kong would retain its own laws and civil rights until at least 2047, or 50 years after 1997, the year the city was returned to China from British rule. The UK, U.S., and other countries have highlighted this betrayal as a glaring example of the CCPs lack of integrity. Tens of thousands of Hongkongers, disproportionately those with greater wealth and education, have left the city for other countries, such as the UK, U.S., or Taiwan. The population of Hong Kong is falling, as is its worth as a hub for traders and financiers between China and the rest of the world. People in Hong Kong and its vibrant civil society have been the citys greatest resource and the cornerstone of Hong Kongs success as an international hub of business and exchange. We will continue to support people in Hong Kong and their rights and freedoms. Last December, the U.S. Treasury Department under the Trump administration had announced sanctions on 14 Chinese officials, over their participation in the disqualification of 14 opposition members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council. This March, the Biden administration announced sanctions on 24 Chinese officials who undermined Hong Kongs democracy and freedom. In July, Dr. Nury Turkel, vice-chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, stressed the effectiveness of sanctions on Chinese officials. The naming-shaming taints that persons image in public, that is much more hurtful than actual damage that you can cause to the bank account. Case in point, Carrie Lam, for example, she publicly admitted that she cannot use credit cards any more, Turkel said What we can do is to continue to go after those human rights abusers. Due to the prominence of the U.S. dollar, economic sanctions by the U.S. compel nearly all international banks to audit financial activity for dealings with the sanctioned individuals. On Oct. 21, U.S. Department of State released a press statement calling upon the mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to release those unjustly detained and cease their crackdown on peaceful civil society organizations. During a town hall event on Thursday, Oct. 21, U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters that Washington would come to Taiwans aid if the island were attacked by Communist China. When Anderson Cooper of CNN asked the president whether the United States would defend Taiwan in the event of invasion from the mainland, Biden said, Yes, we have a commitment to do that. Dont worry about whether theyre going to be more powerful, Biden said, adding: I dont want a cold war with China, I just want China to understand that we are not going to step back and we are not going to change any of our views. The remarks are at odds with stated U.S. policy regarding Taiwan, called strategic ambiguity. The U.S., which does not officially recognize the Republic of China as Taiwan is formally known also does not have a position on whether it would intervene militarily should the island come under attack. However, the U.S. does have a legal obligation under the Taiwan Relations Act to support ROC efforts to defend its territory, such as through arms sales. Its not the first time Biden has contradicted the strategic ambiguity principle. In August, the president said in an interview with ABC News that America would respond to a communist invasion of Taiwan. However, the White House quickly clarified that Biden was not announcing any change in our policy and there is no change in our policy. READ MORE: Beijing Will Be Fully Capable of Invading Taiwan by 2025: ROC Defense Minister French Visit to Taiwan Sparks Beijing Aggression The US defense relationship with Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, a White House spokesperson said. White House officials soon walked back those comments, stressing the administrations Taiwan policy had not changed. We will uphold our commitment under the act, we will continue to support Taiwans self-defence, and we will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo, the White House stated at the time. The U.S. has maintained its policy of strategic ambiguity regarding Taiwan ever since 1979, when it dropped recognition of the ROC in favor of the communist Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Washington adheres to a One China Policy that like the United Nations does not recognize the ROC as a sovereign state, but also does not take a position on whether the island belongs to the PRC. Beijing sees Taiwan and its surrounding islands as a part of its own territory, and vows to retake the island with military force if necessary. In recent months, the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has stepped up aerial drills in the ROC air defense identification zone, flying more than 150 aircraft close to Taiwans waters in early October. On Oct. 6, French senators landed in Taiwan to engage in negotiations with Republic of China (ROC) President Tsai Ing-wen, ignoring warnings from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The French delegation The delegation that visited Taiwan was led by former French defence minister Alain Richard, followed by Max Brisson, Else Joseph, and Olivier Cadic. Leading the senates Taiwan Friendship Group, Richard had previously made trips to Taiwan in 2015 and 2018. In a speech during his visit, Richard called Taiwan a country after meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen, prompting the CCP to react aggressively. Tsai presented a top medal of honor to Richard, hailing the trip as a beneficial show of support that would uphold free and democratic values in the midst of Beijings military movements. We are very moved that Senator Richard is undaunted by the pressure to make his third visit to Taiwan, Tsai said. The CCP has claimed that it rules Taiwan, but the islands government has maintained self-rule independent of the communist nation, making it the focus of military provocations from other nations. Taipei has criticized Beijing for its draconian wolf warrior diplomacy, which refers to the communist governments aggressive tactics upheld by Chinese diplomats. Since President Tsais election win in 2016, the communist party has been attempting to dissuade politicians from across the world from supporting the ROC. France is among several nations providing support to the ROC while the communist-run Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) intrudes into Taiwanese airspace and claims territories within the South China Sea. Beijing provoked The CCP showed its disapproval of plans for French diplomats to visit the ROC, but the visit was postponed due to a resurgence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Taiwan. When the French voted in favor of a resolution for Taiwans open participation in global affairs, Beijing was again outraged. Chinas embassy attacked the resolution on its website, expressing strong concerns and firm opposition against the vote, and downplaying Taiwans potential in the global public health system. The Chinese ambassador to France said that the delegations visit to Taiwan would clearly violate the one-China principle and send the wrong signal to pro-independence forces in Taiwan. The embassy also asked French senators last week to think twice and reconsider the decision to visit the island, stating that such a move would damage the mainland governments core interests with Taiwan. A spokesman for Beijings foreign ministry, Zhao Lijian, said on Friday that Richards comment of Taiwan as a country was done out of self-interest to undermine relations between China and France. CCP-run news outlet Global Times called the visit a silly move, accusing France of making mistakes in the past, such as when it was stabbed in the back by the US with its AUKUS deal which sabotaged the submarine contract between France and Australia. Similarly, a visit by Czech Senate president Milos Vystrcil also irked Beijing, which called it a provocation and promised he would pay a high price. Nurses at the Allina Hospital in Plymouth, Minnesota, recently held a three-day strike demanding better holiday pay and benefits. As a result, the hospital had to temporarily suspend some of its services. All 50 nurses at the hospitals WestHealth campus who are members of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) participated in the strike. Sonya Worner, a Registered Nurse at WestHealth and chairwoman of the union, said that nurses had worked throughout the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and yet the hospital is refusing to accept a fair contract. Allina apparently admitted that the reason for not increasing the nurses benefits is not because they do not have funds, but because the facility believes the existing contract is good enough. MNA nurses have been negotiating a new contract for months, but Allina has refused to agree to fair pay for holiday work or adequate benefits. Compensating nurses fairly for holiday work is especially critical because understaffing by Allina and other hospital systems has required nurses to work more days and longer hours, including overtime and holidays, as they continue on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, MNA said in a statement. MNA nurses have been negotiating with the hospital since May. On Oct. 13, nurses had met with hospital management in an attempt to reach an agreement but failed to do so. As a result, 50 nurses went on strike between Oct. 17 and Oct. 20. According to a report by CBS Local, nurses returned back to work on Oct. 20 morning. However, a new contract had still not been finalized. Allina insisted that they have always offered a comprehensive contract throughout the several negotiations. Our current proposal, which was unanimously recommended by the unions bargaining team, yet not ratified by its members, includes an immediate wage increase as well as other benefits. The current paid time off benefits offered would continue under a new contract, Allina said in a statement. During the strike, Allina suspended its emergency and urgent care services. People seeking these services were redirected to other hospitals. The City of Plymouth also released a list of alternate emergency service providers nearby. In an interview with Fox9, Worner criticized Allinas decision to suspend emergency care. Im sad for when we see a car want to turn in and we know that theyre going to be displaced in their medical care We are baffled. It is a diabolical decision to shut down care to the residents, as well as their own revenue, Worner said. Nurses at several other hospitals across the country are also holding strikes. Most prominent among them is an ongoing strike at the Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts. The strike has been going on for over seven months and is now the longest by nurses in Massachusetts history. Over 700 nurses walked out of their jobs on March 8. Seven months have passed, but hospital management is refusing to fulfill their demands. Over 24,000 nurses and healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities in Oregon and California have authorized a strike over strained working conditions and low pay. Unions could soon authorize additional strikes in Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, Washington state, and the District of Columbia. Kaiser had proposed a two-tiered wage and benefits scheme that would pay lower wages to new employees. Multiple unions representing nurses and other staff members have asked Kaiser to scrap the plan. After a few Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases were reported in Chinas northern regions, authorities swiftly implemented lockdown measures in these places. The lockdowns are part of a zero tolerance national policy, in which areas with reported outbreaks are instantly sealed off without consideration of economic or social costs. On Oct. 18, China reported nine new domestically transmitted cases of COVID-19, five of which were from the northwestern city of Xian in Shaanxi province, while two were from Inner Mongolia. Authorities quickly took action to restrict movement in these regions. In Xian, people arriving from outside the province are now asked to show proof of negative COVID-19 test results. Some tourist sites have been closed for disinfection. In the Ejina Banner administrative division of Inner Mongolia, authorities began testing the population for COVID-19. All entry and exit points to Ejina have been shut down, and schools have been suspended. Inner Mongolias Erenhot city has asked residents not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary. Other than cars with official clearance, no one is allowed in or out of the city. On Oct. 20, the Alxa Left Banner administrative division in Inner Mongolia imposed a lockdown on its 180,000 residents, all of whom must get tested. In the northwestern Gansu province, nine cases have been reported in the past week. The provincial capital of Lanzhou has suspended primary and high school classes. A coronavirus case was also reported in Beijing on Oct. 19, which is the first official local case in the region since August. The infected person had apparently traveled from Gansu to Beijing by train on Oct. 15. During the journey, the person had slept in a bunk close to an infected individual. Various places have recently reported positive tests from tourists and their close contacts traveling from other provinces The transmission chain is far-reaching, and our city has also had such cases. We would like to remind citizens that we cannot be lax with our control measures, the Beijing health commission said in a statement. Meanwhile, an Oct. 10 report by The Epoch Times claims that Beijing is preparing for potential large-scale outbreaks of COVID-19. Leaked internal documents obtained by the media outlet show that the Chinese government has asked local authorities to prepare for such outbreaks. Two notices, one issued on Sept. 30 and another on Oct. 1, were distributed by the Fujian provincial government to local authorities. Both were marked as extra urgent. Local officials were instructed to build central isolation sites with at least 20 rooms per 10,000 people by the end of this month. Each isolation site must have over 100 rooms. Effectively, Fujian must build at least 83,000 COVID-19 quarantine rooms by October-end. According to Sean Lin, a former virology researcher at the U.S. Army Research Institute, the notices show that the CCP is worried about a spike in the COVID-19 pandemic. He argued that Beijing must have been concealing the true epidemic in the mainland, or else it would not have issued instructions to boost emergency preparedness. Lin believes the real aim of COVID-19 management measures is to tighten the CCPs control over people. You can be quarantined at any time and put in a quarantine site. And the quarantine sites can also be a place of political persecution No matter who you are, as long as the CCP says that you tested positive in a nucleic acid test, it will deprive you of all your rights. The CCPs quarantine sites are actually an alternative form of concentration camp, Lin said. At least 50 journalists were among the thousands of people due to be freed from prison in Myanmar this week after the military announced an amnesty. The military-installed government announced an amnesty for 5,600 people on Monday. The figure includes over 1,300 who had been convicted, and 4,320 who were awaiting trial. Among those named on the list are three journalists from the independent broadcaster Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB); two journalists from the VOA affiliate Mizzima; and Sithu Aung Myint, a veteran journalist who contributes to VOA and who has been jailed since August 15. The DVB journalists were freed Monday but as of Thursday Sithu Aung Myint remained in custody. A team of lawyers representing the journalists on a pro-bono basis welcomed the announcement but said it would continue to assist the dozens still behind bars. "We are relieved and happy to know that three DVB journalists, including Aung Kyaw, from Myeik, and Min Nyo, from Pyay, were released. We have to wait and see whether all 50 journalists are released. If not, we'll continue to represent them, the legal teams spokesperson, Khin Maung Myint, told VOA Burmese. Most of those released had faced charges under Section 505a, which criminalizes content deemed to cause fear or spread false news about the government, but it was unclear if those accused under other sections of the penal code would be freed. Incitement charges filed against Htet Htet Khine, who freelances for the BBC, were dropped under the amnesty, but a charge under the Unlawful Association Act remains active, the spokesperson for the legal team said. On Wednesday, the Facebook group Myanmar Press Freedom In-Depth, which tracks jailed journalists, said at least 17 journalists have left prison since the start of this week. But dozens more remain in custody. One of those is American journalist Danny Fenster, whom Myanmar has charged under its laws on incitement and the Unlawful Associations Act. Fenster, who is managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, was not named in the amnesty and remains in custody. Originally from Detroit, Fenster has been jailed since May 24 for offenses allegedly carried out by Myanmar Now, months after Fenster resigned from the news outlet, his lawyer says. Frontier Myanmar has said it will end its print publication and temporarily cease its online and social media operation. In a message emailed to subscribers, editor-in-chief Thomas Kean cited political instability and risks to staff from possible arrest or the coronavirus. The conditions for journalists working inside the country have gotten progressively worse over the past few months as the regime gets more desperate to crush resistance, Kean said. His message added that many of the outlets reporters are in hiding and that it has become harder for the photographers to work. Mixed feelings The amnesty brought mixed emotions for those freed, including DVB reporter Min Nyo, who was arrested in March while covering a protest over the military takeover, and later sentenced to three years in prison. The reporter said that 170 people were detained under incitement charges in Pyay, in Myanmars Bago region, but only eight of those have been freed. "Many youth remain in prison. We are not happy to be released, because we feel uncomfortable looking at those left behind in jail. They have hopes and vision for future, Min Nyo told VOA. We left prison with sadness, and we want them to be released as soon as possible." Also freed were Mizzima co-founder Thin Thin Aung and one of her staff, James Pu Thoure. Both were arrested on April 8 on charges of incitement. Since the February 1 coup, arrest warrants have been issued for at least 10 Mizzima journalists, including the managing director and editor-in-chief Soe Myint and managing editor Sein Win. The amnesty deal was announced three days after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) declined to invite Myanmars military leader to a summit. ASEAN cited a lack of progress on plans the junta had agreed to in April to restore peace in Myanmar. Myanmar's military government blamed "foreign intervention" for the decision. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) tied the prisoner release to the juntas attempts to blunt international criticism. The military announcement must not be met with applause. It is a tactic of the junta to stop international condemnation. These releases will not end the coup, the AAPP said. The group said that as of Monday, 7,355 people were detained, including 354 who have been sentenced. A further 1,989 are under arrest warrant and Myanmar has sentenced over 100 in absentia. Tom Andrews, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said that while the prisoners' release was welcome, it came "not because of a change of heart, but because of pressure." In a statement posted to Twitter, Andrews added that they had been detained "illegally for exercising their fundamental human rights." This story originated in VOAs Burmese Service. On this edition of Encounter, host Carol Castiel talks with Eric Farnsworth, Vice President of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society, and Steve Hege, deputy regional director for the US Institute of Peace in Colombia, about the significance of US Secretary of State Antony Blinkens trip to Colombia and Ecuador and challenges in bolstering democracy, equitable economic growth, combatting corruption and mitigating irregular migration from Haiti and Venezuela. Queen Elizabeth II spent a night in the hospital for tests after being forced to cancel a visit to Northern Ireland this week, Buckingham Palace said Thursday. "Following medical advice to rest for a few days, The Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today, and remains in good spirits," a palace statement said. Britain's domestic Press Association news agency said the trip to the hospital was unannounced as it was expected to be a short stay, and also to protect the 95-year-old monarch's privacy. The overnight stay was for "practical reasons," it added. Elizabeth was seen by specialists at the private King Edward VII's Hospital in central London, where her late husband, Prince Philip, spent four weeks from February this year for treatment for a preexisting heart condition. Philip, who was married to the queen for 73 years, died in April just a few weeks before his 100th birthday. The queen, who has been on the throne since 1952 and is Britain's longest-serving monarch, was said to be back at her desk on Thursday afternoon, undertaking light duties. She had been due to attend an ecumenical service in the border town of Armagh on Thursday to mark the 100th centenary of the creation of Northern Ireland. But the palace said on Wednesday morning that she had "reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days." The decision was not related to the coronavirus, and she was said to have been resting at her Windsor Castle residence, west of London. Busy schedule The queen has had a busy schedule since returning from her remote Balmoral estate in northeast Scotland at the start of October. She has resumed public engagements since the funeral of Prince Philip, either alone or accompanied by other senior royals. Last week, she delivered a speech at the opening of the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff, and on the weekend spent a day at Ascot Racecourse. On Monday, she held a virtual audience with the new governor-general of New Zealand, and on Tuesday received two ambassadors, also by video link. On Tuesday evening, she hosted a reception at Windsor for international business leaders attending a government investment summit, including the billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, and senior British ministers. At that reception, the queen appeared cheerful as she, her eldest son and heir Prince Charles, 72, and grandson Prince William, 39, mingled with guests, none of whom were wearing face masks. Coronavirus restrictions were lifted in Britain in July, but an increase in cases has prompted calls for measures to be reimposed to prevent further close-contact transmission. Daily virus cases crossed the 50,000 mark on Thursday, according to the latest government figures, the highest since July 17. Elizabeth and Philip moved to Windsor in March last year as the coronavirus outbreak took hold. They decided to self-isolate because of the increased risk of infection due to their age, although she has since been vaccinated. The queen is still expected to join other senior royals for a series of events linked to the upcoming United Nations climate summit in Glasgow next month. She was seen last week at a major public event using a walking stick, but royal officials said it was not linked to any specific health condition. But news that she stayed overnight in a hospital will inevitably raise fears for her health, given her advanced age, and questions about whether she should slow down. Next year she is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee to mark 70 years on the throne. Recent studies indicate Canadas decision to extend the interval between the first and second dose of COVID-19 vaccines can actually lead to increased resistance to the virus. It also finds mixing the brand and type of doses gives better protection. The decision by Canadian authorities to immunize as many people as possible with any available dose of COVID-19 vaccine, then extending the time until administering the second dose, appears to be paying off. Recent data compiled by the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control and the Quebec National Institute of Public Health also show the strategy of using the first available vaccine for a second dose, even if not the same brand as the first, actually increased effectiveness and saved lives. Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca all recommend 21 to 28 days between the two shots. Canadas experience suggests protection is even stronger after a six-week interval. For the Pfizer vaccine, this effectiveness went from 82% after a three-to-four-week interval, to 93% when the booster, or secondary dose, was given after four months. The study also finds two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine gave less protection than the mRNA vaccines of Pfizer and Moderna. However, those who received an mRNA as a booster dose have the same protection as if they had two of the same, even if their first dose was AstraZeneca. All three vaccines were found to be more than 90% effective in keeping recipients out of the hospital for COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer for the Canadian province of British Columbia, has encouraged first doses to be administered as quickly as possible and not to worry about whether the second dose is from a different vaccine. Overall, she said Canadas experience could provide insights for the rest of the world. We don't want countries to have to hold doses back or wait for manufacturers to be able to give people the full protection they need when they're seeing outbreaks in other countries and we saw this in India, for example," Henry said. "So it is really important globally that we're able to use whatever vaccines are available to support people to have good protection. Joan Robinson, a pediatric infectious-disease doctor and professor at the University of Alberta and Stollery Childrens Hospital in Edmonton, said increasing the time between the doses can be good for the long term in areas with stable or low coronavirus levels. However, Robinson said there is one downside for the short term, especially in areas where there are high concentrations of COVID-19 cases. So the delay between the doses during the time between your first and second dose, you're much more likely to get COVID than if you had got this second dose earlier, Robinson said. "Certainly with the delta variant, one gets the impression that one dose may be less effective. Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, said for countries around the world where there is an issue with vaccine supply, the data show at least there will be no decrease in efficacy by delaying the second dose. However, he is cautious about creating too much of a delay. I think these data from Quebec and British Columbia suggest that if that second dose is delayed, that at the very least the efficacy is preserved. You need to be careful about not delaying the second dose too much because vaccine efficacy, especially after only one dose, will decrease significantly over time," Conway said. "But it does allow you to strategically deploy vaccine to protect as many people as you can as quickly as possible. The findings of researchers in British Columbia and Quebec, which are thousands of kilometers apart, are almost identical. This most recent Canadian data have not been widely published or peer-reviewed, but researchers released the information early to make it available globally as soon as possible. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday recommended booster shots for millions who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines, and said the booster does not necessarily have to match the original shot. Rochelle Walensky, the head of the government agency, OKd the recommendations by an advisory panel Thursday, putting the CDC on the same page as the Food and Drug Administration. The booster shot for Pfizer vaccine was approved in September. The CDC committee has recommended that people age 18 and older and who were vaccinated two months or more ago with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine are eligible for a booster shot. Those 65 or older inoculated with two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are recommended for a booster six months or more after the second dose. The CDC also recommended a booster for those 18 or older in long-term care facilities, have pre-existing medical conditions, as well as those who live or work in high-risk settings. The United States on Thursday marked the successful distribution of 200 million COVID-19 vaccines to more than 100 countries, a move the White House said fulfills President Joe Bidens promise to become the worlds arsenal of vaccines. Today, Americans have 200 million reasons to be proud, read a statement from U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power. USAID is honored to be at the forefront of this global vaccination effort unprecedented in scale, speed, and complexity, to counter the worst pandemic in modern history, Power said. Those donations have come rapid-fire, in a matter of months, with large tranches going out recently to lower-income nations. Last week, the White House announced it was donating 17 million doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the African Union, bringing the total donation to the 55-state body to 50 million doses. However, an analysis by the Peoples Vaccine Alliance, a coalition of nongovernmental organizations, including Oxfam and Amnesty International, shows that of the 1.8 billion doses pledged by the worlds richest nations, 261 million, or 14%, have arrived in low-income nations. The report also says that out of 994 million doses promised by vaccine developers AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech to COVAX, only 120 million, or 12%, have been delivered. The shortage has resulted in only 1.3% of people living in the worlds poorest nations being fully vaccinated against the disease caused by the coronavirus. Meanwhile, researchers around the world are keeping a close eye on a mutation of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. The AY.4.2 subvariant, which has been dubbed delta plus, has already been detected in Britain, Russia and the United States, but scientists have not determined if it poses a significant risk of being more contagious than the original version, which triggered a wave of new infections and deaths around the world during this years third quarter, or whether it is more resistant to vaccines. The AY.4.2 variant has not been categorized as either a variant of interest or variant of concern by the World Health Organization. In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is resisting calls by some public health officials to implement new COVID-19 restrictions, despite a surge of new infections hitting the nation. The Health Ministry reported 52,000 new infections on Thursday, with a daily average the past week of more than 44,000 a 16% increase from the previous week. The World Health Organization reported this week that Britain has among the highest number of daily new infections in Europe, the only part of the world that saw an increase in new cases last week. A proposal to ban private investment in Chinese news outlets has been viewed by critics as a further attempt by Beijing to control all sectors of the media. Under draft guidelines posted to the website of Chinas National Development and Reform Commission this month, privately owned companies would be prohibited from involvement in media companies, including setting up or running news operations or republishing news produced by foreign outlets. Political analysts and journalists who have worked for Chinese media say the proposals show Beijings ongoing efforts to silence opposition voices. "The Communist Party is trying to put all news and commentary shows under its own control. All different voices have been eliminated, Wu Zuolai, a Chinese political commentator, told VOAs Mandarin Service. The proposals sparked discussion on Chinese online forums including Zhihu, where many said they believed the regulation would lead to a further decline of media freedom. Limiting the role of the media will distort public opinions, and local governments might enforce the rule with extremely strict measures, one poster on Zhihu said. Others said the rules could bring an end to anyone holding a microphone asking for your opinions on the street in the future, or lead to a need to be more cautious on social media. China already ranks poorly for media freedom, ranking 177th out of 180 countries, where 1 is the freest, on the annual index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). As well as being the leading jailer of journalists, China has state- and privately owned media under ever-tighter control, while the administration creates more and more obstacles for foreign reporters, RSF says. Media investment While traditional media such as newspapers are funded largely through the public sector, those working in online news rely more on private or foreign investment. Government funding has been the main source of income for media outlets in China since the 1990s, said Cheng Yizhong, who runs a New York-based news website for the Chinese diaspora in the U.S. The veteran journalist previously worked for The Beijing News and the Southern Metropolis Daily. Unlike other countries, Chinas media must seek state approval to publish, Cheng told VOAs Mandarin Service. All media in China books, radio stations, TV stations must obtain a special approval batch number before they can publish, broadcast and distribute. Its always the case, Cheng said. But as the internet became popular, more people in China moved to accessing news online. As of December 2020, China had 743 million online news consumers, according to a report released this year by the administrative China Internet Network Information Center. "There was no public capital investment in the early days of the internet. That was completely new, and the government didnt know what was going on, Cheng said, adding the digital media business is nearly entirely dependent on private and foreign capital. This has led to great challenges faced by traditional media, so the Communist Party-owned media began to allow some private funding into it, Cheng said. The journalist said that when he worked at The Beijing News, around a fifth of the funding came from the private sector. Many of Chinas more liberal newspapers also relied on private investors. But, Cheng said, as the space for commentary reduced, most of the private capital has been withdrawn from media. Controls tighten China has long sought to control the media. Its internet regulator on Wednesday released a list of around 1,300 online news services that are the only approved source for reprinting news. The list includes more outlets and social media accounts than it did in 2016, but the regulator warned that news groups who stray from the approved list will face punishment, Reuters reported. It also publishes directives telling media how to cover certain events. Similar directives as far back as 2005 covered private capital in media. When China issued regulations on the culture industry that year, the order excluded investment for the establishment and operation of news agencies, newspapers, publishing houses, radio stations and television stations. The internet regulatory body and the National Development and Reform Commission have also both issued regulations saying that private capital should not be allowed to intervene in the editing process. Privately owned and independent media often have an editorial firewall to protect their newsrooms from influence from the business side of their operations. But critics say that Chinas regulation is based on Beijing having greater control over content. The policy has actually never changed, said Cheng. It shows that high-level officials in the party never really trust the media. Even in todays environment, when almost all the media is praising the government, the party still feels uneasy. I think this shows the room for public opinions in China is increasingly shrinking. Political commentator Wu said that media today can produce shows on eating, drinking, and having fun, but not something to confront the mainstream voices of the Chinese Communist Party. A former fellow at the Chinese National Academy of Art, Wu was dismissed for signing Charter 08, a petition calling for greater human rights and democratic freedoms in China. He later moved to the U.S. In the so-called mainstream media platform these days, theres no negative news, Wu said. Its very difficult to hear what the people have to say now." This story originated in VOAs Mandarin Service. Chinese companies like Huawei and the Transsion group are responsible for much of the digital infrastructure and smartphones used in Africa. Chinese phones built in Africa come with already installed apps for mobile money transfer services that increase the reach of Chinese tech companies. But while many Africans may find the availability of such technology useful, the trend worries some experts on data management. China has taken the lead in the development of Africas artificial intelligence and communication infrastructure. In July 2020, Cameroon contracted with Huawei, a Chinese telecommunication infrastructure company, to equip government data centers. In 2019, Kenya was reported to have signed the same company to deliver smart city and surveillance technology worth $174 million. A study by the Atlantic Council, a U.S.-based think tank, found that Huawei has developed 30% of the 3G network and 70% of the 4G network in Africa. Eric Olander is the managing editor of the Chinese Africa Project, a media organization examining Chinas engagement in Africa. He says Chinese investment is helping Africa grow. The networking equipment is really what is so vital and what the Chinese have been able to do with Huawei, in particular, is they bring the networking infrastructure together with state-backed loans and thats the combination that has proven to be very effective. So, a lot of governments that would not be able to afford 4G and 5G network upgrades are able to get these concessional loans from the China Exim Bank that are used and to purchase Huawei equipment, Olander said. Data compiled by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a Canberra-based defense and policy research organization, show China has built 266 technology projects in Africa ranging from 4G and 5G telecommunications networks to data centers, smart city projects that modernize urban centers and education programs. But while the new technology has helped modernize the African continent, some say it comes at a cost that is not measured in dollars. China loaned the Ethiopian government more than $3 billion to be used to upgrade its digital infrastructure. Critics say the money helped Ethiopia expand its authoritarian rule and monitor telecom network users. According to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal, Huawei technology helped the Ugandan and Zambian governments spy on government critics. In 2019, Uganda procured millions of dollars in closed circuit television surveillance technology from Huawei, ostensibly to help control urban crime. Police in the East African nation admitted to using the systems facial recognition ability supplied by Huawei to arrest more than 800 opposition supporters last year. Bulelani Jili, a cybersecurity fellow at the Belfer Center at Harvard University, says African citizens must be made aware of the risks in relations with Chinese tech companies. There is need [for] greater public awareness and attention to this issue in part because its a key metric surrounding both development but also the kind of Africa-China relations going forward. We should also be thinking about data sovereignty is going to be a key factor going forward. Jili said data sharing will create more challenges for relations between Africa and China. There are security questions about data, specifically how it's managed, who owns it, and how governments depend on private actors to provide them the technical capacity to initiate certain state services. London-based organization Privacy International says at least 24 African countries have laws that protect the personal data of their citizens. But experts say most of those laws are not enforced. Nine months after taking office, President Joe Biden has seen only 20 of his appointments to the State Department confirmed by the Senate, with nearly half of the 167 American ambassadorships empty and dozens of key policy positions staffed by unconfirmed officials serving in an "acting" role. The number of empty desks at the State Department is partly Biden's own fault, according to analysts. He was slow to nominate candidates for dozens of the 264 positions at State that require confirmation by the Senate, and still hasn't named 57 of them. However, many of the key positions remain unfilled because the process of gaining the approval of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has taken many nominees months to navigate. Finally, sitting at the end of the gauntlet, is Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, who has been using Senate procedures to prevent many non-controversial nominees from receiving a prompt up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. Cruz contends that the Biden administration is in flagrant violation of the law, because it has refused to enforce sanctions on a Russian natural gas pipeline. In addition to Cruz, Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley has also blocked a number of Biden's nominees. 'Geometric level of incompetence' "The administration has not covered itself with glory at the pace of its nominations," said Ronald E. Neumann, the president of the American Academy of Diplomacy. "The Senate multiplies the problem by not moving them. Cruz then raises it to a geometric level of incompetence with his holds, and so they all reinforce each other." Experts worry that the lack of confirmed senior staff is hobbling the Biden administration's ability to conduct day-to-day diplomacy, and leaving many worried that it would be unable to respond adequately to a severe global crisis. "It is undoubtedly diminishing the capability of our State Department, and therefore, our country's national security," said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a non-profit good government organization that tracks the nomination process closely. "It's a big deal. And that's not to diminish the acting officials in jobs across the State Department. They are great people, but they're not set up for success." Neumann agreed that extensive delays in filling key posts is "quite damaging" to operations. A former assistant secretary of state who also held three ambassadorships, Neumann said, "Not having your senior team means you don't have the people that are going to give you the best advice. And it also means that the acting people ... are going to be a little more hesitant about pushing back against things they think are dumb." The current state of play In total, Biden has sent 106 State Department nominations to the Senate, according to the Partnership for Public Service. Twenty of those have been confirmed, and another 45 have been cleared by the Foreign Relations Committee and are awaiting a final floor vote by the full Senate. Biden's 41 remaining nominees are lost somewhere in the limbo of the confirmation process, attending confirmation hearings or preparing answers to enormous numbers of written questions directed at them by members of the Senate. Candidates for ambassadorships have been moving particularly slowly. To date only one of Biden's picks for an ambassadorship the nomination of former Senator Ken Salazar to be ambassador to Mexico has been approved. Of the 167 ambassadorships the Partnership for Public Service tracks, only 88 are filled, and 87 of those are "holdover" appointments who were confirmed prior to Biden's taking office. Cruz controls Senator Cruz has been in a months-long fight with the Biden administration over its decision to waive congressionally mandated sanctions on Nord Stream 2, a controversial pipeline that delivers natural gas from Russia to Europe. Cruz points to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, a law that passed Congress with near-unanimous support in 2017, and included language that said the president "shall" continue to enforce sanctions against Russia, including those on the pipeline. President Donald Trump signed the legislation, though he simultaneously issued a signing statement in which he argued that the law's elimination of the president's discretion in enforcing the sanctions was unconstitutional. Cruz has relented on some specific nominations, and he has issued a standing offer to release his holds if the Biden administration resumes enforcement of the sanctions. But Cruz has not been alone. Senator Hawley has said that he will continue blocking State Department nominees until the department's entire senior leadership, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, resigns. His reason for demanding the resignations is the administration's highly criticized handling of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan this summer. A procedural blockade While it simplifies matters to say that Cruz and Hawley are "blocking" a vote on Biden's nominees, it isn't precisely accurate. When the Senate operates through what is known as "regular order," issues before the body progress on a slow path to a final vote on the floor. That path includes several preliminary votes to allow a measure to move from one step in the process to the next. This can take hours, and if the more than 1,200 positions in the federal government that require Senate confirmation were each subjected to it, it could take years to clear the backlog. To speed things up, the Senate uses "unanimous consent" agreements to move whole batches of nominees all at once. These agreements, as their name suggests, require every senator to agree to suspend the requirements of regular order. What Cruz and Hawley are doing is refusing their consent to suspend regular order when it comes to State Department nominees, forcing Democrats to go through the full process for each of Biden's nominees. In fact, the Senate's Democratic leadership has done that for a handful of Biden nominees, but has not been willing to set aside every other item on its agenda in order to concentrate on the State Department. On September 28, as the Senate was pushing a handful of nominees over the finish line, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, of New Jersey, made nine consecutive requests for unanimous consent on pending nominations, including several ambassadorships. Senator Hawley objected to each of them. Presidential ill health, police raids and corruption allegations, some involving caretaker Prime Minister Andrej Babis, have thrown the Czech Republic into a surreal political crisis. The jarring turn of events could not have come at a worse time the unnerved country is already in the grip of an acute energy crunch, like its European neighbors, and it is facing an alarming uptick in coronavirus infections. The Czech Republic has been in post-election limbo since Tuesday, when a Senate committee stripped President Milos Zeman of his powers. The decision came after doctors at a military hospital in Prague, the Czech capital, who are treating the president for liver failure, said Zeman was incapable of fulfilling any of his working responsibilities. The 77-year-old Zeman was due to name a new prime minister to head a coalition government following elections earlier this month in which the populist billionaire Babis Action for Dissatisfied Citizens party won the most votes, but lost overall control to two opposition blocs, led by Petr Fiala. Babis defeat was put down to the willingness of opposition parties to put aside their ideological differences and join to drive the populist leader out of power. On Wednesday the state prosecutor added to the swirling political mix by requesting the Chamber of Deputies, the lower chamber of Parliament, remove Babis immunity as a lawmaker so he can be prosecuted for fraud and misuse of $2 million of European Union funds involving a spa resort owned by members of his own family. Shortly before the elections Babis featured in the so-called Pandora Papers, a huge trove of documents detailing the secret offshore financial dealings of hundreds of politicians, public officials and celebrities. The papers published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists showed how Babis had used shell companies to buy property, including a chateau on the French Riviera in 2009, prompting money-laundering and tax-evasion accusations from opposition politicians. He has denied the Pandora allegations, saying he has done nothing wrong and that the charges against him are just smears. I think that the request by the Prague prosecutor to lift Babis immunity is an interesting development, simply because if the prosecutor had decided that Babis should not be sent to court, should not be prosecuted, he would probably not ask for this, political scientist Jiri Pehe told Prague Radio midweek. His move seems to suggest that he is seriously thinking about sending Mr. Babis to court, he added. In the meantime, if the Senate and House of Deputies confirm the committees vote to strip Zeman of his authority, some of his powers will be transferred to Babis and one of his political allies, Parliament Speaker Radek Vondracek. In theory they would then decide who should be the next prime minister. Babis has promised to name Fiala, and he may have his eyes set more on running for the presidency to replace Zeman than in trying to hang on as prime minster, some Czech commentators say. Zeman was a onetime Babis ally, but there are signs their alliance is breaking up. The Czech Republics second-largest newspaper Mlada fronta Dnes, which is owned by Babis, headlined a story this week saying the prime minister is aiming to clean Zemans men out of power. Babis has publicly demanded the resignation of Zemans chief aide, Vratislav Mynar, following allegations he and others in the presidential entourage had been trying to conceal the true state of the presidents health. Police have said they are investigating the allegations, which they have described as criminal offenses against the republic. The police of the Czech Republic will initiate an investigation into a possible illegal act, in which signs of criminal offenses against the republic can be seen, Czech police tweeted. It is unclear what offenses may be involved but local media say the crimes could include treason and subversion. Mynar told reporters in Prague midweek that no laws had been broken and he criticized the Senate committee for its vote to strip his boss of his presidential powers. The presidents wife, Ivana Zemanova, said Thursday that people should stop speculating about her husbands illness as treatment will take time. Mynar remains defiant, telling reporters in Prague Thursday, The President of the Republic is Milos Zeman, who appointed me to the position and is the only one who has the right to dismiss me. But Babis told iDNES.cz, a Czech news site, midweek that Mynar should resign, and that if doesnt he would remove him after presidential powers are transferred. Parliament will vote on the issue in the first week of November. Czechs have been left reeling at the twists and turns of the bizarre chain of political events. Like other Europeans they are struggling to recover from a pandemic that seems far from over. Coronavirus infections have started to surge again in the country with over 3,000 new cases recorded on both Tuesday and Wednesday, doubling the tallies seen on the corresponding days last week. Health Minister Adam Vojtech, announced new pandemic restrictions Wednesday, which will come into force next week. They include mandatory mask-wearing at work and checks for digital vaccination certificates to enter bars and restaurants. Ethiopian forces carried out an airstrike Friday on the city of Mekelle, their fifth on the Tigray regional capital since Monday. There were no immediate reports of casualties following Fridays airstrike, which witnesses say hit a farmers field near a fenced off area on the eastern side of Mekelle University. A U.N. humanitarian flight bound for Mekelle had to turn back in mid-air to Addis Ababa Friday because of the airstrike, according to Gemma Connell, head of the regional office for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Connell said this weeks airstrikes and recent fighting in Tigray have had major consequences because not a single aid truck has entered the embattled northern Ethiopian region since Monday. Ethiopias state-owned Fana Broadcasting Corporation reported Fridays airstrike targeted military training spots used by Tigrayan forces. Another one of the terrorist group TPLFs [Tigray Peoples Liberation Front] training sites has been the target of air strikes today, said the report, which cited the website Ethiopia Current Issue Fact Check, a pro-government initiative. This site was ENDFs [Ethiopian National Defense Forces] training center before being appropriated by TPLF for military training of illegal recruits. It is also serving as a battle network hub by the terrorist org. TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael said the airstrikes are a last ditch effort to turn the tide in the conflict between the TPLF and the Ethiopian government, which has raged on for nearly a year. They are desperate on the war front, he said, speaking to Reuters by satellite phone from an undisclosed location. My interpretation is they are bombing us because they are losing on the ground and its their reprisal. The fact that they are bombing shows they dont care about Tigrayan civilians. On Wednesday, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq confirmed that three children were among those killed in this weeks attacks. Haq said colleagues at the U.N. are alarmed at the intensification of the conflict and once again reminded all parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Witnesses who spoke to VOAs Tigrigna Service reported civilian injuries and deaths. The airstrike Thursday that targeted Mesfin Industrial Engineering, an equipment manufacturing company, injured 15 people, who are receiving medical help at Mekelles flagship Ayder Referral Hospital, according to Girmay Legas, the director of the emergency room at the hospital, who spoke to VOAs Tigrigna Service. There are many who were seriously injured, especially two of the people who had to go straight into the operating room right after they were admitted, Girmay said. We have a five-year-old child among the 15 injured and one of the injured was pregnant and she is receiving care to find out the condition of the child. Girmay said most of those admitted to the hospital had serious physical injuries, and said the hospital did not have enough medical equipment and medicine to help the victims. Biniam Kassa was one of those injured. Mesfin industrials work focuses on normal projects like transportation but I dont know why and in what case it was targeted, he said. Only thing I can say at this moment is that only civilians were attacked but nothing else. Filimone Yohannes was another person injured and underwent surgery on his right leg. He says the attack happened while they were in the middle of work. I was injured on my knee and couldnt stand up but pulled myself to move a bit further until people came and lifted me up and brought me here [Ayder hospital] in an ambulance. I am not sure how people will go back to work and might lose their jobs and wont be able to feed themselves if they dont have work, people will be displaced. If you are bombarded in your place of work, how would you go back to work? How can you work? Ethiopian government spokesman Legesse Tulu said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that the military is making precise aerial attacks and making every effort to avoid civilian casualties. We confirm and assure these surgical operations have no any intended harm to civilians, Legesse wrote. He added that Tigrayan forces have used civilian facilities for military purposes. They have been adept at hiding munitions and heavy artillery in places of worship and using ordinary Tigrayans as a human shield, he wrote. The purpose of the air strikes was just to deter the damages and atrocities the TPLF terrorist group plan[n]ed to make on the social well-being of the country and citizens. The Tigray conflict began almost a year ago between Ethiopian troops and the TPLF, which governed Ethiopia for three decades but now rules only the northern Tigray region. Mekelle has not seen large-scale fighting since June, when Ethiopian forces withdrew from the area and Tigray forces retook control of most of the region. Following that, the conflict continued to spill into the neighboring regions of Amhara and Afar. Last week, Tigray forces said the Ethiopian military had launched a ground offensive to push them out of the Amhara region and to recapture territory lost to them several months ago. VOA Tigrigna Services Mulugeta Atsbeha contributed to the report from Mekelle. VOAs Margaret Besheer contributed to the report from the United Nations. Deep divisions over the European Union's legal order and energy took an EU summit into late Thursday, with eastern member states Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic standing in defiance against Brussels. The rule of law issue was especially thorny, with the potential to shake the very foundations of the 27-nation bloc. The east-west divide was set to continue Friday, when leaders would return to discuss migration, a topic that turned Europeans bitterly against each other when Germany opened its doors to asylum-seekers fleeing war in 2015. Poland again defended an October 7 ruling by its Constitutional Court that said EU law applied only in specific, limited areas and Polish law prevailed in all others. The European Commission and countries including the Netherlands, Finland and Belgium countered that the position undermined EU cohesion and was legal cover for Warsaw to strip independence from its judicial branch and roll back democratic norms. But under the authority of heavyweights France and Germany, a measure of calm prevailed in the row, as they pressed for dialogue with Poland. Just before the summit started, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held one-on-one talks with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Macron urged Morawiecki "to find a solution in line with our principles and common rules," according to an Elysee official. Leaders then held a relatively short two-hour discussion on the issue, kicked off by Morawiecki. "The debate took place in a serene atmosphere," an EU official said on condition of anonymity. The debate "was a step that should help lead to solutions," the official added. But that was preceded by four hours of wrangling over energy, which was the original main agenda item when the summit was organized. Europe is struggling to find ways to cope with a global energy crunch while sticking to goals to mitigate climate change. Diplomats said that Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, backed by Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, refused to sign off on the summit conclusions on energy, wanting to get new language on the EU's landmark carbon emissions system, which he opposes. Orban and Babis are allies of Morawiecki, and Hungary and Poland have a pact to veto any EU moves to punish the other. The friction from the two disputes soured an EU summit that was likely to be the last for Merkel, who is bowing out to hand over the reins to a new German government being formed following September elections she did not contest. A group photo of the leaders, socially spaced, nevertheless presented a show of unity that belied the disagreements behind closed doors. 'Red line' Arriving for the talks, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that "it's very clear that a red line has been crossed" with Poland's stance on the bloc's legal order. "This discussion really goes to the heart of Europe," he said. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin both said it was time to get tough with Warsaw. They and several other leaders said Brussels should not release 36 billion euros ($42 billion) in pandemic recovery money that Poland badly wants while the issue stood unresolved. A few said all EU budget money for Warsaw should be subject to an untested conditionality mechanism tying disbursement to member states upholding the rule of law. One EU diplomat warned that the commission was preparing the mechanism and that "the moment of truth was getting close" for Warsaw. Merkel wary As he arrived, Morawiecki showed no sign of backing down. While he said he was "ready for dialogue" he warned: "We won't act under the pressure of blackmail." Orban gave him his full support, saying the pressure on Poland was a "witch hunt. Merkel, who has always urged a cautious approach in her 16 years of EU summits, said she did not want to see the disagreement with Poland end up before the European Court of Justice. "A cascade of legal disputes before the European Court of Justice is not a solution to the problem of how the rule of law can be applied," she said. A visit by a group of French senators to Taiwan earlier this month is just the latest sign that European countries are willing to engage with the East Asian democracy even at the risk of angering China, according to regional experts. The lawmakers from the Taiwan Friendship Group, led by Senator Alain Richard, arrived in Taiwan on October 6 for a five-day trip. They met the following day with President Tsai Ing-wen, who awarded Richard with a national medal during a brief reception. Richard is a former French defense minister. Richard, who previously visited in 2015 and 2018, praised the friendship between France and Taiwan. He notably referred to Taiwan as a country, in an unusual move for a sitting parliamentarian as France does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taipei. China maintains that Taiwan is a wayward province that will one day be united with the mainland. News of the French senators trip to Taiwan, originally planned for March, was met by anger from the Chinese embassy in Paris, which said the group would give support to pro-independence forces in Taiwan, according to Taiwan media. Marc Cheng, executive director of the EU Center in Taiwan, said the trip was a sign that some European countries like France may be less wary of Beijing despite its often angry rhetoric about Taiwan. This means that even under more pressure from China, European countries are still willing to maintain contact or exchange with Taiwan, he said. The trip was also notable for its visibility, as Taiwans engagement with non-official allies often occurs with less media fanfare. An estimated 45 French parliamentarians visited Taiwan between 2017 and 2020, according to Mathieu Duchatel, director of the Asia Program at Institut Montaigne in France, including study groups and a delegation from the French National Assembly. If the Chinese embassy had not politicized the visit, it would have gone completely unnoticed, Duchatel said of the recent trip. Its symbolic but overall what really made it important and unusual this time was the harsh reaction of the Chinese embassy. Duchatel said Chinas representatives may have been particularly sensitive because in May, the French Senate passed a resolution calling for Taiwan to participate in U.N. agencies like the World Health Organization, the World Health Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and Interpol. Due to Taiwans disputed political status, it lacks representation at the U.N. and affiliates at the behest of China. In years past, Taiwan has participated in organizations like the World Health Assembly as an observer but it has been blocked since 2016 by China. Taiwans successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, and experience with SARS, brought fresh attention to its lockout and led to a first-ever statement of support from the G-7 countries Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. European countries have also begun to pay more attention to Taiwan as part of a greater pivot toward Asia. Earlier this year, the European Union passed its first strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, which makes plain concerns about the rise of China in the region and the future security of the Taiwan Strait. The EU policy follows in the footsteps of France, Germany and the Netherlands, which all have drafted individual Indo-Pacific strategies in recent years. French President Emmanuel Macron considers France an Asia-Pacific player due to its territories in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, according to the EU Center in Taiwans Cheng, and has worked to raise its visibility in Asia. Beyond western Europe, Lithuania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic all former Soviet bloc countries with limited investment from China have also warmed to Taiwan and even become outspoken advocates for the democracy. They are also three of Taiwans major COVID-19 vaccine donors alongside the U.S. and Japan. On Wednesday, a Taiwan trade delegation of more than 60 representatives departed for Europe to boost its trade with the three countries as well as Central and Eastern Europe. More than 40 countries expressed their concern in a formal statement Thursday at the United Nations about the situation of ethnic Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in China's semi-autonomous Xinjiang province. "There are generalized and systematic violations of human rights, torture, forced sterilization, sexual violence and forced separation of children," France's U.N. Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere said on behalf of the 43 concerned countries. "Freedom of religion, movement, expression, as well as Uyghur culture, are subject to severe restrictions." In their joint statement, the nations also expressed concern about "widespread surveillance" targeting Uyghurs and members of other minorities, as well as the "collective repression of religious and ethnic minorities." They called for China to grant the high commissioner for human rights access to Xinjiang. Human rights groups and some governments accuse China of sending more than 1 million Uyghurs to detention camps. Beijing says the compounds are "vocational education centers" intended to stop the spread of religious extremism and terrorist attacks. The numbers and diversity of countries joining the statement in the General Assembly committee that deals with human rights have continued to grow since a core group of mostly Western states started in recent years asking countries to participate in the bid to turn up the pressure on Beijing. Turkey joined for the first time this year, as did the African nations of Liberia and Eswatini. But some Muslim-majority countries that are close to China, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, did not join the statement. 'Totally unfounded' China's U.N. ambassador dismissed the group's criticism as "groundless." "To the U.S. and a few other countries, let me say this: Your trite lies are totally unfounded," Ambassador Zhang Jun said. "Xinjiang enjoys stability, development and prosperity, and the Chinese people's life is getting better day by day." Zhang said dozens of countries had expressed support for Beijing and criticized interference in countries' internal affairs under the guise of human rights. Some of those supporters included countries with their own tarnished human rights records, such as Belarus, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Syria and Venezuela. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has a standing request to visit Xinjiang, but the discussions about the terms of her visit have dragged on for years. At a news conference after the committee meeting, Zhang said that "Xinjiang's door is always open" and that many diplomats, journalists and religious figures have visited. "The happy lives and the smiles of the Chinese people are the best manifestation of China's human rights situation," he told reporters. Human Rights Watch said the growing global condemnation of Beijing's policies toward the Uyghurs should be a cause for concern for China and a source of hope for those it is oppressing. "For the first time, all U.N. regional groups joined in calling for the violations in Xinjiang to stop and U.N. investigators to get immediate access," said Louis Charbonneau, Human Rights Watch's U.N. director. "Member states should establish an international commission of inquiry to formally investigate alleged crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and recommend avenues for holding those responsible to account." Haitian National Police Chief Leon Charles has resigned. Haitian media reported that Frantz Elbe, the inspector general of the National Police, will replace Charles as chief. Charles made the announcement hours after a video surfaced on Haitian social media of Wilson Joseph, leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, threatening Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the police chief during what appeared to be an outdoor funeral. "Ariel Henry, Leon Charles! Guys, don't forget today, Wednesday, everyone must pay their debts. Those guys brought me to tears. Five soldiers have fallen, but it won't destroy the army," Joseph said, apparently referring to five gang members who were shot and killed this week. Joseph also threatened to kill the 17 missionaries he kidnapped on Saturday if his demands were not met. May lightning strike me if I dont get what I asked for, you see these Americans, I would rather kill them, he said. 400 Mawozo, one of Haiti's most violent gangs, kidnapped 17 missionaries (16 Americans and a Canadian, including children) while they were visiting an orphanage in Ganthier, a town east of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The missionaries are affiliated with Christian Aid Ministries, based in Ohio. Their Haitian driver also was kidnapped. The gang is demanding a $1 million ransom for each person. At the White House, reporters asked Karine Jean-Pierre, the principal deputy press secretary, if the administration was aware of the threat. "We have in the administration been relentlessly focused on this, including sending a team to Haiti from the State Department, working very closely with the FBI, which is the lead in these kinds of matters, in constant communication with the Haitian National Police, the church that the missionaries belong to, as well as the Haitian government. And we will do everything that we can to help resolve the situation," Jean-Pierre said. The FBI confirmed to VOA Creole via email on Tuesday that it was involved in a joint operation with Haitian law enforcement to find the missionaries and bring them back safely to the United States. The FBI declined to give further details, citing security concerns. On Wednesday, the Democratic and Popular Sector opposition group urged the prime minister to remove Charles from his post. The current government is incapable, and the Democratic Sector does not recognize it, because these ministers are incapable of getting results, said Andre Michel, lawyer for the group. That is why we are giving Ariel Henry until November 1 to change his Cabinet, and we also give him until November 1 to remove Leon Charles as police chief. Leon Charles is incapable of guaranteeing the security of the population. Michel stated during a Wednesday press conference in Port-au-Prince that the opposition group was giving the prime minister until November 1 to activate the political accord he signed with several opposition leaders earlier this month. Before being named police chief by former President Jovenel Moise in November 2020, Charles represented Haiti at the Organization of American States in Washington. He also held the post of charge d'affaires at the Haitian Embassy in Washington. Charles has been dogged for months by criticism over the police's failure to curb the rampant violence and uptick in kidnappings. Anita Powell contributed to this report. A new Hong Kong telecommunications law requiring users to register their mobile SIM cards using their legal names could further stoke fear in a city already grappling with the national security law, experts say. The regulation passed in June and took effect in September. It limits individuals to 10 prepaid SIM cards and corporate users to 25, and new users must register their names using their identity documents. In March, existing users will need to register under their real names under the law. The Hong Kong government said the legislation aims to "facilitate the prevention and detection of crimes related to the use of pre-paid SIM cards, thereby safeguarding the integrity of telecommunications services and the security of communications network." Offenders are subject to up to three years of imprisonment or a maximum fine of roughly $130,000. The new law is widely seen as part of a crackdown on anti-government protesters in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, who went out of their way to hide their identities by wearing face masks and using prepaid SIM cards in communications out of fear of potential repercussions. Elizabeth Quat, a pro-Beijing lawmaker, said in a June Legislative Council meeting about the legislation that she was worried that "terrorists in the city might commit crime with phone SIM cards, so the real-name registration is necessary." However, Johnny Patterson, the policy director of Hong Kong Watch, a U.K.-based organization that monitors threats to freedom in Hong Kong, told VOA in an email that the regulation seeks to "systematically iron out every last vestige of opposition." "The new regulations must be put into the context of the wider crackdown on civil society and dissent in Hong Kong," Patterson said. "It will add to the atmosphere of fear and self-censorship which already pervades in Hong Kong." "The real-name registration of SIM cards is an unnecessary step which compromises the right to privacy without bringing any meaningful windfall for the security of citizens," he wrote. Ronny Tong, a pro-Beijing member of Hong Kong's Executive Council which assists Chief Executive Carry Lam on policy matters said purchasing prepaid SIM cards anonymously is neither a "freedom" nor a "right." "This is similar to how some people believe it's a right to harm national security the real-name registration only requires handing out personal information to telecommunications companies instead of any government or law enforcement agencies. How does that violate personal privacy rights?" Tong asked in a Chinese-language Facebook post in February during a consultation period on the law. In September, the semi-autonomous city also passed a contentious privacy law that will allow government officers to access electronic devices without a warrant, as well as issue notices to remove or even block access to specific content online. The new law came into effect on October 8. Privacy and data are also a concern for the new SIM card law, according to Lennon Yao-chung Chang, senior lecturer on cybercrime at the Monash University in Australia. He said growing distrust between the government and citizens could be the reason for the SIM card legislation, and he expressed concern about where the data from the real-name registration will end up. "We will never know what this data will be used for. Even with the government's promise, I will still be hesitant and again, what if there are identity thefts and leaks of personal data?" Chang asked in an interview. That concern has been shared by more than half of Hong Kong's citizens, according to a survey by the city's opposition Civic Party in March during the consultation period. Their report says that more than 50% of the respondents were worried that the police could request SIM card users' personal data without a warrant, and about potential monitoring of their whereabouts and speech. Chang also questioned the effectiveness of the regulation against phone-related crimes. "Real-name [registration] might have some effects on combatting phone scams. However, for professional criminals, even with that, they will still be able to use mules to register for the SIM cards I don't think the impact will be as great as the government predicts," Chang told VOA. Police data show that Hong Kongers were duped in email scams nine times more often than in telephone-related crimes during the 12 months up to August of this year. Victims lost $31.2 million to corporate-level email scams in the period, compared to $4.8 million to con artists on the phone. A Pakistani neuroscientist who came to the U.S. as an international student has died at 43, leaving behind a movement of support for diverse and nontraditional young scientists. "My campaign will provide awards to young scientists from backgrounds that are diverse, under-resourced, marginalized or traditionally under-represented in psychological and neural sciences," Nadia Chaudhri wrote in May, when she started a GoFundMe page to help students pay to attend the annual conference for the Research Society on Alcoholism. "I am targeting funds to these groups to provide a specific leg up to young scientists who may face hardship due to systemic issues like racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice," she wrote. Born in Karachi, Chaudhri came to the U.S. in 1985 to attend Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania as an international student. Her full scholarship covered the yearly $31,000 tuition, room and board, according to a news article from Concordia University, where she was a full professor. "I became fascinated by the interaction between brain and behaviour, specifically in relation to drug addiction," she wrote on her GoFundMe page. She went on to earn a doctorate in neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, focusing on the effect of social cues on cigarette smoking. She moved to California in 2005 for a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California-San Francisco, and joined Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, in 2010 as faculty and to establish a research laboratory. "Throughout my academic training in the United States I faced funding challenges because I was not a U.S. citizen. Luckily, a handful of scientific organizations supported students regardless of their immigration status," she wrote. "I benefited from travel awards from scientific societies. These monetary awards allowed me to attend important conferences in my field, where I presented my research and became part of a vast and generous network of researchers who shaped my career," she wrote. Through Concordia University, Chaudhri also established the Nadia Chaudhri Wingspan Award, "an annual scholarship to support the training of neuroscientists from underrepresented backgrounds," according to a university webpage. She kept an active Twitter account, @DrNadiaChaudhri, documenting her progress in her fight against advanced ovarian cancer. She promoted Concordia through the Concordia Shuffle, in which she pledged to walk the length of the palliative care ward "every day for as long as I can." Palliative care offers end-of-life care for patients. "Nadia was a force of nature. She was an incredibly talented researcher with a passion for teaching and student success matched only by her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion," Concordia President Graham Carr said on the university's website. "I firmly believe that progress in science needs diversity in the voices and faces that are tackling scientific questions," Chaudhri wrote on her fundraising page. "To achieve this diversity, we must elevate young people who might be overlooked because they don't fit a particular mold." She said she was one of those students who, because of gender, color or culture, faced challenges outside her scientific capabilities. "When I gave talks or presentations, people often commented on my accent instead of my science," Chaudhri said in an interview in May. "When I pierced my nose, something I did to celebrate being Pakistani, a senior female faculty member told me that the piercing would prevent me from getting a faculty position." Chaudhri died on October 5 of ovarian cancer. Her GoFundMe has raised more than $216,000 to date. Nigerian separatist Nnamdi Kanu has pleaded not guilty to charges brought against him by authorities. The leader of secessionist group The Indigenous People of Biafra, or IPOB, was captured in Kenya in June and repatriated to Nigeria to face trial. The start of the trial in Federal High Court on Thursday was the first time Kanu has been seen in public since he was captured in late June. Kanu was brought to an Abuja courtroom by state security agents in a heavily guarded convoy. The trial began shortly afterward but journalists, lawyers and supporters were denied access to the courtroom. Kanu is charged with terrorism, treason, involvement with a banned separatist movement, inciting public violence through radio broadcasts, and defamation of Nigerian authorities through broadcasts. Kanu denies the allegations, and his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, told reporters the dismissal of charges is being sought. "We're challenging the seven-count amended charge." Ejiofor said. "Once the court hears it and rules in our favor, that's the end of the case and he'll walk out of court a free person." Justice Binta Nyako adjourned the trial to November 10 and declined an application by Kanu's counsel for the defendant to be transferred to a correctional facility in Abuja, where he'd be more accessible, instead of the state security custody. The IPOB, led by Kanu, wants the southeastern region of Biafra to break away from Nigeria. An attempt to separate in 1967 triggered a civil war that killed more than one million people, mostly Biafrans. Nigerian authorities consider the IPOBs activities to be a threat and banned the group in 2017. But the IPOB continued to win supporters, especially in the southeastern region, where the movement is most active. The IPOB has launched a security arm, the Eastern Security Network, ESN, which authorities blame for unrest in the region and the killing of more than 120 people this year. The IPOB has denied the allegations. Public affairs analyst Abu Mohammed, a supporter of the separatist movement, said the Nigerian government's failures are motivating separatists. "Today they're calling for another system of government that may not work and that is why people are agitating," Mohammed said. "If we're supposed to get to so-so place and we haven't gotten there, definitely there should be separation for us to go because maybe we have our vision." Southeastern Nigeria was largely shut down on Thursday after the IPOB called for a sit-at-home strike to show solidarity with Kanu. Activists in Nigeria gathered this week to demonstrate on the one-year anniversary of massive street rallies last year against police brutality. As Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja, many victims of police abuse say they have yet to see justice. Staff members of RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, known in Uzbekistan as Ozodlik, have received numerous online death threats in recent days as Central Asia's most populous nation gets ready for presidential elections next week. On a single day, October 16, dozens of posts threatening RFE/RL's journalists appeared in the Uzbek Service's Telegram channel in just 30 minutes. The vulgar posts carried threats of beheadings and sexual assaults and were accompanied by images with pornographic elements and an identical caption reading: "Ozodlik's real goal is to marshal a mutiny in Uzbekistan, to disrupt peace, to discredit our president." The posts also hurled insults at RFE/RL's Uzbek Service staff members and their mothers. Most of the posts came from anonymous accounts. However, the Uzbek Service's Telegram communication managers found out that at least two threats came from accounts associated with users promoting the Uzbek governments policies related to armed forces. RFE/RL President Jamie Fly called the threats "disgusting" and urged the Tashkent government to immediately end its intimidating tactics against independent media. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has positioned himself as a democratic reformer after he took over the country of some 34 million people following the death of his authoritarian predecessor, Islam Karimov, in September 2016. However, in the run-up to presidential elections scheduled for October 24, arrests and attacks on bloggers and journalists have been on rise across the country. Also, the website of RFE/RL's Uzbek Service was blocked several times and RFE/RL's requests for official accreditation of its correspondents in the country have remained unanswered. Uzbekistan ranked 157th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2021 World Press Freedom Index. U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, Friday released data from studies showing their COVID-19 vaccine is safe and 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in 5 to 11 year olds. In results of the study, Pfizer says the trial was conducted among 2,268 children between the ages of 5-11 who were given two shots of a 10-microgram dose of the vaccine, a third of the dose size given to people 12 and older. The study was released four days before the Food and Drug Administration's independent advisory committee is scheduled to consider emergency approval for use of the vaccine on children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's independent advisory committee takes up the issue November 2 and 3. In anticipation of the emergency approval, the White House this week announced plans to deliver enough child doses of the vaccine to all 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11 currently living in the United States. In Britain Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday continued to dismiss calls for renewed COVID-19 restrictions, saying there is nothing to indicate those moves will be necessary in the coming months, despite the fact Britain is currently seeing a dramatic surge in COVID-19 infections. Speaking to reporters while touring a London vaccination facility, Johnson said the current surge in infections is high, but still within the parameters experts predicted. Instead, Johnson encouraged people to get vaccinated if they have not already done so, and for those eligible to get a booster vaccination. The British government has approved booster shots for everyone over 50. Britain currently has the highest daily number of infections in Europe, averaging more than 45,000 a day, up 17% from the previous week. The World Health Organization reported this week that Britain has among the highest number of daily new infections in Europe, the only part of the world that saw an increase in new cases last week. Booster shots Late Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended booster shots for millions who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines, and said the booster does not necessarily have to match the original shot. Rochelle Walensky, the head of the government agency, OK'd the recommendations by an advisory panel Thursday, putting the CDC on the same page as the Food and Drug Administration. The booster shot for Pfizer vaccine was approved in September. The CDC committee has recommended that people age 18 and older and who were vaccinated two months or more ago with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine are eligible for a booster shot. Those 65 or older inoculated with two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are recommended for a booster six months or more after the second dose. The CDC also recommended a booster for those 18 or older in long-term care facilities, have pre-existing medical conditions, as well as those who live or work in high-risk settings. Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Friday the country will end its strict COVID-19 lockdown once 90% of its citizens are fully vaccinated. The nation of 5 million people has been among the best in the world at containing the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, largely because New Zealand closed its borders for most of the last 18 months to non-residents. The strategy to eliminate COVID-19 worked for the most part, with the nation reporting only 28 deaths over the course of the pandemic. Earlier this year, much of the country had all but returned to normal. But in August, the Delta variant of the virus prompted an outbreak in the nations largest city, Auckland. The city of 2 million has been locked down for much of the past nine weeks. At a news conference in the capital, Wellington, Ardern said, while the nation should be proud of all it achieved during the early months of the pandemic, the delta variant has made it very hard to maintain its elimination strategy. She said rather than remain locked down, the way to move forward is through vaccinations. Ardern said, based on consultations with experts and examination of data, officials established the 90% vaccination criteria for each of the nations 20 district health regions. She said, once that target is reached in a given district, people will be free to do what they want, as long as they provide proof of vaccination. The prime minister said, Basically, if you want to be guaranteed that no matter the setting that we are in that you can go to bars, restaurants and close-proximity businesses like a hairdresser, you'll need to be vaccinated." The New Zealand Health Ministry says 58 percent of the total population has been fully vaccinated as of Friday. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. With winter closing in across much of Afghanistan, American veterans organizations and other private groups are pressing the State Department for funding to continue evacuating thousands of vulnerable Afghans who didn't make it out of the country during the massive U.S. airlift in August. The call for government funding for the increasingly expensive humanitarian operation came during recent meetings between the private organizers and State Department officials. While the State Department, which is leading the Afghan relocation effort, hasn't said whether it would fund charter flights organized by the groups, organizers say such assistance could help accelerate what has been a sluggish endeavor so far. "There is more of an effort by State to try to take the driver's seat in this evacuation, which is great," said Sara Yim, co-founder of Transit Initiatives, one of several volunteer organizations supporting Afghans awaiting evacuation. "If the U.S. government cannot expedite evacuations on their own, the fact that they're willing to partner with private organizations to do that is, in my mind, still a win, because private organizations are the ones providing a lifeline and are connected to Afghans on the ground," Yim said in an interview with VOA. Since leading the evacuation of nearly 124,000 civilians from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in August, the Biden administration has faced mounting criticism over leaving behind thousands of Afghans and up to 1,000 Americans. State Department spokesman Ned Price did not answer directly when asked at a press briefing last week whether the United States is providing financial assistance for private charter flights, instead mentioning "charter operations" the U.S. has worked on with Qatar and Pakistan. In September, the U.S. paid for seats for hundreds of American citizens, green card holders and others on several Qatar Airways and Pakistan International Airlines flights to Doha and Islamabad for relocation in the United States. Increasingly, however, the State Department views private charter flights as a valuable alternative until commercial flights resume. "Our goal is to make [charter flights] even more routine, to lend a degree of automaticity to these operations," Price said. Costly endeavor Chartering evacuation flights is expensive. A private charter from the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif to a military base in the Middle East a common destination for Afghan evacuees can cost upward of $750,000, according to organizers. "It's not easy to raise a half million at the drop of a hat," said Minda Aguhob of the Female & Free Speech Airlift, a volunteer coalition evacuating people from Afghanistan. "That's what you need just to get the flight off the ground, and another quarter million to house people so you're not sending them to starve." As a result, cash-strapped organizations have often pooled resources to jointly fund flights or put evacuees on flights paid for by other groups. "If another organization has a group they're trying to get out, and they have been funded to get this group out but they have extra seats on this plane, they don't want to let those seats go unfilled," said Phil Caruso, chairman of the nonprofit No One Left Behind. "So, they'll reach out to other organizations to say, 'Hey, do you have anybody who's ready and willing to travel, who has the required documents, and so on? And can you get them here?' " Getting a charter flight off the ground requires delicate international diplomacy, said Alex Plitsas, a spokesman for Human First Coalition. "To get all those folks in, you have to get a flight that's willing to land in Afghanistan. And from there, you have to have a third country that's willing to receive them and that depends on their paperwork status," Plitsas said. Human First Coalition said it helped evacuate 6,000 people during the U.S.-led airlift. The group has since evacuated several hundred Afghans and is currently housing several thousand others waiting to leave Afghanistan. "Our operational costs are into the millions of dollars every month, so we definitely are in need of donors and funding support, just to be candid with you," Plitsas said, noting that their operation is privately funded. Chad Robichaux, co-founder of Save Our Allies, a veterans and military support coalition, said government funding for private charter flights could make a big difference. "The right thing would be to help these people get out, for the government to step in and help fund getting these people out," Robichaux said in an interview with VOA. With funding from conservative radio host Glenn Beck's Nazarene Fund, Save Our Allies has helped organize nearly 20 charter flights to evacuate more than 2,000 people in recent weeks, most of them military interpreters, vulnerable women and children, and Christians facing persecution. The group has a priority list of about 3,000 vulnerable Afghans it wants to evacuate. But with media interest in Afghanistan diminishing, Robichaux said donor fatigue remains a concern. "As soon as the news cycle stops talking about it, it's going to be a lot harder for us to raise the funds to do what needs to be done," he said. It's not clear how many at-risk Afghans remain stranded. Some estimates put the number at upward of 100,000. Plitsas said his organization is determined to continue its mission until one of two things happens: "Either we run out of funding and are unable to operate, or we get everybody out who we need to get out on these flights." Britains Queen Elizabeth returned to work Friday following her first overnight stay at a hospital in years for what Buckingham Palace called preliminary investigations. According to the palace, the 95-year-old monarch spent Wednesday night in the private King Edward VIIs Hospital, undergoing tests after canceling an official trip to Northern Ireland to mark the 100th anniversary of its creation. The palace has said Queen Elizabeth accepted medical advice to rest for a few days. She returned to Windsor Castle by lunchtime Thursday. The matter was unrelated to COVID-19, and she remains in good spirits, stated the palace late Thursday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, sending his best wishes, spoke about the queens return to her duties Friday. I am given to understand that actually Her Majesty is, characteristically, back at her desk at Windsor as we speak, Johnson told reporters. Prior to her hospital stay, the monarch hosted a reception for top business leaders Tuesday night after Prime Minister Johnson held a green investment conference preceding the COP26 climate summit. Guests included Bill Gates and U.S. climate envoy John Kerry. The queens son, Prince Charles, 72, and grandson Prince William, 39, greeted guests along with her. Queen Elizabeths stay in the hospital was notable considering that the last time she is thought to have done so was in 2013, when she was experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis. She underwent surgery in 2018 for eye cataracts and a knee operation in 2003. Next year marks the monarchs platinum jubilee, 70 years on the throne. The queen has taken on fewer duties in recent years but is said to maintain a full schedule. In less than two weeks, she will host world leaders at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press and Reuters Somalias federal government is asking U.N. humanitarian agencies for urgent assistance to counter an ongoing drought and growing food insecurity, mainly in the southern part of the country. According to the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 5.9 million Somalis need urgent assistance, with 3.5 million of them facing acute food insecurity. Jubbaland state in southern Somalia, on the border with Kenya, is the worst affected, as many farmers have lost their crops, and many livestock owners have lost their herds due to insufficient rains. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble called for urgent assistance for the affected people during an emergency meeting about the situation with some members of his cabinet. He said his government has decided to step up humanitarian efforts to save the livelihoods of those affected by the worsening drought in Jubbaland state, noting there is a scarcity of water and food. He said he wants to send his appeal to U.N. humanitarian agencies in the country and to international partners as well to also urgently provide help to those affected. Drought is not the only culprit behind the dire humanitarian situation, says Cindy Isaac OCHAs deputy head of office in Mogadishu. The humanitarian situation overall has been impacted not only by the drought but also by the continued threat by the desert locust situation, particularly when you look at the Somaliland and Puntland, and this has been further compounded by the impact of the COVID-19, and as we all know, the political tensions that has been surfaced throughout the year, Isaac said. According to OCHA, funding for humanitarian aid has dipped to its lowest point in five years. The U.N. agency has appealed for about 1.1 billion dollars to help Somalia, but only half of that figure has been received. The United States is monitoring reports militants aligned with Boko Haram are taking over communities in north-central Nigeria, part of what appears to be an attempted revival by the al-Qaida-linked terror group. Officials in Nigerias Niger state have been warning of Boko Haram activity for months, recently claiming that the group's fighters are present in more than 500 villages across eight of the states 25 wards. They tell local people that they are not fighting with them but with government and its institutions, Suleman Chukuba, an official with the Shiroro local government, told VOA. They are saying only Islamic education is allowedThey also use bombs to attack people, he added, noting the terror groups flag has been raised in a growing number of villages. These are Boko Harams ways of operation. But U.S. officials are leery of drawing any conclusions given the fast-evolving terror landscape, which has seen the fortunes of Boko Haram and its Islamic State-aligned rival, IS West Africa, rise and fall multiple times over the past several months. The United States is aware of reports that Boko Haram militants are present in Nigerias north-central Niger state, a State Department spokesperson told VOA, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence. Boko Haram has terrorized civilian populations in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger for more than a decade, the spokesperson said, adding the U.S., will continue to seek to help further develop the capabilities of the Nigerian security services to respond to these threats. U.S. intelligence officials are also concerned. Boko Harams remaining elements continue to be a threat to local communities, one official told VOA, requesting anonymity in order to discuss the information. So far, Nigerian officials have sent some military and police units to Niger state to help, though local officials say it is not enough to combat what they see as a growing threat. One factor that could be boosting Boko Harams current efforts are reports that the leader of IS West Africa is dead, potentially giving Boko Haram the time and space to rebuild. Nigerias military announced the death of Abu Musab al-Barnawi last week (October 14) though U.S. officials cautioned previous reports of the IS West Africa leaders death had proven to be unfounded. Yet even if al-Barnawi is dead, Boko Haram is likely to still face significant challenges as it attempts to regroup. Their resources continue to be drained by ongoing clashes with ISIS-West Africa, some fighters attempts to disengage from the battlefield, and continued counterterrorism pressure from Nigerian security forces, the intelligence official told VOA, using another acronym for Boko Harams IS-aligned rival. U.S. officials also tell VOA that Boko Haram was hit hard earlier this year by the death of its leader, Abubakar Shekau, following his capture by IS West Africa. Even though some high-level Boko Haram commanders managed to escape the IS West Africa assault, the defeat led to mass defections, whittling Boko Harams fighting force to as few as 500 fighters. They are definitely on their back foot, a U.S. military official, who like the other U.S. officials requested anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, told VOA. The official, who described Boko Harams recent setbacks as significant, also said there are questions about how effectively the group can recruit as it attempts to overcome something of a leadership vacuum. [Boko Haram] was significantly driven by Shekau and his leadership, the official said, noting the groups command and control is not as cohesive as it was." Some analysts who study Boko Haram also have doubts about the groups ability to rebound, despite reports of ongoing, low-level clashes with IS West Africa. There are still remnants, James Barnett, a research fellow at the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja, told VOA. But its difficult to gauge at this point whether those remnants are coalescing into a cohesive, smaller insurgency. The best evidence now points to Boko Haram being, at best, a very marginal player for the near term, he added. VOAs Hausa Service and Mustapha Batsari in Minna, Nigeria, contributed to this report. Protests erupted in the streets of Khartoum on Thursday over Sudan's hybrid transitional government. Supporters of the northeast African nation's civilian coalition, the Forces of Freedom and Change, turned out after crowds who support a military-led government marched against civilian rule Saturday. Thousands of pro-democracy protesters called for a fully civilian government. Their demonstrations skirted around the presidential palace, where pro-military protesters have sat for six days, according to Reuters. Factional rivalries threaten to break apart Sudan's tenuous power-sharing agreement before elections scheduled for 2023. Civilian leaders have shared power with Sudan's military generals since former President Omar al-Bashir was ousted in 2019. But hopes for democratization have run aground after the transitional government's military wing began calling for the civilian Cabinet's dissolution. Protesters on Thursday accused General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, of continued loyalty to Bashir, Al Jazeera reported. Burhan has called for dismantling the Cabinet of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Burhan's supporters say Hamdok's government has bungled Sudan's economic recovery, The Associated Press reported. Despite these tensions, both Hamdok and Burhan have asked their supporters to stay peaceful as protests across the country continue. The Sudanese Professionals Association, an organization of trade unions instrumental in organizing the protests, said on Twitter that security forces attacked demonstrators outside parliament. Reuters reported that protesters burned tires, waved Sudan's flag and chanted pro-democracy slogans, part of the largest demonstrations of Sudan's post-Bashir transition. Some Sudanese government officials even took part in Thursday's protests. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. The U.N.s independent human rights expert on North Korea warned Friday that the country is facing a worsening hunger crisis due to COVID-19, and children, the elderly and prisoners may be at particular risk of starvation. Even prior to the onset of the pandemic, over 40% of the people were food insecure, with many suffering from malnourishment and stunted growth, Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Tomas Ojea Quintana, told reporters. Special rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council to monitor the rights situation in countries of particular concern. Following the outbreak of the pandemic early in 2020, North Korean closed its border and has strictly enforced it, and imposed travel restrictions between cities and regions, leaving people without jobs and goods. The draconian steps that DPRK state has taken to prevent COVID-19 entering, include a policy of shooting individuals who try to enter or leave the country, the special rapporteur said, using the abbreviation for North Koreas formal name. In his report Friday to the U.N. General Assembly committee that deals with human rights issues, Quintana said the price of staple items like rice and corn have risen in parts of the country, and there are shortages of essential medicines and medical supplies that come from neighboring China. The number of homeless people and street children is increasing. Those discharged from compulsory military service and returning home have no jobs, income, or food to survive, he wrote in his annual report. He said North Koreans should not have to choose between the fear of hunger and the fear of COVID-19. Pyongyang has joined the global facility for obtaining COVID-19 vaccines, called Covax, but it has not fulfilled the necessary steps to receive vaccines through the facility, he noted. Quintana, an Argentinian human rights lawyer, will conclude his mandate as special rapporteur at the end of this year. He also expressed growing concerns about prisoners access to adequate food. Detainees often rely on their families to feed them in North Korea. He said with travel restrictions and growing economic difficulties, families may not be able to assist their incarcerated relatives. For political prisoners, the situation is even more unclear, as the government denies the existence of forced labor camps, which, Quintana said in his view, represent the most serious human rights situation in the country. We are really, really concerned about to what extent the prisoners, especially those in the political prison camps, are facing hunger due to lack of adequate food, he said. Extreme isolation Quintana said that North Korea is at an unprecedented level of isolation due to COVID-19 measures, expressing concern that could become its new normal. He warned that could negatively impact addressing domestic human rights issues as well as issues of abductees from Japan and the separation of North and South Korean families. Without an environment of dialogue, without communication, without engagement, there is no hope for all these human rights grievances, he said. Regarding the role of international and bilateral sanctions imposed on the regime for its prohibited nuclear and ballistic missile programs, the special rapporteur wrote in his report that, sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council should be reviewed and eased when necessary to both facilitate humanitarian and life-saving assistance and to enable the promotion of the right to an adequate standard of living of ordinary citizens. There are exemptions for humanitarian items, which are regularly granted, but some critics argue they are insufficient and also that companies are reluctant to supply sanctioned states lest they fall afoul of sanctions regulations. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday while the country remains committed to its one China policy, it will continue to help Taiwan defend itself. Austin made the comments to reporters following NATOs defense ministerial meetings at the alliances headquarters in Brussels, and was asked if the United States would defend Taiwan if attacked by China. Austin told a reporter he did not want to deal in hypotheticals and added, nobody wants to see cross-strait issues come to blows, and certainly not (U.S.) President (Joe) Biden, and there's no reason that it should. He also said the U.S. stands by its commitment to the one China policy, recognizing Beijing governs all of China. Per previous administrations, he added, the U.S. will continue to help Taiwan with capabilities that it needs to defend itself, and we'll stay focused on those things. Austin was echoing comments made late Thursday by U.S. President Joe Biden, who said during a televised meeting on U.S. cable news channel CNN, the U.S. is committed to defending Taiwan if attacked by China. Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters Friday there is no room for compromise on the issue of Taiwan, that it is an inalienable part of China's territory, and on that issue, there is no room for foreign intervention. He urged the United States to adhere to its one China policy, or risk destabilizing the region. China has raised tensions in the region in recent weeks by flying warplanes within Taiwans defense zone and rehearsing beach landings nearby. Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, one of former President Donald Trump's longtime advisers, in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a congressional inquiry into the January 6 rioting at the U.S. Capitol. The House voted 229-202, with a handful of Republican lawmakers, including Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, both members of the panel conducting the investigation, joining the Democratic majority in the House in voting against Bannon. The citation will now be sent to the federal prosecutor in Washington for presentation to a grand jury for possible indictment of Bannon. He could, if convicted, be sentenced to up to a year in prison, but contempt of Congress charges are unusual and rarely result in prison time. The House debated the contempt citation for more than hour before voting. Democrats on the investigative committee argued that Bannon should not be allowed to ignore their subpoena for his testimony about his role in the mayhem at the Capitol and his conversations with Trump. "We cannot let this man flout the laws with impunity," said Representative Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat and chairman of the investigative committee. Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, another Democrat, told lawmakers, "In America, when you're subpoenaed, you show up. You cannot blow off a subpoena." But one Republican opposed to the contempt citation, Representative Jim Banks of Indiana, contended the committee members were "abusing their power to put [Bannon] in prison" and accused the panel of conducting "a sham investigation." A vocal Trump supporter, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, said the investigation "is really about getting President Trump." The riot unfolded nine months ago as lawmakers were certifying that Trump had lost last year's election to Democrat Joe Biden, who was inaugurated as the country's 46th president two weeks later. The committee investigating the insurrection voted earlier this week to initiate the contempt charges, saying Bannon was the only witness who had completely refused to testify. The committee said Bannon spoke to Trump before the rioting and promoted the January 6 protest, after which about 800 Trump supporters stormed into the Capitol. Just ahead of the rampage, at a rally near the White House, Trump urged supporters to "fight like hell" to block certification of Biden's victory. Some of those attendees entered the Capitol, vandalized the building, ransacked congressional offices and fought with police. More than 600 have been charged with an array of offenses. The chaos left five people dead. Trump has sought to stymie the committee's investigation of what precipitated the rioting and his role in it. He has urged Bannon and other former aides subpoenaed by the committee to reject its requests, claiming executive privilege for White House documents. Bannon was Trump's chief strategist at the White House through the first seven months of 2017 and has remained one of his most vocal supporters. Trump filed a lawsuit Monday, alleging the committee made an illegal, unfounded and overly broad request for his White House records. Biden's White House has argued that Trump has no legitimate privilege claim. "The former president's actions represented a unique and existential threat to our democracy that can't be swept under the rug," spokesman Michael Gwin said. "The constitutional protections of executive privilege should not be used to shield information that reflects a clear and apparent effort to subvert the Constitution itself." Senate Republicans blocked the creation of an independent commission to probe the mayhem, a panel that would have been modeled on the one that investigated the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. In response, the Democratic-controlled House then created the nine-member investigative panel, with seven Democrats, along with Cheney and Kinzinger, both of whom have been vocal Trump critics. In July, the panel heard vivid, detailed accounts from four police officers who encountered the rioters inside the Capitol on January 6 but has not heard more public testimony since then. A U.S. senator who sits on the Armed Services Committee is warning a violent, military takeover of Taiwan by Beijing would markedly change the world order, and he is calling on world leaders to support democratic Taiwan. Taiwan is being threatened with extinction by an authoritarian government of immense power, ambition and appetite, said Dan Sullivan, a Republican senator from Alaska. Taiwan, Sullivan said, is not some peripheral sideshow in global great power competition. Rather, it is the front line between freedom and tyranny, like West Berlin during the height of the Cold War. Sullivan spoke at the International Republican Institutes annual Freedom Award ceremony held in Washington this week. He is chair of the IRI. In an interview with VOA on the sidelines of the event, Sullivan said he watched the situation in Hong Kong closely and saw how the rule of law, freedom of speech and association, and free elections have largely disappeared since Beijing took control of the territory. Those developments are widely seen as violating Chinas earlier promises to let Hong Kong maintain its way of life for 50 years from the time of the territorys return to Chinese governance in 1997. Part of my role as an American elected official who cares about these issues is to make statements saying, 'Dont view Hong Kong as a precedent that you now are going to use in other places, like Taiwan, Sullivan told VOA. It is our view that the unification [of Taiwan and China], if its going to happen, needs to be done peacefully, he said. Thats in the law, and its important for people to recognize that this isnt just some outpost in the Pacific. This is, in my view, one of the front lines of freedom, the way West Berlin was during the Cold War. US policy on Taiwan Sullivan stressed that the Taiwan Relations Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1979, explicitly states the United States will consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific and of grave concern to the United States. Were a country thats ruled by law, thats what were required to do, said Sullivan, who also served as a Marine infantry officer deployed to the Taiwan Strait in the 1990s, during a time when Beijing was conducting provocative missile tests close to Taiwan. With Democrat and Republican senators, this administration, the previous administration, support for Taiwan is rock-solid and growing, Sullivan said. And I think thats important as well. US support for Taiwan Chris Coons, a Democratic senator representing the state of Delaware, serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In June, he traveled to Taiwan, along with Sullivan and another Democratic senator, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, to deliver 750,000 vaccines in a show of solidarity and what Coons called U.S. commitment to the people of Taiwan. There are some countries that question whether the United States will come to the aid of our friends in Taiwan. This is a moment [when] we thought it was urgent and important for us to make clear that we intend to do so, Coons said at the vaccine delivery ceremony in Taipei. Asked by VOA how Washington should respond to repeated shows of force by Beijing close to Taiwan, Coons provided a written statement saying the United States should continue to oppose unilateral actions taken by China to undermine the stability of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific. We also must do more to strengthen our competitive posture with regards to China here at home by sending to President [Joe] Bidens desk the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which we already passed through the Senate on a bipartisan basis, he wrote in an email response to VOAs questions. Coons said the legislation would allow for significant investments that will help strengthen Taiwan and other partners in the Indo-Pacific that are doing their best to defend democracy and stand up to an increasingly assertive China. Earlier, Coons said the bill was intended to more tightly weave together the open societies, the democracies of the world and that it specifically recognizes the strategic importance of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship. Support for Taiwans free market democracy remains strong here in the U.S. Congress, and the Biden administration has taken calibrated steps to deepen ties with Taiwan consistent with both the one-China policy and the Taiwan Relations Act, Coons wrote. Deepening ties? The U.S. government under former President Donald Trump took significant steps to deepen ties with Taiwan, including sending high-level health and trade officials to Taipei and lifting restrictions put in place decades earlier that forbade official exchanges between U.S. and Taiwan for fear of angering Beijing. The Biden administration has taken additional steps, including U.S.-Taiwan trade and investment talks that were launched in June, the delivery of nearly a million vaccine doses, and the approval of a large-scale arms sale in August. Derek Mitchell is president of the National Democratic Institute, another Washington institution, like IRI, with a mission to advance the cause of democracy and freedom. Asked if support for Taiwan was indeed bipartisan, rock-solid and growing, as Sullivan put it, his response was absolutely. Support for Taiwan, he said, is coming from left, right and center. Theres a respect for what Taiwan has achieved, he said in a phone interview with VOA. Taiwans ability to fend off the coronavirus while maintaining its democratic system with a strong commitment to social welfare has gotten the worlds positive attention and made Americans and people from other countries generally more aware of what Taiwan has offered the world in terms of political and economic development. Mitchell, who served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations as a Pentagon official, also pointed out Taiwans unique position in the strategic thinking of the U.S. and other countries. The crimes against humanity that are occurring in Xinjiang, the violation of essentially treaty obligations in Hong Kong, those are very, very important to the United States, but Taiwan was always a somewhat different [entity], he said. Chinese military action Like Sullivan, Mitchell said the Taiwan Relations Act is explicit about if there were a military action, it would be a grave concern to the United States. The Pentagon has always watched [the situation] very closely and planned for scenarios related to potential contingency in the Taiwan Strait and towards Taiwan, he said, noting that the leaders of the Communist Party who are running China now have failed to take the international communitys perception of Taiwans unique position into account. In their view, he said, this is all about internal affairs, and they have essentially drummed into the heads of the Chinese that theyre victims of a legacy of colonialism, Japanese imperialism, Western perfidy and containment. Thats what theyve taught themselves, so they dont see the difference. Outside China, he said, theres now a broader community that sees Taiwan as not just about cross-strait matters, but [having] implications for broader national security, international security, which has everything to do with competition from China when it comes to norms and values in the international system democracy versus autocracy. Speaking to an international audience at the Freedom Award ceremony on Tuesday, Sullivan called for solidarity to sustain the democratic spirit and practice as seen in Taiwan and elsewhere. Now is the time for the leaders of all democracies to get off the fence, and for the free world to stand together to make sure that authoritarian aggression will fail in the 21st century, just as it ultimately failed in the 20th. Asked if Washington was prepared to send troops if Beijing invaded Taiwan, Sullivan said that remained to be seen. "Thats something thats ambiguous right now, but I think we as a nation, and other nations, need to be ready, he said. The White House on Friday urged all those eligible in the United States to get COVID-19 booster shots to do so, one day after U.S. health and drug regulatory agencies endorsed an expanded list of recommended shots. On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and, later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed the list of vaccines eligible for a booster shot to include the Moderna and singe-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Previously, only people who had received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had been recommended for booster shots. During a virtual briefing by the White House COVID-19 Response Team, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky clarified exactly who is eligible for a booster shot. Those people who initially received Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations are eligible for a booster if they are 65 and older six months after their last vaccination, adult residents of long-term care facilities, people with underlying medical conditions, and people who live or work in high-risk settings. Anyone who received a single dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, two or more months ago, are eligible for a booster shot. Walensky said the FDA and CDC recommendations also allow people to choose any authorized COVID-19 vaccine for a booster, regardless of their original shot. Walensky was asked if this expanded list of booster shots might require the CDC to update the definition of "fully vaccinated." She said the CDC has not yet changed that definition but said it may need to in the future. Currently people in the United States are considered fully vaccinated if they have had two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, or one dose of the vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson. Some information for this report was provided by the Associated Press, and Reuters. Botswana wildlife authorities have refuted reports the country's rhinoceros population is on the verge of extinction due to poaching. The southern African country has battled a rise in poaching, with more than 60 animals killed in the last two years. Department of Wildlife and National Parks Director Kabelo Senyatso said both rhinoceros and elephant poaching remain under control. In a statement addressing poaching concerns, Senyatso said the government is committed to protecting the key species. He added that, while isolated reports of poaching both the rhino and elephant continue to be reported, the government's anti-poaching efforts are making progress. But conservationist Neil Fitt said poaching incidents could have dropped due to the decrease in the number of rhinoceroses in the Okavango Delta. "Rhino poaching could have subsided only because there is lot less numbers there," Fitt said. "Elephant poaching is still happening, but we are getting very little reports because the government is not saying what is happening." In a bid to stem the poaching tide, government security forces have killed more than 20 poachers in the last two years as part of a zero-tolerance campaign that Botswana has enforced since 2013. Fitt said a multi-stakeholder approach to fighting poaching is key. "The best that we can do is we all work together - the government, the private sector and NGOs. Sometimes you need to put your hand up and say we have got a problem, we need to solve it, and we need everyone to help, and we are open to all ideas, not just ideas that we like," he said. Map Ives, former director at Rhino Conservation Botswana, said there is a need for an intelligence-based approach to counter poaching. "That intelligence comes in several layers," Ives said. "You need local intelligence within the Okavango Delta. You need local plus intelligence, which is surrounding the Okavango Delta, and then you need regional intelligence that is from countries surrounding Botswana, including Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. And then you need international intelligence. This sort of intelligence requires a high level of trust, not only government but between the private sector and NGOs." According to a 2021 International Rhino Foundation status report released last month, the rhino population faces a significant poaching threat in Botswana. But, the report notes, the government is taking steps to address the issue, including dehorning the rhinos to make them less attractive to poachers and relocating the animals to safer places. MDC Alliance and Zanu PF activists clashed in Manicaland on Thursday when Nelson Chamisa was visiting some parts of the province. Zanu PF members wanted to block Chamisa's rallies. And this is what happened at one of the meetings ... (Video: VOA) Kudzanai Mashumba being tormented in Harare on Thursday by youth members of the MDC-T led by Douglas Mwonzora for attempting to tell the press that the party leader is allegedly "stealing a lot of party funds." Mashumba was beaten up before he spoke to the media. What's your take on this? A prominent professor studying communication in Namibia says member countries in the 16-nation Southern African Development Community, or SADC, have enacted and drafted cybersecurity laws which infringe on citizens freedom of expression. Zimbabwe is one of the southern African nations that critics say has drafted strict cybersecurity laws in the region awaiting President Emmerson Mnangagwas signature. A professor in Namibia said most cybersecurity laws in the region infringe on the right to privacy and freedom of expression and are in need of revision. Admire Mare is a professor of communication, journalism and media technology at Namibia University of Science. This week, he published a report examining how basic freedoms should be at the core of policies lawmakers should consider when drafting laws. Human rights should be at the center of policy making and drafting of legislation. If you miss that out you may actually end up infringing, curtailing the exercise of some of the basic rights that human beings must be able to [enjoy], he said. The report titled Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Laws in the SADC Region: Implications on Human Rights, looks at several countries in the region. However, Mare singles out South Africa as one of the few 16-nation member countries with laws taking citizens freedoms into account. Tabani Moyo is the director of the Harare-based Media Institute of Southern Africa, or MISA, an organization with SADC member representatives, where the report was launched. He called on President Mnangagwa to rethink Zimbabwes Cyber Security and Data Protection Bill and reverse course from signing the bill into law. The bill was recently passed by parliament and critics say it punishes social media users for minor infractions. Moyo said the bill, if signed as is, only empowers few people. It fails to provide protection for a whistleblower in a comprehensive manner. Secondly, it provides the security forces the power to snoop into our communication through the Cyber Security Center [Zimbabwes cybersecurity agency]. Thirdly, it is just impossible to define interference with personal data without [providing] legal oversight from the judiciary, he said. Moyo said the bill creates loopholes for authorities to abuse citizens similar to what is happening in Lesotho, Tanzania and Zambia. Human rights advocates say authorities in these countries have routinely used laws to arrest opposition members and curtail their activities. But the bill has some supporters. Lawyer and information and communications technology expert, Jacob Mutevedzi, praised Zimbabwes parliament for passing what he calls a progressive and commendable cyber statute. Prior to this law [bill awaiting signature to be implemented] the legal framework for cyber security and data protection in Zimbabwe was incoherent and half baked. The country lacked a comprehensive legal framework for the regulation of cybersecurity and data protection. The consolidation of cyber related offences and regulation of data protection under the current statute within a single framework is a welcome development which accords with regional practices, said Mutevedzi. Professor Mare, however, said it is also the responsibility of rights organizations like MISA to take action against the cyberlaws endangering journalists and citizens rights. Strategic litigation we have seen in different countries can be an opportunity that can be harnessed. Make use of public interest lawyers and to test the constitutionality of some of these proposed and enacted laws, said Mare. Zimbabwes government has for long insisted that it needs a tight cyberlaw to deal with what it calls falsehoods peddled especially on social media. A Zimbabwean, who has filed a court order seeking the nullification of President Emmerson Mnangagwas leadership of Zanu PF, says his elevation was illegal as the Central Committee that made the decision to remove the late former President Robert Mugabe from the post of party secretary was not properly convened. In an exclusive interview with VOA Zimbabwe Service, Sybeth Musengezi, accuses the partys secretary of administration and other senior officials of violating the Zanu PF constitution when they elevated the current Zimbabwean president to the post of party secretary. We want to go back to the 2017 November party structures. We convene a meeting with the legal Central Committee members so that the issue of choosing the secretary and other members has to be put on the agenda of that meeting and then we chose the person that we want to lead us as Zanu PF and not the current set up where an individual was imposed on us by his close allies. Musengezi said they are seeking the removal of Mnangagwa from the helm of the party despite the holding of presidential elections in 2018 in which Mnangagwa was declared the winner by the Constitutional Court after opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa, claimed that the poll was rigged. There was an illegality in 2017 on the 20th of November. So, we cannot justify an illegality by an achievement. Yes, they won an election in 2018 but he was representing the party illegally. So, what we will simply do as a party, if the court grants us the order, we will just recall him and then appoint a person that has been chosen by the people. He won that seat on a Zanu PF ticket and not in his individual capacity. Musengezi is seeking an order compelling Zanu PF to hold a congress to chose a new leader. He wants the High Court to declare the resolutions of that Central Committee meeting null and void. Mugabe was toppled in a defacto military coup in a move dubbed Operation Restore Legacy. Zanu PFs Believe Gaule says Musengezi has a right to file such an application but he is confident that it does not have any legal merit. Host, Heather Maxwell of VOA's Music Time in Africa, revisits some of the great performances she's hosted. Among them is Afrofusion band Mokoomba, a group from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, which visited Washington, in 2016 performed live at the VOA. Here they perform their son, Kumkanda (Sept. 2014) When boat lifts were taken out of Lake Mary this fall the increased volume of zebra mussels in the lake was made apparent. Lake Mary is one of many lakes in the county to make the DNR's list of lakes with invasive species in it. User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale Contribute: Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it. Flag as inappropriate. Mark as helpful or interesting. Send your own user report! Translate Hastings, New Zealand / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 1-2 minutes First I felt a dropping sensation while seated. I did hear a niise. After a moment the house started swaying, lights included. Light to moderate shaking. | 8 users found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 1-2 minutes Belmont (239.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s I was standing on the 2nd floor of a clients house and it started rattling windows and things in cupboards. Felt like it was strong but quite a distance away. Thier cat was acting strangely right before the shake | 2 users found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s Richmond Nelson (296 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Cell phone alert then a few seconds later the dog alerted and i felt a small shake in a SW/NE direction | 2 users found this interesting. Tauranga (183.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : My android earthquake alarm was activated. It gave us the magnitude but not the depth. The size was instant worry about people in area, so if possible, please add depth. | 2 users found this interesting. Lower Hutt, Wellington (321.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : felt like a very very heavy vehicle drove past and shook the house there was a rumbling stone sound in the ground | 2 users found this interesting. Hokowhitu Palmerston North (159.8 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : There was 1 jolt followed by shaking, another jolt then more shaking. It seemed to go for 15 seconds | 3 users found this interesting. Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s : I seemed to sense a change in the atmosphere as I was seated,a sort of quietness for a few seconds. It made me look up from my phone and I seemed to sense that we might be in for a quake. Then it happened and I sat still to see how long it would last. | 2 users found this interesting. Christchurch / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating : Felt like two periods of weak shaking a few seconds apart. Second one stronger. Lasted about 2-5 seconds | One user found this interesting. Christchurch / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Lying in bed napping with cat. Felt slight movement, anxiety and anticipation of stronger shake or jolt. Cat woke up, sat up, laid back down again. | One user found this interesting. Paraparaumu Beach (230.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Was sitting in stationary vehicle. Vehicle rocked lightly continuously for a period of time. | One user found this interesting. Christchurch (537.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : Small shake | One user found this interesting. Car (235.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Car was rocking sideways for 30 seconds | One user found this interesting. Napier (175.3 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 20-30 s : Rolling | One user found this interesting. Whanganui East (98.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s : Felt like a big truck but just kept going | One user found this interesting. Kaiti Gisborne (273.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : Im inside my car parked and felt my car is moving... | One user found this interesting. near Hastings, Hawke's Bay (162 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : Felt much shallower than 206km deep. | One user found this interesting. Marton (152 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Though a truck was driving past my house at first and the big shake happened | One user found this interesting. Rangiora / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I was parked on the side of the road and the car started rolling from side to side. I immediately thought this is an earthquake. Wellington / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Was lying in bed and woke up about a minute before the quake hit, I'm 4 storys up in a highrise and felt a horizontal push followed by weak sideways shaking for about 5 seconds, was a rolling motion (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Wakefield / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : Just a bit of noise and things rattled a little light shade moved slighty | One user found this interesting. Johnsonville, Wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Large bump, then rattling. Stopped then a big jolt and more rattling | One user found this interesting. Waitara to the East a bit further north. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Light rolling motion for many seconds. No doubt as to what it was. Nothing dislodged. | One user found this interesting. Nelson / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s : I got a warning on my phone, without that I may not have felt it. | One user found this interesting. Christchurch / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s : 3rd floor | One user found this interesting. Christchurch / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : Sitting at desk, could feel chair and desk vibrating | One user found this interesting. Richmond / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s My PC monitor shook and that's how I noticed there was movement. Very very light in Richmond | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app Papps car park / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Palmerston North / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 5-10 s : Small shake and loud rumble, followed by 5(ish) second pause then large rolling jolt | One user found this interesting. near Bulls, Rangitikei District, Manawatu-Wanganui (140 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s West Harbour, Auckland (249 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s napier (161.3 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Christchurch (545.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s near Warkworth, Auckland, Auckland (273.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 15-20 s : More of a roll ,several, like standing on marbles Chamantha, Wallaceville,Upper Hutt (233.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Blenheim, Marlborough District, Marlborough (287.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Felt a small shake a about 30 seconds before the 5.9 Quake. So felt 2 quakes in Marlborough. (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s near North Shore, Auckland, Auckland (259.5 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt Feilding (143 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Sitting in lounge watching COVID report, felt a sharp jolt. Nelson (296.4 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Outside washing windows and the whole house started rattling Palmerston North (158.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : House shook breifly Whanganui (90.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s 34 bell street otaki 5212 diningr oom (169.7 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 minutes : House moving - rolling? Quite Noticable! Palmerston north (157.8 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s Richmond (294.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Was sleeping. Felt like someone was shaking the bed. Tinui Valley (225.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Trentham upper hutt (233.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : At home sitting on the couch saw the computer slightly moving Paraparaumu, Kapiti Coast District, Wellington (207.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Blenheim (288.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Loud noise then a jolt with plants swaying. Hastings (173.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Slight ratttling,rolling that got weaker as it slowed down Feilding manawatu (142.8 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Sitting down noise rattling shaking horizontal of house reasonably firm shaking Levin (180.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes 100.4 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes 287.6 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Hamilton (146.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Gentle while sitting 164.9 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Gisborne new zealand (264.6 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : On couch Nelson new Zealand (285.3 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s Rangiora / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s : Upstairs in a building designed to move with earthquakes so I felt building sway Lower Hutt / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Hastings (177.4 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating Auckland / not felt Taupo / not felt Rotorua / not felt (reported through our app / not felt Whanganui / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Christchurch / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s New plymouth / not felt 102 king Edward Street. Motueka (284.4 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Napier / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Light shaking Hamilton / not felt Miramar, Wellington / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 s Napier (176.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Sitting on the sofa at home in Meeanaa Napier. palmerston north / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : heard a rumble then felt it Palmerston North / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s Manurewa / not felt Nothing at all. Received notification by phone, tried to feel anything (reported through (reported through our app / not felt Motueka / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Motueka Tauranga / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s Kaipaki (133.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt Nelson / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Christchurch (539.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Nelson / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short Felt like wind shaking house (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short Dannyvurke / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Heard a noise first, followed by light shaking. Lower Hutt / Light shaking (MMI IV) palmerston north / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : heard a rumble then felt it Kai Iwi / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Auckland / not felt Nelson / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 5-10 s Kai Iwi / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Karori, Wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 5-10 s : very weak shaking Foxton Beach / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s napier / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Tokaanu / not felt (reported through our app / not felt Wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Quite strong initially but quickly faded LEVIN / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s : A bump and then rolling direction south to Wellington Omokoroa / Very weak shaking (MMI II) Motueka / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Nelson / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Whanganui / not felt Palmerston north / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) Palmerston North / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s Nelson / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short : 1 second rattling Te Awamutu / not felt Hamilton / not felt : Nothing Palmerston North / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 minutes Porirua / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Noise the shallow rocking (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s hollow close titahi bay / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Gisborne / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Papamoa beach / not felt Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Maungaraki, Lower Hutt / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Light shaking, variable over 15 seconds Stoke, Nelson / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Light shaking, rolling .Blenheim / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Pahiatua / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Light shaking for longer time. paraparaumu / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Light shaking Hawera, South Taranaki, New Zealand / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s Sitting on bed swaying from side to side. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s Felt an initial jolt lasting ~5 seconds followed by ~25-30 seconds of sustained shaking. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s Christchurch / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s Wellington / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Opotiki / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Felt light shake and furniture rattle. Light shake (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s Levin / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 minutes : Just a little short shake Whanganui / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s nelson / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : very brief, but clear, light, no noises nor trucks around so it was def a quake Christchurch / 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 Hastings / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 5-10 s featherston / Weak shaking (MMI III) Short sharp rolling shake. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) Stratford / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Just one lateral movement as I was sitting. Linton camp / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s Computers shook and desk. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s Palmerston north / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Wellington / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short Woodville manawatu / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s Levin / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 30-60 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 30-60 s Christchurch / not felt (reported through our app / not felt Nelson / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale Contribute: Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it. Flag as inappropriate. Mark as helpful or interesting. Send your own user report! Translate Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (16.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s : First vibrating, followed of two wave-like motions | One user found this interesting. Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (17.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) Hersonissons (15.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : sitting on sofa, feel shivering under me Sisi, Lasithi, Crete (20.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Leichtes Zittern des Sofas, auf dem ich sa. Heraklion, Crete (23.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex motion difficult to describe / 1-2 s Ano Archanes Iraklio Crete (15.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Aldemar Royal Mare (17.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (27.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Anissaras (17.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s Analipsi / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Stella Palace analipsis (16.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Tisch hat Glaser haben gewackelt Hotel Akasha Hersonissos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s Hersonissos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Was a little stronger and longer than the one two minutes before. Malia / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Lytton beach / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Ikaros beach resort / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s Anissaras / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Anissaras / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s Malia / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Sisi / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Was lyingnon a bed and felt slight shaking mocemeny Latsida / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short Koutouloufari / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s Heraklion / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s Malia / Light shaking (MMI IV) 17 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Analipsi / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : Das Sofa hat gewackelt Chersonnissos / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Secousse 21.1 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s 23.3 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s 22.2 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s Stalida / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Malia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Light shaking Apostoli Crete (4.5 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : staying in a rather simply built one storey house - everything rattled, as if someone was jumping on the roof. hersonissos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s Kastelli Pediados, crete greece (5.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) 38.6 km E of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Georgioupolis / not felt (reported through our app / not felt Hersonissos (16.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Windmill apartments, malia, greece / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s Analipsi / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short Malia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s Hersonissons (15.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : sitting on sofa, feel shivering under me Anissaras Serita (17.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Felt outdoors sitting by pool Analipsi / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s Kato Gouves, Crete / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Chersonissos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s The articles on Voltaire Network may be freely reproduced provided the source is cited, their integrity is respected and they are not used for commercial purposes (license CC BY-NC-ND). Source: Rapprochement between USA and Saudi Arabia, Voltaire Network, 22 October 2021, www.voltairenet.org/article214430.html Ive seen things you people wouldnt believe attack ships on fire off the Arrakeen skyline. Photo: Warner Bros. Vulture is recirculating its coverage of Dune in celebration of the epics long-awaited release on HBO Max and theaters. The first time I tried edibles, I had a vision in which a pair of harpies reminded me that one day I would die. The second time I tried edibles, I hallucinated a never-ending procession of animals emerging from a black hole. The third time I tried edibles, I saw palm groves bursting into flames, a lifeless desert becoming a maw of death, and most amazing of all, a blue-eyed Timothee Chalamet. But that was okay, because I was at a TIFF screening of Denis Villeneuves Dune, and all of those things were supposed to happen. Why was I seeing Dune high in the fourth-largest city in North America? First, because many of the Dune reviews out of Venice mentioned that its grand scale and vivid imagery made it an ideal movie to see stoned. Second, because since weed was legalized in 2018, roughly 87 percent of Toronto storefronts have turned into cannabis shops. And third, because I was joking when I pitched this story and did not expect my editor to actually say yes. But I was bored and lonely, and had managed to snag a ticket for an IMAX showing, so why not? As you may have been able to tell from my first paragraph, THC and I are not exactly close friends. Our relationship is closer to the kind youd have with an overbearing colleague, or a not-especially beloved uncle. For this reason, having ventured into a basement dispensary on King Street, I decided to go with a comically unintimidating choice: a pack of pink, fruit-flavored gummies, the type of drugs you might feel comfortable giving a child. I ate one about an hour before the movie started, which also happened to be 30 seconds before I read the bit on the packaging informing me that the drugs could take four hours to start working. With my luck, Id get super high just in time for the closing credits, and wind up giggling like an idiot over the name of prop painter Clare Baybutt. Luckily, that wasnt the case. The gummies may have kicked in during the drive to the theater, or maybe I was simply traveling down the most relaxing highway in Canada. Once Villeneuve showed up to give a brief bonjour, things were percolating. I knew this because his Quebecois purr produced a deeply pleasurable ASMR tingle up and down my arm a physical sensation the filmmaker had never given me before, even though I did like Sicario. (I wouldve liked it more if theyd told us whether Ario got better.) It all got even more intense once Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Lady Jessica in the film, came out to do a charming little double-act with Villeneuve. I dont know what it was, but something about the contrast between their voices his velvety growl, her European lilt produced an oil-and-vinegar effect that had me absent-mindedly stroking my own palm. So, I was definitely high by this point. Me, watching Dune. Photo: Warner Bros. And then it was time for the movie! There is a complicated space plot that I will get into later, but for the purposes of a high person, this is what Dune is about: SPACESHIP GO WHIRRRR, CANNON GO BOOOOM, ORCHESTRA GO BRRRRAAWWRRRRRR. It takes place on a planet where the rhythmic hum of machinery has become a matter of life and death, which means that, at multiple points, the movie is literally vibing and my high ass was vibing right there with it. In another development my weed-addled brain found immensely entertaining, everything in this movie is either incredibly big or incredibly small. There are sand worms the size of the train that was the size of the Chrysler Building, and a capital ship that resembles a gigantic floating urethra, while the most dangerous weapons are tiny floating darts that flit through the air like malevolent hummingbirds. The same holds true for the cinematography, which alternates between intense close-ups and grandiose wide shots that make all the people look like ants. Its also the case with the cast: Our protagonist is Chalamet, who in an important step for representation is Hollywoods first action hero with Avian Bone Syndrome; the baddie is Stellan Skarsgards Baron Harkonnen, the long-awaited answer to the question, What if Humpty-Dumpty, but evil? Heres what I knew about Dune going in: It was based on an acclaimed novel, people wear straws up their noses, and at some point, somebody says, The spice must flow. But this leaves a lot that I was unprepared for. For instance, one thing they do not tell you about Dune beforehand is just how much of the story is devoted to sci-fi bureaucracy. Which elites have import/export rights in which provinces? What are the specific bylaws governing a leadership transition? If someone wants to lodge a complaint, which regulatory body must they contact? One minor character is introduced as a member of one organizational hierarchy, but turns out to be simultaneously holding an important position in another org chart (a reveal that reminded me of certain sleazy elements of New York politics). I found this all enthralling, but that might be the gummies talking. Between love and madness lies Arrakis. Photo: Chiabella James/Warner Bros. Another thing reviews have neglected to mention about Dune is that every few minutes, the movies plot stops for a series of perfume commercials featuring Zendaya wandering around the desert. According to Villeneuve, these interstitial segments had been specially filmed on IMAX cameras for the enjoyment of viewers like us. Again, I suspect a more sober-minded viewer could find these moments slow, confusing, repetitive, or even all three. I couldnt look away and not just because the screen was big enough that I literally couldnt. And then, like this blog post, the movie just ends. Its a thrilling callback to the genre cinema of my youth, when films like Kill Bill and Matrix: Reloaded would stop in the middle of the story with no warning and youd have to wait a year to get the resolution. Except with Dune, the gap will be even longer: The sequel hasnt even been greenlit yet. (Villeneuve used a significant chunk of his time before the screening to pitch us on Dune: Part Two, in the hopes that the theater was secretly crawling with Warner Bros. execs.) Once the credits started to roll, I was thrust back into the Canadian night and wandered around a deserted Exhibition Place looking for the car that would take me and my colleague/unofficial babysitter back home. It had been four hours. The gummies had definitely worn off. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday he was "troubled" by a video showing two unmasked NYPD officers removing a masked commuter from a subway station this week, and he said he expects discipline for the officers involved. "I didn't like what I saw one bit," de Blasio said in a news conference about the video. "I saw the officers not wearing their masks in the subway. That's evident; that's unacceptable. We've given this instruction a thousand times, and if you're going to be in law enforcement, you actually have to participate in following the law." The mayor was responding to a video posted on Twitter a day earlier showing two unmasked police officers removing a man from the Eighth Street subway station platform. One of the officers pushes the man through an emergency exit door, leaving him on the other side of the turnstiles, before the officers walk away. READ ALSO: Apple Store security guard stabbed over face mask dispute in NYC Andy Gilbert, who said he is the masked commuter shown in the video, told CNN he'd exited the train on his way to work when he saw the two officers standing on the platform. Gilbert said he asked the officers why they weren't masked, but they ignored him. When he repeated his question, Gilbert said, the male officer told him, "I can't hear you through your mask." "I kept asking them to follow the law and put a mask on, and the officer declared that I was being 'disruptive' and grabbed me and shoved me (about) 60 feet over to the emergency exit and slammed me through it," Gilbert said. "He yelled at me, 'If you're not going to ride the train you can leave!'" Once on the other side of the barrier, Gilbert said, he asked the officers to identify themselves by name or badge number but they ignored him, resuming their previous posts. "I didn't attempt to go back into the station, because I was headed to work and my office is at that station," he said. The video begins with the officers pushing the man toward the exit door, and it is not clear what preceded it. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the city's subway system, requires masks be worn on trains and in indoor stations. Those who refuse to wear a mask could get a $50 fine. "If you're in the subway, we're telling everyone in the subway you've got to wear a mask that includes police officers. Period," de Blasio said Wednesday. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said the officers were patrol officers, not transit officers, and he called their behavior "absolutely inexcusable." "There's discipline imposed, and we expect that discipline to be meted out. There's no excuse for what I saw in that video we're better than that," Shea said at a news conference. Asked what the discipline would be, he said the NYPD would "handle that as it goes." "Nobody's getting fired over this incident, nobody's getting suspended over this incident but at the same time, I'm not in any way, shape or form attempting to downplay that," he continued. "I think we're better than that, I think the public deserves better than that, and, frankly, I know the men and women every day are better than that. But that's inexcusable." The head of the MTA said Wednesday he was "upset" by what he saw in the video. "We're trying to bring riders back to the system," acting CEO Janno Lieber said in a news conference. "I don't want to see them being pushed out of the system by people who are not complying with the rules that the federal government sets. Come on, enough." The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. A math teacher in Southern California has been placed on leave after videos posted online showed her wearing a headdress and mimicking a Native American dance during a lesson. The video appears to have been recorded by a student in Riverside, California, during a math lesson and posted on social media by another person. CNN has repeatedly attempted to contact the person that posted the videos online. In the video, a teacher is seen wearing a headdress made of paper simulating feathers and dancing around the classroom while chanting "SohCahToa" -- a mnemonic used to remember sine, cosine and tangent, which are the three main functions in trigonometry. At one point, the video shows the teacher making references to a "rock god" and "water goddess." In a statement Thursday, the Riverside Unified School District confirmed one of its teachers was seen in the video and has been placed on leave while an investigation is conducted. The district did not identify the teacher. CNN has reached out to the teachers' union and the teacher for comment but has not received a response. "These behaviors are completely unacceptable and an offensive depiction of the vast and expansive Native American cultures and practices," the district said. "Her actions do not represent the values of our district." The district noted its commitment to implement "inclusive practices and policies" and said it will be working to regain the trust of the school community. Crystal Echo Hawk, founder and executive director of IllumiNative, a prominent group focused on increasing the visibility of Indigenous people, said the teacher's behavior was "extremely disrespectful and unacceptable." "The behavior demonstrated by this California teacher is incredibly harmful to Native youth. We must set a higher standard of training for educators to prevent racism and discrimination from occurring in the classroom -- especially by faculty," Echo Hawk said in a statement. The incident is an example of the need for cultural competency training for teachers and how Native American history is underrepresented and inaccurate in classrooms across the country, Echo Hawk said. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Willie B. Smith was executed Thursday night by the State of Alabama for the 1991 murder of Sharma Johnson. Court records say Smith kidnapped Johnson at an ATM, then took her to a cemetery and shot her to death, execution style. The United States Supreme Court stayed Smith's execution in February after the state would not allow his pastor at his side. Smith's attorneys moved to stay the execution again today on the grounds that Smith had a mental disability, but the Supreme Court blocked that request and allowed the execution to proceed. In a statement, Gov. Kay Ivey said, The evidence in this case was overwhelming, and justice has been rightfully served. The carrying out of Mr. Smiths sentence sends the message that the state of Alabama will not tolerate these murderous acts. I pray that the loved ones of Ms. Johnson can be closer to finding peace. Smith's was the first execution in Alabama since before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. A new trend is 'hat'-ching in Huntsville, and it's making people look pretty stylish. The man behind it all is Reggie Corbitt. And if you're Reggie Corbitt, work is all about family and fun. Nathan Mason Hats owner Reggie Corbitt making one of his custom-made creations. Nathan Mason Hats owner Reggie Corbitt making one of his custom-made creations. "(I come from) a generation of hat-rockers," Corbitt said. Hat-making sure is a unique job. But it's perfect for Corbitt. "I couldn't find hats that fit my size," he said. "No idea is too wild." It all starts with a measurement cutting out the guesswork. Corbitt says at other places, his customers don't know if the hat they buy will fit them. That's not a problem at Nathan Mason. "Our hats are hats you can pass down for generations," he said. Corbitt measures each head that walks through the shop's doors. From there, it's onto design. Pick your crown, brim style and color. There's 28 colors to choose from, with more on the way. "This is going to be the biggest hat wall this side of the Mississippi," Corbitt said. Add on accessories, and you've got yourself a custom hat. From the start of the measuring process to getting the completed product can take about three to four weeks. The price may make you go "Whoa," said Corbitt, but he thinks it's worth it. Hats start at $325. They are mostly made of rabbit and beaver furs. Corbitt said in just a few weeks of being open, Huntsville has already caught on to the trend. "Getting the traction going, the word gets out," Corbitt said. "People are coming to us and saying this is something that Huntsville has been needing and that we don't have a hat shop right now." And that makes Nathan Mason Hats a true Alabama Original. "People are having to travel to Nashville, Birmingham and other places, Atlanta, to get hats," Corbitt said. "So to have one here in Huntsville, it has been well-received." Nathan Mason Hats is in the Parkway Place Mall. Customers can also order a custom hat online after a virtual consulting session in which Corbitt will walk them through measuring their head step-by-step. To see all of WAAY 31's past "Alabama Originals," click HERE. If you have an idea for an "Alabama Original," email Luke at lhajdasz@waaytv.com. Ex Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely has withdrawn his request to travel outside of Alabama to show property, according to court documents reviewed by WAAY 31. Blakely is out of jail on an appeal bond after a jury found him guilty of theft and ethics felony violations in August. He is appealing the sentence. Former Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely speaks during a news conference Tuesday, Oct. 5, in Huntsville. Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely mugshot Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely mugshot Blakely enters sentencing hearing Blakely enters sentencing hearing Former Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely speaks during a news conference Tuesday, Oct. 5, in Huntsville. Since he lost his job and paycheck, Blakely had previously told WAAY 31 he was trying to find new employment. On Oct. 20, his attorney's filed a motion with the courts explaining he had secured employment in real estate. On Friday, WAAY 31's Matt Kroschel called Blakely to learn more about the new job. Those initial court documents spelled out his need to travel 10 miles into Tennessee to show prospective clients real estate property. But under Tennessee and Alabama laws a person must be licensed to conduct real estate transactions, including showing property. Blakely said he was just going to "help out some family friends" interested in the property. But after the phone call with WAAY 31, his attorney withdrew the motion. His attorneys then told WAAY 31 it was because the deal fell through, and that Blakely was only going to serve as a "driver" to help take the prospective clients to the property because he "knew the area well." That information was not noted in the original motion. WAAY 31 confirmed with Blakely and both state licensing boards that he does not, and does not intend to, become licensed as a Realtor in either state. Reached by phone Friday, state prosecutors on his criminal case said they could not comment on the motion but noted it had been withdrawn. Blakely is waiting for his appeals to work through the courts. If the appeal fails, he will serve his court-ordered 36-month sentence in the Franklin County Jail. Blakely said he is focused on working on his book. There is not a release date for the book. The Huntsville community came together Thursday to celebrate the life of a trailblazing former city councilman, Dr. Richard Showers Sr. While many people remember him as the first African American to serve on Huntsville City Council in decades, they may forget about his life of service before that. Dr. Richard Showers, Sr. Dr. Richard Showers, Sr. Showers was a teacher at Huntsville City Schools, teaching within the school system for 33 years and leaving behind a legacy that continued long after his retirement. "He truly was not only a pillar for education and advocate for students, but he was a pillar in our community," Superintendent Christie Finley said. Elisa Ferrell, president of the school board, said Showers "worked diligently as a career technical educator, a science teacher and GED instructor, impacting the lives of thousands of students across Huntsville City Schools." In Thursday's Board of Education meeting, Ferrell read a resolution honoring Showers that had been delivered to his family during Thursday's funeral service. She thanked the family for "allowing Dr. Showers to do so much for the community." After more than three decades as an educator, Showers leaves behind a lasting impression. "I knew him as a very passionate activate for the schools, as well as for the city," Councilmember Jennie Robinson said. Robinson said Showers contribution to education only enhanced his time on City Council. "He was an employee of the school system, and sometimes we forget that that was his contribution to the city as well as his time on the Council," Robinson said. Showers retired from Huntsville City Schools in 2005. He was laid to rest 11 a.m. Friday at New Mount Marriah Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in Lillian. Attorney General Steve Marshall urges Alabamians to participate in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 23, at various locations throughout the state. This years event the 21st DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back has collection sites throughout Alabama scheduled to be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check for sites near you HERE. If you dont find one, call the non-emergency phone number of your local police department or sheriffs office for assistance. Partnership for a Drug-Free Community is hosting these three sites in Madison County: Huntsville Public Safety Complex, 815 Wheeler Ave. Madison City Hall, 100 Hughes Road CVS Meridianville, 12275 U.S. 231 The program is sponsored by the DEA to combat the abuse or misuse of potentially dangerous medicines that have expired or are no longer needed for those whom these controlled substances were prescribed. Law enforcement officers will be present at sites throughout Alabama to receive unused prescription drugs for safe and proper disposal. Sheffield Police Sgt. Nick Risner and 10 other fallen law enforcement officers were honored during a statewide law enforcement summit hosted Thursday by the Alabama attorney general. AG Steve Marshalls office said around 850 law enforcement officials from across the state attended the event, now in its 22nd year. In addition to being a day of instruction and an opportunity to learn about new measures being taken to combat crime in Alabama, the group took a moment to commemorate the 11 officers who have died since the group last met in 2020. Sheffield Police Sgt. Nick Risner with K-9 Officer Wiske Sheffield Police Sgt. Nick Risner with K-9 Officer Wiske Four of those officers, including Risner, died in the line of duty. Marshall said he hopes everyone recognizes the important role they and their coworkers play in Alabama communities. Things that we do as part of this summit is to really be able to tell them thank you for the work they do in communities and make sure their work is recognized by us and others that believe in them strongly, Marshall said. The following officers were honored for their sacrifices this year: Officer Randall Versie Smith, formerly of the Birmingham Police Department. Smith died Dec. 28, 2020, from complications of a gunshot wound suffered while rescuing a child in 1995; Lt. Jeff Bain, DeKalb County Sheriffs Office. Bain died Jan. 3 from complications as the result of contracting Covid-19 in a presumed exposure while on duty; Deputy William H. Smith, Baldwin County Sheriffs Office. Smith died June 6 while attempting to rescue three distressed swimmers in the Gulf of Mexico; Officer Marquis Dewon Moorer, Selma Police Department. Moorer was shot and killed during a meal break at his apartment July 27. His significant other was wounded in the attack; Corrections Officer Maurice Reese Jackson, Robertsdale Police Department. Jackson died Aug. 3 from complications as the result of contracting Covid-19 in the line of duty; Officer Juan Manuel Gomez-Lopez, Pelham Police Department. Gomez-Lopez died Aug. 14 from complications as the result of contracting Covid-19 in the line of duty; Deputy Harry Buddy Hutchinson, Blount County Sheriffs Office. Hutchinson died Aug. 21 from complications as the result of contracting Covid-19 while assigned to the Blount County Courthouse; Officer Brandon Wyatt Ard, Orange Beach Police Department. Ard died Aug. 26 from complications as the result of contracting Covid-19 in a presumed exposure while assigned to beach patrol; Investigator Richard Wendell Humphrey, Baldwin County District Attorneys Office. Humphrey died Sept. 3 from complications as the result of contracting Covid-19 in the line of duty; Deputy Willie Hall, Jefferson County Sheriffs Office. Hall died Sept. 18 from complications as the result of contracting Covid-19 in the line of duty; and Sgt. James Nicholas Nick Risner, Sheffield Police Department. Risner died Oct. 2 after being shot in the line of duty the previous day. These are increasingly difficult times for those sworn to preserve the peace, and these deaths are a somber reminder of the dangers that our law enforcement officers face every day with courage and dedication, Marshall said. We pause to remember these officers who have given the ultimate sacrifice for public safety. Let us all be encouraged as we remember and honor their legacy of commitment and devotion to serve and protect the public. Campuses in the University of Alabama system, including the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and Auburn University announced employees must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Dec. 8. This is to comply with an executive order from President Joe Biden that requires all federal contractors and subcontractors to mandate Covid-19 vaccinations for employees. Because the universities have employees with federal contracts, they too fall under this mandate. Because this vaccination requirement is mandated by the federal government, our institutions do not have flexibility in its application or enforcement, the UA System said in a release. Failure to comply will place our universities in jeopardy of losing hundreds of millions of dollars received through federal contracts and awards, as well as thousands of jobs funded by those dollars. The system said such a loss would have a severe impact on teaching, research and service capabilities, and it could affect economic development. The universities notified employees Friday of their intent to comply with the mandate and to ensure all employees are fully vaccinated by the deadline unless they have an approved medical, disability or religious exemption. Decatur, IL (62521) Today Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 33F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 33F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Baroque masterpiece dazzles after restoration. One of Rome's greatest treasures - the Cornaro Chapel with its sculptural masterpiece by Baroque genius Gian Lorenzo Bernini - has been restored to its dazzling glory. The chapel, part of the S. Maria della Vittoria church, contains one of Bernini's most celebrated sculptures, the Ecstasy of St Teresa, completed in 1652. The chapel is a favourite of visitors to Rome as well as the artist who described it modestly as his "least bad" work. The restoration process, carried out by the superintendency of Rome, included studies of the 17th-century marble sculpture which depicts the mystical experience of St Teresa of Avila. In the dramatic scene, the saint lies on a cloud in religious ecstasy after encountering an angel. The figures are surrounded by gilded stucco rays, with the sculpture's beauty accentuated by sunlight that streams through a window hidden in the aedicule, or shrine. There are two reasons to suspect Irans involvement. First, the proliferation of these crude, kamikaze drones is part of the Islamic Republics regional strategy. The country supports proxies, such as the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, with weapons platforms, says David Schenker, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a former assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs. Often, drones are shipped in parts from Iran and assembled in Gaza, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, says Seth Frantzman, the author of a recent history of drone warfare in the Middle East. Creating an expedited travel lane for migrant and domestic workers would start to ease this burden. It should involve more straightforward and affordable quarantine requirements, the ability to apply to leave independently of ones employer, and job or pay guarantees for existing pass holders upon return. The sizable portion of the local population that wants stricter Covid restrictions will grumble, but its worth noting that Sri Lankas vaccination rate, at 63.4%, is about the same as the U.S., which lobbied Singapore to open up travel in the months before the announcement. The privilege that comes with critical trade and defense ties may become the most powerful vaccine passport yet. As for the other part of the subpoena, Kelly did not specify whether the newspaper plans to challenge or comply with Elsheikhs demand for copies of correspondence. In asking the judge to authorize the subpoena, the defense lawyers said they wanted any and all documents, including emails or texts, that would show how the interview was arranged. He lamented the same old arguments, that in uncertain and difficult times, such as we currently have, the only safety and security that one can obtain is that which can be given by a strongman we must obey and surrender our fundamental rights to. Calling on people around the world to resist these threats, he added: Pushback is when journalists fight for truth against all odds, even when they are called enemies of the people. With pencil and pad in hand, I could get lost, he wrote in a 2016 essay for the radio station WHYY. I brought to life what was inside my head, creating a world where I was not nervous, where there was no yelling, no loud music, no cursing neighbors, no dyslexia, no sweaty palms before reading in class, no Friday spelling tests, no bullying. . . . There were no police sirens in my illustrated world, either, or city curfews, or newspaper headlines exclaiming the lynching death of Emmett Till, just two years younger than me. Real life was scary, but in drawing, I felt safe. Mr. Scolari, who had a youthful, wiry appearance throughout his career, appeared in several films but was far better known for his work in television and theater. His breakout role came in Bosom Buddies, a farcical ABC-TV comedy that premiered in 1980 with Mr. Scolari and Tom Hanks playing advertising copywriters who are thrown out of their New York apartment. What people dont understand is he is the reason I get up in the morning and have the energy to go to work, said Ray, who retired from the Pentagon and now works for General Dynamics. He takes all of the burden from me every day by doing things. He watches over me, and when Im not in the room hes looking for me. While Parnass trial did not directly relate to Giuliani or Trump, the guilty verdict still provides a legal coda to a precarious moment in Trumps presidency: his first impeachment trial. Parnas, a Ukrainian native, was recruited to help Giuliani seek damaging information on Joe Biden and his son Hunter before the 2020 election. Trump was accused of threatening to withhold badly needed aid to Ukraine if officials there did not announce a criminal investigation into the Bidens. I was not in any way or manner pressured or unduly influenced by any person at or associated with the White House to appoint Michael Ellis to the NSA GC position, Ney wrote in an email to then-acting defense secretary David Norquist on Jan. 21. Unsurprisingly, two of Mr. Ellis lawyer colleagues at the White House mentioned to me at some time during the several months of the process ... that Mr. Ellis was a very fine lawyer and person and would be a great pick for the NSA GC position. You said the risk is not just to privacy but also to national security. If China can pair such genetic data sets, including the data authorities are already gathering domestically, with artificial intelligence and quantum computing, he said, it may be able to advance to the point where it is first to market with cures for diseases. But that kind of thinking doesnt reflect how humans respond to expanded roadways. Extra lanes may speed up traffic for a little while, but people rapidly adjust their travel decisions as they notice the faster highway and in the process, they slow everyone down again. Some who previously beat traffic by driving early or late might shift toward rush hour. Others might stop using transit and choose to drive instead. Ultimately, the highway ends up as congested as before. Thats what has happened in places including Houston, where the Texas Department of Transportation spent $2.8 billion widening the Katy Freeway, part of Interstate 10, to as many as 26 lanes in 2011: Gridlock grew worse than ever. This process is known as induced demand, and its so widely accepted among economists that they call it the iron law of congestion. He has long favored the town hall format, and during the campaign his advisers often thought it was where he could best connect with voters. It also often brings out some unexpected answers that he doesnt reveal during exchanges with reporters on an airport tarmac or during formal news conferences. Thomas said he was grateful for the day, but embarrassed by all of the attention. I am a 100 percent introvert, he said. It is an absolute joy to be able to stand here and celebrate this moment, not because of me but because of you all and what were trying to defend in this great country. It was Mooneys penchant for fast-food meals that raised eyebrows at the ethics office. Mooneys FEC filings, the report states, indicate a pattern of day-to-day meal expenditures at places like Chick-fil-A, Panera, Taco Bell and local pizza joints. Mooneys office provided explanations for the meals, including a $12.84 purchase at Wingstop that the lawmakers staff attributed to a trip Mooney made to the post office to pick up campaign mail. He stopped at the chicken wings chain for lunch on the way home. In his interview with investigators, Mooney said he felt justified in charging meals to the campaign any time there were constituents at the location he happened to eat at that day. Tanden, who is Indian American, would have been the first Asian American woman to serve as director of the Office of Management and Budget. After her nomination was withdrawn, Asian American leaders who had already been concerned Tanden would not be confirmed intensified their criticisms that Bidens Cabinet would not have sufficient Asian American representation, especially in its secretary-level positions. As we were planning our retirement, we were thinking, what is it that we want to do? Sudha wrote in an email. We both have farming backgrounds in our family, so farming is in our blood. Virginia wines were beginning to be known and respected. We liked the idea of fresh air, working outside, and being physically active, and with our passion for wine from our travels all over the world, we decided to start a vineyard and sell grapes to local wineries. The chalkboard on an interactive Remembrance Wall at Union Station, where survivors and relatives of traffic crash victims post memories of their loved ones. (Bill OLeary/The Post) The District has recorded as many traffic fatalities by mid-November as occurred in all of 2020. Although the developed world is responsible for most historic greenhouse gas emissions, the ability to avoid further warming will largely depend on what happens in countries where emissions are still rising. One projection holds that, in the worst-case scenario, the mostly developing countries along Chinas Belt and Road initiative could account for two-thirds of global emissions by 2050, up from about 26 percent in 2019. On a recent day, Chong scoured canals behind skyscrapers for Zouk Aunt, an otter she had been following for years. Zouk Aunt first served as her familys nanny, chaperoning her sisters pups to swimming lessons and walks, only to be shunned by the group after the two females got into a fight. Now a mother herself, she has to fend for her pups in the financial district, while avoiding the neighborhoods ruling family, the powerful Bishan otters. MARY RUTH WAGLER The funeral for Mary Ruth Wagler was held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, at First Mennonite Church, with Chris Raber, Gaylon Sommers and David Lee Stoll officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. 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. Airbus A380s, Boeing MAX 8s and other smaller aircraft grounded at a storage facility in Alice Springs in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Credit:Getty Images So, just how bad for the environment is flying? Whats being done about it? And is it possible to fly carbon-neutral? While our homes, workplaces, cars and major industries are going green thanks to the uptake of clean electricity, there is no quick or easy replacement for the CO2-spewing jet fuel that propelled 4.5 billion passengers through the skies in 2019. As the recovery gradually gains pace with Australia set to reopen its international border in November attention will again turn to one of the most pressing concerns about aviation: its impact on the environment and, specifically, its contribution to climate change. That makes COVID-19 the biggest setback to aviation since the Second World War, slowing what had been an inexorable growth in flying activity, which had tripled between 2000 and 2019. By May 2020, global aviation had slowed to just 6 per cent of what it was before the pandemic. The best estimates were that it would take until 2024 for airlines to recover to 2019 levels of flying. One of the most dramatic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic happened in the skies: they fell silent. Airports sat empty and jetliners were mothballed in desert storage facilities protected from corrosion by the dry heat. In the face of this, the worlds major airlines (which are represented by a body called the International Air Transport Authority, or IATA) have promised to stop growing their net carbon emissions from this year, and in early October pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Your carbon footprint doubles if you splurge for a business-class seat because you take up more space on board, meaning the plane burns more fuel per person compared with a plane that has only economy seats (thats one reason to feel good being squeezed in the back cabin). One person flying economy class return from Sydney to London via Singapore is responsible for 1.74 tonnes of CO2, according to the ICAO, which represents 8 per cent of our per capita emissions per year (21.4 tonnes per person). In Australia, domestic flights (which are all that are counted in the governments National Greenhouse Accounts) made up 1.6 per cent of our total emissions in 2017. When international flights are included, emissions increase to represent 3.8 per cent of Australias total. While thats a lot, it trails our biggest polluters electricity and heat production (32 per cent of the total), road transport (14 per cent), and methane produced by farm animals (8.7 per cent). Before the coronavirus pandemic, ICAO estimated that aviations carbon emissions could triple by 2050, based on the projected continued growth in air travel. In a normal year, aviation contributes about 2 per cent of the worlds carbon emissions, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which is the United Nations aviation body. That doesnt mitigate the impact of releasing carbon thats been locked up in the ground for millions of years and is then burnt by airlines as jet fuel, these critics say. Climate scientists question the merit of some of the projects that supposedly undo the damage of your flight, many of which involve planting trees or conserving forests. While trees may suck carbon out of the atmosphere, they are part of the active carbon cycle they absorb carbon when they grow, which returns to the atmosphere if they fall down and decay, or are burnt. Qantas says its passengers paid to offset ... about 1.1 per cent of the airlines net emissions. Many people only consider flyings contribution to climate change when they are asked if they want to pay extra to fly carbon-neutral as they book their ticket. If they say yes, they pay a few extra dollars on a Melbourne-Sydney flight, or up to $50 on a return trip to London, and that money goes into environmental projects intended to mitigate the carbon impact of the journey. Not many people do this. Qantas says its passengers paid to offset 133,242 tonnes of carbon through its schemes in 2018, amounting to only about 1.1 per cent of the airlines net emissions. Business-class passengers leave a carbon footprint twice as big as those in cattle class because they take up more space. Credit: Airlines face a huge challenge reaching these goals but insist they have the means to do it. Rather than offsetting CO2, it is, of course, better not to release it into the atmosphere in the first place. Airlines boast that they have already made great strides on this front, with per-passenger emissions halving since 1990 as carriers swap fuel-guzzling, four-jet planes such as the Boeing 747 jumbo with newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft such as 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A350s (the main driver being to cut their fuel bills rather than to slow global warming). They say planes will continue to get lighter and be able to fly further with less fuel. Australia is one of 80 countries, covering three-quarters of the worlds international air travel, to take part in the CORSIA scheme from 2021 before it becomes mandatory for 191 countries in 2027. For international air travel, this offsetting is governed by a United Nations scheme called the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which will ensure each carrier has offset its carbon emissions growth properly. Airlines will start relying more and more on offsetting schemes to mitigate their emissions, so that even though the amount of CO2 their planes spit into the atmosphere will keep rising, their net emissions that is, their actual emissions minus what they offset will stay at 2019 levels and then eventually fall. The gold standard for offsetting are schemes that fund clean energy projects, such as building wind or solar farms, which create electricity that would otherwise be produced with fossil fuels, and in that way genuinely offset the carbon from a flight. Several airlines including Qantas, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific and United have made long-term purchasing commitments to encourage biofuel production, while Norway has mandated that its airlines must use 30 per cent sustainable aviation fuel by 2030. Qantas in 2019 committed to spending $50 million over the next 10 years to kick-start a local biofuel industry. Fuel is already the single biggest expense for airlines and biofuels currently cost up to four times as much. But fuel is already the single biggest expense for airlines and biofuels currently cost up to four times as much. So, uptake has been negligible, and sustainable aviation fuels accounted for one out of every 10,000 gallons of fuel the global aviation industry guzzled before COVID. The industry specifies it is interested only in sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) which are biofuels made from crops that do not require land clearing, do not replace food crops and use water responsibly to ensure the switch to green fuel does not cause yet more environmental harm. Biofuels can produce up to 80 per cent fewer emissions than conventional jet fuel without significant changes to aircraft engines or airport infrastructure. The biggest opportunity to cut emissions in the medium term is to switch from jet fuel refined from petroleum to biofuels. These alternative fuels can be made from vegetable oils derived from seed crops, used cooking oil, algae and even household or forestry waste. The International Air Transport Authority believes that biofuel uptake needs to hit 2 per cent by 2025 to reach a critical mass of production, after which the cost would start to fall. But it argues that wont happen without significant government investment to help things along. Unsurprisingly, while calling for government help, airlines firmly oppose measures such as carbon taxes or levies that would financially give them an incentive to speed up the transition to sustainable fuel themselves. Modelling commissioned by the British group Sustainable Aviation estimated production of sustainable aviation fuels could lift to between 14.5 and 30.9 million tonnes annually by 2035 enough to replace only 4 to 8 per cent of the global industrys current jet kerosene use. Airlines can use only a 50-50 mix of biofuels with conventional jet fuel because aviation authorities are not yet satisfied that engines can run as reliably and safely with a higher blend. But work is under way to change this. Airbus in March 2021 operated its first test flight using 100 per cent biofuel with an A350 jet, while Boeing announced in January 2021 that all its aircraft would be certified to fly entirely on biofuel by 2030. Will planes one day run on hydrogen? The aviation industry is looking beyond oil and even biofuel to a new fuel source that could eradicate carbon emissions from aviation entirely: hydrogen. The lightest element on the periodic table is increasingly seen as playing a vital role in addressing the climate crisis across a range of industries that cannot easily switch to wind or solar power. Hydrogen is produced through a process called electrolysis where electricity splits water (H2O) into just the O (oxygen) and the H (hydrogen). When burnt in a combustion engine in liquid or gas form, hydrogens only by-product is water vapour. Most hydrogen production today is powered with fossil fuels. But renewable energy powers the green hydrogen that airlines would use if they were to fly carbon-free. It is estimated that more than $194 billion of green hydrogen projects were announced worldwide in 2020. Loading Hydrogen-powered flight is nothing new. Its the main fuel source used in space flight. In 1988, the Russian aircraft maker Tupolev experimented with liquid hydrogen in a modified version of its Tu-154 workhorse, used by Soviet airlines for decades. They called the hydrogen option ecologically pure, although back then the reported aim was also to find alternatives to petroleum for when global supplies dwindled. In the early 2000s, Airbus led a European Union-backed study into the viability of a cryoplane a reference to the need to cryogenically cool liquid hydrogen to transport it. That study found that hydrogen could, with special precautions, be used just as safely as kerosene. But that did not translate into meaningful action. The final piece of the puzzle is to reduce or eliminate contrails the white streaks of water vapour cloud that form behind a plane. The concept of hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft was given a major boost in September 2020 when Airbus released concepts for three zero-emission passenger aircraft that it says airlines could be flying by 2035. The planes are all intended to be fuelled by either liquid or gas hydrogen. One is powered with electric turbo-propellers, seating up to 100 passengers; another is a turbofan jet carrying up to 200 passengers; and the third is a jet-powered 200-seater with a revolutionary blended-wing body, which looks more like a kite or fighter jet than a conventional passenger aircraft. Airbus says it will decide by 2025 which of the concepts to put into production. The hydrogen-combustion engines on the 200-seat jet and blended-wing models would eliminate CO2 from flying (provided they were powered by green hydrogen thats the one made with renewables). The smaller propeller aircraft would be powered with hydrogen fuel cells which work like batteries by converting hydrogen and oxygen into electricity making it even greener because that would eliminate the greenhouses gases nitrous oxide and sulfur oxide. The final piece of the puzzle is to reduce or eliminate contrails the white streaks of water-vapour cloud that form behind a plane and affect the Earths temperature by blocking both sunlight and radiation reflected back from the planets surface. A Qatar Airways Airbus A 340 airplane leaves contrails in the sky. Credit:AFP It is thought hydrogen engines will produce thinner and less persistent contrails because they will not emit soot particles for the water vapour to cling on to. Despite the hype, a shift to hydrogen flying is far from straightforward. One of the biggest challenges is that, although hydrogen fuel is very light, it has poor energy density by volume. That means a lot more space is needed on a plane to carry hydrogen fuel compared to standard jet fuel to fly the same distance. Special storage tanks will be required to cool the fuel to minus-260 degrees. As a result, Airbuss three hydrogen concept planes are expected to have a shorter flight range than their petroleum-run equivalents. The manufacturers 180-seat workhorse A320s have a range up to 6300 kilometres, and have been used on eight-hour flights from Sydney to Manila, for instance, but the turbofan hydrogen equivalent is set to be limited to about 3700 kilometres, which wouldnt get you much further than Darwin. Passenger jets today carry most of their fuel in their wings, but concepts for new hydrogen aircraft have leant towards incorporating them in the planes fuselage (the long tube part). This is where Airbuss new blended-wing aircraft concept comes into its own: it will potentially be able to hold enough fuel in its large frame to fly longer distances. Another issue is getting hydrogen fuelling infrastructure in place at airports, so planes can be guaranteed they can refuel a massive undertaking. But dont try booking a seat on one of these whiz-bang hydrogen planes yet. It is unlikely that hydrogen aircraft will replace existing jetliners in any meaningful number until well beyond the middle of the century, given airlines generally hold on to aircraft for 20 to 30 years. Aircraft manufacturers rushing to build the next generation of supersonic passenger jets, two decades after the end of the Concord era, have a low-carbon future in mind. In the nearer term, hydrogen might play a role through the production of synthetic electro-fuels. Created by mixing green hydrogen with CO2 captured from industrial factories, coal or gas-fired power plants or pulled directly from the atmosphere, electro-fuel could supplement other biofuels to lower emissions. Meanwhile, airlines including Air New Zealand have already been looking at ways to electrify their propeller aircraft using conventional batteries for short-haul flights, with Norway planning for all domestic flights to jettison sustainable fuel and be electric by 2040. And a group of aircraft manufacturers rushing to build the next generation of supersonic passenger jets, two decades after the end of the Concorde era, have a low-carbon future in mind. British aerospace engineering firm Reaction Engines says its hydrogen-powered jets could propel aircraft from Sydney to Brussels in less than five hours, while Boom Supersonic plans for its 55-passenger jet which it claims could be operational in 2030 to be able to run entirely on sustainable biofuel. United Airlines has said it will buy up to 50 of Booms jets if they make it off the ground. An artists rendition of Boom Supersonics Overture jet. United Airlines has shown interest. Credit:Boom Supersonic So, should you avoid flying for now? In Sweden, theres a word for feeling bad about jumping on a plane flygskam or flight shame. With no easy or quick solutions to aviations climate problem, a growing number of people are choosing not to fly at all. A European Investment Bank survey in January 2020 found that one in three Europeans said they already flew less for holidays because they were concerned about climate change, and three-quarters said they intended to fly less for that reason in 2020 (not, as it turned out, that they had many opportunities to do so). So its not surprising that other modes of transport are back in vogue. Travel on Swedens largest rail network jumped 11 per cent in 2019 and rail operators across Europe are reviving overnight sleeper train services between major cities. In a sign that airlines are conscious of this shifting landscape, Lufthansa, Air France and Dutch carrier KLM have partnered with rail operators to sell code-share tickets across both sky and land. KLM launched a fly responsibly campaign in 2019 encouraging passengers to save time and the environment by taking the rail link between Amsterdam and Brussels rather than flying, while Lufthansa axed its short-haul Frankfurt-Cologne flights due to the success of its alliance with Deutsche Bahn. French lawmakers moved to accelerate this trend by voting in 2021 to ban all domestic flights on routes that can be covered by train in less than two-and-a-half hours, unless passengers are connecting to an international flight. So, no more flying from Paris to cities such as Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux. That followed Austrian Airlines ditching its 45-minute air service between Vienna and Salzburg in favour of more frequent train services with its rail code-share partner in mid-2020, after the Austrian government made cutting short-haul routes a condition of a 600 million ($940 million) pandemic bailout. Feeling a touch of flygskam? In Europe, travellers like this guy in Vienna are catching trains instead of flying. Credit:Getty Images Of course, Australians dont have much choice if they want to travel abroad or even around the country. The absence of fast-rail connections between our vastly separated cities makes us almost uniquely reliant upon air travel. The country has flirted with the idea of high-speed rail since the 1980s but nothing has ever advanced past the planning stage. A bullet train connecting Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane would take up to 50 years to build. Critics say the population of those cities is too small to support such a project, unlike the far larger, and closer, cities connected by high-speed rail in Japan, China and Europe. Loading In any case, the airline body IATA warns that about 80 per cent of the industrys CO2 emissions come from flights of more than 1500 kilometres, for which rail is not a viable replacement. The long-term impact of COVID-19 on air travel is still unclear. Holidaymakers might be more inclined to travel closer to home in the future, and the post-COVID uptake of video conferencing might eliminate some demand from business travellers. But whatever our travel plans, its unlikely the climate clouds hanging over aviation will part any time soon. Fascinating answers to perplexing questions delivered to your inbox every week. Sign up to get our new Explainer newsletter here. ATAGI will meet this coming week to discuss and potentially recommend COVID-19 booster shots. Deputy chief medical officer Michael Kidd said on Saturday that Pfizer has submitted documents for the ATAGI to consider. Professor Kidd reiterated that Australians who have had two doses of a vaccine were fully-vaccinated and had a very low chance of becoming seriously ill with the virus and the booster shots would firstly be targeted at those who first recent COVID vaccines like elderly Australians and health care, aged care and high-risk jobs. Third doses are already available for people 12 and older who are immune-compromised or had sub-optimal immune response to the original two doses, Professor Kidd stressed booster shots were a separate issue and could be offered to everyone as time goes on. The Therapeutic Goods Administration, the TGA and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation are now considering booster doses for all those who have been double vaccinated, Professor Kidd said on Saturday. Third doses are already available for people who are immune-compromised. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer This has been considered for everyone once six months have passed since you received your second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. I need to emphasise that if you have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, you are fully vaccinated, and you are already very well protected against becoming severely unwell if you are infected with COVID-19. There is little evidence at this time the protection against severe disease wanes over time in those who are double vaccinated. What we do know is that antibody levels fall over time, and there is a risk of breakthrough infections. Vaccinated people may become infected and at risk of transmitting COVID-19 to others. A booster dose, if you like, turbocharges your immune response and provides additional layers of protection to you and to your loved ones, and to the wider community. It is now six months since you received the second dose of your COVID-19 vaccine, there is no reason to the anxious, but I do recommend that if boosters do become available, that you present for your booster dose when its your turn. We are certainly one of the most freshly vaccinated countries in the world. And if booster doses are approved, we will be one of the first countries in the world to commence a widespread booster program. Professor Kidd said the government hopes to begin its booster shots program on November 8 if there are no delays in approval. More than 14 million Australians will be able to leave and re-enter the country without quarantining if they are fully vaccinated from next month as Melbourne and Sydney take the first steps towards reopening to the world and Qantas brings forward the restart of international flights. A quarantine-free travel bubble between Australia and Singapore could be established within the next week, with an agreement between the countries in its final stages, ahead of a planned wider unlocking of the nations borders before Christmas. Qantas has brought forward multiple international flights out of Sydney. Credit:Louise Kennerley Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce revealed Australians could be travelling to Bali by early 2022 at the latest as the carrier announced it was resuming flights from Melbourne and Sydney to destinations including London, Singapore, Bangkok and Johannesburg ahead of schedule. Singapore Airlines also started selling tickets for flights between Singapore and Melbourne on Friday evening. Hardin County homeless shelter needs help from more churches to keep doors open FILE -In this undated file photo released by the Taiwan Ministry of Defense, a Chinese PLA J-16 fighter jet flies in an undisclosed location. China sent 19 fighter jets, including 12 J-16s, towards Taiwan Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, in a large display of force, just a day after the island announced its intention to join an 11-nation Pacific trade group, which China has also applied to join. (Taiwan Ministry of Defense via AP) 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. Retired U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Dana Bowman parachuted from a helicopter, bringing with him a large American flag as he landed on the Weatherford Christian School field Tuesday, Nov. 9 for a special ceremony in honor of Veterans Day. WSU Hosts 16th Annual Native Symposium October 22, 2021 OGDEN, Utah Weber State University will host various events throughout November in honor of Native American Heritage Month, culminating with the 16th Annual Native Symposium. The theme for this year is "Illuminating Native Voices. Native American Heritage Month events begin Nov. 1 with the artwork installation of Missing & Murdered Indigneous Women'' on the Shepherd Union Bridge. The display will be up for the entire month of November. Author of the book, Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science, Kimberly Tallbear-Dauphine, is a professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe in South Dakota. She will deliver the keynote speech online at 6 p.m. on Nov. 3. Registration is required here. It is important to remind WSU and the community that Native American people continue to persevere and thrive during some of these difficult uncertain times that included COVID-19, and more recently, the uncovering of the remains of Indigenous children at current and former residential and boarding schools in North America, said Tashina Barber, WSUs Center for Multicultural Excellence retention counselor and advisor to the Native American Student Association. It is critical to illuminate Native voices during these times to ensure accurate narratives from the past, present and for the future. On Nov. 11, a film screening of Chasing Voices will be held in Shepherd Union Ballroom A at 5:30 p.m. The film tells the story of ethnologist John Peabody Harringtons language restoration research on the last speakers of the dying languages of Native Americans. The Native American Student Association will lead the Native American Heritage Solidarity Week Nov. 15-19 with events each day. Nov. 15 - Rock Your Moccs Nov. 16 - Traditional Attire Day Nov. 17 - Native Cuisine Nov. 18 - Native Jewelry Day Nov. 19 - Native T-shirt Day For more information about the symposium, visit this link. Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. Hartford Police / Contributed Photo HARTFORD Police are investigating a recent shooting of a man in his 40s, according to the Hartford Police Department. Hartford Police officers went to St. Francis Hospital around 5:22 p.m. Thursday for a report of a man in his 40s receiving treatment for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) The three largest public universities in Kansas will require all employees to be vaccinated by Dec. 8 to comply with a directive from President Joe Biden. Officials with Kansas State University, the University of Kansas and Wichita State all announced Friday the schools will comply with Biden's directive ordering vaccinations for federal contractors. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Next months abbreviated session of the North Dakota Legislature is intended to finish the job of legislative redistricting and determine how federal coronavirus relief aid will be spent, though some lawmakers want to broaden the agenda. More than two dozen bills have been submitted ahead of the session planned for Nov. 8, said John Bjornson, who heads the nonpartisan Legislative Council, the Legislatures research arm. The deadline for submitting the bills was last week. Details of the legislation, and sponsors, wont be revealed until the bills are approved for introduction, which would happen shortly ahead of the special or reconvened session, Bjornson said. Several lawmakers told The Associated Press that much of the legislation has come from a loosely organized group of ultraconservative legislators known as the Bastiat Caucus, which supports limited government and gun rights. Bismarck Republican Rep. Rick Becker, who heads the caucus, said he was aware of a few bills from his group, and that most of the proposals, including one of his own, are aimed at preventing vaccine mandates in the state. Any bills that are introduced will have to first win the endorsement of the House or Senates delayed-bills committee. The bipartisan panels both have five members and are controlled by the Legislatures GOP leadership, which will limit the introductions of bills. Republican Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner and GOP House Majority Leader Chet Pollert said they want to limit the sessions agenda to a handful of subjects. Chief among them is legislative redistricting, a mandatory political task that defines the areas state lawmakers will represent for the next decade. Also topping the list will be debate on how to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in federal coronavirus aid the state received this year. House and Senate appropriations committees are expected to finish prioritizing uses for the money next week, and forward the recommendations to the full Legislature for consideration. The North Dakota Constitution limits the Legislature to 80 days of meetings every two years, and this years regular session used 76 days. That means if the Legislature calls itself back into session, lawmakers will have to shoehorn the redistricting job and federal coronavirus aid spending into just four days. Each of those subjects would take a minimum of three legislative days to be approved by both chambers of the Legislature. Lawmakers have the option of reconvening or asking the governor to call a special session. Republican Gov. Doug Burgum and GOP legislative leaders have been meeting in recent weeks to discuss the possibility of a special session. Burgum spokesman Mike Nowatzki said the discussions are ongoing. A reconvened session of the Legislature would count against the constitutions limit of 80 days of meetings every two years, while a special session would not. Any legislation endorsed in a reconvened session would not take effect for 90 days after the Legislature approves it, unless the proposal draws support from two-thirds of the House and Senate. Its unclear if the redistricting bill one of the most politically sensitive questions to be decided would achieve that threshold. A special session called by the governor would have no time limits, and any legislation could take effect immediately upon being approved by a majority vote. Former Gov. Jack Dalrymple called a special session to deal with redistricting in 2011, and John Hoeven did so in 2001. Legislators make $189 daily while in session. Each day they are in a special or reconvened session costs taxpayers about $64,000. WESTPORT Two police officers were promoted to the rank of deputy chief in a ceremony at town hall on Friday, officials say. In a press release, Lt. David Wolf said Capt. David Farrell and Capt. Ryan Paulsson were the officers promoted. During his remarks, he said, Chief Foti Koskinas said Farrell and Paulsson have demonstrated a strong work ethic and commitment to the town. Those qualities made these two individuals the obvious choices for these positions, the chief said. The two will work with Koskinas, as well as Deputy Chief Arciola, both of whom recently retired but were retained under contract and will continue to serve in those roles, Wolf said. The four will work together as the departments command staff, Wolf said. Wolf said Farrell was hired as a patrol officer in 2001, was promoted to sergeant in 2009 and then to lieutenant in 2012. Wolf said Farrell has served as the departments public information officer, commanded the Operations Division and is now in charge of the Professional Standards Division and Training. / Westport Police Department / Contributed Photo Wolf said Farrell also served as a crisis negotiator with the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Team and is a former member of the departments honor guard. He said Farrell once served as the vice president of the Westport Police Union and the Police Benevolent Association and has worked closely with the Special Olympics organizing several charity torch runs and fundraisers. Farrell, a University of Connecticut graduate, lives in Fairfield with his wife and two daughters. Paulsson was hired as a patrol officer in 2000 before being promoted to sergeant in 2012 and then to lieutenant in 2014, Wolf said. In 2017, Paulsson became lieutenant and has commanded the Professional Standards Division and is now in charge of the Operations Division as well as the Westport Police/Fire Dive Rescue Team. Wolf said Paulsson is a former K-9 handler and was a team leader for the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Team, as well as being a certified law enforcement instructor. Paulsson has a bachelors degree in justice and law administration from Western Connecticut State University and is pursuing a masters degree in criminal justice at Sacred Heart University, Wolf said. Paulsson lives in Milford with his wife and two daughters. joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com If you want to conduct an experiment in the sociology of pandemic behavior, try a quick jaunt to Las Vegas. Always a petri dish for freaks, Sin City has gotten stranger in these strange times since it continues to have a mask mandate for everyone, vaccinated or not, gathered indoors. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. WALLINGFORD, CT (WFSB) - Labor shortages and supply chain problems are fueling higher prices on just about everything, including food. Its adding more of a strain on families who are trying to make ends meet. Food banks are bracing for it as the holiday season approaches. Nearly 500,000 people are struggling with food insecurity throughout Connecticut, according to Connecticut Foodshare. The good news is that the numbers have come down since their peak in the middle of the pandemic, said Jason Jakubowski, president and CEO, Connecticut Foodshare. Theyre not where they were about a year ago at this time. A year ago, in October-November, thats where they were at the peak. Connecticut Foodshare distributes food to more than 700 community-based hunger relief programs across the state, including food pantries and emergency shelters. Americas pandemic recovery has been bumpy. Food prices were up 4.6 percent last month. Its not great for us because if were purchasing food, it costs us more, Jakubowski said. Its not great for families, working families who are on fixed incomes and budgets. Jakubowski said he anticipates that more people will be in need of food assistance as prices keep going up. As the cost of food rises, that means less food that people are able to purchase and that means more of an impact on services like ours, he said. The rise in prices is a result of a nationwide shortage of truck drivers and factory workers, as well as backlogs of cargo ships at ports. The cost from point of origin to the destination has gone up 10 times in the last 12 months, said Nick Vyas, USC global supply expert. At Connecticut Foodshare, truck driving positions are the hardest to fill right now. I think the biggest challenge is not knowing whats coming next, Jakubowski said. I think its been that way since the beginning of the pandemic and its still that way now. That uncertainty is lingering as Connecticut Foodshare prepares for November, which is typically its busiest month of the year. The organization said it needs volunteers, especially this time of year. Anyone looking to volunteer or make a donation can visit the Connecticut Foodshare website here. The pandemic may have derailed everyone's plans, but there's still a lot to look forward to on the big screen! To clarify these are original films rather than stage versions transplanted to the big screen (like our trusty friend Hamilton). Some of these release dates have changed, but we're still hoping they're coming and are very excited. Oh and, Six might be joining them. 1. Dear Evan Hansen It won a proverbial mass of Tony Awards and a trio at this year's Oliviers, so it was inevitable that Pasek and Paul's tearjerker musical was going to be headed for the big screen. It's out in the UK now. Released in the UK on 22 October 2021. 2. Tick, Tick...Boom! Jonathan Larson (of RENT fame) was responsible for this 2001 musical, about a young theatre composer who works as a waiter. Lin-Manuel Miranda (because he isn't busy enough already...) has directed a film version for Netflix, while Andrew Garfield is leading the cast. Filming was interrupted by the pandemic, but has now wrapped and a small clip was teased. Release date in cinemas 12 November, and on Netflix 19 November 3. West Side Story Drama and film greats Tony Kushner and Steven Spielberg are coming together to work on a new version of the classic musical by Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents and Leonard Bernstein. The cast is a mix of film greats and upcoming stars, and the first look photos were very intriguing. Release date December 2021 4. Cyrano Peter Dinklage and Haley Bennett Left: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) right: https://www.flickr. Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage will once more take on the title role in this stage-to-screen adaptation, of a show first seen off-Broadway to favourable reviews in 2018. It's scheduled to be released in the US on 25 December 2021. What a Christmas present! 5. Matilda Emma Thompson and Lashana Lynch Left: Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage, right: MTV International A lot of concrete information came out very recently including casting (Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, Sindhu Vee and Emma Thompson!) for the musical version of Roald Dahl's classic. Release date December 2022 6. Wicked Laura Pick and Helen Woolf in Wicked Wicked, photo by Matt Crockett This one has been doing the rounds for a while now, and some would even say it's a "Popular" choice. No information on casting has been announced so far. Composer Stephen Schwartz has said that he is penning new songs for the film, and that it will begin production later this year with plans to film across 2022. Director Jon M Chu (In the Heights) recently joined the show. Release date unconfirmed 7. A Chorus Line The Broadway revival marquee for A Chorus Line Photo: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Fresh off adapting The Prom for Netflix, Ryan Murphy will now be tackling this long-running musical classic. The twist? Murphy will be spreading the piece over multiple episodes, and feature a meta-narrative about how the show itself came to exist. Release date unconfirmed 8. Beautiful Cassidy Janson (Carole King) Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage The Carole King musical finished in the West End a while back (it is about to head out on tour again), so talk of a film adaptation is no big surprise. Last we heard (a while back!) megastar Tom Hanks and Sony Pictures are set to produce the film, which will have the rights to King's songs as well as those of Gerry Goffin, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. No release date announced at present 9. Guys and Dolls The cast of Guys and Dolls Paul Coltas The last we heard (in March 2019), TriStar Pictures has bought the rights not only to Frank Loesser, Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling's Tony Award-winning musical, but also the 1955 film version and the original Damon Runyon short stories on which the musical is based. That sounds like they have big plans. No release date announced at present 10. Little Shop of Horrors Chris Evans United States House of Representatives - Office of Don Young / Public domain Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's 1986 film is such a mainstay of musical theatre history that we can hear you all screaming, "Do we really need another one?!" Well yes, yes we do, according to Menken himself anyway. Produced by Marc Platt (Wicked) and directed by Greg Berlanti, the movie musical will feature a script by Matthew Robinson and is described as "a fresh version" of the 30 year-old film. Casting wise it is all very exciting Taron Egerton, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans are apparently attached to the project. No release date announced at present 11. Follies Emily Langham in Follies Johan Persson Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's award-winning musical Follies is being adapted into a film. Dominic Cooke who directed the acclaimed National Theatre revival of the show is attached to the project, but there's no news of a cast or release date just yet (Cooke also has to tackle Hello, Dolly! first!). Set in a crumbling theatre where a reunited group of old Follies girls reflect on their lives and their performing heydays, the musical features numbers including "Losing My Mind" and "I'm Still Here". No release date announced at present 12. Mean Girls The original cast of Mean Girls on Broadway Joan Marcus Honestly we didn't expect to have this one on here but eagerly anticipate it nonetheless a brand new film version of a stage musical based on an original film (it's somewhat satisfying to see it come full-circle) was announced by Tina Fey. No release date announced at present 13. Fiddler on the Roof Fiddler on the Roof 30th anniversary cover Hamilton's own Thomas Kail will lead a brand new version of the iconic stage show, which he promised will be a departure from the original. Count us intrigued! No release date announced at present 14. Merrily We Roll Along Ben Platt David Gordon A team of dreams including Ben Platt, Beanie Feldstein. are said to be taking on Sondheim's iconic musical, directed by Richard Linklater. The twist is, Linklater is directing it in real-time, ie over the course of 20 years. This might need a bit of patience especially as Ben Platt recently revealed they're going to have to restart shooting. No release date announced at present, but it'll be sometime in the 2040s 15. Once On This Island Once on this Island, during its hit revival Joan Marcus Disney is reportedly working on a brand spanking new version of the iconic musical, about a group of gods and island dwellers in the Caribbean. Get all the details. No release date announced at present 16. Fun Home Jake Gyllenhaal David Gordon At the start of the year reports came out that Jake Gyllenhaal was set to star in a Fun Home film. The iconic show is a powerful one and it'd be incredible to see it on screen. No release date announced at present 17. The Band Ruth Wilson, Cush Jumbo and Rosamund Pike Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage How could we (n)ever forget! The Band is set to be transformed into a new musical film with a starry cast including Cush Jumbo and Rosamund Pike. Currently called Greatest Days, the film will be directed by Coky Giedroyc (How to Build a Girl) with a screenplay penned by Tim Firth and choreography by the award-winning Drew McOnie (Jesus Christ Superstar). No release date announced at present 18. The Color Purple Blitz Bazawule and The Color Purple Left: Willhwhitney / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), right: Photo: Andreas Praefcke / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/ The iconic musical is set for a big-screen release, with Blitz Bazawule in the director's chair. The musical is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, and tells the story of heroine Celie over 40 years as she finds her place in the world. It has a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. No release date announced at present 19. Spamalot Eric Idle at the opening night of Spamalot Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage The hit Broadway musical is headed for the big screen, with director Casey Nicholaw in the director's chair. Huzzah! Release date tbc. 20. The King and I A remake is reportedly in the works, with a "contemporary and diverse perspective" on the Rodgers and Hammerstein material expected. In fact a whole range of R&H musicals are headed the same way. Release date tbc. Do the figures at the centre of a major cultural phenomenon know that they're involved in something epoch-making right from the start? Judging by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon's utterly splendid new comedy, the answer would be a resounding no, at least as far as the 1970s cinematic blockbuster Jaws is concerned. For this delightful theatrical footnote, which feels rather like a second cousin to Stones In His Pockets (and look at what a global success that became), set during the filming of Spielberg's early career smash, features three of the lead actors (Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw) waiting around for their next takes and glumly predicting failure for the project in hand. If, as well as being wildly entertaining and genuinely informative, it has the ring of authenticity, that'll be because the project was inspired by co-writer Ian Shaw's discovery of the diary of his father Robert, who he also plays. The physical resemblance between the two Shaws is uncanny, at least until the curtain call when Ian appears to shed a couple of decades before our very eyes. More than that, Shaw Jr distils the essence of his father, in a bravura performance of astonishing candour (the script doesn't shy away from his heavy drinking, prima donna-esque tendencies and English theatrical snobbery towards Dreyfuss, the younger American co-star who has cut his teeth in film) but also great affection. He is hilariously self-aggrandising, quick to anger, with a spitfire wit but also a real undertow of sadness as he acknowledges that the writing career he so craves is likely to be scuppered by his fondness for the bottle. Shaw's co-stars match him with performances that go beyond mere impersonation (although Demetri Goritsas and Liam Murray Scott are astonishingly accurate, kudos to casting director Julia Horan) into fully rounded characterisations. Goritsas' Scheider is infinitely likeable and laidback, the kind of bloke you wouldn't mind being stuck on a shoot with, while Murray Scott brings a Hebraic intensity and youthful energy to the self absorbed Dreyfuss that is more endearing than enervating. As the actors lounge about Duncan Henderson's handsome boat set, playing cards, sniping at each other, arguing, moaning and opining, the passage of time is beautifully delineated by striking video design work by Nina Dunn. Crucially, Guy Masterson's perfectly pitched production conveys the boredom the trio endures as they wait for the fixing of the mechanical shark that will eventually upstage as well as eat them, while never letting it seep into our experience as the audience. Fact checking, rambunctiously enjoyable comedy, and poignancy co-habit seamlessly. Much of the humour derives from hindsight: there's a huge belly laugh as Scheider, discussing Nixon, points out that there'll never be another American President so corrupt, or when he confidently declares that they couldn't possibly make a sequel to Jaws and even if they did, he certainly wouldn't be in it (he was!) The suspicion and dismissal with which the men regard a young Spielberg is also highly amusing given what we now know. This is a highly original 90 minutes, packed with wit, insight and pop culture references. It will resonate massively with Jaws fans of course (Shaw meticulously recreates one of his father's key speeches from the screenplay and it's pretty heart-stopping if you're familiar with the original). More generally, and the reason why it could probably sustain a lengthier run than its projected 14-week season, it's a fascinating peep into film making behind-the-scenes. It's also deliriously funny. Lawyers for Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian premier, say he has been acquitted by a court in Italy of corruption Thank you for reading the Herald-Whig You have reached our free-content limit. If you are a current subscriber, please log in to continue viewing content or purchase a subscription by clicking the Subscribe button below. Thank you for supporting independent Journalism. Roster Call for Assistant Temporary Appointments - UNICEF Global Shared Services Centre, Budapest Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Childrens Fund Country: Hungary City: Budapest Office: UNICEF GSSC Budapest Closing date: Monday, 25 October 2021 Roster Call for Finance Assistant Temporary Appointments, GS-4, UNICEF Global Shared Services Centre, Budapest, Hungary Job no: 541376 Position type: Temporary Appointment Location: Hungary Division/Equivalent: Operations School/Unit: Global Shared Services Centre Department/Office: Finance Section, GSSC Categories: Finance and Administration UNICEF works in some of the worlds toughest places, to reach the worlds most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up. For every child, results. UNICEF Global Shared Services Centre is seeking candidates to support our Finance teams in times of high-volume workloads. These roles will provide finance assistance in the areas of General Accounting, Invoice Processing and Master Data Management, with appointment durations of 3 months (MDM starting mid-September; General Accounting and Invoice Processing starting mid-October). Finance Assistants will be placed within the existing Finance teams to support and action the processing of financial transactions. These opportunities are ideal for early career finance professionals that wish to gain international exposure to a progressive expanding Financial Centre of Excellence. Full induction and training is provided and the work experience gained is a valuable aspect of career development. This will involve: Pre-Processing Receive and open cases Review case documentation for completeness Review case documentation for validity and conformity with current rules and regulations Under the guidance of supervisor, determine the appropriate action based on case details Processing Process transactions in SAP and case management tools as initiated by case requests or regularly scheduled activities Upload electronic batch files and verify results in destination system. If at any point the process fails, report to supervisor for guidance on action. Prepare required documentation and submit transactions for approval Update and close cases to reflect accurate status Quality Assurance Ensure accuracy and report any discrepancies to supervisors Execute processing controls (eligibility, policy compliance, duplicate checking, transaction/employee/account status verification) Perform quality assurance by reviewing completed transactions for accuracy, reconciling source data to outputs Client Service Respond to client transaction status and other inquiries Escalate inquiries requiring more extensive research As an advocate for every child, you will have... A secondary education diploma (high school) cwZYqJG Dh7qKS Minimum of 4 years relevant work experience in administration and finance are required. A completed university degree from an accredited institution will be counted toward the minimum work experience requirements Working knowledge of the Microsoft Suite of Products (MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint) Ability to deal with confidential and sensitive communication and information Fluency in English (verbal and written) is required Previous hands-on experience in planning, organizing and delivering administrative support services within service center environment is highly desirable University level courses in finance, accounting or business are desirable Knowledge of an additional UN Language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is desirable Non - EU citizens must be in possession of a work permit (not related to current employer, scholarship or job searching) General Service (GS) staff are locally recruited and therefore, candidates are personally responsible for any travel and accommodation arrangements. UNICEF does not facilitate MFA accreditation for locally recruited staff. For every Child, you demonstrate... UNICEFs core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and the following core competencies: Builds and maintains partnerships Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness Drive to achieve results for impact Innovates and embraces change Manages ambiguity and complexity Thinks and acts strategically Works collaboratively with others Nurtures, leads and manages people View our competency framework at: https://www.unicef.org/careers/media/1041/file/UNICEF%27s_Competency_Framework.pdf UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. Advertised: Jun 18 2021 Central Europe Daylight Time Application close: Oct 25 2021 Central Europe Daylight Time Link to the organizations job offer: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1634756262572 Oil_and_energy North Dakota permits first of likely many carbon storage projects in the state and it's a milestone for the nation A map outlining Red Trail Energy's carbon storage reservoir. Its a first for the state and the nation as a whole, but its not likely to be the only one for long. North Dakota has put its stamp of approval on its first Class VI carbon storage project. North Dakota Industrial Commission has given Red Trail Energy the green light for its carbon storage project in Richardton, where the company wants to produces a premium, low-carbon ethanol fuel it plans to market in California. Their project is likely just the first of many to come, but it is a moment that has been 18 years in the making, North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms told North Dakota Industrial Commissioners on Tuesday. It is a landmark not only for the state, but the nation as well. While EPA has approved two other Class VI carbon storage projects, this is the first to be permitted by a state with Class VI authority. Wyoming is so the only other state with Class VI primacy. Researchers started evaluating North Dakotas geologic storage resources 18 years ago, Helms told NDIC Commissioners, and the state began putting a statutory and regulatory framework in place 12 years ago. We spent six years working with EPA to get to the primacy level, he added. Gov. Doug Burgum said it puts North Dakota in a remarkable position, and he isnt the only one to think so. Bidens Energy Secretary, Jennifer Granholm, thinks so as well. We actually had the energy secretary there last week with Senator Hoeven and you probably saw that she actually said it was a gift to the nation, describing North Dakotas CCUS storage capability, he said. And having that without the regulatory framework for the rules would mean nothing. So it was great to have that come out of her mouth when she was there. Red Trails project required three orders, written by North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources for approval by the North Dakota Industrial Commission. Together, the orders grant permission to Red Trail Energy to geologically store 180,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide produced annually at the companys Richardton facility. The carbon dioxide will be dehydrated and compressed prior to injection into the Broom Creek Formation for permanent geologic storage. That stream of carbon dioxide will be 99 percent pure, Helms said. The first order North Dakota Industrial Commissioners approved outlined the parameters of the 300-foot thick Broom Creek storage reservoir, which encloses an area of 5 square miles. That order required the company to conduct a number of studies to verify the proposed reservoir is a suitable storage space. Geologically there are no fault or fractures near the Red Trail Storage facility that could create a leak point, and the system will be equipped with a state-of-the-art leak detection system using fiber optic cables for leak detection. It was the second order, however, that Helms said is truly unique. That order stitches together, or amalgamates, all of the pore spaces in the storage reservoir into one unit, ensuring everyone involved is fairly compensated, Helms said. So far, the company has 67 percent signup from the affected pore space owners, Helms said, and is on track to end the process at 91 percent. You are the only body in the country that has the authority to statutorily amalgamate the other 33 percent that havent signed yet, Helms said. So its unique. But its absolutely essential to do a project like this. Otherwise, you cant guarantee that everyones being compensated and compensated equitably. The reservoir must be monitored over time to ensure fair compensation, Helms added. That will involve complicated modeling with three-dimensional simulators for the storage space, to ensure those outside the defined area area not being affected. No one outside that box should be able to make a claim that their pore space is being affected at all by this, Helms said. Now as we start to try to take advantage of all of North Dakotas pore space, we are going to have to work with storage facilities that become near neighbors or next door neighbors, to make sure they have cooperative agreements, because theyre going to be impacting each others pressure front. Extensive modeling will be done over time, to ensure interactions are a known factor in the future. Helms said thats important, so the state doesnt waste any pore space by having to space things too far apart. The most efficient use means that we have cooperative agreements and we manage these things so we use every square foot, cubic foot, of pore space that we have, Helms said. The Broom Creek is not only a fabulous storage formation, but is also abundant, Helms added. Pretty much everything south of the Missouri River and south and west of the Missouri River as it traverses through the state has Broom Creek, he said. So fabulous storage formation. Theres no hydrocarbons in the Broom Creek anywhere in the state, so we dont have to worry about that. The salinity of water in the Broom Creek is well over 10,000 ppm, Helms added, making it unsuitable for drinking water. The last order in the set requires bonds for plugging and reclamation at $125,000 per well, as well as insurance for 10 years post-project for monitoring and site care, to ensure the plume is stable long-term, after which the state will take over responsibility for the reservoir. The order also mandates a $16 million dollar remedial response insurance requirement, in case there is a problem such as a leak. All of those bonding and insurance items are already in place, Helms said, though the remedial insurance figure might drop in time. Once we get things up and running and we have a chance to spend more time looking at the risk, so we think the current literature overestimates the risks, he said. But there arent very many, there arent any projects up and running. So these numbers will be looked at five years from now as well. Willmar, MN (56201) Today Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 28F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 28F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. This piece is part of Rolling Stones second annual Grammy Preview special issue, released ahead of the start of first-round voting. We spoke to some of the years biggest artists about the albums and singles that could earn them a nomination or even a statue come January and delved into the challenges facing the Recording Academy, providing a 360-degree view of what to watch for in the lead-up to the 2022 awards. Artist: H.E.R. Eligible for: Back of My Mind, Damage, Fight for You H.E.R., born Gabriella Wilson, is only 24 years old, but shes been a professional musician for more than a decade, signing a record deal as a 14-year-old prodigy, and playing with her dads cover band even before that. This year has been the biggest of her career so far: Even before the June release of the excellent Back of My Mind, which she considers her first full album (after a series of EPs and compilations), she had already won a Song of the Year Grammy, for the one-off 2020 Black Lives Matterthemed single I Cant Breathe, and Best Original Song at the Academy Awards for Fight for You, from Judas and the Black Messiah. Her goal for the long-in-the-works album, a ballad-packed, seamless melding of retro leanings and modern production, was simple: I wanted to make great music, she says. Despite her current triumphs and a Prince-worthy slate of talents she sings and writes, plays bass, keyboards, guitar, and drums she faced a surprising amount of doubt along the way. When I did get signed, and I was just developing all those years and not putting out any music, not doing anything but creating and working on my craft, it was like, Oh, shes gonna be shelved, she says. And people told me not to play guitar onstage! Like, Thats going to go over the kids heads. (To hear H.E.R.s entire interview on our Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, press play above, or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.) H.E.R. likes the idea of embracing full-on retro soul, and would love to someday make a rock album, but her current project is an in-progress reggae LP. Its going to be roots, but also dancehall, but also R&B mixed with reggae, she says. Youll get different vibes. I think from here, its whatever I feel. Your new album demonstrates your mastery of using live instruments and a retro feel while still sounding current. Whats your secret to keeping that balance? To me, its all about the feeling. Im a soul baby. I live for late-Sixties and Seventies soul. So I grew up listening to Sly Stone and Con Funk Shun, who are both from the Bay Area. Thats just in my DNA. And James Brown and all those guys. So when I got older, I started to feel it come through me. I started to feel myself using that foundation without trying. Whether its the approach of how behind I am on the beat when Im playing the bass, or when Im singing a note, how flat on purpose I want to be to give you that feeling and that kind of pain like Aretha [Franklin] did, or Mary [J. Blige] did. So, I think thats kind of how you connect the two. And Im all about mixing the programmed drums and the real bass line or real keyboard parts. Your song Bloody Waters, which has great playing from Thundercat on bass, really nails a Marvin Gaye vibe. How deliberate was that? Yeah, Thundercat is amazing. Its funny, when we were creating the record, he started playing and I was like, I want it to feel like James Jamerson, you know, who played on all the Motown records. And he was like, Say less, and he started going in and we were going crazy. And I didnt even think about Marvin when I was creating it. Afterwards, I was like, Oh, it does kind of give me that vibe. But I think what Marvin did, and what Im inspired by, in his music is being able to sing something really sweetly and nice and light and almost feel-good, but saying things that are really painful. Thats a very hard thing to do. Do you feel like R&B as a genre is neglected? I thought it was important for me to make an R&B album and to celebrate R&B. Thats kind of why I did this album the way I did it. It definitely gets a little overshadowed. But, you know, things change, trends change. At one point it was rock; at one point it was pop music that was all you heard on the radio. Lights On Fest, my festival [which this year was set to feature Bryson Tiller, Chloe Bailey, and others, but was postponed due to the pandemic], is really giving those artists an opportunity to celebrate themselves and be heard, and to really show people that R&B is not dead. Because people always say that, but its never dead. It lives in everything. Thanks to your dad, you listened to the blues when you were young Buddy Guy, B.B. King and I feel like I can hear that in your music. I went to a Buddy Guy concert when I was seven years old, and I got to meet him and go backstage. He signed a guitar strap for me, and I still have it. Since I was young, I was writing this music that was very painful and emotional. Even if I had never been through anything crazy. Never been married or anything like that. But women who have been relate to it, I guess. And I think its just from listening to the blues. Because of how much emotion is in the blues. Youve had a couple of successful collaborations with DJ Khaled recently one on his project, one on your project. Obviously, hes a whole other world. How did that all work? I stepped out of my comfort zone. And I think thats why I appreciate DJ Khaled so much. He saw something in me that I wouldnt necessarily have seen in myself. And then I was open to it. He wanted to bring something unexpected for me. And thats what I appreciate so much he saw that I could push myself. I love what he does; I love his energy. I mean, who doesnt admire how everything is a movie around him? I was in Miami, and he called me and said, Come to my house. And so we went, and of course they had the whole chef eight-course meal. He played me the records. First was We Going Crazy, and it wasnt finished yet. It was the beginning of the idea, and I already could feel how big of a record it was. Its different for me energy-wise I dont know why I gravitated towards it so much. I always wanted to do a song with Migos. And then I Can Have It All comes on, with the Beanie Siegel sample, and I was so excited. It was an opportunity to, yknow, just talk my stuff a little bit. I went back to New York and did my thing on them. And I got the fire emojis back! You won an Oscar for Fight for You, from the Judas and the Black Messiah soundtrack. How did that song come together? I learned so much through creating that song. I didnt know too much about the Black Panthers. So watching the film, I was like, Oh, my gosh, this story is crazy. And why am I just now learning about this? Look at all the good that the Panthers did. And the fact that they took that away, that the narrative was changed throughout the years. So watching that film just opened my eyes a lot. And it made me sad, but also hopeful. And so I felt like the song needed to reflect a personal feeling to really reach people, and really go there, with the music that I grew up listening to. Today were seeing these protests, seeing people fight for this generation. The struggle continues, the fight continues. And the hope continues. And thats the most important part, which is why the music has to feel good. So the music got to make you want to dance, you know, and take you away from the pain a little bit, but also remind you of the pain and remind you how far weve come and how far weve got to go. As a kid, you started off learning piano and went on to learn bass, guitar, and drums. How did that journey work? One reason I started playing the bass was, I think we were in a grocery store or something. Boogie Oogie Oogie by A Taste of Honey was playing, and my mom was like, Oh, I want you to learn this song. And I told her, Oh, Mom, this is like a bass-driven song. As you know, I dont play the bass. And she was like, OK, and so we went to the Guitar Center that night, and I got a bass. It was pink. And I learned how to play Boogie Oogie Oogie. And it was something I picked up pretty fast. I was eight or nine years old, and from there I learned Sly songs, and I learned We Are Family, which is not the easiest bass line to play. And with guitar, I learned how to play the Purple Rain solo. Well, actually, one of the first solos I learned to play was Beat It, by Michael Jackson. You know, the Eddie Van Halen solo on there. Wait. That was one of the first solos you ever learned? Yeah, it was! It kind of inspired me to rock out a little bit. That, and then watching Prince and Lenny Kravitz perform together on Rave Un2 the Year 2000 that whole concert DVD. I used to watch that with my dad while he was, like, making breakfast in the morning. How much time do you spend keeping up your chops on all these instruments? I go through phases. For a while, I was just playing bass nonstop. But I was neglecting the piano, so I started playing piano. And then I felt like, Oh, yeah, Im neglecting the guitar. It also depends on what mood Im in or what feeling Im trying to capture. I try to balance it out, to choose different days for different instruments. In a perfect world, thats how it happens. WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court is allowing the Texas law that bans most abortions to remain in place, but has agreed to hear arguments in the case in early November. The justices said Friday they will decide whether the Justice Department and abortion providers can sue in federal court over a law that Justice Sonia Sotomayor said was enacted in open disregard of the constitutional rights of women seeking abortion care in Texas. Answering that question will help determine whether the law should be blocked while legal challenges continue. The court is moving at an unusually fast pace that suggests it plans to make a decision quickly. Arguments are set for Nov. 1. The courts action leaves in place for the time being a law that clinics say has led to an 80% reduction in abortions in the nations second-largest state. The justices said in their order that they were deferring action on a request from the Justice Department to put the law on hold. Sotomayor wrote that she would have blocked the law now. The promise of future adjudication offers cold comfort, however, for Texas women seeking abortion care, who are entitled to relief now, Sotomayor wrote. Sotomayor was the only justice to make her views clear, but it seems there were not five votes on the nine-member court to immediately block the law Friday. It takes just four justices to decide to hear a case. The court first declined to block the law in September, in response to an emergency filing by the abortion providers. The vote was 5-4 vote, with the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joining two other conservatives in the majority. Chief Justice John Roberts joined Sotomayor and the other two liberal justices in voting to keep the law on hold while the legal fight goes on in lower courts. Now, though, the justices, in a rare move, have decided to weigh in before lower courts definitively decide the issues. Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman for Texas Right to Life, said she was happy the law remains in effect. This is a great development for the Pro-Life movement because the law will continue to save an estimated 100 babies per day, and because the justices will actually discuss whether these lawsuits are valid in the first place," Schwartz said in a statement. Amy Hagstrom Miller, the chief executive of Whole Womans Health, said Friday's order means patients will continue to be denied care at her four clinics in Texas, on top of the hundreds who already have been turned away. Providers say the ability of Texas nearly two dozen clinics to stay open is threatened the longer the law stays in effect, although Hagstrom Miller said she was not aware of any imminent closures. But she said clinics are trying to band together and get resources to keep doors open. In 2013, another restrictive Texas anti-abortion law led to the closing of half the states 40-plus clinics. The Supreme Court ultimately struck down that law in 2016, but some clinics never reopened. Its a matter of time if this law continues to be enforced, Hagstrom Miller said. It will cause clinics to close and further decimate the fabric of care that is needed to take care of people across the state. The law has been in effect since September, aside from a district court-ordered pause that lasted just 48 hours, and bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks and before some women know they are pregnant. That's well before the Supreme Court's major abortion decisions allow states to prohibit abortion, although the court has agreed to hear an appeal from Mississippi asking it to overrule those decisions, in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. But the Texas law was written to evade early federal court review by putting enforcement of it into the hands of private citizens, rather than state officials. The focus of the high court arguments will not be on the abortion ban, but whether the Justice Department and the providers can sue and obtain a court order that effectively prevents the law from being enforced, the Supreme Court said in its brief order. If the law stays in effect, no decision of this Court is safe. States need not comply with, or even challenge, precedents with which they disagree. They may simply outlaw the exercise of whatever rights they disfavor, the Biden administration wrote in a brief filed earlier in the day. Other state-enforced bans on abortion before the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks, have been blocked by courts because they conflict with Supreme Court precedents. Texas should not obtain a different result simply by pairing its unconstitutional law with an unprecedented enforcement scheme designed to evade the traditional mechanisms for judicial review," the administration wrote. A day earlier, the state urged the court to leave the law in place, saying the federal government lacked the authority to file its lawsuit challenging the Texas ban. The Justice Department filed suit over the law after the Supreme Court rejected the earlier effort by abortion providers to put the measure on hold temporarily. In early October, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ruled for the administration, putting the law on hold and allowing abortions to resume. Two days later, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put the law back into effect. The court already is hearing arguments on Dec. 1 in the Mississippi case in which that state is calling for the court to overrule the Roe and Casey decisions. ___ Associated Press writer Paul Weber contributed to this report from Austin, Texas. Perry Engineering Co. Safety Director Ken Pracht (center) accepts an award from Bob Lanham (left), Associated General Contractors of America President, and Paul Becker, Director Global Construction, Willis Towers Watson at the AGC National Convention in Orlando. He was a man who carried with him the quiet burden of survival. In the Omarska concentration camp, he had watched as hundreds of Bosniaks, Bosnian Croats and Muslims were starved, beaten or killed. Neighbours, friends, family members. He was a man who carried with him the quiet burden of survival. In the Omarska concentration camp, he had watched as hundreds of Bosniaks, Bosnian Croats and Muslims were starved, beaten or killed. Neighbours, friends, family members. Nihad Ademi saw it all. "I am a human being," Ademi said in a short film about his life, shot a decade ago in his adopted hometown of Winnipeg. "And I learned that the hard way." JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Nihad Ademi found community at Bar Italia, where he is remembered fondly by friends and staff. Ademi, who died Sunday at 52, spent much of his life grappling with the question of what being human meant, and he did so in every medium he could access: in his photography; in G. Love, the magazine he self-published; in conversations about art and life over the counter at his daily Corydon Village haunt, Bar Italia; and perhaps most directly in his work as an actor and filmmaker, which saw him collaborate with the likes of Guy Maddin and composer Alexander Mickelthwate. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files G.Love publisher Nihad Adami holds court at Bar Italias Patio with staff. "Before I ever met him, I would see him at Bar I, and I saw him getting hugged by everyone. So many people showering affection on him. I wasnt sure if he was a gangster demanding some sort of tributes from people, but when I finally met him, I was startled with how instantly I liked him," says Maddin, who cast his new friend in the lead role of Night Mayor, a short film in which Ademi played a character who could translate music made by the Aurora Borealis into moving pictures. "He approached the world like an artist, whatever that means. He was interested in observing things and retranslating them into a medium so other people could feel how he felt," says Maddin. "He had friends who were in trouble and friends who werent, and he just had a way of sitting there, in the calm eye of a hurricane." Ademi was a central character, first in life and later in celluloid, both where he was from and where he wound up. Ademi used filmmaking, writing and photography to find his place in the world both in Winnipeg and Bosnia, pictured in the postwar photo he is holding here. (Joe Byksa / Winnipeg Free Press files) In his homeland, as a teenager, he was a masterful chess player, according to friends, and had an artistic spirit from an early age, along with an obvious, yet subtle intellect. But his life, along with those of millions of people in his region, was interrupted by the Bosnian War, which began in 1992 and was defined by tension, systemic massacres, ethnic cleansing, and political instability. In his 20s, Ademi was held captive for 202 days in Omarska, which was later classified by global human rights organizations as a concentration camp, where crimes against humanity were perpetrated. In a span of three months in 1992, thousands of non-Serbs were corralled into the camp, with hundreds being killed and most survivors being deported or leaving the region as refugees. Ademi and a younger brother wound up in Winnipeg, and struggled at first to adjust to the new land. An absence of threats on his life didnt leave Ademi any less skeptical of the new people who surrounded him. Ademi once told the Free Press about an interfaith organization taking the brothers on weekly excursions. "Every time they would come and take us in an Econo van I thought, These guys are lying to us," he told former columnist Gordon Sinclair Jr. "I couldnt trust nobody." He would go to sit at the St. Vital shopping centre, watching people, trying to both remember what he had lost and what, suddenly, in a new country, he could seize again. JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files I am a human being and I learned that the hard way, photographer and filmmaker Nihad Ademi said in a short film about his life, seen here in 2000 holding one of his cameras. As time passed, though, he remained enigmatic, he started to open himself up to the possibilities of Winnipeg: he shot photos for the Winnipeg International Jazz Festival, volunteered with arts organizations and was quickly embraced by some of the citys leading artistic lights, approaching every conversation as a chance to understand what it was to be human, and what it meant to create. Many of those first conversations happened at Bar Italia, a Corydon area staple where many people from different places, not just Italy, gathered. "I guess he was looking for a good European espresso," says manager Rhea Collison, who considered Ademi a close friend. Ademi seemed to attract affection, Collison says, and it was always clear how much he loved living, how little time he had for negative thought. SUPPLIED Filmmaker Guy Maddin was so intrigued by Nihad Ademi that he befriended him and cast him in his film Night Mayor. "If you were hungry, hed give you half of his sandwich, without a moments thought," she says. "Thats the kind of person he was." He was generous in conversation, which is how he soon found himself a fixture at the cafe. Maddin found him magnetic, and so did Mickelthwate, who related to Ademis perspective on art. "He became, really, my best friend," says Mickelthwate, now the music director of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Mickelthwate, like Maddin, wanted to give his friend as much generosity as he received from him: he scored his films, emceed their openings, and with Maddin and an endless community of "Nihad supporters" helped usher their friends debut film, White Balloon, to reality. In the film, released in 2016, Ademi returns to Omarska to assess that chapter of his life and his peoples history. Ademi interviews concentration camp survivors, each of whom releases a white balloon marked with the name of someone who, unlike them, did not make it out alive. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ademi in 2016. In the film, as in most of Ademis art, he is brutally frank and unwilling to either polish out his rough spots or glorify his own experience: his brooding narration, powered by his deep voice and deliberate pronunciation, matches the pain on the screen. In a trailer for the film a shockingly effective one that helped him raise the remaining funds needed to produce it Ademi calls Omarska "the place where my life ends, begins and keeps going in circles." "Fear and sorrow are all that Ive known," he warbles. "They are my shelter and my home." Maddin knew his friend had an undeniable screen presence his profile, his voice, his reflective eyes but was taken aback by the way that translated into his work as a filmmaker. Hed neglected to speak much about his past, carrying it around like "a chunk of history" inside him. On screen, the depth of that history revealed itself, illustrating the scars of his people and his own survival. "Once he decided he wanted to make films, I think he found that he himself was his best subject," Maddin says. "When he made White Balloon, as a piece of therapy it was a raging success, but as a movie it provided an honest point of view of a staggering tragedy." SUPPLIED "He was interested in observing things and retranslating them into a medium so other people could feel how he felt, Guy Maddin said about Nihad Ademi, shown here in Maddin's Night Mayor. Ademis film debuted at the Hotel Fort Garry, with 300 supporters and friends in the room to watch. The reception was emphatically positive, and Ademi was greeted with hugs and kisses. Later, the film screened at an international film festival in Milan, where it was nominated for best documentary short and where Ademi won a special award for education. He later made movies about Mickelthwate and one about the Seven Sacred Teachings held by many Indigenous communities in Canada, using his empathetic eye to draw attention to the realities of colonization in his new home. "For me, the loss of Nihad Ademi means the loss of Winnipegs most urgent, poetic and emotionally raw documentary filmmaker a filmmaker who came to the practice late in life, and was really only getting started," said Jonah Corne, a film professor at the University of Manitoba who called White Balloon a masterpiece. He described Ademi as the "most popular man who ever stepped foot on Corydon Avenue." "My favourite part of the movie is the non-stop stream of Nihads voice-over narration: his instantly recognizable, gravelly voice, speaking so humanely, with so much pain but with an impossible optimism," Corne said. SUPPLIED In Guy Maddins Night Mayor, Nihad Ademi played a character who could translate music made by the Aurora Borealis into moving pictures. Last year, during the pandemic, he returned home to Europe to help his mother, and at Bar Italia, he was given not one, but many goodbye gatherings. "In many ways, people got to say goodbye then, and thats a wonderful thing to be able to do," says Collison. But earlier this year, he returned to Winnipeg, and walked back into his old haunt and his old life. While in Europe, he added to his extensive portfolio of still photography, a collection that Collison said could fill a museum. Dozens of those photos are displayed on the bars walls, illustrating Ademis approach to art: non-judgmental, observational, realistic in every sense of the word. His death came suddenly, says Mickelthwate, who spoke with his friend two days earlier. He was at Bar Italia Sunday morning. "It was out of nowhere," says Mickelthwate. "I am still numb." At the time of his passing, Ademi had just put the finishing touches on a book of poetry in the Bosnian language, which Mickelthwate describes as looking inward for personal reflections on a life well-lived, in spite and because of the universe. "He would never think that he was as great at what he did as he was," says Collison, who knew him for over 30 years. "He was the most humble person Ive ever met. "He lived and let live," she adds. "He saw no value in negativity. I dont think he could have been the artist or the person he was if he didnt have that mantra." He was a human being. He was himself. ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. RUTH Ashrafi and her husband were standing in line at a local grocery store recently when someone behind them said, They should have sizzled you all. RUTH Ashrafi and her husband were standing in line at a local grocery store recently when someone behind them said, "They should have sizzled you all." She looked in disbelief at her husband, who was wearing a kippah, the traditional Jewish head covering. He looked back the same way. Irwin Cotler is an international human rights lawyer and former federal justice minister. THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES/Adrian Wyld "I turned around, and there were two nice Canadian teenage boys behind us," she said. "I couldnt believe what had come out of them." Teens say "dumb things," she said, but the comment showed "what at least one of them considered appropriate to say to a Jew." The incident reminded Ashrafi, who is regional director for Bnai Brith in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nunavut, why it is important that Canada now has a permanent special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and fighting antisemitism. "Antisemitism is increasing in this country," she said, noting there were 2,610 antisemitic incidents in Canada in 2020, up from 2,207 in 2019, and 101 in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nunavut, down slightly from 104 the year before. "Thats why I welcome the announcement of the permanent role," she said. "Antisemitism is a serious issue in this country." Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks via video link during the International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism, in Malmoe, Sweden, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021. The one-day conference focused on the receding memory of the Holocaust as Sweden marks the 20th anniversary of a conference on remembering the genocide. (Jonas Ekstromer/TT via AP) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the permanent position held by Irwin Cotler, an international human rights lawyer and former federal justice minister virtually at an international forum on Holocaust remembrance and antisemitism in Malmo, Sweden, on Oct. 13. Cotler was appointed to the role last November. "Education and awareness will always be key to combating Holocaust distortion, antisemitism and all other forms of racism," Trudeau said, adding the Liberal government will work on a national plan to combat antisemitic hate. "Antisemitism isnt a problem for the Jewish community to solve alone. Its everyones challenge to take on, especially governments." Elaine Goldstine, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, also welcomed the news about the new permanent position. "We see this as being a very positive development in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism which has been on the rise worldwide," she said. "Preserving Holocaust remembrance is also a key aspect of the role, during a time when disinformation is being spread about its scope and magnitude, or being outright denied." Goldstine noted the Canadian Jewish community has been advocating for a permanent role for the envoy, along with resources to carry out the mandate of combating antisemitism, for some time. "Statistics Canada data consistently confirms that the Jewish community is the most frequently targeted religious minority when it comes to hate crimes," she said. Belle Jarniewski executive director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, which contains the Freeman Family Holocaust Education Centre said the permanent role shows Ottawa sees antisemitism as an "ongoing issue and a real problem." Cotler is an excellent choice for the role, Jarniewski added, noting he is recognized internationally for his efforts to combat antisemitism, genocide and racism in all its forms. "He has a strong voice on the issue and is listened to," she said. Jarniewski said the rise of the extreme right in Canada and around the world, aided by social media, is fuelling antisemitism. Do you appreciate the extensive faith coverage by the Free Press? Become a supporter of the Religion in the News project! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more can help us keep offering trusted coverage of faith in Manitoba. Become a supporter Click here to learn more about the project. She hopes the special envoy will be able to help persuade the federal government to create effective laws to combat online hate against Jews and other minorities. Jarniewski said she regularly gets "hate mail" whenever she speaks out about antisemitism. "Nobody threatens me with physical violence, but Im glad they dont know where I live," she said. The permanent envoy position "is needed to address things like that," Jarniewski said, adding more education about racism is needed in Canada. "Theres a lot of really ugly stuff out there." The National Council of Canadian Muslims has called on the government to create a similar permanent government position to combat Islamophobia. faith@freepress.mb.ca The province, in partnership with the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, is making $15 million available for Manitoba businesses to do the kind of digital upgrades theyve known they needed but did not have cash on hand to do so. The province, in partnership with the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, is making $15 million available for Manitoba businesses to do the kind of digital upgrades theyve known they needed but did not have cash on hand to do so. The program, called Digital Manitoba Initiative (DMI), will disperse funds up to $5,000 for mostly one-time investments that ideally can be completed in 30 days, or larger projects for up to $25,000 that would require some documentation to substantiate the investment and can be done in 90 days. The funding comes from the provinces $50-million Long Term Recovery Fund that was announced last November. Some of that fund was already used on a $5-million program which rebated restaurants some of the cost of delivery services and a $9-million program launched in March that helped tourism operators with some of their fixed costs not covered by other support programs while they were closed. Chuck Davidson, the CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, said the DMI was purposefully designed not to be onerous to apply for. The expectation is that there will be strong demand, and Davidson said hell be happy if it is all allocated within 30 days. "That would be terrific," he said. "We think we could always go back to the province and show them there is an appetite for this and maybe we can look at additional funding to help more small businesses as they continue to recover from the pandemic." Making the announcement at the Surplus Market store within the Hudsons Bay Co. store at Polo Park, Davidson said they are expecting lots of applications from retailers who may not have had a digital presence or need an e-commerce platform or an upgrade, or some equipment or training. There has been plenty of evidence that the pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation for just about every sector of the economy. Davidson suggested that over the 19 month pandemic digitization has accelerated more than twice as fast as it would have during normal times. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Jon Reyes, Manitobas economic development and jobs minister, said the program offers a low-risk way for Manitoba businesses and non-profits to invest in and adapt digital technologies. A recent article from professional services company, Deloitte, entitled, Embracing digital: from survival to thriving in the post-COVID-19 world, said, "To grow and thrive in a post-COVID-19 world, swift digital transformation into a pandemic-proof organizational model is vital." Non-essential retailers that had no e-commerce capability found themselves completely out in the cold during code red shutdowns and many strategists say that consumers predisposition to shop online will mean that it is not likely it will revert back to a bricks and mortar preference to the same degree. The non-repayable funding will address the issue that some economists have warned may be a problem for the Canadian economy the timidity of Canadian businesses to invest in technology. At one point on the DMI website www.digitalmanitobainitiative.com where the easy-to-use online applications can be found it states succinctly "business operators must be digitally literate." Subject matter experts will review the applications but it is open to every Manitoba enterprise regardless of size or success or sector. Eligibility is basically just proof that the applicant has a registered business in Manitoba. Jon Reyes, Manitobas economic development and jobs minister, said the program offers a low-risk way for Manitoba businesses and non-profits to invest in and adapt digital technologies. "This will enable local businesses and non-profit organizations to transition their operations to a digital platform," he said. "It will allow them to provide goods and services online and allow Manitobas economy to better recover from COVID-19." The chamber has hired Kay Gardiner, a former long-time official with Tech Manitoba, to run the program. martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca EDMONTON - The Alberta government plans a busy fall legislature sitting aimed at adding jobs and diversifying the economy while focusing on tamping down the renewed surge of COVID-19. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney gives a COVID-19 update in Edmonton, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. The Alberta government plans a busy fall legislature sitting aimed at adding jobs and diversifying the economy while focusing on tamping down the renewed surge of COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson EDMONTON - The Alberta government plans a busy fall legislature sitting aimed at adding jobs and diversifying the economy while focusing on tamping down the renewed surge of COVID-19. Government house leader Jason Nixon says this will include proposed legislation on recognizing professional credentials to address labour shortages. The bill will be introduced by Premier Jason Kenney. Our focus will be on Albertas workforce, a couple of bills around diversifying the economy, a big focus on building infrastructure for our future, (and) growing our resources, particularly on the energy side, Nixon said in an interview Friday. There will also be new initiatives on environmental protection and conservation. Nixon said there will be 18 to 20 bills for the sitting, which begins Monday and is scheduled to run to the first week of December. Its a very robust fall agenda, he said. Nixon said the government will continue to take steps to reduce COVID-19 cases, which have severely stressed the health system. No COVID-19-specific bills are planned, he said, noting they were passed in previous sittings. Theres certainly other stuff to be done to manage the pandemic but well stand ready if Alberta Health needs us to pass any legislation to deal with the pandemic." He said debate in the chamber is expected to return to some semblance of normalcy. In the spring sitting, both the United Conservative government and the Opposition NDP reduced their numbers in the chamber to prevent the spread of the virus. This time, with all NDP members and all but one on the UCP side vaccinated, all will be allowed back in for debate. The lone UCP member has a medical exemption and will be tested regularly, said Nixon. He said there are still masking rules and members will try to maintain distancing where possible. The NDP said it plans to hold the government accountable for what went disastrously wrong on COVID-19. This fall sitting of the legislature will be laser-focused on getting answers from the UCP on why theyve failed Albertans so miserably in managing the devastating fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Christina Gray, the NDP house leader. Since July 15, more than 85,000 additional Albertans have been infected with the virus and 700 have died. Gray said the NDP will call for an all-party inquiry into the governments handling of the pandemic with the power to compel documents and testimony. Nixon said the government will not agree to such a motion. He said it would be wrong to redeploy vital health resources right now and that Kenney has promised an eventual review of how the province handled the pandemic. Kenney has also promised to bring forward a motion to ratify and act on the results of Monday's provincewide referendum on Canadas equalization program. Final results arent in from Edmonton, but figures from Calgary and other cities suggest the referendum will pass with about 60 per cent in support of urging the federal government to remove the principle of equalization from the Constitution. Kenney has said the issue is not about removing equalization, something no province can do unilaterally, but about getting leverage to negotiate other issues surrounding federal transfers to attain a better deal with Ottawa. Political scientist Jared Wesley said Kenney will likely continue to focus on initiatives such as the equalization referendum, if only to change the narrative on his low popularity ratings. The premier will be spending most of his time, if he has anything to say about it, outside the province, stumping for this fair deal, said Wesley, with the University of Alberta. COVID-19 numbers have been trending down in recent weeks. But Kenney and Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province's chief medical officer of health, say the situation remains precarious. On Friday, there were just over 10,000 active COVID-19 cases in Alberta. And there were 191 COVID-19 patients in intensive care. Albertas fourth wave troubles began after Kenney lifted almost all COVID-19 related health restrictions as of July 1, boasting that the pandemic had moved to the endemic phase and there was no need to plan for a renewed case surge. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2021. HALIFAX - Alberta-based AltaGas has abandoned its plan to create huge salt caverns north of Halifax to store natural gas, saying the Alton Gas storage project is no longer part of its business focus. HALIFAX - Alberta-based AltaGas has abandoned its plan to create huge salt caverns north of Halifax to store natural gas, saying the Alton Gas storage project is no longer part of its business focus. The decision came Friday, more than 13 years after construction started on the ill-fated project in central Nova Scotia. The site where brine from the construction of a natural gas storage facility was to be disposed is seen on the Shubenacadie River near Stewiacke, N.S. on Monday, September 29, 2014. An Alberta energy company has scuttled its plan to create huge salt caverns north of Halifax to store natural gas. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan AltaGas confirmed it will decommission the site near Stewiacke, N.S., because the company had shifted its priorities since 2018, when it sold its interest in the Halifax-based natural gas utility Heritage Gas Ltd. The utility would have been the main customer for the caverns. "The project has received mixed support, challenges and experienced delay," AltaGas said in a statement. The company had argued the storage caverns were needed to to assure a steady supply of natural gas in the colder months when peak demand can lead to supply shortages and price spikes. And it went to great lengths to try to prove the project was environmentally sound. Nova Scotia's natural resources minister, Tory Rushton, said the company's announcement came as a surprise. "Any time a business does leave the province of Nova Scotia it's disappointing," Rushton said Friday. "But at the end of the day, this is a business decision (and) ... I certainly can't speculate on why the company made the decision." The minister said the end of the cavern project would likely have an impact on the province's natural gas supply, but he said other companies would likely step forward. AltaGas had planned to build up to 15 caverns about a kilometre underground near Alton, N.S., and then link them with the nearby Maritimes and Northeast natural gas pipeline, about 60 kilometres north of Halifax. The project, however, faced strong opposition from Indigenous protesters and their allies, not to mention a string of court actions. The $130-million development had been largely on hold since 2014, when Mi'kmaq activists started a series of protests that culminated two years later in the creation of a year-round protest camp at one of the work sites. Those opposed to the project had long complained about the company's plan to remove large, underground salt deposits by flushing them out with water from the Shubenacadie River, about 12 kilometres from the cavern site. The plan also called for dumping the leftover brine into the tidal river, where it would flow into the Bay of Fundy. Mi'kmaq elders said the brine would pollute the 72-kilometre waterway, which has been central to the Indigenous population for 13,000 years. On the "Stop Alton Gas" Facebook page, supporters were ecstatic to hear the project was dead. "Yes!!!" said one post. "Leave our river alone. Thanks to all water protectors for your hard work." The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mikmaw Chiefs issued a statement thanking those who had taken a stand against the project. "Today is a good day for the Shubenacadie River and for the Mikmaq of Nova Scotia," it said. The project had received environmental and industrial approvals, including two environmental assessments and an independent third-party science review. Before the project was shelved, AltaGas said the brine solution would have been pumped into the river twice a day at high tide, over a two- to three-year period. The company said the brine would be hard to detect in the river. The peak release on each tidal cycle would have been approximately 5,000 cubic metres, which would have mixed in with four million cubic metres of brackish tidal flow. In February 2019, after years of delays, the federal government said it would regulate the project. Environment and Climate Change Canada said the new rules would be aimed at managing potential threats to fish, fish habitat and human health. Two months later, three women described as grassroots grandmothers were arrested at the construction site near the river and later charged with contempt for ignoring a court injunction. And in March 2020, a Nova Scotia judge decided the provincial government had to conduct further talks with the Mi'kmaq before the project could proceed. The judge said the Crown's previous consultations with the Sipekne'katik First Nation were insufficient. In the end, the company decided to decommission the project. "In the coming weeks and months, we will be discussing next steps related to decommissioning the project with regulators at the provincial and federal governments, the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia and other key stakeholders," the company said in a statement Friday. The decommissioning will involve capping three wells that were drilled for development into caverns. As well, a diverted section of the Shubenacadie River will be repaired. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2021. With files from Keith Doucette Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said that in March 2020, a judge ordered Alton Gas to conduct more consultations with the local First Nation. In fact, the judge ordered the provincial government to conduct more consultations with the First Nation. TORONTO - Another shot was fired late Friday in the battle over control of Rogers Communications Inc., with former chairman Edward Rogers issuing a statement saying the company was wrong to declare a change of directors invalid. Edward Rogers attends the company's annual general meeting in Toronto on Thursday, April 18, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young TORONTO - Another shot was fired late Friday in the battle over control of Rogers Communications Inc., with former chairman Edward Rogers issuing a statement saying the company was wrong to declare a change of directors invalid. "The previously announced change of directors of Rogers Communications Inc. took effect this morning (Friday) immediately upon execution of the shareholder resolution by the Control Trust Chair in accordance with section 180 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and the articles of RCI," said Edward Rogers, who is still chairman of the Rogers Control trust. "There is no legal basis for declaring the resolution invalid." The statement by Edward Rogers came only hours after the company declared that his attempt to replace five members of the company's board of directors was invalid. Chairman John MacDonald said the declaration was made after seeking legal advice. Edward Rogers, who was removed from the position Thursday but has retained his board seat, is seeking to assert control over the telecommunications giant in an escalating fight with the company. The fight broke out after Edward Rogers unsuccessfully attempted to put former chief financial officer Tony Staffieri into the CEO role and replace other members of the leadership team, according to media reports. Multiple reports say the plan to replace company CEO Joe Natale was blocked by other board members, including Edward Rogers' sisters and mother, and his attempt at shaking up the firm led to him being replaced as chairman. But Edward Rogers would not give up. In a news release late Thursday, he announced his plan to remove independent directors John Clappison, David Peterson, Bonnie Brooks, Ellis Jacob and MacDonald from the company's board. In their place, he named Michael Cooper, Jack Cockwell, Jan Innes, Ivan Fecan and John Kerr as the new directors. Richard Leblanc, a professor of governance, law and ethics at York University, said successfully countering the move to replace the directors will be tough, if not impossible. The difficulty lies in how the company was set up by the late Ted Rogers, who arranged it so that his family trust controls 97 per cent of the firm's class A voting shares, Leblanc said. His intention was to ensure his company stays in his family's hands and to make it difficult to oust his relatives or dilute their control. "That's the brilliance of Ted Rogers and why he likened being chairman of the trust to being the president of the United States," LeBlanc said. "There's a lot of authority." One of the few ways control could be wrested away from Edward Rogers is if he loses his role as chairman of the trust, which has a 10-person advisory board, Leblanc said. To oust him, two-thirds of the board would need to support the move. A removal seems unlikely because Edward Rogers appears to have support from at least two trust board members, who aligned themselves with him on Friday. I worked alongside Ted for most of my 53 years at RCI and am supportive of the changes that have been announced today," said Phil Lind, a former vice-chairman at Rogers, who wrote a book about being Ted's "Right Hand Man." My primary focus going forward is to assist the members of the Rogers and Shaw teams to ensure a successful completion of the transaction. Alan Horn, who said he started working with Ted in 1979, also backs Edward Rogers. I look forward to working with Edward, the Rogers family, and the reconstituted board to help the company complete its game-changing transaction with Shaw," he said in a statement. If Edward Rogers, Horn and Lind support him as chairman, the seven remaining board members would have to support his removal to secure the two-thirds majority. Leblanc said it wouldn't surprise him if Edward Rogers garnered additional supporters, giving him enough votes to keep his role. "Several directors that are on these types of boards have told me that their role as a director is to give counsel, but at the end of the day, the founder has the authority and you owe your board seat to founder, so its founder's way or the highway," said Leblanc. This can be especially true at a company like Rogers, where an unconventional corporate governance structure, little turnover and a lack of independent committees and chairs offer fewer checks and balances, he said. "They have directors on the board that are over-tenured, that have been there longer than nine years or significantly longer," Leblanc said. "I think one director, who is a former politician, has been on the board 30 years." The company moved toward introducing some additional corporate governance controls on Thursday when it launched an executive oversight committee. The company said earlier Friday it was concerned that the trust would seek to make such a fundamental change in such an unusual way. In its evening statement, the company confirmed it had "received a written resolution from the Rogers Control Trust purporting to remove five of the independent directors of Rogers and replace them with nominees of the Rogers Control Trust." The company reviewed the resolution with external legal counsel, it said, "and has determined the resolution is invalid." "Accordingly," reads the statement, "the Board of Directors of Rogers, including its independent directors, remain unchanged." It reiterated Natale's commitment to driving business performance and completing its proposed merger with Shaw Communications Inc. Rogers is awaiting regulatory approvals for a $26-billion deal for the Calgary-based company that it signed earlier this year. While RBC Dominion Securities Inc. analyst Drew McReynolds called the recent board and family dynamics "an unnecessary distraction," he said in a note that he assumes the Rogers-Shaw deal still has "unwavering support" from shareholders. In an emailed statement, Shaw's executive chairman and CEO Brad Shaw said he wanted to "reiterate our commitment to the takeover." "This is a Rogers family and board matter and out of respect for the Rogers family, it is not appropriate for Shaw Communications to comment on recent developments," he said. Leblanc doesn't think the Shaw deal will become a casualty of the recent drama, but said he has never seen anything like the disagreement unfolding between the company and Edward Rogers. He likened it to a "soap opera," but said a resolution is likely on its way. "One way or the other, it sounds like we're going to come to a bit of a showdown in the next day or two or even today, and hopefully one decision will be made and then everybody has to ... rally around the final set of directors, whoever they may be." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:RCI.B) NEW YORK (AP) A Florida businessman who helped Rudy Giulianis effort to dig up dirt on Joe Biden in Ukraine was convicted Friday of campaign finance crimes, including funneling a Russian entrepreneur's money to U.S. politicians. ADDS NAME OF SISTER LUDA PARNAS - Lev Parnas, right, and his sister Luda Parnas leave federal court following closing arguments in his trial Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, in New York. Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani, hatched a scheme to funnel $1 million in funds from a wealthy Russian financier into U.S. elections knowing full well he was breaking campaign finance laws, a prosecutor said during closing arguments. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) NEW YORK (AP) A Florida businessman who helped Rudy Giulianis effort to dig up dirt on Joe Biden in Ukraine was convicted Friday of campaign finance crimes, including funneling a Russian entrepreneur's money to U.S. politicians. Lev Parnas was on trial for more than two weeks as prosecutors accused him of using other peoples money to pose as a powerful political broker and cozy up to some of the nations star Republicans. One part of the case alleged that Parnas and an associate made illegal donations through a corporate entity in 2018 as they tried to jump-start a new energy company, including a $325,000 donation to America First Action, a super PAC supporting former President Donald Trump. Another part said he used the wealth of a Russian financier, Andrey Muraviev, to donate to Republicans in Nevada, Florida and other states, ostensibly in support of an effort to launch a legal, recreational marijuana business. Parnas, 49, was convicted on all six counts after about five hours of jury deliberations. The Soviet-born businessman had insisted through his lawyer that he never used the Russians money for political donations. He briefly closed his eyes and shook his head as the verdict was read. ADDS NAME LUDA PARNAS - Lev Parnas, left, and his lawyer Joseph Bondy leave federal court following closing arguments in his trial, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, in New York. Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani, hatched a scheme to funnel $1 million in funds from a wealthy Russian financier into U.S. elections knowing full well he was breaking campaign finance laws, a prosecutor said during closing arguments. Parnas' sister, Luda Parnas, top center, looks on. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) Ive never hid from nobody. Ive always stood to tell the truth, Parnas said as he emerged from the courtroom. His lawyer, Joseph Bondy, promised an appeal Parnas said it was not the end of the story. Im sad. But at this time, I just want to get home to my wife and kids," he said. A co-defendant, Ukraine-born investor Andrey Kukushkin, was convicted of being part of the effort to use Muravievs money for political contributions. He had also denied any wrongdoing. Kukushkin and his attorney left the courthouse without speaking to reporters. The case had drawn interest because of the deep involvement of Parnas and a former co-defendant, Igor Fruman, in Giulianis efforts to get Ukrainian officials to investigate Joe Bidens son during Bidens campaign for president. Giuliani remains under criminal investigation as authorities decide whether his interactions with Ukraine officials required him to register as a foreign agent, but he wasnt alleged to have been involved in illegal campaign contributions and wasnt part of the New York trial. The case did, though, give an up-close look at how Parnas entered Republican circles in 2018 with a pattern of campaign donations big enough to get him meetings with the partys stars. In order to gain influence with American politicians and candidates, they illegally funneled foreign money into the 2018 midterm elections with an eye toward making huge profits in the cannabis business," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement following the verdict. Campaign finance laws are designed to protect the integrity of our free and fair elections unencumbered by foreign interests or influence and safeguarding those laws is essential to preserving the freedoms that Americans hold sacred. Lev Parnas leaves Federal court, in New York, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. A New York jury convicted Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani on Friday of charges that he made illegal campaign contributions to influence U.S. politicians and advance his business interests. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) In addition to the $325,000 donation to America First Action, prosecutors said Parnas and Fruman orchestrated donations to U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, of Texas, and to other committees supporting House Republicans. Giuliani and Trump were sparsely mentioned during the trial, although a photograph featuring Parnas with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, was one of the first exhibits shown to jurors during closing arguments. DeSantis was among those who received campaign contributions that prosecutors said were traced to $1 million that Parnas and Fruman received from Muraviev, who has been involved in several U.S. cannabis ventures. About $100,000 of Muravievs money went toward campaign contributions in what Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten called a conspiracy to secretly bring his wealth and corruption into American politics in violation of laws barring foreign donations to U.S. political candidates. The voters would never know whose money was pouring into our elections, Scotten said. Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, now a candidate for U.S. Senate, testified during the trial that a blustering Parnas suggested he could raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for him in 2018. He eventually came through only with a $10,000 check that Laxalts lawyers told him to reject. Bondy, representing Parnas, had called the allegations against his client absurd. He insisted in his closing argument that Muravievs money went toward supporting legal marijuana businesses looking to expand. Muraviev was not charged in the case. Kukushkins lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, sought to portray his client as an unknowing dupe who was mocked behind his back by other participants as mentally challenged. Following the verdict, prosecutors asked for immediate incarceration of Parnas and Kukushkin, citing a risk of flight, but the judge allowed them to remain free on bail while awaiting sentencing. The charges against Parnas collectively carry the potential for decades behind bars, but any prison sentence would likely be measured in years, rather than decades. Fruman pleaded guilty earlier this year to a single count of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national. He awaits sentencing. Another co-defendant, David Correia, also pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to a year in prison for crimes including defrauding investors in an insurance company that had paid Giuliani a $500,000 consulting fee. Parnas awaits a second trial in connection with that scheme. Giuliani barely factored in the trial, though a video of him with Parnas was among exhibits jurors could view during deliberations. The former New York mayor insisted he knew nothing about potentially illegal campaign contributions and has said everything he did in Ukraine was done on Trumps behalf and there is no reason he would have had to register as a foreign agent. Giulianis company and attorney didnt immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the verdict. SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) A jury weighing the fate of fallen Silicon Valley star Elizabeth Holmes got its first chance Friday to listen to recordings of her boasting to investors about purported breakthroughs in a blood-testing technology. SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) A jury weighing the fate of fallen Silicon Valley star Elizabeth Holmes got its first chance Friday to listen to recordings of her boasting to investors about purported breakthroughs in a blood-testing technology. The technology heralded as a quantum leap in blood testing, however, later dissolved into a scandal that now threatens to send her to prison. The drama unfolded in a San Jose, California, courtroom with federal prosecutors playing a series of recordings from a December 2013 conference call that Holmes held with investors in Theranos, the company she started in 2003 after dropping out of college at 19 in hopes of becoming a revered visionary in the mold of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The audio clips of Holmes capped the sixth week of a high-profile trial revolving around allegations that Holmes duped sophisticated investors and major retailers with bogus promises about a Theranos device dubbed Edison. The company's machine was supposed to be able to quickly scan for hundreds of potential health problems with a few drops of blood taken with a finger prick. In the recordings, Holmes speaking in a husky voice that some critics said she adopted to sound more authoritative boasted about partnerships with big pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer that evidence in the trial has revealed didn't pan out. She also mentioned contracts that never materialized because Theranos couldn't get the Edison to work properly. The device's repeated failures disillusioned former U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, a former Theranos board member ally who testified earlier in the trial. We could establish what has the opportunity to be the largest lab in the country, Holmes told investors in one of the clips played Friday. She laid out that ambition just a few months after Theranos had struck a deal to set up blood-testing wellness centers" in Walgreens stores across the country. But Theranos wound up in only 40 Walgreens stores. After investing $140 million in Theranos, Walgreens wound up ending the Theranos alliance in 2016, not long after a series of explosive articles in The Wall Street Journal and regulatory audits exposed chronic flaws in the blood-testing technology. Before everything blew up, Holmes raised hundreds of millions of dollars from a list of investors that included billionaires such as media mogul Rupert Murdoch, the Walton family behind Walmart, and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. The clips played Friday were recorded by Bryan Tolbert, an adviser to Dallas real estate developer Carl Hall, who invested $7 million in Theranos. The flurry of investments at one point valued privately held Theranos at $9 billion, including a $4.5 billion stake owned by Holmes. Now she is facing up to 20 years in prison if she is convicted in a trial that is scheduled to continue until late this year. As she has done throughout the trial, Holmes on Friday sat stoically alongside her lawyers while her voice filled the courtroom. She has yet to have a reason to speak during the trial, though her attorneys have signaled she make eventually take the witness stand to defend her actions as Theranos' CEO. Holmes, 37, has denied any wrongdoing, and blamed any misconduct on her former boyfriend, Ramesh Sunny" Bulwani, who was Theranos' chief operating officer. In court documents, Holmes' lawyers have asserted she was manipulated by Bulwani, a charge his lawyer has vehemently denied. Bulwani faces a separate trial next year. The jury that listened raptly to the recordings of Holmes was whittled down Friday when U.S. District Judge Edward Davila dismissed one member for an undisclosed reason. Originally composed of 17 people, including five alternates, the jury is now down to 10 men and four women. DENVER (AP) NASA on Thursday launched an online platform with information on how much water evaporates into the atmosphere from plants, soils and other surfaces in the U.S. West, data it says could help water managers, farmers and state officials better manage resources in the parched region. DENVER (AP) NASA on Thursday launched an online platform with information on how much water evaporates into the atmosphere from plants, soils and other surfaces in the U.S. West, data it says could help water managers, farmers and state officials better manage resources in the parched region. The platform, OpenET, uses satellite imagery from the Landsat program, a decades-long project of NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey that records human and natural impacts on Earth's surface. Specifically, it provides data for 17 Western states down to the quarter-acre on how much evapotranspiration has taken place. That's the process by which moisture in leaves, soil and other surfaces evaporates into the air. The West has been mired in drought for more than two decades. Scientists say human-caused climate change has intensified conditions. Water levels at key reservoirs on the Colorado River have fallen to historic lows alongside growing demand, prompting the federal government to declare water cuts for some states next year. A blazing summer and years of record-breaking wildfires have also zapped moisture from the ground. Detailed information on soil moisture could help farmers and water managers better plan during dry conditions and reduce how much water is used for irrigation, NASA scientists said on a Thursday call with reporters. Farmers and water managers have not had consistent, timely data on one of the most important pieces of information for managing water, which is the amount of water thats consumed by crops and other plants as they grow, said Robyn Grimm, a water specialist with the Environmental Defense Fund, which helped NASA develop the tool alongside other environmental groups and Google. To date, that data has been expensive and fragmented," she said. Many large farms in dry areas, such as California's Central Valley, already have years of experience using advanced data systems to measure evapotranspiration and other water metrics that influence their growing and harvesting seasons and watering schedules. Cannon Michael runs an 11,000-acre (4,452 hectare) farm in Merced County, California, that produces tomatoes, melons, cotton and alfalfa. Michael said he looked at NASA's new platform, but didn't think it would provide any additional benefit for his farm. We closely monitor and understand our water use," he said. Our farm is 75% drip irrigation, and we have a very detailed scheduling and forecasting process already in place." Meanwhile, Colorado rancher Joe Stanko in Steamboat Springs had read about the new tool in a magazine. Her family grows hay for their cattle, and she said the platform could help them determine which fields need more water to replenish soil. It could also help them decide when to harvest hay. NASA said the platform includes historical data dating back to 1984. In coming months, it will be updated to include information about precipitation rates with the same level of detail. Eventually, the tool will extend to other parts of the U.S., including areas around the Mississippi River and Appalachian region, scientists said. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/environment Federal health regulators said late Friday that kid-size doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine appear highly effective at preventing symptomatic infections in elementary school children and caused no unexpected safety issues, as the U.S. weighs beginning vaccinations in youngsters. FILE - This Feb. 5, 2021, file photo shows the Pfizer logo displayed at the company's headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) Federal health regulators said late Friday that kid-size doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine appear highly effective at preventing symptomatic infections in elementary school children and caused no unexpected safety issues, as the U.S. weighs beginning vaccinations in youngsters. The Food and Drug Administration posted its analysis of Pfizers data ahead of a public meeting next week to debate whether the shots are ready for the nations roughly 28 million children ages 5 to 11. The agency will ask a panel of outside vaccine experts to vote on that question. In their analysis, FDA scientists concluded that in almost every scenario the vaccine's benefit for preventing hospitalizations and death from COVID-19 would outweigh any serious potential side effects in children. But agency reviewers stopped short of calling for Pfizer's shot to be authorized. The agency will put that question to its panel of independent advisers next Tuesday and weigh their advice before making its own decision. If the FDA authorizes the shots, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make additional recommendations on who should receive them the first week of November. Children could begin vaccinations early next month -- with the first youngsters in line fully protected by Christmas. This October 2021 photo provided by Pfizer shows kid-size doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Puurs, Belgium. The vaccine appear safe and nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in 5- to 11-year-olds, according to study details released Friday, Oct. 22, as the U.S. considers opening vaccinations to that age group. (Pfizer via AP) Full-strength Pfizer shots already are recommended for anyone 12 or older, but pediatricians and many parents are anxiously awaiting protection for younger children to stem infections from the extra-contagious delta variant and help keep kids in school. The FDA review affirmed results from Pfizer posted earlier in the day showing the two-dose shot was nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infection in young children. Researchers calculated the figure based on 16 COVID-19 cases in youngsters given dummy shots versus three cases among vaccinated children. There were no severe illnesses reported among any of the youngsters, but the vaccinated ones had much milder symptoms than their unvaccinated counterparts. Most of the study data was collected in the U.S. during August and September, when the delta variant had become the dominant COVID-19 strain. This October 2021 photo provided by Pfizer shows kid-size doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Puurs, Belgium. The vaccine appear safe and nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in 5- to 11-year-olds, according to study details released Friday, Oct. 22, as the U.S. considers opening vaccinations to that age group. (Pfizer via AP) The FDA review found no new or unexpected side effects. Those that did occur mostly consisted of sore arms, fever or achiness. However, FDA scientists noted that the study wasn't large enough to detect extremely rare side effects, including myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation that occasionally occurs after the second dose. The agency used statistical modeling to try to predict how many hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 the vaccine would prevent versus the number of potential heart side effects it might cause. In four scenarios of the pandemic, the vaccine clearly prevented more hospitalizations than would be expected from the heart side effect. Only when virus cases were extremely low could the vaccine cause more hospitalizations than it would prevent. But overall, regulators concluded that the vaccine's protective benefits would clearly outweigh" its risks. This October 2021 photo provided by Pfizer shows kid-size doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Puurs, Belgium. The vaccine appear safe and nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in 5- to 11-year-olds, according to study details released Friday, Oct. 22, as the U.S. considers opening vaccinations to that age group. (Pfizer via AP) While children run a lower risk of severe illness or death than older people, COVID-19 has killed more than 630 Americans 18 and under, according to the CDC. Nearly 6.2 million children have been infected with the coronavirus, more than 1.1 million in the last six weeks as the delta variant surged, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. The Biden administration has purchased enough kid-size doses in special orange-capped vials to distinguish them from adult vaccine for the nations 5- to 11-year-olds. If the vaccine is cleared, millions of doses will be promptly shipped around the country, along with kid-size needles. More than 25,000 pediatricians and primary care providers already have signed up to get the shots into little arms. ___ AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner contributed to this story. ___ 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. WARSAW, Poland (AP) Some 2,000 Polish coal miners traveled to Luxembourg to stage a noisy protest Friday against a decision by the European Union's top court to shut down a major brown coal mine in Poland and to fine the country for flouting the ruling. WARSAW, Poland (AP) Some 2,000 Polish coal miners traveled to Luxembourg to stage a noisy protest Friday against a decision by the European Union's top court to shut down a major brown coal mine in Poland and to fine the country for flouting the ruling. Clad in yellow vests emblazoned with Hands off Turow, blowing horns and waving white-and-red Solidarity trade union flags, the protesters shouted in front of the EU's Court of Justice that its rulings were unjustified and threatened Polands energy security. To stress the importance of the occasion, they sang the national anthem. If they want to shut us down, we will shut down the EU court, said Wojciech Ilnicki, head of Solidarity at the mine. Brown coal, or lignite, is a major source of pollutant greenhouse gases when burnt, and is still used in Poland to fuel some power plants. The demonstrators chanted We will not give Turow away" and left a protest letter at the court before marching to the Czech Embassy to protest Prague's role in the rulings. Closing the mine would mean a big shortage of energy and a cataclysm in Poland's energy system, Jaroslaw Grzesik, head of the Solidarity union's branch for mining, told The Associated Press. In May, the court ordered the open-cast Turow mine closed following complaints by the Czech Republic that the mine's operations negatively impacted nearby Czech villages, draining water from the area. Poland has ignored the injunction, saying that Turow and an adjacent power plant generate some 7% of the nation's energy and light up millions of households. Warsaw also argues that Prague finds no problem with a number of other large lignite mines that operate in the same area on the Czech side of the border and in nearby Germany. Last month, the court ordered that Poland pay a fine of 500,000 euros ($586,000) for each day it ignores its decision. Talks with the Czech government have so far brought no solution, despite Warsaw saying it has made generous offers to reach a compromise. Polands trade union leaders say Prague is defending the interests of its own mines in the region. Poland is among the most coal-dependent nations in the EU, and among the slowest in reducing that dependency. Despite development of renewable energy sources, and the rising popularity of wind and solar power, coal mostly black coal still accounts for nearly 70% of the countrys energy mix in 2020. CALGARY - The Alberta Energy Regulator has laid charges against Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Ltd. for a release of acidic water in west-central Alberta. CALGARY - The Alberta Energy Regulator has laid charges against Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Ltd. for a release of acidic water in west-central Alberta. The regulator says the release occurred in Oct. 2019 at Tidewater's Ram River sour gas processing plant near Rocky Mountain House. It says the acidic water flowed into a nearby creek. Calgary-based Tidewater has been charged with 10 violations under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, including releasing a substance to the environment that caused or may have caused an adverse effect. The regulator also alleges that Tidewater failed to report the release of the acidic water as soon as possible, and failed to take all reasonable measures to repair and remedy the spill. Tidewater is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 8 in Rocky Mountain House. This report by The Canadian Press was first published October 21, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:TWM) WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. officials issued new warnings Friday about Chinas ambitions in artificial intelligence and a range of advanced technologies that could eventually give Beijing a decisive military edge and possible dominance over health care and other essential sectors in America. FILE - In this Nov. 9, 2017, file photo, an American flag is flown next to the Chinese national emblem during a welcome ceremony for visiting U.S. U.S. officials are issuing new warnings about Chinas ambitions in artificial intelligence and a range of advanced technologies that could eventually give Beijing a decisive military edge and possible dominance over health care and other essential sectors in America. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File) WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. officials issued new warnings Friday about Chinas ambitions in artificial intelligence and a range of advanced technologies that could eventually give Beijing a decisive military edge and possible dominance over health care and other essential sectors in America. The warnings include a renewed effort to inform business executives, academics and local and state government officials about the risks of accepting Chinese investment or expertise in key industries, officials at the National Counterintelligence and Security Center said. While the center does not intend to tell officials to reject Chinese investment, it will encourage efforts to control intellectual property and implement security measures. National security agencies under President Joe Bidens administration are making an aggressive public push against China, which some officials have called the greatest strategic threat to the United States. The Biden administration has simultaneously tried to ease some tensions with Beijing dating to the Trump administration and seek common ground on trade and climate change. Beijing has repeatedly accused Washington of fear-mongering about its intentions and attacked U.S. intelligence for its assessments of China, including allegations that Chinese leaders have withheld critical information about the coronavirus pandemic. Under President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government has stated its goals to create profitable technologies in robotics and other fields in plans known as Made in China 2025. The Justice Department in recent years has returned several indictments alleging theft of sensitive U.S. information on behalf of China, including vaccine research and autonomous vehicle technology. The counterintelligence centers acting director, Michael Orlando, told reporters in a rare briefing Thursday that the U.S. cant afford to lose ground to China in several key areas: artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, quantum computing, semiconductors and biotechnology. Orlando noted that Chinese businesses and academics are beholden to the Chinese Communist Party and are required to serve the partys interests. Although weve been saying this for year after year, people are not digesting this, he said. Orlando declined to say whether the U.S. should enact tougher restrictions or outright bans on Chinese investment in certain sectors, saying his role was not to suggest policy. But the counterintelligence center holds regular briefings with private industry and academia while recognizing that industries and universities may still want to seek students, experts and investors from China, Orlando said. He would not name companies with which the center has met. The center's officer for emerging and disruptive technologies, Edward You, noted the investment of Chinese companies in U.S. and European biotechnology and pharmaceutics. WuXi Biologics has since 2019 built a vaccine manufacturing facility in Ireland, announced plans for a production facility in Massachusetts and acquired a Bayer plant in Germany. Officials did not disclose any information linking those acquisitions to Beijing's influence but said they were part of a broader pattern by Chinese medical companies. Chinese companies have also offered COVID-19 testing kits and genetic testing in the U.S., meeting federal privacy standards and other regulations, You said. But the data collected by companies with ties to China could ultimately end up in the hands of Beijing, You said. China already has the greatest access to medical data of any country, You said. With its data collection and its advancements in technology, Beijing could one day be dominant in health care and leave the U.S. wholly dependent on China, he said. If you're President Xi," he said, that's the gift that keeps on giving. ___ This story deletes an incorrect reference to WuXi Biologics being headquartered in Hong Kong. WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. financial regulators on Thursday approved a series of steps toward addressing the dangers that climate change poses to the nations financial system. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen listens as President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with business leaders about the debt limit in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. financial regulators on Thursday approved a series of steps toward addressing the dangers that climate change poses to the nations financial system. The Financial Stability Oversight Council, which is headed by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and includes Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, acknowledged in a report that climate change is a serious economic threat. Climate-related impacts in the form of warming temperatures rising sea levels, droughts, wildfires, intensifying storms and other climate related events are already imposing significant costs upon the public and the economy, the councils 133-page report says. It is the responsibility of the council and its members to ensure the financial systems resiliency to climate related risks. The report includes more than 30 proposals aimed at improving efforts to the assess risks. It put forward recommendations to upgrade the collection of risk data and also ways of making sure the public has access to the data. The report was released 10 days before a United Nations conference on climate change in Glasgow, Scotland. It signals the Biden administration's intention to tell the broader international community that it is putting together the policy architecture to address climate change and improve the resilience of financial markets. With the United States lagging behind the European Union and the United Kingdom in responding to climate changes economic threats, the administration hopes to use the report to assert more leadership on the issue. As recommended by the report, a special advisory committee would be established of scientists, Wall Street executives, business and labor leaders, environmentalists and others to help develop standards for monitoring the economic impacts of climate change. The report also advises identifying and filling gaps in data for assessing how climate change could threaten the economy, including the sharing of data across the federal government and with international counterparts. The council approved creation of two climate advisory panels that will report to the group on a regular basis to keep officials informed of progress being made. Companies and government agencies would also have new standards for public disclosures about the climate, a move designed to make it easier for the markets to appropriately weigh the impacts of climate change and the potential savings from reducing those impacts through measures like the use of renewable energy. Yellen called the changes approved by FSOC an important first step but said they were by no means the end of the group's effort to better incorporate the assessment of climate threats into the regulatory process. She said the severe weather events of this summer from the wildfires in the West to Hurricane Ida along the Gulf Coast demonstrated the need for action. Powell, calling climate change a significant challenge for the global economy and the financial system, said the Fed was committed to doing its part in such areas as using more sophisticated analyses to better assess climate risks. Yellen has made addressing climate change a top priority since joining the Biden administration. Environmental groups, however, said they were disappointed that the FSOC did not make more ambitious recommendations. Financial regulators can and must act to rein in Wall Streets contributions to the climate crisis, said Ben Cushing, the manager of the Sierra Clubs fossil-free finance campaign. This report is a step in the right direction, but bolder action from regulators is necessary in order to protect our economy from the climate crisis. FSOC is an umbrella panel made up of the heads of the governments top financial regulatory agencies. It was created by Congress in 2010 to address serious problems in coordination between agencies that had been revealed by the 2008 financial crisis. The report and its recommendations were approved by all members of the panel with the exception of Jelena McWilliams, the head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., who abstained on the grounds she felt more information was needed before reaching a conclusion. McWilliams was appointed to the FDIC by then-President Donald Trump. OTTAWA - Canadians should carefully weigh any future decisions on taking foreign trips even though the federal government has lifted a global advisory asking them to avoid non-essential travel, health officials cautioned Friday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau puts on a mask as he listens to Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Dr. Theresa Tam speak via video during a news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic, in Ottawa, Friday, March 12, 2021. Canadians should carefully weigh any future decisions on taking foreign trips even though the federal government has lifted a global advisory asking Canadians to avoid non-essential travel, health officials cautioned Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA - Canadians should carefully weigh any future decisions on taking foreign trips even though the federal government has lifted a global advisory asking them to avoid non-essential travel, health officials cautioned Friday. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said the government would be providing more specific information about the severity of COVID-19 in various countries to help Canadians decide where they should consider travelling. "The pandemic is very much alive. There are definitely still risks involved in travel," Tam said Friday. She said it was too soon for the government to give a "blanket" recommendation on all travel, but said being fully vaccinated and assessing the level of the pandemic in any potential destination are key. "Now is not the time to just freely go wherever." The government announced Thursday that it was lifting the global advisory asking Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside the country, but it was continuing to advise against travel on cruise ships. The global travel advisory was put in place in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Dr. Howard Njoo, the deputy chief public health officer, said Friday that Canadians should ask themselves a series of questions before they plan to travel abroad. Njoo urged Canadians assess the "epidemiological situation" of COVID-19 in any potential travel destination "because there is great variation between different countries and even within countries, as we've seen here in Canada." They should also look at the level of vaccination rates in those country "because that's an indication of what community transmission in that region may be." Canadian travellers should also ask themselves what they actually want to do when they get to another country. "For example, if you're going to go on solitary nature hikes, that's one thing. But if you're thinking of going on a cruise with a lot of people in an enclosed space, that's another thing," said Njoo. Canadians should also weigh the "culture for individual protection measures" in where they are thinking of travelling, such as whether masks are commonly worn, or not, he said. "We know that the situation is not the same in all parts of the world. There are regions in the world that are still suffering from the severe consequences of COVID-19," he said. The government of Canada's website now shows advisories for each destination country, as it did prior to the pandemic. It also urges Canadians to ensure they are fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus before travelling abroad, and to stay informed of the COVID-19 situation at their destination. The move comes as the federal government announced it had reached an agreement with the provinces on a new national vaccine passport for domestic and international travel. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that provinces and territories have agreed to adjust their own vaccine passports to give them the same look, feel and security measures based on the international standard for so-called Smart health cards. Several have already started distributing proof-of-vaccination documents, including Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Yukon. Canada opened its borders last month to non-essential international travellers who have received both doses of a Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccine, and to fully vaccinated travellers from the United States in August. The U.S. government recently announced that its land borders will reopen to non-essential Canadian travellers on Nov. 8. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2021. OTTAWA - The Defence Department has vowed to review how the military screens for extremist views in the foreign troops it works withafter a report found that far-right radicals in the Ukrainian army boasted on social media that they received training from the Canadian Armed Forces. Ukrainian and Canadian servicemen do training exercises to get ready for large scale International military drills on Yavorivsky training ground close to Lviv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 15, 2021. The Defence Department is vowing to review how the military screens for extremist views in the foreign troops it trains. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-HO, Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Office, *MANDATORY CREDIT* OTTAWA - The Defence Department has vowed to review how the military screens for extremist views in the foreign troops it works withafter a report found that far-right radicals in the Ukrainian army boasted on social media that they received training from the Canadian Armed Forces. The study this month out of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., found that members of Centuria have accessed training from Canada, among other NATO countries, and taken part in joint military exercises. Centuria is a group that holds ties to far-right movements, venerates Nazi figures and aims to protect what it calls Europe's "ethnic identity,"according to the report from the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies. In response to the study, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center this week called for an investigation by the Defence Department. "I think they have to reassess the program, because these are the last people on earth whom you want to train," Efraim Zuroff, director of the centre's Israel office, said in a phone interview from Jerusalem. "In other words, these are people who might turn those weapons later, not against the Russians but against people among their own population who they don't like or they don't agree with and God knows what," said Zuroff, who also carries the title of the centre's chief Nazi hunter. The Defence Department says Canada currently relies on the Ukrainian government to vet its security forces. "If Canadian soldiers suspect that their Ukrainian counterparts or trainees hold racist views, they are removed immediately. There is no burden of proof on the CAF (Canadian Armed Forces) to demonstrate this beyond a reasonable doubt," the department said in an email. Nonetheless, the study's findings prompted the department to conduct a "thorough review of this report, including whether current policies and procedures in place are sufficiently stringent to flag and prevent the CAF from unwittingly aiding those whose views it fundamentally opposes." None of the Western governments contacted in the study, including Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Germany, vet Ukrainian training recipients for extremist views and ties, the report said. "The upshot of this report is that between these two sides, nobody is actually doing their job," Tarik Cyril Amar, a professor at Columbia University and expert on Ukraine, said in a virtual interview from Istanbul. "If you're a state or a military who makes your trainers, your facilities, your weapons available for helping somebody how to learn to kill, you are responsible," he said. Far-right militias played a prominent role in the early days of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict that kicked off in 2014 following the Maidan protests and revolution in Kiev. Extremist vigilantes associated with the ultranationalist Azov movement and other "volunteer battalions" helped Ukraine's regular army defend its territory against separatist proxies backed by Russia, which annexed Ukraine's Crimea region and supported separatists in the Donbas area. Since then, Ukraine's armed forces have integrated Azov into their ranks and said that extremist elements have been weeded out, but observers remain skeptical. "Evidence uncovered in this paper suggests that since 2018, the Hetman Petro Sahaidachny National Army Academy (NAA), Ukraines premier military education institution and a major hub for Western military assistance to the country, has been home to Centuria," the report says. "The group, led by individuals with ties to Ukraines internationally active far-right Azov movement, has attracted multiple members, including current and former officer cadets of the NAA now serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Apparent members have appeared in photos giving Nazi salutes and made seemingly extremist statements online." As recently as April 2021, Centuria claimed that members participated in joint military exercises with France, the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany and Poland, the study says. "Currently, per the NAA, dedicated permanent advisers from Germany, Canada and Denmark, as well as experts of NATOs Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP), are involved in shaping the curriculum the Academy teaches to its students," the report states. "In 2018, for example, the NAA unveiled a high-tech 'Delta Classroom' sponsored by Canada." Ivan Katchanovski, a specialist on Ukrainian politics and history at the University of Ottawa, says Canadian policy turns a blind eye to ultranationalist extremism and human rights violations in parts of the country. This silence basically is used by the far right in Ukraine and by the Ukrainian government as immunity, as a sign of support, as a green light, he said. This would not be the first time western governments have backed security forces abroad while looking the other way on extremist ideologies. During the Cold War, in Central America in particular, there were similar kinds of policies ignoring the far-right movements and human rights abuses, Katchanovski said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2021. The daughter of an elderly Winnipeg couple who was murdered in Jamaica in 2018 is grateful one of her parents' killers has been brought to justice but says the man's co-accused is still free. The daughter of an elderly Winnipeg couple who was murdered in Jamaica in 2018 is grateful one of her parents' killers has been brought to justice but says the man's co-accused is still free. "We recognize how fortunate we are that we have somebody who can pay for their crime because there are so many families whose hearts are aching because they have nobody, they have no clues," said Debbie Lee Olfert in an interview from St. Thomas, Jamaica, Thursday night. "It's such a relief to know that this person isn't running around free." Olfert's parents Melbourne Flake, 81, and Etta Flake, 70, were found dead in January 2018 with their hands and feet bound at their vacation home in St. Thomas. To read more of this story first reported by CBC News, click here. This content is made available to Free Press readers as part of an agreement with CBC that sees our two trusted news brands collaborate to better cover Manitoba. Questions about CBC content can be directed to talkback@cbc.ca. The Manitoba man who triggered an emergency alert Wednesday evening after evading capture for two days had outrun officers, drones, police dogs and the Winnipeg police helicopter. The Manitoba man who triggered an emergency alert Wednesday evening after evading capture for two days had outrun officers, drones, police dogs and the Winnipeg police helicopter. The suspect was arrested in the RM of Rockwood a short time after RCMP issued an alert around 7 p.m. The alert said he was armed and dangerous, and posed an immediate risk to the public. He could be in the Interlake, Winnipeg or Selkirk, it said. RCMP HANDOUT Wesley Wadien was arrested in the RM of Rockwood a short time after police issued an alert around 7 p.m. RCMP said it marked the first time the system was used for an ongoing threat. "The RCMP in Manitoba wanted to ensure that all public were well informed of the potential risk that this individual posed due to the unpredictable behaviour he displayed toward police in the last two days," said Supt. Rob Lasson. Leisha Fenez witnessed the suspect escape police near a bridge on Highway 4 north of Selkirk around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. She watched as a white Dodge Ram truck drove over the bridge. She was at the bottom of the bridge near a stop sign. "A cop came up behind me, and... I pulled over," she said. At least six police cars entered the area, Fenez said. They went on either side of the bridge and laid spike strips at the bottom of the west side. "I'm assuming (he) must've seen them throw the spike strips down because he completely went around them," Fenez, 26, said. He veered away and drove between the bridge railing and police cruisers, entering the steep ditch, she said. "His truck was, like, completely sideways driving in the ditch. Then he just got out of there and kept on going," she said, adding he drove past her. "He just looked like he was so calm. He wasn't even fazed by the fact that he was being chased by like seven cops." Around 5 p.m. in Gimli, a witness saw the truck fly by on Highway 8. They guessed he was travelling at least 40 kilometres above the 80 km/h speed zone. RCMP said the case began early Tuesday afternoon when the man had allegedly pointed a shotgun at someone in Selkirk and fled after police responded. Police said the man, who faced warrants for other offences, was wanted on allegations of uttering threats and pointing a firearm. During the manhunt, it's alleged he stole several vehicles. On Thursday, police hadn't issued any update on the case, including whether additional charges had been laid. Court records show Wesley Wadien, 38, was charged with driving while prohibited on Oct. 29, 2020. An arrest warrant was issued in August after Wadien failed to appear in court. His criminal record includes convictions for dangerous driving, possession of unauthorized firearms, robbery and breaches of court orders. Wadien is from Stony Mountain and went to Stonewall Collegiate Institute, according to his Facebook account. Meantime, officials explained why there was no follow-up alert to notify the public the suspect had been taken into custody. "Cancellation alerts follow a national standard where they are not rebroadcast to all alerting platforms when an alert is over," a provincial spokesperson wrote in an email. Other means of notification, such as social media and news organizations, are used instead, they said. The province has issued seven alerts related to policing since 2015, including Amber alerts for missing children, such as one issued last March about a missing two-year-old. "Emergency alerts in relation to policing jurisdiction are determined by the policing authority," the spokesperson wrote, adding Manitobas Emergency Measures Organization is the broadcaster. There are nationally agreed upon practices that determine when alerts are issued. With files from Katie May gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com RUTH Ashrafi and her husband were standing in line at a local grocery store recently when someone behind them said, They should have sizzled you all. RUTH Ashrafi and her husband were standing in line at a local grocery store recently when someone behind them said, "They should have sizzled you all." She looked in disbelief at her husband, who was wearing a kippah, the traditional Jewish head covering. He looked back the same way. Irwin Cotler is an international human rights lawyer and former federal justice minister. THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES/Adrian Wyld "I turned around, and there were two nice Canadian teenage boys behind us," she said. "I couldnt believe what had come out of them." Teens say "dumb things," she said, but the comment showed "what at least one of them considered appropriate to say to a Jew." The incident reminded Ashrafi, who is regional director for Bnai Brith in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nunavut, why it is important that Canada now has a permanent special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and fighting antisemitism. "Antisemitism is increasing in this country," she said, noting there were 2,610 antisemitic incidents in Canada in 2020, up from 2,207 in 2019, and 101 in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nunavut, down slightly from 104 the year before. "Thats why I welcome the announcement of the permanent role," she said. "Antisemitism is a serious issue in this country." Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks via video link during the International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism, in Malmoe, Sweden, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021. The one-day conference focused on the receding memory of the Holocaust as Sweden marks the 20th anniversary of a conference on remembering the genocide. (Jonas Ekstromer/TT via AP) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the permanent position held by Irwin Cotler, an international human rights lawyer and former federal justice minister virtually at an international forum on Holocaust remembrance and antisemitism in Malmo, Sweden, on Oct. 13. Cotler was appointed to the role last November. "Education and awareness will always be key to combating Holocaust distortion, antisemitism and all other forms of racism," Trudeau said, adding the Liberal government will work on a national plan to combat antisemitic hate. "Antisemitism isnt a problem for the Jewish community to solve alone. Its everyones challenge to take on, especially governments." Elaine Goldstine, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, also welcomed the news about the new permanent position. "We see this as being a very positive development in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism which has been on the rise worldwide," she said. "Preserving Holocaust remembrance is also a key aspect of the role, during a time when disinformation is being spread about its scope and magnitude, or being outright denied." Goldstine noted the Canadian Jewish community has been advocating for a permanent role for the envoy, along with resources to carry out the mandate of combating antisemitism, for some time. "Statistics Canada data consistently confirms that the Jewish community is the most frequently targeted religious minority when it comes to hate crimes," she said. Belle Jarniewski executive director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, which contains the Freeman Family Holocaust Education Centre said the permanent role shows Ottawa sees antisemitism as an "ongoing issue and a real problem." Cotler is an excellent choice for the role, Jarniewski added, noting he is recognized internationally for his efforts to combat antisemitism, genocide and racism in all its forms. "He has a strong voice on the issue and is listened to," she said. Jarniewski said the rise of the extreme right in Canada and around the world, aided by social media, is fuelling antisemitism. She hopes the special envoy will be able to help persuade the federal government to create effective laws to combat online hate against Jews and other minorities. Jarniewski said she regularly gets "hate mail" whenever she speaks out about antisemitism. "Nobody threatens me with physical violence, but Im glad they dont know where I live," she said. The permanent envoy position "is needed to address things like that," Jarniewski said, adding more education about racism is needed in Canada. "Theres a lot of really ugly stuff out there." The National Council of Canadian Muslims has called on the government to create a similar permanent government position to combat Islamophobia. faith@freepress.mb.ca OTTAWA The Supreme Court has ruled a Manitoba health-care aide, who was fired for being intoxicated at work, cannot argue her case before a human rights tribunal because the matter is covered by her union agreement. OTTAWA The Supreme Court has ruled a Manitoba health-care aide, who was fired for being intoxicated at work, cannot argue her case before a human rights tribunal because the matter is covered by her union agreement. The high court ruled that anything covered by a collective agreement, including discrimination, cant be dealt with by other tribunals, unless provinces change their labour laws. The Supreme Court of Canada (Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press files) Linda Horrocks of Flin Flon, who now stocks shelves at Walmart, says shell try to get her job back. The Northern Regional Health Authority fired Horrocks from her position at a personal care home after she worked while intoxicated, court records show. Horrocks was first fired in 2011, but her union argued her case. She got the job back after signing an agreement with the health authority against the advice of her union stipulating that any alcohol consumption for two years would be considered grounds for dismissal. Before she returned to work, she was observed to be intoxicated, and again fired in 2012, court heard. Instead of going back to her union, Horrocks opted to file a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, and successfully argued her employer discriminated against her on the basis of a disability, specifically alcoholism. The health authority appealed the ruling, arguing that the human rights tribunal couldnt weigh in on issues of discrimination when those are part of a collective agreement. A reviewing judge subsequently ruled the matter fell within the sole jurisdiction of a labour arbitrator, but the case then went to the Manitoba Court of Appeal. The appeal court sent the matter back to the reviewing judge to determine whether the decision of the adjudicator and the remedies she ordered were reasonable in law. In 2017, the health authority took the case to the Supreme Court to get clarity. Despite having its own ruling challenged, the human rights commission welcomed the case, saying the Supreme Court could give much-needed clarity over what channels unionized employees can use to argue discrimination cases. In a 6-1 decision Friday, the justices sided with the health authority, ruling that if human rights issues are part of any collective agreement, employees must first go through grievance and labour arbitration before taking the matter to a tribunal. The justices said the procedure is laid out in Manitobas Labour Relations Act, and that the legislature would have to amend the law if it wanted employees to have another recourse. "It's going to have a negative impact on the protection of human rights for average, working people in Canada," Horrocks lawyer Paul Champ told the Free Press. "In Manitoba, it's slammed the door to access to human rights boards of inquiry for unionized employees," he argued. "The court has said that labour relations legislation are paramount to human rights statutes in every circumstance." The one dissenting judge argued that labour unions and human-rights tribunals should have concurrent jurisdiction, because an arbitrator can deal with an employees specific issues, while a commission can implement systemic changes. That dissenting judge argued that labour arbitration should come first, but that employees should still have another option if the union opts against supporting their grievance. Champ spoke with Horrocks Friday morning after the decision was released, just as she had finished the night shift stocking shelves at a Wal-Mart. Prior to that, the 64-year-old was unemployed, and cleaned houses. "Her life took a very different turn all because of, in our view, stereotypical attitudes about people who may have alcoholism," Champ argued. He said Horrocks plans to file a union grievance and her employer offered to waive the normal time limitations because the matter had been held up in the court. "Shes a braver person than me," he said. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Manitoba Conservation says enforcement officers have caught several people illegally hunting in the Swan River, Duck Mountain, The Pas and Riverton areas this fall. Manitoba Conservation says enforcement officers have caught several people illegally hunting in the Swan River, Duck Mountain, The Pas and Riverton areas this fall. On the weekend, a Swan River conservation officer was patrolling an area with a wildlife refuge on either side of the road, in the Duck Mountain Provincial Forest. Two men on an ATV claimed they were hunting deer, but an inspection found that one of the mens firearms was loaded. He was issued a $486 ticket. On Oct. 3, officers in the Riverton District got a tip about two individuals shooting at geese on private property. Two hunters were seen collecting geese and heading west on Highway 68 toward Arborg. The witness noted a Minnesota licence plate and followed the truck to a residence. Two hunters were charged fined $486. Officers from The Pas patrolled the backcountry by aircraft on Sept. 28 and found two individuals moose hunting within an area closed to that activity on Limestone Point Lake. The subjects were charged with hunting within the closure and their firearms were seized. The following day, they found a Saskatchewan resident fishing on Takipy Lake. He did not have a Manitoba angling licence and had two loaded firearms in the boat. He was charged for both offences. On Sept. 19, officers who were patrolling Highway 83 south of Swan River saw a truck with a large set of moose antlers visible in the truck box. They stopped the vehicle and were told the moose had been killed in Saskatchewan. While the meat had been processed properly, the head was still attached to the antlers. To prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease, it is illegal to bring unprocessed deer, elk, moose or caribou into Manitoba. The head and antlers were seized, the hunter was given a ticket but allowed to keep the meat as it was processed and imported correctly. In another incident near Swan River last month, officers acted on a tip about someone hunting on private land without permission in the R.M. of Swan Valley West. RCMP had reported seeing a man with an elk head and parts. The man, who is under a big game licence suspension, admitted he had shot the elk. The elk parts were seized and the rest of the elk meat was found at another property. The hunter admitted to retrieving the elk on private property without permission. Two men were issued appearance notices for court. Barbara Buffie had many interests but there were few more important than education. Barbara Buffie had many interests but there were few more important than education. It was that love of learning that inspired Buffie to become involved in her local school board. In 1978, she accepted a role as a citizen member of the River East School Division board of trustees and served in an advisory capacity on its education and policy committee for four years. SUPPLIED Barbara and her husband Howard Buffie. In October 1983, Buffie successfully ran for trustee and served in various capacities on the board including chairwoman (1992-93) until stepping down in 1995 due to health concerns. Following a return to health, she was re-elected to the River East board in a byelection and served until retirement in 2002. Along the way, she served on virtually every committee on the school board, as well as a pair of stints as a regional director with the now Manitoba School Boards Association. Ironically, education wasnt a huge part of Buffies upbringing. "She came from a family where education wasnt all that important. I think she always had some regrets about that," says Howard Buffie, her husband of 58 years. "I said to her many times after we got married: why dont you go back to university? She probably gave it some consideration but I think the school trustee route was more appealing to her. She saw something there she could be useful doing." Buffie died in March at 82, following a lengthy illness from diabetes. She is survived by her husband, three daughters, Laura (Jeff), Carolyn, and Heather (Dana), as well as two grandsons, Taylor and Quinn. "My mother was a very bright person. She just loved to learn," says Heather. "I think thats partially where her passion for education came from. SUPPLIED Barbara during speech as school trustee "She felt it was important for her to encourage it in others, especially since she didnt have the opportunity when she was younger. She was learning right until the end when she simply couldnt anymore." Former trustee Bob Fraser first got to know Buffie during her time as a citizen member of the River East School Board and they remained close friends. The two served on various committees together, including one tasked with helping the division transition to a new model for high schools that included Grade 9. It wasnt a popular idea at the time, but Fraser remembers Buffie handling the blowback with grace and aplomb. "That was one of those issues that all of the trustees got lots of phone calls about," he recalls. "But she was always prepared to accept phone calls, whether it was the press or parents or concerned citizens. She wouldnt brush anybody off. Thats just the way she was. "She had the kind of personality where she cared about the students, she cared about the parents and she cared about the community as a whole. She was such a community-oriented person." SUPPLIED As a young woman, Barbara worked as an administrative assistant to Sylvan Leipsic. Fraser also recalls a person who had an uncanny ability to analyze and distill information. She was detail-oriented and was one of the first members of the River East board to take notes during presentations a practice several of fellow trustees adopted soon after. "She was the type of trustee that cared. When I say that, I mean she was meticulous. That was the one thing that people who served with her always knew. If Barbara put up her hand to speak, she knew what she was talking about." All three daughters went on to become teachers. Heather, the youngest, says while her mom and the example she set were huge influences, she never pushed them to pursue that career. "I dont know if my mom really influenced us to become teachers, but she really influenced us in terms of pursuing a secondary school education. There was always an expectation that was something we were going to do," she says. SUPPLIED Barbara Buffie, a school trustee in the former River East School Division, died in March at the age of 82. "For me, she was always an extremely hard worker and passionate about what she did. I think she really instilled that in us, to choose something we were passionate about. She always wanted us to do something we love. Teaching just happened to be our passion from the time we were kids." Buffie instructed her children well but also learned from them. Seeing their dedication to their jobs helped shape how she saw hers as a school trustee. "I think she was a great trustee because she could see things from both sides. She saw that we were teachers and how hard we worked and our passion for childrens learning, but she could also see things from a parents point of view... She did a great job of balancing things," Heather says. Buffie was also passionate about cooking. She took gourmet lessons with a culinary instructor who studied in France and there was nothing she enjoyed more than wowing family and friends with her latest gastronomic delights. "She was an amazing cook. One of the things I miss the most is the great meals she used to put together for us," Howard says. Buffie also loved to travel. She and Howard used to pack up the family car each summer for lengthy excursions. Later, the couple spent their winters at a regular vacation spot at Grand Bahamas, or met up with friends in Hawaii or Florida. As public as her work as a school trustee was, Buffie could be an intensely private person. Over the years, she dealt with several health scares, including diabetes, kidney disease and three bouts of breast cancer, and underwent several surgeries to her hips and back. She remained stoic throughout, only sharing that information with those closest to her. "Her saying was: it is what it is. She just hunkered down and rolled with it," Heather says. "I dont think she ever wanted to come across as complaining." fpcity@freepress.mb.ca A rural Manitoba doctor is facing new charges of sexual assault following allegations of abuse by more than 20 patients he treated over the course of nearly 15 years. A rural Manitoba doctor is facing new charges of sexual assault following allegations of abuse by more than 20 patients he treated over the course of nearly 15 years. Dr. Arcel Bissonnette, 62, was arrested by the Sainte-Anne Police Service Thursday morning at the Steinbach courthouse, where he was scheduled to appear on six charges of sexual assault laid in November 2020. Katie May / Winnipeg Free Press files Dr. Arcel Bissonnette was accused of abusing six female patients between 2004 and 2017 while working at the Ste-Anne Hospital and the Seine Medical Centre. The doctor was accused of abusing six female patients between 2004 and 2017 while working at the Ste-Anne Hospital and the Seine Medical Centre, in the community about 50 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg. Sainte-Anne Police Chief Marc Robichaud said more people came forward with allegations of abuse against Bissonnette after his arrest last November. Robichaud said the new charges involve 16 additional patients, all of whom received health-care services from Bissonnette between 2004 and 2018. Bissonnette was arrested on the new charges within 15 minutes of his scheduled court appearance Thursday, Crown attorney Paul Girdlestone told court. The doctor was held in a separate room in the building and did not appear before the judge during the hearing. Robichaud said the Crown and defence were aware police were filing additional charges against the doctor Thursday. Bissonnette is out on bail, but cannot practise medicine in any manner, under court orders. Speaking on Bissonette's behalf, defence lawyer Marty Minuk told court his client also agreed not to contact his accusers or go near the Seine Medical Centre. Bissonnette must also surrender his passport and is not allowed to relocate from his home in Ste. Anne without the court's permission. He will have to pay $25,000 if any of the orders are violated. Bissonnette's next court date is Nov. 18 in Steinbach. In January 2019, nearly a year before Bissonnette's first arrest, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba prohibited him from conducting breast or pelvic exams without a chaperone. Katie May / Winnipeg Free Press files Sainte-Anne Police Chief Marc Robichaud said more people came forward with allegations of abuse against Bissonnette after his arrest last November. At the time, the colleges chief executive officer and registrar, Dr. Anna Ziomek, would not elaborate on the concerns that led to the disciplinary measure. Ziomek was not available for an interview Thursday afternoon. However, in a statement to the Free Press, Ziomek said the colleges priority is to "ensure the delivery of safe medical care to the public" and Bissonnette immediately ceased practicing medicine in November 2020. "(The college) recognizes the seriousness of the charges against Dr. Arcel Bissonnette," Ziomek said. "(It) will closely monitor the criminal proceedings as they unfold." (The college) recognizes the seriousness of the charges against Dr. Arcel Bissonnette." College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba chief executive officer and registrar Dr. Anna Ziomek Ziomek said the college was unable to provide further comment, or answer questions regarding the number of complaints it had received about Bissonnette, due to confidentiality reasons under the Regulated Health Professions Act. At the time of Bissonnettes arrest in last November, Ziomek told the Free Press the college doesn't report criminal allegations against physicians to police unless they involve children or vulnerable persons. However, the registrar said if a physician has a restriction on their certificate of practise, it will appear publicly on the practitioners profile on the colleges website. Bissonnette had practised medicine in Manitoba since 1990. with file from Nicole Buffie, Steinbach Carillon danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Danielle Da Silva Reporter Danielle Da Silva is a general assignment reporter. Read full biography Winnipeg police have wrapped up their investigation into the toppling of two statues of queens at the legislature on Canada Day and their report has been passed along to the Crown attorney's office to decide whether to proceed with charges. Winnipeg police have wrapped up their investigation into the toppling of two statues of queens at the legislature on Canada Day and their report has been passed along to the Crown attorney's office to decide whether to proceed with charges. Police service spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon said investigators collected "a lot of evidence" from video surveillance and other cameras, and interviewed people who witnessed the toppling of statues of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. The information has been handed to the Manitoba Prosecution Service, which will determine whether criminal charges should be laid. McKinnon couldn't comment on what those charges might be or how many people might be charged. Manitoba's justice department confirmed it had received the file. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The statue of Queen Elizabeth II, on the east side of the Manitoba Legislative Building, after being toppled on Canada Day. In the wake of the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at former Indian Residential School sites in B.C. and Saskatchewan, thousands demonstrated peacefully across Canada. In Winnipeg, one crowd of demonstrators gathered in front of the legislature and used ropes to pull a larger-than-life statue of Queen Victoria off its base, covering it with painted red hand prints. Several posed for selfies on top of the downed 117-year-old bronze monument. Victoria reigned over Canada when treaties were negotiated and the federal government adopted the Indian Residential School system as policy. The head of the statue was removed and later found in the Assiniboine River behind the legislature. Nearby, a 2.7-metre statue of Queen Elizabeth outside Government House was also toppled. No one was arrested that day. The defaced monuments were taken from the grounds to an undisclosed location, and Manitoba's justice minister promised to take action. "Make no mistake: those efforts underway to investigate are important and those responsible for acts of violence and destruction will be held accountable," Cameron Friesen said on July 5. This week, his press secretary said he stands by what he said at that time. Some Indigenous leaders say the incident should be used to educate and promote reconciliation. Manitoba Metis Federation president David Chartrand said he wouldn't comment on the matter of charges being laid but hopes the authorities understand and take into account what prompted the demonstrators' actions. "We recognize that the act of pulling the statues down was done collectively, as a community expression of anger and frustration over the harms done to our people through the residential and day school systems, the Sixties Scoop and the child welfare systems policy of apprehension," he said. Chief Dennis Meeches, spokesman for Treaty One, declined to comment on whether charges should be laid but issued a statement about the future of the statues. "In the spirit of reconciliation, we ask the provincial government to convene a working group so our voices can be heard and solutions sought that respect our shared history together." RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The statue of Queen Victoria lays on the front lawn of the Manitoba Legislative Building after being toppled off its base by demonstrators on Canada Day. Chartrand said the statues' fate should be determined in consultation with Indigenous governments and communities. An educational component should be included to help Manitobans understand the complex relationship between the Crown, the Queen and Indigenous people, Chartrand said. As for the bronze statues, a spokeswoman for the provincial government said there was "extensive" damage. Because of the unique nature of the casting and the processes required to fix them "we are continuing to work with a specialist bronze caster to explore repair options," she said. "As repair and costing options are ongoing, no decision can be made yet regarding the future of the statues." A group of federally elected Conservatives who urged then-premier Brian Pallister on July 2 to fix and restore the statues as soon as possible are now waiting to follow up with Manitoba's next premier. The letter signed by the seven Conservative MPs from Manitoba, Sen. Don Plett, and Kenora MP Eric Melillo said the "vandalism at the legislature" is a criminal act contrary to reconciliation. "We cannot allow a small number of individuals to subvert our democracy or erode our democratic institutions. Therefore, we respectfully request that the statues... be repaired and restored to the legislative grounds as soon as possible," the letter said. When asked if they'll push the next premier either Heather Stefanson or Shelly Glover after the PCs choose a leader Oct. 30 a spokesman for Kildonan-St. Paul MP Raquel Dancho would only say the Manitoba caucus is meeting next week and may discuss "engagement" with the new premier. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Three decorated First World War soldiers from Winnipeg are being honoured in a stamp issued by Canada Post. Three decorated First World War soldiers from Winnipeg are being honoured in a stamp issued by Canada Post. Lionel (Leo) Clarke, Frederick William Hall and Robert Shankland received the Victoria Cross, the Commonwealths highest military decoration for bravery in combat. Canada Post released a new stamp in memory of three Canadian First World War recipients of the seldom-awarded Victoria Cross (Britains highest honour for bravery in combat) who each lived on Winnipegs Pine Street at some point in their lives. In recognition of the three heroes, the street was officially renamed Valour Road in 1925. (Supplied) All three lived on Pine Street in the West End. It was renamed to Valour Road in honour of the three heroes in 1925. Clarke held off a German counterattack after every other soldier was severely wounded or killed and despite a bayonet wound to his leg during the Battle of the Somme near Pozieres, France, in 1916. Hall was killed after his second attempt to save a wounded soldier during the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915. Shankland led a counterattack during the 1917 Battle of Passchendaele after gaining a strategic foothold on a ridge following the deaths of much of his platoon. He managed to make it back to battalion headquarters to report on the enemy's position. Shankland was the only one of the three who was alive to accept the medal; the parents of Clarke and Hall accepted the award on their behalf. Valour Road features a commemorative plaza, erected in 2005, with a stone monument in the shape of the Victoria Cross and steel silhouettes honouring the three soldiers. The stamp is available at postal outlets and canadapost.ca. Canada Post is also selling a collectible version of the stamps and a framed version. The First World War claimed the lives of 61,000 Canadians. Tonights briefing is the first one since March 20, 2020 thats been written without our province being in a state of emergency. The longest emergency declaration in Manitoba history ended at 4 p.m. today with little fanfare, in large part because its expiration has no bearing on when the pandemic will finally be over. When the first-ever province-wide state of emergency under the Emergency Measures Act was enacted, there was also little fanfare but plenty of fear. Manitobas experience with states of emergency tended to revolve around natural disasters. Weve had floods, fires and blizzards so often that weve become pretty good at responding to those emergencies. But a global pandemic? Well, that was going to be pretty big test of our capacity to respond to that level of emergency. Its fair to say that many feel Manitoba failed that test. By strange coincidence, on the day the province ended its state of emergency it also passed a key test related to its pandemic response. In a ruling that took too long to make given the stakes, Court of Queens Bench Justice Glenn Joyal dismissed a Constitutional challenge to the provinces public health orders mounted by a group of churches. As our Tom Brodbeck writes, "the legal challenge against the Manitoba governments pandemic response by seven churches came down to one thing: science. The governments science held up in court, the churches didnt." Had Joyals decision gone the other way, the provinces state of emergency could have taken on a whole new dimension of worry. So lets take a moment to celebrate a win for science. And lets pray the next time the province has to resort to a state of emergency, it wont go viral Paul Samyn, Winnipeg Free Press editor THE LATEST NUMBERS To see a larger selection of charts showing the state of COVID-19 provincially and nationally, visit COVID-19 by the numbers. THE LATEST IN MANITOBA Manitoba reported 92 new COVID-19 infections and no new pandemic deaths on Thursday. New cases were detected in all health regions, including 47 cases in Southern Health, 21 in the Northern Health region, 15 in the Winnipeg health region, seven in Prairie Mountain Health, and two in Interlake-Eastern. Fifty-six of the new cases were in people who were not fully vaccinated, 27 were in vaccinated individuals, and nine were in partially vaccinated people. Manitobas pandemic death toll was 1,235 as of Thursday. The five-day test positivity rate provincewide was 3.2 per cent and 1.3 per cent in Winnipeg, and 3,208 tests were performed on Wednesday. A total of 87 patients were being treated for COVID-19 in hospital, including 20 in intensive care. Across Manitoba, 926 cases were considered infectious. For the first time since it was first declared in March 2020, the province let the state of emergency put into place owing to the COVID-19 pandemic expire at 4 p.m. Thursday. The state of emergency was put into place to allow emergency orders beyond the scope of the Public Health Act. Under the state of emergency, the province put several orders in place, including restricting staff movement between personal care homes and extending provincial government reporting deadlines. Public health orders can still issued through the Public Health Act, and the province can declare a new state of emergency in the future. All current public health orders remain in effect. According to the provincial government, public health enforcement officers issued a total of 12 tickets over the past week. Between Oct. 11 and 17, five $1,296 tickets were levied against people for various offences; five tickets of $298 were given to people for failing to wear a mask in an indoor public place; two tickets of $5,000 were issued to businesses. Manitoba Justice said both Planet Fitness on Leila Avenue and Tim Hortons at 1609 Kenaston Blvd. in Winnipeg received a $5,000 fine. Lee-Annas Diner in Marquette was issued four fines of $1,296 for unspecified offences. Forty-one warnings were also issued that week. COVID-19 public health orders that restricted gatherings and limited the number of people permitted to attend in-person church services are not unconstitutional or undemocratic, a Manitoba court has ruled. While the rules did restrict the freedoms of religious expression and peaceful assembly, they didn't infringe upon charter rights to liberty and equality and were justified as a pandemic response based on credible science, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Glenn Joyal decided. The judge dismissed legal challenges brought by a group of seven Manitoba churches who argued the province's public-health orders unfairly violated their rights and were improperly enacted into law. For the latest information on current public health orders, restrictions and other guidance, visit the provincial government's website. All Manitobans born on or before Dec. 31, 2009 are eligible to schedule a first-dose vaccine appointment. Anyone who has received a first dose of any vaccine can now book their second-dose appointment. There must be a minimum of 28 days between receiving the first and second shots. For the latest information on vaccination, visit the provincial government's website. Manitobans who have received all required doses of a vaccine at least 14 days ago can request an immunization card to prove complete vaccination. To request a digital or physical card, visit the provincial government's website. THE LATEST ELSEWHERE Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced provinces and the federal government have agreed on a new national vaccine passport for domestic and international travel and many Canadians already have them in their phones and wallets. Rather than distribute a separate federal document for international travel, provinces and territories have agreed to tailor their own vaccine passports so they will all have the same look, feel and security measures based on the international standard for so-called smart health cards, which contain features to help prevent tampering. Manitoba Premier Kelvin Goertzen said in a statement his province was the first to implement a proof-of-vaccination credential and has been actively working with federal, provincial and territorial partners to support the safe resumption of travel for those who are fully vaccinated. As such, he said Manitoba would offer the new vaccination credential meeting the requirements of the pan-Canadian standard as of Monday. The Canadian Medical Association is again calling on Saskatchewan to bring in strict public measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer cried Wednesday when he released COVID-19 modelling that showed hospitalizations would continue to increase until December unless restrictions such as reduced gathering sizes are reintroduced. Dr. Katharine Smart, president of the national association, says the modelling was both "alarming and heartbreaking." Smart says Saskatchewan needs to increase vaccination rates through mandatory vaccination in health-care settings, bring in a circuit breaker to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and ask other jurisdictions for help. Saskatchewan continues to have the highest weekly death rate among the provinces and has started transferring patients to Ontario as hospitals run out of beds and staff. The province said three additional patients will be transferred to Ontario from Friday to Sunday. The federal government has unveiled a $7-billion redesign of pandemic aid for businesses and individuals that kicks in Sunday, which would cut support to almost 900,000 workers and potentially put thousands of jobs at risk in the near-term. The Liberals have long said the federal wage and rent subsidies, along with benefits like the Canada Recovery Benefit, were always designed to be temporary to get the country through the economic crisis COVID-19 caused. After a last-minute extension this summer, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday most would not be given an extra month of life past Oct. 23, but reshaped until late November. Income support measures for Canadians unable to work because of COVID-19 will only flow to those off the job because of a government-imposed lockdown, but not if a person refused to adhere to a vaccine mandate. The new measures will exist until Nov. 20, after which the Liberals will need support from enough opposition MPs to enact the proposals unveiled Thursday. Coronavirus infections and deaths in Ukraine surged to all-time highs Thursday amid a laggard pace of vaccination, with overall inoculations among the lowest in Europe. Ukrainian authorities reported 22,415 new confirmed infections and 546 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest numbers since the start of the pandemic. Authorities have blamed a spike in infections on a slow pace of vaccination in the nation of 41 million. Only about 15 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated, Europes lowest level after Armenia. Overall, the country has registered more than 2.7 million infections and 62,389 deaths. Ukraine has faced a steady rise in contagion in the past few weeks, which forced the government to introduce restrictions on access to public places and the use of public transport. Starting Thursday, proof of vaccination or a negative test is required to board planes, trains and long-distance buses. India celebrated giving its billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose on Thursday, a hopeful milestone for the South Asian country where the delta variant fuelled a crushing surge earlier this year and missteps initially held back its inoculation campaign. About half of India's nearly 1.4 billion people have received at least one dose while around 20 per cent are fully immunized, according to Our World in Data. Many of those shots have come in just the past couple of months, after the rollout languished in the first half of the year amid vaccine shortages and problems with the system for rolling them out. On Thursday, India confirmed more than 18,400 new cases and 160 deaths dramatically below the worst days in May when daily fatalities exceeded 4,000. Overall, the country has recorded around 34 million infections and over 450,000 deaths, according to the Health Ministry, though those figures, as elsewhere, are likely undercounts. QUOTE, UNQUOTE "We are very confident that this proof-of-vaccination certificate, that will be federally approved, issued by the provinces with the health information for Canadians, is going to be accepted at destinations worldwide." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, announcing the new national vaccine passport for domestic and international travel LOCAL NEWS NATIONAL NEWS INTERNATIONAL NEWS COVID-19 BASICS The legal challenge against the Manitoba governments COVID-19 pandemic response by seven churches came down to one thing: science. The province's science held up in court, the churches didnt. The legal challenge against the Manitoba governments COVID-19 pandemic response by seven churches came down to one thing: science. The province's science held up in court, the churches didnt. Court of Queens Bench Justice Glenn Joyal released two rulings on the constitutional challenge Thursday. He had to decide whether the extraordinary measures taken by the province to curb the spread of COVID-19 during the second wave of the pandemic were a reasonable limit under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal released two rulings on the constitutional challenge by seven churches against the Manitoba governments COVID-19 pandemic response, Thursday. Before that, he had to assess whether the science the churches submitted could withstand the scrutiny of the court. It didnt, mostly because its junk similar to what often circulates on social media to "prove" government did more harm than good through punishing "lockdowns." The churches relied primarily on the testimony of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a U.S.-based expert in health economics with no real experience in epidemiology. Judge dismisses Manitoba churches' challenge over COVID-19 restrictions Click to Expand JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES The Manitoba Law Courts building in downtown Winnipeg. Posted: 10:38 AM Oct. 21, 2021 COVID-19 public-health orders that restricted gatherings and limited the number of people permitted to attend in-person church services are not unconstitutional or undemocratic, a Manitoba court has ruled. While the rules did restrict the freedoms of religious expression and peaceful assembly, they didn't infringe upon charter rights to liberty and equality and were justified as a pandemic response based on credible science, Court of Queen's Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal decided. Read Full Story Bhattacharya was a co-author of the largely discredited "Great Barrington Declaration," a doctrine that argued government could have shielded the elderly and vulnerable from COVID-19, instead of taking broad measures such as closing retail stores and banning household visits. One of the many flaws in the declaration is there is no practical way of separating the "vulnerable" from the "non-vulnerable" in society in a pandemic, given the complexities of how viruses impact people based on age, race, where they live, and what their medical conditions are. "There was in the end, little in the evidence of Dr. Bhattacharya (or the cumulative evidence of all of the applicants witnesses) that would cause me to seriously doubt the science upon which Manitoba is relying," Joyal wrote in his 156-page ruling. Church leaders argued COVID-19 is not a significant threat to most Manitobans and its no worse than the flu for people under the age of 70. Joyal noted the evidence shows at least one-third of COVID-19 cases resulting in hospitalization or death occurred among people under the age of 60. The applicants argued the novel coronavirus cannot spread through asymptomatic infection, a claim disputed by infectious disease experts around the world. They also argued less intrusive means could have been used to contain the virus but provided no credible alternative. STANFORD HEALTH POLICY Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. By contrast, the science relied upon by the province was "sound" and "credible," Joyal found. Scientific methods to assess severe illness, mortality risks, community infection, and transmission were based on widely accepted research from around the world, the Manitoba judge wrote. Part of the reason the churches failed to convince the court their religious rights were being violated is because the public health orders didnt target religion: they targeted the physical interaction of people and the risks associated with prolonged, indoor contact. Whether that interaction occurred in a church or a movie theatre was immaterial. What mattered is whether the province took reasonable and science-based steps to mitigate the spread of a virus to reduce severe illness and hospitalizations. From a legal perspective, Joyal had to determine whether those steps were proportionate and whether the benefits outweighed the harm. He had to assess whether there was "minimal impairment" to peoples rights, while relying on Supreme Court of Canada case law for guidance. Among other things, the top court says government is owed deference in emergency situations such as a pandemic when it comes to striking the right balance between public health orders and charter rights. That doesn't mean people's constitutional rights are suspended; it simply means government must attempt to use the least intrusive means to achieve its public health objectives, with some wiggle room. According to Joyal, the province of Manitoba did that. Public health officials had to act quickly in the face of rapidly escalating infections during the second wave. They didn't have the luxury of trial-and-error decision making, wrote Joyal. In the end, they used reasonable limits under the law that are justified in a free and democratic society. Case closed. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca Jaynee Medrano is a lot of things. A mother of three, a wife, a volleyball enthusiast, a baker, among many others. Jaynee Medrano is a lot of things. A mother of three, a wife, a volleyball enthusiast, a baker, among many others. In the span of several months, Medrano added a new facet: survivor not just of COVID-19 but breast cancer, too. It was a constant barrage of bad news in a year the 38-year-old Canada Post supervisor says she just wants to see end. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 on May 17, after her husband, a truck driver, contracted the novel coronavirus. Medrano had gotten her first vaccine dose less than two weeks earlier, on Mothers Day, and her doctor told her it was likely shed contracted COVID-19 before the shot had a chance to take full effect. The recovery was harrowing. In the weeks she took to heal, her eldest daughter contracted COVID-19 and recovered, and Medrano herself suffered through fevers, muscle spasms and shortness of breath. "I couldnt stand. Im a baker, as well... I make cakes," she said. "So I tried doing that, but I couldnt stand for more than five, 10 minutes. Id get really tired." Just days after her isolation period ended May 30, she began feeling "excruciating" pain in her stomach, and she was diagnosed with diverticulitis, an infection based in the intestines. She was hospitalized for six days. Her employer told her to take her time coming back to work after healing from COVID-19. She was receiving 70 per cent of usual wages through short-term disability payouts, however, her family couldnt afford for her not to go back to work as soon as she was able. "I went back to work slowly and just to take off that worry for both of us, that we may not be able to pay for our bills if I dont go back to work," she said. Two years ago, Medranos mother, who lived with her and her family at the time, died after a 10-year battle with breast cancer. Her sister recommended Medrano get a mammogram after returning from the hospital in June. "Of course, that was the last thing on my mind because I was going through COVID, I was just recovering from diverticulitis still," she said. After doing a self-exam and visiting her doctor, she was diagnosed Aug. 24 with Grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma, a form of cancer that forms in the milk ducts. Her first feeling, Medrano said, was grief. She didnt know how to tell her children and husband she now had the disease that had just taken away their grandmother and mother-in-law. "My world just shattered," she said. "I questioned it because Im healthy, Im active, I played volleyball, well before COVID happened I was in leagues all year round... Just to have that news fall on me, I was scared, because my kids are still young, Im young." Medrano decided to attack the problem aggressively, opting for a double mastectomy with reconstructive surgery, which she received Oct. 8. She came home from the hospital on Thanksgiving and is still recovering. In a few weeks, shell know if the surgery was enough to stop the cancer in its tracks or if shell need further treatment. She will need between six months and a year, depending on if further treatment is required, before shes able to go back to work. The looming costs, both daily life (such as mortgage and bill payments) and aspects of treatment that will come out of the familys pocket, inspired her to launch a GoFundMe webpage. In the time since it was first put online Oct. 3, it has raised $9,000 of its $10,000 goal. Its something Medrano said shes thankful for, but adds the goal of making her story public is informational: how quickly even the healthiest persons life can fall apart and avoidance measures, such as regular breast exams or taking precautions to protect against COVID-19. "For me, before getting diagnosed, I was healthy, young. It was the last thing probably you would think that could happen to you," she said. "Maybe my story will help others not take that for granted." malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_ CALGARY - The travel industry is welcoming what it calls the federal government's "long overdue" move to lift a global advisory asking Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside the country. Travellers arrive at Pearson International Airport during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on Monday, February 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette CALGARY - The travel industry is welcoming what it calls the federal government's "long overdue" move to lift a global advisory asking Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside the country. "You cannot believe how welcome this move is for us," said Bruce Poon Tip, founder of Canadian based international tour operator G Adventures. "It's very late, as far as Im concerned, given whats going in the rest of the world. But very welcome, that's for sure." The global travel advisory was put in place in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world. The government of Canada's website now shows that advisory is no longer in place, though it continues to list individual advisories for destination countries, as it did prior to the pandemic. It also urges Canadians to ensure they are fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus before travelling abroad, and to stay informed of the COVID-19 situation at their destination. Canada has been slower than many other countries to remove its blanket advisory against international travel, and that's been frustrating for the Canadian travel industry, Poon Tip said. He said his own company has been forced to lay off 1,000 people more than half of its workforce worldwide due to the collapse in travel demand. "Its been a tough time, making those kinds of decisions. The toughest decisions Ive had to make in 30 years," he said. However, Poon Tip said he's noticed a significant uptick in travel demand from Canadians in the last couple of months, something he attributes to the growing confidence in the wake of the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations. "Weve hired 30 people in the last couple of months just to answer inquiries, and were continually hiring again, which is a great feeling," he said. At The Travel Lady Agency in Calgary, founder and chief executive Lesley Keyter said she's also noticed a dramatic increase in inquiries and bookings in the last two months. But she said the removal of the federal government's blanket travel advisory will add an extra layer of comfort for some people. "Im sure this will persuade people who were on the fence. Theyll feel a bit safer about doing that," Keyter said. The removal of the global travel advisory should also make it easier for Canadians to purchase travel insurance, depending on their destination and its COVID-19 risk profile, Keyter added. However, the federal government continues to advise against travel on cruise ships, something Keyter said will continue to negatively affect Canada's travel agency industry. "I'm desperately disappointed that theyre taking away the blanket ban, but theyre still keeping this Level 4 advisory for the cruises," Keyter said. "Honestly, having been on two cruises in the last couple of months, I felt safer on the cruise than I did on my overnight hotel in Toronto." Canada opened its borders last month to non-essential international travellers who have received both doses of a Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccine, and to fully vaccinated travellers from the United States in August. The U.S. government recently announced that its land borders will reopen to non-essential Canadian travellers on Nov. 8. This report by The Canadian Press was first published October 22, 2021. The longest emergency in Manitoba history has ended but, in many ways, lives on. The longest emergency in Manitoba history has ended but, in many ways, lives on. At 4 p.m. Thursday, the provincewide state of emergency under the Emergency Measures Act officially expired because it is no longer required, the Manitoba government announced in a news release. It was declared March 20, 2020, and was the first provincewide state of emergency. Public health orders are still in effect, and Manitobans need to continue to follow public health guidelines around the use of masks and vaccinations, the province said Thursday. With the COVID-19 pandemic not over and the fourth wave of the virus still raging in much of Western Canada, Oct. 21, 2021, won't be considered a significant date 100 years from now, says the president of the Manitoba Historical Society. "Speaking as an historian, but also as a biologist, I think that lifting of the 'state of emergency' is merely a political action that will have no long-term historical resonance," said Gordon Goldsborough. "I do not think that future historians will look at today as marking the 'end of the pandemic.' "COVID-19 will likely be with us for months, if not years, from now. Its impact, on the other hand, decreases as we get a higher proportion of the population properly immunized, so the sooner the anti-vaxxers give their head a shake and get two jabs, the better." Public health orders can continue to be issued through the Public Health Act without a declared provincewide state of emergency. A new state of emergency could be ordered if needed, the province said. The declaration had allowed for a number of emergency orders to be made beyond the scope of the Public Health Act that are no longer needed or have been addressed through amendments to the act, the province said Thursday. The state of emergency enabled the Manitoba government to restrict staff movement between personal care homes to help protect residents from the spread of COVID-19. Amendments have since been made to the Public Health Act to be address that. It also allowed for the temporary suspension of orders around corporate meeting provisions to allow for virtual meetings and for in-person commissioning and witnessing to be done remotely. Its power was used to make orders to allow for extended provincial government reporting deadlines in 2020-21 because organizational resources were being redeployed to address the impacts of the pandemic. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca OTTAWA Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says unvaccinated MPs are leaving their constituents in the lurch by pushing back against a COVID-19 immunization mandate on Parliament Hill and virtual sittings. OTTAWA Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says unvaccinated MPs are leaving their constituents in the lurch by pushing back against a COVID-19 immunization mandate on Parliament Hill and virtual sittings. Meanwhile, the only Manitoba MP to not disclose his vaccination status is headed to Ottawa, amid debates over whether to allow the unvaccinated to take their seats in the House of Commons. "It is puzzling to me that there are people out there who think, just because they are members of Parliament, they do not need to keep themselves their loved ones, or their constituents safe, when the vast majority of Canadians have done the right thing," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Thursday. He noted that just outside the parliamentary precinct, people need to show proof of vaccination to enter a restaurant under Ontario rules. Trudeau argued it only makes sense to have the policy for the chamber. "Its not too much to ask," he said. This week, the House of Commons governing board of MPs proposed a vaccine mandate for all buildings controlled by the Commons, including the chamber. The board called for the use of routine, rapid antigen testing for those with a proven medical exemption to vaccination. The policy would not include the Senate, which has its own administration. Constitutional experts say the policy likely wont fly for the chamber, as its up to MPs to vote on any restrictions to an MPs right to represent their constituents in the Commons. Still, all parties except the Conservatives support restricting the Commons to the vaccinated, meaning its likely such a vote would uphold that policy once the House resumes Nov. 22. The Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois have also opposed continuing a virtual-hybrid Parliament, which had been used earlier this year to allow MPs to vote and debate over video-conference. The Tories have long argued that system weakens MPs ability to hold the government to account, and the voice of those from ridings far outside the capital. Thirteen of Manitoba's 14 MPs have said they are fully vaccinated. Only Provencher MP Ted Falk has refused to reveal his status, calling it a private medical issue. The Free Press requested interviews Wednesday and Thursday with Falk, to get his thoughts on how MPs can best balance safety with personal autonomy. His office said he was not available, in part because he was flying to Ottawa Thursday. Trudeau argued Thursday that the Conservatives risk not properly representing their constituents if they oppose virtual sittings, given that unvaccinated MPs are likely to be barred from the chamber. "Canadians expect their members of Parliament to be leaders," said Trudeau, arguing that vaccination also protects support staff on Parliament Hill, and people visiting constituency offices. The Tories have repeatedly asked the Liberals to stop using vaccination status as a political wedge, arguing it distracts from measures to convince the unvaccinated to roll up their sleeves. Meanwhile, it remains unclear how unvaccinated MPs will get to Ottawa once vaccination becomes mandatory to board planes and trains Oct. 30. Those who aren't vaccinated will be able to travel with a recent molecular test, but that exemption will end Nov. 30. Some have speculated that unvaccinated MPs will try to make it to Ottawa ahead of that deadline. However, vaccinated MPs have come to the Hill this past week to arrange their residences and get their offices running, after months or even a year of working remotely. Last month, Falk apologized during the federal election campaign for peddling misinformation about vaccines. In April, he told a podcast that he was "not completely sold on this vaccination," saying the shots were created quickly and "may be fine," but he downplayed the consequences of COVID-19 on peoples health. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca LONDON (AP) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II spent a night in a hospital for checks this week after canceling an official trip to Northern Ireland on medical advice, Buckingham Palace said Thursday. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, greet guests at a reception for the Global Investment Summit in Windsor Castle, Windsor, England, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool) LONDON (AP) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II spent a night in a hospital for checks this week after canceling an official trip to Northern Ireland on medical advice, Buckingham Palace said Thursday. The palace said the 95-year-old British monarch went to the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Wednesday for preliminary investigations. It said she returned to her Windsor Castle home at lunchtime on Thursday, "and remains in good spirits. On Wednesday, the queen canceled a scheduled trip to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, and the palace said she had reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for a few days. It did not elaborate, but the decision was understood not to be related to COVID-19. The queen has been vaccinated against the coronavirus. FILE - In this Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, Patron, leaves after attending a Service of Thanksgiving to mark the Centenary of the Royal British Legion at Westminster Abbey in London. Buckingham Palace said Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, that Queen Elizabeth II spent a night in a hospital for checks after being advised by her doctor this week to rest. The palace said the 95-year-old British monarch went to the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Wednesday for preliminary investigations. It said she returned to her Windsor Castle home at lunchtime on Thursday, "and remains in good spirits. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool, File) The palace confirmed the queen's hospital stay after The Sun newspaper reported the news. The queen is now back at Windsor Castle, west of London, where she has spent much of her time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. The decision came just days after Elizabeth was seen using a walking stick at a major public event when attending a Westminster Abbey service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion, an armed forces charity. She had previously been photographed using a cane in 2003, but that was after she underwent knee surgery. Britains longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch, Elizabeth is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee 70 years on the throne next year. Elizabeth has ruled since 1952 and was widowed this year when Prince Philip died at age 99 in April. She has cut back on her workload in recent years but still keeps a busy schedule of royal duties. On Tuesday, she held audiences with diplomats and hosted a reception at Windsor Castle for global business leaders, and on Saturday the equine aficionado attended horse racing at Ascot Racecourse. In less than two weeks she is due to host world leaders at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. She has generally enjoyed good health throughout her long life. She was last hospitalized in 2013, when she was 86, after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis. She recently declined the honor of being named Oldie of the Year by The Oldie magazine. Her office said that Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel, as such The Queen does not believe she meets the relevant criteria to be able to accept. A missing Onalaska 3-year-old has been found dead in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Police Department said the body of Major Harris was discovered Thursday close to where his mother, 25-year-old Mallery Muenzenberger, was found shot to death Oct. 14. Milwaukee police arrested six people Wednesday in connection with Muenzenbergers death but have yet to release their names. Four days after Muenzenbergers body was discovered, Milwaukee police found a person of interest in Muenzenbergers death and Majors disapperance, 20-year-old Jaheem Clark, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Major was reportedly seen in La Crosse Oct. 9 with Clark, and one report says the boys last known location was at the residence where Muenzenbergers body was found. An Amber Alert for Major was issued Oct. 16. Police found the vehicle driven by Clark in Milwaukee Oct. 18. Muenzenbergers family earlier Thursday issued a plea for Majors safe return and said they are heartbroken over Muenzenbergers death. It has truly been a helpless feeling for all of us that have not been able to assist in the search for Major due to having to prepare for Mallerys funeral, the statement reads. The statement describes Muenzenberger as a beautiful kind soul who loved her little boy with all of her heart. It says Muenzenberger worked two jobs while raising Major as a single mother. You couldnt help but be drawn to her lovable personality, the statement says. She had a quiet innocence about her. She never had to be the center of attention; more than likely she was the one smirking in the corner of the room with that devious look of hers. Mallerys life will not be forgotten. We will never let her memory go. The family said Muenzenberger died as a result of domestic violence. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LONDON (AP) Britain and New Zealand have agreed on a trade deal that eliminates tariffs on a wide range of goods as the U.K. expands economic links around the world following its exit from the European Union. The deal was cemented late Wednesday in a conference call between U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his New Zealand counterpart, Jacinda Ardern, after 16 months of talks by negotiators. Although trade with New Zealand accounts for only 0.2% of the U.K.'s trade, Britain hopes it will help open the door toward membership in the trans-Pacific trade partnership. The partnership, which includes Japan, Canada, and Vietnam, had GDP of 8.4 trillion pounds ($11.6 trillion) in 2020. This is a great trade deal for the United Kingdom, cementing our long friendship with New Zealand and furthering our ties with the Indo-Pacific, Johnson said. It will benefit businesses and consumers across the country, cutting costs for exporters and opening up access for our workers.'' Ardern said the deal was among the best ever achieved by New Zealand and would boost the nation's economy by about 1 billion New Zealand dollars ($720 million) as it opens the way for more sales of the country's wine, butter, cheese and beef. This is a historic but substantial deal and it's been achieved basically in a year, Ardern said. That has never been done before. Trade officials in the U.K. trumpeted the benefits of the deal, declaring that sauvignon blanc wine, Manuka honey and kiwi fruit from New Zealand would be cheaper for British consumers. Clothing, buses and bulldozers will also no longer face tariffs. British farmers expressed disquiet, however, saying the deal, and another signed with Australia earlier this year, may boost food imports at a time when labor shortages and rising costs are already hurting many U.K. farmers. This could damage the viability of many British farms in the years ahead, to the detriment of the public, who want more British food on their shelves, and to the detriment of our rural communities and cherished farmed landscapes,'' National Farmers Union President Minette Batters said. Instead of repeating the refrain that these deals will be good for British agriculture, our government now needs to explain how these deals will tangibly benefit farming, the future of food production and the high standards that go along with it on these shores, Batters said. Asked if the deal meant New Zealand would be less reliant on China for its exports, Ardern said diversification would improve options and resilience for its exporters. When Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community back in 1973 many New Zealand exporters felt abandoned. Ardern said the new deal meant that perhaps it was time to draw a line under that period of history. Some of the details of the deal are still being finalized, and officials expect it to take effect next year. Johnsons Conservative government is negotiating free trade deals around the world to try to boost economic growth following Brexit. The biggest prize would be a trade deal with the United States, although a deal with America seems far off. Perry reported from Wellington, New Zealand. Follow all AP stories on post-Brexit developments in Britain at https://apnews.com/hub/Brexit. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Winona, MN (55987) Today Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 33F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 33F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Council Member Josh Maas, who served on the former PFC with Culver, said Friday that the pair asked for the investigation to show the community the PFC did nothing wrong by posting the job externally. We just wanted to prove the truth, and we did, he said. I never doubted we did anything wrong, we followed the law to a T and we were never obligated just to hand the job to someone. We wanted a good, open fair competition because it is best for Horicon. When reached for comment Friday, Mayor Jim Grigg said he hadnt had the opportunity to read the investigations findings, but that sheriff did call to tell him no criminal wrongdoing was found. I told him we followed not only our city attorneys recommendation but the labor attorney and the attorney for the League of Municipalities recommendations, as well, rather than the police and fire commission, said Grigg. A new Horicon police chief has yet to be hired. Grigg said the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association has been contacted to ask for assistance with the interviewing and selection process. The next step is for the personnel and finance committee to pick three chiefs who volunteered to help and then either look internally or externally so we can finally get a police chief, he said. Follow Kelly Simon on Twitter @KSchmidSimon or contact her at 920-356-6757. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Brown said the facts of the case create a high likelihood of conviction and risk that Mehring could flee. Its just extraordinary, Brown said. The defendants confessed in multiple ways to this crime, theres obviously toxicology results that are going to be dispositive of the results here. Theres no doubt as to the magnitude of the crime. The defendants own statements put him driving recklessly before the crash, exceeding the speed limit. He himself put alcohol as a factor for the crash. The likelihood of conviction is near certain. A criminal complaint states Mehring said he was driving 75 mph before the crash and a preliminary breath test put his blood alcohol concentration at 0.24 percent, three times the 0.08 limit for Wisconsin drivers. Mehring also said he had more drinks than I should have had to drive, the complaint states. A Dane County Sheriffs Office deputy fired her gun Thursday night after being stabbed by a suspicious person she was checking on at a park near Cross Plains, authorities said. The man fled, and its not known if he was hit. The deputy, who was not identified, was taken to a local hospital and treated for injuries that werent life threatening, according to a statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation, which is handling the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. Sheriffs Office spokesperson Elise Schaffer said Friday the deputy was released from the hospital and is at home recovering. The DCI statement did not say how many shots the deputy fired, or if the person who stabbed the deputy was struck. DOJ spokesperson Samantha Standley said in response to a Wisconsin State Journal query that there are no further details to disclose at this time. The incident began about 8:15 p.m. when the deputy saw a suspicious person while on a routine patrol of Festge Park in the town of Berry. The deputy approached the man, who stabbed her with an edged weapon. The deputy then fired her weapon, and the man ran, DCI said. More than 10 police officers and a supervisor responded to fights amid a crowd of more than 100 students and parents outside East High School Wednesday afternoon, Madison police said. Police found no one with injuries from the incident, although several people left the scene shortly after police arrived, Officer Ryan Kimberley said in a statement. At about 12:30 p.m., police were dispatched to a fight involving students and parents at the Fourth Street entrance to East High, 2222 E. Washington Ave., Kimberley said. As officers were responding, police received reports that a gold van had left the area containing the students who were fighting, Kimberley said. The first officer at the scene found more than 100 people gathered in the middle of Fourth Street, with some appearing to want a fight. The lone officer used the public address system on his squad car and its sirens in an attempt to disperse the crowd, which ignored the officer's efforts, Kimberley said. Another fight broke out in the center of the group, and the officer continued verbal efforts to stop the fight while waiting for additional officers, Kimberley said. Multiple law-enforcement agencies were involved in the arrest Thursday of a 42-year-old Neosho man for alleged child enticement and use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime. Members of the Dodge County Sherriff's Office, the state Division of Criminal Investigation, and Madison Police Department Special Victims Unit served a search warrant on Craig A. Richter's home in the 200 block of West Lehman Street in Neosho and arrested Richter, Madison police officer Nicole Schmitgen said in a statement. Richter has been the subject of an ongoing investigation and was booked into the Dane County Jail on Friday, Schmitgen said. No additional details were released. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Wits Top in Africa and in top 15 Emerging Economies Wits University ranked in top 15 by The Times Higher Education in the latest ranking of universities in emerging economies. The top 15 in The Times Higher Education Emerging Economies University Rankings 2022 includes ten universities from China, two from Russia while Taiwan and Saudi Arabia each have one institution in this category. Overall, South Africa has two universities in the top 20, the other university being Cape Town. The rankings include institutions in countries classified by the London Stock Exchanges FTSE Group as advanced emerging, secondary emerging or frontier. Emerging economies are still maturing, as are their institutions. The Emerging Economies University Rankings recognises this, and we recalibrate performance indicators in our World University Rankings to assess them fairly, reads the statement from The Times. More than 698 universities representing 50 territories are featured in the ranking this year. South Africa has 11 institutions included in these rankings with six in the top 100. Institutions are ranked using the same 13 performance indicators as the THE World University Rankings to evaluate institutions on their teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. However, these carry a different weightings to reflect the development priorities of universities in emerging economies. Universities are ranked on their academics, research, publications, international staff and student composition and industry income. The university is proud that both Wits and UCT are in the top 20 especially because of the drastic cuts in research funding that South African universities have faced in the last few years. This opposed to the exponentially increases researching funding that universities in China, Russia, India and the Middle East are receiving from their governments, says Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal. We have consistently been ranked in the top one percent of world universities, since the first global rankings were released some ten years ago. This has been achieved through the numerous collaborations that we have with some of the leading universities around the world. Dr Mahomed Moolla, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Wits says the University is moving strategically to promote African growth: We are now using our reputation to assist universities in the rest of Africa through the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) which we formed together with UCT, hopefully this will help get some of these universities to also improve their rankings. Wits is committed to building the continent of Africa to be the powerhouse that it should rightfully be. For too long, universities from the north have used Africa as a site for doing research but did not help in building indigenous capacity, we want to change that. Professor Lynn Morris, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation added that our top ranking is helping us to attract academics from around South Africa and the world, contrary to perceptions that Wits academics are leaving for other Universities. A few years ago we implemented our Distinguished Professor program and we have already attracted 30 world class academics as distinguished professors to Wits. The family of late actor Brandon Lee has spoken out following the news that cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza injured after actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of the movie "Rust." According to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office Hutchins, 42, was pronounced dead by medical personnel at the University of New Mexico Hospital on Thursday. Souza, 48, was taken to Christus St. Vincent's Regional Medical Center for care. Lee, who was the son of martial-arts icon Bruce Lee, died age 28 in March 1993, while filming "The Crow" in North Carolina. His name began trending on Twitter after members of the online community noted the similarities in the circumstances surrounding his death and that of Hutchins. In a post on Lee's official Twitter page, his relatives expressed their condolences to Hutchins' family and insisted that such tragedies should never happen. "Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on Rust," read the message from the account, which is run by his sister, Shannon Lee. "No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period." The Los Angeles Times reported at the time that the actor, who was on the cusp of movie stardom with his leading role in the surreal thriller, was killed when co-star Michael Massee fired a prop gun in which a fragment of a bullet remained. Following an investigation, District Attorney Jerry Spivey announced that no criminal charges would be filed over Lee's death, saying that while negligence was a factor, there was no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the New York Times reported in September 1993. Lee's mother, Linda Lee Cadwell, filed a civil suit against the studio for negligence, which was eventually settled out of court, the Los Angeles Times reported the following month. In 2005, Massee, who died in 2016 aged 64, said he had been left traumatized by the tragedy. "What happened to Brandon was a tragic accident. It's something I'm going to live with ... It took me the time it took to be able to not so much put it in perspective but to be able to move on with my life," he told Extra TV. "It's very personal. It's something that I wanna make sure when I work that it's never repeated. Therefore, I'm very conscious of things going awry on set." The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. ONEONTA, N.Y. -- An Oneonta school bus crashed into a business on the corner of Main and Grand streets Thursday afternoon. Authorities say no children were on the bus, and the driver and aide on board were not injured. The bus crashed into Hughes and Benson Insurance. While no inside was hurt, there is damage to the building and concerns part of the roof may cave in when the bus is removed. DOT inspected the vehicle and said no mechanical errors were found, according to police. The investigation into the cause is ongoing. Police say no tickets have been issued at this time. UTICA, N.Y. - Members of the Honor Flight Network hosted an Honorary Flight event for veterans at the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (RNC). Honor Flight annually takes veterans to Washington, D.C to visit the memorials honoring those who served and sacrificed our country at no cost. Due to veterans at MVHS not being able physically and mentally able to take the excursion, Honor Flight hosted brought the experience they would've had to the care facility. Cyndell Martell, a volunteer at Honor Flights said 16 veterans were signed up last year to take the trip. Martell said, "We're going to give them as much of an experience of what we do when we go on a real honor flight as we do on the honorary". She added, "so there's going to be a video of what would happen if they went and some of the same gifts and experiences we would want them to share." This was the first time Honor Flight did this Honorary Flight event, Martell said she will continue to execute this opportunity for veterans in the Central New York area. The United Kingdom and New Zealand have struck a free trade agreement that will reduce tariffs on bulldozers, wine, buses and clothing. The draft deal, which follows 16 months of negotiations, is the latest to be brokered by the United Kingdom after its departure from the European Union. The agreement is not expected to deliver a boost to the UK economy. But Downing Street expressed hopes that it will help "pave the way" for Britain to join Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a free trade area of 11 Pacific nations including New Zealand. "This is a great trade deal for the United Kingdom, cementing our long friendship with New Zealand and furthering our ties with the Indo-Pacific," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement. Trade between the United Kingdom and New Zealand was worth 2.3 billion ($3.2 billion) in 2020, accounting for less than 0.2% of total UK trade. The deal is not expected to increase UK GDP, according to the UK government's own estimates. The United Kingdom's ability to negotiate its own trade policy has been billed by the government as a major benefit of Brexit. It has moved ahead with deals with both New Zealand and Australia deal despite opposition from UK farmers, who are worried the agreements could allow cheap imports. The rush to sign new trade deals comes as Britain seeks to compensate for losing the economic benefits of EU membership. The European Union accounted for 42% of UK exports of goods and services and 50% of imports in 2020, and companies face new barriers to trade following Brexit. Britain has also struck deals with Japan and Norway, but they were based on existing agreements negotiated by the European Union. Johnson said that New Zealand products loved by British consumers will be available for cheaper, from Sauvignon Blanc wine to Manuka honey and kiwi fruit. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the countries as "great friends and close partners." "The historical connections that bind us run deep," she said, adding that the trade deal is "good for our economies, our businesses and our people." The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. The University of Southern California is apologizing and plans to award honorary degrees to dozens of Japanese-American students, who were not able to complete their studies in the 1940s after being sent to internment camps during World War II. USC President Carol Folt is planning to issue the diplomas and deliver the apology at the school's Asian Pacific Alumni Association gala next April, 80 years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The order led to some 120,000 Japanese-Americans on the West Coast being forced to relocate to camps further inland. "This is really a point of righting an historical wrong and doing the right thing at the end of the day," Patrick Auerbach, USC Associate Senior Vice President for Alumni Relations, told CNN. The university believes there were 121 Nisei students -- a term for people born in America to parents, who came to the US from Japan -- at the institution on February 19, 1942, when the order was issued. When the USC students tried to resume their education after the war, the school put up major obstacles. Some were not allowed to reenter the school, others would have to start their degree programs from scratch, and USC would not release transcripts for some students trying to finish their degrees at another school, he said. The school has not found records of a policy discriminating against the Nisei students, but they were able to corroborate the practice over the years through interviews with the students and their families. The Asian Pacific Alumni Association of USC has been working to get recognition for the students since 2007, Executive Director Grace Shiba told CNN. USC awarded honorary alumni certificates in 2007 and 11 surviving students were presented honorary degrees in 2012. The school does not award honorary degrees posthumously, so many of the students weren't honored then, Auerbach said, adding Folt has now decided to make an exception. "This is an extraordinary circumstance, and this is an injustice, and we owe it to these families," he said. "If we want to really, you know, talk the talk with our values, our core values as an institution, then we need to walk the walk, and that's what we're doing in this case." Shiba said her office and some volunteers are working to find any surviving students -- who would be in their 90s, or older -- or their family members, to make sure they get the recognition they deserve. She said records of the day have been preserved on microfiche and they have set up a form for people to request the honorary degree. Shiba said she's been in touch with many families since the announcement. "They're thrilled, the reaction has been positive," Shiba said. "We waited so long, and to be quite honest, we were just thrilled that finally, the university had come to a decision to honor all Nisei students." The Japanese American National Museum also welcomed the decision. "This gesture by USC to grant honorary degrees posthumously recognizes the deep pain and hardship suffered by those students. It is an important step in addressing a grave injustice." museum President and CEO Ann Burroughs said in a statement. "It is a sad legacy of wartime racism that some families may still not know that their deceased relatives once attended USC, and that they are now eligible to receive this belated honor." Auerbach said the university hopes it will provide closure for the Nisei students' families. "We cannot go back and change what the university did, but this is the least we can do to make right by some, some injustice is that we're done by the institution," he said. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. OXFORD, Ind. (WLFI) Two men are in custody after police say they raped a 23-year-old Benton County woman. 21-year-old Jose Ortiz and 20-year-old Jose Alaniz were arrested Wednesday on accusations of rape and criminal confinement. The Oxford Police Department began investigating the pair on Sunday and brought in help from Indiana State Police on Monday. Officers arrested Ortiz at his job and Alaniz at his home at 610 South Crown Street in Oxford. They are awaiting formal charges by the Benton County Prosecutor. Jose Ortiz Rape Level 3 Felony Aiding, Inducing, or Causing Rape Level 3 Felony Criminal Confinement Level 5 Felony Jose Alaniz LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)-In a special meeting Thursday evening the Lafayette city council unanimously passed the 2022 city budget. The overall budget increased by 2.8 million dollars compared to the last one. Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski said two million of that is the five percent increase to city workers and the three percent increase to police and fire pay. Last year, due to COVID, city employees only received a one percent raise. No new positions have been approved for the new budget except for the police department. They are asking for two new detectives to investigate cybercrimes. At the meeting, some citizens spoke out against increasing police pay. Two local citizens Katey Watson and Brock Harpur sent this statement to WLFI after speaking at the meeting against the increase in pay for police officers. "In our public comment, we were opposing the unnecessary additional raise of 1% on top of the 2% raise LPD were already receiving as part of their contract. Last year, the city gave LPD significant raises and longevity pay, LPD is also already receiving a brand new building, and in the budget, the mayor has already approved additional positions for LPD." "As the mayor said, it's about public and police safety. What we're suggesting is that these additional funds shouldn't go towards police salaries, which are already significantly higher than median incomes in Indiana, and which won't actually increase public safety, but rather that those funds should be invested in alternatives that quantifiably reduce crime and prevent it from happening in the first place. Those are methods to increase food security, mental health services, housing services, and others, which are desperately needed by many, and will vastly improve the safety and lives of many in our community. Our community funds the government; it should work for and improve the lives of those in our community." Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski responded by saying the government can't solve all of society's problems. "Our budget has to be balanced we can't create a debt like the federal government is allowed to do and go into debt we cant do that," said Mayor Roswarski. "So we will continue to try to find that balance but to somehow say defunding police department or police are making too much money that's not the answer and that's not going to be the case." Mayor Roswarski also says the city doesn't have extra money to invest in outside programs, he feels the government shouldn't be responsible for fixing all of society's problems. "People that are just pointing the finger at the government, it's got be society as a whole taking a look at the root causes of this and what can we do as a society," said Mayor Roswarski. "Here at the local level, we have no extra money for huge amounts of mental health services." The city has over six million dollars in the rainy day fund. Mayor Roswarski says one portion of the budget they may have to adjust is fuel costs. He says high fuel prices may cause them to go over what they have budgeted. LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) A Lafayette man on Friday admitted to the April kidnapping, sexual assault and attempted murder of a young girl. Authorities are describing the crime as "beyond shocking and disturbing." Deputies escorted James Brian Chadwell II into the Superior Court 2 courtroom. The victim's mother and dozens of family members filed in next, filling the gallery. Chadwell maintained a blank stare as he pleaded guilty, one-by-one, to all seven felony charges against him while the gruesome details were read aloud by attorneys on both sides. 42-year-old Chadwell admitted to luring a 9-year-old girl into his home, then attacking her, locking her in his basement and sexually assaulting her. After the change of plea hearing, Chadwell's public defender and prosecuting attorneys agreed the evidence against him was overwhelming, including what Prosecutor Pat Harrington described as disturbing body camera footage from officers who rescued the girl. The victim's parents "can go home and tell the child involved in this case that she can rest tonight knowing she's safe," Harrington says. "This man will never be in a position to get out of prison or to hurt her again ... It's disturbing that a human being could ever treat another person in this manner." "This was a difficult case and I think it coincides with any other case when there's a lot of evidence out there you ultimately make the decision to plead guilty," says Chadwell's public defender, Shay Hughes. Chadwell also faces a habitual offender sentencing enhancement. He has at least 14 prior convictions including six felonies in Indiana and South Dakota. Harrington says Chadwell likely will spend the rest of his life prison. A sentencing hearing is set for 9 a.m. Dec. 16. TWELVE MILE, Ind. (WLFI) Paul Ulerick, the sole victim of a house explosion earlier this month, remains in critical condition at the Fort Wayne Burn Center. Ulerick was 73 percent covered in burns after the explosion. His nephew, Mark Babb, said he has had three spray-on skin grafting procedures thus far. Ulerick owns Amelio's on the River a restaurant in Logansport and lives with his wife, Deborah, who was out of state at the time of the explosion. Community members have sought to help the family in the aftermath of the explosion. Babb organized a clean-up day where he said 39 volunteers showed up at the Ulerick property to gather what was left of the couple's belongings. However, any debris or belongings closer to the home's foundation is to be left untouched until an investigation can begin. Babb says he was told by officials that won't begin until December first. "They've lost everything," Babb told News 18. "They have no clothes, you know. Sentimental things that they had from their grandparents, great-grandparents, everything is just lost." However, the support the family has received is the silver lining in this tragedy. "It's been a blessing to watch people from all different backgrounds and walks of life to show up to help the family and the neighbors," Babb said. The Ulerick family has been on the property where the explosion occurred since 1809, before Indiana became a state. Ulerick's head, face and chest are not burnt. He is going to be weened off the medication keeping him in a medically induced coma starting today. He has been kept sedated because the pain from the burns would kill him. His wife, Deborah, has started a Facebook page where she posts updates on her husband's condition and any help the family may need. Snee is the 10th president and chief executive officer in the companys history. During his tenure as CEO he has led the companys evolution as a global branded food company and its growing reputation as an award-winning corporate citizen by focusing on the food the company makes and the difference it makes in the world. Snee's career with Hormel Foods spans more than a quarter century. He joined the company in 1989 and assumed roles of increasing responsibility throughout its divisions and at the companys global headquarters. He was named vice president of affiliated business units in 2008, and in 2011 he advanced to leader of Hormel Foods International, overseeing the companys growing global portfolio. He was named president and chief operating officer in October 2015 and chief executive officer in October 2016. He was elected chairman of the board in October 2017. Snee is active in numerous industry and nonprofit boards and organizations, including the Republic Services (NYSE: RSG) board of directors and the executive board for the Thielen Foundation. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in marketing from New Mexico State University and a masters degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota). He has also participated in Harvard Business Schools executive leadership and management programs. I Recognize the World Born in the 80s and '90s, an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan, offers a glimpse of the vision and artistic creation of the two generations. [For China Daily] People born in the 1980s are the first generation in China to be labeled with a term relevant to their birth years. The term now carries cultural and social implications the post-80's generation grew up in a social context different from their fathers and grandfathers, therefore they have formed a unique outlook on life. Studies of the post-80's generation continues even when generations of people born in the 1990s and 2000s continue to grow. I Recognize the World Born in the 80s and '90s, an exhibition being held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region through Jan 9, teams up 21 artists to provide a glimpse of the two generations. The display of paintings, sculptures, installations, mixed media and experimental art reflects the different perspectives of people born in the 1980s and '90s, demonstrating the distinctions between the two generations. I Recognize the World Born in the 80s and '90s , an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan, offers a glimpse of the vision and artistic creation of the two generations. [For China Daily] I Recognize the World Born in the 80s and '90s , an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan, offers a glimpse of the vision and artistic creation of the two generations. [For China Daily] I Recognize the World Born in the 80s and '90s , an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan, offers a glimpse of the vision and artistic creation of the two generations. [For China Daily] I Recognize the World Born in the 80s and '90s , an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan, offers a glimpse of the vision and artistic creation of the two generations. [For China Daily] I Recognize the World Born in the 80s and '90s , an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan, offers a glimpse of the vision and artistic creation of the two generations. [For China Daily] I Recognize the World Born in the 80s and '90s , an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan, offers a glimpse of the vision and artistic creation of the two generations. [For China Daily] I Recognize the World Born in the 80s and '90s , an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan, offers a glimpse of the vision and artistic creation of the two generations. [For China Daily] I Recognize the World Born in the 80s and '90s , an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan, offers a glimpse of the vision and artistic creation of the two generations. [For China Daily] I Recognize the World Born in the 80s and '90s , an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan, offers a glimpse of the vision and artistic creation of the two generations. [For China Daily] Paintings by Zhang Zipiao on show [For China Daily] Photos by Chi Peng on show [For China Daily] (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) Zhu Senlin teaches a lesson at Longxi primary school in Xianxia Township of Yudu County, east China's Jiangxi Province, Aug. 31, 2021. [Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi] BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) China is considering raising the standard of qualifications required for teachers in a proposed revision to the Teachers Law, Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng said on Thursday. Teachers will have higher education requirements, Huai stated when delivering a report to the ongoing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. An assessment process will be established to examine teachers' professional qualifications, Huai added. The draft revision proposes establishing a system of salary distribution according to work and performance, and improving the award and discipline system for teachers, he said. Ethics are highlighted as the most important criteria for assessing teachers in the draft, according to the report. The draft revision also specifies teachers' rights and obligations. They will enjoy greater autonomy in teaching, have the right to discipline students, and the intellectual property rights to their innovations, it noted. At the same time, teachers are required to play their part in protecting and assisting minor students. The draft revision to the law will be submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for review after being further improved, the minister said. (Source: Xinhua) As part of its 2025 strategy to expand the portfolio of its global Taste & Wellbeing business, Givaudan has agreed to acquire DDW, The Color House, a US based natural colour company. VERNIER, SWITZERLAND: As part of its 2025 strategy to expand the portfolio of its global Taste & Wellbeing business, Givaudan announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire DDW, The Color House, a US based natural colour company. The acquisition will enable Givaudan to become a global leader in natural colours, enhancing its ability to create Feel Good Food Experiences through its extensive portfolio of taste and sense solutions. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed and Givaudan plans to debt fund the transaction. DDWs business would have represented approximately $140 million of incremental sales to Givaudans results in 2020 on a proforma basis. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2021. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, DDW is a leading privately-held company in the natural colour industry, with 12 manufacturing facilities around the world and 315 associates. Founded in 1865, the company has developed a strong market position from its origins in the brewing industry through its market leading capabilities in caramel colours and for the last 20 years having a strong focus on natural colours for the food & beverage industry. I am excited about the opportunity to bring together the strong heritage and capabilities of DDW in natural colours with Givaudans expanded portfolio, which is fully in line with our 2025 strategy. The combination of both companies will enable us to become a global leader in natural colours and strengthen our ability to create with our customers multi-sensorial food experiences consumers love, said Louie DAmico, president of Taste & Wellbeing at Givaudan. I am very proud of all that DDW has accomplished throughout its more than 150 years as a privately held company and we are confident that we will continue to flourish as part of Givaudan, said DDWs chairman Ted Nixon. We believe that we have a strong set of shared purpose and values with Givaudan and that this transaction represents a very positive step for DDWs customers and associates. Worldofchemicals News In this Aug. 20, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon speaks with reporters in New York. A lawyer for Bannon says Bannon won't comply with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol because President Donald Trump is asserting executive privilege to block demands for testimony and documents. A view from Clwyd Souths Member of Parliament Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here). Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes writes We have all been deeply shocked and saddened by the news that Sir David Amess was killed at his constituency advice surgery in Essex. He was a much liked and respected Member of Parliament and my thoughts and prayers, like those of so many Clwyd South residents I have spoken to, are with all his family, friends, and staff. Recently, with the reduction in Covid restrictions, I have started to hold MP advice surgeries in person again. These have included surgeries in Overton and Llangollen, during which I was able to help residents on a one-to-one basis with their issues and, in Llangollen, to catch up with members of North Wales Police and get an update on local policing issues. And I will continue to hold such face-to-face MP advice surgeries across the constituency in close co-ordination with the police and by Zoom. I have also continued to visit local businesses, groups, and organisations this month, to pay tribute to their amazing work and growth in the face of adversity. On Friday 1st October, I visited Ruabon-based business, AE Sewing Machines, for a first-hand look at how the company runs, which included meeting with staff and a tour of the factory. I previously praised the team at AE Sewing Machines in the House of Commons Chamber, citing them as an example of a local Welsh business in Clwyd South that successfully exports many of their products. On Friday 24th September, it was a privilege to join the owners of the Sun Trevor, near Llangollen, Paul and Katy Jones, and Maggie Smith, who organises the Sun Trevor Quiz, and Nightingale House Community Engagement Officer, Sue Williams, for the handing over of a cheque worth 1,300 to Nightingale House Hospice. This amazing sum of money was raised from the Sun Trevor Quiz over the last few months. As part of Great Big Green Week which ran from 18 26 September, I visited students and teachers at Ysgol Dinas Bran in Llangollen to learn more about their week of activities to encourage awareness of climate change and to listen to students concerns. I was so impressed to see first-hand the huge effort made by the teachers and staff who put on a fantastic series of events. I was particularly impressed to hear from pupils about their priorities for the COP26 Climate Conference and their ideas about how to reduce the schools carbon footprint in conjunction with Denbighshire County Council. On Saturday 25th September 2021, I joined the Friends of Ruabon for a celebration of the renewal and enhancement of the Ruabon Heritage Trail at Ysgol Rhiwabon. The Heritage Trail was originally developed over twenty years ago, and they outlined their future plans to develop the historical information available on the village of Ruabon and surrounding area. The group has worked incredibly hard to get this off the ground and Im so pleased to see it all coming to fruition. In Westminster, on 21st September, I met with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, at 11 Downing Street, alongside some other Parliamentary colleagues. I discussed a range of issues with the Chancellor, including levelling up the local economy in Clwyd South, and securing good long-term employment opportunities for people in the constituency. I was very happy to take part in a debate recently in the House of Commons on the role and the response of the devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to COP26 the United Nations Climate Change Conference being held in Glasgow later this month. And I used my speech to talk about the importance of community groups in tackling climate change, highlighting examples of initiatives from Clwyd South, like the Corwen Electricity Co-operative. I continue to send out a monthly e-newsletter so constituents can read more about my activities in Clwyd South and Westminster. If youd like to start receiving this monthly MPs e-newsletter, you can sign up using the following link: www.simonbaynes.co.uk/sign-simons-e-newsletter. As Clwyd Souths MP, I am always here to provide advice and support. If youre a Clwyd South constituent, you can contact me and my team at any time by email on simon.baynes.mp@parliament.uk. Please dont hesitate to get in touch if theres anything I can do to help you. Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here). Straw Poll results + Wrexham Council release Final independent report on potential socioeconomic impacts of City Status Yesterday we ran a straw poll throughout the day asking a simple question Do you think Wrexham Council should bid for City Status? with two options, Yes or No. A usual our straw poll was caveated as being a very unscientific sample of Wrexham.com readers thoughts, and lacked the segmentation and pre-qualification elements of proper polls so should be treated accordingly. The audience is, in theory, the self selecting readership relevant to the Wrexham area. There were over 3,500 votes on what turned out to be a poll more popular than we thought, with initial voting in the morning being roughly 70% No and 30% Yes split. That position then changed with such an inundation of votes we thought we would graph the voting pattern (timestamp, with vote count for each option) throughout the day to see what it would show. During the afternoon we were asked by several councillors about the progression of the simple, unscientific and plays-no-part-whatsoever in the outcome of the city status bid, poll. Some asked if we were aware that people could vote more than once in the poll, which was possible via the non-logged in or IP restricted Google Form, as we trust readers to behave sensibly. We asked the councillors how they knew multi-voting was possible, and was told they had been told by third parties. Other theories voiced to us included Yes supporters could be looking to offset any multiple voting by No voters, and by early evening it was genuinely amazing to see the local political interest in the outcome. The final result of the poll was 55.6% saying YES Wrexham Council should bid for City Status, with 44.4% saying NO the council should not submit a bid. Due to the above bizarre interest and change of pattern in the early afternoon we looked at the detail on the voting throughout the day for each option. The vote was taken via Google Forms that logged an exact timestamp when it was made. Often when we have run straw polls before for elections the overall picture rarely dramatically changes, and when there is a jump in votes / percentage share for a candidate the spikes would correlate to a candidate or party posting a link on their social media, however due to the overall volume the impact is often diluted. For our City Status poll we have graphed the votes per minute for both Yes and for No, showing the rough 30/70 split through the morning and then larger volumes for Yes votes, with No votes hitting a peak of ten votes per minute just once. During the 11:24am spike on the Yes votes 42 were logged inside two minutes, later in the evening 26 votes in a minute was recorded in the highest peak. Yes vote activity dropped between 5:20pm and 6pm with only one Yes vote per minute recorded a similar level to No votes. Some smaller upticks on the No votes correlate with timings of links to the poll we placed on social media. Both graphs show the progress of the voting for each option through the day while the poll was live, with the same scale for precise comparison: With the fresh interest in polls and how they work, along with the ability to ensure single voting Wrexham Council could now be motivated to run their own direct poll on their various social media accounts and website to give an ultimate official verdict. As well as our fun straw poll you can still take part in the official feedback process by filling in the consultation questionnaire which is posing a range of questions to you that fit the bid submission take part here. (You have until Friday October 29th to share your views.) Final independent report on potential socioeconomic impacts of City Status Late yesterday afternoon a 32 page document was also released by Wrexham Council to councillors, the Civic Leaders group and also made public to aid transparency on the debate. In circulating the report the council said, There is no published evidence on the economic benefits (or disbenefits) of the award of city status, so to address this gap Wrexham CBC commissioned this independent study to specifically examine the potential economic benefits for towns like Wrexham. The study has found that the towns awarded city status have experienced economic growth, but ONS data does not show an acceleration in the rate of growth following the award of city status. A comparative analysis of new cities and towns is included, and the council say they show that areas which have been successful in gaining city status identify a range of benefits including: Helping to boost local pride which, in turn, may have economic benefits Providing a new platform to promote the city and raise ambitions Creating opportunities for anchor institutions, economic clusters, and sectors to raise their profile Enabling some cities to attract major projects such as a university and enterprise zone, which they might not otherwise have secured as towns Allowing relationships to be developed with other cities and helping them to collectively punch above their weight, securing both public and private investment and collaborating with Government on strategic issues, particularly in Scotland Providing a reason for, and focus for re-branding campaigns Perceived successes in attracting inward investment attributed to city awareness and the infrastructure and facilities they offer e.g. business incubator, high-profile local businesses and organisations, alongside city status Higher expectations of Placemaking with cities thought of as more vibrant places to live, work, and invest Cities with an accessible rural hinterland are seen as very attractive places The council say, The evidence suggests the opportunity for a range of potential benefits for Wrexham from city status if it links such an award to delivering more ambitious place shaping plans and investment strategies, connected to local attributes such as the University, employment and transport infrastructure and cultural attractions. The report itself covers a range of topics, but on economic comparison notes, None of the cities consulted have undertaken research into the impact of city status, so they cannot attribute their economic performance directly to this it later states, None of the cities that were recently awarded this status have seen any negative impacts from it. Currently Wrexham Council are set to formally decide on if a bid will be made on the 9th of November via a decision at the councils Executive Board, with the formal documents being sent off on the 8th December if it decides to proceed. You can view the PDF here of the Final independent report on potential socioeconomic impacts of City Status or depending on device, viewable below: ` ` Wrexham church to hold Festival of Angels to commemorate those who lost their life to covid Those who lost their lives to coronavirus in Wales will be commemorated at a special Festival of Angels in Wrexham. Inspired by the fifteenth century musical angels carved into the wooden roof at St Giles Parish Church, the congregation has created over 6,000 handcrafted angels. Made from a variety of materials, some new, some recycled, and all handmade, the thousands of angels will be suspended from the interior of the tower, in nets in the nave of the church, and from the pillars. The festival will open on Sunday 31 October and run into the New Year. The Vicar of St Giles, the Revd Dr Jason Bray said, For many Christians, angels represent hope and light, so as we emerge from the darkest days of the pandemic, we feel that this message of Christian hope is one we want to share with world around us, and the Festival of Angels is a wonderful way of doing that. The festival begins on Sunday 31 October with a Eucharist for All Saints at 11am, and a Commemoration of All Souls at 6pm where the names of any deceased loved ones will be remembered everyone is very welcome to attend. The church is open Monday to Saturday from 10am 4pm, and for Sunday services. There is no charge for admission. In December, the church will also play a central role in the Wrexham Victorian Christmas Market. The event has grown in popularity and size in recent years, with 32,823 people attending the event in 2019 to take in the festive surroundings and enjoy the likes of mulled cider stalls, hot food, arts and crafts and Christmas gifts. This years Victorian Market takes place on Thursday 9 December from midday-8pm and will stretch from St Giles Church throughout the town centre before finishing at Queens Square. Earlier this year, Dr Bray published a book based on his work as a deliverance minister over the last 20 years. The book, entitled Deliverance, gave an insight into the reality of investigations into ghosts, poltergeists, and other supernatural phenomena. Extensive features and serialisations of the book were run in many of the UKs national newspapers and Dr Bray has done several interviews with ITVs This Morning. St Giles has a reputation for welcoming groups and can provide refreshments if booked in advance. To find out more, please contact the Parish Office on 01978 355808 or by email. Wrexham woman shares her experiences of endometriosis as new plan unveiled to ensure period dignity in Wales A Wrexham woman has shared her experiences with living with endometriosis as part of a new plan to eradicate period poverty and ensure period dignity in Wales. Menstrual health campaigner Anna Cooper, 28, has a stoma bag and catheter due to the effects of widespread endometriosis, a condition linked to menstruation. The long terms condition causes tissue similar to the lining of the womb to grow in other places, such as the fallopian tubes and ovaries. It can cause painful periods, chronic back and stomach pain, difficulty getting pregnant and can take years for an accurate diagnosis Amy has shared her story as the Welsh Government release an action plan to ensure period dignity and eradicate period poverty across Wales. Its incredibly important for us to break down the taboo surrounding periods and menstrual well-being, she said. I was diagnosed two weeks before my 18th birthday, but had been told from an early age that I needed to toughen up & painful periods was part of being a woman. Normalising painful periods is detrimental and dangerous. I was diagnosed with stage four when I was still a teenager but yet was dismissed for years through my early teens. I was dismissed by my teachers, friends and medical professionals. I was never told or taught what a normal period should be or the warning signs to look out for if they were not. This is why I believe so strongly in menstrual well-being education being taught in schools to all pupils to make them aware of the importance of knowing what to look out for with your menstrual health. Its important that we prioritise our menstrual health as much as any other part of our physical health. As a society we need to stop making women feel as if its normal to suffer in severe pain with periods. Its not okay to normalise pain. This is why menstrual well-being education is vital for future generations. We need to stop the stigma to reduce the amount of those who suffer in silence for years. Research shows 15 per cent of girls in Wales aged 14 to 21 have been unable to afford period products at some point, almost half of girls are embarrassed to talk about periods and over a quarter didnt know what to do when their period started issues which the Welsh Government says it is working to tackle. Outlining the aims of the Period Dignity Strategic Action Plan which is now open for consultation Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt said: Periods are an issue for us all we either have them or know someone who does. No-one should be disadvantaged because of their period and periods must never be a reason that a person misses out on education, employment or social activity. Everyone should have access to good quality period products, to use in a private space that is safe and dignified. That is why we are launching our Period Dignity Strategic Action Plan today; setting out a vision to eradicate period poverty, end the stigma around periods and achieve period dignity in Wales. Advancing gender equality and putting an equality focus at the centre of all it does is a key aspect of the Wales Programme for Government. The Plan cuts across many areas of government, including health and education, and shares a vision to ensure that by 2026 Wales is a nation where periods are fully understood, accepted and normalised; where it is widely recognised periods are not a choice and period products are not a luxury. Molly Fenton, from Cardiff, runs the Love Your Period campaign which looks at issues related to periods and period dignity. The 19 year-old, who recently won a St Davids Award for her work, said: The Love Your Period Campaign looks at all matters around menstruation and fights against them in a safe, gender inclusive environment that everyone deserves to have. Ive been called Wales big sister due to my work to eradicate period poverty and stigma, whilst ensuring menstruation education which is so vital for everyone to know whether they menstruate or not. Projects weve done include; homeless collections, providing reusable products for NHS staff throughout the pandemic, LGBTQIA+ support and an advice line for parents as well as children. Weve also assisted with menstruation education in primary schools across Cardiff, helping every school find the best way to use the Welsh Governments Period Dignity Scheme for their unique set of pupils. The Welsh Governments next step to helping ensure period dignity, their action plan, is very welcome and I would ask everyone to send in their views to help shape Wales future on a topic that really does affect everyone. Concluding, the Minister also outlined the importance of the action plan and its commitment to involve all communities in building a fairer, more equal Wales. She said: We want equitable access to period products across Wales and, crucially, to end the stigma, taboos and myths which exist around periods. Were committed to ensuring no-one is ashamed or embarrassed about periods and can speak openly and confidently about them. This plan specifically aims to be intersectional, in that it considers period dignity for those with additional protected characteristics and seeks to make provision for additional challenges or cultural requirements. It is vitally important we now hear from as broad a range of people in Wales as we can. Im keen to ensure we reach out to women, young people, older people, non-binary, intersex and trans people, disabled people, people of various faiths and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people to ensure the plan considers the range of issues associated with having a period. We want a national and inclusive conversation about the impact periods can have across a persons life course so that we can mitigate these impacts, end the stigma and normalise attitudes around menstruation. You can view the Welsh Governments Period Dignity Strategic Action Plan here. To follow the conversation in Wales, search for #TakeActionPeriod #MislifPositif One of the main lies contained in parliaments recent inquiry report on the UK governments pandemic response is that no-one in power could have foreseen the COVID pandemic that hit Britain in early 2020. The inquiry claimed that mistakes were made because all previous planning assumed that Britain would face a flu pandemic. The report by the House of Commons health and social care and science and technology select committees, Coronavirus: lessons learned to date, states in the very first paragraph of its executive summary, The UKs pandemic planning was too narrowly and inflexibly based on a flu model which failed to learn the lessons from SARS, MERS and Ebola. The report cites the testimony of former Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Dame Sally Davies. In paragraph 19 of the chapter Pandemic preparedness, Davies states, We all, in the UK, US and Europe, as experts and in policy, had a bias to flu, and planning for flu and diseases that had already occurred. As I look back, going back to [flu preparedness exercise] Winter Willow [held in 2007], which was well before my time, and the national risk assessment, we underestimated the impact of novel and particularly zoonotic diseases. In paragraph 27, Davies states, Quite simply, we were in groupthink. Our infectious disease experts really did not believe that SARS, or another SARS, would get from Asia to us. It is a form of British exceptionalism. Given that the British government had conducted, going backed several decades, numerous exercises to simulate a pandemic, and that many of these were in the public domain, the document cannot just ignore them. Exercise Cygnus is referred to in the report. It states, The prospective national response to an influenza pandemic was tested in an exercise which took place from 1820 October 2016. Exercise Cygnus was led by Public Health England. As part of the exercise, participants considered their capacity and capability to operate at the peak of a pandemic affecting 50% of the population which could cause between 200,000 and 400,000 excess deaths in the UK. But alas, goes the inquiry narrative, this exercise predicting hundreds of thousands of deaths, was really a waste of time as, It is important to note that Exercise Cygnus focused on the treatment and escalation phases of the pandemic response. It did not simulate the detection and assessment phases. The document cites the testimony of then Health Secretary Matt Hancock who told the inquiry in November 2020, The problem with Project Cygnus was [] that it started from the assumption that we were going to have a pandemic flu that was already rampant and widespread. It was an exercise in what you would do in the period at which lots of people were already dying. What it did not ask were the prior questions, What type of pandemic is most likely? What are the different characteristics of different pandemicsflu or coronavirus being two obvious examplesand can we act to stop getting into the position at which Project Cygnus started off? These statements are aimed at covering up the fact that extensive planning for a pandemic had been drawn up and large-scale simulations carried out for well over a decade, but also that among these were Exercise Alice. Exercise Alice was carried out in February 2016 and was specifically simulating a response to a coronavirus pandemican outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV). The full title of the report into the exercise is Report: Exercise Alice-Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (Mers-CoV) 15 February 2016. The cover page of the partially redacted 2016 report into the coronavirus pandemic planning exercise, Exercise Alice. The document is titled: "Report: Exercise Alice-Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (Mers-CoV) 15 February 2016" Dame Sally Davies is happy to mention Exercise Winter Willow and Exercise Cygnus as they were preparations for a flu pandemic, but not Exercise Alice. And for good reason. It was she who commissioned Exercise Alice, the existence of which was kept hidden from the pubic by the government for more for than five years, only finally being acknowledged as having taken place in June this year. Acknowledgement was forced out of the government as the result of diligent efforts of Dr. Moosa Qureshi, backed by Leigh Day solicitors. Qureshi, a hospital consultant, took action after seeing the social devastation caused by the COVID pandemic, to uncover what preparations government had carried out to prepare for such a pandemic. Freedom of Information requests established in June that officials from Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) were involved in Exercise Alice. Dr. Moosa Qureshi (credit: Dr Moosa Qureshi) The requests forced the government to reveal that there had been a total of 11 reports into pandemic planning exercises hitherto unknown by the public in the five years before COVID hit. These included four dealing with an influenza pandemic, three on Ebola, two on Lassaan acute viral haemorrhagic illnessand three on bird flu. Along with Exercise Alice, the existence of further reports into pandemic exercises were revealed through pressure from Dr. Qureshis legal campaign. These were Exercise Broad Street, Exercise Cerberus, Exercise Northern Light, Exercise Pica, and the Ebola Preparedness Surge Capacity Exercise. Earlier this month, the government was forced to disclose the partially redacted 23-page report on Exercise Alice, after declaring in August that publication could lead to loss of public confidence in the governments and the NHS COVID-19 response based on misinterpretation of the report. Their fear was it becoming known that some of the key findings of Exercise Alice revealed the criminal nature of the governments pandemic response, which has led to the mass infection of nearly 9 million people and over 163,000 preventable deaths. In an October 7 press release Leigh Day noted, Exercise Alice was carried out in 2016 and identified 12 specific actions and four key themes that Public Health England should address to make the NHS ready to cope with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV): quarantine versus self-isolation, levels of PPE, community sampling planning and effective and consistent public messaging. It added, The 2016 report [Exercise Alice] identified key issues which needed to be looked at more closely such as quarantine and self-isolation requirements, the level of PPE [personal protective equipment] and the setting up of a proper contact tracing system, yet when the Covid-19 pandemic broke in 2020 the Government discharged positive covid cases into care homes and did not have a contact tracing system which could be brought immediately into action. Speaking on the publication of the document, Dr Qureshi said, The Department of Health argued that Exercise Cygnus was not relevant for COVID-19, because it modelled an influenza pandemic, not a coronavirus. In fact, the disclosure of these [initial] seven reports shows a range of pandemics were modelled in the five years leading up to COVID-19. Disgracefully, the Government covered up Exercise Alice a coronavirus exercise which predicted the importance of isolating patients, contact tracing, PPE provision, trained personnel and adequate NHS beds. The fact that COVID-19 is a novel type of coronavirus is irrelevantevery pandemic is different, but the lessons of Exercise Alice were generally applicable to coronaviruses including COVID-19, they were agreed by general consensus, and both political leaders and NHS England executives failed to implement that consensus. They failed to maintain contact tracing capacity and isolate patients, they failed to provide adequate PPE, and they cut NHS beds. Going forward, future pandemics remain at the top of our national risk register, and we will continue our legal campaign to establish a new paradigm of transparency and accountability for pandemic preparedness.' The governments claim that all the planning for a pandemic prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 was essentially a waste of time as it was premised on the main threat being a flu pandemic is also exposed as a contemptible lie based on what was contained in the reports uncovered. Leigh Day stated that the most significant findings in the exercises revealed in August were those relating to Exercise Broad Street and Exercise Pica. Exercise Broad Street was a 2018 testing of the UKs readiness to deal with a high consequence infectious disease, revealed concerns about surge planning for airborne pathogens. Exercise Pica, was a 2018 report on how primary care would deal with a severe pandemic influenza for which there was no vaccine and no immunity. Leigh Day noted, It was based on the premise that there were national stockpiles of PPE in place for healthcare workers to treat half the population and anticipated an upsurge in mental health care demand. It highlighted the need for co-ordinated communications, remote working by primary care staff and the possibility of fuel and staff shortages. In parliaments Lessons learned to date, all that is said is the anodyne single sentence comment, Despite carrying out simulation exercises, we heard that the UK did not adequately learn the lessons of previous pandemics. Clinical staff care for a patient with coronavirus in the intensive care unit at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, England, May 5, 2020 [Credit: Neil Hall Pool via AP] The fact is that none of the planning was put into operation because the government was intent on imposing its homicidal herd immunity strategy from the outset. Dominic Cummings, who is lauded in parliaments report as an avowed enemy of groupthink, was a leading advocate of herd immunity. The Sunday Times reported in March 2020 that at the end of February, Cummings had outlined the governments strategy at a private meeting, with one observer describing the policy as, herd immunity, protect the economy and if that means some pensioners die, too bad. Cumming revealed earlier this year that a Public Health England exercise presented to the government as the pandemic broke out worked out scenarios based on up to 800,000 people dying of COVID-19 in the UK. Such an agenda informed much of the planning for a pandemic going back years. In a 2011 exercise findings document, a paragraph in a section headed Business as usual states, During a pandemic, the Government will encourage those who are well to carry on with their normal daily lives for as long and as far as that is possible, whilst taking basic precautions to protect themselves from infection and lessen the risk of spreading influenza to others the Government does not plan to close borders, stop mass gatherings or impose controls on public transport during any pandemic. On twitter this week, an intervention teacher/special needs tutor commented that this statement reads like a playbook of the government's pandemic strategy. A focus on saving life is not anywhere in the document. But this is. Notice wordingAny pandemic. They were never going to save us, we are just collateral damage. As to the scale of death the government was prepared to ignore, Exercise Winter Willow, dealing with an avian flu pandemic, was conducted in January and February 2007 and involved all the emergency services, local authority officials and Labour government Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt and Environment Secretary David Miliband. The Sunday Times reported on January 27, 2007 of the upcoming operation, The exercise is designed to ensure that the authorities could cope with up to 30% of the population being infected and a possible 750,000 deaths. Those in government were acutely aware of the terrible scale of deaths that could result from a pandemic, with the Sunday Times noting, Government experts have expressed fears that up to 7m Britons could die in an epidemic if bird flu mutated into a form that could readily spread among humans. Canada's then-Chief of Staff Jonathan Vance (left) with US General Joseph Dunford, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan (Source: Wikipedia) An internal Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) investigation, conducted by retired Major-General Daniel Gosselin, has concluded that the militarys top brass took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to launch a propaganda campaign modeled on the disinformation operations the CAF mounted while waging counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan. However, this time the intended target was the Canadian public. In July 2020, the Ottawa Citizen revealed that on April 8, 2020, two weeks after the CAF had announced it was deploying 24,000 CAF personnel to assist the government during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) launched an information operation. This euphemism referred to a propaganda campaign aimed at shaping public opinion as fears grew in the military of a worst-case scenario related to the pandemicthat is, mass popular anger and civil unrest. (See Canadas military launched operation to shape opinion amid pandemic) The stated objectives of the propaganda campaign were to strengthen confidence in the government and to suppress social opposition. According to the admissions of several CAF officers, the operation was based on methods Canadas military had developed in Afghanistan to coerce villagers into supporting the regime established by the United States and its western imperialist allies, Canada included, after their neocolonial invasion of the country in 2001. Gosselins investigative report is dated December 2, 2020, but it was kept secret by the CAF. Only after filing an access to information request did the Ottawa Citizen obtain a copy, nine months later. In an article published on September 27, the Ottawa Citizens defence correspondent, David Pugliese, revealed Gosselins conclusion that the operation was the result of a mindset that permeated all levels of the CJOC, including its highest ranks. The CJOC reports directly to the Chief of the Defence Staff and directs all CAF operations except those under the responsibility of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command and NORAD, the joint Canada-US North American aerospace and maritime Defense Command. According to Gosselin, the CAF high command saw the pandemic as a unique opportunity to test propaganda techniques on the Canadian population. To illustrate this, Gosselin quotes Vice Admiral Brian Santarpia, then chief of staff of the CJOC, as saying, This is really a learning opportunity for all of us and a chance to start integrating information operations into our routine. Gosselin also reports that the propaganda operation was neither requested nor authorized by any branch of the Justin Trudeau-led Liberal governmentbe it the cabinet, the Prime Ministers Office or the defence minister. Although the CJOC is purportedly subject to strict civilian oversight, above all in its operations within Canada, its then commander, Lt. Gen. Mike Rouleau, along with other senior officers felt that government authorization was not needed to plan and launch a propaganda operation targeting the Canadian population. Concerns of other military personnel about the legality of such an operation were brushed aside. Jonathan Vance, then chief of staff of the Canadian military, suspended the operation on April 13, 2020, before terminating it on May 2. A few months later, on August 4, 2020, Vance mandated Gosselin to investigate the matter. The suspended operation was not an isolated act. The Ottawa Citizen has revealed that no less than five propaganda or surveillance operations targeting the Canadian population took place in 2020. It is relevant here to relate in chronological order the key eventsinsofar as they are knownsurrounding these various operations. April 8, 2020: The Canadian army launches an information operation under the pretext that the pandemic could cause civil unrest which the army will have to deal with, i.e., suppress. This operation will be officially canceled in early May. Late May-early June 2020: As part of their deployment to long-term care facilities in Ontario, the CAF spies on mass protests taking place in response to the police killing of George Floyd. The CJOC collects information on the people who took part in those protests and taps into social media accounts to identify so-called key players. Meanwhile, a military intelligence unit monitors social media and collects negative comments about Premier Doug Ford and relays them to the Ontario government. (See Canadas military spied on mass protests against police murder of George Floyd) September 17, 2020: A letter apparently from the Nova Scotia government warns of a wolf pack in the Annapolis Valley. A few days later, the Canadian military admits to being behind the fake letter, which imitated the logo of the Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forests wildlife division and used the name of a real provincial government employee without permission. According to the CAF, the fake letter was intended to test new skills for conducting propaganda missions at home and abroad. A US military intelligence expert consulted by the Ottawa Citizen said the exercise was similar to tactics used on the Afghan population by US soldiers and their allies. October 2020: The CAF plans a new Strategic Defence Communications group to advance the national interest by influencing public attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, both in Canada and in foreign countries where the CAF is deployed. This new organization will use aggressive information warfare techniques to influence Canadians, including the use of military analysts and military retirees to criticize on social media those who ask questions about military spending. This new group will be mandated with gathering and analyzing information about Canadians, non-governmental organizations and news outlets on social media. October 13, 2020: The Ottawa Citizen reveals that the CAF awarded two contracts to British firm Emic Consulting to train military and civilian defense personnel in techniques to change the behaviors of a target group using the behavioral dynamics method developed by Cambridge Analyticas parent company, SCL Group. The tactics taught to CAF personnel by Emic Consulting were the direct descendants of the methods the SCL Group used to conduct propaganda in Afghanistan as a subcontractor to the US and British militaries. November 2020: The Ottawa Citizen obtains copies of planning documents for the Strategic Defence Communications group and publishes an article revealing that the CAF has begun, in some respects, to implement the new structure. November 13, 2020: Put on the defensive, the Defence Department announces the end of the plan to establish the Strategic Defence Communications group. Advisers to Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan say that no such plan has been or will be authorized, suggesting that the CAF had begun the implementation of the plan without authorization. December 2, 2020: The Gosselin Report is submitted but not made public. May 11, 2021: The Ottawa Citizen reveals spying on the late May-early June 2020 mass protests over the murder of George Floyd. June 24, 2021: Ottawa Citizen writer Pugliese reveals that after investigations into incidents not covered by the Gosselin Report, Acting Chief of the Defence Staff Wayne Eyre and Deputy Minister of Defence Jody Thomas admitted that the army command had broken the rules and acted without authorization by employing propaganda techniques against the Canadian public and by gathering information from social media. In response to the findings of these investigations, the CAF stated that new clear guidelines have been issued to ensure that Canadians are not targeted by propaganda operations in the future. However, in his September 27 article, Pugliese, a journalist well connected in the Canadian military establishment, reported on an ongoing dispute within Defence Headquarters in Ottawa over information operations. According to Pugliese, senior public affairs, military intelligence and operational planning officers would like to expand the militarys activities in this area in order to better control information. In reality, official assurances the CAF will no longer monitor Canadians or try to shape public opinion are worthless. With the deepening crisis of Canadian capitalism, and growing working class resistance, including to the federal and provincial governments disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ruling elite is increasingly turning to the use of antidemocratic methods to suppress opposition and preserve the profit system. In this context, the acknowledged links between the CAFs propaganda operations on Canadian soil and those it conducted in Afghanistan cannot be ignored. Canadian imperialism is bringing home to Canada the tactics it employed in seeking to subjugate an Afghan population hostile to foreign occupation. The Afghan war, the longest in US history, ended with the puppet regime Washington had propped up with hundreds of thousands of troops, massive bloodletting, and trillions of dollars collapsing within weeks of the Pentagon withdrawing its forces. This was primarily the result of the deep-seated anger in the Afghan population at the crimes imperialism committed in that impoverished Central Asian countrycollective punishments, torture, air strikes against civilians and unstinting support for a corrupt regime of warlords and tribal leaders, etc. The US debacle in Afghanistan has also dealt a heavy blow to its Canadian junior partner. The CAF intervention in Afghanistan was its largest military deployment since the Korean War and was used by the political establishment and corporate media to acclimatize the population to the CAF waging war. The militarys propaganda operations on Canadian soil are a serious warning to all workers. As in Europe with the rise of the far right under the protection of the capitalist state, and in the US with the January 6 coup attempt by Donald Trump backed by fascist thugs, Canadas ruling class is turning to authoritarian methods of rule to suppress growing social opposition. Workers must respond by building an independent working-class political movement based on a socialist and internationalist program to oppose militarism, attacks on democratic rights and the ruling class ruinous profits-before-lives response to the pandemic. Bright Sheng. (Image Credit: Bright Sheng) World-renowned composer and University of Michigan (UM) professor Bright Sheng will not be investigated by the universitys Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX office (ECRT) for possible discrimination practices. UM School of Music, Theater and Dance (SMTD) Dean David Gier reported Sheng to the ECRT after Sheng screened the 1965 Stuart Burge-Laurence Olivier film adaptation of Shakespeares Othello in his undergraduate music composition course. University officials made no public announcement as to why they were no longer considering an inquisitorial ECRT review of Shengs curriculum. Instead, according to MLive news, they communicated their decision to his lawyer. The universitys action not to review the incident simply confirms the fact that the claims of racism were always slanderous and baseless. However, nothing of substance has yet been done by UM to repair Shengs reputation. The IYSSE at UM demanded in an open letter to SMTD Dean David Gier that the university had to reinstate Professor Sheng in the course from which he was removed as well as issue an apology and publicly repudiate the smear that he had carried out a racist act by screening a well-known and honored film. A small group of SMTD students denounced Sheng after the 1965 screening because the famed Shakespearean actor Olivier performed the title role in dark make-up. One of Shengs students subsequently stated to the Michigan Daily that she was shocked that [Sheng] would show something like this in something thats supposed to be a safe space. How a serious, complex performance of an epic, 400-year-old play created an unsafe space can only be explained by the student herself and the race-fixated layers that pursued the attack on Sheng. Olivier played Othello as a dark-skinned Moor of African descent living among white Venetians in part to emphasize the racial tensions present in the 1603 play. The actor intended to honor what most consider to be Shakespeares original concerns, as well as to repudiate the timidity of previous British productions of the play, which downplayed the interracial relationship between Othello and Desdemona. Olivier and the plays other leads were nominated for Academy Awards in 1965. Sheng made an informal apology to his class and then a formal apology to the department. A group of at least 33 SMTD students and faculty then seized upon the apologies to issue an open letter to the dean demanding Sheng be removed from his course for creating a harmful environment. The SMTD officialdom endorsed this reactionary nonsense, issuing a department-wide email stating that Professor Shengs actions do not align with our Schools commitment to anti-racist action, diversity, equity and inclusion. In this frenzied environment, Sheng stepped down from the course at the deans insistence. The rush to support the claims of racism by the SMTD and campus administration was utterly shameful, indicative of an extremely low level of historical and artistic awareness, to say nothing of democratic sensibilities and rational thought on the campus. The IYSSE at UM launched a campaign on the campus to oppose the attacks on Sheng, issuing an open letter to Dean Gier and speaking with students and faculty on campus about the artistic, democratic and class issues involved. Though the Michigan Daily ignored the clubs request to publish its open letter in the student newspaper, several professors and artists from around the country have sent notes of support for this campaign and for Sheng. Composer Kevin Scott posted a lengthy denunciation of the racialist attack on Sheng and Othello on the popular Slipped Disc classical music website. The IYSSE open letter was subsequently published on the site as well, followed by numerous statements of support. On Monday, the Academic Freedom Alliance, a coalition of faculty members from across the country who are committed to upholding the principles of academic freedom and professorial free speech, issued a letter to UM President Mark Schlissel in defense of Sheng. Although the letter does not make clear that neither Shengs actions nor the Othello production was racist, it nonetheless sharply warns of the implications of the attack for academic freedom and intellectual life in the coming period: Unfortunately, efforts to suppress classroom materials and censor classroom instruction because they might be divisive are all too familiar. The cornerstone of recent state legislative efforts, including those in Michigan, to outlaw divisive concepts like critical race theory or racist theories from the classroom is precisely the belief that instructors should not be allowed to expose students to materials or ideas that they might find disturbing or racist. Universities are in no position to resist such efforts if they are themselves willing to punish their professors on that self-same basis. With regards to the action of Dean Gier, it states: If such an assertion of power by a dean were accepted, it would carve a large and perilous hole in academic freedom protections that will loom over faculty at the university for years to come. A comment is in order about the political climate in which Sheng has come under attack. Over the course of several decades, systematic efforts have been made at the University of Michiganas at every leading campus in the USto promote identity politics and variations of anti-Marxist, postmodern philosophy as the axis for so-called left politics. This has been driven by various pseudo-left appendages of the Democratic Party. Even as they precipitously and recklessly re-open the university under conditions of a deadly pandemic, administration officials shift ever more resources toward ensuring that race and gender remain a central focus of students, and not the massive social and public health crisis devastating the lives of billions on the planet. The university set up an Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in 2016, which underwrites and encourages the concept that race and the effort to achieve equitynot social equalityare the most pressing issues facing students and young people. The office has thus far been given $125 million to develop strategic training plans across most units on campus. In response to the September 2020 strike by 1,200 UM graduate student workerswhich culminated in a betrayal of the main demands for safe working conditions during the pandemicthe university seized on a portion of the issues raised involving opposition to racism on campus. Instead of keeping students out of dangerous classrooms and paying graduate students decent wages, the university set up a task force on policing to include the so-called Students of Color Liberation Front. They also committed millions of dollars to hiring 20 new full-time faculty members with scholarly expertise in racial inequality and structural racism. This semester figures like Nikole Hannah-Jones and Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, who advocate ignorant and racialist theories of history and science, respectively, have been invited as featured guest speakers on the campus. It is in this toxic environment that some SMTD students opposed the screening of Othello, insisting that Oliviers performance was blackface and Shengs decision to screen itregardless of the context or intentwas a racist act. Students, workers and faculty must oppose this attack on Sheng, academic freedom, and democratic rights. If the attacks on Sheng go unopposed from a genuinely left and socialist perspective, the entire intellectual and political terrain is ceded to the far right, which will step into the vacuum and fraudulently posture as defenders of academic freedom while simultaneously mobilizing fascistic forces. All concerned students, faculty and workers are encouraged to email Dean Gier, demanding the reinstatement of Professor Sheng, atdgier@umich.edu, and to copy the World Socialist Web Site, comments@wsws.org. Several hundred nurses in Worcester, Massachusetts have been on strike since March 8. The nurses, who work at Saint Vincent Hospital (SVH), which is owned by Tenet Healthcare of Dallas, Texas, went on strike demanding strict limits to patient assignments in an effort to ensure safe working conditions and patient outcomes. In its latest attempt to break the strike, the hospital administration recently announced it is unilaterally imposing a sellout contract to which the nurses union, the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), agreed. Striking Worcester nurses. (Credit: WSWS) In August, after four days of secret negotiations under the state auspices of the National Labor Relations Board, and several previous bargaining sessions over the course of the strike, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which claims to represent the nurses, and hospital management came to an agreement over the last proposal put forward by Tenet. However, despite reaching this agreement, the strike continued, as Tenet Healthcare maintained the line it earlier announced that it would be retaining the nurses it had hired to replace striking nurses, resulting in hundreds of striking nurses losing their previous positions. Nurses refused to accept these rotten terms. As they have maintained their picket, Saint Vincent continues to hire more permanent replacements, bragging recently of having hired a total of 217, offering bonuses of up to $8,000, and risking patient safety by placing novices in critical positions previously held by seasoned professionals. As no new proposals have been put forward since August by either side, and no subsequent talks have been scheduled, Tenet claims the authority to declare the strike is at a legal impasse, therefore giving it the right to impose the last offer. While the MNA has half-heartedly protested this move, describing it as disturbing and wildly insulting to the intelligence of nurses, it has done nothing to expand and strengthen the strike. Both union officials and hospital executives have been quick to call terms of the agreement between them a victory for the nurses. The agreement, however, which now applies to nurses currently working and any desperate or backward enough to cross the picket line, fails to meet nurses original demands and represents a sellout of their determined struggle. Nurses originally demanded a maximum of four patients to every medical-surgical nurse, or at least enforceable staffing language in union-speak. However, the agreement resulted in a mix of 4-to-1 and 5-to-1 patient assignment limits, and a dispute process in the case a good faith effort hasnt been made by management to keep to staffing guidelines. In other words, if circumstances, such as pandemic surges, result in ratios being exceeded on any of the units without strict agreements, nurses will have to accept conditions as they are. Were it not for the hospitals refusal to give them back their jobs, nurses would have been forced into this capitulation. As much as MNA leaders loudly protest the administration's actions, they are responsible for the agreement that is now being imposed. Every week that goes by, resulting in more permanent replacements, starving nurses of income and besieging the strike which is already isolated, Tenet is clarifying its response to growing anger and militancy in the working class: it wont give an inch. Beholden to the interests of the ruling class, the labor bureaucracy and the Democratic Party are desperate to contain this movement of the working class, which is a natural response to decades of austerity, growing social inequality, and a policy of social murder in response to the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, nurses at SVH, like health care workers everywhere, faced dangerous staffing shortages, putting them and their patients safety at risk. Systemic understaffing, in the name of cost-saving, led to widespread support for a 2018 state ballot initiative, spearheaded by the MNA to impose legal limits on nurse-patient assignments, which was only defeated by a massive campaign by the hospital industry with help from a lobbying firm with ties to the Democratic Party. With the influx of patients sick with COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, nurses at Saint Vincent began agitating for change, calling on the MNA to take action. It took the MNA bargaining committee nearly a full year of the pandemic, multiple surges of the disease, and horrific scenes more common to battlefield trenches to issue a strike vote to its nurse members, in which nurses overwhelmingly voted yes. In doing so, exhausting every legally sanctioned labor tacticfrom lopsided no confidence votes to having nurses fill out several hundred unsafe labor complaintsthe union sought to contain the struggle to the confines of a labor-management dispute to be settled in backroom dealings. Nurses at Saint Vincent, however, were determined to take militant action. Thousands more nurses and health care workers across the country, most recently 24,000 at Kaiser Permanente on the West Coast, have taken steps toward similar actions. Health care workers in Buffalo, New York, Minnesota, Connecticut, Illinois, Oregon and internationally, along with workers in auto and other industries, have entered into struggle as well. These workers are the natural allies of the Saint Vincent nurses and their strength should be mobilized to oppose the contract at SVM and link up their struggles. While workers are united by the conditions they face, exploited by a capitalist class indifferent to mass suffering and disease, their struggles remain isolated by the unions. The International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees has been formed to coordinate the fight of workers across national boundaries. Contact the WSWS for more information on building rank-and-file committees. Indias far-right Narendra Modi-led government has sold the countrys flagship state-owned airline, Air India, to the Tata Group for a pittance. Led by the suave but rapacious industrialist Ratan Tata, the Tata Group is Indias largest conglomerate with a total market capitalization of $319 billion (Indian Rs. 23.6 trillion). Air India jet and Narendra Modi (Wikipedia) The sale of Air India is being touted by Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government as the opening salvo in an across-the-board push to privatise virtually all state-owned companies and is being celebrated by Indian big business and international capital as such. Although the Modi government and the Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance government that preceded it have pressed forward with disinvestment, reducing the government stake in numerous Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and ensuring that they are operated on for profit business lines, Air India is the first central government PSU to be sold off in its entirety in 19 years. In truth, gifted would better describe what has taken place. To gain sole ownership of one of the worlds premier airlines, Tata Group is making an upfront cash payment of just $365 million (Rs. 27 billion) and assuming $2.1 billion (Rs. 153 billion), or 25 percent, of the airlines total $8.3 billion (Rs. 616 billion) debt. This leaves the Indian government with the responsibility for the remaining $6.3 billion (Rs. 463 billion), which will be paid off no doubt through diminished social support for, and increased taxation of, working people. The Tata Group is pocketing not just Air India, but also its budget airline subsidiary, Air India Express, which has a fleet of 24 narrow-bodied Boeing 737-800s used to provide service to and from the Gulf. It is also acquiring the governments 50 percent stake in Air India SATS, which provides ground handling, food catering and aircraft cleaning services. Air India has a premier fleet of 117 wide-body jets and employs around 12,000 workers, including highly skilled mechanics and pilots. Its aircraft fleet is alone estimated to be worth anywhere from $5.4 to $6.8 billion (Rs. 400 billion to Rs. 500 billion). The airline is to be completely handed over to the Tata Group by year end. Under the terms of the deal, Tata has pledged not to lay off any workers for one year. Thereafter, it can be expected to mount a massive cost-cutting drive, targeting workers jobs, wages, pensions and working conditions. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has used it financial muscle to promote privatisation around the world, was quick to hail the sale of Air India. Alfred Schipke, a former chief of the IMF India Mission and current director of the IMFs Singapore Regional Training Institute, called it an important milestone. The head of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Chandrajit Banerjee, similarly gushed his approval. The successful privatisation of Air India marks a momentous event, declared Banerjee, and sends out a clear message to the markets and global investors that the present government has the political will to bite the reform bullet. Numerous corporate media editorials also hailed the privatisation deal. The Indian Express, to cite but one, praised the Modi government for its readiness to make Air India alluring to investors by tweaking the modalities of the sale agreement, adding that this sends an unambiguous messageabout its determination to push forward with a privatisation agenda. Indeed, the government has served notice that as part of its pandemic economic recovery strategy virtually all PSUs are now on the auction block and in all sectors from mining, transport and electricity-generation to banking. Under the governments plans, only a handful of strategic PSUs, such as weapons manufacturers, are not to be privatised. The Modi governments privatisation push is aimed at intensifying its drive to make India a cheap labour production-chain hub for global capital, attracting increased foreign direct investment and providing cash infusions to the Treasury to staunch spiraling deficits. The IMF and the World Bank, along with Washington, have long been pressing for New Delhi to dismantle Indias state sector enterprises. The government has set a disinvestment and privatization target of $24 billion (Rs. 1.75 trillion) for the current 2021-22, fiscal year. Among the PSUs to be sold off outright are the IDBI Bank, Bharat Petroleum Corp. and Shipping Corp. of India. At the same time, the government has initiated the partial privatization of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC,) which is estimated to have Rs. 36 trillion ($864 billion) in assets and dominates 60 percent of Indias life insurance market. According to the Reuters news agency, one of the top officials spearheading the privatisation drive, Tuhin Kanta Pandey, said that the government hoped to complete the valuation exercise of LIC by November-December. The Modi government aims to raise Rs. 900 billion ($12 billion) by selling 5 to 10 percent of the governments current 100 percent ownership. The Modi government announced a whole slew of pro-investor economic reforms during the budget session of parliament in February. Modi, who is known for his use of crude and trite phrases, stated at the outset that the Indian government has no business to be in business. He then stated that the mantra of the governments remaining three-year term in office is Monetise and Modernise. Monetisation refers to handing over publicly owned infrastructure such as railways, ports, roads and electricity assets for management, i.e., sporadic maintenance, by private companies. These companies would then charge fees to the public, the supposed owners of these assets to use their own facilities, with a small portion of this income to be handed over to the Indian government. Modernization is a codeword for selling off Indias state sector to domestic and international companies so that they can be run efficiently, i.e., transforming workplaces into sweatshops by imposing long working hours and low pay and further expanding the use of contract workers who can be hired and fired at will. The Air India sale to the Tata Group was consummated in short order, with the government offering especially lucrative terms to the buyer, so as to demonstrate to Indian and international capital its determination to kick-start its privatization drive. The BJP government was determined not to repeat what happened in 2018 when its attempt to sell off a 76 percent stake in Air India elicited not a single bid. Air India was one of the top-class international airlines prior to 2006. At that time the Congress Party-led UPA government forced Air India and also the state-owned domestic Indian Airlines to order a huge fleet of 111 airplanes from US Boeing corporation68 for Air India and 43 for Indian Airlines. The two airlines, which were subsequently merged by the government, were forced to finance their gargantuan combined $15 billion (Rs. 700 billion) purchase by taking on huge amounts of debt. The UPA government was adamant that the deal go ahead, jettisoning Air Indias plans to buy planes from European-based Airbus, so as to help cement the Indo-US global strategic partnership it had struck with Washington the year before. Then US President George W. Bush personally lobbied Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to proceed with the Boeing order. Although final details of the Air Indian sale are still to be worked out, the Indian government has sent notices to Air India workers to vacate their staff quarters within six months of the sale being formally consummated. The unions that represent the Air India workers have bleated their opposition but have no intention of making the Air India workers struggle the spearhead of a working-class offensive against the BJPs privatisation drive and, more generally, its rapacious big business agenda. Both the Stalinist Communist Party of India, Marxist (CPM) and the smaller Communist Party of India (CPI) have systematically suppressed the class struggle, diverting workers into futile protest campaigns aimed at appealing to Modi to change course, while trying to politically tie them to the Congress and other right-wing opposition parties. The CPMs trade union arm, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions CITU which claims to represent over 5 million workers, has denounced the Air India sale as anti-national borrowing a phrase the Modi government has used to criminalize dissent by students, journalists and intellectuals. It accuses the Modi government of handing over one of the prides of India to a private monopoly house ... virtually free of cost, while toothlessly calling upon its affiliated trade unions to resist such anti-national activities. Jury selection for the trial of the three white men accused of chasing and fatally shooting 25-year-old African American jogger Ahmaud Arbery in February of last year began on Monday in Georgias Glynn County courtroom. The brutal murder of Arbery just outside Brunswick, Georgia and exposure of the attempted state cover-up provided fuel for the nationwide and worldwide protests against police killings following the death of George Floyd on May 25. In the US alone, an estimated 15 to 26 million people participated in the demonstrations at some point in 2020, representing the largest multiethnic and multinational protests in US history and spread to more than 2,000 cities and towns globally. The demonstrations expressed not just anger towards police killings but also opposition to social inequality, capitalist exploitation, the growth of fascism and attacks on democratic rights. The three defendants, Gregory McMichael, 65; his son, Travis McMichael, 35; and their neighbor William Roddie Bryan, 51, all face charges of malice murder and felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and one count of false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan, Jr. They will also be tried later on federal charges after a grand jury indictment in April raised federal hate crimes and attempted kidnapping charges against each in the death of Arbery, who was unarmed and was gunned down while jogging in broad daylight through a suburban neighborhood in Brunswick. After three days of initial interviews and questioning of potential jurors, a Georgia judge has thus far deemed 15 Glynn County residents as qualified to move on to the next phase of forming a jury, which will decide the fate of the three charged in the gruesome killing. Court officials say dozens of additional candidates will be needed before a final jury of 12 jurors and 4 alternates can be picked to hear the case. They estimate that the process could take six or seven more days to select a pool of 64 qualifiers before the second round of jury selection can even begin. Complications for the jury selection process have already emerged in the most high profile murder trial in the United States since the sentencing of former police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty of multiple murder and manslaughter charges after kneeling on Floyds neck and suffocating him to death. Vice News reported on Tuesday that Georgia county court representatives had mistakenly exposed potential jurors to suppressed evidence, including Arberys mental health history, which a judge banned from the trial. These documents contained the victims prior criminal history that a judge ordered suppressed and never brought up in court, along with evidence that prosecutors would like to use against the McMichaels. This evidence includes a Confederate flag vanity plate on Traviss truck and how often the father and son had used their licensed firearms. Although the judge has yet to issue a ruling on the admissibility of that evidence, legal experts say that juror candidates who read that information would be rendered ineligible to sit on the jury. Prominently displaying that information and it being accessible to jurors ... I would say is problematic, Suparna Malempati, a professor at John Marshall Law School in Atlanta told Vice. When potential jurors have information that may or may not be admitted in the courtroom, the jurors may be influenced. The oversight misstep has made ever more difficult an already onerous jury selection process, with an unprecedented 1,000 candidates pooled, more than 10 times the number normally asked. The selection of candidates for the jury is seen as a critical task given the national spotlight that has been placed on the trial. In the federal indictment earlier this year, prosecutors alleged the defendants used force and threats to intimidate Arbery while also violating his right to use a public street because he was black. Travis and Gregory McMichael, the ones primarily responsible for the shooting, also face charges of using guns to inflict violence. The encounter with Arbery began after Gregory McMichael saw Arbery jogging down the residential neighborhood while standing in his front yard. Gregory McMichael told police at the time he thought Arbery looked like a man suspected in several break-ins in the area. Both the elder and younger McMichael immediately grabbed a handgun and a shotgun, got into a pickup truck and chased Arbery down, trying unsuccessfully to cut him off. William Bryan soon joined the pursuit in his own truck. In a cell phone video shot by Bryan, Arbery is seen in the residential road and is approached by a white truck, with Travis McMichael standing beside its open drivers side door with a shotgun and Greg McMichael in the bed of the pickup with a handgun. Arbery then runs around the truck and disappears briefly from view. Muffled shouting can be heard before Arbery emerges on camera and a physical confrontation ensues with Travis McMichael outside the truck, with both seen fighting over the shotgun. The older McMichael, standing in the bed of the pickup truck, pulls out a pistol and shots can be heard coming from off screen as Arbery is shot by Travis with the shotgun. Two shotgun blasts ring before Arbery attempts to run from the assailants but he limps feebly before falling to the ground. He bled to death in the street. All the information that has surfaced surrounding the slaying of the defenseless Arbery lends evidence that the killing was a criminal and barbaric action undertaken through vigilante-style terror. Residents of the Satilla Shores neighborhood where the killing took place revealed they had seen Arbery jogging countless times and that this activity was not unusual. The McMichaels ran him down under the false claim that he had been burglarizing a construction site and cited several recent burglaries as a pretext for the pursuit. The owner of the site stated the claim was baseless and that various people had trespassed through the area besides just Arbery. Moreover, the only crime recorded in the area in the weeks prior to the killing of Arbery were the theft of a firearm from one of the McMichaels vehicles and one instance of trespassing on the construction site, which hardly represent any valid reasons for hunting down Arbery and performing a citizens arrest, let alone suspecting him of a crime. Despite the extraordinary nature of the murder, the dashcam video which captured the killing was kept concealed for more than two months while the two killers remained outside of police custody before finally being arrested on May 7. In the weeks leading up to the release of the video and arrests of the murderers, Glynn County Police Department and prosecutors sought to whitewash the entire proceeding and protect the McMichaels from facing criminal charges. Federal authorities subsequently launched a criminal inquiry into the two district attorneys and the police department involved in the case. Lee Merritt, the attorney representing Arberys family, called the entire investigation leading up to the arrest a vast conspiracy. Glynn County District Attorney Jackie Johnson was accused of ordering police to make no arrests on the day that Arbery was shot. Johnson was forced to recuse herself from the case, due to the fact that Gregory McMichael had recently retired as a police investigator for her office. Johnson was later indicted by a grand jury on charges of violating the oath of a public officer, a misdemeanor, and obstruction of a police officer, a felony, and removed from her position as DA. Following Johnsons recusal, the case was then handed to Waycross Judicial District Attorney George Barnhill, who was to later write in an April letter to the Georgia Board of Investigation that there should be no arrests made in the case and blamed Arbery for the shooting because he wrestled with Travis over the shotgun. Barnhill said the actions of the McMichaels and Bryan were, Under Georgia law perfectly legal. He did not recuse his office from the case until April 7, when it was revealed that Barnhills son had worked alongside Gregory McMichael in the Glynn County DAs office. It was later revealed that both Barnhills son and McMichael had been directly involved in the prosecution of Arbery in an incident some years earlier. Wanda Cooper, Arberys mother, was initially lied to by local police after learning of her sons death. Police claimed he was involved in a home burglary and was killed by the homeowner. It was another several days, however, before she learned that he was killed while jogging by the men who falsely pinned him to be a burglar. In response to the wave of outrage, Georgia lawmakers adopted hate crimes legislation after more than a decade without one, with the state being one of the few remaining states without such a statute which adds greater penalties against those who commit crimes against someone because of their race, gender, sexual orientation or other identifiable characteristics. Legislators also abolished the states Civil War-era citizens arrest statute. In a recent interview with CNNs New Day program, Arberys father Marcus Arbery Sr. condemned his sons killers and placed hope on the selection of a jury who will decide a guilty verdict. Im just praying to God we get the right jury, Arbery Sr. said. Its still emotional for my family because its a raw trauma. You know, to watch my son get lynched like that by three white men, ran him down and lynched him like that. Its really raw. Democratic Party politicians and lawmakers from the beginning have seized on the ghastly murder to frame the issue entirely along its racial lines while concealing the inherently violent nature of the capitalist system and its reliance on the police as an armed force used to oppress the working class. On the one-year anniversary marking Arberys death, President Joe Biden tweeted in February, a Black man should be able to go for a jog without fearing for his life. Today, we remember Ahmaud Arberys life, and we dedicate ourselves to making this country safer for people of color. Georgia Democrat Stacy Abrams, a former state House representative, tweeted #AhmaudArberys time on Earth was needlessly cut short. ... Thank you to the Brunswick community for pursuing accountability. Seeking to sow illusions that the capitalist Democrats could be relied upon to defend democratic rights, Abrams said, we need a justice system that ensures full investigations, appropriate charges and unbiased prosecutions. The Democratic Party is a party of Wall Street and the military-intelligence apparatus and is fully committed to defending and mobilizing the police, including its most fascistic and backward sections, as a bulwark to suppress any upsurge of social opposition against the capitalist system. President Biden has told states and local officials that they can use $350 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan to build up state and local police departments. While racism may play a role in many instances of police violence, what unites all of the victims of police violence is that they are poor and working class, whether they are black, white, Latino or Native American. More than 1,000 people are killed by police every year in this country. It is the task of socialists to oppose every manifestation of racist violence while exposing the racialist politics of the Democratic Party as another instrument of class rule, used to divert social tensions away from a struggle to overthrow the capitalist state and derail the fight to build a united movement of the entire working class. On Saturday, October 16, the family of Blair Alexander Braden, an autoworker at Stellantiss Sterling Stamping Plant, buried the 47-year-old father of two small children at Greenlawn Cemetery in Detroit. Braden died tragically of COVID-19 on October 3. He had worked at the plant in the north Detroit suburbs for only a year. Blair Alexander Braden His life was honored in a memorial service attended by family members, who came in from several states, along with friends and co-workers at Sterling Stamping and Android, an auto parts company where he previously worked. During the tributes, his sister Belinda said, Blair was outspoken and blunt. But he had a loving and giving heart. He loved his two children, Alexandria and Zachary, and we will always treasure his memories. His cousin Slim said he and Blair were like brothers. He called me and said, Cuz, I got it, and I cant see you for 14 days. I didnt get that shot. We all got that shot because hes lying in that casket. Life is too short. Weve lost too many good friends this year. Shalice another cousin said, We tried to see Blair in the hospital. They wouldnt let the family in, but by some mistake they let me up, and I was the last to see him through the glass. He gave me two thumbs up. He fought it hard to the last. I left the hospital thinking he was going to make it. According to his obituary, Blair graduated from Redford High School in 1993. He worked several jobs in his lifetime, including Home Depot, Lowes and Android Industries. He began working at Stellantis North American Chrysler plant where he was employed before his untimely passing. For a short period of time, he worked for Superior Ambulance Services as a paramedic. He called himself the Funky Paramedic. The suffering of a family and friends over the sudden death of a loved one from Covid is a tragedy that has been repeated millions of times. There have been scores, if not hundreds, of funerals for autoworkers whose deaths have barely been noted by the media, the corporations or the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. Fifth Sterling Stamping death this year Braden was the fifth Sterling Stamping worker to have passed away this year. He is at least the second to have died of COVID-19. In April, two Sterling Stamping workers died two days apart. Millwright Mark Bruce, 62, was the first worker in the plant confirmed to have died from COVID-19. He was followed by crane operator Terry Garr, who died in an accident during a die-set at the end of his shift. Braden is the third Sterling Stamping worker to have died since late September. The two other workers who passed away were Steve S. Waltos, known as Big Hoss by his coworkers, and Michelle King. The causes of death for the other two workers have not been publicly released, but one worker suggested that Waltoss death was due to COVID-19. There have been 93 confirmed infections out of Sterling Stampings workforce of approximately 2,000, and COVID cases are once again on the rise. The plant is one of the few where updates on new infections are made available to workers. Nationwide, the United Auto Workers union has collaborated with management to conceal and downplay the extent of the spread, while government figures on specific workplace outbreaks are not public. According to figures shared with the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter, infections have been steadily on the rise since July. Seven infections have occurred so far this month. However, given a case fatality rate of between 1 to 2 percent, the loss of two working-age men in the plant suggests that these numbers are a substantial undercount. Monthly covid cases at Sterling Stamping plant (WSWS Media) Throughout the pandemic, management at Stellantis and the other major automakers have claimed that routine temperature checks, social distancing measures and mask mandates have made workers safer in their plants than in the community at large. However, the figures in Sterling Stamping track closely with the numbers for surrounding Macomb County, where cases have increased from a seven-day moving average of 10 per day in late June, shortly before the elimination of remaining social distancing restrictions by the Biden administration and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, to an average of 309 cases today. This exposes as a lie the claim, endlessly repeated in the corporate press, that the pandemic is on the wane. Similar self-serving claims to justify the full reopening of the economy were made over the summer, shortly before those policies produced a massive surge in new infections. The reality is that 1,400 people still die from COVID-19 every day in the United States, and reputable health experts predict another surge in the winter months. Whatever piecemeal social distancing, masking and other mitigations were implemented by management at the start of the pandemicand their efficacy and consistent application was always greatly exaggeratedthey have been progressively eliminated in recent months. Now, plant management at Sterling Stamping no longer even provides masks except on request. Moreover, the difficulty in obtaining unemployment or paid medical leave creates an immense financial hardship on workers who fall ill, creating an incentive to keep working despite symptoms. Death toll allegedly reaches 12 at Warren Truck The death toll at other auto plants is almost certainly far higher than what has been publicly revealed. One worker from Stellantiss Warren Truck Assembly Plant, located a few miles south of Sterling Stamping, informed the WSWS that a pipefitter on the midnight shift died from COVID-19 last week, bringing the total in the plant up to 12, according to the worker. She said the real death toll may be even higher, and many people, including possibly herself, have long-term aftereffects. The pipefitters wife got sick, and then he got it. He went to the hospital and was on a ventilator for two days and died. He was a healthy man. I knew him. They [the company and the union] are not putting this information out. They got us working in there even if were just putting out a few vehicles per shift because of parts shortages. There is no social distancing, there is no masking, all you have to do is fill out an app before you go in. People know if their supervisors come around saying put on your masks, its because theres an outbreak or somebody died. So many workers have died at our plant. Six died last year in the first few months of the pandemic. There have been at least five more, now six, this year, but I know theres a lot more. I hired in as a part-timer in the late 90s and didnt become a full-timer until more than a decade later. Ive seen people have heart attacks, and they just roll them over so they can keep the line moving. HR is working from home, so are the UAW officials. But were in here dying. There are so many long haulers here too. I got COVID in early 2020 and had go to the hospital. I have a family member, who is an electrician, who just got COVID. I have grandkids, and I dont want them dying because theyre back at school, and its spreading there. People are struggling, and theyve cut off the stimulus checks. Weve got to start coming together to get something done, because the government and the unions wont do anything. Everything should be shut down like we did in early 2020. This has to be exposed. The UAW doesnt do anything to help us. Auto plants must be closed to eliminate COVID-19 The press and both political parties claim falsely that workers must accept that the virus will inevitably become endemic and never go away. But reputable scientists have established that the virus can be eliminated through a comprehensive and aggressive public health strategy, involving masks, social distancing, vaccines and, most importantly, the closure of nonessential workplaces and schools. If implemented, such measures, according to Dr. Malgorzata Gasperowicz of the University of Calgary, would eliminate COVID-19 entirely within two to three months. Such measures have already been used successfully in China, a far poorer country than the US with four times the population. Sterling Stamping workers rack inner door panels as they roll off the line (Stellantis Media) But such measures were rejected out of hand from the beginning in the United States by both political parties and the major corporations, who insist instead that workers must learn to live with the virus. This means, in plain language, that countless more working-class families, such as the Bradens, must suffer even more tragedies in order to keep profits flowing into Wall Street. As a result, in a year-and-a-half which has seen 750,000 Americans die, the wealth of Americas billionaires has surged by 70 percent to more than $5 trillion, two-thirds more than the wealth controlled by the bottom half of the population, or 165 million people. At Bradens funeral, two of his former coworkers from Android, a parts supplier that manufactures wheel components for GM, said, He was a funny and sweet guy. Its sad and ridiculous that people are getting sick and dying in these factories. They shouldnt even be open. Michelle, Bradens cousin and a retired Ford worker, said, All the companies care about is keeping the line moving. If youre sick or dead, theyll just fill in your spot. These plants should be shut down and kept closed until theyre cleaned out and safe. If you go to work sick, you can be fired. But if you stay off, they wont pay you. Why put people who build these cars in this position? Michelle (WSWS Media) My son is a Chrysler worker, and he told me there is COVID on his line, but hes too scared to say anything because he wants to feed his family. Blair didnt feel good. But they dont give you time off and pay to feed your family. They dont care. Theyve got someone to replace my cousin already so they can keep the line moving. On October 14, the Metalworkers Union of Sao Caetano do Sul, controlled by the federation Forca Sindical, suppressed the 13-day strike of General Motors workers after a massive vote the same morning in favor of its continuation. Workers at GM's Sao Caetano plant vote to continue strike (Credit: sindmetalsjc.org.br) Immediately after the vote, the union addressed the press, declaring to the Diario do Grande ABC that more than 70 percent of the employees are already returning to their activities. The open sabotage of the GM workers strike was on the unions official website, with its president Aparecido da Silva, nicknamed Cidao, declaring: Obviously, the union respects the position of the assembly, but the judicial decision should be respected. The decision by the Regional Labor Court, imposed by the unions betrayal, results in workers receiving less than half of the payment of food stamps they demanded; newly-hired workers continuing to be at risk of being fired if they suffer a work-related accident, including COVID-19 infections; and other concessions included in the contract agreed to by the union and GM. For several weeks, workers had rejected maneuvers by the company and the union, which repeatedly presented them nearly identical versions of the initially rejected contract proposal, which also imposed a wage freeze until 2023. On Wednesday of last week, the union was alarmed by a unanimous vote rejecting the latest proposal from the company, which had already demanded that the Labor Court declare the strike abusive. The workers vote was for continuing the strike in defiance of the courts decision. On Thursday, despite the courts decision making the strike illegal, the workers showed that they were ready to carry on a fight to recover their wages and benefits eroded by price hikes during the pandemic, as well as to reverse concessions extorted by the company with the help of the union over the last several years. The workers revolt against the union was reported by Diario do Grande ABC: There was booing during the afternoon assembly. At the moment of the vote on the proposal, most of the workers raised their hands in favor of continuing the strike. After the end of the meeting, there was some brawling and aggression between some autoworkers and the [union] leadership. After the morning and afternoon shifts voted in favor of continuing the strike, the union refused to carry out the assemblys decision, isolated strikers, and called upon workers individually to obey GMs call to return to the production line. During the strike, while the workers in Sao Caetano were threatened by GM, Cidao declared in their meetings that the union would do nothing to protect them from victimizations, recommending an end of the strike because we dont want to see workers thrown in the streets. He also openly advocated for a free pass to strikebreakers, declaring: We are not going to picket, we are not going to force anyone not to work, we will count on individual comprehension. After 13 days of these dirty maneuvers, helping GM to intimidate the workers, the union managed to impose the end of the strike. One worker reported: We know that people are afraid of losing their jobs. One part of the employees returned to work because of pressure from HR (Human Resources) and from the leadership (supervisors). Another stated: The union should have been on our side, but they threw us into the lions den. Throughout the strike, the union sought to isolate the workers from a unified struggle with the other GM plants in Brazil and internationally, amid widespread cuts in a global auto industry suffering component shortages. In recent weeks, Stellantis and Volkswagen in Brazil announced layoffs of 1,800 and 1,500 workers, respectively, lasting up to five months. Honda and Renault have opened voluntary dismissal programs. The strike at GM was started after the company unilaterally announced in September that it would postpone the adjustment of salaries until next year. Workers must draw vital lessons from this experience. Far from being an isolated phenomenon, the role of the union at the Sao Caetano plant as accomplice of the company is repeated throughout the whole industry. Unions have long ceased to be organizations defending workers, transformed under the changes of the globalization of production into representatives of management inside the factories, imposing the companys dictates and suppressing any opposition. In 2019, following the announcement of the closure of the Ford plant in Sao Bernardo do Campo, also in the ABC region, the ABC Metalworkers Union, affiliated with the CUT federation and for many years a bastion of the Workers Party (PT), worked for months to suppress workers opposition. The 42-day strike by Ford workers against the closure of the Sao Bernardo plant was put down after being kept isolated from the auto workers in the ABC industrial region and the companys other plants in several states, including 20,000 auto parts workers directly affected by the closure. For months, the union promoted the purchase of the plant by the Caoa Group, conditioned upon the dismissal of two thirds of the employees as a way to save jobs, and ordered the striking workers to wait for negotiations at home. The reactionary campaign by the union over months, which left it up to company bosses to decide the future of the workers, was completely debunked when the Caoa Group decided not to buy the plant. Earlier this year, the unions responded to the announcement of Fords definitive exit from Brazil by keeping the workers struggles in various states isolated from each other and preparing the best conditions for the companys exit without a fight. In Taubate, where a workers vigil was organized to prevent the removal of machines from the plant, the CUT-affiliated Taubate Metalworkers Union (Sindimetau) organized a religious procession to pray against the closure, while advocating that workers rely on the courts to force the company to stay. It is estimated that 118,000 jobs have been destroyed with the closure of Ford plants in Brazil. The workers struggle cannot be left under the control of the unions or the pseudo-left political parties, which divide workers struggles, blaming job cuts and plant closures on Brazilian workers class brothers and sisters in China, the US and Europe. At a national meeting of union representatives after the announcement of the Ford plant closures, the Socialism and Freedom Partys (PSOL) candidate for mayor of Sao Paulo in 2021, Guilherme Boulos, declaredstanding next to the president of SMABCTheir project is to make Brazil a farm for China, Europe, the US, only producing soybeans and corn to export abroad. Boulos statement echoed that of Brazils fascistic president Jair Bolsonaro made a few days earlier: There is competition, Chinese, among others. [Ford] left because in the business environment if you dont make a profit, you close. Brazilian workers can defend their jobs and wages only through the unification of their struggles against the capitalist class with that of workers internationally, and not through any compromise with the national bourgeoisies and their profit interests. Amid a wave of workers strikes in the United States, the American unions are striving to suppress a movement that is out of their control. The United Auto Workers (UAW) is focused on isolating the strike by 10,000 John Deere workers, who rejected the unions contract, from their fellow workers in the US and around the world. UAW representatives in Brazil were present at the assembly in Sao Caetano, assisting the Forca Sindical-led union in betraying the GM workers strike. In return, union leaders of the Metalworkers Union of Catalaowhere one of the main John Deere factories in Brazil is locatedissued a fraudulent video in the name of Forca Sindical purporting to support the Deere workers strike in the US. Two days after Forca Sindical had sabotaged the strike at GM, the union bureaucrats declared that if necessary, we will even hold work stoppages here to give more support [to the strike in the US]. The real goal of this campaign is to prevent workers in Brazil and in the United States from uniting in a genuine powerful collaboration against the transnational capitalist corporations that exploit them. Workers need to organize independently and in opposition to the unions, which have collaborated with corporations for years to cut their jobs, wages, and living conditions. GM workers in Sao Caetano and throughout Brazil should form rank-and-file committees and coordinate their struggles with workers internationally through the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC). This is the fourth in a series of discussions about Minamata, the new movie by Andrew Levitas, in addition to our original review. The film, featuring Johnny Depp, focuses on the industrial poisoning of Japanese fishing communities in Minamata by the Chisso Corporation and the courageous work by acclaimed photo-essayist W. Eugene Smith (Depp) and his wife Aileen Mioko Smith to expose this crime before a global audience during the early 1970s. Aileen Mioko (Minami Bages) and W. Eugene Smith (Johnny Depp) in Minamata [Source: Metalwork Pictures] The first of these conversations was with photographer Stephen Dupont, a winner of the W. Eugene Smith Grant for Humanistic Photography in 2007; the second with acclaimed Australian documentary photographer Jack Picone; and the third with Kevin Eugene Smith, a lawyer, former television producer and journalist, and the manager of the photographic estate of his father, W. Eugene Smith. While Minamata has been released in many countries around the world, MGM, which purchased the rights to distribute the film in North America, has not screened it in the US. The company, which is being taken over by Amazon, has refused to give any indication when it will be released. In July, director Levitas issued an open letter revealing that he had been told by MGMs acquisitions head Sam Wollman that the company was burying Minamata over concerns that the personal issues of Johnny Depp, could reflect negatively on MGM. The companys arrogant and censorious actions constitute an outrageous attack on all those involved in the films production, including Aileen Mioko Smith, who was co-author of the book on which it was based, as well as the victims and families of those poisoned by Chisso. The following edited conversations are with David Dare Parker and John Hulme. David Dare Parker is an award-winning, Western Australian-based photographer and a co-founder of the REPORTAGE Festival, a member of the SOUTH photo collective. His photographs have been published by Le Monde, Stern, Australian Geographic, the Bulletin, the New York Times, Fortune, the Guardian, Bloomberg and TIME magazine with assignments across the globe, including Turkey, Indonesia, Israel, East Timor, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Parker also works as a motion picture stills photographer and has produced images for leading performing arts companies. David Dare Parker [Photo: Martine Perrett] Richard Phillips: W. Eugene Smith has inspired thousands of people around the world to become photographers. What influence did his work have on you and what did you think of his portrayal in Minamata? David Dare Parker: Gene Smith was one of my heroes. I have the original Minamata book, so the movie brought all those black and white images back to life for me. I loved the filmthe cinematography is extraordinaryand given the lack of publicity for it in Australia I was very lucky to see it in a cinema. I caught it in Perth the day before its last screening. There were few well-known Australian photojournalists when I was a kid, so our heroes were international figures. There was Margaret Bourke-White, David Douglas Duncan, Robert Capa and Don McCullin, but Gene Smith was the one I looked to the most. I got my hands on all of his books and I read his biography. Smith was my heroa flawed heroand a complex figure, but most photojournalists are complex individuals. Youre away from your family, taking on difficult and often psychologically demanding stories, and in the process, I suppose, you become complex. In Smiths case, there was his strugglephysically and psychologicallyto overcome what he suffered during the war, which is portrayed well in the film. Johnny Depp did a great job and gave a real sense of what I imagined Gene Smith was like as a man. I also loved the fact that all the characters in the movie were complex, and this felt real. Smith was a brilliant photojournalist and probably the best that Life magazine had, and it gave him the opportunity to take his work to a high level. Back then Life was like the television of the day and people like Margaret Bourke-White and David Douglas Duncan and later Gene Smith were superstar photographers. They were almost like television celebrities and widely known, something you dont have today. RP: What do you think about MGMs decision not to announce a North American release date for Minamata, claiming its because of so-called reputational issues with Johnny Depp? DDP: I didnt know much about the issues with Johnny Depp and his former wife Amber Heard. Id heard rumours about MGM not getting behind the movie, which is a shame, but it appears to be a he said/she said situation in a train wreck of a marriage. To not release a movie because of this is ridiculous. Why should the film and its director suffer because of the alleged behaviour of one of its actors? I also work in the film industry, but if the quality of a film is to be judged, or not even released, according to the alleged moral values of one of the actors, then youre not going to get too many films made. If youre going to work with people you cant judge them based on gossip or innuendo. If theres been domestic violence, then obviously that cant be forgiven, but none of this is proven. At this stage theres nothing. The Minamata movie and the story that it tells are still relevant and much more important than all this. RP: Yes, and theres a whole generation that knows nothing about Chissos mercury poisoning of a whole community. They need to know the story. DDP: For serious photojournalists, your first responsibility is to the story, to the people you are photographing and to get that story out there to inform people and have some influence on public opinion. I know that bearing witness is a bit of a cliche, but the aim of serious photojournalists is not to win awards. In the 1980s and 90s there was a kind of award-chasing culture, which I backed away from. I think its healthier that we dont have that so much now, and even though we dont get the budgets we used to, theres a much better atmosphere in which photojournalists get on with their work, and for the right reasons. Ultimately, you want your work seen by as many as people as possible, but it shouldnt be about the photographer, but whats in front of their lens. Roma children from a small community living in make-shift shacks adjoining a garbage dump on the fringe of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca. August 1996 [Copyright David Dare Parker SOUTH] RP: The advent of smart phones and instant communications, however, has made it increasingly difficult for photojournalists to make a living from their work. DDP: To be honest, you cant really do it, unless youre living in New York and have a close relationship with something like the New York Times. I could never financially rely on photojournalism as a career and had to mix it up with the film industry assignments. I get some work from the Times, but not long assignments and, of course, you cant travel now because of COVID-19 or bear the cost of two weeks quarantining. I took on an assignment reporting on the situation facing the Rohingya [in Myanmar] and it cost me $US5,000 to do that. One publication offered me $300 for the photographs and some sort of exclusivity. In the past you could offer $1,000 just for the publication to look at your photographs and magazines like Stern would cover the costs of your flights. RP: Eugene Smith once said: A photo is a small voice, at best, but sometimesjust sometimesone photograph or a group of them can lure our senses into awareness. How would you respond to that? DDP: I think thats true. Gene Smith immersed himself in the communities he was photographing which a lot of us, in our early days, didnt have the opportunity to do. There have been photographs Ive taken where my relationship with someone was just a 250th of a second. What I love about digital, as opposed to film, which I have no nostalgia for, is that you can immediately show what youve photographed to the person. You can have a conversation and learn something about them. They can see what youre trying to achieve and not just someone with a machine in front of their face, which is good. Its almost like putting the camera on a tripodan emotional tripodand taking the time to think about what youre doing. The most important thing is whats happening in front of you, to be more responsible and to get it right. * * * * * John Hulme, a UK-born, Northern Thailand-based photographer, has spent decades documenting social issues in Europe, Thailand, Burma, India, Bangladesh and Japan, focusing in particular on the plight of so-called illegal migrants and other brutally exploited workers. Hulmes photographs have been published in numerous books, magazines and newspapers, including, the Independent on Sunday, the Financial Times and the Sydney Morning Herald. His work has been widely exhibited in the UK, the US and Thailand, his best-known photo-essays and exhibitions include Burmas Forgotten War and In Search of a Jobany Job about Burmese migrant workers in Thailand. John Hulme Richard Phillips: Youve watched Minamata, which is now showing in Thailand. Whats your assessment and what do you think of MGMs refusal to release it in the North America? John Hulme: Id already heard about the movie and, being a photographer, knew something about the Minamata story and the legendary photo-essays of W. Eugene Smith. I was really looking forward to watching it and wasnt disappointed. Its a beautifully crafted work, the cinematography is fabulous with images Eugene Smith would have approved of. Johnny Depp is thoroughly convincing, and the fact that he decided to take on such a film is remarkable. The movie also took me deeper into how and why Eugene Smith and his wife Aileen came to document Chissos mercury poisoning of a community. I hadnt known that company goons had nearly beaten Smith to death. That was a revelation to me. I always wondered how Smith was able to capture the intimate, deeply personal moments of the Minamata victims and their families. I thought youd need to be almost invisible to achieve these sorts of intimate connections. He wasnt invisible, of course, but it was his patient work to be accepted by the community and win their trust and his consummate professionalism that created the emotional intensity and humanity of the photographs. The film gave a real sense of that. Its a tragic irony that fifty years after Eugene Smith exposed Chissos crimes, his son Kevin is fighting MGM in a battle that parallels that waged by his father against Chisso and to win justice for the Minamata victims. Burmese migrant workers arrested after taking strike action. Mae Sot Thai/Myanmar border 2008 [Photograph: John Hulme] Why is MGM doing this, whats it trying to achieve? Im completely puzzled. The film is not about an American corporation? Can it really be all about Depps marriage breakdown? Messy marriage breakdowns involving famous actors are hardly big news. It doesnt make any sense. Whatever the reasons, MGMs actions are censorship and highlight the total indifference of this major corporation to the plight of the Minamata survivors and their families, Aileen Mioko Smith, who gave the filmmakers the rights to make the film, and everyone involved in the films production. MGM clearly doesnt give a damn about any of this. The bottom line for MGM and the overpaid executives who run the corporation is not the artistic honesty and power of the message of the films they distribute, but their profits and share values. People everywhere should demand MGM immediately release the movie in North America. RP: Youve closely studied Gene Smiths work. How would you describe his approach, and its importance? JH: I recently came across a Studs Terkel radio interview with Eugene Smith and Aileen recorded in the mid-1970s, just after their Minamata book was published. Its well worth listening to, not least to hear Smith and Aileens voices and their commitment to expose the Minamata disaster. Smith was already established as the pioneer of the photo-essay, but the Minamata project, which I suspect was the first major exposure of industrial poisoning of a community and its terrible human consequences, established a new benchmark that others have followed. Aileen was an accomplished photographer herself and, as Smith says in the interview, her images are some of the finest in the book. Their three-year commitment to the project, which was originally supposed to be three months, was extraordinary and points to the time and care needed in the field to get the sort of honest images necessary to illustrate complex stories and inform and hopefully move the viewer. The Minamata story its not just a piece of history. The survivors and their families are still suffering. We confront a tsunami of issues, from the lead poisoning of waters supplies in Flint [Michigan] to industrial pollution of the oceans. These need to be exposed and documented by serious photojournalists. Theres a real need and thirsta real pushback sentiment among young people around the worldfor this. School districts across California are confronting the prospect of mass layoffs due to budget shortfalls accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding formulas are based on average daily attendance. While Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has repeatedly bragged that public schools in the state have remained open, enrollment has fallen precipitously and chronic absenteeism in California schools has skyrocketed due to the pandemic, pushing districts to the point of collapse. California K-12 enrollment in 2020-21 (Source: California Department of Education) Statewide enrollment in K-12 education declined by 160,000 in the 2020-21 school year, or nearly three percent. This translates to millions of dollars cut to already strained school districts and the possibility of mass layoffs for chronically understaffed schools. In September, Newsom staged a visit to Melrose Leadership Academy in Oakland to brag about his COVID-19 strategy. He stated, We implemented the most robust school reopening and safety strategy in the entire country, and now Californias students are back in the classroom and schools are remaining open at nation-leading rates. Despite Newsoms assurances, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) reported 23 cases of students contracting COVID-19, four staff cases, and four classes fully quarantining in the last week alone. Chronic absenteeism has skyrocketed compared to pre-pandemic figures, with OUSD reporting a rate of 37 percent chronically absent among K-5 students, compared to 14 percent before the pandemic. Three years ago, OUSD initiated the Citywide Plan which closed several schools and cut tens of millions of dollars from the budget. Now, with declining attendance, the budget shortfall will be greater, with a deficit of $58 million projected for the 2022-23 school year. San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) also faces budget shortfalls as a result of a 6.6 percent decline in enrollment. A projected $100 million shortfall may result in the loss of 1,000 jobs. SFUSD also faces chronic absenteeism, with African American, Pacific Islander, and homeless students particularly hard hit. Students who do attend school risk their health; since August 16, when schools reopened in San Francisco, 393 students and staff have become infected with COVID-19. The two largest California school districts are also in crisis. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has lost 27,000 students since last year and presently has 893 active COVID-19 cases. Enrollment at San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) is down by 7,500 students in the last four years. EdSource has reported school districts with chronic absence rates tripling from two years ago. Some students miss school due to quarantines; others are afraid of contracting the disease, and many students and parents are unwilling to expose themselves to the harassment of fascistic anti-maskers. One of the worst-hit schools is Thermalito Union Elementary in the north central Butte County. This county has a poverty rate of 21 percent, with a median household income of $43,444, far below the state household income of $80,440 as well as the national income of $65,712. Besides poverty, Butte County residents suffered from the devastating 2018 Camp Fire. This fire was caused by the negligence of Pacific Gas and Electricity (PG&E), for which the company agreed to pay merely $13.5 billion for the destruction of the entire town of Paradise and the deaths of 84 people. Two years after the settlement, lawyers have skimmed millions of dollars and the victims have received only a fraction of what they are owed. Only 10 percent of the burned homes have been rebuilt, and thousands of residents are living in shacks, motor homes or tents. Butte County has also been hard hit by COVID-19, with 19,561 confirmed cases and 252 deaths from the virus. Despite claims by Democrats, Republicans and their media stooges that the pandemic has subsided, 53 cases were reported last week alone. At California State University Chico, also in Butte County, 312 students and employees have contacted COVID-19 since the school reopened in August. In Chico Unified School District, 56 students and 11 staff members have been confirmed as infected with COVID-19 in the last two weeks. California has had 4,571,467 individuals officially infected with COVID-19, with 672,005 cases among the 0-17 age group, while the total number of deaths in the state has reached 70,150. In the past two weeks alone, there were 76,888 cases and 1,245 deaths among Californians. In the last two weeks, 70 students were either confirmed or potentially positive for the virus and 158 students were quarantined in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD). In the foothill town of Jackson, the superintendent for the Amador County Unified School District, Torie Gibson, has been receiving death threats because of the mask mandate implemented by the district. Despite the mandate, 379 students and 11 staff members have tested positive for the virus and 376 students and 9 staff members are presently in quarantine. Rocklin, in Placer County, had an infection rate of over 200 cases per 100,000 over the last two weeks. Approximately one out of 1,000 residents have died from COVID-19 and one out of every six people infected has been a child. School board meetings in Rocklin Unified School District have repeatedly been disrupted by fascists, including Proud Boys, Moms 4 Liberty, and White Rose members, who have attended and raised threats of violence against school board members and teachers for enforcing mask mandates. Newsom has ended mask mandates for vaccinated individuals in businesses, threatening the further spread of COVID-19. Two months ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on the ability of vaccinated individuals to carry a viral load and infect others. As is already widely known, breakthrough infections among those vaccinated have already occurred. Newsom also recently announced that students will be required to be vaccinated, but this should not be taken at face value. First, there is an immense loophole in that parents can refuse to vaccinate their children based on personal beliefs or medical waivers. The state legislature has not defined personal beliefs, so localities are free to interpret that as religious, political, or unscientific fears. Furthermore, the start date for the mandate could be as late as January 2023. The statistics have made it perfectly clear that until COVID-19 cases are brought to zero, schools cannot be open without mass infections among children, which in turn spread to their families and communities. The only way that the health and safety of the public can be achieved is through a fight to eliminate COVID-19 in ever-broader geographic areas until all human-to-human transmission is brought to an end. This fight must be taken up by educators, parents and students through the building of independent rank-and-file committees outside of the Democratic and Republican parties and the corporatist trade unions. On Sunday, October 24, the WSWS and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees will host a webinar, How to end the pandemic, to discuss the dangers of school reopenings and the broader crisis of the pandemic, and outline a fighting strategy to stop the pandemic and save millions of lives worldwide. Register today, invite your coworkers, family and friends, and share this event widely on social media! The financial crisis of the highly indebted Chinese property developer Evergrande enters a new stage tomorrow when a 30-day grace period to settle a missed payment on a dollar-denominated bond on September 23 ends. China Evergrande Centre [Wikimedia Commons] If Evergrande, which has a total of $300 billion worth of liabilities, fails to pay the debt or come to some arrangement with bond holders, it could be formally declared to be in default. Evergrandes attempt to raise cash to meet its debts suffered a blow on Wednesday when it was announced that a deal to sell a majority portion of a property services unit to another developer for 20 billion Hong Kong dollars ($US2.6 billion) had been terminated the previous week. Since Evergrande missed its bond payment last month, two other property companies have followed suit. On Monday the Hong Kong-listed company Sinic announced it had failed to make payments on $246 million of dollar-denominated bonds, following a default by the developer Fantasia Holdings on $205 million of bonds earlier this month. In line with the policy of the government to rein in leverage in the real estate sector, the Peoples Bank of China has pointedly refused to offer a bailout for Evergrande, saying fallout effects from its crisis are controllable. But the bigger issue is whether the government and financial authorities will be able to stave off the effects of the developing slump in real estate and property development on the broader economy. It has been estimated that property development and the industries that supply it account for upwards of 25 percent of the Chinese economy. There are a number of indications of a significant downturn in housing and property development. It has been reported that home prices in China fell in September for the first time in six years. The latest GDP numbers showed a slowdown in the third quartergrowth was only up by 0.2 percent from the previous quarterwith property and construction industries contracting for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bloomberg reported that falling home prices could start a vicious cycle, worsening the cash shortage of builders and forcing them to offer bigger discounts. It cited one financial analyst who said the sector had entered a downward cycle and the priority is to prevent a state of panic. Residential sales fell by 17 percent in September, normally a peak month for purchases, and the rate of failed land auctions climbed to the highest level since 2018. According to data compiled by China Real Estate Information, which tracks auctions across 128 Chinese cities, about 27 percent of land offered by local governments went unsold in September because there were no bidders. Proceeds from land sales dropped by 18 percent in August from a year earlier. Last month, in a sign of tightening credit conditions and fears about the direction of the market, loans taken out by property developers from banks fell by 8.4 percent last month, the biggest fall since 2016. Larry Hu, the head of China Economics at Macquarie Securities, told Bloomberg: Developers are hoarding cash to avoid becoming the next Evergrande. The contagion risk is real. If this trend continues it will have far reaching effects. Local governments derive around $1 trillion of revenue, some 40 percent of their total, from land sales, which is used to finance infrastructure projects. The roots of the present crisis lie not in the Chinese economy per se but in the global financial system. The 2008 financial meltdown, triggered by the collapse of the Lehman Brothers investment bank, hit the Chinese economy very hard with the loss of 23 million jobs virtually overnight. The Chinese regime concluded that the economic growth model, based on the supply of cheap consumer goods to Western markets, had run its course and a new economic strategy had to be developed. In order to maintain economic growth and social stability, the regime embarked on a massive stimulus package based on housing and infrastructure financed by the provision of very cheap credit. Land prices soared and developers used the land as collateral to finance construction. Local governments raked in increased revenue from land sales, which they used to finance infrastructure development, together with increased borrowings. Rising property prices enabled the process to continue. In 1998, when the Chinese government loosened tight restrictions on the sale of land, only one third of the population lived in towns and cities. That proportion has now risen to two-thirds, with the addition of 480 million to the urban population. The extent of the property and infrastructure boom is indicated by the estimate that in the three years 20112013 more concrete was used in China than in the US for the whole of the 20th century. The rise of Evergrande was bound up with this development. Its founder Hui Ka Yan started his economic activity in Shenzhen as an exporter-importer but then moved into property development when he founded Evergrande in 1997. By 2016 Evergrande was the largest property developer by sales and Shenzhen, like many other small towns across China, had been transformed into a major city. In a speech in 2018, Hui, now a prominent member of the Chinese Communist Party, (CCP) delivered a speech in which he declared: Everything for me and Evergrande is given by the Party, the state, and society. As a recent Bloomberg article noted: Even making allowances for flattery, Hui wasnt wrong: The forces that allowed Evergrande to grow so rapidly emanated, in large part, from Beijing. But now the winds from Beijing have started to blow in another direction. The CCP regime has concluded that the debt-fuelled growth model, initiated in response to the 2008 global financial crisis, is unsustainable. For the past several years it has tried to cut back on the debt growth, which now stands as 290 percent of GDP and has doubled since 2008. After previous efforts had failed, it instituted tightened restrictions on credit, known as the three red lines, in August 2020, which restricted debt accumulation by property developers. Evergrande, for example, failed to meet all three of the criteria. The regime concluded that the rise of debt could lead to a financial crisis, with massive social consequences, and the rise of debt-fuelled wealth to the heights of society was producing a dangerous social polarisation. In a speech delivered in August, the full text of which was published in a CCP theoretical journal Qishui earlier this month, President Xi Jinping pointed to the rise of income inequality as a prominent issue around the world, declaring that our country must resolutely guard against polarisation, drive common prosperity, and maintain social harmony and stability. And in indication of what is at stake, he said the drive for common prosperity was needed to continuously consolidate the Partys foundation for holding power over the long term. The speech had little specific to say on property development as such but Xi repeated earlier remarks that it was necessary to improve housing supply and insist on the position that housing is for living in and not for [financial] speculation and that we must actively and steadily push forward property tax legislation and reform. But it appears that the proposed tax changes, which it is claimed will make it more expensive to speculate on property and help bring down prices, have run into significant opposition from within the upper ranks of the CCP. According to an article published in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, citing people with knowledge of government deliberations, Xi is facing resistance for the new measures. It said that in internal debates, the feedback from his property-tax plan both from the party elites and rank-and-file members, has been overwhelmingly negative. Arguments against the tax plan have flooded in since the ministries of finance, housing and taxation started to seek feedback to the proposal in the spring. Many officials contend that such a levy could crush housing prices, cause consumer spending to plunge and severely harm the overall economy. Apart from the expressed concern about the impact on the economy, there are immediate material interests at stake. The article reported that some senior retired party members have also petitioned against the new tax saying they could not afford it. According to one of those people familiar with the deliberations, cited by the Journal: So many people, including party members, own more than one property. The tax proposal is becoming a potential social-stability issue. The opposition from within the CCP appears to be having an effect as an initial proposal to trial the tax in 30 cities has been scaled back to 10. There is an old political adage that there is no more dangerous situation for a bad regime than when it seeks to reform itself. The economic re-orientation of the Xi regime is provoking divisions within the ruling apparatus and could well also lead to the eruption of a movement by the Chinese working class from below. On October 8 at a meeting with teachers to discuss the implications of Texas recently passed right-wing attack on freedom of speech and thought in schools, an official with the Carroll Independent School District (ISD) in the Dallas-area town of Southlake, responding to a teachers statement that were all just really terrified, provided educators with an example of how they should seek to conform with state bill HB3979. Jews from Subcarpathian Rus being processed at Auschwitz in 1944 Make sure that if, if you have a book on the Holocaust, that you have one that has an opposing, that has other perspectives, she advised. The audience, clearly stunned, gasped. One teacher countered, How do you oppose the Holocaust?! What?! Gina Peddy, the executive director of Curriculum and Instruction, then warned, Believe me. Thats come up. She added that alongside Carroll ISD, which serves about 7,745 students in a well-to-do area of a much larger metroplex, other districts were facing the same thing. After Peddys remarks hit the media and provoked outrage, the superintendent posted a statement on the ISDs Facebook page saying that the curriculum directors statement was not meant to convey that the Holocaust was anything less than a terrible event. But another spokesperson for the district, Karen Fitzgerald, told NBC News that administrators were just trying to help teachers provide balanced perspectives not just during classroom instruction, but in the books that are available to students in class during free time. While insisting that Carroll ISD would not mandate the removal of certain books, she said that educators who are unsure about a specific title should consult with administrators about appropriate next steps. Despite the administrations attempts to downplay the implications of Peddys remarks, what the curriculum director said on October 8 exposes the far-right character of the assault on public education spearheaded by the Republican Party, which is taking advantage of the Democratic Partys racialization of the school systemalso politically rotten and dangerousto legitimize fascist views. The Holocaust was the systematic application of modern industrial capitalism to the total extermination of a religious-cultural group. Instituted with the express aim of eliminating Europes Jewish population, it resulted in the deaths of 6 million, including 90 percent of Jews living in Poland. Pogroms, shootings, medical experimentation, sterilization, labor camps and gas chambers were just some of the methods and tools employed by Nazi Germany. Targeted in this campaign of mass murder were another 5 million non-Jewish peopleCommunists, socialists, trade unionists, the physically and mentally disabled, Roma and many others. German capitalism, besieged and facing revolutionary mass opposition from below, turned to fascism to crush the working class. To pursue its aims, it mobilized all the most reactionary, sick and anti-human conceptions stewing in modern society. Hitlers psychopathic hatred of the Jews was bound up with his overriding aimto destroy the Soviet Union and the socialist, egalitarian and anti-capitalist force embodied in the October 1917 revolution, which existed broadly in the international working class. Hitler understood that what the Nazis referred to as Jewish Bolshevism wasdespite the crimes of Stalinthe only real opponent of the Third Reich. There are no opposing views on the Holocaustthat is, apart from those spouted by social forces who deny these historical facts with the aim of rehabilitating fascism so that it can be brought back to life in the 21st century. That Peddy would reach for the example of the Holocaust as something that educators must throw into question and warn them that this has already come up, reveals not just the fascistic character of the Republican Party, but the degree to which far-right forces are already being unleashed in the schools to cudgel teachers. It is only the latest iteration of the decades-long assault upon teachers, waged by both the Republicans and the Democrats, on everything from the curriculum they to teach to the salaries they receive to the physical quality of the school buildings they teach in. During the COVID-19 pandemic educators have been compelled to work in unsafe conditions, without even the most minimum of protections or case transparency. Children and staff are dead as a result. The drive to keep schools and workplaces open so that industry can keep pumping profit out of workers has a corollary in campaigns of historical falsification being waged by both the Republican and Democratic parties, albeit in different forms. HB3979, the bill that Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law in June 2021, banned the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) in the schools. The states Republican Party took advantage of the gift given to them by the Democratic Party and the racialists, who insist, in a nutshell, that whites are racist, that race is the only truly meaningful social category in society, and that the educational system must be consumed by attacks on whiteness and white privilege at all levels, from pre-K to graduate school. All whites, including the poor and working class living hand to mouth, with failing health and miserable jobs, have allegedly benefited at the expense of all blacks, including the well-to-do, the millionaires and billionaires among them. The whites must be made to pay. These views, promoted to the hilt by the media, universities, major corporations, and powerful philanthropic foundations, find their most noxious expression in the 1619 Project of the New York Times. It embraces the suppression of sociological data on class inequality (because it challenges the primacy of race), and the witch-hunting of anyone who is charged with violating, intentionally or unintentionally, the new woke ideology. Under the cover of opposing this, the Texas legislature passed a law that effectively suppresses all discussion of historical and contemporary social questions, by stating that educators cannot be compelled to teach current events and threatening teachers who do not give deference to both sides of any topic. Their goal in this is not simply to block CRT in the schools, but to prevent students from learning about the brutal record of class inequality, fascism, genocide and imperialism, all of which are a product of capitalism. They aim to instill a culture of fear amongst teachers, using the perpetual threat of administrative reprisals, firings and outrage among right-wing parents to prevent a discussion of anythingsuch as, for instance, the January 6 coup attempt by Donald Trump. Already, one educator in the Carroll ISD school district has been officially reprimandedan action that will have a life-long impact on her ability to get a job as an educatorfor teaching a book that identifies itself as anti-racist. Ultimately, however, the far-right forces working to terrorize teachers in Texas schools and the racialists masquerading as their bitter enemies share something in common. Both reject class divisions and economic inequality as the essential reality of modern life and both are marshaling all their efforts to suppress this fact in the educational system. Their efforts are intensifying just as strike activity and social unrestdrawing in workers of all genders, races, ethnicities and nationalitiesis reaching the highest levels seen in decades in the US and around the world. There is growing interest and support among Indian workers and students for the October 24 global webinar being organised by the World Socialist Web Site and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC). The online meeting will feature a distinguished panel of scientists and epidemiologists who will discuss and explain the case for the global elimination and potential eradication of COVID-19. Contrary to capitalist governments everywhere claiming to have contained the virus, everyday almost half a million people contract COVID-19 and nearly 6,000 die from the disease. The current real global death toll is estimated at well over 10 million and more than four million in India. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi boasted on October 21 that one billion people have been vaccinated, hailing it as a triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit, only 30 percent of adults are fully-inoculated. Children have yet to be vaccinated. Although daily coronavirus cases and deaths have recently declined in India, moves by the Modi government and the state administrations to lift the limited existing restrictions and reopen schools will inevitably lead to a surge in infections. These unsafe measures are being opposed by ever-broadening layers across India and around the globe. Several workers, students and parents voiced their concerns about the increasingly dangerous situation and said they would attend the October 24 global webinar. Sumita, a PhD student in Kolkata, said: Various Indian state governments have announced the reopening of schools, universities, businesses, cinema halls and other venues, but what appropriate procedures were carried out before this was allowed? Though the number of COVID infections has decreased in recent months, the hasty removal of safety measures is dangerous for a developing country with poor infrastructure like India. Sumita I think its vital to consider a global strategy for eliminating and eradicating this lethal virus and thats why the upcoming October 24 webinar hosted by the WSWS and the IWA-RFC is so important. Balakrishnan, a dismissed worker from the Motherson auto parts plant near Chennai, said: Im a rank-and-file worker, with four children, and want to share my thoughts with comrades and friends in the WSWS and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees. Some parents have given their approval to send their children to schools because their kids are provided, in addition to education, with free noon meals and protection at schools. The government, however, is indifferent to the dangerous implications of reopening the schools when the deadly virus has not yet been eliminated. Balakrishnan The government fraudulently claims the parents have given their consent for reopening the schools. But that consent is probably impoverished workers, like daily labourers, who are under immense pressure to look after their children but want to go to work if their children can go to schools. That the government is using this poverty situation as its trump card is dangerous. The government is serving big business through these actions. Big business has reopened the factories and put the workers in an unsafe environment. Adults are being infected with COVID-19 so I doubt that children would not be infected in schools which are places of mass gathering. When I took my children to school, I anxiously asked the teachers whether children would be safe from the deadly virus. I was told, You can send the children if you like but its not compulsory. The government sent out a letter to all the schools for parents to sign giving their approval and making them fully responsible for the consequences. Neither the government nor the school administration would be held responsible for the impact of COVID-19. This is outrageous. The irresponsible actions of the government and the school administration will contribute to the further spreading of COVID-19. While the government and its officials live and work in a protected environment, school children and college students are being put in unsafe conditions. I strongly condemn the governments action to reopen the schools and factories, the moves are for the selfish profit interests of big business. As a Thanikaimalai primary school teacher told me: Anyone who has recovered from COVID-19 knows full well about the impact of the virus and would never send his or her children to school in an unsafe environment. Leon, an ecologist from Bengaluru, said: The failure of the top-down approach implemented by governments around the world proves that we desperately need a more collective, comprehensive and bottom-up approach. While the corporations have made a fortune by monetising the pandemic, the common man still suffers. The media claims that the pandemic has changed the status quo, but the working class is still stuck in the muck and unable to survive the social and economic onslaught of the current scenarios. Parents who have lost their jobs and those who have been paid lesser wages are not given any assistance by the government to pay school fees. Nor does the government force private education institutions to reduce their fees. The only way forward is to set definite goals, like eradication and elimination, and through collective decision-making. The WSWS webinar will add fuel to the burning fire of revolutionary progress and equality. Sanjivan, another Kolkata student, said: I dont want to support the reopening of schools and colleges because its very dangerous. This is not just about the safety of students but of the surrounding communities. Schools are often the most densely populated buildings in the community. The more the virus spreads inside this sort of setting, the more it will be able to spread outside it, via public transport and family members. The reopening of schools isnt just about the endangerment of children but also about threatening adults, many of whom are well within higher risk age brackets. It puts teachers and support staff in the terrible position of either imperilling themselves by returning to work or quitting their jobs and losing their incomes. No matter how educators and those working on building maintenance try to make facilities safe, schooling involves bringing together large groups of people, including unvaccinated children. Akash, a small trader in Kolkata, said: When the second pandemic wave came early this year, the government was surprised. People died like animals but nothing was done to stop it. There was no preparation at allall they did was under-report the death tolland Modi declared on television: We should save India from a lock down. Although the death toll has come down, the number of children dying is too high. The reopening of schools in many states, such as Karnataka, Delhi and Tamil Nadu, has meant that COVID infections have spread among school children. Many students have died in Karnataka and Delhi but these governments are not talking about closing schools. Today, October 22, 2021, parents, teachers and workers in countries around the world are once again supporting the call from UK parent Lisa Diaz for a one day school strike to fight against the deadly reopening of schools as the COVID-19 pandemic rages. Join the global online picket line by sending your message of solidarity on Twitter using hashtag #SchoolStrike2021 and tag the World Socialist Web Site (@WSWS_Updates). Well collect the best statements here. Visit the last online picket line, held on October 15, here and the first one, held on October 1, here. UK parent Lisa Diaz calls for weekly school strikes: We need to resist... this government will only understand actions Socialist Equality Party (US) National Secretary Joseph Kishore: There is a social force emerging that provides the objective foundation for a different policy: The international working class WSWS writer and SEP (US) member Evan Blake: We must be armed with a scientific understanding of COVID-19 and the measures necessary to stop viral transmission once and for all James Vega, educator in Detroit, Michigan: The school conditions in Michigan are horrible... its not safe to go back into the buildings even if we have mitigation measures IYSSE member Andy Thompson: By putting forward a scientific program and plan, and by mobilizing the world working class to make it happen, theres nothing we cant achieve Message from Lisa Diaz on the 3rd #SchoolStrike2021 Gregor Link of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Germany: It is now up to the working class and youth to take up the fight for safe education Raphaelle Lapotre, a parent in France Charlie, father of three, taking part in school strike: Children are dying; children are being hospitalised UK parent to Boris Johnson: People are suffering at the moment, and youre ignoring it Social care worker Steve James: No level of infection should be accepted as safe in schools or any other workplace Darren, a social sciences student in Scotland, supports SchoolStrike2021 German parent: Children have rights and must not be forced to be infected The tweet states: #Schoolstrike2021 is happening today. Children have rights and must not be forced to become infected by a disease that can severely harm them. Bus driver Andy Niklaus supports school strike April May, facing prosecution for protecting my child Malcolm: I fear for the safety of my grandchildren... As a former miner who went through the 84-85 strike, I have some experience standing up to vindictive governments Lucy Garrard: Children are getting ill and dying. The NHS is overwhelmed It isnt morally or legally acceptable for our children ... to be exposed to increased risk of infection German students support school strike The WSWS has received statements of support for the school strike from students in Germany. Laura, a college student in central Germany Laura, a college student in central Germany, stated, Especially in a global pandemic, we need to organize internationally. The dangers and effects of COVID-19 are known to us after more than 1 years and they do not worry us less. Now, we face another harsh winter with high infection rates. We cannot let this become routine every year, the virus must finally be eliminated worldwide! Tamino Tamino said, Like many others around the world, I support the third school strike for safe education. Even though there has been a positive Covid case in our class, classes are continuing at full capacity. In Germany last week, the number of infections exploded with a 7-day incidence increase from 66 to 86. At the same time, all protective measures are being cut back and Health Minister Spahn is even calling for an end to the epidemic situation. Students, teachers and parents must therefore fight for a policy of global elimination of the virus to really end the pandemic. Joshua Joshua, from Bavaria: I stand in solidarity with Strikers in the UK. For weeks, parents, young people and teachers have been on strike to protest against the murderous contamination. Incidences and new infections are also rising rapidly in Germany. The total incidence in Germany is about 95 and in some states even close to 200. None of the established parties or their partners in the unions lifts a finger to protect the population. Children under the age of 12 cannot be vaccinated and are therefore defenceless against the pandemic. Only we parents, children and teachers can do something about it, and independently of the ruling class lackeys, together with the international working class. Therefore, I call on everyone to support the strike and to participate ourselves! Florian Florian, from southern Germany: I support the third international school strike! As winter approaches, the number of infections among children and adolescents is rising again here in Germany. At the same time, however, basic protective measures such as mask wearing are being abolished, and this under conditions where children under the age of 12 are not yet vaccinated. The elimination of the virus is never talked about in the media, even though it would save many thousands of lives. Together with scientists, students and workers must now fight for the global elimination of the virus. Thats another reason I support the WSWS online meeting on Sunday, on how to end the pandemic. Jude supports school strike and October 24 WSWS webinar WSWS writer Robert Campion: Solidarity with the SafeEdForAll school strike Ben Hughes: We shouldve already vaccinated most of the school children in Britain, which has not happened Parents are posting school uniforms to show their support for the strike The report issued Wednesday by the Brazilian Senates Commission of Inquiry (CPI) into the response of President Jair Bolsonaro to the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare a criminal policy responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Brazilians. With an official death toll of over 600,000, Brazil is second only to the United States in COVID-19 fatalities. It has the third largest number of cases, at over 20 million, trailing just the US and India. The CPI report proves that such a tragedy was not inevitable but rather the entirely foreseeable consequence of a homicidal strategy. Demonstrators wear masks representing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro as they protest his government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic outside Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) In its six-month probe, the CPI heard 61 witnesses over the course of 66 hearings. Totaling over 1,100 pages, the report details how the Bolsonaro government pursued a conscious strategy of spreading the virus among the population, ostensibly in the name of achieving an impossible herd immunity by means of mass infection. This strategy was pursued through a variety of measures, including: a relentless minimization of the dangers presented by the virus, described by Bolsonaro early on as a little flu; an attack upon minimal public health measures, from social distancing to the use of masks; the official promotion of quack cures leading to hundreds of direct deaths at the hands of hospitals and doctors aligned with the government; the attempt to discredit the vaccines and the sabotage of efforts by state and local authorities to acquire them; the denial of help to local governments, such as in the emblematic case of Manaus; and, finally, the willful neglect of congressionally authorized spending on disease control. On the margins of this barbaric campaign, government officials also found time to pursue overpriced purchases of vaccines, in order to funnel kickbacks into their own pockets. In addition to Bolsonaro, 65 other individuals and two companies have been indicted for a total of 24 crimes. Bolsonaro is charged with nine of them, which include so-called common crimes, impeachable offenses and crimes against humanity. The first category involves: Epidemic resulting in deaths, by working for the spread of the virus Violation of health care guidances, by either ignoring or attacking measures decreed by other government branches, such as the Health Ministry and local governments Quackery, for promoting false cures such as hydroxychloroquine Incitement of crimes, by relentlessly calling upon his supporters to follow his path in the above mentioned crimes Forgery of documents, by authoring and then signing as a member of the independent Budget Court (TCU) a bogus report claiming deaths were being over-reported by local authorities Mismanagement and omission, for blocking or delaying spending ordered by Congress. Named as impeachable offenses are violations of constitutional, individual and social rights to health and economic well-being. Finally, crimes against humanity are listed as: Extermination, for the mass murder of Brazilians Persecution of a group or collective, for denying specific needs of vulnerable populations, such as Indigenous Brazilians Inhumane conduct, resulting in great suffering or gravely affecting physical or mental health A number of cabinet members, including former and current health ministers, are also named as responsible for the same crimes. The report also charges Bolsonaros sons, Eduardo, Flavio and Carlosa deputy, a senator, and a city councillorfor coordinating a so-called parallel cabinet instructing the Health Ministry in secret to promote quack cures and anti-vaccine campaigns. In addition, a number of doctors and business people are charged with conducting barbaric experiments with patients who were treated with quack cures without their knowledge. The CPI report stands as an indictment of not just Brazils fascistic president but of heads of state and ruling classes the world over. Boris Johnson in the UK, Narendra Modi in India, Donald Trump in the United States and countless other national and local authorities should face similar charges of mass murder and crimes against humanity, with guilty verdicts to follow. These charges would certainly also apply to Trumps successor in the White House, Joe Biden, under whose watch COVID-19 deaths are surpassing those that occurred under Trump, even with hundreds of millions of vaccine shots administered and hundreds of millions more hoarded by the US government. Similarly, Bolsonaros nominal opponents in local governments in Brazil, Workers Party mayors and governors, have pursued equally homicidal policies. It would be virtually impossible to name any major bourgeois government that has not committed some or all of these crimes since the outbreak of the pandemic. That is even truer when considering that scientific knowledge of the need for and means of containing and eradicating the virus was widely available. This was proven by the local and limited success of measures adopted and now abandoned by the governments of Australia and New Zealand, which were able to keep their territories largely free of the virus for long periods, before bowing to the pressure of other imperialist countries to abandon the elimination strategy as part of a wider offensive by US imperialism against China. The Chinese authorities themselves have been largely successful, following scientific advice, in stamping out imported outbreaks, not without facing enormous internal and external economic pressures which they have no means to resolve. The criminality of capitalist rulers worldwide has been even more starkly exposed in their attitude towards the emergence of the more contagious and deadly Delta variant, which has defied the dominant strategy to mitigate the spread of the virus through vaccinations alone, under conditions in which the majority of the worlds population has yet to receive a single dose. The unchecked spread of the virus across the globe is not only a threat to humanity at present but also creates the conditions for the emergence of even more virulent strains of the virus, which threaten the advances made through vaccinations and treatments. This has been demonstrated with sharp clarity in three of the countries which promoted herd immunity with greater consistency. The mass spread of the virus in the United Kingdom, Brazil and India gave rise to the Alpha, Gamma and Delta variants, which would succeed each other in becoming the dominant strain across the globe. Before being named as Gamma, the Brazilian variant was named after the city of Manaus, the epicenter of Bolsonaros herd immunity strategy, and where a recent study was able to link its emergence precisely to a massive surge in mobility and infection brought about by the reopening of schools. As stated by the authors of the study, the Gamma variant, which caused two-thirds of COVID-19 deaths in Brazil, was a direct product of public health policies advanced by Bolsonaro and endorsed by the Brazilian ruling class as a whole. The release of the CPIs draft report does not mean that Bolsonaro will be held accountable for his heinous acts, which were aptly called crimes against humanity. The seriousness of the charges stands in contrast to the actual steps being taken by the political forces leveling them. The report is expected to gain full CPI approval next week, which will begin a labyrinthine path to any accountability. The report has no legal force and must be forwarded to other authorities, namely the attorney general, in the case of the common crimes, such as provoking an epidemic; the speaker of the house, in the case of impeachable offenses; and the International Criminal Court in The Hague, in the case of the crimes against humanity. Both the attorney general and the speaker are firmly aligned with Bolsonaro and are not expected to file charges against him, though they may issue indictments against some lower-ranking officials in order to assuage popular outrage. Some cabinet members, such as the Defense Minister Gen. Walter Braga Netto, have been charged without even being heard, as the senators feared the Army would react with a coup if he was summoned to testify. One certainty is that the report will not prevent high-ranking members of the military command involved in Bolsonaros homicidal policies from continuing to exercise free rein. Pressing charges against Bolsonaro in The Hague, the most serious of the steps announced by the CPI, is a patent fraud. The sponsor of the report, Senator Renan Calheiros, declared that going to The Hague was necessary due to the inaction of Brazilian justice. But those responsible for this inaction, House Speaker Arthur Lira and Attorney General Augusto Aras, have been appointed with the support of all the parties involved in drafting the report, including Calheiros Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB). Given that they are acting not on the dictates of a Bolsonaro dictatorship but out of common class and political interests, it is certain that The Hague will not hear the case. The truth is not a single party represented in Brazils Congress would be able to claim innocence of the crimes charged against Bolsonaro. No one responsible for the millions of COVID deaths around the world has been held accountable for a conscious policy that they knew would lead to mass death. In the few places where investigations have been held, such as the United Kingdom, the resulting reports are complete frauds, claiming herd immunity policies were honest mistakes which followed scientific advice. More fundamentally, even the political forces which attempted mitigation strategies against COVID-19 and refrained from the most psychopathic aspects of Bolsonaros response subordinated their policies to the imperative of the capitalist profit system to assure the flow of money into the stock markets, and accepted that herd immunity was necessary, even at the price of over 4 million official global deaths so far, a number that is certainly a vast underestimate. In so doing, they have strengthened the most vicious far-right forces, personified by the fascistic figures of Trump and Bolsonaro. The two are still united in advancing preparations for dictatorship, a process driven by the incompatibility of democratic forms of rule with the obscene growth of social inequality amid such a catastrophe for billions of workers. The cowardice of Brazils CPI in the face of military figures such as General Braga Netto epitomizes the attitude of the ostensible bourgeois opponents of the far right the world over. Only the international working class can bring those responsible for the COVID-19 carnage to account. It must carry out this vital task as part of the struggle to put an end to the pandemic and defeat the attempts to make working people pay for its catastrophic consequences through attacks on jobs, wages and social conditions. It is only the working class that has an objective interest in and the ability to carry out the scientifically grounded policies necessary for eliminating the coronavirus. To advance this struggle, the WSWS and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) are co-hosting the October 24 webinar How to end the pandemic. We urge all our supporters and readers to attend the webinar and take up this fight. A mediator ruled last month that the director of the Michigan Office of Drinking Water was wrongfully fired in 2016. The official, Liane Shekter Smith, was awarded full back pay and compensation, amounting to $199,880. The outmoded Flint Water Treatment Plant adjacent to the Flint River on the right (WSWS Media) Shekter Smith was responsible for the safety of the states drinking water during the operation that switched the city of Flint from its treated Great Lakes water source to improperly treated water from the historically toxic Flint River. As head of the department, she oversaw the conspiracy to ignore legally-required treatment, falsify sampling methods and lie to the public about the operation. She infamously lied in an August 2015 meeting to two concerned Flint mothers whose children were lead-poisoned, telling them that the citys water complied with federal standards. That meeting was also attended by Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) officials. She also asserted that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) field expert who discovered the issue was being handled. When an MDEQ spokesman called the EPA expert a rogue employee, Shekter Smith gloated to the mothers that his report would never see the light of day. She was fired in 2016 after the criminal events of the Flint water crisis were brought to light. The Associated Press obtained the 22-page ruling issued in September by arbitrator Sheldon J. Stark. In it he said, politics and the need for a public scapegoat were behind Shekter Smiths termination. The state, according to Stark, failed to present evidence that the firing was justified. The arbitrator continued that her record in government was exemplary. The use of the term exemplary compels one to keep from laughing. Clearly, Stark is addressing this to the establishment elite. The qualifications for that badge of honor require one to be a conformist toady who is willing to be a liar-for-hire for her higher-ups. LeeAnn Walters, credited as being the resident most responsible for exposing the lead-in-water crisis in Flint, was one of the mothers who met with Shekter Smith six years ago. As far as I am concerned the judicial system just spit in the face of every Flint resident who died or was harmed due to her actions, Walters told the World Socialist Web Site, adding, She should NOT be getting financially compensated for killing and harming innocent children and people. This narrative that she is not to blame is despicable and a lie because of the position she held. She, along with other members of MDEQ, should be in jail! Professor Marc Edwards headed the team from Virginia Tech that conducted the independent sampling of Flints water and exposed the states lie that the citys water was safe to drink. He subsequently conducted his own investigation into the officials responsible. On hearing of the ruling, he commented to the WSWS: While there are many misconceptions about wrongdoing during the Flint water crisis, the facts proving Ms. Smiths misconduct are indisputable. The arbitrator understands nothing about engineering and scientific ethicsMs. Shekter Smith was no scapegoat, and this failure of government at all levels continues to the present day. If Ms. Shekter Smith is not guilty, then no one is. She and her team were the key instigators of the Flint water crisis. Perhaps the most blatant perversion of justice around the Flint monstrosity, the ruling in favor of Shekter Smith captures the essence of the years of false promises to uncover and punish the wrongdoing behind the Flint water crisis. In 2016, criminal indictments of officials were announced, to a great rhetorical flourish, by then-Attorney General Bill Schuette. The families of Flint will not be forgotten. We will provide the justice they deserve. And in Michigan, the system is not rigged, Schuette proclaimed at the time. There is one system of justice. It applies to everybody. Equally. No matter who you are. Period. In January 2019, after the electoral defeat of Republican Governor Rick Snyder, Shekter Smith was among several MDEQ officials who were allowed to plea bargain down to insignificant charges. Months later, all charges against the remaining defendants were dropped without prejudice, amid claims that those cases could be refiled later. But because those who plea-bargained, including Shekter Smith, were therefore protected against prosecution by the US Constitutions Double Jeopardy Clause, the known conspirators in the crime were off the hook. Apparently, it was not enough for Shekter Smith to avoid the inside of a jail cell. She filed a grievance with the state of Michigan for wrongful termination and demanded back pay. Shekter Smith was the only official who was actually fired in the aftermath of the exposure of the water crisis, no doubt because she became a public embarrassment to the Snyder administration. The other defendants who plea-bargained before Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer took office, who likewise played foul roles, were put on paid leave by the new administration. For all the hype from both Democrats and Republicans about justice, the investigative efforts and millions in taxpayer expense amount to nothing but smoke. The crime against Flint was and continues to be a crime of capitalism. The drive by ruling class for profit is what motivated the scheme to take the city off its water source of 50 years and illegally commit its financial resources to a reckless plan which forced 100,000 men women and children to drink toxic water. Neither the Democratic nor Republican parties can provide an avenue for working class people to seek justice, because the bottom line is that they protect their own. Spains fascistic Vox party has launched an international anti-communist alliance, the Madrid Forum. The Forum is a loose association of far-right parties and individuals from across the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America, aiming to confront the threat posed by the growth of communism on both sides of the Atlantic, according to a press release on Voxs website. Eduardo Bolsonaro (son of the Brazilian president), Keiko Fujimori (former presidential candidate in Peru) and Jose Antonio Kast (leader of the Republican Party of Chile) are among the most prominent representatives of this new alliance, united by their firm opposition to leftist governments. (Credit RioTimes Online) The launch of the initiative came at the conclusion of a tour by senior Vox figures around South and Central America, including a visit by Vox leader Santiago Abascal to Mexico in September. Abascal was warmly welcomed by the Mexican ruling class and was invited by the right-wing National Action Party (PAN) to promote his alliance in the Senate. Today in the Mexican Senate we presented the Madrid Forum, our initiative to confront the advance of communism in the Iberosphere [Latin America, Spain and Portugal], Abascal wrote on Twitter. Thank you to the 15 senators and 3 congresspeople who have signed the Madrid Charter and thank you to @julenrementeria [Julen Rementeria, PAN senator] for inviting us. The Madrid Charter, the Madrid Forums founding document, was drafted by the Dissent Foundation, a far-right think-tank formed by Abascal in July 2020. Abascal created it after travelling to the United States earlier that year to visit US think-tanks linked to the Republican Party, including the Heritage Foundation, the International Republican Institute and the American Conservative Union. During this trip, Abascal also attended the right-wing Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which was addressed by former US president Donald Trump. There Abascal also met with Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son and right-hand man of fascistic Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro junior leads the far-right Social Liberal Party (PSL) in the Brazilian parliament and has links to far-right organisations around the world. He is also a signatory to the Madrid Charter. Eduardo Bolsonaro and the Trump-dominated US Republican Party both are intimately involved in attempts to prepare far-right coups in Brazil and the United States. Eduardo Bolsonaro was in Washington and directly involved in preparations for Trumps January 6 storming of the US Capitol, organised with widespread support from the Republican Party. Bolsonaro is also the Latin American representative of The Movementan organisation founded by Trumps former chief strategist Steve Bannon to coordinate far-right movements in Europe and worldwide. Jair Bolsonaro also attempted to mobilise a far-right mob on Brazils Independence Day, September 7, threatening to storm Brazils Supreme Court. The formation of the Madrid Forum is particularly significant in light of Voxs support for a far-right coup in Spain. It comes less than a year after reports emerged of a fascistic plot, code-named Operation Albatross, aiming to install a dictatorship in Spain under the guise of a Socialist Party (PSOE)-Popular Party-Vox national unity government. Discussion of Operation Albatross reportedly began in March 2020, as a wave of wildcat strikes spread across Europe against the European Unions (EU) herd immunity policy. Later last year, WhatsApp chats were leaked in which high-ranking retired and serving generals linked to Vox hailed Spanish dictator Francisco Francos 1936 coup and spoke of plans to kill 26 million sons of b*tchestheir estimate of the number of left-wing voters and their families in Spain. Senior Vox lawmaker Macarena Olona later defended the fascist officers at a debate in the Spanish parliament, claiming that they were fighting for the unity of Spain and declaring, Of course they are our people. The Madrid Forum and Charter show that plotting for a violent crackdown on left-wing workers is escalating in Spain and across Latin America. The Charter, subtitled In Defense of Freedom and Democracy in the Iberosphere, asserts, The advance of communism poses a serious threat to the prosperity and development of our nations, as well as to the freedoms and rights of our compatriots. The threat is not limited to countries suffering under the yoke of totalitarianism, it adds. The ideological and criminal project which is subjugating the freedoms and rights of the nations aims to infiltrate into other countries and continents in order to destabilise liberal democracies and the Rule of Law. The document further claims that part of the [Iberosphere] is being held hostage by totalitarian regimes of communist inspiration, supported by drug-trafficking and third countries. All of them, under the umbrella of the Cuban regime and initiatives like the Sao Paulo Forum and the Puebla Group, are infiltrating into the centres of power to impose their ideological agenda. This is a barely veiled threat to foment coups across Latin America. The Sao Paulo Forum (FSP) is an organisation set up by the Brazilian Workers Party (PT), which governed Brazil between 2003 and 2016, first under the presidency of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and then Dilma Rousseff. The Forum comprises parties of the nominally left capitalist governments of 10 countries in Latin America, including Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Venezuela. The FSP was initiated by Lula and the PT in 1990, as a venue for left capitalist parties across the region to discuss how best to suppress the working class. This August, the Democratic Socialists of America, a leading US pseudo-left group, passed a resolution to formally affiliate with the FSP. The Puebla Group, meanwhile, counts among its members Argentine President Alberto Fernandez of the Peronist Justicialist Party; former Spanish president Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of the social democratic Socialist Party (PSOE); Irene Montero, Minister of Equality in the ruling PSOE-Podemos coalition in Spain, and partner of former Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias, and former Bolivian president Evo Morales, of the pseudo-left Movement Towards Socialism (MAS). While none of these figures in reality have anything to do with Marxism or the interests of the working class, the explicit founding of the Madrid Forum against communism gives an idea of the type of movement Vox aims to build. Opposition is rising among workers to the criminal policy, pursued by ruling elites internationally, of letting COVID-19 spread unchecked, and to attacks on wages, jobs and social conditions. The spectre of communism haunts the bourgeoisie once again. Vox aims to rally the far-right to assault the working class against a growing international wave of class struggles. Vox claims the Madrid Charter has been signed by over 8,000 people from more than 20 countries, including Peru, Argentina, Venezuela, the US, El Salvador, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Sweden, Costa Rica and Cuba. These include over 150 politicians and other media and cultural figures, including judges, magistrates, journalists and lawyers from across Latin America, the US and Europe. Representatives of Vox and the Dissent Foundation also travelled to Ecuador, Peru and Columbia over the summer, where they were received by members of government and allowed to present the Madrid Charter, collecting many signatures. At the end of September, Abascal also visited Lisbon to meet with the leader of Portugals fascistic Chega (Enough) party, Andre Ventura. Abascal reported on Twitter that Ventura had also signed the Madrid Charter. It is an honour to include Andre Ventura in this alliance against communism, Abascal stated. Among the signatories of the Charter in Mexico are 14 senators from the PAN, more than half of this partys 25 members in the Mexican Senate. At least two Mexican deputies from the misnamed Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) also signed the Charter. The PAN and PRI had been the main two ruling parties in Mexico until AMLOs Morena (Movement for National Reconstruction) party was swept to power in the 2018 elections. The PAN warmly received Abascal, posting a photo on their official Twitter page of the Vox leader posing for the camera with around 20 PAN parliamentarians. The tweet was later deleted after a popular outcry against the partys bootlicking of the Spanish fascist. Other PAN representatives went out of their way to flaunt their alliance with the fascists. Elsa Adane Mendez, a deputy in the regional Congress of Queretaro, tweeting a friendly photo of herself and the Vox leader captioned, An honour to meet @Santi_ABASCAL, very soon we will have a VOXMexico. Significantly, Mexican President Lopez Obrador, the darling of the pseudo-left, also welcomed the Vox leader. AMLO stated, Mexico is a free country, and I say that if the gentleman from Vox [Abascal] wants to come again, he can. The doors of our country are open. Amid a deep economic and political crisis of capitalism and growing class struggles, the ruling elite in every country is increasingly turning to authoritarianism and fascistic forms of rule, with the full complicity of social-democratic or left populist governments. In Spain, the PSOE-Podemos administration have pandered to Vox at every turn, adopting their policies on the pandemic and migration, and downplaying the threat of the far-right. The struggle against the far-right can only be carried out through a complete break from all of the parties of the bourgeoisie, as part of an international struggle for socialism. This requires the building of sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International in every country. A one-day walk-out of high school pupils last Friday was an abject display of the bankrupt perspective of various environmental organisations which seek to prevent any political action beyond fawning and pathetic appeals to the capitalist governments and politicians responsible for the climate crisis. Climate change protest in Sydney during bush fire emergency in January 2020 [WSWS Media] While it was called by School Strike 4 Climate (SS4C) the event can hardly be described as a strike. Little attempt was made to mobilise the vast mass of students and the stoppage was timed to cause minimum disruption, occurring on the eve of the profit-driven and dangerous resumption of mass in-person teaching in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, both of which are being hit by the Delta variant of COVID. Because of this, actions in those states were limited to hour-long Zoom calls. Under conditions in which school students are overwhelmingly at home, because of the pandemic, fewer than 1,000 took part in a call for the entirety of NSW, a state with more than 810,000 school pupils. Given that many of the attendees were union functionaries, adult supporters of environmental organisations and Greens members, the number of kids and teenagers who participated was likely equivalent to one medium-sized school. While the unusual circumstances of this years event may have been a factor, the mass concern among young people and students over environmental degradation and global warming has hardly disappeared. In previous years, the school strikes have been attended by tens of thousands of students, joining with other pupils around the world to condemn the refusal of governments to address the climate crisis. But the environmental organisations that have politically-dominated these events have worked to neuter them and to subordinate them fully to the capitalist political establishment. This, above all, is what accounts for the major fall in attendance. The dead-end of orienting to the establishment parties was starker than at any of the previous years strikes. Under conditions of massive global upheaval, the SS4C representatives selected to speak at the event said nothing about the pandemic, the massive growth of social inequality, the threat of war, or virtually any other issue. They spoke about the warnings from environmental scientists, of the rapidly escalating pace of climate change, and pointed to the different manifestations of the environmental crisis, including more-severe bushfires, rising sea levels and the destruction of ecosystems. But the only call to action, issued at the events, was for students to email and phone senior members of the federal parliament. Throughout at least a quarter of the NSW event, the Zoom screen listed the contact details for the offices of Liberal-National Prime Minister Scott Morison, his environmental minister Sussan Ley and Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese, or their social media details, with music playing in the background. Among the template of messages suggested by the organisers, were comments such as: I thought you agreed to keep the future alive? Start acting like you care about us! and Scott Morrison needs to hold himself accountable for his climate failures and do better. The bankruptcy of these inane, moral appeals was underscored by the fact that they were to be addressed to a Liberal-National government dominated by climate change deniers, and a Labor Party opposition that is an unalloyed representative of the largest banks and corporations. Both have attacked the social rights of the working-class for decades, and have subordinated environmental policies to profit interests. The entire perspective of pressuring capitalist governments to take action on climate has been tried, tested and has failed. At one summit after another over the past two decades, governments have signed worthless emission reduction pledges that they have no intention of honouring, and even if they did, would fall far short of the measures required to halt global warming. Recent developments in Australia have provided another lesson. The Liberal Party has adopted a target of zero emissions by 2050, but like Labor, will not commit to any measures for substantial emission reductions prior to then. Labor and the Liberals, moreover, couch their support for the 2050 target, in terms of the opportunities it will open up for corporate investment and new financial markets. This includes carbon-trading schemes that when rolled out internationally have failed to lower net emissions, but have resulted in the emergence of highly-speculative and lucrative sources of revenue for the financial elite. In addition to begging Morrison, the prime minister most famous for holidaying in Hawaii amid the countrys worst bushfire crisis as his government allowed vast swathes of the country to burn, the SS4C organisers promoted the fraudulent claim that Labor represents a lesser evil that may be more susceptible to popular demands. None of the organisers provided an explanation for why Labor had not responded in the slightest to the mass climate strikes of recent years. Or, what grounds there were for thinking that moral appeals to this ruthless capitalist party would have any effect, other than turning students and young people down a blind alley. No reference was made to the class character of Labor or any other party, or to their political record, beyond what they will or will not commit to in words. This was significant, inasmuch as the Greens were heavily promoted by many participants. But while they posture on the issue of the environment, the Greens real program as a pro-capitalist parliamentary party is to cement its position in the corridors of power, including through coalition deals with Labor and even the Liberals. The Greens, for instance, propped up the federal Labor government of Prime Minister Julia Gillard, as it introduced a carbon tax that was not forecast to reduce emissions for years and that imposed further burdens on working people. Greens leader Adam Bandt has spent the past several months declaring his ambition to enter into a power-sharing arrangement with Labor after the next federal election. SS4C claims to be non-partisan, but it accepts entirely this framework of parliamentary horse-trading, and the capitalist system, upon which it is based. In reality, however, and as experience has demonstrated in spades, the fight against climate change is a fight against the capitalist system. The rational, coordinated deployment of societys resources, to overcome global warming and to ensure social needs, including to a habitable environment, is incompatible with the domination of the world economy by a tiny corporate and financial oligarchy. Every necessary measure, moreover, is blocked by the division of the globe into antagonistic nation-states, each advancing the interests of their own capitalist ruling elite. Among the many political issues passed over in silence at the SS4C events was the pandemic, the worst global health emergency in a century. The failure to mention, let alone address, the implications of the pandemic, was hardly an accident. It has provided this generation of youth with life and death experience, proving the complete bankruptcy of any perspective of orienting to capitalist governments and policies, the very perspective SS4C promotes. In virtually every country, capitalist governments, whether they claim to be of the right or the left, have rejected or dispensed with the public health measures, such as lockdowns, travel restrictions, universal testing and contact tracing, and the isolation of infected individuals, required to contain the coronavirus. The failure to institute these policies has resulted in at least five million deaths around the world, with over 700,000 in the United States alone. Now, governments everywhere, including in Australia, are declaring that the population must live with the deadly virus, a program that will result in even more fatalities, along with mass illness and death. As with the absence of measures to address climate change, the let it rip pandemic policies of capitalist governments are dictated by the banks and the largest corporations. Everything must be done to ensure full profit-making activities for big business, whatever the consequences for working people. Just as they said nothing about the official COVID policies, SS4C was mute on the growing resistance they are provoking. In Australia, health care workers, teachers and school students themselves are entering into struggle against the very governments the SS4C representatives are issuing fawning appeals to. Most strikingly, SS4C said nothing about the mass opposition among students to the reopening of schools in Victoria and NSW this month, under conditions in which thousands of infections have already occurred among kids and teenagers. It is to this emerging movement that students and youth must turn. There is an eruption of the class struggle around the world, expressed most sharply in the largest strike wave of the past 40 years. The stoppages by 10,000 John Deere agricultural equipment manufacturing workers, tens of thousands of nurses, teachers and others, are developing as a rebellion against the trade unions, which have suppressed social struggle for decades, while enforcing the dictates of governments and the corporations. It is not accidental that SS4C, while promoting illusions in the official parties, presents the trade unions as progressive organisations to which students must turn. In Australia, as everywhere else, the unions are an industrial police force. Their role is to prevent strikes, impose sell-outs and block the development of any independent movement of the working class. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), the youth movement of the Socialist Equality Party, calls on students to reject the bankrupt perspective of orienting to the Morrison government, Labor and the Greens. The climate crisis and the pandemic have shown again that capitalism is an outmoded system that offers only a future of ever greater catastrophe. The alternative is to build a socialist movement of the working class, aimed at placing the banks and the corporations under public ownership and democratic control; ending war; unifying the worlds population; and allocating global resources on the basis of social need, not private profit. The Young Union (Junge Union, JU) is the official youth movement of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU)together known as the Unionwhich suffered a devastating defeat in the German parliamentary elections held last month. The so-called Germany Conference of the Young Union, held in the city of Munster last weekend, was the first nationwide meeting of Union politicians since the parties historic defeat. The CDU has now abandoned any hope of forming a ruling coalition with the free market Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens (known as a Jamaica coalition based on the respective party colours) and is beginning to reposition and reorient itself politically. CDU leader Armin Laschet prepared the party offspring for a new role as opposition party and took full responsibility for the defeat. We achieved a bitter result. And as chairman and candidate for chancellor I bear the responsibility for this result. CSU Secretary General Markus Blume, speaking on behalf of CSU leader Markus Soder who did not attend the meeting in Munster, also declared, We have to acknowledge the reality. We are now in opposition. The future leadership of the CDU and its new political orientation are only beginning to emerge. But one thing is already clear: The Union will use its time in opposition to move further to the right. Trump supporter Rick Loughery at the Junge Union's Germany Day (source: Twitter video) This was most clearly demonstrated by the appearance at the Germany Conference of Rick Loughery, chairman of the American Young Republicans. Loughery is an avowed supporter of Donald Trump, who launched a violent coup on 6 January to prevent the election of Joe Biden as his successor as American president. Since then Trump has sought to turn the Republican Party into a fascist movement. Despite this, Loughery was allowed to speak as a guest speaker at the JU conference. On behalf of their brothers and sisters in the US, he called on the delegates to protect democracy and freedom and stand together in the fight against socialism. Socialism is on the rise worldwide, and we must fight it, he stressed. By socialism Trump and Loughery mean all those who are not prepared to unconditionally support their own fascist course. Even the US Democratic Party, the party of Wall Street and the military establishment, is regularly denounced by Trump as socialist. The Union faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus, considered by many as a possible candidate to succeed Laschet as CDU leader, painted the spectre of the left wing dominating politics. The document drawn up the SPD, the Greens and the FDP (known as a traffic light coalition due to their party colours) in the course of their exploratory talks to form a new German government is the most radical left-wing agenda we have had in Germany for decades. In the manner of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), Brinkhaus accused the SPD, the Greens and the FDP of inviting illegal migration by continuing the brutal isolationist policy of the Germanys outgoing grand coalition (SPD and Union) government. As is the case in the US, such right-wing tirades have nothing to do with reality. In fact, the traffic light partners have committed themselves to tightening up the right-wing course begun by the grand coalition. They have ruled out higher taxes for the rich, will continue to implement the debt brake and continue the countrys program of massive military rearmament. When representatives of the CDU rail against socialism or a leftist agenda, their remarks are directed against the growing resistance in the working class to precisely such policies. The CDU is preparing to support the right-wing traffic light agenda in opposition and mobilise the most right-wing forces to implement it. This is why many leading Union officials were full of praise for the programme of the SPD-FDP-Green coalition. Commenting on the draft, Laschet said at the JU conference, The paper presented is quite okay. We could have gone along with some of it. And Friedrich Merz, who is aligned with the extreme right wing of the CDU, told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, I think youve presented a remarkable paper. That is a cause for respect and critical self-examination: We could have had that too. The JU conference was marked by the drive to intensify this policy. Johannes Winkel, for example, chairman of the biggest JU state association in North Rhine-Westphalia, called for a slowdown in the phasing-out of nuclear energy decided long ago, together with cuts to retirement pensions. Although it is supposed to be a pay-as-you-go system, one-third of the entire federal budget flows into the pension system, he complained. Thats 100 billion euros that my generation is missing for investment in education, research or digitalisation. When the boomer generation retires, a tipping point will be reached, Winkel warned. He threatened to take legal action at the Federal Constitutional Court if the next federal government stuck to the current pension financing policy. The speech by Carsten Linnemann, head of the Small- and Medium-Sized Businesses Union, who is also considered a possible candidate for the CDU leadership, was also greeted with jubilation. The 44 year old is a hardline neoliberal and right-wing critic of the policies of former Chancellor Angela Merkel. He called on delegates to also tackle the very hot potatoes, including the future pension system and civil service pay, which guarantee a certain degree of social security to a dwindling number of public service workers. Linnemann pleaded for the next CDU leader to be decided by a membership poll, instead of the usual party congress. He wanted to ensure in the future that the party decides, not the chancellors office, and went on to criticise the abolition of compulsory military service and the withdrawal from nuclear power agreed by the Merkel government. The former head of Germanys domestic intelligence agency (Office for the Protection of the Constitution) Hans-Georg Maaen, who is on the far right of the CDU and openly sympathises with the AfD, expressed similar views. At a CDU conference in the state of Thuringia, he demanded the resignation of the entire national executive. A new profile for a new CDU can also only take place with new people, and people who do not belong to the cadres responsible for just plodding on as usual, Maaen said. The appearance of Trump supporter Loughery and the right-wing tirades at the Junge Unions Germany Conference constitute a serious warning. The working class faces a comprehensive threat: while the coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP is preparing new social attacks and massive rearmament at home and abroad, the Union and the AfD are mobilising ultra-right forces to enforce this programme against the working class. The interests of the vast majority of the population no longer find any expression within the framework of the established political parties. They all defend capitalism and the profit system and react to the escalation of the class struggle with a sharp turn to the right. This can be seen most clearly in the question of the pandemic where all of the main political parties are pursuing a policy of deliberately infecting the population, resulting in a high number of deaths and incalculable long-term consequences. In order to defend its interests, the working class must build its own party to infuse the struggle against social cuts, layoffs, fascism and war with an international, socialist programme. This is the perspective of the Socialist Equality Party. (CNN) -- The FBI's Denver office said Thursday that remains found a day earlier in a Florida nature reserve are those of Brian Laundrie, who disappeared last month just days after his fiancee Gabby Petito was reported missing. The FBI said dental records confirmed the identification. The identification came hours after police in North Port, Florida, said the remains that were found were skeletal and belonged to a human. "They are human remains, no doubt there. I would say that the remains were consistent with one individual, you know skeletal remains," North Port police spokesperson Josh Taylor told CNN. Investigators also found clothing believed to be consistent with what Laundrie was wearing when he took off September 13, according to Taylor. Less than a week after Laundrie went missing last month, authorities in Wyoming found Petito's remains in a national forest. Her death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation. On Wednesday, investigators also found a backpack and a notebook belonging to Laundrie, 23, near the remains while they were searching the Carlton Reserve in North Port, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson. "The notebook to my understanding has not been opened. You know, that will need to be processed," Taylor said. A source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN the notebook is "possibly salvageable." The source said the notebook was "outside of the dry bag." "It had been clearly wet and they are going to use any potential means to dry that out before opening it," according to the source, who added: "They'll be very careful with it." The source said it is unclear how the notebook ended up outside the dry bag. When Taylor was asked about whether a weapon was found, he said he could not comment. When asked if there is an ongoing search for the murderer of Gabby Petito, he responded, "That is certainly not in the North Port Police Department's purview." During a search with police, Brian's father, Chris Laundrie, was the first to spot an item belonging to his son, according to Taylor. Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino told CNN's Chris Cuomo on Wednesday that "the probability is strong that it is Brian's remains." The discovery came on Wednesday morning when Laundrie's parents and law enforcement searched an area of the reserve that had been underwater but recently reopened to the public. "It's quite sad, you can imagine as a parent, finding your son's belongings alongside some remains. That's got to be heartbreaking. And I can tell you that they are heartbroken," Bertolino told Cuomo. Search conditions had been very difficult Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Thursday law enforcement had been searching in treacherous conditions, including nearly chest-high water full of snakes and alligators. "These are very, very difficult conditions. You're searching in areas that you just can't walk up and look. It's not like you're searching a house or a car," he said. "These areas are huge and they're covered by water." The exhaustive search for Laundrie stretched over a month as authorities tried to piece together what happened to him and Petito during their road trip through the Western US this summer. Petito, 22, disappeared on the trip amid tensions in their relationship, and her remains were later found near where the couple had last been seen together. Laundrie, who had returned by himself to his parents' home in Florida, refused to talk with investigators and didn't return after telling his parents he was going to the nature reserve to hike. He was not charged in Petito's death, although he was indicted for allegedly using two financial accounts that did not belong to him in the days following her killing. Authorities, including several K-9 units and off-road vehicles, returned to the reserve on Thursday morning to further search the area. Brian Laundrie's parents were on scene when remains were found Laundrie's family had declined to talk publicly following legal advice, but they had directed authorities to where they believed Laundrie may be staying in the reserve, Bertolino said. The parents -- Chris and Roberta Laundrie -- joined in the search Wednesday morning and found a bag belonging to their son at the park, which their attorney described as "happenstance." According to Bertolino, Laundrie's parents informed the FBI and the North Port Police Department on Tuesday night that they wanted to visit the park Wednesday morning to search for their son. Law enforcement met them there and closely accompanied them as they entered the park, Bertolino said. "As they went further in, Chris ventured off the trail into the woods. He was zigzagging in different areas, law enforcement was doing the same thing. And Roberta Laundrie was walking down the trail," Bertolino said. "At some point, Chris locates what's called a dry bag. The dry bag is a white bag, laying in the woods, say 20 feet or so off the trail." The dry bag was in some brambles and he didn't want to move it because he wanted his law enforcement to see it, Bertolino said. However, Chris Laundrie couldn't find law enforcement and didn't want to leave the bag there with a news reporter standing nearby, so he picked it up, Bertolino explained. "He did meet up shortly with law enforcement, they looked at the contents of the bag. At that time, law enforcement officers showed him a picture on the phone of a backpack that law enforcement had located also nearby and also some distance off the trail," Bertolino told CNN. "At that point, the Laundries were notified there was also remains near the backpack, and they were asked to leave the preserve." The remains were found "about 2 to 3 miles inside the Carlton Reserve, or about a 45-minute walk" from the entrance at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, Taylor said Wednesday. When asked why the parents chose to go to the park on Wednesday, Bertolino said it was the first day it was reopened to the public. "The parents had assumed that the experts, the FBI and all the tracking teams they had would be able to locate Brian based upon the information that we had provided them to the specific areas and trails in the park that Brian liked to visit," Bertolino said. "The park had been closed to the public. There was really no other reason for the Laundries to go search anywhere else." The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. WABASH VALLEY, Ind. (WTHI) - Indiana officials are encouraging you to donate to help Afghan evacuees in the state. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration says evacuees who are currently at Camp Atterbury need help. That's especially as colder weather approaches. They're asking for new coats, warm clothing, hygiene items, and items for babies. In the Wabash Valley, you can drop off donations at the Indiana National Guard Armory in Terre Haute. It's located at 3614 Maple Avenue. They'll accept items Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - A Terre Haute man has been sentenced for a 2017 death. On Friday, the Vigo County Prosecutor's Office said Kenneth Pitts was sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing Anita Oswald. Pitts entered a guilty plea earlier this year to voluntary manslaughter and burglary. Pitts was sentenced to 30 years for each count to run concurrently with each other. "In 2018, the entire community was impacted by the disappearance and death of Anita Oswald," Vigo County Prosecutor Terry Modesitt said. "The sentence handed down today protects our community from this career criminal, likely for the rest of his life. He will be roughly 80 years old before he will be eligible to get out of prison." Vigo County Judge Michael Lewis said this case was one of the most gruesome cases he's been involved in. LINK | Kenneth Pitts Jr. enters guilty plea in connection to Alice 'Anita' Oswald's 2017 death According to the prosecutor's office, Pitts entered Oswald's intending to burglarize it. When Oswald returned home, she reportedly found Pitts inside and shot him. Pitts hit Oswald in the head and face with a weapon, killing her. Oswald's body was later found in a local lake. LINK | A woman suspected of hiding an accused murderer has entered a plea agreement In May of 2018, Pitts was located and arrested in Laughlin, Nevada, near Las Vegas. --- This story has been updated to reflect an updated press release from the prosecutor's office that stated Oswald was killed in 2017. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Police hope a new piece of information will lead to answers in a decades-old killing spree. The so-called I-70 killer's crimes happened nearly 30 years ago. One of those murders happened right here in Terre Haute. Police are still working to identify the man they say killed six people in three states over the course of 29 days. The murders happened between April 8, 1992, and May 7, 1992. On Wednesday, police in Missouri released a brand new sketch of the suspect. On Thursday, we talked with the Terre Haute Police Department for an updated local perspective. Investigators plan to hold a task force meeting on the case in early November. They wanted to release an updated sketch ahead of the meeting. Terre Haute Police Detective Brad Rumsey told us he hopes this sparks public interest again. "Maybe he's out there in a place where someone may recognize him. Maybe he's even moved back to an area where some of these killings could have happened," Rumsey said. "It's always good to give a fresh look to something old like this." After 30 years, local investigators' goal remains the same, justice for Terre Haute's Michael McCown. McCown was shot in his family's store in April of 1992. Despite the passing years, Rumsey says there are still people - like McCown's family, who want this case resolved. "It's not just a matter of this was a 30 years ago thing...nobody cares about this anymore. There are real people still alive that have a vested interest in what happens with it," Rumsey said. The task force will talk about new evidence examination methods when they meet in a couple of weeks. Detective Sergeant Troy Davis, with the Terre Haute Police Department, said there's a difference in the investigation tools used then versus now. "We did not have the technology we had now. We did not have the training police officers go through now. Not to say the police officers didn't do the right things. They did do the right things with what they had to work with," Davis said. He told us the biggest asset investigators have today is DNA. He said police found several items at the crime scene. Officers found several items on the site of the killings. Now those items can be tested. "Back in the 90s, DNA evidence was almost unheard of. Now we use it almost every day in the criminal justice system," Davis told us. Police said the murder weapons were the Erma Werke ET22 and Intratec Scorpion The DNA found at the scene can now be compared against a national database. It will also help develop a DNA profile of the killer. If you have any information on this investigation, you are encouraged to reach out to the police. CLARK COUNTY, Ill. (WTHI)- Clark County Illinois is hoping to make something old into something new. Land containing part of the Old National Road could become a new trail system that will run through Clark County. The Old National Road was the first federally funded highway. It started in 1811 in Cumberland, Maryland. The road eventually came through Marshall, Illinois. The project ended before reaching St. Louis due to a loss in funding. Now, the road could have new life after it's been purchased. Matt Davidson is the Director of Business Development with the Farnsworth Group. The group is partnering with the county to develop the trailway. Davidson said talks of a trail had been around for years. The idea is pushing ahead now thanks to county support. "It's easy to talk about things," he said. "But, it's hard to accomplish them. The Clark County board didn't just think about it. They stepped up." Davidson said the county board assisted with a feasibility test to see if a trail would be possible. Now, the group and county are moving forward with plans for the trail. Another important aspect of the development is the community. Community meetings have been held across the county. These meetings are to inform community members of the trail's plans and allow them to ask questions. While Davidson said the feedback has been positive, many may still wonder where the funds for the trails will come from. Davidson said they want the funding to be 80/20. He said he hoped 80 percent of the funds would come from grants. Then, the 20 percent would come from the community. Still, Davidson believes that the trail could become a much-loved part of the community. "People take pride in their stuff," he said. "And they'll take pride in this. And they're really excited." Davidson also said the trail would benefit the community in many different ways. "We just think these things are just so important," he said. "They make communities more liveable. They provide health and wellness for individuals and seniors and families of all ages. I think it makes areas more attractive to want to locate your family there." For more information on the National Road Trail System, click here. WATER VALLEY, Miss. (WTVA) - Two men from Louisiana face burglary charges in Yalobusha County. According to Yalobusha County Sheriff Jerimaine Gooch, the two suspects allegedly stole items from a County Road 53 house on Oct. 5. Investigators charged the two suspects, 46-year-old Samuel Tullos and Joseph Foy, 32, with grand larceny, burglary and receiving stolen property Items stolen included guns, TVs, a laptop computer and a vacuum cleaner. Deputies have recovered some of the missing items. Both men have prior felony convictions, the sheriff added. STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - A Mississippi State University (MSU) research team is being praised for its patent-pending method for rapidly detecting COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies. The team, led by Keun Seok Seo, received the TechConnect Innovation Award. According to the university, the team developed a novel method to rapidly test for COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies. This will provide an affordable and fast method for testing that differentiates between neutralizing and non-neutralizing antibodies. Seo is an associate professor in the College of Veterinary Medicines Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences. Research professor Joo Youn Park and postdoctoral associate Nogi Park also contributed to the invention. Open this link to read MSU's announcement. (WTVA) - NASA is seeking young engineers to help design a new robot concept for an excavation mission on the Moon. The Lunabotics Junior Contest is open to K-12 students in U.S. public and private schools, as well as home-schoolers. Open this link to learn more. Found on prnewswire.com. STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - Construction workers and city leaders broke ground on a new shopping center on Highway 12 Thursday. Project developer, Mark Castleberry said the $30 million project has been in the works for three years. Castleberry said he was excited to finally start construction on the Triangle Crossing Plaza. "We think its going to be a great asset to the city," he said. He and city leaders postponed construction because of the coronavirus and other reasons. Castleberry said the shopping center will bring 120 construction jobs and 200 retail jobs to the city. He said the plaza will be ready by Fall 2022. It will have stores like Marshalls and Ulta Beauty. Mayor Lynn Spruill said she cant even express how happy she is to see the city grow. "We are really looking forward to seeing this go up, to seeing people enjoying being here, and having shopping opportunities that they dont currently have so they dont have to go out of town to do it, she said. Mayor Spruill also said she cant thank Castleberry enough for investing $100 million in the project and future ones. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles was forced to announce a new license plate to commemorate the Wright Brothers on Thursday after getting the design mixed up. A North Carolina teacher resigned after word spread that she told Black students that without the Constitution, they would be her 'field slaves' A teacher at the Winterville Charter Academy resigned after she was accused by students and parents of making racist statements in class. Facebook/Winterville Charter Academy An eighth-grade teacher in North Carolina resigned after she was accused of making racist remarks. Per students' accounts, the teacher told Black kids in her class that were it not for the Constitution, they would be her "field slaves." "The inner workings of our school are surrounded by intentional efforts to eliminate implicit and explicit bias," read a memo from the principal following the incident. A teacher in North Carolina resigned after word got around that she told Black students in her class that, were it not for the Constitution, they would be her "field slaves." The incident, which happened in September, involved an unnamed eighth-grade English teacher at the Winterville Charter Academy, a tuition-free public charter school. According to reporting from local NBC affiliate WITN-TV, the teacher asked Black students to raise their hands during a lesson about the Constitution. She then told the students who had their hands raised that if not for the Constitution, they would be her "field slaves." WITN-TV saw a memo sent out to parents dated September 24 that admitted that there was a "racially insensitive lesson" that resulted in the teacher's resignation. In the note, Winterville Charter Academy Principal Annastasia Ryan wrote that "culturally sensitive training for the teacher that resigned will be provided, along with proactive training measures for our current and future staff members." According to The Daily Beast, another memo from Ryan circulated on October 5, which said that a separate incident of racism by a student was being investigated. "Our school culture is built on one of acceptance, love, and respect to serve all children and their families. The inner workings of our school are surrounded by intentional efforts to eliminate implicit and explicit bias," read Ryan's October 5 memo. Colleen Cullison, a spokeswoman for National Heritage Academies, the parent institution of Winterville Charter Academy, told The Denver Gazette that the "school leadership" had responded "immediately" after hearing about the incident. Story continues However, parents of Black kids who go to the school told the AP that the incident involving the teacher was not the first instance of racism at the school. "A white student had called a Black student a monkey," Kanisha Tillman, the mother of an eighth-grader at Winterville. "When the Black student educated him on that being racist and him not liking it and not to call him that and asked the teacher for support, the teacher turned around and said to him, 'Oh, it's OK. We're all a little bit racist.'" Tillman also told the AP that she had heard of another instance of racism from Black parents on a private Facebook group they shared. According to Tillman, a group of Black girls at Winterville were attempting to explain how it is racist to call a person of color a monkey, when an unnamed teacher went up to them and said: "It's OK, You're all my little monkeys." "I don't believe the school had no idea before September 20," Tillman told the AP. "I believe that the school was aware of it and they decided just to keep brushing it off." According to the school's website, Winterville Charter Academy opened in 2015, and currently has 661 students enrolled from kindergarten through eighth grade. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, at least half of the school's population consists of children who identify as Black or African-American. Winterville Charter Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. Read the original article on Insider Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot by a prop gun. (Getty) Hollywood stars have called for reforms to on-set guns as they paid tribute to Halyna Hutchins, the crew member accidentally killed when Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun. Actor Baldwin was filming Rust in New Mexico when the tragic events unfolded, with a reported misfiring killing the film's director of photography Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injuring director Joel Souza, 48. A spokesman for Baldwin, 63, has said that the incident involved the misfiring of a prop gun loaded with blanks. Shannon Lee, the sister of Brandon Lee who died after being shot by a prop gun in 1993 while filming The Crow, tweeted: "Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on Rust. No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period." Read more: Alec Baldwin fatally shot woman with prop gun on set Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on Rust. No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period. Brandon Bruce Lee (@brandonblee) October 22, 2021 Terminator 2 actor Xander Berkeley wrote: "I cannot believe what happened on set in New Mexico today isnt all over the internet yet. But it is the official end of using firearms on sets from now on for anything other than pantomime and post-production." Better Call Saul star Michael McKean agreed: "There is no reason ever to have a live round on a movie set. Ever." Producer and director James Cullen Bressack wrote: "I will never use anything but airsoft and rubber guns on my movies ever again. This should never have happened. Halyna, you were a gem. This is so f***ed up." Alec Baldwin had been filming with the prop gun. (Getty) Hutchins, who was born in Ukraine, had been named as one of American Cinematographers Rising Stars of 2019 and had also worked as an investigative journalist in the UK and Europe before getting into film. Story continues Her film credits include Archenemy, The Mad Hatter and Darlin'. Paying tribute to her, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson commented on Hutchins last Instagram post, a video she shared two days ago of herself horse-riding on set, writing that a perk of working on a Western was that you get to ride horses on your day off. Johnson wrote: I am so so sorry. Rest easy. My love and strength to your family. Joe Manganiello, who recently worked with Hutchins on the film Archenemy, wrote on Instagram: I woke up to the messages and read the news and I am in shock. I was so lucky to have had @halynahutchins as my DP on Archenemy. She was an absolutely incredible talent and a great person. She had such an eye and a visual style, she was the kind of cinematographer that you wanted to see succeed because you wanted to see what she could pull off next. She was a fantastic person. There was no amount of pressure she couldnt handle. She was a great collaborator and an ally to anyone in front of her camera. Stars paid tribute to Halyna Hutchins. (Fred Hayes/Getty Images for SAGindie) Read more: Medical history to be checked as rules for gun licences tighten Everyone who knew her was rooting for her. I cant believe that this could happen in this day and age gunfire from a prop gun could kill a crew member? This is a horrible tragedy. My heart goes out to her family and especially to her son. I am so sad today for everyone who knew her and worked with her. Elijah Wood tweeted: "Absolutely horrifying and devastating news about cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. My heart goes out to her family." Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn tweeted: "My greatest fear is that someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets. I pray this will never happen. My heart goes out to all of those affected by the tragedy today on Rust, especially Halyna Hutchins & her family." Patricia Arquette wrote: "My heart goes out to Halyna Hutchins family. What a heartbreaking loss. Sending prayers to Joel Souza. Im sure everyone is devastated." Bridesmaids director Paul Feig added: "Just woke up in London to the devastating news of the accident that so tragically took the life of Halyna Hutchins. It is beyond comprehension. There are no words, really. This is a very dark day for our industry." Just woke up in London to the devastating news of the accident that so tragically took the life of Halyna Hutchins. It is beyond comprehension. There are no words, really. This is a very dark day for our industry. Paul Feig (@paulfeig) October 22, 2021 Archenemy director Adam Egypt Mortimer wrote: Im so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set. She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film. He also re-shared a thread he posted after the film was released last year, writing: I was lucky to have known her and to have worked with her. Im in shock. I was so lucky to have had Halyna Hutchins as my DP on Archenemy. An incredible talent & great person. I cant believe this could happen in this day and age gunfire from a prop gun could kill a crew member? What a horrible tragedy. My heart goes out to her family pic.twitter.com/W479ch56Js JOE MANGANIELLO (@JoeManganiello) October 22, 2021 Baldwin had been filming the 19th century western Rust at Bonanza Creek Ranch when the fatal shooting happened, with emergency services called to the scene at around 1.50pm on Thursday. A statement from Rust Movies Productions LLC said: "The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by todays tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halynas family and loved ones. "We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Departments investigation. "We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event." Watch: Alec Baldwin discharged prop gun that killed Rust cinematographer Ronda Rousey Just Shared A Breastfeeding Pic On IG: 'Nothing To Be Ashamed Of' MMA fighter Ronda Rousey recently gave birth to her daughter Po, and she shared in a new Instagram post that she wants to normalize breastfeeding. The 34-year-old then made the case for breastfeeding in public. People cheered Ronda on in the comments. You now own the greatest title of all mother, one person wrote. MMA fighter Ronda Rousey recently gave birth to her daughter Po, and she shared in a new Instagram post that she wants to normalize breastfeeding. Ronda, who is also stepmom to sons Kaewe and Kaleo, shared a story from a recent conversation with her sons next to a photo of herself nursing baby Po. Our boys asked me the other day how Im gunna feed Po on the plane when we take her with us to Hawaii, Ronda wrote. And I was like uhhh, same way I always do.Then it occurred to me that they probably never seen anyone breastfeed before and werent sure if it was appropriate in public. The 34-year-old then made the case for breastfeeding in public. Motherhoods some badass, primal, beautiful shit that shouldnt be hidden, she said. It still blows my mind that my body assembled this little person, pushed her out and now makes everything she needs to thrive Its really nothing to be ashamed of, its something to brag about #normalizebreastfeeding #proudmama. People cheered Ronda on in the comments. You now own the greatest title of all mother, one person wrote. Breastfeeding is the most natural thing to do, another said. Some people just judge and nothing you can do. Ronda followed that post up with another that shared shes been struggling to get some sleep lately. After Pos roughest night since we brought her home (she was up feeding every hour all night) @travisbrownemma (aka best husband/dad ever) made use of our stored up milk stash so I could take a 5 hour afternoon nap, she captioned a photo of herself wearing Po in a baby sling while cuddling up to her husband, Travis Browne. I emerged a new woman ready to take on another sleepless night - Po got to meet the animals and see her first @browseyacres sunset #firstofmany, she said. Story continues Ronda shared a sweet post this summer about how excited she was to meet her baby. I wish I could say that pregnancy feels amazing, that Ive never felt more powerful as a woman. But it feels more like my organs are being crushed by the miracle of life, she wrote. Ive never felt more exhausted, unmotivated or aware of gravity. Some days I have to lay on my side for hours just to comfortably breathe. She also gave a shout-out to her husband. Thank God for Mr. Browne. Not a day goes by without him telling me Im beautiful, sexy, loved, and appreciated, Rhonda said. He holds my belly to give me breaks from carrying, gives me bites of everything hes eating, then drags me hissing into the sunlight when I wanna go full Gollum. He makes me proud to put on a swimsuit and show the world what I sometimes want to hide from myself. She ended on this sweet note: Baby in my belly, Im already so in love with you, Ill do anything for you Mama cant wait to meet you. You Might Also Like Orphaned Moose Calf Welcomed Into Her New Home at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Columbus Zoo A moose has found a new home at a zoo in Ohio, thousands of miles away from her birthplace in Alaska. In a statement Thursday, the Columbus Zoo said that a female moose named Strawberry had been brought to the facility on Oct. 12 after she was found roaming alone in Anchorage on Strawberry Road the inspiration for her name three months prior. The Columbus Zoo estimates that the Alaskan moose was four to six months old, about 390 pounds, and over five feet tall when she first arrived at her new home. Locals around Strawberry had grown familiar with the calf and her mother before Strawberry was spotted alone in June, according to the Columbus Zoo. After two days of observation, authorities took Strawberry to the Alaska Zoo. RELATED: Elsa the Neglected Pet Tiger Found in Texas Yard Celebrates 1st Birthday at New Sanctuary Home But the Alaska Zoo was unable to permanently care for Strawberry, with several orphaned moose and two adult bull moose already in their custody. So, they worked with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to find the calf a new place to call home, which led Strawberry to Ohio. Strawberry has yet to meet the Columbus Zoo's other female moose, Bertha, because she is undergoing quarantine following her arrival, per the zoo. Bertha is also an Alaska transplant; she briefly lived at the Alaska Zoo when she was three months old after a brown bear killed her mother. RELATED: 600-Lb. Sea Turtle Stranded in Cape Cod Rescued and Returned to the Open Ocean Dr. Jan Ramer, senior vice president of animal care and conservation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, said the two moose are receiving "exceptional care." "These two moose certainly had a challenging start in life. While we wish that nothing had happened to their mothers, we are proud to be able to provide them with the second chance that they deserve, while also inspiring our guests to learn more about this important North American species," said Ramer. Story continues Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. RELATED VIDEO: Moose Wanders Into Alaskan Hospital For a Snack The zoo says Strawberry "is eating well and gaining weight" following her arrival. Keepers feed her with a bottle in the morning before the young moose moves on to "grain and browse" for the remainder of each day. Alaskan moose are considered the largest deer in the world by mass, according to the zoo. When full-grown, the animal can reach up to six feet from hoof to shoulder and weigh more than 1,000 lbs. Moose populations have been on the decline due to several factors, from local threats, like motor vehicles and habitat degradation, to climate change and disease. Jenny Hoyt can't seem to stay out of a shootout. On Tuesday's episode of Big Sky, "Gettin' Right to It," Jenny (Katheryn Winnick) and Cassie (Kylie Bunbury) went off to take down dirty cop Deputy Harvey (Michael Malarkey) and drove straight into the line of fire, as Donno (Ryan O'Nan) endeavored to keep them out of cartel business. That was just the latest drama for Dewell and Hoyt on the ABC drama, after they both nearly died in the season 1 finale (Jenny via a gunshot wound). But as they continue to pursue Ronald (Brian Geraghty) and investigate a mysterious accident with ties to a drug cartel, the danger has only increased. There's the threat of Donno and Ren (Janina Gavankar), as well as the added complication of the teenagers who've stolen money and drugs and found themselves in way over their heads. Jenny now has the added power of her badge, having rejoined the force, but she bristles at some of the protocol it demands. She's also embarked on a new romance, rekindling a spark with old flame Travis (Logan Marshall-Green), who is working with the cartel undercover and attempting to help Jenny with her cases with whatever information he can pass along. But will any of that even matter if this shootout goes awry? We called up Winnick to hit all the major bullet points, including how dangerous this cliffhanger is for her character, what her new romance has in store, and why she's enjoying having her badge back as Jenny 2.0. BIG SKY ABC/Michael Moriatis Katheryn Winnick on 'Big Sky' ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: The episode ends with Jenny and Cassie once more in dire straits. How does this compare danger-wise to the season 1 finale? KATHERYN WINNICK: Definitely the stakes are extremely high. Obviously they're now under attack. Jenny defied Tubb's wishes of staying down and wanted to take matters into her own hands, and she realized that she's a little bit in over her head, especially being shot at so violently. It just shows that these guys that came into our town and came into Montana are really dangerous, and that they will stop at anything to get what they want. Story continues Jenny was shot just several weeks ago in the show's timeline. Might she be facing that nightmare all over again? True, but I think she definitely has a different outlook on life. She now realizes how short life is, so she came back [to the force]. It's important for her to wear that badge and to do what she feels is right and go after her dream of getting these cases solved. She definitely has a lot more determination, longer perseverance. With no apologies. I don't think she's scared of death. She's looked at it face on, and now she is willing to put her life on the line to do what she feels is right. So rather than further traumatizing her, it sounds like this shootout might just energize her? I think so. Jenny is definitely a fighter, and she's fierce, and this is really Jenny 2.0. So this little shootout didn't I say little, it definitely wasn't little but if anything it just motivates her to keep the eye on the prize. Why do you think Jenny decided to go back to the force, and do you think she's finding it fulfilling or having second thoughts about her decision? I think it's a combination of both. Jenny, first of all, is excited to wear the badge again. She realized that she needs a badge to be more effective. She used to be a cop, and then she tried the P.I., but of course there's legalities around it. You need a warrant, you need to wear the badge to be able to get into places, to get information. For her, having a second chance, she feels as if she can be more effective wearing that badge and be on the other side of things. Her sole motivation and personal drive is to really make her life count. That comes with a lot of challenges too. She's still the undersheriff. Tubbs is the sheriff and he calls the shots, and when he closes a case down or pawns it off to somebody else, she has to listen to him. But Jenny has a strong relationship with him and Jenny always does what she really wants to do on her own. She's pretty impulsive. That's what I love about her. Well, we've already seen her new job create a bit of tension or push-pull between her and Cassie. How will it continue to impact or evolve their relationship and partnership? I think that it works better. Now that Jenny is an undersheriff and Cassie is a private eye, they can work different angles of the same case. And they can use each other to find out different information and go around things. Obviously she has to abide by the law, or at least make it seem that way. Cassie can can go around the law a little bit. So it actually works out better, and I'm excited about the new partnership this way. Originally this character was based on one C.J. Box character, Cassie Dewell, and David E. Kelley split Cassie in two and created Jenny. But now that Jenny has her own identity and different people in her life, including Travis and Tubbs, she's progressing forward more effectively as a cop. She's finding some romance again, with old flame Travis. How much is this a not rebound, but a salve for her still-present grief over Cody? It is Jenny 2.0. So she's looking at life a little differently. Obviously there's chemistry and they have a history of knowing each other, and I don't think she's really thinking of falling in love again. Or even thinking of anything serious at this point. She just wants to be really good at her job, and she's enjoying the relationship that she has with Travis. She's enjoying the chemistry. I don't think she's thinking too much at this point of where it's going to go. She's allowed to have fun. Is she playing with fire again here, risking losing another love interest? You're going to have to wait and see. Does Jenny actually fall in love with Travis? You're just going to have to wait and see on that. But I think at this point in the story, it's a working relationship with benefits. Is Jenny right to trust him? Or might he be a shady character too? Big Sky has really taught us to trust no one. Jenny definitely does trust him because of the history. She's also understands human behavior and what it also takes to be an undercover cop, because she has been an undercover cop. She knows what a slippery slope that is and how you can get sucked into the system and how sometimes people change course. I've been talking to [showrunner] Elwood [Reid] if maybe that's why she left the force? Was she an undercover cop that just went into the wing of the dragon and went the other way and stopped being a proper law enforcer? I don't know. The backstory hasn't been fully developed, but in my mind I feel that she understands how you can get sucked into that world really quickly and lines of right from wrong gets blurry pretty fast. Why do you think Cassie is a tad more obsessed with catching Ronald than Jenny? Cassie has a personal drive and is obsessed with Ronald's case. Jenny wants to focus on other cases, and yes of course she also wants to solve Ronald. But she doesn't want to spend all her energy when there are people that are dying, people are going missing. She needs to get to the root of that first, it's more time-sensitive, and Ronald, there hasn't been a single major trace of him. She's keeping her eye on the prize with this one. Of what we've seen thus far, do you have a favorite scene of the season? I don't know if I'd say a scene, but right now I'm discovering Jenny's relationship with Travis is new and fresh and fun. We just did four scenes back to back yesterday, so I think that relationship has a lot of room to grow. I also really want to explore that Jenny understands the undercover world. I'm enjoying the show going in this direction, and getting time to sit with them and see Jenny in her real life and not just on the run all the time. Can you tease next week's episode? [It will bring] more drama. You will see it get to even a bigger climax, and you'll see Jenny reopen old wounds, in a sense. Physically or mentally or emotionally. Related content: Image Alamy With Hollywood reeling from news of the fatal accident on the New Mexico set of the Alec Baldwin film Rust in which cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was seriously injured it is tragically not the first time the safety of cast and crew have been put in jeopardy. Here is a brief history of filming gone wrong in Hollywood: THE CROW (1994) One of the most famous on-set tragedies occurred in 1993 during the filming of The Crow, in which star Brandon Lee was killed when another actor shot him using a gun that was supposed to have only been loaded with blanks. According to history.com, "police later found that a .44 bullet entered Lee's abdomen and lodged in his spine, fatally wounding him." A number of weeks later, an investigation into the accident found that the crew was negligent, but the District Attorney eventually declined to bring charges against the production company making the movie. MIDNIGHT RIDER (2014) During the filming of Midnight Rider: The Gregg Allman Story on a live railroad track in 2014, camera assistant Sarah Jones was killed by an oncoming train. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the crew quickly tried to remove their gear from the tracks when they heard the train come hurtling toward them, but as it approached a piece of debris propelled Jones back into the train's path, killing her instantly. She was 27. Director Randall Miller served one year in jail after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was released on probation in 2016, Deadline reported. RELATED: Cinematographer Killed, Director Joel Souza Injured After Alec Baldwin Misfires Prop Gun RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER (2017) The 2017 entry in the Milla Jovovich franchise was met with not one serious accident, but two. First, Jovovich's stunt double Olivia Jackson was severely injured and lost her left arm during a motorcycle stunt, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Two months later, Jackson's colleague Ricardo Cornelius was killed on the same set, when an unsecured Humvee slid off of a platform and crushed him. THR went on to investigate those and other accidents to beleaguer the Resident Evil franchise. Story continues THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) While Christopher Nolan's Batman sequel is heavily associated with the death of star Heath Ledger, which occurred months after filming wrapped, stuntman Conway Wickliffe was killed during production. Wickliffe, who also performed stunts in 2005's Batman Begins, was leaning out the window of a Nissan 4x4 operating a camera when the car crashed into a tree, leading to severe head trauma, according to The Guardian. The stuntman, 41, was pronounced dead at the scene at Longcross near Chertsey, Surrey, England. XXX (2002) Vin Diesel's elaborate action movie xXx lost one of its crewmembers Diesel's stunt double Harry O'Connor when he died filming a scene involving paragliding. After O'Connor, a former Navy SEAL, successfully completed the first take, he collided with the Palacky Bridge in Prague and broke his neck, per Newsweek. The film's director Rob Cohen later released a statement saying: "We had 500 stuntmen involved with this picture; 499 didn't get a scratch. It shows you the lengths to which we will go to bring this kind of intense experience to the viewer. Stuntmen know they are in danger. They make their living through danger. Most of the time, it's all right. Sometimes, unfortunately, it isn't." RELATED: Alec Baldwin Fired Prop Gun That Killed Cinematographer, Injured Director Joel Souza on Rust Movie Set TOP GUN (1986) Tom Cruise's iconic '80s movie Top Gun sadly claimed the life of stunt pilot Art Scholl, whose plane (called a Pitts Special) plunged into the Pacific Ocean five miles off the coast of Encinitas, California, as reported by the LA Times. While performing an inverted spin in the plane, in order to capture upside-down aerial photography, Scholl's aircraft was unable to maintain altitude and his last words reportedly were, "I've got a problem here." The Coast Guard recovered debris from the plane, but Scholl's body was never found. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE (1983) Another very famous on-set tragedy occurred in 1982, during the filming of Twilight Zone: The Movie, when a helicopter crash killed actor Vic Morrow and two children in Santa Clarita, California. Morrow and the children were filming a scene involving explosions, after which debris from the stunt rose 100 feet in the air and damaged the helicopter's rotors, according to The Associated Press. Five people, including director John Landis, faced charges of involuntary manslaughter but were eventually acquitted. COVER UP (1984) Jon-Erik Hexum portrayed Mac Harper, an undercover CIA officer posing as a male model, for the television series Cover Up in 1984. While filming the series' seventh episode, Hexum just 26 was pretending to play Russian roulette when he fired a prop gun at his head on-set. Though it was loaded with blanks, the force of the explosion fractured his scull, and bone fragments caused hemorrhaging in his brain. Hexum underwent surgery but was eventually was declared brain dead. NORTH PORT, Fla. The families of murder victim Gabby Petito and her fiance Brian Laundrie are awaiting answers Friday after the FBI confirmed Laundrie's remains were found in a Florida wilderness park that law enforcement has been searching for weeks. In addition to the remains, which were identified using dental records, law enforcement officials found a backpack and notebook in an area that had previously been underwater, according to FBI Tampa special agent Michael McPherson. Experts say it could be difficult to determine what caused Laundrie's death because only skeletal remains were found. "There might not be a way to determine how he died," Jim Clemente, a former FBI profiler, told CNN. "If he drowned, for example, there wouldn't be any evidence of that on his skeleton." Gabby Petito case: Remains found in Florida park identified as Brian Laundrie, FBI says McPherson said investigators will likely remain in the area for days. Law enforcement officials have scoured the area for more than a month, sometimes in chest-high water infested with snakes and alligators, investigators had said. Laundrie was named as the sole person of interest in Petito's death after returning home from a cross-country trip without her and then disappearing on Sept. 13 during a hike in the sprawling Carlton Reserve. Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito in their first and only Youtube video uploaded to their channel. Chants of Justice for Gabby erupted during the press conference Thursday at the park as the FBI announced its findings. Steven Bertolino, an attorney for Laundrie's parents, expressed frustration on Fox News that protesters were still outside the family's home in North Port, Florida. "Im upset, Im angry, and for the last four hours Ive been dealing with I just have to call it nonsense," Bertolino said. "They're extremely upset, and for some unknown reason, there are still people outside of their home, yelling and screaming and causing a ruckus, which any parent grieving the loss of a child should not have to deal with." Story continues Medical examiner will determine cause of death Dr. Cyril Wecht said the Medical Examiner would examine the bones, teeth and insects to find answers most critical to the case how long the body had been there and the cause of death. The body likely had been submerged for an extended period of time, according to Wecht, who has been involved in some of the countrys most high-profile death investigations, such as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. If he shot himself, that will still be evident, Wecht said. If he stabbed himself, that could be obliterated or markedly obscured by virtue of the post-mortem period and submersion in water. Dental records used to ID remains after father discovers bag On Wednesday, Laundrie's parents were walking a trail with law enforcement personnel nearby when Chris Laundrie ventured off and found a white bag in some brambles, Bertolino told CNN. Laundrie's then found law enforcement officers who had discovered a backpack and human remains, Bertolino said. Bertolino dismissed the suggestion that Chris Laundrie planted the dry bag. Experts who specialize in analyzing skeletons and bones were brought in to help law enforcement with identifying the remains and the FBI said dental records ultimately showed they belonged to Laundrie. Michael McPherson with the FBI is joined by North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison during a news conference at the entrance to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port, Florida, on Oct. 20, 2021. McPherson announced that a body had been found along with a backpack and notebook belonging to Brian Laundrie, a fugitive sought in connection with the death of Gabby Petito. Laundrie disappeared days before Petito's body was found in Wyoming High school sweethearts Petito and Laundrie left from New York's Long Island in July on a months-long tour of national parks and other sites, occasionally posting happy social media photos and stories. The road trip was set to end in Oregon, but Laundrie returned to his parents' house in Florida, where he had been living with Petito, alone Sept. 1. Ten days later, Petito's parents filed a missing persons report after not hearing from her since late August. Laundrie left his home on Sept. 13 for a hike in the Carlton Reserve, nearly 25,000 acres of land in southern Sarasota County, and never returned, his family has said. Laundrie's car was found days later at the Myakkahatchee Park. Petito's body was discovered Sept. 19 near a campground in Wyoming. Teton County Coroner Brent Blue ruled Petito's death a homicide by strangulation, saying her body had been "outside in the wilderness for three to four weeks" before it was found. Gabby Petito was strangled: Experts say such an assault is a red flag for intimate partner homicides. Laundrie not charged in Petito's death Laundrie has not been charged in Petito's death, but he does face charges of unauthorized use of a debit card and several accounts involving more than $1,000. The documents do not state to whom the cards or accounts belong to. The indictment also charges Laundrie with unauthorized access of a device and says he used the bank accounts without permission from about Aug. 30 through Sept. 1. After Petito's disappearance, police records emerged that suggested the couple was having problems. Officers at one point separated Petito and Laundrie for a night after a domestic dispute turned physical. 'Youve gotta question the appropriateness': True crime story of Gabby Petito draws attention-seeking frenzy Laundrie is the sole person of interest in the strangulation death of his fiance, blogger Gabby Petito. The Utah Grand County sheriff's office released an Aug. 12 911 call in which the caller reports driving by the couple's van and witnessing "the gentleman was slapping the girl." Body camera video showed Petito in tears during a police stop on the side of a highway near Arches National Park in Utah. The footage shows Laundrie telling an officer friction had been building between the two for several days. Contributing: Vonna Keomanyvong, Sarasota Herald-Tribune This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brian Laundrie skeletal remains found: Cause of death not determined Photo credit: Daniel Kalisz - Getty Images The F1 paddock at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, is filled with speculation that Michael Andretti has definitely bought or is working on a deal to obtain a major stake in the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team. Andretti has declined interview requests from Autoweek. Meanwhile, multiple team principals have already commented on the reports, including Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, whose Haas outfit could soon be joined by a second American-led team on the Formula 1 grid. "I've spoken with Michael a couple of times, but not lately to be honest," Steiner said on Thursday. "I don't know what he's trying to do. In American racing, everyone knows everyone, so there may have been some discussions, but they were probably not as specific as you think." Photo credit: Greg Doherty - Getty Images Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso welcomed the Andretti rumors, including suggestions American Colton Herta will be F1's next rookie. Herta won an IndyCar race in 2019 at the age of 18. That race, coincidentally, was at the Circuit of the Americassite of this weekend's F1 race. "If I'm not mistaken, he's the youngest race winner in Indycar history," said the two-time champion. If he is with Andretti in Formula 1, then together they will do well, there is no doubt about that." However, Alfa Romeo team manager Beat Zehnder, who has been with Swiss-based Sauber for decades, is pumping the brakes on the buyout news. "If there are such conversations, they are taking place on a completely different level. We don't notice anything," Zehneder told Auto Motor und Sport. "The owner has so far not informed us that anything is going to change." Valtteri Bottas, who will drive for the Alfa Romeo team in 2022, claims he is also in the dark on any Andretti buyout. "Honestly, I don't know a lot of the detail and whether there is a real chance it will happen or not," Bottas said. "But I'm sure the people making the decisions will know what's best for the team in the long run." Finally, former F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone warned Andretti, a former F1 driver whose company runs several U.S.-based racing teams, to be wary of buying the sport's only Swiss team. "I doubt there will be a deal with Andretti," he told European media outlet Blick. "Switzerland is not exactly the ideal Formula 1 location. British people don't really want to go there and if they do they leave pretty quickly." Northern Ireland hope to have Ian Baracloughs future resolved long before next months final World Cup qualifiers after the Irish FA board approved new contract talks with the manager. Baraclough, 50, is nearing the end of the 18-month deal he signed last summer to replace Michael ONeill, with his future a topic of conversation during both of the last two international windows. A contract extension which had looked a formality in September came into question after defeats to Switzerland and Bulgaria this month ended hopes of qualifying for the Qatar World Cup, but Baraclough retains strong support at Windsor Park and is now set to stay for the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. The Irish FA board has unanimously agreed to extend the contract of @NorthernIreland senior mens international manager Ian Baraclough. Contract negotiations are under way #GAWA pic.twitter.com/Zcqr5wnKgd Irish FA (@IrishFA) October 22, 2021 At a meeting on Thursday night, the board voted in favour of retaining the former under-21s manager and it is now hoped an agreement can be finalised quickly, with Lithuania and Italy due to visit Windsor Park for the final Group C fixtures in the middle of next month. An statement read: The Irish FA board has unanimously agreed to extend the contract of senior mens international manager, Ian Baraclough. Contract negotiations are under way. The former Motherwell and Scunthorpe manager has had mixed fortunes during his time in charge to date, often facing key injuries at difficult times, but can point to plenty of progress being made in terms of refreshing the squad, a major part of the remit he was given when he took over. Story continues Baraclough has won only four of his 18 games in charge, suffering early disappointment in his reign when their hopes of reaching Euro 2020 were ended by Slovakia in a 2-1 extra-time defeat at Windsor Park in the qualifying play-offs. Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley is among the young players to have stepped forward under Baraclough (Liam McBurney/PA) Though Northern Ireland then suffered relegation in the Nations League, optimism grew with positive displays in the summer friendlies against Malta and Ukraine. Baraclough enjoyed his best international window in charge last month, with a 4-1 qualifying win away to Lithuania followed by a 1-0 friendly win in Estonia before a depleted side battled to a 0-0 draw with Switzerland to keep World Cup hopes alive. But the bid to reach Qatar was effectively ended by a controversial defeat to Switzerland in Geneva earlier this month, and alarm bells rang when that was followed by Northern Ireland blowing a lead to lose 2-1 to Bulgaria in Sofia days later. Ian Baraclough (Liam McBurney/PA) Despite those setbacks, Baraclough has earned praise for successfully integrating a number of younger players into the first team, with the likes of Daniel Ballard, Ali McCann, Conor Bradley and Shayne Lavery taking significant steps forward. Baraclough had made it clear he wanted to stay in the job, feeling he had only begun the work of introducing a new generation of talent, while several players spoke up in support of the manager during the last two international windows. The Irish FA showed similar patience with ONeill at the start of his reign, with the current Stoke boss winning only one of his first 18 matches with Northern Ireland. However, he would go on to secure a first ever qualification for the European Championships at Euro 2016 and finish his time in charge of the national team with 26 wins and 18 draws from his 72 matches in charge. (Bloomberg) -- Hours after the board of Rogers Communications Inc. removed Edward Rogers as chairman in a boardroom battle, the cable scion vowed to win back control with a plan to fire five directors who voted to strip him of his title. Most Read from Bloomberg The deposed chairman of Canadas largest cable and wireless firm said Thursday that hell to use his position as head of a family trust to get rid of new Chairman John MacDonald and four other directors, confirming an earlier Bloomberg News story. Edward Rogers said he had lost confidence in the board of RCI as currently constituted. He will deliver a signed shareholder resolution to the Rogers Communications corporate counsel today outlining the board changes, according a person familiar with the matter. Rogers shares were down 0.2% as of 9:47 a.m. in Toronto on Friday, following a 1.8% drop on Thursday. The latest development is a dramatic escalation of a power struggle inside one of Canadas biggest public companies, which is in the midst of a $16 billion takeover bid for rival Shaw Communications Inc. Although Rogers has said the deal is on track to close next year, Shaw shares have dropped for eight straight days on the deepening turmoil at Rogers and are about 12% below the takeover price. Rogers Communications said the move by Edward Rogers is unprecedented. The company is not aware of this mechanism ever having been utilized in respect of a public company in Canada, Toronto-based Rogers said in a statement Friday. The company is concerned that its controlling shareholder, the Rogers Control Trust, would seek to make such a fundamental change to the Companys independent governance framework in this unprecedented manner. Story continues Family Hostilities The hostilities within the Rogers clan reached the boiling point in September when Edward Rogers tried to oust Chief Executive Officer Joe Natale. His plan had been to install Chief Financial Officer Tony Staffieri in the top job and replace much of the executive team. But the effort was defeated by a majority of the board -- including his sisters and his mother, Loretta Rogers -- and Staffieri was shown the door on Sept. 29. After that, the board sought to impose constraints on Edward Rogers authority, creating a committee to set the rules by which he can interact with Natale and other senior executives. That committee included MacDonald and Melinda Rogers-Hixon, Edwards sister. To regain his grip on the company, he has recruited five new candidates for the board, including Toronto real estate executive Michael Cooper, financier Jack Cockwell, former Rogers executive Jan Innes, broadcast executive Ivan Fecan and John Kerr. Bringing in five allies would tilt the balance. With longtime executives Phil Lind and Alan Horn on his side, Edward Rogers would have eight votes on the 14-person board. Both Lind and Horn said in an emailed statement that they support him. The battle came to a head in the past 48 hours. On Wednesday, Rogers director Bonnie Brooks sent a letter by email to John Tory, a Rogers family adviser whos also the mayor of Toronto, according to a person familiar with the events. Great Risk The letter, sent on behalf of the companys independent directors, warned that Edward Rogerss scheming against management was putting the company at great risk. The directors said upheaval in the boardroom could affect the companys credit rating at a time when its preparing to borrow billions of dollars to pay for the Shaw deal, which still needs regulatory approval. The chair wants to run the company, believes he does run the company, and no CEO or management team can operate effectively under these conditions, the letter said. Edward Rogers still holds one significant card, however. He remains the chair of the Rogers Control Trust -- the family entity that controls about 97% of the voting shares at Rogers Communications. That position gives him broad authority to vote the familys shares in the public company. Thursday nights statement made it clear he intends to use it to put Cooper, Cockwell, Innes, Fecan and Kerr on the board. The provisions of the Control Trust allow a 10-member advisory committee to change the chair if at least seven members vote in favor, according to the securities filings of Rogers Communications. The Control Trust committee includes at least three family members who are known to have opposed his plan to dump Natale: sisters Melinda Rogers-Hixon and Martha Rogers and his mother. This has been a challenging time for the corporation and I want to reaffirm on behalf of the majority of the Board our support for and total confidence in the management team and CEO of Rogers Communications, MacDonald said in a statement Thursday announcing his promotion to chairman. (Updates with Rogers Communications statement, share move) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Public hearings on budget Residents of Yakima will have an opportunity to comment on the citys 2022 budget before the City Council gives final approval. The Yakima City Council scheduled public hearings at 6 p.m. Nov. 1 and Nov. 16 to hear comments on the preliminary budget. The budget is available to the public on the city website. The council previously had four budget study sessions. The session recordings can be viewed on Y-PAC. TACOMA Four people were killed in a shooting in Tacoma on Thursday afternoon and authorities were searching for at least one suspect, police said. The Tacoma Police Department said on Twitter that two females and one male had died at the scene and that a male was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police said later that the person taken to a hospital had died from his injuries. The victims appeared to be adults, police told The News Tribune. The shooting happened on the citys Eastside in the Salishan neighborhood. Police spokeswoman Wendy Haddow said the shooting happened in an alley behind a residence at 4:24 p.m. and at least one victim was found in the street in front of the residence. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. The website of the pro-government Civic Union Forum (COF) and associated COKA foundation, currently organising a Peace March for the October 23 national holiday, came under denial-of-service (DoS) cyber-attacks in the past two days, the organisation said. The attacks originated from several countries, attempting to thwart the organisation of the march which is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of people, the statement added. Experts are working on resolving the problem and 15,000 volunteers are helping around the country with preparations for the march, it added. Driving under the influence, first offense Colton B. Maxwell, Minden, fined $500, sentenced to seven days jail, given credit for one day already served, drivers license revoked six months. Also no valid registration, fined $25. Minor in possession, under 19 Hunter R. Nebe, Geneva, fined $350. Minor in possession, ages 19 and over Brianna J. Shook, Milford, fined $350. Driving under the influence, .15+ -- Aeyeshia R. Tiedeman, York, fined $500, sentenced to two days jail, ordered to 12 months probation, drivers license revoked one year. Also minor in possession, ages 19 and over fined $350 and ordered to 12 months probation. Also open alcohol container, fined $50 and ordered to 12 months probation. Also careless driving, fined $100 and ordered to 12 months probation. Also speeding, fined $200 and ordered to 12 months probation. All probation orders are to be served concurrently. Failure to appear or comply Jack McEwen, Lincoln, fined $250. New Delhi: The memorable film 'Bunty Aur Babli' will be back on-screen with its second part 'Bunty Aur Babli 2' after 16 years featuring Rani Mukerji, Saif Ali Khan and young stars Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari. The teaser of the comedy-drama released on Friday (October 22) and featured a fun tussle between the OG stars Rani Mukerji and Saif Ali Khan and the newbies Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari. At the beginning of the teaser, Rani and Saif are seen talking to each other about how it has been 12 years since they've acted on-screen together and Rani tells Saif that she really missed working with the actor. After the duo are done with their hair and make-up, they get a shocking surprise when they realise that they aren't the only ones playing the roles of Bunty and Babli. There will be another set of Bunty and Babli played by Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari - this leaves Rani and Saif exasperated! It's a hilarious sight to watch the two stomp off the set as they ask for the producer to discuss this change with them in their make-up room. All this while Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari are eagerly waiting to start the shoot but are kicked off set after the director announces a pack-up. Take a look at the teaser: 'Bunty Aur Babli 2' is a sequel of the 2005 blockbuster rom-com 'Bunty Aur Babli' starring Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan. In the second part, 'Gully Boy's MC Sher aka Siddhant Chaturvedi and newbie Sharvari are playing the lead roles. The film will be directed by Varun V Sharma and is bankrolled by Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj Films. New Delhi: SpiceJet airlines introduced a special livery on Thursday to honour the commitment of frontline staff and corona warriors who helped make this dream a reality as India celebrated the milestone of administering 100 crore Covid-19 immunisation shots. SpiceJet's three Boeing 737 aircraft are decked out in the livery, which features an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and healthcare personnel. According to a news release released by Spicejet, the special livery was introduced today at an event attended by Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya and Chairman and Managing Director of Spicejet Ajay Singh at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet said, I congratulate the Government of India on achieving this incredible feat of administering 100 crore Covid-19 vaccination doses under the leadership of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The fact that a record 1 billion doses were administered in just 279 days is a testament to the efforts of our health workers and the cooperation of our citizens. The exceptional contribution of our frontline workers and corona warriors including those from SpiceJet and SpiceHealth deserves special mention and should be applauded. Our aircraft livery is a small tribute to the success of Indias vaccination mission and a celebration of its never-say-die spirit, Singh added. India's ongoing statewide vaccination campaign has been dubbed the world's largest and fastest, and the country is one of the few in the world to make its own vaccinations. Spicejet has played an important role in the fight against Covid-19, carrying record amounts of relief supplies, medicines, and medical equipment during the pandemic, adding to India's fight against the virus. The airline has operated around 26,300 cargo flights since March 2020 and transported around 200,000 tonnes of cargo. Besides, the airline also airlifted close to 90,000 oxygen concentrators and relief material, the statement added. Live TV #mute Vistara, a Tata-SIA alliance airliner has re-introduced in-flight meals across cabins on its domestic network. The domestic airline has also resumed serving hot vegetarian meals in the Economy Class on its flights within India. As per the DGCA guidelines, air carriers were not allowed to serve on-board fresh hot meals and in-line with the same, Vistara replaced hot meals with pre-packaged snacks in order to control the spread of COVID-19. With the COVID-19 in control, and 100-crore Indians receiving vaccine doses (either single or both), airliners have slowly started to bring back in-flight experiences including hot meals following the guidelines set by regularoty authority DGCA. Vistara says that customer feedback that suggests that travellers are becoming "more confident" about consuming meals on board. Vistara has laid out a detailed plan to keep the inflight menu new and refreshed. As per the company, a lot of travellers preferred Vistara over other domestic airlines due to good quality in-flight meal. Vistara says they will be refreshing meals every three days which includes options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. In Economy Class, breakfast options include Masala Uttappam, Medu Vada, Idli with sambar etc.; lunch and dinner options include Vegetable Biryani with Dal Makhani, Jeera Pulao with Chana Masala, and more; while Masala Pao with Bhaji, Hot Garlic Vegetables with Noodles, etc. will be served as snacks on relevant flights. Vistara recently won the Best Airline in India and Central Asia award at the Skytrax annual ratings and was also lauded for cabin cleanliness and safety standards. Apart from Vistara, the other brands serving fresh hot meals in the cabin were Air India and Air Asia, all three belonging to the Tata Group. However, there's no update on whether they are starting the fresh meals on-board or not. Other brands like IndiGo and SpiceJet servce pre-packed snacks and meals and have stopped selling fresh food including sandwich during COVID-19. There's no word from the airliners if they are planning to start the same. Live TV #mute New Delhi: Actor Riteish Deshmukh known for his sense of humour had shared a funny post on sweets and the upcoming festival of Diwali on Twitter with his fans. The post was a take on how sweets may cost lesser to buy but losing them through weight loss will cost people much more! For example, Riteish wrote the rate of Kaju Barfi as Rs 800/kg and the rate of weight loss as Rs 15,000/kg leaving netizens in splits. I thought I should warn you !!!! pic.twitter.com/ptbJtYHAvC Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) October 21, 2021 However, one of the netizens was unhappy with his tweet and asked him why he only mentioned Hindu festivals and not Eid, Christmas or New Year, accusing the actor of being biased against Hindu festivals. The Twitter user wrote, "You people are enlightened only during Sanatani (Hindu) festivals only? Eid ya New Year ya Christmas par muh mein dahi jama lete ho!" To this, the actor hilariously replied, "Sorry sir - I am Vegan. Do not eat curd." Earlier, the actor had appeared on Amitabh Bachchan's KBC 13 along with his wife Genelia D'Souza. During the episode, Riteish had credited Big B for his marriage with Genelia, saying: "Had you not put the close-up that day, we might have not gotten married. Because of the close-up, she and I did our first film together. It`s all because of that one close-up you put up." He was referring to their 2003 film, `Tujhe Meri Kasam`. (With IANS inputs) New Delhi: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan is an avid social media user, who enjoys a massive fan following online. Fans recently spotted her doppelganger on Instagram (IG) and guess what? the girl's rising popularity is all thanks to her uncanny resemblance with the star kid. IG user Isha Jain, who has over 130K followers already looks much like Suhana Khan in most of her pictures and videos which have not gone viral. Take a look here: Isha Jain, a social media influencer drops mesmerising posts online and has a fanbase of her own. SRK and Gauri Khan's darling daughter headed to New York University in 2019 where she is studying acting. She completed her graduation from Ardingly College in England. Sometime back, filmmaker Theo Gimeno shared the first look poster of his short film starring Suhana in a lead role. Titled as 'The Grey Part Of Blue', it stars Robin Gonnella in the lead role besides Suhana. It has been written by Theo Gimeno. Speculation of her making her starry entry into movie business has always been around and now that she is studying acting as a course, looks like very soon the pretty girl will be making her big-screen debut. Meanwhile, all eyes are currently on her brother - Aryan Khan, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 2, 2021 from a cruise party in drugs case. The Special NDPS court has extended the judicial custody of Aryan and other accused till October 30, 2021. New Delhi: Marking two decades of Narendra Modi as head of government, an RSS-linked organisation will organise a three-day long conference to discuss Modi`s governance model. The three-day conference scheduled for October 27 to 29 will be inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. It is titled `National conference in delivery democracy: Reviewing two decades of Narendra Modi as head of government`. Prominent journalists, economists, diplomats, policy analysts, civil servants, businessmen and other experts who have closely studied Modi`s record over the past 20 years will share their insights and observations about his contributions to governance at the state, national and international levels at the Rambhau Mhalgi Pradodhni (RMP) - a Mumbai based charitable trust`s event. Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said that PM Modi`s tenure as the Gujarat Chief Minister and later as the Prime Minister are important milestones in the democratic process and if a person has worked so long in one field then his/her contribution should be analysed. "The main themes of this national conference include PM Modi`s `Art of Implementation`, reforms in education and skill development, economic policies and outlooks (Modinomics), approach to poverty reduction and social welfare, role in promoting science and technology, interventions in the agricultural sector, foreign policy, management of Covid-19 pandemic and improvements in healthcare, and agenda for social justice of weaker sections and gender equity," a statement said. "There will be a total of 11 sessions scheduled in the span of three days," a BJP official said. A discussion on the government`s approach to the three farm laws is also on the agenda. Live TV New Delhi: The Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech Dr Krishna Ella on Thursday (October 21, 2021) lauded the government`s system for achieving the milestone of administering 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses so far. Dr. Krishna Ella termed the country`s nationwide vaccination drive, a "significant success", and said, "Credit goes to country`s scientists and also government system that delivered vaccine to the last mile of delivery. We proved to the world that Indian industry can do it." "It is a significant achievement and sets a mark for Indian industry that we can help global health at large," he added. Credit goes to country's scientists &also govt system that delivered vaccine to last mile of delivery. It's significant achievement& sets mark for Indian industry that we can help global health at large: Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman &MD, Bharat Biotech on 100 cr vaccinations (21.10) pic.twitter.com/JjSPBVE0gZ ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021 A total of 100 crore vaccine doses had been administered so far to eligible beneficiaries, as per the CoWIN portal at 9:47 am on Thursday. India`s COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched on January 16, 2021. Initially, the vaccination was opened for Health Care Workers (HCWs) only. From February 2, front-line workers were made eligible for vaccination. These included state and Central Police personnel, Armed Force Personnel, Home Guards, Civil Defence and Disaster Management Volunteers, Municipal workers, Prison Staff, PRI Staff and Revenue workers involved in containment and surveillance, Railway Protection Force and election Staff. The vaccination drive was expanded from March 1 to include persons above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with associated specified 20 comorbidities. It was further expanded to all people above 45 years of age from April 1. From May 1 all persons above 18 years of age were made eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. (With ANI inputs) Live TV New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday denied bail to JNU student Sharjeel Imam in connection with allegedly giving an inflammatory speech and inciting violence in 2019, saying that the speech was on communal lines and its content "tend to have a debilitating effect on the peace and harmony." According to police, Imam allegedly delivered a provocative speech on December 13, 2019, which resulted in riots two days later when a mob consisting of over 3,000 people attacked police personnel and torched several vehicles in the Jamia Nagar area. Denying bail to him, Additional Sessions Judge Anuj Agrawal said that cursory and plain reading of the speech showed that it was clearly on communal lines. "The tone and tenor of the incendiary speech tend to have a debilitating effect upon public tranquility, peace, and harmony of the society," he added. The judge, however, noted that the evidence in support of the allegations that the rioters got instigated by Imam's speech and thereafter indulged in the acts of rioting, mischief, attacking the police party, was scanty and sketchy. Besides this case, Imam is also accused of being the "mastermind" of the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. Live TV New Delhi: The Gujarat Congress unit leaders will meet Rahul Gandhi on Friday (October 22) to take a call on the new face for the states Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), ANI reported. "The vacancies in the party`s state unit need to be filled as the Assembly polls are due next year in the state," a source told the news agency. This comes six months after Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Paresh Dhanani stepped down from their posts. Gujarat PCC was dissolved in October 2019. Following the demise of Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Satav, who died from post COVID-19 complications in May 2021, All India Congress Committee (AICC) appointed Raghu Sharma as Gujarat in charge. "The party is facing defeats in the local body polls and other opposition parties are emerging as a challenge for Congress in Opposition. In the current scenario, the meeting will be attended by senior leaders of the state and AICC in-charge Raghu Sharma," the source added. As per reports, Gandhi will meet 15 senior leaders today to select the next Gujarat Congress president. Hardik Patel, who is currently the Working President of Gujarat Congress, and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil are reportedly the frontrunners in the race for the post of president and leader of the CLP respectively. Hardik Patel is from the Patidar community and emerged as a leader after the Patidar Movement, while Gohil is considered close to the Gandhi family. It is a crucial meeting as Gujarat will witness Assembly elections next year, where there is a direct fight between the grand old party and BJP that has been ruling the state for almost two decades. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Army on Thursday (October 22, 2021) recovered five bodies and rescued two people from snow in a rescue operation with Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), informed Abid Hussain Sadiq, Deputy Commissioner, Kinnaur. "ITBP & Army started rescue operations on Thursday for 11 trekkers who went missing. They had started their expedition from Uttarakhand. Army rescued two people & recovered five bodies from the snow at different places," said Deputy Commissioner. The Deputy Commissioner added that four out of the 11 trekkers are still missing. On Wednesday, 11 trekkers were reported missing at Lamkhaga Pass between Uttarakhand to Himachal Pradesh, informed Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar. "A team of 11 trekkers is missing at Lamkhaga Pass between Uttarakhand to Himachal Pradesh. Search and rescue operation will be conducted tomorrow after heli-survey done today," DGP Kumar said. Live TV New Delhi: India recorded 15,786 new coronavirus cases which pushed the total tally to 3,41,43,236, as per Union Health Ministry data on Friday (October 22). Around 231 people lost their lives due to COVID-19 infection in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 4,53,042. The active caseload in the country stands at 1,75,745, the lowest in 232 days. Out of the total fresh cases reported in the last 24 hours, Kerala contributed to 8,733 daily cases. As many as 18,641 new recoveries were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total recovery count to 3,35,14,449. India's recovery rate is currently at 98.16 per cent which is the highest since March 2020. The daily spurt in new COVID-19 infections has been below 30,000 for 28 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 117 consecutive days now. As per Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) data, the number of samples tested up to October 21 is 59,70,66,481, out of which 13,24,263 samples were tested on Thursday. India had logged 18,454 fresh COVID-19 cases and 160 fatalities on Thursday. The country also achieved the feat of administering over 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses. Under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive, 100.59 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far. Live TV New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked the whole nation for making the mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign a "super success'' a day after India reached the historic milestone of vaccinating more than 100 crore people. On 21st October, India accomplished the target of 1 billion COVID-19 vaccinations. This achievement belongs to every individual in the country. I congratulate every citizen for this feat, PM Narendra Modi said during his televised address to the nation. The PM added that 100 crore vaccination is not just a number, it's beginning of a new chapter in Indias history.'' 100 crore vaccination mark is not just a number... It's a new chapter in history, a testament that India can achieve a tough aim successfully. It shows that country works hard for the fulfilment of its goals, PM Modi said on India achieving 100-crore vaccination mark. Addressing the nation, PM Modi said, ''our country has succeeded in its Covid campaign because 130 crore citizens are behind it. 'It's their success. I congratulate all.'' 'While we are being lauded by countries across the world, most will miss where we started - where we were dependent on others,' he said. Sharing Indias vaccine journey and its fight to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the PM said, There were apprehensions over our vaccination program. It was also being said about India that how will discipline work here. The PM went on to say that India's vaccine campaign is a living example of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas' The PM said that the government ensured that the VIP culture does not overshadow the countrys mass vaccination program and everyone is treated equally. The country, he said, had only one mantra - that if the disease does not discriminate, then there cannot be any discrimination in the vaccination. "That's why it was ensured that VIP culture was not allowed," he said. #WATCH | ...No discrimination in vaccination mantra was followed. It was ensured that VIP culture didn't overshadow the vaccination drive: PM Modi on 100-crore vaccination feat pic.twitter.com/Iv1QhjzcTl ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2021 "Our first line of defence against pandemic was public participation, as part of which people lit diyas, banged thalis. Some people had questioned saying "Will it help us get rid of the disease?" PM Modi said. Outlining the enormity of the challenge, from producing the vaccine in plants of Pune and Hyderabad to ensuring last-mile delivery across the country with seamless logistics, PM Modi said the drive has been an unprecedented effort in history of independent India. In his speech, the Prime Minister urged people to keep following Covid-19 protocol during the festival season and not drop their guard. "It is a matter of pride for us that India's vaccination programme has been science-born, science-driven and science-based," PM Modi said. From the development of vaccines to inoculation, science and science-based approach has been involved in all processes, he asserted. PM Modis address to the nation came a day after the cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses crossed the landmark figure of 100 crore in India. In an opinion piece on Friday, he also described India's COVID-19 vaccination drive as a journey from anxiety to assurance that has made the country emerge stronger and credited its success to people's trust in the vaccines despite various efforts to create mistrust and panic. The PM noted that the feat was achieved in nine months despite many doubting the country's capability, and asserted that his government ensured that, like its other schemes, there is no VIP culture in the vaccination drive either. There was a lot of pressure from different interest groups to give preferential treatment to them in vaccination, he said while giving credit to Indian scientists and entrepreneurs for rising to the occasion to make the country aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) in producing vaccines. Outlining the enormity of the challenge, from producing the vaccine in plants of Pune and Hyderabad to ensuring last-mile delivery across the country with seamless logistics, PM Modi said the drive has been an unprecedented effort in history of independent India. When everyone takes ownership, nothing is impossible. Our healthcare workers traversed hills and crossed rivers across difficult geographies to vaccinate people. Our youth, social workers, healthcare workers, social and religious leaders, all deserve credit for the fact that India faces minimal vaccine hesitancy when compared to even developed nations, he wrote in the piece Team India-Responding to Adversity with Achievement. Administering 100 crore doses of vaccines in just about nine months since the vaccination started has been a tremendous journey in dealing with the disease, the Prime Minister said, noting that humanity was dealing with such a pandemic after 100 years and no one knew much about the virus following its outbreak in early 2020. We remember how unpredictable the situation appeared then, as we were faced by an unknown and invisible enemy mutating rapidly. The journey from anxiety to assurance has happened and our nation has emerged stronger, thanks to the world's largest vaccination drive, he said. One of the reasons for the success of the campaign was the trust that people developed in the vaccine and the process followed, despite various efforts to create mistrust and panic, he added. Describing the exercise as Bhagirathi (gigantic) effort involving multiple sections of society, he pointed out that if it is assumed that a healthcare worker took just two minutes for every vaccination then at this rate it took around 41 lakh man-days or approximately 11 thousand man-years of effort to reach this landmark of 100 crore doses. There are some among us who only trust foreign brands, even for simple everyday necessities. However, when it came to something as crucial as the COVID-19 vaccine, the people of India unanimously trusted Made in India' vaccines. This is a significant paradigm shift, he said. India's vaccine drive, PM Modi added, is an example of what the country can achieve if the citizens and the government come together with a common goal in the spirit of Jan Bhagidari (people's participation). Noting that only a handful of countries have developed their own vaccines so far, he said more than 180 countries are dependent on an extremely limited pool of producers and dozens of nations are still waiting for the supply of vaccines while India has crossed 100 crore doses. Imagine the situation if India did not have its own vaccine, he said. He expressed hope that the success of the vaccination drive will further spur India's youth, innovators and all levels of government to set new benchmarks of public service delivery which will be a model not only for our country but also for the world. When India started its vaccination programme, there were many people who doubted the capabilities of 130 crore Indians. Some said India would take 3-4 years. Some others said people will not come forward to get vaccinated. There were those who said there will be gross mismanagement and chaos in the vaccination process, he said. Some even said that India will not be able to manage supply chains, he added, asserting that like the Janta Curfew' and subsequent lockdowns, people of India showed how spectacular the results can be if they are made trusted partners. PM Modi said people used to see governments as a roadblock to forward movement but his government has instead been an accelerator and enabler of progress. All ministries of the government came together to facilitate the vaccine makers and remove any bottlenecks as a result of our whole of Government' approach, he said. All these efforts, he said, were complemented by a robust tech platform in CoWIN. Live TV New Delhi: Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav has been suspended from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) for a month over his visit to the residence of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member who lost his life during the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. SKM, an umbrella organisation of various farmer unions, took the decision of suspending Yadav on Thursday for his visit to the BJP worker Shubham Mishra`s residence to offer condolences to his family on October 12, confirms BKU media in charge. "We went to the house of BJP worker Shubham Mishra while returning after attending the prayer meeting for the farmers who were martyred in the Lakhimpur violence. The family did not get angry with us. Just asked the question with a sad heart: are we not farmers? What was wrong with our son? Why did your partner say an action-reaction thing?" Yadav had tweeted then. A total of eight people including four farmers died in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that took place on October 3. Local farmers blame Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra `Teni` and his son for the violence. They were allegedly mowed down by a vehicle that was part of the convoy of the Minister in Lakhimpur Kheri in north-central Uttar Pradesh. Videos are also being circulated on social media where a Mahindra Thar was seen knocking down protesters from behind. However, Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni had refuted the allegations saying that his son was not present at the site of the incident. Ashish reiterated the same and refuted the allegations. Later, several people, including Ashish Mishra, were arrested in the case. Live TV Srinagar: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Friday sent a legal notice to former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik seeking Rs 10 crore compensation for his alleged "defamatory" remarks against her. The notice comes days after Malik, who is now the governor of Meghalaya, allegedly said Mehbooba Mufti was a beneficiary of the now-abandoned Roshni scheme which aimed to grant proprietary rights to occupants of state land for charges. "Although no amount of money can compensate my client for the loss of reputation and good name which has been caused by your aforesaid conduct, yet my client has decided to sue you for compensation," Mehbooba's counsel Anil Sethi wrote in the legal notice. The notice asked Malik to pay Rs 10 crore within 30 days as compensation or face legal proceedings. It said the compensation money will not be used by Mehbooba for any personal gains but for public good. Earlier on Wednesday, Mehbooba had asked Malik, who was the last governor of Jammu and Kashmir before it was bifurcated, to withdraw his comments. "False & unsavoury utterances of Satya Pal Malik about me being a beneficiary of Roshni Act is highly mischievous. My legal team is preparing to sue him. "He has the option to withdraw his comments failing which I will pursue legal recourse," Mehbooba said in a tweet two days ago. Mehbooba shared a video in which Malik is seen claiming that National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and the PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti got land plots under the Roshni scheme. The Roshni Act was brought in by the Farooq Abdullah government with the aim of granting proprietary rights to occupants of state land in lieu of charges. The money thus generated was to be used for setting up hydro-power plants in the state. However, the scheme was disbanded after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court declared it illegal and directed the CBI to investigate the beneficiaries of the scheme. Live TV New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (October 21, 2021) thanked world leaders for their wishes on India crossing the 100 crore COVID-19 vaccinations mark. The country achieved the milestone of administering 100 crore COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday morning. After the announcement, several world leaders congratulated India on achieving the milestone. In reply to a tweet by Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister Modi said, "Thank you Lyonchhen Lotay Tshering for your kind words on this historic occasion. We deeply cherish our friendship with Bhutan! India remains committed in our fight against COVID-19 together with the region and the world." Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih took to Twitter to congratulate India and wrote, "Congratulations to PM @narendramodi and the government of India for administering 1 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines, displaying the innovation and solidarity of the Indian people. Thank you also, India, for supporting Maldives` Covid-19 recovery and vaccination efforts." In reply to a tweet by Maldives President, PM Modi said, "Thank you President @ibusolih for your kind wishes. I am pleased to see the progress of the vaccination drive in the Maldives. As neighbours and close friends, our partnership to overcome COVID-19 has borne fruit." Additionally, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also lauded PM Modi on leading India`s successful COVID-19 vaccination campaign. "Congratulations to @narendramodi on leading India`s successful COVID-19 vaccination campaign that has now administered more than 1 billion vaccines to the Indian people. These life-saving vaccines are helping us all defeat the global pandemic," Bennett said in a Twitter post. While replying to the tweet by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the Indian Prime Minister said, "Thank you, PM @naftalibennett. Appreciate your warm words. This milestone has been made possible by India`s scientists, health workers and innovators who are also, along with their Israeli counterparts, building the foundations of our knowledge-based strategic partnership." Meanwhile, a total of 100 crore vaccine doses had been administered so far to eligible beneficiaries, as per the CoWIN portal at 9:47 am on Thursday. India`s COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched on January 16, 2021. Initially, the vaccination was opened for Health Care Workers (HCWs) only. From February 2, front-line workers were made eligible for vaccination. These included state and Central Police personnel, Armed Force Personnel, Home Guards, Civil Defence and Disaster Management Volunteers, Municipal workers, Prison Staff, PRI Staff and Revenue workers involved in containment and surveillance, Railway Protection Force and election Staff. The vaccination drive was expanded from March 1 to include persons above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with associated specified 20 comorbidities. It was further expanded to all people above 45 years of age from April 1. From May 1 all persons above 18 years of age were made eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. (With ANI inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to address the nation on Friday (October 22, 2021) morning. According to a Prime Ministers Office (PMO), the address will take place at 10 am today. PM @narendramodi will address the nation at 10am today, the PMO informed on its official Twitter handle. PM @narendramodi will address the nation at 10 AM today. PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 22, 2021 It may be noted that the address to the nation is taking place a day after India achieved the milestone of administering 100 crore COVID-19 vaccines. Earlier on Thursday at 9:47 am on Thursday, as per the CoWIN portal, the country crossed the 100 crore COVID-19 vaccinations mark. Shortly after the country reached the 100 crore vaccinations milestone mark, PM Modi visited Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital in the national capital and interacted with doctors and health care workers there. The prime minister also hailed the efforts of the health care workers and in a tweet said, India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians. Congrats India on crossing 100 crore vaccinations. Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat. #VaccineCentury. Meanwhile, in his opinion piece, PM Modi noted that the landmark was reached in just nine months, and this was achevied despite many casting doubts on Indias capability. There was a lot of pressure from different interest groups to give preferential treatment to them in vaccination. Credit goes to Indian scientists and entrepreneurs for rising to the occasion to make the country Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) in producing vaccines, PM Modi wrote. We remember how unpredictable the situation appeared then, as we were faced by an unknown and invisible enemy mutating rapidly. The journey from anxiety to assurance has happened and our nation has emerged stronger, thanks to the world's largest vaccination drive. One of the reasons for the success of the campaign was the trust that people developed in the vaccine and the process followed, despite various efforts to create mistrust and panic, he said. Live TV New Delh: British foreign secretary Liz Truss is set to meet External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar in New Delhi on Friday (October 22). The British High Commission informed that UK Foreign Secretary will today announce a series of tech and infrastructure tie-ups with India to boost both economies and help developing countries grow in a clean and sustainable way. During a two-day trip to Delhi and Mumbai, the Foreign Secretary will outline agreements to deepen investment ties between the two countries and work together on finance and technical support packages for the developing world. Earlier today, UK Foreign Secretary had discussions with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on ways to strengthen climate initiatives and further our green partnership." Had an engaging bilateral with the UK delegation led by Foreign Minister Ms @trussliz. Both sides agreed to strengthen climate initiatives and further our green partnership. Assured India`s support for UK COP presidency, wishing @COP26 would be the COP of action & implementation," Yadav tweeted. During her stay in New Delhi, Truss will hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on October 22 on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest. Truss will travel to Mumbai on October 23. New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission is likely to release the UPSC NDA 2 admit card 2021 on Friday (October 22, 2021) or by October 31. Once released, the candidates will be able to check their UPSC NDA 2 admit card on the official website of the commission- upsc.gov.in. The candidates need to note that the exams will be conducted on November 14, 2021, in an offline mode across the various exam centres. Earlier, the commission in an official notice had said that the admit card will be released three weeks before the commencement of the examinations. Students planning to appear for the UPSC NDA 2 exam need to note that they can also download their admit card from upsconline.nic.in and that all admit cards will be issued online. None of the admit cards will be sent by post to the candidates. UPSC NDA 2 Admit Card 2021: Important updates for candidates The commission is likely to issue the admit card latest by October 31, 2020. The admit card will be released on the official website- upsc.gov.in. If the candidates find any fault or error in the admit cards they need to contact the UPSC administrative office immediately. All admit cards for UPSC NDA 2 Exam 2021 will be issued online. None of the admit cards will be sent by post. The candidates are advised to keep a check of the UPSC official website for the latest information and updates. Live TV New Delhi: As India administered over 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses on Thursday (October 21), Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership for achieving the feat. "This achievement is historic. It tells us if we Indians are determined about something, we can achieve it." "We`re going on the right path under PM Modi`s leadership, Kumar told ANI. The Niti Aayog Vice Chairman also claimed that India would achieve the target of vaccinating the entire population by December end and said, "This achievement is proof that the way we are working, the target of vaccinating the entire population by December end would be accomplished." He also tweeted earlier that this milestone has shown Indias exemplary capabilities to deliver the solutions for ensuring people's welfare. "India once again shows exemplary capabilities to deliver the solutions for ensuring people's welfare. Congratulations @mansukhmandviya for meeting honourable @PMOIndia's highest expectations, Kumar wrote. Earlier, NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul said efforts to encourage people to take COVID-19 vaccine have to be made while ensuring those who have taken one dose take the second jab as well. According to Co-WIN portal data, India has administered more than 71 crore vaccine doses as the first dose and over 29 crore as the second dose. More than 75 per cent of India's adult population has been inoculated with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Nine states and union territories-- Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Dadra and Nagar Haveli-- have vaccinated the entire targeted population with at least the first dose. Over 31 per cent of the country's eligible population (around 93 crore adults) has been fully vaccinated, according to Union Health Ministry officials. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are the top five states which have administered the highest number of doses, PTI reported. India commenced its nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16 for healthcare workers while the inoculation of frontline workers was rolled out from February 2. In the next phase of the drive from March 1, people over 60 years and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions were included in the drive. Vaccination for all people aged over 45 years began on April 1. On May 1, the government launched the vaccination drive for all above 18. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: BJP MP Varun Gandhi has once again hit out at the Yogi government, saying that if the public has to do everything on their own, then what`s the government is for. The Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh`s Pilibhit, who earlier raised questions on the state government`s attitude towards the sugarcane farmers and over Lakhimpur Kheri violence, this time has targeted the Yogi government over the plight of the flood victims in the state. Varun said that there is flood in the entire Terai region of the state, "people need help, but even at such a time, help is not being provided by the government". "What is the need of the government, if people have to help themselves even at such times," he asked. Sharing pictures of the floods affected areas and distribution of dry ration to the victims, Varun tweeted, "Much of the Terai is badly flooded. Donating dry rations by hand so that no family is hungry till this calamity ends. It`s painful that when the common man needs the system the most, he`s left to fend for himself. If every response is individual-led then what does `governance` mean."(sic) Much of the Terai is badly flooded. Donating dry rations by hand so that no family is hungry till this calamity ends. Its painful that when the common man needs the system the most,hes left to fend for himself.If every response is individual-led then what does governance mean pic.twitter.com/P2wF7Tb431 Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) October 21, 2021 Earlier Varun had publicly written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding to increase the support price of sugarcane. Similarly, he had also raised questions on the action being taken by the government in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Live TV Railway Recruitment 2021: The Railway Recruitment Cell (RRC) of East Central located at Patna issued a notification for recruitment to Apprentices posts for various Divisions and Units. Candidates can apply for a total of 2206 posts be filled for Danapur Division, Dhanbad Division, Plant Depot/ Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Samastipur Division, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Division, Carriage & Wagon Repair Workshop/ Harnaut, Mechanical Workshop/ Samastipur and Sonpur Division. Candidates who are selected would be trained in specific divisions or units that are under the East Central Railways. The last date to apply for the post is till November 5, 2021. Candidates can apply online by visiting the official site at rrcecr.gov.in . East Central Railway Recruitment 2021: Vacancy Danapur Division: 675 Dhanbad Division: 156 Sonpur Division: 47 Plant Depot/Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya: 135 Samastipur Division: 81 Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Division: 892 Carriage & Wagon Repair Workshop: 110 Mechanical Workshop/Samastipur: 110 East Central Railway Recruitment 2021: Selection process Selection for Apprenticeship training will be on the basis of merit list of all candidates who apply. The merit list will be prepared taking the average of the percentage of marks obtained by the candidates in both Matriculation (with minimum 50% (aggregate marks) and ITI examination giving equal weightage to both. East Central Railway Recruitment 2021: Eligibility - Candidate should have passed Class 10 examination or its equivalent (under 10+2 examination system) with minimum 50% marks in aggregate, from recognized Board. - Candidate must have ITI in relevant trade (National Trade Certificate in the notified trade issued by National Council for Vocational Training or Provisional Certificate issued by National Council for Vocational Training/State Council for Vocational Training). East Central Railway Recruitment 2021: Age The candidates have to be a minimum 15 to 24 years of age. (There will be age relaxation for reserved category as per govt norms) Live TV NEW DELHI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has summoned actor Ananya Pandey again on Monday (October 25) for a third round of questioning in a WhatsApp chat related to Aryan Khan drugs case. The summon to Ananya has been issued by the NCB based on the chats retrieved from Aryan Khan's phone. Accompanied by her actor-father Chunky Pandey, Ananya visited NCB office for two consecutive days, on Thursday and Friday, to record her statement in connection with Aryan Khan drugs case. According to reports, Ananya was questioned for about 4 hours on Friday by the NCB. During the questioning yesterday, the actor denied the allegations of supplying and consuming drugs. As per the NCB sources, Ananya denied the allegation of supplying drugs to Aryan Khan, who is accused in the case, and said that she has never consumed drugs. "The chats recovered from Aryan Khan's mobile phone reveal that in 2018-19, she helped supply drugs to Aryan thrice by providing him the numbers of drug dealers," NCB sources told ANI. "Ananya denied the supply related talks in the chat conversation and told the NCB officials that she has never consumed or supplied drugs," sources added. Aryan was arrested by NCB sleuths on October 2 during a raid at Mumbai cruise ship, which was on its way to Goa. Aryan's bail hearing was put off by the Bombay High Court on Thursday till October 26. New Delhi: Bollywood actress Ananya Panday has been summoned on a second consecutive day by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The young star is being probed by the anti-drug agency to discuss the retrieved WhatsApp chats between her and Aryan Khan. During her interrogation on Day 1, it has been learnt that Ananya told the NCB investigators in her defence that she was talking about cigarettes with Aryan Khan and not any drugs. #WATCH | Mumbai: Actor Ananya Panday arrives at NCB office for questioning in the ongoing drugs case pic.twitter.com/DCg4vUwKg5 ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2021 Ananya has also said that the chats are old so she doesn't really remember most of the context of it. The actress told NCB officials, 'I have never consumed any drugs. I don't know any drug peddler and I have nothing to do with the ongoing drugs case.' It has been learnt that NCB has found some WhatsApp chats between the two where they are discussing Ganja. The source revealed that Aryan in one of his chats asked Ananya, 'if Ganja can be arranged?' to which the young actress replied saying that she will arrange. However, when quizzed over this chat, Ananya Panday clarified that it was just a joke and nothing else. According to sources close to NCB, the anti-drug agency has found a couple of other chats between the two where they are talking about narcotic substances on different occasions. Meanwhile, after conducting a brief search operation at her Bandra residence on October 21, the NCB called the actress for a probe in relation to the Aryan Khan drugs case. Ananya was let off by the officials after a nearly 2-hour long questioning on October 21, 2021. Some phones, laptop and electronic devices have been seized from her residence after the raids. Aryan Khan will have to stay in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail, at least for 4 more days as the Bombay High Court has decided to hear his bail plea in the drugs case on October 26, 2021. Aryan Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha's bail applications were rejected by Mumbais Special NDPS Court on Wednesday, October 20. Besides Aryan, model Munmun Dhamecha's bail application was also mentioned, and the hearing has been kept for Tuesday. New Delhi: After TV actress and classical dancer Sudhaa Chandran recalled her ordeal at the airport where she was asked to remove her artificial limb at the security check, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) issued an apology to her on Twitter. On Thursday, she had made an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government to look into security procedures for individuals with prosthetic limbs. The 56-year-old actress, in a recent Instagram video, was heard recalling her ordeal at the airport where she was asked to remove her artificial limb at the security check even after she requested the CISF officers to do an ETD (Explosive Trace Detector) for her artificial limb. On Friday, the Twitter handle for CISF wrote, "We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused to Ms. Sudhaa Chandran. As per protocol, prosthetics are to be removed for security checks only under exceptional circumstances. 1/2." They also said, "We will examine why the lady personnel concerned requested Ms. Sudhaa Chandran to remove the prosthetics. We assure Ms.Sudhaa Chandran that all our personnel will be sensitised again on the protocols so that no inconvenience is caused to travelling passengers. 2/2" Take a look at their tweets: We will examine why the lady personnel concerned requested Ms. Sudhaa Chandran to remove the prosthetics. We assure Ms.Sudhaa Chandran that all our personnel will be sensitised again on the protocols so that no inconvenience is caused to travelling passengers. 2/2 CISF (@CISFHQrs) October 22, 2021 In the video, Sudhaa had appealed directly to PM Modi, saying, "Good evening, this is a very personal note that I want to tell to our dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji, this is an appeal to the central government, I am Sudhaa Chandran, an actress and dancer by profession, who has danced with an artificial limb and created history and made my country very proud of me." "But every time that I go on my professional visits, each time, am stopped at the airport and when I request them at the security, to the CISF officers that please do an ETD (Explosive Trace Detector) for my artificial limb, they still want me to remove my artificial limb and show it to them. Is this humanly possible, Modi ji? Is this what our country is talking about? Is this the respect that a woman gives to another woman in our society? It is my humble request to you Modi ji that please give senior citizens a card that says they are senior citizen", she concluded. Sudhaa is a prominent Bharatnatyam dancer known for accomplishing this feat despite her prosthetic limb. For the unversed, she had lost her leg in a road accident in 1981 and after that, she has adopted a prosthetic limb in place of her amputated leg. She is most popularly known for her roles in shows such as 'Kaahin Kissii Roz', 'Naagin' season 1, 2, 3 and 4 and 'Deivam Thandha Veedu'. The actress won the National Film Award Special Jury Award for the Telugu film Mayuri in 1985. Interestingly, the film was based on her life. New Delhi: Aadhaar Card is one of the most important documents required for most official work in India. The card is required for availing of most of the services offered by central or state government agencies as well as private financial companies. Therefore, cardholders should always keep their details, especially address, always updated on Aadhaar Card. If you have recently changed your home, then you can also update the address on your Aadhaar card easily by following a few simple steps. But before we tell how to update the address on Aadhaar Card, its important for cardholders to know that document is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Besides address, the 12-digit number card contains several other details such as the person's name, date of birth, gender and more. An Aadhaar card is also linked to the biometric details of iris and finger of the cardholders, which makes it one of the most credible identity documents in India. Also Read: Apple Recruitment: iPhone maker is hiring for engineers, interns in India, check vacancies For changing the address on Aadhaar Card, all cardholders need to do is visit the official UIDAI website and upload the required document. The address is changed on Aadhaar Card as soon as your information and document are verified by the agency. Also Read: Recharging mobile via PhonePe? Get ready to pay small processing fee, check details Here are the steps to update the address on Aadhaar Card: Step 1: Visit the official UIDAI web portal which is https://uidai.gov.in/. Step 2: Click on My Aadhaar from the drop-down menu on the top left corner of the website. Step 3: On the next page, select the Update Demographics Data Online option from the drop-down menu on the top left corner. You can find the option under the Update Aadhaar section. Step 4: Tap on the Proceed to Update Aadhaar link. Step 5: Enter the necessary information as asked in the provided boxes. Step 6: Enter Aadhaar number and verify the details via captcha verification. Step 7: After OTP verification, select the demographics data option. Step 8: On the next page, update your address details and click on the Proceed button. Step 9: Upload the scanned colour copies of verification documents to authenticate your update request. Step 10: Click on the Submit button. Cardholders can submit various documents as residential proof to change the address on their Aadhaar cards. Heres a list of documents that are accepted by UIDAI as proof of address (POA): Passport Bank Statement/ Passbook Post Office Account Statement/ Passbook Ration Card, Voter ID Driving License Government Photo ID cards/ service photo identity card issued by PSU Electricity Bill (not older than 3 months) Water Bill (not older than 3 months) Telephone Landline Bill (not older than 3 months) Property Tax Receipt (not older than 1 year) Credit Card Statement (not older than 3 months) Insurance Policy Live TV #mute New Delhi: Public and private banks close for at least 21 days in October to observe several holidays throughout the month, including Durga Puja, Navratri, and Dussehra. If you plan on visiting a bank branch this week, you should be aware of these holidays to avoid any inconveniences. The Reserve Bank of India has announced three bank holidays: the Negotiable Instruments Act Holiday, Real Time Gross Settlement Holiday, and Banks' Closing of Accounts. On these specified holidays, all banks in the country, including the public sector, private sector, foreign banks, cooperative banks, and regional banks, will be closed. All banks are closed on Republic Day (January 26), Independence Day (August 15), Gandhi Jayanti (October 2), and Christmas Day, according to the RBI list (December 25). Banks are also closed on holidays like as Diwali, Christmas, Eid, Guru Nanak Jayanthi, and Good Friday. The private and public sector banks across the country are closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also mandated that banks remain closed on Sundays. It should be noted, however, that bank holidays differ from one state to the next. In your state, bank holidays may not be observed on all days. As a result, bank customers are typically recommended to contact their local branch to obtain a complete list of bank holidays. 3) October 22 Friday following Eid-i-Milad-ul-Nabi (Jammu, Srinagar) 4) October 23 4th Saturday 5) October 24 Sunday 6) October 26 Accession Day (Jammu, Srinagar) 7) October 31 - Sunday Live TV #mute New Delhi: If you are a bike or two-wheeler enthusiast, this piece of news on personal accident insurance claim would be an important update for you. As per the details of your motor insurance policy once, if your bike's engine is more than 150cc, then the insurance company can reject the claim of personal accident cover in case of an accident. A similar incident has come to light in Ludhiana. A biker in Ludhiana dies during a road accident, however the insurance company refused to pay the claim because the bike that the person was driving had more than 150cc engine. (Also read: Looking for reasons to invest in Family Health Insurance Plans? Check five advantages of family floater policy) The biker was driving a 346cc bike, and hence seem to be denied the insurance claim after he met with an accident. As per the terms and conditions of the policy, the claim under general Clause 8 shall not be payable for bodily injury resulting from riding or driving a motorcycle or motor scooter of more than 150cc. The insurance company rejected the personal accident claim on the basis that it exceeded the engine specs which was above 150cc. The move by the company has led to a lot of uproar among insurers following which the company had to clarify its stand. HDFC ERGO, which is the insuring company in this case, however expressed regrets because a lapse in judgement. The company said that said that the clause as per Motor Insurance Policy terms was part of the insured person's old policy which was removed in October 2020. HDFC ERGO, expressing further remorse has said that the claim amount has now been paid to the family. It is advisable that you read the fine prints of the insurance that you undertake because several companies are still continuing this old clause wherein no insurance cover is provided during personal accident claims if the bikes are above 150cc. Customers who take an accident cover in any form should check their respective policy documents carefully and change the product at the time of new policy and renewal if the fine prints are deceptive. Live TV #mute Chennai: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) held searches at former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami's aide R.Elangovan's premises which led to the discovery of Rs.29.77 Lakhs in cash, 10 luxury cars (including a Cooper and an Audi), 2 Volvo Buses, 3 computer hard discs, 21.2 Kgs of gold jewels, 282.383 Kgs of silver articles, bank passbooks, property documents and bank deposits Rs.68 lakhs. Cases relevant to allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income, and other relevant sections of the IPC have been registered against R. Elangovan, President of Salem District Central Co-Operative Bank and his son E Praveenkumar. On Friday, searches were carried out in 36 places spread across Tamil Nadu - Chennai, Coimbatore, Namakkal, Musiri, Trichy and Salem. The search venues included the residences of R.Elangovan, his relatives and close associates who are suspected to have been in possession of assets on behalf of them. In addition to this, their business firms and Jewelry shops in which they are partners and colleges being run under Swamy Ayyappan Educational Trust, were searched by sleuths. Elangovan, also holds a post in AIADMK and is said to be close to party's Joint Coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami. Condemning the searches, Palaniswami said that the DMK government was indulging in vendetta politics. The state government had registered corruption cases against former ministers of the AIADMK government such as C.Vijayabaskar, S.P. Velumani, M.R. Vijayabhaskar and K.C. Veeramani. Live TV Chennai: Its been four days since Indian fishermen Rajkiran, Xavier and Suganthiran left their respective homes in the Kottaipattinam fishing hamlet in Southern Tamil Nadu, they are currently in Lankan custody after their boat sank near the Delft island (between India and Sri Lanka). The fishing boat they were traveling in, sank after it allegedly 'collided' with a Sri Lankan Navy craft. While Xavier and Suganthiran survied, Rajkiran is said to have drowned in the incident. His body is being awaited along with the two fishers who were expected to be repatriated by Wednesday night. During the course of the week, the fishing community from Ramanathapuram and Pudukottai districts in Tamil Nadu have been protesting what they call a deliberate action of colliding and sinking Indian fishing boat. It has been alleged that the latest incident bears striking resemblance to an incident from January earlier this year when a Lankan Navy Boat had allegedly crashed into an Indian fishing vessel, leading to the capture and death of its four crew members. The boat capsized because of them (Lankan forces), this was not an unexpected incident like they have been projecting. Their Navy has radars and a collision like this cant happen - they chased the boat and it ended up like this. Sri Lanka is responsible, complains Prabhakaran, a fishermen who is said to have been traveling on another boat, that was near to the ill-fated one. The announcement of the retrieval of the body came on Wednesday afternoon. However, as of Friday evening, there seems to be no indication of their return. The fishermen community were hoping to get back their two men and the body of another by Friday evening (repatriation is usually done by night, so as to prevent law and order issues). However, they feel that their wait will be longer. Representatives of the Indian Traditional Fishermen Federation are aggrieved over what they refer to as the inaction of the Indian Government and the Tamil Nadu government. They particularly feel let down by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who had strongly voiced concerns of fishermen and made promises to help them, while he was an opposition leader. Two days after this latest incident, our Chief Minister has written to the Indian government asking them to work towards securing the release of two fishermen and for retrieving the body of the third fishermen. However, its ironical that he sent this letter nearly 8 hours after media reported about the body being retrieved from sea. When he (MK Stalin) was an Opposition leader, he would shoot letters instantly, a fishermen community leader told Zee News. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Navy has maintained that 'the Indian vessel was poaching in Sri Lankan waters, across the International Maritime Boundary Line(IMBL), on Monday'. They added that the collision occurred when the Lankan Navy craft was chasing away Indian fishing boats. One of the Indian fishing trawlers, with aggressive manoeuvres, in resistance to the chase, was on an attempt to evade from the scene collided with SLN Craft in operation. In the process it ultimately descended having lost its stability as well as due to the rough sea condition, the Lankan Navy statement read. The issue between fishermen in Tamil Nadu and the Lankan Navy has been a long-standing and a thorny one. It is often alleged that Indian fishermen deliberately head to Lankan waters (where the quality and quantity of catch is better) and indulge in bottom trawling, an unsustainable fishing practice that affects the ecology and marine life in the long-term. Sri Lanka maintains that arrests of foreign fishermen is done to protect the livelihood of their own fishing community. Recently, Lankan fishermen from the northern part of the island country had protested, demanding their Government to act against Indian fishermen who were trespassing into their waters. They made attempts to pressure the Indian and Sri Lankan authorities to act against those involved in illegal fishing. According to Indias National Traditional Fishermen Federation, the latest incident involving the Sri Lankan Navy is seen as deliberate retribution for another recent untoward incident, which involved an Indian boat. A few weeks back, a large Indian fishing trawler from Tamil Nadu had collided with and sunk a smaller Lankan fishing boat. While the Lankan boat was fully damaged the Lankan fishermen survived and returned to the shore. It is believed that, had the Indian Government or Tamil Nadu government taken some action against the errant Indian boat and offered compensation to the Lankan fishermen, things would have been amicably resolved. Indian fishermen believe that holding talks between them and their Sri Lankan counterparts would help resolve some of the misunderstandings that are based on the recent collision and alleged trespass. Live TV New Delhi: Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the fact that users are unaware of how they might be tricked as the use of gadgets increases in the Covid-19 era. In reality, individuals freely share private information about their bank accounts, social media accounts, and other accounts, even with complete strangers. This joint effort by India and the United States will ensure that cybercriminals are both prevented and apprehended. Both India and the United States have joined forces to monitor the Internet and ensure that innocent people are not harmed by cybercrime. On Thursday, the US Justice Department announced that India and the US will increase their collaboration in combating cybercrime, telemarketing fraud, and enforcing consumer protection laws. To further strengthen law enforcement cooperation, officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) met with Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun G. Rao of the US Department of Justice Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch, as well as colleagues from the Consumer Protection Branch and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in New Delhi. Frauds On The Rise During the conference, they discussed ways to counteract emerging crime trends, such as telemarketing fraud, which is on the rise. The Justice Department, in a statement, said "In their meetings, the parties affirmed their shared commitment to strengthen cooperation in combating crime, specifically with respect to efforts to investigate and prosecute cyber-enabled financial frauds and global telemarketing frauds, including international robocalls and communications". As a result, India and the United States will be able to communicate information and evidence more quickly in order to combat emerging technology-based crimes. This sustained cooperation in combating cybercrime will safeguard individuals in both countries' security and safety from cybercriminals, according to the department. Awareness Drive In India Awareness drive on cybercrime launched by Goa police Meanwhile, ANI notes that, despite the fact that cybercrime is on the rise, the Goa police department is conducting Cyber awareness drives and visiting schools and institutions as part of a national cybercrime awareness month programme. Children, young adults, and teachers have been targeted by the Cyber Crime Cell. Zantye College, Nirmala Institute, and Royal School were among the colleges and schools visited by a team. Other activities include the distribution of awareness posters on social media to raise awareness about how to protect oneself from cybercriminals. The national Cybercrime Helpline 155260 has recently been activated by the Goa Police Department for immediate cybercrime reporting. Live TV #mute It is evident that Digital Marketing is extremely efficient and convenient. Most businesses, both small and large, prefer Digital Marketing over Traditional Marketing. Traditional Marketing is on the verge of being overthrown. The paradigm shift to Digital Marketing has given wings to numerous people who adore and admire the Digital Space. Pankaj Sharma is an experienced and well-versed Digital Marketer who established Digi8 Marketing Inc. to cater to the needs of Canadian and International clients. Pankaj Sharma has over seven years of experience and has put in blood, sweat, and tears to become an expert in the Digital Marketing sector. Digi8 Marketing Inc. provides all kinds of marketing services like SEO, SEM, and SMM for better visibility on the Internet and Brand Positioning, Lead generation, App Download, etc. to hike the sales volumes. They provide customized strategies for each business as they acknowledge that every business has a different set of features and has its own unique selling points. In addition, they focus more on organic growth and are deliberately trying to decrease dependency on Google AdSense. They aim to provide cost-effective strategies for the clients so that they can benefit more at a cheaper price. Pankaj has numerous successful projects under his belt, starting from POPO with his cousin brother Manik Sharma. Before he excelled in Digital Marketing, he experimented on what works and what does not in Digital marketing. His success was not overnight. He spent countless sleepless nights to achieve triumph and accomplish everything in this sector. Many people gave up along the way, however, all he could think was how to convert his failure into success. He made sure to never repeat his past mistakes. His mistakes proved to be his best teacher. After innumerable trials and tribulations, he finally cracked the puzzle and found his own strategy which was Low CPC keyword with high research volume. He wants to help the upcoming Digital Marketers by teaching them the valuable lessons that he has learnt in the past seven years of his life. He runs a YouTube channel that focuses on spreading information and awareness on Digital Marketing. It breaks all the myths and stereotypes that surround Digital Marketing and aims to provide a clear-cut view of how everything works in Digital Marketing. Pankaj Sharma is a perfect example of hard work, determination, and dedication. He is inspiring the youths and the millennials to never give up and keep moving forward if you are passionate about something. (Brand Desk Content) New Delhi: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), one of Indias leading IT services firms, is now looking for fresh MBA pass-outs to join the companys MBA Hiring program. The programme is open for candidates who can join the firm in the next financial year, i.e. FY 2022-23. MBA graduates planning to apply for the job at TCS by November 9. The IT major will announce the test dates once the registration ends. In its official statement, TCS said, The path to build a strong foundation to a remarkable career is now open for all PAN India candidates with Year of Passing (YOP) as 2020,2021 and 2022 for permitted specializations only." Candidates seeking a job at TCS can register themselves on the TCS Next Step Portal before applying for the vacancy. They will need to apply for TCS MBA Hiring on the portal. TCS MBA Hiring program eligibility The minimum age for applying for the TCS MBA Hiring program is 18 years while the maximum age is 28 years. Candidates should have completed 2 years of full-time MBA/ MMS / PGDBA or PGDM course in subjects such as marketing, finance, operations, supply chain management, information technology, general management, business analytics and project management to be eligible for the programme. Moreover, candidates need to have a minimum of 60% of marks on Xth, Xth, Graduation and/or Post Graduation. Moreover, candidates should be pass-outs of 2020, 2021 and 2022, and they should have studied B.Tech or B.E. before MBA. Also Read: Are you an Instagram Reels creator? Check 3 new effects to make videos more appealing Candidates with relevant work experience are likely to have an edge in the programme. Moreover, candidates with a backlog at the time of the screening process at TCS wont be eligible for the programme. Also Read: Sensex falls 102 points, Nifty tests 18,100 Lucknow: High recoveries and a low number of fresh Covid-19 cases have reduced the Active Covid Caseload in Uttar Pradesh to 107, while the percentage of active cases as against the total confirmed cases in the state is 0 percent. The Active Covid-19 cases in the most populous state have been reduced by over a remarkable 99 percent from their peak capped at 3,10,783 cases on April 30. In sharp contrast to Uttar Pradesh, sparsely populated states like Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu account for a heavy Active Caseload of nearly 82,000, 25,000, 5,500, 7,500 and 14,000, respectively. Out of as many as 161410 samples tested in the last 24 hours, Uttar Pradesh limited the number of fresh infections to 12. In the same period, another 14 patients recovered from the infection. The fresh infections have also been brought down by 99 percent from their peak which was 38,055 on April 24. Where major other states have been witnessing a greater surge of fresh Covid-19 infections (daily cases ranging from 15,000-2,000), Uttar Pradesh has restricted the daily-case count below 50 for over two consecutive months. Active and fresh cases decline to zero in 42 UP districts As 42 districts with strict screening, treatment and vaccination have given a boost to Uttar Pradesh in the fight against coronavirus, the states Recovery Rate has climbed up to 98.8 percent. The drop in fresh and active cases in Aligarh, Amroha, Auraiya, Azamgarh, Badaun, Baghpat, Ballia, Balrampur, Barabanki, Basti, Bahraich, Bijnor, Chitrakoot, Deoria, Etah, Etawah, Farrukhabad, Fatehpur, Gonda, Hamirpur, Hardoi, Hathras, Jhansi, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Kasganj, Kaushambi, Kushinagar, Lakhimpur-Kheri, Lalitpur, Mahoba, Mainpuri, Mirzapur, Moradabad, Pratapgarh, Rampur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Shamli, Shravasti, Sitapur, Sonbhadra and Unnnao indicates complete elimination of coronavirus from over 56 per cent of the state. In what comes as another relief, none of the 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh has reported fresh cases of coronavirus infection in double-digits lately. Indicating signs that the dangerous virus is receding from the state, as many as 69 districts reported no case of covid-19 infection in the last 24 hours. It is pertinent to note that apart from Uttar Pradesh, no other state provides data describing covid situation district-wise. Vaccine upscale: Over 63% receive the first dose Uttar Pradesh has given out over 12.23 crore vaccine doses so far and that is no small achievement. The impressive pace of COVID vaccination has made Uttar Pradesh the top state with the largest population in the country. The state has also made the maximum contribution to the country's achievement of administering 100-crore vaccine doses. In addition, Uttar Pradesh has also achieved the landmark of administering the first dose of the covid-19 vaccine to over 63 percent of the eligible adult population and more than 2.80 crore people in the state have been fully vaccinated. UP has set an example in front of other states of the country, besides controlling the infection in a short time. On the other hand, Maharashtra lags with 9.36 crore doses delivered so far. Emerging as a leader in conducting maximum COVID Tests, Uttar Pradesh has also tested as many as 8,19,67,101 samples for the novel coronavirus infection so far. Despite aggressive tracing and testing, Uttar Pradeshs positivity rate (TPR) which shows the level of infections among people stands at even lower than 0.01 percent. Live TV New Delhi: In a shocking incident, the viewers of the CBS-affiliated news channel, KREM, were subjected to an obscene pornographic clip during the channels weather forecast show at 6 pm. The Washington news channel, accidentally featured a pornographic clip while the famous meteorologist Michelle Boss was on-air reporting the weather update. However, Michelle Boss was completely unaware of it and continued with her report along with co-anchor Cody Proctor. The 13-second-long video was a nasty shock for the viewers, who later on decide to lash out at the social media. Soon after the show, the chatter started on social media, pushing the news channel, KREM, to issue an apology. As per a report published by The Sun, KREM said, An inappropriate video aired in the first part of the show. We are diligently working to make sure something like this doesnt happen again. Meanwhile, the incident is now being investigated by the Spokane Police Departments special victims unit, which said that the KREM authorities were cooperating with the investigation. As per a press release by the department, the incident generated numerous calls from concerned citizens in the city and county. At the time of this release, the investigation is ongoing and no culpability of any kind has been determined. Live TV